May 2019

05.0 3 . 1 9 VOLUME 23 ISSUE 6

THE MUSTANG

INDEX

ROLL CALL Editor-in-Chief Taylor Rudman Design Editor Simmone Stearn

COVER ARTIST

SIERRA SCHUMANN

News Editor Aiden Fullwood

Sophomore Sierra Schumann has been making art since elementary school, but became more interested in it when she came to SDA. Schumann loves how art can be interpreted differently by every person, and how it is a fun and relaxing way to express her “sloopy-ness,” a made-up word coined by her friend meaning “fun and free.”

She enjoys creating unrealistic faces and misshaped people with lots of colors, using different textures and mediums.

Opinion Editor Sophie Hughes Features Editor Sylvia Young Taylor Rudman Arts Editor Linnaea Erisman Humor Editor Sylvia Young Sports Editor Yari Sequeria Photo Editor Jaden Hauptman

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

IN N D D EE 02

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S

enioritis is not a disease like the flu or the common cold. The symptoms do not reveal themselves immediately, nor do they remain consistent. And your doctor certainly won’t prescribe a z-pak for it.

No, it is a more gradual infection. Senioritis creeps up on you, and the symptoms are not noticeable until you are too far gone.

I still try in class. I still come to school (most of the time ). It is just that everything feels like it matters a little bit less. I still do what I need to, it just doesn’t quite feel like I’m there.

I have a theory. Senioritis is not, in fact, an infectious disease. I don’t think I can truly blame any outside factors. I didn’t catch it from a college decision sneezing on me, or because I didn’t wash my hands with confidence in

the unknown. It feels like an indifference that comes from within. A numbness that I orchestrated to make everything hurt a little bit less. To make leaving hurt less.

It is an illness, don’t get me wrong. But every once in a while, there is relief. Immediate, like with an adrenaline shot. Except it isn’t through a shot, it’s through friendships.

Because amidst the monotony of classes and work, there are the people. It is the people that make the high school. My experience here was not defined by standardized testing and the bells between passing periods. It was defined those moments-brief or everlasting-- where I really enjoyed other people.

The people I got to know. The people I really didn’t. It’s the people that make the leaving hurt more, but the staying worthwhile.

Good luck, Taylor Rudman, Editor-in-Chief

Business Manager Ally Joelson Online Editor Devlin Ott Shayna Glazer Online Sports Editor Alexis Price Staff Writers Aeon Benford-Combs Alex Storer Cade Culbertson Carolina Gutierrez Hunter McGahan Jeffrey Furgerson Jenna Weinhofer Joice He Kate Paxton Lauren Martinez Manelle Touzni Max Vennemeyer Maya Janaswamy Peter Gao Piper Ligotti Piper Nilsen Rayelyn Burrell Victoria Lee 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

MAY 2019

NEWS

Is sex ed actually changing?

SDUHSD school board members comment on the effectiveness of Edgenuity as an online sexual education course. By Taylor Rudman.

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chool board member Melisse hearing their thoughts regarding Mossy says she has “been future instructional options for sex assured [that] changes are education in our district.” coming” to the freshman health “I am committed to a robust curriculum, taught through the and effective sexual education Edgenuity online course, which is program for all students,” Kristin meant to include sexual education.

Gibson said. “I will share your “I have had discussions with questions and concerns with our our superintendent not only about staff.”

Health/ PE but with the lacking Trustees Maureen Muir and quality of Edgenuity in general,” Joyce Dalessandro did not comment.

Mossy said. “I believe there has to be Superintendent Robert Haley, a better way to provide educational speaking for the district, said that experiences for our students, and if there has been no formal report they include online learning it must made concerning the adequacy of be of a much higher caliber where the sex ed program, so it is not cheating is not rampant and learning on the board’s agenda. He said, is not merely rote.”

“The topic would be placed on an In March, agenda for board The Mustang consideration.

“I believe there has reported that The board both staff and would receive to be a better way to students felt information from provide educational Edgenuity was staff and either insufficient in take action or experiences for our teaching sexual direct staff to students...where cheat- bring back further education. They said the content or ing is not rampant and information is lacking and proposals. In this that students learning is not merely situation, there often became has not been rote.” bored and don’t an agendized pay attention discussion of to the videos, how our sexual -Melisse Mossy, school education is opting instead to look up the being delivered. board member answers to the No report has tests online. For been made and more effective learning, students no information has been provided, need some kind of face-to-face so it would be premature to take a discussion, according to students, position.” staff, and sex education experts.

Before the health course Two other board members transitioned to online learning said they would look into the about 10 years ago, there used to sex education program. Board be an in-person health class at the President Beth Hergesheimer said, district. In The Mustang’s report, “The board’s role will be to receive SDA staff members speculated that staff input, and I look forward to the in-person course was cut to save

A SLIDE FROM the Edgenuity health course, which encourages freshman to stay abstinent.

Photo courtesy of Edgenuity. money. Haley said, “With regards to staff speculation about why comprehensive sexual education was moved online, I am interested myself.

I will inquire of others since this was done in the past and before my time.”

Mossy said, “I would make space in the budget, if needed, to improve our programs and I believe that there are ways we can innovate change without causing major issues with staffing.”

Experts, including an SDA counselor, a USC nursing professor, and a San Diego County Office of Education official, consider comprehensive sexual education, which is mandated by the 2016 California Healthy Youth Act, difficult to teach through an online course alone. They say that in-person discussions are needed, and that they

should be led by a trained teacher.

Concerning the difficulty of teaching sex ed through solely an online course, Haley said, “In general, I tend to agree with that statement, but would like to review the same material you are referring to in your email” in response to questions emailed by The Mustang.

Mossy said that online alternatives to Edgenuity should be researched first before changing the structure of the health class. “I believe that there needs to be a real impact and real learning taking place. If we have a better online curriculum where this could take place, then we could evaluate if face-to-face discussion is required,” Mossy said. “There are many, many wonderful courses, even college level online courses, that facilitate

real learning through distance/ online education, so first I would ask for the recommendation of the superintendent regarding the change of curriculum, and then I would determine if we need to change things further.”

So far, changes to the health course have yet to be made. Haley said, “I would encourage the students and staff you mention who think the curriculum is lacking to discuss this at the site level with the school administration. The school administration can then bring it to the attention of our Associate Superintendent of Educational Services.”

Say goodbye to late starts?

Staff is considering a potential schedule change to allow for an increase of frequency in staff meetings. By Peter Gao and Aiden Fullwood

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n a renewed effort to gain more time for teacher meetings, some San Dieguito Academy department chairs have pushed a notion for changing the schedule. According to Paul Brice, math teacher and math department chair, the new schedule, if enacted, could eliminate late start Wednesdays.

One possible adjustment could make every Wednesday hour lunch with a modification: classes would only be an hour and 15 minutes long and school would end at around 2:15, instead of 3:10.

Some students are upset. “I like the current bell schedule,” said freshman Dhilan Patel. “I don’t want them getting rid of late starts because I need more sleep.”

THE MUSTANG

“I don’t care how late we end, but I’d rather we started later,” said freshman Talon Meyer.

Others, however, said they welcome the change. Michael Goldberg, freshman, said he appreciated the potential change, and would like “getting out earlier more.”

Freshman Zach Barry also said that “they should change [the schedule] if they could,” adding that he would much prefer getting out earlier than having a longer lunch.

Before late start days were implemented, teachers held department meetings, department chair meetings, staff meetings, and had extra time for activities during the hour lunch period.

“When we went to late start

we got rid of two of those meetings, and [now] we have very little time to meet as a staff [and] resolve issues that come up,” Brice said.

The new schedule would give staff the opportunity to resume these meetings and activities at a higher frequency, he said.

The current process for changing the schedule includes several parts. First, the department chairs discuss the notion for a schedule change. Then, the notion is passed on to the other members of the department. After reaching a consensus amongst the staff members, the notion is sent to the school district.

The new schedule would be enacted and parents and students would be informed of the change if is approved

by the school district.

“What would not happen is that there’s an idea of a bell schedule all of a sudden…there’s a process for vetting a potential new bell schedule,” Principal Adam Camacho said.

“You've got to seek feedback from… your teachers, your staff, your students…from parents, and you've got to do this with a committee and vetting the pros and cons, the advantages and disadvantages, examining the current bell schedule, if there’s something wrong with the current one we have.”

There is a deadline by which the proposal has to be approved by the district, “so it’s looking like it’s not going to be happening for next year,” Brice said. There is a possibility that

the change might occur in the following school years, under the condition that it receives enough support from the staff before the deadline.

According to Camacho, the district has already established next year’s schedule. “We have families, a whole bunch of incoming folks, that have already made an informed decision based on our curriculum, based on our school, our culture, our bell schedule, all of those factors. At this point to say, ‘Hey, by the way, we know you came based on all this information but we’re also gonna change the bell schedule on you next year before you arrive,’” Camacho said. “Right now we are taking feedback from our department chairs, and that’s where we are.”

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NEWS

Encinitas’ own Leslie Knope Meet Kellie Shay Hinze, the newly appointed Encinitas city council member. She might not be Amy Poehler, but she’s still pretty enthustiatic. By Sylvia Young. Illustration by Devlin Ott.

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t San Dieguito Academy, social sciences teacher Bob Teisher brought government to life for Kellie Shay Hinze and gave her, her first and only award in high school. More than 10 years later, Teisher wrote Hinze a letter of recommendation when she applied to fill a vacancy on the Encinitas City Council. Now, the SDA alum is the newest member of the council, which is in charge of making decisions about how to run the city.

Q: I think a lot of students are probably most familiar with local government because of the TV show “Parks and Recreation.” Is there anything in that show that relates to Encinitas?

