“The rivalry between us is just really fun, and to win in nine years for the first time just made it even better.” - Donovan Kuwazaki
The Cost of Beauty (full story on page 09)
Little Thunder Big Impact (full story on page 43)
Scratch is a Coding Language (full story on page 49)
VOL 33 | ISSUE 3 | MARCH 2026
Rocklin High School
01. Table of Contents
03. RUSD Versus RTPA
05. Get Away With Runaway
07. New Kids on the Block
09. The Cost of Beauty
11. Moves, Grooves & No Booze
13. Where The Past Meets Present
15. Artificial Overflow
17. Booked for Life
19. Top Shots
21. Senioritis
23. Pause. Sip. Repeat.
25. Turning the Page
27. From Classroom to Combat
29. Tricky Situations
31. Dice Hit the Table
33. Sports Preview
35. 9 Years Later
37. The Fight off the Mat
39. Top Shots
41. Never too Late
43. Little Thunder Big Impact
45. Let’s Go to the Beach
47. Opinion/Review Preview
49. Scratch is a Coding Language
51. What Are We Doing
53. Editorial
Rocklin High School
5301 Victory Ln, Rocklin, CA.
News Website: rocklinhsflash.net
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Member of the NSPA Top 100
2023 NSPA Honorable Mention: Radian Hong - News Story
2024 NSPA Graphic Designer of the Year: Faith Reynolds, Bailee Sexton, Celeste Contratto - Sixth Place
2025 Sport Reaction Photography: Joshua Gunter, Third Place
2025 Social Media Campaign: Lev Rubinstein, Second Place
Editor-in-Chief
Cole Broumas Eitan Rubinstein
Editors
Zachary Burdick, Kaelyn Cunningham, Evan Gordan, Joshua Gunter, Dhruva Jagadish, Ashley Kim, Brady Kretzmer, Sofia Patterson, CJ Shafer, Bailee Sexton, Ian Valdivia Castorena, Tessa Wagnon
Staff
Sarah Bawa, Micah Bielling, Mark Bonitz, Greyson Davis, Kevin Feng, Libby Galvin, Carson May, Cole McCoy, Omer Mohamed, Ellis Rogers, Larsyn Strait, Kaitlyn Tri, Sydney Vu
Mission Statement: Intentional classroom relationships which result in timely, interesting and excellent coverage of our campus and community.
For most of last semester, some clubs were put on pause or stopped happening entirely. Fun activities were offered less during FLEX. Campus life at RHS was significantly deprecated because of the district’s refusal to help teachers.
It is well known that the Rocklin Teachers’ Professional Association (RTPA) is a union of many teachers across the district. According to a math teacher in the RTPA, the teachers “work together so that [they] can get a fair [work] contract, fair pay, and be treated properly” by the Rocklin Unified School District (RUSD.)
According to the math teacher, the RUSD admins “feel like they are superior to the teachers.” Luckily for
“
“ Raises never come easily nor smoothly. - LT
the RTPA, the admins they battle with are people that work in the district office, not at the schools themselves.
“Admins who work at schools generally understand what it’s like to be a teacher,” the math teacher (MT) said. “It’s the people who work in the district
office…they forget what it’s like to be a teacher.”
A language arts teacher (LT) in the RTPA said that many teachers are “thankful that the district is far away” from their schools. They want to stay far from the boss that “does not truly appreciate that [teachers] deserve financial rewards just as much as [the district admins] do.”
Most students know that the RTPA demands higher wages. The language arts teacher said that for over 20 years, their raises “never come easily nor smoothly.” Teachers usually get their raises via negotiations with the RUSD. “Our union representatives have some ideas, and then the district has some ideas,” the LT said. “There’s a lot
of back and forth.” Unfortunately, the process of negotiations is always “very contentious,” according to the math teacher.
RUSD usually claims that they cannot afford to give teachers raises. However, the language arts teacher does not believe the RUSD’s claim because every time the district said “they were going to be in a deficit,” it never happened. The RUSD still has money.
“The people who do the job on campus are the teachers, and we should be the people that should be prioritized in our district,” the MT said.
On November 19, 2025, members of the RTPA gathered outside the RHS office to spread awareness to the RUSD about their demands. “We have to tell people how we feel, and hopefully people’s better judgement… helps us get everything done,” the MT said.
The LT said the RUSD does not remember the challenges that
“
“ I want to be treated fairly. - MT
teachers face every day. “I want [the RUSD] to remember what it was like to be a teacher.”
“I just want to be treated as the professional I am. I want to be treated fairly. I want to know that I have a priority in our district. I want people to understand how challenging this job is, and respect us for who we are,” said the MT.
By: Kevin Feng Staff Reporter
Since December or earlier, RHS students suspected that the RTPA was organizing a strike for late January.
From mid-to-late January, negotiations between the RTPA and the district occurred for two weeks. Fortunately, the negotiations ended with agreements that teachers would get a raise to their salaries.
As a result, the RTPA did not organize a strike.
At the time of writing, the negotiations are not ratified yet by the RTPA and the district.
According to rocklinusd.org, the proposed contract, if signed, will result in teachers immediately receiving a 2% raise retroactive to July 1, 2025. They could get another 2% raise effective on Februrary 1, 2026.
In addition to raises, teachers could also get a $1,000 offschedule wellness bonus before the end of the 2025-26 school year.
The negotiations include details about the 2026-27 school year. For example, teachers could get a 0.3% raise, effective on July 1, 2026.
After two weeks away for winter break, Rocklin High School enters 2026 with a bang. For students, it’s a tough feeling having to get back in the classroom, but Rocklin has a solution to that problem: Runaway Week. Rocklin’s Runaway Week is the second spirit week of the year, with the theme of running away — a week that has been ongoing for more than 25 years. Activities Director John Thompson believes the week has helped not only with positivity but also academically. “It became a request that we put it in the week as we come out of winter break for academic reasons. It was really helpful as students are doing makeups to kind of do it at that point. It also became a really good week to bring students out of the winter spirit or winter break. They’re, you know, a little grumpy and a little sad that they have to come back, so why not hit them with a lot of positive energy.” All those elements attached to it have made the week a big success, and it’s been noticed.
Runaway Week works similarly to other spirit weeks, having fun activities with student participation and a rally
on Friday. But how do the activities themselves make students want to be part of the week? Senior Halle Wardlaw believes that “it’s important to make the activities for people who want to do them because you have to decide if it’s something, especially for seniors, if they’d rather come back to school or not to participate in the activities.” For this year’s Runaway, Wardlaw says she has “seen that the
“When I feel supported by my peers and other students that go to my school, it just drives me even more
- Gabriel Tavares
“more we spend time choosing what fun activities we do, the more people are engaged on campus and have an easier time coming back from winter break.” Thompson also believes that, emphasizing how important it is to
invest in the school’s culture. “Culture of a campus will either evolve or devolve depending on how much energy and effort you put into it. So knowing that kids have been staying up until 3 in the morning, probably sleeping in until 2 in the afternoon, trying to get their bodies back in line with coming back to school, not just being completely depressing or whatnot.”
Runaway has a formula to be successful just as much as the other spirit weeks earlier in the school year, but how is it all put together from start to finish? There are actually quite a lot of pieces that go into planning this week. It all happens through ASB, Associated Student Body. Thompson explains that “there’s different subcommittees within student government who all have different tasks. So I talk with them about getting everything done before we leave for winter break because we immediately hit the ground running coming out of winter break, and I don’t want my kids doing any work over the break,” Thompson says. “I want them to relax a little bit. So we really pushed hard to
get everything lined up with borrowing the shopping cart, doing all the shopping, making the posters for the rally and getting the three-on-three basketball tournament bracket all lined up.”
Throughout Runaway’s time, there have been several traditions used for the week, including games, dress-up days and activities for the rally. The people responsible for those events are on the Spirit Committee, one of several subcommittees in ASB. As a member of the Spirit Committee, Wardlaw explains that “when it comes to Runaway, we use a lot of traditions that we’ve been doing, but we also understand that times have changed and we’re constantly evolving as a generation and as a school. So we try to look at trends that are happening.” That evolution has been present in this year’s Runaway, as Wardlaw says they looked to social media for ideas. “If you noticed, we did the Wake Snatching game in our most recent Runaway rally because we had seen that all over social media and we had heard a lot of buzz that it might be fun.”
With those traditions, Runaway has seen a ton of engagement from students actively participating in the games, dress-up days and showing up for the rally. One tradition that has seemed to become the most popular is the 3v3 basketball tournament. In this activity, several teams with three players each compete in a bracket-style tournament, ending with a championship round, and whoever wins the final is crowned the champion. Senior Gabriel Tavares was part of the winning team and described it as “a sigh of relief going in four years. Honestly, freshman, sophomore, junior year, I wasn’t really expecting to win it because there are older guys on campus, but this was our year. If we don’t win, we’re never going to have a chance again. So for me, it was just kind of that sigh of relief of, oh, we did it.” From this tradition, Wardlaw noticed that “this year there were a lot of seniors that came and stayed during lunch to watch 3v3,
which is, for us, a big deal because it means they decided to stay at school instead of go home and do other activities.”
Rocklin’s Runaway Week is unique compared to the other spirit weeks. It leans into the idea of getting away from school while at the same time making students want to be at school, even after such a long break. Wardlaw believes “the most important thing about Runaway is to connect the students to the campus by getting them excited to come back from winter break. It’s hard and it’s a saddening time of year just because it’s winter and it’s dead cold, and it’s hard to get that encouragement back from coming back to school. So during Runaway, it’s fun to see everyone finally getting excited after starting our new semester and ending last semester.” That excitement from students has shown, and it continues to be shown year after year since it first started.
By: Mark Bonitz Staff Reporter
Every teacher starts out somewhere. At Rocklin High School, that starting point is happening this semester. Two student teachers, Jake Cochran and Isabelle Struckman, are stepping into instruction and learning the job. Cochran is placed with Mr. Spears in social studies, and Struckman is placed with Ms. Padilla in language arts.
Spears has taught for 28 years and has advised student teachers for eight. He said mentoring keeps him reflecting on his own teaching. “I enjoy working with new teachers,” Spears said. “It’s fresh and makes me be a better teacher and reflect.”
