0 1 . 2 4 . 19 VOLUME 23 ISSUE 1
THE PONY
OPINION| THE PONY
Januray 24, 2019
TABLE OF CONTENTS Opinion
Avery Whealton Michelle Francisco Ella Murray Matthew Hagan Nick Machin Serena Herold
Feature
Eryn Broughton/ Dylan Herrera Andrew Loren Avery Wanzenried/Rayelyn Burrell Aidan Dillon Kylie Shwartz Eric Guerra Kyle Kaplan Kellan Clough Ethan Davis
Sports
Viviana Martinez/ Adrian Thierry Trevor Sleet Matthew Naimark and Zach Joelson
Art
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Malin Lytle Kylie Schwartz Taylor Lee Isabelle Olah/Megan Pusl
Humor
Isabella Ferrera Summer Castillo Kate Barr, Emily Broyles, and Julia Fumo Kylie Shwartz
CODY VAN DYKE Backpage Photographer Cody Van Dyke, freshman, says “ I just thought it was cool because there were two moths on one piece of grass instead of just one.”
Advisor
Yoshi LeaVesseur The Pony is the student newspaper of San Dieguito Academy. Advertisements do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the newspaper. The Pony is an open forum which welcomes letters. Letters can be submitted to room 42, emailed to sdamustang@ gmail.com, or mailed to the address below. San Dieguito Academy Room 42 800 Santa Fe Drive
ELLEN GOLDBLATT Cover Artist
Ellen Goldblatt, senior, enjoys incorporating human features in scenes of environment and nature. She cites Bob Ross as a huge influence.
OPINION| THE PONY
January 24, 2019
Toxic algae blooms spreading in California
Could aluminum sulfate be the solution to algae blooms and the red tide?
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n America alone, there are thousands of lakes suffering from algae blooms, which are massive concentrations of algae in lakes. While the blooms alone are not always harmful to humans, some contain cyanobacteria, a type of bacteria that can release toxins in lakes, causing flu-like symptoms in humans, and animal fatalities to those who swim in the water. However, the most alarming thing about the algae blooms is how plentiful they are in
the US. Out of the 1,161 US lakes surveyed, 76% contained cyanobacteria. Algae blooms are not just found in lakes, however. The “Algae most prominent blooms are example of the bad.” effects of algal Avery blooms is in Whealton Florida, where earlier this year a red tide swept across the sea. The red tide is caused by algae blooms in the ocean, and causes many fish and plants to die and wash up on the beach. The red tide also caused respiratory issues for hundreds of beach goers, and forced many beaches
to close. Along with this, there are many symptoms observed in humans as well, including respiratory issues and eye irritation. Gerare Rimeso, a neurology researcher at the University of Miami, explains that he was forced to leave Fort Lauderdale Beach after an hour of coughing and respiratory issues. “[My wife] covered her face with a shirt,” he said. “I tried to be a tough guy, but I was too irritated by the end.” Although the red tide has mostly cleared, this year’s red tide has left its mark. Along with the symptoms experienced by tourists, Florida’s economy has also suffered from the millions of
dollars lost to the lack of tourists on the usually picturesque beaches. As for California, recent USC research reveals the growing scale of toxic algae blooms over the past 15 years in Southern California. David Caron, a biologist at USC, explains that he and his colleagues are “seeing an increase in harmful algal blooms and an increase in severity. The Southern California coast really is a hot spot,” If the problem isn’t solved soon, the health of our water may deteriorate even further, rendering it completely toxic. According to John Holz, however, there is a solution
to these algal blooms, and a possible prevention to the red tide: Aluminum sulfate, or Alum. This method of removing the excess phosphorus from lakes targets the chemicals in the water that the algae feeds off of, cutting down on the nutrients needed in order for algae blooms to thrive. Since discovering alum, Holz has been able to restore dozens of lakes to their former glory, getting rid of algae immediately, and preventing more from building up. Indeed, these alum treatments are saving lakes throughout the country, and could even be a way to prevent the devastating effects of the red tide.
The dark truth of animal testing Animal testing has its good side, but do you know the bad side?
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very day in the United States, animals are beaten, neglected, or forced to struggle for survival. Left in unsanitary conditions with no food or water, they have little hope as they live out their days without the compassion they deserve. According to peta.org, each year over 115 million animals are used for chemical, drug, food, and cosmetic testing. 100 million of those animals end up dying. In my opinion, animals should not be treated this way. They are commonly subjected to force-feeding, food and water
deprivation, physical restraint, purposeful harm infliction, etc. Some of the time when a product that has already “I love The been tested on Walking animals comes Dead, my out, it does dog, and my not mean that pig, Megan.” the product is necessarily Michelle safe--because Francisco animals are not an exact replica of the human body. An Arthritis drug, Vioxx, seemed to have a protective effect on the hearts of mice; however, the drug caused more than 27,000 people to have heart attacks. Not only are animals used for medicine and drug testing, but they are also used for a lot of health and cosmetic purposes.
A very common animal test is for skin or eye irritation. Animals get injected with needles in their eyes without anything to ease the pain. I asked freshman, Ryan Shiels what he thought of Animal Testing, and he responded with, “I Personally, believe that animal testing promotes animal cruelty which is why I don’t agree with it.” He said he felt very bad about using products from companies that use animal testing, and he said that he would “speak with [his] mom to tell her that [they] shouldn’t use them anymore.” Likewise, Liam Urich, freshman, said, “I think it is wrong, but at the same time, it’s the only way to test if it’s safe to human.” Just like Ryan, I asked him if he thinks there are other
alternatives to Animal Testing. He replied with, “I never put any thought into, but I think that if it’s not animals, then it’s us.” Lastly, I asked Mia Mancini, freshman, her thoughts on animal testing, and she said, “I feel that animal testing is very cruel. Testing things on animals are very harmful to them.” She also said that she has a lot of products that are tested on animals prior to its release. She said that animal testing “makes [her] feel guilty. It’s like [she’s] supporting the testers to do these tests on animals.” Then, she said, “Maybe instead of testing on animals people could donate blood and see how the product or medicine reacts with the cells” After talking to them, I saw that alternative testing methods
now exist. However, many scientists and experimenters do not take the opportunity to use the alternatives. Studying cells in a petri dish can produce a more relevant and accurate result than animals can because human cells can be used, and computer models can predict the toxicity of substances without horrendous experiments. Once these animals are in whichever cruelty position, it feels like they have been sucked into the vast ocean, and they can never come back. They are on thin ice every day, or to them, it’s entering hell and meeting the devil himself.
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OPINION| THE PONY
Januray 24, 2019
Is voter suppression real? How voter suppression changed the outcome of the midterm election.
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ou would think that after the 2018 Midterm election, votes would be finalized and the races would be called all throughout the nation. The 2018 midterm elections were held back in November, there were an abundance of expected results, as well as unexpected results, such as the Republican party gaining two seats and maintaining control of the senate, as well as the Democratic party gaining 39 seats an winning control of the House of Representatives.
