June 2017

Falconer

The Torrey Pines High School

Friday, June 2, 2017

Vol. 42, Issue 8, 28 pages

www.tphsfalconer.com

$40,000 in scholarships awarded to seniors

by Michael Nirula

Scholarships awarded to graduating seniors photo by ally jensen/falconer

The TPHS Scholarship Fund, formerly known as Dollars for Scholars, hosted its 30th annual awards night for senior recipients on May 17 at Solana Pacific Elementary School.

The night began with light refreshments, followed by an hourlong ceremony honoring 58 graduating students selected by the TPHS Scholarship Fund Board to receive scholarships. Parents, family, business-

owners, other donors and school administrators also attended.

“The night was fun and celebrated everyone’s achievement in high school,” Principal’s Scholarship recipient Eric Yu (12) said. “It was very heartwarming and made me feel like [it was] graduation day already.”

Each award consisted of money that had been raised either by the Scholarship Fund’s fundraising events, donations from local businesses or individual gifts. The 27 awards were divided into three main sections: Scholarships, Community/Business

Awards and Memorial Awards. Each award had one to eight recipients.

According to board member Laura Farjood, a total of $40,000 was awarded. “[The amounts] vary because donors give different amounts, but generally between $500 and $2,000 [are awarded per student],” Farjood said.

Scholarship co-president Mary Stromitis announced the Fund has given out over $1 million in scholarships over the course of its existence, including when it was known as Dollars for Scholars.

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Shockney replaces Resendes; Thornton reassigned

Assistant Principal Robert Shockney assumed former TPHS Assistant Principal Vidalia Resendes’ administrative responsibilities on May 15 after Resendes transferred to El Cajon Middle School, while former TPHS Assistant Principal Garry Thornton was reassigned to Canyon Crest Academy as an assistant principal.

Shockney, who has worked in the SDUHSD for 12 years, was a teacher at Diegueno Middle School and then an Assistant Principal at Carmel Valley Middle School before moving to TPHS. According to Coppo, the reasons for the reassignments cannot be disclosed even to staff members, as it is confidential human resources information, but administrative reassignments within

districts are a common occurrence across districts nationwide.

“It’s pretty normal for assistant principals and even principals to be reassigned and moved around,” Coppo said. “There’s always what they call the ‘admin shuffle’ at the end of the year because really what you’re looking for is to have the strongest team possible at each site.”

In an email to TPHS staff on May 10, Coppo said that Resendes had decided to move to the Cajon Valley Union School District after she was accepted into the University of Southern California doctoral program, with a focus on middle schoolers, leaving an assistant principal position open starting May 12.

“Vidalia has accepted a job with Cajon Valley Middle School, where she will get to work with students who will be the focus of her doctoral work over the coming years,” Coppo said.

According to Shockney, he has assumed all of Resendes’ former responsibilities until the end of this

school year, when the roles will be redistributed among the three assistant principals.

“I am taking over … until the end of this year,” Shockney said. “I’ve got a lot of experience in student support …

There’s a good chance I’ll be taking over [the special education program.]”

However, Shockney will not be in charge of the responsibilities previously held by Thornton. After Thornton’s prolonged absence from TPHS earlier in the year, CCA principal Brett Killeen announced in an email to his staff on May 24 that Thornton will be an assistant principal at CCA for 2017-18 and began working on May 29 to prepare for next year.

“I will want him to work side-by-side with our team and sit in on a variety of contexts to really get to know how we work here, in an effort to sustain consistency moving forward,” Killeen said.

Thornton declined to comment for this story.

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“[The Optimist Club does] community service projects and has CONTINUED FROM A1 sponsored the Junior Optimist Club at Applications, which were open to [TPHS], which I have been president of all TPHS seniors, became available for three years,” Garcia said.

On the night of the ceremony, in February and had to be submitted about a month later. Scholarship students found out which scholarship recipients were notified if they would they had been awarded and were receive scholarship money in early called to the stage, where he or she was presented with an envelope containing May. “All the names are off everything the monetary value of their award and that [applicants submit] and they’re a certificate. Each student announced identified by a number,” Farjood said. where he or she will attend college and what he or she “There’s an essay intended to study. that they’re graded “Our awards on, and then ceremony … it’s all [they’re graded of our year’s work on] activities, tonight,” Farjood and teacher said. “We’ve gone recommendations. through all the Then all those come applications, together and [the they’ve been board interviews] r a n k e d , a select group of everything’s been people who come Laura Farjood matched and this out on the top after tphssf board member is when we get that.” to honor all the Farjood also noted that each year there are recipients.”

The scholarships are to be used for “somewhere between 80 and 110 educational purposes, whether it be for applicants.”

According to Rajeswari Anantha materials or tuition.

“It’s never been more important Memorial Award recipient Max Leibowitz (12), “the application process to help kids get to that next level,” Principal Rob Coppo said. “If a was not very difficult.”

The 22-member board, comprised scholarship, whether it’s big or mainly of parents, set different criteria small, helps them get to that next for the awards. For instance, the level … that’s just a testament to our Scholar/Athlete award was presented community and our school.”

Yu and Leibowitz plan to use their to six applicants who excelled in money for tuition, while Garcia is athletic and academic pursuits.

Solana Garcia (12) included her going to use it to buy books. involvement with the Optimist Club The Fund is currently selling in her application, and therefore was “Congratulations TPHS Grad” signs matched to the Del Mar/Solana Beach on their website to raise funds for next Optimist Club award. year’s scholarships.

Art show by TPHS Art Department to be held in Learning Commons

SCHOLARSHIPS

Our awards ceremony … it’s all of our year’s work tonight ... this is when we get to honor all the recipients.

1st Place: Kevin Ren (11) 2nd Place Overall: Kevin Hu (11) Jerry Huang (9) Peter Liu (11) Andrew Miller (12) Sumith Nalabolu (9)

Eric Oh (9) Lauren Oh (12) Ananth Rao (10) Kevin Ren (11) Carine You (11)

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The TPHS Art Department will stage its annual art show, “For Art’s Sake” June 5-8, featuring art pieces by TPHS students.

According to art teacher Emily Moran, the show will open to the public on Monday, June 5 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., with Kelly Coward’s culinary students catering the event.

“Then, [on] Tuesday and Wednesday, the show [will be] open for the rest of the school to come by and take a look,” Moran said. “Then, [the art classes] start taking [the art pieces] down on Thursday, June 8.”

The Art Department is excited to use the new Learning Commons to showcase the teacher student pieces. This is the first time the show will be held there.

“It’s a really beautiful space to showcase the work,” Moran said. “In the past, we’ve just done [the show] in the art classrooms.”

TPHS art students have been perfecting their skills in class throughout the school year in preparation for the art show.

“I tell students at the beginning of the year that we do have an end-of-the-year art show, to hold onto their best and favorite pieces and then to bring them back in,” Moran said. “We work on skill-building activities and exercises

[in classes], and then we do bigger projects.

The bigger projects are the things that the kids might consider putting into the show; things that are presentable.”

The art students have been working both in class and outside of class to get their work ready. Photographers have been making prints of their photos on their own time and with their own money, and some students choose their photos to appeal to a potential buyer, according to AP Studio Art student Dillon Campbell (12).

“A lot of people that go to the art show don’t want to see pictures of people they don’t know, [such as models or other students,]” Campbell said.

“So the prints that are made for this art show ... are of things that people would want to buy and put in their houses, like architecture and landscape. People really like beaches.”

The art show will feature original pieces including drawings, paintings, digital photography, ceramics and sculpture, all art forms that are taught at TPHS. “I am going to be featuring a miniature version of Burning Man out of toothpicks,” said Sarah Erdman (12), who is in both sculpture and Moran’s Seminar Art class.

The art show will be open for students to visit on June 6-7 in the Learning Commons.

Entrance will be free and available all day.

The bigger projects are the things that the kids might consider putting into the show.

Emily Moran

Alexander Hong (12) Emily Hou (12) Amy K. Jeon (12) Qixuan Jin (12) Joyce Li (12) Catherine Lu (12) Kalyani Ramadurgam (12) Dimei Wu (12) Chelsea Xu (12) Caroline Zhang (12) Julia Zhou (12)

Darren Jiang (9) was chosen to compete in Kazakhstan.

Unanimous Superior: Advanced Orchestra Superior: Wind Ensemble

2nd Place: Kristabel Chung (12) for “The Paradox of the Individual” Certificate of Excellence: Farhan Hossain (10)

1st Place: Wind Ensemble 1st Place and Best Overall Ensemble: Advanced Orchestra 1st Place: Jazz Band 2nd Place: Choir Best Overall Soloist: Christine Kim (12) infographic by angela liu

Silver Medal: Kevin Ren (11)

Outstanding Programming and Perfect Documentation: Kathleen Chang (12) and Russell Chiang (11)

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ASB hosts annual TP Idol contest for TPHS students

SoCal shark sightings rise

The annual ASB-sponsored TP Idol contest was held in the quad during lunch from May 2-5, and Hannah Uzi (11) won first place on the last day of the competition.

To reach the finals, contestants went through an initial round where they were evaluated by three teacher judges: Jacqueline Niddrie, Lars Trupe and Marinee Payne. “[The grading criteria] were tone, pitch, style and actual voice,” Niddrie said. “It was a scale of one to five. There were four categories and we just added up points.”

After the first round of competition, the top three singers were chosen to compete in the finals, held on May 9, which ultimately led to Uzi being selected as the winner.

In the final round of the competition, Uzi won with her performance of “It’s a Man’s World” by James Brown and “The Show Must Go On” by Queen, securing herself a $100 award. She and the other finalists, Madison Sayre (12) and Rayhan Tabani (11), who performs by his stage name, Sugar Ray Ray, were selected to perform at the first annual Spring Fling, held at TPHS on June 1.

“It was such an amazing experience,” Uzi said. “It felt so amazing; there was so much support. So much love — lots of love.”

For Uzi, TP Idol was a way to prove to herself that one day she could finally accomplish her dream of becoming a singer.

“It was the first thing that I’d done in a while that had to do with singing,” Uzi said.

“These people, they were giving me support, like I can do this. It just felt really good.”

Others, like Sayre, said TP Idol is the perfect place for the artistic students of TPHS to showcase their talents.

“TPHS is so focused on sports and academics that a lot of the times the artistic people get lost in everything,” Sayre said.

photos courtesy of brianna vaughn

Singing like in TP Idol on Connor McMillin

a falcon: Students from all grade levels participated the outdoor stage in the quad at lunch, including (11) (ABOVE) and Rayhan Tabani (11) (BELOW).

“It gives them a chance to show their peers what they do [because] they’re not a mathlete or an athlete.”

Although many students attended the event, both Niddrie and Uzi said that it is important to get more competitors.

“I think I would have liked to see more competitors,” Niddrie said. “Over the three days, it seemed like there were [fewer participants] than in the past.”

The competition, which has been a TPHS

tradition for many years, allows for the school community to “feel closer,” according to Sayre.

For students thinking of participating in TP Idol next year, Uzi said the trick to winning is practice.

“You should never think that you are good enough to stop practicing,” Uzi said.

“Your voice is like a muscle; you need to train it like you do in sports, so I think practice always makes it better.”

Water contamination sparks Falconer investigation Shark sightings and encounters have spiked in the past month across Southern California.

Notable sightings ranged from the shark attack that took parts of Orange County local Leeanne Ericson’s leg to the sighting of 25 sharks off the coast of Capistrano Beach, 15 of which had surrounded a group of paddleboarders.

According to Paul “Doc” Anes, who has been giving shark diving tours since 1994 for his company San Diego Shark Diving, the increase in shark sightings is a result of a growing shark population and increased awareness of sharks due to “drones, beach patrols and coast guard patrol planes.”

The recent sightings have local surfers on edge.

“The reason I’m afraid of sharks is because I don’t know if they’re below me or not,” TPHS Surf team member Ryan Parkes (11) said. “[So] I just keep my eyes peeled.”

Chris Shopes (11), who is also on the TPHS Surf Team, has had two encounters with sharks in the past.

Although he agrees that sharks can be dangerous, they are not surfers’ highest concern.

“Honestly, it’s more likely that you are going to be struck by lightning than you are going to be bitten by a shark,” Shopes said.

“The most dangerous things out there are probably getting run over by other people or getting hit by someone else’s board.”

The Orange County beaches surrounding the beach where Ericson was attacked were temporarily closed and other beaches have issued swim advisories in response to shark sightings.

by bottled water or any other water refill station” and the “most advanced hydration” technology.

According to Raffa, the TPHS dispenser results are irregular compared to the company’s data, which finds that its technology typically lowers the TDS count by 90 percent.

“FloWater … has [proven effective] in hundreds of schools over several years’ time, including locations where we donated FloWater units in Flint, Michigan, where the FloWater purification system has taken lead levels—in some cases over thirty times the EPA limit—down to undetectable levels,” Raffa said. “I’m scheduling a FloWater technician to replace the [TPHS] filters in the next few days.”

city’s water infrastructure.

The American Water Works Association, a nonprofit organization that works with the EPA to write water regulations, states on its website that a majority of the piping in the United States is approaching its expiration date. They estimate $1 trillion in After three schools in the San Ysidro infrastructure spending is needed to upgrade School District were found to have levels of water lines for the next two decades. lead above EPA regulations in their drinking In 1986, Congress enacted the Safe water, the Falconer tested the water quality Drinking Water Act amendments, banning of the E Building’s traditional water the use of lead pipes for water. Because fountain, the B Building girls bathroom TPHS was built in 1974, and elevated lead sink and the B Building Rob Machado levels have been found in other schools, the Foundation FloWater water dispenser next Falconer decided to test the water again to room 65, in March. for lead. Water samples from the same The testing, conducted independently FloWater machine and a different water through a free of charge kit from The Home fountain — the one attached to the outside Depot submitted to RainSoft, a company of the stadium-facing side of the locker that sells water purification systems, rooms — were sent to EnviroMatrix found that the amount of total dissolved Analytical, a lab with accreditation from solids, or TDS, organic and inorganic the EPA for hazardous waste analyses. particles suspended in the drinking The tests found no detectable amounts water, was 195 mg/L in the FloWater, 190 of lead. mg/L in the E Building water fountain In response to the lead found and 265 mg/L in the bathroom. The pH in San Ysidro, the California state of the FloWater and the water fountain legislature unanimously approved was eight, but the girls bathroom sink Assembly Bill 746, mandating all public had a pH of six. schools, including the California State According to the Environmental University and University of California Protection Agency’s unenforced, but FlowWater director of marketing college systems, test their water for recommended, secondary standards, and events lead at least once every three years. water’s pH should remain from 6.5 to 8.5.

Additionally, SDUHSD and other San TDS should be below 500 mg/L. A low Principal Rob Coppo was working Diego school districts requested that the city pH can corrode pipes and cause a metallic taste in water, and TDS can cause water to in another district when the FloWater tests their schools’ drinking water. According smell, stain cloth and taste salty. Although machines were introduced to the TPHS to SDUHSD Maintenance Supervisor Jim none of the water sources tested exceeded campus in the 2015-16 school year, and is Mitroff, district officials will meet with representatives from the San Diego Water those standards, the FloWater machine was unaware of how or why they were added.

“If [the filters] need to be replaced, it District on June 5 to plan testing at the four expected to perform better. southern campuses: TPHS, Canyon Crest “I’m not sure why [the results for sounds like a good idea to me,” Coppo said.

In 2015, the City of Flint, Mich. was Academy, Carmel Valley Middle School and FloWater] would have come out that way.

What I would do is actually have our found to have elevated levels of lead in Pacific Trails Middle School.

“We here at SDUHSD ... make sure our operations teams look at that,” Elizabeth the drinking water. The city was forced Raffa, FloWater’s Director of Marketing and to provide bottled drinking water to its students and staff are safe,” Mitroff said. citizens, who continue to use the bottles Testing at the district’s other campuses Events said.

According to the FloWater website, for everyday tasks. On March 17, 2017, the will be coordinated with their respective FloWater has “health benefits unmatched EPA granted $100 million to upgrade the water districts.

The FloWater purification system has taken lead levels ... down to undetectable levels.

Elizabeth Raffa

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TPHS Foundation hosts first TPHS APES seniors Spring Fling community event update campus pond Spring Fling, a communitybuilding event, was held by the TPHS Foundation for the first time in the TPHS east quad on June 1, 2017 from 5-8 p.m. in conjunction with Athletics Physicals Night, after the Falconer went to press According to the TPHS Foundation Executive Director, Nicole Baril, Spring Fling was held as “an opportunity for parents, students and staff to get together as a community.”

The event was free, while TPHS athletes could pay $25 at the event to get an annual physical, required for athletic participation. “[The TPHS Foundation is] trying to encourage parents to come to school, be more involved [and] see all the amazing things that their students are involved in,” Zac Scornavacco (12), TPHS ASB president, said.

The event was open to anyone from “the district community” to “enjoy what’s great about Torrey Pines,” according to Principal Rob Coppo.