Cochran is training in social science and hopes to teach World History. Before student teaching, he worked as a long-term substitute in the Sacramento City Unified School District, including placements at Rosemont High School and Burbank High School.
“Being around high school kids and getting more confident and competent in the classroom solidified my passion for teaching,” Cochran said.
Cochran said his placement follows a “gradual release” model. So far, he has taught 15 minutes at a time and expects to take on more responsibility as the semester continues. By April, he expects to be planning, grading, and leading class independently. He added that joining a classroom midyear has required adjustment because students already have routines with Spears. “They’ve known Mr. Spears all year,” Cochran said.
Struckman’s route into teaching began outside education. She studied communications in college and worked
“
“I enjoy working with new teachers. It makes me be a better teacher.”
- Mr. Spears
“
in animal welfare and shelters before deciding to pursue teaching. She said the pivot happened when she began giving tours to student groups and realized she cared most about the teaching part of the work.
“It wasn’t until I started doing tours for students of the shelter,” Struckman said, “that I learned how important it is to teach other people about animal care, shelters, welfare, and that’s where I decided to pivot to teaching.”
Now in language arts with Padilla,
Struckman said she hopes to teach reading and writing for eighth or ninth grade because that is when she developed her love of reading and writing. She described that period as the point when reading stopped feeling like an assignment and started feeling personal. She said she wants students to experience that shift early, before they decide they “just aren’t readers.”
Struckman said she is completing William Jessup University’s master’sin-teaching pathway, a two-year program that leads to a credential and a master’s degree. She said she chose Jessup because it is local and offers night or remote classes, and she emphasized the one-on-one support available through professors, advisors, and mentors. “It’s a small school, so there’s a lot of one on one support,” Struckman said.
Struckman’s goal for the year is to earn her credential and land her first teaching job. Both student teachers said the semester is focused on
learning the daily work of teaching while meeting credential requirements through Jessup, including the expectations that come with planning and building relationships with students in Rocklin classrooms daily.
By: Ashley Kim Senior Editor
“ “ The sophomores are pretty goofy. - Mr. Cochran
Foundation, concealer, blush, bronzer. For millions of women, their beauty routines are more than makeup; they’re rituals. Though they’re common practice, what are these rituals costing us, both economically and socially? Do our makeup routines cost more than they’re worth?
The average American woman spends about $1,064 a year on her appearance, compared to the $728 most American men spend. Chelsea Jones, a social studies teacher at Rocklin High School, shares her beauty spending habits: “I probably spend $2,000 annually on beauty products.” Jones shared that since having her daughter, she has made the switch to more non-toxic beauty products, which can become expensive. Junior Jami Kasten shares her much smaller beauty estimate: “A year costs me up to 100 bucks. I would think, like $120 maybe.” Kasten, however, shared that she “mainly just wears mascara” unless it’s for a theater production, in which case heavier makeup is necessary. Though both of these women have vastly
different estimates for how much they spend on beauty annually, they are still spending at least more than $100 each year on beauty supplies, and over a lifetime, that adds up quickly.
Cost aside, what is the primary motivation for many girls to wear makeup, especially since it can be so expensive? Sophomore Zoe Fisher states, “I wear makeup because if I break out or something, I can just hide it. Other times I just do it for fun because I like looking pretty.” Jones also had a similar answer but
she has asked herself makeup frequently in Eventually, she stated, wear makeup because it feel better, and I think better, I feel more that impacts how I world.”
admitted that she has asked herself why she wears makeup frequently in recent years. Eventually, she stated, “Ultimately, I wear makeup because it does make me feel better, and I think that when I feel better, I feel more confident, and that impacts how I interact in the world.”
to nobody’s surprise, appearances and to make more confident. Even widely used, would people makeup if nobody else did? pressure or stigma makeup? Jones answers reminiscing about her own experiences: “I totally was attain a certain status. a sorority. So even absolutely buying, performing in certain impress my other sorority
Makeup is used, to nobody’s surprise, to change appearances and to make people feel more confident. Even though it’s widely used, would people still wear makeup if nobody else did? Is there social pressure or stigma around makeup? Jones answers this by reminiscing about her own college experiences: “I totally was doing things to attain a certain status. I mean, I was in a sorority. So even in college, I was absolutely buying, dressing and performing in certain ways to impress my other sorority
get older, you do not care as anymore.
hair looks crazy,’ which then makes me think, does my hair look crazy? Do I look this way?” The pressures that many women face to wear makeup are real and exhausting. An article from the National Library of Medicine states that “women wearing makeup are perceived by others as more attractive, competent, dominant and more socially prestigious.”
hair looks crazy,’ which then makes me think, does my hair look crazy? Do I look this way?” The pressures that many women face to wear makeup are real and exhausting. An article from the National Library of Medicine states that “women wearing makeup are perceived by others as more attractive, competent, dominant and more socially prestigious.”
Though makeup is widely used by women all over the globe, the cost, both economic and social, is astronomical. The makeup industry makes billions of dollars each year, profiting off the insecurities of women and girls. However, it also makes millions of women feel more confident in their everyday lives, whether it’s full glam or “no-makeup” makeup. At the end of the day, it’s a personal choice one must decide for oneself. So next time you reach for that $42 concealer, ask yourself, “Is it worth it?”
“ As you get older, you just truly do not care as much anymore.
- Chelsea Jones out a certain kind persona. But as you get truly do not care as not that you don’t you look, but you you become more like, why am I doing Kasten reveals a opinion, stating her aversion makeup trends: “I don’t think pressure relief. I don’t beauty trends that felt like everyone else care, then I wouldn’t either.” Fisher shares the pressures she faces from in her life: “I feel like parents is also a big also just from school ‘Oh my God, your
“By: Sofia Patterson Staff Reporter
- Chelsea Jones
sisters and put out a certain kind of outward persona. But as you get older, you just truly do not care as much anymore, not that you don’t care about how you look, but you recognize and you become more conscious of, like, why am I doing those things?” Kasten reveals a different opinion, stating her aversion to most makeup trends: “I don’t think I really do it for pressure relief. I don’t really lean into beauty trends that much, but if I felt like everyone else just didn’t really care, then I wouldn’t really care either.” Fisher shares the different pressures she faces from various sources in her life: “I feel like pressure from parents is also a big thing, and then also just from school peers being like, ‘Oh my God, your
Though makeup is widely used by women all over the globe, the cost, both economic and social, is astronomical. The makeup industry makes billions of dollars each year, profiting off the insecurities of women and girls. However, it also makes millions of women feel more confident in their everyday lives, whether it’s full glam or “no-makeup” makeup. At the end of the day, it’s a personal choice one must decide for oneself. So next time you reach for that $42 concealer, ask yourself, “Is it worth it?”
1 in 6
By: Sofia Patterson Staff Reporter
$1342 of women worry about their appearance. Americans admit they’ve spent more than they could afford on beauty. is how much cosmeticrelated debt the average American has.
$1342 of women worry about their appearance. Americans admit they’ve spent more than they could afford on beauty. is how much cosmeticrelated
debt the average American has.
For the first time, breathalyzers greeted students at the doors of the Winter
Students at RHS and attendees at the Heavenly Winter Formal Dance on Jan. 16 in the RHS gym were the first students in school history to experience this new protocol of being breathalyzed at the door.
Overall, the dance received mixed reviews from students. Sophomore Rafaele Dano shared, “It was all right. It was really empty, to be honest. I thought it would be the same as HOCO, but it really wasn’t.” On the other hand, senior Jacob Duckham said, “I thought it went really well. The music choice was nice. The lights were nice. I think it was a really nice vibe.” He went on to say he noticed “there’s been less and less people I found over the years. It’s been a less popular dance, I’d say, overall. I think the hype around dances, especially with my class, definitely died down.” But it wasn’t the lights or music that stood out about this dance; it was the breathalyzers.
The distinct, bright yellow devices greeted students at the doors of the Heavenly Dance. Designed for multiple tests, these breathalyzers did not require students to put their mouths
on the device. Duckham explained, “they malfunctioned a lot, so it was quite hard to get in.” However, he said, “it took me about 30 seconds [to take the test].” Freshman Elena Pasewark added, “there were probably seven
“
“ It was too much of an inconvience
- Jacob Duckham
a reason to do that, like [students] acting weird.” She continued, “Only breathalyze people that [have] a reason [to be breathalyzed].” Duckham agreed with this standpoint, saying, “It outweighed what it did. It was too much of an inconvenience.” He went on to propose a new idea, saying, “more bag checks. If a student is under the influence, I think it would be clear. So just more bag checks.” Sophomore Kamora Dayton understood the purpose of using the breathalyzers and said, “For a safer environment, keep them.”
By: Kaitlyn Tri, Staff Reporter
people in front of me, but it went by quickly.”
What really stood out about the Heavenly Dance was the controversy surrounding the implementation of the breathalyzers. Some students stood for or against the breathalyzing test, while others remained indifferent. Dano shared, “I didn’t really care. I don’t drink alcohol, it doesn’t affect me.” However, Pasewark said, “I feel like they should only do that if they have
Every Thursday in room L-5, the lights flicker on and the door opens with a greeting from Rocklin High School (RHS) computer science teacher Ms. Rolph. As everyone gathers their lunch and sits down, the lights dim and a video begins. Most members, however, do not realize what it takes to get to this point.
Although an announcement goes out weekly, many students do not even know the club exists. Since the club began in November, it has had a steady flow of members. Club president Eshan Mukkamala said there has not been a problem with membership but rather with “most people not caring about history.” Mukkamala shared that the struggle
of getting members off their phones has been worse than getting them to attend meetings. Club member Elesh Sahoo said he has noticed the club becoming more engaging because “they’re doing Kahoots.” Although the phone issue is still apparent, club officers are attempting to create more engaging discussions at meetings.
On a positive note, there are students who are genuinely interested in history and look forward to these meetings. Mukkamala described himself as “a really big history and geography nerd. I know so much about it, I just want to share it with more people.” This passion is the main reason the club continues to operate. Increasingly, some students create clubs to strengthen their college applications rather than out of genuine interest. That lack of passion can be evident not only to the advisor but also to members who are truly interested in the topics discussed. With the GeoHistory Club, that dynamic shifts. The president genuinely enjoys what he does. However, that is not always the case with all board members. Mukkamala said, “They don’t do their jobs. And then I’m boiled down on the last day with two periods until lunch, doing the work of a Kahoot and picking a video…”
As mentioned above, creating clubs solely to enhance college applications
is not uncommon. Schools nationwide, including Coppell High School, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and Palo Alto High School, have experienced similar issues with unmotivated club leadership and members joining primarily to strengthen applications.
