January issue 2

the fourth estate january issue 2016

news

alumni panel literary society freshman book club

feature

humans of laguna liberté, égalité, brutalité illustrated interview

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arts & entertainment music & the brain debunking myths natural remedies

sports

the concussion discussion boys soccer the last season

our voice january issue 2016

We live in a violent world.

Children get into fights at school when a problem cannot be solved. We go to war with other countries when a problem cannot be solved. Even when we deny it, even when adults teach their children that words fix problems not fists, we don’t always follow our own rules.

In December, 51 terrorist incidents occurred around the world in which 475 lives were taken. Nearly 500 people died in one month because violence has become our solution. In November, a series of terrorist attacks struck Paris and hit close to home because a few of Laguna’s own were in the city. We have told their story within this issue and would also like to use this opportunity to pay homage to all of the lives that were lost.

The Fourth Estate welcomes guest columns and letters to the editor. Letters must be signed and must be no longer than 400 words.

Editors reserve the right to edit for length, clarity and/or taste. Anonymous letters will not be published. The Fourth Estate reserves the right to reject advertising.

Opinions expressed in this publication reflect the perspectives of the staff.

The Fourth Estate publishes four 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.

When factual errors occur, we will correct the error in the next issue.

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/or subscriptions.

Visit our online paper for daily updates: www.thefourthestate.net. “Follow” us on Twitter and “Like” us on Facebook.

The 2015-2016 The Fourth Estate staff (from left to right back): Rose Houglet, Ruby Haber, Caylin Zimmerman, Carina Tedesco, Emily Lafitte, Jacqueline Berci, Luisa Cameron, Phillip Hicks, Carson Shevitz, Jack Stein. (front row-left to right): faculty adviser Trish McHale, Fiona Flynn, Kendall White, Katherine Perez, Kelly Bickett, Aura Carlson, Amanda Skinner, Kailea Hieshima. *Not pictured: Mathew Goldsholl, Pierce O’Donnell, Philip Fauntleroy, Syndey Edgecomb, Mia Moon Waters.

4125 paloma drive / santa barbara, ca 93110 www.thefourthestate.net 2

in this issue staff editor-in-chief jacqueline berci creative director luisa cameron

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photographer & business manager carson shevitz web editor phillip hicks news editor rose houglet opinion editor mathew goldsholl sports editor pierce o’donnell

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lifestyle editor emily lafitte faculty adviser trish mchale, mje aura carlson kelly bickett sydney edgecomb philip fauntleroy fiona flynn ruby haber kailea hieshima katherine perez amanda skinner jack stein carina tedesco mia waters kendall white caylin zimmerman

of barns & books by aura carlson & rose houglet As part of the annual Experiential Learning initiative, the freshman class traveled to the Gainey Ranch to read passages from John Steinbeck’s novel “Of Mice and Men,” bringing the English 9 curriculum outside of the classroom and connecting to the efforts of the Sock Institute.

To begin the day, students met in Rugg Room to watch Gary Sinise’s 1992 film adaptation of “Of Mice and Men,” parts of which were filmed at the Gainey Ranch.

After watching the movie, students traveled in school vans to the ranch, chaperoned by faculty and staff including: English teacher Ashley Tidey, science teacher Amanda Whalen, and staff members Tina Braniff, Jessica Kocian, and Heather Dvorak.

Upon arrival, Dan Gainey, father of two Laguna alumni and one current Laguna student, introduced the history and current happenings of the ranch.

He focused on how he and his family maintain the status of the ranch as an agricultural preserve, telling the students: “We will ensure that the farming, habitat, and open space that exist on the property will continue in perpetuity. We have also introduced organic sustainable farming practices and plan on creating educational and research opportunities for the community.”

The group then walked about half a mile to the barn where parts of the movie were filmed. There, a few students broke off into groups, each rehearsing a passage preselected by Tidey which they performed in front of the class. “Performing the skits at the Gainey barn was really fun and helpful. When acting, I had to think about the character Lenny’s thoughts, motives, emotions, personality etc., which enabled me to understand how the character of Lenny fit into and helped tell the Of Mice and Men story,” said freshman Hunter Hawkins.

After visiting the barn, the class traveled to the nearby town of Solvang to have lunch at Chomp and then returned to the Upper School campus.

Students return to Gainey Ranch each year because, according to Tidey, ”Getting out of the classroom is always a good thing. Every year that we trek out to that barn together, I am amazed that we get to do this.

This year’s day out was a spectacularly sunny day— and Dan Gainey, Rob Hereford, and Marcy Jacobs were all there so it was especially festive.”

photo: jessica kocian

by jack stein I believe in the power of books. They are amazing. A great book can change your life.

Here’s the problem: between sports, clubs, homework, and extracurricular activities, I often find myself accompanying my fellow freshmen into a sort of trap: I want to read, but I just can’t find the time to do it. That was the basis for the idea of the Freshman Book Club. I, along with Sully Israel (center) and Charlie Markham (right), wanted to give our fellow classmates the support and structure they need to find great books, and, more importantly, to read them. The trick, as we soon found, would be to find out how to get them to do that. Our teacher, advisor and inspiration for the book club, English teacher Ashley Tidey, said “The ninth grade class

has been ready for a Book Club since they were in seventh grade. How awesome is it to have about one third of the class actually want to read books together!” We are all readers, and, while it sometimes is hard to find the time and motivation to push through a five hundred page novel, it can be worthwhile in the end.

While the club is currently exclusive to ninth graders, we would love to expand this awesome opportunity to other grades.

The point isn’t to have a private ninth grade club: the point is to get our friends reading, through any means necessary.

As Ms. Tidey explained that she is excited to see where this goes, she said, “Ray Bradbury is smiling somewhere.”

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the habit of noticing by rose houglet

Through the Santa Barbara Literary Society, a group of nominated students and English teacher Bojana Hill met privately with bestselling author Elizabeth Berg to discuss her novel.

If you could go back in time and be George Sand, do you think you would act like she did?

The eight students who were nominated by the English department to participate in the annual Santa Barbara Literary Society author luncheon got to ask Elizabeth Berg, author of “The Dream Lover,” just that question.

Berg’s novel tells the story of 19th century French novelist George Sand, known both for her novels and for her untraditional lifestyle, as she began to understand who she was and how she got to be that way.

Led by English teacher Bojana Hill, the group of five sophomores and three seniors attended a private talk with the bestselling author at the Biltmore Hotel in Montecito. At the private meeting, the students asked thoughtfully prepared questions ranging from inquiries about the novel’s content and style, to the author’s writing process and techniques in general.

“It was such an honor to be invited and I loved reading the book and learning about who George Sand really was. Elizabeth Berg was very inspiring, and I feel like I got a rare chance to really get to know an author,” said sophomore Kathryn Norris.

Each year, the English department nominates eight students to attend the Santa Barbara Literary Society event. Hill explained that “those who like reading for its own sake are the likely candidates, but we also make sure that a student is comfortable in public

speaking situations. This time, since ‘The Dream Lover’ is based on the historical character of George Sand, a 19th century French writer, several French speaking students seemed like a natural choice.”

After the private 45-minute talk with the author, students enjoyed a gourmet lunch, along with approximately 150 members of the Santa Barbara Literary Society. During the luncheon, Berg presented her novel to the audience, described her journey of becoming a bestselling author, and answered more questions.

Berg also explained what she believes makes writers unique, saying that most authors have “a habit of noticing.” From the things they notice in the world around them, writers then gain greater understanding of how the world may shape someone—a skill which Berg often used in her novels.

“For me, the highlight was the witnessing of the excitement on the students’ faces before, during, and after the event. On the bus back to Laguna, we kept analyzing Ms. Berg’s inspiring ideas, clearly energized by the experience,” said Hill when asked about her favorite part of the day.

“As an English teacher, I was also pleased that a fine writer reinforced the importance of reading, writing, and introspection.

Although I share these values in class, the students benefited from hearing similar sentiments from such an accomplished and prolific writer like Elizabeth Berg.”

photo: kendra epley

LITERARY GATHERING: Standing with author Elizabeth Berg in a private meeting room at the Biltmore Hotel are nominated students (left to right) Kailea Hieshima, Rose Houglet, Kathryn Norris, Elizabeth Berg, Sophia Bakaev, Aura Carlson, Bea Tolan, Isabelle Davenport, Luisa Cameron, Pierce O’Donnell, Bojana Hill.

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a conversation with

cameron platt by aura carlson & rose houglet

Cameron Platt, a senior at Princeton University, is concentrating on English and pursuing certificates in Theater and Medieval Studies. Platt, previously awarded the George B. Wood Legacy Junior Prize, the Shapiro Prize for Academic Excellence, and the Class of 1870 Old English Prize at Princeton, was also elected this fall to the Phi Beta Kappa Society. Involved in all aspects of theater, she has worked on over 30 productions since 2010 and currently serves as President of the Princeton University Players. Platt attended Laguna from 7th to 12th grade and was heavily involved in the theatre program throughout high school, performing in seven campus productions and directing a musical revue.

She was also involved in Portfolio, Laguna’s literary magazine, for all four years of high school, her last year as Editor-in-Chief. For her senior project, she interned at The Santa Barbara Independent, where she devised and pitched a concept for a high school theatre awards program to be sponsored by the paper. The Independent picked up the project which still runs now. This December, Platt was awarded a Rhodes Scholarships to study at Oxford in England, one of just 32 people in the US.

Q: What were your initial thoughts and feelings when you found out that you won the scholarship?

A: The news came at the end of a busy selection weekend in Los Angeles, so I was pretty exhausted and hungry, which made everything feel even more surreal.

Saturday was a long day of interviews, and all of the finalists waited for hours together while the committee deliberated. We talked and played games, so we got to know each other well. The committee announced the two district winners in front of all of us, and I felt thrilled but humbled to be selected from such an extraordinary and gracious group.

Q: Who did you tell first? What did you do after finding out?

A: I called my mom first! She was staying with me in LA for the interview, and we freaked out in the car the whole way home. I texted a few of my best friends, who posted announcements on Facebook. That prompted a flood of congratulatory messages—I’ve never gotten so many notifications from so many channels at once, and I actually had to turn my phone off and put it away because it was too much!

photo: tara broucqsault

Q: If you could live in one fictional world which world would you live in and where?

Q: If you had to eat one food for the rest of your life what would it be?

