Falconer February 2014

Falconer

The Torrey Pines High School

www.tphsfalconer.com

3710 Del Mar Heights Road, San Diego, CA 92130

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Vol. 39, Issue 5, 32 pages

A LOOK INSIDE: sports

See A24 Boys soccer See A24 Girls basketball photo by sarah hughes/freeflight

SIMEON GREENSTEIN RETIRES AFTER 35 YEARS NEW FACES | Former TPHS administrator and teacher Simeon Greenstein retires after 35 years of service in the district and is replaced by temporary teacher J.J. Hair. By Michelle Hao and Alex Jen. Simeon Greenstein retired at the end of the first semester of the 2013-14 school year after 35 years of service in the SDUHSD, and will undergo surgery to replace a hip that has been bothering him for quite awhile. He has been replaced by temporary teacher J.J. Hair until June 2014.

According to Principal David Jaffe, “the pain just got too great” for Greenstein to continue teaching.

“Every step I took really hurt,” Greenstein said. “But, now what really hurts is the fact that the students that I really care about, [that] were the central focus of my life, [are] not a part of my life. I don’t see them anymore. That’s what makes it hard.”

Greenstein said he decided to retire at the semester because returning to school right before the AP test, after a 10-week break, was “not the right thing to do for the school, or for the students.”

Greenstein kept news of his retirement under wraps in order to avoid undue attention from students and teachers.

“After working in the school district for 35 years, that wasn’t how I wanted my last memory to be, with [people] talking about my retirement,” Greenstein said.

AP US History student Alayna Tomlinson (11) will remember Greenstein as an “innovative type of teacher” who “really [took] the time to have a personal relationship with all his students.”

“The way his class is set up is a lot different from a regular class setting,” Tomlinson said.

“He uses methods like giving kids the opportunity to listen to lectures and create situations where it was interactive.”

According to counselor Jennifer Magruder, Greenstein’s class was popular with seniors, and they “were signing up for the man in addition to the course.”

Multiple traffic tickets issued to TPHS students

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By Anna Lee & Anna Li

copy editor and news editor

Police officers issued 25 citations to parents and students on the morning of Feb. 5 on Del Mar Heights Road for multiple traffic violations, including causing gridlock and making improper right turns.

According to Officer Jordan Wells, there were seven traffic officers and two juvenile officers monitoring traffic. Assistant Principal Garry Thornton had alerted the police of the traffic violations because he believed

the environment was unsafe, and multiple parents and students had complained about the morning traffic. However, Thornton “did not ask the police to come and give tickets.”

“I can’t tell the police to do anything,” Thornton said. “I could only tell the police what was going on, and that’s what I did. I said, ‘You ought to know that it seems like we’re putting people’s lives at risk,’ and they chose to come and enforce [the law].”

Wells calls the violations an “ongoing problem,” and said traffic is a problem at all schools;

see TRAFFIC, A2

Tomlinson said Greenstein was known for his “sly” humor and compassionate teaching.

As a result, Magruder said a number of students looked into schedule changes since they were “sad and [unwilling] to move forward with the new teacher because they were connected with Greenstein.”

Greenstein started his career at TPHS as a campus supervisor but became a teacher when the campus was just three years old.

During his tenure he served as Assisstant Principal at both Oak Crest Middle School and Diegueno Middle School before returning to TPHS to assume principal duties. When the district opened La Costa Canyon High School in September 1996, Greenstein was at the helm. After his years as an administrator, Greenstein decided to return to the classroom and his students, so back to

see Greenstein, A5

opinion A viewpoint is not truly one’s own if it is taught without the consideration of the other side, and more harm than good is ultimately being done.

“

—Katie Mulkowsky See A10, Texas charter school

BIRD’S EYE

VIEW opinion....................A6 feature..................A12 entertainment......A16 sports.....................A23 backpage............A28 focus........................B1

Bell system experiences issues f

By Austin Zhang staff writer

On Jan. 28, the bell system began malfunctioning — the bell and fire alarms went off at irregular intervals during third and fourth period classes.

The problem was still not resolved when the Falconer went to press.

“Our system is about 20 years old, so we’re in the process of getting software updates necessary to be able to have that system,” Principal David Jaffe said.

According to Jaffe, the system updates were the cause of the malfunctions during the school day.

Abishek Chozhan (10) said that the bells were only marginally distracting.

“The bells started ringing for a minute or two during Chemistry … but people learned to just forget about it and continue with their own work,” Chozhan said.

The bells were also bothersome to Andres Calle (12), but not majorly distracting.

“It can get a little annoying when they just keep the bell going for more than two seconds, but otherwise it’s rather [insignificant] and doesn’t bother us,” Calle said.

Although the bells were only seen as a nuisance, the fire alarms, which also went off several times, caused more disruption.

“The fire alarm that went off first [caused all of us] to actually walk outside, and that did obviously disrupt class,” Chozhan said.

According to Jaffe, the fire alarms and passing bells are “part of one system,” so both the alerts were affected by the malfunctions.

All teachers were notified via e-mail about the problems with the bell system and fire alarms, and were advised to ignore the bells during this time period.

Jaffe said that he has not received any complaints from teachers regarding lost class time or major disruption.According to Jaffe, there is no definite date for the bells to return to normal operation.

A2 the falconer

news

Global Update Bosnia and Herzegovina Protests against the high level of unemployment in Bosnia and Herzegovina have increased in violence.

Demonstrators hurl stones and set fire to government buildings, with police using water to disperse the protesters. Clashes between protesters and police, who used rubber bullets and tear gas to quell unrest, have injured more than 130 people.

New Jersey, United States Super Bowl XLVIII was held on Feb. 2 at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Seattle Seahawks defeated the Denver Broncos 43-8, the third-largest point difference in Super Bowl history.

Bolivia The Bolivian government declared a national emergency to deal with flooding that has killed 30 and forced about 21,000 families from their homes over the past two months. Vice President Álvaro García Linera’s approval of the emergency decree provides at least $1 million for victims of flooding.

february 13, 2014

by Tasia Mochernak

Sochi, Russia The 22nd Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia were declared officially open on Feb. 7 by Russian President Vladimir Putin, though the competition began on Feb. 6 and will last until Feb. 23. More than 2,850 athletes from 88 countries and 1,650 Paralympians from 45 countries are competing in Sochi in 15 sports and 98 events, 12 of which are new.

North Sumatra, Indonesia Mount Sinabung erupted again on Feb. 2, raising the death toll to 16. However, unsafe conditions forced search and recovery teams that were operating within a three-kilometer radius to halt their efforts on Feb. 5.

At least 30,000 people have been evacuated from the area.

art by sophie you

UC quarter school schedule modified no one wants to start even later.

Also, we have the shortest [winter] break out of all the colleges, and In order to accommodate the now it’s even shorter.”

Converse said that despite Jewish High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the petition, which had 28,962 University of California schools online signatures as of Feb. 11, under the quarter system will the schedule change for the 2014 begin the 2014 fall quarter on school year is final.

“We understand why the Sept. 29, one week later than students are concerned and why usual.

“Starting back in 2007, some they are upset; however, there folks in the Jewish community are a lot of things that go into and on the California legislature consideration when the calendar were concerned about the conflicts is being created,” Converse said. between the Jewish High Holy “There isn’t a lot of wiggle room.”

Morgan said that the schedule Days and movechange will not in dates on some affect the way of our campuses,” class material is UC spokesperson It might be different for covered because Brooke Converse said. “That led people who are already the amount of instruction time to them writing at the schools and will will remain the a policy which asked campuses have to adapt ... but it will same. Because the change to take the just be normal for me. will not have holidays into significant consideration Nada Al-Alusi (12) a when planning student impact on class scheduling, UC the calendar.” applicant Nada The schedule change was made official in Al-Alusi (12) said that it “does not January for all UC schools except really matter” to her. “[It might] be different for the UC Berkeley and UC Merced, which are on the semester system. people who are already at the Under the new calendar, the schools, and they will have to winter quarter begins on Jan. 5, adapt to it, but since I am [new], allowing for a two-week vacation it will just be normal for me,” Al-Alusi said. “I won’t notice a instead of a three-week one.

UC Davis student Emily difference.”

Dide Su Bilgin (12), who Morgan (‘13) heard about the change through an online petition applied to the UC campuses made by fellow UC Davis student at Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Alfredo Amaya, who argued that Angeles and Santa Barbara, said the two-week break time will be that she feels equally unaffected.

“I don’t think it’s that big of a insufficient for those who use the extra week to “rest for the deal — just making sure that they following quarters, earn extra can get everything assembled money in order to pay for school before the school year starts is my and living expenses,” and spend biggest concern,” Bilgin said.

Seniors will ultimately learn time with their families.

“I would say everyone is really just how affected they will be mad,” Morgan said. “We already when UC admissions decisions feel like we start really late, and are sent out on Mar. 31.

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By Katie Mulkowsky focus editor

”

TRAFFIC continued from A1 however, he has received complaints specific to the “hazardous” traffic at TPHS. Earlier this school year, one student was struck by a car, according to Thornton. Although the student was not injured, the car did not stop after the hit.

“Obviously, there’s a problem,” Thornton said.

“Honestly, according to a law enforcement officer, there were at least … 10 other cars that could’ve been cited. If there was no problem, why would they be issuing tickets?”

Thornton has not received any parent complaints about the police officers’ presence, and has heard only positive comments from teachers.

“I had one student sit with me and talk about it,” Thornton said. “He started off negative, and I believe he left pretty positive.”

However, Alec Willerman (10), who received a ticket for an improper right turn, feels differently.

“Not only do I think [the police officers’ presence] is unnecessary, I think it’s a hindrance to the students and parents who are just trying to get to school,” Willerman said. “Ticketing students that are just trying to get to school is crazy to me.”

Chloe Aretz (11), who was also ticketed for an improper right turn, said she ended up being 20 minutes late for class and knows \other students

who were either ticketed or late due to the traffic.

“They caused more of a disruption than they created peace,” Aretz said.

Willerman and Aretz both plan to contest the ticket in court. Willerman believes that in order to address the dangers of the normal morning traffic, the setup of the roads should be adjusted.

“Instead of having one lane, they should just make that second lane a turning lane,” Willerman said. “There are other solutions, and the police are taking the easy way out. Honestly, if everyone were to abide by the laws that are in existence now, it would be so hard to make it to school on time. There would be a line half a mile back on Del Mar Heights [Road], trying to turn into the school.

It would be ridiculous.”

However, Wells says that having two turning lanes blocks off drivers’ views of crossing pedestrians.

“I know that the school administration sends out ConnectEd announcements about the traffic protocol, but when [the protocols] aren’t followed, we don’t have much of a choice,” Wells said.

Thornton has called the city engineer of San Diego to discuss alterations to Del Mar Heights Road, including putting a countdown light at the pedestrian crossing at the intersection and increasing the time for pedestrians to cross. The city engineer agreed to make both the changes, but has yet to set a time to do so.

photo by grace bruton/falconer

RED LIGHT, GREEN LIGHT: Students and parents wait along Del Mar Heights Road to make the right turn into TPHS. On Feb. 5, police officers ticketed 25 student and parent drivers who violated traffic rules.

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A3

Cheer hosts Hollywood-themed Winter Formal f

By Caroline Rutten staff writer

Students in dresses, pearl necklaces and tuxedos attended the “Old Hollywood Glam”themed Winter Formal on Feb. 1 from 8-11 p.m. at the San Diego Hall of Champions in Balboa Park.

The dance was organized by the cheerleaders and their parents.

Approximately 700 students attended the dance, which had a budget of $28,000, according to ASB adviser Scott Chodorow.

“The inflow [of students purchasing tickets] was huge, and people bought tickets like crazy closer to the end,” Chodorow said.

“There were around 400 tickets sold a week before the dance.

With finals week, people were a little late buying tickets. It turned out to be very sucessful.

We wanted 650 students and we went past that.”

As tradition dictates, senior cheerleaders met in October to discuss the theme and to confirm that their ideas met the budget.

Acccording to varsity cheerleader Taylor Napier (12), cheer parents helped immensely with Formal by decorating the venue, hiring vendors and reserving the location.

“This year, we really wanted a ‘Gatsby’ theme,” Napier said.

FALCON

UPDATES The San Diego Hall of Champions hosted a signing party on Feb. 5 for all football, soccer, track or cross-country, and boys water polo players to sign National Letters of Intent.

TPHS girls soccer players Zoe Purcell (UCSB), Macy Vrabel (Iowa State) and Courtney Coates (Pittsburgh) participated.

Varsity girls basketball player Sierra Campisano (10) won the Genevieve Costello MVP Award in the Play4Kay tournament at The Bishop’s School on Feb. 8.

TPHS defeated Canyon Crest Academy in the senior class capture the flag event Manhunt on Feb. 8.

With the help of Project Concern International, San Diego high school students will participate in a League of Legends Charity Tournament from Feb. 8 to Mar. 8.

The Speech and Debate team attended the Stanford Invitational from Feb. 8-10. Parliamentary debate captains Ryan Hund (11) and Sonja Spain (12) reached the top 16 in a field of over 200 teams in varsity parliamentary debate.

Other notable mentions include Varun Bhave (11) and Katya Broun (11), who reached double octafinals and triple octafinals, respectively, in varsity LincolnDouglas debate.

On Feb. 10, TPHS hosted Choices Night for parents, eighth graders, transfer students who are considering TPHS. The CCA Creative Writing Club will host 21 speakers and writers, including awardwinning author Mark Clements, for their third CCA Annual Writers Conference on Feb. 22.

Christoper Hamilton, president of Summa Education, will also present a lecture on how to write a compelling college essay.

“[The cheer moms] weren’t so keen on the Gatsby idea, since CCA had the same theme for their Prom. It was our way of having the roaring ‘20s phenomenon … without appearing to copy another school.”

The same DJ from the Homecoming dance performed, and photo booths, popcorn stations and candy stations were available to students. Varsity dance team also performed to a mashup of “Twerk It” by Busta Rhymes, “Pon de Replay” by Rihana and “Get Ur Freak On” by Missy Elliot.

“We performed one of our competition pieces,” varsity dancer Austin Edwards (10) said. “The original plan was to choreograph a new dance for Formal, but we ran out of time.

So we used one we have been practicing for a while.”

According to Chodorow, there are not as many vendors at Formal as at Homecoming because it is “more of a dance.” However, late ticket sales caused organizational problems with vendors.

“Vendors require minimums,” Chodorow said. “You tell them 400 people will come, and then [the day before], you tell them 700 people will show up. It kind of sends everyone into a panic.”

TPHS student Georgie Head (10) enjoyed the photo booths and

candy station, saying they were her favorite spots. However, she was disapointed by the general music selection.

“I didn’t like that they played a lot of radio music,” Head said.

Additionally, Head liked this

year’s “Old Hollywood Glamor” theme better than last year’s “Adventure Awaits.” She thought the Hollywood concept lent it itself well to dressing and decorating for the dance, which has been more confusing in past years.

“I think that this was the best Formal of my four years [at TPHS],” Napier said. “The atmosphere was light and fun.”

The next dance is Prom, which will happen on Sat., May 17. The location has not been disclosed.

photo by timmy holdsworth/freeflight DANCING THE NIGHT AWAY: Students joined one another on the dance floor for Winter Formal at the San Diego Hall of Champions. The dance was on Feb. 1 from 8-11 p.m.

TPHS alumnus creates antibullying iPhone application f

By Sarah Chan & Caroline Rutten staff writers

TPHS alumnus Oliver Miao (‘93), CEO and cofounder of video game company Pixelberry, created a smartphone application game called “High School Story,” released in August 2013, that aims to help its users combat cyberbullying.

“We created ‘High School Story’ because we thought the high school environment is a really unique place,” Miao said. “People can start with a fresh identity and have a chance to transform themselves.”

“High School Story” allows players to create their own imaginary high schools. Virtual classmates are periodically introduced in the game, each embodying a different high school stereotype, like jocks and nerds. The game features three specific cyberbullying quests in which the player must help a girl named Hope, who is being cyberbullied.

“Along the course of the quest, you spend time relating to her and finding out about her,” Miao said.

Miao had the idea to create a game that incorporated cyberbullying when he read an article about a girl who committed suicide after being cyberbullied.

“It really touched me,” Miao said. “I was bullied in junior high myself, and as I talked to other people about it, I learned that cyberbullying was all too common.”

Miao also started the company to be able to work with friends on something they collectively enjoyed.

“When I was in high school, I don’t think I ever thought about making games,” Miao said. “I always did want to start a company with my friends, just because I felt [it would be ideal to] do something with my friends and create our own company.”

After the game was released, a girl who had planned to commit suicide contacted Miao. Miao exchanged messages with the girl and decided to contact a suicide prevention hotline in order to learn about

how to help her. As a result, she decided to seek professional help.

“She said it was because of our game that she was still there,” Miao said. “That was really powerful for us. It made us realize how much our game could actually help people.”

