SDA Mustang February 2009 by The Mustang Newspaper

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02.09.09

issue four volume xii

mustang the

02.09.09

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

A chronicle of talent

The choice is theirs On the cover Senior Sonia Chu sits in her kitchen to work. Her easel sits across from her on the kitchen table where she creates her nature-inspired images. She tries very hard “not to get paint on the table.” Yes, somewhere in the back of the artist’s mind as she formed the image of this cover’s flower was the humble respect for the cleanliness of her kitchen table. The love of cleanliness is reflected in her paintings as well; Chu loves to keep her workspace as pristine as the rose on this month’s cover. “It’s more like a hobby,” Chu said. She has had only a casual relationship with art since her first painting class in junior year. Maybe that’s why she doesn’t have something closer to a studio, which she probably deserves.

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As seniors settle into their second semester classes of yoga, T/A, cartooning and econ, freshmen are beginning to search for the best place to get algebra I and geometry out of the way. To aid these young Frodos in their respective quests, each high school around the area has offered a presentation known as “Making the Choice Night.” What qualifies SDA in the eyes of incoming eighth graders are the privileges we enjoy as seasoned veterans of this school: our 4 x 4 sched, our sacred hour lunch, and the long lists of electives that we offer.

Larger than life In defiance of big name celebrity magazines, the Mustang likes to cite its sources when it comes to famous people. Unnamed stars and starlets, maybe, but this collection of stories is less about them than the people who saw them this one time wearing oddly shaped sunglasses and a hat! It’s about time we paid our dues to the common man, the person outside the limelight. After all, what’s a celebrity without the love of the people? In the immortal words of the bardic quintet, “all you people, can’t you see, can’t you see? How you’re love’s affecting our reality?” The smiths of these secondcousin-to-tabloid stories, the people who talked to people who talked to people who were famous, are all newcomers to the paper this semester.

This skatergirl did not say “see you later” when we asked her for a brief interview on why and in what magnitude she blows minds. Juliette Birch, one of this issue’s highlighted athletes, is actually a follower of a much rarer discipline of skating: ice. Birch, a senior, skates most schooldays for a few hours in the morning at UTC. She’s also martial artist, ballet dancer, and hurdler for the track team. Birch is so busy, she only gets a few hours of sleep a night. If you ever wonder why your teachers don’t believe you when you say you didn’t have time to do your homework, well....

Sports Editors Eric Peck Sean Znachko Nicole Fisher Copy Editor Ben Johnson Photo Editors Kendall Daasnes Liz Mills Staff Writers Lindsey Agnew, Emily Bartram, Domenica Berman, Thea Brown, Ariel Chao, Taylor Chapin, Alexis Cook León, Teal Coppock, Paige Ely, Pauline Disch, Dimitri Fautsch, Danielle Gradisher, Kaylin Greene, Eleanore Hendrickson, 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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Tree-sitter camps out at Orpheus Park A man protests the City’s cutting trees to protect ocean views. erin donaldson

og-walkers, elementary school students, and media alike gawked at the strange, instrument-clad man inhabiting a tipuana tipu tree at Orpheus Park on Jan. 30. The protesting “tree-sitter” had been in the tree since 2 a.m. after learning from a friend that 11 trees were scheduled to be removed that day. The 10 others were taken down while he was in the tree. “I’m just keeping global warming and health risks in mind,” said tree-sitter Andrew Watkins, who had initially asked to be called Jru. Inspired by a friend who was a Berkeley tree-sitter, this is Watkins first tree-sitting. “None of the trees are native or of historical significance,” said Chris Hazeltine, director of the Encinitas Parks and Recreation Department. Parks and Recreation approved the tree removal on Jan.

20 in accordance with an oral agreement the City had made with the homeowners association of the adjacent Coast Point condos in 1990, three years before the park’s construction, Hazeltine said. This agreement promised that the Coast Point ocean view would not be obstructed. “We’ve seen the ocean disappear behind the leaves,” said Leo Bagerly, a Coast Point resident for 13 years. Opposition speaks out. According to City Councilwoman Teresa Barth, only eight of the 32 units were affected by the overgrown trees. “I’m appalled that we’re taking down eleven healthy trees,” Barth said, pointing out that the City does not have a view ordinance. She felt that the situation was a product of poor planning. Some residents felt the trees should have been topped rather than removed, but Hazeltine explained that this would be bad for the health of the trees.

He noted that the trees were last trimmed one year ago as part of an annual trimming cycle. “It was just done so sneakily,” said Christine Wilson, who has frequented the Orpheus Park area since 1971. “We should have been able to go before the City Council and have a forum.” LeAnn Cassaday, a Coast Point resident whose view had not been obstructed by the trees, was also upset that she did not have more time to voice her opinion. “Perhaps the City should have had a little more forethought regarding the trees they [had planted],” Cassaday said. New trees were planted at the park; however, those opposed to the tree removal found this pointless because the new trees were planted along the border of the park. “They’re not in areas that need shade,” Barth said. Protester gets attention. Around noon, Watkins was visited by a group of students

A broke California

liz mills

GAZING Andrew Watkins looks down from his tree-house at Orpheus Park.

from Paul Ecke Central Elementary School who spoke out to a local news station and chanted “Trees! Trees!” in protest. Once the park had closed at 10 p.m., the students held a candle-light vigil. Watkins’s friends and other residents turned out to show their support and media covered the event.

“There are no plans for the city to forcefully remove the treesitter, unless it becomes a health and safety issue,” Hazeltine said. As of Feb. 2, Watkins still resided in his tree-house, built out of old signs from his friend’s surf shop. When asked how long he intends to stay there, he replied, “As long as I have to.”

With California $42 billion in debt, UC cuts freshmen enrollment and the governor proposes fewer school days. kyle shohfi

he state of California is facing a deficit estimated to be $42 billion and is considering shortening the school year to help the struggling budget. SDA Principal Mike Grove said the district is not currently considering the proposal to cut school days. “If we reacted to every proposal that got thrown out, we would be spending all our time reacting to proposals,” he said. The district has frozen spending, however. Also, this year’s seniors may find themselves affected by the budget crisis when they apply to colleges. In a press release, The University of California Regents Board announced its decision to cut freshman enrollment for fall 2009 by six percent or 2,300 students. The Regents Board has suggested that students not accepted to a UC as freshmen

Jan. 8 – Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger proposes five fewer school days in the current school year to cut $1.1 billion of California’s debt. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell calls idea “devastating.” Jan. 12 – DMV offices close two Fridays per month in order to save money by not paying employees for those two days. Jan. 14 – UC Board of Regents decides to cut freshmen admissions this fall by 6 percent. O’Connell criticizes this act. Jan. 15 – Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger delivers State of the State Address. The Republican governor says, “The reality is that our state is incapacitated until we resolve the budget crisis... The $42 billion deficit is a rock upon our chest and we cannot breathe until we get it off,” he said. Jan. 16 – State Controller John Chiang announces that California tax refunds will be delayed as of Feb. 1. Jan. 20 – Chiang files lawsuit against the governor and the Executive Branch of the state for cutting two workdays per month of public employees. Chiang says that Governor has no right to establish salary for represented employees, and the two-day furlough would equate to a 10 percent pay cut. Jan. 23 - “Republicans are actually putting all the options on the table, including tax increases,” says Assembly Majority Leader Alberto Torrico (D-Fremont) after Republican lawmakers weaken their strict no-tax-increases position. Jan. 29 – Sacramento County Superior Court Judge rules that Schwarzenegger has the right to furlough thousands of state workers.

enroll in a community college and transfer later. Regents’ Chairman Richard Blum said in a press release, “If we can’t pick up these kids, hopefully the community colleges can. At the end of the day, you still get a UC diploma.” Grove said, “Education is by far the largest part of the state budget.” During this budget crisis, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger suggested possibly cutting the school year by five days. The five days with no school would save

the state money usually paid to employees (teachers, administrators, custodians) and money that the school simply needs to operate (power, heat, water, etc.) According to Grove, the superintendent recently sent an email to district principals regarding what is informally known as a “freeze.” Though spending has not been halted entirely, Grove said that Superintendent Ken Noah asked that administrators “not expend any funds that are not essential to

what we do as a school.” Instead of laying off employees, the district is hoping that limiting other spending will be sufficient to cope with the budget. The impact of the failing budget is not expected to have too drastic an impact on students since, according to Grove, “If it’s something we need to have, then we’re going to buy it.” Democrat and Republican state legislators have been at odds to determine how to address this worsening crisis. The

Republican ideology is to cut state spending without raising taxes., whereas on the other side of the aisle, the Democrats’ plan has mainly included raising taxes to cut into the deficit. On January 15, Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg said at a press conference, “To the extent that we have real differences with our Republican colleagues or the Governor, there will be policy differences and we will work them out the best we can. We have no choice.”

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Potential students visit San Dieguito At Making the Choice Night, prospective students interacted with SDA’s students and staff. sean znachko

bout 400 students and parents came to San Dieguito Academy’s showcase, called “Making the Choice Night,” to learn more about the high school on Jan. 14. Parents and students were welcomed into the school to meet teachers, administrators, and current students to learn more about SDA, Principal Michael Grove said. Making the Choice Night helps prospective students see SDA. To help middle school students decide which high school to attend, the district’s high schools put on “Making the Choice Nights” to familiarize students with the high schools in the district. San Dieguito’s “Making the Choice Night” consisted of a speech by Grove and then four information sessions during which students and parents

could walk around the school to visit any subject areas they wanted to learn more about. Many of the students at “Making the Choice Night” said they found the 4x4 schedule, the off-campus lunch policy, and the abundance of electives the most appealing characteristics of SDA. They also liked that SDA was known for its lack of social ladder. The structure of this event has changed over the years. While Making the Choice Nights have been offered every year since the Academy has opened, the night that SDA now hosts is different from how it began, according to Grove. When the nights were first hosted, the principal of each high school would present briefly at both middle schools, Oak Crest and Digueno. The night has become more specific to each high school. Grove changed the layout of SDA’s

Student ‘defiles’ boys’ bathrooms Mess a sign of disrespect for school, Jones said. alex matthews

any male students complain when only one of the two boys’ restrooms near the library is open. However, this is because an unknown student has been smearing fecal matter on the bathroom floors, mirrors, and walls, school plant supervisor Gabriel Figueroa said. This has happened at least 20 times, sometimes three or four times in one week, and it has even happened in two different bathrooms on the same day, Figueroa said. As this is a health issue, the custodial staff has to close down the restroom when it occurs and spend about 2.5 hours disinfecting, sanitizing, and cleaning. It isn’t only a health concern but also a matter of respect. According to Jeanne Jones, assistant principal, this is the

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second school year in which this has been occurring. She said that it is not only a health issue, but it also shows disrespect for the school: “It defiles us all as a high school….It’s heartbreaking because [the custodians] are so nice,” she said. Figueroa added, “We love our school and our job; it’d be nice if [the student] used [the bathrooms] properly.” According to Jones, the administration is struggling to prevent this from happening as they cannot install cameras in the bathrooms, and many of the school’s supervisors are females. Jones and Figueroa both said that the only way they can discover why this is happening and prevent it is if a student steps forward, either to make a confession or to report information about the person who is doing it. Reporter Ariel Chao contributed to this story

liz mills

MAKING A CHOICE Principal Michael Grove speaks with parents of potential students in the library. The night was divided into four sessions in which prospective students and parents could hear about various aspects of SDA.

night for this year after hearing from parents that last year’s night did not fully represent all that SDA had to offer. According to Grove, the new plan offers a more personal experience for students and parents. Grove will see how many students choose SDA versus LCC. Grove said that out of the 12 years SDA has had the lottery,

it has been used nine of those years. Last year SDA admitted a larger freshman class. “Last year we didn’t have a lottery. We went ahead and accepted the extra 27 [students],” said Grove. When reviewing the number of students who choose SDA versus LCC, Grove looks at the percentage of 8th graders who go to SDA versus the percentage that choose LCC. Grove is

still waiting for the percentages from last year, but he does not expect to see a declining interest in SDA. If there ever was one, he would work with students, staff, and parents to determine why fewer students were interested in SDA, what changes could be made to draw more interest, and how to better market SDA. “Kids vote with their feet,” Grove said.

