Falconer
The Torrey Pines High School
Friday, March 24, 2017
Vol. 42, Issue 6, 32 pages
www.tphsfalconer.com
Reduce, reuse, recycle? by Maya Kota and Lily Nilipour Custodian Dave Ham makes his daily rounds in the hallways of the B building after school. He enters each classroom, picks up both the trash and recycling bins by the door and then empties them into a single waste receptacle. According to the SDUHSD Quarterly Refuse and Recycle Weights report for October, November and December of 2016, TPHS recycled 5.01 tons of waste, the second-highest amount of recycling at a school in the district. But, according to Ham, the custodial staff has a limited role in handling recyclable materials on campus. “Cardboard goes into a recycling bin, and then ... each room is supposed to have two recycling wastebaskets — one for white paper and one for plastic bottles and aluminum cans,” Ham said. “Most rooms have those, but they aren’t used properly. Some custodians do more recycling than others, but as far as the paper goes, it all goes into the trash for me because I don’t have time to sort the trash from the recycling.” School plant supervisor Logan Helm said that custodians “leave the bottles and cans alone” in classrooms due to possible contamination and time restraints on their maintenance responsibilities. “It’s hard to separate [trash and recycling] because ... if there’s bottles and cans in the trash, [the custodians] don’t have time to be sorting them,” Helm said. Although EDCO, the school’s trash and recycling disposal service, pays the district for each container of recycling it collects, a contaminated container gets sent directly to a landfill, according to SDUHSD Director of Maintenance & Operations, Dan Love. EDCO charges the district to haul each container of trash. “If you have contaminated recycling material ... [EDCO] will not pay us for that, and they will haul that as the same price as trash,” Love said. “[However], we are not going through the trash and doing a diversion program. There’s not enough time to do that, and that would be giving the custodians much more than they’re capable of doing while getting everything clean on campus.” Because the custodial staff does not have the sufficient time or resources to dedicate to recycling, Key Club, a service-based campus club, takes primary responsibility for collecting and disposing of bottles and cans. “Our school doesn’t actually recycle because we don’t have the facilities to process separate recycled items,” Key Club president Maddy Lim (12) said. “What Key Club does is go through and sort through all the recycling, so that way all the plastic bottles will actually get recycled.” Members of Key Club, organized and led by recycling coordinators Lauren Hanna (11) and Ava Hanna (11), are assigned rooms to sort through all wastebaskets to gather bottles and cans. Then, they take the materials to a local recycling center in the Highlands to raise money to fund the club and donate to charities. Since October 2012, Key Club has made $1,466.11 from their efforts, as of Mar. 10. According to Ava Hanna, cross-contamination between trash and recyclables is common in wastebaskets across campus. Despite the improved separation of waste in designated bins, PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ALLY JENSEN/FALCONER
students “underestimate the worth of what they have” and should be more aware of how they are handling their waste, Lauren Hanna said. “Being a part of recycling and seeing all these trash cans and all the places we have to hit, I realize that the janitors have a humongous task on their hands,” Ava said. “I don’t think we should expect the janitors to do more than they already do with keeping this place clean.” TPHS nutrition services also supports the recycling program at the school, which may account for the bulk of the five tons reportedly recycled by TPHS. Nutrition services supervisor Rose Hernandez said that most waste generated by the kitchen is recycled. “We’ve stopped using foam, ... we recycle all the cartons, all the boxes that everything comes in,” Hernandez said. “The plastic, we separate that as well ... There’s a lot less trash; we pretty much don’t throw too much out [because] I try to organize it so that we don’t have many leftovers.” Even though Key Club and nutrition services recycle some trash on campus, other materials — primarily white paper — are not recycled at all. According to Ham, he and other custodians mix white paper with other trash when emptying out the bins after school hours. “The teachers are out the door ... on Friday night at 2:35, and so a lot of the rooms are locked up, so [Key Club] can’t get to them and [the recycling] becomes trash to the custodian,” Ham said. “My idea was either have the kids do recycling at the lunch hour ... or have the teachers put the recycling wastebaskets outside their doors.” Since the responsibility for managing waste lies with both maintenance staff and students, Ava said administration should enforce proper waste disposal, and providing more recycling bins would help accomplish that goal. “The administration is able to get the word out efficiently and talk to the student body with the most authority, so that way people listen,” Ava said. “I don’t think a lot of people are aware that the school doesn’t recycle, and that them not caring about what they put inside each trash can ... is making an effect.” Love said that he would like to collaborate more with the custodial crews on campus to improve recycling efforts from everyone, including staff and students.
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Bouchard and Dupree awarded Teacher and Employee of the Year Special education teacher Susie Bouchard was named TPHS Teacher of the Year and then SDUHSD Teacher of the Year, and special education instructional aide Janine Dupree was named TPHS Classified Employee of the Year, an award presented to non-credentialed staff members, on Mar. 9. Bouchard and Dupree were nominated by their TPHS co-workers and then won after receiving the most votes by colleagues. Bouchard teaches the Transitional Alternative Program, which is a part of the special education department. The program is for “students who require functional, social, vocational and independent living skills, which are necessary in preparation for a successful adult life,” according to the SDUHSD website. “It’s absolutely an honor,” Bouchard said. “I never in a million years thought I would be selected for TPHS Teacher of the Year, let alone for the district, so it’s a privilege and definitely an honor.” Dupree also works in the special education department as an Instructional Assistant in the Functional Life Skills class, which is for students with moderate to severe disabilities. She is in charge of choosing which elective class the students
in FLS will attend each day. “I go out of my way to fulfill the needs of the kids and to be aware of work that they need [to get] done, Dupree said. “I think that gives [the teachers] a chance to work more than we’re supposed to.” Along with helping transport and accompanying the FLS students to their other classes, Dupree helps students work on programs and listen to music on
I never in a million years thought I would be selected ... it’s a privilege and definitely an honor. Susie Bouchard
computers in the FLS classroom. She also helps feed students in the special education department who either to be fed directly or through tube-feeding. “I go out of my way to fulfill the needs of the kids and to be aware of work that they need done for them,” Dupree said. Helping the students overcome their challenges makes the job worth it for Dupree.
“The kids are wonderful, and it’s nice to feel that we make a difference in their lives,” Dupree said. “That’s the most important thing,” According to Principal Rob Coppo, both Bouchard and Dupree are both very “deserving” of the awards they received. “I believe Dupree was selected because of her care for the students,” Coppo said. “She puts students first, and it was really nice to see that recognized. Ms. Bouchard — I can tell you that she’s just
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Kevin Ren (11) Derek Xiao (12)
The team placed 9th out of 29 teams. Outstanding Trial Attorney: Mary Maas (12) Oustanding Prosecution Witness: Melanie Epstein (12)
Parker Case (12) Patricia Chen (10) Paulina Chertukhina (10) Kristabel Chung (12)
PHOTO COURTESY OF ROB COPPO
STANDOUT STAFF: Janine Dupree (LEFT) and Susie Bouchard (RIGHT) hold their awards for Employee and Teacher of the Year with TPHS Principal Rob Coppo and teacher Tim Staycer (LEFT). Dupree and Bouchard received their awards on Mar. 9.
Brian Kraft (9) Gabrielle Plewe (11) Finn Taylor (9) Alyssa Yen (10)
Level II Category: 1st Place: 3rd Place: Ava Hanna (11) Hayden Crawford (11) Lauren Hanna (11) Tyler Shapiro (10) Raquel Valdez (11) Lenni Elbe (11) Level III Category: 2nd Place Aaron Chen (12) Sora Oyaizu (11) Yerin You (11) Level IV Category: 2nd Place Alexander Hong (12) Jaclyn Li (12) Daniel Lira (12)
Advanced Orchestra: Unanimous Superior Wind Ensemble: Unanimous Superior
phenomenal. She’s working with our TAP program, but she isn’t really just working with it, she’s leading it. And, she’s taken a program that’s designed to serve kids on a regular basis during the day, and she’s changing their lives. It is fantastic to see two members of our special ed team were selected as an ‘of the Year’ employee.” Bouchard advances to the county level to compete with winners from other districts for the title of San Diego County Teacher of the Year.
Joshua Chung (10) Alan Edmonds (11) Kevin Hu (11) Jerry Huang (9) Andrew Miller (12) Sumith Nalabolu (9) Will Nute (12) Eric Oh (9) Lauren Oh (12) Ananth Rao (10) Kevin Ren (11) Jackson Shen (9) Claire Wang (9) Carine You (11)
Congressional Debate: Amy Jeon (12) International Extemporaneous Speaking: Braxton Fuller (9) National Extemperaneous Speaking: Nishanth Krishnan (12) Lincoln-Douglas Debate: Sumin Hwang (11) Parliamentary Debate: Russell Chiang (11) & Joyce Li (12)
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TPHS Combo: 1st Place and Unanimous Superior TPHS Big Band: 2nd Place and Unanimous Superior
Lighting Design: Chelney Cameron (11), 1st Place Makeup Design: Sydney Paul (10), 2nd Place Costume Design: Natalie Anashkin (9), 2nd Place
News Writing: Farhan Hossain (10): Honorable Mention Sumin Hwang (11): Honorable Mention Feature Writing: Michael Nirula (11): Excellent INFOGRAPHIC BY SUMIN HWANG
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“Rock of Ages”-themed Formal held at Del Mar Fairgrounds TPHS cheer hosted the “Rock of Ages”themed Winter Formal in the Activity Center at the Del Mar Fairgrounds from 8-11 p.m. on Feb. 11. According to cheer parent volunteer, Jennifer Parker, 899 tickets were sold. “Many students waited until the last moment to purchase tickets,” Parker said. “A hundred fewer tickets than last year is not bad, considering we had a change of venue [from the Port Pavilion on Broadway Pier]. The turnout was great. Many attended and some extra tickets were sold on the night of formal.” The theme was decided over the summer by senior cheerleaders. “We thought that a theme along the lines of rock and roll would be something different from what we’ve done in previous years,” cheerleader Claire Vapnek (12) said. “The theme gave us a lot of options as far as decorations and activities, given that it’s a pretty broad genre.” The dance was mainly funded by ticket sales from last year’s formal and various Chipotle fundraisers that were hosted throughout the year by the cheer squad and parent volunteers, according to cheerleader Madison Sayre (12). Inflatable guitars and CD ornaments hanging from the ceiling adorned the room. Smoke enveloped the stage, which was illuminated by sweeping blue and silver lights. Onstage, student band The Special Guests performed several songs,
including the Journey classic “Don’t Stop Believin.’” Students, some seated at round, black-draped tables, in tight dresses and tuxedos swayed to the rhythm of the music while talking. “The band and the rock posters … helped [to] represent the theme,” Kira Craige (10) said. “I thought the music was good, and [I] loved the French fries, but it seemed that, other than dancing or waiting an hour to get your picture taken, there wasn’t much to do.” Unlike past years, the TPHS varsity dance team did not perform because “a student band [had] been engaged as predeejay entertainment this year,” according to the dance team website. Vapnek noticed that there were “fewer students who stayed for the entire time” and “less excitement about formal than in previous years,” which she says may have been due to the changed location and other factors. “It also seemed that some people weren’t really fans of the live band that played at the beginning of the dance,” Vapnek said. “I think the idea of a band was cool, but it was strange that the members were younger than most of the students at Formal. The balloon drop, however, seemed to be a pretty big hit among partygoers.” Craige said the “Rock of Ages” theme could have been more interesting and “easier to dress for,” but that formal was still “well-organized” and enjoyable. Most attendees said they had fun. The next dance, Prom, which is organized by the junior class council, will be held on April 1.
PHOTO BY LAUREN ZHANG/FALCONER
ROCK THE NIGHT AWAY: Decorations including guitars, album covers and posters are spread out in the Activity Center. They contributed to the overall theme of the dance.
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Austrian students from HTL Mistelbach visit TPHS Fifty-three Austrian students and three teachers from HTL Mistelbach, a science, technology, engineering and math school in Mistelbach, Austria visited TPHS from Feb. 16 to March 2. During their two-week stay, the 45 boys and eight girls from the Austrian high school lived with TPHS families and shadowed their hosts at school, participating in classwork and discussions. Outside of school, the Austrians visited Universal Studios Hollywood on Feb. 22 and toured Los Angeles on Feb. 27. Loyola Marymount Professor Sabine Huemer, who is originally from Austria, organized the visit. Huemer coordinates the entire program in California, and has been bringing Austrian students to the U.S. for over 15 years. Huemer worked with TPHS ASB, which committed to the project last fall to coordinate and organize the program, which also serves as a fundraiser for the host school. This year, money from the visit went to sports teams and clubs as well as the TPHS Foundation. “We helped advertise through the foundation and social media and on campus,” ASB adviser Matthew Livingston said. “It is a fundraiser, so usually the money would just go through ASB, but because we did a lot of promotion through the foundation, if a baseball player hosted an Austrian the money went to the baseball program instead of the school.” TPHS received $11,200 for hosting the Austrian students this year- $200 for each Austrian. “I visited [TPHS] a few weeks prior to [the Austrian student’s departure] and talked to different classes, then sent out emails to the Athletic Director who sent emails to the teams,” Huemer said. “There was also a lot of support from families who
have been through the program before and they helped recruit families ... There was an amazing spirit of teamwork behind the scenes.” Last year, 43 students from HTL Mistelbach visited TPHS, making this year the second time the program has come to TPHS. “I decided to go on the trip [to the U.S.] because some of my friends went last year and said we had to go because it [was] an awesome trip,” Austrian student Lukas Hammer, said. “I also wanted to visit America since it may have been the only possibility in my life.” Hammer, hosted by Paul Bartlett (11), said the best part of the visit was visiting Universal Studios Hollywood and “[experiencing] the life in America.” “My favorite part [of hosting Hammer] was going to places that I haven’t been to in years with them, like Balboa Park and the USS Midway Museum,” Bartlett said. Livingston and his family hosted an Austrian student for the educational opportunity it provided. Principal Rob Coppo, who helped promote and market the visit, said that hosting an exchange student “is a great opportunity” for students to witness new cultures and lifestyles and “to connect outside of their own little bubble.” “[Hosts and Austrian students] often stay in touch over the years and become lifelong friends,” Huemer said. “It is amazing to see how strangers can bond in just two weeks and how much both sides get out of this experience … It is pretty special.” Bartlett said he would most likely host Austrian students again next year if the fundraiser is held again. “Leaving San Diego was strange because I had great two weeks with wonderful people there, so it was hard to leave but, on the other side I also wanted to see my friends and family again,” Hammer said. Huemer hopes to bring the program to TPHS again next year.
PHOTO COURTESY OF SABINE HUEMER
GRUPPENFOTO: Austrian students stand together in front of the B building upon arrival. They shadowed their host students for two weeks on and off campus.
LET’S BREAK IT DOWN: Water Quality at TPHS After dangerously high levels of lead were discovered in several elementary schools in San Ysidro, the Falconer tested the water quality of three TPHS water sources using RainSoft, a water treatment system that independently tests water quality.
QUALITIES Hardness: the amount of dissolved calcium and magnesium in a solution. While not harmful in consumption, “hard water” can be harsh on the skin and other surfaces. Recommended Level: 0 - 3 units Total Dissolved Solids: all organic and inorganic substances suspended in a solution. Recommended Level: 0 - 50 units Potential Hydrogen (pH): a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution. pH of Distilled Water: 7 (on a scale of 1-12)
Rob Machado Foundation Flowater
Hardness: 12 Total Dissolved Solids: 195 pH: 8
Building B Girls’ Bathroom Sink
Building E Water Fountain
Hardness: 16 Total Dissolved Solids: 265
Hardness: 12 Total Dissolved Solids: 190
pH: 6
pH: 8 INFOGRAPHIC BY SUMIN HWANG
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SDUHSD board resolution affirms support for all district students
Kevin Ren (11) wins math tournament in Romania
on the resolution. TPHS student Grace Bashour (12) spoke at the meeting about her experience attending TPHS after moving from Syria. “I came straight to Torrey Pines during the second semester of my freshman year. I was scared that people would look at me differently and judge me differently because I was Syrian, but people were very nice and respected me.” Bashour said. “I am very happy that this resolution exists. I am happy to know that the district’s support is going to be on paper. It makes it more real.” Collins also spoke at the meeting, focusing on how the resolution promotes student wellness. “The district has about six priorities and one of those is student wellness,” Collins said. “The board says student wellness is important, and student wellness starts with feeling safe and included.” Collins said that 150 new students come to TPHS from outside the U.S. every year. “I have talked to these students, and what I have learned is it is hard enough transferring to a new school at the start or middle of a school year,” Collins said. Coppo hopes the resolution will eliminate some stress for students. “Transgender students, for example, should feel welcome on our campus, and they need to know that even with some changes to federal policy, nothing has changed at the state level,” Coppo said. Hergesheimer hopes the resolution will reassure the SDUHSD community that every site is a safe place for students, where they can focus their energies on learning.
Ren and his teammates still got to be tourists while they were in Bucharest. “It was my first time going to an Eastern-European city, and I liked it a lot,” Ren said. “It was so simple, but they had really good culture and the food was amazing.” Not only was it his first time in an Eastern-European city, but it was also Ren’s first time in an international math competition. According to TPHS math teacher Abby Brown, who teaches Ren Linear Algebra, Ren is the first TPHS student to participate in the nine-yearold competition. It is also the highest level math competition that any TPHS student has competed in. “Ren is quite passionate about competitive mathematics and has natural talent for it,” Brown said. Since competitions are a large portion of Ren’s mathematics schedule, he also runs workshops to teach other students the skills they need to compete in math. According to Ren, competitions like RMM not only strengthen his math skills, but also help him to build relationships. “It’s very easy for math people to make friends because we just talk about math all day… math is the glue that bonds us together,” Ren said. Although he returned from RMM very recently, Ren’s success in the competition is expected to provide him with benefits in the near future, as the exam also serves as one of the qualifiers for the International Math Olympiad. According to Brown, it is likely that Ren will be invited to participate in the competition as a member of the U.S. team in Rio de Janeiro in July.
