THE GRANITE BAY GAZETTE
DECEMBER 2024
A LETTER FROM THE EDITORS
Dear Readers,
For the 27th time, we present to you the Granite Bay Gazette. A semester of sweat and tears resides in these pages, as we dedicated our mornings, evenings and afternoons to picking and producing the best material, and it’s all here, ready to be enjoyed by our faithful and supportive readers—you!
This past season, we, alongside our peers, have witnessed many debates–from the serious to the frivolous. Whether it be weighing causes of California’s low educational ranking, covering the contentious national election, revisiting community protests headlined in the past four years, analyzing the impact of social media in the anti-fentanyl movement impacting adolescents or arguing why “The Play That Goes Wrong” is worth a five-star rating, we have been honored to cover this movement of Gen Z engaging in these debates.
With the establishment of CTE Journalism and its integration with CTE Photography, this edition was our first working alongside students in CTE Photography. Our photographers have brought much of the visual content that enhances this edition, from individual pages down to the front cover. Photo journalism has become inseparable from print journalism when it comes to sharing the complete story, and it has been incredible to see journalism and photo staffers work side-by-side with the community to assemble this publication.
On behalf of the paper, we thank each and every one of you for reading and supporting scholastic journalism. We look forward to sharing our stories with the school and community, and we hope that you enjoy the Granite Bay Gazette - Volume 27, Issue 1.
Sincerely, Your section editors
Rachel Guo, Sophie Nguyen, Audrey Baime, Sienna Rodriguez, Emily Lau and Samantha Yee
GO GRIZZLIES GO GRIZZLIES
Editors
Audrey Baime
Mason Clore
Rachel Guo
Emily Lau
Sophie Nguyen
Sienna Rodriguez
Samantha Yee
Asst. Editors
Andrei Felt
Jerry Li
Alexandra Speak
Esha Suhag
Staff Writers
Farwa Ajaz
Chloe Brown
Maryana Franchuk
Suri Haghi
Adiva Mittal
Clark Owens
Claire Richardson
Carmine Romeo
Priscilla Sharifie
Tyson Smith
Wendy Wang
Safe, Seen and Supported, the rise of LGBTQ+ Resources at Granite Bay High
BY RACHEL GUO, SOPHIE NGUYEN CHLOE BROWN rachelguo.gbhsgazette@gmail.com
Two parents meet up with Pastor Casey Martinez-Tinnin in hopes to find resources for their transgender child. Unknown to Tinnin, this call was a false alibi and that he was being secretly recorded by anonymous journalists for Project Veritas, a far-right activist group.
It has been close to two years since Roseville Joint Union High School District (RJUHSD) cut ties with The Landing Spot, a LGBTQ+ resource, following the cancelation of their student drag show at Roseville High School after receiving threats and backlash from a Project veritas video that was recorded and released without the knowledge and consent of the Loomis Basin Congregational United Church pastor and founder of the Landing Spot, Casey Tinnin.
Project Veritas is no stranger to law suits with allegations of edited and illegally recorded videos, publishing misinformation and wiretapping. The edited video led to board meetings and protests with high emotions. In the end, RJUHSD cut ties with the Landing Spot, removing an on-campus resource for LGBTQ+ students. For instance, Melanie Dobson, Assistant Superintendent at student services, has emphasized the district’s primary role in supporting students.
who want individual therapy and group therapy sessions can attend them at the Wellness Center. It is also open for students who want to drop by and talk to someone without consistent sessions and for students who feel like they need a break, the center offers tea, fidget toys and coloring pages along with many other resources.
RJUHSD has also partnered with Care Solace, an online resource that is available 24/7 where students can find local mental health programs and counseling services. If students prefer a virtual option in addition to the in-person Wellness Center, Care Solace offers online appointments via text, audio call and video chat. Regardless of the medium, Care lace communications will remain anonymous and confidential.
Another resource on campus is our GBHS Genders and Sexualities Alli ances (GSA), formerly known as Gay-Straight Alliances. On Nov. 12, 2024, the GSA attended the GSA Summit that took place at Antelope High School where they connected with GSA groups from other schools to create a support district wide community, according to GBHS GSA President Fynn Gaillard.
“(The District) can provide services to (the) students on campus, which is why we don’t contract with outside organizations,” Dobson said.
Granite Bay High School has started to open up new on-campus resources to the LGBTQ+ community with the Health and Wellness center.
One of the resources that they restarted this year is Safe Spaces, a support group that is run by the Wellness Center for LGBTQ+ students. The group has ten to fifteen sessions that meet up once a week for 45 to 50 minutes. However, to attend these meetings the student’s parents/ guardians will be notified and need to sign a consent form. The Wellness Center is available to everyone. People
“(The GBHS GSA) had the summit meeting … where they went to a bunch of GSA clubs and officials from all over the district, and they went and had a meeting about different topics like LGBTQ students in schools … (or) somewhere to go to talk about something,” Akasha Rose Dixon, a sophomore member of the GBHS GSA, said.
Sometimes, support is not necessarily found through established programs nor clubs; in fact, students have expressed how LGBTQ+ wellness services can be found through confiding in friendships.
“Instead of me going to people, people often go to me, which I love. I love that people go to me, but at the same time, I feel like there should be more space. The biggest place that’s supportive I feel like on campus is honestly the Wellness Center,” Taylor DeFreece, a senior, said. “I’m glad I’m an anchor for people, but there should be a better anchor that’s a professional.”
5th largest economy in the world. 37th state in Pre-K-12 Education.
