January 2019

Vol. 44, Issue 4, 28 pages

Friday, January 25, 2018

POWDERPUFF on A3

photo by christy lam/falconer

A15 Follow the Falconer On Social Media!

The number of amazing people I’ve been able to meet and get to know now ... astounds me.

PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE, A7

A20

A27

news

A2 the falconer

january 25, 2018

Farhan Hossain and Vlada Demenko

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF AND STAFF WRITER There are flowers, cut from a photo calendar, arranged underneath the whiteboard. Bright, bold and colorful, they are impossible to miss, marking their presence as fixtures of the classroom.

In front of them sits a wooden stool with ornately curved legs, and a lectern.

Room 310 is filled with the posters and decor of AP Language and English 9 Honors teacher Catherine “Kit” Moffett, largely untouched since she left TPHS in May of 2018, following a diagnosis of multiple myeloma. On Dec. 11, a day before her birthday, Moffett died. She taught at TPHS for over 19 years.

“An impact for a teacher like Mrs. Moffett is really incalculable. The thousands of students she’s impacted over an almost 20year career — it’s kind of hard to measure that,” TPHS Principal Rob Coppo said.

“When you look at the outpouring of love and support for her, I think it speaks volumes to her impact. She’s left a lasting legacy with her staff and students here.”

For many TPHS students, alumni and staff, Moffett’s death came as a shock.

While some had been informed about her illness, many were unaware of the severity of her condition.

“She’s the type of teacher that seems like she’s always going to be there no matter what,” Carleigh Karen (‘17) said.

“To find out someone who had been such a constant was gone was a big shock.”

News of Moffett’s diagnosis and death prompted some of her past students to contact former AP U.S. History teacher Jim Harrah, who retired last year and taught AP Humanities with Moffett for many years. While Harrah was hesitant to share Moffett’s diagnosis with the students at first, he did so at Moffett’s request.

“It was hard but it was important, and I felt it was important that the kids knew exactly what was happening, because rumors can take reality into a different direction,” Harrah said. “I received a couple dozen emails and texts from former students going all the way back to 2005, checking in to see what happened.”

For Moffett’s former students, news of her death brought back many mixed memories.

Jessica Gang (‘17) remembered receiving a gift from Moffett in AP Language after sharing her love of “The Sound and the Fury” by William Faulkner.

“At the end of the year she gave me a lot of Faulkner books from her personal collection, which I thought was pretty special,” Gang said. “Her name was written in them, and she told me that she had actually owned them and studied them when she was around my age.”

According to William La (‘18), Moffett invested in her students success and was their “biggest fan.”

“When I did tell her, ‘Oh, I got into

photos from mia boardman smith

GREATLY MISSED: Catherine ‘Kit’ Moffett brings out a birthday cake for Mia Boardman Smith. Moffett was a beloved member of the TPHS community for 19 1/2 years.

Harvey Mudd [College],’ she was so enthusiastic. She was so happy,” La said.

“I heard from another one of her students that she shared my admission to her classes, which was fun.”

Moffett would show Stephen Colbert clips in class and tie them into her lessons.

“Even though she had been teaching for a really long time, she never lost that motivation and drive to help students,” Stella Chung (12) said. “She was such a pillar of [TPHS] that it’s impossible for me to imagine what my high school career

She’s the type of teacher that seems like she’s always going to be there no matter what.

Carleigh Karen (‘17) ALUMNA

… would have been if she wasn’t able to develop a relationship with us.”

Ariel Li (‘12) grew close to Moffett while in her class and knew she could share personal information with her. She wants to teach high school English because of her.

“I always thought once I’m done with my credentials and my master’s I can go back and I can tell her ‘Hey, I’m going to be a teacher, you inspired me to be a teacher,’” Li said. “I’m still really upset. I still haven’t really had time to process it.”

Moffett was known among students and

friends for her funny and frank personality.

“The thing that made being around Kit so great was that she was very smart, and very funny, and very sarcastic and cutting, but in a funny way. Her observations were spot on,” AP Language teacher and Falconer adviser Mia Boardman Smith said.

Students remember Moffett as a teacher who stood firmly by what she believed in.

“She was very straightforward about many things,” Emily Hou (‘17) said. “She was a person who would never hide her opinions and always meant well.”

Moffett was always supportive of her students.

“I remember my junior year I was wearing a lot of women’s clothes to test the boundaries of what I could and could not wear,” Chris Rellas (‘13) said in an email.

“One morning I walked into her class in a long black skirt. She looked up at me and asked me something completely unrelated to my physical appearance … She was incredibly open-minded and knew that her job was to educate, not critique or cast judgment.”

Moffett was known for being insightful and providing advice.

“We tended to get here at the same time everyday, and very often we’d leave at the same time. Kit, as she was known, would come up to me and she had this incredible insight,” Coppo said. “In a high school, there’s a lot of craziness going on, and she could distill it down really quickly.”

Smith turned to Moffett for advice with obstacles in her life.

“I’ve walked with her almost every Sunday for the past 17 years. We talked about everything on those walks, we processed a lot of stuff that was going on,”

Smith said. “She’s a private person. I tend to be sort of an open book, so it was often her giving me advice and counsel.”

Moffett was depended on by many of her colleagues.

“There was a fire in my apartment building, and I couldn’t get to school because my car no longer existed,” English 11, AVID Junior Seminar and College Application Seminar teacher Anastasia Kokkinis said. “She was my first call that day and she went and took over my classes, so I knew my kids were in good care.”

Moffett’s friend group of teachers at school have held off on their monthly dinner parties since her diagnosis.

“Once every six months we would all get together and have dinner, with like [Matt] Chess, [Lars] Trupe, me, Smith, Kokkinis and Mrs. Moffett with our spouses. That group was really touched [by Moffett’s passing],” Harrah said.

According to Smith, she has not hosted a dinner party since the diagnosis.

“I keep saying we need to get together, but I know we’re all kind of resisting [facing the emotions of gathering without Moffett] because we can’t imagine doing it without Michael [Moffett’s husband] and Kit there,” Smith said. “We’ll still invite Michael.”

Smith knows that Moffett’s classroom is full of photos and does not want to make Moffett’s family get them. Despite that, Smith has avoided entering the room since Moffett’s diagnosis.

“I can’t go in there. I know I need to go down there, but I can’t,” Smith said.

Moffett’s long-term substitute, Kelly Hathaway, understands that that room is emotionally charged.

“I always thought she was coming back.

It’s a very gradual process, now,” Hathaway said. “Whenever I make a change, I always ask for Kit’s permission. Literally, I do.

‘Kit, is it ok that I move this over here? Is it ok that I move this?’”

Among Moffett’s leftover items that Hathaway has stored in her desk drawer for safekeeping: a golden pom-pom, a green glass apple and a personal stapler with her name.

“I’d like to create a collage or something.

A little area, dedicated to her, if that’s okay with the school and her family,” Hathaway said.

Hathaway was surprised to get an email from Moffett “a few days before she passed on.”

“She thanked me – thanked me – for shepherding the niners this year and it really hit me hard,” Hathaway said. “Her presence is here. I didn’t know her, but I adore her from everything that she was and everything that I heard about her.”

Beyond the potential collage, Hathaway does not see herself changing the room.

When asked about the flowers, Hathaway paused.

“I love the flowers,” Hathaway said. “I love the flowers.”

photos of flowers by alexei serguienko/falconer

FAR LEFT: Moffett at a dinner party including other teachers. CENTER LEFT TOP: Moffett holding the baby of a former colleague. CENTER LEFT BOTTOM: Moffett at the beach with CVMS teacher Paulina Nelson.

CENTER RIGHT: Moffet with former TPHS teacher Yen Yen Chiu. FAR RIGHT: Moffett at a teacher dinner party.

news

A3 the falconer

was we’re not as different as we think,” said La Costa Canyon High School junior Olivia Stephens, who also led the round of Academic pressure and mental health presentations. “We have our own different dominated student discussion at the things that people see us as … but on the inaugural SDUHSD Student Summit inside, we all have drug abuse, depression, held on Dec. 19 at Earl Warren Middle stress; that’s the main issues that each School, where student representatives school is dealing with.” from all district campuses convened with Most student participants believe administrators and school board members. SDUHSD will address their various District officials hope to make the summit concerns. a semiannual event.

“I think that if they’re going out of the SDUHSD superintendent Robert Haley way to let us share these ideas, they’re proposed the summit shortly after he was definitely going to be receptive and listen hired in the fall, in response to parent and hopefully implement some,” CCA requests to reach out to students after freshman Andie Gately said. “The difficult the deaths of two Canyon Crest Academy thing is they’re going to be difficult to students i September and October. No implement just because there’s no clear statement has been made by parents or the solution to any of these things.” district about the nature of those deaths.

Other students were unsure of the The summit, however, was not specifically district’s plans or what the summit geared toward mental health, and Haley accomplished. left the choice of discussion topics in the “I can’t really tell right now,” LCC hands of students. freshman Lauren Palmer said. “I want to “We didn’t want to come in with a [list make sure that in the next year or two of] preset things that we wanted to talk something will change.” about,” Haley said. “We wanted to hear Students felt that the summit fostered from [the students.]” open dialogue between those at different That left some students confused about campuses. the purpose of the summit.

“I really think that [the students] “I was a little nervous about the felt that this was a place and the time unknown,” Scott Betterly, an eighth grader to maybe cause a certain change,” Arie at Diegueño Middle School, said. “I didn’t Bialostozky (12), ASB student School Board know what was happening today, [but] I representative, said. “I can tell you right feel like it went pretty well.” now certain things are going to change in Student representatives and district Torrey Pines; there are certain programs m o d e r a t o r s we’re going to entered the Cove, reinstate.” a workspace TPHS Principal at EWMS, at Rob Coppo plans 8 a.m. After a to reinstate the Student Senate, few icebreaker for which one activities, students representative from convened at their each fourth period school’s designated class will meet tables to create a Olivia Stephens regularly to discuss “commercial,” or a LA COSTA CANYON HIGH SCHOOL JUNIOR school events and short presentation problems. informing other Haley is unsure if the issues brought students about their schools.

At 11:30 a.m., principals from each up by students at the summit will lead to SDUHSD campus, school board members, policy changes by the district.

“I’ll have to see,” Haley said. “I think I counselors, PTA members and student reporters joined the group to listen to the want to take some time to reflect and read presentations about problems plaguing all of the information that we got.”

Haley said the district will be able to each campus. Common themes were the pressure to take multiple AP classes, the show some progress by the time the second lack of work-life balance, student loneliness, summit takes place in the spring.

“We want to be able to show where we’re and the prevalence of cliques. While many of the presentations had similar themes, listening and where we can make some students did not have time to brainstorm changes,” Haley said. “Or at least say, solutions. While students spoke broadly ‘Okay, we heard what you had to say, but about change and reform, there was not here are our challenges in making some changes.’” consensus on specific strategies.

According to CCA principal Brett “The biggest takeaway that I took

january 25, 2019

Farhan Hossain and Angela Liu EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

The biggest takeaway ... was we’re not as different as we think.

Katie Flint

STAFF WRITER Junior and senior girls participated in the annual TPHS PowderPuff game at Ed Burke Stadium on Jan. 14 from 7 to 9 p.m.

Girls competed against those in the same grade. Between senior teams, the Pain in the Pass beat the Dirtybirdz 14-7.

After a quick warmup, the players took the field for the first half, which lasted 20 minutes.

Throughout the first half of the senior game, both teams scored touchdowns, resulting in a score of 7-7.

During halftime, the coaches had time to meet up with their teams and discuss plays and game strategy.

In the second half of the game, Pain in the Pass scored another touchdown and won the senior PowderPuff game against DirtyBirdz.

“It was a little rough start there. We came through, team chemistry came into play and we found a way to win in the end,” Leo Spidel (12), coach of the Pain in the Pass team said.

Football is a no-cut sport. However, there is currently no girl on the football team at TPHS, making PowderPuff the

only football sporting event at TPHS that girls participate in.

“I think [PowderPuff] is important because it gets all the girls together for an activity. Since we can’t play football, I feel like it’s our chance to show our athletic abilities,” Paige Boyes (11), a player for Victorious Secret, one of the junior teams, said.

