January 2017 Falconer

Falconer

The Torrey Pines High School

Friday, January 13, 2017

Vol. 42, Issue 4, 28 pages

www.tphsfalconer.com

Fundraiser held for scholarship in Nick Leslie’s memory

by Angela Liu

PHOTOS BY LAUREN ZHANG/FALCONER

The Nicholas Leslie Memorial Fundraiser for a scholarship in Leslie’s name was held by the TPHS Scholarship Fund at Powerhouse Park in Del Mar on Jan. 7 from 12-2 p.m. The TPHSSF is a group of volunteers who dedicate their time and resources to ensure TPHS seniors are recognized for their achievements with money for college.

Leslie (‘14) was murdered in the July 14, 2016 terrorist truck attack in Nice, France. TPHSSF board member Sharon Leib first came up with the idea of the scholarship in October, and TPHSSF president Mary Stromitis proposed the idea of the fundraiser last November.

This was the first fundraiser held for the scholarship. “[The fundraiser was held] to celebrate Nick’s life and the values that he stood for,” Leib said. “[It also gave] the community an opportunity to come out and support the Leslies … There were so many people who wanted to do something for the Leslies, and this gave everyone the opportunity to do so.”

According to Nick’s father, Conrad Leslie, he and Leib had never met before Saturday, but Leib “took it upon herself” to organize this scholarship and reached out to him. Leib did not know Nick personally either.

“I’ve been corresponding with Conrad and Nick’s mother Paola [Leslie] by

email for about three months,” Leib said. “But I never met them in person until today.”

Tickets were sold on the TPHSSF website for $20 in advance, and for $30 at the door. Volunteers also gave attendees raffle tickets to win a brewery tour for 10 people, which was donated by the San Diego Brewery Tour. According to Leib, use of the tents, chairs and equipment, such as the microphone and speakers used during the event was donated by the Del Mar lifeguards. Food was donated by Jersey Mike’s Subs, Local Greens, Subway, the Leib family and one of Paola Leslie’s closest friends, Shelley Hayden.

Leib gave a welcome speech, which was followed by speeches by Speaker of the California State Assembly, Toni Atkins, and the California Assemblyman and 78th District Representative, Todd Gloria, about the importance of a community coming together. Atkins, who is a friend of Leib’s, was invited to the event and asked to speak by Leib.

Gloria said he “was invited as the state assembly member for Del Mar to offer the state’s condolences to Nick’s parents and the broader community.”

According to Conrad, Atkins and Gloria also presented Paola and him with certificates of merit for Nick, in recognition of his accomplishments.

At 1 p.m., Conrad Leslie spoke about the importance of creating something positive out of tragedy like his son’s death. A crew from 10News, the San Diego ABC affiliate, was also present at the event, and they filmed Conrad and interviewed him after his speech.

Leib said the first recipient of the scholarship will be chosen in April and will be awarded the scholarship in May. “We’re hoping that the Leslies will come to the ceremony and be there to see who the first recipient is,” Leib said.

Leib is currently still working with Conrad and Paola on the details of who will be considered for the scholarship.

“We haven’t specifically delineated the criteria yet,” Leib said. “But it’s going to be someone who has a global perspective, wants to study business, is into the environment and sustainability and I think the fourth [requirement] is going to be someone who’s going to college here in California.”

Leib still plans to meet with Conrad and Paola to decide if they want to award one $1,000 scholarship to one student or two $500 scholarships to two students.

According to Conrad, he is happy that the scholarship will be able to help other students pursue their dreams and that it is giving Nick the opportunity to influence other students.

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CARRYING ON A LEGACY: An event attendee signs in at the front table at Powerhouse Park in Del Mar (LEFT).

Conrad Leslie speaks to a 10News reporter in front of cameras after giving a speech to around 120 guests. His speech touched on lessons learned from the passing of his son, Nick Leslie, and the purpose of the scholarship (MIDDLE).

Balloons decorate the event in front of tents with food for attendees, which was provided by local sponsors (RIGHT).

BIRD’S EYE VIEW

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news

Vice President-Elect Mike Pence went to Capitol Hill on Jan. 4 to speak to the Republican party on the fate of the Affordable Care Act. The Senate voted 51-48 to open a debate on a budget resolution that would eventually lead to its repeal. Repealing the ACA was a cornerstone of Trump’s presidential campaign.

The United Nations supported the agreement reached between the political parties in the Democratic Republic of the Congo that aims to ensure the first peaceful transfer of power since 1960. Current president Joseph Kabila will step down after an election to be held later this year. The negotiations took place during the Congo’s Catholic Bishops Conference and lasted for weeks before an agreement was reached. After the deal, Kabila will no longer be able to change the constitution to allow him to remain in power for a third term.

Elon Azaria was convicted, by a military court, of manslaughter on Jan. 4. Azaria killed a wounded Palestinian soldier while serving as an Israeli Army medic. Polls in Israel indicate 67 percent believe Azaria should be pardoned. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agrees.

Information from africanews.com, Aljazeera, BBC, CNN and the Guardian (U.K.)

january 13, 2017

Twenty-five people died on New Year’s Day when a van with 15 passengers crashed into a pickup truck with 12 and caught fire in the eastern Thai province of Chonburi. One person from each vehicle was also hospitalized. The accident occurred after the Thai government announced a road safety campaign on Dec. 29.

On Dec. 31, 39 people were killed and dozens were injured at the Reina nightclub in Istanbul after a lone gunman launched an attack that lasted seven minutes.

The killer also apparently intended to explode a gasoline canister by shooting it multiple times but failed to do so, as the canister was empty.

Kim Jong-Un, in a televised New Year’s Day speech to North Korea, announced that North Korea will begin testing intercontinental ballistic missiles. An ICBM could reach the United States. U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby does not believe North Korea can implement the plans but acknowledged that “[Kim Jong-Un] continues to want to have those capabilities.” President-elect Donald Trump tweeted in response “It won’t happen.”

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FUNDRAISER CONTINUED FROM A1

“As a father it makes me feel good that Nicholas is able to inspire other kids, and he has a job,” Conrad said.

“I feel like he’s here [and] he’s going to be there [at the presentation of the scholarship] every year, they’re going to say his name every year ... so it means that my son lives on and ... that my theory that good things come out of bad things is validated.”

Atkins agrees that the importance of community members attending events like the fundraiser is that it reinforces the idea that it is possible to create something positive out of something tragic.

“I think [this event] is about healing,” Atkins said. “I think we want to turn the pain that we feel into something positive ... and the fact that the community is here to help heal and to show support for his family, that’s what’s important.”

According to Gloria, the event brought the community together and also helped make the acts of terrorism seem more relevant to the citizens of San Diego, since most are distanced from the reality of such attacks.

“The truth is that this was a very traumatic event for our community,” Gloria said. “I think probably in the entirety of [teenagers’] lifetimes, we have been dealing with this war on terrorism, and often it feels remote; it feels like something that doesn’t directly involve San Diego ... This incident really brought this issue home to this community, and it’s important to be here [at this event] ... to try and respond to a tragedy like this in a positive way ... [We are] coming together and trying to make something positive out of this terrible thing rather than continuing a path of conflict and hurt that obviously caused us to be here today.”

Many of Nick’s friends also attended the event, including Bronson Massas (‘14) and Connor Lansdale (‘14), who both attended elementary, middle and high school with Nick and grew up with him.

“It [feels] good just to come out here and remember Nick and his life,” Massas said. “Honestly, we kind of think and talk about Nick all the time ... but it’s nice to see that everyone else is out here, still thinking about him and [that Nick is] still in everyone’s hearts.”

Although he was not very close to Nick, Michael Weiser (12) attended the event because he remembers Nick being a positive influence when he was Weiser’s debate captain in Weiser’s freshman year.

“At a speech and debate tournament, [Nick] told us that if we ever got anxious or scared about competing, we could go in the bathroom and hold our arms above our head for two minutes — he said it was the superman pose,” Weiser said. “That’s probably one of my most distinct memories about Nick ... Not only was he compassionate, he was also always competitive ... and successful.”

According to Lansdale, the scholarship will allow students to travel, “go study abroad and enjoy their lives” like Nick did.

Around 120 people attended the event, and the TPHSSF has raised about $5,000 so far.

According to Leib, it is unlikely that future fundraisers will be held for the Nicholas Leslie Memorial Scholarship; to continue to fund the scholarship, the TPHSSF will continue to spread the word about it and “hope for more donations to come in.”

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Art students create paper hands for Students Rebuild TPHS art classes will create and decorate paper hands until late April, as part of the Youth Uplift Challenge for Students Rebuild, an organization that assists with disaster recovery efforts, and aids youth in Nicaragua and Indonesia.

“The symbolic object connects with what the challenge is really about,” art teacher Emily Moran said. “Hands are specific to this idea of lifting up other people and helping to provide basic needs to students.”

Hands are specific to this idea of lifting up other people and helping to provide basic needs to students.

PHOTO COURTESY OF EMILY MORAN

Emily Moran

HELPING HANDS: Art students design paper hands for the Youth Uplift Challenge, an initiative dedicated to providing relief to children in developing countries.

The Bezos Family Foundation, founded

by Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon, will donate $1.90 per paper hand made, up to $500,000, to Save the Children, an international organization that provides support and resources for children. The paper hands must be mailed in before the challenge officially ends on May 8.

However, TPHS art students have a slightly earlier due date in order to give Moran more time to send the projects into the organization.

Moran has participated in similar projects for the last four years and assigns it as an ongoing side project for her students.

She became involved with the organization after visiting a National Art Education

Association convention.

“The goal is to have the kids understand how art-making is used as a tool beyond just making art in the classroom for a grade,” Moran said. “It’s a very powerful tool socially [and] culturally.”

Other than monetary donations, the foundation hires a professional artist to create installation artwork, representing the year’s theme, in the countries that relief efforts are being directed toward.

Carla Hansen (11) has participated in the Students Rebuild challenge for the past two years in Moran’s Painting 1 and Advanced Drawing classes. She will take part in the Youth Uplift Challenge and took part in the Healing Classrooms Challenge last year, in which participants mailed in pinwheels to

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help raise money for Syrian youth.

Using art to make a difference in the world “is a great way to use your abilities that are normally just a hobby and applying them to make an impact,” Hansen said.

Lauren Lesko (11) has participated in community art projects before but is participating in Students Rebuild for the first time this year. “[The project] is involving yourself in community service which I always think is good,” Lesko said.

Students Rebuild was founded in 2010 after the Haiti earthquake and partners with organizations that take part in projects related to the yearly challenges. Suggestions can be made for next year’s challenge on the Student Rebuild website.

31st Annual Street Masters car show held at TPHS The 31st Annual Street Masters Christmas Cruise car show, hosted by the Street Masters San Diego car club, was held at TPHS on Dec. 11, 2016 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. to raise money for the YMCA Youth and Family Services.

The event showcased vehicles brought by car owners around San Diego, and required people entering cars to donate a new, unwrapped toy or make a cash donation, according to Street Masters president Vince Yamasaki.

“We had approximately 200 cars this year, and it looks like we raised $1,000 more than we did last year ... around $6,000,” Yamasaki said. “We’ve been progressively able to donate more and more every year.”

Free breakfast was available to all participants earlier in the morning when the event began. Throughout the day, a raffle, cakewalk, bingo session and auction took place to contribute to raising funds in addition to the initial donations. The breakfast, raffle prizes and auction items were all purchased by the Street Masters, Yamasaki said.

According to auto tech teacher Eric Neubauer, TPHS students every year are encouraged to enter their cars in the event and experience a glimpse of San Diego car culture.

“The Street Masters car club very much have [the show] open for students,” Neubauer said. “We have a lot of students and alumni that come through. A lot of the people who are involved who are older are alumni from the area, and they still encourage a lot of student involvement.”

Auto tech students Cole Svoboda (12) and Rocco Daliuso (12) both attended the car show for the first time and drove their own cars to the event.

“It had a cool aspect to it — it was all a

PHOTOS BY TRAVIS FELTHAUS/FALCONER

LIFE IS A HIGHWAY: Cars and their owners fill the TPHS parking lot on Saturday, Dec. 11, 2016 for the Street Masters Christmas Cruise car show. Nearly 200 cars were entered. bunch of 1965 Mustangs all the way through the ‘60s and ‘70s,” Svoboda said. “There were some awesome hot rods there [too].”

According to Daliuso, the show was an easy place to “communicate with lots of people” about a common passion for cars and car modifications.

“We thought it’d be a good idea to just take our cars and have people look at them and look at other cars,” Daliuso said. “[There were] a bunch of old muscle cars, which was

nice to see.”

Yamasaki would like to work with Neubauer to involve more TPHS students in the event.

“I want to talk to Eric and see if we could get more of the kids to come out, bring their cars out and help us out with some of the things we do,” Yamasaki said.

