At a nearby elementary school, science and math weren’t the only subjects students hap-pened to learn about one day. “A girl in my class started talking about it,” a student said. “I just knew it was bad.” That day, a young student began to talk to her classmates about bringing pot brownies to school. Most didn’t know what they were, but a few were familiar with the term. That young student was later reprimanded,

but more concern grew about the community rather than what the girl’s reasoning was. “The news is reporting an ever-decreasing age of drug use,” Granite Bay High School assistant principal Brian McNulty said. “It’s portrayed that way, and we get into a mental-ity as a society (that it’s the truth).” According to a new report by the National Center for Addiction and Substance Abuse, underage substance abuse is an epidemic of greater proportions than bullying, depression or anxiety. The report says that nine out of 10 adult

addicts began to use drugs before they were 18, and 25 percent of Americans who have used an addictive substance under the age of 18 became addicted. Although the statistics report a historically low level of underage drinking in past years, drug use seems to be on the rise. The popularity of marijuana may have a connection to the increase of drug use. In 2011, 7.2 percent of 8th graders, 17.6 percent of 10th graders and 22.6 percent of 12th graders used marijuana in the past month. “We have had a few cases (with alcohol or drugs) over the years,” said the principal of Olympus Junior High, Sean Healy. “(The

administration) is being vigilant.” The reasons for the increase in drug use are varied. One Granite High School freshman boy, who asked to remain anonymous agreed this may be the case. “I know quite a few people who have start-ed to use drugs or alcohol,” Sam said. “A lot started in 7th or 8th grade.” He said that although people used to think that drug and alcohol use began in high school, it’s now influencing middle school students. “When the older students do it, some feel

See DRUGS, page A5

News A2 – A6

Voices A7 – A9

Second Look A10

Features B1 – B8

Sports C1 – C6

Green Screen G1 – G16

Aging FacultyWith new teachers being hired and teachers retiring school culture may be changing. A2

Club DayCheck out photos of the clubs.

A10

Political Rhetoric creates resentment

CommeNtAry

inside this issue

GRANITE BAY HIGH SCHOOL w 1 GRIZZLY WAY w GRANITE BAY, CA w 95746 w VOLUME 16 w ISSUE 1

THE GRANITE BAY

nicole balesnbales.gazette@gmail.com

H ow is it that Americans become so emotional over politicians’

unsubstantiated rhetoric?

People actually cry or cheer when Pres. Barack Obama says “change” or “forward” and fills 99.9 percent of his speeches with meaningless verbiage. The same when Mitt Romney says to “believe in America.”

OK – I do believe in America, but that alone is not going to fix the country’s problems.

What about when Paul Ryan said at the Republican National Convention two weeks ago in Tampa, Fla., “we need to stop lying to the American people”?

All of these statements are hook lines politicians manage to successfully turn into a speech or interview. The first day of the Republican National Convention, I visited my grandparents. When I walked in, my grandmother was crying. She told me she was overwhelmed with how beautifully Ann Romney spoke of her husband and how good a man he is. If we take a moment to understand the political benefit of Ann Romney’s speech, it’s quite obvious she was fishing for female votes. It’s great that her husband is a good father and husband, and he probably is a good man; I truly respect him, as well as his wife.

But that doesn’t mean he’s going to change his mind on abortion or get the country back on track.

Bill Clinton cheated on his wife and lied about it under oath, but financially, our economy was in a time of surplus and some claim he could be considered the best American president ever. This isn’t a Miss America pageant – it’s an election that will determine what path out country will take. The only thing that can reduce the number of times politicians throw out a line is by journalists asking the right questions.

By asking specific, hard-hitting questions and throwing a curveball every once in a while, reporters can keep our leaders in line. More importantly, journalists need to remain unbiased. Journalists need to report fairly on each politician and cover more opposing viewpoints.

They need to ask questions that are relevant to what will improve our country – not what Michelle Obama is wearing or about Romney’s Mormon faith.

Journalists have so much power over what the general public knows, and therefore have the power to decide who becomes president. Instead of manipulating that power, they should do what the people have always relied on them to do – tell us the truth and keep our politicians from getting away with avoiding the questions we want answered.

*** Nicole Bales, a senior, is a Gazette co-editor-in-chief.

GazetteSilver and Gold

BY AUSTIN DOWNSadowns.gazette@gmail.com

Former GBHS swimmers shine in Olympics

As she approached the final stretch of the 6.2 mile race in fourth place, she began

her surge toward the finish. Giving all of her energy she had left after swimming for well over an hour, she pushed and pushed until she was in second place. While popping her head in and out of the water to see how far she trailed Eva Risztov of Hun-gary, she continued her surge. When she crossed the finish line, she looked around, listening to the ecstatic crowd cheering. In one of the closest 10-kilo-meter races in history, Haley An-derson had finished second and won silver, coming up just short of a gold medal. By four tenths of a second. *** Haley Anderson’s story began in April, when she qualified for the Olympic 10-kilometer open-water swimming qualifier in Por-tugal in June. Once in Portugal, she won the event with an overall time of 1 hour, 44 minutes, and earned a

place in the Olympic 10K race in Hyde Park, London. She, along with many others on the national team, then spent part of her July training in Canada and didn’t arrive in London until Aug. 3, which meant she would miss seeing her sister Alyssa compete in the Olympic 800-me-ter freestyle relay. “I was definitely sad that I couldn’t see her swim,” Haley said, “but I was just glad to even-tually see her once I arrived.” Haley spent the six days be-tween her arrival and the day of the race adjusting and mentally preparing herself. Going into the race, she was not considered by many to be a con-tender for a medal. Her qualifica-tion had shocked even herself. “I wasn’t that nervous because only myself and my coaches

knew my Olympic goals and abilities,” Haley said. “I was the mystery of the group.” Once the two-hour-long race started, her mind was not focused on the finish line, but rather the fact that she was even taking part in the event. As the race went on, Haley re-mained near the front of the pack and was swimming at an efficient pace. However, as the race neared its end and her surge proved to be not quite enough for a gold medal, she was unfazed. “I was just feeling so over-whelmed. I was in shock and it hadn’t hit me yet what had just occurred,” she said. Soon after the race came to a

close, she, along with the rest of the distance swimmers who com-pleted the race, were ushered off for a medical examination. “I didn’t get to see my family or any of my coaches until about 20 minutes later,” Haley said. “When I did finally see one of my coach-es, I was just feeling so proud.” After being awarded her silver medal and standing on the podium to honor the gold medal winner, Eva Risztov of Hungary, Haley caught sight of her sister, and, in-stead of posing for more photos,

ran toward her. “Some officials got mad at me for doing that, but I didn’t care,” Haley said. “I had to see my sister and that’s when she told me how proud she was of me.” Aside from the actual event it-self, the city of London provided her with more satisfaction than she possibly could have imagined. The Olympic Village in particu-lar was a blast for her, she said.

See ANDERSON, page A5

Drug problem being introduced at younger age Girl brings drugged food to elementary

Photo Courtesy from STEVE PEACOCK

BY AMBER LESales.gazette@gmail.com

New teachers excited to begin work at GBHSThey arrive with varying experiences

BY LENA EYEN and KIANA OKHOVAT

leyen.gazette@gmail.comkokhovat.gazette@gmail.com

AP exam pass rate at its highest in GBHS historyNew teachers carry on their predecessors’ previous successes

BY CHRIS PEIcpei.gazette@gmail.com

Prichard, follow-ing in his moth-ers footsteps, teaches CP english 12 and Speech and Debate.

Robert Prichard

GBHS is truly receiving a chip of the old block, or blocks, in this case. Robert Prichard, the son of re-cently retired teachers Rita and Jim Prichard, is now the new Speech and Debate coach as well as an English 12 teacher. Prichard attended Galt High School, and later continued his

studies at the University of Southern California as an Eng-lish major. After graduating from USC in 2004, he went to the National University in Sacramento. Prichard also served as a sub-stitute teacher after finishing teaching as a student teacher. According to Prichard, his par-ents served as major inspirations and role models in his career choice. “Growing up…I very much admired what they did (and) it seemed to fit what I wanted for

myself in my own life,” he said. Prichard definitely followed in his parents’ footsteps. Not only is he teaching in the classroom that used to belong to his mother, but he took over his mother’s posi-tion as Speech and Debate coach after she retired last year. Although he found the amount of students involved in the pro-gram overwhelming in the be

See TEACHERS, page A4

According to the Aug. 2012 AP Equity and Excellence Report for Granite Bay High School, a total of 31.7 percent of all seniors, in-cluding non-AP students, took at least one May AP exam and scored a 3 or higher. Juniors and sophomores also ex-celled, with 32.9 percent and 25.1 percent of students taking at least

one AP exam and scoring a 3 or higher, respectively. In fact, the average pass rate for the May 2012 AP exams was 89.1 percent, the highest it has been in the school’s history, due to high AP course enrollment rates combined with a high test-taker turnout. However, with the retirement of nine teachers last year, several of whom taught AP courses, current teachers who have little to no AP experience have had to step in and teach in their place. English and Theory of Knowl-edge teacher Jenny Padgett, for

See AP, page A5

THE AWARD-WINNING STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF

GRANITE BAY HIGH SCHOOL Friday, September 14, 2012

Is Facebook losing popularity among students? B6

C1

Freshman girl joins football team

Check out this months popular fashions G 10- 11

GBHS graduate Alyssa Anderson, who swam in college for the University of Arizona, won a gold medal in the women’s 800-meter freestyle relay in the London Olympics . Her sister Haley won a silver in the 10-kilometer open water swimming event.

News Granite Bay GazetteA2

Friday w September 14, 2012NAMES IN THE NEWS

sydney kahmann skahmann.gazette@gmail.com

Identification StatementGranIte Bay Gazette

PuBlIShed eIGht tImeS Per academIc year

c/o Granite Bay high School 1 Grizzly Way

Granite Bay, ca 95746Subscriptions: $25 per year/

$15 per half year

Sydney Kahmann, a junior, is the Gazette News editor.

***

CORRECTIONS Accuracy is perhaps the most important fundamental of good journalism. It's the policy of the Gazette to correct all factual errors that are brought to our attention. Email us at: gbgazette@yahoo.com

***

Grade bump forms due by Oct. 12

Teachers have no input in this goal-making process

BY KRISTIN KURPERSHOEK

kkurpershoek.gazette@gmail.com

the roseville Joint union high School district provides its eight schools with goals as guid-ing principles for targets to reach during the school year. during the fall of each year, a meeting with all the heads of the district, schools, school de-partments and board takes place

to decide the goals for the follow-ing year. the reason behind es tabl ishing the goals be-fore the next school year is due to budget technicalities. “the purpose of a goal is to essentially have a target that you can go at,” said Brent mattix, assis-tant principal at Granite Bay high

School. the goals not only p r o v i d e an area of c o m m o n ground to unite all of the schools, but it drives d e c i s i o n s for district spending. “they re-alized that they were

making decisions in the district that required financial support,

so they wanted to have the goals before they went to establishing what the budget was going to be,” mattix said. according to Brandon dell’Orto, a teacher at GBhS, the process has been revamped in the last couple of years in order to ensure that teachers are able to give their opinions. the process was changed so that the teachers could discuss their points of view, debate whether the goals would be beneficial or not, and eventually come to a compromise wherein they would give their goals to the district to finalize and approve.

“having that meeting so that you can hear the perspectives from around the district (...) is as beneficial as the actual, specific goals,” mattix said. however, for this year’s goals, the teachers did not have that in-put. Instead of going through the previous democratic course of action, teachers were more or less handed the goals decided upon by the district. “I think to a certain extent they just ran out of time and it kind of fell through the cracks,” dell’Orto said.

See GOALS, page A6

As experienced teachers retire, new hires are filling the ranks BY SYDNEY KAHMANN

skahmann.gazette@gmail.com

When Granite Bay high School opened in 1996, the school con-sisted entirely of freshmen, sopho-mores and a handful of teachers. each year, a new class was added until the campus housed four class-es – freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors. While the high school was ex-panding, former GBhS principal and current assistant superinten-dent of the roseville Joint union high School district, ron Sever-son, hired 10 to 12 new teachers each year. this year, 11 new teachers have

been added to the GBhS staff, with 18 new teachers added in the last two years, numbers echoing those from 1996. “mr. Severson, (had) a legacy,” said teacher Steve dolan, who started teaching at GBhS in 1997. “he hired, back in ’96, ’97 and ’98, top-notch people.” as the teach-ers who started GBhS begin to retire, and new teachers take their place, the GBhS commu-nity will wit-ness the end of a legacy, a legacy some worry will never be quite as successful as it was. “When I first looked at the list of the folks who were going to retire (at the end of last year), I lost some

sleep,” principal mike mcGuire said. “how do you replace (Jim and rita) Prichard, how do you replace the (craig and Kitane) takagishi, how do you replace mrs. (ramo-

na) drury, (or) mrs. (debbie) noyes?” prin-cipal mike mc-Guire said. “I fi-nally could start sleeping again (after) coming to the (realiza-tion) that you don’t try to re-place them.” Instead, mc-Guire aims to “give (the new teachers) every opportunity, ev-ery resource, everything they need to become

spectacular themselves.” as this new generation of teach-ers enters the school, and tries to create a legacy even greater than that of their counterparts, GBhS

comes full-circle. “I was the young guy of the de-partment, now I’m the old guy and we have two younger teachers here,” dolan said. however, as the experienced teachers age, many of them find it puts a barrier between the old and new teachers on the staff. “Because we all work at the same institution, there is a sense of com-munity, we belong to GBhS,” said teacher linda dickson, who came to the school in 1996. “But it’s not like when we first opened, before we all had more similar common experiences.” now, with such a large mixing of the young and veteran staffs, teach-ers are in different stages in their personal lives. “When (GBhS) opened, lots of us were in the same life stage – we all had kids,” dickson said. “So we brought our kids here with us, and the culture was (a) family commu-nity.” now, many of the new teachers are single or recently married withno children.

as the veteran teachers have grown older and wiser, they have also learned things to pass on to the next generation of teachers. thus, mcGuire and the admin-istration have specifically set up means for the new teachers to get help from their experienced coun-terparts. “We really do everything we can to help acclimate them to the school,” mcGuire said. this plan includes mentors, open-door policies with mcGuire and the assistant principals and quarterly meetings between the new teach-ing staff and administration. “there will be some false starts, there will be some issues that (we will) come up against, (but) for anybody coming into a new cul-ture, there will be (some),” mc-Guire said. “that first step in be-coming master teachers is figuring out what you don’t know and then (learning) it.” usually, the new teachers learn about what they do not know from

See CULTURE, page A6

Gazette photo /KRISTIN TAYLOR

wMichael Ross, Anthony Davis, Mike Valentine, Chet Dickson, Karl Grubaugh, Shane Dixon and John Thomas, from left to right, enjoy lunch in the teacher’s lounge. In the past two years, 18 teachers have been added to the teaching faculty, with nine teachers retiring last year.

IB launches IBCC, new classes

Granite Bay high School’s International Baccalaureate program has undergone some major changes for the 2012-2013 school year in an effort to make the program appeal to more than just the academic cream of the crop. IB students now have the option to take part in the IB career-related certificate pro-gram, a new addition to IB which is meant to thoroughly prepare students in a specific occupation field of their choice so they can graduate from high school with the options of either starting a college degree or jumping straight into work. the IBcc program currently offers cer-tificates in communications and media, engi-neering and business. this provides students with the option of taking IB classes that are

specifically designed for those who seek a career path in that field. until this year, students only had the op-tion of being in the IB diploma Program, which was designed for academically gifted students across the globe. In the diploma Program, diploma candidates must take six IB courses over two years across multiple subject areas, and they must conclude each course with a rigorous exam. With the addition of the IBcc, students will have additional opportunities that only exist in a handful of other schools across the country. “We’re one of just about nine schools in the nation doing IBcc,” IB coordinator duane Blomquist said. the IB diploma Program has already been a key factor in the school’s appeal to parents and students in the area, but with the IBcc program coming online, IB teachers are hop-

ing to attract more than just the students who are strong in every subject. “IB wanted to make (the program) more for everybody, not just the academic elite,” Blomquist said. “We read about it and thought it would fit Granite Bay.” In addition to the IBcc, GBhS has also added two new IB classes – IB Film and IB Psychology – which students seem to be ex-cited about. “I’m really happy with IB Psych,” said ju-nior IB diploma student Perry Vargas. Vargas said his option was either to take IB chemistry or IB Psychology, and after hear-ing about how difficult IB chemistry is, he was thrilled to be able to instead take a class that seemed a bit less intense and appealed to his interests. more new courses are in the planning pro-cess for next year, including IB Business and Finance, IB Physics and IB World religions.

there have also been alterations made to classes that students were already taking, an example being IB history of the americas. Brandon dell’Orto, the IB history of the americas teacher, said the curriculum for the class had previously consisted of teach-ing a small period of american history – but, dell’Orto said, it is difficult to teach any brief historical era when students haven’t learned what led to the events they’re study-ing. “up until this year, IB took two years to study 100 years of history – (the) 1890s to

See IB, page A6

IB Coordinator said the program additions will include the IB Career-Related Certificate, along with two new classes.

Duane Blomquist

Changes made to International Baccalaureate program start this yearBY ALEXA ZOGOPOULOSazogopoulos.gazette@gmail.com

I think to a certain extent they just ran out of time and it

kind of fell through the cracks.

– Brandon Dell’Orto, social sciences teacher

Changing staff, changing culture

I was the young guy of the department, now I’m the old guy

and we have two younger teachers

here

– Steve Dolan, GBHS ROP teacher

Updated district goals introduced for this year

california Standards test reports were recently returned to Granite Bay high School stu-dents. this year, grade bumps are being offered in social studies, math and science classes. there are no grade bumps for english classes. to be eligible for a grade bump, students must fill out the grade bump form, attach a copy of both sides of their cSt score report and turn it in to the teacher they are requesting a bump from by Oct. 12. For the grade bump form and specific course bump information, go to granitebayhigh.org.

*** Duane Blomquist, International Baccalaureate program coordina-tor, is starting the GBhS moun-tain Bike racing team. If you missed the mountain Bike racing team parent meeting on Sept. 5, contact Blomquist for more information on how to join the team.

*** Senior, Lisa Nguyen, went to the Future Business leaders of america national competition in July. nguyen won 6th overall in the business concepts event.

*** there will be a free parent-teen class put on by active Parenting now and teens in action for eight weeks. Students and parents will meet separately to discuss issues rel-evant to each. the class will be held on every Wednesday from Sept. 26 to nov. 28 from 5:30 to 7:30. to sign-up for the class, contact KidsFirst at 916-774-6802 exten-sion 2014 or Blanca Barajas at bbarajas@kidsfirstnow.org.

*** Lisa Kunst, new GBhS math teacher, has started a math lab in her room (605) after school on monday, tuesday and thursday. Students will be helped by upper-level math student tutors and Kunst. If you are interested in becom-ing a student tutor for math lab, ask your math teacher for an application. If you are interested in extra help in math, just show up to room 605.

*** the PSat will be administered on campus on Oct. 17. to take the PSat, sign-up before Oct. 5 for $25 at the online student store or at Student Services.

*** Float framing started tuesday Sept. 11, but it’s not too late to get involved. talk to your Student Senators for float-building addresses per class. this year’s homecoming theme is lost in time. the freshmen are doing ancient egypt, the sopho-mores are doing age of explo-ration (pirates), the juniors are doing the future, and the seniors are doing prehistoric.

Friday, September 14, 2012 w The Granite Bay Gazette A3News

New Grizzly Retreat additions encourage school camaraderie

ASB UPDATE

On Sept. 7, Granite Bay High School held its annual Club Day. Over 50 tables were set up in the quad, and students wandered from booth to booth, looking for clubs to join during the extended, 40 minute lunch period. New program leadership This year, the drama/musical theatre program, the speech and debate program, and the yearbook pro-gram are under new leadership. Due to the retirement of Jim Prichard at the end of last year, teacher Kyle Holmes will be in charge of drama and musical theatre. Holmes was in drama during high school and teaches at drama camps dur-

Gazette photo /KRISTIN TAYLOR

wThe GBHS French Club encourages students to join on Club Day earlier this month.

Students attend GBHS Club Day on Sept. 7

News BriefsStudent Government prepares for Sept. 28Homecoming show

The Gazette talked to Ashlyn Howes, Homecoming halftime show head commis-sioner.

Gazette: When is Homecoming? Sept. 28

Gazette: What is the Homecoming theme this year? Lost in Time. The seniors are doing prehis-toric, the juniors are doing the future, the sophomores are doing age of exploration/pirates, and the freshmen are doing ancient Egypt.

Gazette: How is student government preparing for Homecoming? The committees are working on getting all of the cars for the halftime show, royalty ordered all of their sashes and tiaras, the dance is ordering all of their decorations for their theme. So everyone has things to do right now.

Gazette: Has anything about Homecom-ing changed since last year?

Gazette photo / KRISTIN TAYLOR

wAshlyn Howes, Homecoming halftime show commissioner, said ASB is funding Homecoming on a smaller budget than last year.

The ASB doesn’t have as much money as last year because people didn’t buy as (many) activities on their ID cards, so we’re trying to not spend as much but still pull off a good Homecoming; it’s just money-saving things.

Gazette: What do you hope Homecoming will bring to the school?

I hope Homecoming will unify the school and everyone will have a good time and make memories.

—compiled by Sydney Kahmann

Every year at Granite Bay High School, before the classes and the stress-inducing work load start, the in-coming freshmen have an opportunity to start out the school year together. Grizzly Retreat is an annual event before the school year begins, where the incoming freshmen can tour the campus, meet new people and have a good time.

The upperclassmen of GBHS serve as counselors, introducing the freshmen to the campus and boost-ing their confidence before entering the first day of school. The faculty make the freshmen aware of how the school is run and what will be expected of them throughout the progression of the school year. This year, Grizzly Retreat was another success, but a few changes and additions were made to give fresh-men more help and advice than in previous years. Katrina Wachs, a teacher at GBHS, and students from her peer helping class are now involved in the Grizzly Retreat process. Specifically, Wachs and her students have used sev-eral things from “Link Crew,” a leadership program for high schools promoting upperclassmen “linking” with freshmen, to improve the retreat.

Peer helping has also organized a freshman lunch with their upperclassmen counselors from Grizzly Retreat, and they will be hosting the Cocoa Cram and Kool-Aid Cram for freshmen before finals. These additions help freshmen feel like they are a part of the school. “We look at it as a bridge to really connect and con-tinue the program,” Wachs said. “What we want is for it to not be just a one-day thing and then freshmen get lost in the shuffle.” The retreat process has become a way for the fresh-men to connect and feel like they have people they can go to for help and support. “We are taking a big campus and making it smaller,” Wachs said. In past years, teacher Tamara Givens has been the primary coordinator for Grizzly Retreat, with her Stu-

dent Government students assisting in the process. This year, she introduced Wachs and her students to the system, because of Givens’ strenuous work load of both Link Crew programmer and activities direc-tor. “We work together, her kids and my kids,” Givens said. “Between us, we can meet a lot of new students.” Along with the changes by Wachs, Givens explained that they also added the Lip Dub video viewing to the retreat itinerary. After the video, and other ice-breaking activities, counselors shared stories about their high school ex-periences with the freshmen. “Seniors were able to show the freshmen how to go crazy and loosen up to get excited about school,” said Marissa Hayes, a senior and counselor at Grizzly Retreat.

18-year-olds ready to vote in presidential electionSeniors come of age just before fall election

The upcoming presidential election is only weeks away, and there are many Granite Bay High School seniors who will be eligible to vote on Nov. 6 for the first time. Senior Taylor Mackin will be one of the students inputting his vote on Elec-tion Day. “I want to vote because I want to exer-cise my right as a United States citizen,” Mackin said. “I think my vote is really

important.” According to the United States Cen-sus Bureau, only 58.5 percent of United States citizens were registered. Only 48.5 percent of U.S. citizens were re-ported to have voted. The low voter turnout for 18-year-olds in the U.S. has also affected the ideas of voting for GBHS students. “I think a lot of 18-year-olds don’t vote due to the fact that they don’t think their vote counts and they are just not motivated,” Mackin said. On the other hand, senior Nikole Far-ler has a birthday later than the election date, which will not allow her to vote in

the upcoming election. “I’m most looking forward to being able to give my voice to causes that I be-lieve in,” Farler said. “I will be helping

change for things that I believe in.” Farler believes that to actively make a differ-ence, people with simi-lar ideas and opinions should be able to come together and exercise their right to vote when they meet the age re-quirement. “When I am able to be politically active, it will be absolutely incred-ible,” Farler said.

Senior Paul Zajac will also be cast-ing his vote for a presidential candidate. Having his birthday only weeks before

the election makes him even more inter-ested to practice his new rights. “We have troops overseas right now fighting for our rights every day,” Zajac said. “I think it’s really nice to be able to fulfill my duties as a citizen.” Disregarding the things he hears on the media and radio, Zajac gets his in-fluences to vote from his family. “I’m just interested to see how the pro-cess works,” Zajac said. Advanced Placement government teacher Jarrod Westberg sees a trend each year in the seniors that he is teach-ing – his government class helps his students focus on current events, which affects their voter turnout. “Usually more voting comes with age, when things start to affect a person more; but a lot of young people don’t vote because these things don’t affect them yet, so they don’t see the value,”

Westberg said. “But as they get older, it will eventually help them grow and fig-ure out what’s going on around them.” Every year, Placer County speakers visit all GBHS government classes to explain how voter registration works and to actually register students to vote in the next election, if they meet the age requirement. “The problem is, a lot of the kids are turning eighteen after the election, so there’s not much of an opportunity for them to vote,” Westberg said. Out of 180 students Westberg has in his classes, only around 25 students will actually be able to vote in this upcoming election. “(When all my students are able to vote) they will know what’s going on and that will probably get them excited to vote, especially in a presidential elec-tion,” Westberg said.

When I am able to be politi-cally active, it will

be absolutely incredible.

– Nikole Farler, GBHS senior

BY TAMREN JOHNKtjohnk.gazette@gmail.com

wFreshmen and their upper-classmen counselors take part in ice-break-ing activi-ties during Grizzly Retreat this year.

Changes made to boost freshman confidence before start of school

BY NICOLETTE RICHARDSnrichards.gazette@gmail.com

Gazette photos /KATE HURLEY

ing the summer. The speech and debate program, formerly under the leadership of Rita Prichard, who retired with Jim Prichard last year, is now being run by Robert Prichard, the son of both Rita and Jim Prichard. Rita Prichard will mentor Robert Prichard and will continue to be involved with the speech and debate program for this year. The yearbook, Ursus, has a new advisor in Ber-nadette Cranmer. Cranmer has taught yearbook before, and will be taking the place of Jenny Padgett. Padgett still teaches at the school.

