F L A S HR E J U V E N A T E

Rocklin High School | Vol No. 22 Issue 1 | December 2014

RejuvinatingRecipesRecipes that are good for the body

How Stress Effects Teens P. 08

P. 10

Negative health effects of stress

How StudentsHandle Stress P. 12 Students cope with stress in school

Feature Opinion

ReviewsSports

Table of Contents

Editor-in-ChiefLydia Tahraoui

Co-Editor-in-ChiefElias Alba

Design EditorsEmily McCrary

Rachel MacMaster

Photo EditorsDestinee CzubRachel Polivka

Alyx Stone

Assistant EditorsCourtney Harper

Faith HollowayAllyson Lent

Sarah Lovejoy

Staff WritersRiley BaldwinMarley BauerConnor Bolli

Shelby BoyajanMegan Bradbury

Lindsay CarrierGrant Cluff

Karl DanielsenKendall DeRosa

Garrett GebhardtAllison GerberMaure Gildea

Efrain GonzalezCourtney HarperAdrianna Havey

Faith HollowayAllyson Lent

Sarah LovejoyRebecca Michael

Sawyer MilamKatelyn Morgan

Jordan NobleLauren Parker

Jasmine PasseyMelanie Seyfried

Taylor SchoultzJessica Valverde

PhotojournalistsAllie Cleland

Nicole CorsettiDestinee Czub

Amanda DeLabyArabella Martinez

Taylor SimsKaylin Smith

Serena Straub

4. Athletic Spotlight5. Team Traditions

6-7. Intro to Rejuvenate8. Sam London: Road to Remission9. What Stress is Doing to You10. Rejuvenating Recipes11. What’s on Your Plate?12-13. Sit Back and Relax14. Adventures in Nature15. Rejuvenate Your Spirit16. Rules of Rocklin17. What Isn’t Rejuvenating?18. Do Your Part: Student Volunteers

*19. Advertisements

20. Mini Reviews21. Books vs. Movies

22. Got Guns?23. Post Secrets

F L A S HR E J U V E N A T E

PC: Rachel Polivka

Y O U R

y o u r s c h o o l

Delaney Hertel’s voice is loud and confident, as well as a little raspy from overuse. It also begs

to be heard.

An ex-theater geek, Delaney has filled her life with not just speech, debate and mock trial, but also voice lessons so she can refine her speaking and singing. For her, each extracurricular has to do with her voice, speaking, and being heard.

She says that she does it because she has always loved the limelight. But it’s not just that vanity that drives her to speak. The act of being able to change the way someone thinks just by talking to them is a passion all its own. A passion that pushes her to give speeches, and rage through debates.

Family ties pull her towards speech, too. Her brother, the figure she looks up to most, is in college, where he is still pursuing his own career as a thespian, on a stage, leading an act. Already in theater like her brother, when her friends encouraged her to join speech and debate she accepted.

Now she is on in Junior Varsity speech here at Rocklin, and she was pulled up to Varsity at a recent tournament for two different events. She

mentions this with relish and a small smirk, it’s a big deal to her, because she know that it is proof that her voice can and has gotten her places to great places in life.

Her future profession seems obvious when you think about it-- diplomat. As a diplomat, she would spend a lot of her time conversing with foreign leaders, having a real voice in policies and relations that affect the entire world. It would be one of the most powerful positions for her voice to be in, and it’s where she wants to go.

Talking is something everyone does. It is the way people communicate and express their ideas. Delaney Hertel doesn’t just understand this, she embraces it.

PC: Kaylin Smith

STORY

BY Karl Danielson

The Your Story, Your School series is part of a assignment completed by all media students during the year. Subjects of these profiles are chosen at random and published in The Flash print and online editions, the @rocklinyearbook Instagram, and in the Tonitrus yearbook. This assignment is inspired by CBS News Steve Hartman’s “Everyone Has a Story” and Brandon Stanton’s “Human of New York.”

Hertel explains her need to be heard

in the

”Soccer is my passion and I couldn’t imagine my life without it. It is definitely worth all the late nights and long car rides.”

Lyndsey Settle

“Track really brought out my confidence and taught me to never doubt myself or my abilities.”

Four records, 3 individual, 1 relay. After an unforgettable track season last year senior Lyndsey Settle proved what a gifted, driven athlete she is.

Starting off the year by breaking the 200 m school record with a unforgettable 24.88 run, Lyndsey garnered much attention from the track team, coaches and schools all over California.

She later broke the 100 m school record with an amazing time of 12.17 and later broke the 400m school record clocking in with an time of 57.67.

Not only was she extremely successful in individual events but she was exceedingly well on both her 2013 season 4x400 relay team and her 4x100 relay team in the 2014 season both of which made it all the way to state.