A resolution to support all students regardless of their characteristics and circumstances was unanimously passed at a Mar. 9 SDUHSD board meeting. “The resolution is a reaffirmation of what we, as a district believe. We want to make sure our students feel safe and comfortable on our campuses to learn because there is fear and doubt in our society right now. Some things are changing, and there is speculation and a heated political environment,” Principal Rob Coppo said. “We want to make sure our students know that all students will be supported and should be focused on their academics, not whatever is going on in the political stratosphere.” The resolution is not a new policy, but a collection of SDUHSD policies that relate to immigration, equality or equal access, according to Peer Assisted Listeners adviser Don Collins. “The resolution is a collection of current board policies, some of them 30 years old, on a single document that states all students have a right to a safe, free, public education,” Collins said. Board member Beth Hergesheimer was asked by parents and teachers to consider adopting a resolution. “As we entered the process, we continued to receive communications from students, families, and staff in support of some form of action,” Hergesheimer said. At the meeting, students, staff and public speakers shared their perspectives
Kevin Ren (11) earned one of 21 silver medals in the Romanian Master of Mathematics competition held in Bucharest, Romania from Feb. 24-25. The event took place at Tudor Vianu National High School and hosted 111 high school students from countries all over the world, including Brazil, Italy and Mexico. Each competition day consisted of participants working three problems to be solved in 4 hours and 30 minutes. “This competition is really, really difficult,” Ren said. Ren placed 28th individually out of 111 competitors, while the U.S. team placed sixth out of 19 teams. He didn’t find out he would participate in the international competition until mid-January, after a “rigorous process,” according to Ren. The American Math Competition exams were used as the preliminary round of qualifiers, leading to the American Invitational Math Examination. “The final level is the United States of America Math Olympiad,” Ren said, “and if you do really well on that, you make it to the camp.” “Camp” is the Mathematical Olympiad Summer Program; held from June to July at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. All four members of the U.S. team attended the summer program in 2016, which was used as training for RMM. In addition to participating in RMM,
Science Olympiad placed fourth at regional competition The TPHS Science Olympiad team placed fourth overall at the San Diego Regional Science Olympiad Division C competition on Feb. 18 at University City High School and will advance to the Southern California State Science Olympiad Tournament on April 8 at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. This is the second consecutive year that TPHS has won fourth place at the regional competition. Fifty-seven students on four TPHS teams competed among a total of 78 teams from 27 high schools. The top 20 teams received awards for each event and the top 10 schools were awarded trophies. Each year, the top six placing high schools advance to the Southern California State Science Olympiad Tournament. S t u d e n t s competed in 23 different events that focused on different Cathy Lu STEM topics, and ������� each of the 57 TPHS students in the program competed in pairs in two to four events, in subject areas that included life science, physical science, engineering, earth science, identification and math. The Experimental Design event had three-student teams. This year the TPHS Science Olympiad program was organized by three student coordinators: Patricia Ouyang (12), Stacy Hu (11) and Sophia Chen (10). According to Hu, immediately after last year’s Southern California State Science Olympiad Tournament, where TPHS placed fourth overall among 30 high schools, Ouyang, Hu and Chen began working to promote
the program and encourage other TPHS students to participate at events like Readiness Days and Info Night; assigning students to their specific events; choosing coaches to teach the events to students; ensuring that parent volunteers are present at the competitions; ordering the student-designed team t-shirts; and dealing with liability. According to chemistry teacher and Science Olympiad adviser Angela Willden, her role is to act as more of a “facilitator” who helps the team find a place to practice if needed and have all the necessary paperwork and clearances through the district. “It’s very much a student-run organization,” Willden said. “Because [Science Olympiad is] a non-schoolsponsored club, when they meet on campus there has to be a staff adviser present … I’m also responsible for just kind of making sure that everything is running smoothly and fairly and I kind of facilitate the gathering of documents and giving those to the [coordinators].” According to Hu, the majority of the events that students participated in were coached by TPHS students “who [had] done the event before and [is] familiar with how the test looks on competition day.” There were also some volunteer parent coaches. According to Chen, students spend three to five hours each week attending practices and additional time studying on their own. Derek Xiao (12), who has participated in Science Olympiad for three years and is on this year’s state team, typically spent five hours each week doing work for his events, but in the week before the regional competition he spent about 30 hours studying and preparing.
As a coach, I’m really proud of the effort the people in my events put in.
PHOTO COURTESY OF TPHS
WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS: The Science Olympiad team poses for a group picture at the award ceremony at the regional competition at University City High School. Many students won individual awards and the school placed fourth overall. Fifteen students are chosen to represent TPHS at the Southern California State Science Olympiad Tournament on the state team. Coordinators consider students’ dedication and how well they performed at the regional competition, and they consult the event coaches for feedback on each student. One of the restrictions on the state team is that no more than seven seniors are allowed to be on the team to allow more students in other grades to participate. “There are some things that are out of our control [when determining the state team] like bad time slots,” Ouyang said. “On competition days, certain events run at certain times, and sometimes they conflict with each other. We want to pick people who are not only dedicated and who did well, but [whether or not a student ends up on the state team] also depends a little bit on luck. Sometimes some students just do better in certain events that we need people for, so they would get picked over someone else.”
Cathy Lu (12) has participated in Science Olympiad for five years, and this year she also helped coach the Wind Power, Fermi Questions and Materials Science events. According to Lu, not only has she gained more knowledge in various science fields and hands-on experience from building devices in her engineering events, but she also has gained experience in organization, planning and teaching. “As a coach, I’m really proud of the effort the people in my events put in,” Lu said. “It is especially encouraging to see the freshmen, who have less experience and less science knowledge — [although] sometimes they’re smarter than me — put in the effort to learn the material and have fun doing it.” The high school that places first overall at that competition will represent Southern California at the National Science Olympiad competition at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio on May 19.
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MiraCosta launches free tuition program
Robotics team ranks first out of 66 teams at San Diego Regional FIRST Robotics Competition
MiraCosta College will launch MiraCosta Promise, a free tuition program, for their upcoming 2017 fall semester. According to MiraCosta representative Thomas Quiroz, the Promise system, which provides students with a year of free tuition, is for students who meet the requirements and go to MiraCosta as their primary school. Those who transfer in from other colleges will not be eligible for the Promise. “[Students] have to meet all the eligibility requirements, and they will know by approximately May 19 if they are eligible for the Promise,” Quiroz said. “From there, they have to sign a MiraCosta Promise Commitment Contract by July 1.” To qualify for the Promise, students must graduate from an accredited high school in MiraCosta’s district, commit to enroll in at least 12 units for each semester at MiraCosta, be a California resident, file a Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act application or the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and be eligible for the Board of Governers (BOG) Fee Waiver. “The BOG is available to students with a financial aid form on file, so they have to go through the FAFSA process,” TPHS counselor Melissa Hernandez-Cyr said. “Students that are eligible for the DREAM Act also are eligible for [the Promise,] so students that are [Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals] as well as students that are eligible for FAFSA can apply.”
The TPHS Robotics team, the Millennium Falcons, ranked first out of 66 teams after 88 qualification matches in the San Diego Regional FIRST Robotics Competition held from Mar. 9-11 at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. The 2017 theme for the competition was FIRST STEAMWORKS, which highlights the “era in which technology relied on steam power to prepare airships for the ultimate long distance race,” according to the competition website. “There are two airships in the middle and you put your robot on these pegs,” main driver Jonathan Mi (10) said. “That’s one way you can get points. The other way is you can [earn points is by] shooting footballs into goals.” According to team president Nicole Martindale (12), the Millennium Falcons prepared for the competition during their six-week build season by making two robots, one that they used during practice and another for the actual competition. “We had six weeks to build the robot, and we were just designing and planning the first couple of weeks before we started building,” Martindale said. “We placed first after qualification matches. We made it to quarterfinals and we were the number one alliance team, but then we lost quarterfinals. That’s the best we’ve ever done.” The Millennium Falcons use SOLIDWORKS, a solid modeling CAD and computer-aided engineering computer program, to design parts of the robot and Java for coding. “[The competition was] very nerve racking, but it was really fun,” head mentor Kirk Klintconnell said. “We had all sorts of interest in our robot because we designed it for one of the tasks and disregarded the other tasks. It turns out
I think it’s a fantastic program, and to have community college free to eligible students is a fantastic option. Rob Coppo ���������
The DACA, along with the DREAM Act, was established in 2012 by former president Barack Obama, and both allow for children of undocumented immigrants to attend college in the U.S. The Promise expects its students to maintain a 2.0 grade point average, and they must complete the matriculation process by July 1. According to Hernandez-Cyr, TPHS students have the opportunity to go on a field trip to MiraCosta on April 21, where they can go through the required matriculation process. “[Students] don’t officially enroll [on the field trip] because the enrollment period isn’t open at that time, but they do get priority [when signing up for classes,] opening a [MiraCosta] SURF account and going through the process of enrolling as a MiraCosta student,” HernandezCyr said. “It’s an expedited process for our high school students.” The promise of a year of free tuition is encouraging to TPHS students already planning on attending MiraCosta after their senior year. “MiraCosta is a good school, and [the Promise] makes me want to go [there even] more,” Lexi Shattuck (12) said. According to Hernandez-Cyr, the Promise program opens up new opportunities not only for students in the SDUHSD, but also other high school students within the MiraCosta Community College District. “I think it’s a fantastic program, and to have community college free to eligible students is a fantastic option,” TPHS principal Rob Coppo said. “Community colleges are phenomenal, and to find out you can go to it for free is a great option.” The Promise program will be undergoing its pilot year, and its success will determine whether it will be continued in coming years or not, according to Quiroz. Quiroz is in the TPHS counseling office every morning to help students with any questions about MiraCosta.
PHOTO COURTESY OF JONATHAN TATOR
SOLID WORK: Millennium Falcons pose with their robot at the FIRST Robotics Competition. They took first prize in the qualifying rounds of the competition. that was the way to go because there were a lot more points scored with that task and we were the best scorer.” According to co-driver Daniel Maas (10), Klintconnell works with more technical tasks while mentor Alex Grant works with conceptual tasks. “My main responsibility is to make sure nobody gets hurt,” Klintconnell said. “I also answer any questions on how to make something or how to build something. I give [the students] tips on what I think the design should be; anything that helps the team is what I do.” Math and CAD teacher Jon Tator is the advisor for the team, and is primarily responsible for completing paperwork the team needs to compete in tournaments and contests. “The two other mentors do the bulk of the work as far as engineering and the robotics engineering,” Tator said. “I’m amazed by what the kids can do
as well. I don’t know how they learned it or where they learned it at, like the programming, the CAD, the overall engineering knowledge and fabrication knowledge.” Currently, the Millenium Falcons are preparing for their next tournament, which is the Las Vegas Regional FIRST Robotics Competition, and hope to advance to the championship tournament held in Houston. “At the San Diego competition, we were just running gears and climbing the rope; this time we’re building a ball shooter and having a stronger rope,” Martindale said. “At the San Diego competition quarterfinals, the rope that we were using actually broke while we were climbing, which is why we need a stronger rope.” The Las Vegas Regional FIRST Robotics Competition will be held on April 5-8 at Cashman Center in Las Vegas.
Student versus staff soccer game played on Feb. 15
A clash between girls soccer and faculty members ended in a tie during a dramatic lunchtime match at Ed Burke Stadium on Feb. 15. After 30 minutes of play, the game was knotted at 2-2 when Francisco Lona and Ryland Wickman scored goals for the staff. Special education teacher Susan Bouchard, who both organized and played in the match, said the game was intended to be more fun than competitive. “Everyone has that competitive spirit inside of them, especially if you were an athlete, like myself and some of the other staff members, that once played, but it was definitely for fun,” Bouchard said. Bouchard said the rivalry was revived after a two-year hiatus. She set up the event to “increase awareness of the soccer program” and to “have a collaboration between staff and students.” Faculty members scored early and maintained their lead until a flurry of goals by the girls near the end of the match. The girls scored once, then quickly again with a hard strike into the net. But the staff still had enough strength in them to pass the ball up the field to Lona who tied the game before the lunch bell rang. Math teacher Robert Preske, who played defender, was impressed by how unselfishly the girls played.
PHOTOS BY ALLY JENSEN/FALCONER
FRIENDLY COMPETITION: Teachers Charlene Falcis-Stevens (LEFT) and Robert Preske (RIGHT) face off against varsity soccer players and fight for the ball on Ed Burke. The game was brought back for staff and student enjoyment. “They made the extra pass that led to one of their goals, so that was cool to see,” Preske said. “There was a girl who had a wide open shot and she passed it up to a girl with an even better shot and it was the right play because they got a goal out of it.” Varsity soccer player Amber McCorkle (10) said the staff played well but still needs to improve. “The staff was surprisingly good and a few of them could actually play and hit long balls, but they should work on their passing around the field,” McCorkle said. Bouchard said when it was time for the game, she changed fast and hurried to the turf. She even “strapped on [her] old shoes and shin guards” in preparation for the game. Both Preske and McCorkle are hoping there will be future staff vs student games. Bouchard says it is
certainly not out of the question. “It would be cool to do a staff versus student basketball game and maybe a kickball game. I think it just helps students to see teachers in a different perspective, which is really nice and also have that competitive side with your teacher outside of the classroom,” Bouchard said. McCorkle said it was great to have a break from her competitive varsity games by playing in a match that was just for fun. Bouchard said some of the girls asked to play the faculty again soon, but were told to wait until the playoffs were over so no one would get injured. “Then, Principal Coppo came up to me and said we need to do this again. So, we will definitely try to get another one in before the end of the year and if not definitely next year,” Bouchard said.
A6 the falconer
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march 24, 2017
PRO By Angela Liu STAFF WRITER
Each morning in schools across the nation, before classes start and the school day begins, students stand together with their right hands over their hearts and recite the words that show their loyalty to the United States of America. Even kindergarteners learn the pledge and are expected to recite it each day at school. The pledge, which was written by Francis Bellamy at Christian socialist magazine owner Daniel Sharp Ford’s request, was written to promote patriotism in the U.S. and strengthen national unity. American flags were placed in every school across the country, and today all citizens in school continue to recite the pledge to show their respect and their pride in being citizens of this free country. Not only does standing for the Pledge of Allegiance demonstrate respect to the American flag that symbolizes the freedom, liberty and justice all are entitled to as American citizens, but it also demonstrates a student’s respect for the soldiers who have fought for our country’s freedom, including those who died serving us and those who are currently fighting in other countries. The pledge of allegiance is a display of the American idea that every citizen has the right to “liberty and justice.” The phrase “liberty and justice for all” in the pledge is one that all students should honor, as it is also the phrase that grants them freedom and fairness, and they, as citizens, should be proud to acknowledge that they have these rights. Furthermore, one of the rights that the pledge indirectly acknowledges is the right of all citizens to an education. This is an
The long-standing debate over whether standing for the Pledge of Allegiance should be mandatory has been brought to light by recent events in the media. idea that students should specifically make sure to honor, as without this, it is possible that they would not be able to attend school and receive a free education. The pledge promotes a sense of patriotism and unity among students. The phrase “indivisible, with liberty and justice for all,” reminds Americans that they live in a united nation and that they should be proud to possess these rights with their fellow citizens. However, in public schools, students are not required to stand and say the Pledge of Allegiance, as making it mandatory for all of them was declared a violation of the first and fourteenth amendments in West Virginia State Board of Education vs. Barnette. Some also criticize the pledge for it’s inclusion of the phrase “under God,” saying that forcing students to acknowledge these words is preventing them from practicing their freedom of, or from, religion. Nonetheless, two words in the pledge should not make it acceptable for students to sit out the pledge and refrain from honoring the past and current soldiers and leaders who are protecting them and their rights. Furthermore, according to Pew Research Center, the original version of the Pledge of Allegiance that was published in 1892 did not even include the words “under God.” If students disagree with that phrase or find it offensive, they can simply choose to remain silent during that part of the pledge and continue to stand while others say it. While the freedom of religion guaranteed under the First Amendment is important, it is equally, if not more important to respect the brave men and women fighting to ensure we still have those rights. In order to ensure all current and future students become respectful, intelligent contributors to American society, they should stand for the pledge every day they attend school to honor the values of the American democratic society symbolized by the flags at the front of their classrooms.
In response to a question posed to Americans by Debate.org in 2014 ...
Should it be mandatory for students to stand up for the Pledge of Allegiance?
33%
67%
YES
NO
said
said
The right not to have to stand up for the pledge is one protected under the free speech clause in the U.S. Constitution — not one that can be sacrificed because over-patriotic citizens feel the need to impose their views on their peers. The idea that not standing up for the pledge is somehow dishonoring those serving in the military is unfounded, baseless, and frankly, ridiculous. It is nothing more than an attempt by others to force people to believe what they believe, to stand for what they stand for, and to ignore constitutional rights. Students have been classically conditioned to stand up at the beginning of the school day and repeat a string of words that have essentially lost all meaning; standing up for the pledge has become a response to the ringing of the bell, not a well thought-out political statement as some people would like to think it is. It is clear that many, if not most, of the students who are standing up for the pledge are only thinking about when they are going to sit down in that minute, not of the brave men and women risking their lives for our freedom -- freedom that has become questionable at best with a new administration. Furthermore, there are other many ways students can show their respect for existing and past members of the armed forces: volunteering, writing letters to thank soldiers who visit their classes and donating to organizations who support soldiers and veterans. To these students, the idea that they could somehow be insulting soldiers in the armed forces is ludicrous because, for them, not standing up for the pledge is not about a lack of respect but about something else, whether it is because they do not feel a need for standing up for something when all they are thinking about is sitting down or because they are making a political statement. It is important to recognize that students are making a political statement by staying seated and are not in any way disrupting another
CON By Sabrina Habchi GUEST WRITER
student’s right to stand for the pledge. But still, they are often glared at and are sometimes even called out by their peers. Take football player Colin Kaepernick for instance; he, among other prominent football players, cannot even kneel during the national anthem to protest the way blacks are still treated as secondclass citizens in this country, without receiving widespread criticism from those who perceive his actions to be a direct attack on the symbolic nature of the American flag. Where is this socalled land of the free? Where is this beloved home of the brave? When did people decide they were above the U.S. Constitution and when did only one interpretation of patriotism become acceptable? As each day of the new administration passes, the guarantee of inalienable rights to all citizens of the U.S. is coming increasingly under attack. More than ever, the rights guaranteed by the Constitution must be protected at all costs. Rather than criticizing, condemning and bullying peers into one way of thinking, students and other Americans should become more open-minded and more accepting. The country is on the brink of turmoil. The last thing this country needs is for its citizens to disregard the very foundations it was built on, the very rights the founding fathers ensured for future generations -freedom of expression and dissent. Democracy is not a spectator sport, and if not standing up for the pledge is the way that students can make their feelings known, so be it. Our country was not built on one voice overpowering the voiceless.
