SDA Mustang April 2009 by The Mustang Newspaper

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mustang

04.03.09

issue six volume xii

mustang the

04.03.09

Staff Editor in Chief News Editor Alex Matthews Opinions Editor Michelle Cancellier Features Editors Paige Ely Erin Donaldson Ads Manager Erin Donaldson Arts Editor Zach Garcia Circus Animal Fun Editor Eric McCoy

On the cover

Egging each other on

Gracie Colletta, senior, is the artist behind the piece that—pardon the pun—graces the cover. What’s new this time around? For the first time in three years, a pencil drawing has made the front page. Colored pencil is Colletta’s favored medium. About half of the AP Studio portfolio she pulled it from was done in pencil, the rest in paint. Her subjects are often common items handy for the spontaneous still life: an electric iron, a cupboard, a light bulb. When the impulse strikes her, she finds beauty in the nearest household appliance. This drawing’s story is particularly representative of this time of the year. This image was part of a series, from the time she spent cataloging the growth of a tree in her backyard. This particularly bright image reflects our growth at this point of the year: we’ve just purged our schedules of midterms, spring break is upon us, and for seniors, most colleges have broadcast their decisions, so that agonizing darkness has passed. The tree’s growing older, and so are we. Enjoy your break, SDA.

What came first, the chicken or the egg? Who cares, let’s fight about it. Staff writers Ben Johnson and Kyle Shohfi engage in a battle of wits and low-brow insults in this biased opinion that is loosely based in fact. “Why did the chicken cross the road?” “’Cause the egg came first.” “Why did the egg cross the road?” “Shut up.” These are mere glimpses of what you’re in store for. What better way to debate the creation of life than nonsensically, absurdly, and without a goal or purpose?

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Sports Editors Eric Peck Sean Znachko Nicole Fisher

Miracle-gro march

Lying eyes Ever told a lie? I haven’t.Humans though, tell lies every day, every second. No, not just your ex—everyone. Scientists at University of Massachusetts Amherst have devised ways to catch people in lies. Reading faces is now no longer an art, but a science. Expressions made on the face for even 1/25th of a second can be picked up on by attuned scientists, and they can analyze them to determine whether or not you’re fibbing. All this is saying though, is not to mess with Massachusetts scientists, cause they’ll know what’s up. They don’t need to catch your hand in the cookie jar anymore! Story by Nicole Fisher located on pages 20 and 21.

March is more than just Pi Day and Chuck Norris’s birthday; Manly Month of March is a time for those who, normally passing their days as bare, shinyfaced fops, strive for the grizzled underbrush of the common lumberjack. There has never been a manlier competition practiced in the lands since dueling was outlawed, and there will be no manlier competition practiced in the lands until facial hair is outlawed as well, or dueling becomes legal once more.

Copy Editor Ben Johnson Photo Editors Kendall Daasnes Liz Mills Staff Writers Lindsey Agnew, Emily Bartram, Domenica Berman, Megan Bradley, Thea Brown, Ariel Chao, Taylor Chapin, Alexis Cook León, Teal Coppock, Pauline Disch, Paige Ely, Dimitri Fautsch, Danielle Gradisher, Kaylin Greene, Andrew Kasselmann, Madison Lyon, Jocelyn Lee, Deanna Melin, Shelby Meyers, Nina Moussavi, Katherine Murphy, Alysse Rathburn, Cara Reichard, Ana Reyes, Kerry Roberson, Jack Rushall, Alexa Shapiro, Anna Sheridan, Kyle Shohfi, Robin Sickels, Tatiana Skomski, Kaitlin Spooner, McKenna Taylor, Ariel Vieweg, Savanna Vrevich, Shannon Wright Advisor Tim Roberts San Dieguito Academy Room 93 800 Santa Fe Drive Encinitas, CA 92024 (760) 753-1121 x5161

Notice The Mustang is the student newspaper of San Dieguito Academy. Advertisements do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the newspaper. The Mustang is an open forum which welcomes letters. Letters can be submitted to room 93, emailed to sdamustang@hotmail.com, or mailed to the above address.

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Rejection blues and gold

Robot riot

Seniors feel the state’s economic pains in the form of UC admissions decisions. alex matthews

PARADOXICAL SPIRIT Jacyln Foote, junior, Asa Puckette, senior, and Kevin Brice, junior, cheer on SDA’s Paradox Robotics Team 2102 at a regional competition in San Diego. Junior Isaac Spiegel said, “We actually were runnersup for champion.” Regarding the championship, he said, “It was possibly the most exciting game I’ve ever seen.” The energy and camaraderie of Team 2102 earned the group Team Spirit awards at the regional competitions in both San Diego and Phoenix.

Some seniors not on board for Grad Nite Grad Nite 2009 will be held in the gym instead of the Hornblower ship. ariel chao

fter the Parent Foundation sent out letters to SDA’s senior class and spoke at Senior Java regarding the new change to this year’s Grad Nite, several seniors expressed their anger and frustration, collaborating on Facebook groups and plotting to throw their own parties. Senior Seungwhan Roh, the creator of the Facebook group ‘Where da Grad Night at??’ said, “Grad Nite isn’t worth $60 if there isn’t a boat…We want something more special than just being at a gym.” On the group’s discussion board, some seniors have discussed possible alternate plans that vary from renting a warehouse to taking a trip to Six Flags. The change was based on past student opinions of the event. For the past few years, SDA’s Grad Nite has been held half on campus and half off, the second portion on San Diego Bay’s Hornblower, according to codirector Mary Valhalla of SDA’s

Grad Nite council. However, due to negative evaluation results the Parent Foundation has received over the past two years from graduated seniors, this year’s itinerary for Grad Nite will not include traveling downtown. Valhalla said 90 percent of seniors who filled out an evaluation sheet after Grad Nite complained about the 45 minute bus trip down to San Diego Bay and the Hornblower’s limited space, saying it was too hot, smelled of fumes, and wasn’t big enough for dancing. The Parent Foundation had a choice to ignore the student evaluations or change Grad Nite to make it “extravagant,” Valhalla said. She said, “Trust me, it’s easier to put students on a bus or boat, but we changed it this year to make it better.” Grad Nite this year will include indoor and outdoor activities, Valhalla said. She said, “No one is locking anyone in the gym.” “It’s a big job. Over 150 parent volunteers organize Grad Nite for 367 seniors,” Valhalla said. She said, “We just pur-

chased hundreds of yards of material to cover the gym.” “Activities will include carnival booths, laser shows, the food will be over the top, everything is going to be top notch…we want the seniors to have the best Grad Nite experience they can have,” she said. Some seniors have not decided if they will attend. Students have had mixed reactions to the change. “If it’s in the gym, I’m not going to go,” senior Juan Huizar said. Senior Alyssa Myers said,“If you really don’t want to go, don’t go. So many [volunteers] are putting so much effort into it.” Others like senior Kirstyn Monisbay said, “I’d want to go, but only because I’d want to be with my senior class for the last time.” Similarly, senior Ferra Hodges said, “I’m just going to see how many of my friends are going and then we’ll see.” “Our goal is to keep kids off the streets, safe and sober. Safety is our priority,” Valhalla said.

fter weeks of anxiety, months of budget cuts, and years of hard work, last month, seniors received their UC admissions decisions. It’s a process each of SDA’s senior classes undergoes. According to counselor Ann Nebolon, however, this year’s seniors may have had it harder. As the number of applicants grew, the University of California system was forced to cut back on the students they admitted to compensate for economic problems. “I see some really great kids not getting into some of [the UC’s],” she said. Seniors learned the hard way this year that, even if they were doing everything they were supposed to, economic factors that were out of their control could still have an impact on their admissions decisions, economics teacher Stephen Fisher said. “Some of these kids get caught up in the economic realities of where we’re at.” Some seniors were surprised by rejections. Eve Paxton, senior, believes the budget cuts were a factor in her rejections from UCSD and UCLA. “I think I was kind of shorted,” she said. After taking 10 AP classes, she was shocked to be rejected from both UCSD and UCLA but pleasantly surprised

UCSD’s email error Students rejected by UCSD received a surprising email earlier this week, when the university sent an email intended for admitted students only to its entire applicant pool. “I got super excited and then disappointed really fast, kind of like fruit stripe gum,” senior Miles Fairchild, a rejected student who received the email, said. Senior Blake Eaton said it didn’t hurt him because he didn’t want to go to UCSD, but still, he said, “I could see how it would be adding insult to injury for someone who really wanted to go.” He didn’t feel anger towards the school for it:“Everyone is human, and mistakes are made.”

to be accepted to UC Berkeley following those rejections. She added that, although getting rejected due to budget cuts felt unfair, college rejections can’t be taken personally. “That’s the way it goes…I have other schools,” she said. In addition to Berkeley, Paxton was accepted to UCSB, UCSC, and UC Davis and is also considering some private schools. Senior Sharon Ghai also felt she deserved to be accepted to some UC’s she was rejected from, though she felt the unprecedented numbers of applicants was also a likely cause for her rejections from UCLA and UCSD, rather than the budget cuts. According to the University of California’s website, the number of applicants increased by 2.9 percent this year and 12.4 percent in the past two years. For individual campuses, changes in the number of applicants have varied: at UCSD the number has only increased by 4.4 percent over the past two years, decreasing slightly this year, but at UC Davis, the number of applicants has jumped by 20.7 percent since 2007. Although problems out of their control may have influenced their rejections, many students said they were disappointed and upset to see the results of four years of effort in concise letters of rejection. Focus on acceptances made rejection easier to cope with. Nebolon emphasized that students should approach all admissions decisions with an optimistic attitude. “It’s time to focus on the schools [students] did get into…that’s the positive thing,” she said. She has seen very good attitudes in most rejected students because they applied to other schools and know that the bottom line is that they are going to college. However, students still faced rejection blues if they had become attached to a particular school. Senior Stephanie Friedman was rejected from UCSD and plans to appeal there because she is interested specifically in see UC admissions on page 7

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Danger in Mexico Drug-related violence prompts concerns over traveling south during Spring Break. alexa shapiro

s violence in Mexico increases due to the drug wars, students have had to reconsider Spring Break plans. In February, The US Department of State issued a travel alert that warned against traveling into Mexico. The alert encouraged tourists to only travel during daylight hours in tourist areas. It also addressed avoiding places commonly inhabited by prostitutes or drug dealers. The alert affected a number of students who had previously planned to volunteer, surf, and visit family in Mexico. Students are forgoing trips to Mexico they used to take. In the past, Kelsey Crowe, senior, had traveled with her church to Mexico as a part of the Azusa Pacific’s Outreach program. During the trip, Crowe’s church would work with the Azusa staff to build homes in Mexico. This year, however, the Spring Break trip was cancelled due to a lack of interest as well as an increase in violence. “When my youth leader said that the church had cancelled our trip, I was so crushed. I wouldn’t be able to see my little friends from last year,” Crowe said. Also, the InterAct club travels to Mexico twice a year but this year has not been able to go, special education teacher and advisor of the InterAct club, Liz Dargan, said. In the past, the Rotary club had sponsored the InterAct club to go to orphanages in Mexico and build houses. However, the Rotary club can no longer insure students to go. “In addition, the concerns about safety [are] apparent,” Dargan said. Many surfers who travel

California rolling Coming from a different country, to a whole new place, environment, and language is pretty scary. From March 22-30, 12 students from all over Japan came to SDA to experience American life for a week. They had tours of SDA, spent time in the silk-screening room, and watched chemical explosions in Chemistry teacher Russ Davidson’s classroom. Back in Japan, school is a very strict time of day where students wear uniforms and have to bow in a polite manner every time a

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down the coast for vacation have also reconsidered their trips. “I’m never going down there again for surf trips because there is too much bad stuff going on there right now,” Ryan Harrah, sophomore, said. Oly Norris, surf P.E teacher, has also recognized the effect drug violence has on surf trips. “It has been a second home to me but it is just… I’m over it,” Norris said. “It is just too dangerous.” The travel alert has affected some family relationships. This year, students with family living in Mexico have chosen not to travel there, despite having gone for years. Michelle Lara, senior, has been one such case. Her family has a house in Tijuana, and generally travels there monthly to visit other family members. Since the beginning of the school year, Lara has only been to Tijuana three times. “It’s disappointing that these drug cartels are putting such a strain on my family,” Lara said. Bryanna Hernandez, senior, has also been restricted from traveling to Tijuana. Hernandez’s father, who witnessed violence firsthand after almost being shot and robbed, said Tijuana is unsafe for her to travel to. “I haven’t been able to see my step-mom since she lives down there; I can’t see my relatives and my other loved ones,” Hernandez said. Yvette Cervantas, junior, has also seen less of her family since the violence escalated. “I haven’t been there at all this school year and I don’t get to see my family as often as I used to,” said Cervantas. “It is really unfortunate.” Liz Avila, Maddie Lyons, and Sandra Morales contributed to this story.

teacher comes by. “At home we weren’t allowed dye, curl, or perm our hair. No ears piercing, no painted nails. The teachers are really strict and everybody has to wear uniforms,” said exchange student Sayaka Hasunua. She is in her third year of middle school back in Japan, equivalent to a freshman here. “It gave us a chance to practice our Japanese and to learn about a different culture and show them part of ours,” said freshman Kylie Nishioka. -jocelyn lee

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Charitable crocheting Students make blankets for African children. alexa shapiro

Domenica Berman

LISTEN UP Majur Malou tells the crowd about his experiences coming to America and about the hardships he faced.

From Sudan to San Diego A Lost Boy talks to SDA about coming to America. anna sheridan tatiana skomski

“T

here is nothing impossible; you can do it. If you have the heart and the mind, anything is possible,” Majur Malou told the students in the library who came to hear him speak, March 5. Malou should know, he escaped war in Sudan to start a new life in the United States. Malou, one of the Lost Boys of Sudan, visited SDA’s campus during lunch on March 5. The Lost Boys are a group of refugees from the war in Sudan. They are spread out across the United States. Malou said the Sudanese people consist of two different groups, Christians in the south and Muslims in the North. He explained that the war lasted from 1983 to 2005, starting when he was eleven. “When I came to this country, it wasn’t my choice; it was a result of war,” Malou said. About 1.9 million people died in the war, he said. Lots of people died from hunger, lots of people died from disease because there was no sanitation…lots of people also died from bullets or aerial bombardments.” When he was in Sudan, he would see planes flown on relief missions, and, not knowing what they were called, he named them “flies from heaven”

because the food that the planes dropped was some of his only food. “I always wanted to fly a plane,” Malou said. Malou explained that life in Sudan was not easy. His classes took place under trees with rocks as the students’ desks. He was very motivated in his education. He memorized all the major mountain ranges of the world, rivers, and oceans, as well as major cities and their climates. Coming to America required adjustments in his life. Malou knew immediately that he wanted to come to San Diego because of the nice weather. He did not know when his birthday was, so he and his fellow Lost Boys chose random dates. Malou picked May 25, 1971 for his birthday. From exchanging foreign currencies to simple things like using the bathroom, Malou told students that coming to America was far from easy. The money situation was tough in the first few months. He came to San Diego with four other young male refugees. Refugees in San Diego were given help from Saint Luke’s Refugee Center for food and other necessities. Saint Luke’s is in downtown San Diego; they help refugees from war with everything from food to getting jobs, to delivering children. Malou now works

as a director with the Refugee Network. Malou was not used to America’s customs or food. At first, Malou was amazed by the large meal portions, and was disgusted by McDonald’s food, broccoli, and mustard. “Now, I like all these things because I am used to them,” Malou said. After he settled into the country, he started taking advantages of all the opportunities America offers. Malou always wanted to fly an airplane. He took out his wallet and showed the students his determination in the form of his pilot license. In Sudan, Malou was the only child in this family to go to school. He changed that. He brought his brother to America and enrolled him in a Phoenix college, and Malou’s brother is currently studying to become an accountant. The war in Sudan ended in 2005. Life for Malou is going great now. He loves America. “American people are very lovely people, they love to help, and they care about other people,” Malou said. Every pair of hands in the library gave Malou a huge round of applause. As students left for their third period, Malou stayed after to talk to the students who wanted to ask him questions, and listen to his stories.

tudents may have recently seen their peers crocheting during classes. They are crocheting blankets to send to a school in Africa to help keep orphaned children warm, Social Justice and English teacher, Kerri Leonard said. The Amazing Love School, located in Southern Uganda, is home to a large number of children, many of whom have HIV or AIDS. “The school itself is run completely on donations, and blankets are just one of the many things they need,” Leonard said. She was inspired to begin crocheting blankets for the school after her partner traveled to Uganda and witnessed the severity of the children’s situation. She started by asking her students to help. During class, Leonard would offer help to stu-

dents and encourage those who did not know how to crochet to come in during lunch or homeroom to learn. “The plan as of now is to [continue crocheting] until the end of the year,” she said. If more students take an interest in helping, Leonard plans to continue the project into the start of the fall school year. “My goal is to just get as many blankets for them by the end of the school year.” Two blankets have been made so far, and many students are in the process of creating more. If students are interested in making blankets, Leonard has volunteered to teach students how to crochet during lunch or homeroom on Thursdays. Lesley Gushwa, advisor of the crocheting and knitting club, has also donated her time to help the cause. “Any donations of hooks or yarn would help greatly as well,” said Leonard.

