March 2018

Falconer

The Torrey Pines High School

Friday, March 23, 2018

Vol. 43, Issue 6, 24 pages

www.tphsfalconer.com

CALL TO ACTION

photo used by permission of kaelyn ricci

#NEVERAGAIN: TPHS students march to the quad during 3rd period at 10 a.m. The students, along with tens of thousands of others from about 2,800 schools around the nation, participated in the National School Walkout to honor the 17 students who were killed in the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. on Feb. 14.

By Dhathry Doppalapudi and Kahyun Koh STAFF WRITER AND FEATURE EDITOR

On March 14, from 10:00 a.m. to 10:17 a.m., TPHS students, joining students from about 2,800 other schools across the country, marched to the quad from their third-period classes to participate in the National School Walkout organized by the Women’s March Youth Empower organization.

The walkout was described as a “call to action for Congress to pass gun control legislation,” according to the event’s official website. Each minute of the walkout was dedicated to one of the 17 students and teachers killed during the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. The walkout at TPHS was organized by three students: Sumin Hwang (12), Kiana Kazemi (12) and Hannah Berman-Schneider (12). According to Kazemi and Berman-Schneider, the purpose of the TPHS walkout was to give students an opportunity to voice their opinions on school shootings and larger issues related to guns, such as universal background checks for gun ownership and destigmatization of mental illness.

“What Kiana, Sumin and I were aiming for by creating the TPHS walkout was to prevent students from forgetting [about school shootings],” Berman-Schneider said.

When the three students first proposed

their idea of doing a walkout at TPHS to administrators during a 30-minute meeting, the administration was “very cooperative and understanding,” about the idea, according to Kazemi.

According to Principal Rob Coppo, teachers were informed about the walkout and most did not impose any punitive actions on students for participating in it. Coppo, who started teaching in 1999, the year of the Columbine shooting that killed 12 students and one teacher in Colorado, says he understands students’ concerns about the Parkland shooting and violence in society.

“School shootings are one of the most horrific tragedies that we’ve recently come to have to deal with,” Coppo said.

“Students in our schools feel vulnerable and voiceless sometimes because they are constantly cornered by rules.”

Throughout the walkout, Coppo and several staff members patrolled the school grounds to monitor students and confirm they were not engaged in any violence. Police cars were also stationed in the front and back parking lots to question students who left campus during the walkout.

Before the walkout, Islem Stringfellow (11) and his classmates felt a little wary about leaving their third period classes, even though Stringfellow’s teacher, Alexa Scheidler, had informed students she would inflict no punishment for

participating. “[When it was time,] everyone in the class walked out except for six students, and a lot of the students [who walked out] had a look of uncertainty on their faces,” Stringfellow said. “We all slowly got up from our seats, and when we did, our teacher pretended she didn’t see us.”

Out on the quad, a group of students surrounding Kazemi, Hwang and Berman-Schneider lifted their handmade posters in the air in an act of silent protest as they looked out on hundreds of other students who flocked the side tables and grass areas of the quad.

“We held up these beautiful, colorful posters that said ‘#i’vehadenoughof,’ followed by different expressions that we came up with,” Berman-Schneider said. “We also didn’t want students to just stand around for 17 minutes and not feel included, so Sumin and Kiana had the amazing idea of having them sign the petition that we are sending to Congress about this issue.”

The walkout was not meant to be a political message that favored a specific political ideology over another but an action of solidarity against gun violence, according to Kazemi and BermanSchneider. Students, even those who are against proposed gun safety measures, were highly encouraged to practice their First Amendment rights by voicing their

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Possible security changes after TPHS threat

By Farhan Hossain and Michael Nirula FEATURE EDITOR AND SPORTS EDITOR A TPHS freshman was taken into police custody on Feb. 22 after making threats against the campus in class and online, and four days later, a former TPHS student now attending another

school in the district was also taken into custody for making older, unrelated threats unknown to officials until now, according to Principal Rob Coppo.

In both cases, students reported the threats to the TPHS administration, who alerted the San Diego Police Department.

Sarah Matthews* had one class with the freshman, and said multiple classmates reported the student after he began “showing signs.”

“I think the threat was really him asking for help but he didn’t know how to,” Matthews said.

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Crossroads of the West Gun Show held at Del Mar Fairgrounds, protestors gather near entrance Because the board is split between those who are pro-gun rights and others who favor more gun control, Crossroads of The Crossroads of the West Gun Show the West maintained its ability to use the was held at the Del Mar Fairgrounds fairgrounds. from Mar. 17-18, despite objections from The gun show comes at a time when the community members prior to the event, national debate over gun control has been who ultimately organized a protest on reawakened. Some community members the corner of Via de la Valle and Jimmy support gun rights for protection, while Durante Blvd. those on the opposing Protesters gathered side want changes such on both sides of as having the choice to the street, near the refuse to host gun shows fairgrounds entrance, and banning semiand held signs and automatic weapons. recited chants from The vendors at 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. on the gun show, such Saturday. as John McKay* and Angry that the Tisha Romane*, who gun show was being asked that their real held in their city, names not be used, especially because of were selling scopes. the Feb. 14 shooting McKay uses guns that left 17 dead at recreationally and sells Marjory Stoneman his products weekly at Douglas High School gun shows. Romane in Parkland, Fla., believes in gun rights residents of Del Mar because the country and other areas of San protest organizer she immigrated from, Diego tried to prevent the Czech Republic, the event by speaking at the Mar. 13 22nd has a strict ban on guns. According to District Agricultural Association Board of Romane, “criminals and violence are Directors meeting. rampant [because] criminals can buy guns “The fairgrounds is in the city of Del Mar, off the gun market. [Citizens] can’t protect but because they’re state-owned property, themselves [in the Czech Republic].” [the city] doesn’t have jurisdiction over Customers expressed similar them,” Del Mar mayor Dwight Worden sentiments about the right to own guns. said.

James Terryfield* and Mark Ansen*, gun The 22nd DAA board members are owners who live in East San Diego County, appointed by the governor and, according are strong proponents of gun rights. Both to Worden, are “worried if they exclude gun are NRA donors and believe the FBI is to shows they’ve selectively excluded a legal blame for school shootings and, according to use,” but added that “whether or not they Ansen, “liberal media is using [teenagers] allow gun shows is a matter of policy; they to make guns illegal … if they take away could say no.” guns there’s going to be more murderers.”

By Esther Choi and Eve Gross-Sable STAFF WRITER AND COPY EDITOR

People are saying there can’t be any limitations [to the Second Amendment]. If it’s the safety of the people ... we can make the limitation.

Ansen, whose daughter was in the Granite Hills High School shooting in 2001, “grabbed [his] weapon and went [to the school]” while the shooter was still on the campus, although he wasn’t allowed in.

Terryfield disagrees with what he believes is the protesters’ goal, which is to increase limitations on gun ownership for all citizens, regardless of their history.

“It’s absolutely crazy,” Terryfield said. “[The protesters] need to be educated about this. Why are the liberals propagating this?

I’m a law-abiding citizen; [owning a gun] is for self-defense.”

Down the street, opinions were different.

The group of around 30 protesters was comprised largely of retired school teachers, parents and grandparents, all of whom are concerned about safety.

“I think the First Amendment is free speech, and there are limitations to

free speech,” Kathy Murphy, one of the organizers of the protest, said. “People are saying there can’t be any limitations [to the Second Amendment]. If it’s the safety of people … we can make the limitation.”

Also in attendance was Al Kamp, a Korean War veteran who has lived with guns his whole life.

“I’m not opposed to guns,” Kamp said.

“I’m opposed to guns that don’t make sense.” Kamp believes that firearms that can cause mass damage and cannot be used for recreational activities like hunting should be banned.

According to Worden, the Fairgrounds hosts four gun shows each year, but he and a City Council member are currently sponsoring legislation that would prohibit gun shows from being held at fairgrounds if the host city objects.

*requested anonymity

Kathy Murphy

photo by travis felthaus/falconer

WELCOME TO THE GUN SHOW: Protestors gathered on the corner of Via de la Valle and Jimmy Durante Blvd near the entrance of the Del Mar Fairgrounds to protest the Crossroads of the West Gun Show (ABOVE). Residents were upset that the gun show was being held in their city, especially after the Feb. 14 shooting in Parkland, Fla.

Senior Zachary Zheng dies, memorial service in April announced to staff and to families Tuesday afternoon and then I believe it was Wednesday when [the news had spread Zachary Zheng (12) died over the across campus].” weekend of Feb. 10-11 from causes that Hospice providers from Elizabeth have not been revealed to the public.

Hospice were present on campus on Principal Rob Coppo sent an email Wednesday to run the “group sessions in out to inform families on the evening of the lecture hall to help students have a Tuesday, Feb. 13, but did not specify the safe, quiet space to reflect,” and additional student was Zheng, and it contained no counselors and staff were sent over from Zachary Zheng other information because “the family is other schools in the district to provide asking that we respect their privacy fully support, according to Coppo. known as Cadmos, King Cadmos) at this time,” according toor, the email.

“Superintendent Dill was here the Zheng’s parents preferred not to be whole day,” Coppo said. “[He was] making contacted for this story. sure that [we were getting] the support “We had confirmation [about Zheng], and follow-up that we needed.”

I believe, late Tuesday,” Coppo said. “We According to Coppo, on Wednesday, counselors and administrators were sent to each of Zheng’s classes to offer support throughout the following week.

“The staff has been incredibly professional,” Coppo said. “They’re also hurting … but we’ve been supporting them.”

Some teachers directly addressed Zheng’s death in their classes on Wednesday. English teacher Angelina Allen, who had Zheng in her 5th period, led a class discussion in each of her AP English Literature classes to allow students to share feelings and memories of Zheng.

“The one class where we really did talk about [Zheng’s death] was Mrs. Allen’s class,” said Allison Tan (12), Zheng’s close friend. “That was a really good class to be able to discuss stuff like that, especially with someone as profound as Mrs. Allen, and it was great to reflect on [Zheng’s] life and other people’s experiences with him.”

Many other students in Allen’s classes experienced shared feelings of shock at learning of Zheng’s death.

“I was perplexed and I didn’t believe photo used by permission of zheng family [he had died],” Adam Johnson* (12), said.

ZACHARY ZHENG (12): The memorial “I just remember Zach not being in class service will be held on April 21 from on Monday and Tuesday, and I was just 3-5 p.m. at the Carmel Valley Public heartbroken.”

Library. RSVP by email to attend.

According to Tan, the news came to

By Angela Liu and Anvitha Soordelu NEWS EDITOR AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

or a celebration of Zachary’s life on Saturday, April

pm, in the Community Room at the San Diego County

mel Valley Branch (Address: 3919 Townsgate Dr, San

her from a friend’s text late at night, and she felt “really shocked and confused” and initially felt like throwing up.

“Part of me didn’t want to believe [it],” Tan said. “I still don’t. I’m still trying to sort it out in my head.”

Many of Zheng’s friends and teachers recall fond memories of him.

“One of the things that was great about Zach ... was that he marched to his own drum,” English teacher and academic team coach Anna Dyson said.

Dyson felt Zheng did not succumb to the pressure that teens typically feel to “be a certain way and fit in,” and rather “was his own person,” according to Dyson.

“I think he kind of influenced other people in seeing that you don’t have to fit a particular mold,” Dyson said. “It was a breath of fresh air.”

Johnson, who shared many classes with Zheng throughout high school, recalls his active participation. “[Zheng] was exuberant,” Johnson said.

“He was always definitely one of the more active students in the class; he wasn’t afraid to voice his opinions. He had a bunch of mannerisms that only if you knew Zach you’d understand. He was kind of a local celebrity.”

Tan particularly remembers Zheng’s positive outlook on life, and he was nice to everyone he met.

“He taught me so much about being kind and patient, and he was a really strong person,” Tan said. “He had a very wonderful and beautiful personality that not very many people have.”

Ethan Pham (12), who was a friend of Zheng’s since 8th grade, recalls one time when Zheng helped him stay calm in a stressful situation.

“It was the 8th grade [Disneyland] trip, and I had gotten separated from my friends and my phone was out of battery,” Pham said. “I only had Zach with me ... and I was having an anxiety attack [over not being able to find my friends] … and Zach

was like my voice of reason.”

According to Zheng’s friends and teachers, he had a deep impact on TPHS as a whole simply by being himself.

English teacher Lisa Callender saw Zach constantly supporting his classmates in her Creative Writing class, “always [being] the first one to clap” after people shared their writing aloud.

“Whenever [Zheng] was a little bit in trouble or would go a little bit too far ... he would just turn and he would give me this real playful smile,” Callender said. “I think I will just always remember that.”

Esther Na (12) misses seeing Zheng in her English class, especially when, “Mrs. Allen says a funny joke ... and I just know in my head [that Zheng would have laughed with her.]”

According to history teacher Lars Trupe, Zheng’s death has had a heavy effect on him, since they had a close relationship even after Zheng was no longer in his class.

“I’ve been [teaching at TPHS for] 27 years, and [Zheng’s death] hit me harder than any of them,” Trupe said. “I always imagined that I would read some fantasy or science fiction [novel written by Zheng] that had won the Nebula or Hugo award, but that’s not going to happen.”

However, Zheng’s friends and teachers choose to remember the vibrance with which he lived his life.

Na also remembers how Zheng would walk her to class when they ran into each other in the hallways and give her books to read so they could discuss them.

In an email sent to TPHS administrators, Zheng’s family thanked Zheng’s friends for their thoughts, gifts and friendship.

The email also announced Zheng’s memorial service, which will be held on Saturday, April 21, from 3-5 p.m. at the Carmel Valley Public Library. Those who wish to attend are asked to RSVP by sending an email to dufeng8@gmail.com.

*Name changed to protect student’s identity.

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opinions and bringing their signs to the event, provided that they were not profane or insulting.

Tyrus Willden (12) is against banning guns and is “for as little gun control as possible except for when it comes to fullyautomatic weapons.” Willden also believes in “keeping track of mentally-ill people and making sure some of them don’t have guns, without putting gun owners at risk.”

“I obviously [had] the minority position regarding the walkout and gun control,” Willden said. “So I thought it was necessary to have some sort of counter. I feel like Torrey Pines a lot of the time has only just one message [about gun control], so I wanted to offer an alternate message and start a conversation.”

Willden strongly disagrees with the claim there was no political message, from it being sponsored by the Women’s March to the many signs present during the walkout that specifically called for bans on assault weapons. As he had anticipated before participating in the walkout, Willden felt “unwelcome” and harshly criticized after holding the “Guns Save Lives” poster there.

“There were many snarky remarks to me … [that] attacked me personally,” Willden said. “After and during the event, I got rude messages, especially on social media, that were examined by even administration for a period of time.”

Presley Wollan (11) was among the participants who were angered by Willden’s sign. Wollan was also upset by the organization of the walkout, which she calls a “tag-along activity for many.”

“The walkout was very disrespectful,” Wollan said. “It was more of an activity instead of an actual event that should have been honoring the people we lost.

The petitions were unnecessary, and [the walkout was] loud and obnoxious when it was supposed to be silent.”

Andrew Zhao (12) was a participant

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The day after the threat was made, many students decided to skip school.

“In my third period class, which is a class of 38, only about a third of the people were there,” Matthews said.

While Matthews felt campus security was “under control,” she still believes students had “a valid reason to miss school.”

For Hannah Jian (9), who attended a private school in China before moving this school year, the threats represented an aspect of American society she had been “warned” about.

“Overseas, we always hear about school shootings in America,” Jian said. “Guns are such a defining part of American culture.”

In an email to TPHS parents, Coppo announced that the campus entrance accessed from Lansdale Drive next to the tennis courts will be locked during school hours.

“In 1974, when TPHS was built, the school was constructed with an ‘open’ concept,” Coppo said in his email to parents. “It was a different time.”

Threats leveled against TPHS and Canyon Crest Academy have led the SDUHSD to consider taking protective and preventive safety measures.

“Prior to the Parkland incident, we hired a security consultant to do a comprehensive analysis of all of our campuses,” SDUHSD Superintendent Eric Dill said.

SDUHSD’s newest campuses like CCA, Pacific Trails Middle School and the rebuilt Earl Warren Middle School all have fencing.

“We’ll be looking at hiring an architect to design a perimeter fencing system [for TPHS],” Dill said.

Jian believes that TPHS’ campus lacks the proper security.

“I feel like here, security in schools is not as emphasized as it is overseas,” Jian said. “There are security guards, fences

news in the school walkout and thinks that the walkout was a positive experience that effectively relayed a message. His reasons for participating in the walkout included his concern about the three students at a Northern California high school who were injured by a teacher who accidentally fired his gun inside a classroom.

