GBHS will be losing seven teachers at the end of this year; Greg Holmes, Sharry Colnar and Walt Wild will be leaving due to retirement, Chris Roberts and Judi Daniels will be moving schools and taking on administrative positions and Dynah Cunkelman and Angela Ash will be transferring schools.

Greg Holmes

   Holmes began teaching in the district in 1979 at Oakmont High School. After 17 years at Oakmont, Holmes decided to switch schools and teach at the brand new GBHS campus.

   “It became real obvious at Oakmont that Gran­ite Bay was going to be the academic campus,” Holmes said.

   Although there were minor setbacks and obsta­cles in the first few years, Holmes says that nothing was ever a struggle while here at GBHS.

   “I have great colleagues. (They have) been great to work with and have become some of my best friends,” Holmes said.

   Holmes’s greatest accomplishment while at GBHS was building up the math department to where it now is.

   “Yearly we have at least 20 percent of our senior class taking the AP calculus test, and that’s incred­ible,” Holmes said.

   Holmes looks forward to traveling and seeing new parts of the world once he retires, as well as fishing, camping and doing things he hasn’t had time for while working.

   “I’m really anxious to go on a trip when all the kids in the world aren’t on vacation,” Holmes said.

Sharry Colnar

   Colnar, like Holmes, is another one of GBHS’ original teachers.

   Also like Holmes, Colnar came to GBHS from Oakmont, where she taught for 21 years.

   Joining the GBHS staff in 1996, Colnar built and designed the science department.

   “We got to invent everything because the school was brand new: invent our mascot, invent our colors, invent traditions and that’s something they say you only get to do once in three lifetimes,” Colnar said.

   Colnar made many great memories at the school, which she says she will carry with her throughout her life.

Not everything was easy however.

   “I think the 4 x 4 (block) system makes everybody really stressed,” Colnar said. “I had to eliminate a lot of things and that’s been hard for a lot of teachers, deciding what to let go of and not teach.”

   Two of Colnar’s favorite things she did at GBHS were teaching academic decathlon for several years and setting up and supervising the IB program.

   Upon retiring, Colnar will be going to Holland in June and aspires to go to a Giants’ baseball game during the week.

   She, like Holmes, looks forward to traveling and doing things during times when students are still in school, a first for her since before her kindergarten days.

Walt Wild

   Wild, although currently known for his position as a school counselor, originally was a history and government teacher at Roseville High School.

   He first came to GBHS in 1998 and originally served as the college and career counselor.

   Due to budget cuts, however, the posi­tion of college and career counselor was phased out.

   A few years ago, a guidance counsel­ing position opened up and Wild took the job.

   “It has been a (really) good way for me to finish up,” Wild said.

   Wild has found one of the most challenging aspects of his job to be balancing and juggling parents’ and students’ desires with the institutional policies and finding a    way to mix the two together.

   Some of Wild’s fondest memories of his career come from his 19 years as a teacher and coach at Roseville.

   “The camaraderie you have with teaching and the (interactions) you have with students (are) on a much more personal level,” Wild said.

   Wild plans on pursuing hobbies such as guitar, golf and reading, as well as traveling with his wife upon retirement.

Chris Roberts

   Roberts has been in the classroom teaching for the last 11 years. Currently he teaches Spanish and coaches the varsity girls’ soccer team.

   “When I started (in education) my aspirations were administration from the get go,” Roberts said.

   Roberts applied for two administrative positions within the district but was denied and told he needed more experience.

   He found that administrative experience in an as­sistant principal position at Lyman Gilmore Middle School in Grass Valley, which he will take next year.

   “I think the biggest (challenge) will be just getting to know new people and new personalities, as well as 500 new students,” Roberts said.

   Although this will be his biggest challenge, get­ting to know new people is also what Roberts looks forward to the most.

   “The teachers here have taught me a lot of things, things that I will be taking with me into my new position,” Roberts said.

