NEWS 1-4
PROFILE 5
OP/ED 6-7
SPORTS FEATURE 10-11 12-13 INSIDE Getting Noticed: Senior’s Art Work Featured as a logo. Page 4
Story Time The third grade comes to visit Elements of Writing Class. Page 3
A&E 14
Basketball Season Boys and Girls soccer season starts. Page 10
In-Depth Feature The Teenage Brain in Love Pages 8-9
Laguna Blanca School - 4125 Paloma Drive - Santa Barbara - California - 93110
Volume XX
Thursday, February 13, 2014
LIFESTYLE BACK PAGE 15 16
www.thefourthestate.net
Issue 4
Tennis Courts Are a Big Hit Among Students By GRACE WOOLF
Laguna’s campus has witnessed major changes in the last year — it has a new, state-ofthe-art library and newly constructed eco-friendly parking plaza. Most recently, construction began on the addition of four brand new tennis courts. “The idea of having tennis courts was always something the athletic department dreamed about. Having the courts allows us to keep our tennis teams on campus for practice and to be able to host CIF matches. Having the players be able to play in front of their peers for the first time is very exciting for them and a great help to the entire program,” Athletic Director Mike Biermann said. They are to be used for team practices, matches, and P.E. classes. “The process included securing approvals from Santa Barbara County and the Hope Ranch Homeowners Association. The principal concerns we had to address were the placement and design of the courts. We needed to find a location that minimized noise to our surrounding neighbors and the ‘visibility’ of the courts from Las Palmas. Further to this approval process, we had to work with the County and Hope Ranch on landscape design elements of the project to ensure that the courts would, as much as possible, blend into the natural look of the areas surrounding the gym,” Mr. Tom Pickett, Chairman of Laguna
PHOTO: TARA BROUCQSAULT
TAKING IT ALL IN: Rob Hereford looking relaxed as he takes a stroll through a sea of students in the senior quad on a recent campus visit.
Meet Laguna’s New Head of School, Robert Hereford By PIERCE O’DONNELL
Q: What aspects of the School do you find most attractive? A: I love that Laguna Blanca is a small enough place that I will be able to know everyone. . .I believe the hallmark of any successful school is the quality of the relationships within the institution, and Laguna’s size provides the opportunity for all of us to build those relationships top to bottom. I love the energy and positive atmosphere . . . and I’m eager to build on that forward momentum. Ultimately, what is most attractive about Laguna Blanca is the people in the community. I was so impressed with everyone I met and how passionate they were in their dedication to the School . . . I’m honored that I get to work with this group of people.
whose success I am proud to have engineered in some way.
Q: What did you find helped raise school spirit at other schools? A: Successful programs certainly help drive school spirit, but beyond that, what has worked at a couple of different schools is scheduling athletic contests right after school and holding a cookout or pizza dinner to encourage students and families to come cheer on our teams and enjoy a meal together. Free food is always a good draw! A small school requires building up enthusiasm since the fan base is so small, so we hold K-12 pep rallies and other events so that Middle and Lower School families are encouraged to support the Upper School programs.
Sharing Stories: Gathered for lunch in The Isham Library & Nylen Academic Research Center are guest speaker Judy Meisel, Mrs. Kate Shevitz, Ms. Trish McHale, and Ms. Dana Martin.
Q: What about the School might you want to change? A: The most fundamental issue is the current enrollment level. I want to work with the entire school community to get Laguna Blanca back to enrollment figures closer to 400 students in the near future. With those stronger numbers, that will give us the opportunity to provide more options for kids in the curriculum, in activities and in student support. Tackling that challenge will allow us a great deal of flexibility going forward. My plan is to come in and listen and learn to see what we can do to make Laguna Blanca even greater in the years ahead.
Russians go. “As we left with so many others, children I played with—that I went to school with, were calling us . . . dirty Jews and spitting on us and throwing things at us,” Judy said about being forced to move into the Kovno Ghetto. Judy was then taken to Stutthof Concentration Camp in Poland where she was separated from her brother and her
Q: What would you say your greatest accomplishments were at Fort Worth Country Day School? A: What I take most pride in is having helped some kids graduate from Country Day who might not have otherwise made it. I have loved calling those kids’ names at graduation each year, and we have a couple of students in that class
CONSTRUCTION UNDERWAY: Workers from First-Serve Tennis of Santa Barbara prepare the soon-to-be tennis courts on Chase Field. Construction is set to be completed in time for the boys’ tennis season to begin. Blanca’s Board said. The courts were fully funded by the Furukawa family. “The decision on the tennis courts was really created by the Furukawa family. They came forward and offered a gift to the School designated specifically for the building of the tennis courts. Because tennis is an important part of Laguna’s boys’ and girls’ athletic programs and offering comprehensive athletic programs to our students is part of Laguna’s Mission. We welcomed the Furukawa family’s generous gift and moved the tennis courts project forward,” Mr. Pickett said. Having the courts on campus will make it easier on the players because they won’t have to travel for practices, and the student body will now be able to
attend more games. “We will now have a total of six courts, which is the required number for us to host home tennis matches instead of playing t h o s e matches at the Santa Barbara Municipal Courts. This will PHOTOS: CARSON SHEVITZ make it easier for our community of parents, students, and surface. faculty to attend home “Having courts on matches and support campus means we don’t our tennis teams,” said have to waste 30 minutes Mr. Pickett. driving to and from The courts are being the Muni courts. Plus, built by First-Serve maybe more than two Tennis of Santa Barbara. people will show up to They will be hard-court the matches,” senior Ben with a medium/slow Furukawa said.
Holocaust Survivor Speaks at Martin Luther King, Jr. Assembly
“Tak for Alt” Thanks for Everything By JACQUELINE BERCI When Judy Meisel and her sister escaped to Denmark at the end of the Holocaust, Judy was 16 and weighed 47 pounds. Thanks to the Shevitz family, Judy, a Holocaust survivor born in Jasvene, Lithuania, spoke to students following the screening of the film about her life, “Tak for Alt.” “Racism and bigotry, it’s still happening all over the world and we have to constantly work at it to see that this does not happen here or anywhere. We cannot afford to say that one person cannot do anything. I’m only one person—one person can do a lot,” Meisel said. In 1940, Russians invaded Lithuania, and
PHOTO: CARSON SHEVITZ
Judy recalled how a man came and told her family that the Germans were burning Jews in Poland and the people refused to believe that such an educated people would do such a thing. Judy can remember Lithuanian women and children welcoming the German soldiers with flowers, when they invaded Lithuania in 1941, because they were excited to see the
mother was killed. Judy said that remembering the smells of a flower she used to have and her mother’s challah bread were what kept her alive. She describes these memories as “an extra breath of life.” When Stutthof was liquidated, Judy and her sister were marched out, and, as bombs were Continued on Page 4
Q: What should Laguna Blanca know about the Hereford family? A: My wife, Amanda Whalen, is a gifted teacher who has taught in lower, middle and upper schools in her career . . . She is also an absurdly talented athlete—she played softball at Texas A&M—and I’m hopeful she passed on her athletic genes to our boys, John and Joseph (who goes by Jojo). John is five and will be in the Lower School next year; Jojo is three and will be in preschool next fall. I have a third son, Scott (age 18), from my first marriage, who is a freshman at Rhodes College in Memphis. I’m sure that everyone on both campuses will get used to seeing John and Jojo running all over the place!
Q: Are you a sports fan? Who are your favorite teams? A: I love watching sports—particularly high school sports—I coached basketball for a number of years. Outside of my school teams, I watch the NFL, NBA and professional tennis regularly. I’m a huge New Orleans Saints fan and, while I grew up as a fan of the Lakers, I’ve been drawn to Oklahoma City in recent years because I love watching Kevin Durant play.
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February 13, 2014
Roses to the faculty and staff who attend students’ games. Roses to the first graders who made their TV debut on local cooking show.... THE INN CROWD
• 4125 Paloma Drive • Santa Barbara, CA 93110 • www.thefourthestate.net The Fourth Estate is a public forum for student expression. It is written and produced solely by the journalism students. It represents the voice of the students and covers topics, issues, and opinions of relevance to the Laguna Blanca School community. The Fourth Estate welcomes guest columns and letters to the editor. Letters must be signed and be no longer than 400 words. Editors reserve the right to edit for length, clarity, and/or taste. Anonymous letters will not be published. The Fourth Estate publishes six issues per year with a senior insert in the last issue. We mail issues to subscribers and advertisers, and exchange papers with high school journalism classes across the country. The Fourth Estate accepts both print and online advertising in either black and white or color. Contact Trish McHale at tmchale@ lagunablanca.org for advertising and subscriptions. “Follow” us on Twitter and “Like” us on Facebook. Visit our online paper for daily updates: www.thefourthestate.net.
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Caty Lafitte
OP/ED EDITOR
Allison Lewis Towbes
Roses to all of the companies who support us by placing ads in the paper.
NEWS EDITOR Kaylee Strachan
FEATURE EDITOR MacKenna Connor
A&E EDITOR
Margaret Lazarovits
LIFESTYLE EDITOR Grace Woolf
SPORTS EDITOR Stephen McCaffery
PHOTO EDITOR Carson Shevitz
GRAPHIC EDITORS Kela Johnson Luisa Cameron
BUSINESS & MARKETING Carson Shevitz
Roses
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COPY EDITOR Kaylee Strachan Phillip Hicks
STAFF
FACULTY ADVISOR Patricia McHale, MJE
Roses to Tara Broucqsault for sharing her photos to use in the paper. Thorns to who people who post mean things on the Internet. Thorns to the students who “ditch” assemblies.
WEB EDITOR Jacqueline Berci Luisa Cameron Kimmy Crickette Harrison Kerdman Bill Mortensen Pierce O’Donnell Emily Powers Spenser Wyatt
Roses to freshman Joan Curran for being the first female member of the US Stage Band.
Thorns to the people who refuse to get their photos taken for the paper.
Thorns
Thorns to the students who make the pizza delivery drivers wait. ART: KELA JOHNSON
The News
News in Brief
February 13, 2014
Students Take the Stage in End of Year Mock Trial Gears Up for Big Concerts Competition By MARGARET LAZAROVITS The Mock Trial team is gearing up for a season of scrimmages and competitions with schools throughout Southern California. This year’s Mock Trial team consists of seasoned seniors who have been on the team for a couple years as well as newcomers, both upper and lower classmen, all of whom contribute to the team. The upcoming competition for the Mock Trial team is on Saturday, February 22. The team also has a scrimmage on February 9.
Young Poets Compete for National Title By KAYLEE STRACHAN Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest is an annual competition, created by the National Endowment for the Arts and Poetry Foundation, in which students are judged on their poetry recitation. English teacher Ms. Bojana Hill requires her sophomore and senior classes to participate. Students perform first for their class, and then Ms. Hill chooses a few from each to move on to the next round of the competition. Ginny Brush, from Santa Barbara Arts Commission, helps judge, along with Visual Art teacher Mr. Dug Uyesaka. The selected students recite for the entire school during an assembly in Spaulding Auditorium where winners are selected to go on to the countywide competition. This will be taped and aired on CBSTV.
