The Mustang June 2018 by The Mustang Newspaper

The Mustang 6.07.18

6.07.2018

Volume 22 Issue 7

THE MUSTANG

INDEX

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

The goodbye nobody asked for, but I still wrote.

ROLL CALL Editor-in-Chief / News Editor Olivia Olander Design Editor Simmone Stearn

wo nights ago, I got to visit the pre-show preparation for SDA Drama Production’s show “The Birds.” I did tech theatre all four years of high school (was that past tense?), and two years ago I was like a lot of people in that class -- ready, capable and beyond excited that I had finally found somewhere fun enough to call home. Beyond that, they too listened to ‘90s music in the dressing rooms and the boys complained about getting their makeup done and pretty much everything was exactly the same as when I first found it, just with different people. I put flowers in Ophelia’s hair backstage two years ago; this year, the costume designers added feathers into jackets behind the second story curtains. It pretty much took all of my willpower not to tell those underclassmen to seize literally every moment, because it’s true that high school goes way too fast. Senior year in Advanced Drama, we still listened to old gangsta rap before shows, but it was all with a weird “one last time” vibe that wasn’t the same as dancing around for the first time. All of this to say, as I edge towards graduation and feel any perceived control over this school slipping through my grasp, my main conclusion is that all of high school mattered, especially the parts that didn’t seem important at the time. It wasn’t made through awards or banquets, but boba runs and six-hour

work days, and those are probably what I’ll remember most. But I know that nobody reads these to hear about my life, except maybe Ava Lilie, so let’s move forward. You can actually see other seniors’ unsolicited advice to themselves in letters on page 12, and see how our campus has changed (cue the senior court nostalgia) on page 25. If you read nothing else in this especially large issue of the paper, check out the senior map on page 18 to see what city your friends have decided to be stressed in this fall. Maybe you should visit them over spring break, or just figure out which states to avoid altogether. Regardless, there’s still a few months left before almost anyone goes anywhere, and if you’re anything like me you’ll probably watch the same three shows on Netflix until mid-July then realize you might want to culture yourself with something new. Summer entertainment previews on page 28 have you covered. Finally, because in this exciting time we still need to recognize the issues with high school and college settings, the news feature on sexual harassment and assault on page 4 is all the more important. HASFAFS (have a safe, fun and fulfilling summer), Olivia Olander, Editor in Chief

Opinion Editor Mallika Seshadri Features Editor Nohemia Rosales Assistant Features Editors Erin Maxwell Kieran Zimmer Arts Editor Taylor Rudman ABOVE: Discover a profile of a beekeeper on page

17. Could it be your future career?

Business Managers Shayna Glazer Ally Joelson Online Editor Sophie Hughes Assistant Online Editor Sylvia Young Photo Editor Patrick Hall ABOVE: Relive the glory of exhibition day on page

24. Only 11 more months until the return of puppies, glitter and cupcakes.

LILY CALENDER

Senior Lily Calender started drawing and painting at age four with her dad. She seriously began doing art around seventh grade and says now that, “I don’t know what I would do if I wasn’t doing art.” Inspired by the cover of Los Angeles Times’ Academy Awards gala, Calender followed the idea to a “Where’s Waldo”-type cartoon. She said, “We thought it would be cool if we had that for SDA. Stimson is leaving so it’s a fun last kind of tribute. And then Exhibition Day is very ‘SDA’ so I thought it would a be good end-of-year cover.” For her, the cover is “SDA in a nutshell, in two-pages.” She has had a really enjoyed her four years at this school and plans to continue painting and drawing at UC Berkeley.

INCLUDED ON THE COVER ARE MORE OF SDA’S WONDERFUL STAFF. FIND THEM ALL!

Sports Editor Yari Sequeria Assistant Sports Editor Alexis Price

Cover Artist

Jeremy Wright - Art Kajsa Medak - Art Leslie Luna - Admin Secretary Bob Teisher - History James Hrzina - History George Stimson - Science Scott Huntley - Culinary Angela Jackson - Art Kerry Koda and her daughter - History

Humor Editor Nadia Ballard

Tim Roberts - English/Journalism Robert Ross - English Ryan Cardenas - Science Darlene Blanchard - Math Kerri Leonard and her son - English Eli Cameron - History Jared Nicol - English (sub for Mrs. Mullen) Kevin Witt - History Trudy Young - Substitute teacher

Staff Artists Emma Toscani Lilly Callender Staff Writers Rosy Alvarado Tom Amoroso Aeon Benford-Combs Ryan Cohen Joice He Anna Griffin Amelia Kaiser Lane Levin Lena Mau Christopher Mellusi Taina Millsap Sienna Riley Lila Schief Madison Vance Braden White Advisor Tim Roberts 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 42, or emailed to sdamustang@gmail. com. San Dieguito Academy Room 42 800 Santa Fe Drive Encinitas, CA 92024

JUNE 2018

NEWS SDA makes top 700 By Lane Levin

an Dieguito Academy High School is ranked 631st nationally according to the 2018 US News ratings of America’s best high schools. SDA is also ranked 110th out of the 1,313 high schools in California. SDA is the third ranked high school in the San Dieguito Unified High School District, behind Canyon Crest Academy and Torrey Pines. CCA is 14th and Torrey Pines is 48th in California. La Costa Canyon and Sunset are out of the range of schools ranked, according to US News. High schools were ranked on a variety of statistics including graduation rate, mathematics and reading proficiency, and AP testing scores. While Principal Adam Camacho said that these factors provide a good baseline for comparing schools, he added that “what is hard to rank, which is a big part of what SDA represents, is our culture -- the intangibles.” The college readiness index is also used to compare high schools. This statistic is based on the number of students that participate in AP and IB testing and their performance on these exams, according to US News. San Diegutio Academy was ranked 457th nationally in 2016, but since then the ranking has fallen based on US News data. In past years SDA has received the gold award, meaning it is in the top two percent of high schools. It currently has the silver award placing it in the top 11 percent. SDUHSD Watchdog, a website that publishes commentary and documents about the San Dieguito Union High School District, wrote that “school rankings reveal that Board’s prioritization of salaries over needs of schools and students has taken its toll,” after noting the districts fall in the rankings since 2013. “Parents have appeared before the board on many occasions asking why more funding is not being allocated to the schools,” the website added. Camacho said, “You have to engage in conversations around teaching and learning” when speaking on how SDA has acquired their ranking. “You got to motivate kids and you have to create a school that has a culture where kids want to come and do their best. When kids achieve that’s fantastic,” he added.

THE MUSTANG

GOODBYE

Three of SDA’s most influential staff members will be graduating alongside this year’s senior class. By Anna Griffin

hree of SDA’s long-term staff members will be retiring along with this year’s graduating senior class. One of these, physics teacher George Stimson has been working at SDA for 35 years, and it is the first public school he ever taught at. “I’ll really miss the students the most. The buildings are nice and all that stuff, but it’s really the kids,” said Stimson. He has dedicated his career to students as both a physics and robotics teacher. “Mr. Stimson has always been a huge advocate to students. He is their biggest cheerleader and a highly skilled teacher,” said Principal Adam Camacho. Lois Delanty has worked at SDA as an Administrative Assistant since the school’s opening in 1996. “After retirement I have a trip

planned and I’m also going to get organized around the house,” said Delanty. “I’m going to keep busy with things that interest me, possibly volunteering or painting.” She also emphasized how much she will miss her co-workers and the fun activities happening on campus. “Lois Delanty guided the student body voice in creating SDA,” said Camacho. Along with Delanty and Stimson, math department head Gail Lee will be retiring as well. Many people have expressed their gratitude for her knowledge and dedication. “When you hear her perspective, it is unfiltered and honest,” said Camacho. Camacho added that Lee left a significant impression on SDA. “We are going to miss her leadership,” said Camacho.

TOP: Head of math department Gail Lee during the ribbon ceremony the new and science building last fall. Photo courtesy of Daniela Driver MIDDLE: Administrative Assistant Lois Delanty Photo by Anna Griffin BOTTOM: Physics and Robotics teacher George Stimson Photo by Patrick Hall

NEWS

#teenstoo, experience sexual harassment

Many SDA students endure sexual harassment and assault. Others have ideas to mitigate it. By Mallika Seshadri.

s she left for a friend's house to work on her Halloween costume, an SDA student was followed by a man in his early 20s, who constantly elevator eyed her. “It just felt so disgusting,” said the girl who wished to remain anonymous. “After he looked at me like that, I felt the need to put my cardigan back on.” “At work, customers....will comment on my appearance,” said another SDA student who asked not to be identified. “It might be flattering if I didn’t feel so uncomfortable,” she said. “I get winks from a lot of men. At first, I thought it was endearing. But then I realized it wasn’t ‘a grandpa winking at a little girl’ type of thing. I became aware that I’m not a ‘little girl’ anymore, and they didn’t see me that way. A lot of it comes in forms of jokes: ‘If I was 20 years younger, I’d be one happy guy’ or ‘I’ve got a wife and three daughters so I know what women want and I can treat you right.’ And all I can do is smile and tell them to have a nice day.” “I was sexually assaulted by this one person I trusted,” said a third student who wanted to remain anonymous. “He took advantage of me in a way I didn’t think he would,” she said. “I kind of brushed off that situation, thinking it wasn’t that big of a deal until a few months later, when [I found out the same person assaulted others]...I immediately told my friends after it happened... but they didn’t take me seriously. They just thought it was a joke…. so I brushed it off and...Pretended everything was ok when it really wasn’t.” Eventually, though, she opened up, and police got involved. These three students talked about being sexually harassed and assaulted, and their struggles are not unusual. Eighty-seven percent of women who said they had been sexually harassed in a study conducted by the Harvard Graduate School of Education in October, 2017. The prevalence of sexual harassment and assault was revealed through social media hashtags #metoo and #timesup following assault allegations against celebrities, many interviewees said. Film producer Harvey Weinstein was one of the celebrities called out through #metoo and was recently arrested on rape and sexual assault charges. Closer to home, an LCC teacher was reported to the police in 2016 after he allegedly participated in a sexual relationship with a student. The teacher resigned two weeks after being placed on paid leave on February 19, 2016, according to an article published in The Voice of San Diego.

More recently, at SDA, a teacher resigned after female students told school officials that he commented on their appearance and, in some cases, touched them in ways that made them uncomfortable. Though many students have not experienced sexual harassment, many said they fear it might happen to them. “I think about how it can happen to me as easily as it could happen to anyone else, and it really hits home because just being out by myself, I get worried,” senior Taylor Leslie said. Senior Olivia Hussey added that the possibility of being sexually harassed causes girls to be more aware of the issue. “Teenage girls, myself included, often feel afraid to go certain places at night because of the threat of [sexual harassment and assault],” Hussey said. “It’s really scary to think that you could be in a situation where you feel helpless and like you could be penalized or objectified because of how you look or where you work, or the people that you have to surround yourself with,” senior Rami Ibrahim added, sympathizing with individuals, especially girls and women, who have been sexually harassed. “Nobody deserves to be harassed, especially sexually….I was conditioned to think sexual harassment was bad, and it’s shocking to think that men grow up and don’t understand that.” SEXUAL HARASSMENT’S MAGNITUDE According to SDA counselor Ann Nebolon, sexual harassment is very different from “exploring the sexual side of [a] relationship because sexual harassment is unwanted sexual advancements, or comments, or behaviors.” The Harvard Graduate School of Education surveyed 18 to 25 year olds from around the country in October 2017. Of those surveyed, 87 percent had suffered some form of sexual harassment. Of that 87 percent, 55 percent had been catcalled, 41 percent had been touched without permission by a stranger, and 52 percent had a stranger say something sexual to them. While this survey focused on more of a college age group, Nebolon said many girls at SDA have suffered harassment. Though there is no official statistic pertaining to SDA students, Nebolon said she would estimate — based off of her personal interaction with students — that over a third of students that come in to the counseling office saying they had been harassed. The 2017 Healthy Kids Survey revealed that 32 percent of students at SDA had sexual

comments made to them. Nebolon added, “There’s a ton of it out there that is not being reported.” “Teens need to care...because it affects them,” senior Rachel Kaplan said. “When I talk to adults about going to college, a lot of them will mention safety. They’ll say ‘Make sure you always watch your drink!’, ‘Don’t walk home alone!’, ‘Go out with a group of people that you trust!’ These are all good points, of course, but I have to assume my male peers aren’t getting the same types of pep talks.” Though both men and women get sexually harassed, a lot more women experience it. In a survey conducted in January 2018 by Stop Street Harassment, a nonprofit organization, 81 percent of women had been sexually harassed, in comparison to 43 percent of men who had similar experiences. The organization said sexual harassment included verbal sexual harassment, unwelcome sexual touching, online sexual harassment, being physically followed, genital flashing, and sexual assault. “From the time girls have become teens...they have to worry about being victims of sexual assault and harassment, which should not be something a 13 year old has to think about,” sophomore Georgia Goldsmith said. “My cousin. She’s two. It’s going to happen to her,” junior Agnes Lin added, her voice teeming with frustration. Nebolon said that while there are various levels of sexual harassment, they are all demeaning and objectifying. “Catcalling is demeaning to girls and women…. and that’s a pretty low level thing…. But [even though] that is a low level example, it’s still completely objectifying,” Nebolon said. Nebolon added that higher levels of sexual harassment make “the victims feel horrible about themselves...it’s violating...you have a right to your body, and when someone takes that right from you or violates you. It doesn't feel good.” CAUSES OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT Nebolon said the prevalence of sexual harassment among teens can be largely attributed to messages media conveys. “A lot of stuff out in the media demeans girls and women,” she said. This, according to Nebolon, is harmful because it teaches people it’s ok to objectify others. Leslie said people in positions of power, including President Donald Trump, have normalized harassment, and in some cases assault. They are “where [they are]

JUNE 2018

NEWS

now and there’s no repercussions for what [they] did to all those women... it can just show you how far men can get in society when they do things like that,” she said, referencing Trump’s comments on the Access Hollywood bus and the sexual assault allegations made against him. According to Nebolon, sexual harassment is especially difficult to mitigate among teens since they are are “becoming more interested in relationships.” She added that in theprocess of exploring relationships, teens often struggle to define their boundaries. “It’s kind of accepted that sexual harassment and sexual assault is [a part of]….women’s lives,” senior Samantha Bellier Igasaki said. “A lot of times, when... something [is] widely accepted in our culture, it doesn’t really go away quickly, mainly because the majority of people have to [identify] it as a problem and work against it in order to [incite] change.” Senior Isaac Rosenbaum had a more optimistic outlook. “I think the culture has definitely made catcalling and other relatively minor forms of sexual harassment okay, but I can see that the culture is changing for the better...Now there seems to be a growing realization that women and men ought to be viewed and treated with more respect than they have been in the past,” he said. A GOOD FIRST STEP Since its founding in 2006, the “me too” movement garnered much attention, especially during 2016, when multiple celebrities posted #metoo on social media, indicating they were survivors of sexual harassment and/or assault. Film producer Harvey Weinstein was one of the first to be called out after Actress Ashley Judd posted the hashtag in October 2017. Later that month, Olympic gymnast McKayla Maroney said Team USA’s doctor, Larry Nassar, assaulted her and other members of the team. Most recently actor Morgan Freeman was called out on May 24 2018. Though the movement gained momentum through celebrity postings, Georgetown University’s PEORIA project found that between January 2017 and January 2018, #metoo was posted 7.7 million times, and #timesup was posted 816,000 times. Of those that posted, 63 percent were female, and 37 percent were male. “I think those movements are really beneficial for the people that feel like they’re the only ones enduring sexual harassment. Because your world is so small, to see people go on stage and go on the Oscars and Emmys and defend you is really

THE MUSTANG

important,” Ibrahim added. Hussey said that #metoo and #timesup were important because they are “shining light on issues that have faded from less media coverage.” While Kaplan supports the movements’ intentions, she believes they are only a first step. “There was little dialogue other than the warranted outrage. Awareness is the first step to creating change, but it can’t be the last,” she said. Senior Kylie Ade said that while many survivors of sexual harassment and assault posted #metoo, few chose to act proactively afterward and seek help. “A lot of people spilled their stories but never got help. It didn’t go anywhere...it was good to bring awareness but awareness is nothing without action,” she said. “We should be addressing the fact that the people who have been mistreated need help. Sharing isn’t enough to cope and mend.” Leslie said she believes some men misinterpreted the meaning behind the movement and took it too personally instead of seeing it for what it was intended to be. “A lot of men felt that it was an attack on them rather than just bringing awareness to an issue that’s been happening,” she said. Bellier Igasaki said that while posting is a good first step, people need to start looking into their own actions and assessing their own behaviors. “Part of the issue is that even some celebrities who have claimed to support these movements haven’t really looked into their own actions,” she said. “People need to think about how they’re contributing both positively and negatively.” COMING FORWARD If sexually harassed, a student should “stand up for yourself... make what you want very clear to that other person because communication is number one for everything,” Nebolon said. She added that students should also “tell a trusted adult,” including counselors, administrators and teachers. “Luckily, here at this school, it’s a school full of trusted adults,” Nebolon added. “It always feels so much better to share that kind of a secret because by keeping something like that a secret... can become like a burden and bring you down more.” “I would just hope that if something has happened for any student here that they would seek out some help and come in and talk to an adult because...when something like that happens, especially if you don’t really understand it, it can feel very

isolating and can make you feel bad about yourself, and we don’t want that,” Nebolon said. Nebolon added that if students do not wish to talk to an adult, they can go to PALs, who are also trained to help students who have suffered sexual harassment. The student that had been followed to her friend’s house said, “I know that other people have gone through similar things, and so I knew that [my story] would be understood and that it wouldn’t just be mocked….I told people because I needed some kind of confirmation that what I was feeling wasn’t wrong or wasn’t false....If I hadn’t told anyone, it probably would have eaten away at me more,” she added. The student who was assaulted described how difficult it was for her to come forward. “I had to tell my parents...It was the most difficult thing I’ve ever had to do,” she said, adding that coming forward was especially difficult since she suppressed her emotions. Memories of the incident “all just came back up when I reported it, and it was just really difficult for me to grapple with,” she said. Though she struggled to open up, she believes doing so was vital. “Opening up to the people that really supported me was very helpful because they gave me everything I needed at the time. I would talk about how I was feeling, and they would offer what they could do to help me out. I really appreciated that,” she said. While she said she hoped opening up would be helpful to her, she came forward mainly to prevent others from being assaulted by the same person. “I felt that it was important because I was afraid that it would happen to other people as well.” she said. “I wanted to prevent any more trauma and damage they could do other people.” EDUCATION AND EMPOWERMENT As a part of Wellness Week, SDA dedicated May 24 to healthy relationships, and PALS visited each homeroom, educating students about characteristics of healthy and unhealthy relationships. In addition to teaching students about healthy relationships, “There needs to be some education around [sexual harassment] so that everybody would be clear on what’s appropriate and what’s not,” Nebolon said. She also noted that many parents avoid discussing topics like sexual harassment because they are seen as uncomfortable. Bellier Igasaki said that “It’s kind of [girls’] mentality to keep

quiet,” when they should be taught to stand their ground. She also said boys should be taught to express their emotions instead of being encouraged to be tough and powerful. By enabling boys to be more open about their emotions, she said they would find other ways to deal with them without demeaning others. “Everyone needs to be taught that it’s ok to not be ok, and it’s ok to show emotions and talk about our emotions and to have deeper friendships,” Bellier Igasaki added. According to the survey conducted by the Harvard Graduate School of Education, parents rarely discuss sexual harassment with their children, especially when it comes to teaching their children how not to sexually harass others. Of the respondents, 72 percent of men and 80 percent of women were never taught how to avoid perpetrating sexual harassment. Goldsmith said those that sexual harass others “need [to] be aware that girls are not just sexual objects.... Just because a woman’s body is exposed doesn’t mean [one] can objectify them.” Kaplan added that it is wrong to assume “boys are always the guilty party....Instead of focusing specifically on what boys need to be taught, we should focus on teaching boys and girls alike about consent [in the case of sexual assault] and respect.” Speaking more to serious cases of sexual harassment, and some forms of assault, Lin said students need to receive sexual education at a young age, so preteens do not seek out their own sources of information, that may reinforce what she sees as society’s objectifying attitude toward women: “Even when boys say [girls should be treated respectfully], they don’t always follow through because they don’t know what that means.” She also said boys need to be educated about the magnitude of sexual harassment, since it happens to them less frequently. “When I talk to my male friends, they don’t even realize what a large problem this is,” she said. Lin added that it is too late to prevent current teenagers from suffering sexual harassment, but she does feel the teens have an obligation to future generations of girls and women. “We are the next generation, and we are capable of making change,” Goldsmith said. The girl that had been followed to her friend’s house said girls need to feel more empowered. “Be brave. Know that it’s not always your fault,” she said. “Know your power and know your voice.”