Counseling using online registration for next year As a way to save time and avoid mistakes, students will sign up for classes through the Aeries system for the 2009-2010 school year. alex matthews

ext year’s sophomores, juniors, and seniors will no longer be using scantrons to register for classes. In order to streamline the registration process, the counseling department is implementing a new online system. The system will speed up registration by preventing mistakes. According to counselor Candice Rolfsmeyer, the primary reasons for this new system are to ensure that students are given the correct information and to save time. The new process will also help avoid mistakes. Rolfsmeyer said last year the counseling department had to deal with a lot

of scantron errors. This year, students will input their choices directly into computers where counselors can double check that there are no mistakes early on, making the process more efficient. In a video shown in homerooms on Monday, Feb. 2, students were given a tutorial on the new process. Students must first fill out and turn in the class registration contract and worksheet, and then they may log into the Aeries system and select classes in the “Course Requests,” section. There, students can check off the courses they want, delete ones they don’t, and choose alternate electives. According to the counseling website, incoming freshmen will still use scantrons to register, not the new

online system. Rolfsmeyer believes the new method will help with registration because it allows student to “monitor their own mistakes,” as a list of all selected courses appears on the screen before the student submits their registration. Students can register for classes online now. An additional change in the system is that students will no longer be able to choose the semester they want to take a class in because that did not work well last year, Rolfsmeyer said. Students will be able to register online until Feb. 19. The counselors will be calling students in to go over their class selections from Feb. 20 to March. 20.

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Robbery at school A student was robbed walking to a basketball game in the gym. ariel chao

n SDA student was robbed of his cell phone and iPod last month while walking to a basketball game from SDA’s student parking lot to the gymnasium, according to Assistant Principal Jeanne Jones. “We have never had this happen before,” Jones said. This was the first occurrence in Academy’s 12-year history. The SDA student was a “smart young man” so he wisely gave them what he had, Jones said.

kendall daasnes

FORUM FOR DISCUSSION Teacher George Stimson makes the introductions during the first Forum of the year. Students discussed the changes in homeroom and availability of quarter classes, among other things.

Forum stirs commentary from upperclassmen The Forum convenes to talk about a change in homeroom, the reduction of 5 credit classes, and the abolition of senior project. dimitri fautsch

ome students who attended the Forum are not happy with the current policy of only being able to leave homeroom on Thursdays. During the discussion senior Jake Greve said, “I just want people to have more freedom during homeroom.” An easier way to secure the passes that enable kids to leave homeroom and go to other classes was also discussed. When discussing if students were willing to take intiative, senior Sharon Ghai said, “A main part of the school is that students get involved.” The Forum is a discussion group that talks about ways to change and improve SDA. Although this meeting was the first of the year, organizers plan to continue meeting once a month in physics teacher George

Stimson’s room. Some students were angered at the cutback of 5 credit classes Another issue that was discussed was the reduction of 5-credit quarter classes. Some students were angered that the classes they could normally take for only a quarter were now only being offered for a semester. This stems from the UC and Cal State visual and performing art requirements, which counselor Ann Nebolon said, necessitate one 10-credit class, and not two 5-credit classes. Still, students who were not looking to secure credit for college, were angered that they couldn’t sample the 5credit classes, and instead had to choose the 10-credit main course. Students upset at the absence of some class options. Some seniors expressed an-

noyance at the abolishing of the senior project course, which was replaced by internship. Many had signed up for senior project, but showed up on the first day of class to find that the class had been replaced by internship. “I signed up for Senior Project for the freedom it would give me, but they put me in internship, which puts you on a tighter leash,” said senior Megan Yoshitomi. Internship requires you to check in every monday and make the occasional presentation, said Yoshitomi. The Forum does not necessarily cause schedule changes. Although the Forum is a place where changes and improvements are discussed, teachers and students alike are aware that what they discuss may not actually affect SDA’s scheduling. “I don’t want you guys to get disillusioned; we’re not going to enact a homeroom change

tomorrow,” said history teacher and Forum mediator Scott Huntley. Huntley was only one of many teachers and administrators present at the meetings; also present were Assistant Principals Jeanne Jones and Don Rizzi, and Principal Michael Grove. Forums may be planned to better include underclassmen. Grove had expressed interest in the Forum, and when students were asking about it, Grove wanted to know if it was still going to be run, said teacher Kerry Koda. Due to the declining attendance of lower classmen, Koda is also considering a Wednesday lunch Forum for only freshmen and sophomores. Koda said that the organizers had not set an exact date to hold the next Forum, but she promised that posters will be set up to announce the date.

No one was hurt and the robber was arrested. After the confrontation, the student and his classmates reported the robbery to Jones. She immediately called the Encinitas Sheriff’s Department and the boys were questioned soon after. She said there was no injury involved. The Encinitas sheriff’s department caught the robber and sent him to juvenile hall, Jones said. The robbers singled out a student walking alone. Approximately eight SDA students were walking from the SDA student parking lot to the gymnasium that night when they were approached by two individuals from a high school out of the San Dieguito district. According to Jones, the two asked for the group’s money, but because the SDA students had an advantage of walking in numbers, the group proceeded walking to the gym without giving the two their money. However, two other SDA students were behind their classmates on the way to SDA’s gym, one further behind the other, Jones said. The last SDA student was confronted by the two students who had previously asked for the larger group’s money, and was robbed of his possessions, Jones said. Principal Michael Grove said he will work on making campus lighting more adequate. He added that to avoid these situations, students should “walk together in groups and be conscious of [their] surroundings.”

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New semester, new president With Bush leaving office and Obama coming in, students gave their opinions on the transition of power. megan bradley

he library quickly filled as students entered to watch the inauguration of the first African-American president of the United States, Barack Obama on Jan. 20th. With former President George W. Bush’s presidency coming to an end, many students were either overjoyed or upset by the change of hands, and some took a moment to reflect on Bush’s presidency and express their hopes for Obama’s. “[Bush] drove our economy in a downward spiral; I wish he had never been our president. The war in Iraq wasn’t necessary. The terrorists from 9/11 weren’t there; they were in Afghanistan. I’m happy his term is over,” said freshman Perri Callaway. Many students agreed, saying that they weren’t happy with the policies he had created or his response to the September 11th attacks and Hurricane Katrina. “It was a cataclysmic approach to putting fear inside the nation by saying we are under watch. The ‘Wanted, Dead or Alive’ speech has become one of the most dangerously persuasive speeches in American history. It’s alarming to think that the Bush administration was already warned [about the attacks] and there was nothing done,” said junior James Atassi. “There are so many things he could’ve done, yet he decided to declare the war. Of all the things he could’ve done, he had to choose something that eventually led to all these people hating him. We are wasting so much money on the war, with the weapons and such, when we could be using the money to cure diseases or [help] education and other things,” said freshman Sammay Ness. About Hurricane Katrina, junior Brendon Junge defended Bus saying, “It was FEMA’s fault and the governor’s and mayor’s for not getting the people out of there.” Sophomore Ari Brin disagreed, saying, “I believe that Bush did not act respectably. He put other, less important issues in front of Katrina. His lack of response resulted in ordinary people doing more than him. It was clear that a better leader was needed.” In addition to dealing with

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http://www.defenselink.mil/

www.whitehouse.gov

disasters, Bush also gained strong supporters and opposition over his policies. One in particular affected schools and therefore San Dieguito students: No Child Left Behind (NCLB). “[NCLB] is a failed policy. At best, it was designed to bring America to international education standards; instead we’ve taken a step backwards. It becomes a situation that if a school doesn’t meet the requirement, they get taken over by the state, putting pressure on everybody. Also, Bush wouldn’t even fund his own policy, leading to bigger classes, more stress on teachers, little supplies for students, and

more. There is so much pressure not to be seized by the government that takes away all the compassion from learning,” said sophomore Alex Rosengarden. While many students were disappointed in President Bush’s actions, others had a growing interest in how quickly Obama would patch up the country once he finished his 18-minute long Inaugural Address. Many wondered if he would bring independence from foreign oil, end the war and economic depression, or even get a puppy for his daughters. “I think [ending the war] is possible in his first four years of

presidency. This is because he is much stronger than Bush, so more people are likely to listen and respect him. He has a really good timetable for the war. However, the current economic crisis will make it harder for him because he’s going to have to concentrate on both situations at once,” added Brin. “I expect [Obama] to bring independence from foreign oil companies. It is an unnecessary burden on America and I believe that Obama recognizes this. I expect him to start using alternative energy so the country can get rid of foreign oil use within the next fifty or so years,” said

freshman Cameron Koob. No matter what stance was taken, student’s political voices were heard, more than ever before, in the past election. This inauguration marked a historical moment for our country that has been viewed as a positive change in the eyes of many students. “Obama has caught the attention of many younger viewers very well… He has been very inspiring and shows that change is on the way,” said freshman Silvia Ramirez. Interviews by: Pauline Disch, Jocelyn Lee, Lindsey Agnew, Teal Coppock, Tatiana Skomski, Domenica Berman and Thea Brown

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False alarm pulled during assembly A student in The Mustang Center pulled a fire alarm, interrupting the winter assembly. ariel chao

uring the dance performance at the end of the winter assembly this year, a student ran into the Mustang Center and pulled the fire alarm, Assistant Principal Jeanne Jones said. As a safety measure, the entire student body and faculty evacuated the gym to the fields. The administration soon discovered a student pulled it. Jones said the faculty knew it wasn’t a practice fire drill, but said it could have been dust that set off the old fire alarms. When SDA’s custodians located the source at the Mustang Center, they found out that the lever had been pulled, she said. Through investigation and

witnesses, Jones confirmed that it was a student who pulled the false alarm. When the fire alarm sounds, regardless if it is a drill or a real situation, SDA’s staff first tries to locate where the alarm is going off. The number one priority is safety, Jones said. False alarms can cause panic that could lead to injuries. Jones said, “People can easily get hurt in an improper evacuation…It is incredibly dangerous to alarm people that there could be a fire. People can panic—especially in a crowded area… I was especially proud of the way our students maturely handled it.” The administration is still investigating to discover who pulled the false fire alarm, Jones said.

District selects new reading Beginning next year, there will be new options for the required reading students experience in English classes. Ross remained hopeful that the new books would be bought despite the bad economy. “The eginning in the next year, state is such a political and sonew books should be availcial mess,” he said. “Eight years able in San Dieguito Academy’s ago we were going to get new English classes. “Teachers comanthology books and everything piled a list [of proposed books] had been selected, but we didn’t with their students then we have enough money to get the passed books new books.” out to the The proteachers who ei- “WE FELT [THE OLD cess is still ther read them in the works. BOOK CHOICES] WERE themselves Following TOO LIMITING.” or had their the district’s -rob ross, english teacher students read approval, a them,” English parent group department co-chairman, Robert will have the opportunity to reRoss said. view and evaluate the new book In the past, books were list before it’s put into effect. chosen from themes that corUpon approval of the district responded with each grade. The and parent group, the books will new system entails teachers deenter the English curriculum as veloping themes for their classes options for next year’s classes, based on what they feel is best Ross said. Options include litfor their students, Ross said. “We erature such as “Perks of being a felt [the old book choices] were Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky too limiting. We wanted books for tenth grade reading and that are good for kids at those “Into the Wild” by Jon Krakauer grade levels,” he said. for twelfth grade.

alexa shapiro

Funding needed for new center The new performing arts center will require $3 million more than the money the district has acquired so far. alex matthews

he San Dieguito Union High School District is evaluating ways to fund the construction of SDA’s new Visual and Performing Arts Center, Principal Michael Grove said. According to Grove, between state grants, general facility money from the state, and general facility money raised by the district itself, the school is approximately $3 million short of the estimated $9.7 million necessary to complete the project. As the district is required to match any money the state provides for the project, it needs to raise $3 million to match

the Career Technical Education (CTE) grant from the state. If the district is unable to match this amount, it will lose the CTE grant and therefore be $6 million short of its goal, Grove said. One option the district is currently evaluating to raise $3 million is a 10-year state loan, which, according to Grove, has a very low interest rate. Currently, the SDA Foundation is assessing approximately how much it could contribute to pay back the loan and how much the district would have to pay, Grove said. The board will formally vote to either accept or reject the loan based on this assessment. If the school does not accept the loan, the district will

need to raise the money on its own, Grove said. The process of fundraising would delay the construction of the Visual and Performing Arts Center. If the school accepts the loan, “We’re hoping that we’re going to break ground in August,” Grove said. If the school is able to begin construction this summer, Grove said the center could be finished by 2011. The decision will be certain within the next month or two as the district is awaiting a formal loan offer from the state before it makes an official decision. As of right now, the school has only received a notification that its application for the loan has been approved..