A: I would live in the Hundred-Acre Wood from Winnie the Pooh. It’s such a sweet and simple world. There’s an adventure every day, but never one that’s too stressful. And best friends are always around!

A: I have a weird passion for protein bars. Does that count?

Because then I could have a lot of different textures and flavors, both salty and sweet.

Q: What sort of things have you done to make you qualified for the scholarship?

Q: Which play character do you think you would be best friends with and why?

A: Apart from academic criteria, the Rhodes emphasizes broader elements of character such as passion, empathy, and leadership. I probably met those qualifications most clearly through my work in theatre: As an actor, director, and in a few other capacities, I’ve worked on 19 theatre productions at Princeton (and there’s one more on the way!). I’m also the President of the Princeton University Players, the only entirely student-run musical theatre company on campus. I’ve interned with some professional theatres off campus, too, but I’m most proud of the work I’ve been able to do as a leader in a community of student artists.

A: Illustrated and animated critters aside, I probably have to choose Rosalind from Shakespeare’s “As You Like It.” Her wit, boldness, and determination are irresistible, and there’s no better buddy for frolicking in a forest! I actually met my best friend at Princeton while acting in a production of the play. She and I played Rosalind and Celia, respectively; they’re best friends in the show, which then became true for us in real life!

Q: When did your love for English start? Do you have any specific memorable moments from that time?

Q: What do you plan on doing after going to Oxford?

Do you have big aspirations?

A: I’ve always loved reading and writing, but I realized that English was my truest passion when Ms. Tidey taught me in seventh grade. Ms. Tidey empowered me to take ownership of my ideas in a new way, and she showed me how I could use those ideas to engage dynamically with text. In her class, I wasn’t just writing about books. I was writing alongside them, in conversation with them. I remember getting a bit too excited about my annotating process, which involved both a yellow highlighter and a colored ballpoint pen (usually hot pink, if I remember correctly). I had an elaborate system of markings that conveyed specific meanings: squiggly and straight underlines, brackets and circles, stars and diamonds all communicated something different. I still annotate, of course, but there’s much less method and flair to it now.

A: After my master’s studies at Oxford, I plan to pursue a PhD in English back in the United States. I see myself in academia— as a university professor and writer—but that path could shift somewhat. The truth is that I want to do whatever will allow my writing to flourish: I want to do all kinds of writing, from scholarly work to prose fiction and more journalistic stuff.

University life appeals to me because I love participating in an intellectual community, and I care about teaching—but writing will always be my primary focus. I also hope to stay involved in theatre as meaningfully as possible throughout my career, but I’m not sure in what capacity. I do have big aspirations, but they’re fluid, which feels right for now.

Q: What are some of your favorite literary works?

Q: Is there any question that we haven’t asked you that we should?

A: This answer is always changing, but my current top three are Edmund Spenser’s “The Faerie Queene,” James Joyce’s “Ulysses,” and William Faulkner’s “Absalom! Absalom!.” I’m particularly compelled by odd or innovative forms of narration, and all three of these works play with time and/or perspective in ways that question how we construct narrative in the first place.

A: I’d like to give a proper shout-out to my Laguna teachers for all of their care and support over the years. Laguna was where I first felt like a scholar, and I’m grateful that I had the opportunity to develop a true sense of intellectual selfhood in high school.

Most people don’t get the chance to do that until college, but I had the chance to do incredible things at Laguna: I got to direct my own show, to design my own independent studies, to edit a literary magazine, and to undertake a senior project, all with my teachers close at my side. The Laguna faculty guided me but granted me the freedom to direct my own pursuits and discover my true passions. They gave me the love, the faith, and the tools that I’ve needed to follow my scholarly path, and that has made all the difference for me.

Q: If you could have one superpower, what would you want it to be?

A: I’ve thought about this question many times, and I’ve never been able to settle on a satisfying answer. I try to remind myself to appreciate the boundaries of human ability. I wouldn’t want to read minds or to apparate; I don’t want to lose the experiences of wondering what someone really thinks or of wishing I could escape to some far-off place. Some things are meant to be uncertain, and some things are meant to be impossible!

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photos: carson shevitz Students and faculty gather around the collection of gifts that were generously donated by the Laguna community in the annual Foster Care Gift Drive.

time for giving by mia waters

On Dec. 9, members of the Department of Social Services came to the seventh annual Foster Care Gift Drive assembly to accept the donated gifts from our families.

Participants in the drive receive gift request cards in November that list the age, gender, clothing size and requests for children in the Foster Care program. The children range in age from six months to eighteen years old. Middle School students receive gift card requests in their advisory. The Middle School program is led by Andra Wilson who said, “I was really impressed with the generosity of the Laguna community. The gift drive is one of my favorite traditions.”

Gifts are stacked on tables in Ruston.

“Children in Foster Care often feel different, and very much alone, especially during the holiday season. In some cases, foster children have memories of happier times with their biological

families, before they were removed from their home and placed in Foster Care; in other cases, they may have never celebrated a holiday or ever received a gift,” said director of community service, Trish McHale, in her opening remarks.

Department Business Specialist for Adult and Children Services Gustavo Prado also spoke about how children in Foster Care often feel alone during this time of the year, “The greatest poverty is for a child to feel forgotten, not remembered.”

Students listened to a young man (pictured at left) who grew up in Foster Care and said how important it felt to be remembered.

He talked about one year during the holidays when there was a holiday event where Harry Potter jellybeans were passed out to everyone. Even though those were the worst tasting jellybeans, it was one of the best gifts he received because somebody took the time to buy enough for all the kids and, to him, it felt like someone cared.

The day after the gift drive assembly, students were invited to go to social services to help wrap the gifts. “It was eye opening to see all the different age groups that were receiving these gifts. It really changed my perspective on Christmas because it was sad to see six-month-old babies having to receive gifts that were donated,” said sophomore Amanda Skinner who participated in the gift-wrapping event “We just finished inventory of our holiday gifts and your school serviced a total 107 kids in our Foster Care system. Way to go. Of those 107, 70 of them are Santa Barbara area kids and 37 are Santa Maria area kids. Thank you for your generosity Laguna,” said Social Service representative Juanita Spitzer.

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alumni return with sage advice

W

by carina tedesco

hen asked if his years at Laguna served as a successful preparation for college, Laguna Blanca alum, Andrew McCaffery, was quick to reply with, “In college a lot of times you have to teach yourself, and so Laguna does a great job of teaching you how to learn. Especially in interdisciplinary ways, I felt I was prepared to tackle a host of different classes at W&L.” On Friday, Jan. 8, Laguna graduates Stephen McCaffery a freshman at Washington and Lee University and potential engineering and finance major; Hannah White, a freshman at University of Colorado Boulder and potential psychology and advertising major; Zoe Serbin, a junior at University of Southern California and animation major; and Andrew McCaffery, a senior at Washington and Lee University and engineering major, gathered on stage in the Spaulding Auditorium for the annual college panel assembly.

The objective of the college panel is to gift current high school students with the information and wisdom that former Laguna students have convened in their year or years in college.

College counselor Dr. Karl Revells composed a collection of highly beneficial questions for the alumni, allowing the audience of freshmen through seniors to gain insight on their years to come.

To start the question and answer sequence, Dr. Revells asked the four panelists about the preparation, challenges, and initial shocks of the then-foreign experience of entering college.

All four cohesively agreed that Laguna’s English department set them far ahead of their peers by giving them the tools to write a strong essay, something students from many other schools did not

Andrew McCaffery Washington and Lee University “In college a lot of times you have to teach yourself, and so Laguna does a great job of teaching you how to learn.

Especially in interdisciplinary ways, I felt I was prepared to tackle a host of different classes at W&L.”

have. Stephen also added “I definitely felt very prepared in writing lab reports as well.”

Dr. Revells then asked the panel if there is anything they would have changed about their high school years in preparation for college.

Hannah answered with, “I knew so many people my senior year that were taking all five of the hardest AP classes offered, which if you are trying to get into the hardest schools is sometimes necessary, but it is your last year of high school and you can’t really realize that until you’ve gotten to college.”

The three other panelists agreed with Hannah, especially Zoe who added, “I would echo that. Don’t stress out so much… There are a lot of things that are very different that you won’t realize until you get to college and you will be like, ‘Oh I will never have that experience again’… Just enjoy living in the moment.”

Andrew followed up with great advice for our seniors: “As you wrap up high school you are kind of in a routine, so if there is something new that you haven’t tried out, or a club that you want to get involved in… just try it.”

The panel also answered questions like “Is it hard to take the initiative to do new things in college?”, “What is some advice for making new friends?” and “Finding people that have similarities with you, do you participate in Greek Life and is it difficult at big schools to find a close group of people to spend time with?”

Thanks to Stephen, Hannah, Zoe and Andrew, it is fair to say that after the assembly had ended, the worries and curiosities about college were eased for the students who attended.

Zoe Serbin

Hannah White

University of Southern California

University of Colorado Boulder “I knew so many people my senior year that were taking all five of the hardest AP classes offered, which if you are trying to get into the hardest schools is sometimes necessary, but it is your last year of high school and you can’t really realize that until you’ve gotten to college.”

“I would echo that. Don’t stress out so much… There are a lot of things that are very different that you won’t realize until you get to college and you will be like, ‘Oh I will never have that experience again’… Just enjoy living in the moment.”

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Stephen McCaffery Washington and Lee University

“I definitely felt very prepared in writing lab reports as well.”

photos: carson shevitz

on the slopes with zuley lewis by kelly bickett

how long have you been skiing?

how long do you usually ski for in a day? do you ski alone most of the time?

I have been downhill skiing since I was 17 months old. I started Telemark skiing when I was 12. Telemark skiing involves skis where the heel is free, and every time you turn, you lift a heel. It is much more difficult, but also more fun.

I usually ski from 4-7 hours in a day. It depends on my mood, sometimes I ski with my family or friends but sometimes skiing alone is really refreshing. My entire family skis. My grandfather, who is 85, still skis through the season.

do you have any skiing tips?

who’s the best person to ski with? why?

My only tip is to be mindful when you ski. There are lots of people that, while good skiers, go down the mountain mindlessly and can hurt people and themselves.

Either my father or my brother. My brother is 11 and can ski all the advanced runs with immense speed. He is small, so it is really fun to watch him go down the extreme runs so quickly. My father is an amazing skier — he used to be an instructor. It is fun to ski with him because I can race him and go on “secret” runs.

where do you usually ski?

