Granger high school
Tri-Color Times
An open forum for student opinion and expression
TRICOLORTIMES.COM
January 2015 LVII-4
G-House Customs is for car enthusiasts By Angel G. Figueroa G-HOUSE Customs is a place for people who enjoy and have a passion for cars. This club has a lot to offer by planning many events that everybody can enjoy and join. With a fundraiser and a future car show in the works, G-House Customs is really standing out as a great club. This after-school club is run by Lancers, and only Lancers -- and they have great plans. Jesse Korous (12) plans to do another R/C race in the shop for the students in January. “Another R/C race would be great, but that’s just one of the things we are planning to do over this year,” Korous said. Although they have many plans for this year, they also have peo-
ple to be around that like cars. “The reason I like being in this club is that I feel comfortable being around all the people because they like what I like, and that is cars,” he said. “Another reason I’m in the club is to go to fun places like Airborne or go carting a few laps,” he said. Students who are not gear-heads and not into the whole car scene can still join if they want a club or something to do after school. “Anyone can join. They are welcomed to join and they don’t even have to like cars. If they want to hang out with cool people and like doing cool stuff, well… it’s the club to join,” he said. One of the cool things that GHouse Customs does is the car show they are planning for later this school year.
“I have a passion for cars, and planning this car show will be look good for the club,” G-House Customs President John Pistorus (12) said. Pistorus is trying to get more attention for the club by planning interesting events. “With more attention, we will get more people to join the club and with more people, I feel that it will be more organized and more fun for club members,” he said. “We also made an announcement on GTV to get students to come over and join,” he said. The driving force that the club has is a passion for cars. “If you have a passion for cars, you should really join because we are a car-loving family down here,” Pistorius said. One of the great things about the
club is how it helps the students and the community by hosting open shop days. “We have open shop days every two weeks or so, and we work on students’ or teachers’ or anyone’s cars. They only have to come to the shop, and we will help them with any of their problems with their car,” Timmy Brown (12) said. “We do our best to help, and that does good for our program, and it looks great for us to do this,” Brown said. “That’s one of the reasons people should join our club or just look around and see if they like it or not,” he said. G-House Customs is a unique club for students who love cars or for people who enjoy being around the cool students that run this club.
Timmy Brown works hard to spread the G-House Customs message at community events like open shop hours in Granger’s auto shop.
College day inspires hundreds of seniors to apply By Sendi Torres SENIORS got the opportunity to learn about three colleges of their choice on college day. They learned where the college is located, how much is the tuition, what programs are offered, and so much more. It was a great opportunity because the students got to ask questions and learn new things about a college that they didn’t know. Every college ambassador tried their best to get the students interested. The counselors as well as the teachers motivated students to apply to least one college. Gabriela Mejia (12) applied to Southern Utah University. She applied to SUU because they offer a vet program. “The classes are small with a small number of students,” Mejia said. She likes smaller classes because she works better that way, and a lot of her friends are going to SUU. Smaller classes give students
the opportunity to get to know their classmates. There’s also the opportunity to know the professor better to receive help. “My mind was on Salt Lake Community College until the ambassador from Weber State University visited on college day. The way he talked about WSU made me want to go,” Vanessa Quiles (12) said. Weber State has a good dental hygiene program, and it’s not as expensive as other colleges. She’s planning on living on campus. “Although Weber State is sort of far, I can still drive back when I get homesick,” Quiles said. Some students are ready to live on their own while others aren’t. Leaving home can be one of the hardest things, especially for students who rely on their parents. Some students aren’t ready to leave their families behind. Janely Perez (12) applied to Utah State University. She’s not
sure what she wants to major in. She plans on living on campus because it gives her a chance to meet new people, and she doesn’t want to live close to home. The campus is full of energy and people are always on the move. USU is not as expensive as her previous college choices. “I’m not ready for college yet, because I haven’t applied for scholarships,” Perez said. Scholarships are a big help for college. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a big or small scholarship, students should apply for as many scholarships as possible. Lilia Sanchez (12) applied to the University of Utah because she thinks they have the best education program in Utah and she wants to become a teacher. She wants to live at home because the campus is so close. She is excited to attend college, although she is a little intimidated. “I feel ready to start college because I have
been given the right resources and I know the right steps to take,” Sanchez said. A lot of students aren’t ready to start college because they’re scared. Some students feel like they’re not ready, while others don’t know what field they want to major in. Ready or not, college is just months away. “I applied to Salt Lake Community College because I’m already enrolled as a concurrent student, so I won’t have to pay the registration fee again,” Dianne Gutierrez (12) said. She’s going to do her generals at SLCC and then she will transfer to the University of Utah. There’s a separate campus in Seoul, Korea, which sounds interesting to her. “I want to become a lawyer, but I have to major in something first before I get into law school. I plan on majoring in psychology because I find it interesting how the human brain works.”
Seniors need to get ready By Alisha Chief HOPEFULLY seniors make the best out of their last year here at Granger High. “My senior year is going pretty good,” Tamika Shipmon (12) said. “I’m actually passing all my classes and I’m graduating! After high school, I want to make my way up to being a massage therapist.” “Senior year sucks because it’s stressful. I wish it was more interesting with more parties,” Gabriela Olmedo (12) said. “I wish that I could have a free period and that I never messed up in my past years. After I graduate, I want to go to college and get my life together. Once I have done that, I want to have a cute little family I guess. I’m graduating and I’m hoping that I’ll be walking.” “To all the sophomores and juniors: don’t slough and just get your stuff together. Get good grades because you’re going to end up regretting it your senior year if you don’t, and there’s just going to be more work for you to do, and you won’t be able to enjoy it as much as you would like to,” Olmedo said. “My senior year is going good, bae’s everywhere,” Cristina Rendon (12) said. “I’m just having fun with my seniors before the year ends and everyone goes off and does their own thing. After I graduate, I want to go to college, and Weber is where I want to go. I want to study what interests me, but I haven’t figured what that is yet, because I have a lot of interests.” “Man, senior year was stressful,” Stephanie Cortez (12) said. “I had to get some of my credits back, and I switched schools, which is kind of why it was stressful. Now it’s actually pretty boring because I have all of credits I need. I want to go to college and study psychology. In about five years, I see myself graduated from college and starting my career.” “My last year is busy, but I’m graduating and walking. I have all my credits, and my CPA looks great,” Jackson Bailey (12) said. “I’m involved in both concert choirs and drama council. After high school, I plan on serving a mission for my church, and after that I want to attend the U of U to study mechanical engineering,” he said. “To all sophomores and juniors, I just want to say it’s better to get everything done now – don’t wait until later. So far my favorite memory is when the football team won the homecoming game, and the homecoming dance was pretty fun,” Bailey said. It’s good advice, and now is the time to resolve to study hard.