“She was a great captain and motivated me to do better; she was an excellent role model and I can’t wait to see what this season has in store for us” says senior Lexie Hogan who is one of the runner on the “Dream Team” referring to her tight knit 4x100 relay team.

Lyndsey started running track in 7th grade and since has had an unbelievable impact on her life.

“Track really brought out my confidence and taught me to never doubt myself or my abilities.” said Lyndsey.

“Not only is she a great athlete but is an excellent leader.” said Rocklin Alumni Danielle Derosa, who was also on the Dream Team. “She led everyone through everything and pushed us to try our hardest.”

While the Dream Team was disqualified at state for a bad handoff, Lyndsey had a season to remember.

Breaking 3 records, going to state, and leading the team to state finals are all admirable accomplishments made all by a single person in a single season.

Lyndsey is eager for this track season, as it is her last season that she will have as a Rocklin Student Athlete and wants to continue on her journey to run at a D1 school.

As far as which school she wants to attend, she is keeping an open mind; as long as she can run in the collegiate level she feels she couldn’t be happier.

Talent on the track

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Isabella Castro

SPOT LIGHT

Evan Michelet

BY: Kendall DeRosa”Football means everything to me. It keeps me in check and is my best source for motivation.”

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team BONDING

It is no secret that the Rocklin High School campus is filled with dominant sports teams. What goes on during the game is clear to the crowd , but the pre game rituals before the action are sometimes what matters the most. For the varsity volleyball team, these home game rituals have become second religion, and are believed to directly contribute their undefeated record this season.

Captain Megan McBroome description of the team’s game day rituals: “To say the least, we relax. Then we get ready. When we pump it up and scream. Then we crush.”

When school gets out on game day, team dinner is hosted at one of the player’s houses. Here, the team decompresses after school, bonds over homemade meals, and discusses their opponent. The team must join pinkies and say “grace,” before anybody can eat their food.

Before warmups, all varsity players meet in the locker room hallway where their assistant coach gives them “food for thought”, a quote that helps them mentally prepare for the game. After a moment of silence to process the quote, the team gets pumped up by screaming and going crazy.

Then the girls run into the gym to the song “Here Comes

the Boom” and slap a sign labeled with their team motto “DTS.”

“Nobody knows what DTS means except for us. Not even the JV or freshman teams. We’re sworn into secrecy not to tell anybody what it means,” captain Maddie Haynes said.

The team’s last tradition happens during the national anthem. The players join pinkies and shake their hands to the beat of the song.

No matter how preposterous these rituals may seem, each one plays a crucial part in the girls home performance. “Knowing that these traditions have been around for so long is great because it gives us a greater sense of pride in our program. They bring us

together and give us something to play for,” said Haynes.

As the regular season comes to an end, the team will depend on their traditions to rally them towards success in the playoffs.

BY Ally Lent

“They bring us together and give us something

to play for.”

Some things are better left unseen

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The daily hubbub of high school life can be overwhelming. From studies to sports to extracurricular activities, there’s no doubt that high school is extreme-ly demanding. In the midst of chaotic everyday life, it can be easy to forget to step back and take a break -- to rejuvenate. This issue of the Flash centers around the different aspects of students’ lives that bring them mental, physical, and emotional regeneration. Through diets, exercises, retreats, and sheer determination, we grow under the burdens of life.

We hope you enjoy this first issue of the 2014-2015 Flash. This is just the beginning of a series of issues each revolving around one central theme. Through these themes, we hope to capture aspects of RHS that are rarely giv-en any thought. We’re not going to hold anything back; when there’s news, we’ll cover it -- regardless of standards or stigmas. We hope you enjoy this issue. Happy reading!

-Lydia Tahraoui and Elias Alba2014-2015 Flash Editors-in-Chief

PC: Elias Alba

R E J U V E N A T E

SAMLONDON:THE ROAD TO REMISSION

“I didn’t think it was true at first, but then I had to accept the fact that it was actually happening.” said Sam London, reminiscing about the day she was diagnosed with leukemia.

Three blood infusions, two platelet infusions, steroids, and lots of chemotherapy. All these treatments were too much for the fourteen year old to handle. “When I was in the hospital, I started getting really depressed, and wouldn’t eat anything. I didn’t want any sunlight in my room, so I always wanted the shades down.” said London. To counter her depression, she was given low-dose antidepressants that “brought [her] back to [herself].

With all the chemotherapy, Sam developed Neuropathy: a condition that affects the nerves along the spine, which are responsible for delivering and receiving messages to and from the brain. Because of this, Sam’s legs became too weak, and she had to wear leg braces. “I felt people would look at me differently, and I didn’t really like wearing them because sometimes they wouldn’t even match my outfit” she said, laughing.

But now, Sam is recovering. Her legs are strong enough that she no longer has to wear her leg braces. Currently, she is going through remission, and in her case, that means

no more heavy chemo; rather, she takes low dosage che-motherapy medication, and anti-seizure medication as a precaution. Also, she only needs to enter the hospital if it is for something extremely serious.

