A Letter from the Editors As 2017 kicks off, the staff of Pulse is excited for second semester and new beginnings. Your co-Editors-in-Chief, Kate Monko and Kaylee Kinninger, are ecstatic to present to you the second issue of Pulse. Staff writers, editors, photographers, and graphic designers have spent their time dedicated to producing a creative magazine filled with artistic photos, clean designs, and engaging stories. Exhibiting the diversified student body at Canyon Crest Academy, our staff has uncovered a handful of novel stories of our students. Check out the student profile articles to discover how two seniors, Gabe Gaurano and Harmon Jones, accomplished their goals through hard work, creativity, and perseverance. For curious readers, please dive into Joe Altaffer’s “38th Parallel”, in which he details his unique journey to North Korea. Are you wondering about high school relationships and the complexity of student to student relations? Look to Kaylee Kinninger’s article “Ship it”. If you were biting your nails during 2016 and want a new perspective on the past year, look to our seasoned writer, Max Greenhalgh, to read about the electoral college. If you are interested in reading more articles written by our staff, take a look at our online website, www.ccapulse.com. Our online site is updated weekly with new articles from our staff. We also keep our Instagram, @ccapulse, updated as new magazines are ready to be distributed. If you are not a part of the Pulse staff but would like to write for us, we would love to hear your voice; any stories or story ideas you have can be submitted to editors.pulse@gmail.com to possibly be featured in the next issue of the magazine. It is with great pride that we present to you Volume 12 Issue 2.
Best,
Editors In Chief: Kaylee Kinninger Kate Monko Creative Director: Jakob Saloner Editorial Director: Max Greenhalgh Online Editors: Ashlyn Finkbeiner Ronnie Simon Design Team: Daniel Chekal Jack Mittemeyer Photographer: David Novick Staff Writers: Joe Altaffer Sammy Benbow Jenné Brookes Erin Coogan Josh Golden William Hillard Derek Li Hannah Musgrave Peter Saltamachio Matthew Siemer
Contents Student Photo by Reed Martin
Harmon Jones by Hannah Musgrave
Minimalism by Ashyln Finkbeiner
38th Parallel by Joe Altaffer
Fidget to Focus by Erin Coogan
Immersed by JennĂŠ Brookes
Split Opinion
by Ronnie Simon
Guns and Gambling by Derek Li
Gabe Gaurano by Peter Saltamachio
The Worst College by Max Greenhalgh
Ship It
by Kaylee Kinninger
Hidden in Plain Sight by Kate Monko
Reed Martin, 2016 Taken in Venice, Italy edited by Jakob Saloner
Student Profile: Harmon Jones Ever constructed a paper airplane? A computer? How about a car? Harmon Jones, a senior at Canyon Crest, dedicated a year of weekends to constructing a vehicle perfectly fit to his desires. He wanted a car that would be eco-friendly and energy efficient, but imagined something different from the common electric cars like the Prius, Nissan Leaf, or Tesla models. To begin the process Harmon searched on Craigslist and found a used truck which he, in a very complicated and lengthy process, then converted to run on charged batteries rather than gas. He had help from his dad and members of the EV Riders Club, a San Diego club consisting of others who have done similar projects. The project in all (including buying the truck) cost approximately $12,000, but Harmon states, “In retrospect, we could’ve done it for a lot less. If I were to do the same build again, I could probably do it for about $8,000.” Harmon added that this project can be done on any car, no matter the size, commenting, “It just matters how much space you have to store the batteries.” He mentioned a company, EV West, that has started turning classic and commonly desired car models into electric builds. Imagine one day being able to buy any car you like in an eco-friendly, electric build, such as a classic 70’s model or the newest Lamborghini. His inspiration sparked from people he knew who previously accomplished the project. He commented, “It’s also about reducing our carbon footprint and being as energy efficient as possible. If this technology is here, why not use it?” An advocate for energy efficiency, Harmon also strives to be eco-friendly. He explained how gas-fueled cars waste energy, calculating that “the average car fueled by gas is 13% energy efficient, the Tesla builds are 93%, and my car is 87%.” With this taken into account, he is spending approximately 18 cents to our every 2 dollars on gas. In addition to all these environmental and economical benefits, he adds that electric cars are fun to drive and are “way different than gas because you have the instant power and gratification.” Although he does receive strange looks at intersections and parking lots, which he mentioned with a laugh, this car is exactly what he aspired for: an eco-friendly, energy efficient, fun ride.