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VOL. LVII Issue 4
January 2015, page 2
Embarrassing moments in the classroom may never be forgotten By Ada Stott IT’S THE flushing face of embarrassment that always draws students back to that week, that day, that horrible moment. Granger’s got an embarrassing collection of stories itself. Journalists have swum the ocean of red-hot faces before, so perhaps it’s time for a look at others still swimming. “I remember I was in Spanish class,” Dylan Coleman (11) said. “I was in seventh grade, and my teacher was Mr. Madsen over at Valley Junior High. He gave all the students projects on Spanishspeaking countries, and I got Argentina,” Coleman said. Mr. Madsen called his name, so he walked to the front of the room. “I opened my mouth, and instead of ‘Argentina is,’ BAM, my first word was puke,” he said, remembering the events. After, he went to the office and found out that he was actually sick. “No one
really made fun of me, but the whole class saw, and it was pretty embarrassing,” he said. But this isn’t the only story involving bodily fluids. Brendan Blank (9) did in fact go blank when his geography teacher asked him the name of a small town in Mexico. “I got confused and named a lake instead,” he said. The whole class and even the teacher laughed. “Out of embarrassment, I peed a little…,” Blank said. The class teased him of course, but this was probably a fun class to be in. Another class that sounds fun is Andrew Sanchez’s (9) teen living class. “I liked that the teacher was playing music, but I might have gotten a little carried away,” he said. A song by Carrie Underwood came on, “I unintentionally started singing along, and I guess the whole class got silent,” Sanchez said. “After singing every
word really loudly, I looked up and noticed that the whole class was staring at me, and it was so embarrassing,” he said. Granger High. Grade 10. First time in trouble in high school: “I looked into class and saw that I had a substitute, and I really didn’t want to go,” Farrah Call (11) said. Neither did her best friend Jessica Matthews (11), who was also in Dr. Gatti’s office later that day. “Anyway, so we decided we’d go to the last ten minutes, and just write fake notes,” Call said. But they decided they’d sign the notes ‘-Dr. Gatti’ -- we totally got moded. The sub called down to the office, and next thing I know, we’re sitting in Dr. Gatti’s office, and we tried not to laugh, cause he was making some funny faces,” she said. “He started asking us about the notes, and it was super awkward
and embarrassing, because that was the first time we ever really met him,” Call said. But after he let them off the hook, it was pretty funny. Now don’t feel so embarrassed
when someone’s voice cracks, someone fall asleep, or someone’s phone goes off. Granger has a lot of funny, if not embarrassing moments, but Lancers have handfuls and handfuls of pride.
Andrew Sanchez will never forget that time he to sang Carrie Underwood in class.
Lancers share bucket list goals they want to accomplish and get a job. I don’t want to keep on using my parent’s money anymore. I want to be independent and not be driven around everywhere I go. I want to do things on my own,” Alyssia Acosta (10) said. Bucket lists don’t have to be extravagant to have these Lancers wanting to finish them. Getting them done and looking back on what’s been accomplished in the past year is what it’s all about. A little can go a long way here. “I’m going to get better grades, go to summer school, get extra credits, and finish my CNA. I want to just finish all my credits and graduate already. I know I’m going to have to work hard to get there, though,” Jaylene Gutierrez (11) said.
By Tina Huynh WHAT’S included on a bucket list can be extremely wild or satisfying, but it doesn’t matter how lu-
out having to worry about schoolwork. I’m just excited to leave high school and go to New York without having to come back to school after,” Patricia Sosa (12) said. The ultimate bucket list would be to do something that’s never been done by anyone or by the person doing it. It’s all about pushing the limits. For others, bucket lists can be sweet and simple. Skydiving and backpacking in Europe probably wouldn’t be on the list in this case. “I want to get all my grades up before my junior year. My freshman year was pretty bad for me, so I want to work harder so I won’t have to catch up by graduation. I also want to get my driving permit, learn how to drive,
Hope 4 Utah suicide prevention comes to Granger
Music and lyrics attract listeners
dicrous it may be, if it doesn’t end up getting marked off in the long run. That moment of accomplishing something wanted so terribly is worth going through all those troubles. Finally having another goal to cross off and moving onto the next is the greatest success. Out with the old, in with the new. “I want to go to college at Dixie and go to New York in the meantime. I actually have time to go now withAlyssia wants to learn how to do things on her own.
By Ma Denni Arns FOR MANY years, there’s been an increasing awareness of the bullying and the cyberbullying that’s been plaguing young teenagers. Celebrities in public service announcements, movies like Cyberbully, and various charities all spread the anti-bullying word. Even at school, posters, t-shirts, and school activities send out the message of the terrible effects of bullying and the damaging result that is often ignored or avoided: suicide. “We all have stuff that goes on in life,” social worker Craig Kaluhikaua said. Even with all this effort, tragedies still happen. Enter Hope 4 Utah. Granger High faculty will take action among students. Teachers handed out surveys asking two simple things: name three faculty and three classmates with whom each surveyed student feels comfortable when talking about personal matters. Originally started in Provo by director Greg Hundnall, the Hope 4 Utah message is spreading quickly in Utah Valley and beyond. With these surveys, Ms. Long and Ms. Niebur narrow down the list of adults and track down students for mentoring. “We need to hold each other through the struggles,” said Ms.