Although the Geo-History Club is new and relatively unknown within the student body, it plays an important role for some students. It provides a space to relax and connect with peers who share similar interests. Without clubs like this, Rocklin High School would not be the same. It is important to support these clubs and the students who value them.
By: Greyson Davis Staff Reporter
“
“ They don’t do their jobs.
- Eshan Mukkamala
Club president Eshan Mukkamala, shares his path to success to starting a club.
1. Pick something your passionate about
2. Make sure you have passionate board.
3. Choose an advisor who has time to help you.
We all have our biases toward current-day artificial intelligence, whether it’s Google Gemini, ChatGPT, DeepSeek or Sora. Yet in our world today, AI has many uses across different industries that are harming workers and hobbyists but are also helping the same people. It’s important to understand how AI is working its way into aspects of our world before generalizing whether it’s bad or good for society. AI, whether generative or chatbot-based, isn’t so black and white.
Many people in tech are seeing how chatbot AI is being used to help people, but things like generative AI are being used to replace artists and cut corners. Rocklin High School computer teacher Paul Werner said, “I think that chatbot AI is a way to potentially tutor you or students in
subjects if they’re struggling. Having that kind of individualized instruction is so helpful.” AI in this way gives teachers more time to help students who are really struggling instead of
“ “ Yeah, for good is the right word, because it is a parlor trick. It’s a novelty.
- Ryan O’Donnell
answering mundane questions from students who are not paying attention or just need a refresher.
It’s also hard to accept AI, especially generative AI, which is a form of AI
that samples artwork and photos from real people and can create something new. The new art sadly has the issue of being based upon the original artist’s work, in a sense stealing it. Werner found it hard to accept this type of AI as he said, “It really infringes upon artists because most people are immediately using it in the capacity of supplying art for projects or for backgrounds or using it for actual photographs, like if you want to create a new photograph with a person. So it’s cutting out digital artists. It’s cutting out traditional artists. It’s cutting out even photography.”
Werner is an avid gamer and game designer who feels that the artistry of games should be kept to humans and not to AI to make a quick buck. He said, “It was like a very small team. They poured their heart and soul, like blood, sweat and tears, into this game.
But at the same time, I think that just because generative AI allows us to make these things that look real or look so detailed doesn’t mean that that’s good. It’s all in the creative outlets.” This shows a way that AI not only helps Werner but can also hurt something he holds dear.
Daniel Nieto is a senior at RHS who is passionate about film and is in Video Production VI. He wants to pursue film in the future. However, Nieto fears AI as it has begun to take the magic away from movies in place of cheap tricks and unfulfilled creativity. He said, “Film-making or painting, drawing or music, I think if AI at any given point is producing the work for them, that’s wrong. That’s just wrong.” One overlooked area of film-making that Nieto shines light on is visual effects (VFX). Nieto said, “Recently I’ve just been on YouTube watching some film-making stuff, and I’ll see a couple people use generative AI to do VFX for their work. And when I see that, at first I’m just not impressed. I think that’s actually kind of a disgrace, especially to VFX artists, because there’s a whole art behind that.” This under-looked art form is already being replaced, with many films using AI-generated VFX like the “Avatar” series.
One teacher currently uses AI in his daily class, transforming it into a more engaging and fun learning environment. Ryan O’Donnell is the RHS film teacher who appreciates the addition of AI while understanding how it harms artists and other creative outlets. His approach is unique and something that many enjoy. O’Donnell said, “I believe I hired this person and said, ‘Hey, here’s four screenshots. Can you give me nice, clean, thick black lines to use for coloring pages?’ I paid this person, right? I forget how much I paid them, more than I would normally pay for something, but it was kind of a novelty to see how this thing would work. I think I paid like 40 bucks for it. And then she delivered back four images, and I’m like, oh, it’s really cool.” However, something like this isn’t something teachers can do every
time out of pocket, so he turns to AI at times to produce coloring pages for his class that he otherwise wouldn’t have. However, this is where AI hits a deep debate about what is ethical in this production, as this type of work does steal potential customers from artists similar to the Fiverr worker hired by O’Donnell. O’Donnell expresses the dangers of using AI in this way. He said, “Of what this is, in terms of we have this thing that can generate things for us, but we also can’t give up our ability to generate only to the machine.” O’Donnell highlights how generative AI is mostly a novelty right now, lacking the passion to create the real love behind art.
To sum it up, he said, “Yeah, for good is the right word because it is a parlor trick. It’s a novelty. I teach movies over here, and a lot of what we do is talk about movie magic. And that’s what it is. It’s magic. It’s tricking viewers. And so to a simple extent, that’s what this generative AI is.”
All in all, artificial intelligence is still in its infancy, yet it is already making waves in the world. The fear of replacing real artists, film creators, graphic designers and more is real, but it’s not something we have to let happen. Sourcing AI using consenting artists who allow their work to be used to train AI is a good start to stopping this theft.
By: Evan Gordon Senior Editor
Wonder which one is better? Does passion prevail?
One of the flowers was photographed, the picture was taken with time and care trying to be purposeful in composition. While the other one however was completely AI generated, taking the same idea of the flower and was fed into AI as a prompt and was made in roughly 20 seconds. Which one is AI?
The answer is Photo A.
The rocklin high library, to this day, remains untouched by its students
EVAN GORDON
Silence. For you cannot disrupt the story unfolding in the imagination of others. Reading, whether it’s fiction or based on a true story, helps your brain grow and change for the better. Your mind expands as you read about new opportunities or learn something small, like a new word.
“When you’re reading a book, it helps you be in the moment and focus on that new book and story you are reading,” said Rocklin High School librarian Amy Cherwin. According to Baylor College of Medicine, reading has been proven to enhance knowledge and solidify previously read information. Children benefit from reading, as it has been shown to improve their imagination and creativity and strengthen their cognitive abilities. With the younger generation, reading is often implemented at a young age to increase social skills and overall mental growth. “With assigned books, I feel like in a way (students) are forced to read that book ... then there’s a little pushback that you get,” said Cherwin. Students at RHS aren’t always able to choose the book they read; in most scenarios, they don’t have a choice. When presented with the option of reading an assigned book, they often see it as busywork and not a way to possibly improve their lives. Assigned books usually revolve around history, filled with words and language that the
new generation doesn’t understand or want to understand.
Upperclassmen have more leniency in choosing their preferred topics in books, causing higher chances of students actually participating in their own chosen stories. Whether the book is a novel, comic or short story, all can help strengthen knowledge and imagination. Senior Justine Lopez is currently reading both “The Half of
“
There’s a little pushback that you get - Amy Cherwin
“
It” by Madison Beer and “The Seven Year Slip” by Ashley Poston. Lopez said, “I think non-reading is an excuse because of today’s society and how everyone is glued to their phones.” The constant pull of social media often replaces the time that could be spent reading, which makes it easier for students to avoid assignments or books altogether. It’s been proven that reading physically alters the brain, strengthening its structure
and connections. “Reading helps me cleanse my mind and not think about my other problems,” said Lopez. While many students view reading as a chore, experiences like Lopez’s show how choosing what to read can turn it into a healthy way to manage stress.
Assigned reading can discourage students, even if they enjoy reading itself. “I really enjoyed (the assigned book) Night, but the other ones, I just did for the grade,” said junior Kylee Caswell. The enjoyment and benefits of reading change when students don’t choose for themselves. However, Caswell stated that the issue is not always a lack of interest in reading but rather a lack of time. “Honestly, I’d say it’s because they (students) normally don’t have enough time. They’re too busy studying and trying to focus on other stuff,” said Caswell. While reading habits may decline as students get older, research and student experiences suggest that allowing freedom of choice and reducing pressure could help students reconnect with the benefits that books provide.
By: Cole Mccoy, Staff Reporter
Just like that, another school year is coming to a close. For seniors, it marks the final semester of high school—ever. Many are already committed to colleges and beginning the search for roommates. As senior activities ramp up, schoolwork often starts to fall to the back burner. This is when the supposed phenomenon known as “senioritis” begins to set in.
But is senioritis simply an excuse for seniors to slack off, or is it actually a form of glorified burnout? According to the APA Dictionary of Psychology, burnout is defined as “physical, emotional, or mental exhaustion, accompanied by decreased motivation, lower performance, and negative attitudes toward oneself and others.” Burnout is commonly associated with those who work long hours, endure late nights, and carry heavy workloads—professions such as teachers, healthcare workers, servers and first responders. However, high school students are often overlooked in this conversation. Many juggle multiple classes, sports teams, parttime jobs, and hours of homework late
into the night. Experiencing burnout as a senior is entirely plausible, yet it is frequently dismissed under the label of senioritis.
The stigma surrounding senioritis suggests that seniors claim, “I have senioritis, I can’t do this anymore,” as a way to justify slacking off. While some students may fall into this pattern, not all seniors fit the stereotype. There is a common assumption that once the second semester begins, seniors disengage and attendance drops. However, statistics suggest otherwise. Principal Michael Pappas of Rocklin High School noted, “Average daily attendance, the seniors were at 95.91%, juniors at 96.04%, sophomores at 95.67%, and freshmen at 96.25%, so not a big difference.” Data like this begins to dissolve the idea that seniors are collectively checking out.
Post-COVID seniors have also experienced high school differently than those before the pandemic,
“Think of high school as a marathon.
- Michael Pappas
“
particularly when it comes to coursework and credit recovery. Before COVID, students who failed classes were required to attend summer school or night school to make up credits. This expectation forced students to take accountability and dedicate additional time to completing graduation requirements. Now, post-COVID, RHS offers “credit
recovery” courses. These are in-school classes students can take if they have failed a class to get the credits needed to graduate. This puts less stress and accountability on students to make up credits.