According to counselor Jennifer Magruder, students can protect themselves from cyberbullying by “remembering what you are putting out there is free for anyone to process it.”

“I think bullying just has taken a different shape and, unfortunately, bullying has always been a part of growing up,” Magruder said. “The effects can definitely be really serious ... This app is a great way to promote awareness, but it’s not going to stop it.”

Nonetheless, Rosie Jang (10), who plays the game, believes that “High School Story” has taught her what to do if she “came across someone being bullied [because she] would

know how to help them.”

Although Miao was bullied throughout middle school, he appeared to be a successful, happy student, according to English teacher Barbara Swovelin, who taught Miao in English 9 Honors.

“He had such a positive attitude that even when something went wrong, he’d still be able to let it roll off and move forward,” Swovelin said. “That’s what a lot of successful people do. They don’t dwell on the past.”

Miao’s experiences in school affected his outlook on life.

“Life is full of things you don’t like doing, and you can either run away from them or persevere and get through them,” Miao said.

“Learning to do that, especially at a younger age, made things easier.”

Technology offers anonymity never before available to bullies, but now offers an antidote to the problem as well.

photo by alex mccracken/falconer

CHOOSE YOUR STORY: A TPHS student plays alumnus Oliver Miao‘s (‘93) game “High School Story.” The smartphone application was made to help users combat cyberbullying.

A4 the falconer

news

february 13, 2014

Chinese classes host Chinese New Year festival

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By Sarah Kim & Hanrui Zhang staff writers

The Chinese 2, Chinese 3 and AP Chinese classes held a Chinese New Year celebration in the lunch pavilion on Jan. 31, the day of the Lunar New Year, and Feb. 3.

Chinese students set up booths to educate others about traditional Chinese celebrations, including games, cuisine and various customs like handing out red envelopes. They also prepared posters and presentations to teach students about the cultural roots behind their booth’s activities.

“We’re [holding the celebration] so that people can be more aware of Chinese New Year and see how it is celebrated,” AP Chinese student Rebecca Yeap (10) said. “I think this festival is pretty effective in spreading that awareness.”

Chinese teacher Katherine Chang-Liu admitted that some students stopped by the food booths only, and said that in the future she will try to put more emphasis on the actual presentations and the learning experience rather than just food.

“Most of the booths were food booths, and [were very popular], since lot of people like Chinese food,” AP Chinese student Darren Edmonds (10) said.

While many booths had edible samples for students, others showcased other aspects of the celebration — Chinese 3 student Nathan Gibbs (11) prepared Henna tattoos, available with traditional Chinese phrases, like ‘Happy New Year,’ ‘Surplus for the New Year,’ ‘Good Luck,’ and a yin and yang symbol made of the traditional yellow symbolizing

power and red symbolizing luck.

Gibbs said that the diversity of booths, handouts and student presentations helped students learn about the depth of Chinese culture.

Chinese 2 students Jacqueline Garner (11) and Brandon Trentalange (11) talked about the beliefs behind Chinese New Year, like the unique personality traits of the 12 zodiac animals. Each Chinese New Year celebrates a different animal, cycling through

all 12 animals every 12 years.

This year is the year of the horse.

“I think the zodiac [animals are] like many horoscopes people use already, so the zodiac symbols are just like another version of that,” Garner said. “Each animal goes with a person’s personality, depending on what traits go along with the animal.”

Trentalange believes that giving a presentation that applied directly to students helped them be more open-minded about

aspects of Chinese culture.

According to Chang-Liu, Assistant Principal Cara Couvillion and ASB helped set up the festival. ASB agreed to get tables and other supplies the Chinese students needed, like a sound system for performing Chinese songs.

Because this was the first time the event took place, the students did not have as much time to prepare for the festival and learn about Chinese New Year in class,

as the holiday was about two weeks after the traditional date in January.

Regardless, Chang-Liu said that she thinks the students did well and hopes that students learned a bit about Chinese culture and stopped for a moment to think about Chinese New Year.

She also hopes that this event will spread greater awareness of Chinese New Year and Chinese culture as it continues in future years.

photo by kenneth lin/falconer

A BITE OF CULTURE: Jack Resnick (8) looks on as Julian Levy (8) serves Madeleine MacConnell (10) dumplings, a savory food traditionally eaten on Chinese New Year. The Chinese 2, Chinese 3 and AP Chinese classes held the celebration in the lunch pavilion on Jan. 31 and Feb. 3.

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AT&T proposes radio units at library f

By Austin Zhang staff writer

Representatives of M&M Telecom and AT&T held a conference for Carmel Valley residents on Jan. 28 to discuss the proposed construction of AT&T equipment units on the roof of the San Diego Public Library Carmel Valley Branch.

M&M Telecom was contracted

by AT&T to build the radio unit. The project includes the construction of 12 antennas that would be placed on the north and south towers of the library and concealed with fiber-enforced plastic. The proposal also calls for auxiliary equipment, like remote radio units, to be stored in a facility that will be built adjacent to the main building. “[The meeting focused on] doing outreach, meeting with the community and learning what people’s opinions are, what their worries are, what people want from us,” said Jamie Moore, a public relations manager for AT&T. According to TPHS student Salman Sadakkadulla (9), who attended the meeting, the residents expressed concern at the safety and health effects of the radio equipment, especially in a public setting. They were also opposed to the alteration of the library.

“Most of the people there were concerned that exposure to radio frequency would be harmful to elders and children,” Sadakkadulla said.

AT&T officials said they want

to have the tower built in order to increase local coverage and provide better service to the local area.

“When we identify an area that has the potential to be upgraded, we want to take that opportunity [to improve services],” Moore said.

According to Sadakkadulla, local customers present at the meeting said that they “had perfect signals, and they had perfect Internet and phone connection.”

However, according to Moore, quality coverage does not always mean just having a signal.

“What sometimes is harder to understand is that just because if someone has service in the area, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t room for us to upgrade coverage and capacity,” Moore said.

The library was selected for this project due to its ideal height for housing the antennas and for its location.

“It is nonresidential, and it is higher than the other properties

around the area,” said Karen Lynch, the city project manager for the proposal.

The project calls for all parts of the equipment unit, like the antennas, to be integrated with current architectural elements of the library to minimize alterations to the library’s appearance. According to Lynch, this architectural integration is required by the city.

AT&T will present the project to city planning boards at a date yet to be determined.

photo by layla mazdyasni/falconer

RADIO SHACK: The proposed radio towers will be on the north and south towers of the library (not shown). AT&T’S proposed antennas will be designed to match the library’s existing building design plans.

A5

GREENSTEIN continued from A1 TPHS he came.

“Simeon was always about the kids first,” Jim Harrah, Greenstein’s long-time Social Studies department colleague said. “He understood what was important about teaching.

Mia Boardman Smith called Greenstein “the mayor of TPHS.” Many students were not aware of Greenstein’s retirement, and were shocked to see a replacement teacher on the first day of the second semester. Greenstein left letter for replacement teacher J.J. Hair to read to his students.

Hair was notified of Greenstein’s retirement “a couple weeks before the semester,” and said that Greenstein wanted to “just give the kids a brand new start” instead of hiring a longterm substitute and returning in May. According to Magruder, Hair will make virtually no changes in the coursework previously taught

by Greenstein.

“It’s similar to a situation if someone went out on maternity leave or had to take a medical leave,” Magruder said. “Students will have to adjust to a new teaching style and some new expectations, but it should still be the same curriculum and material.”

“I’m teaching the class where the AP people tell me I’m supposed to be,” Hair said.

After this year, Hair said he wants to return to TPHS as a fulltime teacher, while Greenstein looks forward to spending more time with his wife, motorcycle and four cats after a successful hip replacement surgery and throughout his retirement years.

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OPINION

Edgar Tamayo deserved the death penalty, A8

Term limits are needed in the Supreme Court, A9

Should the minimum wage be increased?

YES f

By Alice Qu staff writer

The escalating cost of living takes its toll on almost 50 million U.S. citizens living in poverty.

Included in that number are the employed making the minimum wage. The first step in countering the expansion of poverty in America is raising the federal minimum wage.

Living conditions are significantly worse for those living on minimum wage. The current federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, not nearly enough to sustain one person, not to mention an entire family.

Many citizens take on second and third jobs to make enough money to match the heightened cost of living, according to the Department of Labor. The old notion of teenage fast food workers who live with parents is just that -- old. The average fast food worker in 2014 is 29 years old, according to the National Employment Law Project.

Even with the efforts of the Wage and Hour Division of the Department of Labor, responsible for enforcing the minimum wage, employers often take advantage of employees. To aid the poor, tax dollars are spent on programs like food stamps and welfare.

Why should taxpayers pay “wages� that should be covered by employers? With increased wages the poor would no longer need to rely on government help and the social programs partially funded

art by jacki li/falcon artist

The movement to raise the minumum wage has recently seen a surge, with President Barack Obama and workers in cities across the country pushing for hourly wages ranging between $10 and $15. by other citizens.

While there are claims that an increased minimum wage would hurt the economy and increase the unemployment rate because employers would reduce staffs, higher wages would only have positive effects, according to Doug Hall, Director of Economic Analysis and Research Network, and David Cooper of the Economic Policy Institute. The wages of 28 million workers would be raised, the gross domestic product would increase by $25 billion and over 100,000 jobs would be created.

In President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address on Jan. 28, he announced a federal minimum wage hike to $10.10 an hour for some jobs currently paying lower than that and for contracts made after Jan. 28.

The minimum wage increase would lift 4.6 million people out of poverty and improve the quality of life of those worst off, according to Arindrajit Dube, associate professor of economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Raising the minimum wage also would give the poor the opportunity to climb out of debt and cease reliance on public assistance.

According to the Business Insider, middle and lower class families inject the most money into the economy, and by raising their income, economic recovery and stability would be much easier.

A Gallup poll conducted in November 2013 indicated that 76 percent of Americans are in favor of raising the federal minimum wage, which suggests the need for change is increasingly apparent.

Those in poverty are relying on the government to lend a hand.

In order to hold up the ideals of a democratic government, the minimum wage should be raised.

We asked you...

Should the federal minimum wage be raised to the level proposed by President Barack Obama?

67%

33%

YES

NO

said

said

According to Forbes, 14 states have raised their minimum wages in the past year. Fast food and retail workers across the country have been protesting for a $15 hourly minimum wage, and states like Washington and California have passed bills designating minimum wages at $9.32 and $10, respectively.

Unfortunately, these raises are neither productive nor effective in relieving poverty.

The majority of employees who hold minimum wage jobs do not live in poverty. According to a 2011 census from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 53.2 percent of workers paid minimum wage were 16-24 years old, and 61.4 percent of minimum wage earners worked zero to 34 hours a week.

Teenagers and college students working part-time are the main workers, and do not usually seek full-time employment or advancement in these positions.

The real problem is that poorer workers are not given full-time jobs that are necessary for them to support their families, a problem that cannot be solved by raising the minimum wage.

Employers do not want to give employees longer hours and supply them with mandatory benefits like health insurance.

When the minimum wage is increased, companies seek to maintain previous profit margins by cutting back on employee hours and positions, consequently eliminating job opportunities. Smaller companies that cannot accommodate the wage increases are forced out of business. Companies may also outsource local jobs to countries where labor is readily available and less expensive, or perhaps even mechanize those labor duties instead. Unemployment then becomes the largest issue

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By Michelle Hao staff writer

that poverty-ridden families must overcome. Additionally, many charitable nonprofit organizations, which aid the poor, cannot afford to pay employees higher wages. Increasing the minimum wage also undermines broader aims to create innovators, entrepreneurs and inventors.

Should jobs that require little to no education or skill be sufficient for comfortable living, many Americans would have little incentive to seek upward mobility by working hard or seeking higher education. Entrepreneurs contribute to society and without those individuals the subsequent lack of change and competition would cause America to fail in distinguishing itself from foreign competitors like China. Without entrepreneurs, invention, innovation and growth would be impossible.

Additionally, it is unreasonable to expect low-skill jobs to pay as well as positions that require sophisticated skillsets.

If one is looking to move up the economic ladder, hard work and a good education are integral prerequisites.

For many workers, minimum wage jobs are only starting points. If those jobs develop into opportunities for financial stability, the United States will suffer a lack of growth, stagnant poverty levels and increased unemployment.

opinion

tphsfalconer.com

the falconer

A7

STAFFEDITORIAL: “dr. v” grantland story Sports blog Grantland published the story “Dr. V’s Magical Putter” by Caleb Hannan on Jan. 15 after eight months of research and investigation, inciting controversy over Hannan’s depiction of the transgender Dr. Essay Anne Vanderbilt’s gender identity and his own shock upon discovering it. Vanderbilt was a con artist who lied about her education and professional credentials, and invented the Oracle GX1 golf club, a supposedly superior putter. In the article, Hannan said that a “chill actually ran up [his] spine” when he found out that Vanderbilt was born a man and Hannan went on to dramatically depict Vanderbilt’s gender identity as part of the con artist’s fraud. Vanderbilt being transgender should not have been included as such an integral part of the story.

The manner in which the Grantland story presented Vanderbilt being transgender was over-the-top and offensive. The author’s negative tone conveyed disgust, as if he were exposing

“

I think [Hannan] was wrong because it shouldn’t matter [what the] person’s personal preferences were.

Mimi Daluiso (9)

her for conning the world by being transgender. Her gender identity, though not entirely irrelevant to the story, was blown out of proportion and treated as the crux of the investigation when it should have been a small detail.

Hannan only needed to include it as an explanation for Vanderbilt’s changed name, but instead the story put inordinate emphasis on her gender identity.

Hannan’s callous writing ruined the piece and displayed the Grantland staff’s ignorance.

Hannan also described Vanderbilt as a “troubled man who reinvented himself.” His use of the masculine noun and pronoun was disrespectful and condescending, and such disrespect was evident in the rest of the article: He made unnecessary comments about Vanderbilt’s private life and wrote about her in a blatantly unfavorable manner. The story

was clouded by his bias toward Vanderbilt, who had reacted negatively when she realized that the journalist could reveal both her gender identity and fraudulent background. Vanderbilt actually committed suicide before the story was written and published on Grantland, though whether the motive behind her suicide was Hannan’s investigation has not been established. In any case, Hannan, and the editors who reviewed the article, undoubtedly should have treated the topic of Vanderbilt’s gender identity with more discretion and sensitivity.

Although Vanderbilt committed suicide before the story was published, many speculate that the threat Hannan’s story posed to her livelihood and personal life triggered the tragedy. While Hannan’s story may have been a contributing factor in the suicide, Vanderbilt had previous suicide attempts. Hannan should not be held responsible for Vanderbilt’s death — though, knowing this information, Hannan should have considered Vanderbilt’s mental

state before delving deeper into Grantland staff’s ignorance of the story. the transgender community.

Hannan and the editors at Grantland at least should have had a member of the trans community vet the article before publishing it, but they failed to do so, resulting in a wave of backlash at what many saw as Hannan’s callous tone regarding Vanderbilt’s gender identity and death.

It was utterly unethical to out Vanderbilt without her permission, especially in such a disrespectful manner, even if the article was published after her death. Nonetheless, the article still appears on Grantland “as a learning experience,” according to Bill Simmons, Grantland Editor-in-Chief, who hopes it informs the reporting, writing and publishing of other journalists as well. But the damage has been done, and Hannan’s callous writing ruined the piece and displayed the art by megan lenehan/falcon artist

student voices

“

They [should not] have made such a big deal about it ... I don’t see any difference because the person is transgender.

Victoria Austin (10)

What do you think about “Dr. V’s Magical Putter,” Caleb Hannan’s controversial story published in Grantland?

”

”

The fact that she’s transgender is something personal that should never have been released to the public.

It’s not like [Hannan intended] true hate or discrimination or anything like that, so I think it’s appropriate.

Sujay Singh (11)

Kevin Lee (12)

Obama called for immediate immigration reform during his State of the Union ...

the strip.

Falconer

... but first things first: whether or not to deport Justin Bieber.

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opinion

february 13, 2014

Death sentence was rightly upheld by Court

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By Anna Lee copy editor

Forty-six-year-old Mexican national Edgar Tamayo Arias was executed via lethal injection on Jan. 22 after the U.S. Supreme Court denied appeals to delay his execution. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals previously rejected a last-ditch claim that he was mentally impaired and thus ineligible to be put to death for his murder of Houston police officer Guy Gaddis 20 years ago, on the grounds that the appeal was filed too late. Gaddis was transporting Tamayo from a robbery scene when Tamayo shot the officer three times in the head and neck with a gun concealed in his pants and then fled the scene, only to be captured a few blocks away, still in possession of the robbery victim’s watch and necklace. Being accountable for the murder of a police officer, Tamayo was, rightly so, not spared the consequences of his actions.

