Issue 3

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The

Vol. XV, Issue 3 Francis Parker School March 2013

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Body Typeface: Minion Pro 10.5 pt Header Typeface: Century Gothic Bold Folio Typeface: Century Gothic Paper Stock: 100# Glossy Book Printed On: Xerox Docutech Printed By: IPS Publishing, San Diego, CA

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Cover by Cian Lavin TOC Staff Page Editor’s Note by Katie Kreitzer GBU by Claire Bryan

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RE-Making the grade by Soren Hansen BYTE-ing off more than we can chew? by Claire Bryan WHITE WASH by Nishon Tyler QUICK TO JUDGE by Sam Melville the image of beauty by Caroline Merkin WHERE DO WE GO NOW? by Sam Pryor THE SILENT MAJORITY by Raphier Cantor BUBBLE TROUBLE by Natalie Schmidt parker v. parker by Nishon Tyler

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Back in the day by Cian Lavin and Patrick Riley OUT OF THIS WORLD by Patrick Barba The secret service by Audrey Yang Saturday series: Dr. Rai Wilson by Katie Kreitzer banking on kiva by Arielle Swedback Keeping up with the current by Patrick Riley then + now by Dutra Brown and Jay Gardenswartz life after parker by Cian Lavin

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across the POND by Colin Grey let’s get cookin’ by Molly Morrison and Sean Waters Scribe explores: South park by Dutra Brown Delivering satisfaction by Claire Kim Liv’s Throwback playlist by Olivia Fidler when lightning starts fire by Max Feye and Jake Siegler

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On the mend by Jack Benoit Fresh meat by Matt Gluck More than just a waterboy by Claire Bryan

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LOVE, YOUR VALENTINE by Molly Morrison REAL TALK with mark and cian by Mark Klein and Cian Lavin ANIMAL HOUSE by Charlotte Dick-Godfrey Scribe SPEAKS: REMEMBERING CHELSEA KING by Michela Rodriguez YOU MAKE ME WANT TO SAY “I DO” by Brianna Goldberg Creature Feature by Max Feye and Mark Klein Hot/not/trendy by Dutra Brown and Jay Gardenswartz QUADRANTS by Jay Gardenswartz

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BACK COVER Compiled by The Scribe Staff

STAFF Editors-in-Chief Claire Bryan Katie Kreitzer Design Chief Stanley Gambucci Managing Editor Kasey Hutcheson Layout Editor Dutra Brown Opinions Editors Raphie Cantor Arielle Swedback Features Editors Samantha Melville Michela Rodriguez Arts & Culture Editors Claire Kim Jake Siegler Sports Editors Jack Benoit Colin Grey Etcetera Editors Jay Gardenswartz Patrick Riley Web Editors SOREN HANSEN CIAN LAVIN Photo Editor OLIVIA FIDLER Staff Writers PATRICK BARBA CHARLOTTE DICK-GODFREY MAX FEYE MATT GLUCK BRIANNA GOLDBERG MARK KLEIN CAROLINE MERKIN Molly Morrison SAMANTHA PRYOR NATALIE SCHMIDT Nishon Tyler SEAN WATERS Audrey Yang Adviser ANDREW HOLBROOK Consultant Michelle Adelman

EDITOrIAL POLICY Serving as the official news magazine of Francis Parker School, The Scribe strives to report on the major news stories on campus, while providing the student body with a cutting-edge take on campus life and culture. All Scribe contributors are members of the Journalism class at Parker. The editorial staff oversees the editing and production aspects of the magazine. Members of the staff also volunteer a great deal of their after-school and weekend time to work on the magazine. The editors-in-chief assume all responsibility for the material published in The Scribe. For this reason, any errors or complaints should be reported to the editors-in-chief, not the authors of particular articles.

Check out The Scribe’s new website, with online articles, videos, surveys, old issues, and more at www.fpsthescribe.com Share with us any questions, concerns, or comments you have about the magazine. Your opinions matter! Email us at fpscribe@gmail.com.

Join our Facebook fanpage at www.facebook.com/fpsthescribe to stay updated on everything Scribe-related.

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PHOTO BY JAY GARDENSWARTZ

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It’s just been one of those weeks. Is it the weekend yet? Clearly not. Is it at least Friday? Not even. It’s Thursday. Your week from hell is so close to coming to an end, but still your blaring iPhone alarm taunts you as it interrupts your peaceful slumber at 6 a.m. As you stumble out of bed toward the shower, you thumb through Facebook (boring, thanks to Aunt Shelly’s constant posts about her Zumba class), Twitter (full of updates from Grumpy Cat and that girl with too much drama in her life), and finally, Instagram.

You are greeted by a precious posing toddler who slightly resembles that boy in your calculus class—oh wait, it is that boy in your calculus class.

You forget about your shower—sorry environment—and run to your den to tear through four or five of the photo albums your mom so thoughtfully organized by year. Newsflash: this isn’t just another day of the week. It’s Throwback Thursday.

Although it may seem contrived, Throwback Thursday is more than just a social networking ploy to create trending hashtags; it is our weekly excuse to reminisce on days we’ve put behind us. Life moves fast, and showing off our headshots from the nineties or reposting sunset pictures from vacations we wish would “take us back” are often the closest we get to revisiting moments we miss. And while #throwbackthursday-ing can be as basic as sharing a cute photo with the world, it is one of the most concrete examples of our generation’s fascination with the past. We live in an era when every social media network at our disposal is equipped with photos, vidoes, and documented memories to remind us exactly who we were in our pasts. And more often than not, the pasts we uncover differ greatly from our current realities. I can speak for many seniors when I say that we are not the same naïve students who sat in freshman year Health and

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Fitness wondering what a uterus is, nor are we the Gerber babies we pretend to be every Thursday. But regardless of whether or not we’re the same people we were at the time the camera flashed, that doesn’t mean we value the images produced any less. There is something so new about something so old, something so fresh about something so distant. And there is something unbelievably satisfying about an image’s ability to show us just how far we’ve come.

Now, let’s throw this back 100 years to the days when iPhones were comparable to time machines. Teenagers sat right here at Francis Parker School and experienced the same high school milestones as us. But they don’t have a million photographs to show for their experiences. Instead, they had a school, we have a school that has been affected by the presence of every student that came before us.

And while people may say it’s unhealthy to live in the past, it’s only natural that we do. This is the centennial year of this place that has shaped each of us in some way, and though many of us have shrugged off the occasion due to irritation from the infamous field photo sunburns, this is our chance to take a step back and see just how far our school has come.

This note and the ensuing Centennial Issue of The Scribe is all about appreciating the big picture. This campus and its colored pebble rain drains and copper walls has become ten times what it used to be, and the transformation of Francis Parker School over the past 100 years is truly special (“Then and Now,” pages 28-33). Take time to learn what our teachers and faculty were like before Parker was a part of their lives (“Back in the Day,” pages 20-21), how our mission statement has changed since the school’s founding year (“Parker v. Parker,” pages 18-19), and how all the pieces—the alumni (“Life After Parker,” pages 34-35), students, faculty, everything—have evolved to form the amazing environment that we call home. This issue is The Scribe’s own Throwback Thursday, Parker style. So put away your phones, spend four minutes or a whole Pre-Calc class flipping through the pages, and “like” away.

KATIE KREITZER Editor-in-Chief

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T HE GOOD WASC

The fact that Parker is one of the top independent schools in San Diego is often overlooked by students. This winter, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) accrediting team evaluated our campus as part of a regular six-year check-up. After this review process, involving a “self-study” by Parker’s faculty and administration and three days of on-campus visits, the WASC team gave glowing reviews. WASC commended our faculty for “their vitality and their love of life and learning,” and our students for “their investment in the life of the school, for their robust engagement in activities outside the classroom, and for the fullness of the lives that they live.” Parker isn’t content knowing that it is a great school; we are constantly changing because we want to improve. WASC also made recommendations about improving our energy sustainability efforts and the daily schedule to optimize classroom instruction and student time. Head of School Mr. Kevin Yaley says, “four of the six major commendations were about our people—students, faculty, staff and specialists. It is the people that make Parker so special.”

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Community service has been diminished to a phrase that class deans call out in assemblies, and a process where green slips and signatures hold more importance than any project done to obtain them.

Though the idea of requiring students to complete 20 hours of service every year has the best intentions, community service unfortunately becomes a race to finish hours before the deadline rather than an assignment that will instill motivation to improve our community.

Students who find a meaningful project have no problem completing T HE BAD the hours, but that isn’t always easy. When students sign up for events that are overbooked, they end up taking up space rather than helping community anyone or anything. Two hours at a school they have never heard of service and four hours walking around a lake don’t aid a student’s larger perspective of the world. If we each volunteer at an organization every week for four years, we will build relationships that will motivate us to continue to make a difference with that organization in the future.

The key is finding a single project and staying consistent. Twenty hours will be a trivial formality in a project that teaches life lessons.

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The Class of 2013 has said and heard it before: the class that no one had faith in had finally united. But with the first trimester behind us, some of us saw the finish line a little too soon. Feeling restless and indifferent to high school work is natural, and it’s typical for seniors to think about the future with excitement, but the Class of 2013 has taken senioritis to a new level. With 46 percent of the class having a C+ or below on mid-trimester reports, the college counseling office reports historically low grades for seniors. This T HE U G L Y record number of C’s and D’s is not good news for those still waitsenioritis ing to hear back from colleges, or eagerly waiting on waitlists. Being accepted to college is a wonderful relief, but now that apps are over we should put that extra free time towards our schoolwork. Let’s not take our reputation back and fall into old habits; instead, let’s graduate as a class who leads by example.

PHOTO COURTESY OF FACT.CO.UK

PARKER COMPLIMENTS PAGE

Online bullying be gone? Thank you, sophomores Sasha Stephens and Anna Gamboa for creating this page; it’s an inspiration. If you haven’t discovered this page, search it next time you log on to Facebook.

No matter if the compliments are submitted by your friends or strangers, it can have you smiling for days. Keep ‘em coming.

OUTDOOR concrete slab TV BEGONE ’Bout time.

The drop-off

With the addition of a small section of fence, we have been corralled toward the pathway in front of the Parker Cafe as we enter school each morning. It keeps us safe, and it keeps us tardy.

Tri-school dance

DJ on ice, magic. Hot sweaty room, not so much. Broomball was a hit but being locked in until 9:30pm sent us back to the days of middle school dances. Also, looks like we dominate the Bishops’ Knights not only on the court but also on the dance floor. Do you people even exist?

no comments

Mid-trimester grades are a nice way to encourage better study habits, but they would be even nicer if accompanied with the personal comments that appear on our trimester grade reports. They would also be more helpful if distributed when students still have time to improve, instead of when grades are finalized for the trimester.

INVISIBLE DETENTIONS

Thought you were skating through the year without being scolded for tardies or breaking dress code? You probably thought wrong and may have anywhere between 1 and 18 detentions. Advisors have been notifying students that they have detentions— and lots of them—but only within the last couple of weeks. What happened to the green slips from last year notifying students when they had even a single detention? It’s time to bring them back.

CLAIRE BRYAN Editor-in-Chief

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the scribe 2012-13

GRADE OBSESSION ACROSS THE DECADES ARTICLE BY SOREN HANSEN PHOTOGRAPH BY OLIVIA FIDLER

EXCERPT: 1993 LANCER LEGEND

BY JESSICA ROAKE

Charles Dickens called them “poor grubbing devils.” There’s at least one in every class. It might even be you.

Grade Grubbers. Students so obsessed with the letter on their report card they’re willing to grovel for a miniscule percentage point.

The most negative aspect of grade obsessiveness is not that these students strive for the A+. The knock against students who are extremely grade-conscious is that they tend to focus exclusively on their percentages and look at knowledge as simply a means to an end.

Most grubbers couldn’t care less about

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the meaning or importance of the material they’re studying. Just tell me what’s on the test, they say.

What makes these percentagedriven Parkerites so unceasingly preoccupied with numbers on a piece of paper?

Some Parker educators point to the competitive nature of a private school as part of the problem.

“All good independent schools are demanding,” Mr. Mitchell [Head of Upper School] says, “and consequently there is sometimes extradordinary pressure on students.

“They’ve been programmed since birth to be successful, not to ask why but just because they have to. If they just perform for teachers and parents

at some point they’re going to question why they’re doing it. At the point that a student comes to terms with the reasons behind the actions, they’re going to have a crisis, realizing that they lived their life up to other people’s expectations.”

The future of grubbing at Parker seems unsure. There will always be students willing to brown-nose or grovel for a grade, but the national trends in education may begin pushing students in a different direction.

The final word on grade-obsessiveness belongs to Ms. O: “You’re selling yourself, your reputation, your spirit, your self respect and self esteem for a grade!”

Think about it.

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The excerpt printed to the left, pubger point and picture.” lished two decades ago in The Scribe’s Although Parker is a college prepapredecessor, the Lancer Legend, explores ratory school, it was founded under the a huge component of academics: grade“whole child education” philosophy of obsession. From students who endlessly Colonel Francis Wayland Parker ten debeg for extra credit—“grade grubbers”—to cades ago. When a student is only in it for those who fixate on scores and numbers, the numbers, all other facets of the student the pressure on students to do well has been are lost. a continuous factor in the lives of all high Ten years ago, Head of School Mr. school students, regardless of era.

Patrick Mitchell, who served from 1993Though much has occurred since the 2010, observed that students have been Lancer Legend first investigated grade grubpushed to suceed their whole lives. English bing at Parker—the invention of the iPhone, teacher Ms. Carol Obermeier believes that, the launching of Facein general, “since the first book, and the election time [she] addressed this isof an African-Amerisue twenty years ago, the obWhen a student can president—many sessiveness with grades has aspects of the Francis ditches everything for intensified.”

Parker academic comThe pressure placed the numbers, all other on Parker students can be munity have remained unchanged. As stushoved in from all sides: by facets of the student dents at an elite private parents, siblings, internal iscollege preparatory sues, and extracurriculars. are lost. school, Lancers have “The pressure on these kids always faced the presto get into a reputable college sure of getting good is incredibly intense,” says grades. Some students resort to less admiraMs. O, who has been at Parker for the past ble techniques to achieve them, some even few decades. “Some of that pressure comes resorting to methods employed years ago from families addicted to success or elitism, during the age of the Lancer Legend. some pressure is a need to show classmates Success in the classroom can help that he or she is intelligent. But I think most you get acceptance letters from top unipressure comes from within, that need to versities, but at what cost? In almost every prove oneself, to impress parents, to win class around our school, there is a student the admiration of teachers.” If a student is who interrupts class in order to extract dealing with these problems, he or she can every possible point out of their teachers. feel forced to fight for their points in the Though this practice might gain an immeclassroom, which can have many negative diate result for the student, in many cases it returns. ends up negatively affecting their relationThe answer to this dilemma can be ship with their teachers and other students. found in balance, among other things.

Teachers dislike when students pester them While students need to place pressure on for points, pushing them to their wits’ end. themselves so that they can be successful This causes a loss of class time and shows academically, grade obsessiveness is not a them which students are only in it for the desired trait. While grades are important numbers. because they are the physical representaIn regards to what colleges are looktion of our academic success, a balance is ing for in an ideal applicant, Associate Direquired. rector of College Counseling Ms. Alexandra Santiago sums up the larger purpose Santiago says, “Colleges want students who of education: “Without the big picture, have challenged themselves with rigorous [students] may have good grades but so classes and have done well with that chaldo lots of applicants in the college process. lenge… they want students who are going What will set students apart is not having to have an impact on their campus and in the highest grades, but having a passion for their classrooms. Students who are entirely learning and a clear desire to explore acafocused on grades may be missing the bigdemic interests.”

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I S GRADE GR U B B I N G A

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P RO B L E M A T P ARKER ?

I think students need to learn that they got that grade for a reason and that harassing the teacher because YOU didn’t do well on the assignment doesn’t help. Just learn from your mistakes and do better next time.”

SENIOR GRACE NICKLIN Well, several instances of students overworking for grades are very apparent at Parker, but I don’t think it’s a problem. Having good grades will help attract colleges, and provide more opportunities in the future which is good. But it shouldn’t be all work and no play.”

JUNIOR Jesse BROOKINS Grade obsession makes kids more and more stressed out, leading them to do worse than they usually can. People stay up too late studying for tests or writing essays and aren’t able to retain the knowledge that they have.”

SOPHOMORE CAROLINE HARARI I do think that many students pay a lot of attention to their grades, more than they should. The competitive nature of the students and the prep-school mentality does unfortunately cause a lot of people to obsess over their grades.”

FRESHMAN ATHENA ZANDER

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A LOOK AT PARKER’S IPAD REVOLUTION ARTICLE BY CLAIRE BRYAN PHOTOGRAPH BY DUTRA BROWN

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In third grade, my favorite book was The BFG (“The Big Friendly Giant”) by Roald Dahl and my favorite time of day was science when we made Play-Doh goop mixtures and tried to determine if it was a solid or a liquid.