A: “Yes! I had never watched that show until I was a council member and because everyone was referencing things from ‘Parks and Rec’ and my boyfriend has been working in policy for a little while, and he started making me watch that show. Sometimes it was a really painful experience to watch the show because it was so close to what real life is like …, but now I sort of have a sense of humor about it.

Definitely our staff is far more professional than the people on that show and has a very professional demeanor and approach, but I think sometimes when you’re working with the public you see such a range of personalities that you might have never known existed in real life.”

Q: How does the city council impact the lives of people in Encinitas/SDA students?

A: “There’s the everyday stuff, which is kinda boring. To me it’s not boring because I see how important it is, but just how easy is it for students to be safe getting to and from school...I see it as our personal responsibility on council to make sure that if you’re a kid growing up in Encinitas, you can get to school safely like walking or on your bike and if you do drive, the roads will be even safer for cars. So that’s one big way.

And I think just supporting students to be individual freethinkers. That was something I always loved about San Dieguito.

Mr. Teisher...was my government teacher when I was a senior at SDA and he really did such a good job of bringing government to life for me to the point that I understood that no matter who you are, you can influence how your government acts. And so when I was applying for council he wrote a letter of recommendation on my behalf...for me it was a pretty cool circle of life.

I mean, I grew up here, I moved away for 10 years, I like to think I came back with ideas about cities that were doing awesome things, and then I had the support of my community to say, ‘Yeah, you’re

04

qualified for this job.’ So my hope is to continue doing that and getting other young people involved and doing everything I can to explain how the system works. When you understand how it works, you can participate in it.

Q: How did your experiences at SDA impact your life now?

A: “I really had amazing teachers while I was there [at SDA]. I had adults who I could look up to and I felt like high school is so different from junior high. You’re really starting to be encouraged to have a voice and so much of the writing that I did at San Dieguito and so much of the ability to be reflective and to consider the privilege that I had to grow up in California, grow up in Encinitas, and get an education.

Those were things that were really lost on me when I was younger that I came to appreciate I think because of the education I got at San Dieguito.”

Q: What do you hope to accomplish?

A: “My big issue is mobility. I grew up in Encinitas, I used to ride my bike to school, and what we’ve seen over the years is we have a lot more cars on the road and a lot more people driving and it’s really only to safe to get around town for the most part if you’re in a car. My big vision is that we can get citizens around safely either if they choose to walk or if they choose to bike.

So my big things are I want bike connectivity, safe bike lanes, I want to see kids able to ride on the street, elderly people, families, and I’m driven also by a desire to see things become more accessible for people in wheelchairs. My mom is in a wheelchair and it’s been a learning experience for me because she’s only been in a wheelchair for six years how different her experience when she goes out into public than it is for someone who can just walk around normally.”

Q: Why should high school students care about government, especially local government?

A: “Local government is the easiest way to get involved. If there are things in your own life that you’re unhappy with the best chance that you have to change that is at a local level because it’s so responsive. So, you know, you come to a meeting and say one time that you have this problem, you can expect that there will be people trying to solve that problem for you. So much focus nowadays is on the national level and I think that for young people especially, if they can see how local government works, they’re gonna be that much further along to influence national policy...It happens so fast, when all of the sudden you’re like, ‘whoa, I’m an adult, now it’s my responsibility that things turn out

well and it’s my responsibility that there’s equality, and things aren’t getting worse, and that climate change is something that is within our control, we have to make sure that it doesn’t get worse.’ I think that the earlier you can understand that, the better you are to have an influence when you’re older.”

Q: How can high school students get involved in government?

A: “I joined the Interact club when I was a junior and two students who were the co-presidents were my age and I just so admired them...and I ended up becoming really good friends with those people and they’re two of my best friends now, and we also had a parent mentor...and I work with her now as a council member. I think where I saw the power of civic engagement and truly impacting others’ lives and just having friends my own age who were role models for me.”

Q: Were you into local government more as a teenager? If not, what changed?

A: “I was not...I was definitely interested in academics, but my biggest interest in high school was probably going to the beach and hanging out with my friends. I had Spanish classes I loved, I had government, I had history class with Ms. [Kerry] Koda who was one of my favorite teachers, and I think that I just really got to enjoy life as a high schooler at SDA and when I got older I realized that we have a lot worth protecting and saving and that the life I enjoyed as a young person,

somebody else was there protecting it as a council member, you know?”

Q: What issues do you see and hope to address?

A: “I have big infrastructure projects that I support. The Leucadia streetscape is one of them because for me that’s turning a two lane highway into a beautiful linear park for people to enjoy out of their car. I also support environmental initiatives so I hope that we can see limits to our single use plastics...I also support housing so I want to see a diversity of housing options added...we should be able to see seniors age in the city of Encinitas, see kids grow up and be able to come back to the city of Encinitas, and for people to have more affordability in their housing selection.”

Q: How do you think these issues can be addressed?

A: “I think that by setting goals for myself and also looking to our mayor because our mayor is one of my biggest heroes, her name’s Mayor [Catherine] Blakespear and she has really motivated me to believe that we can all be part of the solution.

So in educating myself about other cities that are doing things I admire, traveling around the world to cities that have urban design that I really think is the way we need to go, talking to experts on issues — I might not be the best person to talk about single use plastics in the ocean but if I can find the right person who does then I can get the facts and be able to implement those kind of policies in the city. And then,

listening to people, just hearing what the people that live in our city want, what their collective vision together is.”

Q: What are you plans for the future?

Do you want to continue to be on the city council, run for office, do something else?

A: “This was sort of a step in a totally different direction. I had to resign from my job to take the role, so I had been in nonprofit management and I had to leave that to serve on council, so I actually just recently got a job with a little business in Leucadia called Thread Fund, and she [the owner] hires people who are resettled refugees to make the products that she sells, so it’s a whole new direction for me like retail and it has a social benefit, but it is in the private sector.

I don’t know what I’m gonna do next, and I have two years to figure it out, but if I’m good at this role then I’ll run again and if I run again that will be in 2020.”

Q: Is there anything else you would like to add?

A: “I would like students to know that I’m available to meet with them and if they’re considering this role in the future I’d love to tell them what it’s like, and anyone that wants to come to city hall I’d love to give them a tour and I encourage students to reach out to me if there’s things that are not going well for them in the city that we can improve. I just want to be available for them to meet with because I am your representative, San Dieguito is in my district. I am here and I’m available.”

MAY 2019

NEWS

THE MUSTANG

05

Not so Epic games Exclusivity deals are ruining the gaming market by removing competition.Il-

lustration by Jeffery Furgerson

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OPINIONS

pic Games, the company that created the popular battle royale game “Fortnite,” has been using unfair marketing practices to force consumers to their store.

Epic launched their online store on last December. The Epic Games Store lacked common features found on most online shops such as the option to review games.

Steam, the central online marketplace for video games, has been used by a majority of PC gamers for years due to its vast number of features and frequent sales. Video game publishers were drawn to Epic’s store, because at Epic they keep 88 percent of the profits compared to 70 percent on Steam, according to Polygon.

Over the past several months major publishers such as Ubisoft, Deep Silver, and Obsidian have signed exclusivity deals with Epic.

These companies produce major titles like “The Division 2,” “Metro Exodus,” and “The Outer Worlds.”

After Deep Silver announced their exclusivity plans with Epic, Metro Exodus was review bombed on Steam. Review bombing is when users leave droves of negative reviews in order to lower the general public’s perception of the game.

Tim Sweeney, the CEO of Epic Games, has been very vocal about how exclusivity is better for consumers in the long run. When asked about the exclusivity issues

Sweeney said, “The Epic Game Store exclusives have been controversial among the PC gaming community who much prefers everything be on Steam.”

What Sweeney fails to notice is that game sales aren’t isolated to Steam. The Humble Bundle which provides multiple games per month on Don’t let anyone dim your sparkle. a subscription based service is almost as popuAlex Storer lar as Steam among PC gamers. Consumers want the option to choose between gaming stores themselves.

By entering in exclusivity deals with game publishers Epic takes away the option for consumers to choose at all.

“Without exclusives, challenging an established and dominant market player like Steam is nigh-on impossible” said Sweeney. I have one thing to say to Tim Sweeney regarding this; If you can’t compete, don’t play. Steam won over its majority customer base by providing a superior product. Epic Games is forcing consumers to buy their products, by taking away their choice. Epic Games store lacks these services as a result of pure incompetence. After the release of “Fortnite,” Epic games was swimming in cash. “Fortnite” is the hottest game on the market right now. If Epic really cared about providing a competitive service, they should have invested in a store that provides something to the consum-

ers that Steam fails to provide.

These exclusivity deals are frustrating consumers because their games are often advertised on steam beforehand. “Outer Worlds,” which I mentioned before, was on Steam the day of the announcement. The Developers even added more info to the page that day. Epic Games is abusing Steam’s large player base to promote their own games.

It is worth mentioning most of these exclusivity deals expire, usually after a year. To some this might seem like too long to wait, but there are benefits to waiting. For one you can often get online games at a discount a year after launch. A second benefit of waiting is you encourage the game publishers to stick to the other marketplaces. If publishers see that a game isn’t selling well at Epic, they might be persuaded to stop making exclusivity deals with Epic. Lastly, if you buy the game later, there will likely be many guides online to help you progress that might not be there in the first few months.

Overall Epic is using unfair marketing practices to avoid investing in a product worth buying.

Although Steam has had its fair share of issues over the years, Valve hasn’t resorted to exclusivity deals.

If you don’t purchase from Epic you promote selling on steam, Humble Bundle, and GOG etc. that offer discounts, among other services to their customers. Giving your hard earned money to Epic would only encourage this uncompetitive marketing practice of purchasing exclusives.

