SDA Mustang November 2008

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mustang

11.07.08

issue two volume xii

mustang the

11.07.08

Decision 2008

Monthly check-up Time to economize

On the cover Junior, Lyn-z Mizock, this issue’s cover-creating artist, has been behind a brush for “three years,” she says. Right now she’s focusing on sunflowers for her AP Art Studio portfolio. Other than painting sunflowers, Mizock is teaching herself to play the accordion, though she said, “I might get a teacher at some point.”

The cover is Mizock’s first collage. It was influenced by the Neutral Milk Hotel song “Holland 1945.” The song is about the writer’s “reoccurring dreams of his Jewish family in Holland during 1945,” said Mizock. She created the cover with pictures taken from an online website of surviving Holocaust victims.

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A prominent national concern is the state of the economy with regards to the stock market crashes of October. Though the crash has not been visibly catastrophic on a local scale, students and their families have not gone unaffected. Many seniors have been forced to re-evaluate colleges they are applying to, as tuition may increase and loans may become more difficult to acquire.

Read more about the potential problems students could face on page 5.

With the school year in full swing and college application due dates just around the corner, many students have likely been neglecting their health. Students around campus can be seen suffering from sleep deprivation, malnutrition, and senioritis, among other things. In order to cure the ailments so many students are afflicted with, The Mustang has dedicated this issue to bettering the health of students with articles about everything from dietary choices to hula hoop fitness routines. Four time-intensive AP classes and a varsity sport leaving your bed neglected? Check out an article about sleep on page 26. Stressing about college applications or entrance exams? See page 27 for an article about stress, or find comfort food in “Readers, Digest!” on page 33. Want to learn about health and lifestyles in Korea? Hear staff writer Robin Sickels’ opinion about it on page 17. Look for the health logo indicating other health related stories throughout this issue.

The Democratic process spoke on Tuesday and the voters have chosen a new president: Senator Barack Obama. Though the majority of students aren’t voters, and therefore couldn’t choose the president, many still made their political positions clear; for pictures of their activism, see page 4. On pages 8 and 9 there is an account of the events that occurred at Golden Hall in downtown San Diego on election night.Hear from three of The Mustang’s reporters what it was like learning of Obama’s victory in a room filled with some of San Diego’s most politically active people. Among others, they encountered a self described “patriotic show choir,” a “McPallin” supporter, a man with a glorious moustache (pictured below) and hundreds of inspired and hopeful Obama supporters.

Finally, The Mustang staff stated their opinion about the results of the election in the staff editorial on page 12.

Staff Editor in Chief News Editor Alex Matthews Opinions Editor Michelle Cancellier Features Editors Ads Managers Erin Donaldson Emily Walsh Arts Editor Zach Garcia Circus Animal Fun Editor Eric McCoy Sports Editors Eric Peck Sean Znachko Nicole Fisher Copy Editor Ben Johnson Photo Editors Kendall Daasnes Liz Mills Staff Writers Emily Bartram, Ariel Chao, Taylor Chapin, Alexis Cook León, Paige Ely, Nika Fate-Dixon, Dimitri Fautsch, Danielle Gradisher, Andrew Kasselmann, Kirby Lochner, Madison Lyon, Deanna Melin, Nina Moussavi, Emily Ratajkowski, Alysse Rathburn, Ana Reyes, Kerry Roberson, Kyle Shohfi, Robin Sickels, McKenna Taylor, Savanna Vrevich, Shannon Wright Advisor Tim Roberts San Dieguito Academy Room 93 800 Santa Fe Drive Encinitas, CA 92024 (760) 753-1121 x5161

Notice 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 93, emailed to sdamustang@hotmail.com, or mailed to the above address.

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mustang 11.07.08

Students of Note

Kendall Daasnes

In the band

Trombone player Julian Noble, senior, said, “Band is the most fun when you get a cool rhythm. If you get a boring part, then it’s boring.”

According to Noble, band traditions include beating LCC in the Encinitas Holiday Parade, despite the fact that LCC is a marching band and SDA is not, and handing out end-of-the-year awards. These awards range from the legitimate classics, such as “Most Improved,” to student-made awards like “Biggest Band Geek” and “Most Likely to Work at Rico’s.”

- deanna melin

Kendall Daasnes

SYMPHONIES AND STARBUCKS The band held a coffee concert on Oct. 10, during school, which students were allowed to attend. Afterwards, Starbucks provided beverages. Since then, the band has been hard at work preparing for the Winter Concert. The Encinitas Holiday Parade will take place Dec. 6 on Highway 101, and the Winter Concert will be on Dec. 18 in the gym. SDA students are welcome to attend and support the band.

Prop 8 on Facebook Students use the popular site as a platform to express their beliefs on political issues. paige ely

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ith the recent election, Facebook has become an outlet for students to express their political views, especially on gay marriage. While it has increased discussion, it has also raised tension.

Someone outside of SDA started a group encouraging people to change their Facebook photo to a Yes on Prop 8 photo.

Some students at SDA did just that. By changing their photo, they started discussions on their “wall” from both sides. Junior Jake Novack, a participant in the discussions, said, “The problem is the majority of the comments turn into inappropriate personal attacks. Calling someone a bigot, calling someone a homophobe just isn’t productive.”

Some believe the discussion is a good thing. “It makes people think, instead of following.

People begin to explore more, learn more, and begin to think and open their eyes,” said junior Lauren Wilkins, who has joined the Yes on 8 Facebook group.

Senior Dana Watchorn, former president of GSA, said

WALL-TO-WALL DEBATE This Facebook profile that opposes Proposition 8 was started by two San Dieguito seniors.

“I’m glad to see that people are discussing it. It helps to communicate when people normally wouldn’t.”

“Its cool people say what they think,” junior Alena Chiou said. “It’s when they bash other people’s beliefs where I get annoyed. A lot of people who are No [on Prop 8] are saying mean things and it’s happening a lot in one direction. It goes against what they believe. Most people are against Prop 8 because they want tolerance. I believe in tolerance too. But they don’t seem to have tolerance for our belief.

That’s when I get upset.”

Students recognize that their face to face relationships have changed based off the discussions of Facebook. “I argued for over an hour [about Prop 8] with one of my really good friends on Facebook,” Watchorn said. “There was a lot of tension between us and the next day it was awkward and hard for me to get along.”

Wilkins said, “At first people would still smile, but as the discussions got more heated, people started to get upset. It wasn’t people I’d hang out with,

but they would start to avoid me.”

However, students agree they talk more about Prop 8 on Facebook than in person. When asked why, students said they feel they can say more on Facebook. “It was the easiest way to voice my opinion,” Wilkins said.

“On Facebook, people are more bold and courageous and have people to back them. They don’t have to worry about getting yelled at,” Watchorn said.

Chiou said, “In school I wouldn’t go around wearing a shirt that says Yes on Prop 8.

People would be mean to my face.”

While Facebook may create a sense of support between people with similar beliefs, students agree it only goes so far. “Everyone has already made up their mind,” senior Asa Puckette said. “Facebook isn’t the way to convince someone.” Puckette created a “No on Prop 8” account and switches off being married to it with Watchorn. “I want it to be known,” Watchorn said. “But there are better ways than leaving a Facebook comment. It’s only so public. And it shows what you’re for, but not how strongly you’re for it.”

Behind the scenes Behind the scenes of each play put on by the drama class is a group of “techies.” Danielle Cooley, senior, is the assistant technical director. “My job, literally, I’ve been told this by [drama teacher, Sharon] Dasho, is to be Erin’s emotional support,” she said, referring to senior Erin Gibb, the student technical director. “Basically, I stand next to Erin and I say sarcastic things to make her laugh.”

Cooley and the rest of the tech crew do construction for the set. “I’ve done it so many times, and it’s so tedious,” she said. “I get flashbacks: ‘I’m building a cabinet. I swear I’ve built 50 cabinets over the years. We could have just saved the same cabinet and used it again.’”

In spite of the frustrations there are always moments to goof off.

“Theatre is not really a work of art as much as just trying to keep it up without falling down on people, so it’s kind of half-assed a lot,” she said.

Injuries behind the scenes happen frequently. Cooley once passed out after slitting her thumb open.

“We usually don’t have enough band aids,” she said. “Miss Dasho is vegan, so Wynona [Hendrickson, senior] solved this by buying her bacon-shaped band aids.”

Despite the constant weekends filled with technical work, the techies and the actors have a lot of fun together and get along well. “It’s not all like ‘ooh you’re a techie’ and ‘you’re an actor, you’re pompous’.

It’s more a community,” said Cooley.

- alysse rathburn

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mustang 11.07.08

Fire marshal in, couches out

Election infection Alex Matthews

The fire marshal came to SDA, and, as a result, the walls are bare, and classrooms are emptier. emily bartram

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bout a dozen couches were removed from classrooms last month after Encinitas Fire Marshal Tom Santos inspected San Dieguito Sept. 5 and found numerous fire safety hazards around campus.

The main concerns were with classroom walls. According to the report, one main citation was for classrooms having more than 25 percent of each wall covered in paper, which shouldn’t be any closer than 24 inches from ceiling corners. Due to the enforcement of this rule, many teachers had to take down wall decorations.

Also, many items made of fabric did not have fireproof identity tags, including couches and curtains. According to school custodian Gabriel Figueroa, approximately 10-12 couches were removed from classrooms.

Band teacher Jeremy Wuertz had two couches: one with the fire proof identity tags, and one without. Weurtz took both couches out of the classroom.

The one with the fire-proof tag was taken out because “students were abusing them. I would always find trash all over the floor.

And, the couch was really old and dirty,” he said.

As for the couch without the tags, Weurtz was told to put the couch outside his classroom.

The couch was then taken by the janitors.

Some students were upset with the removal of couches from classrooms. Matt Knox, a sophomore in Weurtz’s third period said, “We have to sit in uncomfy chairs now. It’s pretty lame. We don’t get to sit there and play guitar anymore.”

Science teacher Jocelyn Broemmelsiek has one couch in her classroom. Although the couch does have a fire-proof tag, she was still told to have the couch removed. Broemmelsiek was told the couch was not “hospital grade,” meaning that the couch

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was not clean enough to be used in a hospital.

“It’s [the couch] still here.

I’m assuming the custodial staff will come and take it. The seniors in homeroom are pretty sad about the couch having to be removed, but for now they are happy it’s still here.”

The theater was cited for multiple violations. The first was the maximum capacity allowed into the theater at one time.

Before Santos came to perform the inspection, the number of persons allowed in the theater was an “educated guess” of around 150 people, handwritten on a piece of paper taped to the wall.

Drama teacher Sharon Dasho said that the fire marshal gave the theater an exact number 118 people who can be allowed inside the room at one time, including 95 sitting and 23 standing.

“Our main concern during the event of a fire is the safety of the students. Outnumbering the fire capacity would in turn make it more difficult to extinguish the fire because it would take longer to get everyone out. We need to stick to the number he gave us and enforce it.” Principal Mike Grove said.

The theater was also cited for the curtains hanging along the walls. The back curtains did have a flame retardant tag, but the front ones did not. According to Dasho, the front curtains were donated to the school by the Old Globe Theater in Balboa Park, and did not come with a certificate saying they were fire-proof.

Dasho had a crew come in to spray the curtains to make them fire-proof. It cost the school $400 to have done, which was paid for by the school district.

Staff member Deb Abrahamson said the school is following the fire marshal’s regulations.

Santos plans to come back frequently to check in with the school. Abrahamson could not give a specific date for the visit but said he is definitely coming back.

Although only a small portion of the student population is old enough to vote, that didn’t stop many others from having their voices heard on election day. T-shirts, stickers, rallies, and Facebook were among the popular means of communicating these opinions. Though it did not affect students directly, Proposition 8 was one of the most passionately debated measures on campus, its opposed by a majority of students.

These opponents of the proposition made t-shirts and danced on street corners, hoping that their efforts would compensate for the lack of political efficacy their disenfranchisement has created.

RALLYING FOR EQUALITY Senior Steven Farberov sports a “No on 8” t-shirt and an Obama-Biden pin on election day.

Farberov said he is against Proposition 8 because he believes in “equality for all people,” and he has been attending rallies for the past week hoping to sway people who are voting for the proposition.

PROPOSITIONS L & H Sophomore Kate Radcliffe shows off her position on Proposition 8 with a home-made t-shirt. The front of the shirt indicated support for Senators Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

Alex Matthews

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eed help with: homework? the SAT/ACT? college applications?

I have over 6 years of tutoring experience with students. During this time I have coached my students into some of the top colleges in the country by customizing my tutoring services to fit their needs.

For More Information Contact Daniel at:

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mustang 11.07.08

Let’s get economical, economical The recent crisis has SDA seniors asking if the pricey burdens of some colleges are the ones that they want. eric peck

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nybody with eyes or ears has likely seen or heard about the stock market crash of early October, when markets locally and abroad plummeted in response to the mortgage and credit crisis centered in the United States.

People all over the United States have felt the effects of this crisis, and high school students preparing to enter college are feeling the pain as well.

Counselor Ann Nebolon pointed out that since many families now have less money, college will be a larger burden than it would have been before the crisis.

“As of now, it’s not sure whether or not the cost for college is remaining the same, but the financial burden on some families will definitely be higher,” she said.

This appears to be happening already, as private schools fear that they will lose business

to larger public universities, especially ones that offer lower tuition to in-state students. A survey of 2,500 students from the website meritaid.com found that 57 percent of students were considering a different school because of monetary restrictions.

“It [cost] is going to be a very big factor for me. I’ve had to cross USD and Boston University off my list this year,” said senior Adam Ackad.

“You can expect to see an increase in tuition, especially since little things like parking fees will go up. Class sizes will be larger, as there will be fewer adjunct professors [teachers hired on a year to year basis],” economics teacher Stephen Fisher said.

Fisher also said it will now be more common for students to graduate in five or six years rather than four.

Colleges may cut entire departments, and many large research universities may have to put projects on hold until the economy stabilizes.

“Expect to pay more for less,” Fisher said. A report released last Wednesday by the College Board stated that on average, college tuition and expenses will be 5.7 percent higher in 2009 than they were in 2008. In the last decade, tuition and fees have risen at an average rate of 2.4 percent per year after inflation at private four-year colleges, so the increase of almost 6 percent is a large leap.

The amount of private loans taken out also fell since last year, as federally guaranteed loans are now easier to access. Federal loan volume rose 6 percent after inflation, according to the report.

UC San Diego, known for being a large public research university, said that their financial aid would not be affected.

Director of outreach communications Pat Jacoby said that “[UCSD] won’t have to offer less financial aid this year.” Jacoby said that it isn’t known if the crisis will affect the university overall. He also believed that it was

likely that the freshman class size this coming year would be smaller than in previous years, as students are choosing to attend less expensive schools both in California and out-of-state.

Some students who would have attended a UC school before the crisis may choose to attend a state school, and students attending a state school may choose a community college.

However, it’s not all gloom and doom in the economic world. Fisher said that as the economy rights itself, the United States job market will likely be on the upswing in about four or five years, right as the class of 2009 comes out of college.

According to the report, California state college students have it lucky; average tuition at two year colleges in California is only $634, compared to $2,402 nationwide.

“I have enough money saved up for where I want to go, so money shouldn’t be a factor for me,” said senior Kiko Kolb. Kolb wants to attend either Cal Poly

SLO or University of Colorado Boulder.

Many students also have their parents’ support.

“My parents have said they’ll find a way to pay for college no matter where I end up going,” said senior Alex Caffrey. This was the case with other students as well.

“Money isn’t a factor for me, its how the school fits me and what it offers academically that matter to me,” said senior Kristi Ellison. “There are enough ways to make money that it shouldn’t be a factor.”

While there were a good number of students who weren’t overly concerned, many seniors affirmed the belief that money was now a much bigger issue in their college decision.

“Money is a factor, but I do think I’ll be able to receive financial aid,” said senior Kyle Rapp.

“It’s a factor for all my schools except USC. My grandma said she would help pay for that because she’s an alumnus,” said senior Brice Tiano.

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A change in CommUnity CommUnity Day will not have its usual assembly, nor will it be conducted in homerooms, among other changes this year. kyle shohfi

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he theme for SDA’s CommUnity Day 2008 is “Three Seconds to Change the World.”

According to English teacher and CommUnity Day organizer Blaze Newman, the idea stems from the psychological finding that most people form their opinions of others within the first three seconds of meeting them.

Newman said that an important part of this year’s CommUnity Day, set for November 19, is going to be educating students about this fact and “encouraging people to slow down and think” before they form these unqualified judgments. CommUnity Day facilitators are planning various activities that should help students to realize that they do, in fact, form opinions just this quickly.

There will also most likely be discussion of various hate crimes or acts of ignorance that look like prejudice and discrimination.

All ideas are still in the preliminary stages, but that is at least the plan for the moment.

There also will be a noticeable change in the way CommUnity Day groups are formed this year. Newman said, “It’s not by homeroom and it’s not by [another] class. The idea is to mix it up.” Newman also said that several facilitators in years past reported that “some homerooms were very difficult to work with.”

Groups will be determined randomly this year.

Facilitators feel that they can work with awkward silence in a room full of strangers more easily than loud chatter and disrespect in a room full of classmates.

Newman also said that

another change this year will be that rather than having an assembly to end the day the entire school will come together at the end at the soccer field bleachers. Each group will think of something important that they have learned from CommUnity Day or a question that they have to ask SDA and write it on a banner.

In a procession-like manner, two banner-bearers from each group will walk in front of the bleachers while another member of their group will read aloud the question or comment over the microphone.

Another possible idea is to have a school-wide sing-a-long at the very end.

As always, there will be outside food vendors during lunchtime. Dustin Atlas, junior and head of public relations, said that Dippin’ Dots, Flippin’ Pizza, L&L Hawaiian Barbecue, Noodles & Company, Subway, Chipotle, and Jamba Juice are all possible vendors for lunchtime.

Newman said the keynote speaker this year will be Orlando Tirado, a class of 2000 SDA graduate. His senior class was the first to spend all four years at The Academy. Tirado was on the committee for the very first CommUnity Day. According to Newman, Tirado is “very active in helping people see the world with new eyes.” He is an artist, a filmmaker, and a teacher. He taught at a school in a very rural part of Africa and also at a boarding school in New England for boys with emotional disturbances and autism.

Newman and the CommUnity Day organizers have been talking about goals for this year since last April or May. There were even a couple of meetings over the summer.

Battle of the Bands on Nov. 20th page 6

Blood Drive on Nov. 13th

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Making healthy headway

mustang 11.07.08

California becomes the first state to implement an all-around ban on trans fats, and is requiring that restaurants post their nutritional information. maddie lyon dimitri fautsch

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alifornia is a pioneer in all things healthy so it’s no surprise that it has become one of the first states to create laws promoting healthy eating. Recently Gov Arnold Schwarzenegger signed two bills into law that would eliminate trans fats from all foods served in restaurants and require nutritional facts to be posted in full view of the customers.

According to the California State Assembly official website the first of these two laws was signed into effect on July 25 and would force all restaurants to eliminate trans fats completely by 2010, followed by baked good retailers in 2011; packaged foods would be exempt. Overall this law will affect 88,000 restaurants and bakeries throughout California.

The legislation was first proposed by Democratic Assemblyman Tony Mendoza, who said that he was inspired to write the bill due to the growing problem of heart disease and diabetes, which are mostly caused by the consumption of trans fats.

Opponents of the law say

that prices will have to be raised significantly, due to the fact that higher quality, more expensive oils will now have to be used.

Joe Mettee, the manager of VG’s Donuts in Cardiff, said that the prices of donuts will experience short term increases due to the new law, but as the technology of making trans fat free oils progresses, prices will drop.

Junior Kristina Oswald said, “I’d rather pay a little bit more money for food without trans fats, because it is much healthier for you, so it’s worth it.” This sentiment was felt by the majority of SDA students who were interviewed.

The law will be enforced by local health inspectors, and violators could face fines from $25 up to $1,000.

The second law that focuses on improving nutrition in California was signed by Schwarzenegger on Sept. 30. This new law will require that over 17,000 eateries that have 20 or more locations in California to display nutrition facts by July 1, 2009.

Proponents of the law have said that when enacted, it will lead to a much healthier California. According Dr. Robert

C. and Veronica Atkins of the Center for Weight and Health at UC Berkeley, if the law were in effect, adult fast-food customers might, on average, end up weighing nearly three pounds less after a year.