A8 the falconer
opinion
march 24, 2017
STAFF EDITORIAL: UC OUT-OF-STATE CAP WILL HELP CALIFORNIA STUDENT RESIDENTS To many Californian students, the University of California system is a friendly beacon in the treacherous and unknown sea of college acceptances. It is thought that because those residing in California pay taxes to support and fund the UC schools, college applicants from the Golden State should have a higher admissions priority than those from outside the state. The recent proposal by UC officials of a 20 percent cap on out-of-state undergraduate students was the result of public pressure from parents, who feel their children have been shut out of the schools funded by their tax dollars, themselves. and the students
ART BY AMY YU/FALCON ARTIST
The proposed cap will apply to all UC schools except for the three most popular campuses: University of California, San Diego (22.97 percent); University of California, Los Angeles (22.87 percent); and University of California, Berkeley (24.47 percent), which will be capped at those current percentages of out-of-state students. Implementation of the cap will allow for $18.5 million, frozen by the state legislature, to be released by the state to the UC system. The UC Board of Regents have until May 1 to vote on the proposal, or the frozen funds will be lost. The refusal of the state Senate to give the $18.5 million to the UC system is largely justified. As the California Senate, it is not their job to represent the state’s large university system, but rather the citizens that reside within it. After a state audit found that Californian applicants were being negatively impacted by the non-resident enrollment, the problem was left up to the state Senate to come up with a solution to benefit the people of California, not the universities. By placing a hold on the $18.5 million, they did exactly that. Although controversial, the UC system is completely justified in allowing the cap of the three larger UC schools to be over the proposed 20 percent. These three schools represent some of the best educational institutions that California
has to offer and are not only regarded as some of the best schools in the U.S., but in the world. With greater outreach and popularity, they are more likely to benefit from out-of-state students to diversify the campuses and increase funding. The smaller schools are not only less known, but are already well under the cap, accepting and receiving fewer applications from out-ofstate students. For them, it is not a necessity or a benefit to include as many out-of-state students in their admissions. When colleges are deciding between accepting a student from California and one from another state who is equally qualified, the student residing in California should get acceptance priority. This is only fair, as it is quite likely that even though the out-of-state student would ultimately pay more, the Californian, by paying taxes, has assisted in funding the school system. But, when it comes to deciding between a student from California, and a more qualified applicant from another state, the out-of-state student should receive the letter of acceptance over the local student. Universities should be able to choose the students that are a better fit for their schools and are prepared to enter the school system. The state that the student resides in should not limit the pool of students that UCs can choose from. In terms of education, this proposed cap on acceptance will not affect the quality of education provided at these schools, or the amount of state funding that the campus receives. If anything, the amount of money earned will increase if the California Senate
releases the $18.5 million in funding and the smaller schools decide to increase the number of out-of-state students that they accept. As for the larger schools, the amount of money that they earn through tuition and student fees will remain the same, as long as they maintain their current proportion of out-of-state students. While it may seem that the implementation of the cap is wise in the long run, it will likely receive backlash. With only a fraction of outof-state students allowed to be admitted at UC schools, other high school seniors who are more qualified than those from California will be rejected simply they are not residents of the state. Opponents of the cap argue that this factor is unfair to those more qualified high schoolers who will not be able to get in just because of where their parents chose to live. It is completely justified that they are given more space at the UC schools, especially since, as the UC system claims, the additional money from out-of-state tuition funds research that is really at the heart of the UC mission. As contributing members of society, and through the taxes that many Californians pay each year, the cap proposed by the UC System is justified and fair to the people of California. Out-of-state students who are more qualified will get the coveted letter of acceptance, while Californians will earn priority over those that are equally capable. Not only will the budget of UC schools not change, but the students currently residing in California will sleep better at night knowing that their tentative positions at UC schools will not be taken by their out-of-state competition.
President Trump wrongfully undermines journalistic integrity Being a part of the Falconer, or any news outlet, means reporting every story accurately and fairly. It means writing unbiased, well-informed and straightforward news stories. It also means having to constantly listen to people, whether they are peers, administrators, teachers or President Donald Trump, condemn reporters for being “dishonest” and blame news outlets when they report the truth. On Feb. 24, reporters from CNN, the New York Times, Politico, the Los Angeles Times, the BBC, the Huffington Post, the Guardian and Buzzfeed were banned from attending a non-televised briefing held by White House press secretary Sean Spicer. Conservative news outlets such as Fox News, Breitbart, Wall Street Journal were invited, as were CBS, NBC, ABC and Bloomberg News. The Associated Press and Time did not attend to protest the deliberate exclusion of other news outlets. By banning outlets whose coverage he has deemed biased or false, Trump is being more dishonest than journalism will ever be; the Trump administration’s efforts to undermine journalists will only lead to further censorship and governmental control over freedoms guaranteed to U.S. citizens under the Bill of Rights. The way that the Trump administration has constantly attempted to undercut and censor journalists is not only an infringement on the First Amendment right to freedom of the press, but also a violation of the public’s
right to the truth. There is no doubt that some news outlets can be untrustworthy, but Trump identifying the media as “the enemy of the American people” is histrionic and hypocritical, especially when both his rise to fame and success during his campaign can be attributed to excessive press coverage. Trump has no right to attack well-established and credible news sources when his own administration promotes “alternative facts.” The unwarranted animosity that journalists are facing today can be directly tied to Trump’s rhetoric regarding the media. The public deserves to know the truth and to have access to all news outlets, not just the ones Trump approves of. Editorials represent the political views of a single writer, not necessarily a news outlet as a whole. But regardless of the content of pieces, the majority of journalists maintain integrity in reporting, and there is little reason to condemn entire news outlets for political bias in news reporting. Journalists have a responsibility to report the truth and ensure that information is relayed to the public correctly, but without actual access to information, it would be impossible for them to do so. It is crucial to protect First Amendment rights through journalism and news coverage in order to have an educated citizenry that is able to form its own opinions. by Irene Yu PHOTO COURTESY OF LUCAS JACKSON/REUTERS
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opinion
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A9
By Eve Gross-Sable STAFF WRITER
In an email sent to SDUHSD faculty and families, Superintendent Eric Dill released a statement affirming the district’s commitment to protecting all students, and, in an introductory portion only in the staff email, brought specific attention to transgender and immigrant students. Dill acknowledged that “many students … are struggling with fear and anxiety as they closely follow national news and current events.” As President Donald Trump and his administration continue to create regulations that compromise the rights of many citizens, it is crucial that public schools publicly defend their students for the sake of their educations. Dill did the right thing in formally articulating the district’s stance on protecting students. SDUHSD schools promise “a world-class education and equal opportunities for all of [their] students,” according to Dill. While the schools are public institutions, their responsibilities to provide all students with equal education cannot be superseded by government mandates. Dill’s drafting
of this resolution at the request of the SDUHSD Board of Trustees was necessary to maintain a comfortable environment for students. Furthermore, the resolution did not even contain any new information. According to The California Department of Education, “Access to quality education is a fundamental right of every student and is fully guaranteed and protected by the California Constitution.” If Dill had chosen not to release the statement, the practices he mentioned would still stand. A simple confirmation of the stance that SDUHSD takes in instances of discrimination benefits all students by reminding them of their rights. The email was sent out “in light of current events.” Dill’s acknowledgement of students’ recent uneasiness proves that he prioritizes offering an ideal social, emotional and educational setting to all students. His intervening in the matter was a measure essential to preserving the welcoming atmosphere at schools in the district. The duty of public school officials to reaffirm their commitment to protecting students is especially important in today’s circumstances. Trump’s rescission of protections for transgender students, which allowed them to use the bathroom of the gender with which they identify, has been a huge cause for concern among students and caused Dill to mention in the staff-only introduction that transgender rights will continue in California. The increased punishment and deportation of undocumented immigrants has been
art by carla hansen/falcon artist
Public schools justified in publically protecting students against discrimination
a common topic of conversation, especially in San Diego where we are just miles from the Mexican border. Dill’s email and others similar to it sent by other districts, might have sparked outrage. Many would argue that a vow to protect and educate transgender and immigrant students, even those who might be in violation of immigration laws, is based on emotional bias and that the school should be following government mandates. However, moral decisions are not biases. California’s constitution has not been altered by recent government mandates and will continue to provide protections for all students registered at public schools. The argument that transgender students who use the bathrooms aligned with their gender identities will put other students in danger is simply false because transgender
students are the ones who are actually at risk at school. A 2011 study conducted by the National Center of Transgender Equality found that 82 percent of transgender youth reported feeling unsafe at school, while 44 percent of them had been physically abused. Hard evidence such as this is cause for school leaders to speak out. Adults working in schools have a responsibility to instill moral character in the students, and this includes accepting diversity. Although mandates by the president apply to the whole country, the inability of transgender students to use the bathrooms of their choice violates basic human rights that have long existed in the U.S. If the district superintendent did not make a statement protecting those affected by such regulations, he would be promoting hate. Dill plans to send out a formal
resolution that will detail the measures that school personnel are to take regarding students’ immigration status, as well as the other issues mentioned. This resolution will ultimately help to ease students’ concerns and will make school a more comfortable place for students to be themselves. While mention of the resolution might incite accusations of bias on Dill’s part, it is important to recall that student well-being is not a political issue. Members of all parties have children in or themselves attend public schools, and all students must be treated with respect so they may receive the best education that school has to offer. Schools appoint people with good judgment to determine when students’ rights are threatened, and when they make that determination, they must speak up in defense of those rights.
PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE MAYA KOTA
Opinion and news editor Maya Kota (12) reflects on how her relationship with her parents has influenced her over the years. My sense of humor has become solely defined by my intentional mispronunciation of words. It started a few months ago when my mom asked me if I wanted to eat a tangerine. I responded with, “You mean a tang-er-rye-nee, right?” And to my surprise, she went along with it and said: “Yeah, that’s what I mean.” My mom and dad put up with a lot of weird things I say and do, and I think that’s why they’ve become my best friends. I’ve never been the most outgoing or talkative of people; my sister was usually the one to be out on weekends while I stayed home watching Shark Tank with my parents. I would comment on a company’s pitch, as if I had any knowledge about business or entrepreneurship, and my parents would look at me, wondering if I was okay. These simple moments were the ones that brought us closest together. My parents and I talk about a variety of topics that range from music and movies to politics and current events. Whenever we have conversations, I learn more about their upbringing and how their past experiences have shaped their outlooks on life. And while I enjoy learning about them, I also have wondered how after so many years, I could know so little about two people who know me so well. My parents, fondly known as Raj and Prasad to my closest friends, are complete opposites. My mom is outgoing while my dad is quieter, and while I see myself in my dad’s reserved nature, my sense of humor is very similar to my mom’s. I like to think that I am an equal combination of both my parents but I know that I have yet to gain their strength and depth of knowledge in a variety of subjects, both academic and otherwise. My parents met after they moved
from India to earn their graduate degrees; my mom spent most of her time in California while my dad went to school in Canada and later moved to California. There are times, when we go on long drives or walks, that my parents tell me about the trials they went through, having to manage arriving alone to an unfamiliar country with little money and few connections, depending only on a drive to work hard. But my parents rarely bring up their pasts, and for that reason I’ve learned, and continue to learn, about my parents’ lives in snippets. From all of their stories, I’ve learned how highly my parents value their Indian heritage, and, I was able to see the beauty of Indian culture through all that they had exposed me to over my childhood years. My sister and I participated in Indian singing and dancing, and attended Sunday school and immersed ourselves in our surrounding Indian community. However, we later began to pick up interests that my parents were less familiar with. By the beginning of high school, my sister had become deeply involved in organizations that advocate for women’s rights and later joined a peer-education group centered on raising awareness about women’s health issues. I followed step, and we both spent countless Sunday afternoons talking about topics ranging from HIV/AIDS to human sex trafficking. I’m almost positive that many of the conversations we had, and that I continue to have, in our advocacy group are those that my family would not have together at home. And it’s not because my parents are against having such conversations but because they, like many people, didn’t grow up in an environment that encouraged speaking so openly about
photo by lauren zhang/falconer
seemingly taboo topics. In that way, my parents are extremely open-minded because though they are not as familiar with the topics we discuss in my advocacy group, they have showed openness to learning about them. While a lot of the activities I pursue relate to serious issues, such as human rights, I’m not that serious a person, especially around my parents. My mispronouncing of words is just one of my many idiosyncrasies that originated during times I’ve spent at home with my parents. When I was younger, I used to drum on the underside of our kitchen counter and every time I did, my dad would ask if someone was knocking at our door, which I found hilarious and though I’ve made a conscious effort to stop annoying my dad with it, mindless drumming on tables has actually become a habit of mine. I also “raised” a pet squirrel, who my mom and I named Waffle, in my backyard, and now whenever my parents or I see a squirrel, we comment on its resemblance to our beloved Waffle, who has since disappeared. I know my parents go along with my stories and jokes for my enjoyment, but I also tell the
stories and jokes I do because I feel that some of the deepest connections I’ve made with them are rooted in silly, impractical scenarios and nonsensical jokes. I think it’s possible for me to relate to my parents on so many levels because despite their differences, the one thing my parents have in common is their kindness and willingness to allow me to explore any and all of my interests and be exactly as weird as I want. For the three years I’ve been on the Falconer, I’ve wondered what I would write my Personal Perspective about. I knew the topic had to relate to myself in some way, but when I really did some soul-searching I realized that when I think of myself, I also think of my parents who have allowed me to cultivate a sense of independence and individuality, making me all the more confident in the person I am today. I’ve also had some influence on my parents—or at least on their senses of humor. Although they won’t admit it, I think my parents secretly think purposely mispronouncing words is funny because last week, I asked my dad for an orange and he responded: “You mean an ohrang-gee, right?” Yeah, that’s what I mean.
opinion
tphsfalconer.com
the falconer A10
Recent protests have the power to influence political change By Sammy Hallal COPY EDITOR
Since President Donald Trump took office on Jan. 20, his weeks in the White House have been defined by widespread protest and opposition. Just one day into his
presidency, an estimated 470,000 people participated in the Women’s March on Washington. Over 3 million people attended “sister marches” that took place in 60 countries and on every continent, including Antarctica, according to estimates by local organizers. After Trump issued his controversial Muslim ban, and yes, it was a Muslim ban, thousands of people flooded airports across the nation to stand in solidarity with refugees and travelers from the seven Muslim-majority countries. Promises by Republican lawmakers to repeal the Affordable Care Act have prompted bipartisan protests nationwide. On April 26, Earth Day, scientists and
ART BY RICHARD LI/FALCON ARTIST
those who support science will march on behalf of climate change and other issues they feel are being misconstrued by the present political climate. These protests, along with a number of others that have occurred every day since Trump took office, raise the question: Will protests actually affect policy in the Trump administration? To answer the question, one must, for the first time ever, borrow an idea from the tea party. Horrified by the election of former President Barack Obama, the tea party launched an extensive grassroots campaign that not only moved the Republican Party further to the right but also gave conservatives control of state legislatures and Congress, paving the way for an outsider like Trump to take office. In the first weeks of Trump’s administration, protesters have used many of the tactics of the tea party (minus the racism), like voicing their opinions in the streets, contacting politicians, attending town halls and reaching out to the public, only on a much larger scale. What we have seen since Trump’s election is not just a bunch of “snowflakes” complaining, but the start of
a social reform movement that holds a tremendous amount of power to influence change in the near future, much more than the tea party ever had. Every single day, people are taking to the streets and fighting for what they believe in, showing the same passion demonstrated by activists of the civil rights era. Protests against Trump consist of a lot more than traditional leftists; they include big businesses and professional organizations, especially those related to the science and technology industries. If there was one good thing that came out of the election of Trump, it was that a whole new demographic of people, who prior to Trump’s election had never been involved in politics, has been mobilized and is now on the front lines every day fighting for what they believe in, and they are a force to be reckoned with. While the protests do not directly change policy, they do have an influence on it. Public outcry, on a massive scale, puts pressure on politicians on both sides of the aisle to stand up to Trump, and we have already started seeing the beginnings of it. The entire Democratic Party, which is still rebuilding from its loss in 2016, has united against Trump, pledging to fight him on anything that deviates from their party values. For example, many of Trump’s cabinet picks, who are unqualified for the jobs they have been nominated to do, have faced fierce opposition by nearly all Democrats. Republican senators Lindsey Graham and John McCain have stood up to Trump and his
policies on several occasions, even stating that Trump’s controversial immigration executive order makes the U.S. less safe. Now that the GOP has announced its health care plan, more and more have come forth against it, including Republicans. Not only does public pressure impact politicians in Congress, but even Trump himself. While he may act like he does not care what his critics say, he really does, and has shown us that time and time again. During the campaign, Trump called for a ban on Muslims, deporting all immigrants who entered the country illegally, the use of torture, prosecuting Hillary Clinton, and a complete repeal of “Obamacare.” Due to massive public opposition to all three, Trump has walked back his plans since he took office, and there is no reason to think he will not continue to do the same. Trump’s executive order temporarily banning travelers from seven Muslim-majority countries and all refugees sparked outrage worldwide and, after protests at airports across the country, the order was struck down by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. It was only the first win for the protesters thus far, and it is likely there will be many more to come. Change is slow and takes place over a period of time, however, what we have seen since Trump took power is unprecedented. Not only are these demonstrations extremely organized, but people are flooding the streets every day, fueled by passion and a fighting spirit that will not rest until their demands are at least acknowledged, if not met.
President Trump’s attacks on media endanger American democracy By Farhan Hossain STAFF WRITER
Democracies can only be sustained with a system of checks and balances on government action. In the U.S., democratic stability is protected by the three branches of government and the right to free speech and press. Political expression and dissent give power to citizens and allow them to communicate to their elected officials. Although it may not be immediately apparent, the news media, entertainment and political satire all play a role in the preservation of a democratic society. Citizens can only make informed decisions regarding issues that affect them with access to the facts of those issues. President Trump’s attacks on the media, satirical shows like Saturday Night Live, the judicial branch and dissenters undermine American values and American democracy. Presidential administrations often mask internal tension and problems. However, reporters and the media have always had access to information about internal dealings through back channels and anonymous sources. Since the campaign, unflattering reports about the internal workings of the Trump team have been fueled by insider reports. However, Trump has expressed anger and denial over leaked reports. On Feb. 14, the New York Times published investigative work that proved members of Trump’s administration and campaign team
had communication and meetings with Russian officials. Trump not only denied these claims, he denounced the media outlets that published the New York Times’ reports. Trump has continuously and deliberately undermined the credibility of news reports by labeling them “fake news,” rather than denying allegations he believes are false. Although the press is not a technically part of the U.S. government, it is frequently referred to as the “Fourth Estate” because in many ways, it serves as the fourth branch of government and is part of the system of checks and balances. A quick scroll through the CommanderIn-Chief’s Twitter account will find statements bashing news agencies, reporters, journalists and excessive and unwarranted use of the phrase “failing” and “FAKE NEWS” in all caps. Trump’s disdain for the media leads him to warn supporters not to trust the “lying media.” This creates distrust of all news, which Trump does purposely to discredit negative stories published about him, but knows that it will also discredit stories of conflicts of interest in foreign countries, allegations of sexual assault and illegal labor practices, reports of administrative turmoil, and claims of collaboration with Russia to interfere in the 2016 election. The First Amendment protection of free speech allows for a longstanding American tradition: political satire. Since its 1975 inception, SNL has embraced satire, unafraid to make fun of politicians, including the President. Although SNL has impersonated every President during its tenure, none have publicly complained before Trump. Trump regularly takes to Twitter to call for the show’s cancellation, attacking it for being “not funny” and “really bad television.” Trump has also
called for Alec Baldwin, SNL’s Trump impersonator, to retire. Although satirical depictions exaggerate characteristics, satire is an important form of expression that holds up the powerful for ridicule to bring about change. Former president George W. Bush, who was characterized as dimwitted by Will Ferrell on SNL was recently asked about his views on the show and the perception of him that it promoted. Bush responded that Ferrell’s performance never bothered him, and that “the best humor is when you make fun of yourself.” The U.S. is a democracy, and the Commander-in-Chief needs to be in tune with its people. Trump not only misses the point when he calls satirical takes “hatchet jobs,” he does not understand that political satire comes with his job and allows artists and others to speak freely, promoting American democracy. While attacking the press and media is harmful to democratic freedom, Trump’s attacks on judges are harmful to the government’s ability to function properly. After Trump’s first immigration ban was halted by a federal judge in Seattle on Feb. 3, Trump went on a two-day Twitter rant, posting a succession of tweets that questioned the credentials of the “so-called judge” that issued the ruling. “Just cannot believe a judge would put our country in such peril. If something happens blame him and court system,” Trump tweeted on Feb. 5. “People pouring in. Bad!” The statements even elicited criticism from Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch. Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal claimed that in a conversation with Gorsuch, the nominee called the comments by Trump “demoralizing and disheartening,” sentiments he repeated this week during his Senate
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confirmation hearings. Trump’s attacks on the judicial branch are dismissed by some as unpolished reactions to disappointment about the roadblocks in delivering on his campaign promises. But, Trump does not focus on the judicial process but on the people who carry it out. During the campaign, Trump questioned the impartiality of a Mexican-American judge in a lawsuit against Trump University. Trump claimed that being Mexican was a conflict of interest. Ironically, Trump felt that way because of offensive remarks he himself had made about Mexicans. In response, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan slammed the comment as
the “textbook definition” of racism. Trump’s comments only spread anger and disapproval within the judicial branch and make the government less functional and more partisan than it already is. Trump must realize that the legislative and judicial branch, the press and media serve as checks on executive power. The presidency is not a one-man hosting job on a reality TV show; there are different parts, and a variety of opinions that need to be weighed before decisions are made. Trump needs to learn that not everyone will agree with him, and that when things do not go his way, he needs to respect the system — not throw a tantrum and wreck havoc.