Niebur. Starting in January, Granger will have its own Hope Squad consisting of Granger faculty: Ms. Long, Ms. Niebur, Mr. Kaluhikaua and three other faculty members. They will join ten students of every grade from the freshmen to the senior class, and these 46 will be Granger’s Hope Squad. “A lot of us are not connected,” Niebur said, and that’s why she believes that involving students’ peers would make this stronger. Greg Hundnall, who lost a friend to suicide, made it his mission with Hope 4 Utah to decrease the number of youth suicides by providing education and training. Hundnall has been dedicated to this mission for the past 20 years, and Granger aspires to join the cause and improve the lives of students as much as possible. The Hope Squad will be trained, educated, and made aware of the signs displayed by a troubled teen. They will attend monthly meetings learning skills to be very supportive. They will be available to talk at any time, and they will be easy to spot because the Hope Squad will wear shirts or bands to identify them. And of course students can rely on faculty like social worker Mr. Kaluhikaua, counselor Ms. Long, or freshman teacher Ms. Neibaur.
By Antonio Loredo PEOPLE have always had different tastes in music that just touched their souls and made them happy. It could be the lyrics, the subject of the song, or even something as simple as the beat itself. Music has always been about inspiration and expression. It expresses feelings for other people and even towards topics like rebellion, peace, love, and war. People can even show how intellectual they can be with lyrics and how intelligent they are through the way they phrase their music and lay it out with the different instruments. Music can even be made for fun and pure passion; it’s a very interesting experience when listening to music with so much heart and soul put into it. That could be the very reason why people make it their life’s goal to listen or make music. It is a very time-consuming thing. People can constantly listen to music and still not get enough. “Reggae and dubstep are my favorite genres because they’re calming and make you think about all the good things and people,” Suliana Lina (12) said. “The beat is just so addicting and it makes me want to listen every day,” Lina said. Lina is a big music enthusiast. It is a big part of her life, and it influences how she acts and
thinks. A musical genre’s culture often influences its fans, and it can change the way they dress or speak. Music is a big deal; it is a way of life, and it influences a lot of people to be the best that they can be. This is the essential thing about music. “I find the way people talk about
Yovani loves his music.
music is very interesting: the way they describe it and explain it,” Lina said. Popular music choices today would have to include hip pop, pop, dubstep, and other types of dance music. “I think that a popular genre of music today is hip pop,” Mariah Jimenez (11) said. “My favorite type of music would have to be
Having the bigger bucket list, the better. It’s one more thing to do, one more sight to see, one more thing to get done. It’s never going to be easy to finish what’s wanted, but that just might be the best part of having a list. Striving for something difficult creates more motivation to finish it. “I’ve always wanted to go bungee jumping, try shawarma, go to Russia, and swim with sharks. I’m mostly excited about going bungee jumping and visiting Russia, because I love the culture and the pretty buildings. You’re going to die anyway, so who cares? I’m not going to be afraid of anything anymore,” Emily Cruz (11) said. Make what’s listed great enough to look back on – don’t regret a single thing done.
K-Pop because it’s easy to sing and dance to,” she said. Jiminez has a variety of musical tastes -not many people actually listen to indie rock or classics anymore like Frank Sinatra or any others like that. Those artists have all been replaced by Kanye West or Rick Ross, etc. “I like to hear a variety of voices and how it is put together. It helps me stay alive,” Jiminez said. Some people don’t even care for the big stars in music because they love unlabeled releases and unknown artists. “For me, the beat and vocals is the most interesting thing in music to me,” Yovani Avila (11) said. “Lyrics make me want to listen to music, and then the beat comes second.” “I love underground rappers because they speak the truth and don’t say stupid things about Gucci or Versace. I feel like the only thing wrong with music today is the advertising,” Avila said. “Why would someone want to rap about Versace or Gucci?” he asked. To many people, music is life -it takes up most of their day, and it is just flow through their veins. For others, that satisfaction might come from acting in a theater or working in an auto shop. People love the way music is assembled and how it comes together in the end, and the lyrical genius just attracts people.
January 2015, page 3
VOL. LVII Issue 4
It takes a family to build a village on stage
By Samantha McClure ADVANCED stage crew works for hours before school, after school, and sometimes even during school. “If there is a play, some days we stay until about seven at night,” Chance Robertson (11) said. “Some nights, we only stay about three hours,” he said. Staying hours on end can be stressful, but staying after to do something that is enjoyed makes everything worthwhile. “My favorite thing to do is the lights. I also like to build things,” Ericka Beckmann (12) said. “I enjoy staying after school to help set it up; it is a lot of fun,” Beckman said. Sometimes it’s hard to keep so many students on task, but one of Granger’s Lancers is there to
help. “My favorite thing to do in advanced stage crew is boss people around,” Staci Allen (11) said. “In advanced stage crew, I am the stage manager and student director, and that is why I can yell at people, which I also enjoy. Mr. Hunt is a great teacher. He is always here to help me when I need it,” Allen said. Some Lancers like doing different things, a lot of things are hard, and some things are easy. “I love the rigging system,” Alex Lacox (12) said. “Our teacher Mr. Hunt has great fashion taste, he’s very stylish,” he said. Plays may be hard to stage, but when there’s a good team there to help, it makes everything better. “During Peter Pan, everyone was frustrated all the time. It was
long and hard hours,” Lacox said. Stage production can be hard, and there’s a lot to do all the time. Everything can be go, go, go, or things can be laid back. “It’s very hands on,” Jordan Mortensen (12) said. “Everything you learn, you can use in everyday life, and it’s a lovely environment to be in. I also love how close you can get to people and how many life skills you can learn and how helpful it is,” Mortensen said. At Granger High School, there’s also just regular stage crew, where Lancers practice everything that would be done in advanced stage crew, before they continue on to the advanced class. “I like stage crew because of the skills that I am learning,” Scott Jewett (9) said. “From learning
to building to flying the rig system to the programing lighting of sound, the teamwork stage crew has is better than most sports teams, or academic programs,” Jewett said. The attitude in that class is fun, outgoing, and especially happy. “I like the crazy atmosphere,” Mack Turk (11) said. “Whenever I enter the classroom, everyone is always happy. I like when we build sets and all the random stuff we do. I love that whenever we want to have fun, we exaggerate the amount of fun,” Turk said. In stage crew, it seems that everyone likes something different or enjoys something more than another person does. “Stage crew is an awesome opportunity to do a bunch of technical stuff,” Joshua Seth Jones (9)
said. “Like lights and sound for the plays. My personal favorite is the lights, because it’s exciting to do something yourself. Mr. Hunt is the best teacher, and he helps you understand so well. If you’re confused, then he’s there to help,” Stones said. When working with so many people and learning to like the team, it seems as though these Lancers are always willing to work through differences and become close like family. “Everyone in stage crew has a heart for what they do,” Briana Lefler (9) said. “Everyone has a different viewpoint, some take it more seriously than others, but we put it all together and work as a family. We all play as a team to make our shows amazing,” she said.
