The Pony May 2017

05.25.17

Volume 21 Issue 1

T H E

P O N Y

NEWS

Talk-o with Camacho In a recent interview, Adam Camacho talked about his other interests outside of the work place with Bjorn Paige present, who added his own funny remarks. Camacho has worked at Earl Warren and other schools. However, aside from having to deal with students all day, Camacho is a talented guy. He plays the drums in the band Ponchorello which includes staff members from other schools in the district. He is also a fan of baseball, especially his home team, the LA Dodgers.

By Alexis Price Do you have any special talents?

I’m a drummer. Other than that I like to tinker around in the garage. Kind of woodworking and some machinework.

What is your favorite food?

Haha. Mexican! Look at me! I eat!

(Chuckles) What is your favorite movie?

Oh my gosh. Favorite movie. Of all time? “Wizard of Oz.” What was the last movie that made you cry?

“I am Sam.” I just watched it again with my kids recently.

What is your favorite TV show?

My son and I, we watch a couple different things, we are ... “Hawaii 5-0!” (laughs) I knew it would come to mind. But I watch that with my son.

New principal Adam Camacho discusses his feelings and plans for SDA for the 2017-2018 academic year. Photo by Alexis Price

Turning the Paige

Adam Camacho assumes the role of SDA’s new principal for the 2017-2018 school year. By Simmone Stearn

“I

feel like this is the perfect fit for me and I just hope to show up immediately and hit the ground running next year,” said Adam Camacho, SDA’s new principal, with a smile spreading from cheek to cheek. Everything about him radiates happiness. Everything about him says he is excited.

Before coming to SDA, Camacho spent six years as a counselor at LCC, four years as an assistant principal at Carmel Valley Middle School, and has worked at Earl Warren both as a counselor and as a principal.

Now Camacho is turning the page again as he assumes the role of SDA’s principal for the 2017-2018 school year. With him, he hopes to bring “enthusiasm, guidance, and an eye on the future.”

SDA’s current principal, Bjorn Paige, thinks all of the above qualities are important, but on top of that a principal should be someone with a little more: “A principal should be someone who has creativity and I don’t like to sing, but in the past month alone, I’ve sung with students twice because a principal should be someone who has the ability to be a little crazy sometimes.” Camacho meets all the requirements.

Creativity?

Camacho has been playing the drums for almost his entire life, beginning his love for drumming at age three.

“I started playing on pots and pans,” he said with a laugh. Many years later, he still expresses extreme love for music and drumming and even has his own band, Poncherello, named after

“SDA has a vision that really reflects its culture.

I think that’s what makes this place so great.”

-Principal Adam

Camacho

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the ‘70s television show “CHiPs.” Crazy? Camacho and his band have raised almost $100,000 for music and art programs, money which was raised by Poncherello’s performances through the years. “We started raising money for the Canyon Arts at LCC,” Camacho said.

Coming to SDA, he looks forward to making an impact as well.

Camacho plans to handle the construction of new buildings and plans to focus on the building new trust with students, teachers, and staff: “I want to land and really build solid relationships and that’s probably my biggest strength.”

Along with this, Camacho said, “I want to get a deep understanding of SDA and what it means to our students and to our staff.” But Camacho already has an idea of what makes SDA special: “The biggest thing about SDA is its culture and its identity and what the school is all about.”

“SDA has a vision that really reflects its culture,” Camacho said. “I think that’s what makes this place so great.”

What is your favorite sports team?

Okay, so this is where you can’t hate me. I am an LA Dodgers, grew up.

[Mr. Paige mouths behind him “me too!”] And I am also a San Francisco 49ers fan. But I did use to have a San Diego Chargers jersey because I would take my kids, and to support the home team. When you live in San Diego, and you are an out of city fan, that is always interesting.

Do you believe extraterrestrials or life on other planets?

(Laughs) I don’t.

What would you say to your 16-year-old self?

Oh my gosh. Um. Keep dreamin’, things are going to be fine. That’s exactly it.

What was the kind of music you listened to as a teenager?

Oh my gosh, I listened to everything.

I was in the high school band my freshman year. I grew up listening to everything. There were musicians in our house, actually filled our house.

We listened to Spanish music, Mexican music, in particular mariachi, and then we listened to all the pop stuff like Michael Jackson. (laughs) Back in the day we would go to school with our linoleum and break dance and all that stuff.

What kind of music do you listen to now?

Again I am in the same. What’s cool about having my kids ages are 11, 8, and 5 is that I am trying to expose them to everything! Not just what is on the radio today. So we listen to anything from all the decades, but also different genres of music. In

fact, when I walked in [to Mr. Paige’s office] I heard some of the jazz and some of the old 40s and 50s music.

Actually some of the 20s, 30s, and 40s music, that is very pleasant to me.

What do you do in your free time?

Oh my gosh. Parent. And a lot of reflection and I play my drums. That’s how I get grounded, to be creative.

While I am creative in a lot of different areas, it is playing music that satisfies me the most.

How long have you been playing the drums?

I started playing pots and pans (chuckling) when I was, oh I don’t know, three years old. My dad was in a band and I used to sneak in through the garage. You know through a window and I always used to get in trouble. Then they changed the lock, but I always found a way into the garage where their practice rehearsal studio was.

So formally, in fourth grade when I started playing brass instruments.

Actually my parents wouldn’t let me play the drums because I was already starting to play that. So they wanted me to learn a different instrument, so I decided to play the trumpet. I played fourth grade to ninth grade and I always had my hands on some sort of drum. A drum kit, you know congas, jamai, cajon.

I hear you have a band. How long has that been going on?

Yeah! So we have been together in various forms, gosh for 16 years now.

And we started originally at LCC and it has always been educators from around the district. We started raising money for the La Costa Canyon arts and we would do a yearly performance. We would sell out the theater and over the years we have raised close to about $100,000 for music, and art programs actually.

The name of the band now is called Poncherello… from “Chips”! Have you guys seen that new movie “CHiPs”? [Mr Paige adds, “I think we are a little old”] So Ponch and John were … it is this show from the 70s. I will leave it at that. We couldn’t come up with a name and we struggled for so long. Then someone said when we were sitting around Poncherello and that was it. It was a drop that mic kind of situation. It was like “-that’s it.” So look up Poncherello! Google it.

See page 4 for survey results on what SDA students, teachers, and parents wanted to see in a new principal.

NEWS

More A’s with more Z’s

A new bill may mean that school will start later for middle and high school students. Legislators hope this change will positively affect students’ sleep habits. By Taylor Rudman and Ryan Cohen

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ake up at 6:30 a.m. Breakfast. School. More school.

Lunch. Some more school.

Even more school. Lacrosse practice. Finally home at 8 p.m. Dinner. Homework. Off to bed at 11:30.

And it starts again the next day.

“Sleep on the weekends,” they say. But it’s up at 7 a.m. for a lacrosse game Saturday morning. Go to work at 2 p.m. Then sleep. Get up at 7:30 on Sunday. Homework. Then work again at 2. Sleep. Start the school week once again.

It’s a cycle that never ends for Justin Krute, a junior who would be heavily in favor of a later start time for school. “I’m just sick of being exhausted every morning when I wake up. Even the nights where I am done with my homework at 10, I can’t fall asleep until at least 11. It is a struggle not to fall asleep in my classes,” Krute said.

Democrat state Senator Anthony Portantino sympathized with this pain. As a representative of the 25th Senate District, which encompasses portions of the San Fernando and San Gabriel Valley, Portantino introduced a bill which would require all California school districts to start their classes in middle and high school no earlier than 8:30 a.m. “Starting the school day later improves the quality of education, health and welfare of our children. So let’s do it,” Senator Portantino said.

The San Dieguito Union High School Board of Trustees discussed the bill and its progress in legislature during a meeting on May 11. As of now, they do not hold a position on the issue.

Many SDA students are in favor of this bill, but some have their reservations. Although administrators, teachers, and coaches see value in the possibility of more sleep for students, they believe the feasibility is questionable.

The science behind it When Portantino introduced the bill, he said, “If we care about science-based indications as to what is in our children’s best interest, we have information available to us. It’s now up to us to use it.”

The bill was introduced with the intention of improving middle and high school students’ sleep habits.

According to the Stanford Medicine News Center, “More than 87 percent of high school students in the United States get far less than the recommended eight to 10 hours, and the amount of time they sleep is decreasing — a serious threat to their health, safety and academic success.”

Most students at SDA can attest to this fact, but may not fully understand the repercussions of what only seems natural for teens. “Insuf-

Falling asleep in class is far from an unknown occurence at SDA. Studies suggest that lack of sleep is associated with health risks and poor academic performance, and later start times could aid the problem. Photo illustration by Simmone Stearn ficient sleep is common among high school students and is associated with several health risks including being overweight, drinking alcohol, smoking tobacco, and using drugs, as well as poor academic performance,” the Center for Disease Control and Prevention said.

Student opinion Although student opinion varies, most would prefer this bill to pass.

Sophomore Kristin Komar said, “If school started at 8:30 I would be able to actually eat a full breakfast and feel functioning for the day, rather than feeling the need to sleep through every class.”

Many students had similar plights, and were optimistic about the prospect of additional time to sleep.

Senior Veronica Ness said, “That would be really awesome because then I could actually get sleep and get through rem cycles...to clear my mind and body.”

For sophomore Lauren McCormick, a later start time seemed like a no brainer: “I believe school should start later. There are dozens of scientific studies on the benefits of more sleep for students and later start times. It would likely increase attendance, increase test scores, and increase the average GPA of an SDA student.”

Later start times mean later release times, but some students felt they would remain unaffected by that.

Sophomore Sam Hoopes said, “I don’t have any problem getting out later. I’d be A-OK with that.”

Others believed that starting school later would simply push their schedules later into the day. “If we start later, that means that we have to get out later, and we already have a lot of extracurricular activities,” junior Sofia McAndrews said. “It just goes later in the day which pushes back homework.”

There are some that believe that this change simply is not worth it.

“I’m fine with the system now,” sophomore Evan Davies said. “It works for me and I know it works for a lot of other people.”

Teacher and admin opinion Teachers also see the possibility for positive change, but hesitate to fully endorse the bill. English teacher Lily Bolig said, “It would make more sense to push back school start times, like they do in elementary school.”

Others wondered whether the later start time would make any difference in students’ sleep schedules.

History teacher Kelly Hawkins said, “Part of me is like, ‘how much are students not sleeping because they are up watching Netflix all night?’ So, it’s tough. I’m kind of undecided on it, to be completely honest.”

With students’ extracurriculars, sports, and jobs, the feasibility of this bill was questioned. It seemed like an unnecessary struggle for only a 40

minute shift. Counselor Carolyn Lee said, “Starting later will mean ending later, and I don’t think kids will want that. It’s never going to be a reality for San Dieguito.”

When SDA was first opened, administration toyed with the idea of starting school later, but was never implemented because of student concern with sports and jobs. Assistant Principal Dr. Jeanne Jones said, “It just became too difficult and it never worked.”

Principal Bjorn Paige was also doubtful of how much positive change this bill would make. “Our school days are a little bit longer than some of the other schools in our district, because we have homeroom, which gives us that extra half hour which I think is super valuable.” Paige said. “There’s only so many hours in a day, and to keep the school day the same length, it puts a challenge and effort on the after-school activities.”

Impact on athletics Athletic Director Scott Jordon believed that his department would be able to make the change, even if it did not add much value to student life. “School gets out later, you’ll be playing later, you’ll be doing your homework later.” Jordon said. “It’s just an adjustment to get the same amount of sleep, in my mind.”

Coaches seemed relatively displeased with the possibility of having to change their schedule. Girls bas-

ketball coach Aubree Smithey said, “Since we are on a quarter system we already start practice later than other schools...The latest practice currently ends at 9:30 so backing up time is hard.”

Gordy Haskett, distance track coach, would be willing to move practices back, but did not believe that weekend or early morning practices were an option. Haskett said, “I have a life, but I do what I have to do to coach.”

To pass, or not to pass?

The time has not yet come for senators to mull this bill over. Ronald Ongtoaboc, Communications Director for state Senator Patricia Bates, who represents Encinitas, said, “she looks forward to reviewing the bill should it make it to the full Senate for a vote.”

The bill has been through two hearings in legislature in May, and passed through the Senate Education Committee in late April.

As of now, the potential impact of this bill is unknown. Whether for or against this bill, it may be inconsequential. Jordon said, “If we move back to 8:30, it’s not the end of the world for us. It’s just 40 minutes.”

Ryan Cohen, Shayna Glazer, Ally Joelson, Makenzie Moe, Tate Oien, Alexis Price, Sienna Riley, Nohemia Rosales, Lila Schief, Wyley Sharp and Simmone Stearn and contributed to this story.

may 2017

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NEWS

Survey says...

A survey shows what students, parents, and staff wanted to see in SDA’s new principal. By Simmone Stearn

W Freshmen Mikayla Navatta and Asher Goldstein hanging out infront of the mural on the 20’s.

Photo by Skylar Masterson

Murals, mosaics & more The students and staff at San Dieguito Academy weigh in on the art around campus and what they would like to see on the new buildings. By Skylar Masterson

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ith San Dieguito Academy’s constant construction comes wooden planks perfect for artwork. From the Introto-Tech mural from last year, and the SDA through the ages, students have had place to leave their art without the promise of it staying up. But once construction ends, where will new artwork be put up? Will students be allowed to put up art on the new buildings? All of these questions are concerns for the staff and students at SDA. Current principal, Bjorn Paige, who will not be principal when the new building is finished, would love to see art on the new science and math buildings: “What I would love to see, and what I think would be really neat, is on the eastern side of it [new buildings] before we took those buildings

down there was a giant dinosaur skeleton made out of ceramic, and it was really really neat. There’s room for another dinosaur, so I would love to see that.” said Paige.

Art is a large part of San Dieguito Academy, and without it, students feel as though SDA may lose its culture. Freshman Mary Loedel said San Dieguito Academy could turn into a prison: “I really like the art on campus, it makes school feel more creative and accepting, without it school would remind me of a prison. I think that they should add lots of art to the new buildings, or else it will look out of place and won’t fit into our school.”

Kalo Grimsby, junior, said, “I really enjoy seeing people express themselves in different ways, and having art around campus really integrates the SDA spirit and connect

students together and to the school.”

“It [art] reflects the students voices… we’re letting students put their fingerprint on the school. And I think it affects the culture because when kids see other kids painting their school, there’s a sense of ownership. ‘Hey this is our school,” said art teacher Jeremy Wright.

Wright, along with the other art teachers, do not yet have a plan for putting up art. They hope it will be student run projects. The only project that is planned for the new building, is senior Kelly Luong’s project of having past alumni recreate their senior tiles.