OPINIONS

Stop. Read the shampoo bottle. Would you save bunnies? Would you eliminate meat from your diet for animal rights purposes? If so, stand against animal testing.

riving down Santa Fe after The same organization sundown several years ago, my described the abuse these animals mom and I were stopped by endure daily. Chemicals are rubbed man standing on the median waving onto rabbits’ skin and dropped his arms. We braked and asked what into their eyes to test for various happened. He told us, in a panicked irritations that could also bother voice, that a litter of kittens had been humans (keep in mind those doing abandoned there, in the median, the testing are probably wearing and that he had safety glasses to been trying avoid getting that If you see someone same chemical in to keep them trip over something their eyes.) from innocently or even nothing, it’s wandering into Even more probably me. despicable is the streets. We decided to that animals Mallika Seshadri are constantly pulled over to help. force fed higher Sure and higher enough, there concentrations of was a litter of six kittens, no bigger chemicals until they die. This enables than my hand, cowering in the companies to determine the highest bushes, huddled together, their eyes dose of different chemicals they can fearfully darting from one direction use in their product without severely to another. harming humans. I tried to fathom how someone If someone was asked to turn could do something that dispicable over their pets to an animal testing to innocent little beings. But, I laboratory, they would immediately quickly realized that while it’s easy to refuse to let something so awful be appalled and disgusted by these and obscene happen to their little acts of neglect and abuse, we often companion. So, why would these indirectly — and unknowingly — same animal-loving people support condone violence towards animals businesses that harm little beings on a daily basis. One of the most akin to those they love at home? prevalent ways is by purchasing Not only is it completely cosmetics that are tested on animals. unethical to toy around with the It is estimated that 100,000 lives of little beings we deem to be to 200,000 animals suffer from inferior, but it is also completely cosmetic testing annually, according unnecessary. to Humane Society International. According to Humane Society This excludes other forms of animal International, there have been testing, such as for medical research. over 40 validated tests that can be

used in place of animal testing that determine the safety of chemicals inserted in cosmetics; none of these methods involve torturing/killing an innocent being. Also, at this point, though unfortunately at the expense of animals’ lives, most chemicals found in cosmetics were tested years ago. So, companies should be able to easily limit their products to include these chemicals that have been approved numerous times. Limiting animal testing in this way would also save cosmetic companies the expenses involved with frequent lab testing. Several, though not enough, companies refuse to test on animals. These companies often place a small logo promising their product is “cruelty-free,” which in many ways, makes them more marketable and appealing to consumers. Even if you didn’t know about animal testing — or even if you didn’t care about animal welfare — wouldn’t you rather buy a shampoo whose label says “cruelty free”? Eliminating animal testing is a critical next step. But in order for it to happen, cosmetic companies need to be held more accountable for their unethical practices. That can only happen if we boycott products that are tested on animals. There is no lack of choice in our stores, so pick one of several brands that employ ethical practices. Those two extra seconds perusing an aisle might just save a little bunny’s life.

Hey guess what, school shootings aren’t interesting anymore There’s been another one. Not that you’d know.

id you hear about the latest school shooting? Honestly, neither did I. Isn’t it sad? Just a couple weeks ago, on May 18, there I like bees. was another school shoot-Shayna Glazer ing. Three months ago, after the Parkland shooting, we, the student body of America, the future of our country, were rising up as a collective voice shouting enough is enough. Yet now, now we barely

bat an eye. There were marches, speeches, signs, rants, tears. There were voices from every corner of the country demanding that something be done, demanding that we change the fear students were feeling into something else- something constructive. It worked. Fear changed to hope, mainly because of the wave of support that washed over the high schools throughout the country. But now it’s June and school

shootings are becoming ordinary. It’s old news, it’s a story perfect for a temporary spike in media attention. It’s depressing how commonplace school shootings have become. On television stations, the newscaster gave the tragedy a good 30 seconds of air time before attention was directed to the highly anticipated royal wedding that would occur the next day. The excitement of an American commoner marrying into the English royal family was far more captivating to viewers across the nation. In fact, the royal wedding took so much media attention that facts about the school shootings were completely missed. Something

completely startling is the fact most Americans didn’t even know two school shootings occurred on that same day. So forgive me when I say I’m a little shocked. Screw it, I’m positively blown away that we changed as a community so fast. Four months was all it took for the United States to lose interest in covering the topic. School shootings are no longer a burning ember of passion for students to rise against; it’s become a tired issue that causes people to feel a sense of bleak hopelessness, and sigh about how far society has fallen. No longer is the country uniting against the issue, it’s simply another sad story on the news.

Where will we go from here? Arguments for how to eliminate school shootings have become increasingly polarized: one side demanding the removal of all guns, the other stating that protections need to be put in place. The country is fracturing and instead of looking to seal the fissures in the once strong wall of hope created by the nation, the cracks are expanding and the sentiment that “enough is enough” is falling apart. It seems the overall public of the United States has become numb to the issue. What will become bad enough to open people’s eyes to horror once more? Unfortunately, I don’t know and I’m afraid to see.

JUNE 2018

OPINIONS A FUN VARIETY of different ways you, too, can try other forms of transportation: bike, carpool, skate, and scoot scoot, whatever floats your boat, but do it in style. Illustration by Lily Callender.

Carpool- it’s cool

Grab your phone, text your friends, and carpool to your local boba spot. Or scooter. Just keep in mind your environmental impact(s).

Gumball machine of opinions

An assortment of opinions that individually aren’t worth printing.

THE MUSTANG

he birthday song that is typically sung is a horrible song. When sung in groups it turns into a funeral march. My birthday shouldn’t be a funeral. RIP festive vibes that was around here before you all opened your mouths. You don’t have to tell me that I’m probably not that bad at playing tennis. I am actually just as good as I think I am because I am selfaware. I’m comfortable with my low level of expertise and your constant I like cats. reminder that “I can’t Nohemia be that bad” Rosales just makes the situation more uncomfortable. Baseball is not that boring to watch, but take note that watching it on TV

h geez another article about the environment? Yes! But the focus of this article is on alternative methods of transportation. Fun? You know it! Let’s get crackin. Cars, some of the best machines made by man, have connected individuals across the world and continents for over a century. However, the pollution created by these vehicles Recycle my has been destructive, from fellow humans slowly destroying Alexis Price the ozone layer and damaging the soil by contributing to the increase in acid rain. What is its true purpose you may ask? Well, the ozone layer is a filter for UVR, or ultraviolet radiation rays which have potentially harmful effects on the environment and your skin. Basically, the ozone layer is like super protective sunscreen. The ozone layer breaks down when chemicals like bromine and chlorine are abundant, which occurs from an excess of pollution in the atmosphere. One way to slow down the deterioration of the ozone layer is by carpooling. Take a moment to reflect on all of those memories you have had driving somewhere with your friends, blasting music, laughing, and smiling. Then, remember the ones when you were alone, without the opportunity to share those new tunes

means that they tell you when to pay attention. You miss the experience of hotdogs and frozen lemonade and climbing over people’s laps to get to your seat, but at least you will watch some baseball. A hot dog is not a sandwich. I don’t know where your lap goes when you stand up and I will not accept the idea that it just disappears. Goldfish and raisins are a good combo. Eat till Where does your you are full. lap go when you The starvingstand up? childrenin-a-lessMadison Vance developedcountry argument makes no sense; you eating all your food won’t mean that the starving children will

you recently heard with anyone, no one, you’re so lonely... If you were always carpooling, whether that means going to school or the grocery store, you can connect with your friends and family more, while also leaving less of a carbon footprint on the ozone layer. Another way to help the ozone layer is by biking to your destination. Take out that dusty ol’ bike from the garage, pump up the tires, throw on a helmet, and ride it down your street a couple times. Now, you can ride to the grocery store, to school, and to your friendly neighborhood crack house. You can also burn a few calories in the process. Scootering or skateboarding is always a good option to have some fun and look sick, dude. Shred the gnar and keep grommin’. No, I don’t know the lingo. Or, you could move those amazing legs of yours to walk to your destination! In my own experience, walking to the grocery store was a great opportunity for me to spend time with my mom throughout middle school. Walking is another great way to spend time with family or friends. Whatever alternative way you plan to move, do it in stride. Your small difference can make a big impact over time.

get food. Just take the appropriate amount of food. Be conscientious and appreciative of having food. Gushers are gross. They are actually repulsive. Knowing how to braid your own hair is a skill you should know how to do before you leave high school or don’t expect people to braid your hair because you are incapable. My childhood wasn’t ruined because I didn’t watch SpongeBob or any Nickelodeon shows. However, Wizards of Waverly Place and The Suite Life (on Deck) are gems. Un-ironically making animal sounds to intimidate people is not okay. Endings are always a little disappointing.

OPINIONS

Graduation isn’t the end. Keeping high school friends shouldn’t be a crazy thought. You and your friends can come up with creative ways to stay in touch.

MISSING FRIENDS? Facetime them! Art by Emma Toscani.

t’s June 15th! Caps and gowns on that’s what were all thinking. Even if and everyone is saying just how we got into our dream school and we much they’ll miss their fellow can’t wait to start this new chapter, seniors! Fast forward a couple of there’s a part of us that’s freaking years later and no one even sees out about being away from your each other anymore. And you have home and your favorite people in the no idea what your best friends from world, away from your family and high schools are doing these days. support system. You sit there wondering why that And I believe that we’ll all be happened. fine, we’ll make new friends and Let’s we’ll have the best change four years. But that I’m sorry that you feel that that please. doesn’t mean we way. I’m tired can’t face time our of seeing HS best friends once -Taina Millsap adults in a while and plan a forgetting couple reunions a year about during summer and their high breaks. school They remind friends as us of a time in our they complain about it but don’t do lives where things were easier, and anything to fix it their old friends lighter we had less things to worry anymore. about. While at the same managing Trust me there’s nothing wrong to be super dramatic teens; we went with making new friends, I mean through those times with these that’s what life’s all about. New people, our friends that we might experiences and meeting new people know since we were babies and it’s going off to college and getting a hard not to miss that. job, but there’s a difference between I know this first hand, from enriching your life and forgetting moving to the USA in 8th grade, I about the ones you loved. had to make a complete change in Moving away and starting a my life, make new friends, go to a new life at 18 is already scary, I know new school in a different country.

Don’t sweat your major

Not all college majors spit you out directly into the profession you’ll have for the rest of your life. My point? Major in something you love and proceed from there.

kay, I know, here I am a high school junior giving you advice about your future… definitely I like bees. doesn’t sound legitimate, but -Shayna Glazer hear me out. If you take a look at the adults around you, chances are they are working in a job that doesn’t 100 percent correlate to the college major they attained. Believe it or not, according to studies from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, only 27 percent of people with college degrees are employed in a job directly relating to their undergraduate major. I can’t change many seniors’ mind on this since many have declared majors for next year, but for those that are undeclared and juniors, sophomores, and freshmen, hopefully I can save you from the pain of deciding between money and happiness. Take law school for example: it

takes a bachelor’s degree and then a graduate degree to become a lawyer. While majoring in pre-law might seem like a natural step to get into law school, most law schools say they aren’t interested in people who took pre law. In fact, according to LSAC (the organization that administers the LSAT, a mandatory assessment to be eligible for law school) only 52 percent of criminal justice majors and 61 percent of pre law majors were accepted into graduate school for a law degree. Guess what, there’s a higher percentage of admittance for those applying from a philosophy (82 percent acceptance), economics (79 percent acceptance), or a journalism (76 percent acceptance) undergraduate program. Even medical school pushes for students to have their undergraduate major be something they enjoy and excel at as opposed to premed programs. There’s such a wide range

of undergraduate majors accepted in similar percentages to medical school; these including biology, various mathematics majors, humanities, and physical science majors. Also, those that apply to medical school with a humanities undergraduate degree (though fewer in numbers) are accepted in the same percentage as those in physical sciences or math. There’s this notion that the only way to be happy in the real world is to make money, and the only way to do that is to be a lawyer, doctor or some other profession that takes years and years of schooling to get the qualifications for. I don’t know where I will end up in the future, but I know I am going to follow a path that keeps me happy and challenged. It makes me sad to think that there are so many people in the world squashing their natural talents and passions in order to follow the dream that excessive wealth will create satisfaction. I hope more people begin to open their eyes to see that happiness is more important than dollar bills.

Major

And right now 5 years later I still meet my old friends every year and catch up and I try to talk on the phone as much as possible. Even thought it was a more everyday occurrence at the beginning of my move I still value those friends just as much. Of course you’ll grow apart a little bit, life does that. But don’t forget them, ask how they’re doing every once in a while and remember that without them you wouldn’t be the person you are today. Make an effort, send them birthday cards, come up with funny little ways to stay in touch; like the sisterhood of the traveling pants style or have a monthly group face time chat, travel together, send each other little gifts from wherever you are. Whatever you do, don’t drop them the minute you move just because that’s how life is supposed to go; it’s not. Make new friends, keep the old and realize that all those people make your life so much better, even if sometimes you’re far apart. Graduation is coming up seniors so remember, in the next few years meet new people, be amazing, change the world but don’t forget about the ones you grew up with and the memories you’ve made.

Profession

International Business

College Counselor

Physical Education

Loan Consultant

Communications

TV Producer

Urban Planning

Land Acquisitioner

Microbiology

Project Director

Psychology

Accountant

Sociology

Contractor

Nutrition

Business Manager

English

Special Education Aid

Physiology

Anesthesiologist

Psychology

Sales

Communications

Director of Housing

International Relations

Online Stylist

Ask a parent about how important their major was in leading them to their profession. Better yet, look above at these parents’ reported majors and professions from our journalism class.

JUNE 2018

Cut it out!

OPINIONS

Cultural appropriation ain’t real

Does the motivation behind genital mutilation stand up to modern reason? Only an American would say yes.

s of late, I have been pondering when, after my first baby is born, would be the best time to remove his pinky toe. I want to do it because I don’t want to run the risk of the pinky toe getting cancer when he’s older and I also want to make it easier to clean when he’s taking a shower. And God told me to. These are the basic motives of parents today who decide to circumcise their child. A circumcision is the removal of a thin layer of excess skin that wraps around the penis like a nice blanket. Modern reasons for removal fall under two categories: religious and social. The Hebrew Bible, from which the procedure was popularized, instructs for newborns to have their foreskins removed as a token to God in a ritual known as the Brit Milah. To concede some points, yes, it is true that Penis! a circumcised penis is easier -Patrick Hall to clean than an uncircumcised penis but with access to water and sanitation, negligibly so. However, circumcision most definitely makes a difference in AIDS stricken countries of Africa where good sanitation and access to condoms aren’t necessarily givens. In fact, the WHO recommends it in those countries. Circumcision’s presence in America has little to do with sanitation and everything to do with fighting masturbation and sexual pleasure. Many doctors and scientists of the 19th century, such as a founder of the American Medical Association, Lewis Sayre, believed that acts of self-pleasure, such as masturbation, contributed to over stimulation of nerves in the brain. Circumcision would, naturally, prevent masturbation (it doesn’t). At the time, it could be argued to be genuine scientific inquiry, even though a large number of doctors merely bought into the belief because they saw masturbation as a sin. Since the hypothesis’ disappearance from medicine, circumcision has stuck around because of its original purpose, culture. Just like inches and Fahrenheit, circumcision is a result of our desire to be unique, to be... American! It turns out there are other ways to manage the foreskin without cutting it off. About 77 percent of US males are circumcised while

THE MUSTANG

less than 20 percent of men are circumcised in China, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, France, and Japan. Shockingly, cervical cancer rates, HPV rates, and HIV rates are identically low among these countries. This means circumcision plays no important role in deflecting those diseases that condoms or clean water don’t already. So, does circumcision help in preventing STDs? Yes. Do condoms help in preventing STDs? Yes. Which option forces you to cut off a significant piece of what is consistently reported by men to be their most important organ? If you approve of male circumcision, then you must also agree with the essence of female genital mutilation that takes place in some parts of the Middle East and Africa in which the clitoris and the lips of the vagina are removed, sewn shut, and a small hole is punctured to serve as a substitute. Let’s bring female genital mutilation to the U.S., perfect the procedure, as to eliminate all negative side effects, and prove that sexual partners have a slightly lower risk of sexually transmitted diseases in circumcised women (which is true). Would you circumcise your daughter? Would you remove the lips of your daughter’s vagina? Your answer should be, unhesitantly, no. It would be seen as a vicious example of gender inequality (to say the least) and an inhumane religious and social modification, dressed shallowly in the name of “medicine”. It would be seen for what circumcision is. Now, in no way am I against a man or woman’s choice to selfcircumcision for whatever reason, just as I’m supportive of body piercing. Why can’t we simply normalize the practice to be performed at a later age? Maybe it’s because no uncircumcised person feels it necessary to do so. Here’s an uncomfortable, yet enlightening experiment: find any random, uncircumcised man and ask if they plan on getting a circumcision. When they say no, follow up by asking them to imagine the procedure to be completely painless and free. When they repeat their first answer, walk away in defeat, grudgingly wishing upon them an STD (that they won’t get) for not answering how you wanted them to. No fore skinned man wants to

Don’t even think about it!

lthough prom and the theme fiasco are in the past, the issue of cultural appropriation is still prominent. However, the issue isn’t that people from different backgrounds engage in practices, ideas and other facets of different cultures. The issue is that many people condemn them for their acts of admiration. Terms like “racist” or “bigot,” are casually thrown around social media at people who just want to show their interest in other cultures. There are several things wrong with the idea of cultural “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. - Wayne Gretzky -Michael Scott” - Aeon Combs

FEAR the shear! Illustration by Patrick Hall be circumcised because the foreskin isn’t a nuisance. Despite all of these logical points, many of you are still going to circumcise your child. You don’t care that there is virtually no medical benefit in modern countries. You don’t care that its purpose is to reduce the pleasure of sex. You don’t care that a form of genital mutilation is a mainstream cornerstone of our sexual culture. There is simply no logical defense for you to prevent your child from circumcising themselves when they’re older. It is to impose your strange desire to save them a couple of seconds of

extra cleaning in the shower. You cannot declare this practice to be benign. A society cannot normalize the removal of organs for no good reason. This isn’t an issue on which you may be indifferent, for then you are complicit in the mass, pointless mutilation of American babies. We have to make circumcision an ancient tradition, a horror story to tell our children around the campfire, a two sentence piece in the obscure section of an American history textbook on the same page as the belief that cigarettes are good for the lungs.

appropriation, both ethically and logically, and a proper dissection of cultural appropriation is necessary to understand it. There are examples throughout social media that have caught the attention of people desiring to become victimized. Hoop earrings, dreadlocks, playing certain genres of music, even Halloween costumes have been the subject to rants and harsh comments online. Many questions have been raised because of this: Who exactly gets to decide what is offensive or not? Where does the line end? To what bounds can condemnation of cultural insensitivity go before we are all divided? People like to associate cultural appropriation with disrespect and hostility towards other people. That couldn't be farther from the truth. There are many examples of people pounding on their keyboards and collectively screaming at people who respectfully adopt part of a culture over the internet, including a teen in Utah who wore a Chinese dress to her prom. Literally thousands of keyboard warriors banded together to bully her online. Some even called her a colonialist. Of course I do not advocate for people insulting others for their cultures just to get under their skin, but there is a difference between someone whose intent is to hurt someone while engaging in culture and those that do it in an appropriate or an ignorant manner. Condemning people for “wearing dresses” or “creating prom themes” is counterproductive if one intends to fight actual racism. Bigots whose hatred runs deep for people and those who show affection are commonly blended by social media users.