The Christmas Cruise has been held at TPHS for the last five or six years, and hopes to continue hosting the event on campus.

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january 13, 2017

Drivers can no longer hold or operate handheld devices while driving unless the device is mounted in nonobstructive location $ $

$

Employers must pay employees doing “substantially similar work” the same regardless of their gender, race or ethnicity Minimum wage raised to $10.50 as part of effort to increase it to $15 per hour by 2022 Public school students can now be expelled for sexting or bullying through video.

Minors can no longer be charged with prostitution due to the high incidence of human trafficking Statutes of limitations for rape and some other sex crimes eliminated, meaning that they can be prosecuted any time in the future Sale of semi-automatic rifles with “bullet buttons” banned Felons serving sentences in county jails will be able to vote in California elections

Information provided by the Los Angeles Times

INFOGRAPHIC BY AMANDA CHEN

Eric Dill named new SDUHSD superintendent Former Interim Superintendent Eric Dill has been named the new SDUHSD superintendent, after the Board of Trustees unanimously extended the offer to him on Dec. 14 in closed session, according to an email from the district to SDUHSD families.

Dill will officially begin serving in his new role after his contract is formally considered by the board at the next regular board meeting on Jan. 19 at 6:30 p.m. at the district office.

“We have been impressed with Mr. Dill’s leadership of the district since he assumed the responsibility of interim superintendent last summer and are pleased that he has agreed to fulfill this role permanently,” Board President Amy Herman said in the SDUHSD email.

Dill has been serving as interim superintendent since July 1, following the departure of former superintendent Rick Schmitt.

“They conducted a search and held interviews earlier this year,” Dill said. “In late August or early September, they held the interviews and, at the time, the board decided that none of the candidates were the best match for the district, so they put the search on hold.”

According to Dill, after seeing him

perform in the role, the board asked if he would be interested in fulfilling the role permanently.

Dill did not apply for the position of superintendent during the search process and did not expect to be named superintendent.

“I told the board that this was something that I had thought I would do perhaps

I think [Eric Dill] knows our district really well; he really cares about the schools, the students and the community and wants to serve it as best he can, and I think he’s an excellent candidate for [the position].

Rob Coppo ���������

later in my career, and circumstances just worked out differently for me and this opportunity presented itself to me earlier than I thought it might,” Dill said.

According to Dill, the superintendent serves as the chief executive of the school board, helps carry out school board policies and oversees the day-to-day operations of

the district. As superintendent, Dill hopes to “maintain the traditions of outstanding student performance that we have in this school district” and “improve opportunities for all students in the areas that will make them college, career and community ready.”

“I spoke with the board about engaging in some long-term planning both with the board and also our stakeholders, which include parents, teachers and students, to help develop a long-term plan and vision for the school district,” Dill said. “That’s something that I’m looking forward to, starting in the spring.”

Dill began working for the district in August 2001 as the director of the risk management department, where his duties included dealing with legal challenges to the district. He was promoted to Associate Superintendent of Business Services in 2010.

Principal Rob Coppo has worked with Dill since Coppo joined the district in 2008 as a member of the safety committee.

“I was thrilled to hear that he was named the new superintendent of the district,” Coppo said. “I think he knows our district really well; he really cares about the schools, the students and the community and wants to serve it as best he can, and I think he’s an excellent candidate for [the position].”

The board is currently at work on the terms of Dill’s contract, which is for a three-year term, renewable indefinitely.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SDUHSD

WHAT’S THE DILL: Eric Dill, former interim superintendent, is now the SDUHSD superintendent. He has served in the district since 2001, and will begin his duties as superintendent on Jan. 19.

ART BY SIMON KIM/FALCON ARTIST

PRO

By Sumin Hwang FEATURE EDITOR

North Carolina has recently found itself in the middle of controversy.

It is one of the last states to fly the Confederate flag on a government building and, most recently, it continued its streak of questionable decisions by failing to repeal House Bill 2. In March 2016, former North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory passed the Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act, also known as HB2, which established that people must use the public restrooms that match the gender listed on their birth certificates. After months of protests, the North Carolina branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People has called for an economic boycott of the state to pressure state lawmakers into repealing HB2, to call for “fair and constitutional” electoral redistricting and to undo laws hurriedly put in place by the outgoing Republican governor to limit the power of incoming governor, Roy Cooper. Now is the time to set a precedent of opposition to legislation that targets marginalized groups; the economic boycott on North Carolina is justified and necessary.

On Dec. 21, those who voted to pass HB2 had a chance to repeal or revise the law but failed to agree on how to do either. Republicans suggested a six-month “cooling off period” during which the state couldn’t regulate bathroom use, but opponents argued that the law would simply be back after six months.

Certainly discriminatory practices have been resolved by protest or direct engagement alone, but the North Carolina legislature has proven itself unwilling to create change

Since the passage of HB2 in North Carolina, the NAACP has proposed an economic boycott of the state and will hold a march in Raleigh, N.C. on Feb. 11 to raise awareness of the boycott. without threat of retaliation. Many entertainers and companies have already boycotted the state because of the discriminatory law, costing the state millions of dollars and potential jobs. That model ought to be followed on a larger scale.

Opponents of the boycott suggest that a boycott will disproportionately target local business who had no part in enacting the law, but the economic loss that North Carolina will have to bear as a result of the law will be far more difficult to recoup. Also, a boycott will encourage small business owners, important constituents for any politician, to pressure state lawmakers to repeal HB2. Over 100 companies have publicly denounced the law, withdrawing investments and potential expansion plans. Various large cities, including San Francisco, Seattle and New York, have also banned city-funded travel to North Carolina.

The boycott is also an opportunity to publicly denounce homophobia and transphobia shrouded in what former governor McCrory refers to as a “common sense law.” McCrory has met with transgender and LGBT activists but has dismissed their concerns. By framing HB2 as “common sense,” North Carolina has placed blame on those who oppose the law rather than on those who would deny citizens their constitutional rights. A boycott is a powerful tool to communicate public frustration and subject the boycotts’ targets to harsh economic consequences. It is crucial to meet the magnitude of such rights violations with an equally resonant pushback.

It is time to give up on ineffective methods of change. Government’s job is to reflect the will of all people, not exclusively those who share the same views. HB2 is a blatant effort to further marginalize the LGBT community and consumers ought to use their power to convince businesses and lawmakers to do the right thing and repeal HB2. Those who are already boycotting the state have proven the time has come.

In response to a question posed to Americans by iCItizen in 2016 ...

Should companies pull their business out of states that have laws which run contrary to the company’s values?

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54%

44%

YES

NO

said

said

*2 percent of surveyed people did not answer

There is no question that North Carolina, in recent months, is spiraling into a state controlled by a lawless right-wing tyranny. Whether it’s the refusal to repeal the controversial anti-LGBT HB2 bill, the abuse of power by the right, or the wide array of voter suppression, North Carolina has crossed the line.

The North Carolina chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is pushing for an economic boycott of the state until the discriminatory HB2 bill, also known as the bathroom bill, and other legislation they say infringes on civil rights are repealed.

The bill overrides all local ordinances about wages, employment and public accommodations. It also forces transgender citizens to use the public restroom that matches their “biological gender,” rather than the gender with which they identify. While North Carolina lawmakers do need to be pressured and put in their place, an economic boycott is not the way to do it.

Due to North Carolina’s low cost of living, skilled workforce and its antipathy toward labor unions, it is often seen as a great choice for corporations in the U.S. to establish headquarters. Headquarters of big brand names like Windex, Champion, Hanes and a multitude of others are located in and manufacture in North Carolina. Eighty corporations, including Bank of America, located in Charlotte, wrote a letter to the North Carolina legislature expressing disappointment with the HB2 law.

If the goal of the boycott is to deliver a message, it is unlikely that, even if the message were delivered, it would make any difference to North Carolina’s governing body.

North Carolina’s legislation is ruled by stubborn right-wing extremists, who only wish to further their political agenda and could not care less what the people actually want.

A boycott typically only works if it targets one specific issue, however the boycott proposed by the NAACP is fueled not just by the state of

CON

By Sammy Hallal STAFF WRITER

North Carolina’s HB2 bill but also dissatisfaction with a wide array of social issues and gradually building frustration with Republican legislators. This is not the first time the NAACP has called for a boycott against a state. The association called for a boycott against South Carolina and Mississippi because of their open display of the confederate flag on state buildings. It took 15 years before South Carolina removed the flag, and Mississippi still has not removed it. This only shows how ineffective statewide boycotts are.

It is important to recognize that the majority of North Carolina citizens do not support HB2. According to a Public Policy Polling report, only 35 percent of voters support HB2 and 50 percent believe it should be completely repealed. An economic boycott could damage the livelihoods of thousands of North Carolinians who share the views of those organizing the boycott. Not only would citizens of the state be hurt, but banning travel to North Carolina would also, according to historian and author Jim Downs, only “further isolate the LGBT citizens in North Carolina from their allies.” The LGBT community, which is already discriminated against by the state legislature, would only be moved further away from the people trying to help them most.

After years of voter suppression, discriminatory policies and abuse of power by the right, North Carolina is becoming a place where democracy is nothing more than a façade.

While it is crucial to keep its rightwing legislation in line, an economic boycott is not the way to do so.

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january 13, 2017

STAFF ED: FINALS SHOULD BE HELD BEFORE WINTER BREAK to finish projects and to prepare for exams.

Because of this, final exams should be given before winter break so winter break can truly be just that: a break.

A major drawback of our current system is the fact that break comes at a very critical time — right before finals. Many students spend their breaks traveling, relaxing and spending

ART BY RICHARD LI

/FALCON ARTIST

For many, the winter holidays are synonymous with a period of celebration, reunion and rest. But for SDUHSD students and thousands of other high school students across the country, this is not always the case. Faced with the looming threat of semester finals only a couple of weeks after returning from break, students often find themselves scrambling

time with family and friends. When their minds become preoccupied with other things, they are more likely to forget what they learned right before break.

Additionally, material not reinforced by overthe-break homework will not be fully absorbed by students, and in the worst-case scenario, will be completely forgotten, which could further contribute to lower performance on final exams. If finals were moved to the week before break, students would be more familiar with the material, having learned it more recently.

Additionally, if finals were held before break, students would have the opportunity to get extra help and guidance from their teachers, rather than having to study on their own over break without the chance to get clarification and the opportunity to develop a better grasp on and understanding of their school material.

Students will obviously be able to get assistance from their teachers when they come back from break, but the few weeks after break and before finals are when every student is vying for the teachers’ attention, making it harder to get individualized help.

After testing is over, students can then relax and not have to worry about forgetting material as they enjoy winter break, and they can come back ready for a new semester. The strategic disadvantage, from a student’s perspective, of the current end-of-semester schedule makes it even more imperative for the district to do something about it.

Also, seniors applying to colleges, absent the pressure of having to study for finals, could fully focus on their applications, as it is a critical time for them.

Granted, teachers would have to grade over their holiday recess, but at least they would have more time before their grades would be due.

Taking finals before break would force the current school schedule to be altered because, with the new schedule, more material would be covered before the holidays and finals. To resolve this issue, the academic school year should begin in mid-August, so first semester final exams can be held prior to winter break and second semester finals can be held in late May, around or immediately after Advanced Placement tests, to finish out the school year.

That way, the district can also eliminate the weeks of wasted time following AP testing.

Through this schedule, students are given a true break in the school year, a two week period with no homework, tests or expectations.

Changing the schedule for future years would require at most some planning and cooperation between administrators at the district level and school sites, but is a relatively small cost for the greater academic and healthrelated benefits. If SDUHSD truly wishes to act in the best interest of its students, it should work to modify the school schedule in order to move finals week to before winter break as soon as possible, as many schools, both local and elsewhere, have already done.

Women’s March on Washington From demeaning tapes revealing “innocuous locker room banter” to his mockery of former Miss Universe Alicia Machado and a long list of transgressions in between, President-elect Donald Trump has been widely criticized for his treatment of women. In an effort to protect the rights, safety and health of “vibrant and diverse communities,” specifically those of women, the Women’s March on Washington will deliver a powerful message to the new administration on its first day in office. According to the Washington Post, an estimated 200,000 will attend the organization’s march along Independence Ave. on Jan. 21, the day before Trump’s inauguration.

The march was initially supposed to begin at the Lincoln Memorial — the landmark for many historical protests, such as the 1960s civil rights and anti-Vietnam rallies.

However, the National Park Service, on behalf of the Presidential Inauguration Committee, had already filed a “massive omnibus blocking permit” for popular political landmarks like the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, the National Mall and Pennsylvania Avenue for the weeks before and following the inauguration.

Consequently, none of the aforementioned spots are available for protesters because the permits are issued on a “first come, first serve” basis.

According to NPS spokesman Mike Litterst, the inauguration works on major public spaces will not be cleared until Mar. 1, which greatly limits public protests.

