the
FOURTH estate
LAGUNA BLANCA SCHOOL LAGUNA BLANCA SCHOOL
VOL XXIII
ISSUE 5
JUNE MAY 2018
NEWS & FEATURE
SENIORS
5 6 8 10 12 14 15
16 18 20 21 22 24 25 26 28 32 33
Paris Trip State Street Decline Walkouts New Programs California Sanctuary Cities Illustrated Interview Photo Interview with Maxx
Remember When Superlatives Senior Instagrams Graduation 2018 Playlist College Map Senior Statistics If You Could Do High School Again Letter to Freshman Self Senior Quotes Letter from Ms. Roarty Dressing for Cold Weather
OPINION
LIFESTYLE
41 42 44 46
49 50 51
The Power of Words College Rejection Conservation Corner Are Horror Movies Good Now?
Grease Photo-spread Upgrade Your Life Promposals
SPORTS
COVER INFO
34 37 38 39
GRAPHICS Sonya Kotler '18 WRITING Itziar de Pedro ‘19
Sports Summaries NBA Playoffs World Cup Preview How to Stay Fit in Summer
OUR TEAM EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Aura Carlson Rose Houglet Carina Tedesco CREATIVE DIRECTOR Sonya Kotler COPY EDITOR Jackson Hurley
MANAGING & OPINION EDITOR Kailea Hieshima SENIOR ADVISOR Jack Stein INDEPENDENT STUDIES EDITOR Caylin Zimmerman
BUSINESS EDITOR Amanda Skinner
WEB DIRECTOR Sydney Edgecomb
SPORTS EDITOR Kelly Bickett
WEB DESIGNER Jules Bernard
LIFESTYLE EDITOR Kendall White
NEWS & FEATURE EDITOR Julia Fay
SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR Ava Morouse MAGAZINE STAFF Ian Brown Daisy Finefrock Sofia Fouroohi-Martin Beau Glazier Kathryn Norris Patrick Otte Phoebe Stein Mia Waters Boning Zhang Itziar de Pedro Sarasola FACULTY ADVISER Trish McHale, MJE
PHOTOGRAPHER Katherine Monroy ARTIST Beau Glazier WEB STAFF Annelle King Hannah Miller Zane Zemeckis
Letter from the Editors
A
s the chaos of APs, prom, finals and college decisions begins to subside, we are processing the reality of our high school years’ ending. Having looked forward to our senior issue since joining the staff, we are excited to have created this issue commemorating our senior class. Within the senior section you can find superlatives, a letter to our freshman selves, quotes about each senior, a college map and more. The rest of the magazine includes an interview with junior Maxx Christal, a promposal photo-spread and an opinion piece on college rejections. We feel very grateful to have been part of such a talented, collaborative and enthusiastic staff; we look forward to seeing what direction next year’s staff takes the magazine. We’d like to thank our adviser, Trish McHale, for giving us a strong foundation in journalistic writing and design, celebrating awards and staff birthdays with us and supporting us throughout the late nights with food, laughter and dancing. We can’t wait to become subscribers of the Fourth Estate next year and hope the program continues to thrive for years to come. Aura Carlson, Rose Houglet & Carina Tedesco
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MISSION STATEMENT The Fourth Estate is an open forum created for and by journalism students of Laguna Blanca Upper School. We hope to use this space to cover events, interviews, and topics of interest in greater depth. Our creative team of photographers, artists, and writers strive to capture the voice of the students and tell their stories in a compelling way. Our staff seeks to be a platform for creative expression and to report on events and ideas of importance to our readers and to focus on topics of significance and interest to inform and entertain the school community.
LETTERS TO THE EDITORS The Fourth Estate welcomes guest columns and letters to the editor. Letters must be signed and must be no longer than 400 words. Editors reserve the right to edit for length, clarity and/or taste. Anonymous letters will not be published. The Fourth Estate reserves the right to reject advertising. Opinions expressed in this publication reflect the perspectives of the staff whose goal is to inform our readers with reliable information from which to base decisions and opinions. Editorials represent the voice of the staff and are voted on by the entire staff. Columns and commentaries are labeled as such and represent the opinion of the author. The Fourth Estate publishes five issues per year with a senior insert in the last issue.
SUBSCRIBERS We mail issues to subscribers and advertisers and exchange papers with high school journalism classes across the country. The staff strives for accuracy and when factual errors occur, we will correct the error in the next issue.
COLOPHON This is the fifth issue and 23th volume (published in June) of the Laguna Blanca School, 4125 Paloma Dr., Santa Barbara, CA 93110, general magazine, The Fourth Estate. Contacts are available at tmchale@lagunablanca.org, (805) 687-2461 x317 or www.thefourthestate.net. Laguna Blanca School has an EK through 12th grade student population of approximately 400, with 100 in the Lower School, 110 in the Middle School and 182 in the Upper School, and a faculty of approximately 60. The Fourth Estate is an 8.5 by 11 general magazine, created on Apple computers on Adobe InDesign CS6, using Gill Sans and Caslon font families and printed on glossy paper free for students and $40 for a yearly subscription. The magazine is distributed to all Upper School students through the school’s advisory program and sent by mail to subscribers, with 400 copies printed per issue. We are associated with NSPA, CSPA and JEA.
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5
3 6
1 GRAPHICS & PAGE Ava Morouse PHOTOS Jack Stein
7 From left to right (clockwise): 1. Parisian farmer’s market. 2. Freshman girls gather on a Parisian street. 3. Trip leaders Ashley Tidey and Kevin Shertzer embrace on the Normandy coastline. 4. Freshmen laugh in front of Notre Dame Cathedral. 5. Senior girls take a rest at a cemetary near Normandy. 6. Tidey and daughter, Aura Carlson, share an embrace at Versailles. 7. English teacher Bojana Hill enjoys time with students Camila Lemere and Ava Morouse at famed bookstore “Shakespeare and Co.”
NEWS 5
After interviewing locals, the consensus seems to be that State Street is going through a massive decline, and storefronts remain empty. We took an inside look to figure out why.
T
he chatter of passersby created a pleasant lull as we made our way through the open courtyard and milled about in and out of shops. We went to check out a small business and struck up a conversation with the owner. What began as a simple conversation soon turned into a discussion that answered the question on many people’s minds: “Why has State Street changed so much?” In previous years, when looking to the weekends or making plans with friends, State Street was the place that most often ended up as the destination. Recently, though, it has become less popular and more run-down — shops have been closing, and businesses have been failing. Fewer shoppers are out walking, and more and more homeless are seen on every block. In the past, Santa Barbara was all about continual change and development. Why is it that now, in a time of economic prosperity, our once thriving city center is nearly deserted, and what does this mean for the future of Santa Barbara’s tourism and quality of life? We decided to head downtown to State Street to investigated the decline of our once favorite hangout.
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Interviews While digging into this issue we stepped into shops and asked questions to the owners and managers. We hoped that, as the people who have an inside view, they would be able to provide a unique perspective on the state of State Street. First, we sat down with Jennifer Scarbrough, owner of Lovebird Boutique & Jewelery Bar, which has two locations downtown, one of which is on State Street. We asked her what she has noticed in the past year about this iconic street. “Recently, this has been a major issue of discussion with the citizens of our beautiful city. Not only have there been monthly meetings discussing the ‘State of State Street,’ but all the small ‘mom and pop’ stores along this iconic drive have been changing the very way they run their businesses just to stay standing. There are issues in meeting quotas for months, a lack of customer flow and high rents that are hard to match consistently, and which haven’t been falling with their tenants’ decrease in revenue,” said Scarbrough. She is aware of all of these issues and said, “I’m an owner. I care. We are actively involved.” She expanded
that all of the corporate businesses coming in are driving away the charm that State Street used to have. “If you have a retail street with people that care, it is going to make a difference.” It isn’t just the charm. There are bigger dilemmas than that; there is a decrease of growth with some of the independent shops on State Street. However, Scarbrough quickly dismissed the idea that there is a decline in business. She said she is aware that the stores can’t exactly compete with Amazon or major corporate business but hopes that people appreciate the appeal of the unique and quaint shops. It isn’t a surprise that independent stores may be struggling due to the big name brands barging in on the small businesses. When large companies come into a charming downtown like State Street, they force rents up, drive customers away from smaller businesses, and take away from the individuality of walking down a street with small, quirky shops. Scarbrough agreed that all the chains are coming in and taking over: “There are only 150,000 people in Santa Barbara, and we have a very large retail corridor… so if they don’t shop on State Street and spend their dollars downtown, these stores will have a very difficult time during the offseason.” Therefore, when the small number of shoppers hesitate about coming downtown, the little shops may not survive. Nevertheless, Scarbrough believes that State Street will come back from its funk: “You have downtowns that have died, and you have downtowns that have revived,” she said. Homelessness When walking down the street, the lack of busy shops and increasing numbers of large, corporate businesses aren’t the only things that stand out. The number of homeless people there have increased dramatically in the past few years, making it hard to walk down a block without running into them. As Scarbrough said in the interview, “We have a huge homeless issue, and I know that that can stop people from coming downtown.” This issue not only affects the flow of people coming in and out of the stores, but it also brings down the number of people who even want to walk alone down State Street. After we left Lovebird, we stopped into a store called Antique Alley and talked to the owner, Alan Howard. With him in the store was his son, who informed us that it was a family business and had been on State Street for decades after moving out of the Funk Zone. According to a county survey taken in 2017, there were 790 total homeless individuals in Santa Barbara. When we asked Howard about whether homelessness affects his business, he said that the word was too broad. In his opinion “there are three sections: those who like to be transient, the mentally ill and those with substance abuse issues.” He then answered our original question: “Storefronts go empty, and that provides an opportunity for the homeless.”
Corporate Effects and Gentrification “Corporate America came to the streets and raised the rents up… that’s why you see the vacancies,” Howard said when we asked him exactly why there were so many For Lease signs standing out along the road. Landlords of the storefronts and the corporate side of this town are responsible for a lot of this. Instead of supporting small, independent (and thus riskier) businesses, they want companies that are successful and booming, and much less likely to default on a lease. But even the large shops have a hard time making rent and end up leaving the storefronts empty.
”
You have downtowns that have died, and you have downtowns that have revived.” — Jennifer Scarbrough
When corporate landlords jack up the rent, they make it so smaller businesses can’t survive for long unless they have steady income and a large clientele base. Eventually, they have to move out of the building, and soon it’s lying empty with a vacant sign on the door. Until a business comes around that can handle the high rent, the storefront lies empty and undisturbed, the perfect place for someone to spend their day. The unoccupied stores and sometimes disruptive loiterers may cast the street in a less-than-pleasant light. Looking Forward The last twenty years have seen retail take huge losses, and the once booming streets turn into a mess. State Street is not dead yet, but we spoke to many who believe it’s heading there. Empty storefronts, widespread and visible homelessness and competition from online retailers and the now thriving Funk Zone and Lower State have cost State Street much of its appeal both to locals and to tourists, who account for much of its economy. Unless Santa Barbara fixes this problem, it risks losing one of its greatest assets: the small-town charm of State Street. In spite of this, there is a chance for redemption. Santa Barbara’s rich history and lasting community are what makes us what we are today. We, as a community, have been through so much, and that has only brought us closer together. Many of us remember how it once was. We have faith that State Street will adapt to this new world, accept the changes and learn how to stay true to our past as a town while preparing to face whatever the future might bring. WORDS & PAGE Phoebe Stein & Daisy Finefrock GRAPHIC Itziar de Pedro
NEWS 7
A student looks to his right in the solidarity circle
Students stand in silence
Standing, United, for Parkland In the wake of the Parkland shooting, the Laguna Blanca community gathered together on the field to collectively mourn and to open up the discussion about preventing these traumatic events. Laguna was just one of countless schools across the country that participated in walkouts organized by the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students who survived the shooting. Nationally, the March 14th walkout was a call to action for United States legislators to enforce stricter gun control laws in the wake of so many mass shootings.
