November 14, 2014
T h e
M u s ta n g
Volume 19 Issue 1I
the Mustang | November 2014
beHind the Pages Gilad Barach Cover Artist Senior Gilad Barach began painting just three months ago with AP Studio Art. Though new to the art form he aims to “paint things of moments that make [him] happy or things that [he’d] be happy with at the end.” The cover art was done for a portrait project in which he wanted to incorporate color in a creative way. It was based off a photograph of his grandfather. “It has a lot of character to it and he is a really well rounded person so I thought I’d use color in that way,” he said. He used a palette knife with acrylic paint to create this piece, a technique that is a little less common but allows for “more of a loose [style] of painting.”
Alia newman-boulle Centerspread Artist Senior Alia Newman-Boulle hasn’t been painting long, describing herself as “kind of inconsistent” with it. “[It was] just something I’d do for fun occasionally,” she said, “until I took AP Studio.” She was inspired to create the work featured when given an assignment in class to do “some kind of figure drawing.” She thought that framing an eye would be “an interesting way to do hands.” The piece was painted on a scrap piece of wood with acrylic paint, her preferred medium. “It produces good colors without taking forever to dry,” she said.
Zander Ynigo Backpage Photographer “This is my first year really experiencing photography. I just wanted to try it out and see what it is and I realized I really like it,” said freshman Zander Ynigo. A photographer in Susan Coppock’s beginning photography class, Ynigo captured a new perspective on skateboarding, a hobby he says he’s been doing for around two years. “I really liked how my feet were standing on the board, and I really wanted to get the motion of the board moving and my feet just staying in place,” he said.
Elise and Elise Quick notes from the co-editors-in-chief With fall finally seeming to come into full swing, we are eager to embrace the shifting of seasons. Though Southern California doesn’t come with some of the typical fall transitions like changing leaves and crisp weather, it doesn’t mean we have to forgo experiencing all the iconic tell-tale signs of fall creeping up on us. However, here at SDA, we stray away from the conventional autumn activities. We spend our nights at Halloween-themed poetry slams instead of football games (check out “Poetry Slam Jams,” page 9), and we get our cozy sweaters off the racks of thrift stores instead of wanna-be hipster chains (see “Spin it Again,” page 12). Though we prove not to provide a traditional atmosphere, this is what we love about our school. We are home to artists and athletes alike and every type of student in between and beyond. We boast of teachers that are enthusiastic and even willing to stay late to share more of their passions with us (see “Teacher Classes,” page 3). It is this individualism, quirkiness, and acceptance that has defined us as a school and given us a reputation that attracts more and more students each year. Yet, this new popularity can prove to be bittersweet, something we evaluate in this issue’s staff editorial where we take a look at how getting rid of the lottery could impact SDA’s unique atmosphere (“Is it Worth the Gamble,” page 6). Regardless, this year will remain untouched by future changes, so we can sit back and enjoy fall’s development while sipping on our Pumpkin Spice Lattes. We’ve got to have some leeway for mainstream endeavors.
2 | a little insight
Who’s who? The Mustang Staff EDITOR IN CHIEF/NEWS EDITOR Elise Echeverria
BUISNESS MANAGERS Hana Chen Leigh Houck
EDITOR IN CHIEF/FEATURES EDITOR Elise Gout
CAF EDITOR Dylan Hendrickson
ASSISTANT FEATURES EDITOR Sophie Peeler ARTS EDITORS Julianne Miller Reema Moussa OPINIONS EDITOR Carina Julig SPORTS EDITORS Lindsey King Andrew Naimark Kevin Gallagher
ONLINE EDITOR Caroline Daniel ASSISTANT ONLINE EDITOR Kate Sequeira STAFF WRITERS Daniel Ballard Gina Checchia Elizabeth Loren Lucas Oldham Becca Von Zweck 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 98, emailed to sdamustang@gmail.com or mailed to
San Dieguito Academy / Room 98 / 800 Santa Fe Drive / Encinitas, CA 92024
sdamustang.com
Jared Holguin, senior and Corey Parker, junior, look forward to a horticulture class. Photo by Kevin Gallagher
Captivating classes A new program offered by SDA looks to offer classes outside of the regular curriculum.
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ost high school students spend their time at school counting down the seconds until class ends, but a new program being offered by San Dieguito hopes to reverse the trend. SDA is going to debut an all new after school curriculum, fully funded by the SDA Foundation, which will offer a variety of classes not available during the regular school day. A similar program was introduced last year at Canyon Crest Academy where some of the most popular classes have been Gardening and Disc Golf. “Our intent is to give you guys an opportunity to take courses free of charge, free of grades, purely interest based, and purely because you just want to try something if you have the time,” Principal Tim Hornig said. Hornig explained the thinking behind the program: “I love to learn, I know you guys do too, so how can we extend our school day a little bit, yet take away all that measurement stuff of grades and attendance and things like that?” The program at SDA has been helped along greatly due to CCA’s program. One of the more popular courses offered at CCA is Disc Golf taught by James Farrar, a math teacher. Farrar said the program is very enjoyable for teachers as well as students for a number of reasons. “I really enjoy teaching the course because the school year has interfered with my ability to
play, so this was a way to give myself downtime that was better than watching TV… Besides the practice, my favorite part is having students that are not in my courses be a part of it. It turns out to be really nice to meet students as an instructor without having a grade on the line.” Many SDA teachers are excited at the chance to offer unique classes outside of school as well. “I would love to do a class on women authors, we have a lovely, large population of feminists on our campus and I would love to fully support them by offering a women and writers and women’s issues type course,” said English teacher, Kerri Leonard. The details of the program at SDA are not yet definite, including deciding what classes will be offered. Shaping a list of classes to offer has been difficult. “We’ve asked The Forum a few different times for a list of courses...but it’s really going to be dependent on the teachers stepping up, shaping a course description, and then us throwing those out there, seeing how many kids are interested in it,” Hornig said, “I’ve heard everything from Japanese culture to night-time photography... social justice, current events, things like that.” The common theme throughout all the proposed courses is that they are not classes offered in SDA’s current course list. “I want it to be is something that is
not just an extension of what we offer in our classes,” Hornig said, “Instead it’s to be something completely different.” Hornig stressed that he is anxious to get the program started. “I would love to get it started in the next few weeks,” he said “I think that we would probably get a list out there in November, maybe have something start in December. If not [then], definitely when we get back from our holiday break.” Besides deciding which classes to offer, deciding what time to offer the classes to allow for the greatest student participation has proven to be one of the larger obstacles. “A couple of the courses are early evening courses as opposed to immediately after school,” Hornig said. “We don’t want it to be just at 3:30 because kids are involved in sports.” The classes offered will have more to do with a teacher’s interests than which department they are part of during the school day. Hornig said, “What I’m going to key in on is their passion for a topic.” He explained this using the example of an astronomy class, “Whether or not they are a registered scientist who can teach us astronomy, I don’t care. They’re interested in it, they read about it, they want to share that interest with someone and their teaching of you isn’t going to be tied to standards. They’re going to just share that interest. You guys might come away with a newfound interest.” -story by Kevin Gallagher
SDA Students Say What classes would you want to take?