by Hannah Musgrave
BY ASHYLN FINKBEINER
21st century America has strongly embraced the materialistic lifestyle. Many of us have grown up in a society conditioned to believe that the best things in life are, well, things. In recent years, however, a style of living called minimalism has increased in popularity dramatically. Making its way into our society, minimalism is a lifestyle in which people own very few things. The best way to describe this lifestyle is with the phrase: “Don’t have anything in your home that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” This lifestyle is often expressed in many ways, such as minimizing one’s wardrobe, adopting ways to stress less, changing one’s diet, and most importantly, altering one’s mindset. The history of minimalism lies in what we all seem to associate the word with: art. Minimalism was first used as a way to describe an art form, then music and design followed shortly after. Adopted in the late 1960s, this American movement was characterized by taking on an extremely simple approach to everyday life. Now, it has become much more than an art form; minimalism is a lifestyle choice. Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus, experts on minimalism, have been featured in prestigious publications such as ABC, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal. Joshua and Ryan author a website titled The Minimalists in which they compose essays, videos, and podcasts about the minimalism lifestyle. Joshua and Ryan define minimalism as “a tool that can assist you in finding freedom.” They, along with many other experts on the subject, say there really is no true definition for this lifestyle, but it is rooted in owning less in order to make room for more more time, more passion, more experiences, more growth, more contribution, more contentment, more freedom. With their 4 million subscribers, minimalism seems to be on the rise. Minimalism is no monolith, as its beliefs are not set in stone. Instead, a sort of spectrum of minimalism is present within its ranks. Some minimalists even believe cars to be unnecessary. You know all that useless junk piled up in your closet? Minimalists don’t have that. As for diet, most minimalists choose to eat less processed foods. And when it comes to lifestyle, meditation is key. It doesn’t have to be done in a yoga studio with peaceful music in the background to count as meditation. Meditation to many people is just defined as finding time for yourself, making a cup of tea, reading, writing, or just reflecting. However, a minimalist’s lifestyle can be as easy as removing toxic people and toxic energy from your life. The most important thing in living minimalistically is to remember to take it slow; it may be hard for some to just up and leave most of their material possessions behind. Since there is no real rule book to minimalism, it is really up to interpretation. When trying to adopt the minimalist lifestyle, remember that the best things in life are not things.
by Joe Altaffer
I went to North Korea. Yes. North, not South (I get that a lot). Even though I also went to South Korea, where I had tiny fish nibble on my feet at a spa, used the fastest internet in the world, and slept in an incomprehensibly comfortable bed, I would rather talk about a place with no wifi and much less comfy beds. I went to North Korea with my sister, dad, and his tour group. By now, you’re probably wondering why I wanted to go there, if it was even legal, and if I met Kim Jong-un (which is a no). My dad leads tour groups to exotic places all over the world for a living. Although he had already visited the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) nine times, he’s not some secret government official, as far as I know. Visiting North Korea is not illegal, it’s just not recommended. Many concerns stem from signing the required entry contract that states, “Anyone who tries to violate DPRK laws will be detained and subject to their rulings.” While this isn’t necessarily reprehensible in itself, some of
the laws in North Korea are rather interesting. We were planning on staying in the DPRK for 11 days, the maximum for any American tourist. Getting on the plane in Beijing was a bit anticlimactic because I was expecting to be the only tourist on the flight, yet I met eight people from California in one tour group. Even though the trip to North Korea wasn’t as uncommon as I had originally believed, flying to Pyongyang was a nerve-wracking experience. We arrived in Pyongyang Airport with a huge crowd of at least 150 people waiting to get cleared. It’s rumored that North Koreans will purposely schedule flights to land at relatively similar times in order to give the effect that a lot of tourists want to go there. The officers that were clearing us and checking our possessions wore their decorated military uniforms. Their uniforms and lack of English created a rather intimidating atmosphere. As they tried to check our items, such as our laptops and phones, I doubted they knew how the items worked. Once the entire group passed inspection, we met our two full-time guides that were our “moms” for the trip. Their job was to watch our every move and make sure we didn’t do anything reckless, while still providing their vast knowledge of the country. The main rules that our guides set out for us were: 1. We could not take photos of any men wearing military uniforms
2. When taking photos of any of their leaders, photos could not cut off any of their body parts. 3. In certain military checkpoints or areas, we could not take any photos. The first place we went was to the two 80 foot bronze statues of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il. The statues were placed upon a hill and seemingly towered over the rest of Pyongyang. As our guides urged us to take off our hats and sunglasses, there were hundreds of citizens and military officers who were gathering to pay their respects. They lined up and prayed on the ground, paying their respects to their late leaders. This, at least it seemed, was not simply a landmark to the North Koreans, it was their version of the Vatican. All of us had to bow and my sister placed flowers in their area of rememberance. As the first day was coming to an end, our tour guides took us to the Juche Tower overlooking the whole city. Juche is the official religion of North Korea, which is also dedicated to the Kim family. The Juche Tower is 558 feet tall, and it was our first look of the entire city. All of the buildings I saw had color, and I was even able to see their largest amusement park. At this time, they were preparing for their independence day celebrations, and I could see them lining up in different formations to form a “68”, representing their belief of 68 years of independence. At times, I honestly forgot I was in North Korea. Throughout the day, I saw many taxis, people playing basketball or tennis, and fishermen in the harbors. Pyongyang is known to have the most public parks of any city in the world, and that was on full display. Citizens were simply living their lives, contrasting with my original expectations. They even broadcasted a game from the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup throughout the city. However, I’m not going to say that every place in North Korea was like Pyongyang, which was evident when we visited rural areas. After all, Pyongyang is their capital city and shrine of their country. Anyone who lived there was important to the state in some way and were not equal to the citizens that lived in the rural areas. Our guides were with us every second of the day. Both guides had cell phones that looked like a cross between a Tracfone and a Blackberry and received many calls throughout the trip. We didn’t have many opportunities to interact with the locals, so our guides were the ones that answered any questions that we had about their daily life and the country as a whole. Both of them had never left North Korea, yet they both aspired to see Beijing one day. Some other sites we went to included the USS Pueblo, the U.S. warship that they claimed to have been spying on them in 1968, and their Korean War museum. The USS Pueblo was fully intact and our guides honored the cap-