People opposed to the law have said that it was not necessary to pass legislation requiring the posting of nutritional facts. Restaurants had already responded to consumer demand, and had made health facts and healthier food options available to the public. Fast food chains such as Wendy’s have added a variety of salads to their menu as substitutes for the more traditional yet un-healthful options.

Junior Collin Hyslop said, “I would get a food item regardless of the calorie count. When you’re a kid you don’t really need to worry about that kind of stuff.”Senior Kayla Frost agreed with Hyslop saying, “Even if I knew a food item was bad, I would still get it. I may think twice and then think again before getting it, but I would still get it.”

Last year California was the only state whose obesity rate did not increase, moving it from the 14th to the 9th skinniest state.

What are you eating?

The following information came from the websites of these chain restaurants, and will soon be posted at all their locations throughout California.

By Maddie Lyon

In-n-Out:

Double Double w/ onions= 670 calories Cheese Burger w/onions = 480 calories Hamburger w/onions = 390 French Fries= 400 calories Chocolate Shake= 690 calories

Panera:

Turkey Artichoke Panini = 740 calories Tuna Salad Sandwich = 760 New England Clam Chowder = 320 calories Chicken Noodle Soup = 100 calories Grilled Chicken Caeser Salad = 500 calories Asian Sesame Chicken Salad = 420 calories

Burger King:

Triple Whopper w/cheese= 1250 calories Double Cheese Burger = 510 calories Cheese Burger = 340 calories 5 piece Chicken Tenders = 300 calories

Tendergrill Chicken Garden Salad = 400 calories Medium French Fries = 500 calories

McDonalds:

Big Mac = 540 calories Double Quarter Pounder with cheese = 740 calories Double Cheese Burger = 440 calories 6 Piece Chicken McNuggets = 280 calories Premium Caeser Salad with Crispy Chicken and dressing = 520 calories Medium Fries = 380 calories

Subway:

6” Oven Roasted Chicken Breast = 310 calories 6” Meatball Marinara = 560 calories 6” Turkey on white= 610 calories Turkey Breast Salad w/Italian = 145 calories Subway Club Wrap = 430 calories 6” Tuna on white = 730 calories

Getting it write Students get help from college tutors in the SDA Writing Lab. alexis cook leon

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Kirby Lochner

EDITING AND REVISING Senior Brian Truong gets help with his college essay from Writing Lab tutor Kelly Wehrley.

The writing lab is a useful resource for seniors editing essays for college applications.

DA’s Writing Lab is available in the Library to help students edit their essays between 7:40 and 3:30 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, and all school day except fourth period on Mondays and Fridays.

The Writing Lab was designed to give kids a chance to work one-on-one with someone who can actually take the time to help them. It is for students who don’t just want help with one paper, but actually want to better their writing style and learn how to communicate effectively.

“Kids feel like they get really good advice,” said English teacher Rob Ross.

Anyone who needs help with English essays, history essays, even science reports or other

written projects can come in and ask for help. The Writing Lab tutors are also able to help seniors with their college essays.

The tutors are both experienced, college-level writers.

One, Kelly Wehrley, is a recent CSUSM grad with a B.A. in Literature and Writing Studies, while the other, Todd Newkirk, SDA’s Speech and Debate coach, is currently working towards a double major in Literature and Communications at CSUSM. The tutors ask that students sign up for an appointment in the Writing Lab binder on the desk in the library, and that they leave a copy of the piece they want edited in the Writing Lab box. Most appointments get about a 40-minute time slot, and happen during regular class time. As long as the tutors aren’t busy, walk-ins are welcome, too.

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election

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Political psychosis Alex Matthews

Among hateful screechings and hoarse ululations for McCain or Obama, staff writers Alex Matthews, Emily Ratajkowski, and Shannon Wright experienced the historical election night firsthand while people watching.

SPARE CHANGE? These people are not screaming for ice cream. They are screaming for change.

Revelations from Emily Ratajkowski

Fear, but mostly loathing, with Shannon Wright

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was originally under the impression that the Golden Hall meeting for the election results would be relatively calm. The only people that occupied the seemingly large room were sternfaced men and women in suits, who seemed to believe that their austere demeanor was fooling everyone else.

But to my immeasurable joy and amusement, I spotted a creaky old man who resembled a wealthy San Franciscan prospector from 1854. He observed the crowed with a proud, raised jaw, the lower lip overlapping the upper, which was smothered by what could be considered a work of art to some, but just a funny mustache to others. To my disappointment, he never pulled out an embellished silver pocket watch to check the time. I overheard his conversation with another man who supported “McPallin,” but then corrected himself by saying, “I mean, McCain and Pallin.” I didn’t have the heart to tell him that it was pronounced “pay-lin.”

I found myself standing behind a couple smirking suggestively while holding McCain/ Palin and Yes on 8 signs. To my abject horror, I realized they were undressing each other with their eyes, which only made me feel that much more uncomfortable when I saw the 20 something girl grip her boyfriend’s bicep with her clawed manicured hands; he subsequently winced and I have a sneaking he might have soiled himself.

There was a huge beastly man-thing wearing an Obama shirt to my left, although instead of “HOPE” written under Obama’s likeness, it said “NOPE.” While his anti-Obama

ow many moments in an individual’s lifetime are the “big ones,” the ones that go down in the history books?

Remembered by millions of Americans, these grand moments are retold to children and grandchildren. Last night, I knew that I was a part of this kind of moment, a moment of unity and change.

Barack Obama’s campaign asked for hope, and most importantly trust, trust that together we can over come. And while I was full of excitement and hope for a victory, I had my doubts as to how united our country had become and whether such a progressive goal could be reached.

I agreed with many when they said the idea was “too good to be true”; a black man as the president of the United States.

Last night, however, I felt the pride and carried the hope that will inspire me for the rest of my life.

Before the results came in, the energy in the room was deliberate and anticipatory; it felt like everyone was moving underwater. It was surreal, to watch people stand around the oversized televisions with wide open eyes, seeming as if they were holding their breaths: it was the “quiet before the storm.”

When at eight o’clock the screen flashed with the headline “Barack Obama elected president” it was if the water had parted, and the McCain supporters had been lost somewhere in the current. Overjoyed, people screamed, and one woman, a complete stranger, hugged me tightly, laughing hysterically.

An African-American woman lifted her hand up to the sky and began to chant with a few

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of her companions “yes we can!” as tears streamed down her face. “Yes we can” quickly spread through the whole hall, as people of all ages and races fists’ rose.

Walking down the streets, the energy was contagious. One person would shout “Obama!” and the whole street would react: cars honked their horns and people jumped down the sidewalk screaming, embracing and laughing. For a moment, I completely forgot that I was in San Diego. I was on any street, in any American city celebrating. I was in Detroit, New York, Chicago, Austin, New Orleans, and Los Angeles crying out into the air: “Yes we can!”

But, on the walk back to the car, as we spoke loudly in bewildered voices of the president elect, we came to a block with a sleeping bag placed against a fence. As we turned the corner, another 20 cots were lined up, made of found blankets and discarded foam, filled with the sleeping bodies of Caucasians, Latinos and African-Americans.

They were not celebrating. They were trying to get a nights rest.

Obama certainly has a lot on his plate for the next four years.

Realistically, he will only be able to accomplish so much and right the wrongs of eight years of failed policies.

But last night this country made history, and no matter how the Obama administration fares, it brought out the most timeless characteristic of human beings: hope. Let us hope we all can have many more nights like this in our lifetimes, where it is not about politics but instead about the power of the human spirit.

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sentiment was fairly obvious, I found his anti-deodorant stance putrid and offensive to my tender nose.

But my disgust was alleviated when I saw an entire brigade of adolescents who I initially believed were there to oppose Prop 8. As it turns out, I was terribly wrong. They were clean faced Christian students, but I had been fooled by their matching billowy pants and shimmery red sequined vests. I desperately wanted to ask them if they were supporting Brian Boitano as a write-in candidate, but I was struck with a disturbing visual of their white gloved hands stained with my blood.

Several feet away I saw a 300-pound 19-year-old who had slicked back her flaming red hair with some sort of oily hair product. As she proudly waltzed by me, she bellowed stubbornly, “Palin’s my girl!” while her obese 8-year-old sister tripped over herself shrieking the same thing. It wasn’t necessarily this screaming little girl holding the McCainPalin sign over her fat head that I found funny, nor was it her gigantic older sister’s translucent skin peppered with thousands upon thousands of freckles. It was the bright pink shirt with “McCain-Palin 2008” printed upon it, mercilessly stretched over her massive girth, that was the highlight of my evening.

However, I did not have enough time to consider it further as the room had erupted in cheers. I was confused as to why, but then I remembered that whole thing about electing the next president. People were rejoicing, crying, hugging each other, and shouting, “Yes we can!” while some smart-ass

college kids shouted “Yes we did!” In these type of situations, I rarely get caught up in the hysteria, but for some reason, a rare glimmer of what might have been hope sparked quietly in my head, and for the first time in a long time, I was in awe. Surprisingly enough, I also found myself hugging strangers, well at least not the gross ones. At the risk of sounding like some repulsive “Joe six-pack” character, I kind of felt proud to be an American. Also, there are only so many times in your life when you can shout “IN YOUR FACE” at a dejected obese girl in a pink McCain/Palin shirt.

election

the

mustang 11.07.08 Alex Matthews

Last day to turn in senior ads for the yearbook is Friday, Dec. 12, 2008 by 3:30 p.m.

A NEW HOPE Obama supporters carrying a huge banner through the crowd at Golden Hall in celebration of Obama’s win on election night.

Alex’s Account E

very 30 seconds or so, fists pumped up and down in the crowd, and the chant–that will be forevermore associated with this historic night–echoed from the walls of Golden Hall in downtown San Diego: “YES WE CAN!” I was too far from the television screens that lined the walls to see or hear what the broadcasts were communicating; I was forced to watch history happen firsthand.

The consistent chants degenerated into pure hoopla as a giant Obama-Biden banner appeared over the horizon of heads. Those carrying it were dancing, singing, chanting, yelling, and celebrating as they traveled through the crowd.

“Yes we did!” yelled a man walking by me into an embrace with a fellow Obama supporter.

“It’s a landslide!” a stocky woman covered in Obama-Biden and No on 8 stickers bellowed into her phone.

“McCain’s giving his concession now,” another overjoyed voice announced. As if I was listening to a radio news show, just a moment later I heard John McCain say, “I congratulate Barack Obama for winning the presidency.”

That one minute in which I learned of Obama’s victory embodied my entire election night: surreal. I spent all of last year learning as much United States history as I possibly could cram into my brain, and I was now personally witnessing one of the most important night American democracy will ever see.

Snapping pictures of the crowd that celebrated around the Obama banner, I saw the significance of this “youth vote” that had taken center stage in the election. A sizable group of middle-school-age kids was dancing around the banner, chanting, “YES WE CAN! YES

WE CAN!” their faces filled with euphoria. Though these people played no direct role in Obama’s victory, they were still making history. As so many have so unoriginally described it: they are the future. The president-elect can change anything he wants, but the actions of the future generations are what truly will define the success of the impending change.

This new generation was present in the form of Boy Scouts, Catholic middle schoolers, rival journalists, and a “patriotic show choir,” decked out in red, white, blue, and sequins.

Some observed, some argued, some screamed, and some of these activists sang and did jazz hands.

Amid the celebration, McCain-Palin supporters were dejected. I listened as two grungy-looking men mocked the “messiah” Obama’s acceptance speech as “bulls**t.” A woman nearly in tears of anger explained to her friend, who apparently didn’t understand Obama’s acceptance speech, that the rest of the world had been aware of his victory for over an hour. The suits I stood among near the results table loudly bragged of the measures the Republicans had managed to make that night, avoiding any conversation of the new president. Quite a contrast to the yuppie behind them that loudly complained of the communism and “trickle-up poverty” that Obama would create.

This election was historic on a local level as well; according to Francine Busby, it marked a change in the county’s previously Republican alignment.

As she watched the election results roll across the giant screens, Busby noted that a Democratic Latina woman, Olga Diaz, had been elected to the Escondido City Council. “That’s history!”

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news

the

mustang 11.07.08

The PSAT on Sat.

Pumpkin fundraising

The PSAT was not administered during the school week as it was in previous years. andrew kasselmann

A

fter two years of freshmen, sophomores and juniors taking the PSAT in class, SDA students this year had to take it at school on a Saturday, Oct. 18. The rest of the schools in the district took the test on Wednesday, Oct. 15. Principal Michael Grove and SDA Testing Coordinator Deb Abrahamson explained why this change occurred, and when it will be given next year.

Two years ago, in 2006, the PSAT was first given in class at SDA after Torrey Pines pioneered the idea, and the rest of the schools in the district were encouraged to follow suit, said Abrahamson.

SDA stopped giving the PSAT in class this year to freshmen, sophomores, and juniors, because during the two years that the Academy offered the PSAT during class, the school lost a sizeable amount of money, said Abrahamson. “Whenever you offer something during school hours, you cannot mandate payment,” said Abrahamson. The only thing the school could do was ask for donations, but not enough came in to pay for the tests, she said.

The total amount that SDA lost last year was $2837, said Grove. A site budget covered the cost for the test said Abrahamson.

Both LCC and Torrey Pines got enough to pay for the testing, and even though CCA had a deficit like SDA, the PSAT was given there school-wide to offer it to more students on Wednesday, Oct. 15 just like at LCC and Torrey Pines, said Abrahamson.

Because of the deficit created at SDA by the administration of the PSAT, the district gave the Academy the option of testing on the weekend, Abrahamson said. Since the test was not given during instructional minutes, SDA could ask for money from the students taking the test.

“The entire cost of the tests was covered this year,” Grove said.

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Principal Grove also said that although the decision was made before he became principal, he thought pressure from teachers not to lose instructional minutes was also a factor in the decision.

This year, 175 students took the PSAT; the large majority were juniors, said Abrahamson.

When the test was given schoolwide last year, 957 students took the test. Abrahamson believes that the kids who took the PSAT this year were the ones who really cared about the test. The ones that didn’t want to take it would not have shown up on a Saturday morning, she said.

Grove said that his is still fairly open-minded about offering the PSAT in class next year in class. He is planning to discuss the issue with the Principal’s Advisory Council, teachers, and parents at his First Fridays.

He said that giving the PSAT during school will give kids who would not otherwise take the test the opportunity to take it and prepare for the SAT. It would also show kids how they are doing in preparing for college, and encourage them to apply.

If the PSAT were to be given during the school year next year, Grove would also like evaluate who should take it. “Some kids might take it before they are ready,” said Grove. There is material on the PSAT that some freshmen have not covered yet, and they come away feeling bad about their preparedness for college, he said.

Grove will also look into funding the PSAT more effectively. He said that marketing for donations for the SAT in the future would need to be improved to bring the cost down to a level the Parent Foundation could support.

Either way, Grove said: “We’re always going to find a means for kids to take the test.”

Abrahamson said that the decision for when the PSAT will be administered next year will be made before the school year is over.

Kendall Daasnes

Four-year-old Max Spartacus Kleckner and his mother, Natalie Young, examine the pumpkins students carved to decide which is a worthy winner of the carving contest that took place on Friday, October 24. Karen Altic, freshman, an ASB member who headed the event, said it was held in order to raise money for Kleckner’s cancer treatment. His neighbor Kimberly Tilton-Riley brought the event to the school, Altic said. While students listened to music and carved pumpkins for the contest ASB members walked around with collection jars so that people could donate money to Max’s treatment fund. In that one lunch period, $350 was raised, Altic said.

Forum on hiatus The Academy’s budding platform for communication has yet to occur this year because students have yet to organize one. ana reyes

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ast year, students and teachers came together to create an environment where students, staff, and even parents could talk to each other about any issues or ideas. SDA’s Forum was a place for discussion to improve communication between students and the administration.

Although the Forum meetings are supposed to be conducted every three weeks, more than two months of the new school year has already passed without any meetings.

“The beginning of the year is always fast and busy, so we haven’t been able to get it started,” said physical science teacher George Stimson. He added, however, that it is not the teachers’ forum but the students’ forum.

SDA should continue hav-

ing consistent Forum meetings Junior Joey Pearson said. “Any large group of people needs a forum or else you don’t have real communication,” he said.

Senior Kevin Kennedy, who attended all Forum meetings last year, agreed that SDA needs a place where students can voice their opinions but thinks that if the Forum were to continue, improvements would have to be made. “[The Forum] became so positive, that nothing got done.

It became a place to talk about opinions and reflect on [the school], but that was it, then we went home.”

“It wasn’t designed to be a policy making group, but the opportunity to foster change indirectly was still there,” Stimson said. The Forum gave the opportunity for teachers and administrators to get a better sense of what the students want

so the staff can try to satisfy the needs of the students.

US History teacher Kerry Koda said that about 40 teachers attended Forum meetings but hardly said anything because they were listening to the students. “It is a unique thing to see so many teachers interested in what students have to say,” she said.

With only four meetings last year, SDA’s Forum was still just lifting off the ground. In fact, most students are still either unaware of the existence of the Forum or are not sure of what it is.

Koda and Stimson hope that students will pick up the Forum so they can mold it into what students think it should be.

“When there is a push for [the Forum], it will happen. The Forum only exists if students want it,” Koda said.

opinions

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mustang 11.07.08

Letters to the editor Obama will Prop 8: gay marriage better morale The Mustang feels that the new president will restore faith in the U.S. government and spread a sense of political efficacy.

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n election night Americans witnessed a sense of unity and camaraderie that the Mustang feels has been absent throughout the Bush era. Obamaites everywhere cheered, cried, sang, and danced as Barack Obama was named the new president of the United States.

Even John McCain, in his concession speech, extended his support to the new government and encouraged his own followers to do the same. Such an atmosphere suggests that the next four years will see a restoration of faith and respect among the American people.

The Mustang believes that the most tangible result of the new presidency will be a change in morale. Obama is reviving the idea of the government and the governed working together.

He has placed the responsibility for government reform on the people as well as himself. We can no longer rely on the Bush scapegoat. This new cooperation

will motivate citizens to fight for what they believe in, because they know that they can make a difference.

Because so many new voters were involved in this election and because Obama has become such an icon for change, disappointment is a risk. He is not Superman, despite what some t-shirt logos may say. It is important that citizens avoid placing all of their faith on the new president. He is taking on a serious economic crisis and may be out of office by the time his policies see results.

Though the media focused heavily on his race, The Mustang feels that many voted for Obama because they either agreed with his message or simply blamed the Republicans for the current economic situation and wanted to see them out of office.

Whatever their reasoning, the American people chose Barack Obama. Now we must wait and see if he lives up to expectations.

STAFF EDITORIAL

What’s up with...?

“...girls wearing shirts as dresses?”

Kyle Filley, sophomore

“... surfers and skaters not brushing their hair?”

Alexa Lambarri, senior

“... Bryan’s good looks?”

Chantal Watanabe, junior

Photos and story

by Nina Moussavi

“... not having ecofriendly waterbottles?”

Haley Arsenault, junior

To whom it may concern: Last Friday [Oct. 3] a school newspaper was passed out during homeroom. I feel the content in the newspaper was obviously biased and did not represent both sides of the issue fairly; thus, the equal rights of expression are being suppressed. It’s not fair that students with little knowledge of a subject are being tricked into believing narrow minded one-sided ideas.

Since this is a public school I would hope to believe that all sides of an issue are and should be presented, no matter how popular or unpopular they are.

It would be helpful to state the facts about a subject too. I am referring to the article about Prop 8. When I read this article I was extremely offended, since the newspaper attacked the beliefs of me and many others like me.

These are the facts: ·Proposition 8 would add these words to the constitution: “Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in the state of California.

A “Yes” vote on Proposition 8 reestablishes traditional marriage as law. ·In the year 2000, 61 percenr of Californians voted for Proposition 22, which defined a marriage this way. ·On May 15, 2008, the California Supreme in San Francisco

court ruled that Proposition 22 was unconstitutional by a vote of 4-3, which then allowed samesex marriage as a civil right. The decision of the court not only affected marriage in California, but also in the rest of the nation because there is no residency law attached to marriage. ·Proposition 8 defines traditional marriage but DOES NOT take away any of the legal benefits now available to same sex couples in civil unions. ·A vote against Proposition 8 has many negative consequences: Voting “Yes” does not take any existing rights away from same sex couples but voting “No” does. ·People will lose their right to send their children to a public school without teachers contradicting their belief that marriage is only between a man and a woman. ·Many churches will lose their non-profit status and will be taxed heavily because they don’t allow same-sex marriage ceremonies. Thus, the freedom of religion is jeopardized.

