September 2018

Falconer

The Torrey Pines High School

Monday, September 25, 2017

Vol. 43, Issue 1, 24 pages

www.tphsfalconer.com

Hurricane Harvey Relief Fundraiser held by ASB

by Sumin Hwang and Alexei Serguienko

photo by alexei serguienko/falconer

don’t rain on our parade: ASB President Sophia LeRose (12) and Commissioner of Philanthropy, Service and Environment John Shreckenguast pose with the money raised by the Hurricane Harvey Fundraiser held at the first TPHS home football game against Santa Fe Christian on Sept. 8. The event garnered donations of $1495.77.

ASB President Sophia LeRose (12) spearheaded an ASB fundraiser for Hurricane Harvey relief on Sept. 8 at the first TPHS home football game against Santa Fe Christian.

Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas as a Category 4 storm on Aug. 25, after traveling through the Gulf of Mexico. The heavy rain led to flooding throughout Houston and surrounding areas, destroying many homes and businesses.

“I think all of ASB felt kind of hopeless because we couldn’t do anything [to help] … so we just thought we might as well try and do something,” LeRose said.

In the past, ASB has held canned food, blood and costume drives, as well as Coach C Week, a week dedicated to fundraising for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, in honor of longtime ASB adviser and cheer coach Scott Chodorow, who passed away in 2014.

Inspired by other hurricane relief efforts around the country, LeRose organized a fundraiser for the victims of Hurricane Harvey.

To collect funds, LeRose set up a table with a donation box near the entrance to Ed Burke Field before the game, where it remained for the duration of the night. In addition, ASB students walked

around both sides of the stadium with empty jugs during the third quarter to collect donations from the crowd.

Six jugs were filled by the end of the game, totaling $1,495.77. While LeRose originally considered donating to a local plumbing business outsourced to the areas affected by Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma, ASB has now decided to donate the money to the American Red Cross.

The event took three days to get approved by the TPHS administration, and LeRose, with the help of other ASB students, organized the fundraiser the day before the game.

“You have got to get [a fundraiser] approved by the administration and then we have to make sure we have set up a structure for it and money is collected appropriately and transferred to Patricia [Hargraves] at Student Services,” Principal Rob Coppo said.

According to LeRose, promotion for the fundraiser mainly occurred online across social media and through announcements made during each quarter of the game, in addition to flyers posted at the game.

“I made a flyer that we posted on all of our social media accounts, and we did a Facebook post on the Torrey Pines

website,” LeRose said.

LeRose also contacted the Santa Fe Christian ASB President Gemma Luther (12), who further publicized the event.

“LeRose contacted me asking if I could help spread the word at Santa Fe, not only to the parents, but also to the students,” Luther said. “I spoke at Open House Night ... and announced that we would be having a Hurricane Harvey fundraiser at the Torrey Pines game.”

Luther is also glad that the two rival schools were able to “collaborate and come together for a good cause.” “[The hurricane] may be far geographically, but ... I’m pretty sure we all know people who were affected by it,” Luther said. “I think it showed people that we can all work together no matter what and help people that are in need, even though we may not know them.”

Although ASB does not plan to continue fundraising for the most recent natural disasters, they will hold other fundraisers throughout the year, possibly introducing a toy drive and a prom dress drive in addition to their other annual fundraising events, according to Commissioner of Philanthropy, Service and Environment John Schreckengaust (12).

FloWater dispensers removed from TPHS TPHS’ two FloWater water dispensers, located in the B building and donated by the Rob Machado Foundation during the 2015-16 school year, have been removed from campus.

Last year, after plumbing in Flint, Mich. and several schools in the San Ysidro School District were found to

have lead water levels above EPA regulation levels, the Falconer tested TPHS’ water for toxins through a free testing kit from The Home Depot. The kit was made by RainSoft, a company that sells water purification systems. The results were published in the Falconer’s May 2017 issue. Although the results found no EPA regulation violations, the amount of total dissolved solids was 195 mg/L in the FloWater, 190 mg/L in the E Building water fountain and 265 mg/L in the bathroom. The results

seemed to contradict statements found on FloWater’s website claiming the device had “health benefits unmatched by bottled water or any other water refill station” and the “most advanced hydration” technology. After sharing the results with Elizabeth Raffa, FloWater’s Director of Marketing and Events, who found the results irregular compared to the company’s data, Raffa scheduled a technician to replace the machine’s filters over the summer break. cont. on A2

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Flowater

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At the beginning of the 2017-18 school year, however, repaired machines were not awaiting students. Instead, the two machines were gone from the B building.

Lennie Elbe (12), who regularly used the machines last year, found out the machines were gone a few weeks into the school year when he went to refill his water bottle at the FloWater machine.

“It’s a hassle now [that] the machines are gone,” Elbe said. “However, when I found out [about the Falconer results], I was okay.”

Raffa was unaware that the machines had been removed from the TPHS campus when she was reached for this story.

After researching the reason, Raffa said via email that the removal was due to “students misusing the equipment.”

According to Raffa, students were “dumping food” in the FloWater’s drains, and were “walking by and hitting the preset fill buttons and walking away, therefore causing an overflow.”

Additionally, Raffa said that FloWater’s technicians were not responsible for removing the machines.

“I don’t know where someone might have put the Refill Stations,” Raffa said.

Principal Rob Coppo was told that SDUHSD maintainence staff had removed the machine because they were a slipping hazard.

“I believe, from what I have been told, there was an issue with the drainage,” Coppo said. “So if a kid was holding a bottle, it would overflow.”

Coppo’s understanding of the removal comes from discussions with SDUHSD Campus Supervisor Jim Mitroff.

“Unfortunately we have to make safety our first priority,” Mitroff said.

Additionally, Mitroff said that some students were “placing their mouths up under the filter to get drinks,” making the machine “very unsanitary.”

According to Coppo, he and Mitroff do

news not have a timeline for the installation of any type of replacement water dispenser, but would prefer a device like those from FloWater.

“We haven’t really talked about a traditional water fountain, because that is a little anachronistic,” Coppo said. “Kids now, unlike my generation, are much more likely to bring a bottle.”

Mitroff is now looking into the costs of a combination water fountain and water bottle refill station.

Raffa said that the school has not contacted FloWater about a replacement device, but the company would be willing to install new devices.

september 25, 2017

2017 NATIONAL MERIT SEMIFINALISTS TPHS seniors qualified as National Merit Scholarship semifinalists Jack Behrend Thomas Freedman Isaac Gelman Benjamin Gross Kevin Hu Stacy Hu Reagan Kan

Simon Kim Jonathan Kuo Rachel Lian Ryan Lin Kevin Ren Jungmo Seong Karishma Shah

Jocelyn Tzeng Edward Xie Carine You Lauren Zhang Andrew Zhao Ryan Zhou Leianna Zimmer

of PSAT participants in the U.S. earned scores high enough to qualify

16,000 15,000

PSAT takers advanced to the level of semifinalist semifinalists will advance to the finalist level

To qualify as a finalist, semifinalists must submit a

scholarship application photo by alexei serguienko/falconer

FLOWATER, No Water: The SDUHSD maintenance staff removed TPHS’ two FloWater machines because they posed as a slipping hazard, a result from student misuse (ABOVE).

• Fully accredited college prep high school grades 9-12 • Students from neighboring high schools can take our courses either during the day or after their regular school day • Award-winning tutoring and test prep programs for

12707 High Bluff Dr. | San Diego, CA

including an academic transcript, a recommendation, personal essay and SAT scores.

Students will learn if they qualified as Finalists in

february

infographic by sumin hwang

news

tphsfalconer.com

New AP Olander happy to join TPHS administrative team

Tracy Olander, who is a former International Baccalaureate School Coordinator and Academic Dean for Spring Valley Academy, has taken on the role of TPHS assistant principal since June, joining assistant principals Michael Santos and Robert Shockney.

Olander’s previous experience in education includes working at the Spring Valley Academy and as a part-time human resources coordinator for the La Mesa-Spring Valley School District.

Olander has additional e x p e r i e n c e in academic counseling and with helping students make important decisions about their classes and extracurriculars.

“I think she’s got an incredible resume and a perfect background for what we need [at TPHS],” Principal student Rob Coppo said.

“Beyond a resume she’s a phenomenal person. She’s honest, hardworking, really intelligent, and ultimately that’s what you need more than anything else in this job.”

Some of Olander’s responsibilities at TPHS include monitoring attendance, StartSmart and the 2017-18 school calendar. However, she believes her role at TPHS primarily involves supporting students. According to Olander, she sits down with students and helps them with their academic issues, and tells strugling students that she is always there to help, a tactic she believes benefits them.

“I know high school is that age when [students] are trying to struggle for their independence,” Olander said. “But you don’t also always make the best choices, so you need someone who is understanding and will help you when you make mistakes by guiding you in the right way.”

With this in mind, Olander has already made strides in helping students around campus. Her ability to listen to others makes her an asset to the TPHS

community. She handles issues regarding the general academic needs of anyone who comes to her, like Rayhan Tabani (12), who came to her asking if he could put flyers advertising his CDs around the school.

“She was really sweet, she had a lot of personality to her,” Tabani said. “She said she would keep trying [to get the flyers] up. We didn’t get it up, but she still tried pretty hard. It meant a lot to me, she went above and beyond.”

Olander has also been active in helping TPHS athletes as well. She also has supported many teams, including the girl’s JV tennis team, by going to their tennis matches.

“She’s so helpful in everything she does,” Yasamin Anjomshoaa (10) said. “We didn’t have a coach, and she helped us a lot by recording the score for our team.”

Each AP has his or her own skill set and individual abilities, and what sets Olander apart is her experience dealing with kids of all ages.

“The diversity of her experience is one of the things I really like,” Coppo said. “She’s done everything from teach at the elementary level to be an administrator at the middle school level, and then a district office level administrator as well. I think that’s important because she understands that development of students.”

Despite having many responsibilities, Olander has enjoyed her experience on campus so far and hopes to achieve even more at TPHS, a school that she has found very welcoming. One of her goals is to ensure that all students at TPHS are excited to come to school and that they are succeeding in all of their activities.

“What I hope to accomplish is to make students feel more connected to the school,” Olander said. “[I want to ensure] that they’re making wise choices, and that they are doing well emotionally, socially, and academically.”

Olander’s office is located in the lower level of the media center, where students can privately talk to her, and students can also approach her as she is walking throughout campus during the school day.

She was really sweet, she had a lot of personality to her.

She said she would keep trying [to get the flyers] up ... It meant a lot to me, she went above and beyond.

Rayhan Tabani (12)

the falconer

A3

TPTV halts production but will likely resume in November of a larger initiative to establish the Art Media Entertainment pathway at TPHS. The Advanced TV Production class serves as the “Capstone” course of the pathway.

Ideally, Video Film would serve as the prerequisite to Advanced TV Production, but this year any student who signed up “TPTV,” a weekly show put on by the for the class was allowed to join (as long Advanced TV Production class, is likely as space permitted) because, according to resume in November after the show to Brunkhorst, they are still “getting is “restructured,” according to the new everything sorted out.” teacher of the class, Derek Brunkhorst.

“At this point we’re still putting the The new program will be different in pathway together and laying all that content, quality and duration, and will out,” Brunkhorst said. “There will be likely go by a different, undetermined prerequisites put in place — Video Film name. is going to be the prerequisite — because “The main restructure is that a lot of we have students that are taking TV the little sketches that were in [previous Production that don’t know how to even episodes of TPTV] edit.” aren’t going to be on Coppo, who ‘TPTV;’ it’s really used to teach Video going to be more Production, has of the happenings worked extensively that are going on with Brunkhorst around school,” to develop the Brunkhorst said. pathway, and the To help facilitate two of them devised coverage of events a plan to create a around school, the website where all class is currently projects created by dividing up into the Advanced TV different positions.

Production class “Some people could be seen.

Derek Brunkhorst are going to be “What we’re teacher overseeing athletic looking for in the events, academics, endgame is to the arts, [and] ASB and PALs so we have have a website that people can go to to the different areas covered,” Brunkhorst get the news or events by video, those TV said. sketches ... and then also the films that This year, the class has access to better [the students] put together,” Brunkhorst microphones, higher-quality lights and said. two new cameras.

In other words, the sketches and Additionally, while many of last year’s episodes ran beyond the 10-minute mark, segments are not being eliminated, but Brunkhorst would like to keep this year’s simply moved to a different platform.

Chris Shopes (12), who has been in episodes down to five to seven minutes.

Advanced TV Production for two years, “TPTV” host Ryan Zhou (12) says he is excited about the direction the show is says it will be nice to have a place to post all the show’s media as well as the short, heading toward this year.

“Last year we kind of experimented films made by Advanced Video Film.

Another long term goal of Brunkhorst’s a lot, but this year we really want to set some stuff in stone,” Zhou said. “We have is to stream the show live, something that a lot more people who are passionate is currently being done at Carlsbad High about what they’re doing in the class, and School.

“Going live is a two- to three-year we definitely have a lot more equipment.”

According to Principal Rob Coppo, goal,” Brunkhorst said. “There is a lot this year there will be more collaboration that we have to work on to go live as far between the Advanced TV Production and as streaming and all, so Mr. Sanchez, who works at KUSI, and I are working on Advanced Film classes.

