Tri-Color Times 2022-12

JROTC is an amazing class that builds character

By Elle MacPherson

THERE’S no doubt that Granger High School has a ton of great classes. There is one in particular that seems to catch people’s eyes. Air Force JROTC, also known as Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps.

There are many reasons to join Air Force JROTC, but these students especially look forward to the chance to fly a plane. In order to fly a plane, they sign up and reserve a spot. It allows them to skip a good portion of their school day and fly an oldfashioned plane. It provides an extremely interesting and valuable experience to students.

Another big opportunity is being able to go to Raiders competitions, “That’s like a once-in-alifetime opportunity,” Fernanda Espinosa (12) said. Raiders competitions test your physical abilities in a tough way, but everyone who goes really enjoys

it. Usually, these competitions include strength tests, running events, rope bridges, and obstacle courses.

Besides these opportunities, JROTC also has some exclusive activities for its members including Bataan Death March, Military Ball, and making models of rockets, and flag retirement ceremonies where worn-out flags are respectfully destroyed. The Bataan Death March is a hike that’s usually around 12 miles. JROTC also includes a Military Ball, which is a dance specifically for the students of JROTC. Model Rocketry is another JROTC activity, and this has been one of the favorite activities, mainly because students get to build their very own rocket and launch it.

Overall, JROTC is a very professional class, and the standards at Granger have changed over the years. At first, the program wasn’t as strict on every-

thing because it was a new class. Currently, the standards and expectations of the class are more military-like to better help kids have that military mindset. Every other week, they wear our uniforms; and every other week in between, they wear fitness gear and workout clothes.

As for leadership positions in the class, “If they consistently can’t beat deadlines, they will be removed from the position,” Vadin Chynoweth (11) said. For every class, which JROTC calls flights, there are different leadership positions. The flight commanders have control over the whole flight. The flight sergeants take control when the flight commander is absent. The element leaders represent leaders whilst doing drill. And the PT leader guides the class in physical training during workout days.

Lieutenant Colonel Plumb is the lead teacher in the program,

he’s been here since the beginning. Master Sergeant Seiuli is the second teacher for the class, and this is his second year at Granger. Colonel Plumb has a reputation as a fantastic teacher and a great leader of the class. Sergeant Seiuli is more of a father figure, and he connects well with students. Colonel Plumb loves playing chess, mancala, and beating the students in pretty much everything. Sergeant Seiuli, on the other hand, loves sports, especially playing them with the students of JROTC. There are many more cadets this year than in previous years. There is no doubt this is a favorite class. There are many things to offer in this class, and many experiences along the way. No matter what position they have in JROTC, whether they’re just a cadet, a flight commander, or even a medic, they get so many continued on page 3

New dress code begins

By Belen Suazo

THE VERY first dress code law was acknowledged in 1969 by the U.S Supreme Court, due to the ‘Tinker vs. Des Moines Independent School District’ case. This case dealt with students protesting the Vietnam War by wearing black armbands. In the end, what students wore to school was taken into consideration more than ever. Today, schools try to promote safety or uniformity by setting rules for the students to follow. Some may say these rules are pointless, and they limit students on what they can and cannot wear to express themselves while others only enforce it.

This year at Granger High School, the dress code sets apart other schools that use the dress code from Granite District. The code consists of top straps going over the shoulders and belly button. The bottoms covering the waist to the middle of the thigh. Also, hats and beanies aren’t permitted inside the building unless they are Granger gear.

Many students like Giovanni Mikkelsen (10) think that the no hats rule shouldn’t be a thing. “Sometimes people just have a bad hair day and want to wear a hat,” Mikkelsen said.

Mr. Demoux, a student advocate, says that rather calling it a dress code, it should be called a dress standard. He thinks a dressing standard is dressing up to what is expected from the school. “I think the reason why we enforce it is to prevent chaos,” Demoux said. “I only have to dress code someone a couple of times a week.”

Dr. Howe, GHS’s new principal, brings new ideas and policies

By Kalia Dogbe

AS MANY students are aware, Granger High has welcomed a new principal, Dr. Tyler Howe, for the 2022-23 school year. Dr. Howe transferred from West Lake Junior High, which has a completely different atmosphere compared to Granger — a bigger school with a much bigger population of students.

Although there are great parts about being a high school principal, there are also a lot of difficulties. Many would understand being a principal at a school with over 3,000 students is not an easy task and can take a huge toll on anyone’s mental health if they let it. “The building’s big and the number of students is large, so it’s just a lot to wrap your brain around all the time,” Dr. Howe said.

Fortunately, a big school comes with many students and teachers that are willing to help. Like vice principal Adams for instance. He’s enjoying all the new improvements and the new personality added to Granger High.

“There’s been a lot of changes just by Dr. Howe’s nature. Just him coming in and working as hard as he does, being involved with the students as much as he is — it’s a great time for Granger to have Dr. Howe here,” he said.

There is no doubt that the adults at Granger love the new face added to the Lancer spirit, but students have many opinions, too. There are many students who dislike the policy changes that come from having a new principal, but there are also many who are enjoying the changes. There are differing opinions

for students who interact with Dr. Howe. For Deeda Lolin (12), her experience with the new principal is quite positive. “It depends on how people take it. If you don’t want new policies, then it might be bad, but it’s a great way to get new habits,” Lolin said.