Despite its common use, the stigma surrounding senioritis paints seniors as apathetic and unmotivated, suggesting they have simply given up during their final semester. While motivation may decline, that doesn’t necessarily mean effort does. Pappas said, “Think of high school as a marathon. One way, you finish, you see that finish line, you’re running hard, you’re 100% all the way through. Then there’s the, you know, I got a
good pace. I’m gonna keep my pace going right through the finish line. Or, there’s the, I see the finish line, I know I’m there. I’m gonna go ahead and walk this one out.” It varies from senior to senior, but most of them find the strength to finish and go out with a bang versus slow down and give up. The persistence of this stigma overlooks the reality that many seniors are not giving up; they are pushing through fatigue to reach the finish line.
Ultimately, the conversation around senioritis deserves more nuance. Labeling an entire class as disengaged minimizes the academic, emotional, and personal demands seniors continue to navigate during one of the most transitional periods of their lives. As graduation approaches, seniors can finally see the finish line, and that in itself can give them a boost of motivation.
By: Kaelyn Cunningham Senior Editor
Though people often think that seniors burn out and skip school - sophomores miss the most classes.
Pause Coffee House has always been a prime spot for students on the Rocklin High School campus to study and do homework. The location of Pause Coffee being so close to Rocklin High School is a huge factor in its popularity, as well as the overall environment that it supplies to its customers, which draws in students. The natural lighting and quiet chatter create perfect conditions for students to do schoolwork. In addition to its comfort level, Pause Coffee provides wonderful customer service and great food choices that satisfy customers beyond RHS students.
To begin, Pause Coffee received many positive reviews about its ability to produce a place that is welcoming to everyone. Shiloh Smith, an employee
“
A fun sip of a fun drink, and a fun treat.
- Gurveen Brar
“at Pause Coffee, commented on the type of customers they mostly get. She said, “The type of customers definitely varies. We get a lot of old people but a lot of young students. On the weekends, students like to come in to study, especially during exam
times.” It seems that they are busiest on the weekends and in the mornings. Shiloh Smith said, “During the morning time and weekends, it’s obviously more busy compared to between one and six. If you want to come and study, come toward closing. It’s definitely more peaceful when people aren’t there. If you want to study, I’d recommend waiting a little bit.” RHS sophomore Gurveen Brar tends to study quite a bit at Pause Coffee. She said, “I like to study at Pause Coffee. It’s a really nice way for me to actually focus on the work that I’m doing. Because I feel when I’m studying at home, I have a lot of trouble because I get distracted by my phone or watching TV or something else. But I feel like when I go to Pause, it’s a really nice environment.” Even clubs on the
campus use Pause Coffee as a workspace. RHS sophomore Mehtaab said, “Mock Trial goes every Saturday, up until now. The season is close to ending, so we aren’t going anymore. But next season we will go.”
RHS campus use Pause Coffee as a workspace. RHS sophomore Mehtaab Bal said, “Mock Trial goes every Saturday, up until now. The season is close to ending, so we aren’t going anymore. But next season we will go.”
addition, the lighting and amount noise are what really separate Pause Coffee from other coffee shops around town. Brar said, “I like how there are a lot of windows, so it has a of natural light, versus other coffee shops.” It has been shown that lighting very important when studying. In an article written by Ella Hendrix, “studies found that students learning in naturally lit environments typically achieve grades that are 25% higher those in dimly lit classrooms.” shows that Pause Coffee’s open and naturally lit space creates better environment for studying classrooms or at home. Hendrix wrote, “Try to take advantage of natural lighting as much as possible
In addition, the lighting and amount of noise are what really separate Pause Coffee from other coffee shops around town. Brar said, “I like how there are a lot of windows, so it has a lot of natural light, versus other coffee shops.” It has been shown that lighting is very important when studying. In an article written by Ella Hendrix, “studies have found that students learning in naturally lit environments typically achieve grades that are 25% higher than those in dimly lit classrooms.” This shows that Pause Coffee’s open and naturally lit space creates a better environment for studying than classrooms or at home. Hendrix also wrote, “Try to take advantage of natural lighting as much as possible
by positioning desks near windows and choosing study rooms that benefit from sunlight throughout the day.” When describing Pause Coffee, Smith said, “We have good lighting with open windows, and it’s pretty peaceful.” Also, the quiet chatter in the coffee shop is an unknown benefit for students. Hendrix wrote, “Research has found that some low-level background noise can encourage creativity and help you relax while studying.”
by positioning desks near windows and choosing study rooms that benefit from sunlight throughout the day.” When describing Pause Coffee, Smith said, “We have good lighting with open windows, and it’s pretty peaceful.” Also, the quiet chatter in the coffee shop is an unknown benefit for students. Hendrix wrote, “Research has found that some low-level background noise can encourage creativity and help you relax while studying.”
Lastly, Rocklin High School students enjoy going to Pause Coffee not only for the study space but also for the accessible coffee, food and kind employees. Smith said, “I think it is a great place to study, though, because we have great coffee. If you compare us to Starbucks, I would say our coffee is very good. It’s something that people always come back for. I would also say the workers here are very welcoming. We take time to get to know even regulars and you.” Bal said,
“I really like how their employees are nice. They know what you want and are pretty fast at serving.” Gurveen Brar agreed with Mehtaab. She said, “I think that Pause Coffee has a really good menu, and also I feel like it’s fun.” Another thing that brings in a lot of students is the location in relation to Rocklin High School. Bal said, “It’s really close to the school.” Gurveen Brar also said, “It’s really nearby, so it’s not really inconvenient to get to.”
Lastly, Rocklin High School students enjoy going to Pause Coffee not only for the study space but also for the accessible coffee, food and kind employees. Smith said, “I think it is a great place to study, though, because we have great coffee. If you compare us to Starbucks, I would say our coffee is very good. It’s something that people always come back for. I would also say the workers here are very welcoming. We take time to get to know even regulars and you.” Bal said,
Drinks: I loved their drinks, I got a hot chocolate and it was perfectly balanced with foam and chocolateiness. It was warm but not too hot. Their latte art was super cute and definitely picture worthy.
Drinks: I loved their drinks, I got a hot chocolate and it was perfectly balanced with foam and chocolateiness. It was warm but not too hot. Their latte art was super cute and definitely picture worthy.
Food: I tried their Sweet Crepe and was delicious. It had both nutella and cookie butter.
Food: I tried their Sweet Crepe and it was delicious. It had both nutella and cookie butter.
“I really like how their employees are nice. They know what you want and are pretty fast at serving.” Gurveen Brar agreed with Mehtaab. She said, “I think that Pause Coffee has a really good menu, and also I feel like it’s fun.” Another thing that brings in a lot of students is the location in relation to Rocklin High School. Bal said, “It’s really close to the school.” Gurveen Brar also said, “It’s really nearby, so it’s not really inconvenient to get to.”
In conclusion, Rocklin High School students enjoy going to Pause Coffee for many reasons. Its food, lighting, location and employees all play a role in making Pause the perfect place to study and do homework.
In conclusion, Rocklin High School students enjoy going to Pause Coffee for many reasons. Its food, lighting, location and employees all play a role in making Pause the perfect place to study and do homework.
By: Larsyn Strait Staff Reporter
By: Larsyn Strait Staff Reporter
As the year turns over, Rocklin High students feel inspired to make goals for the new year. Making goals is easy but sticking to them is the real test. According to Forbes magazine, the average resolution only lasts 3 months. Resolutions also seem to follow a trend, the most popular goals set this year were exercise more, eat healthier, improve relationship with god, and lastly, academic goals.
First of all, what is the point in making goals, and how do they benefit people? I asked Sophomore Lillian Benson why she makes resolutions, “I try to make resolutions because I feel like there’s always a better version of myself and I always want to improve.” Like Lillian said, people usually make goals to better themselves, and Siska agrees with this and said, “I just think that making any kind of resolution or goal is a good practice to get into, because you are identifying something that you can work on and something that you can do better” With this being said, it is clear that New Years goals have become a trend that people just want to participate in. Siska says, “I think that’s why there’s such a thing as a New Year’s goal, because it’s a new year, and people have this idea of “new” that is just catchy. Obviously, you can do any kind of resolution or goal any time of the year, but I think there’s just something
about the new year, and that’s why there’s this idea of New Year’s resolutions. It is kind of a good time just to get a fresh start.”
Siska also believes that making goals is valuable in more way than one, “I think it’s a good skill to get into, to create goals, whether they’re long term goals or short term goals. I want to make sure that my students know that you can be more successful if you actually spend some time creating goals and steps and having accountability for resolutions you make. Presley Gale, Varsity soccer player and student of Mrs. Siska
“
“ You can be more successful if you spend some time creating goals and having accountability for your resolutions
- Jerica Siska
shares her opinion on her New Year’s resolution assignment, “I did feel a lot more motivated when I made those goals, and I think it was a good assignment but I haven’t really stuck to any of those goals due to just getting busy with other things like soccer.”
Making resolutions are fun and all, but the real test is seeing how long they truly last. Because making New Year’s resolutions have become somewhat of a trend, more and more people are quick to abandon their goals. Siska explains her own struggles with keeping goals, “I have abandoned a resolution much earlier than I expected to. I had a goal about making more dinners for my family, and I don’t like to cook, so I stuck to the goal for a little while, but then it just kind of fell by the wayside.” Benson also explains her experience in keeping up with her New Year’s resolutions, “I try hard to do them, but then somehow they just slip away. I kind of feel disappointed in myself when I realize I abandoned my goal, but then I try to start again and see if it’ll stick” Everyone can relate to the disappointment of realizing you are no longer following a resolution, but it is important to remember you can always start back up and continue toward your goals. Gale relates to this feeling and says, “I feel pretty motivated at the beginning of the year, and I usually don’t feel as motivated at the end of the year but if I realize I’m not following a resolution I try to start again.”
Because keeping goals can be so difficult, Siska shares some ways to stay consistent with your resolutions: “ List your steps to reach your goal and have those steps visible. It just breaks it down more and makes it more easily manageable. Also, I’ve broken goals and resolutions and then you have to realize, you know what, it’s not a big deal if you “fail” and sometimes it’s okay if you fail at it. So for instance, if I decide I’m going to do a 30 day challenge of no desserts, and then five days into it, I just binge on desserts. Okay, I failed that day. But guess what? I can just start anew the very next day. It doesn’t mean the whole month is shot or the whole year is shot.” Benson also explains how Siska’s assignment helped her to stick to her goals this year, “It really helped, because I could really reflect on the year and actually think about making new goals on paper. And I think I’ll definitely try to stick with them this year because as I get older life gets harder. So I really want to try to stick with my goals for this year.”