Although Tamayo was indeed discovered to be mentally impaired, with an IQ of 67

that qualified him as mentally disabled, the last-minute appeal was clearly just a way to push for more time, even though Tamayo had already pushed for 20 years.

It seems suspicious that Tamayo’s mental impairment was just being “discovered” and brought up practically moments before his execution. And even if there is little question to the validity of Tamayo’s mental impairment, he still had the mental capacity to execute a robbery, hide a weapon from a police officer, deliberately shoot said police officer three times in the head and run from the crime scene. His actions indicated that he was well-aware of the repercussions of his crime and intelligent enough to understand that he was taking a life. Tamayo killed, and he endured the penalty that Texas state law demanded. It should be noted that the Supreme Court ruled in Atkins v. Virginia in 2002 that the execution of those with intellectual disability is unconstitutional. The ruling did not address individual states’ determination of what constitutes intellectual disability.

Another appeal made to the court was that officers had not informed Tamayo of his right to request help from the Mexican consular’s office, which was guaranteed under an international treaty signed by both the United States and Mexico: the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. Such legal assistance

PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE

could have potentially uncovered evidence to keep Tamayo from capital punishment. However, a 2008 Supreme Court ruling, in which Mexican national Jose Medellin was executed despite not being informed of his right to call the Mexican consulate, established that states are not required to comply with the treaty: According to Chief Justice John Roberts, international court judgments cannot be forced on individual states like Texas, and the president cannot “establish binding rules of decision that preempt contrary state law.”

Furthermore, bad police procedure does not excuse a criminal or delegitimize their trial — at least not i n

American citizens are treated in other countries,” according to Secretary of State John Kerry.

While it is true that Tamayo’s execution and the ones before it have upset the Mexican government, the fact of the matter is that these criminals committed crimes that warranted the death penalty. If U.S. citizens were to commit murder and rape in foreign countries and be sentenced to death, they should face the punishment as well. Texas acted well within their right. After all, Tamayo had already delayed his execution by two decades, leaving Gaddis’ murder unresolved.

Tamayo was an illegal immigrant with a criminal record, and he shot and killed a police officer. Regardless of evidently irrelevant appeals regarding a right to consul, he was rightly executed under Texas law.

The death penalty exists for criminals to face the consequences of their actions, and Tamayo did just that.

to lack the luster of more recent ones.

I suppose my capacity for emotion and motivation has grown over the years as has my ability to appreciate simple things and everyday experiences. Maybe that is why the soundtrack from “The Lion King” has helped me so much in getting through life.

But my self-discovery did not end at uncovering these hidden reserves of emotion and sappiness.

I continue to learn about myself, yet I still occasionally harbor doubts about my life, my future and the path I walk.

not pierce the fog of my future.

My hobbies were not of much use either. I could not look up in gaming rulebooks what my future would be, or roll dice to determine my fate. I could not sit down with my future and crossexamine it, as I would have if life were a great debate. I could not interview anyone about it, as I would if writing an article. Well, maybe I could interview a fortune teller. But I did not think to do so.

And then came a realization, though one of a slightly different nature than I had anticipated.

Maybe, just like all of the sentiment that I had, or all of the new hobbies that I developed, my future, my job, my life would be discovered step by step, and I need not burden myself with things yet to come.

I am not saying that I do not need to care about the future or about planning ahead. Not at all. But maybe I do not need to know all of the details just yet.

Maybe I do not need to know what will become of me in five, 10, 20 years. Besides, the sun still rises, the clouds still rain, the stars still shine whether I am full of confidence or completely lost. Perhaps I will become aware of my future as I became aware of the various wonders of everyday nature.

However, there is another side to this issue: I learned that even though I do not have all of the details, that does not mean that I cannot actively pursue them. Self-discovery does not have to be passive, and I find that if I approach it with the same energy, determination, focus and sentiment with which I approach speech, debate, writing or gaming, I can not only find the future, I can carve it myself. And so I go forth, into that rolling fog, blazing my own trail, watching the sun rise, smelling the morning dew, hearing the rain fall and walking my own path.

art by ellese nguyen/falcon artist

I often find myself being sentimental, perhaps more often than advisable. Little things tend to make me feel strongly uplifted.

When it is 6 a.m. and I still have homework work to do and I see the sun come up and spread its rays across the window, drowning out the light of the street lamps, I feel uplifted. When the wind carries the faint scent of rain on it, when the air smells particularly fresh or when I hear the sound of water, I feel vibrant.

Falconer staff writer Austin Zhang I was not always like this. As a child, these things did not reflects on rain, wind, stars, sun and young capture my attention as strongly. the fog of the future. Granted, I did see many fewer sunrises as a child because I was doing this thing called sleeping, which I now do less frequently.

But the air, the rain and the stars at night all seemed a lot less interesting and inspiring then.

I also found a lot of dormant passion within as I aged. I pursue many hobbies and interests, like public speaking, speech, debate, journalism and tabletop gaming, with drive and motivation that is much stronger than anything I felt when I was seven, 10 or 12 years old. That is not to say that I photo by grace bruton/falconer did not engage in hobbies as a kid. I used to be active in sports, having been a tennis player, a basketball player, a swimmer, a fencer and a martial artist. I have played violin, and I built Lego models.

But those past memories seem

austin zhang

the case of Tamayo. He had obviously been found guilty of the crime, and even if he had been informed of his right to consular assistance, it would not make him any less guilty of committing murder or less deserving of his punishment.

Texas had already set precedents for cases like Tamayo’s in the execution of Medellin, and in the execution of Humberto Leal Garcia, both of whom were denied their rights to consular assistance and were murderers. Texas had no reason to change its verdict on Tamayo. However, in each of these three cases, the White House expressed disapproval over the rulings, urging for new hearings for inmates in similar situations. This stemmed from a concern that these executions could “impact the way

I am not saying that I do not need to care about the future ... but maybe I do not need to know all the details.

Some people are surprisingly sure about themselves. They know what they want to study, where they want to go to college and what they plan to do for a living. I was not — am not — one of these people. For all 16 years of my life so far, I have wondered what I “wanted to be.” What do I want to do for a living? Where am I headed? Why? When I was younger this uncertainty did not bother me. After all, I still had many years to figure it out — surely something would come to me. Then I entered high school.

Along with the many changes and challenges of high school came the startling realization that I have entered the last tier of education before college.

All along I had been awaiting the epiphany that might tell me my fate while becoming increasingly aware that there would not be one. For all of my passion and vitality, all of the sunrises and starlit nights and just-after-rain mornings, I could

opinion

tphsfalconer.com

the falconer

A9

Supreme Court needs term limits for justices

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By Varun Bhave opinion editor

Perhaps the best rationale for lifetime tenure in the Supreme Court was advanced by Alexander Hamilton in Federalist No. 78.

Most of Hamilton’s arguments, however, no longer apply as unique reasons for unrestricted terms. A number of factors have caused justices to serve longer than ever before — on average, according to Steven Calabresi and James Lindgren of Northwestern University, about 26 years.

This has led to a number of problems for our politics and the democratic checks envisioned by the Founding Fathers. It is now necessary, despite our long history of uncapped tenure on the Court, to establish term limits. One option, as Calabresi and Lindgren propose, might be staggered 18-year terms, with the president appointing a new justice every two years.

Increased life expectancy due to better medical care probably explains the progressive increase in average tenures over time. A number of other causes might be contributing to this trend, like increased emphasis on “strategic”

retirements, which keep justices serving until a president affiliated with the same party is elected.

Furthermore, larger law clerk support staffs and smaller annual caseloads have made remaining on the Court slightly easier and more desirable.

Since the only checks the Court is subject to are impeachment and appointment, it is the most independent branch of the federal government. While members of the Court should not face direct political pressures, the democratic legitimacy of constitutional review rests on the appointment of judges by presidents whose decisions reflect, at least to some extent, the general beliefs of the people. Unfortunately, judicial openings tend to occur in clusters, which risks the makeup of the Court being significantly at odds with the interests of the American people. Richard Nixon nominated four justices, while Jimmy Carter did not nominate a single one. There is no reason for some presidents to get disproportionate power over the makeup of the Court, especially because strategic retirements might be the root cause of these sudden appointment opportunities. If each president makes an appointment every two years, the process would be much more fair. Judicial independence is not unequivocally beneficial; some democratic check is needed to maintain a better balance of power, and parties should not be able to lock up the Court for

decades, like the Democrats did after the New Deal, a series of domestic programs in response to the Great Depression that resulted in the Democratic Party becoming the majority.

The second troubling consequence of longer tenures is increased politicization of the nominating process. Whenever vacancies occur, the political stakes have become extremely high. This can have tangible effects on the makeup of the Court; presidents have an incentive to appoint justices more likely to rule along political lines rather than the best legal minds available, since the long-term effect of one nomination has been supercharged. In addition, nominations now often lead to extremely bitter confirmation battles in the Senate — Robert Bork, nominated by Ronald Reagan in 1987, was rejected primarily because of an orchestrated onslaught of political resistance to his conservative views.

This polarization might also cause presidents to choose “dark horse” nominees without established paper trails on some judicial issues, which might compromise their appeal to the Senate, rather than the most qualified candidates.

Hamilton could not have envisioned the establishment of

principles like judicial review, which have given the Court far more power and reduced its need for “protection” from the president or Congress. The Court should still, in accordance with Hamilton’s view, be somewhat insulated from public opinion.

However, fixed term limits are functionally equivalent to unrestricted term limits, since neither can be extended by winning elections or pandering to the public interest.

In granting justices lifetime tenure, the United States stands alone a m o n g

developed countries, almost all of which have fixed term limits or mandatory retirement ages. The latter is problematic because it sets an arbitrary cutoff for service, even though justices might differ greatly in health, mental capacity and motivation to continue.

However, setting term limits in the Court would allow for more democratic checks and balances, and a less politicized judiciary.

art by kelsey chen/falcon artist

Amanda Knox faced unfair double jeopardy

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By Cory Lomberg editor-in-chief

On Jan. 30, an Italian appeals court convicted former American exchange student Amanda Knox and her ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito for the 2007 murder of British exchange student Meredith Kercher. This is the second time that this verdict has been rendered in an Italian court; in 2009, Knox and Sollecito were found guilty of sexual assault and murder of Kercher as well as simulating a burglary in the apartment Kercher shared with Knox. In the interim, both Knox and Sollecito were acquitted of all charges before Italian prosecutors appealed that decision, resulting in their recent “re-conviction.”

Elements of national pride and intense media attention have morphed this rather common murder case into an unnecessary, winding legal saga, preventing closure for all parties involved.

Therefore, the prosecution should rest its case in an attempt to allow the victim’s family to move on from a case that may never reach a clear conclusion.

Knox began studying abroad in Perugia, Italy in 2007. While enrolled at the University for Foreigners, she lived with Kercher and two Italian students.

On Oct. 25, Kercher and Knox attended a concert where Knox met Sollecito, an Italian student.

In the time between the concert and Kercher’s death, Knox and Sollecito established a romantic relationship. On Nov. 1, 2007, Kercher was found stabbed to death in the shared apartment.

The autopsy report revealed that Kercher was attacked from both the right and left sides by multiple attackers. However, no valid evidence connects Knox or her codefendant to the crime.

Even after a second ruling, no proof demonstrating that Knox was present for the stabbing of Kercher exists. In fact, the prosecution currently possesses no evidentiary link between Knox and the fatal attack on Kercher.

Knox’s fingerprint on Kercher’s bra clasp was ruled inadmissable after the first guilty verdict due to contamination resulting from sloppy police work. CNN reported the remaining forensic evidence does not point to Knox or Sollecito but to Rudy Guede, whose DNA was found inside Kercher and whose fingerprints marked the wall of the crime scene in Kercher’s blood.

According to the [London] Telegraph, Guede broke into a nursery school in Milan days before the murder of Kercher.

Police found him armed with an 11-inch kitchen knife. Guede offers the only valid DNA and fingerprint link to the crime scene and is currently serving a 16-year sentence for the killing.

Meanwhile, Knox and Sollecito have been sentenced to 28.5 years and 25 years, respectively. There is no acceptable proof connecting

either defendant to the crime scene, yet they are to serve longer overall sentences than a man related to the murder by indisputable scientific evidence.

In the United States, prosecutors are prohibited from trying a defendant for the same crime following an official acquittal on the case. The Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution states that “No person shall … be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb.” However, the Italian government does not forbid double jeopardy, thereby allowing Knox and Sollecito to be tried multiple times on the same charge, despite a legitimate acquittal already having been issued.

Prosecutor Giuliano Mignini proposed a retrial solely on the basis of changing his angle; he initially presented Knox and Sollecito as sexual deviants, then in the later proceeding, asserted that Knox murdered Kercher after an altercation regarding the hygiene of their shared living space. A case of this nature would have progressed differently had the crime been committed in the United States by an Italian student, rather than in Italy by an American student.

The progression of the case was also strongly influenced by

involvement of international media. According to The New York Times, Knox’s family hired a public relations agency following her arrest in an attempt to “counter her portrayal by prosecutors and in the European press as a ‘shedevil.’” An American exchange student’s potential involvement in the murder of a peer generated

international media frenzy.

Tabloids fashioned an animated, dramatized portrait of Knox, complete with a contrived alter ego; a 2009 [London] Daily Mail headline read “The Wild, Raunchy Past of Foxy Knoxy.”

Additionally, the International Business Times reported an instance in which prison officials leaked a confidential list of Knox’s previous sexual partners to the Italian media.

Embellishment of Knox’s sexual behavior plagued her through the initial stages of the trial, and back to the United States upon her acquittal. Even in the event that Knox is found innocent in the appeal process or the U.S. government hesitates to extradite her upon a guilty verdict, she will be forced to identify by the reputation designated to her for the rest of her life.

art by menehan lenehan/falcon artist

A10 the falconer

opinion

february 13, 2014

Net neutrality should have been guaranteed

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By Maya Rao staff writer

With a simple Google search, one can find everything about anything at no cost. The Federal Communications Commission’s previous Open Internet policy, more commonly known as “net neutrality,” states that Internet service providers must allow equal access to all websites. A federal appeals court invalidated the policy on Jan. 14, explaining that the FCC could not regulate what Internet service providers could and could not show on their networks. Providers like Verizon and Comcast can now make commercial arrangements with companies to stream their products “through a faster express lane,” according to the New York Times. While this may be no problem for larger companies, smaller ones could be hurt. Entrepreneurs and small businesses are often considered the foundation of the American dream, which could very well fade into oblivion without the protection of net neutrality.

Net neutrality has ensured that Internet users can find what they look for, regardless of which

provider they have. Each Internet service provider will show the same results, though preferential search result placement has long been available. With the rules struck down, however, users with different providers could potentially get different results for the same searches, resulting in an obstruction of research. Sites that have valuable information may not immediately show up in searches because they cannot pay the exorbitant fees that providers may charge.

Small businesses have flourished under net neutrality, gaining loyal customers that have gotten used to fast and efficient service. Without net neutrality, the websites of such small businesses may not be so prominent in Internet searches, and their websites may load more slowly, causing a delay in services and the irritation of consumers.

Small businesses are the foundation of the American dream, the notion that a chance for a successful life can be built out of hard work, which has enchanted immigrants and citizens alike. Net neutrality has ensured equality in the Internet, giving fair chances to both large companies and smaller businesses.

Blogs and smaller news sites could keep up with giants like CNN with net neutrality, but now, buried

beneath Internet moneymakers, small sites and businesses may have trouble connecting with their target customers, drastically slashing their profits and leaving them to eventually fade into obscurity.

Consumers also face the backlash of net neutrality.

Internet users may have to pay for services like faster streaming on YouTube videos. Because Internet service providers can charge more money for different services, companies like Netflix, which has an enormous bandwidth, may have to increase its fees in order to stay afloat.

David Raphael, a blogger from Texas, said that Verizon is deliberately using the absence of net neutrality to sabotage companies like Netflix. When Raphael contacted the

Verizon office, a representative acknowledged that Verizon was “limiting bandwidth to cloud providers,” like Netfilx and Amazon, though Verizon has denied the claims.

The federal appeals court said that the government only has the power to regulate crucial utilities like electricity and telephone services, and the Internet is not included in these utilities. The court did not acknowledge that the Internet is a landmark innovation, much like electricity and the telephone, that has completely changed the way people access information.

According to the [London] Telegraph, 80 percent of people under 25 and 60 percent of people over 25 feel “lost” without the Internet. As a population, we have come to depend on the Internet far more than the telephone, and though this can

be detrimental, it only fortifies the Internet’s position as one of the most critical utilities that the government must regulate.

In 2014, the Internet is everywhere. Access is more of a human right than a privilege, and the laws created should reflect society’s views. Net neutrality granted Internet users more accurate search results and allowed smaller businesses to compete with larger companies on a level playing field. Without it, people may get different search results with different providers, and small businesses may get buried under wealthier companies. Those large companies can form monopolies on certain products and information, compromising equality and liberty on the Internet.

art by carolyn chu/falcon artist

Texas charter school program must change

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By Katie Mulkowsky focus editor

to note that the religious take on these matters is the only one being mentioned.