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Before becoming one of the first anchors of TPTV, Madison Wickham (12) awkwardly attempted to film the first episode of TPTV with an unwieldy green screen as a junior in Derek Brunkhorst’s second period Advanced Video Film class. Just a few days before, Wickham was pulled out of class. Unsure of why she was being sent to the administration building, she hesitantly walked in. Inside, Wickham and four others were told they had been selected by the TPHS administration to create a new iteration of TPHS’ video announcement program, TPTV, which had last aired in 2003. “Ever since I started [going to school] at Torrey Pines I wanted to be able to leave my mark on this school and wanted to leave my legacy behind,” Wickham said. “I figured this was a good way to do it.” Due to the fact that the 2015-16 school year had already started, TPTV would operate without a classroom. Despite their collective experiences producing short films and videos, an air of uncertainty lingered among the five students as they attempted to write interesting scripts for the first episode. Before the Advanced TV Production class existed at the beginning of the 2016-17 school year, the most advanced video class that students were able to take was Advanced Video Film. This year, a new video pathway rolled out as a part of TPHS’ expansion of Career and Technical Education programs, introducing Art for New Media, Acting for the Camera and TV Production. Frustrated by the scripts and the artificial indoor lighting, the students tried a change of location. The TPTV crew often felt unsure about the task at hand, but Principal Rob Coppo saw TPTV as an integral part of the school’s new video pathway, which aims to “build transferable skills so [students] can be more successful in college.” Coppo also hoped TPTV would engage students with the TPHS announcements. “Instead of a long list of announcements ... that a lot of people don’t listen to,” Coppo said. “The idea was to make [the announcements] more visual, more interesting.” Outside in the open quad, the bright sun overexposed the initial footage and filming outside left the TPTV crew at the hands unpredictable variables. But despite the lack of a controlled environment, TPHS’ variety of architectural features, comprised of a blend of original 1970s modern design and newer classrooms, provided the group a workable backdrop. “We love the Torrey Pines campus,” Wickham said. “It makes for a really good background.” Students passing through the quad looked skeptically at the informal and unfamiliar crew, as they moved around campus, filming for hours, experimenting with different shots and trying new shooting angles. Despite filming several episodes last year, the possibilities for TPTV still feel changing and full of possibility to Wickham. Most of the original crew was comprised of seniors; and as the only junior, Wickham felt a responsibility to carry on and improve TPTV. At
the end of last year, as the administrators planned the 2016-17 schedule, the new Advanced Television Production class faced a problem: it was too small. “They added a whole group of kids who had never done anything like editing or filming at all to our class, to make about 40 kids,” Wickham said. “We had to start from the very basics and teach them all.” Wickham knew that challenges laid ahead for TPTV. According to Advanced TV Production teacher and staff adviser Dawn Terry, TPTV’s main focus is currently “just trying to get it off the ground and making sure that it’s working.” With last year’s seniors gone, Wickham and her co-host, Chris Shopes (11), took charge of the episodes and a staff they had never worked with. At the beginning of every Advanced TV Production class, Wickham and Shopes lead the production meeting, where they go over upcoming deadlines and track their progress on stories that are due soon. After the meeting, students split off into groups to work on their “packages,” or assignments. According to Terry, who was selected to lead the program partly because of her experience in broadcast journalism, the TPTV staff faced some difficulties getting the program started. “There was a little bit of a learning curve,” Terry said. “Just getting people to think like journalists took a little bit of time.” In between distributing responsibilities and showing new staffers how to use camera equipment, Wickham kept in mind visits she had taken with the original TPTV crew last year to Canyon Crest Academy’s “CCA TV” staff, and Carlsbad High School’s’ national award-winning broadcast news program in mind. Both schools had established programs, but neither Carlsbad’s live production news channel, or CCA’s weekly skits seemed to fit what they envisioned. “I feel like we kind of bring both of those elements and adopt it to our school,” Wickham said. “It’s not too funny ... We don’t try and force any of the humor. We don’t like being super serious so we kind of blend the two.” TPTV’s new staff also had to adapt to an administrative demand: producing weekly episodes rather than biweekly ones. According to Terry, because TPTV was not a class last year, production “was just based on the availability of these students who were volunteering their time.” “Now, since [Advanced TV Production is] a class, we can have a quicker turnaround because students turn [stories] in for a grade,” Terry said. “[TPTV] is also something people look forward to on Friday, so [the class makes] sure that students have deadlines that they need to meet in order to have an episode every week.” Although TPTV has adjusted to new changes, Wickham thinks TPTV is still developing as much as it did back in that second period Advanced Video Film class. Although Wickham believes it has not reached the level of other high school television programs, she is excited by its potential to grow and improve. “I really do hope that … it will be improved with kids who know how to edit and film and who really dive into it,” Wickham said. “I think that it will only get better.” At the end of every week, TPTV gathers around the Advanced TV Production class. The lights are turned off, and through the projector, the staff watches their newest episode. As Wickham watches along with her staff, she is optimistic that the small project she helped create will last for years to come, sealing her mark on the campus. by Farhan Hossain and Angela Liu PHOTO BY TRAVIS FELTHAUS/FALCONER
As a freshman, Gabby Pacula (12) walked quietly through the mass of students in the TPHS hallways. Although she had attended middle school in SDUHSD, after many of her middle school friends decided to attend Canyon Crest Academy, she began high school without the familiarity of her close friends. “When I was in eighth grade, all of my friends went to CCA so I didn’t know that many people,” Pacula said. Later that year, Pacula was introduced to Peer Assistant Listeners adviser Don Collins and was immediately intrigued by the group’s mission. Now in her third year in PALs, Pacula serves as the club’s president, with the help of Vice Presidents Jaden Watkins (12) and Breana Flaherty (12), working hard to make sure that no student is left to navigate high school alone. PALs is a districtwide program operating at every high school in the SDUHSD, but how the program is taught and run varies from campus to campus. Whether they are in their PALs class or at lunch with newcomers to the campus, PALs are knowledgeable about various school activities and clubs at TPHS and offer a helping hand to any student that may need guidance and friendship. During lunch, the hallways of the B Building are usually filled with student activity. Most classrooms seem abandoned, left empty as students sprint from class to lunch, but Room 9, Collins’ classroom, is an exception. The bustling classroom is filled with interesting conversation, new friends and fun videos as PALs like Pacula and all types of TPHS students gather at the lunch meetings organized by PALs on 2-3-4-6 days. Walking into a “super cool idea,” Pacula remembers feeling “overwhelmed by the number of students who actually came [to the lunch.]” PHOTO BY LAUREN ZHANG/FALCONER
“I didn’t expect there to be so many people,” Pacula said. “But when I got there everyone was extremely nice and easy to talk to.” Besides lunch meetings, PALs also works year-round to organize schoolwide events like Red Ribbon Week and Falcon Fest, a day in which students are encouraged to break down barriers and promote understanding and acceptance through a variety of games, icebreaker activities and presentations. “[PALs goals at these events] are to make sure that our message gets across to at least a couple people, because obviously in an assembly of so many [students] it’s hard,” Pacula said. “For Red Ribbon Week, for example, our goal was to have at least maybe three kids, in the huge crowd decide that, ‘I need to stop using drugs’ or ‘I really shouldn’t drink and drive,’ or something like that because even if it only gets to a couple people that can spread; [people] will talk about it.” This years Falcon Fest gave Flaherty, vice president of activities, the opportunity to organize and run a large event, which would not have happened without her dedication, according to Collins, “Planning Falcon Fest this year was definitely a lot of work, but extremely worth it in the end,” Flaherty said. “I went through every [student’s] form and then I tried to assign them to the day they picked [to the best of my ability], I wrote all of their passes and helped the PALs deliver them.” Through these events, Flaherty and the PALs are able to showcase unity in the TPHS community, a core ideal of the PALs program. According to Collins, the ultimate goal of PALs is to make TPHS students feel integrated into the school. “High schools are different … There are so many things going on, and a lot of stuff happens in a week or in a month,” Collins said. “My goal or hope is that kids get information about things that are important, about taking care of themselves… [getting] motivation to try something different.” While Pacula entered high school without the support of a friend group, she now works through PALs to make sure that others don’t have to go through the same experience she did. Inside the PALs room, students are welcomed by members like Pacula, who work to provide an accepting community. What was then just a few students in one of the many TPHS classrooms is now a family and one that will always be there for the students of TPHS. by Bea DeOliveira and Estelle Kraft PHOTO COURTESY OF TPHS PALS
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TPHS is home to 263 special education students of varying levels of ability. They are in the halls, in classrooms, at club meetings and on sports fields, making their mark on the Falcon community. Amid the Sunday morning bustle, neatly stacked piles of the previous day’s Wall Street Journal laid untouched by idle Starbucks patrons. But they would not remain in this pristine state for long; for as soon as he burst through the double glass doors, Connor McMillen (11) immediately brushed past the winding line, at the end of which his mother, Angela McMillen, was waiting, to the newspapers stand. After ruffling through the stack and skimming the front page, his eyes quickly fixated upon a headline about Iraqi airstrikes in Syria. Minutes later, he returned to his mother’s side, eagerly asking if she had heard about “Iraq invading Syria.” We catch the two just as they are about to order and Connor is filled to the brim with excitement. “He’s been talking about this interview nonstop for days,” his mother says as she extends her hand toward us. Connor, with a bright and energetic smile, mirrors the gesture. The McMillens soon join us at our corner table, drinks in hand. Angela gently reminds Connor not to engage the barista in a conversation about the events transpiring in the Middle East while ordering a Vanilla Bean Frappuccino. Angela explains that sometimes when Connor gets excited, he speaks quickly and forgets to enunciate; hands Connor her phone so he can type out what he is trying to say. “Apparently he wants to be the ‘best toy collector,’” his mother reads the text on the screen with a tinge of surprise. Over the course of the next half hour, we get to know Connor better: in his free time, he likes watching movies — Disney ones are his favorites — playing video games and visiting theme parks; he is an avid comic book reader and keeps up with news; he has Koolen-de Vries syndrome, a rare genetic disorder characterized by “developmental delay and mild to moderate intellectual delay,” according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Connor is one of the 263 students currently enrolled in the special education program at TPHS, which serves students across a vast spectrum of disabilities. Free Appropriate Public Education, or FAPE, which is guaranteed under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, ensures that a school must “meet the individual education needs of students with disabilities as adequately as the needs of nondisabled students are met.” Specifically, he is part of the Transitional Alternative Program, “a class for students with [moderate level] disabilities who are working on [foundational] academics and functional life skills,” unique to SDUHSD, according to TAP teacher, Susan Bouchard. “We do a [foundational] curriculum which works on money for math and things like that, that these students would have to use in the community,” Bouchard said. “We do cooking lessons; we go out to the Highlands on a weekly basis to have these students do shopping … just working on life skills in general that we all kind of take for granted but our students really need to work on.” To practice those skills, TAP students take turns helping run the TAP coffee shop every day during the morning breaks, which sells coffee, tea and hot chocolate for $1 each to students and staff outside the TAP classroom. “We’re instilling that confidence,” Assistant Principal Vidalia Resendes, the site administrator for the special education program at TPHS, said. “I know it seems like a small thing … but to them, it’s a big deal. They own that, they’re excited to make their coffee and sell it to you.” When her mom told her to get a job, Sherrie Antoun (12), who grew up with a cousin with Down Syndrome, a genetic disease that can cause characteristic facial features, growth delays and mild or moderate intellectual disability, decided to get involved with the coffee shop. She helps the TAP students out by modeling all the different responsibilities involved in running a coffee shop, according to Bouchard. “[The coffee shop] is really awesome for the TAP students and for working on their social skills,” Antoun
(TOP): Connor McMillen (11) cracks an egg for his omelet during his 6th period Cooking class. (MIDDLE): Sarah Folsom (10) uses her tablet to watch educational videos in her Functional Life Skills class. (ABOVE): Josh Andrews (12) sings a Beatles song as he walks around the room.
PHOTOS BY LAUREN ZHANG/FALCONER
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Riley Pathman (12) works with an instructional aide in his Functional Life Skills Class to learn about the different meanings of road signs.
“Last year, [there was a girl] and at our very first performance she was really nervous and really didn’t want to go out. It was super overwhelming for her with all the sounds and the balls flying everywhere and all that … Then we went out and she was doing the cheers and came … stood up with us … and she had one hand covering her ears and the other doing the cheers.” J������� D������ STUDENT
Sarah Zhang (9), who is one of the seven students in FLS, poses for a picture during class.
feature said. “When the money comes in, I just [get] to stand there and help them out and have a good time with them.” Some TAP students also get jobs at nearby businesses, like Jimbo’s and CVS, through WorkAbility, a state-funded program that assists students in special education in transitioning from school to work. According to Bouchard, accompanied by an instructional aide, groups of two to three seniors walk to the Del Mar Highlands plaza or are driven in a district van to other locations during school hours a couple times a week for their work shifts. Additionally, TAP students learn how to use public transportation. “At the end of the school year, they do five or six field trips in a row,” Connor’s mom, Angela, said. “One trip they’ll take buses, another they’ll take the Coaster downtown … They learn how to use the [discount card for people with special needs], how to be safe, how to not walk out in traffic.” Upon completing high school, TAP students receive a certificate of completion and have the option of staying in the district until age 22 through the district Adult Transition Program, which is “fairly similar” to TAP but “works more on the community-based life skills,” according to Bouchard. “They prepare our kids here [for ATP],” Resendes said. “We start to build those skills here so that it can be less about academics [at ATP] and more about transitioning into the real world.” ATP is housed at Earl Warren Middle School, but will move to another location on campus when a new permanent facility opens this fall adjacent to the Solana Beach library, according to SDUHSD Director of Special Education, Chuck Adams. Other TAP students attend community college after high school and now some even have the opportunity to attend four-year universities. “There are a lot of college campuses that are opening up special programs for our students similar to what we offer but right on college campuses,” Bouchard said. “So some of our students have [sought] that out, which is really nice and they seem to be successful.” But when asked about the possibility of college, Connor does not hesitate before saying “no.” “He tells everyone he’s going to live with his mom and dad forever,” Angela said. Connor will most likely attend ATP or a similar program after finishing high school, and afterward, his mom wants him to get a job that “he looks forward to doing and enjoys showing up and does well.” “Right now, he thinks he wants to work at Disneyland and be the person who walks Winnie the Pooh around,” Angela said. “Well, Connor, maybe we’ll find something closer to home.” In order to prepare for the workforce, Connor will primarily be working on “languagerelated” goals until he leaves TPHS one to two years from now, according to Angela. “The next couple years are really just going to be social skills as far as not interrupting people, staying on task in conversation so that when we’re in public he doesn’t want to walk up and ask the Starbucks person, ‘Did you hear that Iraq invaded Syria?’” Angela said. “Language is his biggest challenge, it probably always will be, but once he started talking he hasn’t stopped. It’s just whether you understand him or not.” But it has not stopped Connor from getting along with his typical peers, a term used to describe students without disabilities. In fact, one of Connor’s favorite extracurricular activities is Young Life, a Christian youth group that holds weekly meetings during lunch and outside of school. Angela calls it the “most integrative group” on campus. Its name is emblazoned in faded lettering across Connor’s cobalt blue T-shirt. “Every Monday night, they have a house party, and there’s like 75 kids and Connor and a few of the other kids from his class show up … and they just welcome him in,” Angela said. Connor is also part of TP Sparkle, a cheerleading squad for students with disabilities that varsity cheerleader Juliette Dickens (11) brought to TPHS in 2015 in partnership with the nonprofit organization, The Sparkle Effect. The team uses a “buddy system,” in which 25 TPHS cheerleaders “buddy up” with the 11 to 12 special needs students to perform cheers at freshman and JV games as well as at pep rallies, according to Dickens. Practices are usually held before school on late start days in the gym. “We’ve kind of just tried to adapt a lot of our cheers,” Dickens said. “We don’t want ...
