March Issue

the

FOURTH

estate

LAGUNA BLANCA SCHOOL

VOLUME XXVIII

ISSUE 4

MARCH 2020

Staff EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Daisy Finefrock Phoebe Stein CREATIVE DIRECTORS Mia Humberd-Hilf Emma Raith

LAYOUT MANAGER Amara Murphy WEB DIRECTOR Nafisah Fathima WEB MANAGING EDITOR Zane Zemeckis Keenan Surber NEWS EDITOR Ian Brown

WEB & MEDIA EDITOR Nafisah Fathima

OPINION EDITOR Madeleine Nicks

BUSINESS MANAGERS Julia Guglielmo Paige Levinson Madison Kirk

FEATURE EDITOR Frances Carlson

PHOTO EDITOR Katherine Monroy

COPY EDITOR

A&E EDITOR Violet Zhou

Elizabeth Bisno

INDEPENDENT STUDIES EDITORS Boning Zhang Patrick Otte

SPORTS EDITORS Christian Branch Macy Christal INDEPENDENT ARTISTS Claire Tolles Olivia Davenport STAFF Cody Busch-Weiss Dare Fitzpatrick Andreas Jackson Wesley Schulz Jacob Self Elli Westmacott Lancelot Mabon Hanna Masri FACULTY ADVISER Trish McHale, MJE

Letter from the Editors H

appy Spring! The staff of The Fourth Estate has been busy in the past few weeks creating an issue that feels new, fresh and unique.

Every student on the staff pours hours into their pages, creating a final piece that truly represents the talent and passion that Laguna kids have.

From politics to professors, we went in-depth into the ways that one can change their perspective in order to look at the world through a new lens. It took hours of brainstorming, planning, writing and editing to create an issue that delivers the message we want to convey — we must change the way we think if we want to have open conversations and learn from the people around us.

We understand that our staff is small, a fraction of the voices on campus, but our aim is to give each and every student a place to make their opinions known within the pages of this magazine.

This issue marks the third quarter coming to a close. At this moment, just before spring break, we are over half-way through the school year. In just a few short months, our seniors will be graduating, and we will be relaxing into three stress-free months of summer.

We realize that this feels a million years away. Next quarter, students will have AP tests and finals (as much as teachers try to pretend that the finals are just cumulative tests). However, we have to change the way we look at the months ahead.

By looking at these next few months as a chance to end the year strong, each and every one of us, students and teachers alike, can embrace the opportunities we have.

If we shift our perspectives, we may end the year thinking of all of the incredible opportunities we have ahead of us.

Laguna gives us a space to be creative, excited and energetic. We learn together, and grow together, and not just in the classroom. Our community fosters passion, and for that, we should all be thankful.

Until next time,

Editors-in-Chief Phoebe Stein & Daisy Finefrock

• 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 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 four issues per year with a senior insert in the last issue.

• BYLINE POLICY When two or three people work on a story, all names will be listed. If an editor rewrites a majority of a story, the editor’s name will be listed.

• CORRECTION POLICY The staff strives for accuracy. When factual errors occur, mistakes are found or brought to the attention of the staff, corrections will be printed in a corrections box in the next issue.

• COLOPHON This is the fourth issue and the 26th volume (published in March) of the Laguna Blanca School, 4125 Paloma Dr., Santa Barbara, CA 93110, magazine, The Fourth Estate. Contacts are available at tmchale@ lagunablanca.org, (805) 687-2461 x0317 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 CC2019, using FreightNeo Pro and Big Caslon font families and printed on glossy paper free for students and $30 for an annual subscription.

The magazine is distributed to all Upper School students through the school’s advisory program and sent by mail to subscribers with 300 copies printed per issue. We are associated with NSPA, CSPA and JEA.

4 • NEWS thefourthestate.net

COVID Chaos

The Coronavirus is rapidly expanding into what could become a global pandemic.

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he January outbreak of the coronavirus in Wuhan, China, officially dubbed “COVID-19,” has gathered an immense amount of attention from governments and media outlets alike.