A computer was something Dad used at work, and a cell phone was something my older brother got to use after his basketball practice to call Mom, but these pieces of technology were never anything tangible in my daily life.

However, for a Francis Parker third grader today, things are quite different. As of last year, individual iPads have been placed into classrooms and integrated into the Lower School’s new and improved hands-on curriculum.

The Middle School also received iPads in every classroom this year, and soon Upper School students will have the same. My third-grade experience was a lot different from my parents’ and the Class of 2022’s third-grade experience is bound to be different from both. iPads will never be able to replace reading a paperback book, but ultimately, iPads move our school and our

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Junior Kim Svatos struggles to pay attention in Calculus class

classroom curriculum in the right direction. As Director of Technology Mr. Quoc Vo writes, “iPads, unlike laptops or desktops, are easier to maintain, less of a security threat, and less expensive.

They will allow students to use technology more effectively.”

The biggest concern—as expressed by senior Everett Waterman— is that, in the long run, students will rely on iPads and find themselves at a disadvantage. “Numerous studies have shown excessive screen time to have negative effects on the brain” Waterman explains. “Technology can very easily turn from a tool to a crutch if leaned on excessively. Students should be turning to their own minds to figure out answers to questions; with an iPad it’s too easy to just turn to the Internet.” In a Scribe survey of 120 Upper School students, 39% agree with Waterman and disagree with Lower School students now being plugged into iPads on a daily basis, instead of playing with blocks.

Teenagers are often criticized for constantly being distracted and not staying focused on their homework. “At school, students struggle with the ability to stay in the moment,” says psychology teacher Ms. Jill Duehr. “If something pulls us away for even a second, we have lost focus. In every one of my classes, students are constantly checking their phones and having trouble staying focused.” 73% of the student body has an iPhone and over half of those students have their phone accessible to them on the daily. This constant interaction with technology takes a student away from the material during class.

But Parker’s curriculum and classroom set-up might be the biggest offenders of this accusation. Parker teachers are always trying to stay current with the technology their students are using. Programs like WebAssign and GoogleDrive don’t lessen the online distractions. When a teacher assigns a reading on Google or an assignment on Webassign it is just another excuse for students to open their Internet browsers and stay connected with friends.

This immediate access to Facebook and other websites is troublesome. Molecular biology teacher Mr. David Johnson notes that everyone, not just teenagers, is subject to significant brain changes as a result of daily use of electronics. “[When using electronics, there is] a change in how chemicals are being released, but a more profound change in the wiring of the brain and how the cells are connecting to each other,” says Johnson.

He explains that nerve cells within the brain release different chemicals that activate other brain cells. Neurotransmitters that are released can have different effects on a different cell in the brain and the rapid visual images that come with one’s computer screen can damage the growth of the teenage brain.

Johnson is not alone in this philosophy. A recent study of 2,000 students by Elon University and Pew Internet and explains that “teen brains are being rewired to adapt to the new information-processing skills they will need to survive in this environment.”

such useful technology. One anonymous surveyed student says, “[iPads] should not affect the learning so long as the students do not get distracted by games or nonproductive apps.”

This is this fine line that Parker must balance.

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We don’t delude

ourselves by thinking we are even close to understanding how to use [iPads] appropriately.

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—Head of Lower School Dr. Gillingham upp e r sc h o o l e r s on ipads Not in favor of iPads

38%

Other

Even with possible negative side effects that are apparent to our student body, 57% of students are in favor of initiating iPads into the classroom environment, and many of them have already begun bringing their own devices to class. Vo expresses the benefits of iPads in the classroom and believes that, “Parker students are ready to take on this challenge. We all have smartphones and access to computers 24/7. Technology is ubiquitous in our lives. As with any new challenges that students may face in their lives, [Parker] must lead and guide the students.”

The addition of iPads to our classrooms is inevitable. If not iPads, it would have been laptops or an additional individual portal. The balance relies on ensuring that students recognize the danger that comes with

In favor of iPads

4%

58%

Based on a Scribe survey of 120 students

As the CEO at web design company, Firecat Studio, Susan Price, emphasizes, “People of all ages are adjusting to a world where ‘facts’ are immediately discoverable, and judgment between competing facts becomes a primary skill.” This is exactly what Parker needs to focus on. And with the comfort of knowing that our school is taking progressive steps to educate students properly, we can be confident that our education is advancing at the right pace.

Head of the Lower School Dr. Bob Gillingham understands just how large of a pool Parker is dipping into. “We don’t delude ourselves to thinking we are even close to understanding how to use them appropriately,” he says. Gillingham explains that iPads are used in every area of academics, but teachers still originally walk students through major concepts:“[Teachers are] trying to be very conceptually so that kids can then take those concepts from the original learning and apply them on their own on the iPad. One way doesn’t work for everybody. The ability to individualize what is happening is just magnificent.”

Fifth grade teacher Ms. Kristen Stone explains that Lower School students have limited use when using the iPads in class. “Research has shown that young children should not have more than a few hours of screen time each day. That is definitely something that I think about when I am planning our class schedule. There are also strict guidelines and consequences in place for all of our students if they are off task on their devices,” says Stone.

With the addition of iPads, our school is “[staying] abreast of the rapidly changing technology that is going to envelop these kids. [iPads] allow them to take advantage of their skills,” Gillingham explains. Parker needs to embrace this change but continue to do so responsibly. “iPads will be the catalyst for discussions and the development of ‘Digital Citizenship’­—how to navigate the world of technology” ensures Vo. Head of Upper School Mr. Paul Barsky explains that both teachers and students will be learning the best and most efficient ways to use these iPads; workshops for teachers have already begun. Students should feel privileged that at such a young age they have the opportunity to use leading technology that is and will be dominating the fields of every single one of those third grader’s future careers.

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MINORITY REPRESENTATION IN THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY ARTICLE BY NISHON TYLER ARTWORK BY STANLEY GAMBUCCI AND NISHON TYLER

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A lush tropical paradise: Thailand is home to approximately 65 million people, and in 2004, it was also one of the many countries affected by the deadly Christmas Tsunami. The tsunami came on the heels of the third largest earthquake in recorded history, and remains in the top ten greatest natural disasters to ever affect Asia.

That a movie would be based around it is hardly surprising. That the movie should tell the true story of a family of Spanish tourists whose lives were changed forever is perfectly fair.

That the dark haired, Spanish Belóns should be played by the very fair English speakers Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor in an effort to make the film “universal,” is troubling.

America, and the west in general, has a race problem. According to the movies, America is a nation full of clever white men, beautiful, racially ambiguous women, and quirkily ethnic side characters. Perhaps parts of the nation are like this, but I find it to be a painfully simplistic view of American culture. However, many seem to be pleased with it, considering the fact that we continue to buy movie tickets.

The American propaganda machine’s damage spans far beyond the screen. It creates expectations both

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of the people being portrayed and those who seem to be on the screen in front of us. One of the most popular examples of this is the horror movie trope: “Black Dude Dies First.” It is so often true that, in a review of the 1997 film, The Edge, the film critic Roger Ebert described the phenomenon: “At this point we can easily predict the death of the assistant.... He’s an African American, and so falls under the BADF action movie rule (‘The Brother Always Dies First’).” Comedian Chris Rock, in a video offering advice to those who encounter police, advises black viewers to, “get a white friend.”

For many, this is reality. We live in a society that, like all societies, has created standards of perfection. We craft our heroes within these standards, most of them being positive.

We want our heroes to be honest, good, compassionate, and, apparently, white. There is a long tradition in American film of the heroic white man who saves the day, bravely facing whatever enemy stands in his way.

Birth of a Nation (1915), the world’s first feature length film, took the roles of the Old South and brought them to the silver screen. The movie features a white maiden pursued by a black villain. For the rest of the century, it sealed the white woman’s cin-

ematic fate as a fragile victim, and the black man’s fate as a lecherous animal.

The movie also helped spawn the rebirth of the Ku Klux Klan. This event was one of the first example of movies affecting reality.

As mentioned earlier, in The Impossible (2013), a vacationing family finds themselves in the midst of what was likely the most horrifying tragedy Southeast Asia has experienced in a century. 250,000 people died across 14 countries, yet the story focuses on the struggle of the tourists. And, though the members of this white tourist family, the Belóns, were undeniably heroic, there were children throughout Southeast Asia who became orphans, wives who became widows, hundreds of thousands who lost their worlds that day. They did not get a plane ride home. Their pain was relegated to brief shots, a few words, and sad faces.

A movie’s goal is to entertain us.

It is to tell us who to root for and what to care about, and these feelings transfer subtly into our everyday life, and we are none the wiser. There must be some way to solve this, but until then, the responsibility is placed on the shoulders of the audience, who must do with it what they will.

FIGHTING THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN AUTISM AND VIOLENCE ARTICLE BY SAM MELVILLE ILLUSTRATION BY STANLEY GAMBUCCI

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In 1999, the nation was rocked by the Columbine High School shooting. 15 students were killed, including the shooters who were two of the school’s students. Almost immediately, the nation looked for a cause and blame was quickly pinned on the killers’ psychosis and depression. The focus and attention that was placed on the perpetrators’ mental psyche can be described as nothing other than simply wrong.

In the past, people with developmental disabilities have been shunned, hurt, or even killed. Today, though they may be treated with more respect and humanity, they are still ostracized from parts of our society. After the recent Sandy Hook shootings, rumors circulated that the shooter, Adam Lanza, was autistic. These rumors continued to spread through the media though the information was not confirmed.

Even if it had been, expert scientists have conducted studies that show there is no link between autism and violence. Rumors like this one promote the unfortunate and unjust stigma against children and adults with disorders they can’t control.

When something horrible happens, we want to find a reason for it. Too often, this reason becomes mental illness. What we don’t realize is that many people with special needs are not only harmless, but tend to be even more gentle than most. The National Autism Association released a statement shortly after the Sandy Hook shooting stating that, “Perception is powerful, and as we saw with the Virginia Tech shoot-

ings, a review panel later dismissed the wrongful claim of a diagnosis of autism. The public was unnecessarily exposed to the initial information, but not the latter, leaving us to connect an additional dot that never existed. As advocates, we now face the additional fear that children and adults with autism may become

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Children and adults

with autism may become collateral damage of irresponsible media coverage.

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—The National Autism Association collateral damage of irresponsible media coverage.” Statistics from the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention identify around 1 in 88 American children as being on the autism spectrum. For these people, living with special needs is difficult enough without also being automatically associated with violence.

A scapegoat makes coping with crises like these a little easier, but it is wrong to misrepresent a group of people as a threat just to make ourselves feel better.

Yes, some people with autism are driven to commit acts of violence. That cannot be denied. But dangerous people exist on all ends of the mental health scale. Some autistic people do not know their own

strength or cannot restrain themselves, but if they do hurt someone it is almost always unintentional. And if they do, who is really to blame?

It is not necessarily the disorder that makes them do these things; instead, it is often the way they are treated based off it. If the quiet autistic boy is bullied at school and becomes violent toward his victimizers, it is not solely the autism causing the event, but the bullies. Yet the public places the blame on him for something he cannot control, and violence of this nature is seldom as frequent as it appears.

The media’s response is only a symptom of a larger problem. We live in a society that is quick to diagnose but reluctant to treat mental disabilities, and can’t always comprehend that something like autism does not always make a person a threat.

This is a personal issue as well. My older brother has Down syndrome and autism, and I can personally attest to the fact that he could not lift a hand against anyone.

In fact, I could almost go as far as to say that he is incapable of premeditated violence or harm of any kind.

I, along with several other students at Parker, have had contact with many people with autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, or other similar disabilities, and I have never once felt endangered or afraid. But I am afraid now: afraid for an upstanding, misunderstood group of citizens that are suffering from the negative backlash of a stereotype they can’t control. march 2013 THE SCRIBE

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OUR WORLD’S BARBIES: THEN AND NOW ARITCLE BY CAROLINE MERKIN PAINTING BY ALEXANDRA ALEMANY

S

She grabs a bowl of popcorn and a tub of ice cream, plops down on her couch, and turns on her television prepared to wash away all of her self-confidence with the infamous Victoria Secret Fashion Show. She’s been waiting all year to torture herself by watching these girls flaunt their figures in front of millions of viewers, and her social media newsfeeds are aflutter with talk of the night’s event; guys are posting Instagram photos of their favorite scantily-clad angels, while girls are tweeting about how they wish they had bodies like Gisele Bündchen or Miranda Kerr. It is a night looked forward to by not just the target audience of the Victoria’s Secret Brand—women in their 20’s— but by all who have the ability to watch it: especially the teenagers who have grown up believing these perfectly shaped women are the epitome of beauty. These models are, in an era of curve-consciousness and risque commercial appeal, the women many girls idolize and many boys fantasize about.

But even before this now-iconic fashion show hit the TV screens of viewers worldwide, beauty icons graced the pages of magazines everywhere, plastering newsstands with pretty faces that were often more memorable than their corresponding headlines. They were the “angels” of the past, and though we often criticize our modern era for its superficial beauty standards, rewinding a few years reveals that we aren’t the first generation to fixate on such things. In a teenager’s world, praising the world’s Barbies for their superb looks has overpowered adolescent life; a new goal is being strived for in order to achieve an appearance similar to theirs.

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Since 1944, Seventeen magazine has been providing fashion pointers, date tips, and beauty advice to millions of teenage girls monthly, encapsulating the dream teen culture in just a few pages. It was the first teen magazine to be established in the United States and girls worshipped it. It began as a publication geared towards inspiring teen girls to become role models in work and citizenship, but soon after its debut, Seventeen took a more fashion and romance-oriented approach in presenting their material.

Seventeen magazine’s first editor, Helen Valentine, believed it was necessary for the teenage girl to gain some respect in the real world by providing her with a source that would help her make a name for herself in society. Its ability to act as a major source of advice for many different aspects of a teenage girl’s life helped promote Seventeen’s reputation in the business world, as well as in the world of a teenage girl. Today, it is equally as evident that the magazine serves a greater purpose than simply being a form of literary entertainment, it also promotes self-confidence and success in young women.

This worshipping of beauty icons has been going on for years, and readers and viewers around the world still idolize models’ fantastic and somewhat plastic lives. But why?

Does it truly give us the satisfaction we’re looking for? Does it make us feel better about ourselves?

We’ve all seen how the entertainment industry edits photos, how these photos don’t adequently potray a model’s body size, and how some models obtain unhealthy eating habits, but we still choose to ignore it.

Society continues to plaster pictures of provocative girls on billboards, TV screens, and magazine pages, and it’s brushed over as if it’s no big deal.

English teacher Ms. Carol Obermeier says, “We see thin, skinny girls...with blonde hair, paraded around everywhere we look...and everyone thinks that’s the way they should be. I think if you measure

yourself up against them, you’re always going to feel like a loser.”

Similarly to Seventeen magazine, the Victoria’s Secret franchise has transformed profoundly over the past thirty years. Originally created for men to feel less uncomfortable when purchasing lingerie in a small boutique for their special someones, the multi-million dollar business has evolved into a world-renowned teen and young adult hot spot. The store encourages girls to push those money makers up, squeeze those love handles inwards, and add a bit of extra

“

We see thin, skinny

girls...with blonde hair paraded around everywhere we look, and everyone thinks that’s the way they should be.

I think if you measure yourself up against them you’re always going to feel like a loser.

“

—Ms. Obermeier sex appeal to their innocent, everyday wear. Although you may receive a little more attention from your high school crush, it’s not the kind of attention immature, and ultimately oblivious, young girls should be seeking.

Creating that “perfect-sized bust” is transforming into an obsession rather than a simple desire.

Women these days are often basically objects for advertisement.

Obermeier explains, “It’s outrageous, I hate it. I despise women being treated as objects for something that you can buy or some ridiculous standard that no one can live up to. I absolutely hate it.” We ‘ooo’ and ‘ahh’ over their

perfect bodies and lives without even realizing how negatively it’s affecting us.

Although Seventeen magazine provides somewhat of a safe haven for most teenage readers, the global entertainment industry displays and expresses what “pretty girls” are like quite subliminally.

Jean Kilbourne, a qualified doctor of education and motivational speaker, is most commonly known for her films expressing the image of women in advertisement. In her most recent film, Killing Us Softly 4, she goes on to say, “What has advertising told us about women? It tells us as it always has that the most important thing is how we look. The first thing advertisers do is surround us with the image of ideal female beauty. Women learn from a very early age that women must spend enormous amounts of time, energy, and above all, money, striving to achieve this look and feeling ashamed and guilty when we fail.”

All we want now is to be like and look like these 115 pound, big-breasted, Barbie-looking models.

The image of beauty has evolved immensely over the past forty years.

We’ve all idolized and drooled over the girls pictured in magazines, on television, and on our computers.