To add to her excitement, Sam can finally attend school. She said she “was really thrilled because when you’re not in school for a year, you’re actually trying to find stuff to do.” While in the hospital, Sam had weekly visits with a music therapist and learned how to play the ukulele.

Sam now hopes to eventually return to the sports that she once played: basketball and soccer. She is also looking forward to receiving her driver’s permit and being able to ride roller coasters.

While in the hospital, Sam met a new friend, Chris Han. “He always had a positive attitude even though he was going through worse treatment than I was. He changed my perspective on things.” Unfortunately, Chris passed away in the hospital, but his impact on Sam has stayed with her ever since.

Now that she’s slowly recovering, she said leukemia has given her a new outlook on life. Sam is more aware of “how different [peoples] lives can be, and how difficult.”

BY Lauren Parker and Allison Gerber

PC: Allison Gerber

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Infograph designed using Piktochart

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Truffle base:2 cups raw walnuts1 c shredded coconut3/4 cup raw cacao powder1/2 cup raw agave nectar1/2 cup coconut oil (melted)1 tsp sea salt1 tbsp vanilla

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To find out how to make the delicious treats featured in these pictures above, check us out online at rocklinhs-flash.net

RAW VEGAN CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

Blend the walnuts and shredded coconut for 30 seconds. Add the rest of the truffle base ingredients blend until mixed. Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Leave it in the freezer for 20 minutes. Then roll small pieces of the dough into truffle-sized balls. Smaller is better in this case, but not too small! Place in the freezer for another 25 minutes. While you’re wait-ing, prepare the ganache. Toss all of the ingredients in your blender or food processor, and blend until smooth. Pour the ganache into a container so that you can easily dip the truffles into the sauce. Once the truffle bases are ready, dip each ball into the ganache individually. Remove any excess chocolate. Place them back on the tray so the ganache can set. If you want, sprinkle sea salt, cinnamon, or shredded coconut on top! Store in the freezer.

recipe by Lauren White; reported by Sarah Lovejoy

Chocolate ganache:1/2 cup raw agave nectar1/2 cup raw cacao powder1 tsp sea salt1 tsp vanilla

PC: Lauren White

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HealthyFOODS

W h a t ’ s o n y o u r p l a t e ?There are myriads of people who have

altered diets and these can be seen as un-common or obscure. In fact, there are quite

a few people here at Rocklin who have changed their food intake for many reasons.

A dietary habit is any different diet or style of food beside the referenced food pyramid. This includes vegetarians, vegans, pescatarians, et cetera. For some people, this can be a prefer-ence, a life choice, or a necessity.

On this subject, Belle Maalouf, who is glu-ten-free said, “[Being a celiac has] pretty much changed my life, so being gluten-free is totally beneficial. I had some health issues before and medication just would not work. After I went gluten-free, it took a month for me to start to feel better.”

When not eating right, individu-als may feel terrible about them-selves. This diet can add to their personality; it is a part of who they are. It helps mold them who they are and also assists in developing their character.

However, Belle did not change for character; her decision to become gluten-free has helped her for the better. She was forced to change her diet to improve her health. As a celiac, she cannot process gluten. She stated that it improved her mood, but it sadly comes with consequences.

For Kelsey Sorg, a vegetarian, one of the major cons that comes with having a different dietary habit, happens at the dinner table. “When I go over to people’s houses and their parents make food, I am just like, ‘Oh sorry, I can’t have any,’” she said.

Another difficulty that comes with having a different dietary habit is all of the restrictions that come along with it. Belle explained that she is restricted to certain foods, and that eating out can be a pain. Even with eating in gener-al, there are large concerns with being careful

when choosing what foods to eat. While crucially important, it can be a hassle.

Holly Smith, a pescatarian, empha-sized how this choice is not the best for people involved in athletics, due to the lack of protein traditionally found in a pescetarian diet.

Other than needing some of the nutrients from food,some people also cannot handle not hav-ing a limiting diet, and crave old foods. In other cases, the diet is an inconvenience in ones life, and they stop because trying to keep it up is just

a hassle.

Changing diets does not al-ways bear a negative conno-tation. “I would recommend it for anyone who it’s appealing to. It’s a lifestyle that takes a lot of dedication. Food is sacred and very personal, and if someone feels that this lifestyle would be best for them, I’d say, ‘Go for it!’” said Lauren.

Kelsey Sorg went on to say, “I know [that meat] really unhealthy for you so at that point I was like, there’s no reason to [eat it]. My family has a big history with heart diseases, and I know that eating a lot of meat is a big cause of that, so I feel like it is better for me to stay away.”

Perhaps the most obvious reason to start eating differently is that beinf aware of nutrition and food itake is purely beneficial to one’s health.