“I hoped that by participating in the walkout, I could make a statement,” Zhao said. “A statement [saying] that gun violence is a big problem in our nation, that the lives of students are at stake when politicians make unwise decisions about gun laws and that tragedies like Parkland ... must never happen again.”

While he has “only favorable opinions regarding the walkout,” Zhao thinks there were improvements that could have been made, like devising ways to include students who were away from the quad and not as active in the walkout as others.

“While we didn’t exactly have a silent protest as intended, I think almost everyone was taking the event seriously and having meaningful discussions about the issues at hand,” Zhao said.

In 17 minutes, Zhao had become more accepting of others whose political views on gun ownership do not align with his.

“There was this feeling that everyone around me on the quad was united as a school, as Americans and as human beings,” Zhao said. “I’ve come to respect that those people with different views than mine were entitled to voice these ideas as well, and I’m just glad that no one today tried to demean or harass anyone.”

Similarly, Kazemi and BermanSchneider were satisfied with the walkout’s outcome at TPHS and generally impressed with how respectful participants were to one another.However, the students leaders do not plan to end their advocacy of gun law reform just yet. Going forward, the three plan to send out their petitions to Congresspeople within the next couple of months and will continue to voice their opinions about gun control and school safety. and everything is closed off [in China].

Here, it’s like an open campus.”

Coppo has been in contact with SDPD to increase its on-campus presence. “[SDPD] have their own staffing needs, and they serve five high schools down the 56 corridor,” Coppo said. “We’re working on how we find a balance so that they can be here to check in on a regular basis.”

Dill also wants to make sure that the needs of the student body are being addressed.

“In two weeks TPHS is going to have what we’re calling a Wellness Fair that will have a keynote speaker to talk to parents about things they can do to help support the well-being of their kids,” Dill said.

Despite the Wellness Fair on Mar. 27 and other proposed safety reforms, Coppo hesitates to say that anything will be perfectly effective.

“Since the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, 18 other high schools in San Diego County have had threats made against their campuses from Feb. 19 to Mar. 2, according to ABC 10 News.

Rancho Bernardo High School had 17 different areas on campus spray painted, with messages like ”2/26/12:00,” “Florida was NOTHING!!” and “The innocent will die.”

In response to Parkland, President Donald Trump advocates arming teachers with guns to help protect students against potential shooters. While Coppo declined to share his thoughts on the President’s proposal, Dill did.

“I don’t think that our schools need any more guns,” Dill said. “I think that, knowing how often teachers misplace their keys and cell phones, I certainly wouldn’t want them to add guns to the list.”

Jian agrees with Dill that arming staff is a bad idea, as “schools would feel even more unsafe.”

According to Dill, security recommendations will be reviewed by the Board of Trustees.

*Name changed to protect student’s identity.

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Umabe and Hargraves named Teacher and Employee of the Year

By Ellie Ahles and Sammy Hallal ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR AND OPINION EDITOR

Japanese teacher Sato Umabe won Teacher of the Year and ASB Accounting Assistant Patricia Hargraves won Classified Employee of the Year on Feb. 27 and 26, respectively.

“I feel very honored, especially among all the hardworking teachers here at Torrey Pines,” Umabe said. “A lot of teachers sent me congratulatory emails and personally congratulated me, and I’m very honored to have been selected.”

As TPHS’ employee and teacher of the year, Hargraves and Umabe will now be in the running for SDUHSD’s employee and teacher of the year.

The winners of the district Rob Coppo competition will go principal on to compete in the countywide contest. The award winners are decided by vote among all site teachers and employees.

“I think, as usual, our staff made a smart choice and picked two very deserving and dedicated Falcons,” Principal Rob Coppo said.

Umabe has taught at TPHS since 2004, but this is the first time she has won the award. In his first of two emails, Coppo announced Umabe as Teacher of the Year, citing the new Zen garden constructed under her supervision and the regular recognition her students receive in various competitions and contests. “[Umabe] is passionate about her job and the overall well-being of each and every one of her students,” Chelsea Jones

(12), a former student of Umabe’s, said.

“Japanese not only became the class I looked forward to the most, it became the class I was most passionate about because of her sheer will to teach until students understood.”

Umabe teaches both the language and the Japanese culture and encourages students to attend Japanese language or culture competitions and festivals.

Traditional Japanese items like a kimono and geta sandals can be found in her classroom.

“As a language teacher, I think the culture is a part of the language,” Umabe said. “You have to be [immersed] so I like to incorporate the cultural aspect so that students will learn. Students take Japanese not just to learn the language, but also because they’re interested in the culture.”

Hargraves, who has worked at TPHS since 1996, declined to comment on her award.

Coppo, however, did comment on her work with ASB through the student store and organizing senior activities in his congratulatory email.

“The award went to exactly the right person,” ASB Spirit Commissioner Sean Circosta (12) said. “Patricia is one of the most hardworking people at Torrey Pines and the school wouldn’t be standing without her.”

Cox will televise “A Salute to Teachers” on Sept. 15, where the five 2019 San Diego County Teachers of the Year will be announced.

I think, as usual, our staff made a smart choice and picked two very deserving and dedicated Falcons.

As of March 20, 2018, 18 San Diego schools have been threatened after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

Vista High School February 21, 2018

San Marcos High School February 19, 2018

NORTH COUNTY COASTAL

HIGHWAY 79 CORRIDOR Ramona High School Rancho Bernardo High School

Torrey Pines High School

February 27, 2018

February 22, 2018

February 23, 2018

INTERSTATE 15 CORRIDOR

Westview High School February 28, 2018

West Hills High School

Santana High School February 22, 2018

February 28, 2018

Canyon Crest Academy Madison High School

March 6, 2018

February 21, 2018

EAST COUNTY

High Tech High Media Arts February 19, 2018

Steele Canyon High School

SAN DIEGO CENTRAL

March 16, 2018

San Marcos High School

San Diego SchoolFebruary of Creative 19, 2018 and Performing Arts Torrey Pines School22, 2018 San Diego High School HighFebruary

La Jolla High School

February 22, 2018

March 9, 2018

Olympian High School March 7, 2018

SOUTH COUNTY

Eastlake High School February 23, 2018 infographic by angela liu

Information from ABC 10 News

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Sophia LeRose raises $44,450 for Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, wins “Student of the Year” award

By Graham Rice and Alexei Serguienko STAFF WRITERS On Feb. 24, Sophia LeRose (12) was named “2018 Student of the Year” by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

The annual competition is hosted by the LLS for seven weeks when students compete to raise the most money for LLS. According to the LLS’ website, all of the funds raised go to “[helping] find cures and [ensuring] access to treatments for all blood cancer patients.”

LeRose’s inspiration for joining the contest was honoring her grandfather, who was diagnosed with — and died of — leukemia in Sep. 2017. Since her grandfather’s move from Chicago to San Diego seven years ago, LeRose made weekly visits to her grandfather and developed a very close relationship with him.

“We’ve grown up visiting him every week, at least twice a week, so I’m super close with him and I’d get lunch with him all the time. So he’s definitely played a big role in our family,” LeRose said.

However, honoring her grandfather was not LeRose’s first experience working to benefit the LLS. She has worked with the LLS on the annual Coach C Week, which honors former cheer coach and ASB adviser Scott Chodorow, who died of lymphoma in 2014.

“I [have been] very involved with Coach C Week every year with ASB, so I was

involved [with the LLS] but not to this degree,” LeRose said.

During the competition, teams can either ask for donations or hold events like fundraisers to garner monies. One such event that LeRose organized was called “Sweat for a Cure,” which was a cardio boot camp that took place on campus with people from both the school and community participating.

Over 100 people attended the ASBsponsored event that was held Feb. 3 on Ed Burke Field. Two of those present were fitness trainers Cindy Whitmarsh and Lisa Stettner, who led the boot camp portion of the event. Other attendees included TPHS students and members of both the community and LeRose’s charity, Female Athlete Volunteers. Also, present were representative from local businesses.

“I had Lorna Jane, Jamba Juice, CycleBar, Crunch [Fitness], the CyMo Foundation and Mia Brazilia as vendors,” LeRose said. “I also had many auction items that people had an opportunity to bid on.”

Numerous students attended the event and participated in the wide variety of options available to patrons.

“There were lots of people there of all ages. Whole families came together and sports teams, too,” Mia Kohn (10) said.

“Overall, I had a really good time; it was great to be able to get in a good cardio workout while supporting Sophia.”

Advanced Topics in Math students had their work published on the Wolfram Demonstrations Project website, which is accessed by students, educators, and professionals around the world.

Aditya Guru (12) Idealized Path of Apollo Missions Ananth Rao (11) and Kevin Ren (12) Special Case Of Vandermonde’s Identity Derek Fu (12) and Minha Kim (12) Light Dependent Reactions in Photosynthesis Erica Yeawon Hwang (12) Structure of the Flute Jonathan Farmer (12) and Vanessa Beeler (12) Spinning Circles Optical Illusion Jonathan Kuo (12) and Richard Li (12) Growth Curve and Life Cycle of Viruses Kathy Wang (12) Shannon Diversity Index in Population Ecology Matthew Rosenfield (12) How Increasing the Money Supply Affects the Economy Rachel Lian (12) and Stacy Hu (12) Monarch Butterfly Life Cycle Robert Bartsch (12) Archaic Trigonometry Rohith Kodukula (12) Grid Designs Generated By Langton’s Ant Ryan Lin (12) Simulation of Pythagorean Cup Simon Kim (12) Finding the Vanishing Points of Sample Images Skylar Jung (12) Create a 3D Character Yerin You (12) Japanese Kanji infographic by angela liu

The “Sweat for a Cure” event raised more than $4,800. Combined with the proceeds from other fundraisers like ones held at local restaurants Chipotle Mexican Grill and Crust Pizzeria, LeRose raised $44,450.

Through various fundraising events, LeRose quickly learned how charitable people in the community can be.

“At first, it was uncomfortable for me to ask people for money and auction items, but once I got comfortable, I realized how willing people were to help support my fundraising efforts,” LeRose said.

LeRose’s efforts exceeded the $25,000 fundraising goal she originally set with Senior Campaign Manager of the LLS, Hadley Weiss. Weiss’ responsibilities included advising the 14 candidates and supporting the candidates in their fundraising goals.

“I act as their mentor and help them strategize their campaigns. My job is to get each candidate to their personal goal and push them to come up with new ideas to reach their goals,” Weiss said.

After receiving the “Student of the Year” for the highest fundraising total, LeRose also received the Volunteer Award, one of three additional recognitions available to candidates.

LeRose’s campaign not only earned her recognition from the LLS, but also allowed her to dedicate her efforts and achievements to the memory of her grandfather.

12 students qualified for the American Invitational Mathematics Exam (AIME) by scoring well on the American Mathematics Competition (AMC) in February. Success on the AIME leads to the 2-day U.S.A. Math Olympiad (USAMO) test in April.

Jeff Chung (11) Torrey Duan (10) Saeji Hong (9) Jerry Huang (10) Lucas Liu (9) Sumith Nalabolu (10)

Eric Oh (10) Ananth Rao (11) Jeff Ren (9) Kevin Ren (12) Jackson Shen (10) Carine You (12)

photo used by permission of andie kratzer

No LeRose Student held at LeRose allowing

L(L)’s, just w’s: Sophia (12) was announced as the of the Year at the LLS Gala Paradise Point Resort & Spa. organized multiple fundraisers, her to raise $44,450 (ABOVE).

Level II Division: First Place Team: Eric Li (10), Jackson Shen (10) and Audrey Yeh (11).

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In the form of a contest, the American Scholastic Press Association provides advice on page design, story layout, graphics, etc. Those school publications with special and outstanding design and content may receive a First Place with Special Merit.

First Place: Marzieh Barnes (12)

First Place with Special Merit: Journal of Youths in Science

Advanced Orchestra received a Unanimous Superior rating, or Superior ratings from all four judges, in the collegiate level (Class 5) for the 14th year in a row.

Biochemistry Category: First Place: Sophia Chen (11) Medicine & Health Sciences Category: Second Place: Angela Liu (11)

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tphsfalconer.com

SDUHSD will not renew Naviance contract in ‘18’19 and beyond

By Vlada Demenko STAFF WRITER The SDUHSD-wide subcription to Naviance, a program used to help students determine how and where they should go to college and help teachers send their commendation letters to colleges, will not be renewed and will be replaced by Google Classroom and other free online resources.

Naviance has been used by district students, teachers and counselors to simplify the process of applying and sending documents to colleges. It also houses a high school’s graduates and where they were accepted to college, giving applicants an idea about which colleges they could reasonably expect to be admitted to based on their scores and the histories of other admiited students.

The removal of Naviance throughout the district has been in the works for about two years according to counselor Julianne Velasco, who participated in a district meeting on the transition. Many students and teachers argue the removal of Naviance is detrimental because Naviance simplified the college application process for all concerned, and forcing all parties to turn to other alternatives is going to make the process more complicated than it needs to be.

“I started to use it at the beginning of my junior year,” Rohit Ahuja (11) said. “I feel like it was much easier for students to use because everything was right there for your reference.”

Naviance also made the communication between students and counselors easier, since counselors could “email blast” many students at once. It also housed brag packets, compilations of the students’ achievements, and private letters of recommendation from teachers.

“Your counselor has deadlines for seniors to submit a list of colleges that they’re applying for,” Chloe Ko (12) said. “[Naviance is] a simple process because the teachers you asked for letters of rec can also see your college list and submit their recommendations by the due date.

It’s very convenient.”

According to Velasco, the district says it is aiming for students to make increased use of other tools and information to figure out which schools would be the best fits for them.

“Naviance has not been super receptive to our changing needs,” Principal Rob Coppo said. “Their software has just stayed the same, and we’ve had some evolving needs and they have not upgraded the software.”

Coppo did not elaborate on the nature of those needs.

The district’s argument is that Naviance’s capabilities are too narrow and students will be better served by free online vehicles like California Colleges and a program with which most students are already familiar, Google Classroom.

District officials said in the meeting that Google Classroom is more studentfriendly since everyone understands it and accounts would not have to be remade for every student, according to Velasco. Google Classroom can also house all necessary information in one spot, as opposed to many regions of Naviance.

Another reason for the transition away from Naviance is that it creates a more direct route to colleges.

“We’ve moved away from Naviance, so now teachers will be trained through Common App,” Velasco said. “We’re no longer having to send documents through to upload them in Naviance and then hopefully they get to Common App. We’re going directly through, so it takes a middle management piece out of the equation.”

The shift from Naviance to Google Classroom has already begun for the class of 2019, the first to experience the college application process using alternative tools and websites.

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TPHS Spoken Word poets perform at CATE

By Bea de Oliveira COPY EDITOR Three students from the TPHS Spoken Word Club, as well as other students from around San Diego County, attended and performed at the annual California Association of Teachers of English Conference on Mar. 9 to discuss topics using spoken word performances.

Started by Robin Kong (‘17), in her sophomore year, the Spoken Word Club allows students to learn and express the form of poetry known as spoken word.

“Spoken word is a mixture of poetry and the art of performing,” Lisa Callender, the faculty adviser of the club, said. “It can oftentimes be a lot more rhythmic, but it’s enjoyable because it has the art of performance in it other than just the poetry itself.”

To Eugene Park (12), one of the members of the club who spoke at the CATE conference, spoken word is not only a form of poetry but a way to connect with others on a deeper level.

“Spoken word, in terms of the artistic side of it as well as the community building side of it, in both ways builds bridges,” Park said. “It is a way to help people understand each other and get different viewpoints. It is a much more approachable and accessible way to understand other people.”

A former Spoken Word club president and Carlsbad High School alumnus, Quinn Lozar, created a coalition of poetry clubs throughout San Diego called Inverse. Through this union, the TPHS Spoken Word Club connected with Viet Mai, a renowned poet, who asked a small group of poets ranging from sixth grade to seniors in high school to perform at the conference.

From TPHS, these poets included Hannah Berman-Schneider (12), Jenna Howard (12) and Park.

While Park reformed a poem that he had previously written about his family’s

emotional move from Florida, BermanSchneider chose to write about writing and how high schoolers utilize the skill to express themselves.

“My poem was about empowering yourself through writing and accepting yourself through writing,” BermanSchneider said. “A lot of us put up walls and ironically use our writing to put up these walls. Spoken word allows you tear down these walls and discover more about yourself as you share your writing.”

The writers performed in a room filled with about 350 English teachers and educators from around California.

Berman-Schneider was the second performance of the event, while Park followed.

“I forgot about the fact that I had to go because I had been listening to all of the amazing poets speak,” Park said.

Although the performance itself was an incredible moment for him, Park believes that the best part of the poem is after the performance.