Making resolutions are fun and all, but the real test is seeing how long they truly last.
Because making New Year’s resolutions have become somewhat of a trend, more and more people are quick to abandon their goals. Siska explains her own struggles with keeping goals, “I have abandoned a resolution much earlier than I expected to. I had a goal about making more dinners for my family, and I don’t like to cook, so I stuck to the goal for a little while, but then it just kind of fell by the wayside.” Benson also explains her experience in keeping up with her New Year’s resolutions, “I try hard to do them, but then somehow they just slip away. I kind of feel disappointed in myself when I realize I abandoned my goal, but then I try to start again and see if it’ll stick”
Everyone can relate to the disappointment of realizing you are no longer following a resolution, but it is important to remember you can always start back up and continue toward your goals. Gale relates to this feeling and says, “I feel pretty motivated at the beginning of the year, and I usually don’t feel as motivated at the end of the year but if I realize I’m not following a resolution I try to start again.”
Brady Kretzmer
The most common goal made for this year were surrounding exercise and athleticism. Coming from a varsity soccer player, Presley Gale explains her goals for this next year. Lillian Benson, shares her goals being on Frosh soccer this year, “I really just want to get a lot of playing time and be a good leader on the team.”I make resolutions about soccer, like getting more touches on the ball to, like, improve my skills.”
The second most common goal this year was to eat healthier. I asked Siska how this resolution has shown up in her goals for this year, “ I made a resolution about making more dinners for my family, and I don’t like to cook, so I stuck to the goal for a little while, but then it just kind of fell by the wayside. But then I also was successful in eliminating diet soda. This is a goal I think most people can relate to. Eating unhealthy is becoming easier and easier as more of our food becomes artificial, which is a big reason why this goal is showing up more and more frequently
Because keeping goals can be so difficult, Siska shares some ways to stay consistent with your resolutions: “ List your steps to reach your goal and have those steps visible. It just breaks it down more and makes it more easily manageable. Also, I’ve broken goals and resolutions and then you have to realize, you know what, it’s not a big deal if you “fail” and sometimes it’s okay if you fail at it. So for instance, if I decide I’m going to do a 30 day challenge of no desserts, and then five days into it, I just binge on desserts. Okay, I failed that day. But guess what? I can just start anew the very next day. It doesn’t mean the whole month is shot or the whole year is shot.” Benson also explains how Siska’s assignment helped her to stick to her goals this year, “It really helped, because I could really reflect on the year and actually think about making new goals on paper. And I think I’ll definitely try to stick with them this year because as I get older life gets harder. So I really want to try to stick with my goals for this year.”
A huge goal set for people this year is strengthening their relationship with god. Siska has set this type of goal for herself and she explains she “read through the Bible that year, which was a big goal” also it was her “fourth year reading through the Bible in a year” Keeping up with a big goal like this is difficult, so Siska shares her struggles, “There’s been times when I’ve gotten behind in my Bible study and I just have to double up and it’s okay, it’s not the end of the world.”
Another very common goal made this year are academic goals. Students are often looking towards the future, and have goals revolving around theiracademics. Siska, as a teacher, has witnessed this firsthand and says, “Usually my student’s goals are academic” Although students are always making academic goals. It is not uncommon to see people who are not pursuing an education to still value academic goals, “sometimes I’ll even sign up for a free class online” Siska says. Coming from a student’s perspective, Benson says, “A goal of mine was not procrastinating on work, because I’m not that great at doing my homework, but I really want to be better this year and as I get older life gets harder. So I really want to try to stick with my goals this year.”
By: Sarah Bawa Staff Reporter
By: Sarah Bawa Staff Reporter
Rocklin High School students put in the hard work and risk their lives for the country by choosing a military branch after graduating from Rocklin High School and preparing themselves for this work. People might assume the military is too demanding for the average person and would not attract many recruits, but students are drawn to the branches for various reasons. Former RHS student, now in the Navy, Connor Galvin said, “I wanted to join straight out of high school cause I didn’t really feel the need to go to college… I wanted to do something better and bigger for myself than the average 9-5 job.”
Mrs. Lund also said, “The reason [they join] is because they receive military education benefits like the GI Bill after completing their service. These benefits pay for tuition and fees, housing, and other collegerelated costs.” Another main reason students enlist is family. “I’ve always wanted to be in the military. My dad was in the police force. I just saw the ROTC program in middle school [and wanted to join] because it really interests me,” said Rocklin student Jake Bakulich. A final main reason is service to country. “Many students are drawn to military service because they want to serve their country, they like the structure and discipline, they are interested in leadership development, career training, financial stability, and educational benefits,” Lund said. According to the Data Quality Campaign, out of the 70,000 people who enlist in the military each
year, half are fresh out of high school, meaning 35,000 students become interested in serving their country.
The most important thing in life is family—the people you are fighting for have the biggest influence on the decision to enlist. Galvin said, “I’d say my family took the idea pretty well… They have supported
the whole process for me and been a lot better about all of it than I would have thought.” Lund shared what she commonly sees at Rocklin with families: “Families with military backgrounds usually encourage service due to tradition, duty, and pride, while other families may be more apprehensive because of safety concerns, long-term commitments,
time away from home.”
and time away from home.”
Bakulich said, “Yeah, definitely. Because my grandpa was in military, and he always talks about it and how good it was.”
Bakulich said, “Yeah, definitely. Because my grandpa was in the military, and he always talks about it and how good it was.”
Military OneCourse confirms that students who grow up in militaryinvolved families are more likely to follow in the footsteps of veterans their family.
Military OneCourse confirms that students who grow up in militaryinvolved families are more likely to follow in the footsteps of veterans in their family.
idea of recruiting can seem complex, but many students there is support throughout process. Galvin said, “The recruitment process was pretty straightforward. The recruiters definitely helped me through the whole process and really explained everything pretty easily. I went my senior year, and they talked me through all my potential options.” Lund said her tips are: “Talk to multiple sources. Students should speak with recruiters from more than one branch, to current or former service members, and involve parents or
The idea of recruiting can seem complex, but many students said there is support throughout the process. Galvin said, “The recruitment process was pretty straightforward. The recruiters definitely helped me through the whole process and really explained everything pretty easily. I went my senior year, and they talked me through all my potential options.”
priorities done before anything else,” Bakulich said.
Lund said her tips are: “Talk to multiple sources. Students should speak with recruiters from more than one branch, talk to current or former service members, and involve parents or
“ “ I wanted to do something better and bigger for myself.
- Connor Galvin
After you graduate high school and enlist in the military, you will start a program called boot camp that lasts approximately seven to 10 weeks. During this program, you learn rules, discipline and basic knowledge in the first one to two weeks.
priorities done before anything else,” Bakulich said.
There are many benefits to serving, but it is not all easy work. Galvin said, “The hardest thing about serving is the constant change—moving all over the place and never really knowing when you might be moving again—or just being away from family and friends can be hard.”
“ “ I wanted to do something better and bigger for myself.
- Connor Galvin
guardians so they understand too. Hearing multiple perspectives helps students make informed decisions and the right questions.”
guardians so they understand too. Hearing multiple perspectives helps students make informed decisions and ask the right questions.”
There are many pros and cons to this career path. Some of the pros Galvin shares from his own experience are: can go to college for free, they for places for you to live, and you to travel quite a bit, all for free. don’t have to pay medical bills ever, too.” ROTC also helps prepare students for the military, and some benefits include learning responsibility. learned how to take responsibility all of my priorities and get my
There are many benefits to serving, but it is not all easy work. Galvin said, “The hardest thing about serving is the constant change—moving all over the place and never really knowing when you might be moving again—or just being away from family and friends can be hard.”
People often underestimate the challenges of serving. Lund said, “Sometimes the benefits of the military are very appealing, and students disregard the difficulty of training, length of commitment, and potential danger involved… This can include the possibility of deployment to dangerous or highstress environments, physical injury, long and unpredictable work hours, extended time away from family and friends, frequent relocations, and the mental and emotional demands that can accompany military service.
There are many pros and cons to this career path. Some of the pros Galvin shares from his own experience are: “You can go to college for free, they pay for places for you to live, and you get to travel quite a bit, all for free. You don’t have to pay medical bills ever, too.” ROTC also helps prepare students for the military, and some benefits include learning responsibility. “I’ve learned how to take responsibility for all of my priorities and get my
After you graduate high school and enlist in the military, you will start a program called boot camp that lasts approximately seven to 10 weeks. During this program, you learn rules, discipline and basic knowledge in the first one to two weeks.
Then you will learn more aspects of being a soldier, such as using weapons and connecting with other small groups, during weeks three to seven. In the final weeks of camp, everything you have learned will be reviewed and practiced until it feels like second nature. Once you finish all necessary training, you will be assigned to your base based on your career path and the training you have completed, and for the next two to six years, you will be serving the United States as military personnel.
People often underestimate the challenges of serving. Lund said, “Sometimes the benefits of the military are very appealing, and students disregard the difficulty of training, length of commitment, and potential danger involved… This can include the possibility of deployment to dangerous or highstress environments, physical injury, long and unpredictable work hours, extended time away from family and friends, frequent relocations, and the mental and emotional demands that can accompany military service.
Service members are also expected to follow strict rules and accept limited personal freedom.” Pathfinder notes that students sometimes reject military service because they fear violence, but in reality, only 10% of service members see combat, leaving many other career options within the military.
Service members are also expected to follow strict rules and accept limited personal freedom.” Pathfinder notes that students sometimes reject military service because they fear violence, but in reality, only 10% of service members see combat, leaving many other career options within the military.
By: Libby Galvin Staff Reporter
By: Libby Galvin Staff Reporter
Then you will learn more aspects of being a soldier, such as using weapons and connecting with other small groups, during weeks three to seven. In the final weeks of camp, everything you have learned will be reviewed and practiced until it feels like second nature. Once you finish all necessary training, you will be assigned to your base based on your career path and the training you have completed, and for the next two to six years, you will be serving the United States as military personnel.
Dozens of sets of curious eyes glare at you like sharp daggers. Accused of murdering a chef who once slapped you in the face with parsley, you and your legal team attempt to achieve an acquittal. You attempt to prove your innocence, even though you may be guilty. You and your legal team prepared six months for this one moment.