Students, faculty and administrators hold hands for 17 minutes of silence to honor the 17 lives lost in Parkland.
WORDS & PHOTOS Jack Stein
ASSIST SCHOLARSHIP Last year, Laguna Blanca became an ASSIST member school. Each year, a host family in our school community will welcome an international exchange student to live with them for the year and attend Laguna.
M
y
phone beeped, the screen lit up, and I caught my breath. It was there. That word, ASSIST, staring at me... I remember that moment as if it were yesterday. That was the night I received the email saying that I had won the scholarship to study abroad and had been accepted to Laguna Blanca School in California (California! I couldn’t believe it). After that, everything’s a blur: excitement, laughter, obsessive checking of my email to see if I had received information about the host family, more enthusiasm, nervousness, thrill when I was finally able to contact my
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host sister, texting, intense packing, tight hugs to my loved ones, adrenaline, a thirst for adventure and finally, the plane landed, 5,853 miles away from everything I knew. ASSIST is a nonprofit organization that “matches academically talented, multilingual international students with American independent secondary schools.” In fact, scholars from 52 nations have been part of this program and have benefited from this opportunity. Last year was Laguna’s first year as an ASSIST member school. I was the first ASSIST scholar, and from now on, the school will welcome a different international student each year. To apply for the scholarship, students have to submit a personal essay, three teacher recommendations, an online questionnaire, their transcript and an English test. If they pass that round, they have to do an interview and wait a couple of months to receive an email either accepting or rejecting them — the
acceptance rate for the full scholarship is only 6 percent. The most interesting part is that students have no idea where they are going to be placed. All I knew before that email was that it was going to be an independent school in the US. It could have been a boarding or a day school, a co-ed or single sex school, in any of the states. So, I couldn’t have been happier when I received the email saying I was going to Santa Barbara. I immediately Googled it, and when I saw the pictures of palm trees, the ocean and the beach, I knew it was going to be awesome. And it has been better than awesome — it has been perfect. I could not have asked for a better year. I want to thank everyone in this community, especially my host family, for making this year one that I will always remember, for creating memories that I will cherish forever and for making this once foreign place feel like home. Thank you.
WORDS & GRAPHICS Itziar de Pedro
HUMANITIES PROGRAM Starting next year, the new Humanities Research Program will welcome its first students who will learn from local artists and humanities scholars. The two-year long program will culminate with a real-world project guided by an off-campus mentor.
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tarting next school year, sophomores, juniors and a senior will join Laguna’s newly created Humanities Research Program, a two-year honors opportunity designed to complement the existing STEM initiative. Writers, painters, performers, theater and film lovers and anyone who loves art is welcome to join. Charles Donelan, AP English teacher and director of the program, said, “For years, advanced students have demonstrated a positive response to real-world opportunities through the senior projects and, more recently, through the mentorships arranged by Staci Richard in the STEM program. “In the Humanities Research Program, students will experience the same type of opportunities, only with artists and humanities scholars, rather than with scientists and business people.” Not only will students experience the culture of one of the world’s most artistic cities — Santa Barbara — by going on unique field trips to
plays, concerts, museums, galleries, artist studios and public lectures, but they will also receive the Humanities Honors designation on their transcript after successfully completing both years. Collaborating organizations such as the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, UCSB Arts and Lectures, the Granada Theater and the Santa Barbara Museum of Art will enable students to experience unique behindthe-scenes opportunities with directors and artists. “Students will gain experience in appreciating and evaluating the world of art and performance as it exists now in our community. They will also develop unique personal stories that will strengthen their case for admission to highly selective colleges and universities,” said Donelan. This two-year course starts with the Foundations class (sophomore year) where students will create connections with local artists, perform for the rest of the Upper School
in Spaulding Auditorium and publish Laguna Blanca’s Portfolio Literary and Arts Magazine. Upon successful completion of the first year, students will move on to the Humanities Capstone class that will culminate with a capstone project. Juniors will specialize and further pursue their interest in art by doing a project of their choice guided by an off-campus mentor and presenting it to the school community. For the 2018-19 school year, a group of 10 students is enrolled in the first generation of this new program, and next year, another group of 10 students will join them and enter the course.
NEWS 11
California Sanctuary Cities’ Status in Jeopardy WORDS Ian Brown ART Beau Glazier
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he recent actions of Libby Schaaf, the Democratic mayor of Oakland, California, have riled up tensions between the White House and California on immigration. ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), the controversial agency of our Federal Government tasked with enforcing U.S. immigration laws, has met significant push-back from the mayor of Oakland in the form of a warning before a massive raid on the town. Schaaf released a warning against the wishes of the federal government revealing that ICE would be attempting to find illegal immigrants on a three-day sweep of the town. Schaaf called it her “moral obligation” to warn people of the sweep, which allowed approximately 800 people to evade consequences. While Schaaf claims that she has not broken any laws, as her city is a “sanctuary city” (meaning it does not fully comply with federal immigration enforcement),
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she has met significant criticism from the chief of ICE, Thomas Homan. Homan likened Schaaf’s warning to a “gang lookout yelling ‘police,’” and stated that “Sanctuary jurisdictions like San Francisco and Oakland shield dangerous criminal aliens from federal law enforcement at the expense of public safety.” Since the March incident, President Trump himself has declared that Schaaf committed obstruction of justice by warning the city. Trump referred to the incident as “an incredible phenomenon, because sanctuary cities — it’s the worst; it’s basically a city to protect a lot of people that are bad people, really bad.” However, Schaaf also received support from other members of the federal government, namely Senator Kamala Harris, who said in a speech,“I think Mayor Schaaf is doing exactly what she believes is in the best interest of her community, and I support that 100 percent.” The incident has stirred up an already
very controversial issue within our state: what legal ability should these cities have to harbor immigrants? Has ICE gone too far by conducting raids on towns without warning? As California is a border state, these issues are particularly heated and have the potential to be life-changing to entire families. Laguna students interviewe seem to be in favor of protecting the legal status of sanctuary cities. “They provide safe havens for people who come in illegally and who potentially have escaped poverty and war and whatnot,” sophomore Peter Smith said. However, when asked whether or not he supported Schaaf’s decision, he said “absolutely not...interfering directly with a federal raid is just uncalled for.” The issue of sanctuary cities has expanded even further from the case of Oakland. Sanctuary cities have become a hot-button topic in this state due to their prevalence and our president’s vocal disapproval of the legislation that protects them. For now, though, their legal validity is still robust, but the war between the White House and state officials puts that reality in jeopardy.
The Illustrated Interview With Senior Aidan O’Donnell
What are some small things that make your day better? Music and wind in my hair
What’s your favorite thing to draw? Balloon people
What makes you smile? Pooches
What’s a fictional place you want to visit? Treasure Planet
Draw a self-portrait.
If you could invent something what would it be? “Gagpipe” (guitar and bagpipe)
What job would you be terrible at? Therapist
What’s your favorite food? Fast food
Who’s your favorite artist? Elliot Smith
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Q&A INTERVIEW & PHOTO Sofia Fouroohi-Martin
with junior Maxx Christal
Maxx, who joined Laguna Blanca as a freshman, is known around campus for his optimistic attitude and for always having a “fantastic” day.
Q: What is the first thing you do when you wake up? A: I usually drink water then go downstairs and eat breakfast and take my pills and drink my shake. Then I go upstairs to brush my teeth and get dressed.
Q: Would you rather have pancakes or waffles for breakfast everyday? A: That’s very hard to say... probably waffles.
Q: How do you like to spend your free time? A: I like to spend my free time at the beach. My favorite thing to do there is surfing. Chad is teaching me how to surf.
Q: What kind of music do you like? A: I love Sting. I also just discovered Andy Grammer and really like his music. He’s a nice singer and one of the best in the world.
Q: What is your favorite animal? A: Hummingbirds, because they’re colorful.
Q: If you could be a teacher for a day, what would you teach? A: I would want to teach ceramics.
Q: What is your favorite class? A: History of Jazz with Mr. Shertzer.
Q: What is your favorite place that you’ve traveled to? A: Sacred Valley, Argentina. You’ll laugh when I tell you this: our whole family went on boats and we went underneath these big waterfalls.
Q: What are some of your hobbies? A: I love traveling. I love going in the snow — skiing, but not sledding. I flipped over when I went sledding. I love horseback riding on trails. I’m going to go skydiving this year. Q: When did you start doing those hobbies? A: I started skiing when I was four and started riding horses when I was around seven years old. Q: What do you normally do on the weekends? A: I go to events, workout with a trainer, do tutoring and have fun! My trainer and I normally walk up along the cliffs and beaches in town. Sometimes we walk to the Ellwood Butterfly Exhibit.