ture as a major accomplishment. The museum didn’t allow us to bring our cameras, even though it was the most impressive museum I have ever seen. During the tour of the museum, we watched different propaganda videos (in English) and the local guides constantly referred to us as “American Imperialists.” We saw a flurry of war displays and the most powerful display was of a US soldier with his head down, looking at the ravens pick at the dead bodies of other American officers as our star-spangled banner lay burned on the ground. Even though there were many other nations with histories of conflict with North Korea, it seemed that they held the most contempt for the Americans. To cap off the day we attended the “Mass Dance.” The dance was a cultural display to celebrate the Communist Party and their Independence day. They were all lined up in massive circles and danced to long and powerful opera songs. The female dancers wore long illustrious gowns that formed an array of colors and the men wore their best white suits. Even though I was the worst dancer there, it did not stop our guide from forcing me into the festival of 2,000 dancers. My partner tried to make up for my two left feet, yet I continued to stumble around until the end of the festival. I didn’t know any Korean, but after a while, I started hearing some of the songs repeat, and I made attempts at remembering the moves. At least from now on, I can say that my first dance was in North Korea. In the later segments of the trip, our tour group visited the DMZ (the border dividing North Korea and South Korea), the Children’s Palace, traveled up to Hyangsan where I played table tennis in a massive yet completely empty stadium, and got lost in a national forest for six hours. Overall, the food was outstanding; I was never unsatisfied, but I’ll admit that I am not a picky eaterーyou can’t be if you have any intention of traveling the world. It’s one of the most remote areas of the world and more tourists should try to visit at least once in their lives. Many of you probably still believe that I only saw the best of the country, and you would be right. In order to form your own judgments of North Korea and its people, you need to see it for yourself and differentiate from what the media paints it as. Overall, the trip was absolutely remote, and I am definitely planning on going back in the distant future. Hopefully, you have an actual idea of the country and will no longer be ruined by what “The Interview” may have left you believing.
Taken from the Juche Tower in the center of Pyongyang. North Korea has made efforts to beautify its buildings.
Fidget To Focus by Erin Coogan
Click, unclick, click, unclick. Trying to absorb the information on the board, I find myself performing the same rhythmic routine with my pen. I divert my attention, for a brief moment, only to be met with the piercing stares of my fellow classmates. My face burns red. As I am now conscious of the fact that my pen clicking is annoying, I am careful not to continue. However, as soon as I stop, I struggle to re-engage myself with the material displayed before me. As I remain sitting and begin to lose interest, my leg starts to compensate for my lack of movement by bouncing at a rapid pace underneath my desk. I fidget to focus. Fidgeting to focus may sound counterintuitive; however, there is some scientific basis to the surprisingly common practice. Studies have shown that many students find it beneficial to engage in some sort of physical movement in order to stimulate brain activity and improve cognition. In the paper “Moving with the Brain in Mind”, neuropsychologist Eric Jensen explains that, “Over the past decade, researchers have identified pathways that travel from the cerebellum to brain areas involved with attention, memory, spatial guidance, rhythm, perception, and body positioning.” As the cerebellum’s main function is to coordinate and regulate muscular activity, these “pathways” are critical to the discussion at hand. In addition, physical movement is known to release the hormone epinephrine and the neurotransmitter norepinephrine into the brain, contributing to a person’s alertness and ability to focus. Although the idea of a nonuniform classroom setting is a controversial topic, many schools and educators are beginning to implement the concept into their classes. There are numerous classroom products designed to stimulate some sort of movement from a student, while not
acting as a distraction from learning. In fact, one of CCA’s very own classrooms was recently equipped with unique and engaging furniture for students to test out. With the purpose of improving attention span and creativity, Mr. Black’s journalism and college app students enjoyed chairs that spun, stools that wiggled, lounges that allowed sprawling, and numerous other pieces that enabled a full range of motion. “The furniture was extremely helpful in promoting productivity and focus in the class,” mentioned senior Erin McBurnett. “Not only did it make the class more comfortable, it also brought life to the room, which normally doesn’t exist with the typical monotone desks in a grid setup. The class as a whole was immediately more coherent and open to communicating and collaborating with a greater variety of people.” After the six-week trial period expired, many who were accustomed to the new fidget furniture were sad to return to the conventional setting. Until the introduction of the furniture, many students probably never thought of their small repetitive actions as anything but tactics to fight boredom, let alone a method to stimulate learning and brain capability. “Half of the time, I don’t even know I’m fidgeting,” said junior Calvin Hall when addressed about his tendencies in the classroom. “If you stop and think about it, how many times do you click your pen? Tap your pencil? Tap your foot? Or even chew gum? I’m guilty as charged,” he continued, “I personally focus and retain information better when I keep myself occupied.” More and more indications lean toward this theory having true relevance in the education system. As advanced research continues and as more students share their thoughts, the future looks bright for incorporating the fidget to focus ideas to school and beyond.