For others, change can negatively affect the days they have at school. Many students at Granger feel they are not given the opportunity to express their style. Angelina Ros (10) hasn’t enjoyed the dress code changes implemented at the beginning of the school year. “It makes me uncomfortable,” she said, “I feel like I get dress-coded more than other girls at school this year, even if I have a jacket,” she said. One thing all Lancers can agree that they like is not having to deal with OCR anymore.

Having to wait out class time in a different setting caused many students stress, especially when they were not purposefully late. This new tardy policy has improved many students’ attendance and has gotten students to class faster.

Despite the fact Ros does not enjoy the strict dress code, she loves not having to attend OCR when she’s late. “It’s much better this year. I missed a lot of information when we had OCR, especially since we were not doing anything but sitting there,” she said.

While there are students who do not like the changes this year, there are many students who enjoy changes that have helped them create new habits. This openness to change has helped improve Granger High.

Students who get dress coded during passing time could be late arriving to class. Demoux says that if this happens, the student gets a pass to class. To avoid this happening overall he advises all students to dress to the standard. Dress code can become a controversial topic because students and staff always have a mix of opinions.

“I think dress code in general can be very demeaning,” Eboni Robinson (10) said. She thinks these rules are very constricting, especially for female students. Robinson feels that female Lancers are too afraid to wear the clothes they have because of dress code. This results in overthinking the outfits they wear. Robinson has been stopped fifteen times this year because of the clothes she was wearing. “I’d say this has made me late to class multiple times,” Robinson said. Although administrators hand out hall passes, she still thinks she’s missing too much time that could be spent learning in her classes.

Lt. Col. Plumb leads JROTC cadets in a retirement ceremony for flags that are “no longer a fitting emblem for display,” as stated in the United States Flag Code.

Sports support mental health and help students achieve goals

By Javier Tinoco

SPORTS can affect people in many ways. There can be many negative affects sports can have on an athlete’s mental health. On the other hand, there are many positive effects that sports can have on mental health.

Johnathan Gonzalez (12) knows that he must play his best if he wants to secure his spot on the team. “Wanting to compete and wanting to be a top club player makes you wonder if you are good enough, because if you are not willing to compete, most of your teammates are not going to want you on their team. If there’s a lot of players in your position and you aren’t fighting for that spot, chances are you aren’t going to get your spot. Another thing is trying to improve, a lot of the time you don’t see how much you have really improved so that makes it harder to keep going,” he said.

“You can put so many negative thoughts in your head and then you don’t really know what to do. It makes it so hard to quit when you have been playing this sport for so long. It’s a hobby to you, so it’s hard to let go. There is a positive side, you can meet the greatest people and make so many memories with these people. You gain experience going through obstacles and overcoming those obstacles. The people that you meet can really change your life. They change you for the better,” Gonzalez said.

Christian Vera (10) says that when he steps on the

field, he realizes that all his stress and problems go away. “When I play a good game, I feel like I have accomplished something, and I have made my parents proud. I work hard to get a good game, because having a bad game can really affect someone. It makes you feel dead and like a disgrace. During the game you’re going to make mistakes and it hurts, but you gotta know how to move on,” he said.

“When I was younger, I didn’t really take soccer seriously because I was so big and could hardly run. This year I am taking soccer more seriously. I went from playing in one of the lowest divisions in the state and have jumped up to P1(The highest level there is in Utah). I didn’t see the potential I had, and now I am bringing everything out that I have in me. I am happy with that,” Vera said.

Tyler Stockstill is a Granger High boys soccer coach. “There are a lot of positive benefits from sports including mental health. From a physical standpoint we know that sports help release endorphins and makes us feel better about ourselves. Depending on what sport you are playing, whether it’s an individual sport or a team sport, individual sports give you the opportunity to set goals for yourself and continue to work hard and always be better than they were the day before,” he said.

“With team sports a big benefit is the collaboration that you have to put forward to win as a team and do well together and have a good performance on the field, along

By Jonah Thomas

THE GIRLS tennis team had one of their best seasons yet, beating all the teams in their region except West High School. “Our season was good,” Ashley Torres (11) said. The girls tennis team went 5-1 in region, winning most of their matches 5-0 or 5-1 as stated on the maxpreps.com website.

Halls feel different this year

By Mareai Meh

STUDENTS and teachers have many different opinions on the tardy notes. Some believe that it’s a good idea for students and teachers. Asma Abdi (11) believes it’s a good idea. “Last year people would get sent to OCR, and OCR wasn’t fun at all. The administrators giving out little tickets is much better than staying in that room,” she said.

OCR was a room where all the students went when they were tardy. When students were in OCR they had their phones taken away and couldn’t do anything at all until the period ended.

While some think that it’s a good idea, others do not. “It’s not that great, because you might be having a moment for yourself, so it can be really hard, especially if you’re trying to use the bathrooms,” Malia Johansson (9) said. During the school day, there are administrators who stand out in the hallways or in front of the bathrooms during passing periods. Their job is to get all students to class and stop them from skipping classes in bathrooms.

Abdi says that the bathroom is more personal, and students should have a little more privacy in the bathrooms. “For an admin to walk in on the students just doesn’t click for me as well,” Abdi said. If she were a teacher, it could be a good idea to do it, but for her, as a student, it’s uncomfortable.

