Granger high school
Tri-Color Times An open forum for student opinion and expression.
Farewell to Murdock
Assistant Principal Mr. Murock leaves Granger to go to Cottonwood By Carlos Hurtado ASSISTANT Principal Murdock will be leaving after school is over and will be heading to Cottonwood High School to work there. “I wish I could stay a couple more years, because I wish to see the new building,” said Murdock. “It will be a tough change and a good challenge working at another school. It is something new and you have to face it with a good attitude.” Teachers like Ms. Moore, who teaches computer technology, will miss Mr. Murdock but wel-
comes Mr. Gatti as she use to be his teacher back in junior high. “I’m going to miss Mr. Murdock because he has been good to me. He is fair and you know where he stands with other students,” said Ms. Moore. Some students will miss Murdock but others won’t as he moves to Cottonwood, but what they are afraid of is of the new assistant principal and if he will be strict or not. “I will sort of miss Murdock and sort of won’t, after some trouble that I have gotten into with him. But I am kind of scared of the
new guy coming here,” said Abdul Mberwa (11) “I mean what if he is meaner or stricter or just doesn’t like kids at all.” Mr. Gatti can relate a lot to Granger High School as he grew up in West Valley area as a young kid, but he didn’t attend Granger, he went to Hunter High when it opened up. “I would bet that some of the Granger students may have had dads that played football with me at Hunter or parents that attended school with me when I was growing up. Going to Granger will be a homecoming of sorts for me,”
said Mr. Gatti. Mr. Gatti doesn’t rely on rumors as he likes working with teens. Mr. Gatti had the opportunity to talk to Mr. Haslam at the softball game. “Mr. Haslam told me that Granger kids are some of the nicest kids he has ever worked with. He said they are polite and appreciative of the efforts of the school,” said Gatti. We will miss Mr. Murdock but we will welcome Mr. Gatti into our doors. “It’s just weird though that I use to be his teacher and now he will become my boss,” said Ms. Moore.
Mr. Murdock and Mr. Gatti switch schools to become the new assistant principal.
Life is fair when you are involved
Opinion by Kenadee Hatch I HEAR continual slandering of student groups these days – those involved in extracurricular activities are bad mouthed for being “over privileged”. I myself am a member of the drill team, dance company, LAT, journalism, and National Honors Society. I will be the first to tell you that this is not true. Is it jealousy that leads to the belittlement of these students? Or maybe it’s confusion? Or maybe even annoyance with certain students? Drill and Dance Company just went to New York City, and the chatter never ended. “Why do they get to go? Why is the school paying for their trip? How is this fair?” Let me be the first to tell you
that this is a simple case of misinformation and a definite case of misunderstanding. Being on drill team this year, I worked my butt off with fund raisers, resulting in the loss of several Saturday night hang outs. I (with the help of my family) raised over $1,200 for myself. I haven’t been handed anything. Why get angry at the group of kids who gave up their summer for their group, came early at 6:00 in the mornings every A day and stayed to nearly 9:00 at night for months to practice? This goes for nearly any other group in the school. There are the drama students who put hours of effort into their productions. Then we have the sports teams who practice non-stop to do the school proud.
Not to mention the SBO’s, here for all of us probably more than they’re home. It’s a lot of hard work that goes into making Granger great. I’ll be the first one to jump right in and suggest trying out for a school group. It isn’t just good for your social life, but this is something that will benefit your future as well. If you want to go far in life, get involved. Statistics show that, on average, those involved in extracurricular activities maintain a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale, while those who aren’t involved have about a 2.4. This is a direct result of the required grades, an extra push to excel in school. According to www.cifstate.org, “those who participate in sports do better in school, do not drop
out, and have a better chance to get through college.” An estimated 92 percent of these participants do not use drugs. These athletes have a sense of confidence and are more selfassured. When we get involved, we start to develop “school spirit” around the campus. This is a unity in the student body unparalleled by anything else. It’s a goal we should set for ourselves as Lancers. I guess you could say that I’m sick of hearing the verbal attacks on those who work so hard for our school. If you want to be included, get involved. Now is the perfect time to join a team or club for next year; be a class officer, do something out of the ordinary for you, because in the long-run, it will pay off.
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See all the fun in the city that never sleeps on page 2.