Many different sports teams, clubs and performing arts groups were present at Spring Fling to represent TPHS activities, including both the JV and varsity dance teams, TPHS Jazz Band and Improv team, a student DJ, a student band comprised

of TPHS freshmen and eighthgraders from Carmel Valley Middle School, and the singers who placed in the top three spots of the TP Idol competition that took place from May 2-5.

“We thought it was important to showcase the many talents on our campus,” Baril said. “So [the Foundation] invited all teams to be part of the evening.”

We thought it was important to showcase the many talents on our campus. So the Foundation invited all teams and performers to be part of the evening.

Nicole Baril

tphs foundation executive director While the event was organized by the Foundation, Scornavacco was also involved in the planning of Spring Fling. At the event, he was the Master of Ceremonies, and introduced the ASB president for the 2017-18 school year, Sophia LeRose (11), who helped Scornavacco emcee.

“I meet monthly with the Foundation [and keep] them informed on what ASB’s doing with different things on campus,” Scornavacco said before the event. “They asked me to be the emcee, so I’m just hosting the

event for the Foundation.”

According to Baril and the Foundation’s VP of Development, Susie Mikolajewski, local food trucks were also on campus for the event, including Kona Ice, Porkyland and Baked Bear.

Attendees were encouraged to bring picnic blankets and eat on the grass while they watched the performances.

The Foundation planned for the finalists of TP Idol to perform as well. Madison Sayre (12), who placed third in the competition, agreed to perform at Spring Fling because she saw it as an opportunity to represent the visual and performing arts at TPHS. “I am very excited to perform at Spring Fling,” Sayre said. “I think it is a great way to showcase the arts at Torrey Pines, which is something the Arts and Theater departments greatly appreciate ... The outstanding visual arts are kind of hidden in the shadow of sports, and Spring Fling really makes [these groups] feel like a part of [TPHS].”

The TPHS Foundation hoped that at least 350-400 people would attend and plan to make Spring Fling an annual event, according to Baril and Mikolajewski.

Additionally if Spring Fling draws a large enough number of attendees because of its association with the Athletics Physicals Night, the Foundation will continue to hold the two events on the same night.

For his AP Environmental Science Project, Frank Lee (12) teamed up with Caroline Zhang (12) to renovate the pond next to the B Building and the J Building.

Lee approached Chemistry and AP Environmental Science teacher Michael Rall with the idea in the fall of 2016. Rall provided the students with a grant from the U.S. Department of Education. Lee also had an additional $100 stipend that he received from a summer internship. He and Zhang estimate that they will need around “$1,500 to $2,000” to fund the project.

According to Rall, the staff adviser for the project, the new pond is in preliminary stages, which includes fundraising.

Lee and Zhang began fundraising in the fall by collecting donations and receiving grants.

The two look to dramatically alter the current pond, which has not been managed in the past.

The current pond is overgrown with water plants and weeds, and is not tended to. Zhang and Lee’s vision for the new pond is to make it interactive.

“We want to provide biology and environmentally scienceminded students, as well any others that are interested [in

the pond] an opportunity to have access to and learn up-close about the workings of a freshwater, ecologically sustainable pond,” Zhang said.

According to Lee, he and Zhang are currently planning the logistics of the project, and plan for construction to end next year.

“The plan is to have student volunteers from National Honor Society or science classes to help us build and renovate,” Lee said.

“I am recruiting some freshmen to take over construction next year.”

Since neither Lee nor Zhang will be at TPHS next year to work on the pond, they want to leave clear instructions for the underclassmen involved.

“Current plans look to dig out the pond and lay the foundation, and then work on electronic installation of solar panels, pumps, and other wiring, and then incorporate aquatic animals and plants and other decorative instruments,” Zhang said.

As Zhang and Lee are both college-bound, they see this project as a a symbol of their mark left on TPHS. “I joined because I see a renovated pond as having a positive impact on the entire TPHS community,” Zhang said.

“It will be another beautiful addition to our campus.”

Rall, Lee and Zhang are all unsure of the extent of work that can be completed during this school year.

District drug program educates parents and students A drug seminar for parents and students sponsored by the SDUHSD Recovery Education Alcohol Drug Instruction, or READI, was held in the TPHS gym on May 3.

Introduced by READI supervisor and District Substance Abuse Counselor Joseph Olesky, the main presentation was given by forensic expert and toxicologist, Sarah Urfer, who is also the lab director of Boulder, Colo. diagnostic laboratory ChemaTox. Urfer, who often testifies in court cases regarding the evidence, processed by the ChemaTox lab, shared many stories about drug use and discussed the dangers of different kinds of common drugs with an emphasis on marijuana, and the tetrahydrocannabinol

(THC) concentration found inside.

Urfer put an emphasis on how the THC concentration of marijuana has changed over the years due to how it is processed.

“There is also a large amount of misunderstanding about marijuana that is on the market today,” Urfer said. “I believe education leads people to making better and more informed decisions.”

While the READI program informs students and parents about drugs and alcohol, it can also be an alternative to a fiveday suspension for students who have been caught using them.

The READI program can be entered voluntarily and is a twoday education program, but also offers outpatient and inpatient programs for students that struggle more than others.

“We actually have a 90 percent success rate in the READI

program [which means] 90 percent of our kids actually get it and don’t use [drugs] anymore or they lower their using,” Olesky said.

According to Olesky, the main goals of the READI program are prevention and intervention.

“I thought it was really informative,” Melissa Costello (11), who attended the seminar, said. “I think [sharing] a lot of personal stories and stories of specific events of how drugs have affected people’s lives … helps to show people that [drugs] actually have an impact.”

Before the seminar began, parents and students lined the wall of the gym as they walked past several stands for recovery programs and health care service.

Most stands offered information on recovery programs, but the READI program put out a series of colorful pamphlets

called “Tips for Teens” near the stadium bleachers. However, there were much fewer students than parents in the stands.

Ashley Stayer (10), whose parents are both police officers and is a Peer Assistant Listener member, had not even heard of the seminar.

“I didn’t think it was advertised enough,” Stayer said. “If it was a different time or maybe during school, it would’ve been a little easier [to attend].”

The seminar began with expressions of thanks to sponsors and supporters of the READI program, one of which was the San Diego Police DepartmentNorthwestern Division captain Mark Hanten, who was in the audience.

“I’m a firm believer that more education and more awareness of the totality of the situation is beneficial to help show how big

the problem is and minimize it,” Hanten said.

Urfer used cat memes throughout her presentation, even though she was addressing a serious topic.

“I like cats,” Urfer said. “They are funny, but mostly it keeps people’s attention.”

Olesky, Urfer and Hanten all took part in the question and answer session after the presentation ended.

“I think a lot of the parents that were there were very concerned about their kids and very engaged in their kids’ development and growth,” Hanten said. “I was pretty impressed with the level of commitment and the number of people that were there.”

According to Olesky, READI is putting together a panel-style drug seminar to be held at La Costa Canyon High School next year.

photos by ally jensen/falconer

mARI-WANNA LEARN?: Sarah Urfer uses the projector to present information to audience members in the TPHS gymnasium (LEFT). Urfer spoke about the dangers of different kinds of common drugs, especially marijuana. At the beginning of the seminar, Joseph Olesky thanked the sponors of the READI program before introducing Urfer (RIGHT).

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PRO

By Beatriz De Oliveira STAFF WRITER

Pencils, specifically those with the infamous “#2” stamped on the side in metallic green type, sit on the desks of millions of students throughout the country. The signal echoes throughout the nation; “You may begin,” and every pencil, no matter the proficiency or status of the student, is picked up.

At the end of the session, the pencil, worn and tired, is the only remnant of the process these students have just gone through — standardized testing.

After the No Child Left Behind Act was passed in 2002, mandating standardized testing in all 50 states, the question of whether or not students in the U.S. benefited from the implementation of these exams became controversial. Both the usefulness and the cost of taking, proctoring and scoring the exams have come into question, but there is no doubt that standardized testing is a valuable practice that should remain in American schools. Not only do those tests provide a look into the progress of students, but they are well worth the time and money spent to proctor them, as they improve child performance and testing skills.

Knowing where students are scoring lower allows educators to improve their schools, benefiting not only students’ scores, but their futures as well. In a 100-year analysis of testing research completed in 2011 by Richard Phelps, 93 percent of all studies conducted on student standardized testing found a positive effect on the achievement of the students. By being compared to others who took the same exam, students may evaluate their weaknesses and become motivated to improve and rise a few percentile points, propelling them forward in education and in the future.

Standardized testing does

CON

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Standardized tests are taken and scored the same way for all test takers. The growing use of results for high-stakes decision-making raises the question: do they fairly and accurately measure learning?

not only allow students to view and compare their scores which eventually leads to improvement, but it also places pressure on the schools. When a district implements standardized testing, there is a sense of accountability placed upon both the teachers and the directors of the schools. Since the tests administered are the same and are applied to every student throughout the state, it is easy to see where the faults of the school district lie. Whether it is one teacher slacking off in teaching his or her students the correct material, or a school lacking the fundamental elements to provide an adequate education for all of its students, the results will make any issues apparent.

China, which leads the world in educational achievement, has emphasized the importance of standardized testing. When Shanghai, China debuted the Programme for International Student Assessment in 2012, China soared from the depths of the international educational rankings, beating out Finland for number one in reading, mathematics and science. If the tests had not been implemented, there would be no proof that schools in China had such an excellent system of education.

Opponents of standardized testing always seem to bring up the argument that the tests administered are not fair to those with disabilities or children coming from minority backgrounds. Using standardized tests, the government can see exactly how those children compare to the average student, allowing test administrators to create new guidelines for special needs education, and improve education in poorer areas. Furthermore, just as how students from lower incomes and those with disabilities are not exempt from public education in the United States, they are not exempt from what the gift of free schooling comes with: standardized testing.

Standardized testing has consistently proven to be one of the most effective methods of measuring school and student progress because the tests provide a perfect unit for comparison, allowing states to identify and fix schools’ faults, leading to an improved future for their students.

In response to a question posed to American parents by Education Next in 2016 ...

Should students have to take standardized tests in math and reading in grades 3-8 and high school?

TEST

TEST

TEST

TEST

TEST

TEST

TEST

TEST

67%

21%

YES

NO

said

said

*12 percent of surveyed people neither support nor oppose the annual testing

In the past few weeks, many Advanced Placement students got too few hours of sleep, drank too much coffee and studied, arguably, too hard. A week from now, most students will be doing the same thing for finals. What makes all this testing so important?

Testing has been around for a long time, but in 2002 the United States increased its focus on standardized tests under the No Child Left Behind Act, which mandated standardized testing in all 50 states to measure student learning. However, the push for increased standardized testing has not changed results very much.

In fact, there is an apparent racial achievement gap in standardized tests, especially in the case of SAT scores. While some have claimed this is due to genetic differences between races, there is no evidence whatsoever to support this claim.

More likely, it is the socioeconomic environment in which each child is raised, the opportunities provided to them and perhaps their identification as a member of a stereotyped group.

Stanford University psychology professor Claude Steele calls this the “stereotype threat” and has experimented with the idea that black students could do worse in a situation that is associated with a negative stereotype. For example, after being told they would not do better than white people, black students performed worse than they otherwise would on a standardized test in a classroom with white students. These results were repeated with a mixed group of Asian and white men, and then later with women. Objectivity may be the key to effective standardized tests, but it is not a reliable method if the results can be skewed by a simple change in environment.

Test anxiety also appears to be a significant factor in test scores. Test anxiety rises in second to fourth grade students and an estimated 36 percent of all students are said to experience “moderately high” to “severe” test anxiety, according to the American Test Anxieties Association. Test anxiety can easily lead to avoidance of schoolwork and most students think test anxiety is normal. Some students even correlate poor test scores with

By Ellie Ahles STAFF WRITER

a lack of intelligence, decreasing their self-esteem and confidence.

That, combined with a national math and science ranking that has fallen since 2000 and a reading ranking that has not changed, demonstrates that the United States has not done the majority of its students right by standardized testing.

Perhaps it is easier to say that there is a problem with U.S. education, especially public education, than it may be to put all the blame on standardized tests.

Some, like cognitive psychologist Scott Barry Kaufman, recognize that standardized tests may not be a huge problem, although they do acknowledge tests need reforming.

In his book, “Ungifted: Intelligence Redefined,” Kaufman discusses how intelligences other than academic ability are often overlooked and that traditional techniques for measuring intelligence may be counterproductive to the learning and development of those other students.

The problem is finding test reforms that Americans agree with. While six out of 10 Americans recognize that student expectations for learning curriculum is important to school improvement, 54 percent reject the Common Core State Standards that 43 states have adopted, according to the Washington Post. Even more surprising, the U.S. has thrown money at this problem since before the NCLB Act passed Congress, yet students still suffer with failing test scores.

It seems that standardized tests are too integrated into our current education model to be scrapped completely, although it seems fewer and fewer people will stand aside as companies like College Board reap financial benefits from standardized testing.

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Haitian Refugees should remain in the U.S. until Haiti has fully recovered

On May 24, 2017, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly made the decision to allow Haitian refugees to stay in the U.S. for another six months, extending their Temporary Protected Status (TPS) until Jan. 22, 2018, which was the right course of action.

In 2010, Haiti suffered a devastating earthquake, which killed thousands and left millions homeless. Before the earthquake, Haiti was a developing nation, and the disaster set the country even further back in its developmental progress. The United States granted the thousands of Haitian refugees within its borders TPS, and after a series of extensions of the protection, the time had come to decide on the TPS of the Haitians once again. The previous TPS was set to expire on July 22, 2017, and Kelly was the only person who had to power to extend the refugees’ stay in order to ensure that Haiti’s fragile recovery has time to stabilize.

TPS is specifically granted to citizens of foreign nations who are in the United States and cannot return home for a variety of reasons, some

of which include an ongoing war, natural disaster or epidemic.

Unfortunately, Haiti has been under a constant barrage of catastrophes. The 2010 earthquake resulted in thousands of casualties, and was measured as a 7.0 magnitude quake. Later that year, a cholera epidemic swept the country, killing thousands more. As humanitarian aid poured in from nations across the globe, Hurricane Matthew hit in 2016, killing hundreds and destroying the homes of thousands. Just after the hurricane, another round of cholera infected a few hundred more people.

Haiti was the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere before the 2010 earthquake occurred, and about seven years later, the nation is still trying to attain its preearthquake standard of living. Haiti has not gotten back on its feet yet, and sending thousands of refugees into a country that is just barely sustaining its inhabitants now is inviting disaster, one that has now been averted by Kelly’s decision.

According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, TPS is also granted for “other extraordinary and temporary conditions” other than wars and natural disasters. In a memo from Acting U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director James McCament to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, it was recommended that Kelly “terminate Haiti’s TPS designation, but delay the effective date until January 22, 2018,” which is the course of action that he took. While it was true that Haiti does not meet the

explicit requirements such as a war or a current environmental catastrophe to extend its TPS, it arguably meets the requirement for “extraordinary conditions,” through its status as both a recovering nation, as well as the poorest in the Western Hemisphere. Terminating Haiti’s TPS altogether was not the right decision, and Haiti’s status should be reconsidered again in January because the refugees’ situations should not be determined six months in advance without knowing the circumstances in the country.

The world can provide as much humanitarian aid as it wants, and the food, water and medicine are definitely necessary in Haiti, but Haiti also needs help that cannot be found in a package. The U.S. has done its part in housing Haitian immigrants for the past seven years, but allowing them to stay for a few more years is not a hardship. Haitian immigrants have had ample time to assimilate, and the U.S. has absorbed them for the past few years.

The refugees are

working in the U.S., and it is likely that most of them are sending money back home to Haiti. By allowing them to stay and continue to work, the United States is indirectly providing Haiti with money, which is more help than simply alleviating Haiti’s responsibility toward thousands of its people by housing them.

The extended stay was simply a decision that needed to be made.

Haiti has struggled, even though it has had a smaller population for the past few years, and by forcing the refugees to return, the U.S. will essentially be pushing Haiti’s recovery and progress back a few years.

The decision to allow the Haitians to stay was undoubtedly the right one.

Haiti is not in ideal shape to accept the

responsibility of sustaining tens of thousands of more people, but the U.S. is in a position to help. Of course, the U.S. has provided more than enough help to Haiti already, but it is capable of assisting even more in the future, and as a stable global superpower, it should.

Kelly’s decision resolved the situation completely, but once Jan. 22 nears, he should reconsider using information of the country’s situation at the time. Haiti’s conditions should be assessed once again, but based on circumstances other than a current war or natural disaster. At the moment, Haiti needs help to recover, and hopefully, it will have made progress by January.

However, considering the number of catastrophes that Haiti has endured, and the severity of each, the nation will likely need more than six months before it can reasonably sustain an addition of about 58,000 civilians to its population.

art by simon kim/falconer artist

By Anvitha Soordelu

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE IRENE YU The Falconer Editor-in-Chief Irene Yu (12) reflects on how her high school experience has affected her self-confidence.