The members of RHS’ mock trial team competed in the Placer County Mock Trial competition at the Santucci Justice Center in Roseville, California, from 8:15 a.m. to noon Jan. 24 and
25. A real judge, unfamiliar with the case prior to the trial, was present to determine a verdict based on the arguments made by both sides. The winning team would advance to the state competition.
Practice first began in mid-September, as that’s when “the case packet comes out for us,” said Cole McCoy, a senior. The team captain, McCoy is the member who is responsible for the witnesses’ development. The team would meet “every Wednesday … and every Saturday,” said McCoy. Victoria Gutierrez, a junior, functioned
as the co-captain for the witnesses. Alongside McCoy, Gutierrez helped the witnesses work on “characterizations and speech patterns.” Witnesses would be put through directs to prepare them for the competition.
As the defendant, McCoy reviewed the case each night, making sure to review his witness statement. He would contact his attorney in order to review directly with him and also peruse Quizlet to find crosses for his character. “I would do anything to make sure that I was best prepared for county competition,” McCoy said.
Ethan Dufour, a junior at RHS, was one of the leading attorneys on the team, devoting about 90 minutes each day to prepare for the competition and reviewing all of his material repeatedly. “[I would be] looking over my direct, looking over my cross, looking at my closing, trying to get it all in my head,” Dufour said. In his preparation for county, he faced trouble composing his closing, which began in December, as it is an original argument made before the court. “If I ever had a free period in class, I would be working on it, especially during the last two weeks before county,” said Dufour.
Even though Rocklin’s mock trial team lost at county, various members still saw positive outcomes. McCoy
“We’re
“
credits his three years in mock trial for developing his public speaking skills and ability to build connections. “Because of mock trial, I want to go to law school, and I want to major in English or political science,” said McCoy. Dufour and Gutierrez both intend to compete in next year’s competition. “In regards to the future, we’re building up a team that we can perform better with,” said Gutierrez. As the team was almost entirely composed of new members, Gutierrez sees the attorneys and witnesses delivering a stronger performance next year. “Although we didn’t win, we got a good foundation for next year to win,” said Dufour.
By: Micah Bielling Staff Reporter
A
rhs’s dnd
A20-sided die hits the table and hangs on the edge of a 2 and a 20. At the last second, it tips over, and the table erupts in cheers as the paladin cuts the last head off a dragon. On the table is nothing more than a square map, some mini figures and the shared imagination of three to eight people.
In the new age of gaming, high graphics and optimized frame rates are all the craze. But here at Rocklin High School, the DnD club sticks to the roots of gaming, still using the tabletop and figures. In the 1980s—amid the “satanic panic”—news networks shared pictures of teenagers sitting around a table with dice and figures, warning parents about a new “satanic ritual” that kids were participating in.
In reality, “DnD is a tabletop roleplaying game. Basically, you and a group of friends—you guys meet up, you create characters, you roll some dice, and one of you will create a
storyline that the rest of you will follow along. Your characters have the ability to make world-changing decisions, and you get to be the hero or the villain, depending on your preferences. And it’s interesting, because, yes, a lot
“It’s okay, because it is a demon, he killed a demon, we kill demons, that’s not worshiping.
- Aiden Ly
“of it is based on your decisions, but it’s also left to the luck of the dice,” said Nathan Valdez, president of the RHS Dungeons & Dragons club.
The club treasurer, Aiden Ly, recalled his experience with DnD over the
years: “I’ve had so much fun playing DnD myself, just getting an excuse to hang out with my friends, but also, I think it definitely helps with creative endeavors as well—learning how to write, learning how to interact with people. I would even argue that it helps you with your social skills. If you really lean into your character a lot, it generally helps out with a lot of creative processes you’ll go through in life.”
Ly also explained that to get into DnD, it’s important to “have an open mind. There are a lot of things when you’re starting off playing DnD and all tabletop role-playing games where it just feels embarrassing to do things like really getting into your character. Even as a DM, just really showing your world can feel awkward. But I think a lot of people admire passion, even if you think it’s embarrassing. So I definitely think just leaning into that and getting comfortable with doing the cringy, embarrassing stuff.”
Playing DnD can be a different experience depending on the role. Club Vice President Tyler Love explained, “A DM is what we call a dungeon master—it’s shorthand for that. They essentially are the person who creates the story, gives the players the overarching idea, and creates the world, the people in the world and everything that you interact with.”
DnD stories can also vary in length. Ly explained, “Well, a campaign typically lasts multiple sessions. Sessions are just days people meet up to play DnD. It could last months to years. That’s what a campaign is—it explores an overarching story with various characters played by the players at the table. A one-shot usually is a self-contained story hosted in a single session, exploring one general story and topic, usually with higher-level characters as well.”
Ly discussed his experience as a Dungeon Master in both in-person
and online games: “I’ve DM’d a lot— about eight campaigns now, four or five of which were online. There are a lot of differences. It feels much more intimate in person with all your friends, especially if there’s food involved, because it’s just so chill. Online also solves a big problem, which is scheduling. So that is one advantage, but in general, I think it feels a lot more intimate in person. I prefer in person, but when it comes to scheduling, online is much easier.”
Ly also explained how the DnD club offers a solution to scheduling conflicts: “Like Tyler said, the two hardest things in DnD are scheduling and finding a group, and DnD club fixes both of those problems. If you want to start playing, you can definitely come on by. We meet every Friday, and we’ve accommodated so many new players before, taught people how to play the game, and forged a very nice community. If you want to play or find people to play, it’s just the place to be.”
Valdez added, “We host sessions every week at Great Escape Games. It’s down the street from Sierra College, so it’s pretty close. They run from 6:30 to 10 p.m., and it’s low commitment. If you have scheduling issues, you don’t have to show up that week—just show up next week. There will almost always be a group ready to play.”
By: Omar Mohamed Staff Reporter
we’re not a cult!
“Tyler’s laughing right now because he knows exactly I’m about to say, but we just, I’m not gonna say recently, but, we finished his character arc, and he’she’s a cowboy, gun slinging cowboy from this desert, and he was fighting this demon who, like killed his family, and he got access to this artifact, -the only artifact that can kill this demon- and he said to him, ‘demon say what’ and then I said, ‘what?’ and he shot him, but I think he got like a NAT 20.” - Aiden Ly
As the final whistle blew, the boys ran onto the field to celebrate, feeling only joy and tremendous satisfaction. Since 2017, Rocklin has been on a losing streak against Whitney. The team decided it was time to break the streak at long last. “The rivalry between us is just really fun, and to win in nine years for the first time just made it even better,” said senior Donovan Kuwazaki.
How did the players flip the switch and start turning the boys soccer
program around? It all started with the new coaching staff, especially head coach Bart Paduveris. “I remember being a freshman. Everything was so unserious because we were so bad, and sophomore year, having Bart come in was the start of our growth,” said Kuwazaki.
Coach Bart has been the head coach for three years, and it is clear he is a significant reason for the team’s improvement. For the past three years, the team has progressively
developed. Kuwazaki has been on the team since his freshman year, alongside senior Jovan Radovic. During their first year on varsity, the 202223 season, the team finished fifth in league and had only three wins and 11 losses. Comparing it to this season, Kuwazaki said, “We’ve grown so much, and especially looking back on it now, going from three wins to having eight wins, two losses and two ties is just incredible.”
Last year also demonstrated major growth, as the team finished third in the SFL. “Last year was, I’d say, another breakout year. You know, we finally got on the podium,” said Kuwazaki. Both seniors have been part of the major
growth that has led to this turning point in the program.
Kuwazaki, Radovic and senior Gabe Tavares are all captains who helped make the team successful this year. “The captains this year are louder and there is more communication. Having the vocal impact helps the team so much,” said sophomore Gage Guest, who has been on the team since his freshman year.
Kuwazaki explained that he plays forward, Tavares plays midfield, and Radovic plays defense. “We all have different sections of the field that we control,” said Kuwazaki. Since this is his fourth and final year on varsity, Kuwazaki has more determination than ever. “As my last year here, I want to leave an impact on the school, whether it’s winning league or winning D2 sections or D1 sections. I just want to win for us,” said Kuwazaki.
Additionally, new players joined the team this year who made a huge difference. Sophomore Brayden Vu and junior Brody Mathers were new additions to the team this season. During the game against Whitney, Vu had a cross to assist Mathers, who scored. “It felt really good. It was pretty hype, and I was just happy to score on the keeper, finally,” said Mathers.
Another key factor in their success was the new strength and conditioning coach, Patrick. “He’s really helped us with our mindset and speed and getting us faster and more prepared for the game,” said Guest. “He gets us together for the first 30 minutes of every practice, and we do different sections, whether it’s sleds, band work or broad jumps,” said Kuwazaki.
“Joaquin Section finals in Division 1 or Division 2, and even win state. “We’re winning state. We have the capability if we play how we played against Whitney,” said Mathers.
Last year, the team lost in the second round of the Division 2 Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs, but they are determined to go farther this year. “Our mindsets have been driven to win, and if we make sections, we’re all going to push ourselves,” said Kuwazaki.
- Donovan Kuwazaki
“ I just want to win for us.
Altogether, these factors led to a shift in the team’s mindset. This season, the team’s intensity and drive reached an all-time high. The captains’ motivation spread to the rest of the team. “The driving mentality—everyone wants it, and there aren’t that many people messing around,” said Guest.
This season is more serious not only for the seniors, but for the entire team. They have big aspirations to dominate their opponents and win the Sac-
Overall, the team’s success comes down to one major thing: motivation and passion. Along with the captains’ leadership, the new coaching staff and new players, the team not only defeated Whitney, but also has a strong shot at winning league and advancing in the playoffs.
By: Sydney Vu Staff Reporter
By: Brady Kretzmer Senior Sports Editor
From the outside, wrestling looks like a pure test of strength, speed and endurance. For those on the mat, however, the sport becomes just as much a mental battle — one fought against hunger, exhaustion, self-doubt and pressure long before competition begins.
For Daniel Cortopassi, who started wrestling in seventh grade, the mental strain eventually outweighed the physical demands. Losses lingered, effort felt emotionally draining and cutting weight often led to frustration rather than focus. “The hardest part was the mental,” Cortopassi said. “After trying so hard and sometimes you lose, it just sucks.” Frequent lastminute weight changes made weeks of preparation feel meaningless, and over time the mental toll led him to step away from the sport, a decision he now views as beneficial given his current job.