“I think what SDA really lacks is hands-on classes. I would love to do a research class. Biotech Applications didn’t run this year, and having that as a class would be really amazing, like something where you could design your own experiments. ” –Emily Templin, senior “Design classes in general would be really cool to take, fashion design!” – Natalie Finn, junior “I really love the idea of a positive thinking class. I would want to do that one so badly. I actually think this whole concept is a brilliant idea; it offers a chance for kids to learn things they normally wouldn’t learn in school. More life skills.” - Samantha Steinberg, senior “I would love a class on embroidery. It always looks super cool and fun. Or gardening. You know, life skills.” - Samantha Laurent, senior “A positive thinking class sounds fun; I think I would go to that,” –Chaitanya Hebert, sophomore “Extra language classes, like German or Mandarin, because it’d be interesting and maybe useful”- Jacob Tuffs, senior “I think a pole vaulting class would be super fun. But I’d also be interested in a guitar playing class as well,” –Julia Shapero, sophomore
students are talking about | 3
the Mustang | November 2014
Laura— Next stop, Cal State.
Where can we take you? After completing their studies at MiraCosta College, students transfer to great four-year institutions like Cornell, MIT, various Cal State campuses and UC San Diego. At just $46/credit, you can’t afford not to enroll at MiraCosta College!
Learn more at miracosta.edu/nextstop. 4 | students are talking about
Connect with us.
sdamustang.com
Up Front
A quick look at the events around the SDA campus. Oct. 18 - Nov. 14.
A Drive to Save Lives Students donated blood on Nov. 4 at the first blood drive of the year for the San Diego Blood Bank.
Food for Thought
Masters of Music Battle of the Bands took place from Nov. 4 to Nov. 7 with six participating bands and solo acts.
SDA Thespians organized a canned food drive for a San Diego food bank.
B Photo by Caroline Daniel
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fter Halloween, it’s good to get back to having blood not be terrifying. More than 60 students and parents donated blood this Tuesday for the San Diego Blood Bank’s biannual San Dieguito Blood Drive. “Everything was filled out, appointment wise,” said ASB teacher Rod Keillor. He
Looking to the Future The study group assembled by the San Dieguito Union School District will be looking over the high school selection process.
was impressed by the larger than expected turn-out. Junior Garrett Stone donated because his grandmother needed blood transfusions while fighting cancer. “I felt like that was a good cause because I know what people have to go through,” Stone said. story by Dylan Hendrickson
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he study group that will examine the selection process at the San Dieguito school district academies, including whether to keep the lottery, has been formed and will begin meeting Nov. 12. The study group includes high school staff and students, as well as parents from the high schools as well as surrounding middle schools and elementary schools. There are also two prin-
eginning Oct. 27, the SDA Thespian troupe started collecting cans to give to a food bank in San Marcos. This was the first year that the canned food drive was opened up to the entire school. As to provide incentive, the canned food drive was turned into a competition between homerooms and the winning homeroom received their own special preview of the play “Rumors” on Nov. 11. “[The canned food drive was] just basically a way for all of us to help our community and give back to the less fortunate,” said Thespian President senior Ticia Navigato. story by Kate Sequeira
cipals in the group, Tim Hornig from San Dieguito Academy and David Jaffe of Torrey Pines. There is no definitive timeline for the group, said Hornig, but it will not affect the ‘15-‘16 high school selection process which will proceed as normal. The group is not in charge of making a decision, but will instead gather information about different enrollment options. story by Carina Julig
Some Old, L Some New John Salazer
Maureen Muir
Amy Herman
The midterm elections made way for some new pairings on the SDUHSD school board.
ast Tuesday, challenger Maureen Muir and incumbents John Salazar and Amy Herman were elected to the San Dieguito Union High School District School Board. Muir came in first place, taking 18.23 percent of the votes, a total of 13,039 votes. Muir previously worked on the Encinitas Union School
Photo by Caroline Daniel
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attle of the Bands ran from Nov. 4 to Nov. 7. This year there were only six participants, very little in comparison to past years which usually had around 18 to 20 competing bands. The participating bands included House of Cards, Rebecca Lim, Vanilla Soapbox, Uncandid, Cordelia Degher, and Mudbone. Although there were not many participants, the bands are still going to be judged and the winners
will receive prizes. Judges included history teacher Lucas Duchene, English teacher Heather Temple, Special Education teacher Liz Dargan, and Assistant Principal Doug Kamon. According to ASB Adviser Rod Keillor, the top three bands will receive recording time courtesy of band teacher Jeremy Wuertz Due to the small amount of bands participating, there will be no final performance, according to Keillor.