By STEPHEN MCCAFFERY On the first Thursday coming back from Winter Break, the Upper School Band and the Laguna Blanca Stage Band kicked off the Winter Performing Arts Revue season. Both bands performed a set of a variety of songs learned and perfected during the first semester. The Upper School Band opened the night with an arrangement featuring Joan Curran on vocals of “In My Life,” by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. The members of the first semester Upper School Band were Joan Curran (vocals, drums, guitar), who will be joining the Stage Band in the second semester; Hunter Cong (piano) and Renae Mai (oboe, guitar, vocals). Due to illness, Renae could not perform at the concert. The next three songs, “Autumn Leaves” by Joseph Kosma and Johnny Mercer, “Jar of Love” by Wanting Qu and “You and the Night and the Music” by Arthur Schwartz and Howard Dietz, featured solos from pianist Hunter Cong. The band ended its performance with the U2 hit “I’ll Go Crazy if I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight,” featuring Joan Curran on vocals. Second to perform that night was the Laguna Blanca Stage Band. They performed jazz, pop, rock and funk songs from the 1960s, ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s and 2000s. The group closed with the Eddie Floyd’s funk hit “Knock on Wood,” featuring vocalist Travis Fristoe.
PHOTOS: TARA BROUCSQUALT
ROCK&ROLL:(Above) The sixth grade band jams on stage in Spaulding Auditorium. (To the Right) Senior Conrad Perry takes a solo on his saxophone. A week later, the Middle School groups performed for a packed Spaulding Auditorium. Ms. Kasia Roca’s chorus, featuring eighth graders Brittany Cardilino and Abigail Corpuz, sang five songs to open the night. Ms. Roca accompanied them on piano, while guests Juan Cantilo and Michal Ciaszczyk played guitar and drums. The second act featured a special guest band of Dominic Cappello (guitar), Vincent Cappello (piano) and Torri McMullen (guitar and vocals), accompanied by Mr. Michael Kohan (bass) and Erland Wanberg (drums). They performed the Black Keys’ rock song “Gold on the Ceiling.” Mr. Dug Uyesaka’s Middle School Video class presented a group of videos of the first semester. Nine videos were viewed at the performance directed by Kovid Mishra, Jack Fry, Daniel Newton, Jason Barnick, Bennett Coy, Greyson Dunn, Milo Hensley, Alex Koke, and Avery Hughes. The Middle School Band ended the concert with a five
song set list of rock, alternative, and jazz arrangements. Members Sophia Bakaev (piano and vocals), Dominic Cappello (guitar, bass, drums and vocals) and Spencer Rycroft (guitar, bass and vocals) with special guest Ryan Douglas (drums) closed the night with Green Day’s “Holiday.” To end the performance season, the fifth grade band, fifth and sixth grade band and drama class played and acted their songs and scenes learned in the first semester. The fifth grade band, taught by Ms. Roca, opened the evening with a set of four selections, ranging from pop-hit “Fireflies” by Owl City to the 1950s jazz standard “Blue Rondo ala Turc” by Dave Brubeck. The group featured nine fifth graders and was accompanied by a guitarist and percussionist. Mr. Kohan’s fifth and sixth grade band performed next. The band played hits by Taylor Swift, The White Stripes, Imagine Dragons, Coldplay and OneRepublic along with an arrangement of the famous
classic “Ode to Joy” by Ludwig van Beethoven. Closing the night, the sixth grade drama ensemble, directed by Ms. Kate Bergstrom, performed three student-directed sketches. Thirteen sixth graders acted in “How the Turtle Cracked Its Shell,” “Brer Rabbit Hears a Big Noise in the Woods” and “Amansi the Spider and the Sky King,” directed by AmaRa-KaItzel PedrerosMontes, Charlie Jacobs and Anna Tolkien. The groups will be back in May for the Spring Performing Arts Revue.
Dancing the Night Away: Students Attend Winter Formal By EMILY POWERS Laguna Blanca’s high school students flocked to School on Feb. 26 to dance the night away. This was Laguna’s first Sadie Hawkins dance. It was a semi-formal occasion that took place in The Isham Library & Nylen Academic Research Center which was converted by members of the Leadership class into an intimate dance floor with a DJ.
Freshmen and Sophomores Headed to New York City By LUISA CAMERON Over Spring Break, thirtyone students will head to New York City for an Urban Adventure. The trip, lasting for five days, will allow freshman and sophomores to explore the city after having read “The Great Gatsby,” “Catcher in the Rye” and poems from the Harlem Renaissance. The schedule includes several Broadway shows, including “A Raisin in the Sun” with Denzel Washington, a field trip to Harlem, and a tour of the Vanderbilt Mansion. The trip will “allow Ninth and Tenth graders to experience together, and to reflect on, the New York connection within the literature they have read,” said English teacher Dr. Tidey. The trip will also include the “typical” New York experience, and students will spend time in Central Park, Times Square, and the American Museum of Natural History. “I’ve never been to New York before,” said sophomore Alexis Yabsley, “so I’m excited to see Times Square for myself instead of on TV”
Miles Crist Wins More Film Awards
Miles won three Silver Keys in the California region of the Scholastic Arts and Writing Awards which identifies teens with exceptional artistic and literary talent. Two were for photography and one for film. Here is the link to his film: https://vimeo. com/66702557 His photography can be seen here on his website: http:// milescrist.com/milescrist/ PHOTOGRAPHY.html
PHOTO: TARA BROUCQSAULT
SHARING STORIES: Ninth grader, Brooke Bidwell, shares a story with visiting third graders in Ms. Nordgaarden’s room.
Third and Ninth Grade Collaborate in Story Writing Project
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By HARRISON KERDMAN
hird graders eagerly stepped off the bus in anticipation of their visit to the Upper School to meet their big friends. They couldn’t wait to hear the ninth graders read the stories that they worked so hard on together. This visit marked the culmination of a semester of collaborative story writing in the Elements of Writing class. The classes co-wrote stories. They produced a variety of stories with themes spanning from dolphins trying to get to the circus, to children stuck in the game of Minecraft, to camping with nine-legged spiders. A highlight to sharing their stories included a shared pizza lunch. “I thought it was really relieving to see that we had finally accomplished something with our little buddies. It was really nice to see the expression on their faces. They just lit up like little light bulbs,” ninth grader Zaira Paredes said. Both classes had fun with this project and displayed their creativity. When asked if they would have changed anything, everyone had the same answer: “No.” Third grader Carter Mik-
kelsen said, “I would not have changed anything.” The third graders shared their favorite parts of their stories. “The story took different turns with different people that I would not expect,” third grader Jacob Molina said. The writing process itself was a different format from what either group was used to. “It was story format rather the usual essays, so this was actual plot, scene, story, dialog, the whole enchilada,” freshman Alex Bidwell said. This writing project is the brainstorm of English teacher Ms. Carol Nordgaarden and third grade teacher Ms. Brooke Cummings ‘97. It was the first of its kind: “I have been wanting to do a project for years, where the students have more output than just input and just repeating something we have been studying, and I wanted to do something creative, and when Ms. Cummings suggested we work together, when she observed my eighth grade, we thought this would be a great chance to do that.” After lunch, both classes took a stroll around the campus. They visited the new library and got to imagine what it might be like to be a student in the upper grades.
Pictured Above: (from left to right) Junior Ryan Bickett, freshman Travis Smillie, freshman Jack Copeland, junior Jack Espy, freshman Will Bartholomew, junior Stephen McCaffery, and senior Olivia Pickett having fun at the dance. To the Right: Sophomores Danielle Abrams and Siena Speirs taking a break from dancing.
ARMS UP: Sophomore Luisa Cameron, sophomore Emily Powers, freshman Holly Tobias, and junior Talia Giordano dancing to the music. PHOTOS: CARSON SHEVITZ & HANNAH WHITE
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The News
February 13, 2014
Nominated Students Participate in the Santa Barbara Literary Society Event
Holocaust Survivor Tells Her Story Continued from Page 1
By ALLISON LEWIS TOWBES On Jan. 29, nine high school students, who were nominated by members of the English department, accompanied by faculty advisor Ms. Trish McHale, attended the Santa Barbara chapter of the California Literary Society’s meeting at the Four Seasons Biltmore Hotel. The California Literary and Prologue Society “support[s] authors and poets, while supporting the local communities.” Each year, a group of students is selected to attend one of the chapter’s meetings. Led by Laguna alum Kendra Epley. Months before, the students had each been given a copy of Anne-Marie O’Connor’s book, “The Lady in Gold”—a book based on the life of painter Gustav Klimt’s muse, Adele Bloch-Bauer, and the story of the painting’s restitution to its original owners. The students met for an hour with O’Connor privately
before the luncheon commenced to ask questions and open up a conversation about the book. Adele grew up a wealthy Jewish woman in pre-WWII Vienna, Austria. Much of the story is also about her niece, Maria, who moved to California after the war, and who Anne-Marie O’Connor became personally acquainted with and whose story she wanted to tell. Adele’s portrait, titled “Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer” but often called “The Lady in Gold,” was appropriated by the Nazis, and later claimed by the Austrian government. Maria was beginning the process to have it returned when O’Connor first met the 80-year-old. “[The book] was really about Maria… In person, she was just this very charming, charismatic person,” O’Connor said. When asked what drew her
PHOTO: KELA JOHNSON
TIME FOR AUTOGRAPHS: In the nautical-inspired private meeting room sophomore Luisa Cameron, senior Quentin Tedesco, and senior Lindsay Ligon watch as “The Lady in Gold” author, Marie O’Connor, autographs their books. to the story of the painting, O’Connor said, “I was surprised at how much was out there about Gustav Klimt but hadn’t been published…. I saw the painting first when I was 14 in St. Louis… and I didn’t love it. But the painting in unforgettable. Famous paintings are famous for a reason. It is emblematic. I didn’t understand that until I began this [writing] process.” O’Connor, who studied painting at San Francisco
Art Institute before transferring to University of California, Berkeley, said she wrote the novel because “art and its meaning should be available to everyone.” She also spoke about how today the Internet facilitates social justice in the art restitution process. “I enjoyed meeting O’Connor and I found the book a fascinating read covering fin-desiècle Vienna and the story of the Bloch-Bauer family,” adviser Trish McHale said.
Art Students Prevail, Yet Again By KIMMY CRICKETTE Creation and creativity is second nature for two Laguna Blanca artists. Both were recently rewarded for their projects. Senior Maya Christian’s art piece was used as a logo for an organization working in conjunction with Art Without Limits. Maya’s art piece, pictured on the right, was done as part of her work with her independent art study. A bright green and orange iguana, her piece was submitted by art teacher Ms. Delphine Anaya and chosen to be this year’s Art Career Day Conference logo. Maya has been working in all mediums, from oil to charcoal to digital animation. She has participated in the I Madonnari festival, and her work has been featured in various art
shows across Santa Barbara. Junior Kela Johnson was a grand prize winner with her one-minute winning film, which she submitted to Proj-
ect ED. Project ED is an organization which creates contests each month covering various topics in order to challenge
students to stretch the limits of their creativity while giving them opportunities to begin their careers early. “Mr. Uyesaka asked me to find a contest to enter as part of my independent study, and I found this one,” Kela said. This month, the contest’s topic was the word Pandemonium. The only requirement was that the word be defined in the video, but other than this, students had no limitations over their entries. Kela won first place for her video, earning $1,000. “I knew about John Milton’s poem from my English classes, and I started thinking about how he named the capital of Hell Pandemonium, and I came up with the idea for my video 12 days before the deadline.”
