Falconer 2016 December

Falconer

The Torrey Pines High School

Friday, December 9, 2016

Vol. 42, Issue 3, 24 pages

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PHOTO BY ALLY JENSEN/FALCONER

Cornforth and Presley win by a hair The Relay 4 Life club held its first annual “No Shave November” event on Dec. 1 during lunch in the quad, when students voted for teachers based on their facial hair.

According to Relay 4 Life Club adviser Alexa Scheidler, No Shave November is a national event in which men do not shave for the whole month to heighten awareness of and raise funds for cancer prevention, research and education.

Relay 4 Life co-president Natalie Shugert (12) said that about 60 students voted for one of the 12 teachers who participated. When the voting ended, history teacher Colin Cornforth won “hairiest beard,” and art teacher Eric Presley won “funniest, craziest beard.”

The Relay 4 Life club used the event to raise money for its March cancer walk and the American Cancer Society.

“Every person who votes can also provide a small donation that goes toward cancer research and helping cancer survivors and their families,” Relay 4 Life co-president Mona Roshan (12) said.

Harim Yoon (12) both voted and donated money.

“It helps the American Cancer Society, so I think it is a good cause,” Yoon said. “All the change would add up in the end, so it’s actually better than not donating at all.”

Presley said he participated because “any excuse to grow a mustache is a good one.” Despite receiving the most votes for “funniest and craziest beard,” Presley said winning does not matter.

“It’s just being supportive of the cause,” Presley said. “Anything that brings attention to health is a good thing.”

The club sent an email informing staff members of the event at the beginning of November, according to Scheidler.

“We told them not to shave for the

whole month and that we were going to have a voting competition at the end,” Scheidler said.

According to Scheidler, the club’s main event is the Relay 4 Life Cancer Walk in the springtime. It has been an annual event for several years.

“Students walk around a track and raise money for cancer research and for the American Cancer Society by having people pledge for each lap they do,” Scheidler said. “We thought the No Shave November event would raise our profile and be a good way to tell people that Relay 4 Life is happening later on this year,” Shugert said that all three Relay 4 Life Club presidents will graduate this year.

“Mrs. Scheidler and the future presidents will help continue the event in the future,” Shugert said.

Although the event only raised $35 this year, Shugert said the event has “a lot of potential for years to come,” and that they “hope to publicize it more.”

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New social worker hired: correction

Louisa Triandis was hired as the first TPHS social worker as part of a districtwide effort to provide “another support system for students so that they have someone who is connected to people around the community,” according to Principal Rob Coppo.

Triandis was hired as a full-time social worker at SDUHSD, working Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at TPHS, Tuesdays at Pacific Trails Middle School and Thursdays at Earl Warren Middle School. There are three other district social workers who work at the other schools in the district.

According to Triandis, she and the other social workers will work to provide support that goes beyond counseling services, potentially connecting with and providing resources to students’ families.

“Counselors typically are there for certain areas of social and emotional support and the academic portion where they’re guiding students through high school and towards their secondary plans,” Coppo said. “But, often times when a student has a social or emotional issue, that’s related to social work. Our counselors ended up having to do a lot of the social work which is incredibly time consuming and they may not always be trained in what all of the options are for students.”

The social workers will also provide aid for students with mental illnesses as well as transportation services to

and from medical clinics. They will also head the group counseling aspect of the READI program, a two-day seminar at La Costa Canyon High School that serves as an alternative to the standard suspension for students caught with drugs or alcohol led by Joe Olesky.

Before working for SDUHSD, Triandis worked as a social worker at elementary and middle schools throughout San Diego County and later as a professor at the University of Southern California satellite campus for social work, where she placed and supervised social workers at schools of all levels in California.

According to Triandis, after discovering that SDUHSD was considering hiring social workers, she “gathered a group of parents” and lobbied school board meetings, which contributed to the eventual hiring of school social workers.

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“This actually goes back to what I was doing at USC because a big part of what I was doing with the USC project was to get more social workers in San Diego County,” Triandis said. “I think the district was just looking at the need to provide more support services for students because we have a lot of students that have problems with anxiety from school pressure and AP classes.”

There is a lack of social work services in San Diego County, according to Triandis.

“The closest areas with resources would probably be Vista or Mira Mesa,” Triandis said. “I think that later there might be a need for more help because in other states you have one social worker and one counselor for every 500 kids so there’s generally a lot more support.”

Students can schedule individual meetings with Triandis through their counselors if the counselors think the student could benefit from the help of a social worker.

Potential new 2017 math class A new Integrated Math 2/3 Honors class may be offered during the 2017-18 school year, according to Principal Rob Coppo.

Math teacher Kristina DeVico said that the course will cover all topics from Integrated Math 2 and Integrated Math 3 Honors in a single year.

“The purpose of the class is to attract kids who are really interested in math and want a faster-moving class,” DeVico said.

“These are the kids who want to get to Calculus quickly.”

Arjun Naageshwaran (9), who is currently taking Integrated Math 1 Honors, is interested in taking the new course next year. “[The new class] would let me go higher in math at a faster rate and comfortable speed,” Naageshwaran said.

Integrated Math 2 Honors student Schuyler Voss (9) said that while the class would benefit students who are interested in taking math at an accelerated level, it might be challenging for some. “[The new class] is a good idea for people who want higher level calculus classes,” Voss said. “My current math class has a decent workload, and I probably couldn’t handle having double the amount of work.”

Because of the accelerated speed of the class, it has been proposed as a double block class, meaning that two class periods are dedicated to the same class.

“If you have a double block class, we have to figure out how that works in Aeries and how the weighting would work out because [IM3H] has a weighted grade and [IM2H] doesn’t,” Coppo said.

According to Coppo, after working out the details of the new class with the district office, Integrated Math 2/3 Honors will be promoted on both the TPHS website and the math department website, and could potentially be listed as a course offering next year.

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december 9, 2016

Shafer replaces Iyer after she leaves Nov. 18 Jay Shafer, who was hired to replace former social science teacher Sapna Iyer after she left for health reasons earlier this year, began teaching his U.S. History classes on Nov. 28.

According to Chelney Cameron (11) and Michael Schild (11), who now have Shafer as their teacher, Iyer told her classes on Nov. 18 that she was leaving and that Shafer would be taking over her classes. She said that she was leaving because she wanted to put spending time with her children and her health over her job, according to Schild.

Principal Rob Coppo became aware on Nov. 10 that Iyer planned on leave, and Shafer was hired a week later, on Nov. 17.

Shafer is currently teaching Iyer’s 1st, 3rd, 4th and 5th period U.S. History classes, and he will begin teaching Economics at the beginning of second semester. Social science teacher Catherine Mintz took over Iyer’s economics class for the remainder of first semester.

Once he found out that Iyer was leaving, Coppo recommended that the district hire Shafer, since Shafer had previously taught U.S. history at Carmel Valley Middle School

and worked as substitute teacher in the SDUHSD. “I called the principal down at Carmel Valley, Mrs. Dolnik, who’s a good friend of mine, and said we had a teacher that was leaving for medical reasons,” Coppo said.

“Mr. Shafer’s name had come up because I think he had done some student teaching here, and Catherine Mintz, our [social studies] department chair, also knew about him ... Ms. Dolnik said he had done well [at

He really cares, which is like [Iyer.] She really cared about us ... he’s definitely going with the curriculum ... but he still does fun things.

Chelney Cameron �������

Carmel Valley Middle School], so we met with him and he seemed like a good fit.”

Shafer taught at CVMS for one year before getting hired at TPHS. He had time to prepare for his new job while on Thanksgiving break and met with Coppo before his contract started on Nov. 28, which

made it easy for him to transition into his new job.

“I like all the other teachers here a lot,” Shafer said. “All my students are really awesome, and it’s been really fun.”

According to Coppo, it was not difficult to find a replacement for Iyer since TPHS is part of a district that many people want to work in.

“One of the benefits of having a district with nine schools in it, and being in a distirct that’s very popular, lots of people want to work here,” Coppo said. “I’ve worked in other districts that are not as popular and it’s sometimes harder to find teachers. In this situation our sub pool tends to be people who really want to work in the district. So they sub here...until something opens up.”

According to Cameron, Shafer’s style of teaching is also quite different from Iyer’s.

Cameron said that he is very organized, with links for all of the class material on his website and he already has made thorough tests for his students.

“He really cares, which is like [Iyer.] She really cared about us ... but he’s definitely going with the curriculum,” Cameron said.

“She ... was more into teaching current events, but he still does fun things.”

Shafer is looking forward to interacting with students this year and he hopes to be rehired for the 2017-18 school year.

Teen Depression Awareness Week held

by Young Leaders in Healthcare Club The Young Leaders in Healthcare Club held Teen Depression Awareness Week at TPHS from Nov.14-18 to raise awareness about depression and other mental illnesses that some high schools experience.

“We wanted to do an outreach program for raising awareness for teenage depression because there’s a lot of stigma surrounding it,” club president Michelle Hsiao (12) said.

“People get very stressed and they fall into depression, so we wanted to bring awareness of that to [TPHS.]” The club posted flyers with facts about mental illnesses around campus, and organized a day for students to wear ribbons of different colors to school, with “each ribbon color [representing] a mental illness … [that the student was] either currently dealing with, has dealt with or know someone who has dealt with” that specific illness, according to vice president Kim Pham (12).

“I was very surprised with how many students were willing to showcase what they are dealing with or have dealt with,” Pham said. “I know [there’s such a] stigma against it, but students were very open and welcoming to the idea.”

Besides wearing ribbons on wrists, the Young Leaders in Healthcare Club created an ask.fm account, a social media website in which users can anonymously ask questions, so students could discuss their problems and club members could try and answer questions or provide comfort.

The club started planning their outreach project on teen depression in May. Young Leaders in Healthcare is a club, which meets once a month, that has many different branches at various schools.

“Young Leaders in Healthcare is something that the Greater San Diego Country does, and each school may have a branch, like LCC has a branch and CCA has a branch,” Hsiao said.

The system is set up similar to the community service organization Key Club, which has branches around the nation, not just at one school, according to Pham.

“We meet up with other people in the same club, but at different schools, and we receive lectures from medical professionals,” Pham said.

The club members chose to build their

outreach program around depression they believed it is an issue in high schools.

“A lot of times in a super competitive school like [TPHS,] it’s very easy to feel like whatever emotions you’re feeling [need to take a backseat so you can] focus on your academics or your social life,” vice president Robin Kong (12) said. “Teen depression is just stigmatized and … personally, I just feel that it’s hard for people to talk about their personal and emotional troubles because of the fact that there’s such a high emphasis on academics.”

The pressures of high school, especially at TPHS, where “there’s a lot of pressure to be good at so many different things,” students “compare themselves to each other and they’ll exhaust themselves,” according to club adviser MaryAnn Rall.

The week was not only to created to help students cope any possible illnesses, but also to “bring awareness to actual mental illnesses” because the term “depression” is thrown around casually when people “might not exactly be experiencing depression,” according to Kong.

“However [depression] manifests itself, the important part is that everybody

knows that they have some sort of support system,” TPHS principal Rob Coppo said.

“That’s [the school’s] role, to be that support system through groups like [Young Leaders in Healthcare,] through administrators, counselors, and teachers.”

The school offers support through programs like Peer Assistant Listeners and their Never Sit Alone at Lunch app, and also has guidance counselors available to provide support and advocate for students in need of additional support, according to Coppo.

“Mental health is just as important as physical health, but [this week] was just a little reminder,” Pham said. “We know that a lot of students are stressing right now because finals are coming up in January [and seniors are working through college applications], so we just want to remind other students that it’s going to be okay.

There are people who support and will care about your problems.”

The TPHS Young Leaders in Healthcare club would like to continue their work with teen depression awareness and community service, but have not decided on what its next step will be, according to Hsiao.

PHOTO BY ANTON SCHUH/FALCONER

RAISE AWARENESS: The Healthcare Club hung up posters with facts about mental illness in American teens to raise awareness about the week.

This was the first year Teenage Depression Awareness Week was held.

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Annual Veteran’s Day assembly held

ASB held the second annual Veterans Day assembly on Nov. 11 during first period at the outdoor amphitheater to honor veterans and celebrate those in the military ranks.

ASB officers played patriotic music while students were congregating in anticipation of the assembly. ASB Commissioner of Assemblies Alec Mikolajewski (12) led the crowd in the pledge of allegiance and introduced a few TPHS staff members who are also veterans. History teacher Lars Trupe, science teacher Dave Fleischman and math teacher Allan Tomlinson were honored at the event. TPHS PALs adviser Don Collins, also a military veteran, was mentioned despite his absence due to a conflict with FalconFest.