story by Kate Sequeira
Farewell Parking Fees
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tudent drivers saved $40 this year when SDA stopped charging fees to park. Principal Tim Hornig said, “It was brought to our attention because of a lawsuit brought out by a community member. We have every right to charge for parking but we
District Board of Trustees from 2008 to 2012. Salazar, a former businessman who served on the board since 2010, came in a close second with 11907 votes, 16.65 percent of the total votes. Coming in third with 11,215 votes was Herman, a business owner who also served on the board
decided there was really no reason.” Hornig said that the school first looked at the legal implications with the aid of the district’s legal counselors. The lawsuit also ended up in the hands of a state agency. story by Sophie Peeler since 2010. The three new members begin their terms Dec. 5, with residing board members Joyce Dalessandro and Beth Hergesheimer. The first school board meeting with the newly elected members is Thursday, Dec. 11, at 6:30 p.m. in the SDUHSD Headquarters, located at 710 Encinitas Blvd. story by Elise Echeverria
students are talking about | 5
the Mustang | November 2014
STAFF EDITORIAL
of students looking to attend, 173 kids were initially waitlisted. Of those, many lived within walking distance to the campus, sparking parent protests. The district is now reviewing the necessity of having the lottery in place. All of the 503 students were ultimately let in, but a task force of parents, students, and staff has been created to address the situation for the future. The primary options being thrown out are to remove the lottery completely, keep using it, or make SDA a boundary school,
admitting solely the students within a determined radius of the campus. The Mustang believes that the most favorable possiblity is to keep the lottery as is. Initially, the thought of removing it seems reasonable. After all, prior to this fall, it hadn’t been used for two years. The kids who never get in off the wait list could avoid being forced to attend a less desired, perhaps less-fitting high school atmosphere. However, we can’t help but feel that having the lottery allows for some of the qualities that makes SDA the place that is. The most evident of these is the small, close community of the student body. Without a lottery, the school could very likely expand. Students would have a harder time connecting with each other as well as with the campus’ teachers. Teachers would not be able to provide the same level of one-on-one attention during office hours. Fewer people could access the highly demanded resources on campus, the computers, the printers, the bathrooms.... If the lines at the Mosaic seem long now, just wait until one hundred more kids want to buy their paninis. Of all the options being reviewed, the Mustang finds a boundary school to be the least favorable. In some ways, it means taking the lottery to an entirely new level of exclusion. Kids without any interest in the culture of SDA would have no choice but to attend. Not only is this detrimental to that student’s high school experience, but to his or her peers as well. Likewise, an even larger number of kids who dream of joining SDA will be torn from the opportunity, simply because their household location is not close enough to campus. The Mustang staff recognizes, of course, that as students currently at SDA, our perspective is going to favor maintaining the school’s culture as much as possible. When it comes down to it, the issue of the lottery’s existence is deceptively complex.
slightly less sun with some wind and the occasional rainstorm. I don’t think that counts as seasons. Every year it’s the same. We have a glorious, five to six month summer, and by November things actually start to get colder, leading us into a four-month period of slightly colder weather until things pick up again for spring. However, this doesn’t stop people from romanticiz ing the colder weather, and every year people complain about how hot it is and how they can’t wait for it to be winter. My question is, why? We have some of the best weather in the world, and people disregard it and complain about how we never get ‘real weather’. Sunshine is real weather, you know. I blame the media. We’re constantly exposed to the idea of winter as a sparkling, snow-laden affair, not just a 15 degree drop in temperature and some frost on the plants in the morning. I don’t see why people wait excitedly for the prospect of wind, rain, and cold. I’m the opposite, as I enjoy the heat for as long as it lasts, and bemoan how cold and dark it is as soon as fall sets in. As long as we’re
not actually on fire (which has happened recently), I love the long-lasting heat. Even the Santa Anas have a certain appeal. This might not be the most objective criticism, as my parents’ nickname for me is ‘thermophile’ but it makes me sad how everyone seems to ignore the summer in favor of the colder months. I suppose it’s a problem of taking things for granted. You’ll probably change your tune once you move to the Midwest after college and have to dig your car out of a snowdrift to drive to work for four months out of the year. I can slightly understand the appeal of autumn and winter: the leaves are beautiful, and the weather occasionally strikes the right balance between warm and cool that feels wonderful. Also, everyone loves the holiday season. My least favorite time is after New Year’s, when there’s nothing to distract us from the two more cold months to endure. You might enjoy the beginning of winter, but I don’t know any self-respecting Southern Californian who would rather be bundling up in late winter than enjoying the warm summer sun.
Members of the SDA community are able to come together during events like the Forum and expresss their individual concerns. Without the lottery system to regulate school size, the extent to which students can be heard could be in jeopardy. Photo by Caroline Daniel.
IS IT WORTH THE GAMBLE? The Mustang staff comes together to give its collective input on the future lottery system, opting for its continual use during admission.
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he San Dieguito Academy lottery system: reshaping friendships and neighborhood carpools since 1996. The majority of students at this school have had experience with it in one form or another, whether it was the eighth-grade anticipation of receiving the acceptance email, or the relief of being told there would be no need for the random selection process at all. This past year, SDA’s lottery faced significant complications. Because of the overwhelming number
I MISS SUMMER Despite a lack of actual weather, everyone but me is pining for fall and winter. By Carina Julig.
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utumn is supposed to be that magical time of year when the leaves turn red and fall to the ground, pumpkins cheerfully appear on doorsteps, and the days grow darker. The wind picks up, summer wear is replaced by scarves and sweaters, and gradually the weather grows colder as autumn’s Halloween and Thanksgiving slide into winter’s Christmas season. Plus, the first snowfall happens on Christmas Eve, so when you wake up on Christmas morning you see sun, actually. It’s Southern California. We don’t have weather as much as we have the gradual shift from more sun to
6 | perspectives
Bon Voyage!
sdamustang.com
It’s no secret that family vacations come with their ups and (inevitable) downs. By Sophie Peeler.