Potential new book lists These are some of the books you could be reading for English class next year, sorted by grade. Compiled by Alexa Shapiro, Cara Reichard, and Jack Rushall. 9th Grade “Speak” by Laurie Anderson - After a recent fall-out with her friends, Melinda struggles to fit into high school. As the pressures of finding a social life affect Melinda, she becomes increasingly quiet until she eventually ceases to speak. “House on Mango Street” by Sandra Cisneros - Esperanza Cordero accounts the tales of her life living on Mango Street. The street itself holds a large significance in Cordero’s life as it represents her heritage and upbringing. “The Red Badge of Courage” by Stephen Crane - The tale of a soldier named Henry Fleming who survives a war by escaping into a forest. “Julius Caesar” by William Shakespeare - When Julius Caesar returns from Pompeii after defeating opposing forces, men who are close to Julius grow envious of his new power and attempt to mitigate his power. 10th Grade “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky - A story of adolescence written from the perspective of a teenage boy named Charlie who writes letters to an anonymous friend. “Obasan” by Joy Kogawa- A 36-

year-old Japanese-Canadian schoolteacher revisits her memories of internment during World War II when she visits her aunt or “Obasan” after her uncle’s death. “Life of Pi” by Yann Martel - This novel follows the story of Piscine “Pi” Molitor Patel, as he contemplates spirituality and life. In the novel, he becomes stranded on a boat in the Pacific ocean with a tiger. “The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini - The story of Amir, a young boy from Kabul, Afghanistan, set in the midst of turmoil for the country including events such as the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the rise of the Taliban regime. 11th Grade “Nickel and Dimed” by Barbara Ehrenreich - Ehrenreich gives an account of her attempt to live on the wages of unskilled, low-paying jobs, and the difficulties she meets along the way. “In Cold Blood” by Truman Capote - The story of the vicious murder of the four members of the Clutter family, and the elaborate investigation that followed. “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien - This collection of short stories, partly autobiographical, deals

with different aspects of the Vietnam War. “The Color Purple” by Alice Walker - This novel is spoken from the voice of Celie, a young black girl, who faces cruelty her whole life, first from her father and then from her husband, and suffers for years before her husband’s mistress finally teaches her what it means to be loved. 12th Grade “Into the Wild” by Jon Krakauer - This book attempts to track the actions of young Chris McCandless, who ventured alone into the Alaskan wilderness, and was never seen alive again. “Man’s Search for Meaning” by Victor Frankl - This book details Frankl’s own experience at a Nazi concentration camp, as well as explores existentialism and the philosophy of life. “Ishmael” by Daniel Quinn - A gorilla contemplates the imminent destruction of the current society unless certain changes occur. Through this psychic gorilla’s thoughts, Quinn communicates environmental themes. “Brave New World” by Aldous Huxley - This novel, written in the 1930s, is set in a dystopian, future society.

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opinions

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mustang 02.09.09

Controversial cookies

As the economy affects even Girl Scout cookies, students are feeling especially unfortunate.

What’s up with...

ecently, it was reported that boxes of Girl Scout cookies, specifically the fan favorites of Thin Mints, Do-si-dos, Tagalongs, and Lemon Chalet Crème, would include fewer cookies and yet be sold at the same price they have been for years. As the UC’s threaten to cut 10 percent of their budget, and the school year is on the verge of being shortened by five days, one can’t help but think this small Girl Scouts disappointment is representative of the larger financial issues of our nation. The effects the economic downturn is having on education are causing SDA students to miss out on a lot more than just a few extra cookies. The Mustang feels that the burden the economic crash has placed on high school students, who took no part in its downfall, is unfortunate but inevitable given the lack of responsibility displayed by the Wall Street executives and legislators who caused it. As they fight for decreasing enrollment spaces in public university admissions offices, seniors also struggle to meet rising tuition costs. However, earning that

“...all the plaid?” Miles Fairchild, senior

“...taking the CAHSEE sophomore year instead of as a freshman?” Brittany Parker, sophomore

kendall daasnes

extra cash will be another issue altogether: part time jobs are scarce in these rough economic times. The senior class is being shortchanged during what should be the “best year of their life” because the government has been irrespon-

STAFF EDITORIAL

sible about managing money. Bad luck is just the price you have to pay when you’re about to become the class of ’13. The school year could be five days shorter due to the effects of economy on education. While students may celebrate summer’s early arrival, at SDA,

the loss of five days can mean the acceleration of an already time-crunched course. The class of 2009 and other high school students have had especially unfortunate economic timing. But hey, that’s the way the Thin Mint crumbles.

“...people stopping in the middle of the halls to make out?” Cameron Dalton, senior

Are we overrated? SDA is a school of respect, openness, and acceptance, but maybe in theory only.

transcend!!!

love it when people ask me confident about its atmosphere about how I like of respect. SDA. In fact, I crave To better explain opportunities to gloat the legitimacy of my about my school and worry, here are some its awesomeness. recent instances of Maybe I’m crazy, but disrespect. the reason why I take In the last issue of so much joy in sharing The Mustang, there ana reyes my feelings about our was an entertaining school is because I know that opinion piece about how only almost no one else can say the one of the boys’ bathrooms same things about their school. on either side of the library is But what I love even more open at a time. It turns out that is asking freshmen and transthe reason for this is because fer students what they think some student(s) continue(s) to about SDA because they always vandalize the bathroom with say the same thing: I really like bodily waste. So by keeping one this school because it is acceptof the bathrooms closed, the ing and everyone respects each custodians can make sure that other. at least one of the bathrooms Lately, however, I have been is kept clean in case the other wondering how long SDA will be gets vandalized. Not only is this able to maintain its reputation. completely disgusting, but it is I ask this because, personally, I disrespectful to our students feel that our school may be too and our janitors.

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Also, last year a student left SDA because he was being bullied by people who thought he was gay. I was not aware of this until teacher Joe Arnold spoke about it in a Gay-Straight Alliance meeting. Everyone in the room was completely surprised that this happened because “hey, this is SDA.” Now, I understand that every school, no matter how close to perfection it may be, will always have its problems and faults. And of course, I don’t expect the school to make all-calls about these instances of disrespect. But I do think that it would be beneficial for students to be aware of some of the not-so-respectable things that go on at school so that, together, we can live up to our own standard of what SDA shoule be. But if these “unique” cases continue to be overlooked, the atmosphere of

respect that I hope many students are trying to preserve (or create) will deteriorate without our knowing. This may sound cheesy or even naively unrealistic, but I had always thought of SDA as a place where students and teachers try to make each other feel at home and welcomed and respected. But as I walk from class to class and see the ridiculous amount of trash on the ground, the writing on the doors of the girls’ bathrooms, or the teriyaki sauce on my friend’s shirt after a group of students threw the sauce around during an assembly, I truly start to question my love for SDA. So although I am proud that I can still say SDA is one of the most open and accepting schools in the district, I am nevertheless concerned that one day our school will lose one of

“...cats?” Jimi Stanert, freshman

“...all the slang words like ‘steeze’?” Lex Traner, sophomore

opinions

the

mustang 02.09.09

Seventeen years of wisdom In a strange twist of irony, a boy gives advice about advice. Illustration by Shirit Barach.

liz took this pic (=

s teenagers vaguely aware of the future, we are occasionally implored to leave something of our current selves behind. We’re asked to cram the sums of our personalities onto small corners of vast monuments that contain recordings of everyone else. A self-description on Facebook, a three-line scrawl on a leaving friend’s yearbook. The pressure is immense: the person you are changes from one year to the next. Such a small memory ben johnson plot will survive you after you’ve moved on. It’s important to be remembered as you are, especially far into the future when you’ve grown into someone very different from your current self. When I’ve seen the notes people have left, I’ve always found a few quotes about life. “Life is short, live it to the fullest, chase your dreams,” etc. I don’t think anyone gains from them. When given the chance to portray themselves, these people gave general, bland comments. The only thing I’ve learned about them is that that they like to recycle clichés. It seems gratingly self-adulating. I wonder if they’re writing it because they earnestly want to convey such optimism, or if they’re trying to reconcile their own worries about wasting life by expelling hollow wisdom. The latter implies that they’re qualified to give it. There’s no better

FLYING HIGH ON LIFE It’s almost as if quotes about life are aerodynamically crafted to be lame.

way to combat uncertainty than to masquerade as an expert. In any case, I’m pretty doubtful none of us are qualified to be

giving any counsel on life. Until you’ve been to war or visited the darkest parts of the continents or seen your grandchildren,

life isn’t something you’ve seen enough of to tell other people how they should spend it, no matter how general your phras-

ing. Leave it to people who’ve seen these things to be giving the advice. We should be the ones to listen.

Bad taste killed the radio star Every teenager scrambles to put in a good CD as soon as they’re in the car—radio is just not cutting it these days.

like my FACE

complete clashes of song styles ately, I’ve been realizing why and genres. so few people my age listen Imagine turning up the to the radio: there are far too volume to listen to many bad songs David Bowie’s “Ziggy mixed in with the Stardust,” only to have good ones. My your song high ruined first instinct was to by some nameless Sysvent in a letter to a tem of a Down atrocity. radio station, but I Well, for some people suppose I realized it might be the other that the DJ’s have michelle cancellier way around, but most to cater to those would agree that this is listeners with annoya prime example of those awful, ing music taste along with all intolerable song combinations the more discerning others. But occurring hour after hour on what I’m talking about here is

radio stations. It’s like those mix CDs you make, forgetting as you listen that track 12 is actually Michael Jackson’s “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough,” an ideal song for dance situations but maybe not so nice when paired with 11 other mostly nap-inducing tracks. Really, this is a major irritation. You’ve cranked up the volume, you’re maybe even doing behind-the-wheel dance gestures, only to be put in a bad mood and forced to change the station once you hear the

loud and grating guitar intro to Rage Against the Machine’s “Killing in the Name.” I like the consistency of one good song after another, but, apparently, this is something that cannot be achieved on even the best of radio stations. Sorry, but the Arcade Fire followed by a whiny Pearl Jam song does not equal one happy listener. So I suppose what I’m advocating is an overhaul of our San Diego radio stations. Step one: take all bad songs, roll

them into a large ball. Step two: dump these bad songs onto the playlist of a single station. Step three: listen to other stations without fear of bad music killing the bliss brought on by quality music. As you see, the bad music is still there, it has only been transferred to a better home. And by better, I mean that fans of annoying music can still enjoy their “Hey There Delilah” and the greatest of Nickelback hits, but I will no longer have to bear a second of it.

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opinions

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mustang 02.09.09

Thank you for signaling Experience does not give drivers the right to be lazy. Using turn signals is a courtesy to other people on the road.

signals are angels

don’t have many pet peeves. In fact, the only one that drives me completely out of my mind would definitely be when people mckenna taylor tap their pencils. However, I have a new nuisance that may beat penciltapping: neglecting the turn signal. Before I was a girl at the wheel, I was just a girl in the passenger seat. I would mindlessly look out the car window without a care about how others around me were driving. But things are different now. The “anti-signaler” is the top most disastrous annoyance that gets on my nerves.

MIMING IT Drivers rarely need to use these hand motions, but turn signals should not be optional.

How can such a silly thing lead to so much anxiety, one

may ask? Well, I’ll put it simply. When people are driving, not

everyone can be so lucky as to have the gift of mind-reading. How am I supposed to know if they’re going to go left, right, or straight? I have enough to worry about when trying to figure out who has the right of way, whether the lady with the stroller is going to walk directly in front of me, how a motorcyclist is going to squeeze in between two cars, and why the car behind me continues to tailgate me when I’m going the speed limit! I’m not a bad driver. I took the drivers’ education classes online, I studied all of the rules for four days, and I even make complete stops, making people impatient and frustrated. So hey, back off, I’m just doing my job in reminding people to signal before turning. Okay, it’s not that hard. The

turn signal is right next to the wheel. It’s in a more convenient location than the emergency blinker button. Plus the sound is catchy. It’s not the irritating tapping that people make with their pens, but a pleasant clicking noise that lets one know that their blinker is on. I mean come on, it’s like a game! Finally, think of a world where everyone signaled. It would cut the number of accidents in half, at least. There would be less cursing coming out of people’s mouths and less finger-wagging that is definitely not a part of sign language. Thus, drivers need to understand that in order to get more respect, they need to use their blinkers. Oh, and for those who follow the law, thank you for signaling.