“It is really important for film students trying to figure that out. That will not be and television students to work together for a couple of years.”

According to Brunkhorst, the class is because that is how it works in the on track to release its first episode around industry,” Coppo said.

Ultimately, the collaboration is part October or November of this school year.

The main restructure is that a lot of the little sketches ... aren’t going to be on “TPTV;” it’s really going to be more of the happenings that are going on around school.

Multiple car break-ins reported in TPHS parking lots

Three cars owned by TPHS students Alexita Velasco (11), Isabella Collins (11) and Grace Kratzer (12) were broken into in the TPHS student parking lot on Sept.

14 between 12:55-1:45 p.m. According to Leighton Balalio, Cathedral Catholic High School’s Director of Campus Security, it was also discovered at around 2:30 p.m. that two vehicles parked on Cathedral Catholic High School’s campus were broken into that day as well.

According to Assistant Principal Tracy Olander, the TPHS administration staff was notified of the break-ins on campus by a TPHS student who noticed an individual walking away from a car, and shortly after, administration contacted the police.

According to Kratzer, her car was broken-into sometime after she returned from lunch off-campus at 12:55 p.m.

During her 7th period class, where she was working as a teacher’s assistant in

a statistics class. Kratzer was pulled out of class by Campus Supervisor Richard Burton and Olander.

“Assistant principal [Olander] came and got me and said my car was broken into,” Kratzer said. “Then I went down and my window wasn’t broken or anything.

I left my car unlocked stupidly, and [the burglars] went in and stole some stuff.”

Kratzer’s wallet and passport were stolen from her glove box, and her car was parked in the second row of the student parking lot, or the row directly below the senior lot. According to Kratzer, two other cars near hers had smashed windows, probably damaged by the burglars.

Velasco’s was one of those cars, which was parked in the senior lot. Like Kratzer, Velasco was not at her car when it was broken into, but she received a text message from her friend, Bryson Dort (11), who was leaving school and in the parking lot near her car, at about 1:25 p.m. He notified her that her belongings had been stolen and that her car window was damaged. Velasco then walked down to her car where assistant principals and police officers were gathered, and she filed a police report on the spot.

According to Velasco, her car’s side window was broken and her purse, which had been on her car’s center console, was stolen. However, her purse only contained a few pens and pencils and a notebook; not any valuables, like a wallet.

Velasco does not think the burglars targeted her car when they broke in, as she believes they were more focused on the ease of getting to the items they wanted.

“I think it was just easy [for the burglars to decide to break-into my car] because my purse was just sitting on top of the center console,” Velasco said. “That was what was different from the other cars that they stole from because it was easy; it was there and they could easily get to [my purse].”

Administration continued to work with police throughout the day following the break-ins.

“Well, we [the administration staff] all worked on it together,” Olander said.

“So [that includes] Mr. [Rob] Coppo, Mr. [Robert] Shockney, myself, and Mr. [Michael] Santos. But for the most part, it was Mr. Shockney and I working together down there [in the parking lot].”

This is the first incident in which cars have been broken-into on campus at TPHS

since the previous incident on October 28, 2014, when TPHS students’ and parents’ cars were broken into in the TPHS staff lot.

According to Balalio, the two vehicles that were broken into at Cathedral were parked in their front lot. The San Diego Police Department was notified of the break-ins at Cathedral as well.

TPHS’ parking lots have always been supervised by Campus Supervisors Burton and Robert McKeon, according to Olander.

TPHS currently does not have any other security measures employed in the parking lots.

Administrators have made it clear that they will step up efforts to prevent such break-ins from happening again.

“We have increased presence in the parking lot, and there’s a lot more monitoring of the parking lot that’s happening. Mr. Shockney has reached out, [and] we’re working with the San Diego Police Department for other things that we can be doing,” Olander said.

Increased presence in the student lots will include more frequent supervision from administrative staff, including Coppo and all of TPHS’ assistant principals, according to Olander.

A4 the falconer

On Sept. 8, Hurricane Irma, a category 5 storm with maximum wind speeds reaching 185 mph, landed in Cuba, crumbling much of the nation’s infrastructure. Fully 4,288 homes were damaged and 157 were destroyed in Havana, the capital city. Irma continued into the continental U.S. Recent reports estimate the storm accounted for over US$ 200 billion in damage.

news

Heavy rainfall triggered flash floods in the Tuscan port of Leghorn, Italy, killing at least six, including a family of four that was trapped in the family home; three people are missing. The flooding also interrupted the train system in parts of the Tuscan Coast. Prior to the flooding, the region had suffered a drought, which contributed to the fast-forming streams that flooded the streets.

New waves of anti-government protests in Ethiopia’s Oromia and Amhara regions have led to mass killings and displacements over the last weekend. Ethiopian authorities imposed a “blanket Internet blockade,” spurring the violence as a response from the public. Police forces fired tear gas and blocked roads in response to the spontaneous social media movement. Amnesty International has now reported the death toll as 97,670 in Oromia and 30 in Amhara.

Information courtesy of by Aljazeera, BBC, CNN and the Telegraph [London]

september 25, 2017

A suicide bomber and gunman opened fired inside a resturant, killing at least 60 people in twin attacks in Southern Iraq.

The attackers were members of Hashd al-Sha`abi, a mainly Shia group that has fought alongside Iraqi forces in the fight against ISIS. However, the group is still believed to have hundreds of followers that are ready to execute attacks. Its primary targets are the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala, Iraq. words by sammy hallal and estelle kraft infographic by sumin hwang

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the falconer

A5

art by gretchen litzlbeck/falcon artist

PRO

By Estelle Kraft

BACKPAGE EDITOR & BUSINESS

The saying, “Money makes the world go ‘round” was first used in the 1960s play “Cabaret,” and it has since been proven true. Money does make the world go ‘round, and the current minimum hourly wage makes it impossible for Americans to climb out of poverty and up the socioeconomic ladder. Currently, 2.2 million Americans earn a minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, a rate that has not changed since 2009, and by raising it to $15 per hour, both the federal economy and its workers will benefit greatly, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

If minimum wage was raised it would put Americans on the same playing field as people with higher incomes, so they would be able to afford things like education or skills training, which could eventually lead them to a better job with higher pay.

The current minimum wage of $7.25 has proven to be insufficient for essential living expenses like food, water, electricity and other things necessary for a healthy lifestlyle.

Because working hours are limited to 40 hours per week and minimum wage is set so low, an employee would have to work an additional 53 hours each week at the federal minimum wage to make ends meet, according to a 2015 report by the Alliance for a Just Society.

Even the proposed federal minimum wage of $15 per hour is not a living wage in most states. “A national wage for a single adult is actually $16.87 per hour, based on wages across the country,” according to the report AJS. Americans earning such a low income have limits to the food that they have access to, which mostly includes unhealthy options that can lead to poor health if over consumed.

Fourteen percent of American households — about one in seven — suffer from food insecurity, which

art by carla hansen/falconer

Since the implementation of a national minimum wage in 1938, the long-standing debate on the raising the wage has continued to divide the nation. means they do not have the resources to provide enough food for an active, healthy lifestyle for all household members, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

In a study done by the Century Foundation, it was found that increasing the minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2023 would lead to a 6.5 percent decline in food insecurity.

By earning more, Americans will be able to afford balanced meals, which would have a significant public health benefit, according to Edward Ehlinger, MD, State Health Commissioner for Minnesota.

Raising the minimum wage would also lead to less high school dropouts, and therefore, a more educated population. In a 2014 study by Alex Smith, PhD, Assistant Professor of Economics at the United States Military Academy at West Point, if minimum wage was increased it would lead to a two- to four- percent point decrease of dropping out. Paying poor teenagers more will allow them to work less as opposed to dropping out so they can make much-needed money. As workers increase their incomes and move further away from the poverty line they will begin to pay more taxes, helping our federal government nation as a whole. If Americans are paying more taxes because they are making more money, together as a country, federal deficit can be reduced, according to James K. Galbraith, PhD, Professor of Government at the University of Texas in Austin.

Besides federal deficit coming down, increasing minimum wage would spur job growth and increase economic activity. More money for people means they can put their money into more things in the economy and buy things that they could not necessarily afford with less pay. By putting their money somewhere, more jobs are created for those who need them and the consumer is able to move up the socioeconomic ladder.

Raising our national minimum wage provides Americans with the opportunity to move up the socioeconomic ladder, which would lead to more economic growth, therefore benefitting both low-wage workers as well as the rest of the population.

In response to a question posed to Americans by Quinnipiac University in August 2017 ...

Should the national minimum wage be raised from $7.25 to $15 an hour?

54%

44%

YES

NO

said

said

*2 percent of surveyed people did not answer.

Only a handful of issues in the United States have remained controversial as long as minimum wage. Since its creation in 1938, minimum wage has been an intense point of contention among the American working class. Its recent meteoric rise holds frightening implications for small businesses and the U.S. economy at large.

Although the fight for a raise in minimum wage has good intent, the U.S. economy cannot sustain the damage done by its ascension. In each of the 22 readjustments of the minimum wage by Congress, small businesses have suffered greatly.

According to Forbes, increasing wages is one of the top five reasons eight out 10 small businesses fail in the United States. This is a massive issue, as small businesses make up 55 percent of all jobs and 66 percent of all net new jobs since the 1970s in the United States, according to the Small Business Administration. With the introduction of higher wages, employers will be forced to raise the prices of their products, affecting us, the consumers.

This will drive more business away, leading to the rapid failure of a small business. Carmel Valley is home to a variety of popular small businesses that may be in danger in the face of rising minimum wage. To see local small businesses slowly disappear would be tough, as it would limit our choices as consumers and put people trying to make a living out of work.

While a rise in the minimum wage may briefly provide increased income for employees, its escalation will eventually result in mass layoffs and a rise in unemployment rates.

Companies and businesses barely treading water will have no other option than to lay off a substantial number of their staff. As minimum wage continues to move up toward $10 per hour, the Congressional Budget Office estimates 500,000 jobs will be lost. This spike in unemployment would be far more detrimental to the economy and an employee’s income than working for the current minimum wage would. Poverty levels would rise just as quickly as unemployment rates with an increase in minimum wage.

Raising minimum wage supposedly holds benefits for low income households but in reality, it does just the opposite. According to Thomas

CON

By Luke Modugno STAFF WRITER

Grennes, a professor at North Carolina State University, a rise in minimum wage would “be unfavorable for impoverished households, even if there are no job losses.” By raising salaries, small businesses would be forced to fire workers, potentially leaving poorer families in a worse position than they started.

Also, as technology continues to advance along with the minimum wage, human workers may be slowly phased out of their jobs in favor of free automated employees. According to a 2013 study done by Oxford University researchers Carl Benedikt Frey and Michael A. Osbourne, robots can “perform more complex tasks in food preparation, health care, commercial cleaning and elderly care.” Any escalation of the current minimum wage could possibly motivate business owners to do away with human workers permanently.

People who are fighting for a higher minimum wage say that the current wage is not adequate enough to have suitable living arrangements or pay necessary monthly expenses.

However, this is not an issue because, according to Pew Research Center, over half of minimum wage workers in the U.S. are teenagers. The majority of American teenagers do not have to worry about monthly rent, phone bills or other living expenses, therefore making the current minimum wage sufficient for the majority of employees.

Raising minimum wage comes at the expense of our national economy and the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs, it becomes an issue. As a nation, we must find an alternative to raising minimum wage to solve financial issues because it will have a serious, negative impact on our economy and unemployment rates.

A7 the falconer

opinion

september 25, 2017

On September 5, the Trump administration stood before the nation and struck fear into the hearts of 800,000 young undocumented immigrants living in the United States.

Our president did not even have the guts to do it himself.

Instead, he had Attorney General Jeff Sessions, a known immigration hardliner, announce that the administration would end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, and give Congress only six months to revise the policy.

DACA was first implemented under the Obama administration, providing 800,000 young undocumented immigrants temporary residency and protection from deportation.

Now, if Congress does not step up to the plate, those unwitting immigrants will be subject to deportation.

Sessions called DACA “an unconstitutional exercise of authority” and said that “failure to enforce the laws in the past has put our nation at risk of crime, violence and terrorism.” This is a lie.

By definition, DACA recipients do not pose a threat to public safety or national security. In

fact, it is quite the opposite; just to be eligible for the program, they must have a spotless record.

It is also important to note that DACA does not give immigrants legal status in the country, only a renewable two-year protection from deportation along with a work permit. And, contrary to a common talking point of the Trump administration, the immigrants do not take jobs from native-born Americans, whose declining employment is mostly due to the advancement of technology and other reasons unrelated to immigration.

As for the constitutionality of the policy, it is well-known that the president has the authority to implement immigration priorities, as many past presidents like Obama have done.

Throughout his presidential campaign, Trump has repeatedly spewed anti-immigrant, particularly anti-Mexican, rhetoric, which is why this decision does not come as much of a surprise. The reason for ending the policy was the same reason he spewed that rhetoric in the first place: to please his nativist and far-right base.