Pasta for pennies Classes raise nearly $5,000 for leukemia. paige ely

he Pasta for Pennies competition between third period classes raised a total of $4,791.67 this year to fight leukemia and lymphoma. Darlene Blanchard’s AP calculus BC class took first, raising $1910.21, winning a pasta party from Olive Garden. James Hrzina’s AP psychology class took second, raising $1166.36, winning an ice cream sundae bar, and Stephan Fisher’s economics class took third, raising $670.35, winning doughnuts as consolation prizes from ASB. Pasta for Pennies has been a fundraiser since 1994, raising more than $42 million, according to their website. Over 2 million schools have participated in the three-week competition to raise money for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. At SDA, Hrzina’s class took a strong lead the first week. “I told them I would match whatever they raised. People should be involved in charitable contributions, and this is one I have a personal connection to,” Hrzina said. Hrzina had a good friend from college who passed away

due to leukemia and was already involved with the organization. The second week, Hrzina’s class withheld some of their donations to put in towards the end of the competition. “When my class heard a rumor about Hrzina’s secret stash, they went crazy and raised a lot more money,” Blanchard said. “It was the best tactic to get people to donate.” Students continued to bring in weekly allowance, family change jars, and donations from family members, all to contribute to the organization. There was also the untraditional method that junior Dana Pede used. “She called it ‘Girl Scouting,’” Blanchard said. “She went doorto-door telling people about the organization, asking for money, and got $750 with that alone.” According to ASB teacher Rod Keillor, SDA tried the program several years ago, without much success, but this year healthy competition made the event successful. “I’m really proud of our class. We worked really hard and worked together and came back from behind,” Pede said. “It’s gratifying to know how much of a difference we can make.”

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Alumnus shares WWII internment experience Tak Sugimoto’s education at SDA was interrupted when he and his Japanese-American family were interned in Arizona. ariel chao

ll Tak Sugimoto wanted to do at the age of 14 was to graduate from San Dieguito High School and get a letterman’s jacket for baseball. However, that soon became a dream when he and thousands of other Japanese-Americans were forced to move into internment camps in 1942, following the attack on Pearl Harbor. Everything became “unknown,” he said. “It’s history that students don’t really know about,” Sugimoto said, explaining why he spoke at SDA last month for a video documentary about his time in the Japanese-American internment camps. From his experience after he was released from the camps, he said there were people who were unaware that the internment camps had ever existed. “Knowledge needs to be put out there,” he said. Japanese-Americans were forced to internment camps. Sugimoto and his family lived on Saxony Road and farmed on the land where the current YMCA resides. When the govern-

ment mandated that all Japanese-Americans move east to the camps, Sugimoto said, “I had to leave my friends not knowing if I could see them again. We didn’t know where we were going, not even having a glimpse of what was going on.” The items he and other Japanese-Americans were permitted to bring were very basic. They could only bring what they could carry, and most were limited to one suitcase, Sugimoto said. Photos that might have been incriminating (such as ones that featured scenes of organizations and backgrounds with identifiable landscapes) were burned and torn up, he said. “We only have our memories,” he said. Sugimoto and his family were sent to an internment camp in Poston, Arizona in 1942. It was there he met his best friend and began to understand and experience the Japanese culture, he said. For the first time he saw calligraphy and koi ponds. He said because his parents were always busy trying to raise the family, they never had time to show him their culture. While at camp, Sugimoto

Future freshmen Reporter Kaitlin Spooner headed to the elective fair March 19th to hear next year’s freshmen’s thoughts on SDA. Photos by Teal Coppock.

attended Poston High School where he continued his education, made camouflage nets for armies, and helped with specific camps. Camp One was for vegetables, Camp Two for produce, Camp Three for hog farms. He said there were many jobs to run at the camps. “Otherwise we just played baseball and chased girls,” he said. Approximately a year after Sugimoto was confined to the internment camp in Poston, he received a one-way ticket to Chicago from the government to be a domestic worker, leaving his family behind at the camp. He said in order to leave the camp, he had to sign a contract promising he would stay loyal to the U.S. Sugimoto returned in 1945. In 1945, Sugimoto returned to Encinitas approximately two months after California was opened to Japanese-Americans again. He said he still had high hopes to graduate from San Dieguito High School, so he asked the former principal, Donovan Cartwright, for permission to receive a diploma. The student body voted to “be sure there

“I think SDA will be fun, and I will get to meet lots of new friends.” –Cintia Rodriguez (incoming freshman)

“I get to meet new people and learn lots of interesting things.” –Heather Prowse (incoming freshman)

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EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE Tak Sugimoto tells stories about his experience at the WWII internment camps to SDA students.

wouldn’t be problems,” and then Sugimoto was allowed to graduate with his original senior class, he said. “When I received the diploma, the audience stood up for a standing ovation,” Sugimoto said. He said it was an unforgettable moment. For the next few years, Sugimoto worked as a gardener, attended college, served in the National Guard when the Ko-

Whooping cough at SDA One case of the whooping cough identified at SDA. It is possible there are other cases. alex matthews

“It’s high school. I expect tougher work and tougher grading.” –Josiah Bell (incoming freshman)

mckenna taylor

ounty Public Health notified SDA’s administration on March 18 that a student at the school was diagnosed with pertussis, or the “whooping cough” about a week before, Principal Michael Grove said. Later that day, Grove sent a letter home with students to inform them and parents of the situation. According to the letter, pertussis is a “highly contagious disease that causes severe coughing.” The disease can be spread through the air when an infected person coughs, and although 96 percent of SDA students have been vaccinated against it, it is still possible to catch it when

immunized. The one confirmed case was in a student who had been vaccinated, Grove said. A high school-age student is not likely to be affected by the disease; infants and other young children are the most at risk, Grove said. The disease is characterized by a “whooping” sound when the person inhales, vomiting, gagging, or choking. No other cases have been reported, but Grove said that he would not be surprised if there was another case, as he has been in contact with three or four families who suspected their students may have been infected. Grove said the school was not notified of the first case until the student had been cleared to return to school.

rean War broke out, enrolled at USC, and later attended pharmacy school. In 1974 he founded La Costa Pharmacy. Sugimoto doesn’t regret his experience at the Japanese-American internment camps. “I would never give up the memories I got there for the ones here,” he said. In his final year at SDA, Sugimoto finally got his letterman’s jacket. “That was,” he said, “one of the high points of my return.”

Unauthorized cars to be towed Students warned that if they continue to park in the staff lot, they will be towed.

Students could have their cars towed if they park in the staff parking lot, starting after spring break, according to Dr. Jeanne Jones. “We won’t tow until we first alert the students,” Jones said. “But if they have been warned and are still parking there, they will be towed.” One student who prefers to park in the staff parking lot said, “I park there because student lot is too full and it takes 10 minutes to walk to the front of the school from there. There are tons of spots in the staff lot, and it’s way more convenient.” However Jones said that students’ parking in the front lot for free is unfair to those students who have paid to park in the back. She added that adult school students would start to park in the staff parking lot, no longer taking up spaces in the student parking lot.

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Students finish downtown mosaic Art teacher Jeremy Wright and SDA students complete a four-year project for the homeless of San Diego. taylor chapin shelby meyers

rt teacher Jeremy Wright and numerous SDA students recently completed a sprawling mosaic on the outside a homeless center, God’s Extended Hand, on the outskirts of downtown San Diego. The project dates back to February 2005 when Wright heard about a woman on the East Coast who turned a drugridden park into a safe haven through mosaic and the power of art. Wright had been frequenting the underprivileged areas of San Diego, when one night he came across God’s Extended Hand with its lights on and its door open. Inspired by the east coast woman and the sheer chance of stumbling upon this intriguing building, he considered it a perfect opportunity to the help the homeless and the community through art. In the following weeks, he got up the nerve to inquire within and put his plan into action. After being given the thumbs up, Wes Mahoney, a former student, and Wright got

to work. Originally he expected that the homeless would be his main volunteers, but he found that most were too inconsistent to rely on for a project of this stature and involvement. As the mosaic progressed and word got around, students began to express interest. The project evolved into a weekly trip every Saturday morning, where anyone was welcome to meet at the SDA parking lot and caravan down to the site. Meanwhile, this particular building, built over 100 years ago, had been reviewed by the historical society and deemed not worth saving. It was scheduled to be torn down. Since the mosaic was created, the building is now proudly placed as a destination on the San Diego Arts & Culture map. This non-profit, “project of the heart,” has given hope to homeless all over San Diego, while adding beauty to a decrepit area. The students that have worked on the mosaic have changed at heart as well. “I really liked giving back to the community. Doing something on a local level makes you feel like a part of something that makes a difference in your own backyard,” said

elinor breidenthal

PUTTING THE PIECES TOGETHER Two students work on a mosaic at a homeless shelter in downtown San Diego.

senior Grant Gleason. They have watched the grateful homeless waiting for food and living on the streets express appreciation for each and every small seashell or pretty crystal in the wall. “It really opened my eyes to who the homeless are,” Wright

16-year-olds brake before driving Less teenagers are acquiring their licenses immediately after turning 16. pauline disch

nce students turn 16, it’s time to head down to the Department of Motor Vehicles and take the test to get their license. Recently, the number of students rushing to the DMV has decreased compared to past generations. “It seems fewer kids these days are getting their license at 16,” said a local DMV employed who asked that his name be withheld. In talking with students at school, kids are less interested in obtaining their licenses, but for different reasons. Junior Dustin Atlas said, “I don’t really care about getting my license right now; my twin brother has his, so he can just drive me around.”

Students are not only relying on friends and siblings to get around, but many that talked to The Mustang said that they don’t mind asking their parents for transportation. A DMV employee said, “The kids would rather have their family and friends chauffer them than do it themselves.” He later explained that some kids just don’t feel the need to get their license right away. They are fine with being dependent on their parents. Many 16-year-olds are also putting off getting their license because of fear. Sophomore Carly Braski described driving as if everyone is bigger than her. In the passenger’s seat, the 16-yearold says she feels like cars are going to hit her. “I haven’t gotten my license

yet because I was in a car accident last year. Even while I’m in the passenger’s seat, I’m afraid of driving,” said a senior who wanted to remain anonymous. Senior Bryanna Hernandez believes the process of getting a license is too expensive. The DMV employee said that instruction, both classroom and behind the wheel, was part of public school curriculum in the past. Overall, there are fewer 16-year-olds in the line out the door of the Department of Motor Vehicles to get their license. “I find it hard to believe that 16-year-olds don’t want to get their driver’s license as soon as possible, to have the sense of independence that my friends and I felt the moment we passed the test,” the DMV employee added.

said. Senior Elinor Breidenthal said “A lot of strangers seem really grateful and enthusiastic about it and say how beautiful it is.” The art itself includes thousands of colorful tiles which

create art from basic designs to intricate pictures of people, objects, animals and more, similar to the mosaics around SDA. With its success, Wright is enthused to try and start up the next installment in his own community, Old Encinitas.

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the programs at UCSD’s Thurgood Marshall College. Also, she believes she was close to the cutoff and including information she left out initially could help her case. She noted that this year was different and believes that, in an earlier year, she may have been accepted. “Based on previous years, I thought I had what it would take to get into UCSD,” she said. Friedman researched appeals and found that decisions were only reversed about 4 percent of the time, so she isn’t hopeful. Still, she said, “I don’t know if this appeal will work, but it’s worth a try.” Ghai said that although being rejected from UCLA was upsetting, she has come to terms with it. “I am a firm believer in that I will go to college where I am meant to go. So far, UCLA and UCSD are not the places I’m meant to spend the next 4 years of my life and

I have accepted that. I have worked really hard, and some school is bound to appreciate that and take advantage of what I have to offer,” she said. History teacher Kerry Koda has developed a philosophy on college admissions: “It’s not as important as people think,” she said. Koda explained that success is not contingent on the schools students are accepted to but rather what they do with each opportunity they have. “[Teachers and other adults] know you’re going to be okay,” she said. Koda mentioned a friend who dropped out of high school, went to community college, transferred to Berkeley, and after being accepted to the Ph.D. program in Economics there, went on to become professor of it at the London School of Economics. She believes that if students work hard, they can be successful no matter what university name is printed on their college diploma.

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And ye shall cruise no more Boatless grads are left high and dry to sail aboard the U.S.S. Moonlight for Grad Nite.

rad Nite, an end-of-the-year celebration for the senior class, has undergone a change from previous years, causing some uproar among the student body. Previous Grad Nite party celebrations have taken place on the Hornblower, a boat docked in downtown San Diego. This year’s event will take place in the gym, and all of the activities offered on the boat in previous years will be included. The Parent Foundation (which organizes the event) made the change in response to overwhelming negative feedback from previous senior classes. Many seniors, though, looked forward to having Grad Nite on the Hornblower this year. The Mustang acknowledges and appreciates the Parent Foundation’s good intentions and hard work; their diligent efforts to give the senior class one last bash are entirely praiseworthy. However, excluding the class of ’09 seniors from the decision to omit the Hornblower was questionable. As the main partakers in Grad Nite, the seniors deserved some voice in this decision instead of being arbitrated by previous classes’ inputs. In

courtesy of SDHSA Foundation

particular, the class of ‘08’s experience on the Hornblower at Grad Nite could have been skewed by the fact that Prom was on the same boat that year. Either surveying the senior class or contacting the ASB Senior Director, a student official elected specifically for these situations, would have been appropriate.

STAFF EDITORIAL

At the very least, allowing the senior class some representation in the decision would have diminished the negative reaction. When polled, 23 staff members believed the class of ‘09 should have been surveyed before changes were made to Grad Nite, while 6 did not believe it was necessary. There’s also cause for argument over the choice of the gym as a substitute. Is it better to be

trapped on a boat or at school? Grad Nite is, in part, about leaving SDA behind, and the gym would somewhat spoil this feeling. Only 1 staff member believed the gym would be a suitable alternative to the boat, while 25 didn’t (three abstained from the vote). In addition, there is worry that Grad Nite will simply be a seniors-only school dance without the distinction its name implies. The purpose of Grad Nite is to celebrate graduation, while keeping the graduating seniors from partaking in drugs and alcohol, as well as to keep them off the streets in case other seniors are driving under the influence. And while the Mustang is critical of the Parent Foundation’s choice and how it was made, it remains in staunch support of the Grad Nite celebration itself. As a senior exclusive happening, as one of the last times to see all of one’s classmates together at once, as the product of countless hours of our parents’ effort, Grad Nite is still worth attending by anyone looking forward to a last hurrah for the class of ’09.

What’s up with...

“…me not being clever enough?” Andrew Ware, senior

“…turtles?” Brian Ferncase, freshman

“…all these beards?” Sam Pena, junior

Where astrology and the internet meet Astrology is not an exact science...or even any kind of science at all. Then why am I a believer?