During passing periods there is a 10-minute restriction on hall passes before and after class. Kevin Nava (11), doesn’t think

it should be necessary. “You could be rushing to class at the last minute to go, and then they don’t let you go to the bathroom for another 10 minutes,” Nava said. Granger is a big school with lots of students, so it can be difficult to use the bathroom with so many students in line.

Students are also getting kicked out at the end of school at 2:30 p.m. A lot of students don’t like how the administrators are doing that. “They should let Students stay for a little longer because some people can have problems at home, and also for the students that need to finish missing work,” Johansson said.

Other students like Jante Olveda (10) and Lizette Lopez (10) both agreed. “Students may have other things to do after school or they could be waiting for their parents to come, since they may be working long hours,” Olveda said.

Even though hallway administrators are a good way to help students get to class, Dorian Alvarez (10) has been stopped by the administrators many times and prevented from using the bathroom. “I don’t like it because I’m just trying to use the bathroom,” he said.

“I wish we didn’t have to monitor bathrooms. If everyone were where they’re supposed to be, then we wouldn’t have to do it, but some people hide out in bathrooms,” Ms. Oliver, a counselor, said. All these hallway issues can be very frustrating for students, but it’s important for students to get to class where they need to be.

They did have some downs during the pre-season, when they lost to many of the best teams in the valley. Torres says that losing to some of the best teams in the pre-season wasn’t the best, but it helped them build the skills to win against competitors in their region.

She says that the team had many amazing experiences throughout the season and built many friendships. For the girls tennis team, the bus rides to a game were not a time to sleep, it was a time to listen to music and party. They also helped build relationships by having sleepovers, parties, and movies nights off the courts.

They didn’t only make friends on the team, they also have made friends with other schools. Torres says that many girls on the

with your team and then again with that goal to work hard and get better every single day both individually and within the team,” Stockstill said.

“There are potential consequences with playing sports that we should all try to avoid. The pressures that come with performance anxiety, pressure from parents or coaches, scared of not making the team or not playing well. Those are important things that we must keep in mind and must know how to communicate and discuss with coaches to develop a strategy to get better,” he said.

team had friendly rivalries with opponents, but after the match they would congratulate the other team if they won, and comfort them if they lost.

Another favorite for the tennis team was the food that coach Sanada brought. Torres says that joining the tennis team is worth it just for the food.

“Overall, the team did well with tennis this year, even better than last year,” coach Sanada said. He said that they did better as a team even though they had the same placement as last year. “The team did better as a team overall this year while last year there were a few individuals that were at a high level,” he said.

Coach Sanada also says that the team was cohesive, and they cheered for each other including varsity, junior varsity, and exhibition alike.

Michael Nguyen, an assistant coach and Granger alumnus, made a big difference. Coach Sanada was happy to have other coaches on hand. Nguyen helped teach the technical movements and exercises that are necessary for tennis. The other assistant coach is Pablo Quintana, who was very helpful with tourna-

ments. When the girls were playing during matches, he would help the tennis team be able to win by helping them figure out a strategy against their opponents.

There were some problems with players on the team who had other responsibilities such as student leadership, academics, or family, which made it difficult to do tennis alongside other things. Overall, the people that worked the hardest and played the best tennis did the best as varsity.

“No matter how good someone is at tennis, at the end of the day, tennis is mental,” coach Sanada said. This tennis season was hard for many of the girls to get over losses against better teams to eventually get second in region. They not only had to train their bodies, but they also had to have mindsets that would ultimately lead them to succeed.

Coach Sanada is already looking forward to next year to rebuild the team. This is because 12 seniors and one junior are graduating from the tennis team so the team will have much younger players and will have to train them to be just as good or even better than their predecessors.

The girls tennis team served up a fine season

Christian feels free from stress when he plays soccer.

Mr. Jackson passes out tardy tickets to students who are running late.

Ashley prepares to receive a serve during her doubles match at region, which took place on Sep. 21-22.

Dance tickets tied to attendance expectations

By Austyn Matheson

BY NOW, most Lancers know of the new Granger High dance policy. Granger High initiated a new dance policy just before the Dia De Los Muertos dance. The new policy stated that if a student had any unexcused absences, that student would not be able to purchase a ticket for the dance. Many students were confused and immediately hated the idea.

“The policy’s whole idea is to reduce student absences,” Nathan Black, LIA teacher and sponsor of the Dia De Los Muertos dance, said. “The new dance policy was also reliant on the fact that teachers had to be one hundred percent accurate during the process of taking attendance, but teachers are still human.”

The policy made attending the dance more complicated. Black wished for the dance to be as uncomplicated as possible, and he fought to keep it that way, yet it was out of his hands as he had no control over the attendance policy or how it affected the dance.

Black says it made it more difficult for students to acquire tickets. “Requiring a debit card and the student to have perfect attendance before a student can get a ticket affected the dance in terms of limiting what the event was going to be,” he said.

Black says the dance was sup-

posed to be incorporated with the haunted house being run by the theater crew. The new dance policy made the two events separate.

If a student wanted to move between events, they would not be allowed back into the dance. On top of all of this, the entire LIA class got free admission without needing their absences excused.

“The dance was still fun, even

things like our Lancer Pride cards.”

The PBIS committee is a group of teachers that meets twice a month to discuss PBIS systems. Dr. Howe says that the main inspiration for the new dance policy at Granger came from Cyprus High’s positive results from its dance policy. “We took what they did and had it evaluated by our own PBIS committee,” he said. This team looked at how well Cyprus was doing and decided that an attendance prerequisite for dance ticket purchase might be worth a shot.

