NEWS 1-4
PROFILE 5
OP/ED 6-7
Winter Wonderland Local holiday events around Santa Barbara. Page 2
SPORTS FEATURE 10-11 12-13 INSIDE Random Student Profile Junior Maddie Bonser Page 5
A&E 14
You Are What You Eat Healthier food picks for the new year. Pages 9-10
Laguna Blanca School - 4125 Paloma Drive - Santa Barbara - California - 93110
Volume XX
Friday, January 10, 2014
LIFESTYLE BACK PAGE 15 16 Soccer Season Boys and Girls soccer season starts. Page 11
www.thefourthestate.net
Issue 3
Meet Andy Surber: Lower School Head By ALLISON LEWIS TOWBES
PHOTOS: TARA BROUCQSAULT
GIVING SPIRIT: Clockwise from top left, faculty and students finish loading a van with gifts, freshman Clara Hillis makes room for more gifts in an already full van, eighth grader Sydney Edgecomb and seventh grader Julia Stone carry their donations to the table, Interact Club members join Ms. Dana Martin and Ms. Trish McHale.
Kids Give to Kids in the 5th Annual Foster Care Gift Drive
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tudents poured into the outdoor Ruston Amphitheater on Dec. 5 loaded with gifts for foster children. The holiday gift drive has become a tradition for Middle and Upper School students. The Interact Club is responsible for organizing this event which is in its fifth year. In this year’s drive over 250 gifts were donated, ranging from clothes and toys to new and slightly used bikes and scooters. At the assembly students piled gifts on to a table in the center of the theater then took their seats and waited for the assembly to begin.
By MACKENNA CONNOR & MARGARET LAZAROVITS The assembly included speeches from Santa Barbara Social Services deputy director Delfino Neira, Santa Barbara Rotary Club president Chris Clemens and Dana Martin Assistant to MS and US Heads. “Rotary sponsors the Interact Club. They provide support, and they provide guidance for those in high school who may be interested in Rotary as they get older. The focus is primarily on community service. The Interact Club provides their own president. They have their faculty advisor, Ms. McHale, and club president, Erica Keane. They have various service projects. One is
local and the next project will be an international project that they’ll be working on after the holidays,” said Rotarian and Laguna Blanca parent Michael Lazarovits. In attendance at the assembly was Danielle Koornwinder, the adoptive mother of three foster children who are siblings and who attend Lower School. The gift drive begins when the Santa Barbara Social Services gather holiday wish lists for children ranging from the still unborn to 19 years old. Gift requests are distributed to students through advisory. On the Friday following the drive, students and
faculty led by Ms. Dana Martin traveled to Social Services to wrap all of the gifts. Additionally, the Rotary Club raised over $4,000 to spend on gifts that teens would really enjoy. Erica met with Rotarian Sandy Nordahl and others at K-Mart to shop for teen gifts on Saturday, Dec. 13. “The Foster Care Gift Drive was done entirely by the Interact Club. They sponsored it, they coordinated it with the school. Rotary just provided the support for them,” said Mr. Lazarovits. “The Foster Care Gift Drive is amazing how it seems to get bigger and bigger every year. It’s a great way to involve the Middle School and the Upper School in a collective effort to help local kids,” said Erica.
Nelson Mandela, a Leader with a Legacy By BILL MORTENSEN Students in grades seven through twelve gathered to remember Nelson Mandela in assembly on Dec. 9. “Hating clouds the mind. It gets in the way of strategy. Leaders cannot afford to hate.” These are the words of Nelson Mandela, the former president of South Africa and a leader of the antiapartheid movement. He is best known for ending white minority rule, as well as ending apartheid. Mandela died Dec. 5 at 95 years old. He grew up in the home of the paramount chief of the Thembu. He joined the African National Congress to help battle apartheid. Although he originally preached non-violence, he changed his views after police killed 69 peaceful
As many in the Laguna Blanca community may know, there are several new staff and faculty members holding important administration positions, both on the Hope Ranch and Montecito campuses. Mr. Andy Surber, the new Head of the Lower School, comes from the state of Tennessee where he was Head of the Lower School at Grace-St. Luke’s Episcopal School in Memphis. He has also held positions at schools in Arizona and Illinois. “I grew up in a small town in Illinois. It really was a community,” said Mr. Surber. “I love [Laguna Blanca]. It’s a big change from where I was....This school is a very sweet school, and I’m really excited to work with the teachers. I’ve also really enjoyed getting to know the parents. We have a really cool and interesting parent group.” A major part of Laguna’s action plan for the year is connecting the two campuses to the greater Santa Barbara community. “We’re really working hard at the Lower School, trying to promote ourselves.”
protesters in Sharpeville in harmony and with equal township in 1961. opportunities. It is an ideal It was because of this for which I hope to live for change that Mandela and to see realized. But, and eight other African my lord, if it needs be, it National Congress (ANC) is an ideal for which I am leaders were put on prepared to die.” trial for After “Hating clouds sabotage. pressure T h e the mind. It gets in from both trial was the way of strategy. home and known abroad, Leaders cannot as the the judge Rivonia acquitted afford to hate.” trial, and of ~ Nelson Mandela one it was Mandela’s here that f e l l o w Mandela became famous around defendants and sentenced the world. him to life in prison along It was during the with the others. At the conclusion of his four- time, he was 44 years old. hour opening speech in Mandela spent 27 years his defense that he said, in prison. Many of those “I have fought against years he spent working in white domination, and a limestone quarry. I have fought against During his time in black domination. I prison, he honed both his have cherished the ideal negotiation and leadership of a democratic and skills, growing into the free society in which all man that the world knows persons will live together today.
When Mandela finally emerged from prison in 1990, he was 71 years old. Three years after his release, he was able to organize the first free election. Not everything went smoothly, however, and white extremists set off bombs at campaign rallies and assassinated the second-most popular black figure of the election, Chris Hani. Despite these setbacks, voters lined up for miles to vote for the new government. At the end of the election, Nelson Mandela had been elected as the first black president of South Africa. One of his greatest achievements took place after the Rugby World Cup final in 1995, when South Africa beat the favored New Zealand All Black team. After the victory, Mandela walked onto the field to present the trophy wearing the team’s Springbok jersey, to the cheers of 80,000 fans. It was in this same stadium where Mandela’s memorial took place.
“I’m looking to bring energy and enthusiasm. We’re grounded in a solid academic program, but there’s all these extensions, places to explore art, music, science and technology. All the things that add up to being a wellrounded kid.” Mr. Surber wants the students leaving fourth grade to be “wellrounded” children. His favorite part of working at a Lower School, among younger students, is being around their lively spirits. “I really love the energy that the kids bring. There’s never a dull moment or a boring day. I just love that our kids are really excited to be here, that they really love to learn.” Mr. Surber intends on doing work that will effect both the Laguna Blanca and the greater Santa Barbara communities: “My goal for the future is to continue to come together as a community.” Mr. Surber has two young children who attend Laguna. Logan is in third grade, and Keenan is in fifth grade. When he’s not busy being an administrator, he has a special hobby outside of school. “I love cars, especially old cars. I like to do things with my hands, so when you’re working on a car engine or on the exhaust, you get to see the immediate rewards of your work.” “We’re really excited to be here. We couldn’t be happier with the hospitality. There’s something special about sharing what you’re passionate about with kids. I want to fine-tune the educational experiences to make sure that they’re engaging, fun, and that they’re meaningful.”
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January 10, 2014
The Lights
The decorated center median greets guests as they enter Harbor Way.
The Parade of Lights took place on Sunday, December 8 from 3:00 p.m. to 7:15 p.m., complete with fireworks and gorgeous boats decorated for a holiday celebration. Twenty-three boats were decorated for this year’s theme, Rock’n & Roll’n Holiday. “The Parade of Lights is a great time for all the residents of Santa Barbara and the boat owners to come together to welcome the holiday season,” Shawn Hughes 2012 Parade of Lights First Place winner.
One of the many sailboats decorated with lights along the side sits next to the main harbor fairway.
The 80-foot charter boat, the Channel Cat, decorated with candy cane themed decorations.
Scan for the Waterfront Department Photos
The Ranger, one of the Maritime Museum boats, lights up the harbor. PHOTOS: CARSON SHEVITZ
A tree stands alone in the center of La Cumbre Country Club Lake.
Roses to Ms. Dana Martin for planning a trip to the East Coast for eighth graders. • 4125 Paloma Drive • Santa Barbara, CA 93110 • www.thefourthestate.net The Fourth Estate is a public forum for student expression. It is written and produced solely by the journalism students. It represents the voice of the students and covers topics, issues, and opinions of relevance to the Laguna Blanca School community. The Fourth Estate welcomes guest columns and letters to the editor. Letters must be signed and 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 publishes six issues per year with a senior insert in the last issue. We mail issues to subscribers and advertisers, and exchange papers with high school journalism classes across the country. The Fourth Estate accepts both print and online advertising in either black and white or color. Contact Trish McHale at tmchale@ lagunablanca.org for advertising and subscriptions. “Follow” us on Twitter and “Like” us on Facebook. Visit our online paper for daily updates: www.thefourthestate.net.
Roses to Ms. Ashley Tidey for planning a trip to New York City for ninth and tenth graders.
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Caty Lafitte
OP/ED EDITOR Allison Lewis Towbes
NEWS EDITOR Kaylee Strachan
FEATURE EDITOR MacKenna Connor
A&E EDITOR Margaret Lazarovits
LIFESTYLE EDITOR Grace Woolf
SPORTS EDITOR Stephen McCaffery
PHOTO EDITOR Carson Shevitz
GRAPHIC EDITORS Kela Johnson Luisa Cameron
BUSINESS MANAGER Bill Mortensen
Roses
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Roses to Mr. Blake Dorfman for planning a trip to Belize for the eleventh and twelfth graders. Roses to teachers who wrote letters of recommendation for the seniors. Roses to everyone who made a donation to the Interact Club’s Foster Care Holiday Gift Drive. Thorns to kids who “borrow” teachers’ textbooks.
COPY EDITOR Kaylee Strachan
WEB EDITORS
STAFF
Thorns to teachers who give students too much weekend homework.
FACULTY ADVISOR
Thorns to the United Parcel Service for delaying the delivery of the box containing 200 copies of Issue 2 of The Fourth Estate.
Phillip Hicks Carson Shevitz Jacqueline Berci Luisa Cameron Kimmy Crickette Harrison Kerdman Pierce O’Donnell Emily Powers Spenser Wyatt
Patricia McHale, MJE
Thorns
ART: KELA JOHNSON
The News
Changes in the Common Application Result in Glitches
January 10, 2014
By KAYLEE STRACHAN Not only do high school seniors have the stress of applying to colleges, but this year they also bear the added weight of changes and challenges with the application system. Throughout the 2013 college application process, college applicants and admissions officials have been experiencing difficulties using the Common Application. Problems with the program became apparent as soon as the application process opened on Aug. 1. Applicants have experienced issues with uploading recommendation letters, with frozen screens, and with essay formatting. The Common Application program deleted information from sections students had already filled out and charged for multiple submissions. “It messed up my essay. It reformatted it, which wasted a lot of time,” senior Ian Bankhead said. When students tried to review their applications, the PDF showed a blank page, so they were unable to check their work. “It wouldn’t check off that I completed the Education section, so I couldn’t assign any recommenders,” senior Hannah Nagy said. Some students found that after they completed the application, new questions were added and their application was registered “incomplete.” “After I had already submitted an application, I realized that part of my information had been deleted, so I had to contact the school and redo everything. It was extremely stressful and frustrating,” senior Kimmy Crickette said about her struggle with the Common Application. To add to this, the system had trouble meshing with Naviance, a program that allows college counselors to access their students’ college information and connects transcripts and recommendation letters to the Common Application. Colleges were unable to see the information that was linked to the Common Application from Naviance. Because of all these difficulties, the nonprofit that runs the Common Application brought in extra technicians to assist with customer support and technical problems. Colleges have been understanding, and many have even extended their deadlines in order for applicants to correct the problems with their applications. Some colleges have created optional partial applications for students to fill out as consolation for the Common Application being ambiguous. “I was going to use the Common Application, but it was having trouble, so the college I was going to use it for sent me an e-mail saying ‘use our app instead of the Common App. So I just used theirs,” senior Colton Johnson said. Since its creation in 1975 as a paper application, the Common Application services over 500 universities and colleges, according to Richard PerezPena’s article in the New York Times. In 1998 the process became an online production. This year there are more problems than ever before. According to Pena, many colleges are now contemplating switching from the Common Application to some other form of application for the next term.