Kalvin Grensted, freshman said, “I’d like to see abstract art that makes you think of SDA’s vibe and culture.”

hen asked what characteristics they would like to see in SDA’s new principal, most students, teachers, and faculty members said they would prefer someone who is friendly, funny, passionate, and spirited. “The principal should be someone who is fun and enthusiastic, and who isn’t afraid to dress up,” said a student. SDA’s current principal, Bjorn Paige, is known for dressing up in a Pikachu onesie.

A survey was offered March through April asking students, parents, and teachers what qualities they would like to see in SDA’s new principal. Over 300 individuals completed the survey to help those involved in the selection of Paige’s replacement obtain a better understanding of what those in SDA’s community wanted to see in their future principal.

While friendliness and spirit were deemed important by parents, they also emphasized the need of SDA’s leader to be an advocate for the school, a great communicator and collaborator, and “someone who sticks around for Pete’s sake.”

“How many different principals, vice principals, and superintendents,” one parent asked, “have we had in just the past seven years?”

Though job positions may change with time, the one thing that survey takers agreed should not change is SDA’s culture. Almost every entry in the survey expressed love for culture at SDA and the necessity of preserving it. A student said, “It is important that SDA stays a safe place that can breed creativity because its culture is really like no other.”

Many fear that a change in

SDA’s principal will hinder the acceptance, uniqueness, and funkiness seen on campus. As a result of this fear, the most significant quality to survey takers in SDA’s new principal is his ability to maintain SDA’s culture.

“SDA continues to nurture and applaud the individual student while strengthening the community by allowing all students to participate using their wonderful talents,” said a parent. “We need to keep it that way.”

Another parent said, “Furthering the ambiance that exists at SDA is a great focus. Lead the kids into a future that keeps them feeling safe.

The principal should dedicate themselves to preserving that freedom of thought and action that is the hallmark of this school.”

Also, many parents and faculty members wanted to see SDA’s new principal focus on development in college preparatory classes, personalized and individual learning, and sports and clubs.

Some people also proposed solutions to these issues. Some examples included putting more emphasis on preparing students for college and life through career counseling, smaller class sizes, and more funding for sports teams and other extracurricular teams such as robotics.

From the survey, many were given the opportunity to express what they want to see in SDA’s new principal. Many hope that he is able to preserve the school’s culture and care for its students “SDA is a great school with kind people,” a student said. “It should stay that way.”

For the latest articles from The Mustang, visit sdamustang.com

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May 2017

OPINION

The question: plastic or reusable?

Two San Dieguito students drink water from their own water bottles; however, the left method is preferred. Photo by Alexis Price

It is time to end the disaster of the usage of plastic water bottles. Here are the reasons why.

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id I get your attention? Good.

Plastic. Water. Bottles. For a just a little more than a dollar, one can buy a plastic water bottle at a convenience store, at school, or in a vending machine. Sure, they are quick and easy to buy and drink from.

Of course, in times of thirst, consumption of these possible BPA filled bottles may also be your solution for water. However, it is time for all people to stop buying and consuming water from these plastic bottles.

It is extremely wasteful and if we continue to make them, we will decrease the lifespan of our planet, faster and faster.

If saving the planet, the one you currently live on, is not of your con-

cern, please continue reading. I may just change your mind.

Some water bottles contain a chemical called BPA, or bisphenol A, that is a concern for the health of the brain, behavior, and prostate gland of newborns and children. It may correspond to increased blood pressure, cancer cell growth, and development of neurological issues. The male species is not forgotten as BPA may also result in descreased sperm count.

After learning about these health concerns, I now avoid plastic bottles every moment I can. However, if you don’t mind having health issues, go right ahead and drink chemical-filled bottles of H20.

Although, most of us will be gone before 2100, those plastic bottles will still be biodegrading in landfills across the globe. Yep, that water bottle you threw in the trash that hot Friday afternoon will still be breaking down. It can take 450-1000 years for a single bottle. Let’s think about that.

The United States is 241 years old. If a plastic bottle was found from the day the Declaration of Independence was signed, it would still, be biodegrading. A little less than a thousand years ago, Duke William II of Normandy invaded England for conquest and would be given the title William the Conqueror. If a plastic bottle was left during that era, it may have just finished biodegrading.

If one of your many plastic water bottles is sitting in a landfill, it may still be around when we invent flying cars. Or the Earth may just become a sea of plastic that encompasses all of the earth.

The downfall of social media

Biodegrading does not mean that water bottles will just disappear after a set amount of time, but will break down into tinier pieces, or micro plastics. There are thousands of pounds of micro plastics floating in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch right now in the Pacific Ocean. You know, “Trash Island”. It’s twice the size of Texas.

If we continue to use plastic water bottles, trash will most likely be floating around our beaches very soon. An easy way you can do your part is by buying a reusable water bottle that is made out of stainless steel or glass. They come in a variety of colors, sizes, and shapes (yes, shapes too). Why not set a new trend with a cool hydroflask bottle? You can look and feel awesome saving the planet!

So I ask of you now: stop drinking from those wasteful bottles of plastic. They are not doing you, or the planet, any favors.

Although this may not concern you, these facts about plastic in general should.

•

100,000 marine animals die each year due to plastic bags • It requires 3 times the amount of water to produce a plastic bottle than it does to fill it • Only 1 in 5 plastic bottles are recycled • Bottled water costs over 1,000+ times more than tap water • It takes 17 million barrels of oil to produce plastic bottles yearly. This could fuel 1 million cars for a year • 1500 is the number of plastic water bottles consumed in 1 second in the US Facts provided by Ban The Bottle, Animals Australia, Tree Hugger, and National Geographic.

Today’s youth is constantly exposed to the perfect world of social media. How is this affecting our social and mental health?

I

don’t know anybody my age who doesn’t have social media. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing; however, social media definitely has its drawbacks.

While it’s a good platform to communicate with friends and meet new people,

it can also be misleading.

What you see on social media is curated. Every photo posted is selected and adjusted to be perfect. Social media is used to glamorize peoples’ lives.

Every pose,

every picture, and every caption doesn’t show the whole truth.

Apps allow us to put a filter on our life, making mediocre and boring seem fun and exciting. We create new images of ourselves online, an image too perfect to be real.

But what’s bad about that?

Being whoever you want may make you happy; however, it starts to influence others too. These picture perfect profiles raise expectations

impossibly high for teens (and adults) everywhere.

For example, a girl only posts pictures of her friends and the beach.

My thought process while looking at her profile usually goes like this: “Wow, her life looks so perfect. She has so many friends. Why don’t I have that many friends?” And the spiral begins. As I start to compare myself to someone’s fake life, I start to feel worse and worse about my

own.

I’m sure I’m not the only one experiencing this. Everyone compares themselves to others, everyone doesn’t think they’re good enough from time to time.

And with this there’s a domino effect. We try to make ourselves feel better by glamorizing our own lives, convincing others that we are just as good (or even better) as they are.

And it happens again and again.

may 2017

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OPINION

Bathroom murder scene

Seriously guys... come on. All I want to do is go pee and stare at myself in the mirror (not at the same time).

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rowing up, I wanted to be a detective. I wanted to fight the big fights, be the good guy, I wanted to save the day. That’s why I love the bathroom so much, because when I walk in, it looks like a murder scene. There are mysterious liquids (is it pee? is it just water? who knows) on the floor along with weird splotches of blood, and a new surprise every time you visit.

We, as students, spend a good chunk of time at school every week.

Pretty much seven hours a day (minus two days and holidays, but, whatever, we still spend a lot of time at school).

Because of the absurd hours we spend here, you think people would treat the facilities with respect, right? Wrong.

No, actually I don’t even know what people do when they go in there.

Sure, there are the kids that rip their Juuls, or OPens in the middle of the day, and then there are the kids who ball up wet toilet paper and throw it at the ceiling and then there are the people, like yours truly, who just want to use the bathroom.

None of the things those people do actually sounds that bad though.

Well, shit happens. Literally. Last month, I walked into the bathroom and someone seemed to have explo-

F

‘buy your own damn toilet’ stitched by Sarah Willes, junior. sive diarrhea all over the toilet.

There are never paper towels, the new hand dryer is broken and only one soap dispenser works at a time.

Also the water pressure, at times, is just aggressive. It’s not only the way we treat it, but the way it’s been presented to us. Also, ladies, which one

of you broke the faucet? One of the buttons actually fell off. And who is writing on the tampon boxes? It’s not a discussion board. No one is going to post it on tumblr and think you’re cute funny or relatable. Put your sharpies away and go back to class.

As much as I like potential mur-

ders, I don’t want to see… substances everywhere whenever I need to pee.

How about we refer to that old campsite rule and maybe leave things just as clean – or cleaner – than we found them. Also raise the pay for our janitors because let’s face it: they’ve seen some things.

Try your best and don’t stress about getting a bad grade in your class.

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From bathroom to bathroom, we take a peak into Ruth Chris Steakhouse and Denny’s. or the past few years my dad has always joked about getting the whole bathroom experience (not kidding). He would always tell me, “Harley, you need to take pictures.” It was an inside joke because I’d consistently use the re-

Grades aren’t everything he teacher starts handing out the students’ graded math tests, and everyone looks at their scores to share what they got.

Most students are getting 96s, 93s, 98s, and you are anticipating what your score could be. Your test gets passed back, your heart starts racing, and you instantly frown when you see you got a 54 percent on the test.

In a time like today’s society, students are stressed out about trying to get their GPA to a 4.0 or above and getting A’s in all their classes. Students believe that if they don’t have high enough grades, they won’t get anywhere in

Where do you go when you gotta go?

life.

During my middle school years, I have always felt under pressure to try to get the highest grades possible and get a 4.0 GPA. There are many people that could relate to this, knowing through my experience. A lot of students in my classes always stress over getting a 99 percent on a test instead of 100 percent, or not being able to finish their homework in 30 minutes and having to stay up ‘till midnight because they have extracurricular activities like sports, music, robotics, etc.

If you asked your parents what their GPA score was in high school, college, or middle school, most of them would not remember because

it was just a number that becomes irrelevant and forgotten after you finish your school years.

Grades show us our reflection of our work of what we have done, but it should never define a student’s personality, intelligence, or their actions.

Everyone is different and we all have our strengths and weaknesses, but this does not mean you should stop working hard in school. It means you should not feel stressed out or disappointed when you don’t earn a good grade or score because the point of education is to learn new things, improve your social skills, and apply everything to the real world.

Grades are just numbers that show how a student did in a certain class. Instead of focusing on what your grades or GPA scores are, focus more on what you are capable of, the learning part in education, and

Grades are just numbers. Photo by Leko Ritchie most importantly, your happiness.

You should always try your best and work hard in school, but if you fail a test or assignment, don’t get upset or stressed about it because there are so many things that are more important than a bad grade, or grades in general.

stroom when we’d go out to eat. But each time, I laughed it off as a joke till I started to think, ‘Ehh, what’s so bad about comparing and contrasting bathrooms? I mean restaurants make them nice for their customers so why can’t I critique them.’

First off let’s begin with Denny’s, which serves breakfast 24 hours of the day. Overall, Denny’s is a decent restaurant; food has good flavor with an occasional upset stomach. One thing that lowered Denny’s value is their bathroom. Loud, leg splashing toilets between brown stalls. It’s definitely not the worst, but it’s not over the average standards of a family-orientated restaurant. In general, Denny’s isn’t the best place to go for a quick stop.

On another note, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse is over the top in contrast to Denny’s.

My experience with bathrooms were always okay but that was until I went to Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse for the first time. Man, was I happy I decided to go. Overall the food was amazing, very rich in taste and such (blah, blah, blah) but it was not the food that stood out to me. Rather, the bathroom did more.

Everything about it called out to me, probably because I liked the design; a very modern, elegant look.

Even the appliances were very silent; the toilets aren’t loud and annoying, neither does it splash and spray onto your leg as you flush. They even have mouthwash. I mean, a little much but who cares. It’s for the customers’ experience; if anything they thought outside of the box and just went with something that adds to the classy atmosphere. If you ever have to go, I’d say Ruth Chris Steakhouse is the place to go because trust me when I say this, you will enjoy your time.

OPINION

Not even a thank you

Parents are unappreciated and we often fail to recognize all they do for us.

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remember I bought my mom a pair of jade earrings for her birthday when I was nine. I took delight in seeing my family open up presents I had bought for them.

Something seemed so grownup about buying people things with money I had earned.

I haven’t bought my mom a present since. In fact, I haven’t really done anything for either of my parents since.

The Pony Staff News Editors Joice He Simmone Stearn Alexis Price Opinion Editors Shayna Glazer Alexandra Joelson Feature Editors Sienna Riley Nohemia Rosales Taylor Rudman Arts Editor Daniela Burrows Taylor Gates

Parents are the most unappreciated beings on this planet and teenagers are insects of matriphagy* who feed off of them. Everything they do for us, we disregard. We almost forget that we’d be nowhere without them.

Lately I have become somewhat of a Mr. Krabs who cries at every dollar that is snatched from him and who sniffs the floors for pennies. Almost all the money in my wallet, however, comes from my parents’ pocket. I tell myself it is the obligation of parents to give allowance to their child.

“You don’t need to buy your dad anything for Father’s Day, just make him something,” my mom tells me.

Even so, the most I usually squeeze out is a card with “Happy Father’s Day” written on the front, nothing extremely heartfelt.

Even when my parents ask me

Humor Editors Lena Mau Tristan Price Kamryn Romley Sports Editors Ryan Cohen Wyley Sharp Photo Editor Kyle Bone I bought my mom a pair of jade earrings for her birthday. Photo by Simmone Stearn about my day, I respond with no more than “fine.” I’ve never once asked them how they were doing. I never once let them know how much I appreciate everything they do for me.

Why are most kids like this? Has this always been the way of life? Who knows, but almost no one who gets

a new phone or laptop thinks about how much their parents spent on it.

Almost no one thinks about all the places their parents have taken them.

I know I don’t.

We should just let them know that we are grateful. We should just say “thank you” and “I love you” and

that’s all they need to hear to feel appreciated. So next birthday or holiday, maybe consider pulling out your wallet and actually think about your parents. Or don’t. Either way, it’ll be at your expense. *the condition where organisms feed on their own mother

Is it that hard to be nice?

It is honestly not that hard to be nice. Why do people see it as such a challenge?

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our grandparents are more than likely some of the most positive and encouraging people you know. They are the people to comment “very well written. Another talented grandchild.

Good going Skylar,” on your first online published newspaper article. Grandparents are there to make you smile.

Their lesser known definition in the dictionary is simply “the most kind people on earth.”

So, why can’t everyone have the same positive effect on people’s lives?

Does it really take 70 years of life experiences to realize that being nice to people should be common practice?

It’s not hard!

I think if people stopped at least twice a day to compliment a friend or a stranger on their smile, outfit or something not external - say their contagious laugh - it would make a world of a difference to that individual.

H i g h schoolers especially could use the extra smile.

In the news almost every week, there’s a new study about the stress levels and depression rates of teenagers in their high school years. A little compliment or smile to a stranger in the halls could change someone’s whole

day, maybe even their week.