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ick. I grit my teeth and clutch the armrests of my seat, my head jolting forward as I muster every ounce of strength to not turn around and give the kid behind me a piece of my mind. Kick. I can almost feel my spine vibrating with every kick, my migraine has gone from bad to worse, and the plane hasn’t even taken off yet. I can tell this is going to be a long flight. As part of a family of avid travelers, I know quite a bit about plane trips and hotel staying, which are two of the biggest aspects of traveling. And, lucky me, I’ve gotten to experience the best and the worst parts of those two things. First off, let me just say that being able to travel with my family and see new places is probably one of the best things about my life. A giddy sort of adrenaline and excitement always fills my body whenever I get into the car and start heading towards the airport; it feels like I’m heading towards a new beginning and a new me. And being with my family instead of friends renews this feeling altogether; it’s like entering a new life. And while this is all well and good, there’s one bad thing that comes from this: it eventually ends. It’s like an equation: x amount of happiness caused by leaving for trip = x amount of sadness caused by coming home from trip. There’s always one question that gets stuck in my brain after I come home from a
trip: what am I supposed to do now? Eventually, I’m able to get back into the routine of everyday ‘home’ life, but the nostalgia sticks to me like gum sticks to the bottom of a shoe. And, in my opinion, that is the absolute worst part of traveling. On more than one occasion I have found myself sitting in class, pretending to listen to the teacher, and thinking that there’s nothing I wouldn’t do in order to go back. The next biggest aspect about traveling is the hotels. I would have to say that the place where you choose to sleep can make or break a vacation. Obviously there are other factors that make up a trip, but a good night’s sleep and a clean toilet can make the difference between feeling refreshed in the morning, and feeling like death because the scuttling of insects in the wall kept you up all night and the shower wouldn’t turn on so you basically had to soak in your own sweat for a couple days. And a price-included breakfast is nice too. If a hotel provides a free buffet breakfast, you know you’ve hit the jackpot. Waffles, eggs, and unlimited coffee and tea? Yes, please. Finally, the last significant part of any trip is how you’re going to get there. Personally, my family takes planes more often, since our destinations tend to be out of driving distance. In fact, I went on my first
There’s nothing like those cheesy family photos in front of sightseeing locations. Photo by Emanuela Peeler.
plane ride when I was one year old, so by now I’ve got the system down. Tip number one: wear comfortable clothes; there’s nothing worse than trying to sleep in skinny jeans on one of those torturous 14 hour flights. Then there’s the issue of other people on the planemore specifically, children. This may be hypocritical, since I was one of these kids at some point, but a screaming baby or a fidgety child sitting behind you can make you seriously consider opening one the emergency exits and jumping off the plane. But, in the end, traveling is an amazing experience that creates so many lasting memories. As long as you book a good hotel and miraculously get a good seat on the plane, any trip is bound to be a success.
opinions | 7
the Mustang | November 2014
CHRISTMAS TIME AGAIN? Christmas has begun in September. What happened to the magic of the holiday season? By Caroline Daniel.
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t was just shy of the October 1, and I entered my home away from home, the Target in the Encinitas shopping center, with a friend to scout out all the tacky and silly Halloween decorations. “It’s not too early to get into Halloween,” we both said. “I mean, it’s just about October.” We walked towards the Halloween section, jittery with excitement about seeing the rows of individually wrapped candy screaming “Come get diabetes!” with brightly colored labels. Then, all of a sudden, I saw it. Little twinkling lights, all different colors, and all in different shapes. One of these sets of lights was in the shape of snowflakes. I groaned, loudly. The woman standing next to me trying to decide between fake spider webs and a witch for her lawn stared at me like I was a zombie. “Oh my god CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS!” my friend exclaimed. She was beyond thrilled, since Christmas is her favorite holiday. It’s mine too, but I don’t love it so much to get excited about it in September. Christmas, over the years, has started to come earlier and earlier. I know it’s a business tactic, get people thinking about the holiday earlier and the more likely they are to buy things they don’t need. It’s some sort of weird psychological mumbo jumbo. But I’m not buying it. Why can’t we just leave Christmas to, oh I don’t know, December? These businesses are ruining the anticipation of the holiday season by shoving it in our faces in September. Where’s the magic of our nonexistent winter when I start seeing it during the summer? I mean, we don’t have seasons here anyway, let me imagine my ideal white Christmas during the “winter” months. I say nay to the fake plastic lawn snowmen and stuffed animal reindeer quietly creeping from the corners in the early Autumn months. Halloween is already scary enough.
A letter to the editors: Editor, I enjoyed reading your informative article about how the Common Core math standards are impacting how math classes are being run at SDA this year. One part of the article that bothered me is about the other set of Common Core State Standards: the article said they are for English. They are not. They are for literacy--skills related to reading, writing, speaking, and listening. These standards are now part of the curriculum in every subject area, from Biology and U.S. History to Auto Tech to Weight Training. As learners in the Information Age, students need to have strong literacy skills to use across the curriculum and in almost every professional field. Thus, not just English teachers are helping students with these skills. Thanks, Blaze Newman
8 | perspectives
poetry slam JAMS
The culture of slam poetry is increasing both at San Dieguito Academy and within the community.