BY SOPHIE NGUYEN, AUDREY BAIME, & CLARK OWENS snguyen.granitebaytoday@gmail.com
According to the 2024 US News and World Report, California is currently ranked 37th in Pre-K-12 education. From diversity to funding factors, many aspects can contribute to this rather low ranking.
Placer County Department of Education County Superintendent Gayle Garbolino-Mojica attributes the low ranking to the demographic diversity between various states. Due to its vast population and size, what plays to California’s strengths in the economics arena has been its Achilles’ heel when it comes to education.
“California is such a huge state … even the tiniest little change requires a Herculean effort,” Carolyn Jones, head of K-12 reporting at Cal Matters, said. “California has a lot of extremes too. There’s a lot of really wealthy parts of the state … and then there’s other parts of the state that are really poor.”
districts in the Central Valley house residents primarily in the agricultural sector, where wages are not as high; consequently, education levels tend to be less. Meanwhile, in the San Francisco Bay Area, the tech industry provides prosperous opportunities for education, paving the way for higher educational performance.
California’s passed legislation to address educational funding could be another contributor; California ranks 37th despite the revenue the state brings in and the approximate 40% of the state budget allocated directly to education.
Both Garbolino-Mojica and Jones attribute California’s low educational rankings to the socioeconomic diversity throughout the state.
“I think that there has been a correlation between the ability to provide resources, financial resources to a family and level of educational attainment that parents have is directly correlated to the values that children have and the desire to maybe prioritize education at a different level,” Garbolino-Mojica said.
For instance, the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), the largest school district in the state, has a wide range of students from various economic backgrounds, with many low-income students relying on government subsidies, according to Garbolino-Mojica. Many school
The downward curve of California’s education ranking originates with the 1978 Prop 13 initiative, which drastically reduced the funding of individual schools. After it was passed, for 20 years, the state still struggled to fund public schools adequately. With the proposition being passed with 65% of the vote, it led to lower property taxes and a limit on how much assessments could increase. Prop 13 lowered property taxes to 1% of the properties’ value, and this had the adverse effect of causing a funding problem.
“We’re doing a lot better on funding than we used to do, but it kind of takes a long time to undo all that harm,” Jones said. However, when it comes to specific counties, Garbolino-Mojica has claimed that Placer County has consistently ranked in the top three counties, competing alongside Marin County and Santa Clara County, out of California’s 58 counties.
US News and World Report ranks California
37th in the nation
“There are a lot of teachers [at Granite Bay High School] that come to mind that really work really hard,”
John Pichon, GBHS assistant principal, said. “I just think the work we put in ... is probably one of the biggest reasons why we see the success that we do.”
Gen Z makes A
The issues prioritized by Generation Z demonstrate a strong political identity and an emphasis on the economy, reproductive rights, education and foreign affairs.
BY AUDREY BAIME & ANDREI FELT baime.granitebaytoday@gmail.com
Around 11:24 pm, on Nov 5, the AP called Pennsylvania for Donald Trump, shattering the blue wall once again and making him the 47th president-elect of the United States.
Nov 5 saw the first presidential election in which the majority of Gen Z had real involvement in the outcome, on both sides of the aisle.
Trump appeared on Joe Rogan’s podcast just two weeks before the election, tapping into a key demographic he needed to come out to the polls—young men, who make up a majority of Rogan’s viewers. Kamala Harris’s campaign spent significant energy calling out to young women voters with a platform highly contingent on a concern with women’s reproductive rights.
the same way they did for Biden in 2020, who led the youth vote by a staggering 25-point margin according to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement.
The results—Harris underperformed with young women, down by a 7 point margin from Biden in 2020, and Trump massively overperformed with young men’s turnout at the polls, increasing his margin by 15% according to the AP.
“I love Gen-Z…I see your power.” Harris said at a Michigan State University rally, a campus in a state key to her potential victory.
Though Harris still garnered the youth vote by a 6-point margin, new Gen-Z voters did not carry the torch for Harris
After the overturning of Roe v Wade, the Democratic party prioritized abortion as a key issue to bring people out to the polls, especially young women, as Harris promised to codify Roe v. Wade into law. Given the decision made by the Supreme Court and the red wave that overcame the House and the Senate, her goals were relatively unattainable.
“Kamala would have never been able to bring back Roe v Wade,” Sasha Samoylovich, a senior at Granite Bay High School, said. “Trump’s not going to be able to make a full ban—they’re only able to make these small changes.”
A Gazette poll found that 75% of GBHS seniors classified abortion as an issue that is “very important” to them.
Even though abortion was very relavant this election, Gallup polls showed that the economy ranked as the most important issue to voters while abortion sat on the sidelines, ranked only ninth. With a high of 9.1% inflation under Joe Biden, many voters felt that the country needed to head in a different direction.
“Younger people are really concerned about the cost of living in our state and about the ability to afford to go to college, to be able to afford rent, to be able to afford groceries, to eventually buy a home,” Representative of District 3 California Kevin Kiley said.
According to the same Gazette poll, 67% of seniors classified the economy as “very important” to them.
“The most important factor was definitely the economy. Now that I’m going to have to be paying bills and stuff in the next four years, I’m not really a kid anymore,” a senior male at GBHS who voted for Trump said. “The people spoke, and I think everybody was kind of tired of not being able to afford groceries and just basic needs.”
National Decision
The impact of this election on students extends far beyond inflation rates, however. Trump has promised to do away with the Department of Education (DOE), vowing to send education “back to the states.” The process, if it happened, would likely not be immediate, and would require extensive bureaucratic processes.
“There could be a major, major hit to financial aid types of programs,” Jarrod Westberg, a GBHS AP Government teacher, said. “Especially when it’s need-based, a lot of that stuff could get limited.”