—compiled by Sydney Kahmann

Friday, September 14, 2012 w The Granite Bay GazetteA4 News

TEACHERS: Influx of new faculty members to fill gap from retiring teachersContinued from page A1

ginning, Prichard’s response has been anything but negative. “I can tell that all of the kids are at the top of their game … it’s an honor to work with them,” he said. For now, Prichard is refraining from making any major changes to the pro-gram. “This year I want to manage (the pro-gram) pretty similar to the way it was … and then (I’ll) make changes from a more (informed) perspective next year, if there even need to be changes,” Prichard said. The program’s assignments are the same, the students are assessed in same manner as previous years and even deadlines are on the same dates. One new aspect that Prichard is in-corporating into his teaching style, that neither of his parents used, is turnitin.com. “(I am a really) strong believer in technology integration,” Prichard said. “Not only in the way lessons are pre-sented, but also in putting technology in the hands of students.” Through turnitin.com, students can electronically turn in their essays, and the teacher can immediately grade and respond to the assignment, something especially helpful with his English 12 classes. So far, students’ responses to Prichard have been extremely enthusiastic. “Mr. Prichard is a really awesome teacher, and he seems really motivat-ed,” said Kristine Khieu, a junior in the Speech and Debate program. In addition, returning debate student Kritika Amanjee offers a more in-depth perspective. “I really enjoy working with Mr. Prichard because I feel he relates to the students at a new level,” Amanjee said. “I’m looking forward to the next two years of Speech and Debate with him.”

Jared Amalongh – GBIT, Media Pro-ductions, Web Design

As a graduate from Sacramento State University, Jared Amalong studied marketing and public relations and later

On Aug. 24, more than 950 members of the student body attended Decades Dance. While the students were dancing, the ad-ministration, parent chaperones and Placer County sheriffs were carefully scanning the crowd for any behavior indicating the use of drugs or alcohol, as safety is a prior-ity at all school events. If any questionable behavior is noted, the student is sent to a Placer County sheriff and undergoes a series of tests. The Placer County Sheriff’s Department supervises every school dance that takes place on campus. Deputy Joe Herrick and Deputy Greg Hopping are in charge of su-pervising GBHS dances. Herrick is also the sheriff’s officer as-

BY SUMMER HAENNYshaenny.gazette@gmail.com

Sobriety tests conducted at Decades DanceAdministration considers student safety as first priority

signed to Granite Bay High School. The deputies stand by the ticket line, watching students enter each school dance. “We look for a lot of things, but the students that we are really looking for call attention to them-selves,” Herrick said. One of the deputies asked some students to stand still with their eyes closed for 30 seconds. “We time the kids to make sure that it is exactly 30 seconds,” Herrick said. This is used to determine if a student it under the in-fluence of a depressant or stimulant.

The deputies then measure the student’s pupil size using a chart provided by the

Placer County Sheriff’s Department. While officers and other staff members have access to a list of suspended stu-dents and their offenses, none of the officers look for specific students when they are watching the stu-dents enter a school dance. While the administration can administer drug or al-cohol tests, an officer nor-mally witnesses the tests being administered. “The really nice thing is that the school actually

owns a (breathalyzer),” Herrick said. “We

also have hundreds of mouth pieces so that a student can never get a false posi-tive from using another student’s (mouth-piece).” Placer County sher-iffs are only present at school dances that are located on campus. Thus, they were not present at Junior Non-Prom or Senior Ball. Junior Non-Prom was not an official school-sponsored dance. Se-nior Ball takes place in Sacramento, just out-side of the Placer Coun-ty Sheriff’s Department jurisdiction. “We don’t do anything with Senior Ball, it’s not a school event,” said assistant principal Brent Mattix.

Usually drugs are not a problem at school events, but when students under the influ-ence of drugs or alcohol slip past the depu-

ties, they usually do not get away with it. “Some kids do get by us,” Herrick said. “When that happens, there are par-ents and teachers that actu-ally bring (the) student to us.” According to Melissa Vajanapahanich, Decades Dance commissioner, there were 20 adminis-trators, teachers and par-ent chaperones who all worked hard to keep De-cades Dance safe and ap-propriate. “(Together) we work

hard to ensure the safety of the school,” Herrick said.

(Together) we work hard to ensure the

safety of the school.

– Placer County deputy Joe Herrick

We look for a lot of things, but the students that we are really looking for call attention to themselves.

– Placer County deputy Joe Herrick

went on to receive his teaching creden-tials. Amalong most recently spent his time teaching at Lincoln High School,and his currently spending his seventh year at GBHS. So far, Amalong said that the transi-tion to GBHS has been great. “I hope that (the students) enjoy my class and that we are able to do great things together,” he said.

Kathleen Angelone – World Studies, U.S. History

After initially pursuing a major in speech pathology and audiology at Sacramento State University, Kathleen Angelone decided, with one semester to go, that her real interest was in the social sciences. “I love my subject area,” Angelone said, “so if I can even get kids to be semi-interested in it, it makes me ex-cited.” Currently in her ninth year of teach-ing, Angelone looks forward to imple-menting new resources in the classroom to hopefully assist in the advancement of more well-rounded students. “I am really trying to incorporate technology more into the classroom,” Angelone said. “A lot of our conversa-tions that we are having nowadays take place, online and so one of my focuses is to get students to be literate and be able to have meaningful discussions online.”

Crystal Buskirk – English 9

For Crystal Buskirk, becoming a teacher has always been part of the plan. “I knew I wanted to be a teacher a long time ago,” Buskirk said. “Even growing up, I took child development courses and my whole focus was on teaching.” Buskirk received her degree from Sacramento State University in Eng-lish, where she went on to achieve her teaching credentials. “I really like working with students and guiding them and helping (them) shape (their) voice and have a presence

in society,” Buskirk said. So far, Buskirk has found the stu-dents to be supportive, involve and enthusiastic about learning, and she looks forward to becoming more a part of the school.

Bonnie Ireland- AP Language, Eng-lish 11

Bonnie Ireland graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, majoring concurrently in linguistics and legal studies. While working for the Red Cross as a Blood Services Coordinator, Ireland found her passion for teaching. “I ended up really liking the experi-ence of teaching and the linguistics classes, so I just combined the two,” Ireland said. Ireland went on to receive her mas-ters degree and teaching credential from UC Berkeley, and she is currently in her fifth year of teaching. In addition to teaching English, Ireland is also one of the new swim coaches for the GBHS swim team. Ireland looks forward to working with her students and watching them progress. “I have very high expectations,” Ireland said. “But I know that they can meet them.”

Lisa Kunst –Geometry, AP Statistics

After receiving her UC Irvine mas-ters degree and her master’s in math from San Diego State, Kunst decided to embrace the family genes and be-come a teacher. “My whole family (consists of) teachers,” Kunst said. “My dad, my grandpa, two of my aunts and my mom, who is a school nurse. I grew up around it so I always wanted to be one.” Kunst is currently in her ninth year of teaching and has found GBHS to offer a supportive and encouraging environment. “There is a very collaborative atmo-sphere,” Kunst said. “Students, parents and teachers are all very positive.”

Jaclyn Lude –Spanish 1

After graduating from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, with a major in Span-ish and a minor in linguistics, Lude received her teaching credential from Sacramento State. She is currently in her fifth year of teaching, including two years spent in France teaching English. Lude’s love for foreign languages and different cultures is what inspired her to become a teacher. “I love imparting that on my students (and) seeing them learn how to com-municate in another language,” Lude said. “All of the students can succeed.” So far, the transition to GBHS has been a welcoming one. “I really like community that the staff members have,” Lude said. “It re-ally seems like it’s a family here.”

Adam McLearan – English 10, Hon-ors English 10

After pursuing a passion in music at the UC Santa Cruz, Adam McLearan realized his true potential as a teacher. As a result of his one-on-one learning experience with his music professor, McLearan began to truly appreciate the teacher-student relationship as well as his natural comfort in the classroom. “I’ve been in school my whole life, so it’s hard to imagine myself outside the classroom,” McLearan said. “The classroom felt so natural.” McLearan received his masters and teaching credential from UCSC and is currently working on his administra-tive credential at Sacramento State. Currently in his ninth year of teach-ing, McLearan continues his commit-ment to high expectations and the idea that all students, not just the bright ones, have a right to their education.

Andrew Phillips – Biology, Physics

After graduating from the UC Davis with a bachelor of arts degree in sci-ences and genetics, Phillips is currently enrolled at UC Davis to receive his masters in education. For Phillips, becoming a science

teacher was not always on the agenda. It wasn’t until his Advanced Place-ment biology class that he realized his passion. “It changed my whole mentality toward science and toward education in general,” Phillips said. “I thought I could see myself doing that for other people in the future.” Phillips hopes to inspire this same attitude for his current students. “My goal is for all of them to be suc-cessful in school and to really inspire passion for the sciences,” Phillips said.

Michael Ross – French 2, Spanish 2, Spanish 3

Prior to his 17 years of teaching, Ross attended the University of San Francisco and received a doctorate in education as well as a masters degree in history from the California State University, Hayward (now Cal State East Bay). “There’s a lot more to me than just ‘Spanish teacher’ and ‘French teacher,” Ross said. “I’m trying to get (the students) to really pursue their dreams and find out who they are and what their passions are.” So far Ross has felt the support from all aspects of the campus. “The kids are very respectful, and the teachers are very hard-working and professional,” Ross said.

Steve Smith – P.E. 9 P.E. 10, Weight Training

Through his 27 years of teaching, Steve Smith has done all but stay local with his teaching career. After spending about 18 years teach-ing in California, Smith spent the last eight years overseas, most recently working in Bahrain as an athletic director. Smith most recently worked on his masters degree in multidisciplinary studies at the State University of New York at Buffalo. In addition to teaching, Smith has also coached numerous sports and con-tinues by being an assistant coach for the varsity football team at GBHS.

AP: Teachers enthusiastic about new curriculum

Friday, September 14, 2012 w The Granite Bay Gazette A5News

DRUGS: Middle school drug use ‘not surprising,’ student says

ANDERSON: Sisters, mother reflect on Olympics

I’m young and I would like to keep swimming if that’s an option. I’ll just have to wait and see where my life

takes me.– Haley Anderson, Olympic swimmer

Continued from page A1

“It was easily one of the coolest places I’ve ever been to,” Haley said. “(From) the atmosphere to the people there – it was just amaz-ing.” But now, as she returns to finish her senior year at the University of Southern California, she says she is going to take her career in swim-ming – and her life – year by year. “I’m young and I would like to keep swimming if that’s an op-tion,” Haley said. “I’ll just have to wait and see where my life takes me.” Of the many coaches she has worked with the last few years, the coach who has had the biggest in-fluence on her is Catherine Vogt. Vogt, who has been an assistant coach at USC for four years and is a coach for the school’s national swim team, actually recruited Hal-ey to USC in the first place. “I made a special trip out to visit Haley and her family and was thrilled when I heard back that she wanted to be a Trojan,” Vogt said. After Haley entered USC, Vogt took her in as one of her pupils

and introduced her to open-water swimming, particularly long-dis-tance swimming events. After Vogt started training Haley, she noticed her athletic desire and capabilities. “She’s super competitive and just has that mindset of a strong athlete,” Vogt said. Now, look-ing back after the Olympics, Vogt is espe-cially proud of Haley’s ac-complishments and evolution. “She just gets better every race, and it’s been amazing watching her p r o g r e s s i o n with an event she was brand new at when she entered college,” Vogt said. On the day of Haley’s race, Vogt was in the stands at Hyde Park, watching her student from start to

finish. “I thought that she had more left in the tank,” Vogt said. “But I guess she just ran out of steam.” When she did eventually get to see her, it was hugs all around with Alyssa and her family in atten-dance.

Vogt sees open water swimming in Haley’s future, but wonders about her career. “It would be good to see a balance in her life,” Vogt said. “Continuing in swimming is great, but it would be nice to see her in the work force some-where.” Haley’s sister, Alyssa, began her Olympic story in June with the swim-ming trials held in Nebraska.

Once at the trials, she swam in the 200-meter freestyle and finished sixth in that event with a time of 1:58.40, earning her a spot on the

4x200-meter freestyle relay team. “After the event we went to Ten-nessee, and then after that, France,” Alyssa said. “And following that we arrived in London.” After arriving, her preliminary swim took place on Aug. 1, where she swam in the 800-meter free-style. Because she finished sixth in the U.S. trials, she was only eligible to compete in the preliminary race. But all athletes who participate are considered to be an active member of the team, and if a team wins any sort of medal in the finals, all the participants are awarded a medal. “I was in the stands along with the rest of the United States’ swim-mers, loudly cheering on the swim-mers currently competing,” Alyssa said. “I was just honored to be there.” After the U.S. team won the event and set a new Olympic re-cord with a time of 7:42.92, the four U.S. swimmers, while on the awards stand, had in their pockets the swimming caps of their fellow teammates who did not qualify to swim in the final – Alyssa’s in-cluded. “It was a really touching moment

and I am forever thankful for their kindness,” she said. The following day, she herself re-ceived her gold medal. However, Alyssa remains unsure of her future plans with swimming. She says that perhaps this chapter of her life is winding down and it might be time to look on toward a new future. Haley and Alyssa’s mother, Co-lette Anderson, said that the chance of having both of her daughters compete in the Olympics – and win medals – is unbelievable. “The statistics for having that accomplishment (are) incredibly small,” Colette said. She, along with 19 other family members, flew out to London on July 29 and returned on August 12. From there, Colette and the rest of the family watched as Alyssa com-peted in the preliminary rounds. “It was a bummer that (Alyssa) didn’t qualify (to swim in the fi-nal),” Colette said. “But I was just thrilled that she had the possibility of getting a medal.” After Alyssa received her medal and the rush of emotion that fol-lowed calmed down, the race Hal-

ey was in was even more energetic. “We were just screaming (with excitement) the entire time up in the stands,” Colette said. “It was such a thrill to see (Haley) on the medal stand.” However, even after the two of them have returned home and are back at their respective col-leges, the Olympic success has not stopped following them. After Alyssa finishes teaching some swim clinics, she and her sis-ter, along with many other Olym-pic athletes, will be flying to Wash-ington, D.C., to meet Pres. Barack Obama. They also plan to participate to-morrow in a fundraiser for Zach Pickett, a Ponderosa High swim-mer and water polo player who suffered a broken neck and partial paralysis in an accident in late July in Cameron Park. Looking back on her Olympic moments, Alyssa said her experi-ence in London was simply unfor-gettable. “There’s just no way I can de-scribe it,” she said. “No amount of words will ever describe the feel-ings I had last summer.”

Continued from page A1

example, is now teaching AP Literature, a course she has wanted to teach ever since she started teaching English. “I’ve been waiting 10 years to take this class,” Padgett said. “It wasn’t until Mrs. (Ramona) Drury retired that I was able to catch a section.” Factoring into section availability was the English department’s decision to offer AP Language and Composition exclusively to juniors as a blocked course. The effect of this decision was twofold—it not only increased the number of seniors who would choose to enroll in AP Litera-ture, but also freed up the senior year mas-ter schedule so an ample number of sections could be added to accommodate enrollment. “I think there’s a tradition that AP Lit is a class that you teach as a veteran,” Padgett said. “Personally, I think it must be the dream class for any English teacher.” In order to become certified to teach AP classes, however, teachers are required to attend guided summer workshops that range anywhere from one to five days. These workshops are typically instructed by experienced AP teachers, graders and

test-prep question writers. Padgett, who attended a five day work-shop in mid-June, said the experience was “amazing.” “It was a really intensive five days,” Padgett said. “I’m really glad I went, as I came back with lots of teaching resources and new ideas.” In addition to the training provided during these summer workshops, new AP teachers are also required to work closely with vet-eran AP teachers in a mentor-student rela-tionship. Padgett, for example, is currently men-tored by AP Literature teacher David Tastor. “He’s helping me understand the ins and outs of the AP test, how to grade student es-says, and everything in between,” Padgett said. “He’s been a huge resource. We talk almost every day on some aspect of the class.” Padgett added that while she bases her current teaching style largely on the curric-ulum Tastor has established over the years, she may gradually add her own course ma-terial as she gains more experience. Padgett currently teaches AP Literature during third period and plans to teach an-other section next semester during first pe-

riod. She plans on taking additional sections next year, once she has two semesters of teaching experience. AP course section availability was also impacted by the addition of new courses to the International Baccalaureate program. Because of complaints regarding the dif-ficulty of concurrently taking both IB Biol-ogy and IB Chemistry, the IB staff came to the decision of offering IB Psychology as a more manageable alternative. With AP Psychology teacher Natalie Elkin teaching the new IB Psychology sections, another teacher had to step in to take Elkin’s previous AP sections. Former English and Physical Educa-tion teacher Linda Dickson had the choice of continuing to teach English or instead switching departments and teaching AP Psychology. The decision eventually came down to what Dickson referred to as “a need for new stimuli.” “I’ve been teaching English for 10 years, and I needed a change,” Dickson said. It isn’t Dickson’s first time teaching an AP class, however. Before moving to the English depart-ment, Dickson originally taught AP Euro-

pean History. She also taught several elec-tives, including introductory journalism and physical education courses. Despite her experience in teaching AP classes, she said AP Psychology is a com-pletely new experience for her. “I had no idea it was going to be this in-teresting,” Dickson said. “I’m reading the chapters every night just like the kids are. I’ve had training, but it was only really a nutshell overview of the curriculum. With the class, I get to delve deeper into the cur-riculum, one chapter at a time.” As it’s her first semester teaching AP Psy-chology, Dickson currently works closely with Elkin in order to better understand how to teach the curriculum. “It is my first time doing this, so I think I would be struggling if it weren’t for Elkin being my mentor,” Dickson said. Dickson currently teaches two sections of AP Psychology during third and fourth period. She hopes to continue teaching the course next year and is planning on teach-ing up to four sections. “I’m looking forward to teaching it next year after having a year under my belt,” Dickson said. “I’m having the best time teaching this class.”

BREAKING NEWS AT YOUR FINGER-TIPS.

GRANITEBAYTODAY.ORG.

Continued from page A1

the need to fit in and do the same,” he said. Now that marijuana has sur-passed underage cigarette use, obtaining it seems to be a non-issue. In a study done by the U.S. De-partment of Health and Human Services, 83.9 percent of students say it would be easy to get mari-juana. In California, marijuana use is legal for patients 18 years or older who are issued a medical marijua-na card by a certified doctor. Although not the cause, legal parameters for marijuana use California may cause adolescents to believe the drug isn’t harmful,

according to some experts. “I hear about drug or alco-hol use going on almost twice a weekend,” said senior Megan Zabrowski. Zabrowski believes that, around five years ago, most high school students began “partying” at 16 or 17 years of age. “Now, it’s not surprising to hear someone doing that in 8th grade,” she said. As many GBHS students may remember, the Drug Abuse Re-sistance Education Program (D.A.R.E) is implemented be-tween kindergarten and 12th grade. According to its website, the program’s “goal” is “teach kids about peer pressure and lead drug

and violence-free lives.” But as the NCSACW statistics clearly show an alarmingly drug-related trend, criticism has arisen about the program. Although the program is in place, young teens may still be participating in drug-related ac-tivities. Despite the efforts of the D.A.R.E. program, a 2009 study showed that, after four years, 35 percent of both D.A.R.E. gradu-ates and non-graduates used mar-ijuana. In an article for Criminology & Public Policy, Dennis P. Rosen-baum said that “students who re-ceive D.A.R.E. are indistinguish-able from students who did not.” In the effort to prevent under-

age substance abuse, controversy surrounds what may be effective. “I participated in the D.A.R.E. program in 6th grade,” said junior Courtney Cannon. “I don’t think it worked in preventing kids from doing drugs.” Cannon said her peers “didn’t take it seriously” and the program failed to impact students during the “key stages” of peer pressure and drug use. “The D.A.R.E. program has been very limited in recent years,” Healy, the OJHS assistant princi-pal, said. “It does not receive the same support as it once did.” Whether or not the D.A.R.E. program is effectively providing adolescents with drug and alco-hol awareness, other factors may

be influencing students as well. “The media has a lot of influ-ence on kids,” Healy said. “I’m sure they know about the drug and alcohol scene just based on the type of programming on tele-vision and movies.” He said that whether or not the students engage in that type of be-havior “depends on the adults in their life.” Underage substance abuse may not be a serious problem for every student, but the trends towards younger use persist. “(D.A.R.E) should continue through senior year,” Cannon said. “(So) teens would be able to fully understand the dangers of drugs and alcohol when they’re older.”

Gazette infographic/LENA EYEN Source: AP Equity and Excellence

Friday, September 14, 2012 w The Granite Bay GazetteA6 News

CULTURE: New staffers feel mentored by older peers

DISTRICT GOALS: Faculty set high standards for year

IB: ‘Out with the old, in with the new,’ coordinator says

Continued from page A2

their veteran mentors. Teacher Lisa Kunst started teaching in 2004, but this is her first year teaching at GBHS. Kunst, who is starting an after-school math lab to give all math students at GBHS some extra help, has found tremendous support and encouragement from the entire math department. “Lesson plans, assignment guidelines, smart board files, tests, quizzes – you name it, they’ve helped me with it,” Kunst said. Just like Kunst, teacher Jared Amalong has been given plenty of support as he takes over the GBiT pro-gram. “It’s a great community of teachers here,” said Amalong, who, while new to GBHS, has been teach-ing for seven years. “We all share ideas and help each other out.” But the veterans do more than develop the new teachers’ skills – they also offer friendly advice. Dolan and other veterans like to attend school events such as plays, musicals, sports, band concerts and so forth, and they encourage new teachers to do the same. “I think it sends a really positive message to our students,” Dolan said. “I hope our new and younger staff will continue that.” While new teachers learn a lot from the veterans, the reverse is also true. “It’s good for the older teachers to mentor the younger teachers,” Dolan said. “I pass along that ex-perience.” While veterans help with experience, new teachers offer up new ways of doing things. “(New teachers) bring energy, they bring ideas,” said teacher Tim Healy, who started teaching at GBHS in 1996. New teachers even motivate the staff. “Some of the younger teachers reignite some of the veterans,” Healy said. While new teachers can set things in motion, they also connect to students with their teaching methods. “The younger staff definitely likes to incorporate technology into their curriculum,” Dolan said. In Amalong’s classes, students can use their smart phones to answer real-time surveys and are encour-aged to explore the rapidly changing world of tech-nology. “You have to choose your medium for communica-tion,” Amalong said. From Amalong’s experiences, technology has served as a medium to connect with his students as well. Instead of using Blackboard, Amalong uses School-ogy, a website similar to Blackboard but with more of a Facebook feel that students find easier to use. “It’s good to keep students thinking differently,” Amalong said, explaining that in his classes a presen-tation does not have to be a PowerPoint. “The most important thing about technology is not having a fear to explore it, try things, discover,” he said. Veteran teachers also find themselves becoming more social as they meet all the new faces. “I’ll walk into the copy room, and there will be two teachers (and) I don’t even know their names,” Dolan said. “The onset of 18 new staff has kind of forced some of us to get back out and be more social on cam-pus.” As the new and old staff start to intermix, the admin-istration is optimistic. “I have confidence that the folks that we’ve hired want to roll their sleeves up and get embedded in the culture,” McGuire said.

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1990s – (and) the IB students don’t know … what caused many of the things they end up learning later on ,” Dell’Orto said. “It’s hard to get them to understand what’s going on unless you give them a really good base of U.S. history. “This year, what we’re trying to do is give them AP U.S. history lightly (during) their junior year. They’re studying almost everything the AP kids are studying, but they’re going to hit the high points.” Major faculty changes have also hugely impacted the program this year. “We changed some IB staff this year from last year,” Blomquist said. “Right away the kids are telling me that that has made a difference. With IB, it’s out with the old and in with the new. … There’s no stagnant anything, it’s all this cutting-edge edu-

cation.” With all the allure IB has for aca-demically inclined students, it comes at a price. The IB program is extremely rigorous – however, most students real-

ize the costs are outweighed by the benefits. Sydney Stans-berry, a senior IB Diploma student, has already felt IB stress pile on this year. “My junior year, it went eas-ier than I thought it would,” Stansberry said. “But now, with the Theory of Knowledge es-

says, journals and working on college apps, it’s 10 times harder.” Although he only has been in the IB program for a month, Vargas – the IB diploma junior – is surely feeling the pressure it brings.

“I have to eat my lunch in third pe-riod, and I finish homework during lunch or passing period,” Vargas said. “It’s also harder for me to do stuff out-side of school now.” If being in the IB program is going to add so much stress and cost students sleep or their social lives, then why do they do it? It’s simple. These students are not just trying to look good for colleges – these are teens who are fascinated by learning and are eager to gain as much knowledge as they can that will be ap-plied long after they toss their gradu-ation caps in the sky. They want to be educated in the best, most-thorough way they possibly can – and that’s what the IB program tries to offer. “I’m definitely happy about it,” Stansberry said. “You get a more holis-tic learning experience.” “It definitely looks really good to col-leges, but that’s not the only reason I’m in it,” Vargas added. “It’s really chal-lenging, and I do like the challenge.” Of course, there are clear benefits for those aiming high with colleges. Es-

pecially on the East Coast, colleges recognize the effort IB students put into their work at such a young age, meaning many schools jump at the opportunity to get IB students at their school. Or, like The University of California at Berkeley, they grant special treat-ment to certain IB students who are ac-cepted. “For the first time ever at UC Berke-ley,” Blomquist said, “if you get a cer-tain score on your IB exam, they are waiving your freshman year.” Any prospective IB student might hear that and automatically be sold on signing up for the program, but they have to remember the consequences. Parties will be missed, sleep will be lost and stress will seem unreal, but if they truly look at what they will gain from it in the long run, are motivated to work hard and think of their future and their love for learning, they will be satisfied. “The idea is that it’s not just Granite Bay,” Blomquist said, “but what hap-pens when you get out of here.”

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said. GBHS principal Mike McGuire, is not sure why it changed this year, but he said it might have had to do with the fact that the goals were very similar to those from the previous year. The district goals are purposefully broad enough to encompass all the schools in the district, so then the specific schools can apply them to be individu-ally relevant. “I don’t think it’s a bad idea to set broad goals,” Dell’Orto said. “Not all schools have the exact same clientele.” According to Mattix, at GBHS the system is to have each administrator focus on a goal and im-

plement a plan for accomplishing it. This is done through Specific Measurable Attainable Realistic and Time-Bound goals. SMART is a way to objec-tively measure whether or not the goal was accom-plished. Another technique that GBHS uses to apply the district goals to specific departments is using what is called Professional Learning Communities. PLC’s allow teachers to get together and collabo-rate on teaching styles and approaches, all with the hopes of making students more proficient in the cer-tain subject. “When they’re actually meeting (and compar-ing curriculum) that’s when you know you’ve got a fully functioning PLC,” better the students’ educa-tion, and the teachers and administration at GBHS

have that best interest in mind when implementing the goals. “(The teachers) are professionals, they want to get better; they don’t need me to remind them,” Mc-Guire said. “It’s all about helping the kids do bet-ter.” The benefit of the district goals is that the district sets the direction it wants the schools to go, but then there is flexibility in how the vision is applied at each school. Ultimately, the goals are aimed to better the stu-dents’ education, and the teachers and administra-tion at GBHS have that best interest in mind when it comes to implementing the goals. “It’s all about,” McGuire said, “helping the kids do better.”