Latinos in Action By Mario Gomez NEXT YEAR at Granger, a new class will be available for Hispanic students. It’s called Latinos in Action, and in this program students are chosen to be role models for younger kids in elementary. It’s a group of leaders who travel to elementaries to put on performances and tutor them as well. “I want to be in it so I’m working hard to get my grades up, I’ve talked to my counselor already and all I have to do is get good grade,” said Jessica Perez (11). Students must get above a 3.0 to join and they have to be nominated by a teacher or a student. Thirty-nine students already have the possibility to join this group, and they want to get more involved in what’s going on in school. They also like to show pride in their heritage. “Latinos in Action would encourage Latin students to do more rather than having nothing to do and it also looks great on a college application,” said Katerine Mongues. To join you must be fluent in Spanish and must be able to dance (because they do many performances that require dancing). They will perform for the elementary schools that feed into Granger such as Robert Frost, Rolling Meadows, Vista, and Pioneer. They also help with parent teacher conferences and community service to places around Granger. This class will be taught by Mrs. Jones so if there are any questions please refer to her. “That would be so awesome! I wish they would of done this sooner, I totally would have been apart of this, It sounds way fun!” said Carla Fortaney (12). This is a great service to our community and it sets good examples for the youth. Kids look up to us, and if they see were doing something good then they will be more influenced to make the right decisions in life. Some kids grow up without a role model or a tutor, and with this program Granger students can be that person for them. Many schools have already started this program and it seems to be much greater than a success. “It’s too bad that I’m graduating, this program would have been a lot of fun to be a part of,” said Karina Martinez (12). This is a team of leaders wanting to make a difference in not only the children’s lives, but in their lives as well. This is a good thing for our community, it will show kids that it’s cool to do well and to be proud of who they are, no matter their race. Kids need someone to look up to and they always look up to older kids such as us, so let’s show them that it’s good to be good.
April 2011, page 2
Empire state of mind
VOL. LIII Issue 7
Utah took over New York and they did not know what to do with us.
By Kenadee Hatch APRIL began with the Drill Team and members of Dance Company taking their long awaited and much earned trip to New York City. It was an event-filled 5 days and this is a travel log of some highlights.
Broadway Shows
The subways
Billy Elliot
Mary Poppins
How do New Yorkers know that someone is a tourist? Because those “someones” could find a photoop in the dirtiest place there – the subway. It’s a multi-level system underneath New York; rat infested and overflowing with panhandlers, it’s unreal. Just don’t eat a big lunch before jumping on, because it is not a smooth ride.
The dance exchange
Wicked
The Statue of Liberty
We arrived at the “Talent Unlimited” school early Friday morning. This is a school dedicated only to the developing of the art skills of the students. We found ourselves fortunate enough to perform for them.
Time Square
It’s the sign of America, and the MUST-SEE of New York, the Statue of Liberty. With a constant flow of tourists, this was one of the busiest places of the entire trip.
The Empire State Building
This is the much awaited center of tourism for Manhattan, Times Square. You can find anything here, and the stores are humongous (Ladies who love Forever 21 – 4 floors!). From candy to toys to clothes to souvenirs, it’s all there. This was once the tallest building of all time. It’s the view of the top of all skyscrapers, and what a view it really is.
April 2011, page 3
VOL. LIII Issue 7
Student groups meet during lunch
By Daniel Christensen around,” said Eddie Cervantes and clubs as well. HAVE you seen the kids running (12), “I don’t care what others A clique is an inclusive group to lunch? They all put a smile on think, I’m going to do what I like of people who share common inour face when we see them run- to do.” terests, views, purposes, patterns ning at a full sprint behind the The students play for fun and of behavior, or ethnicity. Granger school. have a good time. Which we all has tons of them, where do you fit But why do they do it? in? The answer is simpler then There are break dancers in we might think. It is just a the football hall and chess group of guys hurrying to players in the library. You eat so they can play games can play basketball when in the library. the gym is open at lunch, “I get to lunch quick but and many Lancers go out to refuse to cut in line,” said eat for their break during the Simon Thatcher (11), “We school day. hurry to play Magic the There are a bunch of kids Gathering.” that play soccer on the track Most of the kids playing at lunch, and hacky sack this game at lunch have a lot players that play in front of of fun, but they admit that the Math and English buildStudents in a rush to eat thier lunch to play games. sometimes they argue. ing. Magic is a card game that is very are hopefully doing at lunch, but It’s still important to go out and strategic. They say it is good for it seems there is a lot more going meet new people, and get out of all ages, fun, and it’s one of their on then card games. Whatever it our comfort zone from time to favorite memories of school. seems you want to do at lunch time. Many of the cards have value you can. We need to expand our horizons to them - some worth up to $110 No matter what you thought and it will be better for everyone. dollars, but are extremely rare. they did they are pretty normal, Lunch time can become a good It’s called a zender card set. many kids at Granger High have way to escape the day as it has for “It’s the most popular card game formed their own little cliques several Lancers this year.
