The Mustang November 2016

11.03.16

Volume 21 Issue 2

T H E

M U S TA N G

the mustang

FROM THE CONTROL BOOTH A message from your editors.

M

uch to the excitement (or horror) of the American people, Nov. 8th is just days away. This Tuesday, the United States determines which congressmen will represent each state, which propositions will be passed, and who will run our country for the next four years.

There’s new drama surrounding the election coming out every day, what with Hillary’s Benghazi shenanigans and Trump’s outlandish statements (“Who’s the real ‘Bad Hombre?’” on pg. 9). Students all over SDA engage in heated discus-

sions the morning after presidential debates, some arguing that Hillary’s email scandal makes her unsuitable for the position, while others claim that Trump supporters need to check his facts. (“Fact or Fiction?” on pg. 6).

While most discussion has revolved around the Clinton versus Trump race, it’s important to note that local elections are of particular importance this year.

Several SDA students have taken the initiative to intern with local election candidates (“Behind the Gate” on pg. 5).

This election is particularly historic because there is a possibility that United States will elect its first female president, which would serve as a milestone for the country and for womankind in general (“Time for a Political ‘Her’ Story” on pg. 8).

But if the election doesn’t hold your attention quite as well as other Tuesday rituals (“America’s Funniest Home Videos” comes to mind),

there’s plenty else to enjoy in this issue.

The Mustang took a new approach to our usual reviews, opting to analyze the newest FIFA release instead of a movie or TV show (“FIFA 17 Review” on pg. 18). Elsewhere in entertainment, one staffer broke down the stigmas around death metal (“Listening to Cannibal Corpse Won’t Make You a Serial Killer” on pg. 8), and another recounted students’ experiences in the world of backpacking (“Got a Mountain to Climb? on pg. 17). Finally, a little closer to home, the Mustang looks forward to one of SDA’s most prized traditions -- the annual homecoming flag football tournament (“Flag Down your Foes” on pg. 21).

This is an important election year; however, if you feel disenchanted with the country’s current state of politics, read on: There’s still moments in the future to bring passion and excitement.

-Linnea Leidy and Olivia Olander

ROLL CALL

The Mustang Staff MANAGING EDITOR Julia Shapero

5 Politics on 5...

NEWS EDITOR Olivia Olander ASST NEWS EDITOR Lane Levin OPINION EDITOR Linnea Leidy ASST OPINION EDITOR Mallika Seshadri FEATURES EDITOR Sophie Peeler

17 ...and backpacking on 17.

ASST FEATURES EDITOR Kieran Zimmer ARTS/HUMOR EDITOR Mary Ford ASST ARTS EDITOR Jenna Weinhofer SPORTS EDITORS Brittany Serbin Vicky Van Der Wagt ONLINE EDITOR Kate Sequeira ASST ONLINE EDITOR Sophie Hughes PHOTO EDITOR Patrick Hall BUSINESS MANAGER Hana Chen DESIGN EDITORS Hannah Elias Melody Sobhani

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CAROLYN KNAPP

LUCAS VILICICH

Cover Artist

Backpage Photographer

Junior Carolyn Knapp has been interested in the arts since she was a child, taking art classes and sketching for fun. It wasn’t until her freshman year that she started drawing and painting more and taking art seriously.

Knapp’s artwork is influenced by the people around her. “I love painting and drawing faces. I find inspiration in people’s stories and their emotions,” said Knapp.

While her favorite medium is acrylic paint, for this piece, Knapp decided to play with a new medium: copic and prismacolor markers.

This allowed for her to play with color and shadow in a new way, “I had never really done that before, and I was trying something new and I enjoyed that too.”

Senior Lucas Vilicich didn’t realize his true passion for photography until high school. “My parents had a camera that I would always mess around with, and then when I took Intro to Tech freshman year, I learned more…and became addicted,” said Vilicich. “What I love most about photos and videos are the stories you can tell with them.”

To get the shot, Vilicich headed out to the Anza-Borrego Desert on a trip with fellow photographers.

“It was taken by doing a long exposure of 15 seconds and [my friend] Weston standing on top of a metal horse, holding a flashlight up to the sky,” he said.

Though he is not looking to do anything serious with photography in the future, Vilicich said, “I want to move into videography and study film in college.”

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STAFF WRITERS Nadia Ballard Maddy Campbell Daniel Chagnon Austin Dilley Devin Gaan Layla Gantus Jack Hauser Julia Lucero Audrey Maskiewicz Taina Millsap Lucas Oldham Derek Sleet ADVISOR Tim Roberts The Mustang is the student newspaper of San Dieguito Academy. Advertisements do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the newspaper. The Mustang is an open forum which welcomes letters. Letters can be submitted to room 16, emailed to sdamustang@gmail.com or mailed to the address below.

San Dieguito Academy Room 16 800 Santa Fe Drive Encinitas, CA 92024

nov. 03

the mustang

Senior Sleepover Slips Out of Control

SDA Reacts.

Students and administration at SDA comment on the events.

•

“There was drinking and people were doing drugs and smoking, but that wasn’t the whole main thing. It was just a casual get together and it got a little bit out of hand, but I think there were poeple who were able to bring it back together.”

- senior female

•

“Somebody brought a game cube and projector and some extension cords and they were playing Smash Bros and stuff on the fence.

It was pretty [relaxed].”

- senior male

•

“It didn’t even occur to me that people were going to be doing this for some reason.

It didn’t occur to me at all.”

- senior female

•

“There was beer pong. That wasn’t planned but it happened. They planned pizza, and they said games, but I don’t think they meant beer pong.”

- senior female

•

“Definitely at one point it was a little crazy because people weren’t in the best situation so they thought that they could do things that probably weren’t appropriate if we were with actual adults and supervision around, so that was kind of dnagerous, but once some of the kids told them that they shouldn’t be doing [dangerous things], they just stopped. Like, it was dangerous for a little bit but then everybody brought it back together. It was fine.”

- senior female

•

“Probably a few people drunk drove.”

- senior male

•

“It’s pretty cool though, that although [students] went [to the event] and made a mess... they all cleaned it up, so that’s very good.”

- senior female

•

“It’s not something that we want to condone students doing... [but] I don’t know. whether it’s realistic on campus, the beach or somewhere else to control what a teenager does in the middle of the night.”

- Principal Bjorn Paige

Students use alcohol and drugs when spending night on softball field during senior sleepover. Story by Mary Ford with Linnea Leidy and Kate Sequeira.

A

t a senior prank sleepover Oct. 18, about half of the 175 estimated unsupervised San Dieguito seniors were partying, drinking, and smoking marijuana on campus, according to those who were there.

One senior described the event, organized through the senior class’s Facebook page, as “a campsite, a rave, and then a house party, but outside.”

Another senior said that the number of students who went to the event, which took place on the San Dieguito softball field, was “in excess of what the senior planners expected.”

“They were trying to get more people to come. But they didn’t expect the number of people there were,” he said.

“They tried to be organized. I give props to them,” said a senior female.

Although students said they were alarmed at some of the events of the night, a group of sober students policed the parking lot and gave other students rides home to keep those intoxicated from leaving and driving home.

“I think there were one or two students that gave other [intoxicated] kids rides home... but more than a few students sat around in the parking lot and made sure those same [intoxicated] kids... didn’t leave by themselves,” said another female student.

Sheriff ’s deputies came by the sleepover twice because of noise complaints, and a brief fight broke out when LCC students appeared, students said.

happened. The police could have cited them for breaking curfew depending on what time they came. A security company that does rounds [at school]...can charge [students] for damage [they caused].”

Paige said, “We certainly can do an investigation if the assistant principals have information about someone who was doing [drugs or alcohol]...if it was on school campus. This kind of volume we haven’t seen.”

Students said they believed the senior sleepover had been “under-thetable approved by administration and ASB.” However, ASB director Rod Keillor said, “I heard rumors that they were going to do it. It was

Many seniors said they were worried about the punishments the class would incur, such as losing planned senior activities, because there were drugs and alcohol at the sleepover.

Principal Bjorn Paige said, “I don’t see it as beneficial to punish the entire class for a camp-out. There’s natural consequences that could have

A senior sleepover was held last year, apparently without incident, said Paige.

“We had a small number of seniors who camped out last spring.

By the time we heard about it and got up there [there] were like six tents. That was it,” said Paige.

This year, Paige was aware the

Administration Reacts

nov. 03

senior sleepover had happened the next morning, but was not aware of the details of the night, he said.

“I walked up there pretty early in the morning. Everything seemed like it was relatively quiet...people were packing up...We obviously don’t condone somebody coming and staying the night on campus but it was pretty harmless from what we could determine,” said Paige.

Keillor, who learned the events of the night via a parent email said, “I had a couple of people that came and told me some of the poor choices that students had made.”

Police Report to Scene

After noise complaints were filed, deputies came twice, at around nine

“I know of several people who went to this sleepover and tried weed and alcohol for the first time. Perhaps they didn’t go with the intention to do that, but once they got there...”

-senior female

not sponsored by ASB or approved

by ASB...I never would sanction or approve a sleepover unless we had teachers that were willing to be out there and supervise.”

Paige said, “Students that planned it didn’t work through administration. It’s not a school sanctioned event. It’s not something that we would say is a good idea.”

This Year vs. Last

and twelve in the evening, said three seniors.

According to a communications officer from the North County Sheriff ’s Department, when deputies arrived at the sleepover, “everything checked out okay, and everything was quiet upon arrival.” “[Deputies] came to figure out what was going on and we informed them that it was a school event,” said a senior girl. “[The deputy] was like...‘There’s a lot of houses around here so you guys have to stay quiet cause it’s a Tuesday night...’ Then he left,” said a student.

“The police were in the upper parking lot so students who were smashed on the softball field weren’t

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visible...And then they showed up later because people were being too obnoxious and there were noise complaints,” she said.

“A few police cars showed up, circling around and flashing their lights so we thought that the party would be over. But...once we saw the police cars we quieted down,” she said.