I have to eat my lunch in third pe-riod, and I finish

homework during lunch or passing

period.– Perry Vargas, junior

wGranite Bay High School’s teachers use Professional Learning Communities (PLC’s) to collaborate on teaching strategies and share ideas.Gazette photo /KRISTIN TAYLOR

granitebaytoday.org

Friday w September 14, 2012

A SectionGranite Bay Gazette

The Gazette is published eight times per academic year by students in the ad-vanced journalism class at Granite Bay High School. Content is determined by the staff and does not nec-essarily reflect the opinions or policies of Granite Bay High School’s faculty, administration, adviser or student body. Students are protected in their exercise of press freedom by the First Amendment to the Consti-tution of the United States and California Education Code 48907. Signed editorials and col-umns reflect the views of the writer. Letters to the editor and guest commentaries are encouraged and must be signed, although anonym-ity can be granted on a case-by-case basis. The editorial board re-views letters to the editor, advertising and guest com-mentaries and reserves the right to edit and refuse material. Reasons can include length, clarity, libel, obscenity, material disrup-tion of the educational process at Granite Bay High School or violation of copyright laws.

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acadEmic yEarc/o Granite Bay high School

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Adviser:Karl Grubaugh

The GraniTe Bay

Editors-in-Chief: Nicole BalesLena Eyen

Haley Massara Chris Pei

News Editor:Sydney Kahmann

Voices Editors:Emma GracykKiana Okhovat

Lifestyle Editors: Meghan Carlsen

Kristin TaylorMadison Touloukian

Green Screen Editors:Hayley McAvoy

Jonah PoczobuttJoseph Puhala

Alexa Zogopoulos

Sports Editors:Austin Downs

Amber LesBrad Wong

Online News Editors: Chase EvansMary HaneyKate Hurley

Ashcon Minoiefar

Illustrators:Chase Evans

Lena EyenHayley McAvoyEmma Gracyk

Photographers:Kaylyn O’Donnell

Luke ChirbasKristin Taylor

Staff Writers: Austin AlcaineKevin Burns

Tamren Johnk Summer Haenny

Nicolette RichardsMyles SlatteryThomas Taylor

Advertising Manager: Megan Hansen

Voices

drug abuse resistance Education (d.a.r.E) is introduced extremely early to young children. the age of drug use has become depressingly increasingly lower. as the generations pass, more children become aware of drugs that the children of the previous generation were. this occurrence is understandable, today’s children are exposed to much more mature content that children of previous generations were not. therefore, it could be reasonable to say that consequently, today’s children need drug education to help them make the right decisions – decisions that their counterparts in previous generations didn’t have to make. as the years pass, the media not only begins to have a larger

impact on the lives of children, but their accessibility to media increases as well. the percentage of kids in the ’90s who owned cell phones is drastically different from today’s statistics. increasingly more children have Facebook accounts - a privilege previously reserved by teenagers and adults. the genres and types of television shows that are created for children has become increasingly less innocent and pure. hence, children of today’s generation are exposed to a lot more mature content than children of previous generations.

this unhealthy exposure poisons the minds of children - there is a reason why parents try to keep their

children as sheltered as possible, a task that becomes increasingly difficult. to help limit the damage, programs have been created to educate youngsters and guide them in the right direction. ironically, this can be considered part of the damage. Even though today’s children may know more about drugs, it doesn’t mean that they understand 100% of all that they know. in many ways, they are in ‘the dark’ for about as much of the

things that their counterparts were in previous generations. Furthermore, simply because children may possibly be aware of drugs at a young age, their influence comes heavily from the home environment. the younger children are, the more powerful control their parents have over them. it would be more logical to introduce anti-drug education to children when they actually hear about drugs and are at an age where the power their parents has over them begins to fade away. When they reach an age where they are virtually independent and must begin to make difficult decisions – at around junior high school – would be the perfect time to educate them on what the right decision would be.

The phrase “why fix something that isn’t broken” applies perfectly here. attempting to educate an elementary school student about drugs is useless. ask any elementary school student who has gone through the d.a.r.E. program, and all they remember is being given complimentary red ribbons and pencils. What effect can anti-drug education have on a 5-year old? Why should children be exposed to something they are still sheltered and protected from? The influence of D.A.R.E is very minimal, if anything at all, at an age as young as that. By introducing anti-drug education at such a young age, it can actually stimulate children’s curiosity about drugs.

Introducing D.A.R.E at a young age is unnecessary EDITORIALThe voice of the

Granite Bay Gazette

The meme-fueled demise of Facebook

it took me a whole summer, and involved a lot of frantic, paragraph-by-paragraph reading

in waiting rooms, but i can, at last, call myself a feminist. Last week I finished Betty Friedan’s seminal thesis on the slow decay of the american housewife, The Feminine Mystique. my mother read it when she was my age, and left a copy conspicuously on my bed for weeks before i got around to it, but i can say now, without exaggeration, that i will never be quite the same. now, anyone who has taken aP u.S. history – or anyone who’s ever heard the phrase “girl power” outside of a Girl Scouts meeting – is probably at least familiar with the premise of the book. it has nothing to do with men, or the hatred or systematic destruction of them. rather, it has everything to do with women, and their evolving gender role. Friedan outlines how women of our parents’ and grandparents’ generation were forced to make a choice: Work hard, have a career, and be busy, stressed, potentially childless but fulfilled; or take the easy route through college, marry young, have a family, and spend their remaining decades as a listless housewife, with little but their chores to occupy their time. the latter was the popular, socially acceptable choice. the idea that work was somehow unfeminine, and that, to truly find happiness, a woman must live through her husband and children – this was the stigma dubbed the feminine mystique. though Friedan’s book was published in 1963, and some of her research has since been disproven (particularly her assertions about the development of children), her dissection of the subtle forces that

shapes the lives of women still holds water. Watch the commercials on any “family” or kids’ tV channel, and you’ll see what i mean – those ads are, quite explicitly, for traditionally married, stay-at-home moms. But i digress. this is not the ’60s. Women no longer must choose between a domestic life and a professional one. We can’t afford it. chances are, if you’re going to Granite Bay high School and reading this, your parents are betting on you working someday, and probably going to college, no matter what chromosomes you got stuck with. So in that sense, Friedan won. We won. We’re all career women now! didn’t you just feel a weight lift off your shoulders? But work is hard. We, as much as boys our age, are overtaxed, under-slept and worn-down. all too many of us pour our entire existence into our schoolwork, in the hopes that we might get in to a good enough college. you’ve read a hundred pieces complaining about it, about our “Problem that has no name.” and in that sense, we’ve beaten the feminine mystique. We make the difficult choice, and we know we’ll matter more for it. So what do we, girls, do, when we have that extra hour before bed? What do we do when we’ve finished that essay early, or found a way to shove off that reading assignment until tomorrow? We do something curious. We do what ’ 60s housewives did. and we do it for fun. We have, as a society, progressed so far from the heyday of the mystique that we now seek out the very things that boredom drove our grandmothers to. they’re mindless things, by definition. Baking. Knitting and sewing. crafting. Scrapbooking. cake and cupcake decorating. nail art. melting crayons into trippy rainbow patterns and hanging them on your walls.

all cutely feminine, all harmless. all weirdly reminiscent of the kinds of crafty things housewives were once known to do, in an attempt to “spice up” their ordinary lives. But so what, you might ask? So what if you enjoy a good cake pop or spend your free moments on Pinterest? nobody said that’s a bad thing. and it isn’t. What’s so interesting, i think, is that we’ve gone full circle. What used to be a tiny diversion from the doldrums of housewifery is now the ultimate expression of luxury. When you hang up that melted crayon art, you’re saying to the world, “i spent time doing this because i wanted to, and because i could.” you took care of your priorities, and when you finished, you did something frivolous. the explosion of Pinterest (and a plethora of similar, simple diy sites), i believe, is evidence not of a

regression back to the days and habits of the mystique, but rather, a longing for the release of

tension and stress that our feminine forebears were not expected to deal with. in moderation, it’s quaint and harmless, this cake Pop mystique. i’ve succumbed to it myself more times than i’d like to admit, frosting cookies for the Gazette’s deadline night parties while watching Project runway. i’m not really a girly-girl, but i dabble. there’s just one thing that i can’t quite reconcile. We’ve come so far as a gender, women. now that we have control over our futures, can’t we find something better to do with them?

are cutesy,

unnecessary skills that we’ll

likely never use really worthy use

of the precious time we have?

I find myself asking, whenever i see a photo on

tumblr of rainbow– layered cake, and the thought runs through my mind, “i could totally make that!” – would Friedan be proud of us, and the advancements women have made? Or would she shudder to think that when we could do anything, we choose to bake, sew and melt crayons? to be honest, i’m not sure. the closest thing I’ve come to finding inner peace is knowing that i have other hobbies, interests, and priorities – and that when i do indulge in a little feminine frivolity, it’s only a tiny part of who i am. repeat after me: i am not my failed cake pops or my messy nail art. maybe all we need to do is remember that. as long as we refuse to allow any one part of us – our work, our play, or our guilty pleasures – to define our entire existence, we may be able to walk that fine line between the trappings of the feminine mystique and the crushing stress of work-a-holism. Either way, we’ll have made progress. and cake pops, whatever societal implications they may have, will likely always be appreciated.

*** Haley Massara, a senior, is a Gazette co-editor-in-chief.

Facebook. the initial purpose of Face-book, and original

definition, is “a social network used to com-municate with a person, or search for information about a person and/or business.” nowadays, it hardly fulfills that principle. Facebook has instead unintentionally taken on a whole new motif – inad-equate comic strip. When people log onto Face-book, they are bombarded by nonsensical pictures with witty or ‘cute” sayings that somehow apply to the sce-nario being depicted.

the pictures consist of pointless subjects such as a kitten with a sad face who ‘haz’ a cookie for you, but ‘eated it,’ or a woman with a crazed look in her eye saying “you hurt my best friend?

you must die!” At first the pictures were comical and enticing be-cause of their unusual im-ages and all over original-ity, but then they became so frequently posted that they’ve morphed into a blurred hodge podge. these images are called the “cute funny” pic trend. users and groups on Facebook can post these occasionally funny photo alterations to get a like here,

or a laugh there, but enough is enough! the news feed does not even consist of people’s status updates anymore, and frankly, who has the time or

is that bored to read all of these captioned photos? the trend became popular with the more entertaining photo subjects such as “LoLz cat” or “rage comics,” but then people began creating captioned photos of their own, with their own pictures using the app “i’d cap that.” the app captions your photo for you and then you can post it and share it as you please. the point is to make the caption random to the picture, but it gets to the point where they are incomprehen-sible and stupid. these trends have degraded Facebook’s original purpose to where the consequences

have begun to show. Since Facebook went public, advertisements are now part of the news feeds, privacy controversies have gotten out of control and the new timeline look has taken effect. this caused the social network to lose popularity, and lose it fast. Between april and may, Facebook lost approximate-ly eight million users world wide, six million alone be-ing from the united States. Personally, my recent ex-perience with Facebook has led me to joining several other social networks such

as twitter, Pinterest and instagram, in attempts to quell my boredom with the once – entertaining Face-book site. at this rate, it’s only a matter of time before Face-book is severed from my life entirely. With the rise of other social networks like twitter and instagram, Facebook is on a downward slope of inflicting boredom and frustration upon users until they reach their final break-ing point

***Nicolette Richards. a senior. is a Gazette staff writer.

What was once social networking is now photo-reworking

Redefining our mothers’ feminismThe cake pop mystique

haley massara

COmmENTARY

hmassara.gazette@gmail.com

nicolette richards

COmmENTARY

nrichards.gazette@gmail.com

Gazette illu

stration/LENA EYEN

by Summer Haenny, staff writer.

onthe BAY

HEARD

Mikayla hartford

Parker BurMan

anna ZloMke

Claire adaMs

–Compiled by Summer Haenny

Thumbs Up Thumbs Down

sCott Braly

Friday, September 14, 2012 w The Granite Bay GazetteA8 Voices

Thumbs down: No more waking up at 11 a.m. because school is back in session.

Thumbs down: Homework… AP and Honors homework…

Thumbs up: School is back in session! Football games are starting!

“I wanted to be a dentist really badly!”

Thumbs up: It’s time for the Tribe! Get your shirt and join in the fun!

Stereotypes should not be society’s focus

Why are there rules on gender?

freshman

sophomore

junior

senior

staff

In elementary school, what did you want to be when you

grew up?

The art of painting what is left unsaid

The therapeutic and revealing powers of art

“I wanted to be a singer because I really liked the

Disney channel stars, (such as) Hilary Duff

because I liked the Lizzie McGuire movie.”

“I wanted to be an architect because I like building and designing things. I am a creative

person and I liked creating things.”

“My mom is my best role model. I knew I wanted to become a mom because I know that it will be the most fulfilling life for me.”

Gazette illustration/CHASE EVANS

alexa zogopoulos

Commentary

azogopoulos.gazette@gmail.com

“Be yourself; don’t follow the crowd.” This might be one of the most

commonly used “inspirational” statements that cover the walls of high school teachers’ classrooms. Most teens claim to be very accepting when it comes to those who are “different” from the norm, and many pride themselves on not caring about what people say about them. However, when it comes to gender roles, conformity is still prominent with high school students. From a young age, we are taught society’s “rules” on gender without even noticing that they do not have to be rules, and a majority of high school students still believe in this ridiculous concept. Gender roles affect teenagers more than most realize; it goes far beyond the “women belong in the kitchen” jokes. These preposterous laws of society branch out to all different aspects of high school life: sports, style, attitude, music taste and virtually any other form of self-expression. In sports, we are taught that boys play football, not girls, and that girls do cheer or dance, not boys. If a teenage boy were to come to school wearing a dress, you can assume he would be laughed at, along with receiving gay slurs. If a girl wanted to try out for the wrestling team, she would no longer be considered much of a girl, but instead as “one of the guys.” But why is it this way? Why are dresses strictly for women and why is wrestling only acceptable for men? The answer is, they’re not. There is no reason as to why gender roles exist,

aside from prehistoric judgments. When I walk through Target and come across the kid toys aisle, I see two distinctly separated sections: a boy section and a girl section. If I walk through the boy section, I generally see Hot Wheels, footballs and video games. In the girl section, I see Barbie dolls, My Little Pony play sets and fake kitchen appliances. It saddens me to know that in our modern and more accepting society we still keep a huge barrier between what is acceptable for boys versus girls. It’s as oppressive as any other stereotype, but perhaps not as obvious since it has always been engraved in our minds. I recognize that getting rid of gender roles is about as simple as ending all the other prejudices out there, but that does not mean we should continue to follow them. The problem is that most people have no idea they’re doing it. I hear it at school almost every day from both boys and girls. One of the most common examples I can think of is the notion that it is shameful and disgusting for girls to be promiscuous, yet it is more acceptable for guys because “boys will be boys.” I even remember hearing that exact phrase in

a video I watched in health class. I don’t just hear examples of gender-based prejudices from teenagers who are notorious for being judgmental, but even from adults. I distinctly remember the words that came out of my kindergarten teacher’s mouth when I told her what I wanted to be when I grew up: “A firefighter? Really? Maybe that will be your husband’s job, honey. Are you sure you don’t want to be a vet instead?” Being so young, I didn’t exactly burst into a fiery rage of social justice and begin ranting about gender roles, which is likely what I would have done now. But since my teacher was an adult role model for me, I believed what she said without a moment of questioning why only my future husband could be a firefighter. I went

on with the mindset of there being occupation barriers between men and women until I finally put some thought into the concept years later. I am well aware that gender roles is not the most important issue in the entire world, but it is still an issue, and one that should be buried deep into our history so it can never come back into society. So next time you hear someone say that you can’t wear something, like something or act a certain way because of your gender, don’t agree, but simply ask, “Why?” And their justification will likely not go any deeper than “Because it’s just the way that it is.”

*** Alexa Zogopoulos, a junior, isa Gazette Green Screen editor.

Gazette photo/KRISTIN TAYLOR

“A commercial salmon fisherman. I

grew up in Half Moon Bay, and I spent a lot of time at Pillar Point Harbor, watching the

fishermen coming in and admiring the

fish.”

Art supposedly teaches the observer about the artist. They stand a good five feet away from the

piece of art, and try to take a guess as to what was going through the artist’s mind as he was creating his masterpiece. What does the blue wall represent? Is that supposed to be a man or a woman? Is he just plain crazy? If there is one thing that taking art classes has taught me, it is that art can tell you more about yourself than it can tell other people. I start a painting by thinking about a relevant topic or emotion that I wish to convey to the audience through metaphorical (or literal) objects. After sketching several ideas, I come across what actually draws my attention. Usually, it is not related to anything that I had initially thought about. The background itself says a lot. While it can take one slightly impulsive person a couple of hours, it takes me usually a solid week to be somewhat satisfied with what I have done. Similar to my day-to-day decision making, it takes me stroke after stroke to create what I think I want, only to find two minutes later that I want something different. What seems right at first proves to be a “what was I thinking?” moment later. Once it is complete, AKA the time that I finally

accept that it is not going to get any better (call me a pessimist,) I move on. Straight lines, smooth shadows, even squares. It is no coincidence that 95 percent of my artwork contains buildings. I have called it obsessive compulsivity, and so has my teacher, and yet it is considered art. Each line that is not straight tenses my shoulder, tilts my head, scrunches my nose and forces me to redo it. Call me crazy, but it is almost therapeutic. My constant desire for realistic, sometimes even depressing subject matter makes some people assume that I enjoy a pessimistic view on life. To be honest, even if the glass is half full, it looks much better spilled across the table with a reflection glistening across the broken glass. Just as everyone finishes off their mountains, trees and flowers, I add an extra highlight across the trim of my building. It may seem like insanity to some, but to me, details are the best part. Perhaps 60 percent of the class leaves the tree bark smooth. Texture is a necessity to me, yet often ignored by

those who are easily pleased at mediocrity. (Or are they just normal?) I guess it is a matter of opinion. Just as I feel my painting is complete, my teacher reminds me that I am missing something, a subject. If it were up to me, my paintings would be empty environments, the point being that the viewer could place whatever person, animal or object in the setting they want. I sometimes find myself in

similar situations; rather than voicing my opinion, I find it easier to sit back and absorb what other people have to say (something that I am now aware of and make an effort to improve on.) If others don’t seem to appreciate my art as much as I do, I have learned to not care. It is not simply the personal pride of creating something with hard work, but rather a reflection of my personality and attitudes toward life. With learning about myself comes learning how to react when others don’t see eye-to-eye, in life and in art. While the others sit across from the table and put abstract leaves on their trees and construct the face of the next Mona Lisa, I will continue to draw my straight lines and fill in my smooth boxes–whether they like it or not.

***Lena Eyen, a senior, is a Gazette co-editor-in-chief.

Gazette illustration/EMMA GRACYK

lena eyen

Commentary

leyen.gazette@gmail.com

Friday, September 14, 2012 w The Granite Bay Gazette A9Voices

Physical education is often depicted in movies and books as being this embarrassing and awkward class.

However, in reality, I dreaded P.E not because I was afraid of changing in a locker room with 50 other girls or being picked last for flag football. Instead, I dreaded the boredom that awaited me as I sat on the hard gym floor listening to the teacher drone on about rules. While the teacher was busy lecturing the class on the different parts of an archery bow or softball positions, I would day dream about the other academic classes I could have taken in place of P.E. I am not saying P.E. should be removed from schools. However, I do feel that schools should make P.E. substitutions for athletes and band members who already meet the required level of daily physical activity. It is a California state requirement that high school students must take two years of physical education in order to graduate, the goal obviously being to keep students as active as they can.

But for us athletes and band members, P.E. feels like a wasted class. Certain athletes must take athletic P.E. and band members are required to enroll in first or second period marching band. This takes away from academic classes students could be taking. As a result, band kids and athletes are not able to take all of the classes they would like. The average band student takes five fewer classes at Granite Bay High School than the average student – four years of marching band plus one year of symphonic or jazz band. By substituting band for P.E., band members would get two of those five classes back. There are some states, such as Texas, that allow athletics and marching band to take the place of gym class. These are fair substitutes. A student in a sport or marching band already receives the recommended one hour of daily physical activity. The cross country members run around five miles a day, so running one mile twice a week is

nothing for them. Swimmers on the school team swim roughly 6,000 yards, which is a lot more than what is required in the swim unit. Students in marching band are constantly moving, whether it is marching, running or punishing themselves for their mistakes with push ups. It makes sense for classes such as marching band and athletic P.E. to count toward P.E. credit. And the irony of it all is, even with the California state requirement of having P.E., most high school students rarely receive their one hour of daily physical activity. In fact, according to an investigation by the MSNBC the average high school gym class only keeps students physically active for an average of 16 minutes. Most of the sports we played resulted in the majority of the class simply standing around, unless you were actually skilled at the sport. When I had P.E., I remember how during the

soccer unit the soccer players would hog the ball while the rest of us non-experienced players, like me, would walk around pretending to be busy so we would not get marked down. In badminton, I dropped the birdie so much I got more exercise receiving the birdie than actually playing the game. With archery, people literally sat around braiding each other’s hair while waiting for their turn to shoot. P.E. is a great class for some. It is a way for students to get out some of that excess energy built up by sitting at a desk all day. However, since I already am active with band and track, P.E. is superfluous for me. If I had been given choice of choosing between an academic class and a gym, I would have. Unfortunately, it is too late for me. I already served my two terms of P.E., but I feel that such an option would greatly benefit future ambitious band kids and athletes.

***

P.E. is a graduation requirement, but this rule gets frustrating for those who have to ‘double-book’

Is gym class truly efficient?

Negativity is usually something I try to avoid when thinking about my future.

Our new class of seniors kicked off the final high school year with appropri-ate canary-yellow -shirts adorned with a simple phrase about how lucky this class would be. If anyone has been paying attention to the news lately, they would understand the irony of that phrase. To put it simply, we have a lot going against us after our school year comes to a close. Entering the California State Univer-sity school system is an option for many seniors who plan to go to college. Its schools have been around for more than fifty years, and it is the largest system of higher education in the country. Because of the recent eco-nomic crisis in California, the CSU’s budget has been cut drastically. This year, more than $650 will be cut from CSU’s 23 campuses and 412,000 students. State

support for this system will be at its low-est level in 14 years. What does this have to do with the so-called ‘lucky’ class of 2013? The quickest solution to close the budget gap is to increase tuition costs and decrease en-rollment. This means the class of 2013 will be almost completely denied appli-cation into 13 of the 23 CSU schools.

Press releases of numbers,

sta-

tistics and politics to explain these “mis-givings” can’t make up for the complete lack of opportunity we seem to be faced with. Whatever happened to that ‘No Child Left Behind’ bit that former President Bush had? I would say we are being left behind in the wake of economic misfor-tune and bad timing. There are other options for college, but the crisis hasn’t only touched the CSU system. The UC system has been affected, and tuition doesn’t seem to be getting any lower. For those of us who don’t have unlim-ited funds, going out-of-state for college doesn’t seem too promising. I haven’t even touched on the exceptional and at

times out-of-reach GPA needed to be accepted into decent schools. Experts say that these latest issues could

force upcoming classes to enroll in over-crowded community colleges or decide to not attend college at all. In response to these realities, the proposed “California Students First Act” urges California colleges to cap out-of-state acceptance at 10 percent. California state senator Michael Rubil (D-Fresno)told the New York Times that he wants to give a “fair chance” to Cali-fornia residents to attend these colleges, instead of being denied because of a “student from the East Coast who appears with a checkbook in hand.” If any of us are lucky enough to get past the doubt of acceptance, the uncertainty of success will quickly follow. It’s becoming an increasingly alarming

trend for college gradu-ates to be unemployed for years or work in lower-paying jobs than their degrees suggest. About 53.6 percent of bach-elor’s degree-holders under the age of 25 last year were jobless or un-deremployed. About 71 percent of col-lege graduates start off their job search need-

ing to pay off their student loans. When questions start rising about whether or not college is worth the risk and cost, I have always believed that earning a higher education was worth while. Moving toward graduation in May, my doubts have surfaced. In some situations, college isn’t on the list of opportunities. Some could blame the economy, budget cuts or unfortunate situations that have led to the shaky ground in which our nearby colleges rest on. So I sure hope our luck turns around.

*** Amber Les, a senior, is a Gazette Sports editor.

Gazette illustration/LENA EYEN

How unlucky ’13 is to be ‘Lucky 13’For this year’s class, the odds are not in their favor

Commentary

amber lesales.gazette@gmail.com

Gazette illustration/CHASE EVANS

Want your voice to be heard? Submit a guest commentary to gbgazette@yahoo.com!

emma gracyk

Commentary

egracyk.gazette@gmail.com

Friday, September 14, 2012 w The Granite Bay GazetteA10 Second Look Second look

wStudents watch as senior Jeff Raney, left, focuses to keep his bal-ance while slacklining. Robotics Club members seniors Phil Nystrom, Joshua Wild, Vamsi Chekuri, and sophomore James Brown, middle left, show off one of their robot prototypes they construct-ed last year. Freshman Matthew Smith, middle right, break dances to the beat of his boom box to attract students’ atten-tion. Dressed in uniform, juniors Derek Smith and Benjamin Snedecor, bot-tom left, invite students over to their Sacramento Sea Cadets booth for sign ups. Junior Robert Glover ponders his next move in a challenging game of chess at his booth, bottom middle. Paper and Nihongo Data Association club mem-bers seniors Jessica Tay-lor and Dorothy Kenny, bottom left, display their stuffed panda mascot.

‘Clubbing the day away’GBHS clubs rally for new members at one-lunch

Gazette photo /KRiSTiN TAyLoR

Gazette photo /KRiSTiN TAyLoR

Gazette photo /LuKe ChiRBAS

Gazette photo /KRiSTiN TAyLoR

Gazette photo /KRiSTiN TAyLoR

Gazette photo /KRiSTiN TAyLoR

TCID:BW

BY MEGHAN CARLSENmcarlsen.gazette@gmail.com

The mystery of the “spirit point” has shrouded Granite Bay High School for many years now and has lead to much speculation. However, not many real answers have been given about what this vague point system is and how students at GBHS are being judged at their rallies and events. The most recent Decades Rally, which occurred on Aug. 13, re-sparked yet another speculated question, “Are the rallies rigged?” from the juniors who felt a sense of injustice as the seniors received the first place title. While the seniors didn’t win most of the games or activities they still ended up winning the rally. How could this be? However, while many cry out

“Rigged!” many don’t understand the process of the point system itself. Student government teacher Tamara Givens explained that different events or activities can be worth different points in the grand scheme of the spirit point competition. However, there is a rubric of fixed points that are assigned to first, second, third and fourth place for each prospective event. For example, Homecoming floats and Sports-o-rama are worth the most points because first place will receive 1,500 points, second place will receive 1,250 points, third place will receive 1,000 points and fourth place will receive 750 points. The winner of an overall rally receives 400 points, and winning the games is not really a factor in

who will receive these 400 points. The winners of the rally are decided by a panel of judges selected by rally commissioners in student government. They are given a rubric for judg-ing all classes on the categories of class colors, decorations, class spirit and respectful and positive behavior. “I thought the juniors were going to win the rally just based on what I watched and what I saw,” Givens said. “We believe what hurt them is that they were still screaming and cheering and shouting even over the MC’s. Part of the rubric is (to be) respectful and positive so undoubtedly there were some judges who saw that as not respectful even though they were showing a lot of spirit.” In general, the judges will judge each class per category on a zero

to five scale. English teacher Kay Bacharach, who was a judge for the Decades rally, explains that each judge gets their own rubric and they individually judge each category throughout the rally without col-laboration with the other judges. “(The classes) get separate points for winning the games, which the judges have nothing to do with,” Bacharach said. “So (the judges) are kind of just looking at the overall (idea and) they add those points in with the points that they get for the games and everything else.” The judges are drawn from all parts of the GBHS faculty including teachers, administra-tion, aides and secretaries. Even though judges are the sole determiner in which class wins, much of the student

body shout at student government, claiming they are the ones who rig the rallies. “I’m not a judge,” Givens said. “Biases of judges cannot be ac-counted for. That’s a subjective thing that you can’t really know. We try really hard not to…pick people we think will be biased.” Given the wide range of judges

LifestyLeFriday w September 14,2012

B SectionGranite Bay Gazette

inside lifestyle

Random club B4

Top Ten B2

Random student B4

Random facts B4

Emerald Brigade Welcoming over fifty new members

B3

Junior PromWill there be a dance this year?