As a recommendation for everyone, there seems to be a common answer: Try it if you like the idea, because the positives outweigh the neg-atives. Furthermore, changing diets helps one grow as a person. This option is not for every-one, but it is extremely beneficial, and there are many choices with all the varieties.

BY Grant Cluff

This decision was SO beneficial. I feel so healthy and my body

is functioning better than ever. It’s easy to stay healthy, (and have) clear skin and clear eyes, it’s morally-sound and good for the environment”-Lauren White

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SIT BACKandR E L A X .

As we get deeper into the school year, stress levels are on the rise.

Finding an outlet is important in order to maintain mental sanity when experi-encing these high levels of stress. Here at Rocklin, each student has their own way to cope.

With Rocklin being a competitive school academically, artistically, and athletically, students have a lot on their plates. Balancing school and extra-curricular activities, or just classes in general can be challenging, especially when taking advanced/AP courses.

Our generation is extremely fortunate, because there are so many different outlets to escape reality and de-stress.

Technology is a huge part of everyday life now, and it is a common avenue for students to unwind.

Many students watch TV as a way to let their mind take a break from the rigors of school work and studying. In fact, U.S. Netflix users streamed 5.1 billion hours in three months, according to digitaltrends.com.

Brandon Selvy, a RHS student, com-mented on the Flash Survey that he, “watches Netflix, hangs out with friends and plays video games with

friends” to deal with his stress.

Another way to relax is to find a hobby. 46 percent of people said they pursued a hobby to try to relieve stress, according to npr.org.

Whether it be sports, fishing, reading books, shopping, working out, etc., doing something you love is a great way to relieve stress.

Ernesto Saldana, a Rocklin High Junior, uses his love for bikes as an outlet. Ernesto has a passion for building bikes, and when he finishes putting all the parts together, he takes it out for a spin.

“I go cycling through town for miles on a fixed single speed with no breaks. It gets scary sometimes, but I love the rush,” Ernesto said.

According to the results of the RHS survey, music is a vital part of relax-ation in most students’ lives. Some students have a playlist with all of their favorite songs, while some like peace-ful music. Others like to physically play their instruments to alleviate stress. Lauren Clark, a senior, “likes to play the guitar.”

Although sports can provide an outlet to de-stress, they can ironically be

stressful at the same time. Makenna Hicks, a freshman, frequently encoun-ters stress because she has to balance school and volleyball.“I like to listen to calm, peaceful music and lay down. It really helps free my mind and helps take my mind off of the stress,” Makenna said.

Others turn to food to relieve their stress. Comfort food is notorious for curing any anxiety, especially chocolate. Fun fact: Dark chocolate has been found to improve mood by increasing serotonin and endorphin levels in the brain, according to health-yeating.sfgate.com.

Kayla Austefjord, another Rocklin fresh-man, said, “I take a bath and listen to my favorite music, then watch a movie and eat comfort food.”

As we move deeper into October, school is getting harder and schedules are hectic. In the midst of hours of studying, remember to take time for yourself.

Students find various ways to relieve stress

BY Lindsey Carrier and Adrianna Havey

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R E L A X .“I go cycling through town for miles on a fixed single speed with no breaks. It gets scary sometimes, but I love the rush” -Mackenna Hicks

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N A T U R Eadventures in

During the sweet release of summer, students tend to have wild antics, such as cliff diving, hikes with amazing views, and kayaking all over Tahoe. Whether it’s with friends, family, or both, these nature trips are extremely lively.

That being said, what do people do in nature over summer? There are so many things to do, and summer provides the opportunity to have adventures.

Over the summer, students Sabrina Nottingham, Autumn Ruiz, and Caitlin Thomas went on wild, unique nature adventures.

Sabrina went on a fun trip to Tahoe, and spent all of Labor Day Weekend with her family and close friends. They went kayaking, hiking, and went on a ropes-course.

They had to go up to Heavenly Resort to get to the ropes-course, using a gondola to get there. The family spent the day there and, to get down, they went on a ten minute zip line.

“When we did the ropes-course, I felt like I had actually accomplished something.” Sabrina said about her favorite part of the trip.

Overall, she felt it was “a really fun trip, I’ve never done something like that before.”

Autumn Ruiz, on the other hand, spent a day going cliff diving with two friends and her sister. They had to swim to the location where they would do the actual diving, and it was a bit

intimidating for everyone there.

“When you look down, the water isn’t dirty, so you can kind of see stuff at the bottom and the little bit in front of us was this rock so I thought that if I hit it, I was definitely going to break something.”

“We really jumped instead, because diving is too scary,” Autumn commented. “My sister is a bit of a scaredy-cat, so I was worried about her. She didn’t want to do the cliff diving, and the cliff was 30 feet up.”

Ultimately, it was a thrilling trip for Autumn and her friends, making their adrenaline surge with the excitement of the diving of the side of the tall cliff. Anyone would be excited to do that!