Cruise Ships Drop Anchor in Santa Barbara
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By CARSON SHEVITZ
ith the U.S. State Department giving warnings to travelers, cautioning to travel to Mexico only if necessary, cruise lines are looking for alternative ports for their guests. In years past, cruise lines made the stop in Santa Barbara just five times a year. This year there will be a lot more cruise ships coming through our channel. We have seen Sapphire Princess, a 951 foot ship owned by Princess Cruises most recently. In the mix are ships from Celebrity Cruises and Crystal
Cruises. Most of these ships carry 700 guests, however, some of these floating cities can accommodate 3100 guests. From January to June Santa Barbara will see 18 cruise ships, tentatively one ship a week during the summer months. With the thousands of guests coming ashore for the day, local business will undoubtably see boosts in profits. “We have always believed that the numbers indicate a couple hundred dollars per couple, so we got a ship that holds 2850 people and 1500 crew so we might see a good
economic pop for Santa Barbara” said Harbor Operations Manger Mick Kronman. Not everyone is in favor of this change. Santa Barbara Channelkeeper, a local environmental group, is concerned about the possible environmental impacts of cruise ships. Cruise ships are required by law to dump hazardous waste at least 12 miles off of Santa Barbara. Channelkeepers goes out to meet the ships at the 12mile line to make sure that the 30,000 gallons of sewage, 250,000 gallons of gray water, and 5,000 gallons of oily bilge water, which are created daily,
are not dumped illegally. Garbage collected on ships is burned in incinerators. The solid sewage sludge that is left behind is either incinerated onboard, along with plastics and garbage, or discharged at sea. The cumulative effect of this added nutrient load on ocean ecosystems, if any, is largely unknown. The waste creates pollution in the air and the water, which could have an impact to the oceans around Santa Barbara. So far, the Santa Barbara Channelkeepers have not found any pollution during with the cruise ships.
the two sisters fell into a ditch and ran to a house. A Russian prisoner of war and a woman gave them clothes, food and sent them crawling across the frozen Vistula River to a covenant. One day when Judy and her sister were pretending to be Catholics, “it started raining bombs.” Soldiers told them to take shelter. Her sister refused, wishing for her life to be taken; then a bomb hit the shelter. Judy and her sister escaped to Copenhagen, Denmark. When they told the Red Cross attendant that they were Jewish, she stood up on the verge of tears and gave them a hug. “I feel like I owe my life to the Danes, not only my life to live, but they also gave me back my self esteem as a human. I saw that not all human beings are as beasts like the Nazis were, or the collaborators.” Judy credits the generosity of the Danes for nursing her back to being human. She says, “thank you for everything” not just “thank you,” hence the title of film: “Tak for Alt.” “Tak for Alt,” the film created by Laura Bialis about Judy’s life,and work as a civil rights advocate and shows her work to combat bigotry and racism. Judy left Denmark for her brother who was living in
I saw that not all human beings are as beasts like the Nazis were, or the collaborators.” Toronto. She got married and moved to Philadelphia where she had three children and got a degree in childhood education, so she could open a school. “I became deeply involved in the Civil Rights Movement in the U.S. after watching on TV a mob of people taunting an African-American couple who in 1961 had moved into Folcroft, an all-white blue-collar neighborhood. I participated in and helped to organize the March on Washington, at which time I met and spoke with Dr. Martin Luther King.” She felt that if their rights were compromised so were hers. It was then that Judy realized she had to start telling her story. “Judy’s story inspired me and made me feel like I have a moral obligation to stand up to any inequality that occurs around me,” said sophomore Emily Lafitte. Judy shared that there is still so much hate and indifference in the world, but we can start by solving it in our own community. “You are my future, and I know you’ll do good. It’s not how long you live but what you do with while you’re alive. The most important thing is to respect each others’ differences.”
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What is Your Favorite Part of the Winter Olympics?
Daniel Moghtader ~Senior
Armon Ghodoussi ~Sophomore
Will Bartholomew ~Freshman
Cameron Morello ~Sophomore
“I really like the hockey matches and watching the skiing and snowboarding.”
“I have always enjoyed watching the bobsledding and hockey with my family.”
“I like watching athletes perform in different weather conditions that most sports are usually not played in.”
“I enjoy the national pride and the fact that America gets a chance to represent itself on the national stage.” PHOTOS: CARSON SHEVITZ
Profile
February 13, 2014
Winter Break Finds Families Traveling to Antarctica & Africa
Fowler Family in Antarctica “My family and I went to Antarctica for seven days over winter break. My parents want us to go to all seven continents before I go to college, so they decided to go to Antarctica this time. We went on the cruise called Antarctica XXI on the Ocean Nova. We took zodiac boats to the shore where we were able to hike and look at wildlife, like penguins and seals. The cruise ship took two trips to the beaches every day so people could see the wildlife and they would take you back to shore and teach you about the history of Antarctica and about whaling and how it has affected the culture of Antarctica. It’s a pretty painful series of flights to get to Antarctica. We went from LAX to Panama, from Panama to Santiago, Chile. Then to Punta Arenas, Chile, and finally to Antarctica where we landed on a Chilean army base. We then walked for 30 minutes to the shore of Antarctica where we took a small boat out to the main cruise ship. All of the flights are from five to 10 hours long, except the flight from Puntarenas to Antarctica. We hiked on the shore of Antarctica to see the penguins. It was -30 degrees when we got there even in the summertime. Then it heated up to about 20 or 30 degrees Fahrenheit. This experience has made me a more grateful person for living in Santa Barbara. It was a really fun trip and a great experience and I would definitely go back at some point in my life.”
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By CATY LAFITTE
Over winter break, two Laguna families experienced unforgettable trips: Sophomore Jacqueline Berci and her family traveled to South Africa, and sophomore Christian Fowler and his family traveled to Antarctica.
PHOTOS: JACQUELINE BERCI AND CHRISTIAN FOWLER GRAPHICS: KELA JOHNSON
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“We were in Africa for around a week and a half, not including the travel days for my grandparents’ 60th anniversary and my grandpa’s 80th birthday. We stayed in Cape Town for four days. We visited Robin Island and went on a tour guided by an ex-political prisoner. We also went to see the Cape of Good Hope, which is the point where the two oceans meet. We did all the touristy things and explored the city—it was an awesome experience. Cape Town is a really cool city, and it’s really pretty with the ocean and Table Mountain. We saw the outside of the stadium where the 2010 FIFA World Cup was held. We took small planes to two safari camps. Every morning at 5:30 a.m., we would go on ‘the morning game drive’ for a few hours, looking at tons of different animals. We saw elephants, giraffes, hippos, hyenas, lions, cheetahs, leopards, zebras, water buffaloes, antelopes, frogs, and many birds. I loved the giraffes because they were so regal and beautiful. We had elephants walking so close to us that we had to bend in the rearview mirrors of the truck we were in. We watched, and heard, an elephant eating a water buffalo 10 feet away, and had lions coming as close at two feet from the truck, which was definitely scary. One day, it was raining when we went out, and we were all ready to go back because we were soaking wet, but then we saw two rhinos slipping around and falling in the mud and it was really funny and adorable.”
Random Student Profile: John Puzder
hadows
By EMILY POWERS
By KIMMY CRICKETTE
An upcoming nomadic show, featuring Laguna Blanca drama teacher and two Upper School students is set to sweep Santa Barbara county in the unbelievable story based on “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
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Berci Family in South Africa
ADVENTURES ABROAD: African elephant seen on the safari, the Berci ladies jumping near the water, Christian Fowler staying warm in Antarctica, a chinstrap penguin.
ing Of
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ast-minute blocking and lines memorized, Laguna Blanca drama teacher Ms. Kate Bergstrom, junior Mia Chavez, junior Conner Warren and senior Allison Towbes are currently in the midst of their run with Santa Barbara Elements’ Theatre Collective’s upcoming production of “King of Shadows.” Directed by Ms. Bergstrom, the play is going to be much different from typical productions. “The show subtly...keeps its finger on the pulse of a larger issue—how to bridge and acknowledge socioeconomic gaps through storytelling,” Ms. Bergstrom said. Running over the span of three weeks, from Feb. 7 -23, the play will be performed all over Santa Barbara county, from Goleta to Carpinteria, free of charge. “[Because of the different nature of
this play] I started with the interpersonal relationships...I had to...make the narrative clear while having the physical world be flexible and malleable for our different venues,” Ms. Bergstrom said. The play is performed with only four characters, Nihar, Jessica, Sarah, and Eric, and tells the thrilling tale of Nihar, a runway teen living on the streets, who meets Jessica, a well-off college grad student, and tells her an unbelievable story of a fantastical world veiled by reality. He tells her of a demonic creature who rules this world, the King of Shadows, who is trying to track him down. What follows is Jessica’s decision to help the young boy and the repercussions her actions will have on her and her sister, Sarah and her boyfriend Eric.
“[Working with professional actors] has been challenging, because I feel like I have to step up to [their level], but it has been incredibly rewarding to get to learn from them,” Allison said. Elements’ Theatre Collective’s mission is to provide quality, professional theater to less fortunate areas of the community. “At the beginning of the year, I was talking to Ms. Bergstrom, and she told me she might be directing a play outside of Laguna, and that I should audition...I’ve always enjoyed working with Ms. Kate. She’s very good at explaining what she wants from us, but she’s also very open to letting the actors take risks and follow their impulses,” Allison said. Tickets are available for reservation .at elementstheatrecollective.com, but they’re going quickly. PHOTO: ROB GRAYSON
PHOTO: CARSON SHEVITZ
Crazy Talent? “I can tie a cherry stem in my mouth.” Relationship Status? “In a long term relationship, happily.” Trademark Clothing Item? “My peacoat is always a classic.” Favorite Pastime? “Playing music and watching “Doctor Who.” Favorite Season? “Summer. It’s warm and I don’t have homework.” Early Riser or Night Owl? “I’m a night person because I always stay up late.” Favorite Travel Destination? “So far, I love London and Maui. They’re both great.”
Guess Who? By ALLISON LEWIS TOWBES
This lovely freshman lady’s favorite color is turquoise. She enjoys eating at Backyard Bowls and dreams of being a veterinarian one day. This vivacious Virgo loves playing beach volleyball and is “scared to death” of roller coasters.
PHOTOS: CARSON SHEVITZ
Since this teacher is new to Laguna, it may be difficult to guess who he is. His favorite foods include sushi, burgers with blue cheese, and chocolate malts, but “not all together!” His favorite subject in high school was math, because “all the cool kids take math.” His favorite baseball team is the Chicago Cubs, and he was a light-weight boxing champion in college [Harvard].
Looking for this senior? You can often find her in the art room! She describes herself as “independent,” and admits that her greatest weakness is that she sometimes thinks “too deeply about things.” Her spirit animal is a butterfly, and her hobbies include listening to music and surfing the Internet.