The Environment

The Mustang interviewecd 10 students who asked to be anonymous in order to avoid repurcussions.

Students said that between 50 to 90 percent of attendees were smoking and drinking.

A few San Dieguito seniors set up a projector to watch movies and play video games at the sleepover, said students.

“I remember. I had fun,” said a senior female. “Someone brought a huge projection sheet and we played video games and watched movies. We hung out on the other side, across from all the crazy stuff happening.”

Students described a rush to leave once the janitors locked the upper student parking lot, where many students parked their cars.

One student, in an attempt to leave, drove through the fence of the upper lot, said another senior male.

“A bunch of people who weren’t intending on staying all night, who were just stopping by, parked inside the parking lot and then they couldn’t get out. And that’s when the chaos started of someone driving over the fence,” said one female senior.

“We fixed it after...the damage isn’t actually that bad. But if you know someone went over the fence, then you can tell,” she said.

Another student was seen driving a car through campus, according to a senior boy.

He was “driving in the school trying to find another exit…We saw him driving super fast down by where they [continued on pg.6]

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Painting the Past

A

rt students worked on a new mural this month that depicts the 80-year history of San Dieguito Academy. The piece will be temporary, since it surrounds part of the construction on campus, said Principal Bjorn Paige.

The construction will become math and science buildings, and is scheduled to open in Fall 2017.

The wall in front of the Performing Arts Center, where the mural is painted, is set to be taken down in December.

Photo by Patrick Hall

Attaining Autonomy

SDUHSD gives 18-year-olds new educational rights. By Mallika Seshadri.

U

nder the district’s recent adherence to FERPA (Family Educational and Privacy Act) guidelines, 18-year-olds can stop school from communicating with their parents, even if a student is failing a class or going through emotional struggles.

Adult high school students are also given the educational rights their parents previously held.

These rights include access to their education records and the right to have them changed, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

Assistant Principal Jeanne Jones said that once students turn 18, though, they can permit the school to continue communicating with their parents.

According to SDUHSD Director of School and and Student Services Meredith Wadley, 24 of the 50 adult students at SDA have permitted the

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school to continue communicating with their family.

Jones illustrated the implications of the new policy: “If a student is failing a class, and they’re 18, where normally we would send a failure notice home to the parents, we would only send it to the student.”

However, she added that, “anything that is written in Aeries, parents continue to have the right to see, whether the student signs off or not. It’s more the personal contact.”

Jones also said that if a student chooses not to keep their parents informed, the changes “could present major problems if the parents think they’re going to a graduation and… that student is not graduating.”

Jones’ greatest concern is, however, that she may not be able to contact a student’s parents in a situation where a “student is going through great emotional turmoil and…a

student needs a parent’s support at home, a parent’s understanding at home, or a parent’s watchfulness at home.”

In such a case, she said that she would “meet quite seriously and often with that student to try and convince them of the importance of including their parents in the communication.”

“I believe that it’s always very wise to keep your parents informed because they are your strongest advocates....I think it’s very wise to have as many people on your team as possible,” Jones said.

Senior Lila Duga, who plans on granting her parents access to her educational records, said “parents should probably know what’s going on in their kid’s life when they’re 18 because we’re still young, and we make mistakes.”

However, she also added that that

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some students might benefit from keeping their parents in the dark “just so that they can have some of that [parent induced] pressure relieved.”

Max Opferkuch, SDA alumni from the class of 2016, said he updates his parents on a regular basis regarding his college education.

He also said that in universities, especially those with a higher tuition, “parents are going to be more concerned that their children are getting their monies worth out of their education.”

Jones said the notion of responsibility these rights provide students with extend beyond academics and that the “most important responsibility [for 18 year-olds] is…they literally will take charge of their own life...Practicing good habits now and being responsible for oneself now is a good thing.”

Where did the TA’s go?

Changes for TA’s and class repetition. By Lane Levin.

S

an Dieguito Academy has adjusted to a state law that prohibits students classes without educational context and eliminated many teacher aid positions.

According to the law, students can only repeat a course if it is structured with new curriculum, if they intend to better a low grade, or if a school official has determined that a student will benefit from the course.

Students in big city schools were being warehoused in non-educational classes and did not have the opportunity to acquire the credits necessary to graduate. This instigated the new law.

Principal Bjorn Paige said that one way to avoid repetition is to implement more levels for each class.

“At [San Dieguito Academy] school we do a pretty good job with many of our classes having multiple opportunities,” he said.

The bill implies that classes, such as arts electives, must be structured to allow variety if they are to be repeated. But counselor Duncan Brown said, “A student is not going to do the exact same artwork or creative writing. They are not going to write the exact same stories. And that is how it has always been intended for us.” Brown said that San Dieguito is already in compliance with the new law.

Students repeating a course are issued credit for the course on a high school level “with the understanding that some colleges will not” give credit for repeated classes, according to Brown.

The largest change expected as a result of the bill, was a decrease in the amount of teacher aids. However, there were 19 teacher aids at this time within the 2015-2016 school year compared to 18 teacher aids within the current school year according to Bridget Sabin.

“Students who are TA’s fill out a form and put in writing that there is no educational content in the course that they are taking,” said Brown.

This is a change from the previous school years. Students are required to acknowledge that they are taking a class “without educational content”.

nov. 03

the mustang

Behind the Gate

SDA students work for campaigns, getting a closer look inside local politics. Story by Hana Chen.

W

ith political campaigns in full swing now, candidates are constantly in the public eye, pitching policies, attending forums, shaking hands and kissing babies. From the national spread to the local angle, politicians seem poised and prepared, ready to amass votes and tackle this election running full speed. But what the public doesn’t see is what goes on behind-the-scenes.

SDA students have gotten the chance to get a look as they help out with the group effort in campaigns.

Seniors Julia De La Fuente and Matt Benowitz currently work as interns for the campaign of Doug Applegate, a Democratic congressional candidate for California’s 49th district. Their roles involve managing social media platforms such as Instagram, doing donor research, working on spreadsheets and mail, going door-to-door to give out flyers, and conducting phone banking, collecting voter data and urging people to vote.

De la Fuente said that people often don’t realize how much work goes into a political campaign.

“I’m working with so many people – UCSD students and other high school students – and everybody is doing so much work,” she said. “This past weekend I believe we made 8000 calls to voters, between about 20 interns.”

About the campaign environment, Benowitz added, “I was pleasantly surprised by how much of a welcoming atmosphere the campaign office is. Images from media such as ‘Primary Colors’ and ‘House of Cards’ shine a dark light on politicking. In reality, every political operative I’ve worked with is a strong proponent of volunteerism.”

Though there’s much work to get done each day, campaigns are also learning environments. Through contact with other high school interns, college students, and political figures, students have a chance to discuss issues and get to know the political process. “I would say I am

much more respectful of those I disagree with than when I started my internship. Before a debate begins, each party must harbor the thought that people with very different beliefs can be equally intelligent,” said Benowitz. “I’ve [also] learned some very important things about our district (CA-49)...which demographics make it up, what problems it has which can be solved at the federal level, and how certain regions tend to vote.”

De la Fuente said the most important thing she’s learned is how high the stakes are, especially for this Congressional campaign, which has Applegate challenging Republican incumbent Darrell Issa. “Issa and Applegate are just polar opposites and people are becoming threatened or scared and that’s scary for me to have to deal with.” she said. “And what surprised me about political campaigns are how much money you need, and how mean people can be. I didn’t know people could be so vicious!”

Senior Julia De La Fuente (center front, with white sign) works for Doug Applegate (right) on his Congressional campaign. Photo courtesy of Julia De La Fuente.

The message Benowitz and De la Fuente want to send is this: get involved, and if able, get out and vote.

Benowitz said, “I am a little concerned by the disinterest many of us may have in the democratic process. Even if one is too busy to actually work on a campaign like myself, they can still immerse themselves in

the political process.”

De la Fuente added, “Everybody who can should vote and people should figure out what their beliefs are and who they align with. Not caring isn’t a solution. Know you have a voice.”

Fact or Fiction?

With endless accusations in the 2016 presidential race, fact-checking websites keep voters knowledgable and allow them to make informed decisions. By Julia Shapero.

T

he 2016 presidential candidates, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, clashed over almost every subject at the third and final presidential debate on Oct. 19, making disputable claims about one another left and right.

Trump claimed that $6 billion went missing when Clinton was in charge of the state department. Clinton claimed that Trump said women who obtain abortions should be punished. Within hours of the close of the debate, fact-checking websites had taken each of these claims and given them a label: true or false.

Following each speech, debate or even tweet of this election, factchecking websites have reviewed the accuracy of all of the candidates’ statements, giving the audience a final verdict on whether the candidates are telling the truth or spewing lies.

Websites such as Politifact.com,

nov. 03

run by the Tampa Bay Times, and Factcheck.org, run by the Annenberg Public Policy Center, became prominent this election, revealing a number of falsities present in both candidates’ rhetoric. However, many news websites, such as the Washington Post and CNN, and even organizations, such as the Clinton campaign, had been fact-checking throughout the election as well.

Each of the websites typically takes comments made by candidates, as well as other political figures, determines their credibility, and gives a short explanation for their decision. Some websites use specific ways to characterize the level of credibility the comment deserves. Politifact.com uses a system that determines where the comment lies on a spectrum between “Pants on Fire” and “True.”

Despite fact-checking websites’ large presence this year, the process

of fact-checking has played a large role in the media beyond the election. According to Nicole Vargas, a journalism professor at San Diego State University, fact-checking has continually played an important role in politics, even though it is particularly prevalent this year “Fact checking is important no matter what the election. That’s what we do as journalists. That’s why we exist. [It] is to be able to [be] the checks and balances of our government. We are a vital part of that. Fact checking has always been important but now it has become more noticeable, more visible,” said Vargas.

For SDA government and business teacher Oly Norris, the added visibility of fact-checking websites was affected by the trust that theAmerican people place in politicians. “There is less trust today,” said Norris. “Many polls are finding that Americans [continued on page 6]

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Check Your Knowledge.

