Pulse Volume 10 Issue 3

#Blocked?

Pulse Volume 10 Issue 3

The Color Wizards of Society

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Lights Out

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Chipizza

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Ghost Busting

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Sleepless Nights

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#ThinkB4UPost

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Public vs Private

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Train of Thought

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Be Selfish- Volunteer

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What Comes after Marriage?

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Tedx San Diego 2

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Editor-in-Chief Brian Chekal Creative Director Ethan Rappaport

With the release of this new issue of Pulse, we mark off the start of my favorite season: spring. Though slightly dampened by the thought of AP exams, the overall excitement in the air is definitely palpable, as classes start to slowly wind down and seniors begin to focus on college commitments, pranks, and prom.

We here at Pulse wanted our stories to reflect some of that light mood. In this issue, our resident food specialist, Ethan Rappaport reviews the vaguely familiar—and delicious—wares of various “Chi-pizza” restaurants around town while Emily Abrishamkar tracks down a famous CCA alum who has gone on to make some big (sound) waves in the real world. Jakob Saloner explores the differences in energy levels that come from sleeping late v. waking early while Ronnie Simon presents a humorous take on her experiences with color-blindness.

If you’re of a more serious sort, don’t worry: guest writer Annika From’s piece on the importance of tolerance for both social conservatives and liberals, as well as Michelle Jacobson’s examination of the LGBTQ movement after marriage equality will give you much to chew over.

All in all, this issue of Pulse is something we think you’ll enjoy and it is with great pride that we present: Volume 10, Issue 3.

Editorial Director Joshua Dillen Online Director Joshua Bi Staff Writers Emily Abrishamkar Skylar Binney Elliot Cohen Audrey Do Michelle Jacobson Jessie McConville Kelila Rotto Ronnie Simon Guest Writer Annika From Advisor Christopher Black

Want More? Scan the QR code below to head to ccapulse.com to see what else we’ve been up to!

Sincerely,

Brian Chekal

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s d r a e Wiz Th lor Co

f O

Being color blind is highly misunderstood. ​ When someone is described as being color blind, the first natural reaction is often thinking that this person cannot see colors at all. Because we associate being blind with not being able to see at all, that is where the first mistake is made.

Yes, most color blind people can see colors. Color blindness is the inability to see certain colors in the usual ways.

There are many different ways to be colorblind and they are very different from each other.

Protanopia is the type of color blindness where people are most likely to confuse black with many shades of red, dark brown with dark green, and mid-greens with some oranges. This is the type of color blindness I have and

A color blind person is only able to see a clutter of dots, while a person without a color deficiency can see a 74.

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it’s pretty common.

Another type that is common is Deuteranope, where bearers are likely to confuse mid-reds with mid-greens, blue-greens with greys or mid-pinks, and bright greens with yellows.

Other types of color blindness are Tritanopes and people with monochromatic vision. Tritanopes commonly confuse light blues with greys, dark purples with black, mid-greens with blues, and oranges with reds. About 1 in 30,000-50,000 people are Tritanopes, so it is not as common as the other types.

People with monochromatic vision are extremely rare, and have a larger handicap than the rest of the other types. People with monochromatic vision can see no color at all and their world consists of different shades of grey. Achromatopsia (monochromatic vision) is extremely rare, occurring only in approximately 1 person in 33,000.

The symptoms of this can make life very difficult for the bearer, and many have described the ailment as seeing the world on an old black and white television set. As you can see, it is only in some very rare cases that people cannot see colors at all.

About 8% of men are color blind and only about 0.5% of women are color blind, so it is extremely rare for girls to be color blind. In order for a girl to be color blind her mother must be a carrier to the color blind gene and the dad must be color blind. So I was one of the lucky few who has been blessed with this color wizard gene.

Not only is not being able to see colors frustrating, but so are questions people ask when they find out I am color blind. So much so, that I have to mentally prepare myself when I am about to tell someone I am color blind The questions vary from “Are there special glasses to help it?” to “What

In this a color blind person will just see dots, while a person with normal color vision will see a 57. colors can you not see?”.

Those can get annoying, but possibly the worst one is “What color is this?” and then they point to a color.

That process goes on for about ten minutes until they finally realize that I can see colors. Another rather annoying one is when people ask me if I can see black, because black is not a color: a black object absorbs all the colors of the visible spectrum and reflects none of them to the eyes. Even people with monochromatic vision can see black, in fact that is basically all they can see, black and white.

People constantly ask if it can be cured or if there are special glasses I can wear to help it, and from a medical point of view, the answer is ‘not really’.

There are some devices (colored contact lenses or filter spectacles) that are claimed to improve the vision of color blind people but in general, people report very mixed results with them.

There is currently no effective way to recover full trichromatic vision if you are red/green colorblind.

One of the many other things that bother color blind people is the eating of meat. Most of you may be questioning why eating meat would ever be annoying to someone that is colorblind.

Well, to put it simply, for a person like me, who likes her meat well-done, it takes years to finally figure out the

How a person with normal color vision would see it vs. how a colorblind person may see it. subtle differences between well-done, medium rare or medium meat because I can’t tell the redness of the steak – especially in the dark lightings of restaurants.

Things like biting into unripe bananas and mistaking ketchup for chocolate syrup is another part of the many problems of being color blind. It is not a pleasant surprise when I end up with a savory condiment on my ice cream that I really was looking forward to.

Having unripe bananas isn’t too fun either. It is a simple mistake among people with normal color vision as well, it just seems to happen to me a bit more than others. Mistaking food is a problem, but I usually just get help from the people around me.

Another set back I have from being color blind is coloring and drawing. Most of the time my oceans end up purple, trees end up yellow, and the ground almost always ends up red.

When this happens I could simply just read the labels Crayola so courteously provided for people like me, but that would take so long. Nobody has time for that, so I just guess and hope my ocean isn’t purple when I am done.

Out of all the complicated problems of being color blind, probably the worst is PowerPoint slides. Teachers, I understand that you want to channel your inner artist in your Powerpoints

with red text and a black background, but you leave me struggling in the dark. Mr. Aspiring Artist, black and white will do just fine. Or when lime green decides to come to the party... that’s usually the point where I just give up and let the person sitting next to me tune me in to what is going on.

Ever since I was little I would have the most interesting outfits. Combinations like brown pants mixed with neon orange shirts — and it wasn’t even fall. I’m pretty sure my whole family thought it was funny to see me walk out of the house like that, so no one told me that what I was wearing was quite the statement.

I had to find that out from my friends at school. Now that I am older, and I care what I look like, I mainly wear neutral colors like grey and black to make sure mistakes don’t happen.

Oh the tragedy!

Luckily, color blindness hasn’t set me back from achieving various goals.

I may have gotten a bad grade on my Spanish colors quiz, or couldn’t read the Powerpoint notes, but it hasn’t prevented me from performing simple tasks or other more important activities.

There have been recorded cases where people have been turned down a job due to being color blind, and as

crazy as it sounds it can affect someone’s work immensely. Presentations and color coded statistics can be easily mixed up by a person with a color deficiency.

Unfortunately, businesses have yet to realize that due to color blind co-workers, they could be missing out on about 5% of their target markets due to being unaware of the effects of color blindness, according to Colour Blind Awareness.

From crazy questions to unripe bananas, being color blind can be a bit difficult at times. It is not a huge setback, but it’s frustrating. I have to look twice and take an extra long time choosing outfits in the morning, but I don’t mind it because in a way, it does set me aside from other people.

It is so rare for girls that sometimes I feel like a rare gem, if that makes any sense, and being color blind is something that I will always have that is different from most of the rest of society.

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Thanks to the biggest construction project on campus since the creation of our fine school, Canyon Crest Academy now has the state of the art sports facilities that its highly competitive students deserve. Gone are the days of walking around campus and breaking an ankle on our practice field or not being able to see the bottom halves of other players on the opposite side of our ridiculously curved field. Also in the rearview mirror is a worried track coach begging spectators and athletes not to disturb the carefully marked chalk lanes on our gravel track. While these fields served us well and led us to many victories, our teams have grown up and our shiny new fields reflect that fact. However, there is one thing that does not lie in our future. Aside from sporting events held in our one of a kind gym, there will be no home night games for our fighting ravens.