But the governor’s race of Georgia would not be called until November 16th for Democratic candidate Stacey Abrams (GA). President Freddy Mercury Donald is my Queen. Trump has insisted that Ella Murray this election was fair, yet as more and more people continue to share their opinions and multiple new sources continue to release facts and statements, it has become clear that gerrymandering and voter suppression took place during the 2018 midterm elections. For starters, the race for Governor of Georgia was
a close one, but eventually went to Brian Kemp (R), the Secretary of State of Georgia. Kemp’s opponent, Stacey Abrams (D), would have been the first female AfricanAmerican governor in the history of the United States. The secretary of state for any state (in this case, Georgia) is in charge of the governor’s race, no matter the candidates or the election. The Secretary of State also often serves as the chief election official in their state, maintaining state elections and official election results, which means that Kemp was controlling the election results and outcomes. Kemp specifically targeted minorities and neighborhoods that he knew
would vote for his opponent, by not establishing polling places in certain areas and counties that were middleclass and more likely to vote for Stacey Abrams. In addition, Kemp decided that it was absolutely necessary for voting registration forms to match up exactly with driving license forms and other type of identification forms. Anyone with a nickname, with a different name then what they were born with, and people who have had other information changed such as gender or gender identity, would not have the chance to vote unless they took the time to go to the DMV and get the information changed. Of course, most people
with full-time jobs didn’t have the opportunity to leave in the middle of the day to vote, let alone head to the DMV to get their forms changed. All that, and the voter registration deadline in Georgia was the ninth of October. Even with all of this, Brian Kemp barely won the election. According the New York Times, “Mr. Kemp won the governor’s race by about 55,000 votes, out of nearly four million cast.” It’s the beginning of 2019, and with two years left of Trump’s first term, we need to understand that there are issues we didn’t know existed, but are still impacting the lives of others.
The politcal views of SDA SDA is, as expected, a fairly liberal school, but not quite in the way that one might assume.
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hroughout the district, SDA is assumed to be a more liberal school. A recent studentadministered survey proved that notion to be correct, but not quite in the way one might expect. The survey asked five questions about cannabis legalization, universal healthcare, gun control, foreign intervention, and political identification. Out of all 126 respondents, 57 identified as Democrat, compared to 16 Republican, 7 Libertarian, and 20 Independent. In addition, students overwhelmingly
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supported universal health care (96 in favor vs 16 not in favor and 13 unsure), cannabis legalization (72 in favor verses 21 not in favor and 31 unsure), Thank you and an assault for reading. weapons ban (60 in favor, 21 Matthew not in favor, 4 Hagan unsure and 39 in the middle.) 70 said the US should police human rights abusing countries abroad compared to only 23 that said the US should mind its business. So SDA is a fairly liberal school. With the upcoming 2020 election it will be interesting to see how, if at all, the pendulum of SDA’s politics swings.
Graph of students’ political leanings. Image by Matthew Hagan
OPINION| THE PONY
Januray 24, 2019
The state of SDA’s political division Is SDA as politically divided as the rest of the U.S.? New evidence suggests...kind of.
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n the United States today, there is growing concern over the increasing political polarization in our society. For those who aren’t aware, polarization a division of a society into two, contrasting groups of people. In America’s case, growing tensions between people on the left and the right are troubling many Americans. From the seemingly non-stop vitriol flung between Conservatives and Liberals, to the fact that it is becoming ever more
difficult to be friends with those of opposing beliefs, the country is more politically divided than it has been in a long time. In Okay, now November of this is epic 2018, a survey Nick Machin of 135 SDA students was conducted asking them questions about how they identify politically, how their friends and family identify politically, and what they think of those who oppose them politically. The results were a mixed bag. For the sake of clarity, Conservatives are people who typically align themselves
with Republicans, while Liberals typically align themselves with Democrats. Centrists, of course, are in between the two. With that out of the way, the results speak for themselves. For one, the results of the political affiliation question, where respondents were asked how they identify themselves politically, could mean that SDA may be comparatively more neutral when compared to the rest of the US, as most people identify as Moderates. However, by far most of the respondents said that their friends’ views more or less aligned with their own, meaning that we can assume that the majority of people at SDA, whether consciously
or unconsciously, prefer to associate with those who share their beliefs. Coupled with the fact that, while a minority, a good amount of people think that people who oppose them politically are generally more ignorant, which could lead to more tensions. To be honest, we can only wait for what the results of the survey actually dictate, but the survey findings were really nothing out of the ordinary for San Diego. During the 2016 Presidential Election, San Diegans voted slightly in favor of Hillary Clinton as opposed to Donald Trump which correlates closely to the survey as most respondents
lean Liberal. Furthermore, I want to touch into the greater scope of the division in this country. If you look at polarization maps that cover America’s elections, you see that America is dividing into groups that are growing ever more passionate. This has lead political thinkers and journalists alike to ask themselves how conflict between the political left and right will escalate. Only time will tell, however, the consequences of America’s growing division, and what part SDA has in all of this, if any at all.
Why we really need to ban straws How stopping the use of an everyday item can help to save the environment.
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he use of the disposable straw, an essential practice in many daily lives, is under the threat of a ban. Straws only make up four percent of the plastic waste in the ocean–which seems like an unimportant amount. However, they do far much more than just invade our waters. Straws break down into smaller parts, but they never biodegrade. Due to this, they transform into microplastics, making it easier for marine life to ingest the harmful material and to pollute or soil and water.
Unfortunately, not all straws can be recycled because they do not get processed properly by recycling plants and Life is short therefore and so am I. contaminate the entire load of Serena Herold recyclables. Single-use straws are used for an average of 20 minutes before they are discarded. This is a surprisingly short lifespan for an item that will remain on the planet nearly forever. Fortunately, straws are an item that are very easy to replace in our daily lives. A few cities, such as Encinitas, are considering a retail ban on disposable straws to reduce the amount of waste in the ocean. Straws
may seem insignificant to the bigger picture of waste in our oceans due to their small contribution to overall waste, but every baby step towards waste reduction is vital for our own planet’s well-being. Regarding a ban on plastic straws, disability rights activists argue that millions of people with physical disabilities need straws to drink liquid due to issues such as paralysis, swallowing problems, involuntary movements or lack of coordination. However, there are countless alternatives to disposable straws. Stainless steel, silicone, glass, reusable plastic, bamboo, and even pasta straws are available. Reusable straws are an alternative that everyone
should use. Depending on the material, they can give the same or a similar effect as their disposable counterparts. This ban will not save the ocean; it will only contribute to our waste reduction efforts. Many people argue that the contribution that straws make to the total quantity of plastic waste in our oceans is insignificant, therefore we should ban another item that is more prominent in the plastic waste. Many restaurants in Encinitas have turned to paper straws, but I’m sure we can all agree that these do not hold up to the high standards. Plastic straws were invented in the first place because of the obvious flaws of using paper for this purpose. Nobody likes drinking
through soggy paper. Also, this would only be replacing one kind of disposable straw with another, therefore not benefiting the earth at all. Metal straws are another very popular alternative, and they are also reusable. Although some argue that they are too hard and not as enjoyable to sip through, they get the job done. Silicone straws are more flexible and softer than metal straws, which makes them a more favorable option as a reusable straw. Pasta straws are a little more difficult to use because of their fragility. It is easier to break them and they also have a slight taste of dried pasta.
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FEATURES| THE PONY
‘How do these look?’
January 24, 2019
These donuts look better than they taste. Review by Eryn Broughton & Dylan Herrera
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uck Donuts opened on Saturday, Oct. 20. They offer a classic assortment of donuts (known as the “Duck Dozen”), two holiday assortments, and present their guests the option
of making their own donut with a choice of coating, toppings, and drizzles. When we went on Dec. 1 we ordered the “duck dozen” which is an assortment of various predetermined donut and topping combinations. All
Powdered sugar Tasted like a store-bought powdered donut
of the donuts they produce are cake donuts with no differentiation of batter Because of this, each donut we tried tasted fairly similar. Once the donuts are finished the staff member who assembled your donuts
Lemon icing w/ raspberry drizzle Really good. The lemon tasted like lemon...but the raspberry was almost nonexistent
(are seemingly required to) ask “How do these look?” before boxing them up for you to take. We said they looked good, but couldn’t help but wonder what they would have done if we said otherwise. Our main critique
Strawberry icing w/ powdered sugar Good and subtly flavored, not very strong
however, is for Duck Donuts to differentiate their batter to combat the fact that they all taste similar.
