February Issue

GEN Z: The Weight of the World on Their Shoulders

LAGUNA BLANCA SCHOOL

VOL 25

ISSUE 2

FEBRUARY 2019

opinion

news

28

feature

35

sports

35

47

theme

12

3

a&e

Contents

Letter to the Editor “I was disappointed to read “Locked Up” by Daisy Finefrock in your November issue. Ms. Finefrock is absolutely correct, we all look at the world “through a filter.” That’s true “when people are younger” or when a self-proclaimed “zoo hater.”

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) provides these principles for animal welfare: Animals must be provided water, food, proper handling, health care, and an environment appropriate to their care and use, with thoughtful consideration for their species-typical biology and behavior.

Animals should be cared for in ways that minimize fear, pain, stress, and suffering. The Santa Barbara Zoo adheres to these

principles in caring for all the animals, from hissing cockroaches to Asian elephants. Based on her comments, it’s not clear what standards Ms. Finefrock uses to define welfare.

Characterizing all animals in zoos as far from home, apart from family, and being used primarily for entertainment is consistent with the author’s self-proclaimed “hatred towards zoos.” For most animals in zoos today, the zoo is their home. They are often many generations removed from their wild relatives. Caring for these animals has become increasingly sophisticated, taking everything into account from diets to physical needs.

It’s not clear how long

Ms. Finefrock actually spent observing the animals or when, but the Zoo has had only one lion, Chadwick, since the passing of his mate in February 2017. The lions never did much pacing when she was living or now for Chadwick.

The author makes light of Chadwick’s training, but because of that, keepers were able to administer eye drops following his cataract surgery. The fact that he can participate in his own care reduces stress for all concerned and is consistent with the AVMA welfare principle to “reduce stress.” Similarly, the author commented that the “elephants swayed all day long.” The Zoo’s elephants (now elephant) have never exhibited that stereotypic behavior

(“zoochosis”).

The Zoo is owned and operated by a nonprofit foundation that receives no public funding or tax support. It depends entirely on donors and revenue generated by visitors to meet its annual $12.5 million expenses. People visiting the Zoo support good animal welfare, standards-based education, and effective conservation. All of the Zoo’s locally-based conservation programs are possible because people visit the Zoo. Zoo critics promote the cause of animal welfare and highlight significant issues. Their criticisms are most constructive when the critics base their concerns on science and fact.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jack Stein

SPORTS EDITOR Macy Christal

PHOTOGRAPHER Hanna Masri

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Beau Glazier

OPINION and ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Phoebe Stein

MAGAZINE STAFF Ruth Beckmen Christian Branch Ian Brown Frances Carlson Nafisah Fathima Catie Fristoe Amara Murphy Audrey Murphy Estelle Murray Maggie Newell Madeleine Nicks Lauren Mills

Patrick Otte Emma Raith Ava Rice Julianna Seymour Wesley Schulz Maddie Walker Boning Zhang Violet Zhou

Staff

COPY EDITOR Elizabeth Bisno BUSINESS EDITOR Zoë King NEWS and FEATURE EDITOR Daisy Finefrock

WEB EDITOR Natalie McCaffery WEB DESIGNER Zane Zemeckis SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR Ava Morouse

Rich Block, CEO

FACULTY ADVISER Trish McHale, MJE

Letter from the Editor

O

ur staff has been working tremendously hard this past quarter in every aspect of their lives.

It can be challenging to find time for extracurriculars, which contributes to exactly why I’m so proud of the work we’ve done in the past three months.

Not only is this issue nearly doubly ambitious in length as compared to our previous one, but the ideas and concepts our writers, editors and designers have tackled are more challenging and thought-provoking than ever.

The environment is not an easy subject to write about. When presented with the facts, our planet’s situation can appear bleak, or even hopeless. That being said, I admire our staff members in their ability to evade the sludgy mire of despair that consumes so many, instead opting to seek out solutions and rays of hope for the future.

We also received our first letter to the editor, in response to our opinion piece “Locked Up,” written by editor Daisy Finefrock. I commend the staff’s ability to discuss the article’s reception thoughtfully, and their willingness to accept our own mistakes with humility while not being afraid to challenge authority and fight for what they believe is right.

This issue was indeed ambitious for us. It’s a frightening prospect to attack issues such as climate change and our responsibility to fix them, but our staff handled it beautifully. I can genuinely say that the work we are putting forward has set a new bar for the Fourth Estate, and I have every single staff member who contributed to thank for that.

This has been a stressful time for many of us, as we’ve faced the anniversary of the disasters that rocked our community one year ago.

It hasn’t been easy to think back to those painful events, but it is truly inspirational how much we’ve grown and rebounded in the time since.

As a staff, we remember the importance of memorializing the lives lost, but, at the same time, we’ve come to realize just how important it is that we as journalist take up the responsibility of questioning and investigating every aspect of these tragedies.

We are seekers of truth. We may not always be perfect, but it is in the journey toward that truth that we grow closer to each other and our community. This issue of the Fourth Estate represents our voices, together: questioning, learning and growing. I hope you enjoy the work we have done, and if you leave these pages further educated on the world around you, then I will consider my work done.

- Jack Stein, Editor-in-Chief

CORRECTIONS: Writers Maddie Walker and Maggie Newell’s names were omitted for the story that they co-wrote for the November Issue titled “The Loss of Legends: The Opioid Epidemic. Nafisah Fathima and Wesley Schulz’s name were misspelled.

• MISSION STATEMENT The Fourth Estate is an open forum created for and by journalism students of Laguna Blanca Upper School. We hope to use this space to cover events, interviews and topics of interest in greater depth. Our staff seeks to be a platform for creative expression and to report on events and ideas of importance to our readers and to focus on topics of significance and interest to inform and entertain the school community.

• LETTERS TO THE EDITORS The Fourth Estate welcomes guest columns and letters to the editor. Letters must be signed and must be no longer than 400 words. Editors reserve the right to edit for length, clarity and/or taste. Anonymous letters will not be published.

The Fourth Estate reserves the right to reject advertising. Opinions expressed in this publication reflect the perspectives of the staff whose goal is to inform our readers with reliable information from which to base decisions and opinions. Editorials represent the voice of the staff and are voted on by the entire staff. Columns and commentaries are labeled as such and represent the opinion of the author. The Fourth Estate publishes four issues per year with a senior insert in the last issue.

• BYLINE POLICY When two or three people work on a story, all names will be listed. If an editor rewrites a majority of a story, the editor’s name will be listed.

• CORRECTION POLICY The staff strives for accuracy. When factual errors occur, mistakes or omissions are found or brought to the attention of the staff, corrections will be printed in a corrections box in the next issue.

• COLOPHON This is the first issue and 24th volume (published in November) of the Laguna Blanca School, 4125 Paloma Dr., Santa Barbara, CA 93110, magazine, The Fourth Estate. Contacts are available at tmchale@lagunablanca.org, (805) 687-2461 x317 or www.thefourthestate.net. Laguna Blanca School has an EK through 12th grade student population of approximately 400, with 100 in the Lower School, 110 in the Middle School and 182 in the Upper School, and a faculty of approximately 60. The Fourth Estate is an 8.5 by 11 general magazine, created on Apple computers on Adobe InDesign CC2019, using Avenir and Abril font families and printed on glossy paper free for students and $40 for an annual subscription.

The magazine is distributed to all Upper School students through the school’s advisory program and sent by mail to subscribers, with 400 copies printed per issue. We are associated with NSPA, CSPA and JEA.

Introducing The Owlery Third graders and the new Middle School journalism class have been working alongside the staff of the Fourth Estate to produce their very own magazine.

WORDS by FRANCES CARLSON, CATIE FRISTOE, LAUREN MILLS, MADELEINE NICKS, AVA RICE ART by MADELEINE NICKS

W

riting, designing, and producing a magazine takes a lot of work. But through this work, you create strong bonds with your colleagues.

This is something that Laguna Blanca third grade students, Middle School creative writing students, and high school journalism students all learned through the process of a cross-divisional journalism project.

English instructor Anna Alldredge tells us about how this class came to be, saying, “Our Middle School curricular offerings are diverse and rich, but we faculty felt that we were missing a MS elective in the humanities realm... In our Upper School, we have such an exciting array of humanities options, such as Fourth Estate and the Humanities Program. We wanted to offer our MS students a similar “applied humanities” elective. To make it as dynamic as possible, we decided to have Writer’s Workshop focus on journalism 50 percent of the time and creative writing 5o percent of the time, so that students can hone their talents within both types of writing.”

Throughout the past three months, Fourth Estate members, Ava Rice, Catie Fristoe, Frances Carlson, Lauren Mills, and Madeleine Nicks took on the task of leading the team of eager students to create their own finished product, a magazine.

After much deliberation, they decided that the theme of their issue would be animals.

Being able to write about animals

is the perfect culmination of day to day life, while still being able to raise bigger questions of ethics and companionship.

High school and Middle School journalism students met every Monday to plan, discuss, and edit each article.

Middle and Lower School students got a chance to experience real journalism life and having their work published, while also being able to

understand the magnitude of work ethic that it takes to put together a magazine.

Third grade teacher Brooke Green said, “My third graders really enjoyed learning about the role of journalists, meeting and being mentored by the Middle and Upper School students, contributing in the brainstorming session to determine the Cub Edition’s theme, and determining and working on their contri-

butions for the magazine. I think it is very meaningful for the students to publish their work for an audience.

Having tangible relevance to their work made an impact on their learning process, with the result of excitement and motivation toward their work as journalists.”

This all came about through the passion and commitment that the three faculty leads brought to the table, collaborating to bring together this wide range of passionate writers.

After making the decision of switching from a newspaper format to a magazine, the Middle School students were tasked with the job of raising the money to make the dream of a glossy magazine into a reality.

They welcomed this challenge graciously and within two days they had already planned a bake sale.

Overall, this was a growing experience that not only challenged the Lower and Middle School students, but it also gave the high schoolers an introduction into the world of journalism.

Editor Catie Fristoe said, “This experience allowed me to look at the art of a journalist from an entirely different perspective. I got to see these third graders and middle schoolers adapt to learn the skills and tools in order to create the original pieces that are in the magazine. We all learned to work as a well-oiled machine as we edited each other’s pieces and worked to design the pages and graphics.”

As we mark the one-year anniversary of the start of the Thomas Fire, we look back on California’s past year of wildfires, and look to move forward.

I

woke up that December morning last year, just a normal day I thought but as I looked out my window. Instead of the usual golden light that comes streaming in, my room had turned a glowing crimson.

I looked out at the sun, and it was red. Did I think it was the apocalypse?

Yes. I found out shortly after, I was wrong.

WORDS and ART by MADELEINE NICKS

Instead, it was the Thomas Fire, some 16 miles away from me, burning across the brittle, dry hills.

My phone was exploding with alerts, and the TV was on with the local news displaying horrific pictures of the fire blazing next to the 101 Freeway in Los Angeles and moving towards Ventura.

The same freeway that I have driven down a hundred times. It was like a bad dream or something you watch in a movie, definitely not something that happens in your hometown.

A similar, terrifying order of events happened across hundreds of home all across the California coast that morning.

The definition of a wildfire is a massive, destructive fire that spreads quickly over woodland or brush.

Over the next year, California learned exactly how destructive wildfires can be both physically and emotionally.

The one word that rang throughout Santa Barbara for practically an entire year was the word evacuation. Just hearing it now causes many to spiral into a quick panic.

During the Thomas Fire evacuation notices went out, some were mandatory forcing people out of their home, while some were voluntary.

T h e homes u n der

mandatory evacuated had to get out, leaving behind their entire lives, while those under voluntarily evacuation orders were left with a gut-wrenching decision to stay or go.

Either way, lives were completely uprooted. School was canceled, ash was swirling around in the air and news reports just kept getting worse.

Many were forced to live out of

California learned exactly how destructive wildfires can be both physically and emotionally.

suitcases packed with carefully selected items. When evacuees left their homes, they had no way of knowing if they would ever be able to return to them.

Now, here we are, almost a year since the devastating Thomas Fire that wreaked destruction in our area.

It was followed by several other wildfires.

The wildfires started with the Thomas Fire. The exact date of its beginning is Dec. 4, 2017.

It blazed for the entirety of the month, and burned approximately 280,000 acres, which resulted in the death of a fire fighter and destroyed upwards of 1,000 structures.

The Thomas Fire stands out as the largest and longest of all the fires in the county we have seen in the past year.

The Thomas Fire burned approximately 280,000 acres, which resulted in the death of a fire fighter and destroyed upwards of 1,000 structures.

It was also one of the largest fires that we have seen in California for hundreds of years.

It was an emotional time for all of Santa Barbara and the surrounding area, but we came out of it more prepared, educated, and stronger as a community.