“I think [the assembly] is a good way to get students to reflect on something that they generally don’t think about [like] the fact that there are people out there that are putting their lives on the line for them,” Trupe said.

The bulk of the 20-minute assembly was dedicated to guest speaker Brandon Roach.

Roach, a six-year Navy SEAL, briefly addressed some concerns about potential wartime under President-elect Donald Trump, finding the election two days prior “timely.” Roach then approached the topic of Veterans Day and its distinction from Memorial Day. According to Roach, Memorial Day is a time to honor veterans who gave their lives as sacrifice for the United States, whereas Veterans Day is a time to honor all veterans for their service.

“Mr. Roach’s comment about his friend and the difficulties he had transitioning from military

life, particularly after having been in combat, those are … things that we don’t really understand,” Trupe said. “We don’t really appreciate the depth of the sacrifices that people make.”

Roach ended his speech by challenging students to thank a veteran, reflect on what they were thankful for from the United States and what they could do to make a difference over the following three-day weekend.

“I think it’s really encouraging to see a clearly talented and capable young group of men and women that are going to go off and do great things willing to take a couple of minutes to recognize those that have come before them,” Roach said. “Service takes a lot of different forms, you can look around and see your teachers and administrators and coaches and [they are] a great example [of that].”

Mikolajewski then reiterated the assembly’s importance and closed the assembly by having his 11-year-old sister sing the national anthem.

“I think having my little sister sing … [was] a nice touch, just to change things up a little bit,” Mikolajewski said.

Nico Bruno (11), who attended the assembly, said giving veterans recognition is an important part of the holiday and that the assembly accomplished that.

Mikolajewski had hoped to see more people attending this year’s assembly and sees the Veteran’s Day assembly continuing in the future.

“I’m so proud to say that our school can honor our vets by having a quick assembly [that] still means a lot to them,” Mikolajewski said.

ASB members Cole Cohen (12) and Tyrus Willden (11) assisted with the assembly in support roles.

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NAHS paints mural for Encinitas Heritage Museum

National Art Honors Society, a non-school sponsored community service club recently decorated the wooden construction walls around the new learning commons and worked on a mural for the San Dieguito Heritage Museum in Encinitas.

The group, led by Emma Cecil (12) and Dimei Wu (12) was contacted by Evelyn Weidner, a member of the board of directors for the museum looking for art students to complete a mural.

On Nov. 16 NAHS collaborated with the California Scholarship Federation club to paint and draw over the temporary wooden boards up during the learning common renovations.

The drawings included depictions of popular characters and inspirational quotes.

In October, the club began working on a mural for the San Dieguito Heritage Museum, a museum displaying artifacts of communities in the San Dieguito River Area.

“The museum gave us the parameters of what we’re supposed to paint,” event coordinator Shannon Brownlee (10) said. “The museum wants to recognize the agricultural history of Encinitas. There’s a lot of agriculture that has died out and green houses aren’t as present as they used to be.”

The mural includes colorful flowers surrounding a field near the ocean as a centerpiece.

Groups of four to five NAHS members visit the museum on Sundays to work on the Mural which is four feet tall and eight feet wide. They hope to complete it by January.

The club has been invited to EcoVivarium, a organization that rescues reptiles and educates kids through their living museum to paint habitats and decorate them with paper machete rocks. The group plans on going there for their next project.

In addition to these current projects, NAHS has painted trash cans and murals like falcon head in the girl’s volleyball team room on campus. They have created holiday cards for children in hospitals and have painted storm drains to prevent illegal dumping in partnership with I Love a Clean San Diego.

“There’s an emotional uplifting you get from doing art community service,” Wu said.

“The people that are looking at it get to appreciate it and enjoy it. Being in the club doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be great at art. You have to have a passion and a general sense of aesthetic quality,” Wu said.

According to the NAHS officers, the club cares most about serving the community.

Art teacher Emily Moran has been adviser of NAHS since last year. She is present when the club meets and receives emails about art opportunities in the community, but co-presidents Cecil and Wu “are the ones who pretty much run the show,” according to Moran.

I think the club is great; they do really good things,” Moran said. “It would be nice to see students involved more consistently. You see a handful of students who are helping out over and over with these projects. They do amazing work and are very professional with their contacts with the organizations they work with.

I’m impressed with their ability to do what they do.”

There is currently an open event coordinator position.

NAHS meets every 2-3-4-6 Monday in Room FA1.

PHOTO COURTESY OF NAHS

PAINTING IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS: Emma Cecil (12), Rinna Yu (9), Hannah Sher (10) and Sophia Chen (10) pose in front of the NAHS mural at the San Dieguito Heritage Museum.

INFOGRAPHIC BY SUMIN HWANG/FALCONER

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AVID students, staff visit CA colleges over Veteran’s Day Weekend Over the Veteran’s Day weekend, 33 AVID students and four TPHS staff members visited nine college campuses across California.

AVID, Advancement Via Individual Determination, is a program focused on teaching students organizational, academic and communication skills and ensures that students are prepared for college after high school.

“AVID program is typically for students who are the first ones in their families to go to college, or they may come from an underrepresented race or ethnicity, or there may be other reasons,” math teacher and AVID leader Rosa Velazquez said.

Velazquez and freshmen AVID teacher Colin Cornforth led and planned the trip.

“Ms. Velazquez and I were in charge of making sure that students had what they needed to have to be prepared,” Cornforth said.

The three-day annual trip gave AVID students the opportunity to visit schools they might not have been able to visit otherwise, according to Velazquez.

Students visited one California State University campus, one University of California campus and one private school each day. The “most important” part of the trip, according to Velazquez, was providing students with the motivation to work hard and get into a college or university.

“If [the students] are able to see the campuses and the schools that are harder to get into, then they start getting that motivation now,” Velazquez said.

Along with Velazquez, Cornforth, AVID teacher Francisco Lona and counselor Natalie Seward went on the tours with the students.

“I chose to go on the trip because I wanted to expand my list of colleges and maybe cross off some others,” Michael Perrone (11) said.

Perrone said the trip benefited him not only because it allowed him to experience the atmosphere of various colleges in California. The trip also brought the students closer together.

“My favorite part of the trip would have to be making better relationships with my teachers and friends,” Luisa Macias (11) said. “This trip was a great way to meet new people and [the students] had a lot of time to make many memories at the colleges.”

This year, for the first time, the annual AVID college trip was open to students of all grades rather than just seniors.

According to Velazquez, the change came as AVID expanded and became more supported by the district.

“It was a really good decision for the AVID staff to take everyone because being a senior and going on the trip I feel is almost too late,” Macias said. “Especially for the freshmen, it is important to see and experience all these colleges and learn they can go through their whole high school career and try their hardest to get into that one college they really liked.”

Velazquez said that the annual trip is planned with the goal of giving students an idea of what their futures could be like.

“Anytime we can get our students out into the real world to visit a college, a business, whatever it might be to get that real world education and connect with

community,” Rob Coppo said. “I think it’s absolutely gold for our kids and I feel incredibly lucky we have staff members

who are willing to give up their time and their personal time and be out.”

The students returned from the trip

PHOTOS COURTESY ROSA VELAZQUEZ

COLLEGE MAP: AVID students visit several college campuses including UC Irvine, UCLA, UC Riverside, USC, CSU Los Angeles, CSU Fullerton, Cal Poly Pomona, Chapman University and Claremont McKenna College.

RECENTLY PASSED STATEWIDE PROPOSITIONS

INFOGRAPHIC BY ELLIE AHLES AND ANGELA LIU/FALCONER

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By Maya Kota

NEWS & OPINION EDITOR

The Electoral College serves as the symbol and functioning implementation of federalism in the American constitutional system. Despite being deemed an anachronistic, undemocratic way of selecting a president, it allows both the states and citizens to have a say in the federal process. The fairness of the electoral college has always been somewhat contested, but has recently been called into greater question after the election of president-elect Donald Trump who, in spite of winning 302 electoral college votes, is more than 2.5 million popular votes behind opponent Hillary Clinton. The concern of many is that in our democratic system, if more people actually want Clinton as president, then why is Trump allowed to be the next POTUS? The Constitution prescribes that each state appoints a “number of electors equal to the number of senators and representatives to which a state may be entitled.”

This keeps power distributed proportionally between states and assures that the group of electors are a separate entity from the federal government.

Electors, who are usually party leaders or those with a strong affiliation with presidential candidates, are nominated at their state conventions. Having electors may not promote a direct democracy but the process surely

After the recent election, in which president-elect Donald Trump recieved 2.5+ million fewer popular votes than Hillary Clinton, many have questioned whether the Electoral College is still necessary. is not undemocratic. When citizens cast their votes for a candidate, they are actually casting votes for the elector committed to that candidate.

It is likely that, more often than not, electors will stick to their initial stance, being highly-politicized activists.

Opponents often view the “winner-take-all” method of awarding electoral votes as one of the most unfair aspects of the system, especially with regard to counting votes in swing states. The process seems unrepresentative of every voter’s voice because a minute majority could tip the scale; yet it is the winner-take-all method that actually induces candidates to focus campaign efforts on the tossup states. Voters in swing states are more likely to pay close attention to the campaign, knowing that even if their individual votes will not decide the outcome of the election, their votes toward electors matter more than those cast by voters in other, less-divided states.

Rather than viewing the Electoral College as a divisive force, we should consider why the Electoral College continues to exist. No one can become president without the support of many states. This support is no guarantee of presidential decorum or wisdom, but it does hold political and constitutional legitimacy, a considerable matter in a country as divided as ours. It is difficult to trust in a system that does not result in desired outcomes for everyone; however, the Electoral College fairly represents the states which were created before the federal government or the Constitution. In honoring what the U.S. was built upon, the Electoral College assures a future of a continued balance of power between the federal and state governments, a notion entirely germane to the continuation American democracy.

In response to a question posed to Americans by Gallup polls in 2013 ...

Should the U.S. keep the Electoral College?

29%

63%

YES

NO

said

said

*8 percent of surveyed people did not answer

In an effort to defy colonial British rule and its lack of American representation, our founding fathers created a nation that would derive its rule and authority from its citizens.

This promise to be a government of, by and for the people was built on a Constitutional right to vote that gives the American people the right to voice their opinions and determine for themselves who will represent and defend their needs and interests.

Despite this, the system through which the U.S. president is chosen — the Electoral College — direct contradictions the will of the people.

In a general election, state residents cast their votes to electors, who are pledged (but not legally required) to cast the votes they receive toward a particular presidential candidate.

The candidate who garners the most votes in the state, with the exception of Maine and Nebraska, is awarded all of the state’s’ electoral votes. The problem with the Electoral College is that the candidate with the most direct, or popular votes, does not always win the presidency. This means that the choice made by a majority of voters is delegitimized and ignored.

It is important to note that most presidents, with four exceptions, became president with an Electoral College and popular vote majority.

But the aberrations are becoming more common; the last two have happened 14 years apart. The recent election of President-elect Donald J. Trump illustrates the lack of democracy in the Electoral College. At the time the Falconer went to press, 2016 Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton led the popular vote count by over 2.5 million votes, yet lost the Electoral College count by 306 to 232 votes. Beyond contradicting the will of the majority, the Electoral College has other underlying flaws.

A slight majority of votes in a state is enough to rule any opposing votes

CON

By Farhan Hossain STAFF WRITER

worthless and invalid. In California, for example, Clinton won 65 percent of the popular votes and, therefore, all of California’s 55 electoral votes.

The over 3 million votes cast in the state for Trump were rendered worthless. Winner-take-all systems in historically liberal or conservative states makes votes cast in opposition to the state’s majority worthless.

Additionally, if a state has an ideological bent, it may discourage opposing voters who feel their votes will be worthless in the scheme of things. In tight battleground states, narrow margins hand over electoral votes representative of the entire population. The Electoral College’s need to consider states binary entities, either red or blue, masks the complexity of American democracy, and drowns out the viewpoints and political beliefs of vast portions of the population.

Continuing usage of the Electoral College discourages Americans from fulfilling their civic duty to vote, lowering citizen involvement and voter turnout. The American people deserve an equal opportunity to pick a Commander-In-Chief, and should not have their political power invalidated by arbitrary state lines and geographical location. Banning the Electoral College and using the popular vote to elect presidents would ensure the rights of all voting Americans and the integrity of our democratic process.