“After, you get to talk to people and see people react and just learn exactly how you affected the audience,” Park said.

After the showcase, many teachers came up to the TPHS members of Spoken Word to personally tell them how their poetry impacted them, according to Berman-Schneider.

“A couple of [teachers] came up to us afterward and said to us, ‘I can’t believe you guys do this.’ One of the teachers even said to me, ‘I’m going to show this to my students,’” Berman-Schneider said. “Not only did we affect those 350 people in that room, but our poems are reaching children going through the exact same things, all over the state.”

Reaching out to people in events like the CATE Conference and open mic events are some of the ways the Spoken Word Club is attempting to attract new members.

If you are interested in joining or going to a Spoken Word meeting, the club meets every Tuesday at lunch in Room 205.

photo by anna jeong/falconer

Speaking from the heart: Jenna Howard (12) performs at the California Association of Teachers of English Conference. TPHS’ Spoken Word Club was first founded by Robin Kong (‘17) in 2014 (ABOVE).

Sophomores no longer allowed to take AP Chem, double chemistry block introduced

By Annie Cheng and Colette Chiang STAFF WRITERS Starting in the 2018-19 school year, sophomores will no longer be allowed to take Advanced Placement Chemistry as a full-year course and will instead choose from College Prep Chemistry, Honors Chemistry or a double chemistry block of Honors Chemistry first semester and AP Chemistry second semester.

According to Principal Rob Coppo, the idea of adding Honors Chemistry was proposed this year by the science department.

“It had been floating around a little bit in previous years, but [the Honors Chemistry class] really got talked about seriously this year,” Coppo said.

California, along with other states, has adopted the Next Generation Science Standards in order to create a national science curriculum, according to CP Chemistry and AP Chemistry teacher Angela Willden.

Since the schools in the SDUHSD plan to adjust curriculum to NGSS standards as well, the school board will make the CP Chemistry course a graduation requirement, whereas AP Chemistry alone will no longer meet the requirements because it lacks an Earth and Science component required by the new NGS standards. “[The full transition will] probably happen in 2020 or 2021 with the current freshman class. As part of that, we’re piloting the Honors Chemistry course and the NGSS-aligned, regular Chemistry class,” TPHS Science Department Chair Brian Bodas said.

The main difference between the CP Chemistry class and the Honors

Chemistry class is the difficulty of math involved. The planned Honors Chemistry class will be slightly more difficult and have more math compared to the CP class, according to Willden.

The idea of a double block chemistry class came from La Costa Canyon High School, which has been offering block classes for a couple of years.

I think that’s going to be alleviated ... and [students are] going to be well prepared for AP Chemistry.

Angela Willden

college prep and ap chemistry teacher “We discussed it as a department and took it to the district office and said, ‘Could we run something similar to what LCC has been doing?’” Willden said. “We didn’t want Torrey Pines High School to be the only campus in the district where you couldn’t access AP Chemistry as a sophomore.”

This was a concern for Kevin Song (9) when he discovered that sophomores could no longer take AP Chemistry.

“For students who want to get ahead, the new system isn’t as good because we’re required to take an extra year,” Song said.

“Putting an extra year before letting us [take AP Chemistry] just holds us back even more.”

The new chemistry block also has the potential to stress out students, according to Willden.

“You have to decide, ‘Is this valuable enough to me to sacrifice a fun elective that de-stresses me, to take something that’s going to stress me more?’” Willden said. “It’s okay to choose not to take double block chem and it’s okay to choose to take it, but you have to be wise in your other course selections.”

Despite the fact that students need to take Chemistry everyday for 100 minutes, Willden believes that the double block will “probably be less stressful than [directly] trying to take AP Chemistry” without previous exposure to chemistry.

“The first four months of sophomore year are very, very stressful on AP Chemistry students,” Willden said. “I think that’s going to be alleviated ... and [students are] going to be well prepared for AP Chemistry.”

Students who are interested but did not sign up for the block chemistry class can request a change with their counselors.

“We will look at the list of students who have signed up for Honors Chem, and then send them a pass and ask them if they’re signing up for the year-long Honors Chemistry class or if they are interested in doing the accelerated block instead,” counselor Chanelle Lary said.

Although some students would like to start sophomore year with AP Chemistry, the transition is for the wellness of students, according to Coppo.

“As I’ve said a thousand times, I want to build people, not transcripts,” Coppo said.

art by by simon gretchen litzlbeck /falcon artist art kim/ falcon artist

PRO

By Farhan Hossain FEATURE EDITOR

Over half a century after the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the U.S. has made great strides in the advancement of racial minorities.

However, successes like the election of Barack Obama feed into a false narrative that minorities are on the same playing field as white people.

In reality, complete racial equality is still a pipe dream, evident in the mass incarceration of people of color, the pay discrepancy they face when compared to their white counterparts in the same fields and the underrepresentation of black and Latino students in American universities. What is even more concerning, however, is that white Americans lack the awareness about the discrimination and systemic oppression minorities face in the U.S. A poll conducted by Quinnipiac University last year found that only 39 percent of white respondents saw racial prejudice as a serious problem.

Implementation of California bill AB 2772, which would require all of the state’s high schoolers to complete an ethnic studies class beginning in the 2023-24 school year, will help reduce the discrepancy between the perception and reality of the treatment of racial minorities.

Ethnic studies classes cover a broad range of subjects including the experiences of people of color throughout U.S. history and race relations, often providing students their first comprehensive look at history and culture through a nonwhite lense.

Although the 2010 U.S. Census found that the state of California is majority-minority, racial segregation remains intact through zoning policies and a lack of affordable housing in areas with predominantly non-white demographics. Using data from the

California may pass a bill that would make it mandatory for high school students to take a course in ethnic studies, just as they are required to take biology or physical education.

2010 U.S. Census, the UCLA Civil Rights Project found that California has the nation’s most segregated metropolitan area, Los Angeles, with Salinas, Oxford-Ventura and Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine all occupying other spots in the top nine. Racial diversity is meaningless if different ethnic groups live separately.

In addition to the isolation of different groups of people, Americans believe that racial animosity is on an upward trend since the 2016 presidential election. Polling by the Pew Research Center found that a year into the Obama presidency, only 13 percent of people thought his presidency had made race relations worse. A year after Trump’s election, however, 60 percent of respondents felt the president was making race relations worse. Most troubling of all, however, is the fact that 86 percent believe race is a strong area of conflict between Republicans and Democrats.

As American society becomes increasingly polarized, racial issues are less likely to be resolved if they are seen as partisan problems,when in reality they affect all people. The only effective way to break through the partisan media echo chambers in which the U.S. electorate is divided into is by making ethnic studies mandatory for a high school diploma.

Having an environment that fosters dialogue between students about the trials and tribulations facing people of color is incredibly important for the next generation of corporate executives and public policy makers.

Additionally, researchers at the Stanford Graduate School of Education found that ethnic studies classes led to across-the-board benefits for all students, regardless of race or socioeconomic status. In particular, however, Latino students saw significant rises in their math and science grades — two areas of study in which they are currently underrepresented in the workforce.

Achieving a post-racial society is impossible if the majority of people are unconcerned with or oblivious of racism. An ethnic studies class is by no means a panacea to racial tension and segregation, but educating the electorate is the first step toward doing so.

In response to a question asked to TPHS Students in March:

Do you support the California bill to make ethnic studies courses for high schoolers mandatory?

41.4%

58.6%

YES

NO

said

said

*175 TPHS students responded to the survey

Although the United States was founded mainly by white supremacists and upon racist ideologies, people of color increasingly have been gaining power and impacting society.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, by 2042, racial “minorities” will be the the majority of the population.

In late February, a group of three California state assembly members introduced AB 2772, which would require students to take an ethnic studies course to graduate high school in the hope that students learn about the experiences of racial minorities in the U.S.. Although the addition of an ethnic studies class would enhance student understanding of the culture and history of people of color, forcing students to take a class that they may be uninterested in is completely unnecessary and inefficient.

With increased academic competition, students are pressured into taking difficult classes, hoping to boost their college applications.

The American College Health Association found an increase to 62 percent in 2016 from 50 percent in 2011 of undergraduates and high schoolers reporting “overwhelming anxiety.” Due to a massive increase in Advanced Placement enrollment, students already lack the time and energy to focus on school and the numerous extracurricular activities.

Also, when students are stressed out, they are unable to actually learn the meaning behind the ethnic studies program. The Colorado Christian University stated, “Stress in college students can affect the ability to concentrate, and there have been studies conducted that prove that stress interferes with a student’s ability to concentrate.” Not only does a required ethnic studies class affect the student’s performance in school, it also, ironically, makes the ethnic studies class less effective since students have to face more difficulties when learning about racial minorities in the U.S. Forcing kids into a class has a minimal effect on society; however, an ethnic studies class should be made available for kids who are interested in the topics and plan to use the information in meaningful ways.

High school teenagers have to fulfill the mandatory two years of a

CON

By Daniel Kim STAFF WRITER

foreign language class, which exposes the students to societies and cultures that speak Spanish, French, Chinese or Japanese. If foreign language is already required, an ethnic studies course seems unnecessary and could be replaced with a subject the student has more interest in.

According to Auburn University’s Department of Foreign Languages and Literature, there are 25 critical reasons why learning a language outside of English is so significant.

These reasons include “foreign language study creates more positive attitudes and less prejudice toward people who are different.” By learning the methods of communication of racial minorities in the United States, students can learn the culture behind the language, such as how to refer to others in specific situations. Once people understand the culture, they feel more attached and less distant from anything or anyone related to those traditions. If the purpose of ethnic studies is already covered by the intentions of the foreign language program, the ethnic studies program is serving little purpose. Even if these are unable to fulfill these intentions, the ethnic studies program will be no different, showing that sometimes forming mandatory subject standards rarely affect each student’s individual perspective.

Without a doubt, students need to be informed about cultures existing throughout the United States that are unfamiliar to them, but mandating an ethnic studies course is not the most effective way to expose the kids to that content. Allowing students to learn about other cultures will have positive results; however, forcing the population to take the class will be less effective than simply making it available to those interested in it.

opinion

Staff

editorial:

Starting in freshman year, classes troop to the lecture hall once a year early into second semester for an “audit.” The audit always includes a review of trainscripts, a presentation about colleges, course requirements and other information that students need to know for the future, and they never fail to suggest making a Naviance account.

This year, however, the information was a bit different. Counselors nonchalantly mentioned that SDUHSD would no longer subscribe to the college planning resource and TPHS would replace it with Google Classroom pages made specifically for each grade level. TPHS parents and students assumed that the decision was financial, but it has been rumored that district officials are attributing the switch to an effort to minimize the amount of stress that college causes high school students. According to SDUHSD officials, the scattergrams Naviance provides, which compare anonymous former TPHS students’ GPAs and test scores to their admissions at specific colleges and universities, were a great enough source of stress for students that the district decided to eliminate the platform all together.

The ironic truth is that without Naviance, students will be under far more stress than they would be if the district maintained its subscription.

Unfortunately, Google Classroom is just a place for teachers to post assignments and students to turn those assignments in; it

SDUHSD

SHOULD

isn’t designed to provide students with the resources that Naviance can.

As of right now, the class of 2019 Google Classroom page has different categories with labels like “College Visits” and “College Admission Info.” There is also a “Brag Packet” category, where students can find a link to the counselor brag packet and submit it when they are ready. Counselors and teachers both use brag packets when writing letters of recommendation, and it is important to note that Naviance provides counselor and teacher brag packets, which, when submitted, are all grouped together for easy access. The Google Classroom system doesn’t even enable teacher brag packets because it would simply be too complicated. Teachers will now have to make and distribute their own brag packets, or figure out another way to organize the information.

Without Naviance, the whole process of getting letters of recommendation sent will be far more difficult and confusing.

Before, students could send requests to their teachers directly through Naviance.

Naviance would then display for the teachers all the students for whom they needed to write letters and corresponding deadlines. Without it, students will have to send requests through the Common Application, and since TPHS is not accustomed to that, nobody really knows how it will work. Teachers’ job descriptions do not include writing letters of recommendation; it’s something they do

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NAH

on their own time. Taking away Naviance will force teachers to use even more of their time trying to organize and submit letters, and it will also make it easier to forget to write them. That leads to the question of whether students will now be held liable for when their teachers do not submit recs on time. The new system doesn’t seem to provide for much of a paper trail when it comes to proving if a student did all they could to ensure that a teacher submit a rec on time. Students will likely have to remind their teachers about their letters and deadlines frequently.

Many seniors can attest to the fact that they looked at scattergrams on Naviance before applying to colleges, and some even took Naviance quizzes that would match them with majors and schools.

Counseling has suggested looking at websites like BigFuture for similar information, but Naviance information is TPHS specific. Without the ability to compare their own statistics to those of former students from their own school, it is more likely that students will apply to schools way out of their reach. The amount of money that could end up being wasted on applications to schools that are unrealistic choices is something to consider, not to mention the

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extra stress that the lack of information will put on students.

The college application process is stressful, and the competitive environment at TPHS serves as an incubator for that stress. If there is a way to minimize the stress, it’s not by taking away the only mode of organization that the process has, which also happens to include information about scholarships and the colleges themselves. If the decision does turn out to be financial, Naviance is worth the money, but the fact that the district is not disclosing the exact reason for the switch makes this change all the more confusing.

art by amrita motouri/falcon artist

tphsfalconer.com

STUDENT VOICES: Should California mandate ethnic studies classes?

California may pass a bill that would make it mandatory for high school students to take a course in ethnic studies, just as they are required to take biology or physical education.

“This should be a thing so that people get educated on other ethnicities so they know what they’re talking about and don’t just go around making assumptions”

“I feel it should be an optional course instead of mandatory...maybe history should be centered more about the world and not just Europe.”

“I feel like instead we can incorporate more of that into classes like World History, just because we already have so many classes offered and not many spots for them.”

“Definitely, I think its important to understand where other people come from. It makes you a more compassionate or understanding person.”

Danielle Moraga (9)

Bryce Solem (9)

Heidi Shen (10)

Dennis Li (10)

“I dont think it should be mandatory, but it would be a good option because we need to learn about other cultures.”

“I think its a good idea to learn about other races and ethnicities because we aren’t the only people living on this planet and it kind of broadens your view at the same time.”

“Yes, we live in a salad bowl”

“If we study the history of other nations then we can better understand where other nations came from and can form better relationships and kind of step into their shoes.”

Sienna Fischel (11)

Mathieu Barthelemy (11)

Falconer The Torrey Pines High School

We, the Falconer staff, are dedicated to creating a monthly newspaper with the intent of encouraging independent thinking, expanding our knowledge of journalism, and providing the TPHS student body and community with a truthful, unbiased news source, in accordance with our First Amendment rights.

3710 Del Mar Heights Road San Diego, CA 92130 PHONE: (858) 755-0125 x2245 FAX: (858) 523-0794 E-MAIL: falconer.ads@gmail.com WEBSITE: www.tphsfalconer.com

The Falconer is the student newspaper of Torrey Pines High School. Its content, which is the responsibility of the Falconer staff, is not subject to administrative approval. Unsigned editorials represent the opinions of the staff, while opinion columns represent the writer’s perspective. Advertisements do not represent endorsements. The Falconer, an open forum, welcomes signed letters or guest editorials on pertinent issues from the TPHS community, which may be submitted to room 102, via email at falconer.ads@gmail.com or to Mia Smith’s mailbox in the administration building. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.

Brian Bae (12)

Emma Ellingson (12) Editors-in-Chief Business Managers Copy Editors News Editor Opinion Editor Feature Editors Entertainment Editor Sports Editor Photo Editor Adviser Staff Writers:

Sumin Hwang Anvitha Soordelu Estelle Kraft Lauren Zhang Bea De Oliveira Eve Gross-Sable Angela Liu Sammy Hallal Farhan Hossain Kahyun Koh Ellie Ahles Michael Nirula Anton Schuh Mia Boardman Smith Annie Cheng Colette Chiang Esther Choi Jeremy Chung Vlada Demenko Dhathry Doppalapudi Daniel Kim

Luke Modugno Graham Rice Alexei Serguienko Elaine Song Photographers: Travis Felthaus Anna Jeong Christy Lam Hayoung Park Alexei Serguienko Jocelyn Tzeng David Vapnek Lauren Zhang Artists: Carla Hansen Simon Kim Richard Li Amrita Moturi

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opinion

march 23, 2018

The U.S. government should regulate cryptocurrencies for stability and safety

By Jeremy Chung

In the past couple of months, the meteoric rise of the cryptocurrency Bitcoin left many dumbfounded by its value which peaked at $19,783 last December. However, the value has since plunged to less than half its value stooping to a shocking $8,402.98 at the time the Falconer went to press. The sudden change in value has emphasized the volatility of cryptocurrencies and the once interested investors are now hesitating to invest more. If the government were to intervene and regulate cryptocurrencies, the U.S. economy can rely on them to be a trustworthy form of currency.

