February 2019

Vol. 44, Issue 5, 24 pages

Friday, February 22, 2019

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Playing music is a really communal thing. Even at a young age I was ... seeing what other musicians did and applying it to my own music.

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Colette Chiang and Neha Pubbi

FEATURE EDITOR AND STAFF WRITER The finale of “TP’s Got Talent” took place during lunch on Feb. 13 in the gym, and singers Katie Flint (10), joint act Mikko Konake-Sorenshine (9) and Julia Atempa (11), and Chuck Livingston (11) placed first, second and third respectively.

The annual talent show, hosted this year by ASB’s Cade Caulfield (11) and Riya Agarwal (11), took place in front of the gymnasium on Feb. 11 and 12 and was moved inside on the 13th due to rain.

Ten participants showcased their talents and competed for the $100 prize.

The show was pushed back twice, with the first delay from its original date of Jan. 14 due to rain. It was moved to the week after finals and then to the week of Feb. 11.

“Finals week was coming up the week

after, so we didn’t want to do it that week because we weren’t sure if many kids wanted to come out and perform,” Agarwal said. “We had two days off of the next week, so we didn’t want to make it that week either.”

ASB’s newly scheduled date happened to fall on a week with rain and no school on Friday, according to Agarwal, but they decided not to postpone the date again.

As a result, “TP’s Got Talent,” normally a weeklong event, was shortened to three days with five acts per day; the first two days of the competition were preliminary rounds, with the top acts from those rounds moving on to the final round on Wednesday.

Despite the shortened length of the show, the acts impressed the audience.

“The contestants are really talented,” Sofia Venditouli (10) said. “One of my

photo by katheryn yoo/falconer

ROCKING OUT: Cole Parker (11) demonstrates his guitar skills in the final round of “TP’s Got Talent.” There were five performers or groups in the final.

Katie Flint and Leo Silverman STAFF WRITERS

TPHS held the second Student Senate meeting on Feb. 12 during fourth period in the lecture hall after a 10-year hiatus.

The Student Senate is a representative body consisting of one student from every fourth period class that meets each month in the lecture hall. ASB student council members and adviser Matthew Livingston moderate the meetings.

Representatives are to bring concerns from their classes to the meetings and present them to administrators and ASB council members. Representatives then return to class, where they are allocated five minutes of class time to recap the meeting and inform students of upcoming events and assembly dates. Students are allowed to provide direct feedback to senators on small pieces of paper known as “Falcon slips,” which are then returned to ASB Riya Agarwal (11) so they can review STUDENT the submitted comments.

“Through Falcon slips, [students] can share a concern they have or give an opinion on how to make the school better,” Riya Agarwal (11), a student senator and ASB member, said.

Since almost every TPHS student has a fourth period class, according to Assistant Principal Robert Shockney, the Student Senate gives a majority of the student body the opportunity to offer opinions on school or school district-related issues.

“Student leadership comes in two forms: there are our elected ASB student leaders, but that’s just 40 kids, and it’s hard to say 40 kids represent the whole student body,” Livingston said. “Now, there’s our Student Senate, which allows for another 100 kids to be involved on a monthly basis.”

The Student Senate meetings are new, but expectations for the program are high among both students and staff. The program was created 33 years ago and was successful, before being dissolved a decade ago for unknown reasons.

“I think the program will continue because it has a purpose on campus and it’s not very time consuming,” Ian King (11), a student senator and ASB member, said.

Despite holding only two meetings, many senators have brought many issues and questions to the attention of the Senate. Some of those concerns have already been addressed and resolved, according to ASB Vice President Atarah Anbar (12).

“Changes are going on right now. We just had students go back [to their classes] with ideas brought up in the meeting to fix the vandalism issue, so changes are happening more now than they ever have before,” Anbar said.

Topics covered in the second meeting included vandalism in the bathrooms and school shooter threats.

ASB presidents Lindy Byrne (12) and Anbar reminded students not to spread rumors about safety threats to the school.

If a student is elected to become a

I am proud to be a delegate. It gives you the opportunity to share your thoughts and hopefully have them incorporated.

february 22, 2019

friends performed, and her performance was really good.”

Acts from the preliminary rounds were scored based on criteria like stage presence and originality by a panel of three judges, which changed everyday. Judges included math and history teachers that ASB randomly selected.

The scores were then tallied to determine who would compete in the final round that was judged by Principal Rob Coppo and teachers Marinee Payne and Lars Trupe.

Five acts performed each day, while judges scored the students and gave them comments, such as teacher Jeffrey Owen’s praise of “brave song choice and good display of vocal range” to Livingston.

Other judges also commented on performers’ stage presence, enthusiasm and energy.

Math teacher Robert Preske, a Katie Flint (10) judge on Monday, STUDENT was impressed by Flint’s rendition of “Used to Be Mine” by Sara Bareilles and Nathan Yan’s (9 ) “Ring of Fire.”

“Katie made my cry, and Nathan made me laugh,” Preske said.

The crowd clapped after every performance, adding to the atmosphere of school spirit and encouraging people walking by to stop and watch.

The rain also boosted the number of attendees.

“There were a lot of people watching the show, and everyone would cheer after their performances,” Venditouli said.

The judges also felt the energy coming from the audience. “[The show] was lively,” Preske said. “It

started slow, but as more people watched it, it fired up. There was a lot of energy.”

Following the two preliminary days, the acts that survived were Livingston, Flint, joint act Atempa and Konake-Sorenshine, Cole Parker and Diana Lim. To Agarwal’s delight, the location change didn’t prevent a crowd from showing up.

“We were scared that once we moved into the gym nobody would come, but the bleachers were pretty full, and there were a lot of people standing,” Agarwal said. “It went really well.”

On Thursday, the top three contestants were revealed in a break-in P.A. announcement at the end of 4th period.

To Flint’s surprise, her name was called as first place winner.

“I think all the acts were really good, so I didn’t really expect to win, but it was pretty cool,” Flint said. “My Spanish teacher, Mrs. Youngblood, was like, ‘Oh my gosh, really?’”

Flint was also congratulated by her friends, classmates and perfect strangers, many of whom did not know that singing is her hidden passion.

“I think most people were surprised because not a lot of people knew I was doing the talent show,” Flint said. “I was pretty happy, and it just made my day 10 times better to hear all my friends or people in the hallway asking, ‘Are you the person in the talent show? You’re really good.’”

Flint plans to use cash prize she won to purchase Apple Airpods.

“I plan on investing in some Airpods because I think that they are really practical, especially for sports,” Flint said.

It just made my day 10 times better to hear ... people in the hallway asking if [I was in the show].

photo by alexei serguienko/falconer

STOIC SENATORS: Student senators were pulled from their fourth periods to attend the senate meeting held on Feb. 12. A variety of topics were discussed at the meeting. senator, he or she has to miss approximately 20 minutes of class every time there is a meeting. But, most of the student senators think missing class time to attend the meetings is worth the trouble.

“I think it is a good use of time because [the meeting is] 15 minutes in the middle of your fourth period, and after the meeting the students can go back to their fourth periods and let their classes know. That way, the whole student body can get the information [and] there won’t be any reason for students to be out of the loop anymore,” Anbar said.

Other students agree with Anbar, saying the meetings give students who are not involved with ASB an opportunity to participate in student leadership. “[Student Senate meetings] are absolutely a good use of time. Often times

ASB is blamed for not getting input from other students, and this gives students a chance to be represented,” King said.

The Student Senate also presents a unique opportunity for students interested in joining ASB in the future, as the Student Senate meetings are very similar to the meetings that start each ASB class period.

Students who were chosen by their teachers and classes felt proud to represent their classes.

“I am proud to be a delegate,” Agarwal said. “The main reason why is you’re chosen to represent your class, and it gives you the opportunity to share your thoughts and hopefully have them incorporated into events that occur at the school or [have them] make the school a better place.”

The next Student Senate meeting will be held on a March date to be determined.

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from dancing, they could stroll next door to a dimly-lit lounge area, where they were invited to try their hands at a variety of casino games like blackjack, craps, roulette and poker or simply relax on the scattered sofas and chairs. The cheer team also provided photo booths for attendees to take photos to remember the night.

There were some complaints about the dance, particularly about the lack of nonsnack foods. There were tables of candy located on the balcony, adjacent to the dance floor and inside the lounge with options including Starbursts and Skittles, as well as popcorn, lemonade and soda served behind the dance floor. But, unlike many previous TPHS dances, which included appetizers and entrees as well as candy, the Winter Formal offered nothing in the way of food other than sweets. “[The dance] did offer photos, security and dessert,” Eva Cantor (11), a current La Costa Canyon student who previously attended TPHS, said. “I wish they got more food for the people, instead of just sweets.”

Another concern was with the location, which was selected to fit the theme but may have been too far of a distance for some attendees.

“It’s my last year, so I decided I should go,” Jessica Beltran (12) said. “I wish [the dance’s location] was closer to TPHS, though. [The dance] is better than what I expected.”

Overall, though, the location was met with approval from dance attendees and

administration alike.

“The location itself was phenomenal,” TPHS Principal Rob Coppo said. “Where it is, in downtown San Diego, always presents a few problems. But I think we managed those well, and kept everybody centrally located outside the event. There are always a few minor issues here and there [at every dance, but] this year was probably the smoothest one we’ve ever had.”

The House of Blues provided security for dance attendees. Employees checked attendees’ bags outside the entrance and observed attendees on the dance floor to ensure attendees’ safety and compliance with venue rules.

Tickets were sold during the week before the dance at lunch in the learning

in a story in the California Aggie, the UC Davis school newspaper.

The estimated average cost to attend The University of California system a UC school for the 2018-2019 school year does not anticipate a tuition increase for California residents was $35,300 for for the 2019-20 school year, due to an living on campus and $32,400 for living increase in the amount allocated to higher off campus. For non-residents, the average education in Gov. Gavin Newsom’s state cost is significantly greater with a total of budget proposal that was released on Jan. $64,300 for living on campus and $61,400 for 10, 2019. living off campus. Such costs are especially The budget includes $36.4 billion for the significant compared to that of the first 100 UC system, California State Universities years of the UC systems existence, when and California Community Colleges, tuition was free for California residents, marking a $1.4 though there were billion increase over some nominal fees former governor for incidentals or Jerry Brown’s registration. In the budget. Within the 1985-1986 academic budget summary, year, annual tuition $9.6 billion is and fees for CA earmarked for the residents was UC system, which $1,296. That did not includes a $274.6 include room and million increase board or books. in total funding According to the from the 2018UC website, most 19 budget. While students receive the increase falls financial aid, with short of the $477.6 an average of million the UC Yasmine Elasraoui (12) $16,000 per student system requested STTUDENT awarded yearly. in the budget “Scholarships they approved in [and] financial aid November, Newsom’s proposal is still “a can be very helpful. The tuition I have welcome step and a solid down payment,” to pay [would] be lower which is great, according to a joint statement from UC especially when the tuition price is frozen,” Board of Regents Chairman George Kieffer Brenda Bazaldua (12) said. and UC President Janet Napolitano.

A tuition freeze would be beneficial to This increase includes the expectation students. that the UC tuition “will remain flat,” “This definitely [would help] my family according to Newsom’s budget summary. a lot. We are a family of five, so my parents The UC system has not yet officially also have to support my siblings,” Bazaldua announced whether it plans to freeze said. tuition for the next school year.