Q: If you could live in another city anywhere in the world, where would you live and why? A: I would live in Rome. I loved climbing up the Leaning Tower of Pisa when I was there; it was super hard. They used to let people climb it but now they’ve decided that the stairs were too worn down, so they locked it up. Q: What is your favorite outdoor activity? A: Going to the beach. I love to go on hikes or walks. I love going to the wharf and the Natural History Museum and hearing all about the birds. Q: Chocolate or Vanilla? A: Both
FEATURE 15
DO YOU... remember when
Annelle RETURNS John Russo joins Storytime at Catalina HARAGANDA is born Kailea does fist push-ups on cement Canoe wars with X Annelle falls off her horse in front of the football team Hawaiian Shirt Days Laird gets on @totalfratmove’s Instagram (Thanks Camille!) Zane’s Halloween costume Yet another memorable Halloween Kelly and Philip Fauntleroy Girls volleyball wins CIF and goes to state Laurel and Kathryn cut their hair Alex gets his braces off Ethan gets frosted tips Secret apartment excursions Caylin breaks a glass at Olio e Limone Isabelle wins the Condor League Tiffany and Miles Shaun disappears The boys tear Della’s jacket The bowl competition Cameron Squire was a thing The journalism conference gets interesting Camila goes to state round of Poetry Out Loud contest Kelly breaks a table Sophia Fay wins knifey spooney Clare hurts her knee Britney Spears just isn’t that great Rose goes to Vegas Danish Will leaves Seussical the Musical Sophomores became nurses (dabwithgab) Mia is on house arrest Kelly breaks her phone Kendall and Aidan again
SOPHOMORE
FRESHMAN
Volleyball team goes to Hawaii Minkle! (Michael Siegel) 5 Hour Energy Stephanie doesn’t own shorts Stephanie doesn’t know what slavery (or a canoe) is Stephanie is from San Francisco? Rose dies on a Yosemite hike Laird and Julia have a bus ride Everyone likes Laird The football boys do a lot of pushups Maddy dyes her hair blonde Rose is friends with Alivia and Cris A memorable Halloween Laird is a Whale Shark Amanda joins halfway through the year (after quarter 1) Javier “blew his presentation” #theone Kailea is silent Someone falls in Elements of Writing Kendall and Aidan Juria is born Kelvin trips Mr. Nathan Kelvin still telling Siegel to get a water Tiffany and Cooper Farrell “Mommy Network” becomes roust Camila gets lost in London The roust of Bobby A “Lip Gloss” music video is created The Hawk nest at the Bickett house Kendall fights a blender... and doesn’t win The OG Grandidier Mia and Angus Wat(t)ers Carina and Ethan Katnic Young Frankenstein Soccer boys go to CIF finals Seniors ask a lot of freshman to prom Turf turn-ups Javier is Adonis “Mom, it’s just a phase” Spencer brings his lizard Skippy to school
PAGE Julia Fay & Carina Tedesco
Mia is reborn Sonya and Lucas Conor has an art show The end of an era at Jack Fry’s Anton gives Kotty a concussion Mackenzie RETURNS El Cap talent show and subsequent dance party Laird and Maddy are in love Sasha tries to fight El Cap campers Camila falls asleep in a jacuzzi on an inflatable pineapple while reading Jane Eyre Sophia Bakaev learns 5 different songs in 5 different languages The grind never stops Seniors hike to the top of the mountain Snapchat hack “leaks” a video Clay and Brooklyn The football team sees something they shouldn’t DISCO Homecoming! Football goes to CIF Finals Fire and Mudslides Field Day Mia can’t host Alex and Aura Sydney doesn’t drink water!? Camila wins 10-10-10 Merith and Jason John Russo plays with fire Sophia and Ty Jules impersonates Mario Meredith O’Connor… (Camila runs and cries) Jackson leaves Laguna... Annelle is good at aerial King Cheef Brooklyn wins knifey spooney Maddy dyes her hair blonde (again) @Things_my_calc_teacher_said The dolls Mackenzie and Laurel finally get driver’s licenses GREASE Anton and Lolli get appendicitis Tres Amigos Tiffany gets her yoga license Where’s Camila? Dog Day Kendall and Aidan again
SENIOR
JUNIOR
Roth descends from Heaven Abby RETURNS Sasha, Hannah, Annabelle, Matthew and Jules come to Laguna Sonya and Sasha Shaun surfaces Shaunderwood gone for good GROOVERS We survive the Colorado River Trip (barely) “Going down the river….” “P-A-D-D-L-E” “HARAGANDA” Hugh makes Kathryn, Amanda and Camila swim 3 football fields Hannah is a tattoo artist Laird and Alex Bidwell Javi and Alex Koke Helen and Erik Jason vs. Halloween Margarita Patron is a real name? Anton and Talia Aura wins the Condor League Ace vs. Fork Conor and Holly The sign got ripped and our year is “ruined” The senior class of a lifetime Clay and Sydney Camila does 10-10-10 Kelly and Ethan Boys soccer makes CIF semifinals Annelle and John Russo Kelly wins knifey spooney Who threw up in the closet? Aidan brings back the Grandidier Jackson runs for president Don’t drive golf carts on the green or you’ll get a $500 fine Sophia Bakaev and Mathew share a moment Ms. McHale and the “W” sign Jackson and Brock at prom Laurel gets her makeup done for prom The boys cut Merrick’s hair Steve the tiny hand The Hawk has left the nest Roth gives everyone Chinese poems Isabelle runs a half-marathon #Helictor for life Trendy Conor is born Kendall and Aidan again
most likely to . . . Make a successful YouTube channel but then spend all his money on cars
Become an opera singer
Crash a wedding by playing “Careless Whisper”
Javier Abrego
Sophia Bakaev
Jason Barnick
Jules Bernard
Kelly Bickett
Crash “the” truck while trying to avoid a chicken crossing the road
Become the biggest investor in Tic-Tac
Slip and fall while walking to receive her diploma
Win a triathalon but be too humble to tell anyone
Faint of dehydration because only water was available
Aura Carlson
Kelvin Chen
Abby Corpuz
Isabelle Davenport
Sydney Edgecomb
Still get ID’d when she’s 30
Bring Adidas shorts back
Create a successful sock line
Mumble his proposal so quietly that she doesn’t hear it
Become a fraternity president
Julia Fay
Sophia Fay
Annabelle Finefrock
Laird Fowler
Lose all his money investing in Bitcoin
Win the Hunger Games
Sleep through graduation
Be the first person to survive solely on chocolate
Alex Furukawa
Kailea Hieshima
Anton Homeniuk
Rose Houglet
Copy edit the Constitution
Ride her horse into a lecture
Join her parents in the CIA
Get a ticket for speeding on Las Palmas
Win the lottery and lose the ticket
Jackson Hurley
Annelle King
Mackenzie Kinsella
Brooklyn Kinsler
Sonya Kotler
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Pronounce faux “fox”
Be late to her own wedding
Jack Fry Become the next Bear Grylls
Sasha Hsu
Have a cooking show but get bored with it
Star in her own Broadway show
Win an Oscar but not hear her name
Laurel Kujan
Maddy Lazarovits
Camila Lemere
Become the next Wolf of Wall Street
Be the next Alexis Ren
Become an advocate for the feminist movement
Turn Rod-Stew Magic into a successful comedy routine
Miles McGovern
Hannah Miller
Kathryn Norris
Aidan O’Donnell
Win a gold medal for hockey in the Winter Olympics
Travel the world first class
Run for president
Get stopped by one of his buddies in the TSA
Matthew Park
Erik Qin
Clay Rodgers
Be the next Van Gogh
Win “Cupcake Wars”
Be Instagram famous
Conor Scheinberg
Amanda Skinner
Carina Tedesco
Have her own reality show
Be the Bachelorette but be too indecisive to pick someone
Become the next Jenny Shatzle
Kendall White
Tiffany Yabsley
Be on a first name basis with the 911 operator
Lead a movement
Caylin Zimmerman
Rae Bernstein
Mia Waters
Solve a North Korean crisis through memes
Victor Liu
John Russo Become a SoundCloud rapper
Ethan Tyng
Be a camp counselor
Zane Mazor-Brown Become a marine biologist and save the ocean
Clare Ogle Become a South African lion tracker
Spencer Rycroft Create Anime comics
Merith Velazquez
Have her art showcased in the La Biennale di Venezia
Win a Nobel Peace Prize
Helen Yang
Roth Yin
Become the youngest professor in the U.S.
Have a class monument dedicated to us rather than by us
Senior supperlatives chosen by the senior staff members
Stella Haffner
Class of 2018
PAGE Mia Waters & Julia Fay
SENIORS 19
PAGE Kendall White
#yourseniorinstagrams TOP POSTS
Senior
Junior
Sophomore
Freshman
PAGE Kelly Bickett & Aura Carlson
Washington University of Puget Sound — Brooklyn Kinsler University of Washington — Clare Ogle
California California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo — Sasha Hsu California State University, Fullerton — Spencer Rycroft Chapman University — Javier Abrego, Sydney Edgecomb, Annabelle Finefrock, Camila Lemere Claremont McKenna College — Ethan Tyng Santa Barbara City College — Sophia Bakaev Santa Clara University — Alex Furukawa, Mackenzie Kinsella Stanford University — Sophia Fay Pomona College — Jackson Hurley University of California, Berkeley — Sonya Kotler, Roth Yin, Caylin Zimmerman University of California, Davis — Abby Corpuz, Kailea Hieshima University of California, Los Angeles — Kelly Bickett, Kendall White University of California, Santa Cruz — Jules Bernard University of California, San Diego — Kelvin Chen University of San Diego — Isabelle Davenport, Tiffany Yabsley University of Southern California — Julia Fay, Laurel Kujan, Amanda Skinner
Colorado Denver University — Annelle King University of Colorado Boulder — Jason Barnick
Texas Southern Methodist University — Jack Fry, Miles McGovern, Mia Waters Texas Christian University — Laird Fowler
college map GRAPHICS Sonya Kotler
PAGE Aura Carlson, Sydney Edgecomb & Sonya Kotler
www.thefourthestate.net
Maine Massachusetts
Bowdoin College — Aura Carlson
Bard College at Simon’s Rock — Rae Bernstein Boston College — Erik Qin Boston University — Anton Homeniuk Brandeis University — Victor Liu, Helen Yang Northeastern University — Kathryn Norris Williams College — Rose Houglet
New York Bard College — Aidan O’Donnell, Conor Scheinberg The New School — Hannah Miller
Michigan University of Michigan — Carina Tedesco
Pennsylvania Lehigh University — Merith Velazquez
Ohio
Connecticut
Oberlin College — Maddy Lazarovits
Connecticut College — Matthew Park Wesleyan University — Clay Rodgers
Indiana Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology — John Russo
Scotland University of St. Andrews — Stella Haffner
Gap Year Zane Mazor-Brown
SENIORS 23
what was your longest relationship in high school?
which year of high school was the hardest best 23% senior 48%
senior
45%
28%
junior sophomore
10% sophomore 19% freshman
freshman
always single
1-6 months 16% less than a month more than 6 months 22% 1-2 years
junior
16%
16% 13%
2+ years 6%
36%
have you ever pulled an all nighter?
3%
yes
senior
53.1%
no
have you ever snuck out of your house? yes
STATISTICS
no
59.4%
have you ever had a crush on a teacher? yes
no
81.3%
GRAPHICS Sonya Kotler
PAGE Aura Carlson & Sonya Kotler SURVEY Aura Carlson, Sonya Kotler & Carina Tedesco
0
1
2 3+
16%
9% 9%
5 - 10
63% 9%
66% more than 10 3% less than 3 times
25%
3-5
how many times do you shower a week?
SURVEY Graduating class of 53 polled in an anonymous survey via Google. Results are from the 32 respondents.
how many times have you been in a car accident?
88% 75% 6,002 17
enjoyed high school have been significantly impacted by a teacher total number of community service hours completed by the graduating class Presidential Volunteer Service Awards earned by the graduating class over the past four years
If You Could Do High School Over Again, You Would ... WORDS & PAGE Kelly Bickett PHOTOS Katherine Monroy & Kelly Bickett
HANNAH MILLER
SASHA HSU
“I would go to more school and sports events.They are really fun, and it’s great to see the community come together and support everyone. I don’t think I realized that until senior year.”
“If I could do high school over again, I would spend less time worrying about insignificant drama and more time enjoying life and being productive.”
ROTH YIN
MADDY LAZAROVITS
“I don’t regret many things in my high school years, except that I joined Laguna too late. Even though I received the most pleasant welcome as a transfer, I couldn’t help imagining what it would be like to grow up with this amazing class from the beginning.”
AIDAN O’DONNELL
“I would have taken Elements of Writing more seriously. I also would retake Ms. Hill’s 10th Grade English class because I enjoyed it so much, and it inspired me to write.”
“I would make more friends. Looking back on high school, I have felt alone. I guess I would be as friendly as possible, always be kind and understanding, and make an effort to reach out to others.”
JASON BARNICK
“If I could go back, I would relax more and try to enjoy the time before my final year. I would also study harder for Shertzer’s map tests.”