Candidates Present Their Platforms in Mock Election Assembly By SPENSER WYATT
The Mock Election is a re-creation of a real election. Students in Ms. Martha Elliott’s AP Government class were split up into three separate groups “that were tasked with creating a new political party, naming it and developing a platform. Each group chose a student to be their presidential candidate, and the rest of the group served as either campaign managers, poster makers, campaign videographers or speech writers. It is designed to show how political parties and campaign staff influence elections,” Ms. Elliott said. Candidate Dalton Smith received the majority of the votes, thus winning the election.
Candidate: Quentin Tedesco Party: The People’s Progressive Party Platform: Public education must be the most important issue that we focus on. The future is in our kids, so we must raise test scores and give more scholarship opportunities to children that deserve it. The American people should control their own decisions without government interference.
Candidate: Andrew Horak Party: Libertarian Platform: A small government that has very little control should be the way this country is run because of the corrupt nature of the government. The power should be in the people. Taxes should be lowered and only used for public necessitates. The government should not have any control over the choices of the people.
Candidate: Dalton Smith Party: The Modern Whig Party Platform: We need to stand together as one united nation. Small businesses need to be the cornerstone of our economy. Everyone deserves equal rights. The United States government should not interfere with the intentions of the American people.
Students Artwork Exhibited in Upper School Art Show
PHOTO: TARA BROUCQSAULT SHOW PIECES: (left to right) Artists Monica Criley, Alexa Davenport, and Andrew Puzder’s charcoal drawings are on display in the Mikles Art Gallery. This exhibition will be on display until January 10.
The Art Department is pleased to announce a new exhibit featuring the work of Visual Arts students in the Mikles Art Gallery. From Visual Arts I: Drawing and Painting (contour and value) class, Michael Reyes, Grace Woolf, Chris Benwitt, Brooke Bidwell, Demari Braly, Ethan Katnic, Josie Doughty and Olivia Pickett are shown. From Visual Arts: Intermediate Drawing and Painting (the figure and drapery) class, Ian Bankhead, Lucie Hartmann, Monica Criley, Alexa Davenport, Andrew Puzder and Colton Johnson.
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What Can We Learn from Nelson Mandela?
Jasmine Jimenez ~Junior
Jack Kinsler ~Junior
Molly Nylen ~Senior
Christian Fowler ~Sophomore
“I learned that you don’t have to come from a high position in society to start a movement. It just takes courage.”
“If you cannot forgive, you cannot move on. And if you can’t move on, you are forever stuck in a dark desolate hole of self-pity.”
“I learned that if your convictions are strong enough, you shouldn’t give up on what you believe in, even if you will be punished.”
“I met Nelson Mandela at his home when I was nine years old, and his legacy is to always choose peace.” PHOTOS: CARSON SHEVITZ
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The News
January 10, 2014
Students Read Scenes of “Of Mice and Men” on Location By HARRISON KERDMAN After reading the book and watching the movie “Of Mice and Men,” the freshman class visited Gainey Vineyard, where parts of the movie were filmed at the barn. One of Steinbeck’s most renowned literary works, “Of Mice and Men” is about an unlikely pair: one a slow and gentle giant, the other small and sharp, both trying to make enough money to realize their dreams during the Great Depression.
On Nov. 22, freshmen watched the film directed by Gary Sinise before visiting Gainey Vineyard which is home to Caitlin Gainey, grade seven, junior Morgan Gainey and alum Patrick Gainey ‘12. “It was nice to have a visual to picture the settings from the book and to understand the story better,” said freshman Charlotte Thomas. The freshmen were accompanied by instructors Ashley Tidey, Staci Richard and Blake Dorfman. The class visited the vineyard and learned a little about its history before walking a quarter mile to the barn where they had a chance to explore before reenacting scenes from the book. “The reading was really fun and doing the reading in the actual barn where the movie was filmed added something new to the book,” Mathew Goldsholl said. Following the reading, Ms. Tidey made a surprise announcement about spring break. “The highlight of this year’s trip was telling the kids that we were planning a Spring Break New York trip, that was like the Gainey trip, an educational trip,” Ms. Tidey said. “The most memorable part of this trip was when Ms. Tidey told us that we would have a
trip to New York,” freshman Luke Smillie said. Later, the group ventured into Solvang to eat lunch before returning back campus. “My favorite part was eating at the diner, it was so adorable,” freshman Clara Hillis said. “It was very fun to watch my classmates do impersonations of the characters,“ freshman Natasha Heyer said.
PHOTOS: BLAKE DORFMAN
BRINGING THE SCRIPT TO LIFE: From left bottom: Henry Farrell reads in the barn bathed in sunlight from above . Above: Henry Farrell, Mathew Goldsholl, Ms. Ashley Tidey read, and Grace MacNeil listens, and right: Grace MacNeil and Holly Tobias take turns reciting lines.
A Second Home in Deep Space
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ecent calculations done by astronomers using NASA data have revealed that the Milky Way contains about 8.8 billion planets the same size as Earth. What’s more, these planets orbit their parent stars in the habitable temperature zone, the distance at which water can be liquid. With what this study’s coauthor Geoff Marcy calls “8.8 billion throws of the biological dice” existing in our Milky Way galaxy alone, this could mean advancement toward discovering water in space – or even life. Only one problem: NASA has yet to formulate a spacecraft that can explore the farthest reaches of the Milky Way, an expanse so vast it
The Chinese Birthrate Is Falling By BILL MORTENSEN For years, there has been controversy over China’s onechild policy. While it was created to help control rapid population growth, it has caused a massive imbalance in genders due to many female children being aborted before birth. However, China’s government is now attempting to revise the decades-old law. Under the new law, couples in which either the husband or the wife is an only child will be allowed to have a second child. “I think it is a bad idea,” sophomore Hunter Cong said. “I think it will make the gap between the males and the females even worse.” The change is heralded by the state-run Chinese media as a sign that the government is able to change to fit the wants and needs of the people. However, no official date has been set for when the law is to be implemented. In addition, the cost of having a second child would be too much of a financial burden on families, because China lacks many of the social safety nets that the United States has. Sophomore exchange student Victoria Huang said “China is an aging country, so they need people to have more babies now.” Not only is China’s need for new workers a problem, but the cost of living in China is too high for having a second child to be a viable option for many families, making the easing of the law a meaningless gesture.
By KELA JOHNSON would take 100,000 years to Though the scientists saw cent discoveries in space, Ascross. 603 of these planets in the tronomy and Physics instrucEven getting a clear view Milky Way, there are hun- tor Mr. Peter Angeloff said, “I of these planets proves to be dreds of planets missed for ev- and all the children of the sixdifficult – further exploration ery one found. ties yearned to be astronauts requires a deep-space and travel ‘where no telescope with more has gone before’!” “I, and all the children of the manThe power than NASA’s Kediscovery of pler telescope, which 60s, yearned to be astronauts extra-solar planets inwas used to view a por- and travel ‘where no man has creases the probabiltion of the Milky Way ity that life exists elsegone before’!” during the study. where in our galaxy to Of the 300 billion ~Mr. Peter Angeloff a near certainty. The stars in the Milky Way, vast distances between astronomers Geoff stars in our galaxy Marcy, Erik Petigura, and the universe itself and Andrew Howard were able By scaling this data propor- makes contact with this life to see 42,000. tionately to the size of the en- improbable. About 20 percent of these tire Milky Way and adding this NASA’s Voyager probe, stars were the same size, color percentage of error, the scien- which has covered over 6.4 and age as the sun and had tists were able to calculate an billion miles and recently enearth-sized planets orbiting estimate of 8.8 billion possibly tered interstellar space, is the in their habitable temperature habitable planets. farthest-traveling spacecraft zones. When asked about these re- ever launched.
Winter White-Out Dance Sees Ticket Holders Left Out Due to Over Capacity Crowd By EMILY POWERS
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inter White Out was an all-high schools-invited dance that was held by Red Productions. Laguna senior Ben Furukawa put on the dance at the Carrillo Ball Room with the help of senior Conrad Perry who was the DJ. Teens from all local Santa Barbara high schools including Dos Pueblos, Santa Barbara High School, San Marcos, Cate and Laguna Blanca attended.
“Winter White Out was a great social gathering that brought all the Santa Barbara high schoolers closer together. It was fun,” said junior Talia Giordano. Approximately 500 students attended the event, yet the majority of the kids could not enter due to the maximum capacity limit being reached fairly early on in the night. Unfortunately, this left a large line outside for the rest of the night of teens who never got to go in. Unlike previous inclusive high school dances in the Santa Barbara area, this dance offered the option to buy a ticket online. All online tickets sold out, but the option to buy your ticket at the door was still available. However, buying the tickets online caused a negative stir among the kids who didn’t get in, yet already purchased one of the online tickets. On the website for Winter White Out, it never mentioned anything about there being a
Because the nearest of these newly discovered planets is over 7 trillion miles away, the chances of reaching it using today’s technology are slim. However, an array of 10 ultra-powerful telescopes is currently being assembled and tested in New Mexico. When in use, these telescopes would provide NASA scientists a view of deep space 100 times the resolution of the Hubble telescope – or even a view of the atmospheres of the planets located in the Milky Way. Though we cannot yet travel into this realm of outer space, viewing the planets through a telescope will enable astronomers to recognize signs of water on these potentially lifesupporting planets.
PHOTO: CARL PERRY
On the Dance Floor: Juniors Maddie Bonser and Olivia Avery boogie down at the Winter White Out. limit of capacity at the venue. “I wouldn’t necessarily call it a success, but it’s definitely a step in the right direction,” said senior Ben Furukawa. “The percentage of money that went to charity is confidential. I ended up giving
money to the Roger Federer Foundation because I like tennis. I also ended up giving money to the victims of the Philippines’ Typhoon Haiyan. “Coolest night of my life, hands down,” said sophomore Mark Brown.
Laguna’s Miles Crist Awarded National Honors By PIERCE O’DONNELL
Miles Crist, an avid photographer and videographer, earned the Merit Award in Cinematic Arts from the National Young Arts Foundation. Miles was one of 11,000 applicants across nine disciplines, and one of only 700 winners. The award was for three of his works: “City Series: San Francisco,” “Black and White Clouds,” and “City Series: Seattle.” “My ‘City Series’ films are best described as subjective documentaries; they move away from an objective reality in order to convey a modern aesthetic through poetic manipulations of mood, tone, time, and space,” said Miles. This is not Miles’ first national accolade as he has also won an array of prestigious awards in film and photography.
City Series: San Francisco
City Series: Seattle
Black and White Clouds
Random Student Profile: Maddie Bonser By EMILY POWERS Students are selected at random from a list that contains the names of all the Upper School students.
PHOTO: CARSON SHEVITZ
Maddie Bonser is a junior who has been at Laguna since first grade. Although most readers probably know her, they might not know some of the following fun-facts about her. Do you play any sports? “Yeah. I play soccer on the school team and I love it. It’s my favorite sport.” Favorite ice cream flavor? “Cookie Dough.” Any hobbies? “I like baking. I honestly bake anything: cupcakes, cakes, brownies, cookies, and anything else.”
Profile
January 10, 2014
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By KIMMY CRICKETTE
Sophomores play lead, Carmen Diaz, in upcoming production of “FAME.” Performing in larger than life productions comes as no surprise for sophomores Maddie Sokolove and Valeria Rodriguez, their latest roles with the Santa Barbara School of Performing Arts in “FAME, The Musical” are sure to be spectacular. The entire cast has been rehearsing for months and is ready to debut. Maddie and Valeria will be playing the same role, but in different casts. When asked about how this added to the experience, both girls enthused about the other. “It’s actually very comforting to have Valeria be playing the same part as me. Whenever I forget a step or a harmony [she’s] right there to help me every step of the way. When I watch [her] play Carmen, it’s interesting to see the strong choices she makes and I definitely steal some, but because we are different people in real life we have different impulses [on stage],” said Maddie. Valeria expressed just as much joy when asked about sharing the character. “Maddie does an amazing job interpreting her version of Carmen. We both do different things with the character that make our shows unique and different from each other. I love sharing the role because we learn and teach each other so much,” she said. Interestingly enough, each has found her way into acting through different paths.