   The things Roberts will remember most are the relationships he’s had with his friends, colleagues, students and players.

   “The cool thing about being at a middle school is that I have no affiliation with any other high school,” Roberts said, “so this will be my high school for­ever.”

Dynah Cunkelman

   Cunkelman has been a special education teacher at GBHS for several years.

   However, due to a rising number of special ed students at Antelope High School and a low number at GBHS, Cunkelman knew that she would have to step up and transfer.

   Since she has nephews that will be attending Antelope, she thought it would be a good time to transfer.

   Cunkelman, expecting a baby boy towards the end of August, will be taking next fall off from her teaching duties and then will takeup her new position in the spring.

Angela Ash

   Ash, a culinary teacher, recently announced that she too will be transfer­ring schools after sev­eral years at GBHS.

   Currently, Ash is shuffling between teaching posi­tions at GBHS and ROP at Del Oro High School.

   Roseville High School offered Ash a full time job, which Ash has decided to take.

   Some of the incentives for transferring are the new commercial kitchen at Roseville as well as the fact that Ash has two children there.

Judi Daniels

   Daniels has been teaching at GBHS for a number of years. She, like Roberts, has been working toward a position in administration for almost 10 years.

   Daniels has held leadership positions at the school as the lead teacher and the professional development coordinator, as well as teacher leadership in other places in the community.

   “When you go from teaching to administration there is often a perception that you are crossing over to a different line and you are going to have differ­ent points of view,”   

   Daniels said. “So there’s this relationship between teachers and administrators that has some tension in it.”

   Daniels says this will be one of the toughest things in making the switch; the other is the time commit­ment.

   One of the things Daniels will miss most is this year’s senior class.

   “But on the other hand, its kind of a good year to go out because I love these kids and I think the feeling is fairly mutual,” Daniels said.

   While teaching at GBHS, Daniels has learned that other people have ideas that are often better than hers, and this she believes will help her greatly in her new position.

   “I think that makes me a better leader,” Daniels said, “because I’m not trying to push my own agenda through.”

   “People think that because AP U.S. History and Honors English 11 is a block, my class is time consuming. That’s not necessarily true,” Honors English 11 teacher Ramona Drury said. “I try to balance my course to best suit (the history curriculum).”

   The Honors English block is like any other English class; you build off of the basics and expand from there.   “Students will be exposed to a wide variety of excellent literature all while developing college level reading skills and analysis,” Drury said.

    For the AP U.S. History block, students can expect to be assigned at least 30-40 pages of reading for every two days. As for U.S. history teacher Brandon Dell’Orto, things that impress him are humbleness in the learning sense, along with never giving up.

      “Too many students give up far too easily because they don’t have an A in the class,” Dell’Orto said. “(But) no one expects you to be an expert right out of the gate. That’s what learning is.”

   Dell’Orto also added that students shouldn’t get too angry over a grade that isn’t what they expected.

   Honor Pre-Calculus teacher Duane Blomquist also has certain expectations for his students.

    “The most important thing to have in my class is time,” Blomquist said. “Most students in previous math classes follow a ‘monkey see monkey do’ routine.”

   In Blomquist’s math class, students will have to start studying math and better apply what they learned.

    “The latest and greatest thing (that frustrates me) is the cell phone. My students can be doing that in my class, and than something changes on the board and they have no idea where they are,” says Blomquist.

   As for advice, Blomquist said that students should stay within their level of skill development.

   “It’s stupid for a kid to not meet the prerequisite but then say ‘I’m ready for this class!’” Blomquist said.

   The Honors Spanish 4/AP Spanish block starts off with a quick review, but then greatly expands Spanish to a more global aspect.

   “An excellent thing to do in my class would be to broaden your Spanish to the real world,” Spanish teacher Abram Ditman said. “(Go) to a Spanish-speaking restaurant, watch a Spanish TV show, or listen to a Spanish radio.”  