People on both sides of the aisle, including many who voted

for Trump, agree that this call was unjust and inhumane. The majority of the Dreamers were brought to the U.S. before the age of 7, and many do not even speak their native languages.

Nine out of 10 DACA recipients are employed and regularly pay taxes. The expulsion of the Dreamers from the U.S. will only harm the U.S. economy.

Another factor in the Trump administration’s decision to end DACA may be President Trump’s desire to erase Obama’s legacy. Since the beginning of his presidential campaign, Trump promised to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, also known as the ACA, which is another policy established by Obama.

However, the repeal attempt has twice been rejected, and Trump has had no luck with his quest to rid the administration of Obama’s legacy.

Despite the Trump administration’s decision to end DACA, little action has been taken to truly do so. President Trump has done nothing to direct or give input on the matter, which leaves much uncertainty in the United States. He simply dumped the decision on Congress and gave

art by richard li/falconer

Staff editorial: ENDING DACA waS immoral AND UNWARRAnted

them six months to figure something out. For somebody who so eagerly promised to eradicate Obama’s legacy, it seems that Trump has made no progress in doing so. In fact, Trump said he would revisit

DACA if Congress does not act, injecting even more uncertainty into the situation.

If Trump gives in to Democrats and establishes a policy similar to DACA, his base will retaliate. If he completely ends DACA, two major national polls show that the majority of the country will not support that move.

photo courtesy of charlie leight/getty images

A message to Trump from us, “the enemy of the American people” Time and time again, President Donald Trump has proven to the world that he is an incompetent, uninformed and impulsive demagogue who is in no way fit to lead a nation that is (or was once) the leader of the free world. On August 22, less than 24 hours after a serious and scripted speech on Afghanistan, Trump held a rally in Phoenix and put his true self on display once again.

During his 77-minute, rage-filled harangue, the president appeared erratic and defensive, attacking everything from the press to the senators of the very state he was speaking in.

This is not the first time the whiner-in-chief has railed against the press, calling journalists “sick people” and “liars.” In the past, he has referred to them as the “enemy of the American people.” Do not take these attacks lightly, as they do much more damage than you might think. While on the surface it may look like this is nothing more than a conflict between the White House and some journalists, in reality, the attacks are part of an ongoing and unprecedented attempt by the president to limit what we, the American people, can see and read. When Trump bans reporters from daily briefings, as he has done many times, it is not the news media who are hurt but average American citizens.

Despite his direct attacks on the press and specific outlets, he is not an existential threat to them. Since Trump has taken office, viewership on mainstream media outlets like CNN, the New York Times and NBC has skyrocketed, largely due to Trump’s unpredictability and habit of making himself look stupid on national television. His inflammatory rhetoric only accomplishes one thing: it normalizes the unjustified hatred and distrust of the news media, therefore diminishing their credibility among his base.

Trump hijacked the term “fake news,” which actually refers to completely fabricated stories (some of which helped Trump win the election), and redefined it as any story that makes him look bad, like when he tweeted in February that “any negative polls are fake news.” Being the manipulator he is, Trump used the term “fake news” repeatedly to convince many of his supporters that anything negative they hear about him is false and that he is the only one they can trust. While certainly not all Trump voters fell victim to his illogical claims, many did, and that is where the danger lies. An educated and informed public is vital to a functioning democracy, which Trump undermines with his attacks.

Trump’s blatant contempt for the news media emboldens an entire demographic of farright, and often ill-informed, voters. By taking all credibility from the mainstream media (other than Fox News) he has created a division between those who believe the truth and those who believe only what he and the right-wing media, like Breitbart and Infowars, tell them. Keep in mind that Alex Jones, host of Infowars, spreads radical conspiracy theories including that the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a liberal hoax perpetrated to promote stricter gun control laws.

Having a substantial slice of the population that no longer listens to reason poses a threat not only to them but to the rest of the American populace. This, indirectly, leads to things like the protests and car attack in Charlottesville.

The press serves one purpose and one purpose only: to provide citizens with information necessary for making the best decisions regarding the circumstances of their own lives and governments, and today, what was once a core American value is now threatened.

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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A8 the falconer

White

opinion

supremacists

By Dhathry Doppalapudi STAFF WRITER

bad.

males marched in response to the removal of Confederate statues on the University of Virginia campus, carrying lit torches and chanting popular Nazi phrases like, “Jews will not replace us,” and “blood and soil.”

The next day, a car drove into a crowd of counter-protesters, injuring 19 and killing 32-year-old paralegal Heather Heyer, who was protesting against the neo-Nazis. However, the real shock was what the president had to say about the issue.

During a press conference in Bedminster, NJ the following day, Donald Trump

Someone

irresponsibly claimed that both sides were at fault. These statements are both illogical and un-American.

Trump condemned, “hatred, bigotry and violence,” but he did not attach it to neo-Nazis or white supremacists.

Instead, he blamed “many sides” and didn’t mention those groups.

He compared what he called, “the alt-left,” and white supremacists, and created a moral equivalency between the two. He said that the Black Lives Matter counter-protesters were violent. He claimed that not all the protesters were neo-Nazis and defended racists, calling them “fine people.”

Trump’s suggestion that there is some kind of equivalency between those spewing hatred, and t h o s e who

art by simon kim/falconer

On Friday, Aug. 11, a white nationalist rally took place in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Hundreds of white

are

september 25, 2017

should

tell

Donald

marched against that kind of behavior only accomplishes one thing: it emboldens a group of people’s bigotry that was previously kept in the shadows. While most presidents aim to calm and comfort the populace after an attack, Trump only fueled the fear.

Former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke even went so far as to thank Trump for his “honesty and courage to tell the truth about Charlottesville and condemn the leftist terrorists in Black Lives Matter.” When a powerful member of one of the country’s biggest hate groups voices support forthe leader of the free world’s actions, something is gravely wrong.

The protest was organized by Richard Spencer, president of the National Policy Institute, a white supremacist think tank. He also runs “Radix Journal,” an online publication containing essays on white supremacy and other racially charged topics, and “Washington Summit Publishers,” an organization that publishes the work of racist writers. Spencer is known for creating “Alternative Right,” another online publication that advocates white nationalism.

Many political figures from both parties have spoken out against Trump’s words. Former Vice President Joe Biden said, “This is a moment for this nation to declare what the president can’t with any clarity, consistency, or conviction: There is no place for these hate groups in America.” Republican Senator John McCain said, “There’s no moral equivalency between racists and Americans standing up to defy hate

Trump.

and bigotry. The president of the United States should say so.” Even Anastasia Crickley, the president of the UN Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, said, “I was horrified as well by the way leaders of that movement were able to state afterwards that they felt secure in their support,” referring to David Duke’s comments.

Supporters of Trump’s statement say that both sides of the conflict were indeed at fault, but that argument is completely unjustifiable. Only one side chanted racist, Nazi phrases at the other. Only one side believes that they, as a race, are superior and can physically harm those who disagree with them. They came to the rally with the intent to hurt and oppress. They are full of hate and 100 percent to blame for everything that happened, including the countless injuries and the death of Heather Heyer.

Trump later claimed that he did not specifically call out white supremacist groups because he didn’t, “know all the facts,” and said, “I wanted to make sure, unlike most politicians, that what I said was correct,” but this is clearly just an excuse for his absurd statements in his previous press conference. He has, on multiple occasions, put out complete lies, from the size of the crowd at his inauguration to claims that former president Barack Obama wiretapped Trump Tower.

Now more than ever, everyone, regardless of their political beliefs or party, must work together to completely eradicate this kind of racist mindset from the country, and that can only start with our leader.

PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE MICHAEL NIRULA

Every Monday we have our meetings. I drive to my local church, recite the Oath and Law and do the day’s planned activity. I am a Boy Scout.

Being a Boy Scout has been a special experience for me.

It’s a journey that began after I walked into my troop’s first meeting of the year and did the most stereotypical Boy Scout activity — tying knots.

My Boy Scout journey would certainly take me to more interesting experiences, though.

During the past six years of Boy Scouts, I had a good taste of adventure. I backpacked down mountains only to be forced into jumping into a freezing lake. I had to wear a mask after a lightning storm started in a nearby forest fire. I even had to dodge a buffalo after one stampeded past me on Catalina Island.

Also, like every Eagle-aspiring scout, I would have to go through the challenges of the 21 merit badges. Whether that meant struggling to do the Heimlich maneuver on a dummy for the first aid badge or capsizing my boat 100 feet from shore for the small-boat sailing badge or spending three straight months recording how I spent all my money for the personal management badge, I completed them through what, to me, felt like a superhuman effort.

And of course, to cap it all off, I completed my Eagle Scout Project — building planters for a local special-needs community.

At my Eagle Scout Ceremony, I was told that my journey was not over as I would take the Boy Scout values with me for the rest of my life.

And one of those values I take with me today is to be “mentally awake” — or to keep an open mind.

And while it is a Boy Scout value, keeping an open mind is something we could all use more of. We often hear that our country is more divided than ever. The truth is that there are many issues that we should not be divided on. Believing in basic climate science is now considered a partisan issue. Also, flying American flags and being patriotic is often associated with the Republican party.

As a country, we must recognize a few things.

First off, there is nothing wrong with having a healthy debate about our issues. If we want to understand the other side, having a talk about our issues is an important first step.

Next, while we repeatedly hear this, it is important to question our beliefs, to be more “mentally awake.” If anyone is going to change their belief on an issue or make agreements, they must be willing to hear out the other side.

Everyone in this country should be willing to change the way they look at something.

Another part to being a Boy Scout is we have a duty to others, a duty to help and a duty to understand one another. Another basic value of Boy Scouts is to be “friendly” according to the Scout Law. While I disagree with many of the people I talk to, I believe there is importance in making an effort to understand their views rather than simply disregarding them.

As a country, we also need to make a better

photo by anna jeong/falconer

The Falconer Sports Editor Michael Nirula (12) reflects on his experiences throughout his time in Boy Scouts and how it has shaped his mentality today.

attempt at understanding each other. Often, it seems like we are looking for ways to disagree with one another, when in reality we should be looking for ways to agree as a whole. There is no denying that hate and malice between political parties is as old as the political parties themselves; however, when support for the military is a “Republican” idea and a belief in science is a “Democratic” idea, it should be clear that the division between that our political parties are far too divided.

In my Boy Scout troop, I have friends that I will have for the rest of my life. And while I am liberal and many, if not all of them, are Republicans, we still have a great time hanging out together and I respect many of them as bright, great people.

I bet many of us similarly have friends who do not share our beliefs, but still are respectable people.

As a country, we must realize that we live with other people who, regardless of their political views, have a lot of good and wit to them. Rather than looking for ways to become

more divided, we should try to see the good in our fellow Americans.

After President Donald Trump gave his speech to the Boy Scouts of America, many people were quick to bring up the past history of the Boy Scouts.

And while Boy Scouts has had its fair share of scandals, it is also an organization that teaches some of the most important skills for the future. The family life merit badge, which takes a minimum of three months to complete, was invaluable in teaching me how to be a responsible family member both now and in the future. The personal management merit badge taught me financial responsibility. And thanks to the cooking merit badge, I will be making spaghetti or barbecuing burgers on top of preparing some inevitable Top Ramen in college.

So, even though I felt that my Boy Scouts experience was over as I stood on a stage to receive my Eagle Award, the lessons of Boy Scouts will remain with me for the rest of my life.

opinion

tphsfalconer.com

the falconer

A9

Aung San Suu Kyi should have her Nobel Peace Prize revoked FEATURE EDITOR

Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of a rebellious, pro-democracy and human rights movement in Myanmar, spent over 15 years under tight house arrest by the government. In 1997, the government gave her the option of temporarily leaving the country to visit her dying husband in England, but she feared the government would not allow her to reenter the country if she left. Her dedication to bringing democracy and reform to Myanmar made her an icon for human rights and earned her international acclaim and the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991.

After her house arrest ended in 2010, she began a rapid ascent to power. Now the State Counsellor, a position that makes her the de facto Prime Minister, Suu Kyi’s government is engaging in a systematic campaign to cleanse Myanmar of its ethnic Muslim minority, the Rohingya.

Twenty six years after bestowing the Nobel Peace Prize on Suu Kyi, the Nobel Committee ought to rescind the honor.

The Rohingya are the descendants of an ethnic group known as the Arakan, which traces its roots in Myanmar back centuries. The Rohingya have their own language

and are ethnically separate from Myanmar. Today, the majority reside in the southern state of Rakhine, which has the highest unemployment rate in the country. Despite Suu Kyi’s promise to bring democracy to Myanmar and the Rohingya’s long standing history in the country, they are denied equal rights, legal protection, citizenship and the right to vote. Although the Rohingya have faced longstanding prejudice and discrimination, pressure from extreme Buddhist nationalists in recent years has made it politically acceptable to remove the Rohingya.

According to Human Rights Watch, an international human rights research and advocacy organization, the government of Myanmar has set fire to hundreds of Rohingya settlements, with an estimated 748 killed and over 500,000 displaced.