Many of the girls who played in the PowderPuff game expressed interest in a program similar to TPHS Football.

“Probably not regular tackle football, but if they had flag football, [I would want to participate.] I feel like it would be fun if you got a group of friends together to do that,” Boyes said.

As with other sports, PowderPuff teams practiced regularly to prepare for the game. “[Practices] were pretty good; we learned a few plays; I think that we were pretty prepared coming in,” Boyes said.

Many girls play both their junior and senior years because PowderPuff gives them a chance to hang out with friends.

“I played last year, and the guys that are coaching are my friends and it’s just a really fun thing to do,” Sofia Beyer (12), a player for Pain in the Pass, said.

photo by david vapnek/falconer

SUMMIT ALL UP: Student representatives from Canyon Crest Academy work together on a presentation about their school at the summit. Representatives from all SDUHSD campuses attended .

Killeen, he and other administrators at his campus have considered policy changes to relieve some academic pressure, but he believes students should learn to understand what they are capable of and make decisions for themselves.

“People have come [to me] with policy ideas about limiting AP classes, for example. I don’t know if that’s the best idea because there are some students in our district who can deal [with multiple AP classes],” Killeen said. “I still believe it comes down to working with each student and their parents, and getting them to buy into balance.”

Coppo, however, believes that specific policy changes will occur at the district level.

“I think the policy change you might see … is our Social-Emotional Learning Collaborative,” Coppo said. “Our first meeting is today [Jan. 7] with some parents and teachers to kind of kick this off, and I think district-wide, you’ll probably see some policy language around our support for social-emotional learning.”

Newly-elected SDUHSD board member Kristen Gibson expects the district to have made progress by the time the second summit occurs, although she emphasized the learning curve the three new board members are currently facing.

“I took a lot of notes. The theme of stress came up — it was in almost every presentation, so that’s something I want to look at more closely,” Gibson said. “I said during my campaign that one of the things I wanted to do is ask students about things

… I really do want to consider student opinion.”

SDUHSD administrators and school board members are currently examining the feedback from attendees, including notes the students made throughout the day, information from their presentations and surveys given to the attendees, and will analyze it to identify trends and topics to discuss at the second summit. According to Haley, the district wants to maintain continuity by keeping it at the same location and bringing back the original attendees, as well as adding more middle school students.

“I was really impressed with how well they participated with the group,” Haley said. “If we add a couple of middle school students from each middle school so it matches the high schools, that would be helpful,” Haley said.

For future summits after this school year, Haley hopes to have some “carryover of the same students” that attended the first one for continuity from one school year to the next.

At the second summit, Haley plans to provide participants with discussion topics before the summit takes place, so they have a chance to prepare in advance.

“I think we’ll be able to do some agenda setting in advance,” Haley said.

According to Haley, student board representatives met with Associate Superintendent Brian Marcus to develop a report about the Student Summit, which they presented at the school board meeting on Jan. 17.

Student special free fountain drink and chips with purchase of burrito when student id presented

Catering for offices, schools, and homes (619) 952-7468

news

A4 the falconer

january 25, 2019

On Jan. 7, 2019, the government of Gabon killed two and arrested eight after a suspected coup attempt.

The perpetrators took over the Gabon state radio and announced a “national council of restoration.” In the capital of Libreville, soldiers swarmed the radio station, and the two died in the arrest process.

Tropical storm Pabuk reached southern Thailand on Jan. 4 and caused significant uproar throughout the country.

According to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, approximately 6,100 people evacuated from four provinces as the storm approached. Damage has been minimal: one dead and one missing.

Sweden has now gone five months without a government, following the indeterminate parliamentary elections held in September of last year. The parliamentary seats are dispersed among eight different parties. However, no one party holds the needed majority to be able to vote in a Prime Minister. Despite this, there has been talk of electing Annie Lööf, current leader of the left-leaning Centre party, as Sweden’s first female prime minister through an agreement between parties in the parliament.

Scott Gottlieb, U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner, announced on January 18 that e-cigarettes would be pulled from U.S. markets unless e-cigarette companies can diminish rates of teen usage. It has been recently reported that over 3 million teens across the U.S. use e-cigarettes, for example, Juuls. Despite their popularity, Gottlieb commended Juul’s attempts to prevent teen use, specifically in their restriction of flavors and advertising to minors.

WORDS BY VLADA DEMENKO AND DANIEL KIM

Information from The Guardian, Mashable, and The New York Times

Dhathry Doppalapudi

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Team Enough San Diego, a gun reform organization, will host a town hall meeting about gun violence prevention at the Proscenium Theater at Canyon Crest Academy on Feb. 15 at 5:30 p.m.

The meeting will be led by a panel of gun violence survivors, gun owners and members of Team Enough. The goal of the forum is to have a nonpartisan discussion about gun violence prevention.

Team Enough is a “national organization of high school and college students committed to reducing gun violence through many different aspects, including legislation, but also different community outreach programs,” Team Enough member and CCA sophomore Caroline Zdanowski said. “[We are] inviting anyone, whether they’re conservative or liberal, but

not making it a debate — making it a nonpartisan discussion just about what we all agree upon as reasonable for laws to keep us safe from unnecessary accidents or violence,” Kara Chine, founder of the San Diego branch of Team Enough, said.

Team Enough was created in response to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Shooting of Feb. 2018 and has three main goals: instating universal background checks, an assault weapon ban and an extreme risk law. The organization hopes to implement these goals through legislation.

“Our group here in San Diego is kind of the largest growing chapter of high school kids that are in Team Enough, so we call ourselves Team Enough San Diego,” Chine said.

The town hall meeting will be run by the students of Team Enough. “[The students] wanted to have a town hall discussion with community leaders with respect and with a nonpartisan

focus — so, not a debate,” Chine said.

“They wanted to have a discussion about both the laws that are already in place in California and the laws that are proposed to strengthen gun control.”

The panel at the meeting will consist of a variety of people.

“We’re trying to have our panel members be very diverse in beliefs and colors and religion and just [include] all types of people from all over the spectrum, both conservative and liberal,” said Stephan Abrams, member and Del Norte High School sophomore.

The panel will also include teachers, the president of the San Diego Unified School Board, members of Congress, a sharpshooter from the Columbine shooting and two Parkland survivors. Team Enough members from other states — like Florida, New York, Pennsylvania and Colorado — will also attend the meeting.

“What we’re trying to make this

night about is understanding people on a personal level and understanding this issue from many, many, many different perspectives,” Zdanowski said.

Ultimately, the goal of the town hall is to create a summary of things on which all the groups agree.

“We want to put a list of action items together of what we all agree on and start sending it to state legislators and start creating real change from a nonpartisan group of people,” Abrams said.

Team Enough members encourage everyone, especially students and youth, to attend the town hall.

“This issue is so important just because it affects literally everyone, no matter what race you are or where you’re from,” Abrams said. “Students should come just to join the conversation and learn about gun violence and how it affects your community, what you can do to prevent it and how you can get involved [with Team Enough].”

art by esther choi/falcon artist

Students with learning disabilities are granted special accommodations for standardized test-taking. Among those accommodations is extended time.

Alexei Serguienko

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Extended time on assessments is one of the various accommodations that both schools and educational associations such as the College Board offer students with learning disabilities to level the academic playing field. However, even in a world filled with numerous equality movements, some still do not support the idea of giving certain students this benefit and closing the gap between them and their peers; they believe that no one deserves an unfair advantage, even those with learning disabilities. While it is true that no one deserves an upper hand, students with learning disorders deserve equality, regardless of the form it takes.

According to the Learning Disabilities Association of America, learning disorders interfere with an individual’s “basic skills such as reading, writing and/or math” as well as “higher level skills such as organization, time planning, abstract reasoning, long or short term memory and attention.” Most, if not all, of these abilities are utilized every time a student takes an exam and, as such, are very critical to success.

Students suffering from a learning disability such as dyslexia, which mainly affects an individual’s reading and comprehension abilities, might take longer than their classmates to complete a question; it is in common situations like these when having an extended amount of time during a test is beneficial, as students are then able to move comfortably at their own pace.

But, a student cannot simply claim he or she has a learning disability and qualify for accommodations.

Interested students must be able to provide proof of a disorder, such as a psychiatrist’s official diagnosis,

to their school’s special education team — which includes special educators, school psychologists and administrators. They then decide whether the benefits will allow the student to become more equal to their peers or gain an unfair advantage.

The group’s decision is important, as only individuals granted the use of accommodations during school will receive them from the College Board during their exams.

It is receiving extended time on these tests that is the ultimate goal of many students seeking accommodations for obvious reasons.

A study conducted by the College Board found that students with learning disorders who were given time and a half on the SAT increased their scores by 50 points, which could potentially be the difference between admission to and rejection from a student’s dream university.

However, some might say that students who take advantage of extended time throughout their school careers will not be prepared for life in the real world because they will not be granted extensions in the workplace, for example. But, by that point in their lives, they will likely either be on medication, have much experience and strategy for coping with their disabilities or both.

In addition, adults’ job assignments rarely resemble assessments, as they are often gathering information instead of regurgitating it.

Successfully completing either task can be difficult for those with learning disorders, or about one in five American children, according to the National Center for Learning Disabilities. That figure prompts the question: Does this 20 percent of the population not deserve the same opportunities as others to prove their knowledge or to enjoy the benefits they will reap by doing so? Yes, they do. A disability should not negatively differentiate students from their peers; shouldn’t they also be comfortable in their learning environments and have the opportunity to improve both their grades and their self-esteem? They should, and they will, with the help of extended time on assessments. It’s time for one more equality movement to become significant.

In a 2016 Gallup and Northwest Evaluation Association poll

Are students given assessments too frequently?

25%

75%

*Respondents were students in fifth through 12th grade.

Taking standardized tests such as the SAT and the ACT is pretty much essential for students’ chances of going to college. Including the optional essay, the SAT is three hours and 50 minutes long while the ACT is three hours and 35 minutes long.

Some students with disabilities, ranging from anxiety and attentiondeficit/hyperactivity disorder to autism or traumatic brain injuries, can be granted extra time on these standardized tests.

It’s understandable that some students with disabilities be given an opportunity like extended time to level the playing field. However, the option to obtain extended time is easily abused.

The College Board, the organization that administers the SAT, and ACT both boast an extremely complex and closely examined process to verify a student’s learning disabilities and grant extended time. Applicants for extended time must demonstrate the effects of their disabilities in their daily lives and students must also prove that similar accommodations like extended time are granted to them in their schools. Testing from an educational psychologist is probably the most important part of the process in applying for extended time or any other accommodation.

Despite the seemingly complex process, it is apparently not too hard for wealthy and well-connected students to get extended time.

“There are a lot of psychologists who you can pay a lot of money to and get a murky diagnosis of subtle learning issues,” a guidance counselor at Wayland High School, a school located in an affluent neighborhood in Boston, said in an article from ABC News.

In 2006, more than 12 percent of students at Wayland High School received special accommodations for standardized tests, which was more than six times the estimated national average of high school students at the time.

According to the article from ABC News, anonymous high school guidance counselors have claimed that the growing importance of standardized testing has given doctors and medical professionals an

Jeremy Chung

SPORTS EDITOR industry to willingly provide students the documentation they need to get special accommodations. This phenomenon is called “diagnosis shopping” and can be found all over the internet.

Some students are even granted the option to take the ACT section by section over a two week period.

According to the College Board, the natural number of students with learning disabilities should be about two percent. However, up to 46 percent of students at elite schools across the nation receive special accommodations to take standardized tests.

On paper, giving students with disabilities an advantage like extended time seems logical and effective. But when it comes to something as monumental as the SAT and ACT, students can’t help but take advantage of the system.

The College Board sponsored a study between 2005 and 2008 to see exactly how much extended time could affect students without any learning disabilities. Students with average academic abilities and no disabilities scored about 43 points higher on their SAT with extended time, proving that extended time does give students without any learning difficulties a significant advantage.

The issue with granting extended time is that it’s pretty much impossible to determine who deserves it.

Standardized tests like the SAT, ACT and Advanced Placement tests are administered to measure students’ proficiency in the material they’ve been learning over the course of their high school career, but severely time-crunched tests don’t seem to achieve that for anyone. If anything, the time limits should be extended for everyone, regardless of ability.