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February 13, 2014
Opinion
Fiercely Feminine By ALLISON LEWIS TOWBES
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oung children have few preconceived notions of the differences between genders. As babies, boys and girls play together with the same toys, allowed and encouraged to engage with each other. As time passes, kids begin to notice disparity. They generalize: boys like blue, girls like pink. Traditionally, as girls grow older they are expected to begin displaying mature, womanly qualities. They are supposed to strive to be poised, calm, and demure. They are supposed to want to be whatever it is that modern media defines as beautiful. They are supposed to be feminine. So what does being feminine mean? The Oxford Dictionary defines femininity as “the quality of being female; womanliness.” I fit that. I am a woman, therefore aren’t I womanly? Aren’t the qualities that I posses innately female? The example that goes with the Oxford definition is more perplexing: “She celebrates her femininity by wearing makeup and high heels.” Why isn’t she celebrating her femininity by going barefaced and bare-footed? Or by wearing a sports jersey and combat boots? Or just sitting in a chair, because shouldn’t being female be enough to be feminine? The idea of femininity is confusing and controversial, and always has been. When several men were asked to define femininity in an Internet chat forum, the answers they gave were appalling: To me, a woman is feminine if she is well groomed, has manicured nails, styled hair that is not cut too short, and wears just a little bit of makeup like lipstick. Others noted having “great breasts and butt” (à la “Kim Kardashian”) as a feminine
quality, and “mannish haircuts” as not. A female contributor to the chat chimed in, saying femininity is “being ladylike, sweet, and gentle....[like the] Stepford Wives.” On a personal level, I am disgusted by these interpretations of womanliness. I’d like to think that I can be feminine in a T-shirt and sweats, with short hair or long, without having to sacrifice my brains or my independence. But if any of these people are right, I am not feminine. I do not try hard enough to be a lady. There is, of course, a large and very present group of people who subscribe to the idea that femininity is the same thing as weakness. Susan Brownmiller, a brilliant, highly acclaimed feminist activist and author wrote in her 1984 book, “Femininity,” that “[f] emininity is a nostalgic tradition of imposed limitations on women... One works at femininity by accepting restrictions, limiting one’s sights, by choosing an indirect route, by scattering concentration and not giving one’s all as a man would to his own, certifiably masculine interests. Femininity is a grand collection of compromises, large and small.” While Brownmiller’s definition of femininity does combat that of the men from the online chat room, it is not (and shouldn’t be) altogether correct. According to this mindset, femininity isn’t something to strive for, and women who display feminine qualities are somehow substandard to those who reject their womanliness. There is no reason why any girl should feel less than any other. Being girly, liking nail polish and ruffles does not make you less of woman than
any tomboy, and vice versa. But females have a tendency to feel like they need to put each other down in order to secure their place in the social strata. The problem is deeper than a few cat fights. It even goes beyond the very serious issue of bullying. It is ingrained in our society. Between the anorexic models in Vogue and the voluptuous Playboy Bunnies, girls are fed negative messages about their bodies and their minds from an early age. Somewhere along the road, young, impressionable women are taught to hate themselves. They learn that they are at the same time too much to be beautiful and not enough to be loved. And while this problem is too big to address in one article, it is the root of the controversy surrounding the idea of femininity. So, how have we chosen to rectify this wrong being done to the women of the world? We turn on the TV or the radio, blame musicians and actresses whom society has deemed less than morally
look up to and adore. Take Beyoncé. The 32-year-old pop diva has won 17 Grammy’s (she’s been nominated for 45). She just released a new album along with 17 music videos, and is a new mother. She literally does it all. The Queen Bey has been working since childhood to get to where she is today. Besides her busy tour schedule and life in the limelight, Beyoncé has used her incredible fame to promote the importance of individuality to her fans (most of whom are preteen and young adult girls). Beyoncé is an outspoken feminist who proves that a woman can be powerful and respected in our culture without having to reject her sexuality. Now, that doesn’t mean that every woman on the planet has to be comfortable strutting around in a bikini, but every woman should be allowed to love herself. Beyoncé’s personal strength makes her fierce; it makes her feminine. Beyoncé isn’t the only healthy
upstanding for girls “losing their femininity” (whatever that really means). In the Miley Cyrus’s and Lindsay Lohan’s of each generation, we find scapegoats, a person or a fad or an idea that is corrupting young girls. Instead of accusing the media, what we should be doing is finding real role models for young women. Role models that they can
icon for girls to look up too. Jennifer Lawrence, Michelle Obama, Malala Yousafzai– all of these women and many more are phenomenal feminine role models. So let’s take a moment to reflect on this big, elusive concept of femininity. Femininity goes beyond the dictionary definition, beyond the bigoted and misogynistic views of men looking to objectify.
I’d venture to say that a feminine woman is a woman who is brave, who is strong, and who is confident in herself, inside and out. A feminine woman has flaws, and she chooses to love herself not only in spite of them, but because of them. But what I say, how I define femininity is less important than how you do. Femininity should not be something that other people determine for you. Femininity should not be biased; you should not be excluded from the feminine umbrella because of your race, religion, sexual orientation, or even gender. Femininity should be something you find in yourself.
GRAPHIC: LUISA CAMERON
Phoning It In
Technology has enormously transformed the way we communicate with each other, but is it for the better?
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here is the proud dad who uses Facebook to show off photos of his newborn son. There is the 15 year-old who hides behind the shield of a shiny screen with her friends as they tease a self-conscious girl in their class. There is the new instagrammer who updates the world on his or her life every 15 minutes with a slightly different picture than 15 minutes earlier. In less than a second, we hold the ability to talk to an individual or a group of people or post something for the entire world to see. Ninety percent of the time when I use my cellphone to call someone, there is a crisis at hand. Using my phone to call someone is a rare and dreaded act since there are so many other, more interesting forms of communication that take less energy and effort for me to connect to the people in my world: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, and Vine being some of the more popular ones. However, while gaining the ability to convey our lives through technology, we have lost touch with face-to-face conversations, confrontations, and real friendships. The vast majority of teenagers are perpetually attached to talking to their friends about anything and everything, making new friends and building new relationships through the web, and informing the world of what they are doing or who they are with at that very instant. Teenagers are so consumed with showing the world what is going on in their lives, it seems they
By JACQUELINE BERCI
do things sometimes just so they can snapchat a picture or tweet about it. Social networking sites were created to help people share what is going on in their lives and stay connected to the people they don’t necessarily see all the time or who live in different places. However, they have completely changed the dynamic of face-to-face interactions. Catching up with a friend used to mean grabbing coffee, today, more often than not, kids do so though texting or social media. “We use things in
normal conversation like “jk” [just kidding] and “lol” [laughing out loud] which wouldn’t have come about if we weren’t texting each other all the time. And now that we don’t have to talk face to face, we loose some of the human interaction and become part of our phones,” junior Phillip Grandidier said. Through virtual contact, we lose aspects of nonverbal communication, such as hand gestures, facial expressions, posture, or eye contact. Not only does this cause confusion as to what a message really means, but also when we must
GRAPHIC: LUISA CAMERON
speak face to face, we are not comfortable with doing so. When a teenager has an issue with someone that may not cause a positive reaction, they try to deliver the news virtually so they don’t have to deal with the reaction in person. “I can’t imagine kids sitting down in an interview and having a reciprocal conversation easily. They haven’t had these years of learning about awkward pauses,” said Melissa Ortega, a psychologist at New York’s Child Mind Institute. In actual conversations, you don’t have time to contemplate your responses at your leisure, you have to respond in some form to the person you are talking to almost instantly. Cris Rowan, a pediatric occupational therapist, explains that young children have developed this dependency because they have been given these devices to amuse and comfort them in place of human interaction. “These children are not entertaining themselves, they’re being entertained by a device . . . so there’s no creativity, there’s no imagination, no selfinitiation. These things are crucial for sustainability and your own selfgratification and happiness when you’re older,” Rowan said. An additional concern of the current generation’s virtual friendships is that we will become more concerned with the quantity of “friends”
we have than the quality of these friends. Instead of having many sincere relationships, teenagers today have resorted to having an immense amount of Facebook friends or Instagram followers. “[Technology] is destroying our social skills because there are a lot of times where kids at a party, instead of socializing, just end up playing games on their phone or doing something else inside their own little worlds of technology. But at the same time, social sites allow us to be more social by connecting to many people that we wouldn’t be able to without it,” sophomore Armon Ghodoussi said. On the other hand, as Jim Taylor Ph.D. believes, there is evidence that social media increases “virtual empathy” or care for others through technology. This phenomenon therefore, is increasing the amount of positive attention people receive, the significance behind it, and the range of people who receive it. I am not advocating that the expansion or advancement of technology should be decelerated or stopped. Everything that technology has allowed us to accomplish and all that it promises for the future compensates for the slight setbacks it causes to society as a whole. I am guilty of checking my phone every hour, but I believe that we should take a step back from our phones and enjoy being with each other so we can remember the experiences, not just the places where we Instagrammed them.
Can the Excuses
Opinion
February 13, 2014
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One person’s trash becomes another person’s problem: Laguna Blanca students need to clean up their acts.
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By KAYLEE STRACHAN
Or better yet, get some good It is not Mr. Hodges’ job karma and throw it away for to pick up your trash. him. Do not be the one that Please remember to watches the plastic fall and throw it away after lunch.” This reminder is given week leaves it there for the faculty to take care of or for the birds after week at our assemblies. So why can we, as a student to eat. According to research from body, not seem to do this the Blacksmith Institute, simple act of placing our 14 billion pounds of trash wrappers in a giant box? is dumped in the ocean Whether it is in the quad, annually. on the grass, or in the library, Do you want to be someone there is always something who contributes to that? Do lying around. you want to be someone who Oftentimes, there are is responsible for helping to even signs posted to help us kill 100,000 sea mammals remember. yearly? “For one, it’s vile. I hate The problem walking of pollution, around a Do not be the or more befouled campus filled one that watches accurately a of effort, with a Stygian the plastic fall lack has been swept sea of filth and leaves it under the rug and other lately, but this uncleanly there for the is not muck. Post faculty to take problem going away lunch hours care of or for the unless we do turn our something campus from a birds to eat. about it. utopian oasis “The thing in our dingy that angers me world to a degenerate collection of grimy so much about it is that it’s such a simple thing to do, to debris,” junior Jack Kinsler pick up your trash and throw said, when asked why he it away. It literally takes less thought this was an issue. than 10 seconds. And that 10 “It makes people think that seconds, by cleaning up after we expect somebody to clean yourself, it has a huge impact up after us,” senior Chloë on our campus because if five Brown said. people don’t do that at a table We know it is our after lunch, that automatically responsibility, so what makes it so hard for us to throw away becomes a big eyesore. And if we have a visitor coming our garbage? along that would stand out Is there a lack of trash in their memory. It’s the idea receptacles in the vicinity? that 10 seconds is too much Sometimes they truly can be hard to find, but that is not time to throw out your lunch. We need to learn to do that an excuse. There are many better,” Mr. Blake Dorfman scattered around the campus. “I just feel like [the garbage] said. One by one we can make a makes Laguna look ‘trashy,’” sophomore John Puzder said. difference, just by cleaning up our own campus. It is a small Is it that we are just effort, a small dent in a larger indolent? Or do we just issue, but if it helps, we can forget? If that is the case, it is easily bend down and pick up that empty chip bag or bottle cap. fixable. If you see your friend We can do our part for drop a granola bar wrapper or ourselves, for our community, leave a sandwich bag on the for our earth. table, tell him.