One school in Agoura has made an attempt at adding a little more happiness into their school atmosphere by starting a campaign called, ‘Dude.

Be Nice’. The campaign has positively impacted the students and the teachers at the school; when one teacher’s spouse passed away, the group covered her classroom in hearts for when she returned. ‘Dude. Be Nice’ is a simple phrase and it’s changing people for the better.

But honestly, it shouldn’t take a campaign to cause people to be kind.

Simply put, why can’t the vast majority of individuals just go about their day with a smile or sharing a kind word with someone that looks upset?

If your grandparents can do it, so can you.

Just some smiley faces to make you a little happier. Art Illustration by Shayna Glazer

Staff Writers Robert Atkins Che Baniadam Alexander Boukili Harley Bradshaw Bramwell Downs Jordan Guillory Leah Haverkamp Grace Hurley Amelia Kaiser Victoria Lee Skylar Masterson Makenzie Moe Kate Moore Tate Oien Clara Papandrea Elise Parker Leko Ritchie Lila Schief Joseph Whitlam The Pony is the student newspaper of San Dieguito Academy. Advertisements do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the newspaper. The Pony is an open forum which welcomes letters. Letters can be submitted to room 42, emailed to sdamustang@ gmail.com or mailed to the address below.

San Dieguito Academy Room 42 800 Santa Fe Drive Encinitas, CA 92024

may 2017

THE PONY 7

OPINION

Equal fights, equal rights

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n the movie “She’s the Man,” the main character, Viola gets cut from her soccer team at Cornwall.

She asks to play on the boys team, but they tell her they don’t allow girls.

Viola Hastings disguises herself as her brother in hope of playing on his college’s men’s soccer team and go out and beat Cornwall, her old rival.

She works hard and plays just as well and even better than most boys on the team. She is cheered on and becomes popular because of “his” skill on the men’s team until “he” is uncovered as actually being a girl.

She should have been judged by her skill and not her gender and deserved to be on that team because she was just as talented the men. This isn’t just in movies; women’s soccer is like this, needs more credit, and deserves equal pay and rights.

The U.S. Women’s national soccer team has won three World Cup titles, four Olympic women’s gold medals, seven CONCACAF Gold Cup wins and 10 Algarve Cups yet they don’t have the same rights and pay of the men’s national team.

After Germany won the Men’s World Cup they were rewarded with $35 million, the U.S. Men’s team lost in Round 16 and won $8 million. The U.S. Women’s team won the World Cup defeating Japan 5-2 and got only $2 million for their win.

During their final World Cup game, about 30 million people watched in the U.S, making it the highest rated soccer match in American history even including games by the men’s teams. So why don’t they get paid more?

To put this into perspective, goalkeeper Hope Solo was paid about $366,00 in total and played in 23 GAMES and Tim Howard, the men’s goalkeeper, was paid $398,485 and played in only eight GAMES. In an interview on “60 Minutes”, U.S. women soccer star Carli Lloyd said, “We feel like we’re treated like second-class citizens because they don’t care as much about us as they do the men.”

This is more than unfair and women deserve equal rights. For example, just the other day my family bought a Google Home. It can tell you all sports teams rosters and when their next games are being played and where. When I asked what the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team’s roster was, it said, “Dempsey, Howard, Pulisic...” and for the Women’s team, it said, “Sorry, I can’t help with that yet.” This must change.

Now let’s fight together and get the equal rights and pay that we deserve. Viola shouldn’t have been judged by her gender, but by her talent which was far better than many of the men. We need to fight for this, for our women’s teams that put

Carli Lloyd, one of the captain’s of the U.S. women’s national soccer team.

Picture courtesy of Noah Salzman their put blood, sweat and tears into every game. They leave everything on the field. We need to fight for Alex Morgan, Carli Lloyd, Megan Rapinoe

and all the best women players in the world that have commited their lives to soccer. The least they deserve is equal rights for the fight.

SB 562 does nothing but ensure worse care, more debt, and a higher tax rate.

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THE PONY

may 2017

is a decent chance that this bill will pass. However, despite what Senators Atkins and Lara want you to believe, this bill will serve only to worsen our care, raise our state debt, and establish yet another inefficient government bureaucracy.

How do I know? Look no further than Canada.

Canada has the largest population (35.16 million people) of any democratic nation that has implemented single-payer healthcare. Its population is near to California’s population of 38.8 million, meaning we are very similar in size, making it the perfect comparison.

Now, I’m sure you’re thinking, “But hasn’t Canadian healthcare been successful?” You would think so, as advocates of single payer have held it

Even with major LGBT victories, the negative culture persists.

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The healthy California hoax ver since the Republicans have launched attempts to replace Obama care, sending Democrats scrambling to save several years’ worth of legislative action. And with the passing of the AHCA becoming more inevitable, several blue states have taken healthcare into their own hands. This is true in our very own California, where the Democratic supermajority is pushing for universal healthcare.

Enter the Healthy California Act. The bill would establish a singlepayer healthcare system in California, similar to the ones in Sweden and Canada. The bill’s sponsors, Toni Atkins (D. 39th District) and Ricardo Lara (D. 33rd District), cite the supposed success of “every first world country.” With a democratic supermajority (⅔ majority) in both the assembly and the senate, there

Are we okay with gay?

on a pedestal for years. The problem is that they are lying to you. In a study done by the Fraser Institute (a Canadian think tank) in 2016, several horrifying facts were revealed about the Canadian Healthcare system.

Firstly, wait times in Canada for medically necessary treatment have hit 20 weeks. Next, the country has a physician to population ratio of 2.3 to 1000, causing 1.5 million Canadian families to go without a family physician. Finally, a worsening quality of care. Claude Castonguay, the founder of Canadian single-payer, headed a committee to review Canada’s healthcare. The committee was so horrified, that they suggested “giving a greater role to the private sector.” This should be a blatant sign that Canada’s health care isn’t working.

All this in spite of the $113.223 billion dollar annual budget that Canadian healthcare receives, consuming about 7.3% of Canada’s 1.551 trillion dollar GDP. This is not a case of no funding as Canada spent the third

most of any country with singlepayer healthcare, it is simply government failure to deliver on promises.

Why should we expect any better in California? The only thing we should expect if this bill passes is debt, and lots of it. Canadian debt jumped from around $834 billion dollars to $1.3 trillion between 2008 and the year 2017 after a major spending hike.

In addition to debt, it is predicted that this program will raise the average Californian’s tax rate to 41%, the amount the wealthiest Americans currently pay. This is a burden the working man should not have to bare.

With this bill having passed committee, the threat of single payer is more present than ever. So, I urge all of you that care about our great state to contact your local representatives in the Senate and Assembly.

They are the few people who can stop this bill and ensure the continued prosperity that we, as Californians, have enjoyed.

rom questioning to curious to open, there’s no doubt the LGBT+ community is very prevalent in our society today. I’m a high schooler, and though that’s certainly not old enough to pay taxes or move out, high schoolers are definitely old enough to know about their sexual orientation.

However, the issue doesn’t seem to be understanding your sexuality, but und e r standing how people w i l l react to you coming out.

A n d people s t i l l d o n’t feel safe enough to be okay with gay.

Compared to other high schools, SDA is a much safer place to be gay than most. But still, not everyone is comfortable with the LGBT+ community, and as much as I want to write this saying there isn’t a problem, there certainly still is.

The Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network (or GLSEN) found that 55 percent of students from middle and high school had heard the term “gay” being used in a negative way.

And in fact, the percentage hardly changed from the same study done in 2005. The truth is high school is a hard place to be gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and anything else in between.

It’s no secret, sexual confusion and even coming out is a regular thing in high school. Though I think it’s okay, I fear not everyone else is as open to it.

High school is a scary place to be unsure of yourself in any way, and something as big as your sexuality can be overwhelming. The environment for accepting LGBT+ students still isn’t safe enough for everyone to be comfortable with themselves.

I want the world to be so much more open and accepting, even more so than what we’ve accomplished so far. But the world isn’t totally ready for the LGBT+ community, and we must work hard as allies of the community to promote openness beyond the classroom.

On a personal level, talk about it. Educate yourself by listening to LGBT+ students, and try working together with community to spread acceptance. Don’t stand for old expectations, make new ones.

After all, if love is universal, what makes gay any different?

OPINION

SoundCloud: the YouTube for music

A streaming service popular with people who enjoy unique music of any genre is giving artists the same oppurtunities as Youtube does for content creators who make videos.

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oundCloud is the best thing since Youtube. It’s a space for artist to grow and learn. It allows artists to have direct conversations with fans or collaborators. It gives everyday people the opportunity to upload original content. Similar to a website created in 2005, when a group of tech savvy employees of PayPal activated their new website dubbed “Youtube” as a place for content creators to upload their content from any computer, and now from any smart device. One year later, Youtube became the fastest growing website, grossing over 100 million hits a day in July 2006.

To this day, Youtube is still welcomed in a lot of homes across the globe, and that is the direction SoundCloud can go, if the developers really work their butts off. Although SoundCloud didn’t quite have to same explosion as Youtube, it was still an explosion. Created in 2008 by a Swedish sound designer named Alexander Ljung, SoundCloud was originally intended as a platform for artists to share work and receive feedback from other artists.

In 2011, it was announced the service has raised ten million dollars and even had investments from Ashton Kutcher. In 2012, they adapted to smartphones and made their platform compatible on mobile devices by adding more sharing options, a new look, the ability to make a playlist, and more. This update came with c o n t r o v e r s y, many users felt they were moving away from their roots with a platform that can be used by the general public as a way to listen to music from their favorite “underground” artists, for free. This is the SoundCloud model we all are familiar with now.

Two years later, SoundCloud was bought by Twitter for two billion (with a B) U.S. dollars. That year they implemented ads, which gave creators the ability to actually make money from uploading content, sound familiar? This year they introduced “SoundCloud Go” which offers a monthly subscription for access to the bigger artists in their community. It seems with as time goes on the serve more and more competition to other streaming services like

Hating on men Stop the demeaning comments towards men.

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here is a false assumption that sexism is just directed at women. Evidence of this is abundant throughout the media, such as on Buzzfeed. One of their most controversial videos was called 36 Questions Women have for Men. In the video, a group of women made a bunch of assumptions about men saying that men are sexist, insecure, and selfish. These generalizations are totally false.

Some of their assumptions include how men talk about women’s body for hours, how men think that it is acceptable to interrupt women, and how men think that showing their emotions is a weakness. These assumptions are sexist in themselves.

I have a good idea of what both men and women talk about and I have never once heard a guy talk about a woman’s body for hours or even a full 10 minutes. However, in a lot of my classes, I have heard girls say nasty things about men. Of course, not all girls do this. Another one of Buzzfeed’s claims were that men

think it is okay to interrupt girls when they are talking. I also think it is rude to be talked over, it is just a habit some people have. It’s not based on gender.

One of their theories is that men have a problem with showing their emotions. We are always told to man up and told boys shouldn’t cry and if we do we are a “mama’s boy” or a wimp.

We are expected to hide our feelings and suck it up whereas girls are allowed to cry and be comforted. This may be one of the reasons that men are 3.5 times more likely to commit suicide than women, as reported by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Men don’t have a problem showing their emotions, but society has pushed them to be less willing to share their feelings.

It seems to have become acceptable to say demeaning things about men without any consequences, like in Buzzfeed’s video. People need to realize that they are becoming the judgemental bullies they often accuse men of being.

Spotify or Apple Music. Each update they bring something to the table that makes consumers even happier, and brings in revenue.

This gave many more mainstream artists the incentive to start using this platform to give their audience music quicker. Since SoundCloud is a platform, and not a label company, artist’s don’t even have to beg their labels to release their content. It cut out the middleman, giving artists a straight avenue to the audience’s ears.

Similar to Youtube, Soundcloud created stars. People like Lil Yachty started on SoundCloud when he released his “hit” One Night, Post Malone released his overnight sensation “White Iverson” on SoundCloud, Bryson Tiller first released his song “Don’t” from his album that would come a year later “TRAP SOUL” which just like J. Cole, went platinum with no features.

SoundCloud is paving a new dream for artists. Instead of continuously submitting music to these money hungry labels, artists now want to be picked for stardom by their fans.

Youtube is the gateway of success for anything you shoot with a camera, while SoundCloud is the gateway for success for anything you record with a microphone. With time Soundcloud will become bigger.

SDA Senior Emilio Vasquez or “Yng Mojio” in the “lab” working on a new project that will later be posted on SoundCloud for his fans. Photo by Ben Flores

About the artists Cover Artist

Malou Le Bouriscaud Freshman Malou Le Boursicaud moved to Montréal from France at nine years old, and to America only three years ago. Her life story is a wild ride, but art has been a part of it since the beginning. “My mom is a painter so I was always in a studio watching her,” said Boursicaud. Boursicaud enjoys manga, and has been creating characters in that style for a very long time. The piece on the cover features Boursicaud’s original character Isabelle in Boursicaud’s preferred media — colored pencils. “I just start drawing the head of the character, and starting from the head, I try to find... I don’t know — I just try to find it,” said Boursicaud.

Backpage Photographer

Jaden Hauptman

Sophomore Jaden Hauptman has been taking photos since “she could remember. It has been about 10 years now.” Photography “has always been something I loved,” she said. “I like the idea of being able to capture small details that most people don’t pay attention to.”

When asked about her favorite things to take pictures of she said, “I like taking macro shots, like close ups of nature because I like to capture details.” Hauptman plans on continuing to take photos as a hobby, but hopes to pursue a career where she is able to use her photography skills.

may 2017

THE PONY 9

OPINION

Someone needs to tell Netflix to chill

With the new live action adaptations of “Ghost in the Shell” and “Death Note” comes a wave of attacks directed at the studios for whitewashing.

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nimated entertainment and gaming is becoming a huge part of society. Cartoons have come to stand among popular TV shows, and Japanese anime has made its way into Netflix, even as far as becoming the inspiration for the original Netflix remake of “Voltron: Legendary Defender.”

When it comes to making animated adaptations, the concept is welcome in the new entertainment world.

Going from animation to live action, though, is another story.

With the recent controversy over the live action adaptation of the classic 1989 anime “Ghost in the Shell” comes a whole new set of problems: whitewashing.

In the manga published by Masamune Shirow, Motoko Kusanagi (the main character) is a Japanese woman in an era when Japan was a rising power in technology. Westernizing the story changes the very core of the film — the tone. The exploration of cyberpunk in Japan gave the manga its ambiance, and to destroy that was to make a different movie entirely.

Much to the fanbase’s horror, the casting revealed that nearly all of the characters (including the protagonist) were played by white actors. The casting of Scarlett Johansson as Kusanagi (renamed Major for the movie) caused a huge wave of criticism aimed at Paramount and Dreamworks. “[Japan was a country that was] unable to protect itself, but was still a world leader in tech… ‘Ghost in the Shell’ plays off all of these themes. It is inherently a Japanese story, not a universal one,” said Jon Tsuei, a film director, on his twitter account.