Formal at Seaworld? Not a splash ASB debated whether to hold next year’s formal at Seaworld despite the controversy over its treatment of their killer whales.

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he 2013 documentary “Blackfish” depicted what was portrayed as Seaworld’s abuse towards its captive whales. The film began a series of boycotts of the amusement park to make changes.

According to an article published

by The New York Times, by Mihir Zaveri, it states that “in 2016, SeaWorld said it would phase out orca performances and stop breeding the animals.” In march of 2017 performances were stopped in California and in 2019 the parks in Orlando and San Antonio followed.

According to BBC reporter, David Willis, Seaworld is ending the orca breeding program, claiming “this is the last generation.”

However, the controversy has not dulled down, and ASB considered hosting 2020’s Formal at Seaworld. Now they lean against

06

the idea. Needless to say, the subject still spurs strong emotions with SDA students; some even considered not going to the dance at all. ASB hosted a meeting after they ran a poll showing that the majority of students actually preferred going It truly must to Seaworld. be hard..

It was a small poll hosted on Hunter remind.com McGahan asking students through a Google Document which place they preferred to go to.

The main idea for going to the park was not the moral issues, rather the unique experience. This would include plenty of outdoor space, and a roller coaster for students to ride.

“Everybody knows Seaworld is bad, but they switched a lot of their morals,” an ASB student said at the meeting. “It’s not the fact that we are going Seaworld, but we are going to a cool dance.”

However, if it divides our school, then it should not be condoned. Those against the amusement park said the money paying for the venue will directly support Seaworld. They said Seaworld’s orcas are still held in captivity, and as a result, will have shorter life spans. This alone can be classified as animal cruelty.

“I talked to multiple juniors, and they said they were not going because it is at Seaworld,” an ASB student said at the meeting.

All in all, school dances are meant to be fun for all students.

This situation should not be a moral dilemma. If students are refusing to attend for what they see as a just concern, and there are many other options, then seek the other places.

This is an unneeded controversy, and can be easily altered to satisfy those who are hesitant.

As one ASB student said, “If there is anything dividing our school, then why are we doing it?”

ORCAS IN SEAWORLD Two killer whales jump during a show.

Photo courtesy of qwesy qwesy

MAY 2019

OPINIONS

Smell those roses

You’re stressed, right? Have you tried adding something enjoyable to your plate? Add a hobby. Yes, try that.

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he time is almost here - the dreaded AP test season. You’ve been studying hard and definitely think a 3, 4, or 5 is achievable.

No matter whether you’re taking one test or eight, it is a stressful time.

Last year, I was a junior taking four AP tests, and, boy, was I a mess. I didn’t participate in my third year of track. My weekends in April entailed hours at the library and the occasional movie night with family. The tests came along. I felt all right afterwards. Signing into my College Board account in June and July, I learned that I had passed all of my tests with fours and a five. I rejoiced, of course, believing that these test results mattered more than anything. Convincing myself that all the time I put into studying, which could have been spent on the track and having fun, was put to good use.

I was so wrong.

If you do a little research about potential colleges you would like to attend, you’ll find that unit credits for a 3, 4, or 5 could be worth the same amount. Even if you do get 5’s on all your AP tests, many of those credits won’t get you out of classes depending on your major. So I’m saying, it is not the end of the world if you don’t

pass that AP test. No seriously. You got the GPA boost from the class.

That matters more.

If your parents have not already told you, I will - stop and smell the roses. Yes, I said it.

Please don’t groan, You are what but it’s true. And you throw you can do learn away to relax through a fun activity called Alexis Price a hobby because life is short. (more groans). Yes, you may be thinking - I don’t have enough time to commit to a hobby.” That’s the thing about a hobby – it is your activity, you can do on your own time.

Having a hobby allows you the opportunity to expand your creative side or step out of your comfort zone, as well as prevent you from binge watching TV shows when you’re bored.

If you don’t have one at the moment, now is the time. It doesn’t matter if you hobby once a day or once a week. It’s yours and no one can take that away from you. One day you might be able to make a living out of it - you never know. Or, you might be absolutely garbage at your hobby, and that is completely chill too! My hobbies include sports, but more specifically mountain biking, as well as trying to teach myself how to play guitar. I am failing at the latter, and finding time to play is challenging.

However, I’m still enjoying it!

As freshman, no one really wants to talk to us, so we just end up listening to others’ conversation…

We’re freshmen.

Piper Nilsen and Kate Paxton

MOUNTAIN BIKING IS one of my hobbies! I fall off my bike a lot, but it’s worth it. If you’re an adrenaline junkie, try it. Photo by Rick Price.

So don’t freak out over every test, quiz, in class essay, and homework assignment. If you get a B, or even C, here or there, you are going to be ok. Your grade might go down a little, but we all have bad days, so talk to your teacher about it. They will understand. They are not robots.

Here is a list of hobbies that may peak your interest: skateboarding, gardening, playing a new instrument, making kombucha, wood working,

candlemaking, model towns, goat yoga, pet rocks, making pet rocks, painting, bake or cook, go yachting, go yacht watching, or my personal favorite mountain biking.

Go explore. Hunt around for the best hobby. Scroll through the list and play a few trailers of each one.

Then binge the heck out of your hobby. It’s yours! It should be fun!

Now get out there and find yours today!

Hey moms, we love you This Mother’s Day, make sure you remember everything your mom does for you.

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founding point of teenage LOT. culture is defiance. Often it At the time, I blamed my mom. can be a good thing: it teaches She wouldn’t let me be a kid, she us to stand up for ourselves and wouldn’t let me live my life, she makes an actual change in the world wouldn’t let me be independent. around us. But it Honestly, also comes with looking at some risks that it from her Whatever floats can seriously point of view, I your boat. affect our futures. wouldn’t have Because we let myself even Sophie Hughes often defy our leave the house if mothers.

I was her.

I’m sure The most some of you important yet are shocked to overlooked see me writing this. I’ve had a roller thing about moms? They CARE. coaster relationship with my mom. I Sometimes you think they care too wasn’t a great teenager to be a parent much, but is that even possible? And of – I lied about where I was, who I would you rather them not care at was with, and hardly ever checked in all? to let her know what my plan was. I Yeah, I didn’t think so. was noticeably absent from home a Your mom is always right. I

THE MUSTANG

Weird things we’ve heard on campus

never listened to my mom when she criticized my friends, my relationships, my choices. I always thought she just wanted me to be miserable.

But get this. When she said someone was manipulative, they were. When she told me I deserved to be treated better, I should have been. When she said I needed to have a wider view and open my mind to new possibilities, I should have.

But I never listened. And I never realized until it was too late.

Your mom cares. She loves you.

And while it may seem impossible, and it seems like the only thing she wants is far from this, she only ever wants the absolute best for you.

Don’t be like me. Listen to your mom. Love your mom. Spend time with her. Go to lunch, take a walk, splurge on a shopping trip. It’s cool to

love your mom.

Seniors, most of us are leaving soon, and while you may be excited to get the heck out of here, none of us are prepared for the feeling of leaving our whole lives behind.

Freshmen, you will go through a time where your mom is your enemy.

She’s not. It’s all in your head. Love her and be good to her.

Your relationship with your parents will affect the relationships you have with your own kids. And it will affect your decision on whether or not to have them. How will your kids look at their grandparents? How do you look at yours?

Be mindful. There’s a million sides to every story. But they all are made of love.

Happy Mother’s Day, moms. We love you.

1. “Origami is complete and utter BS.” 2. “Oh no! I dropped my cowboy hat!”

3. “Doorbell’s have feelings.”

4. “We need to fill our butts with things to pull out later.”

5. “You can drink lava but only once.”

6. “Indeed, I shave my arm hairs three times a week.”

7. “Super Blood Wolf Moon sounds like an anime special attack name.”

8. “What’s my fursona, I’m a fury?”

9. “Anything’s a shank if you push hard enough.”

10. “Time’s a cheating dimension.”

11. “Worship the reusable tissue.”

12. “She’s a crazy mushroom.”

13. “I can’t be a stripper anymore so what’s the point.”

14. “If someone stole my skin I’d be attached to them.”

15. “La Croix tastes like your drinking television static and the person next to you is whispering fruit names” 16. “Humans are just evolved guinea pigs.”

17. “Did you just call me a baguette, that’s a racial slur.”

18. “When I walk around all I think about is bebe girls.”

19. “You know shit’s about to get difficult when it’s color coded.”

20. “My leg hairs poke out of my socks… they poke out!”

21. “I specialize in subterranean poop clots.”

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FEATURES

Down, Delicious, down!

Everybody has that one friend with the weirdly named pet. Then they explain the clever stories that inspired them, and suddenly those mystery pet names become a whole lot cuter. And clearer. Here are some unique names from pet-owners at SDA. By Piper Ligotti.

Berkeley “[My dogs name is] Berkeley [and] we went through like five names and then we finally settled on Berkeley when we were watching a football game and it was like some [team] against Cal State Berkeley and also my mom went to Berkeley Law School so my Dad jokingly said, ‘Let’s name her Berkeley!’ Then my mom said ‘oh I actually really like that!”

Ella Hutnak, freshman.

Floure “So I’m a really competitive person and I was seven when I got my cat and I really liked the name Flower, because I was seven. I couldn’t decide if I wanted to [spell] it Flour or Flower, and I kinda liked the Flour [way], because, you know, it is different. And so [my friend] Piper comes over the next day and I told her ‘guess how to spell my cats name?’ and she guessed F-L-O-U-R, and I was not going to let her be right, so I changed it to Flower, like that second, and then she guessed that and she wasn’t gonna be right that time either so I ended up naming my cat F-L-O-U-R-E [pronounced, flower],” Claire Choisser freshman.