Those with a memory that spans more than a year will remember the contentious fight that was prop AA. For those that don’t remember, proposition AA was a $449 million bond initiative that was intended to “provide

Lights Out 6

by Josh Dillen photography by Austin Shmid

safe, modern schools and prepare students for success in college and careers by repairing and upgrading outdated classrooms and schools,” according to the district website. What this would mean for CCA was not only brand new playing fields but also additional classrooms with the latest technology. After SDUHSD residents voted in November of 2012 the proposition passed by an extremely narrow margin. Student athletes at CCA watched the ballot numbers with hopeful eyes as reports continued to show the “yes” votes narrowly following the “no” category.

When all the counting was finished, 55.52% had voted yes and the required 55% super-majority had been reached.

Ravens breathed a sigh of relief as they mended their sore ankles and cancelled their advance orders for chalk.

The road ahead was not quite as bumpy as our old fields, but it surely was not as smooth as our new track.

Fall sports fought for limited field space which left no room for off season training as construction infringed on our home turf. The most badly hurt by the loss of playing space were the baseball and softball teams. The teams did not play a single home game and were forced to practice at Torrey Pines wherever space was available. However, the mighty Ravens pushed on and the baseball team recorded more wins

in a season than any previous team had.

This year, after our beautiful facilities have been unveiled and the infamous spider situation has been resolved, our Ravens not only say hello to a bright future of competition and a stadium packed with fans, but also good bye to the bright temporary lights that have adorned our turf field.

The lights in question were portable lights dotted around the turf that may not have given the best illumination a sports stadium has ever seen , but they lit up our singular field so it could support all of our practices and games at various times of the day while the rest of our campus underwent construction. While these lights existed to serve a purpose, they have left many Ravens wondering if along with turf, an all-weather track, and stadium seating, our facilities will be shining as bright as our talent on the field even in the pitch black night. Unfortunately, that answer is no.

The answer becomes even more puzzling when the possible benefits of having lights are considered. Senior lacrosse player Alexa Carter has an interesting opinion on this issue.

“Whenever we play other teams...that have lights, there always seems to be a bigger crowd.” She notes that, “Everyone has busy lives and 3:30 games don’t fit into everyone’s schedule.” It does make more sense to have later game as parents with full-time jobs would have to take time off of work to

watch their student athletes play which is not always an option. We also have a host of student athletes on campus who would gladly cheer on their fellow Ravens after practice, but when game and practice schedules overlap, this becomes impossible. Dylan Gargas, leader of “Birdsquad,” a group of CCA students/super fans says that, “A lot of birdsquad members play sports and can’t get to the games because of practice.” As those who frequent CCA basketball games know, even a small contingency of Birdsquad members can be a significant cheering force.

While a lack of lights may most seriously hurt attendance, their absence takes away from the experience.

Without a football team, our school may lack that classic American Friday night lights culture, but this does not prevent us from putting our own spin on school spirit. The presence of lights would allow our students to show up in greater numbers and develop the traditions that more “athletic” schools have had the time to develop. There is certainly something more special about a tense soccer game when in the isolation of darkness . With nothing visible but the stands, the stark green of the field, and our heroic Ravens, it becomes easier to immerse one’s self in the game and experience the tension between us and our rival Falcons. This beautiful isolation could become even more gorgeous if it could be shared by student athletes of all varieties of the ball as well as weary actors and actresses departing from their rehearsals and artists of all mediums finishing conservatory. While a fantastic dream, this

experience comes at a cost.

It is no secret that the cost of energy is continuing to rise. Just like many families, it is important for schools to conserve energy in any ways that they can. Installing permanent light fixtures on campus does not only pose a hefty upfront cost, but the maintenance and running cost of the lights are not a bill that the Foundation, a group of CCA guardian angels who generously gather funding to support the unique educational experience that CCA offers, is ready to support. Instead of continually spending valuable cash on an item that may seem like a necessity, but is in reality just nice to have, would reduce the supply of available money to other amazing programs on campus. It would be unjust to sacrifice the amazing Envision programs or the groundbreaking QUEST program in order to build unnecessary lights.

While lights would be a boon for school spirit and alleviate the necessity for grade breaking early releases, they would come at great cost to other already established and award winning programs that CCA students delight in. Many athletes may find the lights as an opportunity to complain about CCA’s discrimination against the athletics or may find it to be an excuse for why Torrey Pines attracts better athletes, but instead it should be seen as a reason to be thankful. We as students should be ecstatic that our number one complaint about our sports fields is a lack of illumination. While many students will dream of the day that they get to watch playoff lacrosse and field hockey games under the lights, the reality is that watching light posts get erected in the next few years is about as likely as watching trucks deliver bright yellow goal posts.

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Picture Chipotle. Shiny counters, industrial design, and the quintessential production line that churns out customized burritos. There are die-cut pieces of plywood adorning the walls, and tastefully tarnished metal trays supporting your food.

Smiling employees greet you as you pass through the steel wrapped threshold with a “welcome to Chipotle!” Each employee, always between the ages of 18 and 25, sports a black apron, with “Chipotle” proudly embroidered upon their chests.

The food is pretty great, if you know how to order. Unfortunately, most people don’t. See, if you know how to order, you can come out of the transaction with a reasonably tasty carne asada burrito packed with guac and cheese, perhaps some salsa. The reality is, however, that most people become dazzled with the amount of options and simply compress every available ingredient into an ill prepared flour tortilla to produce something akin to chile and salad wrapped in flour.

They’re difficult to eat, difficult to enjoy, and difficult to digest.

Now substitute pizza and it’s accoutrements for the various burrito references, and you have the latest restaurant craze. It’s Chipotle, but they make pizza. It’s Chipotle pizza.

Are you ready? it’s Chipizza.

Let’s make something clear. Chipotle, the company, has nothing to do with Chipizza. They don’t own or endorse any of the restaurants, and they’re only called Chipizza by me…and now you, as it’s too fun not to say. Their real names vary, and include (but aren’t limited to) Urban Pi, Pieology, Blaze Pizza, and Project Pie.

Have you been to one of these restaurants, one of these members of the Legion of Chipizza1? Did you look around and think about how cozy the blatant carbon copy of Chipotle was? How shiny the counters were, how rough and pleasing the wood planks adorning the walls appeared? I can feel you beginning to realize in retrospect how Chipotle Chipizza really is.

They greet you as you enter the glass, steel, and wood doors, with a bright and cheery “Welcome to Chipizza!” The 18 to 25 year old employees smile cheerfully in their black, Chipizza embroidered aprons as they ask you if you want a flour or corn tort– sorry, that’s Chipotle.

They ask you if you want a white or a wheat crust.

You could tastefully opt for a sausage and pineapple, or a pepperoni mushroom pizza, but few do. Overwhelmed with the variety of new toppings, available free of charge, you pile–what is essentially a thick flour tortilla–high with asinine toppings like water chestnuts, zucchini, egg(who puts egg on a pizza?), and every known animal, until the hulking manager with the rippling biceps has to be called over to muscle your Mt. Kilimanpizza into the maw of the brick oven.

Walk yourself over to the industrial tables, and plop yourself down upon a sturdy steel stool, because it’s time for the pizza. Muscles McPizza will make his way to your table, struggling under the weight of your frankenpie. He’ll make eye contact to ensure his correctness, then plop pizza, steel pan, and napkins alike down in front of your nose. What do you have in front of you? Pizza? Maybe. Ask yourself

this though: if you were to roll it up into cylindrical form and eat it from the ends, could you really differentiate it from a burrito?

Chipotle is spreading, too.

It’s not just limited to Chipizza. In LA, Chipotle actually has begun an asian cuisine version of their hit restaurant. Boom! Chipanda.

Chipickupstix. Chipeiwei. There are too many names to invent.

Chipotle isn’t the first to use this type of model, however. It’s true, they classed it up with plywood and steel, but think about subway. You move down the line, point at too many toppings, and sometimes they pop it in an oven. So is Chipotle really just Suburrito? I don’t think so. For one, it’s not nearly as fun to say as Chipizza. Honestly that’s most of my argument. But chipotle brings something important, something game changing, to the table (pun 100% intended). Chipotle brings design. When I said that Chipotle classed up subway with plywood and steel, I meant it.

Chipotle creates an experience that feels high quality, worthwhile, and sought after. The difference is this: Subway creates sandwiches. Chipotle creates Chimemories.

Take a gander down to your neighborhood Chipizza. Or for that matter, Chipotle. Create some Chimemories. On a side note, don’t drown your pizza/burrito in unnecessary toppings. Stay Chiclassy.

Don’t get any ideas. I made the Legion of Chipizza up. No conspiracy theories shall arise from the reading of this story 1

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Ghost Busting

by Emily Abrishamkar Image by Ethan Rappaport

So most of you who are cool enough to have a smart phone, more specifically, an iPhone, know that the popular application Snapchat has been acting up this year on the school’s wifi.