OPINIONS

Good improvement guys... kinda... The girls bathrooms are doing better since the last time that we did a story on them, so we wanted to give a quick update for everyone.

hings have now turned from a complete mess, to just kinda, a mess. I know what you’re thinking. “Lena, the title of this article is insinuating that you are going to be talking about the bathrooms and not your personal life.” I mean you’re right, but in all seriousness, people are kind of keeping their shit together This is my when it comes to happy face, the bathrooms. but trust me, Although I’m still angry there seems on the inside. to be a lock missing from at least one of Lena Mau the stalls every other week, and I heard that someone broke a sink in the P quad boys bathroom, we haven’t run out of toilet paper in a hot minute, and some of the soap dispensers are actually giving us soap now. The last time I saw a glob of something that might be blood on the walls of the girls bathrooms was right after the last bathroom opinion was released. Maybe these girls are learning how to respect public property? Or, a more probable reason why things have been looking nicer, is because all of the sophomore and junior girls go into the big stall at the same time. That way, there’s less square footage for them to mess up. What they’re doing there? Who knows? But all I can say is that when they leave it smells like mangos and

cotton candy. Now, I’m not really complaining, but when I’ve gotta go, I’ve gotta go, and these girls kinda make me a little uncomfy and a little upset in times like these. But other times, it’s funny to see all of their little trendy shoes under the stall door. I’m not sure how the boys bathrooms are doing, but I assume that they haven’t gotten better or worse. Or you guys just don’t care. I learned the other day that some of the boys bathrooms don’t have mirrors. I’m sorry about that. The girls bathrooms all have mirrors and let me tell you, I use those mirrors every day. So good job SDA. Maybe the respect for the custodial staff is getting better. Maybe these kids are realizing that they don’t want to go to the bathroom surrounded by filth. Whatever it is, it’s working. Keep it up next year, otherwise I’m gonna have to come back and write another opinion, and hardly anyone wants to hear me whine anymore. Lucky for all of the folks that fit into the “we don’t want to read anymore of your whining” catagory, this is my last piece. Also, your’e gonna miss it. That’s it. Later skaters.

I MIGHT NOT be on campus for much longer, but just know-I’ll always be watching. Art by Emma Toscani

A change of pace in a familiar place

Encinitas was a cute, friendly place to live. Is it still? There’s been a lot of change, and I’m not quite sure what to think anymore.

n the corner of D Street and more coffee. Highway 101, Moonlight Except we don’t! Literally, three Cafe is a beloved hangout storefronts north of Moonlight spot for Cafe is Ironsmith many, many Coffee. Less than teenagers. half a mile north Whatever floats Heck, most of of that is Lofty your boat... us don’t even Coffee. South, know it by its we’ve got Better Sophie Hughes name. We just Buzz, Starbucks, call it “boba” Philz Coffee, not to or the “boba mention Encinitas place.” Cafe, 101 Diner, Well, we Swamis Cafe, have all had our hearts broken. The GoodOnYa Cafe, and so many others business was sold, and is now being that also serve coffee. closed and turned into a gelato and This is just another evolution espresso shop. that downtown Encinitas has Because apparently we all need gone through in the past decade.

Smaller cafes and boutiques are closing to make room for more upscale restaurants and commercial businesses. What used to be a humble, beachy coast town has grown and stretched into a tourist hotspot, but a homeowner’s nightmare. Parents and their children have always flocked to Moonlight Beach during school vacations and warm summer days. Parking has always been a hassle, and honestly, don’t even try to host a bonfire without reserving a pit at least three days in advance. This led to the 2012 renovation of the beach’s snack bar and lifeguard tower, which came along with a new rental service for

beach supplies and brand new public restrooms. This attracted even more people due to the beach’s adaptability, especially since families with young children find such bathrooms a necessity. But they weren’t they only the ones drawn to this “new and improved” city. The homeless population in Encinitas has increased by 25% in the last year, according to the Encinitas Advocate. And walking down the 101, the homeless population is very evident. The public benches are overcrowded with their blankets, belongings, and clothing, but most of them carry the stench of alcohol and dirty body odor.

Now look. I’m not blaming them. It isn’t their fault, they don’t have a way to uphold societal standards like others do. They’re just trying to support themselves in the only ways they can, and that means following the crowds. Plus, if I was homeless, I certainly wouldn’t mind living in San Diego. Manageable wather, pretty beaches.... My point? Downtown Encinitas isn’t the friendly, familiar town it was years ago. You won’t recognize every face you see on the street, and oh lord, good luck with parking! Because there is none. Ever.

JUNE 2018

OPINIONS

The Olympics of singing Have you ever wanted to see 50 countries battle it out in the most dramatic singing competition across the globe? Now you can

THE MUSTANG

he Eurovision Song Contest is an annual European singing competition held each May. It was created in 1956 to bring together European countries after World War II. Like the the Olympics of singing, each participating Let’s get Panda country sends a Express singer to perform - Chris Mellusi an original song. A winner is crowned after a jury and public vote from each country. The winners of each year’s competition get to host the competition the following year. The competing countries are primarily members of the European Union, but Armenia, Iceland, Russia, Israel, and many more who have close ties to EU members often compete. Eurovision is a big deal throughout all the competing countries and has become a tradition for long-time fans.

The competition has since brought many well known artists to fame; in 1974 ABBA won for Sweden and Olivia Newton John placed fourth for the United Kingdom, and in 1988 Céline Dion won for Switzerland. Eurovision isn’t broadcast on any major network in the United State, but some American fans actually want us to join. I believe that America should not compete in Eurovision and instead, that more Americans should watch the competition and appreciate the talent and festivities. America has been, and is already involved in so many things that it really shouldn’t be and Eurovision is something strictly for Europeans and a few other countries. The best way to participate is to watch the show and listen to the music, just like the fans do in Europe. Eurovision is not only extremely

entertaining but also interesting due to the different European cultures you learn about, seen through many countries’ performances. More Americans should be exposed to events like Eurovision, to learn more, but also because it’s so fun. Some Eurovision fans want an American version of Eurovision, where each state send a singer to compete, but we already have so many singing competitions like “The Voice” and “American Idol”, would anyone really care? Eurovision is a super fun competition to watch, even if you live in the United States. The effort the performers put into their performances and the host country puts into the event are astounding. Eurovision needs more appreciation in the United States and even though we don’t compete, I would recommend watching next year. You could start a new tradition.

OPINIONS

In Retrospect...

What we have learned and what we would’ve wanted to know, in letters to our freshmen selves. DEAR FRESHMAN ROSY,

irst of all, SDA was a good choice for you. Enjoy the next four years because time goes by really fast for you to be worrying about the small things. You are going to meet many new people, get out of your comfort zone, be part of the cross country and track team, and most of all grow into a beautiful, smart, and adventurous human being. First and foremost you won’t believe that it took four years to grow two and a half inches. BUT it’s okay! Eventually you’re going to love your height and feel comfortable and have more confidence. Here is some advice to help you within the next four years: 1. Don’t worry about what your friends want or what they are doing because you might fall apart from the people you are closest to after all. You do you boo

Don’t be afraid! Broaden your horizons and do something that will get you out of your comfort zone. It is the time to learn and make mistakes and figure out who you want to be 3. Don’t give up, work hard and do as much as you can, it will be worth it at the end. I promise. 4. Have fun! Don’t stress, enjoy those nights with close friends and family because you will have many other responsibilities later on. I just gave you the key to success, make the most out of it and I will assure you that you will turn out pretty great in the end. Do what you love to do, good luck! Love, Senior Rosy

DEAR FRESHMAN LANE,

irst things first, stop wearing soccer shorts and tie die shirts to school everyday. Also you can let your hair down from that tight ponytail every once in a while. Now that the important things are out of the way, I just want to let you know that everything will be ok. That senior standing next to you in the counselors line will not crush you even though he is twice your size. He is just trying to help you figure out where your classes are because this school’s numbering system makes no sense. Thankfully, you are not one of the many freshman who expected to walk onto the set of High School Musical. I shouldn’t have to tell you that people don’t randomly break out in song and dance (even though this isn’t completely out of the question because it happens every once in a while). SDA is actually pretty cool.

Teachers casually have pianos in their classroom and everyone is talented in their own way. This part might be scary to you, but you have to talk to new people. Terrifying, I know. The initial fear is completely worth all of the adventures and laughs you will have with the amazing people you will meet. Embrace your inner nerd. That piece of you will help you get into college, but don’t think about further education too much yet. Get out and have a life. Do not lose yourself studying. (this part is important!!!) Keep an open mind, life is more fun when it is filled with spontaneity. Thanks for reading, Lane

HEY THERE FRESHMAN YEAR KIERAN,

ope everything is going well. I’m gonna cut right to the chase and hit you with some constructive criticism: 1. Stop riding Revive skateboards. Stop talking about Revive skateboards. You will realize they aren’t cool soon enough, but if you wanna make friends who skate, cut it out. 2. Same goes for the pads and the helmet. Ditch those unless you’re skating the pool. 3. Don’t say you don’t like rap music. That’s a lie. Accept that you have worse than average taste. Don’t trash pop or trap music. 4. You aren’t as cool as you think. Be less loud and don’t roast on people. Okay, other than that you’re not doing bad

Don’t stop playing music or skating, those things will stoke you out for a long time. Don’t expect to get sponsored though. That’s not gonna happen. Ummmm lemme think. I honestly can’t trash on you that much cause me and you are mostly the same. You will start liking rap music, you’ll stop liking a lot of the bands you like now. You’ll get into better and worse bands (hint: Ween and Black Sabbath are both really good). Oh! That’s one thing. Take your Instagram bio less seriously, you’re overthinking it. Make it something goofy and short. Or not, I really could care less. Also post less pictures of your records, unless you wanna stop. “Heck yes!” is not an acceptable start to a photo caption. That’s more or less it though, you’re not doing that bad. You’ll glow up, I promise.

DEAR YOU BURNT CHICKEN NUGGET,

ts that time of the year again, Bed bath and beyond is giving out 20% off all dorm room essentials and seniors are stressed. Four years ago watching those 90’s kids graduate felt like a lifetime away. A kind of future that would approach but never fully reach you, like an asymptote of life that you could just stare at and never have to deal with. Too bad though, lmao you thought because guess what! The time has come. Don’t worry though, you’ve done too much of that already. All I really have to say to you is that despite the massive lists of regrets you will accumulate through life, for

example messing up that handshake last week and calling Mrs. Mullen mom when you were walking out of her classroom last year, you somehow made it. Yes you are cringy but you’ll grow out of it. Yes you are annoying but you’ll just die like that. There are a lot of things I could yell at you for. Like taking two years to learn how to drive and never hanging out with friends outside of school. But it didn’t really matter, because you know better know and you made it! Who would have thunk? -thanks for watching don’t forget to subscribe and hit that notification button. Love Nadia.

JUNE 2018

OPINIONS

In Retrospect...

What we have learned and what we would’ve wanted to know, in letters to our freshmen selves.

DEAR FRESHMAN ROSY,

all. You do you boo Don’t be afraid! Broaden your horizons and do something that will get you out of your comfort zone. It is the time to learn and make mistakes and figure out who you want to be 3. Don’t give up, work hard and do as much as you can, it will be worth it at the end. I promise. 4. Have fun! Don’t stress, enjoy those nights with close friends and family because you will have many other responsibilities later on. I just gave you the key to success, make the most out of it and I will assure you that you will turn out pretty great in the end. Do what you love to do, good luck! 2.

Love, Senior Rosy

DEAR FRESHMAN LANE,

HEY THERE FRESHMAN YEAR KIERAN,

Thanks for reading, Lane

Okay, other than that you’re not doing bad Don’t stop playing music or skating, those things will stoke you out for a long time. Don’t expect to get sponsored though. That’s not gonna happen. Ummmm lemme think. I honestly can’t trash on you that much cause me and you are mostly the same. You will start liking rap music, you’ll stop liking a lot of the bands you like now. You’ll get into better and worse bands (hint: Ween and Black Sabbath are both really good). Oh! That’s one thing. Take your Instagram bio less seriously, you’re overthinking it. Make it something goofy and short. Or not, I really could care less. Also post less pictures of your records, unless you wanna stop. “Heck yes!” is not an acceptable start to a photo caption. That’s more or less it though, you’re not doing that bad. You’ll glow up, I promise.

DEAR YOU BURNT CHICKEN NUGGET,

lists of regrets you will accumulate through life, for example messing up that handshake last week and calling Mrs. Mullen mom when you were walking out of her classroom last year, you somehow made it. Yes you are cringy but you’ll grow out of it. Yes you are annoying but you’ll just die like that. There are a lot of things I could yell at you for. Like taking two years to learn how to drive and never hanging out with friends outside of school. But it didn’t really matter, because you know better know and you made it! Who would have thunk? -thanks for watching don’t forget to subscribe and hit that notification button. Love Nadia.

JUNE 2018

OPINIONS

HEY MALLIKA! ren’t you shocked to see your name in the paper? Don’t worry. You didn’t actually get forced in to journalism; you joined because you wanted to, and you couldn’t have made a better decision. Speaking of decisions, you’re probably breathing a sigh of relief that you chose SDA and made it through the lottery. And you should be, because your four years here will be pretty darn special. I know the transition to high school is tricky, and it will be far worse if you compare yourself to others. Don’t compare GPAs. Don’t compare ACT scores. Don’t compare extracurriculars. Don’t. It’s not worth it. Besides, it all comes out in the wash. I don’t want to give you spoilers about your high school career because I want you to live it and enjoy it. I

will make a quick exception for your sanity, though. You won’t earn all A’s, and you won’t have perfect test scores, and that’s ok. You will still end up committing to one of your top choice universities. Know not everything will go as planned. Life will happen, and that’s ok. But, do express how you feel, and don’t bottle up your emotions. Your interests will change. Let that happen, and don’t try to control where you’ll be in four years. Finally, enjoy the next few years! Don’t take them, or the people around you, for granted. High school whizzes by, and before you know it, you’ll be writing this. Best of luck, Mallika DEAR LENA,

ll we want is to be told that everything will be okay by the time that we graduate. I can tell you with almost full confidence, that I think that everything is going to be okay. We’ve always wanted to get away for college, but who’d’ve thought that we’d go as far away as New York? Literally not me. We’re close to being done and fully committed to a small school in upstate New York, and believe it or not, they want you to play lacrosse there! Besides college, things are going fine. I don’t want to tell you the things that happen, because if I did and you changed them, I don’t think that we’d be the same person we are today, and I kinda like the person who we

DEAR TOM, found the time travel machine buried in my backyard and I’m writing you from the future… Well, that would be nice. Instead, I’m relegated to go over my various life choices in my head repeatedly, until more significant ones take their place. Here’s what I wish I could tell you: Don’t spend so much time trapped in the past. My mom always stressed that high school was a learning experience; however, it’s important to not misconstrue this statement. Learn from your mistakes, don’t become complacent with repeating them. Please consider being less stubborn. Although perseverance is a great trait, even at my age, learning to “pick my battles” is still challenging. You started high school passionate about so many things. Don’t let go of your passions. Honestly, high school will be difficult for you. I’ve ostensibly written you a letter with some advice, but in reality the next four years are up to you. Things will happen in your life that are out of your control; don’t let the things you can’t control have a tangible effect on you. Don’t spend your time regretting the past. People have a tendency to remember unpleasant

THE MUSTANG

are today. Now for a few pieces of advice. It’s okay to not be okay all the time. Breathe. Please shut up in class, no one likes a smartass. Maya is a blessing. If you ever make her angry, bake her something, and give her a nice card. She won’t stay mad at you forever. All of the drama doesn’t matter, even the drama with the boys. Don’t be mean to mom, and be patient with everyone else. It’s going to be okay. I promise that I am happy. We are happy. Love, Lena

things in an even more negative light. Realize that people are wired for negativity and cognitively decide to not be a part of that statistic. Oh and do your homework, seriously. It’s the most mundane, pedantic thing you’ll ever have to do. It’s harder to get by without doing your homework than it is to actually just do it. You’re a good kid for the most part, but you need to grow up. High school might seem like a long time, but it actually goes by fast and is an important foundational period of your life. Be an active participant in your own life; be a person of intention. It sucks that you’re going to have to be here for another four years, but please don’t take it for granted. Please don’t read this letter and make a radical change to our timeline that will consequently cause me to cease to exist. Sincerely, Tom

OPINIONS DEAR FREHSMAN RYAN,

et’s start with the most important thing about the last four years: the Padres still haven’t won a World Series. They haven’t even made the playoffs since 2006, but for whatever reason you will still have a ridiculous amount of optimism by the time you’re a senior. Despite this heartbreaking news, high school is a lot of fun. There are a lot of stressful nights where you go to bed knowing you didn’t study enough for the test the next day. But you probably did study enough. The test will be fine. I’m not going to tell you to never stress because a lot of that stress produced work that I am proud of, but don’t lose sight of your life because the midterms are coming up. On the baseball field: there will be strikeouts and errors and losses. A lot of them. Those things all suck, but just remember that it’s only a game. It’s easier to say that now, but seriously: stop worrying about the results and instead enjoy the process. You’re going to make a lot of memories with these teammates of yours. So just enjoy

that.