Blueberry icing w/ powdered sugar Tasted exactly like the Kellogg’s Eggo blueberry waffles (in a good way)
Chocolate icing, marshmallow drizzle & graham cracker crumbs The idea behind this one, though obvious, was poorly executed (graham cracker “crumbs”, more like dust)
Peanut butter icing w/ chocolate drizzle Immediately tasted the peanut butter. The chocolate to peanut butter ratio was good
Chocolate icing w/ rainbow sprinkles Tasted like a store-bought chocolate donut
Vanilla icing w/ oreo crumbles Couldn’t really taste Oreo, it may as well have been a normal vanilla icing donut
Maple icing w/ chopped bacon Bacon was chewy, not crispy enough, and its flavor overpowers the maple
Cinnamon sugar w/ vanilla drizzle Kinda tasted just like plain donut. It coulda been more cinnamon-y
Popular ice cream parlor coming to Carmel Valley Accessibility improves for Salt & Straw. By Andrew Loren
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opular ice cream shop Salt & Straw will be hitting Carmel Valley sometime this year. Until then, SDA students should know what to expect. Salt & Straw has expanded to six west coast cities. It started in Oregon, and later gained popularity when it expanded to its
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second location in San Francisco One feature about Salt & Straw is that it offers samples. You can sample any flavors and you can have as many samples as you want. You can get two flavors in a sample. They even offer a few offseason samples and even some flavors they’re thinking
about adding in the future. Salt & Straw offers 12 of their classic flavors. What makes it unique, however, is that each city that Salt & Straw is located in has six flavors that only their city offers. The San Diego flavors back in December were James Coffee, Honey Lavender, Freckled Woodblock
Chocolate, Roasted Strawberry Coconut, Avocado Chocolate Fudge, and Double Fold Vanilla. Salt & Straw also offers holiday themed flavors. For example, in December they had peppermint and apple flavors for the holidays. They also offer all their flavors in the form of sundaes and
milkshakes. I would definitely recommend it, and now SDA students don’t have to travel down to San Diego to taste their ice cream. The new location will be in the One Paseo market in Carmel Valley, which opens this year.
FEATURES| THE PONY
January 24, 2019
Dolla dolla bills y’all. Image by Rayelyn Burell
Want some cold, hard cash? Businesses that will hire high school students! By Rayelyn Burrell & Avery Wanzenried
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eenage years…. friends, learning to drive, school…. getting a job? Around 50% of students who participated in a recent survey reported that they spend between 20 and 40 dollars a week. That might not seem like much, but as the weeks go by, that can add up. Doesn’t it get old asking your parents for money week in and week out? But there is a solution: Getting a job! Over 80% of students are not currently employed, and about 55% are thinking of finding a job. Yet 20% of those students have a hard time finding a job that fits in with school and extracurriculars, Not to mention that over 60% percent of students have no experience working. If you're currently looking, or even considering getting a job, look below, apply to a few, and maybe take some pressure off your parents.
Available Jobs Near You: Sushi Lounge: Looking for bussers, there is no age requirement or prior experience needed. To apply call Sushi Lounge at (760) 633-2299 and schedule an interview. Pacific Coast Grill: Looking for dishwashers, there is no age requirement or prior experience needed. To apply go online or to Pacific Coast Grill and fill out an application. Blaze Pizza: They are eager for help with many job openings. The requirements for the positions are good personal grooming, good communication skills, neat handwriting, good cash handling skills and they must have the ability to lift 35-50 pounds. To apply fill out an application on the Blaze Pizza website.
In-N-Out Burger: There are many job openings. The only requirement for these positions include that the applicant must be over 16 years old, if interested call (949) 509-6200 or visit their website for an application. Ralphs: Looking for grocery delivery person and cashier. For the delivery person position, you must have a valid driver’s license and car. For the cashier position, you must be 16 or older. To apply visit their website. Chili’s: Always looking for applications. Currently they are searching for individuals interested in being a host or hostess. Requirements for the job include being friendly and well groomed. To apply for the position go grab an application at the local Chili’s on El Camino Real or fill one out on their website.
VG Donut & Bakery: Always looking for applicants. They have no requirements for the job. If interested in the position, go online and fill out their application, then bring it into VG Donut & Bakery. Handel's Homemade Ice Cream: Looking for a scooper, must be 15 or older. To apply go to their Instagram page and submit your application. If you have been accepted they will email you back shortly. Chipotle: Always looking for new applicants, you must be 16 or older to apply. To apply just go online and fill out an application and bring it to Chipotle for an interview with a manager. Party City: Looking for a sales associate or merchandise specialist. You must be at 16 or older to apply, if interested
go online and fill out an application. Panda Express: Always looking for new applicants, cashiers especially needed. To be eligible for the position you must be 16 or older. To apply get an application from the Panda Express on El Camino Real. My Sister's Closet: Looking for applicants 15 years or older for positions including: Clothing and AccessoriesIntake/Pricer, Retail Sales Associate, and Clothing Retail Support. If you are interested in any of those positions apply by filling out an application online. Round Table Pizza: Looking for a delivery person, must be 18 years and older and have their driver's license. To apply for the position, call +1 (760) 753 - 8303 or visit their website.
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FEATURES| THE PONY
January 24, 2019
A look into the YLHC The Young Leaders in Healthcare: a club for the future of medicine. By Kylie Schwartz
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imilar to many young kids who loved animals and prided themselves on being unafraid of blood, I wanted to become a veterinarian when I was a kid. If anyone in my family ever needed a roll of gauze or couldn’t find the cotton balls, they knew to look through my toys, because I would wrap up the legs of my stuffed animals and stick bandages over their eyes. In these vain attempts to heal all my horribly sick stuffed pets, I cultivated what I thought would be my future: to heal all the sick dogs and cats and rabbits around the world. But as I grew older, I started to become a little more confident around my human peers, and I realized that these people would need help, too. So, when I came to SDA and started to join clubs, the YLHC, or Young Leaders in Healthcare club, stood out to me. I was surprised that not many people had heard of this club before, including myself. I would ask my friends what they knew about the YLHC, and they would answer with a resounding: “Wait, which club?”.