Many of you probably remember the grim day when you arrived at school, opened Snapchat only to discover that disheartening red banner across the the top that reads “Could not refresh.

Please try again.” Still, as many times as you drag down your inbox, you manage to load a single Snapchat or story. Now every time you want to send that cute selfie of you in your lab goggles to that guy you hooked up with over the weekend, or a creeper pic of your bff doing an embarrassing class presentation to him or her, you are caught in an uphill battle against a powerful enemy .

I believe the question on everyone’s mind is what sparked this mysterious change? Canyon Crest conspiracy theorists name the Federal Government or satellites from outerspace aliens, you know, your typical illuminati sh*t.

When questioned on record, CCA’s new Assistant Principal Mr. Steinburger explained, “I’ve worked with a couple of those apps, not specifically Snapchat, but they’re supposed to not work [in] a school setting.” I was, like all of you, astounded by his complete lack of empathy.

Sure, maybe students are not technically allowed to use their cell phones during class for social media purposes anyways, but I believe I speak for the majority of CCA’s student body when I say that blocking the application without prior warning truly crossed the line . I do not imagine Mr. Steinburger understand that opening an ugly snap or two can make sitting through 90 minutes of AP Econ just a little more bearable, and it’s not as if we actually care about our parents tax dollars going towards public education.

Steinburger continued, “With technology, I think students are pretty talented about finding their ways around our firewalls… YikYak is an example.”

While, yes, breaking through the firewall simply involves turning off the wifi and resorting to precious mobile data, but that data should be strictly reserved for SoundCloud. Besides, nobody should be forced to deal with the sh*tty 3G reception, this is the 21st century. “What about using a proxy server?”, the Calc nerds ask. For those of you non Calc-nerds like me, that are too afraid to illegally download

the newest season of Vampire Diaries off the internet (let alone go all Kim Possible and install a proxy) that is not a very viable option.

In regards to Mr. Steinburger’s remarks about YikYak, I will admit that it is probably one of the dumbest, dangerous applications in the hands of high school students. Admittedly, students are not technically allowed to be on their cell phones during class, but let’s not be naive. . Steinburger recalls, “We’ve tried really hard and ultimately ended up working with police to [try] to make sure [using YikYak ] doesn’t happen, but in the end it still does.”

Let’s be clear: the person who joking wrote about a school shooting is a complete idiot and violence in school is no laughing matter. I suppose it makes sense when B$ aka Mr. Steinburger says, “Ultimately, what we have seen come to the assistant principal’s office is the negative side. I’m sure, there are some fun things you can [do] with your friends, but then the bullying starts online, or something that leads to a lockdown starts to occur.”

Moreover, the greatest issue in the minds of the underclassmen students now is where to go from here, how will being blocked from certain popular applications impact the future of our high school careers? I’ll be in college so I do not really have as much at stake, yet I still worry for our younger generation. Will the innocent have to actually pay attention during school?

Disclaimer: This story does not represent the views of the Pulse Magazine staff, and is not to be taken seriously.

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Sleepless Nights

by Jakob Saloner

So it’s like 8:30, and you’re panicking. Why? Because you haven’t started the six hours of homework you have to do by tomorrow. What do you do? Well, your first thought is to just pound it all out right now, but you can already feel exhaustion is already taking aits toll on you from the long day of school and sports you have endured done today. Is there any other option for you? Well, you can do some of it now, and wake up early to finish up that last assignment.

So which is the better option? Suffer now, or suffer later? Well, the answer is actually more complicated than you

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think.

To find out which option is better, I tried to stay up late one night, and wake up early another to see which option is better, all the while recording my experience.

Due to the fact that I have decent time management skills, and as a freshman don’t get tons of homework, I needed to replace homework with another activity. I replace my ritual four-mile run became with a ten miler, I finished my homework, and watched some anime for about two hours. Is it time for bed yet? God, I hope so. I do tomorrow’s home-

work with a cup of tea, and I do a mental check in. Am I exhausted? Yes, but 1:30 isn’t that late, so I read a few issues of Men’s Health and other magazines I have lying around until 2:15. Time for bed. (Finally) My alarm goes off at 7:00, and I am thoroughly upset. I am not used to getting so little sleep. (Note: I try to get a lot of sleep so this is new to me, I know that a little under five hours may be normal for some students at CCA.) I pull myself out of my bed and slowly go through my usual morning routine, dragging my body around the my house while my mind scrambles to catch up. I show up to school, late, and the real test begins.

School doesn’t go too badly, and although I was barely conscious during first period, PE woke me up during second. I stare into space while pouring food down my mouth during lunch, saying nothing. I feel better by the end of lunch, and third and fourth period fly by. My day wasn’t too bad, and as long as I was focused on something, the tiredness wasn’t too badoverwhelming. It was like an ache in the back of my head that kept bugging me, but never really took away my focus.

Staying engaged today was much harder than staying up last night, but I have always kind of been a night owl, where staying up late is easy and waking up early (At any time really) is hard. I’m not at all a morning person, so I’m not looking forward to the second part of this experiment.

After one week, I continue this experiment fully rested and ready to go. I go to bed at 11:00, and wake up at 3:45 to do my homework. Waking up at an ungodly hour like that is just painful.

I force myself out of bed, and start the day, not awake enough to feel alert, but still not asleep enough to feel rested.

I cannot stress enough that I am not a morning person, and at the moment I am ready to murder anyone willing to deny me coffee. I do some homework, and once I’m done, I study for a test and surf the web. Not too eventful, and I start to feel numb to the tiredness a few hours in. It isn’t as hard to do things now as it was a week ago late at night, but I was definitely getting work done much slower and less efficiently than normal. I get ready to go at seven, and show up to school on time. I am awake during first and second period, but a wave of tiredness hits me after lunch. I can barely keep my eyes open as I digest my food, and I am ready to go to bed by the time the last bell rings. Unfortunately, I have more homework to do, and I push on, fighting sleep until I fall into its grip, sinking into a dreamless night.

So, which night was better? Which one was the better call? Well, for me, it was staying up late. Don’t get me wrong, a night full of homework is daunting and sleep can be a great way to break it up. This being said, it just seemed to be more effective waking up early. It was not painless staying up

late, but my head was clearer overall than when I woke up early. That being said , I am not a morning person and staying up has always been my go-to option, and I am more used to it. My experiment gave me a clear conclusion, but it may not work for everyone.

Very few generalizations can be made about how efficiently people can get work done, and psychologists still have a long way to go in figuring out how we learn, but a few things are true: 1. The more sleep, the better (To a Point) This may seem pretty obvious, but the average amount of sleep teenagers get is about seven hours a night, and the recommended amount ranges from eight to nine and a half hours, depending on age, weight, gender, and activity. Any more sleep than that on a regular basis has diminishing returns, and hard to get anyway, as A Clinical Guide to Pediatric Sleep by Mindell JA & Owens(2003) indicates.

2. A lot of learning happens when you sleep : It is widely believed that you gain

knowledge during the day, and large portion of it sinks in or solidifies in the brain during sleep, as the brain processes the day’s activities. Considering that the purpose of homework is to help you learn, this is a solid reason to do the work before bed , as stated by Benedict Carey in How we Learn.

3. A little break can help you focus and learn better.

It is also known that , although taking a break can ruin your momentum, it can help you focus later on and stay motivated longer, as a study by University of Illinois at Urbana indicates. The break helps you focus on other things, and then, after 15 to 30 minutes, you have a fresh attitude on the work and can work more efficiently. Sleep can be used as a break, and this is a good reason to wake up early.

In conclusion, do whatever works better for you. Both options are viable, and do whichever one you prefer, as well as your predispositions regarding sleep. Not to get preachy, but honestly, time management will save you the most sleep, and is a better alternative than either option.

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#ThinkB4UPost

by Brian Chekal

On Thursday, November 20th of 2014, two days before the start of Thanksgiving break, CCA filled the local news. However, instead of smiling administrators waiting to announce a new academic achievement or Conservatory program, there were only stern-faced police officers, quietly looking on as the school’s students slowly shuffled out.

Earlier that morning, Torrey Pines had gone into a lockdown in response to a series of “anonymous” threats that had been posted to the then-popular social media app, YikYak. Students there had picked up on the online threats and dutifully notified the administration, prompting the school’s shutdown. In much the same way, administrators here at CCA rushed to suspend school activities after a teacher on campus notified them of a similar post made later that day. Ravens soon found themselves huddled together in dark, silent classrooms as the 3 pm bell rang across the school.

