Eye of the Tiger (Issue 9, Volume 18) by Eye of the Tiger

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PAGE 2 · NEWS

EYE OF THE TIGER ROSEVILLE HIGH SCHOOL 1 TIGER WAY ROSEVILLE, CA 95678 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Cam Medrano NEWS EDITOR Danielle Bennett FEATURES EDITOR Nicole Khudyakov A&E EDITOR AJ Welker Jackson Young SPORTS EDITOR Elena Bateman ESPAÑOL EDITOR Lizeth Preciado Czarina Monroy PHOTO EDITOR Megan Huber ONLINE EDITOR Jordan Del Valle Tonoian FACULTY ADVISER Bobby Ritter The mission of Eye of the Tiger, a news-gathering organization run by Roseville High School students, is to inform, entertain and serve as a public forum for student expression. We will accomplish our goals by reporting unbiased news while offering student perspectives in our columns and editorials. This includes, but is not limited to, prominent issues, changes and events that have an impact on the students and communities of Roseville High School. We will strive to report with depth, accuracy and timeliness. It is not our goal to sensationalize issues. We do not push moral values or political agendas. Views expressed in the opinion and entertainment sections, columns and letters-to-the-editor are those of the individual author and do not necessarily belong to Eye of the Tiger staff, this publication or Roseville High School. All letters-to-the-editor must be signed and are subject to review by the editorial board before inclusion in the newspaper. We reserve the right to edit submitted work as needed for space limitations and content. Nonattributed editorials reflect the opinion of the staff and must be approved by the editorial board. Eye of the Tiger offers advertising opportunities available in our newspaper, biweekly news broadcasts, livestreams and on our website. For any inquiries or questions, contact our staff at info@eyeofthetigernews.com.

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EYEOFTHETIGERNEWS.COM · APRIL 8, 2019

COACH: Facing difficulties hiring, retaining ball team had four different head coaches. Likewise, the Hiring and Retention: cheer program has featured four coaches in the last four This year, Roseville seasons. These concerns are leads the district in new not limited to the aforemencoaches hired with over 30 tioned - programs such as the new coaches employed for girls varsity tennis and dance various programs. When it team have been subject to a comes to ensuring prospeclack of retention of coaches. tive coaches come into the While the vetting process job with experience and to recruit and hire coaches ability, Becker finds that may require background certain sports are met with checks and certification difficulty finding applicants. classes, the process does not In turn, the district may offer an trial-run period to “settle” for options present understand the coach’s style simply because it is the only of play. Becker attributes option. the lack of evaluation of “It’s just hard to replace. coaching style to be a key We just try to do our best to concern for players and facfind what we can,” Becker ulty. For varsity cheerleader said. “It really is a challenge Rebekah Jenness-Hobbs, her to find people.” experience with a variety According to Becker, this of coaches typically results trend is prevalent in lower in the team’s reluctance to level sports. This year, RHS’ adapt to various coaching JV boys volleyball team styles. The general lack of finds themselves without assessment for one’s coachan official head coach, leaving style prior to their hire ing athletic director Emily may often times result in Dodds and teacher Josh Erplayer-coach disparities in recart to take on practices, attitude, methodology and while varsity coach Cole level of play. Williams leads the team in “Anytime a new coach games. comes in “It’s we usutough ally have It’s just hard to on the a pretty replace. We just r o c k y player because try to do our best season,” t h e y Jennesslike to to find what we Hobbs build “It’s can...It really is a said. chemishard betry with challenge to find c a u s e a good people people.” coach. get at- Executive director tached to When y o u of personnel services the certain h a v e John Becker coaching somestyles and one else a certain you have got to try and build ways of doing things.” that same relationship,” JV In order to combat the boys volleyball player Nick trend of staffing instability, Primavera said. “I think the district began looking that’s tricky.” into ways to incentivize A major source of concern coaching. Last year, the disfor both administrators and trict increased the stipend for athletes alike are the fluccoaches. Now, the committee tuations in coaching staff. hopes to propose more ways Within the last five years, to encourage coaches to the boys varsity volleystay and increase retention. CONTINUED FROM FRONT

JORDAN DEL VALLE TONOIAN EYE OF THE TIGER

RJUHSD Board of Trustees members Scott Huber (far left) and Andrew Tagg (far right) raised concerns regarding athletics and how to address the disconnect between administrators and coaching staff. With the formation of the Athletic Ad Hoc Committee, the district hopes more coaches will pursue and stay in RJUHSD positions.

According to Becker, the extensive time spent during both league play and the off-season make it difficult to keep coaches around for many seasons. “If we could make it worth their while financially, I think they would stay longer,” Becker said. Off vs. on campus: As of the beginning of this year, RJUHSD employed over 550 coaches with 80 of them serving as on-campus coaches. At RHS alone, the 101 person coaching staff features 81 off-campus coaches. When developing a coaching staff, administrators often look to hire employees that already have a role at that specific site. Becker attributes to this search to a sense of continuity in hopes on-campus coaches will work to reflect the ideals of the school they represent. “On-campus coaches possess a deeper understanding of school policies and procedures,” Becker said. “ There’s increased communication within the school community, increased tenure in position and [school pride].”

COACH COMPOSITION ON-CAMPUS

DISTRICT 80 14.5%

470 85.5%

ROSEVILLE 20 19.8%

81 80.2%

Data compiled for the RJUHSD Board of Trustees as of January 10.

Meanwhile, the RHS girls basketball program features an off-campus head coach for all three levels of play. Varsity coach Allan Darte assumed his position at the end of September and found that schedules had already been established and that his lack of all-day presence on campus posed the threat of a communication barrier. Through team message chats, Darte looked to overcome any difficulties that came with his being an offcampus coach. But, when the season began, Darte recognized that his lack of presence on campus hindered his and the team’s ability to promote games and increase atten-

dance. “[With] off-campus coaches...it’s a struggle [but] they do make they do make the extra effort,” Darte said. Future, funding: As for the future of athletics in RJUHSD, any changes the Athletic Ad Hoc committee propose are still subject to approval by the district board and may face extended periods of time before they are put into effect. “We are committed to constant improvement,” RJUHSD board member Scott Huber said. “No matter what we do today, there are always improvements to be made tomorrow.”

UPCOMINGEVENTS APRIL 15-22

Spring Break No school.

APRIL 24

Art Show RHS art students will display their works around various areas on campus. The event will begin at 6:00 p.m.

APRIL 27

School Clean-up Day Come make RHS look more beautiful. This event is open to the public. It will begin at 8:00 a.m.

OFF-CAMPUS

MAY 2

Academic Merit Awards

Sophomore and juniors will receive merit awards based on their GPAs. The event will begin at 6:00 p.m. Students receiving awards must be present thirty minutes prior to the event to prepare.

Like us on Facebook at Eye of the Tiger

MAY 15

VAPA Night

Visual and Performing arts students will showcase their talents beginning at 5:00 p.m.

NEWS · PAGE 3

APRIL 8, 2019

CONSTRUCTION: Students adjusting

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

lack of funds. With the passage of Measure D back in 2016, Roseville Joint Union High School District has received $96 million in bonds towards renovating schools; $14 million of which are currently being used to fund the auxiliary gym and surrounding changes. Parking: Due to construction taking place in the parking spaces west of the 900’s building, administrators have started assigning lot locations for teachers to utilize in the front staff parking lot and the new lot between the 900’s East and Independence building. The new lot will be staff-only with 30 regular spaces, as well as two handicapped spots. It will also have access to the back of the stadium in an attempt to improve access for after school games. AP Science teacher Christopher Addington believes that the construction will fuel the complaints with parking. “Parking has always been an issue on this campus,” Addington said. “I mean it has been for years and obviously this construction is going to impact it a little bit. But, we do want our new gym so we’re going to have to put up with it.” Although RHS English teacher Amy Mowrer will miss the convenience of the old lot, she is excited for the changes the new gym and parking area will bring. “I think we’re all glad that we’re going to have the opportunity to have the auxiliary gym and that the physical plant of the school is going to be improved to create some new spaces for staff and students to enjoy and get to do new things in a more conducive environment,” Mower said. “I know the girls will be happy to

have a new locker room for sure, so if that means that there is a little hussle with the parking then we’ll just figure that out.” During the years the old lot has been available, teachers often had to park somewhere last minute to accomodate for events like the Blood Drive, Career Fair, and now construction, all of which were hosted in the 900s lot. With this new change, teacher Amy Marsh feels that the end goal is all that really matters. “I think it’s a good project. It’s good for the school, it’s going to be good for the students, and sure it’s going to be an inconvenience for people who park there but that’s okay,” Marsh said. “There used to be portables there and no one parked there and we were fine, so we’ll make it work.” Assistant principal Jason Wilson understands that the loss of staff spots has impacted both staff and students, but encourages them to find a parking spot that works for them. “We have less parking, because we used [the staff lot] for parking [during the school day and sports], so we won’t have that... people will need to get creative. Be aware, come prepared, those kinds of things,” Wilson said. During this time of adjustment, both administrators and the district are looking at ways to combat the lack of parking. Even though there’s not a solution in the near future, Huber is optimistic about parking on campus in the long run. “We recognize that parking is an issue at Roseville High School, particularly during the time of construction of the new gym,” Huber said. “We are looking at options to ease the problem, but we understand that it might not be completely solvable until construction is completed. So, we ask for teachers, students, parents, and athletes to plan some

JORDAN DEL VALLE TONOIAN EYE OF THE TIGER

Above, students travel through fenced-in walkways between classes. Below, a student’s bike sits in a new bike rack that replaces those removed for construction. Students are adapting to these changes to make room for construction on campus.

extra time in their commute because they may have to park further away.” Construction mishaps: While working on the new auxiliary gym, construction crews struck a water main, cutting off water to the facilities in the back fields. Until further notice, the stadium restrooms and upper field water fountains will be out of order. To compensate, the school has placed portable toilets until the issue can be resolved. Congestion in walkways: The new auxiliary gym will be built between the Moeller Gym, portables, 700’s and 900’s building. During construction, construction workers have put up a temporary fence around this area, limiting students to about an eight-foot walkway on the three available sides. Once school lets out in the summer, the entire area will be fenced off for building. During construction, the area the builders are in becomes their property;

MEGAN HUBER EYE OF THE TIGER

the district leases it out to them to build the gym. The builders have given students the largest area they could, however students still feel the frustration from having to readjust their walk. Senior Oliver Philips feels that the congestion makes the travel more difficult than it needs to be during the six minute passing period. “I think [the fences] are horrible,” Philips said.