Are Clinton and Trump telling the truth? Test your knowledge with these statements. By Julia Shapero.

1. Clinton: “Independent experts have looked at what I’ve proposed and looked at what Donald’s proposed, and basically they’ve said this...that if his tax plan...which would blow up the debt by over $5 trillion.”

2. Trump: “I did not” say that climate change is a hoax perpetrated by the Chinese.

3. Clinton: “[Trump has] paid nothing in federal taxes, because the only years that anybody’s ever seen were a couple of years when he had to turn them over to state authorities when he was trying to get a casino license, and they showed he didn’t pay any federal income tax.”

4. Trump: “You will learn more about Donald Trump by going down to the Federal Election Commission” to see the financial disclosure form than by looking at tax returns.

5. Clinton: “[Trump] actually advocated for the actions we took in Libya and urged that Gadhafi be taken out, after actually doing some business with him one time.”

6. Trump: “[Vladimir Putin] got an 80 percent approval rating done by pollsters from, I understand, this country. Okay?” Trump said.

Check your answers on page 6.

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Senior Sleepover [continued from page 3]

keep the construction stuff by the bus.The car was full and they were all jeering. Then someone tried to stop them and they just yelled at him,” he said.

Other students wanted to leave the parking lot as well, prompting one student to cut the fence with bolt cutters, a female senior said.

This is when, “We started sitting in the parking lot...to try to get people who were too high not to drive.

There were many of us. Enough to stop a car. There were probably four or five people that we let by, maybe six,” she said.

The female student said that these students would stop anyone too intoxicated to leave, as well as tried to prevent students from realizing a way to leave campus had opened up.

Reactions to the Night

Students said they were taken aback by the events of the night, although not altogether surprised.

“You just didn’t think about it, but

Factchecking [continued from page 5]

are less likely to trust figures from the federal government and both candidates have had some questions into their past and matters ranging from emails to conversations had and relationships being had and so there may be more of a need for that.”

According to Norris, the prominence of fact-checking is also a result of the abundance of technology now available to voters. “I think it has to do a lot with just how readily available we have this access to information and finding those ‘trusted’ facts and what to believe,” said Norris.

However, the role of fact-checking in today’s society goes beyond simply finding the information.

According to Vargas, fact-checking allows voters to sort through the abundance of information made available to them and make informed decisions. “[Without fact-

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then as soon as you realized that was happening you went ‘oh yeah, that was obvious,’” said a female student.

“I didn’t think things would get as crazy as they did, but they did. I didn’t find it scary in any way, just alarming,” said a senior male.

“I know of several people who went to this sleepover and tried weed and alcohol for the first time.

Perhaps they didn’t go with the intention to do that, but once they got there...,” a female senior said.

“At the end, they brought up a trash bag full to the stretching point of Coors cans,” another female senior said.

A fight broke out when students from La Costa Canyon visited the sleepover, said a third female senior.

“I didn’t expect it to happen, but when it did I wasn’t surprised. I have no idea who they were though,” she said.

“They formed the big circle and everything, but it broke up pretty quickly,” said a senior male.

Another student reported seniors entering the construction zone and climbing through the structures.

“It’s funny with construction because it’s not a difficult fence to get through. Weekends we have some students that visit construction.

They usually haven’t caused damage. There was no damage report-

ed in the construction [since the sleepover],” said Paige.

“I assume it was pretty clean because all I saw in the morning was a Facebook post because people had left stuff. But it wasn’t that much stuff,” a senior boy said.

“That’s pretty cool though, that although [seniors] went there and made a mess... they all cleaned it up,” another senior said.

“People pitched in, helped clean up, [made] trash runs and stuff,” he said.

“There were so many opportunities for things to go wrong and they just didn’t. I mean a kid drove his car across campus. It’s a miracle that he didn’t hit anything,” said a senior girl.

checking] I think we would have a very different skew,” said Vargas.

“Our world would be skewed in a way that would actually have us be wrong and I think it’s very important for us to take the fact checking and be able to make an educated decision about where we stand. That’s the most important thing.”

Despite the hope that voters would use fact-checking to improve their decisions, Norris has doubts as to how effective fact-checking can be. “One would hope [fact-checking] would play a huge role, but today many things I have read are suggesting that we may be living in a post-factual area of politics where one just has to suggest information or suggest a lie and that will increase doubt into the conspiracy theorists that are surrounding the political dialogues that are happening online,” said Norris.

Fact-checking websites themselves have acknowledged the trend of a post-factual era. In a recent article, Politifact.com revealed that, based on their fact-checking scale, each election cycle has grown more dishonest, with candidates receiving more “False” and “Pants on Fire” ratings for their comments.

Fact-checking not only plays a role in the lives of voters, but also

in the lives of journalists. According to Vargas, the accusation by certain candidates that journalists are rigging the election calls into question the credibility of the journalists whose goal is to report the news, not to be the news. “There’s always been cases where what [journalists] do has not been popular, but we have to remain as objective as we can and remain fair and balanced and tell the story with multiple voices and we can only do our best and hope that our readers and our audiences understand,” said Vargas.

While the prominence of factchecking may suggest a change in society’s trust or the honesty of politics, Norris believes that it will take time to be able to analyze this election and the role that fact-checking has played. “We’re kind of in the fog of war right now, in the fog of political war. This is something that we’re going to have to reflect on, say, in 2038 to see how much value we did place in actual facts versus mere suggestions or fabricated doubt,” said Norris.

Future Planning

When asked about future responses or proactive moves, Paige said, “Realistically, [the sleepover] could happen just as easily tomorrow. I want to keep students safe.

Driving under any influence could be really dangerous. [For me] as a dad and an administrator, it bothers me a lot. If we are able to get information about it we want to keep students safe...we’ll do our best.”

“In the future...the administration will discuss and figure out the game plan if we heard rumors about [another senior sleepover],” said Keillor.

Sleepovers in the District .

Other high schools in the district say they face minimal issues with sleepovers on campus. Story by Kate Sequeira.

Other schools within the district have either not had students stay overnight on campus or did not come across many issues with it.

According to LCC Principal Bryan Marcus and Assistant Principal Justin Conn, seniors stayed the night on campus last year a couple days before graduation. However, after interviewing various students, they found no issues with substance or alcohol use.

“We did not have students coming forward and saying that that was happening,” Conn said. “So, I think it’s our impression that it wasn’t happening. If it was happening, it was something that students managed to keep under wraps very well, which they don’t usually do.”

LCC Administration was notified around 4:45 a.m. after the plant supervisor arrived to find tents set up on campus.

“He said there had to be over 150 tents in the Meadows [grassy area by the theater] and there must be close to 300 kids,” Conn said. “They definitely surprised us.”

After the event, however, there were no consequences for the senior

Answers.

Think you’re right? Let’s see.

Answers from Politifact.com.

1. True: According to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, Trump’s plan would increase the national debt by $5.3 trillion.

2. Mostly False: In a four-year-old tweet, Trump did say this. Since, he stated it was a joke, but has called climate change a “hoax” multiple times.

3. Mostly False: The records show that Trump didn’t pay any taxes from 1978-1979, but that he did pay taxes in 1975, 1976 and 1977.

4. False: Trump’s financial disclosure does not allow people to see any more than they would from a regular tax form.

5. Mostly True: Trump has said he leased land to Gadhafi before and was empathetic in 2011 when the issue blew up. However, there aren’t many sources to back this up.

6. True: This is backed by recent polls, including those that have been adjusted for lying to pollsters.

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class as a whole, because the event was understood as a final get-together for seniors, Marcus said.

“Really we saw this as a senior farewell kind of activity,” Marcus said. “These kids are going to be off our campus in five days so, I mean, what do you do?”

Similar to SDA’s senior sleepover, LCC’s was planned through social media.

“I heard an underground kind of Facebook, like the senior page that they were doing,” Marcus said. “Nobody ever came forward and said that ‘Hey we’re in charge of it.’”

Marcus and Conn believe that this was the first time that students have stayed the night at LCC. “I mean, Mr. Marcus, this is his third year and this is my second year,” Conn said. “As far as we know and as far as anything that we’ve heard from the kids, this is the first time that we’ve experienced it.”

CCA, however, has not had students stay overnight on campus, said CCA Principal Brett Killeen.

Torrey Pines could not be reached for comment.

Photos by Gage Skidmore.

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the mustang

Alternative School Rejected

A new, “holistic” charter school with a focus on well-being was denied at a recent board meeting. Supporters of the “SOUL” school say they’ll appeal at the county level. By Olivia Olander.

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potential new charter in the San Dieguito district, which featured a holistic approach to learning, was turned down at a school board meeting last month. School board members Beth Hergesheimer, Amy Herman, Mo Muir and Joyce Dalessandro voted against the petition, which would’ve added a charter school called the “School of Universal Learning,” or SOUL, to the district.

The vote came a month after SOUL co-founders Marisa Bruyneel and Michael Grimes (along with supporters in the community) advocated for the school at the previous board meeting.

The school is now looking to appeal at the county level, “making this an incredibly exciting time for SOUL Charter School,” the staff said on Facebook.

SOUL was designed to be an alternative option with a focus on all-around health. It would’ve supported 600 7th-12th grade students, and was looking to open in the abandoned Pacific View School site.

A day at SOUL would have included project-based classes, plus three mental health-focused “integra” periods per day, in which students would be required to practice mindfulness through journals and goaloriented activities (see sidebar).

In a report, district staff recommended that the petition be either accepted with conditions or denied altogether. The proposed conditions

included resolving how Common Core standards would be implemented and how English Learners would be supported (see sidebar).

At the meeting, Grimes said that SOUL would not accept a conditional approval, and that the “conditional” course of action could even be illegal.

“If we accepted the conditional approval it would have placed us in a state of limbo with no concrete, measurable criteria to be met in order to be approved. The conditions were vague, ambiguous statements that could have drawn out for months,” Grimes said in an email after the board meeting.