Debate raises money with delicious fundraiser
By Andrea Lomeli DEBATE is trying to give a hand to hurried Lancers by selling donuts in the morning. Having something sweet and yummy to eat for breakfast in the mornings might make for the best fundraiser ever. “We’re selling donuts every day in the morning from 6:30 to 7:30 until the bell rings, and they’re a dollar each,” Alex Hawley (12) said. “Oh, and follow me on my Instagram at sancho_slayer,” he said. Selling fresh donuts in the morning sounds good like a good way to raise money. Debate has good reason as to
why they suddenly started to raise money. “We realized we had no money in the account, and our squad organizers (Denise, Mae and Leydi) came up with the idea of a donut sale,” Lizz Salgado (11) said. Debater Denise Perez (12) shared some thoughts on the fundraiser and why she came up with the idea. “We felt pretty bad for Dr. Tuckness since he told us that we were low on money, so we decided to step up and do something, since we are on the debate team. Who else is going to help us but ourselves?” Perez said. We’re encouraged to do this be-
cause we need the funds to keep debate going,” Kiran Khan (12) said. She is a T.A. for Dr. Tuckness’s debate class, and she also helps out with debate. Khan explained how fundraising would help the team. “Well, it has really helped us with the costs of everything, and it also benefits debate because it helps people and the school know more about us,” So that’s the reason that debate is motivated to raise funds, and so far they are doing pretty well with donut sales. “We sell so many each day: it’s crazy. We didn’t have any money at first, but now, although it’s bet-
Maple and Bacon: the perfect match?
Review by Isabel Jackson it melts in your mouth. chocolate. The popular opinion THE MOST talked about food Not convinced? It may be just be for the chocolate is that it pretty flavor now is Maple and Bacon your mind thinking, “Ew, Bacon much just tastes like regular choc-- always good with pancakes. and chocolate? That is a weird olate. What if they were combined into combination.” After you get over The chips may taste more like chips or a chocolate bar? the thought of it being weird, you barbecue than bacon, but that Doesn’t sound that appetizshould take just one bite and try may just be the smoky taste of the ing? But I would say that they for yourself. bacon overpowering the maple. go together well. With the chocoIt may not be perlate, I sense the fect, but it works cocoa and maple OK. overpowering the I have tried bacon. Without Kettle Brand mathe crunchy feel ple bacon potato of the bacon, you chips and also a wouldn’t really Chuao Chocolatknow there is baier maple bacon con in the bar. chocolate bar. I While most also offered some people would say to my friends in that everything is an informal taste better with bacon, test. and I would norThe description mally agree with on the wrapper this statement, but for the chocothis time I have to late bar reads, disagree. To me “THE EXPERIthese two don’t ENCE -- Crispy have a horrible bacon goodness, taste, but I feel a splash of sweet Kettle Brand and Chuao bring Maple Bacon flavor to chips and chocolate. that they don’t maple syrup and deliver the flavors a bit of bonfire smoked sea salt. The potato chips have a very the wrapper implies. Maple Bacon proves once and different taste. It may be elusive If I ate these blindly I would not for all, that absolutely everyat first, and all you may taste is have known that these had bacon thing is better with bacon.” barbecue, and that may be all you in them, but if you sit and savor If you like chocolate covered experience. the flavors and think about them, pretzels, then you may like this You have to focus on the flavors the flavors will be easier to idenbar. It has a sweet and salty taste to savor them, and then you will tify. to it. This bar has the perfect balbe able to taste the smokiness of If you are looking for a breakance of chocolate, bacon, and the bacon and the sweetness of fast-tasting snack -- well yes, maple. the maple syrup. these taste like breakfast. This The crispness is very distinct in Lancers seemed to agree that chocolate bar and these chips may the first bite of this bar, after that the chips taste a lot better than the be just what you are looking for.
ter than, you know, not having anything,” Perez said. It’s nice to see students trying to help out not only by raising money, but also by working together on something they all love to do and believe in like debate. “Debate has brought people closer because, in the beginning, we didn’t talk to each other and then everybody started to want to help out. Like people had started coming in helping out with posters and stuff,” Perez said. “Yeah at first I hated Denise, we were fighting all the time,” Hawley said jokingly. “But now were best friends.”
Grab a ‘Dolla Donut’ for breakfast.
Tri-Color Times Staff Print Editor Kaitlin Cluff Online Editor Robbie Devenish
Junior Print Editor Indigo Hinojos Photo Editor Indigo Hinojos
Reporters Amy Alcantara Ma Denni Arns Katie Avery Angellina Bernal Alisha Chief Chastin Christiansen Hillary Daoheuang Maid Dervisevic Jennifer Duong Angel Figueroa Zayra Gonzalez Scarlett Gregorio Katie Gutierrez Sadiq Hamadi Audrianna Henningsen Danny Hernandez Tina Huynh Claudia Islas Isabel Jackson
Reporters Claudia Leon Andrea Lomeli Antonio Loredo Samantha McClure Evangelina Mendoza Kylee Nielson Daniela Olvera Kat Olvera Diana Perez Hailey Piper Edith Pizana Briana Puga John Quezada Naticha Retamar Skye Rouse Ada Stott Samuel Sua Sendi Torres Pedro Vargas
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 School 3580 South 3600 West West Valley, UT 84119 (385) 646-5320
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VOL. LVII Issue 4
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VOL. LVII Issue 4
FBLA and DECA offer many opportunities for Lancers By Jennifer Duong STUDENTS interested in business should take a look at the FBLA and DECA clubs. But there are probably many more clubs like these that require working together, doing business, and competing against other schools in the same subject. Some of the competitions are in different states. These students are lucky to do something fun, like business, and to get to work in a group and compete. Some members of FBLA and DECA joined in their sophomore year, and others joined in junior or senior years. But now since there are freshman students, the clubs are bigger with more members and a lot more fun. “I joined FBLA and DECA
last year in as a junior,” Jenny Huynh (12) said. Another member of FBLA joined early. “I joined when I was a sophomore, and have been in the two clubs for the three years of high school,” Jesus Carassco (12) said. Well everyone has a reason to join business and do something fun and use lots of thinking and skills, but practically anyone can do it. “Practice makes perfect,” Carassco said. Just even that saying can be used in this subject of business. When joining FBLA, there’s no entry level that is required like having to be a pro at business. “I joined FBLA and DECA because I was interested in business.