Libra powA!

strology.com, one of the I mean, what? Under the more popular astrology mysteriously named grouping websites, makes sure not to leave “AstroSlam” comes this predicanyone out. There’s FoodScopes tion: “Street justice! Whether it’s for the lovers of cuiwatching courtroom sine, GreenScopes for television or reading the environmentally bloody revenge novels, aware, BabyScopes you just can’t get for those not yet fully enough. You’re going aware of the world to see plenty this week, around them, and only this time you’re even DogScopes for the guilty one.” How michelle cancellier much more vague those illiterate creatures we love to love. and videogame-y does One can easily imagine a it get? It sounds like someone staff of 20 underpaid and loveplayed a little too much Street less workers, sitting in their Fighter on their Super Nintendo cubicles as they arbitrarily crank the night before. out little predictions of the I imagine these horoscopes future and, almost as an afterbeing created so carelessly and thought, throw them into one of realize just how baseless and the countless ridiculously spephony this whole “predicting cific categories they’ve created. the future on a website created

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to appeal to the masses” production is. And yet, here I am checking the box to receive a daily Libra horoscope in my email. Just like all the moms reading the MomScopes and the cats reading the CatScopes, I must be running on the hope that something interesting or atypical will happen to me today. And somehow, even when our day doesn’t stick to some creative writer’s “predictions,” we forget our disappointment and come crawling back to our inbox for more the following morning. Regular horoscope readers acknowledge the things that do match up, while the false predictions are simply disregarded. Astrology.com is a prime example of the fact that some people will believe anything. In

this case, it is the premise that stars control who we are and what we do which entices people to buy into the ridiculousness. What it boils down to is that every person likes to hear about themselves. Wallflowers are led to believe that they’re charming, social butterflies, while the artistically inept are fed lies telling them they have a strong creative abilities. Clearly, it is absurd to think that there could be even an ounce of personal meaning in horoscopes which are intended to apply to a variety of people. But, truth be told, I’m still a big fan of astrology. Sure, it’s all over-the-top and things couldn’t get much more generic, but don’t you think that out there somewhere someone’s BeautyScope came true today?

“...Even Stevens’ not being on TV anymore?” Kalyn McMackin, junior

“…Transcendental metaphysical psychoanalytical schools of criticism?” David Tow, English teacher

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Let there be chicken

Which came first–the chicken or the egg? Wonder no more, for enlightenment is imminent.

Likes chicken

t was a quiet new world. The world had just been created, but there were not yet any animals to truly give it life. The Creator overslept one day, and made a note to himself kyle shohfi that he needed some kind of alarm to wake him up in the morning. And hence the rooster was created. Aristotle is credited with saying “There could not have been a first egg to give a beginning to birds, or there should have been a first bird which gave a beginning to eggs.” The great philosopher was clearly philosophizing the ageold conundrum of which came first: the chicken or the egg? Smart guy that he was, he knew that eggs are for scrambling and that chickens are for speciesmaking. According to Genesis 1, God created birds and told them to “be fruitful, and multiply.”

Birds—not eggs. And for those of you who have a different idea of how life was created, answer me this: how would an egg survive to hatch without the indispensable warmth and shelter provided by a mother hen? It wouldn’t, that’s how. Take a look at any old chicken, let’s say Foghorn Leghorn for example. Think of that loud, powerful booming voice, that suave use of charm to woo the hens, that wily sense of mischief that makes us all crow with laughter. Do you mean to tell me that a being of that magnificence originated as an egg? Of course not. He originated as an idea. If you stop and think about it, all chickens are as wonderful as Foghorn Leghorn. Sure, in different ways maybe, but they’re all brilliant nonetheless. Hence it follows that they started as ideas too, not as puny little eggs. Just like Foghorn, someone wanted to create them, and so they were created. I could be wrong. But I don’t think so.

danielle gradisher

GOBBLE A creature as wondrous as the chicken was surely brought into being by imagination, not an egg.

Breaking through the cracks A Darwinist’s view on the origin of chicken.

His Eggcelency

fair number of philosophers are bonkers out of their minds. The chicken coming first? Please. The egg, a creation of mathematical artistry and grace ben johnson (chickens are really ugly, by the way), obviously began the species. To examine the case of the origins of domestic fowl, the answer is simple. All chickens come from eggs, no? But chickens do not have exclusive laying rights to eggs! Ducks lay eggs. Geese lay eggs. Eggs come from swans, lizards, spiders, turtles, fish, pollywogs, even the weird and humble platypus. To assume that the concept of the chicken came before the concept of the egg is to assume that the chicken also came before the velociraptor. Is it honestly feasible that chickenkind could have survived

Earth while it was the stomping grounds for Cretaceous monstrosities? I shed a tear for all the beautiful eggs who lost their lives to hungry raptors. If they could be considered “alive” at this stage of development, but that’s another argument entirely. The point is, Earth’s creatures had laid eggs long before they started eating chickens. The philosophic question implies that the aforementioned egg be a chicken egg, and so, as much as I desire to take the easy way out, I won’t simply scream “Dinosaurs!” for the rest of my statement. Though I want to, a lot. The followers of Darwin will agree with me when I say that creatures adapt. Generation upon generation, creatures’ appearances have slowly shifted away from that of their ancestors. Mutations occur infrequently. Therefore, I suggest that the modern domesticated chicken came from another beast of chickeny appearance. A “chucken,” perhaps. Or a “chick-

kendall daasnes

SCRAMBLED The tasty and nutritious egg that many of us enjoy was, in fact, the beginning of chickenhood.

et.” And when that final mutation manifested itself in a new species, it did so in the vessel

most sacred, the egg. When the first chicken sprang forth from the its yolk, the egg from which

it sprang would technically be the first chicken egg. Quod erat demonstrandum.

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missing him. Finally, frustrated, annoyed, and already 30 minutes late for a 50 minute soccer practice, I cave and borrow a phone to call my dad. Wednesday Although I’m not particularly concerned by it, I am keenly aware of how out of touch I am. I know none of the latest gossip. I have no pre-made lunch plans. I find out that the previous day, my friend tried to call and invite me to go see “American Idol” live. I don’t even like “American Idol,” but I’m still steaming over this for a while. Thursday ive days. No phone, computer, iPod, or TV. It’s an essay Everyone I talk to in fourth period is on a computer. prompt for the University of Washington, but now it’s going to be my life for the next week. My phone lives perI end up sitting behind my friend’s computer in the manently in my right pocket, and I come up with a reason for a Facebook break every few minutes throughout the library, reading a biography of Eminem and wondering night. I think I can make it without my Ipod or TV. But still. This should be interesting. how many Facebook notifications I’ll have when this is Monday over. I keep patting my right pocket, unable to get over its I’m surprised, actually, how new lightness. I feel off-balance and unnatural. My mind little I miss Facebook, especially races through hundreds of reasons why this experiment considering that my usual nightly could end in catastrophe. What if there’s some sort of schedule consists of 20 minutes of emergency, a family crisis? How would I know? What if Facebook for every five minutes of my mom needs to call me to let me know she can’t pick homework. Somehow I find that me up, and I need to find a ride home, but she can’t I can live without knowing who’s reach me and I end up sitting in front of the school for Backpack. Check. Lunch bag. Check. iPod. Not today. written on my wall, what photos hours by myself without even an iPod to distract me? I’ve been tagged in, or who’s in a “Why don’t you just cheat?” my friend asks me. Cara Reichard relationship with whom. “Nobody’s gonna know. How is anyone supposed to get Friday ahold of you?” When I get home I almost forget that the experiment ing time, and surprisingly this doesn’t bother me nearly I think about this for a moment. “Well,” I say, “I is over. I’m not even going to bother turning my phone as much as I expected. think that’s kinda the point.” on, but I should probably have plans. I’m not particuTuesday It’s a weird feeling and not exactly what I expected. My first greeting of the morning is my friend inform- larly excited by my 17 text messages, although I do feel a While there is a certain level of restlessness and irritacertain amount of pleasure at my 58 Facebook notificaing me that she hates me for not having my phone, and tion, I also feel strangely liberated. Waiting for my mom tions. I turn on the TV for a moment, just because I can, then refusing to tell me in person what she had wanted after school, I’m not constantly taking out my phone but I’m over it within minutes. I pull out my iPod, but to text me the night before. and checking it, hoping maybe someone has texted me can’t think of anything I want to listen to. When I leave My dad is 20 minutes late picking me up, but I have and I just missed the vibrations. I don’t have to feel the B:10.5 in my house, I don’t even bother bringing my phone. Techurge to call my mom because she’s a few minutes late. In no way of knowing. I wander back and forth between T:10.5 in thinking maybe I’m just nology, it turns out, isn’t that exciting after all. the front and back parking lots, fact, I have no idea how late she is—I have no way of tell-

Tech-no

S:10.5 in

DEAR

Dear White Gold, How do I get the attention of a girl who doesn’t know I exist? Bryan Houlette St. Ignatius High School Culver City, CA

lyrics. That was 100% inspiration, 0% perspiration. It came to me when I wasn’t even ready for it (I was playing tennis). So chill it, skillet. Be yourself, stay strong, and make an immediate investment in the institution with the highest rate of return: the Bank of Bryan. Dairy-o, White Gold

Dear Bryan,

Both.

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T:6 in

“Dear White Gold…” is America’s most popular advice column syndicated for student newspapers, created by an adult rock-and-roll singer who plays a milk-filled guitar. E-mail your questions to help@whitegoldiswhitegold.com and learn more about White Gold at WhiteGoldisWhiteGold.com.

B:6 in

MILKITASTICAL MUSINGS ON LIFE, LOVE, AND ROCKING THE WORLD’S FACE

The best advice I can give is something that’s sewn on the underside of my sleep mask: focus on being the best you you can be. And that just means be yourself. Think good thoughts. If you feel stress coming on, get a good workout in and drink some chocoloco milk to rebuild those bodacious biceps. If this object of your affection is meant to dial your digits, it will happen in its own time. It’s a rule that applies not only to the ladies but also the musics. You think I wrote “Is It Me, Or Do You Love My Hair?” by stressing over every single note and syllable? Check the

Dear White Gold, My boyfriend and I can never get any alone time together. No matter where we are or what we’re doing, he’s always getting calls or texts from his “boys,” who are usually working out or playing soccer or doing squats or getting haircuts. It’s so annoying. I try to make him focus on me and not pick up his phone all the

Ashley Weber Golden Gate High School Mill Valley, CA

S:6 in

First things first: you sure you’re not a ghost? Seriously. I mean, it can happen to the best of us. Did you see that movie about the psychiatrist and the short dude who could see dead people? That is one scary piece of business I’ll only watch when the sun is out. It’s bonkers, bro.

time, but it never works. He even took two calls during my cat Tugboat’s funeral. I love him, but there’s gotta be some limits. Am I nagging, or is he just plain wrong?

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liz mills

EVERY DAY IS TAKE YOUR KID TO WORK DAY for Emily Bartram, whose dad, Stephen Bartram, now subs at SDA. While at first she was scared for her life, she’s come to like having him around.

o I’m in class when I get a text from my friend: “Dude! Your dad is my sub! He’s so sick!” I begin to reply, “haha ya... He….” Buzz. It’s my phone’s obnoxiously loud vibrating signal telling me I have another text. “Your dad is so weird! He’s cracking old people jokes.” Jokes? Sick? My dad? I think they have him confused with Mr. Richardson or someone. Unconvinced, I ask my friend to reassure me that this “cool guy” she believes to be my flesh and blood is actually my father. “Ya! Kinda bald, wears that marine coat. Mr. Bartram!” (It’s pronounced like Bar-trum, but I skip the pronunciation lesson for now.) Is it possible that my dad, the tallish old guy with a perfectly round island of baldness on top of his sunburned head is, dare I say it… cool?

Don’t get me wrong here. My dad, well he’s a good at first, but familiar all the same. When I was seven or guy. When I have a bad day he treats me to a hefty cup of eight, I used to go to Rancho Buena Vista, where he vanilla-chocolate and Oreo swirl at Golden Spoon. And taught before those crazy kids got to him, and sit and when I have a problem with school he never hesitates to watch him lecture his classes. I would wonder what he get involved. (Ok, maybe too involved.) could possibly get out of teaching. Ten years later, I fiWalking on campus the first day he was here I was nally get it. He just likes it. No particular reason, he just expecting truly enjoys being to see him in front of a class. everywhere. I seriously Walking to thought having my English: “Hey dad around here dad!” Going would be torturOkay, maybe not the coolest, but, come on, he’s my dad. up the stairs ous. I thought to psycholhe would go and Emily Bartram ogy: “Hey tell embarrassing stranger!” stories about me Sitting in the and be all weird PAL’s office: “Oh! There you are again!” But nothing. I and goofy. But now that he is here, I actually enjoy it. I didn’t see him once. It was actually kinda depressing. like how I can walk into his classroom and say “hey” and I was ready to duck, dodge, and run– anything to see how his day is and whatnot. Whether he is lurking avoid contact. But after the day was over I was bummed in the weight-training building or hitting up the science that I didn’t see him. When I got home, I asked him, rooms, I always stroll in to check up on him. “Where the heck were you today!?” He just shrugged his A little while ago he was subbing for Mrs. Broemmelshoulders and said he didn’t think he wanted me to be siek’s biotech class and I came in to say hello. I asked embarrassed. Stab me in the heart, why don’t you. I felt him how his day was. He replied, “Good. I really like it here.” so bad. You know what? I like you here, too. The next day at school I ditched my friends’ gossipfest and found my way to his classroom. He was scribbling his horrific excuse for “neat” handwriting on the whiteboard. Seeing him in the classroom was strange

The coolest sub

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t times, meat can be almost as touchy of a subject as SAT scores. There is a never-ending debate between the carnivores and the herbivores about whether it is ethical to eat meat. What many people know but fail to come to terms with is that the mouth-watering T-bone steak sitting on their plate has come from an animal—sadly, a majority of the time, an animal that has been raised in cramped, unsanitary, and insufficient conditions. Take a look at the modern-day feedlot—the place where our meat is raised for the majority of its life before slaughter. Even imagining a feedlot to be similar to a jam-packed DMV in the dead of summer isn’t doing the inhumanity of the CAFO (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation) justice. Look at beef production. Environmental journalist, Michael Pollan, describes CAFO’s as bovine cities in the Midwestern states. Thousands upon thousands of steers live in hundreds of different pens amongst their urine, manure, and food. Some of the worst conditions allow only 25 square feet per head of cattle with 150 other cattle in the pen. They are also fed a strict diet for “maximum efficiency” (or shortest life span possible). And whom do the cattle have to thank for their short lives? Corn. Yes, corn is the culprit. You wouldn’t suspect it, but corn has had one of the greatest impacts on the world, arguably the greatest impact of all plants. Grown in mass quantities in the Midwest Corn Belt, this commodity has drastically changed the face of agriculture. Before World War II, Americans had never tasted corn-fed beef because the Corn Belt did not exist; all livestock were grass-fed on family farms. Nowadays, it is the opposite. Most Americans have never tasted grassfed beef. The introduction of commodity corn to the agricultural world has made meat an everyday meal for most Americans. Because it is so cheap to feed, farmers can raise more cattle at a time and produce meat faster. It used to be that a steer had to be four or five years old before it was ready to be processed, but now that has been cut down to 14 to 16 months because they can turn corn into protein so much faster than grass. The plant has also enabled farmers to condense their farming operations because steers do not need pasture land if they are not eating grass. When we imagine farming, we see cows spread out on endless rolling, green hills enjoying a happy life. In reality, the feedlot is the exact opposite. CAFO’s are harm-

ariel vieweg

FOOD FOR THOUGHT More conscious meat eaters seek out humanely and naturally raised meat, usually pastured on local farms.

Meet your meat Instead of a nice steak, you might as well just have an ear of corn. Why? Because that’s what’s in your meat anyway. Ariel Vieweg

ful to the health of animals. If a steer were to continue eating corn for a few years, it would eventually die due to bloat and other diseases associated with corn diets. Close confinement also results in the spread of disease. But, according to a study by the Union of Concerned Scientists, 70 percent of all antibiotics in the US are given to healthy animals. Therefore, these pathogens become immune to the injection and show up on our plate. Gross, huh? But there are people today who are trying to change that— a more responsible group of meateaters. Humanely raised, grass-fed, pasture-raised animals are what they eat and nothing less. Grass-fed beef is a healthier choice because there is less fat in it. Pastured animals also live a much more desirable life than feedlot livestock. They live the life that they naturally deserve to live— a life on rolling hills and the ability to spend the day laying in the sun. Plus, the health benefits of grass-fed meat are endless. They contain much less saturated fat than grain-fed animals and contain lots of omega-3 fatty acids that are essential to human brain cell growth. You also avoid any risk of ingesting harmful pathogens and growth hormones. In the end, it is completely up to the individual to eat meat, or not. But, please, if you choose to enjoy meat, be smart about it and have respect for what sits on your

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plate. That animal lived a brief life to be on your plate so, at the least, some kind of acknowledgement should be given to that fact. And for those who say that it is really sad and mean for people to raise meat animals, let me ask you this: would you rather be the consumer of an animal that you know lived an unsanitary, miserable life, or a consumer of an animal that was raised with care and attention? Be responsible, meat eaters! Buy local and grass-fed.