The PBIS Committee then approached the Student Body Officers about the new policy. “The Dia De Los Muertos dance was the next dance in line but was handled by a different group than the Student Body,” Dr. Howe said. “

That was a little bit of a misstep on our part.”

continued from page 1

learning and leadership experiences. Joining JROTC is a great way to make new friends and find a new family. “I think kids should join JROTC because it provides leadership and life skills,” Charlie Cross (12) said.

JROTC is also a really good way to open career paths and opportunities, especially if you don’t know what you want to do

yet. Granger’s JROTC focuses on the Air Force, that’s why they do model rocketry and fly planes. Sometimes, they have special guests come in the class and talk to us about their military experiences, and sometimes give a card with their info on it in case they want to contact them about the military. This really helps open some pretty exciting doors for the future.

New desks change classrooms

By Ahmed Mohamed

AROUND Granger, there have been some renovations in classroom features. Not only did many classrooms get new smart boards, but for some classrooms, there has also been a change in desks.

Most students may have come across the new chairs and desks, and Ms. Marie was one of the first teachers to try this updated seating.

“We ordered them through our leftover Covid funds. After the pandemic, I really started disliking the old desks — I felt as if they were draining the students’ energy and increasing boredom in classrooms,” Ms. Marie said.

They’re very, very comfortable and I can easily move around instead of being stuck, the chairs are perfect all around. I feel like the only con would be the color — it doesn’t really show school colors, instead it has more of an office or business-casual color,” Fatuma Mohamed (11) said. Seating that forces students to sit passively and uncomfortably for a long period of time creates a negative energy in students, and this makes students less engaged in classrooms, which leads to poor performance.

if it caused some stress,” Black said.

“In general, dances are an extracurricular activity, and some of our neighboring schools in Granite School District had started to include dances as part of their PBIS system,” Dr. Tyler Howe said. PBIS stands for Positive Behavior Intervention Support Policy. This system is put in place to award students for positive behavior. “Every school has PBIS systems, and these include

This policy will remain in place for second quarter, and different attendance dates and expectations have been selected for upcoming dances. “Yes, it is a reward, but I also think it is a valuable life lesson for kids to be able to see that, ‘Hey, there are lots of opportunities to play and to relax and have these good experiences, but they come after we have completed our responsibilities and requirements,’ ” Dr. Howe said.

Lancers find fashion inspiration all over

By Jasmine Vazquez Soto

LANCERS get their fashion inspiration from movies or from other people, and clothing brings people together. Every year, every month, every week, and even every day there is a new style of clothing. Clothing can represent personality and who they are as a person.

“I look towards the early 2000-2010 emo fashion, and I get stuff from today and try to make it look older,” Kloey Labaw (10) said. Labaw gets her

clothing from Ross, Hot Topic and from her boyfriend. She is making outfits out of different ways and styles. She is getting her inspiration from Pinterest, Instagram and TikTok. Although she is improving her style every day, she will also try to make it good and comfortable.

People out there take inspiration from their friend’s outfits, from friends back then, or friends met recently. “My friends from seventh grade inspired me and also people on TikTok,” Isabella Euggarrio (9) said. It’s good that friends can inspire other friends or maybe strangers here and there. People, but especially friends, can inspire other people. Even if it’s old friends or new friends, they still can inspire either way.

There are different ways to inspire people from random strangers to Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, or anything — they still can inspire Lancers. Everyone has a

different type of style of their liking, but some people have more options than others. “Having more diversity in body types, skin tones, hair styles, and corresponding fashion will allow for more accessible media across the board,” as stated on the fashionista.com website.

Even more people can improve and create anything they want to create, from thrifting to online shopping. Some people get their clothing from the depop.com website. Social media is having a big impact on fashion at this moment, with a combination of baggy jeans and with a baggy shirt or flare jeans with a crop top — either one.

Anyone has a preference of how they style their clothing decisions. “I just put together some striped shirts and baggy pants, a lot of black jackets and a headband,” Euggarrio said. Lancers have realized how their clothing has changed throughout the last few years and how they realize how they dressed back then.

They used to hate the style or the pieces of clothing they wore back then, but now they like how they dress and how comfortable they are wearing the style of their choice now. “I used to wear a lot of tight clothing at first like tight Levis in seventh grade,” Euggarrio said.

“By getting these new chairs and desks, I feel like it will make students more confident and encourage students to interact more with others,” she said.

We also spoke with Ms. Smith who works alongside Ms. Marie. “I first talked to Ms. Marie about the chairs, and I thought they were pretty cool and comfortable, which makes it feel like more of a professional environment because the actual chairs move instead of being stuck to the desk. It makes it easy to move around and work,” Smith said.

Teachers aren’t the only ones who like this new classroom furniture. “I really love them.

“I think it’s a one step towards classrooms improving better motivating the students to show up more and to perform better in classrooms, I felt as if the chairs from before were creating more of a boring energy in classrooms, so I am really thankful for the new chairs,” Abdulqani Abdi (12) said.

These desks could lead to students performing better in classrooms. A study shows that desks make a huge difference on how students perform. “Students are more engaged in learning when they have flexible and comfortable seats. It makes students more enthusiastic in classrooms and help them perform better. Instead of rigid seating, students are more energized and motivated,” as stated on the learningliftoff.com website.