According to the “New York Times,” that number includes hundreds of orphans. Fleeing civilians are attacked, sexually assaulted, face starvation, dehydration and are murdered. Without a country to call home, the Rohingya are fleeing to nations across the Asia Pacific, causing a burden for poorer nations who do not have the capacity to accomodate the refugees.

In addition, the government of Myanmar had delayed and even prevented humanitarian organizations from distributing food, water, medicine and other necessities to the Rohingya. The most popular destination for the fleeing Rohingya is Bangladesh, where an ineffective government lacks the financial means to care for the outpouring people and provide shelter. Despite this, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina

has made plans to accept around 400,000 refugees and construct massive refugee camps along the border. Despite her hospitality, the Rohingya often face opposition from the citizens of the countries they flee to, where nationalism and xenophobia often lead to violence against the refugees.

Despite these atrocities, Suu Kyi has maintained a firm position against accusations from the international community that she is violating human rights. Her government still refuses to recognize the Rohingya as a seperate ethnic group, instead referring to the Rohingya as illegal immigrants from neighboring Bangladesh. In March of 2016, after being interviewed by a Muslim reporter for the BBC, Suu Kyi complained that “no one told [her] [she] was going to be interviewed by a Muslim.”

Her blatant Islamophobia and inability to protect all the citizens of the nation she fought so hard to bring democracy to are reason enough to strip her of her Nobel Peace Prize.

However, the Nobel Committee has a longstanding policy against rescinding awards, protected by the tenth statute of the Nobel Foundation’s charter. While this rule may be a tradition, blanket rules like this are too broad and allow for Nobel award winners to deviate from the behavior that won them the award.

The Nobel Peace Prize’s image and prestige is cemented worldwide, guaranteeing its recipient a position of moral authority. The influence and respect that come with the prize are too great to go into the wrong hands. By allowing Suu Kyi to keep the prize, the Norwegian parliament,

which chooses the Nobel Committee members, is corrupting the prestige and honor of the award, complicity approving of Suu Kyi’s human rights abuses. While the committee may fail to recognize the prizes’ symbolism, other Nobel Laureates are not.

On Sept. 5, 2016, Muhammad Yunus, the 2006 recipient of the prize, wrote a public letter to the United Nations that harshly condemned Suu Kyi’s treatment of the Rohingya. Joining him in signing the letter was a myriad of human rights activists and public figures, including eleven other Nobel Peace Prize winners, among them Malala Yousafzai and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

The Nobel

laureates have endured great ordeals and demonstrated great courage that led to their Nobel Peace Prizes.

Many have risked their lives because they believe in helping people regardless of characteristics like race or religion. Suu Kyi’s treatment of the Rohingya shows that she lacks the same compassion and commitment to helping all people.

While this letter lacks the teeth to force change, the Norwegian members of the Nobel Committee should take note of the sheer number of previous award winners who condemn Suu Kyi’s actions and remember the power and responsibility that their prize carries.

art by alexei serguienko/falconer

By Farhan Hossain

Diplomacy is the only solution to the North Korean nuclear problem

By Bea De Oliveira COPY EDITOR

The world is at a crossroads. A game is being played. They have made their move; it is almost a checkmate. Now, it is up to us. The timer counts down, second by second; time is running out. It may be our move, but they are in control. One wrong play, and we lose. One wrong play, and millions of people die. North Korea has made its decision. Now it is time we make ours.

1956 marks the beginning of North Korea’s Nuclear Weapon Development program. The Soviet Union began to train North Korean scientists and engineers “laying the foundation for future nuclear development,” according to the U.S. Naval Institute. It was not until May 29, 1993 that North Korea officially launched its first ballistic missile in the Sea of Japan. Nuclear explosive devices were tested in 2006, 2009 2013, twice in 2016, and although 2017 has not ended, three separate tests have been conducted.

Treaties have been entered into, and broken, but in the end, North Korea has continued its use nuclear weapons since the formation of the republic.

Whether or not these threats will be carried out remain unknown, but one thing is sure: they are on the defense; protecting the people of North Korea at all costs and asserting

themselves as a world power.

In truth, this is supposed to be an opinion piece about what to do about the North Korean missile crisis.

But I will tell you the truth, there is truly no easy solution to this problem — no life is more important than another, and no country’s leader is any crazier than the next one. The most experienced and cultured diplomats the world has to offer have been working on this issue for years, and if they have not yet come up with a solution that appeals to every country involved, then I, as a high school sophomore definitely will not.

I shall only state the obvious - North Korea has made its move, we need to decide what ours will be, not only for the people of America, but those of North Korea.

In the eyes of many, there are only two solutions to this problem.

Number one, nuke North Korea, which will never, and should never be a solution to any problem. We cannot destroy those who do not agree with our methods or politics.

Solution number two, and the overall best route, diplomacy.

It is a

true catch-22.

In the first situation, if Kim JongUn theoretically were to launch an atomic bomb, either at a neighboring country, such as South Korea, Japan or the United States, he would not only be met with the fury of that country but of the entire world. With a country the size of Maine, just one atomic bomb could destroy it, let alone multiple bombs. But the loss of millions of lives, cannot, and must not, be an option — no matter what city or country the people live in.

The atomic bomb has become a bargaining chip.

If nuclear war is not an option, there are the many diplomatic routes of diplomacy. The United States, can, as it has before, band together with other countries and pay North

Korea, either in the form of currency or new trade sanctions, etc, hoping that they will stop deploying missiles.

But what message does this send to North Korea? Every time a deal has been made, the danger of the weapon used to bargain has gone up. From chemical weapons and the shutting down of the Yongbyon Reactor in 2007 in exchange for South Korean fuel oil aid to atomic bombs, there is no step up. If the United States was to give assistance in return for the closing of the program, there is no foreseeing what type of weapon they would manufacture next.

Now there is one final option, which is in a way, both awful scenarios combined. The “fantastic”, strategic plan that President Donald Trump released on Twitter after North Korea’s largest nuclear test on September 3.

In Trump’s words, “The United States is considering, in addition to other options, stopping all trade with any country doing business with North K o r e a .”

Ending trade w i l l s o l ve

art by amrita moturi/falconer

exactly none of our problems — North Korea will still have the nuclear weapons. And not only will they have the nuclear weapons, but a lack of trade, and therefore, desperation. No one knows what may happen if this path is taken, but there must be a better way.

These Tweets are not the only method that Donald Trump uses to communicate with the North Korean government. Communicate is not the correct word; no, he is provocating them. Using words such as “rouge nation” and “embarrasment” to describe the forementioned country, he not only loses points for lack of diplomacy, but respect as well. At this point, all America has to do is play the game, and play it the best we can.

Insulting another country to improve the image of our nation, or destroy North Korea’s will get us nowhere.

In this scenario, as scary as it has gotten, dimplomacy is the only reasonable option. Now, option and solution are very different. America has never been in this sitation before, nor do we know how to solve it. With political turmoil, a president who prefers to provoke than take action, and a country that know exactly how to push his buttons, it will only be a matter of time until this crisis bears its fruit. As a writer and citizen of America, I can only hope that no one is injured and the politicians of the world can find a solution using the proven and tried tactic of diplomacy.

So, ultimately there is no correct solution to the North Korea crisis. At this point, it is all a game, and it is our move. We better hope that we make the correct one, or soon millions of innocent people could pay the price.

A10 the falconer

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september 25, 2017

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A12 the falconer

feature

It is the night of Jan. 19, 2017. The next day, the 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump, will be inaugurated. A student walks through TPHS’ west quad, silently weaving in and out of the mottled shadows of the English building. The only lights abound from the orange incandescent bulbs above the lunch tables and the distant neon signs of the Del Mar Highlands. The student approaches a green electric box and slides his phone out of his pocket. In one hand, the perpetrator holds a photo from Google Images. In the other, a white graffiti marker pen. The artist looks back to the photo before to carefully tracing out the outline of a famous cartoon frog. No, not Kermit. Pepe.

A few months earlier, in October, the Anti-Defamation League declared Pepe the Frog a hate symbol. Although the famous internet meme had existed since 2005, Pepe began to gain traction with the extreme far right, who identify as the “alt-right.” Websites like 4chan became breeding grounds for “alt-right”appropriated Pepe memes “centered on racist, anti-Semitic or other bigoted themes,” according to the ADL. Anti-Semitism is defined as a hostility toward or hatred of Jews. While it has always existed in the United States and around the world, white nationalists and neo-Nazis have recently been given a new platform in the age of Trump.

Trump’s controversial statements on immigration (“Build a wall”) and on ethnic minorities (“I want surveillance of certain mosques”) have been applauded by Richard Spencer, the head of the National Policy Institute, an organization likened to a white nationalist think tank by the Southern Poverty Law Center, an anti-hate organization. David Duke, former Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan also endorsed Trump during the presidential campaign. After white nationalists held a Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, VA., where a white supremacist rammed a car into 20 counter-protesters, Trump’s ambiguous response was seen as support by alt-right and neo-Nazi bloggers and publications, who see Trump’s equivocation as a gateway for their ideology to enter mainstream political discussion.

In its endorsement of Trump, one of the KKK’s official newspapers, the “Crusader”, noted that Trump is “moving the dialogue forward.” Trump’s campaign thoroughly denounced the endorsement, but that did not stop widespread press coverage of the story. In an interview with the “Washington Post”, the author of the endorsement, Thomas Robb, noted that Trump “kind of reflects what’s happening

september 25, 2017

throughout the world. There seems to be a surge of nationalism worldwide.”

With a key in one hand, a male student carves a crude circle into a bathroom stall. Ribbons of plastic fall to the ground as he carves a cross through the circle. The symbol, seen in the masthead for the “Crusader”, was also the logo for Stormfront.org, a former website established by Ku Klux Klan member that served as a messageboard for white supremacists.

Graffiti like this is common at TPHS. The walls of the boys bathrooms are covered in off-white splotches of paint, the after-effects of quick cleanup jobs by maintenance staff. As an administrator, Principal Rob Coppo views graffiti as a “revenge factor” that is “generally vindictive” and done with the intention of “sending a certain message or getting back at somebody.” However, despite the fact that the motivations behind graffiti are “always individual,” according to Coppo, there is a very clear line between graffiti that is art and graffiti meant to intimidate and promote hate. The symbol inscribed in the bathroom stall was clearly the latter, according to Coppo.

“I think it’s the student acting out in a way because they don’t have a more positive outlet,” Coppo said. “This [graffiti in the bathroom] was just pure vandalism. This was [the perpetrator thinking] ‘I’m going to destroy something, and I’m going to try and hurt somebody else while I do it.’”

Offensive graffiti is not solely limited to those found in bathrooms; there are subtle traces of such graffiti in other parts of campus as well.

Jack Rosoff’s (12) attention is fading in class. He looks down to his desk and notices a swastika carved into the wood.

“I have seen quite a few [swastikas] in the time I have been here,” Rosoff said. “These swastikas have appeared on walls, in books and on tables.”

Rosoff, who is Jewish, believes that those responsible for the swastikas at TPHS understand the negative history behind them but “just don’t care.”

“I don’t really take it as much as an offense as a disappointment,” Rosoff said.

To TPHS Jewish Club adviser Rabbi Daniel Bortz, the swastika has a dark significance that reflects a deeply traumatic history.

“A lot of students don’t realize that … I’ve seen the ashes of the dead [and] the scratches on the wall of dying people in gas chambers [in concentration camps],” Bortz said. “I don’t think somebody who is doodling a swastika to troll people … really grasp[s] … all that goes behind it. Having said that, it is a problem.”

Chloe Laverson (‘17) was the president of Jewish Club last year. While she does not remember seeing many swastikas around TPHS, she did often hear antiSemitic jokes.

“I have heard many insensitive Jewish jokes and even Holocaust jokes,” Laverson said. “People don’t understand the topic they’re joking about.”

Last November, a home in Carmel Valley was vandalized with an anti-Semitic message written on the front door. According to NBC 7, the message condemned a mezuzah, a traditional Jewish ornament that is hung on the doorframe of the home.

According to Laverson, San Diego has low amounts of anti-Semitic incidents, something she attributes to a large and supportive Jewish community. However,

tphsfalconer.com

feature

she believes anti-Semitism should be more carefully monitored at school and “talked about more” due to the current political climate.

“San Diego is a pretty safe haven,” Bortz said. “But we have to stay on top of stuff like that. It does exist in little pockets here and there.”

Slabs of clay sit in front of students in art teacher Katie Bayliss’ sculpture class. Students are busy making holiday-inspired clay figures, using their hands to roll and shape the clay. A distracted student picks up a neglected Sharpie and walks over to a shelf where the previous period’s projects are drying. Within a few seconds and several swift strokes of the marker, the back of a snowman figure is freshly branded with a crude swastika.

“I think that there is always some kind of fascination with the Nazis and

Information courtesy of the Anti-Defamation League

the falconer

Hitler,” Bayliss said.

Bayliss does not frequently find offensive marks in her classroom but has seen more in “other schools” where she taught.

“If I found the culprit, they would get a referral,” Bayliss said. “A lot of the time it’s hard to find the culprit if it’s just sketched somewhere randomly.”

In the rare event that a culprit is caught, there are many potential consequences. Depending on the degree of the vandalism, whether it be a small carving of a swastika on a bathroom stall or offensive words scrawled on a blue testing divider, the consequences vary in terms of severity.

