The Mustang Feb. 2012 by The Mustang Newspaper

The Mustang

Issue 4, Volume 16

February 10, 2012

The Mustang

Editor-In-Chief News Editor Lindsey Agnew

February 10, 2012 25 steeze A new kind of inspiring Senior Claire Li is breaking into the fashion industry with her fashion line “Nocturne Rose.”

4 news

Marijuana use rises A national study shows an increase in teen marijuana use, but SDA staff says the trend is not mirrored here.

26 Circus animal fun

gop candidate flashcards Confused whenever people start talking politics? With these handy Republican flashcards, maybe someday you’ll be good enough to run for office yourself!

6 news SOPA and pipa protests SDA students joined internet protestors against the bills which could limit internet freedoms.

14 8 opinions SDA’s Superheroes Cassia Pollock exposes SDA’s underground support system: PALs.

30 sports students mourn sda coach The freshman girls volleyball coach, Karen Reis, was killed on New Year’s day.

managing editor arts editor Angela Zhang Opinions Editor Laurel Sorenson Features Editor Caitlin Hird Sports Editors Anna Sheridan and Sarah Kochanek EATS Editor Kianna Eberle Steeze Editor Tatiana Skomski CAF Editor Eleanore Hendrickson Photo Editor Jocelyn Lee Asst Photo Editor Emily Maxwell cOPY EDITORS Charlotte Ohrbom and Mae Wright Ads Manager Emma Lindley Advisor Tim Roberts

32 backpage Sourpuss Daniel Kim and other students react to the taste of Warheads. 13 features enD OF THE wORLD? Charlotte Ohrbom writes that 2012 isn’t the end of the world. The past has been wrong before.

Numbers

compiled by katie mcpherson

610 students who attend-

staff writers Natalya Ballard, Katie Berriochoa, John Deane, Kira Elliot, Elisa Figueroa, Caroline Glass, Emily Hall, Kyle Hoff, Taylor Knudson, Joey Kobara, Sarah Kochanek, Lily LeaVesseur, Katie McPherson,Cassia Pollock, Kai Schlesinger, Nicole Smith, Katy Swanson, Maddy Thunder, Andrew Walker, Anna Williams, Sam Winter,

ed formal

14 centerspread sda uncovered The Mustang takes you on a tour of SDA’s secret nooks and crannies, including Jeff Germano’s office above the autoshop room.

212 bags used for coat check at formal

ing to SDA

1436 gallons of water used for pool in “Metamorphoses”

20 arts Metamorphoses The theater department shows us its serious side. Sophomores Allison Thompson and Wesley Whittlesey featured above. 24 eats Taste Test SDA students put Rico’s and Jorge’s hot sauces to the test, blindly evaluating which is superior.

25 Austrian students com-

50 paninis sold daily at the mosaic

25 homerooms participat-

ing in the dodgeball tournament

13 days until airbands 32

Cover by Allyssa Baldini. Read about her on page 19. San Dieguito Academy / Room 98 / 800 Santa Fe Drive / Encinitas, CA 92024 The Mustang is the student newspaper of San Dieguito Academy. Advertisements do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the newspaper. The Mustang is an open forum which welcomes letters. Letters can be submitted to room 98, emailed to sdamustang@gmail. com or mailed to the above address.

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The Mustang 02.10.2012

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Seniors Sam Varney, Jenai Machhi, Perri Callaway and junior Sasha Hodson and unveil the sign they made for The Mosaic in sculpture class. Photo by Jocelyn Lee.

Mosaic Café Debuts

As the newest addition to SDA’s campus, The Mosaic brings new life to the Mustang Center. Story by Sam Winter.

inutes before the doors opened for the first time at The Mosaic, Oly Norris’s blue-shirted business management students scrambled to prepare for the big moment. After nearly a semester of hard work, Norris and the students waited with simmering excitement for the lunch bell that marked the next stage of their project. With an opening day that included student art, music from 91X radio station, and a live performance by San Dieguito’s The Asymptotes, The Mosaic Café hit the ground running on Jan. 11. During the lunch hour, excited students flocked to business management class’s creation for a menu including paninis, smoothies, and clothing. The business management class has looked forward to the opening day for a long time. Norris feels what they’ve done is truly innovative. “This has been done in many schools, but our scope of having a café, retail store, community center and music venue made it unique,” said Norris. “I’m impressed with the students’ vision.” From this uniqueness, however, rose difficulties. The Mosaic premiered nearly three months later

than its original start date of November. This was due, in part, to difficulties with the state law according to Norris. “There was a lot more to the picture than we had planned. It involved a lot of research.” said Norris. “But it’s not so much problems with the district as it is problems with state law. We have to deal with the legalities and learn to run a student run business, because there are professional state laws around it. The district has been helping us figure it all out…They’re helping us make sure the guidelines from the state laws are being followed.” “There were regulations on taking away business from the cafeteria,” said senior Desiree Otillio, an active member of Norris’s class. Despite these difficulties, The Mosaic opened with a bang. “There is a crazy line out the door, but everyone’s got a huge smile on their face,” said senior Nolan Gallagher. Gallagher, who served as the chief operating officer in the business management class, ran the corner boutique on opening day. “We’ve been working all semester; I’m super proud,” said Gallagher. “It came together nicely.” The culinary arts department was a major contributor to the suc-

cess of The Mosaic. Culinary arts teacher Scott Huntley, was a “go-to person on all of this,” said Norris. Also participating in the opening day ceremonies, Huntley and the culinary arts department helped prepare and serve food to eager students. Many other clubs participated in The Mosaic as well, said Norris. Those involved include screen printing, responsible for The Mosaic shirt design, ASB’s Rod Keillor, for general advice and planning, as well as The Shire Club and Project Zero Waste, two clubs involved with the design of the outdoor eating area and the proposed garden. Band teacher Jeremy Wuertz provided guidance to the class on setting up the stage, a place, if the students’ goals are met, that may someday serve as a music venue. Among the first customers was sophomore Jenika Zukowski. Checking out The Mosaic’s clothing section, Zukowski commented on the café’s art work: “It totally matches the style of our school,” she said. With the continued work of the business management class and San Dieguito’s clubs, The Mosaic lives up to its namesake, a group effort resulting in a piece of art.

Senior Dane Barry helps a customer make a purchase from the new café’s retail store. Photo by Jocelyn Lee.

Business management teacher Oly Norris directs students to the cashier during The Mosaic’s grand opening. Photo by Jocelyn Lee.

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02.10.2012The

Mustang

Homeroom Olympics

Games and festivities set off the 2012 year with school bonding and enhance homeroom unity. The Homeroom Olympics’ opening ceremonies were held the last week of the semester on Jan. 26. Homeroom Olympics was started last year by Assistant Principal Jeanne Jones and the Homeroom Olympic Committee and will probably become an annual SDA tradition. Points were awarded at the opening ceremonies for the best flag, most spirit, most creativity, and most cohesive homeroom. The current standings include Broemmelsiek’s homeroom in first place with 1250 points, Conn’s homeroom in second place with 1200 points, and Siers’ homeroom in third with 1100 points. Upcoming events include dodgeball, a hacky sack competition, a parkour/ free running challenge, and “Know Your Homeroom Teacher.” The dodgeball tournament will begin Feb. 13. elisa figueroa

Senior Derrik Marow leads Spanish teacher Suzanne McCluskey’s homeroom in the opening ceremonies. Photo by Jocelyn Lee

Teen Marijuana Use Increases Though the national percentage of marijuana use among teenagers is rising, drug use at SDA does not appear to mirror the national trend. Story by Anna Williams.

hile a national survey showed an increase of marijuana usage among teens in 2011, SDA officials said they haven’t seen such an increase here. “Marijuana use among teens rose in 2011 for the fourth straight year—a sharp contrast to the considerable decline that had occurred in the preceding decade,” according to the Monitoring the Future survey, an annual report funded by the National Institutes of Health. The annual prevalence of marijuana use incrased from 21.4 percent in 2007 to 25 percent in 2011. About 47,000 eighth graders, sophomores and seniors participated in the national survey. The increase has been attributed in part to medical marijuana laws which seem to be sending kids the message that marijuana is safe to use. SDA Assistant Principal Jeanne Jones said, “I think it’s a problem here at school, because of the perception that marijuana use is less harmful because of its medicinal use. Many people, particularly young people forget that for many, it can be a gateway drug.” Joseph Olesky, the SDUHSD substance abuse counselor for the READI drug intervention program, described marijuana as the “blankie” drug, saying that people will often go everywhere with it, pairing it with other drugs, such as

methamphetamines.

Olesky also said that he had noticed eighteen-year-olds buying marijuana at dispensaries and selling to other students at school. “The accessibility has gone up, and with that the drug use has also gone up. But, marijuana itself is still illegal. The legalization of medical marijuana cards and marijuana dispensaries means nothing in the eyes of the federal government,” said Olesky. Jones said, “I think there is a place for properly administered and distributed medicinal marijuana. However, I’ve seen many dispensaries hand out medical marijuana based on poor medical diagnoses. For example, a young person says, ‘I have trouble sleeping’ and they are issued a medical marijuana card, because there are some doctors who are willing to give prescriptions to teens for that.” With this, there appears to be a greater ease among youth in obtaining marijuana that has been attributed to Prop 215 and the later addition of SB 420. The objectives for those are to treat those with “serious medical conditions,” as defined by SB 420. These protect those with Medical Marijuana ID cards, or MMID’s, in purchasing and being able to legally possess certain amounts of marijuana.

Although these two are active in California, the most recent proposition, Proposition 19, known as the Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010, was defeated on the Nov. 2, 2010 California statewide ballot. Although administrators believe that this has been a problem, an anonymous SDA senior boy did not see the legalization as changing the perception of teens. “I think that making marijuana available for medicinal use is just making it more available for students, but I don’t think it’s really changed the mindset of it at all,” he said. Students don’t seem to associate health risks with marijuana, while the school faculty and professionals said it could lead to real health issues. Olesky said, “Smoking one bowl [of marijuana] has four times the tar of smoking one cigarette. Over 400 carcinogens are in marijuana when it’s smoked.” Regarding the increase in marijuana among teens, “One reason society tends to demystify marijuana as an acceptable practice is that [they think] it doesn’t have long term effects, and a lot of young people are exposed to hearing that this is what they’re supposed to do at 18,” said Olesky. “Marijuana smoke is a much

heavier smoke than cigarette smoke. Even people under the age of 35 who smoked marijuana heavily had a heavy increase in cancer of the tongue, jaw and mouth,” said Jones. The resulting consequences from habitual smoking are serious for daily users among the teenage age group. This behavioral change was noticed by the Monitoring the Future survey which found that daily marijuana use is now at a “30-year peak level among high school seniors.” Defined as “20 or more occasions in the prior 30 days,” the current daily prevalence levels of 2011 were 1.3 percent for eighth graders, 3.6 percent for sophomores , and 6.6 percent for seniors An anonymous SDA parent thought that marijuana use among teens wasn’t a problem. “As long as they keep their grades up and do what they’re supposed to do, I don’t mind if they want to smoke,” the parent said. An anonymous junior boy had similar thoughts: “Marijuana use at SDA doesn’t bother me. Nobody has ever approached me and offered me drugs.” However, an anonymous freshman girl had a differing opinion. Having seen friends begin to use marijuana, she said, “I feel that kids are taking it because they don’t un-

derstand the real serious effects. But it also could be from stress. Taking a drug like that could release stress. I honestly think kids need to be more careful. Yeah, people tell them and warn them about this drug, but some kids aren’t listening.” The freshman girl talked about her entrance into high school, seeing “that some of my friends or the people I thought I knew are starting to get into taking marijuana. It’s hard to think that my old best friends started using this drug. It scares me that this drug can catch anybody and put them under a spell.” An anonymous junior boy also did not see it as a significant problem. “People are constantly trying and giving up marijuana. They are going to smoke marijuana regardless of if it’s a legal drug or not... people are just making a big deal over nothing. People don’t realize that there are worse things and if the government made marijuana legal they could have guidelines to regulate it to make sure there are no pesticides or chemicals that could harm someone.” “For me, drug use is a big problem if one student is using drugs. I don’t listen to percentages. It doesn’t matter if it’s 99 percent or if it’s 1 percent. It matters to me for one student to be affected to learn, to think, to feel,” said Jones.