You might know me as that girl that has changed a lot since elementary school, or the girl that complimented your outfit in the bathroom or the girl that you never agreed with in your history class. You might know me because the shoes I wear every day make loud noises in the hallways, or because you’ve been in classes with me since middle school or just because you’re friends with Julian. No matter how you know me, I can guarantee you that I’ve given extensive thought to what you must think about me – whether that’s over the span of a few days, a few hours or just a few minutes, as you walk by me in the hallway.

The main thought that goes through my head is how someone views me regarding my race. Throughout high school, I’ve often felt either too Chinese or not Chinese enough; for a while I even avoided going to Panda Express for lunch after someone in my history class asked me, “Did your mom make that?” Every time I ask someone to “send” me home, or refuse to bring leftovers for lunch the next day because I’m worried about what people might say, I am made very aware of my race. None of this is to say I’m not proud of being Chinese – as much as I love being Chinese, it will always bother me when people make judgments purely based on my race.

As for not feeling not Chinese enough, I clearly remember every time someone has assumed that I’m not able to speak or understand Chinese (which I can, so if you’re going to gossip about me please pick another language). When I’m done worrying about

that, I’ll move on to trying to guess what you think about my outfit, or what you think about something I said in class a few weeks ago, or what you think about an article of mine I know you read. I spend so much time worrying about what other people think of me that I rarely consider what I think about myself, which is what I’ve been trying to do more of lately.

Toward the beginning of high school, I’d constantly think of ways to improve myself in the eyes of others, brainstorming ways to get people to like me without actually considering why I needed people to like me. Until recently, I had never been asked point-blank, “Why do you need people to like you?” The short answer is that I’m insecure, but I think it also has something to do with the fact that I measure my self worth by the validation I am given from others. If you know me now, you know that I’m constantly wondering if someone is mad at me, or asking what someone thought of me.

I’m working on not worrying about what other people think, and now, when I separate myself from what I think everybody else is thinking, at least I’ve realized that I’m actually starting to like the person I’m becoming. For a long time, I thought that nothing really set me apart from other people, and I still feel that way sometimes.

But I’ve come to realize that I’m probably one of the only girls that comes to school in threeinch heels and a bodycon dress. I spent a lot of time wondering why there wasn’t one defining quality that set me apart. But little by little, I forgot about that and started delving deeper into finding new music, developing my sense of

photo by anton schuh/falconer

style (and an addiction to online shopping) and working on my art – three hobbies I love that I’m by no means amazing at, but I still continue to pursue. Having increased confidence doesn’t mean I think I’m perfect or that there’s no room for improvement, it just means that I’m slowly becoming more proud of the qualities that define me. There are still fewer than 10 people that have seen me without makeup in the past three years, and I still lowkey hate everything I write, but I’ve learned that while I’m worrying about what everyone thinks of me, they’re probably worrying about what I think of them.

While I can say with 100 percent certainty that high school was not, and will never be, the “best four years of my life,” I can still recognize the fact that many of my high school experiences have shaped who I am. If you’re a freshman and reading this, come to terms with two things: you probably won’t still be friends with the same people you’re friends with now, and school is about to get a lot harder. If I could go back in time and tell my freshman self anything, it would be not to care so much about other people, to focus on myself and find

something I love to do and not to buy those allwhite Adidas Superstars. When sophomore year rolled around, I did start doing the things that I love, like joining Falconer, pole vault and GSA; becoming more involved in debate and starting a music club with my friends. I’m not going to lie that both sophomore and junior year were awful, as was the beginning half of senior year. I spent the majority of those years tired, stressed or both. However, I did join the improv team my senior year, something that was, and still is, extremely out of my comfort zone. One main thing that improv has shown me is that when I get in my head and start worrying about what people think about me, I don’t perform or do as well, which I think is applicable to everything else I do.

I don’t really know if there’s a point to me writing this or if my reflection on my high school career has helped you in any way. I’m not sure if I missed out on anything or portrayed myself accurately or if you’ll think of me differently now that you read this or if you’ll want to talk to me or stop talking to me or if you’re mad at me. But at this point, I really don’t care.

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Staff editorial: Trump’s week of turmoiL raises Russia Suspicions The recent weeks of Donald Trump’s presidency, largely due to self-inflicted wounds, have been filled with a seemingly never-ending flow of controversy coming out of the White House.

The series of terrible events began on Monday — which feels like a year ago already — after The Washington Post reported that Trump had leaked classified information to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak, who is known to U.S. Intelligence agencies as a top Russian spy, in a meeting in the oval office. National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster called the remarks made

by Trump “wholly appropriate,” yet still asked news agencies not to report on the story due to it being highly sensitive.

Even the idea o f

art by amrita moturi/falcon artist

having Russian officials in the oval office is unprecedented, let alone sharing classified, top secret information with them.

To make matters worse, American news outlets were denied entry to the oval office, yet the Russian media was still allowed in. Had it not been for a post by a Russian photographer, it is likely that Americans would not have learned about the meeting. The deliberate decision by Trump to keep American journalists out but still support those of the Kremlin is just another example of Trump’s blatant disrespect for the American press, and only increases already high suspicions of his campaign’s collusion with Russia.

O n Tuesday, Trump, in an almost Nixonian move, unjustifiably fired FBI Director J a m e s Comey, the man who was leading the investigation into the Trump campaign’s possible collusion with Russia. The American people and our democracy require a thorough and nonpartisan investigation into Russia’s involvement in the U.S. election, and Trump’s decision to fire Comey casts a dark shadow over what could be one of the biggest political scandals in American history. The White House claimed that Comey was fired due to his handling of the Hillary Clinton investigation in 2016, one that

Trump praised and openly supported on several occasions during the campaign. This excuse was almost laughable, as it is highly unlikely that Trump cares about people being mean to the woman he nicknamed “Crooked Hillary.”

Comey was fired based on the recommendation of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein after Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from the investigation in March when it was discovered he did not disclose meetings with Russian Ambassador Kislyak (the same Kislyak that Trump reportedly leaked information to). Even Rosenstein loyalists who admired his long career in the justice department, found his recommendation, and its focus on the Clinton debacle, extremely curious.

In an interview with Lester Holt on NBC News, Trump even said that he was “thinking of the Russia thing” when he fired James Comey, leaving no doubt that this was a deliberate attempt to hurt the Russia inquiry, and is yet another example of Trump’s disregard for public trust. Leave it to Trump to admit to obstruction of justice on camera and still face no repercussions whatsoever.

On May 10, one day after the firing, the New York Times reported that Trump had told Russian officials that getting rid of Comey relieved “great pressure” on him. In the days after, notes taken by the now former FBI director in which Comey claims that Trump asked him to stop the investigation into former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn was leaked. Flynn refused to turn over subpoenaed documents to the Senate Intelligence Committee, invoking his

Fifth Amendment right to remain silent.

As if all that were not enough, on May 22, it was reported that Trump asked two top U.S. intelligence officials to publicly deny and push back on the FBI investigation. Trump’s actions not only raise suspicions about his campaign’s connection with Russia but have also fueled the ongoing debate about the White House’s credibility, one which began long before Trump ever took office. The events played out in Washington in recent weeks have taken the U.S. into uncharted territory and have begun a new (and scary) chapter in the nation’s history In a rare good decision by the Trump administration, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, to the dismay of the president, appointed former FBI Director Robert Mueller to lead a special counsel investigation into Russian ties with the Trump campaign. Mueller has long been known as a credible and trusted leader, and his selection is the first sign of promise in getting to the bottom of the Russian investigation.

This stuff cannot be made up. The Trump administration somehow managed to stuff a year’s worth of news into just one week. Stories that would typically dominate entire news cycles for weeks at a time have been reduced to hour-long timeslots just so there’s time to cover the seemingly endless stream of scandal pouring out of the White House. This presidency, thus far, has been defined by unpredictability, reaching new levels of insanity each day.

photo from christain hartmann/reuters

Dear Liberals: Don’t be too happy about the French Election On May 7, the day of the French election, millions of moderates and leftists around the world found themselves breathing a sigh of relief as Emmanuel Macron emerged victorious; however, this “victory” is not as great as it seems.

Macron, a centrist with socially liberal views and a member of the En Marche! Party, faced Marine Le Pen, a far-right populist candidate and leader of the National Front Party.

Le Pen, through skillful campaigning and her natural ability to deceive, managed to transform her father’s fascist group into a credible and quickly growing party. Following in the footsteps of President Donald Trump and many other recent right-wing candidates across Europe, Le Pen focused on French borders, an anti-immigration stance and sovereignty, particularly France’s membership in the European Union.

Our numbskull of a president, Donald Trump, endorsed Le Pen in his typically arrogant fashion, calling her the “strongest” candidate in the race. Trump’s unexpected victory in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, which Le Pen said she was “comforted” by, as well as Great Britain’s exit from the EU, sent shockwaves throughout the world, causing political leaders around the world, especially in France, to fear the rise of the far-right in their countries.

While she did not win the presidency, it was a win for the National Front party, who made it to the second and final round of the election, beating both of France’s traditional establishment parties and getting approximately double the number of votes the party received the last time it was in the second round of the election. What we saw in France was a sneak-peek at the quickly spreading disease that is sweeping through much of Europe: the populist radical right.

From Great Britain voting to leave the EU to a close election in Austria, which pitted center-left independent Alexander Van der Bellen against the far-right candidate Norbert Hofer, the radical right has the highest support it has ever seen in Europe and has established itself as a legitimate political power with hardcore supporters. A 10 percent unemployment rate and the Syrian refugee crisis as well as a failed socialist presidency by Francois Hollande were also substantial factors in the National Front’s success.

Despite Macron being a centrist candidate, he and Le Pen were polar opposites, disagreeing on practically every policy, showing just how extreme the right-wing party is.

According to a poll conducted by CEVIPOF, a French political research center, in January 2016, over 50 percent of French police and military now belong to the National Front Party, an increase of 70 percent in just three years.

One out of four French voters did not vote in the second round of the French election, the lowest turnout since 1969, when Charles De Gaulle left politics. Of the people who did show up to vote, nearly 12 percent of the ballots turned in were null votes, the highest level ever recorded in France, according to the French Ministry of the Interior. This means that only two-thirds of citizens in France voted for one candidate or the other, posing a challenge for Macron in the future.

Despite Macron’s win by nearly 10 million votes, the National Front as well as other European extreme right-wings are rapidly spreading throughout the continent, with no sign of slowing down, and this frightening movement cannot be ignored.

by Sammy Hallal

Falconer The Torrey Pines High School

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

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The Falconer is the student newspaper of Torrey Pines High School. Its content, which is the responsibility of the Falconer staff, is not subject to administrative approval. Unsigned editorials represent the opinions of the staff, while opinion columns represent the writer’s perspective. Advertisements do not represent endorsements. The Falconer, an open forum, welcomes signed letters or guest editorials on pertinent issues from the TPHS community, which may be submitted to room 102, via email at falconer.ads@gmail.com or to Mia Smith’s mailbox in the administration building. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.

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june 2, 2017

Backlash against Obama’s Wall Street speeches is hypocritical Alexei Serguienko STAFF WRITER

art by gretchen litzlbeck/falconer

Former President Barack Obama has been suffering backlash for agreeing to give for-profit speeches on Wall Street now that he is no longer president but a private citizen.

Obama is set to receive $400,000

for his appearance at an event organized by Wall Street firm Cantor Fitzgerald.

Upon first hearing, the amount he charges for a single public appearance might appear exorbitant, especially when compared to how much others of a similar caliber have charged in the past. For each of his appearances, George W. Bush only charged between $150,000 and $175,000, which is less than half of what Obama is charging.

But Obama is not alone when it comes to taking advantage of being a former president, as he is definitely not the first to give speeches on Wall Street, or for Wall Street companies

got profit. So many other expresidents have been doing the same for such a long time that it seems to have now become part of a set ritual after presidents wrap up their terms in the White House. In addition to Bush, numerous other former presidents have given speeches for profit after they complete their terms.

In fact, both of the Clintons have given numerous for-profit Wall Street speeches, even though Hillary has not been president. According to CNN, the Clintons have made over $153 million over the course of 14 years and have given 729 speeches, averaging at about $211,000 per speech. So if one former president can prolong his relevancy for almost a decade and earn an excess of $150 million by speaking over 700 times in combination with his wife—who has not served as president—then surely, another president who is fresh out of office should be able to speak once without receiving an excessive amount of backlash.

An even more extravagant example is from the era of Ronald Reagan. In 1989, Reagan earned around $2 million for speaking twice in Japan, according to the New York Times. Adjusted for current inflation rates, that is about $4 million, effectively making each speech worth $2 million. That makes each of Reagan’s speeches worth five times the price of Obama’s.

One reason Obama might come under unreasonable fire is that many notable others, including Hillary Clinton, have been criticized for doing the same.

Back in October 2016, WikiLeaks released documents containing excerpts of Clinton’s speeches,

revealing some of her true beliefs about Wall Street. In one of her speeches to Deutsche Bank, she talked about how she believes that the banking system is “rigged” and how this is a potential problem for people everywhere. With these unfortunate leaks, news outlets and other politicians had a field day, with some quick to judge and call her out.

For example, then-candidate Donald Trump once tweeted that “Hillary will never reform Wall Street.

She is owned by Wall Street!” and “No one has worse judgment than Hillary Clinton - corruption and devastation [follow] her wherever she goes.”

Despite the speeches’ irrelevance in last year’s events, Trump’s words have found their way into the minds of many across the U.S., especially those who supported the president during his campaign. Due to the obvious disdain Trump showed Clinton, other politicians would undoubtedly be sure to follow in his footsteps and carry on the trend.

One example is when Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders voiced his opinions upon hearing about the announcement that Obama agreed to speak on Wall Street. Speaking to CNN, Sanders stated that “it does not look good’ and that “it is distasteful.”

While Sanders does have a point, he omitted that what Obama did to repair Wall Street while it was in a tough spot, which far outweighs the fact that he accepted money from them, and it could even potentially be seen as an attempt to compensate Obama.

Before Obama took office, about 800,000 people nationwide were losing their jobs per month, and the economy was collapsing at a rate

of eight percent year after year in what became known as the Great Recession. But during his first term alone, he managed to apply $1.4 trillion to the support of the economy through tax cuts and other reforms.

By 2014, economic output returned to the way it was before the Great Recession. In fact, Obama’s work was some of the most successful economic work of any president in quite a while.

“I’d just point out that in 2008, Barack Obama raised more money from Wall Street than any candidate in history ― and still went on to successfully pass and implement the toughest reforms on Wall Street since FDR,” Obama spokesman Eric Schultz said to HuffPost.

Post-presidency, Obama will continue his efforts by working with his foundation to “carry on the great, unfinished project of renewal and global progress,” according to the Obama Foundation’s website.

Obama should be able to speak on Wall Street without receiving hypocritical retaliation especially considering many politicians, including every former president in recent memory, has given speeches on Wall Street, or elsewhere for profit. Additionally, Obama reformed Wall Street and the overall economy drastically when it was at a low point and contributed to the economic rebirth of America. For these reasons, he has every right to speak on Wall Street, regardless of the amount of money he will receive for his appearances, and should not have to deal with backlash from those who believe it is politically incorrect to do so.

Trump must condemn authoritarian leaders who violate human rights STAFF WRITER

In the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte is waging a deadly war on drug users.

In Russia, Putin is restricting the citizens’ freedom of expression. In The Democratic People’s of Korea, Kim Jong-Un is holding tens of thousands of political enemies in prison camps.

Donald Trump must respond to human rights violations like these as a part of his new job as President of the United States.

For years, presidents have punished leaders that violate human rights. Barack Obama did so through refusing to talk with Kim and Obama and George Bush have placed sanctions on countries that violate human rights as a way of isolating those countries from the U.S. However, Trump has taken the opposite approach — he wants to meet with them.

Although Trump is not wrong in wanting to sit down with these leaders, he must first reshape his view on who they are. Some of the words Trump has used to describe leaders who regularly violate human rights are “strong,” and “smart.” But a 2014 United Nations report found that North Korea holds an estimated 80,000 and 120,000 people in large prison camps. According to Michael Kirby, who crafted the report, the atrocities of the camps—murder, enslavement, torture—are “strikingly

similar to those of the Nazis.

In 2013, Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported that Russia had “unleashed a crackdown on civil society unprecedented in the country’s post-Soviet history” through restrictive laws, harassment and imprisonment of political activists, and interference with the work of NGOs. Rodrigo Duterte’s unlawful killings of drug users and dealers has resulted in 7,000 deaths since he took office in June 2016 according to HRW. Trump must recognize that he is the president of a country that champions democracy and human rights. Support for human rights is bipartisan. While Republican Nikki Haley defends them in U.N. Security Council meeting on one day, Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren may support them at a Human Rights campaign dinner the next day.