I wanted to communicate with others by sharing the interests I have with them, and I wanted to develop myself in business and communication,” Huynh said. Keep practicing and become a business member in FBLA; either way the clubs are fun. With a responsible president of the club, there is a good chance to be first place in many competitions for FBLA. Each competition is different for FBLA. Joining the club could help improve the skills of communication and working more with business and marketing etc. “I joined because I was interested in business and communicating with others by being a part of a business club,” Huynh said.
FBLA goes to statewide competitions and competes against other schools on the same topics of working in a business and business ownership. “DECA prepares me for interviews, because the competitions are based on role play. And FBLA prepares me for business competitions against other schools,” Carassco said. Looking for a challenge is something good to do. Members of FBLA work hard and prepare themselves for upcoming competitions, either just at normal competitions or state competitions. They also celebrate their hard work as a team. It is really fun to be involved in such clubs that will have one another’s back and bring the Lancers to the
“I think it’s helping a little bit. We’re slowly making progress. I think once more kids are interested in the parties, more will want to attend,” Mr. Moore said. It’s progress. Although administrators are seeing slow progress, some progress is still better than none, and that is enough to continue doing these parties for the punctual students. “I believe the parties are helping students get to class on time. According to recent data, other schools that have done similar things have seen an 80% decrease in the number of tardies they have,” tracker David Morales said. It seems that the tardy parties are heading in a positive direction, and Granger students can really benefit from them. Just get to class on time and get five tardies or fewer. Then eligibility won’t be a problem.
By Daniela Olvera AS SENIORS, students get the pressure of choosing a college. Graduation is coming up soon, and then the first semester in college begins in the fall semester. There are so many choices all around Salt Lake City. Students have the choice of 15 universities just in Utah and Idaho. It’s hard to choose what school to go to, especially for students with no idea what to do when they graduate. At Granger High School, clubs can help students make good choices for colleges to attend. Clubs help kids choose by seeing what are their interests are and what they do well. There are so many clubs at Granger High school that help out such as: LIA, Trio, HOSA, FBLA, AVID, DECA, FCCLA, KEY CLUB, MESA and many more other clubs. Theses clubs take students on overnight trips to experience the college life so they can have
Parties might reduce tardies By Angellina Bernal THE TARDY parties are meant to motivate Granger students to have five tardies or fewer. The parties are filled with fun activities for students to do. Granger students all have their opinions on the party, whether they went to it, or they didn’t because they were ineligible to attend. Some students really like the thought of doing these parties, while others don’t. “I think the tardy party is a really good idea. I feel like administrators were more focused on what we’re doing wrong, so having this party to commend students for their accomplishments is a nice thing,” Sydney Ward (11) said. So far there have been a few Granger students who have really loved the idea of the tardy parties, but some aren’t too thrilled with the new activity. “Instead of having a tardy par-
ty, we should focus on GPA. We should have a party for people with a good GPA,” E. Lewis (12) said. The tardy party is great idea for Granger students to be able to have as a goal. Administrators have really made a great decision by planning these parties for the students. They want to make them as interesting to the students as possible by involving things that they like doing. “We didn’t have the numbers we thought we were going to have. We are going to work to make the parties more interesting, do things that will draw the students in and make them want to come. Maybe providing food, or a dance will persuade students to come,” administrative intern Brandon Moore said. Administrators started doing the tardy parties to motivate Granger students to get to class on time.
top, or maybe even the top three of the best clubs in business. Meeting with the leaders of FBLA reveals their different ways of running the club and keeping it organized: hardworking and talented students keep everything in place. “At first it was difficult because I didn’t really know anybody, but once I got to know people and figured out what I wanted to compete in, it got easier, and now it’s tons of fun,” Mackenzie Bohn (12) said. Even for a president, Bohn said FBLA could be difficult at first, and yet look where this opportunity has taken her. Now as president of FBLA, she’s committed.
Some clubs offer college visits
an idea of what they are getting into. Each club has an advisor who counsels students and informs them about how to participate in the activities, and the school often provides transportation to the colleges for these field trips. For each club, a minimum number of college visits must be made. For example, Trio requires a minimum of four trips to colleges throughout the entire year. These clubs also help students stay on track for graduation and help them find all types of scholarships. These clubs are filled with very smart people who are preparing for their young adult lives. Many students don’t take advantage of these clubs because they have no idea that such clubs exist or that they are available to all students. This means that a few students benefit from the clubs, and others have to do their college preparation alone.