Slow and grass-fed

There are a number of restaurants in San Diego that buy meat from local farmers that pasture their livestock. The Linkery, Stone Brewery, and Villa Italia Trattoria are just a few. Check out Slowfoodsandiego.com for a list of other restaurants.

Fast and grass-fed

Still want fast food but want to eat humane meat? Chipotle advertises “Food with Integrity”- its plan to serve environmentally friendly meat.

Bringin’ home the bacon

Grass-fed and free-range meat can be found at Jimbo’s, Whole Foods, Henry’s. According to their websites, these stores support the meat-conscious movement.

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ooking down 14 stories from my hotel window, I could see Lexington Avenue bustling—on the sidewalks, men and women alike were clad in thick, anklelength black coats, in the street delivery trucks and limousines grumbled. The Empire State Building rose above the surrounding rooftops. I could see the tiny flashes of dozens of tourists’ cameras from the balcony. Welcome to NYC. I was invited to attend the 53rd Commission on the Status of Women at the United Nations (CSW 53) in New York City. Bow down upon your knobby knees and elbows, peons, for I am an almighty Girl Scout! (Cookies, anyone?) I was on an all-expense-paid trip from Girl Scouts. I was looking forward to making my voice heard at the United, and for the world to listen to what I had to offer. I knew my responsibility was to represent the Girl Scouts of America, and to bring girls’ voices into the documents that would affect the lives of other girls around the globe. So after slipping into my new business suit and downing a packet of instant oatmeal, I joined up with my group in the lobby of the hotel. The group consisted of eleven high-school girls from San Diego, Vermont, New Orleans, and Tijuana. Together we donned our coats and rolled out into the falling snow. Over the next few days, I would truly learn what our parents have been telling us when we refused to eat our brussels sprouts as kids—that here in the United States, many people live extremely privileged lives compared to other countries in the world—many people living in developed countries such as ours couldn’t imagine the state of living in third-world countries. Unfortunately, in many of these places the rights of women and the role they play are given a backseat in favor of giving men the cultural or legal upper-hand.

who did not necessarily agree with or support gay rights. I happened to be sitting across the table from an elderly woman, who later identified herself as a sister in the Catholic Church. She admitted that she believed that being gay or lesbian was morally wrong, she felt that all people should develop compassion towards each other, regardless of their sexual orientation. I wholly support the gay movement, but I also found reason and truth in what she had to say. Upon discovering a new perspective on this issue, the Sister’s eyes met mine, and we shared several long moments. Her lips twitched into a smile, and she gave me an abbreviated nod. Although I am not from any Christian sect, and my family has never really been too involved in religion, I felt a sort of opening in my soul, as if the sister could see right into my head. I smiled back at her in acknowledgement of our connection and appreciation of our understanding. Reflecting on it, there is only one way I can describe that experience: the feeling of being human. All too soon I was leaving on a jet plane home. As a whole, being at the conference helped open my eyes to people I would otherwise never have had the chance to meet, let alone the opportunity to understand. I was able to gain a new perspective on the issues that affect girls outside my own country.We may have completely different lives, but we share a common identity. There is a strength that we find when we see our sisters speak for us—a strength that is required if we want to improve the quality of life, not only for women, but for the world.

Yes she can

It starts in the home. Girls are never considered to be primary supporters of a family, so they receive little, if any, education. They are then raised to take care of the family at home—this includes raising children, maintaining, or even building, the house, harvesting crops, and taking care of her husband’s parents when they get old. The husband’s duty is to get the job, bring home the dough, and sit back while he watches his (teenage) wife control the household all by herself. He’ll probably reinvest 30 to 40 percent of his earnings in his family. The remaining 70 to 60 percent is spent on personal needs— such as a seat at the village bar or a reused syringe. She’ll have his kids, and she’ll raise her daughters to become a housewife just like herself. More often than not, this cycle never breaks. History has shown that the cultures that hold steadfast to their traditions wither under the weight of countries that enact ideals and progress. Disease, poverty, and particularly precarious economies plague developing countries like locusts set free in a field of wheat. To rectify this unstable situation, both men and women need to feel obligated to share the responsibilities. It just so happens that the equal sharing of responsibilities was the theme of CSW 53. The blast of warmth melted the snowflakes that had accumulated on my face and hair when I pushed through the revolving door of the Church Center. While

Most people go to NYC to see the Macy’s Parade, look at colleges, shop. Not Kaylin Greene. She went to the UN. Kaylin Greene many delegates negotiated in the United Nations hour after hour, the rest of us were sent here, and to other conference centers across the street from the UN, to attend a variety of different sessions and seminars regarding topics relating to the equal sharing of responsibilities of men and women. The topics ranged from the growth of a little HIV/AIDS hospital in India, to the rights of women in Islamic countries, to how condom companies market their products in countries whose governments are run by religion, or poverty, or both. The rights of women shape our world in terms of universal equality for everyone. kaylin greene

In one seminar that I attended, a woman from Kenya pointed out the window, to the high-rises and skyscrapers that create the backbone for the American economy, and she asked the audience, “This country alone is spending over a trillion dollars on just their one economy. The World Bank is budgeting just 55 million dollars for over 50 of the poorest countries in the world.” There was one moment in particular that I am sure to never forget: I was at a session regarding global Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) rights. Men and women of all ages attended, including people

THE SEAT OF THE WORLD The iconic UN building looks out over New York City like a guard or protective mother.

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the master of the edge paintbrush, and she became queen of the paint roller. We worked for three hours straight on two bedrooms and one long hallway. The homeowners and their family helped with the painting, too, because each homeowner has to put in 250 hours of work on their own homes. With the homeowners’ family’s humorous jokes and their screaming children running from room to room, the time went quicker than expected. Suddenly, 3:30 rounded the bend and I headed home. Looking back on my Saturday, I wouldn’t have spent it any other way. It felt amazing to meet such a deserving family and help them fulfill their dream. Although I could have taken the SAT, or watched morning cartoons, or even gotten a jumpstart on my homework, I instead helped a family get closer to owning their first house ever. Not only did I get to reach out to the community, but I also met people who share the same passion for helping others. If you feel like you missed out, no worries; there’s always next Saturday when you can join me in helping out humanity.

home is a roof over one’s head. A home is a place filled with warmth and love. A home is something one can call one’s own. But a home can also be something people cannot afford due to the economic downturn and their own personal financial crises. This is where I, along with other helping hands, come in. With different volunteer opportunities available, I chose to work with Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit, Christian-founded program that has one goal: to make it so no family has to go without the comfort of a home. When I arrived at the site in Oceanside, I was in awe of the modern-looking structures that still had a fresh coat of paint covering their exterior. They were smaller than most homes, four small bedrooms with no master bath, but I was used to seeing rundown shacks in Tijuana where I used to go with SDA’s Interact Club. But due to the recent violence in Mexico, the club is no longer allowed to go on these border-crossing excursions. So instead I turned to Kids Korps, a nonprofit youth volunteer organization that gets kids involved in community service, which teams up ...volunteers put hard work, sweat, and heart into building with Habitat for Humanity in recruiting volunteers. the one thing that everyone needs. And that is home. I decided to participate in this opportunity because my past experiences with house building in Tijuana McKenna Taylor have brought me immense satisfaction after a hard day’s work. The new homeowner’s expressions of gratitude Before beginning the sweaty job, Mike said a prayer and joy alone made the aching hours of swinging a hamblessing the family and the volunteers. Somehow this mer or painting the walls worth it. prayer brought us all together: the “odd couple,” the freshmen surfers, the music girl, the funny ladies, and me. We were all so different, but we all came together to I met up with the other Habitat for Humanity volunteers, and Mike, an elderly man with a flannel shirt be a part of something bigger than us all—to not only get community service hours, but to make a difference and a straw hat, greeted us. While he explained what we in these struggling families’ lives. would be doing, my attention was drawn to the “odd First, I had the pleasure of working with three of the couple” who at first glance looked to be a father and women for the morning painting session. Tammy, Tweet, daughter. However, after sharing the same spark for their and Judy gave me a good chuckle with their comments cigarettes and giving each other the eye of affection, I was on the oh-so-beautiful paint color for the fence: a yellowable to figure it out. ish brown. Then there was a group of middle-aged women, who Tammy worked with me on one half of the fence and were laughing hysterically about the fact that they were we immediately connected through the topic of learning up at 8:30 on a Saturday morning. Next there were two second languages. She told me that she came from Hong CCA freshmen boys with surfer shirts and their dad, and Kong and said learning English was very difficult for courtesy of mckenna taylor beside them was a sophomore girl from Carlsbad High her. I then told her that I took Japanese and found that School with iPod earphones dangling around her neck. TOOL TIME I’m no Bob the Builder, so I got it was surprisingly easy for me to learn. We continued All I could think about was what a strange bunch we stuck with a gallon of paint and a paintbrush. painting and chatting until 11:30, when we stopped to must be. eat lunch.

Home is where...

After a bologna, lettuce, and mustard sandwich, chips, grapes, and a Tiger’s Milk bar, I set to work painting the interior of one of the homes with Emily, the sophomore from Carlsbad High School. I became

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essays Summer School Applications are HERE! Classes being taken for remediation can be chosen now and are due June 2. No exceptions! Applications available in the counseling office and on the district website: www.sduhsd.net.

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nything that titles itself as an “early morning session” is automatically crossed off my list of “Fun Things to Do on a Sunday Morning.” Unfortunately, the Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF) in Encinitas had only one meditation gathering that would fit in my schedule. Can you guess when it started?

God hunting The monthly quest to find a a place of worship leads Danielle to an early-bird, self-serve helping of God. Danielle Gradisher

It started at 8:00 in the morning which meant I had to drag my sorry butt out of bed at 7:00 to try for anything resembling “respectable.” That in itself is a barrier to any feeling or beliefs I might develop for this vein of theology. To make matters worse, the large golden orbs, circles, flowers, whatever they are that are usually connected with SRF aren’t even at the actual church. That’s the retreat! The real church is five block down 101 on 2nd Street. And, of course, silly me, I hadn’t bothered to look up the address because of those damned gold things. After circling the block one or five times, I finally realized this and got directions. I soon found myself stepping through the relatively inconspicuous door of the SRF Church to try my hand at meditation. What greeted my eyes almost defies description. Rows and rows of the ugliest yellow chairs I have ever seen in my entire church-going life. I sat on one of the offending seats in the middle of the scattered crowd and waited. For what, I wasn’t quite sure. Music? Omming? Writhing on the floor and speaking in tongues? Oh wait, wrong religion. Try silence. Utter quiet. Even the entering soon-to-be meditators seemed not to walk but float above the floor to avoid making any noise. Then, a strange mix between a harpsichord and an organ began playing and a call and repeat prayer started up. While fending off YMCA flashbacks, I tried to follow along. A slightly abbreviated version: “Dear Mother, Father, Friend, Beloved God…peace within and without…Amen.” Some more of that harpsi-organ and then…silence. Twenty minutes of absolute silence during which I was supposed to feel God surround and fill me. All I could feel filling me was boredom and the gnawing scratch of hunger. Every time I opened my eyes I saw those awful chairs and thought, silently of course, why am I not still in bed? Finally, the music started up again and this time there was some singing to stave off the growing impulse to run from the room or lay out on my empty row of neatly lined up chairs. Just when I thought we had finished, the silence fell again and it was back into the silence for twenty more torturous minutes to “commune with God.” This time I just tried to get through it. To pass the time, I opened my eyes to observe the seated figures all around me. Some were swaying slowly back and forth, a few had their hand pressed to their foreheads, but one thing they all shared was the joyous expression that I suppose comes from being one with their God. Great, now I have both hunger and jealousy filling my stomach. Obviously this meditation thing is not my religious cup of tea. The introspection part is nice, I guess, but I think I would get more out of it if I didn’t feel like I got more meditating done in history class than the official church.

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exican-wrestler masks, turbans, and sparkly top hats. Sounds like a costume party. But really, it’s just another match for the freshman Mustang Minds team. One wouldn’t guess it coming to a match and seeing the team still dressed in their school clothes and whimsical hats, but there are some serious brains at SDA. On Feb. 26, Santa Fe Christian students stumbled into the SDA library, looking lost as they meandered their way through the glob of SDA Mustang Minds team members, proud parents, and SDA “cheerleaders” rooting on their friends. When SFC members peeled off their jackets, they revealed their personalized red and black uniforms closely resembling old bowling alley shirts with thick red stripes down the front and their name personally stitched in yellow cursive. They proceeded to take their seats at their team’s table in the front of the library. Some sported Rawlings wrist sweatbands. Another wore a black sweatband at his hairline. The students continued to wind pre-wrap and medical tape around their wrists in order to brace their hands for optimum buzzer speed. Meanwhile, SDA kids giggled, socialized, and swapped hats with each other. They chowed down on potato chips and cookies from the snack table in the front of the library. SFC studied and quizzed each other every minute up to the match.

SDA moseyed over to the Mustang table. A brief, last minute talk was given to the team by coach Hauck and they took their positions. The crowd did the same, dividing themselves: SDA on one side and SFC fans on the other. The intensity could be felt until one looked up and saw the striking, yet typical, contrast between SDA and the other team. On one side was SFC, professional and fairly serious, while SDA sat on the other, funky hats and all. The moderator, perched behind a podium with a binder full of questions, quieted down the audience. It was game-time. SDA took a couple time outs throughout the match to rotate players so that everybody had a chance to play. Through the constant stream of questions, SDA continued to rack up the points. Answers flew off the tongues of SDA’s team as SFC sat slumped on their table with perplexed looks and blank stares into space. Chuckles filled the library when team captain, Huamin, answered a question about names for different beliefs with a religion he called “everythingism.” At the end of the night, SDA could afford this humor because the scoreboard at read “SDA-65, SFC-22”. “We like the sense of community,” freshman Aram Mahmoudzadah said. “It’s a deep commitment, but with perseverance, we can all pull through.”

Thinking caps

The freshmen Mustang Minds study during their practice three times a week, every week so they’re prepared for their Thursday matches. This academic team requires just as much time and dedication as any other sports team at SDA. At these practices, the team works on buzzer speed, which they use when buzzing in for toss-ups. A toss-up is a question that either team can answer. The team that answers the toss-up correctly is then asked a multiple-part bonus question. The catch is that the team is only allotted a 20-second time period to answer the bonus question. As they scrimmaged, one couldn’t help but notice the peculiar hats perched atop a few of the members’ heads: a Santa hat that nearly touched the ground, a sombrero, a bamboo hat. What was this about? According to freshmen coach Linda Hauck, who has been coaching Mustang Minds since 2002, the hats are just the team’s fun way of representing the team’s unique funkiness, characteristic to SDA. Hauck, a science teacher, noted that one of the funniest things throughout her years of coaching is “this year’s fresh-

The freshman Mustang Minds team isn’t your everyday academic team—it’s a mix of wild hats and mad studying. Ariel Vieweg man team and all their hats.” Hauck loves coaching all of the different levels of Mustang Minds but has a special “soft spot for freshmen,” she said. “I get to watch them grow up and plan for college. I watch them grow confident in who they are and find themselves,” she said. One would awed by the speed at which they were buzzing in to answer these questions at practice. Questions ranging from presidents to Greek mythology were asked and very few of them went without being answered correctly. Team member Huamin Bai joked that it is fun, “hitting buzzers and answering questions and pretending you’re smart when you’re not. French and geography are freshman Kiley Nishioka’s specialty subjects. She is part of the team because she likes that “you get to learn a lot from watching the older kids, like on JV and Varsity.” As SFC warmed up for the match and prepared their wrists and fingers for buzzing in their answers,

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kyle shohfi

FOCUS Freshman Huamin Bai warms up before a match.