It’s human nature for people to think they have to look a certain way to be considered pretty or socially accepted. But what happened to being unique? Embracing your individuality? It seems like those two phrases were eradicated from our curious and unsatisfied minds as we’re all easily amused and intrigued. We subconsciously search for something to keep us occupied and entertained while we continue to evolve into having Barbie’s plastic, yet fantastic, life.

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AFTER TRAGEDY STRIKES, WHAT’S NEXT FOR AMERICAN GUN REFORM

?

ARTICLE BY SAM PRYOR ARTWORK BY SARAH NICITA ILLUSTRATION BY STANLEY GAMBUCCI

A

A boy sits huddled over his aged desk; his notebook lies untouched, his eyes drift down to the floorboards below him. As he scans the bottom of the third-grade science classroom, hoping for anything to distract his attention from the ecosystem and dinosaurs, he notices his untied Nike shoes. Suddenly, an intercom interrupts all thoughts with, “Attention faculty: please lock your doors and hide your students.” His teacher’s smile is replaced by fear, and the boy freezes. For a split second, all is still, all is silent. As if on cue, the chalk dust flies off the board, the door flies wildly open, and a shadow enters the room.

In a matter of seconds, the gunshots begin.

Last December, many Parker

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students were shocked when they opened up their Internet browsers: The news of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut, where 27 children and faculty members were murdered, was splashed across students’ newsfeeds, leaving students speechless. Many questions have arisen as to whether or not gun regulations in the United States need to be revised to be up to date with modern society. The day after the tragedy, the nation’s newsstands were plastered with headlines about the urgency of improving gun laws and preventing these shootings from happening yet again. Lawmakers nationwide have been pushing for the return of the Assault Weapons Ban, a law that expired in 2004,

which limited the use of certain types of weapons.

The day after the massacre, President Obama said that his administration would be submitting new proposals to Congress and he would “use all the powers of this office” to promote the new policies. The Virginia Tech massacre in 2007, which killed 32 people and injured 17, ignited similar debate about revising the gun control laws. Although the evidence was there, the revisions to the gun laws fell through due to the large number of people supporting the right to bear arms. Many Americans who have grown up with legally-obtained guns in their homes for recreational or defensive purposes strongly disagree with any tightening

of gun laws: Groups like the National In addition, a permit is not needed to Rifle Association are strong lobbying purchase any long gun or most handforces against the possible revisions to guns. gun regulations.

California isn’t the only ofThough these cultural reservafender; 37 other states do not require tions are legitimate, the government background checks for people obtaindoes need to make revisions to the ing permits. gun control laws in order to help preWoodshop teacher and milivent another massacre; Americans tary veteran Mr. Barry Cheskaty says, may be allowed to own handguns for “We have regressed to the point now defense, but there is no good reason that we just have too many guns in for a Bushmaster AR-15 assault rifle this country. It’s just prolific.” Chesto be lying around the house, able and katy also emphasized his concern ready to end the lives of many in an for gun collectors and the possible, instant. Although the Second Amendand frightening, alternative uses for ment gives Americans “the right to those guns other than for show. Sandy bear arms,” it does not specify exactly Hook murderer Adam Lanza’s mothwhat types of guns er, Nancy, was one are appropriate. It of the 27 casualties We have regressed draws no line and of the Sandy Hook can be interpreted as massacre due to to the point now allowing both handher irresponsible guns and military housing of a Bushthat we just have too assault weapons in master AR-15 and many guns in this the average Ameriseveral handguns. can’s home. If the Although controlcountry. It’s just United States populing gun colleclation simply must tors and other gun prolific. have handguns in advocates would their households, require time and —Mr. Cheskaty so be it, but military money, if successassault weapons do ful, it would signot belong in any home; no self-denificantly decrease the odds of gunfense endeavor requires a gun that can related killings from occurring. shoot several rounds with one press of But guns were not the only facthe trigger. tor in the Connecticut tragedy. Lanza One possible precaution the did not just appear inside the school, government could take toward prenor did he sneak into the school; he venting tragedies like Sandy Hook forced his way into the elementary from reoccurring would be to monischool. The National Rifle Association tor the distribution of gun licenses claims that it is the lack of protection more closely. In order to regulate the at public institutions that was the ispeople that acquire licenses, the govsue at Sandy Hook, not the gun laws. ernment would have to conduct more Although the NRA may have a point, extensive background checks across the massacres of the past should prothe nation. vide plenty of evidence in favor of reCurrently, to obtain a firearm vising gun laws in the United States. permit in California, a person is simSomething must be done to get our ply required to complete a classroom nation on the right track. training session and range training.

Nowhere in the application is there a medical form for the government to check that the person has no underlying medical conditions that could potentially lead them to act aggressively.

“

“

SECURITY AT PARKER Ultimately, there’s one question on everyone’s minds after the Sandy Hook shooting: If a gunman were to open fire on campus, would Parker be prepared? Although there is no sure answer to such a hypothetical question, Parker’s security is constantly being updated so as to keep students as safe as possible.

From more gates to student and faculty badges, schools across the nation have responded to the Sandy Hook incident promptly, hoping to deter another massacre of its magnitude. Mr. Mike Rinehart, Parker’s head of finance and operations, says, “We are always updating our emergency plans; it’s not something we ever feel is complete.” At the beginning of the school year, Parker’s maintenance installed more signage and prickly landscaping around the campus’s perimeter as extra deterrents.

Every classroom also has an Emergency Reference Guide (ERG).

This matte red plastic hanging booklet provides all the information that anyone would need in the case of an emergency. The ERG has four sections: Fire, Earthquake, Lockdown and Rosters. Each section is equipped with detailed information in case of an emergency.

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WHY AMERICA’S TWO PARTY SYSTEM DESTROYS PROGRESS ARTICLE BY RAPHIE CANTOR ILLUSTRATION BY STANLEY GAMBUCCI

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It was the middle of summer and the brims of their tri-cornered hats were stained with sweat. Men young and old were marching proudly, bearing colonial flags and ruffled shirts, thrusting tea in the air, and demanding that taxes be lowered for the sake of freedom. It was 2009, and the tea party movement had begun.

Since then, the tea party has essentially been absorbed as a part of the Republican Party. However, its advent left Americans with a reminder that the two party system, which has dominated American politics since the time of George Washington, may not be the best representation of democracy in an increasingly democratic world.

While countries around the world have transformed politics to include volumes of parties, America has remained stagnant, and we, the voters, suffer.

The political party system originated with the Founding Fathers. Federalists like George Washington and John Adams championed a strong federal government. Anti-Federalists, like Thomas Jefferson, advocated for decentralized power to the individual state governments. More than 200 years later, this system still endures.

History teacher Mr. Eric Taylor shares a common dilemma with many Americans: “I have trouble identifying with either Democrats or Republicans. Neither are wholly representative of my beliefs.”

But what happened to history’s third parties? In most cases, like Teddy Roosevelt’s Bull Moose Party in 1912

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or Ross Perot’s run as an Independent in 1992, these movements were simply breakaways from Democrats or Republicans and were later absorbed back into their original parties.

Today, the third-biggest party in the U.S. is the Libertarian Party whose 2012 candidate Gary Johnson only received 0.99% of the popular vote.

Many voting Americans don’t even

“

The fact that it is

a compliment to say a politician acted like an ‘adult’ should be alarming to the state of American politics.

“

know of the Libertarian Party because Democrats and Republicans want them out of the political limelight.

While this statement is extreme, in essence, it remains true. The most prominent example of this is the presidential debates. The debates influence undecided voters, but only showcase the candidates of the two major parties.

Both the Democratic and the Republican National Committees head the bipartisan Commission on Presidential Debates. This commission controls everything from runtime to questions to candidates. This leaves other candidates, like Gary Johnson or Green Party nominee Jill

Stein, out of national attention. News outlets also don’t feature other candidates because doing so would not bring in good ratings.

So, where in the world do multiparty systems work? Every single one of our allied nations and most of the democratic world have multi-party systems. These parties don’t try to appeal to every voter because they know it would not aid their efforts. There is a Labor party which represents workers and a Christian Democratic party for the religiously minded. These systems lead to more bickering between parties, but ultimately force more cooperation.

What America lacks is political cooperation. It’s one thing to be passionate about an ideal or belief, but it’s another to shut away any opinion that differs from your own. The fact that it is a compliment to say a politician acted like an “adult” should be alarming to the state of American politics.

Taylor believes that a shift in American politics may be ahead. “If the Arab world was able to invoke a revolution through a device in their pockets, why not here at home?” I have trouble agreeing. I don’t believe it will change soon because Americans simply don’t care enough to change it. It’s easy to say that politicians are the reason we went over the fiscal cliff, but people neglect to remember that we elect these people. They are our choice. So long as our choice is limited to two parties, America will lag in the political race.

IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE “LIFER” LIFESTYLE?

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ARTICLE BY NATALIE SCHMIDT ILLUSTRATION BY STANLEY GAMBUCCI

What makes Parker and other small independent schools special?

Maybe it’s the small classes that make discussion and individual learning easier; maybe it’s the personal connections students can have with the teachers who are there to give extra help on last night’s homework or to give advice over a cup of coffee; or maybe it’s the community spirit, where everyone is part of the Parker family and all the students—especially the ones who have been at school together since they were five­­­—know each other really well.

All of these experiences are typical of many small schools like Parker, but although they are wonderful elements to have, students can become dependent on these luxuries. This sheltered learning environment—“the Parker bubble”—can prevent students from being prepared for college and the so-called, “real world”. Life in the outside world is not like life at Parker, and living in this bubble for up to fifteen years can cause students to only see the world through the Parker lens.

This somewhat distorted view of the world can blur the realities of college life and beyond.

The first step into the outside world after Parker is typically college. Students who have been at a small school for their entire lives often have no more than twenty students

in a class. Therefore, adjusting to be college classes be more difficult. Foster Collins ‘12, who now attends the University of Pennsylvania, came to Parker his freshman year from Warren Walker, a small private school like Parker. Because of this, for his entire life he had never had more than about one hundred and twenty people in his grade, and now he says he has that many students in just one of his college classes. “The transition is a little weird at first, and it’s kind of daunting,” he says. “Especially when you first start out because there are all these people­—2,500 in my class alone—and you [don’t know any] of them.”

Most college professors, especially in freshman courses, cannot form close bonds with their students like teachers at Parker or other small independent schools can. College professors don’t have the time to read a paper in-depth or give you the chance to come in at break to ask them a question on the homework when they have three hundred other students. Katie Plaxe ’12, who studies at the University of Southern California, says, “The toughest part has been that the teachers are not as easy to contact. They have specific office hours and some never respond to email.”

At Parker, almost every teacher is available through email or even text messaging, but that luxury isn’t avail-

able elsewhere. Although it is wonderful to have a teacher who is always there to support you, students also need to be prepared to go out on their own where that isn’t the case.

David Lauer ‘12, a freshman at New York University, was a lifer at Parker and he agrees: “My transition was a little difficult. I was so used to the amazing amount of support that teachers from Parker provide that I had to re-teach myself how to learn and study.” Students can become too dependent on this special environment­­­—especially if they’ve grown up in it all their lives­­­—making it harder to adjust to college life.

When the time finally arrives to leave Parker and go off to college the journey is not going to be easy, particularly for those who have been at the same school for ten or more years.

Everyone­­­—whether someone came in ninth grade, fifth grade, or junior kindergarten­­­—is going to have to meet new people, get used to a new campus, and adjust to a different style of teaching. In order to make this transition easier, especially for the people who have grown up at Parker, we need to take off the “security blanket” before our delicate bubble is popped by the sharp reality of the real world.

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HOW DO WE COMPARE TO THE COLONEL’S DREAM? ARTICLE BY NISHON TYLER ILLUSTRATION BY STANLEY GAMBUCCI

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C

Colonel Francis Parker was kind of a revolutionary. Not in the classic sense, where he fought for liberty from tyranny—although he did that in the Civil War. Instead, he acted as one of the forerunners of educational reform, calling for the end to the old schooling, a method that focused on rote memorization and strict discipline. In its place, he introduced a new method: the Quincy method. It focused on what Parker called, the “whole child,” a notion centered around educating students not only in academics, but in arts and athletics as well.

Through his great work, this humble schoolmaster rose to become the superintendent of the Quincy School District and later to the role of principal of the Cook County Normal School, now known as Chicago State University. One year before his death in 1902, the original Francis Parker School was founded in Chicago. Ten years later, a second Francis Parker School was founded by Clara Sturges Johnson in San Diego, California.

Times have changed, and Parker has changed along with them. We’ve expanded to include over one thousand students, two campuses, and all the resources that a student could need. But have we strayed from the Colonel’s dream?

Let’s match up the past and present of Parker’s ideals.

1

Colonel Parker insisted that children should be able to both observe patterns and take an invested interest in the world around them.

Between Global Studies trips and a plethora of interim classes, Parker students are quite well-rounded. We regularly host speakers who share their knowledge and experiences with us. Similarly, within the more than half-dozen science classes, students design and perform their own experiments and conduct hands-on research. It would appear that so far this

standard of Colonel Parker’s has been able to reach through the decades to affect our current students’ daily lives.

2

Parker pointed out a phenomenon which has been present since higher education was first available: too often, students gain all the information needed to succeed in school, but not the skills needed to thrive after graduation. “We have all seen the young man come from college clothed in all the [spectacle] of knowledge,” said the Colonel. “And at the first spearthrust of reality the armor falls away and leaves him naked to the world.”

Chilling words, especially in today’s job market. The Colonel dreamed that Parker would be an institution which prepared individuals for any career path lying ahead. Luckily for us, Parker does its best to create an environment that cultivates genuine intelligence, character, and responsibility. Surely, the Colonel would approve.

3

The Colonel strongly disapproved of grades and standardization.

He realized that each student was unique, as was each teacher, and thus the attempt to standardize education was doomed to failure. The Colonel believed that each teacher should be something of a genius, a maverick.

“He called attention to the peculiarity of the American people who, in choosing their public servants, seemed to be governed by every conceivable consideration under the sun, except that of fitness,” said the New York Times in 1880. Parker has provided us with first-class teachers, but we have also locked ourselves into the world of college prep schools. We can grade-grub and SAT snub with the best of them, but every time we do, Colonel Parker rolls over in his grave.

4

Until a few weeks ago the mission statement, found on the school’s website, placed special emphasis on the “Parker family.” Now that this focus is gone, one wonders: what are we now?

When I came to Parker in sixth grade one phrase was repeated over and over again: “We are a family.”

I was coming from a small public school in La Mesa where we saw each other in the local Sprouts—formerly, Henry’s—and our parents would stop and talk for an hour or so. Despite this familiarity, no one ever thought to call us a family. We were not, but we were the closest thing I have yet seen among a group of essential strangers.

Coming to Parker, it seemed that this family was being thrust upon me. “You are part of the Parker family, now,” they said. I tried to understand that San Diego was bigger than I’d ever known. In all honesty, in those first three years, the idea of Parker resembling any kind of family was laughable to me. Even now, when things are better, I don’t quite believe we’ve mastered this whole family business. Not that that’s a bad thing.

What I’ve found about family is that it does not need to be defined as such. We’ve been undergoing an identity crisis. With a renovated campus, an expanding student body, and a new generation of teachers, we are not the same, and removing “family” from the mission statement reflects that. If this “family” is strong enough, the lack of name will not matter. If its not, maybe we never deserved it in the first place.

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DISCOVER OUR TEACHERS BACK IN THEIR TEENAGE YEARS

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ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY CIAN LAVIN AND PATRICK RILEY

When it comes to the sophisticated social hierarchy of high school, everyone falls in somewhere: the wild child, the lone wolf, the promiscuous pupil, the high school hottie, the scholastic champion, or any stereotype in between. Everyone’s been there, even our faculty. We’ve all had that same thought: what was my teacher like in high school? Prepare for a FreakyFriday role reversal as the master becomes the student and you get the inside scoop on just who teachers were in their high school years. These interviews were edited for length.

POINT LOMA HIGH SCHOOL ‘89 Who were you in high school?

If it’s possible, I was the most popular unpopular kid at Point Loma High. By that, I mean that a large percentage of the student body knew who I was only because I was the MC of the talent show and I would do stand-up before all of the theater performances. I was involved in a lot of things but I wasn’t there a lot and I wasn’t from Point Loma. So I definitely was not popular and even though people might have known who I was, I was not on anybody’s social map or anything like that... sad little nerd.

Did you have any good relationships with teachers?

Although I viewed school as state-sponsored babysitting where individuals are taught to stay in line, I did respect my English teacher. Well, she was manic-depressive but it was great because sometimes she would give these really intense classes and then other times she would have a hard time even getting off her desk in the teachers’ lounge. So she would let me teach class which was awesome. I remember being a sophomore and getting to go in and teach the senior class, it was just the coolest thing.