I am from a town called Crested Butte, Colorado, so I ski there a lot, but I also ski in Aspen and Telluride, that are also in Colorado.

what is a funny or scary story that you have experienced while skiing?

what is one of the greatest achievements you had while skiing and why?

When I was getting food at a restaurant on the mountain, where it had snowed three feet the night before, I walked out of the restaurant and the three feet of snow and ice that had collected on the roof fell on me, and I was completely covered in snow. I couldn’t breathe, and it took about a minute before people were able to pull me out of the snow.

In the end, I got free food for life at the restaurant and a new helmet, so that was a plus. I have also had many extreme wipeouts while skiing, but there are too many to name.

I competed in a ski race in my town when I was in the sixth grade. I had to put skins, sticky pieces of fabric so you can hike with Telemark skis, on the bottoms of my skis and then I had to hike up the mountain. Once I made it to the top, I had to take off the skins and ski down one of the hardest runs on the mountain. It was a costume race as well, so everyone wore crazy costumes. I was the youngest person to finish the race, so it was definitely a moment for me. do you miss the snow and colorado or do you like the santa barbara weather?

what is your favorite run?

I mean I definitely miss the cold and skiing, but my father still lives in Colorado, and I think it is a nice change. I do miss the snow days though.

My favorite run is on the mountain in Crested Butte. It is called Teocalli Bowl. To get to the run you have to hike up a part of the mountain in your skis.

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winter break stories by kelly bickett

christian fowler

I have been to Antarctica and Africa during my past winter breaks.

Christmas is the best part of break by far because it brings families together and allows time for us to appreciate what we have.

phoebe madsen

I go to Whistler in Canada every year.

We go skiing there and it has lights everywhere, which is perfect for a white Christmas. The funniest memory is when my sister and I had to ride a chair lift and there were two people in front of us who were really struggling and fell off the lift.

We were laughing so hard that we fell off, too, and slid down the whole mountain.

But, before we fell, we tried to save ourselves and almost recovered like five times.

chris constantino

I go to Utah for winter break every year, where I love spending time with my family. The funniest moment during winter break was last year when I asked for Beats headphones for Christmas and my parents gave me a can of red beets instead.

ethan tyng

I’ve gone with family friends and sailed around on a boat for two weeks. I’ve also gone to Mammoth and Alta, Utah to go skiing and snowboarding. I’ve always loved the snow ever since I was a 5-yearold boy. I also love the brisk air in the cold temperature and being able to go inside and bundle up in a blanket with cocoa and watch a movie.

maddie walker

I love hanging out at home with the Christmas lights on, drinking warm drinks, and sitting in front of the fire. I also love when it gets cold because you can wear boots, scarves, and sweaters.

clare ogle

The best part of my winter break is being able to go to Telluride, Colorado and ski. I love being able to have a white Christmas–this year it snowed 40 inches and on Christmas day there was a complete white-out.

brooklyn kinsler

The funniest and most memorable moment of my winter breaks was when my whole family went to Europe for Christmas.

We were in a restaurant Christmas Eve and this old lady came to our table and taught us how to fold a napkin. When we successfully did it, everyone was clapping.

We had no idea everyone was watching us.

I also love being in the snow during winter breaks–this year I went to Telluride with Clare Ogle. The snowboarding was amazing.

kendall white

I love the Christmas spirit, the cold, making cookies, hanging out with friends, being with all of her family, and most importantly the snow.

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SKATING SANTAS: (bottom) Sixth graders (from left to right) Abbie Delwiche, Amara Murphy, Frances Carlson, and Ava Rice hold hands on the ice.

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ice in paradise opens in sunny santa barbara

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FUN ON THE ICE: (right) Sophomores (from left to right) Kendall White, Laurel Kujan and Sophia Fay laugh while zooming on the ice.

by katherine perez In Goleta’s 95-degree weather on October 10th, Ed Snider, founder and owner of Ice in Paradise, cut the ribbon and opened the doors to Santa Barbara County’s own ice rink.

After only a few months, the ice rink has become a very popular spot for numerous activities ranging from eight-week ice skating lessons to freestyle figure skating and hockey programs.

Figure skating has now become a pastime for many people in the Goleta and Santa Barbara area, and people are even coming from outside the county to spend some time on the ice.

“I came to work as the manager because I have been in the business for 30 years,” Larry Bruyere, manager of Ice in Paradise, said. “Jack Norqual, campaign chair, and I had been talking about this rink. Even though I had worked in the business before, I didn’t anticipate it to be as busy as it has been. Working here, there has never been a dull moment. My job as the manager is

great, and I enjoy it very much.”

Junior Nicole Belton works at Ice in Paradise. When asked about her most memorable moment so far, she said, “My most memorable story was when this guy was ice skating and he fell down and it punctured his thigh and I had to call an ambulance. He passed out and I had to clean up the blood from the bleachers.”

Nicole also explained the benefits of working at the skating rink: “The best thing about working there is getting to know the kids that work there because most of them go to UCSB. It is interesting to find out their majors because it helps me think about what I want to do when I get older.”

However, Nicole also described the harder parts of working at the rink, “The worst thing about working there would have to be that the minimum shift is 7 hours so it is very time consuming over the weekends. It is also really cold in the ice rink. Another thing is when people fall down on the ice–there has been at least one 14

ambulance a week because someone ice skates over someone’s hand or they fell on their face and break their teeth.”

Many Laguna students are frequent visitors to the ice rink. When asked about her experience ice skating, sophomore Sophia Bakaev said, “I really liked it. I had fun going around and meeting new people, and bumping into old friends. As I was skating around, I realized that skating is a lot like driving. There are people who zoom past you without any warning, and people who don’t know how to skate but insist on skating where the more experienced skaters are. I like to skate, so I am excited that we have a rink so close by. It is a great place to go with friends. I think it is fun, and I am actually going to start figure skating lessons at the rink.”

Overall, Ice in Paradise’s great reviews and frequent visitors prove it to be a fun, new element to Santa Barbara, as explained

by Bruyere: “It is great to see how the community has embraced this facility.”

“It was surreal to be in Paris to begin with” experiencing the terror attacks: ashley tidey’s night in paris

On Nov. 13, a series of terrorist attacks took place in Paris.

At the time, no one knew who was behind the attacks. Now, the world knows that it was ISIS, an Islamic terrorist group. Attacks occurred near the Stade de France, at restaurants, and in the Bataclan Theatre — places where people go on Friday nights to enjoy themselves.

At 9:20 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., suicide bombers blew themselves up near the Stade de France; from 9:25 p.m. to 9:36 p.m., there were shootings at Le Carillon, Le Petit Cambodge, Castra Nostra, La Bonne Bierre, and La Belle Equipe; at 9:40 p.m., three gunmen opened fire in the concert hall for 15 minutes and held the rest of the concert goers hostage for two hours until the police intervened; and by 9:53 p.m., the police received news that there had been a third explosion near the, where the spectators had now flooded the field.

Commenting on the effects of the bombings near the Stade de France, history teacher, Kevin Shertzer said, “I suppose it might be helpful to put yourself in a stadium that falls under attack.

What would that do to you? Would you want to go to another sporting event? Would you avoid crowds? I think for each person, the answers to these questions would be different.”

According to police reports, one of the attackers tried to get into the stadium but was unsuccessful.

Within one hour, at least 130 people were killed, making 2015 the deadliest year of terrorist attacks in Western Europe since 2004. Although most around the world were moved by this tragedy, two Laguna faculty members were actually there.

Unfortunately, Ashley Tidey and Staci Richard, along with Tidey’s husband, Tom Carlson, happened to be in Paris at the

time of the attacks; fortunately they were, and are, safe. They were less than a mile away from the attacks, which not only affected those in Paris, but also those at home. (Tidey was in Paris for a Global Leadership Conference as part of a “large group bonus” that she had earned for having led the 2015 London trip with the tour company ACIS.) At around 2:00 p.m. (PST), people on campus started to hear and spread the news. During Shertzer’s World History class, math instructor Paul Chiment entered and asked, “Have you heard about the game?”

Shertzer, thinking that Chiment was talking about the score, quickly replied that he hadn’t and didn’t want to know the score.

Chiment then replied that he was actually talking about the bombings that occurred near the stadium as well as the terror attacks in general.

“I didn’t even connect that my parents were in Paris until Rose, who was sitting next to me, said, ‘Tom and Ashley’ in an ‘oh no’ voice. I was a little freaked out because my parents were probably eating at a restaurant, and the shootings happened in restaurants, so I called my mom to be sure they were alright,” said Aura Carlson, Tidey and Carlson’s daughter.

When Aura called at 2:10 p.m. (PST), the three were eating hors d’oeuvres and had no idea about the attacks because their cellular data was turned off. However, Tidey’s phone was right side up on the table and was able to receive calls. After talking with Aura, more and more people began calling Tidey to check in.

First was Lynne Freeman, the ACIS representative in charge of helping Tidey with her trip. (Continued on next page) . . .

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liberté égalité brutalité written by aura carlson interview by rose houglet graphic by luisa cameron

No one would have expected such a relaxing and carefree day . . . (Continued from previous page) Next was Carlson’s dad, to take the turn it did: “It was surreal to be in Paris to begin with; whose call, as described by Carlson, was “so strange and really it was surreal to have this magical day and then have it end the moving because we had just heard from our daughter, and so my way it did.” daughter was caring about us, and then my father was caring for Realizing that the situation was very serious, Tidey turned on us, and I was just really moved by the fact that my parents are cellular data, disregarding the cost, to find a multitude of emails still alive, that Aura was safe, and that Ashley and I were safe while we knew that all of these other poor families were suffering from people back at home: Rob Hereford, students, parents, family, and friends. With cellular data on, they were able to find terrible losses . . . It made me cry because we were safe and all out more about what was going on. these people nearby were being murdered.”

After looking up the affected restaurants, the three used After realizing the situation they were in, Tidey, Carlson, and MapQuest to find out that the shootings had occurred less than Richard felt paralyzed. No one was leaving the restaurant, but at a mile away. Coincidentally, the three’s original plan had been some point the three could tell that other people in the restaurant to dine at a restaurant previously picked out by Carlson, which were in the process of finding out as well. was further away from where the attacks took place. When they Earlier that day, before the attacks, Staci Richard, Laguna’s Science Department Chair, took the train up to Paris from Aix-en- arrived at Bistro de l’Oulette, it wasn’t, as described by Tidey, “hip and happening.”