Delicious “I just got my dog this year and I had no idea what to name it. So, I went to websites and I kept looking for dog names, but I felt like they were all too cliche, so then my little sister was eating soup, and she screamed out, ‘Delicious!

This is delicious!’ And in my mind, I was like, I should name my dog delicious. And I did,” Jackie Perez, freshman.

Wingle Jr. “Ok so my brother had a chicken named Wingle because he is a pokemon phanatic and then it got killed by a bobcat or something and later when we got new chickens he named [one] Wingle Jr. in remembrance of Wingle I and we all judged him for it,” Matthew Colbourne, freshman.

Auggie “[My dogs name is] Auggie, because everything in our family is based off of August.Birthdays, anniversaries, everything is in August and my grandpa’s name was also August and we had a boat that was August Dream and we had another boat named August Dream II. So basically everything is August and when we bought, on my birthday, in August, we named her Auggie for all of the August,” Annabelle Breider, sophmore.

Faithful #2 and Gua Gua Pichincha “I have two cats and a Hungarian Puli. And my two cats are calicos. I have a cat named Faithful #2, because I like Austin Powers and because she was the second kitten born, and I call her #2. I have another cat named Gua Gua Pichincha because it means baby volcano in the Incan language. When she was born I was in Ecuador and she is really tiny and has this explosive personality. I have a ten-and-ahalf-year-old Hungarian Puli, and his name is Marcika, which means Little Martin in Hungarian,” Sheryl Bode, Spanish Teacher.

Pippi “I used to be terrified of dogs. I would make my friends keep their dogs outside when I was at their house. My parents wanted a dog and they took me to a Helen Woodward and I was crying so much that they didn’t let us adopt that day. Then they were having an adoption thing at a new dog-washing place so we went and I got to pet a dog named Wiggles on the back. I started to like the dog, so we raced back to the shelter to adopt her. At the time, I loved Pippi Longstocking and the dog looked like she had long white socks so when they asked me what the dog’s name was going to be, I said Pippi. Now I absolutely adore dogs and all other animals,” Daisy Soth, junior.

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MAY 2019

FEATURES

Teachers at prom Prom is coming up. What will you wear? Who will you go with? How are you getting there? Are you even going to go to prom? Guess what! Your teachers had the same problems! By Devlin Ott.

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1 4 3 1 Oly Norris

Where was your prom held? It was held in a warehouse storage facility in the SeaWorld parking lot in 1995. We were all very excited that it was going to be at SeaWorld, of course, this was before the Blackfish documentary and all that. But come to find out it was in the parking lot at SeaWorld, we didn’t even get into the park.

Who did you go with? I went with a group of friends, and we all had dates and kind of just went together. Like a double date times twelve.

What did you wear? I wore an oversized coat that was my dad’s, and one of his business ties that was way too big. And he tied it for me, which was kind of sad. I dressed up as formal as I could, I think I looked kind of ridiculous.

What was your favorite part? Probably hanging out with friends, acting like goofballs. I’m terrified of dancing. The music was kind of rough in the 90s that they were playing at dances, it wasn’t really what we were into.

What music did they play? They were still limping along the Milli Vanilli, MC Hammer, a lot of Vanilla Ice. They were really scared of students moshing for some reason. I don’t know who would mosh at prom, but they felt like if they played anything we actually listened to, students would mosh or climb the ceilings. This was pre acceptance of the Hot Topic category. It was really safe, pop, hip hop music.

Any cringe worthy moments? Other than me dancing and my outfit? Not really. My group of friends and I enjoyed being weird, and goofing around, even making others cringe by our presence. I’m sure to others we were cringe worthy by being out there and having fun and acting like goofballs.

2 Celeste Barnette

Where was your prom held? In my high school gym. Our gym is two stories tall so it was actually a fun venue. The student government decorated for weeks! Believe it or not, my high school is even older than SDA, it opened in 1929. Lots of history and some pretty formal traditions, including this dance.

Was there a theme? Any specific decorations or features? Our biggest dance of the year was our Queen of Hearts Ball and was held near Valentine’s Day. There was a huge assembly that alumni would come back to. So fun!

Did you go with a date or with a group of friends? I went with a date, Banks Edwards.

What did you wear? Do you regret your outfit? I was elected the Maid of Honor, on the Queen’s Court, and I had a red dress made for the occasion. It was very formal with a big, full skirt. The queen wore a white wedding gown. This is the South! I LOVED my dress!!

THE MUSTANG

3 Deb Abrahamson

Where was your prom held? My prom, was a senior only prom held at the Hotel Del Coronado hotel. I graduated from Mission Bay High School.

Was there a theme? I don’t remember a theme but most girls wore white long dresses and the guys wore tuxedos.

Who did you go with? I went with a junior, who got an extra ticket somehow, that was on the swim team with me and we sent with my twin cousins who were 19 years old! We ate at Benihana in Mission Valley; went to prom in my dad’s Cadillac and the home to change then a harbor cruise on the horn blower yacht, the small old one. I think I got home around 4am.

What did you wear? Do you regret this decision? Thinking back, I loved my white dress.

Any cringe worthy moments? Cringe worthy was the matching satin suits my swim team buddy and I wore (different colors of course) for the after prom on the boat!!!”

4 Yoshi LeaVesseur

Where was your prom held? It was held at the Catamaran Resort in Pacific Beach.

Do you remember the theme? No, but my date and I remember a lot of tropical flowers, and the resort is very tropical, so we both think it was like ‘Paradise’ or something like that.

Were there any other decorations or features you remember? I remember that there was a big buffet of food, and that they had a photo booth with different things you can wear.

Did you go with a date or a group of friends? I went with a date.

Describe your outfit. I was wearing an iridescent, shimmery blue short dress, and I had broken my foot earlier in the year, so I had one boot on. And then a sandal on the other foot. My corsage was a white orchid.

Do you regret your outfit? You know, it wasn’t the best prom dress I wore. I regret having to wear a boot because of my broken foot, but not anything major.

What was your favorite part of prom? My favorite part was actually before prom. So my date and I went to this restaurant that was on the second floor of this building, and we didn’t know how to use the elevator, and my foot was broken. So we accidentally took the service elevator, and got stuck in this weird back part of the restaurant. It was nice because it broke the tension.

Any cringe worthy moments? My date and I… had our first kiss. And immediately after we came apart, he made eye contact across the dance floor with Mrs. Ramos, and she just like stared at him and then had to look away.

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P

eople often spend more time debating the existence of “SDA culture” than talking about what it actually means.

It’s clear that SDA has a unique environment that fosters creativity, and even if it’s difficult to define what exactly the je ne sais quoi that makes SDA so special is, we can still celebrate it.

So we asked some of SDA’s talented students to create pieces of art expressing the phrase “keep SDA funky,” our unofficial slogan, and what it means to them. Through these pieces, they showed their love for SDA and the wonderful, unique home it has provided for them. By Simmone Stearn and Sylvia Young.

KEEP SDA FUNKY

FEATURES

LEFT: By Ria Chockalingam, sophomore “This prompt reminded me of sda’s skate culture and eccentric fashion, and that I don’t think our school is like any other. I wasn’t sure how to incorporate SDA physically into this, so instead I used Swamis lookout, the most popular place every sophomore goes once they get their permit.

I also really wanted to include as much color possible since encinitas is all about colors and murals.

“There was no real message behind this piece, I really just wanted to provoke the one of a kind and chill vibe sda has. But I do want people to realize how lucky we are to go to a school with an ocean view and the fact that we will never have to shovel snow out of our driveways.

“To me, keeping sda funky means sustaining our school’s artistic heart and uniqueness compared to other high schools. It sounds cliche but I really do hope SDA will always encourage art and individuality.”

LEFT: By Marina Alberti, junior.

“Well... I originally wasn’t sure what to draw to represent ‘keep SDA funky’— but then I drew something similar to the piece on Mr. Roberts’s whiteboard and he thought it was a good representation of SDA. “I want the piece to convey the message of what SDA’s culture is (shaka, peace, ASL love) and some of the cool things we all do.

“To me, ‘keep sda funky’ means that we all need to keep the SDA culture of being yourself, diversity, and acceptance alive.”

RIGHT: Sadie Burrows, sophomore “The prompt inspired me to delve deeply into my thoughts and come up with something odd and interesting but utterly meaningless to create.

“I wanted my piece to mean whatever the critic wants it to mean. I hope that it will resonate with different people for unique reasons—that’s the beauty of art that can be interpreted abstractly.

“In the spirit of keeping SDA funky, I encourage myself and others to be creative—without bounds—in doing whatever makes you happy. SDA is a beautifully welcoming community with lots of special people. I greatly recommend that we all take advantage of our artistic community and build off of each others’ ideas to keep the creative juices flowing at SDA!” LEFT: By Dana Journey, senior.

SDA’s culture taught me to have a sense of adventure and curiosity about the world around me. The independence and freedom provided to me through SDA has greatly shaped my view of the world. What I believe keeps this culture alive is the sense of individuality underclassmen are introduced to when they arrive at SDA right after middle school. The newly found absence of conformity at SDA influences students to establish they’re own sense of self and find they’re community.

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THE MUSTANG

11

FEATURES

D&D is on a roll Dungeons and Dragons may seem as if it’s exclusively played by a small group of geeks, but it’s more popular than you might think.

By Cade Culbertson and Shayna Glazer. Illustrations by Jenna Weinhofer.

W

hat comes to mind when you think of Dungeons and Dragons? Perhaps a group of people with no social life huddled in a dark room playing some obscure game?