Kevin Kiley, Congressman ” “
ians. Both of them are not going to stop the war,” Lilyan Suleiman, a Palestinian student from Jordan, said. Increased engagement in foreign policy by Gen Z invited criticism of both candidates, especially Harris, who was fighting for the youth and Arab vote in states like Michigan.
Younger people are really concerned about the cost of living in our state.
If the DOE is eliminated, funding for education, specifically Pell Grant scholarship funds, could be massively depleted. Block grants to states would take the place of direct federal aid, which allow states more discretion over how to spend their money. Without a federal DOE, students who rely on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to financially support their education, would no longer be able to access this resource.
The dissolution of the DOE has been a topic of contention in the political arena; while Democrats are opposed, many Republicans argue that scholarships will not go away and that the DOE is not necessary for this purpose.
“Things like Pell Grants are not going to go away. In fact, we’ve looked to make them more accessible and to make them go farther,” Kiley said.
Unlike the economy and education, foreign policy has consistently been an issue of less importance to youth. In 2022, only 4% of youth considered foreign policy to be a top-3 issue, but in 2024, amidst the ongoing violence in the Middle East, approximately half of all youth attest to paying attention to the Israel-Palestine conflict according to the CIRCLE from Tufts University. Approximately 1/3 of GBHS students classified foreign policy as “very important” to them in reference to the election.
“Both of them are not going to stand with Palestin-
Gen-Z’s political debut demonstrates a desire for change. Whether they want change in the economy, the Middle East, or education policy, they have participated in the democratic process, and the results are clear.
“Regardless of whether you agree or disagree with any particular election, your participation makes our community stronger,” Kiley said.
His “North Star” Is Keeping Kids Safe Chris Didier’s Advocacy for Safety on Social Media
BY RACHEL GUO, MARYANA FRANCHUK, FARWA AJAZ & WENDY WANG rachelguo.gbhsgazette@gmail.com
Over 238 million people in the United States scroll through social media, often unaware of the harmful content the many platforms possess. Chris Didier, airforce pilot, airline pilot and most importantly, father, lost his son, Zach Didier, at the age of 17 to fentanyl that was sold to him on Snapchat under the pretense of being the prescription painkiller Percocet.
Didier has turned to advocate for
an update to current laws. These laws protect social media from being held accountable for what is posted on their platforms. He argues that the internet has changed since the 1990s and that there needs to be more regulation and revisions made to laws concerning social media.
“The entire industry of social media is pretty dangerous because of the fact that there’s very little to no regulation. And so we need to update legislation to make it more regulatory,” Didier said.
He and Zach’s mother, Laura Didier, have been working tirelessly to educate others on the dangers of fentanyl, partnering with schools and other organizations to share their story in hopes of preventing more fentanyl related deaths. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, death by synthetic opioids like fentanyl has risen by 38.1% and is the leading factor of overdose deaths. Fentanyl laced drugs are often bought off of the internet and social media websites under the pretense of being pharmaceutical drugs.
As of Oct. 24, Chris
Dider has spoken at 106 school assemblies, 58 parent info nights and testified for 15 different Senate or assembly bills in California in support of measures to bring online safety or to to promote accountability to a person who’s been convicted of a drug crime. Didier has dedicated himself to learning and educating others about fentanyl and the crisis that surrounds its unchecked distribution.
“I just want to keep kids safe. That’s my North Star, my Polaris. My North Star is to get the message out to a young person walking around with a cell phone in their hand that there are predators online who want to do harm and take ad-
“The entire industry of social media is pretty dangerous because of the fact that there’s very little to no regulation.”
- Chris Didier
vantage of you, and It’s not fair to you,” Didier said.
One thing that Didier is focusing on is the Communications Decency Act (CDA), statute 230 C from 1996. According to CDA, section 230 C, social media platforms cannot be legally held accountable for what others post on their platforms.
Photo courtesy/LAURA DIDIER
The social media industry has a liability shield, it’s one of the only industries that has a federal statute that prevents the companies from being sued.
Section 230 was created during the early internet. Since 1996,
“I just want to keep kids safe. That’s my North Star, my Polaris.”
- Chris Didier
social media platforms have advanced to be more user-generated. Section 230 was created in hopes to promote free speech, grow internet usage and also allow companies to moderate their own platforms.
Social media platforms have also made it easier for people to access others through their profiles.
Though useful for the average social media user, it has also opened doors that increase the distribution of illicit drugs and sexual content, making them more accessible.
“As the investigator of all the harms that are inflicted on our children today, there is a social me. There’s a lot of harms, harms such as human trafficking, forced labor, forced sex, child sexual abuse, deep fake porn, sextorsion, eating disorders, extreme cyber bullying, suicide, illicit drug trafficking, all that’s just an even few and it is irrefutable online,” Didier said at the Nov. 12th, 1 Pill Can Kill event held by the Placer County District Attoneys office at Whitney High School.
Both Laura and Chris Didier were present at the ‘1 Pill Can Kill’ event on Nov. 12, as panel members. The event was a premiere for a clip conveying a story of a young boy which is meant to raise awareness towards the fentanyl crisis.
Didier is not alone in his fight against social media. Along with those present at the 1 Pill Can Kill event, he is also an executive board member for a family run non-profit organization called Victims of Illicit Drugs, also known as VOID. VOID’s mission is to spread awareness of the dangers of illicit drugs, with an emphasis on fentanyl. The organization is
working to provide knowledge and preventative tools to help reduce the number of deaths from illicit drugs in our society.