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March madness Singing, hooping, digits of Pi. Is there nothing we can’t do? Domenica Berman, Eleanore Hendrickson

n March 13, hundreds of students flocked to the circle stage to celebrate Pi Day. The event was a big success, as it has been for five years. The first 100 students who recited at least 10 digits of pi were rewarded with a Chipotle Burrito Coupon and a Pi Day cookie, which were baked by the cafeteria staff and decorated by the math department. Math teacher Paul Brice decided it should be recognized at SDA too, and after reading about it in a teacher magazine, he started the Pi Day at SDA 5 years ago. Ever since, it has been a big success. Pi Day is enjoyed by students and teachers. Freshman Elise Foote said, “I think it’s educational but at the same time it’s fun and exciting.” “It’s pretty fun. It brings out the fruitiness in people,” math teacher Donn Boyd said. Senior Eric Finley won the competition for the second time in a row. This year he rattled off 341 digits which were 40 digits less than last year, but still enough to win. “I memorized it in groups of 10 like I was memorizing phone numbers,” Finley said modestly. He said he mostly studied in homeroom and his friends started to encourage him. The runner-ups were sophomore Cherise Lopes-Baker with 201 digits, juniors Alena Chiou with 121 digits and Jamie Nieman with 121 digits, and sophomore Amy Dushkin with 108 digits. They were rewarded with Pi day shirts and various gift certificates from Chipotle, Rubios, Ricos, El Nopolito and Jamba Juice. The first place winner also received a trophy. “When people start getting into the 100 digits it’s fun to see because you know they put some time into it,” Brice said. This year over 250 students participated in the lunch activities, which is significantly more than in past years. Local businesses including Jamba Juice, Rubios, Ricos, El Nopolito, Chipotle and VG’s supported the event. “It’s great how supportive the community has been,” Principal Michael Grove said. Silkscreen teacher Carolyn Cesena made the t-shirts that were designed by junior, Miguel Ramirez. ASB helped with signs and setup and the finance office has been selling the T-shirts. While the competition is usually the most fun, there is something for everyone to enjoy. “Math usually makes me a little nauseous, but this is good. I’m comfortable with this,” Grove said laughing. “It’s really fun to see people celebrating math.” D.B.

eat-boxing, dancing, hula-hooping, singing, guitar playing, piano- these were the components of SDA’s 3-day talent show in March. The festivities started on Thursday, March 19 at lunch, featuring senior Jeff Hicks and freshman Claire Li, both on piano, and Eric Rumble, freshman, singing and playing guitar. Hicks, who has played piano for 13 years, said he started when “My mom forced me to play when I was little.” Li had a similar beginning. “My mom pulled me out of [ice] skating because I wasn’t graceful enough and made me play piano.” The talent show opened with Hicks’ improvisation. He asked random audience members to pick five as random notes on the piano. Hicks then proceeded to create a song with the five notes as a base, proclaiming “Anyone can write songs!” Day 2 of the talent show started with senior Shirit Barach. She sang and played piano, while senior Nick Armstrong, a talent show host, held a microphone under her as she sang. “That gave me a new appreciation for music. And my arm,” Armstrong said. Tap-dancing Rachel Weinfeld, freshman, and Nicole Fisher, junior, were the next act, taking turns clacking their feet to the Ting Ting’s “Shut up and Let Me Go.” Junior Michelle Whitfield performed an original song on guitar. The day’s closing performance was seniors Kiko Kolb, Cameron Greene, Canaan Schlesinger, and juniors Reid Nicholl and Jaime Navarro dancing and beat-boxing. “Kiko was tripping,” Greene said. “She really had to pee.” The talent show’s final day was met with a delayed start; the teacher judges were absent. ASB president Kevin Brice, junior, and sophomore Nick Biehl wandered amongst the audience, asking if the audience members were secret teacher judges. “What’s the secret teacher handshake?” Brice asked. The teachers finally appeared, and the first act of the last day began with Elinor Bridenthal, senior, performing a hula-hoop/dance act. “I spend my weekends at Swami’s. There are people there who hula hoop at the beach,” she said. Following was Henry Chesnutt, junior, on his cello, playing the Prelude to the First Suite in A Major to the Bach Cello Suites. Senior Amanda Walker was after, on guitar. The Soggy Bottom Boys, dressed as hicks, performed the song “In Constant Sorrow” from the movie “Oh Brother Where Art Thou” in southern accents, making for a memorable closing. The group was made up of seniors Armstrong, Canaan Schlesinger, Cameron Dalton, and junior Kirby Lochner. The winning results were later announced, the results: first place went to the Soggy Bottom Boys, second the beat-boxing group, and a tie for third with Hicks and Barach. E.H.

tatiana skomski and kaitlin spooner

PIECE OF PI Here SDA students line up to recite the digits of PI for the chance to win a free Chipotle burrito and cookie.

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The beards and the bees What do foreign exchange students, facial har, a non-terminating decimal, and your future have in common? Any guesses? Anyone? March. This month of months, dedicated to the Roman god of war, Mars, is now used to celebrate a spectacular spectrum of sports, leisure, activity, and Career Day. However, being the school that abolished the football team, and adopted Comedy Sportz as our unofficial school sport, we do sports and leisure a bit differently than most places: scooters zip around campus, students recite Pi to dozens of places, and beards begin to sprout on the chinny-chin-chins of freshmen and seniors alike. Why March? It must be because spring is in the air. The breeze finally picked up and the sun is out every day. It’s starting to feel more and more like summer. Sadly though, as it comes to a close, students seem a bit more dejected. Flowers bloom as beards wilt and die off. Students daydream in class of what they could be doing outside. Things return to normal. Story by Eric McCoy, photos by Alex Matthews, Kendal Daasnes, Liz Mills, Jocelyn Lee, Tatiana Skomski, and Kaitlin Spooner.

OH ME OH...PI? Students, left, recite Pi to math teacher Martin Chaker in hopes of recieving a free burrito from Chipotle, and maybe a cookie or two. 3.1415...

SCOOTING TO VICTORY At far right, freshman Jordan Manzanares, races down towards the gym, luging around traffic cones. Hey, watch your head there! A-TEN-HUT Above. Career day had recruiters from all corners of the job market set up camp in front of the school on March 18th.

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SOGGY BOTTOM BOYS Battle of the bands finalists Anti-league, above, and Cameron Dalton shed their punk rock exterior and played music that hit a bit closer to home. Yee haw!

WHAT TALENT! Junior Henry Chesnutt, far left, plays the cello in SDA’s annual talent show. Slacklining, music, student body: What can’t this kid do?!

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I am not a crook. You don’t look fat in that dress. I’m 21. The dog ate my homework. I’ll talk to you later. I’m just big boned. I can’t hang out, I have too much homework. I love you. You look good, have you lost weight? That joke was funny. It’s not you, it’s

me. Lies. I’m not cheating on you. Hi, I’m single. That’s a great idea. I have to go to work. No, I hate the Jonas Brothers. That outfit looks good on you. No, really, I’m okay. I’m not mad. Sometimes you hide it well.* I can’t do P.E. today, I’m sick. Oh, you’re such a good cook. I am not the father of that baby. That’s a beautiful baby. Your dog ran away. I’ll pay you back later. I don’t wet the bed. That is not a wig. I feel your pain. One size fits all. Your table will be ready in a minute. This will hurt me more than it will hurt you. I know what you are going through. I’ll start my

diet tomorrow. I just need five minutes of your time. This will only hurt a little. The customer is always right. It’s supposed to make that noise. They’re good as new. Everyone’s doing it. But we can still be friends. I’ll pay you back later. This day can’t get any worse. I’ll never speak to you again. The manual explains everything. Just because you’re 40 and still single doesn’t mean anything. I love watching football with you. Sorry, I lost reception. You’re perfect the way you are. You have been selected to win a free Apple iPod. Santa Claus is real. The dog has horrible gas. I don’t love you for your money. Four year guarantee. It wasn’t my fault. No, they’re real. I’m not having a party this year. *And

sometimes it’s written all over your face.

I care about the environment. Nice haircut. I don’t know how that got there. I don’t snore. It’s just baby fat. What stop sign? Getting kicked in the nuts hurts a lot more than delivering a baby. I finished my homework. I’m laughing with you, not at you. My dog doesn’t bite. Winning isn’t everything. Don’t worry; this bungee cord will hold.

Nicole Fisher reveals the science behind the lies as seen in the new TV show “Lie to Me.” I did not have sexual relations with that woman. It’s the truth, I swear. page 20

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hink about it. Someone asks, “How are you?” You respond, “Good.” A lie. Your girlfriend asks, “How do I look?” You answer, “Great, baby.” Another lie. Your parents asks, “Where are you going tonight?” You say, “A friend’s house.” Lying once more. The truth is people don’t always feel good, people don’t always look great, and you probably weren’t at your friend’s house for the whole night. All three responses are lies, and the people who heard them could probably never tell. In a 10-minute conversation, people lie at least three times according to a study done at University of Massachusetts Amherst. While this might sound ridiculous, let’s admit it: we all tell lies. Most people don’t know how to catch someone in a lie, but there are some people who are very good at it. There is a science behind detecting lies. Dr. Paul Ekman, professor at the University of California, San Francisco, School Of Medicine and the scientific advisor to Fox’s newest show, “Lie to Me,” has been researched the facial expressions and body language. Ekman has found that there are two types of expressions: macro and micro. Macro expressions stay on the face for about 2-5 seconds while micro expressions flash by for 1/25 of a second, only enough time for an expert to see them. Micro expressions are made subconsciously and are usually compressed on the face. Most of the time these expressions are not in line with the emotion expressed through someone’s speech, and can be used to detect lies. For example, someone might say something that sounds caring but he or she has a look of disgust. Micro expressions are indications of “intent to conceal true feeling,” according to Ekman. On “Lie to Me,” Dr. Lightman, played by Tim Roth, uses Ekman’s research to watch for clues supplied by suspects’ facial and body language to unmask people. In moving but you can tell that it’s forced,” junior Lauren one episode an African woman lied about getting raped Wilkins said. by her country’s soldiers to publicize the brutal nature Teachers notice the same symptoms as the students. of the government. “They will fidget...or look down. But that is not always true because there are some people that can look you right in the face and lie,” said math teacher Amy JohnStudents believe they know how to detect some of son. these micro expressions that suggest people are lying. Johnson also knows when students are telling lies by “[When people lie] they cross their arms and hold themthe content of a student’s speech. “Usually their stories selves in. You can tell they are lying [also] if they move get very elaborate, and they give more details than are back and forth because maybe they are not sure if their necessary,” Johnson said. answer can work so they are just thinking about it,” said Ken Wheatley, senior vice president of corporate junior Audrey Matthess. security at Sony Electronics has made detecting lies part Some students look for lies hidden in people’s faces. “If they are covering their face, that means they are prob- of his profession. Before his days at Sony, Wheatley was an FBI agent and gained his training at the FBI, and in ably hiding something,” senior Abie Katz said. the field. Others feel like they can tell by looking at someone’s Interviewing and interrogating people, according to eyes. “Their eyes look the other way or they fool around and fidget with their hands or their feet,” freshman Tan- Wheatley, are ways to find lies. According to Wheatley, an interview is not confrontational and is not rushed. ya Koraltan said. Katz agreed: “If someone’s eyes look to During an interview people feel at ease, while an interrothe right that means they are probably lying.” gation has more pressure. Excessive movement is another clue for students. “Most people can retain a façade for an hour,” “Sometimes their feet shuffle and their hands get all Wheatley said. After that, aspects of lies begin to leak fidgety,” sophomore Anthony Smith said. “It is probably through their presentation. a subconscious thing.” “They are overcompensating by not moving at all or trying to look normal or swaying back and forth to keep Many things are taken into consideration to detect a lie, like body language and tone. According to Wheatley, one place to look for a lie is someone’s neck for a speedy pulse rate and sweat. Also there is the general agreement that looking up and to the right means someone is lying, Wheatley said. “They are searching through their memory and might be looking for facts [that support their story],” Wheatley said.

features “[Body language] does not necessarily mean people are lying but it does mean they are not comfortable,” said Wheatley. As a certified protection professional, Wheatley uses these techniques in his current job, including screening people for employment. “Clearly people are going to be less truthful [and I want] get to the truth before they are hired,” Wheatley said. Sheriff’s deputy Kathy Wayne, the resource officer on campus, has also attended similar trainings over the years to learn how to tell when someone is lying. In “Lie to Me,” Dr. Lightman uses only body language to detect when someone is lying, but in real life Wayne and Assistant Principal Jeanne Jones point out that body language is not the only way the administration finds lying students. “My honest experience, and I have had to turn into almost a detective, [is] the rules work for some but not for all,” Jones said. Wayne seconds this opinion: “It is always a part of all the information we are collecting. Visually, audibly, physically, it all plays in.” Jones has noticed that one indicator of a lie is hand gestures. “One of the things I do watch is the hands because what I will find is for the most part when kids are calm their hands are calm but when they think we have them there will be a lot of hand movement,” Jones said. People can learn to read faces like Dr. Ekman and his fictional character, Dr. Lightman. Studies, though, have shown that only 54 percent of lies are accurately detected according to a university study on the “Lie to Me” website. Knowing how to read a face for a lie can be a very useful tool. But do you really want to be able to read every thought in someone’s head? Sometimes those thoughts are meant to be secret. As Ekman puts it, once you know how, there is no turning back.

Want to learn how to detect lies like Dr. Lightman and the Lightman Group? Go to www.Fox.com/LieToMe and www.PaulEkman. com where you can practice your lie detection skills.

Watch

At the “Lie to Me” Website: Scan “Faces in the News” which analyzes famous people’s facial expressions, including President Obama. View “Lie to Me” clips and read the corresponding analysis by Dr. Ekman on the science behind it.

Test

Test your knack for detecting micro expressions at the “Lie to Me” website. See if you can catch the lies in the next “Lie to Me” preview.

Read

Look over the selection of lie detection books as advertised on PaulEkman.com Read “The Naked Face” by Malcolm Gladwell, an article bout Ekman.This can be found at Gladwell.com

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Senior out When it comes to playing the game, seniors get pretty clever in their tactics. Here are just a few stories of seniors who were quick on their feet before they were knocked off them:

Promoting paranoia within the senior class since 2007.

Deanna Melin

he fear. The horror. The paranoia. Senior out strikes again. A paradox, the game bonds players through a nearly universal loss of trust. Friends betray friends, friends tag friends, and only the brave few actually stay true. Strategies varied. Some seniors never went anywhere alone, sticking close to significant others or unknowing freshman. Others kept a protective bubble around themselves, sprinting away if anyone came within five feet. Despite differences in strategy and results, the raised levels of stress were universally palpable. The game was originally suggested by Ann Nebolon their classes. “We want to keep it a fun activity,” said as a fun way to bond the senior class. Keillor, “But we want to respect the teachers.” For ex“I love the activity,” said Keillor. “I love the fact that ample, silk screening teacher Caroline Cesena did not althe seniors got really into it, that they were excited about low tagging in her room for fear that the students would coming to school.” However, according to Keillor, there injure themselves on or break the expensive machinery. will be some rule changes next year. For example, next Other teachers, however, were more welcoming to the year it will be expressly stated that students may not go game, even participating themselves. Math teacher in the restrooms or locker rooms of the opposite gender Darlene Blanchard betrayed one of her own first period to tag someone. There may also be changes in the rules students in a not unprecedented assist. regarding ripping and tackling. One senior, Sonia Chu, Nevertheless, the game is very popular. This year, 163 was forced to go home and change after being tagged so people competed for the $400 prize, the most particiviolently her pants ripped. Also, as requested by teachers, pants to date. The winner, Stephen Gunderson, was part there may be some new rules focused on preventing seof a three way alliance with Spencer Sheridan and Eric nior out from being so much of a classroom disturbance. Oleynick. The three had a total of 45 cards and split the prize money to the number of card held. Overall, the game has had a lot of positive feedback. Teachers have varying feelings regarding the game. It was a fun way of bonding an already close senior class, Some did not allow senior out to take place inside of and next year’s seniors are looking forward to their chance to play. One senior, Joe Wolin, said: “Senior Out breaks and unites the senior class. But in a good way.”