All tied up in work Having a part-time job in high school can suck, but there’s more to life than hanging out and vegging with friends.

“Y

North Side!!!

ou’re late,” my supervisor rags. “Sorry.” “Don’t be sorry, don’t be late.” “Shut up.” That’s what emily bartram I’m thinking, but those words would get me fired, so I remain silent for the sake of my job. My lovely job, with my sexy uniforms. How I love them, with that stained silky black shirt that chokes my neck, all because of that stupid top button; how I loathe you, you redundant top button. And my tie, you are my BFF. You know just how to make sure I can’t breathe, making my collar secure (too secure...). I think you want me to keel over and suffocate. “I work at La Costa Glen,” I tell my friends. “Oh god. Why?! That job is a joke!” Again my mind wanders to “shut up,” but I remain silent, yet again. If you had walked up to me three months ago and told me

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that I would be an employee at LCG I would have laughed and said, “like that’s gonna happen.” Eventually, I gave in because simply stated, no one was hiring. No one. But it turned out to be good, cause working at La Costa Glen is actually pretty entertaining. And I get to work with so many people my age. My last job, I set the curve for being the youngest one, by oh, maybe 30 years. I swear everyone else was a grandma, and there I was, like, “heyyyy!!!” That job sucked. In the good old days, before I had breathing complications due to my uniform, before I got home from work at 9:30, before I had to miss “Grey’s Anatomy,” I got to be a lazyass. Getting into the routine of going to work after school, three to four days a week was hard. One time I forgot I had work… That was a conversation with my boss I’ll never forget. Well, it was more of him talking really loudly at me, and me, just standing there. Overall, having a job in high school sucks. It does. However much fun it may be to work

there with all your friends and what not, it’s still a pain. Juggling school, friends, family, sports; a job is like that stupid top button. You try to fit it all in and still the friggin’ thing won’t fit. It’s all about time management, which I’ve somewhat acquired from working at LCG. Key word: somewhat. But, I must admit, having a job does have a lot of advantages. I don’t have to beg and plead for my parents to spare me gas money, cause now my paychecks cover that one. And, having a daily schedule to abide by has gotten me to learn how to balance my time. I had to learn how to stop lagging. Yeah, it sucks working on Saturdays, 3:45 to 9 p.m., but that’s just part of the job. My parents say they are “proud of how self-disciplined” I am, but that’s only cause I realized being called out on for being late, in front of all my coworkers, is just a little too embarrassing for me. I think the best part of working is having something to do. Yeah, hanging out and being

mckenna taylor

LOOSEN UP Your wallet is full and you’ve made some new friends. Not bad.

lazy is good fun, but having a job and being productive with my spare time feels good. And, getting paid while having fun

with (old) people, how could it get much better than that? As for that tedious top button, that little bugger is going down.

opinions

the

mustang 02.09.09

Side-tracked mind

Procrastination comes easily when your Yahoo! Mail homepage doubles as a 24-hour sensational news source. Homework and other responsibilities may loom, but these distractions are just so much more interesting.

now that’s sick

ou open your Yahoo email, but are sidetracked by the old woman from Fresno who found a 139-year-old antique baseball card while cleaning out her attic. You really should start that research paper, but the president and his robin sickels wife just bought $485,000 worth of brand new dining china for the White House. You catch my drift: whether you are sending an email or browsing a website, those eyecatching news features are there to lure you in. True, they can be annoying at times, but so interesting. I, for one, am a sucker for those quick news spurts and most of the time I click the links to cure my curiosity. I’m not talking about popups and spam, but the quickie stories, because aren’t you too curious about which state has the new highest teen pregnancy rate? It’s Mississippi, by the way. Another personal favorite was the guy in New York City who totaled up $81,000 in parking tickets—that’s a lot of parking violations, my good man. The best is when the features try for emotional depth like trying to explain to you about gut feeling and intuition. The news mostly goes in one ear and out the other, but is nevertheless interesting for the few minutes you waste reading it.

shirit barach

Though this news may seem pointless, considering you have more important tasks to fulfill, maybe those three minutes you “wasted” weren’t crucial to your life anyhow. These news stories satisfy fundamental thoughts because you too are curious

how Bravo’s “Top Chef” judge Tom Colicchio performed the Heimlich saving a man’s life at the inaugural dinner party and became a hero. While news by way of your email provider or internet carrier can be annoying, it is also quick

and entertaining. You feel accomplished and a little bit more intelligent after you have found the answer; you now can pick from a sea of useless information floating around in your spacey brain when you need a topic of discussion at your next

party. And most likely while I am writing this article, I will once again get distracted by the most unusual dog and cat names of 2008. Could you believe someone named their furry feline Sir Mix-a-Lot and loveable pooch Scuddles Unterfuss?

“Student” is in the name Though you wouldn’t know it from all the drop-off parents, the student parking lot is for students only.

K-ROB

inivans lot. and angry I know what it’s mothers, exactly like to be dropped off what I want to on the wrong side of deal with at 7:40 school after fighting in the morning. through 20 minutes of It’s called the cutthroat traffic. When student parking I was a freshman, my kerry roberson lot. Only stumom dealt with it every dents can use it. day. I’ve done my front Maybe it’s just me, but I feel lot time. that parents don’t belong in our To my utter dismay, I was

disappointed to find that the student parking lot is not filled with students alone. No, no, no. There are the select few stubborn parents who insist on dropping off little Timmy right in the middle of the two lanes, blocking any student who just wants to park and get to first period. But no, we must wait, while Mommy hands him his sack lunch and tells him to be safe

and make good choices. After the cheek peck, Mommy maneuvers the fat minivan around and slowly leaves the parking lot. Or maybe dear old mom zips off like she owns the lot, leaving everybody cringing in fear of dents and scratches on their most prized possessions. We continue to accept the fact that our cars are basically becoming an endangered species

with all these parents angrily driving around, blaming any close calls on us. In reality, they shouldn’t even be in our vicinity, so I think I know whose fault it really is. So honestly, let’s reserve the front parking lot for the dropoffs and long-winded goodbyes. Licensed student drivers have earned the right to our student parking lot. Stay in yours.

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mustang 02.09.09

Welcome to nerdhood What race am I describing? This group of people consists of overachievers who are generally good at math and science, play the violin or piano and are known for studying 24/7. Make your guess…. By Ariel Chao

itting in Spanish waiting for bored and tired students to roll into second period, my friend and I started talking about our schedules for the new semester. I whined to her that I wasn’t sure if I wanted to continue math or not as I went through the pros and cons of enrolling in Calc AB. She played a few thoughtful notes on her guitar as if weighing the good and the bad like I was. She asked, “Well, are you in honors?” I replied with a curious yes, not knowing how that question would relate to my dilemma, but as soon as I did she stated in a ‘your momma’ joke kind of way, “Oh, you’re so Asian!” As if I didn’t already know. In a sense, I didn’t find it offensive that she called me an Asian because I am. I did, however, get annoyed with the link she made between honors classes and me. What makes it so easy for people to associate students who are good at math and science to Asians? I set out on my quest a few days later to seek answers for the purpose of this article using a survey I had made to ask students around campus (the “what race am I describing...” question above). At first, it was a dead give-away since I was the one polling people while they were looking at exactly what I was describing. So, to change it up, I had one of my “white” friends take charge of the poll, but surprise! Same results. Out of 40 students who were asked to guess what race my friend was describing, 40 responded with the same answer I dreaded: Asian. Somehow I had that little hope that the results wouldn’t come down to the harsh 40:0 ratio. A 38:2 ratio or even a 39:1 ratio would have been comforting to know that this stereotype isn’t set in stone. I guess all along I half expected the results to turn out the way they did, but frankly, I have to disagree with all of the students and

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possibly you, with the fact that this stereotype also includes the majority of students enrolled in honors and advanced placement classes. It’s not just the GPA that Asians strive to perfect or the rigorous classes on our schedules that we hope to boast and showcase in our college applications which catalyzes this stereotype. It’s the expectations from our parents that drive us to the brink of nerdhood. But they have reason, suggests senior Bryan Cheng. “Back in my day, if you don’t do well on the SAT, you wouldn’t make it into college,” said Cheng as he mimicked what his parents told him of their version of entrance exams in China. Parents of second-generation students often raise their children with the same societal values as they were raised: (in the case of Asians) high discipline, high standards, and high priority on education. They are so involved with academics because in Asia, education is a privilege, not a promise. Even when I brought home good grades and argued that everyone else got worse grades, my parents always told me, “Don’t look at who is behind you. Look at who is still in front of you.” On a daily basis, I’m compared with my parent’s childhood in Taiwan. Asian parents push their kids to be successful hoping that they will become doctors for the financial stability. This is why the majority of pre-med students at high-ranked schools like UCSD are Asian. Not a coincidence. And with that, Asian-American students have no choice but to fit the nerd stereotype. This is where the culture clash begins. Second-generation students are torn between two different cultures, carrying the burden of finding a place to fit in. The problem resides in the search for finding the balance between excelling in school, and maintaining a cool demeanor in free

spirited America—without coming off as total nerds. During my experience in advanced placement classes, I have always been a student in class, a regular student. I have my strengths and weaknesses like all others do. We all stand on the same trampoline—some bounce higher with one bounce and reach the stars quicker. For others, it may take several bounces to reach the same distance. There aren’t any differences, just pure hard work. Asians aren’t born smart. Maybe it’s useless to resist these stereotypes. And maybe it’s pointless to reassure others that we are good drivers and don’t carry calculators in our back pockets. But it’s ok. ‘Cause once in a while we Asians adopt these stereotypes to make the best out of something insanely unhumorous. Sometimes we try to “out-Asian” each other, you know, just for fun. As junior Michael Yuan said, “We try to out-Asian each other in terms of what you’re good at—especially what you’re good at. Like Tetris, or a higher SAT score.” Of course, according to Cheng, it’s “only friendly competition…It’s not like I’m trying to be more of a legitimate Asian than you….” So whether you think the Asian stereotype is true or mean it as a joke, Asians are not born overachievers, mathletes or science geeks . They are simply born human and raised with cultural expectations.

“…it’s not like I’m trying to be more of a legitimate Asian than you…” -Bryan Cheng

essays

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mustang 02.09.09

Eating a

dollar a day

Staff writer Paige Ely experiences what it’s like to struggle eating within a tight budget, as almost one billion others do.

fter hearing English teacher Kerri Leonard’s story about eating under a dollar a day, I wanted to find out more. I had heard it all over the news, but wanted to interview her myself. She and her partner ate on a dollar a day for a month and got a lot out of the experience. Hearing her talk about it, I really wanted to try it myself for the same amount of time. However, after health concerns from my parents, my journalism teacher, and Leonard herself, I decided to shorten it to two weeks. They were still concerned, but I wanted to experience eating within such a tight budget. In the world, 925 million people live on $1.25 a day. And that’s not just for food, but for clothing, shelter, and everything else. I thought a dollar should be doable to eat on. Day 1 Oatmeal Egg Oatmeal Egg 2 Ramen

7 cents 15 cents 7 cents 15 cents 40 cents

I found the first day was easier than I anticipated. I had three complete meals and actually stayed full throughout the day. I calculated that I was actually eating almost the same amount of calories as I would on Weight Watchers. If I just ate the same things every day, I wouldn’t have to be hungry. I figured I could handle a routine, eating the same things for breakfast and lunch. But I found I was wrong. Though I was a huge fan of oatmeal in the past, by the second week of eating it every day for breakfast, I just couldn’t eat it anymore. I would eat a few bites for breakfast, pack the rest in my lunch, then end up throwing it away. The same thing happened when I began packing a burrito every day for lunch. It was delicious at first, but then the smell started to make me nauseous. One day, I even pitched a whole burrito because the smell was so sickening. The following days, however, I forced myself to eat it, knowing I needed the protein. Over time, I discovered that I thought about food a lot less. In the past I would continually look at the clock to see how

nina moussavi

STRETCHING GEORGE TO THE MAX In our society a dollar is looked at as nothing, but millions around the world have only that for their whole day of food.

many more minutes I had to suffer through before dinner. On the dollar a day, I would occasionally forget a meal and one day I didn’t eat from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and didn’t really feel hungry the entire time. I discovered through my experience that I could eat less and be stuffed from something that seemed like only a snack before. In other countries, people eat smaller quantities for a reason: that’s all you really need to be full. The rest, I found, is all mental. The only times I would really think about food would be when another person had it. The aroma would instantly cause my mouth to water and I would crave whatever they were eating. Day 5 Egg Oatmeal Burrito 3 Hot Dogs

15 cents 7 cents 30 cents 36 cents

I began to think about communities where every person eats for a dollar a day. There they don’t have anything else to compare it to. When I went home and worked by myself, I wouldn’t think about the food. Every day at school I was forced to look at

someone “better than me.” It’s in the nature of an American to compare your situation to that of others and always want what others have. At hour lunch I thought about how good I had it a week before. Now, I stayed on campus, eating my cold, congealed oatmeal. I had to turn down time with friends so I wouldn’t be forced to smell and stare at the food I couldn’t have. My mouth watered enough from all the foods that students ate next to me during third period. I thought I would feel on a regular basis if I wasn’t able to socialize with friends just because of finances. A lot of socializing revolves around eating and around spending. And while my friends understood why I didn’t go off campus that one time, I wonder how they would take it if I had to repeatedly refuse to out to eat. Or to go to the movies. Or to go shopping. Living in a culture where you’re expected to buy something everywhere you turn, it would be really hard to continue to eat a dollar a day much less have my combined expenses be $1.25. In America, bigger is better. Our capitalist society wants you to spend, spend, spend.