The next California wildfires were the Woolsey and Hill Fires. These two wildfires both started at nearly the same time, around Nov. 8 2018, but are much different in terms of magnitude.

In the Woolsey Fire, more than 96,000 acres were burned, 1,500 structures were lost and three civilian fatalities.

Though Woolsey burned fewer acres than the Thomas Fire, it destroyed more buildings and took more lives.

In comparison, the Hill Fire was in the same county and burned 4,500 acres, only four buildings were lost and no evacuations were issued.

Last, but not least, is the Camp Fire considered to be the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in Cali-

thefourthestate.net

fornia history.

The Camp Fire issued under the Butte County a seven-hour drive from Santa Barbara.

It burned approximately 150,000 acres, destroyed more than 18,500 buildings and residences and took the lives of 88 civilians and 3 firefighters. It was a horrendous and dangerous fire.

These wildfires give us perspective of the world around us. Never again will we dismiss natural disaster in other parts of the world. For we all lived through a natural disaster.

So be prepared. Have an evacuation bag packed. It doesn’t matter where you live or how many times you have previously been evacuated — it can happen again.

Do not wait for disaster to strike to catapult you into a frenzy of preparedness.

Think ahead. Keep yourself informed, educated, and always be thinking ahead. Take this past year and learn from it. Take the emotional lessons we have all been taught and use it to plan.

The Fourth Estate • 7

An interview with Head of School Rob Hereford reflecting on the Thomas Fire and the effect it had on Laguna Blanca and the difficult decisions he had to make during it.

Q: Can you touch on the hardships

Q: On a more day-to-day basis, what

A: Because your decision impacts

A: We have to be ready to act in

of having to make such big decisions on behalf of the School during the Thomas Fire and evacuations?

so many people you want to be really thoughtful and want to make sure that what you’re acting on is not whimsical or just an impulsive feeling, that you are using really thoughtful information. It’s a case by case basis and in that case it was very serious circumstances.

There was going to have to be a dramatic turn around in such a short period of time so it felt right to make the closure for five days at a time.

The fact that it backed up against a holiday made a big difference.

I probably would have been more cautious if it had been a random weekend in October, but.. I think each of these (evacuations) are going to have to be approached individually.

When I think about the decisions we made closing the Lower School, it’s the same thing. We didn’t want to have to be faced with that repeated decision throughout the spring.

The ability to be at Girls Inc. and be out of that whole loop of decision-making was such a relief. As I’m reliving all of this in my head I’m thinking about these things and it’s all coming back to me, what our thoughts were. It’s so strange to relive all that stuff now that we are at this point.

8 • The Fourth Estate

are some of the things you take into consideration concerning school fire safety?

a moment’s notice. If something comes up we need to be prepared to move kids and evacuate to the fields if something goes on up here.

Just making sure we have systems in place to respond when something happens.

It’s having procedures and following them whether it’s fire or some other reason to shelter.

It’s making sure we know what to do rather than screaming and panicking.

Shane Lopes has been our safety coordinator for the last few years and has put in place a really nice set of structures so that everybody does have a plan.

Q: Do you agree that after the fire our community as a whole come out stronger and with a stronger bond?

If so, how do you believe that affected our school life afterwards?

A: I agree completely. I think you can go one of two directions when that happens. Either you can become a stronger community or fractures that have been there reveal themselves and everybody falls apart.

I think we were, in our school and in Santa Barbara, fortunate enough to see a community that bounced back really effectively.

People came together, supported one another. I was really pleased at the way that we all responded, at the way the community supported us, as we supported each other.

Even in the smaller causes of crises that I’ve seen here that’s been the case all the way along.

It’s nothing anybody would wish on someone but it’s really terrific when that does happen that you come out the other side at least feeling like,W ‘We can do this again if we have to.’

No one wants to, but it’s great to know that you can get through it.

It also gives you the belief, either as an individual or as an institution, that you can handle anything and that any source of stress is something that you may not enjoy enduring but you have the confidence in your strength faith in your well-being to get through it.

thefourthestate.net

NEWS

Inside the Chicago Trip An interview with Experiential Learning Coordinator Ashley Tidey on the importance of the upcoming Chicago Trip. What to look forward to and why.

Q: What is the significance of the Urban Studies Trips?

A: The hope is that through these trips the whole class has a common-goal, a common investment, an in-common look at a city as a living organism, what makes it tick, what’s its history, its architecture, art, music, literature?

But also what is this city struggling with, what are its triumphs and catastrophes, what are people mad about, what are they happy about?

And how does all of that drama and beauty come out in the art, literature, etc.?

It’s not always easy to get students invested in research projects. But for this, students get to choose a slice of the city that is interesting to them.

If the topic feels personally, but also communally, relevant, then I think “the why are we doing this” part of a research project has a pretty clear and meaningful answer.

Q: What first made you think of Chicago for this trip?

A: I’ve been thinking about it for years. Chicago is actually the only city of the five we will have been to since 2014 that I’ve lived in. In addition, my nephew Pete is a senior at UChicago now, and so it felt fun to seize this moment while he’s still there. You can get such a snapshot live experience when you actually get to talk to college students on campus. And Pete is the editor of the Chicago Maroon, UChicago’s independent student newspaper. There are so many 9th graders in journalism this year, and I thought it would be pretty cool to see what journalism looks like on a college campus.

Q: What are you most excited for on the trip?

A: Watching kids walk up Michigan Avenue into the wind.

Q: How do you hope the trip will inspire the students that go?

A: I hope it will empower students to know that what they’ve studied and thought about in a classroom can be tested and made richer outside of that classroom. And with every urban studies trip, I hope kids will come away inspired and humbled by an awareness of the big and beautiful worlds beyond Santa Barbara.

Q: How is it connected to our inclass reading material?

A: Chicago has the hard edges and the wild stories of Steinbeck’s Cannery Row, only those of a completely different geographical location. The storm and brawl and big beauty of the city (I’m playing here with some famous lines from Carl Sandburg’s 1915 poem “Chicago”) make it a goldmine for research.

There’s so much to look at: music, art, architecture, sports, food, theater, wild politics, bootleggers, fires, world’s fairs, immigration stories. But I think the kids will see, over and again, that there is nothing more central to the city than the intersections of race, ethnicity, segregation, integration, wealth, and poverty.

And for this reason, Chicago is an incredibly rich place to pick up conversations that started with our study of Angie Thomas’s “The Hate U Give” and the Civil Rights Movement.

We’ve been talking all year about segregation and integration, complicated ecosystems and double consciousness, the cultural heritage of slavery and the struggle for equality in America. Even though Thomas’ novel isn’t set in Chicago (the book is set in the South, and the film was shot in Atlanta), all that we’ve discussed since the fall can be found in this city and in its neighborhoods.

WORDS and ART by MADELEINE NICKS

F

D

in Learning

As humanity continues to evolve and discover new techniques and capabilities, the world within education is also expanding. Over the last three years, a trend has started for students of all ages to learn and develop educational skills through cooking.

M

ath instructor, Erik Faust, abandoned a detailed eight-page essay about proofs that he had assigned for his ninth grade geometry class in 2017 and decided to change things up for 2018 by assigning his class a more project-based assignment.

Faust described proofs as “a systematic way to take known information and apply known facts about mathematics to arrive at a conclusion.”

He decided to apply the rules of logical explanations to real life.

Students were put into groups where they

could choose a food to cook or bake, explain the reasoning behind each step and record the whole process with pictures or videos.

“I like this project because it takes something that students are familiar with, like baking, and uses it to introduce a concept that they are unfamiliar with, a deductive geometric proof. The whole idea is to make something unfamiliar more relatable to the students, so that, when they are moving through the new concept, they have some reference point to attach it back to. In this way, they understand why I am trying to get them to think in a particular way about a particular style of problem.”

M

iddle School students are required to start Latin in seventh grade. The curriculum, taught

by Kathy Piller, is full of interactive projects, interesting stories and an engaging online educational website called Class Craft.

One of the assignments this year is the “Villa Project” where students learn about daily Roman life.

The word “villa” is the Roman word for house, so it makes sense that the project is named after one of the most basic everyday things.

While the students are creating mini villa replicas, they are also learning about what a daily diet looked like for a Roman.

Piller said “[Roman food] includes things like honey and dates– a little bit more Mediterranean than one expects.

O

nce students get to French 5, class becomes very experiential. Taught by Valerie Yoshimura, the curriculum focuses on a variety of different aspects of French life.

French student and sophomore, Elisabeth Bisno, said “French 5 is an in-depth exploration of the traditions of French cuisine that opens the door to studies regarding the history of the basic French foods and how they’ve expanded into numerous sophisticated varieties, and the significance of food as well as the social customs that come with it.

“The discussion topics are limitless, but they all revolve around what French cuisine brings to its people and to the rest of the world.”

During class students get to create various dishes such as ratatouille, creme brulee, or pâte à choux.

Students did the actual cooking in locations such as Braun House or in the French classroom.

I think it is important for them, as they are building these villas and learning about how the Romans actually lived their lives, to taste the food and understand what food was available and understand how history has changed what is available to us.”

This also ties into what students are currently learning in their science classes: where modern day food comes from.

Noticing and understanding these differences between thousands of years ago and present day is an important distinction to recognize.

While historic relevance is influential for students, the actual cooking experience is also meaningful.

“The hands on experience is a lot better. Some students thrive in a regular school environment, but some students really love to cook. It allows students to learn a new skill and maybe discover things they might like,” Piller said.

“All over the world and in France especially, food brings people together — whether it be at celebrations, at work during the lunch break, or at dinner with your family every evening,” Elisabeth said.

WORDS and ART by FRANCES CARLSON

A Year after the Montecito Mudslides:

T

An interview with Santa Barbara Station 11 Fire Captain Vicki Mills

he Montecito community suffered a forever-changing event one year ago on Jan.9.

The debris from the Santa Ynez mountains covered much of the community in what is referred to as the Montecito Mudslides.

It was a devastating tragedy. That night was filled with death and destruction, and a year later, the victims are still struggling; not only with the trauma but with the rebuilding process.

The first step in rebuilding is accessing property damage and getting insurance estimates to rebuild.

Should be easy but it turns out that that’s not the case for many who have lost their homes or who have mud and debris damage to the properties.

We sought to find out how folks were doing in an interview with the Santa Barbara Station 11 Fire Captain Vicki Mills, whose home was damaged in the m u d slide.

What has been the hardest part of the entire process?

“It’s been hard just because of what’s happened to other members in our community our process has been nothing compared to people who have lost loved ones really at the end of the day the insurance headaches are nothing because we still have our family intact.

The hardest part is that other people’s families will never be the same and were so lucky that ours will.

It’s so sad with all of the awfulness that has happened to people” What’s been the hardest part of the insurance?

The unknowing and feeling like your life is on hold every day to battle with the insurance company over every little thing you wouldn’t imagine that you would have to battle over is extremely difficult.

Also not knowing if were going to rebuild our home and if we are g o -

We finally got the insurance to pull through and we just started demo about two weeks ago the insurance came through its been a frustrating dealing with them. It has been really challenging the insurance is set up to not give you the pay out its really been tough” Are you still evacuated? And for how long? What has been the hardest part of the long evacuation process?

“The unknowing and feeling like your life is on hold everyday to battle with the insurance company over every little thing you wouldn’t imagine that you would have to battle over.

Also the unknown of how long it’s going to be if we’re going to be displaced for 6 months for 2 years. And now that we’re getting a timeline has been super helpful.”

ing be reimbursed. Battling with insurance is like a full-time job. The hardest part of the insurance process is not knowing when or if we are going to be able to rebuild our home.”

What has been your personal experience with the insurance?

The insurance has been a very long hall we just finally settled a couple of weeks ago after 10 months.

Do you have anything to add?

“The outpouring of love and support in the community is so heart-warming, but as far as insurance goes well good luck. But the insurance headaches are nothing compared to the people that have lost loved ones. We are very lucky that our family is still intact.”

ll“Battling with insurance is like a fu time job.” Captain Mills

WORDS and ART by AVA RICE

12 • The Fourth Estate

thefourthestate.net

Celebrities & Politics

Celebrities sharing their political views is not new, but the scale of their influence today is unprecedented.

u’ve ‘If you had told o y how te?” me two years k o o “L r vo ago Kanye would be e h e running around in a MAGA hat mad while Taylor Swift was endorsing Demo-

cratic candidates, I would have smacked you to the ground and stolen your wallet for wasting my time.”

Observed Los Angeles-based writer, Kara Brown, after witnessing the recent turmoil generated by influential celebrities aligning themselves with political sides.

As the political culture in the U.S. becomes polarized, celebrities are speaking publicly about their political views in order to sway the voting decisions of their fanbases.