PHOTO Paul Chiment
I
Dear Freshman Selves,
t’s been a long four years. We know that you probably don’t want to read this because you think that you’re so cool, and you’re in high school now, and you’re basically an adult, but we ask that you please do read this because, in the epic four-year-long roller coaster ride that we’ve just endured, we’ve learned a lot of things that you might want to hear. Don’t take yourself too seriously.You are not the king or queen of the world, so don’t behave like it. Find it within yourself to be kind to everyone, whether you like them or not. These are the people who you are going to spend most of your time with for the next four years, so act accordingly. Start conversations. Get to know the other students, teachers and especially, the campus dogs. Don’t be afraid to make a fool of yourself — it only shows that you’re human.You won’t regret the stupid things you’ll do — and you will do plenty of stupid things.You will regret the things that you want to do but that you don’t — the musicals you never try out for, the teams you never join, the crushes you never ask out. That said, don’t waste your time trying to please other people.You are your own person, so realize it, and act like it. Speak and act in accordance with who you want to be, and live without shame or regret. We know how much you’re trying to fit in, and that’s fine, but don’t change yourself to do so. Embrace what makes you different, and love it, even if other people don’t. At a certain point, you will realize that the ‘cool’ kids are not happier than the ones who ‘aren’t.’ Don’t spend all of your time working. As you move through high school, things are just going to get more and more difficult. Sooner than you think, you’re going to start taking APs and applying to college, and you’re going to get caught in a downward spiral of homework and personal essays, so embrace the time you have without these things, and have some fun, be spontaneous and enjoy having your parents drive you around (they’re like your personal, free chauffeurs, so don’t forget to thank them once in a while). Don’t try to be too cool for school. We know that we just told you to have some fun, but that doesn’t mean that school doesn’t matter. Find something to be passionate about: it can be anything from moth evolution to photography, but just be a nerd about something; we don’t care what. Being passionate about one or two or three things, whether or not they’re school-related, is what makes you stand out, and not just on a college application. And, please, always thank your teachers — the time and energy that you put into learning (or trying not to learn), they spend teaching you and grading the probably horrible essays you write. Don’t spend your four years just trying to please colleges by taking classes that don’t interest you and doing activities that are not for you.Your parents will think that these years are a means to an end — getting into a good college and setting yourself up for a successful ‘real life’. But these years are more than that. High school is a life within a life, like no other.You get to be whoever you want to be: an actor, musician, athlete, journalist or all of the above.You get to go to school dances.You get to be young.You never get that back. Spending all your time and energy on a ‘perfect’ application won’t help you. A well-rounded person who truly embraces his or her life and passions is more appealing to colleges than a flawless application, anyway. Most importantly, don’t forget to be happy. High school goes by faster than you realize, so enjoy it. Enjoy being in beautiful Hope Ranch, enjoy spending time with your friends and enjoy living with your family. Appreciate the little things and realize that you are so, so lucky to be where you are.
Javi loves to share his random bursts of excitement and happiness. On many occasions, I would receive an unexpected knock on my door, followed by blaring music and a dancing Javi. These memories have to be my favorite moments we’ve shared. — Pisci Abrego
Aura is one of the most caring, stubborn, hilarious and difficult humans on this planet. I will miss having you to fight with, drive with, adventure with and learn from. Congrats polar bear!! — Frances Carlson
Julia is quietly determined, incredibly hard-working, intelligent, understanding and humble. I don’t think she realizes just how many great things she has already accomplished, and will continue to accomplish! She genuinely inspires me to be better in everything I do! — Carina Tedesco
The thing I most admire about Sophia is that she is up for anything no matter how scary or awkward. Whether it is as a freshman where she played in the alumni soccer game against men twice her age or jumping on stage in front of people, she does her thing, and as a result, lives life to the fullest. — Kevin Shertzer
Since enrolling at Laguna, Kelvin has demonstrated a significant amount of growth as an individual and football player. He was very coachable and proved to become a tough competitor on the football field. Kelvin is also a wise young man who was able to articulate a mature perspective to the team before and after games. — Shane Lopes
Sophia is the perfect package: beautiful, hilarious and a secret genius. She has a belly laugh that makes everyone smile. She is one of a kind and the most trustworthy companion I’ve had. I’m grateful for our friendship. A day with Sophia is always a better one. — Kelly Bickett
Jason is the type of guy who can make everyone in the room die of laughter in under a minute! — Clay Rodgers
From laughing at her jokes to laughing at her falling down the stairs, Abby is the most clumsy, funny, witty and thoughtful person I know. I’ll miss my fellow Ravenclaw but can’t wait to see the person (who is probably a doctor), she’ll become. — Sydney Edgecomb
You’re not just another edamame in a dream to me. Thanks for being my best friend for only 4 months. Love you forever! — Caylin Zimmerman
Jules “Doodles” is one of the only people I know who I can be completely open with. She’s compassionate, creative, (weird) and driven. I think we may have been friends in a past life, as birds or something. — Hannah Miller
Kelly is ambitious, funny, caring and would do anything for her friends. She succeeds in anything she puts her mind to. Among many other amazing things, Kelly was the queen of the tankini movement in the early 2000s. — Kendall White
There are not enough words to describe the beautiful, kind soul that is Isabelle. I’ll miss your dark humor and random trips to Chaucer’s. Let me know if you still want to paint it black. And also, Kaitonomo. — Merith Velazquez
Sydney is a bright light — a remarkable individual who brought forth a presence of strength and confidence as a leader. Sydney is the first to volunteer, extremely generous with her time and always looking to better the community. A true joy to be around, she will be very successful chasing her dreams. — Jessica Tyler
Laird is funny, weird, but sometimes he’s a good big brother. Congratulations buddy, didn’t think you’d make it, but you did! — Amelia Fowler
When I was playing football Jack would bring up football huddles with his mouthgaurd in, and because he’s so British he would be like OWWSS ON FWEE!! ONNEE TWWOO FWEE OWWHHSS!! — Laird Fowler
A
Sasha is very good at making people feel good about themselves. He is constantly radiating positivity and has ample, contagious energy. He’s truly one of the happiest and most content people I know, and one of the best friends in this world. — Tiffany Yabsley
I taught Jackson Algebra in fourth grade and Calculus BC in eighth grade. His high school math was at SBCC and then at UCSB. This year he was my TA in Multivariable Calculus. Jackson is bright, creative and kind. He is a great teacher. I will miss him. — Dan Ary
What I’ll miss most about Kailea is working so hard to make her laugh. It was never an easy job, but one of the most rewarding. — Erik Faust
A force of nature, as strong as an ox — or a horse — as lithe as Jane Eyre, as nimble as any aerial dancer — wise, empathetic, in-tune old soul, ready to solve the world’s problems, and ours. She is our very own Jane. — Ashley Tidey
Antoshka is a riveting young man with a creative mind and a bright future. He is a humorous, gentle human, and I see big things happening in Boston for him. — Alex Furukawa
Mackenzie is one of the sweetest, kindest people I’ve ever met. I love laughing with Mackenzie, and I know with her big heart she’ll be amazing in whatever she does. — Aura Carlson
senior
I could not ask for a better friend than Rose. She is incredibly kind, funny, caring, and always gives the best hugs! I’m going to miss you so much next year. #loveyouRoss — Mackenzie Kinsella
I am honored to be Brooklyn’s friend. She is a really amazing person, and I am so lucky to have met her in seventh grade and be best friends with her now. — Annelle King
If you ask anyone who knows Alex they’ll say he’s kind-hearted and driven but all in a relaxed manner. He’s always down to kick it and up for whatever. He’s a hustling, stubborn, smart, athletic and hilarious guy. All in all he’s a stupendous friend. — Ethan Tyng
I have always loved Sonya’s creativity, dry sense of humor and willingness to be there for others. I know I will miss her erratic driving and our coffee runs when we go to college. — Amanda Skinner
QUOTES
She is the kale to my pizza; she is the BBQ sauce to my fries; she is the only person that makes me laugh till I cry. — Annabelle Finefrock
Miles has an ability to learn any new dance move he wants to learn. When it comes to something that he wants, he finds a way to make it happen, and I really admire that about him. — Ainsley McGovern
Matt is a quality friend. He’s not afraid to speak his mind, and he has an imaginative sense of humor. I love Matt because he is who he is, and he doesn’t let anyone change that. — Aidan O’Donnell
She’s honest, funny, dramatic, with forever changing hair. Maddy’s ever-growing sarcasm will be immortalized in her Jane Air bio. — Athena Boyle
Camila is one of the funniest and most talented people I’ve ever met. She makes me laugh harder than anyone and always makes me happy whenever I’m with her. She’s incredibly creative and inspires me to be more creative. I’m so thankful for our shared love of Jacob Sartorius, her stories, her adventurous personality and all of our shared memories (especially Joe Natural). — Kathryn Norris
Hannah is one of my best friends and I don’t know where I would be without her. I know if I’m having a bad day I can talk to her, and she’ll flip my mood instantly. I know Hannah is going to accomplish so much, and I’m excited to see what she’ll do in the future. — Mia Waters
Kathryn.You light up anyone’s day just by your smile and kindness. Whether is was APES review FaceTime sessions, volleyball partners or just talking in the quad, you were always by my side supporting me and cracking me up. Thank you for being such a great friend. I’m going to miss you next year!! — Maddie Walker
Erik is always passionate about studying, and he is also kind to everyone inside and outside the community. I believe his kindness and great sense of humor will help him well in his college career. — Kelvin Chen
Johnny Russo, or Afro John, is a memorable character. He has allowed many people to try new things. He is always one to go to when in need of a good laugh or just a good person to talk to, because the boy has some stories. — Brooklyn Kinsler
Victor is someone who you can rely on to make a snarky comment that can make everyone laugh and ease any tension that’s in the air. — Jason Barnick
Radon Randell will always be in the cut. #oysterlick #ogbobbyjohnson #professorslorch #spawnofdawn — Anton Homeniuk
I really enjoyed hanging out in his garage with the fellas playing jazz and a dige. “It’s jazz,” as he always says. — John Russo
I remember when Zane said to me, “Shut your mouth when you are talking to me.” From that point on, I identified he was a pretty intense guy, and we became great friends. — Conor Scheinberg
Clare is a hardworking, organized, motivated super star. She fully invests in her friends, on the soccer field and in the classroom. We have been lucky to have her, and she will be missed! — Katherine Pointer
What I really appreciate about Spencer is that he is always there for friends. I will miss our time together when we share memes, play video games and go to Chipotle. — Victor Liu
Conor is an old soul whose creativity inspires everyone around him. He never fails to bring a smile to my face and has truly impacted my life for the better. His raw talent will lead him straight to success, and I highly recommend getting an autograph while you still can. :) — Holly Tobias
Amanda is an amazing person. She is extremely loving and caring. Without a blink of the eye Amanda will put others before herself. Amanda is also one of the hardest working people I know. She has pushed me to be better with everything I do. Thank you for all you have done for me. — Koby Skinner
From exploring new islands to becoming YouTube stars, we’ve really been through it all. Thanks for the best five years! — Laurel Kujan
Kendall has been one of my best friends for my entire life. She is so selfless and genuine, which is why it’s so easy to get along with her! — Julia Fay
early graduates
About a year ago Mia and I made plans at a party to get lunch, which usually never ends up happening, but we actually ended up going, and we’ve been friends ever since. — Sophie Henderson
Carina’s tenacity, creativity, biking skills and intelligence never fail to impress me or anyone else, and Michigan is so unbelievably lucky to be getting such an awesome human being. — Kailea Hieshima
Tiffany is like a majestic lioness. She’s super caring and nurturing, and then all of a sudden she’s this wild child that loves living fast and driving slow with the music loud. Every time you hear the chicken song playing and hop into Tiff’s car you know you’ll have a good day. — Jules Bernard
Having Rae around means hearing spontaneous medical banter, listening to recitations of “Hairspray,” but most importantly, having an amazing friend. Dream big, kid. We will miss you. — Mia Humberd-Hilf
I’ll never forget the freshman/ sophomore year antics we pulled off in the valley with the boys. I can’t wait to go to his soccer games against Chapman so I can keep the competition alive in college. — Javi Abrego
I miss how Helen always makes me laugh; I miss how we’d go to class together everyday; I miss how we’d practice tennis together; I miss everything about Helen. — Sally Li
A young woman on the cutting edge of modernity. A trailblazer. Bridgebuilder. Humanitarian. Passion. Logic. Simply stellar, she can do it all! — Bojana Hill
Merith is an amazing person in so many ways: she is kind, thoughtful and talented. She is always there whenever I need her, and her sense of humor never ceases to make me laugh. I will miss her a lot next year! — Helen Yang
I consider Roth to be one of the nicest people on planet Earth. He has a calm and caring demeanor and always walks around school with an enormous smile on his face. Whenever I feel angry, I can always trust that seeing Roth will brighten my day. I greatly admire Roth and his disciplined approach to life as well as his fantastic posture. In the future, I can envision Roth as the next God. — Sasha Hsu
PAGE Aura Carlson PHOTOS Rose Houglet
SENIORS 31
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his is always a bittersweet time of year for me, as I start to mourn the impending departure of the senior class while warmly watching their excitement build as they realize just how close they are to this long anticipated commencement. I am feeling this bittersweet emotion strongly with each of you.You are a class with big hearts, courageous wills, genuine characters and soaring spirits. When I think of all the magnificent experiences that await you, I begin to burst with elation for you. There is so much out there to discover and behold! Life is filled with many amazing opportunities. Being such a talented and well-rounded group, you will, without a doubt, be presented with an abundance of them. Having so many choices can sometimes make your decisions even more difficult. Be confident you will find meaning and reward in whichever path you choose. There are treasures everywhere you wander. The power to find and appreciate those treasures lies within each of you. Take the time to fully appreciate the fortunes you do have and savor all the joys this life has to offer. Make happiness a priority in your life. People take different roads in their search for happiness, so try not to compare yourself to others. True happiness really does come from within. Apply the abilities you already possess, and keep challenging your mind and body with something new. Push yourself out of your comfort zone, as this is where some of the greatest experiences are had. Always keep your mind open and tolerant, by pushing negativity out and embracing optimism. Never lose the desire to learn and grow. In your pursuit of happiness, seek balance and strive for your own self-fulfillment. While fostering your own growth, remain present and engaged in the world around you. Let others inspire, guide and support you. Your class, with all of its awesome and unique personalities, is so beautifully united and connected, like one large loving family. Over the years, the interactions I’ve witnessed amongst you have involved so much kindness, empathy, altruism and generosity. I have seen you share with one another the warmest of smiles as well as the most heartfelt tears of sympathy and compassion. Continue to embrace, nurture and cherish your relationships – both old and new. Continue to spread that selfless love, as it can be the greatest gift to someone. Know that the small things do matter and can have incredible impacts. Each of you has impacted my life, leaving me brighter and lighter. I will miss your shining faces and lively spirits greatly, but I am comforted by the thought of your venturing out into the world where you will touch so many other lives.