B2

College What you need to get in and how to do it

B3

It’s my music; it’s OK if you don’t like it.

What’s music to my ears may not be music to yours. And I’m ok with

that. We all know those people who praise their favorite musicians as demigods – they can do no wrong. I mean, everyone loves The Beatles. And then there are those people who hold their music to the highest standard imaginable. If you even venture to disagree, you have terri-ble taste in music and might as well just fall off the face of the earth. There are also groups that believe every top forty song can cause bleeding in your ears, and that listening to 107.9 The End radio station is as bad as worshipping the devil. We can’t forget about the good old country fans though. They stand by country artists such as Jason Aldean and Hunter Hayes to the death, and wear their cowboy hats and boots like a necessary uniform. Keep in mind those loyal Justin Bieber fans and the girls that swear anything Taylor Swift writes is genius and relatable. Despite the differences in style, it’s all music. And it’s all about what it makes you feel. Yes, it sounds ridiculously cheesey, but it’s true. Music shouldn’t be about who the artist is or where the band comes from. Certain artists or music genres shouldn’t be put down because they don’t suit your style. I en-courage people to like the music they like, simply because they like it. There doesn’t have to be any other reason. A song can be considered “good” for more than one reason. Take the immensely popular song “Call Me Maybe” by Carly Rae Jepsen. I will admit, the lyrics are highly unoriginal, the music is a bit redundant and her voice may be annoying. But the song is catchy. It was definitely a hit at the De-cades dance, despite the fact that it’s considered such a “terrible, awful insult to humanity.” Of course the song has haters. I understand that people don’t like it, but do I think they need to voice their opinion every time the song is mentioned? No. I don’t understand those people that claim to know all about music; those who know what they like, and won’t even listen to a song by Katy Perry. But why limit yourself to one genre? There is a world of musical opportunity out there just waiting to be explored. There are Usher songs that make me want to dance (even though it’s guaranteed that I will look like an idiot). I look forward to driving to school in the morning simply because that I can sing along to songs by We Were Evergreen. Songs should be judged based on the feelings they evoke in you, not whether or not you like the artist or genre. Make yourself a well- rounded music individual. Either immerse yourself in different genres or stop yourself from complaining when someone says their favorite band is Radiohead. If you don’t like it, don’t listen.

***Madison Touloukian, senior, is the

Gazette’s Lifestyle co-editor.

How the scoring from rallies, Sports-a-rama and Homecoming is calculated

See RALLIES, page B5

Tamara Givens ASB adviser denies any use of bias when determining the rally point total.

The judging of the great spirit points

What is the story of GBHS?The ‘what’s your story?’ campaign spreads around school

It’s May 20. Granite Bay High School senior Paige Finkemeier embarks on an adventure to attend a Presidents Conference lead by leadership speaker Phil Boyte. Student government class officers senior Emma Farrell, senior Renee Merchant, junior Riley Carroll and Associated Student Body adviser Tamera Givens join her. Finkemeier was recently elected as ASB president for GBHS, and realized that it’s part of her job to influence the school’s culture. While glancing around a room during a leadership session, she noticed a poster on the wall reading “It’s hard to hate somebody who’s

story you know.” This quote by Phil Boyte opened up Finkemeier’s eyes to an idea that would end up shaping the culture campaign at GBHS. “After reading the quote, I thought of the main problems that (GBHS) struggles with, (and thought that they) could be addressed under this theme,” Finkemeier said. The GBHS faculty is also look-ing for a way to improve the student body’s outlook on each other. Assistant principal of GBHS Brent Mattix said that “there is a lot of excitement to better inspire, con-nect, and protect our student body through the simple act of taking a little more time to get to know someone.” Finkemeier discovered that stu-

dents have admitted to feeling inse-cure based on the judgments passed on them by fellow students. “We want our school to be a com-fortable place where students and staff feel accepted for being them-selves,” Finkemeier said. It is true that many students at GBHS feel pressure from students to look and act certain ways. “I constantly look for acceptance from people,” senior Taylor Reyn-olds said. While fear of judgment forces students at GBHS try to hide what they are dealing with, people are be-ginning to feel comfortable enough with themselves to share their stories.

See STORY, page B5

BY MADISON TOULOUKIANmtouloukian.gazette@gmail.com

madison toloukian

CommenTARy

mtouloukian.gazette@gmail.com

Friday, September 14, 2012 w The Granite Bay GazetteB2 Lifestyle

REASONS tO miSS BEiNg A littlE kid

You get to play on the play-structures without be-

ing judged.

Your imagination has not yet been limited by unending hours sitting at a desk in a

gray classroom.

You don’t have to talk to boring grown-ups if you

don’t want to. Just pretend you’re shy.

Your clothes are for comfort and fun, not style.

You don’t have to know the word “commonplace”.

Things like light-up shoes, Lunchables and popsicles are

commonplace.

Homework is about ten min-utes long, spaced out over

the span of a week.

Santa Claus still brings you presents, and you get to wear

legitimate Halloween cos-tumes.

There are endless possibili-ties for your future. One day

you are an astronaut, the next day you’re the president.

The days can seem endless and their purpose is enter-

tainment not work.

- Compiled by Meghan Carlsen

If you really knew me,

I have a pet rat named Oscar. I got him when he was a baby and he’s still pretty young. I used to have one back in eighth grade and I think they are really cute and fun pets.

you would know...

Samantha myers

- Compiled by Tamren Johnk

My favorite dessert is frozen yogurt, I like chocolate and sometimes vanilla or I like getting a mix of them both.

Curtis mar

I like to slackline and my friends and I have a Facebook page containing many pictures of us slacklining. We also finally go it approved to slackline on cam-pus, so now we will be doing that a lot more.

Current juniors find themselves without a Junior Prom this year

BY KEVIN BURNSkburns.gazette@gmail.com

Prom or non-prom – that’s the question. Along with the Powder Puff foot-ball game and the SAT, junior prom is a symbol of growing up and the first year of being an upperclassman at Granite Bay High School. Despite its symbolism of maturity, junior prom was not available to the past junior class. Still, many juniors this year are asking “why not have the prom this year?” Associated Student Body president Paige Finkemeier has some sympa-thy for students who are disappoint-ed with the loss of junior prom, but, she explained, a lack of enthusiasm and support in past years led to the eventual downfall of junior prom. “There was no junior prom last year because attendance had been increasingly getting lower and lower each year,” Finkemeier said. With lower attendance each year, there was less revenue. Even though the goal of dances is not to raise money, the senior class cannot catch up financially in one school year. “The (junior) class would go into debt and be in debt throughout senior year,” Finkemeier said. A junior prom this year, that would generate losses, would force the class of 2014 to give up other traditional senior activities such as senior prom, senior picnic and the “Goodbye Rally.” Despite these possible conse-quences, some juniors are frustrated at the ASB – and others don’t know why the dance was cancelled. “It’s definitely a bummer (that junior prom has been cancelled) because it’s an event all juniors look forward to,” said junior Matt Iwa-hiro. “But there’s probably a valid reason why it was cancelled.” Junior class president Audrey Tate knows juniors love dances, and she wants to help, but it is in the hands of the juniors. “If we were to have more money in (the) spring, then I think it would be great to have a junior prom,” Tate said. “But it’s something (the junior)

class could live without.” The cancellation of the junior prom has resulted in GBHS students and their parents taking the initiative and creating their own junior prom. These so-called non-proms were first created last year and attracted around 180 students. “Last year the junior class was upset they weren’t having (a prom), so someone threw a junior prom not sponsored by the school,” Finke-meier said. “I think that…the suc-cess (of the non-prom) last year, (is) why there is not going to be a junior prom again.” There are several GBHS students who want to see another non-prom happen this year. “It’s a part of high school,” Iwa-hiro said. “It’s one of those ‘must go’ dances, even if you don’t have a date.” Many said the non-prom is a win-win situation for all because the juniors get their prom and the ASB gets to avoid financial losses and maintain other events. And the parents who hosted the non-prom agree “(My parents) didn’t pay for the venue,” said senior Megan Zabrowski, who hosted the non-prom. “Everything was completely covered by money we made through ticket sales.” Many students have asked for a way to raise money for a school-sponsored event, but student gov-ernment cannot just ask people for money, Tate explained – it is more complicated. Also, all the hard work by student government would not be worth all the trouble if only half of the junior class were to show up. Iwahiro, a member of student government, said he thought many juniors were too shy or nervous to attend and instead just stayed home. Regardless of their reasons for not attending, the lack of support from the junior class has caused junior prom to change in many ways. “It’s kind of sad to spend so much effort on a dance,” Finkemeier said, “when almost no one attends.”

Gazette illustration/CHASE EVANS

Devin Allen works as an assistant coach

BY GRACE MOOREgmoore.gazette@gmail.com

What do Dwight D.Eisenhower, George W. Bush, Jimmy Stewart, Kirk Douglas, Halle Barry, Meryl Streep, Raquel Welch, Cybil Sheppard and Terri Hatcher all have in common? All were cheerleaders at some point in their now-famous lives. Granite Bay High School has its own cheerleading superstar, though not in the form you’d expect. This cheerleading star is male. “He is probably one of the top 10 in the country,” GBHS cheerleading coach Bree Larson said of Devin Allen, a high school student who is working as an as-sistant coach with the GBHS cheer program. In a sport where – according to a report by American Sports Data Inc. – 97 percent of the participants are girls, Al-len is the rare exception. In addition to helping coach at GBHS cheer practic-es, Allen is also part of the local competitive All Stars cheerleading team for the ninth year in a row. “I live and breathe cheerleading,” Allen said. “It’s not just a sport.” In response to the interesting paradox of his athletic career – being male in a female-dominated endeavor – Allen points out that despite today’s stereotype, cheerleading was originally done only by men for the first 20 years of the 100-year-old sport’s existence. Even pom-poms were not invented until the 1930s. Today, competitive cheerleading attracts thousands to watch squads compete for televised international championships. Understandably, Allen considers competitive cheer-leading to be a sport, with all the same dedication, effort and prestige that comes with that title. While comparing the stereotypical flair of cheerlead-ing to the intensity of football might seem to be a bit

of a stretch, a report by the National Center for Cata-strophic Sports Injuries offers evidence to the contrary. According to the 2005 report, 50 percent of cata-strophic head, neck and spine injuries suffered by female athletes happen to cheerleaders. While the statistics are obviously different for males because there are fewer of them in the sport, the high risks inherent in modern cheerleading can’t be denied. Those statistics might not convey the difficulty of cheerleading until the image of flipping, lifting people and mastering difficult techniques is taken into consideration. The stamina required to practice these skills for hours in order to perform for a three-hour game would be strenuous for many athletes. Allen, for example, follows a conditioning plan designed for

See ALLEN, page B4

wdevin Allen does a 360 degree flip in the air during a GBHS cheer practice in the cafeteria.

Gazette photo /KAYLYN O’DONNELL

Non-proms expected to continue

Successful cheerleadercomes to help

Emma darragh

YOUR NAMES. YOUR FACES. THE GAZETTE.

Friday September 14, 2012 w The Granite Bay Gazette B3Lifestyle

Match the words in the first column with the definitions in the second column. Each chalk-board is its own separate game. Answers can be found on B5.

CollegeBoard SATun- Official SATThe

practice guide

1. Alacrity

2. Cacophony

3. Conundrum

4. Decry

5. Ineffable

a. to criticize openly

b. puzzle, problem

c. truthfulness, accuracy

d. to reject, refuse to accept

e. optimistic, cheery

Chalkboard 1

6. Juxtaposition

7. Repudiate

8. Sanguine

9. Tacit

10. Veracity

f. expressed without wordsg. unspeakable, incapable of being expressed through wordsh. tremendous noise, dishar-monious soundi. eagerness, speedj. the act of placing two things next to each other for implicit comparison

Chalkboard 2

-Compiled by Lena Eyen

What you need:- a cord with DVI outputs*- a cord with an 8th inch headphone jack adapter and ACR outputs

Steps:

1. Plug the DVI cord into the video card on your computer.

2. Take the other end and plug it into the HDMI input in the back of your TV.

3. For sound, take an 8th inch headphone jack adapter and two ACR out-puts on the same cord, plug the headphone jack into your computer and the ACR outputs to the back of your TV. (They’re color coordinated)

4. Play!

*You can use a cord with S-Video output and an S-Video input instead of a DVI cord, but the sound quality isn’t as good.

-Compiled by Nicole Bales

how to...Connect a PC to a tV

With 53 new members comes lots of hard work BY GRACE MOOREgmoore.gazette@gmail.com

This year, 53 students are new to the Granite Bay High School Emerald Brigade Marching Band and Color Guard. Band members new and old attended an exhaust-ing band camp over the summer to help prepare for another challenging year of performance and com-petition. It’s not hard to see why there are so many recruits, judging last year’s incredible success at the Western Band Association Championship in Santa Barbara. They came home champions of their 4A division in the fall of 2011. Freshmen went to band camp for a week along with another three day band camp with the entire band. Even before band camp started, the new percussion-ists and color guard members were practicing before graduating from middle school. “They teach (new band members) really (well),” freshman saxophone player Nick Mastromattei said.

Now that they’ve learned the basics, they continue to work hard during zero period every weekday morning. “It is tiring getting up at 6:30 a.m. every day,” freshman trumpet player Will Duckhorn said. It appears that many new freshmen have joined, at least partially, for a competitive edge for applications. “My parents said that if I joined band, I could go pretty much anywhere for college,” Duckhorn said. Longtime members have different reasons for stay-ing. Dedicated band president, senior Shelby Carlson, practices her bass clarinet every day. “I just wanted to play an instrument, but it turned into… learning leadership,” Carlson said. She now plans on majoring in music performance and music education at University of Oregon. While band requires an immense amount of work, returning members claim that the end result is re-warding.

See BAND, page B4

Students pursue a career while in high schoolBY KRISTIN KURPERSHOEK

kkurpershoek@gmail.com

Of the many academic classes offered at Granite Bay High School, the Regional Occupa-tional Program is a diamond in the rough. ROP is a state-run program designed to give students an op-portunity to learn about different vocations while they are still in high school. The ROP program offers train-ing and internships in more than 15 different career fields, provid-ing students with a wide variety of opportunities to suit most interests. According to Steve Dolan, a teacher at GBHS and head of the ROP Construction Technology, all of the programs operate indepen-dently and are very diverse. The basic idea of the ROP program is to teach students about a specific career and then put their knowledge to the test in real-life situations in the form of internships. There are differ-ent divisions of ROP offered at high schools all around the area, with GBHS specializing in busi-ness and engineering classes. Senior Megan Beiler partici-pates in the sports medicine ROP class, for which she drives to Del Oro High every morning. Beiler believes the commute is well worth it, and her time and energy is going to pay off. “I’m interning with the Placer High football team, so I get expe-rience with athletic training and wrapping ankles,” Beiler said. She also realizes the opportuni-

ties she has gained by taking ROP. “I’ll already have experience and be ahead of the game,” she said. Before being able to intern, students are usually in a typical classroom setting where the teach-ers prepare them for the actual internship. Bill Patterson teaches the Busi-ness ROP at GBHS and works to provide his students with the skills necessary to help them land an internship. “We don’t send them out cold – we talk about how to dress, how to get there on time, and get them ready for the (job) site,” Patterson said. “I guarantee my kids two

things – op-portunities and interviews.” ROP pro-vides students with the ability to work in a true business environment, test out a job and receive valuable train-ing – all while still in high school. Cindi Un-derwood, the GBHS College and Career

Center director, said the hands-on experience that students are able to obtain through ROP is benefi-cial. For example, one of the many different classes offered in the program is Fire Science. “They learn all of the aspects of being a fireman,” Underwood said. During the second half of the year Fire Science ROP students are expected to implement their knowledge while they go out on real 911 phone calls and work side-by-side with firemen.

This type of training is typical for most classes in ROP, although it obviously varies according to the specific profession. Teachers and students alike seem to agree that taking ROP is a smart investment for the future. “(ROP) is not only something you can put on the application, but it’s something you can speak to when you’re in the interview,” Underwood said. A surefire way for students to know what they want to pursue in the future is to try it out, and ROP gives them this opportunity. “With college being so ex-pensive, you want to enter as a freshman with a good idea of what you’re going to do,” Dolan said. The program offers a rare way to give students confidence that they are making the right choice for a future profession. The success of ROP speaks for itself. Students who complete Dolan’s class are able to secure a job for $15 an hour right out of high school. Patterson has had graduates return and tell him their ROP experience resulted in jobs and career knowledge that others didn’t have. Anyone interested in ROP can contact Underwood in the College and Career Center for the contact information for any of the instruc-tors. “I would encourage students who think they know what they’re going to do,” Dolan said, “to go ahead and try ROP.”

GAzETTE PHOTO ILLUSTRATION/ KRISTIN TAYLOR

Many students join the band and color guard

ROP offers work skillsBeiler is a senior in the ROP Sports Medicine Class.

Megan Beiler

The College Application

BY MEGHAN CARLSENmcarlsen.gazette@gmail.com

How to get into your dream college

Students prepare for it years in advance while others struggle to fit the

whole process in the night before the due date. It’s the dreaded college ap-

plication process. There’s been no proven way to ace this process and ensure an acceptance

letter from any university, but there’s some basic information, tricks and

tips offered up to anyone hoping to attend a university at some point.

The Application Overall:

One step in this process is understanding how each university

looks at college applications.

Tiffani Gieck, a counselor for Granite Bay High School,

explains to students that the California State Universities look

mainly at grade point average and SAT (only out of 1600 without

the writing component) or American College Testing scores.

“The (University of California) system (takes) more of a holistic

approach,” Gieck said. “(This process) is similar to the private

schools as well.” A holistic approach includes looking at a personal statement,

extracurricular activities and course selection as well as the basic

GPA and SAT or ACT test scores.

The SAT; While universities now accept both SAT or ACT scores,

the SAT is the more traditional route to take.

Many suggest taking a preparatory course before pro-

ceeding in taking the SAT, and GBHS has its own course

instructed by Scott Becker and David Tastor.

“When we put it together, we didn’t want to do what the

big companies do which in my opinion is focus completely

on ‘how (to) beat this test’,” Becker said. “We teach the test

strategies but…you have to know the material.”

In their workshop, Tastor and Becker go over the English

and math concepts that would be seen on a SAT and give

out practice problems to study with.

Even without a prep course, the book that Tastor and

Becker recommend getting is The Official SAT Study Guide

by the Collegeboard.

“This is by far the best practice you can get because

(there) are real tests (in the book),” Becker said. “This isn’t

somebody’s idea of what the SAT looks like – this is the

actual thing.” See COLLEGE, page B5

Gazette illustration/LENA EYEN

Source: sparknotes.com

w Students play many new and different types of instruments when joining the Emerald Brigade.

Visit www.GraniteBayToday.com

Gazette illustration/Chase Evans

We don’t send them out cold...I guarantee my

kids...opportuni-ties and inter-

views.

– Bill Patterson, Business ROP teacher

Friday, September 14, 2012 w The Granite Bay GazetteB4 Lifestyle

Random facts

One of 2,128 GBHS students is randomly selected every issue

A list of facts you will never need to know but always find interesting

Random club of the month

AP Spanish Club

–Compiled by Lena Eyen

Sources:

http://www.allrandomfacts.com

President: Senior, Caroleana Kvaterchuk

Caitlin Mayhut, senior

–Compiled by Kristin Taylor

Gazette photo /OLIVIA CORNELL

–Compiled by Emma Gracyk

wYou can’t swallow without your tongue touching the roof of your

mouth.

wThere is a city named Unalaska in Alaska.

wThere are 293 ways to make change for a dollar.

wIt is impossible to spell a word only using the bottom row of the key-

board.

wThe indentation that runs between your nose and the top of your upper

lip is called a philtrum.

wA group of kangaroos is called a ‘mob’.

wDidaskaleinophobia is the fear of going to school.

wThe only king in a deck of playing cards with a moustache is the King

of Hearts

wPneumonoultramicroscopicsilico-volcanoconiosis is the longest word meaning a lung disease which hap-

pens after inhaling volcanic ash.

wIf humans had the same metabo-lism as a hummingbird, they would have to intake 150,000 calories a

day.

wA sneeze travels out of your mouth at over 100 miles per hour.

Gazette: Who is eligible to join your club?Everyone and anyone who en-joys Spanish, spending time with friends and wants to give back to the community or help others in need, can join.

Why should people join your club?People should join because we’re not just gathering to speak Span-ish, hang out and have fun. We’re also here to make a difference and hopefully impact the lives of others that are less fortunate and do not have the everyday resources we do.

What is the goal of your club?Our goal is to help provide aid to programs that outreach to Latino-American countries and to those around us that need it as well. Also to have fun in the process.

When and where does your club meet? We meet every other Tuesday, so twice a month, in room 803 (Abram Ditman’s room) at 2:45.

Do you have a favorite memory from your club?My favorite memory from the AP spanish club last year was putting on “Noche de El Salvador” and raising over $2,000 for a small town in el Salvador and being able to see roads built and electricity (put in) by something we did.

How many pets do you have?One. I have a dog named Mr. Chocolate Chip.

What is your favorite restaurant?Red Lobster.

What has been your favorite class so far at GBHS?Honors English 11 with Mrs. Drury.

If you could be any mythical creature, what would you be?A hippogriff.

What is your favorite Jamba Juice flavor?Strawberry Wild.

Where do you want to live?Southern California because I like to surf.

ALLEN: Male cheerleader helps out squadContinued from page B2

football players. Allen became a cheerleader when he was 7 years old after his sister, who had chosen to participate with a local team, decided to quit the sport. Because his mom had already paid the tuition, Allen saw an opportunity to do something he thought was “pretty cool.” Even then, he had already participated in hip-hop and tap dance competitions and loved all kinds of music. “Country, hip hop, jazz,” said Allen of his youthful musical tastes. He can play piano and a bit of saxophone. His current favorite song for a cheerleading perfor-mance is “I’m a Machine,” by David

Guetta featuring Crystal Nicole. Allen, who hopes to pursue cheerlead-ing in college, might anticipate more male company once he graduates – the same report cited earlier by America Sports Data Inc. notes that 50 percent of collegiate cheerleaders are male. In the meantime, he’s done with being judged for being male in a sport that features – at least on the high school level – mostly girls. “People used to be mean, but I just never let it stop me, and so now I am here,” Allen said. “I am more cheer than human.”

Succesful chearleader aids GBHS cheer coaching staff.

Devin Allen

Continued from page B3

“Everyone goes crazy, and you are pumped with adrenaline” senior Taylor Reynolds said about last year’s champi-onship performance. Much of the band’s success was the result of pure determination. “In band, the individual matters more. Every single person needs to be totally committed,” Reynolds said. Reynolds tries to find a balance when teaching new freshmen to make sure they

still enjoy themselves. “I want to make sure everyone has fun,” Reynolds said. The freshmen seem to be embracing the supportive atmosphere that band pro-vides. “They have a really positive attitude and are just willing to learn,” Carlson said about the freshmen, even though they re-portedly have trouble showing up to zero period on time. While they are said to not all under-stand the program and its entirety yet, the

upperclassmen are optimistic. Along with more trophies for GBHS, Reynolds hopes to see more recognition of the band this year. “A lot of people of people don’t under-stand what we do. (Band is) hard, physi-cal work.” As new members adjust to the rigor, they themselves are beginning to realize that while it is different, they are eager to see where band takes them. “Band is…different,” Duckhorn said. “I’ve never done anything like this.”

BAND: New members join Emerald Brigade

Your names.Your faces.Your clubs.

The Gazette.

Follow Granite Bay Today on Twitter

Who: 34,875 studentsWhere: Long Beach, Cali-forniaTuition and Fee Cost: $23,776Acceptance Rate: 34,5% acceptance rateWestern Regional Univer-sity Ranking: #26Athletics: •CSULB belongs to the NCAA Division 1 Big West Conference.• There are currently 11 dif-ferent varsity sports offered at CSULB.• Eight Athletes who com-peted in the 2012 London Summer Olympics were alumni of CSULB.• The varsity baseball

team has won 19 NCAA titles.Mascot: Prospector PeteAcademics: • The average class size is 31 students.• It takes an average of five

years for students to gradu-ate.• There is a 21:1 student teacher ratio.Fun Facts:• 2,600 of the 34,875 stu-dents live on campus.• Long Beach is the second largest city in Los Angeles County.• Three time sand volley-ball Olympic gold medalist, Misty May-Treanor attended CSULB.• The student union contains a variety of activities such as: bowling, billiards, ping-pong, a video arcade and a TV lounge.

–compiled by Kristin Kurpershoek

Friday, September 14, 2012 w The Granite Bay Gazette B5Lifestyle

Continued from page B3; The un-Official SAT practice guide an-swers: 1. G, 2. F, 3. C, 4. I, 5. H, 6. J, 7. E, 8. A, 9. D, 10. B.

College of the MonthCSU Long Beach

Gazette: Is it difficult balancing your AP classes, while playing competitive soccer and being involved in National Charity League?

A:Yes, it is difficult balancing everything because there is a wide range of events that we have to work, varying from feeding the homeless to tutoring underprivileged kids. But my parents support me and help me when I’m overwhelmed and I know it will be worth it in the long run. It’s also hard to add in a social life to all of these extracurricular activities, but you find a way to balance everything and it becomes manageable.

Gazette: Do you think being active in your community, school and playing competitive soccer will benefit you in the future?

A: I think being this active with everything will definitely be beneficial to me in the future be-cause it will help me get into the colleges that I want to go to and also teach me how to balance many things that are going on at once.

Gazette: How do you think your community service has impacted others around you?

A: My community service has impacted others around me by just giving them a helping hand when a lot of people are in times of need. They appreciate all the help so it makes it all worth while.