Some students believe a freeze will “Discussions about the university increase competition for spots at UC budget will continue in the coming schools. months,” said Claire Doan, Director of “If the tuition remains the same, Media Relations for the Office of the everyone will apply to a UC because President of the University of California the tuition is cheap compared to all the

private schools. UC’s are also some of the top-ranked public schools, and so will be harder to get into,” Emily Zhang (12) said.

Students also said a tuition freeze could help reduce debt due to high tuition costs.

“If I could graduate nearly debt free, then I can buy houses rather than renting apartments and, in general, contribute more to the economy rather than paying debt,” Yasmine Elasraoui (12) said.

Generation Z, defined by Pew Research Center as born after 1997, is expected to be the most formally educated in U.S. history.

“With the tuition prices staying the

Kevin Song

STAFF WRITER The TPHS Cheer Team hosted the Winter Formal dance on Feb. 2 at the House of Blues San Diego from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.

This year’s theme was a “Journey to the Jazz Age,” with the downtown San Diego location chosen to recall jazz vibes from the ‘20s and ‘30s.

Per the theme, attendees were encouraged to wear formal attire, so most partygoers fought their way through the rain wearing tuxedos and elegant dresses and jewelry. “[We chose] the [House of Blues] ... because ... the smaller venue ... made dancing much more enjoyable and easier to spend time with people,” Nicole Demos (10), a cheer chant caller Rob Coppo who helped plan the PRINCIPAL dance, said. “[We] thought the downtown location would work perfectly with the theme.”

The entrance to the House of Blues provided immediate access to a balcony overlooking the DJ’s stage, lit with neon purple and multicolored rotating stage lights. But most of the attendees spent the their time downstairs on the dance floor, jumping in time to top hits from artists including Ariana Grande and Cardi B. “[There’s a] great DJ and good song choice,” Brian Kraft (11) said at the dance.

“It has a great atmosphere. It’s a lot more energetic and exciting than the other dances I’ve been to.”

If attendees wanted to take a break

The location itself was phenomenal ... I think we managed very well ... this year was the smoothest [formal] we’ve had.

Maggie Choy

STAFF WRITER

With the tuition prices staying the same, more people will attend college [and] we are able to create a welleducated workforce.

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commons; to break even on their budget, cheerleaders and parent volunteers had to sell around 500 tickets. Students who prepurchased tickets, which were priced at $50 with an ASB sticker and $55 without, received an early purchase discount.

“The dance cost around $25 to 30 thousand to put on … [so the proceeds from] the first 500 tickets will go toward paying off the venue and other items [we] purchased for the event,” Demos said. “[Winter Formal] is cheer’s biggest fundraiser of the year.”

According to Demos, about 650 tickets were sold this year. The cheer team will use the revenue to pay for cheer competition entrance fees, cheer camps and the travel necessary for such activities.

photo by anna jeong/falconer

A JAZZY AFFAIR: stage as students

One of the DJs preformed on danced along.

The performers

the House of Blues rapped and danced.

same, more people will attend college, [and] we are able to create a well-educated workforce and will lead to a more productive society,” Elasraoui said.

The College Savings Foundation has found that Generation Z is more concerned with student loans than previous generations.

“I think with the UC’s frozen tuition ... higher debt will be less of an issue,” Rohit Ahuja (12) said.

For the first time in 15 years, the number of UC applications fell this year.

They were down by three percent.

Student special Free fountain drink and chips with purchase of burrito with student id

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Maya Satchell

STAFF WRITER The fifth annual Relay for Life Walk will take place on March 30 on the TPHS track from 9 to 11 a.m.

The walk was founded to raise money for the American Cancer Society after the death of former teacher, cheer adviser and ASB director Scott Chodorow. This year, the walk will also pay tribute to former English teacher Catherine Moffett, who died in December, and TPHS student Nick Herrmann (10), who is currently undergoing treatment for cancer.

Chodorow, also known as Coach C, worked at TPHS for over 10 years. He died on November 1, 2014, after battling lymphoma for more than a year.

“Coach C had this uncomparable, limitless passion for [TPHS]. When it says on the wall he was [TPHS], it’s true,” principal Rob Coppo said in reference to a Rob Coppo plaque in the ASB PRINCIPAL hallway.

Moffett taught at TPHS for over 19 years and was known for her humor and enthusiasm for teaching.

“Her Falcon family was so important to her. She loved this school, she loved her students and she loved her peers so much.

I am glad that everyone will get this chance to say goodbye, to pay their respects and to honor her memory as a Falcon,” Moffett’s daughter Mary Moffett said via email.

Moffett died on December 11, 2018 after a 6 1/2 month battle with multiple myeloma. “[TPHS] was a very big part of my

mother’s and my family’s life. She had a positive impact on a number of people’s lives,” Moffett’s daughter, Natalie Moffett, said via email.

The Relay for Life Walk is also an opportunity to support Herrmann, who was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer.

“He’s easily the most dedicated and motivated person I’ve ever met, someone who will stop at nothing to get better at his sport and get back out on the court,” Jenna Remick (11) said. “I have no doubt that his drive and incredible attitude throughout this whole year will get him through.”

The money raised by the Relay for Life Walk is donated to organizations whose goals are to discover a cure for cancer.

“In the past, funds raised have gone to the Leukemia Lymphoma Society, but this year funds are going to the American Cancer Society,” Jake Noble (10), an ASB member and the organizer of the walk, said.

The American Cancer Society is a nonprofit organization that conducts research on all forms of cancer, provides support and guidance for cancer patients and family members of cancer patients and educates people about cancer prevention.

“It’s important for students to attend the walk because it raises awareness about such a meaningful cause and allows everyone to come together as a community.

Even the little things, such as showing support, can make the biggest difference,”

february 22, 2019

photo from tphs scholarship fund

Coach C had this uncomparable limitless passion for TPHS. When it says on the wall that he was [TPHS], it’s true.

[the exchange students] to be here with the students, and TPHS students have been very wonderful helping make them feel Eleven students from Kyoto Women’s welcome,” Umabe said.

High School in Kyoto, Japan, spent the Umabe asks her students at the week of Feb. 3 participating in classes beginning of the year to determine whether and activities at TPHS as guests of TPHS TPHS is able to host the students because families. the program requires that at least 10 Ever since Canyon Crest Academy and host families are available per school San Dieguito Academy introduced TPHS — otherwise the school is ineligible to Japanese teacher Sato Umabe to the participate. This year, the school was able Japanese foreign exchange program three to find 11 host families, so the program years ago, TPHS families have hosted continued for the third straight year at Japanese foreign TPHS. exchange students.

As seniors in Eleven students at high school, the TPHS were part exchange students of a group of 65 who are part of students who were the program must spread between participate in order families at CCA and to graduate from Hilltop High School KWHS and prove in Chula Vista, in their proficiency in addition to TPHS. English.

Originally, the According to exchange students the TPHS students were supposed to and KWHS arrive on Feb. 1, students, another Sato Umabe but heavy snow in significant benefit Japan delayed their JAPANESE TEACHER of the program is flights. In order to being able to make reach Narita International Airport, the friends in a different country and learn students needed to take connecting flights more about other cultures. The exchange from Osaka Itami Airport to Haneda students were exposed to American culture Airport to Narita, but they additionally in many different ways with the help of the missed their flight from Narita to San host families.

Diego because of the weather.

“You just try to spend as much time with Over the week from Feb. 2 to Feb. 8, [the exchange students]. I took them to Instudents were exposed to American culture N-Out for hamburgers and shakes; I took and prepared presentations for English them laser tagging. I also showed them and history classes at TPHS in order to popular movies, like ‘Indiana Jones’ and improve their English skills. On the other ‘Star Wars,’” Cameron Nelson (10) said. hand, TPHS students were able to further After having experienced new sides immerse themselves in Japanese language to American culture over the week, the and culture outside of the classroom. exchange students were able to draw “Every day at lunchtime, more and several comparisons between the Japanese more TPHS students are coming [to the and American education system.

Japanese club]. It’s a great opportunity for “I think boys and girls have a better

photo courtesy of jake noble

WALKING FOR A CAUSE: Coach C attends a TPHS sports game.

He was full of Falcon pride and loved TPHS (TOP).

Students attended the annual walk for life during the 2016-17 school year. (ABOVE).

Jordan Chodorow (11), the daughter of Coach C, said.

According to Noble, ASB hopes to raise at least $5,000.

“Cancer took everything from my mom, and did so indiscriminately — there was no reason for her to die,” Mary Moffett said.

“We should do whatever we can, no matter how small it may seem, to help stop that from happening again. It’s too late for my

family, but it may not be for the Hermans.

Do it for my mom and her legacy, for Coach C and his family, and for Nick, his family and his future.”

The walk will be 3.1 miles long, and snacks and t-shirts will be provided.

Prospective participants can pre-register for the Relay for Life Walk online at TPCancerWalk.org, or they can register at the event.

Daniel Kim SPORTS EDITOR

It’s a great opportunity for the exchange students to be here ... and TPHS students have been very wonderful.

photo courtesy of sato umabe

SAY CHIZU: The 11 Japanese exchange students pose with Principal Rob Coppo near the administration building. The students spent a week at TPHS and stayed with TPHS families. relationship in America. It’s more free and not as structured. I was surprised because the teacher played music during class,” KWHS student Miroku Kyosaki said.

Also, in Japanese culture, the family name precedes the common name, unlike in America.

Instead of solely focusing on their academic studies during their visit, the exchange students had the opportunity to explore San Diego’s many tourist attractions.

“I went to Balboa Park and the San Diego Zoo. It was wonderful,” Japanese exchange student Akari Kojima said.

Despite the rainy weather, KWHS students and teachers still enjoyed their time at San Diego. Because the city had welcomed the exchange students with sunny weather in previous years, KWHS

teacher Yoshitaka Hirata was surprised by the rainy weather in the city this year.

“I came every year, five times total.

It was the same, except only this year it rained,” Yoshitaka said.

Contrary to many TPHS students, KWHS students and teachers were more accustomed to colder temperatures.

Another KWHS teacher, Daijiro Yoshikawa, enjoyed San Diego’s warm weather, as opposed to Japan’s freezing temperatures at this time of year.

“This is the first time I came to San Diego. I love this city. For the first few days, we had bad weather, but now the sky is clear.” Daijiro said.

On Feb. 8, the exchange students left TPHS for Los Angeles before returning to Japan. A new group of students from KWHS are expected to return next year.

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Should elected officials who have worn blackface in the past be forced to resign their positions as punishment for racial insensitivity?

Maya Satchell STAFF WRITER

On Feb. 1, a photo was published featuring two men whose identities remain a mystery — one in blackface and another draped in a Ku Klux Klan hood. After the image featured in Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s 1984 medical school yearbook page was published, the Democrat initially apologized, then reversed his statement to claim he was not in that photo but had used blackface on a separate occasion that same year to dress up as Michael Jackson for a talent show. Northam’s apology for using blackface, however, is not enough. He must abide by numerous calls from those in and out of his party to resign.

To add to the chaos, the two men in line for gubernatorial succession have been embroiled in their own scandals.