It soon became abundantly clear that something had to be done. In true CCA fashion, a group of concerned students and teachers stepped up to correct this perceived wrong and seemingly overnight, CCA was abuzz with colorful fliers bearing the new #thinkb4upost logo. The new “movement”, as it was starting to be called, soon caught on, and its message was featured not only on our very own CCATV, but also local TV stations, such as NBC 7, where Mr. Raines and student leaders went to speak about their roles. Canyon Crest just recently passed its ten year anniversary, and though we’ve had

our fair share of weird “movements” (Keep CCA Weird, anyone?), none have quite been as far-reaching as #thinkb4upost—so what made this one so special, and how did it come to be? #Thinkb4upost was born in a discussion, one not that different from those had around dinner tables shortly following the incident. The monday after Thanksgiving break, Mr. Raines called together the staff of CCATV, asking them what constituted “social media” and how it could be used for good and bad. There, students talked about their own experiences with these various platforms, proposed reasons for why these cyber-threats had been made, as well as practical ways to prevent similar occurrences in the future. The class-wide discussion played a key role in helping its participants get on the same page and vocalize their thoughts. In the words of Mr. Raines, “We came to this idea that maybe we could do something to promote using social media in the right way.”

Gaby de Boucaud, a senior here on campus who was involved with the movement as well as a co-anchor on CCATV Season 10 states, “We saw what happened with our lockdown and we wanted to promote a more positive use of social media.”

Obviously, which an emotional charged incident such as this, it would have been easy—and almost

We came to this idea that maybe we could do something...

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expected—for the staff to merely encourage students to cut off completely these “dangerous” and “harmful” sites. Even Mr. Raines admits that at first, “I didn’t see a lot of positive coming out of YikYak at the high school level. It was intended for college students, so I would have been very interested in telling high school students not to use it.” He cites the low humor it seemed to encourage, stating, “[these jokes] are often at other people’s expense.”

Surprisingly however, the class felt very differently, and many felt that it wasn’t the sites themselves that were causing problems but rather, certain people using them. “The students felt really strongly about not attacking YikYak, or one particular type of social media...[they] felt that we should do something that’s broader and more about trying to get the idea to students that what they post on social media can impact others for good or bad—to really think about their actions before they post.”

Going back to Gaby: “We thought, ‘if just that one media source can make that big of an impact than what can all the others do?’ We wanted to make sure that [these lockdowns] wouldn’t happen again from any kind of social media source.”

Over the past weeks and months, the movement has grown to reflect this broad vision, expanding beyond cyber-threats to incorporate the entire issue of cyber-permanence and online bullying. It’s caught on so quickly because for most of us, the lockdown was the first time cyber-anything really affected us on a wide, tangible scale.

Let’s not be naive, cyber-bullying occurs everywhere, even in an accepting school like ours. Yet, if you’re not in the small victim pool that is actively being bullied, it’s

I think this [movement] really opened up people’s eyes to it.

often hard to notice or feel compelled to act. It’s easier to ignore a bully and avoid reading their Facebook messages than it is to confront him or her about it, just as it’s easier to stand by and pass off a mean-spirited comment as a joke rather than risk being embarrassed when bringing it to the attention of an adult. Katie Simonian, another CCATV host and the senior class president, states, “You see cyber-bullying all the time, it’s just really easy for people to do. People often overlook [what’s happening] and I think this [movement] really opened up people’s eyes to it.” #Thinkb4upost has started to cause real change as well. Mr. Steinberger, our newest Assistant Principal and a strong supporter of the campaign, states, “I think this is an amazing campaign, personally, and I think it has had a significant impact on our campus.” Steinberger joined our CCA staff back in August of 2014 and in the short period between his appointment and the TP-CCA lockdowns he says, “We, [the Assistant Principals], dealt with five or six situations where students had posted things that were inappropriate online in a public setting that led to uncomfortable/discipline scenarios.” The administrators would have to bring in each student and sit down with them to go over the specifics of each situation and help them understand where they had gone wrong. With the popularity of the #thinkb4upost movement, these disciplinary meetings have become obsolete—since fall, no new cases of cyber-bullying have been reported, from students, teachers, and parents alike.

So what is the future of the movement? As of now, many of the original founders of the campaign seem unsure of what the future holds. However, the administrators seem excited. Though nothing has been set in stone, Mr. Steinberger talks about “revisiting” the idea sometime during the latter half of second semester.The school is currently planning on having a smaller CCA Wellness Day sometime during the second semester. In much the same way, Steinberger wants to have an event focused on reminding students that #thinkbu4post isn’t just an idea or a catchy hashtag: it’s something you have to constantly live by.

Sitting in Mr. Steinberger’s office, recorder in hand, I ask him what he hopes to see develop in the future. He pauses, and leaning back in his chair he stares down at his desk, lips pursed in concentration.

“My hope for the future is that students will recognize the impact of their words: online, in person... at any point.”

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Public

VS

by Skylar Bi

From the prestigious institutions of the Upper East Side to the rundown slums of the inner city, private and public schools can bear significant differences in terms of their overall contributions to the community. In local San Diego, students are offered the opportunity to choose from an array of top schools that serve their religious, social, educational, and geographical preferences. Parents often contemplate whether or not they want to send their child to private or public school in regards to how they plan on raising their child. Private schools frequently restrict students to a more disciplinary environment, whereas public schools tend to grant more freedom. The financial aspect of private school is also an important determinant in whether private school is the right fit for a family and the controversial “is the tuition worth it” is debated constantly.

Both Samantha Parkes and Ashley Mcknight have spent their entire childhoods and educational careers in public school. Samantha Parkes, a student at Torrey Pines, always knew she would attend public high school, as she had her entire life. Private school was never an option, but she remains content with her decision to attend yet another large public school because she feels that without it, she would be “underprepared for the real world”.

After experiencing private school for about a month at Firbank Girls’ Grammar School in Melbourne, Austrailia, 16

Parkes was able to offer a contrast between American and international private school. The Australian private school seemed to foster a stricter environment, but this was not an irregularity. Many of the children in her area attended an all-girls or all-boys private school for much of their life.

The Australian girls were not granted nearly as much freedom as teens in

...benefits from ‘all the diversity between races and wealth and culture’ private school in the US, but because it is a normality to attend private school there, they do not mind the rules.

Similarly to Sam, Ashley Mcknight remains very content with her decision to attend public school as a junior at San Marcos High School. She is a proud Knight as her school benefits from “all the diversity between races and wealth and culture” because her school does not “have just one ‘specific type’ of student”. At San Marcos, Ashley’s class sizes tend to run around 40-45 students per classroom, but she mentions she does not mind attending a larger school. She feels as though “the majority of the kids are very plugged into [her] school in some way” and are not negatively affected by the larger population. She notes that it is “unnecessary [for students to attend a private school] because kids in public schools can get the same GPA, go to the same college, and be just as successful as someone who paid for thirteen years of private school.”

Canyon Crest Academy student

Joe Abramson has experienced both private and public school after emigrating from South Africa. He first attended private school at San Diego Jewish Academy as a seventh grader.

He states that “the tuition in middle school was not worth it; however the Jewish Academy did provide [him] a soft landing after immigrating.” The special attention students are given in private schools enables them to gain the support they need in order to succeed, whereas public school thrives by a “fend for yourself ” type of structure. Despite the individual assistance provided in public school, Joe favors the diversity and size of public school, as he is welcomed by new faces each semester and is able to constantly involve himself in difference aspects of his school.

Senior Glory Brar previously attended private school, Santa Fe Christian, for 6 years before she transferred to Pacific Ridge her sophomore year. Favoring the rigorous schedules and readily available assistance offered by the staff, Glory has preferred to attend private school in conjunction with her father’s requirement that she must spend her pre-college education in private school.

The flexibility and freedom to adjust her surroundings to fit her academic needs is necessary and a highly beneficial aspect of private school, as it is fully taken advantage of by the private system. Glory says “teachers put their

VS

Private

ar Binney

best foot forward to help you” and “I’m given a lot of opportunities to make relationships with my teachers.” She also mentions that most private school students are academically motivated in school and care about their grades, which creates a stable environment for her to focus on academics.

The difference between attending a religious and secular private school is astronomical. After attending both, Glory found the contrast between the two affected her social environment greatly. While attending a religious school, she noticed there tended to be a closed type of mind frame as the majority population commonly agreed on a certain way of thinking due to their religion.

Although a Christian, Glory enjoyed the diversity of a secular school, as she was able to spark conversation and debate with people about different beliefs and views. This gave her a greater understanding of the world around her and led her to a new point of view.