Celebrities sharing their political views is not new, but the scale of it has never been so grand. This is in part due to the development of mass media and the unprecedented extreme division between different political ideologies.

Regardless of whether celebrities think it is their duty to do so or not, this trend deserves more public awareness because we are all affected by it, and to some extent, it challenges Democracy with some people being able to generate huge sway in the population.

“I cannot vote for someone who will not be willing to fight for dignity for ALL Americans, no matter their skin color, gender or who they love,” stated pop star Taylor Swift on her Instagram post. She officially ended the apolitical stance she had previously been trying to maintain.

After that, Swift went on to publicly show her support for two Democratic candidates in Tennessee.

Her comments, though not specifying to whom she was she referring, were perceived by Republicans as an attack on the Republican candidates running for election. In response, President Donald Trump stated that now he likes Taylor’s music “25 percent less.”

The backlash not only came from the opposing party, but also from her white supremacist fans as well as mainstream music fans, who were opposed to her decisions to link herself with politics.

Swift’s and West’s tweets were treated like celebrity WORDS by JACK ZHANG ART by BEAU GLAZIER

dramas and made into puns, with online comments such as “Look how you’ve made her vote?” and “I said oh my, what a marvelous tune” however Oprah Winfrey’s involvement in politics is taken more seriously and has generated far-reaching influence.

Just look at how her empowering speech at the Golden Globes encouraging women worldwide to stand up against sexual abuse brought the audience to their feet, sparked widespread praise on the Internet and even gave birth to the hashtag #Oprah2020.

However, her initial entry into the political realm was anything but smooth largely due to her racial transcendence, which refers to her double-minority status; she’s black and female.

After her endorsement of Obama in 2008, her support from white females dropped from 73.4 percent to 67.8 percent while her support from black men rose.

Despite the damage to her popularity from supporting Obama, Oprah did not back away from expressing her political views, which eventually led to her well-received speech at the Golden Globes.

The moral and justice issues behind celebrities expressing their political views is complex, surely the founding fathers of the nation did not envision this while drafting the Constitution.

“I don’t mind celebrities voicing their opinion on public politics because they have freedom of speech and the right to exercise it however they feel like. Personally, I don’t like it because it’s one person having tremendous sway over public opinion,” junior Peter Smith said.

Over the past few years, the makeup world has risen into a successful and powerful industry. Glossier, with their sleek aesthetics and empowering brand, has soared to the top with some of the most popular and sought-after products.

WORDS by FRANCES CARLSON and MADELEINE NICKS ART by MADELEINE NICKS

The beauty world has dramatically evolved into a growing and complex industry.

Among all of the large brandname companies like Sephora or Revlon comes one shining light of aesthetically pleasing, cruelty free and empowering makeup: Glossier.

A continuously evolving company, Glossier was founded by Emily Weiss in 2010.

Weiss collected different contacts from her various employers who were connected to the fashion world and eventually got an opportunity to intern at Ralph Lauren.

From there, her career skyrocketed as she developed her own blog

14 • The Fourth Estate

called Into The Gloss.

As her following grew, she turned the blog into an innovative company that now sells products that vary from an innovative form of blush to a best-selling brow gel.

In addition to being a frontier for feminism with a female founder and CEO, Glossier is popular for their

simple, sleek, modern, and chic aesthetics.

Each delivery is wrapped in rosy pink bubble wrap bag, which many customers use as an everyday ne

cessity after getting their package.

That pink bubble wrap has became a trademark symbol of Glossier.

Furthermore, they also have a variety of cute, bright stickers that people collect and put on everything from notebooks to phone cases.

These stickers are just another way that Glossier translates out of the makeup world.

The more stickers, the more recognizable and branded Glossier becomes.

Above their cute packaging are the quality products. All of them are a creamy white, with pops of color throughout. This usually coordinates with the color of the actual product, whether it be their blush, Cloud Paint, or their lipstick, Generation G.

thefourthestate.net

Their logo is simple but unmistakable. In fact, every single one of their products is has a unique touch that strays away from other companies.

Glossier has cultivated a individual, polished image that it now recognized worldwide.

In addition to the products being elegant, they are also trustworthy, unlike other companies. In this day and age, we must all be aware of what is in our products and therefore what we are putting on our bodies.

When it comes to re-inventing beauty products, Glossier consistently defers to what their audience wants.

Much of this company-to-customer relationship is maintained through Instagram.

Every day loyal consumers, who share stories, ideas, and critiques and use Instagram as a platform.

One of Glossier’s most popular products is their Milk Jelly Cleanser, a face wash that takes care of any leftover makeup while simultaneously helps acne.

Customers on Instagram shared posts and stories that they were frustrated by having to toss their milk jelly cleanser at airport security due to the size of the container being to large to pass through TSA. A few months later, Glossier came out with a portable, airport-friendly mini size. This helpful and useful advancement was all due to social media and the community that it produces.

Everyday we are learning more and more about the environment we live in, and the effects this generation has on it.

thefourthestate.net

So, it if only fair that the makeup we buy reflects our goal to achieve a better world. Therefore, it is reas-

suring to know that all Glossier products are completely cruelty-free.

As previously mentioned, Glossier was created and established by Emily Weiss, a female powerhouse who inspires many young female entrepreneurs to realize their passions and pursue their dreams.

Weiss is a self-made women who worked her way to the top through dedication and persistence.

The beauty of Glossier is, of course, in their products, but also in the women who model them.

Freshman Lily Connor sums it up perfectly by saying, “Glossier models aren’t women you would normally see on magazines — they don’t abide by the hegemonic beauty standards of our society and this makes them all the m o r e

beautiful.”

Because Glossier is completely individual, it does not confine itself to the boundaries of the stereotypical beauty world. It paves new paths for young women and the next generation to make positive change.

“Glossier isn’t conforming, and it’s just what the world needs. They’re teaching women and girls that the most beautiful thing a female can wear is confidence,” Lily said.

The Fourth Estate

• 15

Women in Politics Women are making incredible strides to create a diverse, inclusive, progressive government. It’s becoming clear that the future is female — here are just a few of the inspiring women who came into office in November 2018.

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hile many First Ladies fall out of the public eye after their husbands leave office, Michelle Obama remains prominent and enthusiastic about politics.

Her incredible efforts to fund education for underprivileged youths, her promotion healthy living and her support of women taking a stand are a few of the ways she has made a brand for herself as a feminist and equal-rights advocate.

In November, the former first lady released her debut memoir, “Becoming,” which discussed her origins, where she’d been since President Obama left office and what she hopes to accomplish in the world of politics, most memorably writing: “Do we settle for the world as it is, or do we work for the world as it should be?”

“Becoming” isn’t the first novel of 2018 to focus on women’s role in politics.

Jennifer Palmieri’s book “Dear Madame President” is a letter to the reader depicting the struggles women face in government, highlighting the Hilary campaign as a testimony to the idea that women are judged much harsher than men when in the public eye.

In addition, politician Elizabeth Warren has announced her 2020 presidential bid, bringing an even stronger female presence into the world of politics.

The change running through the government is supported by the results of the recent midterms. The 2018 midterm election was a turning point for the United States’ political future, and the Democrats’ seizing of a Republican-controlled House marked a step toward a balance in our nearly completely bipartisan Congress.

This was no surprise: surrounding rumbles of an incoming blue wave were generously left-leaning polls.

What turned 2018 from an ordinary midterm into a moment that made history was not which party took the election, but which gender.

Not only were many of those elected women, but the list included a group of electees with diverse religious beliefs, sexual orientations, and ethnicities.

These are a few of the inspirational woman who are paving a way to a better, brighter future.

Sharice Davids One of the first two Native American women elected as a Representative for Congress (along with New Mexico representative Debra Haaland), Sharice Davids is the first female, LGBTQ+ Kansas Representative.

Elected to the third congressional district of Kansas, Davids used her gender, race, and sexual orientation to show voters her progressive agenda.

Just prior to the midterms, Davids released a video proving her vigor for politics and equal rights.

“This is a tough place to be a woman. I’ve been put down, pushed aside, knocked out.”

Davids has begun to use her platform to spread information about her causes, including regulations against gun violence and the country’s healthcare crisis.

Rashida Tlaib Palestinian-American Rashida Tlaib, a Michigan Representative, was joined by Ilhan Omar of Minnesota as the first Muslims elected to the House.

Rashida is using her platform to, like Sharice Davids, advocate for Medicare.

Along with her other duties, she is trying to use her new position work toward a more progressive immigration reform and a $15 minimum wage in the state of Michigan, as well as free education.

When CNN asked Tlaib how her religion impacts her politics, she responded that she “always tell[s] people that [she’s] exposing Islam in such a pivotal way, an impactful way, through public service.”

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Winning with 78 percent of voters in her home district in the Bronx, 29-year-old Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is the youngest representative ever to be elected to Congress.

The Puerto Rican-American is using her background in economics and international relations to become a formidable force in politics.

A supporter of health care and Medicare, she guarantees universal jobs and a reform for immigration and the criminal justice system.

However brief her journey has been up to here — going from working at a bar less than a year ago to being nearly unanimously elected to Congress at such a young age — her popularity, commitment and know-how make it clear that her political career will be anything but.

“Do we settle for the world as it is, or do we work for the world as it should be?”

WORDS by PHOEBE STEIN ART by JACK STEIN

Ayanna Pressley Ayanna Pressley was elected in November to be the first black woman in Boston’s City Council. Pressley, defeating a Democratic candidate that had served for 10 terms in office, became the sole candidate for Congress after the initial primary in September.

Her platform is based on similar goals to her fellow female representatives, with strong advocacy for universal health care and a stance against excessively funding the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Pressley is also passionate about enforcing stricter regulation on guns and sexual assault.

As a sexual assault survivor herself (both in childhood and during her time at Boston University), Pressley’s experiences motivate her to make a change.

Pressley, Ocasio-Cortez, Davids and Tlaib are only four of the many women who have entered Congress this year during one of the most diverse political elections to date.

Every woman elected has a passion for politics, are we are already beginning to see some of t h e incredible changes they are making in their districts. The future is female — and these women are just the beginning.

From top to bottom: Sharice Davis, Rashida Tlaib, Ayanna Pressley, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Addicted to Coffee?

Blame Your Genes.

Coffee, while immensely popular, effects consumers in drastically different ways.

Now, scientists have decoded the answer to this phenomenon: our genetic makeup.

For millions across the globe, consuming coffee is an integral step in the morning routine. With caffeination options varying from espresso to caramel macchiatos, it’s no wonder that Starbucks sold an estimated 8,070,428 cups per day in 2014.

Caffeine, the world’s most popular psychoactive substance, affects consumers in drastically distinct ways.

An article, “Do you love or loathe coffee?

Your genes may be to blame” released last November by National Geographic writer Michelle Z. Donahue, explains how scientists are unraveling these differences.

For some, one cup is enough to prompt restlessness, headaches and jitters.

For others, however, one cup is seldom enough.

Those steering clear of coffee can attribute their negative side-effects to differences as minute as one nucleotide in their DNA. Caffeine researcher Marilyn Cornelis at Northwestern University notes,

“What we’re finding is that we have built-in genetic factors that help us with self-regulating our caffeine intake.”

18 • The Fourth Estate

One’s reactivity to caffeine is heavily dependent on their metabolism’s ability to process the substance.

Two genes, CYP1A2 and AHR, are the heavy-lifters.

Both work simultaneously to determine the intensity and duration by which caffeine circulates throughout the bloodstream.

Someone with a quick metabolism, therefore, might experience shorter-term effects from caffeine than someone who metabolizes slower.

Beyond caffeine itself, coffee’s properties introduce a whole new category of gene-influencing factors.

With an array of aromas and flavors, it’s no wonder that countless variations of the beverage exist for customers.

Danielle Reed, a smell and taste researcher at the Monell Center in Philadelphia, investigated how genes are related in terms of ‘bitter taste perception’ among coffee users.

Following her study, Reed’s group found that bitter-receptor genes were more widespread among frequent, high-volume coffee drinkers.

Less habitual consumers, however, lacked the gene responsible for detecting coffee’s bitterness. Therefore, it is likely that coffeeaddicts recognize coffee’s specific flavor characteristics more easily.

Nevertheless, if science has made one thing clear, it’s that genes distinguish the 8,070,428 customers that head to Starbucks for their morning “cup of joe.”

WORDS and ART by EMMA RAITH thefourthestate.net

#yourwinterinstagrams PAGE BY FRANCES CARLSON

thefourthestate.net

The Fourth Estate • 19

The heart, a biological machine and crucial organ, is now known to have a link between emotional health and heart disease.

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roken Heart Syndrome, or Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy, is a striking example of how the death of a family member, financial worries, stress, and depression can severely weaken the heart. This emotional burden is known to transform the heart into a shape that resembles a Japanese Takotsubo pot.