Virginia’s lieutenant governor Justin Fairfax has been accused of sexually assaulting someone at the Democratic National Convention in 2004, and Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring admitted to wearing blackface at a 1980 college party to dress up as rapper Kurtis Blow.

The practice of blackface began with minstrel shows, a kind of live entertainment featuring skits and songs by white actors who used shoe polish or burnt cork to darken their faces. It was a form of entertainment in which African Americans were ridiculed and derided as inferior for the amusement of a white audience.

Blackface continues today, and despite decades of civil rights activism, there are people who still cannot manage to educate themselves about the racist history and the effects of that kind of “entertainment.”

Many in the Democratic party are calling for a zero tolerance stance in which politicians are being condemned for behavior that might

have received a pass in previous years. There are risks to this kind of rigid stance, such as the Republican Speaker of the House of Delegates in Virginia becoming governor if Northam, Fairfax and Herring are all forced to resign. But the seriousness with which Democrats now view the kind of racist choices made by Herring and Northam is praiseworthy and moves the party toward support for all Americans, and it is something Republicans should emulate.

The call for the resignations of Northam and Herring over their use of blackface should be a wakeup call to all politicians to examine their own past behavior, to identify any choices or actions that would be hurtful or disempowering to any group and to make amends for these poor choices or egregious actions.

But most importantly, those steps must be taken prior to running for office, so people who might consider voting for a candidate have a full understanding of that candidate’s character and history. Government officials must model the kinds of values and behavior that they expect their constituents to adhere to and create laws and policies to uphold such values.

No human being is perfect, but individuals, and politicians especially, should be willing to make amends and face the consequences for their mistakes.

Elected officials are elected to serve all their constituents, including, in this case, the 20 percent of Virginia voters who are African-American and, understandably, feel betrayed

by Northam and Herring’s disregard for their dignity and equality. Since Northam and Herring were elected while their constituents did not know about the pair’s past egregious actions, they have a duty to resign.

The next and even more significant point of reflection for all current and future politicians should be: what policies have they supported, or will they support, that do not provide equal protection for people of all races under the law? Racist images and behavior do matter. Yet policies that discriminate or exacerbate racial divisions are even worse than seeing Northam and Herring remain in office.

The following question was posed to Virginians in a Washington PostSchar School poll

Considering everything, do you think Northam should step down as governor of Virginia or not?

47%

47%

*Six percent did not have an opinion

It was recently discovered that Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring and Gov. Ralph Northam participated in activities in the past, including wearing blackface. Although that is completely unacceptable for a government official, if they reflect upon their mistakes, they should not be forced to resign. With the right attitude, the government officials are deserving of a chance at redemption.

Herring came out honestly and stated he believes his past actions “were really a minimization of both people of color and a minimization of a horrific history I knew well even then.” Without a doubt, this is the right approach because nobody can maintain a perfect record, including government officials. Of course, blackface is inexcusable for a political figure, since it negatively stereotypes the African-American population, but, as younger men, the officials were influenced by a racist society.

According to researchers from Griffith University in Queensland, Australia, Università’ di Padova in Padova, Italy, and University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland, children from the age seven to nine were more likely to show racial prejudice when they were divided by skin color. Despite errors of the past, if officials realize their wrongdoings and promise they are no longer racist or racially insensitive, they deserve the chance to prove themselves since it demonstrates that they genuinely realize their mistakes and can learn to never commit those wrongdoings again.

During their youth, people often make offensive remarks in their everyday conversations unintentionally. Actions of officials and public figures, like Jesse Jackson’s anti-Semitism lyrics, Prince Harry’s Nazi-influenced clothes and Joe Biden’s racist remarks did not lead them to be remembered strictly as racist or homophobic. If public figures like those were not shamed for arousing controversy while under the spotlight, government officials similarly should not be forced to resign for their previous discriminatory actions that occurred before they reached the public eye.

Government officials often make mistakes; however, with good,

Daniel Kim

SPORTS EDITOR

consistent records, they deserve the opportunity to erase the shameful labels as did Jackson, Harry and Biden.

If officials, however, stubbornly deny claims, they are deserving of some punishment, including, but not limited to, being forced to resign.

Northam also revealed that he was “deeply sorry for the decision [he] made to appear as [he] did in this photo and for the hurt that decision caused then and now.” However, Northam started to deny the claims after realizing that the public was rejecting his apologies. According to him, he “was appalled that [the photos] appeared on [his] page, but [he] believed then and now that [he is] not either of the people in that photo.” If government officials are in the running to represent the population and gain their trust, lying would be one of the worst crimes to be responsible for. Northam’s sudden change in attitude from apologetic to stubborn greatly disrupts the trust between him and Virginia, making him unfit to serve as governor. If Northam admits his blackface allegations as he did in another incident, he, at least, deserves the right to prove that he has reformed from his high school self.

Every human being makes mistakes, young people tend to be easily swayed by their surroundings and government officials are no exception to this fact. If they admit to committing such actions and strive to amend their past mistakes, those officials should not be forced to resign. However, if any choose to reject a claim with clear evidence and act stubbornly, lacking any regret from their previous mistakes, the public’s trust in them is at risk, making resignation the only proper response.

San Diego, along with the world, has an overwhelming homeless problem. It isn’t as noticeable in Carmel Valley, an upper middle class neighborhood. But in downtown San Diego, an urban community, homelessness is ever apparent.

According to a 2017 federal report by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), San Diego has the fourth largest homeless population in the United States at 9,160 people.

Also, San Diego has the third largest number of homeless veterans, fourth highest percentage of unsheltered homeless families (families with children who are not living in shelter), fifth largest number of chronic homeless people (those homeless for more than a year and who may have lived in a shelter, safe haven or place not meant for human habitation), seventh largest population of homeless unaccompanied youths under the age of 25 and the 10th largest number of homeless families.

Many homeless people go down the route of sleeping in their cars because it is the best solution to being without a roof over their heads. The sad reality is that being homeless is considered loitering, which is illegal. So, ever since the 1983 ordinance that made it illegal to live in a car on any street in San Diego, the homeless who sleep in their cars were ticketed and were eventually sent to jail or had their cars impounded because they were unable to pay the fines for the offense.

The decision to repeal the 1983 ordinance is justified because the change will give the city a more attractive look, protect homeless people against the harsh conditions of living on the street and unfair tickets from police and restore homeless people’s privacy and dignity within the homeless population.

According to the 2018 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress (AHAR) by HUD, “On a single night in 2018, roughly 553,000 people were experiencing homelessness in the United States.”

Another study by the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty from 2016 found that 39 percent of the 187 cities they surveyed prohibited homeless people from living in their cars.

However, this all changed on the Feb. 4, when the San Diego City Council finally made the decision to stop punishing the homeless for living in their cars, a response to the 2014 9th Circuit Court of Appeals decision, which struck down the 1983 ordinance because it was unconstitutionally

vague.

The decision is good progress because it is unfair to penalize people for their failure to meet standards at homeless shelters or for not having enough money to buy a car. For example, at the Onslow Community Outreach, a shelter in Jacksonville, North Carolina, they do not accept people who are under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs, have a criminal record or have mental or physical illnesses that are too complex for the shelter to care for.

One benefit from the appeal is that once homeless people are off the streets and in their cars, it gives places like downtown San Diego, where, according to the San Diego Union Tribune, there are a total of 435 homeless people, a cleaner and more inviting look.

Another reason is that cars help protect the homeless from harsh weather like heat waves, thunder, lightning and rain storms. Also, allowing the homeless to live in their cars eliminates the threat of tickets for loitering, impounding of cars and jail time for overdue tickets.

Furthermore, living on the street dehumanizes people; they have no privacy and are constantly exposed. By allowing the homeless to live in their cars, their dignity can be restored.

But, there should be restrictions for street parking near residential areas, schools and even some public places like grocery store parking lots, although, in that case, such restrictions are ultimately up to those who own those spaces.

A better solution would be to designate specific homeless parking lots with bathrooms and other necessities, but the detractors say homeless people without cars would flock to those areas and make most of the space unavailable for parking cars.

Perhaps the biggest issue with the change in the law is that San Diego is still avoiding the major problem of homelessness.

The law does not actually solve the problem; the only way to truly do so is with permanent, affordable housing. This is hard to come by because, according to research by the National Low Income Housing Coalition, for every 100 low income houses, California only has 22 available and affordable (at or below 30 percent of the area’s median income) houses.

However, San Diego is trying to improve upon this by funding new housing projects. In fact, in September of 2018, San Diego started to award $50 million for competitive grants for affordable housing projects like the San Diego Housing Commission.

The repeal of the original 1983 ordinance, which makes living in one’s car legal again, still leaves some issues untouched, but it is ultimately a step toward improving San Diego’s homeless problem and, therefore, is good progress.

of the San Diego City Council voted to repeal a law prohibiting residents from living in vehicles on city streets.

Logan Levy (9) I think it would be best for them to sleep in their cars rather than on the street, especially if it’s really rainy or there is bad weather.

Kaiya Park (10) It’s good, because a lot of these people are going through a rough patch in their life, and they don’t have the resources to buy a house.

art by kristen ching/falcon artist

Kaytlynn Martin (12) It’s not okay to just force them outside, especially because shelters are really limited in terms of space. So, it’s a good option.

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opinion

Farhan Hossain

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF By 2040, eight states will contain 50 percent of the U.S. population, while sixteen states will have 70 percent, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. While migration to a few large, jobheavy metropolitan areas is not inherently terrible, it will have a troubling political consequence. And despite population shifts, all states will continue to have the same number of Senators: two. Which means that 30 percent of Americans will elect 68 of the 100 Senators, while the remaining 70 percent will share 32.

The stronghold that small states — disproportionately rural, white and conservative — have over the Senate and the consequential legislation it addresses means that policies like gun control, affordable healthcare and climate change mitigation, that are supported by a majority of Americans have little chance of enactment. Simply put, the current apportionment of U.S. Senate seats is fundamentally antithetical to the values of American democracy, and the legislative body must either delegate representatives proportionally or be abolished.

Reuters polling found that 69 percent of Americans want stricter constraints placed on gun ownership, and that 70 percent of Americans support universal healthcare by transitioning to Medicare for All. Reuters also found that 69 percent of Americans, including 64 percent

of Republicans, want the U.S. government to work with other nations to end climate change.

Clear backing from the American public on all those policy objectives makes it seem easy to pass corresponding legislation. But the U.S. does not have gun control and has more gunrelated deaths than any other developed nation in the world today. Again, the U.S. is the only developed nation without universal healthcare or a federal cap and trade program to reduce carbon emissions.

It’s not like Congress has completely brushed aside those issues. But in each case — healthcare, gun control and climate change — the Senate has hindered progress.

In 2009, the House of Representatives passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act, making it the first bill aimed at reducing U.S. carbon emissions. But the bill was never introduced in the Senate. Despite a Democratic majority, then-Majority Leader Harry Reid knew he did not have the 60 votes necessary to pass the bill and opted not to bring it to a vote. Gun control bills have met similar fates, and while a recent high capacity magazine ban may pass the Democratic House of Representatives, it will almost certainly fail in the Republican Senate.

The same applies to any measure providing universal healthcare coverage.