However, in Trump’s talks with foreign leaders, human rights discussions are often dropped. While Trump has not met with Duterte, he did talk with him over the phone on May 23, and according to a released transcript of that phone call, Trump congratulated Duterte on his “unbelievable work with drugs.”

As the leader of a country that leads the effort to improve human rights conditions around the world, Trump must encourage these leaders to better their treatment of their citizens and their human rights. And when discussing leaders who violate human rights in speeches or on Twitter, he should be condemning them, not praising them.

Many argue that Trump should not meet with these leaders at all.

But although Kim Jong-Un is violating human rights, he is also on the verge of developing a missile that can deliver a nuclear weapon to the

U.S. mainland.

A U.S spokesperson said on May 23, that if nothing is done, it is “inevitable” that Kim will develop such capabilities. If Trump is offered a meeting with Kim, he would have a chance to discuss those tensions and negotiate with him.

And while it seems unlikely that the U.S. could reach an agreement with Kim, Kim has said he is willing to end the hostility between the two countries.

In a February 2016 meeting with former U.S. officials, North Korean senior representatives said Kim wanted to resume negotiations in hopes of ending decades of hostility.

The U.S. government has also made agreements with its enemies in the past. During the Cold War, the U.S. reached the the Test Ban Treaty of 1963 with the Soviet Union, which prohibited nuclear weapons tests “or any other nuclear explosion” in the atmosphere or underwater.

And while Obama never actually met with Kim, he made clear that refusing to meet with Kim and leaders like him, is not the best diplomatic policy.

Obama said in the 2008 presidential debates that “the notion that somehow not talking to countries is punishment to them — which has been the guiding diplomatic principle of [The Bush] administration — is ridiculous.”

Talks between Trump and Putin could also improve relations between the U.S. and Russia. Russia’s foreign ministry said “It’s clear Russian-US relations have never been so difficult since the end of Cold War.” Trump said relations have reached an “all time low.”

A meeting with Russia could improve the severed relations between our two countries, and

improved relations usually mean advanced U.S security and prosperity.

At the beginning of the Obama administration, talks between the U.S. and Russia resulted in agreements like the New START agreement, which reduced the number of nuclear weapons allowed in U.S. and Russian arsenals by 30 percent. We also helped Russia gain membership to the World Trade Organization, which helped increase trade and investment between our countries.

Americans reacted enthusiastically to all these deals, with over 60 percent of Americans expressing positive feelings about Russia in a 2010 Pew Research Study.

That was all before disagreements about how to deal with

revolutions in Egypt, Libya and Syria scarred our relations to a degree that we have since not recovered from.

On April 30, Putin said that he was “ready” for a meeting with Trump. A meeting between the two leaders could jumpstart improvements, as well as joint action on issues like North Korea, terrorism and reducing nuclear weapons.

While there are concerns about the President of the United States meeting notorious human rights violators like Un, Dutarte or Putin, Trump’s meeting could result in improved human rights and reduce nuclear tensions. Using the silent treatment however, given the current situation, should not be an option.

art by angela liu/falconer

By Michael Nirula

After meeting on a blind date in Mexico City and getting engaged only three weeks later, Pepe and Deborah Stepensky packed up their belongings and moved to San Diego to pursue new careers, unsure of what their lives would be like in a completely foreign place. Decades before, Deborah’s father traveled to Venezuela, a country he had never set foot in, after being rescued from a concentration camp during the Holocaust in Poland. Their own forays into the unfamiliar led to more opportunities and better lives for Pepe, Deborah, and Deborah’s father.

According to Pepe, the Stepenskys became the third family to own the Porkyland restaurants, formerly located in Barrio Logan, La Jolla and at San Diego State University, around 10 years ago. Porkyland, originally a tortilla factory, was founded in Mexico in 1982. Under their control, they relocated to open another location in Torrey Hills that opened in 2015 and another located just a couple of minutes away from TPHS that opened in April.

Before buying the Porkyland franchises, Pepe and Deborah held a variety of jobs. Originally, the two graduated with communications degrees in Mexico, and Pepe took on a desk job in advertising, while Deborah pursued a career in television and directed TV programs. When they moved to San Diego around 30 years ago, Pepe and Deborah started working in the dry-cleaning business and eventually made their way into the restaurant industry. After making their start in Seaport Village with two restaurants in a food court, Deborah started doing the accounting for the Porkyland there, and Pepe began training the employees who worked at that location. With increased involvement in the restaurant, they eventually bought the business. According to Pepe, ownership brought on a new set of responsibilities and learning opportunities for the duo, as they had to “teach themselves” how to run a restaurant without having been given instructions from others.

“We learned the hard way by checking and by being creative and doing our research and looking at different restaurants and food kinds,” Pepe said.

However, according to Deborah, hard work and persistence are what allowed the Stepenksys to become the owners of Porkyland and achieve the success they have attained today. The enterprising couple attribute the welcoming Carmel Valley community as a contribution to Porkyland’s growth and prosperity. “[The Carmel Valley community is] very supportive,” Pepe said. “It’s a very nice and close community, and they really support locals. They like to come here, [and] they really support us.”

Being family-oriented is one of the core elements that make up the restaurant for the Stepenskys. In addition, the restaurants combine authentic Mexican food with a modern atmosphere. These attributes help contribute to the overall goal set by the Stepenskys. “[The goal is] to grow, to have more restaurants, and to be able to serve the community here, and maybe somewhere else,” Deborah said.

One factor that has helped the business grow has been its use of social media and online delivery services, such as UberEATS and Amazon Restaurants. Porkyland also has an app available for mobile phones, so customers can place orders for pickup at their two locations. The couple’s two daughters, Jessica (‘06) and Alejandra (‘09), and their son, Fernando (‘15), have helped Pepe and Deborah “modernize the restaurants” and improve their methods of using social media to advertise for Porkyland a n d promote the restaurants, since they are more familiar with popular forms of social media. Jessica, Alejandra and Fernando also ensure that those in charge of managing Porkyland’s social media accounts are “doing a good job,” according to Fernando. “[My sisters and I] could just like easily give them tips on what to do or talk to their social media manager,” Fernando said.

“Since we’re so young and we grew up with social media, it was just really

photos by travis felthaus/falconer

easy for us to help them in that sense.”

Moving seems to be something the Stepenskys are comfortable with, as Pepe and Deborah moved to the U.S. to pursue new careers and still continue to expand Porkyland to new locations. According to Fernando, his grandfather, a Holocaust survivor, also fearlessly settled down in Mexico and started his own business, proving that bravery and determination seem to run in the family.

It’s a very nice and close community, and they really support locals. They like to come here, [and] they really support us.

Pepe Stepensky

restaurant owner While Porkyland is only owned by Pepe and Deborah, the entire Stepensky family pitches in. Pepe oversees all of the managing jobs and deals with customer service, while Deborah creates many of the recipes used by Porkyland’s chefs, manages food control and handles the the business accounting. Fernando said, when Pepe and Deborah got involved with Porkyland, when the restaurants were located in Southeast San Diego and in La Jolla, he and his sisters occasionally worked as cashiers or made deliveries for Porkyland during the summer or over school breaks. However, they did not have a very solid understanding of the roles Pepe and Deborah had in the business and did not feel as connected to the restaurants. But, after the relocations to Torrey Hills and Del Mar Heights, Fernando and his sisters were able to feel more “intimately involved” with the business and help their parents more; for example, Fernando occasionally picks up or delivers supplies for Porkyland when he is out and about. He appreciates the fact that Porkyland has relocated to areas that are closer to where he lives in San Diego, since it is easier for him to take friends and eat there, while also being able to see his parents more often.

“In the past, [my sisters and I] had a very basic understanding [of what goes on at Porkyland],” Fernando said. “I think we never really saw how much work goes into it and stuff ... But now that it’s so close and I’ve worked there and I go there a lot and stuff like that, we see how much work they put in, we see how the business functions and stuff that we totally didn’t see before.”

The fact that both his parents and his grandfather moved to new places to begin new lives makes Fernando proud, as they are taking significant risks and gained knowledge from their mistakes along the way to find success in an area unfamiliar to them.

“I think [my parents and grandfather] both went places where they didn’t necessarily have a full plan in place,” Fernando said. “Then they just kind of went with it, and then something eventually ended up working...that’s where they focused their time after they saw what worked … it’s crazy to see how our parents took huge risks that we probably would never take.”

The risks ultimately paid off for both Fernando’s parents and his grandfather, and their decisions have led to the successful continuation of Porkyland in different parts of San Diego. The drive that inspired Pepe and Deborah to leave Mexico and move to San Diego drives their long-time involvement in the community. They are grateful to the Carmel Valley area and to the schools in the community for helping them raise three successful and well-adjusted children and for supporting their own businesses. T h e i r perseverance and their pride in their work is appreciated by their neighbors and fellow businesspeople. And the feeling is mutual.

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Every other Thursday, a group of about eight girls gathers in an otherwise empty classroom to scarf down lunch before starting to use the F-word.

But how much chit-chat can be made on the topic of one single word?

“They make judgements about who you are by just this one word alone,” Gabi Gonzalez (12) said.

She and Zoe Catz Johnson (12) serve as co-presidents of a TPHS club dedicated to the F-word. They facilitate those bimonthly meetings so that club members can have a place to voice their opinions around likeminded people.

No, this is not a forum for etymology enthusiasts.

It’s the TPHS Feminism Club.

You’d be surprised, many people think the definition is hating men. I try to have a normal conversation about what feminism does for women everywhere.

Zoe Catz Johnson �������

The club discussions cover a variety of feminist issues, including social and political equality, as well as female empowerment. But a prominent area of discussion among the TPHS feminists concerns the negative implications commonly associated with feminism.

“Since continuing with [Feminism Club], I get made fun of a lot,” Catz Johnson said.

This could possibly be the result of the widespread idea that, as Rosie Mouannes (9) said, “[a feminist] is someone who thinks that women are better than men.”

Although there are groups of women who identify as feminists and consider women the superior gender, feminism is actually defined by Merriam-Webster as “the theory of political, economic, and social equality of the sexes.”

Equality, not superiority. Encounters with people who do not know the real meaning of feminism happen on a regular basis to Gonzalez and Catz Johnson, but they have gained experience when it comes to educating their peers on the subject.

“I cite the literal definition of it,” Catz Johnson said. “You’d be surprised, many people think the definition is “hating men.”

I try to have a normal conversation about what feminism does for women everywhere.”

The misunderstanding of the feminist movement is likely a key cause of many people’s reluctance to identify as feminist. After all, most women don’t feel they are superior to men but are afraid they might be categorized that way if they call themselves feminists.

According to a national survey c o n d u c t e d by Vox, an American news and opinion website, only 18

june 2, 2017

percent of Americans identify as feminist, yet 52 percent believe in “equality for women,” demonstrating the deep disconnection between public opinion and public perception that hampers understanding of the goals of feminism.

Aside from viewing herself as superior to men, the feminist of the erroneous stereotype is “angry all the time and just a buzzkill in general,” Catz Johnson said. But where did this image come from?

“I think, like with any movement, you have extremists or people who push the boundaries. And they’re good for movements, but sometimes they frighten people ... There’s always a fear when people are trying to push new ideas and open new doors,” English teacher and Feminism Club adviser, Lisa Callender, said.

The unappealing image of the stereotypical feminist is not the only thing making people resist identifying as feminists.

People are beginning to wonder if feminism is even relevant in today’s society. “[Some feminist opponents] basically believe that women already have equality, and they just have to, individually, try harder; that there’s no institutionalized discrimination,” said San Diego State University professor and chair of the political science department, Ronnee Schreiber.

That interpretation of the facts might make sense to some, given that we just came through a presidential campaign season that featured the first female presidential candidate for a major political party. But their perception might change if they knew that, according to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, female, full-time workers made an average of 80 cents on each dollar a man made in 2015. And that’s just in the United States.

“It’s not even about us really because we have that privilege that comes with living here compared to other women in the world. So for me, feminism is about those women and helping to make sure that everyone everywhere has the same rights that I do or that a man does,” Gonzalez said.

In some countries, girls aren’t even allowed to go to school, but Mouannes is under the impression that “[feminism] is not that big of a deal.”

There are many people in school, perhaps especially teenagers, who have not been educated on the meaning and goals of feminism or have deemed them irrelevant.

“Oftentimes, when I poll my classes, and I talk about simple tasks that are being done at home, or mothers who stay home, or how many mothers are educated, there are a number of affluent moms who had to make those difficult choices [to stay home and raise their children], or the ones who are very successful in their careers are still handling so many of the tasks that we assign to women,” Callender said. “The girls and boys might not recognize it as much, but because society has said that this is the norm they don’t consider it abnormal.”

In other words, teens and children may not realize that having a mother with a successful career is relatively unusual or that it might be more common in wealthier areas. Because of this, a child may not have had any negative experiences as a result of having a working mom, therefore, may see gender equality as a goal that has already been achieved.

When it comes to ways of promoting feminism and educating the teenage population, Gonzalez and Catz Johnson have ideas that are suited to the interests of people their age.

“There needs to be more representation in the media, especially in kids’ shows,” Gonzalez said.

Despite the disparity between male and female representation in roles with power, both girls agree that the feminist role models that do exist in the media today, such as Rowan Blanchard and Beyoncé, have an impact on young girls and women.

Gonzalez also stressed the importance of gender equality education in schools.

“In history classes they talk about women’s struggles and Susan B. Anthony and then in 1920 how [women] got the vote, and that’s kind of the end of it,” Gonzales said.

By ignoring gender struggles as an ongoing subject of study, schools also may have contributed to planting the idea in students’ minds that feminist activism is not necessary Although feminists are united by common goals, their generational differences are revealed in their discussions of their personal experiences with feminism.

“When I was a teenager, most teenage girls would not have called themselves feminists. Even if they [had] supported some of the goals of feminism, I just don’t think it was as common for people to do that, whereas I actually see more younger girls embracing the term in general, so I’m optimistic because of that,” Schreiber said.

Feminism Club meetings tend attract fewer than 10 attendees, but the co-presidents are by now well aware of the reasons that teens might not want to tell their friends that they want to enjoy their lunch with the Feminist Club instead of joining them off-campus. Catz Johnson admits amid light-hearted laughter that “We hoped there would be more people in the club, but it’s an [F-word] club.”

A13 the falconer

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1848: The American feminist movement is born at the first Women’s Convention in Seneca Falls, NY.

june 2, 2017

1869: Wyoming 1917: Jeanette becomes the first Rankin becomes territory to give women the first the vote. Congress congresswoman. follows suit in 1920.

2017: The Womens’ March on D.C. & other cities is the largest in history.

of americans view feminism as

of americans view feminists as

STRONG FEMINIST FEMINIST NOT A FEMINIST ANTI FEMINIST NO OPINION INFOGRAPHIC BY FARHAN HOSSAIN

INFORMATION COURTESY OF WASHINGTON POST, KAISER FAMILY FOUNDATION AND PBS

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She takes a deep breath. In, out. In. Out. She reviews the piece At one point in her life Hwang became exhausted by the repetition mentally, ensuring that her solo piece is memorized, the notes of practice and started to doubt the importance of music. After a ingrained in her mind. She then steps onto the stage. While everything few bad performances, she was not inspired by playing music. is memorized, it will not stop her from doubting her every passage.

Now, she knows that music truly is an expressive art, in which Erica Hwang (11) was accepted into the National Youth Orchestra of the notes and the rhythm work together to create an artform. the United States of America, or NYO-USA, a youth orchestra organized Now, she knows that music is not strictly determined by or

by Carnegie Hall Weill Institute, in February. For now, she waits for limited to the notes on a page.

July 1, when she will arrive at the residence hall at the State University Tonight Hwang’s performance was a good one and by of New York, or SUNY, at Purchase, where she will practice the pieces the time she played the last note, the audience recognized she will play with NYO-USA on a two-week tour in Mexico and parts of that too. Before she had the chance to leave the stage, the South America. audience greeted her with loud applause, standing with For Hwang, becoming the focus of a amazement. crowd’s attention, made her blood flow “I realized that we musicians faster. Her adrenaline rises, more than play the same [notes] but it’s what she needs to stay alert for a good not the same music because performance and now her anxiety rises we’re all telling our own with it. She waits in anticipation for the individual stories,” Hwang said. mere possibility of a memory slip. “[Music] is something greater “It’s really difficult to perform onstage than [the notes] because it’s live with the fear of having memory slips about empathy, humanity and because you constantly tell yourself that connection with other humans.” you’re going to forget the notes,” Hwang While becoming apart of NYOsaid. “It has happened [before] where I do USA could be considered a peak end up forgetting the notes.” performance, Hwang would not Stage fright is a challenge for Hwang have achieved it without some bad today, despite having played since she was performances too.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ERICA HWANG six years old, but she continuously works The application for the NYOtowards overcoming her performanceUSA required a written essay and induced anxiety. several video portions: a three-minute excerpt from a solo piece, Breathe, just breathe. A few notes into playing her piece, Hwang orchestral excerpts and a video essay. realizes that the audience before her represented some of the most Hwang’s dedication to playing the violin manifested itself in supportive people in her life, and her goal had changed so she was no becoming apart of the NYO-USA, a prestigious program she is longer completely focused with impressing her audience. excited to start.