I peer tutor for Blanchard 2nd period, and I asked if she could look up his classes. She said she had him first, so we started planning. We decided that I would hide in a box, or boxes, next to her desk. She would call people up to check their grades, he would come over, she’d go away, and I would pop out. She’d call Sam up before Cameron, pretend she forgot to tell them something, walk away saying “oh, Sam!” that would be code for me to jump out. I hid about five minutes before the first bell, but I barely fit in the box. It was uncomfortable and I had to be completely quiet. Cameron was late that day, so I ended up being in the box for about 20 minutes. She started calling people up, then she called him, talked to him a little, then got up and said, “oh, sam!” But I was in the box so I couldn’t really hear her, so she had to say it a few times. Finally, I heard her and popped out. Only, the lower half of me was numb, so I kind of fell and grabbed his butt and yelled: “Gotcha, bitch!” Then I fell in the pile of boxes. -Julian Noble He came bolting out of nowhere. We were going downhill when he tagged me or kinda pushed me. I fell and skinned my knee and ripped my pants. I was with my brother and then I saw a girl in my first period. That’s when he attacked! -Sonia Chu Me, my friend Laura Dushkin, and a freshman who was in one of my classes last semester have homeroom together. Laura needed someone to walk her to class. She shouted, “Who’s going up the hill?” But no one responded. She walked over to the freshman, Monica Santos’ table, and asked if anyone was going up the hill. Monica said she was, so Laura made Monica walk her there arm in arm, even though she didn’t really know her. Laura was super paranoid the whole way. She made Monica walk her to class every day that week. She basically adopted a freshman. -Kelsey Saake

TAG YOU’RE OUT The word “alone” has a new meaning to seniors. Senior Out brings friends, acquaintences, and strangers together to form a protective shield around kendall daasnes the upperclassmen.

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THE WHEELS ON THE BUS GO ‘ROUND AND ‘ROUND... and so did the camera. Bus riders each took a photo and then passed the camera on to create this series of snapshots.

t 7:05 sharp, the bus pulls away from the La Costa Canyon parking lot, headed for San Diegueito Academy. A handful of sleepy kids run up to the departing bus, and quickly hop in to join their friends inside. The school bus is loud with chatter about the Jonas Brothers latest CD and what the math homework was. A couple of people manage to fall asleep and catch up on their z’s. Many bus riders say the worst part about taking the bus is waking up so early. “I wake up at 5:45. It’s really hard to get up that early. I’m sleepy all day!” said freshman Raveena Patel. Sophomore Kamei Triebell agreed: “I don’t like having to wake up so early, and not being able to stay late after school with friends.” In the afternoon the bus leaves promptly at 3:17. “First semester my fourth period teacher would always

One of the most memorable times on the bus was hold us in late, and me and about four other people the “epic Reese’s Pieces fight,” according to freshman would always be running late for the bus. Literally, runJohn Deane. “It all started one fateful afternoon when ning!” said freshman Kiley Dalrymple. the kids in the back of the bus started throwing Reese’s “I’m not usually late in the morning, but if I am my Pieces at us, and escalated into some small change being dad will have to take me to school,” said sophomore thrown too. It was actually kind of funny. It was great,” Alina Revilla. “And after school, I just run to the bus if said Deane. my teachers keep me late.” “We were throwing the Reese’s Pieces back at them, Once on the bus, students make a quick scan of the and then seats to see if began throwtheir favorite ing change, spot is open and then heavy or where their objects, includfriends are siting bolts,” ting. “The ‘cool’ said freshman people usually All aboard the bed/cafeteria/breakfast table/school bus. Kira Harland. sit in the back, No one got in but it doesn’t reLindsey Agnew trouble or was ally matter. The injured during freshmen sit in the battle. the back, because they’re so ‘cool’ too,” Revilla added. Not every bus ride involves chucking candy, though. “What I don’t like about taking the bus is that I “I usually just listen to music, talk to friends, and do the should be driving instead,” said junior Tyler White. homework I didn’t do the night before,” said freshman “The best part is that you can sleep on the bus,” said Erin McGrath. White. Both Patel and Triebell both like getting to talk Russ Sands, the bus driver, agreed with the students to their friends each morning and afternoon on the bus. that waking up early is the worst. “The worst part about Both Triebell and freshman Elio Hollenbeck have driving the bus is that I wake up at 4:30 a.m.” said met new friends on the bus. Hollenbeck added, “I take Sands, who has been driving the bus for two and a half the bus because it is very difficult for my parents to get years as a retirement job. “My favorite part is the kids.” me to school.”

Magic school bus

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Going frugal

Taylor Chapin and Maddie Lyon pay a visit Encinitas’s staple thrift stores with a critical eye.

Home

Flashbacks

Thrify Threads

rom the instant we stepped into home through its open, red-framed doors, it exuded ‘cool.’ Racks upon racks of vintage and new seem artfully hand-picked. It has claimed its status as a self-made staple icon of thrift shopping on the 101.

nsconced in dark lighting, plush lounge chairs, and vintage wallpaper, Flashbacks is a classic ‘flashback’ to the 60s and 70s. If you’re looking for the perfect pair of flannel footie-pajamas covered in teddy bears, you can probably find them at Flashbacks.

We Like: There is a seamless blend of old and new. Look no further than Home for regular-priced American Apparel’s classic tees and tanks. There is an endless selection of flannels and always a few notable pairs of splurge worthy boots. It is hard to go wrong with just about any purchase at Home. We Dislike: Although it is probably one of the best places in Encinitas for ‘designer discounts,’ it is still not exactly a discount. Many of the thrift items seemed exorbitantly priced for what they were. Its easy to fall prey to a pair of cute boots you could find for half the price elsewhere.

We Like: Deep within the racks of clothes, it’s very likely you can find whatever it is you’re looking for, obscure as it may be. It’s the place for all quirky finds and that perfect pair of clear plastic, stilleto stipper heels. Places like Flashbacks are a fun ‘shopping experience’ rather than just a place to buy clothes. We Dislike: Unfortunately, numerous shoppers easily fall victim to sporting Flashback’s over- popularized, obnoxiously trendy looks for sale. No worries though, as long as you keep your wits about you, it is easy enough to steer clear of such fashion faux pas and get to the genuinely cool vintage finds.

We Like: Its inconspicuous demeanor keeps it out of the guide books and your average shopper/tourist on the 101 doesn’t even give it a second glance. If you’re up for picking through trashy tees and unflattering, old denim, it’s almost a guarantee you’ll find something well worth it and very reasonable priced. We Dislike: However, it’s not the easiest task in the world for the untrained thrift shopper to look through the rubbish and unearth the good stuff in the bottom of the bins and at the ends of racks. Although such maneuvers come with thrift shopping, it’s easy to give up hope when assaulted by so much more bad than good.

Price: $$$$ out of 5 Rating: out of 5

Price: $$$ out of 5 Rating: out of 5

ucked away at the end of the block with an unassuming front is Thrifty Threads. In contrast with Home and Flashback, it lacks a unique style and personality. While to the untrained eye, it appears treasure-less, there are more than a few threads to be found.

Ultimate Steeze Juniors Evan Wenskay and Jasmine Kubart put on their best for this edition of Steeze. By Maddie Lyon and Taylor Chapin. Beanie: 99-cent Store Necklace: a gift

Necklaces: self-made

Ring: found it Sweater: self-made

Shirt: DAV Jacket: self-made Bracelets: Domenican Republic Dress: Ross Pants: K-5, Krew Shoes: Forever 21 Shoes: K-5, Circa Combat Style Icon: Rex Roberts Personal Style: Varial Flip Estimated Cost: $45

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Style Icon: 50’s pinup girl Personal Style: Flashy Estimated Cost: $40

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mustang 04.03.09

It’s

Blitz Krieg

New York trio the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have released their third album, “It’s Blitz!,” a stylistic turnaround. Story by Zach Garcia.

ith singer Karen O’s voice approaching a melodic whisper rather than her famed declamatory shriek, and Nick Zinner’s needle guitar lines replaced by synthesizers, the very different approach of the new Yeah Yeah Yeahs album gives evidence to the fact that the Yeahs have actually, over the course of their career, undergone multiple Bowie-esque changes in sound. The particular garagerock style they’re best known for actually existed only on one album and a handful of singles, while the rest of their almost decade-long career has been spent exploring different avenues:

Unitard- This acoustic duo, described by O as “dirge-y goth acous-

tic slit-your-wrists kind of stuff,” was the first collaboration between herself and Zinner. Only one track has ever been released, “Year to Be Hated,” which would be more loudly rewritten as “Our Time” for the Yeahs’ debut EP. Track Pick: “Year to Be Hated”

Yeah Yeah Yeahs EP- Adding drummer Brian Chase to their

lineup, the group staked their position as major players in the New York revival scene with this release. A stark contrast to Unitard, this EP marked the fully-formed debut of O’s screaming, barking sex machine gun vocals. With a minimalist sound and tendency for irony, the group explored several different styles here, but also showed evidence for the path they would follow. Track Pick: “Miles Away”

Machine EP- Less punk than the first EP, here the Yeahs showed

their indebtedness to Sonic Youth-style New York art rock. The title track, with its scattered structure, schizophrenic energy, and strangely haunting sound, may be the hidden gem of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs canon. Track Pick: “Machine”

Fever to Tell- This was the album that indelibly printed their

sound in fans’ minds. Adding a layer of polish and control to the frenzy of their EPs, their full-length debut also sported their catchiest batch of songs. After spending two EPs exploring their potential, “Fever to Tell” is where the group proudly and magnificently found their voice, with a confidence their later releases would lack. This was also the first release sporting slower, softer songs, pointing the way to their later career. Track Pick: “Black Tongue”

“Maps”- The single that changed everything for this little indie

band that could, “Maps” actually made it onto the Billboard Hot 100 and was one of the first shots of the indie surge of the time. After this, there were two camps: Yeah Yeah Yeahs fans, and people who liked “Maps.” It also suddenly thrust the group into the limelight, making Karen O even more insane and almost leading to the group’s dissolution with their sophomore effort.

“Hello Tomorrow”- A collaboration between O and Sam

“Squeak E. Clean” Spiegel (who would produce the group’s second album), this song, written for an Adidas commercial directed by O’s then-boyfriend Spike Jonze (of “Being John Malkovich” fame), is eerie and beautiful, and an early precursor to the softer style the Yeahs’ next efforts would demonstrate.

“Gold Lion”- Featuring a glossy production and acoustic guitars, this single was a major break from anything that preceded it. Sounding like a crash between the group’s old and new sounds, this was a major indicator of the Yeahs’ ability to change styles dramatically.

yeahyeahyeahs.com

Rockers to Swallow Karen O, Nick Zinner, and Brian Chase roll out a dance-rock style for their latest record.

Show Your Bones- A classic case of sophomore slump, the

group’s second full-length album shows them paralyzed by their newfound fame and O’s rock star status, wavering between their old punk sound and a new, more electronic direction, as well as feebly attempting to recreate “Maps.” Track Pick: “Mysteries”

KO At Home- Widely bootlegged across the internet, this CD was

recorded as a gift by O for TV on the Radio guitarist Dave Sitek, and stolen and released by a man known only as “Mike.” The 14 untitled songs are O solo with acoustic guitar. Most of them are fairly sketchy and atmospheric, but nevertheless show some sign of the dark and quiet style of the increasingly O-dominated Yeahs’ third album. Track Pick: “Track 8”

Is Is EP- Despite consisting mainly of songs written between

their first and second albums, this release nevertheless feels more confident, the album “Show Your Bones” should have been. It finds a more successful balance between the loud and the soft, and the simple and the complex. However, the group’s next stylistic shift would break with this completely. Track Pick: “Rockers to Swallow”

Native Korean Rock & Fishnets- An O side project, this

group’s sound emphasizes that, reputation notwithstanding, most of the songs Karen O writes are quiet and emotionally charged. Based around acoustic guitar and strings, the group still maintains Yeah Yeah Yeahs-esque idiosyncracies, like the sudden, haunting screaming at the end of “Body.” Track Pick: “Body”

“Zero”- Like “Gold Lion,” this was another complete stylistic turnaround for the group. An impassioned burst of dance-rock, the song is almost completely based around synthesizers rather than guitars, but somehow manages to regain the anthemic spirit that was the most important quality of the group’s best songs.

It’s Blitz!- This is a marked return to greatness after their weak

second album. Ranging from the loud and aggressive “Heads Will Roll” to the quiet “Skeletons,” this is a synth-heavy dance record, but somehow is more Yeah Yeah Yeahs than their sophomore effort ever was. Track Pick: “Hysteric”

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Deadening weather Jack White forms yet another absurd side project, with possibly disastrous results. zach garcia

ack White has gotten fat. The candy-cane-striped indie child has been swallowed up within the bulk of a middling guitarist with a penchant for 10-minute blues solos. This strange White Mk. II, with his tendency toward erratic career decisions, most recently set off a flurry of news in the music world by announcing the creation of yet another side project. Calling themselves the Dead Weather, the indie “supergroup” consists of White, Kills vocalist-and-sometime-guitarist Alison Mosshart (a.k.a. VV), Jack Lawrence of the Greenhornes (and Raconteurs), and Dean Fertita of Queens of the Stone Age (and Raconteurs). The band formed at the

end of the Raconteurs’ recent tour with the Kills. For the last several shows of the tour, White had medical problems, including a slipped disc, that made it very difficult for him to sing. The Kills’ Mosshart was invited to take over on vocals for several songs during these shows, and this experiment prompted the Dead Weather to come into being, with the idea of recording a 7’’ together. This effort, a recording of Gary Numan’s “Are ‘Friends’ Electric?,” (now the B-side of their first single, “Hang You From the Heavens”) soon grew to a full album, “Horehound,” to be released in June. The band made their debut performance to celebrate the newly inaugurated Nashville office of White’s label, Third Man Records. Thus far, the prognosis seems

thedeadweather.com

DON’T NEED A WEATHERMAN Jack Lawrence, Jack White, Dean Fertita and Alison Mosshart peddle muddy rock.

grim. The juxtaposition of the Kills and the Raconteurs during their tour together threw into clear relief just how far Jack White has fallen into bloated self-indulgence; now he seems to be dragging the other group

Demetri Martin. Person. Demetri Martin adds his own quirky humor to Comedy Central with his new show ‘Important Things with Demetri Martin.’ thea brown

eing ambidextrous seems to have little to do with comedy; however, Demetri Martin spent two months writing with only his nondominant hand. Now he can write and draw his jokes with both hands at the same time. He also taught himself how to play the guitar, sew, and ride a unicycle. Each element, however frivolous, helps add to his quirky comedy. Most popular comedians use politics as the main source for their jokes. Martin doesn’t. Instead he delivers short, quirky jokes: usually dry one-liners or plays on words. His jokes center on seemingly meaningless and trivial aspects of life. “I like to use ‘I Can’t Believe it’s Not Butter’ on my toast in the morning, because sometimes when I eat breakfast, I like to be incredulous. How was breakfast? Unbelievable.” Martin’s act integrates

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these jokes into a performance through drawings (drawn with both hands at the same time), animation, graphs, and music. Many of his jokes are accompanied by guitar, piano, harmonica, and various other instruments (such as superfluous bells). For example, his CD “These Are Jokes” features much of his music, such as the song “Sames and Opposites,” in which Martin explains that “A musical is the same as a burlap sack/I would not want to be in either,” and “Saying I apologize is the same as saying I’m sorry; they’re the same/Unless you’re at a funeral.” Martin began his career the day he dropped out of law school at NYU. He had never tried standup before. After establishing himself as a comedian, Martin found jobs on both Conan O’Brien and The Daily Show. NBC attempted to use Martin for a sitcom, but his peculiar jokes did not translate well in the format. However, Comedy

Central has finally found a way to harness his comedy for good. Martin’s new show, “Important Things with Demetri Martin,” is a variety show, similar to the “Chappelle Show.” Each episode features a simple topic, such as chairs or safety. The subject is presented through a variety of sketches along with songs and jokes similar to his standup performances. Through this, Martin philosophizes on paradoxes such as how sitting is used for both relaxing and working. Nevertheless, some of the humor is lost in translation from standup to television. It is very reminiscent of the second season of “Flight of the Conchords.” There are occasionally really funny jokes, but it all feels rushed. The show is not bad. It just lacks the initial luster and excitement from previous acts. Martin is teaching himself how to act for several upcoming movies. But for now, he can be found Wednesday nights at 10:30 on Comedy Central.

down with him. With the Numan cover, the Dead Weather managed to take a song that even its own writer acknowledged as relatively tuneless, and make it even more so. “Hang You From the Heavens”

is beyond that, showcasing the worst fuzztone excesses of every band of every member. However, the idea of this collaboration is exciting enough that many will certainly stick around to wait and see. Hopefully most won’t.