Caitlin Thomas went on hikes in Santa Cruz and Auburn with her family over summer. She felt on top of the world, while at the top of one of the mountains they climbed. She said that it was fun to be out with her family and to get in the fresh air.

At Hidden Falls in Auburn, Caitlin and her family hiked for the day, having a great time together outside.

“It made me feel really good. It felt nice to go out and do something besides going to the mall or whatever,” she stated, smiling.

Overall, students that went on nature trips had a great time and will have fond memories of it. They encountered many benefits, as they appreciated the world around them.

BY Rebecca Michael

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rejuvenate your sp i r i t

For the typical teenager, summer means relaxation. This form of rejuvenation may involve floating in a swimming

pool on a hot day or enjoying a Netflix marathon on the couch to decompress. However, there are a few select students who chose to sacrifice a part of their summer in order to help out others through their local church.

Sophomore Kyna McNaught worked with the Sierra Service Project (SSP) in Los Angeles alongside 40-50 other church volunteers on a missionary trip. Together, they painted buildings and aided public works in the city. Although this labor may not befit the relaxing summer experience most teenagers crave, Kyna was able to rejuvenate in a spiritual and mental manner.

“Each year is a whole new experience, so I go to have fun, work hard and receive the Message from God,” Kyna shared.

This year in particular, the SSP volunteers concentrated on getting to know people before formulating judgments. One day at work, the volunteers’ new resolutions about first impressions were put to the test when they were granted a random act of kindness by a suspicious looking stranger.

“This man, who we thought was possibly homeless, was watching us from across the street. We were a little creeped out about it but we tried to focus on our work. Then the man came across the street toward us and stopped in front of the building. Our team leader asked him if he needed help

or something like that, but all he did was give us a bag of bananas and walk away. There were enough bananas for each member on the team,” Kyna said.

Excited by the prospect to become a servant of God, junior Riley Hensley also participated in a missionary trip this summer from July 21 - July 31 with Destiny Christian Church. Alongside 25 other volunteers, Riley worked with Honduran families in the capital city of Tegucigalpa.

“I think my favorite memory is when we did a food outreach for 500 families and 2000 people came. We got

to provide services for them and it was really cool,” Riley shared.

Aside from constantly helping others, Riley took away a great deal from her trip to Mesoamerica. Her work was self-rewarding in that her spiritual connection grew stronger and healthier.

“I learned a lot about trusting God. There was a problem with my passport and a lot of things happened that almost stopped me from going on the trip, but at the last minute I was able to,” Riley said.

Both Kyna’s and Riley’s decisions to join religious missions over the summer taught them important lessons about dedication, kindness, and selflessness that continue to influence their work ethic and religious activity in years to come. For them, the idea of spiritual rejuvenation and selflessness proved more appealing than the prospect of poolside relaxation.

BY Faith Holloway

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RHS students dedicate summers to religious projects in United States, Latin America

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Hot Topics...#RULES

Discipline at RHS has always been a hot debate. Students

voice their opinions regular-ly. Why can’t we use our cell phones? Why can’t we wear tank tops? Why can’t we stay in our cars in the morning?

Mr. Mark Douglas, Assistant Principal, spoke about RHS’s disci-plinary actions in an interview. He said that “[RHS] has had very few severe offenses because we are so strict on the small things.”

Most students would answer the question “What’s the rule students most commonly get cited for breaking” with either Dress Code or cell phones. However, dress code and cell phone citations each only average 300 offenses per year. That might seem like a lot, but when compared to the rules most commonly broken, these numbers are small

When comparing data from the years 2011 to 2014, this dispar-ity between “light” offenses and severe offenses is obvious. For ex-ample, between 2011 and 2014, the average amount of severe of-fenses (those requiring OCS such as drug and alcohol possession or sexual harassment) numbers under 1% of RHS’s total student body. When looking at the numbers for attendance-related offenses, this number is dwarfed even further. In

the time span mentioned, the av-erage number of tardies is 4,000 per year, averaging between 200 and 300% of RHS’s student body. That’s 2-3 tardies per student per year.

The hot debate this school year has been the parking lot. Soon af-ter the school year started, admin-istration announced that students would no longer be able to stay in their cars in the morning. A survey taken at the end of Septem-ber revealed that 70% of students who took the survey completely ignored the parking lot rule.

“This rule is stupid. Why punish everyone for someone else’s mistake? It isn’t our fault that person was dumb… I don’t want to socialize more than I have to in the morning,” one student said.

Most of the other students sur-veyed agreed that the morning is a valuable time to eat breakfast, do makeup, or finish homework in their cars, and most expressed similar outrage toward adminis-tration.

However, this rule has always existed and is not in fact a new addition. Page 24 of the student handbook reads “Students must park their cars immediately upon arrival… Once parked, students must leave the parking lot.