Heart disease, labeled by plaque buildup that stiffens the arterial walls, inhibiting blood flow through your arteries and to your organs and tissues, is currently the leading cause of death for males and females nationally: 1 in 4 adults are affected.

By 2030, it is predicted that 23.6 million people globally will die from

heart disease.

Diabetes, obesity, poor diet, physical inactivity, and alcohol put adults at a higher risk for the disease; however researchers are discovering ties between cardiac health and mental health.

Unhappy relationships, poverty, income inequality, and work stress are a few emotional factors that are now known to influence heart disease.

In particular, depression has been recognized as a cause and effect of one’s heart health.

Studies have not only shown that between 17 and 44 percent of patients with Coronary Artery Disease have major depression, but also that people who are hospitalized from

“I know that there are so many other factors that contribute to heart disease- like stress- but that is left out of the media, while the more physical aspect is what people are warned about and encouraged to be mindful of.�

a heart attack are roughly 3 times more likely to suffer from depression.

The link between depression and heart health creates a dangerous cycle: heart attack patients with the mental illness are less motivated to exercise and eat healthy, skip medications, and continue harmful behaviors like smoking and drinking.

The relationship between depression and heart health has become so prominent that the American Heart Association and the American Psychiatric Association want heart disease patients to be routinely checked for depressive symptoms.

Researchers are also discovering that depression isn’t the only mental

health issue that is related to cardiac health: anxiety, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.

So why is this relationship between mental health and heart health not advertised enough?

“From what I’ve been exposed to, heart health is typically portrayed in the media as something that is either helped or harmed by what a person eats or how much they exercise. I know that there are so many other factors that contribute to heart disease — like stress — but that is left out of the media, while the more physical aspect is what people are warned about and encouraged to be mindful of,” senior Ava Morouse said.

Morouse’s opinion is shared by Dr. Sandeep Jauhar, a cardiologist, who believes that “the big frontier is going to be in marshaling more resources to address the intersection of the emotional heart and the biological heart.”

Managing stress is difficult in this day and age; however laughter and meditation are known to reduce this stress, which in turn reduces the risk of heart disease.

While laughter reduces inflammation in arteries, the inward-focused thinking that meditation involves is known to reduce high blood pressure. These simple actions can pave a road to a healthier, happier, and safer life.

The Kessler Psychological Distress Scale helps identify one’s anxiety or depression levels between 1 and 5: 1 (none of the time); 2 (a little of the time); 3 (some of the time); 4 (most of the time); 5 (all of the time).

During the past four weeks, about how often did you feel ___ depressed? ___ nervous? ___ so nervous that nothing could calm you down? ___ restless or fidgety? ___ so restless that you could not sit still? ___ tired out for no good reason? ___ that everything was an effort? ___ so sad that nothing could cheer you up? ___ hopeless? ___ worthless?

Scoring: 15 or lower = low; 16–21= moderate; 22–29 = high; 30–50 = very high Published by Harvard Medical School WORDS and ART by MADELINE WALKER

Nuclear Energy: Advantages and Issues While the dangers of Nuclear Power accidents continue to decline, a variety of issues still plague its implementation.

Nuclear power is rapidly becoming more and more technology can be. Additionally, nuclear waste no lonpopular as a contender for alternative sources of ener- ger usable by most reactors can take thousands of years gy. Its ability to generate huge amounts of power and to decay. the fact that it constantly generates energy regardless When asked what she considered to be the biggest of weather or time of day means it is a highly efficient downsides to nuclear power, chemistry teacher Kasubstitute for fossil fuels. tie Pointer said, “I’m not so much concerned about a Of course, this comes with the issue of meltdowns, nuclear meltdown like in Chernobyl, but more just the which, historically, have caused destruction across en- kind of geological disaster that then results in the waste tire cities and devastated nearby ecosystems. and the fissionable material getting out into the atmoNuclear reactors create such huge quantities of en- sphere.” ergy by splitting uranium atoms, a process known as This risk is exacerbated in California by its high numfission. The heat generated from this ber of earthquakes, largely due to the process is used by a turbine generator “Because the plant San Andreas Fault Line. to produce energy.

Another major issue with nuclear has a very good The discussion of the mass-implepower is the cost of building a reactor. safety record, and In his interview, Professor Lea said, “If mentation of alternative sources of energy, nuclear power in particular, has because it’s currently it were a question of building a new become more and more prevalent in plant, I think it would be very difficult to operating, I think it make the case for that, partly because America and the rest of the world in recent decades as people begin to recshould at least run the cost is so high.” ognize their important role in protectThe cost of building reactors has acto the end of its safe tually ing our environment. continuously increased over the lifetime.”

Locally, the recent decision to close last four to five decades, and by the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant late 1980s some larger plants cost as near Avila Beach, the last of its kind in the state, has much as $5 billion to complete. sparked debate as to whether or not California’s crackAs we continue to progress as a civilization, and as aldown on nuclear is truly a step in the right direction. ternative sources of energy continue to grow more effiJunior Simon Lea, a proponent of nuclear power, said, cient, it is true that nuclear power may eventually fall by “They claim they are going to replace them with renew- the wayside due to some of its dangers and limitations. able energy sources, but they have not. They are plan- However, there is a very solid case to be made for its ning to actually replace them with natural gas, which widespread implementation in today’s society, and that contributes to the greenhouse effect.” is why the issue is so heavily debated.

Simon’s father, David Lea, a professor of Earth Science at UCSB, added, “Because the plant has a very good WORDS by IAN BROWN safety record, and because it’s currently operating, I ART by JACK STEIN think it should at least run to the end of its safe lifetime.”

Alternatively, nuclear power’s opponents cite a number of valid criticisms of our current ability to both control the reactors while in service and dispose of the waste they create.

Two of the most famous disasters surrounding nuclear reactors are the incidents at the Fukushima Reactor in Japan and the Chernobyl reactor in the former Soviet Union. The disaster in Fukushima was mostly due to damage to the reactor caused by a massive earthquake, which caused the cooling systems to deactivate and radiation to escape the facility, while Chernobyl was largely due to poor construction and management.

Nevertheless, both had devastating effects on their surroundings and prove how potentially dangerous this

THE DROUGHT

This series of photos were taken in the same exact location in different seasons to show the effects of the drought and the impact it has on the environment.

A drought is a natural disaster of below-average precipitation in a given region, resulting in prolonged shortages in the water supply, whether atmospheric, surface water or ground water. A drought can last for months or years, or may be declared after as few as 15 days.

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ater is extremely important in everyday of our lives and when there is a short supply of it, it impacts our community and environment in different ways. We need water to live (obviously), but so do animals and plants. We need water to grow the food that we eat.

It is easy to think about the drought as a domino effect. Meaning the first domino that might fall is farmers’ corn crops dying, then, not being able to sell all those crops results in farmers not being able to buy new equipment like a tractor from a local supplier.

If every farmer’s crop dies then none of them will buy equipment, potentially resulting in cutting jobs or closing down shops. This is a big-picture scenario, but it could happen over time so preparedness programs to deal with potential droughts should be created.

The drought causes a huge economic impact.

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Farmers lose revenue if drought kills their crop and then they have to spend more money on irrigation systems or drill in new wells. The drought has cost about $2.7 billion dollars in recent years in California causing an annual loss of about 5 percent of agricultural production.

The drought is leading to about a $900 million loss in crop revenue and is costing dairy and livestock farmers about $350 million in losses.

Drought doesn’t affect all farmers the same. Some farmers are able to gain access enough water through the ground making the economic impact on them less.

Even though these farmers are getting groundwater it still takes time and money to pump up.

The drought puts a stress on everyone. Perhaps the solution is for state and federal lawmakers to begin debating drought-plan legislation.

WORDS AND ART by RUTH BECKMEN The Fourth Estate • 23

At Home Gardening Three easy ways to grow fresh produce at home that saves time and money and yields delicious and nutritious produce.

Why buy potentially harmful produce at the grocery store when you could easily grow nutrient-rich produce in your back yard? Here are three types of gardening that will provide a convenient way to grow fruits, veggies and herbs without taking up too much space while also conserving energy, water and resources.

WORDS by CATIE FRISTOE, LAUREN MILLS and AVA RICE

ART by CATIE FRISTOE and AVA RICE

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24 • The Fourth Estate

Tower Gardens

Tower Gardens provide an easy, environmentally safe, way for people to grow delicious food in their own backyards.

Juice Plus, the company that created the Tower Garden, a vertical hydroponic growing system, will send all of the pieces right to your house, with directions, seeds, the needed nutrients and the extra supplies.

When diving deeper into the Tower Garden by Juice Plus website, one finds both instructions and valuable tips through their blog.

The seeds grow in a soil-less medium called Rockwool, which continuously provides the necessary oxygen and moisture.

After the owner of the tower garden grows the seedlings for around three weeks, they are ready to be placed into the vertical garden slots.

The gardener is provided with a mineral blend providing an “all

natural short-cut” where the plants receive more nutrient uptake and growth when compared to regular planting methods.

After filling the 20-gallon tank at the bottom of the garden with both water and mineral blend, the automatic timing system controls when the water can travel to the top of the tower and perfectly water the plants.

The company provides you with instructions for cleaning and keeping track of the water’s pH levels in order to keep the food healthy.

Science instructor Landon Neustadt has six tower gardens growing an abundance of food behind his classroom.

“It’s being able to grow food on concrete. They are really easy to maintain and the students do all the fertilizing. Everybody raves about the quality of the food, the taste is just [does not compare]” Neustadt said. thefourthestate.net

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Container Gardens

Most people don’t have the time, energy or space to manage lavish gardens, but as the environment withers, it is essential to use whatever way of gardening possible to improve not only your health but the health of others around us.

Container gardening is a simple, quick way to garden without taking up too much time.

Planting in ceramic pots, glass cups or paper cups proves to be an easier way to maintain gardening without taking up more than 15 minutes a day.

All the gardener needs to do is

Rooftop Gardens

In big cities, many apartment owners are finding it difficult to have their own gardens.

Their living area is cramped and the only available room to garden seems to be above them. With no backyards, finding the soil space and sun to garden can prove to be difficult.

Having limited space has stopped people living in cities from gardening, but with the spread of rooftop gardening, apartment owners are able to grow their dream garden.

Rooftop gardens are exactly as they sound. Gardeners can grow vegetable, herbs and plants on the roof of wherever they live.

Some rooftop gardens begin with plants as small as herbs like basil and

parsley while others grow crops as big as squash cucumbers and even pumpkins.

Rooftop gardens are super easy to set up.

All you need is a roof soil seeds and containers to grow your plants in. Start by germinating your seeds. Once sprouted, place them in planting containers, water them and watch them grow.

This gardening idea doesn’t take a long time and brings your backyard gardening dream to life.

buy seeds, nutrient-rich soil and gravel for irrigation.

After planting seeds in a cup with a cut hole in the bottom for drainage, the plants need to be watered every few days in order for them to flourish.

Container gardening is a simple way to create both more oxygen in our ecosystem and produce wonderful plants to add flavor to a dish.

Master Gardener and Laguna parent Valerie Rice said, “You don’t need to be limited to growing just herbs in pots. With six hours of sun, quality potting soil and a little water you can just as easily be on your way to sprouting veggies like radishes, lettuces, carrots, even potatoes in containers. It makes gardening fun, manageable and delicious.”

Save the Bees The bee population continues to decline. We are on the verge losing hundreds of native bee species.

Along with other worldwide issues like pollution or climate change, humanity is experiencing a dramatic deficit in the number of bees and bee colonies throughout the continent.

Starting in 2018, 30 percent of bee colonies have been lost each winter, dropping to 23 percent in 2013 and 2014.

These significant declines are occurring because of a variety of reasons.

To start, chemical exposure from the pesticides in contaminated crops can reach the bees through pollen, nectar, eating, drinking, and even through the air.

Effects of this exposure include compromised immune response, shortened adult life cycles, impaired memory, and learning and raises the potential of death.

Also, parasites can develop as a result of pesticide use.

Examples of parasites, such as Varroa Destructor and Nosema Ceranae, pose a severe threat to the bee population, mainly hurting the colonies.

New viruses and pathogens are likely to result in the loss of bee colonies in the future.

Despite the well-known fact that pesticides are extremely harmful, producers continue to create and use toxic options.

Climate change is an additional cause for a dramatic decline of bee colonies.

The increasing temperature, changes in rainfall patterns and extreme weather events can affect pollinators individually or their whole community.

While all of this might seem daunting, this issue extends beyond the harm of only bees.

Eventually, the entire bee population faces extinction. Bees are responsible for 30 percent of the world’s crops, and 90 percent of the worlds live plants, the world would experience an immeasurable change in agricultural products and availability.