Provence where she is on sabbatical for this school year. Shortly Instead, the three decided to walk further north to find another after arriving, she, Tidey, and Carlson had lunch in Le Marais. restaurant they knew. Little did they know that they were Following lunch, the three traveled via metro to the Musée walking closer to the danger that would later ensue. de l’Orangerie to visit an exhibit called Qui a Peur des Femmes The restaurant they settled on, Chez Janou, was, on the other Photographes. hand, very busy. The attacks were occurring while Tidey, Carlson, The first portion of the exhibit was in the Musée de and Richard were at the bar, waiting to be seated. l’Orangerie, but the second portion They weren’t the only ones receiving phone calls: “Everyone of the exhibit was displayed in the Musée d’Orsay across the Seine River. “We literally ran across the Seine to get to the Musée else in the restaurant was on their phones, in the dark, in the heart d’Orsay . . . We were just flying high, so happy. We came out and of it, confused,” explained Tidey. The three were both literally walked the streets of Paris, taking pictures of my husband and my 16and figuratively in the dark.

Although some people left, Tidey said, “it felt worse to go out dear friend,” Tidey said about the day.

than to be inside. The restaurant experience became so intense . . . The waitstaff, who are basically earning minimum-wage, suddenly took on this incredible role of taking care of the people in the restaurant. They were so calm, and as sirens started going by, they were slowly closing the curtains and turning down the lights and then, in true Parisian form, they started putting ashtrays down on each table, and then suddenly everyone was smoking inside the restaurant — which even by Paris standards is unusual.

It was particularly special when they put gorgeous bottles of whiskey and after-dinner drinks on the table, which were clearly on the house. The waiters were walking around to all of the tables, calmly suggesting to people that it was probably safer to stay in the restaurant than to leave. It’s hard to explain but there was just a beautiful sense of camaraderie and solidarity in the restaurant — like we’re all in this together and the vibe was such that we did not feel like leaving. By two in the morning, we basically felt like it was time to go. I didn’t even know how to thank the waiters as we were leaving.”

As they walked 10 minutes back to their Airbnb apartment, “there were sirens going and lots of police and Parisians walking home. When we got back, Staci turned the TV on and then we realized — Oh my God, we are in the middle of something horrid,” Tidey said.

The three ended up going to bed at 4:00 a.m. only to wake up an hour and a half later so that Tidey could get to the airport three hours early as recommended by Freeman.

Tidey took a taxi at 5:30 a.m. to the Charles de Gaulle Airport, which was “packed and slow.” As Freeman predicted, three hours gave Tidey just enough time to get past all the lines and get on the flight, but, because it was missing 30 passengers, the plane stayed on the tarmac for an hour and a half to wait.

After checking out of the rented apartment, Carlson and Richard had to look a long time to find a café, since most of the city was closed. After a quick coffee and croissant in the sole open place — nearly empty — that they could find, they parted ways: Carlson to Amsterdam and Richard back to Aix.

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lady owls make history

I

t was the greatest season in Laguna Blanca School and Santa Barbara girls volleyball history as the Owls became the first team in either respect to win a Southern California Regional State Championship.

After a historic regular season in its own right, highlighted by two tournament titles, two wins over rival Cate, and a perfect 7-0 league campaign to mark a decade-and-ahalf of dominance in the Condor League, the Owls entered the CIF-SS playoffs with high expectations from those around them, but even higher hopes for themselves.

Disappointed after an early exit from the bracket last season and a heart-breaking CIF-SS Final loss two years ago, seniors and four-year varsity players Emily Lafitte, Phoebe Madsen, and Danielle Abrams made sure to capitalize on their last chance at a title.

The trio led younger Owls (one freshman, seven sophomores and one junior) to four straight postseason victories including a five-game semifinal win at home to punch their ticket to the program’s second CIF-SS championship match in three years.

Standing in the team’s way of that elusive title was defending CIF-SS 4AA champion Alta Loma and its high-powered hitting attack.

After falling behind 2-1, the Owls battled

by pierce o’donnell

back in the fourth to force a fifth and final game. The stage was set: the Owls were 15 points away from achieving the goal that they set last winter and that the seniors had set over four years ago.

From sophomore passers and hitters to senior leaders and play-makers, every player on the court contributed as the Owls fought their way to a 15-11 victory and the school’s first CIF Championship since current head coach Jason Donnelly led the 2006 Girls Volleyball team to a title a decade ago.

The season the girls had always dreamed of had finally come to fruition, and it seemed time for celebration, relaxation, and most of all satisfaction; however, the team had something else in mind—A Southern California Championship.

“It was definitely a challenge to refocus after winning CIF because that has always been our goal,” said Madsen, “but once we started practicing again, [the intensity] was right back to normal. We just agreed to each other to stay focused because we knew we could do really well in state.”

Despite the program’s winless history in the regional playoffs, the Owls entered the Division 4 tournament as the no. 1 seed in Southern California, and they proved it with their play.

After making quick work of Division 4A

runner-up Summit in the first round, the Owls faced a rematch with Alta Loma. The match was just as close as the first meeting between the two; however, Laguna was able to close out the first three and only games of the match, winning each one by two points.

The win not only validated the team’s Championship win two weeks prior, but also qualified them for the Southern California Regional Championship Game.

In a “home” contest at Westmont College, the Owls dominated visiting Division 4A Champions Desert in the first two games 25-11 and 25-15.

An inspired Desert squad stole the third game, but the Owls roared back with a 25-19 victory to take the match and the Regional Championship in historic fashion.

“I really couldn’t have asked for a better senior season,” Abrams said about her final year of high school volleyball.

“It was amazing to look back on all of the hard work we put in and see how much it paid off. It was also incredible to see how much support we got from all of Santa Barbara and the Laguna community especially; it’s a huge inspiration to know that a small school like Laguna can make it all the way. I will never forget this season, and I am going to miss everyone on the team so much next year.”

photo: brad elliott A TEAM OF CHAMPIONS. (from left to right) Julia Fay, Kelly Bickett, Kendall White, Maddy Nicolson, Phoebe Madsen, Caylin Zimmerman, Dani Abrams, Emily Lafitte, (back row) Maddie Walker, Kathryn Norris, Sophia Fay and Laurel Kujan.

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it’s a head case concussions enter the discussion by philip fauntleroy

F

ootball is a sport that millions love, but since the players are having so much fun playing and the fans are enjoying watching the sport, nobody really considers the risk that exists to each player’s safety.

The most dangerous issue in this sport is a head injury called a concussion, which often occurs when a player takes a hit to the head.

A concussion is characterized by temporary unconsciousness or mental incapacity noticed at the time of the accident, but in the long term it can affect one’s daily life and wellbeing depending on the type of damage done to the brain.

Over the past several years there has been an increase in awareness of the dangerous nature of concussions, and many retired NFL players have been diagnosed with brain damage that is the result of injuries incurred during their professional football careers. These players have been tested extensively and have often been awarded large sums of money as compensation for their concussions.

We also know now that the most serious focus regarding concussions should be placed on youth football players.

The brains of youth haven’t fully developed, and with one in 30 football players ages 5 to 14 sustaining at least one concussion per season, young athletes suffer concussions more frequently than knee sprains or fractures.

The unthinkable sometimes happens in high school football as well; players dying from head injuries. In fact, eleven high school football players have died in the year of 2015 because of hits to the head.

Football is arguably the nation’s most popular sport. There are about 3 million youth football players nationwide as well as 1.1 million high school and 100,000 collegiate athletes. “More than 70 former NFL players have suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)—a progressive degenerative disease of the brain found in athletes (and others) with a history of repetitive brain trauma, http://www.headcasecompany.com/concussion_info/ stats_on_concussions_sports

47% of all reported sports concussions are from high school football

including symptomatic concussions as well as asymptomatic sub-concussive hits to the head.”

Considering the popularity of this sport and that so many people play it, research should focus on how to protect players from the risk of concussions.

The NFL has recently taken several measures to reduce the risk including much more protective equipment and a targeting rule that suspends players for leading with their head or “targeting” the head of another player.

All levels of football have also added a rule banning head-to-head contact. If someone tackles with their head, they can be thrown out of the game and at the professional level of football fined due to the dangerous nature of those types of hits.

Though football and any sport comes with the risk of concussions, an overwhelming majority of the head injuries in football are preventable. Coach Shane Lopes has been preaching the importance of proper, safe tackling since taking

over the Owls football program in 2012.

“Risks of concussions can be dramatically reduced with proper technique. Football requires good coaching with strict return to play rules for concussions.”

The Owls practice tackling without using their helmets, explicitly moving their heads to a specific side of the other players’ body to avoid contact to the head.

Not only have the Owls drastically reduced the number of concussions (just three players in a four-year span), but they have also had three of the most successful seasons in school history with their rugby-style of tackling without using their heads.

If players and coaches put safety as their first priority, then we can collectively help significantly reduce the number of concussions and other head injuries, and preserve the game so many of us love from being tarnished by a largely preventable risk.

photo: carson shevitz

t h e l a s t s e a s o n

The seniors on the team are so much more than just captains and the people who tell the freshmen to fill the team’s water bottles. They are the leaders of the team and the people that can help you get better at your sport. In my experience, being a freshman on the girls varsity volleyball team, seniors helped show me the way on my first day of high school and became people that I could look up to.

Every year, seniors graduate and juniors become the leaders on the team. For most seniors, playing senior year is usually their last time playing. Most will never again put on a jersey for a game or a tournament, and those seniors playing their last season cherish the memories of it forever.

Players set season goals and try their hardest to achieve them. For seniors, because it’s their last chance to try and compete for their goal, they raise the bar high for the younger players on the team to rise to the occasion and compete alongside them. “Every game I played alongside the seniors during CIF I felt as if I was playing for them because each game could’ve been their last,” said sophomore Kendall White, member of the varsity volleyball team.

Winning league, making it to CIF and going all the way to the finals, and even making it into State playoffs are all goals of most teams. While some aren’t able to achieve their overall goals during senior year, it’s about the journey of the season and all the victories and friendships made along the way. Junior Fiona Flynn on the varsity tennis team said, “I’m so grateful to the seniors on my team this year for making everyday at tennis so fun and I’m really going to miss

christopher constantino

“I wish that my beach volleyball season could have gone a little better. We lost a lot of games but all that matters is that I finished strong with a win.”

philip fauntleroy

“The fact that I know I will never play football again with my brothers is a huge pain that I can’t put into words. This team has changed the life of many of our seniors, and now we are left with a huge void. I would do anything to play one more game.”

by caylin zimmerman 20

all of them next year.”