Religious beliefs do not come from the teachings of humans but from God. It is not right for churches to be punished for believing in doctrine that has always been present for thousands of years. ·Religious adoption agencies will have to give up their long held right to place children only

in homes where both a mother and father are present. Many churches will be forced to close adoption agencies, which will just result in tax payers having to pay millions to provide the same work. ·Religions that sponsor private schools and housing for married students will also be required to provide housing for same-sex couples, even if it contradicts their own church doctrine, or be forced to pay a high tax. ·By Voting “No” on Proposition 8 millions of people along with many churches will lose rights.

I feel that my voice should be heard considering the need for equal rights of expression in our public schools. If you choose not to consider my point of view, it is my right to take note of this violation of equal rights of expression to the school board if need be. If it’s not heard there, I’ll appeal my point of view until my complaint is received by those who are able to act on my behalf.

Sincerely, Emily Thompson Editor’s note: While we recognize that news articles should be balanced and unbiased, opinions articles express a particular point of view and thus are not impartial. As such, we are not necessarily expecting our readers to agree with all of the viewpoints presented.

Prop 4: abortion Dear Editor of The Mustang: Your Oct. 3 article by Emily Ratajkowski on Proposition 4 was very accurate and persuasive. I agree completely with the letter’s stance on Prop 4 and I’m glad that the story will inform others.

It is good that this article was printed and can inform students because a lot of the commercials on TV promoting Prop 4 are very misleading. Her article may change a lot of minds that have been tricked into believing lies and false information about the proposition. It helps keep some of the privacy that kids have, and with all the rules and restrictions there are today it’s important for us to have something to ourselves.

I agree with Ratajkowski when she writes, “most girls would not want to come home to see a slip of paper alerting

their family to their sexual lives and decision.” It is very true, most parents would not be that happy about a decision such as an abortion. They would most likely be even less pleased with the fact that they needed one in the first place. The parents shouldn’t have to know about a decision like that.

Ratajkowski has done a service to the student community by informing us all about the true purpose of Prop 4.

Sincerely, Al Rothenberg Dear Editor of The Mustang: Your Oct. 3 article by Emily Ratajkowski on Proposition 4 was very well-written and had good points.

I think that girls should have their own rights to things like getting abortions and every

girl should be able to make that private decision and feel comfortable telling their parents they need an abortion. If this Proposition 4 is passed, it could be dangerous for the girl’s health and they can hurt them selves very badly they aren’t allowed to get an abortion.

I agree with Ratajowski when she writes, “I can’t imagine parents who would rather have their daughter get a back-alley abortion than be in the safe hands of a real doctor.” This would probably happen if the girl asks for an abortion and the parents say no. The girl will want an abortion and get an illegal one that would probably kill her, at worst.Ratajkowski’s position on Proposition 4 respects the maturity and good judgment of teenagers in this state.

-Lynnsey Huard

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opinions

the

mustang 11.07.08

The downside of growing up Headgear, crimped hair, parent chaperones, sixth grade dances... it’s all a part of this painful stage of your life. Miss it?

E

why not 5?

veryone has had an awkward each person started off with a stage. Actually, that’s not vastly different appearance and true. There’s always that one perhaps even personality. The person who has managed to long hair may have been typical maintain the same in fourth grade, but at “look” since kinderthe age of 30 and with garten, continuing an actual career, it isn’t to rock it as she quite as logical for a girl moves into her dorm to have to tuck her long room and beyond. grown-out locks under But is that fair to us her bottom before shutendurers of awkmichelle cancellier ting the car door. wardness, or even What I’m saying interesting enough to be worthy is that change is good when it of our envy? comes to “forming” ourselves.

One of the best things about We girls may have thought we getting to know people later in knew what was up in sixth grade life, as opposed to growing up as we donned our cat eyeglasses with them, is seeing their classic and flipped out our Limited little kid pictures. Just like any Too-catalog-inspired short hair good coming-of-age book or (that was probably just me..) but, one-hour transformation TV in actuality, we’re all just going show, all of us like to see that through little phases of gawki-

four! These photos were taken halfway through my “leaning on books” phase. Note the snaggletooth and attempted flipped-out hair.

ness until we finally manage to find an outward appearance that projects what we are like, or would like to be like, as a person.

Without a doubt, there is no better time than in our developing years to sport the timeless bowl cut hairstyle or to proudly flash the snaggle tooth that inexplicably burst through years after losing all our baby teeth.

Sure, there will be documentation of these moments, but who can really hold a fashion faux pas against an innocent child?

You may have been jealous of a few of your fellow seventh graders as they shamelessly defied the awkwardness of puberty, but I like to think that those with cringe-inducing childhood photos have better life experience.

All aboard

Proposition 1A will propel America into the future faster than a speeding bullet train.

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now that’s sick

Propositions like 8 about gay t would be as if you were marriage or other well-known time traveling, flying down Propositions like caged animals the tracks, approaching your or abortion rights. This destination at 220 is an important issue miles per hour. You but not a whole lot of left San Diego only publicity was put on four hours ago, and prop 1A (that’s the one now you can see the about the California San Francisco Bay speed train by the way.)

Bridge, how can this robin sickels Voters approved the be? It isn’t a dream; Proposition though it you’re on the bullet was a close call, California will train. be putting in the railway. This This train is a brilliant idea project has been trying to be for the state to reduce car traffic pushed for awhile and finally hence speedier travel and will all the hard work of students, lead to less car pollution. researchers, and advocates from The plan is called Califorcorporations like CALPIRG (a nia’s High-Speed Train and was California organization standing on the ballot for the Nov. 4 elecup to interest groups) has paid tion and passed. The California off.

High-Speed Rail Authority is The train will cost the state planning a train in California’s $9.95 billion dollars, $9 billion metropolitan areas that would start in San Diego and go all the to build the system and another $950 million to improve other way to Sacramento. This project rail services connecting to the was not as highly publicized as

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high-speed train service. This will be a lot of money for our state to spend, but having this source of transportation will be very beneficial.

As California’s population increases, so do cars on the freeways. With an alternative way of transportation, traveling could definitely be looking up. Also since the price of gas is high, commuters who make their way up to Los Angles everyday would shorten their commute and save gas money, thus cutting out traffic and would cost thirty dollars round trip; I say, not bad, not bad at all.

This train could really help you out. The nearest station we could get on at would be Escondido or San Diego and if needed to get up to LAX airport for a flight, there would be no worries about parking at the airport.

Wherever your destination, the bullet train would make it easy.

We are always listening.

Write a letter to the editor in room 93, or email to sdamustang@hotmail.com

opinions

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mustang 11.07.08

Save the waves

Legislators are swamped with protests as dedicated surfers seek to protect a beloved beach.

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I miss Lauren

t would be an understatement back 8,000 years. The park is the to say that traffic is a problem. only place in world that these That is recognized. But is debears are found and the few of stroying a state beach to relieve them that are left are already in traffic going too far? danger, with food The Transportation becoming a scarce Corridor Agency, a pricommodity. vate enterprise, doesn’t Some environseem to think so. mental activists worIt is their solution ry that construction to future traffic congesof the road would tions: just extend a toll possibly wipe out liz mills road by paving over the entire species. a section of San Onofre State The 241 toll road, a 16-mile Beach and Park, home to the stretch of highway managed popular surf spot Trestles as well by the TCA, currently ends at as endangered wildlife.

Oso Parkway, located east of the San Onofre State Park is Interstate 5 freeway in Orange also home to a variety of speCounty. cies, many of which are on the The Agency proposed in early national endangered species 2000 to extend the toll road so list. Extending the 241 would that it would connect to the I-5 further endanger these species just south of San Clemente in and possible even wipe out some San Onofre. of them.

TCA authorities claim that But the park is also home the extension is necessary and to the Pahne Bears, which will relieve projected traffic conwere named after the ancient gestion in the Orange County Acjachemen people, who date area starting in 2025.

Regardless of whether or not the project relieves congestion, it would be extremely detrimental to the environment and harm Trestles State Beach, which is home to the NSSA Nationals competition, as well as the ASP World Tour competition each year.

If built, the 241 would connect to I-5 along San Mateo Creek, which is part of San Onofre State beach. The sediment carried in runoff from the creek is what provides Trestles with its sand and the rocks that are carried out of the creek help add to the great waves that Trestles is known for.

The opposition to extending the toll won’t go down without a fight. The Surfrider Foundation launched a campaign, “Save Trestles” to raise awareness on the issue.

Since its launch, “Save Trestles” stickers as well as other similar slogans can be found on the bumpers, t-shirts, and

Liz Mills

TRESTLE TUSSLE People lined the streets of Cardiff in September, protesting the toll road.

notebooks of beach-lovers everywhere.

On Monday, Sept. 22 the Secretary of Commerce for the United States made his way out to Del Mar to attend a hearing, held at the Fairgrounds in O’Brien Hall.

Over 3,000 people attended the hearing which spanned from 10:30 in the morning, ending

just after 8 p.m. that evening.

About 650 people were scheduled to speak at the hearing, and just over 150 were able to speak given the amount of time the hearing took.

After a number of public protests, the United States Secretary of Commerce is expected to make a decision regarding the hearing by Jan. 3.

Congratulations, SDA!

Mustang Magic was a phenomenal success! We raised over $42,000.00 which will help provide SDA students with the resources they need to realize their potential and maintain our tradition of excellence. SDAF gratefully thanks the following Mustang Magic donors and underwriters for generously supporting our school, our students and our teachers. \\ MUSTANG GENIE: Inlet Technologies - Jim & Tania Collins \\ MUSTANG MENTORS: Morrow Development - Fred & Helen Arbuckle/Don & Mary Lou Meagher/George & Elizabeth Stimson/DZN Partners - Bart & Dee Smith/Law Offices of Debra Caligiuri/Linda & Dan Friedman/Harris Radiator/Colin Rowlings/Leslie Smith/Toyota of Carlsbad/ Joe & Joanne Kellogg/Robin Watters & Paul Knox/Leslie & Gerri Greve/Dana & Howard Vieweg/Lenore Bohm/Laura & Grant Brittain/Israel & Gabriela Reynoso/Octavio & Marivel Cruz/Debbie & Jeff Waters \\ BUSINESS AND FAMILY – AUCTION DONORS: 101 Diamond Jeweler/ Aaron Bros./Adam & Marti Rosenberg/Adio Footwear/All American Potato Shack/Allen’s New NY Pizza/Alterations Center/Anthony’s Fish Grotto/Barry & Jennifer Axlerod/Bella Bella Salon and Boutiq/Best Western Encinitas/Bill Keane/Bio Pro/Birdhouse Grill/Blaze Newman/Blockbuster/Boomers/Borders/Brad and Sabine Rice/Bruce Stewart-Off Track Gallery/Bully’s/California Center for the Arts/California Music Studios/Carlsbad Dance Center/Cedros Soles/Century Club of San Diego/Channel 8 - Fred D’Ambrosi/Char Cee - Off Track Gallery/Chick’s/Chico’s/Cicciotti’s Trattoria/Cindy Gray - Off Track Gallery/Claudette Parham/Coast Brake and Wheel/Cohn Restaurant Group/Cold Stone Creamery/Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre/Comedy Traffic School/Comedy Store/Dale Dewalt - Encinitas School of Music/Damon and Drapers/Dave & Abby Fisher/De La Soleil Skin Studio/Deacon & Marie Nausler/Del Mar Thoroughbred Club/Delayne Wildermuth/DEMA/Dental Specialty Associates/Detour Salon/Diana Shimkus/Disneyland/Dixieland Jazz Festival/Donovan’s Steak House/Doubletree Golf Resort/Dr. Barry Mozlin/Dr. Martin Shulman/Dream Dinners/Eagle Creek/East of Bali/SeaWorld/El Torito Restaurant/Eli Howard Surf School/Ellie Havel - Off Track Gallery/Encinitas Surfboards/Encinitas Village Vet Hospital/Eureka One-On-One Review/Europtics/Fairbanks Ranch Country Club/Fidel’s Restaurant/Fiona Urquhart/Firenze/Fish House/FIT Studio of La Costa/Flippin’ Pizza/Fontana’s Hair design/French Pastry Café/Full Circle Tutoring/Fusion Learning Center/Grace Swanson - Off Track/Green Heights Home & Garden/Greg Goldstein/Grounded Garden Shop/H&M Landing Sport Fishing/Hearst Castle/Hornblower Cruises & Events/Huntington Library/In-N-Out Burger/Jamroc 101 Caribbean Grill/Jeff Kassebaum Photography/Jimbo’s/Joe Craighead Photography/Joe Gabaldon/John Ratajkowski/Kanaya Fine Teas - Judy Nakatomi/K-1 Speedway/Kari Nogle/Keith and Cheryl Kelly/Ricky Schlesinger and Ken Noah/Kern & Co./Kim and Jim Frost/King’s Fish House/Ki’s Restaurant/Kristina Eberle/LA Fitness/La Paloma Theatre/ Legoland/Leslie Gushwa/Leucadia Pizzeria/Lisa Kaufman/Marla and Dan Strich/Marcy Richards/Mary Kay Cosmetics - Meikim Watson/Midway Museum/Mike Grove/Misti Boutwell/Moonlight Hair Design/Morton’s Restaurant/Nail Lounge/Natural History Museum /Neal Glasgow/North Coast Rep/Nutrafitt Fitness Center/Oh My Dog! Photography/Old Globe Theatre/Pala Casino/Panda Express/Panera Bake/Pat Davis - Off Track Gallery/Paul Jordan/Paula White/Performing Arts Workshop/Phyllis Vitamins/Pino’s Restaurant/Potato Shack Cafe/Princeton Review/Puppy Love/Quail Botanical Gardens/Rancho Auto Body - Jim Gillan/Rancho Santa Fe Security/Real Mex Restaurant/realvolleyball.com/Red Tracton’s Restaurant/Reuben H. Fleet Science Center/Roxy Restaurant/Ruby’s Restaurant/Rubio’s Restaurant/Russell and Tracy Pompeo/Sage de Beixedon Breslin, PhD/Salon Nuage/Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza/San Diego Air & Space Museum/San Diego Civic Theatre/San Diego Natural History Museum/San Diego Rep Theatre/San Diego Symphony/San Diego Zoo/SD Ballet/SD Premier Training/Tastes Restaurant/SDA ASB/SDA Foundation/SDA Music Council/Silpada Designs Jewelry – Patti Lochner/Shirley Stuart/Six Flags/Skin Essentials by Ellen/Sky Sailing/Solid Rock Gym/Sony Electronics Inc./Soul Scape/Souplantation/Sparrow Clothing/SpragueLand Studios/St. Germain’s Cafe/St. Tropez Bakery & Bistro/Stainless Salon/Stanley Steemer/Supercuts/Star 94.1/Starbucks Coffee/Stater Bros./Stephen’s in Cardiff/Sunshine Gardens/Suzanne Morris/ Staples/Surf Bros. Teriyaki/Surf Hut Art Gallery/Susan Coppock/Susan Monken/Tee Taylor/Terry Lerager/The Black Sheep/The Brigantine Restaurant/The Glow Bungalow/The Phoenician Resort/The Pilates Place/The Rare Earth:TRE/The Yogurt Shack/Yanina Cambareri/Tom Myers Custom Framing/Tony Hawk Fan Club/TraderJoe’s/Tori Hedjran - Century 21 Sea Coast Reality/Tres Jolie/U.S.S. Midway Museum/Ultrastar Cinemas/USAopoly/Vanity Beauty Boutique/ViaSat- Val Agnew/Viejas Casino/VL Beauty Center/ Vons/Wallenius Law Group/White Dragon Martial Arts/Wild Rivers/Today’s Pizza\\

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mustang 11.07.08

Shades in the classroom?

Sunglasses are hot items for hot weather, but as the clouds come in, the shades should come off.

S

memahmoomah

unglasses were created to protect your delicate little eyes from the sun’s harsh glare.

Recently though, they seem to be the mark of a truly trendy human being.

Oddshaped emily walsh shades and strange-colored rims litter the faces of hip youngsters.

All right, so it is the style and there’s nothing wrong with that. You’re outside watching a concert protecting your eyes and making a fashion statement simultaneously.

This is fine, but as soon as you step into any indoor place I pray that those shades are coming right off. Wearing sunglasses indoors falls among hair left in the shower when ranking my pet peeves.

The reason I feel such disgust towards people that think it’s cool to make this impractical fashion statement is simply because it’s unnecessary. Oh yes, and the fact that it shows how rad you really think you are. Sorry to break it to you, but you’re no Jack Nicholson.

Take yo’ stunna shades off and definitely don’t wear them at night.

Kendall Daasnes

TAKE THEM OFF! I mean, is it really necessary to block sunlight inside the restricting walls of the classroom? Please, you don’t even look that cool.

I’ll give you a grace period to take your sun-blocking glasses off, but after sitting in class

for an hour and taking notes with your shades on, enough is enough. Solution is to make

a statement another way than wearing your $12 sunglasses while watching a movie in a

dimly lit room. There are plenty of t-shirts that are bound to yell out, “I am just too cool!”

Another teenager on the road Driving is the one thing every teenager has to go through. The DMV is just one part of this rite of passage.

A

pudding piñata!

bout three months ago I received my permit at the DMV. Ah, the DMV. Good times? The only thing that I could compare the DMV to would be a dirtier and more miniature airport.

There are people of every mckenna taylor background and age, screaming and crying children (yes, mothers and fathers bring their children to make the place even noisier), television screens telling you where to go depending on the number you received, and at least an hour wait before

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you get to talk to anyone. Sound like fun?

A couple of weeks before going to the DMV, I had finished my online training and spent every day studying for the big day. I was in Santa Fe, New Mexico with my family at the time and we would go on eight hour drives to surrounding cities and towns. During these long, endless drives, I would try to concentrate on who had the right of way at a four-way stop as my dad tried to read a New Mexico map and my older sister texted her boyfriend, her hooded sweatshirt and sunglasses on.

My mom kept pointing out the different lines and signs

on the road and I was getting frustrated with the fact that pedestrians always have the right of way. It became a huge debate.

So with all of the noise going on in the car, my dad ruffling the map pages, my sister frantically texting, and my mom yelling at me to pay attention to the road, it was a wonder I was able to study at all.

Nonetheless, by the time I finally took my permit test, I was ready. As I went up to stand in one of the cubicles, the DMV’s noise level had broken the sound barrier.

With a scary-looking guy shouting, “Dude! How was the test?” to his buddy across the room, the nonstop ringing of

phones, and confused old people, I thought to myself, “I better pass because I do not want to come back here.” As soon as I finished the test, I had to wait in line another 10 minutes for it to be scored.

There were three guys in front of me. The guy at the front whose test was being graded was a teenager who wore the usual expression of distaste and annoyance. He failed. Big surprise.

Next up, an old man, who had huge glasses and gray wisps of hair. He also failed and it was hard to watch as the news brought a curtain of sadness upon him. Then, the man in front of me, middle-aged and grizzly looking, failed as well.

Apparently, he had taken the test twice already and this was his third time, so he had to come back another day and start the process all over again. Tough luck.

Finally, it was my turn. My heart raced. The lady scanned over my test and marked one wrong on the first side. “Great, only five more chances,” I thought. Then she flipped to the backside, marked another, and said in the same monotone voice she had used with the other testtakers, “Congratulations. You passed.”

Excitement overwhelmed me.

Look out world, there’s a new driver on the road…or at least a driver-in-training.

opinions

the

mustang 11.07.08

Change the word, change the world This one word has our future in its grip. Do you have what it takes to wrest the world’s destiny from its grasp?

D

defenestrate you

material substance of an animal ehumanization and apathy or plant, living or dead, a corpse, towards your brethren is a virus saturating the bloodstream carcass.