SpotlightStudent

Athlete and National Charity League volunteer

Kelsey Ito

-Compiled by Tamren Johnk

Gazette illustration/EMMA GRACYK

Continued from page B1

who vary at each rally or event, Bacharach herself finds it difficult to believe that the judges rig spirit points. “It’s not that I don’t want the seniors to win, but I don’t go in thinking that’s what’s going to happen,” Bacharach said. “I’m pretty open-minded and I really think the other judges are too (about) who’s really doing the best.” Senior class president Emma Farrell seems to share the same confidence in the system as Givens and Bacharach. “I am (sure that they aren’t rigged) because of the integ-rity of our program,” Farrell said. “Our rally commission-ers work really hard to choose judges who aren’t biased and who are going to actually judge it how it should be judged.” So the mystery as to why the seniors seem to always come out the winners, no matter who they are, comes down to experience, according to Givens. “For Powder Puff, for floats, for rallies, experience is invaluable,” Givens said. “The longer you do it, the better you get at something. So I think the seniors just learn what

works and what doesn’t.” The general reward for winning the spirit point competi-tion has been either discounted or free Quad dance tickets at the end of the year, which the seniors have come to expect. “We don’t get (that discount) unless we actually win everything, so it’s an incentive not just an award for the seniors,” Farrell said. With their system in place, student government still hears shouts of “rigged” coming from even the seniors and every class below them. “No one should let me have this job if I actually rigged something,” Givens said. “So it hurts my feelings and…it offends me.” While the people involved with spirit points persistently hold their stance that their system is fair, GBHS students could very well be yelling “Fixed!” from Homecoming to Quad dance. “No (I don’t rig it and) in fact, if I could rig them,” Giv-ens joked, “I would make seniors not win (events) just to prove that I don’t rig stuff.”

Subject tests: Another part to the testing that goes into the college application process is SAT subject tests.

Universities do not require them, however they can supposedly only help an application if a student was to take

and submit their scores.

“When they say they recommend you take it or they’ll consider it, it’s like requiring the test,” Becker said.

Tastor’s and Becker’s prep course does not involve subject test preparation, but Becker has shared that he has

done prep sessions if enough students have approached him for help on the SAT subject test math level two exam.

Course selection: SAT or ACT testing usually begins during junior year and can carry on through the beginning of senior year.

However, GPA and course selection is something to be focusing on much earlier in the game.

Jessica Reese, who graduated from GBHS this past spring, is just starting her freshman year at Harvard Uni-

versity and has tips to share from her application process that have obviously paid off in her benefit.

“(Advanced Placement) courses are really great for helping you try your strengths and weaknesses and for get-

ting into (colleges),” Reese said. “Within (the AP) program, my course selection focus was just to take the most

rigorous courses you can take.”

Reese’s advice is to challenge yourself at whatever level that might mean for you and your academic speed.

Extracurricular activities:

Showing interest in a particular passion is also a key component colleges look for in applications.

“It’s not the amount of extracurriculars you do,” Gieck said. “It’s that you have a leadership role (in them)

and (that) it’s over the course of a length of time.”

These activities could include anything offered in school, athletics programs or out-of-school activities like

church involvement or volunteering.

For Reese, that interest was writing, as she held the position of co-editor-in-chief on the Granite Bay Gazette

for two years and also started her own successful blog outside of school.

“I think the key to college is to show them that you’re passionate about something,” Reese said, “because

they can find people who do everything…but…what colleges want to see is that you’re committed to something

and that you do well in it.”

Recommendation letters:

Part of the application process that Reese dealt with when applying to Harvard was obtaining recommenda-

tion letters which are required for most private schools.

While Gieck suggests that letters from core academic teachers are what these universities are looking for, it’s

important that the teachers who write them are not randomly selected, according to Reese.

“(Choose) someone who knows you beyond just a name on a seating chart and in the gradebook,” Reese

said. “They can give you a better recommendation.”

There is a recommendation letter outline on Naviance, provided by the counselors, that is required to be

filled out when requesting a recommendation letter from a teacher, in order to give them some more back-

ground on the student’s personality and their attributes.

College counselors: For help getting into college, college “coaches” or advisors have been a questionable tactic around GBHS

students. Some have claimed these advisors have some kind of pull at universities where their clients apply

to, but Reese and Gieck both said they are just helpful to walk first-timers through the process.

Gieck points students towards Naviance which offers a College Match search as well as information on

different colleges. For current seniors, help will be provided at the Senior Advising session on Sept. 19 start-

ing at 7:30 A.M. “This information is at every student’s fingertips,” Gieck said. “The reality is…the student and nobody

else can really play a role in their acceptance.”

Application essays: The essay portion of UC or private university applications is a new hurdle that comes into play around

senior year. Reese advised to start thinking about the essay the summer before starting senior year. However,

seniors are not behind if they haven’t written them by this point.

“On the essays, don’t be afraid to be quirky,” Reese said. “They’ll remember you better if you’re a

little odd.” Gieck explained that the UC’s all have the same outline for a personal statement while the private

universities have their own version of a personal statement.

The personal statement or essay portion is an opportunity for the student to give universities a peek

into their personality, their life and their goals.

“Check for typos,” Reese said. “That’s another big (tip).”

COLLEGE: Tips and information about the college application process

Continued from page B3

RALLIES: ASB and rally judges claim no bias toward seniors during school activities

Continued from page B1

“I was really depressed and wanted to commit suicide, but I chose to live and I’ve lived my life (to the fullest),” senior Shelby Carlson said amongst a lunchtime group of friends. Since the 2012-2013 school year began, the campaign has attracted notice around campus. Students are reminded of it hourly, simply by looking at the classroom clocks and noticing the clock posters that say “It’s hard to hate someone who’s story you know.” Student government also created a large poster that they hung on the first week of school, asking people “What’s Your Story?” “Hopefully the students will rec-ognize that we don’t need to know everyone’s story, just that everyone

has one.” Finkemeier explained. Her goal for the campaign is for everyone to take the actions and words seriously and value the time being spent to make the student body more aware of one another. “The ‘What’s Your Story’ cam-paign offers an opportunity for students to go beyond the super-ficial and to find a balance in life that will fuel the inner strength of our educational community,” Mat-tix said. In order to achieve this chal-lenge, Finkemeier plans on con-tinuing to introduce the campaign during the first quarter of the school year with small reminders around campus. The campaign will really begin making an impact on Oct. 19 when guest speaker Tyler Durman will speak at a school assembly.

Durman is a motivational speaker who uses stories to inspire schools into making more accept-ing environments. This assembly will be a kickoff to the Ripple Effect campaign. The week of Oct. 21 will be the Ripple Effect week at GBHS. This is a change from the past two years, where the anti-bullying campaign has occurred during the spring semester. Finkemeier hopes that making the Ripple Effect week to earlier in the school year will allow it to have a greater impact throughout the year. “In the meantime, we are trying to publicize the theme through the “Challenge of the Week” as well as through a new segment on the bulletin, ‘Through Their Eyes,’ ” Finkemeier said.

The “Challenge of the Week” will be chosen by the student government and advertised on a big poster in the quad. This will feature challenges to the students such as “pick up trash” or “meet three new people.” Meanwhile, the GBHS media team will be filming a “Through Their Eyes” segment featuring students sharing facts and opinions about themselves. The goal of these stories will be to showcase the fact that many students have their own individual stories. Students from the 2011-2012 school year may remember the culture campaign’s theme, “Make a Difference.” “After the theme from last year, we really saw changes in the school,” Finkemeier said in an

interview for granitebaytoday.org. While last year’s theme was a start to positively influencing the culture at GBHS, student govern-ment hopes that this year will be even better. “We find it to be more relatable and personable,” Finkemeier said. While a huge difference has not yet been seen on campus, the support for the campaign has been clear. “We have gotten a lot of positive feedback from the staff,” Finke-meier said. The culture of GBHS will not be changed unless the students take a real interest in it. “Ultimately, students have the greatest seat in which to steer the GBHS culture on an even greater positive path,” Mattix said. While the story of this school

culture has not yet been written for the 2012-2013 year, Finkemeier has no doubt that it is going to be a good one. “(Student government) sees great potential in the amount of prog-ress that can happen this year,” Finkemeier said. “Our school has some really wonderful individu-als that make it a happy place to be, and we look forward to seeing more of it.”

STORY: ASB shares hopes for effects of new campus culture campaignPaigeFinkemeierASB president explains her viewpoint for creating the new GBHS culture campaign.

www.GraniteBayToday.org

Gazette illustration/LENA EYEN

Friday, September 14, 2012 w The Granite Bay GazetteB6 Lifestyle

Gazette illustration/HAYLEY MCAVOYGazette photo /kriSTin TAYLOr

Does anyone “like” Facebook anymore?Students lose interest in once trendy social network site

BY MYLES SLATTErYmslattery.gazette@gmail.com

Is Facebook losing its status among the millennial crowd? What was once the top dog in the world of online social gather-ing now seems to be losing its popularity among students. Junior Nick Palmer gives input as to why Facebook isn’t as trendy as it once was. “I no longer use Facebook because (developers) keep mak-ing Facebook (less enjoyable),” Palmer said. The ‘timeline’ that was re-cently added to Facebook seems to have created a lot of dissatis-faction among users.

Sophomore Davis Pae feels this same disappointment about the new timeline. “(The developers) changed the design too much,” Pae said. “I feel as if things aren’t organized very well.” In addition to the timeline, the increasing number of nuisances has played an imperative role in the increasing aversion toward Facebook. “Having to see an ad every second while I’m browsing is quite annoying,” junior Aidan Naughton said. “Spam is also really irritating. People telling you to ‘like this post or else’ just kind of takes away from the interest in Facebook.”

These factors definitely seem to be leading Facebook to its dismay, but what seems to be the paramount draw away from Facebook is the competition of other social networking sites. Twitter is a main example of what many GBHS students are replacing Facebook with. “I like Twitter more than Face-book because I can connect with a close group of friends rather than an overpopulated group of people,” junior Danielle Scribner said. Along with a more precise friend bubble, Twitter enables users to interact with celebrities, partake in trending subjects and receive or give “retweets”.

Instagram , although owned by Facebook, has also steadily eaten away at the popularity of Facebook. “Instagram is cool because you can add a filter to (a picture) really easily,” Palmer said. “I use Instagram instead of Facebook because it’s cooler.” Although it may sound inad-equate, being “cool” seems to be the name of the game for social networking sites. “I don’t like Facebook because no one goes on it anymore,” Pae said. Although many students still have a Facebook, most have simply decreased their usage, or stopped their usage altogether.

However, some students have taken it upon themselves to com-pletely delete their profile. “I decided to delete my Facebook because I never used it after I got a Twitter and an Instagram,” Scribner said. Facebook has seen an increase in the number of older users (those older than 18), but a de-cline in new teenage members. “Kids don’t like Facebook anymore because it’s not new and cool like Twitter or Insta-gram,” Naughton said. Although Facebook may try to create a newer, more teen friend-ly website, it seems as though many teenagers have moved on to bigger and brighter things.

Many students simply do not have time to get on their com-puters for Facebook, Instagram or Twitter; instead, they prefer to check these social media sites on the go. Mobile accessibility is a valued aspect for many teenage users. “Twitter and Instagram are easier to use on my iPhone. I don’t want to sit down at the computer to go on (those sites.) I want to be able to get on when-ever I want,” Palmer said. It seems as though many teenagers no longer like Face-book, and instead are broadening their horizons to other social networks.

As the Granite Bay High School fresh-men football team lined up in a drill learning how to tackle, the boys on the team couldn’t help but count ahead to who would have to go up against Emily Moss. Moss, the only female player on the team, is among the 1,561 females who played football for their high school team, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations. Although comfortable on the team now, Moss had to cross a few boundaries enter-ing a male dominated sport as a female.

SportSFridayw September 14, 2012

C SectionGranite Bay Gazette

austin downs

Commentary

adowns.gazette@gmail.com

The ‘steroid era’ has gone on for too longWhen I found out that Lance

Armstrong had been stripped of his seven Tour De France titles due to illegal drug use, I knew exactly what I wanted to say. Luckily for me, Armstrong already said the words for me in his testimony to the United States Anti-Doping Agency: “Enough is enough.” And you know what? He’s right. Enough is enough. During my childhood, I grew up with many sport icons. Among them were Armstrong, Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire and others. So, you can imagine my sorrow when both Bonds and McGwire were involved in steroid-related cases. But now Armstrong? Armstrong? The man who battled testicular cancer and bounced back from that to go on to win one of the world’s most prestigious bicycle races a consecutive seven times in a row was in fact involved with illegal steroid use? Not only is it unfair to the com-petition among your sport, it also is unfair to the future athletes of that sport. Suppose that over the course of the next five years, a new and unheard athlete wins the Tour de France five consecutive times in a row. In a world where athletes do not use steroids and play by the rules and regulations established, the response should rightfully be a response of admiration and aston-ishment. However, in the reality that we are now accustomed to living in because of steroid-users like Armstrong and many others, the response to the athlete’s amazing Tour de France accomplishments will be of skepticism and doubt. And that’s what saddens me. The fact that this is now the sport world’s reality saddens me. No athlete, for any matter, should have to be accused of illegal or immoral action simply because of the underlying fact that the athlete is being compared to past athletes who used steroids But what really frustrates me about the steroid era we now live in is the reasoning the athletes had for using them. In 2006, Bonds, playing for the San Francisco Giants, made in one season just over $19 million. Now, whether or not he was or was not using illegal steroids at this time in his career, he has made more money in a single season playing baseball than I will ever make with a standard-paying job in my lifetime. So then when Bonds decides to enhance his performance to stay at the top of his game, here is what I take it as: “Oh hey, Austin, you know how I have already made an unbelievable amount of money by playing the sport I love? Yeah, well, I think I’m going to cheat in order to make even more money and set new records. I hope that’s OK!” And now, with more and more reports coming out about even more athletes who used steroids, I can only hope that the “steroid era” that we have been living through these past years is on the downward slope. Because to me, sports at the professional level is about watching and rooting for athletes who have worked hard to get where they are, not getting there through cheating.

*** Austin Downs, a senior, is a Gazette sports co-editor.

Freshman Emily Moss stands out as only girl in the GBHS football program BY KRISTIN TAYLOR

ktaylor.gazette@gmail.com

Grizz Quiz C2

rising Star C3

Sports Briefs r C5

Downside of sport succesCompetitive and successful teams at GBHS cause many talented players to be cut.

C2

Son of basketball legendSophomore Kendrick Jackson’s basketball skills impress many.

C3

Fall Sports Previewmany sports teams at GBHS are looking forward to an exciting season.

C4

Program has been completely revamped BY NICOLETTE RICHARDS

nrichards.gazette@gmail.com

Gazette photos /

KRISTEN TAYLOR

The Granite Bay Grizzlies foot-ball team is off to a bit of a rocky start thus far, as they’ve lost their first two games of the season. The early season struggles are most likely due to the level of competition they’ve faced. Their first two games came

Varsity football team hopes to improve record

See FOOTBALL, page C5

wFreshman cornerback Emily Moss, left, listens to the national anthem along with her fellow teammates. Right, she advances the ball up the field against a game against Del Oro High School.

In previous years, the dance team at Granite Bay High School has danced and performed at the rallies and games, executing can-can kicks and splits with ease, yet the team’s reputation as the “drill team” still made it seem unimpressive and lacking in quality. However, this year the dance team has gone “extreme”. No longer including the name “drill” in their title, the Extreme See DANCE, page C5

wDuring a practice last week, the defen-sive team rushes for a sack on the quar-terback.

Gazette photo /KRISTEN TAYLOR

Heat effects on sportsHigh temperatures cause many teams to take extra measures to avoid problems

BY EMMA GRACYKegracyk.gazette@gmail.com

After a tiring day of school, most students have the option of going home to a cool, air-conditioned house to unwind from their day at school. However, for Granite Bay High School fall athletes, they do not have the luxury of going home. The sports they have committed to require after school practice. During the first month of school, temperatures were rarely below 90 degrees in Granite Bay. Yet, most athletes are able to

deal with the heat because of the familiarity they have with it. “I think if you practice in (the heat) you just kind of get used to it,” junior Lauren Bohnam from the girl’s tennis team said. “You have to put it out of your mind and try your hardest no matter what.” Varsity boys and junior varsity girls soccer coach Lance Fisher makes the point that since most of the boys on the school soccer team play club soccer, they are acclimatized to the heat.

See HEAT, page C5

BY BLAKE ALLENballen.gbt@gmail.com

inside sports

tomorrow, I’d support her in that too.” Moss’s younger brothers also enjoy hav-ing an older sister on the football team. “They think it’s really cool because now they can use me as a threat when people are being mean to them at school,” Emily said. Despite being the only girl on the team, she hasn’t experienced any different treatment. The only difference Moss has experienced so far is having a separate locker room to change in and her pads not fitting as comfortably. “She’s got to pull her weight just like everybody else if she wants to see playing

against Westlake High School and Oaks Christian High School, two of the best teams in the state. The Grizzlies lost to Westlake 24-6, and Oaks Christian 48-13. “There’s some really good football in southern California, coach Ernie Cooper said, “We’re going to learn from (our losses), and we’ll bounce back.” Westlake made it to the Open Division State Bowl Game last season, a bowl game in which the top two teams in the state face off.Oaks Christian is ranked second in the state and 12th in the entire country. Neither of the Grizzlies’ first two games were particularly close,

Upsetting the gender roles in sports

“(The boys) were a little timid to wrap up and really just tackle,” coach Ryan Beidler said. “It took them a couple of repetitions just to finally realize, ‘Ah, she’s playing football and we’re just go-ing to do this’.” For her, the favorite part about playing is tackling. As a cornerback on defense, she’s allowed to do just that. “I have to think that whoever she knocked out of bounds (at last week’s game) is getting rammed heavily by his teammates for the rest of the season,” father Jeffrey Moss said. “I take a little pleasure in that and I hope she does too.” Moss’s interest in football came as a surprise to her family when in 8th grade

she decided to go out for the flag football team at Olympus Junior High School. After that season ended, she realized that she had a knack for the sport and joined the freshmen team in June. “We play catch with her and there’s an occasional game of football the front yard, but not often enough that I would have expected her to be doing this or anything,” Jeffrey said. Although surprised by Moss’s decision play high school football, her family has been extremely supportive, wearing Griz-zly gear and attending games when they can. “Whatever she wants to do, I support her in,” Jeffrey said. “If she wanted to quit

Bouncing back from two difficult preseason losses

but that’s no surprise consider-ing the competition they were up against. Both teams the Grizzlies faced had multiple scholarship athletes, most notably Dashon Hunt of Westlake, as well as Brandon Dawkins and Francis Owusu of Oaks Christian.The team struggled with penalties in the first two games, an issue they will need to correct going forward in the season if they want to be successful. However, GBHS is still a favorite to win the SFL title this year because of the team’s depth

Dance team comes under new leaders

See FEMALE, page C5

Dance Team has upped their status and quality at GBHS. With new uniforms, techniques

and dancers, the team aspires to live up to the hype of its newly adopted name and reputation. Veteran dancer Melissa Morse especially liked the style of the new uniform. “This year’s uniforms are a lot better than they have been in the past…I can’t wait for the rest of the school to see them,” Morse said. Along with the new look, the

dance program has procured a fresh perspective with new coach Cara Bennett. She has danced her whole life

I can’t wait for the rest of the school to see (the new uniforms).

– Senior Melissa Morse

Friday, September 14, 2012 w The Granite Bay GazetteC2 Sports

Programs full of dominant players leave many others out of the game Granite Bay High School has a rich tradition of having many of the best sports programs in the Sacramento area and in the state of California. GBHS had five section champi-on teams and one state champion last year, an impressive feat. This success is good in many ways: it brings recognition to the hard work of athletes and coaches and inspires others to do their best in their respective fortes. The goal of every athletics program is to win, and the GBHS sports programs have done that more than any other high school in the area. However, successful sports programs do have some negative consequences, a subject that is not so frequently explored. One of these drawbacks to suc-cess is that many students are not talented enough to be competi-tive for a spot on highly selective Granite Bay sports teams. Many students have become highly specialized by joining year- round sports teams. These ath-

BYJONAH POCZOBUTTjpoczobutt.gazette@gmail.com

Madisyn Donnels

GrizzQuiz

Where is your favor-ite place to get frozen yogurt?

What is your favorite Wii sport to play?

What is your favorite flavor of Jamba Juice?

Where did you go this summer?

What is your favorite TV show?

Girls’ Volleyball Dance TeamLaurel Stokes

Cross CountryKatie Mersereau

Boys’ SoccerJ.C. Nichols

FootballZak Lilley

Breaking Bad

Strawberry Wild

Santa Cruz

Bowling

Nuyo

White Collar

Mango-a-Go-Go

Hawaii

Tennis

Nuyo

Pretty Little Liars

i don’t like smoothies

Dominican Republic

Tennis

Nuyo

Pretty Little Liars

Caribbean Passion

Paris

Tennis

Big Spoon

Pysch

Strawberry Surfrider

L.A.

Bowling

Nuyo

Composed by Kristin Kurpershoek

Fantasy football is an exciting way for fans to experience the game

BY MYLES SLATTERYmslattery.gazette@gmail.com

Fantasy football, for many male GBHS students, is a part of their reality. However, to a fantasy football outsider, the concept may seem a little blurry. Essentially, one drafts a team of professional NFL football players, in which these players earn points based upon their performance. For junior Nick Palmer, fantasy football is a big part of his life that he looks forward to each year. “When football season arrives I get very excited for my fantasy league draft,” Palmer said. Many fantasy football leagues have a fee to join in order to pool money together for a reward that goes to the winner at the end of the season. “Having a money prize gives you an incentive to

wWhile athletes enjoy the success of GBHS’ many highly selective teams, these programs have students vying for a few coveted spots, causing students to be left on the sidelines or deciding to forgo the high school sport altogether.

Gazette photo /LUKE CHIRBAS

letes would be a shoe-in to make a team at any other high school, but at GBHS they are far from it. This leads to a high number of would-be athletes being cut from sports teams. Junior Chase Goulart is one of these athletes. “I have played for Placer United for eight years now (practicing) three times a week. I played (for Granite Bay) my freshman and sophomore year,” Goulart said. Goulart was also a co-captain of the junior varsity team last year. However, he did not make the varsity team this year. Lifelong competitive soccer players are not typically cut from their high school teams, but this is the harsh reality of the GBHS varsity soccer program. “The caliber of soccer at Granite Bay is much higher,” Goulart said. Even the players that were not cut from the team face many chal-lenges due to the success of the GBHS soccer program. Playing time is another major problem that occurs for athletes playing on elite teams. Junior

Armin Anderson said that his playing time will be significantly decreased because he plays for GBHS. Being part of a successful pro-gram also comes with increased pressure to perform. Even in team sports, the blame for loses almost always falls on individual players or key mistakes. This factor affected junior goal-keeper Joey Perjanik’s decision to leave the varsity soccer team this year. “I made the team after trying out but (…) I decided that I shouldn’t play this year,” Perjanik said. The factor of representing one’s school also increases the amount of pressure that high school ath-letes feel. “I feel like with my peers around me, if I messed up I would look worse than compared to a club team.” Perjanik said. This pressure to succeed is prevalent in other sports too. The GBHS swim team has ex-perienced uninterrupted prosperity for the last 15 years. In that time span, both the girls’ and boys’

swim teams have not lost a single league meet, have won every single league championship, and have collectively produced five section championships in the last five years. Consequently, the team is expected to win every single meet this season and contend for a sec-tion title.

“I use (the pressure) as motiva-tion for the team, but (…) there is pressure,” varsity swim coach John Sherman said. This constant success has caused a change in the overall swim program. The most presti-gious meet that Sacramento high school teams can attend is the sec-tion championship meet, which all

participating swimmers must meet a certain time standard. At the end of everything, the fo-cus of teams has to be on winning. “(The GBHS team) will always win league championships, so in order to be a big part of the team you have to (perform) at sections,” junior swimmer Chase Cooper said.

try and win,” senior Wyatt Nagler said. For many, fantasy football is a way to enjoy Sundays and have fun watching football. Having a group of friends is also a necessity to many partakers. GBHS sports journalism teacher Kyle Holmes, also a freelance writer for USA Today at Thehu-ddle.com, feels there is a strategy to choosing who one forms a fantasy league with. “You want a good combination of people, (ranging from) good competition (to) a couple rook-ies,” Holmes said, “you also want a group of people that you are going to talk to throughout the week.” Holmes believes that staying involved in one’s league, staying up to date on statistics, and monitor-ing one’s team is essential. “You need to watch the games on Sunday so you can pick up the players who have been playing well,”

Holmes said. Although there is a competitive aspect to fantasy football, having fun is the first priority to GBHS students. “Overall, I just do it for fun, I want to be able to watch football every Sun-day and enjoy it,” Geraghty said. Being a champion of your league has its benefits: bragging rights, prize money, and the sweet, sweet taste of victory. “After winning my first fantasy football championship, I finally felt the wonderful feeling of having money in my pocket and the smell of victory in the air,” junior Vinny Esposito said. Fantasy football is beneficial to the NFL because of the increase in the

number of fans. According to AdWeek.com, there are 27 million fantasy football players, including the professional athletes themselves. “A lot of people criticize fantasy football and say that it is taking away from the integrity of the game,”

Holmes said, “but I think if more people are enjoying the game, that’s okay in my book.” Although fantasy foot-ball seems to be purely beneficial, Michael Geraghty sees the cons to this time-consum-ing game as well. Whether it’s known this online hobby can have its drawbacks. “Fantasy football is really fun, but it can get pretty addicting,” Geraghty said, “if you’re not careful, you can find yourself putting off homework and wasting time.”

Sports success can have tough downside

You need to watch games on Sunday to pick up players who have been play-

ing well.

– Kyle Holmes,sports journalism

teacher

Having a money prize gives you

an incentive to try and win.

– Wyatt Nagler, senior

Professional football is just one click away

Your names. Your faces. The Gazette.

Friday, September 14, 2012 w The Granite Bay Gazette C3Sports

“Roll Tribe! Roll Tribe!” Decked out with white-painted legs, green face paint and a green jester hat, this Grizzly enthusi-ast invigorates fellow students with school spirit as he yells that familiar chant. Junior Jackson Rodriguez started following Granite Bay High School’s athletics in 8th grade and he’s been a fan ever since. As a junior, Rodriguez has since become extremely involved in the Tribe, the student cheering section, leading supporters in cheers during the football season. “I want everyone to cheer and be part of the school spirit, and not be embarrassed to show it,” Rodriguez said. Although spirit is high, Rodri-guez has serious plans for im-provement and plans for change. “We’re going to have different t-shirts, tailgating services, face paint and masks,” Rodriguez said. “We’re revamping the vibe that is The Tribe.” Rodriguez feels The Tribe is more than a cheering section, but a positive reflection of GBHS. “By coming out to games, we’re showing our dedication as students and showing other schools we’re better than them,” Rodriguez said. “There’s more to sports than just being a specta-tor.” “The more students we have, the more voices we have, which can have a huge impact on the game,” Rodriguez said. For the rest of the football season, Rodriguez hopes to re-start the Dog Pound and fill two bleachers of fanatical students. With new improvements and an already established fan base, Rodriguez hopes to make The Tribe an exciting group full of camaraderie. “No one leaves the Tribe with a frown on their face,” Rodri-guez said.