“Without a concrete ‘approval’ or ‘denial’ we could not move forward with obtaining the funding, facility, staff, and students that we need to open. Accepting the conditional approval would have put us in serious jeopardy of not being able to open in 2017 and we have committed to doing all that we can to open next school year,” he said.

In denying the school’s petition, Hergesheimer said there were “ten pages of items that are concerning” on the district’s report, and that she’s “not comfortable [with the petition] if we can’t put conditions on it.”

“Initially I had hoped we could work together,” said Herman, on the option of conditional approval, “... but that doesn’t seem to be an option.” She added that SDUHSD has had options for schools of choice for

“many years,” and that “all the components [for the success of SOUL] aren’t there right now.”

Interim Superintendent Eric Dill, who prepared and submitted the district’s report, also said that one issue of the school was that “almost all” of the costs for startup were missing.

In response the the decision, San Dieguito Academy Principal Bjorn Paige said the school “didn’t have all the questions answered.”

However, he said it’s not impossible that a charter school could potentially open in the district in the future.

“I think there’s always a possibility if there’s a need,” Paige said. “The trick is, with this proposal, there didn’t seem to be as acute a need as [the SOUL supporters] seemed to think there was. It seemed to me like a lot of the things they were proposing are things that we already do here at SDA or at Sunset.”

“We have already started the process of appealing to the San Diego County of Education. The county has not approved a charter school in years but their school board has been becoming more charter friendly... If they vote to deny our charter we will then appeal to the state and complete the process with them,” Grimes said.

The founders planned to use an alternative curriculum based on the University of California A-G requirements (the classes required to apply to a UC school), but school

HoCo Week Bubbles Over

board members said many elements of the curriculum were unclear.

SOUL also would’ve had to wait over a year for UC approval.

He said that the school chose the San Dieguito district “to show that all students deserve to have the charter school option.”

“We are also very connected with the holistic community in and around Encinitas and have developed a huge following… Finally, based on our research, all the schools in the San Dieguito district (outside of Sunset) are very similar.

Families in the district don't really have a variety of options. There are a lot of private school options, but not everyone can afford private schools,” he added.

“I think we have good options [for schools in the district], but it would be good to have another school because some people may not be happy with the current options for high schools,” said sophomore Chloe Farber.

“It’s a good idea but I’m kind of concerned that you wouldn’t learn as much as you do here,” said junior Kara Clancy, on SOUL’s mental health periods. She also said the district has “plenty” of high schools without the charter.

“SOUL is based on a holistic education model that teaches equally to all parts of the being, mentally, socially, emotionally, physically and personally… There are no schools doing this,” Grimes said.

What SOUL Would Have Offered

SOUL’s vision, as described in their petition to the district.

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District Concerns

What was needed for the charter to open, as presented in the district’s report, before SOUL could open.

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tudents experienced foam “snow” Oct. 27, on “Bubble Thursday” of homecoming week. The other spirit days were Pajama Day on Monday, Toddler Tuesday, Wear Pink Wednesday and a glow-in-the-dark homecoming dance Friday.

• • • • • •

Photo by Patrick Hall.

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Project-based “explorations,” would’ve been the daily routine instead of regular classes.

Examples Analysis of current events on Youtube for an English class.

“Integra” periods three times a day, for emotional and mental health Required entrepreneurship and life skills classes Blended middle and high school with a small size (600 students) Discipline based on “agreement rather than punishment.”

Personal presentations by each student at the end of every semester Focused mealtimes -- Students would spend the first five minutes of every lunch period in “silent mindfulness,” “Open Door Policy” for parents -- Guardians would be allowed to observe and volunteer in any class, and eventually could have the potential to co-teach some electives.

Campus that would’ve doubled as a community center

More detailed information on how SOUL would adapt to Common Core standards More detailed descriptions of SOUL’s academic classes overall Clarification of course sequencing and scheduling More detailed plan for English Learners Detailed plan for students with disabilities Measurable achievement rates for students Money for a campus A revised and detailed budget, especially regarding paying the school staff good salaries and benefits

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Staff Ed: Put Down the Beer, Let’s Talk.

This year’s senior sleepover left a lot to be desired, including student safety and school spirit.

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he outcome of the senior sleepover caused a great amount of concern. As far as senior pranks go, this yielded much more dramatic and even dangerous results than others before it.

Sure, students had fun and behaved in a manner fitting of SDA, in that they took steps to ensure the safety of their peers and to make the event enjoyable.

However, others took advantage of the school by drinking and smoking at what was supposed to be a fun senior bonding event. In doing this, they created an atmosphere that was both dangerous for themselves and those around them, especially as

some students were drinking and driving after the event was over.

However, this is not a Start Smart scare fest of the gory possibilities present on that night. It is much more important to acknowledge what can be done in the future to prevent situations like this from happening. Yes, no one was hurt, but that does not mean that these things could not have happened. Alcohol and drugs can alter and impair people’s decision making ability, and when cars and large groups of people are added to the mix, injury or death is a very real possibility.

Thankfully, as mentioned before, a small group of students set an ex-

Time for Political ‘Her’story

Women need more representation in poltitics. By Mallika Seshadri

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he United States is sadly 97th in the world with regards to the female representation in government, according to the InterParliamentary Union.

Even though the United States is economically and technologically advanced, we trail Rwanda, Bolivia and Cuba, which are the top three nations with respect to female representation.

This is especially astonishing given that women have had a greater voter turnout than men since 1964, according to The Center for American Women and Politics.

Hopefully, if we elect Democratic Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton, more women might be inspired to run of office and take on key political positions.

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There are many reasons why women lack representation in the political scene.

A survey conducted in Jan. 2015 by the Pew Research Center says that the main reason holding women back from “top jobs,” including those in politics, is because women are held to higher standards.

This can certainly be seen in this year’s presidential race. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton often has been judged on the basis of not “having a presidential look.” Both men and women should be given equal consideration and should be valued for their unique contributions. Moreover, women are placed in double-binds along the campaign trails.

If they are polite and poised, like

ample as to how the event should have been handled. They took it upon themselves to ensure no one was hurt, which included driving people home who had been drinking and discouraging behavior that was destructive. This just goes to show that this wasn’t all negative, because many attendees did enjoy themselves and stayed safe.

On the other end of the spectrum, one student drove their car around the campus, and others damaged school property by cutting locks and driving over fences. And, many attendees left the event drunk or high creating an even greater risk of injury to themselves and others around

them.

These kinds of things certainly show a lapse in the “SDA Spirit,” which is generally one of hospitality and acceptance. The fact that some students created an unsafe atmosphere and caused the situation to veer out of control is disappointing. However, we can’t ignore the positive contributions of the few students who stepped forward.

With them lies an example of how students should attempt to behave in these situations.

Simply put, if events like this can be managed in a way that is both safe and enjoyable, they should be encouraged. However, if students

choose to act in the way they did this time around, in a way that puts others into unsafe situations, they should be avoided at all costs.

The future classes should be taking it upon themselves to channel more of the SDA spirit of respect for their school and each other. When that mindset is more abundant, events like this have the potential to be fun and safe once again, rather than the chaotic, alcohol-fueled, scary mess the sleepover turned out to be this time around.

This editorial represents the collective voice of The Mustang in reference to current events.

A seating chart depicting the lack of female representation in the U.S. Senate. The shaded portion represents the Senate seats held by women, 20 out of 100.

Clinton has been, they are criticized for not having enough stamina or not being strong enough.

Yet, if they display too much passion, people claim that they do not have a calm and rational enough temperament to participate in politics. Clinton claimed herplace in the presidential race as the Democratic nominee, exciting many women.

Finally, the United States might join most of the world where a woman (if not women) have served as presidents and prime ministers.

It’s about time. However, in this frenzy of excitement, women should not be voted upon solely because of their sex, which I have noticed is a common mentality in this election.

In fact, to do so is condoning the tokenistic mentality we’ve held for

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centuries. We need to treat both candidates with respect and vote holding each individual, male or female, to the same criteria.

While electing a woman president in the United States would be monumental, improvement is also necessary in other areas of government.

The United States has only had 48 women hold cabinet positions.

In contrast, Canada’s current cabinet, under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, has 15 men and 15 women. While we do not always need an exact 50/50 split, the ratio needs to be more balanced, especially given that women are just over half of the American population.

In the Congress, approximately 20 percent of the Senate seats and 19 percent of the seats in the House of

Representatives are held by women.

Legislative female representation, on a national level, in the United States is astonishingly ranked 72nd in the world. Hopefully, if there is more female representation in government, women will be granted the rights and be given the respect they deserve. If change is made, women might earn equal pay for equal work.

If change is made, women might be given a reasonable amount of time off for maternity leave to recover and care for their newborn.

If change is made, women might be given a greater say over their reproductive rights. For with more female representation in our democratic political system, more can be done to better the lives of girls and women in our society.

nov. 03

the mustang

Who’s the real “Bad Hombre?”

Donald Trump’s statements about Latinos make him unqualified to be president. By Linnea Leidy.

“W

Late night NCB comedy show, “Saturday Night Live” performs a satirical skit mocking Trump’s comments Photo credit: Will Heath/NBC/SNL.

hen Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best...They’re bringing drugs.

They’re bringing crime. They’re bringing rapists.”

These ignorant, insulting, and incredibly racist words belong to America’s very own presidential candidate, Donald Trump. This buffoon has based a substantial portion of his campaign off of bashing each faction of the population, and Latinos in particular have served as the target for many of his offensive remarks.

I’ve got a problem with this, because I am Mexican.

My grandparents were born and raised in Mexico and immigrated to the United States later in their lives along with their brothers and sisters.

Let me tell you—not a single one of them has ever had anything to do with drugs, rape, or murder.

Since entering the country, my family has worked tirelessly to support themselves, and their efforts have benefitted the country more than Donald Trump ever has. They came here with essentially nothing.

They didn’t have “a small loan of a million dollars” to begin their careers, but they managed to attain success.

My family’s story is by no means unique. I’ve met countless students who share a similar background, whose parents and grandparents work backbreaking jobs to support

themselves and the community.