This word is the root of all of the entire world. This ganof cultural breakgrenous seep is slipping downs circumventing into the vascular system, the globe. Taking multiplying at the same a person, a living rate as my neighbor’s breathing person, and unspayed Chihuahua. objectifying them We live in a counto the point of their try where almost 50 danielle gradisher only being a body, as percent of the general if it is already dead, population legally owns is the source of the cultural rot a gun and another untold swamping our multicultural number are in possession of pond. them illegally. Violent crimes So I’m proposing a swift are up and thought processes orderly change. are down. Phobias, hate crimes, A simple substitution of the and Neo-Nazism are on the rise. word “body” in “everybody” Three simultaneous genocides with “buddy” would stop these in Bosnia, Darfur, and Georgia atrocities in their tracks. Buddy: are occurring in three disparate a close friend, companion, or regions. comrade. Even the stripped This must stop.

The problem is not the result definition of this word invokes more intimacy and understandof the clash of major religious, ing than the word body. greed, an unquenchable thirst By erasing everycarcass for power, or even the break from the English language and down of American prisons. It is replacing it with everybuddy the word “everybody.” I have no dispute with the first half of this as a community we can change word; it’s the second part of this the landscape of our present and future. It will stop war, stop despicable word, “body,” where hatred, engender feelings of love, I find the irritant. It is defined friendship, and camaraderie, and as the physical structure and

remind all that friendship is real, attainable, and good.

The breakdown in public relations is nothing new, but with such rapid proliferation in our global community, a solution is necessary. Furthermore, with such a contemptible word

as everybody in our everyday language, it is no wonder we have death and devastation on such a grand and individual scale.

However, there is an answer and it is within our grasp. It may seem too good to be true, perhaps too simplistic, too

perfect, but, as it is often found, as with the U.S.-Mexican Fence and D.A.R.E. —yeah, that’ll make kids stop doing drugs—it is always best to KISS. No, do not go around mauling the lips of innocent bystanders. Instead, Keep It Simple, Stupid.

Street cred—is it dead?

As hybrids continue to escalate, street cred drops to an all time low.

W

His Humps

ith so many people focused on the rising oil costs, few stop to think, are these “solutions” really saving us? Are these cost-savers are becoming too costly for Americans?

This predicament first came to eric mccoy me as I was walking through the airport. My neighbor on the flight was heading towards the exit with me, and I waved as he climbed into his ride. As I turned to walk towards my car though, I did a double take. Was that black Escalade a…? It was! He was driving a hybrid Caddy.

This cannot stand! I remember when a man’s ride was a status symbol. One that very clearly stated, “This gets 7 miles to the gallon and I don’t care what you think.” A status symbol, how-

Hopefully, this high-tech rendering will allow you to understand the demise of America’s street cred.

ever, cannot be compromised.

When did street cred become a commodity that could be sacrificed?

As you can clearly see, from the included graph, America’s per capita street cred has an inverse relationship with the amount of hybrids and alternative fuel cars on the road. What that means, is that as the amount of hybrids go up, Americans become less credible on the streets.

Therefore, as a solution, I suggest that we curb the production of hybrids, so we can attempt to reach some sort of equilibrium.

Street cred is very beneficial to both our country and our people, and we tend to take this for granted. The United States has had a firm hold on the music industry for quite some time, and this is the main source

of our reputation. To mess with the Escalade is to mess with the very tool that they harvest their rep with. To bastardize this beautiful piece of machinery is bastardizing all the music industry stands for.

Aside from this, we should offer tax cuts to those driving cars with V8 engines and above to encourage usage of larger, more stylish vehicles. If we subsidize this industry, our possibilities are endless. China will not be able to keep up.

We need to revert. Revert to the good old days of pimping rides rather than skimping them. Revert to the days where 50 Cent wasn’t mocked by big business, and the days where cars ran on baby seals. Change needs to happen, because if the human race is going to die out, we damn well better do it in style.

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opinions

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mustang 11.07.08

What’s your beef with vegetarians?

So, an herbivore walks into a steakhouse...

“W

mer mah ner?

hat if you had a pet cow infinitely more ubiquitous, are that got really old and far more accepted in society than died of disease? Would you eat any PETA activist will ever be. It that?” seems unfair that I am judged “That’s stupid; you’re not more for my choice of meals helping anything by not eating than the people who criticize me meat.” are for their lack of manners.

“Are you gonna burn down To understand the my house ‘cause I’m negativity, I looked eating steak?” back to my previous life “Ewwww tofu, as a meat eater. that’s so gross.”

Growing up, my role “Does chicken models included my count?” four older girl cousins, Those are just a all of whom were vegalex matthews few of the remarks I etarians, and, beyond have had to endure that, animal rights activists. In before consuming a meatless spite of this influence, I never meal among carnivores. Since I questioned my decision to eat became a vegetarian my freshmeat, until I received the first man year, I have been forced to snide remark from my cousin, sit through lectures, rants, and Kelli, whose passion for animal arguments about my personal equality is so zealous her life’s dietary choices before I can enjoy dream is to hunt poachers in the any kind of meal, simply because Amazon...I’m not kidding.

I have chosen to exclude meat From that time until I befrom it. came a vegetarian, every meal I When I was still new to vegate with Kelli or the rest of the etarianism, I often questioned veggie quartet felt like I was the the blatant disregard of comomnivore on display. I constantmon decency displayed by some ly found myself rationalizing of my meat-eating counterparts. the choice to eat animals. And Why did my vegetarianism make that memory suddenly clarified it appropriate to attack my nuall the abuse I had endured as a tritional choices? vegetarian.

I recall in my more carI have come to the conclunivorous days being extremely sion that carnivores use me to offended by vegetarians with a divert attention from their own holier-than-thou attitude about dietary choices: a pre-emptive their dietary choices. Yet meat strike as a means of preventing eaters with this attitude, though any guilt-tripping or self righ-

Emily Ratajkowski

teousness I could bombard them with. Here’s the truth: I don’t judge you for eating meat.

I totally get it. Meat’s deli-

cious. I gave it up on a whim to see if I could do it, and here I am three years later, nauseated by the smell of bacon. I am not

better than you because I do not eat meat, and I do not think I am. Just let me eat my tofu in peace.

Korea’s got Seoul?

After spending a summer in South Korea’s capital, staff writer Robin Sickels has come to the conclusion that health and lifestyle aren’t as disparate as American culture would have us believe.

W

now that’s sick

hen thinking of Asia, nection between your health and China and Japan come to your lifestyle. I experienced food mind to most people plus a few that was truly good for my body, other countries world history had fish nibble my feet to slough class tells us are there. off the unhealthy dead But one peninsula skin, and realized the is often overlooked, power of ginseng for South Korea. Home everything. to kimchi (a delicious For a typical pickled cabbage dish Korean breakfast, I even put on pizza), LG enjoyed sticky white (the maker of most of rice wrapped in searobin sickels our cellular devices), weed with grapes on Samsung, and noraebong (an the side that tasted like Welch’s addictively fun form of Korean grape juice. That was the dessert, karaoke.) too—always fruit. You could say Spending my summer vacait’s a little bit different from tion in South Korea, the phrase, Denny’s Grand slam special. “good for health” was never too Lunch was usually noodles, hot far away and I began to underor cold, with your choice of stand the importance of the con- meat, vegetables and, of course,

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kimchi. Dinner was meat and noodles with rice and, once again, kimchi.

Another experience was “Dr. Fish,” a water spa. You put your feet into soak and little fish nibble off your dead skin. Initially, this may sound gross, but after a few shrieks, it was just like a tickling massage. It felt nice after walking around all day from destination to destination.

To show another difference of transportation: between Californians and Koreans- we drive, they walk. And the public transportation in Seoul is phenomenal and fun, varying from subway to bus to taxi.

Also differing from home, you won’t find a lot of sodas,

rather juices and teas. Here when we need a snack to keep us going, we go for a bag of chips at the quickie mart, but I substituted chips with rice and seaweed sandwiches and a carton of flavored milk.

Health benefits just kept on coming as my summer continued and I learned about the plant ginseng. I’d heard of it before but in South Korea, there is a borderline obsession with it, from drinking it in tea to eating it in candies. This magical plant is supposed to aid sleep, stimulate brain memory, help prevent diabetes and cure other problems.

The ginseng candies taste like bitter dirt with a hint of

sweetness, maybe that’s why I still have a giant bag in my kitchen cabinet from one of South Korea’s many ginseng stores near the subway station.

Take-out is used, and restaurants are frequently eaten at because they are fairly inexpensive. When take-out is brought to your door, it’s not a pizza, instead it’s noodles with all different flavors. The delivery man even comes back to take your bowls.

To live somewhere so unlike my hometown was a fun and interesting experience. The health differences especially made me realize the importance of lifestyle and the contrast that each country has.

opinions

the

mustang 11.07.08

How full is your glass?

Positive thinking just might be more practical than it seems.

F

K-ROB

rom selfhelp best sellers to weight loss programs, kerry roberson America teems with positive thinking. The idea being promoted throughout the nation is that you can make the desirable happen just by visualizing it.

Yes, I know, positive thinking sounds just as frivolous as rainbows and unicorns. Everyone has heard of the classic allAmerican clichés, like “Turn that frown upside-down!” or “Look on the bright side,” and “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade!” These phrases are heard on every street corner and become empty and meaningless due to overuse, but is the idea of being positive too cliché to apply to reality, or does it instead create a brighter outlook on life?

There are ways to apply optimism to your daily routine without being completely corny that will enhance your attitude towards difficult situations.

For example, when you have to face an issue that could potentially put you in a bad mood, like when your near and dear Starbucks closes, instead of stomping around and gnashing your teeth, try to brainstorm the silver lining to your situation.

Maybe the closing of Starbucks forced you to try the 7-Eleven coffee, and hey, it isn’t half-bad!

Plus, it’s so much cheaper.

Liz Mills

Robin Etheridge, the yoga and dance choreography teacher, thinks being positive is an excellent quality in a person. “You become your thoughts,” Etheridge said. “Why would I dwell on the horrific things? If everyone thought of the positive possibilities, our world would be so different.”

When you look at troubling situations in a brighter light, it takes the burden of worry-

Ode to my couch

ing about it off your shoulders so you are free to live your life without losing sleep. Yes, this is a major case of “easier said than done,” but it’s worth a shot.

Got a big game coming up?

Give this tip a try to pump you up and improve your performance: Before you fall asleep the night before the game, picture yourself flawlessly spiking the volleyball past the opponent’s block or effortlessly shooting the

basketball against the backboard and into the hoop. Hear the crowd cheer, the net swish, and the players grunting with exertion. You might be pleasantly surprised the next day to see yourself performing the technique perfectly.

When it appears to be absolutely impossible to see the silver lining in the cloud, keep in mind that things will work out for the best. At the time it may feel

like nothing can go right, but remember (brace yourself: here comes yet another cliché!) what goes up must come down.

It’s not possible for everyone to be completely vivacious every single second, but when circumstances arise that could easily send you toppling off the table of sanity, positive thinking can help balance out that crazy table and set you on the right path.

When the Fire Marshal ordered away the classroom furniture, he ordered away a part of my heart.

T

gothy mcgoth

he couch isn’t just a comfortable seat, it’s also a social-barrier breaker. Obviously, we all enjoy sinking into the oddly-colored cushions that offset the classroom’s otherwise industrial décor, but by enjoying said furniture we are nika fate allowing the lines between home and educational institution to blur.

A teacher with a couch is like a teacher with no seating

chart. You are allowed a dash of freedom, a bit of choice, an ounce of assumed maturity. A classroom with a couch respects your young adult self. Caged bird confined to a cold, hard desk, you are no more!

Lounge as you take notes, loaf as you listen to lectures. The stress of the school day melts away into the outdated blossom pattern.

And teachers, the couch creates a bond of respect between

we the students, and you. When I walk in a room and see a sofa, I instantly know the teacher to be a kind heart— someone who wants me not just to learn but learn in a cozy home-like environment. These are the teachers who care about my well-being, and for that, I value them, honor them, and listen to them. The couch is a symbol of trust, of love. We become a family in a living room rather than just a throng of students in a tragiclooking room with an adult paid to talk to us.

I still remember the bleak and terrible day, just last month, as our beloved Mr. Roberts released our staff into the computer lab to produce the wonders of the next paper, only to find our beautiful indigo loveseat gone. The culprit is the fire marshal who ordered the removal of not just our sofa, but all the classrooms’ couches, calling our cherished furniture a fire hazard, a seemingly ridiculous remark when we are surrounded by flammable books and paper.

Alas, the decision has been

made and our classrooms lack the warmth we once knew. If they only understood the bonds they broke when they dragged our furniture away. The living room is no longer; instead we sit solidly in our uncomfortable chairs, chained to our desks.

Good-bye my indigo love, on which I slept while waiting for a free computer. Oh, the memories we had together. I assure you, the cluster of desks and small table on which I lay these days are nothing in comparison to your treasured cushions.

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mustang 11.07.08

Homecoming 2008 SDA: 1, LCC: 0 In this homecoming race, SDA has one up on the competition. Where else can you see your math teacher get tackled by your best friend? Story by Emily Bartram.

D

on’t call it homecoming; it’s more like ho-coming.

Ouch, I know. That’s pretty harsh, but people, please put some clothes on. No, not you SDA, I’m talking about LCC. Walking into La Costa Canyon, I find myself intertwined in a stampede of giddy boys and girls, chatting about who will be Homecoming Queen.

Now, on any regular day, I wouldn’t dare enter the campus, but curiosity was too tempting to ignore. I wanted to know how LCC differed from SDA when it came to homecoming. I’ve heard many stories about it in the past, but I wanted to check it out for myself. Many of these stories included how people acted or dressed.

From what I saw, a majority of girls were in Hollister miniskirts and barely-there tank tops. It was 45 degrees outside, 45 degrees! There I was in my jeans, oversized sweatshirt and old-school black Vans. Maybe if the students had known I was “people watching” them, they would have slapped some more fabric on…

Entering the Maverickgreen decorated gates to watch the much anticipated football game, I realized what I was getting myself into: A new world, full of hard-core footballers and green-painted faces screaming for their team.

SDA’s homecoming games seemed like a playschool game of tag compared to the intensity of the LCC football players, slamming into one another; fetching for that pig-skinned ball. The entire atmosphere of the LCC stadium was a full 180 degree turn from that of this school. I’ll break it down for you: Entering Fee: SDA is free as a bird, for students and visitors. LCC, however costs $5 for visitors, and is free for students of the school.

Spectators: SDA has 70 people, at the least, watching from the stands.

They are mostly students who occasionally root for their math teacher or friend on the students’ team. Family members of the students and faculty root for their loved ones, mingling with one another.

LCC has students decked

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Friday night lights, SDA style Students lose the game, teachers lose feeling in their lower backs. Story

by Kyle Shohfi.

F

Kaitlyn Floyd

FOOTBALL Senior Brian Renteria shields himself from the almighty force that is Principal Mike Grove.

out in lettermen jackets screaming to their peers on the field.

Players’ parents sit rather quietly at the top level, hoping their little boys don’t get crushed in the pile ups. Each proud parent is wearing his or her child’s number.

ger-nail biting tie-breaker.

La Costa Canyon beats San Pasqual 34-7. LCC gave the team a run for their money from the start of the game. After each touchdown, the cheerleaders would wave their little pompoms in glee.

Cheerleaders: SDA-None, thank goodness.

If any, the cheerleaders of SDA are the loyal students, lined up along the field, watching the staff try to outrun a fellow pupil, and giggle at their failed attempt.

But of course, LCC has cheerleaders. The entire LCC cheer-squad, varsity, JV, and freshman team included, align on the field to perform an abnormally large can-can line.

After their performance, the bubbly blondes, with a select few brunettes, go to their boxes to root for the team

And the Winner of Homecoming, 2008 is…

Emily Pepper and Rory Anderson! But, we find that out at the dance, not the homecoming game. As usual, the school holds a homecoming assembly that promotes the candidates and gives a little background info on nominee.

The members of court have their own way of portraying their individual self through their entrance, something each girl and guy take advantage of while strutting their stuff down the “runway” at the assembly.

At LCC, each girl is driven in on a pimped-out golf cart to the stage set up on the field, escorted by her dad.

The guys walk out alone to the stage. As each name is announced, a small description is read aloud about each candi-

And the winner is…

Teachers! Surprise, surprise.

But, the students had a solid lead for a good amount of time until the last few moments when the faculty won the fin-

date. The tension in the air was so thick it could be cut with one single strand of pom-pom “hair.”

After everyone was on the stage, the announcer said, “Now the moment we’ve all been waiting for. The winner of La Costa Canyon Homecoming 2008 is…”

Twelve-second pause to build anticipation… “Tally Meyers!”

Confetti shoots from cannon-like barrels on the field. As the losing girls are driven off the field, the song “One Step at a Time” plays from the speakers.

The last girl is taken off as the line “In your face the door keeps slamming,” plays on, ironically appropriate for the situation.

To Conclude....

In the end, SDA dominates in the overall atmosphere of homecoming, both on and off the field. Simply stated: we know that when it’s going to be 45 degrees outside, wearing a Barbie- sized outfit isn’t the way to go. And hey, maybe even next year, our teachers can match up against the LCC football team.

Now that would be a game to watch.

riday night. The stadium lights were on. The stands were packed. Well, not too packed. After all, it is SDA. Around 7:30 pm the flag-wearing teachers trotted onto the field to take on the first of four student teams in the annual Students vs.

Staff Homecoming Flag Football game on October 17. Profe John West’s masterful booming voice sounded from the loudspeakers as he called the game from the press box.

James Hrzina, social science teacher and part-time quarterback, was taking the snaps for the teachers. The teachers connected on several touchdown passes but also threw around three interceptions.

Going into the fourth quarter the students had a commanding lead of 28-14. However, their advantage meant very little in a game where the fourth quarter seemed to last at least twice as long as any of the previous quarters.

Students observed that the game was rather skewed in the teachers’ favor. “The teachers need to learn to be better refs,” said Brendon Junge, junior, after he played in the game. Junge said that playing against the teachers was a still a fun experience, adding, “When I was playing against ‘em we kicked their butts.”

Quite curiously, the end of regulation came immediately after the teachers scored the game-tying touchdown. Overtime rules stated that each team would be given possession of the football for four plays. The team which advanced the ball the farthest would win, with no actual scoring required.

The students seemed to stumble early in their overtime drive, but were able to drive down the field a little bit towards the end. Then it was the teachers’ turn. After their first three plays, the teachers were in a situation that most of us have only seen in movies: 4th down, with only one yard left to gain in order to win it all. Hrzina leaped directly forward high into the air, stretching, reaching, hoping to make the marker.

He got it. The teachers were, once again, able to beat the students.

essays

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mustang 11.07.08

your

bonr a i n a rt

Not feeling very creative? Education is dictating your brain’s potential.

illustration and article: emily ratajkowski

I

n elementary school, my small classmates and I would file into the art room once a week, where we would play with crayons and get away from our teacher that we had the rest of the time.

Art class was break time.

My classmates and I associated art with something separate from the classroom where we learned all other subjects. The “normal” classroom meant stiff plastic chairs, being silent and paying attention. Art class, on the other hand, was simply about making a nice drawing for the refrigerator. It wasn’t anything we or the school took seriously, even though my public elementary school boosted being arts and science oriented.

Despite the de-emphasis on the importance of the class; I always was most proud of my work there. Even now I look back at my childish creations and think proudly, “Damn, that’s pretty good.”

According to some scientists, these early signs of creativity make me right-brained.

While research shows that this is a relatively broad statement, being right-brained means I am “artsy”, and unlike my logical counterpart, the left part of my brain, I should be able to excel in all art forms and activities.

Even though it means I am bad at math, science, and language, apparently I shouldn’t worry, because according to scientists, the two sides of the brain are simply different types of intelligence and equally significant.

That’s where I think of the image of my young self in third grade, cutting out odd shaped snow flakes from white paper.

I realize now that I had been conditioned to forget the class as anything comparable to (for example) math, which my success in was measured regularly by test scores and report cards. I never thought as art as “serious” at my young age, even with parents for artists.

The way art was presented to me in school was everything, and it influenced my abilities for life.

Recent research proves this, shedding light on the development of the brain. Studies show that the brain undergoes phases of “pruning”, where neurological pathways are thinned.

We undergo pruning most notably in the womb, during infancy, and in the teenage years.

At these pruning stages, your activity depends on what neural pathways fire up and which shut down.