   Ditman said that the best way to impress him is to interact and respond in Spanish to the best of one’s ability. On the contrary, Ditman becomes frustrated when his students complain, especially in English.

   “Students can expect to do high-level work,” Ditman said. “But they also need to spend a little time studying their current Spanish and also review their previous Spanish.”

   As for electives, many students can be indecisive as to what elective they should take.

    For Scott Braly, the Fish and Wildlife teacher, the best way to know about the class is to talk to students who already took the class and to get their opinion on it.

   “(It’s all about) having a genuine interest. If you have a passion for an elective, take it,” Braly said, “don’t just take an elective to fill up your schedule.”

MCT Campus wire service

   For teachers at GBHS, 2:35 signifies the start of the second half of their work day, involving grading papers and preparing lesson plans. It can often last long into the night leaving them little time to pursue their own interests.

   In August, math teacher and avid cyclist Duane Blomquist came up with the idea of “TAR” which stands for Tuesday Afternoon Ride, and sent out an email to staff mem­bers asking them if they were interested in riding with him.

   Blomquist has a long history of cycling participating in a number of races and man­aging the cycling program at Roseville High School making cycling his second nature.

   “Riding gets into your blood. I go with or without people,” Blomquist said. “Time is usually the limiting factor.”

   Blomquist soon found another reason for TAR. He, like other teachers, needed an es­cape from grading assignments and prepar­ing lesson plans.

   “It’s a stress release to go out there and a time to clear your mind,” Blomquist said.

   Another reason was to have the comradely of other colleagues.

   “It’s sad to say that most teachers are so busy, they don’t know what others do, at all (in their free time),” said Blomquist.

   The distance the group rides depends on the ability of the cyclists.

   “Levels of riding vary on the group riding. Rides go from moderate to fast,” Blomquist said.

   So far the rides have been relatively long and varying in inclines, specifically when riding in the Auburn direction.

   TAR isn’t taken lightly by Blomquist, who uses it both as a time to relax and a time to challenge himself.

   “Typically, every ride is a training ride. It’s hard for me to ride slowly. Each ride gets a little more intense, usually,” Blomquist said.

   Art teacher Myron Stephens, also has a history of cycling, riding in competitions and racing on the veledrome in high school, but he says what Blomquist is doing isn’t what he is used to.

   “I only ride flat, and so this thing was all just kind of uphill and hellish,” Stephens said. “So it took me maybe 5 blocks, maybe a couple of miles to know that I was in trouble, because even though they might be a little older, they pretty much kicked my (butt) and so it was a humbling experience.”

   During the same ride, Blomquist said he had to “tow” Stephens in, meaning reducing the wind draft by riding directly in front of Stephens to make the ride easier.

   “He was like my taxi. In cycling you have drafting, where you follow someone’s wheel, get behind the slipstream and tow in so that’s what I was doing,” Stephens said.

   The group wanted to go further, but Stephens didn’t know if he could make it back to GBHS.

   “They wanted to go further. I said dude, I want the old man route. I want to get my ass back to school, so I cut it around a little shorter, but I think they wanted to go all the way up to Auburn or something and I’m like uhhh… NO,” Stephens said.

   After Stephen’s first TAR, he decided he needed to be in better shape before he took on another.

   “When I got back I was pretty much done for the day, I wanted to retire, but I will be back,” Stephens said.

   He also agrees with Blomquist that TAR is a chance to clear one’s mind when overwhelmed by school.

“It gets things into perspective and it releases all the mental stress like when you’re being asked a million questions,” Stephens said. “You get out there and you dumb it down and you’re just following one wheel and very little conversation. It’s good.”

   Spanish teacher Abram Ditman, has been to TAR with Blomquist and Stephens and agrees that TAR was pretty tough.