Well, you may be surprised to learn that D&D is actually more mainstream than one would think and is enjoyed by many students and even a teacher or two here at SDA. Although it is not as complicated as some people make it out to be, there are a few aspects of the game that warrant an explanation.

If someone wishes to partake in a game, known as a campaign, they’ll either join an existing one, create one using a premade template, or make it entirely from scratch. The person that facilitates the campaign is called either the DM (Dungeon Master) or GM (Game Master) and is essentially in charge of guiding the players through the story.

One student, senior Benjamin Cavanagh-Thompson, was interested in sharing his experiences. To him, Dungeons and Dragons is “something that you can’t really get anywhere else.” His favorite part wasn’t combat or adventuring, but instead was “when someone just tries something that sounds stupid and it either works or goes horribly wrong.” He added, “You can just get into so many situations that you would never be able to get into in real life.”

He continued, “People think like ‘oh it’s too complicated, it’s not for me.’ It’s really not like once you kind of just dive in a little bit.

I think like after the first session, most people will have a general grasp of what goes on. I think it’s way more accessible than people think it is.”

Senior Lucas Sumabat said he started nearly five years ago, but it’s never too late to join or start a game either. Senior Eryn Bryo started playing D&D only two months ago; “It seemed fun and interesting. I was fascinated by the complexity of it and wanted to try something new,” she said.

There are countless reasons to love D&D; Cooper Waite, another senior, said his favorite part of the game is “the shared experiences. With the wild freedom of D&D, there is SO MUCH you can do and SO MUCH stuff that can go wrong! It’s all about crafting those hilarious moments or inside jokes with your friends that make it what it is.”

Sumabat said, “As cliche as it may sound, it’s a really good way to connect to a lot of people” He continued, “I’ve played more recently with some people in other countries. It’s way more diversified than you think it would be.”

Of course the Dungeon Masters have reasons to love the game as well. Sumabat added, “I really like world building.” To him it’s because “you can essentially set a D&D story anywhere. You could set it in modern times, you could set it in a fantasy or a sci-fi [world] or like the Hundred Years War and it’s just interesting to see how other people would react to a setting.”

There are also a lot of interesting and usually hilarious antics that go on during a campaign. Sumabat explained that one time his party came across a locked door and someone wanted to pick the lock.

However, he said, “I held him back and I said, ‘No, I’m going to intimidate the door’ and I rolled a crit and it opened.” To those that don’t play D&D, a “crit” is when you roll such a high number that in combat you deal a substantially larger amount of damage. Or when out of combat, it’s a significant increase to a skill, such as the intimidating a door example.

In addition to student interest in the activity, teachers too can take a liking to the fantasy game. English teacher Yoshiye LeaVesseur has been playing since mid-2018 and said her favorite part of the game is “making my friends laugh in a fantasy setting. As much fun as it is to create magical worlds, in the end, it’s all about that connection.”

She continued, “I would recommend D&D to others because it allows you to be creative and funny in a way that you don’t get to be anywhere else. It’s fun to build characters and worlds, and get to hang out with your friends while doing so.”

Aside from the actual game, it takes a considerable amount of

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time to create the players’ characters. Each character is unique and involves determining how high certain stats are such as intelligence and strength, and what their class is. This is essentially the player’s specialty. Since every class has unique strengths and weaknesses, some of them are admired more than others.

Cavanagh-Thompson explained his favorite class: “Easy dude.

Bard; best class. I mean, ya got music that makes magic. They can do like a little bit of everything. Just great stuff.”

“I’m gonna have to go with either warlock or rogue because I’m edgy,” said Sumabat. He explained, “Who doesn’t want to be like that shady guy in the corner?”

Senior Joseph Paez said that his favorite class is a “classic human wizard. Sometimes it’s just nice to pretend to be someone so smart that they’ve managed to crack the secrets of the universe, without a drop of magic in them from their ancestry. Plus, the struggle to gather enough money to further their study is pretty relatable.”

Despite all of the interesting and engaging stories these people have had from their past experiences with D&D, there are still a lot of common misconceptions about people who play. Sumabat said, “I think the biggest stereotype are the people who are really invested in the game. A lot of people when you hear them say, ‘Oh I play D&D’ you expect them to spend all of their free time in a basement playing with maps and rolling dice.”

Bryo said, “I think the majority of people assume that people who play Dungeons and Dragons are hardcore geeks which isn’t entirely true.”

LeaVesseur added, “I think one misconception is that people who play D&D are all male. My group is a mix of people, and the women are the most skilled and powerful players. The other misconception is that this is a game where people just sit around.”

“The majority that makes up the community [is] so diverse that you can’t really generalize us,” Said Paez. “Like I said, everyone can find something to enjoy about the game, which is why I want everyone to try it out. D&D is 100 percent nerdy as hell, but that shouldn’t stop anyone from playing.”

With D&D being such an extensive game containing endless possibilities, many of the students interviewed shared their advice for anyone who is interested in playing for the first time. Waite said, “If you’re gonna play, play with close friends who you can joke around with. And the rules can sometimes seem overwhelming but there is a pattern to everything, it will make sense so just stick with it and have fun.”

Sumabat’s advice for new players is to “find a group who’s not too serious and wants to have fun with the game and try to remember that you’re not the only person in the room.”

Sometimes there are also things that people can do to make the game less enjoyable for others. Paez said, “I would be selective of who you play with. Shockingly, sometimes people kinda suck, and you really don’t want to play with someone you just aren’t having fun interacting with. At its heart, D&D is a social game more than anything else, so you really have to be okay with curating your group.”

“I’d say the only thing is if one or two people aren’t as into it, that can kind of bog it down a little bit,” said Cavanaugh-Thompson.

“So I think it’s the job of everyone to get everyone [else] as engaged as possible because that’s when everyone can have the most fun.”

Bryo said, “I haven’t personally noticed anything negative about the game although depending on your group it can be difficult at times to remain organized and stay on task. Also it can be hard to plan around people’s schedules and find a time when everyone is free to meet up and play, as games can last fairly long.”

“All I want to say is that I think everyone should give D&D a shot,” Paez added. “I’m just a nerd with a voice and an opportunity, but I truly believe that you should at least try it. It might not be your thing, and that is a-okay, but I think a lot of y’all might be surprised.

Grab some friends, buy some snacks, sit down behind your DM screen, and roll some dice.”

MAY 2019

FEATURES

Ditch the boutiques & DIY Several SDA students are becoming entrepreneurs and exploring their creativity by making their own clothing. By Rayelyn Burrell.

S

ince SDA’s culture is founded member of Don’t Sweat It: Clothing on student creativity and For a Change, an SDA nonprofit diversity, it is no surprise organization that fights against the seeing unique and bold clothing injustices of sweatshops across the everywhere you look. Student-made globe. clothing allows students to venture Students put in a lot of work to away from overpriced basic tees and perfect their art projects. Some will boring jeans and instead add our spend up to three hours working own touch to otherwise sad items. on one piece. Senior Taya Dervetski The one-of-a-kind pieces showcase said “I make all of my pieces start to student art in the most simple way, finish, I use all of my own patterns, by putting them on and modeling and I work really hard on all of my them every which way you go. projects…”

Although art covers all the walls “While I do like making and windows of money I would say our school, some I definitely enjoy “I think studentstudents showcase making people happy made clothing is art pieces by more…” said senior wearing them. and producer of the just another thing “Our clothing is famous crocheted definitely our art hats, or better that makes SDA’s because they hold known as shats, culture superior,” a lot of creativity Hannah Yellen. Many and individual students said making passion.” said clothing is more for -Vianney Gonzalez, recreational purposes sophomore Olivia Wheadon. as they enjoy the senior.

SDA allows process of designing people to be and creating them, themselves, a notable difference but they also do not mind making compared to other schools in the profit off of them either. Many district. Part of this is because of students plan to sell their clothing on the diverse style and openness to Exhibition day. Some students will wear whatever you wish to. And as be selling 20-50 items each including big name brands become more and shirts, jackets, pants, swimwear, hats, more consistent with societal norms, jewelry and more. and more and more expensive with Sophomore and Threads, SDA’s the same exact white shirt, SDA fashion club, member, Lily Spence, students becomes more and more said, “It [student-made clothing] creative with their artistic abilities, helps our school culture continue to finding new ways and outlets to be thrive and express individuality.” themselves.

Student-made clothing is a “I think student-made clothing vital part of keeping SDA fashion is just another thing that makes one-of-a-kind. Many students find SDA’s culture superior,” said senior inspiration in others that ditch the Vianney Gonzalez. big name stores and end up at the Not only does student-made fabric stores. Support your SDA clothing allow students to spice up entrepreneurs and visit their booths their boring wardrobes, but “it helps at Exhibition day. the fight against big name brands “Make your own clothes and that use sweatshops and abuse basic don’t buy fast fashion!” Gonzalez fundamental human rights of their said. workers” stated sophomore and

THE MUSTANG

SOPHOMORE OLIVIA WHEADON wearing a handmade flannel shirt by freshman Priva Donner. Wheadon also makes clothing. Photo Courtesy of Olivia Wheadon.

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FEATURES

Superfans > Fans

All teenagers go through phases in high school, but being a superfan is a lifelong commitment. By Piper Nilsen and Kate Paxton

S

ure, everyone’s a fan of something. Whether it’s a musician, singer, athlete, TV show, or brand, everyone has something. But would you save up all your money to spend on Shawn Mendes tickets?

Or customize ridicously expensive sunglasses to say your favorite lyric?

Because that’s what being a super fan is all about, taking it to that next level.

Freshman Ella Miller is a super fan of the Padres. “I got into it three years ago because my brother and dad watch it,” she said.