A day without shoes
Lancers go barefoot to support people who don’t have shoes. By Brittany Edwards ALEJANDRO Garza (11) and Spencer Holmgren (11) were just a few of the students at Granger who did not wear shoes on April 5 to support TOMS awareness for shoe-less people around the world. “On Facebook someone sent me an invite to not wear shoes, to support awareness to people who are not fortunate enough to have shoes themselves,” said Garza. Not only did Garza not wear shoes the whole day, but told everyone he could to ‘take their shoes off! “It’s a good cause that is simple enough to support, so everyone should participate,” said Garza. TOMS is not only a shoe brand but an organization started by Blake Mycoskie in 2006 after he went to Argentina and found that many kids didn’t have shoes. Five years later TOMS is an organization that is one-for-one. For every pair of purchased, TOMS will donate a new pair to a child in need around the world. “I have bought a few pairs of TOMS, and they are great. I got
Spencer Holmgren and Alejandro Garza did not wear shoes on April 5th.
e-mails telling me about ‘A Day Without Shoes’ and I knew I had to support it,” said Holmgren. “I think it is definitely important that people are aware that there are millions without shoes.” Many other high schools around Utah supported ‘A DayWithout Shoes’. Kearns High School was featured in the news with a few supporters of the cause. Students there were telling everyone to participate in the walk
downtown. Thousands of people across the nation supported this cause. Here in Utah the walk was downtown at the Gateway shopping district, with hundreds of people supporting ‘One Day Without Shoes’. “Nobody realizes how important a simple pair of shoes is, but kids without them can get sick without them,” said Garza. TOMS recently gave away their millionth pair of shoes, and with the walk on April 5.
The colors of your bracket
By Heidi Izarraras OUCH, in your parents’ pocketbook. Students at Granger High have been filing in with braces; new timers are just getting a hang of it. Monica Murillo (11) has had her braces in for one month and one week, and others have had them for years. Murillo said, “I don’t know how long yet, but the longest I COULD have them on for is 2 years.” The cost to get braces depends on the number of factors that are wrong with the teeth that are in need of help. The price can go from 4,000 up to 10,000 dollars; the cost of braces varies for different people.
When getting braces there comes some fun in picking colors to put on your brackets. Brackets are little squares on the teeth. You might have seen them when someone with braces smiles. They come in different colors that you can pick. Murillo told us that she is the one paying for her own braces. “My parents were whatever about it because I was paying for it,” Murillo said. Though, her family makes fun of her by calling her Darla from Nemo. They also joke around about how she could not eat solid food for a week. “I’ve had them for 7 months now,” said Angeles Arrllano (11). She had second thoughts, but
her mom pushed her into getting them to help better her smile. Recently, kids and adults have both been getting braces. Willing to pay for them is one thing, but getting them is another. Arrllano said, “They didn’t hurt at first, but later you start to feel the pain come in.” Like Murillo, Arrllano also has brackets that she has fun changing into different colors. Every 4-6 weeks, they get to choose the color of their brackets. There is not really a difference. Murillo feels like they are not even there when she is doing other things. Braces can be a hassle to deal with, but will be worth it.
Vegetarian disorder
By Celeste Anguiano MANY STUDENTS at Granger are vegetarians but there are so many reasons to be a vegetarian like religious beliefs and also because some students believe that eating meat results in animal cruelty. Hayley Anderson (10) said, “I decided to become vegetarian because I hate animal cruelty; I feel good skipping meat while my family is having steak for dinner.” Anderson also said she feels a lot healthier and her stomach hurts a lot less than when she was not a vegetarian. Tatiana Bown (10) said, “I don’t like Hayley being vegetarian, it bothers me. Sometimes Hayley even tells me she doesn’t feel good not eating meat.” A recent study by the American Dietetic Association found that people who are vegetarians are more likely to have eating disorders and binge-eat. Anderson said, “I eat tofu to get all my protein.” She also said that being a vegetarian is not an un-
healthy thing. Experts say that there are many different types of vegetarians but to be a healthy vegetarian you have to eat all your proteins, and many other vitamins without eating meat and other foods that a vegetarian does not eat. Ms.Harrison, a foods and nutrition teacher, said that being vegetarian can definitely help your heart, when having a healthy fruit and vegetable diet, but it can really be dangerous to if you do not have all the vitamins needed. Anderson has only being a vegetarian for about a year, she said that at first it was really hard to not eat meat and sometimes she broke the rules. Anderson said that looking at the PETA’s website really helped her stay a vegetarian; she said they have information on how to be a healthy vegetarian. There are many websites that that can help if you’re thinking to become a vegetarian but you can also make an appointment with a doctor so he/she to help how to be a vegetarian.