I spoke to several student members of SDA’s MECHA Club, and they shared similar experiences: “My mom came here when she was seventeen years old, and I’ve grown up hearing all her stories and all my dad’s stories about how it was really difficult to cross the border, and how, to them, it was really hard to leave their families at home...Once they got here, their whole motivation was to work hard and earn money for themselves and for their family. That’s what they do now, too. They’re working hard for me and my brother.”

So, how dare you, Trump, label these people as rapists and drug lords? The only work I’ve ever seen you accomplish is taking your father’s millions of dollars and running it into the ground through bankrupt casinos and corrupt businesses.

I’ve found that Trump has an actual, emotional impediment that makes it impossible for him to empathize with anyone. It’s blatantly clear that he hasn’t the slightest insight as to why these families are desperate to come to the United States.

Last summer, I traveled to Mexico and met the members of my extended family who live there.

It became rapidly apparent that these families are immigrating to the United States because they don’t have any other choice.

A lot of these cities have minimal health care. Their educational systems are subpar. Their houses are unsubstantial. The streets are unsafe.

Several of the MECHA students said that education is a primary factor that’s motivating these families to leave everything they know and come to the U.S.: “…in Mexico, you have to pay to get your education...a lot of the families over there are pretty poor, and a lot of them have a lot of children as well. Money is scarce.”

Latinos aren’t coming to the United States to cause problems; they’re coming to avoid them.

America cannot elect a man who consistently disrespects an entire race. I’m not denying that our immigration system needs attention; I wholeheartedly agree that something needs to be done to help the families who are in the country illegally without any realistic means to become official citizens, and the families waiting in Mexico for months on end for their paperwork to be approved.

However, there are ways to accomplish change without massdeporting families or attacking them with generalizations.

That’s how Trump addresses the issue; he completely bypasses the issue and instead makes crude and offensive accusations, so I’m left with no choice but to look to the conclusion that the real “bad hombre” here, is Donald Trump.

Airbag? More Like Error Bag Quality of drivers crash and burn. By Derek Sleet.

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his question is for all people who have a driver’s license. Have you been in, or come close to being in a car crash? And if so, whose fault was it?

I’ve been driving for a year now and I’ve seen a lot on the road. Over time, I have come to a simple conclusion, people are idiots.

While I do encounter other students and teen drivers driving badly and making poor decisions, the majority of people are adults.

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It’s gotten to the point where pretty much every time I get in my car to drive somewhere, I see at least one person do something stupid that risks his or her life and the lives of others. And here’s the thing: they are all adults.

Adult drivers think that they are so experienced that they can do anything they set their mind to and get away with it.

I see adults constantly running red lights, changing lanes at the

wrong times, and not obeying the speed limit.

Teens also do these things, but not as often as adults do. And the worst part about it: adults never think it is their fault.

Last year, I was at a stop sign right next to the school, and after watching two cars go by, it was my turn to go.

As I started to accelerate, the woman to my left got impatient and decided it was her turn to go. So she

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put the pedal to the metal when I was already half way into the intersection.

She hit me and I did a 180 spin.

After I parked on the side of the road, we got out of our cars and started discussing what had happened. Guess what?

She thought it was my fault, and claimed that I came out way to fast when it wasn’t my turn.

That’s why the threat on the road isn’t teen drivers; it’s the cocky

adults. Even when they are the ones causing the accident, they still think it was the “inexperienced” teen’s fault.

But, because teen drivers are new to the road, they continue to be cautious after they get their license.

However, adults have been driving for years and are comfortable on the road. That’s why adults should start to be more cautious on the road, because they are the ones causing the accidents.

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How do you provide academic advice to students? What activities are offered to students? What type of career services do you have? How much writing and reading are expected? How much time do students typically spend on homework? Do you have a writing center and how do I access it? How should I plan my class schedule so I’ll finish on time? What activities can I do at home and over the summer to get ready for college? What is your average financial aid package? Are there any special scholarships or awards that I should know about now, so I can work toward them? What is the average class size on your campus? Do you have any college planning sessions scheduled? What work-study opportunities are there on your campus? What forms do I use to apply for financial aid and where I can find them online? Do you have any information to help me start exploring careers? Do you have a learning community or other freshman experience? What clubs do you have on campus? What courses do I need to take to be ready for college? What type of tutoring programs do you have? How many students at the college get internships? How do you provide academic advice to students?

What activities are offered to students? What type of career services do you have? How much writing and reading are expected? How much time do students typically spend on homework? Do you have a writing center and how do I access it? How should I plan my class schedule so I’ll finish on time? What activities can I do at home and over the summer to get ready for college? What is your average financial aid package? Are there any special scholarships or awards that I should know about now, so I can work toward them? What is the average class size on your campus? Do you have any college planning sessions scheduled? What work-study opportunities are there on your campus? What forms do I use to apply for financial aid and where I can find them online? Do you have any information to help me start exploring careers? Do you have a learning community or other freshman experience? What clubs do you have on campus? What courses do I need to take to be ready for college? What type of tutoring programs do you have? How many students at the college get internships?

How do you provide academic advice to students? What activities are offered to students? What type of career services do you have? How much writing and reading are expected? How much time do students typically spend what to dodowhen on homework? Do you have aWondering writing center and how I accessyou it? graduate?

How should I plan my class schedule so I’ll finish on time? What activities can I do at home and over the summer to get ready for college? What is your With degrees and certificates in  disciplines average financial aid package? Are there any special scholarships or awards that I should know about now and guaranteed transfer programs, the answer is clear.

Choose MiraCosta College.

Cardiff / Oceanside / Online

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the mustang

Listening to Cannibal Corpse Will Not Turn You Into a Serial Killer It won’t, trust me. By Kieran Zimmer.

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es, I know that with the recent surge of shootings and incidents of mass violence, music that seemingly praises these things may not sound like the best thing for people to be listening to.

However, despite the blood-splattered album covers and lyrics describing creative ways to dismember people, music containing violent or gruesome lyrics is by no means a bad thing. It’s been scientifically proven, in fact, that listening to this sort of music can be a healthy and productive way to release negative emotions. Who knew that listening to Napalm Death or Carcass could be so therapeutic?

Of course, there is a lot of negative stigma surrounding extreme metal music, stemming especially from crimes committed by certain black metal artists in Norway. Yes Varg, I am looking at you (in the mid 90’s Varg Vikernes, aka Count Grishnackh, of the black metal group Burzum was arrested and imprisoned for the murder of Østein “Euronymous” Aarseth and the arson of several Norwegian churches).

In addition to this, artists such as Judas Priest and Ozzy Osbourne both have been accused of causing their fans to commit suicide.

However, no one should be worried that listening to extreme metal

Some Death Metal Lyrics for Your Reading Pleasure: “Murder the day, ring in the night Screams slip through the door from the torture floor” -Cattle Decapitation “The dogs of cruror released On severed carnage feed” -Carcass

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will turn them into a depressed, violent, and unstable human being. As long as you have a grasp on the way in which reality works, and as long as you are able to discern provocative lyrics from reality, you shouldn’t have any problems. On the other hand, if after listening to a little Bathory or Venom, you have an uncontrollable urge to sacrifice a goat and draw a pentagram in its blood, you may want to talk to a doctor.

“I think that as long as people can [discern] between music and reality, the music is great,” said junior Kekoa Wheeler. “Genres like metal can have graphic and sometimes gory imagery with lyrics and stage setup, but metal fans are all at the concert to have fun and listen to the music.”

It is sometimes difficult for music fans to convince their parents and peers that this music isn’t harmful to them, simply because of the backlash that certain artists, specifically Marilyn Manson, have received in regards to provoking adolescents into violence.

However, it should be mentioned that there has never been any concrete evidence of Manson’s music provoking anyone into aggressive or hurtful behavior. Unfortunately, the media has overblown the stereotype of antisocial and aggressive teenagers who listen to metal, and that has scared a good amount of people away from this style of music.

In fact, a study published by Frontiers in Human Neuroscience found that when metal fans were angered or upset that their music greatly helped to calm them down. After

Beneath a gruesome and violent album cover, courtesy of locals Cattle Decapitation, lies an album with insight into animal rights and the human condition. Art by Wes Benscoter. participants were subjected to an “anger induction,” it was found that participants wanted to hear music to match their anger, which assisted them in confronting and dealing with their emotions. In another experiment, this time from the Journal of Psychology of Popular Media, it was shown that time spent with Slayer’s “Angel of Death” helped par-

but there are people that like metal,” said Junior Margot Richter. “I think it depends on the person to a certain extent, but 99% of the time I don’t think it promotes violence. Maybe if the person is super angry and violent then the music can pump them up and get them more violent, but honestly I’ve never heard of that happening and frankly it wouldn’t even make sense.

[Because] on the other hand, there are tons of sad indie songs and those don’t ‘make people sad.’”

Of course, there will always be people that believe that this type of music is an abomination, something to be wiped from the face of the earth forever and ever. A point often made is that the graphic nature of the lyrics can negatively affect the hearts and minds of young people. Well, obviously, if your six-year-old daughter starts talking about how much she can relate to the lyrics on the new Agoraphobic Nosebleed record, that

“I think that as long as people can [discern] between music and reality, the music is great” -Kekoa Wheeler ticipants deal with thoughts of death and mortality more so than an audiobook. This just goes to show that metal is an effective form to release anger and stress, and a calming and fun way to relieve anxiety after a hard day.

One doesn’t even necessarily need to listen to metal in order to understand why this type of music can be a positive thing. “So I hate metal,

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is fairly concerning. However, as a parent, it’s your job to keep your kid away from things that will be counterproductive to their development.

Death metal songs are no different from violent movies, in that they are perfectly okay to be viewed and heard by mature individuals of a certain age.

As Barney Greenway of Napalm Death said, “I respect that people should have the right to say whatever they want, as offensive as it might be.” Music is nothing more than an expression of free speech, and ultraoffensive music is no different. Actually, listening to extreme music should be encouraged, for even if it is violent; it is thought provoking.