A bigger issue, however, is that religious angles are being taken to such an extent that students are learning factual inaccuracies. According to Slate, Responsive Ed workbooks “both overtly and underhandedly discredit evidence-based science” — evolution is cited as an “unproved theory” still up for scientific dispute, as is the link between vaccines and autism.

Even more absurdly, history students taught from Schweikart and Allen’s “A Patriot’s History of the United States” learn that feminism “created an entirely new class of females who lacked male financial support and who had to turn to the state as a surrogate husband.” States ban “the homosexual lifestyle,” not gay marriage, according to this curriculum.

Beliefs aside, students are done a tremendous disservice by being spoon-fed such misleading information. Charter schools receiving public funding are not religious institutions; therefore, they have no right to preach

Responsive Education Solutions, Texas’ largest charter school program, notes on its website that the education process is a “sacred” one. Incidentally, the term is not being used loosely — religious creationist theories are embedded in the curriculum taught at more than 65 secondary school campuses in Texas, Arkansas and Indiana.

Since the program is funded by public money, its religious take on matters of evolution, social science and history is completely inappropriate, if not blatantly unconstitutional.

According to Slate Magazine, the opening line of a Responsive Ed biology workbook reads: “In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth.” This alone is problematic for obvious reasons — Texas state educational standard 13B requires that students research and describe current evolutionary theories, and creationist assertions fundamentally contradict those concepts. Responsive Ed argues that such “competing theories” addressing “all sides” of the evolutionary debate promote critical thinking, according to Slate, but it is important art by teresa chen/falcon artist

religious principles, and much less to use those principles to distort proven facts. On its website, Responsive Ed states that its mission is “to ... develop [students] into lifelong learners,” and training them to be skeptical of any fact inconsistent with a familiar belief system inevitebly will not accomplish this. A viewpoint is not truly one’s own if it is taught without consideration of the other side, and more harm than good is ultimately being done.

According to Cornell Law, the Supreme Court ruled Louisiana’s Science Education Act unconstitutional in 1987 on the grounds that the teaching of creation theories alongside evolutionary ones in public schools “undermines the provision of a comprehensive scientific education.”

Responsive Ed’s approach is thus fundamentally flawed, and its curriculum needs to be balanced. Considering the sheer number of students enrolled in its programs, and considering

today’s technological era, it is imperative that these students receive a strong foundation in scientific curriculum. If they are being taught inaccurate information in regards to medicine, science and even history, the chance that they will have the tools to instigate any sort of progress or advancement in future fields of study seems very slim.

It is therefore essential that creationist viewpoints and lessons rooted in subjective thought be removed from Responsive Ed’s curriculum. The parents of these students have every right to raise their children in whatever faith they feel is right, but that is not the responsibility of a public school, and thus these contradictory lessons have no place in the classroom. The student can ultimately develop his or her own viewpoint on debated matters o f

science and religion — a decision that is not a Texas state educational standard, but rather a personal one.

Another solution could be a simple restructuring of the curriculum: A class in varying viewpoints could be taught alongside objective science and social studies classes, but it would have to express the beliefs of more than one religion while also conveying ideas not rooted in religious thought at all. It is unlikely that the school would teach this in a purely objective manner, though, since it has trouble doing so with its own basic curriculum.

For Responsive Ed to exist in a constitutional manner, it definitely has to update the material it utilizes, without considering the beliefs of its creators. For its students to truly become critical thinkers, encouraging them to consider proven scientific facts instead of slanted ones is enough to help them decide their own viewpoints.

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FEATURE

Feature profiles the newly formed TPHS Improv Club, A14

Entertainment reviews its picks for the Oscars, A18

While attending Carmel Creek Elementary School, Erin Lu (11) became best friends American schedule better because I like focusing on one thing,” Han said.“Because I’m with a girl in her kindergarten class. The two would run across the playground as they Korean, the way I think is the same as Koreans do, but I tend to be more liberal, whereas acted out scenes as their favorite characters. But when Lu was in first grade, her family Korea is a bit more conservative [in terms of education].” moved to Taiwan to take care of her grandparents and so Lu could improve her fluency in According to Sanchez-Allwein, in order to encourage integration into the American Chinese, her family’s native language. She left a carefree school system and California school system, California provides English Learner programs for students who are not burritos and found herself thrust into an unwelcoming environment halfway across the entirely proficient in English; approximately 80 to 90 percent of TPHS foreign transfer world from her best friend. students are classified as English learners by a California English Language Development “My classmates [in Taiwan] stared at me weirdly during class,” Lu said. “I think Test with reading, writing, listening and speaking portions. a couple went home and said to their parents that there was a transfer student from The EL program offers sheltered courses — college prep English, history, math and America. The parents were coming to the classroom expecting to see a blonde-haired, science — that deviate from the traditional classroom setting to more visual and tactile blue-eyed girl.” methods of teaching that aim to foster English development.

Intending for Lu to attend an American college, her family finally moved back to San “[Sheltered courses] allow students to meet requirements if they want to attend Diego seven years later, and though she did not feel as unwelcome as she initially felt in university,” Sanchez-Allwein said. “Within our EL classes, it’s so diverse, so it’s really Taiwan, her hometown felt more unfamiliar than inviting. nice that they get comfortable very quickly. They do a lot of interacting and a lot of Lu’s discomfort upon her arrival in Taiwan and return to San Diego echoed the group work that kind of forces them to really use their English skills; they’re speaking to experiences of many other students who have made the move from other countries to s o m e b o d y from a completely different part of the world.” attend secondary school in the United States, although many, unlike Lu, Sanchez-Allwein said that the while students usually need 5-7 had no previous experience living in the U.S. years English learning to become fluent, she has noticed that [My] English was not withinofthree “We have students here from quite a variety of [countries, including] years of learning, “students are pretty comfortable, as good. I felt like it was depending on where they come in.”

Brazil, China, Korea, Iran, Iraq, Israel and Norway,” head counselor Mary Sanchez-Allwein said. “Since Dec. 1 [ of 2013], we’ve had about 75 “It just depends upon how eager they are and how much work harder for me to make new students. A large percentage, maybe 70 percent, are from outside the they’ll do on their own,” Sanchez said. “For a majority of students, friends and communicate they were the ones that wanted to come [study in the United States] United States.”

Joonho Han (12) has also lived and attended school in a foreign in general. and brought up the idea to their parents. We always tell parents it’s country — Korea. Although he lived in Korea, moving to America in his okay if their children want to watch American TV or read American Erin Lu (11) books or magazines. That’s really how they’re going to learn — to sophomore year, Han applied to only American colleges last fall, though student really start to hear the language more.” he said he would not be against attending a Korean university in the future.

Even then, students like Lu still feel some element of “A lot of our students are eager to attend an American university, so they feel that disconnectedness with their peers. attending an American high school will get them more information about how to enter “In between when I went to Taiwan and came back to San Diego, I felt like people and the requirements needed to go into a university,” Sanchez said. “A lot of times, the around me were learning a lot more English, and my English was not as good,” Lu said.

UC schools are very popular.”

“I felt like it was harder for me to make friends and communicate in general. Sometimes According to Han, education in the U.S. is more it was hard for me to try to say something [in English] that would be easier if I said it in enjoyable and valuable because it encourages Chinese.” “thinking” and “being creative,” whereas in But curriculum is not the only aspect of American high school education Korea, “knowing information” is e m p h a s i z e d . that foreign transfer and EL students must adapt to. After her move back to Korean students are required to take 16 subjects S a n Diego, Lu became aware of the extent of her that are thought to be necessary, but, contrary to cultural differences from her American the American system, the students are not peers — including her former allowed to choose any of their own courses. childhood best friend. She had “I like the become fond of the Taiwanese lifestyle: the fashion, nightlife, the accessibility of most destinations by motorcycle or by foot, the snacks sold on the crowded streets.

“The longer time I stayed in Taiwan, the more we drifted apart, because the things we understand and like are different now,” Lu said. “I actually feel like I like Taiwan better now because I lived there when I was growing and learning … It was harder to adapt [back in San Diego]; I was actually scared to talk to people because I didn’t know what people like here.”

To further help students come to terms with American culture while maintaining relationships with their parents, TPHS holds English Language and Culture Committees.

“We can inform parents about what’s going on at school to kind of help them understand what the American high school experience is like,” SanchezAllwein said. “It can be very different from where they’re from.”

Although Lu no longer feels alienated from her American peers, she continues to stay in touch with her Taiwanese upbringing as well as her San Diego roots; while she often speaks Mandarin with her Chinese and Taiwanese friends, she also pushes herself to excel in classes like AP English Language and Composition, overcoming her initial inhibitions.

”

JOYCE

art by emily sun/falconer

‫مايخلا رمع‬

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

‫تا ی ع ا ب ر‬

ACROSS

THE SEAS

BY SARAH BROWN The Falconer explores the transition TPHS students AND EMILY SUN experience when transferring from other countries.

new orleans

To those who have not been to New Orleans, descriptions of it may include the syncopated beats associated with most cosmopolitan cities, a unique cultural amalgamation reduced to the proverbial “melting pot,” or vague impressions gathered from popular television shows. To Assistant Principal and Louisiana native Cara Couvillion, the special rhythm of life in New Orleans cannot be so easily defined.

“Louisiana is unique in that it’s been under Spanish rule, French rule, English rule, Native American heritage — there were a lot of different nations that came through there for different reasons,” Couvillion said. “So there’s different settlements all over Louisiana, [and] New Orleans is kind of the hub of that. You feel that through the architecture, which is very Spanish, but also has a lot of French influence. You see things in New Orleans that you won’t see anywhere else in the United States. [It is] like San Francisco or Miami in that it has its own identity ... I don’t know if people can fully understand unless they have actually been there.”

While New Orleans is well-known for its historical role as an early European settlement and the reason for the Louisiana Purchase, and for the iconic tourist destinations like the French Quarter and Bourbon Street, Couvillion said life there is often less grand and far more intimate than outsiders imagine.

“If you’ve been to the parts [in New Orleans] where people live, it’s actually a very poor city, but people don’t necessarily complain about being poor,” Couvillion said. “They live off one another, off the land. There’s a very big sense of community when you go to those areas. And it really is similar to what I think is unique about the South, in general.”

According to Couvillion, this interconnectedness, along with New Orleans’ rich concoction of different cultures, including an influx of black musicians, is partially what fueled the evolution of jazz music there. Minji Kim (12), a singer who performed in New Orleans two years ago with Jazz Band, was strongly impacted by the city’s rich jazz heritage.

“I was in my first year of Jazz Band, so I didn’t really expect much,” Kim said. “I wasn’t too into jazz, but when I went, it became so much more … It was really cool to see real musicians so into their music. It was a new perspective of jazz; I could tell that New Orleans was the birthplace of it just by walking around.”

Kim, now in her third year of Jazz Band, was also struck by the

lengths to which performers went to create music.

“One of the performers … started playing music out of a trashcan, and they made a violin out of scraps of things that they found,” Kim said. “They weren’t real instruments, but [the street performers] were playing them, and it was really cool.”

Maria Ginzburg (12), who spent two weeks in the city several years ago, still remembers the New Orleans culture as musical and vibrant.

“The culture there was very different,” Ginzburg said. “I hadn’t had a lot of chances to [see] American culture … but New Orleans was completely different. When foreigners think of the United States, they don’t necessarily think of New Orleans. It was like Europe combined with the United States — it was really interesting.”

Although Couvillion agrees that New Orleans has a rich and lively culture, she believes that San Diego is “where [she is] meant to be.”

“Most people who are born in New Orleans, or around New Orleans, or who were born in Louisiana, do not want to live anywhere else,” Couvillion said. “They might move as far as Texas for their jobs, but the majority of people want to stay there. It is a very family-oriented community … I was actually very unique in that I went as far as I did.”

While Couvillion would not necessarily live in Louisiana again, she is “passionate” about her childhood home. Kim, who will return to New Orleans with Jazz Band this year, is excited at the prospect.

“We’re going to the festival for three days, and we’re just going to be watching,” Kim said. “It’s going to be amazing … It’s amazing what people can do with [jazz].”

Now, Couvillion tends to return to New Orleans once every couple of years to visit her family. Although she now lives permanently in San Diego, she believes that growing up in Louisiana has made her who she is today. “[People in Louisiana] are fiercely loyal people, and I think I carry that with me,” Couvillon said.

Although shows like “Duck Dynasty” attempt to exploit Louisiana, and New Orleans is renowned for its culturally diverse and musical culture, life in both places is clearly full of rhythms deeper and more soulful than popular depictions would suggest.

By Jennifer Grundman

boston When Katie Shubat (‘13) arrived in Boston for her freshman year at Boston University, the first thing that stuck out to her was how “the city is built upward, not spread out.”

Culture in Boston is largely the same — influenced by nearly 400 years of history, built by people with drastically different backgrounds. Chinatown is a mere 1.6 miles from the North End, Boston’s “Little Italy.”

Regardless of cultural differences, people in the city will “stick with each other,” according to Shubat. She saw this firsthand when her first visit to the city coincided with the Boston Marathon bombings on Apr. 15, 2013.

“I was confused and a little scared, but it was really cool to see how the community drew together and helped each other out [after the bombings],” Shubat said.

Michael Gray, guitarist and vocalist for the Bostonian folk-rock band American Beauties, calls Boston “New York City without the snob.” American Beauties got its start playing in cafes and bars in Somerville, Mass., two miles northwest of Boston.

“We’ve always just been playing close by,” Gray said. “There’s a sense of community between the musicians and the audience.

It’s kind of like you’re watching your friends perform, even though they’re total strangers.”

Anna Huang (11) visited Boston for the first time in the summer of 2012, on vacation with her older brother. Although she did not get a chance to watch American Beauties perform, one of her fondest memories from the city was attending open mic night at The Dugout, a café close to Boston University with open mic nights every Tuesday.

“I honestly don’t remember any of [the performers’] names,” Huang said. “What I remember is thinking that everyone on stage seemed like performing was all they wanted to do.”

Gray agrees, saying that one of the most rewarding moments was performing in front of the “first real audience of complete strangers, and seeing that they really enjoyed the music.”

“There are some really talented, legendary artists out there,” Gray said. “But when you go to one of these local shows, there is a rawness and passion in the music that only someone who really loves the music and being part of it can have.”

Gray said that a large part of his audiences consisted of college students, who are “open to different styles of music and bring their friends and get less well-known artists noticed.”

Shubat said a distinctive feature of Boston is its intellectual atmosphere, as the city is both full of and surrounded by colleges and universities.

“I think Boston is a popular place for college students because you get the city environment without being thrown somewhere hectic, like New York,” Huang said.

However, at the time of her visit, Huang’s focus was seeing the places she had read about in books — the Charles River and the Boston Common were her favorites.

“It wasn’t the river itself [that I really liked], but the area around it,” Huang said. “It was grassy, and there were people running and walking dogs and some were just watching the boats.

But if you just turned away from the river, you saw all the tall buildings and everything behind you. I really liked the contrast.”

Huang visited Boston for a week, but she said there is a lot she has not seen. She described it as “very different from San Diego in a good way,” echoing Gray’s description of a culturally interesting environment “without the snob.” Shubat also found the move a big change, but said she adapted to city life very quickly, and that people in the city were always willing to help.

“The best difference from San Diego is the public transportation,” Shubat said. “You can take the T pretty much anywhere you can’t walk. I’ve never had to take a taxi.”

Much like the ever-growing culture in Boston, Shubat is influenced by every person she talks to, every accent she hears and every brick building she sees.

By Anna Li

walk the

skyline a look at the architectural landmarks of cosmopolitan cities worldwide

CHRYSLER BUILDING new york city CN TOWER toronto

NOTRE DAME DE PARIS paris

PEARL TOWER shanghai

TRANSAMERICA BUILDING san francisco

JOHN HANCOCK TOWER boston

EMPIRE STATE BUILDING new york city

BIG BEN london

SPACE NEEDLE seattle

FORBIDDEN CITY beijing infographic by katie mulkowsky/falconer

BURJ KHALIFA dubai

seoul Seoul may appear to be just a concrete mass of high-rise apartments and futuristic technology, but interspersed among the headquarters of tech giants like Samsung and LG are traditional wooden homes and ancient royal palaces that were the cultural hubs of Korea’s last dynasty. Past and present, tradition and modernity — these are defining features of the uniqueness of Seoul.

“The old generation has old customs and culture, so Korea is in a transition time from old values to new values,” said TPHS parent Kyung Yeo, who lived in South Korea until she was 26 years old.

“The new generation is a lot like America. For example, the new generation never thinks they have to live with their parents, but in my generation we do. We still have to take care of our parents, but don’t expect the same from our own kids. The transition is quite obvious and within one generation. [Korea] is changing very fast.”