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W
ith many seniors going to places much colder than Santa Barbara, we asked four alumni attending college on the East Coast and in the Midwest for advice on dealing with the cold. Margaret Lazarovits ‘14 University of Chicago, Illinois Below zero temperatures are obviously something I wasn’t familiar with, and I think I’m still adjusting! However, make sure you have a warm, long coat that goes past your waist and sturdy snow boots. Looking cute isn’t nearly as important as fending off frostbite, but if you can make both work, then that’s great! The weather did affect my mental state more than I thought it would, so even though it’s cold, be sure to get out of your room and make plans to do things even when the weather is less than ideal. I know people who have even bought sun lamps to help with the transition. You’ll come to appreciate the Santa Barbara weather that much more, and soon you’ll be wearing shorts in 50 degree weather!
Cameron Morello ‘16 Middlebury College, Vermont Going from California to Middlebury in the Northeast was definitely a significant lifestyle change. Waking up to the first snow of my freshman year was incredible, but the new capricious weather also meant that I had to check the forecast every morning. However, as a skier and lover of snow, going to Middlebury has been an awesome experience. For anyone making the move to a cold college next year, the new weather and lack of sun is definitely a shock, but the best advice I can give is to bundle up, enjoy the snow with friends when the weather is right and watch out for ice! INTERVIEWS Carina Tedesco GRAPHIC Sonya Kotler PAGE Aura Carlson
Cool College Advice Pierce O’Donnell ‘16 Harvard University, Massachusetts First things first, seasonal “depression” is absolutely a tangible phenomenon. I don’t say this to discourage anyone about an impending transition, but to encourage you to take advantage of the weather, whatever it may be, to avoid catching the winter woes. My roommates and I take a ski trip the first weekend of significant snowfall each winter and again in the spring when we wish it were warmer. Day-to-day, take advantage of the school’s indoor pool, eat lunch outside whenever it’s nice out during the winter, get layered up and play rugby in the snow. The best part about winter at college is that you have over a month of break to get out of the cold, so the winter is really only a couple of months at the longest.
Natasha Heyer ‘17 Lehigh University, Pennsylvania Buy a really good coat! Dress in layers because it’s really, really cold outside and then it’s really warm inside classrooms because they have the heater on. When people go out, they still wear skirts and tank tops even if it’s snowing, so I wear fuzzy socks for warmth. Honestly, I expected the adjustment to be 20 times worse, and it’s really not that bad as long as you have proper gear. It’s kind of depressing when you don’t see blue sky for weeks at a time, but you can get used to it, and the snow can be really fun too. Also I recommend a waterproof backpack. Amazon has them for like $30, and it’s so nice because you don’t have to stress about your notes or laptop getting wet.
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CO-ED
GOLF
WORDS Ian Brown PHOTO Ava Morouse
he golf team has continued to grow in membership throughout its latest season at Laguna Blanca. The team practices three times a week, Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, usually at La Cumbre Country Club golf course. The team does not accept inexperienced golfers; however, it has generated a following of experienced players that participate. Currently, the team does not compete; rather, they are focusing on strictly improving their performance. Peter “Ace” Angeloff, the coach of the team, is a favorite amongst his players, and is often cited as one of the reasons they participate. “Ace is amazing,” said sophomore golfer Dante Christie. The team also highlights their form and stroke as some of the most prominent improvements to their game, and their scores have been dropping consistently each week.
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When asked who was the most improved player of the year, Angeloff said “Avery Hughes has gone from being a non-player to being able to hit the ball consistently.” The golf team is divided into two sections: the range team, which is for beginners, who practice on Monday, and the more experienced players, who practice on the course on Tuesday and Thursday. “This season was disappointing in that the star players were unable to make sufficient commitment. We hope next year the star players will be as committed as the range group,” Angeloff said. Angeloff is “optimistic that next year we’ll field a team, because we know we have competitive golfers here in the upper school.” Both the players and Angeloff seem confident that the team is starting to thrive and hope to compete in the coming year.
Sophomore Dante Christie and freshman Zach Boyle pose with coach Peter Angeloff.
BOYS
VOLLEYBALL WORDS Kelly Bickett PHOTOS Brad Elliott
G
aining two crucial players, freshman Finn Walker and sophomore Caetano Perez-Marchant, and losing only one graduating senior from last year, the Owls’ volleyball boys have much experience under their belt. During the course of the preseason, league and non-league matches, the Owls have improved greatly and show great promise in the CIF tournament in May. “I think the season is going very well. Our team this year is really connected and has a lot of chemistry. Almost all of us have been playing together for three years now so we work well together. We’ve definitely improved in pretty much every aspect of a team, but our hitting and setting are a lot better than they were last year. So far we’ve lost a couple close games, but I’m confident that we’re going to go far in CIF,” said junior Sam Stegall. The boys are reigning champions in the Condor League, sweeping each opponent in three. In fact, the Owls dominated in their crosstown rival match against Providence. Junior Andrew Tolles accumulated 10 kills while Stegall put away five and Walker four. The Owls won the match in three sets: 25-9, 25-9, 25-13. The Owls then traveled up to Dunn School where yet again the Owls pulled a three game sweep over the Earwigs. Stegall gathered seven kills and served three aces while Tolles added five kills and put away nine aces. Not only did the Owls conquer the Condor League, they also
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took down the Santa Ynez Pirates, a team that is five divisions higher than the Owls. The Owls won in four sets, losing by only a few points in the second set. “Andrew made some fantastic digs for us. He was a crucial part to winning the match,” senior Miles McGovern said. Looking for fiercer competition than the Condor League, the Owls entered the Chadwick Tournament, known to have many qualified opponents. In pool play, the Owls, having beaten Chadwick High School and lost to Bishop Montgomery High School, had a (1-1) record heading into the final match against Vistamar. It was an evenly matched game, and every point was a battle. Unfortunately, the Owls came up short, losing in the third game. The Owls went on to take third place in the gold bracket after losing to St. Margaret’s High School. The Owls started the Division 7 CIF tournament with a clean sweep over Lompoc. Senior Spencer Rycroft was hot from the middle blocker position, averaging five kills a set. Junior Kyle Aitcheson played the offense well, dishing out sets to all hot hitters: Tolles, Walker, Perez-Merchant and McGovern. The Owls won 25-22, 25-21, 25-18. The boys hosted second seed La Salle in the second round of CIF. The Owls fought hard but came short losing 25-23, 25-19, 25-19. “We struggled early, but I’m very proud of the whole team especially the seniors Spencer and Miles,” said Coach John Roberts.
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BOYS
TENNIS WORDS Javier Abrego PHOTOS Brad Elliott
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he Laguna Blanca Boys Tennis team is in the middle of another successful season. This season they have defeated rivals Thacher (6-5) and Dunn (1-2). Captains Alex Furukawa (No. 1 singles) and Victor Liu (No. 2 singles) lead the boys. Coach Trevor Thorpe said “Both Alex and Victor are very good at leading by example. Additionally, they deliver under times of pressure. They’re definitely two players the younger guys look up to.” Seniors Conor Scheinberg and Jason Barnick (No. 1 doubles) lead the two-man teams and have been very effective this year. Thorpe added, “Conor and Jason have been key to our success this season. It’s unfortunate that I can only pick two captains, because these guys are definitely in the running. They know when to be playful, but also know when it’s time to get serious.” The Owls have seen many players step up to the plate and compete this season. “I believe Tony has been really improving his game over the last few months and I can’t wait to see how he performs next year. It’s always great knowing you have younger guys you can rely on when the older players are out,” Jason Barnick said. The team saw the addition of many freshmen — “too many to keep track of,” says Scheinberg. “Even though the team will be losing six seniors next year, they still have a very bright future ahead of them.” Seniors Alex Furukawa, Conor Scheinberg,Victor Liu, Jason Barnick, Kelvin Chen and Erik Qin plan to leave it all out on the court over the next few weeks as their high school tennis days are beginning to wind down. After winning both a wild card match against Lompoc and the first round against Quartz Hill, the Owls cleared Rio Mesa 13-5. However, after a hard-fought match, they lost in quarterfinals against Laguna Beach, 15-3. When asked about the season, Barnick said, “All of our players
Junior Kyle Aitcheson dishes out a back set.