“Being suspended is an academic consequence that students can face,” SDUHSD Superintendent Eric Dill said. “If we incur any costs for the cleanup, we can seek prosecution. Very often, the juvenile courts in the probation department order the student to pay us back for our costs in repairing the damage.”

However, if the vandal refuses to or is financially unable to compensate the school for the damage inflicted, the school may turn to “more severe criminal consequences and … also withhold [the student’s] grades and transcripts and high school diploma,” according to Dill.

Despite the serious nature of anti-Semitism, Bortz does not believe that students truly intend to target a particular demographic. He believes offensive graffiti largely stems from a lack of knowledge and understanding.

“It is a matter of education,” Bortz said. “If people saw the outcome, like the people who got affected by it, they would not do it.”

According to Bortz, the TPHS community can be open-minded. He has seen students from different faiths stop by Jewish Club meetings and casually engage with club members in a relaxed environment.

“I think it’s really cool [that the community can be supportive]. Most people are very open to a rabbi coming on campus,” Bortz said.

It is Jan. 20, 2017. As students stand in line to buy their lunch from the SDUHSD Food Services truck next to the E building, heads turn, fingers point and students gawk at a green electric box. Administrators are notified of the graffiti, and moments later a few staff members call for the removal of the paint.

Although most of the artwork has been wiped off, anyone standing close enough to the box can still discern the traces of the graffiti outline of a certain controversial frog.

TPHS is taking one small step at a time to prevent offensive graffiti from appearing on campus.

“What we’re doing to prevent graffiti right now is trying to improve the culture on campus so that somebody doesn’t even feel the need to do it,” Coppo said.

infographic by farhan hossain/falconer

A13

A14 the falconer

photo by jocelyn tzeng/falconer

feature

Three office buildings, four floors and three hours after accepting what seemed to be a simple task, Elaine Song (12) has a gathered all the needed signatures for a bill on Pell Grants. Her feet are aching, and the decision to wear black heels seems like a mistake, but she had not expected it to be easy.

Song spent a month of her summer in Washington D.C. interning with San Diego Congresswoman Susan Davis, the representative of California’s 53rd District.

“I helped them sort emails that they got from their constituents,” Song said.

“I ran documents to the Capitol Building for bills and resolutions, and I collected signatures from the other Congressmen in the building.”

Song was the only high school intern working for Davis and often worked with college interns during her morning shifts.

At the beginning of her internship, Song organized emails and sorted newspapers for Davis, but after a week, she started “drafting emails to send back to the constituents,” according to Song.

“There were [also] press briefings where they had interns go and take notes for staff that wanted information on the issues,” Song said. “[Congresswoman Davis] actually had a press briefing about Title IX with a couple of other Congresswomen because of the sexual harassment [of females] that is very [predominant] on college campuses.”

Song patiently waits on the phone for the elderly man on the line to finish talking. He has been speaking for about ten minutes, using politically incorrect language and expressing his firm stances on many issues. Song has been told that hanging up the phone is okay, but she politely lets the man finish what he has to say. “Thanks for listening to me,” he said. “You’re a great kid.” Song hangs up, surprised. Calls like those usually don’t end well.

After learning about another student’s internship with a state senator, Song

applied and was hired for an internship with California State Senator Marty Block during the summer of 2016. When the 2016 elections came, Song was part of a city council campaign and helped current City Council Member Barbara Bry get elected to represent District 1 on the San Diego City Council.

“I worked [on the campaign] for a while, and I really liked that too,” Song said. “I always wanted to, after doing small local stuff, go up toward federal [government].”

Song found the online application and applied to work specifically with Davis. After emailing in a resume and a cover letter, Song was interviewed over the phone before she was accepted for the internship.

Song was struck by the camaraderie between Congressmen, who baked fruitcakes for their staff members around the holiday season and taped pictures of their dogs on their office walls, among other things.

“I got lost three different times on my first two days because they had me go to the tunnels under the Capitol, and there were Congressmen everywhere that would just help you out,” Song said. “They’re really sweet and really funny … and they’re not just their political affiliations.”

The mutual respect and teamwork between members of Congress also appealed to Song.

“I feel like you’re competing against your peers instead of working with them [at school and in extracurricular activities], and in an office, it’s completely different,” Song said.

“The amount of work you do and the quality is in relation to what everyone else does, so you want to make sure that coworkers are also doing their best instead of just focusing on yourself.”

Song has been interested in government for a very long time. Currently, she is the co-captain of Congressional Debate and Extemporaneous Speaking on the TPHS Speech and Debate team.

With interests in international issues ranging from animal welfare to health problems in rural Africa, Song has decided that an international relations major would cater to her interests better than her initial plan to pursue a political science career.

Next summer, she plans to intern in Washington again, especially since she enjoys “learning from a work experience instead of something that’s been constructed for you.”

The most difficult part of the internship wasn’t the work she was doing for Davis, or trying to find her way around D.C., but living by herself across the country and solving the problems she ran into on her own.

About three weeks into her Washington sojourn, Song approached her bicycle, and it took her a moment to register that the seat was missing. After spending $50 on a lock to prevent a bicycle theft, Song was astonished to find that the crime in D.C. did not stop at stealing whole bicycles, but included stealing bicycle parts as well. Thoroughly annoyed, Song bought a new bicycle seat and got a bolted bicycle post to make sure no one else would steal the seat (or any other part of her bicycle) again.

After spending a day in heels, Song is ready to leave Capitol Hill. She heads down the steps toward her bicycle, glad that all of it is still there.

by Annie Cheng and Anvitha Soordelu

september 25, 2017

Under President Jimmy Carter, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was created by Executive Order 12147 and later implemented by Executive Order 12148 on April 1, 1979.

The enactment of FEMA reorganized and combined existing federal agencies that handled emergency preparedness into a unified, independent entity allowing the federal agency to respond to any presidentially-declared disaster.

After 38 years, FEMA’s role remains the same: to “support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from and mitigate all hazards.” In times of disaster, the local government responds with police, medical services and search and rescue units, while the state responds with the National Guard and other state agencies. They assess the damage to determine losses and recovery needs, and, if necessary, a governor declares a state of emergency and must request formal FEMA from the president.

Even before a catastrophe occurs, FEMA takes action to reduce injuries by analyzing previous natural disasters, creating policy measures and providing funds for training response personnel.

Throughout the U.S. FEMA operates through 10 regional centers that plan and develop ways of responding to terrorist events and natural disasters. In response to Hurricane Irma, FEMA has deployed Urban Search and Rescue task forces and more than 2,100 FEMA staff and has also transferred 2.4 million meals and 1.4 million liters of water to the affected states.

The agency also reduces the risk to people by adopting building codes and protecting those affected by terrorist acts and other disasters by delivering an immediate response. They assist in three main ways: individual, public and hazard mitigation services. FEMA offers temporary housing, legal assistance, grants and loans to individuals and small businesses who have suffered losses. They also restore public infrastructure by removing debris and replacing damaged utilities. To prevent dangers from recurring, they convert disaster prone property to open space, relocate and elevate structures and flood proof structures.

FEMA was originally a freestanding agency, but in 2003, it became part of the Department of Homeland Security. Like all federal agencies, FEMA is reliant on the federal budget. President Donald Trump’s proposed budget for 2018 increases funding for the Department of Homeland Security, but the budget cuts funding for programs that work with FEMA, like the Department of Housing and Urban Development, which aids in rebuilding suffering communities.

The National Weather Service would be cut $62 million, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration would lose $200 million worth of programs that research and prepare for future climate change and weather events. Trump’s budget would eliminate $667 million from FEMA, and cause losses in other sectors as well, according to a Washington Post story.

The Los Angeles Times reported that, as global warming becomes worse, hurricanes and storms will become stronger, droughts and wildfires will be more prevalent and sea levels will rise, leading to an increased number of floods. Wendy Smith-Reeve, president of the National Emergency Management Association, said the proposed cuts would be “incredibly impactful.”

by Colette Chiang

“Welcome to another episode of ‘Tiny Leaps, Big Changes,’ where I share simple strategies you can use to get more out of your lives.” This is the same line podcaster Gregg Clunis uses to kick off all 140 episodes of his self-produced video-podcast.

The podcast shares interesting research on topics that Clunis collects in his spare time, ranging from the benefits of making lists to ways to handle sugar cravings. He then packs and presents the summarized facts into a single episode or several episodes that have been “carefully scripted and compiled” to make the information easily comprehensible, according to Clunis.

After listening to the introductory episode, “Welcome to Tiny Leaps, Big Changes” I realized that his inspiration for the podcasts was his desire to help others enhance their physical and mental well-being.

Despite Clunis’ admirable and thoughtful motives, the first few episodes I listened to were slightly disappointing, especially given my high expectations based on the pilot episode and positive online reviews.

For example, one of the main drawbacks with the video “How to Be More Creative” is that the amount of information does not justify a 10-minute video. To be blunt, the episode was uninteresting, overly simplistic and confusing. I expected to learn unconventional information on creativity, but instead was offered

“Is podcast a verb?”

“I pod, you pod, we pod … we are currently podding.”

“Wittertainment,” officially known as “Kermode and Mayo’s Film Review,” is what you might call an acquired taste.

Radio presenter Simon Mayo and film critic Mark Kermode team up on a weekly two-hour critique of popular movies. Although two hours of two people talking may seem a bit drawn out — and at times, it is — the podcast keeps itself interesting with frequent, lighthearted banter between Mayo and Kermode peppered throughout episode.

Often, the actual critiquing doesn’t begin for about fifteen minutes, and it almost feels like the entire episode is going to be friendly ribbing. But when Kermode begins to dissect the movies selected for the podcast episode, there is a palpable shift in the mood as the podcast gets into the films.

I appreciate Kermode’s ability to detail his observations about the movies while still maintaining the secrecy of the ending. It might sound counterproductive to hear all about a movie except the very ending, but for a film critic, I think he does his job of both reviewing the movie and not spoiling it for the listeners.

Kermode and Mayo also incorporate their audience into their weekly episodes by reading emails while on the air and discussing the comments

vague ways to elevate my creativity, such as making a list of 10 ideas, finding the “right” people to share ideas with and creating an online folder of inspirational images or quotes. How is it possible that I am more confused about the subject after listening than before? This is just one of many questions that crossed my mind while watching; it is definitely a question that must be addressed in order to improve Clunis’ podcast.

Now, I’m not claiming that all of the podcast is bad just because I was unimpressed by a few introductory episodes. In fact, in other episodes, like “Why We Volunteer and How it Makes Us Happier” Clunis’ detailed explanation helped me learn more about the psychological benefits that are associated with volunteering. As an active volunteer in my community, listening to the podcast has allowed me to realize more of the happiness he mentions in the podcast firsthand.

While it is true that the podcast does have its shortcomings, “Tiny Leaps, Big Changes” covers a breadth of subjects that, if explained with clearer, more gripping facts, may attract more viewers.

by Kahyun Koh

that are sent in, whether they address the movies of the week or the hosts’ interactions with each other. Kermode also often plays clips of the films’ scores or even parts of the movies themselves, but the visuals don’t make too much difference to their listeners because they can only hear the movie either way. Kermode then proceeds to analyze that particular part of the movie.

Kermode and Mayo balance their podcast by alternating between serious breakdowns of movies and laid-back teasing, but clearly the reviews would be best appreciated by a movie buff. Although their banter and tangential discussions are entertaining, they often make references to longstanding inside jokes, which require a consistent and dedicated listener to understand, and two hours of film analysis isn’t worth sitting through just for some friendly ribbing.

“Kermode and Mayo’s Film Review” on BBC Radio is by no means a bad podcast, but it is definitely also not for everybody. For those who are tired of mindlessly scrolling through movies on Netflix, this film review podcast might be just the change of pace you are looking for.

by Anvitha Soordelu

At the beginning of each episode, “Death, Sex and Money” is described by host Anna Sale as a show “about the things we think about a lot and need to talk about more.”

Despite what the title suggests, topics are not limited to death, sex and money; they span a variety of subjects -- from Uber drivers to disabilities and, not surprisingly, death, sex and money — primarily through talk-show style interviews.

The episodes alternate between being depressing, inspiring and interesting.

In the weekly episodes, which range from 15 minutes to over an hour, Sale questions politely and does not give much commentary on her interviewees’ responses. For the most part, she uses these interviews as the driving force of her episodes and gets personal insight directly from those with firsthand experience with the subject.

On occasion, Sale’s stories hit close to home. Some stories are about things that are hard to discuss, like porn and death; but, more often than not, the stories provide a window into worlds many people don’t like to think about.

Sale addresses very sensitive and wellknown issues through her interviews.

“A Prison Guard in Transition” focuses on a transgender woman transitioning

while continuting to work as a prison guard. “Two Wheelchairs and a Baby” focuses on how parental relationships differ from the norm when both parents have disabilities but also have a child to care for.

These episodes can be depressing at times, simply due to their topic, but they tend to be the most interesting episodes because the interviewees share their unique experiences. These are the episodes that make listeners re-think their perspectives on an issue and change their opinions.

