Tri-Color Times 2015-09

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Granger high school

Tri-Color Times

An open forum for student opinion and expression

TRICOLORTIMES.COM

August 2015 LVIII-1

Lancer leaders attend first annual summit By Kaitlin Cluff “STAND up, stand strong, stand together,” was the chant that was said many times throughout the first Lancer leadership summit. On July 13 and 14, Lancers from many different clubs and associations throughout Granger High School participated in this first summit. Granger faculty had been planning this summit for six months before it actually occurred, but Lancers weren’t told much except to show up with a good attitude and be ready to work for two days. Many Lancers had preconceived ideas about the summit. “I thought we would be doing things with leadership skills and teambuilding games,” Ben Hansen (12) said. Others didn’t have such specific expectations. “I expected it to be friendly and have good ideas to improve Granger High,” Jessica Winder (11) said. But boy were they surprised after the first day was over.

The first day was labeled as “family day.” Basically the administrators, teachers, and students involved all participated in activities to get to know each other better. The purpose of this was so everyone could come together and work better together rather than just be a bunch of strangers sharing their opinions. These activities consisted of Lancers sharing intimate details with each other about their personal beliefs on different issues such as gay marriage, interracial relationships, and Granger’s reputation. After many activities, the day ended with personal circles. A mix of teachers and students were put into circles of about ten people and were asked to dig down really deep about themselves. The students and staff shared things that others would only know if they ‘really’ knew them. Then a couple of students chose to get up and share their own personal stories. So many

people related to the stories that were told. Many students and teachers shed tears, and it was obvious that Granger students have more in common than they thought. “I was so moved by all of the stories that were shared. It opened my eyes to what people are really going through and how they handle situations,” Katie Tanner (11) said. For some Lancers, participating in the get-to-know-each-other activities really hit home. “I was really shocked. We learned so much about each other, and it made me realize just how much we all have in common. There was so much emotion. I think that it was amazing,” Dayna Rasmussen (11) said. By the second day, Lancers were ready to get to work. The second day was for discussing issues at Granger that students felt needed to be addressed. Many students spoke up and were heard by students and faculty. “I realize how much school

spirit Granger could have and how great our school could be,” Tanner said. It was easy to see that some Lancers really took advantage of the opportunity. “It was extremely refreshing to be able to voice our concerns and solutions for Granger’s problems. I feel as though we informed the administration about the students’ opinions, thus creating a basis for understanding that will eventually lead to great changes,” Angel Herrera (12) said. Throughout the summit, Lancers, teachers and faculty all held up the ‘I love you sign’ when they related to powerful words or strong emotions. “I thought it was a different way to show sympathy, love, and ‘I get you,’ ” Winder said. It can easily be said that everyone who participated was content with the summit and the results they expected from it. “Accept others to be accepted. We all want the same thing, to feel continued on page 2

Lancers make history while participating in the first annual Lancer leadership summit.

Students should prepare with these locker must haves Opinion by Brianna Puga WELCOME to another great year at Granger High School! All teenagers entering high school should have an emergency kit in a locker. High school is full of surprises, but these items will help solve some common problems. Everybody has had an issue at school like when your hair gets messed up, when your hands get really dry, or when you wake up on the wrong side of the bed and you want to change. That is why it is important to have some kind of emergency kit in your school locker. The number one thing you should have in your locker is hygiene items like deodorant, perfume, lotion, and girl products. When gym class is over, you can

perhaps take a shower and put on all the necessary things like perfume, lotion, and deodorant so it is a good idea to keep those products in your locker. I believe that every teenager should keep extra money in his or her locker, in case of an emergency. If you don’t have lunch money or if you have to pay a last-minute fee in a class, you can just grab that money from your locker and problem solved! Everybody has at least one bad hair day! That’s why you should definitely keep a hairbrush, comb, rubber bands, and bobby pins in your locker along with a can of hairspray or mousse. In between classes or during lunch you could just sneak into the restrooms and quickly fix up your flop and ta da!

Your hair looks back to normal! Or grab that Granger-branded hat off your locker hook. That was easy. We all know that we have our special someone at school, right? If you ate some Crazy Bread sticks after lunch, your hunny might not like the smell of your garlic breath! So to prevent that from ever happening, it is a good idea to keep gum, mints, or even an extra toothbrush and toothpaste in your locker. It may be weird knowing that there is toothpaste and a toothbrush in your locker, but it will be worth it when it comes down to an emergency. Let’s face it, us teenagers are clumsy right? Imagine going to lunch and accidentally spilling

some milk on your brand new jeans and having to walk around school all day with a big stain on your jeans. Or what if you spill some tomato sauce on your shirt? If you store an extra set of clothes in your locker, then you wouldn’t have a problem with stains on your clothes. Just go to your, locker grab the clothes, and change in the restroom! This last item that I am going to state is going to be very important. In your locker, you should have your backup girl products and makeup. If you have a pesky pimple in the middle of your forehead, then it could be really easy to rush to your locker to grab your powder or foundation and have that pimple covered for the rest of the school day!

Dress code & fashion clash

By Andrea Lomeli LANCERS are coming back from summer with their heads still in the heat, and their style, too. Sure, some of this generation’s latest trends are crop tops and high-waisted shorts, but here at Granger, those fashion trends don’t match the school dress code. Last year, some teachers and Lancers had a problem with enforcing these rules. Trying to stop students and have them obey may be very difficult for teachers and staff who enforce these rules. Especially for the male teachers and staff. “It’s very uncomfortable for male teachers to enforce dress code with female students and students with hats or inapropriate clothing get defensive and create a bigger distraction and take away from important teaching time,” Mr. Eden said. “It is a hard balance to find.” Ms. Gaskins described the usual patterns of dress code violations she sees throughout the school year. “The beginning of the year and the end of the year are the worst just because it’s warmer outside. It’s not a fashion show; it’s a school. They need to learn how to dress to be ready to learn,” she said. “For the boys, it was usually the inappropriate shirts and hats that they know they shouldn’t be wearing, but they do anyways. With girls it’s usually shorter shirts or shorts that don’t cover everything that needs to be covered,” Ms. Gaskins said. Some students agree with both Mr. Eden and Ms. Gaskins. Here’s a Lancer alumnae who shared her thoughts and advice on the school dress code for students: “I have a lot of thoughts on this. I see a lot girls that show their stomachs, that’s especially the freshman,” Adriana Orozco (‘15) said. Students shouldn’t feel pressured to break the school dress code just because they see their peers taking those risks. Especially when it’s the beginning of the school year. “I think everyone should just wear t-shirts and or maybe just wear uniforms,” Orozco said. It’s not that other students are trying to bad mouth and criticize each other, but sometimes Lancers might know or understand how awkward some students feel with these violations. “Girls that do not dress appropriately make the girls that do feel uncomfortable,” Orozco said. So students should try to keep in mind the school dress code. It will help the staff and also other fellow Lancers. Also Lancers don’t have to break the school dress code to be in trend -- there are plenty of cool styles that they can try to pull off.

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