Senior Sophia Farmer reads one of her pieces off of her phone before the Glassless Minds crowd. Photo courtesy of Glassless Minds.
www. sdamustang.com
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he frigid air of the outside melts into a lukewarm cloud as the scent of pumpkin flavored sweets and hot coffee envelop the library. Students chat among themselves, laughing and smiling as more and more people arrive. The Writers’ Block leaders call the crowd’s attention, and the students quickly gather together anticipating the poetry reading on Oct. 30. The atmosphere shifts, as the audience stares in awe, giving their undivided attention in complete silence save for the snaps of approval during the poets’ recitations. Despite the serious nature of the audience during the reading, the crowd bursts out in a cheer as soon as the poet finishes, the noise echoing through the library. The poetry community plays a large part in the lives of students of SDA, inspiring them to open up, be creative, and take the initiative to spread the art of the spoken word. Not only do students go out to share their thoughts with others, but they also organize poetry slams and open mics at SDA. Senior Alice Wargo is one such student, having been brought into the poetry community by her friends in English teacher Rob Ross’s creative writing class. Despite having written her own poetry beforehand, it wasn’t until going to an open mic that Wargo entered the world of spoken word. “At first I only wrote about my personal feelings and troubles which calms me down a lot” said Wargo. “But through listening to others perform I discovered a whole new side of poetry written about social issues. Those pieces are fun to write because they are so passionate and a lot of people can relate to them.” Ross stated that he feels the creative writing class helps show students the relevance of poetry in the modern age. Ross feels that poetry is far more prominent in the world of literature, providing a medium to share your thoughts in a way like no other. “It’s about what it means to be alive,” he said. Megan McEldowney, a senior at SDA and co-president of the Writers’ Block club, helps organize, promote, and host the smaller spoken word events. “[The smaller open mics] are a good first step into sharing your work with others,” she said. In addition to this, McEldowney and the Writers’ Block Club works in tandem with the creative writing class to put on the larger poetry event coming up in January at the PAC. “I want to do these [open mics] more, and make them a regular thing at the school,” said McEldowney. One organization that promotes the writing and performance of poetry outside of SDA is Glassless Minds Youth, an off-shoot of the regular Glassless Minds. This group is run by young adults who share their works and encourage others do so as well. Glassless Minds Youth hosts an open mic every third Thursday of the month at the ALIGN fitness center, where people 19 and younger can gather to share their poems, songs, raps, and paintings. One of the leading members of Glassless Minds Youth is senior Sophia Farmer, who became involved in the organization last year. She feels the community is very family-like, and serves as a great outlet free of judgment and criticism. Farmer talked about sharing her poetry at open mics. “[It] can make me kind of nervous, anxious at first, but it’s very satisfying to let go and speak out.” Farmer also said she hopes more of her fellow students will become involved with the community, both inside and outside of SDA. Whether boisterously said or softly spoken, the emotions of these open mics stick in one’s mind long afterwards, treating strangers as old friends and old friends as family.
Turn to page 10 for a look at some pieces from SDA poets.
story by Daniel Ballard
something different | 9
the Mustang | November 2014
sdamustang.com
I like to hide in the bustle of life I like to hide in the bustle of life, incognito in a crowd, my inner dialouge loud but unheard.
artistic
Insight
A snapshot of some of the creative initiative embraced by SDA students.
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hile slam poetry culture is now expanding on campus and within the community, students Marcella Zizzo, junior, and Valen Lambert, senior, have been writing for years. Since middle school, Lambert has been using poetry as a means of self-expression. “With poetry, you can talk about every little crevice and detail and [all of the] magic and little secrets of life,” she said. “I can explain my thoughts in ways that normal language can’t necessarily allow.” Zizzo was able to do just that in her piece, “At night. I feel purple,” where she channeled her experiences of dealing with anxiety. “I decided poetry is such a therapeutic way to get it out,” she said. “It was me writing my feelings down.” Lambert took a similarly introspective approach with her poem, “I like to hide in the bustle of life,”expressing her comfort with alone time. “I’m actually my own best friend, which is one of the best things that I’ve realized,” said Lambert. “That’s what a lot of this piece is about. I love the idea that when I’m alone, nobody will know where I am, and I can … live life as a mystery.”
My direction is not a concern of strangers, my whereabouts unknown by the people in my life. No actions or decisions. Swayed by the breeze pulsing from those I share time with. It’s just me and the world swirling together in infinity.
At night. I feel purple. At night. I feel purple. I hate purple. I hate the way it passes itself off as a cute color, when in reality, it couldn’t be darker. At night, I feel purple, I feel like hiding, like crying. But you know what’s worse? At night, after shades of thickly coated purple disperse through my body in every nook and cranny, all the way to my fingertips, I turn a siren red, signaling for help. I feel red.
I love to live life as a mystery ... alone, undisturbed. Some find it absurd, but we are the greatest promise to ourselves. Those who don’t understand forget that loneliness isn’t being alone, but the absence of self.
poetry by Valen Lambert
Yes, at night I feel red. I hate red. I hate they way it burns my skin on the inside out. I hate the way it flushes my cheeks and lips. Every word I form, tingles. Every sip of water only boils down my throat. At night I feel red. I feel like yelling, screaming, fighting. But don’t even get me started on how it feels to be yellow. I hate yellow. I hate how yellow blinds me from the truth. I hate how it explodes deeply rooted inside of my irises and pupils. At night, when yellow waves crash over a shore of crimson, I want to fly out my window. Go somewhere where pain isn’t real. Somewhere where shades of orange doesn’t exist, because when orange shifts from the mixing palette within the pit of my stomach, I feel like the worst color. At night, I feel brown. I feel muddy, and alone. I feel like the color brown. Brown like the color of my long hair, as it drips with sweat. Brown like the rich color in my eyes as they fill with tears. I hate the color brown.
poetry by Marcella Zizzo art by Alia Neuman-Boulle
10 | the middle
the middle | 11
the Mustang | November 2014
tattoo
TABOO
Some teenagers plan on getting tattoos or piercings as soon as they turn 18.