What sports you were involved in?

tesy photo cour

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’Onofrio of Jared D

Well, I haven’t been back to check, but I’m pretty sure that I am still the worst polevaulter at Point Loma High School. I mean I could go back and defend the title if necessary; I think I could still do about as well as I did then. But besides that the only thing that meant anything to me was wrestling. It taught me about the limits that we set for ourselves and how easily most of us give up most of the time. When I started out, I could have been the best wrestler on the JV Team but instead I was the worst Varsity wrestler in the county. I think my record may have been 1-19 and I was really lucky to get the one. But by my Senior year I was able to attend to the Master’s Tournament which means that I had placed in the top three in CIF, so I had gotten much better.

ft SAN LOUIS OBISPO HIGH SCHOOL ‘61 Were you rebellious or studious in high school?

I was a very studious. My parents always thought it was very important to be a good student and my rotten older sister was the top of her class. So I always had that pressure.

What extra curriculars were you involved in?

Band and trumpet. I did a lot in the band and we actually had a marching band.

So I got to go to all of the football games in uniform. Unfortunately our mascot was the tiger and so our uniforms were bright orange with black stripes: not so flattering.

Was there any part of your high school experience that reminds you of Parker?

I don’t think so. I hate to say this, but I was not one of those people who loved high school. And when I was in high school I thought it was real cool to date college guys. So I always had college boyfriends and that was kind of too bad looking back on it that I didn’t have more fun. I just don’t think I was real comfortable in high school. photo courtes

y of Rose Ha nscom

What were the styles like at your school?

Well we had a dress code and we couldn’t even wear pants or shorts. The reason I remember that is because I remember Senior Ditch Day wasn’t even actually ditching, it was just going to school and wearing shorts.

GROSSMONT HIGH SCHOOL ‘64 What was the diversity like at your school?

There was no diversity. Pretty much everywhere, it was that way. We actually did not have a black person in Grossmont High School until my senior year. None of us had ever had any contact with black people, living out there in that middle-class neighborhood. He could have been easily ostracized but he wasn’t. Rather than being outcast, he found more comfort and fame because of his color.

Did you have the same pressure that most Parker kids have?

No, not at all. In 1964, no student was ever expected to go to college. Instead, girls and guys went off to do any number of service jobs: plumbers, hairdressers, technicians, whatever it might be. I went into the service after high school. I was on active duty for 21 months but I was involved with the Navy for about five years.

Is there anything about Parker that reminds you of Grossmont?

No, because I found Grossmont to be far more impersonal than you guys would find Parker. Size-wise it was huge in comparison when you figure there were thousands of kids walking on that campus a day where Parker only has five hundred.

There were 640 kids in my graduating class, so you really didn’t get to know your peers like kids do here at Parker. It was a huge difference. photo courtesy

of Barry Chesk

aty

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SPACE TRAVEL IN THE 21st CENTURY

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ARTICLE BY PATRICK BARBA Photo Courtesy of virgingalactic.com

In its centennial year, Parker celebrates the progress it has made in the last 100 years, givng students and teachers an opportunity to reflect on the change in our country over the last century. In 1969, NASA sent men to the moon. 1990 marked the launch of the Hubble Space telescope. And with the close of the NASA space shuttle program in 2012, many Americans believed the space era was over.

But just as this year means looking back for Parker, we also look forward.

The future of space travel holds something new and exciting, proving that even the sky isn’t the limit.

It’s 2014 and the holidays are right around the corner. You celebrate withh a feast, family, and of course, a pile of presents. Just when they’ve all been opened, you catch sight of one last envelope. You tear it open with barely-contained excitement, and suddenly stop short. Inside the envelope, there are two plane tickets. Not to Europe, or South America, or anywhere else on Earth. No, these tickets are to space.

Your thank you’s should go to Virgin Galactic, an offshoot of billionaire Richard Branson’s Virgin group.

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Virgin Galactic is planning to make the first privately-owned manned spaceflights starting in 2014,.Because of their work, you now have the opportunity to travel via space shuttle just like the astronauts you admired as a kid.

Shooting for the moon isn’t in the cards just yet, but orbiting the globe has now become very possible for a normal person, as long as this “average American” has $200,000 to spend on the ticket. Most people have heard of Virgin Airlines or Virgin mobile, but a less well-known, and even more explosive, branch of the Virgin group is Virgin Galactic. Living up to its name, Virgin Galactic was the first company to send a privately owned shuttle into orbit. This groundbreaking flight first took place on October 4, 2004, and by the end of 2012, the shuttle made its 100th flight out of the new airport, Spaceport America, in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Space flight without the aid of NASA’s enormous boosters is nearly impossible, but the engineers at Virgin are working hard to succeed independently. They decided to use a high-flying jet, the White Knight

Two, to piggyback the space shuttle into the thin upper atmosphere. The shuttle then drops off, pivots upward, and jets up to over 62 miles above the earth’s surface. The passenger gets to experience a grand total of six minutes of weightlessness, where they are able to unclip their seat belts and float around the cabin. The six-passenger space shuttle, creatively named SpaceShipTwo, will be filled with some of the world’s most affluent people, including Stephen Hawking and Brad Pitt. According to the company’s website, virgingalactic.com, the waiting list is currently 550 people and it continues to grow.

Unfortunately, the exact timeline for these manned spaceflights is vague. Tests are currently being done on every aspect of the flights, from the jets to the landing gear. As new innovations continue to be made, the timeline becomes slightly clearer, but no official date has been set.

The Virgin Galactic website lays out some guidelines for travelers. They need to be in good physical condition, and be able to complete a series of tests, including Virgin’s centrifuge, a machine to test G-forces.

If everything goes as planned, your $200,000 deposit has been made, and you officially make it onto the waiting list, Richard Branson’s world is open to you. Virgin Galactic explains that by making a down payment on your space flight, you can additionally be “hosted by Sir Richard Branson at his private island in the Caribbean, game reserve in South Africa, chalet in the Swiss Alps and estate in the Atlas Mountains in Morocco. [Clients] have even stayed in the Ice Hotel in the Arctic and visited Spaceport Sweden.”

The Virgin Galactic website is the place to go for any prospective space traveler. Your childhood aspiration of becoming an astronaut may be impossible, but this journey to space is a pretty good second choice.

ft

TWO STUDENTS WHO HAVE GONE ABOVE AND BEYOND ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY AUDREY YANG

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Our school is filled with a number of talented individuals, but only some have gone above and beyond to make a difference in society.

Whether it is creating and delivering meals for struggling families or reaching out to students in Southeast San Diego, these two philanthropic students have been running their own community service organizations out of their love for helping others.

Juniors Preetam Soundararajan and Annie Sager

P REE T A M S O U N DARARA J A N

A N N IE S AGER

Education Beyond the Classroom (or EBTC) is a non-profit organization that provides online tutoring services to underprivileged students in the city of San Diego.

More amazing than the program itself is the fact that it was started by a Parker junior: Preetam Soundararajan. Soundararajan is a member of the Parker Community Service Board and a leader of multiple community service projects. In the ninth grade, he started the Arts and Academic Outreach Club, in which members traveled to the San Diego Young Artists Music Academy in the southeast part of the city to tutor disadvantaged students. However, the commute to the school became a difficult task for the Scripps Ranch resident, which is how Soundararajan came up with the idea of an online tutoring program.

After he spoke with the San Diego County Office of Education, EBTC became a reality. “I am currently setting up online afterschool tutoring programs in Kit Carson and at a community center in Oceanside,” says Soundararajan, “and I have used the money from EBTC to set up these tutoring programs.” Soundararajan’s commitment to helping others is prevalent in his work, and he is prepared to add more hard-earned hours to his already-completed two hundred and fifty hour high school community service record.

For junior Annie Sager, community service goes beyond volunteering time and energy for others; it involves cultivating a relationship with the people she serves.

With her non-profit organization, Serving Spoons Inc., she is able to put her ideals into practice. By combining her love of cooking and community service, Sager developed the program as a freshman. Since its founding, Serving Spoons Inc. has developed into a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, giving it the capability to accept taxdeductible donations. For about ten hours once a month, Sager shops for ingredients using donated money and creates meals for four underprivileged families. “We’ll always include a protein or a really heavy main course... [and] we always, always, always have vegetables,” she says. “We will also include a starch... and a dessert. Sometimes we have extras, like little muffins or breakfast casserole.” Furthermore, not only do the families benefit from Sager’s efforts, but the volunteers also gain valuable skills through volunteering. Members of the organization learn how to cook simple meals from a few quality ingredients. The Sager family personally delivers meals to each individual family, pairing the deliciously prepared course with a side of love.

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DR. RAI WILSON

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ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPH BY KATIE KREITZER

Dr. Rai Wilson entered Mimi’s Cafe with a giggling six-year-old Jack slung over his shoulder and a comparatively cautious two-year-old Joshua following close behind. The trio was dressed in their Saturday best— matching tennis shoes, blue jeans and layered t-shirts—hungry for pancake breakfasts and a Balboa Park adventure.

We made our way into the corner booth, where we took bites of pancakes between talking about the boys and the crayon masterpieces they had made on their kids’ menus. Sitting at the table with Jack and Josh, it was very clear which child took after hisfather: “Josh is definitely more like I was [as a kid]. He’s quieter—I mean everybody is quieter than Jack—and calmer.” Physically, Wilson also sees a major difference between the brothers: “Joshy will end up being a middle linebacker; he’s solid. But football is

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Jack (6), Dr. Wilson, and Joshua (2) smile outside of the Balboa botanical building

so violent and Jack is Charmin soft, so I don’t think that would work out well for him.”

Dr. Wilson had a far different childhood from those of his current and to-be Lancers. Wilson grew up in the heart of Toledo, Ohio, a place well known for its poverty rates and poor education system. But, at the age of ten, he found his way out of Toledo and into a South Jersey private school with a scholarship: “Back in the 70’s, my dad was the head of the Quakers in North America and the dean at Moorestown Friends School and he wanted me to come live with him to escape the Toledo schools. It was very fortunate for me, because my cousins didn’t end up doing nearly as well back in Toledo.”

But how different was Wilson’s high school experience from that of a current Parker student? “I know some teachers often stereotype Parker kids

and think they come from the same background, but for me, as poor kid of minority race, I know that isn’t true. But I did often find it hard to keep up [socially]. My friends would say, ‘Oh, we should go skiing in Killington, Vermont.’ And I’m like, ‘That sounds cool, but I don’t like the cold.’

So I wouldn’t go, but I really just didn’t have $800 to go skiing. But I had a great time in high school. My friends and I often went down to the Jersey Shore and into Philadelphia to attend games and hit on Sixers’ cheerleaders. We’d stand outside and be like, ‘Oh, you’re our favorite.’ ‘Oh, that’s so sweet.’ Hug. [to the next cheerleader] ‘Oh, you’re our favorite.’ ‘Oh, that’s so sweet.’ Hug.” Breakfast came to an end, the troops were rallied, and we headed to Balboa Park, where Wilson—between making sure Josh wasn’t being hurt

by Jack and Jack wasn’t being hurt

ft by himself—sat on a bench with us to talk about his experiences beyond high school, namely at his undergraduate alma mater, Princeton University. He chose to attend the prestigious university not because of its national acclaim but rather because it was just 40 minutes away from his home, he was offered significant financial aid, and his high school best friend was also planning to attend. “The pieces all fit together,” he said.

At Princeton, Wilson found himself again surrounded by people who were extraordinarily wealthy. “I was friends with some billionaires, even a Prince of Saudi Arabia.” He also often found the people at his university to be “almost parodies of what you would expect”: “I remember this one time I was walking—it was very warm outside—and there was a gardener who was hot and sat down on a bench and some kid yelled, ‘Those benches are for students!’ I’m like, ‘Did you even want to sit there?’ He just didn’t want the gardener sitting on the bench. I’m thinking, ‘You’re why people don’t like us [students].’

“In retrospect, I wish I hadn’t gone there. I loved the school, I loved the professors, and I feel like it really made me smarter—I think it’s hard to get smarter after you’re 15 years old, when you kind of are who you are— and it gave me a more inquiring mind and a wonderful job. But at Princeton, the frats are underground, so almost all the social life happens in the eating clubs, which are like cafeterias for coed fraternities. But they cost around $5,000 a semester, so I wasn’t in them and I was kind of removed from the university as a whole. And then I had some racial issues there, so my friends were surprised that I went down south to Virginia after Jersey. But I had far fewer racial issues in Virginia than at Princeton.”

The University of Virginia, the site of Wilson’s graduate pursuits, was a school he has much fonder memories of. “I loved Virginia, I really did. I feel like I had too much fun. I met my wife in the law school there. I rarely endorse

Princeton with our students, but I do try to push our kids towards UVA all the time.”

But before Dr. Wilson stumbled upon his wife, Nykia Wilson, at UVA, he had his fair share of encounters the the college ladies: “I remember in college I thought this girl was cute and her chain came off of her bike and I flipped it over and got it out and put it back on.

And then I found out she had raced in the Olympics and I’m like, ‘Okay, I’m the biggest loser in the world.’ ‘Oh, hey little lady. Let me sort that out for you’—It taught me never to patronize a woman.”

But his lady skills improved toward the end of his first semester of law school, when he was able to combat the

“

I asked her out

like 30 times. She said she thought I was joking. I was like ‘No, you hoped I was joking.

Those are totally different.’

“

—Dr. Rai Wilson often-inescapable “friend zone” and graduate with both a doctorate and a fiancée: “We were both dating people the first semester and when we became friends we would just complain about our messed-up relationships. But then, when we were both single, I asked her out like 30 times. She said she thought I was joking. I was like, ‘No, you hoped I was joking. Those are totally different.’”

After law school, the couple of 13 years moved to San Diego and Wilson began pursuing not law, but teaching: “My wife is very supportive, so I can basically do whatever I want, whatever makes me happy—so I thought I’d apply to teach. I’ve always enjoyed teaching—I like young people—so ev-

ery summer in college I used to work with disadvantaged teenagers in Jersey to help them get scholarships to good schools like Parker.” He submitted his application to Parker in 2003, and has been here ever since.

Ask Wilson’s students and they will tell you that, though he is pleasant and even-tempered, there are two things in this world that he absolutely will not tolerate: Cheez-Its and photographs. “I was three months old, my Mom tells me, when we were in the grocery store and she reached up to get some Cheez-Its,” he said. “She dropped me and then the Cheez-Its also fell.

She tried to catch me and it was just a big Cheez-It cloud. It must be some traumatic association I have. And with photographs, I hate the moment of falsity: when someone says ‘Cheese’ and you go: ‘Mmm.’ And then, there’s the whole relation to Cheez-its.”

Wilson had to quickly reaffirm to an unusually hyper Josh that his Pop Tarts didn’t belong in the water fountain, while struggling to grab the wand from within the bottle of bubbles Jack had brought over to him: “This is a design flaw. They need to make the wand bigger. My sausage fingers are no help.”

And when the wand was finally freed, Jack was free to roam around the grass area blowing bubbles endlessly. He put on a little show, skipping around, doing cartwheels and handstands, which prompted his father to defend his comical nature: “I try to talk about the difference between being charming and funny and being the class clown.

I want him to make sure he straddles that line appropriately. He’s also quite the dramatic one; I came to pick him up a while back and he was sitting in the office surrounded by ten fourthgrade girls. And he’s like, ‘I bumped my brain.’ He tried to do a backflip. I’m like, ‘Jack, you can’t do a backflip.’ And he said, ‘But I really wanted to.’ And I told him, ‘Jack, I really wanted to take girls out on my private jet in college, but I didn’t have one. So we have to accept our limitations.’”

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Basic information for the Not-so GLobally Aware ARTICLE BY PATRICK RILEY ILLUSTRATION BY STANLEY GAMBUCCI

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You. Yeah, you. Put away your phone. Get off Facebook; you can stalk piffy middle schoolers later. Unless, of course, you’re taking time to skim the Yahoo! articles your peers have “read” on your newsfeed, and we doubt you are. In a recent survey taken to gauge our student body’s global awareness, the results were, quite frankly, dismal. At a school that promotes intensive global studies programs, it’s time to take a step back and read about the world before we stomp all over it. It’s time to stop keeping up with five ridiculous sisters, their pregnancies, and their curves, and begin keeping up with something a little more relevant: the current. So put down those electronic devices and take a moment to learn a little bit about what’s happening in the world right now. Yes, right now.

It’s safe to say that most of you remember the wildfires that devastated Southern California over five years ago, but how many of you know about the recent fires that have ravaged much of Eastern Australia? According to a Scribe survey of over 90 Parker students, the majority, 54%, of you don’t.

In early January, the middle of the Australian summer, temperatures took a sudden spike toward the extreme, reaching an average national record—in a country nearly the size of the United States, mind you—of over 102˚F for five consecutive days. During that same week, thermometers are reported to have reached up to 119˚F along the southern coast.