We open and close neural pathways as we forget and remember certain activities or practices. Being active in a subject will continue to open and connect neural pathways.

If you’re painting actively, for example, you will become better at it, whereas if you stop, neural pathways will essentially “deactivate” and it will take time to obtain your ability again.

So in elementary school when I was learning to multiply

and read, my natural rightbrained abilities were being de-emphasized as I underwent pruning.

Even though there is common sense and scientific research to prove it, public school systems continue to ignore the importance of art production.

The great irony in this is that society values great artists Picasso and Dickinson very highly.

Still, we fail to teach children how to create great works of art of their own.

In English classes throughout my education, I have learned to analyze and logically break down artful literature but only on a few occasions have I been instructed or even encouraged to write creatively.

How about if I don’t want to be able to just recognize why James Joyce’s work is artful and beautiful? How about if I want to learn how to write like the artists we study?

So much of what we learn in school is oriented towards standardized tests and AP exams.

Since there is no AP test on writing creatively, it isn’t important, right? We don’t have SATs which measure creativity, so there is no reason to teach it.

Clearly, art education is undervalued and under-funded by the federal and state organizations.

How odd that our culture

holds up innovative visual artists, musicians, writers, dancers and performers as geniuses, and has the population study their contributions; yet never teaches children how to tap into their natural “right-brained” abilities, in hopes that some students might not only understand art, but actually be able to produce some of their own successfully.

The core classes are all aimed at logical studies that are corresponding to the left brain: we analyze literature scientifically, we emphasize mathematics and science. So if you believe in natural genetic makeup even slightly dictating our abilities, then no wonder some kids excel in school and others don’t. Maybe their brain craves another type of knowledge.

Many times in studying artists, writers or painters, I have learned that they were sickly as a child and had significant absences from school. They were home painting, reading or writing, developing their brains independently from the “leftbrained” education they would have received at school. Perhaps they were fortunate to receive a balanced education at home, and why now, many families choose to send children to private art schools at an early age.

Many have told me going to art school is a mistake because of the stigma against the lifestyle of a “starving artist”, yet famous artists and writers who have

“made it” are held at the same level of genius as any significant scientist or mathematician. I can’t understand why talented artists wouldn’t make as much money as a lab scientist, if they are historically equal to moneymaking scientists.

Even though your average artist isn’t making big money, it doesn’t mean that their abilities are not as important as scientists or mathematicians.

While many of us will never use geometry in our future occupations, we still study it in school because it is a basic element of a good education. The same should be for art. Learning techniques of art composition would only broaden children’s education and knowledge. Even if you’re not planning on being a professional painter, it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t need to learn how to utilize your creativity. Just like math teachers throughout your education have told you, you never know when you’ll need to pull out the skills you learn in your “useless” classes now.

Everyone deserves to be provided with education and encouragement for their natural abilities which are imbedded in their brain chemistry. It is only suiting to integrate creativity, not only art appreciation, into the curriculum of K-12 school systems.

I just hope that when I get around to taking my child to elementary school, we have more than just nice valentine cards coming home from “art” class.

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For another year SDA students were able to show off amazing athletic talent by loosing to the staff flag football team. This failure has almost become a tradition. More than playing around with footballs and flags students participated in the other themed days of the week. Music-to-my-ears-day students clanged on pots and pans during lunch, perhaps influenced by Tarzan. Tuesday ASB advisor, Rod Keillor got a wrench stuck through his face during fake-an-injury day. Two inflatable waterslides circled the amphitheatre for water day. Thursday was hairy day, an odd addition to the mix with students wearing mustaches and donating at least 10 inches of hair to Locks of Love. Finally, Friday was superhero day, pretty self explanatory, but there was also the assembly where the Homecoming royalty put on a show. Whether you came away with a fake broken wrist or mustache Homecoming proved to be a unique five days. Story by Emily Walsh. Photos by Kendall Daasnes and Liz Mills.

homecoming madness

INJURY DAY Seniors Lauren Milliken and Rosellen Rother wrap up in a hurry to win the crutch race on Tuesday.

INJURY DAY Seniors Kaitlyn Floyd and Taryn Kenney share the pain with ASB Teacher, Rod Keillor at lunch on Tuesday.

WATER DAY Students in bathing suits line up near the ampitheater ready to MAKE A SPLASH with water and paint on Wednesday hour lunch.

MUSIC DAY Junior Jaime Navarro and senior Tyler Ling play the gong at the Stomp Sesh on Monday.

WATER DAY Senior Sam Stern launches down the Slip and Slide.

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HAIRY DAY Senior Angelica Aquino donated ten inches of her hair to Locks Of Love on Thursday.

At the HOMECOMING ASSEMBLY on Friday, homecoming court nominee senior Cody Reiss is carried out to “Hava Nagila,� a traditional Jewish celebration song.

WATER DAY Senior Andrea Bunn rides down the waterslide and into the pool of water on Wednesday.

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I

A bthe ove

had brought some cookies to my neighbor’s house when I heard a ridiculous giggle erupt from his end of the room. I looked over at my pile of a neighbor and saw he was on the verge of tears, but tears of joy and immeasurable amusement. As I glanced over at him cramping up with laughter, I was subsequently struck with such palpable irony I think my appendix exploded and perhaps ruptured some other negligible organs.

My neighbor, very stoned at the time, was tearing up over one of those “Above the Influence” public service announcements, the ones that force you to doubt your self-confidence and dignity.

This particular PSA involved a girl with such a plain appearance I wouldn’t have noticed her had she not broken the awkward silence that suffocated the room.

But her insignificance was terribly underscored by her silent companion, the literally spineless rubbery pile of skin named Jessica.

My immediate reaction consisted of some expletives and abject horror until I came to the conclusion that this abomination of nature was a poorly conceived visual metaphor of a pothead. I initially believed her to be Gumby’s failed abortion or Mr. Fantastic’s neglected bastard child, but she possessed neither super heroic capabilities nor the innocent charm of the captivating Gumby. In fact, her abilities seemed to be severely limited to blinking and looking around the room frantically, as if she had recently regained consciousness in a paralyzed body.

It seems this would be enough to scare anyone away from marijuana usage. But this is where all those health classes I had to sit through backfired on the “Above the Influence” campaign. I was forced to recognize the characteristics of a stoned individual. However, the glazedover eyes, sedated smile, and the lethargic propensity to laugh at houseplants for no reason other than they’re houseplants were relatively nonexistent in this particular “Above the Influence” commercial.

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Flatulence

Perhaps you could call her lazy and slow-moving, but considering that she lacks significant body structures that are necessary for kinesthetic movement make that claim somewhat of a stretch. In reality, Jessica would be laughing at her concerned friend’s nostrils, and her concerned friend would most likely have joined her or left a long time ago.

Pain by Equine Weed However, this ad is completely rational compared to the one involving the pony. I’m sure you’ve seen it and ignored it or giggled at the absurd representation of being high. It involves three boys walking through what looks like rural Iowa, one walking at a slightly slower pace.

Boy #1 insists that our hesitant boy “has gotta try this,” and proceeds to climb through a barbed wire fence despite your desperate pleas to make this kid rethink his actions. Inside this enclosure, we find a curiously stoic pony, whose tail is then pulled violently by Boy #1, resulting in a swift and testicleshattering kick to the genitals.

As he falls over in a half hearted attempt to mask his pain with satisfaction, the second boy does the same exact thing.

I wonder how could this possibly be fun if it’s so painful?

Well, our third boy, the hesitant one, simply shakes his head and walks away, with his manhood in tact. The omniscient but increasingly condescending narrator claims, “You know a bad idea when you see one. Live above weed, live above the influence.”

This wasn’t just one of those “that’s ridiculous!” reactions, it was one of those “did you just equate being high with getting kicked in the balls by a pony?”

Scientifically Speaking Either the overzealous directors of the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign are grossly misinformed or are shamelessly spreading propaganda like a bigoted televangelist. According to the web4health website (who would know, they’re educated people) the psychosomatic effects of marijuana are more like this: “A euphoric feeling comes up and slowly changes into a sat-

isfying feeling of calmness and relaxation. You get dopey and the feeling of time slows down so that it seems like minutes last for hours. Colors, shapes and smells become more intense and are seen differently. Other typical reactions are the desire to eat, especially sweet things (food kick) and an uncontrollable fit of laughter (laugh kick). Real hallucinations, i.e. seeing and hearing things that don’t exist, never or hardly ever occur after using cannabis.”

How did this major factual error happen? It seems so unlikely that more than one person thought this was a great idea for an anti-drug ad. It has to be approved by the campaign managers, and then by the directors of the National Youth Anti-Drug Campaign, which is funded by the Office of National Drug Control Policy, which is part of the executive branch. What the hell?

Red Ribbon Weak The majority of the kids I grew up with in elementary school and middle school believed those D.A.R.E. guest speakers who, conveniently enough, never had any experience with drugs. But now these kids are in high school, and most of them have experimented with drugs at least once.

But it seems these fervent anti-drug campaigners are convinced we are ignorant of the negative effects of using marijuana, alcohol, cocaine, etc. It’s impossible to be ignorant. There is no escaping the constant pleas and threats painstakingly shoved in your face. Ask any regular drug user; they know what drugs do to you. Yet they do them anyways. The problem isn’t the lack of knowledge by any means.

The National Youth AntiDrug Media Campaign is squandering their breath on problems they cannot fix. I feel as if their time and money would be better spent employing some other method to prevent recreational drug use, perhaps one that is less threatening and more accurate.

My stoned friend had nod-

ded off and was now piled on the couch, his mouth hanging open. He occasionally murmured some nonsensical babblings as drool began to collect in the corner of his mouth. He had gone through all the “Live Drug Free” weeks in elementary school and had the decaying affects of every kind of drug imaginable ingrained into his head. Yet, here he was, a slowbreathing example of the “Above the Influence” campaign’s effectiveness.

If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard someone say “I stopped doing drugs because of the Above the Influence Campaign,” I would be several thousand dollars in debt.

Story by Shannon Wright.

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Mind-Body Game

The

While fad diets make weight loss appear simple, it is often more of a mental than a physical struggle. Staff writer Paige Ely discusses the experience overcoming the conflict between mind and body that results from dieting.

“I

’ve tried everything, but nothing works,” whines another woman trying to lose weight. Everytime someone blubbers those words, I wonder, “Did you really try? Or did you make a half-hearted attempt like so many others, only to blame it on the diet?”

Of course, I would never say this to anyone, even someone I was close to. Weight loss is a touchy subject, I would admit, even for me. It seems to hurt in the special spot reserved just for those comments.

It’s become accepted in the weight loss world to blame the diet. To blame the metabolism.

To blame genetics. People are comforted to know that in this internal struggle, at least they’re doing “all they can,” it’s just an excuse. Another excuse to pass it off as an external struggle.

Blame it on the world; blame it on anything other than yourself.

Believe me; I know what it’s like trying to lose weight. I know that struggle all too well.

And while I would like to say that I always take responsibility, I don’t. Maybe I would in a conversation, but in my head I might be blaming my schedule for not allowing time to exercise.

I wouldn’t necessarily blame the diet, but certainly the circumstances.

There’s the spiral of “Oh I’ll just start the diet tomorrow.”

Then the same thing the next day. And the next day. There’s always a party, a birthday, a holiday, a free cookie. There are continually the same events that I continue to pass off as “special.” In reality, a similar event will happen the very next week or maybe even the next day.

I know what’s really going on, but I continue to lie to myself anyway. Just like people who say, “I keep trying and trying, but…” then transfer the blame.

That lie doesn’t make us dieters feel better in the long run. And truthfully, it doesn’t make us

Emily Ratajkowski

feel better in the moment. Those lies we tell ourselves aren’t solving anything.

We all have to start taking responsibility for every decision we make. We have to stop shifting the blame. Sure, our society is screwed up, making us feel like we have to look pretty and perfect all the time. But our society isn’t going to change. At least not anytime soon. So why don’t we?

Changing our mindset is something we can do. Right

now. Weight loss, like so many other things in life, is only really a mind game. So if you are happy with your weight now, don’t change a thing. But then don’t continue to lie to yourself, saying that you’re trying to lose when you aren’t. If you want it bad enough, nothing should stand in your way.

I lost 30 pounds on Weight Watchers. All I did was get in the habit of counting my calories.

No biggie. But as I continually nibbled on salads and diet sodas

while my friends would scarf down a milkshake, burger and fries, I started to feel deprived.

I wanted to be like them. Well, I wanted to eat like them. I wanted to be able to eat whatever I wanted and look like that. Super skinny.

So I gradually started to eat whatever I wanted, eating “normally,” while “trying” to stay on the diet. Forty pounds later, I realized it wasn’t normal.

As I spent more time with my friends, I noticed I wasn’t eating

like they were. Sure, they had high calorie foods during meal time, but that was the only time they would eat. And maybe they would only have two, or even one meal a day. I might eat less than them at lunch, and maybe even dinner. But as I “tried” to count my calories during the day, which didn’t always happen anyway, I would come home and in late-night snacking, consume double what I ate earlier. I could say I binged, but didn’t purge.

So I lied. I lied to myself thinking that I was “trying” to stay on the diet. And during the periods where I just wanted to eat normally, I lied eating double what a “normal” person would eat.

Well, I’m done comparing myself to others. Usually the comparison is wrong anyway.

And more importantly, I’m done lying. I’m done craving wanting to just be normal. After all, there are a lot bigger problems in life.

I love who I am; I’m happy with what I have. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to grow. That doesn’t mean I don’t want to set goals and seek change. A change to be healthier. To feel better. To live longer.

Overeating is just as much an eating disorder as bulimia or anorexia. They’re just mind games too. But that disorder is no longer a part of me. And soon those 40 pounds won’t be either. I’ve set my goal. I’ve set a date. I’m being realistic and, most of all, taking the responsibility.

It may happen that I fall into the wrong mindset again. But if I do, tomorrow is always an opportunity to start again. I’ve done it before and I know I can do it again. The difference is, this time I plan to stay there.

My advise to those who claim they can’t lose weight is to own it. Step on that scale and know that number is due only to you.

Then lose it, if that’s what you want. Just remember it’s all a mind game. Play it and win.

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True tales of college life Two reports: one from a private liberal arts college on the East Coast, the other from a public university in California. SDA alumni share their two very different experiences involving ups and downs, BART, mini-wheats, and hobos. Welcome to college.

East Coast E

veryone here is a little crazy.

It’s been a month, and I can’t tell whether or not all these kids are still totally disoriented and acting way too outgoing, way too exaggerated, way too outrageous to exist as functioning human beings as a result of being a little thrown off.

Or maybe this school really did live up to its name in attracting the crazy ones. The smarties who know how to party, the kids awkwardly gifted with the ability to study hard and be a nerd but also the ability—the craving—to leave the ivory tower and socialize and be normal and see the world. I think this description fits the kids who I’ll be with for four years. And I guess that’s where I fit in, but it’s hard to know how people are judging me.

It’s weird, because everyone here is obviously incredibly smart. Apparently if you were to look at our statistics, we would consist of, like, 95% valedictorians and 80% that got a 2400 on the SAT, or somewhere around there. But Atilio OD’d on coke

last weekend, and the weekend before that Annie fell down drunk playing Frisbee and got a concussion.

It’s hard to know who these kids were before they got here, whether they partied in high school or if they’re naively trying to experience college to the full extent of the word, because they figure they earned it and if they got accepted to this place they can handle whatever they get into here. I still feel like everyone’s freaking out a little and hasn’t found their groove.

For me, it’s all ups and downs and uncertainties so far. One day I’m melting down because I can’t figure out the best place to get coffee and I’ll die without coffee and fall asleep during 10 AM Chemistry, the next day I realize I don’t have a bathmat for the shower so my feet get dirty and the floor gets soaked, the next day I spend entirely in the library and get all my reading done and get Facebook messages from old friends and feel like the champion of the world, and the day after that

I’m partying with strangers and wondering whether or not I am turning into a caricature of myself or if this is how I really act when I am completely independent. I stopped calling my parents every day with questions and anxieties, but I still don’t know how long it’s going to take for this place to actually feel comfortable.

Probably the best thing about college is the cereal. I can eat cereal at literally any hour of the day, 20 types of cereal if I want, they’re all lined up in huge containers and experimenting is encouraged. I’ve been going with yogurt and granola for breakfast, Cinnamon Toast Crunch without milk as my post-lunch nosh, and a huge mixed bowl of Frosted Mini Wheats, Cocoa Puffs, Smart Start, and Crispix for dessert.

There are good people here too, once I filter out the madness. It’s embarrassing to admit but most of the people I get along best with are from California—it’s probably just because we understand each others’

West Coast I “College feels a lot like Disneyland in the sense that its pretty magical and there are some mice running around.”

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have been in college for exactly three weeks today. That is insane because I feel like I have been here for months. Time is all weird and compressed and really, college feels a lot like Disneyland in the sense that its pretty magical and there are some mice running around.

Lately I have noticed that collegiate life is full of everythingworks-out-too-well situations that are only possible when your surrounded by people who are equally as idealistic as you.

My prime example: Last weekend, I decided to jump on a bus to San Jose in an attempt to somehow end up in San Francisco. The bus ride from Santa Cruz to San Jose was relatively straightforward but 35 minutes into the ride we all realized that we had no idea how to get to San Francisco from San Jose (to make matters worse nobody even knew where San Jose was in

relation to anything).

But as soon as we landed in San Jose, a friendly hobo literally walked past us and screamed “the bus to the Freemont BART Station which takes you to San Francisco is leaving in five minutes.” Magic. How the hell does that actually happen?

Ok so now I am on a bus going from San Jose to Freemont and seriously no one is speaking English and the bus is so crowded but everyone is still in pretty high spirits despite not knowing where we are going to sleep or how BART works.

The bus keeps rolling on and its getting more and more crowded and it starts to smell like cinnamon and chicken and discomfort, but then we are at the BART station.

BART is a lot like the Subways in New York except a lot more hyphy. This is to be expected since we are in the Bay

slang. But I also have a friend from Connecticut! And one from Australia. I am increasing the diversity of my lifestyle every day, living up to the expectations of this university that were very explicitly laid out for us during orientation. We are to be accepting of others and learn from differences. I have learned that people on the East Coast say “wicked” and don’t really get “gnarly,” and that everybody from New York City really is sharper and hipper than the rest of us.

I am learning, but it’s hard to realize how much. Right now in Archaeology I’m learning about which environments are most conducive to fossil formation, and tomorrow in Political Thought I’m going to learn whether or not humans are “natural political animals” according to Aristotle, but I don’t know if any of that will matter if I can’t learn how to get my printer to work or how to make coffee for myself in the mornings, and that’s what’s a little overwhelming about college so far.

“ It’s hard to know who these kids were before they got here, whether they partied in high school or if they’re naively trying to experience college.”

Area but we are all pretty new to this and it was really funny seeing grillz in real life.

But we decide at the last minute to go to Berkeley because my friend Shane calls and tells us that our friends who go to Berkeley are out of town for the weekend so we can sleep in their dorm. (HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?) SO! Me and my friend Andrew come out of the Berkeley BART Station into the heart of Berkeley in the middle of a rain storm.

We have no idea were we are so we start to ask people where the campus is but nobody answers us and I actually say out loud, “This is just like ‘Babe: Pig in the City.’”

And here is where the real magic happens. I get a phone call from [a former classmate who is a sophomore at Berkley] telling us to come to this Co-Op

party. Keep in mind it is like, 1:30 a.m. and it’s raining really hard.

So we find all the streets with the Co-Ops but we can’t find hers. We are freezing so we take shelter under the front porch of one of the Co-Ops. Apparently we are talking pretty loud because somebody comes to the door to see who is outside.

See this is the part where things start to work out too perfectly. Its like one of those movies that tries to convince you that the world is really small and everything happens for a reason and all that. Like that one John Cusack movie which didn’t make any sense.

But this was insane and I will never forget it: Of all the doorsteps in Berkeley to end up on at 1:30 in the morning in the pouring rain, I ended up at that of [another former classmate who is a junior at Berkley]. Magic.

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mustang 11.07.08

Join the revolution What is hula hooping? Is it the pointless action of spinning a plastic hoop around your waist? NO! Story by Ana Reyes.