And with all this spending comes a lot of waste. When I saw someone throw away the rest of their food I was tempted to leap into the trash and stuff my face, or shout at them, “Don’t throw that away, I’ll eat it!” I look back at myself during just those two weeks and feel horrible for wasting the food I did. There are others who would have killed for that oatmeal or burrito that I couldn’t stand the sight of. Day 9 Oatmeal 7 cents Egg 15 cents Burrito 30 cents Mac and Cheese 25 cents Apple 15 cents To waste less, we could try to order smaller, but that’s rarely an option. We could try to save the remainder of our lunch for later, but why do that when we can have a bigger, better dinner? The mentality of America is just that: why settle for less? I became aware of this once again the day after I finished my two week experience. I went out to breakfast and had a $10 meal. I received the plate, looked down upon it, and thought about how this was the equivalent of my

last 10 days of food. While the portion was huge for one meal, this thing would never last me 10 days. I ate about half of what was on the plate. I dug into the sweet fruit first, having eaten only two apples over the entire two weeks. I had about two bites left of fruit I couldn’t finish and packed it up with the rest of my omelet. My brother laughed at me. “You’re saving that?” he said with scorn. But during those two weeks, that amount of fruit would have been just enough for me to be satisfied. Just when compared the other heaps on my plate it seemed insignificant. Over the two weeks, I had become increasingly aware of how expensive fruits and vegetables are and how tough it would be to get sufficient nutrients living off a dollar a day. Knowing this, I didn’t care if my brother laughed at me. I was saving that fruit for later. This experience has helped me have a higher appreciation for the single dollar. And while I’m already slipping back into the typical consumer mindset, every time I eat a meal I think about how many meals that would be for someone else.

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features

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mustang 02.09.09

Lunchtime loitering D o you remember that first day of freshmen year when the lunch bell rang, signaling the end of second period, and you stepped

out of the classroom only to find yourself thinking, “Where the hell

are my friends and I going to eat?” Yup, just about everyone at SDA has gone through those awkward first couple of lunches where students

JUST SITTING AROUND. Junior Micael MayaPeinal and his friends (right) have eaten at their spot for two years. Maya-Peinal said, “Sitting by the roses to the right of the library door is nice because you have shade, sun, and shelter if it rains.” BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY. Freshman Kiley Dalrymple (far right) said, “We picked our lunch spot during freshmen orientation so that we wouldn’t have trouble finding each other on the first day.”

try to establish a spot on campus to call their own.

But how do students decide where to eat their lunch? With

so many trees having been cut down and friendships constantly being made and broken, finding the perfect place to eat on campus can sometimes be a challenge. Story by Ana Reyes. Photos by Liz Mills and Kendall Daasnes.

THE MORE WE GET TOGETHER “We have eaten by the sculpure room since 9th grade year,” said sophomore Becca Kutlow (above). “At first it was just me and my two other friends, but for sophomore year, a bunch of my friends transferred from LCC and now it’s a big group.” Erin Noble, sophomore, added that “this spot is perfectly placed between the library and the Mustang Center.” THE GRASS IS ALWAYS GREENER ON THE OTHER SIDE Dylan Winters, junior, and his friends (left) used to spend lunch on the east side of the 20’s building. But they slowly began to move over towards the south entrance of Senior Court. “I started coming over here to say hi to my other friends and this spot just seemed to be more convenient because it was closer to everything,” he said. “So we all moved.” BORN TO BE WILD A group of friends (left, second up) eat lunch by the flag pole. Tori Lhota, freshman, said, “It’s quiet and there is lots of space for us to be crazy. You might find us climbing a tree.”

LAUGHING WITH FRIENDS A group of freshmen girls (above) eat in the hallway by room 54. “We have been eating here since the beginning of the year,” said freshman Julie Lai Fatt. “It is shady and quiet, which is nice, but we never know what is going on by the gym. We used to eat under a tree, but one time it rained and so we decided to sit in the hallway and now we eat here every day.”

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features

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mustang 02.09.09

Things

DECISIONS, DECISIONS A bald man hesitates to try on such a fancy hat; he could look silly in a funny hat or he could bare his bald head to the world.

mmediately upon entering the fenced-off section of the Sports Arena parking lot that is Kobey’s Swap Meet, I thought I heard some sort of vague, yet soulful, pagan singing emanating from somewhere deep inside the mess of stands selling jewelry, birds, t-shirts, and DVDs. However, I realized that I am somewhat hard of hearing, and thus later found out later it was some obscure, at least to me, 90’s era soul music in what I assumed to be Spanish. It cost about $1 to get in, which is reasonable. The first things I saw were stands selling the smaller-sized plastic translucent backpacks, most of them some sort of Nickelodeon morning cartoon. Dora the Explorer was a prominent figure among these pink, always pink, backpacks, as well as SpongeBob, and the occasional Hannah Montana backpack and her unnatural, fleshy pursed mouth glistening from one of the outer pockets. Among the amount of newly packaged items being sold in boxes marked $1, $3, $5, and $10, there were ample amounts

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of sparkly pink trapper keepers, folders, and pencils to amuse any naïve seven-year-old girl. There were also BB guns for $5, random toys that most likely have been accumulated from various fast food restaurant kids’ meals, stationary sets and packs of the most recent generation of Pokemon cards. Also, in a single box were Trojan condoms, and because you can get a decent amount for just a dollar, I could only imagine that they were the defective rejects thrown out at the condom factory. The small-framed yet somewhat intimidating foreign woman watching me carefully was the proprietor of this particular stand. She clearly didn’t trust me, even though I bought a small Buddha statuette for $6. I was considering the $1 toilet brushes and this $2 plush hamburger with a face on it, but I ultimately decided I have enough of those at home. Further into the parking lot, people walked among the long tables upon which dusty pieces of junk were set, consisting of the hood of what I can only assume to be an old Volkswagen

A discounted whirlwind of eastern Asian cultures and anachronistic gaming consoles, Kobey’s Swap Meet has everything you never knew you needed. Story and photos by Shannon Wright. Beetle to broken plastic screws that couldn’t possibly be of service to anyone, and is equally likely to be of less than any numerical value. To the left was one of many stands selling DVDs, but it was hard to tell whether or not they were pirated. Most of them were $5-$10, and they looked as if they were in their original cases. Unless you love movies like “50 First Dates” and “Win a Date with Tad Hamilton,” finding movies you actually want to own takes some browsing. Oh, but they’re there. However, I found the most intriguing things were the 80year-old pieces of furniture, the stand with the tribal masks with pained expressions, the unnecessarily ornate jewelry, and the plastic assortment of all sorts of shrieking, spinning, wildly writhing toys that I can only assume are meant to amuse twoyear-olds. All in all, our cumulative purchases added up to a plush hamburger with a smiling face, a BB gun, a beaver hat with a hammer & sickle pin placed squarely on the front flap, a Bud-

TAXIDERMIED A Buddha-hunter displays the heads of various idols at his swap meet booth.

dha figurine, and a little pink robotic dog that walked around awkwardly and only sat down to bark. It’s name, according to the box, was “Lil’ Charmy.” You might think $50 for the day is enough, but once you set your eyes on the massive “Tool Emporium,” you’ll realize you

were terribly mistaken. Kobey’s Swap Meet is not just a place to pick up ridiculously cheap bathroom cleaners and old pendants, it is an experience, complete with thick eastern Asian and South American accents and Philly cheese steak sandwiches.

features

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mustang 02.09.09

It’s not certain what draws us to swoon over celebrities, but it’s certain there is something in the air, an aura you could say, a presences that causes us to run at them, screaming and giggling, autograph book in hand. Whether we are at a concert, a theme park, or a department store, there is something that turns the “cool” 16-year-olds of the world into drooling, psychotic fans. And once this

Autographic

Memories

transformation has begun, there is no stopping it. But what is it all for? An autograph: a pathetic, illegible excuse of a signature scribbled in an over-priced Disneyland autograph book or on an overly enlarged close-up of some celebrity’s face. But however ridiculous the situation may be, we have all dreamed of the day we could add Snow White’s signature to our Mickey Mouse-bound autograph book. For those unfortunate few who have never experienced one of these encounters, a few SDA students share their quirky autograph stories with us. By Nina Moussavi, with Kaitlin Spooner, Thea Brown, and Pauline Disch. Meet the princess

t seven years old, autograph book in hand, Elise Foote watched as another small girl, being pulled by her mother, approached a princess wearing a blue gown and tiara combo. The awaiting princess took the little girl by the hand and smiled for the camera that was in the mother’s hand. Standing next to the princess, the girl’s blue eyes were wide with awe and admiration. After a brief “thank you” to the princess and an autograph in the girl’s notebook, the mother reached for her daughter’s arm and propelled her forward in search of another Disney princess, and the next girl took the previous’ place. As the line to meet the princess grew, Elise and her parents took their place at the end. Elise looked at the beautiful lady in the sparkling blue dress and shining tiara and wished that someday, somehow, she could be like her, a princess. The line moved quickly and soon it was Elise’s turn to step in front of her mother’s ready camera. As the hand carrying her autograph book trembled, Elise stepped forward to meet the beautiful princess. The princess signed Elise’s autograph book and wished her a magical day at Disneyland. K.S.

Hello, Mr. Famous

n April 2, 2005, sophomore Haley Jo Lewis had the opportunity of a lifetime, the chance to meet the lead singer of U2 and political activist, Bono. She gained this chance by merely being in the right place at the right time. Just before Lewis’s 12th birthday, her father decided to take her and her twin brother to see U2 in concert. Lewis had never heard of the band. Nevertheless, Lewis, her brother, mother and father loaded up the car and headed up to the Anaheim Angel Stadium. The birthday girl was met with a horrendously long line leading into the stadium. Regardless, her family trekked on over and took their place. Impatient, her father took Lewis to get ice cream while they waited. They wandered around the stadium until they had reached a back alleyway. As they entered, a long black limo pulled up in front of them. Out stepped one of the “strangest” looking men Lewis had seen, wearing very oddly-shaped sunglasses and a hat. When the bodyguard stepped out of the car after him, it was a clue to her that that man was someone important. She was further informed of his eminence through her father’s sudden giddiness. Before she knew it, her father had stormed up to the mystery figure, pen

courtesy of haley jo lewis

BONO WHO? Signed $20 bill in hand, Haley Jo Lewis gets a quick picture with the U2 lead singer. At the time, she had no idea who the celebrity was.

and twenty-dollar bill (the only thing in his pocket) in hand. Lewis played along with the idea of who the man was. They even had a small conversation in which she learned that his niece shared the same name as her and that they were both Irish. He signed the twenty-dollar bill and then handed it to Lewis. The mystery man, Bono, then bid his farewell and took off with his bodyguard. It wasn’t until the concert had begun that Lewis learned the true identity of the man in the limo. She was shocked that she had actually met the lead singer of the band. Until this day, she continues to look back on this T.B. “beautiful day.”