On top of that, most of the people investing in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are investing with money they don’t have. About 20 percent of cryptocurrency investors used credit cards and about 23 percent of those credit card users did not pay off their credit card balances. Almost 90 percent of the 23 percent of investors were hoping to pay off the balances b y selling their cryptocurrency investments, according to a survey conducted by LendEDU, an online marketplace for student loan refinancing.

This exhibits the blind trust investors have in the appreciation of cryptocurrencies. However, the constantly fluctuating price of cryptocurrencies cannot guarantee profit for any investors.

The changing value of cryptocurrencies is

STAFF WRITER

art by carla hansen/falconer artist

not the only problem. With the publicity surrounding cryptocurrencies, scams and thefts have occurred more frequently, further destabilizing the system of cryptocurrency.

Cryptocurrency is an encrypted and decentralized digital currency transferred between peers and is confirmed in a public ledger through a process known as “mining.”

Mining confirms the transactions and adds them to the public ledger. The transfer of cryptocurrency from one digital wallet to another uses an encrypted electronic signature to confirm that the transaction is coming from the owner of the first wallet. However, there are tons of loopholes to manipulate the actual value of cryptocurrencies that are heavily exploited by scammers.

Some speculate that Bitcoin and other forms of cryptocurrency are scams themselves.

However, that is not necessarily true. It is actually how cryptocurrencies are sold that can be viewed as a scam. If you look at it in one way, cryptocurrencies are just numbers. Let’s compare Bitcoin and a dollar bill for example.

A dollar bill usually bears some kind of number on a corner of it that is unique to that bill.

Regardless of the number on the bill, the face value of the bill confirms that it is only worth a dollar. For cryptocurrencies, there is no face value. You have to assume that the person who is selling cryptocurrency is in agreement with the proposed value, which is unreliable and untrustworthy.

Another difference between cryptocurrencies and regular U.S. currency is that there is no “middle man” for cryptocurrencies. For U.S. currencies, that middle man would be a clearing bank. Of course that would mean that the wiretransfer fees for cryptocurrencies would cost less but it also means that there is no way to confirm that the agreed value of cryptocurrencies will be completely transferred. If the government were to intervene and act as the middle man by regulating the process of these transactions,

the transfer of cryptocurrencies could become a stable part of the U.S. economy and will be more reliable in general.

These issues are not limited to cryptocurrencies. The same problems occur with governmental currencies but to a much lesser degree because of government regulation.

Government regulated currency is overseen by the U.S. Treasury and the Federal Reserve. Close behind those, the U.S. Department of Justice and other law enforcement networks like the Internal Revenue Service ensure that those who manipulate the value of U.S. currency will have the U.S. government coming after them.

To prevent the manipulation of cryptocurrencies from affecting investors and the system the government should strictly regulate cryptocurrencies. Many people firmly stand by their belief that government regulation will depreciate the value of cryptocurrencies despite the proven facts that regulation eliminates any chance of manipulation, which would further stabilize the value of cryptocurrencies.

Currently, the only security cryptocurrencies have is the market itself, giving very little power to prevent price manipulation and scams from happening. By the time the market is able to figure out a significant change or manipulation in price, it is too late to do anything about it. If the government were to regulate it, not only may these frauds or scams be prevented, but the U.S. would be able to make sure that the perpetrators get what they deserve.

In the future, the government may be able to implement its own regulated cryptocurrencies, establish exchange rates and do anything else that is required to create a viable and stable currency. Before this happens, the government must first have stricter regulations on the current cryptocurrencies. Without the government stepping in, cryptocurrencies will continue to be highly volatile and be subject to constant price manipulation.

PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE ELAINE SONG

Staff Writer Elaine Song (12) reflects on her experience throughout high school, the fear of new changes and what her dog has taught her about being happy.

I believe at one point or another, in everyone’s lives, we see that time passes much like the viral clip “The Bee Movie: But Everytime They Say Bee It Gets Faster.” I feel like I’m looking back on more of my teenage life than I’m actually living it. I hope that one day, I learn to use metaphors properly.

I can admit that high school has been difficult for me. I can also admit that I have played a large part in making the experience more difficult than necessary. There’s something about teenage angst that is oddly addictive and natural, as if being unreasonable toward your parents is tantamount to eating sugar, and I’ve eaten quite a bit of it. Moreover, as anyone who has cried in their car in the parking lot of Nico’s Taco Shop with a carton of carne asada fries can testify: being upset is incredibly draining.

I’ve found that picking my battles and letting go of frustrations is what helps me to be my happiest, whether or not I win the fight. No one can make you unhappy unless you let yourself be unhappy. Why should you let someone else and their opinions compromise your wellbeing?

The more similar experiences you have, the less afraid you are to have them, and I don’t believe I have ever been as scared as I was to start elementary school. Children are mean, and social awareness doesn’t develop for any of us before we have made at least one of our peers cry. But just like giving your secret menu order to the Starbucks barista becomes less embarrassing after the tenth time, the fear you have for the beginning of each grade level fades as well. I, and the rest of the senior class,

are less than four months away from leaving secondary school behind for good, but the dread of new experiences isn’t exactly there.

It could be the promise of freedom, to make what we please of our schedules or to only do our laundry when it becomes a biohazard, but we no longer fear change. Or, at the very least, we think we have to hide that fear.

If I could wail and cling to my parents’ legs while the dean of admissions dragged me into college in a weird deja-vu kindergarten moment, I would. But we can’t do that anymore.

We suck it up, and quietly cry in the bathroom of a red-eye flight because we brought “A Dog’s Purpose” onto the plane as reading material and it was a horrible decision and now we’re ugly-sobbing because we already miss our furbabies. No? I’m the only person concerned that my puppy doesn’t understand the concept of college and probably thinks I’m leaving him because I don’t love him anymore? Okay.

There’s a reason that most people dip their toes into the pool instead of diving right in, even though they eventually go in anyway. It’s good to gauge how difficult our experiences will be.

It wasn’t until I spent last summer away from home, living by myself in an Airbnb 2,000 miles across the country, that I realized that I don’t know how to be alone. Seventeen years of living with helicopter parents had left me with the urgent need to leave and discover the world for myself, regardless of whether the world could feed, clothe or love me the way that my family does. I had begged my anxiety-ridden parents to let me go to Washington D.C. for an

photo by david vapnek/falconer

internship, but regretted the experience almost immediately, much like my Pomeranian lapping salt-water out of a puddle at the Del Mar dog beach for the first time. I became the victim of the pettiest crime less than two weeks into my month-long stay, but having the seat stolen off of my bicycle taught me something important— sometimes bad things happen and the best thing you can do is to experience it in all their glory. And much like my Pomeranian at the beach, the joy of living life and trying new things vastly outweighs the disturbance of drinking out of the ocean. All experiences are learning experiences, and I can look back on it now and be glad that I used that opportunity to gauge what independence will feel like. Maybe being an adult means sometimes having your bicycle seat stolen and dealing with it with minimal crying.

We spend a lot of our time doing things because we’re afraid, and even more time doing things because we think it will make us happy. I think one of the most important things

to have come out of my high school experience is knowing that neither of those mindsets are quite right. Psychologist Victor E. Frankl once said that success and happiness alike cannot be pursued, they must ensue. I think ensuing means to let those things occur as a result of living. It means to live and do things with your best self and happiness in mind and reflect on how your individual actions affect those instead of seeing them as goals to achieve.

It means dropping a class because you don’t love it, or taking a difficult class because you do or just driving by the beach to watch seagulls attack picnickers. Don’t let your responsibilities consume you, but take pride in working hard for what you believe and achieving your goals.

I’m just a high schooler going through the same quarter life crisis as everyone else, so I’m not the best at explaining this, but I’m here to reflect, and the best advice I can offer is to let yourself live as fully as you can, in the now.

Most importantly, as Ivan would say, try not to be too scared of “drinking seawater.”

opinion

tphsfalconer.com

the falconer

A9

Students across the U.S. have had #ENOUGH of guns GUEST WRITER

There are some things that I have no words for, only feelings. In times like these I wish nothing but to ponder my emotions, to mourn, to resent, to tremble in trepidation as I listen to our politicians say “Now is not the time.”

But I realize that now is, in fact, the time that words, although I may not have the right ones to express my horror, are what will perhaps push us into the action that our country so desperately requires.

Historically, we have seen that the loss of our loved ones to bullets has not been enough for necessary gun restrictions to come about in this country. The 28 lives taken in Sandy Hook, not enough. The 49 lives taken in Orlando, not enough. The 58 lives taken in Las Vegas, not enough. The 25 lives taken in Sutherland Springs, Tex. not enough. Will the 17 lives taken in Parkland, Fla. be enough?

As Congress failed to implement preventative measures after 17 mass shootings in the U.S. just this year, an 18th took place on Feb. 14 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Once again, hundreds of Floridians were agonized over the loss felt in their community, leaving behind an army of grieving teenagers that decided enough is enough. Choosing to take action only hours after the horrific event, the victims of the shooting began to rise as national activists, and with them rose thousands of young people around the country.

After countless national interviews, town halls with politicians such as Senator

Marco Rubio and National Rifle Association spokeswoman Dana Loesch, nationwide walkouts and sit-ins, and an enormous march planned for March 24, our government has done very little to hinder yet another tragedy.

In fact, in the time that has passed since the shooting, Florida’s state legislature has enacted a $67 billion program that would bring more guns into schools in the hands of teachers and staff, and Senate Republicans have neglected the national outcry for gun reform by passing zero bills on the issue.

It may seem that this movement has come to yet another halt, that once again, the massacre of students in their own schools has not been enough. However, it is important to look again at those in the forefront of a movement that has become about much more than one of America’s most polarizing issues. The student journalists, the theater students, the debaters and the activists of Marjory Stoneman Douglas have sparked a revolution within our generation that will be hard to distinguish, even with the wealth of the NRA and the countless conspiracy theories of the far right. With a combination of an education system that gave them the tools to become national leaders and a captivated audience of youth worldwide, these students are proof of what many of

us have known for years; we are a generation of change and we will call BS on injustice.

The young voices that are taking on big lobbyists and politicians are not the minority.

In actuality, they represent the 97 percent of Americans that support universal background checks and the 67 percent of Americans that support a nationwide ban on the sale of assault weapons.

International precedent has shown that gun restrictions do reduce the occurrence of mass shootings and it is time for Congress to put forward and enact common sense gun laws. After a 1996 mass shooting in Australia, 35 lives were taken and 23 others were wounded, pushing the ruling center right party to reach across the aisle and

join with other parties to take action. It took this newly united government only months to ban semi-automatic rifles, buy and destroy 600,000 civilian guns and establish a national firearms registry. In Australia, the loss of civilian lives was enough.

As I reflect on the complexities of my feelings about this issue, it is the words that I write that give me hope. Hope is what I cling to as I choose to walk out on March 14. Hope is what I cling to as I march on March 24. Hope is what I cling to as I watch my peers take responsibility for their right to a safe learning environment. Hope is a feeling, yes, but it is also the word that I choose to answer my previous question. Will the 17 lives taken in Parkland be enough? I hope so.

art by richard li/falcon artist

Kiana Kazemi

Trump’s cabinet is in trouble, but he does not seem to care

By Sammy Hallal OPINION EDITOR

On March 6, right after the departure of his fourth communications director, Hope Hicks, and chief economic adviser Gary Cohn, Trump claimed that “everybody wants to work in the White House.” However, in light of the news constantly streaming out of the White House, the phrase “You’re fired” seems to sum up working in the administration more accurately.

The Brookings Institute, a think tank specializing in social sciences, estimates that 42 percent of top White House positions have been turned over. No elected first-term president in the past 100 years has had as much cabinet turnover as the Trump administration has had in a little over a year. Donald Trump’s willingness to let go so many high-level officials, both

staffers and cabinet members, is just one way that Trump differs from his predecessors, and he does not seem to care about it.

Officials in the Trump administration have been pushed out for a variety of reasons, including ethics violations, being clouded by controversy or simply getting on Trump’s bad side. Typically, the cabinet a president has in place in his first two years is like a “dream team.”

Even at the beginning of his term, Trump was not surrounded by the best and the brightest —and one can only wonder about the quality of the people who will replace those now-empty positions.

After the firing of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson via Twitter, it has become clear that all Trump really cares about is loyalty. He is running the country the same way he ran his businesses, and we should have seen it coming. Trump has never cared about past traditions or decorum, he simply does what he wants and expects those who work for him to accept it. Tillerson has broken from Trump on multiple occasions, whether it was his refusal to back Trump’s statements after the attack in Charlottesville or when he reportedly called the president a “moron.” Tillerson has been replaced by CIA Director Mike Pompeo, who has proven himself

a devoted ally of Trump several times, most recently when he agreed to meet with a peddler of a debunked theory about the email hack of the Democratic National Convention.

Tillerson by no means did a good or even mediocre job as Secretary of State. He gutted the State Department and was reluctant to work with those he kept. Despite this, however, Pompeo will likely be much worse. Tillerson and Cohn were some of the few relatively moderate voices in the cabinet, wheras Pompeo is a hawkish and idealogical hardliner.

On March 16, Donald Trump fired Deputy Director of the FBI Andrew McCabe on McCabe’s 50th birthday and just two days before he was supposed to retire, putting his pension at risk. The move, in addition to being just plain mean, was yet another example of someone investigating the Trump administration being fired. Acting Attorney General Sally Yates, U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara and FBI Director James Comey were all also let go by the president.

McCabe claims that Trump intended to undermine the special counsel’s investigation in which he is a potential witness. McCabe also happens to be one of the first people who raised questions about possible Trump campaign ties to Russia.

It seems as though the further we go into Trump’s presidency, the more chaotic it gets.

Trump is becoming more accustomed to the presidential office, and as a result, is more comfortable doing things that his advisers urge against.

In the same week that McCabe and Tillerson were fired, it has been reported that Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson, chief of staff John Kelly and National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster are all on thin ice. Trump even fired the undersecretary of public affairs for the State Department because he put out a statement saying Tillerson was unaware of his firing and that he, like the rest of us, found out he was let go on Twitter.

The reality is, however, that Trump’s supporters don’t care about White House turmoil. A February poll from SurveyMonkey showed that 89 percent of Republicans support his handling of his presidency. He campaigned on the idea of being anti-system, and if he shows that by breaking the system, then so be it. Trump does not care if the world thinks his adminstration is in disarray. News that should cause a lot of people worry, no matter the concerns they may raise, just drifts by unnoticed.

TIMELINE: JUST A FEW OF THE NOW FORMER TRUMP OFFICIALS

Hope Hicks

Gary Cohn

May 9, 2017

February 28, 2018

March 6, 2018

May 2017

February 2018

Michael Flynn

James Comey

February 14, 2017

National Security Advisor

February 2017

FBI Director

Communications Director Chief Economic Director

Rex Tillerson Andrew McCabe Secretary of State March 15, 2018

March 2018

Deputy FBI Director March 16, 2018

A10 the falconer

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march 23, 2018

For the vice president of the TPHS Speech & Debate Kaiyom (12), being a nationally-ranked Lincoln-Douglas changed his personal demeanor and style and his college plans.

team, Farzaan debater has

Maybe it’s Farzaan Kaiyom’s (12) maroon bomber jacket that catches eyes as he walks through the hall or, for those who prefer to stare at the ground, the Adidas NMDs that he chose for that day.

“I got really into fashion partly because of my taste in music. I listen to a lot of hip-hop and R&B, and artists of those genres never fail to dress … I think I’ve taken a lot of my fashion choices from them,” Kaiyom said.

But while his affinity for streetwear has led some people to refer to him as a “hypebeast,” Kaiyom has spent much of his high school career at debate tournaments — wearing suits.

Kaiyom competes in Policy and Lincoln-Douglas debates and is currently ranked 28th in the nation in the latter category by Victory Briefs Institute, which describes itself as “the nation’s most successful summer debate workshop.”

“Lincoln-Douglas debate is a debate about morals and philosophy,” Kaiyom said. “Policy debate is pretty similar to Lincoln-Douglas debate … but the difference is that Policy topics will always be about a single policy, so it would be, for example, ‘the United States should regulate its education more.’”

His interest in debate was sparked by his cousin, and Kaiyom began competing in local debate tournaments his freshman year at Ronald Reagan High School in San Antonio. After achieving success on the local level, his coach moved him to the traveling team, and, despite initial difficulties, Kaiyom persevered.