Third period has just ended, and you know you have a critical AP Biology test next period. You should be thinking about mitosis and meiosis, but instead, all you can think about is your game plan: how will you make it to the girls’ bathroom and beat the never-ending line to claim a stall? Making it can be the difference between showing up early or late for your test.

With a population of 2602 students, TPHS boasts a total of eight student bathrooms on campus. Four for girls and four for boys. Four are in the gym, making access almost impossible unless you have a P.E. or science class. Regardless, getting to the stalls requires a walk through the locker room, a sight that renders many students extremely uncomfortable.

As girls wait for what seems like forever to use the bathroom, they stare in envy at the boys’ bathroom, which rarely has a line.

The line for the girls’ bathroom often seems to wrap around the entire media center.

The lack of enough bathrooms and accessible bathrooms at TPHS should be fixed, especially for the girls. A new set of bathrooms must be constructed on campus.

Most important when considering the new bathrooms is the location. Currently, the two “functioning” restrooms at TPHS are both in the B Building, making it a long walk for any student who has classes on the edges of campus. The new bathrooms must be constructed near the E and G buildings in the West quad to allow for maximum efficiency.

To keep things as simple as possible, the Falconer has come up with the perfect place to put the new restrooms. There is a spot below the stairs that lead to the counselors’ office which houses storage rooms, janitorial equipment and an audio room that was previously used for AP Spanish exams.

These rooms could give way to new bathrooms, but if moving their existing content proves too difficult, there is another option: the open balcony on top of the new AV room nudged between the E and G buildings. The view overlooking the balcony is picturesque, sure, but not practical.

However, there is the issue of cost when it comes to constructing the new restrooms.

Building new bathrooms, which requires the installation of underground plumbing and a full remodeling of the existing area, is extremely costly.

According to News 4 of Reno, Nev., the cost of adding a single gender-neutral restroom at a middle school campus in the Wanahoe County School District was $500,000. The cost at TPHS would most

opinion

january 25, 2019

likely be significantly higher, given that it would not be single gender and that the cost of construction is higher in California.

While SDUHSD is situated in wealthy neighborhoods, the price may be more than the district can afford.

In the event that new bathrooms cannot be built, certain rules can be implemented around campus to lighten the burden of the overflowing and district restrooms.

Many teachers urge their students to use the bathrooms quickly, usually to deter drug use in the restrooms or because students wleave class for unusually long periods. However, depending on the location of the classroom, it can take five minutes just to walk to the restroom, let alone use it and return.

To make bathroom runs more practical for students, the time allocated for bathroom runs should also be extended.

The teachers are not the only potential solution to alleviating the issue of campus restrooms. Students often treat the stalls and bathrooms irresponsibly, leaving trash and toilet paper all over the floor. In the girls’ restroom, feminine products can be found lying on the ground, alongside bodily fluids that easily could have been cleaned up.

The students present a challenge to the cleanliness of restrooms, and the poor plumbing does not help. Frequent clogging leaves bathrooms closed for maintenance, reducing the restroom options available. To decrease the number of shutdowns, students should display basic bathroom decorum.

A lack of bathrooms presents a significant challenge to the TPHS student population. Instead of spending class planning their trips to the restroom, students should be learning.

ratio of males to toilets

ratio of males to urinals

ratio of females to toilets *state mandated minimum bathroom requirements from California Department of Education

Baylee Balsiger (9) There is one in the media center that provides for all the classes, and if you’re outside there is a bathroom, so I don’t think we need any more.

Jack Martinez (9) Yes, because near building G there is no bathroom and the teachers give you five minutes and you can never come back in time.

art by kristen ching/falcon artist

A6 the falconer

Sydney Rodrigue (10) It would be more convenient because there’s not that many, it takes a long time from some classes, they’re all really gross and don’t work.

Copy Editor Photo Editor

Farhan Hossain Angela Liu Kahyun Koh Christy Lam Bea de Oliveira Eve Gross-Sable Colette Chiang Esther Choi Dhathry Doppalapudi Alexei Serguienko Jeremy Chung Daniel Kim Yury Bukhradze David Vapnek

Adviser

Mia Boardman Smith

Editors-in-Chief Assistant Editor-in-Chief Public Relations News Editor Opinion Editor Feature Editors Entertainment Editors Sports Editors

Staff Writers

Vlada Demenko Katie Flint

Neha Pubbi Leo Silverman Maya Satchell Kevin Song Maggie Choy Brandon Raimo Photographers: Christy Lam Anna Jeong Alexei Serguienko Katheryn Yoo Artists: Neilah Soliday Kristen Ching Amy Ge Vlada Demenko

opinion

tphsfalconer.com

Kahyun Koh

ASSISTANT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF “It’s not going to change a damn thing, but I’m still doing it,” President Donald Trump told anchors, hours before launching into another one of his loud, boisterous speeches that have recycled unrealistic ambitions for the Southern border since 2016.

Given Trump and his basically unscalable tower of lies, only made stronger by his recent immigration speech on Jan. 7, he may, for the first time, be right in saying so; there truly was nothing particularly new or special about his slew of empty promises and cringey lines (made even more unbearable, thanks to the patronizing arch of the left eyebrow and birdlike tilts of the head for special appeal to pathos) compared with the teleprompter speech that probably made even the actual speech writer wince.

While there certainly wasn’t much to gain from Trump’s recent immigration speech, maybe there is one significant lesson it taught us, after all: that news outlets these days are so confused that they are willing to feature presidential addresses that the president himself is visibly uninterested in, when they denied airtime for Obama’s “overly political” immigration address in 2014. It is still astounding how the very same broadcast news networks that featured Trump’s recent immigration speech chose to pass on Obama’s long-awaited thoughts on

immigration five years ago in favor of sitcoms like “The Big Bang Theory” and “The Biggest Loser: Glory Days.”

Granting a president airtime to address the nation is not supposed to be a difficult decision for broadcast networks to make. But this is President Trump we’re talking about — President Trump, who, on the day he requested airtime from those networks for his immigration speech, freshly reminded the nation via Twitter that journalists are “the Enemy of the People” and “crazed lunatics.”

Speaking of which, it’s worth wondering whether the coverage of Trump’s flawed immigration speech by those networks will further harm the reputation of the nation’s journalists and their “FAKE NEWS.” Some argue that the journalistic debate on whether or not the president’s immigration speech should have been covered by the networks is ultimately pointless because “research shows that speeches like [Trump’s recent immigration speech] don’t tend to move public opinion; what they are effective at is diverting the attention of the media,” as University of Michigan political scientist Brendan Nyhan told Wired.

However, the diversion of the media’s attention in itself can take form into a surprisingly powerful weapon, underestimated in influence.

The decision of the aforementioned broadcast networks to air Trump’s immigration speech can provide millions of T.V. viewers, even those who may not watch political shows or news broadcast, greater access to Trump’s immigration propaganda by cutting into expensive time that would usually be set aside for popular entertainment shows, even if Tuesday, when Trump presented his speech, is “a relatively slow night for

prime time,” as noted by The New York Times.

Further, the fact that those viewers may be blind to the ridiculous lies that distorted the President’s immigration speech only exacerbates the problem.

In the end, the fact that all nine minutes of Trump’s immigration speech, lies and all, have been featured live across the four major networks in the nation with the biggest audience in mass media, according to the New York Times, is an unfortunate one that does not change. In fact, the Washington Post ran a cheat sheet in advance of 20 false statements the President might say during his immigration speech, and found that all of Trump’s anticipated lies

the falconer

A7

had been delivered from his own mouth less than halfway into the speech — which wasn’t surprising even for its readers, to put it mildly.

Therefore, after networks agreed to cover Trump’s immigration speech, it was, as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said, only fair (not to mention the bare minimum and most standard thing these channels could have done) for “Democrats … [to] immediately be given equal airtime.”

So here’s an idea: instead of wringing our hands over Trump’s twisted immigration speech, maybe we just should have listened to adult film actress and Trump accuser Stormy Daniels by tuning into an Instagram live video of her folding laundry in her underwear for eight minutes. It’s not like we would be missing out on anything; hell, even the President himself said so.

art by amy ge/falcon artist

LEO SILVERMAN Staff writer Leo Silverman details how he’s changed as a person throughout his time at TPHS, from quitting the basketball team to finding his passions in journalism and guitar.

I’ll always remember what my dad told me on my first day of high school: “Leo, don’t worry so much; high school is the time when you change the most.” I got in the car and thought nothing of it.

Now I’m here, about to enter my final semester as a high schooler, and I can’t help but agree with my father. I am far from the kid I was that summer before freshman year. Back then, I thought I would be a lawyer or a doctor, like my parents, when I grew up. I remember planning out my classes even past freshman year, deciding to sign up for an Intro to Law class and join mock trial.

I even saw myself playing college basketball.

I had been an athlete all of my life, whether it was in soccer, basketball or football. That Leo couldn’t even fathom quitting basketball after all the years he had played it, but after my sophomore season, I did quit. It was definitely one of the hardest decisions I’ve had to make in my short lifetime. I had been using almost all my free time playing basketball, where I’d spend hours practicing skills and going outside to get some shots up before dinner. It got to a point where my mood for the week would depend on how I played in practices and games.

My decision to quit came down to the fact that I wasn’t going to be able to put as much time into working on my game, thanks to school-work and my other extracurriculars. It was very bittersweet, and the first week after my decision was rough, going home from school with nothing to do but dwell over my decision.

But, as the weeks went on, I regretted it less and

less. Now that I look back, I don’t regret quitting.

It allowed me to focus on my guitar playing and try new things like throwing events for track and field, my new sport. If I hadn’t decided to quit the TPHS basketball team, I wouldn’t have had any time to do all the things I love to do today, from writing for the Falconer to participating in TPHS Mock Trial.

The more I think about it, the biggest thing that’s changed about me over these four years is my personality. Sure, I still have some similar interests and hobbies to those I’ve enjoyed in the past, but I have a completely different persona than I did heading into freshman year.

I always loved how my mom described it. She would call me a “gentle giant” because I am tall, and back then I was shy and reserved. That’s how I was for the first two years of high school.

I had close friends I would open up around, but I wasn’t the kid to raise my hand in class or be excited about any sort of presentation. I usually sat in the back and kept to myself at school.

It wasn’t until junior year, when I made a bunch of new friends and met some of the most awesome teachers on TPHS’ campus that I realized I really wasn’t a shy person. I owe it to my friends from that year and teachers like Colin Cornforth and Mia Boardman Smith for helping me open up and find my true identity. Cornforth helped me learn not to hesitate when I want to say something, not only in the classroom, but in social interactions too. Without him, I don’t think I would have been able to make so many new friends at my job over that summer at Legoland California. Smith helped me find the strength to

photo by alexei serguienko/falconer

try new things that interest me and to get past my nervous barriers in social situations. Without her I wouldn’t have ended up joining Falconer, and have found my true passion through writing and reporting. Who knows what career path I would’ve chosen if it weren’t for Mia opening my eyes to the world of journalism.

Now I am the guy who is weirdly happy to write essays in AP Language and AP Literature and the guy who raises his hand way too much in history classes. The number of amazing people I’ve been able to meet and gotten to know now that I’m not so reserved and shy still astounds me to this day.

Obviously, there are some things that haven’t changed. I’m still a huge Philadelphia Eagles fan, if not more now than before. I still play basketball occasionally with friends for fun, and I’m still a nerd at heart, as much as I sometimes try and hide it. I still play the guitar like I have since age 13. I even did end up joining TPHS

Mock Trial this year, only three years later than I had originally planned to.

The event which I feel solidified my personality change happened at the beginning of this year when I walked into my AP Literature class. The class was taught by my same English 10 Honors teacher, Lisa Callender. Like most seniors during that time of year, I was looking for anyone to give me feedback on my Common Application essay. It talks a lot about the things I have brought up here, except with a bit more focus on my summer job. When she got back to me after I walked into class the next day, I’ll always remember how she said after the first week of classes, she could tell how much more outgoing I was compared to all the way back in 10th grade, which brought the biggest smile to my face.

As my time at TPHS comes to a close, I don’t think I’d change a second of my experience, and I am truly proud of the person I’ve become.

opinion

january 25, 2019

New year, new egg?