Gun control, universal basic healthcare and climate change mitigation are all policies of the Democratic Party, and abolishing the Senate may seem like a convoluted attempt to give Democrats more power. That is partly true: smaller states are overwhelmingly Republican, and they are strengthening the party’s grip on the federal government, even as Republican party policies are becoming less popular with the American electorate. Even if Democrats were to take control of both chambers of Congress and the presidency — not to mention pass legislation on climate change, gun control and healthcare — that does not change the

february 22, 2019

fact that the Chamber remains fundamentally unrepresentative of U.S. citizens, specifically minorities. By magnifying the voices of smaller states, the Senate weakens the power of larger states, as well as their populations, which hold a disproportionate share of racial minorities, diluting the political voice of Hispanic-, Africanand Asian-Americans.

Admittedly, the Senate was not founded to be representative but to preserve the power of small states in the political process under the premise that larger states would be too dominating. Small states are important, but not enough to marginalize the majority of Americans who do not live in one.

Perhaps they were important enough when the Senate was founded in 1789 — when states had a more equitable distribution of people and when state populations were in the thousands, not the millions.

It is no longer 1789.

The Founding Fathers were visionary, forward-thinking men

who pushed, passed and accepted norms to create an effective system of government that would best serve the people. But the Founding Fathers were not perfect, and they knew that because they purposefully created a flexible Constitution that is open to change. Changing or abolishing the Senate is a moonshot, but it is worthwhile to remember that the U.S. has also accomplished other moonshots, like sending a man to the moon. Fixing the Senate should be a piece of cake.

classmates’ full names. But, don’t let my words lead you to believe that I was ashamed of my Russian side, I was — and continue to be — proud of that half of myself.

As I’ve matured, and continued to look less Chinese with time, the mindset that I was different from my Chinese peers has stayed with me, leading me to notice a difference between how other Chinese people view and treat each other, compared to how they view and treat me.

I’m not saying this to criticize others for being oblivious to my Chinese origin — if I were in their shoes, I would likely have a similar mindset to theirs — I’m saying it to emphasize that a book shouldn’t be judged by its cover. Yes, it’s a cliché, but it’s an idea I believe is wise to follow. For example, while I’m far from fluent in Mandarin, on more than a couple of occasions others have assumed that I don’t speak the language at all and have spoken about me while I was

there, unaware that I could understand every one of the (okay, most of the) words that they were saying. But, instead of confronting them, I decided to acknowledge their perspective and understand that it was likely they simply didn’t know that I was Chinese.

And since I’ve had this realization, I’ve continued to grow in my understanding that I’m not the same as those who are fully one ethnicity or the other, and that that’s far from a bad thing. Besides being able to take part in traditions from two distinct cultures — how many people get to celebrate New Year’s three different times? — I’ve had the unique opportunity to be immersed in both of them, and I have two people to thank for that. And so, to conclude this short synopsis of my life, I’d like to say thank you, спасибо, xiè xiè to my parents for the possibilities and the life that they’ve given me; I’m forever grateful for it and you.

art by amrita moturi/falcon artist

A8 the falconer

ALEXEI SERGUIENKO

If you were to ask someone who doesn’t know me well to guess what two ethnicities I claim, the answers would probably read like a list of the countries of the world. Usually the answer is a kind of Asian or European, occasionally it’s neither of these two and it’s almost never the two together. It’s also almost certainly never the correct combination. This has been true throughout my life.

But, I can’t fault anyone for being unable to identify my heritage; I’ll be the first to admit that based solely on my appearance, it can be difficult to accurately guess either part of my background. While my Asian half used to be quite distinctive when I was younger, it has become less so as I’ve gotten older. Perhaps it’s the combination of features from different ethnicities, perhaps it’s simply the rarity of the mixture or perhaps it’s a blend of these two, but it’s almost unheard of for anyone to correctly guess that I’m both Russian and Chinese.

Over time, I started to take note of people’s varying reactions to discovering my background. The responses, in addition to meeting only a few other people who are Russian and Chinese, led me to understand the uniqueness of the combination, and, since then, I’ve felt only incredibly lucky to have been immersed in these two wonderful and distinctive cultures and to feel a connection to them.

My immersion with Russian began when I was just an infant: some of the first words I ever heard were my father’s Russian ones spoken to me, and, as a result of continued exposure to

the language, it eventually became the first one I knew. As I began to learn English, my parents had me continue my practice of Russian by reading books, watching television shows and attending classes in Russian with other young children throughout my early childhood. Even though I eventually began to speak more English than Russian, I never truly stopped speaking the latter with my father at home.

In fact, just as the language has been present throughout my life, so have other aspects of the Russian culture. I grew up celebrating Christmas and New Year’s on their more widely known days, but I also learned to observe the Eastern Orthodox versions of those holidays that other Russians do — and I I continue to do so today.

It’s clear that my Russian heritage has certainly been influential, but my Chinese side has played an equally important role in my life.

Similar to my experience with Russian, I began to learn Chinese as a young child (albeit at a slightly older age) thanks to the Chinese school I attended on weekends throughout my childhood. It was there that I was introduced to celebrating holidays such as the Lunar New Year, something that I also do to this day.

But it was also at Chinese school that I started to become more conscious of the cultural contrast between the rest of my peers and me; while they were Chinese in full, I was half white.

From there, I began to notice more and more of the differences between us, like how I was the only one that occasionally got picked up from Chinese school by a white father or how my last name alone was longer than some of my

photo by david vapnek/falconer

Entertainment Editor Alexei Serguienko recounts his experience growing up multi-ethnic and the various influences it has had on him throughout his life.

Nico Johnson

STAFF WRITER The crisis in Venezuela has reached the boiling point and the United States should stay out of it. Two men claim the presidency: incumbent but ostensibly democratically elected Nicolás Maduro and insurgent opposition leader Juan Guaidó. Maduro won in a snap election that was rescheduled six months early and has been widely condemned by human rights groups as illegitimate.

The Trump administration is pushing a campaign to overthrow Maduro’s regime. In a video address to the people of Venezuela, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence claimed the U.S. stands with Guaidó because “Maduro has no legitimate claim to power.” Pence cited “freedom” and “democracy” as justification for U.S. intervention.

Skimming through a U.S. history textbook, anyone can easily see through these banalities.

We were fed the same heartwarming platitudes when President Bush invaded Iraq because Saddam Hussein was a nefarious dictator who had nuclear weapons, a claim that was debunked when invading U.S. troops found none. President Obama bombed Libya supposedly to protect Libyans from dictator Muammar Gadhafi, incidentally killing innocent civilians in the process. Now we are being told by the current White House that we need to intervene again, as President Trump remarked that military force “is an option” in Venezuela.

The thread through all of these invasions has been an unwavering flow of propaganda, purporting the U.S. is a crusader for freedom

Neha Pubbi

STAFF WRITER It is awful to be in a restaurant while a kid is crying, but it’s even more upsetting to see just how common it is today for parents to mindlessly silence their unhappy children with electronic devices. Undoubtedly, technology offers diverse benefits and today’s youth need to know how to operate current day gadgets in order to make future advancements as adults.

But technology shouldn’t be used to stop tantrums.

Kids are triggered easily and their problems can be trivial. For example, not being able to tie their shoelaces or spilling something on their shirt. Even though their problems may not be severe, to gain resilience kids need to settle their issues. Giving a kid a smartphone deprives them of such resilience. By pacifying a kid with technology, the parents are basically encouraging them to throw aside their problems and to seek temporary and artificial comfort in technology instead. When a child is throwing tantrums, the parent needs to acknowledge that there is a problem at hand and work with their kids in resolving it.

There are always going to be obstacles and the ability to overcome them and resolve conflicts is a necessity. The kids of today face obstacles such as relationship issues and financial hardships. Without the basic skills to deal with those inevitabilities, who knows what will happen to their futures?

Beyond the possibility of missed learning experiences for the child, if a parent does not pay attention to a tantrum, they might be ignoring a serious problem. For example, the

and human rights.

In reality, we have traditionally started crusades pursuing natural resources, namely oil.

For example, Saudi Arabia is the second largest exporter of crude oil to the U.S. behind Canada, forcing Washington to stay in the good graces of the Saudi monarchy. We enable Saudi evil because we want Saudi oil.

The U.S. has been aiding and abetting a Saudi war in Yemen, which has claimed 57,000 Yemeni civilian lives since 2016. Saudi Arabia has imposed a blockade—illegal under humanitarian law—on Yemen. The blockade stops aide from getting to Yemeni civilians and children, 14 million of whom are on the brink of starvation, according to the United Nations.

The Yemeni people also face a cholera outbreak ravaging an estimated 900,000 people, according to the Washington Post. There is a cure for cholera, discovered almost 100 years ago. Yemeni people are cut off from life-saving treatment by the U.S.-supported blockade.

The U.S. clearly does not support Saudi Arabia for its sparkling human rights record.

From genocide to the oppression of women, Saudi Arabia’s human rights track record is abysmal.

The true motives for assisting Saudi Arabia are our insatiable thirst for Saudi weapons deals, America’s industrial and consumer dependence on Saudi oil reserves and a cluster of geopolitical conflicts that end up aligning the U.S. with Al Qaeda in the fight against Iranianbacked Houthi rebels in Yemen.

Remember Al Qaeda? They murdered 2,996 American civilians on 9/11. Right now, we are indirectly selling them American manufactured weapons via Saudi Arabia.

Venezuela presents another troubling opportunity for Warhawks and lobbyists to swoop in. For one, Venezuela boasts the world’s largest oil reserves.

Trump administration national security adviser John Bolton said recently that the U.S. would significantly benefit “economically if we could have American oil companies invest in and produce the oil capabilities in

Venezuela.” The Trump administration can be brutally honest with its imperialistic intentions, as corporate media and the general public are still numb from the anesthetic of nearly two decades of constant overseas regime change and war.

Unfortunately, Trump also has personal motivation for a strong showing in Venezuela.

Russia has announced its support for Maduro, warning against foreign “meddling” in Venezuela’s election. Frantic to distance himself from rumors of collusion with Russia in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, Trump has every reason to wield a big anti-Maduro stick in Venezuela. With the Mueller probe rolling full steam ahead and numerous House investigations seeking to tie him to Russia,

kid could possibly be dehydrated or need a nap, and so forth. The parent ignoring their problem could result in serious and severe health issues.

The constant dismissal of crying or issues results in the extraordinarily high number of cases of anxiety and depression. The feeling of neglect builds up as they mature into their adolescent years. One out of five adolescents has anxiety, depression or a mental health issue, according to a National Institute of Mental Health Study. That statistic could easily be influenced by parents ignoring problems and giving their smartphones when their kid cries.

Parents need to exemplify the behavior that technology is not a priority. When kids are crying, the parent should not be on their phone as well as that sets an example for their child. The kid will then think that technology is more important than them, this also leads to anxiety and depression. When they are with their kid, their phones should be put away and they should be having social interactions with their child.

“Children who had sustained engagement and positive interactions with their parents also had higher communication skills,” Meredith Anne Scott found in her research for master’s thesis for Iowa State University.

Another thing that technology is being used for is to quell boredom. But with constant access to a cure for boredom, kids are missing out. Being bored isn’t necessarily a bad thing; in fact, it leads to creativity.

A study was conducted by University of Central Lancashire where students were given a boring task and then a creative task. The control group was given a creative and then another creative task. The experimental group

was more creative in the second task than the control group. Technology hinders creativity by subduing boredom.