In the beginning of the school year, students at Granite Bay High School are just getting settled into the swing of things. However, the swimming pool is already teeming with life as the boy’s Varsity Wa-ter Polo team practices and trains religiously for their upcoming games. Among them, one sun-bleached head stands out against the rest. Liam Bell is part of the Varsity Water Polo team as a freshman, and works just as hard, if not more, than the average athlete to keep up. The polo prodigy stands out not for lack of skill, but for his young age. At 14, Bell has already played water polo competitively for five years for the American River Water Polo Club. This past summer, Bell trained with the

varsity team, proving he can keep up with the big dogs in the pool. But when

Coach MacLeane approached him to be a part of the team, he was completely shocked. “I came to the JV meet-ing expecting to play for JV, then MacLeane came up and told me I needed to do var-sity,” Bell said. MacLeane said that Bell will play

some JV and varsity games. He explained that “the idea of putting him in JV where he’d basically be learning to tread water and basic offense defense” didn’t seem right. “It will definitely be a challenge for him,” MacLeane said, “but I feel it will be better for him to develop faster.”

Bell primarily plays center defender, and describes himself as decently fast and that he can “see the pool really well.” “The depth of knowledge that he has really puts him in the game[…]he won’t get lost when we are talking about stuff,” MacLeane said, adding playfully, “He knows, or I’ll kill him.” Bell comes from an athletic family. He’s a triplet, and his two sisters, Maggie and Bridget, play varsity cross country and volleyball, keeping their mom busy. Outside of the pool, Bell enjoys reading and participating in student government at school. His future prospects are to play polo in college, but for now, Bell wants to focus on being a freshman and enjoying the rest of his high school career. Bell’s goals for the upcoming season are to improve overall as a player, and have fun with his team. The next four years should be a snap for this athletic star.

Freshman excels on Varsity water polowLiam Bell preparing to launch off the wall in a Varsity practice.

Son of former NBA star shinesWorking hard to have success past high school

BY KEVIN BURNSkburns.gazette@gmail.com

At over six feet tall, Kendrick Jackson casts a big shadow, yet he still stands under a bigger one. Kendrick, a sophomore varsity basketball player at Granite Bay High School, is the son of former Sacramento Kings player and Sixth Man of the Year award winner, Bobby Jackson. Kendrick knows it will be tough to live up to expectations, but he is not fazed by the pressure. He idolizes Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant, who was also the son of a professional basketball player, Joe “Jellybean” Bryant. “I just try to play my own game and not worry about other people’s opinions of me,” Kend-rick said. He does not want to take the same path of his father, who went to Western Nebraska Community College for three years, and then University of Minnesota for two. “I would like to play probably at Michi-gan State or Kansas, my favorite [college],”

Kendrick said. And that is just what Bobby wants – for his son to not repeat what he did in his career. “I think he shouldn’t try to follow my footsteps. Those are some big shoes to fill,” he said. Some might think that having a profes-

sional athlete as a parent would be a burden on the kids, but that is not the case for the Jackson family. “I am very critical of him and I critique him a lot,” Bobby said. “But it is only to make him better.” Despite the constant evaluation of his son’s game, Bobby knows that the key to success is “lov-ing the game. The most important thing is to love the game.” Another key to winning is hard work, and GBHS varsity basketball coach Jason Sitterud knows this.

He believes that all his players should work as hard as they can if they want to be the best player they can be. “If Kendrick works as hard as his dad, he could be just as good or even better,” Sit-terud said. Aidan Naughton, a varsity basketball

player at GBHS, agreed with his coach and thinks that Kendrick could be the best player on the team in a couple years. “Kendrick has potential, but the most important way for him to become the star of the (varsity basketball) team is if he really buys into the Granite Bay (High School) basketball program,” Naughton said, “He can (be great); he just has a lot of work to do.” If Kendrick can implement this hard-work ethic into his current and future basketball career, he can be a great athlete. He knows this, and when he grows up, he hopes to play in the National Basketball Association, like his father. “One day I would like to make it (to the NBA),” Kendrick said. It is not easy to make it to the NBA, considering only about .02% of high school basketball players play on a professional team as an adult. Sitterud, though, seems to think that Kendrick has the talent to achieve greatness. “(Kendrick) is a very skilled player, that’s for sure,” Sitterud said. Despite all the pressure, Kendrick be-lieves that he has the skill, work ethic and determination to be better than his dad. “I would love to play much, much, much better than (my dad),” Kendrick said. Regardless of his determination, follow-ing his father’s footsteps will not be a walk in the park, as Bobby was a key part of many organizations throughout his basket-ball career. As a member of the University of

Minnesota Golden Gophers basketball team, Bobby led the Golden Gophers to the Final Four in the very popular National Col-legiate Athletic Association. After being taken 23rd overall in the 1997 NBA Draft by the Seattle Supersonics (now the Oklahoma City Thunder), Bobby spent three years on various teams before becom-ing a member of the Sacramento Kings in 2000, where he succeeded the most and won the award for Sixth Man of the Year in 2003. He was traded in 2005, but returned to the Kings again in 2008, and retired in 2009. Now an assistant coach for the Kings, Bobby has submitted one of the most mem-orable athletic campaigns for a Sacramento athlete, and his son hopes to achieve just as much as his dad. He is able to see a future where he is an NBA star, and so can many others. He has gotten a lot of notice from GBHS students and college scouts. Regardless of all the attention his son is getting, though, Bobby wants his son to be himself. “I don’t want people to see him and say ‘Hey, that is Bobby Jackson’s son,’” Bobby said. “I want them to say ‘Hey, that is Ken-drick Jackson.’”

Senior leads the ‘Tribe’

Starting linebacker prepares for great season and future afterwardsBY AMBER LES

ales.gazette@gmail.com

With the new football season under way, senior Beau Hershberger is not an unknown name in the minds of local Granite Bay High School football fans. “(Hershberger) is what we call a stud-end,” Varsity Coach Mike Valentine said. “He’s the anchor of our defense.” At 6-feet, 2-inches tall and 240 pounds, Hershberger is anything but a small force in the game. Described as a “hard worker” in the weight room and at practice, he has proved to be a key figure for Granite Bay football. The senior inside linebacker and defensive-end started foot-ball for Junior Grizzlies at eight years old. “My dad originally got me involved,” Hershberger said. “And I just never stopped.” Going into high school, Her-shberger continued his football career. “I’ve been coaching (Hersh-berger) since freshman year,” Valentine said. “Since then, he’s learned how to play the game well.”

As a junior, Hershberger was invited to the Nike Football SPARQ Combine in Oakland and was named the Linebacker MVP at the NUC Five-Star Showcase. In his profile for the combine, he was described as the ‘proto-type inside linebacker.’ “Doing the combines gets players recog-nized early,” he said. “It’s a great opportu-

nity.” Getting such recognition may have opened a lot of doors for this senior co-captain. He has reportedly received schol-arship offers from various schools, and is gaining some interest from Pac-12 confer-ence teams. “I’m undecid-ed on if I want to play football in college,” Hershberger said. “I’m keep-

ing my options open. I’m not sure where I’ll end up.” As a captain, Hershberger will have a lot

on his plate. He said that being a captain means “being a leader on the field.” When it comes to his last season at Granite Bay High School, this co-captain is getting a lot of support from his team. “He really gets us pumped up,” senior co-captain Kevin Blank said. “The team would really hurt without him.” This season, many fans question how the team will do with the loss of the senior players last year. “The seniors who graduated can be re-placed,” Hershberger said. “But it’s still a challenge with any team if players leave.” The team recently lost their first two games against Westlake and Oaks Chris-tian, both very tough opponents. “They were very good,” he said. “(The team) needs to focus on how we can be better.” Although overcoming a recent groin injury over summer, Hershberger is ready to continue Granite Bay Football’s streak of success. “I want us to win State,” Hershberger said. “It would be a great way to end our senior year.” Whether Hershberger’s hopes come true, he will be one of many key players to watch this season. “He’s not only an excellent athlete,” Blank said, “but also a good person and a great friend.”

wBeau Hershberger preparing for the next game in practice.

wJackson Rodriguez with members of the Tribe pump up the crowd during a game

BY BRAD WONGbwong.gazette@gmail.com

May be a key player this season

I am very critical of him and I critique him a lot... but it is only to make him

better.

– Bobby Jackson, on his son, Kendrick

BY NICOLETTE RICHARDSnrichards.gazette@gmail.

The sophomore basketball player has a bright future ahead.

Kendrick Jackson

Gazette photo /KAYLIN O’DONNELL

Gazette photo /KAYLIN O’DONNELL

Gazette photo /KRISTIN TAYLOR

Friday, September 14, 2012w The Granite Bay GazetteC4 Sports

-Compiled by Brad Wong and Luke Chirbas

“Compared to last year we will have a tougher season and we’ve moved up to Division I, which means longer and more difficult playoffs. We played well in our tie against our rival, Jesuit, and we want to win the first Division I title in Granite Bay High School history. ” Senior Daniel Sedin

“Our primary goal is to beat Del Oro and win league. We’re a very young team, but we have a lot of potential to be better than last’s year team. I’m really looking forward to this season.”Junior Megan Klinger

“ The team this year is experienced but also young. We’re working to compete and possibly win another section title. We also hope to repeat as league champions for the 15th year in a row.”Senior Max Vigeant

“Our expectations are a lot higher than last year. So far the season is looking very good as we won both preseason matches by more than 20 strokes. We hope to do well at Masters and go to NorCals.” Senior Chiyoh Arai

“As a team we hope to perform well at sections and ulti-mately make it to state. We have a mixed team of junior and senior runners who are especially stepping it up and working harder. We’re a cohesive team unit with many solid runners.”Senior Trent Brendel

“Last year the team got fourth in league and we’d like to change that by becoming league and section champions. We have a very talented but very young team full of sophomores and juniors. As a whole, the season so far is going well.”Coach Mike Saldana

“I think this will be a very strong year for the cross country program. I want to see the team continue to develop throughout the season and perform its best when it matters most. If we do this, I think this can be a very exciting and historic season. ”Coach Kevin Pool

“We should do pretty well with standout players like Nathan Pinckney, Max Vigeant and Jack Ellenthorpe. We hope to take the SFL and finish in the top 3 in sections. ” Coach John MacLeane

“With key players like Paige Lee, Deedra Dollesin, and Chiyoh Arai, we should be very competitive and strive to win league as well as qualify for Masters. ”Coach Jason Sitterud

“Granite Bay Boys’ Soccer is expecting to do fairly well this season with the Thompson players and Dom-inic Scotti. We hope to earn a playoff berth in Divi-sion 1 and hope to compete well in the Sierra Foothill league, which is always difficult and competitive. ” Coach Steve Fischer

“Right now we’re second in the area and we hope win league and make it to sections again. We’re a well balanced team with lots of club experience so we should have a successful season.”Senior Megan Zabrowski

“As a program we’re confident with many strong returning players and new players who will impact the team greatly. We hope to hold on to second place and continue our success, winning all but one pre-season match.”Coach Jamie Ingram

“As a team we plan on being repeat league and sec-tion champions. So far we’re looking great as team and we won the preseason tournament Best of Sacramento Our doubles having really improved and we hope to show our depth at the regional tournament. ”Senior Lily Forlini

“We have a lot of returning players from last year. Some of these girls have been a part of winning 3 section titles already and are focused on getting their fourth. Our goal this season is to start strong and to be intense and aggressive all season long.”Coach Rory Wood

Boys’ soccer

Girls’ water polo

Boys’ water polo

Girls’ golf

Cross country

Girls’ volleyball

Girls’ tennis

“We have a core group of 41 seniors who have played at a high level for the previous three years and we anticipate them playing at a high level this fall. Our motto this year is, Fire is the test of Gold, Adversity of strong men.Coach Ernie Cooper

Football“So far it’s been tough with our first two games since we played two extremely talented teams, but it’s a learning experience. As of now we want to finish on top of our league and become league champions.”Senior Grant Caraway

Boys’ soccer aims high to make history

Friday, September 14, 2012w The Granite Bay Gazette C5Sports

Continued from page C1

acclimatized to the heat. However, just because athletes are able to stand the heat does not mean it is necessarily safe to practice in. Exercising in hot weather in-creases the risk of heat-related ill-nesses, such as heat stroke and de-hydration. If not properly dressed or hydrated, physical activity in the heat could be dangerous. Bohnam experienced the dangers of heat while playing team tennis

SPORTS BRIEFSGirls’ Volleyball

wLast weekend the varsity team took second place in the tournament hosted by Oakridge High School

Cross Country

wThe boys’ team took seventh in the Hornet Jamboree with senior Trent Brendel winning the overall race

wThe girls’ team took 10th in the event

Boys’ Soccer

wJunior Jeff Gaebler scored against Je-suit High School in the 46th minute on last Friday’s match, but the Grizzlies ended up tying 1-1

HEAT: Hot weather causes adjustment to teamsat Johnson Ranch over the sum-mer. “There was this one time when it was 104 degrees, but the tennis courts make it 20 degrees hotter,” Bonham said. “(My partner and I) were getting signs of heat stroke and we had goose bumps and I almost passed out.” While Bohnam was allowed to take a medical break, she contin-ued practice while the coach took it easier on them. Fischer also tries to take it easier on his team when it gets very hot.

“On the extremely hot days, we try to maybe not go quite as long and try to back off on the more strenuous activities,” Fischer said. While coaches are able to control the amount of activity during prac-tice, it is impossible to control the severe heat on game days. “It is a little harder to regulate because everybody is playing as hard as they possibly can,” Fischer said. “On those days, I try to make substitutions much more frequent-ly and I try to provide water.” In some occasions when the heat

wAlthough this is Emily Moss’s first and final season as a Grizzly football player, she hopes to accomplish all of the goals she has set for herself and inspire others to pursue their passions.

Gazette photo /KRISTEN TAYLOR

becomes hazardous, officials will take breaks during the first and second half of the game to hydrate. Cross country has also come up with alternate practice times, so the team does not have to run in the heat. In order to avoid the heat, the team runs Monday evenings as well as Wednesday and Saturday mornings. “When the temperatures are high you can’t get as good of a workout in,” cross country co-coach Kevin Pool said. “After a long day of school, it kind of affects people’s

motivation to get out and run on a really hot day.” Along with scheduling practices at cooler times, cross country tries to help reduce the heat by putting water on the courses and running in the shade when possible. “(The team will) run through sprinklers (and) wear light clothes,” senior Allison Daly said. “Before races, we pour water on our heads. That’s really fun because then you’re sopping wet before you start your race.” While practicing in the heat

can be uncomfortable, it is not dangerous if properly hydrated and dressed. Drinking water even when not thirsty and wearing light-colored, loose clothes are just a few precautions people can do to prevent heat illnesses. “We noticed the performance picks up as the weather starts to get cooler and everyone looks forward to practice a little bit more as we get into October,” Pool said. “I think we all just look forward to it cooling down a bit.”

Continued from page C1

time on the field.” Jeffrey said. “Everything I’ve seen says that if she doesn’t perform well in practice, she’s not going to play.” The coaches make sure that Emily receives the same equal treatment as everybody else. “I have two girls of my own and I’ll treat her like one of my daughters and make sure she’s respected the way she should be respected,” Beidler said. For Emily’s opponents, it’s easy to under-estimate her and she says she is stronger than she looks. In the first game of the season, Moss took notice of the other team sending in fresh players to go up against her with each new play, getting larger and larger in size. “I don’t know if it was on purpose or any-thing like that, but the first guy I knocked flat on his butt when he carried the ball, so they needed someone bigger,” Emily said. Growing up, she had three brothers which led her to toughen up physically. “I think she’s always felt she can go head to head with anybody, male or female,” Jef-frey said. Jeffery said his daughter’s decision to play football wasn’t a feminist statement of any kind on her behalf, but rather her taking on a physical challenge. “I think she just likes that she can tell herself she can do it if she wants to,” Jeffery

FEMALE: Moss looks to finish season strong

FOOTBALL: Hoping to learn from mistakes

said. Because of football’s high injury rate, Moss worries for his daughter’s safety, but only as much as any other parent would over their son. “I think any parent who has a kid who plays football, daughter or son, who isn’t aware of the potential factor for injury is wearing blinders,” Jeffery said. “She’s trained hard all summer just like the guys and she’s in good shape. I just have to leave it and say my prayers and hope nothing hap-pens to her just like every parent does for their kid.” Despite her successful season so far, Emily is planning on this season being her last. Although she is similar in size with most of the boys now, they will soon begin to pass her up in size. At the varsity level, she knows that she would be at a much greater disad-vantage. “They’re just going to get bigger and big-ger and I’m going to say about the same. And I don’t want to look like one of those giant buff girls,” Moss said. Although not playing in the future, she has set high goals for herself and hopes she can improve enough to play first string. In addition to football, Emily has many other interests that occupy her time. She is currently teaching herself guitar and wants to join the choir with her passion for singing. Not only that, she has an interest in the trap

shooting club, another male dominated activity, which she says she’ll have to get into one during of the four years ahead of her at GBHS. “I’d say anybody who wants to go for it should whether it’s a guy or a girl (activity).” Moss said. If you want to do it and the opportunity is there, you should try it.”

defensive sides of the ball. With junior fly back Tony Ellison, senior running back John Cooley and senior fullback Taft Partridge as the pri-mary ball carriers this season, the Grizzlies appear to have a good combination of power and speed in the rushing attack. Senior wide receiver Ty Serna and senior tight end Steven Graber have emerged as the go-to targets for senior quarter-back Grant Caraway in the passing game. Out of the two games so far, Graber and Cooley has been the only one to score a touchdown. “It felt good” Graber said, “But I wish it could have re-sulted in a win.” Offensively, the team made improvements from its first game to its second, capitalizing on field goals and drives when they can. “We moved the ball a whole lot better,” Cooper said. However, as for the offensive line, the players have strug-gled this season. Out of the five starters, four are playing on varsity for the first time. The defense has regressed from the first game to the sec-ond. The Grizzlies’ standout defensive end, senior J.R. Calton, received a blow to an already injured shoulder, which forced him to miss the majority of the first game as well as the second. Despite the injuries, losses and tough schedule, the team’s optimism remains high. Some other members of the team, such as sophomore Cameron Smith and senior Beau Hersh-berger, have played well in the absence of Calton. Although the team is not off to a great start this season, they still have a lot of time to improve. Cooper believes the team still has potential. “We [have improved] on both sides of the ball,” Cooper said.

Continued from page C1

DANCE: Experience and effort will lead team to a strong year and was a competitive gymnast. Along with that, she was affili-ated with the Women’s National Basketball Association team the Sacramento Monarchs Momen-tum stunt team. She also danced six years for the Sacramento Kings with GBHS dance teacher, Deserie Milburn. The experience of the new coach will impress upon the team influencing a major rise in quality of performance and professional-ism by the dancers. “The uniforms have been up-dated, routines are more challeng-ing and the whole feel of the team has been elevated,” Bennett said. With a heavy dance background, Bennett has brought also a new perspective to the team. “It’s not just about dance,” Bennett said, “It’s about physical fitness, nutrition and representa-tion of the team.” The dancers agree that Bennett has a lot in store for the team, with new dances and styles. This year, the coach will be dancing with the girls instead of having them come up with routines on their own. “The coaches are very open-

minded to the team’s opinions,” Morse said. Senior Jill Underveth and junior Brittany Jensen are those amongst the fresh faces to the team, and express that they are really enjoying being apart of the new ‘Extreme’ Dance Team. “I was nervous at first just be-cause of how the dance team was looked at (in past years), Under-veth said. “But after the first rally, it is just so much more different than (the past team).” She describes the new coach as energetic and believes she will really help the team improve. Jensen remarked about the team in general, in saying that the girls this year are more bonded and get along very well, which is encouraging for the team in their metamorphosis into a new, more intense team. The Extreme Dance team will improve throughout the year, and then possibly partake in competi-tions when they are strong enough as a unit. “ The ladies are just getting a feel for performing as a team,” Bennett said. “When we are ready we may compete.” This past summer, the Dance Team participated in a summer

workshop camp at Step 1 Studio in Sacramento. “Our camp covered every-thing from appearance, health and fitness and poise to dance, technique, strength training and flexibility,” Bennett explained. Underveth couldn’t be more excited “(The old team did) very drill and basic cheer stuff,” Underveth said. “We aren’t drill at all, that needs to be known. We have more technique and real dancing with pirouettes and skills.” The progress of the Extreme Dance Team is evident, and can only increase as the year contin-ues. Overall, Unverfurth is optimistic for the year. “We have changed a lot in other peoples’ eyes too”, Under-veth said, “which has helped the Extreme Dance team remold their image into a talented and respect-able part of the school.” Overall, Bennett feels that the change to the entire team is at the core positive. “We have created a dynamic,” Bennett said, a “high powered dance team to entertain the crowd and promote Granite Bay High School and the community.”

Continued from page C1

The Gazette.Delivering the hard news of Granite Bay

Football

wThe team had the week off but resume preseason play against Vacaville High School tonight

wSenior Colin Brown went two for two on field goal attempts against Oaks Christian High School

wThe Grizzlies suffered from four offensive fumbles against OCHS

-Compiled by Austin Downs

Granitebaytoday.org

Friday September 14, 2012w The Granite Bay GazetteC6 Sports

AT A GLANCE

FootballUpcoming Games:w9/14 vs. Vacavillew9/21 va. Pittsburgw9/28 vs. Lincolnw10/5 vs. Roseville

Record as of 9/7/12: 0-2

“We hope to win State this year,” Beau Hershberger said.

Girls’ Water PoloUpcoming Games:w9/18 vs. Rocklinw9/20 @ Woodcreekw9/25 @ Nevada Unionw9/27 vs. Roseville

Record as of 9/7/12: 1-0

Boys’ Water PoloUpcoming Games:w9/18 vs. Rocklinw9/26 @ Davisw9/27 vs. Rosevillew10/2 vs. Bear River

Record as of 9/7/12: 0-0

“We hope to take the SFL and finish in the top three in Sections,” Coach John MacLeane said.

Boys’ SoccerUpcoming Games: w9/19 @ Vista del Lagow9/20 vs. Rosevillew9/25 @ Nevada Unionw9/27 @ Woodcreek

Record as of 9/7/12: 5-2

“We’re going to try to capture the first D1 title in Granite Bay history,” Daniel Sedin said.

Girls’ VolleyballUpcoming Games:w9/15 vs. Harborw9/18 vs. Union Minew9/20 vs. Oakmontw9/26 vs. Roseville

Record as of 9/7/12: 5-1

“We’re confident with many strong returning players,” Coach Jamie Ingram said.

Girls’ TennisUpcoming Matches: w9/18 vs. Rosevillew9/20 @ Nevada Unionw9/25 @ Woodcreekw9/27 @ Roseville

“Our double have really improved,” senior Lily Forlini said.

Cross CountryUpcoming Meets:w9/29 Stanford Invitationalw10/3 SFL #2w10/6 Clovis Invitational

Stats at a Glance

Gazette photo /kRISTIN TAyLOR

Gazette photo /LUkE CHIRBAS

Gazette photo /kRISTIN TAyLOR

Gazette photo /kRISTIN TAyLOR

Gazette photo /kRISTIN TAyLOR

wSophomore Amalia Patrinellis, right, aims to shoot the ball at the scrimmage against Oak-mont on Tuesday, Sept. 4. Going for goal, junior Zachary Boyle approach-es a one vs. one with the Rio Americano goalie on Tuesday, Aug. 28, middle left. Seniors Ty Serna and Steven Graber, middle right, get pumped up for Meet the Griz-zlies on Thursday, Aug. 16 with an encouraging shoulder bump. In one of the last plays of the game, seniors Nicholas Grace and Oleg Istratiy tackle teammate junior Marc Ellis, bottom left. Senior kiah Drongesen prepares to serve the ball over the net at the game against Rio Americano on Friday, Aug. 31.

The Gazette’s art and entertainment guide September 2012

green screen.

Best Dressed

at DecadesPage 20

Like this scarf and vest?

Page 10-11

Page 2 September 2012calendar.

MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAYSUNDAYIn this Issue

Gazette illustrations/EMMA GRACYK

Page 3Music reviews

Page 4Marvel Movie Connections

Page 6&7Food reviews: Thai food

Page 5 Granite Bay Today

Page 17iPhone 5 Projections

hayley mcavoy

Commentary

hmcavoy.gazette@gmail.com

Page 14&15Summer Vacations

Page 16Mine Craft

Page 10&11 DIY’s

Page 12BirthdayFreebies

Page 8Country trends

I’m a Coffee Addict

Page 18&19Movie reviews

Page 20Decades best dressed

14

28

1519

2417

september

30 october 58 11

Bonfire!

Float building Begins!

Homecoming

RoyaltyHomecomingweek begins

SAT @ GBHS

I started drinking coffee in 5th grade. Granted, then it was more of a sugary milk mixture with a hint of coffee undertone, but nonetheless, that’s where my obsession began.

As the years progressed, so did the amount of actual coffee that went into my morning beverage. I also was drinking it on more of a regular basis. Now, my coffee habits usually entail a morning trip to Starbucks a couple days a week and bringing my own coffee from home for the remaining days. Because of this habit, I am now a ‘gold member’ at Starbucks. A title only given out to those loyal customers who have more than 30 visits in one calender year. I’m 17 years old and one of the biggest coffee distributors in the world has recognized me as one of their most frequent customers. This may seem excessive, but I do it for one simple reason. I’m hooked to caffeine. I need it in the morning to wake up, to stay awake, to keep focused throughout the day and just to function how the average person would without caffeine. I know this is unhealthy, but it’s the life I live. I know that I have a problem, but it’s my decision to continue it as long as it doesn’t harm others. I’ve never had a problem with my supposedly unhealthy habit. I would drink my coffee in my first period class, then go about my day normally. No other teacher of mine has had a problem with it, in fact often times I’ve had teachers who participate in the trend as well, showing up to school with the to-go coffee tumblers. But, for the first time this year, my first period teacher doesn’t allow drinks other than water in class, and specifically named the plastic Starbucks’ cups as prohibited . This is detrimental to me. The one thing I need to function throughout my day has been

And I reserve the right to drink coffee at my desk

taken away from me. This may seem like no problem for some people but, to me, this completely changes my day. I start nodding off, and I have difficulty completely focusing because I’m not fully awake. I can physically feel the difference between days I have coffee and the days I don’t. I’ve also noted that, on my coffee days, I’m in a better mood and more involved in class than the days I do not. Now take all this information and add the fact that I have morn-ing practice two days a week for water polo which requires me to wake up at about 5:30 a.m. and expend all my very limited energy that I have in the morning, on trying to move through the water. I. Need. My. Coffee. Teachers try to give their students all the right tools to succeed, and this particular student needs to drink coffee in the morning in order to succeed. To deny a student the tool they need to achieve, isn’t right. All I want is the opportunity to start my day off right, so I can be prepared and focused for my day. All I want is coffee.

Page 3music.

Skip to: Someday

JACKNIFE LEE

ATLANTIC RECORDS

A-

Matchbox Twenty North

C Skip to: I Will

North by Matchbox Twenty was released on Sept. 4.

Beacon by Two Door Cinema Club was released on Sept. 4.