Outside of her stage performances, Hwang participates as a mentor “I have been wanting to do this camp for a long time,” Hwang and the regional director of the of the “Back to BACH” project, which said. “[This is] what I wanted to do most this summer, so I’m really introduces classical music to elementary students and works to excited.” encourage young students with classical music and recognizes that not This summer, after three weeks of practice at SUNY Purchase, all children may not have had the same opportunities to play music.

Hwang will travel Mexico, Ecuador and Columbia.

“My favorite part about volunteering and helping kids is seeing Hwang, while unsure of what she will major in, still plans to play their enthusiasm for classical music,” Hwang said. “That’s always the violin in the future. encouraging because it dispels the saying that classical music is dying.”

“I’m not sure if I want to make it my major in college ... also Hwang is also the Jeffrey Dan Sollender Co-Concertmaster of the because I don’t want [making] money be the reason I play music,” San Diego Youth Symphony, meaning she earned a scholarship for Hwang said. exceptional merit. Hwang did not earn her seat without practice though; Hwang plans to play after college, but for now she is satisfied. each day, Hwang practices the violin for at least two hours.

by Ellie Ahles

ERICA HWANG

PHOTO BY TRAVIS FELTHAUS/FALCONER

North Korea Tension In 2010, the Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea openly declared its possession of a nuclear weapon. The isolated Asian nation, lead by dictator Kim Jong-un, has dedicated itself to expanding the size and precision of its nuclear program. The nation’s weapons serve as a protection against the threat of regime change brought by the U.S., its greatest enemy. North Korea has strong reason to believe the U.S. State-controlled North Korean media regularly delivers warnings to Japan and South Korea, two economic and diplomatic allies with the U.S. Also, both Amnesty International and the United Nations have dubbed Kim a human rights abuser who has followed the ruthless tactics of his father and grandfather by operating concentration camps for political dissenters and shutting of complete access to and from the hermit kingdom.

During the Obama presidency, the White House countered North Korean aggression through economic sanctions that limit North Korea’s access to fossil fuels and borrowing of capital from the global financial system. Made in international bodies like the U.N. However, these sanctions were often softened or blunted by another Security Council nation: China, which shares a common border with North Korea. If sanctions were strong enough to destabilize the North Korean government, the lack of central authority may lead to mass famine and migration into China. Unwilling to deal with a full blown North Korean humanitarian crisis, China has coerced the U.S. to soften any imposed sanction.

The new administration, however, seems less keen on working with Beijing to maintain a compromised solution for the region’s instability. Unlike Obama, Trump wants bolder action, and has vowed to “solve” the regional tension before the North Koreans develop the technology needed for an intercontinental ballistic missile; an ICBM would allow for nuclear bombs to reach at least the American West Coast, and cities like Los

Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego. Analysts project that North Korea will have this technology at least by the end of Trump’s first term. Despite the lack of a clear solution, time is ticking for the Trump administration, giving it limited time to solve what other presidencies failed to do: stabilize North Korea and eliminate or at least minimize its threats to the American public, not to mention to South Korea.

“Solving” North Korea is also needed for another reason: to maintain a strong American presence in the Asia-Pacific. Japan and South Korea have held off on creating their own nuclear arsenal against the North Koreans because they have the backing of the American military. Both nations have resources to create nuclear bombs, yet decades of American alliances has led them to trust in the U.S.’ ability to defend them against Pyongyang. However, Trump departs from many of his Democratic and Republican predecessors and has suggested that Japan and South Korea should be required to either pay for American protection or develop their own weapons — a policy position in direct contradiction to the U.S.’ long-standing policy of limiting nuclear proliferation.

During his short reign, Kim Jong-un has built a reputation for creating an atmosphere of fear within Pyongyang’s ruling elites, as he has beheaded multiple family members. He is also known for paranoia and distrust. By the end of this decade, he will possess the nuclear capability to reach the U.S. and bring the world closer than it ever has been to WWIII. His unstable personality, combined with unstable weaponry poses a threat to the world at large. For Trump, dealing with North Korea will be more serious than it has been for past administrations. The growing might of North Korea will now be an unavoidable threat to our current global order that cannot be as easily ignored as it has been in the past.

by Farhan Hossain

tphsfalconer.com

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the falconer

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By: Anvitha Soordelu and Bea De Oliveira

By Bea De Oliveira & Anvitha Soordelu It was a quiet day. The squad car ambled down the road with its windows down, sirens off, music playing softly in the background. The police radio let out a short, static sound interrupting the calm; it was a report of an individual armed with a gun, in the middle of a street close to the cop car. The music disappeared, the windows went up and the sirens blared as the car picked up speed.

The tales of police always begin the same: a cop involved in a shooting, a person, injured or dead, sparks an investigation. Police shootings affect everybody involved: the individual, his or her family, bystanders, witnesses and the police officers.

“There’s a lot of ways that shootings affect [police] officers,” Northwestern Division Captain Mark Hanten said. “I think every officer in every situation perceives that a shooting is going to have some impact. Whether or not they were in imminent peril, [or being threatened,] plays a great effect.”

According to psychologist Suzanne Best, who has extensive experience in Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and other trauma-related conditions, an Jeff Sterling officer’s trauma relates to the degree of danger that ��������� �������� they perceive themselves to be in. “[A regular person with] a gun pointed at [him or her] would undoubtedly be traumatized by that … [but police officers] know that they’re skilled at defending themselves and stopping the threat,” Best said. “There are plenty of cases where [officers] are traumatized also because there could be innocent bystanders, there could be hostages or they could be in situations where their equipment doesn’t work or something goes wrong where they’re unable to deal with a situation.”

The personal backgrounds of the officers involved play a huge part in how they are affected by shootings, according to Detective Sergeant Jeff Sterling of the Northwestern Division.

“A lot of officers are former military, so they may [or may not] have been involved in something [like a shooting] beforehand,” Sterling said. “Some officers are more prepared mentally, based on their life experience, than another officer that may be brand new.”

Officers new to the police force who are involved in shootings are impacted more than seasoned officers who have gone to “a lot of different calls, incidents [and have had a] different police experience,” according to Sterling.

As for specific psychological effects, it varies depending on the individual.

Often, police officers experience anxiety, stress and sleep problems, as a result of a shooting incident, according to Best. She has met with servicemen that have gone through certain traumatic situations, and Best often tells them to “stay grounded,” or stay in the present rather than dwelling on the past since they will often go through the incident and replay it in their mind, according to Best.

“They will run the incident around and around in their head, and it’s kind of like running a tape over and over again,” Best said. “It’s partly because that’s what the mind does trying to process [the incident,] but it’s also partly that they keep ... wondering if there’s anything [they] could’ve done differently.”

Over time, the police in San Diego who have gone through traumatic events like shootings, have begun to get more time off of work to help them process the events.

“We wanted those officers to be better taken care of so they do return to work and [so] they can process [the event] correctly and carry on with their career,” Sterling said.

Immediately after a shooting and once enough additional officers are called to the scene, the police officers who were part of the event are removed as quickly as possible.

An investigation is started, and the various departments involved take photographs of the officers and get a detailed statement about the incident.

“All of a sudden, you’re in limbo,” Sterling said. “You’re not going to be going back to work or going with your squad and doing what you normally do … all those plans are changed until the investigation goes along far enough to make sure that there’s no question about what happened.”

Officers’ body security cameras have made investigations easier than they were when officers had to try to put together their recollections, according to Hanten.

Body camera footage often gives police insights in to most of the physical events that occur during a shooting, but it is not able to capture what is going on in the officer’s mind.

“When you get involved in a critical incident you get tunnel vision,” Sterling said.

“You circle in on the threat … your mind is on overload so you don’t hear the gunshots.

A camera only catches part of it … you might not be hearing anything that the person [next to you] may be saying” To train the police officers of the SDPD on how to react in a situation that may result in the use of deadly force, the police academy is equipped with a Firearm Training Simulator, or FATS, which is used to give cadets a sense of what a highstress situation is like.

To allow San Diego citizens and government officials experience the stress of a highrisk situation, the SDPD invited them to experience the FATS system. The Falconer was given an opportunity to visit the FATS system and experience the tunnel vision and mental processing that an officer goes through during a situation that warrents deadly force. During a moment of high tension, The Falconer also experienced a great amount of second-guessing.

Officers second-guessing themselves after a shooting is something Sterling also sees.

Many departments, including the District Attorney and the Homicide Unit, analyze a shooting, and as the investigation into the incident is happening, officers “may second-guess themselves because they don’t have all the answers and they’re worried about” possibly being fired or charged in court, according to Sterling.

But Sterling doesn’t want officers, doubting themselves or second-guessing their actions.

“You’re reacting to what the suspect does … and we don’t want an officer that [does not have much information] to go there … and in a critical time,

[second-guess themselves,]” Sterling said.

The police officers are racing to the scene. Static fills the air as updates keep coming in, the dispatcher on the phone trying to create a comprehensive scenario from the series of frantic calls coming in from witnesses at the scene.

“If you go to a call involving a robbery or a gun … you’re driving there … and you’re hopefully getting some updates and more information,” Sterling said. “The officer [does not get very much information] ... Witnesses or victims calling are trying to describe things on the phone .. and they’re not getting everything right.”

Although police shootings are very rare, according to Sterling, every case is unique, containing a different set of details that affect each officer in a differently. Factors such as the subject’s gender and shooter’s classification can change the mindset of the officers involved in the event, especially if that person is a minor and the purpose is suicide, Sterling said.

According to Kathleen Chang (12), killing a child probably amplifies the effect on the police officer, and in her opinion, officers are probably never able to truly recover after such an incident.

“In essence, [the police] are being used by the person who is suicidal,” Best said. “They, as officers, are being used as a weapon, and for them to be put in that position is really a terrible burden for them.”

The car skids to a stop and its doors slams shut. The officers are cautious, but move quickly toward the potentially dangerous, half-established situation that they were called in to check on. It is a standoff. The lone figure in the distance is just a few yards away, a gun pointed at the cops. A few muffled words are shouted. No response, no change. A command this time, louder and stronger than before. No change.

In the aftermath of a shooting, it is not only the officer that feels the effects, but the family of the cop as well.

“The impact that these events have on the spouses and family members of the officers [is often overlooked],” Best said. “They often struggle a great deal with these types of events ... even the children.”

At the SDPD, although it is not required, it is often encouraged that families also attend the formal wellness programs offered to help the officer to work through any psychological and emotional struggles related to the shooting.

“We have a pathway back to full duty where [officers] get time to reflect and get themselves back together before they go straight back out into the job,” said Hanten.

“Frequently, it’s a situation where they’re wanting to get back to work after they’ve been out at home with their families for a few days and then in a light duty assignment for a while.”

Effects felt by both the family and officer are also greatly attributed to the media coverage the shooting gets, as well as the reaction of the community.

“Being vilified by the public for [the events] and being ridiculed … those things have a huge impact on officers when they’re involved in shootings as well,” Hanten said.

In many cases, the media attempts to contact the officer soon after the shooting, hoping to get an interview or statement, but it is against SDPD policy for officers to make a statement and clarify anything, according to Sterling.

For Sydney Wilson (9), whose great uncle was a police officer killed in a Las Vegas shooting while protecting the people around him and his police partner, the media and community were respectful to both the memory and legacy of her uncle.

“People really took it the right way,” Wilson said. “[The people of the community] actually named a street and school after him.”

Waiting for an investigation to be finished before jumping to conclusions is very important to Hanten. When an event like a shooting occurs, it is best for a community to wait for the facts to be revealed before forming opinions. “[The most important factors of a community are] good community leaders who don’t rush to judgment, and find out what is going on before they offer to weigh in with their input,” Hanten said. “When they recognize the totality of the situation, they recognize it for the tragedy that it is, and give all tremendous support.”

Cops are figures of authority in society, but when it comes down to it, they are not perfect, said Sterling.

“Sit down and talk [with a police officer],” Sterling said. “Because if [people] do, it might change [their] philosophy and outlook. Cops are just people, too, from all walks of life … we’re not robots.”

The individual’s arm twitches. Silent shots are fired and officers begin to show up on the scene. The original officers know that the coming investigation will not be a simple process, and their careers may never be the same.

“Our whole life gets turned upside down on one radio call,” Sterling said.

Captain Mark Hanten and Sergeant Jeff Sterling wanted to contribute to this story in order to help the community better understand some of the issues surrounding officer-involved shootings, hopefully to help in the healing process for both the community and the officers who are involved in these types of incidents. While they spoke about several aspects of officer-involved shootings, they could not comment or discuss the recent shooting at Torrey Pines High School.

When you get involved in a critical incident, you get tunnel vision ... your mind is on overload ...

PHOTO BY ALDERIK VAN DER HEYDE/FALCONER

photo by travis felthaus/falconer

If you know me, you know that I always know where to find the best Chinese food. The Convoy District has turned into one of my favorite dining locations, but the extremely small and dimly lit Red Moon Noodle House didn’t fully meet my standards.

I have spent countless nights walking Convoy St. wandering into different Chinese restaurants, but I had never stumbled upon Red Moon Noodle House

until a few weeks ago. Walking into the building there were 10 tables crowded into a single room, but there were only a few customers. Once seated, we ordered a variety of entrees and dumplings.

After 15 minutes, I was slightly annoyed that our food had yet to come out because of the lack of business, but a few minutes later, the Chicken Pan Fried Noodles ($8.25) came out on a steaming plate. The dish itself looked attractive but its strange sauce looked unpleasant and almost milky. The chicken and crunchy noodles were appetizing, but the overwhelming amount of garlic cloves overpowered the dish.

Next, we started on the house special, Red Moon Chicken ($9.25), highly raved about in all of their reviews. This meat and vegetable dish had a pleasantly sweet sauce. The vegetables were

by far my favorite dish we ordered; the fried shrimp was doused in a slightly tangy sauce. Even though the shrimp sat in a wet sauce for our entire meal, the coating retained its crispy texture and the meat was tender. But, the accompanying rice dishes, like the fried rice, lacked flavor and served only as a balance to the saltiness of photo by ally jensen/falconer the dishes.

I expected the spice At first glance, China Cafe is easy to miss; placed adjacent to an scale to be a standard scale of 1-10, apartment complex, the restaurant but only at China Cafe is the scale could easily be mistaken for an old 1-20. We ordered the chicken at a house. The decor in the restaurant level of 9 and the heat was pretty and the name were clear indications close to what I had expected. The that the food served would be chicken was smoky and extremely authentic Chinese, but unfortunately pungent with the smell of spices, but China Cafe was lacking even in the the dark brown sauce tasted like a muted chili paste and had little other most basic Chinese food staples.

Upon entering the restaurant, I flavor besides salt and soy sauce. The stood at the door for several minutes chicken was soft and well cooked, until I thought to ring a hidden bell although the excess sauce made the to call a server. We were seated chicken almost mushy, as if it was a on the outdoor patio, but despite thick stew.

The Beef Chow Fun, thick rice the beachside location, the most noticeable aspect of the restaurant noodles coated in a soy-based sauce was the unfortunate decor. Plastic with beef, was definitely the least tablecloths with cartoon wine glasses satisfying. The noodles seemed laid under bright blue napkins gave grossly overcooked and stuck to each the restaurant a cheap appearance, other, making eating much messier. while the loud miniature waterfall The sauce was sticky and dry, making and the chirps of birds hopping next the noodles extremely chewy, which to us only made the experience more was not helped by the equally tough uncomfortable. After some time we meat. Even though the serving for the finally decided on the Kung Pao Chow Fun was largest, I didn’t go for Chicken with Fried Rice ($11.55), the seconds after the first bite.

The general lack of people in the Sweet and Sour Shrimp with Steamed Rice ($13.55) and the Beef Chow Fun restaurant was representative of the quality of the food and service at ($13.95.)

The first items to arrive were the China Cafe. Even though the location Kung Pao Chicken and the Sweet of the restaurant saves Carmel Valley and Sour Shrimp. The shrimp was residents the drive, the steep prices and mediocre food outweigh the benefit of saved time. The next time I’m craving some Chinese food, I’ll make sure to avoid the wine tablecloths and suggest others to do the same.

by Sumin Hwang

complementary to the chicken and its sauce had just the right amount of spice, without being too strong.

Finally, the dumplings were served, but their flavors and simplicity made up for the wait. The pork soup dumpling was filled with a salty broth and the dumplings just fit perfectly in my mouth.

This was the perfect way to raise Red Moon Noodle House’s rating in my mind.