Seoul is made up of over 25 different districts, one of which is Gangnam, the wealthiest part of Seoul, known for its popular entertainment attractions and upmarket shopping area.

“Compared to San Diego downtown, there are a lot more nighttime activities,” said Gha Young Lee (11), who lived in South Korea for 12 years. “Places are generally active 24/7 and there are lot of entertainment activities, like karaoke places and bars, that people can go to. I’ll be walking down the street, and there’s little streets here and there [and I sometimes say] ‘hi’ to people walking by.”

To avoid the crowded streets, many people, like those commuting to work and students on their way to school, use public transportation, which is essential to continue the basic flow of the busy city.

“Here [in San Diego], you have to walk, bike, and take the car, and the cars have like six lanes; whereas in Korea, most people take the subway,” said Mira Kinebuchi (12), who has visited South Korea four times.

Having grown up used to the busy tempo of Seoul life, Lee appreciates the duality of the city, enjoying a range of Korea’s interests, from traditional music to the popular karaoke rooms, available to those under 21.

“I really like the 63 building,” Lee said. “It has 63 floors and is the tallest building in Seoul. It shows how much Korea has changed from a really poor country to a modern country.”

In less than four decades, Seoul has transformed into a global city as a highly developed economic hub, laying the ground for an advanced technological infrastructure. This rapid growth is considered by Koreans a symbol of national pride and self-sufficiency.

“We developed a lot, and Korea is the 13th largest economy,” Yeo said. “Korea was a poor country, and we had to get a lot of aid, but now we are giving aid to other countries. Only a few people are not educated. Korea is just very much Westernized.”

Like many aspects in Seoul that are reflective of the transition from poverty to prosperity in a few arduous decades, beauty is highly valued and is often associated with hard work, contrary to the American ideal of effortless beauty and sunkissed skin.

Korean culture still maintains many of its earlier values, however.

While many may think that its old Confucian beliefs are buried in the woodwork of old buildings or hidden away in old texts with Korean calligraphy, the culture heavily stresses these values even today.

“Politeness and courtesy are really emphasized, as well as respect for elders,” Lee said. “Korean is unique in that, in speech, it has a polite form of verbs, which emphasize being humble.”

Even the small but bustling Seoul that prides itself on humble character is not afraid to boast its “Gangnam Style” around the world.

by Sarah Brown

singapore The four national languages represent each ethnic group in the population. The most commonly spoken language is English, and it is taught to students in most schools, but they have the option of pursuing, from a young age, the language that matches their ethnicity. As Singaporeans age, many learn to speak between two and four languages, including their own variant of English — “Singlish” — according to Sin. “Singlish is pretty fun to learn,” Sin said. “It is Singaporean English that borrows a lot from Chinese grammatical structure and words from Hokkien, Malay, Cantonese and other languages.”

Over 80 percent of the diverse Singaporean population lives in public housing. As part of the nation’s attempt to make the city eco-friendly, it has been enhancing greenery and reducing energy consumption by rebuilding the housing developments, according to green housing program director Ng Bingrong in an interview with CNN. Amy Ni (11), who attended school in Singapore for part of elementary school, appreciated the city’s environmental developments.

“The public transportation was really nice, so I could get to a lot of places easily without having to drive,” Ni said. “[My family] owned a car at first, but then we sold it. It’s just easier to take the bus.”

Singapore also has taken to exacting fines for owning personal vehicles, reducing energy and natural resource consumption.

Like Sin’s unintentional application to Yale-NUS, everything in Singapore seems to come together for a reason. The celebration of cultural identity, wide variety of language and ethnicity, and advancements in environmental stability come together to create what has become one of the most successful cosmopolitan cities in the world, embodying aspects of both Eastern and Western society.

By Russell Reed

art by katie mulkowsky/falconer

Yale-NUS College student Tiffany Sin (‘13) ended up in Singapore by accident. Although she did not mean to apply to the Singaporean campus while filling out her Yale University application, her acceptance was the beginning of an education that transcended textbooks.

“It is actually pretty interesting: how Singapore deals with cultural differences compared to the United States,” Sin said. “At home, [the topic of] race is very taboo in order to minimize the differences. [In Singapore], race is very in-your-face in order to celebrate the differences.

I still cannot decide which I like more.”

The Singaporean philosophy on cultural representation became apparent to Sin during Chinese New Year. Joining many other international students, she tagged along with local students to the festivities and found streets filled with celebrating citizens of all ethnic groups. However, the city is not limited to enjoying Chinese culture — in November she celebrated Diwali, a Hindu holiday, with her friends.

“A lot of heritage is maintained,” Sin said. “I’m only a first generation American at home, but I still feel I could easily have abandoned all Chinese traditions if I wanted to [while in the United States]. Here, regardless of where or when you came from, it’s totally normal to continue many traditions … like Chinese New Year.”

Like Sin, Benjamin Dang (11) noticed a difference between the multicultural elements of Singapore and the United States.

“Around the world, being American is idealized,” Dang said.

“In Singapore, there is nothing like ‘I want to be Singaporean.’

You are your own culture, your own heritage. Everyone speaks English, but there, the national languages are English, Malay, Chinese a n d Tamil.”

tphsfalconer.com

feature

the falconer

A13

gap YEAR Although many students’ education about the world is filtered through the school system, characters like Holden Caulfield and Huckleberry Finn gain a different education outside the confines of a or even the exclusive Pencey Prep, learning themselves on a raft on the Mississippi River or the York City. Many students take gap years for this kind after the saturation of high school. just driven so hard,” said Tim Porter-DeVriese, who round programs at Rustic Pathways, a gap year travel you get into college, that’s just more dry, academic of that, and students are just not getting experience in

money rather than spend it. Wientjes is a paid employee of Optimum Therapeutics, and Jablon coached several TPHS Lincoln-Douglas debaters while also working at Hotel Indigo in Del Mar, Calif. Although Jablon earned a salary and stipends as a hired debate judge, he also gained other skills that have helped him in college.

“I got some abilities I wouldn’t have had,” Jablon said. “I was socially awkward — I’m still a bit awkward — but less so now because of working there at the front desk.” schoolhouse Although Jablon, Vaux and Wientjes kept, or will keep, fairly busy during their more about gap years, all three admit that straying from the beaten path of attending college hubbub of New can seem strange at times. Vaux said it feels “a little weird” that “everyone is talking of self-reflection about how they got into this school or that school, or committing to colleges, and I “Students are don’t know where I’m going to go yet.” Before his gap year, Wientjes also feared that directs yearhe would be alienated from his friends. organization. “If “After I made the decision, I was really excited, and then after a couple of months stuff right on top I felt like ‘What did I just do?’” Wientjes said. “I wondered if my friends would still the real world.” remember me, but I think you feel like that with every big decision you make.

TPHS students opt for gap years to make time for many unique types Sometimes when people post class schedules on Facebook, I’ll think, ‘Aw, darn it.’ of learning. Sam Vaux (12) has chosen to take a gap year following E v e n when I go back, I’ll be a year junior.” graduation in hopes of becoming more independent On the other hand, Porter-DeVriese does not think that being while indulging her passion for travel. In addition a year older than other college students, or a year behind one’s [College is] just more peers, is a major issue. While the difference between years in to traveling throughout Europe, Vaux plans to dry, academic stuff ... high school is considered “a big deal,” in college, “everyone can work as a nanny for her cousins and take classes at C a m b r i d g e University. and students are just not take most classes, and you’re basically on the same page.”

“Once the opportunity came around, I just However, Cambra admits that gap years can have drawbacks. thought it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” Vaux getting experience in the “It’s a break in their education, so they won’t have the freshman said. “I consider myself an independent person, but I would like to college experience with kids that are their age,” Cambra said. real world. become completely self-sufficient, and I think a gap year can give me College is still on students’ minds even during the year off.

Tim Porter-DeVriese Jablon, Wientjes and Porter-DeVriese believe that gap years do that opportunity.” rustic pathways director not hurt the chances of getting into a university, especially since, For other seniors, opportunities arise that they simply cannot pass up. Michael Wientjes (‘13) felt he needed to continue his work according to Wientjes, schools still “look at my grades, my scores at Optimum Therapeutics because of his unique position in the lab, where he has and all the numbers from high school.” However, any benefit depends on how students worked since seventh grade. use their time.

“It would have been hard to find a replacement for me,” Wientjes said. “Normally, “You’re not doing yourself a favor … unless you’re doing something meaningful,” hiring undergrads is unheard of. In large part, I was being hired because I could Porter-DeVriese said. “But if you do something you can write about in an essay, you devote so much time. I work more than full-time, so it would have been impossible should do that.” to juggle. I was either letting the lab down or myself down if I failed all my classes.”

Once she actually gets to college, Vaux is sure that her experience abroad will Unlike Wientjes and Vaux, who sought work experience and travel opportunities help her, since she will “gain that extra maturity being away from [her] parents outside of college, Kyle Jablon (‘12) accepted an offer from the University of Chicago, and knowing how to take care of [herself].” Jablon also thinks that the added time where he is now in school, to postpone matriculation in favor of a gap year, because for considering majors and relaxing after the stress of high school ensures more he wanted a better and more well-rounded college experience. Jablon was accepted motivation in college and solidifies career choices. by the University of California, San Diego and UC Davis, but preferred to study “The good part is that you get to work on yourself,” Jablon said. “You get time to economics and computer science at a prestigious university that had an “intellectual think over what you want to do, and you often decide you don’t want to do something. atmosphere” and was far enough away to possess a “culture [un]like Torrey.”

There’s less time to consider if you only get four months between school and college.”

Eventually, the parents of Jablon, Wientjes and Vaux all consented to the gap After a year off, Jablon did not feel “rusty” when he returned to school because, years, but the idea of diverging before entering college elicited mixed reactions. like Wientjes, he had taken online classes through programs like Open Courseware Jablon’s parents imposed several “conditions” on him before agreeing, since his dad and Consortium to get familiar with the material he currently studies. “thought [he] was wasting a year of [his] life for no reason.”

While neither Jablon nor Wientjes regret taking a gap year, Porter-DeVriese said “They didn’t like the expenses part of it,” Jablon said. “It’s less than college, which that, for many students, going straight into college can actually be the best decision. is $60,000 per year, but it’s still a factor … I had to work [during the year] and spend “Someone who has a scholarship to a state school might be disadvantaged, since my own money for personal stuff and food, or if I wanted to do something fun.” those opportunities go away if you don’t take advantage immediately,” PorterApart from the expenses, counselor Jayme Cambra believes that the idea of gap DeVriese said. “If you want to play sports with the NCAA, a gap year could set you years is still new to many American students. back a long way. And, if you just feel great about going to college and know what you “Many cultures and societies [have students that take] gap years, but this is a want to do, you don’t need to second guess yourself.” newer thing for us,” Cambra said. “I think there’s a big push for our kids to go Choosing a gap year can offer an education of an entirely different kind directly to college, and sometimes they’re just not ready.” and value from college. In the United States, most prefer to jump right into Because Wientjes’ dad grew up in Europe, he supported his son’s plans for a schools. However, though they might not travel with a runaway slave o r gap year since they are so common for European high school graduates. In Europe, through New York City, some TPHS the decision to take a gap year requires less “explanation” to family and friends, students find the benefits of travel, which Wientjes sometimes finds “annoying.” Porter-DeVriese believes that the sheer work, and independence help number of nations on the continent can also encourage young people to travel. them on their own journeys.

“The countries are much smaller, so you can quickly and inexpensively travel By Varun Bhave and from one country to another, and yet see very distinct cultures and traditions in each Sarah Chan one,” Porter-DeVriese said. university of california Rustic Pathways offers programs around the world, which emphasize community service, language immersion or outdoor adventure. In all the programs, PorterDeVriese said students “get to know the place, interact with local communities and gain cultural understanding.” Although Porter-DeVriese admits that traveling independently can have its own rewards, he emphasized the advantages of programs like Rustic Pathways.

“We place a lot of emphasis on risk management,” Porter-DeVriese said. “We have a partnership with the International SOS … Some travel independently, and you do get to set your own schedule, but you often don’t know where you go.

You’re limited since you can’t meet real people in the country. We’ve been around for 30 years and have invested in community outreach. We don’t come in, set up and then depart.”

Porter-DeVriese added that Rustic Pathways offers merit and needbased scholarships for students that cannot afford travel expenses. For Wientjes and Jablon, however, the gap year represented an opportunity to acquire

”

BERKELEY

photos by layla mazdyasni, russell reed and emily sun/falconer art by emily sun/falconer

A14 the falconer

feature

february 13, 2014

Whose Line is it

Anyway?

A

Within a year of its inception, the TPHS Improv club is already a big hit.

By Alice Qu

photos by grace bruton/falconer

Russian chess grandmaster Vladimir stood on the brightly lit stage dressed casually “I’ve studied improv and taken classes on it at places like the National Comedy Theatre in a black T-shirt and blue jeans, his hands on his waist and eyes fixed on the ground. downtown and the Groundlings, [an improvisational school in Los Angeles,] which is Locked on the figure were dozens of watchful eyes anticipating the start of an intense where Will Ferrell also graduated from,” Donahoe said. chess match. A second later, the audience’s laughter rang out as the figure unexpectedly Many other members in the club, like Godfrey Flax (11) and Jenny Tumay (12), also began to yell at his opponent. have past experience in performance.

The chess game was not the fateful final round of the World Chess Championship, nor “I’ve been performing [stand-up comedy] in front of people for probably about 2 years is Vladimir an actual person with anger management issues. In reality, beneath the guise now,” Flax said. “If I want to do stand-up, I go to an open mic in La Jolla or somewhere of Vladimir was Daniel Weiser (12), captain of the TPHS Improv Club. with comedy clubs.”

Improv is short for improvisation, which is to “go off-script and be unplanned,” According to Bath, Flax’s “humorous personality, strong improvisational skills, and according to club adviser John Donahoe. past experience with stand-up comedy” contribute to his confidence and his ability to pull According to the website of ComedySportz, which runs a high school competitive a scene together. comedy league, “improvisational comedy involves a whole group of performers making Tumay was frequently involved in team and performing sports in the past, including up scenes and playing games on the spot based on audience suggestions.” Actors onstage gymnastics, cheer, soccer and tennis. then build on the suggestion, creating a humorous scene to entertain the audience.

“I was expecting to get really nervous when I performed, but, really, it comes naturally Though forms of improvisational theater have been around since ancient Rome, to everybody because you’re just having fun,” Tumay said. “For me, it’s just something modern comedy improvisation is thought to have been originated by 20th century fun to do. I’m not very competitive in that sense.” theatrical innovator Viola Spolin, whose son, Paul Sills, went on to According to Flax, the team’s first show in the new school year was found Chicago’s famed The Second City comedy troupe, the first in the a success.

U.S., in 1959.

“After our first show, a bunch of people wanted to join Improv Club, I was expecting to get As the animated chess scene continued back and forth between the so we had extra auditions, and they took the people from the auditions really nervous ... but, and made a separate team,” Flax said. “They called the original team actors’ over exaggerated groans and nonsensical shouts, resounding bursts of laughter erupted from the audience. really, it comes naturally the Cardinal Team and the new team the Gold Team.”

“That was a horrible, horrible example of Russian stereotypes,” Students from the Gold Team who go to all of the practices and want to everybody because to be Improv show host Mike McFarland said. The audience chuckled. involved in shows can be moved to the Cardinal Team.

The scene that had ended was part of a game called Forward/ “They’ve done three amazing shows, and I think it’s growing quickly,” you’re just having fun.

Reverse, in which a referee blows a whistle and calls out “forward” Donahoe said. “I’ve had people calling me and knocking on my door Jenny Tumay (12) weekly to join the team.” or “reverse” at random intervals, and the actors follow the directions, student either calling upon their memory to retrace their past actions or coming In weekly meetings, the club members play short forms of up with new actions off the top of their heads. Forward/Reverse is one improvisation games such as Moving Bodies, Dance Party and Arms of many improvisational games the Improv Club plays.

Expert, which last three to five minutes, in comparison with long forms, which last for “We started Improv Club last year because our school never had an Improv or an hour.

ComedySportz team, and we should,” Weiser said. “If SDA can do it and CCA can do it, “We’ve gotten a lot better at thinking on our feet,” Weiser said. “[Improv] takes a lot of then of course TP can do it, too.” not only performing skills but also quick thinking skills.”

Auditions were held at the end of the 2012-2013 school year, and students who made The club hopes to continue improving and eventually be able to participate in the the team practiced together over the summer. Both Mackenzie Bath (11) and Weiser ComedySportz High School League, which is similar to ComedySportz Los Angeles, a imparted their knowledge of theater and improvisation to new members. In addition professional comedy show with two teams and a referee. to creating the club, Bath has participated in improvisational activities for six years at “I’m proud of their hard work,” Donahoe said. “They’re great kids, and they’ve worked Camp Bravo, a theater arts summer camp in Big Bear, while Weiser has performed in very hard to earn the right to be onstage. I’m just excited that we all got to be a part of the plays at a local theater. first improv team, and we’re all having a great time. That’s what it’s all about.”