Tri-Color Times Staff

Executive Editor Haidee Smith

Social Media Editor Adrian Aguire

Reporters Reporters

Kimberly Ahio

Esteban Batres

Litzy Carlos

Ella Carroll

Kade Davidson

Kenya De La Cruz

Kalia Dogbe

Maria Jacobo

Cristina Jimenez

Susana Kupu

Elle MacPherson

Austyn Matheson

Mareai Meh

Jon Mills

Ahmed Mohamed

Alex Nguyen

Christian Olvera

Qadega Shak

Belen Suazo

Jonah Thomas

Javier Tinoco

Elizabeth Tuakoi

Yonatan Urcino

Noemi Valadez

Jasmine Vazquez Soto

Kayden Wood

Hope Woods

Sarai Zamora

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 liability.

Tri-Color Times c/o Granger High 3580 South 3600 West West Valley, UT 84119 (385) 646-5320

Mr. Black, the LIA teacher, ran the Dia De Los Muertos dance.

Managing Editor Melissa Perez Junior Editor Annika Jones

Kloey’s fits blend style and comfort.

Good relationships between students and teachers create success

By Kayden Wood

HOW STUDENTS and teachers interact with each other affects how much students learn in class. Mr. Moon teaches physics, and he has met all kinds of students over the years. “I have had lots of differing relationships with students. Some people don’t get along and some get along well,” Mr. Moon said. “There’s good students I didn’t have a great relationship with, and sometimes personalities don’t get along,” said Moon.

It’s not a new idea. Mr. Moon says he feels like most of the good relationships he has with students have been because they did their work. He also talked about when he was a student in college. When he didn’t like a teacher, he was more prone to avoid the work vs. when he liked a teacher, and he would do more work in that class.

Joshua Campos (12) feels that interactions with teachers have affected his grades. “A good relationship has made me want to go to class and do homework, but with a bad relationship, it makes me not want to go to class and not work,” Josh said.

“Personally, I feel like some teachers probably would mess around with your grades if he didn’t like you or would judge you more harshly than other students that he did like or really cared about,” Campos said.

“Mr. McNeil made me want to go above and beyond because he kind of knew me and knew I knew how his

class worked. Another teacher was Ms. Clark, because the work she put out was easy, but there was a lot of it, and I liked her, so I decided to do all of it,” Campos said.

Daniel Cruz (12) appreciates his relationships with teachers. “If I am falling behind on an assignment, I could talk to them, then they can help me and figure out ways I can get my grades up,” he said.

Mr. Locey says that in the classroom, teachers get all kinds of personalities, and sometimes some students don’t have good feelings towards them, and some do. “Regardless of how I get along with a student, I do treat all students in fairness. Having a good or bad relationship with a student should not affect their standing for them to be able to turn work in and you want kids to pass. Bottom line is you want kids to pass,” Locey said.

Locey also says that proficiency-based grading allows students to turn in assignments whenever they want, and that makes them kind of like slackers. PBL’s sloppy deadlines might affect how teachers perceive student engagement in class. “This is because there is no urgency to turn things in on time, so they can wait until the last minute,” Locey said.

“Because of this the work they turned in is not quality work and they are all upset because they didn’t get a good score on it, and I’m upset because I didn’t get good workmanship out of it,” said Locey. “So having a relationship

Football players ready to build on winning season

By Elizabeth Tu’akoi

HUNTER lost to Granger High 21-0 on Nov. 9, and that’s when Granger fans knew that something amazing was happening on the football field.

Coach Vaitu’u has been an inspiration to the team in many ways and on many different levels. The season was great. The varsity team got out there and finished with a 4-2 winning season. The freshmen did well, too. “When freshmen come, they don’t know a lot. I’m glad that they have the older boys to be there to help and teach them,” coach Vaitu’u said.

In the football program, they’ve tried something a little different this season: the coaches have been trying to help the team find their inner selves individually during the season. The team’s also good with students in the SpEd program, and they attended the SpEd HOCO dance, where the team showed love and support.

Jay Malaeulu (12) just finished his last season of high

school football. Malaeulu is often praised by many teammates because of the example he has set for them, and Malaeulu says that Maka Sonasi (10), Taufa Florreich (10), and Matt Jones (12) are players who have been inspirational for the team both on and off the field. Malaeulu has put time and effort in the game and season with his teammates. His dad is a source of inspiration for Malaeulu, and after graduation, he plans to play college football.

Lu Kinikini (9) appreciates how coach Serge helped him succeed. As a freshman, he had fun learning throughout his first year at Granger. He hopes to teach the incoming freshmen what he has learned. Malaeulu and Sonasi are Kinikini’s teammates who inspired him on and off the field. His older brothers are his inspiration for football, and he hopes to work harder next year.

Mason Kasitati (10) played defense on the team. In his sophomore year, Kasitati says the season was good. He hopes to do better next season. Kasitati

takes inspiration from Malaeulu beyond football — he’s inspired by the faith Malaeulu shows at church. Kasitati’s dad is another source of inspiration because he encourages him to do the best he can. Kasitati is going to work harder to prepare for next season. “Coach Pala has helped me on and off the field by putting time and his faith in us, and he has helped me throughout the whole football season.” Kasitati said.