This whitewashing has happened before, including but not limited to movies like “Avatar: the Last Airbender,” “Gods of Egypt,” “Iron Fist,”and “Exodus” (none of which received very warm welcome), and it shows no sign of ending here.

In August 2017, Netflix is releasing a live action film of the popular manga series “Death Note” by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata.

A new uproar began when it was revealed that not only was the protagonist, Light, played by a white actor, the directors had changed the name and ethnicity of the heroine.

To add injury to insult, the fanfavorite, ghostlike deuteragonist L was played by an AfricanAmerican actor.

It wasn’t the fact that L was AfricanAmerican that bothered most people, it was the fact that in Netflix’s attempt to have their casting be more racially diverse, they did not think to include a Japanese actor instead.

In the studio’s defense, casting is not an easy task to accomplish. Johansson was enhanced with makeup to look very similar to Kusanagi, and the special effects in the movie trailer were superb. Overall, it was not as horrible an adaptation that the fans made it out to be. Fans of anime tend to go overboard with the harsh criticisms (i.e. the studio can’t cast an androgynous blue haired middle schooler as the protagonist in a movie that already has a giant, yellow octopus monster and still have it be a movie that is taken seriously. I’m looking at you, “Assasination Classroom” fans.)

But just because Johansson could be enhanced to look Japanese doesn’t make this poor casting choice any better. Hey Dreamworks, maybe instead of enhancing a white actor to look Japanese, you could go the straightforward way and maybe cast an actual Japanese actor.

It doesn’t matter how great the movie is, at the end of the day, the masses are the ones who decide whether it sinks or swims. Whitewashing the movie is basically spitting in the masses’ faces.

You’re digging your own grave here, Dreamworks, Netflix.

Johasson wearing makeup to appear with slantier eyes, a smaller nose and strong brows for a more cyberpunk, Asian appearance.

Photo Credit: Dreamworks/Paramount “Ghost in the Shell” (2017) trailer.

Motoko Kusanagi, otherwise known as the Major, in her original animated design.

Photo Credit: “Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex” (2002)

Church, not Coachella

How introducing rock music into church has distracted audiences from the message.

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don’t know anybody my age who doesn’t have social media. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing; however, social media definitely has its drawbacks. While it’s a good platform to communicate with friends and meet new people, it can also be misleading.

What you see on

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may 2017

social media is curated. Every photo posted is selected and adjusted to be perfect. Social media is used to glamourize people’s’ lives. Every pose, every picture, and every caption doesn’t show the whole truth.

These apps allow us to put a filter on our life, making mediocre and boring seem fun and exciting. We create a new image of ourselves online, an image too dazzling and perfect to be real.

But what’s so bad about that?

Being whoever you want to be may make you happy; however, it starts to influence others too. These picture perfect profiles raise expectations im-

possibly high for teens (and adults) everywhere.

For example, a girl only posts pictures of her friends and the beach.

My thought process while looking at a profile like that usually goes like this: “Wow, her life looks so perfect. She has so many friends. Why don’t I have that many friends?” And the spiral begins. As I start to compare myself to someone’s fake life, I start to feel worse and worse about my own.

And I’m sure that I’m not the only one experiencing this. Everyone compares themselves to other people, everyone doesn’t think they’re good enough from time to time. And with this there’s a domino effect. We try to make ourselves feel better by glamorizing our own lives, convincing others that we are just as good (or even better) as they are. And this happens again and again. What can be done about this?

FEATURE

1. Rei Tsuboi

2. Susan Coppock

3. Jocelyn Broemmelsiek

4. Bob Teisher

A. Coconut monkey

B. Paper fan

C. Wooden key

D. Graduated cylinder

Match teachers with their bathroom passes!

Filthy and funky

Bathroom passes deserve respect. Analysis by Lila Schief

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athroom passes are awful. They are difficult to carry, difficult to place, and generally create immense inconveniences. “Here’s the thing, I’m 15 years old. I’m almost an adult. I don’t need to be carrying a graduated cylinder to and from the bathroom. If I’m old enough to pee by myself, I don’t need to take evidence,” says freshman Nancy Zamora.

Unfortunately, passes are a cross between administrative requirement, and personal preference. U.S. History teacher Bob Teisher says, “It basically makes some kind of accountability… they don’t ever have to ask me. I sure as hell don’t wanna answer questions about whether or not they can go to the bathroom.” Essentially, passes reduce classroom disruption and eliminate the concern of simultaneous student absences.

Most passes also have funky histories. “I got the coconut on a vacation in Hawaii when I was 19. I sent it to my parents, and when they opened

the package, all these cockroaches crawled out,” says Susan Coppock, who uses a coconut monkey as her pass.

Teisher obtained his wooden key on a trip to Panama, and his bucket from a student. “Basically, a kid stole this from in-n-out, so I said you can’t steal stuff from In-n-Out, and I took it from him...now they put their phone in here, take the bathroom pass, and come back to get their phone.

Biology teacher Jocelyn Broemmelsiek, wanted something “sciencey” and durable, thus an oversized graduated cylinder. Kerry Koda’s robotic dinosaurs are from kids in her dino-themed homeroom. Under the right circumstances, her pass moves and growls!

In terms of cleanliness, bathroom passes are somewhat hit-or-miss. Jeff Germano, woodshop, Marco Martinez, special education, and John West, world languages, attempt to maintain hygiene by providing tem-

porary objects. Signed post-its and miscellaneous pieces of wood offer clean alternatives to the filth of hub caps and paint cans.

“It’s disgusting,” says Koda, “Just the idea of them is disgusting.” In acknowledgement of their nastiness, Broemmelsiek wipes with alcohol, Teisher provides sanitizer, Koda Lysols, and Coppock relies on the cleanliness of her students.

While They’re extremely cumbersome, inconvenient, and unsanitary, bathroom passes remain an intregal aspect of this school’s fuctionality.

Their simplicity and ease attracts the majority of teachers who, like most people, prefer not to spend time pondering the shortcomings of their bathroom going objects.

So next time you wonder why you’re carrying a hubcap, or a boogie board, or a coconut monkey, consider its history, and how kind your teacher is to donate their funky possession for the benefit of your bladder.

may 2017

THE PONY 11

Answers: 1B 2A 3D 4C

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may 2017

FEATURE

How many times have you been on Instagram, Pinterest, iFunny or YouTube when you’ve seen a neat DIY or hack? Because most of you highschoolers have busy lives, loads of homework and no time to waste, we tested out a few hacks to make your life just a little easier. Below are the hacks that worked... and the ones that ended up being totally wack. By Amelia Kaiser and Drew Atkins

Orange Candle

The promise: Gut an orange and use the remaining stem to make a candle Result: Wack! This diy/hack seems simple, right? Wrong. This was such tedious work, however, my impatient self was able to get it right in one try. All I had to was was light it. I held my lighter over the stem-wick for while. And then a longer while. Nothing. I stayed patient and the wick would burn, but not stay lit.

Scoring: 2/5 nothing cute about this cutie

Sugar Waxing

The promise: rip out your hair with sugar (and a few other things) Result: Wack! Hair removal: a hassle, but the only way to silky smooth legs. Shaving is too regular; laser removal is too expensive; and regular waxing, that’s just too basic! Apparently sugar waxing (or sugaring) is supposed to be much cheaper, less painful, less messy and healthier than normal waxing. I’m not really sure what they think about caramelizing sugar that isn’t messy, but I went with it. NO. This just does not work. I followed the instructions, but when it was cool enough to apply, it was too hard, and when it was a good texture to apply, it burned me. Even then, it didn’t work.

Scoring: 0/5 this hack was anything but sweet and the cleanup was terrible

Use a dryer sheet to tame frizz

The promise: smooth your hair with a dryer sheet Result: Hack! This works so well. It made my hair a little flat after a few strokes in a downward motion, but I just flipped my hair upside down and ran my fingers through it.

Scoring: 5/5 fixes a hairy situation in a pinch

DIY deep condition The promise: use a shower cap to leave conditioner in longer for better, moisturized hair Result: Hack! This was intended for people with curly hair, but I think anyone can benefit from this. After leaving the conditioner in for about five minutes in the shower cap, when I washed it out my hair felt great!

Scoring: 5/5 wwstars for partially contained curly hair

Grape Ice Cubes The promise: use frozen grapes instead of ice to keep your drink from being watered down Result: Wack! This was actually disgusting. The grapes ended up a little too frozen and were watery anyway. On top of that, it tasted like grapes still, whether you call that a win or not.

Scoring: 1/5 unless you’re into grape milk

Use toothpaste to clean your shoes The promise: use whitening toothpaste to make the white parts of your shoes shine again Result: Hack! This was the best one by far, there was at least a five shades whiter difference between the shoe I tried this on and the one I didn’t. It worked so well, I ended up doing it to the rims of my other shoes right after. A much needed success.

Scoring: 10/5 stars this Colgate stuff ain’t messin around

Steam-straightened shirts The promise: use steam from your shower to iron shirts for you Result: Hack! This totally worked for me. I just took a wrinkly shirt and just hung it on the shower curtain rack, and it ironed out. This was a great solution to ironing anxiety, and takes as little effort as just wearing the wrinkly shirt anyway.

Scoring: 5/5 for giving me an excuse to avoid ironing

So Hack or Wack? It’s Both!

I guess it’d be pretty sick if all of these hacks worked, but not all dreams come true. Sugar waxing, the orange candle, and grape ice cubes were utter failures, but some very useful hacks remain. Smoothing your hair with a dryer sheet and a DIY deep condition can give you a sought-after shine. And with a hack, steamstraightening your shirts has never been easier.

Peace is restored in our wack minds.

Illustrations by Drew Atkins

may 2017 THE PONY

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FEATURE

Fun things to do in Encinitas on a budget If you’re looking for a new beach spot, park, hiking trail, or a place to listen to live music Encinitas is a great place to go. Whether your on a budget or are just bored (or both).

By Leah Haverkamp and Gracie Hurley

Swami’s Lookout Swami’s lookout is a great place to hangout with friends, play music, and eat food, all while enjoying an amazing view with palm trees lining the coast.

The Meditation Gardens Next to Swami’s State Beach, this garden sits on the cliff with unobstructed views of the ocean. With the open air feeling, you can leisurely walk through the paths to admire the neat, lush foliage and koi ponds, rest on the benches, and/or meditate and reflect, all for free.

Univ Studio Univ has open mic and live music every Wednesday. Whether you’re a performer or just a music lover, it’s a great way to meet new people and enjoy some live music without having to pay a cent.

VG’s Donut and Bakery Moonlight, D street, Beacons

If you’re craving donuts, cakes, cookies, or anything pastry, they’ve got it! Most donuts barely cost over a dollar which makes VGs a great place for a tasty snack. Grab your donut and head to the beach right across the street!

Moonlight, D street, Beacons are just a few of the amazing socal beaches to hang out at. Whether it’s a cloudy winter day or a bright summer day, the beach is always a beautiful place to go.

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FEATURE

Room 61’s colorful collection of paints and art work. Photo by Kyle Bone.

Messy, but full of personality A look into the art room’s unique classroom structure, and the meaning it holds to SDA. By Taylor Gates.

A room’s environment is a reflection of the people within. Pony reporters looked into the effort, thought, and personality that teachers put into decorating their rooms.

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efore taking a seat, it would be wise to check for wet paint on the stool. It is also essential to bring a drawing board. Without one, any “art” created would be considered a miracle due to the table’s lumpy surface. The table tops are covered in so many layers of paint that junior Nohemia Rosales chiseled for two weeks to find the original table.

The art room’s walls are coated in paintings, roughly 106 pieces are pinned up. It is a plethora of different styles from color blocking portraits to a collage with floating eggplants.

In one corner there is a pile of dismembered tubas, an old wheelchair that looks like it came right out of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” and a monumental paper mache unicorn head. In the other, a decapitated plastic skeleton barely stands among a crowd of easels.

The growing colorful chaos is created by students and teachers from

past years to present. It is as if anyone who has ever taken an art class leaves something behind almost as a memento of their time spent there.

The room carries many stories and a long history that Angela Jackson, art teacher, hopes to preserve in the new art buildings.

Though the room is unorganized, the students embrace it. Junior Maddie Sadoff said, “I think the art room really symbolizes what SDA is all about. You know, this room is far from being perfect.

It’s messy and unorganized and has tons of flaws and quirks, yet no one is trying to clean it and make it perfect.

This classroom has so much history and personality, which is way more valuable than you know a clean table and an organized tray of markers.

SDA’s room is definitely not perfect but neither are we.”

The atmosphere of the room comes from the class in it. Jackson

said she wants to create “a warm safe environment where [students] feel good about creating, where they don’t feel judged creating. I also want them to feel that it’s their studio.”

Teachers have left their mark on the room as well. For example, former art teacher Neal Glasgow had written “NEAL 49” in bold sharpie on the podium. Jackson recently noticed it, and asked him “is this you? He said, oh yeah, that’s me. I wrote my name on it before I left.”

Also, art teacher, Jeremy Wright, put up his paintings so he could be in a similar position to the students.

Some are from his past like his blue portrait in the corner, and others are more recent like his large collages.

As the room approaches its final years it has become a growing challenge to maintain. It wasn’t made with the best materials or design.

Jackson said, “We always say it’s an old shoe and we just keep fixing the

old shoe, but it’s getting to the point where you can’t fix the shoe anymore.”

However, she added, “I don’t feel we are actually limited with what we have here now at all.”

Once the room is torn down Jackson will miss “all the stories that came with the space. The fact, the ag department had lemon trees in the 30s here.” But, she plans to incorporate that history in the new building by getting a potted lemon tree and taking the table tops. “The tables will end up covered in paint anyway,” and they are made of maple which is expensive.

Though Jackson looks forward to the new rooms, the current one will be greatly missed. She said, “We are definitely going to have a party before we are no longer able to get in here to celebrate it. It was a great space. It was a good old shoe.”

Contributions: Leah Haverkamp

FEATURE

AP psychology teacher James Hrzina’s classroom, filled with desks he arranges daily. Photo by Kyle Bone.

Straight rows, hard work

A look into AP psychology teacher, James Hrzina’s neat classroom structure. By Nohemia Rosales

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ome rows need to be moved back, others need to be moved forward. Some are too close together, others are too far apart. One desk needs to be moved slightly more to the right.

Okay, but now it’s too close to the other one.

…

As someone who likes and values organization, AP Psychology teacher James Hrzina has a particular way he arranges his desks in his classroom.

He arranges them every day before and after class.

In the back of his classroom, he has a desk filled with neatly organized supplies for his students to make use of.

It contains an array of items such as orange highlighters, neon orange mental health awareness fliers, pens, psychology books, and bright green mental health awareness fliers packed with information.