Seniors Jacqueline Berci and Emily Lafitte led their tennis and volleyball teams in many different ways. In volleyball, Emily Lafitte led with spirit and support. As a six-rotation player, meaning she never left the court, her consistency and high-energy helped the younger and more inexperienced players on the court.

Jacqueline Berci, captain of the tennis team, managed to be both a friend as well as a respectable leader to her teammates who often came to her for advice. “JQ was the best team captain I could’ve asked for. She welcomed me and everyone else who was new on the team, and I’m really gonna miss her next year,” said sophomore Mia Waters.

Three senior boys led in their respective sports of football, beach volleyball, and cross country. Of the 12 seniors on the football team, Philip Fauntleroy specifically, took command of the field when many of his teammates were out with injuries.

Senior Christopher Constantino stepped up as the only senior on the boys beach volleyball team to be a role model to the freshmen and sophomores. “It was a true pleasure leading the team with the one and only Chris Gnidus. He played with a fiery passion and an innate love for the game,” junior Henry Farrell said. “Chris is a great influence on the younger players on our team.”

Kylan Tyng gave all he had to his last season of co-ed cross country, finishing top-five in his races while always supporting his teammates and their achievements.

emily lafitte

“As a graduating senior the season could not have been better, seeing as we went as far as we possible could’ve gone. All the girls on my team are like sisters to me, and I can’t imagine being in school without them. I’m going to miss them so much next year.”

jacqueline berci

kylan tyng

“Our season wasn’t perfect. There were up’s and down’s, but as a senior in my last year and a leader on the team, I loved and cherished every last minute of each race.”

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“I have enjoyed being on the tennis team so much these past four years; this year we had a lot of new girls so it was definitely a growing year–but also some of the most fun I have had playing the sport. I can’t imagine not being a part of the team next year.”

boys soccer makes statements in season and league openers by pierce o’donnell Coming off a historic run to the CIFSS finals last year, the no. 4 ranked Owls picked up right where they left off a season ago with an emphatic 15-2 victory over visiting Santa Clarita Christian.

Senior Philip Fauntleroy notched a first half hat trick en route to a four-goal game while sophomore striker Ethan Tyng and freshman wing Josh Baron added three and two goals respectively.

After a 4-0 defeat at Foothill Tech and a hard-fought 2-3 defeat at rival Thacher both without integral senior center back Ben Rios, the Owls went back to the defensive drawing board.

The team dedicated an entire practice to defending set pieces, namely crosses and long throw-ins. With Rios back from illness and Fauntleroy moved from striker to left back, the revamped squad returned home for a matchup with cross-town rival and inaugural Condor League member Bishop Diego.

The defensive adjustments were apparent

as the team matched a season low in goals conceded with two, while still managing to slot 9 goals as the Owls crushed the Cardinals.

Ethan Tyng blasted a career-high five goals with the help of veteran junior midfielder Luke Smilie and Fauntleroy each chipping in a trio of assists.

“It hasn’t exactly been the start we wanted, but a win over our cross-town rival is always nice. Hopefully, some more wins like [the one against Bishop] will help us secure another league title and a high seed for the CIF playoffs,” junior team captain Henry Farrell said. “I know that we have the talent to make another deep run into the playoffs; it’s just going to come down to our work ethic during training.”

The Owls continue league play with another match with the Cardinals and a pair of games with Midland, Besant Hill, Oak Grove, and league rival Dunn.

After two draws with Dunn last season in league play and a one-goal loss in the CIF

KICKING IT: Sophomore Alex Furukawa makes a move towards the goal in the annual Alumni Game. title match, the Owls eagerly anticipate a chance at revenge and likely another league title with a win over the Earwigs when they square off on February 10 at home.

girls varsity soccer veterans prepare for condor competition by pierce o’donnell

A

fter dominating every team in their Freshman strikers Alex Koke and going behind,” Shertzer said. “From then path en route to an historic Condor Margaux Murphy had one and two goals on, I felt we were in charge of a match League Championship campaign respectively, while sophomores Kelly that strangely didn’t produce many quality last season, the Owls return several of last Bickett and Brooklyn Kinsler each added a opportunities. While we kept the ball year’s starters from sophomores to seniors. pair of goals as well. mostly in their half, their defense played From strikers sophomore Kelly Bickett and Just two days later, the girls traveled excellently. I don’t feel a loss was a fair senior Phoebe Madsen, to tenacious result, but that is the cruelty of soccer defenders and sisters Lexi Yabsley sometimes.”

“I don’t feel a loss was a fair and Tiffany Yabsley, the Owls look After Julia Farner’s tenth-minute goal, to pick up where they left off a result, but that is the cruelty of neither team was able to find the back of season ago. the net despite a second-half shot from Despite missing several starters soccer sometimes.”

Kinsler that rattled the goal post and a for all of preseason training and –kevin shertzer few long throw-in opportunities from even the first couple of games due Madsen. to the volleyball team’s run to the Though the holiday season has California State Championship, the team to Carpinteria to play rival ate in a non- brought a break in the action for the Owls, has quickly regrouped from its pair of league match which always has a league they will return for the second leg of their shorthanded, one-goal losses to Villanova championship atmosphere. Despite what season with a pair of league matchups with Prep and Santa Clarita Christian. head coach Kevin Shertzer described as Midland, Dunn, and Ojai Valley School as In their league opener and the volleyball a “sluggish” start, the Owls were able to well as non-league games with Thacher and girls’ debut, the Owls were able to deploy rebound after their slow start.

Carpinteria throughout January and early all of their weapons on their way to a 7-0 “We played the first 10 minutes nervous February as the team looks to earn another route of visiting Oak Grove. and without purpose and paid the price of CIF-SS playoff bid.

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photo: kathryn norris

senior-laden owls seek basketball three-peat by philip fauntleroy “Disappointing”: that’s the word that the varsity basketball team used to describe last year’s early exit from the CIF-SS playoffs.

After a deep run into the semifinals two years ago, the Owls entered last year’s bracket with their second straight Condor League Championship and hopes of a CIF title; however, visiting St. Bernard had the exact same aspirations in mind.

Laguna fought St. Bernard in a backand-forth first round contest at Merovick Gymnasium, but came up six points shy of beating the Vikings.

While Laguna’s season ended for the boys, St. Bernard would go onto achieve the Owls’ goal of a CIF Championship and even make a run to the semi-finals of the state tournament.

The Owls return six seniors and two sophomores from last year’s League Championship campaign, as well as adding another senior, sophomore, and a handful of freshmen.

In the team’s season opening road trip to the Ojai Valley Classic, the boys faced off against league rival Besant Hill and their “twin towers” (6’9” Felix White and 6’8” Michael Anekwe).

The Owls used their athleticism in their half-court trap defense to turn the Coyotes over time and time again en route to a 38-5 first half lead and a marquee 64-21 victory.

With the victory, Laguna advanced to the semi-finals of the tournament to face Coast Union.

The Owls jumped out to a 15-point first quarter lead and never looked back as senior sharp shooter Sage Pickering’s six three-pointers and senior captain Pierce O’Donnell’s triple-double propelled the team to a comfortable 44-32 victory and a trip to the tournament final.

The team was plagued by injuries to multiple starters against Rio Hondo in the championship game and struggled to score early, trailing by 15 points after the first quarter. Despite outscoring the Kares in the second and fourth quarters, the Owls lost 55-35.

Just two days later the boys faced rival Cate in a home contest. Laguna hasn’t lost to Cate since 2012, and the seniors knew just how much this game meant for the program.

“Anytime we play at home, we have to protect our house,” said senior power forward Christian Fowler. “When you add in the fact that it’s against Cate, every guy in our locker room knows that we have to sell out for all 32 minutes.”

The Owls did just that, exploding out to a 20-5 first-quarter lead and a 27-point advantage at halftime behind five threepointers from sophomore small forward Anton Homeniuk.

O’Donnell and senior shooting guard Atty Roddick led the second-half charge with 21 and 17 points respectively as the Owls exploded for a season-high 72 points on the day.

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The team then traveled to Carpinteria for the biggest challenge of their season—The Jim Bashore Holiday Cage Classic.

As by far the smallest school in the tournament, the boys were competing against schools with over 20 times more students and were largely regarded as an underdog in all four of their games.

Despite the odds, Laguna defeated Hueneme by three points in the first round of the tournament and carried a five-point lead into the final minute of their second round game against Santa Ynez.

After some late-game heroics by the Pirates, the Owls found themselves on the wrong side of a three-point loss.

In their next game against tournament host Carpinteria, Laguna came up fivepoints short of a victory, but had another chance at redemption in a match up with Nordhoff the next day.

The Owls showed no signs of fatigue as they raced out to a commanding firsthalf lead and never looked back as they captured a 60-40 victory. O’Donnell was honored along with only seven other players from the 12 schools as a member of the all-tournament team.

The Owls look to carry this momentum into their final two non-league contests and their slate of Condor League games as they pursue a third straight league title and the seniors strive for a fourth and final trip deep into the CIF-SS playoffs.

in your dreams... by emily lafitte and kendall white Dreams: |drēm| - n.

1. a series of mental images, ideas, and emotions occurring in certain stages of sleep 2. an ambition 3. one that is extremely pleasant, beautiful, or fine.

It began with her walking home from a movie late at night. She noticed a mysterious man walking behind her –– following her. As she started walking faster, the man picked up his pace as well. She soon noticed her heart, every beat distinct, as if it might explode out of her chest. The mysterious man started running towards her yet for some reason the girl’s feet wouldn’t move. Finally, she got the strength to move and began running for her life. Suddenly, a cliff appeared in front of her and before she could stop her feet, she fell. Falling… falling… falling -gasp!

Dreams can be scary or intriguing or even a great fantasy. We have all dreamt of falling which comes with an unpleasant waking the second before we see ourselves hit the ground, grateful that it was just a dream.

We all dream, yet why we dream is a question still, in part, unanswered. During sleep, there is a lot of neuronal activity happening in the brain, particularly in REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. There are few theories that dreams are a meaningless byproduct of this biological function, yet other theories suggest dreams can mean so much more. For example, a dream can be a projection of memories, desires or fears that solve problems and settle emotions; almost like a form of therapy, even if the dream seems unpleasant.