“On the local circuit, I was consistently winning tournaments, but on the national circuit, I wouldn’t even make it to elimination rounds, I would be immediately eliminated,” Kaiyom said. “So, the fact that it was more difficult made me want to work harder and succeed on the national level.”

Three years later, Kaiyom has won more awards than he can keep track of and will travel for the second time to the Lincoln-Douglas Tournament of Champions at the University of Kentucky in April. An invitation to the TOC requires that a competitor receive at least two bids, which are earned by performing well at national circuit tournaments.

“This year I got three; I got one at [California State University Long Beach], one at Presentation High School and one at Harvard-Westlake School,” Kaiyom said.

Doing well at a national, or even local, tournament is no small feat. Kaiyom says that during the season or leading up to the TOC, he’s doing about two hours of research every day aside from the speaking drills and practice debates.

“You get evidence for every possible argument you expect to make and then for an argument to answer that argument, so the amount of evidence you need grows exponentially as the year progresses,” Kaiyom said.

When he moved to San Diego the summer before his junior year, Kaiyom selected TPHS over Canyon Crest Academy specifically because of its renowned debate program and was disappointed to discover that the program was no longer the national powerhouse it had once been. As the captain of the TPHS Lincoln-Douglas team, Kaiyom is able to help other debaters and make sure the program still thrives. Because there is hardly funding from the school, he covers some of his own travel and entry costs by fundraising.

Kaiyom is still aware that many schools in San Diego don’t have debate programs because they cannot afford entry and travel expenses. So, he created the San Diego Debate Initiative, an outreach program that runs debate workshops for middle and high schoolers.

“We created a free debate camp where we taught students the basics of public speaking and debate,” Kaiyom said. “The SDI goes further into the city and into the less-fortunate middle schools, and we’ve created programs there.”

Kaiyom dedicated his time to SDI during the summer, but as the school year rolled around it was back to preparing his own debates — that is, until he received his first college admission. For the past few months, Kaiyom has been seen sporting hats or shirts emblazoned with the logo of Stanford University, where he’ll be attending next year.

“I’m doing a joint major in computer science and philosophy,” Kaiyom said. “The philosophical aspect of [Lincoln-Douglas] is the reason that I’m majoring in philosophy.”

Although Kaiyom was admitted to Stanford with no requirement that he debate there, he made the decision to join Stanford’s team because of his love of competing and all of the ways that debate has helped him develop as a person, including boosting his self-confidence.

“It just makes you an all-around better person because it makes you look at society and how things are for other people; it makes you more understanding of the people around you,” Kaiyom said.

On a more unexpected note, Kaiyom cites debate as part of what triggered the evolution of his fashion sense, specifically, a switch from “ill-fitting suits and horrendous ties” to a more tailored look.

“I feel like looking good is a prerequisite to success, especially in debate, where your appearance is always people’s first impression of you,” Kaiyom said. “If you’re looking sharp, people are more intimidated by you.”

If one thing’s for sure, it’s that Kaiyom will be dressed to impress when he steps onto campus this fall.

by Eve Gross-Sable

photo by jocelyn tzeng/falconer

With 15 board members, four assistants and a new executive director, the TPHS Foundation is working to fill in gaps in the school’s budget.

Established in 1993, the TPHS Foundation is a non-profit organization that raises money through donations and fundraising events with the goal of supporting students’ and staff’s educational needs.

Donations can be made to athletic teams, academic clubs, other campus groups, the Teacher Classroom Grant Program or the TP Education Fund, the funds from which go directly into classrooms to support students.

The distribution of funds, which is decided at the beginning of the fiscal year, is split among five categories: Student Connectedness, Pathway Programs, Classroom Support, Challenge Day and Campus Beautification.

Student Connectedness includes AVID, including its college trip; and Peer Assistant Listeners, while Pathway Programs provides funding for classes in the Career and Technical Education pathways.

Donations to Classroom Support provide learning materials and classroom supplies for teachers, and Challenge Day is a program that helps students feel welcome, safe and connected at TPHS. Lastly, Campus Beautification includes ways of renovating the school, like putting up new signs and benches.

During monthly meetings, new Executive Director, Nick Burchfield, who recently replaced Nicole Baril, works with the Foundation board members and Principal Rob Coppo to discuss where to spend money and which of the five categories to prioritize for the year.

They also approve teachers’ requests for items ranging from tripods for Visual Arts, chromebook carts for the English department and muffin tins for Culinary Arts.

In their last meeting, about $70,000 in small grants based on a list of items teachers requested were approved.

Each year in the fall, items funded by the Teacher Classroom Grant Program and requested by individual teachers, are ordered, wrapped and presented in the lecture hall.

The Foundation relies on donors and business partners like Chipotle and Torrey Pines Bank, but also raises money through renting out the school parking lot during the summer to the Del Mar Fair for remote parking.

It has thus far raised $275,000, 84 percent of the goal for the year, and has lots of events planned that need volunteers, such as Challenge Day, Grad Nite, Spring Fling and graduation check-in.

The Foundation board, made up of parents and community members, is currently accepting applications that can be found on the TPHS Foundation website.

by Colette Chiang

A12 the falconer

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The classroom is bustling with paper-shuffling and nervous banter as students quickly review their notes in the hope of cementing the material in their minds before the test. Perched anxiously on the edges of their plastic seats, George Smith* and his friend are painfully aware of their lack of preparation. After the test is distributed and dividers are put up, the two begin to whisper to each other, realizing that their knowledge of the content overlaps just enough to cover all the topics on the test.

In an act of last-minute desperation, they make a pact to cheat off of each other. With calculated shifts in paper placement, Smith and his friend alleviate their GPA-related fears with an easy fix. Their promise to help each other out, however, violates another agreement they already made as TPHS students: the academic honesty policy.

An umbrella term for a wide range of activities, cheating, according to the TPHS academic honesty policy, includes everything from sharing homework answers and plagiarism to unauthorized collaboration on graded activities. The SDUHSD website outlines consequences for cheating that run the gamut from an automatic zero and referral to the removal of school-related leadership positions and suspension.

According to Principal Rob Coppo, the type of consequence given to students who cheat depends on the severity of their actions. Teachers also play a significant role in determining the consequences for academic dishonesty, which vary on a case-bycase basis.

Although they are fully informed of the dire consequences associated with cheating, Smith and his friend are not alone in violating the academic honesty policy. Polling conducted by the Falconer found that 59.7 percent of students admitted to cheating before.

Despite the California Education Code stating that “each teacher shall endeavor to impress upon the minds of the pupils the principles of morality, truth, [and] justice,” the prevalence of cheating at TPHS shows that these values have not been successfully imparted upon the student body. For multiple anonymous student interviewees, cheating is not a moral dilemma and leaves them with no guilt. Rather, cheating is justified and the byproduct of immense academic pressure from parents and peers, which drives students to take any action necessary to maintain the grades expected of them.

“I feel like there is just a pressure to succeed that outweighs any guilt that [students] have,” Smith said.

Among those who see cheating as the only way to meet their parents’ academic goals is Anna Johnson*. Although cheating is challenging in classes like math since “you have to look at the other person’s work,” Johnson cheats “every other time we have a test in classes she doesn’t “really care about.”

“In Chemistry class, the teacher doesn’t pay attention whatsoever, so we literally look at each other’s papers and copy everything down,” Johnson said. “I don’t really feel guilt about it since the teachers don’t really pay attention.”

Anna often cheats because she doesn’t always feel like studying but does not think cheating is limited to less academically-driven students.

“I think that mostly all students cheat because I have seen students in support classes cheating and students in advanced and honors classes still cheating. Everyone cheats,” Johnson said.

According to Denise Pope, Stanford psychologist, senior lecturer and co-author of “Overloaded and Underprepared: Strategies for Stronger Schools and Healthy, Successful Kids,” Anna’s view of cheating as a universal act is backed by data.

“You’ve got cheating rates at 88 percent of the entire population,” Pope said. “It’s not just one population that cheats more. There’s not a difference among populations.”

While Johnson only cheats in classes where she feels her potential of getting caught is low, other students are bolder.

When Spanish teacher Leonor Youngblood was reviewing with a student a few months ago, she didn’t know he took a photo of an upcoming test that was lying face-up on her desk.

She only learned about it later when another student told her what had happened.

“With the rise of technology, we have kids who can take a picture of an answer. We have kids who, right after a test or quiz, text a friend and let them know the answers that have been on the test,” Pope said. “Technology makes transmitting these much easier and at an alarming speed that we are not used to.”

Johnson, like 88.4 percent of TPHS students according to the Falconer’s poll, uses technology for cheating, often sharing homework answers with her friends. Beyond sharing answers, students have gone as far as stealing them.

A few years ago, another student stole Youngblood’s test from her filing cabinet while she was sick at home and a substitute was teaching the class.

After finding out, Youngblood gave the student an F on the exam and contacted the parents. That afternoon, she had to spend several hours creating new tests and making copies for the other teachers in the Spanish department.

For Youngblood, her many years in teaching have made it easy to identify when a student is being honest or not.

Similar answers on more than one test or paper are especially obvious indicators of cheating.

“It’s certainly very disappointing whenever I see them being dishonest in their work,” Youngblood said. “Cheating is a problem that is prevalent all the time.”

Although Youngblood tries not to “dwell too much on cheating” and believes in giving students ample time to redeem themselves, she believes strict consequences help prevent the deceptive act from happening again.

According to Pope, one of the main reasons students cheat is high parental pressure.

“One of the reasons why students cheat is because they believe that their parents want and expect them to get really good grades,” Pope said.

Pope believes parents need to emphasize integrity over academic success.

“As a parent, it is extremely important that you are having thoughtful conversations with your children and love them even if they’re not bringing home straight As,” Pope said. “You’d rather have them receive a good grade honestly than to find out that the grades are only good because they wrongfully cheated.”

Similarly, math teacher Zakia Chowdhury agrees that she would much rather see her son, who is currently a junior at TPHS “get a C on his test … and move on from that mistake,” than cheat by “[running] away from a test that he does not learn anything from.” Over her many years of teaching, Chowdhury has seen various forms of cheating happen both inside and outside of the classroom. Chowdhury tries to remind her students and sons of the importance of academic honesty, which she believes is reflective of a person’s character as a whole.

“You should study ahead of time and do the best you can,” Chowdhury said. “Please don’t participate in a discussion and be purposely not be there on the day of the test.”

Falconer’s poll also allowed students to provide written reasons as to why they cheat. The responses included “I wanted a good score,” “I want to go to college” and “Not enough time.”

Getting away with cheating comes down to opportunity.

When Emily Brown’s* substitute teacher walked out of the class during a test, it only took a few seconds before the usual silence of testing was broken and students began exchanging answers. Brown and the rest of her table group began collaborating with the smartest person at the table.

“Kids took the opportunity and they began cheating on the test so that they could get a better grade,” Brown said. “When

I have seen students in support classes cheating and students in advanced and honors classes still cheating. Everyone cheats.

Anna Johnson*

march 23, 2018

tphsfalconer.com

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the sub came back, he had no idea of what happened.”

While Brown had studied for the test and did not consider it difficult, she still participated in the cheating.

“I guess that the school atmosphere is just like ‘As and stuff,’ and if there is just an opportunity, even people who studied hard, they would rather just take the easier route,” Brown said.

According to Pope, student justifications for cheating signify the difficulty of their coursework.

“I don’t think that cheating is ever justified,” Pope said. “Try not to overload yourself with an excessive amount of AP classes or Honors and extracurricular activities and make sure that you are getting about 8 to 10 hours of sleep every night … when you are sleep deprived, you are more likely to make choices that are purely out of desperation.”

Johnson believes she would not need to resort to cheating if she had the time to study.

“In middle school, everything was a lot easier, and I wasn’t under a lot of time pressure,” Johnson said.

Pope attributes the pervasiveness of cheating to the busy

schedules of high schoolers.

Coppo agreed, citing enrollment of TPHS alumni in prestigious universities as reason as for why parents have high expecatations for their children.

“I think there are a number of reasons why students cheat.

It could be because they have overloaded themselves and are unable to keep up, so it’s a shortcut,” Coppo said.

In the long run, Coppo thinks cheaters only hurt themselves.

“I get the temptation, but any time you take the shortcut and you get a bumper sticker, you’re cheating yourself,” Coppo said.

“Ultimately you’re losing out on that knowledge and that great opportunity to challenge yourself.”

Benefiting from the learning process and committing to treating assessments fairly, however, is difficult to balance with promises to meet parental expectations. So long as her parents continue to pressure her to get As, Johnson is doubtful her cheating habits will end anytime soon.

Will she cheat on any test this week?

“Maybe Chemistry,” Johnson said.

*Names changed to protect identities.

the falconer

A13

A14 the falconer

feature

“Why are you so quiet today?”

Silence ensues and the question is left hanging in the air.

Averting his eyes, Stephen Martindale (11) does not say anything.

On the outside, he seemed fine. Martindale went to his classes, took notes and filled out worksheets. No one, neither teachers nor peers, could have guessed the feelings of numbness and isolation that he bottled up inside him. Close friends were unaware that he was quietly grieving for the death of his grandmother; their attempts to learn about his sudden muteness blocked by a wall of silence.

Martindale had always understood that death is a natural and inevitable aspect of life, yet he had never needed to accept it.

Although he had always been aware of his grandmother’s battle with lung cancer, Martindale and his family had nonetheless found themselves shocked when she died. Upon her death, Martindale searched for ways to cope with his grief by taking the time to relive his memories of her.

“I wrote down some things that I remembered about my grandmother, and looked at photos,” Martindale said. “I remember how we really connected and we would always talk and she’d tell me stories.”

There are five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. According to Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Michelle Vercelli, the length of time, if any, a person dwells in each phase differs from person to person. In many cases, a person’s rationality and emotional stability are compromised because he or she is so caught up in the tragedy.

“In many cases, people don’t know why they are feeling angry or sad [after a person they know dies],” Vercelli said. “[When it comes to grieving], every teen is different. [How they cope with death] depends on the stability of their home, support network, peers and family, as well as the level of their self-esteem.”

Teenagers who already have suffered from serious abandonment issues prior to a loved one’s death are also more likely to struggle with finding closure, according to Vercelli.

While Martindale had a strong support system at home and at school, he still felt uncomfortable about sharing his feelings with others, often going several days without talking to anyone, not even his family or friends. During this time, Martindale’s relationship with other people was not the only thing that was hurt by his grandmother’s death; the temporary isolation that Martindale put himself through triggered a dramatic lack of motivation and focus in everyday aspects of his life that he always had excelled at, including his academic performance.

“My grandmother’s death definitely weakened my friendships for a couple of days,” Martindale said. “I was less involved in clubs and activities. [Death] didn’t exactly affect the quality of my schoolwork, but I didn’t really try as hard … and I was pretty isolated.”

Martindale is only one of the many other TPHS students who had been traumatized by the death of a close family member or friend.

Among TPHS students and staff, Nov. 16, 2014 is a day that will be remembered for the loss of one of the school’s most beloved and respected coaches, Scott Chodorow, who had also served as ASB adviser for 10 years.

Juliette Dicken (12), who was a freshman when Chodorow died, distinctly remembers the heavy impact her former coach’s death had on her and the rest of her teammates.

“It was really sad,” Dickens said. “He was the father figure that held the whole team together. Everyone thought he was invincible and when he did eventually lose his battle with cancer, everyone was like ‘Oh my gosh. What now?’”

Although four years have passed since Chodorow’s death, the school has not forgotten Chodorow and his legacy, least of all his family, which includes his daughter, TPHS sophomore, Jordan. At work, Coach Jon Moore is reminded of his fellow coach, grieving and reminiscing about coping with the loss of his friend.

“Just thinking of good things he did made me smile, how kind he was and how much fun he had doing his job and being a coach,” Moore said. “Like one game during a football game a streaker ran on the field during cheerleading and he had to run out there and tackle him because he

march 23, 2018

didn’t want anything to mess with his cheerleaders.”

After the initial shock of Chodorow’s death, the student body began the grieving process.

“I think it’s very important for people to let the teen go through their natural process and not hurry them, letting them talk about how it feels and not judging anything they’re feeling,” Vercelli said. “Just letting them go those emotions that are very natural and normalizing, not minimizing, but normalizing the stages of grief.”

According to Coach John Olive, who knew Scott Chodorow through their mutual activities of sports and ASB, “the biggest thing is that it’s a part of life. Our passing is a part of life, and we’ve got to understand that that’s the eventuality and it goes at different times for different people. And the second thing would be to seek help if you need it.”