Olympian outrage

amie LaBree, junior, made a trip to East County and received more than what she expected. In the summer of 2005, Labree visited the Olympic training center in El Cajon and collected signatures from all 18 players on the U.S. Olympic softball team. She watched the athletes play practice games against other Olympic teams including those from Canada, China, and Australia. “It was really cool to watch them play in person, I’m pretty sure they won all three of their games,” LaBree said. After watching the team’s three scrimmages, LaBree and her parents lined up along the field’s fence to wait for the

Olympians on their way out. “Usually at baseball games, the players rarely come to the stands to give autographs, but the girls were so nice. They all approached the fence and signed whatever we gave them,” LaBree said. Not only did she have the players sign a softball, but a couple girls autographed a Tshirt of hers, and three pitchers signed her glove. “I remember one of the pitchers, Jennie Finch, talked to me and asked me what I think of softball,” LaBree said, “I told her I play first base and am a pitcher too, she was really supportive. “It was cool how we could all have conversations with the players.” P.D.

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steeze

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mustang 02.09.09

A formal affair

Formal stress outs and dress outs. By Maddie Lyon and Taylor Chapin

rom the dress to the hair to the makeup, every girl’s formal outfit must be perfect. The time and effort invested to create the perfectly primped ensemble can often produce frazzled formal dates and basketball-sized ulcers. By the time the pre-party rolls around, hours of preparation, weeks of planning, and ceaseless amounts of date drama have all been spent. Even people who are not the type to stress about finding the perfect outfit are caught up in the search to find a suitable dress and pair of heels to look the part. Anna Hunter, senior: (Third from right) “It is really fun getting to dress up for formal and wear fancy clothes because we never get to do that, but I still had a hard time deciding on what dress to wear.”

Lara Fleck, sophomore: (Left) “It is hard to scramble up enough money to pay for the right shoes and dress.” Ilea Harrington, sophomore: (Second from left) “Everything about formal stresses me out because I procrastinate it all into the last two weeks.” Sam Ahern, junior: (Third from left) ”You need to buy your dress, put on makeup, do your hair, get your nails done, find shoes, find a date, but it’s still fun to get ready with your friends up to the last minute.”

Lauren Livingston, senior: (Second from right) “Way too many people get stressed out about formal, and everything that comes along with it.”

kendall daasnes

ALL DRESSED UP From sequins to chiffon, SDA girls flaunt their formal wear.

Nicolle Mazanares, junior: (Middle) “When you’re the one organizing everyone it’s next to impossible to get everyone to pay in full.”

Kiko Kolb, senior: (Right) “House of Blues is going to make formal a party, but I am already amping for limo bus rides.”

Sister steeze Senior Hannah Maxwell and her sister, Emily, a freshman, show that style must run in the family. By Maddie Lyon and Taylor Chapin

Leather Jacket: Urban Outfitters

Necklace: Marc Jacobs V-Neck T-Shirt: American Apparel Shirt: American Apparel

Vest: Forever 21

Jeans: Denim Bar Jeans: L.F.

Boots: Macy’s Boots: Macy’s Estimated cost of outfit: $290 Personal Style: A little bit of everything Style Icons: Megan Yoshitomi

Estimated cost of outfit: $120 Personal Style: Forever Urban Style Icons: Hannah Maxwell kendall daasnes

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arts

the

mustang 02.09.09

Coachella

Bands worth checking out at the ‘09 festival zach garcia

fter last year’s three-day disappointment marking the nadir of a gradual decline, Coachella’s excellent 2009 lineup, released Friday the 30th, came as a pleasant surprise. However, in the same vein as last year, there are quite a few excellent bands hiding in the little text at the bottom of the poster that everyone skims over. Here are a few that might be worth your time to check out: FRIDAY: A Place to Bury Strangers- This group funnels the dark and degenerate dancability of Bauhaus-style post-punk through a modern sound, emphasized by Oliver Ackermann’s sonorous voice. They’re also worth checking out live due to their reputation for wild and unhinged performances. Airborne Toxic Event- By far the best group I stumbled across during the writing of this article, ATE plays songs that are sometimes frenzied, sometimes sad, and always beautiful. They manage to squeeze quite a variety of moods and themes out of their overall idiom of fuzztone indie rock, and seem fated for a bigger breakout soon. Leonard Cohen- Little known despite being a living legend, Cohen is essentially a darker version of what Dylan would be were his songs dominated entirely by id and loss. Cohen touches on all the big themes— Desire, Despair, and Death—in a masterful oeuvre that made him one of the great songwriters of the 20th century. Los Campesinos!- Following in Yo La Tengo’s grand tradition of skinny indie white boy bands giving themselves Spanish names, this Welsh septet plays a style of scintillating pop music, with shiny, angular, impossibly catchy guitar riffs—somewhat reminding one of Big Country—over upbeat songs about depressing things. The Ting Tings- On a meteoric rise on popularity, the Ting Tings are the danciest pop group and the catchiest dance group

ever. The group is a two-person club rock clash, with energy enough that their show will likely be a terrifying, thumping mob, rising and falling like a sweaty sweaty ocean in time to the beats. SATURDAY: Hercules and Love Affair- A New York musical collective, fascinating primarily as an opportunity to hear Antony Hegarty’s operatic bellow over upbeat dance music, as opposed to his normal sonic habitat of dour, brooding self-pity songs. Ida Maria- Continuing the recent rock invasion from cold northern Europe, Ida Maria hails from Norway, playing a variety of fast-paced garage rock. Her singing is strong, with no ridiculous ABBAccent, and the songs are perfect distillations of what garage rock is about—upbeat, spastically charming, and forever indebted to the Ramones. SUNDAY: Antony and the JohnsonsThe abovementioned Antony Hegarty’s main group, though mockably depressing, is actually quite impressive. The bizarre combination of cabaret-operapop with Hegarty’s potent vocal chords makes a heady mixture that has found devoted fans amongst such musicians as Lou Reed and Rufus Wainwright. The Kills- Despite their most recent release being less than it could have been, the Kills are still the Greatest and Most Innovative Band currently out there making music. With a combination of primitive early electronic music and ferociously minimalist rock à la the Royal Trux, along with a lyrical obsession with escape and dead heroes, the Kills are fighting the modern rock obsession with irony and trying to make music that matters. Lykke Li- A Swedish chanteuse style singer, Li Lykke Timotej Zachrisson crafts art in miniature, beautiful quiet songs that recall much of the minimalist work coming out of those same cold northern Europe countries, like Sigur Rós et al.

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circus animal fun

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mustang 02.09.09

Tales from a barista

What do Starbucks, a creeper who wants you to dance with him, and Santa Baby have in common? Well I’m sure Paige Ely will tell you in her latest tale from a barista. Story by Paige Ely, art by Julian Noble.

ROSES ARE RED Pictured above, the Starbucks mermaid prepares to tango. She’s got her rose ready and her dancing flippers on.

middle-aged man was browsing through the CDs as I was stocking cups. “You have the best music here, you know that?” he said, anticipating my agreement. I hesitated, still sick of hearing “Santa Baby.” Then he mumbled something to my co-worker I couldn’t hear. After a moment, the customer said, “Apparently neither of you dance foxtrot.” Oh, he must have said the music was perfect for the foxtrot. “Actually, I do,” I stated, proud of my classes at cotillion. “Oh really?” He gave me a CD to ring up. “Yeah, but the tango is so much more fun.” I gave back his change. “Really! Argentinean?” “Yeah,” I said, thinking there was only one type of tango. He looked astounded. “Wait, no, I’m not Argentinean,” thinking this would explain his confusion. “No, I know. But do you dance the Argentinean tango?” “Well, I think so. They just say we’re dancing the tango, not where it’s from.” “Oh I bet, it’s American. Show me.” So I danced the basic step with my imaginary partner. Of

course, all of this was behind the counter with my apron on, because after all I was still working. He shook his head, and said distastefully, “No, that’s American.” Then he held up his arms, holding his dainty imaginary partner and showed me the sweeping steps of the Argentinean tango. “That’s the basic?” I asked. “Yes, all of that is just the basic,” he declared triumphantly. “Well, I’ve done that before, just not as a basic step.” Once again his face filled with wonder, and his eyes widened. “Well then you know how to dance the Argentinean tango!” He glanced at my co-worker, Matt. “I wonder what he would say if I asked you to dance…” Matt shrugged, smiled, and bumbled, “Go for it!” The customer asked me to dance. “After all, we have enough space,” he added. Like that was going to convince me. “That’s okay, I have some work to do.” I gently refused. He looked a bit disappointed, but left with his new CD, demanding we have a good evening. Just another typical tale from a Barista.

Valentine’s prey

If you have been lusting after one specific individual in this month of love, Alex Matthews has the tips you need to turn your boring life into one spicy, romantic escapade after another in just 3 easy steps.

inter Formal’s proximity to Valentine’s Day is beginning to have a feminist ripple effect, if you will: it’s becoming more and more common for females to court males during this season of love. Don’t worry ladies, you all have the beauty and personality to win any guy! Just follow this three-step process, and by next Winter Formal (hey, who hasn’t started thinking about their date yet?) you’ll have that eye candy you always dreamed of hanging on your arm like that new Gucci purse your mom just bought you!

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Step one: Begin lurking phase. Have any classes with him? If so, sit next to him as much as humanly possible, but not so much that the fact you are stalking him becomes evident… it’s a fine line. If not, don’t worry! Find out all his other classes and just happen to lurk around, chatting with friends, blowing bubbles with your gum, etc. before, after, and during class. No matter where your actual classes are, this is more important. Would you rather have a high GPA or high-status man candy?

Step two: This step is arguably the hardest part: make contact. However, this step can be as simple as a “bend and snap!” For those of you who haven’t mastered the genius of Elle Woods, here are a few basic lines to get you started: In chemistry: “Is it hot in here, or are those just the Bunsen burners?” or any play on the double meaning of the word “chemistry,” will do. In English: Try reading a romantic poem with subtle implications that it is directed at him; be sure to wink a lot, or maybe

send little notes with hearts to make sure your point gets across as discreetly as possible. In math: Let him use your pencil as he helps you through a problem. If you accidentally grab the pencil midway through the problem and accidentally touch his hand, bonus! In history: Roman history creates ample opportunities to allude to the priest St. Valentine! Step three: Finally, here is the big one: asking him to be your valentine. Extremely public, cutesy inquiries are preferable. It’s

even better if you can spend an exorbitant amount of money on it (best if you use Daddy’s credit card for this one). If you fulfill these simple criteria, it would be too awkward for him to turn you down, even if he wants to!If you follow this method, your Valentine’s Day woes will go away, as easy as 1, 2, 3! And remember, any guy you win over is expected to fulfill all your irrelevant, selfish, greedy, and material desires and requests, no matter how irrational they may be. For example: he should offer you nothing less than a five-star dinner for your Valentine’s date.

circus animal fun

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mustang 02.09.09 got jokez?

comedy sportz: feb 27th in the theater

Readers, digest! This week in Reader’s, Digest! we examine your favorite childhood treat, cupcakes. This time, though, there’s no icing, no cake, and no girls allowed. Got a beef with that? Story and original recipe by Eric McCoy.

emember when you were a kid in elementary school, and you waited for the birthdays of your fellow classmates. Your mouth salivated as your simple mind pondered the wonderful emotions that the free cupcakes would provide you with. Looking back on it, fantasizing about these tiny cakes topped with icing too sweet to eat was stupid. How could I possibly been naïve enough to like something that’s contents clearly mock my masculinity. Flour? Sugar? Sprinkles? That’s not what a cupcake should be! This brings me to my next point. Cupcakes are like Barbies. They’re stupid and for girls. However, one cannot deny the benefits of a cupcake as opposed to a full-sized, multi-layered confection: increased portability, decreased need to share, and the paper wrap that prevents it from dirtying up your hands. Following in the stead of Zip Up Your Mansuit, though, I feel compelled to make such a “handy” food much manlier. Now I pose a question to myself: how can I make this cupcake manly without filling it with hangnails and beer? Well the obvious answer is to fill it with steak and beer. This week, we will be making the manliest cupcakes you’ve ever eaten. Take the best features of a pot pie, mainly the meat filling and flaky crust. Cover it with a nice mashed potato icing, and you’ll have the meatiest fruit-cake ever created.