These astronomically high temperatures, coupled with winds reaching 50 mph in some areas, are the perfect fuel to one of the nation’s biggest threats: wildfires. At the height of this year’s outbreak, it is reported that over 140 fires were burning throughout the southeastern states of New South

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Wales and Tasmania. Though most of these were small brush fires, hundreds of homes, communities, and lives were put in grave danger. Most of January’s damage was in rural areas, and though this spared many home, the wildfires devastated forests and threatened many National Parks.

Wildfires are not an uncommon occurrence for the land down under.

In February 2009, hundreds of fires across the Victoria province killed 173 people and destroyed more than 2,000 homes. Certainly these disasters are less personal than the ones our community faced in 2007 and 2004, but does the geographic separation make them any less worthy of our attention?

For the 54% of you who don’t know about it, say hello to the world’s most recent international conflict. The internal crusade for the independence of Northern Mali has been ongoing for over a year now. In January 2012, as part of the larger Arab Spring, sev-

eral insurgent groups began their initial rebellion against the Malian government. With the help of multiple Islamist groups, including the prominent Ansar Dine, National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) rebels led several successful attacks in the North. By April, after a coup of the Malian president and the capture of several major cities, the organization declared the North an independent nation, an assertion rejected by both the African and European Unions.

Following this seemingly peaceful decision, many of the Islamist groups that previously supported the movement began to have differing visions for the future of the conceived new state.

Without permission of the MNLA, these groups dedicated to the nonsecular, militant spread of Islam, began inflicting harsh Sharia law. By July, The MNLA was run out of the north. After re-allying with the depleted independence groups, the Malian government sent out a request for foreign assistance, which after quick deliberation in the UN, was met. Currently, with substantial aid from French special forces, the Malian military is slowly driving back the Islamist groups of the north into the surrounding mountains.

Now it is your responsibility to keep up with the developments of this serious event. And for the cynics who don’t think they need to, think again.

On January 16 of this year, mainly in response to international intervention, an Islamist group closely associated with Al Qaeda took 800 people hostage near the Algerian city of In Aménas. Among the hostages held at the local gas facility were an estimated 132 foreign nationals, of which the amount of Americans is unclear. Nonetheless, after four days of demands from both sides, the results of the hostage crisis are staggering. Despite the rescue of a majority of the hostages, 39 foreigners along with one Algerian national are reported to have died; three of them were Americans.

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WHY THE MICROFINANCING MOVEMENT IS GAINING MOMENTUM ARTICLE BY ARIELLE SWEDBACK Photo Courtesy of kiva.org

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For 44-year-old Zonie, every sunrise means a new trek from her town of Sibalom in the Philippines.

This beaming mother of three pushes her kiosk to a new village every day to sell dried fish at the local markets. Her business is thriving, yet it is limited by her lack of transportation. Because she cannot carry much product as she walks by foot to neighboring towns, she does not bring home as much profit as she would like. A truck or a car would make an exceptional difference, but because she is dependent on daily profits, she cannot afford a vehicle. This is where microcredit, lending small sums of money to entrepreneurs in impoverished areas, has the potential to change Zonie’s life.

With more than a third of the Philippines’ population trapped in a cycle of generational poverty, the microfinancing institution Ahon Sa Hirap (ASHI) was established in the country as an economically sustainable way to alleviate poverty. The program targets individuals like Zonie who have already developed skills and a financial plan, but need help acquiring basic tools to expand their businesses.

Social Justice teacher Mr. Philip Trotter says, “Grassroots programs are often the most effective way to bring about economic and social justice.”

The key to this complex global network of microfinancing institutions is an organization based in the U.S. called Kiva. It serves as a link between lenders and borrowers in 69 countries around the world. With a 99-percent repayment rate, Kiva is considered the most successful microcredit organization. Here’s how it works:

“

Grassroots

programs are often the most effective way to bring about economic and social justice.

“

—Mr. Philip Trotter You become interested in Kiva after learning about microfinancing in your social justice class. You log on to Kiva.org and browse borrower profiles until you decide to lend $25 to Zonie.

The money goes through Kiva to the microfinancing organization, ASHI, and is used to fund a part of a loan they’ve granted her. When 200 people have done the same, she can buy herself a truck. Now she can carry and sell

Microloan recipient Zonie Occeña ten times the amount of dried fish she had before. Using this surplus, she can continue to expand her business, educate her children, and foster developPhoto Courtesy of kiva.org ment in her community. She can also easily pay back the $25 loans. When you get an email saying that Zonie has repaid the loan, you can help someone else or withdraw the money. You have now helped a family halfway across the world and it didn’t cost you a penny.

Microfinancing programs have concentrated their efforts on one particular demographic: women. “Microfinance has done more to bolster the status of women and protect them from abuse than any laws, charities, or institutions could accomplish,” says Trotter.

As the microfinancing movement gains momentum, more and more female-focused organizations are being founded for these reasons.

Few high school students dream of becoming bankers, but anyone with Internet access can lend small sums to produce big results. 900,000 individuals have participated and $400 million have been lent and repaid since Kiva’s founding in 2005. In 2010, former President Bill Clinton, founder of the Clinton Foundation for Social and Economic Justice, said, “You and I could become bankers to people so we can give them a chance to raise their kids with dignity.”

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ft 1977

1977: Lifers should recognize this shot. Two lower schoolers walk out onto the main quad of the Mission Hills campus.

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now

2013: 1st graders Connor Peterson and Berit Andersen standing on what seems to be the only unchanged part of the campus since the remodeling.

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SNAPSHOTS OF PARKER THROUGH THE YEARS ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY DUTRA BROWN AND JAY GARDENSWARTZ PHOTOGRAPHS COMPILED FROM CATHY MORRISON

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A little over three billion seconds.

Nearly 144,000 class periods. 100 years.

The Parker centennial is not an arbitrary date set to signify a milestone in our school’s development. As Director of the Centennial Mrs. Briana Ruff explains, it is not merely a celebration of 100 years of “educating the best and the brightest.” It is about looking back, but then looking forward. It is a celebration of all the places Parker will continue to go.

Since 1912, San Diego’s “oldest and largest independent, non-denomination-

al, co-educational school” (as advertised by the Parker website) has expanded into a new campus and throughout the globe, taking students everywhere from South Africa to the Philippines. A lot has changed for the school in 100 years, but the basic elements of a Parker education have remained the same. Parker’s academics, athletics, arts, and emphasis on student wellness have only expanded, offering more classes, more sports, more arts, and more opportunities for students to shine.

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ft 1970s

Students of the mid-’70s enjoy a library consisting of reference books and typewriters.

now

Now, freshmen Jonathan Lemberg and Anoushka Bose’ utilize the trendy MacBooks the current library has to offer.

now

1919

Four Parker students hit the books in this almost unrecognizable physics classroom almostclass 100 in years ago.

A Parker physics 1919.

Mr. Ryan Griggs, sophomore Remi Mooney, senior Tony Armas, sophomore Matt Wei, and sophomore Nick Watkins in a newer, more tech-savvy classroom.

Of all the different components of Parker life, our school’s commitment to offering students excellence in academics has never faltered. As Middle School Dean and former Parker student Ms. Christi Cole explains, “Many things really have stayed the same over the years. We’ve certainly gotten bigger, but our friendly, family community has stayed together. Class sizes are small, teachers still get to know their students really well.

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ft

Just like Parker’s cheer team in the ’80s, all sports still have a strict no-cut policy. This is unusual, and helps to create a diverse group of athletes who are excited to participate in sports. “To be able to work with smart, dedicated, passionate, and caring students has been very rewarding for me,” says Associate Director of Athletics Coach John Herman. “That has not changed during my 24 years at Parker.”

1980s

1920s

Parker’s boys’ basket ball team circa 192 0. Back then, athleti opportunities were c limited for women.

now

Back row: Senior Grace Nicklin, senior Maya Jackson, freshman Ali Goines.

Front row: Sophomore Ysa Sawaya, sophomore Annika Meurer, freshman Alison Carey

The current varsity girls’ basketball team, as with the rest of the athletics department, prides itself on inclusion, allowing any student, boy or girl, to participate.

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ft 1939 Parker has always been committed to educating its students in the arts. Classes like pottery and woodshop have always been available, while current students also have the opportunity to dabble in stone carving and the stained glass interim course.

now

Frehsman Max Baez and Eric Linssen work on sculpting a pot in 3D Art and Design.

Even back in the 30’s these two Parker students manage to keep up a high standard of Parker pottery.

1920

This Parker student works away on his woodworking masterpiece in Woodshop, a long-lasting and timeless Parker art.

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now

Junior Tanner Aiono works on the lathe to shape a bowl in woodworking.

ft now

1973

This bright bunch of Parker students keep the Lancer Spi back on this classy rit alive and fun 70’s bus.

Parker seniors lounge after school on an updated Parker school bus in 2013 (from left to right): top row­–Nils Green, Savannah Philyaw, and Ceci Jordan middle row–Eva Scarano, Jade Willey, Dani Cohn, Kate Dodge, and Matt Spees bottom row–Arianna Gastelum, Alex Frachon, and Sam Bagheri

The Class of 1973 (left) and the Class of 2013 (right) relax after school. Head of Upper School Mr. Paul Barsky highlights the changes that have occurred to help further student wellness. “We’ve got everything from advisors to grade-level deans to the wellness team, which involves the nurses and psychologists,” he says.

“We’re doing everything in our power to make sure that kids don’t fall between the cracks, that they can find their own voices and be successful.”

On the subject of the ever-

changing Parker student population, Head of School Mr. Kevin Yaley has just one thing to say: “[The students] keep getting nicer and nicer.”

According to Yaley, in these next 100 years, this duality of changes and continuities will continue. “In one respect, I see very little change.

Parker will always remain true to its core values,” he says. “However, in another respect, I see Parker becoming a leader in independent education locally and nationally.” Here, Yaley and Barsky are on the same page.

Barsky asks, “Should Parker only be educating local Parker students?” He continues to talk about the relatively new idea to expand Parker into the online world, as many other top-tier high schools and universities are doing. “We already have these global initiatives, but I’m interested in things like online classes to help not only us reach them but them reach us. It’s absolutely fascinating.”

So, what will the next 100 years have in store for Parker? We’ll just have to wait and see.

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ft

SPOTLIGHTING ALUMNI ACCOMPLISHMENTS

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ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY CIAN LAVIN

More often than not, just the thought of leaving Parker’s warm, tight-knit community is enough to reduce any Parker pupil to tears. However, graduation should be no cause for fear. Take some comfort in alumna Vanessa Mitchell; this Parker grad has risen from our cozy campus in Linda Vista to become the head of her very own custom engagement ring business. Her trendy 7th-floor studio towers above downtown San Diego and her skills in online marketing and business management allow her to attract clients from across the nation. Get the scoop on this Lancer legend and uncover her secrets to making it in big bad world of business.

Were there any teachers in high school who left an impact on you?

Though she’s not a teacher, I would definitely say Diane Bergel had a great impact on my life. She was like an aunt to me because I had known her since I was a kid. Also, one of my favorite classes was Woodworking with Mr. Cheskaty. Even though woodworking is seen as a male-dominated industry, Mr. C always made me feel like I could create anything I wanted. His advice, “Measure twice, cut once,” has stuck with me forever and comes in handy when I create engagement rings. And the best part is that Mr. Cheskaty still supports my work to this day.

When did you become interested in making rings?

Well, I started out doing ceramics from 6th grade all the way through senior year, and I loved it. I actually went to college thinking I was going to study ceramics. But then after first semester I shipped home all of my pieces and everything broke. So that’s when I realized ceramics wasn’t going to work and I ended up taking a jewelry class. Suddenly, I found myself staying late at night in the studio and my boyfriend was competing for time with me. If you find yourself doing something for hours and hours and you still love it, that’s when it clicks: “Maybe I should do this for a living.”

What did you enjoy the most about Parker?

I think one of the coolest things about Paker was that although it’s often described as a bubble that shields you from “the real world,” I really appreciated that aspect of it. My mom works in the public school system so I really get to see the differences between private and public school. I really enjoyed having that bubble to grow up in and I don’t consider it a bad thing. I want to put my kids in the bubble too! I mean, if you can, get in there!

Did you feel Parker was as challenging when you attended?

I did feel challenged in terms of my education. One of the hardest things for me in high school was academics; math and science classes just weren’t my strength. Everyone around me was doing their math homework in an hour and I would have to sit with a tutor for three hours to try and get it through my head! I guess that’s what’s bittersweet about high school: It challenges you but sometimes it’s almost as if you’re putting all of this negative energy inside of your head thinking that you aren’t good enough. But in the end, it really doesn’t matter. If you end up doing something you love that doesn’t require you to understand all of those academic aspects, then it’s fine! for more alumni profiles, check out fpsthescribe.com

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PHOTO ROOM

custom necklace

DOWNTOWN VIEW

VANESSA MITCHELL ’01

VANESSA’S STUDIO march 2013

THE SCRIBE

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the scribe 2012-13

THE BEST OF BRITISH TV

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ARTICLE BY COLIN GREY

Photographs Courtesy of imdb.com

Chances are your only experience with British television is listening to your parents talk about Downton Abbey. Although you may think British TV is boring, the fact of the matter is that TV is one of the thinga the British do better than anyone else. The BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) has been responsible for two of the three most-watched shows in the world, ever (Doctor Who and Top Gear), but British TV goes far beyond just these two shows.

GENRE: Science Fiction AVAILABLE ON: Netflix OVERVIEW: Doctor Who has been one of the world’s most popular shows since its 1963 debut. It is the story of an alien, his companions, and their travels through time and space.

BEST CHARACTER: The Doctor is a quirky, witty, thousand-year-old alien who always travels through time with a human companion, showing them things they could have only ever dreamed of seeing.

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GENRE: Sketch Comedy AVAILABLE ON: Netflix OVERVIEW: If you are a fan of House, you may know that Hugh Laurie was originally a British comedic actor. One of his first shows, A Bit of Fry and Laurie, is a sketch comedy show written by him and his comedy partner, Stephen Fry. BEST Sketch: Every episode has a sketch of interview questions with the hosts dressed as random people on the street, and the audience cannot hear the questions.

GENRE: Comedy AVAILABLE ON: Netflix OVERVIEW: This show follows four high-school-aged kids and their coming of age. If you like Workaholics, you will love this British comedy.

BEST CHARACTER: Jay, the leader of the group, is one of the most crude characters on television; he’s guaranteed to make you laugh with his crass jokes and blatant lies.

GENRE: Comedy AVAILABLE ON: Netflix OVERVIEW: A typical Top Gear episode consists of comedic reviews of cars, an interview and timed lap with a celebrity, and a ridiculous challenge featuring the three hosts.

It is full of mishaps, pranks, and endless laughs.

BEST CHARACTER: Jeremy Clarkson is the show’s longest-lasting host for a reason. He is capable of finding a way to joke about everything, which makes every episode hilarious.

GENRE: Comedy/Drama AVAILABLE ON: Hulu for free OVERVIEW: Five juvenile delinquents who have been sentenced to community service are given superpowers during a freak electrical storm.

Strange things begin to happen to them, such as unplanned time travel, and runins with zombie cheerleaders.

BEST CHARACTER: Nathan is a young Irishman who cannot help but say what he is thinking all the time; this often gets him in trouble.

IS A FOOD EDUCATION COURSE A REAL POSSIBILITY AT PARKER? ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY SEAN WATERS AND MOLLY MORRISON

A

As you hurry downstairs ready to scarf down your routine breakfast before school, you fantasize about golden hash browns, charred bacon, fluffy eggs, crispy toast, and a serving of eggs benedict. Although you know a true feast is the best way to start your morning, you don’t have the time or the skills needed to make that dream a reality. You think to yourself, “If only I could learn how to make good food, and fast!” Luckily for the Parker population, a food education program may be in the near future.

History teacher Mrs. Cherie Redelings has contacted a school in New Jersey with a food education program to investigate how such a program might work at Parker. Culinology would be a course combining food science, chemistry, kitchen skills, and economics. Food education can help broaden students’ cultural understandings, teaching them to identify dishes from across the globe, and how to prepare them. The class would also discuss food licenses, food in the government, and legal requirements for all restaurants.

In order to become a course at Parker, though, the curriculum would have to be reviewed by the appropriate department.

Basic nutritional understanding would lead students to healthier and more educated food choices, according to Redelings. “Food education is about more than just getting out measuring cups,” she says. “There’s such a huge field of knowledge.” Culinology would teach critical skills that would help prepare students for both college, and life.

It’s important to consider the fact that there would be drawbacks to add-

ing it to the curriculum. First, there is no adequate space on campus for the course.

To provide a productive class, a suitable kitchen area would have to be built.

Would students have to pay to take

NO 15 25%

MAYBE 10 17% YES 34 58%

Based on a Scribe survey of 59 students

the course? How would materials like food and cooking supplies get paid for? Among these problems Redelings says another would be that, “such a class is seen as lowlevel and simple, but it wouldn’t be that: it could be an extremely high-level class.”