You’re going to hear a lot about “being yourself ” early on in high school. You already are yourself, so just have confidence in yourself. Oh and get over the idea that everyone hates you before they even meet you. That’s a horrible attitude; cut it. They don’t even know you, so they can’t hate you yet. Go to school dances. You love dancing. Dance as much as possible. Your skills will not improve at all over the next four years, but it doesn’t matter. Have fun with it. The late nights of studying will suck at the time. You will have quite a few days of wanting nothing more than a ten minute nap. But that’s just part of the experience. It’s not high school without those aspects. On a serious note, enjoy it. And to my freshman-incollege self, enjoy that too. Life is good. Love, Ryco (Get used to that name because everyone will be calling you that soon)

DEAR FREHSMAN ERIN,

here are so many things I want to tell you. I know right now you’re just trying to pass all your classes, make it through the soccer season and make friends. You probably don’t have much room left in your brain for advice, but I’m going to give it to you anyways. For one, get off your high horse. I know you think you’re an accepting and humble person, but you’re not. You’re not the smartest person here. You’re not the only one with problems. The people around you aren’t stupid, or weird, or annoying. Try talking to your classmates, because they’re all pretty dang cool in one way or another. I didn’t do this, and now I regret not getting to spend four years in the company of some pretty awesome people. Okay, I know you’re not as mean as I just made you sound. Yes, you try not to judge people, and yes, you’re sometimes unsuccessful. All I’m saying is that you should keep giving people a chance. Come out of your quiet, slightly judgmental shell, and your life will be much better. Quit soccer. I know, it’s your life, and you’re good at it. But you hate it, and it makes you miserable; you spend

all day every day dreading the two hours you’ll spend on the field. Why do you do that to yourself? Quit, and you can fill your time with things you actually enjoy. Branch out from your little soccer player self. Relax. Life can be fun, if you let it be. Stop obsessing about what people think about you, and whether you look stupid at school dances, and about whether you’re boring (and all your other worries). If you just accept yourself and go out there to enjoy yourself, you’ll make a much better impression than you ever would when you’re stressing about every little thing. You’ll make it through high school. And maybe you’ll have a few more bad days than you want, but you’ll also have many more good days than you expect. High school is what you make of it, so I recommend you relax and seek out the good things, because there really is a lot of good out there. Love, Erin

DEAR FREHSMAN SIENNA,

top slacking. Seriously. Stop it. You’re just gonna beat yourself up over it in the end and go through about a million different mental breakdowns thinking you’re not going to college, so you might as well save yourself the headache and just get your crap together while you still can. Freshman year DOES matter. Now that I have your little wake-up call out of the way, let’s get to the positives of the high school experience you’re going to have. You’re going to face some challenges. Your friends are going to change. That’s fine, and honestly it’s for the better. The friends you lose and make along the way impact your life in ways that will make you the person that you are now. You’re going to grow your character based on the people you meet and you have a lot to learn from them. Don’t take anyone you meet for granted. When you do decide to finally start trying in school, it may surprise you to know how difficult math and science is for you. So yeah, you’re not gonna be good at every subject and you’re gonna struggle with those subjects pretty much a lot. You’re gonna make it through

though, and you need to make an effort to just get through them so that you can be done and move onto the subjects that you excel at. Also, it’s okay to change it up a little and cut your hair off for a while. It’s hair and it grows back eventually, so just do the fricken chop. Trust me, you’ll thank yourself for a while afterwards. However, I’d definitely recommend that you DON’T GO THROUGH WITH THE BOB AND BANGS LOOK NO MATTER HOW CUTE YOU THINK IT IS BECAUSE YOU LOOKED LIKE COCONUT HEAD FROM “NED’S DECLASSIFIED SCHOOL SURVIVAL GUIDE” AND NO MATTER WHAT ANYONE TELLS YOU IT’S NOT CUTE. Anyway, you’re going to have a good time in high school, so don’t sweat it so much. Just get your crap together and you’ll go far, because you have a lot of potential, even if you can’t see it yet. Love, Your Older, Slightly-Wiser-But-Not-Really Self

JUNE 2018

OPINIONS

Happiness... Students are worried about which career path to choose in order to find happiness. But they don’t really know anything. So we talked to adults instead. By Simmone Stearn and Sylvia Young.

hen graduating high school, students feel pressure to decide on a career path. What are you going to do for the rest of your life? And will it make you happy? The general conception is that people have to choose between a job that is high paying and a job they are passionate about. Students, especially, feel that they can choose only one. Everyone wants to be happy, but they differ in their perception of what will make them happy. Some feel that enjoying a job is the key to happiness, while others prefer higher salaries. Students feel pressure to choose which is more important, but how much does this initial decision really affect finding happiness? So how do they know what to decide - do happy people choose money or job satisfaction? We sat down with two individuals to see which they based their career paths on and whether or not this decision ultimately led to happiness.

VALERIE AGNEW

had a dream: she wanted to be a translator for the U.N. When she made this choice, in high school, she “wasn’t thinking about money, just thinking job satisfaction.” However, it soon became apparent that money was an important factor: “I abandoned very quickly my foreign language thing to be more practical...I wanted to support myself, and I knew I could get a job being an admin. That was my realistic goal.” So, Agnew knew what she wanted - job satisfaction - but necessity pushed her to base her career on money instead. Agnew got her degree to be an administrative assistant from a junior college and worked as a temp before finding a job at Viasat, a startup that made electronics. At the beginning of her time at Viasat, where she worked for 25 years, Agnew discovered that as her career progressed her choice of working for money rather than passion paid off. “I knew that if I worked really hard that I was smart enough that...I would be able to move up and prove myself.” However, over time she lost the feeling that made her love her job. “I topped my salary and my satisfaction topped as well.”

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For Agnew, her salary was a reflection of her contributions and importance to her company, and those contributions were integral to her job satisfaction and happiness: “I think if you feel that what you’re doing is important then you want to go to work every day because people are counting on you and that’s a really good feeling.”

ERIC GADEN

started his career looking for job satisfaction, and he stuck to it. His original plan was to attend college as a drama major, but he dropped out after just one semester. When acting didn’t work out, Gaden joined the Navy and found a new path and a new world view. “In the navy, we worked five to eight hours straight, yet we’re able to have fun because you’re with the right people...I discovered happiness was a choice,” he said. After this realization, Gaden always made the choice that would help him find happiness. Instead of constantly worrying about money, Gaden went from career to career, following his interests. “Whenever I found an opportunity I was interested in, I took it,” he said. After the Navy, Gaden followed his interests and became a nurse and quickly made more money. However, for him, this didn’t lead to happiness. Even though he had the white picket fence, he wasn’t fulfilled. “I felt like I had been working my entire life to pay for somebody else to do cool stuff,” he said. So, Gaden decided to change his life in order to find happiness. For him, the way to do so was becoming a traveling nurse. With this job, he was able to explore the country and have unique experiences that made him happier. Throughout his life, following his passions and interests, Gaden has had many different jobs, but this has been no hindrance to finding happiness in his life.

o, what can students learn from this? “Don’t expect it [one’s career path] to be the thing that’s going to be forever...Pick something and if you’re interested in it, keep doing it,” said Gaden. “Don’t be afraid to walk away from something if something better shows

up for you, but at the same time, take what you’re doing seriously.” Agnew’s advice to high schoolers is to “keep asking people questions, go to school with an open mind, and kind of have a backup plan. My dream job would be this, but I would get by doing that... You’ve gotta kinda be practical.” Social sciences teacher Kerry Koda interacts with high schoolers on a daily basis and stresses the importance of taking time to discover what you want to do. Her advice is to “find things that you love doing and then make a career out of that.” However, choosing a job that you love doesn’t mean sacrificing money: “It’s very possible to have both [money and job satisfaction] if you put yourself in things that you love.” When we started this article, we wanted to find out the right thing to choose - did happy people pick money or job satisfaction? It turns out, our whole idea was wrong. These people never really made that choice. They started with an idea, but had to be practical and over time, their ideas of happiness changed. So, the most important thing to know is that this initial decision doesn’t really exist or matter. Even though Gaden never reached his original goal, he created a life he loved: “If I can say that the core of who I am and what I do is good, then why would I change anything?”

IN HIGH SCHOOL

many students struggle while weighing the benefits of passion versus money when looking for a job. Illustration by Simmone Stearn.

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My name is STEVE POLTZ and I’m a Troubadour A conversation with the man who’s a whole lot more than the dude who deserves writing credit on Weird Al’s “Albuquerqe.” Interview by Kieran Zimmer. Steve Poltz asking God if he can trade Donald Trump for Leonard Cohen. Photo courtesy of Steve Poltz.

an Diego is a city full of cool stuff. It’s home to scenic ocean views, stellar weather, a subpar baseball team, lots of good places to eat, as well as all manner of cool people. Steve Poltz falls into that last category. Despite now residing in Nashville, his time playing solo as well as in bands such as The Rugburns cemented him as a true gem and of the San Diego music scene. At times hilarious, at others matter-offact, and always lovable, Poltz is a joy to watch on and off stage, not to mention he knows how to write a song. He was kind enough to answer some questions, giving the rest of us a glimpse into the mind of someone quirky enough to inspire Weird Al Yankovic, and human enough to inspire the rest of us. Can you introduce yourself and what you do? My name is STEVE POLTZ and I’m a Troubadour. How would you describe your music to a five year old? Really slow speed metal. You’ve been doing this music thing for quite some time. What has your experience been as you’ve gotten older, has your perception on things changed? Have you found that your approach to songwriting and subject matter has changed? Not really. It’s not rocket science. I just make up songs. I try to be honest in the songs except for when I want to be a liar. Try to remember

3 things: who was there, what happened. And how did it make you feel.

What color is a B major chord? Amaranth.

Going off the last question, a lot of people are fairly jaded about the music industry. What’s your attitude on the business, and has it changed over time? Usually if you’re jaded it’s because you have expectations and expectations are just future resentments under construction. It’s important to really love what you do and it also makes the time pass quickly. We are not on this planet that long so we might as well do what we love. When I see people who are angry and bitter in the music industry I always think that they should change their line of work. If you really love doing what you do then the money will come later and if it doesn’t come later at least you’re doing what you love to do. Hey, it’s pretty simple, I get to play music for people. That’s a cool thing!

Do you feel like your audience has gotten older with you? How often do you meet people that are fans of your music, and they heard about it from their parents? How does that make you feel? People that come see me play are all ages. They used to be just younger people but then as I got older those younger people also got older and they had kids and then they turned their kids on to my music. So I’d say my audience is older than it used to be. But now younger folks are showing up. It makes me feel young and old at the same time.

Weird Al Yankovic wrote his song “Albuquerque” after hearing (Rubgurns song) “Dick’s Automotive,” how does that make you feel? I am honored that it influenced the song, I kind of wish he had given me a song writing credit though. He used to come see the rugburns all the time and he loved the song dick’s automotive. I would hang out with him and he told me that he wanted to direct video for the song but it never happened. He just ended up writing his own song that sounded a lot like Dick’s Automotive.

Favorite taco shop in San Diego? Las Cuatro Milpas in Chicano Park. Favorite venue in San Diego? I really like Java Joe’s in Old Town because it’s all ages and I have a long history with Joe. You’ve worked with a lot of musicians over the years, who’s been your favorite to play with? Shawn Rohlf because he’s an idiot and I’m an idiot so we end up giggling a lot. I love to laugh. What’s the best album of all time that everyone should go and listen to right now? Aereo-Plain by John Hartford

current San Diego music scene? Is it good, or can we do better? Any suggestions for people? Well, I live in Nashville Tennessee now. But I love San Diego. I think as long as there are musicians there will always be a scene. The best thing to do is to start your own scene. If you’re not happy with things you’re only a motion away from changing stuff. Whenever I hear folks complain too much they just seem lazy to me. It’s easy to complain. Go home and practice. Get better at your craft. Maybe you’re just not that good. But you can be. You can always get better. It takes work. But that’s when it gets fun. Hone your craft. Set up your own shows. Create a mini scene. If it’s good people will start showing up. Quantity isn’t quality. Make art. For art’s sake. Then you’ll have a career. Cream will rise to the top. Not always but sometimes. Here’s a cool quote that I like to read every morning. It’s by The Dalai Lama“Every day, think as you wake up, today I am fortunate to be alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it. I am going to use all my energies to develop myself, to expand my heart out to others; to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all beings. I am going to have kind thoughts towards others, I am not going to get angry or think badly about others. I am going to benefit others as much as I can.” -Dalai Lama XIV

What are your thoughts on the

JUNE 2018

FEATURES

ABOVE: HILARY KEARNEY, founder of GirlNextDoorHoney. Photo courtesy of Hilary Kearny

Beekeeping: behind the scenes Meet the woman that does it all. Hilary Kearney, a San Diego beekeeper is the founder of GirlNextDoorHoney, an urban beekeeping business. However, she’s more than just a beekeeper. Between designing educational games for kids, creating teaching posters, leading online beekeeping classes, distributing t-shirts and other merchandise, running a blog, and a full-time beekeeping business, Kearney is one busy bee. Even with her busy schedule, she found time to answer some questions about what life as a beekeeper is really like. By: Shayna Glazer THE MUSTANG

How did you get involved in beekeeping? I got into beekeeping by chance. My boyfriend (now husband) had taken an etymology class when we were in college and became interested. He had it listed on a bucket list I found in his room. So, I bought him a backyard beekeeping book, but then I felt compelled to read it (just to make sure it was good) and I got hooked. The bees were just so fascinating I had to keep reading more and more and then I finally got to the point where if I wanted to learn more, I just needed to get some bees! What prerequisites are required to become a beekeeper? If any! There are no official pre-reqs to beekeeping, but there is a lot to learn and if you do not know what you are doing, you will probably end up killing your bees or worse. That’s one reason I teach beekeeping classes. I want people to be prepared when they get their first hive. What is the most exciting part of being a beekeeper? The best part about working with bees is that they always surprise you. No one colony is the same. There’s all this research and information written about them that tries to predict how they will behave, but there’s always one colony that makes you question what you think you know about them. For example, a lot of beekeeping books will tell you that there can only be one queen in a hive, but on several occasions I have found two queen living in harmony sideby-side. So, the truth is that bees are even more

complicated and enigmatic than how they are presented. What is the hardest part of being a beekeeper? Dealing with people who have irrational fears or ideas about bees. I definitely feel a sense of accomplishment because I know I am working to educate the community about bees. Describe an average day in your life. Do you feel a sense of accomplishment from your work? One of my favorite things about my beekeeping business is that no one day is the same. Today I spent my day at a local elementary school teaching kids all about bees, yesterday I helped one of my beekeeping students transfer a wild hive of bees she found on her property into a proper beehive box and tomorrow I’m removing some bees that have moved into a garbage can. It’s usually some mix of removing bees, meeting with beekeeping students and then checking on my own hives. I also take some time to do creative work. I like to give myself time to write, I have a book coming out next spring and I write for a few beekeeping blogs. Is there a demand for people to become beekeepers? Yes, most commercial beekeepers are over the age of 60 and will be retiring soon. I believe we will have a beekeeper shortage in the near future.

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Where are you headed next year? Azusa Pacific University Ashley Sayers Ady Waite

Nohemia Rosales Roberto Ruiz Cruz Alondra Villalobos

Biola University Natalie Kim

Chapman University Faith Kelly Claire Loudis Benjamin Tecotzky

Cabrillo College Camille Albaladejo Cameryn Chillas Max Grensted Jun Lee Tessa Roberts Alexander Rosseinsky Nicholas Sachs Kyriana Tarr Cal Poly Pomona Thomas Amoroso Nalan Kivrak Joshua Lim Aaron O’Brien Benjamin Sperry August Uecker Julian Weissig Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Jonah Aere James Bert Benjamin Bradley Kelly Burns Amber Cruff Vivian Drewelow Milo Honsberger Garrett Jenkins Nathan Johnson Michaela Lafferty Sarah LaVake Everett LeVeque Grace Mazzilli Sofia McAndrews Madison Noyes Samantha Parisi Ava Patton Suzanna Ramzi Brooke Sagunsky Kara Sagunsky Tyler Selinka Jack Severson Wesley Tyler Jake Wanzenried Kevin Ward Kekoa Wheeler California Institute of the Arts Elizabeth De La Cruz Diego California Lutheran University Taryn Faull Rilee Grau Cal State Channel Islands Magdely Benitez Flores Cal State Chico Lia Diaz Emily Clara Einspar Haidyn Estes Sean Glatts Katelyn Love Cal State Fullerton Ariana Nava Zoe Salzmann Cal State Northridge Josephine Sinatra Cal State San Marcos Martin Balderas Leilani Berardi Ryan Crain Sara Culp Brandon Flores Sara Hoopes Evelyn Martinez Arlet Morales Medina

Cinema Makeup School Abby Washburn Culinary Institute of America Zell Williams Humbolt State University Riley Switzler Loyola Maramount University Emma Balda Finn Corn Patrick Hall Christopher Pickering Menlo College Connor Oldham MiraCosta College Max Alberti Luis Arreguin Koston Ayala Eric Baier Juan Balderas Chance Billick Adam Blabac Noah Blabac Madi Blake Parker Brooks Taylor Burns Michael Clark Sydney Clifton Vincent Couch Zachary Deaderick Sage Diehl David Dovsky Joshua Dunwell Michael Duran Koby Dvorak Jenelle Epstein Ruby Feeney Ariel Flores Rebecca Flores Jasmine Flores Ruby Fox Zachary Fuller John Garcia Connor Gibson Meagan Glazier Jose Carlos Gomez Jordan Gonyer Rachel Gonzalez EmmaLee Goralski Samuel Griffith Delia Guizar Blas Guris Carter Hall Parker Heaton James Heidrick Faith Hendrick Eduardo Hernandez Daniela Hundley Juan Ibanez Jack Johnson Trevor Johnson Sarah Lane Daymude Taylor Lessley Sean Linden William Lochow Alex Losekann Anthony Matias Anthony Mazza Kyla McCartney Dennys Mercado Arizmendi Austin Miller Emma Milliken Evan Moore Maya Montes

Trent Moothart Emma Naab Lily Nguyen Ryan Nubling Naomi Ortiz Heather Parker Noah Porter Joseph Prather Hilario Ramales Alcaide Jessie Rangel-Mozo Bryan Raygoza Ferreirae Christopher Raygoza Ferreirae Grace Richards Kamryn Romley Isaac Rosenbaum Rachel Rossenfeld Mason Rosser Janet Salado-Ledesma Karina Salas De la O Angel Saldivar Alexander Sanchez Daniel Sanchez Garcia Abram Sanchez-Canseco Joshua Sanford Mina Seif Asgari Barkosarai Brayan Serrano Avalos Parker Shaw Aaron Small Luke Sparrow Milo Spearman Nathan Strebe Nicole Sturman Trinity Takeda Gustavo Tapia Aidan Beck Thiede Dylan Thompson Alexander Torres-Gomez Jose Uribe, Jr Keyara Vargas Adrian Vargas, Jr Emily Vazquez Angelique Velasco Braden White James Whitehouse Noah Williams Dane Wood Christian Zao Orange Coast College Nathan Janis Otis College of Art and Design Ale Adame Palomar College Kylie Ade Jose Alferez Nuñez Kira Flager Jordan Guillory Brenna Murphy Matthew Ramirez Rachel Stockham Lauren Vega Dominic Zamora Pitzer College Leah Haverkamp Point Loma Nazarene University Jake Hennessy Riverside City College Spencer Price San Diego State University Sean Bohan Elle Harkins Keegan Leach Ava Lilie Jin Li Mirow Brittney Reppenhagen Alex Schenkhuizen Nicole Schulman Brian Turner San Francisco State University Autumn Goldstein