Two Door Cinema Club Beacon

Northern Irish band Two Door Cin-ema Club’s second album, Beacon, is a musical masterpiece of the

independent rock genre. The album is com-plete with stunning guitar riffs, well-placed electronic beats and heartfelt lyrics. The album’s first 10 songs are excellent examples of well-written, well-played, mu-sic. Two Door Cinema Club wastes no time establishing their style through excellent beginning sections. The introductions to the songs superbly set the tone for most of the songs. They really pave the way for an explosive middle section of intense guitar. Underneath this fast guitar is a low, quick, drum pattern that further increases the fast paced intensity of the album. All of this sounds pretty straightforward. Really solid introductions that lead into an awesome guitar riff, supported by a quick

drum beat. What really sets Two Door Cinema Club apart from their contemporaries is the use of synthesizers in the upper registers that give the band their signature sound. Most of the lyrics in the album describe loss, love, and longing. Unfortunately not all of the lyrics struck a cord in my heart; some were just plain pretentious. An example of this is from the song “Sun”. “I built a hive, became one with the bees, but we fell like rain.” These lyrics and others illustrate the band’s theme, but they left a bad taste in my mouth since the band was reaching too hard to come across as artistic and deep. Luckily, these instances of pretentious lyrical choice were few and far between and did not affect the overall quality of the music too badly. The eleventh song in the album is where everything went wrong. Whereas the first ten were well-written, fast-paced, hard-hit-ting and deep, the eleventh, titled “Beacon,” was none of these.

The album’s trademark was slow and moving introductions that really set up the meat of the song. When the poor intro to “Beacon” began, I sensed something was going to be woefully different. The song then proceeded to ignore the well-placed synthesized beats in the upper keys of the first ten songs. Also, the guitar’s rampant intensity was removed for this song. The lyrics also descended in quality, turn-ing from a tightly written narrative of love and loss into a wailing dribble that did not sound like Alex Trimble’s normal style. The final blow was that the omnipresent, fast, pumping drumbeat was practically gone, leaving an uninspired mess of a song. Fortunately this song was just a fluke. Every song besides “Beacon” was a sublime example of indie rock. Two Door Cinema Club loses points for some pretentious lyrics and a horrible mess of an eleventh song. However it wins points for skilled guitar playing, well-placed beats, and a unique vocal style.

BY THOMAS TAYLORttaylor.gazette@gmail.com

Matchbox Twenty’s new album North, which came out on Sept. 4, is a desperate attempt

by the band to get mainstream attention and unfortunately a failed one as well. Matchbox Twenty’s previous album, Exile on Mainstream, featured some likeable songs, but for the most part, the band has been on a steady decline since the release of their first album in 1996. The new album features some interesting guitar riffs, but the sheer lack of creativity in the lyrics is more than enough to bring this album down. The album’s headline songs, “Parade” and “She’s so mean,” epitomize the uncreative nature of the album. In addition to being uncreative, the

lyrics of the songs on this album also lack emotional depth, which was a surprise coming from a band that had released famously emotional songs in the past, such as “Unwell” and “Push”. The new Matchbox Twenty lyrics echo the themes of modern pop music, rather than containing significant lyrical material. Unfortunately, as one listens through the album, the guitar even begins to become repetitive and annoying. The saving grace of this album is the song “I Will.” This song features an interesting acoustic guitar piece as well as well thought-out lyrics. It was the one song on this album that actually bore some resemblance to the great soft-rock band that Matchbox Twenty used to be. It is important to note though, that this is the only song of that nature in the entire album.

In summary, uncreative lyrics and a repetitive, pop corrupted sound bring this album to a depth lower than Matchbox Twenty has ever been before. This album is a great example of what extreme popularity can do to a great, original band. Complacency and an audience that will buy anything it is given are the enemies of good music. Matchbox Twenty frontman Rob Thomas has experienced much success as a solo artist, and the band has only managed to produce one album in the last 12 years. Both of facts point to deeper issues within the band than just bad music, which may have contributed to the uncreative nature of the album. If anything, it should be remembered as a last hurrah for a once great rock band and nothing more.

Imagine Dragons Night Visions

INTERSCOPE RECORDS

Night Visions by Imagine Dragons was released on Sept. 4.

B Skip to: Radioactive

BY DAN JOHNSONdjohnson.gazette@gmail.com

The new Imagine Dragons album, Night Visions, expresses itself through both the lightheartedness

of the electrical alternative-rock style, as well as a stripped down rock-anthem style, displayed through heavily focused lead vocals while bouncing back-and-forth between different instrumental surges. Between the mix of the laid-back nature of the electrical influences and the more thematic influences of the rock-anthem style, Imagine Dragons have envisioned an album hoping to relate to the masses by appreciating their relationship with their listeners. They stay away from self-indulgent

lyrics as they speak mostly of progress-ing together to a better future. This style of music comes off as a little cheap and mildly unoriginal. But because of these attributes, the album has a way of being pleasing to listen to as the band passes along a little of themselves to the listener. The songs “Demon”, “Radioactive” and “It’s Time” will most likely be their big-gest hits as they can best stand alone. “Demons” displays the band’s ability to value and affirm the listener as they use a nice combination of gentle and subtle musicianship along with lyrics that speak as a friend would. “It’s Time” does much of the same as “Demons”, while “It’s Time” adds an

element of optimism through the slight change in outlook from the present to the future and the use of soft upbeat tempos. “Radioactive,” on the other hand, shows much more action. The song tells of the author’s rise from an apocalypse, while also displaying a type of strength that exudes resilience. Musically, the song is much more intense, and it adds an ele-ment of excitement to the album. Though this album is good, it’s definite-ly not perfect. I certainly could have done without the unsubstantiated drama of “Hear Me,” and I would have appreciated a little more novelty and excitement. Though not a great album, it’s a chill album easy to listen to and relax.

September 2012

BY JONAH POCZOBUTTjpoczobutt.gazette@gmail.com

Page 4 September 2012entertainment.

Marvel Movies Come Together

The Avengers is a combination of four years worth of Marvel moviesWalt Disney Studios

This summer’s movie scene was dominated by Marvel’s earth-saving Avengers. The movie’s connections from the last five big marvel movies

have made The Avengers a great superhero movie. The superheroes featured in The Avengers have united in comic book form since 1963 in Avengers #1. The movie conversion was only released last summer however and it took the box office by storm. According to ABC News, it garnered $200.3 million in its opening weekend. The movie was incredibly popular for several reasons. For some, it was because of the intense action, “It was a big action movie and lots of people like action,” junior Justin Smith said. Another reason is that the movie’s predecessors helped promote the film. “They were almost like promotions for ‘The Avengers.’ The films created the biggest trailer you’ve ever seen,” Matt Patches, a writer for anandtech.com said in an interview with ABC Network. The individual movies that lead up to the Avengers also performed well at the box office. According to boxofficemojo.com, both Iron Man movies combined earned $600 million dollars. Captain America: The First Avenger earned $176 million dollars, Thor earned 181 million dollars and The Incredible Hulk earned 134

million dollars. These movies are about the superheroes’ origin stories, or how they gained their powers. Iron Man’s movie, for example, is about how millionaire and genius Tony Stark creates his suit then fights his first villain “Iron Monger”.

But when the top-secret super agency known as S.H.E.I.L.D. requires all of these different personalities to fight for the same team, they create the Avengers initiative. These superheroes then go on to battle the movie’s main enemy, Loki, who is Thor’s evil brother. This coming together of superhero personas that clash and collide is what really sets this movie apart and puts it above its lead-ins.

“It featured superheroes from movies people already saw (and) liked,” Junior Connor Ryan said. “Avengers had all the heroes in it.” The characters all bicker with one another, whic causes physical altercations in the beginning of the movie. This is not behavior one would expect from the “good guys”. This layout, where the director skips the origin stories of the characters and goes directly into giving the superheroes more life and personality, is unique. Most movies feature some form of exposition, be it a flashback or just a family picture on a dresser in a characters bedroom. All of these things serve to describe the characters and make them seem more real. With most of the exposition already done, director Joss Whedon merely had to take these characters, that some of us have known since childhood, and write about how they would interact with one another. With the awkward exposition taken care of in the five previous films, Whedon could focus on intense action and a more fluid plot then any other superhero movie before it. The question is: what’s next for Marvel? The Avengers had a set up that spanned a decade from the release of the first Iron Man movie. Its connections and shake-ups of the typical superhero movie formula make it the best superhero movie and an example for Marvel to live by in the future.

BY THOMAS TAYLORttaylor.gazette@gmail.com

Five superheroes –The hulk, Captain America, Iron Man and Thor – join forces to battle Loki in The Avengers.

It featured superheores that people already saw (and) liked

– Junior Connor Ryan

Page 5September 2012

Students may not have noticed on the morning bulletins how there is no longer a “Team Silver” or “Team Black.” The newest breakthrough in Granite Bay High School production classes is Granite Bay Today. Also known as the “umbrella” for news and media, Granite Bay Today “is the next step on how (we) improve,” according to sports journalism teacher Kyle Holmes. It all started when Holmes, Gazette adviser Karl Grubaugh and several Gazette and Introduction to Journalism students went to Seattle last spring for a journalism convention. All of them noticed that there was a new level of competition that schools were involving themselves in, which involved school websites for journalistic content. As a result of the Seattle trip, all the GBHS journalism and media programs-- the Gazette, media, yearbook, sports journalism, Introduction to Journalism and the school club that produces the magazine “At the Bay”-- agreed to combine all the different elements and put them in the same place online. Granite Bay Today-- which can be found at granitebaytoday.org-- has a website, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook page. The journalism and media classes hope to have all of these different social networks going full force, Holmes said. In this decade, communications experts agree that media and social networking are everything. (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and many others are what students check regularly.) The need to step-up the publication classes at GBHS

was almost a necessity. This news source is directed mostly toward GBHS students, faculty and members of the Granite Bay community. “Granite Bay Today is more relevant to our age group,” said one of the Granite Bay Today editor-in-chiefs, Zach Burger. Another GBT editor-in-chief, Kate Hurley – who helped spark the conversations last spring that led to Granite Bay Today being created – said all of the social networks are updated as often as the publication classes can release information, though posting on

Instagram and Twitter is not usually done during school hours. It would only make sense to have a Twitter page for Granite Bay Today, considering it is arguably the best way to reach the student population, Holmes said. Every time a student posts an article on the website, the Twitter account will link to the story on granitebaytoday.org. “The Twitter account tweets no more than three times a day,” GBT editor Ashcon Minoiefar said. Hurley is currently the photographer

for the Instagram pictures uploaded and the photographs that appear on both the website and Twitter. All of the classes involved in Granite Bay Today contribute to the news on the website. Sports journalism, taught by Holmes, is the main source of sports news for the website. Reporters for the GBHS varsity football games are mainly seniors Cevin Meador and Blake Allen. Treasa Hayes, Alex Baldonado and Kayji Arai will all be contributing to reporting on junior varsity football games. “The website is easy access for people who are interested in sports and high school events,” Meador said. One of the other contributors to Granite Bay Today will be the yearbook staff, which is planning to use Flickr as an album for a sneak peek on photos that will appear in the yearbook as well as on the website. Erica Peterson, a senior who is a news anchor for the media program, said the media’s role is to inform the student body and parents through videos and bulletins. Media has improved its quality this year, and even if a story isn’t going to be on the bulletin, it will probably be on granitebaytoday.org. Ultimately, the idea is that GBHS student journalists should be getting experience with cutting-edge approaches to journalism and media. “The end goal is,” Holmes said, “when students wake up in the morning, we want Granite Bay Today to be the first website and Twitter they check on their phone.”

The website is easy access for people who are intersted in sports and high school events.– Cevin Meador, GBT reporter

BY MADDY HARRISmharris.gazette@gmail.com

Students in Advanced Journalism, Advanced Media and Sports Journalism work on stories and videos for the Granite Bay Today website.

Production classes work together on website for Granite Bay High, community

Go online to: http://www.granitebaytoday.org

Gazette photo /KAYLYN O’DONNELL Gazette photo /KAYLYN O’DONNELL Gazette photo /KAYLYN O’DONNELL

culture.

Page 6 eat. September 2012

The Gazette staff samples and ranks local thai restaurants.

After a long week of school, I drove over to Khun Suda. I was pleasantly surprised to walk into a fairly small restau-rant. I’m not a fan of big res-taurants packed full of people and noisy. When you walk in, you head up to the front counter order your delicious food. That’s one reason why I loved Khun Suda. The inside was full of trinkets and paintings from Thailand. The food was absolutely amazing. The staff was very friendly and helped me out me when I was ordering, because I did not know much about Thai food and their popular dishes. I asked the server what their most popular dish was. I was given the Pad Thai, which was incredible. The Pad Thai had noodles, rice, prawns, chicken and tofu. It was unlike anything I have had before. This combination created a unique taste that was slightly spicy, but still rich and full of flavor. The pineapple rice was an excellent contrast to the Pad Thai. The pineapple was sweet but not overbearing, and the rice had an earthy flavor which was a nice contrast to the sweetness and slight spice

of the Pad Thai. The prices are also very reasonable. If you ever want to enjoy a large amount of delicious food for a very fair price, make sure you go to Khun Suda off Douglas. Do not forget to try the Pad Thai, and pineapple rice. I would also recommend you try other various dishes such as Chicken Biryani, Basil Plate, Spicy Fresh Chili and the Mango Prawns, to get the full cultural experience of dining at an exotic restaurant such as Khun Suda. My opinion of Khun Suda is that it is an exquisite restaurant with many menu options, and an excellent atmosphere. It is a must-go Granite Bay Thai Restaurant.

Reviewer’s Grade: A+

BY AUSTIN ALCAINEalcaine.gazette@gmail.

Thai Basil’s disappointing Pad Thai dish did not do justice to the beauty of Thai cooking. As I picked up my take out bag, I was filled with high hopes that this would be the best Thai Dish in the Granite Bay area. I was sorely mistaken. Pad Thai is the most common dish found in Thailand: the dish is composed of rice noodles, peanuts, eggs, shallots, sprouts, tofu and meat or shrimp. The Pad Thai I received was a steaming pile of soggy noodles, raw vegetables and practically unseasoned meat. The vegetables in the dish included carrots, broccoli and shallots. The shallots were possibly the best part of the meal, but the carrots were far too crunchy to have been cooked thoroughly and the broccoli was soggy. The chicken was not cooked to proper tenderness and was bland. Bland is a horrible word to associate with Thai cooking because Thai food is a generally spicy and flavorful cuisine. The shrimp in the dish was cooked to perfection and should have added great taste and texture to an otherwise bland dish. However, the chefs at Thai Basil decided not to take the tails off of the shrimp. For me, that is a crime. I had to take the time to cut the tails off each individual shrimp when it could already have been done for me. This is something that could have helped give the meal some redeeming quality. Unfortunately it only served to annoy me even further. The second worst offender in the entire dish was the chicken. It was plain, tasteless and tough. The taste was limp and lacked a spiciness that is

expected of Thai cuisine. It touched my tongue and stayed there for several seconds whilst I waited for the tough chicken to be chewed into small enough bites to swallow. All of this could have been forgiven. It might have been a bad day for the chef, or the chicken delivery was heavy on old chicken carcasses that were extremely tough.

All of that could have been explained as an accident or someone else’s fault, everything except the poor noodles. The noodles lacked flavor, were watery and very chewy. They did not absorb any of the juices from the chicken, shrimp or vegetables. And they definitely did not add anything to the quality of the dish. . There were no redeeming qualities and there are so many better choices closer to home.

Reviewer’s Grade: F

BY THOMAS TAYLORttaylor.gazette@gmail.com

Khobkoon Thai

My friends and I went to Khobkoon Thai Cuisine restaurant on the first minimum day of the school year and enjoyed a tasty meal and an enjoyable environment to spend time with friends and family. We ordered a variety of plates, all with different types of meat and flavor. Kao Pad, a rice dish and the first of the selected dishes, provided a variety of salty sauces consisting of savory beef and an egg onion carrot mixture. Despite the major success of the rice dish, one of the more disappointing plates was a Thai representation of the traditional Chinese chow mein.

The chow mein did not live up to standards of the original Chinese style and was less appealing to look at and eat. The meal improved after the arrival of the classic Thai favorite, Pad Thai, which utilized a stir-fried rice-stick noodle and shrimp to create a heavenly experience for the taste buds. The noodles were soft and flavorful and the shrimp was cooked to perfection. The restaurant was filled with contemporary art and sculptures of Thai culture and religion. Despite the overall success in reflecting Thai culture, there were aspects of the restaurant which seemed out of place. The most prominent of these faults was the large screen television displaying an unknown soap-opera on mute.

One other problem with Khobkoon Thai Cuisine was its location. With so many local Thai restaurants, Granite Bay High School students beg the question “Why drive 10 miles and spend 40 or more minutes on the road, when I can get the same food just a few minutes away from home?” Two of three dishes were delicious and the third was a tasty, but failed representation of a Chinese dish, and all were served very quickly. As for the ambience, I felt as though I was in Thailand, and it made the experience fun and exciting. The meal was enjoyable and intriguing, and left me wanting to come back for more.

Reviewer’s Grade: B

BY= KEVIN BURNSmslattery.gazette@gmail.com

Thai Time

Khun SudaThai Basil

Gazette photo /AUSTIN ALCAINE

#5 Thai Basil- Soggy noodles and lack of flavor contributed to Thai Basil’s low ranking.

#4 Ruen Thai- Ruen Thai’s bland meat and inconsistency of flavoring puts it in fourth place.

#3 Khobkoon Thai- Khobkoon was made up of equal parts good and bad, putting it in the middle of the pack.

#2 My Thai Table- Make sure to ask for spicy and My Thai Table will deliver a flavorful meal.

#1 Khun Suda- Kuhn Suda easily takes the cake this month with exceptionally flavorful meals and friendly service. Be sure to order the Pad Thai and Pineapple Fried Rice.

As I walked in the door to My Thai Table, I didn’t really know what to expect. Making my way to the counter, I noticed the open kitchen area to my right where I could watch the chefs prepare the food and the wood furnished lounge area by the door. I was greeted immediately by a friendly waitress who couldn’t wait to take my order. As I gazed over the menu, I was astonished at my lack of knowledge of anything on the menu. The enthusiastic waitress saw my dismay and took it upon herself to personally explain each dish in detail. After a good 10 minutes of trying to decide which dish was right for me, I finally decided on Pad Thai. My Thai Table’s version of Pad Thai contains a mixture of egg noodles soaked with a tamarind peanut sauce, marinated tofu and an assortment of vegetables. Needless to say, it was pleasing to the taste buds. Although the dish was phenomenal, what I enjoyed most about my dining experience was the attentive personnel. Unlike other restaurants, My Thai Table offers a hardworking employee base, who care about your overall enjoyment of your dining experience. For the 30 minutes I was there, I experienced a hearty dosage of pleasantness from three waiters. Another positive I took away from the experience was the ability to use my handy dandy grizzly gold card. With it, a second entrée is half-off with the

purchase of an entrée of equal or greater price. As the connoisseur of all things delectable, I have found that a restaurant can be made or broken by the quality of their beverages. I cannot tell you how many times I have been thoroughly disappointed by the selection of liquid refreshments, but My Thai Table delivered. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed dining at My Thai Table and encourage you to try it yourself.

Reviewer’s Grade: A-

Page 7eat.

Being an experienced Thai food enthusiast, my expectations for Ruen Thai were set from before I even had a chance to walk through the restaurant’s doors. Among the first things I noticed was the very authentic, very symmetrical, Thai décor that lined the interior walls of the restaurant. After eventually ordering, and a mere five to 10 minutes of waiting for my food, two giant dishes loaded up with steaming noodles and curry arrived at my table. To add to the succulent appearance of the meal, the distinctly sweet smell of Thai food seemed to radiate off the table. And, shockingly, it tasted just as good. The first thing I tried was the beef Pad Kee Mao, which I was immediately impressed with. Stuffed with juicy noodles, beef, and various types of peppers, the dish tasted wonderful.

The only downside, however, was that it wasn’t quite spicy enough. This was odd considering that I ordered the dish at “spice level” of three, which the waitress had informed me, was plenty of heat for most people. Normally this wouldn’t bother me, but the yellow curry, also ordered at a “spice level” of three, turned out to be quite spicy. That being said, the drunk noodles were still quite tasty. The beef, although palatable, wasn’t quite as good as it could be, coming off as a little bit stringy and tasteless. Accompanied by some white rice, the yellow curry was, creamy, tangy, and incredibly satisfying. It was very spicy, considerably more so than the Pad Kee Moa.

This bothered me slightly, because if I were to label the dishes myself, I would have said that the yellow curry was at least two or three times spicier. For some reason or another, this seems to happen at a majority of Thai restaurants. Even despite the heat mix-up, the curry was delicious, as well as incredibly filling. These two dishes, probably enough for three or four people, cost just over 20 dollars, a competitive price for a sit-down style restaurant with high quality food. If you can look past the inconsistent “spice levels,” and enjoy traditional Thai food, Ruen Thai, located just off Eureka

Rd, could be just the place for you.

Reviewer’s Grade: B-

September 2012

BY JOEY PUHALAjpuhala.gazette@gmail.com

Gazette photo /JONAH POCZOBUTT

My Thai Table is located in Quarry Ponds off Douglas Blvd

My Thai Table

Ruen Thai

This Month’s PicksThe Gazette Ranking Panel samples dishes from each of the five restaurants this month and ranks them accordingly.

BY MYLES SLATTERYmslattery.gazette@gmail.com

If you can look past the inconsistent spice levels... Ruen thai... could be just the place for you.

– Joey Puhala

Page 8 September 2012trending.

Gone CountrySouthern trends become popular at GBHS

BY TAMREN JOHNKtjohnk.gazette@gmail.com

Taylor Swift, Kenny Chesney, Jason Aldean and Tim McGraw are some of the many names that are popular in country music today.

Granite Bay High School students are approaching these new country music trends and southern sense of style in a unique way. Sophomore Tana MacPherson grew up listening to country music and going to country events. “I’ve been country all my life,” MacPherson said. “I don’t follow most other peoples’ interests, which makes me different.” She found that it is a lot more enjoyable to her than any other genre of music. Unlike regular rap and pop songs, country music doesn’t have as much profanity, which makes the songs, in her opinion, more interesting to listen to. “Most people just think country is about alcohol, women and redneck things, but if you listen to it, it is actually really good music,” MacPherson said. MacPherson also enjoys participating in the new country style with everyone else. “People are starting to wear country hats, belts and boots to school,” MacPherson said. “Compared to what other people wear from places like Nordstrom, the new country style makes me feel different from

the ordinary Granite Bay kids.” Country trends are not limited only to fashion and music. They have also impacted the big screen. “I know Footloose and Country Strong were big (movies) for me,” MacPherson said. “For the certain people that love country music, it will definitely keep becoming more popular.” Along with the now popular country style and music, students have also been attracted to trucks and big cars, another sign of the rising country trend. “I really want a truck,” MacPherson said. “I prefer the smaller ones like the small pickup trucks because it shows that I like country things.” Sophomore, Emma Costigan, was also influenced by her southern family while growing up. “Georgia and Alabama are like my second homes,” Costigan said. “I’ve always wanted to live back in the country since I was little and go to college back there.” Costigan also notices the new country style that has been becoming more popular around school. Even though most people are getting involved with these trends, Costigan believes that it’s just because everyone else is participating in them. “Everyone is trying to be like everyone else, and anyone who actually knows country music and really likes it will keep it up,” Costigan said. Senior Scott Mar wasn’t at first so eager to

participate in the new trend. “I got involved into country trends by one of my friends,” Mar said. “She introduced me to country and I started really enjoying it.” Mar has recognized the recent country style and expects it to keep becoming trendy. “People are now wearing the expensive cowboy hats and boots,” Mar said. “I have also seen huge belt buckles on a couple of people too.” Lauren FitzGerald, a senior, was also introduced to country music by an outside influence. “My sister was really into country music,” FitzGerald said. “I just started listening to it in the car with her, and then I just got really into it.” FitzGerald also enjoys the current country fashion. “I see more people wearing dresses with boots more than they used to,” FitzGerald said. “I’ve also worn cowboy hats out to concerts like Country in the Park.” Country in the Park, a popular music concert for many GBHS students, had over 15,000 people in attendance, showing how popular country music is in the greater Sacramento area. “I think country is a nice change from what other music people listen to,” FitzGerald said. Even though, country trends aren’t yet the most accepted style and genre, country is here to stay, at least for a while.

Gazette photo /LuKE B.F. CHiRBAs

Gazette model /MYLEs sLATTERY

September 2012 Page 9Culture.

Gazette: How long have you been painting?Snyder: For about three years now.

Gazette: What is your current series about?Snyder: It is about trusting people you are close with and feeling safe around them.

Gazette: How do you get ideas for your art?Snyder: I get ideas by looking at photography on the internet. Also, I think about my concept and then try and think of images that can relate.

Gazette: Who are some artists you are influenced by?Snyder: William Bouguereau, Alyssa Monks and John William Waterhouse.

Gazette: Do you plan on pursuing art in the future?Snyder: Yes, hopefully as a side job.

1. Mercy – Duffy “I don’t listen to the lyrics, but I like the beat.”

2. Into the Groove – Madonna “How can you not like Madonna to exercise to?”

3. Bad Day – Daniel Powter “If you had a bad day… I always feel better after I work out.”

4. Barracuda – Heart “You just can’t resist!”

5. Legs – ZZ Top “A good rock-and-roll song. It brings out the animal in you.”

6. Shake It – Metro Station “It gets you pumped up. This is good when I’m doing my cardio!”

7. Piece of My Heart – Janis Joplin “A good song to work out to… I warm up to this song!”

8. Born To Run – Bruce Springsteen “(This song) Is just awesome.”

9. Livin’ On A Prayer – Bon Jovi “Run-ning at 4:30 in the morning training for my marathon, this song (made me) feel strong.”

10. Dancin’ With Myself – Billy Idol “That’s the one I used to train for my marathon. Me and Billy Idol would just run forever.”

On Sept. 27, a popular artist to Granite Bay High School, Mac Miller will be performing in Oakland at the Fox Theater. Mac Miller mostly sings Hip-Hop and rap music. However, if you’re more interested in country music, then Carrie Underwood might be a better choice.

On Oct. 13, Carrie Underwood will be singing country songs at Power Balance Pavilion in Sacramento. A little background on Underwood, she won American Idol in the summer of 2004. If you don’t like country girls, there is always the Eric Church Concert approaching.

Country singer, Eric Church will be performing Nov. 10 at Power

Balance Pavilion in Sacramento. He is also the artist of the popular song, “Springsteen.” Touring with Church will be Kip and Justin Moore. But if you’re more of a teenage pop boy band type of person, then the Big Time Rush concert might be your thing.

Big Time Rush will be performing on Sept. 21 at Sleeptrain Amphitheater. This boy band includes Kendall Schmidt, James Maslow, Carlos Pena Jr. and Logan Henderson.

No matter what genre of music you prefer to listen to, there’s likely at least one concert coming soon to the Sacramento area that you would enjoy.

COMPILED BY GRACE MOOREgmoore.gazette@gmail.com

Upcoming Concerts

Gazette photo /KRISTIN TAYLOR

Sinor loves listening to mu-sic that makes for a perfect workout playlist.