The Mustang 02.10.2012

News

Stringing it all Together The Writer’s Block Club is currently accepting submissions for Thread. Excerpts from the literary magazine are shown below. Story by Nicole Smith. Every year, San Dieguito Academy’s writing club, Writers’ Block, produces Thread, a literary magazine showcasing student work. The members of the club are currently working on producing this year’s Thread in time for Exhibition Day. “[Thread] it is a little bound book, filled with student submitted works. The majority of them are written works… but there are also pieces of artwork and photos that students submit that decorate the book,” said Writers’ Block club president, junior Breanna Schenkhuizen. The production of Thread is a multistep process that Writers’ Block members work on. Schenkhuizen described some of the steps that are required to bring Thread to its finished product. “Students submit work, and we go through the submissions to decide what’s going into Thread. We come up with a central theme for the book--last year it was a single line, a thread, weaving throughout the book on every page. A couple of people in our club are from the yearbook class, and they use a computer program to create the page layouts and designs. Then we print the books and begin selling them.” Thread is expected to be ready for purchase in time for Exhibition Day. In past years, the magazine has been popular and has been very successful. “Thread has done pretty well. It’s been produced fabulously, and people like to read it. We sell a lot of copies at Exhibition Day and also at our Slamboree once we have the books printed. This year we hope to expand its circulation and get even more works submitted. It will still be produced the same way,” said Schenkhuizen. Club advisor Rob Ross thinks the students enjoy having the opportunity to see their work published. “I think it’s been pretty successful. Students and parents and the club have been happy with the results. We typically sell out of the magazine. Students are happy to see their work in the magazine since it is usually the first time their work is published,” said Ross. The preferred way for students to submit work, which ranges from poems, stories, and essays to artwork and photography, is by sending it to the club’s email, sda.archetype@gmail.com. As a second option, students may give their work to an English teacher to pass onto the club.

Olivia By Gabby Catalano

Illustration by Tona Gonzales

The Power of Nature By Patrick Arsenault The morning sky is illuminated by the first glimpse of sun on the horizon The beach is vacant of people only the seagulls can be heard squawking I feel a gentle mist of the salt water breeze on my face I hear the soothing sounds of waves breaking on the beach It’s the nicest time of day Sliding into my wetsuit and waxing my board I journey towards the water The sand forms to my feet as I sink ever so slightly with every step My feet are the first to feel the icy cold water which shoots up my veins and throughout my body It immediately jump starts my senses and I feel completely aware of my surroundings Paddling towards the lineup I become one with the water around me A group of dolphins swim curiously close to me and continue down the beach In the distance I see a set wave coming closer and closer The wave arrives and I paddle with explosive energy in an attempt to catch it I stand up, the rails on the board turn through water like a hot knife slicing through butter For those seconds that I ride the wave I feel like I’m one with the power of nature

Fair Olivia, the flower of my heart I send to you these lines of love and joy, Thine eyes glisten and sparkle like magical art, Thy angel of my soul, your love is coy, The leaves of amour descend from the trees And fall into the hands of a lovesick lad, My sympathy for you is like the seas, Tis love is deep and full of depth, yet sad, You omit my lust and languish my soul, For my heart sighs sorrow after sorrow, Though I seek upon your grace, it is whole, Such divine charm will ever have a tomorrow, Sacred beauty, the angels sing above, Till eternity, your love remains a dove.

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THE LAST CLASS 2012 Grad Nite Ticket Sales Coming Soon...

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SOPA, PIPA,

02.10.2012The

Mustang

Other Acronyms

Students at SDA joined Internet users across the nation on Jan. 18 in protests against Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and Protect IP Act (PIPA). The two bills seek to protect copyrighted property, especially from foreign rogue websites, but could restrict the freedom of internet users to create content. For more student opinions, go to sdamustang.com. Story by Lindsey Agnew.

Online Protests “I feel that the extremity with which they propose to attack Internet copyright is far too much. The structure of our entire internet and social networking depends on the non-malicious, harmless, copyright infringement they are against. ... When the Internet is threatened, and all its users band together, it’s going to be hard to stop.” –Senior Michaela Whatnall This image appeared on file-sharing site Megaupload after it was shut down by the Department of Justice.

Closure of Megaupload Amidst the protests and blackouts on Jan. 18, file-sharing website Megaupload and several affiliated sites, like Megavideo, were shut down by the Department of Justice. Seven of its executives, including founder Kim Dotcom, were charged with supporting massive worldwide online piracy of copyrighted works. Megaupload generated over $175 million in criminal proceeds, and caused over $500 million in harm to copyright owners, according to a FBI press release. Charges against the site and its officers included racketeering, copyright infringement, and money laundering. The case, which the FBI dubbed as “among the largest criminal copyright cases ever brought by the US,” is part of efforts undertaken by the Department of Justice Task Force on Intellectual Property (IP Task Force). The IP Task Force, created by Attorney General Eric Holder, seeks to protect intellectual property, American consumers, and the nation’s economy, but it could result in further shutdowns of similar sites in the future.

In protest of the bills, online encyclopedia Wikipedia temporarily blacked out its U.S. site on Jan. 18. Visitors were given links to an explanation of the SOPA and PIPA bills, and a form to contact their local congressmen. Search engine Google covered its trademark logo with a black box, and also encouraged internet users to send messages to Congress against the bills. Other popular websites that joined in the protests with blackouts or anti-censorship advocacy messages included Wired, Reddit, WordPress, Public Knowledge, Mozilla, and Icanhascheezburger. Google reported that over 115,000 sites took part in the protests, and that over seven million people petitioned Congress to vote against SOPA and PIPA on Jan. 18. SOPA and PIPA have also drawn criticism from internet security experts about their technicalities, from human rights activists about their civil rights implications, from lawyers about their constitutionality, and from investors about their negative financial effects. Fourteen representatives and senators withdrew their sponsorship of SOPA and PIPA after the protests occurred. Following the protests, a Senate vote on PIPA scheduled for Jan. 24 and a House markup of SOPA were both postponed.

An OPEN Alternative An alternative bill to SOPA and PIPA is the Online Protection and Enforcement of Digital Trade Act (OPEN). It was introduced in the Senate on Dec. 17, 2011 by Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, and in the House on Jan. 18, 2012 by Rep. Darrell Issa of California. Issa will be running for Representative of California’s 49th district, which due to redistricting will now include Encinitas, in the next election. “[OPEN] delivers stronger intellectual property rights for American artists and innovators while protecting the open, accessible internet Americans deserve,” said Issa. The bill, proposed as an alternative to SOPA and PIPA, is currently in committee. Citizens are invited to edit and comment on the bill itself, as well as read the full text of SOPA and PIPA, on www.keepthewebopen.com. Web companies including Facebook and Google have announced their support of OPEN, while the Motion Picture Association of America opposes it.

“The level of regulation [SOPA and PIPA] call for is logistically impossible and way too restricting. I’m against the bills because they don’t just stop piracy, they open the flood gates for internet censorship. “ –Senior Stan Austin

PIPA and SOPA Defined “[SOPA and PIPA are] like trying to do brain surgery with a pickaxe—they’re going to end up doing way more harm than good to the Internet as a source of information and a source of business for artisans and small companies.” –Junior Emily Fountain

SOPA and PIPA are respectively the House and Senate versions of a bill seeking to combat online piracy, particularly from foreign websites. The movie and music industries have been strong proponents of the bills, while Internet companies are typically against them. PIPA was introduced in the Senate by Sen. Patrick Leahy on May 12, 2011, and was presented as “A bill to prevent online threats to economic creativity and theft of intellectual property, and for other purposes.” SOPA was introduced in the House by Rep. Lamar Smith on Oct. 26, 2011. The bills set the stage for the Attorney General and intellectual property right holders to seek court action against sites facilitating online piracy, and to require them to cease further infringement – ultimately shutting the sites down. SOPA and PIPA both also hold financial transaction providers, such as Paypal, and Internet advertising services accountable for providing services to Internet sites abusing copyrights. This would also result in Internet search engines like Google blocking these entries from display. However, PIPA grants them immunity from liability if they take preventative actions against the sites or withhold services from them. Both bills also include an anti-circumvention provision, making it illegal to inform users how to access blocked sites. Critics have questioned the implications this could have on sites with user-generated content, such as Facebook and YouTube. In addition, PIPA and SOPA both include measures to penalize sites enabling the distribution of counterfeit medication.

The Mustang 02.10.2012

Opinions

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Before the World Ends

Since the Mayan Calendar ends in 2012, it could be our last year on Earth. This month’s Staff editorial is composed of a list of things the Mustang writers want to accomplish before we experience Armageddon, just in case this one’s real.

Each picture on the calendar correpsonds with an activity we would like to participate in before the world ends.

Illustration by Maddy Thunder

1. Eat the $1000 sundae from Serendipity in New York.

14. Be on “Ellen” as one of the audience members who gets picked to play a game.

2. Ride a bike through Central America.

15. Go to Vegas and bet $10,000 on roulette.

3. Do nothing on a beach far, far away.

16. Meet a Bolivian person, because I just found out what country they’re from.

4. Get a ridiculous tattoo of a tiger ripping out my chest.

17. Get in a fight.

5. Get a cat (I can’t now because my family is allergic).

18. Beat my cousin’s tiny wings score; he said if I did he’d give me $30.

6. Go on a road trip with my bunny to the birth place of Walt Whitman.

19. Keep bees.

7. Steal art from the Louvre, then bring it back the next day.

20. Participate in a medical experiment.

8. Own a whole designer collection.

21. Go to India during the Holi festival.

9. Buy a plot of land and build a small amusement park with an underground train.

22. Write a full-length novel.

10. Eat horse meat.

23. Go to an ice festival where there’s an ice hotel and ice sculptures everywhere.

11. I want to bottle my scent and make it a perfume that’s named after me.

24. Go to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando to drink butter beer.

12. Go to Tomatina, that festival in Italy with tomatoes and naked people.

25. Take a hot air balloon ride.

13. There’s this club at Disney Land for fancy rich people called Club 33; I want to be in it.

26. Hang out with the Amish.

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A Super Support Group SDA’s individuality is under the protection of the PALs. Story by Cassia Pollock.

very high school is a scary jungle. There’s that teacher who hates you, that innuendo everyone says that makes no sense, that creeper who touches your arm constantly, and those sparkly girls who snicker every time you walk by. SDA tries to not be a typical high school. The student body shoots for a spirit of fearless individuality. However, it’s hard for SDA to keep this stay-true-to-yourself prerogative—especially when people threaten to destroy the ecosystem of this jungle with their crude comments like, “Dude, that’s gay.” That’s why we have PALs. The acronym stands for Peer Assisted Listeners. Like most superheroes, PALs don’t get the proper amount of credit because they fight injustice in underground facilities. Inside the counselor’s office, there’s a room where students talk to other students. People go to PALs anytime they need someone to listen. PALs helps preserve SDA’s confidence simply by being available. In a way, this enhances our school’s ability to maintain its spirit of individuality. PALs listen, ask questions, and serve an important role in many student’s lives. They are trained confidantes. PALs generally absorb other people’s problems like sponges,

Illustration by Joey Kobara

and continue to manage their own problems as well. Some even tutor students on academic issues. Students feign awareness about PALs, but a lot of them don’t grasp how cool it is that SDA has this program. If you tell a PAL about something you did that upset you they won’t fume at you, “Why did you do that?!”

They won’t make a snotty comment like, “Bad things must happen to you because you’re stupid or something,” as your baby sister or “BFF” might do on occasion. They support you as you struggle to reach your own resolution, and ask questions that help you to find your own way. The spirit of SDA would be weak-

ened if it weren’t for this support group of Peer Assisted Listeners. They protect the underdog, the kid who needs somebody to listen in order to blossom, and they make sure no one gets left behind. All you have to do is ask for help. They’ll give it to you regardless of how dire your problems may seem to strangers.

02.10.2012The

Mustang

Getting To Know PALS A couple of PALs, students who are trained to be supportive listeners, are always available at the counseling office every period. They wait for any student to come in and ask for help. Sophomore Dane Pendleton, the youngest Pal said, “If you’re sad you can come in and talk all you want. We’ll listen.” Sometimes PALs call people out of their classes if they are having a bad day. Talking to a PAL is not nearly as competitive as joining PALs. There are only about 12 to 13 students selected per year from applications to become a PAL. President of PALs, senior Mariko Kobayashi, said, “Problems are different for every person, and just because it may seem small to other people doesn’t mean it’s not really bothering that person.” It’s clear where the focus lies. Counselor Ann Nebolon said, “We drop everything for students who ask for help.” PALs may do homework and other duties but if a student in need approaches the office, the consideration gets placed on the guest. Nebolon said, “When you have a problem, a PAL won’t say, ‘Why did you do that? That’s stupid.’ They won’t judge people.”