Didier works with other grieving families. Additionally, he continues to speak to schools, at the California state capitol and at the White House to talk about his missions to educate others on the dangers of illicit drugs and his fight to provide more safety regulations on platforms.
“Through both education and enforcement, we were pouring our hearts into our schools, trying to educate and working with the school district, trying to just talk about the dangers associated with this poison, and we’ll continue to do that,” Didier said.
Businesses Giving Back
BY EMILY LAU & JERRY LI elau.gazette@gmail.com
Local Businesses around the Sacramento Region
Bayside Church
Launching a series of toy drives, fundraisers and events, the Granite Bay campus of Bayside Church is all for giving back to the community.
Bayside has ten annual holiday events aiming to benefit many members of the community: toy drives for kids battling cancer and partnering with other organiza tions such as Bags of Hope.
These events are almost entirely dependent on the donations from the community.
“[We want to] make sure that people get what they need for the holidays,” Shaun Sanassarian, the Local Outreach pastor who oversees community events, said. “There’s stuff we do throughout the year, but this is the biggest one that we
[but] every year we’re adding something or changing something,” Sanassarian said.
St. Vincent de Paul (SVDP)
SVDP is a non-profit organization that helps feed the hungry and gives much-needed food for the homeless. Every Thanksgiving, they distribute turkey dinners to households in need and don’t have a good meal for the holiday.
“We generally end up being able to provide for about 400 households, because, after all is said and done, we
gifts for their children.
“We provide two or three gifts for each child, and in addition to some stocking stuffers.We do this for the people who visit our food locker on a regular basis. This year, we signed up 176 children to receive gifts,” said Rush.
Rush also explained that the SVDP works with a vast amount of volunteers that help with both of the holiday events this season. Only seven staff work permanent positions, so they collaborate with about 100 volunteers to run these events.
Following their Mission Statement to “provide basic human services and programs to prevent hunger and homelessness,” these events allow families and communities to receive meals and gifts, creating a heartwarming holiday spirit for everyone to enjoy.
Gazette graphics/JERRY LI
Giving Machines
Walking through the Westfield Galleria Mall this holiday season, you pass by various stores with festive decorations, only to come across something unexpected– a vending machine. But this isn’t your typical vending machine; instead, it is a Giving Machine, providing a unique chance to make a difference by purchasing items for those in need.
Just from a click of a button, the Giving Machines function like traditional vending machines, where users select items to donate such as meals for the homeless or livestock for families in underserved areas.
Sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, the Giving Machine initiative was first established in 2017, growing to 106 machines worldwide today. Last year, they raised approximately $10.4 million globally, which helped provide one million meals and 660,000 vaccines for diseases like polio and rubella.
“It’s really interesting to see how those things can affect the world. It’s a wonderful, wonderful opportunity for people who want to help others that don’t know what to do or how to do it,” Nancy Pinney, who oversees the Giv-
ing Machine Initiative in Sacramento, said.
Pinney finds it heartwarming to see how the machines bring the community together, as individuals from different backgrounds come to support meaningful causes.
“We don’t care what religion you are, we don’t care what ethnicity you are. None of that matters. All that matters is that there are those in need, and there are those who want to help. People are coming together in ways that they maybe haven’t before. It’s really a win,”
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA)
Paw-sitively festive fun is on the way “this holiday season.” The seventh annual Pup Crawl is crawling back to Sacramento on December 14, 2024.
Hosted by the Sacramento SPCA, the Pup Crawl is one of their three signature fundraising events in order to raise money for the shelter.
Many participants dress up in holiday outfits, often matching ugly Christmas sweaters with their dogs or attaching jingle bells to their collars. This fun event brings the Midtown Sacramento community together to celebrate the season while supporting the SPCA.
“The other major goal, of course, is just to engage the community... Then, we have about 300 participants and their dogs that can also support the SPCA and learn more about what we do,” Kristi Maryman, Senior Manager of Corporate
Relations at the Sacramento SPCA, said.
With adoptable animals on display and staff available to answer questions, the event helps inform the community about the shelter’s services, adoption opportunities and other programs.
“It’s just a really fun way to close out the year and celebrate the holidays. We know how important and how much people incorporate their animals into the holidays—being grateful and thankful for (them), giving them presents, and participating in the holidays with your animals. That’s my favorite part.” Maryman said.
Granite Bay Resident’s 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa was featured in the movie The Art of Racing in the Rain
Jack’s 1957 Ferrari 250 Pontoon Testa Rossa was featured in the 2019 film “The Art of Racing in Rain.” A car collector with two classic and two exotic cars, this Granite Bay resident, who asked to have his last name withheld, often gets stopped for photos.
But, strangely enough, his original 1964 Shelby Cobra, pictured left, gets the least photo requests since people assume it is a recreation, while the Ferrari 250, a recreation, gets the most requests.
“A number of people that have fun exotic cars and old historic cars, they just put them in the driveway or in their garage and never drive them. And it drives me crazy that they don’t drive them. To me, driving them is the fun of it,” Jack said.
Since Jack owns a hand-made aluminum bodied recreation of the Ferrari 250 “Pontoon” Testa Rossa with an old V-12 Ferrari engine, he was approached by Patrick Dempsy and Jeff Zwart, avid car collectors and the movie producers of “The Art of Racing in the Rain” to use his car for the film.
“They talked me into it, said they’d take great care of the car, and they really did, and I trusted them, because they’re both car collectors, and that’s when I decided to go ahead and let them have the car for 30 days,” Jack said.
A GARAGE OF CLASSICS
BY MASON CLORE AND CARMINE ROMEO
Jack’s favorite car to drive? The 1964 Shelby Cobra.