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december 9, 2016

STAFF ED: “CALEXIT” IS UNLIKELY AND NOT FEASIBLE In light of the recent election of Donald Trump as 45th President of the U.S., some Californians have called for California, one of the most historically liberal states in the country, to secede from Union and become its own country.

The Yes California Independence Campaign originally proposed the idea of secession over two years ago. However, the results of the presidential election helped the campaign gain significant support recently, especially over social media. But because of the permanent and primarily negative effects that it would bring, California should not secede from the U.S. Many supporters of Calexit are acting

impulsively based on disliking Trump. They believe California should secede so they can personally avoid having to live under a Trump presidency. This is not sufficient justification for California leaving the Union. Americans owe Trump a chance to prove himself and see what he can accomplish once he is in the White House. It is possible that he could propose laws that would benefit California and its residents, or renege on the campaign promises that many progressive Californians consider morally repugnant, discriminatory or illegal. In fact, according to NPR, most of the policies Trump has proposed are not even legally feasible

ART BY AFIA KHAN/FALCON ARTIST

or else require an absurd amount of money and resources to implement. It is likely that supporters of Calexit are simply upset about the result of the election and are looking for a way to voice their discontent on the national stage.

Also, under existing law, California is not legally allowed to leave the Union. A new amendment to the U.S. Constitution would be necessary for a state to legally secede, but two-thirds of Congress and 38 states would first need to approve it. Even if this could be accomplished, it would set a very dangerous precedent, allowing other states to secede whenever they wish to do so, which would lead to a further divided country and would not benefit citizens in the long run.

Furthermore, Calexit would lead to more violence and turmoil. Our country was already divided before the election and the division has only widened in its aftermath. There have been protests that have led to violence in cities like New York City, Oakland, Los Angeles and Chicago. Now more than ever, the citizens of the country need to show a united front and support one another regardless of their political differences. Additionally, there is the fact that the Civil War was fought over the secession of the South, so it is likely that another major conflict would arise because of California’s secession, which would not be a desirable for anyone.

Supporters of Calexit argue that it is realistic and reasonable since California’s economy is so large — in fact, it is the sixth largest in the world in terms of GDP — so California would have the resources it needs to survive on its own.

However, the chances of California’s economy collapsing after the Calexit easily overpower this argument. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, California “remains on shaky ground due to nearly $400 billion in unfunded liabilities and debt.” So even if Calexit were to happen and California would no longer have to subsidize other states, it is unlikely that the state will have enough money to support its large population.

Specifically, if California were to secede, it would no longer be able to access fresh water sources like the Colorado River, where much of the state gets its water. Without water, the most essential resource, California will not be able to support its population even with the revenue it generates from its large agriculture, tourism and entertainment industries. California is simply too dependent currently on the other states since a significant portion of its resources and financial security lies in the fact that is a part of this country. If the state were to secede, we would lose all of that, and the state would most likely not be able to last on its own for long.

California should not secede from the U.S. because doing so would just be giving in to dissatisfaction, which does not solve anything, and in this case, will only create more. The only way that Californians who are upset with the prospect of a Trump presidency are going to get their voices heard is if they stay with the country and fight for what they believe in. If they are still upset with Trump, they should be thankful that they live in a country where they can participate in a democracy and focus on trying to implement the changes they wish to see.

By Natalie Salgado STAFF WRITER

Recently, the University of California system announced it would impose actions to protect undocumented students at all 10 campuses.

According to a statement published on Nov. 30, “the University of California welcomes and supports students without regard to their immigration status. Undocumented applicants with or without DACA status will be considered on the same basis as any U.S. citizen or other applicant.”

The statement also provides that the state campus police will not assist federal immigration agents in identifying undocumented students nor will they turn over confidential records without court mandates.

Additionally, campus police will decline requests by federal immigration agents to arrest individuals based on suspicion that they have violated immigration laws.

The UC system is entirely justified in doing this. After all, California is home to over 6.6 million undocumented immigrants, the most of any state in the country. The majority of these

undocumented students who have lived in the U.S. most of their lives, according to Educators for Fair Consideration, an organization whose mission is to support undocumented young people.

In the U.S., 65,000 students graduate from high schools every year that have lived in the country for five or more years. Only 7.5 percent of those students go on to college. Approximately 553,000 undocumented students are eligible for the DREAM Act, which extends conditional legal status to students who have entered the U.S. before age 16 and have graduated high school.

Furthermore, it is unfair to deport a student if they have spent nearly their entire lives in the U.S. In fact, many such students are unaware of their undocumented status until they apply for a job or financial aid. Sending a person back to a country that they have spent little or none of their lives in, inhibits their chances of prosperity, especially since having an opportunity to live a safe and comfortable life is often very reason their families moved here in the first place.

Those who oppose the UC system’s decision fear that protecting undocumented students from deportation would affect the chances of legal students’ admission to college. However, undocumented students make up only 0.18 percent of the students in the UC schools, a very small amount in the grand scheme of things.

According to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, 55 percent of all deportees were convicted criminals, not students without legal status. Being in the U.S. in violation of immigration laws is not a crime as long as the individual has not reentered the

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University of California should protect undocumented students

country after a previous removal order. Nearly 45 percent of undocumented immigrants did not enter the U.S. illegally, according to Pew Hispanic Center.

Undocumented immigrants contribute over $11 billion to the national economy each year and many pay taxes. They are not a threat to society, as there is no correlation between immigrant status and committing violent crimes, according to a study conducted by Northwestern University.

When they enter the country, people

Falconer The Torrey Pines High School

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

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Its content, which is the responsibility of the Falconer staff, is not subject to administrative approval. Unsigned editorials represent the opinions of the staff, while opinion columns represent the writer’s perspective.

Advertisements do not necessarily represent the newspaper’s viewpoint.

The Falconer, an open forum, welcomes signed letters on pertinent issues from the TPHS community, which may be submitted to room 102, via email at falconer.ads@gmail.com or to Mia Smith’s mailbox in the administration building. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.

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should be more aware of immigration laws and how to obtain necessary documentation.

After immigrants have stayed past the legally allotted time, they must renew their visas or apply for citizenship. Students who have spent the majority of their lives undocumented need access to programs that will allow them to obtain appropriate legal documentation. Every student, regardless of status, has the right to an education and the UC system should be able to keep undocumented students safe from having their futures unjustly confiscated from them.

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opinion

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the falconer

A9

Standing Rock protests justified and effective

By Sammy Hallal STAFF WRITER

In Morton County, N.D., Energy Transfer Partners, a natural gas and propane company, attempted

to run an oil pipeline, known as the Dakota Access Pipeline, through the Standing Rock Native American reservation, notwithstanding the drastic negative impacts it would have on public health and culture.

Almost immediately, there was massive public backlash; protests, led by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, began on Apr. 1 at the proposed site.

The efforts to stop the construction demonstrated the power of protest and unity. Over 1.6 million people “checked in” at the reservation on Facebook to show their solidarity with the protestors. In addition, many prominent public figures, including former Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein, made an appearance at the protests to voice their support.

In the final weeks, the protests turned violent, but not because of the protestors.

Local

police as well as military police have been accused of using fire hoses, rubber bullets and tear gas against peaceful protestors. On Oct. 21, 141 people were arrested and an entire frontline camp was aggressively cleared in order to start construction on the pipeline.

On Dec. 4, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced that they would seek alternative paths for the pipeline in order to avoid crossing through Native American lands.

Since the protests began, the U.S. has also cancelled 15 oil and gas leases surrounding Glacier National Park in Montana, an area sacred to the Blackfoot tribe.

The protesters had every right to challenge the company.

Though Energy Transfer Partners and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers claimed that the pipeline did not invade native lands, members of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe believed that the pipeline would violate ancient treaty land promised to them by the federal government many years ago.

In order to understand the

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conflict, one must go back nearly 150 years to its beginnings. In 1868, the land beneath the pipeline site was promised to the natives in the Treaty of Fort Laramie. Eleven years later, the U.S. government, in violation of international law, threatened to isolate and starve the tribe if it did not give up the land, which forced the tribe into ceding a substantial portion of its land.

According to the Sacred Stone Camp website, the project was also opposed by many because, “the Dakota Access Pipeline [threatened] everything from farming and drinking water to entire ecosystems, wildlife and food sources surrounding the Missouri [River].” The pipeline would have had particularly severe consequences on the water quality of the Missouri River, which is the Standing Rock Sioux tribe’s main source of drinking water. Doug Hayes, a staff attorney at the Sierra Club, claims that pipelines often leak in small, undetectable spots and believes that the natives’ arguments are “very well-founded.” The pipeline would have threatened the everyday livelihood of the tribe.

The construction of the pipeline would bring with it drastic repercussions in terms of divisions between cultures. Not only would it bring back the Anti-American sentiments among the native populations, but it would negatively impact many Americans views of the federal government as well, since the pipeline would have affected more than just people in the Standing Rock Sioux tribe. Many American

landowners in the area were against the DAPL. Thus, the attempt to construct the pipeline represents a blatant disregard for the American people by the federal government and by those in favor of the pipeline construction, including presidentelect Donald Trump, who holds stock in Energy Transfer Partners. It also emphasizes the conservative American ideology that subordinates moral principles for profit and economic benefit.

If the DAPL was actually constructed, we would only be repeating of America’s gross history of dehumanizing the native population. It is particularly important to remember that the pipeline was originally going to be built through Bismarck, N.D, an area home to predominantly white residents. Energy Transfers Company decided that it would be rerouted to the Native American lands due to the complaints of many people in Bismarck and environs. When the Standing Rock natives made the same complaint, they were simply brushed aside, an unfortunate reality that persists today despite condemnations of our country’s past.

We cannot simply sit by and watch as the original inhabitants of our land have their unalienable rights stripped away from them, like we have seen countless times before. History was replaying before our eyes, and Americans need to continue to stand in solidarity with our native brothers and sisters in the future, as it is highly likely that this will not be the last time they face such gross injustices.

PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE ESTELLE KRAFT

Staff writer Estelle Kraft (11) reflects on the challenges and opportunities that come with pursuing her passion for Equestrianism.

Coffee in hand, I drove to the Del Mar Fairgrounds at the crack of dawn, while other competitors were sound asleep.

The week of Oct. 3, 2016 was the Greater San Diego Hunter Jumper Association Championship Horse Show week, seven days of competition that von Henkle Equestrian and I had tirelessly been preparing for the entire season. It was our last chance to compete and earn points toward end-of-the-year awards.

But that morning, I was not there to train; I was there to work.

Equestrianism is a sport in which capital is king, and unfortunately for my family and me, we have always been lacking in it. In middle school, I began working at the barn, performing odd jobs in exchange for training.

In 2014, my family and I relocated to San Diego, during which, I had the opportunity to work with trainer Leah von Henkle and her talented sale and training business.

Two years have passed since then, and Leah has made it her mission to ensure I was able to compete as often as possible, despite my financial situation. All throughout the 2016 season, Leah allowed me to compete on both sale horses and her own horses so I could qualify for classes and divisions in the Championship Show.

The week began with warm-up classes Monday and Tuesday giving Remmy, my trainer’s horse, and I a chance to ride in all the arenas before competition took place and allowing me to settle my anxious nerves. I walked into

this week lacking confidence because I knew who my competitors were and what they were capable of. Since they were able to train and compete on the same horse all season, unlike me, they all possessed a certain consistency in performance and confidence that I lacked.

Wednesday morning, I walked down the show barn aisle to find Remmy all braided and surprisingly perfectly white. Hours later, my trainer Katy took him into the show ring to compete in a professional division, allowing him to get more comfortable with his environment.

They competed in the Low Hunter Classic, a combined double round competition entry that is judged on the horses’ finesse and movement over fences, scoring an impressive 83 of 90 in the first round. Scoring this high, Remmy and Katy were seeded second overall heading into the second round, giving me a little more confidence in how I would ride throughout the rest of the week.

Confidence is an extremely important quality in the equestrian world. When I began working for my first barn in Illinois, I had no confidence in my riding because I thought that ribbons, titles and money defined what kind of rider I was. I was wrong. Within the two years that I have been with Leah, I have grown so much in my confidence as both a working student and competitor.

Thursday, we went out with a bang finishing reserved champion, which is second place, in the Junior/Amateur Hunter Derby. We beat all but one competitor of 90, scoring a 169 of 180

PHOTO BY LAUREN ZHANG/FALCONER

possible points and won some prize money On Friday, we were in the top four for every equitation flat class, a ground-work class judged on the rider’s position and ability to perform the tests announced.