Loitering in the parking lot is not permitted.”

Douglas has a simple explanation for this year’s heavy enforcement.

“For the enforcement versus the letter of the law, we try to look at what’s appropriate… With the parking lot, its the same thing, when things are flowing and we’re not having any concerns in the morning, then enforcement at least feels softer. When students start misbehaving, it’s almost like being grounded.”

Although students will always disagree with some part of RHS’s discipline, there is proof that it’s working. For example, the instances of students cutting class have decreased significantly since Saturday School was more widely utilized. In the end, RHS’s goal is to create a safe, semi-profession-al, secure campus where students feel safe.

“We dont need to spend much of our time working with [severe offenses]. Kids are going to make mistakes, but that’s why we’re here and I’m +just proud of the community we live in and the student body we have,” Douglas said.

OF ROCKLIN

BY Sarah Lovejoy

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WHAT ISN’T REJUVENATING?Alarms all over Rocklin go off in the morning to the chagrin of many. Why are we all so tired? What did we do last night that led us to be so tired this morning? The memories come flowing back: you have a test and an essay due today, and your stress begins all over again.

Stress is nothing new to many at Rocklin High School. The neverending stress of AP tests and homework, added to the feeling of needing to fit in with friends at school, leads to more unintended consequences than many teens realize.

CJ Gohl is one junior who has a close affiliation with stress. With six advanced placement classes, ASB responsibilities, and varsity water polo practice, he’s the perfect picture of a teenager with stress.

“Usually, my day is just eat, school, water polo, home work, and sleep,¨ he says. CJ decided on the classes that he is taking because he has a big dream: to be valedictorian for the class of 2016.

¨The classes I’m taking now are the next step from last year’s classes, so it seemed logical.¨ he ADDS.

But high achievement can come at a cost. ¨At one point, I went for two days without an hour of sleep,¨ CJ says. 30 percent of teens saying that stress makes them sad or depressed and 31 percent saying that the stress intheir lives is overwhelming, the trend seems to be slop ing towards even more stress for teens in the future. Between increasing expectations from parents, colleges, and even classes in high school, there is little time to actually have a social life.

Junior Nadine Nasnas says that between her four AP classes, two honors classes, and ASB responsibilities, she is much more worried about her homework than her social life.

“It sucks sometimes, because my friends will ask me to do something fun over the weekend and I have to say no be-cause of all the homework I have to do. It’s my number one priority to get it all done.”

Her method to getting all her homework done in a time-sen-sitive case is to use the gaps in between her activities to get through it.

“You have to utilize any down time you have in between, whether it’s during plus or on a car ride to your soccer game,” she says.

With much of teenagers’ lives revolving around school and assignments, it becomes difficult to maintain the normal teen’s way of life, like attending football games or going to danc-es. Homework is starting to take away from the overall high school experience that many schools try so hard to give to their students.

This common practice of staying up late to finish assignments affects many teens, whether they realize it or not. The less sleep they get, the less ability they have to concentrate, which in turn can lead to lower grades. It’s a vicious cycle, and there’s no easy solution, but we need to find one if kids hope to be able to stress less and live happier.

BY Katelyn Morgan

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DO YOUR PARTFor most high school students, com-

munity service is just a box to check so they can graduate from high school or get into college. There are students at Rocklin, however, who have gone above and beyond in order to give back to the community.

One of the most popular places to volunteer is Origin Coffee and Tea. Junior Mikaila Keys works at Origin as a barista, where she makes and serves drinks.

“I started for volunteer hours and work experience. I enjoy the relaxed and friendly environment. The expe-rience has affected me positively in getting to meet and interact with new people, and to learn of new causes worth fighting for,” Keys says. “I also get satisfaction out of a days work well done out of charity.”

Hana Baig, a senior, has also immersed herself in the volunteering craze. She is currently volunteering for the S.P.C.A, Origin, Sutter Roseville, and Gathering Inn. Baig first began volunteering at the SPCA when she was still in middle school, and contin-ues to do so currently.

“It was a childhood dream to volunteer at the SPCA, and one of my

favorite things to do. It just makes me feel really good, and is something that I like doing. Volunteering is a lot of who I am, because I spend so much time doing it. The stuff I do keeps me grounded.”

Christina Cho, a junior, also vol-unteers at Sutter Roseville. “I work in the nursery, and stock supplies. If the nurses need help, I hold the babies, give them baths, and take them to their moms.” Cho explains.

“I started volunteering because I want to become a pediatrician, so I wanted to experience the medical industry.” Cho adds. “It’s difficult because I work four hours a week in addition to my job, but its a good experience for me overall.”

Senior Megan McCormick has fostered her soft spot for dogs by volunteering at One More Dog Rescue (also referred to as OMDR). OMDR is a foster-based rescue system, which places dogs at different foster homes every week. On the weekends, they all travel to the PetCo (next to Blue Oaks Theater) in hopes of getting adopted.