Ashlyn Haines Bianca Navarro Carl Winner San Jose State University Melina Olvera Santa Barbara City College Summer Horton Brianna Kantorovich Vincent Scerni Zane Tellez Madelyn Tiffany Santa Clara University Anna Buckley Santa Monica Community College Gus Adgate Sonoma State University Alexis Gable Sean Gahman Itzel Asuncion Torres Katherine Weinzierl Anabelle Woods UC Berkeley Jacob Bland Noah Bussell Lily Callender Neesha Chockalingam Ayse Coban Nate Conger Darian Flores Lane Levin Josie Lieber Charlotte McClelland Sofia Piedrafita-Ortiz Patrick Rahilly Josie Ruggeiro AJ Schumann Mallika Seshadri Kieran Zimmer UC Davis Ryan Cohen Citlally Contreras Tori Corder Taylor Gates John Giovannoni Junhee Kim Audrey Maskiewicz Andrew Silverstein Kristyn Stewart Eliza Wing UC Irvine Elio Ambrosio Samantha Bellier-Igasaki Julie Daughters Darian Haseyama Brian Titcomb UC Los Angeles Brian Gallagher Jason Kesler Zachary Lewis Rohit Vighne UC Merced Valerie Zerfas UC Riverside Erik Chambers Kai Chambers Sandra Vergara UC San Diego Nadia Ballard Kara Clancy Raymond Corney Katalin Crouse Keely Fuller Wayde Gilliam Ashlyn Gray Kalo Grimsby

Nadia Haghani Laila Halim Brendan Hall Michelle He Rami Ibrahim Kevin Jay Jordan Kawar Matthew Lee Sabrina Lin Anna Lonsway Vanessa Machin Riley Malkon Michael McQuarrie William Merz Alan Miyazaki William Nunes Raeya Patnaik Brynn Salmon Andrew Shen Joshua Sirota Nicholas Smith Connor Still Anna Whalen UC Santa Barbara Colleen Coveney Autumn Kleinrath Lizzie Waters Sarah Willes UC Santa Cruz Bijan Ashtiani Eisemann Daniela Burrows Anysia Deak Samuel Goldsmith Shannon McGuire HollyTeisher University of Redlands Luke Fosgett Oli Kaminski University of San Diego Julian Luparia Fatima Maya Castellanos University of San Francisco Reilly Brown Nicholas Ivy Noah Myers Kenneth O’Flaherty-Keese University of Southern California Carolyn Knapp Klaus Neyer University of the Pacific Rosy Alvarado Lucas Conner Edlebeck Other Plans Samuel Altshul Cordelia Degher Tessa Lee Erin Maxwell Fernando Ramirez Perez Stephen Read William Shelhamer Max Van Loan Dylan Besset Shira Ellisman Mark Espinoza Jonny Garcia Phoebe Henshilwood Mya Kral Benjamin Lazerson Klohe Mayasich Ellie Mulkey Gibran Mustafa Cailin Reed Tiana Serro Samuel Tays David Schlesinger Landen Swincicki Maura Zacarias

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Humboldt State University

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San Francisco State University University of San Francisco

UC Berkeley Biola University Pitzer College Chapman University

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UC Santa Cruz Cabrillo College UC Merced

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Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Cal State Channel Islands Azusa Pacific University

Loyola Marymount University UC Los Angeles University of Southern California Otis College of Art and Design Cinema Makeup School Cal State Northridge Cinema Makeup School Santa Monica Community College University of Southern California

Palomar College

UC Irvine Orange Coast College Biola University MiraCosta College

Point Loma Nazarene University San Diego State University UC San Diego University of San Diego Cal State San Marcos

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FEATURES Colorado State University University of Colorado Boulder University of Northern Colorado

DigiPen Institute of Technology University of Washington Western Washington University University of Puget Sound

University of Iowa

Whitman College

Columbia College Chicago Illinois Institute of Technology Loyola University Chicago Northwestern University

Washington State University Montana State University

Lewis and Clark College Portland State University Reed College University of Portland

University of Vermont

Boston University Brandeis University Emerson College Massachussetts Institute of Technology Northeastern University Tufts University

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George Washington University Cole Christian Georgetown University Cole Gonzales Lily Kreps

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Georgia Institute of Technology Luke Lawver

Oregon State University Christopher Mellusi Cole Urcelay

Hawaii Pacific University Lily Franzwa Illinois Institute of Technology Julia Honda Lewis and Clark College Eytan Camras Daniel Newcomb Madeline Sadoff Loyola University Chicago Chris Finn Julia Scime

Oberlin College Lilia Welsh

Pennsylvania State University Makena Garvey Portland State University Sophie Chavez Wolf AJ Hanson Chloe Pavlovich Reed College Aiko Woody Seton Hall University Madison Vance

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Columbia College Chicago Andrew Bush Grace Hurley Columbia University Olivia Hussey

Emory University Kenneth Zamora

Northwestern University Olivia Olander

The School of Visual Arts Dylan Chow Tufts University Margot Richter University of Arizona Hannah Eisenberg Angie Espinoza Jake Garcia Alyssa Geffen Jack Hauser

Kianoosh Jafari Rachel Kaplan University of Colorado Boulder Rachel Askari University of Denver Aidan Schief Hannah Wagner University of Iowa Evita Woolsey University of Nevada, Reno Nathan Palmer University of Northern Colorado Remi Robertson University of Oregon Susan Altamirano Maxwell Belford Cole Bridges Sienna Riley Matthew Turcotte Nick Williams

University of Washington Sophie Bustamante Brayden Feinberg Hannah Gunderman Jordan Myrick Laura Nicol University of Texas Austin Bradley Sando Washington State University Samantha Cinnamond Rachel Gartner Aaron Luckhardt Samantha McConnell Jenna Templin Webster University Jenna Steinberg Western Washington University Savannah Clark Parker Smith Emma Toscani Max Zundel

University of Pennsylvania Sophia Zhu

Whitman College Gregory Davis

University of Portland Ana Gomez

Willamette University Matthew Pisacane

University of Puget Sound Kathleen Brown

Williams College Vanessa Oeien

University of Rochester Anesse Pinpokintr

International:

University of Utah Gavin dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Heilly Jack DeLuca Skyler Terry Micah Tyler Ciro Valdez Garcia

Concordia University Jeremy Pasco Israeli Defense Force Ofek Arbib Univeristy of British Columbia Palma Camargo University of Edinburg Maeve Hukill

JUNE 2018

Saying goodbye

FEATURES

Every graduation at SDA, the counselors read out a short statement written by each senior. Story by Erin Maxwell.

he graduation ceremony is one of the many unique things about SDA. Instead of reading an endless, uninterrupted stream of names -- the technique that most high schools use to lull the audience into a sunburned stupor -- our counselors spice up the ceremony by accompanying each graduate’s name with a short blurb, written by the student. Yes, this probably makes the ceremony take longer. However, sacrificing a little extra time in exchange for hearing a few last words from classmates you may never see again, seems like a small concession. According to counselor Duncan Brown, the so-called “Graduation Introductions” have been a tradition since the first year of the Academy, back in 1996. Examining introductions from past years, it becomes clear that most of the blurbs fit into a few general categories. Some are funny, some use quotes, some ask the counselors to sing a brief song, and some are just weird. No matter what they say, however, all of them help paint a clearer picture of that year’s graduating class, and provide a good way to say goodbye to your high school classmates. Here are a few representative examples from 2015’s graduating class.

GRADUATION INTRODUCTIONS LIKE the ones below are read at SDA’s graduation ceremony, like 2017’s above. Photo by Patrick Hall.

The Quotes:

The Ones That Make Me Go What:

The Funny Ones:

I’m tempted to say that quotes are an easy way out of the difficult dilemma of choosing what to say, but when you choose quotes like these...

The following examples say it all.

These are the ones that really make those three hours sitting on the field enjoyable. You can pretend you’re actually at a comedy show, instead of at the sad goodbye ceremony it actually is.

“‘Uhrrr Ahhhrrr Aaaarh.’ Chewbacca” “[This student] would like to say, in the words of Sirius Black, ‘I did my waiting. Twelve years of it in public school.’” “(in a Dumbledore voice) ‘Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, only when one remembers to turn on the light.’ Keep that light on SDA’s class of 2015.”

The Inside Jokes: These are fun for the few that know what they mean, but for the rest of us, we’re just left wondering whether we didn’t understand a joke we should have gotten. Extra points if you get all your friends to mention the same inside joke. “Every banana from a friend has been a wish for my happiness. And happiness is the loveliest gift of all.” “Our lives are before us, our pasts are behind us, but our bananas are with us forever.” “Bananas won’t make us rich, but they will make us free.” “That’s why they call me… The Dog.”

THE MUSTANG

“Yeuh! Yeuh! Brrah, Brrah! Chaaaahhaha dude, let’s 100 percent fatty mob the righteous war elephants to preserve our second amendment rights to acquire currency.” “All hail the magic conch. Woo Loo Loo Loo Loo Loo” “Continuously losing the game of actual ping pong of the abyss. The catatonic piano is innocent and immortal and should not.”

The Songs, AKA The Ones That Make the Counselors Cringe: Yep, you’re allowed to include instructions asking the counselors to sing your statement. According to Brown, students have also had the counselor’s read made up languages or things in foreign languages. If you’re going with this approach, you better hope your counselor can sing, or has a versatile accent. “Bananas B-A-N-A-N-A slugs. Here I come Santa Cruz” “‘Makin my way downtown, walking fast, faces past and I’m home bound.’ Can’t wait to get sandy up at Cal. I’ll miss my SDA volleyball family. #Subman.”

“Thank you to my idol and mentor Kanye West for teaching me that no matter what I’ll always have myself to love.” “[This student] wonders if after the next four years as an engineering major, she’ll graduate with degrees or radians.”

The Genuinely Sweet Ones: Mixed in among the amusing or confusing quotes of their classmates, some students slide right in with something deep, and it hits you hard. You’re waiting for something funny to distract you from the nostalgic atmosphere, and instead along comes something that makes want to cry. “There are no happy endings, endings are the saddest part. But SDA gave me a happy middle and a very happy start.” “How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard. I love you SDA forever and always.” “The beginning was scary, the ending is sad, but it’s the memories I’ve made here that make me a proud SDA grad.”

Saying goodbye

FEATURES

Every graduation at SDA, the counselors read out a short statement written by each senior.

GRADUATION INTRODUCTIONS LIKE the ones below are read at SDA’s graduation ceremony, Like 2017’s above. Photo by Patrick Hall.

The Quotes:

The Ones That Make Me Go What:

The Funny Ones:

I’m tempted to say that quotes are an easy way out of the difficult dilemma of choosing what to say, but when you choose quotes like these...

The following examples say it all.

These are the ones that really make those three hours sitting on the field enjoyable. You can pretend you’re actually at a comedy show, instead of at the sad goodbye ceremony it actually is.

THE MUSTANG

FEATURES

TEN YEARS...

We asked seniors where they saw themselves in 10 years. Here’s what they had to say. Look for more at www.sdamustang.com. Photos by Patrick Hall, Anna Griffin and Mallika Seshadri

Zach Lewis and Dace Sandison “I want to take my handshake business international...” “...And I intend to subsist off the royalties of being a cofounder.”

Connor Still “At the ripe age of 28.”

Kenneth Zamora “I’ll be working for the CDC.”

Ruby Feeney and Taryn Faul “Probably sending each other memes.”

Rami Ibrahim “I’m going to be getting coffee with Kelly Hawkins and we will be talking about my two children Henry and Casey.”

Zell Williams “I’m gonna be living on a farm on the coast of Oregon.”

Valerie Zerfas “I hope I’m in vet school because I want to be a vet.”

Sarah Willes and Kristyn Stewart “I’ll be living underground.” “I’ll be living with her underground.”

Hannah Gunderman and Nadia Haghani “Still making short jokes.”

Anna Lonsway and Eduardo Hernandez “We will be neighbors living in Australia profiting off of a koala petting zoo.”

Katherine Weinzierl and Nikki Arm “Queen of the fishes ruling over the octopi.” “We will be ruling side by side.”

Colleen Coveney “I’ll be part of a successful Migos cover band that overpowered the success of the actual Migos.”

Vanessa Øeien “I’ll be in debt.”

THE MUSTANG

Klaus Neyer “Hopefully I will have finished reading War and Peace by that time.”

Brian Gallagher “I’ll be looking back at this article to see if I said anything clever, and realize that I didn’t.”

FEATURES

KEEPING THE TRADITION

SDA’s 2018 Exhibition Day was filled with live music, food, dogs, art, and robots. By Tom Amoroso

xhibition Day is a unique day of the year at SDA where students can showcase their talents and enjoy. This year’s exhibition day featured live music, dogs, art, and robots. . Spanish teacher John West performed during the fourth exhibition with his rendition of “Hard to Handle” by The Black Crowes. Other bands also took the stage including Lizzie Waters, The Santa Anas, and Shawlin Supreme & the Kick Back Boys. Additionally, SDA was host to yet another Canine Unwind. Dogs of all breeds filled the field between the 10’s and 40’s. Therapy dogs from Scripps Health were brought to help students relax as finals approach. Sculpture teacher Jeremy

Wright didn’t volunteer his car for art this year, but there was a large canvas for students to paint on; one student even painted a butt. Nearby, art teacher Kajsa Medak and art students were selling mystery box henna and art-themed pins in front of the mosaic. Robotics occupied the inside of the mosaic, and their robot frequently shot balls outside and into the area in front of the building. Robotics club members were available to explainwhat robotics competitions entail, and the process of building the robots to passersby. Exhibition Day is made possible through the efforts of staff and students together and many hope to continue it for years to come.

TOP: Traditionally, SDA students can paint a car on Exhibition Day, but this year SDA students painted on a canvas which was located outside the mosaic cafe. Photo by Jaden Hauptman

BOTTOM: A group of SDA juniors pet one of the therapy dogs provided by Scripps Health. Photo by Jaden Hauptman

JUNE 2018

FEATURES

Campus memories

As the year is coming to the end, the last class to have seen senior court is leaving. Now is a time of reflection and recollection on the different changes there have been on this campus since the start of the 2014-2015 school year. By Nohemia Rosales

2014

MOSAIC CAFE

P2 P1

Clayton E. Liggett THEATRE

STUDENT GALLERY

MUSIC

2018

P15, 14, 13

P9 P10 P11 P12

P5 P6 P7 P8

P3 P4 Art

1st Floor

2nd Floor

108

99 98

107

1st floor- 90-94 2nd floor – 100104

106

96 95

105

38 Flex Lab

39 5

46 47

THE MUSTANG

Construction Zone

ver the past four years, students have become accustomed to hearing loud drill noises, dozing off to the clashing of the buildings being torn down in the background of classrooms, and having to walk around fences that surrounded bulldozers and cranes. Within that time, the P buildings grew, senior court was taken down, the “new building” was constructed, and both the art room and the thirties were also taken down. Many emotional connections have been formed at SDA, and despite how boring (and at times confusing) the campus map is, it contains many memories. Within the 2014 campus map, there is the senior court, the art room, and the thirties, most of which have been completely demolished by 2018. Within the 2018 campus map, there is the “new building,” the relocated art room, and the full extent of the P buildings and there is still more to come. Senior court consisted of various art pieces, each adding to the feeling of SDA,“I remember always walking by the dinosaur [behind the 90s] and thinking about how cool this school is” senior Zoe Salzman said. The area was taken down and reconstructed within the 2015-2016 school year.The people who got to experience it felt that it had a whole different feeling alltogether from the other parts of the campus “I didn’t think I was allowed to walk through there [Senior Court], because I was a freshman, but I did,” senior Keely Fuller said. “To me it felt like an old plaza of some sort. There was always something going on and someone to talk to. It just seemed detached from the school,” senior Fernando Ramirez said. Many events occurred at senior court, both planned and unplanned. “Freshman year I used to sit at the corner of senior court facing the mosaic. On Halloween that year everyone was lined up in costumes outside of it and I just remember sitting there watching everyone in their costumes and that felt like the most SDA moment. It’s one of those memories that I’ll just never forget,” senior Lizzie Waters said. “Freshman year I had Spanish 3 in senior court and it was raining really hard one day and senora Herrera pointed out the raining. Every one turned around and made such a big deal out of the rain, and

then we ended up having a rain dance party outside for the rest of the period in senior court,” senior Michelle He said. “The last day before they were going to tear [senior court] down was when we all chipped away at the walls and worked together. It was the last time we could all be together in Senior Court and it was really fun. I have a domino from the wall that I took off,” senior Laila Halim said. The 60s was a very beloved area, which held several instances of horseplay. “In the [old] art building, I got one of those sticky men (similar to sticky hand toys, but in the shape of a human) stuck on the ceiling and it didn’t come down until demolition,” senior Mina Seif said. “One time a senior walked into the art building with a saxophone and serenaded [retired art teacher, Neal] Glasgow with the song ‘Careless Whisper,’” senior Taylor Lessley said. In addition to the art building and senior court, there was also the thirties and several little walking areas, and though they were seemingly small details, people miss the little touches such as “the Obama stairs” as Samantha Bellier-Igasaki noted in which each of the steps held a piece of Obama’s face. Walking up the stairs, the whole image could be revealed. Approaching the 30s, there used to be an area of landscape and a little bridge with bushes, flowers, benches, and cacti. “My friends and I would always threaten to push each other into it, and it was just a great time,” senior Nadia Hagani said. As of the beginning of the 20172018 school year, the new building, which contains rooms 90-94 on the first floor and rooms 100-104 on the second floor was completed and open for operation. While many dread the stairs and exercise it brings, and it is still rather new, it has already created new memories, “I used the elevator on a weekend when the building was first made and it was so cool because it was operating and I was like whoa I’m going in style...it changed to being only for disabilities, but I got to go on it once” junior Wyatt Clay said. Moving on, there will plenty of new opportunities for SDA students to create new memories. As the campus changes, there will be more opportunities for memories to sprout.