And Saturday night I spent underneath the bright lights of the Del Mar Fairgrounds indoor arena competing in Flat Medal Finals. The Medal Final class is one in which riders are tested as in an equitation flat class, but the tests are more challenging and the class has over 50 competitors competing in multiple call back rounds. I competed in every single call back, placing fifth overall, of which I was extremely proud.

That week, I felt I proved everyone wrong;

just because a competitor cannot afford a $100,000 horse and expensive apparel does not mean that she cannot succeed like everyone else. Working to pay my way through the equestrian world allowed me to develop a unique perspective that many other competitors do not have and become more grateful for the money which I do have.

I am extremely fortunate to be able to sit on a horse’s back on weekend mornings. These are the rides that count; they are the ones that remind me of how lucky I am to have the opportunities I am presented with daily, thanks to my trainers and parents, who have showed me endless support for my endeavors both in and outside of the show ring.

A10 the falconer

opinion

Third-party voters should not be blamed for election outcomes

By Irene Yu EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Under the current, the winnertake-all, two-party system in the U.S., it is highly unlikely that a third-party candidate will ever become president.

In fact, no third-party candidate has ever became president, but that does not stop people from voting for thirdparty candidates.

Some voters vote third-party because they truly support the candidates’ views and policies — and there is nothing wrong with that. These voters embody exactly what American democracy boasts: the opportunity for every citizen to have a say in the political process. However, especially in elections in which neither main candidate is popular, many will cast a protest vote and vote third-party to spite the other two. In states that are predominantly liberal or conservative, this barely has an impact, but in swing states, it makes all the difference. It is crucial to vote for a candidate that has an actual chance of winning the presidency, and realistically, thirdparty candidates have no chance.

The outcome of a presidential election affects everyone. Voters who have a chance to actually influence the presidential election, even if they are dissatisfied with both main candidates, should vote for the

candidate that they believe is better.

Casting a protest vote under the false assumption that a certain candidate is guaranteed to win a state is no better than voting for their opponent.

Protest votes are ineffective, if not detrimental, to our political process.

Both third-party candidates in the 2016 general election, Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson and Green Party candidate Jill Stein, did not win any states. However, in Florida, a key swing state, Johnson and Stein garnered enough votes to make a difference. According to the International Business Times, Republican candidate and presidentelect Donald Trump defeated Clinton by 119,770 votes, while Johnson took 206,007 votes and Stein took 64,019 votes. If half of Florida’s third-party voters had voted for Clinton, she would have won Florida’s 29 electoral votes. Similar numbers in other swing states have caused many Democrats and Clinton supporters to blame third-party voters for Trump’s victory.

Even though third-party voters can have a large impact, there is no reason to blame all third-party voters for the outcome of an election. Yes, predictions can be made about which candidate would have benefitted from the third-party votes, but there is no guarantee that one or the other would have received the votes, especially in elections where neither candidates rank high on popularity.

Voting third-party, protest vote or not, is not as bad as not voting at all.

Voting is not just a privilege or a right — it’s a civic duty. Democracy works best with increased participation, and the most effective and easy way to have a say in the political process.

december 9, 2016

Protests ineffective way to create long-term changes

By Amanda Chen EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

In the early hours of Nov. 9, millions across the U.S. watched as the final electoral votes of the 2016 presidential election, votes that would determine the fate of this country for at least the next four years, were counted. And inevitably, after Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump became the projected winner of perhaps the most highly contested race in recent history, the already stark divide between the two camps

seemed to widen even further.

On one side, there was a cause for celebration, and on the other, confusion, sadness, anger, and most of all, fear.

For many Clinton supporters and anti-Trump partisans (the two often are not synonymous), the results of this election were simply unacceptable. And so, in the week immediately following Election Day, thousands took to the streets to protest, obstructing traffic, chanting and carrying signs that proclaimed “Not My President,” “Undocumented and Afraid” and “Love Trumps Hate.”

These demonstrations will likely continue until Inauguration Day and the day after, when large-scale protests are set for Washington D.C. and across the country, and probably well into Trump’s term.

The problem with these protests is not that they are unjustified; this is a man whose campaign promises, if implemented, would strip away access to vital services and fundamental protections that many Americans require, a man whose offensive rhetoric has repeatedly undermined their identities and whose inexperience and lack of policy knowledge threatens the very stability and security of the country. Rather, the problem is the uncertainty of what happens next.

In the past century, protests, both peaceful and violent, have become a popular method for attempting to instigate social change. Modern-day organizers often look to the effectiveness of the women’s suffrage movement of the early 20th century and, later, the modern women’s movement, the civil rights movement and

the environmental movement of the 1960s in creating tangible and permanent change through government action. While most protests of the past decade have been very successful in bringing certain issues to the attention of politicians and to the forefront of national, even global conversations, they still seem to be missing one critical element that all the effective 20th century movements possessed: organization.

Today, social media platforms like Facebook make it easy for almost anyone to organize a protest with the click of a few buttons. Protests for a greater cause often happen independent of one another, organized by different groups or individuals. This is frequently pointed to as the fault of the Occupy movement, which in 2011, attempted to address economic inequality but did not accomplish much.

This is also the case for the antiTrump protests. Despite their wellintentioned efforts, in a few months, Trump will probably be sworn in as the 45th President of the U.S. So right now, what this country needs more than anything is not a revolution, but reform. And history has proven that change is possible, but also that it comes gradually.

But while we weather this particular storm, let us not shy away from being engaged. Tell your representatives about issues that matter to you, donate to organizations threatened by a Trump presidency or organizations that support populations threatened by a Trump presidency, volunteer on a political campaign for the midterm elections or the 2020 presidential race today.

How president-elect Donald Trump’s stances and policies have changed since his election

Climate Change

Affordable Care Act

Then: In 2012, Trump tweeted that global warming is a hoax created by the Chinese.

Now: Trump said he is open to preserving U.S. participation in the Paris Climate Agreement and believes rising temperature is connected to human activity.

Then: Trump advocated for a complete repeal and replacement of Obamacare during the campaign.

Now: After meeting with President Obama, Trump said that he would keep parts of the Act.

The Wall

Same-Sex Marriage

Then: When Jeb Bush referred to Trump’s wall proposal as a fence, Trump tweeted “Jeb, it’s a WALL, and there’s a BIG difference!”

Now: Trump told “60 Minutes”’ Lesley Stahl that there could be border fencing.

Then: Trump said he would consider appointing Supreme Court justices opposed to same-sex marriage.

Now: Trump said that same-sex marriage is “done…And I’m fine with that.”

Electoral College Then: Trump tweeted that the Electoral College “is a disaster for democracy.”

Now: Trump said that the Electoral College was “genius” and that it helped him win smaller states.

INFOGRAPHIC BY IRENE YU/FALCONER

Deporting Illegal Immigrants Then: Trump said that all illegal immigrants, an estimated 11 million, will be rounded up and deported under his administration.

Now: Trump said that he would advocate deporting only 2 to 3 million immigrants with criminal records.

*Information provided by CNN PHOTO COURTESY OF TIME MAGAZINE

In 1984, three students — Cathy Kuhlmeier, Leslie Smart and Leanne Tippett — were seated in a Missouri courtroom. The journalists from Hazelwood East High School held their heads high and stood on the pedestal of their First Amendment rights. In the most recent edition of their school newspaper, the Spectrum, two stories, one about teen pregnancy and one about the effects of divorce on students, were censored at the last minute by Hazelwood principal Robert Eugene Reynolds because he deemed them inappropriate for high school students, especially freshman. Confident in their rights under the First Amendment, Kuhlmeier, Smart and Tippett took the district to court.

Four years later, the students received their ruling from the United States Supreme Court. And they had lost.

The court case did not simply send the high school students home with heavy hearts, but set a precedent for high school journalists across the entire nation.

The Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier decision negated the rights students had won in the 1969 U.S. Supreme Court case Tinker v. Des Moines, which protected students’ freedom of expression under the First Amendment except in cases when an action caused “a material and substantive” disruption of school.

According to Frank Lomonte, executive director of the Student Press Law Center — a non-profit organization that advocates for student first amendment rights — students, teachers, administrators and lawmakers have struggled for decades to determine the functions and limits of high school journalism.

Many critics seem to think that newspapers are filled with bad news but, in fact, I look at student publications around the country all the time and they’re overwhelmingly favorable … and people just overlook that and see the one article every edition that has crime or controversy.

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“When the Supreme Court decides a First Amendment case, the question is always where that line is drawn that the government’s authority kicks in,” Lomonte said. “What Hazelwood resulted in was opening up the floodgates for schools to start censoring for reasons that ultimately boil down to image control.

That’s the main reason that students report being censored: they’re told that they’re not allowed to make their schools look bad, they’re not allowed to portray the school in an unfavorable light or bring to public attention that people are dissatisfied with the school.”

Flash forward nearly 30 years and across the country: 2005, San Diego. Scott and Diane Salka, the parents of TPHS then-sophomore Monterey Salka (‘07), filed a $1.5 million lawsuit against the SDUHSD, claiming that “semi-nude” photos of their daughter in the TPHS literary magazine, First Flight, constituted sexual harassment, invasion of privacy and defamation. They claimed that the images should not have been taken without parental consent and supervision.

They claimed that the publication of the photos was not protected under the First Amendment.

Though California Education Code (the section of California law that governs the operation of public schools in the state) 48907 (adopted in 1977) “renders Hazelwood null and void” in the state because it provides students wider protection under the law than the federal Hazelwood statute does, according to Lomonte, a question persists in the minds of high school journalists in Hazelwood states: what is appropriate to publish, and what is the extent of their First Amendment rights?

High school news coverage is the portrayal of a variety of differing perspectives, and tells “the stories that have been untold or [stories] that people might not necessarily know about so that some spotlight can be shed on those who deserve it,” according to TPTV reporter Stella Chung (10).

“I think the point of high school journalism is to present the issues that high schoolers are concerned with,” TPTV host Madison Wickham (12) said. “TPTV and the Falconer allow for stories that high schoolers will find relevant and newsworthy to be [published.]”

According to Jake Gilliam (12), the job of a high school publication like the Falconer is to report about the school it represents accurately and in an unbiased way, “covering some of the great things about Torrey Pines.”

“First of all, [for high school journalism] to promote the school would be cool, and then to just inform kids,” Gilliam said. “A lot of these kids haven’t made up their decisions yet on [whether they are] Democratic or Republican, so [high school journalism should] inform kids of facts and give opinions of both sides of the argument.”

In comparison to that ideal, Gilliam said that the Falconer’s stories about the 2016 senior class prank, privilege in TPHS social groups, and other political topics were biased toward reporting more “negative” stories, rather than highlighting the positive.

However, to Falconer, Freeflight and First Flight literary magazine adviser Mia Boardman Smith, that perception of journalism, that may be shared by other students and staff members, is understandable but inaccurate.

“People don’t understand what the role of journalists is, and I think when you have a school full of kids that are proud of their school, they want nice things written about their school,” Smith said. “We have a lot of outlets at this school for the good news about the school, whose purpose is to promote the school in a positive light… [but] that’s not what we are. We don’t have … a mandate to make the school look good. We’re also not trying to make it look bad; we don’t purposely report negative stories. We’re just reporting what’s going on at school, which always includes far more ‘positive’ than ‘negative’ stories, by the way.”

Principal Reynolds meant to protect the reputation of his school by pulling out the Spectrum’s two controversial articles. In doing so, he effectively censored the discussion of topics that were deemed relevant by the newspaper staff. His perception of negative reporting conflicted with the students’ perception of a newsworthy story — a conflict still in debate, decades later.

“Any time there’s a whiff of anything wrong going on, [local news] is out here, but when we send 42 National Merit Scholars through, crickets,” TPHS principal Rob Coppo said. “So, [the Falconer is] suffering from that bias as well … I know from talking to teachers, that came up on occasion: such and such good thing happened, [the Falconer] didn’t report it. But then I would open it up and say, what about this and this, because they all have their narrow view too. Perception sadly is reality sometimes.”

According to Lomonte, the emphasis of negativity in the media is actually a “really common criticism of journalism at all levels” due to a misunderstanding of what constitutes newsworthiness.

“The definition of news is not the 100,000 airplanes that landed safely last year, it’s the one that crashed — you don’t write a story every time each flight successfully ends with nothing going wrong,” Lomonte said. “That’s not a great public interest; it’s just not. So, do you write about the one person that crashed their car or got mugged on the way to work? Yes, you write about those things and those are, one might say, negative or unfavorable things, but that’s because they’re of public importance and interest.”