Tri-Color Times Staff Editor Julie Hor Journalists
Journalists
Celeste Anguiano Maria Camarillo Jonathan Carrasco Brittnee Chacon Vanessa Chacon Daniel Christensen Brittany Edwards Yenny Estrada Karen Garcia Paul Garcia Mario Gomez Kenadee Hatch Aubrey Hensley
Karla Herrera Carlos Hurtado Heidi Izarraras Rebecca Jeter Heather Larson Paola Mascorro Jeannette Mikkelson Tule Nau Katelyn Paff Wendy Rojas Brandon Shatzel Ezra Tapusoa Joshua Zitting
The Tri-Color Times serves as a student forum for student opinion and student expression. The views expressed herein reflect neither the opinions of Adviser John Carlisle and Granger High School, nor those of Granite School District. The Tri-Color Times invites and publishes letters to its editorial board; all letters will be edited for taste, length and legality. Granger High 3690 South 3600 West West Valley, UT 84119 385 646-5320
April 2011, page 4
VOL. LIII Issue 7
Room for improvement
By Nicole Jensen AS SOON as the word got out that Coach Schneider was resigning from his coaching position it seemed like a new coach was immediately put in. April 6 the principal announced the new boys basketball coach was here to talk to the current members of the team. Previously coaching at Skyline for only two years Coach Graziano is now the head coach of the boys basketball team. He instantly wanted to “dig-in” wanting to hold practice that day. Coach Graziano has been coaching for twenty four years. He was the head coach at Skyline, Freemont and Hunter, as well as an assistant at Alta, Snowflake and Arizona, where they won a championship and started off his career at a junior high. Coach Graziano plans to help the boys playing as soon as possible and have camps for them to train in. During spring break they played on the “Spring Fling” at West Jordan, playing eight games. “It’s pretty important that we are in the gym every day, and it’s real important to be committed and play as a team,” said Graziano. He plans to start in the spring participating in tournaments and focusing on fundamentals, pro-
viding athletes to get better. At the end of summer he plans to talk about their goals and get to know each other better. “It is more important that the kids are committed and playing together, a key part of playing,” said Graziano. Dedicated manger Mathew Christensen (10) is very excited for the new coach. “New beginnings, new start, he seems really experienced winning state championship and all,” said Christensen. He even plans to tryout for the team with high hopes of making it, though if not he will just continue to be the manager. Graduating senior, Armin Kad-
ic (12) believe he is going to be a great coach and he expects them to push even further in the play offs then they did this year. “He is going to help the program a lot and I’m excited to watch them next years,” said Kadic. Coach Graziano saw that there was a position open for head coach position and applied and got the job! He believes that there are great athletes at Granger and sees much potential in the students. “It all happened so fast,” said Graziano. He believes that this is a good move professionally as a coach and as a teacher to come to Granger.
Minecraft in your mind The buzz on Minecraft the game
By Brandon Shatzel YOU MAY have heard about Minecraft in the halls but you may not know what it is. Minecraft is a Sandbox Building indie game developed by Markus “Notch” Persson and now by his company Mojang AB. Minecraft has two types the free creative mode and the paid beta mode. Currently the paid beta is $21.95 and is on beta 1.4_1 and a 1.5 up-
date is expected soon. Some things you will get with the beta are wolves or dogs multi player servers as well as single player. As of April 11th 2011 6540114 registered users, of which 1885101 (28.82%) have bought the game. To purchase the game go to www.minecraft.net. After that, have fun playing in the world of mines.
Coach Graziano talking with Isaiah Tademy (11), getting to know each of the boys on a personal basis.
Girls soccer gets a new coach
By Josh Zitting BYU GRADUATE Megan Barrett has been added to Granger’s team of coaches. She will be teaching the girls soccer team next year, and she will also teach history. She is 24 years old and is very excited to start teaching at our school; she has coached for many years and for many age groups. “I was the little geeky kid that would walk around carrying my soccer ball,” Megan Barrett said.
“I can’t wait to work with her; she seems like a great coach,” Jennifer Marshall (11) said. Megan has a workout plan for her team to do before tryouts. The girls will be able to run around for more than 5 minutes before they get too tired. Megan would like for parents to get involved with the team as well. “She seems like she will be a fun coach,” Anayeli Torres (11) said. Megan also was recruited out of
high school so she could play soccer for Utah Valley University. “I think she would be a very good coach,” Aida Uzeirbegovic (11) said. “She seems like a really awesome, hardworking person,” Mr. Okeson said. “It was a tough decision to give up girls soccer,” he said. He wanted to spend more time with his daughters because they are growing up and that is why he gave it up.
Megan Barrett cannot wait to start training the soccer girls this summer. She has played lots of soccer herself, but now she will run the drills.