“In terms of what we dream, many people tend to dream about things that have occurred throughout that previous day,” said psychology teacher Meghan Roarty. “This relates to the theory that dreams help with the consolidation of memory. The dreams that seem bizarre or random to us, may have to do with our brains trying to make sense of the random neural firing that occurs when we sleep by weaving a story.”

Depression, anxiety, drugs, and alcohol can contribute to having nightmares and strange dreams.

“Night terrors tend to occur most often in children,” Roarty said. “Some factors that may contribute to night terrors include stress, emotional tension, sleep deprivation, or fever. Night terrors also tend to run in families.”

Think about the most recent dream you had. Were you somewhere familiar, with someone familiar or doing something familiar? It’s very common for dreams to incorporate pieces from our daily life but very rare for dreams to replay an exact experience from our life.

Sometimes dreams even seem to predict the future such as Precognitive dreams that do this through a sixth sense. These dreams don’t actually predict the future but rather seem to. Dreams like this are common, in fact many people have them; they are based on unconscious information expressing our biggest hopes and fears. Having a dream and then experiencing the same thing in real life doesn’t mean you are psychic, it’s only a crazy correlation between your unconscious self and the real world.

We have yet to come close to figuring out why we dream, but if there is a real purpose of dreaming it might explain why we spend almost half of our lives sleeping.

did you know?

The brain cannot create a human face from scratch.

Even when we see a “stranger” that is unrecognizable, it is a combination of facial features that we have once seen.

Most people have between four to six dreams per night and between 1,460 and 2,190 a year.

24 24

It is more common for men to dream in black and white rather than color.

Nightmares are most commonly caused by stress and traumatic experiences.

We end up forgetting 96 percent of our dreams.

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When dogs and animals twitch in their sleep, they are dreaming. One can even notice an animal’s eyelids moving, as they are in their REM sleep cycle.

Facts from Myers’ Psychology for AP

humans of laguna by fiona flynn

#1.if you could relive a moment this year, what would that be? #2.what is something that most people don’t know about you?

freshman kovid mishra #1. “I would like to relive the moment when I went to Russia over the summer. I would relive it because it was a lot of fun.

It was eye opening. It was inspiring. And it was just exciting to go to a new place and learn about the culture.” #2. “That I lived in Australia for three months. I went to preschool for the first time in Australia.”

freshman charlie macneil

junior joan curran

#1. “I would relive my class trip where I met my new classmates and made new friends.”

#1. “I would want to relive a bunch of moments, but off the top of my head I think of “Frankenstein,” just the fact that everyone was cheering for me.”

#2. “I hate milk because I’m lactose intolerant and it makes me nauseous.”

#2. “One thing I don’t think a lot of people know about me is that I took care of my grandma for a whole year because she had Stage 7 Alzheimer’s. She still has it but she’s in a retirement home because it was just too much for us.”

english teacher bojana hill #1. “I would say it would be a moment probably sometime this past summer, when I felt completely connected to the world around me. It’s like one of those peak experiences according to Abraham Maslow we have these peak experiences and I almost felt like I loved the tree that was in front of me. I felt like we were completely connected and I was just a part of a larger world and I felt completely at peace.” #2. “I played violin for 10 years. When I was 4 years old my parents decided that I would play the violin, so I don’t remember that I asked them for it. I remember being taken to the music school and I remember that they measured my pinkey, which must have been tiny because even now it’s not very long.

They were trying to decide whether I was ready to play the violin so that I could reach the fourth position. So I thought that was very interesting because I still remember that.”

photos: carson shevitz

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student spotlights by carina tedesco

laurel kujan - usa beach volleyball player Sophomore Laurel Kujan is one of the 12 girls under 17 who have made it onto the U17 USA Beach Volleyball National team. She makes the hour and a half commute to Malibu, Ca up to 6 times a week for practices and tournaments.

1. When did you start playing beach volleyball?

I started playing competitively in 7th grade, but I did East Beach Volleyball Camp from 3rd to 8th grade.

2. What is your favorite part about playing?

I love how laid back everything is at the beach. It's not a stressful environment at all, and I never get nervous when I’m there.

3. What is your best memory from playing beach volleyball?

At one of the most important tournaments that I’ve played in, a huge storm hit, so we had to stop playing. My whole team was huddled under a tent when lighting began, so we had to leave the beach and about half the people on the beach went to a restaurant where we all ate and talked and then kept playing once the storm cleared. It was really fun.

armon ghodoussi- piano virtuoso Senior Armon Ghodoussi is a classically trained pianist, performing since age 10. He has performed at such prestigious places as UCLA, the Beverly Hills Motel, the Wilshire Hotel, the Fess Parker Double Tree, the Granada Theater, UCSB and many others.

1. When and why did you start playing piano?

I started taking lessons when I was about 6 years old. I still have memories from when I was 3 or 4 years old, hearing my mother play the piano and always wanting to learn. I was hooked.

2. What is your favorite part about playing?

I would say my favorite part is performing and getting on the stage. I love sharing my passion for music with others. Whether it is during a big recital, charity event or private events, I love performing. It is also fun to win competitions; it is a reaffirmation of all my hard work.

3. What is your best memory from playing piano?

My best memory with piano was the summer before ninth grade. I was invited to perform at a technology symposium that was held at the Fess Parker Doubletree in Santa Barbara. It was a huge event, about 700 people, filled with surgeons, doctors, nurses and executives. I had 20 minutes of solo music to perform, and at the end, I received a standing ovation. That was an amazing feeling that I will never forget.

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photos: carson shevitz

an interview with history teacher, mock trial coach, & assistant head of middle school by luisa cameron / photo by carson shevitz photos: carson shevitz

New You

Like You Haven’t Heard That A Million Times Before by jacqueline berci A phrase once used as a motivation for embarking on some form of self-improvement after the ball dropped and the glitter was all swept up –– now a bittersweet way people mock their failed or even unattempted trial of New Year’s resolutions.

The University of Scranton conducted a survey in December that concluded that only 8 percent of the 40 percent that make resolutions succeed in sticking to them. The two most common traps resolvers fall into are either making a lengthy list of nearly every single thing they would like to alter or opting for a total makeover of one’s life. Is becoming a cut throat vegan or cleaning out everything from your room that fits under the “not used in the last year –– then it should go” rule obtainable?

Uh, for me, those are definite no’s. In this case, shooting for the moon and landing in the stars isn’t necessarily the case –– giving yourself such a large feat to take on so suddenly is often what causes people to fail. Setting a goal by simply claiming to yourself “I’ll get fit” in 2016 will not do the trick, instead, set a series of small attainable goals and measure your achievements along the way.

america’s top ten resolutions 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

length of time the resolution is maintained

lose weight get organized spend Less, save more enjoy life to the fullest stay fit and healthy learn Something new quit smoking help others fulfill their dreams fall in love spend more time with family 30

percentage of americans

(out of those who make resolutions)

through first week

75%

past two weeks

71%

past one month

64%

past six months

46%

the return of two classic spies Whether it’s cars, exotic locations, fashion, or international intrigue, audiences will enjoy the return of the 1960s world of spies in “The Man From U.N.C.L.E.” and “Spectre.” by amanda skinner

“The Man From U.N.C.L.E.” Guy Ritchie recreates the 1960s cult phenomenon with a modernized approach in this Cold War spy caper.

While the chemistry between actors lacks enthusiasm, the costumes perfectly represent the vivacious mood of the era.

The sarcastic, dry humor that accompanies the slick suits and posh dresses make up for the occasional sub-par acting.

Overall, the movie is hilarious and transports the viewer back to a time where a vibrant wardrobe was entertainment enough.

“Spectre” If “Spectre” is Daniel Craig’s final Bond, he has gone out with a bang.

As with the previous 23 Bond films, “Spectre” is infused with action, romance, and the ever so enticing truth behind the spy know as “Bond.”

“Number 24” continues the story that started in “Skyfall,” reveling the tortured past of James’ adolescence.

In order to emphasize his history, director Sam Mendes uses characters, cars, and locations from the golden era in which Ian Flemings’s immortal character thrived.

“Spectre” allows Bond to come to terms with the source of his anger and opens the door to his future.

What will his decision be? Sadly, we must wait for “Number 25” to see his answer.

graphic: bea tolan

the perfect

lunch

spot

In all honesty, lunch is often overlooked—either that microwavable soup that has been in your desk for a few months or the boring old sandwich you consistently pack for yourself. We took the liberty of providing the names and details of some of the yummiest, most authentic, and most pleasant lunch spots in Santa Barbara. Bon Appétit. by jacqueline berci and mia waters

via maestra 42 Via Maestra 42 Restaurant 3343 State Street

Via Maestra 42 is a quaint Italian restaurant that features home cooked Italian classics.

This homey little nook nearly transports you to a café in Italy on a rainy day.

The menu features dishes from fresh salads, to hearty sandwiches and a range of pastas. Via Maestra serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner and also runs a catering business.

True to traditional Italian

cuisine, Via Maestra begins their menu with a selection of antipasto that customers can hand select for their appetizer— options including butter beans, farro salad, and various grilled vegetables.

Via Maestra makes a variety of different pastas ranging from “Ravioli Zuccotto,” pumpkin and ricotta filled ravioli with a browned butter and sage sauce, to their own versions of

bolognese, carbonara and many seafood pastas.

Via Maestra also offers other entrees including salmon, steak, and many different Italian style sandwiches.

To finish off your delicious meal at Via Maestra, the gelato, specially imported from Italy, is the perfect sweet ending.

Everything from the Italian sodas and gelato to the furniture and various Italian

cooking delicacies that are imported and sold on the side make the experience of eating at Via Maesta that much more intriguing and authentically Italian.

“I have been to many Italian restaurants, not including ones in Italy, and Via Maestra has the best food by far and I would imagine is most definitely up to par with those in Italy,” senior Wakelin McNeel said.

(left to right) Capellini al Pomodoro, angel hair pasta with fresh tomato, basil, garlic and hand made mozzarella; Organic greens tossed with house balsamic dressing topped with shaved Grana Padano cheese and served with grilled bread, Penne alla Bolognese, tube pasta in our homemade slow cooked Italian beef and pork ragu 32

empty bowl gourmet noodle bar Empty Bowl Gourmet Noodle Bar 38 W Victoria St #109

Empty Bowls has a wide variety of Thai-fusion food.

This is a restaurant that is easily missed by many because of their location inside the always busy and bustling Public Market. To get the full experience make sure to sit at the bar to eat—it is worth the wait.