What leads to the loss of boredom is the unlimited amount of things to search and do on the internet. With the constant flow of information, attention spans are decreasing.

Instead of reading a book which increases attention spans, now children are not focused and distracted when on the internet.

“Their brains are rewarded not for staying on task but for jumping to the next thing,” Michael Rich, an associate professor at Harvard Medical School said in Psychology Today.

In the case that a kid throws a tantrum for access to technology, when they are bored, the parent needs to advise them to play, such as role play, playing with toys and

Trump sees pro-Guaidó action in Venezuela as a deluded opportunity to vindicate himself.

There’s no reason American hypocrisy dealing with Saudi Arabia wouldn’t extend to Venezuela. If Maduro conceivably allowed American energy corporations to exploit Venezuela’s lucrative oil potential, the Trump administration would escort the Guaidó out the backdoor, simultaneously ushering in Exxon Mobil through the front.

The issue runs deeper than Venezuela.

Washington’s looming decision about whether or not to get involved in Venezuela is merely representative of an overarching American tradition that reaches back to Manifest Destiny.

Rather than continue our imperialist traditions, the U.S. should begin a new, principled chapter in American foreign policy.

art by seyoung lee/falcon artist

playing outside.

“Play helps boost children’s language development, problem solving, risk management and independent learning skill,” Children’s Play Policy Forum’s website said.

Play sparks creativity in a kid’s mind and is crucial to their development which is being hampered by excessive screen time.

The use of technological gadgets as a pacifier is a poor decision by far. The artificial stimulus provided by a screen stresses the nervous system, triggering energy to be released. But devices are used while sitting, so the energy needs another outlet besides exercise, according to Brain Jogging blog. That outlet becomes tantrums.

Technology cannot be a replacement for parenting through tantrums and behavioral problems. What a crying child needs is the personal attention and care of another human.

As technology continues to develop and becomes increasingly prevalent in our everyday lives, it’s important that we embrace it. But at the end of the day, we’re still humans with human problems that simply cannot be resolved at the touch of a button. Technology is a shortcut, and using it is becoming second nature for the wrong things. You cannot control alt delete your trials and tribulations.

art by anna art jeong falcon artist artist by / amy ge/falcon

A10 the falconer

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february 22, 2019

Martin Luther King Jr. (19291968) was an important civil rights leader during the ‘50s and ‘60s and led the way to reform.

Barack Obama (1961-) was the first African American to be elected president (2008)and created the Affordable Care Act.

Rosa Parks (1913-2005) was a black activist who famously refused to concede her bus seat to a white man.

Malcolm X (19251965) was a civil rights activist and black nationalist leader who was assassinated in 1965.

infogrpahic by esther choi/falconer

Information provided by www.history.com, Britannica, NAACP, and U.S. Government

feature

A12 the falconer

Cookies litter the table as girls sit around decorating and chatting. The atmosphere is like an art class, as glitter and colors are sprinkled onto pages. However, these carefully decorated pieces of paper are not made just for fun; they will be sent to children in intensive care at Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego as part of the TPHS Cards for Kindness Club.

Nadya Gorelov (12) founded the club at the beginning of her senior year.

“I wanted to make a club at the school that was related to children. But I had no idea what to do,” Gorelov said. “I wanted [a club] that could influence right now and influence [children] the most. And I was talking to my friend who was pursuing something medical, and she’s like, ‘You should do something with kids at hospitals.’

And I thought, ‘Why not cards?’”

Between 10 and 20 students attend club meetings every other Friday at lunch to make the cards.

Nadya Gorelov (12) They gather in CLUB PRESIDENT Heather Lopez’s classroom,room 401, and spend lunch decorating cards using a wide range of supplies.

“My mom is an artist, and we have our own miniature Michael’s in our attic, so I have a lot of supplies, and I bring them all in a bag and just spread them out throughout the classroom,” Gorelov said.

From there, decorating the cards is up to the student artists.

“Sometimes I do word searches,” Berkley Sayre (12) said. “I always want to give [the kids] something to do because, otherwise it’s just writing, and then I always write a little note like, ‘I want to tell you you’re awesome and amazing,’ and just give them encouragement.”

Cards feature puzzles, cartoons, beautiful sketches and simple words of encouragement that are meant to brighten the children’s days.

But, there are hospital restrictions regarding the content of the cards.

“We do have a lot of rules on what can be on the cards,” Gorelov said. “For example, you can’t write ‘I hope you feel better soon’ … simply because some of these kids will not get well for a really long time.”

Cards must also remain secular, and genderneutral without phrases like “Hey, girl” or “Hey, boy,” according to Ashlie Hill (12). In their notes in cards, Cards for Kindness members can include their first names and the state they are from, but are not allowed to mention other personal details that can result in their identification.

But the restrictions don’t the artists’ creativity in making the cards.

“I’m always amazed at how many people sign up [for the meetings] and come in and what amazing cards they make,” Gorelov said. “They put so much effort into them.”

february 22, 2019

Once the cards are finished and a sufficient number have been accumulated, Gorelov takes them to Rady Children’s Hospital and drops them off at the front desk and a nurse picks them up to deliver them to the patients.

Gorelov and other club members are not allowed on patient floors, so they never see the children or their reactions, so they can only imagine how the children respond.

“Their reaction is always going to be so excited,” Sayre said. “Because just to get something from someone that you’ve never met before and have them be supporting you and cheering you on, I feel like they’re just going to be so happy.”

Lopez has been impressed from the start.”

“Nadya has been an inspiring leader.

Each week she brings the supplies, cookies and enthusiasm f o r helping to bring some sunshine to kids who are ill,” Lopez said.

“The room is full and the club relishes new members, who bring positive energy to a great cause.”

“Our life is really rushed right now.

Everyone is absorbed in their GPA and homework and test scores,” Gorelov said. “But for 40 minutes to get to come in and play with markers and crayons and stuff like that and know that this card is going to reach a kid who is struggling right now and make them feel better can really help high school students [as well].”

Gorelov will hand the club over when she graduates, but the goal and spirit of the club will be preserved, continuing to lift the spirits of both patients and TPHS students.

by Bea De Oliveira

I’m always amazed at how many people sign up [for the meetings] and come in and what amazing cards they make.

photos by

photos by anna jeong/falconer

tphsfalconer.com

feature

the falconer

A13

Each February, just after Punxsutawney Phil emerges from his burrow to determine whether or not it will be an early spring, another indicator of the change in seasons appears at TPHS. Lining the path that cuts directly through campus from the parking lot to the portables, are trees — Bradford Pear trees, to be specific — that emit a … scent.

Questions about the tree’s scent would provide a mix of answers consisting of fish, swimming pools and, most often, various bodily discharges. The Bradford Pear, Callery Pear or Pyrus calleryana, is infamously known on Urban Dictionary and by TPHS students as the “semen tree.” The two weeks of the year when the flowers bloom and release their pungent odor mark the beginning of second semester.

Why the smell?

The trees, in short, are sexually active.

Plant biologists and horticulturists, like John Murgel from the Denver Botanical Gardens, suspect that the scent is caused by the secretion of volatile amines, specifically trimethylamine and dimethylamine, which is meant to kickstart the process of pollination and reproduction. Those chemicals are molecularly similar to ammonia, which is why they give off the same odor — an odor often shared by semen, given that it can contain ammonia. In an interview with Denver magazine Westword, Murgel said the trees emit amines to attract pollinators like flies and beetles, which are attracted to pungent botanical odors, unlike bees, which seem to prefer sweet smells.

At the same time, according to a 2005 study by Etienne Monique of the Université Clermont Auvergne, volatile amines are what cause fish to smell increasingly “fishy” with each day post-catch, and are used to assess the quality of fish. So whether they are fish trees or semen trees, the function of amines is really all the same thing.

But the tree has managed to gain renown despite its undesirable essence. The Missouri Botanical Garden lists it as tolerant to air pollution and poor soil, two factors that led to it being planted across cities in the 1950s after being brought over from China in the early 1900s. The Callery Pear tree was selected Urban Tree of the Year in 2005 by City Trees magazine and was declared New York City’s third most popular species in 2006 by the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation.

Likely the most famous Callery Pear tree is the “Survivor Tree,” which was discovered under rubble nearly a month after the 9/11 attacks. It was later rehabilitated and replanted at the 9/11 memorial at Ground Zero in New York in 2010.

Because of the Callery Pear’s versatility and adaptation to different environments, it is found across the U.S. According to the California Invasive Plant Council, the species is not found predominantly in areas that match California’s climate and is also found in some European nations, Egypt and Australia, though it is classified as invasive in the Midwest and some Southern states. An observational study conducted by the Invasive Plant Control indicated that the trees have a high risk of being invasive in California, but such a conclusion is relatively uncertain with a confidence level of 57 out of 100, according to the IPC. Invasive or not, the trees are certainly prevalent in California, their annual fragrance-fest sustaining threads on the Reddit pages of assorted University of California campuses.

At TPHS, it seems Bradford Pear trees are here to stay, fishy odor and all.

“They sure look nice for part of the year,” Principal Rob Coppo said.

by Eve Gross-Sable

photo by david vapnek/falconer

A14 the falconer

feature

february 22, 2019

KEVIN SONG Kevin Song (10) has been playing the cello since he was four years old. He reflects on his musical career and experiences as he gets ready for a summer in Europe with the National Youth Orchestra.

In the summer of 2017, Kevin Song (10) found himself in a corner of a Chinese airport with his cello during a layover on his way to the International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians in Astana, Kazakhstan. Surrounding him was an audience of people waiting for their flights, listening to an impromptu performance while Song practiced.

Twelve years ago, Song picked up a cello for the first time and was immediately fascinated. Since then, he has followed his passion for music, committing to weekly drives to Irvine for cello lessons.

“Playing a musical instrument is not much different than playing a sport,” Song said. “A lot of people think that it’s completely different, but it’s actually not because there are a lot of different dedications that go into music. You don’t just practice your instrument then go to a competition or a concert – there’s a lot more that goes into being a musician.”

Song tries to practice cello for at least an hour a day, but sometimes his schoolwork gets in the way. He doesn’t look at practice as a chore — it is an outlet for his emotions.

“During finals week, I didn’t have time to play the cello at all, and by the end of the week I actually could feel that I needed to play it,” Song said. “It’s a way that I get rid of the stress that I have.”

Beyond it’s mental and emotional benefits, cello has brought people into his life and has led to rare experiences.

“Playing music is a really communal thing. Even at a young age I was learning from other people and seeing what other musicians did and applying it to my own music,” Song said. “There’s such a sense of community in being a musician, and I don’t think a lot of people get to experience that at such a young age, so that has impacted me and the way I interact with people today.”

After moving from Irvine to San Diego in 2017, Song was faced with the task of finding new ways to continue playing cello at San Diego.

“I’m part of the San Diego Youth Symphony. This is my first year doing it because after I moved, I spent a year looking for what I really wanted to do, and I chose that,” Song said.

Unlike many young musicians, Song rarely participates in competitions. Song competed in some small competitions as a young child, but, as he grew older, he started avoiding them.

“I don’t like doing competitions just because I feel like it’s so against what music is about. It’s so hard to judge a music competition because everyone sees music in different ways and it’s so hard to say that one interpretation is the best out of all the other interpretations,” Song said. “Of course, you can judge people based on how good their technical skills are, but I feel like it goes against the integrity of being a musician.”