Head of the Upper School Mr. Paul Barsky is interested in the idea of making it a class but is also entertaining having the course “be infused throughout the Parker community. It could be another component [of student wellness].” He says, “It certainly sounds like a great interim course. From that it can become a club or an academic course... It could also be a theme that we decide is important to incorporate into the

school.”

Culinology was an interim course in some of the first years the interim program was offered, but Academic Dean Mr. Paul Roudebush is still not completely convinced a culinology class could be successful. He says that while the interim program was successful, transferring something from an interim course to a regular class is a lengthy process. More people have to sign up for a trimester or year-long course than a temporary two-week course. “Kids would have to drop other electives to sign up for this class, and that’s one of the risks involved when adding a class to the curriculum,” says Roudebush. The process of adding a class to the curriculum includes finding someone to teach it and finding a place for it in a certain department. On top of that, there’s scheduling it and deciding whether it would be a year-long or trimester-long course.

The Parker curriculum is built for new opportunities like a food education class. But the ultimate fate of a culinology course lies not in our hunger for new foods, but in demonstrated interest for such a course.

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:

NO, IT’S NOT JUST ON COMEDY CENTRAL ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY DUTRA BROWN

Corner of Café Madeleine

Vegetarian Crepe ($6.75) with Egg ($2)

CAFE MADELEINE The red umbrellas and painted gold letters spelling out “Café Madeleine” scream “Bonjour” as you step into Paris. The long list of coffees ­— take special note of the Bicenn: espresso, Nutella, and steamed milk ($3.75) ­—and Italian sodas don’t even seem to matter when your attention is turned over to the even longer list of crepes. Savory crepes come with a small salad, and while the delicate batter is slightly sweet, it leaves you feeling light and refreshed. However, those of us with a sweet tooth may take more interest in the variety of dessert crepes, starring the muchloved flavor: Nutella ($5). Each day there are specialty dessertsm quiches, and paninis that will have your mouth watering. Great food and a great theme — qu’est-ce qui n’est pas à aímer.

2248 30TH ST 619-544-1735 MON-SUN 7:30AM-5PM

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Front counter at Rebecca’s

Freshman Wolf Recht ahead of the game Chocolate hazelnut gelato

Open storefront window Sunglasses and jewelry on display

REBECCA’S COFFEE HOUSE

GRAFFITI BEACH

This South Park favorite will have you sipping on good vibes and great chai lattes ($3.50). A cozy coffee shop on the corner, Rebecca’s is for everyone from early-morning dog walkers to late-night studiers stopping here for their caffeine fix. You will feel right at home curled up on one of the many couches or tucked away at a table working on a lastminute history response. Though you may be tempted by the Chocolate Walnut Mocha Muffin ($2.75) also make sure to try one of Rebecca’s award-winning scones ($2.75) that are made fresh every day and are served with homemade jam. The coffee shop really comes to life at night, when musicians take the small bandstand. Parker musicians may be intrigued by the open mic nights that are hosted every Thursday.

This trendy spot is only for the hippest of hip. With local jewelery, cool shades, and adorable threads, though Graffiti Beach is a recent addition to the neighborhood it’s one with a great presence. Some merchandise is a little pricey, but the quality and originality can compensaten for that.

Wooden-framed sunglasses, bicyclechain cuffs, and typewriter rings are just a few of the hidden gems you’ll find. The store also hosts a number of events, including artist and music showcases and trunk shows. Graffiti Beach is always on top of trends.

3015 juniper ST 619-284-3663 MON-TUE, SUN 6AM-9PM WED 6AM-10PM THU-SAT 6AM-6AM

2220 fern ST 858-433-0950 TUE-THU 10AM-7PM FRI-SAT 10AM-8PM SUN 11AM-5PM

C

Clustered on a few blocks in South Park is a plethora of shops to fill your stomachs, empty your wallets, and provide you with plenty of entertainment. According to sandiego.org, this area that used to be considered “run down” has transformed itself into one of San Diego’s most charismatic neighborhoods. Home to the hipsters (North Park is just too mainstream nowadays), this cozy place will introduce you to the land where vintage is best and men’s facial hair is required. Whether you are looking for a small boutique to get your three outfits for Coachella or grabbing a bite to eat from one of the many delicious restaurants, anyone is sure to enjoy this small collection of independently owned shops.

Pedal up on your fixed-gear bike and spend the afternoon exploring what this prime location has to offer.

Outside seating area Fresh tots straight from the kitchen

STATION TAVERN Craving some meat? A juicy Angus chuck on a toasted bun just might satisfy that hunger. There is a choice between regular and sweet potato fries, but I have one word for you: tater tots ($2.50). Well, that was two but the emphasis still stands. With these spiced, crispy finger foods, the Station proves tater tots are no longer for tiny tots. For vegetarians, look to the Spicy Black Bean Burger ($7), more popular than the traditional House Veggie Burger ($7). All of this is set in a casual environment.

The seating is mostly outdoors, with picnic tables and larger communal tables scattered under an array of colorful stringed lights. It’s great for the family—even the dog can come along; Station Tavern is pet friendly.

2204 fern St 619-255-0657 TUES-THU, SUN 11:30AM-11PM FRI-SAT 11:30AM-12AM

People gathered at the opening

Paying up for the chocolate bars

Freshly baked cookies, cupcakes, and waffle bowls

Delicious flavors

ECLIPSE CHOCOLATE

THE DAILY SCOOP

Having just moved into South Park from the original El Cajon Boulevard location at the end January, the chocolaterie has already been buzzing. The newer space is grander, with a chocolate bar and full bistro which features the new, seasonal, Sweet & Savory Brunch every Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 2pm. Delicate truffles are displayed in a glass case next to pastries and confections, while an array of exotic looking chocolate bars lines the walls. Newcomers must try the classic Lavender Sea Salt Nib Bar. Ladies and gents, if you missed Valentine’s Day because you were overseas, nothing shows how much you care like a few extra pounds.

It seems to be one of the last momand-pop ice cream shops in San Diego. If you’re tired of the predictable Baskin Robbins chain, check out the Daily Scoop. The variety of ice cream flavors taunt you behind the glass case and are all delicious when placed on the top of a warm fresh brownie (Brownie Sundae $5.25).

Using Niederfrank’s ice-cream, it is prepared the “old fashioned” way down to the type of freezer used.

There is also no artificial flavoring or preservatives added, so it’s healthy... right? You even have the option of turning the flavor of your choice into a creamy milkshake. If ice cream isn’t your thing, the Daily Scoop always has a platter of delicious red velvet or chocolate cupcakes ($3.25) on the counter that will leave you wanting more.

2145 fern st 619-578-2984 MON-THU 9AM-10PM FRI 9AM-11PM SAT 9AM-11PM SUN 9AM-6PM

3004 juniper ST 619-624-0920 mon-thu 12pm-9pm fri-sat 12pm-10pm sun 12pm-9pm

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DELIVERY FOOD FOR THE SMART STUDENT

I

ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY CLAIRE KIM

If there is one thing that students can agree on it’s that pizza is boring. So why do people assume that Domino’s is the only delivery option? Because students don’t know how to think outside the box and recognize the amazing restaurants that deliver straight to school. Next time you want food to serve for your club on campus, be a bit more adventurous and choose from one of the restaurants below. These delicious options will leave you begging for more.

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6163 BALBOA AVE.

8058 CLAIREMONT MESA BLVD.

3548 ASHFORD ST.

Sandwiches, Caribbean, Cuban Minimum Order: $20 Delivery Fee: $3.99 Hours: 11:00am–8:45pm Est. Delivery Time: 60–75 minutes

Sushi, Vegetarian, Japanese Minimum Order: $30 Delivery Fee: $5.00 Hours: 10:00am–7:00pm Est. Delivery Time: 45–60 minutes

Mediterranean, Halal Minimum Order: $20 Delivery Fee: $3.99 Hours: 10:00am–7:00pm Est. Delivery Time: 45–90 minutes

The ropa vieja plate is a fan favorite at Tropical Star, and rightly so. Ropa vieja is a Cuban-style shredded beef seasoned with garlic, onion, and bell peppers. This plate is served with white rice, black beans, fried ripe plantains, and a green salad. The plantains are sweet with a slightly crispy outer layer that goes perfectly with the fluffy rice. It’s a sweet and tangy heaven in your mouth.

Sushi Hut may be the best express sushi in the Parker vicinity, and sometimes fast sushi is all you need to see the happiness in life. The teriyaki chicken bowl is delicious for all you raw-fish-phobics and comes with rice, teriyaki chicken, and a nice side of steamed vegetables. And let us be the first to tell you, Sushi Hut does not skimp out on the meat.

The rice-to-chicken ratio is right on point.

Chicken tikka is perfect for anyone with a hearty appetite. The deliciously marinated chicken is served over a bed of basmati rice with a side salad and multiple sauces. The green sauce has a spicy kick that perfectly complements the dish while the salad is perfectly dressed with plenty of tomatoes and peppers.

march 2013 THE SCRIBE

The American Quartet

CHART-TOPPING SONGS THROUGH THE DECADES

1912

Al Jolson

ARTICLE BY OLIVIA FIDLER

Album Art Courtesy of Wikipedia

Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers

Ray Charles

Glenn Miller Orchestra

Al Martino

1922

1932

1942

1952

1962

1972

1982

1992

2002

2012

2002 1992

Gilbert O’Sullivan This song’s title itself speaks to this dreary tune’s self-deprecating and sarcastic note.

But once the catchy melody starts, Paul McCartney comes to mind as the folky music accompanies a ballad of young love lost, family grief, and religious questioning. Irish-born O’Sullivan’s hit song spent six weeks at the top of the U.S.’s Billboard chart, two weeks in first in Canada, and a whopping twenty-one weeks on top in Japan.

The Police

This Billboard-topping, slightly concerning love song opened the door to early 1980’s British pop-rock sound in a simple, fourchord tune. Lead singer, bass player, and songwriter Sting told BBC radio, “The tune itself is generic, but the words are interesting. I was disconcerted by how many people think the song is more positive than it is.”

Whitney Houston At the peak of her popularity, Whitney Houston belted out a cover of this powerful love song, written and originally performed

by Dolly Parton, mesmerizing listeners everywhere. As her legacy grows, her song remains a timeless hit.

Jennifer Hudson performed this ballad as a tribute to Houston the day after her death at the 54th Grammy Awards.

Eminem Lyrics like, “All the pain inside amplified by the fact that I can’t get by with my 9 to 5 and I can’t provide the right type of life for my family”, truly give listeners a personal look into the rapper’s real life. From the film 8 Mile, the rapper’s most popular song left him with the first Academy Award given to a rap song for “Best Original Song” in 2002 and five Grammy nominations in 2004.

Gotye This top hit has been ingrained in the heads of listeners and worldwide music charts since its release in July 2011. Gotye describes his song as “a curated reflection of multiple past relationships,” delicately paired with xylophone, jazz guitar, a catchy melody and echoey vocals.

Although it definitely has been overplayed and overdone, it won five ARIA Awards and being named #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

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THE STORY BEHIND THE FRESHMAN FOUR ARTICLE BY MAX FEYE AND JAKE SIEGLER PHOTOGRAPH BY D. LEIBOWITZ PHOTOGRAPHY

I

It starts with a light: a faint stroke of sun that slowly inches its way into the garage, a garage lined with surfboards, music posters, baby pictures and a Vespa motorcycle.

As we sit on the floor, the notso-tall band hovering over us, lead singer Indio Romero, a freshman at La Jolla High School, begins to play a new original song. After a minute or so of raspy, Lumineers-esque playing, a smile begins to creep onto Parker freshman drummer Austin Arthur’s face; it’s a look that says, “This song is going to take us places.” As if on cue, a similar smile appears on freshman bassist Nick Rauch and freshman guitarist Jake Nuffer. One by one, the

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LSF from left to right: Nick Rauch, Indio Romero, Austin Authur, Jake Nuffer

band members join in on the song, a wonderful fusion of upbeat percussion and perfectly placed improvised solos. The song ends, silence fills the room, satisfaction fills the faces. The room brightens. It started with a light, that light starts lightning. And that Lightning Starts Fire.

Those who didn’t have the privilege of witnessing Lightning Starts Fire’s debut performance at Parker missed the freshman quartet wowing a jam-packed Unplugged audience. Virtually unknown to most of the upperclassmen, freshmen Nuffer, Rauch, Arthur, and Romero brought the crowd to its feet. It was energy unseen in recent shows, an energy

brought about not only through brilliant musicianship but also through a wonderful ability to engage the crowd.

The group came together largely through the hands of Point Loma music instructor Glen Fisher, who has helped dozens of local teenage musicians step into the San Diego music scene. Pairing Nuffer and Rauch together, Fisher taught them the skills needed to succeed in a band. Looking back on the experience, Rauch says, “I wouldn’t be a bassist today if it wasn’t for Glen Fisher.” After learning the tricks of the trade, the two branched out in an effort to start their own band. Their search for a lead singer brought them to Romero, a soft-spo-

ken dreamer who fits the mold of a but the good. We have to appreciate band’s ideal front man. But luckily, everyone’s story, and I just wanted to LSF is unlike any other band; each share mine.” member carries equal weight and Although these musicians don’t no one stands out as a clear leader. look it, they have been around the There’s Arthur, the soul of the group: block. Each has been playing their the one who sits behind the rest of the respective instruments almost as gang—shirt off, arms flailing wildly long as they’ve been able to walk, and back and forth from the drumset to spent the entirety of thier lives listenthe air. He’s the one smiling eagerly ing to oldies like Jimi Hendrix and at the rest of the group, all effort Steely Dan, whose influences are easput into trying to enthuse the other ily visible in the solos of Nuffer and members. “Austin’s the guy who is Rauch. And each one of them relishalways sweating, always energized, es the opportunity to get up on the and always ready to play another big stage and play their hearts out. song,” says Rauch. “When the rest A couple months ago, LSF of us aren’t focused durbroke through to ing rehearsal, he’s the one the big crowds We’re a weird who brings our attention with an opportuback to music.” Rauch, nity that few kids group, but we known by the rest of LSF their age get to as “Walrus,” is a more experience. Their make it work. serious addition to the hard work paid band. He’s not flashy; in—Austin Arthur off, as they played stead he brings a humble a headlining at and well-spoken voice SOMA, a San Dito a rather mature freshego music venue man foursome. Nuffer, a laid-back where they sold the record amount of guitarist, brings experience. During tickets for a non-professional band. rehearsals, he frequently motions to “The support was amazing,” says the other members, reminding them Rauch, recalling the many familiar to stay in rhythm, or what the next set faces of Parker students in the crowd. of chords is. On paper, LSF comes off When asked how they dealt with the as an amateur high-school quartet of pre-gig nerves, Arthur responded, “I trained musicians. But attend a single remember we were sitting behind the performance, and you’ll witness the stage shaking. I forget who it was, but gritty, garage-band with a big-stage one of us started dancing, and it was feel sound that spills off the stage. not a pretty sight, but then all of us Clearly, the group’s talent comes were dancing. We’re a weird group, through in each of its songs, but the but we make it work.” Successes at lyrics and song content can often be these venues have led to plans to do lost amidst guitar solos, haunting a talent showcase at the House of vocals and pounding drum lines.

Blues. The more gigs they play, the When asked to discuss one of his faster the word spreads; the band more intimate songs, Romero said, notes they’ve begun to attract a small “In my song, ‘One of Many Things’, fan base. They plan to record an alI express my sorrow for my grandpa bum in the future and do a short tour who passed away this year, and I also up the West Coast, playing in coffee express my sorrow for anybody who houses and small bars. has lost someone important in their life.” Few would know after hearing this song the true emotion that lies in the lyrics, but Romero notes, “Even though it’s a dark subject, this song isn’t meant to dwell on the bad in life,

“

“

How did you begin your musical career?

Jake: “What got me into playing guitar was a mixture of listening to my brother and owning at guitar hero.

That game made me want to play guitar so badly I started taking lessons.

I have one teacher, Joe Amato, who teaches me technical things with guitar and another (Glen Fisher) who has over the years taught me how to jam and solo, in an on-stage environment.

The combination of these two teachers has made me the guitar player I am today.”

Nick: When I was 9, my cousin from Denmark lived with us for a year. He played guitar and convinced me to pick it up, but I sucked so I started playing bass and liked it a lot more so I stuck with it.

If you could play a show with anyone who would it be?

Indio: “I would want to tour with The Hives. I saw them a little while ago, and I remember thinking they’d be such an awesome band to tour with.”

Jake: “At Madison Square Garden: Stevie Ray Vaughn, Robben Ford, Scott Henderson, and Jimi Hendrix playing. I’d probably faint from the overwhelming guitar godliness.”