Similarly to Glory’s experience, Santa Fe Christian student Alexa Romano feels a lack of social diversity in private school. Alexa says, “I feel comfortable being sheltered and, in a way, protected by the dangerous things of our world. At the same time, I feel like there are major cons because we are so sheltered. I don’t think it will socially prepare us to interact with the real world.” Despite this social dilem-

ma, she favors private school because “[she] feels comfortable knowing and having personal relationships with practically everyone, including teachers.” Alexa suggests that students “should go to private school, if they can, for middle school.” This keeps the children “on a stable path in a stage of their lives when they are introduced to more freedom and independence.” In her opinion, the most difficult part of going to private school for one’s entire life and becoming a “lifer” as they call it, is entering into the real world without a close Christian community surrounding and supporting you at all times.

Also attending private school her entire life, Makaela Nagy now goes to The Academy of Our Lady of Peace, an all-girls catholic private school. She prefers private school because of the opportunities presented to students, and notes that the tuition is completely worth it because “students pay for extra things like dedicated college councilors and college-prep teachers who are willing to devote the extra time and aide their education.” Makaela mentions that while choosing a high school, “[she] was stuck between attending OLP and CCA.” Despite her love for music and the arts, in the end, she chose private school mainly because “it was something [she] was used to and comfortable with.” When asked to consider whether stricter rules are better, Makaela responded: “some of the strict rules are pointless and outdated, some are important, but

overall stricter rules aren’t necessarily better. The most controversial rule at my school would probably have to be the skirt length. The funny thing is that it is enforced with a school full of girlsthere are no boys on campus who we are trying to ‘seduce’ with our exposed legs. Some rules are there to look out for our best interest, but some of them are outdated and nonsensical.” After years of adaptation, however, Makaela has grown to accept the rules associated with her ideal education in private school.

After reviewing the opinions of all the mentioned students, each with a different educational experience, the results showed that the pros and cons of attending private or public school completely depend on the student attending. All of the students that have only attended private school their entire life seemed to have adjusted and adapted to the environment and are satisfied with their decision.

Those that have attended public school for their entire life were also content with their choice to continue on the public path. The most surprising result was the students that had attended both private and public school at some point in their life, favored public school out of both of their experiences. Every student did mention that the choice to attend private or public school is based purely on what is best for the student. A more structured and sheltered environment with assistance may be best for some students, whereas freedom and diversity may fit another’s better.

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...protected by the dangerous things of our world

California governor Jerry Brown plans to create a high speed rail system that connects Los Angeles and San Francisco. Passengers will be able to travel between the two large metropolitan cities in less than three hours at speeds up to 200 miles an hour. Currently, the project is expected to span total length is 520 miles and early estimates put the price at around $90 for passengers, though it will likely be raised due to inflation by the time the construction is done.

Mr. Hartley, an AP Government & Politics teacher, adds, “The important part is that it needs to be more inexpensive than flying.” The second phase of the plan will connect San Diego to Los Angeles and Merced to Sacramento. This will be one of the largest infrastructure projects in California’s history and is one of Brown’s top priorities. It can improve mass transit and connect cities. Mr. Hartley explains, “As a Southern California kid, I went to college in Northern California. In that stage of my life, I probably would have taken the train many different times, instead of either driving or flying.”

It will cost approximately $68 billion. Yes, that’s billion with a “b”! This is a significant increase from the estimate in 2008, which was initially set at $43 billion, but the estimated cost will rise as additional hurdles emerge. Rail authorities have estimated that one particular segment in the Central Valley will cost $1 billion more than previously estimated.

Some have even said that the overall cost should be around $250 billion, if not more. In addition, some people would rather spend the large sum of money on something else, such as alleviating our water crisis in Southern California.

A dozen protesters stood at the fence during the groundbreaking and shouted, “show me the money.” Robbie Hunter, the director of California’s building trades union council, argues that the construction of the bullet train can annually create 66,000 jobs over the

next sixteen years. He called it the “greatest infrastructure project, not only in the history of California, but the nation”. Proponents add that many other countries, including France, Japan, and China, have bullet trains so the United States should have one too.

The train was originally predicted to take fourteen years to build. At the groundbreaking of the project on January 6, 2015 in Fresno, Brown compared the building of 18

the railroad to cathedrals in Europe since “the high-speed rail links us from the past to the future...” Critics found the comparison to be humorous since the cathedrals in Europe took centuries to build. Some believe that this “train to nowhere” will never be finished due to the plethora of hurdles.

The environment will be greatly affected by this project.

The Transportation Solutions Defense and Education Fund filed a lawsuit since the California Air Resources Board allegedly downplayed the train’s harmful environmental effects. The US Fish and Wildlife Service also complained that the California High Speed Rail Authority set up a nine-acre construction area outside of the approved perimeter and in turn, affected the habitat of the San Joaquin kit fox, one of the most endangered animals in the state. The rail board is currently correcting the issue. Kevin Li, a senior, states, “It would be ideal if the rail authority can build bridges over common migration routes so that the trains can cross without disturbing the wildlife.” Kevin adds that “the high speed rail will reduce the number of cars on the road and thus, reduce pollution.” Opponents also argue that the board did not consider the fact that additional pollution will be created during the construction due to the thousands of tons of cement.

Besides environmental lawsuits, The California High Speed Rail Authority is having a difficult time acquiring all of the necessary land. It is difficult to value the land in the agriculture region since prices have been spiraling upwards.

Landowners expect far above what the state is willing to pay and many rejected the original monetary offers. Since the government agency and

the landowners cannot agree on a price, the use of eminent domain, or the legal process where a government agency declares the need of private land for public use, has been authorized by the State Public Works Board.

According to a poll taken by the Public Policy Institute of California in 2013, 41% of Californians agree with the idea of a high-speed train. This is a marked decrease from the 53% of Californians in favor of the project in 2008. As both sides debate many different arguments, the construction of the high speed train continues to chug along.

The Struggle to

by Annika From

It’s no secret that the newest generation, a group aptly named the “millennials”, is the most liberal our society has seen in the past four generations.

According to the national journal, it is the only of these generations where liberals outnumber conservatives.

Topics like homosexuality, abortion, atheism, and evolution are largely accepted, parting from the commonly held beliefs of the past and towards a future ripe with social and political change.

unbalanced when it comes to the other side.

As a millennial myself, my values often align with the ideals of my peer students, but coming from a more conservative Christian background, some of my beliefs differ. I’m split between both sides of the liberal-conservative line, often too neutral for either extremes to accept fully. Therefore, I understand that everyone has different backgrounds and beliefs, and that part of a cooperative society includes being

towards religious people has also become more negative. This is especially true with Western religions, as another poll has shown that the millennial generation’s opinion of Catholics, Jews, Evangelists, and Mormons is lower than every other age group.2 This prejudice has especially escalated in areas of higher education. Stories of colleges discriminating against Christians are becoming more common, such as Brown University unnecessarily banning a Presbyterian group from meeting on campus (a move they eventually repealed due to external pressure)3. Florida Atlantic University had a similar incident where a professor told students to stomp on a piece of paper with Jesus’ name on it, and actually punishing a student who refrained4. While these types of injustice are less severe and less frequent than those against minority groups such as gays, they are fairly new pattern of intolerance to be on guard against.

Canyon Crest Academy is no open-minded: accepting and tolerating The obvious counter to this argudifferent, and the majority of the others’ beliefs. ment is to point an accusatory finger students fall on the liberal side. It is If you listen closely to the colat the other side: the Christians so an amazing school community which loquial conversations among CCA determined to find converts that they encourages questioning old ideologies, students, this doesn’t always seem to shun any other faith (or lack of), the accepting oneself, and tolerating the be the case. There is a surprising lack infamous acts of the Westboro Baptist beliefs of others. In fact, tolerance is a of respect towards Christians and the Church, or Christians who make simword often used to describe the CCA Church, which is often stereotyped as ilar off-hand comments towards atheenvironment. Looking at our massive judgemental or unintellectual. Even ists. While these acts are disrespectful “No Place for Hate Banners” swinging seemingly harmless statements can and completely reprehensible, it’s not on the library walls or our renowned be unintentionally hurtful, such as because they are practicing ChristiLGBTQ+ pro community, it would declarations of “I used to go to church, anity. It’s because they are practicing seem like tolerance was a given. If an before I realized that believing in a intolerance. atheist, openly gay, or democratic stuGod without proof doesn’t make sense” Therefore, I merely propose a dent was being criticized for his or her or “innocently curious” questions like reminder: that if our school and our beliefs, students would never sit by and “You actually believe that?” generation wants to be known for its watch such senseless bullying. Even Our generation is becoming less tolerance, that we remember what that though we have room to improve, we religious; 25% actively identify themmeans. Christian or atheist, republican as a school community have made selves as unaffiliated (a percentage or democratic, liberal or conservative: enormous strides accepting these often higher than any of the previous four we are all entitled to respect. Anyone ostracized groups. However, we can be generations)1.. In addition, its attitude can accept people like them, but it takes an open-mind to accept those 1. Statistics are from Pew Research Center’s article “Religion Among the Millennials” 2. Pulled from Pew Research Center’s article “How Americans Feel About Religious Groups” that are different.