Hello Birdie Thespians prepare themselves for the approaching spring musical, ‘Bye Bye Birdie,’ with upcoming performances this April and May. megan bradley

ut on your poodle skirt and your happy face. This year’s spring musical is “Bye Bye Birdie,” which premiered on Broadway in 1960 and won the Tony Award in 1961 for Best Musical. “I suggested this [play] last year and I’m happy we’re finally doing it because it’s so ridiculously cheesy and funny,” said junior Brianna McDonnell. “Bye Bye Birdie” is a satire poking fun at American society in the 1950s. Rock and roll superstar, Elvis Presley, was drafted into the army in 1957 and the musical is a play on that, telling the story of a rock superstar, Conrad Birdie (senior Cameron Greene), who is being sent into the army. But before he leaves, his agent (senior Ben Johnson) and secretary (junior Maddie Bailey)

set him up to kiss one girl from Sweet Apple, Ohio on “The Ed Sullivan Show” as a publicity stunt. Unfortunately, the lucky girl (senior Christy Laubach) has just decided to go steady with her boyfriend and must choose between the two men. “Bye Bye Birdie” is full of ‘50s-style dance scenes and famous songs including, “Put on a Happy Face” and “A Lot of Livin’ to Do.” Though rehearsing the songs and choreography is time-consuming, students are still eager to see the final product. “I’m looking forward to [the musical]. It’s a lot of work getting ready, but it’s worth it, and I enjoy it. I really like the choreography of the dances and it’s what I’m most excited about,” said junior Allison Scher. The musical runs April 23, 24, 25 and 30 and May 1 and 2, at 7 p.m. in the Roundabout Theater.

arts

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mustang 04.03.09 Attention WRITERS:

The Archetype Literary Magazine

will publish your work! Submit to: sda.archetype@gmail.com

YEARBOOKS! Avoid the hassles and lines, buy yours today.

Reviews Living Thing Peter Bjorn and John

Now available online or in the finance office. $70 w/ ASB card $80 w/out

A New Case of Stockholm Syndrome

7.3/10

his Swedish trio, Peter Bjorn and John, topped the charts in 2006 with their infectious single “Young Folks,” which was probably the peak of their pop sound. Their fifth and most recent album, “Living Thing,” takes on a new, mellower feel, steering further away from their previous indie terrain. Displaying a more experimental and somber side, Peter Bjorn and John evince influences from Depeche-Mode-style ‘80s pop on the track “It Don’t Move Me” to a style more reminiscent of the African folk of “Graceland” –era Paul Simon, presented in the track “Lay It Down.”

This album appeals to those who revel in strong beats and an ample variety of sounds, bringing a new twist to PB and J’s style. There is no question that “Living Thing” contains the addictive hooks and idiosyncratic percussion that makes these Swedes so popular, but it does little overall to compare to the 2006 album “Writer’s Block” that brought them instant praise. However, because of the band’s previous reputation, I have no doubt the album brings to the table a collection most young folks will enjoy.

-Kate Murphy

Hazards of Love The Decemberists

Nauticalists No More

9.0/10

ith the newest Decemberists release, “The Hazards of Love,” Colin Meloy and co. seem to have become a completely new band. They have fulfilled wholly the promise behind the flawed experiment that was “The Crane Wife.” Meloy has embraced his anachronistic ‘70s-prog style and turned the group into a vehicle for these ambitions. The album is one continuous piece, a musical monolith that essentially abandons all pretense of “songs” in favor of a much more grandiose construction. It expands Meloy’s predilection for Victorian vignettes and character sketches into what is essentially a sungthrough rock opera, complete with prelude, interlude, leitmotifs, and other such truck. It’s like hearing Sondheim channeled through “Unhalfbricking”-era Fairport Convention. In this long format, each song is part of the overarching story. Like any proper rock opera since “Tommy” begat the form, the plot is idiotic. It involves abduction, murder, and a lot of familial drama. The story ends the only way something written by Colin Meloy can: everyone drowns.

The plot throws some soap in the Decemberists’ opera, but doesn’t interfere with the appreciation of the music. The restrained folkiness that was the group’s stock-in-trade in their early days goes out the window here; in true bombastic prog fashion, the sound touches on everything from country to metal. The sheer immensity of it adds a lot: the context makes each song sound better than it would outside the album, and also helps to disguise some of the weaker and more underwritten material. Although “The Crane Wife” creates some context, the album could still be a bit of a shock to Decemberists fans. This is not the band of “The Legionnaire’s Lament” or “16 Military Wives.” Gone are Meloy’s lyrical obsessions with sailors and travel, and his penchant for using sesquipedalian words when short ones would do just as well (though he still maintains enough pretension to pronounce “centaur” as “cen-twoir”). This has almost no stylistic similarity to the group’s early career. But “The Hazards of Love” creates its own little universe of rock majesty, and is enough to truly stun. -Zach Garcia

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Six degrees of separation

Are you connected to North Korean leader Kim Jong-il? Well, according to the six degrees of separation theory, you are. Find out who else you are connected to. Story and Photos by Kendall Daasnes.

1. Spencer Sheridan “A lot of people don’t know this but back in kindergarten Andrea Bunn and I were super good friends. We hung out all the time. When I went to her house we would watch ‘Arthur’ or play with beanie-babies. I was always Snort the red bull or Doby the Doberman dog. I have grown up since. This year Andrea was my first victim of Senior Out.”

2. Andrea Bunn “In freshman year Laura Economides and I had P.E. together. We were really silly. One time during a dodge ball match we made up really embarrassing nicknames for each other. My nickname was Bubbles and hers was Italia. It was definitely fourth-grade status.”

3. Laura Economides “Freshman year, I had biology with Blake Eaton. We sat next to each other and would play all these different games during class. We’d play Nim, Dots, Tick-Tack-Toe, and hangman. No matter how hard Blake tried I would always beat him, of course.”

4. Blake Eaton “The class: 3rd period. The dynamic duo: Myself and Drew Spiller. The reason for boredom...: [T]here was NOTHING TO DO. So, being the ingenious lads that we are, we sat at computers in the poorly lit section of the room and spent our time reading abridged scripts parodying well-known movies. (Might I recommend the script for the “Dark Knight”? Comedic gold.) I assume our teacher thought we had discovered a particularly hilarious scholarship opportunity.”

Tales of a barista

5. Drew Spiller “The other weekend after the band’s Cabaret Night fundraiser, a group of us went to Denny’s We were all looking over the menu when Erika Borchers started laughing. Apparently Denny’s not only serves a dish called Pancake Puppies, they’d trademarked the name. The group of us laughed for a few minutes, and then placed our order. Later, the waiter came out, apologized for the long wait, and gave us a plate of “Pancake Puppies” on the house. The entire group couldn’t stop laughing.”

6. Erika Borchers “In tenth grade I was in Video Film and I was in a group with Nico Pompeo and Spencer Sheridan. We were filming one day and Spencer and Nico did not have their lines memorized at all. So, they held the script up for each other while I filmed. While we were showing our video to the class one of the students noticed the script to the side. Unfortunately, the teacher did too.”

Oversized purse, oversized glasses, oversized ego. This customer could use an attitude check. Story by Paige Ely. Swatting the door to the side, a woman in her late 20’s strolled into Starbucks, cell phone glued to her ear. In a huff, she dumped her oversized purse on the counter, dripping from the rain outside. Still on her cell phone, she removed her sunglasses from her powdered nose and placed them atop her perfectly styled hair. Maybe it was just dark and gloomy right out my window, or maybe I use shades for a different reason, but

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I couldn’t see a need for SUNglasses. She stood at the counter already impatient with me, although she hadn’t yet glanced my way. She inspected her nails. “I can’t believe it,” she said in monotone. After another minute of “Uh-huhs,” snorts of disgust, eyerolls, and slight shakes of the head, she finished the conversation. “Okay I have to go. I’m at Starbucks. Yeah-huh. Okay, bye.” She slammed the

phone closed with one hand and with a slow head roll finally looked over at me. “I’ll have a pound of coffee.” She resumed her inspection of her nails. “Definitely,” I said. “Our coffees are right behind you. Would you like any help picking one out?” Her head and hand in the same position, she only moved her eyes to give a quick glare. “Oh.” She turned around and sighed at the coffee. After a 30 second decision,

she picked up a pound of Sumatra. “I’ll have this ground for a gold cone.” She extended her arm so the coffee was facing me, but she wasn’t. “Certainly!” I responded with real enthusiasm. I love grinding coffee. Holding the Sumatra in one hand and ringing her up with the other, she extended her arm in the same way to give me her credit card. I put the coffee on the counter to free up a hand. I’ve found

that running a credit card through with my teeth doesn’t seem to work so well. After I rang her up, she snatched up her purse now having shed all its excess water. As she reached for the coffee she gave a looked disgusted. “Eww. These counters are all wet and dirty.” “Here’s your credit card. Sorry about that, I’ll wipe that up right away.” “Okay,” she snorted and sauntered off. I wiped up the wet and “dirty” counter and then

began to grind her coffee. This takes a few minutes. But after about 30 seconds the woman, back on her cell phone stepped beside me, behind the counter, three steps beyond where any customer should be, outreaching her arm in the same way. “Here you are…,” I began. She snatched the coffee and left, putting her sunglasses on the way out. That was a customer who definitely needed something more than coffee.

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Go green... at any cost

Alternative energy, carpooling, energy-efficient light bulbs. These are all ways to save the environment, but will they be enough? Dimitri Fautsch thinks not. Keep reading to find out his solution to “The Inconvienent Truth.”

Paint Everything Green: Lately I’ve been listening to the news and I’ve heard that making things “green” helps the environment out. To help make things greener, I think that we should paint everything we can green Just imagine, the peace on St. Patrick ’s Day when nobody is being pinched. No longer will there exist Bloods and Crips; gang colors will be outdated. Your house will blend in with its surroundings, camouflaging in like a chameleon, an invisible fortress. The plants and trees will have more friends and most of all, you’ll be saving our northern neighbors from a grisly drowning.

Drive Faster: Everybody is all up in arms about hybrids and solar power, but these fancy-pants scientists with their alchemy and their “formulas” didn’t even think of driving faster as a solution. If you drive faster you’ll get to your location sooner and thus save more gas. If you drive slower you will take longer to get there, and use more gas in the process. The Germans have realized this and have abolished the speed limit. Despite their penchant for hydrogen-filled blimps, the Germans have caught on to a good thing here. We need to follow their example and either abolish or increase the speed limit.

Recycle Trash: As of now we recycle paper, plastic and glass, but why not make it more? Jimmy Dean has got the ball rolling here by combining sausages, pancakes and sticks to make “Flapsticks” available with both original and chocolate chip pancakes (and you wonder why people hate America). We could recycle things that were previously unrecyclable, new grounds could be broken overnight. The possibilities are endless. We would need a simple overhaul of the recycle system, but with a little bit of willpower and a lot of minimum-wage workers we can make this happen. Together we can prevail!

Don’t Do Anything : Although driving faster does help the environment, staying home and never leaving would completely eliminate emissions from cars and other vehicles. Everything would of course have to be conducted through the internet, that includes relationships and sports. “Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century” was completely ahead of its time when they depicted school being taught through virtual teachers. Unfortunately we can’t have “The Best of Both Worlds”, so we need virtual teaching to supplant real teaching for our world to survive. We need “The Luck of the Irish” to make sure our world remains “Even Steven.”

Use Air Conditioning: When we turn on the A/C, a gust of fresh, cold air comes cascading through the vents making the whole house or car cooler. We can use this same phenomenon to help cool the earth. My proposal is this: commission an air conditioning manufacturer to build the world’s largest A/C unit and install it in the atmosphere. The unit would have a hose that sucks up air from either the North or South Pole and then blasts it into the atmosphere. The atmosphere will cool almost immediately; and besides the installation costs, the machine would be self-sufficient.

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sports

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Stick with it Girls lacrosse team is on the mend after playing a rough few games. nicole fisher

he girls lacrosse season has begun with a rocky start. According to coach Liza Neptune, the girls have lost their first four games against Coronado, Carlsbad, Rancho Bernardo, and Mt. Carmel. “Fortunately [none] of them was a conference game,” said Neptune. Neptune feels like the girls need to begin playing as a team and not individually. “I expect the girls to step up and play like they know how to play,” said Neptune. The girls won their first game Record - Girls 03/10 at Coronado (scrimmage) 3/12 vs Carlsbad L 5-9 3/17 vs Rancho Bernardo L 5-16 3/24 vs Mt. Carmel L 6-12 3/26 vs Ramona W 12-2 Courtesy of North County Times

nina moussavi

CRADLE TO THE GRAVE Junior Jamie Yates keeps her eyes up and stick close as she drives past a defender.

Born to run Positive results from first two meets help the track team look forward to upcoming events. sean znachko

he track team tested their times at a small invitational at Calvin Christian, the first competition of the season. The team only brought a few athletes and according to Coach Justin Conn, they finished with good times and medals to bring home. The first dual meet of the season took place against Francis Parker on March 19. The girls team ran well, while the boys put up a good fight against some fast runners, Conn said. Freshman Jenna Asperslag ran an impressive 100 meter time of 13.04 seconds, the second fastest freshman time in San Diego County. Sophomore Geoff

Brown jumped 22-10 in the long jump, putting him in first place in the North Coastal League. “While the team seeks to win meets, they would also like to improve as the season progresses. This season is about individual and team improvement. We are hoping to see our individual athletes grow substantially over the course of the season,” Conn said. The team will also working on building team chemistry. According to Conn, the team lost eight strong runners from last year’s team. But despite this large loss, the team is making due with strong freshman and some transfer athletes. “Our boys distance team is particularly strong, as is our girls sprints group,” Conn said.

Results from Calvin Christian Invitiational and SDA vs. Parker

BOYS 100-meter - So. Geoff Brown, 11.49 (Cal. Christian) 400-meter - So. Geoff Brown, 53.84 (Cal. Christian) 800-meter - Sen. Evan Moring, 2:11 (Parker) 1-mile - Jun. Nate Burns, 4:55 (Parker) Shot put - Sen. Sam Stern, 33-8 (Parker) Discus - Sen. Cody Reiss, 76 (Parker) GIRLS 100-meter - Fr. Jenna Asperslag, 13.04 (second fastest freshman time posted in San Diego) (Parker) 200-meter - Fr. Margo Taylor, 30.04 (Cal. Christian) 400-meter - So. Caitlin Ford, 67.6 (Cal. Christian) 1-mile - Fr. Katie Swanson, 6:18 (Parker) 100-meter hurdles - Sen. Savanna Vrevich, 19.54 (Cal. Christian) 300-meter hurdles - Sen. Nora Wallenius, 54.94 (Cal. Christian) Shot put - So. Kaky Payne, 26-2 (Parker) Triple jump - So. Kaylin Greene, 31-3 (Parker) Courtesy of Coach Justin Conn

against Ramona High School. The game was on March 26, and the final score was 12-2. As for the rest of the season the girls toughest opponents will be Coronado, Rancho Bernardo, Bishops, and Parker. The team hopes to make the playoffs said Neptune. Neptune feels some players can turn the season around. “Both our captains [seniors] Liz Siemion and Sean Znachko are consistent strong players. We have a new senior, Erika Union who will progress well as the season moves along. [Junior] Kellie McPhee, our goalie, has done well so far,” said Neptune. Record - Boys 03/06 vs Culver City W 9-8 3/11 vs Mt. Carmel W 9-5 3/13 vs Helix W 11-4 3/18 at Patrick Henry L 5-6 3/20 at Santana L 6-7 3/23 vs Bishop’s L 5-15 3/27 at Scripps Ranch W 9-8

On the attack The boys team has high hopes for the way their season is developing, with good reason. anna sheridan

he season is just starting, but the boys have been practicing and conditioning since late February. Head coach Nick Borden played goalie for four years at the University of Connecticut before coaching at San Dieguito Academy. Borden was the assistant lacrosse coach for three years before becoming head coach. According to Borden, the team looks forward to the upcoming season, especially against their rival Canyon Crest Academy. “I’m definitely looking forward to Canyon Crest,” said senior Eric Cook, one of the captains. “It’s a battle of the Academies,” said Borden. The team is also looking forward to playing Santa Fe Christian. “In my three years of coaching, we haven’t beaten them, but this year I believe we have the team to do it,” Borden

said. “There is a fire in these guys that we didn’t see last year. A lot of it has to do with the leadership of the captains Eric Cook, Riley Brokaw, and Spencer Sheridan,” said Borden. Cook leads the county in overall points, goals, and assists, and Sheridan is second in saves. Physical strength isn’t the only factor that shapes a team; chemistry plays a big role in a sport as well. “The team chemistry is growing daily,” said Borden. He believes this is because the team consists of a great group of guys who love and enjoy the sport. Cook agrees that chemistry is important. “We are a young, small team, but we are really good at getting along and playing together,” said Cook. The boys have played hard every game. Their record is 4-3. They started out very strong with three wins in a row. “We have a solid offense and defense,” said Borden.