“That’s when I learned to love performing, and it was an awesome experience being Weiser will always stand in a line with his fellow teammates at the end of a show, not onstage,” Weiser said. as Russian chess grandmaster Vladimir, but as himself, with a smile and an outreached Bath and Weiser started TPHS’ first Improv Club with Donahoe, who they knew had hand to high-five a completely satisfied audience — who also may be slightly out of breath past experience with improvisation. from laughing too hard.

”

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PEER ASSISTANT LISTENERS Read the personal story of

one in

feature

A15

2,758

an anonymous PAL. Too often we assume that we’re the only odd ones out in a seemingly secure, content crowd.

It takes an extraordinary event to convince us otherwise, and for me that event was joining PALs. For the past semester, I have dredged up old issues and laid them out before strangers, sworn to secrecy. I have met people who, within an hour, knew me better than many of my friends. Most importantly, I have met people who have been through almost every situation imaginable. The following article is about one of my recent experiences.

Depression has hit just about every person in my immediate family at some point, but the people who have suffered from it the most are my brother and mother. Starting a few months ago and up until a few weeks ago, it was difficult watching them struggle: my brother walling himself off from everybody else and my mother constantly breaking down into tears. My dad works out of state, so most of the year, he is not around to help me deal with them. At one point, both my brother and mom mentioned suicide in a few particularly desperate moments. Their words were uttered in the spur of the moment and were not serious or long-lasting. Nevertheless, they frightened me. My father was thousands of miles away during one of those instances, and for the next two days, I was hypervigilant. For a while, I felt useless, unable to help. Their depression did not seem serious enough to warrant professional therapy, but it was bad enough to keep me awake at night.

I remember the day before my dad last left, I asked for advice on how to manage my mom and brother. He told me many things, but the advice which stuck with me most was his suggestion to trust them. He said that, in the end, only they could dig themselves out of their respective mental holes. They had to find a way to cope and move on, and they were strong enough to do it themselves.

I was skeptical at first — in my experience, depressed people were never very rational. But my dad knew them well. Within days, they got better. My mom and brother still struggle with their feelings, but are happier than I’ve seen them in months. While my dad’s advice cannot apply to everyone, it serves as a reminder to keep hoping because people are surprisingly resilient, and with the right support, they can overcome any mental obstacle.

The feeling of being alone with your troubles is one of the worst in the world. People deal with it differently — some withdraw, some become cynical, but most just pretend everything’s normal.

As a PAL, I’ve encountered people who’ve gone through the same experiences as me — or worse.

It is our job as PALs to listen to students who are experiencing trouble of any kind, and in the process, heal not only the people we talk to, but heal ourselves.

Like them, we hurt. And because of that, we try our best to understand.

NOTE: This column is not intended to replace therapy. Seek professional help if you need it.

the falconer

Yasmeen Baki

(11)

Initially inspired to sew by lovely fabric and Internet tutorials, Yasmeen Baki now influences other students through the TPHS Sewing Club and her Etsy store.

Stitch it up: Baki puts the finishing touches on an apron with colorful print before uploading a picture to her online store, Alice’s Monocle.

We all know the danger of diverting, even for a minute, from our studies and other activities to take a brief stroll through the Internet. The rabbit hole it represents, with myriad side trails and diversions, has ruined many productive homework sessions.

But just as Alice fell down the rabbit hole and discovered Wonderland, Internet browsing led Yasmeen Baki (11) to one of her biggest passions: sewing.

“It’s actually kind of a weird story,” Baki said. “The first time I had been inspired to sew, I was just browsing through different Etsy shops and saw a fabric that I really liked, so I bought my first sewing machine and taught myself through Internet tutorials.”

Starting with simple items like pencil bags and pouches, Baki gradually began to work on more complex and difficult pieces.

“I’ve moved on recently to clothing like aprons, and most recently, I made a [Revolutionary War] coat for an AP U.S. History project,” Baki said.

Aside from school projects, Baki also sews regularly in her free time.

“I think sewing is not so much of a challenge, but there are definitely difficult techniques, so there have been times when I’ve gotten frustrated,” Baki said. “You kind of need to step back and take a break, but overall, I find it more fun and relaxing than difficult.”

Baki bought most of her supplies from the Etsy shops that first inspired her to begin sewing. After practicing how to sew, she eventually opened up her own Etsy shop, Alice’s Monocle, last summer because she had too

photos by layla mazdyasni/falconer

SEW her to

WHAT: Baki’s discover one

many projects to keep for herself.

“Alice’s Monocle is a place for me to get my work out there, as well as a place where family and friends can see what I have been working on,” Baki said.

Baki had originally wanted her shop to be named the Gilded Monocle.

“So much of life is perceptionbased, and everybody needs an outlet through which they can establish what it means to have their own reality,” Baki said. “I’ve found that the strongest way for me to connect with my own truth is through writing, as well as the creation that sewing entails. I like to imagine the gilded monocle as a way through which others can see the reality that belongs to their contemporaries.”

However, the name was taken, so she decided to name her shop Alice’s Monocle, after Alice from “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.” Because of the perception of reality presented in the novel, Baki has grown to like the name even more.

TPHS Sewing Club also allows Baki to share her passion with others who love sewing.

“Last summer, I received a message asking if I would like to take over the club, and since then I have enjoyed helping others learn to sew,” Baki said. “Also, the group dynamic allows for different

THE

PROCESS

$25.00

First, Baki searches Sew Fresh Fabrics for inspiration.

apron

After making the products, Baki posts them on Etsy.

endeavors on of her favorite

the Internet led pastimes: sewing.

techniques and methods to be shared. Because all the sewing done for the club is by hand, I’ve been pushed to search and plan for different types of projects, which in turn has helped to develop my own sewing skills.”

Since the club meets during lunch, Baki said they work on small things that can easily be finished in 30 minutes.

“So far, we have made fabric flowers, and are currently working on felt stuffed animals,” Baki said. “I usually find inspiration for these projects on idea-sharing websites such as Pinterest.”

Although Baki enjoys sewing, she does not think it will become anything more than a hobby. “[Sewing is] a great way for me to relax and take my mind off of other things, and I’m content with designing and assembling projects on my own terms when I can find the time,” Baki said. “In terms of pursuing it further, I still have a lot to learn.”

Like Alice who eventually woke up from her dream of journeying through Wonderland, sewing will only continue as a hobby for Baki. However, this journey down the rabbit hole forever changed Baki, who uses her imagination and creativity to take on the role of the rabbit and lead others into Wonderland.

By Sarah Kim

What’s the

Stitch?

An inside look on Baki’s sewing and selling process and some of her most recent projects.

$10.50 $7.50

Baki shares the Etsy products on Pinterest for her followers to view.

pencil pouch

zipper pouch infographic by grace bruton, sarah chan and russell reed/falconer

ENTERTAINMENT

The Falconer reviews Christo’s environmental art, A21

In the Spotlight

The Falconer checks out the events that took the media by storm in the last month.

$93.6

million made during Thanksgiving week

Disney’s “Frozen” was one of the biggest movies of the year, garnering over $300 million domestically. The soundtrack bumped Beyoncé out of the number one spot on Billboard, and “Let it Go” is nominated for an Oscar. Normally, this kind of immense hype for a movie would be irritating, but in this case, it is pretty much justified. “Frozen” is a goddamn delight, and anyone who says otherwise is a sad and broken individual.

Late Night

with whom?

Like the life stages of a caterpillar, NBC’s Late Night and Tonight Show lineup starts a new cycle as the newest hosts emerge from their cocoons like so many eager, besuited butterflies. We forget where we were going with this metaphor, but what matters is that Jay Leno is finally retiring, leaving a bad joke vaccuum in the fabric of space time, and the brilliant Jimmy Fallon will take his place on the Tonight Show. Seth Meyers will replace Fallon on Late Night leaving him free to continue the proud tradition of white guys telling punfilled jokes to your grandparents.

‘You go , Glen Coco!’

Tina Fey’s “Mean Girls” celebrates its 10-year anniversary in April. Fans of the teen classic should know that a musical version of the film is in the works, to be scored by Jeff Richmond, Tina Fey’s husband, because, of course. We think Fey and Richmond deserve some sort of medal for their service to this country.

Feb. 9 marked 50 years to the day that the Beatles made their first appearance in the United States on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” The tribute concert that aired on CBS featured Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran, among others, because evidently the lineup was put together by someone who had never heard a single Beatles song. This was all put right when Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr closed the show and reminded us all why we suffered through a Keith Urban and John Mayer duet in the first place.

The 2014

Grammy Awards

The 2014 Grammys was a big night for Daft Punk, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis and anyone who wanted to see Taylor Swift headbang her way through a whiny piano ballad, which is no one, by our estimation. Beyoncé dancing with a chair and defying the laws of physics was also a notable event.

Hats off to Pharrell Pharrell’s hat was the real star of the Grammys, leaving people to wonder what exactly was underneath its cavernous exterior.

We have reason to believe it hid an elixir that keeps Pharrell immortal — he is 40!

The Biebs signed to Usher’s label after being discovered on YouTube by Scooter Braun. His first single went Platinum, and the country was entranced by this innocent cherub hailing from the exotic hills of suburban Canada. What could possibly go wrong?!

October 2008

merican an m s s e r g Con In what seems like an elaborate piece of performance art, Clay Aiken announced that he will be running for Congress in a largely Republican congressional district in North Carolina.

Aiken, who has no political experience and has already failed to win America’s vote once, has a tough campaign ahead. But with enough hair gel and Elton John covers, we believe anything is possible.

The Rise and Fall of the Bieber Empire

March 2010 During what will surely be later coined the Golden Age of Biebs, Bieber’s My World 2.0 debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200, and Bieber became an international star. Music snobs warned that his rapid ascent to fame was the Beginning of the End.

You say goodbye, and I say hello The 22nd Winter Olympics opened in Sochi on Feb. 9, and the world watched in wonder as a billiondollar opening ceremony unfolded in a city that lacks basic infrastructure.

The ceremony involved beautiful pyrotechnics, an airborne child and, of course, a mysteriously fully-clothed Russian president Vladmir Putin, who looked like he was passing a kidney stone the entire time. This is not to make light of the actual medical emergency taking place in Bob Costas’s left eye, which is liable to fall out any moment now.

Like all tragic heroes, Bieber eventually fell prey to his greatest weakness: hubris. Or was it pot? It was pot. Bieber was arrested in Miami Beach, Florida for driving under the influence of alcohol, marijuana and Xanax.

He was released on bail, only to get arrested again in Toronto for assaulting a limo driver.

January 2014

words by charu sinha/falconer photos courtesy of google images

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By attending eCAP Day you will secure an early enrollment time for summer or fall 2014 semester! eCAP Day for Torrey Pines High School is Wednesday, March 12, 2014

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A17

A18 the falconer

entertainment

february 13, 2014

And the Oscar goes to...

The Falconer’s Charu Sinha challenges the 2014 Academy Award nominations and suggests an alternate list of movies that should have been nominated for Best Picture.

Since their inception, the Academy Awards have remained the of that particular plot with barbed wit and an entirely unconventional ultimate validation of a film’s importance and cultural relevance. main character. Even though Frances is goofy and what some might It is extremely unfortunate, then, that the Academy has remained consider — cringe — “adorkable,” Gerwig masterfully avoids the pitfalls frustratingly narrow-minded in its choice of nominees. Nowhere is this of other similarily whacky and aimless characters like Jess of “New Girl” more evident than the category of Best Picture. It seems that there is a or even Hannah of “Girls,” who are both devoid of self-awareness to the certain formula to an Oscar-winning movie: a cast that reads like an point of absurdity. She instead writes and plays a main character who A-list roster, a historical or political plot filled with ostentatious is entirely aware of her aimlessness but plows on anyway. “Frances Ha” dialogue, and an unbelievable amount of marketing. This is an understated triumph that deserves recognition from the Academy, is not to say that every movie nominated this year is which was never hesitant to award accolade upon accolade to Woody Allen’s unworthy, but it is unarguable that nominations have inescapably similar “Manhattan” nearly 30 years ago. become somewhat homogeneous.

3. “The World’s End” is the least likely movie on this list to be even Not one film nominated this year for Best Picture strays vaguely within the realm of possibility for an Oscar nomination. This speaks outside the confines of Oscar Bait. The movies recognized less to the movie’s value and more to the foot-dragging of a dated system of by the Academy — typically depressing dramas filled with nomination, one that favors the flashier forms of drama and, time and time A-listers who are guaranteed to generate hype — are made again, completely shuts out movies of other genres. That being said, comedy specifically for the purpose of winning Oscars. For years, films from the past decade or so have not exactly been a wealth of quality — the Academy has ignored comedies, independent films, or See: Adam Sandler’s entire filmography. But is this not all the more reason any film that challenges the status quo. This may seem to reward a film that finally got it right? “The World’s End” is the third trivial, but because the Oscar is considered the definitive film in the Three Flavors Cornetto trilogy that started with the delightful arbiter of quality movies, the Academy’s shortsightedness “Shaun of the Dead” and continued with the even better “Hot ultimately labels some movies Fuzz.” While “The Wolf of Wall Street” and “American Hustle” as “important” and others as boxwere labeled comedies, these movies can only be categorized as The Academy’s short watered-down forms of satire labeled “comedy” simply for the office by-products, creating a gap in Americans’ understanding of film sightedness ultimately sake of “diversity” within the Best Picture category. “The World’s and pop culture as a whole. As Conan End” is the definition of a comedy, using slapstick punch lines labels some movies as and puns worthy of Monty Python. Instead of descending into O’Brien said in an interview with Judd Apatow, “I consider ‘Animal House’ to ‘important’ and others as formula as sequels are bound to do, “The World’s End” shifts be a perfect movie, and yet, it’ll never wildly in tone, bringing even stranger situations to screen while box-office by-products. never losing sight of its science fiction roots. If film snobs remain be given an Oscar. For some reason, something like ‘Black Swan’ should unconvinced of the movie’s “artistic” merit, rest assured that matter more to me and other moviegoers. What gives?” director Edgar Wright captures the dark nature of its childish characters Here are the movies I think should have been nominated for by portraying them as tragically naive, rendering the film with the same Best Picture at this year’s Oscars: earnest abandon as it was written by the brilliant Simon Pegg.

1. Gripping and atmospheric, Alexandre Moors’ “Blue Caprice” 4. No documentary has ever been nominated for Best Picture because adapts the true story of the Beltway Sniper, John Muhammad there is already a Best Documentary Feature category, but the exclusion (Isaiah Washington), who killed 10 people in Washington, D.C. in of documentaries from wider nominations is wildly unfair. The category 2002. “Caprice” could easily exploit the inherent violent drama of of “Best Documentary Feature” creates an implicit distinction between the Beltway killings, but instead it chooses to explore the intricate documentaries and “other” movies, disregarding the enormous creativity psychology behind the killer, with haunting restraint. The result and storytelling that goes into the making of an artful documentary. This is is an authentic portrait of an unbelievably warped individual that all to say, it is time the Academy recognized documentaries as the powerful does not once spill over into a moralistic caricature. Washington’s nonfiction narratives they often are, and there is no better film to start with Muhammad is at once sympathetic and terrifying, losing his sense than “The Act of Killing.” The film follows Anwar Congo as he recounts the of humanity even as the audience finally begins to understand mass killings of Indonesians in 1965, for which he was responsible. The him. “Caprice” exemplifies the value of a quiet character study, film is difficult to watch in the best way, giving Congo a human face while revealing the twistedness of Muhammad with a steady but subtle it strips away the last of his defensive bravado. It is a true testament to the hand, instead of shoving it down our throats with mindless, gory power of film — it brings about catharsis not only for its viewers but also excess — I’m looking at you, “Wolf of Wall Street.” the main character himself. In my mind, it is not just the best documentary 2. Speaking of quiet character studies, “Frances Ha” is another of 2013, but the best film of 2013, period. muted yet poignant film that focuses on the nuances of its main 5. Honorable Mention: “Escape from Tomorrow” was the weirdest character, though Greta Gerwig’s endearing Frances veers more movie I have ever seen, but also one of the most compelling. Shot entirely toward quirky than homicidal. Filmed in black and white in a on location in Disneyland, the film follows a man through the park as he variety of rich urban landscapes, “Frances” evokes the graceful has increasingly strange visions. The film deserves attention not only for realism of Woody Allen’s similarly stylistic, New York City- its fascinating magical realism, but also for the efforts it took to produce; centric dramadies. The film follows 20-something-year-old Disney did not give permission for the film to be made and writer-director Frances as she tries to figure out her place in the big wide Randy Moore went to great lengths to keep his odd duck of a film as bizarre world, cutting through the cliché-ridden potential and uncensored as possible.