Valeria has been dancing since she was very young, but only decided to give acting a try recently. “Two years [ago]...a friend pushed me to audition for a musical, and since then I’ve been hooked,” said Valeria. She has been in three Laguna shows so far, and can’t wait to continue gaining experience. “Rehearsing has been a lot of work...but it has been very rewarding and, of course, fun!” When asked about her acting process, Valeria explained her spontaneity on stage, “I don’t have any exercises to [get in character]...it just happens!” Maddie, on the other hand, has known she wanted to be on the stage since she was seven. “I used to walk around the house singing all the time, so my parents decided to put me in musical theater,” she said. She has performed in numerous shows over the years, and took a six week long acting intensive course at Boston University over this past summer. All of her experiences in the theater have only made her more eager to continue her career. She is extremely excited about the upcoming production of “FAME.” “It’s been a little stressful, but very fun. It’s amazing to know that all this hard work will pay off.” When asked about her character, Maddie exuded excitement. “Carmen Diaz [is] a confident Spanish dancer who is determined to make it big.
Celebrity crush? “Chase Crawford, Jesse Metcalfe, Liam Payne, and so many others.”
She’s obsessed with fame and will do anything to achieve [what she wants]. And like any person, she has her fair share of underlying issues.” The show premiers Jan. 17 at 7 p.m. and continues on the 18 and 19 at the Marjorie Luke Theater.
PHOTO: SARI MAKKI PHOTOGRAPHY In the Works: Above actress Valeria Rodriguez plays Carmen in “FAME.” Below, leads Valeria Rodriguez and Maddie Sokolove stand center with their casts at a rehearsal.
Favorite super hero? “Batman.” Favorite time of day? “Night time because I’m not at school and I can have fun on the weekends.” Any odd talents? “I’m pretty amazing at bowling. I think I probably just get lucky though.” Something people may not know about you? “I’m a vegetarian. Most people don’t actually know that.”
“She’s a nice lady.” ~Cole Strachan PHOTO: JESSICA HAMBRIGHT
Seniors Announce Early College Decisions
Meet Kindergarten Student By JACQUELINE BERCI Brandon Fuladi Although we are just approaching the second half of the school year, some seniors have already committed to colleges.
By ALLISON LEWIS TOWBES What’s your favorite book? “‘Click Clack Moo: Cows That Type’ (By Doreen Crownin and Betsy Lewin). It’s about cows that type. It’s really funny.” What’s your favorite color? “I have three. I used to have four. Blue, white, and brown.” If you could do anything you want when you grow up, what would you do? “Fly to Boston. It’s my favorite city because it’s where I have some family.”
Nadia Belton, Wake Forest University ‘18
Colton Johnson, University of Hawaii ‘18
Nadia Belton applied early decision to Wake Forest University in North Carolina. Wake Forest allows you to apply any time after Junior year, so Nadia applied the first week of school. She did not apply to any other schools because she knew Wake Forest’s decision would be back early enough that she could have applied to other schools in time with their deadlines if she needed to. “The earliest I was going to hear back from Wake Forest was in two to four weeks, so it wasn’t on my mind. I remember my dad called me and said that we have an envelope in the mail from Wake Forest. I told him that it was way too early so they could open it. He called me a couple minutes later and told me that I had been accepted and because it was so surreal I thought that he wasn’t reading the letter correctly him and made him send me a picture of the letter,” said Nadia when asked how she found out about her acceptance. Nadia will be entering freshman year with an undecided major because Wake Forest approaches majors like a liberal arts school and gives you time to choose one. Nadia additionally plans to get involved with club or intramural soccer or horse back riding. “I knew it was the school for me and I’ve known for two years, when I visited two years ago. I just knew.”
Colton Johnson has already been accepted and is committed to going to the University of Hawaii on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. Colton will specifically be attending the University of Hawaii at Manoa; this is a campus of the University of Hawaii that is focused on Marine Biology. Colton ended up applying to seven schools in total. He applied in late October and heard back from the University of Hawaii in early November; University of Hawaii has a rolling admissions, so applications can be submitted any time up until the deadline. Colton wants to go to this school because, “they have a good Marine Biology program. And it looks really nice there, and it has the big school atmosphere that I wanted with all the D1 sports.” The Marine Biology program is unique at this school because it is located in Hawaii and because it is relatively new, only ten years old. The program also has an abundance of hands-on opportunities with another lab on an island, called Coconut Island. Colton also plans to play either club or intramural volleyball next year as well as surf a lot and hopefully get a an internship or a job at some point in college. “I got a big envelope that said ‘Aloha and congratulations!’,” said Colton.
Andrew Puzder, Washington University ‘18 Andrew Puzder was accepted to Washington University in St. Louis where he plans to attend next year. Andrew applied early to Washington University because of its prominent medical program. “Both my parents went there and my brother goes there now,” said Andrew. Andrew wants to study medicine and eventually become a doctor. Specifically, Andrew wants to go into internal medicine. He did not apply to any schools other than Washington University. Andrew applied early to Washington University because he would have higher chances of getting in and would receive his response earlier. “I didn’t want to write anymore applications and I would still have time to write my other ones if I didn’t get it. But because I did get in, it made my college process a lot easier,” said Andrew. Andrew will be at Washington University this summer taking a Calculus class and an English class. These classes are required in order to major in medicine. He will also get to sign up for classes early because of the summer courses. Additionally, Andrew plans to continue playing the piano in college but said “from what I hear about the difficulty of Washington University’s medical curriculum I may not have time.” PHOTOS: CARSON SHEVITZ
What’s the best part of Kindergarten? “Choice Time.” What is the worst? “The cold days. My hands get freezing.” How do you think it will feel to be a high school student? “I would feel good because I’d like to be older. I’d like to have a locker and drive.” If you could be any animal in the world, what would you be and why? “A dog because I like them. They chase away cats, which I still like but I’m allergic to them.” PHOTO: ALLISON LEWIS TOWBES
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Opinion
January 10, 2014
Languages: A Forgotten But Necessary Treasure By KIMMY CRICKETTE
T
he study of foreign languages has been the one of the subjects which our country’s students consistently lag in compared to other countries—probably because of Americans’ somewhat lackadaisical approach to the subject. Perhaps the fact that as Americans born into the international language of trade, we don’t find ourselves with quite the same fire in our bellies to learn to communicate in a country’s native tongue as the rest of the world. Or maybe we do, but just can’t give up any leftover resources or carve out any time to keep up with a changing world which is now, more than ever, revolving around foreign relations. Either way, the fact remains that as American students, we find ourselves at an increasing disadvantage anytime languages are concerned. “I notice...that our youth does not get the point of [learning a foreign language] because everyone else speaks English...and it will hurt the US in the long run [because] learning a foreign language opens your mind towards
the rest of the world...and enriches you socially and culturally,” native French teacher Madame Maud Maillard said. “[Students who speak a foreign language] generally adapt quickly, perform better, and are more involved [globally].” According to an article found on the National Association of Foreign Student Advisors, learning a foreign language creates demands on the brain which makes the brain not only more flexible, but also incites it to “create and maintain more circuits.” The article argues that being monolingual is a significant handicap which will soon prove to be detrimental. Only one in four Americans are able to carry on a conversation in another language, whereas one in two Europeans are able to carry on a conversation in a foreign language, in addition to English. It comes as no surprise then, that Americans are finding that they are at a disadvantage later in their lives in this “increasingly complex and interconnected world,” Secretary of Education
Arne Duncan said. “I was shocked...when I arrived to the US [and] discovered that the learning of a foreign language is not as important as in Europe,” Madame Maillard said. In most countries, students begin studying languages in elementary school and require proficiency in English and one other language before the end of secondary school. American public schools, however, don’t offer a foreign language until middle school, when it becomes a sought-out elective in order to fulfill high school requirements. Even private schools, who make an attempt to impart Spanish or French in elementary school use such basic curriculums year after year that students find themselves indifferent and unmotivated. My passion lies in languages. But I didn’t start taking any kind of foreign language until my freshman year of high school, simply because I didn’t have the courage or the physical presence at a whopping four-foot-nine, to fight the horde of groaning adolescents swarming the already full
Number of Years Students Have Studied A Foreign Language 40 30 20 10 0
0-2 years
3 years
4 years
5+ years
Level of Proficiency of Students
20% Confident
22% Incompetent
56% Can’t Say More Than a Sentence
Of the 151 students polled, 57 percent expressed that they wished they had begun taking a foreign language sooner. Looking back, I wish I’d grabbed a bright orange food tray as a shield and tried my luck.
elective registration table at my large public school the week before seventh grade started.
Testing Accommodations: A Privilege or a Right? How Much is Too Much?
Not a Privilege, But a Necessity
By JACQUELINE BERCI
Y
ou have been sitting people who take advantage same reason, shouldn’t one in the gym for over of the resources and work the lessen the need for the other? two hours working on system. Furthermore, students your English final. According to the 2010 can receive extra time on You have 15 minutes to report to the U.S. Department standardized tests, although finish your essay. Your hand of Education, up to one out of this is a much more extensive is moving faster across the every five people in the United process. pages than you ever thought States has some form of a Standardized tests such it could. learning difference. as the SAT and the ACT are “Time’s Up!” That means one in something that consume That’s it. You have to stop every five students could high schoolers’ thoughts and turn in your essay even potentially receive testing because they are critical to if it’s sloppy and would look accommodations at school their future. These tests are much better if only you had if they wanted to go to a uniquely complex because more time. doctor and get the correct each section has strict time Running out of time is documents. If that doctor requirements. familiar to most students— didn’t give them the I think the process especially to those without the accommodations they wanted, of deciding which benefit of having extra time. there’s always another doctor. students receive testing However, for some “If you truly have a accommodations has become students, there’s more time. problem, then yes, you should too concerned with helping Students with students to do their best I think the process documented learning and has lost sight of differences are given helping kids who really of deciding which accommodations have problems. students receive testing for tests and other Who is to say that every assignments in an effort student wouldn’t perform accommodations has to allow them adequate their best if given more time to compensate become too concerned with time on a test in school or for his or her learning time writing their helping students to do their more challenges. essay on the SAT? These challenges can Many people could best and has lost sight of include different types benefit from taking extra helping kids who really time on tests and many of dyslexia, attention deficit hyperactivity people have complications have problems. disorder (ADHD), that they just have to deal and obsessive-compulsive get extra time; but if there with. Whether or not they disorder (OCD). isn’t anything really wrong really need extra time is a To receive testing and you get extra time, that is different question. accommodations in school, sort of abusing the system,” Many students have said legal verification of the said one Laguna student. that students who get testing disability is required, which Additionally, for certain accommodations and take can be issued after a series students, medications such as tests in a different setting end of educational evaluations Ritalin, Concerta, Dexedrine, up receiving more help on the from a doctor or education or Adderall are prescribed tests than students who take specialist. to help them with attention tests in the classroom. Additionally, for people deficit disorders. “It is like a crutch—a lot with various learning If students are getting of people use it to get extra differences, a range of extra time to cope with their help,” said one student accommodations are given. learning differences but also who receives testing In regards to extra time, taking medication for the accommodations. some students get time and a half of the normal amount allotted, some get double and some students can type essays that would normally have to be handwritten. However, as a student who does not receive testing accommodations, the system can, at times, seem unfair. It is clear that for some students, testing accommodations are necessary for them to work without their learning differences severely holding them back from what they are capable of. I believe it is fair that people who truly need accommodations should receive them, but I believe the system has loopholes, GRAPHIC: LUISA CAMERON and that there are
By ALLISON LEWIS TOWBES
A
pproximately 35 percent of Laguna Blanca Upper School students receive extended time. Five percent of students nationally are provided with some kind of testing accommodations, and 80,000 students applied for extra time on the SAT from 2010 to 2011 alone. Testing accommodations are crucial tools for students with learning differences, and it imperative that they continue to be an option for those who qualify. “For me, it helps me to show what I can do in an amount of time that actually works for me,” said freshman Holly Tobias, who has received extra time since fifth grade. There’s a definite stigma around receiving testing accommodations. A clear and startling majority of Laguna Blanca high school students believe that their peers who receive accommodations abuse their privileges, and that the extended-time room has been fondly labeled the “stupid kid” room. Still, extra time and a separate setting seems like a luxury to most students who don’t receive the accommodations. In truth, testing accommodations are a blessing and a curse. First, a student must receive a recommendation from a psychologist. They must undergo testing, and then bring the results to the school or to the College Board.