Bees have experienced significant changes in their overall well-being, and by taking notice of these effects, and making changes, there is a potential of raising the bee population once again.

Now is the time to act to protect bees. Individuals and institutions can get involved in this effort.

On campus, the Farm Club intends to design and plant a drought-resistant bee garden in wine barrels that will be dispersed above the middle school raised beds.

“We hope to incorporate this project into our quarter four Swoop Group curriculum and to get the school community involved,” Farm Club president Natalie McCaffery said.

WORDS by FRANCES CARLSON and RUTH BECKMEN ART by BEAU GLAZIER

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Our Acidic Oceans: Fish Drowining in Acid

As we continue to consume and waste, excess Carbon Dioxide fills our atmosphere not only disrupting our climate but poisoning our oceans.

WORDS and ART by AMARA MURPHY

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Recycling (recycling one aluminum can saves 90 percent of the energy required to make a new one)

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Solar Power (Each solar kilowatt-hour offsets more than one pound of carbon dioxide)

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ver the past 200 years — beginning roughly at the start of the industrial revolution — the concentration of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere has drastically increased due to the burning of fossil fuels, boosted car emissions, and deforestation. s carbon emissions have escalated, the pH levels of surface ocean water have fallen by 0.1 pH units, which translates to an approximate 30 percent increase in acidity.

The ocean absorbs around 30 percent of atmospheric Carbon Dioxide, and as levels increase so do levels in our oceans. When Carbon Dioxide is absorbed by seawater, a sequence of chemical reactions takes place resulting in an increased concentration of hydrogen ions.

This increase causes seawater to become more acidic and less abundant in carbonate ions. Carbonate ions are a vital building block in structures such as seashells and coral skeletons.

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Decreases in carbonate ions make the building and maintaining of shells and other calcium carbonate organisms such as oysters, clams, sea urchins, shallow water corals, deep sea coral, and calcareous plankton.

The pteropod is a small sea organism the size of a pea. Pteropods are eaten by organisms ranging in size from that of a tiny krill to whales, and they are a major food source for North Pacific juvenile salmon.

Scientists recently conducted a study in which they placed pteropods in seawater with pH and carbonate levels that are predicted to become normal in the year 2100. After 45 days, the shells had completely dissolved. Researchers have also discovered severe levels of pteropod shell dissolution in the Southern Ocean.

While these tiny creatures may seem unimportant to our daily lives, their disappearance from the marine ecosystem it would be devastating, not only to the marine ecosystem but to the way our diet looks.

What’s worse is the harrowing fact that these changes in the ocean chemistry can affect the behavior of non-calcifying organisms as well.

When subjected to lower pH levels, certain fish like pollock and clownfish lose their chemosensory ability to distinguish between their favored protective environments among reefs and unfavorable habitats such as mangroves.

Additionally, the increase in acidity impairs their ability to distinguish between predators and members of their own species.

These two factors create an increased risk of predation. When these organisms are at risk,

the entire food web is put in danger.

Ocean acidification is not a localized issue. It is currently affecting the entire world’s oceans, including coastal estuaries and waterways.

In today’s world more than a billion people worldwide rely on food from

the ocean as their primary source of protein and 20 percent of the world’s population derives at least 1/3 of its animal protein intake from fish.

Not only do we consume fish but many jobs and economies in the U.S and around the world depend on the fish and shellfish that live in the ocean.

While countless hours of time and effort have been poured into creating large marine sanctuaries and protected areas to keep endangered species safe, little to no action has been taken to counteract ocean acidification, a

problem that could leave our oceans lifeless.

So the question becomes: what can we do to help? In order to save our marine environment, the entire population will have to work to-

3.

LED light-bulbs (New LED light bulbs give the same light for 15 perfect of the electricity.

Using them can reduce your carbon footprint by 6 tons per year)

gether. While scientists have already poured millions of dollars into finding a long-term solution, we cannot wait to take action.

Everyone can take steps to reduce their carbon footprint, from carpooling to reduce emissions to switching to clean energy in order to cut the burning of fossil fuels.

4.

Planting Trees (One tree’s shade can save the same amount of energy that 10 air conditioners need to run for 20 hours per day)

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After the harsh climate report and the dismal projections for our future, Generation Z is taking matters into their own hands and creating a movement of young environmental activists looking to make a change.

welve years. In 12 years, the window for saving our world will close, according to the IPCC (a UN-based group dedicated to providing accurate, scientific, information about our climate’s rapid decline).

In 12 years, if we do nothing, the average temperature of Earth’s climate will raise more than 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) — the repercussions of which will be catastrophic.

Since November 2016, when the Paris Climate Accords were signed, the country has been tuned to the issue of our worsening climate more than ever.

In fact, as New York Magazine put it, the signing in Paris “[initiated] what seemed, for a brief moment, like the beginning of a planet-saving movement.”

But in the years since, scientists, including the IPCC, have realized that the measures initiated won’t be enough to save us.

In fact, after 2040, there won’t be much hope left. On Nov. 23, 2018, also known as Black Friday, the IPCC released the Fourth National Climate Assessment.

Putting together our extensive use of natural resources and rapid technological advances, many scientists and social activists agree that it is time for desperate measures.

Humans must reduce our carbon pollution by 40 percent in the next 12 years.

It has been determined by the UN that the carbon emissions we put forth must drop to zero.

If that sounds scary, that’s because it is, says an article in the New York Magazine about how this is a “Climate Genocide.”

This goal is not only terrifying because of its daunting nature, but also because of who the responsibility lands on — our generation.

Gen Z is at the center of attention right now.

An article from BBC asked their older readers about their impressions of our generations, quoting one person referring to Gen Z as “too cautious and yet downright dangerous, too worried about the world and at the same time too self-absorbed to care.”

They call us lazy. They call us self-obsessed. They call us technology dependent. Their claims do nothing to address the fact that we are the ones who have to clean up the messes of left by those who came before — and we are already working towards finding a way out of this grim looking future.

This current generation is armed with something that others didn’t truly utilize: strong ambitions and technological platforms that we are using, ones that provide ways to reach out to people across the world by creating collaborative movements.

Through protests, signs stating that “There is no plan(et) B,” and “think before you drink” (the slogan for a campaign against plastic water bottles), and new, unique initiatives, we are taking that Internet platform and using it in a way no one has before.

A new initiative called Zero Hour is an incredible example of the work our generation is doing to make a difference. Zero hour is, as their website states, “a youth-led movement creating entry points, training, and resources for new young activists and organizers… wanting to take concrete action around climate change.”

By creating this movement of environmental activists and solution-based research, Zero Hour shows the great strides our generation has made in an effort to reduce climate pollution and rising temperatures. “We are the ones we’ve been waiting for,” says thisiszerohour.com, the official website for all things Zero Hour.

“[The singing in Paris initiated] what seemed, for a brief moment, like the beginning of a planet-saving movement.”

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Our generation has realized that this is it — unless we start to make a change in how we deal with the declining environment, no one will step up. It’s up to us.

This idea also occurred to Greta Thunburg, a Swedish 15-year-old environmental activist who is breaking the Internet. Making incredible stands against the government’s lack of focus on this enormous issue, Thunburg not only is gaining popularity in Sweden but all over the world. Protests she has done include her “Skolstrejk Fór Klimatet,“ or “School Strike for Climate,” a month-long strike where she spent school hours Monday through Friday in front of the Swedish Parliament.

This strike continues to this day, Thunburg spending her Fridays on the steps with a packed lunch and her backpack by her side.

Not only does she continue to hold her strike every week, but people from around the world have joined in. Every Saturday morning Thunburd posts pictures of people’s strikes from around the world including photos from places like Dublin, Germany, Russia, New York and even Pasadena, CA. Her actions have encouraged thousands of others, bringing attention to issues often overlooked.

After gaining attention from politicians and activists, Thunburg was finally rewarded for all she has sacrificed for this cause.

The young girl was nominated for the Children’s Climate Prize award for 2018, but declined the nomination and opting to stay in Sweden in a protest against the past generation’s abuse of the limited carbon budget that is being stressed by excessive airline travel.

She was asked to speak at the Global Climate Change Conference on Dec. 8, which led to her inspiring and brutally honest speech going viral, being retweeted by environmental accounts, activists and even Bernie Sanders. She focused her speech on the trouble that adults have created for the climate and how their actions have impacted the younger generation, saying: “You say you love your children above all else, and yet you are stealing their future in front of their very eyes.”

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Thunburg is just one more example of how we are creating a new movement that is effectively changing the world as we know it.

Looking at the work our generation is doing, it is clear that without young, involved and dedicated youth, we will have little hope.

Every one of us has to make an effort — because the news we are receiving isn’t a death sentence, it is an opportunity. An opportunity to do better.

An opportunity to use our power and our voice to change the course of history. An opportunity to save the world.

“You say you love your children above all else, and yet you are stealing their future in front of their very eyes.”

WORDS by PHOEBE STEIN ART by BEAU GLAZIER

The Fourth Estate • 31

The Carnivore’s Dilemma

As further studies come out, plant-based living is becoming more accessible, understood and embraced. No longer considered a fad diet or a quirky trend people are adopting this cruelty-free lifestyle for the animals, their bodies and the environment.

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hoosing a plant-based lifestyle of any variation whether it be pescatarian, vegetarian or vegan, helps the planet in a huge way.

The UN reported that climate change is irreversible so people assume this means we just give up.

When really, this should give us the fuel to change our destructive ways.

Environmental activists spread the message to take shorter showers and to carpool, while it is good advice, it is a very minuscule part of addressing an enormous problem.

A recent study showed that 55 percent of water use in America is from the animal agriculture industry.

Another factor worth consideration is transportation.

Many people advocate biking to work or carpooling.

Freshman Mike Janey bikes to campus everyday. She said the gorgeous views she gets to enjoy are the “highlight of [her] day.”

Besides it being a nice way to enjoy the scenery of Hope Ranch, Mike and her parents use bicycles as their main source of transportation.

Bikers and carpoolers make helpful contributions to the great changes we have to make. However, our Earth is in grave danger and it is only getting worse. A few bikers aren’t going to be able to solve our problem quickly enough.

We talk all about these issues we label as the causes of global warming when really it is the production of livestock which affects the planet the most.

The problem is that people don’t want to accept this because meat and dairy are part of the American culture.

As a society, we want the easy way out, we want to make changes but not to change our lifestyle. Animal agriculture produces an estimated four times as much global greenhouse gas emissions than all of the transportation combined, this includes airplanes, cars, and trains.

Vegan living is sometimes frowned upon: especially for teenagers. People are quick to say it is a danger to

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growing bodies and that it limits essential nutrients.

This couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Long time vegetarian, sophomore Elizabeth Bisno has very strong opinions on eating meat. She said [it is all about] “The huge difference between eating meat and not eating it... There are multiple benefits for health and the environment!”

But it isn’t just about the health for her it is also about “supporting better and longer lives for animals.”

Vegan foods have naturally lower levels of saturated and trans fats, which reduce your risk of developing heart disease at a younger age versus products that have higher fat levels such as dairy products, fatty meats, deep fried food, and fast food.

When switching over to plant-based living, noticing a decrease in weight is common. Many fruits, vegetables, and other plant foods are low in calories. However, if weight gain is desired; nuts, avocados, and coconut milk can be great healthy ways to gain weight.

All the vitamins you could possibly imagine from B12 to calcium come in various plant-based foods.

Omnivores often think being a vegan or vegetarian means you are missing out on certain nutrients which are vital to our bodies. Yet study after study show that vegetables and earth-grown foods are nutrient rich.

Although not discussed often, digestive issues are a huge problem in the United States. The average person needs 25 grams of fiber a day yet most Americans adults consume an estimated 15 grams amounting to 10 grams less than what is needed, which is because the typical omnivore diet is a meal consisting of a large portion of meat or fish. But in a plant-based meal, the meat/fish portion is replaced with a vegetarian option which is high insoluble (grains) and soluble fiber (vegetables).

So the next time you chomp into a burger, remember the effect you are having on not only everything around you but yourself.

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Questions with Jicama the Pig

What about protein?

Did you know what eating meat actually results in unhealthy dosages of protein?

Contrary to popular belief eating excessive protein causes nitrogen levels in the body to increase. This influx of protein strains the kidneys and makes them work harder to get rid of the extra nitrogen.

What about iron?

One of the most common deficiencies; in omnivore and plant based diets is iron. There is no need to worry about iron deficiency if you are eating a wide range of veggies and grains! Did you know, cooking food with a cast iron skillet increases your iron intake?

Who even follows a plant based diet?

Some of the most famous vegetarians of our time have been talk show host Ellen Degeneres, Apple creator Steve Jobs, environmentalist Jane Goodall, Renowned artist Leonardo da Vinci and genius Albert Einstein!