Jordan Manuatu (11) played as a linebacker for Granger. Kasitati says that this season has been good, and he wants to accomplish more next season. As mentioned by the other team members, Malaeulu has been an inspiration to Kasitati as well as Sonasi. He’s going to work on training until next season.

Matrix Vaitu’u (12) is a quarterback. He says that it’s been a good season as a team. Someone who is his inspiration for football would be LT, his older brother who passed away and was a great football player. Now that the season has ended, he plans to prepare for graduation.

with a student is good, but when things are due, they are due,” he said.

Relationships with teachers can affect grades because when students don’t like a teacher and skip work, it causes them to get bad grades. Most teachers seem to be very open with students until those students act like slackers or just don’t do the work, and that’s the bottom-line issue. Students’ and teachers’ relationships may affect grades, but often relationships form simply based on the quality of work delivered.

Sophie goes all out for volleyball

By Hope Woods

SOPHIE McCoy (11) has been playing volleyball for five years since seventh grade. McCoy is a wonderful student and a wonderful team player. She stands out there and makes sure that no one is left out.

While playing volleyball this last season, her position was middle. While playing club for three years, McCoy’s position was setter and right-side hitter. This coming season, and for her club team, she wants to try being a libero.

McCoy feels like her weakness would be that she is not very fast. Her strength is her perseverance. “It took me a long time to realize that your mind is going to give up before your body does,” McCoy said.

She says if players keep a PMA (positive mental attitude) they’re going to come out on top. She said it’s mostly about who is mentally stronger. McCoy has worked very hard these past few months with her team. They have been practicing every day and doing runs. She plans on working on talking with her team more and understanding who is covering what areas.

April McCoy, Sophie’s mother, says that McCoy is a great volleyball player who works very hard. She also mentions that

McCoy plays high school volleyball from August to October and club ball from November to May. McCoy’s real training goes from May through August when she attends both of her training camps in high school volleyball, so she can work on her skills and improve them.

Her mom says that McCoy is a leader. “The other girls look up to her,” she said. She feels like the coach relies on her ability to help the younger girls on and off the court. She said that her daughter tends to be hard on herself.

She wants her to know that it’s OK if she can’t keep going. She wants her daughter to take breaks, so she doesn’t wear herself out as easily. It can help her push harder in the future knowing that it is OK to take a break and breathe for a minute.

After so many positive experiences on the team, McCoy encourages people to join. “Do it,” she said.

McCoy says that is fun, there are good teammates, and they care about each other. She wants to make sure that everyone feels very welcomed when joining and make sure that everyone feels like they are a part of the team. McCoy wants to raise up her team so that they are the state champions by her senior year.

Daniel liked working with Mr. McNeill on history projects.

Sophie plays volleyball for Granger High and for club teams.

Post-pandemic students seem to be talking less

By Qadega Shak

CLASSROOMS seem to be quieter lately. Students are less talkative, and they aren’t as social as they used to be in past years. A deeper look into Granger High School might reveal why students are not talking.

Students are getting quieter and quieter by the day. Classrooms are full of students, but everyone still hears teachers giving lessons. If it were possible to take a trip to the past and look into classrooms, would they be as quiet as they are today?

“Most students that I know who aren’t very social at school just want to get their work done,” Yvette Ingabire (11) said. “Some of us just don’t like talking to people who are practically strangers to us,” she said. Maybe Granger students just want to do their work unbothered.

Some students don’t feel the need to speak much in public, and others might just have a lot on their minds. “I think we’re just tired, we have a lot on our plates at home,” Briana Calaverio (12) said.

Some students are handling the stress of supporting and helping their families with very little emotional support. It could be that the combined stress of students’ home life and school is causing them to bottle up their emotions and their words too.

Some people are just raised to be less talkative and to stay to themselves but being less social at school is good for students. “I don’t think it’s affecting their schoolwork, but I think being social definitely helps students get to know the people around them and give them more opportuni-

ties,” Briana said. Some students are very social online, but they don’t have that same energy in school where they are very engaged with their phones and stay on them in class to avoid conversations. “Kids find it easy to relate to people online because the algorithm shows the people with similar interests. In real life, they must put them-

out and say something during class discussions but hold back and keep their thoughts to themselves. “Sometimes I am interested in a conversation and want to say something, but I don’t want them to think I’m weird or judge me,” Ingabire said. Students are more anxious and self-conscious, and maybe they just don’t feel comfortable sharing personal interests in the classrooms. It would be easier to get to know more people in real life if students spoke up about their interests when a conversation started in the classroom.

selves out there and try to find people they’ll get along with. This sometimes makes a kid feel alienated,” Zahar Sheikh said.

Students are feeling more anxious when it comes to speaking to new people. The internet makes it very easy to find people who like the same things. Online you can just search up a hashtag or join one of the many groups full of people who like the same thing and have a common interest to talk about and bond over. In real life, you can’t search hashtags to find a group of people. In real life, students must talk to a lot of people to find people they might like, and sometimes the conversation is a complete miss. Students might feel discouraged by failed attempts at conversations and friendships.

Most students want to speak

Teachers are a big part of the environment inside classrooms. Some teachers are good at making every student that walks in feel welcomed and comfortable. Other teachers prefer a quiet classroom after they give students a lesson and, whether they know it or not, aren’t very social with students themselves. “Some of my teachers just tell us about the lesson for the day, tell us to get to work and go back to their desk for the rest of the class period,” Calaverio said. Maybe students aren’t the only reason why so many classrooms are silent.