In the summer of 2017, Song traveled to Kazakhstan to compete in the International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians. By traveling to performances and competitions like this one, Song has crossed paths with many different musicians from diverse backgrounds.

“I’ve gotten to travel to so many different places as a musician, and I’ve met unique people at every single different place, and that’s given me a more universal view on people,” Song said.

Recently, Song has been accepted into the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America (NYO-USA), a program hosted by Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute in which an elite group of teen musicians plays together in an orchestra and travels the world, performing at international venues along the way. One of the 100 students selected in the entire country, Song will join the other students next summer for a three-week training residency at Carnegie Hall before touring Europe with NYO-USA. As part of the audition process for the NYO-USA, Song submitted both a video essay, in which he responded to questions from the selection committee, and a video of a solo performance.

Song is very excited to be part of the program. “[I’m looking forward to] being able to experience things as a true musician because I feel like once we get older, it’s so hard to be a musician because other things get in the way.” Song said. “It’s hard to make money as a musician. So, things like that aren’t really possible to do as an adult.”

Although he would like to pursue music as a career, Song is concerned with criticism that musicians do not contribute to society.

“I would consider [being a musician] part-time, but definitely not full time – particularly because of the negative social stigma surrounding being a musician,” Song said. “There are a lot of problems in making a livelihood being a musician, but I’d still definitely want to play.”

While Song is still unsure of how much cello he will play in the future, he will look for any occasional opportunities that come his way, even those in an airport terminal.

by Dhathry Doppalapudi

photo by christy lam/falconer

A15

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It is fascinating to peel back the many layers and complicated undertones that make up a single song — especially in lively musical works performed by a group as large and varied as Advanced Orchestra and Jazz Band at the annual TPHS Music Department Winter Concert this year.

As in previous years, there was a decent turnout of about 60 to 70 people, mainly families and friends of the featured student musicians.

Right from the beginning, Advanced Orchestra made the most out of the limelight with its graceful interpretation of “An English Suite” by Hubert Parry, the first of two compositions they performed that evening.

Strong violins captured the audience’s attention with velvety sound and quality, which far overshadowed the minor reedy squeaks in the first movement (Prelude), and the few delayed responses to TPHS Music Director Amy Gelb’s cutoffs.

Prompt responses to Gelb’s cues, however, did not prove challenging further along in the program. Throughout the course of playing their pieces, Advanced Orchestra not only impressed listeners with its commendable attention to the score’s difficult dynamics but also Gelb’s every cue. With the slightest flick of Gelb’s wrist, the orchestra — cellos, violas, violins, and all — effortlessly transitioned from a tender pianissimo to an even gentler pianississimo.

With five distinct movements with their own musical flair, “An English Suite” is a classical gem of the Romantic Era that never bores. But the piece’s characteristic shifts in pitch and tonality, especially between second and third movements, were made even more beautiful by the orchestra’s deft musicianship.

In this transition, the cello section indulged in the powerful and repetitive pizzacato plucking that created a suspenseful and attention-grabbing harmony, perfectly complementing the sweet melody of the violins.

Unlike the composition’s wild and playful fifth movement, with spiraling high and low notes that race across octaves, the delicate and slightly melancholic third movement, featuring a few introductory measures reminiscent of “When You Wish Upon a Star,” was executed flawlessly by the orchestra.

Despite weaving in and out between stanzas featuring unbelievably fast tempos that require finger work that was simultaneously lightning-fast and impeccable, Advanced Orchestra did not falter in its impressive momentum during the course of its second piece, “Spring” by Antonio Vivaldi, featuring soloist Jacey Yang (12) on the violin. Careful phrasing of the lines and a general balance between the sections of the orchestra was well maintained until the final note of the performance .

Sporting funky orange and yellow bowties, Jazz Band had a lot to live up to after Advanced Orchestra had set the bar so high.

And with the soulful swinging of the bass guitar in “That’s How We Roll” by Gordon Goodwin, the audience was instantaneously swept away to a different musical dimension of pure foot-tapping bliss.

Jazz Band members played with enthusiastic abandon throughout all their six pieces.

The percussionists, though few in number, pulsed with energy and excitement throughout the band’s jazz pieces, from the explosive drumming on “Mack the Knife” by Kurt Weil to the cool brush of the cymbals in “Recorda Me” by Joe Henderson.

At the end of the concert, I actually exhaled. My reaction probably seemed to others as if I were one of the musicians who had thrummed, blared or sung their hearts away onstage that evening, which I actually did as a featured chorister in the winter concert two years ago. But this year’s remarkable TPHS Music Department Winter Concert also reminded me of how, regardless of the music genre, music unifies the players creating the music and the listeners reveling in its beauty.

by Kahyun Koh

photo by alexei serguienko/falconer

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Former punk-pop singer Avril Lavigne, famous for 2000s hits such as “Complicated,” “Sk8er Boi” and “Girlfriend,” released “Head Above Water” on Feb. 15, her first album since 2013.

The 41-minute-long album is her most mature, emotional project to date. The album was heavily influenced by both Lavigne’s nearly fatal battle with Lyme disease and her very public divorce with Chad Kroeger, the lead vocalist and guitarist for the Canadian rock band Nickelback.

The title track, “Head Above Water,” is intimate, powerful and uplifting. The song compares her fight for survival to a struggle to stay afloat in the ocean, singing, “God, keep my head above water. Don’t let me drown, it gets harder.” My first impression was that the metaphor was clichéd and overused, but after learning the true meaning behind the song, I better understood its significance. Additionally, the song represents her relationship with God and resonated well with Christian fans, reaching the No. 2 position on Billboard’s Christian Songs chart. The last track on the album, “Warrior,” has the same powerful message about her determination and resilience in the face of adversity.

I found the next song, “Birdie,” to be both tacky and elementary with its comparison of Lavigne to a bird locked in a cage. The song attempted to be deep and poetic but instead ended up being hackneyed and trite. Like most of the other songs on the album, the track was boring and, quite honestly, forgettable.

One of the highlights of the album, “I Fell In Love With The Devil,” highlights Lavigne’s impressive vocal range. “I fell in love with the Devil, please, save me from this hell,” she sings about a toxic relationship that she used to be in. Here, her vocals are very strong and display her true musical talent, which was not as evident earlier in her career.

This song is, in my opinion, the best on the album.

“Dumb Blonde,” featuring popular rapper Nicki Minaj, was the only song on the album with a featured artist. Reminiscent of Lavigne’s 2007 hit, “Girlfriend,” this song made me deeply nostalgic for my childhood. The best thing about this song is its tribute to Lavigne’s musical origins, but sadly the time for punk-pop dance music has passed. Had it come out sometime during the 2000s, this song would’ve been very successful, but now it’s just childish and meaningless.

Additionally, the bubbly, cheerful song does not fit in at all with the rest of the tracks, which instead have more serious and emotional themes.

Although there were a couple of good tracks, the album as a whole was bland and boring. I could tell that she put a lot of effort into moving away from her past punk-pop image, but this new grown-up style just doesn’t suit her as well.

Despite the change, people will always see her as the edgy, youthful tomboy that gave us fun, lighthearted music to sing along to in the car.

by Dhathry Doppalapudi

On Feb. 15 Florida Georgia Line released its fourth album “Can’t Say I Ain’t Country” as a response to critics that believe the pair has lost its country roots after becoming successful. While the album shows that Florida Georgia Line can still pull off country, it also reveals their lack of skill in other genres.

The title track, “Can’t Say I Ain’t Country,” is exactly the song the group needed to prove its country loyalty: it checks every box needed to be the most generic country song possible. Mentions of trucks, beer, the sacredness of Sunday and the belittling of Charles Darwin's’ theory of evolution compliment the banjo-filled background and the Tennessee accents of Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley. While Kelley has better vocals, Hubbard takes command of the vocals on most of the tracks, making me think there was a missed opportunity to highlight Kelley’s skills. But, despite my gripes about the vocals and my lack of personal connection to the lyrics, Florida Georgia Line achieved what they likely set out to do: make a typical country song.

The next track, “Simple,” was notable to me because I enjoyed it, despite my lack of appreciation for the country genre. This might be due to the fact that the song seems inspired by pop; if the banjo were taken out of the instrumental and a different singer were to replace Hubbard, then it would be no different than anything you’d hear on the Billboard Top 100. Furthermore, the track seems to be most focused on the well-produced background instrumentals. Between the breaks of lyrics, the instrumental shines through with a nice blend of acoustic guitar, gentle beats and banjo. While Hubbard’s voice is too Southern for a song that is supposed to be soft and sweet, that doesn’t take away from the expertly crafted instrumentals paired with the vocals. I believe this track highlights the great product that can come of the group’s experimentation with genres.

I was most excited to reach the song “Women” since it features R&B and pop musician Jason Derulo, and I was very curious to hear what a collaboration by these musicians would sound like. My curiosity quickly became discomfort because of both the strange mix of sounds and the unsettling lyrics. Hearing Hubbard say he would do “anything it takes to get 'em lookin' / Thinkin', "Damn, I gotta get one with me" and preaching about “Women, God-given women / The reason we're livin'” made me feel uncomfortable, as the lyrics make the artists sound like they moreso worship women rather than just appreciate them. Also, Hubbard’s rough voice is not ideal for a slower, R&B inspired instrumental, and sounds out of place compared to Derulo’s vocals.

Florida Georgia Line successfully proved its country roots by producing tracks that the usual country listener could appreciate but excelled less in their attempts to branch out. Ultimately, this album isn’t a favorite, but should please Florida Georgia Line’s original Southern audiences.

by Vlada Demenko

the falconer

Despite releasing her last album, “Sweetener,” less than six short months ago, Ariana Grande is already back with an entirely new project in the form of “thank u, next.” In those months, she experienced a very public breakup with fiancée Pete Davidson as well as the death of ex-boyfriend Mac Miller, not to mention the lingering after effects of the bombing at her London concert in May 2017. On “thank u, next,” Grande simultaneously reflects on these events and more while ushering in a new era of her life.

Perhaps, then, it is appropriate that the album opens with a tribute to one of her most significant past eras, her romance with the late Miller. Titled “imagine,” the song envisions what the perfect relationship with a lover would be.

While the song could be about anyone or no one in particular, she all but confirmed that Miller served as the inspiration by tweeting that the song is about “a simple, beautiful love that is now (and forever) unattainable.” And while the song acts as a tribute to Miller, it would be an equally fitting one for Grande’s vocals. From the beginning of the first chorus, when the upbeat tempo pauses as she sings — emphasizing her vocal prowess — to her trademark whistle tones in the bridge, Grande impresses at every turn.

From there, she focuses on the present with “7 rings.” On this track, Grande exudes confidence as she proudly flaunts her success and the material goods she’s acquired as a result of it, singing “Look at my neck, look at my jet … Ain’t no budget when I’m on the set.”

On first listen, the song sounds like it might be nothing more than a knockoff of “My Favorite Things” from “The Sound of Music” since it imitates the first verse, but it’s soon clear that it’s Grande’s attempt at evoking a more hiphop vibe. It’s the tackiness and flashiness of the lyrics that assist Grande the most in achieving this goal of mimicking a hip-hop artist.