A cooperative society includes being open-minded... If you listen closely to the colloquial conversations among CCA students, this doesn’t always seem to be the case.

3. Pulled from FIRE’s article “Brown University: Wrongful Suspension of Religious Student Group” 4. Pulled from Townhall.com’s article “7 Examples of Discrimination Against Christians in America”

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CCA Hobbies

by Jessie McConville Outside of school I spend all my time doing sports and homework, eating and talking to friends. Whenever I’m not busy with one of those things I’m usually on my phone or computer. I am consistently looking back on periods of time and feeling like there was so much time I wasted playing games on my iPhone. I’ve recently been trying to make an effort to find productive ways to fill my time and think it’s an important thing to share with others. I’ve gathered some ideas from personal experience and others from friends, hope this can inspire you to try something new and fun!

You may have noticed an increase in homemade chokers on campus, and student run jewelry stores on Instagram. This hobby stands out because because people usually sell them so it can be a fun and easy way to make money. Materials for making jewelry are fairly inexpensive and widely sold, who can find them at your local Michael’s or Target.

There are also nice bead stores like Beads Crystals and More in Encinitas and Pearlwear Beads in Solana Beach.

Oskadusa Beads in Solana Beach has a huge variety of beads and charms, and offers regular classes for beginners and experts.

A couple weeks ago I went geocaching for the first time with my friends and we had so much fun.

Geocaching is a community activity in which small boxes or bottles are hidden in public places., many of them along hiking or walking trails. These smalls boxes have paper in them so every person that finds it signs their name. The locations of these boxes are marked by coordinates on a geocaching app or online. You look on the app to find the general location of the geocache, but they are usually pretty cleverly hidden. They can be under rocks, hanging from trees, or on the underside of a telephone box. Many geocaches also include small trinkets that people leave behind; if you find the geocache Another surprisingly fun thing to do is sew. Sewing you’re welcome to take one to the objects and leave your own. can be an investment because sewing machines are pretty It’s very easy to start, just download the free app and make an expensive, but if your mom or grandma has a machine I account. Visit geocaching.com for more information. would highly suggest trying it out. There are lots of fun and easy things you can make. Some of the closest fabric stores include Yardage Town, Jo Ann’s Fabrics, and Beverly’s Fabrics. Sew Hut and Paradise Sewing offer sewing classes for all levels every day. It is such a satisfying feeling to be able to wear something you made, or create a bag or blanket. It’s nice to make things for family members for their birthdays or Christmas, and they’re sure to love it. Another similar thing to try that sounds pretty silly and old-fashioned is knitting. Knitting is fairly easy to learn, simple to do, and easy to expand upon. Start by picking a fun yarn and making a scarf while waiting for your food in a restaurant. Then pick up a pattern book at your local bookstore to make striped socks, beanie caps, and mittens. This is a great thing to be able to carry with you and keep you busy when you have down time while on the go.

Cooking is another really fun thing to try; one of the surest ways to gain friends is to start baking delicious foods. Lots of people keep themselves motivated by setting a cooking/baking goal, like in the movie. Julie and Julia. Find a recipe book you like and challenge yourself to make one thing from it every day, week, or even month. If that seems like a lot of work or mess you could try making your own water kefir or kombucha.

These drinks are formed by living organisms, so once you have a little bit you can keep reusing the bacteria to create more drinks. Look either of these drinks up online and you will find tons of recipes and suggestions for how to make your own. It’s not a huge time commitment and very inexpensive to make your own delicious drinks.

It is very important, especially in this age of growing screens and battery life, that each person is able to find an activity that they fully enjoy. There is so much to benefit from being able to attack and accomplish a project of choice., so I encourage you to try something new and find the activity that you feel like will best occupy your time and make you happy.

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Be Selfish-Volunteer

By Kelila Rotto

Volunteering does not have to be a purely selfless act; you can work to help the community while benefitting at the same time. Maybe you think that it will look good on your college apps or maybe while volunteering you learn a new skill. Volunteering shows your commitment to something and demonstrates that you can handle responsibility. However, I suggest that if you do decide to volunteer, you enjoy what you are doing. There are many organizations that support a diverse array of community work. Choosing to volunteer somewhere that you find interesting will have many benefits— you will enjoy your time there and other people will be able to see what you are passionate about.

If you are searching for a great place to volunteer in the community, here are three diverse places.

Hand Up Food Pantry

Hand Up Youth Food Pantry helps thousands of San Diegans who face hunger. This food pantry collects food, fundraises, and sponsors distributions, in order to benefit the “food insecure” in San Diego. According to Andrew Hoffman, the Coordinator for Hand Up Teen Leadership, “Volunteers make a huge impact. Last year, the Hand Youth Food Pantry provided 9,698 people, including 1,108 military families, with groceries equivalent to 318,113 meals... All of this would not be possible without volunteers on the front lines making each of these things happen.” Volunteers mainly work in two places: in the food pantry and at military food distributions. Specifically they can assemble non-perishable food bags, sort donations, and organize food pantry shelves. At military food distributions volunteers distribute food and fresh produce to families. And according to Mr. Hoffman volunteers can also host a food drives or fundraisers benefiting the Hand Up Youth Food Pantry. Normal food pantry shifts run for two hours and military distributions last for two and a half to three hours. Volunteers can sign up online and volunteer as often as they would like. All one needs to do to volunteer is fill out an application by visiting www.jfssd.org/handup and clicking on “Hand Up Youth Food Pantry Volunteer Application”.

Helen Woodward Animal Center Helen Woodward Animal Center is a nonprofit, no kill facility that is committed to the “belief that animals help people and people help animals”. Megan McCarty, the Volunteer and Retail Services Manager at Helen Woodward, explained that “[volunteers] help increase the number of adoptions” at Helen Woodward. Volunteers help walk dogs and horses, clean kennels, help with administrative duties, special events, and other various tasks. Volunteers should have some kind of background with the animals they want to work with. They require more extensive experience to work with Horses or Therapy Riding. Volunteers immediately begin working with animals, so preparation is key to having the volunteers interact comfortably with animals. Orientations are scheduled 5 times throughout the year and one must bring a completed application before volunteering. This may seem like a lot to do, but since volunteers work with live animals, it is necessary. For more information visit www.animalcenter.org

Surfrider Foundation

The Surfrider Foundation is dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the ocean and beaches. This organization wants to ensure the beaches are kept beautiful and that the ocean is safe for people to enjoy. According to the Surfrider website the main goals that Surfrider works towards are clean water, beach access, and beach preservation. This grassroots organization would not exist without the work of volunteers according to Haley Haggerstone who is the local chapter manager. In San Diego, this organization only has two staff members so they truly rely on the help of volunteers. Because of this, Surfrider makes it easy to volunteer.

One does not even have to sign up or have training to participate in basic volunteer activities like beach cleanups; you can simply show up. All a volunteer needs to help is a willingness to pick up trash and a desire to keep the oceans and beaches beautiful. In order to get further involved or to participate in positions listed as Core Volunteer Positions, you need to go to a Core Volunteer Orientation.

For more information about getting involved visit www.sandiego.surfrider.org 21

by Michelle Goldie Jacobson

Equality is one of the core values held in the United States; the Constitution was constructed based off of the belief that everyone is equal, but the U.S. has not been very good at following that guideline. There is constant discrimination towards people who are considered different from the norm- aka anyone who is not a middle or upper class, heterosexual, white

regardless of the state in which it was performed. They will also decide if states are constitutionally required to issue marriage licenses. If the Supreme Court decides that both of these things are mandatory, then gay marriage will essentially be fully legalized.