ART: KELA JOHNSON
Staff Editorial: Pressured to Plan Our Lives
Students today feel like they are expected to plan their futures.
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n our busy, hurried lives, there is no time to stop and take a breath. Or at least, that’s what we’re taught to think. Lately, it seems that our lives consist mostly of checking off boxes on our to-do lists and surpassing checkpoint after checkpoint–and to reach what? Is the pressure to plan out our lives slowly blurring the edges of our identities, our likes, and our dislikes until we are all ready to follow the same path to what should lead to success? We work hard in our high school classes so we can have a squeaky-clean transcript. We take the SAT’s two times, three times, four times until we improve our scores. We fill out community service forms and keep up with our extra curricular activities. We click the ‘submit’ button over and over again until all that’s left to do is bite our nails down to the nub, waiting to hear the verdict from enumerable, faceless college admittance counselors.
The worst of it is that the college application itself isn’t the biggest demon we have to fight off. We cannot legally sign a lease, but we’re forced to check a box, sometimes on a whim, sometimes late at night before submitting with bleary eyes, but most of the time, after much deliberation and strain, which could potentially decide our career and our future. Honestly, the expectations to know exactly how we want our lives to evolve is ridiculous. That doesn’t mean that we can’t have ideas, goals or lifelong passions, but we’re constantly being asked what we want to be when we grow up, and there’s no possible way we can give a definite answer while we’re still growing up. Obviously, the pressure to perform has been assailing generations for years, but it appears to only be worsening with the advancement of technology and as expectations from teachers, parents, and even peers increase.
Although this path, filled with barriers and turnstiles, has been the root of countless stress-filled dreams, outbursts, and horrible days, there is something to be said for the positive results. The good grades, the college acceptances, the prestigious jobs. But when does this building-block life end? When is enough, enough? Before we move on to the next part of our life consisting of internships, research, college and graduate school, it’s important that we reflect on what it is we want. There are other options besides the four-year college plan. Gap years, work studies, semesters abroad; we can take it all in stride. Each of us is different; we regard ourselves differently and hold ourselves to different standards, but we still each need to learn for ourselves to what extent of this race we are running for ourselves, and when we begin to run for society’s sake. After all, our lives are our lives.
My Big Fat Greek System Pledges, hazing, and lasting friendships: An up-close look at Greek Life and the fraternity/ sorority systems. By PIERCE O’DONNELL & EMILY POWERS
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rotherhood, friendThey become blinded by the ship, and camarapedestal and glory of Greek derie: these were Life, drinking and pledging the core principles of Phi until they get in or pass out. Beta Kappa, the nation’s first That being said, many fraternity. Founded in 1776, schools have recently banned the distinguished members of hazing in fraternities. With Phi Beta Kappa punishments discussed conand lawsuits Lifetime troversial issues over hazing at friendships such as freedom an all-time high, and taxation. the dangers of and Today, fraterhave unbreakable rushing nities have been become much bonds are stained by a new less severe as stigma, one of made between they were in the obnoxious, impast. brothers. mature partying, While people dangerously shouldn’t have heavy drinking, and mato risk their lives to join levolent, seemingly sadistic these societies, initiation and bullying. sacrifice to join are important Every year, tens of thouaspects of fraternity life. If sands of 18 and 19 year old anyone could just walk in and boys, known as pledges, rush join, the prestige would plumfraternities across the nation. met. These boys, eager to join Innocent duties such as these prestigious brotherpledges cleaning the fraternity hoods, are given ridiculous house or serving as the house tasks to perform in order to butler are perfectly fine and gain acceptance from their necessary measures taken to “older brothers,” namely keep these societies sacred. drinking. If people have to work hard While some college freshto get into the frat, it retains man choose not to rush, many a certain luster among the are attracted to the concept of students. the fraternity system. Stereotypes and criticisms
aside, fraternities are one of the best ways for guys to meet and make friends on a chaotic college campus. Lifetime friendships and unbreakable bonds are made between brothers. They share all the ups and downs of college’s tempestuous twists and turns, and help each other through the journey. All in all, fraternities provide lost young boys with brothers both older and younger to guide them through college and prepare them for their future. ••• ororities are a great way to meet new people and make new friends almost immediately when somebody is new on a college campus. The first sorority, called the Adelphean Society (later renamed Alpha Delat Pi), was founded in 1851 at the all-girls school in Georgia that would later become Wesleyan College. The emphasis on sisterhood and having fun has always been a part of sorority life. However, with what seems like is such a great time also
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comes with some dangers. do take account for the impliWhen rushing for sororities, cations if they were to break hazing does occur, somethe campus no hazing rules, times making the incoming which have made hazing less girls drink absurd amounts intense and sorority rush of alcohol and partaking in experience more positive. harmful traditions to initiate Girls who plan to rush newcomers that sometimes should still think ahead of result in death in the worst of what they’re getting themsituations. selves into Luckily, there is a The emphasis on ifchance sorority hazthey sisterhood and ing has toned might get down a lot in having fun has al- hazed, and the past couresponsiways been a part take ple of years bility for their of sorority life. and many actions when colleges are putting themHowever, with now impliinto powhat seems like is selves cating “zero sitions where such a great time they know tolerance for hazing” polialso comes with they might be cies. harmed. some dangers. Even with There are the “zero other ways for tolerance” policies, hazing still sororities to bond outside of does occur but usually in ways hazing which are fun activithat are not as life threatenties that don’t include risky ing or dangerous compared to behavior in order to have a what hazing used to be. good time. But still, according to the Hopefully, no girl ever has University of Maine’s reto be in a hazing position in search, more than half of their sorority experience, college students involved in but instead has a great time clubs, teams, and organizaspending their four-year coltions experience hazing. lege career having a great time Sororities at these colleges with their sorority sisters.
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By ALLISON LEWIS TOWBES ART: KELA JOHNSON AND LUISA CAMERON
When a random group of 34 Laguna students were asked if they’d ever been in a romantic relationship, 56 percent of them said they had.
Only a sweeth away, only g degree contin Since wome date m
More Chemistry Than You Think! Three different chemical hormones in your brain are major players in the act of falling in love: adrenaline, dopamine, and serotonin. Adrenaline is the hormone that is activated when you are under stress. It comes into play when you first “fall” in love; as adrenaline pumps through your blood and your heart begins to race. Anthropologist and Rutgers University professor Helen Fisher did a study on the brains of “love struck” couples. Looking at brain scans, Fisher noted that these couples displayed heightened levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine. Dopamine is released from the hypothalamus, the brain’s pleasure center. The levels of dopamine in the brains the couples Fisher tested are almost exactly the same as level of dopamine in the brain of someone on cocaine. People who are in love often have less serotonin in their system than people who aren’t. These low levels are also seen in people with OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder), and are thought to result in obsession. This may be why people who are in love are unable to stop focusing on the object of their affections.
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a few decades ago, high school hearts would often marry right and many women would go to college for their “Mrs.” e. Today, recreational dating is nuously growing in popularity. education for both men and en has become prolonged, we more and marry later.
Psychologist Nancy Kalish performed a study on 1600 people aged 18 to 92, asking whether or not they would want to reunite with their first loves. 56 percent said no, 19 percent said that they were unsure, and 25 percent said that they would!
February 13, 2014
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According to psychologists, it takes between 90 seconds and 4 minutes to decide if you are attracted to someone.
55 percent of attraction is due to body language, 38 percent is the tone and cadence of your voice, and 7 percent is because of what you say.
How to Fall in Love:
Psychologist Arthur Arun conducted a study where he asked his subjects to perform three steps: 1. Find a stranger. 2. Reveal intimate details about your lives to each other. 3. Stare into each other’s eyes for four minutes without stopping. Dr. Arun’s subjects reported mutual attraction and romantic affections after the experiment. One couple even got married!