Their results are reviewed, and the student is either approved or disapproved. For most students who receive the accommodations, testing isn’t any easier with extra time or typing. They feel just as hurried, and just as anxious as any student in regular testing. Separated from the group, oftentimes alone (especially during the SAT or ACT), a student with testing accommodations may feel isolated. The test itself may be even more exhausting with the extra time. Some AP tests, which take three or four hours in regular time, can take up to, and occasionally over, six hours in the extended time setting. Furthermore, contrary to popular belief, not everyone can qualify for extended time. Laguna does an exceptional job of giving help to people who need it, not just people who want it. I am not unbiased. I have received testing accommodations for most of my life. I receive time and a half on exams and the option to type and write in the test booklet on standardized tests. I have sat through six-anda-half-hour long AP tests and I have scribbled by myself in a testing room, trying to finish as the clock ticks down, and I have been stigmatized by ETS employees for typing my essays. I know firsthand that without my accommodations school would be a struggle. What others may view as a privilege, I see as a necessity to insure that I get the same opportunity to succeed as my peers. My brain may be wired differently, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t deserve the chance to get A’s on my papers. “Privileges” get abused. “Rights” get misused. It happens. But on the whole, students who receive testing accommodations need them and use them appropriately. It’s wrong to condemn the whole for the mistakes of the few. Laguna Blanca should be proud of the fact that we accept and aid students with learning differences. We should value and support individuality in learning styles. We all have challenges, and we all want to receive help when needed.
Opinion
January 10, 2014
7
Double Standards in Sexual Assault By CATY LAFITTE
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very woman cringes at the thought of being sexually assaulted by a man. But what if we were to turn that around? Does anyone cringe at the thought of a man being sexually assaulted by a woman? Probably very few people would. Whenever we hear a story about someone being sexually assaulted, we think of a male assaulting a female—it’s a double standard that society has brought upon female sex offenders. To many, a female sexually assaulting a male is a joke or something to be jealous of. Curtis St. John, a spokesman for MaleSurvivor, a support organization for boys and men who have been sexually victimized, believes that incidents of women assaulting men are “severely under reported,” and “society doesn’t let them think of themselves as victims.” We hear many reports about older males sexually assaulting younger boys in the news, and it is hard enough for the abused males to come forward in those circumstances, perhaps feeling emasculated. According to USA Today, experts on the matter say that with more media attention to stories of illegal sexual contact between women and teens, more people are likely to come forward and report cases. Richard Gartner, a psychotherapist based in New York, believes that, “boys are socialized to think of the abuse as sexual initiation,” but the few initial cases that were reported “have contributed to an increase in awareness of females as sex offenders.” There are several myths surrounding male sexual abuse. Many people believe that boys and men cannot be victims because they see males as the gender that should be able to protect themselves. Another myth about men being sexually abused by women is that the abused male should consider himself fortunate to have been initiated into sexual activity with a woman. After the story of a 27-yearold Catholic school teacher from the White Plains
School in New York accused of raping a 14-year-old boy was reported, two people commented on the story, the first saying, “I wish I had just ONE teacher like this!!!” and the other saying, “I wish it happened to me when I was a teen in grade school.” If this same story was reported, except with the roles switched, the comments would be completely different. People would be horrified that a 27-year-old male raped a 14-year-old girl. So why is the actual story with the woman raping the boy any different? This double standard not only completely minimizes the victimization of young boys, but it also causes women to be sentenced with lighter charges than if a male committed this crime. In 2005, Debra Lafave, a teacher in Florida, had a sexual encounter with a 14-year-old boy and was simply given a sentence of house arrest for three years and probation for seven years. Then, in 2010, Beth Modica, a former prosecutor in Rockland County, NY, had sex with two underage boys, yet was released after only 21 months in jail. In March, Elizabeth Garner, a former NFL cheerleader for the Tennessee Titans, was charged with aggravated sexual battery and solicitation of a minor for rape after grabbing a 12-year-old boy’s private parts and attempting to perform oral sex on him. At first, Garner was facing more than eight years in prison if convicted for the crime. But now, she has merely been sentenced with probation, and the charges have been reduced to reckless endangerment, a felony. Our judicial system has clear and well-established laws to punish those who commit this crime, so why are Garner, Lafave and Modica basically walking free, like almost every other woman committing sexual assault crimes? If people want males and females to be thought of as equals in every aspect of society, we need to obliterate the double standards concerning sexual assault and make sure women are receiving the same sentences that men are receiving for the same crimes.
ART: KELA JOHNSON
Staff Editorial: It’s Not All About the Presents Have the consumer-driven winter holidays strayed too far from their original meanings? Every year, the winter “Our whole culture is about holidays meaningful is to take holiday season becomes producing a resume for advantage of the community more and more extravagant– yourself with money to buy service opportunities around brighter lights, more presents, stuff, or to take care of our this time of year. fancier desserts. family. This has caused some You can donate food to the Neighborhoods are of the reason for celebrating Santa Barbara Unity Shoppe sprinkled with glistening the holidays to become or head over to help stock lights, and shiny toys and cozy more distracted rather than shelves or sort donations. sweaters line the windows of religious based. People focus Visit a senior care center every store and warm smells on what they have to do, like and say hello to some of the of pumpkin and peppermint buying gifts or decorating, residents who may be alone waft around coffee shops. rather than on their beliefs, over the holiday season. Although the holiday season or what the holidays mean to Helping out around the is fun, spending excessive community is a satisfying amounts of money on gifts way to spread the holiday Although the and decorations is not what cheer and to remind you to these religious holidays are holiday season is fun, be appreciative for all that about. have. spending excessive you Neither Christmas nor Think about the gifts you amounts of money on choose to give and make Hanukkah relate to the giving of gifts–which in all thoughtful gifts, ones gifts and decorations them honesty is what this time that mean something to of year has come to be you and to the person you is not what these centered around. are giving them to. Photo religious holidays What we are teaching albums, artwork, even generations of children cookies are never a bad are about. growing up today is that idea. these religious holidays “Everyone has kind of symbolize getting that up-the-ante and make the cool video game or the new them,” senior Grace Copeland holidays about giving bigger American Girl doll. said. gifts, instead of spending time Religious celebrations So, as you prepare for with family because that is have become more and more next year’s holiday season, what we see in the media and materialistic and less and less reconnect with old family all around us,” senior Chloe meaningful. traditions, maybe even start Richman said. Starting the day after some new ones. So wrap presents to your Halloween, advertisements Make memories by heart’s content, and string about spreading love and spending the holiday break lights about your house, but holiday joy by buying some doing things with your family don’t forget to keep in touch wonderful gift begin to and friends. with what the holidays truly appear. Another way to make the mean.
What is the Role of the Military in America Today? Should the United States Stay Completely Neutral in World Affairs?
G ART: KELA JOHNSON
eorge Washington’s Farewell Address when he left office in 1779 is one of the most well-known speeches
By BILL MORTENSEN in American history. wasn’t until the United States business of other countries. In his address, he cautioned became involved in the VietThis was the United States’ Americans: “The great rule of nam War that Americans first foreign policy for years up unconduct for us, in regard to began asking “What is the job til the First and Second World foreign nations, is…to have of our military?” Wars. with them as little political This question is still perHowever, the world has connection as possible.” tinent today, as the United become a much smaller place For more than 100 States is just now winding since then, and isolationism is years, America isolated down an unpopular war in not a viable policy any more. itself from the world, The United States staying out of military is one of the most conflicts and alliances The United States is one prominent countries in Europe. in the world, and of the most prominent That ended on April there are times when 6, 1917, when the countries in the world, diplomacy fails, and United States officially military action must and there are times when be taken, even if it entered World War I. Since then, for the is not purely in our diplomacy fails, and last century, Amerinterests. military action must be ica has been conThat said, the stantly preparing United States should taken, even if it is not for, involved in not just attack counpurely in our interests. tries at will. or recovering from a war. There are 73 counHowtries with U.S. Army ever, it Iraq and still fighting an bases, not counting the United equally unpopular war in States, which houses 70. Afghanistan. In addition to having a Most people think military presence in most of that the job of the the world, the U.S. spends an U.S. military is atrocious amount of money to defend just on its Armed Forces. the United At $668.8 billion per year, States from the United States leads the threats and world in military spending. stay out of the In fact, it actually accounts
for 40 percent of the world’s total military spending. This creates a kind of vicious cycle, in which the United States’ allies count on America to defend them, and do not spend enough on military, so America has to pick up the slack by overcompensating. If there are other options available, then those options should be pursued, but not after it is obvious that they have failed. Sadly, the U.S. has been on the two opposite sides of the spectrum lately: going into countries where it has no business and remaining indecisive when quick action must be taken. Much of this back and forth centers around political differences. National security is no place to play politics. We must act as a country, and not as two parties maneuvering for political positions. In conclusion, although the United States cannot stay completely neutral in world affairs, it cannot protect every country from every threat they face.
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Double
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Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple aren’t just the colors you learned in preschool. They are the colors of a healthy, vitamin-rich diet. “Eating a rainbow” happens when you incorporate a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables into your diet, foods like pomegranates, carrots, bananas, spinach, blueberries, and turnips. These foods contain “phytonutrients,” or “plant chemicals,” natural chemicals found in all plants. Diets rich in phytonutrients help to protect us from many health problems, including heart disease, certain cancers, osteoporosis, diabetes, and even cataracts. On the rainbow spectrum, each color group is packed with its own vitamins and minerals. Purple, blue, red, and orange are considered to be the most antioxidant-rich foods. In general, the deeper the color pigment, the more densely packed with nutrients the food is. Each fruit and vegetable has its own special benefits – cranberries and pomegranates help stop bacteria from attaching to the wall of the bladder. Spinach and broccoli support eye health. Carrots and citrus protect us from cell damage. So how can you start eating your way to a pot of gold? Researchers say the easiest way to eat more colors is to add color at every meal. Add tomatoes to your spaghetti, avocado to your salad, raspberries to your smoothie. Eating fruits and vegetables is always a good idea, especially when it will help improve your health. So next time you are fighting between eating white bread or strawberries for breakfast, don’t count calories. Just ask yourself which one is more colorful, and that should help you make a healthier choice.
Quinoa vs. Pasta: Packed with amino acids and vitamins, quinoa has much more protein than regular pasta. Sweet Potatoes vs. Potatoes: The sweet potato has fewer calories and more fiber than a regular potato. Donuts vs Bagels: While bagels might seem healthier than donuts because they are not deep-fried, bagels are surprisingly unhealthy. And while donuts are not “better” than bagels, they have fewer carbohydrates and less sodium. Cheerios vs. Rice Krispies: Cheerios are made with whole-grain oats, meaning they will not turn to sugar as fast as Rice Krispies.
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January 10, 2014
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LUISA CAMERON
Is your list of 2014 Resolutions as long as your holiday shopping list? Daunting, huh? In addition to post-holiday stress, trying to keep up with your resolutions could increase your anxiety. But don’t feel hopeless! The new year is a time to reflect on the past and make positive lifestyle changes. Eating well can be extremely beneficial, but it can also be hard to stick to a strict diet. Follow these steps to achieve your goals! 1) Set small, attainable goals. Make resolutions that you think you can keep. Don’t make sweeping statements that you will ultimately end up regretting. For example, if you set a goal to exercise more frequently, schedule three days a week instead of seven. If you would like to eat healthier, replace dessert with something else you enjoy, like fruit or yogurt, instead of seeing your diet as a form of punishment. 2) Keep your objective realistic. Don’t set a goal to not eat sugar for the rest of the year; try not eating sugar for a month. There is a greater chance you will keep goals if they are more reasonable. 3) Don’t beat yourself up. Perfection is unattainable, so don’t feel depressed if you eat a brownie or skip the gym. Everyone has their ups and downs, so don’t punish yourself for messing up. 4) Involve a friend. Teaming up with others is particularly helpful given our reluctance to let others down. Asking for support or setting a goal along with a buddy can manage stress. If you are unable to meet your goals on your own, consider working with a friend. 5) And finally, the golden rule of resolutions: write them out. Research suggests that when we put pen to paper, we make something concrete and definite. Writing also gives your brain a way to organize goals in a list form, and lists are psychologically easier to complete.