H

ula hooping, for many, is no longer a beautifully simple form of entertainment, but a dusty memory of what life once was: predictable yet exciting. The joy one feels when attempting to tame a hula hoop fades away as teens age, lose their innocence, and are forced between the walls of high school life and AP exams.

Thankfully, 30-year-old Nayeli Michelle organizes friendly, laid back hula hooping classes the first and third Saturdays of each month. These classes are at Swami’s beach from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and cost $15 to participate.

This walk-in class is open to all ages. Both music and hoops are provided with the how-to lessons on using the hula hoop to do tricks while also exercising the body.

Michelle has participated in sports and dance all her life and has been teaching yoga for ten years. She attended UCSD and earned her degree in ecology and evolution. Michelle says that not only has hula hooping helped her maintain a toned body, but it has also helped her deal with an emotional period in her life.

Michelle created these classes last December so she could teach others this form of exercise.

According to Michelle, there is a small movement growing in the US that is making hula hooping popular. Encinitas’s YMCA now has “Hoop Dancing” classes.

“Hula hooping is surprisingly beneficial to one’s health,” said Michelle. “It helps tone your body by working out your core and also exercises your brain,” she said. The concentration it takes to keep the hoop up as you move your body works the right and left sides of the brain in ways that most people are not accustomed to.

“It gives you a sense of integration of the body and improves your body awareness and balance,” Michelle said. “It’s a great way to exercise and lose your mind while being creative at the same time.”

For more information, go to www.hoopnectar.com.

Ana Reyes

King of the ring Participants help each other learn to execute a trick.

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Just a few more winks With the increased use of internet games and social networking sites, teens are finding less and less time to get the sleep that they need. Story by Andrew Kasselmann. Artwork by Shirit Barach.

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eens do not come anywhere close to the amount of sleep they need each night, found studies conducted by the Natonal Sleep Foundation (NSF).

Too much homework or too many extracurricular activities have been the usual culprits, but recently an even bigger reason for teenage sleep loss has burst onto the scene.

The rapid increase in technological communication and entertainment has drastically cut down on the amount of sleep teens get each night.

The effect of technology on sleep has even created a new title for itself. The less-restorative sleep caused by electronic interruptions like text messages, email, Facebook conversations or internet games is called “junk sleep” by the National Sleep Foundation due to its unhealthy effects on the body.

The NSF has determined that less than eight hours of sleep is insufficient for an ado-

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lescent, and that 45 percent of adolescents surveyed slept for an insufficient amount of time during the school week. Only 20 percent of adolescents get the nine hours NSF recommends.

It found that students who get an insufficient amount of sleep are increasingly tired during the day, and lose concentration and focus. A sleep debt is also created, which makes it very hard for them to catch up with sleep on weekends or with naps.

The NSF survey found that now, increasing numbers of teenagers can remain connected to their friends or countless numbers of games until all hours of the morning.

With this ability, teens use the computer late into the night and deprive themselves of the sleep they need.

A male sophomore explained: “I get bored a lot, so I stay up late at night doing stuff on the internet. I play a lot of games online, especially the strategy

ones.”

Not only did the NSF find that teens remain on the internet until very late at night, it found that they leave their electronic devices on while they are sleeping and are repeatedly woken up with incoming texts or emails.

A female junior said, “I would definitely get more sleep if I didn’t always keep my laptop on. I wake up when I get messages from my friends and I just have to reply to them.”

The sleep habits that are facilitated by today’s technology are harmful for many students, the NSF states. Without proper recharging, the body will slowly grow ever more tired and slow.

Concentration and stamina will drop, and the immune system will become less effective.

The NSF suggests leaving the computer and cell phone behind when it is time to sleep as the best way to get the rest that the body needs.

Slumber suggestions Here is some advice to make the most of your sleep.

 Stop computer and TV use an hour before bedtime to allow the brain to prepare for sleep.  Avoid loud music right before bedtime.

 Keep the bedroom dark, light does not allow the body to experi- ence as restorative of a sleep as it can.

 Try to go to bed at approximately the same time each night. This to helps set your body’s internal clock and gets you to sleep faster.

 Sleeping in late on the weekends is not as helpful as getting regular nights of sleep.  Use naps for a quick, daytime, pick-me-up.  Avoid excess caffeine, sugar and exercise late at night.  Turn on bright lights in the morning to help wake yourself up.

Suggestions from the National Sleep Foundation

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Take a rest

...from that stress. Life is not a wheel and you are not a hamster. Story and illustration by Ariel Chao.

S

tress: something that shadows our every decision.

Something that creates anxiety during a test and worry afterwards—wondering how we did although we know there’s nothing we can do about it.

Something that pressures us to succumb—to fall into mental or emotional instability. Something familiar.

Something unavoidable. But something with solutions.

When asked what stresses him out, senior Bryan Cheng said that “college stuff” –applications, interviews, recommendations—is the main source of pressure at the moment. Like Cheng, many students are overwhelmed with activities whether it is school work, college applications, or relationships.

Many people are able to embrace the stress and use it to their advantage. Other less fortunate people instead crumble in the presence of stress and struggle to seek ways to limit its prevalence.

Relieve that stress!

There are several ways to help relieve stress both mentally and physically. Yoga and meditation are very popular ways to relax the mind and body, but there are also therapeutic methods that prove to be just as helpful.

According to social science teacher James Hrzina, there are many factors causing people to get stressed. Hrzina said that one reason is due to biological factors. If a person has a family history of anxiety or depression or both for that matter, he/she is more likely to be susceptible to stress.

He said, “They may suffer accelerated heart rate, muscle

tension, and body weakness.”

If stress becomes a serious issue that cannot be handled medication is available through prescription by a doctor.

Fix it!

In addition, Hrzina said that important events may be another contributing factor to stress whether it be an upcoming midterm or a job interview.

Stress varies from person to person—which means individuals will respond differently. There are two ways of how to deal with this type of stress.

First, there is a method commonly used called cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). “The objective for CBT is to target where the stress is coming from and to identify why it is causing so much anxiety,” Hrzina said.

CBT is a self-help therapy designed to allow a person to think through the possibilities of why he/she is stressed and how to

self solve that situation. The best time to try CBT is when you are in a quiet space away from noise and distractions so you can focus and reflect.

A second method is behavioral therapy.

This technique focuses on taking action to relieve stress. A constructive action one can take is to build a social network. Whether it consists of family, friends, teachers, PALs or counselors, it is important to talk to someone for advice—but of course, appropriately.

For example, if you are having trouble in a particular class, don’t go to your best friend for advice when you know she has straight A’s and feels that the class is as easy as pie. Instead, go to another person you can trust and who can understand your point of view. Having someone to talk to is a positive way to vent anxious and stressed feelings.

It’s not mentally healthy to trap emotions.

It’s important “to channel anxiety into different emotions,” Hrzina said. He recommends hitting a punching bag to take out the stress or going out for a run (other forms of behavioral therapy). The bottom line: stay socially appropriate. Don’t go giving your little brother the biggest noogie of his life.

Is your schedule flexible?

SDA’s yoga teacher Robin Etheridge highly recommends yoga and meditation to help her students find an outlet to release stress because “the conscious mind never gets to rest in peace.”

In Etheridge’s class, students are taught techniques of how to breathe.

Breath control is a big factor in relaxation because it helps

lower heart rate and eases the mind. She said students are instructed to breathe deep instead of taking shallow breaths, slowly inhaling for five seconds, pausing for three, exhaling for another five and pausing once again for three.

Shorten that list!

Today, most students are overwhelmed with crazy schedules which include running to baseball practice, rushing to guitar lessons and then going over to hang out with friends all before lights out, and, of course, after completing homework and somehow grabbing a bite to eat.

According to “Five Good Minutes in the Evening,” a book that offers 100 activities to help relax the mind, even five minutes of relaxation before going to sleep can drastically help one’s mental health.

One exercise in particular from the book—for people who always seem to have a million things to do before the day ends—focuses on narrowing down activities to do in a day by dividing the “must do immediately’s” from the “when I have time’s.”

Start by making two lists and separating tasks into the two categories. Figure out what should have more priority over another and work your way through the “must do immediately” list. Set reasonable goals to finish tasks such as finishing a homework assignment before heading out to dinner.

What else can you do?

When asked how he avoids stress, sophomore Nick McIntyre said, “I cut corners—do what I need to do and in as little time as possible.” Time management is essential in maintaining a relaxed lifestyle.

That’s not to say you must completely forget and never get around to doing the things that are important too, but it’s crucial to have time management.

Students who stack too much on their plate tend to get preoccupied more often and stress over all of the tasks they need to finish. Just remember, leave picking up a new bar of surf wax for the weekend so that you can prioritize on more important things that need to be done straight away such as reviewing for that math test.

Important? How important?

Ann Nebolon, one of SDA’s counselors, often gives helpful tips to students who come to her who are stressed. She says she helps students find the source of anxiety first and foremost. Do you have to be doing everything?

If you work, can you reduce some hours? What can you let go from your schedule? Nebolon says that these are a few questions you can ask yourself.

Maybe you need to spend some time to reprioritize your schedule to maintain a balanced and healthy lifestyle. Just remember: do what’s right for you and don’t look at anyone else while you’re at it.

Here’s a quick checklist that can help you lead a stress-free life:

• • • •

Be organized Build social networks-PALs, counselors, friends, family Do nothing-take time away from being the busy person you are!

Eat well-remember those veggies and fruits? Yes, they actually give you energy—at least more energy than caffeine • Exercise- yoga, soccer, basketball, snowboarding, anything! Get out of the house and get some fresh air!

• Get enough sleep • Get out of the house and try something new (diferent from the daily routine): go to a new restaurant, take a break-dance class, play miniature golf, visit neighbors • Laugh-do something you like to do: read, paint, listen to music…

• Slow down • Stay positive • Take deep breaths • Time management-make a list of things to do • Prioritize • And for the seniors of ’09, don’t fret! There’s a college out there for everyone. (ideas from “Five Good Minutes in the Evening,” Nebolon, and Hrzina)

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steeze

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How to: Hairwraps

A step-by-step guide on how to have your very own hairwrap without breaking the bank. By Taylor Chapin and Maddie Lyon with photos by Liz Mills.

Supplies: •various colors of embroidery floss (sold at Michaels)

1 5

Grab a small piece of hair and tie three pieces of string to as close to the top of the hair as possible

Once hair wrap is completed, tie it off in a knot and cut off excess string from the end and flyaway hairs coming out of the hair- wrap.

2

34

Choose 2-5 colors of string and cut two pieces of each color about three times the length of the braid. tie the string to the top of the braid.

Braid the entire piece of hair with one of the pieces of string so that the string is braided into the hair and tie a knot at the end.

6

Senior Zoe Brittain shows off her steeze.

By Taylor Chapin and Maddie Lyon.

scarf: Community Resource Center shirt: C.R.C.

skirt: Urban Outfitters

shoes: Famous Footwear

Kendall Daasnes

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estimated cost of outfit: $100 style icons: old ladies personal style: no style

Take one piece of string of the color you to begin with. While holding the rest of the string along with the braided hair, place the single strand on top so that it resembles a four.

c

Now you are ready to rep your steezy hairwrap!

Keep in as long as desired.

Ultimate Steeze

a

Tying a 4-Knot:

Pull the string all the way through the loop made by the four knot.

Bring the end of the single string underneath and through the opening created by the four.

b d

Once it’s pulled through, tighten the knot all the way to the top.

Repeat until color change is desired.

Caught in the Croc-pot

My latest epiphany on a recent trend that has been quick to be put on the fashion don’ts list. By Taylor Chapin.

I

would label myself as the type of person who puts at least some thought into what I wear. Then one fateful day, my grandma asked me what she should get me for Christmas.

An unbelievable and slightly demeaning thought slipped into my mind. I then found myself saying, “I want Crocs for Christmas.”

It was like my mouth was moving and speaking without the consent of my brain. I couldn’t believe my own words, but I said it. It was like saying it allowed me to come to the all too true realization that this desire for Crocs was real. I had dropped to a new low; I had fallen into the Croc trap, and there was no way out.

I had offended myself. There was no way I could ever claim to have real sort of fashionable style again. I was a victim.

Crocs come with a shameful reputation. I could go on for hours about the ugly, beyond

unfashionable, worst thing made from plastic ever aspect of Crocs, but they’re just so darn comfortable.

I was once one to criticize and scoff at those who had the guts or maybe just plain ignorance to don crocs in public. But now I am forced to join their

likes and become an advocate, boasting to friends about how comfortable and practical crocs are. I assure you, however, that my black fur-lined Crocs will never be caught dead with Jibbitz in their holes.

Emily Ratajkowski

arts

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mustang 11.07.08

Random recommendations This time: For fans of Sigur Rós and trance rock or R.E.M. and the Dream Syndicate. zach garcia

F

or a culture of twiggy white kids, most lacking any talent other than the ability to wax ironic about everything, the world of indie rock has produced an unusual number of unironic baseball fans. Yo La Tengo named themselves after a bizarre bit of Mets history; Chuck Klosterman sometimes seems to write more on baseball than on music. However, the only place where music and baseball actually combined was the soul-crushing agony of John Fogerty’s “Centerfield.”

Now a group of R.E.M. and Dream Syndicate members has written a whole album dedicated to America’s pastime. Before you turn the page in disgust, allow me to point out that you can enjoy the whole album knowing nothing about the sport.

Dream Syndicate’s Steve Wynn met Scott McCaughey, occasional member of R.E.M., when both were working in Robyn Hitchcock’s touring band. They added Linda Pitmon on drums and another R.E.M. member, Peter Buck, on bass, and the Baseball Project was born.

Predictably, their recent release, “Vol. 1: Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails” (named after two kinds of hits) combines R.E.M.’s nostalgia-twinged, folky pop and Dream Syndicate’s heavier, darker psych-rock. “Satchel Paige Said” is a standout example of the former, and “The Death of Big Ed Delahanty” of the latter.

But although the music alone is enjoyable, it is the lyrics that really make this work unique. It is obvious that a good deal of care went into them (more than Michael Stipe puts into his mumbled gibberish these days); one song manages to fit the names of all seventeen pitchers who have pitched perfect games into its chorus and still make it rhyme.

Listening to the words, it is obvious that McCaughey and Wynn have a far-reaching knowledge of baseball history, and use it to spin all its tall tales, old and modern. “Gratitude (For Curt Flood)” pays tribute

to the forgotten player who was blacklisted for fighting to create the modern free agency system.

“Ted F***ing Williams” kicks the tempo and attitude up a notch higher than the rest of the album, combining a Gary Glitter beat with a chorus borrowed from “Helen Wheels.” “Harvey Haddix,” possibly the finest track on the album, recounts the story of a man who pitched twelve perfect innings before losing the whole game in the thirteenth, and manages to approach an almost-“Casey at the Bat” level of Americana.

On the spectrum of Japanese free-form musical groups, spacefolk duo Nagisa Ni Te occupy the ambient, meditative end, musically a world away from the sprawling, grandiose freak-outs of Acid Mothers Temple or the Boredoms. Shinji Shibayama, founder of Org Records, started the project with his girlfriend Masako Takeda, and the core of the group’s sound is their intertwined vocals, with the rest of the music fleshed out by an extended, Grateful-Dead-style “family” of other musicians.

Despite seven-minute-plus track lengths, their songs have the feeling of art created in miniature. Muffled drums, subtle guitar, and keening vocals repeat the same minimal pattern until the listener feels hypnotized.

Their closest melodic equivalent in America would probably be Deerhoof, but that quartet’s ironic eccentricity provides no comparison to Nagisa Ni Te’s ability to draw you into a trance.

In that respect, they share traits with groups like Mogwai and Sigur Rós.

Their latest album, “Yosuga,” represents a subtle shift from their early folk period, which was even more spartan, to a slightly fuller, more “rock” (inasmuch as that word can apply to this group) sound, bringing the Pink Floyd influences closer to the fore. “Secrets” sounds like “Wild Horses” on infinite repeat, and “Seven Seas” has an expansive, open feel to it, but songs like “Ishi River” and the title track hold true to the haunting sparseness of their earlier work.

Ben Johnson

No Exit Orange Electric practices in senior Chandler Kincaid’s cramped garage to prepare for Battle of the Bands.

Eight hours of air Staff writer Ben Johnson sits in on the rehearsals of Battle of the Bands hopefuls Orange Electric and follows their progress.

O

n an otherwise uneventsaw the band undergo change of ful Thursday afternoon, a discomforting magnitude as Orange Electric practiced for their performance approached.

Battle of the Bands in a space Their dynamic became very smaller than the average laundynamic. dry room (or jumping house, if Walker assembled the band that sounds better). Chandler from friends she met through Kincaid, senior and bassist Art Wars and painting, originally for Orange to play Electric, lent covers “ as long as you his alreadyfrom icons cramped ‘80s have fun on stage, of garage to pop-rock the band’s that’s all i’m real- such as rehearsal. the B-52s. ly worried about. ” “I met Along grant gleason, senior with the Chandler typical water and Shirit heaters, pipes, boxes filled with in Music Theory,” she said, “and childhood effects, and an impec- I met Grant in Art Wars.” cably shiny blue car, Kincaid’s On my first visit, they pracgarage houses a drum set, keyticed a cover of “Private Idaho” board, guitars, ten or so amps of by the B-52s and improvised varying sizes, and, during pracaround a ditty Walker had tice, four very active members. In composed at home. The band’s fact, if someone sealed the room members are all very indepenfrom circulating air, it might dent and mellow in they way take Kincaid, singer/guitarthey play, just having a good ist/songwriter Amanda Walker, time instead of actively manipusinger/keyboardist Shirit Barach, lating every measure. They imand drummer Grant Gleason a provise towards neatness. “The full eight hours to suffocate. atmosphere comes together in They were kind enough to the music,” said Kincaid. share their finite amount of air They practiced this twice with me as I sat in on two praca week for three or four hours tices just shy of a week apart. I about two weeks before Battle of

the Bands. Things were “progressively getting more progressive,” said Walker.

Luckily, I forgot a camera at the first practice, and I returned to a band that eschewed their foundation in covers, capitalizing on Walker’s songwriting instead.

Walker’s music carries acoustic feeling to the electric guitar strumming the songs are based on, with support from her bandmates that creates a sunny sound. “We’re playing happy songs, so there’s a happy atmosphere,” said Gleason.

Their aspirations are to play at finals, but they’re not too concerned about how far they go. “As long as you have fun on stage, that’s all I’m really worried about,” said Gleason.

For the competition, they leave this message: “Screw those jerks, exclamation point, exclamation point, exclamation point,” said Gleason. “What competition?” said Kincaid, to resounding “Ohhh!’s” and a single “ZING!” All in a joking manner, to be sure, otherwise, Gleason’s comment, “You can LEAVE, Ben!” would have resulted in no interview.

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Reviews A Hundred Million Suns Snow Patrol

One Song Per Ten Million Suns

8.2/10

A VH1.com

Ladies’ Man The self-titled “Mystery” teaches the socially inept how to woo women for the edification of viewers.

Pickup tricks

On VH1’s popular series “The Pick-Up Artist,” the socially akward are taught the secrets to picking up women in clubs by Mystery. robin sickels

T

ake nine nerdy guys with unwholesome aspirations of getting with women and transform them week by week, teaching them pick-up lines that will make them score with the ladies. You’ll recieve the title of the “master pick-up artist.”

VH1 is airing their second season of the hit show “The Pick-Up Artist,” where the host of the show, Mystery, is a love guru and a master in the art of picking up women. Along with the help of his wingmen Matador and Tara, he changes the nerdy hopefuls into guys on the prowl in nightclubs using only specific flirting techniques Mystery gives them.

Having his own method

called the “Mystery Method,” he explains to the guys using his own lingo the importance of seduction.

Each week another pick-up artist in training gets eliminated for not proving himself to Mystery in what is called the “field test,” where the guys go into the club and cameras are on them watching their every move. It depends on whether or not they show success with their pick-up lines determining if they get a medallion necklace insuring they will return next week.

This title is deeply sought after because with it comes the most coveted shiny medallion and the opportunity to go around the world with Mystery and his troupe teaching other inept men how to pick up women.

What makes these protégés

seem like underdog nice guys is they each come into the show with a problem they are trying to overcome. Problems vary from being shy around women to still living with their parents, but are mostly a lack of self confidence and just wanting to hook up.