ARTS

Project Trio plays vivo Project Trio, a chamber ensemble, began with a beatboxing flutist playing in the New York metro. By Mallika Seshadri

hen flutist Greg Pattillo chose to play the flute, he didn’t know what it sounded like. As a fourth grader, Pattillo decided to pursue flute in his elementary school band after reading a brochure with pictures and descriptions of different musical instruments. “Me and my mom went to the music store. I got a flute, and I thought it was pretty rad,” he said emphasizing each word as though articulating a musical phrase filled with marcato accents. Though excited about his new instrument, Pattillo grew keen to learn at a faster rate and expand his knowledge of music. “I begged my mom for lessons, and I got them, and [joined].. the local youth symphony orchestra,” he said. “Quickly, my life started revolving around music.” Ultimately, he formed a group with some friends called Project Trio, which is based in New York and includes flute, cello and bass. Pattillo began his training through the Suzuki method, which emphasizes learning by ear rather than reading music. As a teenager, he mainly focused on classical repertoire and participated in various competitions, which led him to earning a bachelor’s and master's degree in flute performance at the Cleveland

Institute of Music. After completing an in-depth study of flute, Pattillo launched his career as a flutist that beat boxes into his instrument, drawing on bluegrass techniques employed by string instruments for inspiration. “For me, music was just a cool puzzle. You could figure out tricks and tropes in music, and it was cool,” Pattillo said. He said that as a solo musician, the New York subways were like his lab, enabling him to experiment with different musical ideas to see which would garner most attention. Pattillo also used reactions of passersbys in the subway to figure out which styles best suited moments of beat boxing. “You don’t know [what musical compositions] work with beat boxing until you actually get out there and see what people like. I learned that dropping…. [The] Mario Brothers [theme] with beat box worked really well in the New York subways. It totally turned heads, and people thought it was really cool,” he said. “Sometimes you think [some originals] are fire until you actually get up in front of people, and [those ideas] fall flat.” After dedicating himself to building a solo career, he and two others he went to college with — double bassist Peter Seymour and cellist Eric Stephenson — banded together to form a group called

Project Trio. Though the group is comprised of flute, cello and bass, an unusual combination of instruments, Project Trio’s decision to form was rooted in their ability to work together. “We formed the group because we got along together, and we had tastes in music that really bounced off of each other, and we could easily build tunes, arrange music, and write tunes. And, we’ve been going at it for 11 years now, and we have a seemingly endless supply of music to create and to play with,” Pattillo said. All of Project Trio’s members also “wanted control over our musical projects. If you sit in a symphony, even if you’re the first chair flute, you never get to pick what you play. Also, sometimes, when you’re in a big group like that, it’s a little anonymous,” Pattillo added. The trio’s musical numbers often meld different styles of music together; and, they attempt to do each musical tradition justice while capturing its essence: “We’re really careful about not stepping on anyone’s toes. We have fun distilling the essence of a style [and questioning things like] ‘what makes jazz jazz?’” In addition to incorporating multiple styles into one piece, the trio also strays away from typical voicing. Normally, in a trio of their instrumentation, the flute would

play the melody, the bass plays the bass line, and the cello plays chords. But, Project Trio often flips that. For example, Pattillo said they might play a piece where the bass plays the melody and the flute plays harmonic layers underneath, in lieu of being able to play chords. Project Trio’s experimentation has led them to compose much of their own music, though Pattillo said they “will accept any tune under any circumstance.” He said sometimes, the trio will play something “fully written,” and other times, an idea will spring from “some dude being like ‘what do you guys think of this riff ?’ and [going] from there….We’ve tried it all, and it’s all valuable.” “Being creative is a wild endeavor because sometimes it seems [like] for a hundred things you create, there’s only a handful of things in there that are gems. But, we never would have got [those gems] if we hadn’t thrown all that other stuff out. And so, we’re always mashing ideas...we do it all together, and we have a lot of fun doing it,” he added. While much of the trio’s music is composed, they make room for improvisation in most of their songs, especially during solo sections. He said the improvised sections are some of their favorite parts to play because they constantly challenge eachother to play something even better.

A VIDEO OF Project

Trio’s flutist Greg Pattollo playing the Mario Brothers theme while beat boxing into the flute garnered 25 million views.

Photo courtesy of Peter Seymour, the trio’s bass player.

JUNE 2018

ARTS

Summer... what to do?

When summer gets dull (or your mom wants you out of the house), these activities will not disappoint. By Lila Shief

San Diego Museum of Modern Art, Petco Park, good food, and many more downtown locations to explore. Round-trip ticket prices vary, but rarely exceed $15.

ROAD TRIP Grab your keys, a couple friends, possibly a tent, and drive up the coast for a week or two. Keep costs low by camping or sleeping in the car.

LA PALOMA This is possibly one of Encinitas’s best destinations. Pay $10 and see “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” any Friday at midnight, or one of their summer rewind movies including “The Wizard of Oz,” “Jaws,” “Big Wednesday,” “The Karate Kid,” and “The Dark Knight.”

TAKE THE COASTER The coaster provides a perfect solution for underclassmen without the ability to drive. Santa Fe depot station is in close proximity to the

SAN DIEGO ZOO As one of the pricier options on this list, the zoo costs $54 for an all-day pass, but grants access to all animal exhibits, tours, and shows.

ith summer just around the corner, many students are searching for interesting activities, internships, and programs to occupy eight weeks of free time. Here are some ideas to refer to in absence of vacations and planned activities:

PICNIC Throw some snacks in a bag, bring a blanket, and head down to the beach or a park. This is a great way to relax, enjoy the sun, and spend time with friends. VOLUNTEER Lux art institute offers unpaid internships for teens willing to help organize art camp and demonstrate techniques. Spend some time with kittens, puppies, and bunnies at Rancho Coastal Humane Society, or volunteer at Scripps hospital for a brief intro to the medical field. FARMERS MARKET Visit the Sunday farmers market at Paul Ecke between 10 and 2 to support local artists and eat fantastic food.

ENJOY A BEAUTIFUL view while traveling on the coaster. Photo courtesy of the North County Transit District.

Please answer.

The sci-fi webcomic “17776” has broken barriers in what can be considered an entertainment platform. Or, three satellites watch some football. By Joice He

THE VIEWER IS greeted by space probe Pioneer 9 upon returning to the website. Photo courtesy of SB Nation.

THE MUSTANG

he article was titled “What will football look like in 50 years?” It was posted on SB Nation, a sports newspaper. At first glance, there was absolutely nothing strange about it. However, halfway into the first paragraph, the text devolves into gibberish. The words on the page explode all over the article, flooding the screen black, then… In the summer of 2015, the first installment of a webcomic titled “17776” by Jon Bois was released, though not exactly in the most conventional way. Hidden inside an innocent looking sports article, it took many people by surprise and quickly went viral, drawing in more curious readers as word got around. Emerging as a completely original and unique media experience, “17776” uses everything and anything to tell its story. It’s hard to pin it down to a genre or a format. Calling it a webcomic isn’t quite right, since it barely fits the criteria for a comic in the first place. Colored dialogue text links together a collection of calendars, gifs, videos, newspaper clippings, pictures, and interview transcripts in a scroll-to-

read format. It recounts the tale of three sentient space probes in year 17776. Pioneer 9, Pioneer 10, and Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (dubbed Juice in the comic) float in space and watch some people play football. In year 2026, all humans have stopped aging. They stopped giving birth, getting hurt, and dying. They’ve perfected technology, performed medical wonders, and reached a point where they could do whatever they wanted to. So, they play football. However, as hinted by the SB Nation article title, the rules of football have...changed, especially since it’s not possible to die anymore. Some games have lasted hundreds of years, and have fields with lengths span across entire states, but a width of only a few feet. Some games’ objectives are to collect something, say all existing footballs ever signed by football star Koy Detmer, and others use tornados to fling players to opposite sides of the country to escape getting tackled. “17776” follows Nine, Ten, and Juice as they watch these football games and talk about babies, the Plymouth Voyager minivan, and space.

Though at first glance it looks like a quirky, surface level story, “17776” takes a deep introspective look on the nature of happiness, and why the remaining humans choose to have imperfect lives rather than striving for perfection. To be honest, these are introspections are one of my favorite parts of the webcomic, especially since the rather heavy topic is discussed in between Juice’s snarky comments the Wolverine’s “fork hands” and the aesthetics of Lunchables. (Ham cracker cheese, etcetera.) The webcomic was short lived, coming to a rather bittersweet ending after only a month of serialization, but leaving you with the surreal sense of floating, alone, in the vacuum of space. Overall, it is absolutely worth the read, if not for Juice’s antics, then for the incredible and unique form of storytelling, or for the quick cameo from the Hubble Space Telescope. Or, maybe you just want to see your friends’ faces when the sports article you made them read suddenly explodes in front of their eyes.

ARTS

ongratulations, folks. Only a few more days of schools left. For some, that means new beginnings. For others, that means having to say goodbye. But there is one thing that the end of school means for everyone: summertime! Now, before throwing your textbooks in the trash (or whatever the Google Classroom equivalent of that is), take a moment here. Don’t get me wrong, summer is great. But eventually sleeping until noon and going to the beach can get kind of boring. So instead, get cultured (or at least entertained) and treat yourself to some quality movies and music. Arranged by genre (you’re welcome), the Mustang has previewed the best of the best hitting the silver screen this summer. And if you aren’t about paying those big bucks to go see a movie (it’s okay, we get it, high schoolers are poor), we have also picked out some promising Netflix releases, concerts, and events. - TAYLOR RUDMAN, ARTS EDITOR

JUNE 2018

OCEAN’S 8

n a spin-off of Steven Soderbergh’s “Ocean’s” crime thriller trilogy, Danny Ocean’s estranged sister Debbie Ocean follows in her brother’s footsteps in her planning of a massive Met Gala heist. This film came as a surprise to many fans, as Soderbergh hasn’t released an “Ocean’s” film since 2007, when original cast member George Clooney wished to “go out strong” with the final film of the trilogy. Another shocking change was the transition of a mainly male cast to, instead, a female-dominated film. While “Ocean’s 8” will feature cameos from Matt Damon and Carl Reiner from the original trilogy films, it focuses on Debbie (Sandra Bullock) assembling a heist team of many powerful women, played by Anne Hathaway, Cate Blanchett, Mindy Kaling, Rihanna, and Helena Bonham Carter. This change mirrors the feminist movement of this time period, aligning powerful, cunning, and resourceful opportunists with female characters instead of men.

JUNE 8

STORY BY SOPHIE HUGHES Nothing brings the girl gang together like a heist. Maybe after the robbery they’ll have enough money for a cab. Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

INCREDIBLES 2

JUNE 15

H MY GOSH I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS MOVIE FOR THE PAST 12 YEARS. Phew. Let me take a deep breath. PHWWWWWW. “The Incredibles” was one of the defining movies of the 2000s and finally, after a long and arduous wait, the Parr family is back to entertain the families who grew up with them. This time around, Elastigirl jumps into action while Mr. Incredible must save the day in a different way: taking care of the kids. And, in a super family, this may prove to be a more difficult task than any superhero work. Order a few kids from Craigslist for an excuse to go and get ready because “Incredibles 2” comes out on the last day of school.

THROW BACKS

ARTS

STORY BY SIMMONE STEARN

You’ve waited years for this, so let’s hope it’s not a complete flop. Photo courtesy of “Incredibles 2” official Facebook page.

MAMMA MIA! 2!

JULY 20

amma Mia, here WE go again!!!! That’s right fellow ABBA lovers, Mamma Mia 2 is comin’ around the block with more fun, more excitement, and more MUSIC!!! This time around, as Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) is expecting, she explores the past of her mother, Donna, (Meryl Streep) in which she, too, dealt with friends, lovers, and the journey to motherhood. A new allstar cast has been formed with the addition of Lily James, Jeremy Irvine, Josh Dylan, and Hugh Skinner who play young Donna, young Sam, young Bill, and young Harry, respectively. Not to mention, Cher plays Sophie’s grandmother and still looks 250! This movie will bring you right back to your childhood and will brighten even the saddest of days, so you NEED to watch this movie.

STORY BY SIMMONE STEARN

THE MUSTANG

Everything you loved about the original “Mamma Mia” except Meryl Streep. But they have Cher. Photo courtesy of “Mamma Mia” official Facebook page.

OCEAN’S 8

n a spin-off of Steven Soderbergh’s “Ocean’s” crime thriller trilogy, Danny Ocean’s estranged sister, Debbie Ocean, follows in her brother’s footsteps in her planning of a massive Met Gala heist. This film came as a surprise to many fans, as an “Ocean’s” film hasn’t released since 2007, when original cast member George Clooney wished to “go out strong” with the final film of the trilogy. Another shocking change was the transition of a mainly male cast to, instead, a female-dominated film. While “Ocean’s 8” will feature cameos from Matt Damon and Carl Reiner from the original trilogy films, it focuses on Debbie (Sandra Bullock) assembling a heist team of many powerful women, including characters played by Anne Hathaway, Cate Blanchett, Mindy Kaling, Rihanna, and Helena Bonham Carter. This change mirrors the feminist movement of this time period, aligning powerful, cunning, and resourceful opportunists with female characters instead of men.

JUNE 8

STORY BY SOPHIE HUGHES Nothing brings the girl gang together like a heist. Maybe after the robbery they’ll have enough money for a cab. Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

INCREDIBLES 2

JUNE 15

THROWBACKS

ARTS

STORY BY SIMMONE STEARN You’ve waited years for this, so let’s hope it’s not a complete flop. Photo courtesy of “Incredibles 2” official Facebook page.

MAMMA MIA 2

JULY 20

STORY BY SIMMONE STEARN

THE MUSTANG

Everything you loved about the original “Mamma Mia” except Meryl Streep. But they have Cher. Photo courtesy of “Mamma Mia” official Facebook page.

COMEDY

ARTS

SORRY TO BOTHER YOU

JULY 13

eleasing right in the middle of blockbuster season, Director- Rapper, Boots Riley, has made what looks to be the most unique, stylish and original film this summer. Lakeith Stanfield, from “Get Out” stars as “Cassius Green”, a telemarketer in an alternative version of present day Oakland. This seemingly dull premise goes crazy when Cassius discovers the magical key to professional success and the film plunges into Sci-Fi. Early reviews have called “Sorry to Bother You”: unpredictable, original, intelligent satire, and most importantly absolutely absurd. Although it may sound a little too weird for some audiences, its uniqueness which makes this film a crazy fun ride unlike any you’ve ever seen. At the least it could prove to be the most refreshingly bizarre and creative film of the Summer.

STORY BY BRADEN WHITE Love telemarketers? Well, this movie is even better. Photo courtesy of Annapurna Productions.

THE SPY WHO DUMPED ME

AUGUST 3

re you ready to see some woman killing it? Like literally. In the new movie “The Spy Who Dumped Me,” two best friends, played by Mila Kunis (“That ‘70s Show,” “Bad Moms”) and Kate McKinnon (“SNL,” “Ghostbusters”), unwittingly become involved in an international conspiracy when one of the women (Kunis) realizes that her ex-boyfriend, who dumped her, was actually a spy. The cast while filled with many experienced film actors, also includes Kate McKinnon, a SNL regular who usually doesn’t go for the big screen finally getting a chance in such a big feature role, making it all the more exciting. The movie has a mix of action, mystery, comedy, and some serious elements of female empowerment! During times like this where women are still fighting for some representation in media, we need more movies like this. So make sure to add it to your summer list to feel empowered and amused all at once.

STORY BY TAINA MILLSAP “The Spy Who Dumped Me” will bring a hilarious cast and an empowering script to the movie screens all while making the audience laugh. Photo courtesy of Lions Gate Entertainment.

THE HAPPYTIME MURDERS

AUGUST 17

“Sausage Party” turned animated feature films dirty, and “The Happytime Murders” is going to do the same for puppetry. Nothing can stay pure forever Photo courtesy of The Happtime Murders official Facebook page.

lright folks, prepare to have your childhood ruined. Melissa McCarthy has ruined a lot, but now she’s decided to aim right for the throat. KIDDING! McCarthy is a dear. Your childhood will totally be ruined, though. Welcome to “The Happytime Murders,” which depicts the grisly underbelly of the puppet world. Detective Edwards (McCarthy) teams up with a jaded ex-cop-current-puppet to try and solve the murder of the cast of an old TV show, “The Happytime Gang.” If you’re already confused, think “The Muppets” meets film noir meets literally any other Melissa McCarthy movie. Does that clear it up? Not to mention, the movie is directed by the son of Jim Henson, the creator of “The Muppets.” This movie is just too weird not to see, so make sure to add it to your list.

STORY BY TAYLOR RUDMAN

JUNE 2018

JURASSIC WORLD

h look, another issue has arisen with dinosaurs because man was tampering with nature in a way that they shouldn’t have and reintroduced a dangerous species into modern society! How could that possibly go wrong? Taking place three years after the first reboot of Jurassic World (and how great that turned out), the theme park team goes back to the island to save the remaining dinosaurs from a volcano that is full to bursting, all while uncovering a huge conspiracy that could potentially take over the world. Essentially, if you’ve seen “Jurassic Park 2,” then you know how this whole situation is about to go down. The only real difference between these movies and the old ones is Chris Pratt, which essentially makes this movie worth seeing. I mean, if you dig action movies and dinosaurs running around then yeah, that’s a reason to see it, too. But… you know… Chris Pratt.

JUNE 22

ACTION

ARTS

STORY BY SIENNA RILEY You’d think after all these years they might have realized that maybe cloning ancient murder reptiles isn’t the best idea. Photo courtesy of “Jurassic World” official Facebook.

SKYSCRAPER

JULY 13

here a few things that everyone loves. Things that if someone tells you “I don’t like that,” you know that you can’t trust them. One of those things is Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. After his more comedic role in “Jumanji,” Johnson is once again taking on the role of stone-faced hero in the Legendary/ Universal film “Skyscraper.” He plays Will Ford, a war veteran and former FBI Hostage Rescue Team Leader turned security assessor for skyscrapers, and finds himself framed for a crime he didn’t commit. In classic cinematic fashion, he is forced to undertake an action-packed adventure to clear his name, and save the lives of his family, inconveniently trapped in the burning building whose arson he is being blamed for. For fans of The Rock in action-heavy roles, this is a must-see. Grab your popcorn and strap in cause it’s gonna be a wild ride.

STORY BY KIERAN ZIMMER You’ll watch it because the Rock is in it. Who cares what the movie is actually about. Photo courtesy of Universal Studios.

THE DARKEST MINDS

AUGUST 3

repare to rediscover your inner teenage angst when you see “The Darkest Minds.” Its director, Jennifer Yuh Nelson, received some recognition in 2011 as the first woman to solo-direct a major Hollywood animated feature, “Kung Fu Panda 2.” In stark contrast to her previous work, “The Darkest Minds” is a fantasy, science-fiction picture starring Amandla Stenberg (“Everything, Everything”) and Harris Dickinson (“Beach Rats”). The movie, based off of the successful YA trilogy by Alexandra Bracken, is centered around a dystopia in which teens discover that they possess strange powers, which the government views as a threat. Due to this, they are held in detainment camps and band together in hopes of an uprising. Similar to that of “The Hunger Games” or “Divergent” films, it offers an escape from reality and gives viewers a glimpse into a story of teens desperately fighting for their future.

STORY BY ANNA GRIFFIN

THE MUSTANG

A movie that’s advertised as sci-fi, but is really what will happen if Baby Boomers keep on patronizing millenials. Photo courtesy of Fox Movies.

HORROR

ARTS

HEREDITARY

JUNE 8

here is a large group of people who consider “The Exorcist” to be the greatest horror movie of all time, therefore when a film draws comparisons to it, they shouldn’t be taken lightly. “Hereditary” looks poised to surpass the vast majority of recent horror films, drawing inspiration from the psychological terror classics of the 70s/80s. Following the death of her mother, Annie Graham ,Toni Collette, slowly unravels the terrifying secrets of their ancestry. The trailer presents horrifying imagery which looks more frightening and interesting than any other film of its genre coming this summer. The early critical acclaim has been almost entirely positive focusing on the movie’s blend of classic horror movie tropes while remaining unpredictable. It is filled with solid performances and presents a slow burn resulting in a completely unsettling nightmare.“Hereditary” looks to be an immensely terrifying and disturbing experience in all the best ways.

Photo courtesy of “Hereditary” Official Facebook page.

STORY BY BRADEN WHITE

THE FIRST PURGE

“M

y goodness, I used to think horror movies were scary. Now the only thing that really frightens me is the ordeal of national politics. #notmypresident,” your Aunt Suzy probably said on Facebook. Well, Aunt Suzy, the makers of “The Purge” film series have heard you loud and clear. “The First Purge” is being released on Independence Day, a clear attempt at a political statement (seeing as it falls on a Wednesday this year). If that isn’t enough, some of the advertisements for the movie feature the image of a red hat with white lettering that reads, “THE FIRST PURGE,” which feels awful familiar to the MAGA hats of campaign season. After “The Purge: Election Year” reached a comfortable $118.6 million in the box office, being released about a month before the election and with the slogan “Keep America Great,” the creators must have figured if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. “The First Purge,” as its title suggests, is a prequel to the trilogy. Besides political undertones, you can also expect the feature of two new main characters, played by Y’lan Noel and Lex Scott Davis, and their protest against the new government psychological

JULY 4

Photo courtesy of Universal Studios.