It offers critical insight into human nature, as art should. Metal, above all, provides people with a way to feel understood when they are dealing with even the most negative and painful emotions.

Nothing quite screams “productive way to combat depression” like “Lifeless body, slouching dead/lecherous abscess, where you once had a head” does it? Thanks, Cannibal Corpse.

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Junior Sophia Queen, left, and sophmore Eden Anbar, right, have access to a mini computer lab inside the studio (and what would it be without a thematically appropriate wall of CD’s).

It’s easy to miss the tiny skulls molded into the floors from all the splattered paint.

Seniors Brittany Krechter, left, and Sarah Madera, right, love to explore the art room on their downtime. On this day, they found some kind of golden hat.

Studio or Museum The art studio is a work of art itself. Story and photos by Patrick Hall.

Even though many of us dread the long walks across school to get to other classes, SDA is an undeniably beautiful campus. What are even more beautiful are the mementos and relics that litter some of the oldest parts of campus, like the art studio, room 43.

The room is a museum in itself: vintage projectors, rolls of caution tape, worn out canvas frames. A wheelchair, who knows how old, can be spotted in the corner.

Sadly, this building, along with many others, will eventually be torn down and replaced by a new, hopefully just as beautiful, art room.

In this society where technology continues to exponentially grow, it’s inevitable that we will have to say goodbye to the things that cannot keep up.

One of the major aesthetic components of the art room’s beauty is the abundance of natural light.

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You can admire the old wheelchair right next to the unicorn head which was created out of papermache a few years ago.

Similar to Senior Court, the art studio is one of those hard goodbyes that nobody wants to make. I was considering these things while I took these photos and my hope is that they will be able to bring students back to that magical room even when it may be absent from campus.

There is a wider variety of chairs in the art room than in any other school in the district.

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Despite the fact that the storage room isn’t seen by the mjority of students, that isn’t an excuse to leave vacant wall space without some kind of decoration.

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Young Kids, Old Town Looking for something new to do with your boo? Hop in the car and head to Old Town for a casual and romantic afternoon.

By Sophie Peeler.

Day trips can make for a fun date with your significant other. Something about spending too long looking for parking and feeling like a tourist 30 minutes from home ignites those romantic feelings. In San Diego, there are tons of choices for your day trip, such as Old Town.

Located downtown, Old Town is known as the birthplace of California. It’s one of the few places around here that hasn’t been modernized; the buildings are old and the environment is relaxed with all kinds of patrons. So, no snobby store owners or judgmental Rancho Santa Fe moms. To make your trip perfect, I visisted Old Town and dragged my boyfriend along to find the top three spots, guaranteed to give you and your sweetheart a date to remember.

Old Town Market After spending 45 minutes circling the parking lot and almost getting into an accident fighting over a spot (I may or may not have been the one driving), we headed into Old Town Market. The crowded aisles that make you paranoid about knocking something over made us feel as though we’d transported to another country. The biggest display in the market is a huge, multi-level table packed with spotted slipper snail shells, featuring first names carved on the top of them. Unlike those disappointing key chains, they has every name you can think of on a shell. If you’re looking for a cute gift for a friend, this is the place to go. The center of the market is perhaps one of the liveliest areas in Old Town. We were spat out into this open area with colored benches and a stage. During this visit, a one person band was performing. The musician was playing Spanish music and, in a flurry of hand movements, playing multiple instruments at once. The crowd that had gathered in the center was proof of the musician’s talent and draw.

Fiesta de Reyes We went deeper into Old Town to arrive at the lively Fiesta de Reyes.

We were immediately mesmerized by an aroma from the carmelized nut stand run by a woman in traditional Spanish attire at the plaza’s entrance (you are highly recommended to invest a couple dollars here). The square is outlined by small shops selling authentic Mexican merchandise, everything from hand-painted vases to colorful knitted blankets. It consists of a couple Mexican restaurants offering the majority of their seating right in the heart of the square. If you choose to make this your location of choice for dinner, you’ll be able to enjoy live music from the stage in the center of the plaza where various performers and musicians contribute to authentic Spanish feel.

Old Town Mexican Café We ended up at Old Town Mexican Café, which offered a festive and lively environment. Colored banners were strewn across the ceiling and the walls were alive with color. For a teenage couple, this place was perfect; it had the whole sit down and be served set up without too fancy of a setting. Even though it was buzzing with customers, we were seated at our table in five minutes. The menu offered a variety of Mexcian cuisine, from street tacos to seafood. As we waited for our food, a mini mariachi band migrated through the restaurant providing entertainment for everyone. When we received our meals of fish and shrimp tacos, we were all too ready to eat. Both plates did a great job of satisfying our hunger and taste buds (especially the tortillas, which they hand-make). When the check came, our meal only came out to 30 dollars (including tip!). Old Town Mexican Café was the perfect place to go for great service and food without breaking the bank.

Old Town, the birthplace of California, provides a relaxed setting that caters to all kinds of patrons (including couples) without sacrificing the authentic Spanish feel. Photo

by Sophie Peeler.

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Sunset With bellies full, we strolled through the main part of Old Town.

It was 7 p.m. and the sun was setting. Like the rest of San Diego, it looked like a photograph from a tropical destination. In this spot, it felt like the clouds had transformed into fluffy pink masses and were sinking onto us, illuminating everything in an amber glow. It was the perfect opportunity to lie on the grass togther and watch the sky transform. If it isn’t obvious yet, this was definitely a romantic setting.

This was the perfect way to end our picture perfect date at Old Town.

features

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features

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features

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“Open your mind and let the location, the people, change your mindset,” says Ian Kellog.

Kellog, right and a friend make memories during backpacking trip. Photo curtesy Ian Kellog.

Got a Mountain to Climb?

SDA students share their experiences on backpacking adventures as they give tips to other travelers.

By Taina Millsap.

For most, the world of traveling consists of museums, big cities or a relaxing day at the beach, but for some it’s being out in nature amongst trees and animals.

The idea of being out in the wilderness, feeling free from everything, is a little of what appealed to some SDA students who see backpacking as a fun and active hobby.

The contact with nature and sense of nature is what attracted junior Nadia Hagani to the practice. “The idea of being with friends out in the wilderness (and possibly encountering near death) is an adventure! I love to go backpacking for the nature and to see if I have what it takes to survive in the wild.”

There are many things that can make a backpacking trip easier and more enjoyable. “I would advise a fellow backpacker to travel lightly and in groups because you never know when a bear will want to make friends,” said Hagani. “I recommend packaged food, trail mix, Nutella, and Starbursts just to keep your energy up. Also, bear boxes are legally required to carry your food in.”

The altitude of the trip and the weight of the backpack can be a factor.

Hagani says “The backpacks are usually 30 pounds, which eventually become tiresome, and [high altitude takes] a couple nights to become accustomed to, making it hard to breathe the first two days of hiking.”

The trips can be exhausting at times, but the nature and company of friends can make it all worth it. “My favorite place to go while backpacking is up in high altitudes with traces of snow so I can have a snowball fight.” said Hagani. “With higher elevation comes a clearer vision of the night sky, meaning you can see the Milky Way and shooting stars.”

SDA senior Ian Kellogg has also had many experiences in the back-

nov. nov.153

packing world, ever since he was a little kid. “What I get out of any given trip depends entirely on the trip, where I am, and my mindset going in. There will always be the beautiful scenery, some great pictures, and fun stories, but I think there are also much deeper takeaways from every trip… It’s hard to put it into words, but if you allow the trip to affect you, then it will … you have to open your mind and let the location, the people, and the trip as a whole adjust your perspective. To change your mindset.”

As a traveler there will always be a place that will be your favorite, but the rush of new experiences can also be incredible. “I don’t think I can definitely say where my favorite place to go backpacking is.

The Sierra Nevada will always hold a place in my heart as the place I learned to backpack and ski, but the world is a wide place with so many incredible areas to explore,” said Kellogg.

Junior Hannah Gunderman talked about her dream spots to go backpacking as well as her fears and her previous experiences “A dream spot to go backpacking though would be up in Alaska or along the Indian mountainside, but tigers are scary so maybe not.”

As people are often surrounded by technology, noise and cars, it may be hard to picture a place far away from everything but it can be found, and the experiences with friends while backpacking can give an escape from routine. “It’s so enjoyable for me because it's a break from the fast-paced world we live in nowadays,” said Gunderman.

The world is a huge place with endless amounts of opportunities, no electronics should get in the way of a great time amongst nature.

“We need to remind ourselves that there is a whole world out there that we should explore and conquer without being pressed for time or expected to meet deadlines,” said Gunderman “If I could, I would advocate backpacking to everyone. Plus, when the apocalypse hits, I'm going to be ready. Will you?”

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the mustang

FIFA 17 Review

An in-depth look at EA Sports’ latest FIFA soccer video game.

By Jack Hauser.

E

Art by students at the show in City Hall. Photo by Austin Dilley.

Get to the Art of it Art students put their work on display at City Hall. By Maddy Campbell.

A

P Studio Art’s latest creations can be The AP Studio Art class provides an enviAn art show with a venue this public means found in their art show at City Hall. ronment for the students to express themselves. a lot for AP Studio Art and SDA’s art program.

Student works line the halls of the When asked why they wanted to participate in According to Jackson, there are few opportulobby and proudly display all that the school’s this show, every student promptly answered nities to showcase student work like this. Alart program has to offer. that Jackson had pushed them to do it. “It’s though the SDA Gallery is a great way for stu“I contacted the City of Encinitas and they cool, though, because I haven’t really had the dent artwork to be seen across campus, the art said they would be more than happy to showopportunity to do this before. It’s a unique exshow at City Hall makes sure that these names case student art; I just needed to get out there in the whole Encinigo through the process of it,” said “I find people in the class who have done tas art community. teacher Angela Jackson. For her, “It’s a really good experience,” it was mostly smooth sailing. The things that look pretty and then I try to do junior Lily Callender said “I had a only problem she encountered was piece in public, and nobody threw something like that.”