All the more intriguing is that Mystery can relate to these guys, because he was what he likes to call a “late bloomer.” He reassures the guys he used to be like they did when he spent his early years playing “Dungeons and Dragons” before his blooming into a “master pick-up artist.”

So which one of the contestants will live their dream and become a chick magnet with a fresh boost of self-esteem? Tune in to find out.

Across the border Those looking for culinary adventure can taste Mexico without leaving Encinitas. nina moussavi

I

f you’re in the mood for some tasty Mexican food, I would highly recommend El Callejon. Off Highway 101 next to Leucadia Pizzeria in Encinitas, El Callejon has a welcoming vibe with a brightly colored entrance and Spanish feel. As you walk in, you feel as if you have stepped out of Encinitas and into a restaurant in Mexico City.

Now to review the food. Two words: absolutely delicious.

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They have a menu with so many choices you are overwhelmed.

Sorry for you “bean and cheese burrito” people, but they pride themselves on only serving traditional Mexican dishes.

As an appetizer we went with a classic: warm, homemade tortilla chips, three varieties of salsa, and their own recipe of guacamole. There are few words to describe this delectable treat.

For my main dish, I ordered the cheese enchilada plate with red sauce. They are not stingy with the food; my plate was over-

flowing with beans, rice, sour cream, and three enchiladas.

The food is moderately priced with appetizers costing $4-$10, and meals $6-$20. This may seem expensive to unemployed teenagers, but their portions are the perfect size to split with a friend.

The attire could be anything from sweats and a t-shirt to a fun summer dress. I can confidently say that anyone who eats at El Callejon will get more then a good meal out of it; you will enjoy a cultural experience.

mixture of string and percussion instruments will greet listeners’ ears in Snow Patrol’s new CD “A Hundred Million Suns.” Any Coldplay lover will enjoy the new Snow Patrol, which experiments with vocals and different instruments.

The last song, “The Lightning Strike,” is a major highlight of this new release. It is broken down into three distinctive parts, starting with soft piano keys echoing like rain to the fast flowing strums of electric guitar accompanied by the sudden bursts of drums. The rush of the blended instruments convey the band’s theme of nature.

Other songs that go beyond the band’s usual alternative rock tone include “Engines,” “Please

Just Take These Photos From My Hands,” and “Lifeboats.”

Out of all 11 songs, however, the number one must-listen-to-song would be “Crack the Shutters.”

It brings a lively beat with the faint sound of the glockenspiel in the background.

Although this album has many great attributes, in the song, “The Golden Floor,” the music takes on a tribal sound which does not go with the rest of the songs. It makes one feel as though they are in a graveyard and seeing ghosts with drums and clapping.

However, with Snow Patrol stepping it up with the other 10 songs, “A Hundred Million Suns” deserves a listen.

-McKenna Taylor

Off With Their Heads Kaiser Chiefs

British Robespierres

8.7/10

T

he Kaiser Chiefs are the fifth band I’ve reviewed (out of six!) that hail from the British Isles. I’m amazed that they keep letting me do this. I know nothing about British people, British music, or music at all.

If I were left to my own devices, I would be describing the way they sound solely in metaphors and onomatopoeia (which is all I do anyways).

Duality reigns in “Off With Their Heads.” Each of the quintet’s songs oscillates between the peaks and troughs of lighthearted curiosity and brooding, with distinct changes in major and minor keys. They are poking a poet’s soul with a short stick for about 45 minutes, and the bruises are rather pretty.

The Kaisers blast semi-choppy riffs over edgy percussion in punk fashion. But their sound is more strawberry smoothie than the garbage-disposal churn of other modern punk bands such as the Hives. They have a touch of beauty with their roughness, an element both Ricky Wilson’s thick, guiding vocals and Nick “Peanut” Baines’s cohesive syn-

thesizing heavily contribute to.

The track layout, however, is wanting, as each song is worse than the one it follows. This creates a chain of songs with diamond links in the first quarter hour and kidney beans, strung together and dusted with a miserly amount of glitter, on the other end. Each track must live up to the caliber of the previous one, and each song, though it may be great individually, resounds with unmet expectations.

Wilson believes that this was the Kaisers’ best album yet (even shading in a fifth star on a magazine that awarded only four), and it certainly plays with an infectious curiosity that’s “finger lickin’ good.” It also sports the added contribution of instruments outside the linup of five—backing vocals in “Never Miss a Beat,” a string section in “Like it Too Much,” and a surprising contribution by rapper Sway in “Half the Truth.” With “Off With Their Heads,” the Kaisers show that rock doesn’t have to face the guillotine just yet.

-Ben Johnson

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Rorschach tests Some people say psychology is not an exact science; psychologists say this is madness. In the meantime, I’ve tricked the answers out of these folk, and it’s time to get treated. Story and art by Ben Johnson

Amanda Gills, freshman: “Looks like a really big bat with scary wings.”

Amanda: “It looks like John Taylor. He’s the bass player for the Jonas Brothers.”

Anthony Smith, sophomore: “It’s a monster.”

Anthony: “That one’s a goat with two heads.”

Stephanie Friedman, senior: “Looks kind of like the devil with lobster claws on top, and maybe those are enchanted.”

Stephanie: “Can I turn it? It’s like a tree trunk and those are eyes poking out.”

Analysis Amanda:

Amanda: “Looks like a spider frog.”

Anthony: “That one’s a frog with, like, eight arms.”

Stephanie: “Okay, so the whole thing looks like eyes, nose, and, like, mutton chops or something. Ooh, I know, it has teeny little mutton chops right there, and those are RAGING mutton chops right there.

And it has spiky eyebrows. I guess it looks like a cute old man.”

Your psyche is split into two highly distinct entities. One is creative and impulsive, less man than animal. It is the part of you that wants to eat fruit upside down, grow wings, or catch flies on your tongue. Beware of baseball, because there’s something about all those swinging “bats” that just twists you around inside.

The other side is ruled entirely by the Jonas Brothers and the rest of their consorts. I’ve never come across this before–apparently, you are such a diehard fan that Joe, Nick, and Kevin have weaseled their way into the very core of your being. I have been conferring with the greatest modern psychologists of today about the negative effects of your condition, and though we haven’t yet reached a conclusion, we urge you not to think about them for at least forever.

Anthony:

I’ve called all local research facilities with mutagenic chemicals that aren’t properly nailed down, and had you blacklisted from their grounds. That

said, I think you’d be very good with animals. You seem to have a strong connection to Earth’s creatures, especially the weird ones. You leave bowls of feed and water for the animals that clop, splish, flap, and pitter-patter around in your subconscious, often all at the same time.

Stephanie:

Let’s focus on the “Mutton Man”: You’ve taken an image that is obviously a variation of amphibian (according to previousand turned it into Ambrose Burnsides squared, with Danny Elfman’s eyebrows.

Luckily for you, Facial-fiber-o-philia is, in most cases, reversible. I recommend three months of shock treatment and Chinese water torture. To burn all bridges, you must either commit to lifelong baldness or a perm.

It would also help to get an immersive hobby or career, preferably one that brings relief by destroying a source of tension. It may help to buy a shotgun and waterproof Bible to “cleanse” the sinful crustaceans of Maine.

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circus animal fun

What’s that in your pants?

“Pardon me sir, what’s that in your pants?” the security guard at Street Scene inquired.

Uh oh, Eric. Keep your cool.You can do this. Think. Think, dammit! There is no way I’m throwing this sandwich away! What if I get hungry? Think! Think!

“Uh, nothing you’d be interested in...,” I say slyly with a wink. She winces and I pass through. Smooth sailing from here on out.

Hunger at concerts is big trouble, especially with the prices of food being what they are inside the venues.

Here I will provide you with a comprehensive guide to avoiding hunger in concerts. Step by step, you’ll be taken through everything: Proper foods to take in, proper stashing locations and methods for securing them. Story by Eric McCoy, Illustration by Emily Ratajkowski.

Proper foods The ideal food for sneaking into a concert is prepackaged, non crumbly, compact, and filling. Anything really will work, but some prime examples of these foods are fruit leather, Power bars, chewy bars. Avoid anything with a crinkly wrapper.

Don’t consider these limitations though, so much as suggestions.

Really, your only limitation is whatever you can comfortably hide on your person, but for argument’s sake, we’ll call my examples ideal.

Another trait you should look for is malleability; you should be able to bend it to fit any surface area without it becoming needlessly difficult to eat. These types of food are ideally put in the tips of your shoes.

Fruit is another excellent choice, but you need to make sure that the fruit you find is compact enough to stash.

Crabapples and Cuties are both excellent choices because of their small size. Just make sure you wash them before you eat them.

The main thing you need to keep in mind with food, is that they need to be small enough to get by undetected. I cannot stress this enough. Once, I snuck in a bag of about 12 Pat and Oscars breadsticks, and they practically fell out on the security guards feet when they started to pat (pardon the pun).

Finally, don’t bring in anything that would require a utensil. There are probably some inside, but they really tend to be more hassle than they’re worth.

It’s best just to stick to typical finger foods.

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Proper stashing Shoes Shoes are a good place to stash foods to take in, however you are limited by the amount of room you have. Rattier shoes tend to be better, because not only are they more flexible, but the sentries are going to be less willing to ask you to remove them for fear of your socks being worse.

Food can be easily packed in shoes. Put it in while it is loosely laced, and cinch it up to hide the food. If it sticks out the top, wear longer pants and try not to move your knees too much.

Wallet Wallets really aren’t good for bringing in any sort of food except fruit leather, however, they are excellent for this. Fold one or two up with the bills. While it is not a full meal by any means, it provides you with a snack if you ever need one mid show.

Crotch A bit overused, but clearly the best place for sneaking in foods, especially if they don’t fit in any of the other places.

Briefs are by far superior in smuggling terms for carrying goods than boxers. They seal everything in, so when you’re getting the shake down, your food isn’t shaking down your leg.

The trick to storing food in your crotch though, is to ensure that it looks even from the outside. Forget size in any of this, shape is really what is important.

If it looks symmetrical, they’ll usually let you through no problem, but if it looks jagged and uneven, they’ll usually question you.

circus animal fun

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Readers, digest!

Expert advice from an expert in the kitchen.

B

onjour, Readers! And welcome to yet another fine edition of Reader’s Digest. This issue is yet another bastardization of foreign cuisine, but don’t be discouraged. As far as bastardizations go, this one is primo.

What has there been so far? We’ve butchered the Japanese, botched the Taiwanese, bamboozled South America, all by trying to incorporate their influences into our daily cuisine. This issue shall be no different. We will remain true to the blasphemous roots of previous articles, and we shall, again, boldly go where no man has ever tread.

This issue, we shall take France, a country that prides itself for its nationalism, and put it in a small room with America and its traditions. Who knows what went on in that room? Maybe one of them wasn’t thinking very clearly. Maybe they were both stressed, had a bad week. Maybe they just were feeling neglected. Maybe one of them had too much to drink? What we do know, however, is that what emerged that day, was not something of this world: Peanut Butter and Jelly Crepes.

For the crepes:

1 cup all-purpose flour 2 eggs 3/4 cup of milk 1/4 cup of water 1/4 teaspoon of salt 2 tablespoons melted butter 1/2 cup of peanut butter 1/2 cup of jelly (grape or strawberry preferred) Instructions • In a large bowl, mix together the flour and the eggs. After this is complete, slowly mix in the melted butter, along with the salt, milk, and water.

• Coat a pan with a small amount of oil, and heat it on medium to medium high heat.

• Serve a small portion of the batter onto the pan. Tilt the pan around such that the batter barely covers the bottom, but also ensure that it is evenly coated.

• Cook for approximately two minutes, or until both sides are a golden brown.

• Take off the stove, and immediately spread on some peanut butter and jelly.

• Fold the crepe into fourths, and serve hot.

THE CHEF Eric McCoy, as seen on TV.

Emily Ratajkowski

IS THIS ART? Depicted is an “artist” who vomits colorful spew onto canvas to create modern art “masterpieces.”

Dear Mr. Ripley

Raised on the odd findings of Robert Ripley, staff writer Michelle Cancellier finds herself disillusioned and a little bitter. Ripley’s bizarre media has ruined her perception of life’s little weirdnesses.

Dear Ripley’s Believe It Or Not, You have taught me to unflinchingly accept even the most ludicrous and disgusting of phenomena.

Somehow, you enticed me to visit the same Ripley’s museum over and over again. I have only recently come to the realization that the exhibits, although containing interesting and/or disturbing wax figures, have always remained the same. If it weren’t for you and your museums, I would have never had the pleasure of living in fear after reading that real live vampires do, in fact, coexist with the common folk of America.

If it weren’t for you and your books, I would have never learned of Australian Ellen Matthews, the woman who lost her voice in an accident yet managed to “find” it seven years later—with the addition of a Scottish accent. And, if it weren’t for you and your T.V. show, I would never have witnessed a man voluntarily vomiting chunky, albeit colorful, liquids for use in an art piece.

All in all, thanks to Robert Ripley’s original curiosity, I have been exposed to things I never knew I could care about. The one thing is that you’ve made me a little jaded when it comes to the stranger spectacles of life. I’m only minimally impressed to hear of a pet cemetery in Cornwall, England with a section devoted entirely to “Tamagotchi” pets. So what if Harriet Lasky has been chewing the same piece of bubblegum for 33 years? In this realm of oddities, I have been forced to brush off even semi-interesting occurrences in order to make room on the pedestal for the most unbelievable.

What do I mean by all this? Well, you’ve set me up for a lifetime of disappointment because, let’s be honest, weird stuff like this doesn’t happen on a daily basis. None of my friends have participated in an underwater Monopoly match and I have yet to witness a person emerge from a coma upon hearing the theme song of their favorite television show. What false expectations for a life of weirdness! I feel so ordinary. “Believe it or Not”? More like not.

Yours truly, Michelle Cancellier

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Oh geez, my knees!

kendall daasnes

BRACE YOURSELF Junior Rachel Viles, junior Maddie Bauer, senior Jessica Connors, junior Allie Jucha and senior Shay Goldberg display the braces they had to and sometimes still wear.

As girls have become more active in sports, studies have shown that [compared to boys] they are more prone to knee injuries because of their anatomy. Story by Nicole Fisher.

I

t was a big CIF game during her freshman year, against Cathedral. Ten minutes into the game Allie Jucha went up for a header. When she landed, she fell to the ground. No one had touched her, yet she had hyperextended her knee 15 degrees and tore her Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL), Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL), and her meniscus.

“I remember hearing something snap and then I just remember going down and I was bawling,” Jucha, now a junior, said. “Every single person in the bleachers thought I was dying.

People in the bleachers said they heard the pop.”

Senior Jessica Connors tore her ACL in August similarly. “I heard the pop and it was so loud it echoed in my ears,” she said.

In the past, this injury could have ended a career. Now there are surgeries and procedures that can repair and prevent injuries. Even with this technology, there are some questions that still are not answered.

For example, why do girls suffer from knee injuries, especially an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) tear, more often than boys? Doctors have some theories, but everything is just mearly speculations.

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Unlike today, women in the past were not as active in sport.

Ever since the creation of Title IX in 1972, which allowed for equal opportunities for women in high school sports, women’s activity in competitive sports has risen.

Causes Since then, research has shown that women have a higher tendency to suffer from knee injuries. One study reported by Tarek Souryal showed that 1 in 3000 people suffer from an ACL injury in the United States. Yet this study showed ACL injury rates were 2-8 times higher in women than men.

According to Dr. Robert K. Clifford, whose office is located in Encinitas and has treated many SDA students, the reason why women suffer from more knee injuries than men is the anatomic and physiologic difference between men and women.

Clifford also said research has shown that women’s thigh muscles do not tighten at the same rate as men’s do. Also women’s hamstrings react slower. This slow reaction makes the tibia, the bone above the knee, slip forward, putting stress on the knee.

The way girls move affects

them as well. Compared to men, women tend to be more “knockkneed,” according to Clifford, especially when landing. Additionally estrogen causes tendons to be looser and more flexible in girls, which can subject them to more injury, Clifford said.

Like Jucha’s injury, a lot of the time an ACL tear happens when there is no contact at all.

“It [happens] in individual deceleration sports like soccer and basketball. Those are going to be among the highest [athletic situations in which the injury will happen] because those are the ones when you are constantly springing and decelerating,” said Clifford. He also mentioned that this injury happens in contact sports but not as often.

Results With an ACL tear, surgery is the only option. “The ligament can not be repaired, so you have to replace it,” Clifford said. “It’s like a rubber band; once it snaps its not going to be able to be stretched again.”

Surgery is usually done by taking a graft, from a person or a cadaver, and replacing the ligament completely. The graft is usually from the patellar tendon or the hamstring. Sometimes after surgery, patients will notice

a slight weakness of the muscle that the graft is taken from, but according to Clifford, only athletes that use their hamstrings especially notice the difference.

To replace Connors’ ACL the doctors used a graph from her hamstring. “I still feel the weakness,” said Connors.

Recovery After surgery, recovery takes at least six months. According to Clifford, most athletes feel better at nine months and almost back to normal in year.

Most athletes will go through physical therapy in order to strengthen their new ligament.

Jucha did a lot of range of motion exercises. “The thing I remember the most is the first day I went to therapy they were like, ‘lift your leg’, and I couldn’t lift it,” she said.

After the injury, returning is not an easy process. “It was extremely hard for me to get back into playing because I had no range of motion,” said Jucha.

Many players feel limited and fear of re-injuring themselves.

“I was scared; I would not jump for headers which in soccer is critical. It was hard for me to run, because I was not used to the brace. I just felt outnum-

bered,” said Jucha.

Sophomore Nikki Hwong felt the same way after coming back from a her injury. She pulled a ligament in her knee recently. “Its hard to come back because you’re scared that [your knee’s] going to be unstable and you are going to hurt it again.”

The chance of getting injured again is slim said Clifford. “The [chance] of tearing the ACL that has been reconstructed is less than the [chance] of tearing your other knee,” said Clifford.

There are repercussions that occur after the injury. “I overcompensate on my left leg and so now I have hip problems,” said Jucha.

ACL injuries affect future health. “There is a big chance I will have arthritis in my knees because when you injure yourself [there’s] a big chance your meniscus is going to give out and that is the main cause of arthritis.”

An ACL injury is still something that affects many female athletes. However, thanks to technology, it is not as feared as in the past. “You have to figure out how to handle it in the context of what you want to do,” said Clifford. “Its just one of those things and you get through it.”

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Girls keep wins coming With CIF league playoffs on the way, the field hockey team starts out strong with a fifth place standing in county. nicole fisher

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he field hockey girls are currently on a 14-game winning streak, making their record 17-3 overall. According to Coach Brooke Wilson, the team is tied for fifth in the overall league standings.

We have not been ranked this high, I don’t think ever in SDA’s field hockey [history] and the girls deserve it. We have beaten some of the best teams in San Diego, so they deserve to be high up on that ranking,” said Wilson. The ranking is out of 42 schools.

Many of the wins that the girls have acquired are due to their strong and harding working defense, according to Wilson.

“Sophomores Katey Ford, Jessica Bloom, Ashley Munoz, Heather Scruggs, and junior Mia Sprau have really been solid in helping us to get the wins. The offense is scoring but the defense has done phenomenal in shutting out the other teams” she said.

The defensive girls have had eight shut outs this season. Another aspect that is helping the defense tremendously is senior goalie Sam Sprau.

“She is sort of the rock behind it all. She helps the D get into position and lets them know when they are not in the right spot or not covering the right player. All the defense [players] responds to her out

Eric Peck

STICKING IT TO THEM Sophomore Kailie Pasko drives the ball towards a win against CCA.

there on the field,” said Wilson.

There are some stand out players on offense as well. Siemion leads the league in scoring with 26 goals and 19 assists. “It’s pretty cool,” said Siemion on being the leading scorer. “I’m not the only who should be getting that credit because each goal is a product from the whole team.”

Teammate, senior Lauren Livingston with 18 goals and 15 assists, is in second place. In third is senior Emily Mecke with 17 gaols and 10 assists.

Much of their success is due

to the chemistry in which they are creating on and off the field.

Once a week the girls have a “Pasta Party.” This includes one of the players making a “delicious homemade pasta meal” according to Wilson, a night before the game and inviting the team over to feast.

Sam Sprau really enjoys these parties. “Those are awesome; tons of free pasta, free food, and free dessert. We get really, really full and it fills you for your game the next day,” said Sprau.