Along the back wall, he arranged a collage comprised of his students’ pictures that they gave him in a neat row – an idea he got from another teacher.

The pictures consisted of several students doing a variety of poses: junior Riley Malcolm lying on a desk ready to be painted like a French girl, senior Andrea Sanchez dressed nicely for her senior picture, junior Tessa Lee smiling, ready to see her favorite band play, and several students dressed as Shrek.

The collage was used to help him create the atmosphere he felt reflected the AP Psychology course and its main themes.

“I think it creates a personal sense of ownership,” Hrzina said.

The pictures, he hoped, were a way of “setting the expectations for [the classroom] as being a comfortable place to share your experiences.”

“It feels really tailored to the

students,” junior Autumn Goldstein said.

Goldstein has had Hrzina as a psychology, homeroom, and AP psychology teacher.

She spent most of her time at Hrzina’s bookshelf and enjoyed how organized the room was. “[The pictures] show history and connection and his care for his students,” junior Jordan Kawar said.

Around the classroom, there are several psychology posters.

They include a signed poster of Philip Zimbardo dressed as Uncle Sam, a poster depicting the left side and right side of the brain, as well as a poster depicting Sigmund Freud’s interpretation of dreams.

They are all neatly spaced out across the room.

The spacing and design of the classroom is simple, Hrzina said.

However ,“it could use some pizzaz,” junior Savannah Clark said.

Still, the spacing and simplicity can be visually appealing to students.

“My favorite thing is he meticulously spaced out [the art pieces evenly]...It’s satisfying,” Lee said.

P-12, Hrzina’s current classroom, is new.

He enjoyed the fact that the room was “sterile” and “neat and tidy.”

It is the third room he has moved to and while it isn’t the biggest he’s had, it’s very similarly structured to the one he had before.

Hrzina’s goals are to make the classroom an open place, where people can feel they can share anything.

In the beginning of the school year, Hrzina had a desk in front of him which had his handouts and other necessities.

He felt he was “hiding” from his students behind the table, so decided

to make a change. It is now placed at the back.

“He really thinks about it a lot,” Goldstein said.

She particularly felt he directed a large amount of attention to organization.

Kawar got a “very welcoming vibe” where he felt he could be open to people and share his ideas.

Hrzina’s is “probably my favorite classroom I’ve been in,” Lee said.

…

One more slight nudge forward and the desks are aligned.

Hrzina takes a step back, mumbles a list of things he needed to check and points to different parts of the room in confirmation.

The bell rings, and he’s ready to start the day.

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FEATURE

Members of the cast at La Paloma’s production posing centerstage.

The screen behing them plays “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”

All photos courtesy of La Paloma Theater and Crazed Imaginations.

Give yourself over to absolute pleasure

The Rocky Horror Picture Show: screaming, singing, and sex. Some off screen, some on.

Prepare yourself.

By Taylor Rudman

The audience flicks on their lighters to illuminate Brad and Janet during “Over at the Frankenstein Place.” Prop bags, which include lighters, are sold outside for $2.

Virgins, above, lined up in the aisles of the theater, preparing for their spanking. The corsetclad cast, left, dancing in one of the final scenes.

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FEATURE

idnight. A crooked line of people wraps around the faded white building. An old marquee rests above, illuminating them with its dim glow.

A man, or maybe a woman, begins making his way through the line. In hand, a strikingly red tube of lipstick.

Delicately, he marks the nervous newcomers with harsh Vs on each of their cheeks.

V is for virgin.

The line begins to creep forward. Anxious smiles light up the crowd as they shiver with anticipation.

The chipped doors to the theater creak open. Sparkly stilettos and busted sneakers alike shuffle down the cracked concrete.

People filter in. Girls adorned in corsets and spandex and fishnets. Boys as well.

Don’t worry, there will always be a fair share of hoodies and t-shirts. Some are daring enough to go, but not quite audacious enough to dress the part. It’s perfectly all right, everyone is just there to have fun.

The stage is lit by a single spotlight. The seats are tattered, the frayed fabric teeming with untold stories and secrets. The crowd sits.

Now, it is almost time to explain the rules. First, though, the virgin rituals. “In order to introduce you to our little family-” “CULT!” The cast members shout the revision from their respective positions around the room. This is not the first interruption, and certainly will not be the last.

Welcome to “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”

The La Paloma Theater puts on a performance of the “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” (RHPS) every Friday at midnight. Well, the movie actually starts closer to 12:30 a.m. (but is worth the wait).

This all may sound rather peculiar for those who have never heard of RHPS. This comedy/musical/horror movie crashed in the box office when released in 1975, but later became a cult classic known for its audience participation, shadowcast, and midnight showings.

The film centers around a cookie cutter couple, Brad and Janet, who get stuck in a rainstorm and search for help at a nearby mansion. They find that the establishment is owned by Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a transvestite Transylvanian. What ensues is a chaotic song-and-dance show, sure to delight (and likely confuse).

Junior Trevor Brown said, “I felt really odd at the beginning. As the movie progressed, I started getting more invested in it and it became more and more, I guess, exhilarating.”

Although the plot alone is entertaining, the movie really is known for its audience participation and shadowcast. (And, of course, the rabid fanbase.)

. . .

THE CAST STARTS by asking all to rise. This makes it far more difficult for the newcomers to avoid being part of the virgin sacrifices. People begin to sit, being picked off in groups of “die-hard fans” to “I’ve been once before.”

Some virgins try to sit down unnoticed, but the Vs on their cheeks give them away. The last standing are now subjected to a very special sort of welcome.

Brown said, “People, the staff, who are usually dressed in very little clothing, walk up to you and look for what they call virgins. That basically means people who have never been to the show.”

Virgins then filter out from the comfort of their seats and into the aisles of the theater. The cast proceeds to go down the rows, one by one, and give each one a spanking.

“It’s like a ‘nice to meet you,’ but with your butt,” said junior Emmalee Goralski.

Freshman Isabella Meyer said, “My mom refused to sit with us because we were virgins.”

Although this may seem jarring and perhaps scarring

(as it is for some) it is done with endearing intent. “We just want you to be part of our family,” Miranda Stone, stage manager of the production said. “Don’t be afraid, don’t be scared….If you are afraid of that [the rituals], don’t be. You don’t have to participate. You can just sit and watch the movie and listen to us say funny things.”

. . .

THE LIGHTS DIM and the movie begins. Immediate shock courses through virgin veins. There is a giant pair of red lips singing on the screen, and a peculiarly dressed man begins his striptease on the stage below them.

Senior Austin Killeen said, “It kind of reminds me of a weird dream, where you can’t really tell if it’s good or bad.”

The spotlight dims, then flashes to Brad and Janet.

Not the actors on the screen, but the doppelgängers that stand beside it. They are commonly referred to as members of the “shadowcast.” (They “shadow” the actions of the characters on screen.)

“They have a little cast on the stage of La Paloma actually acting out the whole movie, which is kind of cool,” Brown said. “It’s odd, I guess to say the least, but odd in a very entertaining way.”

This Brad and Janet are not obligated to (and often don’t) match to those on the screen; the same goes for the nine other performers. The costumes are almost dead ringers for those in the movie, but the people inside of them are not. And that is not a bad thing.

“Genders switch basically.” Goraliski said. “The girls [can] play the guy roles and the guys [can] play the girl roles.”

Sophomore Ella Hasty said, “The performers didn’t really look like the people on the screen, but that’s okay.”

“We don’t do gender accurate here,” Stone said. “And there is no limit to what you can do. The community in general is crazy vast and made up of everyone from trans black women to straight white men.”

This fluidity and accepting atmosphere does not only extend to the actors. Zoe Hackbardt, who works with tech backstage, said, “It’s fun, it gets people to a certain point where if they have issues being themselves or coming to terms with their sexuality, it is a good place to be. And [it is a place to] just learn more about yourself.”

no problem mercilessly mocking his neck (or lack thereof).

With a laugh, junior Ness Machin said, “It’s nice, there is a sense of community with all of the yelling people.”

These “yelling people” will meander around the theater, spreading vulgarities and sometimes off-color jokes.

Stone said, “What we do is very creative, and it’s very crazy and it’s loud, and insane.”

“I felt scared. I was like, ‘you are yelling so much.’ Is it necessary to yell? But then I was chill with it at the end,” Hasty said. “I thought it was kind of funny.”

. . .

. . .

BETWEEN PROPS AND other forms of audience inclusion, being “on the edge of your seat” takes on a whole new meaning at Rocky Horror.

Before entering the theater, those in the aforementioned and boisterous line are encouraged to buy prop bags outside for two dollars. Its contents include: newspaper, a small squirt gun, a lighter, a roll of toilet paper, and a few playing cards. They are used in that order. (If you decide to bring your own, these are the only ones allowed inside.)

The low price is a nod at the fact that the cast is not doing this to make money, but laughs (nervous or otherwise). These props are utilized at various parts in the movie, some even being thrown into the air.

Meyer said, “I didn’t use props. I wish I had though.

It would’ve been more fun.”

“I think it’s worth it to use props,” Killeen said.

If playing with fire, screaming obscenities and transvestite Transylvanians don’t peak any interest, or frankly just seem scary, it isn’t necessary to completely rule this out. There is, in fact, more to the experience still.

“The movie itself is actually really good and the music, because it’s a musical, is actually really awesome,” Brown said.

Meyer said, “I really liked it because I like musical theater and stuff like that.”

When “The Time Warp” song comes on, everyone is encouraged (forced) to come back into the aisles and, well, do the time warp. This wildly simple dance will bring smiles to faces and thrusts to pelvises.

There is also a portion at the very beginning of the movie where two random audience members are selected to participate in a wedding scene. Hasty, who had the chance to go on stage, said, “My favorite part? Marrying a special someone. Wink wink.”

AT LA PALOMA’S SHOW, the excitement doesn’t stop with the shadowcast. Before those giant red lips are even done singing, the commentators’ voices can be heard throughout the theater, shouting in unison.

Along with shadowing the movie, the cast at La Paloma likes to add their own special touch, so please don’t expect a play-by-play of “The Perks of Being a Wallflower.”

The movie’s plot is quite flamboyant and at times, ridiculous, so it is rather easy to make fun of. And make fun of it they do.

At every opportune moment, the cast shouts rehearsed mockery at the screen (seemingly every 10-15 seconds). These “callbacks” are utilized especially during the frequent pauses in the movie.

When these pauses arise, the cast may yell questions (sometimes compromising) and waiting for the characters on the screen to “answer” back. It will certainly produce laughter, and perhaps some grimaces when raunchier questions are asked. So raunchy they ought not to be printed.

The cast also fondly refers to Brad as “asshole” and Janet as “slut,” for reasons that become evident as the film progresses.

When the couple begins their first song, the cast is quick to question the scenery, shouting, “Why the f**k is there a billboard in the middle of a cemetery?”

In the brief scenes with the criminologist, they have

FOR $10 A ticket, the “Rocky Horror Picture Show” is offered at La Paloma every Friday at midnight. Allen Largent has owned the theater for 20 years, and you may just see his dog, Maddy. She’ll be sniffing through the rows for abandoned popcorn or perhaps even up on stage barking at the cast.

About 40 to 50 people come every showing, with an influx near Halloween For those that think plain old Rocky Horror just won’t do it, lingerie night (most come dressed in nothing over their underclothes) is every second Friday of the month.

Theme nights are every fifth Friday, the soonest being at the end of June.

On theme nights, the cast does the same shtick but in different costumes. Stone said, “We’ve done Doctor Who cast, we’ve done Star Wars, we’ve done Harry Potter, which is my personal favorite.”

The La Paloma midnight showings have been alive since 1999, and the theater itself since 1924. “Go see the Rocky Horror Picture Show. At least once. It’s like you got to try it once. Why not?” Brown said. “La Paloma is right down the street. It’s like the Encinitas experience. So go see it.”

Machin said, “It’s going to be weird but just embrace it and you’ll have a good time.”

. . .

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FEATURE

A view of the Goodwill in Vista. Photo by Nohemia Rosales.

$20 thrift budget

Pony reporters go to different thrift shops to see how much than can buy with a budget of $20 By Nohemia Rosales.

T

o see how much teens can save Pony reporters Sienna Riley, Taylor Gates, and Nohemia Rosales headed off to different thrift shops to see how much they could buy on a $20 budget.

The high prices that clothing stores offer just don’t work all the time.

Therefore, other options such as thrift shops and used clothing stores are quite promising due to their alternatively affordable sales.

About two hours were spent at the Goodwill in Vista, looking for nice dresses that fit right and fooling around with my brother who enjoyed the furniture and strange clothing.

The Goodwill was really big, especially compared to the tiny one in Encinitas.

There were high ceilings, and plenty of racks full of clothes, fairly color coordinated.

Upon entering, there is an area with furniture as well as the cashier area.

To the right is a rack full of dresses that kept growing every few

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minutes due to the rapid restocking that had the workers running across the store.

There were a decent amount of dresses, but I only bought two dresses for about $14.

Four shirts could have also been bought (they are typically $4.99 at this particular Goodwill).

Most dresses were between $5.99 and $6.99.

The workers were overall pretty welcoming and the clothes were in pretty good condition. The fitting rooms were large and had plenty of hooks for clothes.

With the $20 budget, I could have only bought maybe one cheap and simple dress from Forever 21, or a candle at Urban Outfitters if I’m lucky and they have a sale; however, I managed to buy two nice black dresses and remain six dollars under budget at Goodwill.

The two dresses I bought were both black. The first one is made of thick material and looks very fancy.

The most important part is that it has pockets.

It was only $7.99 (One of the few outliers of the typical price range).

My second dress has polka dots and a nice black collar by the brand Elle. The dress was $6.

While I spent two hours at the store, the majority of the time was spent exploring the interesting photo frames and cat-related objects.

I liked right off the bat within the first three minutes that I was there. The only drawbacks of going to the Goodwill were how far it was from Encinitas.

Still, it is undeniable that if you’re looking for something specific or you want a variety of color or sizes, it is best to look in different stores to save time.

A benefit of Goodwill stores is ,though, that they have a 10 percent discount for students, and they have a sale where many items are only $1 on Thursdays.

Overall, while it may not be the best for people who have a specific goal in mind, thrift stores can be very helpful to people on a budget.

A dress purchased by Pony reporter Nohemia Rosales. Photo by Nohemia Rosales.

FEATURE

A Thrifty CRC shopping spree

A funky trip to a small thrift store with $20 leaves Pony reporter Taylor Gates with a picnic basket, a windbreaker, and a firey need for roller skates. By Taylor Gates.

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An outside view of Community Resource Center Thrift Store. Photo by Taylor Gates.

he Community Resource Center Thrift Store in Encinitas is relatively small, but should not be underestimated. Just walking in is a delightful experience, their music selection is filled with 80s songs, and the movie “The Princess Bride” plays on a loop.

The store has one side for female clothes and one for male clothes.