Whether it be to help with the loss of a peer or a death in the family, TPHS counselors are always available to help students through the complex and emotional process of coping with grief. “[TPHS counselors] are really just there to be an open, supportive ear, try to offer some suggestions [or] some support, guide the student, but really just be there for whatever that student might need,” principal Rop Coppo said.

Further into the psychology behind the experiences of grief is the idea that while trauma can be deeply impactful, closure and regrowth are not impossible.

“We’re survivors. We have to move past it. We have to keep going. But that doesn’t mean that that void left by a person is ever going to be forgotten,” Vercilli said. “The raw emotion isn’t going to be there anymore but the sadness will, and that’s okay.”

While Martindale had to cope with the pain of his grandmother’s death, it also changed his perspective on the nature of life and the inevitability of death. Over time, he was able to find closure and regain the strength to return to his life before his grandmother’s death.

“Emotionally, [grieving] helped,” Martindale said.

“It helped me become stronger.”

Going through the daily motions of life helped Martindale find normalcy after his loss.

“Schoolwork actually did distract from just thinking about my grandmother the entire time and so did swimming. It actually helped me to do other stuff,” Martindale said.

But Martindale attributes his sense of closure to the extra time he had to fully process his grandmother’s death.

“I probably wouldn’t have been able to process it [today] as well because I would be too distracted with classes and everything,” Martindale said. “It was actually better that it happened back then ... I was still able to grieve and find closure.”

Martindale has since regained his voice, the muteness and isolation replaced with acceptance and regrowth as time and support have healed him.

by esther choi & vlada demenko photo by jocelyn tzeng/falconer

The Marvel franchise has no trouble spitting out high-grossing action movies, but “Black Panther” has proved itself truly memorable as both a film and a cultural phenomenon. It begins as a quintessential superhero movie, complete with a voiceover intro that details the history of Black Panther, an expositional flashback, and a fight scene less than 10 minutes into the film. But “Black Panther” brings a complexity that is refreshingly unique, as its characters battle not only each other but themselves as they struggle to create the future they want for the country of Wakanda and the world.

The film is set primarily in Wakanda, a fictional African country, home to the precious metal vibranium and the Black Panther, the name for the generational leader of the nation. T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman), son of the late leader, is thrown into power after the sudden death of his father and is forced to navigate ruling his country with the help of Okoye (Danai Gurira), the country’s primary general, and Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o), his friend and ex-girlfriend who has chosen to live outside Wakanda. Challenged by his countrymen over the harshly different, difficult lives of blacks living outside of Wakanda and the looming threat of the villain Erik “Killmonger” Stevens (Michael B. Jordan), T’Challa is forced to decide whether or not to expose the previously concealed Wakanda to the modern world.

“Black Panther” seamlessly incorporates social issues such as racial injustice and political responsibility into the plot, balancing heavy subjects with well-placed comic relief. In this way, “Black Panther” differentiates itself from recent action films such as “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “The Last Jedi” as it doesn’t rely on comedy as a crutch. It works to keep punchlines from hijacking the film, and the few comedic moments incorporated into the movie are used by secondary characters to cut tension. Pop culture references to things such as social media trends are made with taste, and an interesting distinction is created between the African and African-American perspectives that extend even to the music score. Scenes filmed in Wakanda are accompanied by South African Zulu music heavy with deep, rhythmic drum beats, whereas scenes involving the Oakland native Erik “Killmonger” are marked by rap and hip-hop compositions by Kendrick Lamar, 2 Chainz and others.

The film creates incredible depth for its characters and breaks many action movie archetypes. “Black

Since its debut in mid-February, “Black Panther” has received media acclaim for featuring exclusively black culture, primarily black actors and strong black women’s roles, in addition to providing job opportunities for African-Americans in Hollywood.

While it is not the first black superhero film ever to grace the big screen, it is arguably the one that has received the most attention — from both the press and the general public, as the highest-grossing film of 2018 and the 9th highest grossing film of all time.

One reason is the widespread use of social media that was not as prominent a few years ago. On Twitter, the hashtag #WhatBlackPantherMeansToMe started trending around the same time as the movie’s release when people from all around the world began sharing messages about the film. One prevalent message was the empowerment black people felt when they saw themselves being portrayed onscreen in a positive light instead of a negative one.

In the past, the film industry has rarely given roles to black actors other than villains, domestic employees of some sort, typical jokers or muscular bodyguards to black actors. Actress Octavia Spencer received an Academy Award for her work in “The Help,” where she portrayed a maid named Minny Jackson, but with “Black Panther,” black people across the globe finally have the opportunity to see themselves as characters who are both royalty and superheroes. Black children also finally have the chance to look up to heroes they can connect with on a personal level because they look like them.

This sea change in roles for black actors and role models for audiences is a symbol of the small strides that society is making toward achieving racial equality, particularly in the entertainment industry. By having Marvel, one of the most prolific superhero studios in the world, release a film with a predominantly black cast by a black director, black people around the globe can see themselves onscreen as superheroes in a highly profitable film, demonstrating that what they once might hav thought was impossible in the film industry is on its way to becoming the standard. It also doesn’t seem coincidental that “Black Panther” came out in an era in which discrimation against blacks has reappeared in the news with a vengenace.

But this movie does not only provide representation of the black community; women are also a central aspect of the film. Although the main character is a male, women have many important roles. Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) and Okoye (Danai Gurira), are strong female figures who shape Wakandan culture as warriors and executives, driving the plot forward in a variety of ways. In addition, Shuri (Letitia

Panther” reveals that its protagonists aren’t perfect, as T’Chaka (John Kani) is prompted to kill for his country, and his son T’Challa is revealed to be incredibly vulnerable when he is stripped of his Black Panther powers. Moreover, the antagonists aren’t characterized as completely evil, and both “Killmonger” and his father’s paths of destruction are prompted by the injustice they have witnessed and, ironically, the good they want to do for those outside of Wakanda. The female characters of the film revolve around their own ambitions, rather than T’Challa, and provide strong, feminist perspectives that are pivotal in certain scenes.

Most importantly, “Black Panther” firmly dispels the notion that a nonEurocentric film cannot be a financial success. “Black Panther” has passed the 2017 “Beauty and the Beast” to become the highest-grossing film of 2018 and the ninth-largest domestic grosser of all time, with a budget of $200 million and box office revenue of $521 million in the U.S. and over $1 billion worldwide. Audience reaction has been largely positive and reviews from sources like Variety said, “virtually everything that distinguishes ‘Black Panther’ from past Marvel pics works to this stand-alone entry’s advantage.”

With the beautiful African scenery presented as a part of Wakanda, gleaming waterfalls, endless savannas and towering mountains paint a beautiful picture for the central setting of the movie. The dynamic scenery and accompanying score take audiences on a journey through the lush, green jungles of Wakanda to the neon-lit street markets of South Korea, complete with vibrant costumes that reveal the many African cultures represented in the film, and excellent camera angles that plunge viewers into the thick of the movie’s action scenes.

“Black Panther” is a distinctly 21st-century film. The focus of the powerful and unstable vibranium as a central theme to the movie is reminiscent of the danger of nuclear power and destruction that is ever so present and alarming in our current political climate. Furthermore, the clearly non-American perspective of the movie and the way that Americans are regarded throughout the plot as “the foreigner” is refreshing and incredibly humorous. The complexity of the film and its characters at times can be difficult to follow, but also makes watching it a second time to discover Easter eggs greatly satisfying, a shared aspect of many movies in the Marvel franchise.

Director Ryan Coogler has brought the story of the Black Panther to life with pride, loss, anger, and love woven into the film. The production showcases multifaceted characters along with an unpredictable plot, providing a richness that cannot be found in many motion pictures.

by Elaine Song

Wright), who is the King T’Challa’s (Chadwick Boseman) little sister, represents the large strides women are making as leaders in the technology industry.

Another sentiment frequently expressed through the #WhatBlackPantherMeansToMe hashtag was the joy that people felt at the inclusion of African and African-American culture in the film. The costume designers as well as the director, Ryan Coogler, drew inspiration from many African countries to create the unique look and scenery of Wakanda. According to entertainment website Vulture, the designers based the Black Panther’s outfits on 18th-century designs and Nigerian styles to give his character a royal look. Many also recognized the importance of Wakanda and Marvel’s decision to create a a bustling and advanced kingdom. The filmmakers behind “Black Panther” also combined authentic African traditions and languages, which Coogler studied while living in Africa to draw inspiration for the film, with artificial ones they developed to give the movie a sense of genuineness.

While “Black Panther” is not the first film of its kind, it is the first to feature black heroes and women on this scale and with this commercial success. The film represents a milestone for the entertainment industry, but also for black people and people of color all over the world; it signifies that in this era of rampant nationalism worldwide, advances are still being made to end racism.

by Alexei Serguienko photos from internet movie database

A16 the falconer

entertainment

rubicon deli

march 23, 2018

and nicely grilled. While the chicken’s taste matched its stellar appearance, the amount of lettuce in the salad was a bit excessive for my liking, and the huge croutons on the were extremely salty. On the other hand, the dressing on the side had just the right amount of sweetness that complemented the salad’s ingredients well.

Then, I moved onto the half-size sandwiches, which surprised me with their large sizes that could have passed as regular whole sandwiches. I first tried the Dapper Dipper Sandwich, and after getting over the confusion of what the brown sauce next to it was (Au Jus, a thin meatbased gravy, for dipping), I dug in and was impressed with the tenderness of the heaping prime rib in the sandwich, making the slightly more expensive price worth it. The crunchy onion haystacks had great texture, and the Dutch Crunch bread on both sandwiches was perfectly crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.

I finally tried the Rich Boy sandwich, which is apparently the most popular item on the menu. After tasting it, I can see why, as all of the ingredients in the sandwich were delicious on their own and even better when combined. The quality of each ingredient made the sandwich significantly better than most I’ve had before. The chipotle chicken was tender, juicy and well-seasoned with just enough spice, and I loved the fresh avocado and the melted Monterey Jack cheese

4130 La Jolla Village Dr. Ste 104 San Diego, CA 92037 I had never heard of Rubicon Deli before, but with two other locations in San Diego, it seemed like many others had, which made me eager to taste their food at their location in La Jolla, only a few minutes away from Westfield UTC. After glancing at the menu, I realized I could choose from eight different types of bread and from half-sized and whole-sized sandwiches. I decided to order two half sandwiches and a salad, and the cashier who took my order was polite and helpful. She recommended the Dapper Dipper Half-Sandwich ($9.99), the Rich Boy Half-Sandwich ($8.99) and the Chicken Panzanella Salad ($11.99). I decided to try the Dutch Crunch bread, buttered and toasted slices of French bread, on both of my sandwiches, a customers favorite, according to her.

After about seven minutes, my order was delivered.

Everything I ordered looked very appetizing and was presented nicely to show off the natural ingredients.

I first tried the Chicken Panzanella Salad, and I immediately noticed how the chicken looked well-cooked

falcon eats

in the sandwich. Both sandwiches were definitely reasonably priced based on how much food I received.

Both sandwiches also came with homemade potato chips, along with a small chocolate chip cookie on the side. The chips were seasoned with garlic, paprika and sugar, making them addictively delicious, and the glutenfree mini chocolate chip cookies were also amazing with crispy edges and chewy centers with melted chocolate, making them the perfect end to my meal.

Overall, I was very satisfied with my trip to Rubicon Deli, and I would definitely recommend stopping by and taking advantage of their large, reasonably-priced and delicious sandwiches.

by Angela Liu

rich boy sandwich

photo by christy lam/falconer

sandwiches

First, my friends and I ordered the Southwest Chicken Chipotle ($8.50) sandwich, the California ($7.99) sandwich and the Mighty Italian ($7.99) sandwich from the menu, which had a wide variety of sandwiches. The wait time was only 15 minutes for all three sandwiches, which I liked.

When I first tried the Southwest Chicken Chipotle sandwich, I was dismayed to find out that the chipotle sauce was extremely runny and dripped on the plate as soon as I picked it up. However, the sandwich itself made up for the messiness with the flavor. The bread was thick and crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside and it balanced well with the spiciness of the pepperjack cheese and chipotle sauce. For someone with a low spice tolerance like me, this was photo by anna jeong/falconer the perfect sandwich to eat without needing to chug a glass of water. Although it was 50 cents more than Walking into the Sandwhich Emporium was an the other two sandwiches we tried, paying more for experience in itself; without any electric lights above the the Southwest Chicken Chipotle wasn’t worth it, in my tables, the only light in the entire room came from the opinion, but it was still a solid sandwich. windows, which only lined one side of the room. A small We tried the California sandwich next, and I was television mounted on the wall was playing random pleasantly surprised by the large channels with advertisements at a distractingly high sizes of the two sandwiches so volume. The dingy and poorly lit environment accented far. The halved sandwich showed the restaurant’s tables, which were all dark, wooden and all of the ingredients — turkey, slightly sticky, and the soda machine in the back of the provolone, avocado, tomato room had flies buzzing around it, which I found really — which all looked extremely offputting and gross. The shop’s overall environment appealing and fresh. The sandwich was extremely sketchy and dirty — definitely not a itself was creamy and sweet from prime first date spot.

califonia sandwich

the avocados and provolone. The only complaint I had about the sandwich was that there was an imbalance in the ratio of turkey to avocado; the excess of avocado made it too creamy, which could have been fixed by the addition of more turkey.

The last sandwich we ordered was the Mighty Italian sandwich. Like the other sandwiches, it was large and a generous size for the low price. Similar to the Southwest Chicken Chipotle sandwich, there was too much Italian dressing, which leaked onto the plate and made for a messy, less-enjoyable, eating experience. But the overall taste was enjoyable and the bread was the same type as the Southwest Chicken Chipotle’s bread. The different meats like the salami, capicola and the smoked ham were salty and spicy and paired well with the mildtasting bread.

Sandwich Emporium serves undeniably high quality sandwiches, but its ominous and unpleasant environment made the eating experience less enjoyable.

Takeout is a better option.

by Esther Choi

sandwich emporium 8155 Mira Mesa Blvd San Diego, CA 92126

same time.

To begin, I took a bite out of the Thai Chicken Wrap.

Although the carrots were not very tender and the avocados were not that ripe, I was pleasantly surprised at the slightly spicy peanut sauce was.

As I was eating the wrap, I was disappointed when the filling moved to two separate sides.

When I bit into the first side, I got a mouthful of cold lettuce, cucumber, and carrots. With the other, I got a bite of warm soggy rice and the heated and slightly spicy peanut sauce. The contrast between the two sides was somewhat strange, but overall, I liked how the sandwich had a good balance of flavors.

After a pretty decent chicken wrap, I moved onto the Tomcado, which was made up of low-sodium turkey, Vermont Cheddar cheese, avocado and sprouts. The first bite blew me away. The crisp sourdough bread was the perfect complement to the big portion of coldcut turkey. Each bite of the juicy tomato slices, creamy avocado and sharp cheddar added to the refreshing taste. An interesting side note was that the slices of avocado in this sandwich were ripe while they were not in the earlier wrap. An unexpected, yet special part of the sandwich was the organic and fresh sprouts that elevated the overall taste and texture of the Tomcado.

Before this sandwich, I was not especially impressed photo by hayoung park/falconer by the food, but this sandwich changed my view of the

Located in a narrow plaza a few minutes off I-5 in Solana Beach, three umbrella-covered, black tables sit on a stone patio in front of the modest deli. After parking in the cramped parking lot and walking up to the shop, my first impression of Annie’s Cafe Deli was influenced by its dated furniture and decor, with off-white and green limonium floors and peeling white walls. To be honest, this first impression did not encourage high expectations.

After looking at the menu for a few minutes, I ordered the Thai Chicken Wrap ($6.99), the Tomcado ($7.25) sandwich and the Solana Beach Cheesesteak ($6.99).

After a five-minute wait, all three orders came out at the

Thai Chicken Wrap

annie’s cafe and diner 524 Stevens Ave. Ste 12 Solana Beach, CA 92075

deli’s quality.

Coming off the Tomcado, I was expecting great things from the third and last dish: the “Solana Beach” Cheesesteak ($6.99). But I may have made up my mind the deli’s food a little too fast. Even though I knew that the sandwich refers to Solana Beach, I compared the taste of this cheesesteak with that of the classic Philly Cheesesteak. Even though both sandwiches used the same bread, the sourdough on the Cheesesteak had soaked up a lot of the oil from the beef and felt extremely greasy as a result. The vegetables were the only nongreasy element and the sauce in the steak was spicy, but even with those redeeming factors, I could feel the grease in the back of my throat a while after I finished the sandwich.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Thai Chicken wrap and the Tomcado, but the Solana Beach Cheesesteak was a big turn-off. Despite the slightly sketchy furniture, I might come back to Annie’s Cafe Deli for the Tomcado and to talk with friends in the ocean breeze.

by Annie Cheng

tphsfalconer.com

entertainment

Self-expression is a driving force of the Spoken Word Club. When Robin Kong (‘17) began the Spoken Word Club in her sophomore year, she wanted to give students an opportunity to speak their minds through different forms of poetry. For students like co-President Eugene Park, however, Spoken Word is more than just a place to read poetry; it’s where he learned to overcome his fear of public speaking. “[The Spoken Word Club] is an accepting environment where you can share ideas and express yourself without judgment,” Park said.