The girls hope to bring their

success to the CIF playoffs. starting November 15.

“I believe that we will make it to the semi-finals, and I know that they are capable of winning CIF in the Finals,” said Wilson.

The team is a Division Two team and they have played most of the division teams already this year, either in the season on in the Serra Tournament.

The girls feel confident going into the championship.

“We know what other teams are capable of, and we know what we are capable of,” said Wilson.

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he cross country boys Varsity and JV won first in their races, with Nate Burns coming in first for Varsity, and Connor Paris for JV, in Escondido during the Jaguar Invitational. For the girls, Madison Roberts placed 19th.

At practice, the athletes have been improving on running as a pack, according to Assistant Coach Justin Conn. “Team chemistry is one of our strong points,” said Conn. Coach Gordy Haskett has been making a great push, attempting to advance upon the team’s chemistry.

All statistics courtesy of the North County Times.

Torrey Pines 1-0 Rancho Buena Vista 2-3 Helix 6-2 Mira Mesa 3-0 Cathedral 1-0 Santana 3-0 Mt. Carmel 13-0 Orange Glen 13-0 San Marcos 4-0 Valley Center 2-0 Canyon Crest 4-0 Mt. Carmel 7-0 Orange Glen 10-0

The cross country team works on achieving their goals.

While the coaches continue to push the runners to their physical limits, the team has been fortunate to have avoided any serious injuries. There have been only the typical, minor injuries to be expected in any athletic season, such as shin splints.

“The athletes are doing great for mid-season, and are on a steady course to reaching their personal goals,” said Assistant Coach John Adams.

Ctoss country is open to more atheltes, and challenges all SDA students who think they’ve got what it takes to run cross country: “If you’ve got the guts, then c’mon,” said Adams.

1. SDA (7-0) 2.Valley Center (5-1) 3. CCA (5-2) 4. San Marcos (2-4) 5. Orange Glen (1-6) 6. Mt. Carmel (0-7)

Field Hockey Scores

Sprinting till the end deanna melin

Field Hockey Valley Conference Standings

Leading Scorers Elizabeth Siemion - 26 Lauren Livingston - 18 Emily Mecke - 17 Amanda Graeser - 4 Saves Jahna Jordan, Fallbrook - 122 Kalaya Ganther, San Marcos - 107 Sam Sprau - 97

Alex Matthews

All scores courtesy of North County Times

Run, SDA, Run Freshman DJ Swan keeps a pace at Kit Carson Park.

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No seed for this set Tennis girls do not place high enough in their league to make CIF playoffs, but the team stays positive and focuses instead on team improvement, individual growth, and next season’s potential for success. sean znachko

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Liz Mills

SET POINT Senior Christy Laubach laughs with Sophomore Kinsey Volkart.

he team did not qualify for CIF playoffs this year since they were not one of the top three teams in their conference.

Singles and doubles players, however, may be able to qualify individually for the CIF tournament.

Improvement was the team’s main goal from the start of the season. Coach Deb Abrahamson said that the team has improved most in their doubles competition and net play.

Freshman Bianca Rice agreed; “I have gotten much better at my doubles game. The team has improved so much! We have gotten to know each other more which has let us learn each others strengths.”

Other players have noticed the improvement as well. “The year has been a great building year, and everyone’s skills have improved,” said senior Kirsten Smith.

Even though the season is almost over, the team still has some things they want to improve. Smith would like her serves to be strong, fast, and accurate by the end of the season.

In addition to improving her playing, Rice wants to become better friends with her doubles partner by the time the season ends.

A yoga class the girls took together has had a positive effect, “Yoga has been a great bonding activity. I like that we’re all together, and everyone feels more connected as a team,” said Smith.

Rice also thought that the yoga class helped the team. “It was a great bonding experience and helped us all get rid of stress,” said Rice.

Despite not making it to the playoffs, the girls are still proud of their season. “My biggest accomplishment has been having more attitude when I go out and play,” said Smith.

There are six graduating seniors on the varsity team this year: Kaitlynn Floyd, Christie Laubach, Lauren Milliken, Kirsten Schertzer, Kirsten Smith, and Emily Thompson. Smith said that she will miss her coaches the most next year. “They are so supportive and give me so much inspiration to try my hardest and not give up,” said Smith.

Rice will be returning to the team next year. “My hopes for

the new season would be that we smash every high school that we play,” said Rice.

Scores VARSITY Tri City Christian 7-11 Francis Parker 4-14 Bishops 3-15 CCA 1-17 Tri City Christian 10-8 La Jolla Country Day 0-10 Santa Fe Christian 12-6 Coronado 10-8 JUNIOR VARSITY CCA 5-13 Bishops 11-7 Francis Parker 3-9 Carlsbad 8-10 Cathedral 0-17 San Marcos 9-9

Coastal League Standings 1. Bishops (6-0) 2. La Jolla Country Day (6-0) 3. Francis Parker (2-0) 4. CCA (7-5) 5. SDA (3-4) 6. Tri City Christian (2-10) 7. Santa Fe Christian (1-9) All statistics courtesy of the North County Times.

Volleyball season draws to a close Girls hope to tie last year’s wins and move on to CIF. savanna vrevich

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espite illness and injury, the SDA varsity volleyball team is seeded fourth in Division 3.

The JV team, Gold Division champions, won first in their tournament on Oct. 26.

As of Oct. 29 the team’s record was 11-6. Coach Dexter Harvey said that the Mustangs won 20 games last year, and they have the same goal this year.

Getting into the playoffs is another one of the team’s season goals. “If we can win in the semi-finals and get to the finals, that means we automatically get

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to go to the state playoffs… So our goal is still attainable, but it’s not going to be very easy,” Harvey said.

Harvey believes that the team is being led by a good group of seniors: Kelsey Crowe, Paige Findlay, Kayla Frost, Shay Goldberg, Allie McGregor, and Nora Wallenius.

Harvey said that this year’s team is 19 of the “nicest girls you’ve ever met in your life.All the players want to be there; no one is forcing them to be there.” Harvey hopes to end the season “on a positive note, with everybody healthy and nobody hurting.”

North Coastal League Standings 1. Santa Fe Christian (5-1) 2. Tri City Christian (3-2) 3. SDA (2-2) 4. Calvin Christian (1-4) All statistics courtesy of the North County Times.

Liz Mills

SET IT UP Junior Jourdyn Aiken prepares to hit the volleyball during a game.

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Timeout with: sean znachko

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rew is not your typical California sport. But after watching rowing on the Summer Olympics, Sophomore Natalie O’Brien took to the internet and found a team in the area, the San Diego Rowing Club.

She now dedicates much of her after-school time to practicing on the rowing club’s novice team. O’Brien took a timeout to speak with the Mustang about practice, the mysterious disappearance of her social life, and her future in rowing.

Q: What inspired you to start rowing?

A: The tradition and history involved with it. Also that it’s not a common sport, [it’s] down by the water, a good workout, and I love being out there and the feeling.

Q: What does your typical day include?

A: Right after school, I hop in the car and drive down to Mission Bay to make it by 4, and it goes until 6:30. On a typical day, we do a warm-up run around the bay and back and

then get the boats out on the water. We usually split our group into a four- and an eight-seater, leaving two or three behind for erg [machines used for testing rowing times] workouts.

We do drills and sets on the water, going by Sea World on the way and then row back to SDRC (San Diego Rowing Club) at 6 where we then take everything in and clean up. I get home at about 7.

Q: What is your favorite part of practice?

A: Seeing the other novice girls and working out with them. That part is really fun, and then just being out there in the sun, which is spectacular at twilight.

Q: What is the biggest sacrifice you have made in order to do crew?

A: Giving up weekday hangouts with friends, Comedy Sports on Fridays, and swamps of homework. But I’m working on balancing it. It’s still really new to me, being a first year [rower].

Q: What is the hardest part of crew?

A: For me it’s the endurance

factor, but I’m trying to overcome that.

Q: Would you like to row in college? Do you know for what school?

A: Yes for sure, if I can make it I would. I still have no idea where Q: What would you like people to know about crew?

A: Crew is demanding and a commitment. You sacrifice the majority of your free time and it can be hard work. But as with anything, if you love it, you love it and you want to be there. So far so good!

Q: How was your first race?

What happened?

A: The race was more fun than I expected. Since it was our first race it was pretty low key.

We also had some mishaps that hindered our time at the very end, which was a bummer. We “caught a crab” where an oar gets stuck underwater and this one happened to be really bad, so it turned the whole boat. The most exciting part was trying to keep the lead, rowing harder to stay ahead.

Q: How are you feeling about your next race?

sean znachko

ROW YOUR BOAT Sophomore Natalie O’Brien rows during her spare time.

A: I’m really excited for the Newport race next weekend.

There will be 500 teams that we will be competing against and

it’s going to be CRAZY. So as this was more of a practice race, next week is the real deal and I’m fired up!

Putting in some more effort Golf team works to improve putting scores by the end of season. sean znachko

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sean znachko

PAR-FECT SHOT Senior Tracy Mander takes a shot at her match on Oct. 27.

he golf team has been able to field enough players to qualify for two matches.

The team lost 375 to 277 on Oct. 21 when they played against Santa Fe Christian at Morgan Run golf course.

On Sept. 11 the team lost 340 to 206 against Francis Parker.

Despite the losing season, the players say that practice attendance has gone up. In previous seasons, many of the girls were not able to attend practice due to a heavy homework load.

The team has also improved their physical endurance. “We can play nine holes without dying of heat stroke or dehydration,” said junior Christina Gineris.

The girls report that the chemistry on the team has been

great. “Our best accomplishment has probably been all of us improving at least a little and everyone being friends with each other. We have lots of fun,” said junior Chanelle Ankeney.

Coach James Hrzina said that the girls have been meeting his expectations. The girls have continued to try their hardest and show improvement. “Overall, the team has improved most on making solid contact with the ball,” Hrzina said.

Hrzina would like the team to work on their putting before the season ends. “It’s one of those things that everybody rushes,” said Hrzina. Putting counts for a huge portion of the overall score, so if the team could learn to lessen the points they collect from putting, their score would be much better, he said.

Many of the players plan to return to the golf team next year.

“I will for sure play next season,” junior Kate Murphy said.

Hrzina said that he plans on coaching the team next year as well.

From the fairway What is your least favorite golf etiquette rule?

“That we can’t check or take out our cell phones.” – Emily Sadoff, junior “I guess it’s that you can’t carry your bag on the green so you usually have to walk around the whole thing. Or the clothes they want you to wear (including the shoes.)”

– Chanelle Ankeney, junior

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Dishonorable Discharge

I

watches the office

’ll be honest: it’s nice to have a break. The Chargers had their bye this week, and I think it’s one both the fans and the players needed.

That being said, their disastrous road-trip ending in London with a loss to the Saints two eric peck weeks ago has hurt me more deeply than when Clay lost the second American Idol.

The organization fired defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell after last Sunday’s loss, so come week 10 we’ll see who’s responsible for the disappointing drop in sacks this season: Cottrell or missing defensive stud Shawne Merriman, who’s been ruled out this season with a sprained knee ligament.

Ron Rivera’s promotion to defensive coordinator should bring a more aggressive style, something the Chargers need to gamble with if they want to make a playoff run.

For a team with Super Bowl aspirations, a 3-5 record halfway through the season is disappointing at best. The Chargers are ranked 23rd in scoring defense, 28th in total defense, and are at the bottom of the pile for pass defense, allowing an average of 265 passing yards a game.

But I don’t mean to be entirely negative; Phillip Rivers has had a startlingly successful first half of the year – 2000 yards and 19 touchdown tosses in just 8 games. He’s on his way to throwing nearly twice as many scores as he did last season.

If the Chargers can get their run game on track and correct their defensive issues, they have the scoring potential to win a majority of their coming games.

The Chargers are ranked second in points scored per game, and also benefit from being in one of the worst divisions in the whole NFL. Three AFC teams have worse records than the Chargers, and two of them are in the AFC West: Kansas City (1-6) and Oakland (2-5).

The power of positive thinking, plus a little desperation, is what the Chargers need to turn this season around and make a serious run at the playoffs. If Rivera can muster a pass rush from the linebackers and teach the defense how to finish games, the Chargers may avoid being labeled the most under-achieving team in the history of the NFL.

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Let the basketball games begin SDA’s basketball team starts preparing for the season with new head coach Luke Stuckey. andrew kasselmann

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his year, SDA did not have a varsity basketball coach. Last year’s coach, Ethan Segovia, resigned over the summer, leaving the athletic department to look for a replacement. Now, Coach Luke Stuckey has stepped in as the new head basketball coach.

Stuckey played high school basketball in Illinois at Bishop McNamara High School. After that, he went on to play at Northland Community College, and then at Iowa Wesleyan College.

For the past four years, Stuckey has worked as the head JV coach and the assistant varsity coach at La Jolla High School.

Last year, he helped them to win the Division III CIF Title.

Fall workouts have now started and are taking place two to three times a week to prepare the players for the upcoming season.

Stuckey’s goals for this year are to make the Division III playoffs, and to be a contender for a league title. Stuckey also plans

Surf team rides to victory

to work to establish a basketball culture at SDA during his first year here.

“We hope to build the program into something that the school and community take pride in and enjoy coming to support,” said Stuckey.

“We hope to generate excitement this year and turn some heads.”

The SDA surf team beats La Jolla in their first competition, and Carlsbad suffers a devastating defeat against Torrey Pines. maddie lyon

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n Oct. 19 started their year off by crushing La Jolla High 75 to 57 in the Inter Scholastic surfing Federation (ISF).

“Everyone was excited for the first competition of the year and to start it out with a win,” said captain Alexa Thornton.

SDA placed 1, 2 and 3 in boys short board, girls and boys long board, and body board.

SDA’s win over La Jolla was no surprise, but the real drama was Torrey Pines’s upset victory over Carlsbad.

Carlsbad’s loss bodes well for SDA, who lost to them in overtime during the national

championship Game format competition last year. Carlsbad’s loss could be because many of their top surfers graduated this past year. This could leave the National Championship title open for SDA to snatch back.

Pop culture throwdown: sibling edition How do SDA athletes fit in to the pop culture scene? The Mustang finds out. Interviews by Eric Peck. photos by Kendall Daasnes.

how do SDA athletes fit into the mix?

current song on your iPod...

Sam Sprau senior field hockey

Scenic World -Beirut

Mia Sprau junior field hockey

Fergalicious -Fergy

Riley Brokaw senior cross country Chase Brokaw freshman cross country

favorite cereal to eat...

I don’t really eat cereal, but I guess the same as my sister

__ makes me want to puke...

best band name ever...

Wet paper

Illinois...it’s a band from Pennsylvania

pet I would like to own...

A beagle

Honey Bunches of Oats with Almonds

Tuna

The Beatles

All for the Cash -Gangstarr

Cap’n Crunch

Frogs

Deltron the Funky Homosapien

A monkey

Rainbow Country -Bob Marley

Fruit Loops

Spencer Brokaw

Caliphonies

A ferret

A bunny

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Surfer Vs. Skater

Senior Andrew Fonden, surfer, and junior Garrett Thomas, skater, put up a good fight, but in the end we could only be fond of one. By Dimitri Fautsch and Nina Moussavi with help from Kirby Lochner.

1) Why does the sun lighten our hair, but darken our skin?

Surfer: I didn’t know it did that… probably because your skin is made of pores.

Skater: Your hairs are made of a different material.

Us: Surfer, if you had rich skin maybe it wouldn’t be so poory. But seriously, get better skin. Very true skater, you just answered the question right.

Surfer, 5 points for learning something new and skater, 10 points for actually getting the question right.

2) Why doesn’t glue stick to the inside of the bottle?

Surfer: They lavender it with Vaseline.

Skater: The glue is still wet inside the bottle.

Us: Surfer, by “lavender” we assume you mean “lather,” but it’s chill. We don’t judge. Just so you know, lather is what you do before you rinse and repeat.

Two points for making us laugh.

Skater, we’re pretty much asking

why it’s wet inside the bottle.

You can’t answer our question with our question, 0 points.

3) Why isn’t there mouseflavored cat food?

Surfer: Mice are fast and the people who make the cat food can’t catch them.

Skater: Cats eat mice all the time; they’re sick of it.

Us: Surfer, you don’t need real mice to make mouse-flavored cat food, and even if you did, they would just set up a bunch of mouse traps and let the mice walk to their own deaths. We guess you could get one point for letting us show how much smarter than you we are. Skater, I think what they’re sick of is your stereotyping and insensitivity. Not all cats eat mice. Minus 3 for adding to the vicious cycle.

4) Can crop circles be square?

Surfer: I don’t believe in the aliens that make crop circles; only crazy farmers make them

and they can make them whatever shape they want.

Skater: Aliens can do whatever they want.

Us: Surfer, have you not seen M. Night Shamaylan’s movie “Signs”? Only aliens can make crop circles. You don’t get any points for being a non-believer.

Skater, so can we, and that’s why we are taking away 11 points.

5) Can you daydream at night?

Surfer: Uhh, I once knew a man who could tie his shoes while wearing boxing gloves. His name was Josh Gandulla.

Skater: You’re gonna die when it’s your time, so daydream whenever you want.

Us: Really, surfer? I doubt it, that’s impossible. Minus 10 for lying to us. Deep, skater, deep.

Six points for being profound.

6) Can animals commit suicide?

Surfer: I had a bird once that hung itself because it saw Josh’s face.

Nina Moussavi

GOOD SPORTS These two may be rivals in the game, but regardless of who wins, Andrew Fonden will always be there to give Garrett Thomas a helping hand...or lift.

Skater: Animals can’t think enough to be able to do it.

Us: Surfer, why do you gotta keep hatin’ on Josh? He’s a cool cat. Minus 6 points for being a bully. Wow, skater, wow. We expected this kind of thoughtless-

ness from surfer, but from you, we thought you were better than that. Minus 5 points because you disappoint us.

Total: Surfer: -8

Skater: -2

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the

backpage Kendall Daasnes

NOT SO PLAIN AND WHITE Dylan Yokoyama, Florian Termin, Andrea Reyes, Megan Bradley, and Dan Schricker (top) and Florian Termin, Ally Zimbalist, Ben Atlas, Ryan Kauffman, Kim-Ashleigh Mostert, Andrea Reyes, Ana Reyes, Dana Pede, and Dustin Atlas (bottom) brighten the campus with their tie-dyes.

To dye for

Ariel Chao

Spirited students celebrate Fridays by sporting homemade and hand bought tie-dye t-shirts. Story by Paige Ely.

A

s you have probably noticed many people wear tie-dye at SDA, especially on Fridays. This is called Tie-Dye Friday. Let me tell you the story behind it.

Well this goes a few years back. In 7th grade, I wanted to be a hippie for Halloween but didn’t have any tie-dye clothes.

I went to Party City and picked the single option for the tie-dye, a one-size fits all. Despite the ginormity, I was extremely excited; it was my very first tie-dye. So I

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wore it for Halloween.

Because it was large enough for a cow to wear, it stayed in my closet. That is until 8th grade Halloween when I failed to create a new costume, with a lack of enthusiasm for the pagan holiday, and I wore the shirt again.

My friends loved it, disregarding the size, and encouraged me to wear it to school. I did just that, because even though it felt still like a costume, it made me happy. So I continued to

wear it weekly, because the shirt was as big as my wardrobe was small.

I started to combine my two favorites: my favorite shirt and my favorite day to make a super-happy-awesome day. Soon after, people started to ask me if it was for any reason in particular, and having the witty-mind that I have, I quickly answered, “Tie-Dye Friday.” Really, what’s wittier than a rhyme that mixes a fashion with the day of the

week? Of course they laughed the laugh that one laughs in response to something as witty as that, and went on their merry way.

From then on when asked what the shirt was for, the response was always Tie-Dye Friday. Not long after, people began to catch on, and when they saw the shirt would say, even shout, “Tie-Dye Friday!”

I carried on the tradition through high school with some

of my fellow Digueñoers, remembering the not so good old days made a bit better by tie-dye on a Friday.

It was not until chemistry class, after we tied and dyed, that enough people had shirts to join the fun. Now every Friday, whether they know the story or not, people wear tie-dye. You too can participate in making the world a little more colorful.

Just remember, it’s on Friday.

Tie-Dye Friday!

11.07.08