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Established in 2009, the YLHC came to be what it is today all because of SDA. Dr. Andrew Accardi, the forerunner of the program, is an SDA alumni, and he actually began the club when his daughter was going to SDA. According to senior Lauren McCormick, the YLHC’s vice president, this club started as a collab between San Dieguito Academy and the ER doctors at Scripps- Encinitas, as a part of the Healthcare Essentials class. Since then, the YLHC has incorporated eleven high schools all across San Diego with over a hundred students in total. “The YLHC is a club dedicated to teaching students about healthcare and careers in the medical industry,” said junior Marley Jaoudi, co-president of the club. “It provides opportunities to connect and learn with individuals in the healthcare field.” One thing that high school is good for is discovering passions. To jump into college without any idea what you want can be daunting, but it is clubs like the YLHC that help people cultivate passions. “You don’t even have to be interested in a career in the
medical field. If the human body or medicine fascinates you, this club is for you… it is great for anyone with a passion for health science,” said Jaoudi. The YLHC is one of those clubs that students talk about in their college essays when asked about their greatest experiences, their biggest mentors. “We are very lucky to have this club,” said Jaoudi. “It provides a lot of hands on experience and exposure to things in the medical field that students would not have had otherwise.” For example, Jaoudi has been able to work with bone repairing devices, ultrasound equipment, and has even toured the hospital’s emergency medical helicopter, just to name a few. That does not even include the dozens of medical-school grade lectures she, and everyone else in the YLHC, has gotten to witness from accomplished– sometimes even nationally ranked– doctors. And speaking of that medical helicopter… our first meeting was something I will never forget. The YLHC is the club to join if you are interested in
medicine, jobs in healthcare, or the intricate and critical inner-workings of a hospital. I know this, because during our first meeting, I was faced with all three. The huge group of YLHC students from all around San Diego meandered around the Scripps courtyard in the crisp coolness of the October air. The group was alive with energy and anticipation, scanning the sky for the suspicious activity that promised to follow. Soon, a helicopter could be made out in the distance. After landing on the Scripps Hospital helipad, which happens to be the tallest point in Encinitas, the SDA kids, myself included, were first to go up. A flight paramedic came around the helicopter to greet us, and over the course of the thirty minutes, he was at our disposal. We got to ask him any questions we wanted; he was excited to be there, talking to us. That is how everyone at the YLHC operates; they are happy to be there, among people who share their passions and want to know more. He went all throughout the helicopter, showing us
every small compartment that meets the eye, describing the uses of each instrument and bag and bench. The paramedic did not hold back when we asked him to recount stories or explain his day-to-day, either. The speakers at the YLHC don’t treat you like children; they don’t try and make it overly entertaining like a theatrical show, for the subjects themselves are absolutely capitating. Despite the fact that these meetings count as volunteer hours for college, nothing about these monthly meetings feel like an obligation. The YLHC has it all: it looks great on college applications, it cultivates strong, humanitarian passion, and there is never a dull moment. Throughout the course of the evening, it felt increasingly better to be there— it felt right. Talking to this medical professionals, listening to what they had to say; I realized I was exactly where I wanted to be. On the helipad, staring into the face of all this excitement, I saw my future. YLHC helicopter lands on top of Scripps. Photo by Kylie Schwartz
FEATURES| THE PONY
January 24, 2019
Taking the fashion world by storm This season SDA is sporting a number of fashionable trends. By Kate Barr, Emily Broyles, and Julia Fumo
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ozens of trends rotate through SDA’s culture every year. As of right now, these are the trendiest of trends: corduroy, rolled beanies, and Doc Martens. The cooler seasons are finally here and that means corduroy is too! Corduroy shows up in many forms, whether it’s pants, skirts, overalls or jackets. Corduroy comes in many colors, but yellow, red, copper, burgundy and other earth tones are a usual sight here at SDA. From spring to fall this year, corduroy has been popping up everywhere in seasonal colors that go with almost any outfit. This trend is mainly dominated by girls but every once in a while you will see a male student killing this corduroy game.
Blue Flood shows off their duds. Photo by Kate Barr.
Even though you expect to see beanies in colder areas, SDA students wear them for other purposes besides warmth. We also wear them for style, comfort, convenience, and swag. Girls and boys alike rock this trend, and it is a great way to accessorize. Since we live in sunny San Diego we will often see people wearing rolled beanies. Shoutout to all our beanie babies! Doc Martens, these shoes are quickly creeping back into style. First appearing being in the 1960’s, they came back into style in the 80’s with the uprising of the punk scene. These shoes were created by a doctor who wanted comfortable walking shoes for everyone.
SDA’s own Planet 2001 SDA’s rock band discuss their origins and their inspirations. By Eric Guerra
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dreamer, a comic, a realist, and the muscle. Respectively, these self attributed traits describe: Andre Aragon, Isaac Lopez, Quinn Vondle, and James Soulie, who form the wholly original musical fabric that is: Planet 2001. Formed from both Aragon and Soulie asking Lopez to be in a band individually, and Aragon’s subsequent meeting of Vondle, Planet 2001 had an extremely organic formation. One that Soulie deems “About as organic as Lazy Acres Market.” Musical backgrounds are aplenty, with Vondle play-
ing drums since elementary school, Lopez’s membership in a church choir, both Soulie and Aragon learning guitar in middle school, and Soulie’s additional participation in elementary school band with the flute, saxophone, and general percussion. Inspiration for their music is prominent—and drawn from all places. During breaks at practice all members share new music with each other to introduce a larger diversity of sounds. Their inspiration includes: Disco, Soul, R&B, The Beatles, emo, the postpunk movement, The Cure,
Left to right: James Soulie, Andre Aragon, Isaac Lopez, and Quinn Vondle. Photo by Emanuel Vazquez
and ABBA. All these influences give Planet 2001 a genre melding sound. When asked about the subject matter of their songs, which all members contribute to, emotion was the major topic. Vulnerable, pure, and unadulterated,
emotion. Planet 2001 is very young and on the rise. They give themselves room to grow and don’t take themselves too seriously, creating songs in ten seconds and playing imaginary sets for Vondle’s dog,
Usher. But in this youthful air, creativity rises to the top. Planet 2001 asks one thing of the SDA student (and faculty) population: “Please let us perform at your house.”
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FEATURES| THE PONY
The misadventures of SDA’s staff and students
January 24, 2019
In which two people describe their wildest vacation experiences. By Kellan Clough
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or most, the idea of travel is a time for rest and relaxation, a time that needs to be carefully planned and paid for in just the right way to add both a sense of nuance, but also comfort. For some though, those previously planned days come with a chance encounter with something strange, funny, or just plain weird. Daniel Reitz, English teacher The craziest [story] that I have involves a trip to Portland. When we left our hotel, its pitch black and super early in the morning. We made our way to a train station and quickly settled in for the ride. Three or four exits before we got off a guy got on, an interesting looking guy with a full sized fire extinguisher. Not like a kitchen sized fire extinguisher, like a gigantic, large, fire extinguisher. And it had clearly gone off and he had some of the sulfur stuff on him. Quickly finding a seat he sat down next to a woman who was by herself, and struck up a conversation with her. I could tell she was getting uncomfortable, and finally she said something to him along the lines of, “Yeah that’s it, so that’s when I’ll get off.” The guy was quick to reply, “Alright, I’ll get off too.” Almost immediately she got defensive, “No.” The only other guy on that train exchanged a glance with me.We knew we needed to do something. After a while the women added, “No don’t follow me” Immediately the guy raised his voice and insisted that he was going to follow her.
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Seeing this, me and the other guy stood up and made our way over to him, speaking as we approached, “Hey Man, you need to leave this girl alone. She doesn’t want you around and you’re kinda creeping her out.” He just replied with, “Nah, I don’t think I’m gonna do that.” The other guy looked really, really frustrated and angry, and, after thirty seconds of trying to get the guy to back off he finally asked, “What the heck do you even have a fire extinguisher for?!” The dude, I’ll never forget, so calm, just answered, “To put out fires.” It was the most genuine response which only warranted an equally genuine reply, “But there are no fires here!” The guy was totally losing his cool and the other guy just responded with, “Well no, not right now. But you never know when there’s gonna be a fire.” Zoe Porter, Junior We were staying up in Kyoto at the time of this story. During our time there, we were adventuring to different places. We had planned to eat at this really famous restaurant that serves noodles on a slide. When we arrived at this restaurant [Rie Tsuboi] Sensei’s chastising people for sitting wrong. It was a good time. Finally, we sit down and get these tiny little bowls of sauce that you put your noodles in. Now the thing about the noodle slide is that, well, let me give you some background first: Sensei is very against food waste and I agree. You don’t want to be wasting stuff. So I know that
if I sit at the end I’m going to have to eat all the noodles at the end because they’re going to be wasted. So I’m sitting near the end but I managed to not be the very last person, but the last person is Sensei. So I’m sitting next to Sensei, and we’re having a good time. At first everything’s going alright. But then, the people at the front of the slide start getting full. So we’re getting...a lot of noodles coming down. I’m Junior Zoe Porter recalls a trip to Kyoto that involved a slide full of noodles and not not a very enough time to eat it. Photo courtesy of Zoe Porter. fast eater. I’m hoping Sensei will help me keep grab, feeling guilty about and I was very lucky to not up with the flow of noodles wasting the food because I throw up a bunch of noodles but then Sensei starts telling physically cannot eat more all over someone. me to eat more noodles. And noodles. And that’s the noodle then she uses her chopsticks Eventually we finish up story. to put more noodles into my and prepare to leave. At this bowl. point I try and hurry up and Vacation is a break So I’m freaking the hell finish what’s left in my bowl from the expected, from the out, it’s not that I don’t like because we gotta get out mundane. These stories show the noodles, they were good, of here you know? There’s that any vacation, regardless there was just so much. So more people coming in, of the planning, will end up much. So several times during there’s only one counter. with silly or weird moments. this whole thing I pretend I’m So we get out of there At least you’ll end up with a very bad at using chopsticks and hike down the mountain fun anecdote. and I completely miss the
FEATURES| THE PONY
January 24, 2019
Calling all phone users Students weigh in on the most popular phone cases at SDA. By Kyle Kaplan
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polled people on campus about the most popular phone cases and styles. Eighty percent of people surveyed have a phone case, but a fourth of the people that have a phone case their phones are cracked. Ninety percent of the people who don’t have a phone case don’t have cracked phones.