march 24, 2017 too much movement or intricate hand motions because then it gets too overwhelming, so we choose the ones that are really simple and have clear motions that make sense for them. As of right now we have five cheers, and we’re working teaching them some new ones and we’re going to try to create a dance.” Dickens has been a cheerleader for over a decade, but her history of working with kids with special needs goes back even further: her younger brother has a developmental disability, and she grew up watching her mom work with him. Combining her passion for the two, she recruited several of her teammates in her Adapted Physical Education class last year to start teaching cheers to the students with special needs. “They have a Challenger’s League [for people with disabilities] in Pop Warner, which I did when I was younger so I had already seen that and thought, ‘Wow, that’s really cool. I’d love to be a part of that,’” Dickens said. She then collaborated with The Sparkle Effect to get the team started and to secure a grant for uniforms and poms. “The organization helps us by training our peer buddies once a year and doing some camps and providing grant money for our uniform and other cheer materials,” Sparkle adviser Joy Kuemmerle said. “It’s mostly student-led. Juliette has a committee of officers that are in charge of different responsibilities of the club, like uniforms, equipment, scheduling, fundraisers, communications.” After working with the TPHS administration and Kuemmerle to create a class specifically for Sparkle, the team made its debut at a JV basketball game in Jan. 2016. “Last year, [there was a girl] and at our very first performance she was really nervous and really didn’t want to go out,” Dickens said. “It was super overwhelming for her with all the sounds and the balls flying everywhere and all that … Then we went out and she was doing the cheers and came … stood up with us … and she had one hand covering her ears and the other doing the cheers.” During school hours, Kuemmerle teaches APE, a class where students like Connor who require more support than a general PE class can work on individual goals. “Students are assessed in PE just as they are in other academic areas, and areas of weakness are identified and then we write goals in those areas,” Kuemmerle said. “For example, the mile run. If maybe they’re not close to passing or that’s a really big area of need for them, I would write a goal for cardio endurance and that would be something we could work on regularly throughout the year to help them improve in that area.” The class employs what Kuemmerle calls “reverse inclusion.” “Each student with special needs has a buddy from the general PE class,” Kuemmerle said. “That doesn’t mean that they have to stand right next to them for the whole time and hold their hand for everything … It might be just someone to redirect them on what they are doing at the time, or maybe to model how to do a certain sport or a movement … Sometimes it is explaining the rules to a game before playing the game and they usually do a pretty good job of helping the students to be able to participate as best as they can.” Many of the buddies have been helping out in classes similar to APE since middle school, but Kuemmerle also tries to recruit new ones from general PE classes at TPHS. After Kuemmerle spoke to her class, Natalia Wurst (12) joined APE her sophomore year. “I met all of the Buddies, [students with disabilities], through APE,” Wurst said. “That got me interested in Best Buddies and they told me what the club was about and I joined the club junior year.” According to Wurst, Best Buddies Club works to create an “inclusive environment” for students with disabilities by pairing them up with typical peers so that they “have a chance to foster a healthy relationship and friendship between their peers, which they might not have had the opportunity to do if they weren’t in the club.” During their weekly lunch meetings, the 15 Buddies and 15 Peer Buddies typically eat, talk and play games together. Wurst, who is now the club president, said they also try to have at least two events outside of school every month, whether it is going to a game, hosting a movie night or attending dances like Homecoming or the Best Buddies Ball, which is for “all the Best Buddies from each school” in San Diego, according to Connor. “Best Buddies usually sets up the dates,”
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Angela said. “They have a big pre-party and they all go together.” T h i s spring will be Connor’s third Best Buddies Ball. It is one of his favorite schoolrelated activities of the entire year, he tells us enthusiastically. This year will also be his first time attending A Night to Remember Prom, an all expense-paid Prom for special needs students in San Diego that provides a limo ride and red carpet walk, as well as clothing, jewelry, corsages, boutonnieres and makeup and hair styling for their honored guests. “It’s a very big deal,” Angela said. And just last month, Connor dressed up and went to the TPHS Winter Formal with the rest of his TAP class and Bouchard, TAP teacher Ryland Wickman and several peer tutors, like Antoun. “They were just dancing and going crazy, and I was just dancing like I never danced before … they’re just free and it’s amazing … just jumping up and down doing whatever the hell they want,” Antoun said. Peer tutors are general education students who work with TAP students in a designated third period class. They lead topic-based groups, which include games, art, dance and fitness, cooking and gardening and model the practical skills required for each activity to the TAP students, who rotate groups every four weeks. Antoun leads the cooking group, which makes use of a small kitchen inside the TAP classroom to create about two dishes a week that follow a theme. “I bring in my family, and they do cooking demos,” Antoun said. “When we had Greek week, I brought my grandma in, and we all made baklava together.” Through their daily interactions, many peer tutors and buddies have developed friendships with the students they assist that extend beyond the classroom. “I’m really close friends with all of them,” Antoun said. “I go to their birthday parties, and I hang out with them. I talk to them around school; I hang out with them outside of class. [One] kid I’m very close with will come to my soccer games.” Zach Siperstein (11) first met Connor in APE in their sophomore year and
“I’m really close friends with all of them,” Antoun said. “I go to their birthday parties, and I hang out with them. I talk to them around school; I hang out with them outside of class. [One] kid I’m very close with will come to my soccer games. S������ A����� STUDENT
the two since have become best friends. They are both in Best Buddies and Young Life; they are both avid fans of the Chargers. They spend so much time together that Siperstein says he hardly ever notices Connor’s speech impairment. “A lot of times when I’m sad, Connor … will always make me do something to get my mind off of it,” Siperstein said. “We always say we’re like brothers.” In fact, at the moment, Connor is waiting for Siperstein to call him back to schedule a hangout for later on that day. He grows impatient with every passing minute, frequently interrupting his mother with queries about a potential missed call. His mind has moved past the task at hand and has fixated onto another, future point of excitement: Siperstein. Connor tells us that he loves hanging out with friends, of which he has many, according to Angela. “We run into people at the mall, we run into people at Disneyland who know him,” Angela said. “When you ask him to name his friends he never remembers their names but he tells you, ‘That’s my friend.’” Connor’s naturally outgoing personality has always allowed him to make friends easily. Angela recalls how popular he was in middle school. He performed in all the talent shows and school plays and everyone always clapped for him. “[At TPHS], no one’s saying, ‘Hey Connor, come be in my show or my performance,” Angela said. She attributes that difference partially to the increasing “gap in intellectual ability” between Connor and his typical peers. “When you’re young, the gap isn’t that big, but when you get into high school, the kids are moving toward that adulthood, but Connor’s still hanging out, being a kid,” Angela said. “He gets along great with younger kids, but with the older kids don’t necessarily want to talk about Disney movies.” Angela believes one of the other primary factors is the level of integration of the special education students into the general education population at TPHS. “Here, everything he does is sort of a special needs thing,” Angela said. “[In middle school], I really felt like they pulled in a lot of kids from the typical class to work with Connor for [help with his] social skills. When he had speech group, it wasn’t just kids with special needs in there, they would have kids who did not have special
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needs in there and it would help him do reciprocal conversation.” Yet despite those perceived shortcomings, Connor still loves TPHS and the “whole high school experience.” And at the end of the day, Angela, too, is glad that he is here. Initially, however, they were not so sure. When Connor was still in middle school, his parents debated whether to send him to La Costa Canyon High School or TPHS, their local, district school. “I talked to a lot of older parents who had already gone through the system and one of the things they said that they really liked was that there was a male teacher in the classroom, especially if you have a boy to have that male role model and that Mr. Wickman was really good with the guys,” Angela said. “We also thought it be good for him to have familiar faces kids from [his middle school] who would come over here.” Because he was coming in from a different school district, once they decided on TPHS. Connor and his parents had to meet with his individualized education program, or IEP team, which is made up of administrators, related service providers, a counselor and an assigned case manager and a special education teacher responsible for writing the student’s IEP with the other team members. “We had to transfer his middle school goals into high school goals and see how would that work in the high school environment: How can we provide the right support for that? Do we need to provide more support? How can we continue his progress?” Angela said. Based on the assessment, the team determined that Connor would best be supported in the TAP program. Students like Connor, however, only constitute a small portion of students in special education at TPHS; the large majority are mild-moderate students who can “perform like a general education students” but may need some “slight accommodations” and are diploma-bound, according to Resendes. “Most students [in general education] don’t even know who the special education students in the classroom are because it’s designed that way,” Resendes said. Some mild-mod students may take Fundamental academic courses, which are delivered at a slower pace than general education courses and in a small group setting, if the student’s IEP team determines that the needs of the student cannot be met in the general education content area class. “I try to follow the essential curriculum that the regular ed classes follow, but I modify it, I slow the pace down a little bit,” English Fundamentals teacher Greg Williams said. “We’ll do a lot of classroom work together so we can keep everyone on the same page ... My goal is when they leave my senior class is that they can go into a community college and nothing they will face [will be something] they [haven’t] faced in my class.” Many mild-mod students will also take a support class. “I’ll kind of manage what they’re doing in other classes,” said Williams, who also is a support class teacher. “I’ll pull Aeries up and bring them to me and say, ‘Hey we’re missing these assignments’ and I kind of coach them into getting all of their assignments done.” Mary Sisti oversees the Learning Center program, which provides a higher level of academic support class than other support classes and is available to eligible students throughout the school day. “It’s also a safe place for people to come if they have anxiety or they need to take tests separately in a quiet setting,” Sisti said. Sisti and her seven instructional aides help teach academic strategies and re-teach academic concepts in individualized and small group settings. Occasionally, Mary Courtney, the Workability teacher, will come and teach jobrelated skills. “Just this week, we had interviewing 101” Sisti said. “We basically do mock interviews and practice shaking hands and making eye contact.” Additionally, students will use support class time to work on their IEP goals and receive related services like speech or occupational therapy so that they do not have to be pulled out of their academic classes. “We work very closely with the speech and language department, pathologists and our occupational therapists to create behavior support plans and social skills plans,” Sisti said. “For example, if students don’t want to interact with other peers … we’ll talk about ‘What do you do in this social situation?’ and then we practice and try to do those types of scenarios in a safe environment in the Learning Center where it’s controlled, and we try to ease students out into the general education population where they can do it on their own with practice and some support.” According to Resendes, students with IEPs are reassessed every year to evaluate their progress and create new goals, if they are needed. However, if the school site deems a reassessment is necessary or a parent requests it, IEP meetings can be held at any time. In order to receive an IEP, a student in general education must first be assessed by study team, or SST, to determine if he or she would benefit from additional support. If the student does not qualify for an IEP, then the team may then look at a 504 plan, named for Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which requires districts to “provide a free appropriate public education” for students who have “a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities,” according to the the U.S. Department of Education
(TOP): Artwork created by FLS students in their elective art classes is showcased in the art room. (ABOVE): TP Sparkle Cheer practices a cheer routine in the gym to prepare for their upcoming performance. PHOTO COURTESY OF TP SPARKLE SQUAD
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Office of Civil Rights website. What constitutes an “impairment” is determined level of therapeutic care” to nonpublic schools, according to Adams. on a case-by-case basis. IEP plans and 504 plans are implemented for students for “We kind of created our own version of [a program for students who require whom they have been deemed necessary and appropriate by the SST. that care] in the district to allow students to access a more therapeutic model, but “ [A] 504 is for general education students who need a little bit of accommodations here in the district, and still be able to participate like any other high school student to even the playing field,” Resendes said. “[It’s for students that may think], ‘Wow, would,” Adams said. if I had extended time I too could get an A on that test. It’s not because I don’t know That “intensive outpatient mental health program” is called Seaside Prep the answer, it’s just because it takes me a little longer to write my answers or to and is currently housed at TPHS. According to Principal Rob Coppo, Seaside Prep process my thoughts.’” students may take classes and access services at TPHS, but are not considered Other examples of 504 accommodations may include access to services or TPHS students. preferential seating. If the team determines that the student with a 504 plan could If the student’s needs are still not being adequately met, parents can seek still benefit legal recourse. from further “If the school district is not giving her what she needs individually, then there s u p p o r t , can be repercussions,” Karen said. “A parent could file a lawsuit against the school the student or can negotiate for better therapy for the child.” would then Though neither Karen nor Angela have personally had to sue, Angela said q u a l i f y that she knows parents of students with special needs in other districts who have for special had to. education Another governing piece of legislation that school districts must adhere to is s e r v i c e s the Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA, which ensures equal rights and equal and an IEP, access to resources and opportunities to people with disabilities. When SDUHSD which would schools were undergoing the recent Prop AA renovations, the architects and the d e s i g n a t e district had to take into account ADA accommodations for the transportation of them as students with special needs. mild-mod or “ADA accommodations factor into any update of any building, and we’re no place them different,” Principal Rob Coppo said. “You’ve got a group called DSA, which is the in either [Division of the State Architects], they come in and review every plan to make sure the TAP or that you’ve got accessibility.” Functional According to Coppo, the renovations did not change the overall level of Life Skills accessibility of the school to students with disabilities. program. “The district is required to adhere to all state and federal laws so it’s our goal F L S to have the program services to meet the needs of any student and any disability,” is a class Adams said. “I think San Dieguito does a great job of that.” for students While, according to Adams, special education can be at times very “complicated,” with “more Angela believes that investing in these students not only impacts the students and s e v e r e ” disabilities that focuses on teaching basic life skills, according to Resendes. “Students in this program are working primarily on activities for daily living like addition, maybe subtraction, money, telling time, integrating some basic words, that kind of stuff,” FLS teacher Tracy Waldas said. “A lot of the goals are social and communication or sensory things.” Most of the seven students currently in the program have some sort of physical Angela McMillen disability, are nonverbal and require a one-on-one aide. “Whether it’s ordering food or talking on the phone ... you make requests CONNOR MCMILLEN’S MOTHER of other people” Waldas said. “Think about eliminating [those] out of your life completely or having such challenges that they become really difficult.” their families in a positive way, but also benefits society as a whole. But despite those challenges, FLS students still are able to get involved on “There was an article in our local paper where it talked about the funding for campus by participating in elective classes, sports and groups like Best Buddies and special education, and I felt when I read it that the focus was that special education Sparkle. was too expensive and we were spending all this money on kids and weren’t going to “We’re really lucky to be able to offer the program here,” Resendes said. “It’s have an outcome,” Angela said. “There are parents in the program … who feel like really great to see the FLS students around school … I think it adds a really special they’re being judged for taking resources from those kids who might go off to Ivy element to our student body.” League schools … But the more intervention you can do to get a child independent Resendes believes that TPHS has “really embraced” its special education and give them a purpose when they graduate is going to benefit everyone.” population. In raising Connor, Angela, too, has felt her fair share of judgment. “When you see [the special education students] in between baseball or football “When Connor was really little, I used to be pushing him around [in a stroller] or basketball games and all the kids are like, ‘Hey how are you?’ … I think it speaks and think to myself, ‘Can everyone tell he has special needs?’” Angela said. I learned volumes about who our students are,” Resendes said. that some people have more compassion for the animals over at Helen Woodward Karen Rusnak, whose daughter Bella Rusnak (10) is in the TAP program, [Animal Center] than they do for people with special needs,” Angela said. echoes that sentiment about the level of inclusion at TPHS. While some are not as accepting of people with disabilities, that may be due to “She’s able to walk on campus and she feels like part of something bigger than ignorance or a lack of experience with people with disabilities. herself,” Karen said. “She also gets to have more of a typical experience but in the “A lot of people think [students with disabilities] are going to be so different classroom, it’s more catered to what her learning abilities are. She gets kind of the or that they need to talk to them like they need to talk to a 10-year-old because they best of both worlds.” have some sort of disability … like they’re people so people just need to realize that Prior to living in the area, however, Bella attended school in Carlsbad. After they’re just the same,” TPHS Sparkle Cheer founder Dicken said. “They just want to observing Bella’s kindergarten class, Karen noticed that the school kept “brushing be friends and talk and hang out. It’s not like they’re a whole other species.” her under the rug.” But in 16 years, Connor has taught Angela everything from the ins-and-outs “I started talking to other families with children with disabilities and they of special education code to patience. And for that, she has learned to see him as a said they had found great success in getting advocates to come to the IEP meeting,” gift. Karen said. “So we decided to hire an advocate and she did some testing on [Bella] “Connor’s amazing, and our whole family is better for having him,” Angela and she realized that they were underserving her.” said. According to Karen, special education advocates are experts in special “Mom, are we done yet?” Connor impatiently asks Angela once again. Since education policy and law and have access to resources and specialists that parents his initial inquiry, the not-so-subtle requests to end the interview have increased might otherwise not know about. They attend IEP meetings with the parent and greatly in frequency. Now, at last, she is able to tell him yes. child to represent the student’s interest. Connor extends his hand toward us as he did just two hours prior and shakes “Our advocate is an actual psychologist and former teacher of special our hands vigorously. Even after numerous thank yous and goodbyes, Connor education,” Karen said. “It can be expensive, but it’s good money put toward the continues with a smile plastered across his face until Angela clarifies that it is time child’s advancement … The brain is so valuable when they’re young and you want to for them to go. Grabbing his half-empty drink cup, he runs toward the double glass get them the therapy so we can change how the brain functions.” doors in front, eager to talk about how spent his Sunday morning the following day After pulling Bella out of public school, Karen sent her to a series of private at school. schools, but found little success. The advocate then recommended that they look at a couple other school districts and eventually, the family decided to sell their home and move to Carmel Valley. “That’s when we really started seeing progress,” Karen said. “Their programs really cater to the individuality of the child, honoring them, proving they could do things it would just be in a different way. Then it just made sense to stay in the area because then we’d be in San Dieguito for middle school.” According to Karen and Adams, SDUHSD is known for both the quality and the variety of the special education programs and resources available to the 1,361 special education students districtwide. “We pride ourselves in hiring the best teachers in Southern California,” Adams said. “I think along with that comes an open-mindedness to working with all students of all ability levels and really embracing the opportunity for least restrictive environment, having students with disabilities in general education.” If a student’s needs cannot be met within the district, SDUHSD will first look to outsource the student to another school district within the North Coastal Consortium for Special Education, a Special Education Local Planning Area comprised of 14 school districts from North County San Diego, which spans 35 miles from Del Mar Union to Fallbrook Union. If there is no viable alternative within the SELPA, they may look for alternatives in private placement. For example, in (TOP): Connor McMillen (11) poses with history teacher Lars Trupe while working at the the past, the district often outsourced students who “required a higher
Connor’s amazing, and our whole family is better for having him.
TAP coffee shop. (ABOVE) Melanie Martinez (12) and Nikki Pousti (11) work on science assignments with their computers in their Transitional Alternative Program class.