Students and teachers should work together to make classrooms social environments again. Students should encourage each other to speak up for themselves and for others. Students can help their peers to speak about their interests and listen to each other with respect and no judgment. Teachers should take time to get to know students and not push students to be social, and they should help students slowly get to know each other and get out of their comfort zones.

Candy and chips are not a meal

By Saraí Zamora LUNCH at

Granger

High School

means many things, and a lot of kids do not eat proper meals — especially for lunch.

Luis Carreto (12) is an avid supporter of eating healthy meals in school. He always eats meals with the proper nutrients he needs for his day. “I always see kids eating chips and candy, and I don’t understand how they can function in class,” he said.

Carreto sees that many students in his classes are usually very distracted or tired during lessons, and he wonders if their meals are to blame. This topic started when he noticed one of his friends always eating candy and chips. He mentioned to him that he should eat more nutritious food to be heathier, but his friend usually disregarded this input. “I wish that my friend ate healthier because I care about his health. He always seems really tired, and he usually whines about stomach problems,” Carreto said.

Carreto knows how diet affects health. “I only had stomach problems when junk food was the only thing I ate that day, like for lunch and breakfast,” he said. He also says that after eating only that stuff for lunch, he suddenly felt worse during the day and during his after-school activities. He usually goes to the gym or plays soccer after school. “I like keeping myself active and healthy, and having a good diet is a part of that,” he said.

Aimy Maples (12) eats candy and chips during lunch. “It’s more convenient and it gets my belly full,” she said. She seemed more nonchalant about the topic than Carreto, and her demeanor was also very relaxed. She said that chips and candy is something she always eats, and she has never once had a problem.

She and all her friends usually go to Macey’s to buy their chips and candy. She says it’s cheaper to buy food like that, and she doesn’t get paid that much in her job, and her mom doesn’t give her money for food.

“I don’t like the food in the school, so I don’t want to spend money on it, I also don’t apply for the fee waiver at school,” she said. The fee waiver at school pays for lunches, and she says that because she doesn’t qualify for it, she doesn’t think the food is worth it. She also says that her health has not diminished because of her diet, and she feels healthier than ever.

Liggins says that at home, she eats nutritious foods that her mom makes, so she feels like that makes up for the lack of healthy food during the day. She feels she should not be judged by what she eats, and that people should mind their own business.

Alexis Evans (12) is indifferent to the topic of candy and chips at lunch because she doesn’t eat food at school or even go out to buy anything during lunch time. She says that she eats breakfast at home and then just waits till she gets home to eat. She never notices what people eat during the day, and she usually doesn’t get hungry until after school. One of her main complaints, though, is that the school does not have many options for food, and most people don’t enjoy the food there. “I would actually eat the food at school if it had more variety — it’s not worth the money,” Evans said.

Liggins and Evans agree that school food is not worth the money for people who don’t have a fee waiver, so they understand why some students think it’s better to just skip out or eat junk.

In class, Yvette would rather work hard than meet strangers.

Luis maintains a healthy diet filled with nutritious food, even at school.

With more than 3500 students, GHS’s classrooms are crowded

By Alex Nguyen

“THERE are some challenges in having the biggest student enrollment in the district,’’ Dr. Howe said.

Dr. Howe also served as principal at West Lake Junior High. “Granger has the most students enrolled in Utah and Granite School District,’’ he said. He estimated that Granger had around 3,500 students in school as of Nov. 11. Some of his solutions to fit students into Granger High include being careful with student enrollment and setting boundaries.

Mr. Demoux is a student advocate at Granger. Some of his thoughts on Granger’s student enrollment are that it is great to have so many students go to Granger High, but there will be challenges with such a high enrollment. One of the challenges is maintaining space. “The school was built for 1,700-1,800 kids, and there are well over 1,700 students at Granger,” Mr. Demoux said.

Having so many students enrolled at Granger means that administrators must increase the number of students in each classroom. Some of Mr. Demoux’s solutions are to decrease the population or create more space. “That means bringing in more portables or building more classrooms off of the existing building,” he said. It’s a valid suggestion, but it’s difficult to imagine where additional classroom would go.

Mr. Tidwell teaches Junior Core English, Junior Honors English, and is a head basketball coach. “My English classroom size has stayed constant throughout my years at Granger,” Mr. Tidwell said. He usually has between 2030 students in his classes. Mr. Tidwell usually has enough desks to accommodate his students.

“Sometimes if every student shows up there will be one or two students without a desk,” he said. Some of Mr. Tidwell’s solutions include having some students in an overfilled classroom move to another teacher who has room in their class, add more desks, or hire more teachers.

Mr. Timothy teaches Freshman Success, and he remembers when he used to have about 30 students in his classes throughout the year. “Now my classes are averaging 40 per class,” Mr. Timothy said. With that many students in his classes, he acknowledges that classroom management becomes a challenge.

Mr. Timothy’s class size in 2020 was about 30 students, in 2021 the classroom student enrollment grew raising it to 38 or 40 students. “It also makes it difficult because every student is at a different learning level, so trying to raise every student to the same level becomes challenging,” Mr. Timothy said.