Many teen girls have plaid or floral phone cases while teen boys have simple one or two color phone cases. The most popular phone case color is red or blue. Many adults go for clear or leather cases. When I asked students if they prefer style or protection, ninety-four percent of them chose protection.
As a freshman looks ahead, a senior looks back A Freshman and Senior are interviewed to discover their perspectives. By Ethan Davis
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t’s always interesting to look at different points of view. From a freshman to a senior, this article shows the difference of a 14 year-old vs. an 11 year-old.
SDA to be the most unique aspect so far. In addition he finds that the extracirricular activities, clubs, and classes also vary more than other schools. This being his first year Freshman on campus, Miller was asked Making the transition whether he enjoys middle from middle school to high or high school more and he school is not responded by easy to say the saying high least. It is an school is “a exciting time, lot” better. but with the This answer excitement partially comes big comes from adjustments. his classes. With expectaThis first tions up and semester, pressure to do Miller taking well, attending Spanish 2, a new school biology, PE, can be somand a guitar what difficult class. Of the and challengfour classes, Freshman Jackson Miller ing at first. Miller is Not to mention, an entirely really enjoying Mr. Wuertz’s new campus to navigate. guitar class which enables While a majority of new Miller to hone his musical students are fazedby these talents to a higher level than obstacles, 14 year old Jackson before. Miller isn’t one of them. Not only is Miller enjoyComing to SDA from ing his classes at SDA, but Oak Crest Middle School, sports as well. As the official Miller said he’s found the “all soccer season is to start soon, around” culture and style of Miller will be playing on the
Junior Varsity team. As he has started to emerge into the SDA culture, Miller has noticed and taken into account the value art has at the school. “ It shows how creative the students are because they can showcase their art over the school in order to make it a more colorful and unique environment.”
Senior
Someone once said, “all good things must come to an end.” The end of an era. For senior Gabriella Glener, this means her time here at San Dieguito Academy. For the last four years of her life, Glener has been a member of the SDA community. From the classroom to school-wide activities put on by ASB, she has gathered an array of incredible moments from her time at SDA she will not be soon to forget. “One major aspect of SDA that many other schools cannot say they share, is how accepting and friendly the people who attend the school are,” she says. Having gotten to know many people throughout her last four years,
she shares how SDA lets you changed many of their lives be whoever you want to be for the better. Mr. Stimpson is while receiving no judgement a great example of the SDA for your decisions. culture by loving what he “One of the reasons an does and by being the best Academy is nice is because mentor he can be. there is no football team in Unique is defined as, “ which a social hierarchy isn’t being the only one of its kind; created putting everyone on unlike anything else”. Glener equal footing,” Glener says. defines this She also word as SDA. shares how A place where the staff are everybody incredible can come people that together as she describes one where as helpful, no can judge people who them for who a student can they choose relate to, and to be. how they let A home students be to those themselves who need While refuge from Glener has judgement, had a handful expectations, Senior Garbriella Glener of teachers and constant over the years, one stands out criticism. Glener is a big part the most to her. Mr. Stimson, of the SDA community who a long-time physics teacher has had an incredible journey at the school, embodies the at SDA. culture of SDA by being While one’s journey at unique in his dress style and SDA is ending, another is excited and passionate about beginning. As students move what he does. on, they will never forget the He shows unparalleled role SDA played in their life. love for his students and has
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FEATURES| THE PONY
FEATURES| THE PONY
January 24, 2019
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Clockwise from top: Culinart Arts pan collection. Cultinary Arts teacher Scott Huntley. Mackenzie Tucker mixes cream for eclairs. Molly Hamilton preps chocolate on a double boiler. Photo courtesy of Eryn Broughton
What’s cooking? Now we know why everyone wants to take this class. Story by Aidan Dillon
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t SDA, a wide variety of electives are offered to teach students new skills and give them a break from the more academic classes. One of the most popular classes offered here is Culinary Arts. Each year in the spring, students sign up for this class, hoping to get in. However, there are more applicants than there are spaces in the class. Obviously, the food is a big incentive to join the class, as well as the useful skills taught. To find out more about the class, I went into the culinary classroom during homeroom to interview Scott Huntley, who teaches the class. Huntley has worked at SDA for 12 years. He started as a history teacher. Before that, Blaze Newman taught Cooking and Home Economics. In this class, students were taught about cooking at home. However this class was discontinued. When students lost this option for a fun elective, Huntley,a selftaught chef, decided to recreate the class. Unlike the previous class, Huntley’s classes, Culinary 1,2, and Sous Chef, focus more on the cooking that goes on in restaurants rather than cooking at home. For many students who enjoy cooking, Culinary is a step up from cooking at home. For others who may be less experienced with cooking or don’t cook at home, they learn new skills and techniques. His experience with cooking came from the restaurants he worked at in his twenties. “I like to cook, it’s a fun class to teach,” he said. After he started teaching the class, he became even more interested in cooking. Each year, there are six culinary classes taught with each one filled with 35 or more students, so what makes it so popular? “Kids get to eat so that makes it popular,”. Huntley says. He adds that it’s a high-energy class, with students up and moving around the kitchen, unlike most classes where they’re confined to their desks. Finally, the skills the students learn in this class are very useful and can be applied to cooking at home or help in future jobs at restaurants. Like most academic classes, Culinary is taught in different units, which last approximately 3 weeks. Each unit is based around a certain ingredient or skill, which is incorporated into the recipes they follow. Huntley gives an example of one of these units, the egg unit. During this unit, they cover a majority of egg-utilizing recipes, such as omelets, and how to scramble and poach eggs. One of the basic skills taught is how to cook a perfect egg, a skill cooks are required to know. Using either the yolk or the white, Huntley teaches how they contribute to a recipe. The egg yolk, the fat, is used in recipes for creme brulee, custard, and eclairs. The egg white, a source of protein, is used to make meringues. Huntley says he chooses some of the recipes based on the skills they can teach his students. For example, learning to quickly whip egg whites is a skill that can be used in other recipes. Some other units they have are a yeast unit and a pasta unit. In Culinary 2, the units are based on foods from different regions and countries around the world. For example, the class had recently finished their French unit. During those few weeks they focused on recipes from France. Some of the other units they have are the Japan and Italian units. For the first week of the unit, they follow the recipes for appetizers. In the second week the recipes are for main courses and the final week is desserts. When he was teaching history and culinary, Huntley found enjoyment in taking a break from his academic class to cook, like most of his students, who were especially eager to learn new recipes and skills. With cooking, he was able to embrace his creative side by experimenting with ingredients and using them in recipes. Culinary arts, one of the most unique classes offered here, is undoubtedly one of the most popular. An entire class dedicated to cooking, learning new skills and eating makes it highly appealing to students.
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SPORTS| THE PONY
Januray 24, 2019
Football practice at San Dieguito Union High Shool. Photo courtesy of the San Dieguito High School Academy Alumni Association.