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Jake Froman, known to Falcons for his endlessly positive attitude and buoyant school spirit, is a shining example of rising above difficulties to fully enjoy the Torrey Pines High School experience. A red carpet is rolled out on the track at the Homecoming football game. “He’s going to take a year off. I know he’s excited, and I know it’s a new The junior class prince and princess approach, one strolling with flowers in chapter for him,” Muckle said. “It’s going to be different because … he’s going her hand and the other in a wheelchair, wearing a purple button-down shirt. to school in a different state.” The crowd cheers for both of the familiar faces. During his year off, Jake will work on skills that will help him get ready Jake Froman (12) has cerebral palsy, a condition that occurred “from a for college. brain injury that [Jake] suffered at birth,” according to his mother, Jennifer “One of his main goals is to work on his speech so that [it] can be more Froman. understandable to people who don’t know him,” Jennifer said. “Technology “He uses a wheelchair because he’s more independent that way, and [like iPads and cell phones] will be another area [that we’ll work on] … so that he can cover a lot more mileage … [since] he needs assistance walking long he can be more independent once he gets to college.” distances,” Jennifer said. Jake is looking forward to majoring in education, according to Jennifer. However, his mobility issues have not kept him from living his life, and “[Jake] says he’s interested in working in the area of special education according to Peer Assisted Listeners teacher Don Collins, Jake’s participation as a special education teacher,” Jennifer said. “I can see him, if he does major and intellect are integral contributions to the PALs environment. in [education], possibly working as an advocate for kids who have disabilities.” “I think people underestimate his mind,” Collins said. “His mind is Jake’s acceptance to University of Arizona has generated both sharp and quick, he participates and he is insightful about things we talk excitement and support from the people in his life. According to Collins, Jake’s about in class.” achievements have shown that a physical According to Jennifer, Jake’s best disability does not prevent a student from quality is his positive outlook on life. pursuing higher education. “He doesn’t really think much about “That would be the next step because his disability; he doesn’t ever get frustrated he’s a bright guy,” Collins said. “He’s using and he certainly doesn’t ever feel badly about everything he can to do everything he can.” himself in any way,” Jennifer said. “[His LeRose, the 2016 junior Homecoming disability] doesn’t really faze him [or] affect princess, leans over and wraps an arm around him … and as people get to know him, they Jake as the crowd starts to quiet, watching start to see that, and I think that’s a pretty the two. She straightens and slowly, but amazing quality.” surely, Jake stands up from his wheelchair. Jake enjoys being in school and Jake had been informed of his interacting with his classmates, as participation in the Homecoming Court just demonstrated by his participation in class, hours before the game. according to Collins. “I got picked to be the junior class “He’s a really good student,” aide Alex Homecoming princess, and Sully O’Brien got PHOTOS COURTESY OF JAKE FROMAN Muckle said. “He’s on top of his work, and he picked, but he wasn’t able to walk with me makes sure he gets everything done.” because he’s a football player,” LeRose said. Although he is “very hard on himself “They gave me the option to choose someone sometimes,” Jake enjoys school activities, to walk with [and I chose Jake.]” according to Muckle. When she came up with the idea to have “From the two years that I’ve been with Jake stand up, LeRose pitched it to him on the him, I think he’s one of the best high school sidelines of the football field, and “he just lit students I’ve ever met in my life,” Muckle up and got so excited,” according to LeRose. said. “I think he’s done really well.” “We didn’t practice it or anything, we The prince and just kind of winged it,” LeRose said. “I kind princess stop at the of struggled at first, just because his sash got end of the carpet and caught on the wheelchair, [but] nobody knew, glance at each other, it was just between us.” excited to receive The TPHS student body’s response to SAY CHEESE: Juliette Dickens (11) and Jake Froman (12) Jake around campus is something Muckle their titles. The crowd continues to smile during Sparkle Cheer practice (TOP). Sophia LeRose appreciates. applaud, unaware (11) and Froman pose as Homecoming royalty (BOTTOM). “[TPHS] is very accepting and that’s of the plan the two really cool; you don’t see that in most schools, Homecoming royals have devised. especially with special education,” Muckle said. “[Some schools] don’t get Jake has become a valuable representation [special ed students] involved in a lot of things that have to do with the of the TPHS spirit, according to Muckle. campus, but [Jake] is involved with a lot of stuff.” “I think he represents Torrey Pines as His mother is also grateful for what TPHS has provided for Jake. perseverance more than anything else,” Muckle “I think what struck me more than anything was the fact that there was said. “He’s a very focused young man, and I a standing ovation in the stadium for [Jake at the homecoming game and] it think he represents that a lot.” was just an awesome feeling,” Jennifer said. “I just don’t think I could have Since the Homecoming game, Jake’s ever anticipated that kind of reaction, and I think it was just an amazing school involvement and endless positivity demonstration of what the school has done for him.” have been increasingly recognized by Jake is still actively involved at school, and participates in TP Sparkle, other students, according to Sophia the special education kids’ cheerleading group, and Miracle League, a baseball LeRose (11), one of Jake’s good friends. league that caters specifically to children and adults who have disabilities. “Even before the game, so Jake is also a fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers and enjoys helping out the TPHS many people were [greeting] him football team, referring to himself as “the motivational coach of the team,” and everyone knew who he was,” according to Jennifer. LeRose said. “I think after [the “[In] his sophomore year, he helped keep track of which [football] players game,] people really got received the ball because the coach wanted to keep track,” Jennifer said. “Last a sense of his character year, [the football team] tried to talk him [into picking up the tee after the and who he is as a kicker kicked the ball,] but he got a little nervous.” person. Gradually, In his spare time, he can be found occasionally listening to The Who, but over the last few avoids watching fantasy movies or television shows because he prefers “real months, people have stories,” like biographies. Jake has been in the PALs program since he was a definitely reached sophomore, and attends many TPHS sporting events and school dances. out more to him and “He’s all about [TPHS] through and through,” Muckle said. seen more into his Jake is leaning on LeRose a little, but his face has broken into a big personality.” smile. The thundering applause begins just a moment later, and the stands As for his creak as everybody gets to their feet to cheer. Froman enthusiastically grins future plans, Jake will at the standing ovation, acknowledging the tribute to everything he has attend the University overcome and achieved, and everything he has yet to do. of Arizona in fall 2018. by Anvitha Soordelu and Ellena Whitfield
Jake Froman PHOTO BY LAUREN ZHANG/FALCONER
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The morning bell rings on a Thursday, just two weeks before the Chamber Concert at Canyon Crest Academy. Members of the TPHS orchestra file into the music room to perfect their pieces. The violins, clarinets and flutes can be heard from beyond classroom doors, the music leaking into the crisp spring air. TPHS music students have the opportunity to further develop their talents and passions for music through the music department, in ensembles like symphonic band, jazz band, wind ensemble and choir. Helping them perfect their skills and prepare for upcoming concerts and competitions is music teacher Amy Gelb, who has been teaching at TPHS since 2004. Each class is spent preparing for performances presented every two and a half months, and performances are held at CCA because TPHS doesn’t yet have a performance hall. Each class participates in three statewide festival competitions that begin in March. On March 3, students from band and orchestra took part in the Southern California School Band and Orchestra competition at El Camino High School in Oceanside, where Orchestra won the highest ranking of unanimous superior. “The most important thing about the music program here is giving students a chance to express themselves in a different way, giving them a creative outlet,” Gelb said. “Not everyone’s the same. Some students are left-brained or right-brained, and it gives the students who are creative musically a chance to excel. And maybe their forte isn’t the other classes and their interest isn’t there. The program just gives them a chance to show that side of the personality in my class.” In addition to being a part of the San Diego Youth Symphony, Daniel Rim (12) has been concertmaster for the first violin section of the TPHS orchestra for three years. In order to prepare for concerts and competitions, student musicians divide parts of each piece into sections for each instrument, working on three pieces at a time. For SDYS, Rim typically rehearses four to five pieces at a time. His dedication has led to performing alongside Grammy-winning violinist Caroline Goulding in the symphony. “Being a musician is really unique because it stays with you for years,” Rim said. “Even when you’re old you can play and enjoy music. It’s really taught me diligence, how to multi-task and it requires good hand-eye coordination. Most importantly, music builds bonds between people. A lot of my best friends are people I met through playing music.” Noah Garcia (10) first caught on to drumming when he was five when his brother created a beat on his bed. After Garcia he got a small drum set as a gift, his skills advanced and his interest in music led to his involvement in several parts of the TPHS music program. Garcia is in two musical classes, wind ensemble and jazz band, in addition to performing with the drum line. Drum line is an extracurricular club that band percussionists are required to be a part of. The group usually practices once a week and plays at football and basketball games. “It’s basically just a group of people just drumming and obviously you
have to have some sense of rhythm, but you don’t have to be super serious about drumming. A lot of the people don’t actually play drums; they’re there just to have fun,” Garcia said. Two new classes will be added to the music program’s roster in the fall. Students interested in guitar will be able to take a guitar class for beginners. During third period, choir students gather in the music room to prepare their voices for a number of different numbers, ranging from classical to pop, harmonizing, staying on pitch and smiling at their audience. They rehearse each song several times in order to perfect the high notes and set the mood for the concert as the opening performers. Advanced Choir will be available to current choir students who are ready to further develop their vocal skills. However, according to Chloe Laverson (12), there is no audition required to take the current choir class TPHS offers. “You could technically be [tone-deaf] in choir and honestly, a couple people started the year off with no musicianship and couldn’t even match pitch … and now they’re totally killing the game,” Laverson said. “It’s a pretty hard class. Ms. Gelb definitely whips us into shape in terms of getting our music ready and sounding good, but anyone can join.” Laverson has been in Choir since she transferred to TPHS from the San Diego Jewish Academy her junior year, and was one of the original members of the group. “I started singing when I started talking, I guess. My parents would always put on music [when I was growing up], but I started s e r i o u s l y training when I was about 12,” said Laverson. “And then I’ve been in choir for two years because it’s only been offered at Torrey Pines for two years.” The class provides practice with harmonizing, matching pitch, performing and more to any student who is interested in singing. Gelb prepares choir for every performance and competition they have. For Laverson, the most memorable was “Music In The Parks” in 2016. “A bunch of schools in California went to Universal Studios, and we performed for judges. And last year, with only nine people, we ended up getting second place.” Laverson said. Jazz Band refines its musical sequence, creating an upbeat and exciting tone. Saxophones, trumpets and drums play as the vocals of the band’s lead singer follow the tempo. In fourth period, Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band fine-tune each note, eager to establish themselves as talented musicians in front of hundreds of people. A combination of hard work, dedicated teaching and overall talent helps the classes involved with the TP music program thrive. “Torrey Pines in general … our music program is incredible. And people don’t know [this], but we win first place superior at almost every competition we go to,” Laverson said. “And it’s because the students are really dedicated, they really care and Ms. Gelb is an incredible teacher and an incredible conductor.” As the Chamber Concert gets closer, the students of the TPHS Music program put in hours of work in the hope of captivating their audiences. Soon the lights will be dimmed, the stage will be set and a packed house of adoring friends, family members and fans will be waiting to hear the music they worked so hard to perfect.
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MICHAEL KORS infographic by anvitha soordelu/falconer
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I’ve never understood why some people dislike sushi. Because personally, I don’t think I could ever get tired of eating it. So when I sat down at Station Sushi in Solana Beach on a relaxed Thursday night during happy hour, I was pretty excited. The restaurant had indoor and outdoor seating areas, both of which had minimal lighting but energetic atmospheres. The indoor seating area, which was much smaller than the outside area, had upbeat music and sports games playing. Our server and chefs behind the bar were friendly and quick to respond to any concerns. We ordered the California Roll ($7), the Fantasy Roll ($15) and the Sneaky Tiki Roll ($16.50). To my surprise, every roll was served within minutes and nicely presented on a long plate. The California Roll had all of the usual ingredients: cucumber, avocado and imitation crab, and while I appreciated the size and the generosity of the ingredients, the taste was not anything special. I had high expectations for the Fantasy Roll, as the spicy tuna covering the outside and large pieces
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of shrimp tempura looked very appealing. But I was disappointed because the flavors of the components of the roll clashed with one another. The spicy tuna overpowered the sauce, rendering it flavorless. The masago (roe) on top of the roll didn’t really taste like anything and was weirdly slimy. However, the shrimp tempura inside the roll was light and crunchy and the fish was very tender. Just like the other rolls, I felt like some of the individual components of the Sneaky Tiki Roll were tasted good individually, but the pieces as a whole did not really come together for me. I enjoyed the albacore and the crunchy panko breadcrumbs, and I thought the sweet eel sauce paired with the sour lemon on top of the rice was delicious. But the salmon, while soft and chewable, generally lacked flavor and the spicy tuna overpowered again. My least favorite part of this roll was the definitely the cream cheese, mostly because I don’t like it normally, I thought its taste didn’t fit with the other ingredients. Still, I appreciated the fact that he individual pieces in each roll didn’t break apart after I dipped them in soy sauce
cramped entrance was a bit of a challenge. The doorway Extending this awkward entrance was a PHOTO BY ALLY JENSEN/FALCONER white plastic macaron ice cream cooler that clashed with the traditional Japanese feel accomplished by their admittedly limited decor. My lunch was met with good service by a single waitress, who was attentive but not overbearing. Each roll arrived quickly, handed down by the chef behind a sneezeguard glass as they were completed. The rolls were firmly packed and easy to pick up, especially for those of us with amateur chopstick abilities. The nine-piece Hawaiian roll ($10.95) was presented on a long banana leaf on a white ceramic plate. Each piece had real crab, avocado and shrimp tempura topped with tuna and eel sauce. The best Fish is usually one of my least favorite things to eat. part of the roll came from the fresh fish that topped However, sushi is one of the extremely limited ways I each piece. It was not cold to the point that the fish felt will eat, and enjoy fish. slimy or slick but also was not uncomfortably warm. Gami Sushi, which is located in Piazza Carmel The Chargers roll ($16.95), one of the premium near Interstate 5, was easily accessible with plenty rolls, was easily the best. Filled with real crab, shrimp of parking spaces in an open lot, but getting past the tempura, avocado and cucumber, and topped with a In the past two weeks I have consumed more sushi than normal, and I have come to the conclusion that while most sushi is the same, the price and ambiance of sushi restaurants vary. This was also the case when I was seated in the corner of Shimbashi Izakaya, a small modern restaurant on the second level Del Mar Plaza. I had trouble actually finding the restaurant, because it was on the second level of the strip mall, but once we found it, we were greeted by a friendly server. At first glance, the restaurant had little energy, but because of its location, it drew customers in to sit either at the sushi bar or the dining area either indoors or outdoors. Our server sat us at a modern wooden table, and we were excited to try some sushi, despite the unexciting atmosphere. After browsing the menu, we ordered a California Roll ($9.50), King’s Roll ($24) and a Shrimp Tempura Roll ($17), which took about 10 minutes, despite the place being virtually empty. The California Roll and King’s Roll came on the same plate, nine pieces of each, with ginger and wasabi on the side. The Shrimp
Tempura Roll had its own plate and was dressed with eel sauce and more ginger and wasabi. I had high expectations for the California Roll because of its price and because it is a staple roll. It had the standard imitation crab and avocado, but it also had an overwhelming amount of cucumber and it fell apart when I dipped it in soy sauce. Sadly, I would describe the roll as nothing but average with extra cucumber. After the disappointing California Roll, I tried the Shrimp Tempura Roll. It was so big that it took two bites to finish and I was delighted by the surprising addition of bean sprouts. The combination of shrimp tempura, snow crab with mayo, avocado, cucumber, gobo carrot, bean sprouts and eel sauce complimented each other well, and it restored my faith in Shimbashi Izakaya. I hesitantly tried the house special, the King’s Roll, with bluefin tuna and chopped wasabi leaves on top of a crab and asparagus roll. At first glance, the roll was appealing because of its colorful components, but I was disappointed again in the combination of ingredients.
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PHOTO BY TRAVIS FELTHAUS/FALCONER
or picked them up with my chopsticks, which made my eating experience much easier. While the unique atmosphere and friendly service of Station Sushi were pleasant, I wasn’t too impressed with my rolls. But in the end, my love for sushi prevails and I would still consider giving the place another chance at a later date. by Angela Liu baked soft shell crab, caviar, spicy mayo and eel sauce, the Chargers roll was worth every penny. Presented on the same kind of white plate as the Hawaiian roll, the Chargers roll had a purple flower decorating the plate. The baked toppings gave the Chargers roll a crunch without a greasy aftertaste. It tasted sweet, and each flavor worked together to create a smooth, tasty roll. The California roll ($4.50) was a basic krab, cucumber and avocado roll. The eight-piece roll had the simplest presentation and arrived on a traditional wooden sushi plate without any decoration. The California roll differed from the other rolls with its tangy taste, almost as if lemon juice were added, however it did not turn bitter. Overall, Gami Sushi was definitely worth the price. It offered great presentation and a variety of taste combinations of their sushi that is hard to find anywhere else and even harder to beat. The layout may have been small but was still navigable and once seated, the environment was quaint. Gami Sushi is a place I know I could go back again and again and never get sick of. by Ellie Ahles
PHOTO BY ALLY JENSEN/FALCONER
The bluefin tuna was slimy, the wasabi leaves were extremely spicy and the asparagus was just out of place. The roll fell apart easily and was unappetizing. Even though the restaurant was lovely, the rolls and service left something to be desired. Despite the Shrimp Tempura Roll, I would not come back to Shimbashi Izakaya. by Estelle Kraft
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march 24, 2017
“The U.S. is home to 5 percent of the world’s population, but 25 percent of the world’s prisoners. Think about that.” From the first sentence, filmmaker Ava DuVernay’s “13th” is a thought-provoking and infuriating film that explores the lasting legacy of slavery on the country today and, specifically, how slavery created a prison-industrial complex with a disproportionate number of African-Americans. This eye-opening documentary, which debuted on Netflix in 2016, serves as a reminder of the role that race continues to play in the American criminal justice system. The film highlights the loophole in the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery for everyone except for those deemed “criminals.” In the first 30 minutes, “13th” takes the audience on a journey through America’s despicable treatment of blacks and connects each historical event to present-day society. Covering topics ranging from the Ku Klux Klan to former President Ronald Reagan’s “War on Drugs,” DuVernay exposes the racial bias inherent in many government policies by drawing a line from historical events to the mass incarceration of blacks today. Many powerful and relevant figures from both sides of the political aisle weigh in on the subject, from former Communist USA leader and noted black scholar, Angela Davis, to former Republican Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich, who is surprisingly coherent and speaks truth to
power in the film. The variety of voices work together to shine a light on our mass incarceration epidemic by dissecting our judicial system and drawing stark comparisons to America’s long history of systemic racism against blacks. “13th” is made up of a collection of effective sequences, each one focused on a different point ranging from the use of the term “super-predator” to Walmart and its relationship to the death of Trayvon Martin. Though on the surface they may seem wildly unrelated, they fit together perfectly and create a thorough analysis of all the faults of the American justice system, corporate-controlled politics and privatized prisons. Perhaps the most powerful part of the film are the clips of President Donald Trump’s rhetoric and treatment of African-American protesters at his recent campaign rallies that are laid side-by-side with video clips of the treatment of civil rights protesters in the Jim Crow era. The resemblance between the two is shocking. In 100 minutes, Ava DuVernay presents a nuanced critique of the endemic racial inequality still present in American society today, despite the abolition of slavery over 150 years ago and places the corrupt prison system at the center of it all. “13th” is truly a powerful, fiercely intelligent and sobering film that is a must-watch for anyone and everyone living in the U.S. today. by Sammy Hallal