“Savoy has the best salad bar in Santa Barbara because they have a ton of delicious toppings!” -Jacqueline Berci “I love the Natural Cafe. I always get the same thing!” -Trish McHale “I never thought vegan could taste as good as it does at Adama!” -Caty Lafitte
Cheerios also have fiber and an abundance of added vitamins and minerals. Rice Krispies. On the other hand, are made from white rice and contain high fructose corn syrup. They have barely any nutritional value. Oranges vs. Orange Juice: There are more nutrients in the fruit than the fruit juice. When the pulp of the orange is removed in the juicing process, flavonoids are lost and artificial sweeteners are added. Peas vs. Corn: A cup of peas has more fiber and iron than a cup of corn: 100 grams of corn contains 365 calories, while 100 grams of peas contains only 81.
10
Sports
January 10, 2014
Owls’ Outstanding Tournament Play A Good Omen for Condor League By PIERCE O’DONNELL
After losing eight players, including four seniors, many would view this season as a “rebuilding year” for the Boys Varsity Basketball team. However, the team has greater aspirations. With six returning varsity players and five new members, the Owls’ small but experienced squad is poised for the challenge ahead. Fortunately for the program, the CIF-SS has reconstructed the divisions for the playoffs. After a first-round loss to the State Semi-Finalists San Gabriel Academy early last spring, the Owls have been moved from Division 5 to Division 6 along with the Condor League’s Dunn, Besant Hill and Providence. Led last year by team captain and top scorer J.T. Aubery, the Owls posted a 9-6 (7-5) record with league wins over cross-town rival Cate, Thacher, Providence Hall, and a pair of wins against Midland and Dunn. The team also seized marquee non-league wins over Orcutt Academy and Villanova Prep. It was the first time in head coach Sal Rodriguez’s six-year campaign that he was able to capture wins over both Cate and Thacher in the same season. Despite beating every league opponent but one, the Owls finished fourth in the Condor League with a crippling late-season loss to Providence Hall. The Owls started their 2013-2014 offseason play with a home contest against the Santa Ynez Pirates. Following a tempestuous first half, featuring an ejection on both sides, Laguna blew an early lead and fell to the Pirates 56-39. After licking their wounds from the loss, the parliament traveled to Ojai for the school’s first trip to the Second Annual Ojai Valley Classic. After a disappointing first three quarters in the tournament’s opening round against Coast Union, the boys found themselves down three with only eight minutes left to play. Against
PHOTO: GEOF WYATT PICK AND ROLL: Senior point guard Michael Reyes uses senior captain Andrew Vignolo’s screen to drive the ball into the paint for a basket. the odds, the Owls soared to their first victory with a 16-2 run in the final quarter. Laguna carried this momentum into its semi-final game against Condor League opponent and notorious school rival, Cate School. The Rams, hot off a 52-point victory over Grace Brethren in the first round, struggled to score at all against the defensive Owls. Cate had only three points in the second and third quarters combined as Laguna easily coasted into the championship against Kilpatrick with a 56-35 victory. The Laguna squad didn’t seem to stand a chance as Kilpatrick out-
muscled them down-low and out-ran them up top. However, after a pair of steals by Michael Reyes and Jack Kinsler, the team gained some momentum. Despite the team’s energized start, it seemed as if it wouldn’t be enough. Down six points with only 36 seconds, a win seemed inconceivable. However, a steal, a turnover, a rebound, and a pair of clutch free throws later, the Owls found themselves in an overtime thriller. Fueled by Spenser Wyatt’s 27 points, Reyes’ 21, and solid team defense, Laguna Blanca brought home first place with a 67-61 triumph. On their performance thus far,
Assistant Coach Bo Rodriguez said, “We are a defensive minded team. We rely on our defense to get stops, which turn into easy transition baskets. If we can play with the same intensity on the defensive end throughout the season, we will continue to be very successful.” Laguna opened the Jim Bashore Holiday Cage Classic, their second tournament of the season, with a close loss to host Carpinteria and will face off against Bishop Diego and Rio Mesa in the tournament before heading into Winter Break. The team has expressed that these wins are just the beginning of a long season, and they need to continue working hard to achieve their goal—a Condor League Championship.
Rejuvenated Roster Propels Lady Owls to Early Victory By PIERCE O’DONNELL attacks moving forward. The Girls Varsity Soccer The following week, the team endured a losing season Owls did just that in a much a year ago, posting a total of closer contest at Carpinteria only three wins. High School, in which they The program consisted of came up on the wrong side of a 13 girls, a handful of which 0-2 interdivision matchup. started play late due to the The Owls avenged their 0-2 Varsity Volleyball team’s loss with a 2-0 victory of their success in the CIF playoffs. own over Villanova Prep. Despite last year’s results The team’s tough offseason on the field, the Owls have opponents should prepare nearly doubled their roster them well for the upcoming with a whopping 25 girls in 2014 Condor League the program, including six competition. freshmen. Senior captain Nadia Belton “In all teams, coaches look said, “We have a young team for a nice balance of young, this year but we have a lot of exuberant players and older, potential. We only have four more experienced players. seniors but we have been Our team certainly has that playing together for the last balance,” said head coach four years, so we have a good Kevin Shertzer. relationship with everyone on Senior captain and sweeper the team.” Nadia Belton and junior In terms of Condor League captain and striker Bryn play, Nadia continued, “as Jewett lead the 2013-2014 far as league, I can’t really Owls squad. say because we haven’t had “They have completely any league games yet and the different styles of leadership. teams we have played have Nadia is a field manager out been bigger schools, but I there, while Bryn leads by example,” said coach Shertzer. definitely feel that we will go further than we did last year.” Laguna started the season Laguna will play away with scoreless losses to both against Brentwood before Bishop Diego and Carpinteria. heading into the winter break. Bishop Diego posted three Condor League play will begin goals off of corner kicks in for the Owls on January 15 as the cross-town contest. The Laguna will host longtime rival girls made it clear that they must work on defending these Thacher School.
New Boys Soccer Coaches Duran Stanley and Daniel Torres By SPENSER WYATT
PHOTO: CARSON SHEVITZ
PUSHING THROUGH THE DEFENSE: Defender Robert Estrada advances the ball through the Santa Clara opposition as captain and midfielder Ryan Bickett looks to help.
Experienced Owls Began Soccer Season Against Tough Competition By SPENSER WYATT
Coming off of a disappointing 3-5-1 season, the Owls are poised to return to the elite class of the Condor League. The team hired two new coaches in Duran Stanley and Daniel Torres and did not graduate a single player from last season’s squad. Damian Nunez, a new transfer from Santa Ynez High School, is certain to add depth to an already large squad. “Damian’s addition to our team is essential for our team’s success. When he comes back from his surgery, there are no limits as to what this team as a whole can achieve,” junior captain Ryan Bickett said. In the team’s first game, the Owls beat Trinity Classical Academy 2-1 in a tough road battle. Sophomore striker Armon Ghodoussi converted on a rebounded shot taken by Cooper Farrell. Ghodoussi took one touch and put the ball into the back of the net, giving the Owls the lead in the sixth minute. Junior wingman Connor Curran slotted home PHOTO: CARSON SHEVITZ the game-winning goal in the A STRONG EFFORT: Freshman midfielder Grace MacNeil 57th minute, just moments fights for the ball against a Villanova Prep defender. after Trinity Classical had
equalized the contest. The Owls then traveled to Bishop Diego to face a strong squad. Laguna fought hard for a 0-0 draw, but that result did not come without consequence as Connor Curran broke his collarbone when he was shoved to the ground in the first half. The team will now be without Nunez and Curran until after the winter break. Laguna opened at home versus Santa Clara, but suffered a disappointing 2-0 loss in part to a crippling own goal. “It was just one of those days. I thought we played well enough to win the game, but we just didn’t score,” Coach Daniel Torres said. The Owls finish up the first half of the season with a home game versus St. Bonaventure before heading into the winter break. On their season thus far and looking forward to league play, sophomore goalkeeper Michael Hawker said, “We have definitely improved from last year, but we need to work on finishing our chances. Fortunately, Coach Stanley has made finishing a major focus in practice.”
The Boys Varsity Soccer team brought in two new coaches for the 2013-2014 season. Duran Stanley and Daniel Torres, the new coaches, both have extensive soccer pasts and bright goals for the season and the future. Duran Stanley, currently a Major League Soccer divisiontwo player for the Los Angeles Blues, came to Laguna in search of “a great test” in bringing a soccer team back to glory. In his amateur years, Duran played for Santa Barbara City College, leading the Vaqueros to the State Final Four. His extensive soccer career started locally at Santa Barbara High School. Daniel Torres, formerly the Carpinteria High School boys soccer coach, played at both Santa Barbara City College, as well as Westmont college before his opportunity at Laguna. The coaches highlighted captains midfielder Ryan Bickett, attacking-midfielder Cooper Farrell and leftback Damian Nunez, as well as wingman Connor Curran and goalkeeper Mikey Hawker as players to watch for this season. Torres also stressed the importance of “the boys being confident in their abilities,” as it is an integral part of being a competitive team on the field. “Coach Torres is a great coach. He loves to let us play and focuses on tweaking our runs and positioning in scrimmages to help us. He helps us implement our skills into game scenarios. Torres is also very funny,” junior Cooper Farrell said. On Coach Stanley, captain Ryan Bickett said, “I’m glad he is coaching us this year. He is dedicated, and I think with him we will have a successful year.” Overall, the Owls are looking to gain experience and compete with the upper echelon of teams in the highly competitive Condor League.
Sports
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January 10, 2014
Against the Stereotypes of Hunting: A Sports Commentary
Independent P.E. Featured Athletes By SPENSER WYATT
By STEPHEN MCCAFFERY Humans, generally speaking, are all the same. Scientifically speaking, there are not many differences between all the humans of the world. However, despite our unvaried biological roots, we are separated into many different groups and classifications dictated by the color of our skin, the language we speak, the cultures we embrace, and the activities we, as individuals, involve ourselves in. Because of our differences, all people have an inevitable tendency to classify, stereotype, and title. We are afraid of what we do not know, so we decide to label others – these labels are often times very objectionable, false and demeaning. In particular, hunters across America are frequently stereotyped by people who don’t understand why they hunt and what hunting stands for, leading to harmful and false
GRAPHIC: KELA JOHNSON
classifications and illustrations of hunters. In a survey conducted through Upper School advisories, students reported having heard derogatory titles of hunter, such as “meaningless killers,” “rednecks” and “animal murderers.” Despite the eminent hatred towards hunting in America, in the survey 70 out of 110 students or 64 percent, reported that they approve, or at least tolerate hunting. Hunters, in fact, follow a strict set of legal regulations and socially accepted standards to make hunting a respected, or at least accepted, sport. These rules are in place to make sure hunting does not harm the population numbers of hunted species. What many people tend to misunderstand or just outright reject is that hunters actually help conserve habitats and moderate ecosystems, especially those with a lack of predator presence. By harvesting the legal limit of animals per year, hunters prevent habitats from becoming overpopulated and essentially being used up and destroyed by potential overpopulation of certain species. Furthermore, according to an article from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, hunters pay around $796 million dollars per year to conservation groups and agencies through license, tag, and stamp fees. And that’s not all: through donations to hunting and conservation foundations, hunters give another $440 million per year towards “conservation efforts” (“25 Reasons Why Hunting is Conservation”). What many anti-hunting individuals also reject is that hunters do not have an excessively unfair advantage over the hunted species. The most popular way of hunting is known as fair chase because the hunted actually does have a fair chance of evading death, be it by detecting the hunter with one of many senses or by the hunter’s inability to take a successful shot. When one relates human hunting to predators hunting, there is really not much difference. The predator has its advantages and skills over its prey, while the prey has its defensive skills and senses to evade the predator. When the human is the predator, the human has the advantage of the
weapon, be it firearm, bow, or spear (instead of a set of razor sharp teeth or claws, extreme speed or stealth, extraordinary strength, etc.), camouflage and the skill of animal calling, tracking, and/or marksmanship, while the hunted has its many advantages. These include, but are not limited to, the extremely acute sense of smell and hearing, the ability to fly, the ability to run at speeds human cannot ever match, and natural camouflage. For example, according to an article from IMB Monster Bucks, white tail deer have “up to 297 olfactory receptors” compared to a human’s mere 5 million (olfactory receptors are responsible for detecting odors) (Whitetail Deer’s Sense of Smell). Additionally, as stated in an article on turkeyhunting.com, turkeys have a 360-degree range of vision and can see “much more crisply in daylight than a human with 20/20 sight.” These advantages possessed by the hunted add to the challenging aspect of hunting and give the hunted a fair chance to evade death. “Hunting is a very rewarding sport as success is only achievable through a great amount of time practice shooting, couting, and learning and adapting to the behaviors of your target,” said avid hunter sophomore Christian Fowler. Most importantly, those who oppose the acts of hunting tend to reject the validity of the high standard of ethics that hunters possess while hunting, which is certainly the most shocking and most demeaning opinion in the eyes’ of a hunter. Hunters hold the utmost respect for the animals they harvest and go to great measures to ensure that they treat the ecosystem, environment, and habitat with care. They respect the land they have the opportunity to hunt on, and they certainly respect other hunters. Junior Parker Rusack hunts ducks regularly during duck season and said, “hunting is a really great bonding experience with your hunting partner and nature. It’s great to be out in the field enjoying the wildlife. Additionally, ducks taste good, and that’s a main reason why I hunt them.” Hunters do not kill just to kill. They do not shoot just anything that moves between the cross hairs. Each individual hunter holds his or her standards, depending on size, species, age and a variety of other factors of the animal for what animal they will harvest.