But the Women’s March is not the only movement that has been denied access

to the historical places; the Act Now to Stop War and End Racism Coalition also requested a permit to protest at Pennsylvania Ave. on Jan. 21, but was similarly rejected by the NPS. However, banning of access to public land for protesters days after the inauguration is rare, according to constitutional rights litigator Mara Verheyden-Hilliard.

“What they’ve done is take all of these spaces out of action,” Hilliard said at a press conference held by the Act Now to Stop War and End Racism Coalition. “Many of which … are historic places of dissent.”

In response, Hillard “issued the demand to the parks service because this is an illegal abridgement of first amendment rights” and expects that they will “conform to the constitution and make permits available.”

The restriction the NPS places on protests through its “blocking permit,” as exemplified by the Women’s March and the Answer Coalition cases, questions the validity of the First Amendment, which stands as a beacon of American democracy.

This is a troubling indicator of our need to recognize that “defending the most marginalized among us is defending us all,” as the Women’s March’s mission statement says. The NPS should be given priority to the historic places, but still allow for protests to occur so that the First Amendment is not breached.

by Kahyun Koh PHOTO COURTESY OF MARK LENNIHAN/AP

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A7

Ban on California offshore drilling should be permanent

By Michael Nirula STAFF WRITER

California Gov. Jerry Brown asked President Obama in a Dec. 2016 letter to ban new offshore oil drilling in California. Obama has already issued a permanent bans on new drilling in

Atlantic and Arctic waters and a temporary ban on new West Coast offshore drilling until 2022.

While banning something that endangers the environment and possibly the entire human race may seem scary at first, a ban on new California drilling is the right move.

The continued reliance to oil is not in California’s best interest. More oil platforms usually mean more oil spills, and oil spills have been devastating in the past. In 1969, a Santa Barbara oil spill left 3 million gallons of oil in the Pacific Ocean. Millions of dollars were needed to pay homeowners, hotel owners, commercial fishers and others for damages. However, no amount of money could compensate for the oil-filled waves that brought thousands of bird, dolphin, and seal corpses to shore, destroyed kelp forests and turned 30 miles of California coastline black.

art by carla hansen/falconer

A major oil spill now would “ruin a whole economy” according to State Sen. Mike McGuire, who represents California’s 2nd district. This is because the state currently has an ocean-dependent industry that contributes at least $43 billion to the state economy every year, according to California Sen. Dianne Feinstein.

And even if we are able to look past those obvious dangers and decide to ramp up California drilling, oil will only last the state another 40 years. That’s what Stanford civil and environmental engineering professor Gilbert Masters said when he spoke at a conference on environmental sustainability.

It is not worth investing billions of dollars and years of construction in drilling if it has such limited potential for the future.

California has experienced great success transitioning to clean energy so far, and the only sensible thing to do would be to continue the transition, since California is already becoming less and less reliant on oil. According to the California Energy Commission, renewable energy such as wind, solar and thermal energy currently provides 27 percent of the energy Californians use. There is also an existing law, SB-350, that mandates that 50 percent of California’s energy must come from renewable sources by 2030.

Furthermore, the state has not constructed any new offshore oil platforms in the past 30 years, according to the San Jose Mercury News, due to a statewide effort to reduce reliance on fossil fuels, combat climate change and avoid disastrous oil spills. However, the Trump administration is heading in the opposite direction. President-elect Donald Trump’s energy plan is to “unleash America’s $50 trillion in untapped shale, oil, and natural gas reserves,

plus hundreds of years in clean coal reserves” according to Trump’s campaign website. His supporting cast will also include an opponent of oil regulation as head of the Dept. of Energy, a supporter of oil and gas production as head of the Environmental Protection Agency and the current CEO of Exxon Mobil as the Secretary of State.

Those who oppose a complete ban on new drilling claim that is simply too “radical,” but drilling bans are nothing new in this country.

President George H.W. Bush and President Bill Clinton both used a 1953 law to prevent drilling in parts of the West Coast, North Atlantic and Southern Florida. Obama used the same law on Dec. 20 to permanently ban drilling in most of the Arctic and parts of the Atlantic seaboard.

Additionally, because the proposed ban is only on new drilling, the 32 existing offshore oil platforms will remain in operation in order to help ease the transition away from oil.

Jared Huffman, Democrat from San Rafael, and member of the House Committee on Natural Resources, is satisfied with the existing drilling bans because bans in two out of three U.S. bordering oceans “ain’t bad.” However, drilling bans in every U.S. ocean but the Pacific means California will be an even greater target for drilling. Ocean-protection advocates such as Richard Charter, a senior fellow with the Ocean Foundation, are referring to California as a “sitting duck” because it remains so vulnerable to drilling. According to Huffman, the reason Obama has not placed a protective ban on California drilling yet is because California has been so strongly anti-drilling that there has been no need for a ban.

So before leaving office, Obama should give California a final gift by banning all future offshore oil drilling in California.

PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE ANVITHA SOORDELU

Entertainment editor Anvitha Soordelu (11) reflects on how her introverted nature has shaped her experiences growing up.

If you’ve ever met me, chances are, I’ve only said about 10 words to you. Maybe 20. Probably something along the lines of “Is this what we’re supposed to be doing?”

Maybe we engaged in small talk, discussing the night’s homework or stressing over that one problem on that one test that nobody understood how to do, before the conversation petered out into its usual silence.

I’ve always been a quiet person. Since day one actually, or so I’ve been told. At age four I was quiet, shy and avoided conflicts with anybody who wasn’t immediate family. This was also true of me at age six, and age eight, and ten, and sixteen too, I guess.

But I’d like to think that I’ve become less quiet, more social if you will, over the years.

I used to hide behind my mom — literally behind her — or cling to her leg at social gatherings, while she chatted with her friends. Cooing adults would try to strike up a conversation with my four-year-old self, asking me nonsensical questions that went unanswered. “Oh, she’s just shy,” my mom would explain. But somehow, I’d manage to gather enough courage to talk to another human being, usually another four-year-old, just minutes before we had to leave.

I remember starting music classes when I was six. It didn’t help that the first thing most people asked me to do was sing when they found out I was taking vocal lessons. I also started taking dance lessons right around that same time. I was still quiet, of course,

and performing in public was a terrifying concept for me. Performing arts probably seem counterintuitive for a shy little girl who couldn’t talk to strangers. Honestly, it was, but it was both of these pursuits that ultimately helped me come out of my shell.

Don’t overestimate the progress, though.

I’m still more or less the same today. I still don’t actively seek out new people to talk to, and usually end up hunting down someone that I know well enough to cling to. Music performances and dance shows are exciting, but nerve-racking all the same. But, like a normal person, I’ll respond to others’ efforts to initiate a conversation and answer their questions. Still, I would never refer to myself as a social butterfly.

So I guess it does make sense that people are a little startled to hear I’m on the speech team at school. I compete in Interpretation events, in which competitors literally make fools of themselves in front of a judge and six other competitors.

And I guess it is a little odd for people to hear that I’m on the Falconer, which requires me to contact and interview people that I don’t know or wouldn’t normally talk to on a day-today basis.

But as surprising as it is to some people, being a quiet person doesn’t mean that I have somehow magically lost my ability to talk. I do talk. I do speak up when I have something to say; it’s just that I don’t feel the need to chime in very often.

photo by lauren zhang/falconer

It’s funny because talking is also kind of my specialty, which my closest friends can attest to.

I don’t usually willingly raise my hand in class or volunteer to present my project first, but I can’t seem to shut up around my friends. At lunch time or on Snapchat, and just about anywhere or any time after school, I become an actual verbal freight train. I have these stories — which I apparently tend to introduce as “funny” stories whether or not they can actually be categorized as such — that I tell my friends and rants about seemingly trivial things that I have been told are fairly entertaining.

So what am I? Probably not an extrovert.

It’s overwhelmingly likely that I’m an introvert, but let’s be nice and call me an ambivert, an introvert to the world, but an extrovert to those who know me best.

But it’s okay, I like being quiet. I can carry conversations with people I sort of know but don’t really know, and I have enough of a grip on my social skills to handle talking to strangers and exchanging polite small talk. I don’t particularly like having a lot of attention on myself or being the focus of a conversation.

I’m the kind of person that likes to observe and assess a situation rather than diving in headfirst.

I’m shy. I’m quiet. And despite what people might think, I’m okay with that.

It’s like when author Darynda Jones wrote, “Don’t judge me because I’m quiet. No one plans a murder out loud.”

Of course, I’m not planning a murder. But hypothetically, if I was — well, it’s not like I’d tell you anyway.

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Planned Parenthood should not be defunded

By Maya Kota NEWS & OPINION EDITOR

On Dec. 20, the Texas Health and Services Commission announced that the state would officially remove Planned Parenthood from its Medicaid coverage program beginning Jan. 19. But Texas’ fight is only part of a larger legislative trend within the Republican party; on Jan. 5, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan announced that defunding Planned Parenthood will be included in a bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act, and doing so will only require a simple majority.

Planned Parenthood, the largest single provider of reproductive health services in the U.S., received $528 million in federal Medicaid funds last year. $3.1 million of the funds were provided by Texas Medicaid funds, money of which is not used for abortion services. The commission argued that the organization is no longer “qualified to provide medical services in a professionally competent, safe, legal and ethical manner;” the move on the GOP’s part, however, is representative of the party’s long-held stance against the company. The commission concluded that the organization was violating

the law after a series of publicallyreleased videos depicted Planned Parenthood officials discussing the use of fetal tissue for research. No evidence suggests the videos were taken at a Planned Parenthood clinic, and in fact, the videos and accompanying pictures have been deemed fraudulent by Dawn Laguens, an executive vice president at Planned Parenthood.

Still, Texas has put up a strong front, going forward with this accusation of fetal tissue sales.

The defunding will not be delayed unless Planned Parenthood appeals the state’s decision by asking for an administrative hearing with the Commission. However, Planned Parenthood has stated it will not comply and will turn to the courts to block the funding cuts.

Defunding Planned Parenthood is directly contravening federal law that has been put in place to protect those who rely on the non-profit organization’s services. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit sided with those who oppose Planned Parenthood in Planned Parenthood of Gulf Coast v. Gee, ruling that states may set “standards relating to the qualifications of providers.” This means that organization facilities may be held to set standards relating to their abilities to perform safe, legal care. The company cannot be defunded because its services, such as abortions, do not align with political or religious views of state health officials or national politicians.

Many opponents of Planned Parenthood hold objections to one service provided by the organization

ART BY AFIA KHAN/FALCON ARTIST

in particular: abortions. Yet, both Texas’ and the GOP’s moves will not ban abortions. Having abortions is a legal medical procedure and constitutionally-protected right, provided by the 1973 landmark decision in Roe v. Wade. Additionally, under the Unconstitutional Conditions Doctrine, the government cannot deprive a group of funds because said group exercises a right that the government does not favor.

So, what exactly, is Texas, and now the federal government, aiming to accomplish?

While both are implicitly showing their disapproval of abortions, they are explicitly showing their unwillingness to help women, especially low-income women. Aside

from abortions, Planned Parenthood provides easy access to birth control, another reason many opponents want to defund Planned Parenthood.

But birth control, like abortions, gives individuals control over their own bodies, which is perhaps one of the most significant liberties any human is entitled to. The company also has education programs in 28 different content areas, including family life education, sexuality education and programs on sexually transmitted infections and women’s health.

Therefore, completely defunding Planned Parenthood clinics will have devastating consequences for women who rely on the company’s services for information, to take preventative measures and to make

decisions for themselves. Access to abortions, birth control or anything that dictates what is done to one’s bodies should not be in the hands of politicians, many of whom cannot even conceive.

Planned Parenthood serves as a support system for millions of women, 11 million in Texas alone.

Texas’ accusation and now the Republican Party’s plan to defund it on a national level is a direct attack on its services and women and should not be supported. Rather, more awareness should be raised about the services provided by Planned Parenthood; it is not simply a center for abortions; it provides educational, preventative and proactive services without discrimination.

Trump appears to defy long-held One China policy STAFF WRITER

At the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1950, the losing Republic of China fled to Taiwan, while the victorious Communist Party of China formed the People’s Republic of China on the Chinese mainland. Today, the Republic of China and the People’s Republic of China both claim they control all of China and Taiwan.

In reality, the ROC only has true jurisdiction in Taiwan, and the PRC on mainland China.

Foreign nations that want to hold diplomatic and economic relations with either China or Taiwan must adhere to what is known as the One China Policy, cutting all relations with one nation and recognizing only one of the two. Despite the seeming inflexibility of the One China policy, nations like the U.S. have been able to maneuver around the delicate relationship between Taiwan and China to form unofficial relationships with Taiwan.