It started off innocently enough; the first few minutes were home videos of high school girls celebrating admission to their dream colleges, the entire sequence backed by graduation music. But everything changed when Annie Clark and Andrea Pino are introduced. Clark and Pino were raped while attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Over the course of the film, they explain their futile attempts to get their school to take their trauma seriously. The topic is controversial because “The Hunting Ground” accuses colleges of dismissing the claims of women who are brave enough to come forward and report incidents of sexual assault. Several college women are shown onscreen, breaking down in tears as they recount traumatic experiences that continue to haunt them. Their stories are heartbreaking, but it’s even more shocking to hear the responses of schools like Harvard, Yale and Stanford. Survivors are discouraged from going to the police in order to keep the respective institutions’ names and reputations intact. The statistics provided on reported assaults and consequent expulsions are jarring. Universities with hundreds of rape reports have expelled zero to three alleged perpetrators. Colleges also have policies in place on how to proceed if one of their students is accused of rape, but offered no help to women who report incidents. The film documents
the consequences for accused rapists on various college campuses, each one was more ridiculously insignificant than the one before. School faculty members who are courageous enough to speak out about it put their careers on the line, and are often fired, though administrators claim the faculty dismissals have no relation to their activism. The soundtrack also is very appropriate for the subject of the documentary. Lady Gaga’s perfect “Til It Happens to You” was written for the film and ended up winning many awards in 2016. “The Hunting Ground” is powerful. The 2015 documentary is 1 hour and 43 minutes of controversy, but the emotional intensity of the topic is engaging, and watching Clark and Pino constantly fighting an uphill battle to force their school to listen to them and take appropriate action kept me interested. It’s concerning to see that the schools the film discusses are nationally recognized and well-respected schools. But it’s important to recognize that a prestigious name doesn’t necessarily translate to a safe campus. As the documentary explains, efforts to hush rape reports and dismiss the women who bring them up at universities are all part of a national epidemic. Overall, “The Hunting Ground” is an emotionally-packed experience and should be required viewing for all high school students looking to attend college and all current college students. by Anvitha Soordelu
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“That’s my sister. And this is me, Nick.” The camera reveals a young Nicholas Barclay. In the home video, he and his sister, Carey Gibson, are laughing, but for Gibson it no longer evokes nostalgia. Thirteen-year-old Barclay was reported missing on June 13, 1994 in San Antonio, Texas. Three years later, Gibson received a phone call from authorities in Spain, who said they had found Barclay — except instead of the blonde, blue-eyed and 16-year-old she expected, the Barclay they found was 23 years old and had brown hair, brown eyes and a French accent. His name was also Frederic Bourdin. With interviews of Bourdin and Barclay’s family members, archived television news reels and reenacted scenes, “The Imposter” tells the strange and riveting story of Barclay’s disappearance and Bourdin’s, a French serial impostor, impersonation of Barclay. In just 99 minutes, the documentary manages not only to build sympathy for Barclay’s family, but also for Bourdin, who attributed his desire to assume children’s identities to his own absent childhood. The interviews in the documentary move along with the plot, making the film feel more like an unfolding story than a retelling of a past event. Bourdin’s clear lack of remorse comes through clearly in his interviews, but somehow he invites sympathy, which tinges his criminal actions with a sort of ambiguity. As a whole, the interviews are realistic
and uncensored; Gibson says “F--- you!” to Bourdin; Bourdin responds matter-of-factly, “I care about myself, just myself.” Even though Bourdin’s impersonation fooled Barclay’s family, with the exception of his brother, and officials in both Spain and the U.S., a private investigator and FBI agent soon grow suspicious of his act. Suspense builds, and Bourdin eventually makes a full confession, detailing the tactics that he used to convince Barclay’s family that he was their son, like pulling his hat down to cover his eyes to obscure his real age. While dramatic reenactments can often steer a good documentary in the completely opposite direction, the scenes in “The Imposter” are incredibly well-produced and placed throughout the film. The scenes make “The Imposter” seem more like a drama than a documentary; because of the quick transitions between reenacted scenes and interviews, the documentary moves quickly. Aesthetically pleasing cinematography, the limited dialogue and interjections with sound bites from interviews help make the film both believable and captivating. “The Imposter” is essentially a more sober and less whimsical “Catch Me If You Can.” However, the most intriguing part is not the story itself — it is the fact that the film has managed to effectively humanize Bourdin while still remaining honest and realistic. by Irene Yu
Imagine: it’s a day no different than any other day. You are sleeping after a long day of working at an advertising agency. But your tranquility is short-lived because your head is suddenly racked with excruciating pain. Your mind meanders in and out of consciousness, and you head outside to seek help but instead stumble into an unknown hotel. In the hotel, all mental and physical equilibrium is lost when your knees buckle beneath you, and everything goes pitchblack. This experience is all too familiar to Lotje Sodderland, whose stroke was caused by a nearly-fatal brain hemorrhage — a bleeding inside of the brain caused by a ruptured blood vessel. Sodderland narrates her journey to recover not only her speech and writing, skills that were erased by the stroke, but to also rediscover her identity in the midst of hopelessness in the self-directed documentary “My Beautiful Broken Brain.” Although a brain hemorrhage is an undoubtedly dark subject, the tone of the documentary remains relatively light because of Sodderland’s unrelenting optimism, despite having to reacquire most of the knowledge she accumulated over the 34 years of her life. But the occasional moments in the film when she cries in frustration at not being able to “be normal” help humanize her character. Sodderland and her co-director, Sophie Robinson, drive the story by building on its emotional content. Even the smallest details, such
as the shaky camerawork and mediocre video-editing skills, can be perceived as deliberate choices on Sodderland’s part to imitate her new visual and neurological deficits, rather than an absence of technical ability. After Sodderland is introduced, the film seems to plateau because of the lack of rising and falling action usually characteristic of an autobiographical documentary. The audience is caught offguard by an unexpected plot twist when Sodderland suffers from a second wave of the brain hemorrhage, which almost cruelly erases much of the progress she had made from hours dedicated to treatment. The slow progression of her recovery that follows the second hemorrhage deepens the level of intimacy between the viewer and the determined Sodderland who, yet again, courageously struggles to overcome the devastating effects of her stroke while being confined within hospital walls. Through her unwavering resilience and perseverance, Sodderland ultimately illustrates the importance behind one’s resolve, as well as the successes that come from relentless hard work. Because it is both abrupt and vague, the ending is not as satisfactory as it could have been, but “My Beautiful Broken Brain” still effectively portrays the power of individual willpower through Sodderland’s successful battle with her serious challenges. by Kahyun Koh
Tactfully combining countless interviews from close acquaintances, authentic home movie footage and informative clips about legislation, “Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine” is an intimate portrayal of the life and legacy of Matt Shepard following his murder in 1998. The film begins with shots of Shepard’s hometown and a brief explanation of the circumstances surrounding his death: Shepard, an openly gay university student, was beaten to death by two fellow students during his first year at the University of Wyoming, an offense later ruled a hate crime because Shepard was gay. The documentary soon shifts to a narrative about Shepard’s life, including his journey toward coming to terms with his sexuality and his struggles with introversion and education abroad. While the world may know Shepard for his murder and the events that followed it, the majority of the film focuses on Shepard’s early life and adolescence, particularly his personal relationships with friends and family. Directed by Shepard’s close childhood friend Michele Josue, the film is a raw portrayal of Shepard’s life separate from the news headlines and the media coverage. Josue’s narration throughout the documentary, along with the interviews and archived footage from Shepard’s early life, give a strippeddown look into the lesser-known aspects of Shepard’s personal life. As an independent production, the documentary feels
heartfelt and genuine. The selection of home videos in lieu of professional-produced footage humanizes Shepard and those who were affected by his death, shifting the focus of the story back on Shepard rather than his being a martyr for his sexuality. The latter portion of the documentary focuses on Shepard’s family, in particular his parents, who have advocated for stricter hate crime legislation and greater acceptance of the LGBT community since Shepard’s death. Clips of celebrities showing support for Shepard and his family demonstrate the huge impact Shepard’s death had on the country, but the overall tone of the film remains personal since the interviews are restricted to those who knew Shepard personally. Even the snippets of the film that criticize the U.S. legal system are delivered by Shepard’s parents and other family members who are most familiar with Shepard’s life, resulting in the most authentic insights of the criminal justice system in relation to Shepard and his death. Nearly 20 years after his death, the impact of Shepard’s legacy still lives on, but “Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine” goes beyond headlines that are ingrained in everyone’s minds. Despite the imperfect cinematography, the purity of the content is unmatched by any other coverage of Shepard’s death. by Sumin Hwang
PHOTOS COURTESY OF INTERNET MOVIE DATABASE
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Baseball trampled by Broncos Despite stellar fourth inning batting, baseball (4-3) fell to Rancho Bernardo High School (6-1) 10-5 at home on Mar. 20. Pitcher Kyle Hurt (12) took the mound to open the game and quickly brought up the bottom of the first by forcing ground outs and fly outs. At the top of the order for the Falcons was Mac Bingham (10), who hit a leadoff single and stole to second, but strikeouts on Robbie Schlesier (12) and Hurt brought an end to the inning. The one blemish for Hurt in the second inning was a line drive which reached first baseman Gus Patrick (12) too late. But Jake Boone (12) ended the top of the second after he dove for a line drive and chucked the ball to Patrick for an out. Boone transferred his great play in the infield to the plate after he hit a beautiful leadoff single over the head of the Rancho Bernardo shortstop. He was advanced to third base after Patrick bunted and Kevin Sim (9) sent the ball flying into the glove of the outfielder allowing Boone to tag off to third. But Jace Evans (11) left Boone stranded at third after he struck out on a low pitch. In the third inning, Hurt remained near perfect from the mound by forcing outs on three straight batters. The USC commit earned one of the outs with a low fastball, which the Rancho Bernardo player swung on and missed. Bingham got to second again after he fired a ball in between Rancho Bernardo’s Center and Right fielders. He stole to third, but the Falcons were not able to bring Bingham home after one fly out and two ground outs. Hurt’s fourth inning struggles began after he walked the first and second batters. A line drive that got past Boone gave the Broncos their first score. Hurt pitched his second strikeout, but the Broncos ripped two more balls into the outfield to secure a 6-0 lead. Afterwards, head coach Kirk McCaskill called for a pitching conference and subbed in relief pitcher Tucker Pike (12), who allowed one more run off of a wild pitch. But Pike stopped the bleeding by striking out the next two batters. At first, the Falcons’ response to a seven run Broncos’ inning did not look promising after Hurt and Boone hit fly outs. But after drops by the Rancho Bernardo first baseman and shortstop, Patrick and
Sim reached first and third base. TPHS developed a hit streak with line drives from Evans and Tino Capozzoli (12) bringing two runs home and with Bingham’s catapult off the back left fence, which brought two more home. Schesier grounded out to end the inning at 7-4. Michael Schreiber (10) replaced Pike on the mound for the fifth inning, but Rancho Bernardo fired his first pitch over the fence for a home run. Pitchers on both sides forced ground and fly outs to bring up the sixth inning. The Falcons held the Broncos to zero scores in the sixth thanks to a double play, but the Falcons failed to get a player on base when it was their turn at the plate. Rancho Bernardo opened the seventh by ripping Schreiber’s ball over the fence for a home run and loaded the bases shortly afterwards. Jack Lofaro (11) was subbed in and despite walking the first batter he faced, he struck out the next three through a combination of fastballs and sinkers. In the bottom of the seventh, Ben McCaskill (12) reached third base and was batted home by Boone. Rvan Dill (12) struck out, ending the game for a 10-5 Broncos win. Although coach McCaskill was disappointed that the team lost, he was pleased with the effort. “Rancho Bernardo will be one of the tougher teams we face,” Kirk said. “They have had a number of seniors now who have played three to four years of varsity baseball and are very good players. We hit the ball really well. We track quality at bats and we had a lot of them. Matt Bingham had one heck of a game offensively.” Schlesier also said Rancho Bernardo is
PHOTOS BY ALDERIK VAN DER HEYDE/FALCONER
STEAL THEIR THUNDER: Jake Boone (29) dives for a steal as a Bronco baseman readies for the catch (TOP). Boone fires the ball to the outfield (MIDDLE). Third baseman Boone jumps for the ball to tag out the Bronco baserunner (ABOVE).
one of the tougher teams on the schedule. “We played well, but we could not pull off the win.” Schlesier said. “We are going to see Rancho Bernardo again in the playoffs.” Second baseman Ty McGuire (11) said the team did not struggle much and executed well. Mcguire also said the team will work on “defense, hitting, squaring balls up, and fundamentals” so they can “get to where they need to be.” The Falcons play San Marcos High School (6-1) today at 3:30 p.m.
Every year, the 24 best players in the NBA compete in the All-Star Game. But in this year’s contest in New Orleans, they did not come to play. Instead of defending a shot, Golden State point guard Steph Curry laid on the floor. And to illustrate further how lazy the players were, there were zero fouls by halftime. During the final quarter, annoyed fans in the Smoothie King Center began chanting “defense” to motivate the players. But the frustration does not end there. Golden State Warriors Coach Steve Kerr said the game was a “joke,” NBA Hall of Famer Reggie Miller said the game was “comical” and All-Star point guard Chris Paul, who represents the players as President of the Player’s Union, told NBA Commissioner Adam Silver that the game “needs to be fixed.” The criticism should make it clear to Silver that changes are needed. The game’s dunks and fancy passes will always be there, but defensive effort needs to be improved if future games will be taken seriously. Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green suggests players would raise the bar if prize money was higher. Currently, the winners get $50,000 and the losers get $25,000. If this motivates players to be more competitive, Silver should raise the prize money for next year’s game at Staples Center in Los Angeles. Kerr also said that the game could be more competitive if all of the players were on the same page about its intensity. The NBA should look to other All-Star Games as examples. For 14 years, the baseball All-Star Game was meaningful because the winning league received home field advantage in the World Series. Players also gave fans a game in previous basketball All Star Games. In the 1987 game, Hakeem Olajawon fouled out. And despite scorers like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain in the 1973 game, the same 48 minutes produced a score of 104-84. Silver could revive the game by giving the winning side postseason power. Silver has admitted changes must be made. He has discussed adding a four point or even a ten point shot. But the thought of these arcade-style shots might further cause the players to take the game unseriously. Right now, Silver is overthinking what he must do. He simply needs to make changes that make the classic contest look more like a basketball game. Fans say that the players do not try hard because of fear of injury. And maybe that is one reason why attendance has declined the last two years because they do not want to watch actors on the court. Also, the TV ratings over the last four years were flat, perhaps a reflection of the fans’ boredom. But after this year’s lackluster game, players like Kyrie Irving of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Jimmy Butler of the Chicago Bulls said they want to play in a competitive game. Other players like Green say they will only return if changes are made. The problem is not that the players do not want to compete, but they have no reason to. For the sake of the fans, coaches and players, Commissioner Silver must provide that reason.
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Girls lacrosse dominates Dance wins at West Coast rival La Costa Canyon Elite National Competition Girls lacrosse (6-0) defeated La Costa Canyon High School (3-2) 16-8 on Mar. 18 at LCC, with dominant offensive plays and good communication on and off the field. “LCC is super competitive, so they’re always going to be one of the rivalries,” head coach Kaitlyn Doucette said. “They’re always going to be a tough game; they’re always going to be competitive regardless of the players or anything like that.” According to Marisa Kuberra (12), although they had played another game earlier in the day, TPHS still started off strong with powerful offensive attacks and successful passes. The first goal was made by Kuberra after goalie Sophia LeRose (11) made a save off a free position shot by LCC. LeRose ran about halfway up the field and sent the ball up to Kuberra, who placed it in the back of the net. Just one draw later, Kuberra assisted in another goal as she passed the ball to Arielle Shahrabani (11) who shot and scored, making the score 2-0 within the first five minutes of the game. TPHS began using the fouls made by LCC to their advantage. After two shooting space fouls gave Taylor Scornavacco (12) two free positions, she scored the first of her many goals for that game, whipping the ball to the back of the net from the 12-meter line. Although the fouls were slowing the flow of the game down, the Falcons were still able to keep up the flow of their offensive plays. After setting up “Carolina”, one of the few plays TPHS demonstrated throughout this game, LCC got a sphere foul as Bailee Monjazeb (11) drove the ball towards the goal. Monjazeb then received a free position shot, and scored a goal for the Falcons. “Our transition from the defense to the offense was definitely strong, because [the ball] would hit five different people and go down [the field],” LeRose said. The Falcons’ seven goals in a row caused a timeout call from LCC. Shortly
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after their timeout, the Mavericks finally got on the board by scoring off a free position shot, bringing the score to 7-1 with a little less than 10 minutes left in the half. For the remainder of the half, LCC had a slight comeback, scoring off of a few free position shots. TPHS responded with smarter offense and another play named “Maryland”. Ines Ramirez (12) picked up a ground ball in the midfield and ran it behind the goal, passing it to Addison Stewart (11) who scored a goal off a swift crease-roll. TPHS set up Maryland after Kuberra missed a shot. This play gave Kelli McKinnon (11) the chance to roll the crease and score. McKinnon was able to make one more goal before the first half ended with a score of 12-3. “We’re all just happy for each other and we do everything for each other, so our mentality going onto the field is to work for each other and … for the greater picture,” Kuberra said. “So I think that really helped us come out strong with a big win. We came out to represent Torrey Pines.” In the second half of the game, both teams were setting up good plays and frequently scoring goals, but TPHS always remained in the lead by seven or eight points. “We won the draws [and] I think was the biggest piece [of our victory],” Doucette said. “The draw control is so much a big deal for girls lacrosse.” According to LeRose, the team will be focusing on defense through the rest of the season. “[We need to] really get our ride down … and just working together and getting quicker in the midfield,” LeRose said. Composure is another area in which the team needs to work on, according to Scornavacco. “A lot of people get really frantic when we have the ball, and everybody’s good enough to play out here,” Scornavacco said. “So just knowing in their head that they can handle the ball running down the field is super important.” The Falcons will play Poway High School (4-0) today at 7:00 p.m. at home.
The TPHS dance team headed to the West Coast Elite National Competition in Long Beach on the weekend of Mar. 18, taking first place in the small hip hop GOLD category, second and sixth place in the large hip hop GOLD category, third place in the medium contemporary GOLD category and third place in the small contemporary SILVER category. After competing in a regional competition at Rancho Bernardo High School, the team left for nationals, where around 30 teams from across the nation compete in separate categories. “Nationals is basically like the dance team’s version of CIF,” varsity dance standout Brianna Haire (12) Brianna Haire ������� ������ said. The competition includes lyrical, jazz, hip hop, contemporary, Broadway, kick, pom and novelty categories, all further divided into three divisions: small, medium, and large. The small dances are composed of the least amount of dancers, while the large has the most. Numbers vary per style and form of dance. At the competition, TPHS entered dances into both the GOLD and SILVER category of the competition. “At Regionals, you qualify for either the Gold or Silver division depending on how well you do,” Sarah Ludington (12), a varsity dancer on all hip hop teams, said. “The GOLD division is for those who scored above a certain score and the silver is for below.” In the GOLD category, the dance team entered all of their dances except for small contemporary, which was entered in the SILVER category.
On the day of the competition “we rehearsed the whole time,” coach Sarah Kaye said. “We only take a few short breaks between the different dances we are about to compete with.” Teams compete in a preliminary round, and based on the scores, the top 25 percent of teams are entered into the finals. For TPHS, the small and large hip hop teams, medium contemporary and small contemporary were selected. “Sometimes dance can be hard,” Ludington said. “You practice and train for months, and it comes down to a three-minute performance, and you have one shot.” At the finals, the seven months of work put into the dance routines paid off, allowing all routines an intense three minutes, resulting in the dance team’s first ever win at a national competition. When the program began nine years ago, the TPHS dance team was toward the bottom of the crop, according to Kaye. “[We’ve had] many ups and downs and small victories here and there,” Kaye said. “We have been working toward this for years, and it is the biggest win we have had in all the years I have been at TPHS.” To the dancers, winning the competition has been a life-changing experience. From freshman year and qualifying for nationals for the first time, the seniors have had great pride in seeing all their dedication pay off in their final year of high school, both Ludington and Haire said. “It is crazy to think about,” Haire said. “Winning nationals is such a validation of all of your hard work and your team’s hard work … to get a standing ovation from everyone watching and rival schools is amazing. Winning nationals has honestly been one of the best moments of my life.”
Winning nationals is such a validation of all your hard work and your team’s hard work ... to get a standing ovation from everyne watching and rival schools is amazing.
Girls Lacrosse Coach Kaitlin Doucette was named California-San Diego U.S. Lacrosse Girls Coach of the Year. The USL is the national administrative body for both girls and boys lacrosse. Doucette sat down with Falconer staff writer Farhan Hossain to discuss her award and her sports program.