However, Sale also takes another route with some of her stories by using multiple interviews, as she did in “Who’s Driving Your Uber?” and “Let’s Talk About Porn.” In these episodes, Sale discusses the circumstances that lead Uber drivers to becoming Uber drivers and the variety of ways porn makes people feel. Some are disgusted and some feel embarrassed, while others embrace it. The episodes with many interviews are better, as they tend to give a comprehensive overview on the social issue discussed.

While, “Death, Sex and Money,” doesn’t exactly have the most accurate title for the topics it discusses, the podcast is an interesting way to learn a variety of things. Listening to people telling their life stories offers a great window into bigger issues and serves primarily as an introduction into diverse topics that many people are not comfortable talking about.

by Ellie Ahles

From Porta-Potties, spam, hangovers, tipping in restaurants to Barbies, weather control and bee colonies, “Stuff You Should Know” (SYSK) is a podcast, hosted by Josh Clark and Charles “Chuck” Bryant, that covers every topic imaginable.

Two or three times a week since Apr. 17, 2008, Clark and Bryant release a 20- to 40-minute episode in which they discuss common, but thought-provoking topics. “SYSK” began with Clark as the only host and Bryant joined him as a main host around a year later.

Clark was a founding editor and staff writer of “The Washboard Weekly,” an entertainment tabloid, but had not listened to a single podcast before begining to host “SYSK”. Before “SYSK”, Bryant was a screenwriter who helped with the TV version of “SYSK” before becoming a permanent host.

With the idea of being on a “never ending quest to explain absolutely everything there is on planet Earth and beyond,” Clark and Bryant have stayed true to their promise.

Each episode has a basic format begining with the history of the object, which includes how it was made and

improved, the use of the object and other general knowledge.

Their most-listened-to topics are about mundane, everyday and commonplace objects. After listening to the podcast, listeners are given a more in-depth and meaningful understanding behind the object.

The specialty of the duo is that they are not experts in the subject.

With half-self-deprecating humor and half-contagious fascination, Clark and Bryant’s colloquial exchanges draw listeners in. They have no time limit or script when they sit down to record. While trying to surprise one another throughout the show, their conversation gives “SYSK” an idiosyncratic, yet familiar and fun character.

“SYSK” is not for those who are looking for direct facts and solid research. Clark and Bryant do go off on tangents and meander for a bit. The duo takes a topic that could have been concisely expressed in ten minutes and stretches it out to 45 minutes or more. A clear liberal bias is also heard when Clark and Bryant talk.

Although not executed with professional reporting, the hosts of “SYSK” have great chemistry and serve as a great filler during road trips or when completing mundane tasks. More geared towards a casual audience, their unprofessionalism is part of the duo’s charm.

by Annie Cheng

A16 the falconer

entertainment

Robert Rihmeek Williams, better known by his stage name Meek Mill, released his third album “Wins & Losses” this July. When Meek Mill called out Drake for using a ghost writer on Twitter about two years ago, Drake responded with two diss tracks that significantly torpedoed Meek Mill’s popularity; “Wins & Losses” was Meek Mill’s way of redeeming himself as a rapper after this incident. The album contains many references to his past mistakes and humble upbringing. Despite the setbacks Meek Mill has experienced, this photo from atlantic records and maybach music group album shows he has come back from his slump.

The first track, “Wins & Losses,” starts with a powerful speech about ambition and the dedication success requires. The lines “You have to see it when nobody else sees it/You have to feel it when it’s not tangible/You have to believe it when you cannot see it,” perfectly portray the mindset Meek Mill must have had after his confrontation with Drake. The speech is given over background music that sounds like a brewing storm with a heavy and rapid beat, which gives the speech a divine atmosphere.

This ceases when Meek Mill begins to rap, and the background emphasizes the powerful lyrics about the humble beginnings of Meek Mill’s rap career.

Meek Mill portrays himself as the underdog of the rap game, which you can clearly hear on the track “Issues” and “1942 Flows.” Both of these songs seem to reiterate the hardships Meek Mill experienced through his upbringing. Meek Mill also raps about his dreams and how people have tried to hinder them. “I done seen all these n****s try to downplay my dreams/So I’ma give it to ‘em every time I’m on the scene.” The best part about this album is how true Meek Mill is to himself. Everything he talks about attracts sympathy and empathy from his audience.

The album also consists of a lot more than just emotional raps. With features from artists like Lil Uzi Vert, Young Thug, Future, Chris Brown and Quavo, this album offers a lot of variety. The tracks featuring artists Future, Lil Uzi Vert and Quavo have catchy beats that are perfect mood boosters. In comparison, “Whatever You Need” featuring Chris Brown and Ty Dolla $ign is much more mellow and has a rhythm and blues vibe to it.

Throughout the 17 songs, which vary from emotional to upbeat, there were not any songs that completely drew my attention. The main reason behind this is the redundancy of all the songs in the album. At least two to three songs seem to be of similar style, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but none of the songs were really anything out of the ordinary.

I would recommend this album to anyone looking to experience a variety of hip-hop varrying from rhythm and blues to catchy trap beats. However, I personally think that Meek Mill’s album, “Wins & Losses” stands no chance against other hot albums right now like “17” by XXXTENTACION, “DAMN.” by Kendrick Lamar and “Project Baby Two” by Kodak Black. Meek Mill’s album is simply not catchy enough to grab people’s attention and the verses just are not clever enough to compete with other trending rappers.

by Jeremy Chung

If the cover art of Portugal. The Man’s eighth studio album, “Woodstock,” was intended to illustrate the quality of the songs in the album, it would be doing a pretty successful job.

By the way, the cover is of a car engulfed in flames.

I should mention that this is my first experience listening to the band and I didn’t even know they existed until about a week before I was assigned to review the album.

Portugal. The Man’s music can be placed into the genres of psychedelic rock or pop, alternative or indie rock and many others, which made it hard to decipher.

The only correlations I can hear between the songs on this album are eerie, electronic sounds, which contribute to an unsettling feeling.

The album kicks off with “Number One,” which begins with a recording of singer Richie Havens performing at the Woodstock Music Festival in 1969. The strong synthesizer and strange electronically-generated sounds in the song give off spooky vibes, reminiscent of the music in a horror movie as a serial killer does research to select a victim. That being said, it wasn’t unbearable to listen to and only included incoherent mumbling for a short portion in the beginning. The band uses distorted speech once more in the track “Mr. Lonely,” which features hip-hop artist Fatlip lamenting the loss of a girl to another man.

september 25, 2017

Three years after the release of PVRIS’s debut album, “White Noise,” the band dropped its highly anticipated second studio album on Aug. 25. Darker and more thrilling than “White Noise,” the new album, titled “All We Know of Heaven, All We Need of Hell,” conveys raw emotion, pain, heartbreak and angst. The album features 10 tracks of PVRIS’ signature blend of heavy rock and electronic pop, but with a darker twist, as the album centers mostly on the heartbreak that comes with relationships. Key songs include “Heaven,” with a powerful vocal intro, “Walk Alone,” a sincere and sweet deviation from the album’s standard instrumentation and style, “No Mercy,” a hardcore rock song about pain and “Same Soul,” which transitions from soft pop to hardcore rock.

“Heaven,” the first song in the album, sets the mood for the following nine tracks with a blend of alternative and pop music. It starts out sweet, yet sad, with stripped-down vocals and a simple piano accompaniment, but then suddenly kickstarts into a pop melody. The soaring chorus vocals, a common feature in many of PVRIS’ songs, cry “You took my heaven away” over and over again while accompanied by a drum beat. The lyric repeats till the end of the song, slowly fading away until it returns to the simplicity at the beginning.

Similarly, “Walk Alone” starts out light; a psychedelic and soothing synthetic piano with stand-alone vocals. Drums that get increasingly louder and heavier add drama and emotion, before the song quietly fades into the final refrain accompanied by a soft harp. Of all the songs in the album, “Walk Alone” is my personal favorite because of its unexpected use of the harp and distinct calmness.

More alternative and with heavy use of synthetic pop, the song is reminiscent of “White Noise.”

In contrast to the sweeter “Walk Alone,” “No Mercy” starts with dramatic techno and vocals and quickly transitions into hardcore rock with a heavy drum beat and electric guitar. The dark mood that the lead singer instigates matches the lyrics, which are about wanting to break up with someone. “Show me no mercy/And let it rain, let it rain” is repeated throughout the song, alluding to how difficult leaving can be.

“Separate,” which deviates from rock and into a mixture of synthetic pop and classic pop vocals is not only interesting, but has unique instrumentation and powerful lyrics. “I wouldn’t mind if I died/I’m by your side/Tonight I give you my life” and “As long as they don’t separate you from me” prove how potent love can be and how much pain it can cause people.

“All We Know of Heaven, All We Need of Hell” is dark yet moving, touching on issues like emotional pain and heartbreak in its 10 tracks. PVRIS’ unique mixture of synthetic pop and hard, heavy rock highlight the strong feelings in the songs.

Emotional pain is portrayed through edgy tracks and soulful arrangements. The title gave me the impression that the tracks would have a more holistic sound, but used rock and dramatic lyrics, which fit PVRIS’ style. I was impressed by the emotions conveyed in the album and would definitely recommend listening to it for photo from rise records those who can stomach the thrilling, yet deep band.

by Esther Choi

As strange and generally unpleasant as the album is as a whole, there are parts that are enjoyable and refreshing. In “Mr. Lonely,” as the vocalist sings of the “pain in my heart,” drums begin to beat progressively faster, as though to simulate a heartbeat. “Rich Friends” and “So Young” both incorporate noticeably more real instruments rather than technologicallygenerated sounds. In fact, “So Young” includes a pretty epic guitar solo. “Easy Tiger,” though mainly electronic, was sprinkled with sounds of orchestra instruments.

Three songs that stand out as more upbeat — for the most part absent of the otherwise recurring undertones of dark, heavy emotions — are “Live in the Moment,” “Tidal Wave” and “Feel it Still.” The most cheesy and trendy of the three is definitley “Live in the Moment,” while the beat-drops in “Tidal Wave” were perfectlyplaced and delightful to the ear. However, “Feel It Still” varies the furthest from the confusing and jumbled spirit of the rest of the album. With a fun beat that makes you want to get up and dance, cool background noise and pretty vocals, it’s no wonder that a Vitamin Water commercial depicts Aaron Paul dancing wildly on a treadmill with the song blaring from the gym speakers. If I were to listen to any song from this album again, it would be “Feel It Still.”

Portugal. The Man almost would have gotten away with an alright album, but “Noise Pollution,” the last track, simply brings up every distasteful element of the other songs that is hard to like. To say the song is aptly titled would be an understatement. It is filled with ruckus and, in a certain part, the vocals seem to mimic an ambulance siren — maybe the one being called to rescue whoever was inside of the burning car on the album cover. Close to the end, a woman starts speaking French over chaotic metal music. The experience of listening to this song wipes away any pleasantness found in previous tracks and left me feeling confused.

Maybe it is because I am not a fan of alternative music, or maybe it is because I am just not a fan of Portugal. The Man, but the next time I want to listen to new music I’ll wait for Beyoncé to release an album.

by Eve Gross-Sable

photo from atlantic records

tphsfalconer.com

entertainment

the falconer

A17

infographic by anvitha soordelu

Information provided by Internet Movie Database

A18 the falconer As a senior, I have spent the last three years frequenting many of the same restaurants during our 45-minute lunch block, but this week I got to try something new. Anyone who knows me knows that I will never turn down a good burrito, which is why I was so excited to review Caliente.

Located in Sorrento Valley, just two freeway exits south of TPHS, I got to the restaurant pretty quickly, which is great if you want to make it back to school on time. To avoid waiting too long, I called in my order while driving to Caliente and, to my surprise, all three of the items I ordered were finished and ready for pick-up when I arrived only about 5 minutes later.

The first thing I noticed about the restaurant was how cheap its prices were compared to similar popular Mexican places like Nico’s Taco Shop and Kotija Jr. After some difficult deliberation while I looked at the menu during math class, I decided that I’d be ordering the Chicken Rolled Tacos with guacamole ($3.25), the Shrimp Quesadilla ($6.49) and the California Burrito ($5.50).

Starting with the rolled tacos, the food was not off to the best start. Although they were stuffed with chicken, the meat had no flavor, which made the taquitos taste bland. On top of that, the plate was served with lettuce and tomatoes on the side that tasted cold and not very fresh. The one thing that made this dish edible was the guacamole,

entertainment which was spread on top of the three tacos. Despite this, I didn’t let one dish define the whole menu.

After the rolled tacos, I moved on to the Shrimp Quesadilla. Not expecting much after the disappointment of the first dish, I was pleasantly surprised. The plate was huge, a more than generous serving that I could not finish. After just the first bite, however, my taste buds were blown away. It didn’t taste like any quesadilla I’d ever had before. The shrimp inside was grilled perfectly, adding a smoky flavor to the dish. By far the best part of the quesadilla, however, was the authentic Mexican white sauce. The sauce mixed perfectly with the shrimp and tied the whole plate together.