President Barack Obama continued U.S. adherence to the One China policy, strengthening a cornerstone of U.S.-China relations since 1972, when former President Richard Nixon delivered the Shanghai Communiqué, a diplomatic pledge to achieve shared economic and militaristic goals between China and the U.S. Under the One China policy, the U.S. discontinued formal relations

with Taiwan, only recognizing the PRC as China. The One China policy is unique in its bipartisan support, which has allowed it to transcend political differences between Republican and Democratic presidents. However, President-elect Donald Trump, hinted at abandoning American adherence to the One China policy during his upcoming presidency by accepting a call from the new, democraticallyelected Taiwanese president, Tsai Ing-wen, marking the first time a U.S. and Taiwanese president have spoken since 1979. Although Trump maintains that the call was merely congratulatory in nature, the fact that reports state it was long planned before Trump won the presidency, combined with the unprecedented call; Ing-wen’s meeting with Republican lawmakers this weekend in Houston, including Sen. Ted Cruz; and reports that Ing-wen wants to meet with Trump (Trump says that won’t happen), suggests a Trump presidency would establish official ties with Taiwan.

China uses its influence to obstruct international recognition for Taiwan. As a member of the U.N. Security Council, China has successfully excluded Taiwan from U.N. membership. Such actions to delegitimize Taiwan have not previously faced resistance from the U.S. However, Trump’s phone call with Ing-wen, though mostly symbolic, serves as a greater message to China that Trump’s tough-on-China rhetoric throughout the election will not recede when he is president.

The likelihood of an independent and internationally recognized Taiwan has been further increased

by Trump’s actions. However, Trump’s actions are mostly motivated by a desire to display American strength and to validate his anti-China stance

to voters. As president, Trump must act in the best interests of all Americans — not just those who voted for him. Trump ought to reaffirm U.S. commitment to the One China policy, since it is in the best interest of the U.S. to maintain positive relations with its largest trading partner.

Still, the U.S. and China do have major points of contention. The Chinese government has constructed multiple man-made islands in the South China Sea despite international territorial disputes over the waters.

Furthermore, China strictly regulates its currency, the renminbi, protects Chinese companies that infringe

on intellectual property and copyrighted products and also limits internet access to citizens through a censorship program known as the Great Firewall. These actions make American companies doing business in China feel cheated. If Trump wants to address these issues or others, he must respect diplomatic ties.

Trump needs to maintain diplomatic channels with China.

After his call with Ing-wen, Trump did nothing to quell Chinese fears of shifting U.S. policy. Instead, he turned to Twitter, posting about an arms deal Obama made with Taiwan the year before, leaving his stance on the

One China policy hanging. In general, Trump needs more clearly-defined policy goals.

The U.S. president wields enormous influence in global politics.

The world’s two largest economies are largely intertwined, and policies made in one nation affect the other.

Unnecessarily angering China before his presidency has even begun will only make it harder to achieve shared goals. Trump may score political points among constituents for appearing tough on China, but he can only tackle his problems with China while respecting and maintaining diplomatic relations.

ART BY AMY YU/FALCON ARTIST

By Farhan Hossain

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Tavisha Thapar (11) has never been one to blend in. At 5 feet 1 inch, Thapar flaunts bright purple hair and runs from class to class, heaving under the weight of a massive navy blue backpack. Yet under the optimistic confidence of her demeanor, Thapar was still racked with nerves as she sat with her family at Souplantation, unsure of how the people closest to her would react to the news she so desperately wanted to share: she is gay.

“I’m really lucky because I have a very progressive and [accepting] friend group and family,” Thapar said. “My mom told me that she had been suspecting it. They were all really nice about it.”

Although the people closest to her were accepting, she still believes that “sometimes [she] is on the outside,” compared to other students at TPHS. “When you are LGBT, no matter how accepting a person is, you always have a little fear that they’re not going to be okay with it, ” Thapar said. “I’ve had a couple people kind of ask me weird questions. I think sometimes questions are just because people don’t know, but other times ������� it’s to get a laugh out of people. In some classes I feel like it’s not acceptance but in other classes I think it is.”

As Thapar moves from place to place — her home to TPHS to music lessons — her comfort level shifts, depending on the environment she is in.

“I think [feeling included is] important because that’s what community is about,” Assistant Principal Garry Thornton said.

“Community is about the uniting of difference, that’s what it is. This is not one particular people group, this is TPHS. We are a united group of students and what holds us together is the commonality of the fact that we are Falcons.”

Despite attempts to make TPHS as inclusive as possible, Principal Rob Coppo said there has been an emergence of a generally more divisive atmosphere among students.

“I have seen an increase [in hate symbols and graffiti] over previous years.” Coppo said. “I think there are any number of things that can cause it. I think we had a heated political atmosphere over the last year, that may have had an effect on it, it may not. ... The [graffitti] I’ve seen on campus this year are new and unusual, and so we’re still looking into

what might motivate a student to do that.”

On Apr. 1, 2016, Annette Butler (11) reached for her phone.

Not expecting anything special, Butler moved her thumb down to the messages app to check a recent notification. Butler’s mood quickly shifted when she read the text.

“It was the day before spring break,” Butler, who is AfricanAmerican, said. “ Someone sent me a text saying that they were going to come lynch me,” Butler said.

While, like most students, Butler should have been making plans and preparing to start her spring break, because of a few words Butler began her vacation in shock and in the midst of what would become a traumatic experience for her and as her family.

It was later discovered that the text was sent to Butler from another TPHS student.

Butler says she had always seen Carmel Valley, where she has lived for seven years, as “a safe place for minorities” because, prior to the text message incident, neither she nor any family member had been targeted because of their race.

“My mom took it pretty hard since we are in Carmel Valley,” Butler said, “She didn’t really expect that to happen to me because we don’t live somewhere where that happens often, so it was a big shock.”

Upset and conflicted, Butler informed her cheer adviser, Heather Lopez, about the message; Lopez notified Thornton. “[The TPHS administration] made sure I had all the support I needed,” Butler said. “They didn’t just push it aside; they made sure to get right on it.”

But not all allegations of discrimination on campuses are properly addressed, according to University of California, San Diego Professor of Education Studies, Thandeka Chapman.

“The person who reports the incident never knows how it’s been resolved, and it’s a huge problem, because it means that it may not have been resolved,” Chapman said. “There might be a letter put in the adult’s file, … [but not] the type of weight that the victim thinks that it deserves.”

Also, according to Chapman, students stop reporting incidents if they believe they are “not a priority” to the administration.

“The first thing we do any time we’ve got a report from

When you are LGBT, no matter how accepting a person is, you always have a little fear that they’re not going to be okay with it.

Tavisha Thapar

PHOTO COURTESY OF BLACKPAST.ORG, CENTER FOR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS OPENDEMOCRACY AND THE NEW YORK TIMES

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a student who felt discriminated against is get a statement from that student,” Coppo said. “It’s our job to really glean the context of the situation of when, why and how these things were said.”

Last year, Thornton organized a meeting with the 41 AfricanAmerican students at TPHS. “You walk into your class, and you don’t see anybody else that looks like you so you think you must be the only one,” Thornton said. “I think some of our students came away from that meeting understanding that no, [they] are not alone.”

According to Thornton, the purpose of the meeting was to find out what life at TPHS is like for black students.

“When we got [to the meeting], we said our names and grades, then [Thornton] just asked us what it was like to be black in a white school,” Butler said. “It was more to just have all of us in one room to see that we are not all alone, like going through a large campus it’s hard to notice.”

The best thing about going to a diverse school is that you get to learn so much about different people. You get to have friendships that you would never have before if you were just in a homogenous community.

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According to UCSD’s Chapman, when students are surrounded by diversity, they gain a better understanding of other cultures.

“The best thing about going to a diverse school is that you get to learn so much about different people,” Chapman said. “You get to have friendships that you would never have before if you were just in a homogenous community.”

Psychologists at Oxford University studied seven studies in the U.S., England, and South Africa between 2002 to 2012 and found that those who live in diverse communities and have experiences with minorities tend to be less prejudiced than people who do not.

“People don’t really know how to act around you,” Butler said. “They aren’t surrounded by black people; it’s kind of like a culture shock. I don’t think that they are actually racist people. [Stereotypes are] all over music and TV so when people in that community say [offensive] things like that make it seem like that’s okay but it’s not.”

Chapman said minorities often feel isolated from the student body.

“When we have students who do not feel that they are valued and adequately represented … in the school,” Chapman said, “[They] haven’t fully enjoyed all the benefits and resources of a quality education.”

According to U.S. News and World Report High Schools Ratings, TPHS has 40 percent minority enrollment, but only one percent of students are black.

“Being somewhere at TPHS, where there are not a lot of people who look like you around, you kind of have to know how to act because some people just assume things about you,” Butler said. “You have to know how to act so that people are judging you by your character not how you look.

[The fact that I am different] is always going to be there in the back of my head, but it’s not that big of a deal, I am comfortable where I am right now.”

Thandeka Chapman ���� ���������

Thapar laid on the floor of her room, watching her ceiling fan rotate slowly. She reflected on the words of Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, a fictional tale about two young boys who are also coming to terms with their own identities. As she noticed parallels between the novel and her own life, she questioned her own sexuality, questioning the stigma that might follow coming out as gay.

“I felt kind of worried about being open,” Thapar said. “I don’t see [being gay] as a disadvantage, but I know some of my closeted friends struggle with it, and they would be straight if it was a possibility.”

Ayan Haque (12), a Muslim student who wears a hijab, said she encounters an array of misconceptions in those around her.

“Many people think that in Muslim households it is very oppressive and that anything I do is forced, but, no, it’s not,” Haque said. “[Wearing a hijab] was my own choice. My mom and my sister do it as well, but it’s not like they told me I have to do this. I learned from them, and what I learned appealed to me so I wanted to do it as well.”

According to Haque, the hijab signifies modesty and a person’s devotion to Allah.

“I feel that the people who are [making negative comments about a religion or ethnicity], they are just uneducated,” Haque said. “They need to know more before they have those ideas. No one is born a racist. They become that based on what other people tell them or based on a specific experience they have … Educate yourselves before you form any concrete opinions.”

Being somewhere at TPHS, where there is not a lot of people who look like you around, you kind of have to know how to act because some people just assume things about you.

You have to know how to act so that people are judging you by your character not how you look.

Annette Butler �������

In a school that is predominantly white and a society where being “straight” is seen as the norm, people like Butler, Haque, and Thapar can sometimes feel out of place and misunderstood.

“We have an “awareness issue” with students that are of different ethnic groups or colors or religions; we have a lack of awareness of what it must be like for those students,” Thornton said. “That requires that we do more work, and the work that we have to do is to try to understand what it is that we don’t understand as opposed to making an assumption.”

Thapar, Butler and Haque agree that discrimination in thought or action is the result of people being uneducated about sexuality, ethnicity

of millenials identified as part of a minority group in 2015

of eligible voters were parts of minority groups in the 2016 election

Our great African-American President hasn’t exactly had a positive impact on the thugs who are so happily and openly destroying Baltimore.

When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending the best. They’re not sending you, they’re sending people that have lots of problems and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bring crime.

They’re rapists.

We’re going to have great relationships with the Hispanics. The Hispanics have been so incredible to me. They want jobs.

Everybody wants jobs. The African Americans want jobs. If you look at what’s going on, they want jobs.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BUSINESS INSIDER

Information provided by Pew Research Center and CBS Money Watch

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or religion.

“I’m comfortable at Torrey Pines,” Butler said. “I’ve never felt scared to be who I was. I’ve always felt safe unless someone gives me a reason not to, which is very rarely.”

According to Jack Glaser, a professor at the Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley, “implicit biases are the stereotypes and prejudices that reside and operate in our minds outside of conscious awareness ... many people explicitly repudiate that stereotype, but it is pervasive in our culture, so we’re all aware of it.”

“People [at TPHS] mainly just want to know more, so if they want to know they just ask you. In other areas, many don’t want to learn, they just have assumptions and want to attack you,” Haque said. “People here are a lot more accepting. They start out wanting to accept you. They ask questions trying to understand not to reinforce their bias.”

While on the community level TPHS may not have a serious problem with treatment of minority populations, the same is not necessarily true for the U.S. as a whole.

According to a study conducted in 2016 by the Southern Poverty Law Center, a nonprofit civil rights advocacy group, more than half of teachers surveyed believed that the Trump campaign resulted in an increase in “uncivil political discourse” in schools.

Additionally, the same study found ������� that two thirds of school personnel were concerned about the negative implications a Trump presidency may have on students, particularly those who are minorities or immigrants.

“I think a Trump presidency makes hate everywhere more acceptable,” Chapman said. “People who are minorities then go around feeling that they have to protect themselves from being attacked. Like any moment someone could say something, or do something that would be hurtful to them. It causes stress, additional stress for [minority] students that other students don’t carry around.”

Haque agrees that the president has a greater influence on the

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attitudes of citizens, which should be used to combat offensive stereotypes, not reinforce them.