WORDS by DAISY FINEFROCK ART by BEAU GLAZIER

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The Fourth Estate • 33

Tree Huggers

Tree Lovers

An attempt to counter the connotation of the classic environmentalist.

Would you consider yourself an environmentalist?

YES NO

58% 42%

What do you think of when you picture an environmentalist?

“An enlightened hippie strolling through the forest admiring the beautiful scenery around him.”

“I think it is wrong.”

“Birkenstocks and lots of bumper stickers” “beautiful, long haired, pot smoking, incense burning, hippie” “A hippie stoner whose only reason to save the plants is so that he or she can later smoke them.”

“Hippie vegan who gets mad at people with dogs and wants to free cows (even though they would die without people) and generally only hears facts that support their views.”

Results from an all-school poll using Google Form.

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hen you grow up in Santa Barbara, your childhood, by default, is centered around nature. For me, I ran around the beach and straight into sand castles. For my eleventh birthday, I was surprised with a picnic hike to the top of the Hot Springs Trail.

I love nature, and in a town like Santa Barbara — founded upon the conservation of natural beauty — I am not alone.

Freshman Amelia Fowler said that she “go[es] on family beach walks on both Christmas and Thanksgiving.”

By definition, I am considered an environmentalist. I am, as the Google dictionary states, “a person who is concerned with or advocates for the protection of the environment.”

In Public Speaking class, I delivered a 10-minute speech on the state of the environment and the necessary actions to protect it.

I believe in causes like Heal the Ocean, a Santa Barbara philanthropy that strives to reduce ocean pollution.

I was raised surrounded by nature. So yes, by definition, I am an environmentalist.

But I don’t wear Birkenstocks, I don’t have dreadlocks and I don’t hug a tree every time I see one.

By connotation, we are green juice drinking, never-showering hippies.

Society has a skewed view of what it means to be an environmentalist – and I don’t fit the stereotype.

When asked anonymously, to identify the classic environmentalist, Laguna students responded with answers such as, “someone with a tan vest, cargo pants, and an eco-friendly water bottle in the jungle where all the animals are happy, and birds are on their shoulder,” or my personal favorite, “some hippie stoner whose only reason to save the plants is so that he or she can later smoke them.”

Environmentalists are portrayed to be either way too chill, or crazy and obsessive, making every politician’s job a nightmare.

Granted, some do.

Typically, however, the average environmentalist doesn’t hold picket signs that say, “FRACKING SUCKS” or “THE EARTH IS OLDER THAN EVEN I AM, RESPECT YOUR ELDERS.” We just do our part to ensure that we make the plan-

et cleaner every day. We pick up the trash that we see on a hike or in the sand at the beach. Junior Kiki Tolles “take[s] military showers.”

Another student said that a classic environmentalist was simply “someone who is aware of their surroundings, the world around them, and their impact on it.”

AP Environmental Science instructor and self-proclaimed environmentalist, Erik Faust, said his daily actions is “ teach[ing] children about how to think about their environment as something that affects them, and teaching [his] children about the value of resources that are finite and how to appreciate [them].”

As an expert in the field, Faust said “Once you recognize that you’re saving yourself, you recognize that you are the environment. What you leave becomes the environment. We are not distinct.

We are fundamentally connected — we are the environment, the environment is us.”

We are environmentalists by definition, but we don’t blend with the hardcore societal persona that environmentalists have occupied for so long.

Faust believes that where “the modern environmental movement has gone astray has been in its inability to connect with people that in looking after the environment, you’re actually really trying to protect yourself. If we [make] that link a little more well understood in people’s mind, there would be less of a negative connotation about what it means to be an environmentalist.”

As denotations of environmentalism, our motives are much gentler and more simplistic than the overdramatized “CHANGE THE WORLD.” We want the natural world to be there for coming generations to enjoy as we do. We know how vital and codependent ecosystems are; thus we aim lessen our impact to ensure their preservation.

We just don’t fit the stereotypical connotation of the classic ‘environmentalist.’

So I’ve created a new word to define us. We are “appreciationalists.”

We appreciate everything nature has to offer. We respect its beauty and power. We do our part to help.

We want to leave a healthy planet for our children.

We don’t take nature for granted, and that, in and of itself, is doing our part to help the environment — even if we don’t wear Birkenstocks.

I don’t wear Birkenstocks, I don’t have dreadlocks and I don’t hug a tree every time I see one.

PHOTO: Piedra Bola in Tapalpa, Mexico

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WORDS and ART by AUDREY MURPHY The Fourth Estate • 35

The Truth about Organic It is important to know what you are putting in your mouth and not be led by current food trends or misleading information. Just because a food is labeled “organic” might not mean it is the healthiest option. What does “organic” really mean? It means the way food is grown, handled and processed. Fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy products and meat are the most purchased organic foods. Whether you buy Organic or Non-Organic it is up to you, but knowing a few facts might help make your decision easier.

YES — Organic foods are more expensive than non-organic foods.

Farming costs, small production levels, additional time to produce crops, and certification cost are just a few of the factors that determine product pricing.

Time is money and in producing an “organic” product more time and effort is dedicated to raising, shipping and selling which drives up the prices.

Organic products do not contain preservatives that would make them last longer. Therefore, organic products are fresher but will have a shorter shelf life. Most organic products are grown and produced on small farms near where they are being sold. Local food is harvested when ripe and will always be the freshest and most flavorful.

Studies have shown that both organic and conventionally grown vegetables offer similar levels of nutrients, minerals and vitamin C and E. Conventional crops are higher in protein with fewer pesticide residues then found on organic foods.

Organic foods can provide a significant increase in antioxidants such as carotenoids which are believed to protect cells from the effects of aging. Bottom line — nutritional quality between organic and non-organic fruits and vegetables really isn’t that big.

Many argue that eating organic foods makes you healthier. You may argue that it tastes better or helps the environment but there are no factual reports that link organic food to health benefits.

So, it cannot be proven at this time that organic is a healthier option to non-organic food.

Organic farmers don’t use synthetic fertilizers or pesticides, but they can use fertilizers that are made from natural ingredients that may be dangerous to your health.

Organic farmers use insect traps, crop selection and predator insects to cut down on all pesticide use.

Bottom Line — supporters of organic foods believe the products used can hurt the environment and the scientists point out that the pesticides used are closely monitored and regulated. The fewer pesticides used on food the better.

WORDS and PHOTO by ESTELLE MURRAY

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Stance of the Staff

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hile preparing the theme of this issue of The Fourth Estate, the journalism lab was crackling with discourse on the topic of conservation. It was apparent from the comments and opinions of the staff that the environmental issues facing our planet are nothing if not urgent.

As the creators behind a student-run publication, the concept of responsibility is something that our staff deals with every day, and it is rarely more pressing than when dealing with climate change. Our generation, of course, isn’t fully culpable for the climate change that our planet is currently facing — for centuries, since the dawn of the industrial age, emission buildup has been tearing a hole in our ozone layer, allowing solar radiation and greenhouse gases to heat the planet’s atmosphere.

While the current generation isn’t to be blamed for what’s happening to the planet, however, we still may be the ones who end up fixing it.

The conservationist movement is certainly not a recent phenomenon. It started in the 1950s, only to be furthered by talking points like Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring” in the early 70s and the founding of the Greenpeace organization and the initiation of the annual environmental celebration Earth Day over the following decade.

Despite these efforts, however, the climate has continued on its dire path. And that’s where we come in — conservationists have gone from a fringe community to one whose opinions backed up by scientific fact and dire warnings from experts across the world, and many adults seem either in denial or resigned to the damage that has been done to the planet. Switching to an eco-friendly lightbulb is no longer enough, experts say: drastic measures must be taken.

But is it our responsibility to take those measures? This is, some could argue, not our mess to clean up. Our generation is the generation of electric cars and the vegan craze. We seem to be doing our part to not contribute to the harm caused by those who came before us.

Regardless of guilt, however, it is still our planet. Our absence for the genesis of these issues does not excuse us from picking up the responsibility that politicians on both sides of the aisle seem to be ignoring by any means. As a staff, we came to a group realization: This is our world, and time is running short.

As citizens of Earth, we are obligated to pick up the mantle of environmental conservation, to strive to live cleaner, to help emissions regulations, to aid efforts to fix our dying planet. It is up to us to save the world because it has become clear that nobody else is going to do it for us. We may be young, but we can’t afford to wait any longer. The time is now and the planet is dying: It is up to us to make the choice to save it.

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The Fourth Estate • 39

Not Guilty Usually, court rulings stick. Usually, when someone is arrested, their attorney is called. Usually, judges are fair and people are treated justly. However, nothing about the current judicial system is usual. We took an inside look to figure out why.

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hen the verdict “Not guilty” rang out through the courtroom in early February, Juan, an illegal immigrant, and longtime United States resident thought he was finally safe. He couldn’t have been more wrong.

Before settling down with his wife, Juan immigrated to the United States in 2000, making his way from El Salvador after two major earthquakes.

Throughout the next 17 years he cultivated a close relationship with

40 • The Fourth Estate

his work and found happiness with his wife and daughter; he seemed to be living his version of the American Dream.

Other than two arbitrary and longsince resolved DUI charges from the early 2000s, Juan was an exemplary U.S. Citizen… even if he wasn’t legally that. However, in 2017, his life was turned upside-down.

He received a call at work from his wife and assumed it was something simple — like pick-up butter at the grocery store, or don’t forget to grab

the dry cleaning.

In reality, it was much worse.

“Juan’s case is just one example of how the immigration court system is fundamentally unfair,” Juan’s attorney Mackenzie Mackins said.

This is just one scenario of how inhumanity and corruption within the judicial system ruin lives — and tears families apart.

Juan’s frantic wife called to inform him that Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE as they are more commonly known, came into thefourthestate.net

said Mackins, “it is almost impossi- court judge didn’t agree with.

Does that make him a racist? No. ble to win a case... I only found out what was going on with Juan’s trial The judge may believe they made the right call. after he was in jail.”

Since Donald Trump became presA man declared innocent sat in a cell for two weeks without any hope ident in 2016, things have changed because no one was fighting for him. for the immigrants.

Courts have turned into deportaBelieve it or not, tion sites, turning families away from this isn’t a rare “Juan’s case is just one example of the place they call home. occurrence. how the immigration court system The current “These people are being targeted climate of the because of President Trump’s changis fundamentally unfair.” judicial system es to enforcement policies,” Mackins is under fire, said.

With a recent backlog number of spurred by reHis priorities lay with his wife and cent events like Kavanaugh’s confir- 750,000 immigration cases, judges family. By returning to the apart- mation into the Supreme Court and will be required to face at least three ment and being with his wife, Juan the system being accused of having cases a day.

In response to a question regardwas sacrificing himself. racist tendencies. ing changes in the judicial system It ended up being worthless. His Although that is a strong stateafter the Trump administration took wife was immediately deported ment, it could perhaps be true. back to El Salvador.

African Americans and Latinos are office, Mackins said, “When every“Currently, families, minor chil- pulled over for minor things; our sys- one is a priority and being pushed through the system for removal, the dren, husbands, fathers, and grand- tem is deeply flawed. parents are being ripped from our “These people are being targeted courts cannot handle the flux of new communities,” Mackins said. because of President Trump’s chang- cases. In downtown Los Angeles, Juan spent the better part of the es to enforcement policies,” Mackins cases are being set for 2021. What sense does that make?” following year in prison before trial. said.

The quota isn’t boding well with all It took a trip to the Los Angeles An NYPD study suggests that only courtroom with Mackins, the source three percent of stop and frisk en- judges though; judges have retired for this interview, to get the full sto- counters have any actual crime in- early after the Trump administration ry. volved when the Watching Juan’s trial, it became driver is a minority “Currently, families, minor evident that there was little chance — and that is just that Juan would go free — but then the beginning. children, husbands, fathers and the impossible happened.

When you delve grandparents are being ripped After an hour of nervous anticipa- deeper into the tion, the judge delivered the final issue, it isn’t just from our communities.” verdict: not guilty. racially-prejudiced The look on the faces of Juan, police officers; it Mackins, and his extended family carries all the way through to the took over and began influencing the was enough to put a smile on our root of the problem: the judicial sys- policies of the courts.

With the Trump Administration own. tem’s policies and the judges who flooding immigration services with We returned to school in Santa make the final call.

Barbara and wrote this article with a In 1986 the Supreme Court made cases of innocent people and an inhappy ending, putting the issue to it illegal for prosecutors to turn away flux of inhumane trials, how will the bed until now. potential jurors because of their system remain fair and just?

The answer is in the people.

After returning from summer race, yet it hasn’t been enforced.