STORY BY TAYLOR RUDMAN

SLENDER MAN

AUGUST 24

verybody’s favorite black-tie faceless monster, Slender Man, finally has the intro to cinema its fans have been waiting for. An internet meme turned horror phenomenon, Slender Man first gained notoriety in 2012 when the survival/horror game “Slender: The Eight Pages” released on PC. The player must collect eight pieces of paper scattered across a creepy forest at night all while avoiding the inhumanely tall, stalking force. The fictional character became a disturbing national phenomenon when two 12-yearold girls in Wisconsin stabbed a classmate 19 times (who survived), saying Slender Man commanded them, apparently fearing their own families’ safety from the monster. Sony, unable to resist cashing in on the supernatural sensation, is releasing the film, naming it after its titular character and featuring the talents of “The Conjuring’s” Joey King and Javier Botet. It seems the plot is going in the direction of the folkloric source material, as Slender Man kidnaps and possesses children for his own sinister desires, instead of the more ambiguous nature of its videogame counterpart.

Photo courtesy of “Slender Man” official Facebook page.

STORY BY PATRICK HALL

JUNE 2018

ALEX STRANGELOVE

JUNE 8

Netflix Original that explores teenage sexuality is officially coming out June 8. “Alex Strangelove” follows a high-school aged boy, Alex Truelove, who appears to have a grasp on who he is and where his life is at, complete with a girlfriend, good grades, and an established social circle. But he begins to question his sexual identity after meeting Elliot, a charming boy from across town that complicates his stable life. Alex is considering losing his virginity with his long term girlfriend, but is confused by his feelings for Elliot. This unique and comedic exploration is an important piece for more exposure to teens questioning their sexuality and offers guidance and understanding hidden in raunchy comedy. This Netflix Original is written and directed by Craig Johnson (“The Skeleton Twins”), and produced by Ben Stiller, Nicky Weinstock, and Jared Ian Goldman.

STORY BY AMELIA KAISER

It’s like a love triangle but gayer. Photo courtesy of Netflix.

SET IT UP

JUNE 15

“S

et it Up,” which will be released by Netflix on June 15, tells the story of two overworked assistants who devise a plan to distract their corporate bosses by setting them up with each other. If you’re looking for a cute but somewhat mediocre romcom, “Set it Up” is perfect for you. Although it does not promise to win awards, or dazzle its audience with a cast of Oscar veterans, the film delivers in terms of entertainment… and it’s basically free. “Set it Up” also evokes plot points from “The Parent Trap” through a series of absurd tricks that are intended to spark passion between Taye Diggs (“Private Practice”) and Lucy Liu (“Elementary”), who play the bosses of Zoey Deutch (“Before I Fall”) and Glen Powell (“Everybody Wants Some!!”). SNL’s Pete Davidson cameos as Powell’s friend, Duncan.

STORY BY LILA SCHIEF It may sound like a teen volleyball movie, but it’s actually assistants getting pissed off (in a nice way). Photo courtesy of Netflix.

NETFLIX ORIGINALS

ARTS

LIKE FATHER

ave you ever wondered what happens after you die? The relatively new show “The Good Place” explores this question. Starring in the show is Kristen Bell, who you know as the princess voice of Anna in “Frozen” and the video of her crying on “Ellen” because of sloths. But this has nothing to do with “The Good Place.” Kristen Bell is starring in a new Netflix comedy, “Like Father.” There are also some other people like her co-star Kelsey Grammer (“Frasier”) and screenwriter/first-time director Lauren Miller Rogen (yes, that Rogen), but they’re not relevant because they’re not named Kristen Bell. So, the movie is about a workaholic woman (thanks Protestant work ethic! You help us live a balanced lifestyle). She gets left at the altar - just like every little girl dreams of. So now she needs a buddy on her honeymoon. Who else but her estranged dad who passed down his unhealthy commitment to work? Sounds like a great time. So there’s the plot. Fatherdaughter bonding on a honeymoon. Could be fun. The important thing is that Kristen Bell is in it so it’s worth your time.

AUGUST 3

STORY BY SYLVIA YOUNG There’s next to no press on this movie, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be great. Collage by Sylvia Young.

THE MUSTANG

EVENTS

ARTS

JUNE 12

KESHA/ MACKLEMORE

esha and Macklemore have teamed up for a thirty-stop North American tour, the fourth of which will be in Chula Vista, just 45 minutes away. The tour will be in support of Kesha’s third studio album Rainbow, and Macklemore’s second studio album Gemini, both released in 2017. Both artists are donating one dollar from each ticket to charity. Kesha will be donating to the anti-sexual assault organization Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) and Macklemore will be donating to to social and racial justice organization Plus1. If you want some fun plans for the last week of school, there are still tickets available.

STORY BY CHRIS MELLUSI

JUNE 25

VIOLENT FEMMES

he eighties folk punk band Violent Femmes is coming to San Diego for the second time in a year on June 25. The band recently released a new album called “2 Mics and The Truth: Unplugged and Unhinged in America,” a collection of acoustic renditions of their songs over the years, including but not limited to some of their major hits like “Blister in the Sun,” “Add It Up,” “Kiss Off,” and “Gone Daddy Gone.” The band is known for hard, but still acoustic guitar combined with the discordant, almost yelling voice of lead singer Gordon Gano unusual from most bands even to-

STORY BY EMMA TOSCANI

JUNE 1 to JULY 4

SD FAIR

day. Their music gained popularity in the 1990s, despite their original album being from 1983 and the band had subsequently broken up years prior. Most can recognize them for their most famous sound, “Blister in the Sun,” with the chorus: “Let me go on / Like I blister in the sun / Let me go on / Big hands, I know you’re the one.” The band has since gotten back together and released an album with new material in 2016. If you are looking for a unique concert experience, look no further than the Violent Femmes. Tickets are on sale now starting at $45.

STORY BY ROSY ALVARADO

AUGUST 11

PIXIES/WEEZER

wo well-known alternative rock bands are coming to San Diego this summer. And guess what? They’ll be playing at the same concert! The first, the Pixies, are considered to be one of the quintessential rock bands of the ‘80s early alternative scene, with a garage rock-like sound, from before garage rock became popular. They are eclectic in style, ranging from the haunting mood of “Where Is My Mind?” to the almost surf rock of “Here Comes Your Man” or the post-punk sound of “Monkey Gone to Heaven.” The band broke up in the early 1990s after being together since 1986. Their unique approach to alternative music heavily inspired most alternative and even mainstream music made to this day. They got back together in 2004 to tour and have made two albums within the last five years. Weezer on the other hand, started in the mid-1990s and hasn’t really stopped since. They,

like many musicians, are influenced by The Pixies, although they have a different approach to alternative rock, with a uniquely geeky vibe infused into their eclectic songs, ranging in heavy guitar songs like “Hash Pipe” and “Buddy Holly” to easy-listening pop rock like “Island in the Sun.” “Beverly Hills” has been ingrained in most people’s minds with the quirky lyrics and catchy guitar riffs. They released a new album in 2017 called “Pacific Daydream,” an album with a level of dream pop added to the mix. The two bands are co-headlining at the Mattress Firm Amphitheatre (formerly Sleep Train Amphitheatre) on Aug, 11. The experimental pop band Sleigh Bells is opening for the bands. Tickets start at $25 for a seatyourself grassy area at the back of the Amphitheatre. Bring your own chairs and blankets if you plan on sitting here! These bands are both awesome to see in concert, and two bands like this performing together is an event you don’t want to miss.

STORY BY EMMA TOSCANI

ongoing events

he San Diego County Fair is right around the corner! It opens on June 1 and runs through July 4th located at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. The fair is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays in June but will be open July 2 and July 3. This year is the “How Sweet It Is” candy theme so there will be many different crazy deep fried foods such as unicorn cupcakes, cotton candy ice cream sandwiches, chocolate pasta, and more! In honor of the sugary theme, the fair will be offering free admission for all “sweet 16”-yearolds on Saturday, June 16. If your birthday is on or after June 17, 2001, you’re in luck! Don’t forget your ID. There will be different art exhibits, more than 100 concerts, 80 rides, animals and entertainment. Tickets are available at the door or online at https://sdfair.com

concerts

JUNE 14 to JULY 15

FIFA WORLD CUP

itting on the couch and not sure what to watch while you are halfway through eating a pint of ice-cream? Well, don’t worry yourself because we have a real nail biter for you. The 21st FIFA World Cup is about to begin! The 2018 World Cup will be held in Russia this year. It will be the first to be held in Europe since 2006 and there will be 32 national teams participating. All participating teams had to compete in a series of qualifying tournaments to win their spot in the World Cup. Unfortunately, we cannot support our Men’s National Team because for the first time in more than three decades, they will unfortunately not be participating in this tournament. In the final qualifying round, the U.S. men’s team lost with a final

score of 2-1 in a match against Trinidad and Tobago. But, if you’re a Panama fan, they will be making their first-ever World Cup appearance. The final game will take place on July 15th in Moscow. The competition is fierce and every team is ready to battle for the qualifying spot in the 2021 FIFA Confederations Cup. The first match of the tournament is on June 14th, 2018 where Russia and Saudi Arabia will be fighting for the win. Make sure to tune in to the games and see who takes home the FIFA World Cup Trophy. All matches can be watched on TV or streamed on your computer or mobile device. Also, coverage to the whole tournament will be provided on CBS Sports. Who do you want to win?

STORY BY ALEXANDRA JOELSON

JUNE 2018

ARTS

“Pull quote” -name here

THE MUSTANG

CAF

JUNE 2018

CAF

THE HORSE

“NEVER DON’T EVER NOT STOP HORSING AROUND” - GANDHI

HOROSCOPE

Trust the stars to make decisions for you. By Nadia Ballard

Aries You’re a fire sign – what’s new? But this month make sure to spend time in the sun. Love the sunlight, slurp up those good rays like a three-month-old puppy that doesn’t understand you can’t chomp up the sun. You, though, are stronger and bigger than a puppy. You could definitely do it. This month go beyond your limits by physically eating the sun. Taurus In a past life you were a Great Dane. A nice six-foot dog too powerful for this world. Your yips, too strong. You were too powerful, so for that reason you are what you are now. You’ve been reduced to a sad naked ape, because the world knew that if you were at your peak performance you would have bested God in a fight at only two-dog-years-old.

Gemini It’s time that you begin thinking about your future and what you really want to do for the rest of your life. Lucky for you, though, the stars indicate that your dream is to be at the bottom of a well, eating moss and forgetting language. Cancer Your stars have moved out of alignment. For that reason you may start to experience long bouts of exhaustion. To combat feeling so tired and dead, log off. Go to sleep. Turn off your brain, press and hold your forehead until you fall into a deep hibernation that you can wake up from when your stars are back in alignment.

Leo You’re one tall glass of milk now, but you can become the caramel macchiato that you’ve always dreamt of being. And you only have to do one simple thing. Go to your local Starbucks and exchange money for the goods and perform transmutation. Virgo Sometimes you get the urge to explore the unknown. Late at night you might find yourself watching Ouija board hauls on Youtube and considering playing a game of “mess around with a demon and see if you can make is say funny things.” However, you don’t need an Ouija board to accidentally unleash a restless spirit on your house. You basically already haunt and torment yourself with the memories you’ve buried deep into your psych, but can never truly forget.

Libra This month let go and spin in a circle. Full force. Don’t hold yourself back. Free yourself from the constraints of gravity. Be free, be young, fly off into the atmosphere and never look back. Scorpio It’s that time of the year when summer begins and seniors are scrambling for a way to pay for their future. Even if you aren’t a senior yet the inescapable limitations of your finances likely constantly chase you. There’s no such thing as too much money, so this year make some extra dough real fast and real easy. Just two words. Bedazzled rocks. Boom. Bill Gates will be quaking. Sagittarius Punch a wall, yeah, punch it real good. That’ll show the raccoons that live in between the drywall what’s coming to them.

Capricorn Books are fountains of knowledge. Prepare for finals by utilizing books. Blend some up with agave nectar and a handful of spinach to make a trendy smoothie. Maybe take out the pages and make a salad. Either way just take a book and crunch up those pages filled with knowledge between your pearly whites. Then sit back and ace your finals. Aquarius When you go to sleep and charge your phone don’t forget to leave out a treat for the little people who play the music on your phone. Once in while leave something like cream and cookies in the night. Be grateful for their hard work and show your appreciation. It must hurt them to have to always play your trash music all day. Pisces You’re just one whole big bowl of spaghetti. Let the world take care of you and slorp you up into its warm digestional embrace. Yum!

ASK A SENIOR!

Senior Emma Toscani imparts her wisdom. What does it feel like to graduate? It feels like if the bags under your eyes had an emotion. I don’t know if anyone knows that feeling but it feels like relief mixed with regret, exhaustion, and maybe a little bit of chronic anxiety. Stress is the best drug y’all 11/10 recommend because it gives you the feeling of wanting to high tail it out of any and all responsibilities. If that doesn’t make stuff happen, then I don’t know what does. How are you planning for the future? I’m not. I will be steamrolled by housing payments, a mountain of vegetarian ramen, crippling depression and anxiety, also a regret to have ever wanted to grow up. I can’t wait until I have to pay rent and make my own living in a few years. So exciting to feel like nothing I do will ever be enough, especially considering the amount of student loan debt I will have after going to the cheapest college on my accepted list.

THE MUSTANG

Why are you still at school? No idea. Maybe it’s because I know that in a few weeks I will be free and in Europe, exploring cities with a better quality of life than the majority of Americans. I can’t wait to realize how unhealthy and expensive my life is. What is your senior quote? Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. It’s a secret. What are your plans after high school? I plan to realize my hidden talent. Once that happens in a timely fashion, I will promptly drop out of col-

lege and go on America’s Got Talent, if it is still relevant. I will then tell a sordid but fake tale of triumph over my numerous struggles from having to decide between beige and taupe for my bedspread to figuring out if my cat is trying to kill me (he was). Will you miss SDA? To be honest I don’t know if I will. Be prepared to see a stupidly tall girl with a stoplight red face at graduation, watering our fake grass with a waterfall of salty snot. It won’t be because she is crying but instead because she realized she is deathly allergic to fake people. Thus it has dawned on her that everyone is fake and that her life is a lie.... I’m kidding y’all it will be tears from my eyes because I know that this is one of the only places I have truly belonged and now I’m about to be thrown to the wolves of financial stress and the hardships of rebuilding my whole life at the opposite end of the country. Peace bitches; I’m out.

CAF

THE HORSE

“NEVER DON’T EVER NOT STOP HORSING AROUND” - GANDHI

COOKING FOR ONE

This week on Blogging with Debra, a deluded 28-year-old spinster: age is just a number. By Shayna Glazer and Taylor Rudman

ey ladies. It’s me, Debbie, checking back in. I figured it was about time I caught you all back up on what’s going on in my life! So it was an average Thursday night and I decided what better way to pass the time than to partake in some Instagram stalking. You see, I have recently taken on a new lover. His name is Kevin. We met at the farmer’s market. He brought the quinoa, I brought a deeply charged sexual energy. The rest is pretty much history. Where was I? Right. Average Thursday night, so I figured, you know what, I haven’t found Kevin’s private account! Why not take four hours to figure out all his deepest secrets? So I sat there until I started to hear birds chirping outside and I had to turn my lamp off because the sun was up (and I care about the planet). The good news is, though I didn’t sleep, I did find his Instagram, Facebook, Tumblr, OkCupid, WhyAreYouInterested, Bumble, I’mSoAlone, Snapchat,

finsta, StalkedForLove, LinkedIn, YesNoMayB, AND Tinder. This boy is connected- I love it. There’s just one minor problem, he’s only 20 years old. Of course it isn’t illegal for us to be together, so technically it isn’t a “minor” problem, but you know, it is a large difference. Age is just a number. After the past two whole weeks of dating and being madly and inseparably in love, I’ve realized that numbers don’t matter. Sure, I’m 28. And yes, he’s 20. And maybe my BAC was a little above 0.08 percent when I started flirting with him, and his couldn’t have been above 0.01 percent unless he was carrying the fake ID that his friend’s younger sister Carla made for him. But who cares? I was never much of a math person anyways. Love conquers all, including numbers, and it is all technically legal so stop giving me that look, Susan. I just want to make sure that I get this out of the way: our spiritual connection is so much stronger

than any sort of antiquated social Kevin! (Shut up, Susan.) Now let’s get construct that the majority conforms cookin’. to. I don’t want to say that we are For the full recipe, visit my blog just better then them, but I’m not at https://bit.ly/2Hyv70g. Enjoy! (I really sure how else to put it. That know you will). being said, the age gap does cause my us a little bit of a eeds e n th sk a disconnect now ter s a w n i m and then. That’s 35 why I’m planning on reigniting our y the at reall er. Is th passions with the st b lo e h in il t rapped egin, bo perfect dish: lobster it’ll be t , 1.) To b r e st b er poor lo mac n’ cheese. I tionship lb) lobst p? That in a rela first ste d e - 1 (2 p know, it sounds p a r raft did I). I was t ton of K (neither r just like crazy. But this is the t a a e c r h e t 1 h e t v deser ed literal perfect meal to ese doesn’t . We ne Jake. It and che h he Mac c it a w m bring our generations r and t e st b n’t lo r e ton. Do butte scrap th together. The mac n’ hole car w 2.) So, - 3 tbs A . d iners, ten kin cheese will connect s milk le conta . The glu resealab Goldfish - 2 cup y se c o him to his not-soh n t a f f one o dful of getting r that. distant childhood, - a han bother need fo ere’s no h t and the lobster will w o kn cheese we both appease my incredibly epper p p s t mature, refined palette. - 1/2 See? Perfect! Just like my relationship with

Cheese n c a M Lobster

UC STEREOTYPES Accurate descriptions of UC universites. By Nadia Ballard

he Universities of California are a dynasty of their own. On par with the Kardashians and the Kennedys, these Universities are a well-known brand and business. Not only do they provide education for those in California, but also for stressed high school seniors all over the world. While the UC brand is all encompassing, not all individual UCs’ are the same. California is stereotyped by sunny beach days allyear-round, but it’s a big state with even bigger public universities each with their own unique stereotypes. UCB You See Bloodshed Students who go here are hardcore. Sleep? They’re Berkley kids they’re too good for that. Coffee? Berkley kids have surpassed those simple beans and moved on to shots of Yerba Mate mixed with the knowledge that they’re the original UC. Their minds and grades are sharp but beware. That might not be the only thing they have up their sleeve that’s sharp.

UC map with some visual aid to identify each university. Illustration by Emma Toscani.

UCLA U See Lots of Anxiety

Already it was a stressful process to become a bruin. Once students successfully make it though, it’s four more years of watching your GPA fall and not being able to do anything about it except cry. UCSD U Can Study Depressed Every student has their own experience in college. Some have fun, others balance their time between clubs and studying, and others just spend an endless four years solely existing in the pages of their overpriced textbooks and crying into the coffee cups of their professor’s TAs. UCSB You Can Study Buzzed College is where young adults go to find themselves. At Santa Barbara you can stare into the bubbles in your Bud Light and find yourself that way. It’s like reading your tea leaves but while you have two essays and three online quizzes due the next day! UCD University of Cow Domination Cows have been in charge of this campus for years. People think its lizard people who are in charge of the government but little do they know cows have dominated a large public university. Why do you think everyone there rides a bike? Cows are terrified of cars.