“I used to fuel and oil Carroll Shelby’s DC-3 behind his hangar at LAX when they were building the Cobras and the GT 350 Mustangs,” Jack said.
Carroll Shelby, who founded his own automotive manufacturing company, partnered with Ford, who developed the engine,to create the Shelby Cobra.
“I’ve always wanted a Cobra ever since then, and I finally got one,” Jack said.
From
Jack’s friend demonstrates his original 1964 Shelby Cobra
The
CAPTIONS:
left, counter clockwise
Jack let us take a photograph in his handmade 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa recreation.
Shelby Cobra contains the original signature of the automotive designer, Carroll Shelby.
GAZETTE REVIEWS
MUSIC: CHROMAKOPIA
BY ALEXANDRA SPEAK speak.granitebaytoday@gmail.com
Tyler,
the Creator recently released a 14 track album with an important message. After years of fans crossing boundaries, he finally communicated his discomfort through the powerful songs.
With the use of compelling aspects of the music, such as songs starting off with audio clips of his mother, moments of acapella, and unusual sound effects, each song in this album communicates a different message.
Before releasing the entire album, Tyler released the song “Noid”, which forewarned the listeners that this album was about them. The song highlights the fears and insecu-
rities that Tyler has while being in the public eye through edgy beats, big instrumentals, and a chorus that includes a different language. This theme of constant watching eyes is a theme throughout the rest of this release, as he mentions the word “paranoid” in almost every single song.
One song that stood out was “Like Him,” which spotlights the lack of a relationship between Tyler and his father. After an entire album focusing on selfhood and insecurity, “Like Him” was an incredible tie to the family aspect of one’s identity. The instrumentals of this song left me with full body chills,
Although the entire album was incredible, “Take Your Mask Off” was definitely the most underwhelming, especially the feature from Daniel Caesar. The song overall was repetitive. While the song wasn’t terrible, it is not what I would choose to listen to in my free time.
The range of this album is incredible from upbeat, fun songs like “Balloon” to slower, more calm songs like “Hey Jane”. It provides an incredible listening experience, and it is one of the best albums of this year.
THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG
BY CHLOE BROWN chloe.brown@student.rjuhsd.us
ThePlay That Goes Wrong is a humorous show about a production that goes terribly wrong. The GBHS theatre brought this play to life from the seventh of November to the sixteenth of November. This show was so comical. The actors all had so much energy, creating a great theatrical environment. All the staging the characters were assigned made it all the more funny. I also liked the repetition throughout the show because
the energy increased every time something was repeated, which was funny because you could see the changes every time. The set was very detailed, and you could tell a lot of effort was put into it. Though the set looked like it would stay still, there were many moving pieces such as a picture frame that fell and a platform that “broke” and slanted down during the show. This was a fun way to kick off this year’s productions at our school.
Photo courtesy of GBTV
Photo courtesy of Tyler Okonma
FILM: HERE
BY ESHA SUHAG esha.suhag@student.rjuhsd.us
Despiteall the buzz about AI revolutionizing cinema, “Here” proves that sometimes, even robots need better scripts.
This movie made headlines for its use of AI, but as a viewer, I could tell which images were generated, and which were filmed. The AI did not deserve to make headlines; I have seen images on the internet that were much more realistic.
The movie is about a piece of land and its inhabitants, ranging from the dinosaurs to the modern day. The story is not told in chronological order, and it features different families overcoming challenges. The main story is of a son who gets his girlfriend pregnant, and they both have to give up their dreams. They get married and raise a little girl in his parents’ house, but she always wants to move out. They don’t have the money, and
she eventually leaves him once their daughter has moved out.
The movie should have focused its plot onto its main plotline, instead of jumping around, and confusing the viewer. Even then, the movie would have been a mediocre Hallmark movie. It is just about two normal people trying their best, and though I might watch that curled up on the couch on a Friday night, it is not worth going to theaters to watch. There was no real concept idea that brought all the different clips together, except for a bunch of women having children.
“Here” didn’t provoke hatred or love, it was just bland. No real filmmaking risks were taken, and it showed. It was fine as a comfort movie, but the jumping around was disorienting, and it needed a more focused angle.
TV: THE WIZARDS BEYOND WAVERLY PLACE
BY CLAIRE RICHARDSON claire.richardson@student.rjuhsd.us
The first thing Billie, one of the main characters of the Wizards Beyond Waverly Place, says is “let me clarify, I’m a wizard with style.” Billie is at risk of having her wand taken away due to her inability to control her magic. The WBWP is an amazing show. The show is funny and full of special effects. A spin off of The Wizards of Waverly Place, Justin reappears 15 years later as a wizard teacher to Billie. The new show is in Staten Island instead of Waverly Place. I love the show because it’s a comedy and the special effects show the magic of the wizard’s powers. The one thing I dislike about the show is the same story arc happens in each episode, but that is how episodic comedy works.
Photo courtesy of Disney
Though likable, Billie has been kicked out of multiple wizarding schools because she often misuses her magic by doing things like erasing a whole person instead of just a memory.
Alex, Selena Gomez, hears about Billie
because she is on the Wizarding Tribune and brings her to Justin and his family to teach her how to use her magic. They let her live with them (with her own room and everything) for the rest of the season.
The first two episodes of the WBWP start off with Billie meeting Justin, his wife and kids, and settling in. Her arrival reveals to his family that he is a wizard, a secret he has been hiding up to this point. The rising action is episodes three through nine. The rising action starts when Billie goes to her first day of mortal middle school with Roman who is the oldest son of Justin. Bille makes a friend, Winter, who is also Roman’s best friend on her first day. Each episode is very repetitive. Billie uses magic and it causes a problem. When she does this she doesn’t really know how to undo these shenanigans. It usually ends in Justin fixing it or teaching Billie how to fix it.