“They make our walk to the portables twice as long and it’s really cramped because when everyone tries to fit in them, there’s not enough space.” Although Wilson understands the frustration from students, he is proud of how quick of an adjustment students have made to the increased number of construction workers and movement on campus.

“It’s fun, it’s exciting, it’s a lot of work [and] it’s change. But what I’ve learned is, when there’s change, our students adapt the quickest and the best,” Wilson said. “They just figure it out. And that’s what our students have already done within the first week. They’ve already started to figure out where they can go, where they can’t go, what’s the best routes, and so on.”

CTE: Grad requirement in other districts CONTINUED FROM FRONT

quirements,” Borjon said. In contrast to RJUHSD, Red Bluff Joint Union High School District, located in northern California, recently implemented a graduation requirement stating all graduates, as of 2019, must earn 20 credits in a single CTE pathway of their choosing. The change occurred amid school-wide schedule adjustments to a modified block schedule which, according to CTE director Lynette Corning, offered students more “flexibility with more room to choose CTE and elective courses,”. Corning said that, historically, RBJUHSD had always protected its CTE programs from any monetary cuts. “Many school districts cancelled their ROP programs for lack of monies [but] Red Bluff High School limited any cuts to the CTE program,” Corning said, “The school felt it was important to incorporate and expand.” Bret Richards, a CTE machining and forming technology instructor at Red Bluff High School, witnessed the CTE pathways grow in student enrollment and in curriculum during the course of the change,

MEGAN HUBER EYE OF THE TIGER

Students work with equipment in their engineering class. While other school district make it a requirement, students at RHS do not need to complete CTE courses like Engineering in order to meet their graduation requirements. which took place during a three year period. “The students that were strictly on the academic track with AP and college prep courses have had to spend some time exploring the world of technical education that they do not get with this type of requirement not being in place,” Richards said. New standards passed by the CA department of

education evaluate college or career preparedness for California high schools through several measures, one of which is the number of students within a district who complete a CTE pathway. Schools with a greater percentage of graduates who enroll in and finish a three course CTE pathway receive an increased ranking on California School Dash-

board, a tool that calculates the total performance of K-12 schools state-wide. According to Richards, the switch to mandatory CTE requirements is an accordance with the emphasis California is placing on college and career preparedness, and has increased the school’s ranking “in those areas of measurement,” Students at Arrowhead Union High School Dis-

trict have a fully developed CTE program with over 15 department members teaching full time. Students must complete two CTE credits. According to CTE coordinator Brenda King, the district supplements a community need for students with job skills that are transferable to the real world, and supports student achievement through their CTE program.

“Our school, community and business partners have a strong appreciation for CTE courses,” King said. “There is a great need of workers in these areas and there is support and emphasis from the state for high quality CTE programs.” Some Placer County school districts, as well as individual high schools in the area, already ask that students complete a minimum ten credits of CTE classes to receive their diploma, including the high schools in the Tahoe-Truckee Unified School District, and Phoenix High School of the Western Placer Unified School District. Many CTE teachers show continued interest in making their classes more accessible to the general student population and desire to see CTE pathways progress to meet the growing need for a vocational requirement, including showing support for a CTE-oriented graduation requirement. “Every...suggested requirement is grounded in a thinking of what’s best for students’ future,” Borjon said. “And every one of these has real merit. It is not uncommon for a conversation around any of these suggestions to be brought up by teachers within their own community.”

EYEOFTHETIGERNEWS.COM · 8 DE ABRIL DE 2019

PÁGINA 4

ESPAÑOL NOTICIAS

Administradores, maestros sopesan los beneficios de empleando CTE requisito de graduación. POR NICOLE KHUDYAKOV n.khudyakov@eyeofthetigernews.com

Director de TI de Granite Bay High School Marc Imrie dio una presentación en enero frente a los miembros de la junta directiva de RJUHSD con la intención de impulsar el área de Ciencias de la Computación, que actualmente se encuentra en Educación Profesional y Técnica (CTE), para que se convierta en un requisito de graduación en todo el distrito. Imrie cree que hay valor en la diversificación de la inscripción en los cursos CTE, pero alentar a los estudiantes a tomar cursos relacionados con la carrera no garantiza la participación. “Si hubiera un requisito de graduación de CTE, tendríamos un grupo más grande de estudiantes dirigido a nuestros cursos” , dijo Imrie , “Actualmente, muchos estudiantes toman decisiones sobre las clases basándose únicamente en los requisitos de graduación y luego en el GPA.” Hace casi una década, el actual director de currículo e instrucción Jess Borjon , impulsado por los maestros de CTE, lanzó una idea similar cuando sugirió agregar un requisito general de graduación de CTE de diez créditos, equivalente a dos semestres de clases, al distrito. Según Borjon , sus esfuerzos se paralizaron, ya que los partidarios de la elección de los estudiantes creían que la enmienda era “demasiado restrictiva” y limitaba la capacidad de los estudiantes para seleccionar las clases según sus necesidades individuales.

MEGAN HUBER EYE OF THE TIGER

Actualmente, los cursos de CTE solo cumplen con el requisito electivo de los requisitos UC a-g, que deben ser cumplidos para entrar a un UC como un estudiante de primer año directamente de la escuela secundaria. Así, es posible cumplir todos los requisitos de graduación sin enrollando en una clase de CTE. Muchos administradores y maestros de CTE encuentran que haciendo CTE un requisito sería beneficial para los estudiantes.

La discusión se presentó, en combinación con varias otras adiciones sugeridas a los requisitos del distrito para los estudiantes graduados. “ Un desafío importante para abordar este problema es que hay defensores para agregar una variedad de requisitos de graduación y una facción que cree que la elección del estudiante es más importante que agregar requisitos ,” dijo Borjon . En contraste con RJUHSD, Red Bluff Joint Union High School District, ubicado en el norte de California, implementó recientemente un requisito de graduación que establece que todos los graduados, a partir de 2019, deben obtener 20 créditos en una única ruta CTE de su elección. El cambio ocurrió en medio de ajustes en el horario esco-

lar a un horario de bloque modificado que, de acuerdo con la directora de CTE, Lynette Corning, ofreció a los estudiantes más “flexibilidad y más espacio para elegir CTE y cursos electivos “ . Corning dijo que, históricamente, RBJUHSD siempre había protegido sus programas CTE de cualquier recorte monetario. “ Muchos distritos escolares cancelaron sus programas ROP por falta de dinero [pero] Red Bluff High School limitó los recortes al programa CTE,” dijo Corning, “ la escuela sintió que era importante incorporar y expandir.” Bret Richards, un instructor de tecnología de conformación y maquinado de CTE en Red Bluff High School, fue testigo del crecimiento de las vías

Johnson que está bateando .438 y Sadie Langlet, quien tiene tres jonrones. Los Tigres han tenido solo dos lanzadores en toda la temporada, siendo la estudiante de segundo año Annie Lemos y la estudiante de primer año Malaya Johnson. Ambos lanzadores han ayudado al equipo a mantenerse con su récord actual de 9-2 en general. La junior Emily Wright dice que jugar duro como equipo y comunicarse bien es un factor importante para ganar juegos. “En lo que va de la temporada, hemos estado jugando muy bien como equipo, trabajando duro y comunicándonos bien,” dijo Wright. La estudiante de primer año Makayla Newsom tiene un objetivo igual a todos, que es un título de liga. “Nuestra determinación de ganar un título de liga y nuestra voluntad de ganar ha sido nuestro éxito clave para ganar esta temporada,” dijo Newsom. “Si seguimos jugando como un equipo, no debería haber nada que nos detenga.” Wright cree que algunos de los factores más importantes son sus golpes oportunos. “Hemos estado trabajando muy bien como equi-

po ofensivamente,” dijo Wright. “Recibimos visitas realmente oportunas que nos ayudan a realizar una gran cantidad de carreras.” Del mismo modo, el equipo masculino de voleibol ha estado dominando la cancha esta temporada de primavera, comenzando con un récord de 10-1 en general y 8-0 en la liga. La temporada pasada, el equipo se fue de 14-0 y espera continuar con su racha de liga invicta. Los Tigres son liderados por el Senior Miles Judd quien tiene 35 remates y el junior Mitchell Lawrence quien tiene 36 remates. Roseville tiene un promedio de 11.1 muertes por set, un porcentaje de bateo de .352 y 37 bloqueos en la temporada. A pesar del éxito del equipo, el estudiante de segundo año Thomas Plasket reconoce que todavía hay objetivos que el equipo debe establecer para asegurar el título de la liga. “Lo único en lo que creo que debemos trabajar es comenzar con conjuntos fuertes y terminarlos con más fuerza,” dijo Plasket. “Lo más importante que nos motiva en este momento es nuestra posición de primer lugar y la oportunidad de ganar una bandera de la liga.”

de CTE en la inscripción de estudiantes y en el plan de estudios durante el curso del cambio, que tuvo lugar durante un período de tres años. “ Los estudiantes que estaban estrictamente en el camino académico con AP y los cursos de preparación para la universidad han tenido que pasar un tiempo explorando el mundo de la educación técnica que no tienen con este tipo de requisito que no se aplica ,” dijo Richards. Los nuevos estándares aprobados por el departamento de educación de California evalúan la preparación universitaria o profesional para las escuelas secundarias de California a través de varias medidas, una de las cuales es la cantidad de estudiantes dentro de un distrito

que completan un itinerario CTE. Los estudiantes con un mayor porcentaje de graduados que se inscriben y terminan una ruta de tres cursos de CTE reciben una clasificación más alta en California School Dashboard, una herramienta que calcula el rendimiento total de las escuelas K-12 en todo el estado. Según Richards, el cambio a los requisitos obligatorios de CTE es un acuerdo con el énfasis que California está poniendo en la preparación universitaria y profesional, y ha aumentado la clasificación de la escuela “ en esas áreas de medición” Los estudiantes en Arrowhead Union High School District tienen un programa CTE completamente desarrollado con más de 15 miembros del

departamento que enseñan a tiempo completo. Los estudiantes deben completar dos créditos CTE. De acuerdo con la coordinadora de CTE, Brenda King, el distrito complementa la necesidad de la comunidad de estudiantes con habilidades laborales que son transferibles al mundo real, y apoya el logro de los estudiantes a través de su programa CTE. “Nuestra escuela, comunidad y socios comerciales aprecian mucho los cursos CTE,” dijo King. “Hay una gran necesidad de trabajadores en estas áreas y hay apoyo y énfasis por parte del estado para los programas CTE de alta calidad.” Algunos distritos escolares del Condado de Placer, así como las escuelas secundarias individuales en el área, ya solicitan que los estudiantes completen un mínimo de diez créditos de clases CTE para recibir su diploma, incluidas las escuelas secundarias del Distrito Escolar Unificado de Tahoe-Truckee y la Escuela Secundaria Phoenix del Distrito Escolar Unificado de Western Placer. Muchos maestros de CTE muestran un interés continuo en hacer que sus clases sean más accesibles para la población general de estudiantes y desean ver el progreso de los cursos de CTE para satisfacer la creciente necesidad de un requisito vocacional, incluido el apoyo para un requisito de graduación orientado a CTE. “Cada ... requerimiento sugerido se basa en pensar qué es lo mejor para el futuro de los estudiantes,” dijo Borjon . “Y cada uno de estos tiene un mérito real. “No es raro que una conversación sobre cualquiera de estas sugerencias sea presentada por los maestros dentro de su propia comunidad.”