Finally, I ordered the California Burrito, a San Diego staple. The burrito, which consisted of carne asada, sour cream, french fries and salsa fresca, got better with each bite. The carne asada, which was definitely the best part of the meal, was tender, juicy and flavorful. With just the right amount of each ingredient and a soft, warm flour tortilla wrap, the burrito was almost heavenly, one of the best I’ve had.

I will definitely be returning to the restaurant, ready to try something new off their mouthwatering menu. With its close location, fast service, fair prices and delicious food, there really aren’t many lunch destinations better than Caliente.

by Sammy Hallal

september 25, 2017

photo by hayoung park/falconer

Falcon Eats: lunch (Off-Campus)

photo by hayoung park/falconer

I went to Mendocino Farms thinking that, like me, no one had ever heard of it. Turns out I was wrong.

There wasn’t a single empty seat at the new Del Mar Highlands Town Center location.

Right after I entered the restaurant, I was greeted by a smiling employee who placed my order on a tablet after making aware me of Mendocino’s most popular sandwiches. Taking her suggestions, I ordered “The Farm Club” ($10.45), “‘Not so Fried’ Mary’s Chicken” ($10.45) and “Mama Chen’s Chinese Chicken Salad” ($11.45). While I studied the menu of sandwiches and salads, I noticed plenty of vegan dishes, as well as gluten-free ones. After paying at the counter, it took about 10 minutes for my order to arrive. My two sandwiches came diagonally cut on a metal tray to showcase their fresh ingredients, and the salad also looked extremely appetizing, with its brightly colored vegetables and crispy wontons sprinkled on top.

“Mama Chen’s Chicken Salad” was absolutely

As someone obsessed with punctuality, the stress of having to run to the parking lot to avoid traffic and then scarfing down a meal minutes before the bell was always the most stressful part of my day. But when I was assigned Corner House Cafe, a restaurant nearly three times as far from TPHS as the Highlands, I put my fears aside for the chance to find a new lunch spot.

Only two exits away, the commute was surprisingly brief and ordering ahead seemed to be a strategic choice as it meant skipping the long line. The traffic was heavier on the way back, but we managed to arrive back at TPHS with about ten minutes left of lunch.

The first item we tried was the Gyro Sandwich ($7.99), a warm pita filled with of gyro meat and crisp vegetables. At first glance, the sandwich looked like an enormous amount of cabbage and tomato atop a large pita, but after a couple bites I was pleased to see the savory gyro meat spilling out the sides. The accompanying yogurt sauce was creamy and tangy, a much needed balance to the heaviness of the meat. Even though ordering ahead had undoubtedly saved us time, the sogginess of the pita clearly indicated that the food had been sitting before we arrived. But the overall tastiness of the meal was ultimately enough to compensate for the texture.

The next item we tried, and it definitely was my least favorite dish, was the Baja Chicken

delicious. Every bite was sweet and refreshing with the miso mustard sesame dressing, which gave and great flavor to the tender chicken and fresh vegetables. I especially enjoyed the carrots and almonds that added crunch, but I thought the salad needed a bit more chicken. Overall, however, it was extremely enjoyable.

Next, I tried “The Farm Club,” which is Mendocino’s take on the classic turkey club. Again, I appreciated the wonderful freshness of each ingredient and I enjoyed the sweet pickled onions that paired so well with the turkey, the avocado and tomatoes; I almost didn’t recognize the onions due to the replacement of their expected spice with a flavorful sweetness. I will say that “Mom’s seeded whole wheat bread” was less than appetizing and didn’t work for me, and the bacon was also overcooked and extremely crunchy. But all together, each bite of the sandwich was a tasty one.

Finally, I tried the “‘Not so Fried’ Mary’s Chicken” sandwich, and it was just as tasty as my other

Sandwich ($7.99). The wait had obviously taken its toll on the sandwich and the bread had absorbed the moisture from the cheese, which had congealed and was oozing grease.

The grilled onions were also too oily, which affected the freshness of the other vegetables, but the jalepeños added a nice level of heat to the sandwich. One of the few other redeeming factors about the sandwich was the chicken breast, which was well-cooked and still warm.

The sole dish we ordered that escaped the effects of the wait was the Chicken Kabob Plate with salad ($8.99). As our most expensive purchase, I expected it to come with more chicken, but the meal ended up being mostly salad. That being said, the chicken was flavorful and the vegetables added a crisp texture to the chicken.

The variety of vegetables was also appreciated, and the creamy dressing was a refreshing accompaniment.

While the Corner House Cafe menu was promising, the sogginess of the items left me wondering what their condition would have been had we not ordered ahead and given them time to sit. I would recommend giving Corner House a try if you have a free period that may allow for you to order when you arrive, and even dine, at the restaurant. But otherwise, I would stick to a sandwich joint that won’t deliver soggy bread.

by Sumin Hwang

items. The chicken was tender and I loved the crispy breadcrumbs sprinkled throughout the sandwich, which complemented the soft ciabatta bread. I also thought the mustard pickle remoulade was delectable with just the right amount of sweet and sour flavors.

Overall, the freshness of the ingredients and tasty flavors that complemented one another in each dish I tasted are what made my experience at Mendocino Farms memorable. I now understand why the restaurant was so crowded, and I honestly can’t wait to go back to try more of the menu as one of Mendocino Farms’ new fans.

by Angela Liu

photo by alexei serguienko/falconer

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Frequently lumped in with music festivals like Coachella and Outside Lands, Del Mar’s KAABOO garners the same level of attention but offers a different spin on the traditional three-day festival. The festival, held from Sept. 15 - 17, featured artists like the Red Hot Chili Peppers, P!nk, Muse and Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers as headliners and was accompanied by comedians, art shows and dining experiences.

Unlike the first two years of this festival, the four stages — each conveniently surrounded by a variety of food and drink vendors that ranged from exotic noodles to comfort food — were moved fully into the parking lot of the fairgrounds. This made getting back and forth between each stage, let alone getting into the actual festival a nightmare because of all of the walking. But, open access to all stages, unlike in previous years, helped to make the event easier to navigate and signs and employees were readily available to give directions.

Each day, KAABOO’s gates opened at 11:30 a.m., kicking off the event with smaller indie or rock acts and culinary competitions. The morning start seemed a bit over the top, and it certainly didn’t help alleviate traffic. Not surprisingly, the traffic, which congested the freeway and the Via De La Valle exit and made it difficult to get to the fairground parking lots and security lines, was the most frustrating part of the festival. Of course, the tens of thousands of people attending KAABOO also made for a busy and festive atmosphere and contributed to the enthusiastic and energized crowds at all the sets.

Shaquille O’Neal, under the alias of DJ Diesel, was highly anticipated for Friday’s lineup along with Ke$ha, Weezer, David Guetta and the headliner band, Red Hot Chili Peppers.

O’Neal played on the Grandview Stage, filling his 55-minute set with trending rap and hip hop songs. His performance was underwhelming in comparison to his popularity, and, as a result, his show was lackluster. Fans, pulled on stage to dance with his crew, lightened the mood, but DJ Diesel was a disappointment nonetheless. Compared to other DJs, his transitions between songs and beats were sloppy, but his enthusiastic attitude helped make up for it.

Next, I headed to Weezer perform on the Sunset Cliffs mainstage. Their performance was exciting and loud, but it was hard to hear the vocals, which were drowned out by overwhelming background music. After listening to a few songs I directed my attention to Ke$ha back on the Grandview stage. While I had seen Ke$ha’s Get Sleazy tour six years ago, her performance at KAABOO was not only more captivating but also more simple and beautiful. Ke$ha also performed “Praying” for the first time, and the Del Mar audience was blown away.

David Guetta closed out the night on the Grandview stage with an incredible performance.

Tracks were accompanied by graphics shown on his DJ booth and special effects like lasers and fireworks. The Red Hot Chili Peppers on the Sunset Cliffs stage, the headliners for the night, had a presence like no other. Years of experience shows with this talented group, and their ability to capture a crowd was unparalleled.

Saturday was by far the best day of the festival, featuring rappers Logic and Ice Cube followed by Muse and P!nk. Logic, known for his current hit “1-800-273-8255,” made centered his performance around connecting emotionally with his audience.

Though at times he seemed somewhat cocky onstage, his performance was meaningful. Ice Cube followed on the Sunset Cliffs stage with a good performance, but the music and the lyrics were hard to hear, leaving me underwhelmed by the performance. If nothing else, it was amusing to see the Del Mar crowd get behind NWA’s signature anti-police anthem.

Muse and P!nk were both incredible in their stage presence and performance. Muse was loud and interactive coming down from stage to perform on a separate platform closer to the audience while an upbeat and chatty P!nk literally flew, harnassed, over the crowd. She said she was sick, but no one in crowd would have been able to tell if she hadn’t mentioned it.

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After two great days at KAABOO, I had high expectations for the third and final day. After being blown away by David Guetta and P!nk, I could not wait to see T-Pain and Jason Derulo. T-Pain was fun and energetic but nothing could top the extravagance of Jason Derulo. Not only did he have back-up dancers and a DJ, but he had them perform on their own songs in-between his stages.

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers closed out KAABOO with an incredible performance which had the whole festival on its feet.

KAABOO is definitely a unique experience in the way that it combines art, music and food, but as a music festival it is a little messy.

The directors need to find a better way to target a single demographic and to not overlap popular bands as much as they do. Over time, I believe that KAABOO will become organized and find its groove with the crowds.

12880 Carmel Country Rd. San Diego, CA 92130 (La Salsa’s former location)

photos from muse, p!nk, david guetta, red hot chili peppers and jason derulo

Football Footballloses playshigh-scoring El Camino battle with El Camino

The TPHS football team (2-2) lost to El Camino High School (3-1) on Sept. 15, giving up the win 42-31.

TPHS kicked the game off with good defense. Michael Perrone (12) successfully thwarted El Camino’s opening drive. A poor punt from the Wildcats and an offsides penalty opened up an easy drive for TPHS, starting off with big runs by Mac Bingham (11), Sully O’Brien (12) and Jason Heine (11) and capping off in a touchdown run

by Bingham with six minutes left in the quarter.

On the defensive end, a missed tackle

by Jack Raser (12) allowed for a 30-yard touchdown run by El Camino running back Chris Brown.

The Falcons blocked the Wildcats’ extra point, though, allowing them to maintain a 7-6 lead.

“We were horrible [at] tackling, we just didn’t execute it,” varsity head coach Ron Gladnick said.

O’Brien took it Mac Bingham to the 28-yard line running back after the kickoff and after an unsuccessful option play by the Falcons, El Camino took possession of the ball. They produced a 70-yard touchdown run with 25 seconds on the clock.

El Camino started the second quarter with strong defense, and quickly retook possession of the ball. However, a bad snap allowed the Falcons to recover the ball at the Wildcats’ 12-yard line. Within one minute, Bingham scored his second touchdown of the game, putting TPHS in the lead once again. Justin Kaplan (12) scored the extra point, making the score 14-12 Falcons.

Another bad El Camino snap led to another turnover and allowed the Falcons to put seven more points on the board.

El Camino came back with a 50-yard run, Brown’s third touchdown of the game.

A pass play from Heine to Jack Nelson (12) put the Falcons in field goal range.

Justin Kaplan (12) scored a miraculous field goal just as the buzzer sounded, a dramatic ending to the second quarter with TPHS in the lead 24-19.

El Camino came back from halftime firing on all cylinders. The Falcons’ first drive of the half was cut short by a smothering El Camino hit that caused a TPHS fumble. Pinned deep on their own side of the field, TPHS’s defense was unable to stop a run up the middle by running back Rense Garner for a Wildcat touchdown. El Camino nailed the extra point to reclaim the lead, 26-24.

“This team tonight is way more athletic than we are,” Gladnick said. “Our whole league is way more athletic than we are.”

The Falcon offense continued to have a tough time picking up any significant yardage.

O’Brien picked up a first down on a screen pass from Heine, but El Camino secured yet another turnover on a fumble.

“We’re going to have to go out and practice, work on a lot of ball security. drills, and try to work on it[fumbles],” Bingham said.

The Wildcats’ offense picked up right where it left off, as a 20-yard pass and a costly missed tackle punched in another Wildcat touchdown. With their second touchdown in two minutes, El Camino increased their advantage, 33-24. During the second half, missed tackles were a significant issue for the Falcon defense.

“Everyone just has to keep their eyes on the ball,” said defensive captain Louis Bickett (12). “We need everybody to try to tackle the guy instead of just one guy and hoping he’s down, and he’s breaking away.

We need everybody to get there.”

Heine attempted to jump start the Falcons’ offense, displaying his mobility in picking up a first down. But the momentum of the drive was stunted when O’Brien was helped off the field with an apparent injury and was unable to return to the game.

We’re gonna have to go out and practice, work on a lot of ball security. drills, and try to work on [fumbles].

The problem ended up being leg cramps, a recurring issue for O’Brien.

Heine continued to drive the ball with the passing game, as he connected with Luke Mikolajewski (11) for a 20-yard gain.

The third quarter ended in another big break for El Camino, as they recovered another fumble by the Falcons.

The Wildcats had the ball on their own 11-yard line to start the fourth quarter. El Camino slowly worked its way up the field before being handed about 20 yards on a questionable pass interference penalty called on the Falcon defense.