Immersed by Jenne Brookes
Individuals who have mastered a second language are presented with a variety of unique and interesting opportunities everyday. Samantha Chai, a student who will be taking AP Spanish next semester, commented, “I feel like in the future it will open a lot more doors, not only for jobs, but just travelwise.” Bilingual students step into the global marketplace with a lifelong skill that not only attracts possible employers but also transforms experiences abroad. CCA students demonstrate their passion for languages in an assortment of activities from clubs, like the Japanese National Honors Society, to trips to foreign countries. Autumn Smith, an active member of the Japanese National Honors Society, describes learning language as a window of opportunity. She traces her love of foreign language back to her childhood. When Autumn was only four years old, a group of Japanese college exchange students arrived at Northeastern State University, the college where her mother was studying. Autumn and her family quickly became friends with a nineteenyear-old Japanese exchange student, Yutaka Nakamura. Autumn explains that, “[Nakamura] told me, ‘You have to learn Japanese so you can come visit me in Japan one day.’ So, that’s what I’m doing. Our families are really, really good friends, so it’s my way of keeping my promise to her.” Autumn is saving money so she can go to Japan and reunite with Yutaka Nakamura after her senior year. Autumn Smith works to introduce Japanese culture to CCA students and encourage a strong relationship between Japan and the US. When Japanese exchange students arrived from Gunma Kokusai Academy, located in Gunma, Japan, the Japanese National Honor Society helped facilitate a smooth transfer of these tenth grade Japanese high school students into American culture. Another group of Japanese exchange students will be arriving February 3rd and will be staying until February 10th. Taraneh Barjesteh and Paulina Gomez further emphasized the impact a second languages has had on their lives. Taraneh commented, “I learned Spanish when I was really little from people who used to take care of me. When I came to CCA, I had a really good experience in my Spanish II class as a freshman...I think it is really important especially in today’s workforce to be able to speak more than one language, no matter what career path you choose.”
Taraneh will complete AP Spanish next semester. In the future, she hopes to do volunteer work as a doctor in various Latin American communities. Paulina Gomez, who was born in Guadalajara, Mexico, decided to learn French at CCA, on top of already speaking Spanish. She notes, “French has helped me communicate in French-speaking countries...I may have more opportunities in life with knowing those languages.” Language has had a positive impact on many CCA students’ lives. Whether they utilize their second language for travelling purposes or plan to use their language in college, as Ryan Dusenbury hopes to do, languages are an important stepping stool in life. Dusenbury plans to major in interpreting at Palomar College when he graduates next year. He has demonstrated his enjoyment of American Sign Language by starting the Sign Language club a couple years ago and signing the national anthem at previous pep rallies. Ryan plans to sign the anthem once again at graduation. No matter what students decide to pursue, language can help in every aspect of their lives, from college to careers to travelling. CCA students are making tremendous efforts to immerse themselves in language by participating in clubs and extracurricular activities. Even making the decision to continue studying a second language at school is a step towards a better life and career.
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Split Opinion by Ronnie Simon
For anyone who believes that dance is not a sport, I have one thing to say to you. I’d like to see you do the splits. There seems to be a question in people’s minds whether dance is a sport or an art, and this tends to come up a lot because many people draw a fine line in between the arts and sports. Something is either an art or a sport. Typically, people don’t associate the two, but can can dance not be both? Rayna Stohl, Canyon Crest Academy’s Dance Coordinator, described dance as “the marriage of sport and artistry.” Hours of training accompanied with artistic expression, emotional body movements, and facial expressions create dance. Dancers often compete, a component similar to sports. Just like preparing for a game, dancers go through months of training; however, it isn’t learning plays, it’s learning choreography. The main difference between warming up for a game and warming up for a dance competition is that dancers are focused more on stretching and less on cardio. After that, dancers perform and hope there are no mistakes in those three minutes they have on stage. There are some individuals out there trying to make dance an Olympic sport. The World DanceSport Federation is working to affirm its vision of dance as a sport and bring dance into
the future Games of Olympiad. In fact, the big milestone they made in 2016 was getting break dancing included at the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympics. Although it is only at the youth level, it is still a big step, as it is the first time dance is recognized at the Olympic level. Melissa Schneider, a junior at Canyon Crest Academy, has danced competitively for about six years. “When it was competition season, I would be training up to fifteen hours a week, and it was exhausting at times,” she explained. Not only do dancers spend hours learning new routines, most dance studios require dancers to take a certain amount of technique classes in order to compete. Lauren Brenner, a senior at Canyon Crest Academy and member of CCA’s dance conservatory, also categorizes dance as a sport. “Sometimes I feel that people may not realize all that is involved and all that it takes to dance, as it is not a typical sport,” she said. “It involves training in strength, stretching, aerobic activity, and complex thought process to learn and retain choreography.” The difficulty of dance tends to be underestimated. Rayna, who teaches Introduction to Dance, commented, “One of my favorite things about teaching [this class] is watching the students realize how difficult dance is. They often enroll because they think it will be easier than PE. They find out this is not the case, but luckily, many get hooked and continue to take dance classes at CCA.” Dancers are not the only people who believe that dance a sport. Blake Zimmer, field hockey and lacrosse player at CCA, considers dance a sport because “it’s cardio, and in dance competitions, you are trying to win just like any other sport.” She believes that dance is sport and an art, but not all people agree with this. Soccer player, David Rodriguez, said that he does not think dance fits the definition of a sport because it focuses more on portraying an emotion through body movement rather than directly competing against another team to win. Some may argue that it is not a sport because there is not a ball involved, and it is not competing directly against a team. These are valid points; however, it surprises me when figure skating, or even cup stacking, is considered a sport, while dance is not. Yes, cup stacking is a sport. So, whether or not you believe dance is a sport, next time you go see a dance show, you may appreciate it just a little bit more.