Speaking out for the victims of the break, we received terrible news; The New Yorker reported that not only had Juan been arrested since the ruling, courts found nu- system, bringing awareness to the again, but the judge’s verdict had merous ways to turn away minority unjust rulings and stopping human lives from being viewed as a political been challenged, and Juan was jurors. summoned once again to court.

So it isn’t as simple as blaming it issue are just a few ways to stop raAnd somehow, that still wasn’t the on a few random judges who may or cial profiling and unjust judicial proworst part. may not be racist, they exist through- cesses.

The worst part was that Juan was out the whole of America’s criminal WORDS by DAISY FINEFROCK and immediately placed in jail, and his justice system. attorney was never notified.

In Juan’s case, a judge with more PHOEBE STEIN “Without proper representation,” authority made a call that a lower ART by JACK STEIN their home and demanded she contact him to tell him to come home.

She tried to convince him not to return — coming back would mean being arrested, and almost certainly, facing deportation.

Juan refused.

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The Fourth Estate • 41

42 • The Fourth Estate

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Open Borders

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As cartels are holding victims ransom, gangs are committing violent crimes and human trafficking becomes a rising issue, it is easy for people to be afraid even when they are on the safe side of the border.

sylum seekers are individuals who flee from their country in search of a safe new home, many coming from crime-infested countries like Mexico and El Salvador.

When arriving at the border, whether it be violently or peacefully, immigrants seek to be given asylum due to the dangers they face from their countries of origin.

Recently, the talk of having open borders has been a main point of political discourse, with the right-wing leaning towards more border control, whereas the left-wing advocating for an open border or an easier path to citizenship.

Politicians use immigrants as another issue, another vote, another debate topic, and not as what they really are: humans.

These are human lives, which we are dismissing because of politics.

Most recently, the caravan originating in San Pedro Sula, Honduras has been a frequent topic on the nightly news. There are thousands of immigrants on the road seeking asylum.

Due to claims of an estimated 600 criminals in the caravans, there has been a lot of pushback for giving the asylum seekers a fair chance to get into a safe country.

President Donald Trump is admired by his supporters for his staunch commitment to deporting illegal immigrants and cracking down on ICE, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and their stand for deportations.

Calling people from Mexico derogatory terms like “rapists,” “bad hombres,” “animals” and “drug dealers” are just a few of the labels our name-calling President has used.

Using illegal immigrants as a scare tactic and an opportunity for political gain is Trump’s forte.

We are told by our President that if we build a wall, all of our problems could be solved, and the terrible, scary Mexicans won’t be

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able to get into our secure country.

Brainwashing people into being scared of the “outsiders,” or being afraid of “them” is much easier than being afraid of what is already in our country, what runs deep within our roots, “us.”

The rising issue is about the border policy. While Trump issues funds to the border patrol and sends troops to defend the borders, others believe it would be much more effective to treat asylum seekers as humans and to give them the safety they seek.

However, Trump’s motives are much more aggressive, using this escalating crisis to push for funding from his supporters for his border wall.

The Trump administration is spending at least $72 million to send troops to deal with the caravan and the flood of illegal immigrants.

This results in excessive money being wasted at the border, money that is taken away from the immigration judges.

There is a huge backlog of cases in immigration court which causes many immigrants to be stuck in detention centers with no hearing date in sight.

The issue of open borders is one that doesn’t seem to be able to be solved easily. It is a complex issue that has many people’s lives on the line.

Having open borders would mean a free for all country. A country where anyone could come in; terrorists, drug dealers and hardened criminals.

However, that doesn’t dismiss the peaceful asylum seekers who simply want a better life. After all, if this is the land of the free, why are we locking people up?

WORDS by DAISY FINEFROCK

ART by DAISY FINEFROCK and BEAU GLAZIER

The Fourth Estate • 43

Prop 7 The saying goes “the early bird gets the worm”— but the question is: Will that still be true if we wake up to a pitch-black sky?

44 • The Fourth Estate

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D

uring an election taking place in the last months of 2018, those living in California voted either for or against a carefully put together list of propositions.

One concerned apartment rental control, one the cap-and-trade program and one pertained to daylight savings time.

“Part-year Daylight Savings Time was started during World War II in order to save energy. California voters approved it in 1949 and for that reason, the voters would have to vote to authorize the legislature to change it to year-round,” according to the League of Women Voters of California.

Currently, we use Day Savings Time in the summer, and change our clocks in order to keep it lighter and brighter throughout the afternoon.

As winter arrives, we use Standard Time in order for us to wake up to the sun shining.

The decision to be made within Proposition 7 was whether or not to have our State Assembly vote on keeping California’s current Daylight Savings Time throughout the year.

This change would involve having one time continuing throughout the whole year.

According to the Voter Guide, the U.S. experimented with this concept in 1974 following an energy crisis, under the leadership of President Nixon.

The decision was made to switch to Daylight Savings Time all year.

But, only 10 months later, Americans argued against the change because of the inconvenience of dark skies in the morning.

According to the Voter Guide, “University medical studies in 2012 found that the risk of heart attacks increase by 10 percent in the two days following a time change.”

Supporters of Prop 7 state that

time changes disrupt young children’s sleep patterns and increase our country’s use of electricity.

“I voted to have the California State Assembly vote on whether or not to keep Daylight Savings. I hope they vote to get rid of it,” senior Sully Israel said.

Seventh grade English instructor Drew Zailik said, “The whole purpose of it was to give us more time in the afternoon to enjoy the sunlight.”

Freshman George Nicks said, “There should be just one time throughout the year, because the sun is in a different position than it normally is and the glare affects drivers… people die every year because of it.”

Those not in support of Prop 7 argue that we would have kids walking to school in the dark, which is a serious safety hazard.

fornia and its neighbors, putting us in sync with Mountain Time during parts of the year, and with Nevada, Oregon, Washington and Mexico during the remaining parts of the year.

“I don’t think the time changes should be messed with. I don’t live in Santa Barbara, I commute every day and so I’m really impacted by the amount of light that there is in a day.

I like how it is because the time is based on the seasons that we have.

If we were to make that change, we would experience a different pattern of daylight and night that would not work with our daily schedules, “ Hales said.

Times changes have an effect on people’s emotions.

“I am personally impacted when we go back to Standard Time. I’m definitely happier, more active, [and] more productive when we have more daylight.

Also, if this were to happen kids would be walking to school in the dark,” Hales said.

Overall, it is a choice.

A choice between safety, the saving of energy, health and simply our preference.

Voting on local propositions matters and allows all of our voices to be heard.

“It’s really important that we all vote so that we all have a say in our republican form of democracy. That’s how our democracy works, if we all contribute our voice,” Hales said.

Prop 7 passed, by a total of 59.76 percent, allowing a repeal of an earlier proposition establishing Daylight Savings Times.

Prop 7 now moves to the state Legislature who can vote to change Daylight Savings Time if the change is allowed by the federal government.

“It is something that is actually going to affect people’s lives. It’s really tangible, it’s the way we live.”

- Sully Israel

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Another argument comes from the people who exercise in the morning. They would have to do so in the dark, making it a challenge to maintain their motivation.

Instructional Integration Coordinator Nissa Hales said, “I exercise after work instead of before work, but I think those people who exercise in the morning may have a much more challenging time of it because it’s going to be dark later.

“If you’re trying to stay motivated with a workout routine, then you’re not going to want to get out of bed some mornings when it’s cold and dark.”

Altering the time change would create a difference between Cali-

WORDS and ART by CATIE FRISTOE

The Fourth Estate • 45

Continue Watching?

With the rise of Netflix movies and TV, conventional entertainment has taken a backseat.

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tranger Things” and “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” not only all have a cult-like following but also are all Netflix original shows.

Over the past five years, Netflix’s popularity has skyrocketed and is now surpassing conventional TV. Netflix’s growth can be measured in their stock. Starting at the beginning of 2013, Netflix’s popularity and revenue began to grow gradually until December 2017, when the company’s growth passed $11 billion in revenue by the end of the fiscal year.

This can be compared to the stock of Dish, a orthodox TV streaming company, which has gradually decreased in earnings since 2013.

When asked about Netflix’s rising popularity contrary to conventional TV, entrepreneurship teacher Paul Chiment said, “Netflix is successful because it thinks like a big company, but operates like a small company. What I mean by that is that Netflix understands the very large market of entertainment in its many forms, and it is able to rapidly adapt to, and even predict, change. For example, it pivoted its DVD rental business model toward streaming very early in the game. In a classic example of “creative destruction,” Netflix destroyed the market position of Blockbuster.

“Now it is seeking to undo the TV and movie studio model by producing its own content, therefore challenging the status quo with “Netflix Originals.” I admire how the leadership team at Netflix is always proactive and not reactive, and it is us, the consumers, who benefit from their innovation.”

Netflix, a video streaming company, appeals to all audiences and is available on smart-phones, computers, and tablets, becoming a convenient way to stream favorite TV shows, contrary to ordinary TV, which is only available in one place.

Although this is part of Netflix’s growth, it is not unique to the company.

Other video streaming companies such as HBO, Hulu, and Amazon Prime have the same on demand aspect.

Howev er, what makes N e t flix so unique is its abund a n c e of local companies who own TV shows which are only available on Netflix.

T h i s factor has significantly helped Netflix to grow in popularity.

With entertainment such as “Orange is the New Black,” “ T h e Kissing Booth” and “Barbie Dreamhouse Adventures,” Netflix appeals to all ages.

Netflix’s original shows no only

appeal to all ages, but also have original cable’s successful shows and movies. Most of Netflix’s original content entered mainstream media and is taking over film and TV discussions.

Although Netflix has many benefits, there are also downsides. One being money, more precisely the cost of subscriptions, which can amount to monthly payments of up to $13.99 along with a cable TV bill.

Another is that Netflix’s expansive movie and TV library are so enticing that they can take up time from studies, family, and friends.

These reasons are why the average consumer might not want to subscribe to Netflix.

Title: “To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before” Rotten Tomatoes score: 96%

“‘To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before’ is the best rom-com out there. With a plot that keeps you on your toes, it emulates what the idealistic teen girl wants out of high school. Every viewer can’t help but fall in love with the protagonists and wish they were them.”

- Maud Christal

Title: “Stranger Things” Rotten Tomatoes score: 95%

“‘Stranger Things’ is an amazing series that integrates an immerse 80s style vibe, a thought-provoking plot, and addictive characters.

‘Stranger Things’ truly leaves you with a feeling of emptiness when you finish the show. The Duffer Brothers have created a masterpiece, and I can’t wait for season three!”

- Patrick Otte WORDS and ART by HANNA MASRI and JULIANNA SEYMOUR

WORDS by

ZOE KING and VIOLET ZHOU ART by

JACK STEIN and BEAU GLAZIER

48 • The Fourth Estate

Old School or Modern?

The Evolution of the Rap Indust ry thefourthestate.net

M

usic is influential. It influences our thoughts and views. Our beliefs and our perceptions.

Rap music has been around for a while.

Even though there are mixed opinions on it, rap has had a significant influence on pop culture over years and continues to have an impact on pop culture.

Perhaps even more so today.

Rap music was controversial 20 years ago, but due in part to the advances in technology, it has become more mainstream.

Twenty years later, it has taken a huge turn. It’s natural that music would evolve along with the artists that create it, as well as the reputations of these artists.

Music evolves with pop culture, and the things that we as a society find relevant. We give attention to what and who we value in society. For example, modern rapper who calls himself Tekashi 6ix9ine produces music that includes lines referencing drug abuse, gang affiliation and

A Mixed Bag of Opinions on Campus “Modern Rap in my opinion seems to be in a trend of anti-intellectualism, which is the direction popular music has been heading for a long time. Many genres have been watered down to be palatable to an increasingly musically uneducated audience.

The same trends are noticed in modern country and rock music. However, I feel rap gets put under the spotlight because it started out as an anti-establishment music and exploded with the gangster rap era. This left a bad taste in the mouth of many people that had trouble relating to this music.

My personal opinion is that rap, or hip-hop artistry, peaked in the late 90s-early 00s when jazz harmony was incorporated into HipHop beats and topics were more intellectual.

the objectification of women, along with references to abuse, crime, and murder.

While 6ix9ine’s music is an example of modern rap that sends negatively influential messages, there also modern rappers such as Kendrick Lamar whose music projects equality, personal reflection, and encouragement to oppressed people, and people in unfortunate, and binding circumstances who may feel hopeless.

Modern rap is interpreted differently depending on how a person relates to it.

No matter how modern rap is interpreted today, it is inevitable that it will continue to evolve with the new generations that produce it.

The music we put out, and we listen to is the same music that will be archived, and stored away as some generational milestone that is reflective on Generation Z. Time will only tell what future generations will create and what they will interpret as good music.