In Defense of Sequels Many may bristle at the thought of a sequel, but the neat and tidy endings they provide are severely underrated. Story by Charlotte Ohrbom.

eople are ready to scream and rip their hair out if a sequel is even mentioned, but to me, it seems their anger could be directed at something that is more important, like the lack of paper towels in the girls bathroom. I defend and love sequels because I always know what to expect. I am not a fan of surprises, so having an idea of what’s going to happen allows me to relax and enjoy the movie. There’s no meeting your main characters, or trying to figure what the hey is happening. You already know what’s going on. When I leave the theater I feel a mix of euphoria and depression. I am still immersed in the experience of following the characters in their adventures, but that is it.

Just the two hours of bliss, then cut off cold turkey until the sequel. I always miss the characters and I want to know they are doing well. This is the same reason I bought every Harry Potter and Hunger Games: I want to know that my favorites continue to go on super cool voyages and be amazingly awesome. I have seen some of the most botched sequels ever. “Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde,” “Shrek 2-4,” “Weekend at Bernie’s II” are so illogical. Shouldn’t Bernie have been decomposed by now? And some of the “Star Wars” weren’t necessarily up to snuff. One of the best examples of the potential and success of sequels is none other than “The Godfather.” If

they had just stopped at end of the first movie, we would never know how Michael would have handled being a mob boss. How would we know? I suppose guessing could suffice, and it has to in many cases, but I prefer loose ends be tied up in a clean conclusion. After seeing “Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows,” “X-Men: First Class,” and “The Dark Knight,” who would say no to a sequel? No one, that’s who. “Toy Story 3” is my favorite sequel ever. It had the perfect combination for a successful continuation. We had an adventure, we had the original characters, and we have a heartwarming ending (which, in all confidence, made me cry like a small child).

Illustration by Emily Hall

“Toy Story 3” is the best defense for any sequelophile. Maybe I have problems letting go. I love the characters, the story, the experience, and, while I have

lost more than five cats without shedding a tear, I don’t think I will ever be alright until I get “The Girl with the Dragon Ta-two: Laser Surgery.”

Opinions

The Mustang 02.10.2012

It’s Just Not Fair

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By buying Fair Trade gifts this Valentine’s Day, consumers can fight economic injustice around the world while sitting in a coffee shop staring affectionately into their Valentine’s eyes. Story by Laurel Sorenson.

alentine’s Day is coming up, so you know what that means. It’s time to a) plan a romantic date with that oh-so-special someone b) pass out chocolate hearts to your friends, or c) eat a tub of ice cream and wallow in your own pitiful solitude. As participants in this pseudoholiday, we take it upon ourselves to reflect on the nature of our Valentine’s Day purchases. While they can contribute to the warm, fuzzy feelings associated with Valentine’s Day, products like coffee, chocolate, and vanilla can come with tragic consequences for the sake of a higher profit. Buying these items from companies like Kraft, Hershey’s, Nestle, and M&M Mars, contributes to the exploitation of laborers around the world. According to a BBC investigation, hundreds of thousands of children have been either kidnapped or purchased from their parents to become slaves in cocoa farms on the Ivory Coast (a country in West

Africa), the supplier of 43 percent of the world’s cocoa. Children’s lives are spent harvesting the crops used in our everyday staples and they are paid absolutely nothing, despite the enticing wages promised to them or their parents. According to the human rights organization Global Exchange, farmers in places like Brazil, Columbia, and Africa are paid scant amounts for their crops so major companies can maximize their own profits. Meanwhile, these farmers live in poverty and are forced to neglect their children’s education for the sake of getting enough food to eat. As a consumer, you do not have to tolerate this injustice. While buying from these companies perpetuates cruel labor practices, avoiding their products doesn’t necessarily mean giving up your favorite treats. By buying items with a Fair Trade Certified symbol on the label, you can ensure that your purchases meet ethical and environmental standards while being able to indulge your sweet tooth or get your

morning jolt. Fair Trade promotes economic sustainability, not dependency. Fair Trade producers become part of cooperatives with high standards in quality and labor practices, giving them the opportunity to pull themselves out of poverty. Supporting this movement can be as simple as buying chocolate from Trader Joe’s, asking for the Fair Trade Certified Café Estima Blend at Starbucks, or drowning your sorrows in a tub of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream. You can also “Like” Fair Trade Encinitas on Facebook to receive updates about how Encinitas is encouraging businesses to sell Fair Trade. So when you’re buying Valentine’s Day supplies, consider what each purchase can mean. By spending that extra dollar on Fair Trade certified items, you can be sure that these items will be high quality and will have been made through ethical means, making a monumental difference with minimal effort on your part. If nothing else, you can impress your date with how socially conscious you are.

SDA graduate Ian McMaster peruses an Equal Exchange catalogue at a Fair Trade Encinitas event as Laurel Sorenson tries to convince him to buy Fair Trade Finger puppets. Photo by Jocelyn Lee.

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The evolution of John Deane from an awkward seventh grader all the way to a super cool senior.

The Ultimate Semester

As their last semester of high school approaches, seniors should make the most of their time at SDA before entering the world of adulthood. Story by John Deane.

y the time this is published, I will be a second semester senior. Sometime in the writing of this article, I turned the big one eight. Nestled among the birthday greetings on Facebook was a notification from Facebook saying, “Happy Birthday!” It then went on to say something along the lines of, “As a minor, we limited your account access, now that you’re an adult…” The message went on to list the privileges I’d gained – or the privacies I’d lost – depending from which side of the aisle you look at it. I guess it’s appropriate that I’ve become an adult (at least in the legal sense) in the final hours of 1st semester senior year. It’s funny to think about – with that one click on the OK button, I was thrown from the safety of the fold into the wild rumpus of the rodeo. It’s also inevitable that college and college applications come up as myself, like many seniors, got caught up in the whirlwind of chipping away at essays that was synonymous with 1st semester. The college application time period is much like an open rabbit hunt. It’s a frantic free-for-all where you bag as much as you can in the allotted time. Yet, the frenzy of college apps is over, just in time actually, for the flurry of acceptances to flood in. With the end of applications comes a new-found sense of freedom that seems much like when I clicked the OK button on the Facebook notification. I wanted to avoid using the word “senioritis” (aka dgaf) in this article, which for those of you readers who don’t know, means the consuming feelings of being-over-it, but alas, these feelings are sinking in fast. I was talking with an SDA volunteer a couple of days ago and she mentioned that the only thing holding seniors back mid to late year is the cooler

weather. Once the warmer weather hits, thoughts of academics go out the window and after lunch periods become Surf PE regardless of enrollment or not – I can relate. Rather than be a cynic, I’d like to dwell on all the things I’m looking forward to doing. Going to a school play is high on my list. Myself, like many, wanted to go to school plays in years past, yet when it came time to buy tickets (usually the day before the opening night), they were all gone. I’m disappointed I missed out on watching a show in the old Roundabout Theatre, but I’m determined to watch a school production before I graduate. Much like the privileges of being an adult, the rank of senior is graced with certain exclusivities; like Senior Out – I can’t wait. I can say with certainty that academics will be put on the backburner to tagging for the week or two that Senior Out goes on. Senior Out was always something I wanted to do, even as a wee freshman long ago. The same goes for all the other senior-exclusive activities as well: Senior Olympics, Senior Tiles, and Senior Quotes. Senior Quotes I’m most worried about; dwelling on this has probably consumed more time than however long I spent on college apps. Listening to graduation quotes before, the quotes have to be just right, as those few seconds walking down the carpet and the words spoken during the walk are yours alone. It has to be more than a clever Facebook status with a number of likes; it has to be quintessential John Deane. I want to make graduating from high school not just like pressing the OK button.

The Mustang 02.10.2012

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Consider the

Following

Experiments can be an educational and exciting way to spice up science classes like physics, chemistry, and biology. From dissections to explosions, everyone has their favorites. Story by Nicole Smith.

Junior Craig Spiller nervously awaits the fate of his bridge. Photo by George Stimson.

t is not uncommon to see students toting little wooden bridges around campus, or filtering out of Biology classes smelling faintly of specimen preservatives. San Dieguito Academy’s Science Department provides many different labs, experiments, and projects for students to experience. Students generally come away from these labs with a better understanding of the material they are studying, as well as some enjoyable stories and memories. Teachers provide these activities, recognizing the educational value and engagement that they provide, despite the challenges that are presented when trying to prepare them. When asked about memorable labs, students have their own favorite recollections: “One that I really remember was the lab on surface area that taught us that the more surface area something has, the more it will be affected [during a reaction] than if it has a smaller surface area,” said sophomore Alana Primes, referring to a recent lab in her Chemistry class that demonstrated factors that affect reaction speed. The lab comprised of dropping materials with different properties into a solvent, and observing the different results. Sophomore Ian MacGregor especially enjoyed, “the silver test tubes in Davidson,” referring to a lab where students silver-plated test tubes. MacGregor mentions that he enjoys these sorts of hands-on labs, “because I love learning kinesthetically, because I’m… well… kinesthetic.” Senior Jennifer Pandel has multiple favorite science activities and labs. “There are a few labs and projects that stand out to me. First would have to be bridge building in physics. Then the pig dissection from biology and all of the chemistry and biotech labs were cool, like when we isolated parts of DNA, made solutions, and used liquid nitrogen on Cheetos to become dragons,” she said, referring to the smoke that comes out of your nose after eating a Cheetos that has been in liquid nitrogen. Sophomore Lauren Nelson has a favorite category of lab: “Always the dissections. [Dissections involve learning about] what is around us and we should know about them.” Dissection labs are common in the biology classes. The AP Biology and Biology classes have recently been working on multiple dissections. AP Biology teacher Michael Santos believes that interacting with the curriculum that students are studying helps them to better understand what they are

studying, as well as retain what they learn: “Its more engaging doing and not just reading. It allows them to connect to something more tangible which makes them more likely to remember.” Senior Sarah Kellogg is an AP Bio student working on a dissection lab: “In my AP Biology class we are currently working on dissections. My lab partner and I are dissecting a rat.” She enjoys the clarity that hands-on labs such as dissections provide: “Hands-on projects force you to understand what you are learning. While learning from a textbook, it is very easy to not understand what you are reading.” Kellogg’s classmate and lab partner, senior Anna Smith, enjoys the dissection labs because they provide a visual way of learning: “[Dissections] allow me to see what I am doing and what is happening and learn from trial and error. I learn better when I can see what is happening and experience it myself.... They are better than just reading out of a textbook because I can experience real life and have a visual, hands-on experience.” In Physics classes, the balsa wood bridge making project seems to be especially popular. The project was recently wrapped up, as the final day of testing the bridges was Jan. 18. The bridges held buckets of water weighing up to 95 pounds. Physics teacher, George Stimson, described the bridgemaking project as a project that is going to be around for a while due to how much the students love it. Chemistry teacher, Russ Davidson, provides multiple labs for his chemistry students to work on throughout the year: “In Chemistry, we do about thirty different labs or activities ranging from demos to full on labs with write-ups. We also have extra stuff we can do based on student interest,” says Davidson. Behind the scenes, there is a lot of work that goes into preparing all of those labs and projects for students. Davidson describes some of the steps that are taken before a lab is even ready for the student, including extensive research, inventorying, multiple practice runs of the lab to see how reliable it is, and, “weighing the safety risk that is inherent in all labs versus the educational value. We could do incredibly safe labs and be bored to tears.” Nearby students that were listening expressed appreciation for not being bored to tears during labs. Story continued on Page 21.

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02.10.2012The

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As part of the application to Stanford University, participating seniors had to write a letter to their future roommates. With topics ranging from old habits to new traditions, we have published the hopeful notes of Brendan Carruthers and Aram Mahmoudzadeh. Dear Roomie,

Hi Roommate,

My full name is Brendan Andrew Carruthers. Pleased to meet you. So I know you must

I’m a bit nervous about moving to Palo Alto. If I can live in San Diego and still feel ap-

have some concerns about me; I have some about you too. I have no doubt our first day

prehensive about it, I really sympathize with anyone who’s coming from even farther away.

together will consist mainly of covertly looking for anything that might be amiss with each

I don’t plan to make homesickness part of the agenda. Reading is my favorite distraction,

other (stashes of contraband, extra arm, etc.) but I want you to know that everything is

so I think I’ll be doing a lot of that for the first couple weeks. I know it sounds old-fashioned

going to be all right. I pride myself in my ability to be laid back and non judgmental, so be

coming from a child of the digital age, but there’s nothing I like better than curling up with

who you are. The next four years are going to be some of the best in our lives and there’s

a good story. I don’t suppose there’ll be space for me to bring a whole roomful of books, so

no reason to be apprehensive about them.

it looks like I’ll have to get one of those e-readers if I want to have enough reading material.