DEPORTES Los deportes de primavera comienzan con grandes esperanzas para los títulos de liga POR BRAYDEN DOTOLI b.dotoli@eyeofthetigernews.com

A medida que los deportes de primavera entran en plena acción, muchos equipos de RHS están comenzando su temporada de liga de forma correcta. El equipo masculino de tenis, el equipo masculino de voleibol, el equipo universitario de softball y el equipo femenino de natación tienen esperanzas prospectivas de campeonatos de la liga a la vista, todo con el objetivo de conseguir un título de liga. El equipo universitario de softbol comenzó su temporada de liga con cinco victorias, derrotando a Woodcreek, Antelope, Bella Vista, Inderkum y River Valley, dirigiendo a cada equipo con 10 o más carreras, y solo permitió 1 carrera contra los tres equipos combinados. Los Tigres han sido liderados por una fuerte ofensiva y defensa de muchos jugadores, incluido el jugador clave de softbol Makayla Newsom que está bateando .515, Malaya

DEAN EFSTATHIU EYE OF THE TIGER

ASHLYN LEDBETTER EYE OF THE TIGER

A medida que los deportes de primavera se encuentran en la mitad de la liga, muchos equipos, como el voleibol varsity masculino y el softball varsity femenino, se encuentran en una posición privilegiada para ganar títulos de liga.

APRIL 8, 2019 · EYEOFTHETIGERNEWS.COM

PAGE 5

FEATURES

Roberts speaks the language of children

COURTESY KAITLYN ROBERTS

BY DANIELLE BENNETT

d.bennett@eyeofthetigernews.com

It’s late at night, and the entire family is getting ready to go to sleep – kids tucked in, lights out. But one boy tosses and turns, unable to turn off his mind. Unable to calm down enough to sleep. The boy’s name is Grayson Greenhalgh, and he is a smart and caring 11-yr-old. He is also on the autism spectrum, making certain situations more difficult to handle – situations as seemingly accessible as falling asleep. Knowing what to do, his cousin Kaitlyn Roberts leads the boy to her car and takes him for a drive. She talks to him. She’s patient with him. And by the time they return, he is ready to climb back into bed for the night. This is not uncommon for Kaitlyn. Though she is a senior in high school, she spends most of her time around children the same age or younger than Grayson, whether she is babysitting or volunteering at a hospital. When comparing her last job at a beauty salon to her babysitting, there is no contest. “Babysitting just makes me smile,” Kaitlyn said. “And I want to be around kids so it doesn’t even feel like I’m working.” Kaitlyn is particularly close with her aunt Dani-

elle Greenhalgh’s family, spending much of her time watching after Grayson and his younger brother Sawyer. The family adores her. “I just love her to pieces,” Danielle said. “I would claim her as my daughter if my sister would let me.” Her relationship with Grayson started the day he was born. She was there when he almost lost his life at three due to medical complications. She has been there through all of the tribulations of growing up. She has always been a constant in his life, even when it is not easy. One day, when Kaitlyn stopped by her aunt’s house to watch Grayson and his younger brother, Sawyer, she found Grayson in the middle of a meltdown. Where others might have struggled, she was able to talk him down and redirect his energy into a game. By the time Danielle came home, Sawyer ran up to her saying, “Kaitlyn is like nobody else. She knows how to speak autism.” The phrase stuck with the family, and now the words “Kaitlyn speaks autism” are how the family describes her knack for understanding kids on the spectrum. Kaitlyn is the one who supports Grayson when the going gets rough. When Danielle was out of town and Grayson started acting

DANIELLE BENNETT EYE OF THE TIGER

Kaitlyn with her cousin Sawyer Greenhalgh (Top left). Above, Roberts draws with two children she babysits, Kaydence and Kamryn Kelleyw. Roberts spends much of her time working with children, some of them special needs, and plans on pursuing a career in pediatric nursing.

up with another babysitter – upset, spinning around, and unable to communicate his needs effectively, it didn’t matter that Kaitlyn was in the middle of a car ride to Monterey. She Facetimed Grayson, and knowing his personality so well, asked the one question which helped Grayson get his focus back. “Grayson, do you want bacon?” Grayson loves bacon. “One difficulty with a child that has autism is they have trouble expressing themselves,” Nikki Roberts, Kaitlyn’s mother, said, recounting the drive. “And Kaitlyn, being that mentor and nurturing spirit with him, she knows what to say to him to find out what he wants.” Kaitlyn tags along with the Greenhalghs on family trips to watch after Grayson and Sawyer – an experience she describes as fun. On one three-hour drive to the ocean, she spent her time sitting in the back seat with them. When they started to get more restless, she quickly directed their attention to a new game. “Kaitlyn has always been one to not wait until it becomes a problem. She will jump in and try to

redirect and play,” Danielle said. “She’s stern with them and tells them what to do but she does it in a playful manner that they respond really well to.” Kaitlyn has always had a unique bond with children, especially those with special needs; growing up, she intended to become a special needs teacher. Most days after school she spends her time with Brett Hayes, a freshman at RHS who is also on the autism spectrum, helping him out with homework and providing a meaningful social connection in what can otherwise seem like a hectic, anxiety-inducing environment. On the days she is not with him she often babysits, keeping the kids entertained, whether that’s by snuggling up to watch a movie or riding bikes. Though it is a job, the relationship she has with the kids goes far beyond that. When one of the kids she looks after, Ethan Linder, had an accident that landed him in the hospital, she took time out of her day to visit him. And it’s this connection that makes it so easy for parents to trust her. “I can leave my kids

with her and I know that they’re 100 percent taken care of,” Heather Linder, Ethan’s mother, said. “She’s amazing. She’s like a little mommy… She has the ability to connect with kids, probably more so than other people do.” She hopes to become a pediatric nurse – the same profession as Danielle and Heather, because the hours are flexible enough to still have time for kids. As such, Danielle set up a time for her to shadow one of her coworkers. It piqued her interest, and she later applied to volunteer once a week at both Shriner’s Hospital for Children and Sutter Medical Center. Applying was stressful – between interviews, background checks, and the wait to hear back. Danielle is proud of Kaitlyn for taking steps to pursue nursing. Kaitlyn reminds her of her grandmother, who the family had to say goodbye to last year, and she wants nothing less than for Kaitlyn to have everything she needs as she discovers her passion. “We always said that my mom was an angel on earth, and Kaitlyn is exactly like my mom,” Danielle said. “She is just

so loving and always ready to help people and eager to go out of her way to be an absolutely amazing person.” This leaves her wellsuited for her volunteer positions. Shriner’s is smaller compared to Sutter, giving her the chance to explore two different experiences – the excitingly hectic big company, and the more personalized small hospital – but both give her the chance to learn about being a nurse. She’s found the nature of being a nurse can be beautiful but also sometimes painful, especially when dealing with children who are suffering or terminal. “It’s hard to see what the kids go through because it’s not easy in the hospital,” Kaitlyn said. “But it gives me more of an insight.” And no matter what the children are going through, she has the chance to help them through it, which is rewarding in it’s own way. She still remembers when a little girl, sick though she was, reached out saying she wanted to hold her hand and be her friend. “It was sweet,” Kaitlyn said.

Figueroa casts a line into competitions BY LANDEN REYNOLDS

l.reynolds@eyeofthetigernews.com

Occasionally, sophomore Hayden Figueroa begins his day at three in the morning, well before sunrise. Fishing pole in hand, he drives to a designated location to meet up with his partner in crime and prepare their lures. The competitive fishing competitions that Figueroa routinely attends, though not for late sleepers, are enough motivation to send him running out the door in excitement. Figueroa learned about the existence of these competitions straight at the hands of the pros; his first introduction to fishing came from a friend of his, who also happened to be a professional fisherman. The stories he told Figueroa about these competitions were enough to catch his interest. “I heard about it and I was

really intrigued so I went and checked it out,” Figueroa said. Suddenly, Figueroa found his casual interest being replaced by curiosity. He started looking into ways to participate and quickly began rising up the ranks and competitively fishing for himself. “Once I hit 13 I bought my first pole and next thing I knew I had plenty of gear and plenty of fishing rods,” Figueroa said. The hobby has taken Figueroa from one body of water to another. He’s participated in several local fishing competitions - from Folsom, to Baryessa to Clear Lake. Beyond that, Figueroa has fished in many other locations noncompetitively. Unfortunately, fishing competitions aren’t cheap. With the combined cost of his gear, Figeroa relies on common sponsors in the fishing industry to supplement his hobby and supply him

with inexpensive equipment to continue. Figueroa has found himself a community of people who nonetheless also enjoy this niche hobby. Sophomore Zack Williams often joins Figueroa during his fishing trips. “I thought [competing] was a cool opportunity for him because it’s something he loves and he really enjoys fishing anytime he can, everywhere,” Williams said. “We go fishing all the time in the summer, in the spring, whenever we can. We just grab our poles and go.” Figueroa finds encouragement from his family members and friends to continue following his passion. “It’s really cool to be able to go out and know everyone’s there to help me and support me if there’s anything I need,” Figueroa said.