UCSC University of California Slug Crossing Banana slugs are worshipped at this school. It’s said that if you run over one, even by accident, you are cursed for the next four years. Tradition also dictates that on the third Saturday of every month, Santa Cruz students gather in the redwood forest into a dense haze of smoke to perform banana slug ceremonies. UCI UC Irrelevant What is this school? what defines Irvine? Nothing. Anteaters? What kind of mascot is that? Anteaters are like small sad elephants. Yeet! Yeet! Yeet! UCR You See a River Some people think this is a university. It’s not; it’s just a river. Actually it’s not even a river its just a riverbed. Once in a while you can spot students throwing textbooks and hiding underneath the rocks when all the water in the riverbed dries up. What are they hiding from? Thats for them to fear and for you to find out. UCM University of California Most Often Forgotten What? Merced? Like MercedesBenz?

JUNE 2018

THE HORSE

CAF

“NEVER DON’T EVER NOT STOP HORSING AROUND” - GANDHI

PLAY GROUND-BREAKING

Seniors may be graduating but the kid inside never will. By Mallika Seshadri.

Accurate depiction of the new a playground on the SDA campus. Photo by Patrick Hall.

art of SDA’s construction plan for the 2018-2019 school year is to build a playground near the new math and science building. Proponents of adding a playground say playing on it will help students de-stress during their lunch periods and after school, especially as students will be engaging in physical activity and be spending time outdoors. It will “teach kids to be more uninhibited and remind them of forgotten lessons learned during childhood, like waiting for your turn and politely asking to use something,” said an administrator who wished to remain anonymous. “I’m really excited about the playground. I always get really disheartened to see a sign on a public playground that prohibits kids over 12 from enjoying it,” junior Jacob Swing said. “I just think it will be a really fun way to unwind, de-stress and have fun, especially since there aren’t many options of things to do during lunch” Administration is also hoping that by building a playground, students will lose incentive to go off campus during hour lunches. The idea is that by having students stay on campus,

third period tardies will be lessened. Also, according to administration, students will be safer on campus. The playground will ensure all of its features will accommodate the height of high school students, even those that haven’t grown much in high school. Administration has also said they will allow students to offer input on what kinds of things they would like to play on; options like merry go rounds, and other equipment deemed too dangerous for elementary school students, are possible. While it will be built to suit high school students, some feel the prospect of playing on it will be an insult to their ego. “I can’t believe we’re having a playground on campus,” senior Sara Sourpatch said. “I think it’s going to be a waste of money because I just don’t think anyone will use it. I mean, we’re not three.” But, administration has already considered the opposition of students like Sourpatch, and has proposed keeping a stationary ice cream truck next to the playground that will offer a wide variety of yummy treats that can’t be found anywhere else on campus.

EXHI-BITCHIN’ DAY

Exhibition Day is a SDA icon. Students come together to create, for a lack of a better word, anarchic community. And it’s about to get wild! By Aeon Benford-Combs

ith one week of school left, students will remember for years to come the shenanigans that ensued at Exhibition Day 2018. Students and faculty agree that this year was the most outrageous event in San Dieguito history. For those who don’t know, Exhibition Day is when the students of SDA put down their pencils and engage in an all-out capitalist utopia and sell anything you could ever imagine. Due to a recent court case, California vs. United States accidentally allowed for loopholes to occur regarding California public schools. Documents like the Constitution and writ of habeas corpus no longer apply to public school students living in Southern California. Smart entrepreneurs at our school took

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advantage of these loopholes by taking the liberty of selling willing students to do homework for people who decided to buy them. Even teachers are making some cash on the side. Retiring teachers are selling their teacher permits to students for a random day in the year to teach their class whatever curriculum the buyer decides. Students have responded positively to this due to the fact that it allows for more diverse class options. “I’m really looking forward to studying the history of Hot Pockets,” said one student, “it’s too bad it’ll most likely make me hungry.” This is a mutual benefit between students and teachers. Students are able to explore teaching as a career option, and teachers get a break from watching their students play Fortnite

on their phones during class. As expected, there has been a lot of blowback from the State of California due to what many consider the gross mismanagement of the school. They’ve decided to cut funding for SDA, so as expected our school board has decided to make some budget cuts. The Auto Shop exhibition took the biggest hit, unable to afford cars they have to present Razor scooters instead. “I think it’s an awesome idea,” says Mr. Erales on the matter. “Hopefully we can choose it and transition to cars after funding is available.” Regardless of lack of funding or otherwise legal opposition to events that took place Exhibition Day this year, ASB is already preparing for next year.

Students during Exhibition Day exchanging money for homework. Photo by Jaden Hauptman.

THE HORSE

CAF

“NEVER DON’T EVER NOT STOP HORSING AROUND” - GANDHI

PLAY GROUND-BREAKING

Seniors may be graduating but the kid inside never will. By Mallika Seshadri.

Accurate depiction of the new a playground on the SDA campus. Photo by Patrick Hall.

EXHI-BITCHIN’ DAY

Exhibition Day is a SDA icon. Students come together to create, for a lack of a better word, anarchic community. And it’s about to get wild! By Aeon Benford-Combs

THE MUSTANG

Students during Exhibition Day exchanging money for homework slaves. Photo by Jaden Hauptman.

THE HORSE

CAF

“NEVER DON’T EVER NOT STOP HORSING AROUND” - GANDHI

PLAY GROUND-BREAKING

Seniors may be graduating but the kid inside never will. By Mallika Seshadri.

Accurate depiction of the new a playground on the SDA campus. Photo by Patrick Hall.

EXHI-BITCHIN’ DAY

Exhibition Day is a SDA icon. Students come together to create, for a lack of a better word, anarchic community. And it’s about to get wild! By Aeon Benford-Combs

THE MUSTANG

on their phones during class. As expected, there has been a lot of blowback from the State of California due to what many consider the gross mismanagement of the school. They’ve decided to cut funding for SDA, so as expected our school board has decided to make some budget cuts. The Auto Shop exhibition took the biggest hit, unable to afford cars they have to present Razor scooters instead. “I think it’s an awesome idea,” said junior Otto Karr on the matter. “Hopefully we can choose it and transition to cars after funding is available.” Regardless of lack of funding or otherwise legal opposition to events that took place Exhibition Day this year, ASB is already preparing for next year.

Students tried usual activities (seen above) along with newly legal shenanigans. Photo by Jaden Hauptman.

The grind never stops

SPORTS

Time. Effort. Energy. With high expectations, college athletics demand a lot out of athletes. However along the way, life-long friendships and irreplaceable memories are formed. By Yarisette Sequeira

few short hours of sleep is interrupted by the early buzz of the 4:45 alarm clock nagging at college baseball player Zack Haupt. It’s time to get out of bed and ready for weight training. Sweaty and drained after an hour and a half of weights, Haupt gathers his books and attends class before heading to the field for four and half hours of baseball practice. Now physically and mentally exhausted, Haupt returns home with just enough time to shower, eat, and do homework before getting up the next day to do it all over again. This is the grind of a college athlete. At first glance, many consider college athletes, like Haupt, to have a perfect life. They get special attention from teachers, tons of gear and unique privileges no other students have. However, college athletics are often not as glamorous as many make it out to be. It demands the most out athletes, constantly pushing their limits. But beneath the blood, sweat, and occasional tears, is a heart of passion that makes it all worth it. “Know that playing a college sport will mean a sacrifice of most of your time. The season is long and travel is difficult, but play if you get the chance,” said Haupt who is an SDA alumni and rising junior at the University of Sioux Falls (Division II). “Although it is very difficult, you have to keep believing in yourself despite the failures because learning from the failures will make you a better player and person.” As a skinny college freshman, the idea of competing with older more experienced athletes in college was at first daunting and made SDA alumni Jake Fosgett doubt if he could ever help Concordia University (NAIA) win a baseball championship. It wasn’t until he got the opportunity to throw against some of the older players in the fall, that he felt he had earned their respect and stopped worrying about it. “To be honest, if you really want to do well in college sports and you work hard to improve and help your team win as much as possible, you should have no problem interacting with the older people on your teams,” said Fosgett who will be a junior next fall. A large majority of the challenge, however, comes from timemanagement. There is constant juggling between practices, fitness training, travel, classes, homework and social life, making time manage-

ment skills essential to academic and athletic success. “You have to be able to manage your time wisely or be able to cram a lot of work into a small amount of time,” said Fosgett. “The daily workouts and practices aren’t that big of a problem. But during season, you need to be able to handle missing classes for games.” Traveling can make or break a grade, Haupt said. At times, players run into places with poor wifi and are forced to find alternative methods for completing their homework. If athletes cannot keep up with their grades while on the road, they risk academic suspension. Time is scarce, but with his best friends on the baseball team with him, Fosgett finds it manageable to sustain a social life. “I already spend time with them at practice and games. We also usually hang out after classes and practice until late at night sometimes. So my sports schedule and social life are really manageable.” Alumni Shayne Busick wrapped up her freshman year of NAIA soccer at Trinity International University and has also found the biggest challenge of college athletics to be managing her time. During the season, Busick practices every day for two hours with games about twice a week. Off-season consists of workouts twice a day almost every day. The commitment is grueling, but Busick wouldn’t have it any other way. “I would tell high school athletes to go for it,” Busick said. “It an experience that not a lot of people get to have. It is very rewarding and if you are unsure, you may regret not trying.” Some of Busick’s favorite memories came from the long road trips to away games because of the time she got to spend with her friends. “On the road trip to nationals we got a two-decker sleeper bus and it was a two-day trip and so we were playing games, dancing around, and bonding the entire ride... just a general fun experience with everyone” The level of play for college athletics —whether it is a DI, DII, NAIA, JUCO, or DIII— is a big jump from high school. With top athletes from around the country recruited for one team, the competition is cutthroat and aggressive. “DII is quite a step up from high school because the game is much faster,” said Haupt. “The biggest difference to me is that you do not know anyone on the

team. I went from playing with all my best friends at SDA to playing with strangers from all over the Midwest.” Surrounded by new teammates, Haupt initially felt intimidated. However, these athletes quickly became some of his closest friends and the highlight of his first two years at the collegiate level. “I have made so many great friends on the team,” said Haupt. “And it is always sad to say bye for summer because we won’t be able to see each other until the following semester.” For Fosgett, the immediate friendships and encouragement he received from his teammates made for a smooth transition into college. “When you get to a new school, you’ve got an entire team that truly cares about you and wants you to do well,” said Fosgett. “Going in, I didn’t know anybody except my roommate who I had been assigned during the summer before school started. But, the whole team is rooting for you as soon as you get there because you can help them win if you work hard enough.” With so much time spent training together, college teams often develop a tight-knit community. “I love playing with teammates around the country and getting to know them,” said Busick who enjoys pulling pranks on the coaches with her teammates. “About once a week before practice we would plan a prank to pull before we started so it was anywhere from acting like we all didn’t show up for practice to pretending to be dogs playing fetch with the balls.” College sports can drain athletes of time and energy, but in the end they leave behind unforgettable friendships and experiences. “The biggest thing I have learned from my teammates is to enjoy your time playing the sport you love,” said Haupt. “High school may be the end of the road for some, college is the end for most, but the important thing is to be happy with the time you were able to give to the game. I have come to realize that playing a college sport is an honor and I should be happy I have the chance to keep playing. If seniors can teach younger athletes anything it is to be grateful for what you have.” Reporting by Alexis Price.

TOP: Junior Jake Fosgett delivers a pitch for Concordia University. Photo courtesy of Jake Fosgett. MIDDLE: Sophomore Shayne Busick comes together with her soccer team at Trinity International University for a pregame huddle. Photo courtesy of Shayne Busick. BOTTOM: Junior Zack Haupt pitches for the University of Sioux Falls. Photo courtesy of Zack Haupt.

JUNE 2018

SPORTS

STEVEN WOODS POINTS his finger towards Ben Higgins as they

argue over the greatest basketball player of all time: LeBron James or Michael Jordan.

Watching sports radio

A peak behind the scenes at the Mighty 1090’s morning talk show “Ben and Woods.” By Ryan Cohen

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t is 5:30 a.m. on Thursday May 24, 2018. The sun has yet to rise, but the day for Ben Higgins and Steven Woods has already begun. Higgins is in a blue half-zip sweater, shorts, and flip flops. Woods is in a pullover sweater, jeans, and ballcap with the words “the local” on the back. They are relaxed and ready for the work day ahead. “How can LeBron be the greatest of all time with a three and five record in the finals?” asks Woods, a Michael Jordan fan. “Well, would you rather him not get to the finals at all?” Higgins jokingly sneers back. The bickering continues until 6 a.m. and then it stops cold. It’s show time. Higgins and Woods are the hosts of the “Ben and Woods,” a radio sports talk show that runs from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. weekday mornings on the Mighty 1090 FM. I was sitting in for one day last month. I didn’t say anything on air, but the three of us talked during the commercial breaks. Sports radio covers more than who won and lost, who got traded, and who’s the greatest of all time. It’s a mirror of our culture, and tangled up in the talk about games is banter about politics, celebrity, greed, enemies, gambling, the law, wealth, #MeToo, and drugs. Anthem kneeling was the hot topic for the day. Higgins and Woods tell me they did not come to work wanting to dive into this controversy, but it had become big news and they couldn’t avoid it. They strive to stay down the middle while on air, but as listeners with various opinions call into the show, they visibly pump their fists or melt in their chairs. The Higgins and Woods duo works well. Higgins drops random facts throughout the show, serving as the sports genius, while Woods is the colorful guy who adds comedic insight. “We met over a beer and next thing you know, we’re live on air together,” Woods says. Higgins does the radio show in the morning and then does a nightly sports recap for ABC 10 on television. Woods, in awe of his partner’s work ethic, jokes, “and you’re not even on meth or anything.” When talking about the Padres season so far, Higgins says, “they were 15 and 30 last year. They are 22 and 30 this year. It’s an improvement. They’re taking steps, at least.” Higgins provides interesting statistics like this throughout the show to add to Woods’ one liners and digs. “It’s like playing baseball. You’re never going to bat one thousand,” Higgins says. “But we try to have a good show every morning and take it one day at a time. If you keep putting good shows together, you’re going to get a lot of listeners.”

Eventually the topic shiftesaway from politics to all things sports: NBA and NHL playoffs, San Diego Beach Games, and my beloved Padres, losers though they may be. The show encourages fans to call in or Tweet, but they spend most of the show commenting on sporting events or interviewing people in the sports world. About halfway through the show, Woods goes to the restroom during a commercial break. Five minutes later he comes into the studio yelling, “Does Charles Manson have a twin brother?” Apparently there is a man sitting in the lobby of the building that had a stunning

“I know that this is the best morning sports radio show San Diego has to offer.” - Steven Woods, co-host of “Ben and Woods” resemblance to the notorious mass murderer. So I have to check it out myself. If this man had a swastika carved into his forehead a la Manson himself, you could have convinced me that he had come back from the dead. After the Manson sighting, it’s time for an interview with Phillip Wellman. Wellman is best-known for his epic tirade he had as a minor league manager in the Atlanta Braves organization, following an ejection that led him to crawl across the infield like a soldier, toss the pitcher’s chalk as if it were a grenade, and then leave the field with the actual second and third bases in hand. The 2007 ejection now has hundreds of thousands of YouTube views, but Wellman has moved on professionally to an important job in the San Diego Padres organization. He is the manager of the AA San Antonio Missions, a minor league affiliate of the Padres. The Padres are depending on the Missions’ young players to come up and make an impact on the major league team in the near future. Since Wellman is critical in the development of these young players, Higgins and Woods are beyond excited to have him on the show. But coming off commercial break, Wellman has yet to call in, so Higgins beginsto fill time by hyping up players on

the Missions. He explains why the beleaguered Padres fans should keep the faith. But Wellman never calls in. All that lead up for absolutely nothing. “It’s definitely frustrating, but that’s just how it goes sometimes,” Higgins tells me during a break. “I hate to get the listeners excited for something that never happens, but when you do a daily show like this, stuff like that is bound to happen.” Despite Wellman’s interview falling through, the guys speak with Chris Mortensen, a reporter for ESPN who has more than 2 million Twitter followers. “Mort” gives his take on the NFL player’s reactions to the new rule banning kneeling during the national anthem. The national anthem kneeling fiasco “is what happens when you don’t build a healthy relationship with the player’s association,” he says. The subsequent discussion prompts more feedback from listeners around the country, much of it on social media that the hosts track in real time. Michael Robbins, a listener of the show, chimes in on Twitter, claiming that Higgins and Woods “downplayed” the national anthem controversy and that he was now in a search for a new station to listen to in the mornings. “You hate to lose listeners. It really sucks,” says Woods. “But at the same time, I know that this is the best morning sports radio show San Diego has to offer and we probably will get him back soon.” Woods overflows with confidence--that’s part of what makes the show such an entertaining listen. So even though “Woodsy” tells me he is prepared to “get chewed out by the bosses” after a controversial show, he is proud of being himself on his show. Much like reading, radio forces the listener to visualize what they can’t see. I listen to Higgins and Woods every morning on the drive to school. Now I seewhat they don’t want me to see: they are just two guys in their comfiest clothes talking about sports, having a silent conversation behind the conversation with their raised arms, their eyebrows, and their twisted lips all speaking volumes.

SPORTS

JUNE 2018

SPORTS

Surfer vs. Skater Surfer Josie Ruggeiro and skater Max Alberti, seniors, channel their inner sage, creating new endings to some classic proverbs. By Madison Vance

THE TWO COMPETITORS stand outside of the Mosiac Cafe at the begining of luch. Photo by Madison Vance.

Who’s committed to play sports in college? Read about it online at sdamustang.com

THE MUSTANG

Jack of all trades, master of none, though… Surfer: …. master of some. Skater: ….high school diploma, master of nothing.

Great minds think alike, but… Surfer: ….not so great minds think like me. Skater: ….my mom invented electricity.

Surfer, you are a master of more than you know! You got kind of close, I guess. With a mastery of surfing and completing proverbs, you deserve a full 11 points. Skater, it’s good to know that you got so much out of SDA and the past four years you’ve spent here. I hope you learn more at Cal State Poods. Take 17 points, you need it (because you are kind of right). The ending goes “...oftentimes better than master of one.”

As a person who struggles with sarcasm, I appreciate your self-deprecating joke but remember to stay positive. Take a good attitude and all the smarts you got on your summer and post-high school adventures. Take 12 points with you too. Skater, REALLY?! Thats cool. I wish I could invent a force of nature. Since I don’t want to get on the bad side of the electricity guru, have 20 points. The commonly found ending is “...but fools seldom differ.”

Curiosity killed the cat, but... Surfer: ….the cat killed the curiosity. Skater: ….graham crackers with guacamole didn’t kill me. Surfer, a future you have as Yoda. Ten points you will receive for a good answer you have given. Skater, that sounds nasty but the fact you tried that combination out of curiosity makes it a fitting ending. I hope your creative food adventures bring you fulfillment in life. Have 25 points. The typical ending is “... but satisfaction brought it back.” Surfer : 33 points Skater: 62 points