Olivia Liando is an outstanding Lancer at Granger High School By Kylee Nielson AFTER balancing all her extracurricular activities and keeping her grades up, it is clear that Olivia Liando (12) is an outstanding Lancer here at Granger High School. Liando’s normal day starts with her waking up at around 4:55 a.m. and arriving at drill practice by 6:00 a.m, going to school, and having Dance Company practice until about 3:30 p.m. This isn’t the end of her busy schedule. “I’ve always kinda been a busy person, so I’ll push myself to do homework late at night or during my breaks. But, it really helps having a T.A. period, because I get most of my homework done
in that class,” she said. Liando also is taking AP Statistics, and Public Speaking 1020 and other more challenging classes next semester. “Senioritis is real: it is so real that some days it’s hard to manage my time and homework,” she said. She also juggles two jobs and is currently looking for a third. Getting home about 11:00 p.m. from work only gives her a little time to do homework, eat, and go to bed before she has to be back up before her next busy day. Student class officers have a lot of responsibilities. Liando is Granger’s Senior Class President; this also takes a lot of time and
dedication. “Olivia is fantastic! She is the most organized, efficient, outstanding class officer I’ve had here at Granger in a long time,” Mr. Hopkins said. “Even the tasks others don’t want to do, she gets done and makes the best of the situation.” As the Senior Class President, Liando gets to plan activities for the seniors and for Granger High School, along with the other senior class officers. “We represent the senior class, and just try to make it a fun year,” Liando said. “I also like all the activities we get to plan. I’m so excited for all the senior activities I have planned for the year,”
Liando said. Along with being a senior class officer, Liando is Dance Company’s publicist. Her job is to make sure the school knows about Dance Company and its concerts. When Lancers are extremely busy, it can be hard to make time for friends and a social life. Liando is no different. “Honestly, I feel like I never have time for friends or a social life. I hardly even see my friends at school, but about once every month, we’ll plan something,” she said. As with most seniors at Granger High School, Liando is looking into to colleges. “Hopefully I’ll be going to
SUU. And I want to double major in anthropology and business. Then, double minor in sociology and education,” she said. “I’m pretty sure I’m going to spend forever in college.” As a senior at Granger High School, Liando has faced many challenges at school and at home -- everything from going through three cars, paying for her extracurricular activities, and even her schoolwork. “Do everything you want to do because, we shouldn’t be afraid of the future or obstacles in our way,” she said. “Try and find something you’re passionate about, and put all you can into it.”
By Jennifer Duong GETTING involved in extra-curricular activities at school just got a little more interesting, Granger High has officially started a club where gay students and their allies won’t have to feel alone. GSA stands for Gay Straight Alliance, and this club has meetings every Friday after school in Mr. Johansson’s room, G211. This club’s main purpose to support any student at Granger High School who is gay or who supports gay friends or family members. These students can meet their peers in a club that is fun,
and also supportive and will welcome any student who wants to join. “What I like about GSA is how everyone is kind and supportive towards one another,” Alan Gonzalez (9) said. Most students joined the Gay Straight Alliance because they wanted to make new friends, and be around fun and supportive people who look forward to the same things they do. Many activities they are going to be doing include meetings and spending time as part of a fun community. Members from GSA suggest
more students join and make this year the best year by taking action and being a part of something fun. The club is organized and takes others’ opinions on what the GSA should do for an upcoming events, etc. They never leave someone out or their opinions hidden. This is a great club. “It’s still easy for me to keep up with my homework even with the club going on, I make time to finish my work later at home,” Gonzalez said. There’s no need to worry about missing work from class, just kick out some stuff and
make space for a good time to catch up and do your work. It’s a wonder how the president of GSA keeps up with everything. But it has turned out well; things are organized and members are happy. Don’t miss the meetings. Sometimes there are fun things to do like playing board games and talking about upcoming events. “It can be stressful at times, and having to plan all the things we are going to do is a challenge, but it is mostly fun, and I enjoy it,” Izak Schnoor (12) said. On December 5, GSA started planning their next event, and
they were making and hanging posters to promote their club and get more members. “Granger students should join GSA because it is a fun club, and everyone in the club is so supportive towards one another. There will always be laughs and jokes, and I mean every teen loves knowing there will be free food,” Schnoor said. With free food, this club could not get any better. Join GSA and be a part of a friendly club and make a difference at Granger. Talk to Mr. Johansson if interested
Granger’s new GSA offers support to all students
January 2015, page 7
VOL. LVII Issue 4
With assemblies and Hope 4 Utah, Granger tackles bullies By Katie Gutierrez BULLYING can go on for years, and people who are being bullied usually don’t speak up -- they suffer every day for years, and some even commit suicide. “I think bullying is childish and it’s something someone should never go through,” Diana Mota (11) said. “To me, the people who bully someone have major issues going on in their lives and are just finding a way to make themselves feel better. I personally think bullying will always be a problem in the world, but a way to stop it is for the person who is being bullied to stand up and tell someone, no matter how scared they are,” she said.
At Granger High, many people feel very strongly about bullying, while others don’t have much to say. “I wish bullying didn’t exist and that it could stop happening to people who really don’t need that in their life,” Gabriela Olmedo (12) said. “It’s so sad to hear that people take their lives because of bullying. How does the bully live with that? Knowing that you pushed someone so far that they had to take their own life? The bullies must feel so low about themselves, most of them do it for fun.” And to those being bullied, Olmedo offers this advice: “If you’re going through it, don’t take it. Talk to someone. You’re not be-
ing a snitch -- you’re standing up for yourself. It’s better than thinking about death,” she said. Bullying happens for lots of reasons. “Bullying to me is when someone tries to intentionally bring you lower than they already are,” Alondra Padron (12) said. “I’m not saying bullying is OK, but I feel like people bully others to let their emotions out, maybe they’re always sad or angry or whatever. Bullying others might be only way bullies feel they can escape that feeling of emptiness. We need to stop it! Stand up for someone who needs it, don’t bully just to be cool, because it’s really not, and it makes you look
like a total jerk,” she said. Students and faculty will work with Hope 4 Utah to form a Hope Squad that will give Lancers the tools they need to repair the damage caused by bullying. “People shouldn’t be bystanders and just not do anything when they see it happening,” Aaliyah Gneiting (10) said. “Bullying doesn’t just happen at schools, it happens on social media, that’s where it mostly always happens. When people are bullying over the screen, they tend to have more guts to say things than in person.” “In my opinion, bullies only do it because they feel so bad about themselves and just have low self-esteem,” Gneiting said.
“There are kids who get bullied in elementary. It’s sad to see that little kids are suffering and getting judged by their hair, weight, race, nose, or whatever. Gneiting agrees with Olmedo’s advice. “If you are being bullied don’t be quiet SPEAK UP! Show that you’re stronger and better than the bully, that’s a great way to win. You don’t have to scoop down to their level ever,” she said. After the recent anti-bullying assemblies, many Granger Lancers took a pledge to stop bullying and stand up against bullies. It seems that many students learned a lot about bullying, and they plan to take a stand against it.