I suppose now would be the time to tell you about my language thing. I speak Span-

Anyway, you deserve fair warning: I’m an only child. My friends think that automatically

ish, a little French, and I’m currently learning German and Mandarin. I absolutely love

means I’m spoiled, but I don’t agree. It just means I’m not accustomed to living with any-

languages, so I hope you don’t find it frustrating if I spontaneously decide that our con-

one else, so it might take me a while to adjust to this new arrangement. Next confession:

versation would be better if we continued en francais. If my in-depth explanation of Latin

I’m Persian, and I have a lot of relatives living around San Francisco. Persians make a big

declensions bores you, feel free to turn your ears off for the duration of my lecture.

deal about family, so expect a few of my aunts and uncles to come knocking since they’ll

When term starts, I’m going to search out a Kendo team as well as a Sailing team. I

want to visit me every chance they get.

don’t know about the Kendo team but I’m pretty familiar with Stanford’s Sailing team. If

Do you think one of us should bring a TV? My mom never let me have one in my room,

either of those interests you as well then we can go look at it together. If not, that’s equally

and I always thought that being able to watch TV from bed would be one of the perks of col-

fine. It’s possible that we’ll be a little overwhelmed at the beginning as we get our classes

lege life. The thing is, all my friends who’ve been to college say it’s important for freshmen

and work load under control. I’m sure both of our study hours will sometimes include

to go out into the community and get involved, and I don’t want to be in my room watching

staying up way past a reasonable time, so we’ll need to work out how to be civil when we

dramas all day.

become stressed.

I’m also familiar with the classic story of the half-starved college kids living on noodles

As your roommate, I promise to be there when you need me. Should you become ad-

and pizza. I was determined that we wouldn’t have to do that, so I signed up for a Culinary

dicted to instant ramen, I will organize an intervention for you. If you ever need to talk,

Arts class to learn to cook a few meals. No one becomes an expert after one semester of

whether it’s about girls, classes, teachers or anything, I promise that I will make time to

class, but hopefully I’ll have learned enough to supplement our diet with a few dishes to

listen. We’re in this together after all, so let’s give it our best and let our first year of col-

make sure eating doesn’t become a chore. So take care, and I’ll see you on move-in day!

lege begin!

-Aram

Your partner in crime, Brendan

Show Me the Money Are you worried about the intimidating task of paying for college? With the rising tuition rates, applying for scholarships is a great option to make your education more affordable. Story by Emily Maxwell.

re you a twin looking to study agriculture, or a Jewish female who wants to study aeronautical engineering? If so, there’s a scholarship for you. But if not, don’t worry, there are scholarships for you, too. In fact, applying for college scholarship money is a much less daunting process than it seems, and there are scholarships to accommodate virtually every student if you know where to look The college applications teacher, Caroline Lee, says that

applying for scholarships is simply “a matter of setting deadlines for yourself.” And if you’re like most students, and have been procrastinating, there’s still plenty of time. According to Lee, there are two major time periods to apply for scholarships: during spring of junior year, and again usually between January and April of senior year. If you haven’t yet found a use for Naviance, use it to find scholarships. According to Lee, the best place to start your search is through the list that

the counselors provide on Naviance because “time and time again” students have success with these scholarships. Senior Marisa Blanke is one recent example of a Naviance success. She found a Nordstrom scholarship through Naviance and was awarded $10,000 dollars ($2,500 a year) in fall of this school year. Blanke said the application process took a long time, though: “I had to write two essays, submit a resume of activities and volunteer work, submit a letter of recommenda-

tion, and interview with 12 Nordstrom board members once I was in the finals.” Another easy way to find out about scholarships is by simply checking your e-mail. After applying to college, many seniors receive e-mails about online scholarships through specific schools. Lee also says that simple to get scholarship money is through parents’ companies that often give out college funds for children of employees. Although some smaller scholarships may seem insig-

nificant and not worth the effort Lee says, “even a small amount can help pay for books or room and board. I tell students to try and put it in those contexts.” According to Lee, the average amount of scholarship money awarded to students can be from $200 to $2,000, all amounts worth applying for. As a last word of advice, Lee suggests that students apply for as many scholarships as they can because any amount of money awarded is that much less to pay back in student loans.

The Mustang 02.10.2012

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Arma-gettin’ Confused

As 2012, and possibly the end of the world, arrives, think twice before torching your house and running around naked. Don’t do anything drastic. Please. The past has been wrong before. Story by Charlotte Ohrbom. Art by Sammay Ness. 1000: This year was a cause for a large amount of hys-

1690: The Old Believers, a sect of the Russian Ortho-

1843 – 1844: A man by the name of William Miller predicted the end of the world between March 21, 1843 and October 22, 1844 due to his biblical calculations. His followers, who called themselves Millerites, came to call this day “The Great Disappointment.” I can see why. Supposedly, the taunts and jeers of those he mislead kept poor Mr. Miller up at night. But I blame miscalculation. Surely another person would come along and correct his grievous error.

1988: And someone did. A book called “88 Reasons Why The Rapture Will Be in 1988” was published by Edgar C. Whisenant. He predicted that the world would end between September 11 – 13, 1988. The claim was taken seriously. The Trinity Broadcasting Network would break away from programming to display Rapture ready instructions. When the date came and went, Whisenant claimed the Gregorian calendar threw him off, and that Jesus was to return in 1989. He continued to revise his date each year. He died in 2001 without a fulfilled prediction.

2000: Round numbered years means panic. Computers were already an integral part of our functioning society, but the programming would cause all the years stamps for storing data to read 1900 instead of 2000. Would computers crash and render our now technologically dependent world hopeless? People seemed to think so. Numerology allows us to divide 2000 by 3. 2000 ÷ 3 = 666.66…, which is the devil’s number. This is totally logical. I always divide the new year by random numbers to devise whether or not we are all going to die.

2011: Harold Camping, a talk radio host on “Family Radio,” predicted that on May 21, 2011 Jesus would return, save his followers, then initiate a fire and brimstone storm, which would consume and end us all on Oct. 21, 2011. He made his views clear by purchasing many billboards which bore his message. When Jesus failed to appear in May, Camping claimed that the “spiritual judgment” had begun. And, until Jesus arrives, we are still being judged.

teria due to the prediction of Christ’s return. Many of his followers believed he would return before the passing of their generation, so they began to prepare, as did the other Christian nations. After many battles and forced conversions of those nasty pagans, people repented, sold belongings, and travel to the Holy Land of Jerusalem. Once the new year began and no one had yet seen Jesus, everyone went home, slightly disappointed.

dox Church, believed that the Antichrist was to arrive during this year and usher in the end of the world. To prevent living in such atrocious conditions, 20,000+ people had set themselves on fire before he arrived. But since the Antichrist failed to show up to the party, it seems that the people killed themselves in vain. At least they got to heaven, so maybe there is always a happy ending.

2012: Since there is less than a year until this prediction is supposed to come true, it’s probably a good thing to get the facts as straight as we can. The Mayans created a calendar which suggested that at the winter solstice of 2012, a new “long count” period on the calendar will begin. This means the same as starting a new calendar, so the future is open to all options. Maybe Jesus will return, or maybe nothing. Maybe it means the new iPhone will come out. The planets are not on course to align, no deadly comets are heading our way, and no crazy solar storms. Despite the numerous websites dedicated to the cause of convincing mankind that we are to be wiped off the face of the earth on Dec. 21, 2012, there is no proof that anything will happen. So don’t do something you will regret. But if you are worried, double check your store of water and canned peaches. In the past people, have done crazy and dangerous things when faced with the end of the world. As it is evident, every single past prediction has failed. You don’t want to end up with the short end of the stick.

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Free Samples

With an email account braced for spam, three girls went on a quest to find out how many free samples they could receive. They didn’t regret it...that much. Story by Jocelyn Lee, Eleanore Hendrickson, and Caitlin Hird.

hey say that the most valuable things in life are free. And you know what’s free? Free samples are! Occupy Wall Street Stickers! Potty training videos! Disgusting perfume! And love and happiness too, we suppose. Companies often ship free samples of their products to possible customers, allowing these people to familiarize themselves with the product, akin to taste tests in ice cream parlors. Though the company loses money at first in offering these promotional products, the hope is that, once a product is sampled, prospective customers will be swayed into buying the bigger, actual item that costs money. Of course, there are always going to be people who take advantage of these freebies, ordering samples without any intention of purchasing anything. However, we suspect that these companies did not expect people to take advantage of these freebies to quite the extent that we have. We challenged ourselves to order as many free samples online as we could in a single week, utilizing free sample websites like myfreeproductsamples.com and sweetfreestuff.com, as well as offers on Facebook to obtain these promotions. To protect the cleanliness of our inboxes, we used a fake email (that was immediately flooded with promotions and other nonsense, none of which were filtered out by Hotmail’s “junk” feature), to order 71 free samples. These included 9 perfume samples, 10 tattoos and decals, and 11 beauty products. Among the more obscure items were a spider identification chart, “Living the Boomer Life for Dummies,” and a Beech-Nut Stage 4 Toddler Welcome Kit. We allowed an eight week period for the products to arrive, and ended up with a large amount of free swag. Though we had lots of fun filling out the coloring books in our EPA Planet

Protectors Club kit and applying our “educational tattoos,” we were disappointed at the number of offers that were never mailed to us. In the end, we only ended up with about 45 percent of our items, a drawer full of junk, and a lack of faith in honest advertising. This makes us wonder: where do all these lost items go? We figure the mailmen may have purposefully kept our Ultra-Sheen Supreme flat iron spray, but what happened to the rest of our samples? Though some of the sample websites may have led us on a wild goose chase to products that were never really being offered, we speculate that many companies advertise samples that have already run out. If this is so, we wondered who else out there is consumed by consumerism. Despite the complete uselessness of most of the samples offered (who uses that little shampoo to clean their hair?), we ran into comments on sample websites left by thrifty citizens of cyber-space that seemed genuinely delighted at the prospect of free goodies. What drives us as buyers to want nearly anything that is free? And, after ordering the items, why are we genuinely let down if they do not arrive? We’ll leave that one to Socrates. Despite the disappointments (no spider chart! Devastation!), we were nonetheless delighted each time a cuboidal package showed up on our doorstep. What wonders lay inside this time? Would this particular company be stingy with their samples (We’re looking at you, Dove Shampoo), or would they be generous (Three rolls of tape, Fingerlift Tape? Don’t mind if we do!)? And – we can’t emphasize this enough – it was all free, and we enjoyed every parcel of it.

After all the boxes arrived on our doorsteps, we ended up with a sizable amount of goodies, including stickers, coloring books, and an inflatable guitar. Photo by Jocelyn Lee.

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Students dance to the beats.

Freshmen Kelly Robinson and his friend wait in line to enter the photo booth.

2012 Formal

Two students buckle up for the flight simulator.

The Air and Space Museum provided an aerodynamic atmosphere to this year’s winter formal. The Airplane replicas hanging from above and the illuminating light on the dance floor made for a memorable experience. Attendees took breaks from dancing to dress up at the photo booths, get caractures drawn of themselves, or flip around in a flight simulator. The chocolate fountains and platters of decadent delicacies also lured students away from the pulsating music. Story by Natalya Ballard and Photos by Katie Berriochoa

Students wait in line to get their caricatures done.

Seniors Karen Oviedo and Erica Haynes dress up at the photo booth.

Seniors Karen Oviedo and Erica Haynes wait in line to get their pictures taken at the photo booth. The two girls both agreed that this year’s formal was exceptional. “Even though it lacked some hype, I had an absolutely amazing time at formal! The venue was cute and there was something for everyone.” said Oviedo. Haynes added, “The layout of the dance floor was really cool with the giant fountain in the background and the glowing lights.” Student gets her caricature done by a professional artist.

Seniors Carly Feldman and Anthony Polloreno.

Centerspread

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Spoiler Alert: Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s No Underground Pool There are many places on campus that most students frequently visit (classrooms, computer labs, the library, the hallways...) but there are also a number of places that most students donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know about or are not allowed access to. Here are just a few of the many secret spots around SDA. Photos by Jocelyn Lee and Emily Maxwell.

7 6

1.The announcer watches over the soccer field during a game in the booth up on top of the bleachers. 2. The lunchroom in the teachers lounge is frequented by regulars such as Mr. Conn and Mrs. Temple. 3. The kitchen behind the Mosaic is where food is prepped for hungry SDA students. 4.Senior Daniel Fugett works on the light fixtures above the stage for an upcoming play. 5.The batting cages located along Melba Street are used for practice for the softball and baseball team. 6. Woodshop teacher Jeff Germano is one of few teachers who have a secret office hidden at the top of the stairs above the shops. 7. Junior Kerri Dobson gathers props for an upcoming play

in the props room, located in a secret room above the gym.