At the dawn of 2019, the Instagram account @world_record_egg captured hearts and likes — over 50 million — with its mission to dethrone Kylie Jenner as the world record holder for the most liked Instagram post.

But it was more than just about breaking a record.

Every year, it seems the internet is flooded with stories and posts about how bad 20-whatever was and how eager people are to start fresh. Yet with each abandoned resolution, the world is left to wistfully say “maybe next year.”

There’s no denying that for an egg — the ultimate symbol of rebirth, hope and purity — to be the most liked picture on Instagram is a sign. And not any sort of spiritual, divinely communicated sign, but one of our own manufacturing as humans. Millions upon millions of people made the conscious decision to reject a celebrity in favor of a simple, unblemished egg.

An egg that doesn’t have a cosmetics company. An egg that doesn’t star in a reality TV show.

An egg that isn’t recognized as “self-made,” despite having been born into a family known, worshiped and despised for its wealth.

This egg asked the people of Instagram and, therefore, the world, to come together to propel it to success, and they delivered. They over-delivered. Because if there’s anything people love more than the Kardashians, it’s an underdog.

So people saw themselves in this egg. Average. Commonplace. Ordinary.

But on the brink of a transformation? Filled with nutrients? Possibly bad for cholesterol but also possibly good?

Unpredictable.

People chose to support this egg because it stands as a monument to their desired self-improvement. And because they couldn’t envy, adore or detest it the way they did Jenner.

On the surface, it’s sort of beautiful that such a boundless number of people could unite to defeat Kylie Jenner. But then, all they had to do was click a button. As much as we would like to believe it, this wasn’t an accomplishment. Over 50 million people double tapped a stock photo of an egg so its owners could achieve validation that exists solely in cyberspace. Maybe if Jenner broke a world record in philanthropy, we’d all be fueled to do more for others just to spite her. Why is it that we can rally around an egg, but not each other?

At the end of the day, the egg has been fun. People have lived vicariously through the egg. They’ve felt the adrenaline rush of seeing it surpass Jenner’s now minuscule 18 million likes. But this egg was not built for fame; it’s not going to hatch into Stormi Eggster.

The egg is a one hit wonder. So people shouldn’t be surprised when the egg is left in the new year, hopefully not holding back all of their resolutions with it.

by Eve Gross-Sable

Kevin Song

STAFF WRITER In a time when people obsess over productivity and STEM careers dominate the playing field, the vision of a life filled with vibrant colors, music and words is replaced by one of an uber-efficient machine. It’s difficult for an artist to find his or her place in today’s society, where STEM seems to outshine the importance of art.

But people are forgetting the possibility of a happy medium. Art should go hand in hand with science and is necessary in preserving the morals and values that define the human race.

Rather than vying for domination, the two must coexist to build a healthy, balanced society.

There is no denying that the need to create is deeply ingrained in the human condition.

According to Smithsonian archaeologist Maxime Aubert, the oldest cave paintings, the earliest form of art, date back to as early as 38,000 B.C.E. (40,000 years ago). Although the exact purpose of these paintings is unknown, the paintings were often found on walls not easily accessible, suggesting a deeper significance than shallow entertainment; Aubert believes that the paintings most likely played an important role in religious ceremonies or communication within a tribe. If art is not necessary, why has it been a part of our lives for so long? The question people should be asking isn’t if art is necessary at all, but why people need it.

The answer can be found in art’s true value: its humanizing qualities. Art paints refinement into an uncultured society, creating a healthy populace that progresses due to its awareness of others rather than its drive to surpass others. A society without art is dysfunctional;

its members work only to earn money and outcompete others, and they usually feel frustration rather than satisfaction.

An example of art’s connective qualities can be found in the 1986 film “The Mission,” based on true events from 18th-century Jesuit missionaries. Spanish Jesuit priest Father Gabriel is sent into the wilderness of South America in hopes of establishing a Christian mission station and converting the native Guaraní people. However, the Guaraní are unreceptive and threaten to kill Gabriel over a waterfall. In what appear to be his final moments, he plays his oboe, a musical instrument, and the Guaraní, touched by his music, allow him to live and eventually accept him into their community.

To be clear, the complexity or technical impressiveness of the piece weren’t important; Gabriel’s song was actually very simple, but it conveyed his emotions effectively to priest and native alike. Art and music are universal languages that experience no language barriers due to their ability to define abstract ideas whose meanings are more ambiguous.

Take trust, in Gabriel’s case, or empathy and love. It’s awkward to define love scientifically — while it’s true that scientists have pinpointed the hormonal drives in love, this scientific “definition” barely does love justice. Neither is there a chemically-crafted love potion (otherwise, none of us would be single). However, there are thousands of love songs and art pieces that can convey and evoke the artist’s unique meaning of love, making art a beautiful exchange of human emotion.

Humans aren’t the only ones that depend on music as a fundamental form of communication. Whales sing intricate, constantly evolving songs that, according to scientists, are as complex as human-composed jazz songs. Birds belt out songs that vary in length, volume and rhythm to communicate different things. In fact, there is a whole field of science, zoomusicology, dedicated to the study

of how animals make and interpret music as a means of communication.

This is where science and art come together.

Just like science, which is often built on empirical evidence, or data collected through the senses, art is a result of human senses — smell, sight, touch, taste and hearing, as well as intuition and empathy — and the expression of these feelings. If this expression manages to evoke a response from another individual, then a connection is created and general understanding of humanity is strengthened.

This conscientiousness of the sensory response to life and existence makes one more sensitive to the connections between all things, living and nonliving. As a result, our decisions are highly influenced by their impact on others. Art, in short, keeps us humane.

A career in art might seem unproductive in our progress-

photos from instagram

A8 the falconer

oriented society, but artists are anything but. Representatives from big-name tech companies, including YouTube and Facebook, have confirmed that their employers actively seek candidates with traits honed by an arts education such as creativity, enthusiasm, innovative thinking and, most importantly, a keen awareness of group dynamics.

In fact, tech products and consumer electronics are often a collaboration of art and science; for instance, your phone is the result of a technological mind planning the device’s inner workings and an artistic mind designing the physical product.

In the society we have created, art and data complement each other like yin and yang. So why should artists waste their talents and do something they do not love? Artists, pursue your dreams. Without art, we may be humans, but we are no longer humane.

art by vlada demenko/falcon artist

tphsfalconer.com

formal

TPHS WINTER FORMAL FEBRUARY 2, 2019 HOUSE OF BLUES FALCONER AD SPREAD

FIND GREAT DEALS ON FORMAL WEAR AND ACCESSORIES FROM LOCAL BOUTIQUES

the falconer

A9

formal

A10 the falconer

january 25, 2019

Edit Consignment & Boutique is owned by our very own Torrey Pines alumna Angel O’Brien and is a great local spot just minutes from the coast to find the perfect outfit for day or night in every price range. They carry mid-range to highend women’s clothing from all of your favorite top brand names at a fraction of the retail price, so why spend more when you don’t have to! Great selection of dresses, shoes and accessories arriving daily for your special event.

Serious Fashion - Fun Prices @ Edit!

@Editconsignment

Edit Consignment & Boutique Serious Fashion ... Fun Prices!

16087 San Dieguito Rd Ste D2 Rancho Santa Fe, Ca. 92067

Open 7 days a week!

www.editrsf.com (858)832-7973

formal

tphsfalconer.com

the falconer A11

FIND WINTER FORMAL NECESSITIES AT SOME OF THESE LOCAL BUSINESSES!

Val Bee Hair Let’s make your prom night unforgettable with dazzling hairstyles created by Val Bee! Unique cuts, color, updos and makeup for ladies and gentlemen from Torrey Pines High School are offered with a 25% discount. Please have this ad banner for validation.

9625 Black Mountain Road Unit 201, San Diego, CA 92126 619-244-4035

Corsages and Boutonnieres for Winter Formal 12750 Carmel Country Road, Suite A-110, San Diego, CA 92130 858-755-0303 delmarfloral.com

Bring this ad for 10% off the purchase of a corsage or boutonniere! *Discount must be applied at time of ordering.

A12 the falconer

formal

january 25, 2019

To prepare for his performances, Eli Sclar (11) spends his time perfecting his guitar techniques and practicing rock classics with his band. The lead guitarist’s perspective and life have been significantly changed by the addition of music to his world.

Five years ago, then 12-year-old Eli Sclar (11) sat in his family’s home in Johannesburg, South Africa on vacation, when his great uncle picked up a guitar that had belonged to Sclar’s mother in her childhood to show him how to play a few notes. From there on, he was inspired to pick up where his mother had left off.

“In my immediate family, [playing instruments] isn’t really a thing,” Sclar said. “[In my] extended family, there are a few [musicians], but I’m pretty much the only musician in my family.”

Upon Sclar’s return to San Diego, he borrowed an electric guitar through family friends and signed up for guitar lessons at the Boys and Girls Club, starting his journey to becoming a musician.

“I started lessons in seventh grade, and initially they taught me music theory,” Sclar said. “For a few months I tried to teach myself, but I [ended up] just getting a [guitar] teacher that comes to my house and it’s been really helpful.”

Soon he began expanding the types of music he listened to, which further fueled his passion for guitar. One of his biggest influences was classic rock, with Queen being a particular influence that struck a chord with Sclar during his middle school years.

“They have a lot of really powerful songs. Compared to a lot of the simple early 2000s songs, Queen was night and day,” Sclar said.

After becoming more skilled with the guitar through the help of instructors, Sclar then joined a local music school, called Villa Musica. There, he was given the opportunity to join one of the school’s bands; Sclar has been practicing and performing with the band over the last three years.

“Playing guitar by yourself is just a completely different experience than when you have drums, keyboards, singers and basses,” Sclar said. “I spent a fair amount of time on YouTube watching all these bands playing covers and thought, ‘Wow, that’s a lot better than what I do.’”

The group typically specializes in classic rock songs from the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s. Sclar, who plays lead guitar, says he is content with this, as that is the type of music he listens to in his own time.

“We do Santana, Led Zeppelin ... Right now we’re doing a Red Hot Chili Peppers song,” Sclar said. “Whenever we want to do a new song one of us just goes to the director and say, ‘Do you want to do this song?’ and then work it out.”

A specific gig the band annually performs is the San Diego County Fair.

According to Sclar, the group plays songs they have become most proficient at performing over the course of the school year.

“Where we perform, it’s kind of open, but it’s usually just above or below 100 [people in the audience] I’d say,” Sclar said.

Sclar performs frequently with the band at Villa Musica as well, and has long grown accustomed to performing in front of large audiences.

“I get very nervous, but the longer I’m on stage, the less nervous I get,” Sclar said. “As our set goes on I get more comfortable; my guitar teacher taught me to just get up there early so I’ll be fine [to perform].”

Every week, Sclar also performs for a different kind of audience: children hoping to learn how to play the guitar. He earns volunteer hours by teaching kids how to play guitar, both classical and electric.

“I needed volunteer credits, and I like music, so I put two and two together,” Sclar said. “I enjoy [volunteering], like I exceeded the credits I needed. It’s nice, it’s rewarding.”

Sclar has various plans for his music career in the future as he approaches the end of high school.

“Ideally, what I’d like to do [in the future] is start composing film scores, but in college I also plan to start a band,” Sclar said.

Sclar says his experience with playing guitar has had a large impact on his life, mostly on his perspective of music and its structure.

“It’s made me appreciate music more; I would’ve never thought I’d go home and listen to classical music, but now I’ll hear a classical guitar and wonder, ‘How does he do that?’’

Sclar said. “It made me analyze music a lot more as a whole.”

Although he is thinks that not all people may possess musical talent, Sclar still believes everyone should at least try to play music.

“I think every kid should pick up an instrument or learn how to read music at one point,” Sclar said.

Retracing his mother’s footsteps as a musician, Sclar has brushed off the dust from his mother’s old guitar and created his own unique melody.

by Vlada Demenko

photo by christy lam/falconer

A14 the falconer

feature

Trash is littered around, despite handwritten signs that urge visitors to clean up after themselves. Rampant sanitation issues like toilet paper and feces are found along the road in Yosemite and a cut down Joshua Tree lying on the ground — all reminders of just how careless some humans can be. This scene was likely not what President Ulysses S. Grant had imagined when he signed a landmark bill into law nearly 150 years ago, establishing the first U.S. national park.