Where do you want to take music after high school?

Indio: “I plan on putting my life into my music, and getting as good and as far as I possibly can. Performing, writing, and being in the band are some things I am very passionate about and I plan on persuing them endlessly.”

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the scribe 2012-13

parker athletes recoving from injuries

A

Article by jack Benoit ILLUSTRATIONS BY STANLEY GAMBUCCI

Athletic injuries are inevitable. No matter how much time an athlete has put into preparing for an opponent, strengthening his or her body, or perfecting a routine, a simple awkward fall or gruesome hit can result in a visit to the emergency room. Although technological advancements have assisted in the reduction of such injuries, it would be impossible to completely eradicate them from athletic competition. Every athlete is at the risk of injury when on the field or court, but the thrill of competition and love for his or her respective sport far outweighs the risk. Many Parker athletes have suffered injuries that have affected not only the individual but also their entire team.

ballet

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Junior Sophie Woods began her dance career at the age of twelve and it was love at first step; she has since partaken in many ballet productions, including The Nutcracker, Alice in Wonderland, and Paquita.

During the summer of 2010, Woods attended the School of American Ballet in New York City: “It was a big deal for me going all the way to New York for dance.” Unfortunately, everything did not go as planned: “At one point in class, I fell and I knew something happened. I sat down, hoping it would get better, but after an hour my knee was the size of a football.” After seeing multiple doctors in both New York and San Diego, Woods was diagnosed with a fractured femur and patella, but after surgery and a significant amount of recovery time, Woods was back on the dance floor doing what she loved.

Much to the dismay of Woods and her family, this was not the end of

her knee troubles. “Since the surgery, [my knee] has dislocated two times in the past three years and every time it dislocates, the chance of it happening again increases,” she explains. The only way to completely stop her knee from dislocating was to have surgery, a procedure called medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction.The doctor drilled multiple holes into her kneecap and used a ligament from a cadaver to thread through the holes pinning the kneecap down. “The surgery is pretty rare, but it is also very successful.

There is a 99% chance that my knee will never dislocate again,” Woods said.

She has a long road ahead for her, including rest and physical therapy, until she will be able to dance again. “Ballet can be painful—mentally and physically—but it has been one of the most important things in my life for the past four years, so this is going to be a very rough change,” Woods said.

Varsity Football and Track

Varsity Baseball

Junior Ayman Mayberry is one of Parker’s most versatile athletes: a star wide-receiver and cornerback for the football team and a 100, 200 and 400 meter runner for track. He began his football career at the age of twelve and has been running track since the age of eleven. He even competed in the Junior Olympics for track when he was twelve participating in the 100 meter, 4x100 and 4x400 relays.

Mayberry has suffered multiple injuries throughout his athletic career that have sidelined him from sports, including a broken femur, wrist, an avulsion fracture in his hip, and two shoulder surgeries. “All of my injuries have happened from football, except my leg injury which was somewhat of a freak accident,” Mayberry said.

The latest setback Mayberry has

faced is the shoulder surgery he had in December, a result of multiple hits on the football field. “The most recent [surgery] was because I had a broken bone and some stretched out tendons in my shoulder,” Mayberry said. Luckily for Mayberry, his surgery was performed after the football season and before the spring season to give him time to recover for track.“The worst part is not being able to play with your teammates during the season,” Mayberry said. Mayberry’s recovery time is two to three months and he will have to go through physical therapy in order to be ready for track. As one of the fastest athletes in San Diego County, Mayberry is primed to make a big splash in both football and track in the upcoming year.

Senior Robert Mahoney began his baseball career, as most young boys do, in Little League. Because of his superior skill and love for the game, he continued to play on various travel ball teams, including San Diego Falcons, and Team USA 16U (16 years old and younger).

Unbeknownst to Mahoney, he was playing with a uncommon deformity in both wrists called ulna positive. “The outside bone on my wrist was longer than the inside bone causing pain, especially while I was playing baseball,” he said. Mahoney was left with a few difficult options: muscle through the pain and play through his senior season—possibly having to get cortisone shots to handle the pain— to undergo the surgery on only one wrist as soon as possible in order to recover in time for the spring, or end his career.

The main aspect that factored into Mahoney’s decision was whether or not he wanted to play in college.

Once he decided that he did, it was in his best interest to get the surgery on the right wrist in December 2012 and wait until the end of his senior season in the spring to get the surgery on his left wrist. “The doctor shortened my bone by removing it from my arm. I have a four inch scar with a four inch plate inside me and seven screws holding it together,” he said. The recovery time for a surgery like this is about six to eight weeks. No muscles or ligaments were tampered with, so he will not have to go through a rigorous amount of physical therapy.

“Being injured is pretty depressing. I have never had an injury like this before where I’ve been out of commision this long. I hate not being able to play the game I love,” Mahoney said. He hopes to be able to finish off his high-school career the way he wanted to, as the captain and the starting shortstop for the baseball team.

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S

Standing on the baseline at the state championship game, preparing to hit the first serve in what she describes as “the biggest game of her life,” freshman Jenn Wineholt was understandably nervous. “As a freshman standing in front of the screaming crowd, with Rallycomm going crazy and the ball in my hands, I was terrified,” she said, “But I knew I was ready.”

It is nearly impossible to go to a Parker sporting event these days without hearing Rallycomm sound off the famous “she’s a freshman!” cheer. There is a long history at Parker of freshmen playing key roles on sports teams, and this year is no exception.

Football, cross-country, basketball, soccer, tennis—virtually every Parker sports team has at least one freshman who gets a substantial amount of playing time. Much attention has been given to the girls’ volleyball team and the phenomenal season they had: even our state-champion Lady Lancers were powered in part by freshmen players.

In addition to key freshmen reserves Sien Gallop and Alex Hightower, Wineholt was one of the star players on a team filled tremendous athletes.

While being a ninth grader on a varsity team can certainly be intimidating, Wineholt never felt much animosity from her upperclassmen teammates.

“I had practiced with the varsity team

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ARTICLE BY MATT GLUCK ILLUSTRATION BY STANLEY GAMBUCCI

even before coming to high school because of my sister [Alex Wineholt], so I knew a lot of the girls coming in,” she said, “But it still really helped that a lot of the girls were really nice.”

Some freshmen, like Braden Sal-

“

Football, cross-

country, basketball, soccer, tennis— virtually every Parker sports team has at least one freshman who gets a substantial amount of playing time

“

vati, are starring in more than one sport.

Even before he came to the high school, Salvati was breaking records on Parker’s middle school cross country team and scoring goals on the middle school soccer team. Despite making the transition to high school this year, Salvati has still managed to make a huge impact on both the cross country team and the soccer team. He was the number two runner on the state meet–qualifying cross country team and has emerged as one of the leading goal scorers on the

soccer team. Talking about the benefits of playing on the varsity team as a freshman, Salvati said, “It’s been really fun getting to know a lot of older kids.”

Much like Wineholt, Salvati attributes most of his early success mostly to effort: “There really isn’t much [that goes into achieving success] except just putting in the time and working hard.”

While these two freshmen are clearly exceptionally talented athletes who would have succeeded at any high school, there is a reason that so many freshmen are able to find success on Parker sports teams. As a small school that still attempts to field competitive teams in every sport, Parker relies on having diverse, multi-talented kids.

Teams don’t have the option of forcing talented freshmen to play junior varsity for a year or two before moving to the varsity team like schools with two thousand kids to draw from do. As a result, the school needs to make a concerted effort to allow freshmen athletes the chance to excel in sports right off the bat. “The faculty at Parker are very supportive.” says Wineholt, “They understood the time commitment for Varsity volleyball and helped me stay up with my work, which made being a freshman on Varsity a lot easier.”

the STORY behind THE BENCH

S

ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY CLAIRE BRYAN

Sports Managers: you may have seen them hanging around Lauer Field or hogging the ice machine by the middle school gym, but these students are a lot more than just handy helpers for our sports teams. They dedicate a lot of time tending to the needs of their teammates and learning the skills behind being effective team managers.

A Monday after-school class taught by Coach Herman is a new ad-

dition to Parker’s sport management program. It was created inn order for the managers to be able wrap up their past week and go through what they need to do for the upcoming week.

“With this class we wanted to expand what [managers] are able to do,” Herman explains. “Not just the normal get water, sweep the floor.

Some have started promoting their teams with events.”

Sports management is the elev-

enth largest industry in the world, says Herman. Between all the money generated within sports and product branding and marketing, a career in sports management is, in fact, a popular choice, and experiencing it first-hand in high school can be an excellent opportunity. Herman says, “Ultimately, it is a great avenue to be down when you are looking for a career.”

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VARSITY BOYS’ SOCCER AND BASEBALL

VARSITY GIRLS’ SOCCER

Varsity football

Why did you first start managing?

I always enjoyed watching soccer because [the players] are people I know and after trying managing once, I enjoyed it, so I kept adding sports to my list. It allows you to be a part of Parker events that you might not normally be a part of.

Would you still manage if you didn’t get PE credit?

Now that I enjoy it so much, most definitely, yes. I’m now finished with all of my credits and am still managing three sports next year.

What was the best moment of the season?

Coach Jarrad Philip’s kids come to every practice and are told that if they run around the field they are allowed to have a Gatorade.

So one day his son was running really fast and he ate it over the water bottles and flew almost three feet before he landed. He got up right away and was like ‘it didn’t even hurt’ and kept running.

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Why did you first start managing?

I worked with the volleyball team first trimester. I really fell in love with the whole sports management concept, and felt like I had a lot of friends on the soccer team.

What are your game-day tasks?

Setting up speakers and scoreboards. Also during the games I announce the starting lineups for both teams, give updates throughout, and at the end of the game I break everything down and put it in the shed and turn out the lights and the scoreboard. It’s more than just sitting on the sidelines and taking stats.

What is your favorite part of being a manager?

Learning the ins and outs of the sport and just being with the team. It is a lot of fun. I go to every game. I also got the opportunity to go to Arizona for a tournament over Christmas break with them, so I really do feel like I’m a part of the team.

VARSITY BOYS’ FOOTBALL

Why did you first start managing?

VARSITY BOYS’ BASKETBALL

What are your practice tasks?

I did cheer sophomore year and I really loved watching football. Cheer ended up not being the thing for me, so I asked Coach John Morrison how I could get involved and he suggested managing.

I fill up water bottles, mop the floors up so there is no sweat on them, watch the team practice. We get them anything they need and are always there to help.

What is your favorite part of being a manager?

For games we get the waters, but the three managers each will do something different.

One of us will film on the iPad so they have footage to watch during practice, one of us will do the book and the stats, and the other one will give waters and towels to the players.

There is a lot of work that goes behind it.

What was the biggest surprise of the season?

What was the best part of the season?

Spending all of the time with the boys and really getting to know all of them. Also, getting to learn all of the fun stuff like how to tape ankles and stuff and how to fix helmets, not just handing out water.

It is really interesting to be relied on so much.

Everyone makes fun of managers because oftentimes managers get a bad rep for never showing up, but we were out there every day and when we weren’t there the team had to find someone to step in for us. When you’re a manager you can’t just ditch because you don’t feel like going. You really have to be there and work.

What are your game-day tasks?

The manager-player relationship is really hilarious. The basketball team has had a group message going on for about a month or two now and we just fill each other in on stuff, have inside jokes, and make dinner plans on there.

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the scribe 2012-13

WHO COULD IT BE? ARTICLE BY MOLLY MORRISON

W

We know you Lancers are feeling lonely because so many of you were traveling on Valentine’s Day. Whether you’re in Academic League, a varsity hottie, or a happenin’ hipster, have no fear, love is still in the air. Cupid got creative this year, and we found his arrows all around campus.

We went undercover and found secret admirers abound.

Valentine’s Day is just getting started with these cat calls for romance. Check out this year’s Anonymous Valentines to see if you have a special someone lurking in the hallways.

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“ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “

lou tauber, I love you and your couch. If you weren’t a freshman, I’d be yours!” brad sommer, Your smile shines bright like a diamond.”

Noah gamboa, Rosa isn’t the only one.” brian golemb, The tallness of you impresses the shortness of me.” christina clark, Thanks for being a great friend!”

Claire klein, You are my light in shining darkness and are more beautiful than one thousand suns. I have loved you from the first time I laid eyes on you...yesterday.”

GRACE SELLICK, You have really white teeth.”

Coach dj, Thanks for being a great role model!” nathan ho, You look sexy in dat shirt.”

Nancy mendez, Life without you is like a broken pencil: pointless.”

Sophie woods, You are more beautiful than Cinderella! You smell like pine needles and have a face like sunshine!” derek polk, Will you be mine? I wish you would slide into my heart like you do on the court.” jack dodge, My love for you is so intense it burns through me like a flame. I love you.”

BRENT BRESLAU, I’m jealous of Corinne.”

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BECAUSE WE JUST HAVE A LOT OF FEELINGS

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ARTICLE BY MARK KLEIN AND CIAN LAVIN PHOTOGRAPH BY KATIE KREITZER

Prepare to get served a hearty helping of critiques and a side of attitude as local campus critics Mark Klein and Cian Lavin tackle some of the latest Parker controversies. This dynamic duo have heard your cries and are ready to give the students a voice on some of the school’s biggest decisions. It’s about to get real.

From the hits to the jumps and the booty bumps, Powderpuff and Guys’ Cheer have been a part of Parker since the dawn of the Lancers.

Guys’ Cheer is a way for guys to do what has been in their hearts since High School Musical: dance. Sadly, this beloved Parker tradition may be at its final stretch because of the numerous complaints that the school has received from this borderline Xrated event.

First of all, parents are not the target audience for events like these; Powderpuff, just like the Homecoming dance, is a student-centered event.

We mean, it’s probably been a little while since the Parker moms have hit the dance floor. For this reason, rising parent complaints for Guys’ Cheer shouldn’t take such a high priority.

One solution that has been discussed is eliminating a parent presence at Powderpuff entirely. However, as Head of the Upper School Mr. Paul Barsky says, though getting rid of parents may lessen complaints, “that wouldn’t address the fact that faculty and kids were uncomfortable.”

So what are other alternatives?

“One possibility is to make it a true cheer without the dance component,” Barsky says. “We could also have a halftime show with faculty members trying to catch balls or something from a gun.” Though no decisions are official in the matter, Barsky assures that the event will have to change.

Though this grand Parker tradition may seem to be drawing to a close, there is still a final option for Parker students: speak up. Nothing is set in stone and the administration is always searching for new ideas and feedback. So, speak up, talk that real talk, and help spare this savored tradition. Word.

It’s 10:30 a.m. on a Tuesday morning and as kids pile into the Field House, moans and groans can be heard throughout the room. As you sit amid the tight pack of Parker students, a knobby pair of knees dig into your back and every five min-

utes, that same freshman girl drops her phone. You pray that this assembly may actually take your mind off of the discomfort when in actuality, it’s just a police officer accusing you of using some drug that you’ve never even heard of. Though assemblies are meant to be informative, it seems that the message is lost in the translation.

The assemblies at Parker need to be more relatable to the kids. When was the last time you bought prescription pills from one of your Parker friends? It’s definitely been a while for us: actually, never.

Though some of the past few assemblies haven’t received the best feedback it appears that there is a brighter future in store. “The number of assemblies that we have is being cut down,” Barsky says. “I want to make sure that the assemblies that we have are relevant and useful ones.” Because of this, the school is moving to create more optional lunchtime assemblies. Lunchtime assemblies focus on more specific topics like career paths or cultural interests to create a personal atmosphere without the cramped space. So, keep a lookout in the next bulletin, you never know when you’ll find an assembly that will connect with you.

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GETTING TO KNOW FIVE OF PARKER’S CUTEST PETS ARTICLE BY CHARLOTTE DICK-GODFREY

Photograph courtesy of Maria Duong

Photograph courtesy of Corinne Nixon

Photograph courtesy of Blake McCool

Photograph courtesy of Andres Gomez

Photograph courtesy of Isaac Gray

B ARK L E Y

RO M EO

sA N D Y

GORDO N

S A P P HIRE

Barkley is a French bulldog and really knows how to cuddle. During the holidays, Barkley enjoys sporting his favorite ugly Christmas sweater. Finding his balance and toning up his rockin’ bod, Barkley participates in daily “puppy yoga” and puts his flexibility to the test. His owner, senior Maria Duong, says “Barkley wants the student body to know that he’s a lover, not a fighter.” So, put your paws together for Barkley!

Romeo is not a fan of real food, but instead spends his dinnertime snacking on bits of plastic, yum!

If he’s not roaming around 4S Ranch hunting for snails, you can find Romeo in the neighborhood park playing fetch with his family. This cat hates also his shock collar and will aggressively chew it at every chance he gets. His owner, sophomore Corinne Nixon, says that Romeo is a dog at heart.

“Woof-meow!” says Romeo.