But they have nowhere near the amount of devotion she has. “I buy all of the merch and I try to go to all the games; my room has lots of stuff, too. I have Padre bedding, signed baseballs, bobble heads, and other stuff, too,” she said.

Miller explained that even though they haven’t been their best in the last few seasons, she enjoys seeing their development and knows that they’ll make it to the top someday. She also likes to observe upcoming prospects as they improve and make their way to becoming legends.

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She hopes to one day have a bigger part in the league besides being a fan, even though she’s not exactly sure.

“Maybe [I’ll] get into the behind the scenes or some sort of desk work,” she said.

Freshman Nitin Chatlani is a super fan of pop star Ariana Grande.

He’s been into her music since he was in fourth grade. He professes he’s been all in from the get go. Even though he’s previously been unable to attend any of her concerts, he’s going to one this month.

“I don’t have any merch but I did get my Ray-Ban [sunglasses] personalized to say ‘I want it’ on one side and ‘I got it’ on the other side,” he said, referencing a popular Ariana Grande lyric. “They were $230 in case you were wondering.”

Unlike other fans of Ariana Grande, Chatlani doesn’t have a social media fan account. “I’m the biggest fan, I don’t need an account,” he said. He explained that it’s only an interest, rather than an extreme obsession.

An anonymous freshman girl, too embarrassed to be named, also

considers herself a super fan of Taylor Swift and Shawn Mendes.

She started listening to Taylor Swift about five years ago, but only became a super fan last year. She has a social media fan account which she uses to “connect with other swifties and bond with them” and she said it has a lot of followers.

She also has lots of merchandise of “everything from keychains to hoodies” and her room is decked out in Taylor merch. “I listen to her music every day for multiple hours,” she said, adding “I made a cake for her album release” and posted a photo of it on her fan account.

Her favorite album is “Speak Now’ and ‘If this was a movie” her favorite song. She still knows every single word to every song. She said, “All her songs have an important meaning behind the lyrics and it really opens my eyes when I listen to the words. She’s just different then any other artist.”

She says her family could care less, but that her friends get annoyed and make fun of her. “They yell at me whenever I play her music and

MILLER AND HER dad at a spring training in Arizona.A photo of her Padre decorations. Photos courtesy of Ella Miller. hit me sometimes,” she said.

She’s never met Swift, but says she would definitely pass out if she did. And despite what her friends may believe, she thinks it’s a good obsession. “I mean being obsessed with her has given me a role model to look up to and also a lot of friends all over the US because of people I talk to on social media,” she said.

Besides Taylor Swift, the

freshman girl is also a super fan of Shawn Mendes. “I like his personality, music, and hair… it looks really soft,” she said. “Once, I saved up to buy these $700 dollar tickets… but they sold out in my cart. I cried, a lot.”

Again, she’s never met him, but she’s planning on attending one of his concerts this summer. “July 8th, 7:30 pm, Pechanga Arena” she said with a smile.

MAY 2019

FEATURES

THE MUSTANG

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SPORTS

LEFT: Jeremy Poincenot lines up for a shot with his dad as his guide. RIGHT: Poincenot takes a swing. Photo courtesy of Jeremy Poincenot.

Taking a shot As a sophomore in college, SDA Alumni Jeremy Poincenot lost his sight without warning. However, this unexpected event led him to his biggest passion and career. By Yarisette Sequeira.

A

fter losing his sight at age 19, SDA alumni Jeremy Poincenot felt as if much in his life, including his love for golf, was over. He never thought that by age 20 he would win the World Blind Golf Championship; he never imagined that the golf he used to love would become much more than just a sport— it would teach him invaluable life lessons.

During Poincenot’s sophomore year at San Diego State, everything was on the right track. He had friends, played sports, and was in a fraternity. Then without warning, his whole world began to blur.

“I remember walking around on campus one day and noticing I had to squint to read a sign. So I thought I just needed glasses,” Poincenot said.

Shortly after noticing his symptoms, Poincenot scheduled an optometrist appointment. “That’s when the whole medical mystery tour began for me and my family and when everything kind of flipped upside down from that moment on,” he said.

Over the next few months, Poincenot lost central vision in his right and left eye. The diagnosis was Lebers Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON), a rare genetic disorder with no cure.

Such a drastic and unexpected

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event was an emotional rollercoaster for Poincenot who initially was left in disbelief. “I thought I would wake up from this nightmare and everything would go back to normal,” he said.

“I thought that if it was real, there would be something, some type of glasses, some pills, some surgery, some shot of something to fix it. But that wasn’t the case.”

For the next year and a half, Poincenot underwent the stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, and depression, until eventually reaching acceptance.

Although difficult, Poincenot was able to come to terms with his change in eyesight through the help of friends and family.

“My mom’s basically my biggest advocate,” Poincenot said. “She was helping me through the whole medical mystery tour of finding the best doctors and asking the right questions and just doing everything behind the scenes for me. She was the one who found the USBGA, United States Blind Golf Association.”

Poincenot thought his mom was joking when she first told him the USBGA hosted tournaments around the world. At first, Poincenot was resistant.He was demoralized knowing his level of play would be much worse than when he could see.

Additionally, slow speed of play was Poincenot’s least favorite thing about golf and he believed blind golf was the epitome of slow play.

After digesting the idea and giving it some thought, Poincenot eventually decided to give blind golf a shot and went to the driving range with his dad. “I had said that if I swing and I miss a shot, if I miss one, I’m done. I’m giving it up for good,” Poincenot said.

That day, Poinecnot did not miss a shot, not one. Instead, he went on to play in his first blind golf tournament in September of 2009.

A year later, Poincenot, with his dad guiding him, won their first World Blind Golf Championship in England. As of now, they have won three world championships, seven national championships, and have plans to compete in a tournament in Ireland this June.

Blind golf is a team sport, he said. Poincenot always has someone on the course with him to point him in the direction of the hole, tell him how far away it is, and strategize what club to use. In all competitive blind golf rounds, his dad is his guide.

“To not only compete in blind golf tournaments but be able to travel with it and, and win the worlds in 2010 in England, it provided me with

a lot of joy. It really pleased me. It was really exciting.”

This passion came at a time when Poincenot was questioning a lot of things in his life: How am I going to enjoy anything about life?

What’s my purpose? Blind golf was a big factor in getting him through this period of uncertainty.

“I think that in life to be happy, to have enjoyment and to feel good, I think we need the four P’s in our life: [Passion, purpose, perspective, people],” he said. “And Blind Golf is my biggest passion. Like I’m all about golf. I absolutely love it. It’s something I want to continue getting better at, so that’s, that fills one of my P’s.”

Poincenot said that by pursuing his passion and sticking with this game through the good days and bad, he learned how to keep a positive mindset, maintain patience and see obstacles as opportunities for success.

Poincenot now uses the lessons he has taken away from his past, to inspire others. He travels the world to speak to corporations, associations and other audiences. He has spoken at SDA. “I think that’s part of the purpose bucket, doing something bigger than myself,” he said. “If I can get vulnerable on the stage, share my experience and explain the tough

times I have gone through and how I’ve overcome it, if I can impact a person’s life with every audience I speak to, then I’m making a difference in the world. And I absolutely love that.”

From his own experience, Poincenot feels that high school is a time when people tend to blow things out perspective. Students often stress over the small things and believe they are the end of the world, but they’re not, he said. “Nothing in high school that I went through was anything remotely close to the gravity of going legally blind at 19. So you know, maintaining perspective and realizing that most of our problems in high school aren’t that big a problem at all [is important]. Just try to live in the moment, stay present and enjoy life,” Poincenot said.

If Poincenot was offered his sight back today, he would not take it. “It’s a part of me now and I’m cool with it. I’ve made a career through it and now I play blind golf around the world,” he said. Poincenot used to be mad at the world for doing this to him. “But now, one of my biggest mantras is to focus on the good.

Count the things your grateful for,” he said. “I think we make our situations, we determine the outcome.”

MAY 2019

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THE “MUSTANG” SDA EASTER EGGS

...looking up when your friends say ‘gullible’ is written on the ceiling, speaking in old English, laughing out loud, cravings of sardines

Basements, dungeons, secrets galore? Read this story to know about more! By Aeon Combs

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hen thinking of Easter, we tend to think about the fun decorative eggs and the ensuing sugar overdose that children are the “victims” of. But this year, Easter Eggs at SDA have a whole new meaning with the release of this issue. Not a lot of students know that SDA is a place with very secret traditions, locations and objects of interest that have confused generations of Mustang’s past.

It’s time to spill the beans, friendships will change, and the perceptions that you will have about this school will change as well. This is a final warning: to those who wish to live in blissful ignorance, cover your eyes!

Okay, are they gone yet? Good, let’s get into it…

In the boys bathroom, behind the janitor’s door there is a cellar door that leads into a small room, which is a shrine to Danny DeVito.

Wait, I know what you’re thinking!

“Aeon, there’s no way that there is a Danny DeVito shrine below the boys restroom.” I used to think like you as well, but as more evidence surfaced, the rumors became truths.

“It’s kinda weird that people don’t really know about this,” says the custodian. “Admin thought about taking it down, but there’s not really a point if we don’t use it as storage or if it’s been kept a secret for this long.”

Another unknown location on campus is a tunnel that stretches from the ASB room to social studies teacher Oly Norris’s room. The tunnel has a diameter slightly larger than the average high schooler’s width, which means that for most Mustangs it would be hard to maneuver from classroom to classroom. “Oh the tunnel?” asks the ex-ASB president, “Haha, yeah I remember that. I had ASB for homeroom and AP Gov second, so I dodged the hallway traffic by going through the tunnel. The look on Norris’s face was hysterical when I, somehow, ended up in his closet every single day.”