Now, I feel rap is in a period of ‘sales over art.’ I think most people know modern rap is bad, but they keep making it because it sells.

Casual listeners buy it because they want to feel part of the loop. People like Anderson .Paak, Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar and Eminem are still releasing quality material.

Rap as an art form is timeless because it is poetry over music. There will be periods of greatness and periods that don’t measure up.”

-Rob Moreno Music Instructor “I like Rap music only when it inspires someone else.

Lin-Manuel Miranda is a great poet with great genius.

Many of the poems he wrote are inspired by the rap, and hip-hop music he listens to.”

-Lindsay Woodard Social Science Instructor “I like it a lot, but there are some new sound cloud rappers that don’t want to put in effort. Older rap isn’t the only good rap music, there are some great new rap songs too.”

-Emily Donelan ’21 “I like it. There are some really good rappers. The way a lot of stereotypical modern rap is perceived is as something that objectifies women, and glorifies drug use, but it can be used as a really a beautiful art form. It’s poetry when used correctly.”

-Beau Glazier ‘20 “Personally I don’t listen to rap music. There are some original artists, but most are kind of cliché. But it’s a kind of music culture and it’s pretty popular right now.”

- Elizabeth Bisno ’21

thefourthestate.net

The Fourth Estate • 51

The 34th Edition

B I F F

The Santa Barbara International Film Festival has become an influential tipping point in the race for the acclaimed Oscar. As the Festival fast approaches, here’s a look at the upcoming Q & A’s and tributes to keep an eye out for.

A

ccording to the Hollywood Reporter, the Santa Barbara International Film Festival has become “one of the most important stops on the annual road tothe Oscars.”

This February, SBIFF will hold it’s 34th annual Film Festival in the historic Arlington Theatre.

The prestige of the festival is in large part due to the high Academy member population density associated with the Santa Barbara region.

Looking forward to the upcoming event, Roger Durling, executive director of the festival said to the Hollywood Reporter, “We love that after this past difficult year, Santa Barbara is anxiously ready to welcome once again more world-class filmmakers.”

This year, they look to not disappoint. For years the festival brought us some of the most creative and talented artists in their field, with previous nominees including Robert De Niro, Emma Stone, Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams, Greta Gerwig and Christopher Nolan.

SBIFF as a foundation acts as a local non-profit whose mission is to engage, enrich, and inspire people through the power of film.

They use their donations to provide “impactful educational experiences” for “local, national and global communities.”

There are numerous programs that exist under the Film Festival that many are unaware of, spanning a wide variety of participants.

Many provide low-income families and children with access to

cinema, such as AppleBox and Mike’s Field Trip to the Movies, whilst others educate students in developing their passion for film.

The Rosebud Program, for example, is a free program that gives film students the unique opportunity to attend numerous pre-release screenings and engage with some of the most well-renowned professionals in the industry.

This year, the festival will run from Jan. 30 to Feb. 9.

Here’s a closer look at a few of the must-see tributes coming to Santa Barbara:

“We love that after this past difficult year, Santa Barbara is anxiously ready to welcome once again more world-class filmmakers.”

-Roger Durling The Virtuosos Award The Virtuosos Award recognizes rising performers whose unique depiction of their character makes them stand out from the film despite being overshadowed by more traditionally commended roles.

In previous years, this prestigious award went to a collection

of performers, diverging in age, ethnicity and gender.

Overall, the Virtuosos tends to draw a younger crowd to the event due to the appeal of the actors present.

Each recipient is given their own allocated time to discuss their film and then a group Q&A follows.

The light-hearted nature makes this tribute one of the most popular to watch at the festival.

According to the Film Festival’s website, the award was “Created to honor an individual who has enriched our culture through accomplishments in the motion picture industry.”

1/31/19 Outstanding Directors Award

Montecito Award honoring Melissa McCarthy Melissa McCarthy will be recognized for her bold and brutal performance in “Can You Ever Forgive “Me?”, a true story depicting Lee Israel’s literary forgery in order to sustain financial stability.

On giving her the recognition, Durling said, “She’s funny, dark, caustic and oh so vulnerable. SBIFF is so pleased to be able to award this performance and her career so far.”

The Montecito Award is awarded to members of the entertainment industry who have made a significant contribution to cinema.

Past recipients of the award include Saoirse Ronan, Daniel-Day Lewis, Julianne Moore and Javier Bardem, among others.

Maltin Modern Master Award honoring Glenn Close It is the 28th year for American film critic and historian Leonard Maltin’s to moderate this event, which was renamed after him in 2015.

Glenn Close is set to receive the honor for her performance in “The Wife.”

On Close, Maltin stated to Deadline, “[She] is one of the great actresses of our time. Versatility is her hallmark, and there is clearly nothing she can’t do... I can’t wait to spend an evening with her onstage at the Arlington Theater.”

The Modern Master Award, founded in 1995, ‘is the highest accolade’ presented during the film festival. thefourthestate.net

2/7/19 American Riviera Award honoring Viggo Mortensen “Green Book” co-star Viggo Mortensen will be up for the American Riviera Award in February. Because of Santa Barbara’s long-established association as the “American Riviera,” the film festival “proudly places this trademarked name on our award for outstanding achievement in American film.”

Mortensen is among other greats to have received this award, including Tommy Lee Jones, Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, Annette Bening and many more.

In the dramedy “Green Book,” Mortensen stars alongside Mahershala Ali as a prejudiced New York bouncer who drives pianist Dr. Don Shirley (Ali) around the South in the ‘60s.

“As Tony Lip in “Green Book,” he delivers the capstone to his remarkable career. He encapsulates the American Riviera Award. We greatly admire and love him,” Durling said.

Cinema Vanguard Award

2/4/19 Variety Artisans Award

To find out about students connection to film at Laguna, visit https://thefourthestate.net/

WORDS and ART by MAGGIE NEWELL

The Fourth Estate • 51

I

f you ask anyone, the sport associated with the U.S. would be football. That is why we differentiate it from European football by calling it “American football,” because it is America’s sport, and it has been for decades.

The “America’s favorite past-time” title has gone to the NFL for as long as many can remember, and no other professional sporting league has ever come close to challenging that.

However, is now the time for that debate to begin? With an upsurge in ratings, viewership and social media interaction, the NBA is making a serious case as to why they might eclipse the NFL as America’s sport.

First off: the NFL is a powerhouse of a sports league. In 2017, the league brought in $14 billion of revenue compared to the NBA’s 7.4 billion in that same year.

While that statistic may scream to some that the NFL is clearly bigger than the NBA, it is important to take into account the stark differences between the sports and their respective seasons.

The NFL season consists of 16 games per team, with each team having 53 players on a roster.

The NBA season, on the other hand, is made up of 82 games per team, with each team containing 12-15 players on an active roster.

That translates to 256 regular season games being played each year in the NFL, vs. 1,230 regular season games played each year in the NBA. You would think that this would obviously give the NBA the advantage in the revenue department, right?

Wrong.

52 • The Fourth Estate

WORDS and ART by CHRISTIAN BRANCH

Because fewer games are played in the NFL each year, it is much easier to direct the audiences focus on a big Sunday Night game between two rival teams, which is not to mention the huge amount of advertising revenue that is brought in all season.

Long story short, the NFL regular season schedule is much easier to follow because there are only games on Sunday, Monday, and Thursday.

As a result, viewership among NFL games are much higher than NBA games. However, do not be misled by these stats. Revenue and viewership do not tell the whole story.

Since 2015, the average NFL viewership has gone down by approximately two million views each year, not to mention the eight-percent decline in television ratings since then.

The NBA continues to see steady increases in both categories, which is telling as to how well of a job the NBA is doing at making nationally-televised games more entertaining and engaging to audiences of all ages.

From hilarious halftime shows, to thrilling commentary, to player interviews, if you can name it, TNT and ESPN most likely have it.

NBA players do not wear helmets. It does make a difference from the fans perspective, especially for the fans that regularly follow the sport.

Without helmets, you are able to become familiar with what players look like, observe their facial expressions and remember unique features about the leagues’ stars, which translates into all aspects of our lives, such as social media, dinner table talk, classrooms, you name it.

The NFL banks on the success and popularity of their star players and top teams. However, just recently, one of the league’s most talented running backs, Kansas City Chiefs Kareem Hunt, was released after a video surfaced of him kicking and punching a woman in a hotel.

The video was found in February of 2018, and the NFL swept it under the rug until TMZ released it that November. Add this on top of the current national anthem protests and how the league’s front office has dealt with them, it is evident that players and the general public alike are not happy with the NFL’s actions as of late.

If this keeps up, we must ponder the question, is the NBA up next?

thefourthestate.net

An Interview with

Coach Sal Rodriguez Get to know one of Laguna Blanca’s most impressive coaches and one of Santa Barbara’s best basketball coaches. From playing, to coaching, to mentoring, Sal Rodriguez has done so much for this community, not just for the game of basketball.

What has been your favorite aspect of coaching the game of basketball?

“Seeing the improvement of the kids from day one to the end of the season. There is a lot of improvement that I see and that is what it’s all about.”

Most memorable moment from your coaching career?

“In the 1978, 1979 and 1980 seasons, I had an all-star team for the Boys and Girls Club, and we were the best team in Southern California.

We were beating everybody.

All those kids went on the play at San Marcos High School, and in a two-year run, they went 55-2. I had those kids 6th, 7th, 8th grade. It was fun.”

Can you talk about your contribution with the Boys and Girls Club here in Santa Barbara?

“I joined the club in 1955. It cost me 25 cents. I got my first time job with them when I was in 9th grade, which was refereeing basketball games.

I went to college, came back, and became the athletic director and then the CEO. I never left, it’s the only job I’ve ever had.”

What made you want to coach in the first place?

What is a side of coaching that is not so well known among those who don’t coach or have never coached?

“My high school coach was really good. I liked what he did. He took care of the kids.

It wasn’t about winning or losing, it was really about building character and I liked that.”

“It’s easy to second guess a coach. You can sit in the stands and second guess a coach all you want. That’s the easiest thing in the world to do.

The important thing is that you see improvement in the kids. You’re trying to build character, and I always say that if a kid hangs out with me for a while, he’s gonna turn out to be a really good guy.”

WORDS by CHRISTIAN BRANCH ART by CARLOS GUERRERO thefourthestate.net

The Fourth Estate

• 53

Finding the Balance to Handle It All An inside look at the lives of students who play both club and school sports.

WORDS and ART by MACY CHRISTAL

It’s a challenge to find balance as a high school student and it is especially challenging when one is an athlete who plays both on the school team as well as on a club team.

High school comes with school work, stress, extracurriculars and, of course, sports. Soccer, our winter sport, has two very competitive teams. Starting their practices in late November, players have a tight schedule of school, soccer and homework.

With their busy schedules, loads of school work and a busy sports schedule, how do they handle it all?

We interviewed senior Dylan Young, juniors Luca Wahlberg, Sulaiman Bah, Patrick Otte and Abdul Fatta Koroma and sophomore Beatriz Lujan Aguilar six athletes who have been playing all year long both on the Santa Barbara Soccer Club and on our school teams where these athletes are key players.

How did you become interested in soccer?

“My uncle used to take me to go watch our national team play, and sometimes we would go to the cinema to watch pros which inspired me a lot.” - Sulaiman Bah

Luca’s Weekend Soccer Schedule Friday: 4-5:30 p.m. practice Saturday: 6:00 a.m. wakeup 11:00 a.m. game Sunday: 6:00 a.m. wakeup 1:00 p.m. game

What sacrifices have you made to play club soccer and school soccer?

“The sacrifices that I have had to make are managing my time because of the amount of school work I have after playing both school and club soccer. Soccer games take the whole weekend.” - Bea Lujan Aguilar

Sulaiman Bah Beatriz Lujan Aguilar

Patrick Otte Do you have a plan for the future?

“To be a professional soccer player, travel the world, help the needy and do so by many things, not just soccer. I want to have my own foundation and build an orphanage for unprivileged kids and try to take them off the street because every child deserves an education. I want to make the world a better place, that’s something I’ve always dreamed of. I want to give to people, not because I have many, but because I know what it feels to have nothing.”

- Abdul Fatta Koroma

Luca Wahlberg

How does the Laguna community help you?

“Laguna Blanca supports me in many ways. The atmosphere is great.

Laguna soccer is a lot of fun, playing along side your friends after a long day is unique, and is something that will not go on forever. But also growing as a player is a primary aspect of playing at Laguna Blanca.”

- Patrick Otte

Dylan Young What food keeps you going?

“I eat a lot of chicken.

But I don’t drink soda or eat junk food. It’s important to cut out.”

- Dylan Young

Abdul Fatta Koroma

thefourthestate.net

The Fourth Estate • 55

THE TIME IS NOW