Sneakerheads at Granger love classic shoes

By Cristina Jimenez

FEW LANCERS have a room dedicated to shoes like Mr. Adams, a vice principal at Granger High. Shoes complete an outfit. Not only are people’s shoe games growing rapidly, but the prices of shoes have also grown up as well. Shoes like Dunks, Jordans, Blazers, and others have gotten more popular through the years. For instance, most know that Mr. Adams has one of the best shoe games in the school.

Shoes can express someone’s personality and offer a better feel for what they like. Not only do shoes bring people together, but they also help make friendships. “Shoes are a good way to show personality, here at Granger shoes can bring people together,” Mr. Adams said.

Mr. Adams has been collecting shoes since he was a kid, and his first pair were Jordans. Original shoes are being sold for thousands as older shoes come back into trend. Although there are many shoe brands that are hated, most people seem to look for originals.

Many students are also into shoes. Most say that shoes complete a hit and are one of the most important parts. “I feel like shoes are a way to express yourself, and really bring together a whole outfit. I think shoes are probably the most important part of the fit as well as the shirt! That’s what people look at the most. They have an influence on the trends and styles I like,” Brooklyn Carter (11) said.

Social media is a big influence on shoe games, with social media such as Pinterest, Instagram, and TikTok. They have a big influence on shoes nowadays. “I typically always style my shoes depending on the shirt or brand I’m wearing. I really like my outfits to try to match as much as possible. Coloration is definitely important. You also won’t ever catch me wearing skinny jeans with any shoes,” Carter said.

Pandemic affected mental health

Shoe collections are starting to feel more like a norm for everyone. A lot of girls have over 50 pairs of shoes, however guys are starting to collect shoes as well.

Like everyone, Lancers like to match their clothes. Most people get their shoes according to what they have in their closest to match their fits.

Most sneakerheads said they love to take care of their shoes like they are taking care of themselves. “Cleaning my shoes is a secret… but magic erasers get them all nice and clean. I clean my shoes once a week and make sure they all look as good as they can,” Mr. Adams said. “I have way more shoes than my wife, and I’m trying to get my whole family into shoes slowly.”

Shoes have had a big impact on the fashion industry. Not only

do Lancers see shoes going up, but they see fashion trends going back in time. Most shoes games are expensive, but Carter says she only looks for shoes that match her fits, and she’s not looking for the most expensive shoes.

Although most Lancers don’t have huge collections of shoes, a few good pairs are the perfect way to bring fits together, and they’re a great way to bring people together as they show off personality. Shoes such as Dunks, Jordans, Blazers have become way trendier due to social media. Not only can a nice shoe game cost a lot of money but it can also become an addiction. “I hate Reeboks, but I love my Dee Brown Hexalites, and I just bought a pair of Air Force’s Crater — I have over 100+ shoes, don’t tell my wife…,” Mr. Adams said.

By Annika Jones

STUDENTS and staff at Granger all felt different experiences and effects from the pandemic. Their mental health was affected in different ways — good and bad.

Leota Hudson’s (9) experience during the pandemic was very interesting. She liked the fact she did online school, so she could sleep in and not see teachers in person. She missed socializing and seeing her friends. She found that the free time she had during this disruption helped her work to improve in different ways.

Now that she’s back in school, she suggests being active as much as possible and socializing in person as the best ways to improve mental health after a time like that. It sounds like her sister had a rougher experience.

Kaylee Hudson (10) struggled with depression. As she struggled day by day, she learned to put herself out there. She says that some great ways to better mental health during difficult times are to listen to music, focus on schoolwork, and create as many memories with friends as they can.

Kaylee and Leota are siblings, but they had different experiences during the pandemic. Every student felt a different impact during this time. During the pandemic, Leota liked that she didn’t have to live on a structured routine, but Kaylee missed having a structured routine, and the pandemic made it difficult to maintain structures or routines.

School provides a structured routine to students in daily life. As students go from a routine and a normal life to a non-structured life, their social lives will certainly change. “Most students don’t just see school as education, they also see it as a way of interacting with people surrounding them,” as stated on the childandadolescents.com website.

Macin Burton (12) didn’t think that the pandemic affected him mentally very much, but it affected his socializing skills more.

His personality changed for the worse. He had a hard time talking to others because he thinks he somehow seemed rude. He suggested playing video games and connecting with people online as ways to interact with others.

Joshua Magallon (12) explained that isolation during the pandemic affected him a great amount. His mental health was impacted in a bad way. He says that his personality didn’t change that much, but his emotions changed for the worse. During the pandemic he did a lot of talking to others online and journaling, and he recommends doing those things to anyone who is in this situation.

Burton and Magallon both suggested talking to others online. These two students felt the pandemic’s impact, and it affected both in terms of emotional control.

Ms. Escobedo is the social worker at Granger, and she says that students were really affected by the pandemic in the way they socialize with others. Most students now have anxiety with human contact. “As a social worker, it did affect me personally, I was just graduating, and it was hard to find jobs and other stuff. I recommend that all students exercise and to get eight hours of sleep, if possible,” she said.

The pandemic affected not only students here at Granger, but it also affected teachers and workers at the school. The pandemic affected people by limiting their social interactions and their ability to learn and control certain situations.

As students go to school, they not only experience educational resources, but they also interact with people from different cultures, backgrounds, life experiences and many other amazing things. The pandemic left each person with a different experience, so it’s important to avoid stereotypes and treat others with individual care.

Students are stacked up in Mr. Bernard’s classroom.

Mr. Adams shows his daily rotation; many more are stored during construction.