COURTESY HAYDEN FIGUEROA

Sophomore Hayden Figueroa starting fishing as a teenager. His interest in the hobby quickly grew, and Figueroa began attending competitive fishing competitions.

PAGE 6 · FEATURES

EYEOFTHETIGERNEWS.COM · APRIL 8, 2019

Junior crafts show from cardboard

NICOLE KHUDYAKOV EYE OF THE TIGER

BY TYLER COOPER

t.cooper@eyeofthetigernews.com

Students gather in the lobby of the Patty Baker Theater, half-hidden behind cardboard cutouts. The handmade props surround the cast of Roseville High School’s newest musical cast, created by junior Ike Bischof. The musical features two high school students, named Eli and Ray, who are spending their summer together running a theater. Cardboard is a prominent theme in the musical, and its presence originates from Bischof’s past personal experiences. “For me, the idea was cardboard. I love building things out of cardboard. I did it as a kid all the time and I still do it, and I thought it would be nice to make a story about that,” Bischof said. “Then

I thought about characters, and plot, and what would be the conflict of the story and the whole story.” Bischof sees the musical as a great chance to connect with his classmates turned castmates and create a long-lasting tribute to theatre. “The most rewarding part will be working with all my classmates and seeing what they can contribute, because my classmates are so talented and they’re going to bring so much to this and they’re going to bring ideas I never even thought of,” Bischof said. Senior Sierra Rosillo, who is part of the play, also believes that this project is the perfect creative outlet and lets students come together and collaborate effectively to pull together a show full of inventiveness and spirit. “It’s important in a musical to get close to

everybody because the chemistry really helps with the way everyone interacts on stage, and especially if the actors are plating people who are suppose to be close - it really helps in that way,” Rosillo said. Fellow cast member Makayla Whitsell’s friends played a part in convincing her to audition for the musical. In addition, the previously successful student-run works students from the drama program had produced sealed the deal for Whitsell. “I saw Intertwined by Doug and I saw that the student productions here are really well produced and I thought it would be a good idea to audition for a musical written by a student,” Whitsell said. “Also my friends were auditioning and I thought it would just be a good experience.” Junior Summer Eden is another member of the

TANNER BEASOM EYE OF THE TIGER

Clockwise from top left: Junior Ike Bischof carries in a cardboard box to use in his self-written musical. Students in the musical meet at rehearsals to put together the show. Junior Finn McAnlis and senior Sierra Rosillo work with the props for the musical. With support from his friends and family, Bischof’s first time directing a self-written musical has been a memorable experience.

cast. While she is proud of how far they’ve come and many of the successes they’ve experienced in the process of creating a play, Eden also felt that there were some challenges related to moving the play forward and getting everyone’s full participation. “The hardest part is getting everyone to come

to rehearsals and making sure everyone gets their lines memorized is huge,” Eden said. “Making sure everyone gets their lines memorized is very very important and we want to be off book as soon as possible.” Ike’s original assumptions of what it would be like to direct a musical

definitely changed once the process began. “What I didn’t realize going into this [is] it’s a lot more planning than I expected,” Bischof said. “Being the director, it turns out you do a lot less directing than I expected and a lot more planning and getting people together and things like that.”

Student dives into underwater ecosystems

BY RYLEY METTEN

r.metten@eyeofthetigernews.com

Though Joseph Bonar may look like the typical high school senior, beyond the surface lurks an interest in marine life that has led to some rather interesting hobbies – his most recent, collecting, breeding and even selling coral. His passion all developed a few years back, when a diving trip brought him under the sea to explore life underwater up close. Bonar’s fascination with this unique ecosystem soon led him to take a job working for Aquarium Depot in Citrus Heights, though it turned out to be more than a job – it was a learning experience, which only continued to cultivate his own interest in acquatic life. “Working at an

aquarium was pretty fun. It wasn’t like most jobs where you stand around in one place,” Bonar said. “In the aquarium, you have to keep walking. I would have to clean the aquariums, maintain the salinity of the water so that gave me a lot of knowledge that I was missing out on.” Bonar found himself with an endless host of opportunities to work closely with the marine life and develop a better understanding of the support system necessary to maintain a functioning aquarium. Soon, Bonar began taking his work home when his job inspired him to start his own aquarium. Bonar utilized the knowledge he had gained from his job to pursue his passion on his own time by setting up the aquarium, starting with a freshwater set-up and later switching

Freshman Gavin Valdemoro is a theater kid through and through. Currently acting in an Roseville Theater Arts Academy production of West Side Story, Valdemoro got his first taste of the spotlight when his middle school put on a production of Seussical. As a member of the cast, Valdemoro is fostering connections with fellow castmates and creating lasting bonds, all while dipping his toes into learning to dance -- an art in which he has little experience. With the support of his castmates, Valdemoro is slowly, but surely, improving. -Nicole Khudyakov

to a saltwater one to work with the marine life that better suited his interests. Eventually, as Bonar continued working, his interests shifted and, though he was originally invested in working at the aquarium to better his understanding of how to take care of his clownfish. As time went on, he found himself equally fascinated by the unique business of breeding and taking care of coral. “I learned that corals are actually animals, and I also learned about maintaining salinity,” Bonar said. “It’s not as straightforward as you may think. I learned that if you want to keep a saltwater tank, maintenance is the key. Just do frequent water changes.” Currently, Bonar breeds various types of coral, with a focus on zoanthids and mushroom coral, due to their fast growth rate and

easy maintenance. Bonar must stay patient, as it typically takes around six months for the coral he breeds to double in size. Bonar hopes to enter a new level for those who are on the market for rare corals by continuing to explore and potentially sell more variations of that type

of coral in the future, as it’s worth can vary depending on the type. “One could be the size of a quarter which could be ten dollars,” Bonar said. “However one could be the size of a fingernail and go up to $600.” Joseph Bonar’s brother, Marc Bonar, believes that

Joseph has found a lasting passion for himself in the field of marine biology, and he should continue to pursue his interests in marine life in the future. “He should just keep on doing it because he seems very interested about it and could make some money off of that,” Marc said.

COURTESY JOSEPH BONAR

Above, senior Joseph Bonar gets up close and personal with one of his tanks full of marine life. Bonar breeds and sells various coral species.

HUMANS OF RHS I really like being on stage and working with other people, [and] meeting new people. It’s mainly the experience and putting in these amazing productions that give me joy. We just started rehearsals last week. I’m actually dancing in this production. I’m not really a good dancer, so it’s building on this skill. I’m really happy. The choreographer, she is an excellent teacher. And there are some others that are more experienced than I am, which I learn from them as well. I’m getting better as I go along.” NICOLE KHUDYAKOV EYE OF THE TIGER

OPINION

APRIL 8, 2018 · EYEOFTHETIGERNEWS.COM

PAGE 7

EYE OF THE TIGER’S VIEW

CAASPP: Testing students for testing’s sake I n elementary school, there was nothing more exciting than the opportunity to chew gum on a campus that had banned its presence entirely. If you were graced with the pleasure, your teacher had snuck in a couple packs to class to compensate for the even stricter rules that were about to follow. All of sudden, you’re presented with the hardest decision you’ve made all day. Tropical Twist or Smooth Spearmint? (Tropical Twist - of course - because you’re not a monster.) You’re handed a set of #2 pencils and asked to bubble in your six-digit student ID. You fill in the required marks and your innocent naivety guides you through the next few hours of grueling test work. But of course, your teacher had been preparing you for ages. You’ve perfected the art of the bubble. Mastered deductive reasoning strategies. Memorized your multiplication tables. Fifth grade never felt so easy. Fast forward six years, you’re sitting in the back of a portable and the unpredictable air conditioning continues to battle the inevitable heat that comes from a set of nearly 40 students stuck in a single room nearing its maximum capacity. Technology has evolved and your days of employing meticulous methods of bubbling in answers are long gone. A booklet is replaced with a Chromebook and your excitement for a mere piece of gum is replaced with a bitter taste for the torture that ensues. You’re presented with a new question. Now, the hardest one you’ve made all day. CoolMathGames or funny YouTube videos? Welcome to state testing week, where apathy and disregard flood our classrooms and students alike have come to the realization that

we must relinquish autonomy for disengaged students outweigh the the time being. so-called “benefits” of taking the “SohCahToa!” someone says in test. For a single exam to evaluate the class. It’s likely the first time an entire school’s quality seems they’ve uttered the mnemonic outrageously generalizing. What since taking a class that included is so conclusive about an exam jutrigonometry. If a student is reniors take on a random day in the lieved they’ve recalled a trig term, spring? it’s likely that student is not going Our scores do not reflect an to encounter that field of math in education issue. Our scores repretheir future. sent an apathy issue. And that is the problem with Standardization embraces state testing. mediocrity at best. How can We know disparities exist you really understand a student when there are students with a based on their comprehension 4.3 GPA and students with a 2.0 of sentence structure and a math GPA. It’s inevitable. But we must question they learned years ago. It recognize only works these perharder to Standardized testing formance embed the gaps are notion that only works harder to not simply educaembed the notion that solved tion is through limited to education is limited quantifylanguage to language arts and ing student arts and ability mathematmathematics and if based on ics and you cannot complete their comif you prehension cannot these tasks then you of math complete rank lower than your and lanthese tasks guage arts then you peers.” concepts rank lower -- some of than your which are not skills we’ve pracpeers. The ability to write an esticed recently. say and recall math terminology No child should be left behind, is not an indicator of a student’s but what good does a state adminfuture success. Memorizing the istered exam do for students that quadratic formula is not the deteraren’t accustomed to the convenmining factor for being able to be tional education model? For these a functioning member of society. students, a test that requires them It does not account for excelto hone skills that they’ve either lence in athletics, performing arts long forgotten or are yet to learn or any other creative field. When only marginalizes them more. And you drag students away from their that’s only if the student makes the VAPA, CTE, AP and other core conscious decision to actively parclasses and replace their allotted ticipate in the testing room. time with standardized material, And many do not. this essentially shows that a uniThe repercussions of adminform and limited education takes istering an exam to passive and precedence over their actual inter-

NATHAN SANGRIA EYE OF THE TIGER

ests and core values. Instead, standardized testing encourages a trend of learning for the sake of passing a test than for the actual sake of learning to become an enlightened and engaged citizen. On the state level, it is unfair that sites which qualify for Title One funding must have 95 percent of our students take the exam in order to receive funds. While schools like Roseville High School with a 32 percent socio-economically disadvantaged student population are given state grants for completing exams, affluent schools such as Palo Alto

high schoolwhere the majority of students opt out of testing are granted the pleasure of facing little to no consequences for their minimal participation rates. Standardized testing embraces monotony. Not our growth. Not our potential. Only a uniform education that funnels students through a filter that classifies student achievement on concepts that aren’t applicable to the majority of the population. (This piece represents the views of the 2018-19 editorial board.)