Kathy Sinor

COMPILED BY MADDY HARRISmharris.gazette@gmail.com

Alexis SnyderCOMPILED BY EMMA GRACYK

egracyk.gazette@gmail.com

Artist of the Month

ROSTRUM RECORDS 19 RECORDINGS COLUMBIA RECORDSCAPITOL NASHVILLE

TeacherPlaylist

Gazette illustration/LENA EYEN

1. Go to Good Will and buy a large skirt in the pattern that you think would look good as a scarf. 2. Now, cut off the bottom hem of the skirt, how thick it is de-pends on how wide you want the scarf to appear.3. If the frayed edges are not the appearance that you want, tuck a small portion of the edge of the cut skirt under and sew it so it does not show.4. You now have a homemade infinity scarf!

September 2012Pages 10 and 11 let’s get crafty.

D.I.Y.Create cute fashion trends all on your own

BY MADDY HARRISmharris.gazette@gmail.com

1. Go to either Good Will or the store of your choice, purchase a jean shirt.2. Cut off the sleeves to the length you choose.3. Bleach wher-ever on the shirt you think would look good with your style.4. Fringe the sleeves with scis-sors, tweezers, or a jack knife. 5. Before you button up the vest, tie it where you please.6. Button up the vest and you’re done!

Gazette illustration/HAYLEY MCAVOY

Gazette photo /MADDY HARRIS

How to make an infinity scarf

How to make a splattered, jean vest

Page 12 free stuff. September 2012

Make the most of your birthdayStores that offer freebies on your special day

BY JOEY PUHALAjpuhala.gazette@gmail.com

Baskin Robbins To top off your day of birthday free-bies, you can stop by Baskin Robbins and get a free scoop of ice cream. It is required to register into their on-line club, as well as show a printout of the page that proves you are a member. However, once this is completed, you can choose between all 31 flavors Baskin Robins is famous for serving.

Bear Mountain Ski Resort

If you’re up for it, given it’s the appropriate season, you can take advantage of a day of Bear Mountain skiing/riding, a $56 value, simply by going on your birthday. All you need to do is present a valid photo ID to the Guest Win-dow Services. And, if you happen to have a birthday during the summertime, all is not lost. You can still get a free ride on their Snow Summit Scenic Sky Chair, a high speed chair lift they slow down and turn into a mile-long scenic ride up the mountain, with a beautiful scenic BBQ at the summit.

Red Robin Red Robin is famous for there deli-cious burgers, and fortunately, they offer a free gourmet birthday burger to anyone willing to register on their online club. In addition to the free burger, you’ll get other rewards and freebies through-out the year.

Starbucks Coffee What better way to start your birthday off than with a steaming, delicious Starbucks drink? A free Starbucks drink. By just registering a Starbucks gift card, you become eligible for a free Starbucks beverage of your choice, in any size they offer. In order to get the coupon for the free drink, you’ll have to register a few weeks ahead of your birthday to allow time for it to be mailed to your house, and there will have to have been a pur-chase on the card within the last 12 months.

Mikuni, in addition to supplying delicious sushi, offer a “birthday wheel” that customers can spin for various prizes. These prizes include everything from glow sticks and bags of rice to Mikuni T-shirts and hats. Among these prizes includes the infamous $100

gift card reward, which customers have a one-in-sixty chance of winning. So, if you’re feeling some birthday luck, Mikuni Japanese Restaurant and Sushi Bar could be just the place to win it big.

Mikuni: Japanese Restaurant and Sushi Bar

Birthdays are awesome. And the gifts that come along with them are even better. To make the most of that special day, we’ve hunted down some of the best birth-day freebies around Granite Bay.

Gazette illustration/CHASE EVANSGazette illustration/SAM SPARGO

Gazette photo /KAYLYN O”DONNELL

Gazette illustration/LENA EYEN

Gazette photo /HAYLEY MCAVOY

September 2012 culture. Page 13

Trend of the Month

Video of the Month

In my next life, I would like to be a duck, and if I got to choose which duck, it would be the Oregon Duck—everybody loves that

guy. He could put a video on YouTube of him staring at cars as they drive by and get a mil-lion views. I guess it has something to do with his funny little hat and his handkerchief, which seemingly has the sole purpose of saying, “That’s right. I’m the real Oregon Duck.” Combine those factors, his solid green sailor shirt encrusted with the Oregon logo and his

overall swagger, and you have the single great-est mascot in collegiate history. In his latest YouTube venture, “The Oregon Duck-Gangman Style Parody,” he starts out his day sitting outside in a leather chair next to an inflatable pool. Then, he begins to dance to European techno as though his parents were German-techno superstars. Then the real party begins, which includes the Oregon cheerlead-ing team, some students and the duck having a dance party on a dock. Then comes a plethora of the Duck’s puppet and mascot friends, the Duck cruising down campus on a skateboard, the Duck falling in love with a duck feeder, the

destruction of watermelons and an epic belly flop. To top it all off , the video is dedicated rever-ently to the great Kevin Bacon. This video is entertaining, the Duck is hilari-ous and the students involved add to the pure fun of the video. I have to say that this video definitely makes me more curious about the University of Or-egon, because it seems like such a fun place. I can’t wait to see what they come up with next, and I hope they can fathom something as good as this masterpiece of shenanigans that is “The Oregon Duck-Gangman Style Parody.”

COMPILED BY DAN JOHNSONdjohnson.gazette@gmail.com

Across the Granite Bay High School campus, girls have shown a particular interest in

maxi skirts. Since the beginning of summer, the trend of long, silky skirts has been coming back. Maxi skirts have been in and out fashion history. But just because they’re back again, that does not mean they’re going away for another decade. Many girls choose to wear these types of skirts for comfort. Senior Elise Leben says, “they’re quick and easy to slip on if you’re running late.” Whether a maxi skirt is a cute, formal outerwear for a party, or just a quick trip to the grocery store, they seem to be extremely fashionable in Granite Bay. Besides skirts, there are also maxi dresses. These are usually worn during days of cooler weather in the summer. Senior Alexa Lara prefers wearing maxi dresses because, “it (makes for) a laid back outfit that looks cute.” In case you’re interested, stores that have a large selection of maxi skirts and dresses include Target, Urban Outfitters, Nordstrom, Beach Works and H&M. Besides maxi skirts, wearing collared shirts is common for both guys and girls.

Every time you walk in a typical teen store, such as Urban Outfitters, Nordstrom or Tilly’s in this summer/fall season, there will most likely be collared tops in all different colors and styles. Many girls enjoy them because they are not tight-fitting and can be worn with jeans or high-waisted shorts, much like senior Julia Cerro chooses to wear them with. Although these fashion trends are mostly for girls, some guys have taken on a new fad of their own: facial hair. Why is it all of a sudden popular to have a mustache or goatee? Puberty hits boys at about the age of 13, which is when facial hair begins to start its growth. So, realistically, why have guys at Granite Bay High School chosen to have a mustache or some sort of facial hair at the age of 18? As Senior, Brandon Hughes states, “it looks cool and makes you look older.” When asked about guys having facial hair, senior Courtney Hince believes that it looks good as long as it is grown out right and doesn’t look messy. From flowy maxi skirts and dresses, to collared shirts, to facial hair, this summer brought with it trends that seem to be staying through September.

BY MADDY HARRISmharris.gazette@gmail.com

Summer trends that are staying for the fall

Gazette photo /KRISTIN TAYLOR

Page 14 looking back. September 2012

Granite Bay goes abroadSee where some students choose to travel to over summer vacation

Last summer senior Megan Belier had a foreign exchange student from Spain, Clara, stay with her. This past summer Clara repaid the favor and had Belier stay with her in Spain for 25 days. She went with her friend Mitchell Cooper who had Clara’s brother stay with them the previous summer. “I lived with (Clara) in Madrid, but then I traveled with Mitch to Poland and the Czech Republic,” Belier said. She also traveled with other Spanish students, who spoke no English. As for the language barrier, Belier admits that she was rusty at first, but drastically improved as the trip went on. “By the end I was thinking in Spanish and when I got back I would accidentally speak in Spanish,” she said. Her favorite part of Spain was, hands down, the food. “I had no idea what to expect, because my idea of typical Spanish food is tacos, but they didn’t have those,” Belier said. “We had them one night because they knew we liked them, but they weren’t normal tacos.” The typical food there is papaya, which is rice and squid. Other foods are ham, pork, sausages, squid and lots of bread. Belier hopes to return to Spain in the near future, but first she wants Clara to come back and visit her.

BY HAYLEY MCAVOYhmcavoy.gazette@gmail.com

Megan Belier

Brooke Boring

Page 15September 2012 at summer

Gazette illustrations/HAYLEY MCAVOY

Most Americans cheered on the Olympic athletes this summer in London. Most Americans either stayed up late to watch the competitions live or recorded them to watch them at a later time. Freshman Ryder Sanders isn’t most Americans. He didn’t watch the games from his couch at home, but from the stadium seats in London. This wasn’t Sander’s first appearance at an Olympic event, he also attended the winter games in 2006 (Torino) and 2010 (Vancouver). He attended the games with his parents and grandpa, as well as his gold-medalist swimmer aunt and bronze-medalist skier uncle, Summer Sanders and Erik Schlopy. Sanders’ favorite event was the USA men’s water polo vs. Serbia. “It was a crazy atmosphere because Great Britain played right before and people were crazy in there,” he said. Being a water polo player himself, Sanders appreciated the intensity which they played at. “They worked the ball around well, compared to us,” Sanders said. “(Even though they) lost it was good to see how they played, what their strategy was and how it was different from how (I) play.” Though he enjoyed learning more about his sport, his favorite part was being seen on TV waving the American flag.

Gazette photo /KAYLYn O’dOnnELL

Jeff Williams

Ryder Sanders

After an 20 hour flight, senior Jeff Williams arrives in Ceralion, Africa with roughly 32 student from across America and only knowing his sister and the group leader. “I wanted to go overseas and was excited to get the opportunity to go,” Williams said. “I went on a mission’s trip.” He spent a lot of time working in orphanages. Here he was a part of the ‘puppet team’ and their role was to entertain the kids. “(The kids) would get up and dance with us,” he said. “We would play games and just talk to them. “They loved just talking to white people because most of them had never seen a white person before.” Williams still maintains contact with one of the kids he met there, David. “My biggest highlight was being able to develop and maintain a relationship (with David).” Prior to leaving for Africa, Williams had to attend a week long training in Chicago. Here he learned choreography for his puppet shows and was prepared for the cultural difference. “(A gesture) that for us that may just mean ‘okay,’ may be some horrific ‘you are now possessed by the devil’ gesture (to them),” Williams said. “It was a lot of hard stressful work, but absolutely worth it.”

Every other year GBHS Japanese teacher Naoko Eshbaugh offers to take her Japanese classes to Japan for a learning, cultural experience. Junior Brooke Boring was one of the 20 students that accompanied her this past summer. “It was a really cool experience to go and see a different culture and just have a lot of fun with my friends,” Boring

said. Over the nine day trip, the group visited various places including Kyoto and Tokyo (where they stayed the longest). “The religion (was the biggest cultural different) because it was their overall,” Boring said. “(The country is) was really centered around their religion and I wasn’t used to that.” Since she had only gone through Japanese 2, Boring felt the language barrier was still pretty big. But she did improve her Japanese through the help of her peers and conversation. “I’m really glad I went, but I probably won’t return,” Boring said. “It was a one-and-done kind of situation.

Page 16 September 2012 green screen.

BY HALEY MASSARAhmassara.gazette@gmail.com

Senior Austin Redfern didn’t much care for it at first, he said. But the more his friends dabbled, the more interested in it he

became. “Once you give it a try, it’s addictive,” he said. One year after his first experience with Minecraft, an online video game, Redfern is a regular player, one of over 9 million users worldwide. The game, with its distinctive, “blocky” appearance, is essentially an infinite, constantly changing world. Players can construct nearly anything imaginable, from simple houses to intricate, trap-filled dungeons. There is a survival component to the game – monsters spontaneously appear at night, and must be fended off – but the bulk of gameplay consists of building and modifying one’s surroundings. Part of Minecraft’s appeal is its massive online community. Many users play cooperatively with friends on dedicated servers, or explore the worlds and creations of others. Redfern, who runs one such server with a group of real-life friends, said strangers and casual online acquaintances often visit his game. “It’s not like a, ‘bro, you’re on, that’s so cool!’ kind of (friendship),” he said, “but it’s (more) like a, ‘hey, how’s it going, let’s build stuff,’ kind of thing.” Less

benevolent visitors sometimes “grief” Redfern’s server, destroying his creations like a child knocking over a sand castle. But this, he said, can be easily undone, and is generally frowned upon by the Minecraft community. The game is so physically vast that even places and objects of incredible size can be built – and because everything in Minecraft is composed of 1-meter-by-1-meter cubes, such structures can be built to-scale. Examples include replicas of major landmarks, such as the Egyptian pyramids, and fictional locations, like a fully-formed model of Hogwarts. Junior Austin Williams, a Minecraft player of two years, said the most impressive thing he’d ever built in-game was a castle, which contained around 40,000 blocks. “It was absolutely massive,” he said. But not all who try Minecraft are quite so entranced. Steve Dolan, design and engineering teacher, said that while his sons have taken a liking to the game, he doesn’t see the appeal. “They’re literally mesmerized by it,” he said. “It really draws them in.” Dolan’s younger son was especially

proud of one Minecraft creation – a model of their family motor home. “From an architectural, engineering point of view, it looked like this square box with little wheels on it,” Dolan said. “But he took me for a tour inside (the motor home) … there was (even) a kitchen sink and a back room.” Though not a player himself, Dolan said he could see how building structures in Minecraft might serve as a basic introduction to some engineering and

architectural concepts. “I made a reference (to

Minecraft) in my design class for the first time, and every kid

in the audience smiled,” he said. “They all got it.” Kevin Kreun, a senior, said he plays Minecraft in

part because it relates to his architecture class.

“It’s fun,” he said. “(In Minecraft,) you can pretty much

do anything you want.” That seems to be Minecraft’s main

draw – the player is limited only by

his or her own imagination. “It’s a really good channel for creativity,” Williams said. “You can build whatever you want, or you can not build anything at all and just go around adventuring and exploring.” Redfern compared Minecraft to other seemingly “open-world” games, like the fantasy game Skyrim. While those games have a set, limited number of objectives and goals, he said, Minecraft is truly limitless. “Everyone has their own unique experience,” he said. “It’s not linear. It’s amazing – that’s the only way I can describe it.”

MOJANG

MOJANG

Online video game gains popularity for teens

Page 17technology.

iPho

ne

iPhone 5 rumors have ranged from being a small improvement, like the iPhone 4s to being a total overhaul with a completely changed design. Granite Bay high School students were asked to weigh in on what they’d heard about Apple’s next big product. Junior Marisa Thias said that she thought the only new update to the iPhone was a bigger screen. “(I had) not really heard that much about it.” Sophomore Wyatt Salinas said. “Besides a thing on Youtube.” These two GBHS students both own iPhones. However they had not heard that much about the new iPhone. Perhaps Apple has increased their security after an iPhone 4G prototype was lost in 2010? While Apple has definitely not had a slip up that bad, it still might have unintentionally let something loose. According to cnet.com, French website Nowhereelse.fr has released several photos supposedly showing an iphone 5 prototype. “(The new iphone shows) a larger screen size of 4 inches,” cnet.com said in a recent news features. This has been a rumor for the new iphone for a long time. When asked what feature they would most like to see; a new, stronger, design or a longer battery life the GBHS students’ responses were mixed. “Better battery because my phone always dies,” Thias said. “If you have a durable case its fine,” Salinas said. “Having a better battery life would be very helpful.” Junior Armin Anderson did not agree with his fellow classmates. “I would like to not have the screen

shatter when I lightly toss it on my couch,” Anderson said. The iphone’s components have been kept largely a secret. One of the things suspected to be in the iphone before the leaking of the iphone 5 prototype pictures was the inclusion of a near field communication device (NFC). This device would have sat underneath the speaker and just above the screen. It would be used for sharing information with other iPhones. “Given the primarily metal backside of the new iPhone, it’s highly unlikely that NFC is in the cards for this generation,” tech website AnandTech.com said. The new operating system ios6 will have many new features for almost all of the iphones released previously.These featuers have already been announced and include an improved maps system, improved email and a new app called Passbook. Passbook is designed to be an online ticket holder that would have benefited greatly from an NFC device. Apple has been tight-lipped about the features but AT&T and Verizon cellular network companies have telegraphed the release week heavily. These huge companies have decided to impose vacation black out dates on the week of September 21. They are doing this because they need all hands on deck to sell customers a highly demanded product, namely the iphone 5. As iphone rumors continue to swirl around the Internet Granite Bay students eagerly await it’s release. Fortunately the majority of these rumors point towards the middle of this month as apple’s intended release date.

Students speculate about Apple’s newest product

Rumor

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September 2012

BY THOMAS TAYLORttaylor.gazette@gmail.com

the

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Page 18 September 2012film.

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The weinsTein companysony picTures

Rated: PG-13

By: Grace Mooregmoore.gazette@gmail.com

Rated: PG-13

By:Kevin Burns Kburns.gazette@gmail.com

Rated: PG-13

By: Kiana Okhovatkokhovat.gazette@gmail.com

Young girl who gets possessed? Check. Dysfunctional family fighting to help sibling/child? Check. Exorcism the

last, but necessary, solution? Check. The Possession, directed by Ole Bernard has all of the makings of a typical demon take-over movie, and it doesn’t disappoint. The main character, Clyde (Jeffery Dean Morgan), is the newly divorced father of Em (Natasha Calis) and Hannah (Madison Davenport). When Em finds a mysterious box at a yard sale, the demon inside the box attempts to take over her body, wreaking havoc throughout her and her family’s life. As expected, The Possession doesn’t stray far from the typical modern approach to horror films, showing its fair share of “scary movie clichés.” The most dominant of these has to be the characteristic take-over of the human body by the demon. What starts as simple curiosity (in this case, curiosity of the box), turns into odd behavior, and eventually, evil acts like physical abuse upon the “host” of the demon and others trying to help. Also, there were many unrealistic and cliché scenes with flashing lights, dim lit rooms and dead bodies in odd places that felt out of place. Despite the implausible and over-used scenes, the movie generally gave a good scare. There were many disturbing scenes, though, and despite the fact that they add to the terrifying suspense. Even though I thought it was fine, I think the PG-13 rating is a little lenient. For the quality of the movie, I would give The Possession a C-. Nothing new was brought to the table, and it didn’t lack clichés or over-dramatized scenes. As for the entertainment value of the movie, I would give it an A. It was very scary to say the least, and enticed viewers to keep watching, clutching onto their seat. Overall, I would give The Possession a B, and I encourage horror-film junkies to go, but cannot say much more for the average watcher.

In essence, The Words was a poor attempt at making another Inception, but with words.

The difference was that The Words lacked the clarity and logic the latter had. It was really hard to follow. The filmmakers tried to converge three stories from different time periods into one “bigger picture.” The result was a string of choppy, confusing scenes. The film is mainly about Rory Jansen (Bradley Cooper), a struggling writer who is desperately trying to make it big. After being rejected from every agency year upon year, a story falls into his lap, literally. On his honeymoon in Paris, he and his wife (Zoë Saldana) go into an antique store, where he finds an old, battered briefcase. When he returns home, he discovers a manuscript that was everything he wanted to be as a writer. Then, his wife found the manuscript, and thinking it was his, ran to him, begging him to show it to an agency. When the book agency read it, they were obviously blown away and published it immediately. This leads us to story number two. There’s a twist: the true author of the story (Jeremy Irons), now an old man, was still alive. After seeing his book in every bookstore in New York, he goes and confronts Jansen. For the next hour, the audience listens to the old man’s story, and travels back in time to France after the second world war. If this was as far as the plot went, the film would have been perfect. Everything made sense up until that point. However, the directors threw in a third story and abruptly ended the film, which left the audience leaving the theater confused. Story number three is about Clay Hammond (Dennis Quald), someone who writes a book about Jansen’s story (which was a combination of stories numbers one and two), and it becomes a success. As a result of this frustrating ending, I would suggest this film as a second option. If there is something else to see, watch that.

Viewers should not be fooled by The Cold Light of Day’s trailer, which would have you believe that this is a rather

predictable action movie featuring a briefcase, car chases, human chases, firefights with endless ammunition, and one happy ending with a twist. Sadly for fans of good action movies, this is more of a comedy. A perfect example of this would be the use of a MacBook as a lethal weapon during a fist fight. In the movie, which one can probably guess most of after seeing the trailer, Will (Henry Cavill) finds that his family is kidnapped. After his father is murdered, he is left alone with just a day to save his family. Unfortunately for me, the only great thing about the movie is that, at 93 minutes, it is short. Everything else is awful. Given the movie’s trailer, a 7 year-old child would probably have been able to come up with the same plot and much of the same awkward lines. Though beautiful Madrid was chosen for the setting, 15 seconds of a brief sailing trip to the Atlantic were about all I got of any kind of sweeping landscape that would probably made the movie flow more. Furthermore, the original soundtrack was uninspired and added little to the movie. Every time there was a car chase, which was often – the female lead, Lucia (Verónica Echegui) is guaranteed to shriek the entire time while the main antagonist, Carrack (Sigourney Weaver) mutters cheesy one-liners. While Will’s character is shot, cut, and beat up, the two main female characters are like well-made furniture; always beautiful and remarkably sturdy. The two suffer through multiple car flips, get t-boned by a van, sprint through several fire fights, and more. Just one girl in the entire movie earns a dainty scratch on a cheek and the other a mildly scraped knee. The director Mabrouk El Mechri must really want you to know that girls are pretty much invincible. If you feel like persuading yourself to never watch an action film again, this forgettable movie might just do the trick.

the

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Page 19September 2012 film.

the

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Rated: PG-13

By: Austin Alcaineaalcaine.gazette@gmail.com

Rated: R

By: Myles Slattery mslattery.gazette@gmail.com

Rated: PG-13

By: Chris Peicpei.gazette@gmail.com

Moonshine, violence, and a whole lot more violence. That is Lawless described in eight words.

   It is based on a true story film is based on Matt Bondurant’s book “The Wettest County in the World.” Director, John Hillcoat directs a great cast including Shia LaBeouf, Tom Hardy, and Guy Pearce. Lawless takes place in Franklin County, Va., in the 1930s. With the Prohibition act still intact, three brothers take it upon themselves to supply moonshine to whoever is willing to buy it. Main character Jack Bondurant played by LaBeouf is considered the runt of the family and tends to get himself and his brothers into a fair amount of trouble. Howard Bondurant (Jason Clarke) is portrayed as an eagle-eyed brute who seems to have an addiction to the product in which his family deals. Forrest Bondurant (Hardy), is a taciturn character who although may be soft spoken is not one you would like to have a disagreement with. The Bondurant’s are subject to a popular legend among Franklin County. Legend has it that the three brothers are indestructible, immortal due to their unprecedentedly strong sense of survival. For the three brothers, life is good. Local police are bought off, giving the Bondurant’s unproblematic delivery to their customers. Unfortunately for the brothers, this golden age is not one of longevity. The arrival of former Chicago cop, Charlie Rakes (Pearce) marks a new age, one of violence and ill-fate. Tom Hardy, in my eyes plays the most powerful role. His performance is a compelling one, although he talks little and mostly grunts to get his point across, he makes the viewer sure that he is willing to go through anything to protect his family’s pride.   “Lawless” is a film that will not only keep you entertained for an hour and fifty five minutes, but will also teach you about the importance of family, and family pride.

Racing across the bustling pavement of New York City on his fixie with no brakes, Wilee, the “coyote man” bicyclist,

precariously tiptoes the limbo between life and death as he narrowly avoids, by a mere hair, a taxi cab that whizzes by. A carefree, intrepid young man with a thirst for life, Wilee, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, lives just as he bikes: without any brakes.    Eschewing the life of working in a stifling cubicle day in and day out, Wilee instead spends his days as one of the many New York City bicycle messengers who risk their lives on a daily basis. Premium Rush, directed by David Koepp, is a chronicle of this man’s journey of determination.   The action begins when Wilee is shown flying through the air, and eventually brutally slamming onto the asphalt after being ran into by a taxi cab.  From there, the plot plays out in a disjointed, non-linear manner, rewinding time to earlier that day in order to unwind the events that led up to his accident.    The rest of the film plays out in a similar fashion, reeling from event to event via flashbacks and flash-forwards, keeping the atmosphere dynamic and the audience thinking. It is soon revealed that Wilee was catapulted into what became a life-threatening delivery job involving a large sum of money, bringing about numerous pursuers, including a crooked cop played by Michael Shannon.   From a visual standpoint, the film incorporates some impressive cinematography, combining heart-racing chase scenes, notable stunt techniques and eye-catching top down shots of New York City.   Where the film falls short, however, is the overall disjointedness of its events, which regrettably drowns out the tension and suspense one would expect from an action thriller. At times, so much screen time is devoted to exposition of past events, that the audience becomes detached from the action at hand.   That being said, the film is quite a short one, standing at a brief hour and 31minutes. In that short window, Joseph Gordon-Levitt is able to effectively deliver a charming, persuasive performance, harkening back to his roles in (500) Days of Summer and 50/50.   Despite its flaws, Premium Rush is a short, entertaining film, one that anyone, especially avid bikers and adrenaline junkies, would enjoy.

Judging from the previews, The Apparition, had the impression of being a clever twist on the cliché of ‘ghost horror’ movies.

Unfortunately, The Apparition ended up being one of the worst creations of its genre. The tagline of the movie, “Once you believe you die.” had basically nothing to do with the plot itself. Other interesting twists in the plot were mentioned in the previews as well, however, none of the implied themes were followed up in the actual movie. Kelly (Ashley Greene) and Ben (Sebastian Stan) played the classic suburban couple being terrorized in the middle of the night. The lines alone were mediocre, but the acting depicting it is probably better done by me in a sarcastic impression of, “Omg, there is a ghost”. After moving into a new home in the suburbs, the couple quickly discovers their home is haunted. The most entertaining part of the movie was seeing (Patrick) Tom Felton, or better known as Malfoy from the Harry Potter series, appear in the film.  Felton played classic ‘ghost hunter’ coming in to save the day, but instead just makes things worse. By the time you reach the movies climactic event, it’s no more shocking or suspenseful than a jack in the box. Now I’m not going to spoil it for those unfortunate enough to think it will actually be a good movie and waste ten dollars and an hour and a half of their life like I did, but I assure you will be disappointed.The movie it takes number one on my list of terrible movies. The Apparition was an unforgettably horrible movie; you almost get the feeling that it was supposed to be a spoof horror film. Sometimes you get a movie that is so bad you wonder ‘how did this get past everyone?’ Then there is The Apparition that makes you ask, ‘why did they even bother?’

law

less:

A-

warner bros. picTures

Page 20 September 2012decades.

Dark ShadowsIn Theaters

Lawless

The Cold Light of Day

The Possession

Premium RushD A-

D C+

Apparition

B

B+

The Words

Decades’ Best Dressed

60s

80s70s

50s

Juniors Riley Carroll and Christian Stone sport attire from the swinging seventies.

Freshmen Macayla Thomas and Adam Kahan are inspired by the Pink Ladies and Thunderbirds from the classic movie Grease.

Sophomores Alex Stamas and Kat McGrail show the flower power of the sixties.

Seniors Francesca Schorer and David Miller embody the craziness of the eighties.

Gazette photo /KrisTin TAyLor

See pages 14 and 15 for reviews