Bloomberg.com Ibtimes.co.uk
With the rise in popularity of the computer game Counter Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO), the lucrative industry of online gambling has become widespread. Since online gambling is relatively new and has little to no restrictions for people participating, many kids playing CS:GO have spent untold amounts of time and money on this addicting activity. So, how does online gambling work in CS:GO? In the game, players can obtain artificial “skins” to put on their in-game weapons, with the cosmetic benefit being the only one present. Skins have actual monetary values, and they can be given to a player for free, opened through a case, or bought from the virtual online market on the Steam platform, which is the largest computer gaming software offering multiplayer games and an online trading market. However, most skins given to players for free from the game are very common and worth only a few cents, and almost all of the rare and expensive skins can only be found on the Steam market or by opening cases, which cost $2.49 to unlock. After obtaining skins, players can sell them on the Steam market for online credit or real money on some third party sites. Since many players cannot afford to buy skins, they resort to online betting in an attempt to “get rich quick.” Skins can be gambled on various online betting sites and bet on professional CS:GO matches. If the team they bet on wins, they earn virtual money (which can be converted into real money via third party sates) through extra skins. If the gambler loses, they lose everything put in. Earnings are based off the odds of a team winning. When asked if he has lost money online, an anonymous student replied, “Yes, I lost $200 while gambling skins on websites called CSGO Lounge and CS:GO Lotto before they were banned.” Another popular way to bet online is through casino-style gambling, which is purely based on luck. The participant deposits their skins, and a third party website chooses one winner. The more that one puts in, the higher the chance the player has at winning more skins. However, once again, if a gambler loses, the website takes everything deposited. Thus, skins are synonymous to chips in a casino. Tyler ChaeBanks, a senior at CCA who is involved in gambling on these sites, answered in reply to whether CS:GO gambling is addicting, “Yes...it’s like any other gambling type of thing; you get the rush of winning. When you lose, you think ‘I can make it back.’” One of the major effects of skin gambling is that more and more players are playing CS:GO not for leisure entertainment, but for the thrill of online betting with the ultimate goal of acquiring a huge inventory of valuable skins and becoming rich. And, just like traditional gambling, players become more and more
addicted and desperate after they lose their bets. Thus, many players have spent a lot of money just to obtain more skins and then gamble them online, only to lose again. This clear exhibition of the gambler’s mindset shows online gambling can be real. Since the online gambling industry for video games is relatively new, it is still largely in a legal gray area. Online betting websites require gamblers to be over 18, but they don’t have a method of verification. This industry has attracted kids who are curious, yet don’t realize the full consequences of gambling. In fact, an admittedly unscientific poll with more than 5,000 votes on Strawpoll revealed that a staggering 46% of gamblers are under 18 years of age. ChaeBanks points out that, “a majority...of [CS:GO betting] sites have been shut down in the last five months because of underaged gambling.” However, there are still numerous sites that still exist, such as CSGO Lucky Wheel. Many other questions about the legality of CS:GO online betting have arisen, including whether or not skins should be classified as “a thing of value” under law. With younger, more easily manipulated minds being pulled into gambling, the puppeteers of shady online gambling activities don’t lurk in the shadows, but deceive and lie under the guises of child-friendly attitudes. In July of 2016, it was revealed that YouTubers Thomas “ProSyndicate” Cassell and Trevor “TmarTn” Martin had falsely advertised and promoted a website they created called CSGO Lotto without disclosing to the audience that they owned it. In previous videos, Cassell and Martin had said things in their videos like, “Guys, you’re not gonna believe how much I won on this site. You’ve got to check it out!” In the video, it would show that they had indeed won a lot of money in the form of skins. What angered CS:GO players who had gambled on CSGO Lotto was the fact that Cassell and Martin had gambled on their own website (which is illegal due to obvious conflicts of interest) and pretended that their winnings were all luck, when it is very possible that they used bots to control and rig the outcome. Both YouTubers were sued for promoting gambling to underaged individuals and the site CSGO Lotto was shut down. Despite all the turmoil that occurred due to online gambling in CS:GO, many sites continue to run. This is because it would be very costly for Valve (the owners of the Steam software platform) to completely let go of what Bloomberg reports to be a 7.4 billion dollar industry. The major questions regarding the morality and legality of online gambling have not been fully addressed as of yet, and the future of this industry is still unknown.