State science test experiments on seniors BY AJ WELKER

a.welker@eyeofthetigernews.com

uniors just wrapped up the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP), that seemingly meaningless standardized testing that finds new ways to make students feel worse about themselves. Now all sophomores, juniors and seniors are preparing for the California Science Test (CAST), the state standardized science testing that has the same effect on students, and more. In 2017, the CAST test served as a census pilot. In 2018, the CAST was promoted to a census field test, with 2019 being the first operational administration of the exam. Meaning this time - it counts. Looking through the standards required to demonstrate proficiency in the science examination, many are taught in lower level science courses, like biology or chemistry. Classes that most seniors haven’t taken since freshman or sophomore year. Matter and energy in organisms, inheritance of traits, and space systems to

NATHAN SANGRIA EYE OF THE TIGER

topics as broad as the history of the entire Earth are all fair game. The standards are vaguely familiar at best, and completely foreign at worst. The standards are written to fit students in grades nine to twelve, but when most high schoolers complete the basic science pathways by sophomore year, it seems unfair to test them on it two years later. Even the students who do continue on the science pathway to upper level courses aren’t necessarily taught the skills necessary to excel on the state-admin-

istered exam. As the Project Lead the Way (PLTW) classes focus on hands on learning, there’s not a high priority for students to be reviewing standards that they may or may not be tested on. At this point, many seniors have their post education plans figured out and are in the process of committing to their school of choice, or preparing for other careers. The motivation to do well on this test when there is no risk or reward involved makes the likelihood of seniors caring slim to none.

There is the potential threat for college placement, but as somebody who plans to get a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting, I’m not exactly worried about how my science performance will affect what courses I take. I’m sure many students are in the same boat. There is no requirement that dictates that the CAST must be administered to seniors. The California Department of Education states that the examination must be given in grades “five, eight, and once in high school.” In other words, the choice to con-

duct the test on seniors isn’t a mandate handed down by the state- it’s a personal choice. A choice that has no scientific explanation. Senior year is already chalk full of standardized tests: SATs and ACTs seem never ending, and AP tests are just around the corner. I’d rather spend my time studying for exams that could earn me college credit and exemptions from certain GED courses than a new, state administered test that has no real bearing on my future. There’s nothing like test-

ing a group of apathetic, annoyed, or checked out students. The test scores yielded won’t be what administrators want, but they should be what they expect. State testing should be catered to help maximize student success. Waiting two years after many of these standards have been introduced is a foolish mistake to make that ultimately hurts the school itself. Roseville High School has many passionate and engaging science teachers who work hard to ensure their students understand their material. But if students aren’t practicing it every day, the probability of retaining the knowledge from freshman biology is low. This means that teachers may be getting an unfair representation of how successful they really are with their coursework. If I had to take my chemistry final now, Ms. Cook would be incredibly disappointed in me. But that wouldn’t be an accurate documentation of how well I actually understood the material in her class. Don’t experiment on seniors. Though higher ups may have hypothesized higher scores due to more education, they should’ve considered the explosive reactions of students learning they’ll be subject to yet another state standardized test.

PAGE 8 · OPINION

EYEOFTHETIGERNEWS.COM · APRIL 8, 2019

LETTER FROM A LOST FRIEND

From the principal, to the principal About a month ago, one of our Eye of the Tiger students wrote a great article addressed “To the Next Principal at Roseville High School.” I thought I take a minute to add my two cents worth. - Former RHS Principal David Byrd

o the next principal at Roseville High School,

Welcome. You will be welcomed by various students and staff. Yes, they are that nice. No, it’s not an act. Yes, they really want you to succeed. Advocate, be a bit of a pain, and fight a little when it comes to the campus. It’s an older campus. It needs love and attention. But the students, parents and staff at RHS deserve a clean, safe, warm and modernized place to learn and work. Check out the murals on campus. Murals tell a story. They message all that is good with RHS. Find the money to give the staff and students what they need to make RHS great. The money is there. Find it. Spend it. Spend it all on the kids! There is artistic talent at RHS. Encourage The Tiger Band, The Dance Program, The Roseville Theater Company, Ceramics, Photo and Art. The creative energy in these teachers and students wants to be unleashed. Give them what they need. The Spring Dance Show… I have no words. You have to see it to believe it. There is a group of dedicated teachers and leaders encouraging students to advance to college Via their Individual grit and Determination. Its AVID. People from all over the country come to RHS to learn how to do it. Wear a college shirt on Thursdays if and when you can. Project Lead the Way Biomedical is going to invite you to all of their events. They are going to get a little goofy with you. It’s fun. Go every chance you get and play along. You will get an opportunity to order coffee or tea from Roseville Perk. Do it. Have them deliver it to your office. Give them a fist bump. Take the Peppermint Patty. It’s the best dollar you can spend. DON’T EAT THE FOOD FROM THE TIGER CAFE! It’s super delicious. They will deliver it to you. It’s addicting. You will want more. You will need to run, do Zumba, join a gym. BEWARE OF TIGER CAFE! (Seriously good food). Accept interviews with Eye of the Tiger. They ask good questions. They keep you on your toes. They do their research. They are better than modern “professional” media. Their microphone cord will always be tangled though. Peer Helping will ask you to participate in the Love Assembly. They really do talk about loving yourself, loving your family, loving your friends. Kids take it seriously. Tell your story. Be the club co-advisor for ROSE Club. It’s heartwarming. It’s community building. Student Government hustles. They will crowd into your office and sing happy birthday. They have school spirit. Let them do their thing and you won’t be disappointed. If they ask you to do the ice bucket challenge, or play roshambo, or get duct taped to a wall, or take a pie in the face, or participate in a donut eating contest, or do the Big Brother activity, or shave your head… just do it. It’s fun. Yes. It is THE Tedy Bruschi. Yes. It is THE Evelyn Ashford. Yes. It is THE Scott Pruett. There is a street that runs through the middle of the campus. It is called Campo Street. Cars drive down the street before and after school. It’s a Roseville thing. It’s a nice long walk to get back to the last portables in “Porterville.” But it’s worth the walk. Lake Cunha is going away. Try to see it before it’s gone. Or ask around for photos. It was a beautiful lake. Take out the old gym. Convert it to a two-story student learning center with classrooms. Get rid of the portables. Turn it into student and staff parking. You will be a hero! The people that work at RHS care about the students. If you ask them to do things that support kids and if you frame your Dave Byrd ideas in a way that supports students growing and learning, Principal, Roseville High School the staff will get on board. 2014 - 2019 Walk around the whole campus some morning before any-

Firewall reduces value of Chromebooks

Goodbye, somehow, you will be missed BY DANIELLE BENNETT d.bennett@eyeofthetigernews.com

ear Lake eville,

Ros-

Oh how I’ll miss you. In truth I didn’t even get to say goodbye. You were all dried up the last day I walked through the staff parking lot with a camera and a source, trying to find a place to escape the noise of construction workers putting up fences. Alas, I could not, and the noise plagues said interview. But I did not process that these fences would mean I would indeed never see you again. I still believed it would merely take a couple rainy days for us to reconvene. And it’s almost sad to think that the last time I saw you, I didn’t even know it would be the last time. Truly, you are a memorable part of any RHS student, staff or parent’s experience of this school. The days a parent drives in for an after school ac-

Farewell, Danielle Bennett Eye of the Tiger

Not enough time

BY JORDAN DEL VALLE TONOIAN

j.delvalletonoian@eyeofthetigernews.com

BY ASHLYN LEDBETTER a.ledbetter@eyeofthetigernews.com

ost students of Roseville High School have, or will have, a school chromebook, and most students of Roseville High School know that these Chromebooks are extremely restricted on which sites they can visit.. Now, I understand why we block sites like Netflix and game sites, as those can often be a distraction in class. However, when I’m trying to do a research paper for class and most sites are blocked, it makes it very difficult to get sources. In my world studies class, anytime I had to do research I would only be able to access around three websites with content that I need. Even links that we have on our Roseville High School website are blocked on my Chromebook. I think that our teachers should be able to block and unblock certain websites. That way when learning about sensitive topics we are able to go online and learn more about the topic. As school has gone on, our school has been good about unblocking certain websites like Pandora and History.com. Still we struggle with

tivity only to find their car a foot deep in water, and maybe their calf as well if they were really inattentive. The many days teachers contended with you taking up a sizable portion of their parking. The days most students took an extra long path to reach their classes to avoid getting drenched. The day one distracted student finds themself walking into your depths, forgetting to take the roundabout route. The days a student intentionally wades through the water for… no good reason I can think of but I believe that was probably the point. The days you have made an appearance in Eye of the Tiger, discussing your inclusion (or lack thereof) in our yearly FIT report. You were a geographical landmark, an ecosystem and a catchy name all wrapped up in one. You were a part of our campus culture. And much like someone misses their old, dying phone for its many quirks and frustrating lack of efficiency, I will miss you.