Watching this as a teen I would like more action and more of a plot. The repetitiveness makes it a little less interesting, but the special effects with the magic makes the show exciting. For the targeted audience TV-Y7(7 and up) it may seem interesting but it’s targeted towards kids, not as much towards teens.
I really like a lot about the show like the cinematography, acting, and the effects. I just want less of a repetitive plot.
Photo courtesy of IMDB
ATHLETE OF THE MONTH
From Granite Bay to Cal Poly, Levi Bussey’s high school career
As the 2024 wrestling season at Granite Bay starts, Levi Bussey’s high school career ends.
From the start, seventh grade, Bussey’s wrestling performance has gone nowhere but up. His wrestling career blossomed and thrived in the past few years as he has climbed to the top of Granite Bay’s team.
Bussey has made it to state twice, during his sophomore and junior year `. He describes his performance as a sophomore as “tough”, and says he wrestled
well in the 2023 CIF Wrestling State Championship. However, in his junior year, Bussey made a massive advance when he placed a signifigant amount higher in state for his weight class.
“The biggest jump was to junior year, where I just got more confident in myself. (I) was able to beat better guys and finish better in state.” Bussey said.
He says this confidence was sparked by the team leaders’ commitment to helping him and the other members believe in themselves.
In addition to providing guidance to Bussey, his teammates have also been a source of comradery.
“We joke around before practice and like at tournaments. But once it’s time to practice for our matches we lock in and get more serious. But it’s good to have that balance,” Bussey said. “ Everybody’s putting in the work, and it just kind of rubs off on everyone.”
Ben Calia, a sophomore and wrestler on the team, is a good friend who had met Bussey while attending high school wrestling practices in eighth grade. From that point, they grew closer and a friendship developed.
“He’s definitely kind of a mentor to me. He helps me out when I need help with anything” Calia said. “He raises the bar for the whole team (and)
BY ALEXANDRA SPEAK
krspeak.granitebaytoday@gmail.comrry.
he’s brought me along to a lot of good tournaments he’s been to. He coaches me a lot.”
Bussey’s hard work does not stop in the off-season, as he continues to train and prepare for the upcoming season. “I tone back the intensity,” Bussey said. “(I) work more on technique and just try to dial it back a little bit. Then when it’s time for off-season tournaments, I’ll pick up the pace during my training camp.”
His high school experience might be over soon, but his wrestling career is just getting started. Bussey is looking into his future after committing to Cal Poly for wrestling in his junior year. But instead of worrying about what’s to come, he says he is enjoying the preparation period.
“I was more just focused on wrestling, working out and stuff, not as focused on the end goal,” Bussey said. “I just learned to just enjoy the process. And then by doing that I just got a lot better.”
Though his friends will miss him, as he is an integral part of the team, many of them are keeping in mind that there are a lot of opportunities waiting for him in the future. And the next phase of his life will be just as memorable.
“It’s definitely gonna be different without him,” Calia said. “I’m sad to see him go, but I know he’s got a lot coming for him in college.”
COACH OF THE MONTH
A Q&A With football coach and PE teacher Coach Cattalico.
Q: Why did you choose to teach at Granite Bay?
Cattolico: I was very interested to teach at Granite Bay because of the academic reputation of the school. Because of the number and the breadth of courses offered here for students to take on the four by four block, and what I felt like were the opportunities to try to really coach football in a place that was highly academic and hopefully in a way that was conducive to the student athletes taking advantage of that academic program.
Q: What made you want to coach football?
Cattolico: I played football growing up. My father was a football coach, but I really wanted to teach football because I thought it was a great way to help prepare student athletes for their adult lives and to help motivate them to be successful and be better in the classroom.
Q:How do you prepare your team for games as best as possible?
Cattolico: We watch film of the other team and of our team as well to try to ascertain what plays they’re running, and what formations and techniques they’re using, so that we can try to prepare our players as well as possible for those things.
Q:How do you keep a good relationship between everyone on the team?
Cattolico: Our focus is really on daily improvement. So we’re obviously a competitive sport, and we’re competing against other teams, but our focus with
BY SURI HAGHI suri.haghi@student.rjuhsd.uscom
the players is really on them trying, individually and collectively, to get better every day. And the idea being that not only will that help us in the competitive aspect of things, but also that that will help benefit them as a philosophy in their lives and as a way to really set attainable goals.
Q:What advice would you give to an aspiring football player for the school?
Cattolico: To really focus on daily improvement and trying to do better every day. Not just in football, but also in their academic classes and also in the course of their daily operation. And then, if they do that, they’ll have a great opportunity to be successful.
STEP INTO THE GRIZZLIES BASKETBALL SHOES
by Tyson Smith
Soki Watanabe (Point Guard) in Red Kobes, Justin Mayotte (Power Forward/ Center) in Green Melos
Wyatt Headly shooting the ball (Shooting Guard)
Keegan Ladrines (Point Guard) wears orange Kobe 6 Reverse Grinches
Dane Bromfield laying the ball (Shooting Guard)
Miles Mike wears Kobe 4 Protros
Kingston Robinson (Guard) wears Purple Nike Air Zooms
The Importance of Questioning Your Beliefs
BY ADIVA MITTAL amittal.granitebaytoday@gmail.com
Too many times in the halls of Granite Bay High School, I have heard “So-and-So’s opinion is stupid.”