Senior Alex Furukawa forehands the ball back over the net.
Sophomore Kevin Khodabandehlou backhands the ball alongside senior Kelvin Chen.
are delivering a top notch performance.” Furukawa added, “Our team has a lot of good depth. If our players play at the level we are capable of, we can do great things.”
Junior Sam Stegall hits the ball past the blocker.
SPORTS 35
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GIRLS
BEACH VOLLEYBALL WORDS Phoebe Stein PHOTOS Brad Elliott
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he second week of April marks the end of the Girls Sand Volleyball season. The girls played a total of 12 games and ended up with a record of four wins and eight losses. Freshmen Annie Gabler and Bea Lujan are two new members of the team. Both participated in girls indoor volleyball in the fall and decided to try out for beach. It has been a developing and bonding season for the young players. “We’ve gotten closer, and it’s been fun because we have created a team bond that has lasted through the season,” Gabler said. Lujan added, “At first, it was really fun because we knew all the freshmen and we were bonding, and a bunch of our friends are on the team. Then we got to know a lot of the older girls, and we developed a friendship.” The team, consisting of students from multiple grades, provided a great way for the students to get to know each other. “As a team, we work well together because our partners have been switched around a lot, so we all get to work with each other,” said Gabler. One moment in the Owls’ beach season that stood out to Gabler and Lujan was the match against Santa Barbara High School. “Ainsley and Macy were playing Santa Barbara on the number two spot. It was a tight game — they lost the first game, won the second game and tied the third game,” said Gabler. “We were competing against Santa Barbara for who could have the loudest cheer. [We] ended up losing, but it was a great team building moment.” The game was one that changed the camaraderie of the team, bringing them closer together despite their less-than-perfect record. “There is no CIF because it’s a new sport,” commented Lujan. “It’s just league, but if you go on you can try to win the league, but this year that is unlikely.” The whole team shares a profound excitement for the next season of beach volleyball.
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Freshman Sophia Webster and sophomore Macy Christal dive for the ball.
CIF RESULTS
irls Sand Volleyball is still a rising high school sport. Laguna Blanca acquired their beach courts only three years ago. Unfortunately, the CIF organization has not accepted beach volleyball as a CIF sport. Ace’s famous Golf Team has had its ups and downs the past couple of years. Last year, Ace took in both unexperienced and experienced players to La Cumbre Country Club to learn, grow, and perfect their play. This year, Ace has closed off the golf team to only experienced players. Unfortunately, there is no CIF tournament for golf at Laguna. Rather, the players learn individually from the “legend” himself. Yet again, boys Indoor Volleyball qualified for the CIF tour-
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Freshman Madie Oriskovich swings down the line.
WORDS Kelly Bickett
nament. The boys were reigning champions over the Condor League and headed into the CIF tournament with big wins under their belt. In the first round, the Owls prevailed, winning 25-22, 25-21, 25-18 against Nipomo. Unfortunately, the Owls lost to second seed La Salle 23-25, 19-25, 19-25 in the second round of CIF. Boys Tennis has had an outstanding season as a freelance team for the second year in a row. Last year, the Owls went the furthest any boys tennis team has gone, reaching the quarterfinals. This year, in their wild card match, the boys beat Lompoc to push them into the first round of CIF against Quartz Hill. In the second round, the Owls dominated over Rio Mesa. Again, the boys fought until the quarterfinals, losing to Laguna Beach 15-3.
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akland, California, June 19, 2016. “Cleveland! This is for you!” roared a man who could not contain himself. Realizing he was being interviewed, he got control of himself, but was still overcome by a variety of emotions. LeBron James, the “King,” Kyrie Irving, “Uncle Drew,” along with the rest of Cavaliers, had just come back from a 3-1 deficit against the dynamic Golden State Warriors. With a dispiriting 3 percent odd of winning the championship, they crowned the city of Cleveland for the very first time in 52 years. Like many times before, LeBron James took the role of the undisputed leader and carried the city of Cleveland on his back. Ironically, the light of glory has since grown dim on the Cavaliers team. Kyrie Irving, prompted by the ambition to become a leader, left Cleveland. The rest of team, however, seems to have lost the sense of urgency and passion, leaving LeBron as the sole fighter. Despite three NBA championships,
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three Finals MVPs, four MVPs, the most postseason points scored, even the mighty LeBron James, 33, must age. Right? After a rocky and disappointing regular season, the Cavaliers entered playoffs seeded number four in the East. Though they came out on top in a seven-game grinding series against the Indiana Pacers in the first round, their lifeless performance stirred negative prospects about their playoff run, and the legacy of LeBron James, whose ability to carry his team by himself was in question, notwithstanding his astonishing 34.3 PPG (Points Per Game) in the preceding seven games. However, resilience and teamwork were on full display against the first-seeded Toronto Raptors in the second round; the whole team seemed to revive. The previously underperforming players, such as Kevin Love, JR Smith, and Tristan Thompson, stepped up. The passion, the unity, and the determination could be clearly sensed from every ball possession. To everyone’s surprise, the Cavaliers brought out the broom and swept the Raptors 4-0, advancing to the Eastern
Conference Finals for the fourth consecutive year. In the midst of skeptical voices about his legacy, will LeBron James fail against rising players, or will he defend the pride of a king? We shall see.
Crusade to the O’Brien
ouston, Texas, May 11, 2017. The Toyota Center was crowded with fans, but unusually lacking in cheers. The ball swished through the net, and the announcer yelled the name which had echoed innumerable times in this arena, “James Harden!” with the same passion as if the home team were not trailing by 25 points in the game that could eliminate them from the playoffs. Scarcely any fans cheered. Their clamors quickly faded into dead silence. The star shooting guard for Houston Rockets, James Harden,who actually took second place in PPG and led his team to a victorious season, fell embarrassingly short in possibly one of the most crucial games in his career by scoring a season low of 10 points. “Everything falls on my shoulders,” Harden said. “I take responsibility for it, both ends of the floor. It’s tough, especially
the way we lost at home for Game 6. But it happened and we move forward.” Indeed, with no excuse for his disheartening performance, what awaited him was a long and painful off-season, which, as torturing as this was, represents a necessary process of maturing that separates greatness from mere talent. Although the Rockets are currently
WORDS Jack Zhang ART Alex Furukawa PAGE Rose Houglet
seeded number one in the league, and Harden is already forecast by NBA coaches to be the “definite MVP of the year,” queries about his ability and whether he is a superstar or not still exist, all because of his infamously unstable performance in the post-seasons. Harden, on the other hand, has been silently crushing all the skeptical voices by clinching a Western Conference Finals match-up against the Warriors, the defending champions. The Warriors Rockets matchup is predicted to be extremely competitive; they are the first and second seeds in the league. Although Harden has already gone further than his last season, the real challenge awaits. Has all the criticism he has taken been converted into unprecedented willpower and a tenacious mindset, or will he choke again? It is soon to be tested against the nearly unbeatable Golden State Warriors.
SPORTS 37
World Cup Preview WORDS Patrick Otte PAGE Patrick Otte & Rose Houglet GRAPHIC Sofia Fouroohi-Martin
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ophomore Abdul Fatta Koroma said, “There are many aspects of soccer that make it such a great sport, but I think the most important aspect of it is the spirit. The spirit of the World Cup is indescribable. Supporting your country is a special feeling for any soccer player or fan because soccer is more than a sport; it is a lifestyle.” To many fans, the World Cup is much more than just several teams running up and down the pitch for 90 minutes. It is inspiring and patriotic, and attending one of these games is really a once in a lifetime experience. The World Cup is hosted once every four years and lasts for approximately a month. This year’s World Cup is in Russia and lasts from June 15 to July 14. Thirty-two international teams compete: one team hosts the World Cup in their country while the other teams fight for the remaining 31 spots. The 32 teams are split up into eight brackets with four teams of varied skill level in each. A win counts for three points, a tie for one, and a loss for zero. The two teams from each bracket with the most points advance, and then the round of 16 commences. The tournament is single elimination from here on out. After the round of 16, the winning teams advance on into the quarterfinals, the semifinals, and finally, the finals. In the semifinals, the two losing teams play each other and battle it out for third place. “Colombia is my favorite team compet-
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ing in the World Cup this year because they are not scared of strong opponents,” said sophomore Jack Zhang. “I think Colombia can win it this year, despite all the other strong opponents.” This year, for the first time in over thirty years, the United States did not even qualify for the World Cup, due to a stunning loss against the small Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago — proving that size doesn’t matter as much as talent in soccer. One of the main reasons why people love the tournament is that there are so many surprises. Every year a forgotten underdog surprises us all, making us wonder, who will surprise us next? “My prediction for the underdog this year will be Egypt. This is Egypt’s first time qualifying in the World Cup, and they have one player [Mohamed Salah] who is one of the world’s best,” said senior Ethan Tyng. The World Cup is about more than just soccer. There have been rumors that Russian fans have planned attacks on English fans because of political tensions between both countries. There has always been playful banter between rivaling teams, but Russian fans have gone so far as to give death threats to English fans. English police are warning English fans who are going to the Russian World Cup because of these threats. As the date approaches, fans order their team’s jerseys, mix their war paint and pray that their team will miraculously reach the final and win it all. Will an underdog prevail or will a European superpower dominate the competition as expected?
Brazil has always been technically strong, with players such as Thiago Silva, a brick wall of a defender, Paulihno the playmaker, and Neymar, who has an aptitude for finding the back of the net. Last World Cup Brazil got humiliated in the semifinals, losing 7-1 to Germany. Recently, Brazil beat Germany 1-0. Will Brazil get retribution for their flop?
Last World Cup, Germany won it all with a goal by Mario Götze in the 113 minute in double overtime to beat Argentina. This set the score 1-0 for Germany. Can Germany win it all again?
France has a solid team this year with a lot of young talent. France is looking to get farther than they did in the previous World Cup, where they were knocked out by Germany in the quarterfinals.
Belgium is a team similar to France skill wise with both young talent and more experienced players such as Eden Hazard, Romelu Lukaku and ThibautCourtouis. In the last World Cup they eliminated the USA 1-0 in a close game in the round of 16.
WORDS Tiffany Yabsley PAGE Carina Tedesco
Tiffany’s Tips for a Healthy Summer Senior Tiffany Yabsley, who is working to become a licensed personal trainer, shares seven easy ways to stay healthy this summer. 1. Instead of parking in a parking spot close to your destination, park far away. It will help you get in extra steps, or you can even skateboard/bike the rest of the way. 2. Get outside. As much as people praise getting tan, many don’t realize that the sun is our main source of Vitamin D and actually very good for us. Vitamin D helps stimulate bone growth, boosts your immunity and increases your cardiovascular health. 3. Drink a ton of water! Did you know that you’re supposed to drink half a gallon of water per day? Staying hydrated helps keep your skin clear, increases physical performance, energizes and suppresses appetite. For an extra kick, add a pinch of cayenne pepper and lemon juice to help speed up your metabolism.