It is rumored that if the district authorizes more funding for our school over the course of five years, we might be able to build more tunnels like this. These tunnels wouldn’t include the new buildings, though, since there would be no place to retrofit them.

Alrighty, we’ve searched low for weird and quirky locations on campus, now it’s time to look high!

In the gym, there is a room above the basketball courts which has a long meeting table, filled with granola bars, cold waters and a big flat screen T.V. No one knows what kind of meetings take place in this room. Some have even alleged that there is a conspiracy that has to do with prominent members from ASB, administration and even district officials that gather to discuss major events that affect our school. When I tried to interview the principal about this topic, he looked around nervously after checking his wrist for the time. “Ah, it’s half past a freckle, gotta run!”

It’s my duty as a committed journalist to inform the people, especially if there is information being withheld from them. If there are any more unknown locations that you find quirky or weird, be sure to shoot us an email at sdamustang@gmail. com, and keep your eyes peeled.

Who knows, maybe there’s a small hideaway in your classroom waiting to be discovered!

Call 1-800-867-5309 to sue for the emotional damages caused by being previously unaware of the Danny Devito shrine. Photo illustration by Aeon Combs.

COLLEGE REJECTIONS AS ONE DOES Let us delve into the mind of a depressed houswife bound by the stale life of suburbia? By Simmone Stearn and Sylvia Young

C

arry shed a tear. Timmy had received a rejection letter from Harvard. It stung. What school would reject Jesus? (By Jesus she meant her son, of course.) His whole life he (read: Carry and her husband who never paid attention and just did whatever she said ) had dreamt of going there. Yet, when she told Timmy, he was indifferent. He had given a simple shrug and turned back to the work on his desk and pretended as if not to hear her.

But she was broken. She felt like a leaf. The dying kind. Curling up in on itself, crunched under the mighty foot of God. And yet, her sigh-tempest did not move God’s emotion. He took no more mercy upon Timmy than he would on a dying horse. Timmy looked as her as if to say, “why do you even care?

You’re a hypocrite! Don’t think I’m so ignorant, I know you dropped out of college.”

And at these unsaid words, Carry felt like Jesus when he was betrayed by Judas for the mere cost of thirty silver pieces ( or however many it was. She fast forwarded through most parts of the Bible ).

Like Lady Macbeth, she had spent what felt like eternity trying to scrub

THE MUSTANG

off the spot of her greatest mistake, to no avail. Her efforts, it seemed, were fruitless. Her own son scorned her. But he didn’t understand. *flashback!* Her hand was covered with urine, her face covered with tears.

She looked at the pile of used tests scattered about the bathroom floor, yelling at her “Pregnant! Pregnant! …. Pregnant.”

Though her uterus was no longer barren, she still felt empty. All the years of her life she had spent planning for her future, building up to her career, had been demolished. All for a few moments with a man she had told herself she loved. Her mind jumped to the life she had imagined.

Her name on a glass door, the youngest partner Finch & Goldfinger had ever seen. Nights in her penthouse, drinking Bordeaux with the girls (who were, of course, all inferior to her). A piping hot latte brought to her desk by her personal secretary servant assistant. A child had never entered into this dream-world of hers. So many wonderful years had been ahead of her but now, at 19, she would be a mother. Mother!

Mother… How was she going to tell her mother? How would she be

able to face the woman who wanted nothing more for her than to have an education and a career. She would be so disappointed, but then again, she liked “Gilmore Girls” and Lorelai got pregnant at sixteen. *flash forward!* The years trudged on, one after the next, after the next, after the next, much like the cars on a train that all look the same and become a whirling swish of gray meaninglessness. Like a dove with an estranged mother, she had an estranged mother. Her mother was estranged. Carry had broken her mother’s heart with her profanation of second-wave feminism. Everyone had told her mother that she didn’t need an education; all she would ever do was cook and clean her husband’s shoes.

And so, she never did have a career (unless you consider cleaning shoes a career. Which you could, except she never got paid.) She had always regretted that decision. It was a seed deep in her bosom, planted with spreading roots, like a swallowed watermelon seed, that ached every time her husband came home and talked about the pencils he had sharpened at work that day and always, always, she watched her husband as he ate

her pot roasts and wondered how he could sit idly by like a sailboat whose sails are not billowed by wind while she felt stifled and stunted as coffee supposedly stifles and stunts youth.

But perhaps he didn’t even notice.

This, more than anything, is what killed her (not literally. She lived a long, empty, sad life.) But that was women’s lot. But Carry knew. As she sat at the red-checkered-tableclothcovered table, watching her father eat, she saw the pain in her mother’s eyes. It was a certain pain, that was inexplicable.

But we will try to explic: it was dry in feeling, yet wet. It felt like the desert before a thunderstorm in that it was dry yet wet. There was a touch of umami in the flavor, but it was also harsh and bitter, like a pot roast with too much lemon juice. But her mother would never put too much lemon juice in the pot roast. And so, she could never convey her anger to her husband. And each night, Carry silently vowed that she would not feel such a lemony bitterness in her life. No, she would not even make pot roast. She would be the one to sit down at the table and speak of sharpening pencils. “As God is my witness,” she said to herself, “I will

never eat pot roast again.” But that was a lot of backstory. So let’s get back to thoroughly modern Carry. *flash forward!* As she looked back on her actions, she realized she had failed as a mother. She had forced Timmy to take every volunteer opportunity, every AP class, every SAT subject test. It was never something he wanted. It wasn’t making him stronger or happier, it was making him the perfect piece of paper for a college admissions officer to read in a matter of seconds before tossing his future into an arbitrary pile. It was a scam. It wasn’t Felicity Huffman and Aunt Becky soiling the admissions process. By design, the system itself was a sham.

She knocked on Timmy’s door.

He looked up from his work once more into the soft joy that filled his mother’s eyes. She told him that she forgave him, and that it didn’t matter, that thing called Harvard. If he wanted to be a carpenter, he could (maybe he really is Jesus!) Timmy shrugged indifferently and turned away from his mother. Carry sighed.

He just couldn’t handle all the emotions. After all, he was only one year old.

17

THE “MUSTANG”

CAF

WARNING! Side effects may include: brain death, normal death, realizing you have nothing to live for, getting divorced, inexplicable crying...

HOW TO PREPARE FOR AP EXAMS Trust me, I am a senior.

I finally know what I am doing after taking over ten AP Tests. Comic by Jenna Weinhofer

COOKING FOR ONE

This week on Blogging with Debra, a deluded 28-year-old spinster: I’m a bride, bitches. By Shayna Glazer and Taylor Rudman

A

h, springtime. The birds are singing. Flowers are blooming. It’s a time of new beginnings. Also, apparently, a time that all the decent wedding venues are booked. The charming rustic barns? Booked. Banquet halls?

Booked. Any country club within a 50-mile radius? Booked. Even the local church! B-o-o-k-e-d. Booked.

Never in my adult life have I wanted to go to church, and the one time I do? I can’t. I guess it’s true what they say-- God is cruel.

But don’t worry, ladies, I haven’t lost faith. Once those stupid birds finally stopped singing for one damn second, I could actually hear myself think. And I heard myself think of a brilliant idea. Brad and I are getting married... wait for it... on the beach!

That’s right, ladies, public property is my property. Nature can’t be booked in advance! It’ll be perfectly romantic and anyone who says otherwise can have their invite rescinded!

Though Brad and I have had some bumps in the road in choosing what food we want at the reception (I really want lobster mac and cheese, but he says it’s too “immature” of a side dish? Ugh Brad, baby, why?), we did come to the conclusion that a chocolate fountain is entirely necessarily for when we seal the deal. And though I’m not saying that arguing with your husband-to-be is a good thing, I am saying that since we have been butting heads on what to order,

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he is giving me free reign on what to dip into the fountain.

I know what you’re probably thinking: “Debbie, it’s a chocolate fountain. Chocolate. Who even cares what’s being dipped in it?” Well, ladies, you couldn’t be more wrong.

The selection process is an art form.

Every unit of food will be on display for over 200 sets of beady little judgmental eyes. It has to be perfect.

All those naysayers, everyone who thought that I’d be alone forever, all my past lovers, those who said ‘no one gets hitched to crazy,’ the therapist who called me crazy and whose license I got revoked, I will prove them all wrong. They will see how totally perfect my life is now.

Chocolate speaks volumes.

Here’s what I’ve decided to add as dipping items for our chocolate: Marshmallows because I’ll be wearing white and there’s got to be some symbolism or link between the sweet white of a sugary mallow and the sugary sweet love that runs between me and Brad.

Strawberries because they are a classic fruit for chocolate dipping and I want to have that moment of intense staring into my beloved’s eyes as he hand-feeds me a chocolatedipped treat. It’ll be a throwback to all those failed Valentine’s Day dates from the past and how this time when he places the fruit in my mouth it’ll be perfect! There will be no dropping of berries on my dress

nor laughing at the chocolate drips There are a lot of vegans at the wedpromise. that get on my chin-- our moment ding.

And, last but not least, add a will be perfect.

Also, I didn’t say this before little bit of Kahlua to that melted Pineapple because Brad told me because I was parading around in my chocolate. That’ll be for the “grownit’s HIS favorite fruit and I want him satisfaction at having been allowed up” chocolate fountain. I finally get it to see that I do think about his interthe ability to plan all of the founnow, Mom. All those years you made ests and want him to have the most tain mix-ins, but Brad wants Rice me feel inferior because I couldn’t remarkable time at our wedding so Krispies. Something silly about how play with the grown-ups? And I he doesn’t ever forget how special of he always used to get them when he never knew why? I get it, and thank a woman I am. Plus, maybe he’ll get went to Grandma’s house and I’m not you. Torch: passed. Anyways, I know the hint that I want to go Maui for sure, I wasn’t listening. Usually I just I’m gonna need some of my special our honeymoon. I don’t think he saw wait and sing a song in my head until juice on my special day, so why not the brochures I left in his underwear he’s done talking, then tell him what put it in the chocolate? It’s automatidrawer.