DANIELLE BENNETT EYE OF THE TIGER

many important sites, including Sparknotes. Sparknotes is a very useful and educationally relevant website, especially when struggling to understand literary content, and a helpful tool when writing essays because you can find quotes and page numbers. Wikipedia is unblocked on our chromebooks and that is a website where many teachers tell students they should absolutely never use because it’s often incorrect facts. And yet we cannot access a reliable source which effectively summarizes the content we are learning. The main purpose of school chromebooks is to be able to access educational websites to better help our academic performance. With so many sites blocked, I would say the only time I actually use my school

chromebook is when I need to type up something. One of my teachers would always assign the class assignments to watch video on a link she provided and take notes. More than half these times was the video blocked on the Chromebook. I almost guarantee that my teacher was not the only one with that problem. Most websites that consist of articles with the words gun, shooting, and war are blocked, making history class very difficult. I take photography and digital media classes, which would actually benefit from having access to more social media websites. Having Facebook, Instagram, and magazine websites unlocked would only benefit those types of courses. When taking media classes the main way to

find out what’s going on is through media websites. Even Google Images has so many photos blocked when the pictures are not actually bad, and oftentimes when I click on a photo that is there I can’t even be directed to the site it was posted on because it’s blocked. And beyond that, it’s extremely inconvenient that students can’t sign out of their Google account on the chromebooks. For class, I have two student emails but I am only allowed to use one. When trying to work on something for my media class I am not able to because it won’t allow me to login in with that email. We are still figuring out the system and I understand that. But at this point, can we look forward to unblocked websites in the future?

ith construction of the auxiliary gym beginning, there was bound to be some intrusion on campus. All talk of it has been mostly positive, even from me, and I’m glad that we’re getting new facilities. I was actually jealous of Antelope and Oakmont getting their new facilities before us. But now that construction is here and the wheels of progress are moving, we must adapt to the temporary intrusion on our campus. Last Monday the walls went up. Obviously this is a necessary safety precaution but now there’s a narrow maze of a walkway set up between the 900s and the portables. Even before the fences, making it from the south side of the campus to a western portable during a six minute passing period was cutting it close. Now it takes me the entire passing period just to get from senior square to a portable. Bottlenecking is inevitable when you have hundreds of people trying to squeeze going two directions in a six foot walkway. It’s just going to happen. Things slow down. We deal with this every day driving. Things merge down to one lane each way and things get backed up. Unfortunately, it seems as though this issue was not foreseen. There were some infor-

mational graphics sent out by administration to teachers that outlined the modified route but other than telling students to “find alternative routes” nothing was done. In the real world, it’s easy to get around traffic just leave earlier, account for it, and adjust your travel time to compensate. At school you can’t just “leave early” or “find alternative routes.” There’s a set schedule. There is only one route. Six minutes between classes, a feat that’s already barely do-able, forget about even so much as glancing towards the restroom between classes. So let’s account for increased travel time. Let’s be responsible and predict traffic will be bad. Passing period needs to be longer. You don’t even have to take time out of classes. Add one minute to passing periods and take the time away from ROAR. Granting an extra minute between classes would be a godsend. Fewer students would have to use the bathrooms during class times, fewer tardies and most importantly less stress. I hear it nearly every day and understand the thought behind it. Students missing class to use the restroom is an issue. I understand ROAR is a great time investment. I find myself using it to get work done nearly every day. However, I think I’m willing to sacrifice five minutes to be able to use the restroom, especially since those five minutes come out of a period where being out on campus is prohibited. We’re making an investment in our campus, building a new gym. Let’s face it, this is the new normal at RHS. The wheels of progress are moving. Let’s make an investment for student well-being, it’s only natural.

EYEOFTHETIGERNEWS.COM · APRIL 8, 2019

PAGE 9 · ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

A&E

LITTLE SHOP, BIG TALENT

Roseville High School Theatre Company’s spring musical that dabbles in the dark, the twisted and the hilarious.

CLAIRE TOWNSEND EYE OF THE TIGER CAM MEDRANO EYE OF THE TIGER

Roseville High School Theatre Company’s first musical under Jennifer Saigeon’s direction closed Saturday. With the help of impressive props and strong talent at RHS, the show easily met the standards established by former director and drama teacher Ashley White. REVIEW BY JORDAN DEL VALLE TONOIAN

j.delvalletonoian@eyeofthetigernews.com

Roseville High School Theatre Company’s performance of Little Shop of Horrors gave students and staff a glimpse of the great talented and diversity at Roseville High School. I had the pleasure of attending their opening night and it had me feeling ‘full’ by the time I left. Little Shop of Horrors is a lot to live up to for first year drama teacher and director at RHS Jennifer Saigeon. Former drama teacher and director Ashley White set the bar pretty high and this show met those standards. Audrey II (the plants), the focus of a recent A&E feature in Eye of the Tiger were rented from Inter-

mission Productions of Tracy California and cost the company $1,200 for three weeks and $300 for each additional week of rehearsal. Needless to say, the plants are stunning. Ethan Jones, the junior behind the two of the four plant props, had me convinced junior Annabelle Tiznado, the voice of Audrey II, was in the plant herself. It may seem like no big deal from the house, but according to Jones the plant is heavy, hot, and pitch black. The plant’s movements syncing with Tiznado’s voice and inflection is one of the biggest feats of the production. Not to mention that Tiznado took on a (commonly) male role and spun it around a whole 180 degrees and made it her own.

Sophomore Matthew Robinson, who plays Orin the dentist, fit the role well and had me engrossed in his character’s despicable personality. His leather riding costume was well put together and only added to the abusive boyfriend and mentally deranged dentist type. The dentist’s office props, again rented from Intermission Productions, were also a nice touch. Seymour is played by senior Douglas Pomin who is a perfect fit for this role. His real life outgoing personality transforms into this shy character afraid of his own creation, running after Audrey. Both of their voices are strong enough to carry their songs, no doubt assisted by their vocal coach Dani Leinwander, who I hope continues to work with

RHSTCo. But, only when you could hear them. On opening night, their mics either were positioned oddly like Seymour’s placed awkwardly on his collar which produced a terrible sound every time his neck or one of his costume pieces rubbed against it - or seemed to be off or tuned very low which allowed the music to mute their voices at times making it difficult to hear. Audrey II’s voice had the exact opposite issue, when Audrey II first flexes it’s singing voice in Git It! the volume was piercingly loud. From what I understand, these issues have been fixed in the shows following the one I attended. Seymour’s connection with Audrey is perfectly represented both before

and after Orin’s ‘disappearance.’ The awkward tension between the two could be felt throughout the room, inciting laughter from the unusually rather small audience which I attributed to it being a Thursday night performance. Audrey is played by senior AJ Welker, who has previously played many supporting roles and leads at RHS like Marcy Park in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Marty in Grease and Glory in Almost Maine. Welker had me hooting and hollering with every note. Her belts were awe-inducing. While Audrey as a character has big heels to fill, Welker fits wholly. Senior John Wallasch, a magnificent pick for Mr. Mushnik, plays a spectacular show of ‘old grumpy

man’ and ‘dead, old grumpy man.’ Unfortunately he suffers from the same doubts of technical issues that Seymour and Orin do. It was oftentimes difficult to hear his voice. Overall the blocking and choreography was subtle, the way it should be in a show like this, and made sense outside of the few times it seems like doors and walls were forgotten about. The Urchins had a strong, understated presence and only added to the 60’s style and swing of things when they were on stage instead of being distracting like I see many times with background dancers and vocalists. Much like Audrey II, I went into the theatre that night hungry and left stuffed in the best way.

ARTIST IN THE SPOTLIGHT: DOUGLAS POMIN For his last performance with Roseville High Theatre Company, senior Douglas Pomin plays Seymour Krelborn in the dark musical comedy, Little Shop of Horrors. - AJ Welker How do you feel about Seymour being your last role at Roseville High School? It’s an honor. My journey through the RHS Theatre Company has been a progression from being someone that knows nothing about theatre whatsoever my sophomore year, to being the lead character, it’s like, boom, I made it. All my hard work paid off. My dad told me when I first moved here and I did my first show, ‘I hope by your senior year, I get to see you be the lead role in front of that stage.’ And I just think about that, and how far I’ve come. Seymour is a challenging character to play. How have you gone about creating him and embracing these challenges? This iconically awkward character is very quirky. He loves weird plants, and he loves Audrey in the weirdest way possible. There’s a lot of places where the character traits that Seymour has might be judged or shunned, but in the show, Seymour as a person is adored for being this awkward, and, to a degree, innocent character.

The biggest part of tackling Seymour as a character is just figuring out how to break free from your comfort zone after learning to pull back certain traits about you. When you’re on stage, you let that loose, and for once you’re sort of loved for being that way. It’s sweet. As you’re graduating, how do you think theatre is going to play a role in your college life? Going into junior college, I’ve definitely based a lot of choices around theatre arts. After my experience going to [Folsom Lake College] for Lenaea, I’ve definitely grown an attachment to that campus. When did you first discover your passion for theatre? My interest in theatre started growing during my first show at RHS, Noises Off. Not exactly in the interest of theatre itself, more just the environment that it shares. After Almost, Maine is when I started

writing my first screenplay. I was inspired by a lot of my other classmates, and I’ve always been interested in making more creative stories. The fall semester of my junior year was when I [decided] this is what I want to do forever. What does doing Little Shop of Horrors your senior year mean to you? I just really like this show. It’s a great show. I’m so honored and privileged to work with [these] people. The relationships we’ve developed on stage are always on of my favorite parts about being in theatre. This is one of those shows where I think it’s really important. It’s a privilege to get to do that. We share that experience. So thumbs up.

CAM MEDRANO EYE OF THE TIGER

PAGE 10 · ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

EYEOFTHETIGERNEWS.COM · APRIL 8, 2019

SPRING BREAK

WATCH VISIT PLAY LISTEN

LIST

With Spring Break just around the corner, the Eye of the Tiger A&E staff created a list of what you should visit, play, listen to and watch during the week long break.