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Student Profile: by Peter Saltamachio
Gabe Gaurano
Talking to him casually, you would never know how he feels about what he does. In fact, you wouldn’t even know what he does unless you asked him. He is incredibly humble about his accomplishments. Gabe Gaurano’s story, from growing up the youngest of seven kids to earning the title of President of the Cinema Conservatory, is one of determination and hard work. Mr. Raines, teacher of the Video Film class and Envision Cinema Conservatory, described him as “extremely creative, with an eye for cinema unlike a lot of students his age...He also backs it up with an incredible work ethic.” Gabe knows what he wants to do, but hasn’t decided exactly how he’ll do it: “What I really want to do is write and direct films. If I think to myself that I’m going to college and immediately start making films, I might get disappointed because there is no certainty to any career. There’s no definitive way of how you’re going to navigate through it...I just have to expect the unexpected and keep working hard.” From a young age, Gabe was inspired by action films he would watch with his brother. He began to make action movies for fun, but as he got older, his interests changed. “Filmmaking is a much more powerful tool than just making action films. You can make films about things that are often overlooked, things for which you can raise awareness,” Gabe commented. In October of 2016, Gabe and two other Video/Film seniors, Navin Bose and Jayden Gillespie, traveled to New York City to compete in a 48-hour film festival raising awareness for cyber-bullying. The film festival was attended by thirty choice teams of top student filmmakers from across the country. They had to cast actors living in New York in advance. It would be a difficult process for anyone, but for Gabe it was just another competition. He’s done this before. Gabe’s film experience has earned him the position as Student Leader and President of the Envision Cinema Conservatory, which is an entirely student-elected position. He has to overlook all of the Envision Cinema Projects, meaning that he has some hand in just about every film that comes out of the Conservatory. What is the philosophy that helped drive him to leadership? “Always say yes to your curiosity. Don’t be afraid to make films or stories about what you think is the most interesting.” Gabe’s current project, on a budget of $1,000 from the Surfing Madonna Foundation (named for the famous mural in Encinitas), is to create a film about the healing powers of water. Surfing Madonna does “a lot of things with rehabilitation and special needs children where they take them out surfing. That’s why [the film] is about how the water has a healing power.” Gabe created a film in 2015 called Lost in Blue that won the Encinitas Film Festival’s Award of Excellence. The Surfing Madonna Foundation, awed by the film, commissioned Gabe and other CCA filmmakers. Mr. Raines feels that Gabe’s elected leadership position could not be a better fit for him: “The students see how good he is at the work, and how responsible and dependable he is.” Mr. Raines is highly optimistic about Gabe’s future and commented, “Gabe can do anything he wants to do in cinema because of his work ethic and eye for cinematography. The sky’s the limit for him. I can see him working full time in the art and cinema industry and doing really phenomenal things that people will take notice of.” Gabe is ready for the full transition to the professional world of film, and I hope to read his name in the opening credits sometime in the near future.
The Worst College byMax MaxGreenhalgh Greenhalgh by
After the results of the recent presidential election came in, many Americans began to question the Electoral College. Many critics have suggested a simple popular vote, but that certainly has its own faults. As proven by the recent British referendum, a popular vote system leaves just as many people in anguish. The Electoral College system was first put in place as a safety measure to ensure that all groups of the new United States were fairly represented. Representatives of the smaller states were worried that their votes would not make a difference in a traditional popular vote system. Essentially, the college was established as a preventative measure against the “mobocracy” that ruled America under the Articles of Confederation. As Seth Hill, a UCSD Assistant Professor of Political Science, so eloquently puts it, however, “The current incarceration of the electoral college doesn’t necessarily prevent the the mobocracy from manifesting itself, it only requires that the mobocracy be distributed across various geographies.” The electoral college has numerous other problems within its current implementation as well. Patrick Rosenstiel, a spokesman for the National Popular Vote nonprofit that is currently pushing a popular vote bill through Congress, passionately describes his main problem with the system: “When you look at the 2016 campaign, 94% of that campaign happened in just 12 states, the rest of us were mere spectators.” Texas is a given for the Republicans, just as California always ends up going to the Democrats. Parties can ignore campaigning in these guaranteed states and instead focus on going to every district in contested states, pandering to the only American people that seem to matter in a presidential election. Many opponents of the college suggest using simple popular vote as an alternative measure. The National Popular Vote Plan has introduced potential legislation to all state legislatures. In advocating the bill’s passage, Rosenstiel expressed a desire for a level playing field for all citizens within the US. “What the other states would get by enacting the National Popular Vote is... a relevant voice in every presidential election moving forward.” However, actually passing the bill has proven to be a challenge. In the nine years since the first passage of the bill, 170 total electoral votes are behind the bill. Large states represent the base of support for the plan, with California, New York, and Illinois commanding 104 out of the total 170 electoral votes gathered thus far. The bill needs 270 total electoral votes to become federal law. If the bill was based upon popular support, it would be much further along its way of passing. The electoral college places small states into electoral power positions of sorts given their collective electoral power, and it is these small states that are holding the bill back from passing. 34 out of the 50 states in America have 10 or less electoral votes, which ensures that the big states can’t simply make a power play in their best interests and just run it past the smaller states. The bill only has the support of five
10-and-under states thus far, and will need much more to pass. Across the pond, an important popular vote took place not too long ago. The popular vote, or referendum, was held around the proposal of Great Britain’s revocation of their membership in the European Union. Leavers, or those who wanted to leave this union, argued against the perceived hegemony of other Europeans over their own domestic, British issues, while Remainers, or those who wished to stay in the EU, fought to retain the symbolic and physical unity in Europe that the EU provided. In the end, Great Britain voted to leave the EU, with a 52% majority in the popular vote. Prime Minister David Cameron resigned, the pundits (most of whom predicted a Remain win by at least a few percentage points) were shellshocked, and some of those who voted to Remain rioted in the streets, protesting the results of supposedly the most democratic system there is: the popular vote. Democracy, in all forms throughout the world, is of course the best form of government that most accurately defends the wishes and wills of the people. However, it can only do so if the people get out and allow themselves to be represented. After all, only 64% of those eligible to vote between the ages of 18-24 in the Brexit vote actually went and did so. It seems that Remainers regretted the popular, one-to-one voter impact system that was used in the end. I didn’t really mean to, but I just touched on another problem seen within the electoral college system, where a binary choice in which tribes of sorts are formed. In reality, these tribes want similar things, but will end up protesting things they once loved and loving things they once protested exclusively due to their tribal affiliation. The same British popular vote advocates in a post-2016 election American were the ones decrying the popular vote system used in the British Referendum, while the same British electoral college advocates in a post Brexit Britain were the ones decrying the pointless hegemony of the EU and crying out for a popular vote in order to set things straight. Political hypocrisy chambers are formed on both sides of the aisle and the Atlantic, under a popular vote system or a representative electoral system. It seems to be a part of human nature. The Electoral College system is nowhere near perfect. It is flawed, just like every political system in the world is flawed. To borrow the immortal words of Winston Churchill, “Democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried.” This logic can be applied to the college as well. It’s really hard to come up with a better system than the one that has stuck for the last few centuries. I think that we all would welcome a clearly and truly superior alternative system. However, there hasn’t been one that protects the interests of all citizens in quite the same way introduced yet, and something tells me that there won’t be for a long time.