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ART WARS members behold the majesty that is Salvation Mountain. The words and designs shown here were all hand-painted by Leonard Knight, the mountain’s creator, and his “apostles.” Photo courtesy of Laura Breidenthal, sophomore.

Ol’ Salvation

Hundreds of miles away in the Colorado Desert, it stands, painted with rainbow colors, against the sand. Story by Andrew Walker.

went to a manmade mountain, not really looking for any salvation in particular but that was its name, Salvation Mountain. A group of SDA painters, sculptors, photographers, writers, and cartoonists under the guise of ART WARS made a road trip out toward Salton Sea, in the direction that art teacher and ART WARS advisor Jeremy Wright had laid down for us. Maybe you’ve seen that postcard in Wright’s room? His family grouped together behind a 50-foot-tall mountain covered in paint with massive red letters spelling out the words “God Is Love.” Turns out it’s real. Wright told us stories about his experience, about “someone with so much passion, they were willing to go through hell and high water to do something they loved.” So we started to get pretty excited. Wright was disappointed when he first saw it in the middle of the desert. “ You see it in a book and it covers the whole page, but it changed when I got out of my car. It captured me; it was like the piece as a whole embraced me.” A couple weeks later after all of those stories we were driving in the desert on the hunt for something that seemed more dreamy than real, that if we were to see and feel it, we could hope to one day achieve just as much. The mountain is outside of Niland. Niland a bizarre little town, not just because it’s in the middle of the desert but because most houses, buildings, and restaurants are broken down, falling apart, or blackened from past fires. I remember passing a diner as we entered Niland and suggesting we eat there. It sounded like a good idea until we saw there was no backside to the building. It was completely burned down. The whole place was kind of disturbing. There were a lot of trailers and old ladies who walked in the middle of the street and just stared at us, looking skinny but a malnourished kind of skinny where you could see their ninety-year-old skeletons. I passed it believing I’d found an accurate picture definition of a ghost town. Then we entered Slab City, barren and full of dust and tumbleweed. Nothing but dust and dirt in the distance–no houses, just squatters and RVs for miles. We saw the mountain in the distance but it wasn’t as holy as I expected. My ideas were all based off the postcard. I daydreamed in the car about seeing this grand structure towering over us, our mouths soon to

drop. I expected the mountain to take hold of me immediately, but it didn’t. We piled out of the car, blisters, chapped lips and all, shuffled to a man we thought was Leonard Knight the great maker. But it wasn’t; it was an apostle. Leonard Knight is old, 79 years old. For over 20 years he’s worked on Salvation Mountain, living with the barest necessities, no electricity, running water, or gas. His only purpose: to spread his message of love and compassion for the fellow man to been seen throughout the world. He lives in a 1939 white fire truck that he’s personally hand painted at the mountain. If you went and visited Salvation Mountain you’d most likely see Leonard accompanied by younger senior citizens. Some of us nicknamed the group “the apostles” who awaited the next word of Leonard, who awaited to lend a hand and help with anything needed on the mountain (which was covered with quotes from the Bible). It’s incredible to meet a man who is so enthusiastic about his work and so proud after more than 20 years of tedious labor, to see how happy he is to tell you about his mountain and the work he’s done, the attention he’s gotten in showing you around the 50-foot-high, 150-footwide adobe, hay, and paint structure reflecting his message, that God is love and there is a need for more compassion for our fellow man. We got all of this when we talked to him, and we couldn’t get away from that truck until he had handed us a pile of Salvation Mountain merch, Salvation Mountain magnets, postcards, and documentaries. It was all this that took ahold of me at Salvation Mountain. I felt the excitement, his pride of what he had done, I felt the 20 years he’s put into it almost as if its history were pulling me to be part of it as well. Needless to say I was satisfied as I left. Leonard unfortunately is currently hospitalized in El Cajon. The question of Salvation Mountain’s maintenance or continuation is up in the air. If he doesn’t come back and it were up to me, I’d maintain it but nothing more. The mountain should stay his own, finished or unfinished. It’d lose some of its magic to know someone other than Leonard Knight had worked on Salvation Mountain. It’s his legacy that admirers hold dear, not anyone else’s.

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It’s Elementary, My Dear.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. American television seems to find inspiration from its English counterpart, so maybe we should have stayed under Her Majesty’s rule. At least we wouldn’t have to steal TV ideas. Story by Lily LeaVesseur.

rban Outfitters recently sold out -of “I Heart British Accents” T-shirts. The Royal Wedding dominated the media in April when millions of Americans tuned in to watch Will and Kate tie the knot. “I stayed home from school so I wouldn’t fall asleep in class after watching it live,” said sophomore Wendy Disch. It’s safe to say that many Americans are infatuated with the Brits and all their British glory. Despite the breakup in the 18th century (“No taxation without representation!”) and some other bumps in the road (the BP oil spill), Americans have embraced British culture, whether by waiting at midnight to buy the seventh Harry Potter book, collecting Beatles lunchboxes, or squealing over those charming English accents.

Such squealing might (and often does) occur while watching British TV like Misfits, a show about teen criminals with superpowers, or BBC’s Sherlock, a modern-day interpretation of Arthur Conan Doyle’s iconic detective Sherlock Holmes. Viewers say that besides the shows’ high quality, their distinct Britishness is a big part of their appeal. Said sophomore Eli Brown, “American TV focuses a lot more on violence and sexy cars along with relying a bit too much on slapstick comedy and superfluous amounts of absurdly hot women. British TV for me has always been about finding humor in the turn of a phrase, wordplay, and just intelligent humor in general.” Fans are less than happy, though, with the plans of Americanized versions of these shows especially

with Josh Schwartz (creator of Gossip Girl and Chuck) working on an American Misfits and CBS developing a modern-day American version of Sherlock Holmes. It’s been done before with The Office, Skins, and a multitude of others. American producers find shows popular in other countries, in this case the UK, and remake or adapt them to American culture and tastes. While the American version of The Office gained massive popularity and has gone on for eight seasons (and counting), the adapted version of Skins was cancelled after just one. Ratings had declined throughout the ten episodes and many people blamed the show’s racy nature, which earned it a TVMA rating. Said sophomore Celine Parker, “British shows are very different from American ones because

they aren’t afraid to show boobs and say cuss words, or actually be funny.” Junior Mike Guhl agreed, saying, “American producers just can’t reproduce the same humor and intense storyline because of the more conservative and censored nature of American television.” As of now, there are mixed reactions to the plans for American versions of Sherlock and Misfits. Some viewers suspect that the American versions would be cancelled or wouldn’t do justice to their British counterparts. “America shouldn’t remake shows with shoes it can’t fill. I’m not going to watch the new versions,” said sophomore Laura Breidenthal. While many fans are violently opposed, there are a few who say they might be okay with an American ver-

Baldini at work. Left, a self-portrait. Right, a pastel portrait. Photo by Jocelyn Lee. Artwork courtesy of Allyssa Baldini.

Cover Artist

Allyssa Baldini

Cover artist, senior Allyssa Baldini, rose from pen doodles to astounding paintings in the past three years. Story by Angela Zhang.

over artist Allyssa Baldini, senior, has grown impeccably during her time at SDA. “I started compulsively doing small intricate drawings on my hands, wrists, arms, math tests, books, paper, desks, everything,” said Baldini. She began painting in sophomore year, grew to like it, and took AP studio art in her junior year. “By that time I knew I wanted to take AP Studio Art again to polish my technique, and by the end of the semester I was fully submerged in

the idea of becoming a professional artist.” Baldini said that the creative environment fostered at the academy helped inspires her to take visions from daily life and make them into art.“SDA has a lot of talented artists that I have learnt a lot from. They want you to take risks. And not just students from art classes, but probably the entire student population. I know I wouldn’t have become as good as I am now without learning from my peers.”

Baldini is moved to artistic action by people, books, plants, movies, music, and bicycles. She is always eager to finish her pieces as soon as possible; consequently, she never sketches what she plans to paint for more than three minutes before diving in. Said Baldini, “Anything around me is potentially inspiring. It just depends on the way I decide to interpret it.” Whatever that approach may be as of now, it’s working wonders.

sion, depending on how it turns out. Junior Arin Mallin said, “If they really do stick to the plot of a show and not try to make it more appropriate for American viewers, they may be able to do an all right job.” On the other hand, maybe some topnotch actors will make watching it worthwhile. “My only concern is that the actor better be very, very good. And attractive,” said senior Nathan Chong. In the end, though, maybe there’s no actor hot enough to override the fact that these are truly British shows. The big guys in Hollywood could remake them over and over for the U.S., and they would just end up like any other Secret Life of the Formerly British Teenager that you watch for five minutes while waiting for your mummy to get out of the loo.

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Junior Justin Santana (Ceyx) and senior Sophie Bandstra (Alcyone) stand on opposing sides of the indoor pool specially constructed and maintained for the show. Senior Katherine Ozorio, far right, narrates this tale of Alcyone and Ceyx, who are separated when Ceyx drowns with his ship at the wrath of Poseidon.

A Change is Gonna Come T

The SDA Theater Department branched out from its tradition of comedies with its hard-hitting production of Mary Zimmerman’s “Metamorphoses.” Story and photos by Angela Zhang.

he title of the SDA theater department’s latest production, “Metamorphoses,” was unexpectedly fitting. With a repertoire composed largely of cheeky romantic comedies and laugh-out-loud performances like “Noises Off,” the dramatic play indeed showcased a metamorphosis of the usually smiley thespians. Every element of “Metamorphoses,” from the dimmed, bluetoned lighting (kudos to lighting designer/manager Daniel Fugett, senior) to the way the water in the pool splashed when actors moved through it (yes, they built a pool!), was dramatic, touching, and ethereal—a far cry from “Sylvia,” the theater’s latest production, a risqué comedy about the relationship be-

tween a man and his talking dog. The play portrays six poems written by the Roman poet, Ovid, in a series of vignettes. In each scene, characters are subjected to the power of the gods, whether for better or worse. Scenes ranged from Midas, who returns the ability to turn everything he touched to gold after accidentally transforming his daughter, to Myrrha, who lusted after her father and had three sexual encounters with him while he was blindfolded. “Metamorphosis means change. Each character changes; the character, the mindset; how the world changes. We tried to show it with each scene. A lot of it was about love and what love does and how it changes people. All the stuff Greeks wondered about (though Ovid was a Roman) we just presented today in a more modern way,” said student director Benjy Malings, junior. Putting on such a production took more than the run-of-the-mill blocking and script memorizing, though. “Stephanie Siers, drama teacher, was in charge of so much—not just the play, but lighting and sound and costumes and publicity… she had to stay up for three extra hours to dry all the clothes [that got wet in the

pool],” said Malings. Students also researched the represented tales, making sure to do justice to Ovid’s originals. “Seniors Kristen Perkins and Annie Tarabini researched every myth referenced. We used our discussions to find what story we were trying to tell. We were given an interview from [playwright] Mary Zimmerman and still it was all very abstract. It was up to us to tell the story,” said Malings. Regarding the question we’ve all been itching to ask (but have been a little too shy to): “Yes, we cleaned the pool,” said student director Emily Floyd, senior. “We emptied it out every other day during rehearsals and every day during the performance. Our tech director had a pump that we used.” “We had a big hose, drained the pool, and filled it up again,” added Malings. A fun fact? “Eddie Vedder’s mom was there,” said Malings. What to expect next? “A Piece of my Heart,” said Floyd. “It’s about the personal lives of nurses in the Vietnam war and so far, it’s really beautiful.” Looks like the theater department has plenty more tricks up its sleeve, and we like the looks of what’s to come.

Senior Damon Ferreirae (Hermes) carries away sophomore Allison Thompson, a fallen tree sacred to the goddess Ceres.

From left to right, sophomore Xander Johns, senior Dakota Speas, sophomore Allison Thompson, junior Brian Gonzalez, and junior Sarah Graciano.