SDA passes on football What’s a high school without football? SDA. By Viviana Martinez and Adrian Thierry
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DA is known for its unique style, inclusiveness, and students with diverse interests. It is also known for its lack of a football team. The football team, halftime performances, and homecoming games are all a huge part of many people’s high school experience. Before the school was known as The Academy, it was a traditional high school with a football team, which ran from 1977 through 1995. PE teacher, John Cannon, who coached football here when it was at San Dieguito High School, mentioned that Friday night lights “set a
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tone for the school year” and brought a “large crowd on Friday nights”. Oly Norris, government teacher at SDA and alumni, added that it could enhance school participation, as well as “adapting to current times and honoring past traditions.” Here at SDA the staff is committed to maintaining this wonderful school and the students are proud to go to a school that is so welcoming and accepting of each and every individual. The school’s choice to not have a football team is one of the leading contributors as to why SDA is
known for their culture. In 1996 the petition to remove the football team started. After that decision SDA grew into a more well rounded school, a place where students came to let their guards down and be the person that they desired. If SDA were to bring back the football team, the whole ecosystem around it would return, the cheerleaders, dancers, drill team, the marching band, baton twirlers, the whole nine yards. Ivonn Barriga, Spanish and AVID teacher, describes her years in high school cheering for basketball
games and then for football games when the petition at their school passed to have a football team. There would be more people eager to come to games to watch halftime performances, other sports, and participate in numerous school events. Bonnie Wren, coordinator for the SDA Alumni Association' said that in the past that the “entire town of Encinitas closed up to go to the high school football game.”And that, football gave young men “a chance to make their hometown proud.” Not only was it a huge event on Friday nights, but
it was a chance for young women to become a part of the football, by cheering them on, on the sidelines. Football is a significant part of the high school experience that shaped San Dieguito Union High School until 1968 and then San Dieguito High School until 1996. Although some may think that having a football team is a key part of one’s high school experience, SDA has shown that they do not need football in order to create a welcoming, inclusive environment for many more years to come.
SPORTS| THE PONY
Januray 24, 2019
Teacher by day, coach by night Former college baseball player balances teaching and baseball. By Trevor Sleet
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lutch, confidence, determination, and the will to go on. Only some of the qualities that describe the ideal high school player, says Varsity Baseball Assistant Coach Daniel Reitz, who is also a first year 10th and 12th grade English teacher here at SDA. Reitz had been playing baseball since he was five years old, and ended his career at age 22. He played at University of Hawai’i at Hilo, playing second base and catcher. Reitz will be going into his eighth year of coaching. After being a head coach at his previous school, Reitz is an assistant coach at SDA, which he believes to be more
relaxing without all of the stress of game-time decisions, and allows him to teach more to the players. From the experience of baseball in high levels, Reitz learned that tenacity was very important and being reliable and dependable as well. He learned to create different habits, such as getting up at 5:00 in the morning to go lift. He said that one of the most important skills to be successful is to recognize the weaknesses, and grind them out. Reitz said, “You can be really good at taking ground balls and only take ground balls just to make you feel good…. But if you need to work on say, drag bun-
ting, then work on it.” Reitz wanted to be able to show the values that he has at a high school level. Reitz wanted to coach high school because he feels that he can teach the players about baseball, but also teach them valuable life lessons, such as to be a good student, man, and eventually husband. Reitz’ intensity, advice, and compassion for the game will be what this program needs to be able to make a push for advancing in playoffs. These years to come for SDA baseball could be explosive, and the program is very excited to lead off the season with the addition of Coach Reitz.
Daniel Reitz playing baseball for his university team. Photo courtesy of Daniel Reitz
Basketball team preps for season Players look to shoot down their competition. By Zach Joelson and Matthew Naimark
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s winter sports season approaches, the Mustang basketball team prepares for its competitive league. This year, they will be competing in the Avocado East League, against other high schools such as Vista, Oceanside, Rancho Buena Vista, Sage Creek, and El Camino. It will be a very tough season for the Mustangs as they will be playing some high level teams, but they are prepared for the challenge. Maverick Gilliam, a JV player this year, says that he is excited to go out there and
try his best in order to try to win in the game that he loves. Kai Boudreau, a freshman player who’s been playing basketball for four years, is also very excited for the upcoming season. Boudreau’s favorite part of being on the basketball team is the team dynamic. Lastly, Connor Gilliam, a senior and varsity basketball player at SDA, said that his favorite part about his basketball career at SDA was “meeting a great group of guys who I can call close friends now.” Gilliam says Basketball has allowed him to reach out and
get closer with new people, while playing his favorite sport. According to Mike Ricchiuti, the head coach of the freshman basketball team,, the biggest challenge for the season will be overcoming adversity. “We will play some of the best schools in the city, so we will struggle at times, it is about getting better from that adversity,” he said. SDA is looking forward to this upcoming season and competing with some of the best teams in the city. Overall, one of the main goals for the SDA basketball team is
to stand out and get noticed by others. Ricchiuti says he is most excited to teach the values and morals that the players will carry over with them for the rest of their lives. “My main goal is to have success. I want to teach them that basketball is not about being better than another player; that life isn’t about being better than another human. If at the end of the season they gave their best, learned life skills, and put in hard work then that’s all I care about,” Ricchiuti said.
Yarin Arbib about to score. Photo courtesy of Mustang Basketball
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ARTS| THE PONY
January 24, 2019
A love letter to ‘Mrs. Maisel’
This Amazon orignial captivates audiences in an increasingly unapologetic world By Kylie Schwartz
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midst Doris-Dayinspired classic 50s aesthetic is “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” a show glowing in color and fire and sharp-wit dialogue. Miriam “Midge” Maisel, portrayed by actress Rachel Brosnahan, lives the epitome of life in the late 1950’s: housewife, two kids, a loving, aspiring comic husband, and a house in the ritzy Upper-West Side of New York City. Midge is perfection personified, busying herself with maintaining the ideals of the 1950’s life in a tornado of efficiency. Born with perfectly curled hair and impeccably done red lipstick, Midge knows no way but the “right” way. The woman walked in fully formed, ready to make life absolutely
perfect… until it wasn’t. After a disappointing comedic failure at the Gaslight Cafe one night, Midge’s husband realizes his talent doesn’t match his ambition and, in his anger, reveals that he has been having an affair with his secretary. Everything falls apart in Midge’s carefully constructed existence. She has no direction, no next move; there is no place left for her in the world she thought she belonged to. However, among chaos and uncertainty for the first time in her life, she discovers a voice within herself that she never realized was there. Eventually, she finds herself on the stage at the Gaslight Cafe in an explosion of comedic genius. Midge Maisel is the heroine the world needs
today. In a time where women feel at a loss for words, hearing Midge speak is like having everything you have ever wanted to say being articulated with absolute perfection. She draws out the strength in every person who watches, urging them to be loud, clear, and proud in their own voice. She no longer begs to be let in to a society that does not want her for who she is-instead, she forces her way through and paves her own path while the onlookers stare in awe. Midge represents all the women today who were once apologetic, confused, but are now ready to rant. In her time, she was out of place, misunderstood-- today, she stands as a pillar of strength and empowerment for women everywhere.
Midge Maisel (Rachel Brosnan) rants with firey passion to a rapt audience. Courtesy of @maiseltv
A superhero movie everyone will love “Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse” swings into cinemas, and traps viewers with a fresh take on the classic. By Malin Lytle
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e’ve had the SpiderMan origin story told to us tons of times through movies, games, comics... anything you can think of, really. At this point it’s probably one of the more well known origin stories because they keep telling it and over and over again. Every single Spider-Man reboot is basically the same concept every single time. Knowing this, going into “Spider-Man: Into the SpiderVerse,” I was pleasantly surprised to see the direction they took with telling another
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Spider-Man origin story. Rather than the familiar Peter Parker, the film centers around a newer iteration of Spider-Man, Miles Morales, and his story of trying to live up to Spider-Man while staying true to himself in the process. The plot may be a little cliché, but it’s a superhero movie, so honestly I don’t know what anyone was expecting. It doesn’t necessarily have to be deep to be enjoyable, and for sure this movie’s appeal comes from the atmosphere it creates.