While some wrestlers leave when the mental burden becomes too heavy, others continue to carry it. Amy Drahotuskí entered wrestling with experience in jiu-jitsu and kickboxing, but the sport demanded a different level of resilience. Competing in a male-dominated environment required her to match the intensity of her teammates while managing asthma and constant mental fatigue.
school and relationships. “I get hungry and agitated a lot,” Drahotuskí said. Still, she continues wrestling, not because it’s easy, but because after years of commitment, walking away feels harder than pushing through.
resilience after loss and confidence in environments that can feel isolating, especially for female athletes. Whether wrestlers stay on the mat or choose to step away, the mental challenges they face shape them long after the match ends.
-
Daniel Cortopassi
“ “ Everybody can do it, you’ve just gotta work hard no matter what.
Anthony Wolfing’s mental struggle began when he joined the team with no prior experience, competing against wrestlers who had trained since childhood. This fueled early self-doubt. Weight cutting became the most mentally draining part of the sport, leaving him exhausted and unfocused on competition days. “I just want to eat,” Wolfing said. Despite burnout, the support of teammates and the sense of accomplishment keep him going.
Across all three wrestlers, one truth stands out: Wrestling is defined as much by mental endurance as physical toughness. The sport demands discipline under hunger,
By: Dhruva Jagadish Editor-in-Training
Seniors Savannah Lorenzini and Abigail Mahnke’s basketball paths have been anything but linear. After playing her freshman year, Lorenzini decided to stop playing for the high school team until ultimately rejoining the team her senior year. She is one of the team captains and leads the team with 8.7 rebounds per game and 1.7 blocks per game.
Meanwhile, Mahnke is also a frequent starter who began her basketball journey her senior year. She is third on the team in multiple categories, including rebounds and blocks, and second in steals. Both are closely connected on and off the court, with Lorenzini saying, “I am the reason Abby played this year.” Their energy together is undeniable. Whether it be during the game, in warmups or after the battle, the teammates are all smiles and laughter.
They have a delicate balance of competitiveness while also making sure to enjoy each moment and allow their teammates to have fun.
because “I miss playing basketball, and it’s a good thing to keep me active.”
As one of the leaders of the team, she pushes her teammates to “do their best and not be afraid of making mistakes, because everyone makes mistakes.”
“
Mahnke, who played for the girls varsity volleyball team in the fall, is fresh off winning an Open Division championship with the team. She acknowledges the difference in competition, as for her, basketball “is a very physical sport which I’m not used to, and it is fast-paced.”
- Savannah Lorenzini
“ Me and Abby are like two peas in a pod.
By: Ian Valdivia Senior Editor
Lorenzini’s main goal when it comes to leading her teammates is to “push them to be confident and have fun on the court.” Being a senior captain means she is a player whom younger girls look up to and follow.
Lorenzini, who is committed to softball, decided to play basketball
Her exuberant energy and competitive nature are not just on the volleyball court but also on the basketball court. She also values the team bonding the team has before games, which has allowed her to become close with her teammates in such a short span of time. Mahnke said, “Before games is a really important bonding part of our team when we all talk and laugh in the locker room.” She has been able to connect while also competing with her teammates, growing with them and trusting in them to be the best version possible.
It may not be either of their main sports, yet both Lorenzini and Mahnke joined the team to have fun and be with their best friend. They also joined a community and helped make a positive impact through their athletic abilities and leadership capabilities.
By: Ian Valdivia Senior Editor
The RHS basketball program serves the community by coaching K-6th graders
Over the past 32 years, the RHS basketball program has created lasting memories for children throughout the Rocklin community by coaching kindergarten through sixth grade students in the Little Thunder Basketball program. It allows younger players to connect with high school athletes, building both skills and relationships that extend far beyond the court.
For many RHS basketball players, Little Thunder is especially meaningful because they once attended the program themselves as campers. Now, they have the opportunity to return as mentors and coaches, creating a fullcircle experience that highlights the lasting impact of youth sports.
Senior Nathan Thorndyke reflected on this transition, explaining, “It was so cool seeing the behind the scenes and being able to inspire the new kids to love basketball just like my coaches did for me.” His experience represents what the program strives to accomplish: passing down passion, knowledge and encouragement from one generation of players to the next.
Freshman Sonny O’Connor also emphasized the rewarding nature of working with younger athletes.
“Working with little kids and being able to coach them is the best part,” O’Connor said. For many high school players, coaching allows them to step into leadership roles while rediscovering the joy of learning the fundamentals of basketball.
The program also offers RHS athletes a valuable break from their own demanding practice schedules. Coaching provides a refreshing change of scenery while also helping players strengthen communication, patience and leadership skills. Many student-athletes even have the unique opportunity to coach their younger siblings, making the experience even more personal and meaningful.
First-time coach Arua D’Almeida shared his excitement about
“ “ Coaching helps me become a better player
participating in the program. “I love to coach. I’m coaching my brothers, and it is so cool to see them improving,” D’Almeida said. His experience highlights the balance of responsibility and enjoyment that makes Little Thunder special for both coaches and players.
As Little Thunder enters its fourth decade, it remains more than just a youth sports program. It is a tradition that strengthens community bonds, develops young athletes and creates memories that last long after the final buzzer sounds.
By: Zachary Burdick Senior Editor - Arua D’Almeida
Students returning to Rocklin High School this year are seeing something brand new on campus: sand volleyball courts that are already drawing attention, excitement and new athletes to the sport. The installation marks a historic moment, making Rocklin High the first public school in Northern California to build beach volleyball courts on campus.
The idea for the courts has been in discussion for years, long before construction ever started. Coaches and staff had hoped to expand the
program, but the project took time, planning and the right support to become a reality. Devon Quok, the varsity beach head coach, said, “probably almost 10 years ago, when [they] first thought about it, Coach Muscarella [the indoor volleyball coach at the time] wanted to get them in, and it just didn’t happen.” The funds came from different places, but to make it happen, RHS needed many donations to build the courts. “They were able to find a person to donate all of the labor to build the courts, and then they got a huge financial donation from a very,
very nice person who supports them,” said Quok. This person has chosen to stay anonymous.
Before breaking ground, the coaches worked with administrators and the district to determine the best location and logistics for the courts. Quok said,
“
“ We’re the only school in greater Sacremento that has sand courts on campus. - Devon Quok
“After a lot of meetings with the admin team, the PE teachers, coaches and the district, we finally got approval of where we’re gonna put them.” They agreed to place them next to the JV baseball fields and build two courts.
Construction began right after school got out for the summer, and the process moved quickly because of the volunteer labor and organized planning. “They broke ground after school ended, June 9 or 10. It was only about a week, five to six days, that the majority of it was done, and then [they] had to wait for some materials to come in to finish it with the poles and everything,” said Quok.
The majority of the courts were completed in just over a week. After construction wrapped up, the school’s grounds crew worked to restore the surrounding areas, helping the courts blend naturally into campus.
Even the sand used for the courts was carefully selected. Coaches gathered samples and asked students, teachers and staff for feedback to make sure the courts would feel right for the athletes. It is important to find the correct sand in beach volleyball. The sand has to be fine enough not to scrape players’ knees and feet while being gritty enough to keep traction and not dust up when it dries out and is played in. The best sand, AVP recommended, is super expensive and out of the school’s price range, so they had to find one that was in their budget and fit the needs to play beach volleyball. Quok said, “I got a bunch of samples from a quarry and I tested it out just by the feel of what I thought was best. I asked a lot of the players, teachers and coaches to come by and give their opinion.” Eventually, they settled on one that was both in their price range and fit to play beach volleyball.
While the courts are for the school’s beach volleyball program, they were
also built to benefit the entire school. Multiple teams have already started using the sand for training and conditioning. Quok said, “[they] want everybody to use it. That’s why they built them, not just for [the beach volleyball] program, but for people to train. Basketball has been out there, football has been out there, and boys soccer was out there, too.”
To keep equipment in good condition, nets and gear will mostly be stored away when not in use, while still allowing PE classes to use the courts during outdoor units. “They will keep their equipment and their nets put away the majority of the time just to keep that stuff good. And then the PE department will also start putting
up nets during the spring for their outdoor unit,” said Quok.
The new beach volleyball courts are more than just a place to play; they are an opportunity to share the sport with more students. The program has already been a strong success in past years. Quok said, “[she is] just excited to be on campus and share the sport with our student body and community, and hopefully people come out now that they are here and come watch them and see what they do. Since they are a pretty good program, the best program in the area, the past five years, they have won every single championship.”
The courts are also helping remove issues for athletes who previously had to travel to off-campus locations to practice. Because of this, interest in joining the program has grown significantly. “They are the only school in the greater Sacramento area that has sand courts on campus, which is pretty cool. They have at least double the amount of players interested in playing this year than they had last year,” said Quok.
With these new courts, games are a lot easier to attend, and the program is hoping more fans will come out to watch. The schedule is posted on the RHS website under beach volleyball.
By: Tessa Wagnon Editor-in-Training
Many aspiring coders look down on Scratch after elementary school. What was originally a fun way to learn coding has become a target for stigma in the STEM community.
I have used Scratch since second grade and have continued to use it ever since. In freshman year, I joined the RHS Coding Club to code in Scratch and have fun. While the RHS Coding Club is known for being open to newcomers, I did not receive the same treatment. For two and a half years, I have been looked down on by
other coding club members, especially those in leadership positions. Their cruel comments led me to question whether the RHS Coding Club truly knows what a coding language is.
Some people from the RHS Coding Club argue that Scratch is not a real coding language because it is merely “lame block coding.” That argument assumes that the quality of a coding language is worse the more convenient it is. However, the blocks work similarly to how one would type in code. Whether a loop block is used in Scratch or a loop is typed out in
Python, the computer still reads it as a loop and executes it. Just because the code looks different than normal does not mean it cannot do the same thing other coding languages can. The coding club therefore only judges code based on what it looks like rather than what it does. Because text-based languages look better, the club prioritizes typing skills rather than thinking skills, which are more important.