Surprised by the picture? Don’t worry, this pet is a dog trapped in a goat’s body. When she has spare time, she enjoys going on walks with her owner, junior Blake McCool, and the McCool family dogs. As the dogs eat their kibble, Sandy snacks on the traditional Cheerios whenever she gets hungry. However, if this little goat doesn’t get the perfect handful of cereal, she won’t be afraid to ram her horns into the nearest passerby.

Oh, one more thing!

Don’t try to ask her to perform any tricks for you, you will only get hurt.

Gordon is more of a formal pup as he likes to be called by his full name, Gordon Gomez. Although just a puppy, Gordon is really involved in political and social affairs. You can find him snuggling with his owner, senior Andres Gomez. Not only can Gordon be an intellectual and serious business dog, he is also charming and sensitive. To sum it up, Gordon Gomez is ridiculous, witty, charismatic, and over-dramatic, kind of like someone else we all know and love...?

This kitty likes to be noticed. Besides loudly prancing around the house and constantly shouting out her best meows, this pet has been featured in a commercial.

She’s almost famous!

In addition to being a “well-known” actress, Sapphire is currently attempting to become an acrobat. She’s constantly “practicing her three foot vertical jumps,” says her owner, freshman Isaac Gray, “especially when she gets surprised”.

Maria Duong

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Corinne Nixon

Blake McCool

Andres Gomez

Isaac Gray

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SCRIBE SPEAKS:

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ARTICLE BY MICHELA RODRIGUEZ ILLUSTRATION BY STANLEY GAMBUCCI

I was thirteen years old when my mom and I were driving to our Poway home down Bernardo Center Drive and I noticed all the trees had blue ribbons tied around them. I asked her if she knew what it was for, and she explained that a girl had gone missing—a blonde-haired, blue-eyed Poway High student. Her empty car had been found in the parking lot of the Rancho Bernardo Community Park. My little brother had played baseball there.

On February 25, 2010, Chelsea King went on a routine run after she got out of school. She never came home.

Most San Diegans remember the heartbreaking cases of Chelsea King and Amber Dubois and the closely watched trial and conviction of their killer, John Gardner III. The killings even made national news, featured on NBC’s Dateline several months later.

But few communities were left as scarred as the girls’ own neighborhoods. Living in Poway, I felt personally shaken by Chelsea’s death. It was difficult to come to terms with the newly empty bed. It was harrowing to hear about the college acceptance letters that would remain untouched. It was trying to live through the eighteenth birthday that would never be celebrated. Now that it’s the third anniversary, I find myself reliving this horror all over again. And yet, while reflecting on this

trauma, I remember something else, something good: unity. Never before had I witnessed the Poway community so tightly knit, so powerfully bonded, over a common cause.

Chelsea’s disappearance was frightening from the beginning, but the situation changed for me when I found out that Chelsea lived on the same street as I did. I knew that it didn’t alter the case at all—it wasn’t any more or less horrible than it had been—but somehow I felt different. A heavy sadness accompanied by an inescapable queasiness quickly set in. I couldn’t help but wonder if I’d seen her before. Maybe I’d driven behind her out of my neighborhood, our neighborhood. Maybe I’d seen her running past my house.

There were blue ribbons everywhere, far too many to count, all shouting the same thing: Where is Chelsea? Every tree. Every lamppost.

Every storefront. Lining the fence of Poway High School. All the houses on our street had a blue ribbon tied to the mailbox as a symbol of the search. Her face was plastered on the windows of the grocery store; her name was written on the rear windows of cars. The mission to find Chelsea, or at the very least, pray for her, became the way of life in Poway for five days.

March 1 was a Monday, the fourth day she had been missing. I

went to school with a fistful of blue ribbons, hoping to hand them out to girls who wanted to wear them in their hair or tie them on door handles. What I didn’t realize until I got to school was that people didn’t know about the ribbons.

They had heard about Chelsea, of course, but I had to explain to countless people how the ribbon was synonymous with the search. I realized that no matter how many people knew about her disappearance, it would never mean to others what it meant to the people of Poway.

On March 2, they found Chelsea’s body. I was lying on the floor in my room, emailing a friend about the search, and I could hear my mom watching the news in another room. The police had found Chelsea’s underwear by Lake Hodges. I knew what was coming. I knew I would never see Chelsea run down my street again.

There was a lot of traffic in our neighborhood over the next few days. People—friends and strangers alike—were coming to leave flowers on the Kings’ driveway and to deliver their condolences.

Now, three years later, there’s a walk to commemorate Chelsea, there’s a California law in her name, and there is a foundation called Chelsea’s Light established by her family. But to this day, nothing hits me as hard as the occasional lonely blue ribbon that no one ever took down, still tied, still praying. Because no matter how wounded our community was in the aftermath of her death, Chelsea brought people together in a way I had never seen firsthand. Our small town of Poway, “the city in the country,” had searched together, prayed together, and healed together. Chelsea taught us lessons we will never forget: live with unending gratitude for the light in your life, and never underestimate the power of unity.

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FACULTY SHARE THEIR LOVE STORIES ARTICLE BY BRIANNA GOLDBERG Photographs Courtesy of Lisa Roudebush, Gloria Castillo, Cathy Morrison, and Victor Virgen

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Beyond all limitations, love is the remedy for hollowed hearts; it is a gift that can lighten the darkest of days, and it is said to be the key to happiness. When one finds a compatible spouse, an unbreakable bond is formed.

Some couples are even lucky enough to work alongside one another.

Within the confines of the Parker community, some of these lucky married faculty and staff members share with us their idyllic love stories. Paul and Lisa Roudebush, Victor and Maggie Virgen, Popo and Gloria Castillo, and John and Cathy Morrison each fell in love in their own unique ways.

Though each from different backgrounds, these four couples do have one thing in common: Regardless of how long it’s been since the two started on their path together, their love is still going strong today. The Parker community is fortunate to have these four inspiring couples on campus to show our community that true love really can survive anything: even working together.

Maintenance workers Rodolfo and Gloria shortly after their wedding.

Rodolfo (“Popo”) and Gloria Castillo have stayed together through thick and thin, forging an undeniable bond. Gloria met Popo at the age of 16 in their home town of Tijuana, Mexico. Gloria says, “It wasn’t exactly love at first sight, but time made everything come together. We didn’t know if it would work or not because we were so young, but for the time being, we continued together.”

After dating for a year, the couple moved to San Diego. The two decided mutually that they would marry and spend the rest of their lives together. They had two weddings: one in Tijuana and one in San Diego to allow all of their friends and family to join in the celebration. Now, after more than 44 years of marriage and 26 years of working at Parker, they are still going strong. Popo and Gloria both work in maintenance and enjoy having the opportunity to see each other often.

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Bus driver Maggie and maintenance worker Victor are ecstatic after their wedding ceremony.

Upper School Dean of Academics Paul and strings teacher Lisa enjoy the scenery of their maritime wedding,

Coach and student government teacher John and Director of Communications Cathy pose for the camera after their engagement.

Victor and Maggie Virgen are high school sweethearts who grew up in Tijuana, Mexico. Victor met Maggie at the age of 19, and a year later asked her to be his girlfriend. Victor says, “I fell in love with Maggie the first time I saw her.” After two and a half years of dating, Maggie moved to Imperial Beach, while Victor remained in Tijuana. But after Victor asked for Maggie’s hand in marriage in 1976, Victor moved to San Diego to be with his fiancée. They married in a Catholic Church in Chula Vista and are happily spending the rest of their lives together. Now, Maggie has been working at Parker for 28 years and Victor for 36, though they hardly see each other because Maggie drives buses and Victor works in maintenance. The Virgens have four children and two grandchildren. Victor’s brother and nephew both work at the Lower School, and the couple’s eldest and middle sons work at the Upper School.

Paul and Lisa Roudebush met when they were both teaching at the La Jolla Country Day School, and they soon fell madly in love. After dating for three years, Paul proposed to Lisa in a very unique way; during the construction of their new home, he discreetly placed the ring on top of an electrical box and asked her to fix the “malfunctioning” machine. Eventually, Lisa found the ring and was overjoyed. She notes, “I wasn’t surprised about getting married; I was surprised that he put the ring on top of the electrical box!”

On June 24, 1995, Paul and Lisa invited their closest family and friends for a magnificent boat ride around the San Diego Bay. Guests were told that they were celebrating the completion of the couple’s new home, but soon Lisa arrived in a white gown. To everyone’s surprise, the Roudebush wedding began. Since then, Paul and Lisa have had two children: sophomore Megan and sixth-grader Max, who both attend Parker.

It all started in 1980 in Bemidji, Minnesota, where Cathy and John Morrison were counselors at neighboring summer camps. Although they both were in relationships at the time, Cathy and John developed a friendship that would later turn into lifelong love. “I think that’s why our marriage is so strong,” says John. “We were friends first, and then became more.”

One August evening, the couple decided to take a long stroll along the banks of Lake Michigan. John knelt on one knee and presented Cathy with the diamond ring belonging to his great-grandmother. Now they both work at Parker—Cathy in communications and John in athletics and student government. “It’s good working at the same place. We have our own space but, we get to see each other often and have the same schedule.” John and Cathy have four children, including senior Molly and three graduates: Scott ’09, Matt ’05, and Gary ’98.

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+ Conversations with the coolest kids on campus article by mark klein and max feye PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARK KLEIN AND OLIVIA FILDER

L O U T A U B ER

Freshman Lou Tauber is a dashingly handsome and brutally honest Downton Abbey fanatic. He enjoys his occasional trips to Noodles & Company along with his sunset voyages through the San Diego Bay. As a member of the Parker sailing team, Tauber prides himself on not participating in real sports. However, this spring he hopes to join the volleyball team, as long as he overcomes his fear of upperclassman guys.

Nonetheless, this funky freshman is sure to steal your heart with his sassy style.

What is your biggest pet peeve?

When people think I value their unconstructive opinions.

If you could offer a newborn child only one piece of advice, what would it be?

Light travels faster than sound. That’s why some people appear bright before they speak.

Mr. Potato Head, Sasquatch, and Sarah Palin: lick, hug, punch?

I don’t lick and punch. Haters back off.

Would you rather be friends with SpongeBob or Patrick Star?

Neither. I would be friends with Squidward because then I wouldn’t have to do things like blow bubbles. I would also be friends with the snail because he’s pretty cool, too.

Best moment of the day?

Depends on what day it is. Monday: dinner. Tuesday: lunch. Wednesday: lunch.

Thursday: dinner. Friday: either dinner or lunch. Saturday: all the meals are the best.

Sunday: DOWNTON ABBEY.

S A S HA S T E P HE N S

Sophomore Sasha Stephens is also known by her Instagram name, “thedarkshadow4.”

On top of speeding past girls in soccer and track, this sass master is also the creator of the “Parker Compliments” page on Facebook. In her spare time, when she has any, Sasha enjoys stalking her idol, Senior Marisa Young, in the hallways and just being a boss in general. Ladies and gentlemen, Sasha Stephens.

Where are you from?

My mother’s womb.

Describe yourself in one phrase.

“Nuke the whales.”

What do you like to do in your free time?

Rub myself with butter and slide along the kitchen floor.

Who is your role model?

(Sung to the tune of “Forever Young” by Jay-Z) I wanna be Marisa Young .

If you had to be in a cartoon, which one would it be and why?

The Proud Family. It’s like the only black cartoon and I love Suga Mama.

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M I L A N M ARRERO

Junior Armando Milan Marrero, a quick-witted nugget with the supernatural ability to raise spirits and induce laughter wherever he goes, is a star on and off the field. This man treats his body like a temple, and women are endlessly awed by his large booty, luscious arm-cannons, and signature smile. In his spare time you can find this wonder of a man making Walden-esque reflections in nature and drifting down the freeway in his modded BMW 335i. Watch out, here comes trouble.

Why do you think we chose you to be in this article?

Kids need to know more about their role model.

Best moment of the day?

Any time in the library.

Who is your dream girl/boyfriend?

Mr. Aiston.

Deep underground, you’re going one-on-one luchador fighting against Nacho Libre. What’s your luchadore name?

That’s not something to joke about. My Cuban-exiled cousin, Kiki, has been involved in the underground world of luchador in Mexico since 2007. I’ve seen first hand the effects of luchador fighting on the body and I can tell you it’s not something to glamorize.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with the people of Parker?

“Who am I? I am you. WE are all.” Marrero 2014 for ASB President.

EllIE M O L I S E

Senior Ellie “The Prez” Molise brings sass to the Class of 2013. A Panama native, she has been a twerking champ ever since the glorious day of her birth. Molise is most well known for her love of knitting and cats, and she brings a unique attitude to Parker’s campus. On top of being a great person, she has been fighting a constant battle with veganism since the dawn of freshman year. Molise is also a club activist, as she is a member of the Gay Straight Alliance and International Rescue Committee. This queen bee will always leave you asking for more.

What made you come to Parker?

The delicious fish sandwiches!

What is your favorite weapon?

My heart.

Are you content with your life?

Who wouldn’t be content with my life? I’m really, really popular. These girls follow me around and say that they are in some sort of squad with me. I don’t know what they are talking about, but I feel bad for them so I just go along with it.

Do you play any sports?

Is this a joke? I’m the most athletic person at Parker, aside from [senior] Shannon Fisher.

Is there something you’ve always wanted to tell someone at Parker?

[Senior] Caroline Feeney, will you go to Prom with me?!

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plea

se

th yoank u

still MAY 2008

Throw out your cut-out dresses; they’re getting predictable and trashy.

Instead, pull out your cut-out wedges.

You’ll look and feel as if you’re walking on air.

still MARCH 2007

Seriously? If you are still watching American Idol in 2013, you really need to reevaluate your life. This show has sunk faster than Ruben Studdard’s career. And Randy: yo dawg, it’s time to retire.

DECEMBER 2008

The next time I hear a rude remark, see someone rolling their eyes, or trip on someone’s trash, I just might punch a baby seal. Don’t pull a Bishop’s and let the “rich and rude” stereotype of private schools infect our campus. Thank you.

APRIL 2006

This trend doesn’t seem to be sailing away any time soon. There’s nothing more attractive than a man in uniform, and a sailor on the high seas is no exception. Throw on your boat shoes and anchors away!

ARTICLE BY DUTRA BROWN AND JAY GARDENSWARTZ

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still

FEBRURARY 2009

If you’ve been cursed with the Parker Plague, just stay home. It starts out with a dry throat induced by an approaching math quiz, then a stuffy nose from a late night of watching Netfli—I mean studying for a history test. So especially for our Freshman: keep your mono to yourselves. And really, don’t touch me.

APRIL 2006

Apparently not a new problem. No worries, though; it’s nothing a few cans of spray paint and my house key can’t fix.

FEBRURARY 2009

You know what they say about thick frames... boba NOVEMBER 2006

You target that yappy freshman from your advisory clogging the hallway.

Luckily, you picked the right refreshment for an underclassman ambush.

Your mission, if you choose to accept: get ready, aim your straw, and fire these little balls of fury. That’s right: This drink is more than an asian delight, it’s a lethal weapon. And you are 007: Licensed to Boba.

DECEMBER 2007

Wanna pop some tags? Only got $20 in your pocket? Huntin’? Lookin’ for a come-up? This place was, is, and always will be the place to go.

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COMPILED BY JAY GARDENSWARTZ

What will Parker be like 100 years from now?

U T HARA VE N GARI

A N GE L A C EVE S

KI M S VA T O S

Like one specific Probably reason? I mean, taking ANOTHER how about picture racism, sexism, war to start...?

The Robotics Team’s robot will rule the school.

April showers bring...

Who’s your perfect prom date?

What’s the best April Fools’ prank?

Rain. We’re talking about rain, right?

I probably have to be old enough for prom before I think about the date...

Convince everyone that it is March 31

Mr. Barsky would be a really good Mr. Bean.

Obesity.

Mr. Lewis... duh!

Pulling a prank the day before

Mr. Steel for Anchorman

I wouldn’t have been alive.

This same quadrant question. Every year.

The kid who drives the party bus to Coachella instead

Telling my friends I read their articles

Mr. Taylor for his performance as The Teacher Who Actually Gives You a Straightforward Answer

Still asking me for donations

I would never get David Nussbaum’s snapchats.

Terrible flooding.

Someone who has equally awesome dance moves

Barsky letting us have a dress down day, then giving us dress code detentions

Mr. Taylor for Lincoln

It will be a susidary of Google/Exxon.

I was killed in the ’07 Romanian Peasants’ Revolt.

The God of hellfire.

Sarah Silverman

Mitt Romney

Me for The Bridge Over the River Kwai

The students will be grandkids of the children spawned from tri-school festivities.

I’m a woman.

EVA N B RA M B ERG

M ARK BYRNE

I couldn’t have lived in 1912 because...

Which teacher deserves to win an Oscar and for what movie?

separated at birth circa 1975

circa 2010

Mr. Dave Johnson

Justin Bieber

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