That’s not to say it’s poorly-written, though. The dialogue is very well done, with the comedic scenes being actually funny, unlike a lot of Marvel movies, where they try to make anything and everything into a one-liner until something sticks. The fantastic writing lets you ignore the tropes and have a truly immersive and emotional experience. One of the best and most talked-about parts of the film is the outstanding animation and art, which looks like it came straight out of a comic
book with its vibrant colors and unique character designs. All the action scenes are beautifully done, with the animation team really getting the most out of the medium to do what it was always made to do: making stories that could not be told in real life. The animators really go above and beyond to make a super action packed and unique viewing experience. Each version of SpiderMan in the film is animated in a unique manner, fitting each of their unique characters. Another high point of the
movie is the soundtrack, featuring music from lots of popular artists that fit the main character’s personality very well, being artists that would probably be listened to by someone his age and with his style. There’s really something for everyone in this movie. If you’re a fan of animation, it’s a big step forward in terms of taking the medium seriously, and the animation is beautiful, smooth, vibrant, and dynamic. It’s a fun experience that definitely deserves to be seen on the big screen.
ARTS| THE PONY
January 24, 2019
Expires February November 15th, 2018 21, 2019
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ARTS| THE PONY
January 24, 2019
Left:The stars of “Crazy Rich Asians” (Constance Wu and Henry Golding) embrace. Photo courtesy of @crazyrichasians. Right: Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) meets the Young family matriarch (lisa). Photo courtesy of @crazyrichasians.
The ripple effects of Asian representation in the media Movies like “Crazy Rich Asians” are steps toward a greater movement of diversity in Hollywood. By Taylor Lee
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pitch black screen switches between curated colors of amaranth, dark cerulean blue, and energy yellow. A mirage of light and color with the closing song “Money” permeating the background, sung by Malaysian singer Cheryl K featuring Awkwafina in both Chinese and English. Credits for the All-Asian cast are rolling; your heart is full. They are not the background extras or sidekicks but the main characters who are relatable. One by one, people pass through the swinging doors as the movie ended, a ripple of discussion has begun.
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When the anticipated 2018 Hollywood movie “Crazy Rich Asians” came out in the theaters, this was a needle in the haystack since “The Joy Luck Club” released in 1993, well before I was born. “Crazy Rich Asians” broke the box office as the highest grossing romantic comedies in a decade with a whopping $238.5 million in total. Based on Kevin Kwan’s bestselling novel, “Crazy Rich Asians” revolves around Rachel Chu (portrayed by Constance Wu) a ChineseAmerican NYU Economics professor, and her boyfriend Nick Young (portrayed by Henry Golding), heir to
the fortunes of one of the richest families in Singapore, who return to Nick’s home to attend his best friend’s wedding. Nick’s mother Eleanor (portrayed by Michelle Yeoh) disapproves of Rachel without hesitation, building a wall of conflict between both Rachel and Nick. I found myself and my family laughing and shedding a couple of happy tears. Progression of where representation stands using culture, language, heritage, and characters was one step closer for portrayal in movies. When I saw a character I could relate to, this only confirmed my identity even
more. Emily Liang, a sophomore who is Chinese American, felt that the lack ofAsian representation had a significant impact on her growing up. “It is hard to relate to someone who doesn’t look like you or have the same culture or traditions as you in the media. Hopefully, Asian Americans like me can grow up seeing themselves and feel a sense of belonging,” Liang said. You might have seen countless tweets from people like Kimberly Yam and while scrolling through your Instagram, news of representation and award
nominations for movies like “Crazy Rich Asians.” What would it have been like if we could look up to these characters we’d relate to and looked like us from an early age? Revealing this is possible: as an actress, a professor, an activist, or whatever they dreamed to be like. This is the schema you would have not expected. One film cannot represent all Asians and Asian Americans lives as a whole. However, if we continue to celebrate and see more diverse groups of people accurately represented on the big screens, we may learn to normalize it.
ARTS| THE PONY
January 24, 2019
Where art and mental health intersect “Trust Me This Was Not the Plan” debuted last May. Story by Taylor Lee
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izza boxes and debris float off the freeway, as a homeless man under a bridge near Downtown San Diego, uses sharpies to scribble words to evoke his emotions. It’s Sunday morning, Jeremy Wright art teacher at San Dieguito Academy is talking and passing out water bottles to homeless almost every week. Wright has cumulatied more than forty art pieces with an unintelligible signature on the bottom. Inspired by one of the cardboard with the written words, “Trust me This Was Not the Plan” the May 2018 exhibit featured five different artists with four different mental illnesses. The artworks collaborated with Mental Health Awareness Month along with AP Psychology teacher James Hrzina. “It was a very powerful show; to me, it was easier
to promote somebody else’s artwork than my own. I really got into it, intrigued, and enjoyed the curation of it,” Wright said. Brian J : With any scraps he could find laying around, drawing was just one way of relieving and illustrating his schizophrenia. He gravitated towards symbols like biblical scriptures and sorcery which could be evident in his mediums. Many homeless people like Brian living with mental illnesses are commonly untreated for long periods. David Webb: Graduating class of 1977 at SDA, he was diagnosed with schizophrenia in his early 20’s, about three years after leaving. His artwork collected by former art teacher John Ratajkowski, gave him art supplies to use often. The colors he’d use were of bright watercolors and black paint.
Veronica: Back when Wright used to be a teacher at Earl Warren Middle School, he met Veronica, a student with Extreme Autism described as quiet and artistic. In the back of the class, you’d see her rocking her chair back and forth. Making horse noises when students were quiet at sporadic times. Two of her pieces were featured in the exhibition. KL*: Having Extreme Asperger’s, now known under the umbrella of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Most of his art pieces were symbolic of good and evil. Bicycle boy portrayed in a negative connotation, while there was a superhero always with a cape in a positive light. With fifteen of his artworks, most had recurring German soldiers from World War I and walruses with a distinct style to them. Armand Gutierrez: One
of Wright’s students 10 years ago, was diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder. Hirzina explained this like having episodes of a new persona and losing contact of themselves. DID is often confused with schizophrenia, but they do not have hallucination of their alters. When Armand grasp the idea of what his disorder was, it was more bearable for him to understand. Art like comics was another form of storytelling for Gutierrez on how he manages his challenges. “Opening and sharing about yourself can be very cathartic in one way, where the therapist can help the individual on how to deal with it better or what symptoms that are manageable. In art, that can manifest how the person may show these emotions,” Hirzina said. Wright and Hirzina
agreed that showing compassionate by reaching out and knowing it is ok to ask for help is important for those who are suffering from mental health problems. “Anybody with mental illness has their own journey. We can’t walk it for them but be empathetic. We are not called to fix them, but rather help and support them: that is love,” emphasized Wright. Hirzina added on by saying that, “We all have problems and we all struggle in one way or another, let’s have the ability to recognize that in others and in our self and say it is okay to get help.” *The name has been changed due to privacy SDA displays artwork on pizza boxes in the gallery. Photo courtesy of Jeremy Wright
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ARTS| THE PONY
January 24, 2019
SDA Threads recreate da Vinci’s The Last Supper painting at a club meeting. Photo courtesy of @sdathreads
SDA Threads: A place where students can showcase their style A look inside SDA’s creative fashion club. By Megan Pusl and Isabelle Olah
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DA Threads, a place where students express their creativity through fashion, students in the fashion community socialize with friends, and students work towards making a magazine. In total, there are five leaders of the club, and we interviewed three of them. Seniors Janie Overland, Lena Hoover, and Sarah Rapp told both of us what the club was like and about the magazine they publish. Question: Did you create or continue this club? SR: We created it last year as juniors.