Ingredients:

2 uncooked pie crusts from the freezer section 1 cup of dark ale (ask your parents, kiddies) 1 pound stew beef 3 tablespoons flour 1 onion 3 tablespoons brown sugar 2 cloves Ground coriander, salt, and pepper to taste Mashed potatoes (for the sake of time restraints, instant or premade will have to do)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees 2. Begin cooking the meat and the onions in a large saucepan. When the meat is completely browned, add the ale, brown sugar, cloves, and coriander. Let cook for 10 minutes. 3. After several minutes, when the alcohol cooks down, add the flour to thicken the sauce. The natural juices from the meat and the onions will make a nice gravy. Set the whole mixture aside for later use. 4. Peel the pie crust into strips, and create shells for the cupcakes in the muffin tin. Wet your finger and rub at the seams of the dough. You should create an individual crust for each hole in the tin. 5. Spoon the mixture from the saucepan into the tins. It should be level with the tops of the crusts. 6. “Ice” each one with the mashed potatoes. They should be looking more like your average cupcakes at this point. 7. Sprinkle the tops with paprika and garlic salt for a bit more flavor. 8. Bake for 15 minutes at 450 degrees. Allow 15 minutes to cool before serving.

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sports

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mustang 02.09.09

Kickin’ it

The team is focused on improving its play. nicole fisher

n Jan. 30, the boys soccer team had their first win in three games against Army Navy Academy. The game was a 8-0 shutout. After the loss of 12 seniors, nine of whom were starters, at the end of last year, the boys soccer team has put a strong focus on rebuilding for the first half of the season. According to Coach Craig Dean, the plan for the team was to create a defense and work up from there. “We worked almost exclusively on our defense until the middle of December with very little attention given to our offense,” Dean said. kendall daasnes

DRIBBLE Senior Joe Wolin dribbles the ball down the field against Calvin Christian.The game ended with a 5-0 win.

League Standings

1. SDA (5-4-3) 2. Santa Fe Christian (4-5-1) 3. Calvin Christian (4-5-2) 4. Escondido Charter (1-8-0) 5. Army Navy Academy (1-4-1) 6. Tri-City Christian (1-14-0)

Game Results

1/10/09 Cathedral 0-2 1/13/09 Calvin Christian 5-0 1/14/09 La Jolla 4-0 1/16/09 Escondido Charter 4-1 1/26/09 LJCD 1-3 1/27/09 CCA 1-3 1/30/09 Army Navy Academy 8-0

Player Statistics

Geoff Brown- 8 goals, 4 assists Juan Huizar- 6 goals, 1 assist Alex Olvera- 4 goals, 0 assists Andrew Weinfield- 3 goals, 2 assists All statistics courtesy of maxpreps. com

Dean has already seen progress on the field. “Our entire defense has played very well as a unit and they are getting better every time they step onto the field,” Dean said. Another reason their defense has been strong is the play of senior Rafeal Navarro, goalie. “We expect quite a few shutouts from Rafael,” said Dean. With the defense solid the team has begun working on

offense. More specifically, they have been working on “moving the ball forward and connecting with the forwards” according to Dean. This part of their plan Dean expects to run smoothly due to their “talented offensive players.” Dean is satisfied with the boys’ progress. “I am fully confident that come league, our defense will be very solid,” he said. Change has helped the team win six of their last nine games. One game that ended in a 0-2 loss was against Cathedral the defending CIF champions, on Jan. 10. “Our boys played very hard and represented their team and school well,” Dean said. The other two games the boys lost were against La Jolla Country Day and Canyon Crest. Two players who have been playing consistently well in the midfield are junior Alan Gallardo and senior Andrew Weinfield. “They shut down the opponents midfielders on defense and control the tempo of the game on offense,” Dean said. Another player who has stood out is sophomore Geoff Brown who had three goals in the team’s 5-3 victory over El Capitan.

Girls clear out the competition With an overall record of 7-5-1, the girls soccer team is leading their league. nicole fisher

he girls soccer team is currently undefeated in the North Coastal League. On Jan. 14 they shut out Calvin Christian 4-0 and Tri City Christian 6-0. They also won 2-1 against Escondido Charter on Jan. 16. They are leading the league with Santa Fe Christian in second andCalvin Christian in third. The team’s improved defense is helping them win. “The team has given up few goals,” said coach Evan Camperell. According to junior Sandra Morales, this improvement was possible by moving players around on the field. “We moved more offensive players to the back,” said Morales. Another way the team has improved is

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by developing their chemistry. According to Morales the team’s chemistry has bettered through the season by getting to know each other and having team sleepovers. Even though the team has seen success, they still have difficult games in their future. “La Jolla is now the toughest opponent this season,” Camperell said. “They are ranked top 10 in the county and have not lost a game.” The most anticipated game is against Santa Fe Christian. “The Santa Fe Christian games will more than likely decide who wins the league,” Camperell said. According to Morales, Santa Fe Christian is their biggest rival. The team’s games against Santa Fe Christian are schedueled for Feb. 4 and Feb.20, the last game of the season.

League Standings

1. SDA (7-4-1) 2. Santa Fe Christian (1-0-1) 3. Calvin Christian (9-4-0) 4. Escondido Charter (5-2-1) 5. Tri-City Christian (3-2-0) Standings courtesy of the North County Times.

Game Results

1/9/09 Coronado 0-2 1/12/09 La Jolla 1-7 1/14/09 Calvin Christian 4-0 1/16/09 Escondido Charter 2-1 1/23/09 Tri-City Christian 6-0 1/26/09 LJCD 1-3 1/28/09 Parker 1-4 Results courtesy of maxpreps.com.

Player Statistics

nicole fisher

WATCHING AND LEARNING The girls watch as other teammates run a drill at practice. Afterwards, they listen to their coach’s suggestions.

Megan Warner- 16 goals, 1 assist Emily Mecke- 3 goals, 4 assists Nicole Manxanares- 3 goals, 1 assist Statistics courtesy of North County Times

sports

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mustang 02.09.09

Record doesn’t reflect camaraderie After starting the season playing difficult opponents, boys basketball uses their focus and teamwork to defeat Escondido Charter and Santa Clarita Christian. sean znachko

ollowing a series of losses, the varsity team defeated Escondido Charter on Jan. 24, 83 - 66. Inexperience contributed to the team’s tough start. “We also started off playing some of the better teams in the county,” said Varsity Coach Luke Stuckey, who feels that the team needs to improve its focus and defense. The best win so far was against Santa Clarita Christian. The team played them on the last day of the Tri-City Christian tournament, from Jan. 11 to Jan. 13. “They came into the game with an 8-2 record. We came off a tough loss but rebounded to beat them by 16 points,” Stuckey said. Meanwhile, the junior varsity team has five wins so far, the biggest being their 48-45 defeat of Army Navy Academy at the Tri City Holiday Tournament, said junior varsity coach Ted Peña. La Jolla Country Day is the team’s toughest competitor. While the boys lost the game 53-66, they put up a great effort against a tough team, he said. “We gained confidence in this

game because we learned that we can compete with some of the better teams in the league,” he said. La Jolla Country Day was a difficult game for the junior varsity team, who lost the game 3871. “We learned a lot from that game which will hopefully make us stronger as we get deeper into our schedule,” said Peña. Sophomores Brandon Anderson, Jonny Ford, Conor Paris, Nathaniel Fisher, Connor Brownell, and freshmen Jackson Schulz and Max Houston are key contributors to the junior varsity team, according to Peña. Standout players lead the team on the court. Senior Kevin Barth has led the team averaging 15 points per game, and senior Eric Peck helped the team with scoring and perimeter shooting. “[Junior] Kevin Ginn has also had an impact with his scoring and rebounding,” Stuckey said. The last varsity home game will take place against Santa Fe Christian on Feb. 13. The junior varsity team will have two home games on Feb. 10 and Feb. 13, against High Tech High and Santa Fe Christian. The freshman program has one more game in the season against Torrey Pines on Feb. 7.

kendall daasnes

WHOOMP, THERE IT IS Senior Kevin Barth passes the ball to junior Tom Tumosa during their game against CCA.

Varsity Standings

Varsity Statistics

Junior Varsity Statistics

All statistics courtesy of the North County Times.

All statistics courtesy of www. maxpreps.com.

All statistics courtesy of junior varsity coach Ted Peña.

1. Santa Fe Christian (16-4) 2. Army Navy Academy (10-8) 3. SDA (5-16) 4. Calvin Christian (9-9) 5. Tri-City Christian (4-15)

Points per game: Kevin Barth (14.2), Eric Peck (8.3), Kevin Ginn (8) Points total: Kevin Barth (312), Kevin Ginn (176), Eric Peck (150) Total Rebounds: Kevin Ginn (61), Tom Tumosa (55), Kevin Barth (52)

Record: 6-7 Points total: Brandon Anderson (86), Max Houston (73), Jonny Ford (61) Assists: Max Houston (14), Brandon Anderson (9), Jackson Schulz (5), Nathanial Fisher

Girls place first in Mustang tournament Girls win the Mustang Tournament held at SDA and prepare for a difficult game against Santa Fe Christian. liz mills

sean znachko

The Varsity team won the Mustang Tournament held at SDA from Dec. 11 to Dec. 13. The junior varsity team beat Canyon Crest Academy on Jan. 13 in double-overtime 43-41. The win against CCA was the team’s first victory in a league game.

JUNIOR VARSITY Freshman Delaney Sztraicher in a game against Tri-City.

The loss of Kristina Wavomba was a challenge to overcome. Wavomba was a leading scorer from last year’s team. But according to junior Kim-Ashleigh Mostert, the team came together as the season went on. “I think the team has gotten better at

working together. There is no one player who carries the team but rather we all support one another and help each other to succeed,” said Mostert. “The team has come a long way in such a short time,” senior Maggie Barry said. “I don’t think I’ve ever been involved with a team that has had such great chemistry as the SDA JV girls’ team. They support each other 100 [percent],” said JV coach Kelcie King-York. The next big opponent is Santa Fe Christian on Feb. 13. “We recently played them at their court. The game was really close until the 4th quarter where they pulled ahead,” Barry said. Earlier

in the season, varsity coach Jim Segovia cited Santa Fe Christian as one of the team’s toughest competitors. “We lost to them before, but it was a really close game and we should have won. So I think we’ll get them this time,” freshman Megan Hatfield said.

Varsity Standings

1. Santa Fe Christian (13-8) 2. SDA (9-10) 3. Calvin Christian (12-6) 4. Tri-City Christian (9-12) All standings courtesy of www. maxpreps.com

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Grappling for glory

Spring Sports Try-outs

Baseball The wrestling team’s hours of practicFeb. 21- 9 a.m. ing and weightlifting have shown results. Sat. Mon. Feb. 23- 3:30-5:30 p.m. eric peck

he wrestling season is in full swing, and the sweat stains and bruises are finally starting to pay off. The wrestling team has met with success this season, and a young team has progressed long way in a short time. Every wrestler on the team has at least one win, and it took more than a little work. Nine to five: almost how long the team practices for. While they didn’t compete over winter break, the wrestling team has been working hard to improve. Conditioning, practice, and weightlifting after school and over the break for three hours a day is starting to produce results for the group. According to coach Eric Wilson, the team “had a lot of work to do” over the break. The wrestlers worked on condition-

ing and technique, but that’s not the only thing being strengthened. Camaraderie and chemistry are developing at a rapid pace. “We had wrestlers that were first year with no knowledge of the sport. Now everyone has at least one win.” The team faced their toughest competition earlier this year at the LCC varsity tournament and got some wins, which was “a huge step,” said Wilson. When asked if any wrestlers stood out, Wilson said “all of the wrestlers are great,” and three athletes on the team brought home medals at their last tournament. Wilson said that he and the team are looking forward to the Coastal League Tournament on February 11, “because we match up well” with the other teams in their league. In the meantime, the team plans to keep working hard and improving.

kendall daasnes

PINNED DOWN Junior Rama Pranadinata gains the advantage over his teammate. The team is preparing for their tournament on Feb. 11.