“I talk to people about dogs and answer any questions they have about adopting a dog. I also help fill out

and walk people through contracts for adoptions.” McCormick explains. “ I have a great passion for dogs and I love being able to stand up for them when no one else will.”

Although OMDR is based in Placer County, all of their stray dogs come from Yuba City animal control. In Yuba City, dogs only have a three-day wait-ing period before they are placed on the euthanasia list. The efforts of this rescue are literally saving these dogs’ lives when no one will take them.

“The rescue benefits the community because it saves the lives of dogs and helps people find the perfect animal to fit in their home. This experience has affected me for the better because it has made me more responsible and I truly love being able to make a difference in the community,” says McCormick.

As an obvious example of giving back to their community, these people did something to benefit themselves: an ulterior motive to assist people and find out who they are. You can safely say that their generosity is a gift and a process of rejuvenation.

BY Melanie Seyfried and Grant Cluff

PC: Alyx Stone

Community servicepart of graduation plan

feature | 18

TAKE A LOOK AT THE STATS

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916.624.YOGA (9642)

www.lotuspilatesandyoga.com

30

for $30days Offer valid for new customers only. Must use in 30 consecu-tive days. Offer applies to any regular mat pilates, yoga, and barre class.

Infograph designed using Piktochart

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NEW?what’s

Destiny Destiny has a crack team of shooter-game developers behind it, with Halo’s studio and the creators of older Call of Duty’s working on it. And it shows in the smooth gunplay. Weapons are some of the funnest to fire in the games industry. Not only that, but the vertical design of the maps offers plenty of mobility allowing for many different approaches to combat scenarios. Strong melee attacks and grenades also allow each player to work their own style into play. Story, however, is lackluster. It seems bare bones and not very thoroughly thought out. The campaign is about 10 hours with replay value coming from post-story content allowing you to grind for more levels and better gear. Something that should be fun for anyone who has played mmo’s or enjoys this sort of endgame, but not for someone who needs a story and missions to stay motivated. Having friends to grind with, though, will make this a lot more fun. Player versus player content adds hours to replay value as well. The gunplay is just as stellar here, but the explosive and dramatic combat can make it hard to tell what is going on, becoming a little obnox-ious. If you can get over this, player versus player is plenty of fun and worth delving into for at least ten or twenty hours. Overall, Destiny is a potentially great game with solid core mechanics, but with so many little things holding it back, it’s hard to call it terrific. I would still recommend it, especially during the drought of new game releases just before the holiday season.

The Yard House RestaurantThe Yard House is a unique restaurant with a noisy atmosphere, that still manages to allow personal conversation, and a constant scent of good fresh food in the air. Opening in mid-2011, they have an open dining area that is constantly filled with patrons and staff. One reason the restaurant has achieved relative popularity is its accommodation for people who prefer to avoid meat. Many of their dishes, from wings to burgers, can have their meat replaced with Gardein, a vegan meat substitute. The meals are called “New-American” food, but are very diverse. From a pot pie to sandwiches to macaroni or pasta, the Yard House does it well, though it may take many tries to find something perfect. I have been to the restaurant several times, all of which have been a good experience. However, each time, I try a different meal, like a steak sandwich or turkey pot-pie, as the previous meal was not something I would choose consistently. Also, sometimes the servers are not plentiful enough to give constant service. Overall, I give the restaurant a 4 out of 5; the dishes are great and the atmosphere is done well, but the occa-sional understaffing can make a visit longer than needed.

BY Connor Bolli

BY Karl Danielsen

PC: Connor Boli

reviews | 20

THE MAZE RUNNER Three dozen boys are trapped in a stone compound surrounded by an ever-changing, endless maze. Every month a new boy arrives, along with supplies vital to their survival. The boys have been there for three years, and have yet to discover a way out. Every morning the immense stone doors to the maze slide open, and every evening they shut. This is the maze runner.

The movie begins when the newest “gree-nie,” Thomas, arrives in the compound with no memory but his name. Thomas, through flash-backs and dreams, learns about the people that put him in the maze, an organization called W.C.K.D, or Wicked.

The beginning of the movie focuses on the life-style that the boys have created for themselves in their Glade. The movie seems to emulate Lord of the Flies, except for a few key differences. These boys were put in the Glade a reason. And only the stone doors protect them from the monsters, called Greavers, that fill the maze each night.

As Thomas struggles with Glade society and understanding the maze, yet another variable in introduced - the Glade’s first girl, a teenager named Teresa. Along with Teresa comes a note promising that she will be the last. Because the Gladers depend on monthly supplies from the elevator, a sense of urgency is created.

While the plot of The Maze Runner is intrigu-ing, the movie sets a large focuses on the action scenes. Thomas, navigating the maze with only his wits to aid him, has many hair-raising close encounters with the horrific Greavers. The many chase scenes and fight scenes kept me on my (figurative) toes for most of the movie.