2.2 million acres of land was set aside to protect the geysers, grizzly bears, herds of bison and natural beauty found nowhere else on the planet. Welcoming millions of visitors annually, the birth of Yellowstone National Park began a movement that not only led to the founding of 1,200 parks across the world, but also inspired the need to preserve nature for future generations to enjoy.

“I’ve been to a lot of Ranger talks, both as an adult and with my kids, and I think they inspire me and also my kids to recognize and appreciate what is in the national park and why it needs to be protected and preserved,” TPHS teacher and avid hiker Colin Cornforth said. “Rangers themselves, in terms of what I have seen, are less rule-enforcers and more people who inspire [others] to appreciate the natural world.”

After Congress failed to pass a spending bill on Dec. 22, the U.S. federal government shut down due to a lack of funding. That shutdown — which was ongoing when the Falconer went to press — became the longest in U.S. history on Jan. 12 when it surpassed the previous record of 21 days. As a result, there have been no paid National Park Rangers to share their love of nature and enforce rules, like staying on trails or not bringing dogs.

“I haven’t had a run in with any ranger, mainly because I make sure to read the rules and regulations before I go,” Cornforth said. “I value these parks so much.”

But for those that may not appreciate the parks or acknowledge the rules, the pulling out of 16,000 of the 19,000 active national park employees becomes a major problem.

“I didn’t notice any sort of rangers or stuff like that my whole trip,” said Max Orr (12), who went to the Redwood National Forests in Northern California over the Christmas break. “I didn’t see any rangers whatsoever — just people.”

In Joshua Tree National Park, home to a tree that only grows in those 800,000 acres of protected land, people have driven off trails, littered, committed acts of vandalism, set up illegal campsites and even cut down Joshua Trees, according to CNN. With quickly filling trash cans and pit toilets, the park was forced to shut down on Jan. 8 to allow park officials to assess and address the damage.

“You’ve got an ecosystem that is very fragile because of the minimal rain they get, and one person decides to take their car off road where they are not supposed to, and that entire ecosystem is

ruined for 100 years,” Cornforth said.

The issues go beyond the road blockages, trash and vandalism, however. For example, the shutdown has halted the over 60 year study of wolves and moose at Isle Royale National Park. According to the National Parks Conservation Association (NCPA), the study had recently allowed for the reintroduction of wolves into the park, and “gaps in scientific data would undermine the relevance, integrity and credibility of research.”

“In the case of Isle Royale National Park, it has halted the planned release of new wolves from Ontario,” said Rolf Peterson, a research professor at Michigan Technological University who has been apart of the study for decades. “This is a one time opportunity; it won’t be there next year.”

The shutdown has not stopped visitors from flooding in, as the winter holidays are a popular time for families to visit national parks.

“When the shutdown started during the Christmas week, in Yosemite, for example, the ski area was open. Every hotel room was full [and] every campground was full,” said Ken Yager, president of the Yosemite Climbing Association volunteer group. “And there were no government workers. They had, I believe, eight [workers], and it was for law enforcement only. It wasn’t near enough.”

Law enforcement aside, there were still many areas of managing a national park that needed attention, with the biggest one being waste management, which is where volunteer groups like the one Yager is a part of have come into the picture. But even with volunteers stepping in, their input is not enough to completely replace the furloughed workers.

“We’re just working on trash and toilet paper,” Yager said. “It’s just a bandaid. All the other parts that the parks [need are] not getting done, so that’s where the real long term damage is going to be.”

Frank Macaulay, who went to Joshua Tree over the holiday break, witnessed this key difference between his previous trip with no government shutdown and his trip this past December: just like in Yosemite, there were volunteers.

“I talked to one of them at a restroom by a trail head — he and his partner were cheerfully cleaning and stocking the restroom with toilet paper,” Macaulay said, “He said he was one of about 50 volunteers in a group, all local residents, who had organized to keep the park clean so that visitors would have favorable experiences despite the shutdown.”

However, not all parks have been filled with volunteers: Point Reyes National Seashore in California and Crater Lake National Park in Oregon have had to either completely or partially shut down due to the buildup of human waste, according to the Willamette

january 25, 2019

tphsfalconer.com

feature

Week.

Week.

In order to remain open, the National Park Service announced that Joshua Tree National Park would use recreation fees to pay for sanitation staff, according to ABC News.

Joshua Tree remaining open is also attributed to volunteers pumping toilets and taking out trash, according to Kaya Lindsay, social media coordinator of volunteer group Yosemite Facelift.

“Especially since Joshua Tree National Park staff have come back to work without pay, Joshua Tree is holding up well,” Lindsay said. “Things are looking a lot better.”

But since the early days of the shutdown, the lack of services at the closed Visitor Center also meant the absence of rangers at the entrance to collect the admission fees. With people being able to enter national parks free of charge, popular places like Zion, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon and Yosemite are unable to collect entrance fees, 80 percent of which go to operating the park. Because of this, the Park Service has lost around $400,000 a day, according to NCPA. Additionally, restaurants, souvenir shops and other tourist attractions near parks that would normally be filled with visitors are facing lower revenues.

“The surrounding businesses are positively affected by tourism, and most of them make all of their winter income from Christmas and New Years tourists,” Lindsay said. “I think people will lose a lot of money.”

Seven people have died in national parks since the shutdown, according to CNN, but it is unclear and difficult to attribute the deaths to the shutdown.

One thing is clear though; without rangers, volunteers are taking time out of their own lives to help the great Joshua Tree, among other parks, grow its figurative roots back and stand tall once again. “[Park workers] have college degrees... they’re at the top of their field, but they really aren’t paid what they’re worth,” Yager said.

“If they have to leave and when [park administration] start[s] these programs back up, you’re probably going to have people that aren’t as experienced. But I think it’s going to be a problem in every National Park.” that is hopefully compounded by But how long long this thiscan cango goon onisisa aquestion question that won’t current sanitation ecological have to be asked forand much longer, issues. because of the current sanitation the caseissues. of Joshua Tree National Park, the lack of park and“In ecological staff enforce behavior resulted in thethe loss of valuable “Intothe casevisitor of Joshua Treehas National Park, lack of park biological resources,” Elsa has Cleland, professor of ecology and staff to enforce visitor said behavior resulted in the loss of valuable evolution at Universitysaid of San biological resources,” ElsaDiego.

Cleland, professor of ecology and Especially because Joshua are long-lived species that take evolution at University of Santrees Diego. a long time tobecause mature,Joshua ecosystem can have a large impact Especially treeschanges are long-lived species that take onlong other species as well.ecosystem changes can have a large impact a time to mature, that use those trees for habitat — they’ve lost a habitat. on “Species other species as well.

There’s alsothat a loss ofthose aesthetic for—park visitors,” Cleland “Species use treesresources for habitat they’ve lost a habitat. said.

There’s also a loss of aesthetic resources for park visitors, Cleland said.

Bringing dogs into national parks is another rule being violated.

“I have noticed more holes being dug by people’s dogs,” Lindsay said. “Dogs are not allowed off paved roads in Joshua Tree, but with no rangers to tell people that, there have been a lot running around the desert.”

Perhaps the biggest concern is that black bears are making their way to trash cans. if blackif bears for foodfor in “This is aa problem, problem, as because blackstart bearsscavenging start scavenging the parking lots or trash theybins, lose they their lose instinct hunt, and food in the parking lots bins, or trash theirtoinstinct to become dependent on people,”onLindsay “Thissaid. makes them lose hunt and become dependent people,”said.

Lindsay “This makes their fear people, leadswhich to bears breaking cars tointo get them lose of their fear which of people, leads to bearsinto breaking food.”to get food.” cars Additionally, economic hardships as a result of the shutdown are unlikely to end, even if a compromise in the government is made.

“A good portion of the [park] employees are going to be gone” if the shutdown persists for another month, according to Yager.

A prolonged shutdown would motivate park staff to find alternative jobs and take employees away from where they’re needed.

“They’re going to have a minimal staff, which is going to impact the park this summer,” Yager said.

He also believes that the funding they have will affect the projects parks are able to do in the summer, and the longer the shutdown, the more likely “none of that stuff” will happen.

Many parks are being supported by state funds, including Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona, which needs snow removal and York sanitation services. services.The The“New state of state York is spending $65,000$65,000 a day to New is “spending a operate the Statue of Liberty and day to operate the Statue of Liberty EllisEllis Island,” according to The NewNew YorkYork Times. and Island,” according to The Times.

Inactive campground services, money loss and signs warning visitors to enter at their own risk are all telling signs that action needs to be taken now to prevent any further damage.

“Every park is unique as far as the needs and the type of employees it needs,” Yager said. “But I think you’re going to find once a shutdown does [happen], they’re going to be struggling for a while.”

Lindsay is also worried about the park employees affected by the shutdown.

“There will certainly be less Joshua Trees in the park, but the employees are the ones who are suffering the most,” Lindsay said.

“People are going without pay for over a month now; many people don’t have enough in savings to pay their rent on time.”

And with parks occupied with problems caused by the shutdown, other summer projects like trail maintenance, invasive species repairs will will be beput putto tothe theside. side.When the Falconer removal and road repairs “With all of the these put on hold, it’s unclear what will be the most went to press, shutdown was ongoing. affected,” Lindsay said. time willwhat tell.”will be the most “With all of these put“Ionthink hold,only it’s unclear

by Leo Silverman and“IYury affected,” Lindsay said. thinkBukhradze only time will tell.”

by Leo Silverman and Yury Bukhradze

the falconer

A15

tphsfalconer.com

feature

Turn on the TV, and it seems like President Donald Trump is constantly talking about his ultimate goal — the Southern border wall.

The current border fencing runs from the West coast of California to Eastern Texas, while the proposed wall would run the across the 1,933 mile border region from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico.

According to Trump, the wall will most likely be see-through and include either a solid concrete or metal panel on top, although the Department of Homeland Security is currently testing out multiple designs. In addition to a physical structure, built-in sensors, cameras and other surveillance equipment will help catch people attempting to cross over the border.

According to Trump, the wall is necessary to protect the U.S. from illegal immigrants, drug smuggling and terrorism. The validity of these claims, however, has been questioned. The number of people caught by the Department of Customs and Border Enforcement illegally attempting to enter the country since the 1970s is near an all time low, although it increased by 36 percent in 2017. Additionally, the Department has found over 200 tunnels in its history.

Even if the wall were set partially underground, that would not necessarily prevent drug smugglers from digging deeper — A tunnel to San Diego found in 2006 was at some parts 90 feet deep.

A wall would facilitate the process of border defense, which is becoming more necessary with the influx of immigrants due to political and economic instability in Mexico and Latin American countries.

According to Time Magazine, “the number of families and children [31,188] arriving at the ports of entry and illegally crossing the border has more than doubled in two years.”

Constructing the wall will be a challenge, as the terrain along the border is frequently mountainous or made up of bodies of water, and these natural barriers already make illegally crossing difficult. Additionally, environmentalists warn that a wall would disrupt the natural migration of endangered animals like ocelots across the border.

While the subject of the wall is already polarizing, Republicans and Democrats are also arguing over the means to fund it.

Trump promised in his 2016 campaign that he would “build a wall” with money from the Mexican government. However, now he wants the U.S. government to fund it for $5.7 billion, although an unreleased Department of Homeland Security projection places the price tag at $21.6 billion, with $150 million for annual maintenance, according to The Hill, a non-partisan newspaper and website that covers Congress, politics and business.

The House of Representatives, currently controlled by Democrats, refused to allocate $5.7 billion for the border wall. Without a solution that both chambers of Congress and the President can agree on, the government entered a state of shutdown. On Jan. 22, when the Falconer went to press, the shutdown was 32 days long, surpassing the previous record

the falconer A16

of 21 days as the longest in U.S. history. The 32nd day also marked the day when lost economic output due to the shutdown exceeded $5.7 billion dollars, the amount Trump wants to allocate for the wall. By leveraging the government and its officials’ jobs against legislation that will pay for the wall, Trump hopes to exact a decision in his favor and has mentioned that if he is not able to receive the proper funding for the wall, the government will not reopen.

The pressure to reopen the closed federal government grew more urgent when 800,000 government employees missed their first paycheck on Jan. 11.