“When Stephens says it was tough it really was. It was hot, we were running out of water and for some reason we just went fast, but he survived so he was kind of on ‘the initiation’- the hazing ride, but it was our first ride for everyone,” Ditman said jokingly.

   As of now, the group is all men, but the teachers are encouraging that to change.

“I hope we continue riding and continue bringing people out. It doesn’t have to be just guys,” Ditman said.

Ditman also says he would like to see a GBHS cycling/ mountain bike team.

“I would like to see some competitive cycling. I know there is some students on this campus that ride competitively,” Ditman said. “There’s a mountain bike conference and GBHS is the only high school in this district that doesn’t have a team.”

Science teacher, Steve Miller, hasn’t gone to a TAR yet, but hopes to start later this year.

“I’m looking forward to getting back on my bike and getting out there and doing some fun runs,” said Miller.

   Miller says participating in an activity with his col­leagues is what he looks forward to most about TAR.

   “For us (teachers) TAR is mostly for the camarade­rie. Just getting out there, talking, sharing stories, and pushing each other to be better,” Miller said. “I think we also build that closeness which pushes us to be better teachers.”

   The reason he says he isn’t out there right now is partly medical related.

   “This summer I rode until I found out I have plan­tar fasciitis, I think it’s because of old age,” Miller said.

   Medical ailments aside, Miller says he is a driven to continue cycling.

   “I don’t mind going out when it’s 103 degrees out­side and finding a hill and pushing myself to see how much my body can take,” Miller said. “Of course now I have to be a little more careful because of my age now, but I love the challenge and the reward of going downhill on the other side.”

   Through a three step fuel system, Gatorade’s G Series promises to help an athlete to fuel up and perform their best.

   PowerAde provides a zero calorie sports drink as well as ION4, a hydrating beverage that replenishes four electrolytes lost during perspiration.

   Protein power made by Endurox R4 helps reduce both muscle and oxidative stress and rebuilds muscle proteins after exercising.

   With so many beverage products available, picking the proper one after exercising can be difficult, and often crucial if the athlete is truly dedicated. Luckily, no choice is right or wrong, it’s about preference.

   There are some drawbacks of an individual deter­mining what works for them post-workout, especially when considering what to eat and drink.

   “In the last 50 to 100 years we have seen a huge decline in the amount of vitamins and minerals that are in food and were seeing a lot of deficiency,” said Brent Crowl, product consultant at the West Ro­seville Sunrise Natural food store. “However, your pre-workout meal and your post-workout meal are the most important meals of the day for athletes.”

   According to Granite Bay High School nurse, Linda Warfield, any type of care is better than no care. Serious problems can arise from not properly tending to your body.

   “Problems after exercise can range from muscle soreness, headaches, breathing difficulties, bone or joint injuries, dehydration, physical or mental ex­haustion to physical collapse,” Warfield said.

   Even GBHS cross country coach Angie Pozzi rec­ognizes the importance of proper care after running and other physical activities.

   “After working out, warming down clears out all the lactic acid and all the fluids that build up from the intense work out,” Pozzi said. “So if you cool down properly you recovery faster by the next day.”

   Though many serious problems can rise after work­ing out, the simple action of rehydrating brings about great change.

   “I always think that water is the best because it gets in your system fastest,” GBHS varsity football coach Michael Lynch said. “It’s natural and it has not sugars in it.”

   Despite his personal preference, Lynch said he understands other’s opinions in the value of sports drinks, which contain carbohydrates and protein. Football, a very physically demanding sport, requires a bit of everything.

   However, the consumption of water and sports drinks may seem to be a more conventional recover­ies compared to extremist who have been known to drink other fluids.

   “I’ve never see anyone do it personally but I’ve heard of some mix martial art (fighters) and some boxers (that) actually drink their own urine after they work out,” health and fitness professional Chris Johnson said.

   While Johnson is more amused by extremists’ preferences, Crowl ques­tions the actions of such athletes.