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itting in a chair across from the man who will determine the fate of his upper arm’s aesthetic look is a boy with a strange expression of apprehension and dutch courage on his face. “Are you sure you want this seal on your arm kid?” the tattoo artist asks. The boy, no older than nineteen, nods quickly. “Yeah man, I can do this.” Getting a tattoo or piercing is a major, yet regular aspect of life for some teenagers. With parent permission, minors can get any piercing they wish. In in order to get a tattoo, one must be 18. However, some students feel impatient to be marked with tattoos or perforated with piercings, even though their parents may not approve. As a result, some students plan on getting pierced or tatted right after they turn 18. Junior Devon Yuhas is among those who are planning on getting a few things done she becomes 18.: “I want to get three tattoos and 12 piercings done.” And the list seems never-ending, including getting images of her cat on her foot, sunflower on the back of her neck, and two wrist tattoos. Bellybutton, rook, septum, corset, hips, snakebites, helix, industrial, epidermal, conch, and tragus piercings are included in her list of plans. Why would one get an assortment of permanent ink and hunks of metal punched into their skin? For artistic reasons? To be a grungy punk rocker wannabe? For current SDA students, the reasons varied from nontraditional to more sincere. “My cat died of cancer, hence the cat on my foot,” said Yuhas. “The sunflower is my favorite flower and Slovak on my wrists because my grandfather’s name was Slovak.” Luke Pakter, junior, also is considering getting tatted.
12 | something different
454 Tattoos, located in Encinitas. Photo by Reema Moussa.
“I’m thinking about ‘live wild’ on the inside of my lips, and a cross behind my ear,” said Pakter. “I want ‘live wild’ on the inside of my lips because at parties I can show it off. And the cross would be behind my ear because I always want to remember that Jesus is in my life and that I can always listen to him.” “My brother is going to get a tattoo, and I would get one on my chest where it would be mostly hidden so I can still get jobs,” said junior Noah Hollenbeck. “Once I find the meaning to my life I’ll get it tattooed on my skin,” said Jasmine Nava, senior. But some people have to deal with the in-between time after turning 18 and before moving out to college. Yuhas said of her parents, “They were completely opposed to it, and threatened to kick me out of the house, but, whatever, because I’ll be 18 anyways.” “My parents want nothing to do with me if I go through with all this, and sometimes they start crying when I bring it up,” said Pakter. “We get a few kids who come in on their 18th birthdays to get a tattoo done,” a representative from 454 Tattoos in Encinitas said. “I’m just glad I didn’t end up getting tattoos until I got older, because I would’ve ended up getting really stupid things that I wouldn’t have liked later on in my life.” While one might expect parents to be entirely opposed to the idea, many are fine with it. “My parents don’t care much. My mom wants me to get tattoos!” said Nava. “My parents are pretty understanding and open. My mom has eight piercings, my brother has seven,” said Hollenbeck. “When I get older and know more of what direction I want my life to go in, getting a tattoo is something I would consider,” said junior Delaney Ryan.
story by Reema Moussa
www. sdamustang.com
spin it
AGAIN Resale clothing stores have been gaining popularity as students are looking to stores like Spin Again to find cheap yet trendy clothes for a fraction of the price. SDA junior Sara Kovalsky browses around the aisles of Spin Again as she finds clothes she is looking to try on and potentially buy. Photo by Gina Checchia
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pon stepping into a resale store like Spin Again, one can quickly find teenagers trying to find the newest pair of black, high-waisted shorts from Urban Outfitters for what they hope is a fraction of the cost. Resale clothing has become more and more popular, as clothing prices seem to be getting higher and quality worse. Teenagers look to resale stores to try new styles for cheaper prices, buy pieces no one else at school has, and make quick money. There are also stores, like Spin Again, that mix together new clothes and resale clothes, so a customer can get the originality of thrift pieces while still being “trendy.” One of the store’s managers, Jenny Mungovan, said “The store is 65 percent new. We try and mix the new with the resale so we still stay with the current trend.” Attracting high schools students is the fact that buyers can sell their own clothing to make a few extra bucks. “I’ve always thought about selling my clothes to a thrift store because it’s an easy way to get some extra cash and get rid of old clothes,” said junior Mei-Ling Mirow. Mungovan at Spin Again explained, “What we ask everybody to do is to go through their closet and find out what their best friend really wants to borrow. That is a really good clue. If you’re willing to just throw it aside and say, ‘Oh yeah, I’ll sell this,’ it’s probably not something we are going to buy. Anything that your best friend wants to borrow and doesn’t want you to sell, the stuff she wants you to give to her, what we want to buy. ” When selling at Spin Again and stores similar to it, it is common to get either store credit for what is sold or get your money in cash for a lesser value. “It depends on the article, but we try and sell clothes for probably about a third of the original selling cost,” Mungovan said. “The sellers get store credit. The policy is you get 50 percent of store credit and then 35 percent cash if you don’t want store credit.”
However, some customers, like junior Emma Daughters, are almost tired of selling clothes at resale shops because they don’t get what they think they deserve in the process. “They said my clothes were out of style, and it just kind of offended me,” she said. “They didn’t take half of my clothes, even though I had bought these pieces in the last year.” Resale stores have to be careful in how they approach turning away potential clothing sellers. “If we don’t buy it, we try to be as gentle as possible when we let everybody know about our buying policy,” said Mungovan. “If something does come in that maybe Flashbacks would take or Plato’s Closet, we are more willing to be like, ‘You know, try down on the coast at Plato’s Closet or Thrifty Threads’ because every clothing store has a different clientele they’re catering to.” The majority of the junior woman’s department in Spin Again features current and new pieces like flowing blouses with cut-out shoulders, high-waisted jeans, combat boots, crop tops of all colors, and simple tee-shirt dresses. In the resale section, there are similar pieces from Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, Free People, and Brandy Melville. “We try and get our store very current so that when you come in the store that you don’t see the same thing on the rack all the time,” said Mungovan. Mungovan added, “We want something that you paid a little bit of a higher price point for than buying something at Target. Everybody can get that. It’s more of a ‘BDG’ brand pair of boots than a ‘Mossimo’ brand when it comes down to it.” The affordability of these brands is a large incentive for the students shopping resale racks. For Mirow, resale stores allow her to buy “actual vintage clothes” for a cheaper price than at stores which “make items look vintage and [then] sell them for double the money.” “It’s always an adventure to resale shop because you never know what you’re going to leave the store with,” said Daughters. “Let’s be honest, we are all just using our leftover lunch money.”
story by Gina Checchia
something different | 13
the Mustang | November 2014
hometown
Hawaii
A day trip to La Jolla is both a Hawaii-esque escape and a nearby opportunity to view wildlife, sample delicious food, and explore nature. Palm trees line the sunny La Jolla Shores beach. Photo by Hana Chen.