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Continued from page 11 Biology and AP Environmental teacher, Cathy Ramos, describes the time that she requires to prepare her labs: “Most take twenty minutes to an hour, but some labs take a good two hours. There’s one AP Environmental lab [a photosynthesis lab requiring multiple solutions to be made and lots of equipment to be set up] that takes five to six hours.” Beside the extensive preparation that needs to take place to prepare most of the labs and demonstrations in the science classes, there is always the issue of the funds being there to support labs. Santos remarks, “Money is a huge issue. Especially with dissections.… [Specimens] can range from twelve dollars to almost one hundred dollars apiece [for cat specimens].” He adds, “Science is different than other subjects because every year we have to replace supplies like chemicals and equipment.” Other challenges that come up when planning activities and labs for science classes are

working with different class sizes, and working within the time that is available. Ramos says, “With a larger class… it gets crazy. Even with the dissections, I have to be constantly scanning the room.” She then mentions the problem of having limited time for hands-on labs: “In general, I think the [amount of] hands-on [activities in school] is pretty good. But one thing that every school struggles in is time.” Hands-on activities take up a lot of class time, but they are, “a necessity because if they don’t do the labs, they often don’t understand [the concepts],” said Ramos. Although science activities can require a lot of work, the students seem to enjoy the benefits that they offer. As sophomore Lauren Nelson phases it: “…they allow you to apply your skills more realistically. Especially if you want to go into that field of work, there’s nothing that can compare to hands-on experience. Life doesn’t play by the book!”

Juniors Emily Nathan and Lauren Shumate drew the cross section of an earthworm in their notebook as part of an AP Biology lab.

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A Clowder of Cats

Cat judge Gary Powell uses a feather wand to attract the attention of a white Manx kitten, who later recieved second place in its class. Photo by Charlotte Ohrbom.

fter walking past several home improvement showings and the venue for Scott’s Bar Mitzvah, we were finally there: at the doors of the largest cat show on the West Coast, the Food and Water Bowl XX, hosted by the San Diego Cat Fanciers at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. We were immediately greeted by the “Kat Kab,” a Smart Car plastered with decals of cats, and more perplexingly, crosses. This was going to be a good show. After watching dog shows like those featured on Animal Planet, we expected the cat arenas to be long runways carpeted in green, where handlers would lead their prize animals onto a pedestal for judging. Instead, we found eight small booths surrounded by cat cages and folding chairs. Good enough. We first sat in on the judging of the long hair premier show. The judges give each cat a routine examination, looking at the teeth, eyes, ears, and coat in order to determine the cat’s quality of fitness, uniformity to breed standards, and (somehow) personality. Some judges, we noticed, gave each cat a good bounce, by lightly dropping them on the table a few times, before returning them to their cages. Cat judge Carla Bizzell gave us a brief walkthrough of her examination checklist. “I need to judge against the written standards. [The cats] need to be clean and healthy.” She described some of the best cats she has seen in the 38 years she has been judging. “They so beautifully fit the standard. Gleaming body, shining eyes, and they love to be here,” she gushed. Similar to our notions of the judging arenas, we had overzealous expectations for the feline agility course. Much smaller than we had imagined, the arena consisted of 10 obstacles, including tunnels, jumps, and stairs. Cats, as it turns out, are difficult to herd around a circular agility course, and are lured around the ring with a cat toy. Carolyn Withers, ringmaster of said course, gave us the basics. “It’s a timed event. The cats start at the stairs and move counterclockwise around the course. They get points if they do it under five minutes and get all 10 obstacles. The cats can have as many try-outs as they want, but we only take three timed trials.” Some cats, she explained, take to the course right away while others have to become more comfortable with their surroundings before they are willing to run the circuit. We watched a four-month-old blue Abyssinian kitten attentively chase a bright feather, completing the course in 27 seconds. Pretty good, we thought,

Clow∙der (n): A group of cats, like a herd or flock. Which is just what we saw. Story by Eleanore Hendrickson and Charlotte Ohrbom.

until Withers told us that the best time she had ever seen was seven seconds. She lightly admonished the kitten: “You did so much better yesterday!” We returned to the judging, attracted to Ring Three by a woman clad in a fully-sequined outfit emblazoned with cats, whom we were eager to meet. The sequined woman, Barbara Boren, had been a cat breeder for nearly 50 years, starting out as a Siamese breeder in 1964 before switching in the 90s to the Tonkinese breed (which she referred to as “Tonks”). When we asked her which breed she preferred, her answer was resolute. “Oh, Tonks, all the way.” She extolled their various virtues, the foremost of which was the breed’s intelligence. “Mine taught themselves to go on the toilet! I didn’t teach them anything. I went home one day, and in the bathroom I heard a little ‘tinkle, tinkle,’ and I thought someone had broken in. I peeked in, and found my cat just going right on the toilet!” Boren said she was first drawn to breeding by her love of kittens. “I love kittens, but if I keep on buying them, I’d have a million, so breeding is the best thing.” She carefully screens each family before allowing them to adopt one of her cats. “I’d never place my Tonks in an unhappy situation,” she said. “I just want to make the best pet a person can ever have.” By the end of our discussion, her cats were not only good pets but also prize-winners: she left the arena with both cat and blue ribbon in hand. We wrapped up our afternoon with one final awarding for the best in show kittens (which looked like fully-grown cats to us.) The judge, Gary Powell, hammed up the presentation as he explained his reasoning for each placement. “Beautiful lemon-shaped eyes, soft, silky skin,” Powell said as he held up a hairless Sphinx. He smirked and continued, “This is what my face looked like before I got it fixed.” The first-place award eventually went to a fluffy white Persian. “This is one of the most exquisite Persians I’ve ever judged. Its beautiful round face and features all work together to make this a wonderful example of the breed.” He stroked the cat and added, “I hope I get to feast my eyes on this kitten when it becomes an adult.” On this note, we decided it was time to leave. With all the people we had met today and all the cats we had pet, we knew one thing for certain: some people sure love their cats.

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A Chocolate A Day With Valentines Day approaching, chocolate consumption is spiking. Turns out it might not be so bad for us after all. Story by Kira Elliot.

ou need to get something for your girlfriend for Valentine’s Day. She told you not to get her anything expensive. It’s a couple of days before V-Day and you have no ideas. What do you do? My good friend, you get her chocolate. Chocolate is a woman’s best friend. Yes, I know they say that diamonds are, but not only are diamonds inedible, they do not make anybody feel better in times of crisis unless you sell them for millions of dollars and spend your money on chocolate. Chocolate is good for the soul, and according to our resources, for the body too. No, it will not make her acne break out. No, it doesn’t cause tooth decay. If she is allergic, then don’t get her chocolate. If she isn’t, well, let’s look at pros and cons. Pros: •Cacao helps the body process nitric oxide, which is critical for healthy blood flow and blood pressure. According to Science Daily, flavanols, phytochemicals that boost nitric oxide levels, also contribute because they help decrease blood pressure and improve the health of blood vessels •Chocolate causes feelings of well-being because it releases certain natural chemicals in our bodies, according to Adam Drewnowski PhD, a professor at the University of Michigan. These chemicals are called opiates, which activate receptors in the brain that increase anandamide levels. Anandamide is a lipid found in the brain that, when bound to certain receptors, causes feelings of well-being •Chocolate has a very smooth texture that melts in your mouth, and the various flavors provided by the different percentages of cacao can satisfy even the pickiest of eaters •Finally, chocolate is handy in case of a Dementor attack, if one ever finds themself in the world of Harry Potter Cons: •Eating too much will make you sick •It’s high in calories due to the sugar and fat content Do the pros outweigh the cons? Decide soon, for it’s only a few days before Valentine’s Day.

Kianna Eberle

Pasta as Patriotism

Pasta, the starchy comfort food that we love to smother in both cheese and tomatoes, played a pivotal role in the turbulent history of Italy. Here we explore the connections between Garibaldi, Macaroni, and the quest for Italian unification. Story by Sam Winter.

fter liberating Naples in 1860, Italian national hero Giuseppe Garibaldi proclaimed, “It will be maccarone, I swear to you, that will unite Italy.” Exhausted from his quest for Italian unification, Garibaldi proclaimed pasta, not the armies of Europe, to be the force that would one day unite the Apennine Peninsula. To this day, pasta remains the unchallenged symbol of Italian cuisine. But does pasta unite Italy, or might it actually accentuate regional differences? One aspect of pasta’s dividing nature lies with the importance of the Italian meal. Though pasta is certainly not the only component of Italian food, it is pasta that sets the Italian meal apart. While other cultures may serve the starch of a meal (potatoes, rice, etc.) in stews or with meats, only the Italians serve the starch as a separate course. In this way, pasta brings the regions of Italy together. However, though this versatile dish is always served as part of the primo, or first course, the styles of preparation vary drastically by ge-

ography. In the cooler plains of the North, durum wheat, perfect for making dry pasta, is unable to grow. Between the wheat and the more humid weather, fresh egg pasta, often served in a butter based sauce, is popular. For the same reason, stuffed pasta, which can only be made fresh, is a North Italian phenomenon. In the South however, eggless pasta is hung out to dry in the warm, Mediterranean air. These dried varieties were better served with olive oil based sauces. While at first unifying Italy through the meal structure, pasta’s versatile nature soon made clear the differences between North and South. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 A.D., Italy became a fractured mess of Germanic tribes and warring city-states. For centuries, powerful kingdoms such as Venice, Naples, and even the Catholic Church’s Papal States fought to enlarge their lands and seize control of nearby areas. By the 1500’s, Italy had descended into the Italian Wars, a

struggle for domination that engulfed much of Europe. The years of chaos leading up to Italy’s unification in the late 1800’s further divided the regions of Italy: each area struggling to develop its own unique culture and culinary traditions, an important part of remaining independent. An obvious pasta reference to that chaotic time comes from Strozzapreti, a type of gnocchi from the Northern Marche and Southern Romagna regions of Italy. In Italian, the name Strozzapreti literally means “strangle the priests” and owes its origins to a time when the Papal state dominated the area. As a versatile dish, pasta acted as a means of declaring independence during the disorderly times leading to Italian Unification. The regional pride of the ancient Italian city-states continues today, and many of these names and traditions still hold true, though the local struggles and wars have faded. Today, it is pasta, and not the armies of Europe, that serve to remind us of Italy’s struggle for unification.

For more information on the fascinating world of pasta, check out these sources: -Encyclopedia of Pasta, Oretta Zanini de Vita: A pasta aficionado’s essential companion -The Geography of Italian Pasta, David Alexander: An exciting article regarding pasta’s geographic distribution throughout Italy -National Pasta Association, www.ilovepasta.org: An informative website sponsored by The National Pasta Association

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Taste Test: Rico’s Vs. Jorge’s Hot Sauce

02.10.2012The

Mustang

SDA students judge which local restaurant’s hot sauce possesses superior flavor. Story by Joey Kobara.

n another epic showdown between even stronger competitors, we put Rico’s notoriously distinct salsa head to head against Jorge’s authentic Mexican style hot sauce. Known to attract underclassmen during hour lunch, Jorge’s is home to that one guy at the counter who is nice. Rico’s, a hotspot among all ages and a place to awkwardly spot teachers outside of the school’s borders, is home to that one sassy guy who makes you say please. We placed the two sauces in generic white cups labeled A and B. Totally disguised in their foam surroundings, the salsas were indistinguishable through sight alone. So began our grueling quest for the superior product. When testing the anonymous Jorge’s salsa, perceptive Senior Eric Rumble said, “It’s Jorge’s and I don’t like it.” Senior David Swan, with a different perspective, stated that Jorge’s salsa “lacks flavor but it retains rigidity.” One participant, who asked to remain anonymous, said that she liked Jorge’s salsa better because “it has more spice.” When the time came to test Rico’s salsa, ketchup was the word of

The two hot sauces were rendered unrecognizable to the study participants, Photo by Joey Kobara.

the day. “It tastes like zesty ketchup,” said Senior Walker Chuppe. “It’s more like a sauce than a salsa….like ketchup,” agreed Senior Dane Barry. No matter how high one’s esteem of Rico’s salsa is, one thing is certain: their salsa tastes like ketchup. How much ketchup flavor it retains is subjective and up to the salsa connoisseur. Only one ignorant tongue denied it. Senior Derrik Marrow attested that Rico’s “tastes like Don Chuy’s of Solana Beach.” Senior Kyle Kintner expressed a noteworthy conclusion: “Rico’s has better food, but Jorge’s has better Salsa”. Though not consistent with

our data, could this be the outcome we were blindly searching for? Far from a landslide, Rico’s finished with a 52.27 percent popularity while Jorge’s gained 47.72 percent. Although Rico’s is the winner, it is by a minuscule amount. Only two more people gave Rico’s the thumbs up as opposed to Jorge’s out of the total of 44 participants. Accounting for margin of error in our data, these numbers could be easily shifted in a second trial. Thus, the ever-competing kings of local salsa are doomed to continue without a winning title. No conclusive data has been found and the mystery goes on.

A taster responds favorably to his preferred hot sauce. Photo by Joey Kobara.

Hot Sauce Smackdown Results

Preferences for Rico’s and Jorge’s hot sauces clocked in at 23 and 21 votes respectively, giving Rico’s a negligable win.