With the oncoming federal legalization of same-sex marriage, the question that needs to be asked is

that women and men are equal because women can vote and because there are laws that say gender cannot determine wage amount. Despite these apparent equalities, women are still not equal to men; for example, they get paid less, are more likely to be raped and harassed, and do not hold an equal amount of leadership positions. When same-sex marriage is legal, people

male. In recent years, people in the queer community have been gaining more rights, but they are nowhere near equal. Currently, the most popular queer issue that is being fought for is marriage equality. Thirty-seven states have legalized same-sex marriage, and we are headed towards federally legalizing it. In January 2015, it was announced that the Supreme Court will consider whether or not states are obligated to recognize same-sex marriage

“what comes after marriage equality?”

Marriage equality is important, but some people are worried that after it is achieved, others will think that there are no other issues that need to be addressed in order to make queer people

might claim that queer people are equal, and ignore the other issues that need to be addressed to gain equality for all genders and sexualities. In order to prevent people from thinking “queer people can get married now, so they must be equal”, awareness needs to be raised about the other issues faced by the queer community.

Jessica L. Nare, a gender and sexuality studies professor at San Diego State University and National

The first step to achieving equality is gaining legal recognition and institutional rights.

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equal members of society. These fears are valid, especially when comparing the LGBTQ movement to the feminist movement. It is commonly believed

*In this article, queer is being used as a comprehensive term for people of all sexualities besides heterosexual, and for all people who do not conform to the gender binary.*

University, stated, “the first step to achieving equality is gaining legal recognition and institutional rights.”

One of the topics that needs to be legally addressed is conversion therapy.

Conversion therapy is the practice of attempting to change a person’s sexuality from homosexual to heterosexual or to reverse feelings of gender identification (for transgender or gender fluid people).

These ineffective and dangerous treatments are legal for youth in 48 states, and most of the time minors are forced by their relatives to partake in these therapies. Methods that are used in this treatment include aversion therapy (shocking patients or giving them drugs that make them feel nausea while showing them gay erotica), psychoanalysis, estrogen treatment to reduce libido in men, and electroconvulsive therapy (using electric shocks to induce seizures which can lead to memory loss). Leading scientific and medical groups have found that there is no evidence that sexuality or gender identification can be changed; instead,

“reinforce self-hatred already experienced by the patient.” Conversion therapy needs to be federally banned for minors in order to protect them from guardians who are close minded.

LGBT community, based on damaging stereotypes... We are moving forward to ensure equality in our courts and making it very clear that discrimination against the LGBT community

Even if LGBTQ people and straight people were equal on paper, there would still be social differences.

Another problematic policy in the United States is the use of the panic defense. The “Gay Panic Defense” and the “Trans Panic Defense” are legal defenses used by defendants who claim that they were so surprised, discomforted, or fearful when they discovered a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity that they lashed out violently, injuring or killing the victim. This defense is legal to use in every state in America except California. California Assembly Member Susan A. Bonilla stated the problem of the panic defense in a statement given after California

is intolerable and unacceptable.” It is completely inadmissible for people to use this defense to explain and excuse their “loss of self control”, just because they cannot stomach someone else’s identity. The panic defense is an archaic tradition that needs to be dismantled; having policies such as this reflect the inequality in the U.S. It is commonly known that it is illegal in the United States to be fired based on race, religion, disabilities, or gender. However, most people are unaware that in twenty-nine states, you can be fired for being homosexual, and in thirty-four states you can be fired for being transgender. The Employment Non-Discrimination Act is legislation that would protect queer people from workplace discrimination in hiring, firing, promotions, and harassment. The bill was approved by the

We are moving forward to ensure equality in our courts and making it very clear that discrimination against the LGBT community is intolerable and unacceptable. these programs have extremely negative effects. According to the American Psychiatric Association, conversion therapies cause “depression, anxiety and self-destructive behavior” and they

banned the use of the defenses in 2014: “There is absolutely no justification for the use of ‘panic defenses’. Clearly this tactic has been utilized by defendants, unjustly targeting members of the

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Senate in 2013, and was passed to the House of Representatives; it has since been tabled in committees.

It is important to get this bill or other similar legislation passed in pursuance of queer equality. A person’s texuality and gender identification has no effect on their work, just as a person’s race and religion has no effect on their work. Equality in the workplace is a simple way to create a more equal ground for queer people so that general equality can be achieved, and attitudes towards queer people can be improved.

Caroline Guess, president of Canyon Crest Academy’s Gay Straight Alliance, observed that “even if LGBTQ people and straight people were equal on paper, there would still be social

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differences.” One way we can lessen the social differences is by creating media that has a large amount of queer representation. Media has a large influence on the majority of the United States; by showing accurate and positive portrayals of queer people, the attitudes of the general population will slowly shift to be more positive. The majority of the characters we see in movies, books, and television shows are heterosexuals who conform to the gender binary. Recently the media has become slightly more inclusive with shows such as Orange is the New Black and The Fosters, but it is not nearly enough.

We need to see multiple portrayals of a wide variety of sexualities and genders.

Having accurate depictions in the media can lead to people being more receptive to individuals who are different from themselves, and it can help queer people to feel more welcomed and supported by society.

Americans need to step up and follow through on their goal of being an equal society. To do that they need to acknowledge every aspect of queer equality, from marriage rights to workplace discrimination. Canyon Crest Academy has a history of being an open-minded community that does not discriminate based off of race, gender, religion or sexuality. We need to take that attitude and share it with the people around us. Valerie Weisler, GLSEN

(Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network) Ambassador, affirmed that “to achieve full equality, we have to start from the bottom up -- the kids.” Kids have the power to create change by promoting inclusivity and, when they turn eighteen, the can vote for positive legislation. Equality is possible, but only if we spread awareness and acceptance, and we support (and tell adults to support) queer inclusive legislature.

As Caroline Guess says, “If we look at the progress that the LGBTQ community has made in the last decade, it is hopefully a sign of what’s to come... it may take a while, but I do think that eventually there will be complete equality for all genders and sexualities, but until that day comes I will not stop fighting.”

Ryn Weaver interview by Emily Abrishamkar

Canyon Crest Academy’s very own alumna Erin Michelle Wüthrich, better known as Ryn Weaver, performed at Coachella on Saturday April 11th and 18th. After graduating from CCA in 2010, Ryn left to pursue her career and she graciously took the time to answer a few questions for us in an exclusive interview before her performance at Coachella.

quantity in writing. I’ve never finished a song I wasn’t proud of, and that’s because I wasn’t trying to pump out a song a day. Reach out to other artists at school!! Collaborate!!! You guys are at the peak of your angst... use it. There’s a YouTube tutorial for everything these days. You can teach yourself to produce. Or take midi!!! And rock band. Post to soundcloud!! If you want to be heard make people listen.

Start bands with other kids around you!!! Go to shows!! See what makes the performers you love so magnetic.

1) In what ways, if any, did your experience at CCA influence your career in the music industry?

In many ways. Mostly I think it helped me build my confidence as an artist. It’s so rare to get to go to a public school with such an insane artistic department. I got to do absurdist theater plays and be in the school musicals and compete in battle of the bands and win battle of the bands!!

Then go take painting class the next morning or dance. There’s so much creative energy flowing between students, and so much nurturing coming from the teachers. I started like 3 bands while I was at that school!!!

There’s a real community of people pushing you to be better. I only wish I utilized conservatory earlier. I only did my senior year because I slacked off a bit in the beginning of my time there. Chasing too many boys. So that’s that I guess.

2)What advice can you give the aspiring musical artists at CCA on entering the music industry?

Start. Write as frequently as you can.

I say “as you can” because I’m actually of the mind set that quality trumps

thing you do best, and become the best at it.

3) You’re considered an upcoming artist to watch and your song OctoHate has over 5 million downloads on Spotify, where do you hope to go from here?

To the top. Is that gross to say?? I want to keep going. If people are “watching me” then this is my chance to prove to them that I deserve their attention. I’m just gonna keep doing me. I’m gonna be honest and create work I’m proud of and only wish that other people can wrap their heads around it.

4) Can you tell us any details about what we can expect from you at Coachella?

I will be playing my whole album!!!

5) What factors drove your decision to leave NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, and what can you tell students who are unsure about whether to attend college?

Channel that!!! Then tweak it. Keep finding new influences!! I would die to go back and actually UTILIZE everything that high school had to offer me, and the free time I had then to figure myself out. But in all seriousness... I don’t believe in luck. I believe if you want something bad enough, and you are confident enough in your abilities, you will align yourself with that dream and get it. It’s only a matter of time.