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Boys Tennis

Tues. Feb. 24- 3:30-5:30 p.m.

Sat. Feb. 21 - 4:00-6:00 p.m. Mon. Feb. 23 - 3:30-5:30 p.m. Tues. Feb. 24 - 3:30-5:30 p.m.

Softball

Track and Field

Sat. Feb. 21- 10 - 1 p.m. Mon. Feb. 23- 3:30-5:30 p.m. Tues. Feb. 24- 3:30-5:30 p.m.

Mon. Feb. 23 - 3:30-5:30 p.m.

Boys Volleyball Sat.. Feb. 21- 8 a.m.-10 a.m. Freshman/Sophomores 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Juniors/Seniors Mon. Feb. 23 -TBA Tues. Feb. 24 -TBA

Boys Lacrosse Mon. Feb. 23- TBA

Girls Lacrosse Mon. Feb. 23- 4- 5:30 p.m.

Spring Packets are due Feb. 9 A sports packet and blue clearance card must be completed in order to try out. A copy of your Jan. 30 report card, downloadable from the Parent Portal, must be attached to your spring sports packet. Beginning Feb. 12, you will be able to pick up your blue card from the Athletic Office.

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Timeout with: Kevin Barth eric peck

ports, among other things, provide many opportunities to learn lessons about life, whether they apply to high school, college, or the work-a-day world. Athletes are lucky if they can take something from their time spent playing and reapply it to their particular sport of choice or some other part of their lives. Kevin Barth has benefited from the knowledge basketball has to offer, and is putting it on display all over the court. The senior point guard leads the varsity team in scoring and 3-point goals. The Mustang had the opportunity to sit down with him and ask some revealing questions about life and basketball. Mustang: How long have you been playing basketball? What got you started? Kevin Barth: I probably started playing basketball when I was around five, but I didn’t actually play in a league until I was eight. M: What is your favorite part about playing? KB: My favorite part about playing basketball is the team aspect and the enjoyment that I get out of it. M: What’s the hardest part about playing? KB: The hardest part about playing is probably being in shape, since it is an up-anddown game. Also, I really don’t like losing badly. M: Have you learned anything from playing basketball? KB: I have learned a ton of stuff from basketball, starting with how hard work pays off and that what you put into something is the most that you will get out. I’ve learned that you practice how you will play, and I have learned that dedication is a key to becoming better at something that is important to you. M: What’s your favorite college or pro team? KB: My favorite college team has to probably be the Oregon Ducks or the Tennessee Volunteers. I don’t really like professional ball because they play no defense and there’s way too many games. M: Do you plan on playing in college? KB: It depends on where I go to college, because if I go to

a D-1 school I don’t think I will be playing because the level of competition is too high, but if I go to a D-2 school or D-3 it could happen. M: Has anybody been particularly important in your growth as a player? KB: My brother has been a big influence on how I play and how I look at the game. The way he plays makes me want to get better and someday beat him. M: Would you rather be able to dunk like LeBron or make 90 percent of the shots you take? KB: It would be cool to dunk like Lebron, but if you’re making 90 percent of your shots and taking 15 shots a game you’re bound to have at least 30 points a game so.... But he throws down some crazy stuff so it’s tough.

eric peck

SAY CHEESE Senior Kevin Barth smiles for the camera after a late-night practice. The team hopes to finish the season on a high note, with only four games remaining on the schedule and CIF Division III playoffs approaching rapidly.

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.

Zac Ackad sophomore wrestling

current song on my iPod...

2009 is going to be:

lateralus -tool

awesome

best concert I’ve ever been to:

if I were president, _________ would be in my cabinet

exercise I hate the most:

none

jessica alba

long distance running

*nsync, backstreet boys, britney joel mchale, spears, chris- TV show host tina aguilera, 98 degrees

Catherine Belock junior soccer

adia -sarah mclachlan

better than chocolate

Rory Anderson senior basketball

juicy -notorious b.i.g.

amazing and full of parties

red hot chili peppers

sam stern

suicides

great!

the 93.3 christmas concert a few years ago

lauren fidel, megan hatfield, and my sister harper

4 on 4 or suicides

Blair Crickmore freshman basketball

beautiful -akon

beach runs

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Day in the life of: Juliette Birch It’s hard enough to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes. Try it in someone else’s ice skates. deanna melin

Juliette Birch’s Weekly Schedule

et us examine the average high-schooler’s morning. Wake up, hit snooze twice, roll out of bed, blindly pull on some clothes, and scrounge for food (unless you’ve got one of “those” mothers…the good ones who still make you deluxe breakfasts in the morning). Roll up to the lot about five minutes before the bell and stumble to first period. For senior Juliette Birch, this is not the case. She’s already on the ice by the time most people are finally getting out of bed. Now that’s dedication. Birch has been ice skating and studying ballet for 11 years. Ice skating is her prime sport, but ballet helps her to maintain superior flexibility. She also does karate five days a week, for both muscle strength and fun. Last, but not least, she jumps hurdles for track in the spring. That’s four, count them, four physical activities, sometimes all in the same day. For her ice skating, Birch has six coaches: three for individual and three for team. Julie Newman, coach of four years, was willing to share her impressions of Birch: “She’s amazingly strong and a nice performer. It’s a nice cross of athleticism and balance,” said Newman. Newman herself has some impressive credentials, including winning second place in the 1971 Ice Skating World Championships. Now, let’s face it, when most of us think of ice skating, we imagine sparkly costumes and the combined antics of Will Ferrell and Jon Heder in “Blades of Glory.” When confronted with these preconceptions, Birch simply laughed. “It’s fun to see how movies interpret what we do,” said Birch about the film. She thought it was funny, but totally offbase. Birch also claims to really like the flamboyant costumes because of the individuality and creativity involved in designing them. While there are some guidelines involved, skaters for the most part have a lot of control over the designs of their costumes. There is also a physical toll: all of these activities, plus a rigorous academic schedule, leave

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You think your weekly schedule is busy? Take a look at Birch’s weekly routine and learn to appreciate all your spare time.

Monday: 6:45-8:45 Ice Skating at UTC 9:30-3:10 School 3:30-5:00 Track (Spring Only) 7:00-8:00 Karate

Tuesday: 6:45-8:45 Ice Skating at UTC 9:30-3:10 School 3:30-5:00 Track (Spring Only) 7:00-8:00 Karate

Wednesday: 6:45-8:45 Ice Skating at the San Diego Ice Arena 9:30-3:10 School 3:30-5:00 Track (Spring Only) 7:00-8:00 Karate

Thursday: 6:15-7:00 Ice Skating at the San Diego Ice Arena 7:15-8:00 Ballet at the San Diego Ice Arena 8:00-8:45 Ice Skating at the San Diego Ice Arena 9:30-3:10 School 3:30-5:00 Track (Spring Only) 6:00-8:00 Karate

Friday : Day Off 9:30-3:10 School 3:30-5:00 Track (Spring Only) courtesy of juliette birch

BURNIN’ UP Senior Juliette Birch heats up the ice with her teammate. Her team won second at the 2008 nationals.

the busy bee quite exhausted. Birch says she only gets four or five hours of sleep on the average night. Fortunately, she has had only one notable injury to date, a broken ankle. This injury forced her to spend three months off the ice in 10th grade. Other, more minor, injuries include frequent bumps on the head. “I’m really clumsy,” said Birch. “One time I was doing crossovers, hit my blades, and fell on the wall. My coach just

laughed at me. I fall a lot on really simple things.” Despite flubs like these, Birch’s skating is no trifle. Her team won 2nd place at nationals last year, which took place in Providence, Rhode Island. “The hardest part [of competing] for me is dealing with nerves,” said Birch. “I’m always afraid I’ll fall in front of everybody.” Whatever her fears, there is no denying that Juliette Birch is a tremendously dedicated

athlete. She intends to continue skating after high school, as long as there is a rink near her college, and is considering going professional. Her schedule inspires one to find more enriching ways to spend the early morning hours currently devoted to sleeping. Maybe I like my golden slumbers, but I can definitely respect her for what she does. I mean, wouldn’t it be cool to say you went to high school with this generation’s Michelle Kwan?

Saturday: 4:50-7:00 Ice Skating at the San Diego Ice Arena 7:00-8:00 Off-Ice Exercises at the San Diego Ice Arena (Think the training in “Stick It”) 9:00-10:00 Karate

Sunday: 6:00-8:00 Ice Skating at the Escondido Iceoplex

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Surfer vs. Skater A true battle of the ages, senior surfer Vinnie Tessieri and freshman skater Pablo Gomez duke it out to defend their sport and their grade. By Nina Moussavi, Dimitri Fautsch, and Kirby Lochner. 1) If one synchronized swimmer drowns, do the rest drown too? Skater: Yeah? Because they’re all synchronized cause they do the same things. Surfer: Well obviously they would try to save the person, what else would they do? Maybe they would try to revive them. Us: Skater, choosing between doing well and drowning, I think the other swimmers would chose the latter. We only hope that you would act a little more like Surfer if you were put in this situation. No points for you. Surfer, it’s pretty apparent that you have a good heart. Maybe some of your kind heartedness would rub off on young, naive Skater. We’ll give you 6 points. 2) Name the 49th president of the United States. Skater: Obama? Surfer: Obama’s only the 44th. Wait, what?

Us: Skater, we realize that you’re a freshman and haven’t had US history yet, but honestly, don’t you watch the news? We aren’t even going to bother with points for that disgrace of an answer. Surfer, we applaud you on catching our trick. You get 5 points for almost outsmarting us. 3) What states make up the four corners? Skater: Nevada, Oregon, California, and the one above Nevada Surfer: Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and I don’t know the other one Us: Skater, again, we understand, no US history yet but we advise you to pick up a map every once and a while. The state above Nevada is Idaho and no, you-not-da-ho, but we are going to have to take away 17 points, because this lack of American history has become a bit ridiculous. Surfer, congrats on being three quarters right, the fourth

state is Colorado, but we will give you 8 points for finally starting to give “your kind” a good name. 4) What is another word for “thesaurus”? Skater: It’s not a dictionary. I know it’s not a dictionary. Surfer: I don’t really think there is one. I think it’s just one word and that’s it. Us: Skater, just to clarify, are you sure it’s not a dictionary? Because if you aren’t sure yet, we could give you a few more minutes to make up your mind while we take away 15 points. And Surfer, you’re right, we checked, mad props. We believe that calls for 12 points, and clearly puts you in the lead over Skater. 5) Do prison buses have emergency exits? Skater: Oh! No? Surfer: What kind of question

nina moussavi

COLD SHOULDER Tensions are high as surfer Vinnie Tessieri and skater Pablo Gomez prepare to go head to head in a battle of knowledge and wit.

is that? I don’t know. They’re all chained together so they wouldn’t be able to escape anyways Us: Skater, at first it seemed that you were going to get this one, but you continue to disappoint. But we are going to give you 8 pity points, because we dont want to seem like jerks. Surfer, you were on a roll until this last question, and then you had to

just go and insult us. And FYI, if they were all chained together it would just make it easier for all the prisoners to escape. We are going to have to take away 10 points for sassing us.

Total Skater: -24 Surfer: 21

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kendall daasnes WELCOME TO THE CLUB Evil KAOS operatives Melanie Gerdes, junior, and Daniel Kusher, sophomore, hold Maxwell Smart, Alec Gordey, and Agent 99, Marisa Smith, both juniors, hostage at the Fortune Cookie Club.

GET SMART: shoe phones, secret agents, and KAOS

his winter production of “Get Smart” featured juniors Alec Gordey as Maxwell Smart and Marisa Smith as Agent 99. With witty dialogue, studentmade set and special effects, this play kept the audience enthralled and in stitches.

The main characters, Agents 86, Maxwell Smart, and 99, went on a mission to stop KAOS, the organization of evil, from using Dante’s Inthermo, an experiment that would destroy the world. In the end, with help from

other agents, college students, and KAOS victims, the shoe phone was used and the mission was successful. Be sure to look for these actors and many others in the spring musical. They will performing “Bye Bye Birdie.”

kendall daasnes LAB Juniors Nathalie Karam, McKenna Taylor, Maddie Bailey, Addison Schwan, and freshman Dakota Speas watch the Inthermo.

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kendall daasnes SHOE PHONETICS Junior Alec Gordey as Maxwell Smart answers his shoe phone.

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