Red Moon Noodle House is a restaurant that I would recommend for appetizers and dumplings, but not for a full blown meal. If you wanted a smaller place to eat or order takeout from, I might recommend it because of its serving sizes, but my experience at the restaurant quite frankly did not live up to its raving reviews.

by Estelle Kraft

After walking the sunny streets of Del Mar, I took a turn toward the Chinese restaurant Double Happiness. The restaurant was small and there were only three parking spaces to make things even more complicated.

Nonetheless, I made my way inside and found a colorful restaurant setting with everything from bamboo poles and zodiac themed table mats, to pictures of blooming cherry blossoms.

And while Double Happiness seemed like a hole-in-the-wall with limited seating, a quick glance around made it obvious that there was ample seating inside.

A polite waitress led me to my table, passed out menus and brought crispy fried wonton strips, which were oily and impossible to put down.

The appetizers, a Hot & Sour Soup ($2.95), Wonton Soup ($2.95) and Pork Egg Rolls ($2.95), came out after only around two minutes.

Judging from the appearance, it was clear that the soup was nothing special. The wonton soup was a simple concoction of chicken wontons and spinach, while the Hot and Sour Soup looked like a typical brown broth. Nevertheless, both soups were hearty and soothing.

The egg rolls had had plenty of the tasty pork and vegetable blend inside and had a satisfying amount of crunch to them.

After 15 minutes, my main course — House Special Noodles ($12.95), Shanghai Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs ($12.95), Beef Tenderloin ($25.95) and Kung Pao Chicken ($12.95) — came out hot and sizzling.

First I helped myself to the Shanghai Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs,

which immediately qualified as one of the best Chinese dishes I have ever had. The meat was tender and fell right off the bone, while the taste was sweet and addictive.

Next, I helped myself to the beef tenderloin. Although the meat was tough, it was well-salted and came in a large portion.

While Kung Pao Chicken is not one of my favorite dishes, I was definitely satisfied with Double Happiness’ version. The chicken, cut into bitesize pieces, packed a ton of spice and flavor. Also, the leeks and peanuts

photo by lauren zhang/falconer

had a distinct flavor and texture that contrasted well with the chicken.

Lastly, I helped myself to the house special noodles, which had shrimp and vegetables. It looked like everything you would expect from a Chinese noodle dish, but what stood out was how thick and oily the noodles were.

The bill came out to $75.65 which seemed adequate for a three appetizer, four entree meal. Because of the pricing, I would be willing to making a second visit.

Double Happiness’ flavorful food, attentive service and enjoyable ambiance make the restaurant a great choice for Chinese cuisine.

by Michael Nirula

entertainment

tphsfalconer.com

photo from quality control/capitol/motown

of new teenage Soundcloud rappers with nonsensical lyrics, name brand clothes and impressive Instagram pages. At just 19 years old, Lil Yachty, who describes his music style as “bubblegum trap,” has developed two drastically different personalities through his music: Yachty and Lil Boat. In an interview with Genius, Lil Yachty described Lil Boat as “a ruthless dude” and Yachty as “a nice dude.” Both personalities were introduced on his 2016 debut mixtape “Lil Boat,” and are introduced again in “Like A Star,” the first track of his first studio album, “Teenage Emotions.”

While Yachty brags about his accomplishments to a more mellow beat on “Like A Star,” Boat goes hard on the second track “DN Freestyle,” which features producer Digital Nas and a more trap-style beat. Lil Yachty eventually unites both the bubblegum and trap sounds in “Harley,” which features a trap beat overlayed with a subtle pop sample.

Throughout the album, Yachty has three main themes: money, girls (who he

Miles McCollum, more commonly known as Lil Yachty, is on the more serious end of the spectrum

RELATED ARTIST the typical multilayered wordplay and meaningful lyrics seen in rap throughout history, Lil Yachty has established new subgenre of hip hop.

But, this new wave of rap isn’t only practiced by Yachty. Rapper Lil Uzi Vert also has been pegged as a main figure in the new style of rap, capturing the attention of teens across the world with his effortless hooks.

Just like his songs, Uzi’s rise to fame was quite simple. In high school a friend of his was gaining popularity as a rapper and Lil Uzi Vert was not having the shift in attention, and so he decided to start rapping. He got his name after someone told him he raps fast, “like a little machine gun,” and ever since he has been Lil Uzi Vert.

Both Lil Yachty and Lil Uzi Vert focus more on using experimental sounds

information courtesy of metacritic

Characterized by her raspy and sensual voice, repetitive phrases and melancholy songs with the universal themes of love and death, Lana Del Rey is an artist very difficult to duplicate.

Each of her three, soon to-be four albums have explored a different aspect of her multi-layered style, with changes in both tone and pace in each.

As an avid fan, it has been difficult to find a singer or band that matches the tone and themes of Del Rey, and I’ve been left to listen to subpar alternative bands as a way to satisfy my craving for her music. But after much searching and dedication, it seems like I’ve found what I’ve been searching for. Although her style is not identical to Del Rey’s, Marz Ferrers’ voice and music are wellawaited gifts for any Del Rey fan.

When first indulging yourself in the music of Marz Ferrer, an experimental artist in the Bronx, NY, the first thing you notice is her voice which is very similar to the rough, yet powerful voice of Del Rey. It has a low tone with a thick,

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almost exclusively refers to as “b******”) and his personal success. While the album is called “Teenage Emotions,” I’m not quite sure if the pornographic images he conjures connect to emotions common to most teenagers. “All Around Me” is your classic, “I got bad b****** all around me,” repetitive party song; there isn’t really much more to say about the lyrics or the stereotypical beat. The next track, “Say My Name,” is a song about Lil Yachty presumably wanting a girl to say his name repeatedly; after all, he does chant “say my name” 75 times in a span of three minutes. Out of all the tracks on the album, “Better” probably has the most logical lyrics, with Lil Yachty proclaiming “you say it’s good/I say it’s great/but it could always be better.” I mean, he’s not wrong. Compared to “Lil Boat,” “Teenage Emotions” sounds less unique and more forced; there are only a few tracks that feature Lil Yachty’s signature sound.

“Lady in Yellow” and “Made Of Glass” both sound like Lil Yachty’s failed attempts at love songs. “Lady in Yellow”

sounds mysterious and messy, with Lil Yachty wondering about his sexual chances. He delves deeper in “Made Of Glass,” sounding like Christina Perri when he asks “Am I made up of glass?

Do you see straight through me?”

“Bring It Back” stands out from the rest of the album, mostly because the beat is reminiscent of a ‘70s pop song.

Probably the only song that actually expresses a common teenage emotion is “Priorities,” which features Yachty profoundly rapping “f*** school and f*** the rules.”

Though “Teenage Emotions” sounds slightly more polished than Lil Yachty’s initial two mixtapes, the album art, which features Yachty surrounded by a diverse group of teenagers in a movie theater, and the album title do not accurately reflect the actual songs on the album. If you’re into lyrics that don’t make sense, repetitive beats and confusing comparisons, this album is definitely for you.

by Irene Yu

supported by some bass and scattered chants in their songs to replace lyrics.

Through this simple method of production, the rappers have managed to create some of the most unique and catchy trap songs in the genre, even if they can become quite mind-numbing after a few listens. This simplistic and effortless rap is what is most appealing about this up-and-coming subgenre, captivating young audiences in particular with their upbeat and youthful melodies.

Lil Uzi Vert, who is only 22 years old, expresses his youthfulness not only through various catchy songs but also through his basic lyrics and message. In the track “Do What I Want” Lil Uzi Vert raps about exactly what it sounds like: him doing whatever he wants. Although he pretty much repeats the words “now I do what I want” for 3 minutes while

chanting “yah” softly in the background, But despite the redundancies, Uzi still manages to put out an enjoyable and boisterous song that holds your attention.

In his short career thus far, Lil Uzi Vert has put out many hit songs with infectious, singalong hooks to like “XO TOUR Llif3” and “You Was Right.”

Basic both on and below the surface, there really is not much meaning to Yachty and Uzi’s music, which surprisingly is exactly what makes them so appealing.

The shift of importance from meaningful, thoughtful lyrical wordplay to catchy and buoyant melodies has proven effective, establishing an entirely new type of hip hop within the everexpanding genre and attracting budding listeners worldwide.

by Sammy Hallal

photo from polyvore records/interscope records

Lil Yachty, the rapper behind hit songs like “One Night” and “Minnesota,” represents a rising new type of hip hop the genre has never seen before. At just 19 years old, Lil Yachty has worked with artists like Quavo, Young Thug and Skippa Tha Flippa and has even managed to make it into the Billboard Top 200 at number 113.

Yachty has established himself as a main figure in the emerging wave of hip hop and has managed to grasp the attention of teenagers and millennials across the nation. His simple lyrics, which sometimes sound like elementary school-level rhyming (but featuring a lot more expletives), and upbeat loops resembling beats of nursery rhymes has captured a new demographic of hip hop fans who are more focused on the fun aspect of the music. Straying away from

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foggy timbre, that makes it as powerful and smooth as Del Rey’s.

Ferrer’s most recent release, the single, “Glory,” is not at all what you would expect from a relatively new artist: well developed and lushly produced. Like most of her music, it begins with a sort of electronic beat, similar to dubstep, that soon fades into the background of the song as the lyrics begin. This seems to be a common trend throughout her music, and as the song continues, remnants of the original beat remain.

A frequent theme in Ferrer’s music is love, filled with lyrics such as “I know I love you,” painting an image of a woman desperate for some mysterious man to reciprocate her affections. As a relatively new and unknown artist, Ferrer has done some great work imitating the style of Del Rey while making her music distinct and emotional.

But as a singer attempting to solidify a foothold in the cutthroat world

SUGGESTED ARTIST that is the music industry, Ferrer should make her songs more easily accessible and a more in depth website. As of now, her website is composed of a blurry image of herself, and a few links to her music: no name, no life story, no contact, just her blurry picture.

Now, regarding the comparison for fans of Del Rey, look no further than Ferrer’s lyrics, which seem to bear a striking resemblance to Del Rey’s: short and repeated diction made up of simple phrases that stick in your head as you go through your day. After listening to one of her many songs, “Waiting,” I often found myself humming the tune and chorus.

Not only do the lyrics stick with you, but the rhythm does as well. Like Del Rey’s songs, Marz Ferrer makes her songs with a slow and consistent beat, best compared with the slow swaying motion of the ocean: smooth and constant.

Admittedly, I like Marz Ferrer as a short-term replacement for the hole in the music industry that Del Rey has left.

But, depending on the genres of music that you enjoy, Marz Ferrer may not be a perfect stand-in for Del Rey, even if she definitely delivers a pretty close alternative.

If you are not a fan of electronic music or dubstep, Ferrer’s songs may not be for you, as her music contains a great amount of electronic influence.

Compared to Del Rey, I would say that she is more an electronic version of Del Rey, with some alternative influence present in most of her songs.

Not many have the ability to produce music with sounds similar to Del Rey’s, complete with dark undertones and complex rhythms, but Ferrer has somehow pulled it off. For anyone who is a fan of Del Rey, the songs by the indie artist Marz Ferrer will not disappoint.

by Bea De Oliveira

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entertainment

S i n c e elementary school, I have heard many things about “Pirates of the Caribbean,” and have seen dozens of my fellow classmates dress up as Jack Sparrow for Halloween.

During those past few years, I have never actually harbored an interest in the series. So, for the longest time, the only three things I knew of the subject were: pirates, Sparrow and a creepy-looking octopus-man, whose name I later learned to be Davy Jones. Because of my fairly limited knowledge regarding the “Pirates of the Caribbean” series, I was skeptical about being able to understand the events of the fast-paced, fifth movie of the franchise, “Dead Men Tell No Tales.”

Fortunately, the fact that I was a newcomer to the series did not inconvenience my understanding of the movie in any way.

Well, maybe excluding Sparrow’s three or four bad pirate jokes that only viewers of the previous movies would be able to understand.

Although it did take a couple of minutes into the movie for the characters and names to sink in, the majority of the plot seemed pretty straightforward.

Unsurprisingly, the movie centers around the spontaneous Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp), whose swashbuckling past as a young pirate is revealed piecemeal throughout the packed action. His history serves as an interesting subplot to to the main storyline, in which he and his crew look for Poseidon’s trident — a powerful tool that allows the beholder to control the seas, including its curses. From the start, the audience is introduced to two passionate young characters: dashing Henry Turner (Brenton Thwaites) — yes, “Turner,” as in the son of the pirate Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) — and Carina Smith (Kaya Scodelario), both of whom find themselves literally bound in ropes to Jack’s ugly disgrace of a ship after causing a ruckus in the isolated Caribbean island of St. Martin; the promising couple eventually become Sparrow’s valuable sidekicks in his precarious and perilous pursuit of the fabled trident. However, acquiring Poseidon’s prize is by no means a small accomplishment, as the boisterous trio and Sparrow’s notably foolish crew must compete with and overcome the infamous Spanish ghost-pirate, Captain Salazar, who seeks to obtain the same treasure.

Although I have not watched enough of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies to

be able to fully judge Depp’s acting, it is easy to see the extent to which he is able to convey Sparrow’s multifaceted character even after a lengthy five-year break from the last “Pirates of the Carribean” movie, “On Stranger Tides”; little details like the drunken swagger of Sparrow’s gait to the lazy drawl of his words are perfectly played and add a fresh element of classic humor to the fast-paced plot.

By the end of Sparrow’s exciting and exhausting fifth journey, “Dead Men Tell No Tales” is thankfully not a complete “let-drown” of a franchise addition. Of course, the movie has room for improvement, considering how forced the chemistry between Thwaites and Smith seemed, and that the ending seemed as if the director was trying to tie up loose ends left hanging from the series as a whole into one messy knot. Ultimately, factors like the movie’s creative yet predictable storyline and the inclusion of new characters are what save the fifth movie from falling off the plank.

As the seemingly-invincible Sparrow once said: “[his] spirit will live on.” but preferably without the installment of another movie this time.

by Kahyun Koh

Diana (Gal Godot) is convinced by an American pilot that she may help the world outside of her isolated island and becomes Wonder Woman in this PG-13 sci-fi film based on the DC Comic.

june 2, 2017

The first scene of “13 Reasons Why” pans out on a high school locker, decorated with condolence cards and memorabilia. Brief flashbacks and glimpses of the characters’ lives reveal that Hannah Baker, the narrator, has committed suicide, leaving both her apparently pristine family and her school community searching for answers. Then, the music suddenly stops and we hear Baker say the show’s most infamous line: “And if you’re listening, you’re one of the reasons why. Welcome to your tape.”

After the recurring line is uttered for the first time, viewers learn more about the premise of the show; before Baker’s death, she recorded 13 tapes dedicated to the 13 people whose actions drove her to suicide. Starting with a sexting rumor that earned Baker a reputation as “easy,” to a guidance counselor’s advice to simply move on from a sexual assault, Baker uses the tapes as a cathartic way to posthumously justify her suicide.

The show garnered exceptional media hype even from its launch announcement, being based on a widely popular novel and produced

by Selena Gomez. But upon release, critics ranging from magazine review writers to mental health experts were quick to deem the show as dangerous and unsafe, especially for teens struggling with the subject matter. The controversy surrounding the show even reached the district level when SDUHSD Superintendent Eric Dill sent an email with a warning to parents about the potential risk “13 Reasons Why” could pose to a younger audience following the police shooting of TPHS student Jacob Peterson (9) in early May. My initial observation was that “13 Reasons Why” takes a lot upon itself; within 13 one-hour episodes, the producers attempt to consolidate intense subjects that undoubtedly affect countless viewers. Citing almost exclusively high school students as the reasons for Baker’s suicide, the show strives for relatability; the logic is simple: the more students relate to an episode, the more likely they are to watch.

But here lies the problem with “13 Reasons Why.” Covering suicide is a challenge for any show; producers and directors must show particular caution when balancing the importance of awareness with the dangers of commercializing suicide. Despite warnings and scrutiny from the National Association of School Psychologists regarding the potential harms the show poses to a young audience, Netflix decided to initially run the show without an age restriction or trigger warning before the show.

Even though a notice was later added to the beginning of some episodes, the warnings are not enough to compensate for the insensitive handling of graphic imagery and controversial topics.

Especially with high school-centered storylines and characters, it’s particularly important that the makers of the show balance the weight of suicide with closure, something the show greatly lacks.

Every time Baker experiences something traumatic, the show makes it seem like there is no possible recourse for victims. Even though it is undeniable that victims of sexual assault or rape are often shunned and even victim-blamed, the show completely misses a key opportunity to advocate for anti-suicide resources while knowing that their target audience would be one which highly contemplates suicide.

Some argue that the show’s distaste was for the sake of keeping true to the original novel, but after watching the show, it’s even more clear that the makers of the show had no intent on sticking strictly to the original story line. The most blatant dissimilarity is actually the scene of Baker’s suicide. In the book, her suicide is described to be a perpetrated overdose on pills she found in a cabinet, but in the show, she is seen to cut her arms with razor blades before she submerges herself in a tub of water as she slowly bleeds to death until her parents find her. It’s clear that the producers of the show were going for the shock value: the imagery of a teenage girl sitting in her own blood is difficult to digest and her parent’s reaction is supposed to be a final display of the emotional distress suicide can have on a community. But despite the show’s intention, the issue of potential copycats is unavoidable and the show ultimately reinforces the notion that the only option is suicide.