As expected, the restaurant specializes in its many different noodle dishes. A crowd favorite is the Pad Thai which stays true to the traditional Thai recipe with stir-fried rice noodles.

Other favorites include the Northern Thailand Curry Noodle made with flat egg noodles, curry, and coconut milk; and the green papaya salad, another classic Thai dish that combines shredded green papaya and other vegetables with lime juice and fish sauce.

Empty Bowls not only has a vibrant array of flavors relatively unique to Santa Barbara but an exciting energy

c’est cheese

Pan fried pancit noodle: round wheat noodles combined with mushrooms, garlic, soy sauce, Chinese broccoli, carrots, and bean sprouts

which makes the experience more than just a meal of delicious food.

The sweet and creamy Thai iced tea and Thursday special of Tom Kha Noodle Soup are not to be missed. This special combines the classic Thai coconut milk soup with Japanese Udon Noodles for a tangy and slightly spicy, and most of all extremely original taste.

C’est Cheese Cheese Shop 825 Santa Barbara Street

C’est Cheese, originally a cheese shop, opened up a cafe last year that offers a menu of seasonal

salads, soups, and quiches.

However, their specialty is a wide array of gourmet grilled cheeses served for both breakfast and lunch.

All of the grilled cheeses build upon the signature grilled cheese that combines appenzeller, 4-year old aged cheddar, and mozzarella cheeses.

Favorites include the “breakfast grilled cheese” BLT: made which combines orange with the marmalade, ham, arugula, and signature the three cheese blend with an three-cheese egg on top. blend, bacon, Their menu also offers their house made tomato take on the traditional BLT, marmalade, and arugula

featuring a goat cheese grilled cheese, a ham grilled cheese, and a truffle grilled cheese.

The cafe and cheese shop are laid out to create a modern feel by taking a chic turn on an industrial layout.

You can also grab one of their delicious baked delicacies with a cup of tea or coffee for a cozy coffee date!

vanilla bean needless to say yogurt with it is a good home-made thing breakfast granola to is served all day. breakfast However, sandwiches, Crushcakes their take also offers a on huevos wide variety of rancheros, lunch options served on grilled managing to bread and red make up a menu velvet pancakes that holds topped with their Cool vanilla bean: vanilla a variety of traditional sour fresh options cake topped with vanilla cream frosting— and comfort bean frosting 33

foods—in conjunction with your meal make sure to sample their wide variety of coffees to go with one of their 13 constant cupcake flavors or one of their rotating specials. Crushcakes has also recently branched out into making pies as well.

Most definitely consider going to Crushcakes & Cafe if you’re ever craving a grilled cheese with a nice warm cup of tomato basil soup, along with a sweet treat!

crushcakes Crushcakes & Cafe 1315 Anacapa Street

Crushcakes & Cafe has a rotating menu of freshly baked cupcakes as well as ample breakfast options, sandwiches and paninis. Crushcakes has three locations: downtown, in Carpinteria, and a newlyopened restaurant in Montecito.

When Crushcakes branched out to a cafe from just a bakery, they quickly became known for their breakfasts which are served all day.

Their breakfast menu includes everything from

nature’s remedies by emily lafitte

graphic: luisa cameron

Tired of tediously putting down cherry cough syrup and stuffing your body with unnecessary medications that may not even work? Nowadays, it is popular to figure out natural remedies for not only healing the body, but also for preventing sickness. Moving through the dangerous cold and flu months, there are simply never enough remedies for preventing and treating those nasty colds even if the remedy sounds unpleasant.

1. garlic

Garlic hits the mother lode: it is a natural antibiotic, anti fungal and antibacterial. Garlic can tackle almost any illness if used properly and with good timing. This sounds awful, but it works. In order to kick the illness in the gut, finely mince one or two cloves of garlic and let them float in a small glass of water and drink it quickly. Grab some mouthwash because you’ll need it, but at least your cold will be running away.

2. ginger

At least it tastes better than garlic. Ginger is one of the most effective remedies for nausea and vomiting associated with the flu. Ginger can either be taken in capsule form with a glass of water, or a fresh root of ginger can be soaked in boiling water to make a natural tea, which is effective against sinus infections and congestion. After drinking ginger-steeped hot water, face steam may be your next best bet for getting rid of congestion and bronchial chest pain. Boil one to two cups of water in any pot and once the water begins to boil, remove it from the heat and add two teaspoons of thyme, rosemary, and oregano. Let this concoction sit covered for about five minutes then proceed to put your face over the pot with a towel behind your head to hold in the steam and heat.

Just breathe in the steam and you will feel your congestion begin to loosen after about 10 minutes. Not only will congestion relief be felt, but it will help kill bacteria in the lungs, sinuses, and bronchioles.

3.citrus & greens

And lastly, never forget the power of citrus fruits and leafy greens. Eating lots of these vitamin-filled foods can boost the immune system and reduce the duration of a cold.

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fresh from the field a poem by ruby haber

Here is the land of nature’s candy.

Barefeet, sandals, sneakers and boots take a step into the local community.

An abundance of fruitful flavors are handpicked and brought to the edge of the table. As empty baskets begin to swing back and forth with handfuls of produce, aged fingers strum the strings of an acoustic guitar. Unique faces brush through the aisles like leaves falling from a tree. Catching the air slowing down for a second, meeting new people under the oak trees on a Saturday misty morning or bundling up under the vanishing baby blue sky on a Tuesday.

The Farmers Market delights!

One orange, two oranges fly out of the yellow bins into the hands of chefs and families in search of local produce. A variety of farmers create an eclectic mix from spicy jalapeĂąos to the juicy sunrise papayas.

Take a taste, scoop up some produce and meet new faces of Santa Barbara.

Seeds are growing, and farmers are harvesting for our community to enjoy. photos: sophie haber

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debunking common myths by fiona flynn

we only access 10 percent of our brains Although not all regions of the brain are active all the time, most are activated within a 24-hour period.

Many think this myth started when Lowell Thomas misquoted the American psychologist, William James stating that the average person “develops only 10 percent of his latent mental ability.” But this theory is 100 percent myth.

cracking knuckles causes arthritis

undercover cops can’t lie

don’t wake up sleepwalkers

washington and weed

police don’t care for a day

While cracking your knuckles can annoy people around you, it doesn’t cause arthritis.

The noise when you crack your knuckles is actually the breaking of the adhesive seal in your joints.

This habit can lead to lessened grip strength and swollen hands however, so it is not a bad idea to stop.

Thanks to Hollywood, most people believe that undercover police are duty bound to identify themselves if asked to do so.

However, police are allowed to lie in interrogations. If this myth really did exist, there would be no sting operations. Face it; police themselves probably spread this myth in order to put more confidence in criminals.

Many believe that waking a sleepwalker could cause them to have a heart attack, stroke, or cause brain damage.

In actuality, they might be confused when awoken, but it is more likely that they will get hurt if you don’t wake them up.

Washington did grow hemp, but only for making rope and clothing.

Hemp also was used for sail canvas and for repairing seine-fishing nets, but there is no evidence to suggest that Washington hung out with Mary Jane most nights.

Contrary to every crime show, you don’t have to wait 24 hours to report someone missing to the police.

As soon as someone is unaccounted for, contact the police.

This Hollywood induced myth also gives off the misconception that police do not take every report seriously, however 99.9 percent of missing persons are found.

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art: victoria huang

Middle College is probably a phrase you have heard recently. It is a growing trend that even a few Laguna Blanca students have caught on to. What is it exactly? It is a collaborative project between a community college and a high school district. The goal of middle college programs is to give students an alternative setting to earn a high school diploma. Often, students are drawn to middle college for its flexibility in taking higher level courses in certain subjects not offered at most high schools, or for the freedom it allows to pursue a career at the same time. We interviewed Emily Powers who left Laguna this past year to conclude her senior year of high school through the Middle College program at Santa Barbara City College.

Emily Powers

W

hy did you choose Middle College? Why just for senior year?

I chose Middle College specifically for my senior year because it enabled me to graduate a semester early.

I wanted to graduate early so I can move to New York in February 2016 and work in the fashion-design field before I start college in the fall — kind of like an early semi-gap year. Middle college also gave me a very flexible schedule, I only had school twice a week in order to work on my portfolio which was imperative for my design-school applications.

M

iddle college has been described as a combination of core classes from high school taken in correlation with community college classes — explain how this works?

When it comes to choosing classes, you take a few core high school classes through middle college with a high school teacher and you are able to take college courses to fulfill both some high school requirements and electives. For example, over the summer, I fulfilled a year’s worth of high-school English by taking a City College English class, and in the fall, I completed a year’s worth of what would have been government in high school by taking a City College political science class in one semester. Colleges really liked the fact that I had experience taking college courses and that I did well in them. This led to helping me get substantial merit scholarships offered to me from three colleges that I applied to.

W

ill the classes you took this year count as part of your college credits, and what are your plans for next year?

Yes, the classes for Santa Barbara City College count towards college credit which is great because I have some prerequisites out of the way. My plan is to move to New York in February to work in the field of fashion design before starting at Parsons School of Design to major in fashion and minor in journalism in the fall. I have a few job/internship options up in the air right now. Currently, I’ve been working on copy editing a book of short stories with a model who’s based in New York. I’m very grateful to have the opportunity to have the next six months free to gain work experience in New York before college.

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santa barbara

What is your favorite part about being an Uber driver?

I get my own time and can plug in and out when I want to.

You get paid every Thursday. It goes directly into your bank account and no money is exchanged by hand – that’s the part I like most.

How old are your typical customers?

I would say typically between the ages of 18 and 45.

Do you use Uber yourself?

I don’t, but my kids do on my account.

los angeles

chicago

What made being an Uber driver appealing to you?

Flexibility. I have two kids, so I can have more time with the family when I want to.

Do you have another job?

Yes. I drive a school bus.

What is your least favorite part about being an Uber driver?

Drunk people vomiting in the car, and people running late, pushing you to drive faster.

What is your craziest experience as an Uber driver?

Someone left a very large knife in the backseat of my car. I didn’t realize they had left it until I picked up the next passenger. They grabbed the knife, pointed it at me, and said “Is this yours?”

Do you see yourself as an Uber driver in one year ... or five years?

No. Just enough for two more vacations.

Any skills that make you successful at your job?

I’m a good driver.