Despite that, Lomonte’s said that he has observed an overall trend of positive news represented in high school media, a reality in journalism that he said is often muffled by a contrasting perception of it.

“I think people would be surprised [if] they actually took a high school student publication and laid it out on the table and looked — [and] saw just how positive it is,” Lomonte said. “Many critics seem to think that newspapers are filled with bad news but, in fact, I look at student publications around the country all the time and they’re overwhelmingly favorable … and people just overlook that and see the one article in every edition that has crime or controversy.”

Controversy was what local newspapers reported on when the Salkas filed their claim at the SDUHSD. Smith was also contacted by “Good Morning America” and “Geraldo At Large” but declined comment. The photos of Monterey partially clothed were meant to be an artistic portrayal of the human body, which lawyers brushed off in the claim against the SDUHSD. The Salkas claimed negligence due to the lack of adult supervision at the photoshoot, which was student-run.

But the lack of an adult voice is what defines a high school publication, according to Coppo.

“The role of [a school newspaper] is to represent the school in a way that the students find effective,” Coppo said. “It’s [the students’] paper, and it needs to be [a student journalist’s] voice.”

by Lily Nilipour and Anvitha Soordelu

A12 the falconer

feature

According to interim SDUHSD superintendent, Eric Dill, student journalism is most successful when it represents the “attitudes and opinions of the entire student body,” but at the same time is “not immune to the standards of ethics and integrity.”

“I think the requirement for a student newspaper to present what is truly a balanced and factual article, regardless of how the majority of students or staff feel is very important,” Dill said. “It’s not a popularity contest.

It’s accurate and verifiable information and taking a variety of aspects into account.”

Ethical journalism, according to the Society of Professional Journalists, call for truthful and accurate reporting, along with accountable journalists and unbiased writing. But, Gilliam thinks journalism, both professional and student-run, does not live up to its responsibility to be unbiased.

“The media is absolutely biased to the left [of the political spectrum] and [the Falconer is] clearly biased to the left,” Gilliam said. “[Professional newspapers] can hire Democrats or Republicans, [but for the Falconer,] it’s tough [because they] can only have people who sign up for the class.”

Each month, in the Opinion section, the Falconer publishes a Pro-Con column on a relevant issue that presents both sides of the argument to represent multiple perspectives, according to Smith.

“I will acknowledge that our opinions tend to be on the liberal side, and that happens to be because the people we have on staff right now primarily have liberal views; in the past we’ve had very conservative staff members who routinely expressed conservative opinions in the Falconer” Smith said. “The opinion section of any newspaper is protected under the ‘fair comment and criticism’ doctrine of the First Amendment. A paper can express opinion as long as it is clearly labeled as such. We not only put all opinion in a section of its own, we also use a different font in the Opinion section to clearly delineate it from the rest of the paper. But no one can tell me our news coverage, our feature coverage, or any other kind of coverage — no one can tell me that’s biased. It’s not.”

december 9, 2016

Opinion and straight news, like “the line between news and punditry,” has become “impossibly blurred,” according to Smith.

“We have this sort of skewed entitlement to news … and we feel entitled to have the news reflect the way we think,” Coppo said. “As long as that spine of those [journalistic] ethics stay there, and you know you’re rooted in good journalistic practices, all the other noise is just that.”

Though Kuhlmeier, Smart and Tippett exited the courtroom in 1988, heads down in defeat, their fight, along with the fights of thousands of other student journalists have set a new precedent following Hazelwood.

Now, almost 40 years since Hazelwood, 10 states either already had or have passed legislation that provided wider protection for student journalists under the First Amendment, and more are on the way.

“I am absolutely convinced that the day is going to come in the not-too-distant future when Hazelwood is wiped off the books,” Lomonte said. “Watching states like North Dakota and Illinois pass these laws unanimously, with bipartisan support, tells me that this is not a debatable idea anymore … The idea that you can stop information from spreading by tearing articles out of paper newspapers is laughable. There is no way to stop young people from exchanging information and ideas.”

Three people — Scott, Diane and Monterey Salka — never made it to a courtroom, in the end. In an immediate response to the Salka’s claims, the SDUHSD countered that it would fight to protect its students’ freedom of expression. With six months to follow-up on their claim with a lawsuit, the Salkas spent around $18,000 in attorney’s fees only to drop the claim the day before the deadline.

Flash forward to November of that same year, a month after the lawsuit was filed: that controversial issue of First Flight won First Place Best of Show at the National High School Journalism Convention in Chicago, beating out hundreds of other entries. The Free Flight editors stood on pedestals of their First Amendment rights — but this time they stayed there.

Q: What do you think is the role of journalism on campus?

A: I think it’s important for kids that go to the high school to know what’s going on and someone to record it.

,

tphsfalconer.com

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE HUFFINGTON POST, PB WORKS AND KEMPA JOURNALISM

feature

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INFOGRAPHIC BY SUMIN HWANG/FALCONER

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1 IN 2,568 “We got up at 1:45 a.m. and hiked up about two miles through rainforest and then we [went] to a base camp for the summit attempt,” Bieler said. “We hiked up another hill .... and then we had to go up the mountain to go up another glacier.”

Adventure Tracks encourages student leadership, another challenge of the Mt. Olympus climb. Near the end of the trip, Bieler had to plan the type and amount of food and equipment needed for 18 other campers over the course of six days.

“If you didn’t have enough food … you would just have to go without,” Bieler said. “It developed me into a more independent person.”

Despite the challenges, the “incredible feeling” he felt when he reached the summit superseded any of the challenges along the way. In less than a month, Bieler had hiked, shot rapids in a river raft and jumped off cliffs.

Bieler stretches his legs and stands to board the plane. He is caught in a whirlwind of people and suitcases. Following the crowd, he shuffles into the line.

The line peters out as Bieler and his fellow passengers file onto the plane. Seatbelts are buckled and the plane is ready to take off.

Bieler has an extensive ToDo list that includes ambitious travel plans and climbing Mt Denali in Alaska, the highest mountain in North America. He knows it won’t be easy — no guts, no glory, and all that — but still wants to put his hiking skills to the test.

Hours later, the plane begins its descent and finally lands. Passengers exit and Bieler retrieves his bags.

In his travels, Bieler has learned many lessons. “[Traveling] has given me this different outlook on life just because here in this Carmel Valley bubble I guess you are sort of used to seeing the same thing day in and day out,” Bieler said “And then you go to all these different cities and different parts of the world, and you realize that life here isn’t really representative of the whole world.”

Bieler exits the doors of the airport and takes a first step to his destination.

Soon, Bieler will pack his backpack yet again and head off to college to study economics or communications. Then he’ll continue to explore the rest of the world.

by Kahyun Koh and Estelle Kraft

PHOTOS

Andrew BIEler

COURTES

Y OF AND

REW BIE

LER

PHOTO BY LAUREN ZHANG/FALCONER

As Andrew Bieler (12) enters the bustling LAX airport, his backpack rises and falls against his back with every step he takes through the sea of luggage on his way to the ticket counter.

For as long as he can remember, his family has inspired his travels. Because Bieler’s extended family lives in different parts of the U.S., from Seattle to Washington D.C., Bieler grew up visiting them and many parts of the country in the process. On trips to his grandparents’ ranch in Seattle, he would hike local trails and fish at a nearby lake to pass the time.

Bieler believes that his interest in traveling largely stems from his parents who “also had a history of traveling and wanted [Bieler] to experience the world outside of Carmel Valley.”

Bieler looks up as the counter in front of him opens up. He gives the agent his name, presents his ID and receives his boarding pass.

An hour later, after the indignity of the security line, he walks toward the gate.

Among the countries he has visited, Bieler’s most memorable trips have been to Mexico. During the spring break of 2013, Bieler snorkeled and scuba dived in Cozumel, an island in the Caribbean Sea. “It was the first time that I have ever gone scuba diving.” Bieler said. “It just got me hooked.”

The experience inspired him to get his scuba certification in La Jolla when he returned. While he was in Cozumel, he drank in Mexico’s rich culture and history, especially when he visited the Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza. There, Bieler made a personal connection to the “cultural background and nature” that he had learned about in classrooms over the years when he explored the El Castillo pyramid.

“All passengers traveling to Washington Dulles International Airport, please prepare to board the aircraft,” the voice of a gate agent lilts through the speakers.

Bieler is reminded of his 28-day hiking expedition into Washington last summer with a tour company called Adventure Tracks.

The trip included an intense 16-mile hike, 5,000 to 6,000 feet up Mt. Olympus. Along the way, Bieler and his group climbed directly into fog so heavy that the mountain “clouded over ... so [they] could not see anything and were lost.” Though the trek was physical exhausting and a bit overwhelming, Bieler still deemed climbing the many hills and glaciers “fun.”

photo by alderik van der heyde/falconer

When it comes to caffeinated drinks, my knowledge extends to about three items at Starbucks. Nevertheless, I was eager to try Zumbar perhaps to become more educated about coffee or at least grow more appreciative of it.

The small café, set in a small Sorrento Valley plaza I didn’t even know existed, appeared promising enough, since there was already line when we arrived there on a Tuesday morning. There was an overall sense of morning bustle — businesspeople with newspapers in hand, shifting impatiently as they waited for their drinks and pairs chatting by the milk and sugar table.

Soon, however, came the test of ordering a drink. Vaguely associating

photo by ally jensen/falconer

I will admit that I rarely drink coffee.

Staying up until 2 a.m. finishing AP World notes somehow doesn’t require caffeine, so when I arrived at Global Coffee Trading in Sorrento Valley on a rainy Monday morning, I didn’t have any expectations for what coffee was supposed to be.

Finding Global Coffee Trading is slightly difficult — it’s awkwardly located inside a commercial complex, and its grey facade blends into its surroundings. Inside the cafe, however, a variety of colorful planks line the walls, while hanging wooden beams and a variety of vintage-styled light bulbs pair with soft African music to create a

With rain pouring down outside and calm, acoustic music playing inside, Brick15 coffeehouse on Camino Del Mar seemed like the perfect place to be in the moment.

Because my friends and I were there at 8 a.m. on a Monday, there was no one performing at the time, but I could see from the concert calendar that there were open mics and shows almost every night. The band posters plastered across the wall and fully-furnished stage made the place seem more like a concert venue than a coffeehouse.

After studying the handwritten chalkboard menu hanging above the counter, I decided to order a medium Vanilla Latte ($4.45). Five minutes later,

a Macchiato ($3) with a Starbucks Caramel Macchiato, which is rather sweet, I opted for that along with an almond croissant ($3.50). My friends ordered an Americano ($3), a fruity African herbal tea ($3) and a croissant ($2.35).

When we received our drinks about 10 minutes later, I felt a mixture of pleasant surprise and mild dismay.

The macchiato was beautifully put together, topped with feather latte art.

Yet, the drink itself was much smaller

was topped with Instagram-worthy latte artwork. The first sip was warm, nutty and a little bitter, though the aftertaste was actually stronger.

I ordered the Caramel Latte ($3.75)

and after a while, the entire drink tasted bland.

Bored with my coffee, I took a sip of the drinks my friends ordered, a medium Matcha Latte ($3.95) and a medium Mocha Latte ($3.95). Both drinks were

and much more bitter than what I had expected — probably a function of my misunderstanding what I had ordered.

It was a shot of pure coffee. Despite my inability to handle the bitterness, I tried my friends’ tea and Americano, both of which were more suited to my taste.

Because the only item I didn’t enjoy at Zumbar was due to my own ignorance, I left the café with a positive impression and a content feeling in the midst of workday-morning commotion. I may not end up frequenting Zumbar as much as a coffee enthusiast, but even then, the coffee shop, with its comfortable environment and bustling atmosphere, may be worth a second visit.

by Lily Nilipour

Tucked inside Del Mar’s Flower Hill shopping center, Swell Coffee Co., formerly the venerable Pannekin, offers a casual environment for sipping coffee alone or with others. The cafe is upstairs, in the back of the small center, a little hard to find but not too much so.

When I first walked in, I noticed an overwhelming number of customers crowding the indoor and outdoor seating with laptops, books and Swell’s signature mugs. A large chalkboard menu on one wall displayed the drink offerings, and after looking over it, I ordered a cup of the house blend ($2.50) and, per the barista’s recommendation, a Honey Nutmeg Latte ($4).

Despite the store being packed, my

warm, modern ambiance. Massive glass windows revealed an upstairs office loft filled with people and computers.