SDA’s limited art supplies. “Our up, so that’s an accomplishment.”

-Sarah Willes, junior Visual Arts Council wrote a letter All SDA students and faculty are requesting $500 for frames. They encouraged visit City hall and supraised enough money from the Mother’s Day perience to have people you don’t know seeing port the AP Studio Art students “It’s very easy event that they awarded me that $500.” your art,” said junior Carolyn Knapp. to keep something in your sketchbook, and not The efforts were worth it in the end. Jackson “I get inspired by everybody else,” said jushow it off,” said Jackson. “It takes courage to and student participants have received complinior Sarah Willes on her piece. “I find people show your work, just like it takes courage to get ments from Encinitas City Hall-goers, can’t bein the class who have done things that look up on that stage and perform.” The art show lieve these pieces are by high school students. pretty and then I try to do something like that.” will be on display in City Hall until Nov. 23.

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arts

A Sports released its 24th annual virtual soccer game in its coveted FIFA series, “FIFA 17,” this fall. By now, the world expects nothing short of perfection when it comes to sports video games, and personally I was concerned about the release of a game too similar to last year’s to spend $60 on. However, this year EA proves the doubters wrong by renovating the in-game and mobile experience that accompanies FIFA 17.

Through a technical standpoint, the game runs better than ever before. EA implemented a new physics engine that allows the players to look and feel more like their real life counterparts. Senior Devin Gaan said, “This improved gameplay to a new level, as the game felt more fluid and real than ever before.”

FIFA 17 cut down on a lot of the unrealistic scoring scenarios that occurred last year, but this isn’t always a good thing. Video games are designed to put the player in unrealistic situations. Could you imagine if every game was an exact replica of the real world? Call of Duty would be replaced by Roll Call of School.

The most fun part about videogames is being able to do things you can’t do in real life, playing as professional athletes is what makes sports games so special.

A big problem is that most goals that happen are uncontrollable crosses that soar through the air as you watch the other team head it into the back of the net. Junior Bradley Sando said, “Nothing frustrates me more than conceding a goal from a corner kick, it takes no skill.”

The biggest improvement to FIFA was its addition of the Squad Builder Challenges.

Called “SBC’s” for short, Squad Builder Challenges found a way to make low-rated ultimate team players have value by offering rewards for building squads with players from certain teams, leagues, and nations.

Not only did this introduce a new way for creative players to make unique teams, but it also added another element that FIFA players can spend countless hours earning rewards on their phone whenever they can’t play the actual game.

Avid FIFA player, junior Junhee Kim, said, “I’ve probably spent twice as much time doing the Squad Builder Challenges as I have playing the actual game. It just makes the game so much more dynamic.”

FIFA 17 completely overhauled and upgraded its gameplay. The new look and feel of FIFA is something that they will work to perfect over time, but EA took a huge step forward both in-game and out.

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the mustang

Sentinel

THE WORLD’S ONLY RELIABLE NEWSPAPER

Ask a Senior: Freshman Edition Senior Melody Sobhani helps perplexed freshmen navigate through high school.

Why is there no freshmen version of senior java?

Well, you see, there is this concept called social hierarchy. While I do understand why this might be upsetting and “unfair” to you, in just a few years you will have a thorough understanding of why things are the way they are.

How come everyone always walks on the right side of the hallway?

Illustration by: Hannah Elias

This may be a bit complicated so please listen carefully. In America, people over the age of 16 have the opportunity to possess a driver’s license.

With that, you are only

eligible to operate a motor vehicle if you choose to do so on the right side of the road. Most people have been trained to do this because they don’t want to die.

What is a college board?

Why can’t the seniors see me, because whenever I am about to run into them, they always just keep walking straight? I’m always the one who is forced to move.

It is a nonprofit organization that gives students the opportunity to pay money to take four-hour tests.

Everybody loves the College Board beacuse they know that it is a group of ten people who sit in a room to discuss what will genuinely help students. Make sure you give them a lot of your money.

That is the only way you will get into college.

I am truly sorry. You see, we seniors are getting to that age where our eyes aren’t as sharp as they used to be. In addition, as humans we are used to walking with our eyes up, not down.

Sagittarius If you truly want to travel the world, do thorough research on the places you explore because you don’t want to find yourself stumbling upon a village haunted by ghosts bent on eating your mortal flesh.

Aquarius When you have the time, drink three coffees at eight in the afternoon and gain enhanced vision of the shadow people who you often see out of the corner of your eyes.

(Disclaimer: I am only 5’2”)

HOROSCOPE Trust the stars to make your decisions for you. By Nadia Ballard.

Aries You’re the kind of person who likes to look out car windows and imagine that the bugs you’re running over are your enemies.

Taurus It’s not your fault if you find yourself stuck in argument between rubber ducks and a half-filled water battle; it’s the economy’s fault.

nov. 03

Gemini If you want to serenade the moon, start small.

First practice with rocks and then work your way up.

Cancer You remember that time in 5th grade when your best ex-best friend took your tongue tattoo fruit rollups and even though they said sorry and you said you forgave them you didn’t forget – you’ll never forget.

Leo For Halloween you glued leaves to a broken umbrella and chased kids.

Virgo Layer on a bunch of clothes until you can’t move and imagine that this is what it feels like to be a tree.

Libra Next time you feel like gently caressing a Snickers bar, think about the children.

humor

Capricorn When you were a kid you managed the estate of a little ant hill in your backyard – until they bit you and you used pesticide to kill them.

Pisces You’re so afraid of the past coming back to haunt you that you put rosaries on your clocks.

Scorpio Your best quality is your sense of spite – you just never know when to stop.

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Sentinel

Check Out the Online Paper at sdamustang.com

THE WORLD’S ONLY RELIABLE NEWSPAPER

What Couples Did in 2015 That Should NOT Be Repeated

By Sophie Hughes and Julia Lucero.

For all of you new couples out there, this will be your guide for dating without falling into the danger zone of cringy. Keep these restrictions in mind as you navigate your way through a NORMAL relationship.

Making Out In The Halls It gets in everyone’s way and there’s no way to avoid seeing it. Instead, there’s this great thing called the gender neutral bathroom that you can use instead, and no one will think it’s strange in the slightest.

Putting Them In Your Instagram Bio Nobody wants to try and decipher who your current s/o is. Plus, we’ll probably be able to figure out who you’re dating by just scrolling through your feed and seeing him/her in all of your photos. Every. Single. One. Baby Talk Please don’t refer to your boyfriend/girlfriend as “Sweet Pea,” “Munchkin,” or “Pumpkin.” They have a real name. Use it. It’s incredibly disturbing and a bit annoying for all of us who have to listen to you and be in the same onversations. Just cut us all some slack and use real words.

On and Off If you are going to be official and come out as a couple instead of just a fling, you need to decide whether it’s going to last early on in the relationship. Don’t switch back and forth between dating and not dating. It’s confusing and stressful for the rest of us who are constantly thrown between calling you a couple and ex-couple. If you break up and get back together more than three times in the same month, just call it off. Obviously whatever is happening between you two is not worth it.

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Matching and Sharing There’s such thingas being “too close” or “too similar.” Just because you guys are dating does not mean you now have the exact same personality. You each are your own person, so act like it. Don’t wear the same outfit, get the matching phone cases, or share a social media account.

Who could it be? Photo

by Julia Lucero.

roads to success start here They provide the potential. We provide the fuel.

Putting knowledge to work prepares students for success after graduation.

That's why San Diego State University offers more than 300 student organizations like the Aztec Baja SAE team, whose members develop the talent, teamwork and tenacity they'll need as working professionals.

SDSU.edu

How long will they last...this time? Photos

by Patrick Hall.

sports

nov. 03

the mustang

Flag Down your Foes SDA’s annual flag football tournament is quickly approaching. By Luke Oldham.

Gabi Gjata, Shannon Wylot, Audrey Maskiewicz, and Lily Kreps sit at the girls water polo booth at Taking Care of Business Day. Photo courtesy of Joann Kreps.

A New Team in Town SDA welcomes a girls water polo team to the family for the winter season. By Audrey Maskiewicz.

T

est in playing after attending a few days of the his year SDA is taking yet another step herself and her teammates throughout the seaboys water polo conditioning sessions over the toward eliminating its reputation as an son. summer, during which she developed her onacademic-only school by welcoming a Scott Kling, who is in the middle of his land and in-water skills as a polo player. new sports team to the family: girl’s water polo. fourth year coaching boys water polo, said he She is excited to “meet a lot of new people A group of girls ranging from freshmen to can’t wait to work with the girls this winter. while getting into shape” at the same time, she seniors are banding together this November in Gaining his experience in women’s water polo said. Though she has no experience with waan attempt to create the school’s first team, unthrough two years of coaching at a school in ter polo other than the summer training, Waite der the leadership of the boys water polo coach Orange County, he feels prepared to provide stated that she feels confident that the coaching and mentor, Scott Kling. the SDA girls with the skills they need to sucprovided by Kling and the passion exhibited by Last year, junior synchronized swimmer ceed at a new sport.

Lily Kreps pursued the idea of According to Kling, althe team as a way to particithough there has always “They should be proud of everything pate in a school sport that was been interest in starting “up her alley” as a swimmer, a girls water polo team they do because they’re going to have something she had never been at SDA, this year was the a great season.” able to do before. first time that the program With little experience in received a “concentrated -Coach Scott Kling water polo other than knoweffort” by parents and stuing some basic drills, Kreps dents who were willing to turned her idea into a reality this year. Though put the work in to “push it [a team] through.” her future teammates will make the experience she expects the start of the season to be a chalHe expects his first players to serve as “trailworthwhile. lenge, Kreps said she looks forward to improvblazers” who will set the bar for all players to In her own words, Waite and her teammates ing as an athlete and teammate and to making come, and plans to promote success through are “blank slates that are completely opened to her mark as a member of the first ever girls encouraging the girls to “try their hardest and be molded,” and she is prepared to work hard water polo team at SDA. do their best”, no matter the outcome. Kling to achieve a high level of play by the end of the Junior and competitive volleyball player will encourage his players to “set small goals” season, while having tons of fun along the way.