   “I’ve seen some pretty crazy peo­ple on survival television programs drink their own urine when there are no other liquids around,” Crowl said. “Things that are coming out of the body aren’t meant to (go) into the body.”

   Drinking your own urine may be a survival tactic that should be re­served for life threatening situations but post-workout, any athlete can learn their hydration level through the characteristics of their urine.

   “Dark colored, concentrated urine might mean you are dehydrated,” Warfield said. “You also do not want to over hydrate – it is rare but drink­ing too much water can also create problems.”

   Stepping onto the scale after work­ing out may inform athletes of more than simply whether or not they are maintaining a healthy weight.

   “Any weight lost is probably a fluid loss so you would want to try and drink enough to replenish those losses,” Warfield said. “A weight gain could mean you are drinking more than you would need.”

   Advisors and professionals may dispute over their various preferences of beverages, food and supplements but the commonality is that protein is vital after any work out. Some may even suggest chocolate milk as a source.

   Students have also discovered the importance of protein through their parents or through the advice of their athletic coaches.

   “Before a game my mom will be like ‘you need to have pro­tein’. (Later) my dad will give me protein bars and sometimes I’ll have a protein shake,” said GBHS senior and girls’ varsity water polo captain Jessica Hamby.

   GBHS varsity football guard and senior Trevor Upton tends to follow the advice of coaches.

   “I’ll take some type of protein drink like muscle milk,” Upton said. “Outside of football I usually stick with lifting (and) follow the basic (tenants) of football.”

   Though many people differ in the types of care they take after working out, to Lynch, the proper care to take after any workout is simple, “Rest. Re-hydrate. Eat proper nutrition.”

 The endless avalanche of makeup work that awaits me. It’s agonizing and terrible and goes on forever, like a Saw film. But, unlike a Saw film, it’s hard to learn any valuable lessons in the process.

  I think I’ve developed a good theory as to why makeup work is so drawn-out, when compared to an average night of homework. When you miss a day of school, for whatever reason, you’re missing the lesson and the worksheets you were supposed to do in class and tonight’s homework and last night’s homework (since you didn’t turn it in). Multiply this times four, times however many days you’re out.

  And, here’s the best part: When you do have to makeup all of this glorious work, you have to do it half-sick, and on top of current homework assigned the day you got back. I don’t know how people manage.

 All of this would be easier to deal with if students returned to school when they are actually healthy, instead of just less sick.  But we – the students – are all so terrified of missing school that we run back into class the moment our fever is under 100. Which is bad, because, for example, a person infected with H1N1 can spread it up to a week after their symptoms have gone away.

  School policy seems rather flakey when it comes to absence. Earlier this year, at the height of the H1N1 scare, schools were urging their students to stay home if they were sick.

  But, at the same time, school officials frown on absences in general, and, needless to say at this point, makeup work is as difficult to recover from as the illness itself. So we’re left with classrooms full of contagious zombies with loads of makeup work to do.

  I think it’s a flawed system.

  To be clear, I’m not saying makeup work is itself a bad idea. It’s the sheer volume of it that I object to. Some teachers try to alleviate the pressure by posting assignments online or giving students extra days, but not all of them are so forgiving.

  I think that students should be partially excused from the homework they missed, and instead required to makeup in-class work. Another solution would be to offer alternative projects, such as an English report on the student’s activities while sick, or a line graph of the student’s temperature. Be creative.

  The bottom line is that students absent for health reasons weren’t goofing off – just unlucky. And a bit of leniency from staff would be a huge help to those of us still playing catch-up.

   Editor’s note: The Gazette asked three teachers and a student to offer their advice and thoughts about what to do for Valentine’s Day. Here are their responses.