I decided to sample two drinks from the sweeter section of the fairly small menu. I ordered the Mocha ($3.75) first, which came in a massive black mug and

my drink was ready. The vanilla latte was slightly sweet with a very faint taste of coffee, which was refreshing compared to the saccharine drinks I typically order at Starbucks or Coffee Bean. I only finished about half of my drink before I grew tired of the milky vanilla taste,

order was ready very quickly. I tried the house blend drip straight first, which is not how I typically drink my coffee, to experience the fullness of the flavor. Shortly after taking my first sip, I noticed how sweet and pleasant the coffee was. I dived into the cup full of

earthy richness and full flavor. This cup of coffee pleasantly surprised me because of its rich, high quality taste and subtle hints of sweetness.

When I moved on to the Honey Nutmeg Latte, the first thing I

next, which was also adorned with artwork in a similar black mug. The latte was less bitter and less dense, but was much foamier than the mocha, which I preferred. The caramel was sophisticated and slightly bitter, but the taste was barely noticeable when I started drinking the latte. Although the latte was stronger than the mocha, the two drinks were not too different.

Despite its decor and ambiance, Global Coffee Trading failed to impress me, and I do not expect to pick up a coffee habit after my visit. If I do find myself needing coffee, however, I will probably visit my local Starbucks.

by Farhan Hossain

rather bland, but I did prefer the mocha latte’s toned down taste compared to the overly sweet mocha lattes I have had elsewhere. Looking back, I should have ordered a small, seeing that I was barely able to finish the medium, which also might have contributed to my losing interest in the drink toward the end.

Ironically, drinking the warm, almost flavorless coffee made me sleepier than I had been before, but that also might have been due to the combination of soft, calming music and sound of rain outside.

Even though I wouldn’t stop at Brick15 for the coffee, I would perhaps go back in the future for the tranquil atmosphere and concerts alone.

by Irene Yu

photo by travis felthaus/falconer

noticed was the overwhelming aroma reminiscent of autumn wafting from a warm, beautifully crafted cup, with full foam artistry. The first sip immediately brought me to a place of happiness and soon enough, my glass was empty. It was so good that I was even tempted to order another cup before leaving.

Overall, the agreeable environment and the great coffee at Swell Coffee Co. made me want to go back. The Instagram-worthy decor combined with the simple yet elegant presentation made my experience one to remember.

For those in the mood for a quality cup of coffee, I would recommend stopping by Swell instead of Starbucks next time.

by Estelle Kraft

photo by alderik van der heyde/falconer

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december 9, 2016

Former Digital Photo students Miles Gallegos (10), Eiden Brewer (10), Malia Douglas (10) and Gaby Cary (10) had their photos exhibited in the 11th Annual Youth Exhibition at the Museum of Photographic Arts in Balboa Park, which runs from Oct. 8, 2016 to Feb. 5, 2017.

This year’s exhibition is called “Animals” to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the San Diego Zoo. According to the MOPA’s website, K-12 students in San Diego County and Tijuana were encouraged to “creatively explore the topic of animals and submit photographic or video art.”

Gallegos’, Brewer’s, Douglas’ and Cary’s photos were among the 105 submissions selected for exhibition from the original 473 submissions.

“Interested students submitted their work to me, and I submitted their digital photographs to the MOPA Youth Jury online,” Digital Photo teacher Jennifer Doerrer said.

According to Doerrer, each teacher was allowed to submit 12 entries, which were due by May 9, and the results were announced at the end of June.

“I was super surprised [when I was told my photo had been selected],” said Cary, whose photo was titled “Snowcat,” and featured one of her own small white cats in a snow drift. “I didn’t expect to be part of this because there’s a lot of submissions … but it was really cool knowing that only me and a few other people from our school were picked.”

Digital Photo is a digital art class in which students learn how to use DSLR cameras and how to edit photos and create “original artwork” with Photoshop editing software.

Though she is no longer taking photography classes at TPHS, Brewer plans to continue pursuing photography on her own using what she learned in Doerrer’s Digital Photo class. “[Digital Photo] was my first experience taking pictures,” Brewer said. “I was trying to go for the hobby of taking pictures and maybe submitting to National Geographic.”

This was the first year that TPHS students submitted photos to the exhibit.

Doerrer said that her students would continue to participate in MOPA photo exhibits in the future.

by Amanda Chen

photo courtesy of jennifer doerrer

The TPHS World Language Department collaborated with the Art Department to hold the second annual Art and Culture Show from Nov. 1 through 4.

The cultural show was coordinated by Spanish teacher Viviana Alvarado-Gomez who worked with Art teacher Emily Moran to feature art with cultured themed works in conjunction to the Cultural Fair in a mini art show.

During the first three days of the fair World Language and English Learning Department students created posters covering topics on traditions and cultures from countries around the world. They shared their presentations with other students during lunch under the pavilion. “ It is really good for the students when they are in the classroom working on the projects and they get to present for other students. I still feel like we need a little bit more participation during lunch which is when the students do the presentations,” Alvarado-Gomez said. “We would also like students form other subjects to get involved. This event is especially helpful for students that are working to learn English because it makes them feel like they’re a part of the school and we’re interested in learning about their culture.”

Isa Cui (9) is an ELD student who created a presentation on China.

“We taught people about Chinese culture and legends,” Cui said. “People were interested [in our presentation] because we were able to translate their names into Chinese. We put a lot of work into our presentation because we are English learners.”

The festival concluded on Nov. 4 with a concert and fashion show put on by students in French, Spanish, Chinese and Japanese language classes during lunch.

Each class sang a song in the language they had been learning, to other language students in the lecture hall. Additionally, students dressed in traditional attire from the country they represented..

Marz Barnes (11) participated in the concert and fashion show along with her Japanese class. Dressed in a green kimono, she and other classmates in kimonos

sang a song whose title translates to “Happiness.”

“It was fun learning the song,” Barnes said. “We spent a whole class period singing and dancing [in preparation for the event.] It was really cool, my teacher had all her class periods learn the song. I’ll probably do it next year.”

Before the festival, Moran’s art classes and Alvarado-Gomez’s Spanish students collaborated to teach each other about culture through art and language. AlvaradoGomez’s students created presentations for Moran’s students about artists and Día de Los Muertos, a Latin American holiday commemorating the dead that coincided with the Cultural Fair. Art students then paired up with Spanish students to create pastel drawings and rocks painted to look like Day of the Dead skulls, sharing art techniques and design elements.

“We got to use acrylic paint and our partners [the art students we were paired up with] showed us how to paint different designs around the eyes and the rest of the skulls of our painted rocks,” spanish student Ashley Stayer (10) said.

The drawings and painted rocks were on display along with work by AP Studio Art, Digital Photography and Sculpture students “I think it was good for the kids involved in the Spanish and art classes because they got to spend time and meet new kids and actually teach about what they learned and that, I think was the best part about the whole thing,” Moran said.

“The art show also came out really nice, and I’m really happy that other [art] teachers participated. I think it might have been a little bit disappointing that more people didn’t come at lunch to show more support for the show, but it was the first years we did It. [Alvarado-Gomez] and I talked about collaborating in the Art and Cultural Fair again.”

Alvarado-Gomez and Moran want to make the Art and Culture show bigger next year and get all the students and teachers in World Languages and Art to participate.

by Natalie Salgado

tphsfalconer.com

entertainment

One of the first talking points of “Awaken, My Love!” by Childish Gambino is its album cover. The choice of a man almost completely surrounded and buried by luminescent blue lights is at first almost unsettling, but the fact that Gambino was inspired by the cover of “Maggot Brains,” by the 1970s funk band Funkadelic, gives insight into what Gambino is trying to achieve in his latest album: a unique blend of the funk he grew up with and his original hip hop genre.

The album opens with the massive six-minute track “Me and Your Mama,” which starts with two whole minutes of an almost chilling, lullaby paired with the repeating line “I’m in love when we are smokin’ that la-la-la-la-la,” which refers to an addiction fueled relationship. Once the bore sets in, the beat abruptly changes, adding in rock influence with abrasive sounds from the drum set and electric guitar. The combination of the two contrasting sounds is the perfect display of not only the duality of funk, but also the range of emotion and sounds he has achieved on the album.

From the gospel-like harmonizing in the background of “Have Some Love” to the ethereal, completely instrumental melody of “The Night Me and Your Mama Met,” Gambino blends funk with subtle hip hop. Every beat change and additional layer of synth adds another dimension of his inspiration to the tracks, creating an audio experience never before seen in any other previously work by Gambino.

The boys have finally rolled back to the studio. On Dec. 2 the Rolling Stones’ released thir first studio album since 2005, “Blue and Lonesome,” is comprised of 12 songs that feature vocalists Jimmy Reed, Willie Dixon, Eddie Taylor, Little Walter and Howlin’ Wolf.

Although the album was recorded in only three days, it still captures the timeless talent and true bond of the 54-year-old band.

“Blue and Lonesome” kicks off with the buoyant country rock song “Just Your Fool.” The title, which sheds a melancholy nuance, is juxtaposed with the lively rhythm of the bass played by Darryl Jones.

The huskiness of Little Walter’s voice and the subtle lilt of his Chicago accent complement the bright timbre of the harmonica nicely. The combination adds to the wistfulness of the lyrics: “I’m just a fool, can’t help myself/I love you baby and no one else. ” The second track, “Commit a Crime,” is accompanied by a faster tempo and a louder saxophone, but Howlin’ Wolf’s singing is what differentiates the song from the previous one. His gravelly voice gives the melody a metallic edge that is reflective of the song title. Despite the different style,

Abel Tesfaye, more popularly known as the Weeknd, is perhaps best known for two things: his dark, pain-laced R&B ballads about parties, sex and drugs and his elaborately spiked dreadlocks a la artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. So earlier this year, after he symbolically sheared off the latter, it became apparent that it was only matter of time before he permanently ditched the former.

Yet, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to longtime fans; last year, “Beauty Behind the Madness,” launched him on an irreversible track to pop stardom, one that’s been solidified by the release of his third studio album, “Starboy.”

As a vehicle for the Weeknd’s continued transition to pop, “Starboy” is unique in that rather than looking to the present, it looks to the past; the Weeknd cited the music of pop icons Prince and David Bowie, both whom died earlier this year, as influences on the album. The title “Starboy” itself is in homage to Bowie’s song “Starman.”

In “Secrets,” which samples songs from prominent ‘80s bands Tears for Fears and The Romantics, the Weeknd sings about his trust issues in mid-range, a startling contrast to his signature falsetto. “A Lonely Night” is fast and funky while “I Feel It Coming,” which features electronic music duo Daft Punk, caps off the album with a nice touch of European electropop. In these songs, the Weeknd proves he is able to successfully experiment with other genres without sacrificing individuality.

There are a few other standouts in this lengthy

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Lyrics from “Boogieman” and “Riot” reference racial tensions and police brutality, while “Zombies” portrays the music industry as a dead institution, only using him to exploit his creativity and appropriate black culture for a profit. Even the seemingly out of place light, reggae-sounding “California” serves as a refreshing mid-album critique of the absence of meaning in modern entertainment in the midst of social media trends, in particular Vine.

The final track is “Stand Tall,” the most stripped down song on the album, which functions as a summary of all the elements Gambino has brought together. The beginning is soft and lyrical while the secondary verses reintroduce the choral accompaniments and the recurring theme of the heavy drum set and synth. All the sounds are layered on top of each other, forming a complex harmony before the final falsetto is suddenly cut off, marking a definitive ending to the album.

Gambino said it best himself: “Not having a name for [a feeling], though; just having a feeling. That’s what made it great.” “Awaken, My Love!” is not by any means typical Gambino based on what he has released in the past, but that’s what makes this album so fresh. A constant theme throughout the songs is duality, and with this album Gambino proves that he is a talented and versatile artist.

by Sumin Hwang

the song lacks the dramatic dynamics that the word “crime” brings to mind.

On the title track, “Blue and Lonesome,” the slow pulse contrasts with the upbeat tempo of the previous two songs. Little Walter boasts his vocal mastery with the flawless transition from a gruff lower register to a smooth upper register.

From the beginning of the fifth song, “I Gotta Go,” the music is breathless; every second is punctuated by the syncopation of the bass and drums. Little Walter’s piercing high notes also adds finesse to the song’s soulful energy.

The songs in between, however, lack any particular differentiation in sound, resulting in a feeling of monotony.

The same dull consistency is apparent in the slow ballad “I Can’t Quit You Baby,” a disappointing ending to such a long-anticipated album.