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o, it’s another Saturday morning. You’re sitting at home, procrastinating on homework, and bingeing on Netflix and Hot Cheetos. You ponder doing something productive, or at least interesting, with your precious weekend, but your mind draws a blank on potential adventures. Everything is too far away or too expensive. If this sad situation is familiar to you, we’ve got the perfect solution: a day trip to none other than the jewel of San Diego, La Jolla. 10:30 a.m.: We begin our coastal day trip at the lovely La Jolla Shores beach, located just south of Torrey Pines state park. It feels as though we have stepped off the freeway and entered a sparkling, peaceful paradise. The warm sun is shining softly, the sky is blue as ever, towering palm trees line the path, and beach-walkers and sunbathers (locals and tourists living in harmony) are already enjoying the relaxing atmosphere as seagulls call overhead. We lay down our towels, apply sunscreen, and relax on the pleasant shore. 11:30 a.m.: The weather has warmed up and we decide it’s time to hit the ocean. Instead of paying for a pricey kayak or standup paddleboard tour from one of the local shops, we opt to take our own tour of undersea La Jolla in order to keep the daytrip as inexpensive as possible. Armed with goggles and an underwater camera, we head out. We’ll let you in on a secret: the kayak launch area, just south of the wooden pilings and the La Jolla Shores hotel, has the best water for swimming and prospective wildlife viewing. We are completely awestruck at how clear the water is; we can look straight down and see schools of fish swimming around our feet, even in the shallows. More ambitious day trippers can venture further out and explore the nearby caves or even the underwater La Jolla Ecological Reserve, where you might be lucky enough to spot California’s state fish, the bright orange Garibaldi, or even a friendly leopard shark.
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1:30 p.m.:We’ve worked up an appetite and it’s time for lunch. Fortunately, there is a hidden gem only two blocks inland from the Shores: The Cheese Shop, a humble La Jolla icon that has been selling signature sandwiches, funky retro drinks, foreign candies, and its World Famous Oatmeal cookies for generations. We decide to purchase and sample one from each category- all in the name of quality reporting, of course. We scarf down overstuffed veggie and turkey sandwiches, pickles, famous oatmeal cookies, European chocolates, and a butterscotch root beer that fully lives up to its name (“Dang! That’s good”). We talk to Dave Schutz, the manager, while he puts a fresh batch of cookies in the oven and rings up another customer. He shares his favorite part of working in La Jolla: seeing the same La Jolla families return generation after generation. One thing is clear: The Cheese Shop is definitely a La Jolla highlight for us daytrippers. 2:30 p.m.: We leave the Shores behind and head to the Children’s Pool at La Jolla Cove, a popular tourist spot and a favorite lounge area for harbor seals and sea lions. First, we explore the tidepools, teeming with blue and green sea anemones, tiny zebrastriped fish, and little bottom feeders that camouflage seamlessly with the brown-sugar sand covering the rock floor. After we have our fill of photographing and admiring the sea creatures, we move on to snapping a few shots of ourselves against the background of the crashing waves. Now that’s profile pic material. We navigate through new construction to find the overlook at the Children’s Pool. There, sea lions are huddled up on the shore, trying to soak up the last few rays of sun from the now gray sky. We feel similarly and try to ignore the chilly breeze coming off the choppy ocean. 4:00 p.m.: We stroll along the rocky bluffs on the scenic walking path, encountering the cultural feel of La Jolla. Skilled yogis practice vinyasa flows on the soft grass, vendor tents sell vibrant tie-dye t-shirts, hip teenage boys pump music from their cars, and
sdamustang.com families laugh and spend quality time together. With the evening beginning to roll in, we decide to wrap up our fun packed day with an afternoon snack. We head along the road of shops and restaurants, and stop at Bobboi Natural Gelato, where the gelatos are made fresh daily with locally grown organic fruits. We sample the mint pineapple, Meyer lemon with basil, salted caramel, and kibana (kiwi and banana) flavors. Based on our selections, we feel it’s safe to say you can’t go wrong at Bobboi. 4:45 p.m.: We pile into the car and start to head up north to Encinitas, reflecting on our lovely La Jolla adventures. So if you want a lively new city to explore with friends, an artsy new profile picture for Instagram, an inexpensive date with the bae (or bay), or just a chance to get outdoors and enjoy nature, hit up La Jolla. We fully enjoyed being a tourist for a day. No shame.
story by Leigh Houck and Hana Chen
arts and culture | 15
the Mustang | November 2014
MUSIC TO MY EARS The SDA band prepares for a concert full of modern sound. Band students practice for the upcoming concert. Photo by Elizabeth Loren
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n a Friday morning in late October, the band room is filled with sound. As soon as band teacher Jeremy Wuertz steps up to the front of the room, the music stops, and all is silent. Wuertz leads the band into warm-ups before the students split up into groups. Those in the main group who would be practicing for the first concert of the year stayed behind. Wuertz leads the students through tuning before leading them into their first piece, “Simple Gifts” by Frank Ticheli, an adaptation of a popular folk song. The music flows through the room, with periodic interruptions by Wuertz to make corrections to the performance. Even with them, the music is beautiful, and the
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band works hard to incorporate the feedback into their performance. In addition to “Simple Gifts,” the band will be performing songs such as “The Rakes of Mallow” by Leroy Anderson, “Arabian Dances” by Brian Balmages, and “In the Center Ring” by Robert Sheldon, among others. When asked which piece is his favorite, Wuertz replied, “It’s tough to say; I like them all for different reasons.” The concert will be on Wednesday, Nov. 19. By that time, the band students will have been practicing for the event for five to six weeks. The symphonic band will begin playing at 6:45 p.m., and the wind ensemble will play at 7:45 p.m.
in the theater. Both the intermediate band and the advanced band will play, with a 30-minute intermission between the two, and refreshments served in the courtyard. There is a suggested donation of $5 for adults, but admission is free for students and staff. There is no specific theme for the concert, said Wuertz. While the concert will feature a wide variety of songs, most will be contemporary pieces written in the 21st century. “All the pieces that we are playing are energetic and exciting,” French horn player and junior Emma Chang said. “I believe the audience will be tapping their toes to each one.” story by Elizabeth Loren
sdamustang.com or whatever those word people are called.