The Maze Runner accurately portrays James Dashner’s novel. The minor changes made to the movie script actually improved the screen adap-tion. The novel is the first of a quartet, so natu-rally the movie’s ending does not quite leave the reader satiated. While the movie does not end in a cliffhanger, it definitely leaves the audience in want of a sequel. The second installment, The Scorch Trials, is destined for theaters September 8th, 2015, and hopefully will please as much as the first.

books vs. movies

IF I STAY If I Stay is a dramatic story about a family struggling to stay alive after being in a car crash due to the snow. The story is filled with constant flashbacks as the main character, Mia, decides to live or die. She reminisces on her family, growing up, and her boyfriend Adam. He came into her life when he fell in love with the way she played the cello, effortlessly and with true love and emotion.

Adam is in a local band, on the rise of popu-larity outside their city, causing conflict as he is always traveling for different gigs. While, Mia is worried about her cello audition at Juilliard, and waiting on her letter of acceptance.

RJ Cutler director of If I Stay, interprets hidden meaning behind all his movies. He also directs Thin, and Under Still Waters, which all have life lessons or inspiring and depressing backstories. The main character Mia is played by Chloe Grace Moretz, who also stars in many horror movies including Carrie and Let Me In.

Everyone has different opinions of books versus movies. As an experiment, I watched the movie If I Stay then read the book. Although there were few differences between the two, I enjoyed the book since the scenes were more in depth with different dialogue. Also, the book made the plot and storyline more humanized, and easier to relate to.

For example, in the beginning of the movie, Mia’s father is riding a bike to surprise her with her very own cello. Furthermore, the novel by Gayle Forman, explains the reason he is riding a bike instead of driving a car. Mia’s father nev-er wanted to have his license or drive, he pre-ferred transportation by pedal power, his bike. But after Teddy was born, he realized he need-ed to learn to drive to transport his children.

BY Melanie Seyfried

BY Jessica Valverde

r

Little good ever comes from an ordinary person holding a gun. Despite this, the idea that having more innocent citizens with guns will reduce violence persists.

This idea of “good guys with guns” is foolish. If someone wit-nesses a crime, they are not guaranteed to have brought a gun with them. If they have, this person has been carrying a firearm with them for no good reason except the chance of witnessing a preventable crime.

Far more likely is the option of accidentally shooting something or someone, either unintentionally or in a fit of rage or stress. Humans are emotional, often making them irresponsible with the use of firearms.

In 2011, There were 851 unintentional shooting deaths and in the U.S. This means that 851 people were killed by people who didn’t mean to hurt others. Also, most massacres are committed with legalized weaponry. Still, though, people insist that gun ownership is worth the chance.

It is argued that the second amendment prevents any govern-ment-fostered gun control system from being constitutional. The truth is that the second amendment gives citizens the right to bear arms to maintain a militia, not to keep in their backyard.

There is a simple solution. People who indicate even the slight-est inclinations toward hurting others should not have access to powerful arms.

It is irrational to allow people with mental problems or anger issues to be entrusted with guns. The danger involved will never be outweighed by possible results. Although stricter gun control regulations may not be the best possible solution, they are a step in the right direction.

Gun control is a topic that most people seem to avoid, as many think that they’ll be judged for their opinion. Some people would have guns banned completely, oth-ers would like most gun control regulations to be lifted.

Guns have a bad reputation in the world and this is one of the reasons people don’t like them. When people hear just the word ‘gun’, they usually think about mass shootings.

It is indisputable that guns are a problem in America. They have caused a great deal of trouble, and there should be some more regulations on the distribution of guns. However, guns shouldn’t be banned completely. Guns are both a weapon and a tool, but most people gloss over the latter.

Japan has a system of gun control that is extremely inter-esting. They have individuals that want to buy a gun go through many psychological tests and check the person’s personal records before letting anyone buy a gun.

This would fix problems revolving around the issue of guns, while still letting people obtain guns for reason-able uses such as trap shooting, hunting, or for self-de-fense. America would have a much better system of control with Japan’s methods.

If there were more restrictions, it would lower the chance of a gun being used in a mass shooting. This would gradually get rid of the idea that guns are bad and should never be used. Overall, it would be a great sys-tem to fixing problems America has with guns today.

P R O C O N

CONTROLL ING GUNS

BY Connor Bolli BY Rebecca Michael

Image courtesy of Creative Commons

opinion | 22

POST SECRETSI am terrified of Disney Channel Halloween movies.

My friend and I stole a car and drove it for like 20 minutes.

I threw a dog toy at my friend’s cousin and she cried. She’s 7 years old.

I met my boyfriend on hot or not and no one knows the truth.

I use dog toothpaste to brush my teeth. It’s tuna flavored.

o

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