Oddly in the middle, there is a cluster of miscellaneous vintage furniture that my sister got stuck in.

The racks are subdivided by types of clothing, and relatively few things are out of place. Shirts on average cost $5, pants $7, and jackets $10.

The most expensive portion of the store is a rack of dresses in the front that cost about $30, and jewelry displayed under the cash register for $75.

It took an hour and a half to search in between all the flannels and polo shirts to find something I actually wanted to buy. One of which was a red windbreaker for $10. It is from the brand Columbia and has a retail

price of $65 dollars. The other was a collared shirt for $5.

As if the clothes aren’t already marked down enough, they have a raffle discount every Tuesday. Basically, at the cash register you pull a random ticket out of a little treasure chest that gives you a certain percentage off.

Though that is only one day a week, the clothes are still ridiculously inexpensive considering the quality.

Also, unlike many other thrift stores, it is open until 7p.m. so there is plenty of time to go after school.

It is more time consuming to look through the store because it is not specifically tailored for teenagers. You can’t go in with the mindset of wanting something in particular. It is more about what you find that you didn’t know you wanted.

You have to realize the potential clothes have. Instead of rushing through the store, get something to snack on from Sprouts and take your time browsing through the racks.

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That’s a wrap Nine time Emmy-nominee and cameraman Michael Osment, right, has done everything from hanging out by the pool with a shirtless Zac Efron, to snorkeling with Bradley Cooper, to shooting in the middle of the ocean at night for “Pirates of the Caribbean.”

By Gracie Hurley

A

s a cameraman, Michael Osment has worked on some of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters “Pirates of the Caribbean,” “The Hangover,” “Superbad,” and more, Early in his career, he was a news cameraman and was nominated for nine Emmy awards, winning once. Now, he shoots behind the scenes footage and works for advertising agencies. In an interview, Osment talked about snorkeling with Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis and Ed Helms in Thailand and watched Orlando Bloom nearly drown filming a Pirates movie.

Q: What are your biggest accomplishments and what are you most proud of?

A: I have been nominated nine times for an Emmy and I have won once. I am proud of that, but that was sort of one part of my life. And what I’ve learned in news really prepared me for what I do now and I think it really gave me an upper hand, and I was so used to shooting quickly and thinking for myself instead of working slow and having someone tell me what to do.

Q: What’s the hardest project or movie you have worked on and why?

A: “Pirates of the Caribbean.”

We shot two and three at the same time, and really the hardest part was the location, you know, being out in the middle of the ocean on ships at night. It was really just exhausting because you know it is one thing to be on a boat when you’re having fun but to be on a boat with a camera on your shoulder and trying to hold it perfectly steady, for hours on end, all night long. It was just exhausting.

It was fun. It was a cool movie to work on but at the same time you got home and you would just collapse for months it was like that.

Q: Who are some of your favorite people that you’ve gotten to meet?

A: Bradley Cooper is one because I got to work on all the Hangover movies with him and, actually, I’ve worked on like five or six movies with Bradley, and I’ve kind of seen him from being a small actor to getting really big. So he’s been really cool, and I worked on a movie with him just last year, and we had some really good chats and he’s really just a nice guy.

Zach Galifianakis just cause the same kind of reasons. We all worked in Thailand together for months it was like being away at camp so like

they’d go “ok we’re wrapped” and we’d go “ok so what’re you gonna do now” cause we’re all just staying in a hotel resort for a lot of it and we were in Bangkok so a lot of times we would all just like pack up and go out at night cause it was like no one had any responsibilities because we were all away for a long time and no one had to go home cause your families weren’t there or like your wife or girlfriend wasn’t there.

But we would all go snorkeling together or just go to the pool and just explore. I mean, it was such an exotic and cool place, so that’s kind of why I got to know Bradley and Zach and Ed Helms.

Q: Have you ever filmed in a really scary place?

A: In news I did. In news I’ve been in a couple of full-on shoot outs.

I’ve done some gang stories and stuff but one time I was doing a story at this courthouse in Van Nuys in LA and it was about Robert Blake. He was this actor that was accused of killing his girlfriend.

And so I was shooting for this TV show and we needed to get a shot of him coming out of the courthouse and while we were waiting for him to come out of the courthouse – it was like 8:30 or 9 in the morning – this

guy walked up to the attorney and point blank started shooting him.

I heard them arguing and I was like “what’s going on out there” and then he shot once and I started rolling like something’s going on but I couldn’t figure out what it was cause there were just so many people.

It was like the courthouse and then the police station and then I see this guy walking up and the lawyer had his briefcase up trying to protect himself with a briefcase. That was a big news story, and then I was the only one that actually had footage of it even though there were like 20 cameramen there cause they were all just drinking coffee waiting for the guy to come out of the courthouse.

The news actually then interviewed me because I was a witness too, so it was kind of weird. So that was a bit crazy, but there’s definitely been some places where I, especially when you have a camera in news you’re very vulnerable and people don’t realize that and everyone sees you and you’ve got this piece of equipment and it’s really bulky. And you get in some neighborhoods and you’re just like “ok this is not a place we should be rolling.”

Q: What’s one of the funniest things that has happened on set?

A: I mean the funniest thing is just I’ve worked on a lot of comedies so from “Super Bad,” “40-year old Virgin,” “Knocked Up,” I mean, there has been a lot of movies that are just fun to be on. There’s more things that are funny because of the movie you’re working on, and it’s hard sometimes to hold in your laughing, especially with guys like Zach who change the lines so much and he’ll say the most weird random stuff and you have to just hold it in cause you can’t blow it.

Oh also there were some funny things in “Pirates of the Caribbean” like just when the stuntmen would miss their marks and fall and hit the ocean instead of landing on the boat.

And I remember Orlando Bloom couldn’t swim that well and that was pretty funny.

He had to swim to this piece of wood in this scene where the boat had been blown up and it is hard to swim in clothes like people don’t realize that but then he said “I didn’t swim a lot when I was younger” and so when he’s swimming he’s supposed to be all cool and heroic.

But he was just panting and having a hard time so they were just like “ok cut cut cut you gotta be cooler than that” and I remember laughing a lot with that.

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Netflix originals: Do you even need 13 reasons to watch?

Recently, Netflix has been at the forefront of entertainment, consistently producing award- winning series and movies. Here are some reviews of originals that were added this year. By Daniela Burrows Thirteen Reasons Why What do you get when you mix stereotyped teen angst, an unrealistic suicide and a tape recorder? Netflix’s “Thirteen Reasons Why”, a highly bingeable 2017 series that attempts to navigate mental health and adolescence but misses it’s mark on several key ideas. The main characters are hard to empathize with, and it completely overlooks the necessary main themes of suicide prevention and awareness, replacing it with Hannah Baker’s (the main character) senseless revenge-craving rantings from beyond the grave.The acting is superb, however, even in light of the clumsy script and plot, which completely carries the entire season. Watch with caution if you are sensitive to graphic scenes of rape, suicide and gore.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

photo of Clay Jensen (played by Dylan Minnette) from 13 Reasons Why courtesy of Netflix

Girlboss Sassy, classy and badass-y are the only words to describe Netflix’s “Girlboss”, a television retelling of the bestselling biography by NastyGal founder Sophia Amoruso. Its raw, unfiltered humor keeps viewers laughing through every twist and turn, and provides a perfect stage for the spectacular cast (Britt Robertson, Ellie Reed and Johnny Simmons). This tale of struggle, triumph, heartbreak and redemption really hit home with people who have ever known achievement against all odds and the tough decisions that come with it. The realism of the characters also highlights the plot and draws in its viewers, you won’t be able to look away. If you are sensitive to exploding hemorrhoids, however, you might want to skip a few scenes.

Rating: 5 out of 5 star

Photo of main character Sophia Amouruso from the Netflix original Girlboss courtesy of Netflix

Iron Fist Netflix’s new Marvel show “Iron Fist” is action packed, but lacking in, well, everything else. The main character Danny (played by Finn Jones) has no redeeming features, and comes across as whiny and petty. This is stark contrast to his sidekick, Colleen Wing (played by Jessica Henwick) who would have been a much stronger and more engaging protagonist. The series is also incredibly predictable, as the villains are extremely cookie-cutter, and pick the obvious route every single time. Do not watch this show if you are allergic to bad plot structure, character design and dialogue.

Rating: 1 out of 5 stars

Action shot of Ironfist (played by Finn Jones) courtesy of Netflix

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ARTS

Bless Up with ‘I’m the One’ hit

The Forum

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Listen to DJ Khaled’s new single featuring Chance the Rapper and more. By Leko Ritchie arlier this month, DJ Khaled brought together Justin Bieber, Chance the Rapper, Quavo, and Lil Wayne to drop a hit single, “I’m the One.” Many fans have been anticipating this song because the collaborators have been sharing photos of themselves having fun on set at a luxurious backyard party since February.

The track bounces with a pitched-up beat and bass, with great verses from each artist that is a perfect way to start your summer.

Khaled begins with his intro and appears throughout the song, while Bieber takes on the hook with a smooth flow, singing about the girl of his dreams. Quavo comes in with a mid-tempo verse, and ends his verse with his well-known and catchy adlib, “prr prr!”

Chance joins in with a wordplaying verse with his unique and amazing flow, making his verses one of the best in the track. Wayne switches things up talking about a girl that he doesn’t like, but moves throughout the track with ease.

Khaled made his way to the top of Billboard and Twitter Trending 140 chart, within only a couple hours since the release time. Khaled also released a music video for the song on YouTube, which also was the #1 trending video for several days. The track arrives ahead of Khaled’s 10th album, “Grateful,” which is scheduled to release this year. The album will feature artists such as Drake, 21 Savage, Rihanna, Future, and others.

Overall, if you are looking for a song that gives off a fun and wavy vibe, “I’m the One” is definitely the

More Paramore

A rate on Paramore’s new album “After Laughter.”

By Elise Parker

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f you are interested in 80’s alternative music, this album is perfect for you. Paramore created a collection of beats that are perfect to dance to. “After Laughter” is the band’s 5th album.

After taking a four year break, the album was released May 12, and is drastically different from their previous albums. There is a total of 12 songs on the album.

The band’s crew is a group of three, with Hayley Williams as the lead singer, Zac Farro on the drums, and Taylor York on the guitar. Their music is consistently great quality, and is good for a variety of audiences.

They have announced that they will be going on a short tour around Europe and the US for this album, and will be traveling on a cruise.

Unlike some new albums that share very similar traits, their music

is very unique and doesn’t have the typical radio music feel. Their music completely overwrites the stereo norms, such as their new song “RoseColored Boy.” It has got an interesting 80’s beat compared to the rap and common pop music about common topics such as love and breakups. Their music videos also have an equally unique feel and capture the music essence very well.

This new album of theirs has taken a turn. They have changed to a more 80’s alternative electronic music style, instead of their old pop-rock punk. Their new bubblegum beats are very different from present hip-hop albums, and add diversity to their style. This goes to show that they have a different, funky style and are good for a variety of people. Try listening to their new album now, available on Soundcloud, Spotify, and iTunes.

Photo of DJ Khaled courtesy of Meghan Roberts way to go. The track delivers a summer jam feel with features from some of the most popular artists, each taking on a part in the song with his

Woodsy Cafe

Woodsy Cafe across from SDA is the perfect place to go. By Kate Moore

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ooking for a close place to grab a quick cup of coffee or tea and a bite to eat? Well you aren’t going to find one anytime soon.

The Woodsy Cafe, located right across the street from SDA is a nice coffee shop to go grab lunch, but don’t expect your visit to be a quick one.

Woodsy is always full of freshmen who can not drive anywhere and a few sophomores who still haven’t gotten their permit.

The cafe offers a few nicely brewed teas and coffees that are full of sugar, but delicious. They also have a few must try foods such as their killer brownies and coconut oatmeal if you’re feeling a bit healthier.

Inside the cafe the decorations look a bit tacky, and I can see what they were going for with the random

Time to make the switch M

ario Kart has always been a fun and exciting release to bring together friends and family in a night filled with fast and friendly feuds. Every few years or so, there is always a new edition of Mario Kart ready to go along with the new Nintendo Console. With the new Nintendo Switch, comes a Rehash of the adventurous “Mario Kart 8,” titled “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.”

Released late March back in 2014, “Mario Kart 8” was the new renovation of the Mario Kart series.

That release came with a new antigravity feature, the ability to drive on the walls, and ceilings. Those made the roster of new and re-made courses have much more variety than past installments. Changing all the classic courses into windy roads, and mazes

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that made you wonder what is even going, added to the chaos that is Mario Kart.

However, there were some quite disappointing features that were included in “Mario Kart 8,” including the homogeneous character roster.

Many of the characters that were featured in some of best installments of Mario Kart were taken out to be replaced by different version of the classic characters, like Baby Mario, Luigi, Peach, and so on. Classics such as King Boo, Lakitu, Bowser Jr, and many more that were the most unique characters in the game, were removed for those “new” characters.

This was also the case with Battle Mode, a staple in Mario Kart every time a new game was released. Battle Mode in Mario Kart takes place in a

unique and amazing voice.

This collab-heavy single is definitely “anotha one” from DJ Khaled.

nets and deer antlers on a shelf. However, it doesn’t feel like a wilderness coffee shop, since you can see elderly folk playing tennis a building over.

In terms of service, the people who work there are super nice and friendly. One time as I was walking out the door they offered me and my friends free ice cream. It’s awesome ice cream; it had a bread-like topping and homemade chocolate ganache spread on top.

Overall, I would personally rate the Cafe a 6 out of 10 stars because it’s very average in terms of food, drinks, and setting, and it is always very crowded. On the flip side the location is very convenient, and the service is super great.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has just been released with the new Nintendo Switch. By Tristan Price

small compact battle arena, where items are scattered everywhere to pop your opponents balloons or health.

Once you run out of balloons, you’re out. Yet, with all the excitement that came with “Mario Kart 8”, Battle Mode was the middle child, being flat out ignored. Instead of Nostalgic, tight and chaotic Battle Maps, Battle mode was disappointing to the fans of this loved feature of the game. All that Nintendo did was paste the same map, and just made certain areas of the track inaccessible, with wooden fences blocking off the rest of the course. This was extremely contrasting to arenas in past games, such as Delfino Pier, one of the most popular maps in the franchise. Because the map gets smaller and smaller by the minute as water covers parts of the

course, making the action much more close and compact.

With “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe” fixing these past problems, the game redeems itself. Old characters from past games were added, including all the DLC characters that were purchasable on the Wii U and the 16 courses as well. With Battle Mode, 8 brand new battle arenas were made to fit the fun and crazy atmosphere meant for Mario Kart. For some, “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe” might be a cheap excuse for a replacement Mario Kart for now, but for fans of the series, this is exactly what the game needed. With tons of characters, tracks, modes, and chaotic moments, “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe” will make people race back to play more.

Rating: 9.5 / 10

The perfect place to see your favorite artist live.