The album “Blue and Lonesome” is a respectable musical work that highlights the musical talent of the Rolling Stones, but its lack of musical diversity is what keeps me from placing it on the shelf of masterpieces by the “World’s Greatest Rock and Roll Band.”

by Kahyun Koh

18-track album: The unnecessarily aggressive “False Alarm” is, by far, the worst song and is probably more fitting as the soundtrack of a Halloween movie chase scene. The album’s best song is, in fact, its shortest one: in just under two minutes, “Stargirl Interlude” takes listeners on a sexually explicit journey through space narrated by noir pop goddess Lana Del Rey, whose sensual, ethereal voice is the perfect complement to the Weeknd’s velvety vocals.

In “Sidewalks,” which features rapper Kendrick Lamar, the Weeknd deviates from his typical subject matter to offer a rare look into his personal life. Over a simple electric guitar line, he sings about how he “grew up with no father so nobody ever ‘son’ me” and how he went from “homeless to Forbes list.” Yet surprisingly, most of “Starboy” runs along the lines of what one would expect from the Weeknd, with some minor modifications.

Electronic music producer Cashmere Cat lends a hand on four songs, resulting in a James Blake-esque ballad on “Attention.” DJ and producer Diplo produces “Nothing Without You,” adding clean electronic riffs and heavy bass lines under the Weeknd’s pained pleas to his lover: “don’t stop your lovin’, it’s all I have.”

For the most part, the individual songs on “Starboy” are well-executed experiments in sound and subject.

But as a whole, the album seems to lack a cohesiveness that’s characteristic of the his past works — after all, this is the man who meticulously planned out his three-part compilation album “Trilogy — thus leaving both camps, wanting something more.

by Amanda Chen

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entertainment

Maybe it was because of all the Disney movies I watched as a kid, or maybe it was because said Disney movies provided me with unrealistic expectations of what life should be like, but fact of the matter is I find musicals simply delightful. As romance and musicals generally go hand in hand, I have become accustomed to their clichéd and generic plots. However, most lack the charming wit and delightful choreography of “La La Land.”

“La La Land” is a fairy tale for adults, a sweeping romance between the personification of the average person in pursuit of happiness and their dreams. The movie plays on the idealistic view of life of young people like Mia (Emma Stone), who aspires to be an actress, and Sebastian (Ryan Gosling), who aspires to be a musician.

It also demonstrates that dreaming, while often perceived as childish, takes dedication and diligence to accomplish.

The portrayal of Mia and Sebastian’s relationship is very realistic. The two are open-minded and flirty, but also overprotective and romantic with one another.

Together, they work toward achieving their dreams, pushing each other in ways that take them closer to success. When Mia expresses occasional insecurities, as a result of being repeatedly rejected at casting auditions, she often does so with humor, allowing the movie to take some feel-good turns.

Their relationship contrasts with the ideal nature of their setting, a modern-day Los Angeles in which people sing and dance in response to a never-ending traffic jam on the highway. However, their everyday interactions are almost glossed over, as the story line utilizes several seasonal skips that serve to move the story along, but also leave most of the romance between the two main characters up to the audience’s imagination.

Together, Gosling and Stone control the screen and the audience’s attention even better than they did in their 2011 movie “Crazy Stupid Love,” and their on-screen chemistry reflects their long, real-life friendship. Gosling and Stone are unmistakably remarkable and captivating to watch together.

Though Stone is not the most musically gifted, she sings frequently throughout the movie, whereas Gosling’s ability to sing is nearly irrelevant since he mostly just plays

photos courtesy of summit entertainment

december 9, 2016

the piano. Despite Stone’s questionable ability to sing, music lovers who believe the soundtrack makes the movie will not be disappointed.

While a jazz-driven soundtrack is somewhat unusual in popular movies of today, the issue is addressed within the story line itself: Mia does not enjoy listening to jazz, but learns to love it through Sebastian, who is passionate about jazz and whose life dream is to bring it back to the forefront of popular culture. The soundtrack puts a new twist on jazz by adding pop and classical to keep viewers and listeners enticed.

The music almost never stops throughout the film, but when it does, it always serves to accentuate character development and sometimes character change.

The strategic lighting throughout the film emphasizes the story line nicely by providing insight into character feelings through the mood it creates, as well as differentiating day and night scenes. On the other hand, the mediocre transitions and montages resemble the work of someone who has just discovered how to use 2007 PowerPoint effects and pose a stark contrast with the supposedly modern setting of the movie. While this is one of the most disappointing aspects of the movie, which are few and far between, the rest of “La La Land” is incredible. This movie must have been an extraordinarily tedious task to create since it is obvious that the filmmakers were dedicated to creating seamless continuity, cohesion and flow. It is fantastical, an aspect all musicals worth watching have in common, but also has the potential to influence future musicals and romance movies.

Though relatively unadvertised, “La La Land” has a top-tier celebrity cast. Musician John Legend makes an appearance as Keith, an old friend of Sebastian’s with a job offer Sebastian grudgingly gives into, and adds to the musicality of the film. Still, Legend’s role is primarily musical, other than expecting Stone to hit high notes without her voice cracking, filmmakers made the excellent choice to have the actors do what they are the best at.

Critics have rated the movie highly and agree with fans that the movie is simply great. Despite a unexpected and slightly disappointing ending, it is a movie that is not only worth seeing, but worth buying and watching a thousand times as well.

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A19

S P O RT S H O RT

Girls basketball dominates early in season

Girls basketball (2-1) defeated Mt. Carmel High School (0-2) 64-30 on Dec. 2 at TPHS, with both dominating offense and defense.

Though Mt. Carmel started with the ball, TPHS quickly took possession and control. Meghan Voss (12) scored the first basket within 30 seconds. The Sundevils were only able to make a basket after Voss made two consecutive three-pointers, bringing the Falcons up to a 12-0 lead.

Throughout the first quarter, TPHS scored several times and kept up a strong defense, making it difficult for Mt. Carmel to score.

The quarter ended 24-6 in favor of TPHS. “We jumped on it right away,” head coach David McClurg said. “I think our defense pressured them … With the turnovers we got easy layups, and Voss went off on threes.”

The Falcons maintained their pushing their offense more aggressively momentum in the second quarter. The than in the first half, the Falcons continued Sundevils fouled repeatedly, giving the to hold onto their lead of 50-21.

Falcons possession of the ball and additional “We did a really good job of moving the scores from penalty free throws. TPHS ball and playing as a team and making continued its lead with strong defense and sure everybody got touches, so we get a more layups by Voss, who scored 24 points lot of open shots,” Shen said. “That really in the first half. Near translated to scoring.” the end of the half, In the final quarter, Mt. Carmel scored, the TPHS offense but the second half We did a really good job of pushed hard on Mt. still ended with the but the Sun moving the ball and playing Carmel, Falcons leading 39Devils answered as a team and making sure equally aggressively.

10.

“My teammates everybody got touches, so Both teams made just got open next several layups and to me a lot when I we get a lot of open shots. scored one threewas spotting up, so pointer each within Rachel Shen I was just knocking the last two minutes. ������ down the threes,” The game ended with Voss said. “The way a free throw by Roque, our offenses ran, I got a lot of one-on-ones sealing the Falcons’ victory by a final score inside.” of 64-30.

In the beginning of third quarter, backAccording to McClurg, the Falcons and-forth passing and quick turnovers improved in practice after their stinging between teams prevented either team from loss to Rancho Bernardo High School (2-0) scoring. Minutes into the half, Mt. Carmel on Nov. 30 in their first game of the season. picked up the momentum by scoring the “The strength of tonight was that we first basket, yet the Falcons retaliated shared the ball much better than we did quickly, with Rachel Shen (11) making the first game,” McClurg said. “But our a steal, scoring and then assisting Angie strength is really our defense. Our kids Roque (10). Throughout the quarter, the play so hard, we disrupt the other team.”

Falcons also made several free throws, The Falcons played the Poway High and Voss scored a two-pointer within the School Titan squad on Dec. 7, after the last minute. Though the Sundevils were Falconer went to press.

Girls water polo competed in the Rancho Bernardo tournament on Dec. 1-3 and placed fourth overall. The girls played teams from all over San Diego County at Poway High School on Thursday and Rancho Bernardo High School Friday and Saturday.

TPHS defeated Mar Vista High School 13-1, University City High School 11-5 and Poway High School 124, eventually falling to Del Norte High School 8-11 and Rancho Buena Vista High School 11-12.

“We didn’t really know how it was going to go because we haven’t played these teams before,” team captain Natasha Rosenthal (12) said.

Throughout the tournament the team put up a strong defensive force.

“A lot of our offense stemmed from our good defense,” Rosenthal said.

“Reinventing goals, getting over our hips, being aware, seeing what’s happening in the pool, anticipating ball movement and I think that was probably our greatest strength and that led us to the most success overall.”

The team leaned on underclassmen players like Carson McNealy (10) and Savanna Walter (10) with guidance from veterans Genevieve Petrassi (11) and Natasha Rosenthal (12) according to head coach Alex Williams.

I think our emphasis going into our next series of games in the next few days is making sure we stick to our identity, just play really good defense. So, I think the lesson going forward is, during times of adversity, to get back to your identity.

Alex Williams ���� �����

PHOTOS BY ALLY JENSEN/FALCONER

THROUGH THE HOOP: Rachel Shen (3) dribbles the ball across the court (TOP).

Taylor Bronaugh (40) readies for a free throw at the penalty line (MIDDLE). Meghan Voss (1) also prepares to shoot the ball (ABOVE).

Team co-captains Rosenthal and Petrassi believe that through experience and gaining strength in the pool, the underclassmen of the team will acquire a level of confidence in the pool throughout the season.

“The tournament overall went well, we went three and two ,” Williams said.

“We played well as a team for the games we won. The games we lost, we didn’t do so good — we made some mistakes that are characteristic of a team that’s finding its way early in the season so overall the athletes did a good job” In the future, the team aspires to win a league and CIF title, while setting specific game goals as well.

“One of our goal games is to beat Cathedral,” Petrassi said. “I guess if we played Westview, Carlsbad is in our league so [they are] the only game ... that is our big competitors.”

As an improving and developing team, Williams has some goals going into the rest of the season.

“I think our emphasis going into our next series of games in the next few days are making sure we stick to our identity, just to play really good defense,” Williams said. “So, I think the lesson going forward is during times of adversity, to get back to your identity.”

The Falcons played Carlsbad High School on Dec. 8, after the Falconer went to press.

sports

tphsfalconer.com

DAY IN THE

LIFE

Laces tied and a 14-pound bowling ball in hand, Megan Carpenter (12) stares down the bowling alley, pulls back her ball and in one fluid motion, strikes down 10 red-striped bowling pins at the 2016 Junior Gold National Championships.

The tournament was Carpenter’s most recent chance to display her talents. Carpenter went into the championships with wins in the U.S. Junior Bowling Tour and the SoCal Girls Scratch Invitational on her resume. Although she did not win the national championships, she did earn the chance to bowl for a Division I school.

“The tournament is a very big recruiting place, so when I went to Indianapolis I met with the coach of Duquesne University in Pittsburgh,” Carpenter said. “I’m hoping to bowl for Duquesne University. I have visited there and I hope to bowl on their team there, a Division I school.”

Carpenter hits the lanes with six different bowling balls from five different ball makers and a pair of Dexter SST8 shoes. With the help of an early start and some good genes, Carpenter has reached a high level of competition.

“I got into bowling because my parents put me in bowling when I was five, and I have a lot of generations of bowlers in my family,” Carpenter said.

After her parents got her started, Carpenter quickly developed a love for the lanes.

“I started competing in tournaments because I had friends in bowling who did tournaments. Once I started them I started liking bowling a lot more,” Carpenter said. “I kind of took it upon myself to work hard and get better.”

Carpenter finds the mental game to be the most challenging part of bowling.

“Throughout the whole day you have to have the constant focus to hit a certain target every single shot. After really long days of bowling I will come home with the biggest headache ever because all I’ve been doing all day is mental focus,” Carpenter said.

It is especially important for Carpenter to focus on her own game when she bowls. According to Carpenter, bowling is different from other sports because the performance of one player does not have an effect on the other player.

“If I am in a title match or if I am just bowling against somebody it is more about focusing on my game and then also separating every single shot and making sure that I focus on one shot a time,” said Carpenter. “It’s not like another sport where you rebound off of something like hitting a ball. You’re bowling your separate games and you just kind of have to focus on yourself.”

Carpenter practices at the Mira Mesa Lanes roughly twice a week and competes in about three tournaments a month. Balancing bowling and school is not always easy for Carpenter.

“A lot of weekends I bowl the whole weekend so trying to get homework done and often times trying to fit in practice time with homework can be difficult,” Carpenter said.