Photo by Hana Chen.
Surfer vs. skater Junior skater Nate Stewart and sophomore surfer Trevor Anderberg try to win at life, love, and other lame things. Story by Dylan Hendrickson. A stitch in time saves nine what? Skater: Kickflips Surfer: Waves. Skater, besides how stereotypical that answer was, how would you save kickflips? Are they locked in a prison tower far away, with no bearings of where they are? Are they shackled to the bottom of the sea, grazed by manta rays and skates? Are they locked in a room but alas! given no board? What are you doing
here, Skater? Stop worrying about points and go save it/him/her/ze/co! (covering my tracks here). Okay is he gone? Tell him he lost 24 points for falling perfectly into my trap. (Maniacal laugh) Surfer, I understand that you meant to say “waves” as in the colloquial gesture directed towards familiar persons, but I just realized that waves are also the things the ocean makes! And you’re a surfer! You’re so punny! 50 points for being the next Walt Whitman
Why does Donald Duck wear a towel around his waist when he never had pants in the first place? Skater: So he dries off. Surfer: He wears a towels because people wear towels when they come out of the shower. Skater, what confuses me is why ducks have to dry themselves off. They’re made for swimming in the water roughly 22.5/7 (including time spent free loading the flamingo pond at the zoo and disappointing anti-figuratively [you really can’t use literally anymore] everyone there) yet for some reason they need a towel to dry themselves. I’m no duck expert, but if ducks have to dry themselves off every time, that implies they’ll get, like, hypothermia or something if they don’t (thanks Boy Scouts!), which is both sad and untrue. Minus 80 for hurting my achy drakey heart. Surfer, let me ask you this: do you wear a towel when you come right out the shower? And don’t say “eww don’t think of me naked” because I take that advice for public speaking to heart. It makes me a stronger person. Anyway, the answer should be “no” because you don’t take the towel into the shower, for obvious reasons. I mean, if you do, no offense, but you’re kind of dumb. Not dumb, but more...behind? Uhh...oh no...here take 10 points and leave me be, you weirdo shower-towelers. Surfer: 50 points Skater: -104 points Weirdos: 10 points Congrats Surfer! You win nothing.
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the Mustang | November 2014
MUSTANG FALL SPORTS ROUND-UP Girls Golf
“CIF was a pretty nerve-wracking experience especially because of the talented people who went. I think I’m very lucky to have been able to compete with them.”- Elisha Chen (So.)
Photo courtesy of Al Zamora. Photo courtesy of Marianne King.
Girls Volleyball
Girls Field Hockey
Captains: Jenna Kitner (Sr.) Dani Ennis (Sr.)
“This season has been rough because we are such a young team but it was really fun.” Dani Ennis (Sr.)
Captains: Karina Langli (Sr.) Lindsey King (Jr.)
“I remember my first varsity home game didn’t go very well but my next home game I killed it and the stang gang was there to cheer everyone on’... ‘I think that our team is doing very well this year. We’ve had our ups and downs but we pulled it together and we are doing amazing”. - Sarah Colla (Fr.) “The first tournament of the season we had the opportunity to travel to Vegas. The whole weekend was so much fun and it was such a good bonding experience. We came home with a second place trophy and I think that it really go the team excited for the season. -Leah McManus (Sr.)
Photo courtesy of Dave Haller.
Boys Water Polo
Captains: John Schaar (Sr.) Justice Roshala (Sr.) Chris Bennett (Sr.) Alex Stellar (Sr.) Kacen Horner (Sr.)
“It was a good season. We definitely are a better team. This is the first year we have gone to CIF...The most memorable moment was John Schaar scoring a last minute goal against Classical Academy to put us into overtime and then into a win.”- Horner
Photo courtesy of Amy Peters.
Girls Tennis
““Our season has gone very well, we were undefeated in league for the third year in a row and our team played very well.”- Jennifer Kerr (So.)
Visit sdamustang.com to view scores and final records from this season.
Photo courtesy of SDA Boys Water Polo.
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sdamustang.com
Photo courtesy of Karla Killeen.
Surf Team
Results (1st contest vs. Torrey Pines): 83-40 BB: Austin Killeen- 3rd WSB: Annie Abicca- 1st MSB: Grayson Amthor- 3rd WLB: Karla Killeen- 5th MLB: Nick Anderberg- 1st
“I think we have the best Men’s shortboard team out there this year. I mean I’m a little biased, I guess...then we have great long boarders as well, again the Anderbergs, Logan Foster, Dean Garrido those kids are super good too.” -Marco Martinez (Head Coach/Teacher)
Photo courtesy of Cynthia Palmer.
Cross Country
SDA Top Times: League Cluster 2 (3-mile):
Boys: Robert Stegman (Sr.)- 15:45.4 Marco Jewell (Jr.)- 16:30.8 Craig Kimball (Jr.)- 16:38.2 Philip Urbina (So.)- 17:24.9 Girls: Linden Amundsen (Sr.)- 22.05.4 Ileana Lee (Sr.)- 22:45.7 Mary Ford (So.)- 22:51.8 Kyra Benowitz (So.)- 23.07.6 “It’s been a building year. It’s a young team, a really young team. We lost about half the team last year. They graduated. Last week at Jaguar [Invitational], boys took second and JV boys took third. We’ve got a really young girls varsity team. It’s looking good. We should have a really strong team next year.” -Gordy Haskett (Head Coach)
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the Mustang | November 2014
20 | backpage