Laguna Blanca School - 4125 Paloma Drive - Santa Barbara - California - 93110- thefourthestate@lagunablanca.org
Volume XVI
HEIGHT LIMITS ON BUILDINGS VOTED DOWN
November 2009
LEARNING ON LOCATION By OLIVIA BERCI
Issue 2
Medical Marijuana Booming in S.B. CONCERNS ON REGULATION
By ZOE SERBIN By ERIN STONE slow-growth advocates are worried
Although proponents of Measure B built a firm support crew as well as a fervent team of opposition, the Santa Barbara’s initiative that proposed a 45 foot height limit on buildings, failed. YES votes: 10, 343, or 46.3 percent, NO votes: 12, 009, or 53.7 percent. The initiative proposed a change in the height limit of buildings from 60 feet to 45 feet, and 40 feet in the El Pueblo Viejo area. Mr. Dave Davis, the executive director of the Environmental Community Council, opposed Measure B. In an interview with the Santa Barbara News Press, he said his beliefs were that older buildings above the height limit would not be able to rebuild in the case of a disaster. “Buildings which are over the new height limit and receive a loss of 75 percent of their value from a catastrophic event, such as fire or earthquake, would not be allowed to be rebuilt.” Others countered this argument with the concept that city council can change regulation, so that large buildings can be rebuilt in the case of any of these catastrophes. Some famous buildings in Santa Barbara would not be able to be rebuilt with the passing of the law, granted city council does not alter it, including the Lobero, Masonic Temple, Marjorie Luke Theatre, Our Lady of Sorrows Church, Nordstrom, Cottage Hospital, Arlington Theatre, Santa Barbara Mission, Santa Barbara Courthouse, News-Press buildings, Trinity Church, the Canary Hotel, and Santa Barbara Museum of Art. Those in favor of Measure B felt it would make Santa Barbara more environmentally friendly by limiting heat, air conditioning, ventilation, and light necessities. They also thought the new restrictions would keep Santa Barbara from bringing in unwanted and unneeded growth. “Downtown should be for parks and retail,” said Lanny Ebenstein, a former member of the Santa Barbara Board of Education and current president of the Santa Barbara County Taxpayer’s association. Those opposed disagree with Ebenstein, saying instead of expanding upward with taller buildings, Santa Barbara would be forced to move outward in urban sprawl. Often buildings are used as both retail and living complexes, a combination the height restrictions would make difficult if they’d been approved. In contrast, many argued that the Santa Barbara community would continue to expand upward, ruining our ‘small town’ feel that attracts tourism. They worried if many of the things locals have taken for granted were altered, the industry that pulls in almost 50 percent of Santa Barbara’s income would be ruined. Others felt that the height limit would force architects to be more creative in their design aesthetics. Architects opposed it because is very difficult to successfully design a unique building under 40 feet.
PHOTO: ARABELLA WATERS
Stepping into antiquity: Students visit the Getty Villa in Malibu in a cross-curricular program between English, Greek, and Latin classes to study Greek and Roman art and architecture. Experimental learning opportunities enrich Laguna students’ educations by breathing air into their text and fascinating them with unforgettable academic experiences that take place out of the classroom. One off-campus venture found English and Greek classes traveling to the Getty Museum for a cross-curricular learning experience. Ms. Bojana Hill and Magistra Hollie Haycock paired up to take the English 10 honors class, AP Virgil class, and Greek class to the Getty Villa. “It was beautiful. It inspired me to learn more about Greek culture,” said sophomore Justin Shand. The three classes (AP Virgil, Greek, and English 10 honors), all of which are either studying the language or culture of the ancient Greeks or Romans, had the opportunity to experience art of great antiquity, as well as a replication of an ancient Roman Villa. They admired gods, goddesses, and muses made of alabaster and bronze, such as those in a room entirely devoted to Trojan War Stories. Something of particular enthrallment to English students was an image depicting Helen of Troy illustrated on a vase, which directly related to the poem they had read called “Leda and the Saw.” “The trip was prompted by the desire to offer instruction out of the classroom setting for experimental learning,”
explains Ms. Hill, “We wanted to link the common curriculum goals to what the students were experiencing.” Students were transported to a different time and place, strolling through the gardens blanketed by the herbs and agriculture of ancient Rome, including pomegranate, fig, and mint. Students also visited the ancient Greek Theater, on the grounds of the Villa, at which ancient Greek plays are performed. “It was enchanting,” adds Ms. Hill. The ancient times which the students were studying exuberantly came to life. Increasingly, LBS teachers have been including more off campus learning experiences in their curriculums. English instructor Ms. Ashley Tidey says in light of her recent English 11 trip to Hope Ranch Beach, “When Ms. Alethea Paradis and I went to a CAIS ‘Service Learning’ workshop at the Urban School two Augusts ago, we talked to headmaster Mark Salkind about the way that Urban incorporates ‘experiential learning’ into every aspect of its curriculum. Urban was really founded on the idea of ‘learning on location’… If one can find the time, it’s a great way to help connect students to course material in a way that they will, at least one hopes, remember!” Ms. Tidey said, “We discussed the writers out in the