Recipes Chocolate Truffles

Lazy Bum Peanut Butter Cookies

Here’s an extremely rich, decadent, and surprisingly simple recipe for an chocolaty treat. Whip up a batch of these sweet things and you’ll be able to win over your worst enemies and impress even your bitter old grandma. Recipe sumbitted by Nicole Sinno. Ingredients: 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips 1 can (5oz) evaporated milk 1 and 1/2 cups vanilla cookie crumbs 1 and 1/2 cups ginger snap cookie crumbs 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar 1/2 cup chopped roasted almonds or walnuts 1 tsp. vanilla Optional: 2-3 tbsp. brandy or Kahlua liqueur (or any flavor you like) 1 cup chocolate sprinkles and or colored sugar sprinkles.

Have you ever wanted something fresh baked, warm, and sweet, but just felt lazy or intimidated by the prospect of actually whipping something up on the spot? Sure, you could turn to premade pull aparts, or you could put in an equally small amount of effort and whip up a batch of these cookies in a matter of minutes. And then you get to say you made them from scratch. Recipe submitted by Kianna Eberle.

Rich chocolate truffles are covered in a variety of sprinkles and toppings, . Photo by Nicole Sinno

1. Melt chocolate in evaporated milk at low heat, stirring. 2. Set aside to cool for 20-30 minutes. 3. Combine all remaining ingredients except chocolate sprinkles and sugar sprinkles. 4. Stir into cooled chocolate mixture. 5. Shape into 1’ balls by rolling mixture in your palms.(if mixture is too moist add more cookie crumbs. If your palms are too sticky, add some brandy or water to your palms) . 6. Roll each ball in the chocolate or sugar sprinkles and place in mini baking cups. 7. Let them air dry for 1-2 hours and store in the fridge in airtight container.

Ingredients: 1 cup peanut butter, crunchy or creamy 1 cup sugar 1 egg Optional: 1 tsp. vanilla, ½ cup chocolate chips 1.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit 2.Mix peanut butter, sugar, and egg until well combined. Add in the optional ingredients if you please. 3.Put scoops of cookie dough onto a nonstick baking sheet or sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool them on the sheet for 10-15 minutes until firm.

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ultimate steeze

Juniors Sasha Hodson and Hollis Potts show off their ultimate steeze. Photos by Tatiana Skomski and Emily Maxwell.

vest: goodwill $3

flannel: father’s

sweater: goodwill $6 jacket: hansen’s $45 shorts: anthropologie $12

pants: fowlers $50

shoes: friend’s

shoes: hansen’s $45 Photo by Tatiana Skomski

Photo by Emily Maxwell

Designing Dreams

Sda student Claire Li is a designing her way to her dreams with her own online business. Story By Tatiana Skomski.

enior Claire Li is taking the fashion industry by storm with her own line of clothing called Nocturne Rose. Although she is just 17 years old, since her eighth grade year she has designed a full collection of over 25 pieces. Creating everything from skirts to coats, Li has dipped her designing hands into many different pots. She has come across many different inspirations before finding her distinct aesthetic. “My inspiration for fashion design stemmed from two completely opposite sources. I’m still a metal head at heart. Back in middle school, I became enthralled with a Japanese rock movement called “visual kei.” This music movement had a distinct, elaborate, flamboyant, and slightly dark style in appearance. I became interested in several underground Japanese fashion trends, and began designing pieces inspired by Japanese rock. I don’t do this as often anymore,” said Li. With an eclectic personal style,

Li incorporates fashion into every part of her life. “I have multiple styles I’m interested in. My daily style would probably be described as business casual chic. If I had more time in the morning, I’d throw more of my own designs into my daily wardrobe,” said Li. She is inspired by different times in history such as the Victorian era. “I like vintage, petite clothing but with a 20th century silhouette. My favorite eras are the clean and crisp 1960’s, the swinging 40’s, the flapper era, Victorian England, and Baroque/ Rococo France,” said Li. Not only is she the president of The SDA Fashion Designer’s Guild, but she is also the creator of SDA’s annual student fashion show which will be happening on March 23. Admission is three dollars and along with dozens of raffle prizes there will be student band performances, a surprise art/fashion demonstration, and ten pieces form Li’s personal collection. So far, the clothing brands Pink Soul, Mia Bella Cou-

ture, and Men’s Warehouse have confirmed for the show. Also, the club is looking for student designers and models to participate in the show, so if you are interested you should visit the club. “If you love fashion, my club is perfect for you. We meet in the screen printing room every Monday. We need crafters, artists, designers/ seamstresses, models, helping hands, dancers, & musicians for the show! It’ll be a huge production, on an even grander scale this year,” said Li. As far as designing for a future career, Li thinks it will be best to keep as just a hobby. “I definitely want it to be something that’s part of the rest of my life. Although I’m not going to be a fashion designer for a living, I’m definitely going to be a business major in some form or another. It’s wishful thinking, but it’d be wonderful if my current fashion design business could make bank. If not, I’ll try, try again,” said Li.

Senior Claire Li shows off her own personal design which was inspired by the “visual kei” that drives most of her designs.

Circus Animal Fun

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we never did figure out what ‘circus animal fun’ is supposed to mean

Republican Candidate Flashcards: Collect Them All!

The political world is mean and tough. We know that better than anyone, with the exception of Ralph Nader. Did you get that joke? No? Then our friendly guide to the GOP candidates is for you! Look below and maybe one day you’ll be featured in our next set!

Gage Skidmore

Rick Santorum Nickname(s): “Don’t Google My Name” Views on Gay Marriage: They can marry. Just not each other. Chances of Winning: Depends on how far this Santorum joke is going to go. As of now… probably not. Fun Santorum Fact: Just saying “Fun Santorum Fact” is enough to make anyone nauseous.

Wikimedia Commons

Mitt Romney

Gage Skidmore

Newt Gingrich

Views on Corporations: Corporations are people, but it’s still okay to own them.

Views on Anything: We’re not sure. Wikipedia is down today. Curse you SOPA!

Chances of Winning: Pretty high, since he doesn’t have the misfortune of being the other candidates.

Chances of Winning: Surprisingly high. It seems people are willing to forget that he divorced his cancerous wife on her death bed.

Fun Romney Fact: After a car accident in 1968, Romney was declared dead. This gained him favor with the GOP. Who else embodies the Republican spirit better than a zombie?

Fun Gingrich Fact: He wants to build a moon colony and make it the 51st U.S. state. That idea is so awesome, we totally forgot he’s a horrible person!

Wikimedia Commons

Ron Paul

Views on Everything: FRRRREEEEEEEDOMMM!!! Chances of Winning: Unfortunately, the voters most likely to vote for Ron Paul (the 18-35 crowd) are also the voters least likely to actually vote. Fun Paul Fact: Ron Paul is a practicing gynecologist. His skills at identifying STDs are popular with members of Congress.

student chooses career following ‘csi’ marathon

development of senioritis vaccine unsuccessful

After watching six episodes of the show, junior Flora Ensic decided to pursue a job as a CSI herself. By Eleanore Hendrickson

There now appears to be no hope for seniors suffering from the epidemic of senioritis, including yours truly. By Mae Wright

Following a six-hour-long “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” marathon last Thursday, junior Flora Ensic decided she wanted to be a crime scene investigator when she grew up. The show, which follows crime scene investigators as they solve murders using forensic science, was the deciding factor for Ensic. Being a CSI, Ensic said, had been her life’s ambition for all of 40 minutes. Ensic first began her path to selfdiscovery when she realized she was not assigned any homework that day. “I decided to relax,” Ensic said. “I turned on the TV and saw there was a ‘CSI’ marathon. I thought that show was for old people, but it was actually cool.” Her aspirations were further cemented during the second episode she watched, as she was treated to several slow motion shots of a CSI firing bullets into apples and ballistic gel. “It was so neat! I liked how the apple exploded really slowly. I can’t wait until I’ll be able to do that,” said Ensic, ignoring both the facts that law enforcement

Senioritis is a disease that affects millions of high school seniors all over the country and world (except South Korea). It is characterized by excessive procrastination, loss of interest in academics and other activities, lethargy, and a penchant for staring into space. At its worst, it can lead to failing classes and even death. “We have come to accept that senioritis is inevitable,” said high school science teacher Ike Kudcareless. “Our science department has attempted various means of early prevention: giving helpful tips, nagging, bribing students with candy when they finish their assignments on time. But even our brightest and most ruthless students walk into our AP Bios and Environmental Sciences senior year with glazed eyes, their notebooks drooping.” However, a laboratory in some place that’d be funny has been developing a vaccine that they say will remedy the problem. “We’ve got our design team working on a cool shot that looks like a pencil so we can have the vaccines

officers generally do not do that, and the more obvious point that humans do not see things in slow motion. Ensic was also drawn by the edgy interviews that the characters conducted with suspects. “In the last episode I watched, the murderer refused to talk to the police. But then, one of the CSIs did this reverse psychology thing, and then did a DNA test, and then the murder confessed!” Ensic smiled gleefully. “Just wait. That’ll be me in a few years.” Though she is positive that she would like to work as an investigator, Ensic still had some uncertainties about her future occupation. “I’m not entirely sure which city I would want to work in,” said Ensic. “Las Vegas seems interesting, but I don’t want to make any decisions until I’ve seen a few more episodes of ‘CSI: Miami’.” Ensic did have other career aspirations before watching “CSI”, though. “I used to want to be a lawyer,” Ensic said. “But then ‘Law and Order’ started to get a little boring.”

administered during the junior year AP and STAR tests,” says Some Lady, Executive of Whatever the Lab is Called. (Labs have executives…They…just keep reading!) “We have tested the vaccine on 10 students so far and plan to progress to 500 by next Thursday. So far, there has been a single report of feeling ‘more attentive’ by one of the students. But he was playing a video game when we called him, so it’s hard to tell,” said Blah Blah, head of research at That Lab. Blah says that the organism that carries senioritis “probably won’t” spread to adults or younger students due to its “rampart laziness,” as the immune system is able to overcome it by the end of senior year. She said something after that, but it got boring. “In order to defeat Senioritis, we’d have to show initiative. And that’s never going to happen.” I don’t remember who said that one. Thus, time will have to tell itself as only time can tell. That’s a pretty good article, right? Eh. I don’t care.

The Mustang 02.10.2012

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Boys who have yet to reach growth spurt riot over stiletto-wearer

Male students were less than overjoyed to discover that the already tall sophomore Sky Scraeper had found a way to appear even taller still. Chaotic rebellious acts, hectic emotional explosions, and general whimpering ensued. Story by Cassia Pollock Last Wednesday, sophomore Sky Scraeper, who is already six feet tall, outraged boys when she donned huge silver stilettos on her feet, causing a mass riot at SDA. Certain locations at school such as the gardens next to the 30s buildings, The Mosaic, senior court, and the bleachers are currently undergoing major reconstruction. Several students have been arrested. “Her attempt to emasculate me by

Graphic by Kyle Hoff and Joey Kobara

appearing taller motivated me to vandalize the bleachers. No, I’m not sorry”, said freshman Lou Zaire, shooting glares across the room at any given girl who happened to be taller than him. In recent weeks the pressure to acquire formal dates put all boys on edge. When Scraeper decided that a pair of five inch heels would be her next outfit’s most stylish accessory, it did not bode well for the school’s ability to maintain peace.

“Society mandates that boys are taller than girls. It’s always been that way, and Skaye’s attempt to disregard this with her damn heels was cold and insensitive,” said Zaire. According to the High School Male Observation Society of research, 65 percent of all the boys in each grade level participated in the riot. “It causes me problems when chicks are that tall,” said senior Reed Jectad. “How can I assert my

manliness if I don’t tower over the females?” When asked to comment on the offense caused by wearing the aforementioned heels, Scraeper said, “What are you talking about? Their nervous breakdowns have nothing to do with me.” Whether the boys who were arrested will be tried at court as children or young men with stumpy legs, has not yet been decided by the authorities.

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The Mustang 02.10.2012

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Winter Sports Wrap Up Boys Soccer

Boys Basketball

Varstiy Coach: Craig Dean Current Record: 11-5-3 Coach Comments: “The team is progressing very nicely and we are improving every week. We have had to adjust some of our players’ positions in order to make sure we have the best team out on the field. Most of our players play year round on their club teams and are used to playing only one position. Our team is very deep with talent this year so some players are not playing in their normal positions, but this change makes our team much stronger,” said Dean. Unique Ritual: “The only real ritual we have is before home games. We meet in the locker room one hour prior to kick-off to discuss scouting reports, line-ups, and keys to a successful game. We remind our players that we ALWAYS have a professional approach to the game, which begins with our warm-up and stretch routine and leads into the game. We are very focused on the job at hand when we walk out of that locker room,” said Dean. Important Upcoming Games: The boys play CCA at home on Feb. 13 and Del Norte on Feb. 15, also a home game. Leading Scorers: Julio Sanchez, junior, and Argenis Ramos and Pablo Gomez, both seniors, lead the team with seven goals each this season. Gerardo Olivera, freshman, is the Mustang’s leading goalkeeper, with 41 saves and 4 shutouts this season.