Markets can appeal to everyone Freshmen share thoughts about Granger By Claudia Islas their customers. There are times WHEN SHOPPING at stores, everything about it seems to matter including the smell, prices, space, employees, etc. “I like to shop at Fresh Market because the store smells good,” Alicia Nungaray (11) said. “Fresh Market seems to have more fresh products, too.” Other Lancers don’t agree. “Rancho Market gets crowded especially with the carts,” Mafi Havili (11) said. “But I love the restaurant it has inside,” he said. Other things that seem to matter are the way the employees treat
when a store’s employees aren’t so nice. Even if the employee is having a bad day, he or she should put a smile on his or her face and be polite. “I like Rancho Market because the people are nice and smile at me,” Osman Abdalla (12) said. “Also Rancho Market is cheaper,” he said. When comparing both of the stores, students get different things from them. “Both play music,” Nitzia Guapo (11) said. “You also notice Rancho has a restaurant inside and Fresh has a bank,” she said.
Michelle Bueno pairs style with warmth this winter
By Claudia Leon WINTER is finally here, and that means it’s time to pull out those big comfy sweaters, warm boots, and leggings. The struggle of waking up every morning, and trying to figure out what to wear can be difficult, especially when kids are lazy and wake up late, because sleep is life. Sometimes going to the basics can be the thing that saves time. It’s the difference between an outfit that looks like a hot winter mess and an outfit that looks like it took some effort to put together well. “I love wearing comfy sweaters, with big knitted scarves. They just make an outfit look good,” Michelle Bueno (12) said. Looking cute and staying warm can be difficult. Some clothes that are super cute might not be very warm. However, warm clothes can look like something that was worn in the 1950’s. “Combat boots, headbands, and small, dainty jewelry takes an outfit from 0 to 100 really quick,” said Bueno. At first, the outfit can look super boring and simple. Just add a couple of small accessories like an Alex and Ani bracelet, Every Alex and Ani bracelet comes in either a gold or silver finish, and every bracelet comes with a charm that has a significant mean-
ing. A must for looking cute this winter is a warm jacket. Jackets come in all shapes, sizes and colors. Jackets that are really trendy this season are military jackets. Military jackets were introduced late this fall season. Longer than most jackets, with some gold detailing, they make an outfit look well put together when no effort was put into it. “Crew socks are super comfy, people can actually see them since they’re longer than normal socks, and they keep your feet warm,” said Bueno. Crew socks are worn all over Granger’s hallways. Some are being worn with sandals -- the classic socks and sandals. Others wear them with boots or Converse. The point is: they keep feet warm; everyone should own some crew socks. In addition, a pair of the classic white high-top Converse will never get old. A lot of people seem to own a pair, because they look great with anything except for formal dresses. Take Bueno’s advice this winter. Grab a pair of distressed jeans, a flowing white T-shirt, a military jacket, a big knitted scarf, some knuckle rings, and pull hair up in a messy bun with minimal makeup: look like fashionista -- it’ll look effortless even if the outfit was chosen the night before.
By Chastin Christiansen JUNIOR high is better than high school. Junior high is not taken as seriously as high school. High School takes more concentration and dedication. “High school is different from junior high because the schedules are different. Granger is what I expected because I expected the school to be bigger and it is. I would not have liked staying in junior high for ninth grade because most of my friends are sophomores and seniors. My favorite thing is that the classes are shorter than junior high. I don’t like the halls. Naw, Granger hasn’t changed me,” Cesar Carranza (9) said. Ninth graders like the new school and prefer being here to their junior high school. “I think high school is different because it is harder and there are a lot more opportunities. I would have rather have stayed in the junior high for ninth grade because this school is too crowded. What
I like about this school is that we can go off campus for lunch. What I don’t like is that there is only five minutes between every class. Granger has changed me by making me more organized and prepared,” Irvin Castillo (9) said. “Granger is too large and too packed full of students,” Ross Valdez (9) said. “I do not think that there is anything different between high school and junior high. Granger is pretty much what I expected. I would not have liked to stay in junior high for ninth grade because Grangers’ classes are better and easier. I don’t like the drama here at Granger. It has changed me a little, but who does not change in high school?” Granger is changing kids like Conny Brand (9) for the better. “It’s not any different from junior high, we just get more freedom; we get to leave campus. It’s big and new with all my friends. I would not want to stay at junior high because I’d rather be in high
school. I love the freedom here; I just like everything here. It has changed me a little bit because I am now more open,” Brand said. This is making kids more capable of enjoying school. “Granger offers more opportunities for sports and academics compared to my junior high school. I wanted to stay in my junior high, but now I am glad I came here. My favorite part of high school is that you can leave for lunch. My least favorite thing is nothing -- I enjoy everything. Granger has changed me I feel like I have matured a lot since last year,” Kara Cano (9) said. Granger might be full of kids, but they still enjoy going here. “I think it is the same as junior high. It’s not the same as junior high because it’s smaller there and it’s bigger here. My favorite part of the school is the teachers. My least favorite part about the school is some of the students. I am still the same as I was in junior high,” Xavier Casias (9) said.