VISIT:

A short drive to garden paradise

COURTESY THE FLOWER FARM NURSERY

This farm’s rich histroy and change in owners has allowed for consistent development and constant additions to the century old Loomis stake hold. DEBBIE ARRINGTON SACRAMENTO BEE

Though the Horton Iris Garden didn’t open its doors to the public until 1999, creator Mary Ann Horton experimented with the flower and hybrid breeds since 1990. BY AJ WELKER

a.welker@eyeofthetigernews.com

Enjoying its twentieth anniversary and reopening for its limited two month season is the Horton Iris Garden. This family owned, Loomis based iris farm spans five acres and fosters over 1300 types of irises. All available for viewing and purchase. Open only in April and May, Spring Break is the

perfect opportunity to stroll through the plethora of flowers while they’re on display. The Horton Iris Garden welcomes visitors FridayMonday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m, and encourages patrons on Easter weekend to enjoy the farm. Picnic spots are available for those looking to enjoy the scenery and get a closer look at the hundreds of species of irises Mary

Ann Horton has cultivated since 1999. To commemorate your trip, handmade jewelry is available for purchase, as well as garden art and irises themselves, which will be harvested and available for pick up in August. The Horton Iris Garden 7440 King Road Loomis, CA 95650

WATCH:

Love, Death + Robots BY OWEN YOUNG

o.young@eyeofthetigernews.com

If you find yourself mindlessly scrolling through Instagram, Facebook, or Snapchat with nothing to keep your attention fully occupied, you could consider going outside and being productive, or better yet tuning into Netflix’s recently released series, Love Death+Robots. This series is unlike anything I have ever seen, presented to audiences as a collective group of animated shorts, all in different art styles, with completely unconnected plot lines showcasing weird and wacky circumstances within short 6-16 minute runtimes. To begin, the

animation is absolutely jaw dropping. One of the shorts is meant to be animated in a realistic art style. The animators did a good job at blurring the line between animation and reality. In the episodes Helping Hand and Lucky 13, I

found myself racking my brain trying to figure out if it was real or animated. For the other shorts, the animation was meant to look cartoon like, following the newer Disney animation style. Though somehow, the animation looked almost better. The plots were all completely unrelated, with the closest comparison being Netflix’s original series Black Mirror, which, if you’ve seen, can give you a pretty good feel of what these animated shorts are all about. Each installment is just 6-17 minute nuggets of gold that leave you thinking at the end of each episode. I cannot recommend this series of shorts enough and strongly advise you give them a look over spring break.

LISTEN:

Ariana Grande’s Monopoly BY JORDAN DEL VALLE TONOIAN

j.delvalletonoian@eyeofthetigernews.com

Ariana Grande has been on a roll, this time in collaboration with her best friend Victoria Monet. After releasing two albums in six months, Grande continues to release new music, recently coming out with her newest single Monopoly. Monopoly is a shorter, more relaxed song and it’s easy to see that it was made just for fun. And I love it. It’s clear to see, at the end of the song her and Monet are laughing about her “Cletus” adlib referenc-

COURTESY REPUBLIC

ing the Nutty Professor. With its playful music video and laid-back lyrics make it the perfect addition to Grande’s collection of works. This song definitely won’t top any charts, but her new focus of self care

and releasing music when she feels like it is changing the pop world. Her incredible balance of artistry and lyrical excellence keeps me at the edge of my seat and I cannot wait to see what Ariana does next.

Tea & tulips in a floral oasis

BY AJ WELKER

a.welker@eyeofthetigernews.com

With trees in bloom and the sun beginning to show its face, spring has sprung. Some evidence may lie in the emergence of buds and the abundance of allergies, but if you’re looking for vibrancy and color to kick off your Spring Break, the Flower Farm is an excellent option. Located in Loomis off of Auburn Folsom Road,

the Flower Farm has a wealth of options for all to enjoy. The cafe services from 7:30 a.m.to 4:00 p.m. every day except Tuesdays, providing a seasonally appropriate alternative to a normal coffee run at Dutch Bros or Starbucks. The showstopper of the Flower Flower Farm has to be the Nursery, boasting a deluge of bright and vivid bulbs and succulents. Open from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday,

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday with free admission, the water conscious and butterfly attracting garden is sure to be a showstopper for anyone looking for out of the box Spring Break plans. The Flower Farm Nursery 9280 Horseshoe Bar Rd. Loomis, CA 95650

PLAY:

MLB The Show ‘19

COURTESY SONY

BY VINNY JORDAN

s.jordan@eyeofthetigernews.com

With Spring Break just around the corner, the release of MLB The Show 19 has recently become available to the public. This year’s edition of MLB The Show features former National League MVP Bryce Harper on the cover, a smart marketing strategy by San Diego Studios, the game’s developer, as Harper is one of baseball’s most talked about and popular players. MLB The Show 19 is THE baseball game and no other even comes close. The Show’s online gameplay has been the best it’s ever been since 2015’s edition, if not, ever. Last year in Diamond Dynasty (similar to Madden Ultimate Team), the game was an absolute mess. The gameplay was dreadful, as power hitters were the only thing that mattered, even if their contact ratings were abismal. Fielding was atrocious, and the game was ruined

before the summer ended, due to certain cards known as “Immortals,” and they were quite that. If you faced a team with even one Immortal, it was an automatic loss. Not to mention the content was the weakest last year in MLB The Show history. This year, SDS has made drastic improvements. They dropped Immortals from the game, contact hitters are now useable and fun to play with, and fielding and defense is a major improvement from last year. The content in MLB The Show is officially back in this years game and will actually engage people this year. Some things contributing to this are XP rewards, and believe it or not, it’s something new to Diamond Dynasty. While SDS may be WAY behind on the idea of giving XP rewards, it is in fact in MLB The Show 19, thus giving the game more meaning and keeping people involved. They put in 30 new

legend and flashback cards before the game even launched and it’s bound we see more throughout the year. Most importantly, it’s easier than ever to obtain good cards, even if you are just an average player or don’t spend much time on the game. This year’s Diamond Dynasty is fun again, and I would recommend this mode 10/10 times. MLB The Show has always struggled in getting non-baseball fans to try out their game, but this game is one that compares to Madden and 2K. The satisfaction of hitting a home run or even getting a base hit in this game is strangely addicting and gradually, year by year, keeps people who aren’t big baseball fans playing the game. The graphics are great, the customization is even better, and you will now see real-life baseball brands in MLB The Show 19 like Nike, Lizard Skins, Wilson, and more. Pick this game up for this spring and summer and you will not regret it.

SPORTS APRIL 8, 2019· EYEOFTHETIGERNEWS.COM ·

@EOTSPORTS

PAGE 11

Three teams stand atop CVC BY BRAYDEN DOTOLI

b.dotoli@eyeofthetigernews.com

As spring sports get into full action, a few of the Roseville High School teams are excelling in the Capital Valley Conference. Currently three teams boys tennis team, boys volleyball team and softball are first place in league. SOFTBALL: The Roseville High School varsity softball team has started their league season off with a record of 3-0. The team has beat Woodcreek, Antelope, and River Valley, run-ruling each team by 10 or more runs, and only giving up 1 run total against all three teams. The Tigers have been led by strong offense and defense from many players. Strong offense has come from Makayla Newsom who is batting .515, Malaya Johnson who is hitting .438,

and Sadie Langlet who has three home runs. The Tigers have had only two pitchers all season, sophomore Annie Lemos and freshman Malaya Johnson. Both pitchers have helped the team stay with their current overall record of 8-2. Junior Emily Wright says playing hard as a team and communicating are big factors to winning games. “So far this season, we have been playing really good as a team, working hard and communicating well,” Wright said. Freshman Makayla Newsom has a goal the same as everyone- winning league. “Our determination to win a league title and our will to win has been our key success yo winning this season,” Newsom said. “If we keep playing as a team there should be nothing that can stop us.”

WHERE THEY STAND SPORT

LEAGUE RECORD

NEXT GAME

Softball

5-0

April 8th at Yuba City

Boys Volleyball

9-1

April 11th at Bella Vista

8-1

April 9th at Sierra View CC

Boys Tennis Wright believes that some of the biggest factors is their timely hitting. “We have been working really well as a team offensively,” Wright said. “We get really timely hits that help us put up a big amount of runs.” BOYS VOLLEYBALL: The boys varsity vol-

DEAN EFSTATHIU EYE OF THE TIGER

ASHLYN LEDBETTER EYE OF THE TIGER

Boys volleyball, softball and boys tennis all hold the first place position in the CVC, with each team in strong contention to win a league title.

leyball team has been dominating the court this spring season starting with a record of 10-2 overall and 8-1 in league. The team hopes to win another league title and follow up there great seasons from the past two years. Last season the team went 14-0 and won the CVC. The goal for the Tigers this season is to extend that league title to this season. The Tigers are led by senior Miles Judd who has 35 kills, and junior Mitchell Lawrence who has 36 kills. Roseville has 11.1 kills per set, a .352 hitting percentage, and 37 blocks on the season while keeping an average of 11.1 digs. The Tigers have 24 set wins and only 5 losses. Despite the team’s success, sophomore Thomas Plaskett recognizes there are still things for the team to work on. “The only thing that I think we need to work on is starting are sets strong and ending them stronger,” Plasket said. Even though the team has found success early, Plasket is not worried about the team staying motivated. “The biggest thing motivating us right now is our first place standing and opportunity to win a league banner,” Plaskett said. Plaskett is excited about the team’s play thus far this year. “Our team has been playing really good this season and we only have one loss in league,” Plaskett said.

“We are number one in all the standing for the CVC.” BOYS TENNIS: The Roseville Tigers tennis team has started out strong in their 2019 spring season with a record of 8-1 in league. The Tigers hope to bounce back after having a rough season last year going 9-6 in league and 10-7 overall. After having new teams come in to the CVC, the Tigers have been benefited by playing new teams. Some of the players who lead the Tigers are the Cerecedes brothers. They have been leading this tennis team, both going 9-0 so far in all their matches this season. In the 2 singles match Garrett Smith is 7-5, and in the 1 doubles Ethan Brekke and Tommy Vu are 7-2. In the 2 doubles Dominic Jordan and Rafael Meschia is 9-1. Team bonding has helped their team come together, senior Christian Park believes. “We are doing well as a team and we are having a really good bond together right now,” Park said. “This is one of the big factor that is helping us win matches.” Park also believes that team chemistry helps motivate the team to win the game. “The only thing we need to work on as a team is just cheering for each other more when we are in matches and motivating each other better,” Park said.

Performances of the Week MARCH 18-22

Boys volleyball sweeps Inderkum Tigers BY ELENA BATEMAN

e.bateman@eyeofthetigernews.com

The Performance of the week for the week of March 21 is boys varsity volleyball defeating the Inderkum tigers in three straight sets. This win brought Roseville’s undefeated league record to 8-0 and helped secure their first place spot in the CVC. Roseville swept Inderkum in all three sets with scores of 25-13, 25-14, and 25-12. That night saw standout play from senior Miles Judd with ten kills, which gave him a kill percentage of 83.3%, just behind juniors Ashton Smith and Aidan Henderson both with

85.7%. Junior Mitch Lawrence had 1.3 aces per set that night. Junior Sam Angell and sophomore Thomas Plaskett both played strong defense, with seven. Plaskett believes that the team cooperated well against Inderkum in order to walk away with a win keeping their undefeated league record. “We all played our best and we played as a team and everyone was playing well” Plaskett said.