“In this political system it’s not like he has all the power. The president won’t just say something and that’s what’s going to happen. He just bolsters [the] resolve of [people with prejudices],” Haque said.

While a president cannot change the people he serves, he does have the power to validate and encourage the ideas that many believe in.

Nada Al-Alusi (14’) is also a Muslim, who, like many others, was concerned by the idea of a Trump presidency.

“I was just shocked. I was in denial. I don’t think it was until he started appointing people to his cabinet that it really sunk in that he was going to be president.”

On June 26, 2015, Thapar woke up to a flood of messages from her friends; the Supreme Court had voted in a 5-4 decision to legalize gay marriage in all 50 states.

“I checked my phone, and I saw a bunch of Snapchats from all of my friends,” Thapar said. “I had no idea what was going on, so I opened them and it was ‘LOVE WINS’ from one of my friends with the rainbow filter that Snapchat had. I just felt so happy, really.

Then I told my mom and she started crying. I don’t think I fully understood how amazing that was, but now I really am thankful that it’s legal.”

Despite the division that currently exists in the U.S., Thapar said she as evolved as a person since the day she came out at Souplantation.

“The LGBT community gives you almost a sense of family,” Thapar said. “I went to a pride parade, and it was a very emotional experience because there’s all these people celebrating who you are. When I look back and see myself now, I feel like I have become my real self, and I feel more authentic in general.”

The sun shines down on Thapar as she walks among others in her first gay pride parade. Among the participants’ cheery optimism and rainbow flags, Thapar feels something she has not always felt at TPHS: safe.

The LGBT community gives you almost a sense of family. I went to a pride parade and it was a very emotional experience because there’s all these people celebrating who you are. Now that I look back and, see myself now, I feel like I have become my real self and I feel more authentic in general.

Tavisha Thapar

The act, passed by Lyndon B. Johnson, gave the federal government more power to protect citizens against discrimination, desegregated public institutions and ensured equal voting rights.

President Bill Clinton implements the “don’t ask, don’t tell policy,” allowing LGBT military members to serve but preventing them from doing so openly. It was repealed

by President Barack Obama in 2011.

After George Zimmerman is acquitted for the murder of Trayvon Martin, #blacklivesmatter began trending on Twitter, marking the beginning of a movement which seeks to end anti-black racism in the U.S.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SHOPES, SLATE AND THE HUFFINGTON POST

A year after the Stonewall Riots, in which police violently raided the gay bar Stonewall Inn, New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles hosted their first Gay Pride Parades. The annual parades have continued to this day.

Openly gay college student Matt Shepard is beaten to death by two other students. His death later inspired a broader hate crime legislation, the Matt Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which includes hate crimes motivated by one’s gender, sexual orientation or disability.

In a 5-4 vote, the Supreme Court voted to legalize same sex marriage in all 50 states. Justice Anthony Kennedy, in the majority opinion, wrote that same-sex couples “may not be deprived of that right and that liberty,” which is ensured under the 14th Amendment of the Consitution.

Information provided by history.com, NPR, CNN and U.S. News

First used in the 1960s as a form of compensation for past discriminatory policies, affirmative action policies were implemented in an attempt to increase the number of minority students on higher education campuses across the U.S. in the 1970s.

Barack Obama, former member of the U.S. Senate, is elected as the 44th president of the U.S. after defeating Sen. John McCain, making him the first African-American to hold the title.

He is reelected in 2012.

Khan, the father of a fallen Muslim soldier, speaks at the Democratic National Convention, endorsing Hillary Clinton, condemning President-elect Donald Trump’s islamophobic rhetoric and urging immigrants and minorities. to “take this election seriously.”

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As crowds of people passed by with shopping bags in hand, Dane Hoffman (12) crouched behind cars in the University Towne Centre Mall parking lot, with his camera lens turned up toward the tops of the buildings. Moments later, his session came to an abrupt end as he was evicted from the parking lot by a security guard for unknowingly violating property code. “[The experience] made me want to keep on [taking photos] because nobody else gets those pictures,” Hoffman said. “If security guards don’t let anybody take those pictures then I get something that very few people ever get.”

At 16, Hoffman, mentored by his parents, who have both been architectural photographers for decades, began pursuing photography, using commercial buildings as his primary subjects. As his interest progressed, he was influenced by online tutorials and print photographs from various magazines.

The lofty buildings from the mall must have left a lasting impression on Hoffman because now he drives around San Diego to various locations, searching for new inspiration and architecture to photograph. “[Buildings are] a lot easier to photograph than people, in a way,” Hoffman said. “They don’t get mad when their pictures don’t come out right, because they’re buildings. They’re just a lot easier to light and to find the perfect angle.”

Now 17, instead of being removed from property, Hoffman gets hired by clients to photograph it, specifically for real estate purposes.

“There’s a lot of money in real estate and realtors make themselves really easy to contact,” Hoffman said. “So if you have a portfolio and your prices are right, you can contact a real estate agent, and they will hire you to take photos.”

So far, Hoffman has taken several jobs, which typically entail photographing major rooms in the house and its exterior. After reviewing the sometimes hundreds of pictures, he edits them by combining different exposures for more optimal lighting to post on web listings. Hoffman cites one of his more recent jobs with a client as the one where he

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realized “[photography] just didn’t all have to be about having fun ... but [could] also make a lot of money.”

“I was working on [a job] recently for a client,” Hoffman said. “I took about 22 pictures and I thought they all came out really well. She bought all of them and the rate was $55 a shot so I made about $1,000 in one shot and that was a huge eyeopener.

She knew I was just starting out and she wanted to help me out, so she let me take photos of her house.”

Beside architecture, Hoffman also enjoys photographing nature in his free time. Since he does not have to work for specific clients when doing so, Hoffman views it as more of a “zen experience.”

“Sometimes I do nature stuff just to mix it up,” Hoffman said.

“When I’m not working for a client, I feel a lot more relaxed. It just lets me camp out in a particular spot and wait for the lighting to be right and look for that perfect angle.”

Hoffman also plans to use his photos in his AP Studio Art portfolio in both the breadth and concentration sections. The photos that he managed to take before being escorted out by the security guard will likely make an appearance in his portfolio as well.

In just a year, Hoffman’s subtle interest in the structures at UTC has evolved into a career that he plans to pursue even after high school. As he takes on more and more jobs from clients, he moves away from the amateur photographer from the parking lot and into a professional architectural photographer.

by Sumin Hwang and Angela Liu

PHOTO COURTESY OF DANE HOFFMAN PHOTO BY TRAVIS FELTHAUS/FALCONER

Giraffes Endangered The giraffes we see all over safari parks, zoos and the media may seem common, but giraffe populations have decreased by 40 percent since 1985, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, in what is now being called a “silent extinction.”

The International Union for Conservation of Nature, or IUCN, estimated that the population of giraffes in Africa has fallen from approximately 157,000 to around 97,500 in the last 30 years. Before this information was released last December, giraffes were listed as an animal of “least concern” on the IUCN red list, which tracks the conservation status of animals worldwide. Now because of illegal hunting, civil unrest and habitat loss, giraffes are now listed as “vulnerable to extinction.”

While elephants and rhinos are hunted for their tusks and horns, giraffes are often hunted for their hides and meat. Hunting giraffes and other animals for “bush meat” or wild animal meat has been a practice of African tribes for centuries, according to Richard Bonham, co-founder of an African conservation organization. However, giraffes were rarely targets until recent years when the bush meat trade became a commercial industry which circulates up to 6 million tons of bush meat a year. Their thick and durable hides are also popular for making clothing.

As a result of this hunting, giraffes have been hit hard in East, West and Central Africa. According to the London Zoological Society, they can no longer be

Amur Leopard Eastern Russia

Black Rhino Eastern & Southern Africa

PHOTO COURTESY OF INTERNATIONAL RHINO FUND, WORLD WILDLIFE FUN, TOPTEN.COM, LONDOLZI

found in seven countries: Mauritania, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Senegal, and Eritrea.

The disappearance of giraffes could ripple throughout the African ecosystem. The giraffe and organisms, such as the Oxpecker bird, share a mutually beneficial relationship, in which the bird feeds of the ticks on the giraffe. The acacia tree, a giraffe’s favorite food, according to the San Diego Zoo, has actually become dependent on giraffes.

The IUCN’s plan for addressing this ecological crisis is through raising awareness, restoring the integrity of protected areas and support existing giraffe conservation strategies and action plans.

Many giraffes live in protected parks where they are presumed to be safe.

However, parks are often underprotected, making the aforementioned threats difficult to prevent. But when protected parks are actually protected, they have been successful; in South Africa, careful management of protected parks has helped maintain giraffe numbers. The IUCN is calling on organizations, the United Nations and giraffe-populated countries to set up well-maintained parks throughout Africa.

The declining giraffe population has put it ahead of the elephant and other animals in the race towards extinction. Here’s to hoping that giraffes, elephants or any other endangered animals will not have to complete that race.

by Michael Nirula

Crossriver Gorilla Central Africa

Hawksbill Turtle Coral Reefs

Javan Rhino Southeast Asia Information provided by metro.co.uk

“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“ ”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“” “”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“ ”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“” “”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“ ”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“” “”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“ ”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“” tphsfalconer.com

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MiraCosta College is awesome!

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”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“” “”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“ ”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“” “”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“ ”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“” “”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“ ”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“” “”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“ ”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“” “”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“ ”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“” “”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“ Don’t quote us on it. ”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“” Read what current students and graduates “”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“ have to say about MiraCosta College at ”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“” miracosta.edu/meet. “”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“ ”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“” “”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“ ”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“”“” Cardiff / Oceanside / Online

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january 13, 2017

Dressed in black, they take their place on the stage.

The audience waits anxiously, expecting something humorous, but there are no routines, no lines, and no guarantees. The host solicits suggestions from the audience for a particular setting or genre and the first scene of the improv show commences.

Improv is spontaneous and unscripted; characters are created out of thin air, pulled from the imagination.

Every line is quickly but carefully crafted in hopes of amusing the audience. Sometimes the hardest part is staying in character because of a joke that the team understands better than the audience does.

“I thought that improv would be a really great thing for me to do to be able to continue practicing acting and not get rusty during the periods of time that I wasn’t in shows,” improv captain Margaux Paul (12) said.

During every show, members perform about 10 different types of scenes, or games, which are based on specific prompts, from dramatized Oscar performances to uncomfortable bus stop encounters. In order to prepare for their shows, the team practices two hours

The three plays put on in the Black Box Theater throughout the year run for two consecutive weeks each. But, behind the scenes, the TP Players, led by theater director Marinee Payne, rehearse for six weeks in preparation for each performance. Students involved in the production of the plays rehearse every day from 2:40 p.m. to 5 p.m. to ultimately put on a show that will captivate and entertain audiences.

TP Player Alice Shashkina (11), said anyone who participates in a play or does behind-the-scenes work such as tech is considered TP Player. In the course of her high school career, Shashkina has participated in two plays: “The Further Adventures of Hedda Gabler” in 2015 and “The Secret in the Wings” in the fall of 2016.

“I really like how [the theater program] is like a family,” Shashkina said. “There’s always things that happen on stage [unintentionally]. It’s always funny to remember them when the play is over. It’s like a little community.”

Payne has been directing theater for 25 years. In addition to overseeing and directing the plays put on

by TP Players, Payne teaches one acting class, three Drama Production classes, the students from which design sets, and one Costume and Design class.

The upcoming production for TP Players is the musical “The Addams Family.” According to Payne, the play has been cast and the actors are currently working on characterization. The show’s musical directors, Lenni Elbe (11) and Megan Carpenter (12), have met with Payne to plan the first two weeks of rehearsals during which the cast will learn songs and choreography.

“The designing process doesn’t take that long,” Payne said. “Usually everything is done about two weeks before the show opens. So, it takes about four weeks to put everything together.”

The first play of this school year, “The Secret in

every week at Paul’s house by playing these games and taking suggestions from fellow team members.

Many improv members would argue that improv and theatre are too different to compare, although many TP Players join the improv team so they can practice acting in a variety of ways and all the time.

Tiffany Salatino (11) and Madison Sayre (12), who are both TP Improv and theatre members, note that the differences between the two are fundamental. Theatre, which is entirely scripted, usually uses costumes to distinguish characters and is not necessarily comedic; improv, on the other hand, is fluid, unpredictable and, hopefully, funny.

“You get a good mix in [improv],” club adviser Ryan Eddingfield said. “You’ll have some people who are theatre-related, but there are some people I know are not taking all theatre classes, but they’re in [the club].”

This diversely talented group of students come together and must not only act as a cohesive group but also thrive in stressful situations. “[Improv] really has helped with my confidence and my self-esteem,” two-year improv member Sayre said. “[It] gives me the ability to deal with difficult situations in a good way [by seeing] situations from a humorous point of view.”

As a result, the team is home for many students. In the five years since it started, the team has developed a close-knit, joke-filled atmosphere.