Student teachers learn from Granger teachers
By Zayra Gonzalez GRANGER student teachers were asked about their experiences teaching for real, and teachers were also asked how it feels when someone takes over a class. Not all Lancers liked the idea of another person teaching them. Other Lancer students liked having a student teacher and their style of teaching. “I don’t like student-teachers; they don’t have experience teaching so, they don’t know as much,” Meli Alvarez (11) said. “It’s OK I guess..., but I miss Ms. Green,” Adriana Mulato (11) said. Well all Lancers have their own opinions on student teachers. “I miss being funny and talking,” English teacher Ms. Green said. Many of the teachers miss teaching and having control of their classrooms. Mr. Weimer is the current student teacher for Ms. Green, and he has a big personality and has and fresh mind
with bright new ideas like many other student teachers. “I miss Ms. Green,” Alan Aguilera (11) said. Students miss their teachers’ personalities and ways of teaching. “Mr. Weimer is a great teacher. He is a very great person and cool and chill,” Aguilera said. Teachers know how it feels to be a student teacher; they all had to be one in order to teach and gain experience and interact with the students in all forms possible. “My ninth grade English students had a hard time adjusting to their student teacher,” Mr. Gibbons said. “I had to get out of the room the first five minutes of teaching, because the kids would come to me for help and not my student teacher,” he said. “I sit and watch someone that has a large personality (and people think I have a big loud personality) but, in reality, I am a big, timid teddy bear,” Gibbons said. Alexa Novak, a student teacher
at Granger, sees it from the other side. “It’s a lot of hard work, but it is very rewarding at the end of the day,” she said. Novak’s last day as a student teacher for Mr. Christiansen, an art teacher, was on December 3. “I loved the experience. It helped me out a lot as a student teacher, and the art department has great teachers,” Novak said. “I didn’t like sharing rooms, but almost 90% of the student teachers that I have had were wonderful,” Ms. Ward said. “I learn from them more than you’d think. You’d take what you know for granted, otherwise,” Ward said. Student teachers are full of bright ideas and energy and passion for the opportunity they have to be teaching in a classroom as a teacher. Teachers also learn from them by interacting as well as showing them ways of teaching and giving them advice so they can become better teachers in the future.
VOL. LVII Issue 4
January 2015, page 8
Movie Reviews: Selma; Predestination; Spare Parts; Black Sea Review by Danny Hernandez LOOKING for something to watch? Well Lancers, January is full of great action, thrills and drama in movies. Plots range from time travel to civil rights movements to underprivileged kids going up against the best schools in the country, so don’t give up on movies just yet. On January 9, a movie that brings history back to life is “Selma,” a movie that takes place in Selma, Alabama in 1965 during the civil rights movement, and it portrays what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. did to help stop the oppression
and separation of colored people and white people. This movie shows what people were going through -- from getting beaten up by a group of people to having big protests and parades to show that they’re not gonna stand by and let themselves get treated like dirt. They did all this to get to where racism is today. On that same Friday, the movie “Predestination” is releasing to theaters nationwide. This movie is a thriller that will keep you on your toes. “Predestination” is about a temporal agent that has the capability to go back in time
to prevent future crimes from happening, but on his last assignment, he has to stop what they called in the movie the fizzle bomber from killing thousands. And while doing that, he has to find someone else to take his place, but who he finds might just surprise you. This movie is certainly one to see. On January 16, the movie “Spare Parts” releases. This movie is based on the true story of how four Mexican high school students and their teacher enter an underwater robotics competition and compete against some of
the best school in the country like MIT. They hit some snags along the way that test their patience and force them to overcome obstacles and achieve their goals. On January 23, “Black Sea,” a suspenseful adventure movie, tells the tale of a captain who gets fired from his job and with no where left to turn, he goes to a backer and makes a deal. He then puts together a crew that is half British and half Russian to go looking for one of Hitler’s sunken submarines filled with gold, and as they get closer and closer to the treasure, it gets riskier and harder
to trust one another with all that gold and its value at stake. On January 30, “Project Almanac” offers another time-travel based movie with four kids who find and build a time machine. They go wild making each others’ wildest dreams come true by going through time, but when they realize that what they have done has caused many things to go wrong (from plane crashes, fires, and even one of them dying) it motivates one of the boys to go back even farther to try and fix things and put things back the way they were.
Good paying jobs are hard to find for high school students
By Katie Avery MANY KIDS at Granger High School, especially seniors, need to have a job so they can pay their way. It’s important to start saving money as soon as possible, because when reality hits, it really hits. Probably not very many of these teenager’s parents want to take care of their children for the rest of their lives. It’s best for teens to get a job in high school and start
saving money for college and maybe their own living space or car. Many Lancers have jobs that hire high school students, so get applying. Rodolfo Gomez (12) works in the cafeteria at the University of Utah. “Sometimes I cook, do the deli, and sometimes do the dishes. I like the work atmosphere of my job, and I have some good coworkers. They hired me at $8.50/
hr and I get free food, but there are not very many high school students there,” he said. They are not hiring right now, but it’s still a good job to look out for and apply for when they have openings for kitchen positions.. Another job that’s hiring right now for morning people is Firehouse Subs. This doesn’t help high school students right now, but they will be hiring more high school students during the sum-
mer, so now it a great time to apply. “I like working at Firehouse Subs. I mostly like that I am the boss and get to boss people around. There are a lot of highspirited people, and I am one of four managers. I’d say it’s a great job for high school students because it has flexible hours, and I get free food,” Justin Rivera (12) said. Cleaning up after people really
isn’t that bad, it can actually be kind of fun for some people. “I liked working at Embassy Suites doing housekeeping because of the people I met and because on my breaks I would get free food. I got paid $9.00/ hr, so that was pretty great. It is a good job for a high school student because it teaches you how to clean up a room and how to be friendly,” Christina Hall-Carter (12) said.
B-ball girls aim for region
By Sadiq Hamadi LANCERS are excited for the girls basketball 2014-15 season because the team has had an outstanding year. The girls basketball team this year is stoked to go to region championship. Coach Cousins has been working them hard to make them get what they deserve. They have won six games and only lost three. “Our goal for this season is going to state and winning it all. Our other goal is to be back-toback region champions,” Jessica Matheson (12) said. She has been playing basketball since she was 6 years old, and it means a lot to her. “I have been getting offers from Western Nebraska, and I am also being looked at by Snow College,” she said. Matheson is an amazing player and works hard to get what she wants. “Jessica loves sports and is really athletic. She’s hilarious. The first time I saw Jessica play bas-
ketball was at West Lake Junior High. She was on the basketball team for Valley Junior High, and I was a cheerleader at West Lake. My first thought of Jessica Matheson was that she had the same personality that I had. I can tell you many stories of the fun adventures that us girls have had,” Ermina Mustafic (12) said. “We should have been friends a long time ago.” Matheson has many friends and teammates that she can count on. “The thing that comes to my mind when basketball is brought up is the 3A region championship that we won for the first time. We went to State Awards,” Melisa Kadic (11) said. “I have been playing basketball since I was in third grade. High School basketball is faster and stronger and the kids have more experience. In junior high, it seems like it is regular basketball. I am a 4.0 GPA student and I am interested in playing college ball.”