Q: How did you feel about being awarded USL Girls’ Coach of the Year? A: I was super flattered to even be put in the crew, to even be nominated ... A lot of the head coaches ... are my close friends, so to be nominated for that by close peers is really awesome. Q: Were you surprised by the award? What is the process for receiving one? A: There are so many talented coaches out there, so yeah, I was [surprised]... At the CIF meetings, at the end of the season, where we vote on the first team and the second team, everybody is asked to put a name on a piece of paper for who they think should be nominated [as] Coach of the year. That’s within CIF. Then there is a separate nomination process behind the scenes, where the person who is in charge of running that CIF meeting receives nominations from [other] people ... The woman who [received] the nominations ... heard a lot of positive things about me as a coach, and so she ... was the person who nominated me. She said, “I know a lot of your girls. I had a bunch of great experiences with your girls. They are a pleasure to coach, and I heard a bunch of nice things from other kids, too, to nominate you.” Q: What is the most rewarding part of being the girls’ lacrosse coach? A: This is my eighth season here. My first two years we won CIF, and it was awesome. Then, we had a couple of down years where we were trying to gather talent and have strong kids. There was a big identity shift within the program, and we’ve really been pushing a family environment, [where we work] for each other … This was the first time I was recognized, [and] we won which was nice, but it was the first time I was recognized for the direction my program had been moving in. Dedication, commitment and dedication to the name on your jersey over stats and anything else, or even recruitment success ... is a much bigger picture that I have been trying to push. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION COURTESY OF ANNA SCIPIONE
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march 24, 2017
Boys lacrosse edges Loyola with last-minute goals Boys lacrosse (5-0) narrowly defeated Loyola High School of Los Angeles (6-1) with a final score of 9-7 on Mar. 18. Loyola took the ball in the first face-off, but it was quickly won back by midfielder Spencer Grant (11). Midfielder Shayne Grant (11) scored only 40 seconds into the game, assisted by attackman Alderik van der Heyde (12). The Cubs made repeated scoring attempts in a short period of time, but goalie Makail Fraboni (11) knocked all of the shots down before they reached the goal. “[I reacted] to the shot as fast as I can and being confident is crucial in making a nice, fluid save,” Fraboni said. After a Loyola player received a push with possession Jono Zissi foul, van der Heyde ���� ����� passed the ball off to midfielder Porter Hollen (10) scored with two minutes remaining in the quarter; raising the score to 2-0. Only 16 seconds later, van der Heyde gained his third assist of the night, leading to a goal by Spencer. With less than a minute left in the quarter, the Cubs slammed a straight shot into the goal, resulting in a first quarter score of 3-1. Fraboni made back-to-back saves at the very beginning of the second quarter and midfielder Michael Mines (10) passed the ball to van der Hyde, who scored to increase the Falcons’ lead to 4-1. “I took off and pushed transition,” Mines said. “I drew the defense toward me, and Alderik finished it off.” Two minutes until the end of the second
quarter, midfielder Zach Friedland (11) 5-1 lead. Less than 20 seconds later, Loyola scored on the Falcons, slightly weakening their lead to a score of 5-2 at the half. The Falcons maintained their drive through halftime and obtained possession after the ball went out of bounds. A series of passes brought the ball to attackman Alex Pistorius (10), whose goal restored their four-point advantage. Shortly after, TPHS stole the ball from Loyola, allowing van der Heyde to score another goal and bring the score up to 7-2 for the Falcons. Halfway through the third quarter, the Cubs gained power over the Falcons. Loyola’s point increase began with an underhand sweep into the goal, followed by three more goals, securing a 7-6 score going into the fourth quarter. The final quarter opened with a stalemate, with the Falcons not scoring since the beginning of the second half. The Cubs scored yet another goal to tie up the game at 7-7, but five minutes later Pistorius, assisted by Mines, returned with his second goal of the night, giving the Falcons a small lead with two minutes to spare. “I think momentum went back and forth,” head coach Jono Zissi said. “I think when we scored that eighth goal, we had the game.” To finish off the Cubs, the Falcons retained their burst of energy and possessed a ground ball, which made its way to van der Heyde, who scored his third goal of the game to reinforce the win. For the rest of the season, TPHS will “be working on transition offense and good team defense,” according to Mines. On Mar. 25, the Falcons will travel to San Juan Capistrano to take on St. Margarets (3-4).
I think momentum went back and forth. I think when we scored that eighth goal, we had the game.
PHOTOS BY TRAVIS FELTHAUS/FALCONER
[CHECK]MATE: Shayne Grant (12) lifts his stick to avoid a defensive check as he carries the ball across the field (TOP). Ronan Gilliland (3) bends to scoop a ground ball, running ahead of Loyola defenders (ABOVE).
Softball falls to Westview in deciding final inning Softball (8-4) lost to Westview High School (3-4) 7-6 on Mar. 16 at home. TPHS led the game until the seventh inning, falling behind after the Wolverines scored two runs at the top of the inning. “We made about five fielding errors, which was uncharacteristic of us, but the teams were pretty evenly matched,” head coach Jonathan Moore said. The Falcons started strong, with Stavi Augur (12) hitting a double off the first pitch. A grounder down to third from Cassie Kaelber (12) followed by a drive into left field by Sydny Poh (12) loaded the bases for the Falcons with no outs. Makena Macias (10) slammed the ball between first and second base, bringing Augur home and putting them on the board. Still with bases loaded, the Westview pitcher walked Alex Reges (12) to bump the score up to 2-0. Three consecutive outs ended the inning. TPHS, maintaining strong defense and offense throughout the second inning, scored an additional two runs on the Wolverines, who were unable to score at all. Poh hit a double to the fence, bringing Kristin Bitter (10) and Augur home for a 4-0 lead. The fourth inning redefined the game when Westview suddenly surged with strong and strategically placed hits to tie the game at 4-4. “That inning ... was when our energy dropped a bit, and it’s when their’s increased a lot,” Poh said. “It was probably the big shift that made us lose.” In response to the Wolverines’
sudden momentum, the Falcons crushed Westview’s defense on two outs in the bottom of the fourth. Kaelber was safe at first after a low bunt, and Poh’s hit to rightcenter field brought Kaelber in to home. “It went from four to nothing [and] cruised into a tie game when we had a change of pitchers,” Moore said. “There were a couple of questionable calls that went against us.” The remainder of the game was a neckand-neck battle for control, with TPHS ahead until the final inning. At the top of the sixth, Kaelber made a tough catch at shortstop and whipped the ball to Reges at first, who stretched deep to make a crucial third out. Westview retaliated when their third baseman caught Poh’s hard line drive and then stepped on the base before Chloe Balsiger (10) could get back. In the seventh inning, Wolverine runners on second and third were brought home by a hit straight into left field, giving them their first lead of the game and ultimately the victory. Despite their consistent lead over Westview in the first three innings, the fourth inning “was ultimately very impactful for [TPHS] … and was the big shift that made [the team] lose,” according to Poh. “I thought the game went well for the most part,” Allison Joas (11) said. “[In] previous games, we didn’t make as many errors, so we could have done better. We can definitely work on fielding because we got a new field, so we are trying to work out with the new dirt.” The Falcons played Mission Hills High School (4-5) on Mar. 22 and El Camino High School (3-8) on Mar. 23, after the Falconer went to press.
PHOTOS BY ALDERIK VAN DER HEYDE/FALCONER
DON’T CHOKE UP: Kristin Bitter (14) grips her bat over her shoulder at the plate, ready for the pitch as the Wolverine on the mound winds up to throw (TOP). After making a catch, Stavi Augur (5) bends down to tag Sydney Mauch (15) as she slides into third (ABOVE).
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DAY IN THE
LIFE
Taught by their father, Lauren and Ava Hanna (11) grew up playing Ultimate Frisbee on San Diego sand. Now, they are taking their skills to next level at tournaments across the nation.
Dashing across the field with eyes focused behind her, Ava Hanna (11) prepares to leap into the air and snag her target. With her arms stretched high, Hanna leaps out of the reach of a defender and snatches the object from the air. She is quick to maneuver away from oncoming players, diligently scouting a familiar face. Finding the perfect angle, she flicks the Frisbee to her teammate, knowing that her throw will be successful because — on this occasion — it’s her sister who is on the receiving end. Twins Ava and Lauren Hanna (11) found their niche playing Ultimate Frisbee early on, learning the basics of the game at a young age and quickly improving on their throwing skills and athleticism. “Our dad was an Ultimate Frisbee player in college, and he was at a national level and went to many tournaments,” Lauren said. “He really loved the sport, so he taught us when we were little how to throw a Frisbee and all the different types of throws there were ... When we were actually interested, he started having us play in adult leagues that were in the area, and then we slowly progressed from there.” Ultimate Frisbee places seven players on a team whose objective is to score 15 points in the game. In 2012, the twins participated in Lei-Out, the second largest Ultimate Frisbee tournament in the U.S., with divisions determined by skill level. Both were only 12 years old at the time but were placed into a bracket filled with high schoolers; still, they found the event to “a really fun experience that kind of warmed us up into an adult atmosphere,” according to Lauren. The Hanna twins have continued their participation in Lei-Out in addition to other tournaments in Santa Monica. Their most recent competition was the Stanford Open, a tournament typically exclusively limited college participants, in February. A single team of high school players from across the nation — including the twins — was the exception. “[The team] was organized by a coach who ... had known us through previous youth club championships where we were respectively good in our division,” Ava said. “He reached out to us and said, ‘Do you want to be a part of this team? It’s a little bit of an all-star, we have people from Washington D.C. and San Francisco. We’ll take you guys too, and we’ll all come together and play.’” On the next play, Ava is ready to stand her ground. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees a player on the opposing team prepare to throw the Frisbee. As the disc leaves the player’s hand, Ava darts to trail the receiver across the field. She accelerates to catch up as everything else around her becomes a blur. Just as the receiver raises her hand to catch the Frisbee, Ava swerves around her to cut her off and intercept the catch. As the player stumbles, Ava for the first time recognizes her as someone “who is known to be [one of] those Ultimate Frisbee players who traveled the world playing amazing tournaments and being really good at the sport.”. “I felt really intimidated at first, but when I actually went up against her and … [was] able to actually go toe-to-toe with her, it was an amazing revelation,” Ava said. “I can do this, and I can compete with these people. We are on the same level.” As a part of the Diego Ultimate Disc Experience, an all-adult league in San Diego, the girls get many opportunities to compete with high-level players but in a less formal setting. “The adult team is very relaxed because it’s more about having fun with the sport and developing your skills,” Ava said. “They don’t mind playing all seasonround, and since it’s an Open Division league, the players are cycling in and out easily.” Though the adult league games make up a large part of their Frisbee experience, Ava and Lauren crosstrain through running and
4
throwing sessions to improve their overall athleticism. “We did sign up for a program [called] Ultimate Athlete’s Program, where they give you workouts that are specifically to build up that kind of muscle and those kinds of agility practices,” Lauren said. “They also give you a recommended schedule depending on how many days you want to work out a week.” Ava snaps the intercepted disc to her sister across the field. Easily catching it in her fingers, Lauren turns toward the end zone only to be blocked by an imposing male defender. But, she is not intimidated, and, to the surprise of her opponent, makes a run to the left and crosses into the end zone for a score, leaving him in the dust. “When you are on field with guys, there can be chances [to be] outrun in an instant,” Lauren said. “But, I am actually happy about [playing with guys] because, nowadays, I can actually keep up with them.” Because of the scant participation by girls and women in the sport, the twins almost always find themselves on coed teams at tournaments and in leagues. “We’re very rare in the women’s [game],” Ava said. “So we always play coed, and oftentimes we end up having to mark up on men because the other team has no women … There’s never enough women.” According to Ava, despite the clear gender imbalance in Ultimate Frisbee, the challenge of competing with the athletic difference has helped their own athletic ability skyrocket. The sportsmanship inherent in the game also facilitates respect and cooperation between men and women on the field. “I like to think of it as a samurai way of life, that’s at least how it’s supposed to be,” Ava said. “On your honor you will call your own fouls, you will go ahead and be honest ... Since its noncontact, if a disc in your vicinity you have ... to earn that spot, grabbing the disc first with your own athletic and skill rights.” Through traditions like sportsmanship awards, honoring standout players and spirit games — light-hearted games like Rock, Paper, Scissors played across teams — Frisbee players from both teams are able to bond over their shared enjoyment of the sport beyond competition. “The one thing about ultimate is that, even though it’s a non-contact sport … you have to be pretty close and personal,” Lauren said. “Even as opposing teams, we try to come together after the game, and we start complimenting good plays we saw on the other team and such. [It’s] that thing about ultimate: that closeness, the fact that you guys are all head-to-head but respectfully head-to-head.” More than anything, the spirit and camaraderie of Ultimate Frisbee is what makes the twins determined to continue the sport in college and perhaps even beyond that. Both Lauren and Ava hope to try out for the USA Ultimate Frisbee team and play in the World Ultimate & Guts Championships in their last years of college. If possible, they would also look to play professionally or compete in the 2024 Olympics if Ultimate Frisbee were to be added as a sport. “[What I love about Ultimate is] just that rush of going after something and actually landing with it in your hands, even though you’re a little battered up,” Ava said. “Just being able to come up with that and say, ‘Against all odds, everyone who thought I was going to drop that, I didn’t drop it, and look at it,’ it’s really amazing.” The clock ticking down to the final seconds, Lauren pursues another player taking the Frisbee into the opposing end zone. She attempts a swipe at the Frisbee, but it is just out of reach. The whistle blows as the final score is made. But, Lauren is far from disappointed. She runs over to congratulate her opponents, giving high-fives to every player. For Ava and her, the result hardly matters — it is simply the thrill of the game that will bring them back to the field the next day. by Lily Nilipour and Natalie Salgado
4 21 22 39 TOTAL TOURNAMENTS played 38 years played 2 competitively number of types of throws 1
downwind
downwind
upwind
upwind
Average long 40-45 throw distance 50-55
50-55 38-43
lauren
ava
march 24, 2017
PHOTO BY ALDERIK VAN DER HEYDE/FALCONER
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sports
f/stop
kyle hurt varsity baseball mar. 20 3:42:17
camera: nikon d600 lens: nikon 70-200m 1:2.8 ED iso: 450 exp: 1/4000 seconds f/stop: f/2.8 by alderik van der heyde
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the GRUNION
Friday, March 24, 2017
Try reading the other pages too
New classes make TPHS at least a little more bearable
PHOTO BY ALLY JENSEN/FALCONER
PICK AND CHOOSE: Deciding between all the new course selections will probably give you a bigger headache than preparing for a stats test. Every year, students are brought into the Lecture Hall and shown the exact same PowerPoint detailing to process of how to sign up for next year’s courses. This year, just like in 2016, TPHS introduced a long list of changes to the
schedule. First off, Pre-Calculus will no longer be offered at TPHS. The removal of the class has sparked outrage among students across campus seeking to pad their GPAs. It will be replaced with a very different Introduction to Calculus class,
which will review polynomial, logarithmic, exponential and trigonometric functions. Again, it’s definitely not Pre-Calculus. By far the most anticipated, the new Research Methods class, also known as the class you take when you drop Beginning Journalism because it’s too hard, will come to TPHS next year. According to the course description, the class will focus on “research design and basic statistical procedures for analyzing data.” Exciting. This new course is sure to attract tens of students. In addition, TPHS will also offer a Statistical Reasoning in Sports class, which is just a subtle new way for senior athletes to continue to avoid learning math. The class seeks to teach students the fundamentals of basic statistical reasoning by allowing them to focus on specific sports statistics, such as the rate at which Tom Brady can deflate a football. AP Seminar, also known as the only weighted class where you’re graded on how well you can stay awake, will also be added next year. The students in the class can never complain about Trupe again, given that people enrolled in the AP Seminar will have to take a three-part written exam and submit a 5,000-word academic thesis in order to pass the class. Rough. TPHS is also adding an Advanced Business Management course. The Capstone class is meant to be the last part
of the “classes that aren’t real classes” pathway being added, and will pick up where Introduction to Business, Accounting and Marketing left off. Students who use their parents’ money to start graphic T-shirt brands might actually learn how to run them. Also coming to TPHS next year is Embedded Systems Design with Computer Programming. The yearlong course, which has a name so long it does not fit in Aeries, is a project-based class that allows students to explore a coding program of their choice. Last year, TPHS introduced Social Justice, the only class that was truly needed after certain recent political developments. The class will probably be cancelled again (we do live in Carmel Valley after all). Other classes being introduced next year include AP Physics 2, Advanced Engineering Technology, Guitar, CAD/ Fabrication and Advanced Chorus. Next month, TPHS continues to add way too many new classes and more students continue to opt for free periods instead, because who would want to spend their seventh period actually doing work? If taking classes at TPHS is not your style, don’t worry, your counselor will gladly reccomend taking Spanish 3 at High Bluff.
Caitlynn Johnson (10) gives tips on how you too can succeed in the two most important aspects of her life Dear upperclass Falcons, The night you’ve been waiting for has finally arrived. No, not graduation — Prom. Held on April 1 at Paradise Point Resort and Spa, Prom will be perfect place to cope with your 10 college rejections and to prepare for the upcoming AP tests. There’s no place I’d rather be than in an overpriced hotel backyard drinking water from “rustic” (ASB, could you please clarify what that means one more time?) mason jars and listening to sh*tty Chainsmokers remixes. #ItsL17! Your promposal will be a crucial part of making this year’s Prom memorable. Boys, show your partner how much they really mean to you with a large Instagram-worthy gesture. You’ll really need that validation after your ex left you for a guy that shops exclusively at Supreme, but did you really think you had a chance to begin with? As for figuring out what to wear, I’m pretty sure everyone has decided not to dress to the theme this year. Unless you want to stand out by wearing cowboy boots and jeans to what will probably look like a Pinterest wedding, I’d recommend setting aside $500 for the same Mia Bella dress everyone else will be wearing. Even though party buses are popular for Formal, the ride to Prom is best spent in something a little classier, like a limo. Make sure you don’t forget to lie to your friends about how great the new Drake album is in between juul hits. Once you’re actually at the dance, you’ll probably begin to count down to the minute you’re allowed to leave. After all, who doesn’t look forward to spending time with drunk teenagers in a crowded room after spending time with drunk teenagers in a crowded room? Regardless of how you decide to spend your Prom, remember to be safe and say “nayt” to drunk driving. Have a promising Prom, Falcons! XOXO Freddie
Hey Falcons, Caitlynn Johnson here. Welcome back to my blog! I would have made this into a YouTube video for my channel, but unfortunately my camera ran out of battery during my last beach photoshoot with Jimmy Gekas. Spring break is just around the corner, so I’m here to tell you how to handle the two most important things: tanning and Instagram. It’s absolutely essential for all girls to come back from spring break looking like a freshly toasted waffle. Make sure you have a cute beach towel or Urban Outfitters tapestry to lay out on your lounge chair outside your “vacation home” (which we all know is just a timeshare) in Palm Springs. Then, put on your one-piece swimsuit that actually covers less than your usual $100 bikini and lather yourself in Australian Gold tanning oil. Make sure you don’t get that suit dirty, wouldn’t want to have to spend money dry cleaning it. Then, once you’re settled at the poolside, whip out your rose gold iPhone 7 and take a Snapchat of your legs (hot dogs?) with the caption “getting darker!!” and a few cute emojis. After sending that “lit” snapchat to all your streaks and every guy on JV lacrosse, draw a sunscreen
heart on your hip, and after a few hours, poof! Your first tattoo! Make sure you bring your Sobe portable speaker so you can blast all the hits: “Bounce Back,” “Paris,” and that one Frank Ocean song you claim to know all the words to. Working on your tan can really work up a sweat, so if you get thirsty just grab your Boxed Water and throw an organic, vegan, gluten-free, paleo, lactose-intolerant cucumber in there! No one’s going to care that you went to Palm Springs unless you document it and shove it in everyone’s faces by posting it on Instagram. Before posting, make sure you put a VSCO filter on that photo, because let’s be real, no one wants to see what color your swimsuit actually is (don’t forget to upload a few nearly identical photos to your actual VSCO account, which should be linked in your Instagram bio). Make sure to get a Boomerang of you and your less attractive bestie jumping around with red solo cups in hand (we all know it’s just Diet Coke). Although you may think your Spring Break was one to remember, think again because half your school is currently at Coachella, raging without you.
Senior excuses herself out of school for an entire month the day after 18th birthday
Falconer stops printing real stories after realizing students really only read backpage Thornton spotted at girls lacrosse game fueling conspiracy theories about absence PHOTOS BY ALLY JENSEN/FALCONER
SH*TTY SUGGESTION: Ask your significant other to prom with this creative yet simple promposal idea.
Girl thinks standing in bathroom stall with group of eight friends is “not at all suspicious” This page is entirely fictional. by the Falconer staff