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Q: What is the purpose of each meeting? SR: We talk about deadlines, introduce ideas for magazine content, all things magazine. Q: Can you tell us about the magazine you publish twice a year? SR: We take submissions from anyone who wants to submit. Last year, it was just fashion and photographs, but this year we are taking any content that anyone at SDA wants to submit. Like, artwork, writing, photography, and articles. Q: What are some of the
things that students submit to the magazine? SR: Last year, we got a lot of good photos, but this year we are hoping to get more art. JO: More writing too. Q: Where do you sell the magazines that you make in this club? JO: We did exhibition day last year, the SDA Bazaar, and we are still figuring out where we are gonna sell them this year. Q: How often does your club meet? LH: We meet every Monday during lunch, and then we’ll have we have events
that are outside of school usually on weekends. Q: What are some of those events? SR: This weekend we are gonna have a collaging day at the park where everyone is going to bring magazines and we are gonna hang out, and get to know each other, and make some art. JO: Then we also do clothing swaps. Q: Can you tell us about your Instagram account from this club? @sdathreads JO: It's pretty much open to anybody who wants to submit any photos to it,
they can direct message us on the Instagram, or if we see anyone around school with cool style, one of the 5 club leaders will take a photo and post it on Instagram. Q: Why do you like SDA threads? SR: It's cool to have everybody who is interested in the same thing be in one place and to feel like you’re a part of something. LH: You make new friends, bond with people, and you get to meet a lot of different people from different grades too.
HUMOR| THE PONY
January 24, 2019
A bunch of baloney An honest insight into these scams we call food. By Isabella Ferrera
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n this article, you will learn about some of the worst foods ever, and hopefully learn to avoid them. If you think you like any of these foods, you will never want to eat them again once you’ve read this. The first food that should never be eaten is Spam. First of all, the ingredients- according to their website, Spam contains two cuts of pork, along with water, potato starch, sugar, salt, and sodium nitrate. Off to a nasty start. Secondly, the meat in the can comes pre-cooked. This means that Spam is a can of mixed meat with sugar in it, which also has potato starch to “keep it moist”. If that isn’t disgusting, I’m not sure what is. Next up, we have squash. While some people love this cousin of the pumpkin, I find it utterly repulsive. Eating squash is like eating something that someone’s chewed up for you. Not to mention the taste- it tastes like a combi-
nation of pumpkin guts and cough medicine. Combined with the texture, this food is an absolute no. Similar to squash is zucchini, which is exactly the same, except it is green. It disguises itself as cucumber- but beware, it is much worse. The biggest scam to hit the planet Earth is oatmeal raisin cookies. While these cookies don’t taste awful, they cannot be put in the same category as other cookies. I cannot think of a worse experience than picking up an oatmeal raisin cookie thinking it is chocolate chip and then biting into it. A nightmare. Fruit and oats instead of chocolate? Practically a crime. Oatmeal raisin cookies are basically a prank that people fall for every day. The sole fact that these cookies are such tricksters makes people hate them. Last, but certainly not least, we have tap water. If you ask me, water shouldn’t have a flavor. Tap water,
“If that isn’t disgusting, I’m not sure what is.” Photo by Isabella Ferrera
however, does. Whenever you drink tap water, it never tastes the same, and sometimes tastes bad. Historically, there have been multiple chemicals found in tap water, which most of the time do not affect the taste, but definitely can.
On top of the strange taste of tap water, it can contain chemicals that are harmful to your body. The reason why this is such a huge deal is because water is the main resource we need to survive, and it tastes terrible. You
shouldn’t have to pay extra to get water that doesn’t taste like chemicals. Pre-cooked, already chewed, falsely advertised, health compromising foodsdo you really want those in your body? You decide.
I let BuzzFeed decide my fate Here are the 14 OMG facts I learned along the way. By Summer Castillo
I
took the liberty of taking a ridiculous number of BuzzFeed quizzes to see what my life looks like in the eyes of BuzzFeed’s quiz writers. I took many different quizzes, ranging from what pizza toppings I chose deciding the fate of my love life or picking out a fall outfit to reveal what quirks I may have. I used the results to
write a tell-all that will walk you through my love life, my personality, and my death. I turned 10 in October. Due to the fact that I am an aquarius, a January baby, I have some pretty quirky tendencies, which include but are not limited to having a compulsion to hang out with my parents. I am an introvert who is rather romantic and I find
that I best fit in with the jock clique. Jocks may have the stereotype of being inherently unintelligent but my IQ is a whopping 130 so obviously I’m doing something right. Although I am only ten years old, I am convinced that I’ve already found my soulmate, whose name is Caden. The funny thing is, my soulmate is not the man
I’m going to marry; I’m going to meet my future spouse in two years. 12 years old is a little late to get hitched, but it’s better late than never. Once I meet this man I’m sure my life will be peaches and cream, until the day I tell him that I will actually never get married. I will however, have one kid. The father is currently unknown.
When I’m 18, I plan on moving out to Salt Lake City, Utah. where I will lead a happy, fulfilling life until I choke on Doritos and die at the young age of 19. If these results do not come true, this fourteenyear-old Leo with no known children and an IQ of [REDACTED] will be wildly disappointed.
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Take the wear or tear quiz! Take this quiz to find your fashion icon. By Kate Barr, Emily Broyles, and Julia Fumo 1. On a cloudy day what do you wear? a. Pajamas b. Baggy sweatshirt and leggings c. Shorts and a t-shirt with uggs (like a maniac) d. A raincoat and some rain boots for these stormy SoCal days 2. What would you wear on a first date? a. Pajamas b. Sweatpants and Flip Flops c. Casual (jeans and a t-shirt) d. Dressy with some shiny shoes 3. What would you wear on the first day of school? a. A hoodie and leggings/ baggy sweatpants b. Jeans and a graphic tee c. Shorts, belt and a tee shirt d. Mini skirt and a crop top/ Button down with khakis 4. What would you wear to formal? a. I wouldn’t go b. Sundress/ Casual button down c. A short simple dress/ A suit (black and white) d. A long extravagant dress/ A tux (colorful and full of accessories)
5. What would you wear to a bonfire? a. A wetsuit b. Bathing suit under your clother c. A bikini/ Trunks d. Sundress/ Hawaiian shirt
6. What would you wear to a costume party? a. Pun b. Movie/book/TV reference c. Inflatable costume d. Masquerade
If you got mostly A’s- your style icon is Adam Sandler - you like to keep things casual and fun. Illustration by Kate Barr.
If you got mostly B’s-your style icon is Vanessa Hudgens- you like cute and simple outfits. Illustration by Julia Fumo
7. What would you wear to a job interview? a. Polo shirt with nice shorts b. Blouse with slacks c. Blazer with a t-shirt underneath d. Tuxedo
If you got mostly C’s- your style icon is Blake Lively- you like being casual while still having a touch of fancy in your fit. Illustration by Emily Broyles.
If you got mostly D’s - your style icon is Elton John - you like really fancy and extravagant clothes, you to DRESS TO IMPRESS. Illustration by Kate Barr.
Who is @sdacensus? SDA’s best and only survey club. By Kylie Schwartz
W
e have all had thoughts we would rather not admit. We have all had questions that have kept us up at night, torturing us with their seductive, elusive answers. Most of us just ignore these impulses, afraid of what answers they may yield. But some of us
rise above the rest. Some of us will call upon our bravery and set out to find these answers, let the consequences be damned! It is the bravery of the SDA students behind the instagram handle @sdacensus that ask the important questions, like “Mr. Cannon or
Mr. Cameron as Peter Pan?”, and “Who would win in a 5k between Mr. Witt and Mr. Norris?” With responses from the SDA students themselves, these essential questions are bringing us closer to cracking the code of the universe. Now, one question remains: Who is behind @sdacensus?
Tally your answer. Image by Kylie Schwartz.
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