Sports Psychology:
Is There Too Much Pressure to Succeed? By ALLISON LEWIS TOWBES Stressed, anxious, under pressure: we’ve all felt this way before. Many of us have experienced feelings of being overwhelmed, and according to the American Psychological Association, approximately one out of every 75 people suffer from some form of Panic Disorder. The causes can be triggered by lack of sleep, emotional disruption, even a change in diet. There are specialists in every area of stress management, including Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Phobias, and Sports Psychology. Sports Psychology, an emerging form of therapy that blends physical and mental treatment, is designed to catch and combat signs of anxiety and burnout effect in athletes. These fears are actually incredibly similar to stage fright. For many athletes, their anxiety is really a fear of performing in front of people; for others, it is really a fear of failure. Sports psychologists aim to help athletes deal with stress management and decreased self-esteem due to extreme pressure during sports-related endeavors. Olympians, NFL players, even prima ballerinas are undergoing sports therapy so that they can perform to the top of their abilities. Sports Psychology is often implemented in the cases of athletes who play at the highest levels of their respective sports. “As the pressure to succeed and perform consistently over time increases, athletes continually add both physical and emotional stress to their bodies. Mental toughness, or the ability to perform at ones optimal level regardless of the circumstances, is consequentially a vital tool in helping one cope with such strenuous situations,” said Carissa Rodriguez in her study at Vanderbilt University. In 1988, the School of Education at the University of New South Wales in Kensington,
perform to the top of their abilities. Junior Libby Hasse plays tennis in and outside of school. She plays in a highly competitive setting, and has to deal with some anxiety. “I get pretty anxious because tennis is a very mental game. I don’t get anxious about my skill level, it’s more about the opponent getting inside my head.” When it comes to combatting her nerve, Libby has developed specific tools to help her beat any fears. “Keep my mind clear and focused is the best way to overcome my anxiety. I usually try to only think about the current point and not past points during a match.” Many athletes have taken up yoga and meditation, because the breath and relaxation techniques taught in these activities can be implemented before or during a game or competition. Some other recommendations for overcoming anxiety include limiting caffeine and sugar on the day of the game, keeping your energy up but your mind clear, and avoiding selfdoubt and criticism. Most importantly, practice is key. The more prepared an athlete is, the better they will perform under pressure. For any athlete, it is also helpful to figure out what works for you. Do you need a big, carb-heavy meal or lots of fruits and vegetables on game day? Does it help you to arrive early and get a feel for your surroundings, or does the adrenaline that comes with getting there at the last moment keep you pumped? Ritual is important for combating nerves. Learning skills like these is important for any athlete, but if the anxiety you feel during a game or a practice is making it difficult for you to enjoy the activity, then perhaps it’s time to get professional help from a GRAPHIC: KELA JOHNSON sports psychologist.
Squash
Daniel Reisman “I enjoy squash because it’s a sport that involves athleticism as well as strategic thinking. Also, it’s a very fastpaced sport. I have recently participated in the L.A. Athletic Club tournament and was a finalist. In the next few weeks, I have two tournaments that I am training for now.”
Karate
Justin Bollag “I do predominantly Tang Su Do among other mixed martial arts. I have done a form of martial arts for about 10 years. I enjoy learning about the mixed martial arts, and I like how I can do it in my home or on the beach. I have fun while I’m doing it, and even though I work up a sweat, it doesn’t really feel like work. We do various exercises, and it keeps me fit.”
Australia performed a study called “An application of psychophysiology in sports psychology: heart rate responses to relevant and irrelevant stimuli as a function of anxiety and defensiveness in elite gymnasts.” The study showed that “under anxiety-producing conditions [like a competition], high levels of defensiveness and anxiety in combination appear to have a debilitating effect on the gymnasts ability to discontinue processing of irrelevant stimuli.” The more anxious the gymnasts became, the harder it was for them to
Horseback Riding Lindsay Ligon
“I love riding because it’s a sport with so many different disciplines but every discipline requires, more than anything else, a connection between horse and rider – without that, you have nothing. Recently I’ve been competing through the Interscholastic Equestrian Association with a team from my barn in Reno, NV. It’s a competition where you get assigned to random horses that you’ve never ridden before and have to compete on them in Equitation, which levels the playing field. You get to see who the best rider is rather than who can buy the nicest horse.”
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January 10, 2014
Pros and Cons to Applying Early to College By CATY LAFITTE
Everyone knows the college application process is stressful, so how do you know when it is the right time to apply? There are many benefits and drawbacks to applying early to colleges, whether it’s early action or early decision—early action being nonbinding, so the student doesn’t have to commit to the school right away, and early decision being a binding decision, where if they are accepted to the school, they have already committed. Applying early has many benefits but also drawbacks. Starting the tedious college application process a couple months earlier reduces the amount of stress by cutting down the student’s waiting time for a decision. “I applied earlier to some schools because I knew that if I got into at least one, it would save me a couple months of stressing about whether I got into some schools or not,” senior Andrew Vignolo said. In some cases, applying for early decision could possibly give that student’s application a little extra push by showing that school you are serious about attending. “All those books, brochures, online comparisons and college visits may seem tedious at first, but they definitely pay off in the end. It really takes the stress off my shoulders, and the great thing is I can hear back sooner by applying early,” senior Daniel Moghtader said. “I knew I wanted to apply early decision since I was a sophomore because I knew that I wanted to go to Wake Forest. I also knew that I could
apply in the summer of my junior year and hear back in the first month of school, which was just another benefit. But basically I’ve always known I wanted to go there, so I didn’t see a reason not to apply early decision,” senior Nadia Belton said. But, there are also many drawbacks to sending in applications early. When a student applies for early decision, they have the pressure to decide on one specific school, so it puts unwanted stress on the student to make a huge decision before they may have had time to explore other options. Also, applying early decision or early action causes a time crunch if the applicants don’t get into his or her early schools. “I decided to apply regular decision because I wanted to make sure I could send my new grades and wanted to perfect my SAT score and take it step by step instead of rush everything and not be fully content with where I was,” senior Chloe Richman said. Applying with regular decision gives the applicant more time to get his or her test scores, and it allows them to send in his or her first semester grades for senior year. “I could present a better application after the first semester grades were in, versus applying without any grades from senior year,” senior Alec Abajian said. GRAPHICS: LUISA CAMERON
What is the Future of Education? By KAYLEE STRACHAN
Does education really teach you the necessary skills to enter the work force as a qualified individual? and enlightened graduates capable of Arguments over higher education succeeding in a career. are nothing new. Does tuition cost Often, the newly independent too much? Is the education actually graduates are not given the effective? opportunity to prove themselves While it is undeniable that most college graduates will tell you that they worthy and competent. However, the employers are not enjoyed their time spent at school, as entirely wrong. of 2013, almost half of them will be Recent surveys of college graduates underemployed. show that nearly 30 percent of young And only 27 percent of those who have jobs will actually work in the field applicants show up to job interviews late and nearly 50 percent did not in which they majored. know that the separation of powers For graduates under the age of 25, the unemployment rate is 16.1 percent. was established in the Constitution. This is discouraging both for Many are beginning to settle for educators and minimum wage employers looking jobs. “Only 27 percent of for prospective If the options employees. are so limited those who have jobs Does this now, what does will actually work in substantiate this mean for the generations to the field in which they that our higher education systems come? majored.” are not fulfilling “The next their duties to generation will teach young adults? find it hard to buy their first home or And does this mean colleges’ must finance other large purchases,” said change their programs? Julia Coronado, chief North America To answer those questions, economist at BNP Paribas, in an another must be asked. What does a article for Pacific Standard magazine. college graduate need to know to be Simply put, the base purpose of successful in life? education is to project young men For most, that would be a matter of and women with common knowledge opinion or a collection of experiences. about the world they are to run But much debate has come from that someday. question. But how can they do that if they are Now it can only be speculated never given an opportunity to show whether reform is in the air or if what they know or what they can do? current kindergartners should start Employers have shown that they do making the most of the next 13 years. not find the higher education system credible enough to produce cultivated GRAPHIC: KELA JOHNSON
PHOTO: MACKENNA CONNOR
By MACKENNA CONNOR Growing up in this generation, we often cringe as our parents refer to something as “groovy” or “the bee’s knees,” and find ourselves thinking where do they come up with this stuff? Though it’s difficult to clearly define slang, as the criteria for it is constantly changing, it’s said that slang is a type of language that is typically restricted to a particular context or group of people. So, it makes sense that the slang changes so much from generation to generation. The changes in slang and new terms through the years are noticeable, and, often, these words and phrases define each generation. For example, words like “hip” and “square” filled the 50s; the 60s were “groovy;” 70s kids loved to “boogie;” the 80s simultaneously had an attitude of “whatever” and “totally awesome;” the 90s saw the dawn of “talk to the hand,” “hella” and “not,” and the 2000s boasted “OMG” along with the rise of “hashtag.” Different cultures and different societies all have their own slang. In this day and age, slang has practically become a language in and of itself. It even has its own dictionary (see urbandictionary.com), which is acknowledged even in federal courts. This has become somewhat of a hot topic issue for judges and lawyers as Urban Dictionary is a crowd-sourced reference and, therefore, can some-
times be unreliable (as many websites are). The point, though, is that slang has become more than just obscure terminology. Slang defines societies. An example that proves the extent of slang throughout the world is the categorization of British English and American English. Though both Britain and the United States speak English, the slang has become so different that the two have to be differentiated. Students on campus constantly churn out new words and terms, to the point where it’s almost impossible to keep up. Junior Juliana Ozur said, “It’s pretty annoying because it’s hard to keep up with all of the new words.” However, junior Carys Davies had a more optimistic outlook on the subject. She said, “As a new student being thrown in with all this new slang, it’s pretty interesting to hear all the new words.” Ultimately, slang bonds people together — whether by place or by generation — and gives groups of people who may have never even met before something to relate with each other. After all these lingual fads, it will definitely be interesting to see what slang future generations will be cringing at.