Salatino, a first-year member,

the Wings” was adjudicated by the California Educational Theater Association, which judges schools across the state and chooses the top four theater groups to perform at CETA Southern High School Theatre Festival. The TP Players did not place in the top four of their group, but they will attend the festival on Jan. 14 and 15 in Fullerton.

“Part of what I really believe is that what we do here in the Box is create a family atmosphere,” Payne said.

The TP Player family also includes TPHS graduates, Payne said. A few years ago, Payne reached out to a TP Player alumnus to help a current high-school TP Player get a tour of his college.

“Once you’re a TP Player and you’re with the family you create, you always have a family wherever you go,” Payne said.

Co-President Chloe Laverson has been a TP Player since her sophomore year, and has acted in eight plays.

Her part as Alice Beineke in “The Addams Family” will be her ninth role. Laverson realized that she wanted to pursue a career in acting last year when she was able to bring tears to her audience’s eyes during a musical theater competition.

Another experience that stands outs for Laverson during her TP Player career was in her sophomore year when she played Luisa del Forno, the wife of an Italian film director, in the play “Nine.”

“The last night, when I was Luisa, it was kind of one of those moments where I felt like I was saying

enjoys the inclusive environment.

“You get to be really close to these people because you rely on them to keep the story going when you’re on stage,” Salatino said. “You just become closer, and you become a family.”

During the performance, someone jokes about potatoes. It was a previous Improv team captain who had joked about the manufacturing of potatoes in potato factories. Now, in honor of the club’s original inside joke, the team refers to the lecture hall as “the potato factory” and waives the $5 ticket price for the first five people who arrive with potatoes.

Inside jokes are a large part of what fuels the energy of the improv team atmosphere. The positive environment helps relieve the stress of performing and boosts the confidence of many performers, Salatino said.

“Performing in front of people is always really hard, so to do something on the spot adds to the pressure,” Salatino said. “But when you’re with people that welcome you and all have the same type of humor, it makes [performing] feel better.”

More recently, team members had to solve an unusual problem in a town hall meeting game; everyone’s name was Madison. But the name stuck long after the conclusion of the show, and now improv members often call each other Madison as a remembrance of that performance.

Improv team tryouts are held twice a year, so while the team’s many jokes may be insider knowledge, the club is in no way exclusive.

“The team is so close, and every year I see this passion that comes back,” Paul said. “Everyone is always so great and so supportive of each other.”

Although humor is the heart of any and all improv shows, Madisons and potatoes are only a small part of performance. After all, the aim of any improv show is to make the audience laugh, no matter how specific or exclusive the jokes may seem.

goodbye to a part of me because the character who is so different than me became someone that I was just all the time,” Laverson said. “It was one of those times in which you feel a disembodiment from yourself.”

Being a part of the theater program has helped Laverson find her place at school. In addition to acting in plays, she has also helped with the technical aspects of shows, like design, hair and makeup.

School drama productions offer lots of opportunities to get involved that don’t involve performing. And acting roles do help students learn how to relax, feel at home onstage and “get out of [their] comfort zones,” according to Shaskina.

“Honestly, the black box is home ... and for most people who are involved [in the theater program,] it becomes [home,]” Laverson said.

TP Players is an environment for students to shine, according to Payne.

“The [students] take the whole process and it becomes theirs and they own it,” Payne said.

“The Addams Family” will play from Feb. 22-24 and from Feb. 28 through March 4.

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photo by ally jensen/falconer

Whenever I pull into the Flower Hill Promenade it’s usually so I can pick up my tri-weekly Chipotle bowl.

Burger Lounge, on the other hand, was always the packed burger restaurant on the side. Upon looking at a menu, I was immediately intimidated by the high cost of the meals, which recurred throughout my entire experience.

I quickly realized that the reason the restaurant always seemed crowded was because of the extremely limited seating available. Despite the lack of seating, the restaurant was clean and relatively quiet, a refreshing change from the stereotypical rush of a fast food burger restaurant. Luckily we spotted a newly-empty table as we approached the cash register, because otherwise we would’ve been forced to sit at one of the overheated patio tables.

After much consideration we finally decided to order the Lounge Burger ($7.95), the Classic ($7.95), Chicken Digglers ($7.95) and the ½ and ½ ($5.99), a side option that served both their traditional fries and onion rings. The servers were friendly, despite our numerous requests ,and after receiving a variety of dipping sauces and utensils we were finally ready to start eating.

The large portions somewhat compensated for the prices, but unfortunately, the Chicken Digglers, bits of fried chicken covered in a mild buffalo coating, lacked the spicy kick that the chili-lime sauce on the menu had

Like most average Americans, I’ve had my fair share of burgers. Smashburger, however, is comparable to a glorified Jack in the Box with a beach location.

Smashburger was surprisingly empty, with a slow but steady stream of people during the lunch hour, although I would imagine that the location is busier during the summer and hot days when the beach is full.

Despite a plethora of seating, available indoors and outdoors, attempting to seat more than four people together requires rearranging free tables, unless no one minds eating uncomfortably close together in a booth.

Outside, the chairs are rickety and wobble frequently. Meanwhile music played in the background; some kind of radio station on low volume.

The Classic Smashburger ($5.49) was delivered by someone who appeared to be the manager - who disappeared afterwards, not to be seen again - to the table and came split open despite having condiments pre-spread without asking if they were wanted. The patty itself was fresh and flattened - an attribute true to the “smash” burger name.

Much to the chagrin of the paragraph plastered to the back of fountain drinks, which boasts about juicy patties, the single tomato is the juiciest part. The burger patty itself was closer to dry than greasy. Additional toppings included in the burger were some sparse lettuce, onions,

photo by lauren zhang/falconer

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promised, and the chicken was weirdly chewy and lacked the crunchy breading I had been hoping for. Additionally, the jicama slaw, which accompanied the Chicken Digglers, consisted of mostly water-based vegetables, like carrots and radishes, and didn’t do much to add to the flavor of the dish. Despite the list of ingredients on the menu, the Classic basically had two primary flavors: the thousand island dressing and pickles, which masked all other traces of vegetable. The burger was comparable to a McDonalds Big Mac, but the burger was tangy and a little sweet, a much-needed break from all the salt from the rest of the items. The Lounge Burger was, in one word, standard. The meat was wellcooked and tender and the vegetables were fresh, but considering that it was supposed to be their signature burger, there was nothing that I found particularly appealing about it. The items in the ½ and ½ had a nice crunch but were smothered in oil, making the items overly salty and heavy.

It turned out I was correct in being suspicious of the overly-high prices at Burger Lounge. Without the sleek environment and attentive servers, the restaurant could easily be mistaken for an everyday fast food chain. The next time I take the drive up to Flower Hill, I think I’ll skip the crowd and stick to my burritos.

by Sumin Hwang

a few pickles and a tomato on top of a rather bland, white bread bun. It was only a small step up from a fast food burger.

The spinach and goat cheese Smashburger ($6.79) was a little better. The vinaigrette was not too heavy or greasy, the vegetables were fresh and crisp, and the overall quality of the toppings was good. There was also a build-your-own burger selection, but the burgers overall were no better than what cheaper places have already.

The Smashfries ($2.39) came with a layer of oil that settled to the bottom of the tray, but were still crisp.

The spicy buffalo fries ($2.49) were also good, flavored with a fine chili powder. The haystack onions ($2.49) were crispy and thin, much alike the fries. However, the fries were still the best part of the meal.

Somehow, the peanut butter shake ($4.59) arrived nearly melted, despite being December. Not to mention Smashburger was out of whipped cream for the shake, but the cashier had the decency to say so at the counter.

In the end, Smashburger is just an average burger place with a prime piece of real estate. I wouldn’t mind going there to eat lunch with friends, since I’d rather eat there than eat fast food, but I wouldn’t actively seek out a meal there.

by Ellie Ahles

To me, burgers have been nothing more than a convenient to-go food for grabbing at the drive-thru late at night on the way home from a road trip. So it was strange to see so many burger varieties at Bushfire Kitchen, unlike the limited choices at Jack in the Box or In-N-Out. Because of its convenient location on Del Mar Heights Road, the drive there took only 10 minutes.

The little, old-fashioned electric light bulbs dangling from the ceiling cast a delightful orange glow that created a warm, inviting atmosphere. The simple, yet classy, wood-paneled floors, ceiling and counters also gave off an Old West edge to the restaurant.

Thanks to the short line, my order was taken immediately. I got a Bushfire Original Burger ($10.95) with sweet potato fries ($3.25), an American burger ($12.95) with garlic mashed potatoes ($6.25) and a Bushfire Burrito ($9.95).

Taking Bushfire Kitchen’s attractive interior and semihigh prices into account, I had high expectations for the meal, especially because the ingredients were all organic.

I was impressed by the simple, yet pleasing, presentation of the Bushfire Original Burger. To my disappointment, however, the actual taste was not nearly as satisfying; when my teeth sank into the soft bun, the meaty flavor of the patty, which tasted a little burnt, masked the moisture of the crunchy lettuce and the gooeyness of the Muenster

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photo by alderik van der heyde/falconer

cheese that I craved. The house-pickled red onions, however, had an interesting effect; they gave off a tropical tang that I had never tasted before. Additionally, the sweet potato fries on the side were definitely my favorite part of the dish. At first bite, the hot spiciness of the flaky fries contrasted nicely with the cool sweetness of the accompanying sauce, which tasted similar to hummus.

On the contrary, the patty in the American Burger was less overwhelming, and the bacon added a crisp finish to the burger. The rest of the burger was similar to the Bushfire Original, except that the onions had a less distinct taste. Similar to the fries, the garlic mashed potatoes also exceeded my expectations; they were beautifully buttered and melted in my mouth.

Lastly, the Bushfire Burrito took me by complete surprise; its standardlooking appearance did not prepare me for the immediate spiciness of the burrito, which was complemented nicely by fluffy scrambled eggs and slow-braised carnitas.

From the emerald-green parsley on the fries to the little sesame seeds on the buns, Bushfire Kitchen’s food was excellent and worth the slightly expensive cost. The restaurant is definitely a place that I would visit again for any occasion, whether it be a birthday celebration among family or an outing between friends.

by Kahyun Koh

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After a yearlong hiatus, pop singer Ed Sheeran released two discordant-sounding singles, “Castle on the Hill” and “Shape of You.” Sheeran’s characteristic stripped-down vocals are complemented by xylophone-sounding instrumentals in “Shape of You,” which is more in line with Sheeran’s usual style.

The track highlights Sheeran’s signature sound while sounding elevated through higher production quality and more interesting instrumentals.

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The Shins’ classic beachy and easygoing sound comes through as clearly as ever in “Name For You,” the second song released off their new album, “Heartworms,” which is scheduled for release on Mar. 10. While the instrumentals slightly overpower lead vocalist James Mercer’s distinct and classic-sounding voice, the laid-back tone of the song is a mix of of the Beach Boys and Jimmy Buffet and serves as calming, yet upbeat, background music for any occasion.

The Flaming Lips misses the mark with “We a Famly.” The upbeat opening is promising at first, but as it begins to build the song sounds less like the band’s usual multilayered psychedelic rock arrangements and more like a bad rendition of a Radiohead track. Lead vocalist Wayne Coyne’s distinct voice clashes with the overproduced instrumentals, making the track sound messy at best. The band’s 14th studio album “Oczy Mlody” will be released on Jan. 13.

january 13, 2017

Besides the references to Kylie Jenner and Kim Kardashian, there is nothing relevant about Tyga’s single “Feel Me,” which features Kanye West. The track sounds like a typical rap song, but more boring, despite the Kanye feature, which sounds incredibly similar to his feature in rapper ScHoolboy Q’s “THat Part.” In three minutes and 19 seconds, Tyga manages to rap about absolutely nothing while still repeating himself, which is truly something only he could manage.

“On Hold” is the perfect balance between the xx’s signature ethereal, relaxed instrumentals and its newer, more climactic sound.

The louder and more clear vocals are complemented by the electronic beats, making the track catchy and upbeat without compromising the band’s classic mellow sound.

The indie electronic band also released “Say Something Loving” in anticipation of their third studio album “I See You,” which will be released on Jan. 13.

WORDS BY IRENE YU/FALCONER

Falcons surge over Wolverines in second half

After trailing at halftime, a second-half surge led boys basketball (14-3) to a 64-38 away win over Westview High School (6-9) on Jan. 6.

Early on, Ethan Esposito (12) and Jake Gilliam (12) attacked the glass, giving Torrey Pines an 8-3 lead. However, with their home crowd behind them, Westview shot lights out and jumped to a 16-13 first quarter lead.

Westview’s long range shooting continued to trouble the Falcons in the second quarter. On one play, TPHS tried to pass the ball inside to Jake Gilliam, but Westview broke up the pass and found an open corner three. After the three, Westview led 30-20, but the Falcons answered quickly. With time running short in the second quarter, Jake Gilliam fought for a pair of layups in the paint. Shortly after, guard Finn Sullivan (11) hit both of his outside looks to cut Westview’s lead to 30-29 at the half.