“13 Reasons Why” is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. The makers of the show advertised a method of advocating for suicide prevention to the masses while completely avoiding any mention of prevention and zoning in on a graphic suicide. There’s nothing inherently wrong with covering suicide in popular media; in fact, when done well, it can be some of the most powerful programming. The problem with “13 Reasons Why” is not the subject matter but rather the handling of it. The show had to end in suicide; the entire show surrounds a teenage girl’s path to suicide and the juxtaposition of her community’s treatment of her while she was alive versus when she’s dead. But the show misuses its popularity and is almost unrecognizable as a step towards suicide prevention.

by Sumin Hwang

photos from internet movie database

tphsfalconer.com

My experience as a YouTuber has been positive since I began making videos. I have had several channels, starting in the 5th grade where I would make pointless videos with my friends and on my own, and upload a few videos a week. I started my first channel (that has since been deleted) after I discovered the iMovie app on my computer and taught myself how to edit videos. I never garnered more than 500 subscribers on that channel, but for a middle schooler, I thought that was pretty impressive.

After posting random content on that channel for the next few years, I stopped making YouTube videos for a number of reasons, including a lack of inspiration and fear of being judged by my peers. Not many people my age made YouTube videos at the time, so I wasn’t sure how the other kids at my school would react if they were to stumble upon my channel.

Also, I used to feel as though numbers and statistics

entertainment defined my success. I used to think that being a YouTuber would only be considered “cool” if I had thousands of subscribers, something I didn’t have at the time.

In 2013, I created a brand new channel (titled “Ellenawhat”), but I didn’t start posting on that until tenth grade. I wanted to pick YouTube back up when I made this channel, but I was hesitant for the same reasons as before. Then, in December of 2014, I began posting song covers with my friend Gabi Gonzales (12). We would record ourselves singing and playing guitar to songs by artists like Halsey and Vance Joy simply because we enjoyed playing music together.

As sophomore year came to a close, I wanted to start posting videos beyond just music covers. I took inspiration from some of my close friends who had YouTube channels, as well as my cousin, who now has almost 400,000 subscribers and gets to call YouTube her career. In the summer before my junior year, I began posting different types of videos, including Q and A’s, album and song reviews and “story times.” I’ve always really enjoyed music and talking about different bands and singers that I like, so that became the primary focus of my channel. Within just a few months I was gaining around 1,000 subscribers a week, and today there are about 52,000 people subscribed to my channel.

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The content on my channel has remained pretty consistent over the past two years, even though I’ve branched out a bit. From music reviews to makeup tutorials, I try to keep my content as current and entertaining as possible. I have gotten a lot of great opportunities to work with brands including VNYL, Amino Apps and Zaful. com, creating promotion videos while they send me a monetary reward in exchange. Between sponsorships and monetizing, it has been an awesome experience being able to refer to my hobby as my job.

I have many future plans for my life on YouTube. This summer I’ll attend, for the first time, Vidcon, a video and social media convention in Anaheim, and I hope to use that weekend to meet other creators and expand my connections with other companies. My goal is to one day be successful enough to be invited to attend events like Vidcon as a guest creator. I also hope to hit 100,000 subscribers in the next year or so, and will continue to work throughout summer and my first year of college to achieve that goal.

Overall, I think YouTube is a great platform for people to express themselves, and I encourage any person who wants to be a creator to start his or her own channel. I have made many great friends and have been able to do a lot of cool things through YouTube, and I hope to keep uploading videos onto my channel for the rest of my life.

by Ellena Whitfield

45%

information courtesy of forbes photos from the odyssey online, nymag, the smile more, metro.co.uk

Present this add and get an extra 10% off on your order.

Must present add when ordering.not valid with any other offers. No cash value. Exp date 6/30/2017.

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of profits that are made through videos on YouTube automatically go to the YouTube corporation.

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TPHS Swim and Dive sets new league record after winning another consecutive CIF.

PHOTO COURTESY OF TPHS SWIM AND DIVE

The TPHS Swim and Dive Team claimed wins in both the Avocado West North County League and Division 1 CIF, their eighth consecutive CIF win for the girls and third for the boys.

Both Avocado League victories took place at the Carlsbad Monroe Pool on the Carlsbad High School campus, with diving on May 5 and swimming on May 6.

Meanwhile, the CIF victories took place on May 12 at San Diego Mesa College for diving and May 13 at Granite Hills High School for swimming. “[The Avocado League is] not really what we’re after at the start of the season, our goal is always to win CIF ... we’re always looking for the big prize, so the league is what it is, it’s kind of a tune-up for CIFs,” Head Coach Richard Contreras said.

Swimmers and divers must attend daily practices to work on their skills. These consist of in-water and dry land exercises, which includes both distance and sprint workouts. They also have IM days where they practice the different strokes in each race. For example, Lindsey Anderson, who is a “sprint specialist” (12) said she swims about 5,000 yards per workout, while the distance swimmers swim “miles upon miles” during each practice, according to Anderson.

“Practices are five days a week ... and the high school practice is an hour and 15 minutes,” Contreras said, “But there’s [also] a lot of kids that swim for clubs, so they swim for about two and a half hours.

And those kids swim like seven times a week.”

Varsity swimmers practice seven days a week. They swim with their club teams during the week and practice with the school team only in preparation for meets.

And after putting in the amount of effort

that they do, they are quite happy to come home with a win.

“Everything just pays off. All of your hard work and all the hours you spend after school ... in practices, it finally pays off,” Amelia Cho (10) said.

But hard work by the athletes during practices and meets is not the only factor leading to the team’s success.

“A lot of organization, and a lot of keeping the kids on track ... but, keeping them ready to go and making sure all of the administrative stuff is in order is a big bulk of the challenge,” Contreras said, “We [also] have a great collection of fast swimmers ... more so than anybody in San Diego.”

In addition to contributing to the athletic excellence of the school with another sports victory, the athletes are also thrilled to be a part of the now-annual custom of winning, especially because TPHS just moved into first place for the longest consecutive streak.

“It’s really exciting to be part of the Falcon tradition, and it’s kind of cool looking at the banners from the past years, and knowing that I was a part of a lot of those,” Anderson said.

And while TPHS has come out on top for the past several years, there have been some meets that ended with closer final scores than others. Those are the times the team kicks into high gear in order to secure a win, according to Cho. “If it got close, everyone would get nervous, and we would ramp it up,” Cho said, “We were ready to do anything to win.”

After their CIF success, the team continued on to the CIF State Swimming Championships in Clovis on May 1820, where the boys lost to Oak Ridge High School from El Dorado Hills in the Sacramento area and the girls fell to Monte Vista High School from Danville, California, in the East San Francisco Bay area.

Independent investigation into pay-for-play claim launched After pressure from CIF and multiple requests from TPHS parent Wendy Gumb, the SDUHSD school board hired an independent investigator, the Sobel Group, to investigate the TPHS baseball program’s donation policy in light of allegations of a “pay for play culture,” according to TPHS Principal Rob Coppo.

Coppo does not believe a pay for play culture exists and says such a culture would “destroy an athletic program.”

Gumb, in a 16-page complaint filed through CIF, claimed that TPHS students were denied access to TPHS batting cages, that emails requesting donations from parents were coercive, and that the TPHS Foundation lacks transparency in expenditures.

After her son transferred to TPHS from Canyon Crest Academy, Gumb heard from students and parents that TPHS baseball players were prevented from using oncampus batting cages. Baseball is a spring sport, but the coaches organize fall and winter practices for students interested in joining the team.

Gumb, who describes herself as the parent “who does not get involved,” asked other parents in the baseball program about the batting cage restrictions and alleges that parents and “district office personnel” warned her not to talk to the “mafia”-like Foundation, as it could “hurt” both her son and her.

Executive Director Nicole Baril says the TPHS Foundation is accessible and transparent. “[The Foundation] is extremely accessible. Wendy Gumb has never come to me with any questions,” Baril said.

“We are 100 percent transparent ... With every group we have a liaison who runs all the finances and any parent can ask the liaisons ‘Hey, what did we spend on equipment, or coaching, or the banquet?’ If they have further, deeper questions, they can come to me.”

Furthermore, Baril does not detect a mafia-like fear of the Foundation from parents or district office employees.

“I find that absolutely hysterical. We have parents in here every single day, so many parent volunteers, parents with questions, parents that want to understand and help,” Baril said. “We are here to support the kids, the parents, the school, the coaches and the teachers.”

Gumb declined to discuss her claims with head baseball coach Kirk McCaskill.

“He’s a coach, and my son is a player, and I think the relationship is between them,” Gumb said.

Her son was in the midst of team tryouts when she was gathering information.

However, McCaskill believes Gumb should have approached him with her complaints.

“I have never met Wendy Gumb. She has never talked to me or come to talk to me about the program,” McCaskill said.

Specifically, McCaskill believes Gumb should have discussed her allegations directly with him.

“I do not have any idea of that happening.

I have not had anyone come up to me and say ‘Hey coach, I have gotten kicked out of the cages’,” McCaskill said.

McCaskill said there is also not a “pay for play”culture or favoritism at tryouts.

“I don’t know who donates or who doesn’t donate. I know that I am going to put the best players on the field that give us a chance to win, whether they have paid or have not paid,” McCaskill said.

According to Baril, students are only barred from accessing the batting cages if they are practicing independently without a coach. The foundation rents out the batting cages to outside parties when school practices are not being held.

Gumb, who said she was undeterred by the intimidation she detected, decided to email Coppo about the coach hiring process and the stipends they receive. However, Coppo told her that payroll and hiring were conducted at a district level. Gumb decided she would contact SDUHSD board member Beth Hergesheimer. “[Gumb] told me she had concerns about pressures on parents for donations to extracurricular programs, and I indicated that without those contributions district funding would not go as far,” Hergesheimer said. “For example, the district might only be able to fund the primary team coach, but not all of the support/specialty coaching positions.”

Unsatisfied with her conversation with Hergesheimer, Gumb decided to broaden her questioning to include the entire school board. Gumb went to four school board meetings. After Gumb filed a 16-page complaint form through CIF, CIF officials met with SDUHSD officials to resolve the

matter. The Sobel Group, independently contracted, began its ongoing investigation in January.

Gumb said she has sensed a culture of secrecy and a lack of accessibility.

Baril says the TPHS Foundations financials are published and accessible to the public.

“We are a non-profit organization, so we have certain requirements, such as that we have to publish our financials,” Baril said.

“At the same time, we do provide detail to our liaisons; they’re the ones running [the individual accounts] and if a parent wants to see it, they can come see it.”

Baril says that the TPHS Foundation does not make its check registry public, but if a parent wanted to see the details of how donations are spent, she would show them that. However, Gumb says that the Foundation is not transparent with financial information. Both women agree that Gumb never came to the Foundation office to request financial documents.

“I did not talk to the foundation because I was scared,” Gumb said.

Coppo could only say that he had a “productive conversation” with Gumb since the Sobel Group started its investigation but said that he could not disclose more about that discussion. Gumb said Coppo said he wished Gumb had approached him earlier; something Gumb claims she did by email in the fall.

Coppo supports the investigation and “welcomes looking into [the controversy] to find about more about it.”

Gumb said the Sobel Group investigation will provide many answers in the coming months.

A22 the falconer

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tphs freddies 2017 nominations Kaitlin Doucette - Girls Lacrosse Ron Gladnick - Football Kirk McCaskill - Baseball John Olive - Boys Basketball

Jade Cany (11) - Track and Field Mia Daluiso (12) - Gymnastics Taylor Scornavacco (12) - Girls Lacrosse Meghan Voss (12) - Girls Basketball

Girls Lacrosse Girls Soccer

Girls Swim & Dive Girls Tennis

Jackson Baere (12) - Rugby Jake Gilliam (12) - Boys Basketball Gabe Gmyr (12) - Football Kaiwen Liu (12) - Boys Golf

Sherrie Antoun (12) Jake Gilliam (12)

Football

YuJay Kurosu (12) Ines Ramirez (12)

Boys Golf

Sully O’Brien (11) - Football Shane Pathman (12) - Track & Field

Boys Lacrosse Football Baseball Girls Water Polo

JV Gymnastics photo from anna scipione

Boys Tennis

Boys Rugby

Rachel Shen (11) - Girls Basketball Mia Montini (12) - Cheerleading

Scotty Gange (12) Richi Klapmeier Cheer Team Anna Scipione

Frosh Boys Basketball

JV Girls Basketball

JV Boys Soccer

june 2, 2017

sports

tphsfalconer.com

DAY IN THE

LIFE

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After three generations of his family played in the big leagues, Jake Boone (12) aims to continue the family legacy by playing at TPHS, Princeton and maybe somewhere beyond.

It is May 2017, a beautiful day in San Diego.

As the TPHS baseball team runs into the outfield to begin warming up, dedicated fans fill the bleachers, ready to support and cheer on the team. Lifelong baseball fan and shortstop Jake Boone (12) joins his teammates with the enthusiastic support of familiar faces; his father, Bret Boone; uncle, Aaron Boone and grandfather, Bob Boone.

“My entire family plays baseball,” Jake said.

“I started playing when I was two years old, and that was kind of it.”

When Boone says his entire family plays baseball, he is not talking about adult leagues or pick-up games. Bret had a 14-year big league career with the Seattle Mariners, Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres, Cincinnati Reds and New York Mets. Aaron played in the big leagues for 12 years, moving through a total of seven teams in locations from Cincinnati to Houston.

Bob played in MLB for 18 years and Jake’s great-grandfather, Ray, played for 12 years in the big leagues.

With warm-ups completed and the national anthem played, Boone thinks about his start in the world of baseball.

After growing up in a household where baseball was not just an ordinary activity but a lifestyle, baseball was everything to him. This eventually led him to fall in love with the game at a young age.

Boone got his start at the age of five playing for a Mariners little league team in Seattle, while his dad played for the MLB Mariners team. Two years later, Boone and his family moved to California and he began playing for club team Rancho Santa Fe Titans, where he continued to play throughout h i s freshman year of high school.

Halfway through the g a m e , Boone runs onto the field to take his position at shortstop. With his glove firmly on his hand, he watches the ball with pure concentration as it flies from the pitcher to the hitter and off the bat in Boone’s direction.

He jumps up to catch the ball, making an impressive play. He looks over

to the bleachers and sees his dad and grandfather clapping, watching him not just play, but perform, on the field.

Boone played with the RSF Titans until 2013 and then began playing with the California Bears, a club team, during the summer of 2014. When he got to high school, Boone’s teammates assumed that he was under crushing pressure because of his family’s history in the sport, but even though baseball is such a huge part of their lives, his family never forced him to continue playing. Boone made the decision to train hard himself and continues to practice in the off-season.

“During the season, we have practice every weekday, as well as some Saturdays if we don’t have games,” Boone said. “During the off-season, I’ll probably hit three times a week by myself, and then I’ll work out five to six times a week.”

Boone followed his workout schedule rigorously as a freshman while playing for the TPHS JV team, and through his dedication, he earned a spot on the varsity team as a sophomore.

Boone did not take this journey by himself; he constantly receives advice from his grandfather.

Boone’s family is the only family in history to have three generations of major league players. “[My grandfather] played for … mainly the Phillies and the Angels,” Boone said.

As the last inning of the game approaches, Boone takes his place at the plate. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees his grandfather clapping, a reminder to focus on how this game could affect the next step in his career.

“A lot of scouts were at our games and my club tournaments when I’d go to big [ones],” Boone said. “I went to the Junior Olympics in Arizona. There were 20 scouts at every game ... That’s when I started getting [calls from] coaches.”

Last year, Boone, with the help of his family, explored his options for playing in college and traveled to the East Coast.

“I [sat] down with four of the Ivy League coaches, and they took me around the campuses,” Boone said.

“I talked to the Princeton [coach], Coach Bradley, for a couple hours, and I really liked everything he talked about ... the facilities were awesome; I loved the campus.”

This year, Boone led the Falcons for the last time in his high school career, after playing 73 games for TPHS. Boone played for the varsity baseball team for three years and was named captain this year.

Taking his place on the field for the last time as a Falcon, Boone prepares to trade his red and gold for Princeton’s orange and navy. Having had years of experience behind him, he looks at the stands around him filled with excited fans, classmates and, of course, his family.

Boone hopes that following his career at Princeton, he will join the Boone family legacy and add to the historical record by becoming the fourth Boone generation to play in the big leagues.

by Estelle Kraft and Ellena Whitfield

photo from tphs baseball

Expression Session to be hosted by TPHS Dance program The Torrey Pines High School Dance program will host “Expression Session” in the TPHS gymnasium on Sat., June 10.