Shannon Carlson
   Meet Shannon Carlson, a single senior at Granite Bay High School.
   This Valentine’s Day, Carlson will be visiting her friend in San Jose and watching his hockey tournament.
   But she also celebrates Valentine’s Day with her family.
   “When I was a kid, my mom would make us Valentine’s Day pancakes for breakfast but then we got older,” Carlson said. “Now, we’ll have a nice dinner in the dining room with the candles lit.”
   Carlson has been single since her freshman year and says it has its ups and downs.
   “It’s weird to walk around and see everyone being all lovey-dovey,” Carlson said. “But at the same time (I like being single) because I’m not filling that (couple) stereotype.”
   But with being single comes great opportunities for having fun with the girls. In fact, if Carlson wasn’t going to San Jose she would have a girl’s night, she said.
   “I would really want to have a chick flick night and have the stereotypical slumber party with the painting of the nails and sobbing over boy drama,” Carlson said. “But at the same time, I would like to have a Godfather movie night and just do something completely the opposite of what Valentine’s Day usually means.”
   But what does Valentine’s Day mean to Carlson?
   “I think it’s somewhat over commercialized,” Carlson said. “I think corporate America has made it a big thing to earn revenue. The idea is cute, spending time with a loved one and expressing your affection, but when you walk in a grocery store in December and see pink and red hearts, it’s weird.”
   Some of the perks of being single are that there is no pressure of living up to a “Valentine’s Day” expectation and it can be a day about friendships and strong relationships. It can also be a day about pampering yourself, Carlson said.
   And although she is single, Carlson’s dream guy is someone who challenges society and isn’t conforming. And if she does meet this guy, she thinks the best gift she could give to him would just be something simple like a hug or a kiss.
***

Katrina Wachs
   Katrina Wachs is an English teacher at GBHS.
  Her view of Valentine’s Day has changed over time.
   “When I was little I had this romantic notion that some guy, on Valentine’s Day, was going to sweep me off my feet,” Wachs said. “As I’ve gotten older I’ve realized that I’m my own Valentine.”
   She also feels that it’s cheesy and would rather have someone do something nice for her randomly instead of making a huge spectacle on Valentine’s Day.
   The best gift Wachs could give to anyone – a student, friend or even someone she doesn’t know would be a simple smile.
    Wachs thinks people should

Continued from page B3

celebrate everyone on February 14th, not just a significant other or spouse.
“Maybe instead of doting on all the romantic notions we see on television, we could give to other people instead,” Wachs said. “Maybe we should talk about loving people in the world instead of spending 30 (dollars) on chocolate. We should do a Valentine’s Day for Haiti or Africa or somewhere in the United States that needs help.”
Wachs thinks Valentine’s Day should be fun for people and a time for people to develop internally.
“Just have fun,” Wachs said. “Be a Valentine for your best friend and your parents. Be a Valentine for someone everyday!”
***
Craig and Christiane Takagishi
Craig and Christiane Takagishi first met in college through a mutual friend. They fell in love, and they were happily married on June 28, 1975.
Christiane thinks extremely highly of Craig.
“He’s very sincere and thoughtful,” Christiane said. “He’s very smart and can figure out how anything works.”
A big part of their relationship is helping each other out.
“I like making her day less stressful,” Craig said. “I like listening to her, asking how her day was, etc.”
One of Craig’s favorite things to do with Christiane is having a nice dinner alone and watching a movie.
They also have many hobbies and interests, which take up a lot of their time.
“We love to travel,” Craig said. “(We also love to) go hiking and bicycling.”
During the Valentine’s Day season, Craig and Christiane will exchange gifts and have a romantic dinner.
“I think (Valentine’s Day) is a lot of fun,” Christiane said. “It’s a time for you to express your love for each other. Even for people who don’t have a Valentine, I think it’s fun to meet with friends and exchange gifts.”
The perfect day with Craig in Christiane’s opinion (there have been a lot of them) would be to go camping. They would eat a picnic-style lunch in a scenic spot and sit by a campfire and roast smores at night.

Lorrie Wilson goes through her daily routine of checking her Facebook. Regularly, she talks with family that would otherwise be difficult to stay in touch with, checks her Farmville account and plays other games.