Communication isn’t my skill... I don’t like talking to my passengers.

interviews by carina tedesco, caylin zimmerman, & kendall white

graphic: bea tolan

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is GMAIL becoming TOO advanced?

why Smart Reply might not be so smart by sydney edgecomb

W

hen it’s early in the morning and you’re trying to wave down a taxi while spilling your coffee and trying to handle your purse, coat. and keys while typing out an email can be beyond difficult.

Well now, you can automatically reply to your email messages.

Gmail, the largest email service in the world, has released a new technology called Smart Reply that will use a form of Artificial Intelligence to analyze your email and suggest responses.

It uses what the company is calling “deep learning” to feed your information into a large network of machines that analyze your information in order to, not only try and predict your response, but also to advance itself. The more information the program receives, the more advanced it gets.

For example, if one sent thousands of photos of tomatoes in their emails, the network could then learn to identify a tomato.

In this case however, the system is learning how to write email replies by analyzing users’ email conversations.

But what does “analyze” mean?

By “analyzing” your emails, Gmail is taking your email conversations and storing them into their database. This means that not a single piece of information or conversation you have on your Gmail account is private. Although Smart Reply is helpful to some, others do not feel comfortable with this lack of privacy. Even if one was fine with the program taking all of their information, that doesn’t mean the program is going to work properly anyway.

With the phrases like, “I love you” commonly being randomly suggested, a lot of the time the program’s ideas of what one wants to say are inaccurate. One can imagine how embarrassing it would be to reply to your boss “I love you.”

Thus, at this point in time, it is hard for Artificial Intelligence to truly guess what you are thinking.

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Further, even if it Smart Reply was able to know what you are thinking, the Gmail program only suggests short and simple sentences that most likely do not include everything you want to say. So even if the average user will be able to save some time with the new Gmail feature, is it really worth the effort?

beethoven & brainwaves why do we love music so much? by jack stein

E

veryone has their favorite genre of music. For each listener, certain songs evoke different feelings, memories, or senses.

Late neurological genius and music lover Oliver Sacks argued that this has to do with the way that our brains are coded. Everybody’s brain is different, and the pleasure receptors in each brain are triggered by different things. This system was originally one of survival, but has since evolved.

Since we are no longer required to hunt our own food, the reward center rewards us for other things, things that may not be necessary. Enter music. The pleasure that we get from listening to music confounds Sacks, and other scientists, because it has no obvious benefits to our survival, yet we derive such strong feelings from listening to these random assemblages of notes and beats.

While there is generally a single group of receptors in the brain for each pleasure that we receive (food, sleep, adrenaline, etc.) that pattern is seemingly broken with music. Instead, it appears that music activates many scattered groups of neurons in the brain, each with different purposes, to create an experience unique to any other.

Music is fun to listen to, and is a wonderful art, of course, but do we benefit from it in any real way? You could say that anything that brings such joy and hope to so many people is a benefit in and of itself.

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The Department of Psychological Sciences at the University of Liverpool conducted a study on how musicians perform in mentally exerting tasks as compared to non-musicians, and the levels of brain stimulation were much higher for the musicians. They then gave the non musicians a brief, one hour musical training course, and found that their test results and brain stimulation readings skyrocket!

Music is amazing and fun to listen to. But it doesn’t just have emotional upsides.

It can really help with academics, both learning music and listening to it. Schools across the world are thinking about ways to incorporate music into learning. So, next time you have a big test to study for, consider popping in some Beethoven and your brain will thank you.

art: luisa cameron

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measuring up The problem is not social media.

It’s society’s unhealthy focus on beauty and obsession with luxury. by carina tedesco and caylin zimmerman It is clear that our society’s obsession with social media shapes our ideas, views, and most greatly how we want others to see us on the “feeds,” “walls” and “stories” of apps like Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat. Social media establishes extremely high expectations for the “normal” of what beauty is supposed to look like causing pre-teens and teens who are entering adulthood to become especially at risk of seeing these photos and thinking they need to achieve the beauty standards of those who are Photoshopped, fake tanned, and in situations where there is no way of knowing how much effort is put into their appearance for a single photo.

This results in a seemingly “effortless” yet unachievable goal that unhealthily consumes millions of young girls.

In a world where models and their unrealistic qualities are projected on the screens of our phones, tablets and computers, how are girls’ self-images affected?

Self Image is defined as the idea one has of one’s abilities, appearance and personality.

Seeing social media pages that are full of impractical photos of what is being portrayed as the perfect lifestyle and physique, a young girl may begin to question her own life, body, and overall appearance to see if it measures up to those of the models they see pictures of every day. Social media has established an extremely specific and highly unachievable yet “normal” standard image.

On any given day of scrolling through an average girl’s Instagram feed, photos of models in bikinis at the beach or in front of green screens at a studio can be found. Kendall Jenner, a model with a famously “perfect” body and face has 45.7 million Instagram followers, has posed for covers of magazines like Vogue and Marie Claire, and has most recently become an Angel for the Victoria’s Secret 2015 Fashion Show.

She is 5’10” with a curvy yet extremely thin build—the optimal Victoria’s Secret Angel. Being genetically blessed and born into a famous family (The Kardashians), Kendall finds herself an inspiration for the tens of millions of girls that strive to look like her.

Young girls spend countless hours looking at posts from their favorite models like Kendall, screen-shotting and saving them as “inspo,” “fitspo” and “thinspo” (“inspirational” pictures that set goals for getting tanner, thinner and more like the beautiful girls they follow religiously.) This draining task is surprisingly one that the majority of young girls partake in every single day.

“Perfect” body types and features are not the only unrealistic aspect of social media excessively spread to young people—the lifestyles of the rich and famous are also easily seen all over the

web. Those who have enough money to jet around the world staying in exotic resorts are also able to share every detail of their lifestyle with their millions of followers.

The constant posts and reposts from the tiniest percent of the population who are able to have such luxurious experiences are constantly shared to the majority of people who will most likely never be able to do these things.

This very public sharing creates a sense of normalcy for those who use social media— all 2 billion of us, according to eMarketer’s Worldwide Social Network Report.

For much of the population, these activities are unrealistic, but for the teens scrolling through their Instagram feeds and constantly seeing the amazing trips and experiences that kids their age are having, it creates an idea that these exceptionally rare lifestyles are normal and that it is wrong or unfair that they can’t have these same luxuries.

The problem is not social media, but society’s unhealthy focus on beauty and obsession with luxury.

When asked if attractiveness helps get you farther in the world, Instagram and Tumblr model and surfer, Jay Alverrez, most famous for his extremely public relationship with model Alexis Ren, replied, “Definitely.

It is sad, but true.” With this false mindset that looking a specific way will bring you success, it is understandable why young people are so focused on reaching these standards.

Social media, when not abused, can be a gateway for an improvement in society. One can create a campaign for a cause he or she is passionate about, such as the ALS ice bucket challenge, a viral challenge that taught over 3 million people about the severe disease of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and raised over 100 million dollars. Social media can also be used to share talents and creativity and to teach and learn more about different cultures and people around the world.

One example of this is Kylie Jenner, another Kardashian with 47.3 million Instagram followers, who serves as a different kind of role model. She uses her popularity on social media as a way to promote unconventional beauty in her #IAmMoreThan weekly campaign. Every week she posts a story of someone who doesn’t meet today’s standards of beauty, but who has strong ambitions for helping the world. Kylie recently quoted a beauty account, @makeupbychynadoll, saying “We keep comparing ourselves to the people we see on our timeline… We all post our best images.

It’s our highlight reel. Stop comparing our behind the scenes to someone else’s highlight reel.”

Instead of continuously asking, “Do I measure up?”, start using social media as a tool of knowledge and a resource for helping others and spreading ideas.

“We keep comparing ourselves to the people we see on our timeline…We all post our best images.

It’s our highlight reel. Stop comparing our behind the scenes to someone else’s highlight reel.”

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photo by carina tedesco

so my MOM tried to FOLLOW me do we still “like” Instagram? by kailea hieshima

So my mom tried to follow me on Instagram a couple of weeks ago. Of course, I kind of had to accept her request. I mean, what else was I supposed to do? I would have never heard the end of it if I hadn’t.

So, I let her follow me. But not before I went and changed every comment and erased every picture that I wanted to keep private. This includes any use of ‘foul’ language or a certain emoji depicting a single hand pointing that one finger — hint: it’s not the pointer finger. Not that there was anything that bad, but I don’t want my mother to see everything.

That means changing a lot of comments. Sorry mom.

First, let’s talk about Facebook. Five years ago, Facebook was pretty much the coolest thing ever. Everybody who had a life had an account. Of course, that didn’t include me, but that’s beside the point.

More recently, in 2014, according to Jetscram, only 5 percent of Facebook’s 1.2 billion active users were under the age of 18, while 31.1 percent of users were between the ages of 35 and 54, effectively filling everyone’s feeds with pictures of pets, ‘cute’ children, and selfies taken from unflattering angles.

I think I’ve seen your cat enough, Grandma. Thanks,

though.

Anyway, there have recently been a larger amount of middle aged and older people creating profiles on Instagram.

Subsequently, not as many teens have been active, instead favoring Snapchat and other up-and-coming social media platforms.

Seriously, do I want to have my mom comment on all my pictures? Do I want my grandmother to know everything that I do? It seems a little extensive, which is why we should create a social media platform that is only for people under the age of 20.

Just kidding.

But, actually, it’s kind of a problem. I don’t really want my mom to be monitoring my every single move.

Shouldn’t I have some freedom? I guess not, according to my wonderful mother, who, by the way, is for sure going to kill me after she reads this.

Once again — sorry mom.

Right now, Instagram is still a popular media platform, but looking at the recently collected data, in a few years, both your Instagram and Facebook feeds will be filled with pictures of sleeping cats.

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the illustrated interview with bea tolan

Future novelist and illustrator Bea Tolan shares some of her thoughts and drawings. by luisa cameron

What makes you smile?

Dogs.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

My occasional self-criticism.

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

What is your greatest fear?

Feeling sad for too long.

Please draw a self-portrait.

Who is your favorite person?

My dad, a.k.a Pops Tolan.

If you could have a superpower, what would it be?

The ability to breathe underwater.

What might you want to study in college?

Illustration because I draw on everything!

What do you want to be when you grow up?

A happy bookworm / author.

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Partaking in tomfoolery.

let’s connect www.thefourth estate.net

@lbs4thestate

@lbsfourthestate

lagunablanca school

art: luisa cameron

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