Co-president Hannah Berman-Schneider (12) and other club members were initially intimidated by sharing their poetry with others but gradually became comfortable with the idea.

“It takes a lot of courage to go up in front of an audience and be that vulnerable and that expressive,” Berman-Schneider said.

Spoken Word Club helped Berman-Schneider feel welcomed to the TPHS community after she moved from Chicago before her junior year. “[I was] super insecure [when I moved to TPHS],” BermanSchneider said. “But finding people I could not only relate to, but people I could openly discuss with in Spoken Word [Club] helped me make so many friends and connections.”

Regardless of the form their poetry takes, the club helps students improve their writing through club critiques after performances.

Members of the club practice by reading their poetry out loud and sharing their thoughts on different aspects of what they have written in order to further improve their writing and performance. Each week, club members take the time to sit down and bounce ideas off each other in order to polish their works.

“I think opening yourself up to critique always benefits your art in any form, whether it be painting or poetry,” club adviser and English teacher Lisa Callender said. “Listening to others who are skilled at that just makes you grow as a creator.”

Spoken word has also helped Park overcome his public speaking anxiety because it required him to interact with his audience vocally to enhance his presence onstage. When Park first started writing poetry, he was fueled by YouTube videos of Kong performing her works. The poetry he wrote tended to avoid serious issues, but gradually he grew into it with the help of Spoken Word Club.

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The club gives students opportunities to talk about universal issues like social justice or mental health, which are relevant everywhere, including high school, and, in doing so, allows members to be aware of the significance of those issues.

“To hold a conversation about [such issues] ... and understand why they’re issues and then hear other people perform about them and understand why they care about them so much gives you an open perspective,” Park said.

Park moved to San Diego from Florida in 4th grade, but he still has painful childhood memories from there. Spoken word became the emotional outlet he needed. As Park worked on writing poetry, he felt that he was able to make peace with his sensitive memories from Florida by being able to “flesh out” his thoughts and emotions.

Inspiration for spoken word poetry is drawn from many places, but Berman-Schneider and Park insist that writers focus on topics they are most familiar with rather than seeking out the typical poetry topics of love, nature or religion.

Park and Berman-Schneider encourage members to step outside of their comfort zones from time to time and explore the feeling of uncertainty and to allow writing and performing to be “so powerful and emotional,” according to Berman-Schneider.

“Poetry, especially at this age, can be about expressing emotions that might be difficult to express in other ways,” Callender said. “So I think that spoken word certainly is a catalyst to express those emotions.”

While the club has grown since it was first founded, the group remains small and has attempted to do much more outreach lately, in setting up summer camps or going to events like open mic nights and the California Association of Teachers of English Convention.

Recently, eight members of the club came together with poet and educator Viet Mai, who specializes in youth empowerment in San Diego, and represented TPHS in a short portion of his performance.

Still, as taxing as performing can be for people new to the art of spoken word, Park and Berman-Schneider firmly believe that the benefits ultimately outweigh the difficulties. Spoken Word Club has provided the two of them access to the fluidity of emotional expression that the art provides and also helps members overcome their public speaking anxiety and decipher complex emotions.

by Jeremy Chung and Estelle Kraft

photo from of shane koyczan

Both characterized by intensity of voice and deep messages, these spoken word albums seek to convey significant yet relatable emotions that help connect listeners and artists.

Remembrance Year Shane Koyczan Shane Koyczan excels at making his poerty songlike with its interesting tempo and varying speed and intensity. His stories seem to be extremely personal but are told in a way that feels relatable.

His voice harbors emotion and impact in every piece, especially on “To This Day.” Background instrumentals help convey Koyczan’s feelings to the listener and makes the album overall sound more professional and passionate. The well-produced album has deeply significant meaning and feeling behind each line.

Cataracts levi the poet While there is a deep message behind Levi the Poet’s words, the combination of many different factors overpowers his words and the meaning is easily lost. Right off the bat, Levi sounds as though he’s out of breath, and a few seconds later the background instrumentals pick up intensity and the anger in Levi’s voice becomes more prominent.

However, the ability of his combination of music and voice to lead the listener between anger, fear, sadness and excitement is unique and makes listening to the tracks enjoyable.

photo from of come&live!

words by vlada demenko

A18 the falconer

entertainment

march 23, 2018

Since the 1960s, Asian media has spread throughout the United States and among nonAsian audiences. Especially in San Diego, where 11.19 percent of the population is either Asian or Pacific Islander, the impact of Asian media has resounded through the area.

From dance crazes to 13-member boy groups, Korean Pop, or K-Pop, has risen to the tops of numerous international charts.

of K-Pop music video views on YouTube come from outside of the Korean Peninsula.

South Korea has the 8th largest market for recorded music despite its population of only 51 million.

BTS sold 1,760,008 albums in 2017 EXO sold 1,743,314 albums in 2017 WANNA ONE sold 1,085,642 albums in 2017 has been featured on American television programs like “The Ellen Show,” “The Late Late Show” and the “American Music Awards.”

Information from allkpop, Bloomberg, Billboard photo from vogue infographic by sumin hwang

Loud, obnoxious and quite literally explosive, PSY’s With the international spread of Asian media, Asian international hit song and music video, “Gangnam Style,” entertainment labels and networks have also taken steps to featured the Korean pop star running around South Korea, cater to their new audiences. In 2011, English integration driving luxury cars, blowing up pedestrians and wreaking was limited to random English lyrics and phrases (like PSY’s havoc. An overnight sensation, PSY’s music video became “You know what I’m sayin?”). But now, bands, like the boy the first video to top 1 billion views on YouTube and earned band Seventeen, feature American members who conduct him priceless mainstream media attention. Despite the many of the international interviews and perform English the video’s catchy tune and signature catch phrase (“Oppa verses in their songs. Asian countries like Korea and China Gangnam Style”) unintentionally made the international hit have also adapted American television programs, like “The the first venture into K-pop and similar Asian music styles Voice”, even featuring artists like Jessie J as contestants. for many Americans.

“Something I noticed is that nowadays they have a According to Brian Hu, artistic director of the Pacific Korean title and they have a separate English title for the Arts Movement, a San Diego-based media arts organization same song,” Yerin You (12) said. “Most group names are in focused on Asian and Asian-American entertainment, the English and the songs also have a lot of English in them.” rapid spread of Asian pop culture to America started as early But Sha said that the reason for the success of Asian as the 1960s. entertainment in the U.S. may be the familiarity of the “After 1964, with the generation of folks from Asia being original Asian languages. able to immigrate to “I think Asian media the U.S. more freely, in the U.S. is different there tended to be more from traditional, interaction between mainstream media the United States and in the U.S. perhaps Asia,” Hu said. “As that primarily in the generation grew up diversity of languages and as that generation in which Asian media had kids, they tend to are offered,” Sha said. be a little more mobile “There are newspapers and culturally flexible, in Chinese, newspapers so they became the in Japanese, and mediators for a lot of Vietnamese TV pop culture from Asia stations. So I think coming to the United that Asian media has States.” an effect on the U.S. While PSY is because of its method largely known for his of reaching audiences Brian Hu carefree energy, Asian by using the original Artistic Director of the Pacific Arts Movement musicians and bands languages that Asians are generally bound by living in the U.S. are contracts, which leave familiar with.” artists with little control of their pay and work hours. In TPHS Chinese teacher IFang Wang said that a country’s 2009, Korean boy band Dong Bang Shin Ki filed a lawsuit economic success may also influence the spread of a country’s against its record label, seeking release from their 13-year culture. contract that gave them little to no profits from tours and Although only 11.19 percent of San Diego is Asian or record sales. Ultimately, the courts ruled in the band’s favor, Pacific Islander, according to the San Diego Health & Human but the disbanding of the group shed a harsh light on the Services Unit, Asian media has established its presence in pressures that Asian musicians face before their debuts. the region, with frequent Asian film screenings in San Diego But, those who are able to bear the trials of the large as well as radio stations specifically dedicated to Asian media corporation’s training regimens are now able to access music. You said that she has had little trouble finding a an increasingly global audience. Since 2011, Asian culture community of individuals who share her interests in Asian has continued to pervade the American mainstream, with entertainment at TPHS, which is 22.6 percent Asian or Asian music groups like BTS performing at the American Pacific Islander (20.4 percent Asian and 2.2 percent Pacific Music Awards and making appearances on “The Ellen Show” Islander). and “The Late Late Show with James Corden.”

“After coming to America, I just kept listening to Korean Apart from Eastern Asia, countries in South Asia have music,” You said. “I’m proud because when I first came here also breached the American market through film and Korean music wasn’t that big, and it’s cool to see that a lot television. The Bollywood film industry is also the largest in of people are interested in Korean culture all of a sudden.” the world, with 1,602 films produced in 2012 alone while the Sara Shoushtari (‘17), who now hosts a radio show at U.S. produced only 476 films. In the same year, Hollywood Boston University, said that growing up in San Diego sold 1.36 billion tickets compared to Bollywood’s 2.6 billion, “impact[ed] her awareness of Asian media.” nearly double of Hollywood’s, according to Forbes. According “I think that really impacts the presence of Asian media to Forbes, California is also the state with the most Indo- and takes it out from being in the fringes and into more American film screenings. Forbes also estimated that in any mainstream culture, for the simple reason that there is a given week of May 2017, there were around 118 Indian film large population consuming that media,” Shoushtari said. screenings in California alone.

But, despite growing up in San Diego, Rachel Lee (‘17), “You see all of these Indian actresses coming to American a participant in the 2017 Pacific Arts Movement San Diego cinema and movies,” Tavisha Thapar (12) said. “I think Asian Film Festival, still said that she feels some disconnect it feels my group of people is being spoken to. I think, my to Asian culture as an Asian-American. generation, especially the generation of kids who are born “At first glance, I am obviously Asian, but the American from immigrants ... we try to connect to the culture of our part of me is very much there,” Lee said. “I get American families more and, by doing that, we put in more effort to jokes, but not always Korean ones and therefore can’t connect with our cultures. So we bring that awareness, and appreciate Korean shows or jokes the same way my parents we spread that to our friends who are not Asian, or to people, or friends do. The way I mentally process and do certain who are second- or third-generation immigrants.” things are more ‘American.’”

San Diego State University Media Studies Professor Thapar agrees that it is often difficult to find a community Bey-Ling Sha said that trying to classify “Asian media” as interested in Asian media at TPHS. homogeneous is “inaccurate.”

“The closest I can get to finding a community would be at “The diversity of Asian culture is never fully addressed,” school, but especially for Indians, there are a lot of differences Sha said. “Asia is a very huge continent with diversity of between Indians, too,” Thapar said “So when I find an Indian cultures, so one definite issue in the United States is the community, a lot of times, they’re from different parts of perception of Asia being this single culture, when really India so it’s weird and hard to relate. Also, outside of school, that’s not accurate.” there’s not much, so it makes thing harder there.”

“As that generation grew up ... they tend to be a little more mobile and culturally flexible so they became the mediators for a lot of pop culture from Asia coming to the United States.”

entertainment

tphsfalconer.com

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Asian-American actors and actresses are often stereotyped as nerds and number pushers in Hollywood productions and broadcast TV. Despite the popularity of Asian music styles and cinema, American media has yet to resolve several deep-rooted Asian archetypes.

Even though PSY exposed many outside Asia to Asian media and culture, Asian-Americans largely remain a minority in American media.

“Western media are very stereotyped when it comes to Asians,” Lee said.

“We’re usually labeled as smart, uptight and kind of quirky, which isn’t bad and isn’t necessarily completely false, but when Western media, especially Hollywood, exploits this and makes it a stereotype based on culture, it’s unfair.”

Today, Asian stereotypes act as barriers for many Asians in the entertainment industry, where roles are often confined to the narrow pool set by those stereotypes, according to Hu. Although PSY’s video shattered many of these misconceptions by showing Asians as playful and creative, Hu still believes that the popularity of Asian pop culture, like K-pop, may not necessarily translate into significant inroads for Asians in Western media.

“The excitement for K-pop in the United States is not really translated to something more than a famous Korean star in the sixth role in a Hollywood film, which, to me, isn’t making much of a significant impact,” Hu said. “And IFang Wang then when things like ‘Gangnam Style’ happen it feels like a one-off.

Chinese Teacher … I’ve been around long enough to see that every few years Asia becomes the flavor of the moment, and it’s cyclical.”

According to a study conducted by the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communications and Journalism, only 5.1 percent of speaking roles across film and television in 2014 were played by Asians or AsianAmericans. Even when Asians are given screen time, 87 percent of the actors are on the air for less than half of the episode and 68 percent of broadcast television programs only feature one Asian main role, according to a 2017 study conducted

by Christina B. Chin, Meera E. Deo, et. al.

“There are kind of stereotypes that you see in all industries, stereotypes of Asian people not being creative or they’re just number pushers,” Hu said. “They know how to do the work, but not necessarily think outside the box and in a creative industry like music, film or television that’s not cutting it.”

Thapar also said that Asian stereotypes in media affect high schoolers who may feel pressured to shape their goals around standards set by entertainment tropes.

“It puts a little bit of pressure because it kind of perpetuates the stereotype that all Asian kids are high-achieving and go to Harvard or Yale or something,” Thapar said. “Then, when you have kids for whom academics is not their strongest suit or who don’t play musical instruments, because of the pervasiveness of media stereotypes, you feel like you failed people in a way when, really, you haven’t.”

While Hu and Thapar believe that the media may play a role in maintaining harmful stereotypes, You said she has “never really found a correlation between

the stereotypes and the Westernization of media.”

Wang also said that she doesn’t believe that Western stereotypes hinder Asian-Americans looking to enter the entertainment industry and believes that it is important for Asian-American actors to “change certain aspects of their performances and art to cater to more Western audiences.”

“I do not think Asian stereotypes hinder the spread of Asian media,” Wang said.

“Now the Asian actors and actresses are playing important roles in the Western movies, too. If Asian media stars change certain aspects of their performances and art, they can reach out and spread their own views and culture to other western nations ... It is not completely resolved yet but has been making progress over time.”

Despite the existing stereotypes, several Asian-American content creators have made waves with their own programs and industries, that specifically target American audiences. In 2015, the pilot for “Fresh Off the Boat,” a loosely biographical TV show about chef and internet personality Eddie Huang’s upbringing, aired. Featuring a primarily Asian cast, the show was one of the first to depict the daily lives of an Asian family adapting to American culture; it is also the first sitcom to air on an American primetime network since Margaret Cho’s “All American Girl” in 1994.

“Hollywood has been moving toward a solution but it’s gradual,” Lee said.

“For example, ‘Fresh Off the Boat’ is a show with Asians but with multi-faceted characters ,not just an Asian math kid ... There’s a start in that American media are starting to recognize Asian media, like Marvel unofficially making Chinese and Korean superheroes and ABC remaking Korean dramas in American adaptations.”

While Hu believes that shows featuring primarily Asian narratives prove that those stories can be successful, he has yet to see those shows “change the media landscape.”

“Often in conversations about Asians in entertainment in the mainstream, they’ll point to ‘Fresh Off the Boat,’ like its existence proves that [success] is possible,” Hu said. “So really it’s just kind of on that surface level and say ‘Hey, this is possible, it can succeed, it can be popular.’ But it’s not like anybody on ‘Fresh Off the Boat’ has now made major deals in Hollywood.”

For the billions who viewed “Gangnam Style” on YouTube, PSY was just that summer’s laughingstock. But, possibly unbeknownst to many, it was also their first introduction to Asian pop culture. While PSY’s song may not have resolved the stereotypes, popular culture from all regions of Asia have undeniably continued to influence Western entertainment, slowly pushing the needle of American media along with it.

“If Asian media stars change certain aspects of their performances, art they can reach out and spread their own views and culture to other western nations.”

88Rising

fresh off the boat

Media Company

Sean Miyashiro in July 2015

TV Show

crazy rich asians Upcoming Movie

Nahnatchka Khan

August 17, 2018

The show is loosely biographical and based on chef and TV personality Eddie Huang’s book: “Fresh Off the Boat: A Memoir.”