The only difference between Wilson and other regular, teenaged Facebook users is that Wilson is not a teenager at all – she’s the parent of one.

***

      Although Facebook was originally created in 2003 as a hobby project for Harvard students, and then expanded to other colleges and high schools, Facebook is now popular with adults.�

   According to the demographic data from insideFacebook.com as of February 1, 2009, 45 percent of Facebook’s audience is 26 years old or older.

     Lorrie Wilson, a GBHS parent, is one adult who frequently uses Facebook to stay in touch with other adult users. “I think it’s a great tool to stay in touch with people, especially when you don’t see them often face-to-face, like my nieces,” Wilson said.

   Wilson is not the only adult she knows who uses this social networking Web site.

   “I know around 50 adults on Facebook,” Wilson said.

   Susan Taylor, a seventh grade core teacher at Cavitt junior high school, finds that Facebook has put her in touch with people she does not see on a regular basis, such as other teachers and old friends. “I would say it broadens the friendship connections,” Taylor said.

   Facebook appeals to Brandon Dell’Orto, a history teacher at GBHS, because the site helps him stay up to date with others’ lives.

   “It’s like a technological version of those Christmas letters that families send out letting you know what they’ve been up to…with pictures to back them up,” Dell’Orto said.

   Both Taylor and Wilson use Facebook daily. They enjoy the games found on Facebook, such as Farmville and Café World.

   “Different friends would invite you to join different games from Scrabble, to Farmville, Petville (or) Café World. All the different silly games that take up some time and are kind of fun,” Taylor said.

   Taylor gave into Facebook because she was curious about the site.

   “I initially joined Facebook because a lot of the (students) have Myspace, and I got curious about it,” Taylor said. “It seemed like adults could have the same sort of interaction that the (students) were having.”

   In 2008, a handful of Granite Bay High School students created a Facebook group called “Brandon Dell’Orto for President in 2008.”  It was a joke based on a statement attributed to the popular history teacher Brandon Dell’Orto: “If you do not know your past, you are destined to repeat it. Therefore…elect a history teacher to the position of president of the United States of America.”

   Dell’Orto had to join Facebook in order to view the group, which is the reason for the creation of his Facebook account.

   Neither Taylor nor Dell’Orto tries to put students on the spot by sending them friend requests.

     “I don’t seek out (my student’s) friendships. If they request me, usually I take it as a sign that they’re OK with an older guy being their friend,” Dell’Orto said.

   Although Taylor herself has a Facebook page, she doesn’t condone excessive use of the Web site on her students’ part.

   “I try not to encourage them to play on the computers more than they already do,” Taylor said.

   Some parents, including GBHS freshman Kimberly Sinclair’s, do not enjoy using their Facebook accounts.

   “My parents think that Facebook is just another place to check daily, and think it is a hassle that wastes time,” Sinclair said.

   Some students find it out of the ordinary that so many adults have a Facebook.

   “So many adults I know have a Facebook. It’s really weird because I get friend requests from them, and I don’t want to add them, but it would be rude not to,” GBHS freshman Allison Sims said.

   While GBHS junior Kevin Hollingshead doesn’t have his own parents on Facebook, he still finds it odd that adults seem to be dominating the site.

   “I feel like (Facebook) is for teenagers, not adults,” Hollingshead said.

   Students and adolescents expressed their distaste for adults on Facebook by the creation of a group on Facebook called “For the love of god – don’t let parents join Facebook,” which now has 8, 276 members.

   Having parents on Facebook makes some students more conscious of what they post.

   “When you go to post something, you have to remember your parents can see it, and they would get mad if you post certain things,” Sims said.

   However, some students do not mind as much having their parents on the site.

   “I do not think it is weird, because parents want to keep in touch with what their kids are doing, and adults want to be connected with modern society,” Sinclair said.