Following this song is the title track, “thank u, next,” on which Grande finally focuses on the future. But, this doesn’t happen without a quick blast to the past, as she begins the song by mentioning four of her most recent boyfriends by name as well as the various emotions that they instilled in her; she continues by singing that she “met someone else” with whom she is “havin’ better discussions.” Instead of another namedrop, however, she reveals that “her name is Ari.” With this powerful message of independence, Grande successfully relegates all of her previous relationships to the past and broadcasts her desire to stay single for at least the foreseeable future.

With “thank u, next,” Ariana Grande transformed some of the worst parts of her life thus far into some of the most meaningful music she has yet released. From reminiscing about the past to celebrating the present to announcing the future, Grande has demonstrated that she can handle anything life has sent or will send her way.

by Alexei Serguienko

photo from big machine records

photo from bmg rights management

photo from republic records

A17

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A18 the falconer

fried pork belly or fried pork rinds (may also be made from chicken, mutton or beef)

february 22, 2018

influence: Spanish

noodles with meat and vegetables

influence: Chinese

moist cake made from grated cassava, coconut milk and condensed milk with a custard layer on top

influence: None!

meat, seafood or vegetables marinated in vinegar, soy sauce, garlic and black peppercorns, before being browned in oil

influence: Spanish

influence: Chinese

infographic by dhathry doppalapudi

steamed rice cakes, traditionally made from slightly fermented rice dough

a savory spring roll made of thin crepe pastry skin enveloping a mixture of savory fillings, such as chopped vegetables or sometimes also minced meat

Information provided by Thrillist

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the falconer

Fredcel Lumpias & Catering As I walked through the residential area in City Heights that is home to Fredcel Lumpias, I couldn’t help feeling a bit disconcerted; with houses directly across from the small restaurant with a bright yellow exterior, Fredcel Lumpias definitely fits the “hole in the wall” description.

After admitting I had never tried Filipino food before, the employee who greeted me was happy to provide samples of the assortment of different authentic dishes they offered. He explained how customers can order individual dishes separately or in combo meals — either with rice and pancit, a type of Filipino noodles.

Combo 1 offers one side dish, while Combo 2 offers two. Additionally, all orders must be paid with cash, but tax

is not charged.

I decided on two orders of Combo 2 ($8.50) with Pork Menudo and Beef Lumpias in one and Chicken Tocino and Pork Lumpias in the second.

I first tried the lumpias, which are spring rolls wrapped in pastry skin called “lumpia wrappers,” and I was pleasantly surprised at how crispy and tasty the skin of the rolls was. I prefer crispy rolls, and the perfectly cooked beef and pork inside the lumpias made them a great start to my meal.

The bright red sauce on the Chicken Tocino seemed to be screaming for me to try it next, and it did not disappoint.

The flavor of the dish contrasted its intense appearance, as its sweet sauce was nicely mild and complemented the perfectly tender chicken that fell

3876 38th St, San Diego, CA 92105

off the bone.

The Pork Menudo also had brightly colored sauce, except it was orange and its flavor was a bit more intense than the Chicken Tocino’s. The taste of the bell peppers was evident in the thick tomato sauce, but the texture of the pork was not as enjoyable as the

photo by alexei serguienko/falconer

Andell’s Bakery and Kitchen photo by katheryn yoo/falconer

From the outside, Andell’s Bakery and Kitchen hardly looked big enough to fit the necessary cooking appliances, but inside it boasted a varied menu of pastries, appetizers, sandwiches and hot lunches.

The previous owner was Filipino, but the restaurant is now owned by a Vietnamese family, leading to its unique Asian-Pacific menu. When

9926 Carmel Mountain Rd # F, San Diego, CA 92129 I entered, the family welcomed me warmly. That, coupled with the fact that there was no line despite there already being a group of customers huddled around a Londres cake, the bakery’s signature sponge cake, and gossiping loudly at the tables at such an early hour — it was only 7:30 a.m., a half-hour after the restaurant opened — immediately gave me a good impression.

Seeing the Londres cake piqued my interest, so I ordered an ubeflavored cake ($3.50), which was dyed a lavender color that grabbed my attention. The ube, which tasted slightly nutty, wasn’t overpowering and meshed well with the sweet cream

and light, spongy dough. Overall, the cake was well-balanced in terms of sweetness and texture, leaving me wanting more.

I moved on to some lumpia ($0.60 for each), Filipino spring rolls filled with a combination of chicken, beef and pork. They were surprisingly small — about the size of my middle finger — but I realized that their compact size allowed them to retain their crispy skin and warmth. They also lacked the usual greasiness of fried food.

I finished off my meal with two pandesal sandwiches ($3.99 each): the corn beef hash, which was recommended to me by the family, and the chicken adobo, which was the most

chicken’s in the last dish.

The staples in both combo meals, the rice and pancit, were the most forgettable parts of the meals. Both were plain and unflavorful, which I expected of the white rice but a bit disappointing for the pancit. While the dish looked appetizing, the thin noodles were dry and lacked seasoning.

Overall, my experience at Fredcel Lumpias seemed to emphasize that looks can be deceiving; while the pancit’s appearance masked a lack of flavor, the restaurant’s exterior and intense colors of the other dishes represented tasty flavors in a unique, but homey location.

by Angela Liu

authentic Filipino sandwich.

The sweet, dense pandesal bread was paired with a hash filling of corned beef, potato, egg and cheese, which was light, savory and filling.

With high expectations, I moved on to the chicken adobo sandwich.

The chicken adobo sandwich, which was filled with seasoned chicken and assorted marinated vegetables, was too greasy for my taste, as the potato overwhelmed both the textures and flavors of the sandwich. I ended up packing it to take home.

That being said, the whole experience was good enough for me to convince my parents to come in for another meal, who enjoyed it despite their aversion to eating out.

by Kevin Song

Orient Valley Filipino Cuisine I was immediately greeted with smiles when I walked into Orient Valley Filipino Cuisine, a spacious and busy eatery. Customers conversed in Tagalog with the staffers behind the counter, which I took to be a good sign that the food must be pretty authentic.

The restaurant had a homey, cozy ambiance, especially since the people behind the counter reminded me of friendly grandmothers.

When I ordered my food, I had a hard time deciding what to try, as the dishes had no labels of what they were called or what ingredients they contained. To complicate things further, there was no written menu and there was a bit of a language barrier between the person behind the counter and me. Despite that,

the staffers were all very patient and helpful, which I greatly appreciated.

In the end, I ordered pancit, lumpia, chicken adobo and ginataang bilo-bilo, spending only $10 for the whole meal.

I first tried chicken adobo, a dish marinated in vinegar, soy sauce and oil. The chicken was very tender and delicious, but a little too sweet for my taste. It wasn’t very hot even though it was 12:40 p.m., so I was just eating lukewarm chicken that would have tasted better had it been piping hot.

I then tried pancit, which consisted of sliced cabbage, carrots, onion and noodles. Just like the chicken adobo, the pancit was not very hot. Though it tasted good, I didn’t find anything special about this very simple dish as it just seemed like a Filipino version of

9951 Carmel Mountain Rd, San Diego, CA 92129

Chinese chow mein to me.

Another dish I recognized from Chinese cuisine was lumpia. A little longer and thinner than egg rolls, lumpia tasted practically the same, with a crunchy exterior and a vegetable filling. A sweet orange sauce was also included, though I preferred the lumpia plain.

For dessert, the ginataang bilo-bilo was a coconut milk soup filled with white and purple rice balls, chunks of sweet potatoes and slices of jackfruit.

The soft, chewy texture of the rice balls paired with the light taste of sweet potatoes and fruit created a dish that was visually appealing and tasty. The best part about the dessert

was that it wasn’t too sweet. Rather, the bilo-bilo was a very refreshing and light conclusion to my meal.

Overall, I enjoyed sampling Filipino food, since I had a good portion for a very good price, decent food and excellent service.

by Colette Chiang photo by anna jeong/falconer

A19

Jeremy Chung

SPORTS EDITOR

Brandon Raimo

STAFF WRITER Boys varsity basketball (23-6) defeated the Poway High School Titans (22-7) in a non-league challenge with a score of 58-54 on Feb. 16. Guard Bryce Pope (12) led all players in scoring with 28 points.

“We got the win tonight, but it wasn’t pretty. We had way too many turnovers,” Falcons head coach John Olive said.

The Falcons started slow, turning the ball over numerous times in the opening stages of the game and struggling to get rebounds, and they found themselves trailing 15-8 at the end of the first quarter.

“We missed a couple of shots, had some turnovers — I think we turned the ball over four of our first five possessions — and that’s not a good way to start a game,” Olive said.

Pope agreed.

“We knew they were a really good team, real physical, but we were just careless with the ball and weren’t hitting our shots in the beginning,” said Pope, who has led the Falcons in scoring this year, with an photos by katheryn yoo/falconer average of 19 points per game.

TPHS struggled until midway through FROM DOWNTOWN: Bryce Pope (12) dribbles the ball up the court and looks to make a the second quarter, when a steal by Pope swift pass into the paint (ABOVE). Brandon Angel (11) looks for a pass while being heavily and a layup at the other end sparked a 13-2 guarded by Poway (LEFT). Victor Novy (12) celebrates his teammate’s score (RIGHT). run for the Falcons that gave them a 33-27 lead at halftime. controlling the backboards,” Olive said. time, he nailed both shots, sealing the win The second half started fast for the “We felt if we could control the backboards for TPHS. Falcons, as forward Brandon Angel (11) and make good outlet passes, we would not “I called Bryce’s number quite a few intercepted a pass and dunked times tonight, ran a lot of plays for him, ferociously on a Poway particularly down the stretch,” Olive said, defender, drawing a foul. The “I like the way he scores.”

Titans slowly fought their Despite the Falcons’ struggles on offense way back; strong defense, in the first quarter, they were able to best a solid shooting and a buzzerPoway team that had a similar record and beater by Titans guard Adam talent that matches their own.

Sevier tied the game at 44 “We definitely struggled, but we after the third quarter. bounced back and got the win,” Pope said.

Angel again started the “I think this win was important because it fourth quarter with a bang, showed that we can overcome adversity. I nailing a three-pointer that don’t care where it is or who we’re playing regained the lead for the — we’ve got to eliminate our mistakes Falcons. Pope also shone, Bryce Pope (12) or we’re not going to win CIF. That said, scoring a layup and hitting GUARD it’s nice to have a home game. Playing the subsequent free throw to Mission Bay, we know Boogie’s going to be give the Falcons a four-point lead. only have good defense, but good offense on a handful — but we’re glad we’re home.”

The teams traded baskets for the the other end.”

Olive and TPHS boys basketball have remainder of the quarter, with TPHS With six seconds left on the clock, already won two CIF championships in the maintaining a slim lead. The Falcons made TPHS had a 56-54 lead. Poway chose to past, and are looking to add a third one this sure to emphasize rebounding and dominate intentionally foul Pope, giving him a one- year. possession down the stretch. Poway had and-one chance at the free throw line. He TPHS faced the Mission Bay High several chances to erase the deficit, but missed the first shot, and Poway got the School Buccaneers and star guard Boogie the Falcons’ strong and persistent defense rebound, but the Falcons pressed them Ellis, who recently committed to Duke, for thwarted those attempts. and forced a crucial turnover, which led to the CIF Semifinals on Feb. 20, after the “We limited them in the second half by another one-and-one chance for Pope. This Falconer went to press.