Ady Waite also plans to be a part of the team, and adhere to the motto: “I’m better than I was Waite expects to enjoy “the laughs [she’ll] get choosing to take her chances at a new sport yesterday.” to have with the team and coaches,” and the over continuing her volleyball career past the amazing improvement she will witness within school season. Waite first developed an inter-

nov. 03

sports

Football is a huge homecoming tradition at most high schools, and SDA doesn’t allow the absence of a football team to take away from the classic homecoming experience.

The annual flag football tournament at SDA has been a staple event for years, offering a fun night of competition for anyone who wants to participate. This Friday, November 4, students will take the field to compete against each other in the famed event that has been part of SDA tradition for years.

Students form teams of eight to twelve each year in hopes of winning the championship game. In this bracket style tournament, it is win or go home; you must defeat your opponent in each round in order to advance to the next.

The final four teams get the chance to compete in the coveted “teacher game.” Made up of teachers and staff from SDA, the faculty team always tries to prove their dominance over the students.

In the highly anticipated Teacher Game, each of the final four teams competes in one of the four quarters of the game. Students know that they must do their best when their quarter comes around, because that is the only opportunity they will get to top the teachers. This game is a nice way for the four best teams to combine their football skills and fight for one common goal.

“We are expecting 30 to 35 teams this year,” said ASB advisor Rod Keillor. This is more than last year. The main location for the event will be the stadium field, which will be broken up into four smaller fields.

In order to make sure all of the games run on schedule, the softball fields will most likely be utilized for some of the preliminary games, according to Keillor. However, as the playing field thins, there may not be a need for the extra fields.

“The rules are the same as last year,” said Keillor. This will give returning students familiarity with how the games are played and what they can and can’t do. It will also allow the volunteer referees to better officiate the matches.

Something new that ASB is introducing this year are food vendors. Pizza and Shaved Ice, to name a few items, will be available for anyone attending the event. Unfortunately, the food will not be free, but it is still convenient for people who don’t want to leave the tournament to grab a meal. This will hopefully draw more attention to the event and make the games much more enjoyable for everyone participating and spectating.

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In the Haus.

NBA season preview and predictions. By Jack Hauser.

Coach Keith Whitmer poses with his team after winning a tournament. Photo courtesy of Keith Whitmer.

Squad Goals

English teacher Keith Whitmer talks about becoming the coach of the boys varsity soccer team. By Brittany Serbin and Vicky van der Wagt.

E

nglish teacher Keith Whitmer will be Santa Clara University. There, he played markI liked the commitment, and I liked the speed coaching the boys’ varsity soccer team ing back. of the kids.” this year.

Heading into the winter season, he wants to Over the course of the season, he wants to Although this is his first year teaching at keep a positive yet focused mindset, “I want to try to accumulate at least ten wins. “I don’t SDA, this won’t be the first time Whitmer change the mentality of how the boys approach want to get ahead of myself, but I think it’s towill coach soccer. He has over twenty years games and try to develop a more aggressive, tally doable based on the players,” he added. of coaching experience, both club and high proactive sell of soccer in the long term.”

In his free time he likes watching his favorschool, and he will be continuing ite soccer team, Manchester Unithis coaching career with LA Galed play, and can be found “carting “I want to change the mentality of how [his] kids around from sporting axy San Diego soccer club starting next season. events and surfing.” the boys approach games and try to Soccer has been a great part of In addition, he likes to play the Whitmer’s life. He started playguitar and listen to his favorite develop a more aggressive, proactive ing when he was five years old, punk rock band, the Distillers. sell of soccer in the long term.” and still plays, although his knees “Punk rock is all about DIY-Do It aren’t in optimal condition. BeYourself. With soccer and tactical -teacher Keith Whitmer cause of this, he doesn’t play as strategies, sometimes you have to much as he used to. “I like playing do it yourself and it has to adjust but if I can go to the beach or hang out with my According to Whitmer, one of the perks to every single game,” he said. kids I’d rather be doing that,” he said. of coaching high school is the daily practice Overall, Whitmer is looking forward to Throughout his athletic career, he’s played schedule. “It’s a quirk because you have to working with the boys team, “It’s going to be about every position but prefers “anything that periodize your week. That’s the fun thing about fun and it’s going to be a good season.” doesn’t involve defending,” said Whitmer, “I this. With club teams you take breaks, but high Tryouts for boys’ soccer are being held from was a forward in high school.” When asked if school is a totally different animal,” he said.

November 14-16. The times and location have he’s played goalie, he said “I’m five foot six so The soccer season doesn’t start until Nonot been released yet but will be posted on vember, but they have already have had a few the answer to that would be no.” sdafoundation.com/boyssoccer/. preseason training sessions. Regarding the He played throughout college, which inplayers, Whitmer said, “I liked the athleticism, cluded two years in junior college and a year at

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sports

With the 2016/2017 NBA season underway, anybody who watches basketball could make the “bold” prediction that the Warriors will win the NBA championship. In fact, according to ESPN, the Warriors are three and a half times more likely to win the championship than the Cleveland Cavaliers, despite the Cavs coming off a championship season. However, I believe that this season will go off-script and unfold in a way no one, except me, could have predicted.

MVP: Kristaps Porziņģis The young player is entering his second year with the New York Knicks after making quite the splash his rookie season. Knicknamed Porzingod by fans in the US and in his home of Latvia, the only thing as tall as his 7’3” stature is his skill cap. The Knicks acquired both a hall of famer and an MVP in Dwayne Wade and Derrick Rose and the revamped roster has a chance to make a deep playoff run. The young foreigner is the future of the Knicks franchise and with all the veteran experience around him, he could make waves and win MVP over the likes of Steph Curry and Co. Scoring Leader: Devin Booker Another young player that has potential to emerge as a superstar is the Kentucky alum Devin Booker playing for the Phoenix Suns.

The Suns are undoubtedly one of the worst teams in the league, and with a roster full of rookie talent, the second year guard almost looks like a veteran on the court. His smooth style earned him a solid 13.8 points per game in his rookie season, where he also had more than five 30 plus point games. He’s proven his leadership ability when he had to step into the spotlight when Phoenix lost its leader and point guard, Eric Bledsoe, for the duration of last year, and I believe there’s a good chance he shatters expectations in his second year in the NBA. Unexpected Season: Indiana Pacers The Pacers are really good! They found their superstar in Paul George who put on a phenomenal performance during last postseason, but the silver lining is that they discovered George can’t do it by himself. The Pacers went out and got two All-stars during the offseason, point guard Jeff Teague and veteran big man Al Jefferson, who should be able to lessen the burden that George carries. The Pacers are also in a weaker eastern conference that is presumably going to be dominated by the Cavs, but if the Cavs somehow end up with a broken season, the Pacers may find themselves on top of the East.

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the mustang

Surfer vs. Skater

Senior surfer Brett Naudin and freshman skater Billy Hawkins contemplate Batman, Italian fashion, and Macaroni. By Mary Ford

W

hy did Yankee Doodle name the feather in his hat Macaroni?

Surfer: “Those lyrics sound weird.

I have no idea who he is.”

Way to dodge the question surfer.

Artfully done. I don’t even remember what the question was. You must have brainwashing powers from all the whitewash you have drowned in over the years. Are you okay? Who even are you? Who am I? What time is it? Summertime. No. Not yet. Contain yourself. High school isn’t actually High School Musical.

They lied. Illuminati 2.0. Do you want to know something funny?

The original illuminati opposed obscurantism, hiding the facts of something being known, but they were a SECRET SOCIETY. What?

Ammiright? Illuminati confirmed.

And speaking of Illuminati, formed in 1776, we come back full circle

to Yankee Doodle, who could have been part of the Illuminati, as he was a construct created about the time of the Revolutionary War. 20 points.

test, talk to me after class. 10 points.

Skater: “Macaroni, I think, was how you referred to men’s style back then.”

Ding ding ding, skater. You guessed it. That was pretty impressive, and mostly accurate. Macaroni was an Italian style of dress that Englishmen often copied. So the Englishmen were taking a dig at Yankees, or Americans, by making them seem cheap and unoriginal.

I think that a teacher would accept that as an answer on a test. However I don’t have to so I won’t. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s because we probably have different shoe sizes or live in different houses or that you haven’t discovered a cure to mortality yet. Those little things add up. If you have any questions about the

Surfer: “He’ll turn into a bat.”

Surfer, why would you say that?

This isn’t some repetitive Marvel remake starring Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and Tom Holland.

It’s not like there have been three Spidermen in 15 years. Why do they do this to me? In what world is Ben Affleck a good Batman? Why do they disrespect Christian Bale’s acting? We all know that Batman was actually terrified of bats. It’s superhero 101. To distract myself I shall recite a poem. “Batman wasn’t fat, man/ Yo, he has the best slaps, man/ What? I heard you stepped on a crack, man/ Why you wanna break your mother’s back, man?” I’m taxing you 30 points, but I forgot why.

What happens if Batman gets turned into a bat?

Naudin retains his summer surfing glow while Hawkins pales in comparison. Photo by Mary Ford.

Skater: “He will suck blood and then also be Batman.”

Skater, wouldn’t that be the coolest combination? Superhero by night, but also vampire by night?

Because we all know that Batman never comes out in the day. It’s the story of Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde, Batman style. Save the victims from the perilous streets of Gotham but also suck their blood and make them hate you. It’s kind of like school. Education saves you from destitution and a life of backbreak-

ing labor, but also sucks the soul out of your body and leaves you 50,000 dollars in debt. College. Wait, you’re a freshman. You probably don’t understand half of what I am saying.

Well, get ready to be bitten by the Batman bug. Dang, weird analogy.

Here’s 20 points for you.

Surfer: -10 points Skater: 30 points Congratulations, Skater. You win nothing!

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nov. 03

sports

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11.03.16

The Mustang