Only about half — 420,000 workers, to be exact — continue to work through the government shutdown and expect to be paid afterward.

On Jan. 19, Trump presented a deal that offered limited protections for children of illegal immigrants in exchange for a bill that would allot $5.7 billion to the proposed border wall. The Democrats rejected the deal, due to the fact that it did not solve the Democrats’ concerns over the Dreamers’ legal status and the shutdown, which Trump provoked by demanding funding for the wall.

The deal Trump offered was supposed to give more than 700,000 Dreamers, or illegal immigrants brought to the U.S. as children,temporary legal status and work authorization for three years.

Trump described this as “[a way to] provide Congress with a path forward to end the government shutdown and solve the crisis on the southern border.”

Last summer, the Trump administration’s family separation policy came into effect at the border, separating many immigrant parents from their children.

The policy was specifically directed to serve as a disincentive for those thinking about coming to the U.S. illegally.

Before Trump made his proposal official, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi exposed the plan and called it “a complication of several previously rejected initiatives, each of which is unacceptable and in total, do not represent a good faith effort to restore certainty to people’s lives.”

When the government shut down, the operations of many federal agencies were affected; major government agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security, National Parks Service, Department of Agriculture, the Department of Justice and the Food and Drug Administration have had to close federal programs, most of which affect the safety and daily lives of Americans.

According to CNBC, 51,000 Transportation Security Administration agents, who maintain airport safety, have called in sick to work since the shutdown began. Some national parks have closed, leading to 7 deaths due to falling and drowning. Food inspections for seafood and vegetables have stopped for the time being, meaning Americans are at a higher risk for contracting a foodborne illness. Furthermore, federal services that feed Native Americans have all but disappeared, leaving local and state programs to take up the slack.

by Maggie Choy

tphsfalconer.com

feature

the falconer

A17

@tphsfalconer @tphsfalconer

C ONER L A F .C HS

tphsfalconer

OM

TP

follow the Falconer to keep up on school news

@TPHSPORTS @Falconertphs Are you struggling to get a good grade in one of the following classes?

High Bluff Academy still has room for some second semester classes.

Subject

TPHS Period

CCA Period

Teachers

Biology Chemistry Physics Physics Int Math 1

2 1 6 2 6 2 6 2 1 1 6 1 7 2 7 6 6 1 6 7 1 2

1 1

Dr. Will Anderson George Humphreys George Humphreys Colin Green Lori Davidson Lori Davidson Tom Kolstad Tom Kolstad Colin Green Tom Kolstad Oscar Otanez Aubri Almendariz Adriana Garcia Adriana Garcia Dr. Will Anderson Geoff Stevens George Humphreys Geoff Stevens Adriana Garcia Colin Green Oscar Otanez Oscar Otanez

Int Math1Hnrs Int Math1Hnrs Int Math2 Int Math 3 Intro to Calc/ Hnrs Precalc

Statistics Spanish 1 Spanish 2 Spanish 3 Environmental Scinece

AP Human Georgraphy

AP Chemistry AP U.S. History AP Spanish AP Physics 1 AP Calc AB AP Calc BC

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 ---

1 1

Small class size allows for individualized instruction

12707 High Bluff Dr., Suite 150 San Diego, CA 92130 (858) 509-9101

In 1991, the original “Super Smash Bros.” game was developed

by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. The game started as an all-stars fighting game of the most notable Nintendo characters, while its sequels would later feature characters from different games in the industry, effectively making the latest installment in the series, “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate,” “the biggest crossover in video game history,” as the game’s producer Masahiro Sakurai said during the E3 2018 conference.

“Ultimate” was released for Nintendo Switch on Dec. 7, and, like previous games in the series, is a non-standard fighting game.

While in most fighting games, like “Street Fighter” or “Mortal Kombat,” the goal is to deplete the opponent’s stamina or health points, in “Super Smash” games, the objective is to “smash” the opponents off the stage. Furthermore, what makes the games different from other fighting games and justifies its tag as the largest crossover is the number of featured characters: over 70 characters from different franchises, both Nintendo and third parties, to be exact. Examples include Mario from the samename platforming game, Link from “The Legend of Zelda,” Pac-Man, Sonic, Snake from “Metal Gear Solid” and some obscure characters like Wii Fit Trainer and Piranha Plant. “Ultimate” features all of the stages and characters from previous games in the series, with newcomers to be added upon release as DLC over the coming months.

Aside from new characters, new gameplay features were added, as well. One is the Final Smash Meter, which allows players to acquire the ability to execute the Final Smash (a powerful attack unique to each character) slowly over the process of a match instead of attempting to gain the power by acquiring collectibles. Four new stages were also added: Dracula’s Castle from “Castlevania,” New Donk City from “Super Mario Odyssey,” Moray Towers from “Splatoon 2” and Great Plateau Tower from “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.” Some stages were redesigned, and all stages received a new form: battlefield, which consists of a main platform plus three smaller platforms above it.

The soundtrack of the game includes over 800 tracks from different video game franchises — some are original or remastered versions, while some are newly-made remixes. A new feature, initially introduced in the previous game, “Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS,” allows players to create playlists with tracks from the soundtrack and listen to them with Switch’s screen turned off, making it resemble an MP3 player.

Like the previous games in the series, “Ultimate” includes an online mode. While in the previous games there was a clear distinction between competitive (“For Glory”) and casual (“For Fun”) modes, the system in “Ultimate” was revamped: now, casual and competitive are merged into one Quick Play mode, and

players can choose a preferred rule set. This means that players who prefer specific stages and with specific items available will be more likely to match with other players with similar preferences.

Even though the online mode has all the essential features, it has its shortcomings. The online mode is based on a peer-to-peer system, which means that players connect directly to each other with some player being randomly chosen as the game host. This system makes online matches much more dependent on a stable internet connection, because if the host has connection issues, every player will experience lag, completely ruining the game.

Ever since the Subspace Emissary story mode from “Super Smash Bros. Brawl,” none of the “Super Smash” series games featured a story mode. However, in “Ultimate,” Nintendo included the “World of Light” story mode, which begins with all the characters and various “spirits,” or supporting characters, being captured and controlled by Galeem, the embodiment of light. By fighting the spirits and characters one-by-one on a vast map, players can unlock each one in various special battles with specific rules. By defeating both Galeem and his counterpart Dharkon, the embodiment of darkness, “World of Light” is over, presenting a valuable cutscene as rewarding as the process.

After Subspace Emissary’s release, “Smash Bros.” players awaited a new story mode, which emerged as the “World of Light” in “Ultimate.” Although the gameplay is extremely long, players can undergo the process of unlocking every single character, with every battle bearing some resemblance to the character or spirit’s original game. Despite the tedious number of fights necessary to complete the story mode, the process is extremely meaningful. Towards the end, players are rewarded with the chance to play the notorious Master Hand, the main boss in the original “Super Smash Bros.” game.

By including several new features through a special story mode, Nintendo took advantage of the game’s tag and applied it to the 1,300 spirits, 70 characters and five boss fights. At the same time, “World of Light” is not easy, challenging players in all 3 difficulty levels: easy, normal and hard. This competitive party game is definitely a worthy addition to occasional gamers and hardcore gamers alike.

In general, the inclusion of every single character from the “Smash Bros.” series’ history is the main feature of “Ultimate.”

Despite a short list of additions, the new features add to the size of the game. Suitable both for competitive and casual gamers, the new installment in the series makes a great addition to the Nintendo Switch lineup and an important milestone in video game history, showing the solidarity of the gaming industry and the gamer culture despite differences in genre and platform preferences.

Nintendo took advantage of ‘Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’ being ‘the biggest crossover in video game history.’

50.0%

DANIEL KIM photos by david vapnek/falconer

50.0%

YURY BUKHRADZE

A20 the falconer

PHOTO BY DAVID VAPNEK/FALCONER

After a long drive to Downtown San Diego, I noticed a stretch of people standing across from Copley Symphony Hall.

Following directions to Donut Bar, I approached the line, fearing the prospect of a lengthy wait just for a couple of donuts. Despite the large crowd and lengthy trip there, my experience at Donut Bar was still amazing.

Because of the store’s immense popularity, the several earlier visits I made to Donut Bar were fruitless; each time, I was welcomed by a large “SOLD OUT” sign. Only when I dropped by the store in the morning, with about 20 other customers already in line before me even then, was I finally able to set foot into the famous store. The bakery boasted a menu with about 20 donut options, ranging in price from $2 to $7.

Once the line proceeded indoors, which took no more than five minutes, the store’s unique interior and tempting donut display caught my eye; the entirety of those five minutes in line were spent gazing at the donuts, debating which of the many great options to go with. I decided to try out the Samoa Donut ($3.00)

PHOTO BY ANNA JEONG/FALCONER

entertainment

As I stepped out of the car, I could already smell the sweet and doughy aroma of doughnuts, eagerly inviting me into the shop. Opening the door to Sidecar Doughnuts, I noticed special qualities to the aroma; there were complex scents of rich chocolate and fragrant berry permeating the air.

Once I walked into the shop, I saw how small it was, with its bright, yellowish lights illuminating every corner. Doughnuts are displayed in a large, oval presentation case, giving customers a clear view of every type of doughnut, but the display takes up most of the space inside. On the other hand,the shop is cozy and welcoming because it’s small.

Feeling quite satisfied with the clean aesthetic of the shop, I ordered the Chocolate Rye doughnut ($3.50) and the Huckleberry doughnut ($3.75), which were recommended to me by a friendly server.

I thought the prices were high, especially since most doughnuts are in the $1 to $1.50 range, but Sidecar Doughnuts claims to use the highest quality ingredients possible, sans preservatives or artificial flavors. They also make almost everything in-house.

With high expectations, I took a bite out of the Chocolate Rye doughnut first, and I could immediately tell that a lot of time and effort was put into creating it.

It had a rich cacao flavor and wasn’t too sweet.

and Donut Bar’s exclusive French Toast Donut ($6.00).

I got the Samoa Donut immediately after ordering, but had to wait for the French Toast because it was being freshly made. Soon after, one of the employees headed over to my table and handed me a box. Once I received the box, I cracked it open to see a massive donut cooked like French Toast, served with butter, jelly and maple syrup on the side in small plastic cups.

Although the donut initially looked like a saccharine disaster, I immediately fell in love with the breakfaststyle donut’s sweet, savory taste.

After finishing the extremely large, appetizing French Toast donut, I moved on to the Samoa Donut, which was much less magnificent, both in size and taste. With the look and taste of a Samoa, a Girl Scout Cookie, the donut, sweet and crunchy, proved worthy of its familiar name.

Other than the quality taste of their donuts, Donut Bar boasts extremely friendly and swift service, which makes the long line somewhat forgivable.

Even to those who don’t identify as “donut lovers,” I would recommend Donut Bar as a great spot. If you’re downtown, try to make a visit to the bakery. I am confident that most people will be satisfied by the impressive display of donuts and the variety of flavors that are there.

by Daniel Kim

When I walked into VG Donuts, I was surprised by the variety of baked goods on display. The shop offers cookies, cakes and pies in addition to its renowned donuts.

The busy environment, created by the rush of customers in the early afternoon and workers filling trays in the background, made eating there a little uncomfortable. Not only that, but there were only a couple seats for customers. The wait time was short — less than five minutes, actually — because behind-the-counter workers were quick in taking orders. Additionally, the general price range at VG Donuts is extremely low, when considering the high quality and quantity of its baked goods. Ten donuts were sold at the low price of $10, to my surprise.

The plain glazed donut ($0.90) was one of the first donuts to run out in the display cases. One of the three “old-fashioned” donuts VG Donuts offers, the plain glazed donut was enjoyable and not too sweet, which I find is a common fault with donuts. The dough, which was soft, chewy and cakey, was one of the best I have ever tasted.

The “old-fashioned” chocolate-covered donut ($0.90) was similarly tasty, though a problem I had with it was that the donut was overly sweet due to its sugary chocolate glaze.

VG Donuts also offers a cinnamon donut twist ($1.00), which was very tasty and chewy overall.

january 25, 2019

It resembled something like a gourmet brownie. Rich and satisfying, the Chocolate Rye also wasn’t like your typical chocolate doughnut, which is simply covered by a chocolate glaze. The doughnut was made of chocolate dough that had a perfect balance of chocolate and sweetness. Contrary to its dry and unimpressive appearance, the doughnut’s inside was delectably dense and moist. Nuts topped the donut, adding a nice crunch.