After a couple of big pass plays, the Wildcats scored on another big run by Brown, his fourth touchdown of the night.

Trailing 39-24 and in desperation offense, the Falcons moved the ball up the field rapidly. Bingham finished off the drive registering his fourth touchdown. The Wildcats marched down the field, nailing a 30-yard field goal as time expired to end the game at 42-31.

“The kids had a bad night, and that’s my responsibility, you know,” Gladnick said.

“I’ve got to prepare them and we weren’t obviously as prepared as we needed to be.”

The team will work hard in preparation for the next game.

The Westview Wolverines (3-1) will host the Falcons on Friday night at 7 p.m.

photos by david vapnek/falconer

first Down and More: Evan Galluzi (27) takes the handoff and rushes to the outside as the Falcons’ offensive line sets up blocks (TOP). Jason Heine (4) leaves the pocket, scans the field and takes off for a Falcons first down (MIDDLE). Luke Mikolajewski (23) beats the Wildcats defender on his route and makes a leaping catch on a 20-yard bullet from quarterback Jason Heine (ABOVE).

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DAY IN THE

LIFE

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After 12 years of commitment to tennis, Hannah Zhao (12) is about to take a shot at Duke University, where she will play on their Division I team beginning next January.

As she steps onto the tennis court for the final match in the Girls’ 18 Singles event at the Southern California Junior Sectional Championships, returning champion Hannah Zhao’s (12) brain seems to freeze. With all eyes on her, arms shaking and heart pounding, Zhao breathes in and out, becoming more confident with each hit until the match is over and she is crowned the champion. However, Zhao is no stranger to winning; ever since she began hitting balls with her father at age 5, she has always excelled in tennis.

“I was pretty good at [tennis and] it was basically the only sport I had ever played,” Zhao said. “I started taking lessons and I really liked them, so I continued to play.”

For the past 12 years, Zhao has devoted her time to perfecting her game by practicing year-round for an hour and a half each session and competing at least once or twice each month. Oh, and she made time for schoolwork and friends.

“I try to get most of my work done in class, and then I practice [tennis] for the rest of the time,” Zhao said. “I like to be efficient.”

During her practices, Zhao typically warms up with her coach, does drills to improve her movement and works on her serves. Training five to six days each week takes up a significant amount of Zhao’s time, but her discipline and hard work continue to pay off.

According to Zhao, some of her proudest accomplishments include winning the CIF Singles championship as a freshman and being named the Southern California Player of the Year as well as the San Diego Player of the Year for Girls’ 18 section in 2014.

Because of her reputation and many titles, Zhao often feels pressured to continue her winning streaks. Pressure is one of the many factors contributing to the nerves flooding through Zhao’s body during the final match. Remembering that she had just recovered from a back injury and is playing against a girl that she had lost to a few weeks prior, Zhao

sprints across the court while focusing on the ball and staying in the calm zone.

Tennis not only keeps Zhao active but also has allowed her to build resilience and determination. “[Tennis has] helped me learn how to deal with things when they don’t go my way, like when I get injured or when I’m not playing well,” Zhao said.

Despite her occasional injuries, Zhao has never felt like quitting or taking up a different sport, as “the fun of competing” keeps her going, and has led her to the successes and high rankings she enjoys today.

In the past few years, those accomplishments and the rankings that come with them have helped Zhao catch the eyes of college scouts across the country, and she received offers to play tennis at Harvard, Northwestern, the University of California, Los Angeles, the University of Southern California and Duke. Last September, Zhao verbally committed to Duke, and she plans to start playing tennis on Duke’s Division I team starting on January 8, 2018 after graduating from TPHS in December.

Regarding the future, Zhao’s goal is to win the NCAA title sometime in college. Depending on how well her college playing career goes, Zhao is also thinking of playing professionally after graduating from Duke.

The tennis ball just catches the edge of the white line, zips past her opponent and Zhao has won the match. After hours of tension, her body relaxes, the nerves dissipate a little more with each deep breath, and triumph takes over, filling her with joy. In that moment, Zhao feels like her 5-year-old self again — the girl who fell in love with hitting balls and playing tennis — and she is reminded that all the hours in all the years have delivered deep rewards beyond just this victory.

by Colette Chiang and Angela Liu photo by hayoung park/falconer

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september 25, 2017

Girls vball takes 6th in Durango Classic

Steiner joins Junior National Cycling Team

Girls volleyball competed at the Durango Fall Classic in Las Vegas on Sept. 15-16, securing their place as the sixth best team in the nation.

According to Coach Brennan Dean, the Durango Fall Classic is “the most competitive tournament in the U.S.” and TPHS has historically done well there.

Sophia Chen (11), who has played volleyball for five years, was very excited about the tournament because of the “really good teams from all around the country that were going to be playing there.”

The competition was difficult; among 64 of the best volleyball teams in the United States, outside hitter Emma Roberts (11) predicted that TPHS’ biggest competitors would be Archbishop Mitty High School from San Jose and Redondo Union High School, as well as local teams like La Costa Canyon High School and Canyon Crest Academy.

The Falcons went in with a solid plan.

“As a team, our goal is to serve tough and pass well, which is a combination that will really frustrate our opponents,” Chen said.

The team ended up with a 5-2 record, earning all five wins by a score of 2-0.

They eventually lost in a close match to Assumption High School from Kentucky, which has won the Durango Fall Classic tournament three of the last four years.

“I’d say [the tournament this year] was a particularly hard loss,” Dani Fornaciari (12) said. “We took [Assumption] to three sets after winning the first, and we had a six-point lead in the third set. We definitely could have beaten them.”

Even though the team lost, “it feels really good knowing we came so close to beating the Number One team in the country, and being one of the few teams to have such a high-level game with them,” Camilla Appiani (10) said.

According to Fornaciari, Assumption is a “big, physical team” that has a lot of talent and confidence, which makes them very successful. But, even though the TPHS girls had a height disadvantage, they did not allow that to get in the way of their success.

“I’m really proud because we definitely aren’t the biggest team height-wise, but we played as a team every match,” Ellie Auerbach (12) said. “We finished better than last year, which is exciting.”

Despite being ranked higher than they were last year, the Falcons still aim to be better.

As individuals, each girl knows her strengths and weaknesses, and what skills she needs to improve on.

“I am always my biggest critic, and so I definitely think I have things to work on; however, overall, I thought I had a pretty good tournament,” Fornaciari said. “I felt like I was able to effectively contribute to the team’s success, and Prep Volleyball named me a ‘supernova,’ [which is] an outstanding player.”

The team is very close-knit and has endured a lot together, but they have also had many fun times together off of the court, according to Appiani.

“It’s also important for the new varsity players to learn the culture of the team, and they definitely got to see how competitive Torrey Pines volleyball is,” Forniciari said.

In addition to raising their spirits, the Durango Fall Classic also motivated the girls to work even harder to win league, CIF and state, as the tournament “helped narrow down some areas that need improvement,” according to Appiani.

The Girls Volleyball team will use the loss in Las Vegas to push them to perform better in the season, and “hopefully, we’ll be number 1 by the end [of it],” Forniciari said.

McKenzie Steiner (11) rode for the Women’s Junior National Cycling Team for the Junior Track World Championships, which was held in Montichiari, Italy on Aug. 24-28.

Held annually, the Junior Track World Championships is a biking competition composed of events such as the Omnium, a series of four races, and the Madison, a partner-based speed relay race between junior bikers from various countries. The national team placed eleventh overall and Alijah Beatty was the only biker who qualified to move onto the final round of her event.

Steiner’s teammate for Team Pursuit, an event in which the cyclists bike in a straight line and “do sixteen laps around the velodrome, [a four kilometer cycling track used for racing,] … and your time is based on the third finisher,” Beatty helped them qualify for the Women’s Junior National Cycling Team at the Junior Track National Championships on Aug. 2, when she, Steiner and two others won Team Pursuit.

According to Steiner, the basic strategy

for her team, and many others teams, is to “put someone in the front … and they go as hard as they can [at the beginning of the race] and the other three people stay together” for the duration of Team Pursuit in order to strategically use other riders on the team who had less stamina.

Although she had already qualified for the World Championships after winning first place at Team Pursuit, Steiner also placed third in the Junior Women’s International Omnium Points Race, behind fellow team members Beatty and Sawyer Taylor. Steiner also placed third in multiple other events, including the Elimination Race, Scratch Race, Points Race, Madison, Team Sprint and Individual Pursuit.

“Qualifying meant I got to have what is potentially a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” Steiner said.

To prepare for World Championships, Steiner practiced cycling six to seven days a week and varied her workouts to prepare for the competition. Her training regimens could include anything from long rides on Sundays to time trials on Wednesdays to practices in the velodrome on Thursdays.

Steiner also went mountain biking on Tuesdays, which is a deviation from more serious cycling. The environment is more friendly and the bikers all “goof off … and maybe do things that we end up regretting

in the morning because we’re going to be covered in cuts.”

Steiner has also participated in national training camps, one of which was a few weeks before the World Championships.

“In the long term, I think the camp was really good,” Steiner said. “But I was doing 60 miles in Colorado in altitude two weeks before Worlds, and that may not have been a great idea.”

Despite Steiner’s Team Pursuit group only practicing together for the few weeks leading up to Worlds’ qualification round, Steiner and her team improved their best time from Nationals by eight seconds to create a new personal best of just under five minutes and 12 seconds.

“We did a lot of practice to work on riding closer and better as a team,” Steiner said.

Steiner’s father, Derek Steiner, was a competitive domestic cyclist who taught Steiner to ride a bike when she was a fouryear-old and Steiner credits him as her inspiration to be a cyclist.

“I really love [biking] and I want to be better at it and if you find something you love — I just can’t stop doing it,” Steiner said.

Having raced competitively since she was 14, Steiner is not ready to slow down even after competing on the national level, amongst other world-class cyclists.

Field Hockey perfect in Serra Tournament Taking first seed in Pool D, Girls Varsity Field Hockey won all three games on Sept. 16 at the Serra Varsity Field Hockey Tournament.

For the first game, TPHS (6-2) defeated long-time rival school, La Costa Canyon High School (3-4). TPHS faced tough competition, according to Kristin Bitter (11).

Bitter and midfielder Emma Marks (12) started the first half by scoring the first two goals of the game, giving TPHS a lead.

“We came in kind of tired, so we were slow at first,” Bitter said. “But we just had to wake up a lot and really had to overcome [our tiredness].”

A goal after the second TPHS corner began a wave of momentum. The Falcons scored one more goal, sealing the game with a winning score of 4-0.

In the second game, TPHS played against Otay Ranch High School (0-5) winning with a 8-0 score.

Within the first five minutes of the game, midfielder Kerri Byrne (12) scored a goal. A few minutes after Byrne’s goal, Erin Poe (9) intercepted the ball and took it straight down the center. With a flick of the wrist, she passed the ball to Bitter who was running by her right side. However, after Bitter brought the ball up a few more yards, she failed to pass it back to Poe for a chance to score.

“I think our communication was a little lacking in the beginning,” Ryan Poe (12) said. “But it definitely improved throughout the game.”

The team began the second half confidently. Although the Falcons had been playing well while maintaining good momentum and focus, Coach Lucy Busby thought that the girls could have improved their performance by passing the ball more diagonally towards the center rather than just parallel to the goal and straight to the center.

Continuing their strong goal scoring streak, TPHS fully utilized their corner advantages and ended the game with an assist and a goal from Gracie Jiminez (9) and Ashley Dowe (12), respectively.

The Falcons finished with a 2-0 win against Newport Harbor High School (1-1).

Throughout the game, the referees weren’t calling out any of the fouls and the Newport team didn’t have good sportsmanship during the game, according

to Bitter.

Unlike the other two games, the first five minutes began with the ball mainly in Newport’s possession and on TPHS’ side of the field. Finally, the Falcons took ahold of the ball and pushed to the other side of the field. Even with this change of momentum, no goals were scored for either team.

“Our way of getting back at them was just to score on them and shut them out, which we did.” Bitter said.

A few minutes after a team meeting during halftime, Poe (12) finally broke

the 0-0 score by scoring a goal. Riding on the control of the flow of the game, Sophia LeRose was able to catch a break down the field and took a shot at the goal. After a failed rebound by LeRose, Bitter finally hit the ball of the backboard.

“I think as a team we played really well,” Poe (12) said. “but I think we all got our energy up and got a win and shut outs all day, so that was pretty great.”

The Falcons will advance to the playoffs on Sept. 23, since they finished within the top two in their pool.

photo by lauren zhang/falconer

HIT AnD never quit: Ryan Poe runs the ball down the field, hoping to score a goal for the Falcons. The Falcons dominated Otay Ranch High School 8-0 (TOP). The Falcons defense clashes sticks with and eventually fends off a Mustang’s attack. The Falcon’s defense was impenatrable over the weekend, not allowing a single goal (ABOVE).

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jason heine varsity football september 15 8:13:33

camera: nikon d5500 lens: nikon 55-300m f/4.5-5.6G ED VR iso: 16000 exp: 1/1000 seconds f/stop: f/5.3 by david vapnek

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