‘natural world.’ We sat in a sweet little circle, nibbled on food, and discussed the fact that the Transcendentalists celebrated the simple life, and that they celebrated not just nature but the individual’s relation to nature.” And what’s more, extra credit was offered to those students who dressed like a Transcendentalist for the day. This opportunity was taken advantage of by juniors Carolina Beltran, who was adorned in 60s hippie attire, and Austin Danson, who wore a black suit and top hat, as Ralph Waldo Emerson once did. The day came to a close as Peter Sorensen explored his own relation to nature by jumping into the ocean at the end of class. In addition to Ms. Tidey’s class trip, Ms. Paradis and Mr. Landon Neustadt teamed up to take AP Human Geography and AP Environmental Studies students to UCSB. Ms. Hill, said, “We should absolutely include more experimental learning experiences in our curriculums,” suggesting theater and art galleries as wonderful, culturally rich adventures. A third on-location learning experience was the journey to UCSB to the geography department computer lab. AP Human Geography and AP Environmental Studies students worked alongside graduate students on a lab, in Continued on page 3
Students Sign Up for Clubs at Club Fair By ABBY REUTZEL
Photo: Crosby Harbison
Breast Cancer Club members Kelsey Douglas and Carolina Beltran invite students to stop by and to check out their club at the recent club fair held on campus.
So many clubs so little time. The Upper School recently held the annual club fair to introduce students to new and existing clubs. Represented were Amnesty International, Interact, Teddy Bears for Cancer Foundation, JSA, Mountain Biking Club, Environment Club, Anime Club, Art Club, Breast Cancer Club, Photography Club, Rock Climbing Club, and the Cure Finders for Cystic Fibrosis Club. Clubs claimed tables and set up posters advertising themselves. Treats were also available at some tables. New clubs include Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation and the CureFinders for Cystic Fibrosis Club. “I didn’t know that there were so many clubs at Laguna this year,” said junior Stewart Green when asked about all of the new clubs. Students mulled around the quad walking from table to table deciding which club would suit them best and signed up for the clubs that caught their eye. “The club fair really opened my eyes to all of the organizations trying to progress the world,” said junior Peter Sorensen.
Welcome to Santa Barbara’s version of reefer madness, where thousands of citizens are legally lighting up, with their doc’s recommendation, to get that famous marijuana high, now known for its painkilling powers. Just like any other prescription medicine, it’s likely the purple kush will soon come in its own pill bottle, complete with daily dosage instructions and expiration dates. Law enforcement agencies are left scratching their heads on how to regulate this upand-coming industry. They are left to decipher the unclear legal haze blurring the line of what’s acceptable and what’s criminal. Senate Bill 420 states that with a doctor’s approval Californians can carry as much as eight ounces of marijuana and grow as many as six mature plants. However, it hazes over the role of those assigned by patients to grow and provide their medicine. The unregulated nature of all this leaves the police, dispensary owners, and patients unsure of what they should be doing.
PHOTO: ERIN STONE
In 2008, the city of Santa Barbara adopted a Medical Marijuana Dispensary Ordinance to regulate locations of the dispensaries. Under the ordinance, dispensaries can be located in specific zones— Milpas Street, downtown, and the Upper State area. The ordinance prohibits dispensaries from being within 500 feet of a school, park, or other dispensary. In the 2008-2009 school year, there were 178 suspensions in the Santa Barbara school district for illegal substances, the majority of which were for marijuana. According to Dr. J. Brian Sarvis, superintendent of the Santa Barbara school districts, based on interviews with student users and sellers going through suspension or expulsion, their marijuana originates either directly or indirectly from medical marijuana dispensaries. Dr. Sarvis also noted that there are 17 dispensary locations throughout the 93101 zip code, several of which are located in neighborhoods and near schools. Though many are against the dispensaries because of the effect they may have on underage marijuana use, there’s no question that the industry makes money. In a study released by public policy analyst Jon Gettman, the annual domestic marijuana harvest was estimated to be about $35.8 billion, making it hands-down the number-one cash crop in America. With around $13.8 billion of that believed to be grown on California soil, it’s an industry that’s rooted and fully blooming in the Golden State.