Granger high school
Tri-Color Times
An open forum for student opinion and expression
TRICOLORTIMES.COM
February 2013 LV-4
Dear Granger High: a love letter
Opinion by Naomi Newton HELLO, Lancers. My name is Naomi and I’m a senior. This year is my first year as part of the Tri-Color Times, my second year as a Madrigal, and my third year as a cast member of the school musical. Most of you have never met me, but all of you have probably seen me. Even if you never attended the assemblies, never went to the concerts, and never bought tickets to the school shows, you’ve probably seen me walking between the school and my house. I live in the neighborhood south of the seminary: Spring Water Drive. Since I live so close to the school, I walk the short distance four times a day: to Granger at the beginning of the day, home for first lunch, to Granger for third period, home for the rest of the day. If there’s rehearsal, parent-teacher conferences, or some other event after school, I walk to and back for those as well. Why am I telling you this? I’ve lived a hop, skip, and jump away from the school since I was four months old – longer than I can remember. Granger High was never a school to me, it was just part of the landscape, like a mountain or the canal.
In the summer, my dad would take my siblings and me to the tennis courts. We’d play for a while, then we’d get distracted and run around behind the math and English building. I didn’t know what it was back then. When my brother and I learned how to ride our bicycles, Dad took us to the empty parking lot. We had fun riding on the driving range. We had fun avoiding the rain gutters. We had fun riding on the rain gutters. I remember how vast the parking lot and school buildings seemed. I wondered how people didn’t get lost. We’d often spend a pretty day at the park. We’d cross through the seminary parking lot, over the bridge, through the school parking lot, and in front of the school. I remember balancing on the concrete lip and feeling tall. My brother and I took a swim class at the pool when I was six. Mom would walk us over, we’d swim, and we’d walk back with wet suits and towels around our waists. Whenever we walked over the canal, I noticed the CTR on the bridge between the seminary and the school. It was the first time I’ve ever seen something from church outside church. One time
I crossed on the outside of the handrail, and I felt brave. One winter, Pioneer Elementary had its Winter Sing-a-Round in the gym. It was the first time Granger High School “clicked” as a school in my mind. The stairs, the halls, the Lancer – everything was so big! I marveled at the idea that I’d ever be able to navigate this place without getting hopelessly lost. I don’t remember when I first realized that I would be one of the students who’d use that building a few houses down or when I first understood that it was a high school, and that everyone went to high school. It was probably sometime in my junior high years, when we took two foreign exchange students into our home. Both of them were juniors, and both of them walked to school. I’m going to be like that in a few years, I thought. I’m going to walk to school. Ninth grade happened. We talked about credits. We talked about classes. I enrolled in Brother Whitmer’s early morning seminary class and felt like I was missing out on all the lunch socials. I registered for sophomore classes. I felt so much freedom in
being able to choose what classes I’d take! Every day as I walked from my house to the pool, to the math and English building, to the main building, to the seminary, and home again, I thought of all the things I’d done here before becoming a Lancer. I thought of my parents, who both attended this school. I thought of my younger siblings, who’d be Lancers like me, but would go to school in a completely different building. I thought of graduation and the inevitable day when this old place would be taken down to make way for a new Granger High. This year, we’re all saying goodbye. Goodbye to the Stonehenge. Goodbye to the math and English building. Goodbye to the ridiculously short stall doors in the bathrooms. Goodbye, Granger High. As students, staff, and faculty say goodbye to their cherished school, I say goodbye to something else. I say goodbye to the parking lot where I rode my bike. I say goodbye to the math and English building where I’d sit in the shade. I say goodbye to the giant, intimidating building I never imagined sprinting through to get to class before the 7:30 bell. In a way, I’m saying goodbye to my childhood.
Although the original Granger High is going to be gone by the time school starts next year, it will not be forgotten.
As Randall leaves we welcome Officer Ricci
By Kelly Sanmiguel IN HIGH school, the chances of finding crime within the halls are quite high, and Granger is not sheltered from this fact. After eleven years of being served by Detective Randall, his recent retirement left an open spot for a new school officer. Officer Anthony Ricci, a Salt Lake native, has gladly taken on the job of protecting the bustling halls of Granger High School.
Ricci started out as a press master, but don’t let that fool you. He isn’t oblivious to the way youth function and interact. He’s also coached a little league flag football team. So far, Ricci’s been impressed by Granger, “It’s great, I love Granger,” Ricci said. Ricci spent five and a half months training in the police academy. There, he was trained as a firearm instructor and a field
training officer. Ricci’s desire to help others is what fueled his motivation to pursue a law enforcement career. “It can be hard, but for the most part, it isn’t too bad,” Ricci said. Some words of advice for those who are thinking of looking into law enforcement, “DON’T GET ARRESTED,” Ricci said. Another thing to look into, is the law enforcement class which he also took over when Randall
retired. Aside from being the new school cop, he loves to play volleyball and his favorite color is Granger gray. School cops are placed in schools to help keep students and faculty safe. Never forget, if trouble is seen don’t hesitate to go and talk to officer Ricci! His training in the police academy has prepared him for sticky situations in need of solutions.
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