Next, the Huckleberry doughnut tasted something like a blueberry muffin with a crunchy huckleberry glaze. The texture of the doughnut was phenomenal.

The sweetness wasn’t overbearing, which was surprising because of the abundance of glaze covering the doughnut. This one was also dense, moist and flavorful inside, and its delicate coating crumbled, then softly melted away, in my mouth, leaving behind a strong, sweet aftertaste of berry.

Sidecar Doughnuts were definitely the most expensive doughnuts I’ve tried. The quality was exceptional, but the price is a bit much so I would probably only stop by on special occasions.

by Jeremy Chung

PHOTO BY KATHERYN YOO/FALCONER

Finally, the strawberry jelly-filled donut ($1.25) was my favorite out of all the donuts, in both appearance and taste. With an artistic dribbling of thick, white glaze on top and a vividly red center of jelly filling, the strawberry jelly-filled donut was unquestionably more visually appealing than the others. In addition, the small bakery uses quality jelly that tastes natural in their donuts, which was pleasantly surprising, as I had never liked the synthetic, chemical flavor of other jelly donuts. There were more donut options to choose from other than the strawberry donut, but only lemon was available at the time, due to high demand.

Although it was to be expected with the number of customers coming and going, I was disappointed by the fact that some baked goods weren’t available and that other options ran out surprisingly quickly.

About 30 minutes after I purchased a box of goods, nearly all of the display cases were empty.

That being said, VG Donuts was one of the best bakeries I have ever visited, and I will most likely be going there again in the future.

by Esther Choi

tphsfalconer.com

entertainment

There is always a new fad, whether it be Silly Bandz, PopSockets, Pokemon Go or adidas Superstars. These trends come and go, and this same phenomenon is currently occurring with YouTubers like Emma Chamberlain.

Recently, Chamberlain has blown up in popularity, amassing an impressive following of over 6.2 million followers on Instagram and 6.6 million subscribers on YouTube in just over a year and a half.

Chamberlain’s first YouTube videos consisted of clothing hauls and vlogs of her life in San Francisco. The videos that brought her to fame, however, were her school vlogs, which consisted of her documenting her day before, during and after school. “Her First Day of Junior Year” vlog and “How to be a Savage in Class” vlogs have garnered 10 million views combined.

Chamberlain is best known for her style: overdramatic – and sometimes obnoxious – and, of course, her notorious love of coffee.

Chamberlain’s first video to hit 1 million views was her “Emma’s Legendary Coffee Recipe” video. In the video, she describes how to make the almond milk latte she drinks daily.

Like most up and coming YouTubers, her success rose when she began to collaborate with other famous YouTubers, including James Charles, the Dolan Twins, David Dobrik, Tana Mongeau and Olivia Jade.

To people who are not Emma Chamberlain fans or frequent YouTube watchers, it can be puzzling Leah Hallal (11) that a seemingly average high school TPHS STUDENT girl from the Bay Area could gain so much fame so quickly. But there are many reasons to like Emma Chamberlain.

“She is very honest and is always herself, which is very respectable.

I like Emma’s style because it’s very unique and fun. It’s always something new,” Leah Hallal (11) said.

According to Hallal, there is a charm to Chamberlain’s style that makes make her videos so compelling and her aesthetic so contagious.

“Emma’s videos are raw, making them extremely intriguing because she is one of the few social media influencers who doesn’t try to hide her imperfections or mistakes in her content.” Hallal said.

In her viewers’ eyes, what sets Chamberlain apart from other creators is that she does not try to be someone else for the camera.

She rarely wears makeup and does not photoshop her photos.

“She makes all types of videos and is honest with her fan base,” Harper Biagi (9) said.

Chamberlain’s funny editing style also separates her from other YouTubers.

“The way she edits her story makes the videos very interesting,” Charlotte Zhang (10) said.

Her popularity with teenage girls has given her influence over her followers and her subscribers.

Chamberlain’s is developing the fashion trends of today’s teenage girls. Her influence can be seen from the striped turtleneck sweaters to the fluffy, teddy bear-like jackets and matte black Doc Marten boots which are commonly seen at TPHS and a staple of Chamberlain’s wardrobe. As a popular figure, she may not be starting such trends,

the falconer

A21

but, by wearing such clothing, she is validating specific items and an overall type of fashion.

Besides her sense of style, Chamberlain’s popularity has grown thanks to her ability to relate to many teenage girls. Between her rants about how stressful homework and life in general are to her frequent thrift shop adventures, teenage girls are able to relate to Chamberlain differently than they identify with other YouTubers.

Her relatabilty is what originally differentiated Chamberlain from other YouTubers.

“I subscribed when she was at 300,000 subscribers, and she was different than all of the other YouTubers I knew,” Biagi said.

Initially, Emma Chamberlain’s life on YouTube was a life that many teenage girls viewed as attainable and similar to theirs.

However, as Chamberlain’s fame has increased, she is growing less relatable and her short-lived fame is starting to diminish, especially after she moved to L.A. and graduated high school early to focus more on her YouTube career.

“I think people watched her at first because she was actually relatable (tired, hates school, etc.) and once she moved to L.A. she stopped being relatable for the majority of people.

Now she’s friends with YouTube celebrities like James Charles, she buys Gucci as a

Emma’s videos are intriguing because she ‘s one of few social media influencers who doesn’t try to hide her imperfections or mistakes in her content.

joke, that kind of stuff,” former fan Sara Abbas (10) said.

Just as there is a fading out to every fad, Chamberlain’s downturn may be approaching as today’s teenagers have begun to relate less to her.

“People just like to follow someone so they can look like them and be a part of a group and to belong to something. But, I feel like this is one of those trends that is going to come and go,” Zhang said.

If Emma Chamberlain continues to become less relatable in the future, she may find herself becoming a fad.

Although admired for her relatability, Chamberlain may only be a child star sized dent in YouTube

history.

art by dhathry doppalapudi/falconer

A22 the falconer

Information provided by CNN

entertainment

january 25, 2019

infographic by dhathry doppalapudi/falconer

Daniel Kim

SPORTS EDITOR

Dhathry Doppalapudi

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Despite their best effort, girls basketball (14-7) was defeated by the La Costa Canyon High School Mavericks (10-9) 3746 on Jan. 18 at home.

After the tipoff, the Mavericks immediately scored, causing the Falcons to trail throughout the entire first quarter.

Unable to stop LCC’s momentum, the Falcons allowed the Mavericks to score 21 points in the first quarter. Although the Falcons tried to respond, the first quarter ended poorly for TPHS, trailing 9-21.

The second quarter started out better with Rory Hetrick (10) scoring off a turnover, followed by a score by Izzy Ascencio (11) to decrease the lead to 1321. Despite the strong start, the Mavericks continued to pad the lead, up 13-26 with 5:25 left in the second quarter, the biggest BALLER STATUS: Point guard Beryl Dannis (11) looks to pass to a fellow Falcon lead of the entire game. Luckily, the Falcons responded with a layup, two free throws while being heavily guarded by a La Costa Canyon player (TOP). Isabella Ascencio (11) and a three-pointer by Maddie McClurg protects the ball from a defender, looking for a chance to pass or score (BOTTOM).

(11), decreasing the lead to only 21-26 with continued to put up a fight against the “For offense, we missed a few shots but three minutes left in the quarter.

Although TPHS was only five points Mavericks. As soon as the final quarter that’s not really what matters. We just away from taking the lead, the Mavericks began, Hetrick drived in to score, keeping played as hard as we could and we got in started to gain momentum and scored the Falcons behind by 11. However, the a close game with them so that’s all that eight unanswered points to once again Mavericks continue to run away by scoring matters,” McClurg said.

Even with a heartbreaking loss at escape with a 13 point lead home to LCC, the Falcons feel that the 21-34. Before the second season has still been heading in a positive quarter came to a close, direction. Despite the loss, the Falcons the Falcons ended their boast an impressive 14-7 record, exceeding offensive drought with a LCC’s 10-9 record. three-pointer. At the end of “We’ve won twice as many games as the first half, the Mavericks we’ve lost and we’re feeling pretty good threw up one last shot at about it. And LCC is really a tremendous the buzzer but, fortunately, team. To be that close to them, I’m really miss, leaving the Falcons proud of the girls and their effort,” Coach behind by ten, 24-34.

David McClurg said.

The third quarter was According to the team, they feel like dominated by both defenses, the team will only see improvements in with only 11 points being upcoming seasons, hoping even better scored over the entire eight David McClurg results in the coming years. minutes. For the first three COACH “Our junior class has really been able to minutes, neither team was step up and we’ve beaten some teams that able to score, with multiple misses and turnovers by both sides. With a three-pointer and two-pointer to once people really didn’t expect us to beat so I 4:50 left in the quarter, the Mavericks again extend their lead. Fortunately, the feel like it’s going really well,” point guard ended the drought with a mid-range shot Falcons score seven unanswered points, Dannis said.

“Hopefully, we can make a really deep to extend the lead to 24-36. With a pair including a three-pointer by McClurg, in of scores by Hetrick and Beryl Dannis the final four minutes, but they were not playoff run this year,” Maddie McClurg (11), a three-pointer by the Mavericks and enough to recover the lead, leading to the said.

Rehanna Fikre (12) missed out on the another layup by LCC, the third quarter end of regulation 37-46.

Despite the disappointing loss, the girls match against LCC due to a neck injury ends with very few scores, 28-41. Although the offense had trouble seeing the hoop, the basketball team did not get too discouraged, earlier in the season.

Their next game will be an away game Falcons saw some hope in terms of defense, seeing hope in a strong defensive effort that only allowed 46 points over 32 minutes of against Carlsbad High School (13-9) on allowing only seven points in the quarter.

Jan. 25.

Despite the 13-point deficit, the Falcons regulation.

We’ve won twice as many games as we’ve lost, and we’re feeling pretty good about it. To be that close to them, I’m really proud of the girls and their effort.

With Super Bowl LIII coming up on Feb. 3 between the Los Angeles Rams and New England Patriots, the Pro Bowl, where the top NFL players selected by fans face off in Orlando a week prior to the championship game.

Although some believe the game in which the best of the best clash is a thriller, the vast majority of the most recent Pro Bowls have been boring messes, used by the NFL to make more money. In order to appeal to the fanbase even further, the NFL should consider changing the Pro Bowl — either by overhauling the present concept or by coming up with an entirely new one.

The biggest issue with the Pro Bowl right now is that players voted into the special event lack any motivation to try at the match. When experts on well-known sports channels like ESPN, FOX Sports, Bleacher Report and more discuss players who can reach the Hall of Fame, each player’s Pro Bowl participation weighs heavily; however, experts rarely consider the number of Pro Bowls won or the number of times a player was named Pro Bowl MVP. Even if a player had an MVP-worthy performance in the Pro Bowl against another all-star team, the experts would disregard the achievement in favor of debating over the player’s Hall of Fame potential. In 2016, 45 additional players were invited to the Pro Bowl because the initial 45 declined to play in the game.

Since players give minimal effort to the annual game, fearing an injury for a pointless match, fans are gradually losing interest in the Pro Bowl as well, recording steadily decreasing ratings every year. According to Sports Media Watch, 4.6 percent of American televisions tuned into the 2017 Pro Bowl broadcasted by ESPN, the sixth straight year of decline. From 2016, the viewership declined eight percent to 5.0 and 18 percent from 5.6 in 2015.

This is partly due to the rule changes made by the NFL for just the Pro Bowl. The absurd list of rule bans are no intentional grounding penalties, no kickoffs and defenses that blitz the quarterback. Also, because the Pro Bowl is held at the end of the season, most fans and players lose interest once their favorite team is no longer within the bracket. On the other hand, other renown sports organizations in the United States, like the NBA and MLB, set the dates for their all-star games in the middle of the season when ratings are in their peak, compensating for the all-star match’s weak appeal.

Another big issue about the league that can be solved through the Pro Bowl is tanking, which is when teams purposely perform badly to climb in the draft order for the next season.