By Victoria Lee

any music-loving teens would give anything to see their favorite artists live.

Lucky for them, San Diego and Los Angeles will provide many opportunities to see major artists in concerts and festivals this summer.

Not only do Californians have access to everything that San Diego has to offer, but they also have the Forum in Los Angeles. With a rating of 4.4/5 stars, the Forum is one of the most popular concert venues in America. In addition to hosting popular festivals such as the iHeartradio Awards, the stadium presents huge stars such as J. Cole, Future, and John Mayer that you can’t see live anywhere else in California. This summer, the Forum has a packed list of artists from around the globe coming to perform on its popular stage.

The Forum is the whole package.

It has great artists, good food, and a great stage. Freshman Phebe Bridges said, “It’s a great venue for concerts; I went to see Drake Summer Sixteen Tour a few days ago. The place was packed, and the energy was amazing.

The staff were always friendly and helpful. Parking was easy upon arrival, and huge letter banners helped you locate your car after the concert was over- which is very helpful.”

However, there are a few flaws with the stadium. Freshman Carolyn Kohn said, “The venue itself is pretty nice now that it’s been remodeled. I went to a Panic! At The Disco Concert there and it was amazing! It was easy to get tickets and the staff was very helpful with finding our seats.

But their parking control sucks! I went there for a concert, and it took one hour to go about two blocks into the parking lot. I thought I had gotten there with plenty of time to spare to get in on time. I was wrong. I ended up missing 45+ minutes of the concert. I will not go back to the Forum.”

Overall, the Forum has positive reviews. Freshman Jeffrey Furgerson said, “Ya know it’s just a great place.

The food is great and the staff is nice, but the seats are kind of small. Parking was real fast, concession lines moved quickly, and bathrooms were plentiful.”

If you are interested in going to a fun concert this summer with some friends, check out Los Angeles concerts by going to ticketmaster.com and searching The Forum - Inglewood Tickets, and to get more info about the stadium’s amenities, go to their official website http://fabulousforum. comAt the forum, J. Cole, Future, Chris Brown, Lady Gaga, and more will be performing all summer long, with good seats costing from $44 $250. Some important concert dates are June 16th (Future on his “Nobody Safe Tour”), July 11th and 12th (J. Cole on his “4 Your Eyes Only” tour), and August 8th and 9th (Lady Gaga on her “Joanne World Tour”).

HUMOR

The Geld

Everything is 100% real and fact checked (mostly)

S

10 Iconic Childhood Sayings and The Important Lessons That They Taught Our Generation

o we composed a list of childhood sayings that everyone knows (or should know), and have deemed them iconic. If you didn’t know these before, and this is the first time you’re hearing of these, we’re sorry that your childhood was horrid. If you have heard of these, and you disagree that these are the most iconic sayings of this generation’s childhood, go read another story because this list is fact. If you agree, you’re chillin. Here’s the top ten childhood iconic sayings of our generation, and the important lessons they taught us: By Kamryn Romley and Lena Mau.

1. “Kachow”

From: “Cars” Lightning McQueen is my role model and I will fight anyone who says otherwise. This sound was made to mimic lightning, which is really hard to do, and I think, does a really good job. This is ONE of the reasons why McQueen is my role model, and his saying, “Kachow”, belongs as no.

1 on this list. Lightning taught us that even if you have a strange name, make it iconic by imbracing it, and learning how to mimic the noise it makes. In this case, it was lightning.

2. “Ka-Chigga” From: “Cars” Truly an iconic moment in the movie, also teaching us how to imbrace the identity that society has placed on us :) 3.“The Bee Movie” in gen--eral From: “The Bee Movie” (can you read) This movie was a cinematic masterpiece and deserves more credit than it was given. Never forget. Learned: #savethebees 4. Get ‘Shrek-ed’ About: “Shrek” (obviously??)

I think this quote resonates with me the least out of all of them. I really don’t like it but I feel like it’s a

necessary attribution to this ‘story’ (?). Instead of saying bad words, this generation learned to resort to saying words that don’t make sense, and in most cases, aren’t even real.

5. “If you had a chance to change your fate, would ja?”

From: “Brave” If I had a penny for the number of times I’ve heard this quoted to me I think, by now, I’d have at least 40 bucks. Besides teaching us to not trust old women and

Photo courtesy of cars.disney.com not to eat meat pies, “Brave”, also taught us that our moms are important, and that you actually can’t

change your fate, because then you’ll turn half your family into bears. Oh another important one from this iconic masterpiece: it’s OK to be independent, and single.

vice) is really saying and in the scene the monkey dude is bouncing on a tree branch. If you’re curious though the translation is “I’m not the baboon, you are

6.

“Asante sana squash banana, wewe nugu mimi hapana” From: “The Lion King” Ok so this is so iconic to me honestly because no one knows what he (the baboon with lots of wisdom and ad-

the baboon, you eat rotten bananas.” It’s a very rough translation just so we’re all clear.

Teaching us how to roast from day one.

7. “Honey, where is my super suit?”

From: “The Incredibles” You know. Making reservations for a nice resturaunt with your crazy wife a month in advance is scary. Don’t

do it.

8. “What are you doing in my swamp??”

From: “Shrek” SO iconic it hurts. PLEASE take the time out of your day to look up the remix, I listen to it daily. But the actual quote teaches us even still, that Scottish accents are hard.

9. “But mommm ets jast mah boooooooooooo” From: “Brave” Another meme, I’m sorry. Actually no. This one is important. I mean, if you suck at accents, this quick and easy quote will give you a Scottish accent in no time! But hey, don’t blame me if people are giving you weird looks because you keep on yelling at them with a Scottish accent, calling them mom. This one taught us that maybe scottish accents are not really that hard, and “Shrek” was a lie.

10. “It’s like America, but south!”

From: “Up” “Up” was a nice movie, as one of my favorite memes tells it, “Up” told a better love story in 20 minutes than Twilight did in five damn movies. Plus, that little kid is my spirit animal. Lesson: be nice to mean old people, and love dogs like they love squrrels.

Types of complainers and how to deal with them If you ever run into these kind of people, use these tools to avoid them. By Makenzie Moe

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o matter what you do, someone is going to have something negative to say about it. There’s no denying it. The only thing you can do is know how to deal with them. With that in mind, let’s do a brief overview of the different types of complainers you may encounter.

I’ll be honest, I’m quite the complainer (an expert, actually). So I am going to pass on some advice on how to deal with all of the different types of complainers. Basically, complainers can be put into four different categories: the aggressor, the habitual, the whiner, or the freebie.

The Aggressor: The aggressor is the most

dangerous type of complainer. These people are just looking for something to ruffle their feathers. And once they find it, you can bet they will go full force (usually yell, make their presence known, etc.). As tough as it might be, do not get aggressive back at them. I’m telling you, it will go downhill quickly. Try to engage them with something else, whatever it might be. If possible, take them to a more private place and let them vent so they don’t distract others. Listen to them, and try to offer helpful advice. If worse comes to worst, just avoid them.

The Habitual: The habitual complainer is just

annoying. All they do is complain.

They find something wrong with everything and take their frustration out verbally. At this point, it has become a habit for them. With these people, turn up your patience to the maximum level. Stay calm and collected and have positive responses to everything. Other than that, there’s really nothing you can do for them because no matter what, they’re going to complain. Think taking them to get ice cream is going to stop them from complaining about their meal?

Think again.

The Whiner: Worse than the habituals are the whiners. Similar to the habitual, they

complain about everything. But this type complains in an annoying babyish manner over stupid things they don’t have control over. Ugh. Honestly, I would stay as far away from this type as possible. If you cannot escape, put headphones in and blast your favorite music (pretend to listen to them, obviously). Just nod your head and try to keep a smile on your face. Sorry, there’s not much I can do to help you here.

The Freebie: The freebies, however, complain with one simple goal in mind: “Get free stuff.” Keep a close eye out for these people, as they are quite mischievous. I aspire to be one of these

complainers some day. For companies, they’re horrible. But if you aren’t a company, become friends with them ASAP. If you really don’t want to be friends with them, keep your ground and stay objective. In most cases, they will claim a product is “not good enough,” so ask them specifically what is wrong or insufficient.

Hopefully this advice is helpful.

Oh, and for the sake of those around you, don’t complain too much about my advice about how to deal with complainers

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Lebron who?

HUMOR

6’5” varsity volleyball player Drew Atkins and 9year basketball player Makenzie Moe... How much do they really know about basketball and volleyball?

By Makenzie Moe and Drew Atkins

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ver heard of a 6’5” guy that doesn’t play basketball? Well if not, I know of someone you can talk to: Drew Atkins. He plays varsity volleyball for SDA, but doesn’t seem to know a thing about many other sports. Let’s see what he really knows.

General knowledge of the sport: Drew: All I know about basketball is that your goal is to get it in the basket. I have never seen a full basketball game in my life.

Makenzie: Well, I’ve been playing for 9 years or something. So, I think I know a decent amount of stuff.

So I asked Atkins to explain a few of the rules to me. Below are what the rules actually are.

Traveling Drew- “Um this is actually the only one I know I think. It’s when you hold the ball and run with it, like you can’t do that? This is the single thing I learned from elementary school PE.” Real rule- When a person takes more than 2 steps without dribbling, or when moving your pivot foot after you’ve picked up the ball.

Double Dribble Drew- I don’t know you double dribble…? Why is that a problem though don’t you dribble like a bunch of times anyway?

Real rule- When you pick up your dribble with both hands and then dribble it again or dribble with two hands.

Personal Foul Drew- When you fight somebody or break one of these rules. I think that’s pretty standard.

Real rule- Pushing, hitting, slapping, holding or hand-checking the offensive player. It could also be an illegal screen (on offense).

Technical Foul Drew- Oh lordy I have no idea.

Maybe when you step weird?

Real rule- Being aggressive toward other players/refs, fighting with other players. Coaches and fans can also receive this type of foul. It results in two free throws and possession of the ball for the opposing team.

Flagrant Foul Drew- All that comes to mind is like something really bad. Flagrant is not a “good job” kinda word, you messed up when somebody uses a word like flagrant. Maybe you punched somebody or something.

Real rule- Intentionally fouling someone or fouling them very unnecessarily. The other team gets the ball and two free throws.

Goaltending Drew- Thought this said “Goatlending” at first, but now that I know it’s not, I think it’s probably like puppy guarding but at the hoop.

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Real rule- Attempting to block a shot inside of the cylinder above the rim or when the ball is on its way down toward the basket.

So, it’s pretty obvious that Atkins is clueless when it comes to basketball. At least he admitted it: “What do I know about Basketball? Nothing at all. I did basketball for like a week in elementary school and that’s it. But I’m also tall so everyone thinks I play it. Unfortunately for them, I do not know a thing about basketball.”

However, though Drew doesn’t have a clue about basketball, he knows his way around a volleyball court. And unfortunately for Makenzie, now she’s the confused one.

General Knowledge: Drew: I’ve been playing since elementary school. And if I had a dollar for every time I had to explain that I play volleyball instead of basketball, I would be a billionaire.

Makenzie: I remember going to a volleyball game last year and every time the teams would switch sides, so would the fans and it made me really mad that I couldn’t just sit there and eat my pizza because I had to keep moving.

Foot-fault Makenzie- I guess when you hit something with your foot? Is it when you kick someone because I don’t think you can do that.

Drew- A foot-fault is for when the server steps over the backline during their serve. You can’t kick anyone either though.

Service Error Makenzie- When you run out of cell service on the court. Or when the scoreboard stops working.

Drew- It’s when the serve doesn’t make it to the other court. Whether it goes way out of the court or right into the net.

Out of Rotation Makenzie- I think I get this… when people aren’t where they’re supposed to be and then they get yelled at that’s not good.

Drew- Each player must be in their position’s correct spot before every point. There’s six, different rotations so if you ever mix them up you’ll get called.

Antenna Makenzie- Aren’t these the things that bugs have? I always think of butterflies when I hear that word.

Are these the things that hold the net up?

Drew- If a ball hits the antennas, the sticks that look kinda like candy canes on the edge of the net, it’s automatically out. The rally ends if the antenna is ever hit.

Though goaltending and goat-lending are very different, Drew still can’t tell the difference between them. Illustrated by Drew Atkins.

Service erorr? Unfortunately for Makenzie, you can’t use cell phones when you’re playing a volleyball game. That’s just logic. Illustrated by Drew Atkins.

Lift Makenzie- They do this in cheerleading. It’s when people come and lift you up so you can hit the ball harder and get the point.

Drew- Close but no honey, if you make any contact with a ball openhanded, it’s a lift. You’d be pushing the ball upward illegally.

Over Makenzie- Do they use walkietalkies in volleyball??? That’s new…

maybe this is when someone goes over the net. I’m 99% sure you can’t do that.

Drew- I don’t know what sport you’ve been watching, but an over is when a player reaches onto the other team’s side of the net during a point and affects the play.

Bonus: What Does Drew’s Position Do? (Middle Blocker) Makenzie- Oh gosh. Is this the

really tall person that stands in the middle and tries to hit the ball away because I know Drew is pretty tall and it sounds like that’s what a block is.

Drew- Good work Makenzie!

You got one pretty much right! The middle tries to keep the ball from coming over the net by blocking. And yes, it’s the tall person position.

As you can tell, we are both clueless. Oh well, at least we’re both dumb when it comes to other sports.

HUMOR

Check Out the Online Paper at sdamustang.com

What conspiracy theory are you based off of your horoscope?

By Lena Mau and Kamryn Romley Aries The belltower was used in the war, like the bell tower at freaking SDA??!?!!

Taurus President Trump actually wanted Hillary Clinton to win the election so he said tons of racist stuff and offensive things to make everyone angery but it didn’t work and now he is trying to get impeached by doing even worse things because he thinks that his new job a lot of work.

Literally he said that.

Gemini Roses are red, violets are Corbin Bleu, Bush did 9/11, what secrets are you keeping?

Cancer Speaking of Hillary Clinton, she’s actually a reptilian alien. Or she has cancer. Are you a alien?

the future starts here Our students explore the virtual world to make a difference in this one.

At San Diego State University, students are immersed in new technologies, like virtual reality, to find solutions to the world's pressing problems.

SDSU.edu

Leo Nicolas Cage has been alive since the civil war. Just living life, staring in terrible movies like “Journey to the center of the earth “and “Click” (I think).

Virgo Global warming is a hoax perpetuated by China. It’s not real, everything is a lie. Like this one, you like to lie about your problems and ignore them, even though they are slowly killing you.

Libra The catch me outside girl is actually a member of the Illuminati. Yeah this one is a stretch.

I really hope she isn’t in charge of our world and controlling things. Mostly because that would make me sad (a thirteen year old girl is already a billionaire for no reason and I can barely do my own laundry at 17).

Scorpio Taylor swift is related to a powerful devil worshiper.

You may want to take a deeper look into your own beliefs.