4. Stay active. Whether that means trying an at-home yoga class or opting out of watching Netflix to going on a hike instead. Moving around has proven to reduce stress, release endorphins and change your attitude. 5. Treat yourself. Eat clean and healthy, but don’t be too strict. It’s important to get your daily dose of fruits and vegetables and give your body essential amino acids, and it’s equally as important not to limit yourself from foods you crave. Small amounts of “junk” foods every once in a while are okay! Small doses are much better for the body than large splurges. 6. Get plenty of sleep. During the stressful school year, people tend to have an inconsistent sleep schedule, which can be harmful to the body. Take advantage of the extra time you have. During sleep, growth hormones are released, muscles are repaired, your spine is reset and decompressed and your brain consolidates memories. 7. Stay positive. Mental health is just as important as physical health. Do what makes you happy, and unwind. It’s summer!
Website: economytreeservice.com Email: mike@economytreesb.com Phone: (805) 331-1138
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The Power of Words WORDS & GRAPHICS Itziar de Pedro
You have more power at your fingertips than entire generations that came before you. Think about the words you choose because they will affect people from all over the world.
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oday. How many times did you open your notebook in class? How many times did you open your phone and send a text? How many times did you open your computer to type something? Our world is completely dominated by words. It has always been. Since the first stories were told by the wise elders to the young, when writing didn’t even exist, until today, when thousands of digital words are traveling from one side of the world to the other every second. And those insignificant-looking arrangements of letters have an immense amount of power over us: they influence our way of thinking, reasoning, and feeling. Words mark us. From that first illustrated children’s book we read, to the thick, endless dusty novels we read in high school; from that English essay that took hours and more than a couple cups of coffee to complete, to that simple threeword hurried text message we sent to our friend; from that political poster we saw on TV, to that cute post-it note that appeared inside our locker; words mark us. Why? Because they have a message:
they are communicating a million different ideas that provoke a million different feelings in us. The best magazines, advertisements, movies, and commercials are all strategically planned to be effective. There is a massive team behind those three simple ‘Just Do It’ words. They have a meaning, convey a message, transmit important information and are personal and emo-
tionally compelling. They all have a story. A story that produces oxytocin, identified as the neurochemical responsible for empathy and narrative transportation. In this day and age, we have more power in our phones than many genera-
tions before us together. We are able to address the whole world, make a photo or message go viral. Our phones are a massive bullhorn and we need to know how to use it. That is where words come in again. We need to be able to master the art of writing. What to say, what not to write. We have to be careful when writing to avoid sending a wrong message to the world. We, teenagers in the digital era, unfortunately, sometimes use social media and online messaging carelessly. We have to understand the power our words have on others. Next time you open iMessage or are about to write a not-so-nice comment on someone’s post or decide to express your opinions online, take a second or two to think about it. Because those words are going to stay there. Although we may delete it and think it has disappeared, our phones write with permanent ink. Those words will be there, available for many to see and use. So think about this: would you be okay if your college admissions person read this? Or your future boss? Or the whole world when you become the next great doctor/lawyer/actor/CEO/president? Just remember how much power you have, and use it well.
OPINION 41
“UNFORTUNATELY, we are unable to offer you a place in the Class of 2022.”
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nothing I can do about it. With that A REFLECTION ON MY COLLEGE realization, I DECISIONS, HOW I DEALT WITH felt a whole truck-ton of THEM AND WHAT COMES NEXT. anger. Anger at my friends who did get here’s a certain way that into their top choices, anger I thought my life, specifi- at colleges and their decisions, cally the next four years anger at Versailles for being way too interesting for me of my life, would turn out. I to ignore, you get the point. I had this perfect vision of myfelt like everything I had done self, and I thought it was going up to that point was just a to be my reality. I had applied massive waste of my time and to 11 schools, and, of those, I energy. Throughout my high actually wanted to go to two. school career, I have taken I believed that I was going to nine AP’s and will have taken 8 end up on the East Coast in a AP tests. And, honestly, I didn’t tiny liberal arts college, never take most of them because go outside, and know way I wanted to. I took them too many of my classmates. I because I wanted to stand out thought very, very wrong. on a piece of paper, and so Even though I knew that I that I would get to go to the realistically could never get into those selective liberal arts college of my choosing. When colleges, because I had created that didn’t work out, I felt cheated and useless. this ideal for myself, I found To put it simply, rejection is myself crying at midnight in a massive, snarling female dog. the middle of Paris, France But I’ve thought about it a lot after receiving my first letter in the time between Paris and of rejection from my first writing this, and it has become choice college. The next letter very apparent to me that, was delivered the next day, because I can’t go back four during a visit to the opulent Versailles, but this time I didn’t years in time, there is nothing I can do to change the outcry because I had come to a come of my college decisions. realization: my life is not going I can’t change the grades I to work out the way that I have earned, I can’t change thought it would, and there’s
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the classes I have taken, and I can’t change the essays I have written. There is pretty much nothing I can do now, and we both know that I don’t have the time or energy to repeal. So I created a massive spreadsheet entitled “F*** COLLEGE DECISIONS,” and I began to compare my options. Instead of focusing on the amazing financial aid I could have gotten at Amherst, my first choice, I looked at the work study programs at University of Denver. Instead of shivering at the freezing temperatures of Middlebury, I researched the hundreds of donut and coffee shops near Reed. Instead of rereading the constantly looming “We regret to inform you,” I watched videos of UW move-in days. Eventually all of my research brought me two final options: UC Davis and UC Berkeley. Honestly, at this point, I was so, incredibly over it. The last thing that I wanted to do was visit more colleges, but my mom told me I had to, so I did. Halfway through the tour, I had decided. Beginning in fall 2018, I will be studying Animal Science at UC Davis. I’m going to be constantly sweating and will bike everywhere, rather than being inside all the time. I’m going to meet fellow fresh-
men on the first day of school whom I’ll never see again. I’m going to smell like cow dung and horses, and I could not be more happy about it. I’m not going to lie and say that I am completely fine with being rejected from my original top choices, because that would be a lie. What I am going to say, is that, after touring Davis, doing some additional research about their programs, and actually talking to some current and prospective students (one of whom will be my roommate next year) I am at peace with what happened. I have complete faith that I will be extremely happy for the next four years of my life, and I am so excited to be going to a place that is pretty much the opposite of Amherst and Middlebury. The point is, yes, rejection is a horrible, awful, ridiculous thing, but it’s not something that you need to dwell on for the rest of your life. Not getting into your “perfect” college is not the end of the world, and don’t treat it as such. Find the positives; for example, I’m really excited to go to UC Davis, even though it’s not what I wanted in the beginning. College decisions are stupid. Rejection is sad (and it’s okay to be sad about it), but get over it and move on.
WORDS & PAGE Kailea Hieshima
OPINION 43
ADÉLIE PENGUINS This species, because of its prevalence across the entire continent, is a good marker for the overall health of the Antarctic ecosystem. Adélie Penguins have thrived in Antarctica for almost 45,000 years, but according to a study by oceanographer Megan Cimino, 60 percent of the Adélie penguins’ habitat may become unfit to live in within the next century. A northern Antarctic colony near the United States’ Palmer Station has already seen population declines of over 80 percent. As our climate continues to change, the amount of viable habitat and nesting space will shrink. Last year a huge colony of Adélie penguins in eastern Antarctica experienced a massive die-off for the second time in the last few years. When scientists went to this eastern colony, instead of finding penguin chicks, they found 18,000 corpses and only two chicks alive. And this isn’t the only time this has happened. In the last four years, there have been two major penguin chick die-offs in the east Antarctic population. There are two reasons these deaths could be occurring: starvation and weather. In areas where warm waters drive fish farther north, penguins are forced to eat mostly krill. Krill is much less nutritious than fish, and penguins have to expend more energy catching them. It is possible that the chicks died because they didn’t have enough to eat. Odd as it sounds, it is also possible the chicks got hypothermia. Because penguin chicks’ fluffy exteriors aren’t waterproof, if, due to warming climates, it rains instead of snows while they are still in their fluffy stage, they get drenched and can’t dry off in the cold. Penguin nests are also on the ground, so water puddles and collects in them. Stuck in the wet and the cold, the chicks die of hypothermia. Although Adélie penguins are not endangered, their future in threatened by climate change.
KING PENGUINS These large penguins forage for fish and krill in the Antarctic just like the Adélie Penguins, but they leave their nesting areas to do so. This leaves their offspring vulnerable. As the fish move farther away from nesting sites, the parents move further away from their offspring. A study published by Nature Climate Change claims 70 percent of the 1.6 million pairs of sexually mature King penguins could be displaced within the next century due to both a lack of food available and climate change. Emiliano Trucchi, author of
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the study, says that “The largest colonies are on islands that will be too far from the food source. They will need to either move somewhere else or they will just disappear.” That may seem terrible as it is, but evolutionary ecologist Jane Younger of Loyola University Chicago thinks that this is a conservative estimate. Not only are fish having to migrate into new waters to adapt to temperature changes, they are also overfished and affected by ocean acidification. The future of the King penguins is critically tied to the fate of their prey.
Walking on Thin Ice WORDS & GRAPHICS Jules Bernard
The Arctic and Antarctic, along with the rest of the world, are currently experiencing the negative effects of climate change. Here are just some of the affected species.
POLAR BEARS On the other end of the pole, much like the penguins, a polar bear’s fate hinges on his prey’s availability. Polar bears evolved to consume seals, and have an “utter dependence” on them, according to wildlife biologist Anthony Pagano with the U.S. Geological Survey. Polar bears catch seals by waiting around breathing holes in arctic ice for seals to surface and then stunning them and dragging them onto the ice. This is polar bears’ most effective source of hunting, but with ice melting, bears are having to turn to other sources of nutrition. Polar bears burn through 12,325 calories a day, so if they cannot eat semi-regularly, they will quickly deplete their body reserves. In Pagano’s study of nine female bears in April of last year, four of his bears were unable to catch a single meal in his 11-day study, and they lost over 10 percent of their body mass because of it. One bear lost 44 pounds in only 10 days, despite being active for only 35 percent of the time it was observed for. The arctic sea ice is shrinking by 14 percent per decade, and, at this rate, polar bears won’t be able to rely on their hunting methods for much longer. The best estimates of polar bear populations say there are 20,000 to 30,000 bears dispersed across five countries, and they’re all in decline. In the Beaufort Sea region above Alaska, where polar bears are most studied, populations have declined by 40 percent in just the last 10 years. Polar bears aren’t evolutionarily efficient walkers, but their high-energy seal diets can quickly replenish the fat they burn so much of. Under ideal conditions, polar bears can roam an area of nearly 95,000 square miles; the further bears have to travel to feed, and the less the eat, the more weight they lose. After burning through fat stores, bears will start losing muscle, and then they become even less effective hunters. And with less ice, bears are being forced to swim for long distances, and this expends even more energy than walking does. One of the polar bears studied by Blaine Griffen, a BYU biologist, swam 426 miles in nine days. She also lost 22 percent of her original body weight and lost the nursing cub she had been with at the start of the study. Chief scientist of Polar Bears International, Steven Amstrup, says he has “no doubt that as the sea ice declines, more and more bears are going to starve to death.”