Other coding club members may instead claim that Scratch is not a professional language because it
is not used in jobs. However, this argument is a misunderstanding of what a professional coding language is. A professional language only manages data and logic. Scratch, along with Python or Java, does the same thing. It can deal with variables, Booleans, loops and lists, making it as professional as any other language. If code can be written using Python or Java, the same code can be snapped together in Scratch. The coding club uses the “professional” label on textbased programming languages, but because Scratch is also professional, the club’s labels are a sham.
The main complaint the RHS Coding Club has about Scratch is that they say it is “only for kids.” Unfortunately for them, Harvard, a prestigious college, disagrees. Its Introduction to Computer Science course uses Scratch in its first week. It is used as a tool to teach students coding by logic because the blocks heavily reduce the risk of wrong syntax in code. In other coding languages, syntax is strict, To see more Scratch games made by me, visit the link: scratch.mit.edu/users/KF4500
and messing it up — like misspelling words or forgetting a semicolon — leads to the entire program crashing. Removing the need for strict syntax allows programmers to focus only on logic, which is the base of all programming. The coding club does not understand the importance of Scratch emphasizing logic, causing them to misunderstand the big picture of computer science.
Scratch is a real coding language because it follows logic and can do what other programming languages can do. Despite members of the RHS Coding Club denying their cruel words to me, they do not act upon their mistakes. They still remain elitist by only including people with text-based programming skills. If the coding club wants to truly be open to everyone, it must expand its limited definition of programming by including coders who can code by logic, even in block form.
By: Kevin Feng Staff Reporter
A coding language is legitimate if it is Turing-complete. That means, it must handle variables, boolean logic, loops, and lists.
In other words, it must be able to store information individually, make decisions based on conditions, be able to loop through steps in code, and store information in groups.
Scratch blocks can follow these concepts:
Therefore, Scratch is Turingcomplete. In turn, it is a real coding language.
scratch.mit.edu/projects/1041120736scratch.mit.edu/projects/951311060
Opinion on the multi-generational parking lot issues, something needs to happen
IRHS many juniors and seniors excited to get to school in their own car, in a parking spot they choose, and without their parents. costing 10 dollars while showing of insurance and registration, great convenience for most students. Except this old parking lot without its major flaws troubling even deterring teens and adults even entering it in the first place.
n RHS many juniors and seniors are excited to get to school in their own car, in a parking spot they choose, and without their parents. Only costing 10 dollars while showing proof of insurance and registration, it is a great convenience for most students. Except this old parking lot isn’t without its major flaws troubling and even deterring teens and adults from even entering it in the first place.
the first problems people when coming into the parking the hectic nature of cars going and forth with many parents dropping their kids off and trying to the sea as fast as possible. makes it harder for teens to park spots because the isles are always impatient parents. Having a separate drop off point of parents and students would solve this problem, however it would be difficult to create the schools current layout.
One of the first problems people notice when coming into the parking lot is the hectic nature of cars going back and forth with many parents dropping their kids off and trying to escape the sea as fast as possible. This makes it harder for teens to park in spots because the isles are always full of impatient parents. Having a separate drop off point of parents and students would solve this problem, however it would be difficult to create given the schools current layout.
Something else a student will notice getting into the parking lot, or not notice, is the arrows meant directing how people should enter are faded so harshly onto the pavement that parents and students don’t even know which way to properly go causing so many awkward moments where cars are facing other down isles aiding to the congestion.
kid off, students who bought parking passes show up to school confused as to why they can’t find a parking spot. This issue makes kids feel like their money went to waste and isn’t respected when parents are able to steal these spots. While some may argue they leave, not every student can wait around the parking lot wasting gas and time needed to go to class, for a parent to leave. The school has told parents not to park in student parking, yet this hasn’t fixed anything. Parents still park in student parking and rush around the lot blocking students’ way.
kid off, students who bought parking passes show up to school confused as to why they can’t find a parking spot. This issue makes kids feel like their money went to waste and isn’t respected when parents are able to steal these spots. While some may argue they leave, not every student can wait around the parking lot wasting gas and time needed to go to class, for a parent to leave. The school has told parents not to park in student parking, yet this hasn’t fixed anything. Parents still park in student parking and rush around the lot blocking students’ way.
Substitutes have it arguably the worst arriving to what they assume will be an easy parking lot ready to replace a teacher for a day. Unfortunately they aren’t used to the machine that is our school parking lot and get stuck in the horde of cars, students, and crazy parents. Many Subs get stuck in the lines and are unaware of where to even park their cars. If they aren’t already substitutes should be able to park in the staff parking lot and should be given better communication and what to expect about our parking lot.
Something else a student will notice upon getting into the parking lot, or maybe not notice, is the arrows meant for directing how people should enter an isle are faded so harshly onto the pavement that parents and students alike don’t even know which way to properly go causing so many awkward moments where cars are facing each other down isles aiding to the congestion.
bigger annoyance to students expressed by seniors was when parents take up the parking spot for students. Whether it’s trying navigate home or dropping their
A bigger annoyance to students expressed by seniors was when parents take up the parking spot meant for students. Whether it’s trying to navigate home or dropping their
walkway for students to get to their cars is a minor inconvenience with kids surprising unready drivers from around cars and planter boxes.
walkway for students to get to their cars is a minor inconvenience with kids surprising unready drivers from around cars and planter boxes.
A lot of these problems are fixable and aren’t going to happen overnight but we can take steps now to make this better moving forward for future students. The same parking lot that’s been there and has barely changed since the opening of the school needs to adapt to the present. A possible fix and a current hot debate is that and with the current renovations on RHS, we should look to buy that plot of land right next to us near the shopping center and Victory. This addition would greatly help relieve this congestion and allow more students to get their monies worth and be able to actually park without worry. This is almost a necessity seeing how most students express annoyance over this and having to come to school almost an hour early just to secure a parking spot.
Substitutes have it arguably the worst arriving to what they assume will be an easy parking lot ready to replace a teacher for a day. Unfortunately they aren’t used to the machine that is our school parking lot and get stuck in the horde of cars, students, and crazy parents. Many Subs get stuck in the lines and are unaware of where to even park their cars. If they aren’t already substitutes should be able to park in the staff parking lot and should be given better communication and what to expect about our parking lot.
People joke about how Rocklin drivers are speedy and ignore stop signs and intersections, but the truth is that accidents happen all the time in the school parking lot causing a whole aisle to shut down, trapping people in the lot or causing people to be unable to park in the lot. Having no arrows, stop signs, and traffic safety is a huge issue for the RHS parking lot as of current. In addition, having no
People joke about how Rocklin drivers are speedy and ignore stop signs and intersections, but the truth is that accidents happen all the time in the school parking lot causing a whole aisle to shut down, trapping people in the lot or causing people to be unable to park in the lot. Having no arrows, stop signs, and traffic safety is a huge issue for the RHS parking lot as of current. In addition, having no
A lot of these problems are fixable and aren’t going to happen overnight but we can take steps now to make this better moving forward for future students. The same parking lot that’s been there and has barely changed since the opening of the school needs to adapt to the present. A possible fix and a current hot debate is that and with the current renovations on RHS, we should look to buy that plot of land right next to us near the shopping center and Victory. This addition would greatly help relieve this congestion and allow more students to get their monies worth and be able to actually park without worry. This is almost a necessity seeing how most students express annoyance over this and having to come to school almost an hour early just to secure a parking spot.
Again this is going to take time and of course resources but at least start with renovating our current parking lot, putting up better signage and repainting the lines and arrows. We need to stop neglecting the parking lot that is an evident problem because it is no longer something to ignore.
Again this is going to take time and of course resources but at least start with renovating our current parking lot, putting up better signage and repainting the lines and arrows. We need to stop neglecting the parking lot that is an evident problem because it is no longer something to ignore.
Story By: Evan Gordan
Story By: Evan Gordan
Design By: Eitan Rubinstein
Design By: Eitan Rubinstein
Earlier this semester, a new website began circulating among Rocklin High School (RHS) students: Rocklin Ratings, a “Rate My Professor”–style platform where students could anonymously review RHS teachers. The site was not affiliated with RHS or the Rocklin Unified School District, but it caught popularity nonetheless.
At first glance it appears to be as simple as rating a teacher and or class, but it’s more than that. On campus students have little to no outlet to express their views about RHS and if there is one it is not being brought to our attention. Rocklin Ratings however could have become a place for that, allowing students to exercise their right of freedom of speech sharing their views about the classes and proposing change. With these sharing of views Rocklin Ratings could have also become a very helpful tool in the process of helping students decide their future classes. Allowing students to have a good understanding of what they are signing up for instead of going in blind.
However, the concept felt predictable. We live in a culture built on reviews. Students rate restaurants, apps, movies, and colleges. Bringing that model into a high school setting seemed like a natural extension of Internet culture. Students spend nearly seven hours a day in
classrooms. They experience teaching styles, grading policies, and classroom environments firsthand. Some viewed the platform as a way to share honest feedback without fear of retaliation.
Anonymity, however, changes the tone of a conversation.
While some posts reportedly included constructive criticism, others crossed into mockery or personal attacks. The absence of names removes accountability, causing students to abuse these freedoms. What might have been phrased as thoughtful feedback in a face-to-face conversation can become exaggerated or careless online. Teachers are professionals, but they are also members of the same community. Public commentary, especially when anonymous, carries weight.
Rocklin Ratings became more than a website. It became a prime example of student speech in the digital age. The First Amendment protects freedom of speech, and students do not lose that protection at school without due process or a legitimate legal basis. However, that protection is not unlimited, especially when speech causes disruption or harm within a school setting.
The website did not remain active for long. As awareness grew, so did concern from members of
the community. The platform has since been taken down or made inaccessible. The exact launch and closure dates remain unclear, but its short lifespan was enough to spark strong reactions. Some students saw it as empowerment. Others saw it as disrespect. Both reactions reveal something important: students care about the quality of their education and the culture of their campus.
Rocklin Ratings may be gone, but the larger conversation remains. Digital speech moves quickly. Its impact lasts longer. In a school built on daily interactions and long-term relationships, the way criticism is delivered matters just as much as the criticism itself. Freedom of speech is a powerful right. In a close-knit community like RHS, it also carries responsibility.
By: The Editorial Board
Story by Kevin Feng pg.
by Kevin Feng pg.