Hayden Helfrich (12) said the team did not put forth their best effort in the first half.

“We were not moving the ball enough; we weren’t defending as well as we should have,” Helfrich said. “It just was not Torrey Pines basketball.”

Sullivan was similarly disappointed with the first-half performance, but said head coach John Olive helped the team get ready for the second half.

“The offense was stagnant, and that just led to [Westview’s] offense being very productive,” Sullivan said. “We could not get back on defense very well. At halftime, coach gave us the game plan over again, reinforced us basically. He made sure we got into the high post and passed it to our bigs.”

The third quarter opened with several lead changes. To begin his 16-point half, Esposito stole the ball on one end and used his speed and height to power his way to the basket on the other end. After Westview answered on the following possession,

Esposito scored again on a close layup from Sullivan.

With three minutes left in the third quarter, Westview led 38-37, but the Falcons would score the game’s next 37 points. TPHS gained the lead by forcing a Westview three-pointer miss, rebounding and finding Cade Kinney-Shakelford (12) for a breakaway layup. Westview missed again on their next shot, leaving Torrey Pines with only seconds left in the quarter.

A series of risky passes got the ball down the court to Bryce Pope (10) whose twopoint buzzer beater gave Torrey Pines a 45-38 lead.

Both teams began the fourth quarter shooting threes; however, it was Sullivan who struck first from the three-point line to extend their lead to 10. Sullivan continued his productivity with two free throws after getting fouled on the way to the basket. As the quarter progressed, ball movement led to scores from not only Sullivan and Esposito, but also Pope and Kinney-Shackelford, giving TPHS a 60-38 lead.

With a comfortable lead and two minutes left, TPHS subbed out the starters but still continued to build the lead. After getting fouled on a mid-range jumper, Bryan Miranda (12) hit one of two free throws and Chad Piper (12) hit an open three-pointer to close a 64-38 Falcons win.

Sullivan said Esposito, who led all scoreres with 24 points, stood out the most against Westview.

“We passed it to him he would just get to them and put it in,” said Sullivan.

Esposito said the team picked it up in the second half after starting slow.

“It was more of a team playing, especially defensively,” Esposito said. “We were more intense, more into the game, and I think everyone contributed in every way.”

Esposito said better communication also contributed to the second half turnaround for the Falcons.

“We were able to talk it out during the break and we figured out their plays. We got in the mojo of it,” Esposito said.

The team was rushed offensively and out of position defensively in the first half, according to Olive. However, Olive said

the team got quality shots off in the second half, which allowed the team to set up on defense.

“Our kids are very driven,” Olive said.

“They know that when they play somebody, that team is going to give us their very best effort. It’s an honor that people treat us that way and we get such a great effort from everyone. Obviously it’s a lot of hard work to overcome somebody that’s working so hard against you.”

As for how the team would prepare for future games, Olive said they will just keep working at improving upon their weaknesses.

“We’ve got to offensive rebound better, we gotta pass the ball better, cut down on our turnovers,” Olive said. “We’ve got to execute out of the low post offensively a little better. We just have to keep working on the things that we are weak at and get better at those things.”

The Falcons beat Dorsey 70-39 at home on Jan. 7, and will play today at home against El Camino.

PHOTOS BY ANTON SCHUH/FALCONER

NOTHING BUT NET: Finn Sullivan (5) passes the ball to a teammate as the Falcons look to penetrate the threepoint line (TOP). Sullivan jumps for a layup, surpassing a Wolverine defender (MIDDLE). Hayden Helfrich (12) dribbles the ball down the court (ABOVE).

A24 the falconer

sports

DAY IN THE

LIFE

january 13, 2017

Since moving from Bremerton, Wash. to San Diego, gifted acrobat Zoe Lowther (12) channels her creativity into aerial acrobatics, whether it be performing with circuses or teaching classes.

Two lone silks hang from the ceiling with Zoe Lowther (12) expertly entwined in them. A single swath winds around her legs, suspending her with one foot pointing downwards and the other angled upwards in the splits. Leaning forward with both ribbons of fabric wrapped around her wrists, she grins, making years of practice seem effortless.

Performing with aerial silks is Lowther’s specialty.

“Circus arts, specifically aerial arts, is the use of apparatus that hang from the ceiling,” Lowther said. “I do all of the apparatus: the trapeze, silks, hammocks and lyra.”

Lowther’s interest in aerial acrobatics began four years ago when she first moved from Washington to San Diego. Before the move, Lowther participated in gymnastics, cheerleading and competitive dance, but she “never stuck with them for very long.” Once she was in San Diego, Lowther attended a silks class at a local gym called SD United Training Center in Miramar after being inspired by Cirque du Soleil, “fell in love with [doing acrobatics]” and hasn’t tired of it since.

Keeping in time with the music, Lowther gracefully weaves her body through the silk to move into her next position. The transition is seamless.

Even though Lowther makes it look easy, acrobatics requires dedication of time and effort to master. Although both dance and acrobatics require perfect synchronization between the choreography and music, acrobatics is unique because the moves are executed in the air, demanding “a special kind of fitness because you’re lifting your entire body off the ground.”

To maintain upper body strength, Lowther lifts weights, climbs the silks without using her feet and does upside-down pull-ups on the lyra, a circular apparatus. Of all the workouts she does, flexibility exercises, like stretching, are the most challenging. “[Stretching is] actually the hardest thing for me because ... I’m a lot stronger than I am flexible, so it’s way harder for me to stretch my splits and backbends,” Lowther said.

But Lowther understands stretching is necessary to be safe on the apparatus. She learned this lesson when she ripped her right hamstring

after sliding into a split without warming up. As a result of the injury, Lowther took several months off to fully recover and has become more careful with learning her limits since.

Eyes shining, Lowther looks out toward the crowd at the performance, which is sponsored by the Dillion Dynamics Circus to fund the installment of hot water stoves in Africa. The music quickens, taking her to the climax of her performance. Lowther wraps the silks around her feet to execute her final move: an upside-down spin.

After being hired by her first aerial coach as an assistant coach, Lowther has become more focused on teaching. Due to the four additional classes that she now instructs at the SD United Training Center, Lowther’s “weeks are … a little more booked with teaching.”

Lowther’s efforts to become the best teacher she can be include one-on-one training sessions for younger students. She also makes demonstration videos of her aerial performances to send to circus companies in the future.

Acrobatics take up a major chunk of Lowther’s time, but academics will always remain her priority.

“Academics are super important to me, but I try to keep [aerial arts] as a kind of evening activity,” Lowther said. “So I have time after school to get cracking on my academic stuff … and in the evening [around 5 or 6 p.m.] I have reserved for aerial.”

Lowther has every intention of continuing in both pursuits. She wants to incorporate an aspect of aerial arts in a career related to health and wellness and keep aerial as a side job.

“I’m hoping to be able to balance [aerial arts] and my school work [in college, just] as I do now, but just be more performance-based,” Lowther said. “[I’d like to] just be with a good circus company so I can do some fun performances to remember while I’m in college.”

The music lulls and Lowther’s legs travel down the silks with every slowing beat. She strides toward the back of the stage as the lights dim. It is an unforgettable performance, which, even after several years, Lowther still recalls fondly.

by Anvitha Soordelu and Kahyun Koh

I’m hoping to be able to balance [aerial arts] with my school work [in college and] just be with a good circus company so I can do some fun performances to remember while I’m in college.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ZOE LOWTHER

sports

tphsfalconer.com

the falconer

A25

MARK YOUR CALENDAR Varsity game schedules from Jan. 13 to Feb. 11

SUN

8

MON

9

TUES

10

11

WED

THURS

12

13

FRI

14

Boys Basketball vs. El Camino Girls Basketball @ El Camino Boys Rugby vs. St. Augustine

15

16 Girls Basketball @ Horizon

22

23

17

18

Girls Soccer vs. SDA Boys Soccer @ SDA Boys Basketball @ SDA Girls Basketball @ SDA

24

25

Boys Soccer vs. Carlsbad Girls Soccer @ Carlsbad Boys Basketball vs. Carlsbad Girls Basketball vs. Carlsbad

29

30

31

6

7

20

Boys Soccer @ CCA Girls Soccer vs. CCA

Boys Rugby @ Poway Girls Basketball @ CCA Boys Basketball @ CCA

26

27

Boys Soccer @ LCC Girls Soccer vs. LCC

1

Boys Soccer @ Sage Creek Girls Soccer at Sage Creek Boys Basketball @ Sage Creek Girls Basketball @ Sage Creek

5

19

8

Boys Soccer vs. CCA Girls Soccer @ CCA Boys Basketball vs. CCA Girls Basketball vs. CCA

Wrestling @ San Pasqual

28

Boys Rugby @ Del Norte Girls Basketball @ LCC Boys Basketball @ LCC

3

Girls Soccer @ SDA Boys Soccer vs. SDA

Boys Rugby @ Cathedral Boys Basketball vs. SDA Girls Basketball vs. SDA

Boys Soccer @ Carlsbad Girls Soccer vs. Carlsbad

Wrestling @ Rancho Bernardo

21

2

9

SAT

Wrestling @ Westview Girls Rugby Boys Soccer vs.

Orange Glen

4

10

Girls Basketball @ Bishop’s Girls Rugby

11

Boys Rugby vs. LCC Girls Basketball @ Carlsbad Boys Basketball @ Carlsbad

Wrestling crushes Sage Creek 52-24 in first meet Wrestling (1-0) defeated Sage Creek High School (0-1) 52-24 on Thursday, Jan. 5 at home in the Falcons’ first dual meet of the season.

TPHS emerged victorious in seven of the meet’s nine matches.

“The team has been preparing for this meet by working hard every day and making sure we stayed in shape and ate right,” DJ Younkin (11) said.

Paulo Dominice (11) dominated in his match, beating his opponent in a fierce fight.

“I kept a lot of pressure on him and forced him to go for a take-down,” Dominice said.

“Then, when I was on top, I hooked his arm and circled toward his head, landing him on his back and pinning him.”

Dominice scored six points for the team, the highest number of points a single player can earn.

“There wasn’t any specific strategy that we used, but if I were to say a big reason we came out with the win was because of our support for our teammates during and before their matches,” Younkin said.

Several matches were forfeited, by both TPHS and Sage Creek, because neither team had enough members to compete in every weight class.

After hours of conditioning and practicing beforehand, the team felt prepared to face Sage Creek.

“Taking down Sage Creek was a big job,” TPHS head coach Martin Brown said.

“They are a dark horse in our league and we didn’t overlook them.”

The team went into the heavily anticipated meet optimistic and confident that they could come out with the win over their opponents.

“We were expecting to have a tough

fight out of Sage Creek, but we knew that with the work that we had put in during practice since the start of the season that we would come out with the win,” Younkin said.

The TPHS wrestling program is working to grow and establish itself as a major competitor in the league.

“Since we are a small team and give up a lot of points from forfeits, we work really hard to win all the matches we can during the meet,” Dominice said.

The meet was not the first time that TPHS and Sage Creek had gone head to head.

The team has been preparing for this meet by working hard every day and making sure we stayed in shape and ate right.

DJ Younkin ��������

“[Sage Creek is] a growing program, like ours,” Brown said. “They are a tough team,.

They brought in some tough competitors tonight and we had a great night.”

Going into the meet, the Falcons were aiming for a win, hoping it would set the team on track for a league championship in the near future.

“We are drawn in here with LCC, Carlsbad, Sage Creek, SDA and CCA, and I made the message real clear that we want a league championship,” Brown said.

The team faced Carlsbad yesterday at 5:30, after the Falconer went to press, and has a meet at Rancho Bernardo tomorrow at 9:00 a.m.

PHOTOS BY ALDERIK VAN DER HEYDE/FALCONER

DRAG ME DOWN: Dillon Vargo (9) wrestles above his opponent, eventually winning his match to contribute to the Falcons’ overall victory (TOP). Cole Nguyen (12) flips his opponent over onto his back on the floor of the gym to also win his match (ABOVE).

A26 the falconer

Girls water polo falls to Westview Girls water polo (9-4) lost to home team Westview High School (6-3) 14-9 on Jan. 5, falling short defensively midway through the third quarter.

The Wolverines began with the ball, quickly scoring a buzzer-beater goal on the first possession of the game. A minute later, a TPHS foul drew a free throw for Westview and another goal, bringing the score up to an early 2-0 lead.

After a series of turnovers from both teams, Natasha Rosenthal (12) scored the Falcons’ first goal. Westview rebounded with two attempts on goal afterward, both of which were blocked by goalkeeper Savanna Walter (10). But TPHS was also unable to break their opponents’ defensive front, losing the ball for a third goal by Westview. In the last 15 seconds of the quarter, a Wolverine stole the ball and passed across the pool to another player, who then tossed it into the net for a 4-1 lead.