”

photos courtesy of universal pictures, sundance selects, ifc films, drafthouse films, producers distribution agency

entertainment

tphsfalconer.com

the falconer

A19

‘Monuments’ not worth preserving

photo courtesy of columbia pictures

On paper, “The Monuments Men” might seem like it has a lot going for it, including create yet another World War II film; however, Clooney is not perceptive or daring a star-studded cast led by director and cowriter George Clooney. But on-screen, the enough to do anything with his potentially interesting concept, and the film is thrown amongst the never-ending stack of war movies, missing “Saving Private Ryan” and movie has just too little to actually live up to its title.

Inspired by a true story, the movie begins as the Monuments Men are sent on “Inglorious Bastards” on the way down.

The men prove to be at least slightly monumental in this stara mission amidst World War II to preserve art that the Nazis studded cast, but the film’s main flaw lies with Cate Blanchett, have stolen, including classic works like the “Ghent Altarpiece” and Michelangelo’s Madonna of Bruges. The team consists of Claire Simon, an employee of the Jeu de Paume museum, The Monuments Men playing whose awful accent and vague yet predictable storyline are so a motley bunch of adventurers: a sculptor (John Goodman), an Rated PG-13 architect (Bill Murray), a curator at the Metropolitan Museum misplaced that the usually phenomenal actress is unbearable to watch.

(Matt Damon), an arts impresario (Bob Balaban) and a French Although Murray and Goodman occasionally chime in to deliver art dealer (Jean Dujardin), all led by art historian Frank Stokes (Clooney). a few gentle chuckles, “The Monuments Men” is too tediously The trailer serves as a better version of the film and implies grave to make fun of its subjects. The scenes in which the team’s that the team will be thrown right into the middle of a series of battles to save the inadequacy as soldiers give some life to the film are over too quickly, and the humor paintings. But with no real battles or drama, the plot is a slow, straight line of loosely is soon covered by Clooney’s next voiced-over reminder that these men are real heroes with a very important mission. connected vignettes stretched between the opening and closing credits.

Clooney’s directing skills fail to make an impression and instead tease the audience The film could have been a comedy, playing up the absurdity of these out-of-shape by showing no clear vision. The film seems to skip the climax and go straight to the scholars stumbling after the footsteps of the generation’s war heroes. It could have resolution, leaving audiences confused as to whether or not the film is truly over. been a historical drama, exploring the deaths that accompany the cultivation of art. It Clooney continues to deliver the same voice-over again and again, as if he is afraid that could have even been a documentary, telling the true story of the Monuments Men. But the film fails to be any of the them; it is no work of art, and is not at all monumental. the audience might forget his statement about how art is worth the sacrifice.

By Sarah Brown The film’s intriguing idea of art in a battlefield would make it seem acceptable to

‘Robocop’: A Violent Fail

photo courtesy of columbia pictures

With violence and robots abounding, Jose completely unphased, and her obviously fake tears Padilha’s remake of the 1987 film “Robocop” is the ruined the emotion of the scene. perfect formula for blockbuster success. Yet, even Similarly, Kinnaman’s overall performance lacked with such potential, it did not live up to the quality of any sentiment. Kinnaman had limited character its 1987 predecessor. development, which was understandable considering In 2028, OmniCorp is leading the robot revolution, he was portraying a robot, yet his acting made intending to use robots as police officers to create a Robocop’s potentially interesting and exciting journey more efficient and effective police force. When police boring and oftentimes confusing. A more prominent officer Alex Murphy (Joel Kinnaman) is injured in an internal conflict that centered on Robocop’s journey explosion by a suspect in one of his cases, OmniCorp would have made the movie more entertaining leader (Michael Keaton) believes Murphy to be the and affecting. Like a robot, his performance lacked key to marketing his robot-police force concept. human expression and feeling.

Using Dr. Dennet Norton’s The film had a few redeeming (Gary Oldman) revolutionary, moments. Although the special terminator-style technology, effects could not compare to those of Robocop the duo create Robocop, “Avatar,” they were better than Rated PG-13 intended to have flesh and expected and embodied an ideal metal, as well as reason and future setting without being too efficiency, coexist. clichéd.

Piggybacking on the success The movie’s true hero was of the first “Robocop,” the news commentator, Pat Novak film was clearly made to be nothing more than a (Samuel L. Jackson). His character shed light on Hollywood blockbuster to rack up easy ticket sales. the controversy regarding technology overpowering The violence was overdone to an almost unbearable modern society.Given the dependence on technology point. The movie began with suicide bombers and in the modern-day world, this idea was relevant the killing of a young boy, which was a surprising and creatively embedded in the movie. Jackson’s and disturbing way to open the movie. One scene had successful mockery of today’s society added a so many machine guns firing at once that it created sarcastic undertone to an otherwise action-centered a strobe light effect in the theater. The movie still storyline. could have been effective without the unnecessary “Robocop” was a failed attempt at taking a fresh and borderline distracting violence. look at a 1980s classic. While the film was occasionally Abbie Cornish’s performance as Clara Murphy, entertaining, it made clear that the 1980s view of the Robocop’s wife, was unconvincing and emotionless. future does not fit well with that of 2014.

Even at the most devastating moment, she remained

By Caroline Rutten

A20 the falconer

entertainment

february 13, 2014

Falcon Eats

Pizza

Manhattan Giant Pizza

Manhattan Giant Pizza is a jewel of a pizza restaurant tucked away on a downtown Encinitas side street. The shop lives up to its “largest pizza in town” claim by making some of the hugest, and tastiest, pizzas out there.

The inside of Manhattan Giant Pizza is very simple and clean, by pizza shop standards. On the right side is an open kitchen; my party of four and I could see our pizzas made every step of the way. As with all pizza parlors, walking in and taking in the scents stirs the appetite, which was the case at Manhattan Giant Pizza. The menu lists a variety of toppings that can be added to full pizzas or individual pieces. At Manhattan Giant Pizza, deciding on the right combination of toppings for pies and slices will require a moderate amount brainpower.

While the menu offers a variety of pizzas, calzones, pasta dinners, salads and sandwiches, it is obvious that pizza is both the restaurant’s primary focus and strongest selling point. The service was also very professional: The cashiers made small talk, and the friendly chefs loved to chat with customers.

My party and I ordered a Caesar salad, costing $4.75, one small pizza with “The Works” and one Classic Pizza, which cost $16.99 and $14.99, respectively. Both pizzas were 12 inches, came with eight sizeable pieces each, and

photo by tara manoogian/falconer

Price Range: $7-$15 135 N. Hwy 101 Solana Beach, CA 92075 I do not know whose idea it was to go to Pizza Port on Super Bowl Sunday. Only a block from Fletcher’s Cove, the restaurant, with bar, has an ideal location on Highway 101, and the close access to the beach and abundance of homebrewed ales ensured the place would be packed with loud, drunk football fans.

As on any day, Pizza Port’s first and smallest location in Solana Beach had little seating available inside. After my friend and I decided what we wanted to order, we spent 10 minutes waiting for the cashier to notice us. Once she did, she was very courteous and apologetic regarding the wait. Out of curiosity, we ordered Garlic Beer Buddies — essentially breadsticks with garlic — spicy baked chicken wings, the San Clemente pizza and, of course, the only homemade brew we could drink: root beer.

After sitting down at one of the community-style tables next to a few football spectators, we waited for 10 minutes for our food, drinking the extremely refreshing root beer, though I probably could not have differentiated it from commercial brands. It was notably noisy inside, and we found it relatively hard to hear each other, but given that the Super Bowl was on, we were forgiving.

I went up to grab my Garlic Beer Buddies and eventually went through the same process for the chicken wings and

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pizza. When we finally had everything, we began to dig in.

The presentation was exactly what you would expect from a restaurant that refers to its food as “grub”: both appetizers came in baskets with paper lining. Both the buddies and wings had a little store-bought ranch with them, as well as celery sticks and carrots.

After one bite, it was clear that they did not need fancy presentation. The wings practically melted off the bone and were very flavorful, though I did not find them as spicy as their name implied. The Garlic Buddies were made from simple pizza dough covered in garlic and spices and cut up into bite-size pieces. They were delicious, and though the main ingredient was garlic, we did not find it overwhelming.

The pizza, however, was not as impressive. The toppings included black bean sauce, tomatoes, olives, red onions, cilantro, spices and cheese, creating a soggy concoction.

After two pieces each, we had to allow the rest to go to waste, as the beans simply overpowered the rest of the dish.

All in all, Pizza Port is exactly as it advertises: “tasty grub and grog.” Although we could not experience much on the “grog” side of the menu, the taste of our dishes made up for the presentation, and we had a positive dining experience in the 25-year local staple in Solana Beach.

By Russell Reed

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arrived at our tables exactly 10 minutes after we ordered.

The small Caesar salad was rather fresh, and came immediately after ordering. Although it was nothing outstanding, the small salad fed my group of four pretty well, and served as a suitable starter to the meal. Toppings on both pizzas included pepperoni, sausages, mushrooms, onions and bell peppers, with “The Works” adding delightful Canadian bacon to the pizza.

Everything, from the crust to the toppings, was very fresh. The onions and peppers were wonderfully crunchy, and the meat was easy to chew and tasted great. Pizza cheese in San Diego generally follows the trend of stringy, chewy and greasy, and Manhattan Giant Pizza shamelessly conforms to this norm. Paired with a modest amount of tomato sauce, the cheese was delectable and complimented a very tasty meal. The crusts of the pies themselves were thin and crispy.

While many bring up Domino’s, Papa John’s, or Oggi’s when thinking of a pizza place, Manhattan Giant Pizza is a filling, worthy addition to the well-known list of delicious pizza restaurants.

By Hanrui Zhang

LEAP AHEAD

Pizza Port

Price Range: $4-$20 143 W. D St. Encinitas, CA 92024

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tphsfalconer.com

entertainment

the falconer

A21

Christo: Art to Scale The Falconer’s Alex Jen examines Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s 51-year partnership as artists and presents his perspective on the transformative effect of their seemingly simple environmental projects.

They always used someplace common and ordinary in their projects — a locale so undoubtedly normal that when they descended upon the scene with either bright colors and polyethylene or simple fabric and rope, viewers were initially shocked by the transformation but ultimately unable to remember what they were so used to seeing in its place.

The concept might be hard to grasp, but it was how environmental artists and life partners Christo and the late Jeanne-Claude went about their work. Christo continues their work today, and a comprehensive retrospective of their early art pieces and projects, titled “X-TO + J-C: Featuring Works from the Bequest of David C. Copley” is currently on view at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego in La Jolla until April 6.

Christo and Jeanne-Claude were born on the same day in 1935, met in 1958, and began their collaborative approach to projects. Christo sold the drawings and preparatory works as the sole financial source for their works, and they executed the projects with other workers.

In 1968-1969, Christo and Jeanne-Claude used 1 million square feet of fabric and 35 miles of rope to shroud a 1.5 mile-long section of Australia’s coastline for “Wrapped Coast,” leaving behind a jagged protrusion of draped cliffs; the billowing fabric and pockets of air gave the coastline an ethereal, snow-covered appearance in the middle of summer. True, to say it plainly, it seems Christo and Jeanne-Claude only took the act of making a bed and applied it to a coastline, but the immediate, overwhelming aesthetic impact was huge and original.

In 2005, the artists lined up exactly 7,503 oversized vinyl door frames with draping swathes of saffron that snaked across all 843 acres of Manhattan’s Central Park.

From above, “The Gates” provided a stunning array of color, but they seemed to make more of a comment, even if Christo and Jeanne-Claude repeatedly deny any such intention.

The artists called “The Gates” a gift to the city, merely a source of beauty and joy, but there were some who refused to believe that the project had no hidden meaning. The doors could have signified passing through

the figurative gates of life, or maybe the bright color was supposed to bring to mind the robes of ascetic Buddhist monks. Whatever the analysis, like all of their other works, “The Gates” were temporary, lasting only 16 days, and the fleeting quality seemed to suggest the invisible, ever-present passageways we move through.

Christo’s earlier works are also in the exhibition — wrapped packages and everyday objects, items that disappear behind layers of fabric and reveal through concealment; ordinary things that did not have a particularly special identity before are now pressing the viewer to question what lies underneath the wrapping.

I think Christo is not telling us anything with his art.

Rather, he is telling us to stop thinking there is a strict definition of contemporary art. He is telling us to answer “What does it all mean?” in our own words.

The ephemeral nature of Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s environmental work, and the difficulty with which they get permission to carry out their projects — 37 rejected proposals over 50 years — only seem to embolden the artists’ statement that “all our work is about freedom.”

Freedom to borrow a piece of the environment and gently change it for a few days, freedom to consider whether their work means anything deeper, freedom to wonder why and how such an execution was possible.

The fact that Christo’s past projects exist only in drawings and photographs and can never be seen again gives them a legendary quality, suggesting “freedom” in the sense that the works belong to nobody, do not last for posterity like other pieces of art and exist “in the now.”

Christo gave a lecture at MCASD on Feb. 1 with his frizzy hair, well-worn military jacket, wax pencil — the whole package. And when one visitor asked, “Do people ever tell you you’re out of your mind, and a project is too crazy to realize?” Christo very aptly replied, perhaps in the carefree and simple nature of his projects, “I am out of my mind.”

A film about Christo’s project “The Umbrellas” will be shown at MCASD on Mar. 1 at 3 p.m. Tickets are free for students and $8 for general admission.

By Alex Jen photo by shunk-kender

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A22 the falconer

advertisement

february 13, 2013

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SPORTS

Girls basketball wins on last minute basket, A24

TPHS bids adieu to football head coach Scott Ashby, A27

Falcons soar past the Sun Devils GAME TIME

By Fernando Stepensky

Falcons and ending with baskets from other key contributors.

“We shot better than we Boys basketball (22-4) came usually do tonight, but [the 72 points [were out on top against Mt. Carmel Falcons’] High School (17-8) 72-55 in something we were unable to the penultimate game of the keep up with],” Mt. Carmel head Palomar League on Feb. 11, coach John Girten said.

The Falcons successfully taking a lead in the second quarter and building on the lead agitated the Sun Devils and prevented Mt. Carmel from for the duration of the game.

The absence of forward Jack executing their 3-pointers toward Bailey (11) and guards Jack the end of the first half, boasting Heller (11) and Brandon Cyrus a 40-27 lead and showing signs (10) had a noticeable effect on of a locked-in win. “ W e were really the Falcons’ gameplay, as they hot in the had a hard first quarter; time breaking We shot the ball very we shot the through the well, cut down the driving ball very well, Sun Devils’ cut down the defense.

At lanes and did a much better driving lanes the end of the job of boxing out and and did a first quarter, the game was rebounding the ball. much better job of boxing out a tossup with John Olive and rebounding the Falcons Head Coach [toward the end up 20-18 due of the second to 3-pointers quarter],” TPHS head coach from the Sun Devils.

“Brandon is one of our key John Olive said. “We did a good players,” guard Jack Beach job of executing our offense, and (11) said. “We’re proud that we missing all the guys that we are, were able to get a 20-point lead the performance that we had was very pleasing.” without him.”

The Falcons secured their lead The Falcons and the Sun Devils were head-to-head, each in the third quarter and showed exchanging 3-pointers in the the Sun Devils an improved first quarter. However, 5:16 in, defense that was accompanied guard Dominic Hovasse (11) by point guard Zach Wagner had a crucial steal, stuffing Mt. (12) pushing down the court and Carmel’s attempted layup and making several easy layups.

The Falcons picked up their eliciting roars of excitement from teamwork in the third quarter the home stands.

“We played well and started as well, securing the ball and stopping them and getting keeping it away from the Sun rebounds [in the second Devils.

The Falcons’ cohesiveness quarter],” Hovasse said. “Our downcheck, in and out plays only increased during the fourth were played well and we were quarter, shutting out the Sun able to get the ball inside to [the Devils completely and building steadily on their lead. The forwards] for easy shots.”

Mt. Carmel played well in the previous fighting for the ball first half of the second quarter faded in the fourth quarter, as by passing the ball around the Mt. Carmel became sloppy with

f

By Alex Jen news editor

”

photos by layla mazdyasni/falconer

crossover: Sam Worman (13) keeps the ball away from the Mt. Carmel Sun Devils and adds to the Falcons’ steady lead. defense and allowed the Falcons to put point after point into the basket. TPHS held on tight to the ball even during the last 45 seconds of the game.

Both Hovasse and Beach thought their rebounding was weak and needed to be improved before the game on Feb. 14.

“If we win that game, we get league championships,” Hovasse said. “It’ll be tough, it’ll be senior night and there will be lots of emotion.”

The Falcons will play the last game of the Palomar League against Poway High School on Feb. 14 at TPHS.

Why do I care so little about the Winter Olympic Games?