During election week, it was common to hear snippets of passionate political discussions come in and out of focus. Granite Bay High School reflects Placer County’s political tension, where 40.81% of residents are registered Republicans and 31.6% are Democrats, according to September 2024 statistics. This contrasts with California’s broader trend, where Democrats (46.2%) significantly outnumber Republicans (24.7%), creating a dynamic mix of perspectives.
This is further amplified by social media algorithms, which provide us with information that strictly aligns with our beliefs and drives a bigger rift through our society. Younger people are most prevalent on these platforms, leaving the newer generations vulnerable to these programs.
The problem with social media is that, instead of creating your own beliefs, it forces you to regurgitate information you’ve been strategically
algorithms. These large-scale corpo rations just tell users what they want to hear: only opinions aligning with their opinions.
This gives users a false sense of choice with their beliefs, believing that they have been presented with enough information to curate a structured and well-supported opinion when really they’ve just been given one side to the story.
“Across the board people see social media as being positive in their engagement, informing them about the political world, and engaging in political conversations.” Dr. Trey Ornoff, a political professor at Oklahoma Christian University, said. “The primary reason for this is people view social media as more real than other kinds of interactions via media. It leads to an assumption of deeper levels of understanding.”
These societal rifts have caused the bridge to cross over to the other side of the spectrum and continue to be lengthened. And for those in the middle of that bridge, which happens to be many youth; there’s mounting pressure to choose a side. So with only two ways to go, these two political parties continue to discredit and deny anything the other side has to say; perpetuating the cycle of misinformation and falsity.
“The algorithms that drive what you see are all based on engagement. So getting you riled up or down makes these echo chambers. Social media is not designed to foster critical thinking or a wide range of voices; it is designed to make money via a lot of eyeballs.” Ornoff said.
While politics is an accurate representation of the polarized social
ferent types of beliefs: Religious, philosophical, and even behavioral. With these large corporations putting us against one another, we all must question our own beliefs and what we’ve known to be true.
So, before you judge somebody else, ask yourself:
Where did this belief come from: evidence, experience, or something I was taught?
What evidence would make me reconsider this belief?
Is this belief consistent with my other values and principles?
Could cultural, social, or personal biases be influencing this belief?
Am I afraid to challenge this belief? If so, why?
Do I hold a stereotype over those that have an opposing belief? How can I separate the belief from the person holding it?
Editorial: Why high school shouldn’t be a college-prep circus
COLLEGE SHOULD BE AN INTENTIONAL CHOICE, NOT AN EXPECTATION
BY THE GAZETTE EDITORIAL BOARD
Teenagers today aren’t just learning math and science—they’re mastering the fine art of juggling flaming torches labeled “GPA,” “clubs” and “sports.” The only thing missing from this circus act? A safety net.
The relentless pressure to achieve academic success and secure a spot at a prestigious college has transformed high school into a marathon of sleepless nights and packed schedules. While some pressure can motivate unengaged students, it often backfires for those already driven, pushing them toward burnout or anxiety. Instead of pursuing genuine interests, students choose activities and courses solely to boost their college applications, sacrificing personal fulfillment.
Students should not have to carry the burden of expectations that make them feel that even if their time at school is 12 hours, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., it isn’t enough. Even after this sacrifice, they still live in a realm of uncertainty. Nobody knows if they will get into their college of choice until they get in. Sacrificing all of this time and working so hard while not knowing whether their work will be successful is demoralizing and anxiety-inducing for young students.
To gain a bit of certainty in this uncertain arena, students simply do as much as they possibly can, hoping to cover all their bases and seem attractive to colleges. Rather than engaging in extracurricular activities that they enjoy, they will take on extracurriculars that are more appealing to colleges. Time is a limited resource, and many students feel it must be spent in the pursuit of college admission rather than living a healthy life. Oftentimes, students’ first reaction to an opportunity is that it will improve their application rather than improve their life. For example, many students volunteer not with the intent of serving their community but with the intent of appearing as though they are involved. People refuse to take classes that are not APs because it will bring down their GPA, even if they are genuinely interested in the course. They also will take mostly classes that correlate with their major, instead of exploring their interests and potentially changing the path they think they’re on. The opposite is also true, with students taking classes that don’t align with their interests or goals simply because it is an AP and
find a new branch to explore, but for a student with five other APs, a more intentional approach might be more beneficial.
In recent years, we believe that it is harder to be academically successful because the threshold for success has been raised. Many believe that in order to be successful, you must be college-educated. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, as of 2017, 35.7% of adults aged 25 to 29 had a bachelor’s degree, which is much higher than in 1950 when it was 7.7%. As more people attain college degrees, the pressure mounts to join the ranks of college-educated people, especially as college-educated parents often want their children to follow in their footsteps.
Many students’ only motivation for working hard in school is college applications and parental pressure, which leads many students to drop half of their workload senior year and not do as many extracurriculars. Students should start with a manageable load and keep that for all four years of high school in order to build good study and work habits for the rest of their lives. When they lighten their loads for senior year, they lose the habits they built up over their high school career. As “senioritis” takes root, many seniors lose their motivation and care less about school than ever before. When they get to college, they believe they can take on much more than they actually can because they have become unused to the rigor over their senior year. This can also lead to people dropping out of college due to overwhelming stress from taking on too much.
a guarantee of a good job when it is not. For example, tech is a very difficult sector, and many people with degrees lose their jobs regularly or are unable to get hired. Finance is becoming another difficult sector as AI becomes more adept at human jobs, rendering a finance degree almost obsolete.