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February 13, 2014
Standout Stats
Sports
Owls Still Perfect in Condor League
By PIERCE O’DONNELL With a perfect 6-0 league After taking home the record, the Owls can clinch hardware in the Ojai Valley By STEPHEN MCCAFFERY & Classic with double-digit wins a Condor League Title with a SPENSER WYATT win over Thacher in only their over Coast Union and Cate seventh game of league play. and an overtime victory over The team has not won a Kilpatrick in the championship championship since 2006, game, the Owls went into the The win percentage of the a year before head coach Jim Bashore Holiday Cage varsity boys basketball team Sal Rodriguez took over the Classic confident. in Condor League play. The squad. Confidence leaned on Owls are “In my seven years, we have complacency for the Owls as ranked never had an opportunity like they went winless during the No. 1 in this, and I am not going to let holiday weekend. Condor you guys throw it away. We “The Jim Bashore are winning this league,” said League tournament was a necessary reality check for us. It showed Rodriguez to his players on the with a opportunity they have to win perfect PHOTO: CARSON SHEVITZ us that we couldn’t keep Condor League. 6-0 mark ON THE ATTACK: Junior forward Damian Nuñez looks to winning without hard work, After defeating Besant Hill, and that our season wasn’t and have make a strike on goal. five-time defending Condor going to be a walk in the park,” a two-game advantage over League Champions, the Owls said senior captain Andrew every other Condor League seized full control of their own Vignolo. team. destiny. With a current No. The team’s tempestuous 5 seed CIF-Southern Section season continued as it snapped By SPENSER WYATT rank, the boys have their its five-game losing streak with non-conference wins over sights on not only a Condor The boys soccer team has contemptuous and costly 2-1 Orcutt Academy and Villanova League title but also a CIF enjoyed a recent bit of success victory. Championship. Prep. Simply put, the boys thanks in large part to the The team earned a hardAttacking midfielder and The team has expressed that never looked back. return of junior Damian fought win over their league captain Cooper Farrell has every game is a new battle, The Owls forgot their Nuñez. rivals, whom they hadn’t directly contributed to five out and that as soon as they take losing ways as they stormed Nuñez has tallied two goals beaten in several years, but of the eight goals scored a game for granted, it could to eight straight wins, six of and an assist in his first three lost team captain Ryan Bickett this season for the boys mean the end of their season. which were in Condor League games back this season. to a severe ankle sprain when soccer team. Cooper “As soon as we get to the competition. Coming out of the winter he was tackled in the second has four assists playoffs, as said by coach The team snagged a pair break, the Owls beat Orcutt half. It is unclear how long he and one Lopes, ‘everything is different’ of big wins over rising rival Academy, Trinity Classical will be out, but it could quite goal. because any game can be our Providence and its frenzy of Academy and Thacher, possibly end up being the rest last. We have a good shot at fans, along with a win apiece and drew against visiting of the season. winning the whole thing,” said over Besant Hill, Thacher, Oakwood. Nuñez scored to take the captain Andrew Vignolo. Cate and Dunn. Laguna beat Orcutt lead in the 30th minute and Academy 2-1 off of goals from delivered a beautiful free kick star midfielder Cooper Farrell to Cooper Farrell for the win and talented freshman Luke in the 70th minute. Smillie. In the next match, Laguna Assistant coach Daniel hosted Oakwood High School Torres told Presidio Sports from Los Angeles and drew 1-1 that the second half “was our in a promising performance. best half of the season. We Nuñez scored the lone goal just came out firing. They for the Owls from the penalty obviously wanted to win and it spot. Points scored by showed in the second half.” Coach Torres told Presidio the varsity boys Torres was optimistic about Sports, “overall I thought we basketball team’s the team building from the had a good game, we created leading scorer junior win, and he was correct. a lot of chances, but we just Spenser Wyatt. One The Owls then hosted a couldn’t finish.” of Spenser’s best physical Trinity Classical team Heading into the thick of performances of who scored an own goal in the the Condor League, the Owls the season came seventh minute of the game. dropped two straight home against Camp The goal was the sole score of games to crosstown-rival Cate Kilpatrick in the game, and the Owls ended School and Dunn School by the finals of up taking the victory thanks to scores of 0-4 and 0-3. Laguna the Ojai Valley a multitude of brilliant saves will host Thacher at home for PHOTO: GEOF WYATT Tournament. by goalkeeper Mikey Hawker. a rematch before travelling to SHOT’S UP: Senior guard Michael Reyes puts up a contested The shooting Laguna opened Condor Cate and Dunn for the away shot over a Thacher defender. guard recorded League play at Thacher in a games of the two series. 27 points in a six-point overtime By PIERCE O’DONNELL win in the top shelf from just inside the The Lady Owls stormed into Carpinteria for a big game a shot past the Cate keeper, championship box. against long-time rival Cate equalizing the game at two game. Spenser Condor League play after a The girls suffered yet pair of 2-0 routs over nonSchool. Down 0-2 with only goals apiece. also led a another injury when Speirs league opponent Villanova three minutes left to play, The Owls returned home second-half dislocated her jaw shortly into Prep. the Owls were looking at to Chase Field for a weekend comeback the second half. When all was The injury-riddled squad another Condor League loss. contest against Dunn School. against said and done, the Earwigs suffered a 3-1 loss to the As the clock ticked away, Despite having three players Providence Hall escaped with a 2-1 victory. Clara Madsen found the net sidelined with injuries, the to maintain the Thacher Toads in a home Laguna plays Dunn, Cate contest to open up League amid several Rams defenders. first 40 minutes of play ended team’s perfect and Thacher before the end of play. Then, in the last seconds of the with a score of 1-1 as Siena league record. regular season play. The girls The girls then travelled to contest, Maddie Bonser ripped Speirs slotted a shot into the have made it clear that they have to keep up the hard work to finish strong in league. “We need to communicate Consecutive and work together more as a minutes played team if we want to win these by senior remaining games,” said junior captain and captain Bryn Jewett. sweeper After their first round of league play, the Owls took on the Orcutt Academy Spartans Nadia Belton in in their last non-league contest the varsity girls of the season. Despite being soccer games down the whole game, the this year. Owls fought hard to a 3-4 Nadia has defeat. led the “We have a deep desire defense for to win,” said head coach the past two years, Kevin Shertzer. “There is starting at sweeper for no substitute for desire and the Owls passion. When it is all said and done, of course we want to PHOTOS: TARA PHOTO: CARSON SHEVITZ finish at the top of the league. BROUCQSAULT, CARSON A SOLID DEFENSE: Sophomore Siena Speirs clears the ball upfield to set up an offensive attack. We will never give up.” SHEVITZ & GEOF WYATT
1.000
5/8
Boys Soccer Heads into Tough Condor League Schedule
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Owls Rally Against Cutthroat Condor League Competition
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How well do you know your teammate?
In this new segment, we selected a player to answer questions about his or her teammate. For this issue, we asked junior Elia Doussineau questions about her soccer teammate and captain Bryn Jewett.
Questions
Dream Vacation
TV Show
Dream Date
Favorite Dessert Celebrity Role Model
Favorite Music Artist
Costa Rica
“How I Met Your Channing Tatum Mother”
Pumpkin Pie
Blake Lively
Avicii
Bermuda
“How I Met Your Bradley Cooper Mother”
Pumpkin Pie
Beyoncé
Avicii
Bryn Jewett
Elia Doussineau
GRAPHICS: LUISA CAMERON, STEPHEN MCCAFFERY, SPENSER WYATT & WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Sports
February 13, 2014
Q&A with the Captains
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Sports Editor Stephen McCaffery sat down with the varsity boys basketball captain Jack Kinsler and the varsity boys soccer captain Conrad Perry to discuss the current season, the two players’ roles as captains, and their predictions for the CIF-Southern Section Playoffs.
Center-Back Conrad Perry (Sr.):
Point Guard Jack Kinsler (Jr.):
Varsity Boys Soccer
Varsity Boys Basketball
Q: Coming out of last year’s season, what was the general attitude of the team heading into this season? A: There was some doubt, not gonna lie. We weren’t too sure how things were going to go after losing four seniors from last year. It’s tough, but we had a little bit of confidence; we had a strong starting five and a good group of sophomores, who could possibly be good. Q: Heading into the season, what were your personal and team goals? A: I don’t believe in personal goals; I’m more of an altruistic kind of guy. As far as team goals go, I wanted to win [Condor] League and hopefully the CIF Championship. Q: Did your actual expectations differ at all from those goals? A: They didn’t differ at all. Q: As the season progressed, did a new light of reality shine on those goals? A: Yeah! The league is actually terrible this year, so we have a swell chance of bringing that ship home for the first time since ‘06.
Q: What do you enjoy most about being able to be a captain this season? A: I find pleasure in telling the sophomores what to do. It’s a privilege. Q: What do you find is the most challenging aspect of being a captain? A: Having to go to practice everyday and getting punished if you don’t. It’s tough. Q: How do you feel your team has come together this season? A: I don’t know if we have. You know, there’s been some bloodshed on the court between some of the players. It gets heated out there. Q: Do you think that chemistry will improve? A: Of course. Time heals all wounds. Q: Speaking of skill and talent, how do you think the team has improved throughout the season? A: Defensively and just overall hustle and rebounding. Q: What are your predictions for your seeding and performance in the CIF Playoffs? A: We’ll be ranked third. We’ll start off kind of slow. We’ll go through some tough games, but we’ll pull out the victories. We’ll come out with a solid eight-point victory in the CIF Championship. “I think of Jack and I as the perfect one-two captain combo. He is the more feisty, more aggressive captain and player, whereas I see myself as the more emotional and fundamentally influenced captain and player.” – co-captain Andrew Vignolo said.
PHOTO: GEOF WYATT
Q: What were your personal goals and the team goals coming into this season? A: Personally, I wanted to play every minute of every game, which I am doing so far. As a team, we wanted to at least go to the CIF playoffs and win some games in the playoffs. Q: Did your actual expectations differ from the team goals at all? A: The thing is, our coach’s goals kind of differ from our goals as players, because he has a little more confidence in us. Realistically, however, we do have a good chance to get to playoffs, but
earning a good seed will be tough coming out of the Condor League. Q: Have your goals of getting to the playoffs changed at all or have they come into a new light of reality? A: So far, we’re on the same right path to get to playoffs because we haven’t lost
any games in league. We’ll know more once we play Cate and Dunn – the two top teams in Condor League. Q: What do you enjoy most about being a captain? A: Well, mostly wearing the arm band. And, you know, just leading the players on the field and making sure they’re all in-line and focused. Q: What do you think is the most challenging aspect of being a captain? A: It’s tough when players don’t listen. That’s definitely tough to deal with. Q: How do you think your team has come together this season? Do you think the team chemistry has improved throughout the course of the season? A: I feel like it has been quite a bonding experience this season. We have really come together and depended less on the coach and more on each other as players. Q: Speaking on talent and skill, how do you think the team has improved? A: We’re definitely passing a lot more and much more efficiently as the season has progressed. We’re also trusting each other a lot more. Q: What are your predictions for the CIF Playoffs? A: You know, I really can’t tell yet. We’ll know a lot more after playing Cate and Dunn. But, we’ll probably get in and have a tough matchup in the first round. PHOTO: CARSON SHEVITZ
The Long-Awaited End of the Bowl Championship Series Arrives: The Future of College Football
F
By PIERCE O’DONNELL
or 17 years, America’s most watched college sport and most viewed national championship has been criticized, contended and, surprisingly, continued. Since 1998 when the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) was founded, college football has become the most controversial sport in the nation. The BCS is a system in which every week the Top 25 teams are ranked using an advanced algorithm that factors in everything from wins and losses to strength of schedule and points scored for and against and also by a panel of media, coaches and former players. At the end of the season, the league champions from the “AQ Conferences,” or Automatic Qualifier Conferences, along with the other highest ranked teams get placed into one of five BCS Bowls. These AQ Conferences, often regarded as power conferences, are the Big Ten, Big-12, Pac-12, SEC and ACC. Every year the champion of these five conferences and the five other highest ranked teams are given a BCS bowl game. Here’s where it gets interesting. Unlike the gauntlet of competition we see in March Madness or the College World Series where a plethora of teams compete until only the battletested champion remains, the BCS has one game to conclude months of preparation and play among over 120 programs each year. In 2004 the Auburn Tigers went undefeated; however, their season did not end with a championship victory but rather a bowl win. Auburn did not lose a single game, but neither did Oklahoma nor USC. There is not a single sport in the NCAA where you can lose without losing besides college football. In fact, there is not a professional sport in the United States in which a team can win every single one of their
games and not be granted a spot to compete in the playoffs or championship. Shortly after the 2004 season, talk about a four-team playoff began, inspired by SEC commissioner Mike Slive. And now, a decade later, it’s here. The BCS is gone, and the College Football Playoff (CFP) is finally here. Instead of the top two teams playing a winner-take-all game for the title, there will be a four-team, single-elimination playoff. The CFP layout will by no means ensure a perfect playoff, and, in fact, it likely means an even more controversial selection. When selecting two teams, there are only a few teams that can make an argument that they should’ve earned a spot in the top two, but with four teams, there are going to be many more teams who think they should crack the top four. “It’s college football and there are going to be differences of opinion. We wouldn’t have it any other way,” BCS executive director Bill Hancock said in response to the controversy the fourteam playoff brings. So, if it is going to be more controversial, leave more teams upset and create even more problems for fans across the nation, then why do it? Well, look at it this way. The CFP, first and foremost, allows two more teams the chance to compete for a national championship. It allows twice as many fans from across the nation a chance to cheer on their team in a title pursuit. And, at least from a fan and media perspective, it changes the entire complexion of college football. No longer is an early-season defeat a season-ending occurrence. Undefeated teams like the Tigers in ’04 or Texas Christian University in 2010 get a chance to compete for the championship.