“Westview capitalized on our mistakes, so we would lead to an early turnover on offense, which would lead to an easier goal for them to score,” TPHS head coach Alex Williams said. “When we wanted to score the ball, we had to really earn it.”

Genevieve Petrassi (11) began the second quarter with a goal, which was immediately followed by a Westview goal and then another goal by Petrassi. The Falcons held the Wolverines to just one more goal before the half, maintaining strong defense.

Coming out of halftime behind 6-3, Rosenthal shot a goal on their first possession of the third quarter. A series of passes from Ellie Ahles (11) to Rosenthal and then to Petrassi yielded the Falcons’ fifth goal of the game. However, TPHS could not put a stop to an equally aggressive Westview offense that scored directly after both goals.

With three minutes remaining in the third quarter, the Wolverines surged forward and scored two back-to-back goals, increasing their lead to five points. Another goal from Petrassi in the last minute was again countered with a Westview goal to end the quarter at 11-6.

“Midway through the third, our experience level and our lack of depth on the bench caught up to us,” Williams said.

“We were worn out by then ... The course of the game wore down on us.”

In the fourth quarter, TPHS picked up their defense, playing more aggressively and consequently taking possession of the ball more often. Rosenthal scored two more goals and Petrassi one, two of which were in the final 30 seconds of the game.

Westview scored three more goals as well to end the game at 14-9.

According to Petrassi, the TPHS team is relatively young, consisting of only three upperclassmen players, which contributed to some extent to their loss to Westview, an older, “more experienced” team.

“It’s all about our growing and trying to get the girls used to some of the physicality ... especially since we didn’t have any subs,” Petrassi said. “Our focus is trying to be defense, and it’s definitely hard when that breaks down just a little bit, but I think we did a really good job of not getting on each other about that.”

Rosenthal said that the Falcons have to improve on passing, which is a “fundamental mistake that can lead to so many issues within the team,” but are working hard with the numbers and experience they currently have. According to Williams, understanding multiple roles and stepping outside of comfort zones will also continue to be a focus in practice.

“Our kids are always tough and they don’t stop playing until the game’s over, so they always hang in there,” Williams said.

“Most importantly, they always have each other’s back.”

The Falcons fell to Vista 8-7 on Jan. 10, and will play La Jolla High School on Jan. 14 at La Jolla at 1:30 p.m.

sports

january 13, 2017

Girls basketball edged out by Westview Girls basketball (6-3) lost to Westview High School (9-4) 61-55 on Jan. 6 at home in a close game in which the score was tied six times.

TPHS started with the ball. There were a few unsuccessful scoring attempts by the Wolverines, early in the first quarter.

Several free throws were made by both teams with Westview pulling slightly ahead. The Falcons had more foul trouble than the Wolverines. The first layup was scored by Westview. With less than 20 seconds left in the period, neither team lost momentum, and the Falcons scored a layup, which was quickly answered by Westview, who scored a three-pointer in the last 16 seconds. The first quarter ended 14-12 in Westview’s favor.

“Today’s strengths were mainly the defense,” Meghan Voss (12) said. “We started strong.”

There was plenty of back-and-forth movement across the court in the second quarter. Minutes into the second quarter, Izzy Ascencio (9) scored the first layup, tying the score at 14-14. But in the following 20 seconds, the Wolverines scored a three-pointer, reclaiming the lead. Eventually, Westview’s offense overcame Torrey’s defense with free throws and several more layups. With seconds remaining on the clock, Westview scored a three-pointer near the end of the second half, changing the score to 24-18.

“There was a shift in momentum when we had stretches in which we were not playing well and they went out on a run,” Voss said. “Other than that, we were with them for the whole time.”

At the beginning of the third quarter, Westview fouled three times, and the Falcons capitalized by sinking additional

PHOTO BY TRAVIS FELTHAUS/FALCONER

HOOP-DE-HOOP: Meghan Voss (1) shoots a free throw as TPHS and Westview players scramble for the rebound and a chance to take the lead in a tight game. free throws. Shortly after, Westview grabbed rebounds that tied the score at 27-27. The rest of the quarter was a neckand-neck battle between the two teams as Wolverines and Falcons scored more three-pointers and free throws. With one minute left, Rehanna Fikre (10), assisted

by Rachel Shen (12), scored the last threepointer of the quarter. Westview ended on top, 39-36.

“In the game, there were definitely a few times in which we let the score get into our heads and we lost a little momentum,” Alexandra Babakanian (11) said. “Overall, we kept it pretty well.”

In the final quarter, both teams strengthened their offense. After TPHS was awarded free throws and tied 4242 for the last time, the Wolverines immediately responded by scoring on

consecutive layups. The Falcons struggled to keep up by more rebounds — several of which were missed —, but Westview continued to dominate with their effective long passes and three-pointers. Within the last few minutes, Westview fouled a few more times but maintained their victory with the final score of 61-55.

“We played well today.” Babakanian said. “We knew it was a tough game, but we worked well together. ” According to Babakanian, the Falcons “played a lot more together” than previous games, although they “could still really work on passing during practice on every offense.”

The Falcons will play El Camino High School on Jan. 13.

Head coach David McClurg was not available for comment.

Girls soccer wins first home game Girls soccer (5-2-1) defeated Rancho Buena Vista High School (1-7-1) 6-0 in the first home game of the year on Jan. 6.

Within the first five minutes of the game, Sawyer Simo (10) scored the Falcons’ first of four goals in the first half.

The second goal was completed 10 minutes later by Callie Petrey-Juarez (12) with an assist by Katie Dove (12). The Falcons maintained possession of the ball through efficient long passes back and forth, and the Longhorns briefly gained possession of the ball as the Falcons ventured close to the goal in Longhorn territory. The final two goals of the half were made in the last 10 minutes.

The second half of the game began in Falcon territory. As the ball made its way back into Longhorn territory, several shots were taken at the goal by Simo, Ava Colasin (12) and Jessica Wright (11), each shot made slightly askew or over the goal.

As in the first half, the last two goals of the game were made within the last 10 minutes as the Falcons and Longhorns went back and forth over possession of the ball trying to make one last goal.

The Falcons were able to take nine shots and 13 shots on goal compared to the Longhorns’ four shots.

“We passed very well and we scored,” Dove said. “As a team, we work with each other to play as a unit, that’s our strategy.”

According to TPHS head coach Martyn Hansford, two standout players were Petrey-Juarez who did a “really good job linking mid-field to attack the ball” and Grace Carter (12) who “played really well on the left-hand side of defense.”

“We’ve had limited practice time [because of winter break], so we’re really

just trying to hope that we approach things in the right way,” Hansford said.

According to Hansford, the team dominated the ball so that the Falcons could maintain possession and control of the game more so than the opposing team.

When TPHS played RBV last year, they beat the team 4-2.

“I think any team in high school soccer can be dangerous,” Hansford said. “They don’t tend to be as highly ranked from year to year as some of the other school such as Cathedral or La Costa Canyon, but any opponent in front of us is going to be a challenge.”

According to Petrey-Juarez, the Falcons came into the game with a strong motivation to win, as it was their first league game.

“We came out with the mindset that we are going to play until the very end no matter what the score is and we ended up winning,” Petrey-Juarez said. “We’re doing well, especially since it’s the start of the season. But we do need to work on our composure and just maintaining possession of the ball and keeping it on the ground.”

The Falcons will play San Dieguito Academy at home on Jan. 17.

PHOTOS BY ALLY JENSEN/FALCONER

#GOALS: Callie Petrey-Juarez (3) dribbles the ball across the field past Longhorn defenders (TOP). Emma Reeves (6) takes the ball to the other side of the field, looking to shoot for a goal to increase the Falcons’ lead (ABOVE).

tphsfalconer.com

sports

pierre thomas varsity wrestling jan. 5 7:59:29

camera: nikon d600 lens: nikon 70-200m 1:2.8 ED iso: 1250 exp: 1/320 seconds f/stop: f/2.8 by alderik van der heyde

f/stop

the falconer

A27

the GRUNION

Friday, January 13, 2017

We’re doing this for you, f***ers

2016

was

just

a

really

bad

photo courtesy of don emmert/ap

America has gone through some truly horrible times in the past year. Between too many celebrity deaths and terrifying dance trends, I do not know how our country will recover, but maybe our next president Donald Trump will.

2016 was full of way too many important

people dying. “To Kill A Mockingbird”’s Harper Lee left us after 56 years of notable middle school literature that will never let us forget her name. Actors like Zsa Zsa Gabor, Anton Yeltsin, Alan Rickman, Pat Harrington Jr., Alan Thicke, Carrie Fisher and Florence Henderson passed away this

year

for

everything

year too, along with artists George Michael, Leonard Cohen, Prince and David Bowie.

Antonin Scalia, Fidel Castro, Muhammed Ali, Tony Burton and Arnold Palmer all lost the fight of life but will never be forgotten. We definitely can’t forget other notable deaths, including Harambe, our favorite video sharing app Vine and Brock Turner’s swimming career (but we’re not the least bit sad about that).

Speaking of swimming, this summer millions of people tuned into NBC to watch overpaid American athletes participate in sports against overpaid foreign athletes.

Some of this years #RioProblems included: a green diving pool, faulty elevators for tennis players, Zika protective outerwear coming into style and Ryan Lochte.

In July, Pokemon Go went viral, becoming perhaps the most effective initiative to combat the American obesity epidemic to date — sorry Michelle Obama. And while we’re on the subject, 2016 was also a year of stealing, from Melania Trump’s infamous RNC speech to the robber that purportedly stole Kim Kardashian’s jewelry.

September brought about the release of competing smartphones, the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus from Apple and the Galaxy Note 7 from Samsung. Both phones introduced

in

general

newfound technology from water resistantce to self destructibility.

In November, marijuana was legalized for users over the age of 21, who will definitely need it after the election results. #JoBama provided material for meme creators everywhere, with Barack Obama and Joe Biden’s unique and indestructable bromance bringing Americans to tears.

Donald Trump won the presidential election, despite his lack of concrete governmental policies — but who knows, maybe he emailed them to Hillary Clinton.

“Hair Force One” will be hitting up the White House later this month, so hide yo daughter, hide yo wife. The only good thing that came out of arguably the most contentious presidential race in U.S. history were the SNL skits.

Like every year, 2016 was full of dance trends and challenges. The year was kicked off with the running man challenge followed by the ever famous mannequin challenge and the dab. The whip and bottle flipping challenge also swept the nation (and high school hallways everywhere, especially TPHS).

Thanks to my 2016 #fam for a pretty terrible year, hopefully we will never have to experience another.

by Estelle Kraft

How To: Formal

photo by robbie johnson/falconer

It’s that time of year again: Winter Formal. Formal is a night where you only have to worry about two things: taking the perfect Instagram photo and avoiding being breathalyzed at the door. But actually securing a Formal date, picking out an outfit and figuring out pre- and post-Formal plans can be a nightmare — so it’s never a bad idea to get started early.

First, you want to make sure you pick the right date. Scope your classes for the most attractive people (if you’re looking for a boy it might take longer) or ask that special someone. Remember, you’ll only have to spend one night with them, unless you mistakenly decide to date them for a month afterward, as many do.

When planning your ask, try to stray away from posters and food.

You want your ask to be memorable, Instagrammable and most importantly, you want to make it impossible for them to say no. Ask your special someone in a way that’s related to their interests. For example, if your potential date is into cars, spray paint “FORMAL?” onto the windshield of his new Audi.

One of the most annoying things about Formal is planning. Not only do you have to accomodate your friends, but you also have to make room in the “limo” you’ll rent for that random couple that somehow made it into your group. To avoid this, be straightforward and tell people that you simply do not want to share such an important night with them. After all, Winter Formal only happens once a year.

To be completely prepared, you might want to actually watch “Rock of Ages” (or at least watch the trailer to the 2012 movie). Try to dress for the occasion, but remember that there might be several other girls wearing that same tight, short and off-the-shoulder dress with a matching choker.

This year, Formal will be held at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, which is the perfect venue to give off that romantic feel of a decorated warehouse, not to mention we’ll all be familiar with the location after all those years of AP testing. Feb. 11 might seem far away, but soon enough you’ll be dancing the night away with your special someone on concrete floors in a room that’s been used for both AP testing and farm animals.

Have a fabulous Formal, Falcons!

XOXO, Freddie Falcon

photo courtesy of cnn

HUF sock wearer cites “Hollyweed” sign as a “revolutionary work of modern art” Teens ponder meaning of Coachella tickets inevitably

life after sell out

Student announces college acceptance on every social media platform imaginable

Students drought

celebrate end of after two days

California of rain

Student complains that teacher won’t round an overall grade of 59.9 percent to an A This page is entirely fictional. by the Falconer staff