Those who go into college should be purposeful about picking their degree for a specific job, understanding the risks and possible technological developments that could affect that industry. There are plenty of good jobs that are in demand and don’t require a college degree, though they may require trade school. Instead, students go into college for the sole purpose of going to college, as if it is a box to be checked rather than a means to an end or an educational opportunity.
Additionally, people should be more intentional about going to college instead of wasting their time and dropping out. According to the Education Data Initiative, 23.3% of all first-time, full-time freshmen dropped out of college between fall of 2021 and 2022. Instead of enrolling in college just to drop out, they should consider whether college aligns with their life plan, remembering there is no shame in a gap year to explore different opportuni ties.
Four years is no small thing, but now students walk into it and a pile of debt like it is
Parents, administrators, teachers and students should create a safety net by making students feel secure in the extracurriculars they enjoy. They should also do more research about possible career paths, including ones that may not require a college degree. Students should go into their four years knowing full well the financial risks and potential benefits, making sure that their high school years are not only a balancing act but a well-rounded experience.
A NEW CHAPTER
The Ahmadi’s share their journey from Afghanistan to America
BY PRISCILLA SHARIFIE priscilla.sharifie@gbtoday.com
At Granite Bay High School, the halls echo with the stories of students from diverse backgrounds. Among them are Nadia and Saba Ahmadi, Afghan siblings who came from Afghanistan to America. Before arriving in the United States, Nadia and Saba lived in Turkey for seven years. While Turkey provided safety after their leave from Afghanistan, their lives were not without struggle.
“Even though Turkey was a beautiful place to live, at the end of the day, we were always reminded that we weren’t Turkish,” Nadia, a senior at GBHS, said. “It was hard not to feel like we truly belonged,” Nadia said.
Foreigners in Turkey were treated unfairly, given less salary, and fewer resources to enrich their lives. Nadia’s transition of
leaving was bittersweet. She was just months away from graduating high school in Turkey when her family’s decision to leave was settled.
“I was supposed to graduate, but we didn’t have enough time. I was really disappointed,” Nadia said.
The move to America came with hopes of a better life, a place of opportunity where the Ahmadis could pursue their dreams without being judged for where they came from.
Upon arriving in the U.S., the siblings found themselves in an entirely different environment, one where they had to navigate a new school system, unfamiliar cultural norms and a language barrier that made schoolwork especially challenging.
GBHS, said. “Without their help, it would have been really difficult to finish everything,” Saba said.
Nattasha Cattolico, an English Language Development Teacher at GBHS, has been a huge support. She uses a flexible approach to teaching, work-
Even though Turkey was a beautiful place to live, at the end of the day, we were always reminded that we weren’t Turkish, Nadia Ahamadi, Senior ”
“We relied on our friends in Turkey to translate our homework for us,” Saba, a sophomore at
ing with students at different levels of English proficiency.
“We differentiate by level in our classes. The curriculum can become a challenge when students are at varying levels of English. Sometimes I have two or three levels working at the same time, using different textbooks and materials, ” Cattolico said.
With her support, Nadia and Saba have made significant progress, and their
The Ahmadi family celebrating Nowruz at Sacramento in March.
confidence in their academic abilities is growing. Culturally, the U.S. is vastly different from both Afghanistan and Turkey, and adjusting to these differences has been one of the most significant challenges for the Ahmadis.
“Back in Turkey, we weren’t used to seeing so many people express their emotions openly. In the U.S., people aren’t afraid to show what they feel, and that was something new for us,” Saba said.
Despite feeling overwhelmed at times by these cultural differences, both siblings are starting to feel more comfortable and empowered in their new environment.
“Meeting other Afghan students has been really helpful. They understand what I’ve been through, and it makes me feel like I’m not alone,” Saba said. Though Nadia and Saba’s journey has been full of challenges, they remain hopeful for the future.
Gazette photo/ NADIA AHMADI
HMONG AT CALEXPO
BY SAMANTHA YEE sam.yee@gbtoday..com
Q&A
Hmong New Year is a time for the Hmong, an indigenous group from East Asia, to celebrate their late loved ones and the completion of harvest. Kathy Yang, President of Sacramento Hmong New Year, Inc., shares her experience as she plans and prepares the Sacramento Cal Expo Hmong New Year Festival.
What is your role as President?
“This is my first year. I’m actually the very first woman to take the role as the president, (and) we have been celebrating the Mongol year since 1980. I was told the Sacramento of Monier is the largest Monu celebration in the world.”
- Yang
What does Hmong New Year mean to you?
“Hmong New Year to me is the preservation of our culture. It’s about bringing everybody together: friends, families, young boys and girls.... And, as part of the Hmong culture, thats usually where their dating scene starts. They have a game called ball tossing.... A ball tossing is a thing of a courtship. A guy would toss a ball (to) a girl, and they would sing a song to each other. They fall in love, and then eventually they get married. That (is) how it was usually done in the past. Now it’s more like a game, but we’re trying to preserve the culture. We’re trying to bring everybody together. But to me, New Year is basically just a place for us to come together to celebrate the New Year’s celebration to try to keep preserving our culture and try to hold on to our heritage.”
- Yang
“We have anywhere from 10,000 to 30,000 attendees per day.”Yang
“It’s not about business–it’s about preserving our culture and providing a space for everyone to come and learn.”
- Yang
What activities are happening at this year’s festival?
“This year, we’re continuing our beauty pageant, traditional dance and singing competitions, and volleyball tournament. New activities include cornhole games, a golf tournament, a breakdancing competition, and a ball tossing tournament.”
- Yang
Sacramento Hmong New Year of 2024 occured over the course of three days, from November 29 to December 1. For more details, visit calexpostatefair.com.
GAZETTE, 27TH EDITION