What is it about these Olympics and these athletes that I do not enjoy?

It mainly comes down to the lack of variety. While my family and I watched the opening ceremony, which we did not find enjoyable and which didn’t hold our collective interest, my mom pointed out that all the atheletes were slim and had a similar body type. By no means are halfpipe snowboarding and slalom skiing similar, but being a Winter Olympic athlete requires a lean body composition. There are no wrestling behemoths or gargantuan weightlifters at these games. The otherworldly height of the NBA players at the Summer Games assures us that we mere mortals are not capapble of their feats of magic. The Summer Olympics have a huge variety of not only athletes, but sports.

There are 15 sport disciplines in the Winter Olympics, versus 41 sport disciplines in the Summer Olympics, which is the basic distinction between the two Olympic Games.

Additionally, one of the most gripping aspects of any sport is the underdog story, and that is another difference between the Summer and Winter Games. It is safe to say that a life of training to be a Winter Olympian is more expensive than training to be a Summer Olympian. Learning how to figure skate or do a Double McTwist 60 feet in the air would require more training and cash than learning how to run 100 meters or play basketball.

So where are the stories of downtrodden athletes from challenging circumstances in the Winter Games? There just aren’t as many compelling narratives.

I’m not alone; in the U.S. the Summer Olympics always garner larger audiences than the Winter Olympics.

Some have suggested that is the result of the 1994 separation of the Olympics into the Summer and Winter Games at two-year intervals. When both Games fell in the same year, it was a year full of Olympic events and double the hype.

I was born after the Olympics were separated. However, I believe that the main reason for the Winter Games failing in comparison to the Summer ones is the accessibility of the events.

I can play pingpong, run, swim or even go to a shooting range, but I cannot hit the slopes, the ski jump or the luge after writing this column. Seeing how amazing some people can be at a game or sport you play yourself provides a connection with those athletes and events, and that will always be much more evident in the Summer Games.

A24 the falconer

sports

december 13, 2013

Falcons breeze by winless Sun Devils, 2-1 f

By Alex McCracken photo editor

The Falcons (10-6-5) secured a spot in the CIF Open Division playoffs after a 2-1 senior night victory over Mt. Carmel High School (0-15-2) on Feb. 11.

“Torrey is more talented than we are, more experienced than we are, and it’s probably going to be a long night for us,” said Mt. Carmel head coach Mark Green.

TPHS toook control early by driving the ball down to Mt. Carmel’s defensive half and taking several shots on goal.

“As a team I think we moved the ball very well; we got on the flanks which is key, and took a lot of shots which is great,” midfielder John Roussos said.

The Falcons exploited the Sun Devils defense by connecting passes flawlessly through the midfield and sending the balls down the sidelines.

The first goal of the game came 22 minutes into the half when midfielder Jake Heilbrunn (12) drove the ball down the right sideline and into the box.

Heilbrunn slipped past three defenders and delivered a short cross on the ground to forward Jack Dempsey. Dempsey struck the ball in stride into the goal putting the Falcons ahead 1-0.

“It was a good feeling to get the first goal and keep the momentum going,” Heilbrunn (12) said.

In the concluding ten minutes of the first half TPHS scored the game’s second goal. Roussos crossed the ball from the right sideline in the air to the back goal post where Brad Bettig (12) met the ball and redirected it into the top left corner of the goal.

Following the goal, the Falcons continued to dominate offensively. Due to the lopsided possession, head coach Andy Hargreaves allowed his defensive players to take offensive positions in the second half of the game.

“I just played the seniors; it’s what you should do on senior night, Hargreaves said. “The seniors played and had fun so everyone is happy.”

With a few minutes left in the game the Falcons conceded a late goal due to a lack of defensive

pass: Carmel

Eli Bessudo (12) shoots from defender.

The Falcons defeated

presence. The Mt. Carmel forward was able to slip a tackle score on a one on one scoring opportunity. “There were three minutes left and everyone was

photo by grace bruton/falconer

outside the box past Mt. Carmel 2-1 on

getting pretty lackadaisical in the back so they were able to split our defense,” midfielder Claudio Ghetti (12) said. I tripped over a kid and they scored; it was pretty

a diving Mt. Senior Night.

late in the game and people were getting lazy.”

The Falcons wil face Rancho Bernardo High School (9-8-2) at 5:30 on Feb.18 at RBHS.

Lady Falcons take only lead on final basket f

pass: Ayli Tulberg (11) prepares to pass the ball to a teammate while crossing half court. The Lady Falcons won on a last minute score.

By Sarah Kim staff writer

The Lady Falcons (19-5) defeated Mt. Carmel High School (18-6) 43-41 in the 7th game of the Palomar League on Feb. 11, with TPHS’ only lead coming in the last minute of the game.

The first quarter started off slowly for TPHS, whose starting players included co-captain Sierra Campisano (10), shooting guard Christina Ellis (11), point guard Madison Lombard (11), center Chiara Spain (9) and point guard Ayli Tulberg (11).

According to MCHS head coach Tim Jollett, MCHS focused on “playing a hard defense” in today’s game due to last year’s loss to the Lady Falcons.

MCHS took advantage of TPHS’ slow start and pulled ahead with consecutive baskets, along with free throws due to pushing fouls by the Lady Falcons, who had a hard time rebounding.

“We need to [improve on] rebounding and we need to [stop] fouling,” Campisano said.

MCHS, however, were a “very disciplined team” that ran a “controlled game,” according to TPHS head coach Denise Bennett.

While TPHS kept up a strong

offense throughout the first and second quarters, they could not take the lead at any point.

“We were playing our kind of basketball, so it wasn’t a matter of us not playing our game,” Spain said. “It was just that our shots weren’t falling. So we had to work past that to the rebound so that we had more opportunities.”

In the beginning of the third quarter, Spain was switched out with Tierra Eshom (11) due to her three pushing fouls.

The Lady Falcons continued to have difficulties pulling ahead of MCHS and became focused on their defense to prevent the scoring gap from widening.

“We played really good defense on their main scorers and tried to stop them,” Campisano said.

Ellis, Campisano and Eshom made multiple baskets, but the third quarter still ended with MCHS in the lead 30-37.

“The flow of the game was up and down,” Bennett said. “We tried to play an up-tempo game, and [our opponents] did a good job with sewing us down.”

A similar pattern continued in the beginning of the fourth quarter, as TPHS struggled to catch up with the Lady SunDevils.

“We were down the whole

game, but [we had] the ‘never say die’ attitude, and we kept going and we got it,” Campisano said.

In the last couple minutes, the Lady Falcons caught up to MCHS as Campisano and Lombard made consecutive baskets.

“The momentum changed because we started to play our game,” Bennett said. “We started to attack the basket, play full court, pressure the ball and just be aggressive on offense.”

In the last minute, Spain scored the winning basket, and TPHS finally took the lead 43-41.

“It was awesome and super exciting that I just happened [to score the winning basket] for the team, and it was a team effort, not just one person,” Spain said.

After Spain’s shot, TPHS mustered a strong defense, not allowing another basket, resulting in the victory. “[In] this game, our team did well with their effort, their heart [and] their passion,” Bennett said. “Our motto is ‘one team, one dream’ and ‘hold the rope,’ and they did a great job with holding the rope, staying positive and having each other’s backs.”

TPHS will face Poway High School (15-9) on Feb. 14 at 5:30 p.m. at home.

sports

tphsfalconer.com

the falconer

A25

Girls soccer outshines the Sun Devils 5-1 was a key strategy in preventing the team from trailing behind the Lady Falcons on the scoreboard.

“Our goal this time was to have Girls soccer (18-1-1) defeated less than six goals scored against Mt. Carmel High School (3-10-6) us and to score,” Shelhorse said.

5-1 on Feb. 11 in a game filled “We achieved both tonight and with aggressive plays by the Lady that was a success. Our stronger Falcons and a defensive change in defense helped a lot.” the second half.

Defender Eva Buechler (11) The last time the Lady Falcons scored the first goal for the Lady faced off against the Sun Devils, Falcons halfway through the TPHS breezed by with a 10-0 first half, which, according to win, but this match-up was very Hansford, different, as helped the Lady Falcons team’s energy head coach Knowing that we beat and focus.

M a r t y n “The girls [the Sun Devils] pretty were Hansford frustrated heavily last time caused that we didn’t expected.

“Knowing us to focus on a stronger score for a good that we beat part of the first defense. half, but after them pretty heavily last Martyn Hansford the goal, we time caused tphs head coach settled down,” us to focus Hansford said. on a stronger Soon after defense,” Hansford said. “I knew the first goal, the Lady Falcons they weren’t going to attack us, were able to score two more goals, and once we settled down and allowing them to go into the adjusted, it went how I expected.” second half with a 3-0 lead. Three Midfielder Courtney Coate minutes into the second half, (12) agreed that Mt. Carmel’s midfielders Gianna Montini (11) more aggresive defense proved to and Natalie Saddic (11) drove the be a challenge for TPHS, but the ball toward the goal, and Montini Lady Falcons adjusted well. scored the Lady Falcons’ fourth “I think we kind of took [the goal with a header via a rebound previous game’s win] for granted, on Saddic’s shot off the crossbar.

“We were never really worried and the increase in defense made it harder to break them down,” about winning because everyone Coate said. “That’s a lot of the puts in a solid effort,” Saddic reason that we didn’t score as said. “Every time we scored, it showed that we were getting many goals as we should have.”

Mt. Carmel head coach Danie more aggressive, which is good.”

This lead prompted Hansford Shelhorse said that the strong defensive lineup by the Sun Devils to change the defensive lineup

f

By Katie Page

public relations manager

”

in an attempt to bring more midfielders forward to “form a triangle around our striker,” a play that he hopes to run more often.

Despite Hansford’s attempts, Mt. Carmel scored their first and only goal of the game.

“Unfortunately, it cost us a goal, but at that point we knew we were going to win,” Hansford said. “It was an experiment and the girls handled it really well.”

Saddic said TPHS managed to keep good possession of the ball after the defensive change, which allowed them to quickly regain control after the goal and successfully close the game.

The Lady Falcons will play Poway High School (6-9-3) tonight at Poway.

photo by

-----/falconer

photos by tara manoogian/falconer

strike: Anissa Dadkhah (10) drives the ball down the field to score a goal (TOP). Camelia Tirandazi (19) defends TPHS’ lead (BOTTOM).

A26 the falconer

sports

january 16, 2014

f/stop

jake heilbrunn varsity soccer february 11, 5:47 p.m.

camera: canon eos 7d lens: canon 70-200mm f/2.8L iso: 1600 exp: 1/250 sec. f/stop: f/2.8 photo by alex mccracken/falconer

tphsfalconer.com

sports

the falconer

A27

Scott Ashby steps off sidelines Another TPHS football coaching career came to an end with the official coaching programs are.” resignation of head coach Scott Ashby, who will leave behind a long career of Varsity football wide receiver Jack Bailey (11) said the elder Ashby has a both statistical success — mainly on the coaching staff of the legendary head lot of coaching experience and “brings out the best” in his athletes. coach Ed Burke — and success on the personal side of the game by bringing “He’s given me so many opportunities, and I know the team trusts him so out the best of players and coaches alike. much,” Bailey said. “[In his absence, the team will lose] a sense of comfort “[Ashby] began his coaching career at Torrey Pines as a student teacher and security.” and a member of our coaching staff,” Burke said. “After a very short period This sense of trust was built through what Kyle believes to be “[his dad’s] of time, we made him a co-defensive coordinator [in 1994], and he just took connection with the kids.” Doerrer agrees that Scott Ashby was a uniquely off and did a great job.” inspiring coach, along with Burke.

Successful defensive or offensive coordinators do not always translate well “Burke mentored me as a coach and taught me how to help kids learn,” to a head coaching position, but Burke was confident Doerrer said. “And Coach Ashby made his list of key that Ashby would make the transition well. values for a team that represent what it means to be “I felt very strongly that he was the best defensive a Falcon.” coordinator in the county,” Burke said. “I was pretty According to Ashby, the six core values of being a sure he would continue that coaching ability and do a Falcon are integrity, family, stepping up, hard work, great job at Torrey.” attitude and making a positive impact. The most Burke expressed his confidence in Ashby’s ability identifiable, perhaps, was being a family, which the to carry on the program’s success when he retired in coaches and players constantly stressed throughout 2007, and Ashby took notice.

Ashby’s career, making both Burke and Ashby father “I was honored and humbled,” Ashby said. “The figures of sorts. program exemplified doing the right things for the The family environment that Ashby created will right reasons and being good people.” not be an easy to reproduce, and the search for a new Ashby will remain a TPHS P.E. teacher, but step coach began roughly three weeks ago with plans for Ashby in his first year as codefensive a conclusion “hopefully” being reached in about a down from coaching to make time to see his son Kyle (12) play collegiate football at College of Idaho, and coordinator in 1994 (LEFT). Ashby as head month, according to Doerrer. continue to watch his son Jake (‘13), who will play coach in 2012 (RIGHT).

“Principal [David] Jaffe would like to include a his second year at Puget Sound University. lot of community input [to find a new coach], so he is “His retirement was not a surprise,” Burke said. creating panels of people,” Doerrer said.

“I’ve known Scott for many years, and he is a great family man.”

Ashby continuously emphasized the importance of family throughout his Although Burke was not surprised with the anouncement, Kyle was. career, and wrote a letter to the team parents addressing past seasons and “I was really surprised, I wasn’t expecting it,” Kyle said. “I understood the reasoning behind his decision to resign. where he was coming from when he told me all the reasons.”

“I said that, out of all the big wins and great games, the best thing for me Scott Ashby said that his goal as a coach was “to make football a great was seeing the players interact with their parents and friends and classmates experience for as many people as we could,” and held true to his statement after games,” Ashby said. “After putting in all that work and time, seeing throughout his career, according to TPHS athletic director Chas Doerrer. them [show their support] was a special thing.”

Ashby coached “for all the right reasons” and made football about “kids Ashby ends his head coaching career with a final 37-40-2 record, but he learning [to have] character and responsibility instead of winning or losing,” will cherish the 22 years of memories built in his time on the coaching staff.

Doerrer said.

“It has been an absolute joy and a highlight to have coached varsity “When Scott and I talked about his decision, I told him that I appreciate football here since 1992, and you don’t have enough paper or space to write that he created a legacy of quality coaching,” Doerrer said. “And not just for all the things I’ve learned and memories I’ve had,” Ashby said. football but for the entire Torrey Pines campus ... he demonstrated what good

By Katie Page and Fernando Stepensky

photo by grace bruton/falconer

Scrambling for a Valentine’s Day gift?

We have you covered! Here are some last minute gift ideas for your special someone:

1. You should probab ly first check if you a ctually have a specia you do? That’s … tha l someone. Oh, t’s great! No, I’m not cr y in g! from my eyeballs —o I mean I am, sort of, ut of happiness though sweating ! I’m so glad you foun truly. Good for you. I’ d someone, ll just … I’ll just show m y self out.

2. You can never go w rong with a gift from the times of the very Valentine’s Day in 49 first 6 AD. As per medieva l tr a dition, commemorate death of St. Valentin the bloody e at the hands of Rom an soldiers by presen beating heart of a riva ting the stilll suitor to your param o u r. Ah, young love.

3. Or just get her flow ers. We don’t really ca re.

4. If you’re an awful person, remember to post a “SpEciAl dAy album on Facebook o wiTh da BOO!” f you and your boyfrie nd of one week —10,0 enjoyed by all for yea 00 selfies to be rs to come! The gift th a t keeps on giving.

5. Whatever you do, re member to spare no ex pense. Your high sch relationship is definit ool ely going to last foreve r, so consider the $75 bear an investment. jumbo teddy 6. “Ugh, Valentine’s D ay is just designed to make us ignorant shee to the corporate overl ple bow down ords.” If this thought cr o ss es your mind when y of Valentine’s Day, y ou think ou are edgy and alter native and should pla Anti-Valentine’s Day n to celebrate . We don’t quite know w h at this entails. Mayb wheatgrass smoothie e make s and egg a Hallmark store? That’ll show th corporations you mea ose greedy n business.

7. Give her a diamon d necklace you paid fo r with your very own 8. If you’re single on parents’ money.

Valentine’s Day, nev er fe ar! It only takes a bri at the Hollywood can ef glance on of romantic comed ie s to k invariably shows up now that your true lo in the third act! Wha ve t we’re trying to say is will appear outside y , John Cusack our window if only y o u ’d ju st believe.

9. If a restaurant is to o full to take your re servation, prepare a h picnic instead! Then omemade throw the picnic food a t th ose dining at the rest spurned you. If you ca aurant that n’t enjoy the discoun t duck confit, no one 10. Most importantly can. , just remember to ap p re ci ate your loved ones th Valentine’s Day. Also is : If you screw this da y up, nobody will ever Good luck! love you again.

By Charu Sinha This page is entirely fictional.