Manifestation or whatever. Find that

You know, it was a great school, and I learned a lot. But sometimes in the arts you have to make a decision for yourself. My parents couldn’t afford it. I was working two jobs (NYC is expensive). I just realized my time would be better spent taking my dreams into my own hands and for me that meant not having a degree as a fallback plan. I also went to wonderful CCA, so if was shocked at how formulaic the school seemed to be about art.

They were into breaking you down to build you back up but I always believed that the healthiest way to be an artist is to be nurtured and stay true to yourself. For me, I wish I dropped out sooner, but again... It’s a very personal decision to be made for yourself.

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story by Joshua Bi photography by Noah Larky

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The theater is dark. A caucus of faces in the audience intently watches the stage. A soft light shimmers down on to a figure standing in the center of a round, red rug. That figure is eminent spoken word poet Shane Koyczan. As he shares his wisdom through spoken poetry with the sea of high school students, the audience one-by-one becomes a unified wave of light as they lift tiny battery-powered candles on to their heads. Scenes like this are common at TEDxYouth@ SanDiego, one of more than a thousand independently organized TEDx events across the world. The proscenium theater is filled with 400 students from approximately forty different schools from a diverse selection of communities.

Its speakers hail from various fields and have been carefully chosen over a months-long selection process by a dedicated team of organizers.

TEDxYouth@SanDiego was established in March of 2011 as a “unique ‘by youth, for youth’ endeavor created in the spirit of Ideas Worth Spreading” by a group of CCA students, San Diego business leaders and educators. The mission of the event is to “push the boundaries at every level, striving to create an experience that provides provocation, education and inspiration. Some of the world’s biggest thinkers, dreamers and doers take the TEDxYouth@SanDiego stage to share the power of ideas – and to inspire the possibility of bringing them to life. Outside of the theater, participants get hands-on with more than a dozen unique interactive experience salons and enjoy youth musicians,

dancers and artists throughout the venue.”

TEDxYouth@SanDiego’s inaugural event was held in November of 2011 at Canyon Crest Academy. The theme of the event was “The World In Our Grasp.” It served “as a way to shatter the pernicious misconception that being young is a barrier to great achievement.” The event featured inspiration figures from a plethora of different backgrounds, from actors like Richard Dreyfuss to street painters like Tracy Lee Stum. Other speakers included former homeless teen Liz Murray, the members of The Buried Life, and singer/song writer Lee Coulter.

The 2nd TEDxYouth@SanDiego event was held in 2012. The theme of the event was “Architects of the Future,” inspired by neo-futuristic inventor and author Buckminster Fuller’s quote, “We are called to be architects of the future.” Speakers that embodied “architects of the future” were invited to share their big ideas with both the audience in the theater and people watching the online livestream. Speakers included Occidental College professor Dr. Caroline Heldman, the LEGO Design Team, Harry Potter Alliance co-founder Andrew Slack, and singer/ YouTube sensation Alex Day. In one of the most powerful moments of the event, paralyzed professional athlete Grant Korgan lead the entire audience in shouting “I AM UNLIMITED,” a moment that inspired participants and organizers alike.

Korgan’s words struck a chord with the organizing 27

team and the following event’s theme was “Unlimited.”

Speakers included social media star Jerome Jarre, spoken word poet Shane Koyczan, sexuality educator Al Vernacchio, and several past and present Ravens: Mark Raines, Brian Doyle, and Eric Chen. Speakers came from a variety of fields, including science, entertainment, education, medicine, and more. Through many different perspective and positions, the speakers were able to show themselves and the audience members what it meant to be unlimiTED. Some students were curious when the fall of 2014 came and went without a TEDx event. Some wondered if the date had been moved and others wondered if the event had been canceled all together. “The event was changed from November to March,” said Annika Patton, the Youth Speaker Curator of the event. “We had numerous conflicts with the date and our production team so we decided to move the event to the spring of 2015 (March 29). As we went through the planning process for the March event, our team was passionate about all the issues that were going on in the world. These local, national and global events sparked such meaningful conversations that we wondered if we could create a new type of event inviting teens to come together to focus on these important and pressing issues. Out of those discussions came the design for a new short-form event.”

On March 29th, 2015, TEDxYouth@SanDiego will host “We Can’t Wait: Conversations That Matter.” The March event is “a unique experience for San Diego County high school students to engage with leading experts on important topics and issues impacting our generation and our future. [It is] a solution oriented event aiming to expand the conversation, cultivate empathy and widen our circles of

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compassion.” While the event is shorter than the normal full day experience, it still seeks to provide attendees with the same powerful influence as a full day event.

On November 22nd, 2015, TEDxYouth@SanDiego will host its signature full day event. The theme of the event is “Lighting the Way.” This signature full-day TEDxYouth@ SanDiego event will feature more than a dozen presenters and performers sharing their big ideas from the TEDx stage along with unique, interactive experience salons.”

While a full day event will not be available this school year, the March 29th event will be an equally exceptional experience for students interested in participating in an event hosted by the TEDxYouth@SanDiego team. Students with an appetite for a longer, more classic TEDx event can apply to attend the November 22nd event next school year.

However, this doesn’t mark a permanent transition to a spring event: “November 22nd is our signature anchor event. ‘Lighting the Way [will be our] big, grand event this year,” Patton said.

While seating at TEDx events are limited, anyone unable to snag a physical seat in the theater can watch and participate in the event via a livestream (for the November event) and post-event videos for the March event.

“As CCA students, we have a cool motivation to enact change in the world—we have a responsibility to make change. TED talks focus on spreading ideas and making positive changes in the world. You want to inform yourself on things happening in the [local] community [and the] global community. TED talks are a great way to inform yourself, learn, [and] see things from a new point-of-view,” Patton says.

How to Prepare for Student Loans

by Elliot Cohen With the increasing number of applicants to each college and university, competition is slowly rising. Schools are harder to get into today and high paying jobs are harder to find. Not only does this push student to work harder in high school, but also leaves some stranded in debt. The average amount of debt in the US has grown to almost $30,000. Since so many undergraduates are drowning in debt but still need graduate degrees in order to satisfy their career goals, how can our young adults handle student loans?

Finding affordable colleges can help decrease the future debt that a high school student might not foresee. State schools are growing in popularity due to the increasing tuitions of most schools. Although most believe that a student should attend the best school that they get admitted to, going to a school that offers scholarship money will allow that individual to be a big fish in a small pond. This could potentially lead to more internship opportunities and a better overall future because the competition is lower and higher grades are more easily attainable.

By applying for financial aid, whether need based for not, loans can shrink. There are many private and federal scholarships that are need based. Financial aid is a great way to cut down a future debt by simply completing an application or writing an essay.

One of the most useful resources that a student can use during the entire college loan process is making a budget.

Organizing any money coming in or flowing out during and after college can help decipher how much money should be set aside each month for eventual loans. Even the associate director of financial aid at Susquehanna University, Erin Wolfe, says, “Understanding what the student’s overall budget is would be the most important part of the grace period.”

Free applications are accessible for government scholarships. Another resource for high school students are there college counselors at school. These individuals have the most knowledge and experience with the application process. Since they have so much knowledge about the process they can help you pick which scholarships to apply for and which applications aren’t worth the time, but most applications do have a lot of value. Don’t rush through the

application process and be sure to apply to every school carefully because at every school there is a possibility for academic scholarship money directly from the school. Also, apply early. By applying early the reviewers will understand how dedicated and eager the applicant is. That is also valid for applying to a college or university. Applying early decision or early action shows how interested a student is. This can contribute to more financial aid.

Stay accountable for loan payments. Getting behind in payments can lead to massive debt and eventually poor credit. Interest will build up over time and too much debt can lead to bankruptcy. As students progress in education timing of payment will be crucial for the development of their financial state.

Students should always explore their payment options.

The standard student loan has a repayment period of ten years, but most students do not know that these periods can be extended. Students should also ask their loan servers if they qualify for federal loan relief. Students can also explore resources such as PayBackSmarter. This resource allows students to analyze multiple repayment options, what extra payment options there are, and what repayment options that the federal government offers .

Although the standard payment option is at least fifty dollars per month for a period of ten years, other options of payment can be based off of income-bases repayment plans, pay as you earn options, graduated repayment options, and extended repayment options. All of these payment plans are variations based off of the standard model and are slightly different in variation.

If bankruptcy is a problem payment sites such as FindLaw.com can help assess the bankruptcy options and eventual repayment options.

Lastly, students should track down there loans. Multiple loan options will potentially be used in the process of repayment because of the annual payment basis, and it is important to track down loans and stay on top of the process.

Student loans can be a tricky process but by being accountable and looking at all possible options they can be managed and paid off before no time.

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