Sagittarius Mandela Affect.

Look it up. Honestly, if you don’t know I’m concerned and mostly just confused.

Capricorn Those smoke trail things from the planes in the sky are the government trying to brainwash us. Not too far fetched bc it’s happened before (flippin Stranger Things).

Who in your life are you trying to brainwash?

Aquarius Again with the government brainwashing us, like they have nothing better to do. Television is just another way for the government to try to control your mind. Like this one, you are a control freak, and bother people who literally have nothing to do with you. But hey, I do that too.

Maybe I’m an aquarius.

Pisces Beyonce’s song Flawless actually says “fall-less” which means that she thinks she’s better than everyone, what a condescending binch. But like also she’s really great. One person once told me that they don’t like her and we aren’t friends anymore. But hey, that’s life. Talk to your crush because the world is going to end soon probably and you’ll probably regret it if you don’t.

If you’re looking for the ‘thirteenth sign’ then you should probably just leave because we don’t support that here. Bye have a nice day and please leave.

The thirteenth sign is a government hoax.

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SPORTS

Getting paid to live a dream Greg Amsinger never put on a major league uniform, but he is still one of the most recognizable faces in the game. By Ryan Cohen.

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harlie Sheen wants to look like him. Eddie Vedder watches him every night. He wouldn’t want any other job. But unless you’re a big fan of baseball, you’ve never heard of him.

Greg Amsinger hosts MLB Tonight on MLB Network, a show dedicated to covering baseball games across the major leagues. The show’s setup is simple: Amsinger hosts alongside two former ballplayers and they analyze the night’s games. Everything from home runs to catches made by fans in the stands, they just talk about baseball.

Since 2009, MLB Network has used MLB Tonight as its headlining show and Amsinger has been the host from the start. Some nights, Amsinger works alongside Hall of Famers, like Pedro Martinez. Others, he works with a former player who had an “average” career, like Carlos Peña, who had a career .232 batting average. But for him, it doesn’t matter who he works with. He just loves his work. “That’s my job! I truly do have fun every night.”

It’s the middle of the season.

You’re hosting MLB Tonight. Walk me through your day.

Hopefully the weather in New Jersey is beautiful that day and I’m able to play 18 holes of golf.

Then I’ll go hang out at the pool with my two kids, then dinner with my family at around 5:45.

After dinner, I get in my car and drive from Montclair, New Jersey where I live to Secaucus, New Jersey where the MLB Network studio is located.

I have a production meeting around 7:00 P.M. We have all the games on while we’re sitting around talking about how we’re going to put together great segments based on what’s happening that night and we basically get ready to do play-by-play for all 15 games on a whim that night, depending on what those games have in store for us. It’s a lot of preparation.

I have a 100 page research packet that I dive into after the meeting.

Then I sit and watch games, yell with my buddies, then we go on at 10:00 P.M. From there, it’s an adlibbed, non scripted trainwreck that’s so incredibly beautiful. I love it. It’s a wonderful night.

All the games are happening at once, so naturally there is a lot of ac-

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Amsinger (left) reacts to a big moment in a San Francisco Giants game alongside former professional baseball player Harold Reynolds on MLB Network’s headlining show, MLB Tonight. Photo courtesy of MLB.com. tion coming in at once. How do you manage going about it all?

I think you have to have split personalities. There’s something wrong with me to be actually comfortable doing this job. I really believe that. It’s all about letting the guys to your left be the stars. I turn my brain off right before the show. I stop thinking and I start reacting. It’s so much more fun that way.

What is your main objective when you’re on air?

What I try to do, Ryan, is represent you: the Padres fan. If the Padres have a good night, I’m representing you on the set. I’m not a former player.

I can’t disagree with Harold Reynolds’ analysis of why Miguel Cabrera is the best hitter in the game, but I can say: “Really? Because Wil Myers is hitting .390 right now. If I’m a fan in San Diego, I’m looking at the stats saying Wil Myers has a better batting average, better OBP, better slugging percentage than Miguel Cabrera in 2017. Why isn’t Wil Myers the best hitter in baseball right now?”

I try to channel the fan on the show and I think it’s led to a lot of success.

What are the ins and outs of your job that might go unnoticed to the viewer at home?

I take pride in the fact that I’m really, really unselfish on TV. Even though it looks like I like to talk a lot,

if you took a stopwatch to each time I speak, I never speak more than 20 seconds at a time.

I’m always passing the rock. I’m a point guard that can’t stop passing.

There are times where I need to shoot and hopefully it goes in. Every game I play on MLB Tonight, I’m trying to rack up 30 assists. The stars of my shift should be the two guys to my left, no matter who they are. I want both of those guys to walk off the set thinking “man, I carried that show tonight. I was awesome.” That’s my goal.

That’s how I host. It has always led me to a lot of success at a young age.

When did you realize you wanted to become a TV sports host?

In college, I first wanted to be a radio broadcaster. After I got injured in high school, I didn’t know what to do. My buddy dared me to audition for the high school play. I ended up with a college scholarship for acting.

In college there was a radio station where we could do play-by-play of high school games, college games and I just started living at the radio station. By the time I was a sophomore, I realized television has a higher upside financially, so I had to figure out a way to do TV. So, I actually started the television program at Lindenwood University with my younger brother Rich.

As a freshman, he designed my set. I was a junior and we had a weekly TV show that ran on local cable access in

St. Louis county.

This little tiny idea I had led to some pretty big careers, which is something I’m very proud of. It was in college where I realized I could take my love for broadcasting and radio, my passion for sports, and my “hamness” from acting and turn it into a television career.

In the baseball world, you’re a pretty well known name, a well known voice. Has your fame impacted your personal life at all? Do you consider yourself famous?

I don’t consider myself famous.

Depending on the town I visit, the intense location in proximity to a baseball team, then yes. So today, when I walk into Dodger Stadium, sure, I’m “famous.” My children get annoyed at times with the occasional photo or dinner-time autograph, but it’s not too big an issue.

You really never know. When Eddie Vedder shook my hand and said “I watch you every night,” that was pretty cool. When Charlie Sheen told me once on the phone “I fall asleep watching you, dreaming that when I wake up I look like you.”

That’s a direct quote from Charlie Sheen.

That’s kinda crazy. You have those moments, but I still don’t consider myself famous.

What is your favorite moment on the job?

My favorite moment was when

I was standing in the tunnel at Busch Stadium watching a small, 10 inch black TV monitor. I was about to go out onto the field following Game Seven of the 2011 World Series.

After the game, 50,000 people were going crazy. The Cardinals just won the World Series. I walk out down the right field line and all these fans see me and start yelling “Amsinger! We did it!” They’re hugging me as I’m walking down the line. It was surreal.

Out of all the great moments I have had, and there have been a lot--I have an amazing gig--that was probably number one for me.

Baseball season is a long one.

Every team plays 162 games, then there are the playoffs and offseason.

It can be grueling. Has it affected your relationship with the game at all?

No. Actually, it makes me love it more. It’s a great sport to be ingrained in the fabric of. It’s a beautiful game. Is it a marathon? Yeah, but I’m a marathon broadcaster.

How many guys want to be on TV with the stress of “Get to break in 3,2,1!” every night for three hours? I love it. I love it. I’m a marathon guy.

The baseball season being as long as it is fits my personality. I love the ins and the outs, the daily grind of it all.

For the full interview transcript, visit sdamustang.com.

SPORTS

So close to the dream that it seems like a nightmare

Brian Mazone, a San Dieguito High School graduate, was as close as a person can be to pitching Major Leagues and the day that he was supposed to have his big chance, it all fell apart with some bad weather. Story by Wyley Sharp

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alk about close. Close to a dream. Close to what you have worked for since the day you first picked up a ball. And then, when you can feel that dream, when you’re about to reach it, everything falls apart. Your moment gets cancelled because of rain in Philadelphia.

“Sometimes bad things just happen to decent people; nothing I can do about it now. Just gotta laugh it off and move on” Brian Mazone said Mazone is a local boy. He attended Diegueno Middle School and what was then San Dieguito High School. Mazone played all four of his years at San Dieguito on the varsity baseball team. He picked it at first base, he hit towering home runs over the Don Crickmore sign in right field; but most importantly, the lefty was a crafty pitcher with a tailing fastball and a heavy curve. After graduating from San Dieguito in 1994, Mazone played at University of San Diego for four years.

He was originally signed by the Milwaukee Brewer’s Class A affiliate, the Eugene Emeralds in 1998, where he struggled. Mazone then tried out for the Boston Red Sox in 1999 and the Detroit Tigers in 2000, but made neither club. After playing two years of independent ball with the Zion Pioneerzz where Mazone performed well, he was given another shot with

the San Francisco Giants AA team.

With more good pitching, he was quickly moved up to the AAA team, the Fresno Grizzlies, where Mazone spent the majority of the 2005 season. In 2006, Mazone signed his first minor-league contract with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Mazone was playing great, but he still hadn’t received his shot in the big leagues. On September 5, 2006, Mazone got that call.

He was scheduled to pitch that night against the reigning National League Champion Houston Astros at Citizen’s Bank Ballpark in Philadelphia.

His family was in the stands. He had made it. He had reached the goal he had worked towards for two decades.

Then it started to rain. It rained hard. Mazone, in disbelief, remembers thinking, “Oh boy, this cannot be happening. I went to the clubhouse and got my uniform, but it continued to rain. Around 6:00, they called the game.”

T h e dream had to wait.

The following day Mazone was optioned back to Triple-A,

SDA alumni Brian Mazone midpitch during his time in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. Photo courtsey of Bryan Mazone

and despite playing four more seasons, that was the closest he came to climbing a major league mound.

“I’m not going to lie, it was heartbreaking,’’ Mazone said. “I still thought I was going to make it to the big leagues, but I never got the call again.” After the heartbreak, Mazone was offered a contract to pitch for the Samsung Lions in Korea.

Given the fact that Mazone had two sons and a wife he had to support, he took the generous signing bonus and the job, moving his whole family over there in 2007. “I was able to buy a home in San Elijo Hills with the bonus and put a nice chunk in the bank,” he said. “The deal assured that my family will be on solid ground for the rest of our lives.”

Mazone pitched well in Korea and tried his luck again in the United States. He pitched for the Los Angeles Dodger’s AAA team the Albuquerque Isotopes.

Mazone, although he never made it to

The Bigs, had quite an impressive minor league carreer. He has a lifetime ERA under 4 over 11 years. He played with numerous future big leaguers including J.A. Happ of the Toranto Blue Jays, Cole Hamels of the Texas Rangers, Micheal Borne of the Baltimore Orioles, and Carlos Ruiz of the Seattle Mariners.

Perhaps most impressive, during his time in the Phillies organization, Mazone struck out the Boston Red Sox sluigger David Ortiz, Big Papi himself.

Today, Mazone is happy. He lives in Encinitas, five minutes from where he played ball in high school. He has a stable job, a wife, Amber, and two boys, Braden, 13, and Blake, 11. Both Blake and Braden play baseball at Encinitas Little League, and obviously, Mazone coaches his boys and their teams as often as he can.

Mazone loves coaching so much, that he even spends time helping teams that his boys are not a part of, for free. In 2014, Mazone was one of the five coaches who helped the Encinitas Little League twelve year-old All Star team reach the Western Regional quarter-finals during their historic run.

“If I can play a part in helping just one of the boys make it one step further then I made it,” Mazone said, “then I sure as hell wanna do it.”

Running through the adversity

In an interview with The Pony, Olympic medalist and decorated long-distance runner Meb Keflezighi talked about what it meant to win the first Boston Marathon after the 2013 bombing, and also gave a few tips and routines to improve as a runner. Story by Alexandra Joelson

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eb Keflezighi, an Eritreanborn American long distance runner, won the Boston Marathon in 2014, the first since the tragic Boston Bombing the year before, becoming the first American to win the Boston Marathon since 1983. Also in 2009, he became the first American to win the New York City marathon in 27 years. Keflezighi, who lives in San Diego, is a three-time national cross country champion and won three USA Cross Country Championships. He graduated from UCLA after winning four NCAA championships for the Bruins and many more achievements.

Keflezighi sat down in an interview with The Pony, where he detailed his successes and failures, and his entire career.

What type of preparation do you do being an Olympic runner to train for a half - marathon/marathon?

My training entails about 100 - 120 miles of running per week, broken down into 12 different training sessions. Before a big race like the Olympics, I will spend about a month living at elevation in Mammoth

“For me, ‘winning’ doesn’t have to mean placing first. It means trying my best and never giving up.”

Photo courtsey of Arthur Langham

Lakes, CA. When you are running in a race or just going on a long run, what do you think about? Do you listen to music?

When I’m on an easy run, I like to listen to something upbeat like Michael Jackson. However, for races or important training sessions I do not listen to music. Instead, I focus on my breathing and running form. There is a lot of time on my long runs so I tend to think about my family, I pray and I visualize my upcoming race.

I know you are a very successful runner (2014 Boston Marathon victory!!), but how do you handle defeat?

Although I’ve been blessed to enjoy major victories in my career, I’ve also dealt with significant losses. Missing the 2008 Olympic team after winning a medal in 2004 is one example.

Another took place during my senior year of college. That year, I failed to defend my NCAA Track Championships after winning two titles the year before. These were hard pills to swallow. In my career, I’ve developed a saying called “Run to Win.” For me, “winning” doesn’t have

to mean placing first. It means trying my best and never giving up. That attitude keeps me going, even when times are tough.

How big is stretching in your training? Since you train so often how do you prevent injuries?

People often ask how I’ve been able to continue running professionally for so long (I’m 42). One of the biggest reasons is my extensive stretching and drills routine. Before and after each run I spend at least 15 minutes loosening up my body and strengthening key muscles with key exercises.

How do you maintain proper nutrition? How do your eating habits change when training for a half marathon/marathon or do you try to keep them the same all year round?

Overall, I like to eat healthy, balanced meals because I want to feel good and take care of my body. That being said, I do have to eat extra careful leading up to my big races. I cut out dessert and any kinds of junk foods because these things detract from my performance. I stick to vegetables, fruits and healthy protein sources.

Do you think proper hy-

dration affects the outcome of the race for you? How do you try and stay properly hydrated?

I am a big believer in hydration and have tried many different solutions throughout my career. As athletes, we deplete our bodies through vigorous exercise and water is not always enough. Inadequate hydration can hamper performance.

Do you have any other suggestions/tips for me in my training for the half - marathon that I will be running in?

My biggest piece of advice is to take your time as you increase your mileage. I started by running just a few miles at a time. It took me years to be able to run over 100 miles per week in training.

One of the biggest mistakes I see is people running too many miles in their training. This leads to injury and burnout. We are lucky that our sport is so accessible and enjoyable while offering significant health benefits. The key is to enjoy yourself and take time by building your fitness the right way - slowly, gradually and consistently.

may 2017

THE PONY

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05.25.17

The Pony