Ship It by Kaylee Kinninger
As a child, I remember watching Gabriella and Troy singing and dancing together. I thought this was going to be high school: one big, fabulous show with romance, drama, and random breaks into song. In a way, high school for some does embody the drama and romance, but teens don’t pour their hearts out dancing around an empty school or rocking out on a golf course. Problems aren’t solved with songs; life doesn’t have a perfect arch and resolution. Often it takes more than an apology outside of a balcony to fix a relationship. High school is messy, unpredictable, and chaotic. Most significantly, high school is a microcosm for adulthood. As maturing adolescents, teens should utilize high school as a time to practice for the “real world.” High schoolers are adults in training, inching closer and closer to independence and freedom. As we take strides towards becoming adults, we often mimic their ways, much like a baby bird leaping out of the nest in imitation of its mother and father. For some high schoolers, a part of learning to spread their wings is finding someone to learn with and for others, it’s about flying solo. It is only natural for teens to want something more out of high school than classes and friendships. Dr. Adria O’Donnell, a child psychologist, commented, “Middle school and high school means you are no longer a child, so you must move towards adulthood. You look at an adult and think what defines an adult. They make their own choices, dress how they want, and have romantic relationships.” The teenage years are a time to mold an identity, and for some that involves practicing adult intimacy; however, those who choose to forgo relationships in high school or those who have not had the opportunity are not stunting growth because, according to Dr. Adria O’Donnell, “Adulthood is also about realizing you can go to bed alone and know you’ll be okay. [It’s about] knowing you exist in the world without confirmation.” Whether one feels inclined to pursue a relationship or not is up to the individual. Both experiences can have positive and negative results. So those who may feel left out by not experiencing a relationship must realize that relationships are difficult. Dr. O’Donnell explained that relationships take time, effect a teen emotionally, and can disrupt school. If an individual is not ready, that is okay. There is no true normal as everyone will experience relationships at their own pace. A Canyon Crest Academy senior, Elan Tulberg, commented, “Junior year it hit me: a relationship is exactly what I do not need.” Elan felt pressured to be in a relationship. Freshman and sophomore year she believed something was wrong, wondering why someone was not dating her. “As you grow, you feel less of that pressure. I haven’t dated in high school. I don’t like people easily. I am busy.” Elan would rather focus on her platonic relationships, school, and extracurriculars.
Those who have engaged or are engaged in a romantic relationship may have experienced the ups and downs of dating. Luca Giles, sophomore, has experienced both healthy and unhealthy relationships, stating that the unhealthy relationship “made me have less respect for myself and made me lose trust in other people.” Luca’s healthy relationship makes they “feel much more sure of myself and a lot more comfortable around other people.” Because of the unhealthy relationship, Luca has learned that while dating each person should feel comfortable talking to one another about their needs and wants. Dr. Abbot in Marriage and Families explains the 80/20 rule of relationships, which says a healthy relationship should make each individual happy 80 percent of the time. No relationship is perfect, so it is acceptable that the other 20 percent of the time is less than so. The 80/20 rule reveals that a relationship in which the couple is only happy half of the time is not one worth continuing as it is unhealthy. Sophomore Riley Sullivan too has experienced both bad and good relationships. Her first relationship was long distance. “I knew there were going to be dances, and she wouldn’t be there to go with me.” But the long distance was not the only part that made the relationship difficult. “She was just depressed and anxious...She would have breakdowns, and I would be there for her,...but after a while that started leaking into my mindset. I started getting really depressed, to the point where I was borderline suicidal, and I thought maybe this isn’t for the best.” Riley recognized the emotional damage the relationship caused her and decided to end it. Riley has been in a new relationship for over six months, and now fully understands the importance of a healthy connection. She explained how her first relationship taught her patience and balance, and also how to make as much time for herself as for her significant other. She now applies these lessons to her new romance. Then there are students who experience short term relationships, better known as flings, but who still learn from their experience. An anonymous student had an unofficial relationship which revealed to her the complexity of people. “I think I was different before the relationship. I blindly only saw the good in people.” Now she understands that “people are flawed. I am grateful [the relationship] happened because I learned something from it.” She now believes that students should know who they are before dating. “I think you should be whole first. Two people whole together.” Two people who feel they are great together are Sophia Elswick and Kendra Kleber. As an asexual couple, Sophia explained, “Our relationship is built on things other than our sexual attraction toward each other, because