Carpenter continues to bowl because she loves being around people who share the same passion for the sport.

“When you’re bowling you’re not always going to have time to talk

AVERAGE SCORE: PERSONAL HIGH SCORE:

the falconer

Megan Carpenter (12) bowls her way to a Division 1 school and strives toward one day achieving a perfect score of 300.

to these people,” Carpenter said. “You share the same love for the sport and also just put in the same work to be good at it.”

Bowling is important to Carpenter because it is a pressure valve for the rest of her life.

“Every week on Saturday mornings I get up and I go bowling, If school is too much or I want to get out of the house bowling is where I go,” said Carpenter.

For Carpenter, hard work has translated into success in individual tournaments.

“Most of the competitions that I do are individual tournaments, and so I just bowl for myself,” Carpenter said. “So you go up there and generally you’ll bowl a certain number of games. Then they’ll have a cut so a certain amount of people move on and then they keep doing that until they have a winner.”

Although bowling is an in individual sport, Carpenter has still found ways to be a teammate and a leader on the lanes.

“There are teams during weekly league, and I’ve been a team captain,”Carpenter said. “Another role I have is that I’m a youth director for the San Diego division of the United States Bowling Congress.”

Even with many tournament wins and plans to bowl in college, Carpenter is motivated to continue to improve.

Carpenter especially wants to achieve the coveted perfect 300 score, a score few bowlers can boast.

“I am very motivated to bowl a 300,” said Carpenter. “I expect to hopefully shoot one soon since I’ve gotten close. My dad has bowled three 300 games.”

With a current high score of 289, Carpenter could strike her goal soon.

by Michael Nirula

A21

A22 the falconer

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f/stop

natasha rosenthal varsity water polo dec. 6, 9:55;59

camera: nikon d600 lens: nikon 70-200m 1:2.8 ED iso: 2800 exp: 1/800 seconds f/stop: f/2.8 by alderik van der heyde

december 9, 2016

tphsfalconer.com

sports

the falconer

A23

Falcon football takes 2016 Avocado West League title Football (8-3) won the 2016 Avocado West League title after its decisive 41-9 win over La Costa Canyon High School on Nov. 4 at LCC. “We were unstoppable that night, and played hard as a team for a full 48 minutes,” captain Scotty Gange (12) said.

“It was a great accomplishment winning League ... I think the rest of the county really noticed us as an elite team in San Diego after winning.”

The Falcons’ victory marked the first time in years that the team took the league.

“We were co-league champs in 2010, and the last time we were outright league champs was in 2004,” head coach Ron Gladnick said. “This league we’re in now is probably the hardest league that Torrey Pines has ever been in — it’s considered the second hardest league in the state of California.”

According to Gladnick, the Avocado West League schedule is tough because it includes six of the season’s ten games, and

all against high-performing teams from around San Diego. Yet, the challenging competition is what made the victory so “rewarding from a coaching point of view,” Gladnick said.

The Falcons won their last four season games, beating Oceanside High School, Carlsbad High School, Mission Hills High School and LCC consecutively. To player Luke Duerr (12), the highlight of the season was the Oceanside game, as the Falcons had just fallen in second overtime to San Marcos.

“Everyone was doubting us, including parents, but as a team we stayed focused and blocked out the noise,” Duerr said. “In the locker room, our coach was telling us that we just had to know that we were going to win, and we did. I think that represents the spirit; we all knew we could win and didn’t let anyone else tell us otherwise.”

Though the Falcons’ 2016 season showcased both skill and passion in the players, the team “really wins” in the offseason, Gladnick said.

“We start our lifting program in January, and the kids are really working hard from January to August until practice starts — that’s where we make all the

physical gains and the confidence gains,” Gladnick said. “Then, in the season, it’s about running our system and getting better and better and better at it.”

Gange said that the players, from January through August, lifted and did

I am confident about the teams in the future and am excited to see the future success of TPFB.

Scotty Gange �������

conditioning four times a week. Once the season began, they practiced twice a day and lifted every other day.

“Ever since we started our off-season workouts in January, we made it a mission to bounce back from last year’s unsuccessful season,” Gange said. “We placed a lot of energy on being a solid team that does all the little things right.”

Bouncing back from a 4-8 season last

year, due to multiple injuries and lack of depth in the team, the Falcons defied an earlier prediction that they would place last in their league this season.

“This year, we were very fortunate overall for the season from an injury point of view, and we had a lor more depth, so we were able to play a lot more players,” Gladnick said. “That’s because the program’s been running three years now, three year’s of our strength and conditioning program. A lot of kids have put on a lot of weight and gotten bigger and stronger and faster.”

Gange said that he is “proud of the legacy” that the seniors on the football team have left this season.

“We did a great job of reestablishing the standard of Torrey Pines football teams.”

Gange said. “I am confident about the teams in the future and am excited to see the future success of TPFB.” The Falcons lost to first seed Cathedral Catholic High School (13-0) 45-7 in the quarterfinals of the San Diego Section CIF Open Division on Nov. 18 to end their successful 2016 run.

Girls tennis wins CIF State Damaged turf at Ed Burke tournament in Claremont Stadium being fixed, replaced Girls tennis won the 2016 CIF USTA SoCal Championships on Nov. 18-19 at the Claremont Club for the first time in TPHS history.

After continuing their 27-year winning streak at CIFs, the team traveled to Claremont and won all three rounds for the championship title. The matches were played in sets of seven, with four singles and three doubles matches. The first team to win four out of the seven matches wins and moves onto the next round.

“The quarterfinal match was a very close contested match [against] University High School,” head coach Keith Barksdale said. “We were tied at three matches all and it came down to Lily Nilipour (12) and Rachal Jackson (11), the number two doubles team, and they were in a tight match.”

Nilipour and Jackson’s 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 win in their first match against University got the TPHS team into the semifinals, according to Barksdale.

“In the semifinals, we played Harvard Westlake, who was known to be a really good school, but we had a really good lineup,” line one doubles player Anu Bhadada (11) said. “Everyone played really well, and so we won 7-0.”

In the finals against Campbell Hall High School, the girls tennis team played another close match, with three of the matches going to a third set.

“Campbell Hall just needed one of those [matches] to win [the tournament,] and [TPHS] needed both [number two doubles and number three doubles team to win,]” Barksdale said. “I tell you, they

just played incredibly.”

Line three doubles Carla Hansen (11) and YJ Lee (11) won the final set of their match 6-1 for the championship title, according to Barksdale.

Instead of celebrating their victory, once the team realized they had won the tournament, they “kept their celebration muted” out of respect for Kathy Wang’s (11) line two singles match that was still going on, according to Bhadada.

“One of our singles players was still playing, so we didn’t want to be mean to the other team because they were obviously fighting really hard too,” Bhadada said.

“We just went to go support [her] as if the match was still being decided.”

The team celebrated their win after the last match finished.

“We were super excited,” Wang said.

“This is our first time ever [winning at state] so we took a lot of pictures with the trophy.”

The TPHS girls tennis team had competed at states before, and had qualified for the finals in 2014 and 2015.

The team was hoping that this year would be the year that they won, “and we were really happy when [they] actually won … because [they] were the first year to do this,” Hansen said.

However, the win at the state tournament, combined with the team’s CIF winning streak, could increase the pressure the players are under next year.

“Historically, it’s not easy to go in with such a huge streak … because no one wants to break the streak,” Bhadada said. “We just try to go in like it’s a new year and we just try to perform our best.

I think we’re just going to get motivated even more and try to create a new streak with states too.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF NICOLE BEACHBOARD

[BALL] OF CHAMPIONS: The TPHS girls tennis team defeated second seed Campbell Hall in the final round of the CIF SoCal Championships.

After an evaluation of the damage on the stadium field, the turf is being replaced on the field, causing P.E. classes and several winter sports to be displaced, according to Principal Rob Coppo.

The top layer of turf will be removed and the granules beneath the turf will be replaced before laying down a new surface and restitching the numbers, lines and other details. “[The replacement] was put into place because the field turf we currently have is under warranty and there were some issues with it,” Coppo said. “So before it was out of warranty, we worked with the company to have it replaced because we want to make sure it’s safe for the students to use.”

According to Girls Athletic Director Charlenne Falcis-Stevens, the school first had to request a district assessment of the current turf, as well as one from a maintenance company. Then it was concluded that a new field was necessary after four years of use. “[There are] rips in the turf or unstitching of numbers, like the 10- yard line is not straight.” Falcis-Stevens said.

“It’s crooked, so that means the turf is shifting and not shifting equally. If anybody noticed, it was always the coaches because they’re the ones walking by and there’s this huge hole or it’s wearing, they

noticed.”

While the field is being replaced, P.E. classes and winter sports that use the field have been using the lower field or the fields at other schools in the district, like Canyon Crest Academy or San Dieguito Academy, for practice, according to FalcisStevens, who was involved in determining the dates of the replacement based on “what would affect the students the least.”

However, some still consider the field replacement to be an inconvenience for their respective winter sports.

“I didn’t really notice any damage; it was in pretty good condition and seemed pretty new, but with any renovations I guess getting new stuff is just nicer,” soccer player Laura Walton (11) said.

“Instead of having practice after school or at a normal time here at TPHS, we have to drive to SDA which is like 25-30 minutes away in traffic, and it’s from like 7-9 p.m. because we have last choice field space, so it really sucks.”

Falcis-Stevens believes that the disruption in the season is worthwhile, considering the new field will be able to handle practice year- round.

“I think [students] will take a lot of pride [in their new field],” Falcis-Stevens said. “If the replacement of the turf limits the number of injuries that can happen to our athletes, it’s the right thing to do. P.E. classes and soccer and also track athletes, lacrosse athletes, access to an all-weather turf during the rainy season is beneficial to being able to practice and prepare.”

The process will take approximately four weeks and is expected to be finished in January 2017.

PHOTO BY ANTON SCHUH/FALCONER

RE[TURF]ACE: The top layer of turf on the stadium field is gradually being taken off by maintanence staff to be replaced with completely new turf.

Quiz NEWS

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How much holiday spirit do you have?

QUIZ

by Staff 12/09/16 @ 11:55 a.m.

HOW WILL YOU BE SPENDING WINTER BREAK?

WHAT IS YOUR IDEAL GIFT?

WHAT GIFTS ARE YOU GETTING FOR YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY?

CHECKING AERIES AND CRYING

SPENDING TIME WITH MY FAMILY

$50 GIFT CARDS FOR EACH OF MY TEACHERS

REGIFTING FROM LAST YEAR

EMOTIONAL COUNSELING

DOLLA BILL$

BEING ANNOYED

BY MY FAMILY

HUMMING MARIAH CAREY’S “ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU”

I’M NOT GETTING ANYONE A GIFT UNLESS THEY GET ME ONE

PERSONALIZED HOMEMADE CARDS AND PEPPERMINT HOMEMADE BARK COOKIES

TO BE LEFT ALONE

HOLIDAYS ARE FOR GIVING, NOT RECEIVING!

WHAT’S YOUR GO-TO HOLIDAY MOVIE?

I DON’T WATCH MOVIES

SCROOGED

THE POLAR EXPRESS

ELF

WHAT WOULD YOU USE TO BUILD A SNOWMAN?

MY NONEXISTENT SOCIAL LIFE

SANTA’S REMAINS

HOW DID YOU DECORATE FOR THE HOLIDAYS?

SNOW?

I CUT MY TRANSCRIPTS INTO SNOWFLAKES

PUTTING UP THE SAME DECORATIONS WE DO EVERY YEAR

LOVE

I WOULD RATHER FALL INTO AN ENDLESS PIT THAN DECORATE

I KIDNAPPED MARTHA STEWART TO TURN MY HOUSE INTO SANTA’S VILLAGE

If the answers you picked most often were on the top left, you got:

If the answers you picked most often were on the top right, you got:

If the answers you picked most often were on the lower left, you got:

If the answers you picked most often were on the lower right, you got:

GPA GRINCH

NORMAL PERSON

HOLIDAY HATER

OBSESSIVE ELF

You spend winter break obsessing over extra credit, worrying about finals and stressing over standardized testing. After all, you go to TPHS, so what else could you possibly be thinking about?

You spend endless hours watching Netflix and sleeping in, spending time with your friends and family and dreading going back to school when break is over.

You cannot stand holiday music at shopping malls, or for that matter, anywhere, and hate anything relating to the holidays, but at the very least, you get two weeks off of school.

You have been waiting for the holiday season since July, and are maybe just a little too obsessed.

Most people have that one friend, and in this case, it’s probably you.