GRAPHIC: KELA JOHNSON “The CFP is definitely better. I’m not saying it is a permanent nor perfect solution, except I don’t believe there is one. Ultimately, there are too many teams for a perfectly fair playoff, but I think the CFP will be a good way to figure out if this is a step in the right direction,” junior football fanatic Scott Johnston said. Scott brings up a great point, one which eludes many critics of the BCS. It’s football. The games are too intense and too precious to play them all the time. Each additional game desecrates the glory of the game. At the same time, as teams endure the gauntlet that is football season, their thirst for victory grows. Every year, the one-loss or even undefeated snubs end their season wondering. Wondering what they could have done in the championship or how they would have fared against the champion. The CFP eliminates the bitter bronze medalist, while creating more angry fifth, sixth, seventh and so on finishers. Ultimately, no matter what record a team has, they are always going to
think they are better than the team ahead of them. The CFP simply gives four teams a chance to prove themselves instead of two. In addition, the CFP adds a whole new element to the strategy and analysis of the game. While mistletoes and peppermint fill the winter air, the talk of the town for the next three years (at least) will be about the “final four.” AQs and mid-majors will meet. Underdogs from small programs and perennial powerhouses alike will clash like never before on the collegiate gridiron. Each game will carry more weight as more teams are “in the conversation” for the playoffs than ever before in the BCS. As the stage gets wider, the stakes will grow higher. Hits will be harder. Coaches will be riskier. Ultimately, the game will be better. Next year, when you sit down and make your New Year’s resolutions, you can check a fourteam playoff off your list and wait for the disappointed fans and coaches to start discussing an eight-team playoff, instead.
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February 13, 2014
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Feature
February 13, 2014
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By KAYLEE STRACHAN & MARGARET LAZAROVITS You walk under a majestic arch with profound words written upon it and enter the unfamiliar world you’ve only heard about from movies and older siblings—high school. For the next four years, you know you’re going to change and grow and sometimes that’s mysterious. “Can’t wait to’s” somehow turn into “remember when’s” overnight. But sometimes, you feel it. From orientation to graduation, there are certain moments that stand out in your mind and will for years to come. Before the first day of school, you have to face another step. Orientation: the gateway to high school. You shuffle awkwardly to get your name tag and huddle in high school formation – circle or semi-circle – with your new classmates, exchanging the necessary information: name, old school, what sport you play, etc. Some people you might’ve known since kindergarten, others you’re meeting for the first time. Regardless of how well you know your future classmates, everyone feels awkward. Everyone is in that odd transition moment—too old for kisses on the first day of school but too young to drive yourself. Because we’re all in that in-between stage, we bond. And right then you know that high school has just begun. A week or two into your first year, you embark with your peers on class trips. The excursion might start out awkward, but then you strike up conversations with people you normally wouldn’t. It’s orientation 2.0, with the looming parental presence banished from your mind, and you can really get to know your classmates. Of course, the usual hesitation to speak for fear of embarrassment still keeps some to themselves, but as each year goes by, the hesitation melts away. By the fourth time you step onto a bus with these people you’ve known for what seems like a lifetime now, quiet conversations spanning no farther than a pair of freshman turn
to shout across the aisle for things as “As soon as you put your pencil trivial as headphones. down it’s a great relief but then you Fast forward to your first high leave the facilities you realize you have school football game. After a month two weeks of pressure as you wait or two of getting acquainted, you feel for your scores,” said senior Andrew confident enough to venture out with a Puzder. couple classmates to Laguna’s field on You have worked all year for this, a sunny day. but it is over in approximately four Once there, you feel the sense of hours. community and you realize for the APs are stressful, but exciting. Your first time that you are a part of someclass surrounds you, murmuring in thing as you wave pom-poms handed Spanish into the recorder or chewing out to you by the football moms. on their erasers trying to remember The first time you have to go to what year the Revolutionary War class in the senior quad is terrifying; began. walking through a sea of older kids is You began plotting before you even nerve-wracking, but four years later entered high school and now is the you look back and realize they were no time to bring these ideas to life. Senior different from prank and ditch you. day is a celebra“It is the end of the Each year, tion of making it the mighty beginning of your life, a this far. seniors seem endured goodbye to the familiar theYou’ve to become awkward first younger and conversations of and a hello to the younger until freshman year, undiscovered now.” you step onto the monotony of campus and everyday life as realize that this time, it’s you. At this a sophomore and the grueling work point, you can barely remember the of junior year. Now’s the chance to trepidation of entering this seemingly band together with your class and exclusive area. collectively say “I’m a second semester All at once, you feel out of place, yet senior and look how much I care.” unnoticed. It’s quite unsettling. But Sure, you’ve adopted the aloof attiwith each return journey, you know tude and probably contracted a severe that one day you’ll saunter through the case of senioritis, but here’s where it quad like you own the thing. all starts. You know, from this moSophomore year is finally here and ment on, you’re practically done. With you don’t feel so vulnerable anymore. your college chosen and APs comSoon enough, you’ll be able to flash pleted, this prank is a well-deserved that coveted card when people ask to reward for all you’ve accomplished see your license photo. Yet the day is over your high school career. still to come when you can wield your Prom. It is the inevitable day when newly acquired driving powers on girls spend hours dressing up and school grounds. boys grimace through the photos. After a year of starting and signing It is the day people will ask you petitions as a sophomore, you finally about for years to come. Prom. Laobtain the privilege to drive to school. guna is special and you get to have two Taking the SAT/ACT for the first proms, even if you weren’t invited in time is a tedious and overwhelming years prior. process. You are confused and frantic While Junior Prom tests the waters, from the moment you get there, esSenior Prom is an all-out last hurrah, pecially if your test center is not your a night to remember. high school. Senior projects are an opportunity
to show the world what high school has made you. It is your first venture into the real world and can give you connections for life. This is a chance to try something new and embrace both the good and the bad. And now, somehow, you’re there. Graduation: the bittersweet moment when you get to look back and say, “I made it.” It is the end of the beginning of your life, a goodbye to the familiar and a hello to the undiscovered now. Maybe you’ve seen one or two things before, but none from this point of view. It’s exhilarating; it’s emotional; it’s finally here. Relatives and family friends come in and fill up rows in the Ruston. You hear the familiar tune play as you stride out into the amphitheater, packed full of teary eyes and beaming faces. You take a seat among your peers, all immaculately dressed. You see the emotions of parents reflected in their faces: pride, joy and a touch of melancholy. The speakers dictate each of the vignettes until, at last, they call your full name. Stepping onto the podium, you look out at the sea of faces until your eyes rest upon the most familiar out there. As the teacher lists off your talents, attributes, accomplishments, you stand a little straighter, make your father beam a little more and see the tears begin to flow from your mother’s eyes. You look at them, they look at you, and they know they’ve done everything right to raise such a wonderful child who’s done so many wonderful things. You smile at them, as it’s the only thing you can do from where you are. Then you smile at the world because you’ve done something amazing. You hear your full name called again and the applause commences as you shake hands and receive your diploma. You walk under that arch as you’ve done many times since your first, last time as a student, first as an alum, and you know your life has just begun.
ART: KELA JOHNSON
Ask Emily
“It’s Only Crazy If It Doesn’t Work”: Game Day Superstitions
By EMILY POWERS
By PIERCE O’DONNELL From bouncing the ball before a serve to pounding the plate before the pitch, athletes of all ages and skill levels have their rituals and superstitions. While most are as simple as a pair of lucky socks or a special pre-game meal, some athletes take these superstitions to the extremes. Chicago Bulls superstitious superstar and six-time NBA champion, Michael Jordan, would wear his University of North Carolina shorts under his Bulls shorts during every game. Jordan’s undershorts are nothing compared to Turk Wendell’s, a relief pitcher for the New York Mets in the ‘90s, crazy quirks. Every time before Wendell went out to the mound, he grabbed four pieces of hard licorice candy and leaped over the base line. When he was done pitching, he would run back into the dugout, jump over the base line, and brush his teeth until he went back into the game. Wendell also demanded that all of his contracts end in 99 to match his jersey number. Some similar superstitions can be witnessed in our own Merovick Gymnasium. Senior Andrew Vignolo wears a headband during every single game. After a 15-point comeback victory over cross-town rival Cate School, Vignolo vowed that he would never go a game without his lucky headband again. “I adjust my pants before every stroke, so I can feel the wind on my thighs, and I adjust my shot accordingly to counteract the elements,” said golfer Cole Strachan on his pre-shot routine. These idiosyncrasies are found everywhere from the “pee-wees” to the pros. Although we will never know if they actually affect the outcome of the game, “it’s only crazy if it doesn’t work.”
By BILL MORTENSEN
Memes were an insanely popular part of Internet culture in 2013. They were everywhere. But with the new year memes have become a thing of the past. What will take their place in 2014?
O
ver the past couple of years one of the most commonly seen things on the Internet was a meme. “Memes” are anything that spreads around the Internet and becomes famous in a short period of time. The Urban Dictionary’s definition of memes is, “Popular quotes, images, and real people, which are copied, imitated, and spread all over the Internet.” The word “meme” was originally coined by evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins in his 1976 book “The Selfish Gene.” Of course it was used in a different context and was defined as being “an idea, behavior, or style that spreads from person to person within a culture,” which perfectly describes memes as they are known today. Memes can be found on the Internet, like the ones pictured here, on Facebook, Reddit and iFunny. Part of memes’ appeal to people are their relatability. Over a short amount of time, memes spread across the Internet like wildfire. Memes have become unavoidable. However, with the repeated exposure to memes, people have become less than infatuated with them, and many hope that, along with other easily-forgotten trends (see: Harlem Shake), memes will be left in 2013. But the question remains: What will take their place. Whatever it is, it’s clear that it will have quite a legacy to live up to.
Q: There are some songs that I really want the DJ to play at the next dance. How do I make sure they’re played? A: Talk to somebody in Leadership Class, and they will give the DJ the information of what songs students want to be played. Q: My boyfriend was a jerk, and he cheated on me with a random girl at a party. I asked him about it but he denied it. What should I do? A: If a boy cheats on you, then dump him. Staying with him is a waste of your time. Live the single life and show him that you’re better off without him. If he actually is being honest about not cheating on you, dump him anyway! High school is too short to be in a fishy relationship. Q: The guy I like has a girlfriend. Do I “home wreck” them? A: No. Would you want someone to “home wreck” your relationship? Q: How young is too young to date? Is it okay to date people younger? A: Dating people younger is usually fine. Just use the mathematic dating formula which is “half your age plus seven.”
A&E
14 Craving the Creepiest
February 13, 2014
By MARGARET LAZAROVITS
A shrill screech echoes from the desolate lookout point as the two high school sweethearts cower in the front seat under a full moon. Perched atop the hood of the car is a bloodthirsty, menacing…actor with poor prosthetics in front of a clearly green-screened backdrop. Surrounded by top-notch CGI and professionally trained makeup artists, our generation tends to view the movies of the drive-in era as sub-par. Enduring the constant barrage of gore we have been exposed to because of the omnipresent media, our generation has been desensitized to blood and guts. We’re tired of villains who can’t take a bullet to the heart. We want the scariest, and we crave the creepiest. As a key demographic, we’ve been provided with a bigger, badder brand of horror on so many levels. And we suck it up like thirsty vampires. In one show set in the realm we know all too well—a California high school—several students band together in search of their identity, which may be a bit tough for kids who can foresee death or shape-shift. MTV’s remake of the 80’s movie “Teen Wolf” only keeps the same basic storyline. Everything else has been turned on its head, literally; the characters have only begun to lose their minds. “Teen Wolf” has been transformed from its comedic, outdated predecessor into a psychological thriller. Through the common journey all teenagers share when traversing the rough waters of high school and young adulthood, we are connected to the characters on the show and are able to empathize with them on a deeper level. For the main trio, the biggest battles lay within them. They are their own worst enemies, since they can’t escape what’s in their heads. Being haunted by visions of a dead relative, seeing reality transform before their eyes or not even being sure of what is real, that is scary. Blurring the lines between reality and delusion is a resilient theme because it manufactures a suspense and tension that is not easily resolved. If these seemingly normal high school students can fall into something so dark, who’s to say we’re any different?