we have none. But, we are both romantically attracted to each other, so we like hugging, holding hands, and being an adorable PG-13 couple.” Teen relationships built on romantic attraction can lead to growth and push a teen towards adulthood just as a sexual relationship would as it too involves building the strength of an emotional connection. Kendra commented that they did not feel as pressured to be in a relationship but rather felt pressured to like guys. “My mom was always asking if there were any cute boys I was interested in, but I was still figuring that out (sexual orientation).” Now Kendra has figured out their sexual orientation and feels comfortable and happy in their asexual relationship with a girl. Lana Vargas has been in a relationship with Alex Barker for two years. As both seniors, they are not afraid to have conversations about the pending future. She believes they can handle an open relationship while in college. Before dating Alex, Lana dated a boy in Newport Beach who grew very attached to her. However, she realized this was not what she wanted and broke up with him. Having a relationship with Alex, she now realizes the importance of separation and about focusing on herself. “Alex has taught me to be a more independent person... He has made me think about what is truly important, rather than just think about him all the time.” High school is complicated, difficult, exciting, etc. What we learn here helps to build who we will be in the future. We all are searching for some sense of “normal,” but maybe there is no normal. Maybe we make our own normal through our choices, whether that involves having a relationship or not. High school is a chance to grow and make mistakes. It is a chance to start shaping oneself. Maybe you don’t meet your dream person during karaoke. Maybe you don’t have a midnight swim with your sweetheart. Maybe at the end of it all it’s more bitter than bitter sweet. There is no formula because, well, life has no formula. Right now, it is just about making connections; it’s about finding who you are, regardless of society’s perspective on how that should be accomplished. Because as long as we are growing and learning, we will make our own pathway to adulthood.
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Hidden in Plain Sight by Kate Monko If I introduced myself to you as Kate, and then told you that I also go by Olivia, Emily, Annie, Claire, Sarah, or Rachel...you’d probably have one of two responses: you would either think, what’s wrong with this chick, or I can’t keep up with the laundry list of names. Believe it or not, this is exactly how sugar, the refined kind, would introduce itself. If the six alternative names that I mentioned struck you as being copious, good luck keeping up with the whopping 50+ alternate names sugar hides behind. It would make sense for me to say that I also go by Katie or Kat or something else closer to the name Kate. But, like my former example, sugar chooses to mask its true name behind a plethora of possibilities. Here’s a list of alternate names for refined sugar, something I bet you’ve already eaten today, knowingly or unknowingly: any word + sugar, any word + syrup, agave nectar, barley malt, cane juice crystals, caramel, crystalline fructose, dextran, dextrose, diastatic malt, diastase, ethyl maltol, evaporated cane juice, florida crystals, fructose, fruit juice (concentrate), galactose, glucose, glucose solids, high fructose corn syrup, honey, malt syrup, maltodextrin, maltose, maple syrup, molasses, panocha, sucanat, sucrose, and treacle. Some terms that appear on labels are more obvious than others, such as brown sugar or corn syrup. These guys are pretty easy to spot. But if treacle, dextran, or ethyl maltol were listed, it would take you and me both more than a second to realize that these too are names for sugar. Just as there are different types of gas you can put in your car, there are different types of sugar to choose as your fuel. Here’s the catch: the type of sugar you ingest plays a role in how your body manufactures it, so to speak, which breaks down into two categories: natural and refined. In this article, I’m referring to the type that lurks in processed foods––good ole white refined sugar. When speaking of “natural sugar,” this is the kind you would find, well naturally. Natural sugars are those
in fruits, vegetables, and honey. Glucose is a simple sugar as is fructose, otherwise known as fruit sugar because its mainly found in fruit and honey. On the other side of the spectrum is the refined sugar derived from sugar cane and beets, where they are processed to extract the available sugar that is found as sucrose, a mixture of fructose and glucose. Cookies, cakes, and candies are not the only place refined sugar shows up. Less obvious products including crackers, bread, flavored yogurt, salad dressing, peanut butter, and tomato sauce can also be laden with sweeteners too. In regards to the nutrition label on processed foods, the sugar tab generally does not specify if the sugar in the product was derived from natural sugar, such as from sugar found in apples and strawberries, or refined/added sugar. Interestingly enough, a new law will be enforced starting in 2018 requiring nutrition labels to distinguish between natural versus added sugar in the product. For example, if you looked at the nutrition label of dried cranberries, there would most likely be over 20 grams of sugar listed. When drying cranberries, cane sugar is typically added. The consumer is unable to differentiate between the number of grams occurring naturally from the fruit and how many grams that occur from the refined sugar the fruit is caked in. To get a better understanding of the sugar amount, read the ingredients list to see what shows up close to the top of the list because the higher up an ingredient is listed denotes a higher percent of the product made of that particular ingredient. While it is important to keep one’s grams of naturally occurring sugars in check, it is more important to mindfully limit one’s consumption of refined/added sugar. According to the website Authority Nutrition, they advise at most 37.5 grams (9 teaspoons) of added sugar for men and 25 grams (6 teaspoons) for women at most per day. Addictive, sweet, and something we all like to eat––sugar may chose to state its name loud and proud on the next label you read, or it may chose to hide behind the names panocha or sucanat. Good luck keeping up with sugar’s laundry list of names, but at least you have a widened lexicon of alternates that are hidden in plain sight.
UPWARD AND... COMING SOON CONSPIRACY XIII
2017 YEARBOOK