MARCH 25-29

Boys tennis defeats crosstown rival BY HUNTER HATCH

h.hatch@eyeofthetigernews.com

On March 26, the boys tennis had an outstanding

performance against their cross town rival Woodcreek Timberwolves, who were 6-3 before playing the Tigers. It was an outstanding and intense match between the two schools. Woodcreek jumped out with an early lead on the Tigers, winning the first four singles matches. With all hope seemingly lost, the the Tigers were able to get a win streak going and finished the match with five straight wins, making the final score 5-4 with the Tigers Victorious. This was an eye opening experience for the team and will be remembered throughout their season. Senior Christian park believes it’s one of the most rememberable games for the team and a good confidence booster for the team. “The game was an

awesome experience that helped provide confidence and energy for a team,” Park said.

APRIL 1-5

Softball shuts out the Bella Vista Broncos BY COBY ESTRADA

c.estrada@eyeofthetigernews.com

The performance of the week for the week of April 1 is the varsity girls softball team’s performance against Bella Vista. The Tigers defeated the Bella Vista Broncos in dominating fashion 11-0. Sophomore Lauren Mirtoni led the team in RBI’s that night with three and hitting two for two on

the night. Mirtoni believes the success came from everyone playing good and the chemistry. “First of all everyone played really good,” Mirtoni said. “We pitched outstanding not allowing one run and everyone was hitting well. Our team chemistry has came along really well this season so that helps a lot too.” Sophomore Annie Lemos and freshman Malaya Johnson pitched, combining for three total strikeouts on the night - two coming from Lemos and one coming from Johnson. Junior Emily Wright went three for three against the Inderkum Tigers, scoring two runs. The team looks to continue their undefeated league record throughout the season.

Athletic scholarships grant academic opportunities

BY BELLA AYALA

b.ayala@eyeofthetigernews.com

Trying to earn an athletic scholarship is both physically and mentally draining for an athlete. Young athletes must learn to mature faster than their peers, as they must learn elevated time management, leadership and communication skills if they want to be recruited. Every day for an athlete is truly a grind. Imagine how great it would be and feel to play the sport you love, and at a great college that you love, all while earning your degree to do something that you love when it is all over. Personally, I couldn’t imagine anything better.. If a student athlete is smart and has the opportunity to attend a college that is more academically suiting for them than a college that is offering them an athletic scholarship but isn’t as rich in academics, I think the athlete should attend the better academic university. Sports are not forever. There was life before them and their will be life after them, and I think student athletes lose sight in this when they are chasing their dreams. I am a firm believer that you have to put yourself in the best position to be successful in life, and even though I wish I could play sports forever, I understand that this is impossible. Though for some athletes this is different. Sports could help an athlete get into a higher academic college that they may not have been able to get in before. I am a good student and could get into a good university without an athletic scholarship, but because of softball, so many academic opportunities have become available to me that wouldn’t be possible without it. I’m smart, but not Ivy smart. But with softball I am. Although the Ivy League schools do not give away athletic scholarships, they can still get a student athlete through admissions and into the school is they want them to play for them, even if an athlete wouldn’t typically get into the school. A lot of my friends who are non student athletes and are “smarter” than me believe this is unfair, but personally I do not. I don’t think these peers are that much “smarter” than me. I just think they just have a lot more time to focus on school than a high level athlete like myself does. Athletes when entering into the recruiting process and trying to earn an athletic scholarship do not sell yourself short, not athletically or academically, you never know what opportunities may become available to you.

SPORTS

@EOTSPORTS · EYEOFTHETIGERNEWS.COM · APRIL 8, 2019

PAGE 12

The cost: Chasing athletic scholarships Earning a college scholarship weighs heavily on the minds of many high school athletes. Over the course of a two-part series, junior Bella Ayala explores what is involved in this pursuit. The article below focuses on the costs and consequences of chasing an athletic scholarship. In our next issue, Ayala will share stories from former college athletes and the impact collegiate athletics has had on their lives. spending on elite youth sports is driven in part by the fact that 67 percent of parents have hopes that For many athletes, sports start their investment will pay off in an out as an extracurricular activathletic scholarship and 34 perity, but for some it becomes their cent who think their child-athlete lifestyle as they chase an athletic will go on to play in the Olympics scholarship. or in a professional league. Families of athletes being reIn reality, however, fewer than cruited to play college sports 2 percent of high school athletes spend a lot of time and money for will go on to play their sport at the their children in pursuit of this ofDivision 1 level. Of those 2 perten elusive goal. cent, roughly one percent of colFor those that do attain an athlege student athletes will go on to letic scholarship, participation in play in a professional league or in collegiate sports can create both the Olympics. benefits and challenges as athletes While the physical cost of trynavigate their way through being ing to earn an athletic scholarship both a college student and athlete. is high, there are also mental costs that athletes must overcome. PAYING THE PRICE: With recruiting being so competitive at a young age, many Many parents enroll their chilyoung athletes are forced to spedren in sports in order for them to cialize in just one sport. Kids learn what it is like to work with picking just one sport, so young is a team and to have fun, but their risky, because parents are unsure mindset can change quickly when how their athlete will develop. they start to believe their child has Just because one sport appears true talents, shifting towards the to be their best sport when they are idea of their young, does kid getting not mean it an athletic will be their scholarbest sport ship. in a couple With years if they these new kept playing found asother sports. pirations, It also many pardoesn’t ents end up mean it will significant end up being time and their favormoney try- Oregon State University ite sport. ing to put More softball commit Shay McDowell their child young athin the best letes spepossible cializing in just one sport, and situation to get recruited. playing that sport year round with In 2016, TD Ameritrade found infrequent breaks is believed to that 63 percent of American familead more injuries, since they lies spend anywhere from $100 are continually using the same to $499 per child each month on muscles and performing the same youth sports. movements, and also a greater Another 18 percent spent beburnout rate. tween $500 to $999 monthly. Sophomore Alyssa Sandle About 11 percent spend $1,000 plays basketball year round, and to $1,999. On the high end, eight has found that at times it does get percent said they spend $2,000 tiring playing the same sport all per month or more. the time. To put this in perspective, ac“I play basketball all year cording to the College Board, the round and I love it,” Sandle said. average cost of tuition and fees “But when you play it year round for the 2017–2018 school year it gets tiring and at times you start was $34,740 at private colleges, to lose interest.” $9,970 for state residents at pubAs athletes start to grow up lic colleges, and $25,620 for outand mature, they someof-state residents attending public times start to peruniversities. ceive the emotional These means that many famiand financial lies spend more money chasing investment in opportunities to win scholarships their extrathan they save on future college curricular tuition - in the event that their activities as child does get a scholarship. unwapresFreshman Shay McDowell is sure. verbally committed to play softThis unwanted press u r e could ball at Oregon State University. conMcDowell has been playing since tribshe was six, and appreciates all ute her parents have done to get her to through the process. “My parents have spent a lot of money for me to play softball,” McDowell said. “When I was going through the recruiting process they always made sure I was on a team that attended the best showcases and I got to any college camps I needed to get to.” According to the same Ameritrade report, LILY AMOS the increased BY BELLA AYALA

b.ayala@eyeofthetigernews.com

My parents have spent a lot of money for me to play softball.”

COURTESY SHAY MCDOWELL

Freshman Shay McDowell is currently committed to the Oregon State University. Prior to committing, McDowelll found herself and her family having to spend a generous amount of time and money going to prospective camps and tournaments.

the fact that 70 percent of kids end up quitting their sport by the time they are 13 years old. BEING A STUDENT ATHLETE:

BY THE NUMBERS

19%

of American families spend $1,000 or more on athletics each month

In college, being a student athlete has both its advantages and disadvantages. When they enter of parents believe their college, athletes children will eventaully are are often earn an athletic scholarmore prominent than ship students who do not compete in sports. Former or less of high school Roseville High School stuathletes play sports at the dent, Jamie Division 1 collegiate level Bateman, currently atALYSSA tends the SANDLE nitely helped me get into Cal get that much free time to spend UniverPoly.” on other things as well as have sity of Amos also recognizes that stuto balance our school work while Michigan and dent athletes get more academic only being at school for three days h a s noticed the resources than non athletes in cola week during traveling season difference in treatment lege. and conference.” between athletes and non athletes. “At Cal Poly student athletes get Karli Dugger, another RHS “They don’t really ever become priority registration for classes so alumnus, is attending Chico State students,” Bateman said. “They we are able to pick the classes that on a softball scholarship. Dugger are viewed as celebrities from the work around believes the time they are recruited until they practice and high expectagraduate.” games,” set for Bateman also believes that colPlaying a collegiate tions Amos said. college stulege athletes academic standards sport [is] hard “We also dent athletes are much lower compared to other get academare both athstudents. enough... ic athletic letically and “Plain and simple, it is easier counselors academically to get into schools for athletes bewhich help challengcause they are attending them for us a lot with ing, which a different reason,” Bateman said. staying on is constantly “They aren’t there to be full time track and pushing them students, so the standards aren’t as finding the physically high. I have had classes with athbest classletes and they rarely show up and - Chico State softball and mentally. es.” “Some disbarely pass.” player Karli Dugger While advantages to Lily Amos graduated from Rosthere are being a stueville last year and is on an athmany advandent athlete letic scholarship for softball at Cal tages to being a college student in college would be how mentally Poly, SLO. athlete there are also some drawand physically draining it is,” Amos agrees with Bateman in backs. Dugger said. “Not only is playing the sense that softball helped her Amos believes that one of the a collegiate sport hard enough, but get into the university she wantbiggest downfalls to being a colgetting up at 6 a.m. for weights, ed to attend. lege athlete is the lack of free then having to go to class all day, “Cal Poly is a very academitime. then practice, and then study hall cally elite school and is very “Free time is one of the main is a lot and takes a lot of time manhard to get into,” Amos disadvantages,” Amos said. “Beagement skills. But what keeps me said. “Even though I had tween weights, practice, and begoing is how worth it is at the end good grades in high ing a full time student we don’t of the day.” school softball defi-

67% 2%

But what keeps me going is how worth it it is at the end of the day.