OPINION 45
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alking about “Get Out” has been essentially run into the ground at this point. Released to (nearly) unanimous praise in February 2017, Jordan Peele’s blockbuster directorial debut set a new precedent for horror filmmaking and social commentary in film. It was all anybody could talk about for months last year, being written about from every conceivable angle in every conceivable publication. Despite the buzz, “Get Out” could have easily been a blip. Horror movies in the 21st century have, for the most part, been serviceable genre thrills at best. Big-budget franchises like the Ring, Saw and Conjuring movies have dominated the box office, getting by with reasonable earnings and critical reception ranging anywhere from passable to dreadful. But “Get Out,” equal parts horrifying, hilarious and just damn good filmmaking, actually may have effected change on that front. Let’s look at one of the most famous — and one of the most over analyzed — horror movies of all time: Kubrick’s “The Shining.” Released to dour critical reception and bleak box office earnings, “The Shining” was a dud that was not scary yet has gone on to be one of the most enduring pieces of 20th-century pop culture. How did Kubrick do it? In 1980 when “The Shining” was released, horror was a niche genre, capable of offering either sick thrills for irresponsible teens or fearfree, campy fun best enjoyed under the influence of a cocktail of weed, booze and nostalgia. In all fairness, by the way, Ridley Scott’s 1979 “Alien,” a slow-burning sci-fi classic, is a clear exception to this. “The Shining” is by no means the mas-
terpiece of filmmaking some fans make it out to be. It is a remarkably flawed movie: the scares are few and far between, some of the acting (particularly from child star Danny Lloyd) is a little cringe-inducing, and many of the characters fall into clichés at times. But it’s beautifully shot, and the score is exquisite; say what you will about Stanley Kubrick, but, at the very least on a technical level, the man knows how to make a movie. And that’s what makes “The Shining” stand out… its ability to defy genre.Yes, it is a surface-level horror movie. But it also works a psychological thriller, a mind-bending character study, and even a black comedy. Instead of a manufactured scare machine designed to churn out screams and cash, Kubrick made an acid trip roller-coaster ride into Jack Nicholson’s brain as his sanity crumbles before our eyes. And credit where credit’s due, even after almost 40 years later it’s still a great ride. Kubrick opened the floodgates. Horror movies weren’t just horror movies anymore. Sam Ramis made “Evil Dead” on a shoestring budget with a couple of friends in 1981, and the bizarre gorefest horror-comedy became an instant classic, only to be topped by its sequel six years later. David Cronenberg released “The Fly” in 1986, which was an almost rom-com that went off the rails when Jeff Goldblum began to turn into a bug. This new breed of horror wasn’t necessarily churning out perfect movies. The slew of “Friday the 13th” movies that were cranked out over the course of the 80s (and, seemingly, will continue to be made until the end of time) were pretty much relentlessly mediocre, and 1988’s “Hobgoblins” is a self-serious “Gremlins” ripoff that is so laughably awful that even the director claimed it to be one of the worst movies of all time. Going into the 90s, at least horror felt fresh. Directors were given creative liberties unavailable in most other genres, and the films they made reflected that. They had personality.Yes, sometimes that personality resulted in a film that was hot garbage. But at least it was its own thing and not just a fabricated cash grab. But where was that lost? Somewhere along the way, the spark of creativity ignited by Kubrick and Scott that revolution-
ized the genre in the 80s was lost to the sands of time. Especially when compared to the 1980s horror madhouse, horror in early aughts was just… boring. The fire was out. But what happened? It all came crashing down in 1999. Horror had been slowing down over the course of the 90s, with the “Pulp Fiction”-inspired Tarantinoesque craze ushering a legion of fast-talking antiheroes into theatres with cult hits like “Fight Club,” “Swingers,” “Rounders” and “Go.” The last straw was 1999’s sleeper hit “Blair Witch Project.” “Blair Witch” isn’t a bad movie, in and of itself. At the time, “found footage” was a novel and unique concept that hadn’t been explored in the horror genre very much before, and certainly not to such effect. Clever writing, directing and pacing elevated it from fun experiment to mega-hit. “Blair Witch” was a clever movie, but it wasn’t a smart one. Instead of replicating the success of the wildly creative movies of Ramis and Cronenberg that had been so popular 10 years prior, it latched itself onto the instinctive side of the audience’s brain and squeezed out fear via a truly surprising concept and a raw, unpolished feeling that was atypical for the Tarantino era of romanticized dialogue and meticulously planned setpieces. From a filmmaking perspective, “Blair Witch” was lazy. The raw approach gave a lot of leeway to traditional standards for movie-making, like framing shots, writing smart dialogue, developing characters, having a real plot. It’s often lauded as a new and revolutionary type of horror movie, but what
was so inventive about it was the director’s innovative choice to just not make a film. It’s a lot of things. Its concept is clever; its style is inventive. But it’s not a movie at all; it’s an experience. An admittedly pretty cool, effectively scary, astoundingly popular and financially successful experience. Believe it or not, after a lazily made horror movie exploded at the box office, big studios were inspired to create more lazily made horror movies to make even more money with equally low budgets (and much, much less effort). And the lack of effort showed. “Blair Witch 2” released in 2000, was resoundingly awful, making barely a fraction of the original’s box office gross. Horror franchises dominated the genre in the early 2000s, bringing audiences middling remakes (“Texas Chainsaw Massacres), soulless and uninspired attempts at franchises (the “Final Destination” and “Resident Evil” movies) and sequels to once-beloved franchises that, in a just world, would’ve been mercy killed decades earlier (alas, “Seeds of Chucky”...). And then came James Wan’s “Saw.” After releasing the first “Saw” movie in 2004, Lionsgate, sequel after sequel, drove nails into the coffin of a dead genre. What had started as director James Wan’s fun passion project became a sprawling saga that quickly descended into insane drivel. Forgoing engaging storytelling for pandering gore, the “Saw” movies invented the subgenre of “torture porn” and sapped away any credibility horror had left. For years, studios released lifeless movies designed in equal parts to scare and profit, running through the mud the name of what once was one of the boldest and craziest movements in filmmaking as they did so. That one of the best horror films to come out of the 2000s was 2004’s Simon Pegg-led zombie spoof “Shaun of the Dead” speaks volumes for where the genre was at.
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The 2010s have become increasingly bizarre with every passing year. In a world where Kid Rock is fielding rumors of a congressional bid and the highest grossing movie of the year has a prerequisite of no fewer than 18 previous films to even understand it, it would seem that a horror resurgence isn’t all that far-fetched. But indie horror is back, and, to the surprise of nearly everybody, some of it is quite good. In the past couple of months, we’ve seen plenty of abysmal movies, like 2017’s “The Bye-Bye Man” or the recent “Insidious” or “Truth or Dare” slices of awfulness.
But some recent horror movies have been making waves for their ability to transcend genre and pass into the territory of excellent films on their own. Of course, we have “Get Out.” But it is not alone: since 2010, we’ve gotten “It Follows,” “Don’t Breathe,” “The VVitch,” “The Babadook” and “Ghost Story.” All of these horror movies, in addition to being entertaining and well made (and at their best, delightfully good — I’m
looking at you, “What We Do in the Shadows”), were wildly creative and inventive in concept and execution, and had a lot of time and talent put into them. Recently, ex-”Office” star-turned-director John Krasinski and wife/co-star Emily Blunt released “A Quiet Place,” another new take on a reinvigorated genre. “A Quiet Place” works as a family drama, a tense thriller and a terrifying commentary on censorship and persecution for something as simple as speaking out. Krasinski succeeded in creating only the most recent in a string of horror gems, and it’s exciting to see what’s next. Looking forward, A24’s “Hereditary” is getting a wide release in June. After debuting at Sundance, “Hereditary” is already being called the most terrifying movie of the year. So far, critics have nothing but positive things to say, garnering the film a perfect score of 100 percent on review site Rotten Tomatoes. This isn’t necessarily to say that “Hereditary” is going to be good: Rotten Tomatoes isn’t the most reliable source, and even this level of hype can lead to disappointment. But if A24’s track record and the word of the critics can be trusted, it looks like “Hereditary” is another horror classic in the making that we can look forward to. The first glimpses we’ve seen from trailers and posters make it out to be unlike anything we’ve seen in years. American horror movies will never be perfect. There will always be duds and campy nightmares to watch out for, box office bombs that make the entire genre seem like an fool’s errand. Creators like Jordan Peele and John Krasinski seem to be spearheading the movement into great horror movie making, and if audiences keep an open mind and continue to support filmmakers and their creative visions, with any luck, we’ll continue to see excellent horror films in theaters for years to come. GRAPHICS Jack Stein
PHOTOS Brad Elliott
LIFESTYLE 49 LIFESTYLE 48
Upgrade
1.
your life
WORDS Julia Fay PAGE Carina Tedesco
From personalized vitamins, specifically created to optimize results for each client, to discounted, healthy foods delivered straight to your door, here are five websites that will help you improve your life.
MONDAY
GRAMMARLY
Grammarly is a website extension that is free to download and is great for making sure everything is grammatically correct in your essays, emails or other forms of writing. Once you’re done writing something, copy and paste it into the Grammarly website, and it will automatically check for mistakes. If the site finds a mistake, it gives a suggestion and allows you to either click a button to fix it automatically or ignore it. This extension is great because it’s free (unless you want to upgrade to a premium version), it’s easy to use, and it makes sure you sound professional whenever you write something.
4. HONEY
Honey is an Internet extension that can be downloaded for free on most major browsers. Honey searches the Internet for coupons and promo codes and then applies them to your cart during check-out. The extension also automatically gives you rewards points (called “Honey Gold”) which can then be redeemed for gift cards whenever you choose. It’s completely free, extremely easy to use, and a great way to save money when you’re shopping.
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2. THRIVE MARKET
Monday is an extremely efficient way to organize and schedule projects and can be used for school, work or everyday tasks. You make a board, write down the different tasks that need to be completed and then assign people to those tasks.You’re also able to communicate directly with your team, thus eliminating long email or text threads. Through the calendar, you can easily navigate your projects as well as your team members’ schedules. It also easily connects with other apps such as Dropbox and Google Drive, so sharing and downloading projects from various apps is easy!
5.
Thrive Market is a website where you can order food online and have it delivered right to your door.You’re able to get healthy, high-quality products at 25-50% off retail prices, and the money you spend sponsors free memberships for low-income American families. They have products in a variety of categories, such as food, pet supplies, bath and body, and health and home. Many of the products also have helpful customer reviews to aid your shopping choices. CARE/OF There is free shipping on orders over $49, and new customers get 20% off their first Care/of is a website designed to find three orders. vitamins tailored to your individual needs. You can browse their vitamin selection yourself or take their quiz and have them suggest the vitamins they think you could benefit from. Each vitamin has been researched and has a detailed description of its benefits. The website informs its customers about the benefits of their products and is totally transparent about how much the products have been researched.
Junior Andrew Tolles and junior Maddy Walker
Junior Ava Morouse asked by sophomores Beau Glazier, Pisci Abrego and Mia Humberd-Hilf (not pictured)
PAGE & PHOTOS Kendall White GRAPHIC Itziar de Pedro & Jules Bernard Senior Maddy Lazarovits and junior Jordan Bollag
Senior Laurel Kujan and junior Sam Stegall
Senior Ethan Tyng asking senior Kelly Bickett (not pictured)
Sophomore Julia Guglielmo and senior Javi Abrego
Junior Itziar de Pedro and sophomore Natalie McCaffery
LIFESTYLE 51
“Never, from freshman year on, has a class been so dominant on the athletic fields, in the academic classes, in our dramatic productions and in the arts, than this senior class!”
– Science Instructor Peter Angeloff at Monday Assembly, April 30, 2018