Q: Every morning, when I wake up, before I even get out of bed, I check Instagram, and it always leads me to being late to school. It’s kind of an addiction. How do I stop myself from doing this? A: As a fellow “Instagrammer,” I empathize with your addiction. I have two solutions for this problem. The first one is to lay in bed and check your Instagram earlier than usual, knowing that you can lay in bed and check your Instagram in the car or bus ride on the way to school (if you take a car or bus). It’s entertaining and a good way to pass the time. Q: My girlfriend and I broke up last week. Now she is with a guy who has bigger biceps than me. I don’t know how to feel about this. What is the problem? Is it because the guy’s biceps are bigger than mine? Is that the problem? A: I’m sorry about your breakup! The problem is not that the guy has bigger biceps than you. The problem is that you are still probably getting over your ex-girlfriend, and it is sad to see her with a new guy. Once you move on, I’m sure you will not be bothered by this situation. Besides, now that you’re single, you have more time to work on your biceps. Q: Can and should exes be friends? A: Exes definitely can be friends, but whether or not they should is up to you! If your ex was and/or is not nice to you, then there should be no obligation to be friends with them. If your ex and you were friends before you dated, then you can go back to being friends with them, if you feel inclined to do so.
Feature
January 10, 2014
Growing Up in the Classroom
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By MARGARET LAZAROVITS
Some students cringe or become confused when they see one of their parents walking around
campus. For others, the sight of their parent in a classroom is familiar.
English instructor Ms. Ashley Tidey has seen many youngsters grow up in her classes in her nine years at Laguna. However, last year things were a little different for her as there was one special student in her English 7 class: her daughter, Aura. Aura admits that “during summer before taking her class, the idea of her being my teacher was weird, but then during the year it was normal.” “I sometimes tell stories in class about my own kids, and so I had to be careful about that. I had to be careful about not embarrassing her too much with nicknames. And then you have to make sure to call on everyone equally.” As for their home dynamic, Aura claims to see no difference between her and her mother’s relationship. Ms. Tidey, however, observes that their home dynamic is “even more relaxed” than in class. Ms. Tidey really does cherish her daughter’s presence on campus. “That is probably the most special part of having a child in the school,” she said. “You get to watch her grow up and change—right before your eyes.” “I remember watching Aura write her first closedbook in-class essay on Francisco Jimenez’s ‘The Circuit.’ Aura happened to be seated right in front of her mother. She describes Aura as “writing away furiously, looking so thoughtful, so grown up.” Here was Ms. Tidey observing an aspect of her daughter that many parents miss—she observed her thinking. Ms. Tidey’s thoughts shifted to Aura in high school and in college, to how she would be thinking on her tests and exams in the future. “I remember savoring the moment. The thought was, she is well on her way, and it’s happening right in front of my eyes . . .”
Visual Arts Department Chair and instructor Mr. Chris Johnson has seen his son Colton grow up through the grades, from kindergarten to college acceptances. He is “extremely proud of Colton and the advances he has made in his 13 years as a Laguna Lifer.” Although not currently in any of his father’s classes, Colton was in Mr. Johnson’s eighth grade ceramics class for a quarter. “He called me ‘Mr. Johnson,’ which was his choice. It made everyone smile.” On teaching his son about ceramics, one of Mr. Johnson’s many artistic passions, “it was fun for me when Colton took my class, but I don’t think it changed the way I relate to or teach my students, including Colton.” Colton also felt that being in his father’s class “might have been a little weird but seeing him on campus isn’t weird.” Even though he has been with Colton at school 13 out of the 30 years of his teaching at Laguna, he knows that, at school, his son is simply another student in his class and should be treated no differently from anyone else. However, Mr. Johnson is also aware that “home is a different environment—a family environment,” and he strives to shift between his roles as a father and as a teacher seamlessly. “Colton made the effort to do well in my class for the short period he was there, and I appreciated that, as I would for any student.” “His mom always said that Laguna is big enough for the both of us. I’ll miss him next year when he goes on to college.”
When parting ways in the morning, math instructor Ms. Izabela Santos always says “goodbye” to her daughter, Anabelle, as she goes off to the Lower School each day. Now in third grade, Anabelle has a ways to go before she enters one of Ms. Santos’ math classes, but Ms. Santos looks forward to the day her daughter walks into one of her classes. “I’d like to see exactly how she behaves and interacts and learns in a formal setting. But, it’s also going to be an interesting experience. How will she react and talk to her friends about class?” As she has yet to take one of her mother’s classes, her mathematician mother can only wonder. “The teacher will bring the child along to the class. We took her to this math conference so she heard a talk about prime numbers and she wanted to prove the Riemann’s hypothesis, which is not easy. You know it’s like, what are you crazy? But she was really excited about it. She sees me grading, she sees me going to conferences, she’s attending the conferences with us.” Ms. Santos “feel[s] very fortunate to be able to see [her] daughter off to Lower School every day.” Ms. Santos understands our journey through life and how swiftly it goes. “We go through life so quickly—maybe it doesn’t feel like it at the time, especially when we are students, but time goes by fast.” Ms. Santos looks forward to seeing her daughter’s journey through school and life, as both her mother and teacher. For now, at Laguna, “I’m enjoying seeing my daughter grow and learn.” PHOTOS: CARSON SHEVITZ
Busy Students Take Time to Cook and Bake By MACKENNA CONNOR
A
s a student in high school it can often be difficult to find the time to make yourself a
meal. Too often making yourself a nice meal takes a backseat to schoolwork and extracurricular activities, which is unfortunate considering cooking at home has many virtues as well as health benefits. Cooking for yourself can be a very gratifying activity and a good way to take a short break from your other responsibilities. Studies show that focusing your attention on relaxed cooking for 3045 minutes can have psychological benefits. Several students on campus enjoy cooking and baking. Junior Monica Criley has some interesting things to say about her cooking. When asked what her favorite things are to cook her answers leaned toward a global inspiration, “I like to make homemade ramen and curry. Since I make the broth [for the ramen] myself it doesn’t have MSG in it, which is in the cheap $.99 instant noodles. I really like Thai food so that’s why I make curry.” Monica cooks because has a taste for many foreign foods but often can’t find the same good taste when buying a cheap Americanized version. When Monica doesn’t have the time to cook herself a full meal, you can
often find her making something simpler, like a milkshake. “I make milkshakes every night, different types usually, I like to mix things up. My favorite milkshake recipe is: vanilla ice cream, chocolate bars, cinnamon, honey, bananas, milk, and ice.” “When I have time it’s nice to cook because I like food and it tastes really fresh.” Monica thinks it’s worth it to take some time to cook every once in a while. When talking about the end result of her self-cooked meal she said, “it tastes like love. The hard work really pays off.” Junior Rebecca Brooks also enjoys a bit of cooking in her free time. “When my family comes over I always try some new recipe such as: Nanaimo bars, cheesecake, and cream pie.” Rebecca has also become known among her friends as quite the baker. When Rebecca finds she has a lot of time on her hands you can often find her baking an elaborately decorated and delicious cake. “I enjoy baking cakes although I must say decorating them with icing, fondant, and various other toppings is my favorite part.” According to Rebecca, the coolest cake she ever made “was when I made a lemon cake and decorated it with yellow sprinkles and sugar cookie flower petals layered in a flower formation. I made it just for fun.”
PHOTO: STEPHEN FRICK CRILEY
PREP IN PROGRESS: Junior Monica Criley does some cooking in her kitchen.
Gaming Graphics Level-Up By HARRISON KERDMAN You are walking through a jungle, the sun is hot on the back of your neck, you feel the sweat dripping down your face, and you feel mosquitoes biting your arms. Your body is tense as you feel danger lurking about. Suddenly, an army of aliens from an unknown, distant planet attacks you. You pull out your plasma gun and single handedly wipe out the entire battalion of reptilianlike intruders. You feel invincible and powerful… too powerful, perhaps? “Could it be? Is this real?” you ask. Your heart is beating rapidly; you feel your mind is fooling you. Imagine a world in which you could not tell if you were playing a video game or living your day-to-day life. This could happen and probably will happen within the next few years. The top video game designers are currently working to improve graphics to the point of reality. Freshman Jack Copeland says it is a good thing, “It can make a more realistic game experience.” On the other hand, freshman Jason Feinberg thinks it’s a bad thing because the game can affect the minds of the players, “Depends on the person: it depends on how sane they are as a person.”
GRAPHIC: BEA TOLAN
It is hard to even think that figments of some game designer’s imagination could come so close to reality. But as it happens, you might think you are getting into the mind of a mad man, leading you to the brink of insanity. One of the first games to come close to the point of reality, “Infiltrator,” created by Unreal Engines, previewed at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco. “Infiltrator” is a shooter in which you are a lone-wolf soldier fighting a futuristic army to save the world. “Infiltrator” is not a confirmed title and is, at this moment, just a demonstration of advanced graphics. A video was leaked revealing the game weeks before its planned unveiling date. The graphics appear to be as close as ever to reality, but not quite there yet. Another game with incredibly realistic graphics is “Beyond: Two Souls created by Quantic Dream.” In this video game, advanced motion capture techniques are combined with Hollywood quality acting talent, transforming motion capture, long used in video games, into something quite different—performance capture. The end result is one of the bestlooking games ever developed for PS3. Put this together with crafty game play in which players control both the main character and her constant companion across several years of her life, and you have a whole new way of playing video games and having an incredible experience.
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January 10, 2014
The Wizard of Oz Turns 75 By MACKENNA CONNOR The artistic importance of “The Wizard of Oz”, the 1939 movie starring Judy Garland, is obvious. As the first widely successful full length color movie, the “Wizard of Oz” set a new standard in the film industry. The main character, Dorothy, became a national symbol of the “cando”American spirit. Though there are many different interpretations and versions of the original children’s novel “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” written in 1900 by L. Frank Baum, the 1939 adaptation featuring Judy Garland is the most well-known. To many, this is common knowledge; the movie was clearly a big step in the film industry. Life Magazine spoke of its significance in terms of “kid power,” “woman power,” “proletarian power,” and “gay power,” in their recent issue “The Wizard of Oz 75 Years Along the Yellow Brick Road.” However, many people don’t know the historical meaning behind the book. As this year marks the 75th anniversary of the debut of “The Wizard of Oz “(1939), we take a look back at its original intent as a historical parody. Baum’s “The Wonderful
A&E
Wizard of Oz” (1900) at first appears to be a simple and fun children’s novel. However, this appearance hides a deeper meaning, history teacher Martha Elliott said, “it was really perceived by most as a children’s book, but it’s pretty easy to see that it was a parody of the election of 1896.” However, several of the references to the election are covered up or lost in the movie. For example, Ms. Elliott said, “the slippers were actually silver because the underlying question in the election of 1896 was whether or not we should be on the gold standard or have silver and gold as a standard for our currency, but because it was the first big technicolor movie they changed them into ruby slippers because the red would sparkle and show off more of the color.” Another example, Ms. Elliott said, was, “there were no winged monkeys in the book version. The book probably refers to either the treatment of the Chinese who wanted to immigrate to America or the whole question of whether or not we should take over the Philippines and how we treated the Philippines.”
Though Baum never really talked about the meaning behind the story, the political and historical references are apparent to anyone who has studied the election of 1896.
ART: KELA JOHNSON
Antigone Takes A New Light
A Fiery Film To Watch
Top Songs of 2013 By MARGARET LAZAROVITS
By KELA JOHNSON
By HARRISON KERDMAN The long awaited “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” finally hit the theaters. Since the debut of “The Hunger Games,” audiences have been anxiously awaiting the ART: KELA JOHNSON sequel. The movies are based on “The Hunger Games” trilogy written by Suzanne Collins. Jack Copeland compares the movies to the books, “The books are much better because they have greater detail and let you use more imagination.” Mathew Goldsholl compares “Catching Fire,” the second movie of the trilogy, with “The Hunger Games,” the first movie of the trilogy, “It’s much more exciting with better acting and better cinematography.” The movie begins, with Katniss Everdeen, played by Jennifer Lawrence, returning home safely after winning the 74th Annual Hunger Games along with fellow tribute Peeta Mellark, played by Josh Hutcherson. Winning means that they embark on a “Victor’s Tour” of the districts. Along the way, Katniss sees that a rebellion is brewing, but the Capital is still in command. During this, President Snow, played by Donald Sutherland, is preparing the 75th Annual Hunger Games, a special games known as the Quarter Quell which is unlike the average Hunger Games, and takes place every 25 years. The movie is essentially split into two parts. The aftermath of their victory and the arena of the games. The first part shows some of the people who are oppressed by the Capital. These people look at Katniss and Peeta’s defiance during the games as a sign of defiance. This launches them into the second part of the movie. As they announce that the 75th annual Hunger Games has arrived, they add that as a Quarter Quell, there will be a special aspect that separates it from every other Hunger Games—the existing victors will be forced to return one last time to fight to the death. Who will win? Go see to find out.