I want. I decided to let him have this cally classier that way.

Cream puffs because who one, though, since the one key to a doesn’t love cream puffs? My mom healthy relationship is when I was a kid would bring me comcream puffs when I was hormonmy al and needs stickier having a ky bad day. stic We would sit in bed heat. ver low utter o b lt together e m , melted. ucepan large sa and laugh mpletely 1.) In a until co ir st d n and eat allows a marshm ll. butter 2.) Add plenty, so Stir we - 3 tbs cereal.

Krispies cereal? i e ic this is a little in R e th p Rice” ps m u c s. “Cris 3.) Add ie p 4 is r K . throwback ice nd again ren’t R allows ore bra m these a st , a e it for us and h a th s W t r go 4.) ma le. Brad one of the cceptab 30 e ic R ? Unna e extra n s e v p e u t a or th th Wh only cute - 6 c I am w k in l th a t him? lly no cere memories I or th to s he rea rispies ge is w K ia 5.) Doe r r a have of me and our m ow much vanilla Is this h her. cents?

- 1 tsp Graextract nola Bars for the health nuts.

Treats e i p s i r Rice K

MAY 2019

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THE “MUSTANG” NEWS: CURSED EDITION

...looking up when your friends say ‘gullible’ is written on the ceiling, speaking in old English, laughing out loud, cravings of sardines

Clarification: News that makes you go *roblox death noise* Story and Illustrations By Jeffrey Furgerson and Victoria Lee

Danielle Cohn 15-year-old professional social media artist and entertainer, Danielle Cohn, revealed (as a prank) to her vast audience that she is supposedly pregnant with Mikey Tua’s daughter. She is getting sooo much love and support from her millions of 12–year-old fans. Many of her admirers are actually inspired by her courage to get pregnant at such a young age, and hope to follow in her footsteps! Danielle is definitely setting a fantastic example for her teenybopper following! Her mother is also extremely supportive of her choice, and says in a video, “Teen pregnancy should NOT happen. Go to college. It’s too much.” We love the support Danielle is getting from her family and friends. Danielle also staged a wedding between her and baby daddy Tua, which is another great example of how she always has genuine intentions and would never use clickbait to bolster her social media following! Obviously, Danielle did not watch Edgenuity! She should’ve used a Cohn-dom. :)

Jojo and North In an episode of Babysitting with Jojo, Ms. Siwa welcomes North and Kim Kardashian West into her rainbow-sparkle-glitter hell-hole. Jojo is known for being extremely humble and self-effacing, which is shown through the hundreds of posters, cardboard cutouts, and body pillows of herself littering her Jojo mansion. We love a low-key, reserved, and media-shy queen. Jojo leads North into her room, which is a horrible explosion of pink and bows. North leaves Jojo in the dust, yeeting glitter, dumping borax, and squirting glue all over the room. Jojo doesn’t care about the hurricane of a mess that North is making, because she knows that she can force her custodian to clean it up later.

Her mind!

Ariana and Nicki During their performance at Coachella, Onika and Ari had some technical difficulties, which caused their duet “Bang Bang” to sound a little like this: “It’s me Jessie and Ari if they test me they sorry riders like hu... pull up in huuuuhhh………. uh phone rangin and they uh karaoke but get the mic cause i’m sanging.

OooOooooooOooooeeee???” Ariana attempted to coach Nicki through the performance, but it obviously didn’t help at all, seeing as the performance was still a total disaster. Cardi B and Victoria Justice are quaking right now.

Coachella outfit fails Coachella-goers sported multiple… unique outfits at the event this year. Renowned comedians and top-notch makeup artists such as Lele Pons, Hannah Stocking, James Charles, and Nikita Dragun really popped off with their festival outfits... Their ensembles ranged from jean thongs (jongs) to My-Little-Pony Rainbow wings to bikinis leaving nothing to the imagination in the front. Butt cheeks were hanging, makeup was flaking, and the clapping of James Charles’ arse alerted the guards.

AND I OOP-

HOROSCOPES The stars will set us free. By Sylvia Young Aries You suffer eternally. Every time you turn to look at your horoscope, you are reminded of that fatal app that tells you your grades. In the old days, the pleasant rainbow provided some hope. But now, the slow progression of the green A+ to yellows and reds only reminds you that, like the leaf on a maple tree, your existence is temporary.

Taurus You don’t need to take any AP tests -- this year or ever. Because you have a better calling than college: the oft-forgotten art of sheep-shearing. You can spend most of your time in the meadows of the Alps pretending you’re Heidi, and every once in a while you can take joy in your choice to use animal products with- out causing any harm.

Gemini You’ve been called two-faced before. And you know what, they’re right. One is the face of an angel, the other the devil. You were never able to truly escape your fourth-grade Halloween costume.

THE MUSTANG

Cancer May is a difficult month for everyone, and those AP tests are really hitting you hard. You were planning on cheating by writing everything you needed to know on the label of your water bottle but unfortunately, they banned that. Luckily I have the key to everything: Crash Course World History at two times speed.

Even if you’re not taking the AP World exam. The sheer amount of information will inspire you, but it might motivate you to go back in time to destroy the civilizations that laid the groundwork for standardized testing more than it would encourage you to study.

Virgo Prom is going to be perfect. It has to be perfect. This one night is clearly the pinnacle your entire life, so you better not get to the boat late.

Leo It’s hard being you. All you need in life is everyone’s attention, all of the time, and somehow that’s often unattainable. But, they’ll never be able to understand you anyway.

You crave validation, and no other person shares that feeling, so you are alone in this world.

Scorpio People often get you confused with a scorpion. And yes, there are some similarities. For example, you can only consume food in a liquid form.

Of course, scorpions use their digestive juices, while you just live off of Jamba Juice smoothies. But you’re not the same.

Only a few species of scorpions are venomous, while every single Scorpio is a dangerous, toxic person.

Libra The key to life is balance, which you know well.

Your form of balance is chugging red bull and iced coffee, then wrapping yourself in a blanket and drinking sleepytime tea.

Sagittarius You have only one dream that matters: becoming a Property Brother. Of course, you don’t have a property brother, and don’t have the funds to clone yourself like Jonathan did. But you’ve got one heck of a sledgehammer, and you’re a force of nature. You’re gonna go far, kid.

Capricorn God, corn is great!

I mean, there’s cooked corn, frozen corn, corn tortillas, tortilla chips, and so much more. But above all, there is popcorn, preferably in a large, butter-soaked vat from Regal Cinemas. This month, treat yourself -- consume only movie popcorn for the next 30 days.

Aquarius You’ve started a new social movement: pescetarian protection. All these vegetarians seem to care a lot more about “cows” and “pigs” and “chickens” than they do about the wonderful creatures of the sea (ever heard of a pescetarian diet?). So, to retaliate against the land animal lobby, you must begin a diet that consists solely of the products and preferably meats of the disgusting animals that walk the earth.

Pisces No one likes baseball, but someone asked you to go to a game once, and now you feel guilty so you attend every practice and game (both home and away).

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Honey Honey Mamma Mia, because where else can you wear that sparkly jumpsuit. Story by Linnaea Erisman.

Photos by Jaden Hauptman, Joelle Mojonnier, and Linnaea Erisman

E

veryone knows “Mamma Mia” for the movies, original and sequel, but this year SDA theater is bringing it back to its musical roots. With the show comes amazing sets, costumes, actors, and faster selling tickets than ever before.

Set in Greece and reminiscent of the ‘70s, the stage is filled with bright and sequined jumpsuits, pink and teal buildings, and glows with multi-colored lights. This show certainly embraces the Mamma Mia spirit.

Some of the cast members think the best part of the show is the unique set design. Senior Colin Gasperoni, playing Harry Bright (aka Colin Firth), said, “One thing I really like about this show that’s kind of new is the set and how we took out the curtains. So it’s really just like you’re in Greece during it. It’s just really cool and really adds to the entire aesthetic of the show and makes it a lot of fun.”

“The set is like huge, it’s super cool,” senior Rachel Kanevsky, a part of ensemble, said. “It goes all the way to the edge without curtains. There are no wings, the set basically is the wings so we hide behind it. We get to go all over it: on top of it, under it, on the side of it, in the windows. It’s a whole bunch of fun.”

Also drawing students to the show is the classic movie version of “Mamma Mia” and the recent release of its sequel “Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again.” “It’s ‘Mamma Mia.’ It’s such an iconic show,” Kanevsky said.

Gasperoni thinks that the second movie coming out has put everyone into a “‘Mamma Mia’ craze and so they’re buying up tickets.” SDA theater sold out of tickets faster than almost any other show.

Many members of the cast are hoping that “Mamma Mia” will draw in a crowd who don’t usually come to see musicals. Senior Jillian Strattman, playing Donna Sheridan (Meryl Streep) thinks “a lot of people who don’t normally come see shows, or musicals, or anything at all are gonna come because it’s ‘Mamma Mia.’ If at least one person is inspired and comes to see another show, then we’ve done our job.”

SENIORS Sophia

Papalia, Jillian Strattman, and Maya Hamson sing in their blue, sparkly jumpsuits.

THE MAMMA MIA CREW takes

roll call before begining one of many dress rehersals.

THE GREECE ARCHITECTURE stands

out for its color and size

SOPHOMORE RACHAEL BAUM takes

out her stage costume

on the Mamma Mia set.

during the start of rehersal.