Varsity Coach: Luke Stuckey Current Record: 12-9 Coach Comments: “We have been up and down so far. We look to hit our stride and play our best during league play. We have looked at what has worked so far and what has not. We have looked at what group of guys have played well together throughout the first half of the year and tried to learn and adjust from that. As a team, we are learning that how we practice dictates how well we perform in games. We are becoming a better practice team,” said Stuckey. Important Upcoming Games: The Mustangs face off against Del Norte on Feb. 15 and the CCA Ravens on Feb. 17. Both are home games. Leading Scorers: Sean Mcdonnell, junior, leads the team with 198 points so far this season, and junior Jon Viles is second with 115 points. All statistics from maxpreps.com

All statistics from maxpreps.com

Senior Jordan Golden looks on as junior Jack Hagen struggles to steal the ball from an opponent. Photo by Kai Schlesinger.

Girls Soccer

Junior Dane Wankier dribbles through the midfield and looks up to pass to a teammate. Photo by Kai Schlesinger.

Varsity Coach: Maddie Tantillo Teams are built from the hours of hard work, dedication, their time spent during practice on the field. But varsity girls soccer coach Maddie Tantillo has spent time working on the off-field aspects of the sport as well. “The girls and I have been working hard on building the team chemistry and bonding so we can carry that onto the field,” said Tantillo. Part of that bonding includes team pasta dinners before game days. Tantillo is trying to rebuild the soccer program into one that will be able to compete against top level schools. “We are going to work hard each year to improve,” she said. Coach comments: The season started with a four-game winning streak including the annual Baron’s tournament . “Making it to the finals in our first tournament was very significant to the team,” said Tantillo. The confidence that the win gave the girls helped boost the start of their season. The goal for the season is to get as far as possible into playoffs, and Coach Tantillo has found an unlikely source of talent. “The freshmen on the team have stepped up tremendously,” she said. Current Record: 6-7-3 Important Upcoming Games: The last game of the season for the Mustangs is at CCA, their rival school, on Thursday, Feb. 16. All statistics from maxpreps.com

Carmen Lugo, sophomore, dribbles down the sideline past a Mission Vista player. Photo by Jocelyn Lee.

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Volleyball Coach Killed in Shooting SDA freshman girls volleyball coach Karen Reis was killed early New Year’s Day in her brother’s home in Coronado. Story by Sarah Kochanek.

tudents and teachers alike returned to school after winter break saddened and heavy with grief, mourning the death of the freshman volleyball coach Karen Reis. Reis and three other people were shot and killed in a Coronado condo early New Year’s Day. At 2:20 a.m. on Jan. 1, neighbors called the police after hearing gunshots from the residence. Emergency personnel arrived to find four people fatally wounded, two of them being Karen Reis and her brother David Reis. A San Diego County Sheriff’s Department press release ruled the case three homicides and one suicide. The alleged shooter was John Reeves, and the other victim was Matthew Saturley. After Reis passed away, students at SDA, particularly the girls volleyball teams, leaned on each other for support during the rough time. “We met for lunch the first day back to school and we all just held each other and sat with each other.

In the moment it meant so much to just know I wasn’t alone,” said sophomore Amanda Colla. “This past month has definitely been an emotional struggle for us, but being around family and friends who knew [Reis] makes us feel more at peace. Also seeing all the people she has truly touched throughout her life really impacted me in a positive way because I know so many people loved and cared for her,” said junior Kendahl Hettick. A candlelight vigil was organized by seniors from the girls volleyball team to honor Reis and gain closure for all of her loved ones. It was held in front of the performing arts center at SDA on Wednesday, Jan 4. Girls lit candles, brought flowers, and even participated in volleyball cheers in memory of their coach. “It was hard being at the vigil, I don’t think I’ve cried that hard in a long, long time. It was a good way to remember Karen for who she was and the memories we had,” said sopho-

more Kylie Kofler. Reis studied neuroscience at UCSD and was a former volleyball captain there. The students of UCSD held a memorial service on Jan. 12 for Reis and her brother. SDA students who had played for Reis also attended the tribute, during which speeches were given by Reis’s parents and close friends. Reis was known by many as a generous and caring person. She coached volleyball at SDA for two years, influencing the lives of students and fellow coaches. “She made me realize that life is short and that you need to enjoy every moment of it,” said sophomore Maddy Silverstein. “[Reis] helped me know that I need to enjoy every second I play and to just give everything I have. [She taught me] to be supportive of my teammates and to be a leader. A valuable lesson I learned was to stay strong for myself and others,” said Monica Lundgren, junior.

Coach Reis joked around with the team, hitting volleyballs with them before practices and games. Photo courtesy of Rick Hettick.

During her time with them, Reis liked to have fun with the girls she coached. “I remember when we were on the bus back from a game and it was just Karen and our team of 12. We all played music, sang songs, and Karen asked us all to make CD’s for her. That was one of my best memories of the entire season; we were all just so happy,” said Kofler. Lundgren recalled Reis’s sense of humor. “One time after a game I was with Amanda Godfrey and we were talking with Karen. She was holding our other coach’s baby and she was showing us all of the funny things she had taught him,” Lundgren said. The Reis family established the

David and Karen Reis scholarship fund in memory of their children. Instead of flowers for the memorial service in Bakersfield, monetary donations were made to Garces Memorial High School, the high school which both siblings attended. “Seeing how many people were touched by Karen was a real honor. She changed so many people and just knowing that they all loved her as much as I did was amazing. I know Karen is in a good place somewhere,” said Colla. “Karen was a wonderful person as well as a coach and I’m glad I had the privilege to know her for as long as I did. She has touched many people and will forever remain in our hearts,” Hettick said.

A Heady Issue Recent studies show that “heading” the ball in soccer may cause more damage than previously believed. Story by Sarah Kochanek.

ost soccer players think nothing of leaping through the air to beat an opponent to the ball using their head. Some, though, fear collisions with another person’s head, elbow, or even knee. However, new research shows that a seemingly harmless part of the game could be the cause of brain damage and memory loss. The Radiological Society of North America found data that brain damage occurs when a person heads the ball frequently. By their estimate, “frequently” is defined as at least 1,000 times per year. Although this number may seem unreasonably high for a high school student, it amounts to only a few headers each day. “I’ve never really thought about [heading being dangerous], but it’s kind of scary,” said sophomore Megan Simmons. Coaches at SDA work hard to keep students safe throughout all aspects of the game. “I think that if you properly head the ball, you will not have a serious problem. Technique is key,” said girls varsity soccer coach Maddie Tantillo. At the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, a study was conducted to investigate the dangers of frequently heading the ball. In an article online released Nov. 29 by the college, leading author in the experiment Michael Lipton M.D., Ph. D. said, “Repetitive heading may set off a cascade

Sophomore Carmen Lugo jumps to head a ball during a game on Feb. 3 against Mission Vista High School. Photo by Jocelyn Lee.

of responses that can lead to degeneration of brain cells.” Research showed people who head the ball over 1,000 times annually did not perform well on verbal memory tests. These adults also had worse outcomes in a psychomotor speed test (activities that require mind-body coordination, like throwing a ball) than their peers, who had reported a smaller number of “headers” in one year. “What we’ve shown here is compelling evidence that there are brain changes that look like traumatic brain injury as a result of heading a soccer ball with high frequency,” Lipton said. “The bottom line here is when heading a ball in soccer you must know the proper technique and have a quality ball which is properly inflated. In soccer there is a saying, ‘You hit the ball, don’t let it hit you.’ Anyone who has played the game at a decent level should know how to properly head the ball without any pain. If you hit the ball it does not hurt. If you let the ball hit you, it does,” said boys varsity soccer coach Craig Dean. For the time being, the district has not seen a big enough threat in heading to make any rule or equipment changes. “I believe with proper coaching, good equipment, and experience, heading in soccer is safe,” said Dean.

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Skier vs. Snowboarder

To celebrate our last month of winter, BFF seniors Nick Hergesheimer (skier) and Tanner Bracci (snowboarder) square off in a witty winter sports showdown that quickly turns frosty. Who bested this Herculean challenge? Find out! Story by Eleanore Hendrickson. Can you cry underwater? Skier: Yeah, you definitely can. I know from experience. Snowboarder: No, but you can smell underwater. Skier, I don’t know what might have happened to give you this personal experience, but damn was that a depressing answer. I can’t even muster up the will to make fun of you for that. Here’s 40 pity points. Snowboarder, I’m not entirely sure that you know what water is, or smelling, or really basic biology. I ain’t no fancy city slicker doctor, but I’m pretty sure that attempting to inhale underwater will result in the unfortunate affliction that we call “drowning,” no matter how nice that delicious chlorinated public pool water or briny ocean sea may smell. And, unlike our skier, you don’t know this from experience. I was going to give you a bit of leniency since, as a snowboarder, I shouldn’t expect you to know much about aqueous matters – but then I remembered that you live here, so you have no excuse. Minus 12 points. If nothing sticks to Teflon, how do they make Teflon stick to the pan? Skier: It just does. You just… grab it. (Grunt). It sticks.

Snowboarder: They just smack the two together really fast. They use kinetic energy. Skier, smart response. I think that your advice can even be applicable to situations outside of non-stick pans: just grunt and grab until you get your way. Sage words, Skier. Plus 15 points. That’s a good number. Snowboarder, I’m tempted to say that your lack of knowledge extends beyond the biological world and is now spilling into the study of physics. Unfortunately, I never took AP Physics, making me rather unqualified for this task. So I’m grudgingly going to ignore my every fiber shouting at me to subtract more points from your score and – wait. This is my section. I don’t have to be qualified for anything! Minus 58 points, just because I can! Just before someone gets nervous, do they experience cocoons in their stomach? Skier: Do butterflies mate? Snowboarder: No. You experience butterflies… I get rats in my stomach. Oh, Skier. And here I was, thinking that you were some kind of newage Socrates. Do butterflies mate? Is the pope Catholic? Actually, given the cognitive level of that last response, you probably would just re-

spond, “Is he?” Your ideas were still in the cocoon stage when you said them, Skier, only instead of eventually hatching into beautiful thoughtterflies, they seem to have died halfway through metamorphosis. I’m disappointed. And disgusted. Clean up your cocoon shells while I take away 46 points. Snowboarder, I’m just going to focus on the second half of your response there. That is not some cute idiom. That sounds like either some sort of health problem, or a sign you should probably stop frequenting those shady fast food joints. Either way, I think you need to get that checked out. Just take these 32 points and go see a doctor. And call the health inspector while you’re at it. Why do toasters always have a setting that is so high that it will burn the toast to a horrible crisp that no one would ever want to eat? Skier: It helps melt the butter. Snowboarder: Because some rats like it that way. Snowboarder, I thought I told you to stop going to those sketchy fast food places. Now it looks like you’ve formed some sort of symbiotic relationship with the ones in your stomach, where you feed them blackened toast in exchange for… what, exactly? They’re using

During halftime, Hergesheimer (left) and Bracci (right) challenge one another to a game of rock, paper, scissors. Rock solid! Photo by Jocelyn Lee.

you, Snowboarder! They don’t care about you for who you really are! Take these 29 points and muster up the strength to leave, before they take everything from you! Skier, I hope you realize that butter will melt at room temperature, let alone on the surface of disgustingly crisp and burnt toast – but you know what? You can eat your toast however you like it; don’t worry about what other people think. I’m

proud of you for sticking to your guns despite overwhelming popular resistance. You’re a regular Rocky Balboa! At the very least, you could probably teach our Snowboarder a lesson in standing up for himself, before the rats get to him… or worse, if he turns into one himself. Plus 41 points. Skier: 50 Snowboarder: -9

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Pucker Up, Buttercup We photographed innocent bystanders from around campus just as our Martian assistants came to abduct them--or, we just fed students (and Mr. Richardson) Warheads with some sour results. For once, an experiment we can encourage our young readers to try at home. Photos by Emily Maxwell and Kai Schlesinger.

1. Senior Lena Ohlson 2. Junior Joe Stefanki 3. Substitute Extraordinaire Mark Richardson 4. Junior Daniel Kim 5. Junior Allison Dresner 6. Senior Stefan Schweitzer 7. Junior Eric Poincenot 8. Senior Evan Eichenberg

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