In late November, Laguna students and teachers were treated to a performance of John Taylor’s adaptation of “Antigone,” a tale of the hardships two sisters face after the death of their father and brothers. Originally written by Sophocles around 441 BC, “Antigone” was later adapted for television in 1986. Though some students read Sophocles’ original script in Mr. Nathan’s Civilization class, seeing it performed was an entirely different experience. The play featured Ms. Kate Bergstrom, drama teacher, in the leading role of Antigone. The cast also included Ed Jerone as Creon, Jennifer Marco as Ismene, and Josh Jenkins as Haemon. I had the privilege of interviewing Ms. Bergstrom on her experience acting in this production. How did acting in a Greek tragedy compare to acting in more modern plays? You have to prepare to express these lengthy monologues and be connected during it, you have to work on understanding and creating that communication in a present way without falling into just being bombastic or old-fashioned. Treat it as a modern story rather than thinking about it as something in the past or something archaic --to bring it into the present moment is the most important thing. How intensive were the rehearsals? They got pretty intense. . . each one would bring up something different, whether it was one character finding a lot of anger and another finding a lot of vulnerability. One of my favorite rehearsals was the first day we were “off book” rehearsing without our scripts. We got to look into each other’s eyes and really affect each other. What was it like performing at the Museum of Art? When we were preparing our entrances and exits, as an actor you start to feel the sense of the world; on an auditorium stage you have to create it for yourself, but there’s a very different vibe [at the museum]. As I’m preparing I’m standing next to a Greek urn and Greek statues, and that energy was just so wonderful. The intention of the piece is that the audience is integrated into the world . . . at the Museum of Art, we were on the same level. How does participating as an actress influence your teaching style? If I stopped acting or stopped directing, how could I keep my teaching alive and how could I really understand the nerves and the emotional vulnerability and the physical necessities of the kids? You have to always work at your crafts – it’s like professional development, you have to figure out the different ways to get into character and observe how other directors direct. Theater is an alive art – it’s never stagnant.
Global chart-toppers of 2013 Data from Spotify’s Year in Review 1. Can’t Hold Us by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis 2. Wake Me Up by Avicii
3. Thrift Shop by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis 4. Get Lucky – Radio Edit by Daft Punk
5. Radioactive by Imagine Dragons 6. Let Her Go by Passenger
7. Blurred Lines by Robin Thicke 8. Just Give Me a Reason by P!nk
9. Ho Hey by The Lumineers
10. I Need Your Love by Calvin Harris
Art Enters the Digital Age By MACKENNA CONNOR
With technology becoming evermore prevalent in all aspects of our lives, it’s no surprise that art has become influenced by pixels and glitches. Technology is an ever-growing part of our society and also an almost unavoidable part of daily life for millions of people. The impact of having such a tech-integrated society has been long debated. Ever since the dawn of the Digital Age, people have questioned technology’s effects on social interaction, the way we work, and even art. In this new age of “technocentrism” (a term coined by MIT mathematician, computer scientist and educator Seymour Papert) many believe that art will thrive while others predict its demise. In truth, technology has done neither of these things to art, but rather helped to create entirely new forms of art while making education in art more accessible. American animator, film director, screenwriter, producer and chief creative officer at Pixar and Walt Disney
Animation Studios, John Lasseter, shows the true relationship between art and technology. “The art challenges the technology, and the technology inspires the art” The relationship between art and technology is further strengthened through the recent developments in both the glitch and pixel art styles. Glitch art is a form of art that questions traditional art forms by taking computer images and adding distortions known as “glitches.” These “glitches” are inspired by the frustratingly electronic malfunctions we have all come to know. To make their pieces, artists delve into the elaborate code of an image file to make various edits and adjustments in the data to create the glitches. In the past, extensive knowledge in programming and computer science was required to make this kind of art. However with recent developments
this process has become automated and accessible to everyone via various websites and software. However, the products of these automations are rarely as progressive and artistic as the glitch art created manually. Another area in which we see the rise of technology in art is pixel art. Before knowing anything about pixel art though, one has to understand pixels. A pixel or a pel (picture element) is the smallest controllable display element on a digital device often represented by a dot or a square. Pixels can be thought of as the “atoms” of a digital image. To put it in perspective the average laptop computer has over a million pixels in its display. Pixel art is a form of art inspired by old school gaming and lower quality digital displays (consisting of fewer
pixels). To make pixel art, the artist zooms in on every aspect of their piece, often even individually editing the color of each pixel. In all of the art pieces, a subtle emphasis lies on the pixels, which, instead of being practically invisible and unnoticeable, are easy to point out. Going back to the simile between pixels and atoms, creating pixel art would be like creating art under a microscope, it places emphasis on the foundation of the image and the technology used to create it. Junior Jasmine Jimenez, an artist herself, has conflicting opinions on this tech-inspired art. “Sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s bad. It really depends on the original design used.” “It’s awesome,” said junior Morgan Gainey when asked her opinion about the art.
Lifestyle
January 10, 2014
15
Moisturize Yourself, Winter is Coming By GRACE WOOLF
Now that we are in the winter season, the cold environment will be effecting our skin, in particular our hands. Here are a few moisturizers that will keep your skin from succumbing to the chill outside.
Coconut Oil: Available at most health food stores and markets. Coconut oil is usually used for cooking, but is also great for dry or burnt skin. It can be applied any where on the body and will nourish skin very quickly.
Nivea: Available at Vons and Albertsons. Nivea has a great clean smell and is instantly moisturizing. It leaves your hands feeling restored but not slimy. Nivea is great for hands as well as the body.
Egyptian Magic: Available at Costco, Kitson, Lazy Acres and Montecito Natural Foods. Egyptian Magic is more of a balm than lotion, so it can be used with moisturizing gloves overnight. It’s very good for already dry hands.
By LUISA CAMERON
“Why Me” is the The Fourth Estate’s newest lifestyle column based on anonymously submitted stories from students about what happens to them on or off campus.
By GRACE WOOLF
different fabrics, each with its own categories. Their first is Luon®, which is their signature fabric. It can handle intense stretching and lots of sweat. Luon® is what most of their classic leggings and tops are made from. As stated on the Lululemon website, Luon® has the “performance qualities” of “sweat-wicking, four-way stretch, cottony soft, breathable” and are “designed not to shrink.” Within the Luon® family is Seriously Light Luon®, Light Luon®, and Full-On Luon®. Next is the Swift fabric. Swift offers “freedom of movement and stretch.” Swift is definitely more targeted to working out instead of fashion. Under the Swift umbrella is also Ultra-Light Swift. Third is the Luxtreme™ fabric. Under the Luxtreme™ name is Power Luxtreme™ and Interlock Power Luxtreme™. This fabric can also be used for fashionable leggings and jackets. The fabric is light and
ART: LUISA CAMERON
cool, and “fits like a second skin.” Fourth is the Natural Blends fabrics, which has the six subsets of Boolux®, Cotton Fleece, Pima Cotton, Stretch French Terry, TENCEL® and Vitasea®. Most of these fabrics are used for sweatshirts and T-shirts. These fabrics are “ultra-soft” and are perfect for everyday wear. Finally, are the mesh and liners, which are very light and gives ventilation. Under the mesh and liners name is COOLMAX®, which is great for heavy duty work outs. Lululemons are a great building block for any outfit. With such a wide variety of fabrics to choose from, everyone can find a pant, shirt or sweatshirt they love. “Lulu’s are the perfect everyday basic and they are super cute. Lulu’s can be dressed down and dressed up which is one of the best things about them,” senior Lucie Hartmann said.
Remembering a First Lady
By MARGARET LAZAROVITS The First Ladies of our country have exhibited style and poise, but one stands out from the rest: Jacqueline Kennedy. Not only was she remembered for her exquisite fashion sense, but also for the composure she retained during the assassination of her husband on Nov. 22, 1963. Her renowned pink Chanel suit was splattered with the blood of our President. The juxtaposition of the chic suit with the gore of the assassination reverberated throughout America. Images of the elegant First Lady reaching for a fragment of her husband’s skull in the car moments after Kennedy was shot transformed Jackie into a symbol of American grief. Beyond that, Jackie was a symbol of strength for her resolve to stay by her husband, whether during the Cuban Missile Crisis or during his funeral. Jackie did not fly into hysterics on that day. She remained calm and strong in her grieving, refusing to clean up on the plane back to Washington stating, “I want them to see what they’ve done to Jack.” Even our generation, which was not alive to witness Kennedy’s assassination, feels the gravity that Jackie’s suit holds, the weight of situation forever woven among the threads. Now hidden from the public eye, the suit will be available for display in 2103, as per the requests of the Kennedy family.
Cetaphil: Available at CVS. Cetaphil is a great all over lotion. Like Nivea, it has a nice clean smell. This lotion also feels instantly nourishing. It keeps the skin very soft and touchable and is good for any type of skin
Why Me?
Lululemon Becomes a Fashion Statement Lululemon has made the transition from work out clothes to fashion. This brand was originally targeted to women who do yoga. It then branched out to anyone who likes to look and feel comfortable when they work out. Men started wearing the clothing line in and out of the gym. Lululemon has become fashionable to wear when you aren’t even near a work out facility. For high school and college students fashion has become much more comfortable and accessible. For Lululemon, the key is that it is also fashionable. Lululemon has become the go to store for fashionistas who also want to be comfortable. “I like Lulu’s because they are super comfortable and can be super fashionable at the same time. You can wear them to work out or you can dress them up with boots, nice shirts, or simple jewelry,” senior Chloe Richman said. Lululemon offers five
L’Occitane: Available at the L’Occitane store in Paseo Nuevo. L’Occitane lotions are great because of their lovely smell and the nourishment they give to our skin. L’Occitane carries lotions for body, face and hands.
No Reply
Last week, the guy I like texted me. I was so excited, so I texted my friend saying, “HE TEXTED ME!!! AHHH!!” I waited for her to reply but she never did. Later, I looked back at the text, and it turns out I sent it to my crush.
Misplaced Enthusiasm
Yesterday, I was getting a haircut. I mistook another guy who was there for the actual person who would be cutting my hair. I introduced myself, shook his hand, everything. He looked at me in a strange way and then sat in his chair and got his haircut . . . awkward.
Embarrassing Encounters
So, I was walking in Goleta with a friend and I was telling her about my crush. I was telling her all about him, like all about him. Then, I looked behind me and his brother was right there! I even ran into him again later that day in a store and he overheard me talking about our awkward situation. Double-whammy.
Squirted for a Smile
So the other day, I was driving down Milpas, and I saw this sad-looking family. The mother looked tired, and the little boy seemed blue. I waved to him and smiled. He then proceeded to raise his squirt gun towards my car window, laughing, and pulled the trigger over and over and over again. Why me?
ART: LUISA CAMERON
Socks: The Newest Accessory on Campus By GRACE WOOLF
ART: KELA JOHNSON
We all know about the usual accessories—purses, shoes, and scarves. But there is a new, more colorful accessory that’s appearing more on the Laguna campus: socks. Mid-calf socks are higher than normal running socks and come in multiple patterns and colors.
They can be worn over leggings or tights with any type of boot or sneaker that will show them off. Senior Chloe Brown says, “I always have cold hands and feet and so socks are crucial for me. They come in the raddest designs!” PHOTO: GRACE WOOLF
Back Page
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January 10, 2014
JUNK IN YOUR
TRUNK What’s in Your Car?
Quentin Tedesco, Senior Last time he cleaned his car: 3
weeks ago.
In his trunk:
Golf clubs, a blanket, sweatshirts, football cleats, and his backpack. The story behind the junk: “Everything
I need for school and sports is in my trunk. I’ve got it all.”
Libby Hasse, Junior Last time she cleaned her car:
Last week. In her trunk:
Tennis rackets and UGG boots. The story behind the junk: “From
school, I drive to tennis practice. Then I put on my UGG boots.”
Annabelle Sorensen, Junior Last time she cleaned her car: December. In her trunk:
“Random food” and sports clothes. The story behind the junk: “I’m
on the go all the time, so I need a bunch of stuff in my car.” PHOTOS: CARSON SHEVITZ