I don’t care where it is or who we’re playing — we’ve got to eliminate our mistakes or we’re not going to win CIF.

The NBA trade deadline fell earlier this month, the last point during the regular season at which teams can trade players. Every time the trade deadline opens, there has been buzz about the violation of the NBA tampering rule, which states that employment contracts are to be respected by a team or its representative and any conduct that interferes with contractual relationships is prohibited. Many NBA fans believe the rule is consistently overlooked by team personnel and violations happen frequently.

But players have often been mistakenly accused of tampering by overreacting fans.

Shortly after the Golden State Warriors’ loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals, Warriors’ power forward Draymond Green seemed to openly recruit Kevin Durant by texting him, “We need you. Make it happen.” NBA fans blew this situation out of the water, accusing Green of tampering, even though Durant was already set to be a free agent, making him eligible to sign with any team he wanted anyway.

In this situation, Green was simply expressing his desire to play with a player of Durant’s caliber.

Of course, players like Draymond Green can influence Durant’s decision to sign with a certain team. But, when it comes down to it, neither Green nor Durant have any power to make the deal happen without cooperation from the front office. The tampering rule doesn’t bar friends from talking to each other about their careers and futures.

It’s not like Green was breaking any rules. Green could only be penalized if he offered a financial incentive to another player. It is highly possible that Green’s text was the influencing factor that convinced Durant to sign with the Warriors, but it is not considered tampering.

A similar situation occurred last December when star basketball player LeBron James told ESPN that it would be amazing and incredible if the Lakers could somehow get five-time All-Star and star of the New Orleans Pelicans, Anthony Davis, to join the team. The two even had dinner together, possibly to discuss Davis’s chances of playing for the Lakers.

Earlier this year, Davis’ representatives declared he was no longer interested in a contract extension with New Orleans and was looking for a trade. Davis’ agent Rich Paul is also James’ agent. It’s possible Paul could was one of the influences on Davis’ decision to become a free agent and leave the Penguins for another team.

For these reasons, all fingers point toward James for Davis’ decision to become a free agent. But James’ comment about Davis was simply him admiring Davis as a player. James defended himself by pointing out he would say the same about other great players, like Durant, Jimmy Butler, Kyrie Irving and others, as he said in an interview with USA Today.

NBA fans continue to overreact and are too often overly sensitive on the topics of trades and free agency.

I’m not saying players don’t influence each other when free agency allows them to switch teams, but, in the end, team management makes all personnel decisions, including trading players or signing free agents.

sports

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A21

MEET OUR HONORED TP COACHES Andy Hargreaves

Josh Mihalinec

Ron Gladnick

Brennan Dean

Jono Zissi

Boys Soccer Coach

Football O-Line Coach

Football Head Coach

Girls Volleyball Coach

Lacrosse Head Coach

State Coach of the Year

SD Ass’t Coach of the Year

San Diego Coach of the Year

California Coach of the Year

US Lacrosse Coach of the Year

Q: What was soccer to you in your past?

Q: How did you start coaching?

Q: Why did you begin coaching football?

A: I grew up in the UK, and I played with a Professional Youth Academy growing up.

I played semi professional when I left school. Then, I came out to San Diego and played for team a called the San Diego Top G u n s , which w a s like the f i r s t semip r o t e a m before the MLS. Then, I got recruited to go on a scholarship to Point Loma Nazarene, and after that I played men’s league and got more into coaching. After that point, I was in my late 20s and started getting heavier into coaching.

A: When I was the athletic trainer, we did a lot of stuff with football and basketball.

So our old basketball coach — before Coach Olive — would let me coach the boys basketball team during the summer with the freshman team. Because I played basketball, Coach Burke would let me help out with football when they were short during seven on seven stuff. So then, when I started coaching football, Coach Burke was like, ‘Let’s teach you the game plan to start coaching those guys,’ and voila, that’s what happened.

A: I began coaching football because I believe it teaches life lessons and teamwork the most of all sports. It’s a game that teaches lessons that can serve a person well for their whole life.

Q: What are some things you’ve experienced as a volleyball coach?

Q: How long have you been a lacrosse coach at TPHS?

A: I love TPHS. One of the most important jobs I have ever had is working in TPHS and giving back to a community that gave so much to me. I still have teachers that taught me at TPHS who come to our matches a n d support t h e program, which is really exciting. I have had a lot of good mentors at Torrey, and the administration is fantastic at Torrey Pines. I have worked with a Special Ed department at Torrey Pines; we have a team manager that’s been with us for eight years who graduated from [TPHS], who has autism, and he’s still involved and volunteers with us. But we’ve also lost a lot of championships being in tournaments, and taken losses that we shouldn’t have.

We still have never won state, which is something that’s hard to swallow, even though it’s a huge accomplishment.

A: This is my 15th year, and my ninth year at TPHS.

Q: What are some obstacles you’ve faced coaching soccer?

A: I mean, injuries are the worst because a lot of times that is not only detrimental to the team, but his or her progression, not just as a player, but maybe in life. I think schools like TPHS have a really good trainer, physical program for helping people get healthy and people on the side who can help. I think those things have really improved the last five to 10 years from before, and I think that has eliminated a lot of obstacles of players getting hurt, never recovering and coming back.

Q: Do you have any specific tactics for coaching that you would recommend to other coaches?

A: We try to coach from the positive aspect more than the negative. Positive reinforcements are preferable to negative reinforcements.

Our main goal is really making relationships with kids and helping them through that process. If that is something people are interested in — helping young kids develop, grow up, mature and learn lessons of teamwork and all that stuff — then this is a great profession and a great thing t o do.

photos used with permission from the coaches

Q: What have you experienced during your time as the football coach at TPHS? A: I have experienced the highest highs and the most humbling situations. My experience as a player and a coach has given me memories that last a lifetime.

Q: What is the greatest positive of being a coach?

A: The greatest positives are all the former players who stay connected and provide feedback about the things we have taught them that have served them well.

Q: How did football as a sport stand out to you personally?

A: The beautiful thing about football is you are never perfect so there is always things we are working to improve, season after season.

Q: What achievements of the team are you most proud of?

A: Something that I’m really proud of is that every year Torrey Pines is ranked in some survey of Top Female Athletes of High School in California, and it makes me proud to have Torrey at the top.

Q: What are some positives you’ve experienced while coaching?

A: Relationships are the key and why we do it. You know, seeing all these guys that are in college, out of college, coming back to some of the games and just staying connected with them beyond their time at TPHS is what is so rewarding as a coach. I think that is why most of us coach.

I think t h a t trumps a n y kind of a win, you know, per se.

Q: What kinds of achievements of the lacrosse team are you proud of?

A: I think the thing I am most proud of is less the championships and more of how many boys we have playing lacrosse in good colleges. Each year, our kids do 50 or more hours of community service, which has been a staple of our program. I don’t think anybody else does anything like that.

interviews conducted by vlada demenko and esther choi

A22 the falconer

sports

legacy

When people talk about sports, they usually imagine feats of athletic prowess, either individually or in teams. Sports have four main purposes: to challenge people to perform at their best, both physically and mentally; to improve physical fitness; to provide healthy and spirited competition and to entertain fans. Because all sports require mental as well as physical agility and toughness, some people consider several non-athletic competitions sports as well — the most notable being chess, which has existed for almost 15 centuries, according to “The History of Chess,” but others see a significant difference between nonathletic competitions and sports, maintaining that physical exertion is a key component of all sports.

“My definition of a sport is something physically active,” Julia Lee (11), a member of the TPHS girls’ rugby team, said. “I don’t think chess is a sport … I would consider it more of a board game. You’re just sitting still and using more of your brain, not your physical body.”

Traditionally, sports are defined as competitive activities that emphasize physicality while also integrating skill and technicality.

Others see sports simply as forms of recreation that are detached from “real life.” For instance, according to Merriam-Webster dictionary, sport is “a source of diversion,” with no mention of physical aspects. Since the definition is so loose, people have a difficult time deciding what qualifies or does not qualify as a sport.

“If you have something you compete for, and Jessica Huntsberger there are rules, and then you can ... know how CHESS CLUB ADVISER to win, then that is a sport — it doesn’t matter if it is physical or not,” Long Tran (11), a member of the TPHS Chess Club, said. “A board game can be a sport, studying can be a sport — that’s my definition of a sport.”

Though chess is similar in some ways to traditional sports, most people don’t consider it a sport.

“If you ask someone if chess is considered a sport, most people will say it’s not,” Rinna Yu (11), president of the TPHS Chess Club, said.

Others think the many noticeable similarities between traditional sports and chess are significant. The most prominent one is the huge importance of strategy.

“It’s not like you’re just playing random pieces — there is a strategy behind the game,” Yu said.

Chess also requires frequent practice in order to build a “consistency” in performance — just like in athletic sports, in which players need to practice their moves and strategies often to be prepared for their games and matches.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s chess, [which includes] learning all the tactics and sharpening my brain, or it’s badminton, [which includes] working on my shots,

improving my consistency, my endurance,” Yu said. “In both of them, a lot of time and a lot of preparation are required.”

While some people acknowledge that certain aspects of traditional sports are incorporated into chess, chess is still not typically considered a sport. “[Chess] is a duel of intellect, strategy, timing … It sounds like a sport, has all the features of a sport, yet I’ve never put it in the same category as football, for example,” Jessica Huntsberger, French teacher and Chess Club adviser, said.

Globally, the idea of classifying chess as a sport has been pending for a while now. The International Olympic Committee, which is responsible for organizing the quadrennial Summer and Winter Olympic Games, recognized chess as a sport in 1999; subsequently, chess appeared as an exhibition, or unofficial, sport in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Since then, though, chess has been sitting on the back burner due to those who claim that including chess in the Olympics would go against the athletic spirit of the competition.

There is a U.S. chess team that competes internationally, but outside the world of chess the rest of the world is hesitant to accept chess as a sport — even though there are steps taken in that direction, no real changes have been made.

Another reason why chess may be considered a sport lies in the game’s history. Although the origins of chess are unclear, a basic version was thought to have been created in ancient India, before being refined by ancient Persian scholars who used the game to hone their strategic skills in war and model real battles.

Ancient Persia was also home to the first version of polo due to the Persians’ equestrian skills. But polo was created as more of a method of training than a source of competition. In this way, chess and “traditional” sports have similar origins in striving for physical and mental growth rather than being separate contests of mental agility and athletic prowess. Today, what “game” has come to mean has changed dramatically, but chess and polo essentially have the same roots — to grow and refine.

Chess is caught in limbo: it is widely recognized as a highly-strategic board game, but people do not accept it as a sport. As other non-physical activities like eSports become more and more prominent, the old dispute of recognizing chess as a sport is revisited, posing the question of whether chess, or the definition of sport, needs to be changed.

by Kevin Song and Yury Bukhradze

Chess is a duel of intellect, strategy, and timing.

february 22, 2019

tphsfalconer.com

sports

Alexa Wallace varsity girls soccer february 8, 6:35:32 pm camera: eos rebel sl2 lens: canon EF-S 18-55 mm iso: 1600 exp: 1/640 f/stop: f/6.3

Photo by Anna Jeong

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