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GRAD NITE TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW! TICKET PRICES $60 UNTIL APRIL 12, 2009 $75 FROM APRIL 13 – JUNE 11, 2009

THE ANSWERS TO SOME FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: What is Grad Nite? •Grad Nite is a party to beat all parties, held on the night of graduation, from 9:00pm to 5:00am the next morning. •Grad Nite is hosted by the SDA Foundation along with 200 volunteers •Island Fever will be outside on the SDA campus from 9:00pm to 1:00am •S.S. Moonlight will be in and around the gym from 1:00am to 5:00am

Why is the 2nd half of Grad Nite being held on campus this year? •In years past, seniors attending Grad Night were transported to and from a boat cruise on San Diego Bay between 1:00 a.m. - 5:00 a.m. •After listening to significant and consistent negative feedback from past senior classes regarding the boat cruise on San Diego Bay and the cost of the event, it was decided a change was needed this year.

kiko kolb

ALL WOUND UP Senior Christy Laubach prepares to hurl a pitch at the batter during their game against Rancho Bernardo on March 27. They lost 0-20.

Stuck on first The softball team had a tough start, but is hoping to turn their season around. sean znachko

he softball team began their season with a tournament including games against Grossmont High School, Christian High School and Steele Canyon. The game against Christian High School did not go well for the team, which they lost 0-10. “Defensively we did not play a good game,” said Varsity coach Sam Corrao. The team also lost to Steele Canyon 1-10 on March 17. Carrao hopes the team’s skills will build with practice. “Our primary goal is to develop our team both offensively and defensively early in the season, so that once league games start we

Upcoming Home Games 4/14 Bishop’s 4:00 pm 4/17 Escondido Charter 4:00 pm 5/1 Santa Fe Christian 4:00 5/4 Mar Vista 4:00 5/8 Tri-City Christian 4:00

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are at our peak,” said Corrao. “We have a strong hitting team which should be able to score runs. We will play good defense once we get all of our good defensive players on the field,” said Corrao. The beginning of the season is full of hard games said Carrao. “The first 12 games we play are against Division I and II teams, those will all be tough games,” said Corrao. Torrey Pines, San Marcos, and Carlsbad High School are some of the team’s first and most difficult opponents. The team lost their game against Torrey Pines on March 21. The final score was 3-12. Their next game will be against Point Loma on April 6.

Coastal North Conference 1. Santa Fe Christian (1-3-0) 2. Tri-City Christian (1-1-0) 3. Escondido Charter (3-4-0) 4. Mt. Empire (0-0-0) 5. San Dieguito Academy (0-6-0) Standings courtesy of the North County Times.

What activities will there be? • Rock Climbing, Human Foosball, Carnival Games • Raffle, Fortune Tellers, Temporary Tattoos • Good Food, music, dancing, and all your classmates • Disco, Casino, Night Club • Movie Theater, Magician, Breakfast Buffet • Laser Light Dancers • And much, much more!

DON’T MISS THE PARTY! BUY YOUR TICKETS TODAY!

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Serving up some success

Under the leadership of two experienced seniors, the boys tennis team hopes to make a run into the playoffs.

Scores/ Schedule 03/03/09 - at Carlsbad (scrimmage) 03/05/09 - at CCA L 1-16 03/10/09 - vs. Army Navy W 14-4 03/11/09 - vs. La Jolla CD L 1-11 03/12/09 - at SF Christian W 14-4 03/19/09 - vs. Bishop’s L 6-11 03/24/09 - at T.C. Christian W 14-4 03/25/09 - vs. Coronado W 12-6 03/26/09 - vs. Francis Parker L 14-4 04/1/09 - vs. Christian 04/14/09 - vs. Francis Parker 04/16/09 - vs. CCA 04/21/09 - vs. Army Navy 04/23/09 - vs. SF Christian 04/28/09 - at La Jolla CD 04/30/09 - at Bishop’s 05/05/09 - vs. Tri City Christian 05/06/09 - at Cathedral nina moussavi

FOCUS Senior Karl Rivard keeps his eye on the prize during a serve. Rivard won both sets he played against Bishop’s, 6-4, 6-1.

eric peck

f you were to take a leisurely stroll around SDA’s tennis courts, you’d be likely to see an assortment of things on the ground: bird droppings, scratch marks from skateboards, and most importantly, little round stains – sweat drops. These drops are proof of the hard work the boys tennis team has been putting into their season – a season that started with challenges but plans to finish with success. The team started the season by hitting the ground running. The team started the season going up against Division I Carlsbad, and Canyon Crest, who is their biggest rival, according to coaches Deb Abrahamson and Joe Tomasi. “[There is] natural tension between CCA and SDA,” said Abrahamson. “CCA is very strong this year.” SDA beat Carlsbad, but lost the match-up against CCA 1-16. They came back with two strong performances: 14-4 victories against division opponents Army Navy and Santa Fe Christian. The team’s most anticipated match-up was against Bishop’s, said Abrahamson. The two teams met on March

19, and SDA ended up losing 6-11 against the highly ranked Bishop’s team. According to the coaches, seniors Kyle Rapp and Karl Rivard are some of the stand-out players on the team. Rapp and Rivard play number one and two singles. “They both hit the ball hard and accurate; so much so we see broken racket strings during most matches,” said Abrahamson. The guys are working hard and working together. The junior varsity and varsity practice together after school, and some players practice alone or with friends on the weekends, according to the coaches. The team has been working specifically on “doubles play and net work,” according to Abrahamson. “We also have been working on our team bonding time; [On] Sunday 40 players and parents went out to the Indian Wells Pro Tournament in Palm Desert.” Senior Kyle Rapp pointed out that the team had very good chemistry. “I think we mix well, with varying types of players on the team and have fairly good chemistry. Sometimes, there is a lack of motivation...but we usually find a way to get through it. For us it’s about enjoyment.”

Team surfs up a storm at competition The surf team met competition from not only other schools, but also from mother nature. maddie lyon

urf teams traveled from all over California to Oceanside Harbor on Mar 21 and 22 to compete in the Inter-scholastic Surfing Federation (ISF) State Championships. Teams from Northern California, including Half Moon Bay, and Santa Barbara, made the trip, as well as local teams like LCC, and Carlsbad. There were a total of 14 teams on the beach ready to fight for the title of state champs. The first rounds of the morning consisted of typical contest waves: 2-3 foot choppy, closedout surf. It began with an impressive SDA men’s shortboard victory over Ventura. Although

the SDA bodyboarders lost to Newport, the women’s longboarders followed with a victory against Edison. SDA men’s longboard snagged a victory against Aptos, and the women’s short boarders were victorious against Half Moon Bay. As the afternoon progressed, the sun peeked through the morning gloom and the round two heats got underway. SDA men’s shortboard and men’s longboard both suffered losses to Edison. Unfortunately many of the top men’s shortboarders for SDA were not able to attend the contest due to another NSSA individuals contest in San Clemente the same day, hurting SDA’s chance for victory. Getting full participation in ISF events has

always been difficult because of its reputation for having lax judging. However, surf team captain Alexa Thornton, senior, believed that this year the tide was beginning to turn. She said, “We had a better turnout this year than last year, and everybody was there ready to participate, driving us to do better.” As the day came to a close both the women’s shortboard and longboard were victorious against Harbor and Ventura. The following day, all the teams still in contention reported to Oceanside Harbor bright and early once again. The waves were choppy and blown out and only continued to get worse as a torrential rain began to pound down. As the frantic competitors ran for cover from

the downpour, the ISF event judges and organizers decided to call the contest for the day and reschedule it for another weekend. So now the victorious SDA women’s longboarders wait to compete in the finals, and the SDA women’s shortboarders wait for the semi-final rounds. All of the teams continue to await word for the make-up date, where the final rounds of the contest will be surfed, and the State Champions will be decided. SDA women’s shortboard competitor Alexa Dilley, senior, said, “It is kind of frustrating to not be able to finish the contest the same day, but we are looking forward to the make-up, and hope the waves are going to be a lot better.”

Upcoming Contests/ Schedule ISF State Championship TBA

NSSA National Championship June 17-20 2009 Salt Creek, Dana Point

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No strikes here

New coach on the court

Boys baseball starts the spring season off with 4 tournament wins and only 1 loss. pauline disch

he baseball season started off with positive results during the Bully’s Tournament sponsored by Sweetwater High School. The team ended with a record of 4-1 and made it all the way to the semi finals of the tournament. They played against teams from Central, Brawley, Kearny, Hoover, Castle Park, and El Centro. Head Coach sees potential early on in the season. “The team is playing well, and is fine tuning its game. We will continue to work on all aspects of the game including our mental approach,” said head coach Dennis Koolhaas. Koolhaas said that pitchers Dylan Bell, senior, Mike Moriarty, junior, Eric Peabody, junior, and Dylan Ankeney, senior, have combined for a 1.00 ERA (earned runs average). The baseball coach also said that Spencer

Boys set up season with a 1-2 record.

Roberson (11) leads the team with 2 home runs and 11 RBI’s (runs batted in) over 5 games. The team would like to win the North Coastal League title. Coach Koolhaas said that their main goal is to defend their Coastal North League championship and go deeper into the Division III CIF playoffs. “This is an excellent team of some great baseball players,” said Koolhaas. “We’re about to enter the North County Times Tournament which is one of the toughest tournaments in the county,” said Koolhaas, “It is our hope to play well which will prepare us for the Lion’s Tournament that follows where we will play local teams and teams from Nevada.” “With the team coming together as they are, we expect to do well,” Koolhaas said. The team beat Mt. Carmel 84. on Mar. 24. They also defeated El Camino 7-6 on Mar. 26. They lost 3-5 to Westview on Mar. 28.

sean znachko

nina moussavi

IN SYNC Senior Mike Lauth and junior Derek Myers jump high for the ball.

Pop culture throwdown How do SDA athletes fit into the pop culture scene? The Mustang finds out. Interviews by Eric Peck. Photos by Liz Mills. current song on my iPod...

favorite board game:

I think I’m addicted to:

Movie I will never watch again:

Last book I read:

Tanner Hayes senior black label -lamb of god volleyball

clue

food

cloverfield

shantaram

Julia Pederson you found me sophomore -the fray lacrosse

apples to apples

red mango

monopoly

subman

Eric Peabody junior baseball

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officer -slightly stoopid

crime and the grudge punishment... for english

any of the spidermans

I don’t even know

he boys volleyball team has played 3 games so far. The team lost 0-3 to San Pasqual on March 6. The team lost to Hilltop on March 11. The final score was 0-3. According to senior Miles Fairchild, many of the players were still adapting to the new team. “A lot of us are pretty new to playing so it was some trial and error stuff. But we’ve got it now,” Fairchild said. The team beat Olympian on March 20. The team won 3-1. “We finally figured out how we could best be a team and everybody got over their little rough spots,” Fairchild said. The team is playing with a new coach this year, Mark Smith. “He’s got a lot of experience and really knows the game. It’s crazy how good he nails down what you’re doing wrong and gets you better,” Fairchild said.

Fore!

Team aims to get a spot in CIF playoffs. pauline disch

he boys golf team started the season with a win, by forfeit, against Horizon and one loss versus LCC with a combined score of 275. This means the students’ scores were added together to total to a combined score of 275. Their score was higher than LCC’s, so they did not win. “Being that we graduated nine players, I thought that we may have trouble even getting enough to compete,” said head coach Doug Timmons, “Most guys that came out are pretty new to the game, but are super cool and have good attitudes.” Timmons thinks that it should be a fun season and the team’s overall goal is to improve each match. “I am hoping Max Houston, Adam McDonald, and Cody Morgan play well enough to make it to CIF’s,” said Timmons.

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Surfer vs. Skater

In this issue, we tested the boundries of friendship as we put best friends and juniors Noah Thornton, surfer, and Cody Olivas, skater, up against each other to fight for the win. We were hoping for some bloodshed and tears, but these guys kept it classy and proved their friendship can stand strong. By Nina Moussavi and Kate Murphy. 1) What is the worst way to ask someone to prom? Surfer: Okay, write “Will you go to prom with me?” on your butt and then moon them. Skater: Wow… that is the worst way. I can’t even think of one worse then that. Us: Surfer, we pity the girl who ends up getting asked to prom by you. And our advice is to take the 5 points we give you and think of a new way to ask before you scar some poor innocent girl. Giving up so easily are you, Skater? That is not proper Surfer vs. Skater etiquette. We will have to take away 6 points for lack of originality. 2) What does the K in K-mart stand for? Surfer: Hmm, I’m going to go with Kool-Aid. Yeah. Kool-Aid Mart.

Skater: I can’t think of anything that starts with a “K.” Koala? Us: Surfer we can’t even imagine how you came up with Kool-Aid out of all the words starting with “K” in the English language. But we have to admit, that was pretty original. You get 3 points. Skater, really? You couldn’t think of any word that starts with a “K”? We find that hard to believe. Clearly you are fitting the stereotype of lazy teenage boy. No points for you. Just so you know, the K in K-Mart stands for Kresge, the company’s founder, way off guys. 3) At a movie theater which arm rest is yours? Surfer: Both arm rests and both cup holders too. Skater: Yeah, both of them. Us: Surfer, we are assuming that you go to the movies alone

because it’s clear that you don’t know the basic rules of movie going. We don’t know whether to give you points because we feel bad for you or to take away points. Skater, now you’re just being greedy. We are very disappointed with the way you have approached this question. Minus 7 points for committing one of the seven deadly sins. And in our opinion, the left arm rest is more appealing. 4) Is there a time limit on fortune cookie predictions? Surfer: Well, it depends on what fast food place you get it from. Wait, who serves those again? Skater: Those numbers at the bottom are how many days. Us: Surfer, you were on a roll with points for a while, but even we can’t forgive that pitiful excuse for an answer. Chinese res-

nina moussavi

BESTS Surfer Noah Thornton and skater Cody Olivas show their goofy side.

taurants serve fortune cookies: known fact. Minus 64 points for that slip up. Skater, that was a valid attempt, however, common sense would argue that those

numbers are your lotto numbers. You get 8 points regardless. Surfer: -56 Skater: -5

show Call Today’s Pizza if you want to inger/ case your bands Saturday nights.S songwriters also welcome.

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Freebeard

The sayingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s trueâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;beards of a feather flock together. For all of those left in the dark, March was a conspicuously beard-y month by more than a coincidence: Manly Month of March is the name of the game. These men (mostly) went the entire month without dirtying their razors once. The real men shave at the stroke of 12 the morning of March 1st and not a second before. In fact, a fairly confident competitor waits a few minutes to allow his fellows a few hairs up, and then leaves it untouched all month long.

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Pictured: 1) Jake Novack 2) Martin Chaker 3) Mike MacManus 4) Elinor Breidenthal 5) from left: Jeremy Wright, Scott Huntley, Justin Conn 6) Jacob Reinhardt 7) David Felzer 8) Jeremy Wuertz

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