By replacing the Pro Bowl game with a match between the worst teams for the number one draft pick, not only would NFL fans be more inclined to witness the game, but college football fans would also be interested to see how draft prospects would potentially be selected. Also, local team fans would be more inclined to pay attention to the entire season, no matter how bad the team’s record is, hopeful of a high draft pick to improve for the next season.

The skills showdown before the Pro Bowl is much more interesting, showcasing multiple star players competing in drills, eliminating the need for a Pro Bowl in the first place. If no improvements are made to the Pro Bowl, it should cease to exist.

A24 the falconer

sports

january 25, 2019

Jason Li’s (12) admiration for his brother led him to start dancing both outside of school and for the TPHS team.

He hopes to carry on his passion for dancing in college.

The moment his brother picked up a tennis racket, Jason Li (12) walked onto the court and began to play. As soon as his brother purchased his first Xbox, Li plopped down on the couch next to him and began fiddling with the controller. So the second his brother began to dance, Li slipped on the shoes and never looked back.

After moving to the U.S. from China in fifth grade, Li continued to draw inspiration from his brother and started dancing in seventh grade.

“Growing up with [my brother], I felt like he was the cool guy,” Li said. “He was my role model because my dad was not a part of my life. When he started dancing, I really looked up to him because it seemed like a really cool thing.”

From then on, Li’s passion for dancing expanded as he joined teams outside of schools like Lost and Found and the Supremacy Dance Fam. “I competed at youth and adult division competitions and with both teams,” Li said.

Li also dances at Culture Shock and Studio FX, popular San Diego dance studios where he can dance freely and improve his skills.

“Currently, I practice like twice a week. I used to practice five days a week for two or more hours every practice,” Li said.

Li dedicated long hours to dancing to compete at well-known competitions all over California and to make the TPHS varsity dance team his sophomore year, once again following in the footsteps of his older brother.

While Li was accompanied by other boys on the dance team in freshman to junior year, that changed senior year. “[Before] it was a lot easier. I was able to be more sociable when there were a lot more guys [on the team] because I can talk to them all the time,” Li said.

“I felt there wasn’t this barrier between the guys and girls. When there were more guys, I guess I felt more accepted.”

As the only male on the dance team, Li has felt alone in being “the odd one out.”

“I’ve heard many insults and jokes and people making fun of my sexuality, just because I am on the dance team,” Li said. “I feel like now that I’m the only guy on dance team, it’s even worse.”

Other schools like Mira Mesa High School and Del Norte High School have a large Asian male population on their dance teams, which Li believes contributes to a less prejudiced environment towards male dancers at those schools.

“I used to be insecure about dancing,” said Li.

“For pep rallies, sometimes I wouldn’t perform just because I felt ashamed to do the dance. I used to feel uncomfortable with dancing because people would judge me.”

However, Li has overcome this insecurity.

“I realized that I like dancing. And I don’t really care about what other people say,” Li said. “I’ve met a lot of good friends on the team and made meaningful relationships with them. I’m not gonna let others’ judgments affect what I’m going to do.”

Li assisted the TPHS dance team secure their victories at national competitions. Li believes his greatest feat was a solo performance at the last national competition.

“I was given a center spot for one piece, and I remember during the performance I was in the spotlight. There was a beam of light on me,” Li said.

“After being so tired and all the adrenaline pumping in my veins, it felt really great to give my all to the performance and finally finish performing and hear everyone scream my name.”

Moments like those drive Li to continue dancing.

Although he focuses mainly on hip-hop, Li hopes to explore other genres of music and expand his skill set.

“I’m super interested in contem-pop,” said Li. “It’s like, hip hop mixed with contemporary. It’s more graceful, but not as hard hitting as hip hop.

I’ve also always wanted to learn break dancing.”

While his brother continues to dance recreationally after college, Li will break step with his brother by planning to major in dance in college.

by Jeremy Chung and Bea De Oliveira

photo by katheryn yoo/falconer

breaking global news

@tphsfalconer @falconertphs @tphsports

tphsfalconer

tphsfalconer.com

sports

the falconer

Coaching is considered one of the most important clean. Each player in the NFL has a grade on PFF from jobs in football. No great team is complete without a 0 to 100, based on their impact on certain plays as well great coach, regardless of how talented the players are. as their consistency.

And now, with the use of analytics, coaches are given Pro Football Focus also calculates certain team and the tools to call better plays and improve their drafting, game stats such as win probability at any given point supported by numbers and not sheer instinct. in a game. For example, when the Saints were denied Before analytics were incorporated into football, the an obvious pass interference penalty late in the NFC coach would usually make important calls by “going Championship game on Jan. 20, their win probability with their gut,” but by analyzing players’ and opponents’ dropped from 98 percent to just below 83 percent. Stats weaknesses among many other stats, coaches now have like these can not only calculate the probability in a the raw data to back up those calls and make better real situation, but also calculate the probability in a decisions in practically every aspect of the game. hypothetical scenario.

Analytics in football was first used in the early 1960s The player and team stats can be beneficial to both by the Dallas Cowboys and their Director of Scouting coaches and fans. Coaches can use player stats and at the time, Gil Brandt, who created the idea of using a ratings to figure out who to utilize more and who to numbers-based system to draft players instead of just start or sit at a given position. Win probability and taking shots in the dark. This tactic ended up working other team stats let the coach know which plays to call, well for them: the Cowboys would draft future Hall to play more conservative or aggressive at certain times of Famers Roger Staubach and Bob Hayes in the late in a game and how opponents are affected by certain rounds of the 1964 NFL Draft, two players that would game plans. From a fan’s perspective, they know which eventually lead them to two Super Bowls in 1972 and players to watch on either side and how each team will 1978. most likely go about the game.

Despite the success The most common use of the Cowboys in the of analytics, however, is late 60s and 70s, few on draft day. Since it is teams adopted analytics harder to scout players as a means of drafting in college due to varying and scouting.

Dick skill of other teammates Vermeil, the coach and opponents, analytics of the Philadelphia is the most reliable Eagles from 1976 to way to scout college 1982, used analytics to players. Some scouting decide his playcalling, networks, including Pro believing that the two Football Focus, measure most important factors John Pollard the strength of the in a game are yards opponents of a certain VICE PRESIDENT OF ZEBRA TECHNOLOGIES per pass attempt and player and adjust their total rush attempts. stats if they were playing This philosophy led Vermeil’s Eagles to an appearance against an average opponent. This can make or break in the 1980 Super Bowl and multiple other playoff a player’s draft stock, as a player can be made to look appearances. good by having good players surrounding them and/or Analytics in the early 2000s was popularized in by playing against inferior opponents. baseball by Oakland A’s manager Billy Beane and “Teams can go deep on rosters to leverage the in football by a skilled computer programmer named tracking data to scout players for the future, maybe in Paraag Marathe. Marathe was hired by the San free agency,” said John Pollard, vice president of Zebra Francisco 49ers in 2001 to develop an algorithm to Technologies. divide the salary cap among each position, with the Managers also use analytics to help determine which money being weighted towards the most important position they need to draft most. Player grades at each and/or expensive positions. The 49ers’ success in the position — as well as stats that reveal which positions following two seasons can be attributed to their evenly are most important in a given gameplan — have a distributed roster with well-budgeted players at each major influence on the players drafted at certain top position. picks. This is only relevant in the first few rounds of the The 49ers’ success from analytics sparked a new draft, however, as teams tend to pick the best player revolution: more teams started to use analytics as a available, regardless of position, in the later rounds. means of drafting, and Pro Football Focus, the NFL’s While the use of analytics doesn’t guarantee having main database for advanced stats, formed in 2006. a perfect team or a Super Bowl victory, it is likely to Pro Football Focus (PFF) calculates stats such as continue improving and making football far more wide receiver yards per route run, tackling efficiency complex than just a game. and QB rating when under pressure versus when kept

by Brandon Raimo and Colette Chiang

Teams can go deep on rosters to leverage the tracking data to scout players for the future, maybe in free agency.

A25

sports

A26 the falconer

january 25, 2019

Morten Andersen’s former record for the most points ever

ties Calvin Johnson’s record of

first quarterback ever to reach regular season wins

Breaking Best completion percentage in a season

Records most receiving yards by a tight end in a single season

Peyton Manning’s former passing yards record, broken

by Brees.

Information from The National Football League

Brandon Raimo

STAFF WRITER The NBA season is always full of surprises, whether it’s a player like C.J. McCollum coming out of nowhere to become an All-Star or a team like the Milwaukee Bucks making the playoffs, despite their five top scorers being under 23 years old.

This season is no exception, with many teams placing much higher than expected and many players having greater impacts on their teams than anyone would’ve imagined.

Undoubtedly, the biggest surprise of this season so far has been the unexpected dominance of Serbian center Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets are 29-14 as of Jan. 17 and are led by Jokic’s 20 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists per game.

Jokic has been aided by stellar guards Jamal Murray (18 points and 5 assists per game) and Gary Harris (16 points per game), as well as 4-time All-Star forward Paul Millsap (12 points and 7 rebounds per game). With a solid core of young players and a strong veteran presence, the Nuggets are poised for a deep playoff run.

Another team that seemed to pop out of nowhere this season is the Sacramento

INFOGRAPHIC BY DANIEL KIM/FALCONER

Kings. The Kings have a history of losing — they haven’t made the playoffs since 2006. However, they have a solid chance at postseason basketball this season. The Kings are led by 21-year-old point guard De’Aaron Fox, who is currently averaging 18 points, 7 assists and 2 steals per game while making 47 percent of his shots. Fox’s partner in the backcourt, Buddy Hield, has had a career year so far, putting up 20 points per game while making 44 percent of his three-point attempts — good for the 10th best in the league. Behind these two guards, the Kings seem destined for a playoff berth this season.

One story that has warmed the hearts of all NBA fans has been the resurgence of Timberwolves’ point guard Derrick Rose. Rose became the youngest player to win the MVP award in 2011 at the age of 22, but due to multiple devastating knee injuries, he has slowed down noticeably.

Last season, he bounced between several teams, unable to retain a roster spot.

However, in his first start of this season, Rose scored an astounding 50 points in a win over Utah. He is currently averaging 19 points and 5 assists per game and will most likely make the All-Star squad.

In terms of rookies, the biggest surprise by far has been European sensation Luka Doncic. The Slovenian forward currently leads all rookies in scoring with 20 points per game and has led a Mavericks team that finished with the third worst record in the NBA last season to a 20-24 record, as of Jan. 17. He also has averages of six rebounds and five assists per game, making him one of three rookies to average 20 points, six rebounds and five assists per game. The other two, Hall of Famers Oscar Robertson and Michael Jordan, were 22 and 21 years old in their rookie years, respectively, while Doncic is only 19. Doncic’s ascension to stardom will certainly help the Mavericks secure a playoff spot and earn him Rookie of the Year.

Doncic and Rose’s superb play, as well as the Kings and Nuggets’ rise to the playoff picture will almost certainly become bigger stories as the season goes on.

PHOTO FROM USA TODAY SPORTS

tphsfalconer.com

sports

Michael Pope boys basketball january 16, 8:00:24 pm camera: nikon d610 lens: 80-200mm iso: 1/5000 exp: 1/640 f/stop: f/2.8

Photo by David Vapnek

the falconer

A27

read the other pages pls

Democracy is in danger

overheardtphs 666 posts

666 followers

Follow

666 following

Overheard TPHS Freddie the Falcon is listening.

This says abstinence is the only 100% effective method of preventing a pregnancy.

How did that work for Mary?

student: * faints in class* other student: I heard she got a flu shot last week that’s probably it.

I thought the Spotify zodiac symbol playlist was for white girls, but I listened to it and honestly I loved it .

senior, english

junior, computer lab

My cousin used to be afraid of styrofoam so I would wave it in her face.

She told everyone that she paid someone to take the ACT for her.

I feel a tingling in my fishtrap.

teacher, psych

senior, media center

I want to be a geneticist. I love Punnett squares.

I’m sorry I made you guys read in class this unit but trust me doing “Frankenstein” last year was so much worse.

freshman, media center

sophomore, chemistry

teacher, english

sophomore, math

I don’t think I’ll ever get corrupted – I just like to stay at home and play video games. freshman, p.e.

*this page is a JOKE how dumb do you have to be to think this is real CALM DOWN and buy Falconer subscriptions XOXO