ART: KELA JOHNSON
Well, these kids are werewolves, banshees and hunters, this is the small difference. The foundation of the mental terror is strongly rooted in mythology, ranging from Western to Roman to Japanese. The multicultural mythology blends some elements and reconstructs others to create a rich and vivid world in which the characters live. Completely surrounded by only myths but also monsters and angels are the two Winchester brothers of “Supernatural.” Together they travel not just across America, but also across heaven and hell on their seemingly never-ending quest for answers, all the while battling demons and dealing with angels. Through the Winchesters’ journey, not only do we get a sense of vicarious adventure, but we also get to relate to themes often explored in exemplary literary works. From destiny to family, “Supernatural” covers it all. But perhaps the most fascinating theme is illuminated by watching the Winchesters grapple with they grey area between right and wrong. As commonly thought, angels are bright harbingers of all things good and demons are the essence of all evil. Right? Well, not necessarily. Throughout part of the show it appears that both God and Lucifer have their own agendas, converging on the apocalypse. The force of destiny seems to be aligning one brother with Heaven and the other with Hell. Held
together by their strong, dynamic fraternal bond, the Winchesters battle angels, demons and much more. The believability factor is amped up by incorporating real myths and legends—like “The Weeping Woman/La Llorona” ghost—in real places, like Chicago and Detroit. When we see our fears on a screen, it’s scary. When we see our sleep-over ghost stories and the Book of Revelations played out in a well-known, perhaps even nearby, city, we timidly glance out our windows before going to bed. Set far from anything we might consider a big city is AMC’s “The Walking Dead.” Actually, the first season opens with the protagonist headed to Atlanta, but it’s not the Atlanta we know. As the name suggests, the horror drama is set in a post-apocalyptic, zombie-filled wasteland. While their circumstances might be different, the characters on the show and the audience watching them are all human, and therefore, experience love, fear and despair. The leaders of the group must face difficult decisions. The characters must deal with tragedy, grieve and move on, as would anyone. In a state of relative disorder, we see the strong characters break, turning to vices we know all too well. The low points are where we connect with these characters because we see how real they are. Then there are the zombies or “walkers.” They seem pretty real too. With an original budget of 3.4 million per episode (reduced to 2.75 million), “The Walking Dead” can afford the best quality walkers, brought back to life by special effects creator Gregory Nicotero, who received an Academy Award for “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.” The walkers are put through “zombie school,” where they learn how to behave like zombies. All the effort and money that goes into making this show as believable as possible has paid off, as shown by the ratings—16.1 million viewers tuned in for the Season 4 premiere. To us millennials, when we’re enraptured in a show, having binged watched the last season or two, what’s on the screen is real. Okay, we know the apocalypse isn’t happening and mythical creatures aren’t roaming the earth, but with all the thought, professionalism and money that goes into not just our movies but our television shows, we become ensnared. The story of identity, the story of redemption and the story of camaraderie are tales we all know and relate to. When these stories are portrayed by witty, strong and overall bad characters, you know you’re in for one horrifyingly enjoyable ride.
Your Parents’ Playlist
Staff
By EMILY POWERS
ward Predictions
“Frozen” Jared Leto, “Dallas Buyers Club”
By KAYLEE STRACHAN
“Saving Mr. Banks,” Thomas Newman
1. “Gorilla” by Bruno Mars
2. “Royals” by Lorde
“Captain Phillips” 3. “Blurred Lines” by Robin Thicke
Jennifer Lawrence, “American Hustle” Leonardo DiCaprio, “The Wolf of Wall Street”
Amy Adams, “American Hustle”
A New Era of Journaling: Art Journals By MACKENNA CONNOR
Ranging anywhere from Da Vinciesque doodles and cryptic writing to picture collages and shopping lists, the possibilities for an art journal are endless. Though the basic idea of an “art journal” is ancient, the art journal has evolved, and it has become increasingly popular thanks to the Internet and its endless opportunities for creativity and exposure. So what is an art journal? An art journal can be anything the creator wants it to be. The requirements for creating an art journal are as relaxed as the creator desires to make them. To define what constitutes an art journal, one must first ask oneself: “What is art?” The answer will undoubtedly vary from person to person as art is a complex topic based on what is possibly one of the most subjective adjectives in the English language: beauty. This definition, or lack thereof, is what accounts for the extraordinary diversity in and different interpreta-
“The Great Gatsby” 4. “Stay” by Rihanna
Martin Scorsese, “The Wolf of Wall Street” tions of the term “art journal.” To put it as simply as possible, one could quote the famous words of Margaret Wolfe Hungerford, stating that, “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” Art journals have been around since Da Vinci, but due to the abstract definition of an art journal, the idea itself is in a state of perpetual renaissance. Another important factor in understanding an art journal is the emphasis that stresses the word journal. It is imperative to remember that the goal of these journals is selfexpression. This could mean anything, from scribbling a poem about the intense pain of having to wake up at 6 A.M., to drawing 2-D objects over Polaroids of friends to a quick sketch of the barista’s hat that caught your eye. The point being, the purpose of an art journal is exactly what the name would imply: an account of the artist’s life expressed through cursory works of art. Though an art journal is not a new concept, with the ever changing and rapidly increasing niche culture the online community cultivates for today’s population, it is plain to any artist that the medium of art journaling is a figurative jackpot of opportunity and as websites like Tumblr show masses of young creators are already cashing in.
“Gravity”
5. “Little Talks” by Of Monsters and Men
Zines on the Scene By KELA JONHSON
Z
ines have been created and published for over 50 years, but recently they’ve been more popular than ever. Like art journals, they combine text and images in a unique and creative way, but they can also be easily reproduced and circulated. A zine, short for magazine, is a little self-published booklet that focuses on a specific, often obscure subject. The pages include anything from illustrations to personal essays to poetry. Seriously, there are zines about everything – Ukrainian superstitions, lucid dreaming (a manual), rabbit behavior, even a zine about zines. The best part of zine making is that there are no rules. Zines are produced in batches using a basic photocopier or occasionally printed offset, like a newspaper.
Most are meant to look a little rough around the edges, and glitches from the photocopier add to the originality. It’s even possible to make a zine out of a single sheet of paper. When buying a zine, you’ll rarely have to spend very much, and making your own zine is fun and rewarding. There are several outlets for buying, selling, and learning about zines, such as Broken Pencil, a zine reviewer and distributor, and Stolen Sharpie Revolution, an online guide to zine publishing.
ART: KELA JOHNSON
Lifestyle
February 13, 2014
15
WRITING & ART: KELA JOHNSON
Thrifting is a way to get interesting, completely unique secondhand items for a fraction of their retail price. Though thrifting requires determination and perseverance, an intrepid shopper is almost always rewarded with a great find. Best thrifted items can be found at Alpha Thrift. To get started, try visiting one of their three locations: one on Milpas Street and two on Hollister Avenue. The merchandise is well organized and all proceeds go to charity. Yes, thrift stores do not emphasize luxury, but because most of the items are vintage, they will often be of a better quality than what you’d find in today’s retail stores. With an open mind and the help of these three useful tips, you’ll be a thrifting expert in no time.
Please drink at least one shot of espresso before embarking on your thrifting adventure. You will need more energy than you think.
If it’s $1.50 and you love it, get it. If it’s just okay and it’s $8.00, keep looking.
Teachers with Style
Yoga: More Than a Workout
Y
Choose your thrifting buddies carefully. You want friends who will help you sift through piles of potential finds, not trail behind you complaining about the dust. Split up and scout the various sections.
By MARGARET LAZAROVITS
By GRACE WOOLF
oga has become the go-to workout for many people. In addition to getting your body in shape, yoga also has many health benefits. Yoga originated in India around the fifth or sixth century. By the 1980s, it became a popular form of exercise in the Western World. Yoga has many positive effects, such as keeping you healthy and improving sleep. Yoga can help heal aches and pains and enhance posture. Recent studies have shown that yoga can even reduce fatigue and increase recovery in breast cancer survivors. “When I do yoga, I feel relaxed and can unwind my anxiety and stress from the prior day. I don’t do yoga as much as I’d like to but would like to begin doing it more,” eighth grader Julia McCaw said. There are over 92 different poses used in yoga. The most popular type of yoga in the western world is Hatha. It is a physical yoga practice and is the basis for the other types of yoga. Bikram is another popular choice but can be daunting because of the setting; the classes take place in a saunalike room that is close to 105 degrees and usually has 40 percent humidity. “I’ve been doing yoga off and on for four years. I love how yoga has control over the mind and body. It has really relaxed my body and has given me strength,” sophomore Maddie Sokolove said.
ART: LUISA CAMERON
Location: 1187 Coast Village Road, Suite 10C $15 for students for drop in classes. They offer a variety of classes, from beginners to advance. “The people there are very welcoming and the studio is great. I love the therapeutic yoga class they offer. It really helps with stress,” Maddie said.
Location: 330 State Street $10 for your first session. They offer a variety of memberships, or you can pay by class. “At Fit Buddha, there’s a great staff, and a variety of machines and exercises. I’ve taken several classes there, mostly the basic beginner and intermediate levels,” Julia said.
Guess No More...
Freshman Josie Doughty
Ms. Rose Steeber
Mr. Tyler Hodges
Favorite Stores? Sales at Nordstrom, Anthropologie, Blue Eyed Girl. How would you describe your style? Eclectic. “I’ll wear cowboy boots one day and stilettos another and another flats . It depends how tired I am. The heel gets lower and lower the more tired I am.” How has your style changed since your high school days? “The ‘80s were a bad clothes decade. Early ‘80s would be like jeans and leg warmers a lot of people wearing sweatpants to school in college especially. Very unattractive. And then when you got dressed up it would be shoulder pads. Shoulder pads and jackets and shoulder pads and sweaters.” “I once read an article in a New York Times magazine that said a woman should never wear the same fad twice in a lifetime. So if I wore shoulder pads once, I am not going back in my lifetime to shoulder pads again. Favorite article of clothing? A dress because it’s effortless style.
Favorite stores? CI Surfboards, Patagonia How would you describe your style? Virginian surfer Does your style tie in to, relate to or suit (pun intended) what you teach? Kind of. I guess I mix in aspects of both. I guess I’m trying to bring a bit of Virginia to California. I love aspects of both. Virginia has the tradition and honor and California has the free beach spirit and looking to the future. What is your favorite item of clothing? My Vans because they are stylish and comfortable. It gives me a little bit of Cali when I go back east. Are the clothes you wear today different from what you wore in high school? Yes. How has your style changed since your high school days? Less California influence in high school. Then it was duck head shorts, Diadora indoor soccer shoes, UVA Tshirts or polo shirts.
Teacher Mr. Poholsky
Senior Chloe Brown
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ART: LUISA CAMERON & KELA JOHNSON PHOTOS: CARSON SHEVITZ
February 13, 2014
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