The annual showcase will feature dancer students from the Dance PE classes, as well as dancers from both the JV and varsity dance teams. They will perform numbers from different genres including hip hop and contemporary.

“There’ll be some hip hop numbers, some contemporary numbers and some lyrical numbers,” said Simone Swift, the choreographer for both dance teams.

Among the dance numbers are routines

that have been performed at competitions, as well as new ones that have been created specifically for “Expression Session.”

However, in order to craft and perfect the dances, about a day and a half worth of rehearsals are required.

“I’d say over 35 hours of rehearsal are needed,” Swift said.

With a variety of genres and numbers to be performed during the event, most dancers tend to have their favorites.

Varsity team captain Brianna Haire (12) is partial to the “varsity small hip hop routine,” which is “what [the team] is closing the show with.”

While the varsity small hip hop dance was the unanimous favorite, other genres and numbers are popular with the team.

“I really like my solo a lot, and my

favorite dance is a contemporary one … it’s the one on the poster,” Krystal Lockhart (11) said.

Unlike other dance team performances, the element of competition between schools is conspicuously absent at “Expression Session,” since only TPHS teams are performing.

“Expression Session … is a dance showcase without judges, scores, winners or losers,” dance teacher Sarah Kaye said.

The lack of a competitive environment and judges means that there is less pressure on the dancers. “[Because] it’s not a competition, it’s more fun,” said Lockhart.

“Expression Session” continues to be an annual event because of the dance staff’s desire to demonstrate what the dance

classes and teams have been working on throughout the entire year.

“It’s pretty much come full circle again ... it’s basically to show off what we’ve been working on the whole year,” Swift said.

In addition, the dance staff is eager to have the students perform for their families and friends.

“It’s a dance showcase of talented hardworking students to perform for our school, the community, our friends and families,” Kaye said, “It’s an hour and a half of highquality dance.”

The showcase starts at 7 p.m., with tickets available for $10 at the door.

Professional DVDs of the showcase will be available for purchase after the performance with a payment in form of either cash or check.

Lily’s favorite hobbies Maya’s favorite words to mispronounce -tan-gir-i-nee (tangerine) -dra-kay (Drake) -stoo-dious boo-dious (Study Buddies) -oran-jay (orange) -oh-pie-nie-i-one (opinion

Maya Kota What more is there to say besides the fact that Maya has literally been to the UN and is a feminist extraordinaire. Her contagious laugh has us all rolling our eyes after every sarcastic comment. If we’re lucky one day we will be able to “stress-paint” our nails in her USC dorm room. There you may find her swaddling an oversized of bag of popcorn in all black clothing watching “Pride and Prejudice.”

-Forcing her cat to be in snapchat videos against his will -Eating everyone’s leftovers at dinner -Wearing a tiger onesie -Getting pranked

Lily Nilipour Lily aka cat enthusiast extraordinaire. If you haven’t caught her grazing the fields of TPHS on Friday nights taking care of football game coverage, or on the tennis courts, you can probably find her racing around the parking lot in her red Volkswagon bug. Forgot to mention that its her father’s Valentine’s Day gift to her mom (I see that ♥ XINIA). Outside of her obsessiveness with cats, Lily enjoys reptiles, as she once collected multiple plastic lizards, but this collection has matured into an obsession with playing tetris and with an impressively diverse assortment of socks.

Falconer 2017 Seniors: Take us with YU Amanda’s Notable Quotes “Sorry I’m running late again; at this point you shouldn’t be surprised.”

“Sometimes I think people like my dog more than they like me.”

“James Smith* should be Day in the Life, I heard he’s playing in an Italian basketball league.”

Irene can be seen...

-Working shifts at Einstein’s (1-800-BAGELME) -Carefully planning out her next Instagram post - Fueling her online shopping addiction

Amanda Chen If you know Amanda you know she is always telling the truth (LIES) and is always on time (LIES). When she is not at track meets, meeting the physical education credits to graduate high school, you can find Amanda purchasing Kendrick Lamar tickets on her computer only to find out later that she bought them to the wrong city. Sorry I can’t come with you on the road trip, but I don’t think your car will fit all of us, although that might not stop you from telling us that it will. If Kendrick isn’t enough you can probably find her at the nearest music festival, with Irene in tow. Kaaboo?

See you there.

*name changed for privacy

“i was assigned that photo??!! it wasn’t on the spreadsheet.”

Alderik Van der Heyde Alderik van der Whatever is not your typical lax bro. When he is not refusing to do subscriptions because he’s older (by one month) and has “seniority,” you can find him in the pub silently laughing at whatever show on Netflix he is watching at the time. Over the weekend, you can find him wearing his favorite (and only?) pair of Lululemon pants while hanging out with the only person he seems not to hate, his girlfriend. Alderik is one of the smartest people you will meet, just ask him, and we appreciate him for his lack of promptness in taking photos.

Irene Yu Irene Yu? That girl on TPTV talking about her fashion choices and music club, which meets in room 102 every Thursday, just in case you missed it.

Irene can be found sleeping in the pub, attending track meets or coming to class late with various containers of food. Make sure you head on over to your local Einstein Bagel Bros. to see this gem slicing in action! Most frequently, however, Irene can be found taking pictures of herself and making others take pictures of her. Really, lots of pictures. Be careful not to scare her, if you do she will squeal like a greased pig.

Ellena’s Playlist

-Literally any Ed Sheeran song ever made -Any song from the One Direction album Take Me Home (she will literally “fight you” if you argue with her) -Hurricane by Halsey (stop by Spring Fling to see Ellena live!)

Ellena Whitfield EllenaWhat? Oh wait, that’s not her name. It’s her super famous YouTube channel with over 50,000 subscribers. When she is not working on her videos or at layout doing her calculus homework, eating vegetables and drinking tea, you can find her talking about how she met Ed Sheeran or some other random band member that she met or had a “hot” conversation with on Instagram.

tphsfalconer.com

focus

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Pacific Lutheran University University of Washington Kari Mills Spencer Boat Eitan Myron Maddie Brigandi Alexander Wen Seattle University Brian Kang Emma Wahl Afia Khan Western Washington University Kevin Johnson Mark Renner University of Oregon Derek De Dios Jordan Hayes Clayton Duke Robby Schlesier Jack Glenn Jaden Watkins Western Oregon University Alexandra Gregg

University of Montana Travis Roy

Indiana University, Bloomington Natalie Dodd JV Woodman Alec Mikolajewski Brigham Young University, Provo Kimberly Madsen Grace VonStrahl Andy Nelson Madison Wickham Dixie State University Jacob Schneider

EU Business School Montreux Caroline Bayani

University of Utah Chloe Laverson Jacob Stevenson

New York University in Shanghai Melanie Epstein

Arizona State University Michael Epstein Ryan Haig Seth Friedman Casey Vargas Scotty Gange Ellena Whitfield

Oxford University Alec Dickstein

Grand Canyon University Sarah Everett

Northern Arizona University Kim Corgan Emily Oberman University of British Columbia Kevin Ham Cole Svoboda Tiffany Chasson Nasser Qadan Talia Koren Lane Messier Nick Zimmer University of Arizona Saint Louis University MaNick Beyer Max Leibowitz drid Campus Nicole Buckley Devayani Patel JC Birkfeld Mimi Daluiso Brent Pritchett Chris Farquhar Alexandra Reges The American University

Purdue University Cooper Dort Colorado State University Adam Aguirre Claire Montmorency Jennifer Corgan Patrick Shubat University of Colorado Boulder Derek Cunningham Nick Moraga Avery Parker Ben Fetzer Tyler Jenkel

Washington University in St. Louis Michelle Hsiao Richard Ni Baker University Megan Carpenter

Baylor University Natalie Shugert Southern Methodist University Sophia Bond Zac Scornavacco Kellie Hayes Ellison Starnes Brandon Lawlor Kendra Wechsler Tucker Pike Texas Christian University Gavin Cady Olivia Harvey Nick Clapp Mia Montini Skylar Drapeau Bryce Pickwell

Auburn University Alex Rushin

Michigan State University Julianna Lyddy

University of Alabama Kevin Misak Gretchen Stillman Tulane University Zari Edlin

Syracuse University Kristabel Chung Maya Pillsbury

Brigham Young University, Hawaii Lily Alexander Jacob Hardy Gap Year Ali Dehbozorgi Nabil Hussain

Jeffrey Gold

Some colleges may not be in the correct geographical location due to space constraints. However, all college submissions that were submitted by May 19 are printed on the map.

The Falconer has spent weeks soliciting the post-high school plans of all seniors. The college map includes the information provided to us by the May 19 deadline. The Falconer is not responsible for reprinting the map on account of any errors.

Boston University Christian Jaeger Sara Shoushtari Brandeis University Bhargav Bindiganavile Marcelo Ohno-Machado Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lauren Oh Evan Pasko New England Conservatory of Music Madison Wright

Northeastern University Solana Garcia Sydny Poh Alejandro Kravzov Kyle Xiao Ilana Mereminsky Williams College Marya Rana Patrick Zhuang Meghan Voss Wesleyan University Brittany Jiang Yale Nishanth Krishnan Chiara Spain Brown University Ethan Valdes Princeton University Jake Boone Nathan Rim Amy Jeon Madeline Song Daniel Rim Rutgers University Anna Makris

Virginia Tech Zachary Hirsch

Stevens Institute of Technology Brynn Froehlich

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Matthew Tarasen

Coastal Carolina University Stavi Augur

Korean Military Service Chan Woo

Babson College Eric Yu

Randolph-Macon College Chloe Seipt

Wake Forest University David Niddrie

University of St. Andrews Nicole Holowka

*transfer to University of Southern California

Keshin Visahan Jonathan Wang

The New School - Eugene Lang University of Michigan Olivia Emri Claire Vapnek Cameron Watson Frank Liao University of Rochester Lauren Scheg Case Western Reserve University United States Military Academy Cade Kinney-Shackelford at West Point Peter Cha Ohio State University Ben Ehrlich Carnegie Mellon University Benedictine University Christine Kim Hayden Helfrich University of Pennsylvania School of the Art Institute Andreana Izotov Joyce Li of Chicago Grace J. Lee Emma Ratner University of Pittsburgh University of Chicago Yves Harris-Quanquin YuJay Kurosu Villanova University University of Illinois at Chicago Ronan Gilliland Daniela Nelson Cassie Kaebler University of Illinois Rhodes College Urbana-Champaign Rebekah Hardeman Seong Cho

of Paris Soleil Montemurro*

United States Marine Corps Anabella Bilicki Chris Coronado

Amherst College John Hsu Robin Kong

New York University Emily Jeong Chelsea Xu Brian Uchiyama Michelle Yao

University of WisconsinMadison Erik Aasted Gabi Dinkin Michelle Buhai

American Jewish University in Tel Aviv Emma Segal

Osaka University Carleigh Karen

Columbia University Mihika Nadig Anisha Tyagi

Modeling with Women Management (New York) Cari Flowers

Oregon State University Jonathan Foster Mateo Seda

Erasmus University Rotterdam Ayumi Esponda

Dartmouth College Bennett McCaskill

Cornell University Gabi Gonzalez Shayla Parthasarathy

Portland State University Kelly Hughes

Catolica Lisbón School of Business & Economics Madalena Polonia

Colgate University Gabby Pacula

Emory University Grace H. Lee Georgia Institute of Technology Will Nute University of Georgia Brynn Chandler

Johns Hopkins University Sungjin Park Halton Pi Maryland Institute College of Art Spencer Beals

United States Naval Academy Jung Min Park Michael McMahon Middlebury College Alderik Van der Heyde

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ArtCenter College of Design

Pepperdine University

Jooha Lee

Alexis Filippone

Bellus Academy

Point Loma Nazarene University

Jaspreet Missan

Arman Fouladpouri McKenna Hicks

Biola University Jane Kania

Natasha Rosenthal

California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

Jackson Baere

Hallie Berman Anya Bouzida Karina Camp Emma Cecil Iyla Dizechi Alex Gattuso Caroline Hadaya Myles Hubers Evan Katz

Jorge Linares

June Kim

Cooper Mittleman Cole Nguyen Madison Sayre Jasmine Shapiro Jacob Terrill Karina Vajda Tanner Watkins Michael Weiser

California State University, Chico Sydney Bulgarelli

Ally Harvey

California State University, Channel Islands Sumner Anderson

California State University, Fullerton Ben Mann

California State University, Long Beach Georgia Downes

Brittany Heuchert

California State University, San Marcos

Chapman University Jacqueline Fisher Julian Lange Shawn Lockhart

Daniel Lira Antonio A. Cruz Lopez Ashley Pedroza Preston Roberts Dani Rodea Brycen Paiz Lily Ruffner Emily Yates

Claremont McKenna College Pearl Park

Humboldt State University Ty Helfrich

Grace Miller

Marymount California University Sarah Wehba

MiraCosta College Sofie Beachboard

Occidental College Gus Patrick

Palomar College Johnny Hastings**

Saint Mary’s College of California Trent Greenman

San Diego Culinary Institute San Diego State University Sherrie Antoun Ryan Bickford Cole Chodorow Liam Corbel Andrea D’Ercole Ryan Dill Gabe Gmyr Erin Harrington Emma Holty Ryan Jenkins Ziporah Kaufer Julia Kesselhaut

Megan Klingensmith Kiya Klopfenstein Sophie Levi Cody Lin Sara Moller Samantha Montalbano Kayley Newell Mehdi Sajedi Adam Salem Reagan Sherlock Courtney Wallace Jennifer Yuan

San Francisco State University Georgia Hartman

Garrett Lewis

San Jose State University Bryan Zhang

Santa Clara University

Oliver Dewey

Scripps College Sonoma State University Stanford University Sarah Ludington Catarina Macario Gitanjali Multani Priyanka Multani Lily Nilipour

Kaitlyn Reiter Kalyani Ramadurgam Taylor Scornavacco Drew Young Caroline Zhang

University of California, Berkeley Mei Adachi Lindsey Anderson Neil Bhattacharjee Ezra Bisom-Rapp Jacob Brumm Kathleen Chang Amanda Chen Connie Chen Vishnu Doppalapudi Marcus Gay Bruno Ghetti Hayden Hollen Alexander Hong Jonah Karpman Yasmin Koo Ananya Krishnan

Marisa Kuberra Frank Lee Kevin Lin Cathy Lu Esha Madhekar Patricia Ouyang Maya Rankupalli Blake Richards-Smith Jessica Schwabach Kana Shiotsu Amy Tao Raymond Wang Megan Wiener Shyama Yallapragada Irene Yu Amanda Yuan

University of California, Davis Harsh Arya Sabrina Habchi Mari Hoffman

**transfer to University of Southern California through the Trojan Transfer Plan

Sahil Ahuja Kien Le Nilesh Nayyar Neelakshi Patne

Longinus Pun Chris Reineck Kaity Takahashi Jordan Zhang

Colin Bailey Deepthi Gangiredla Elijah Gross-Sable Brianna Haire Emily Hou Luke Jung Esther Kim Stacy Kong Ben Larchet

Jenny Li Andrew Miller Elane Moon Garland Peed V Maddy Perdue Dimei Wu Derek Xiao George Zhang Annie Zhou

University of California, Riverside Rachana Joshi

Margaux Paul

University of California, San Diego Nikhil Dutt Sagar Gollamudi Jordan Karam Jacalyn Li Hong Ly Nicole Martindale

Alicia Moore Andrea Moore Mona Roshan Soha Shahidi Selma Sher Alexander Weyant

University of California, Santa Barbara Dagan Addinall Nicolette Bahr Kirk Butler Grace Carter Zoe Catz Johnson Kevin Chih Brian Crabtree Jessica Gang Jake Garcia

Patrick Gleason Julee Keenan-Rivers Kalyn Klimek Mitchell Lewis Salman Sadakkadulla Elyas Sarwary Laila Voss Lisha Wu Eda Yilmaz

University of California, Santa Cruz

Xiya Li

Daniel Glinni

University of California, Irvine

University of California, Los Angeles

Mary Maas

California State University, Sacramento

Joselin Aragon Kylie Braunreiter Luis Canales Yvette Conde Kenneth Hahn

Meredith Jennings

Pomona College

California Institute of Technology Alice Jin

Alexis Palmer

june 2, 2017

Ian Slack Marina Sloan Jessica Walker

Ava Colasin Jacob Hammond Keely Hunter Toby Lam

Ethan Li Drew Parker Derek Parsons Jacob Zhong

University of the Pacific Ayan Chansarkar

Jing Cheung

University of San Diego Maggie Fang Michael Gadinis Jake Gilliam

Anthony Piglovski Connor Robinson

University of San Francisco Alexa Meyer

University of Southern California Dillon Campbell Anastasiya Demenko Ella Henry Maya Kota Lily Leib Maddy Lim Kendall Mayo Piril Nergis

Westmont College Mercedes Smart

Ines Ramirez Julianne Uribe Carson Ward Samuel Wu Natalia Wurst Amy Yu Katie Zhang Carolyn Zhao