The author of the original novel: “Crazy Rich Asians”

in February 2015

Kevin Kwan

“Glow Like Dat”- Rich Brian Rich Brian is one of 88rising’s breakout stars; he was also the first Asian to reach #1 on the iTunes Rap Charts with “Amen.”

Higher Brothers, Josh Pan, Keith Ape, NIKI and Rina Sawayama

viewers during Season 3

Hudson Yang plays a young Eddie Huang growing up in Orlando, Fla. with his parents and two younger brothers.

Warner Brothers

Constance Wu will star as Rachel Chu, who travels to Singapore with her boyfriend (Henry Golding) for a wedding, unknowingly exposing herself to the culture and lifestyle of the Singaporean elite. photos from internet movie database and xxl mag

Information from Forbes, Internet Movie Database and Social Blade

s p o rts corner

By Luke Modugno STAFF WRITER

Boys lacrosse declaws Wildcats in rivalry

By Graham Rice STAFF WRITER

Propelled by a dominant finish to the first half, the TPHS boys lacrosse team (3-0) handled the No. 1 team on the West Coast, San Francisco’s St. Ignatius Prepatory Academy Wildcats (3-3) 10-6 on March 16.

After failing to score during a twominute power play to open the game, St. Ignatius capitalized on a TPHS turnover to quickly jump to a 0-1 lead. Following a St. Ignatius timeout, Alex Pistorius (11) set up Blake Erlbeck (10) to tie the game at one before scoring a goal of his own, assisted

by Shayne Grant (12) to give the Falcons a quarter-ending lead.

The Wildcats struck first in the second quarter after a steal by defender James Gilfillan. Midfielder Mark Stephens scored unassisted after taking a flurry of hits from Falcon defenders to tie the game at two. Two out of bounds wins after missed shots by St. Ignatius allowed enough opportunities for Payton St. Geme to score his second goal of the night and put the Wildcats ahead by one.

Pistorius responded with a quick goal and the Falcons’ offense flipped a switch after a scoring lull and attacked for four more goals.

Grant scored his first and only goal of the night shortly after.

“We worked together. Our quick ball movement was able to make everyone open for a good win tonight with the boys,” head coach Grant said.

A one-minute penalty on St. Ignatius for slashing gave the Falcons a single man advantage and Erlbeck buried another goal in the net assisted by Porter Hollen (11) as the Falcons took a 5-3 lead.

With 1:18 remaining in the half, TPHS defenseman Marco Napolitano (11) stole the ball and Grant found Christian Rasmussen (10) for one of his four assists and Rasmussen’s only goal as the rout continued. Teagan Bultman (10) won the faceoff and launched the ball into Wildcat territory, picked it up, and scored unassisted to send the Falcons into halftime with a 7-3 lead.

“We were all over the field. We played with energy, hustled. They’re good and

we’re good. Usually the biggest difference is who is playing harder,” head coach Jono Zissi said.

Momentum began to shift in the second half as St. Ignatius scored after a cut into open space and assist by midfielder Samuel Parkinson. St. Geme scored with six minutes remaining in the third quarter to bring the game within two goals. On the following Wildcat possession, Makail Fraboni (12) was issued a oneminute penalty for an illegal check and backup goalie Steve Lauter (11) entered the game and made a momentumshifting save before Erlbeck netted his 3rd goal with an assist from Hollen.

Fraboni, who recorded eight saves on 18 shots, led the defense to an outstanding performance — forcing eight turnovers and executing on 10 of 11 clears.

“I made sure I’m seeing the ball well and stepping right to it and that I’m getting my hands there. I also made sure the defense is in the right place,” Fraboni said.

With four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, St. Ignatius was penalized one minute for an illegal body check.

Less than 30 seconds later, the Falcons capitalized on the man advantage yet again for Erlbeck’s fourth goal and Grant’s fourth and final assist of the night. The lead was extended to 10-5 with Erlbeck’s fifth goal of the night. With time winding down, St.

“It’s a really great rivalry we’ve played for seven years in a row now—The North versus the South for bragging rights” Jono Zissi

photos by hayoung park/falconer

NO MERCY: Porter Hollen (9) scans upfield for a pass. Hollen’s passing helped him rack up two assists on the night (TOP). Makail Fraboni (44) stands his ground as a Wildcat looks to shoot.

Fraboni recorded eight saves (MIDDLE).

Jonathan Ford (4) challanges an oncoming Wildcat forward. Physical play led to eight turnovers for the Falcon defense (ABOVE).

Ignatius scored once more for a final of 106. TPHS, which stood at No. 3 on the West Coast, is likely to rise in regional ranking after defeating the eight-time defending West Coast Athletic League champions.

“It’s a really great rivalry we’ve played for seven years in a row now. The North versus the South for bragging rights,” said Zissi.

TPHS takes on Del Mar Heights rival Cathedral Catholic at 7 p.m. at Ed Burke Field on Friday, March 23.

Since the creation of organized professional sports, Americans have watched and followed leagues such as the NBA and NFL as ways to forget about their daily stress and detach from reality for a brief moment.

With the continually polarizing political climate that exists in the United States today, a sizeable number of athletes have spoken out and used their platforms to express their political opinions — a trend that has completely changed the way sports stars are viewed today.

Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James happens to be one of these athletes. James has spoken to the media and posted on social media about a number of issues including sex trafficking, gun control, racial inequality and anthem protests.

James also uses his enormous fame to promote his charity, the LeBron James Family Foundation, which helps disadvantaged youth in Ohio stay in school and helps pay for their college tuition.

Doesn’t seem like an issue, does it?

Well, featured in an episode of “Rolling With The Champion,” LeBron’s web series, the NBA star made comments about President Donald Trump’s lack of leadership ability.

“The number one job in America, the appointed person is someone who doesn’t understand the people,” James said.

In response, Fox News anchor Laura Ingraham blasted James, calling him a “dumb jock” and admonishing him to “shut up and dribble.”

James has had an indelible impact on the lives of many young kids in America. He’s an incredible role model, and a inspirational figure to everyone who knows his story.

For someone to determine his intelligence level and qualification to speak on political issues based on his criticism of Trump’s leadership skills is outrageous. Ingraham has not only taken aim at James over his Trump comments, she’s also attacked Robert DeNiro, Jimmy Kimmel and Gregg Popovich.

It’s almost as if you disagree with Ingraham’s views, you’re immediately painted as uneducated and not intelligible enough to speak about issues that affect you on a daily basis.

No matter how qualified Ingraham thinks James is to speak out on politics, his influence on young minds is undeniable. James has about 44,000 times more followers on Instagram than Ingraham does. LeBron helps kids stay in school and even pays for tuition for some students, while Ingraham smears celebrities names because their political beliefs are different from hers.

James has helped about 15,000 families across Ohio put food on their tables through food drives and care packages, while Ingraham doesn’t have a foundation or charity at all.

While Ingraham continues to sit back and complain about celebrities’ right to express their opinions about the president, James chooses to be a force of positivity in America, which despite anyone’s personal political beliefs, is commendable.

James is all too important to his community, basketball and the youth to “shut up and dribble,” and he isn’t planning on doing that anytime soon.

“I know my purpose and its for damn sure bigger than just dribbling a basketball.”

sports

tphsfalconer.com

DAY IN THE

LIFE

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A21

After a torn ACL took him off the soccer field, Juan Conde (12) takes his shot at the lucrative and emerging world of eSports.

Sweaty palms, late nights and intense concentration summarize a typical night for “FIFA” player Juan Conde (12).

“I started playing ‘FIFA’ when I was about 10 years old,” Conde said. “That was back when I played it on the PSP and PlayStation 2; I was just having fun.”

Although Conde can often be found on Xbox Live playing “FIFA”, “Call Of Duty” or “Fortnite” with his friends, he isn’t a typical gamer.

“Last year I played ‘FIFA’ about 2-3 hours a day, 5 to 6 days a week. Occasionally I’d spend 6 or 7 hours on the weekends,” Conde said.

Conde is a competitive “FIFA” player, who competes in the rapidly growing eSports scene across the globe. He goes up against the best “FIFA” players in the world, across the internet, as well as in tournaments held in large venues across the country.

“I’ve competed in many online tournaments, too many to count. I’ve competed in five [live] events, three of them were highly attended, the other two weren’t as much. I won two of the five and placed top three in the rest,” Conde said.

With the rising popularity of eSports in the U.S., prizes at those tournaments are no longer a trophy and some bragging rights. Although Conde didn’t disclose how much he has made competing in tournaments, the average prize pool for first place finishers at “FIFA 17” tournaments ranged from $2,000 to $10,000.

Preparation for those tournaments requires a grueling practice regimen. Conde has enlisted help from a coach.

“Yes, I did have a coach. He used to play for Epsilon, which used to be the biggest ‘FIFA’ eSports team on the scene. He just told me what I needed to improve on, and for the online events he’d analyze my opponents … he’d make me watch some gameplay as well,” Conde said.

While Conde has enjoyed many accomplishments and successes over the last year playing competitive “FIFA,” he never envisioned himself playing the game for anything more than entertainment. Conde played varsity soccer at TPHS for both his sophomore and junior years, until he sustained a significant leg injury.

“I honestly thought soccer was going to be my way of paying for college. I remember the day before I got injured I had gotten a couple calls from colleges that had seen me play and wanted to watch me play more,” Conde said.

Then, as Conde was making a run up the field in one of his varsity soccer matches, he was blindsided by a slide tackle, and tore his ACL. “If my ACL injury never happened, I probably wouldn’t be interviewing with you right now; my schedule would be completely different and ‘FIFA’ would’ve been something I wouldn’t have time to play,” Conde said.

Doctors told Conde he may never play soccer again. With this devastating news, Conde turned to physical fitness to help him through his rehabilitation process after knee surgery.

“I was into fitness [before], but it only grew even more after

my injury. I had my surgery and eventually didn’t need a brace anymore,” Conde said. “But even with the brace, I was still lifting. I used to be 125 pounds when I played soccer. Now I’m about 158-162, a lot bigger, a lot stronger and a lot more confident in my own shoes.”

With newly-gained free time due to the absence of daily soccer practice, Conde decided to take playing “FIFA” a bit more seriously.

“I usually had [soccer] practice Monday through Thursday for about 2 hours. I remember that next Monday after my injury I had nothing else to do, so I picked up a controller and started to play. This happened for a good two months straight,” Conde said. “One day I played a pro player named Rafael Fortes, who plays for the PSG Esports team. I ended up winning the game 4-1 and he invited me to a party chat. We talked a lot and he invited me to tournaments where you play other pro players. That’s when everything started getting competitive.”

Along with Conde, millions of gamers across the world are using eSports as a reliable source of income.

Following an offer from a professional “FIFA” eSports team, Conde contemplated the benefits of a good salary and dedicating even more hours to hone his skills, but decided to forgo the opportunity to follow other passions. “eSports is now becoming a full time job for people and I’m sure more teams are going to be created and more events are going to take place. I had the opportunity to join a pro team several times with a good salary, one that you might not get out of college, but I decided to opt out because I had other goals besides ‘FIFA,’” Conde said.

Friendly competition has historically been a part of video game culture, but it wasn’t until 2004 that professional gamers and organized “FIFA” events started to surge in popularity. The “FIFA” eWorld Cup, founded by EA Sports and “FIFA.” brings together the best “FIFA” players to crown a world champion with cash prizes exceeding $200,000. Those events give players like Conde, who don’t have the time and resources to dedicate their entire day to a video game, the opportunity to change their lives through gaming. “eSports is definitely on the rise in America. I know for “FIFA” they made an [eMajor League Soccer] league which is super sick. Also ‘Fortnite’ is pounding on the wall for a competitive scene, and I’m positive it will pretty soon and hopefully it does, I’d love to see that,” Conde said.

The rise of competitive gaming has allowed Conde to forget about the circumstances that lead to the end of his soccer career while pursuing a new one with a gaming console.

by Luke Modugno and Graham Rice photo by jocelyn tzeng/falconer

A22 the falconer

sports

march 23, 2018

Boys soccer team secures first ever CIF SoCal Regional Title

By Michael Nirula SPORTS EDITOR

Free Cardiac Screening For Ages 12-25

The TPHS boys soccer team (26-1-4) captured its first ever CIF Southern California Boys Soccer title on March 10 after defeating Arlington High School 2-1, Montebello High School 1-0 and Sotomayor High School 3-1 in the final.

“This is the first time boys soccer has won this championship ever. So looking at that, these guys made some history for themselves which is pretty cool,” head coach Andy Hargreaves said.

In the quarterfinals, the Falcons faced Arlington High School of Riverside. Even though the Lions had a “few good players on their squad,” the Falcons controlled long periods of the game and ended up winning pretty comfortably.

“Our ball control is what essentially won us the game 3-1,” Hargreaves said. “Also, their goal came on a free kick at the end, so we were able to win pretty comfortably.”

In the next round, the Falcons edged Montebello High School head coach 1-0 after Ryan Turek broke the deadlock late in the game.

“They gave us possibly our toughest test in the playoffs, but I think overall we had 60 to 70 percent of the possession, so we toughed it out,” Hargreaves said.

After sweeping past Arlington and escaping Montebello, the Falcons took on Sotomayor High School of Los Angeles for the trophy. Despite striking first in the 21st minute, the Wolves responded only a minute later with a goal of their own. The scoreline remained at 1-1 until Geffen Cooper’s (12) 75th minute strike put the trophy in sight. Another goal from Sangtiago Majewski (12) secured a 3-1 win and the championship.

“Montebello was different from any other team we played in the last month. They played good soccer,

opened up the field and gave us challenges we had not seen before. It could have gone either way,” Hargreaves said.

While boys soccer has had its fair share of runs in past CIF Southern California tournaments, this is the first year they won it all. Hargreaves said what sets this year’s squad apart from past ones is its dedication.

“We have got a lot of kids on this team who are very dedicated students and very dedicated soccer players,” Hargreaves said. “So, they were dedicated in practice and on the field they and did whatever they needed to do. ” Forward Ted Merrfield (11) says he recalls last year’s “devestating” first round exit to the CIF playoffs, a loss that makes this year’s victory all the more important.

“Last year, right when the whistle blew, all the seniors fell on their knees and that was devastating because that was the last high school soccer game that they would ever play,” Merrifield said. “I think ending on a high note with a win for the seniors this year was huge. I don’t know what it would have been like to go out on a loss.”

Although he says the team’s roster is deep and everyone contributed this year, Merrfield said senior captains Grayson LeRose and Majewski were the biggest keys to the team’s success.

“They were keeping us in the right mindset, keeping us motivated and helping us push through because it is a pretty long season, 30 games I think, so I think they really pushed us and throughout the season,” Merrfield said.

With the CIF SoCal Championship title capping off a historic season, Hargreaves says that the team’s great camaraderie, great attendence and dedicated practice and play are some things he can look back on and be proud of.

“With this team, we had great camaraderie, practiced and played hard and never took our foot off the gas.”

Andy Hargreaves

Sunday, March 25 9am to 3pm at TPHS

tphsfalconer.com

sports

brandon platt track and field march 15 3:33:13

camera: nikon d610 lens: nikon nikkor 80-200 f2.8 iso: 100 exp: 1/1600 seconds f/stop: 2.8 by david vapnek

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Chance me for all the schools my friends applied to?

03-10-18 at 3:04 A.M. in Chance me for all the ...

squarehead Registered User 293180 Posts

My name is Ronald and I really want to go to Appalachian State University. I have a 1.2 GPA and a 12 ACT, and I know these scores are a just a tiny bit low, but I have a good EC. Two weeks ago, I started volunteering at my local grocery store. I got fired from my job as a bagger, but they let me stay on for no pay when I begged. Chance me for App State!!

P.S. I have eczema. Is this a special circumstance? Can I get financial aid for it? I wrote my essay about the time I forgot to bring my eczema cream with me to a sleepover.

Replies to Chance me for all the ...

GetOuttaBuffalo Registered User 22560 Posts

03-10-18 at 3:05 A.M.

stormiwebster

03-10-18 at 3:06 A.M.

Registered User 19 Posts

I was just born, but I know my net worth is already more than the number of posts you’ve written. I say you have a good chance of getting into App State. I don’t know much about skin conditions, but my dad has a song called “Goosebumps.”

glucose101

06-20-19 at 4:56 P.M.

Registered User 1 Post

@GetOuttaBuffalo You’re right. The essay was too graphic. As an App State admissions officer, I had to read a lot of bad essays, but your son is the reason I have an irrational fear of scaley patches.

@squarehead My son had eczema. He wrote about it in his Common App essay, but we think it might have been the reason he got rejected because it may have been a little too graphic. Don’t get your hopes up.

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