COVID-19 has grown from a localized infection to a worldwide emergency, with health organizations across the globe trying to tackle its incredible infection rate.

The virus has rocketed past the infection numbers seen in the infamous SARS outbreak, another virus which ravaged China in 2003. Both viruses have severe respiratory complications, and of course, both have proven to be potentially fatal.

In just a few months, the coronavirus has managed to infect a staggering 63,800 people in mainland China as of Feb. 16, with just over 3,000 dying since the outbreak began in December. To date there are 200 official cases reported in the U.S. The disease has far-reaching implications beyond simply a plague, however; it has already caused significant damage to the global economy in multiple sectors.

For one, China is the world’s paramount manufacturer and exporter of

products, and this outbreak has seriously affected their ability to produce both due to inhibited manpower and global paranoia around the idea that their goods may be contaminated.

It has limited the travel industry, with many global airlines restricting their flights to and from China and other countries and cruise ships across the world are being docked and placed in quarantine in case of infection.

The Chinese government has taken aggressive quarantine measures in an attempt to curb the spread of the virus, including the rapid construction of new hospitals in infected areas and the mass-quarantine of key cities such as Wuhan, where the outbreak first began.

The government is taking a much different route to their method for containing SARS, which was predicated on slow action and constant efforts by the government to cover up the severity of the disease.

However, this time around, the government appears to be taking fast-widespread actions to shut the rapidly expanding virus down in its tracks.

It can be difficult to tell with China due to the government’s reserved and

private nature, however even the official rhetoric suggests that the country is mobilizing quickly to tackle the threat.

Despite this, though, both the infection count and death toll continue to climb, although the chance of death remains statistically low for those infected.

At Laguna, there are a number of international students from China who are directly affected by this emergency, and some who have launched efforts to combat it.

Senior Vivian Hu launched an online campaign to raise money to purchase protective face masks for those still living in heavily affected areas. These masks have been at a shortage for weeks as Chinese citizens order them en masse, leaving many who were too late to order unguarded in these contaminated areas.

International student senior Jack Zhang said, “People who are not directly affected can help by donating to relief organizations. More importantly, it is important that people exercise empathy for those who are affected by this tragedy.”

WORDS by IAN BROWN ART by MIA HUMBERD-HILF

thefourthestate.net NEWS • 5

A Torched Ecosystem In the wake of fires that ravaged the continent, Australia’s wildlife is suffering the consequences.

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here are images that come to mind when someone pictures Australia.

One may think of tree branches holding koalas as they crunch blissfully on leaves, or a horizon dotted with the leaping silhouettes of kangaroos.

The region is known for its numerous native mammal species; however, the diverse animals are far from untouchable. There are countless threats to these creatures, with the continent holding a global record of 34 indigenous mammal species that have become extinct over the past 200 years.

The very existence of the animals is being threatened daily by poaching, deforestations and, most prevalently, dramatic changes in the continent’s climate.

According to Professor Chris Dickman

at the University of Sydney, the adverse effects of climate change often reach Australia before the rest of the world.

Following the recent bush fire, it has become apparent just how much can go wrong when changes to the animal’s

“There’s so little research that’s been done, it stresses me out.” habitats make it so these creatures can’t survive.

With over 1.25 billion animal deaths in the area and 30 percent of koala habitats destroyed, places like New South Wales (NSW) have felt the drastic impacts that the fires have had on native species.

This accounts for about 80 percent of the total deaths in Australia, according to Professor Dickman’s estimate, which has doubtless risen since then. Many species are not included in these figures, namely bats, frogs and invertebrates.

The flames are not the only cause of peril and death. When they subside, they leave in their wake an environment almost as dangerous as when it was ablaze.

There are huge environmental challenges that arose post-blaze. After the fires, water supply remains scarce through the entire continent — not much is left to help replenish the land.

Predators, such as feral cats, were introduced into the spaces in burn areas. They threaten the remaining species there, especially when the animal populations are dropping.

6 • NEWS thefourthestate.net

A lack of shelter increases certain species’ vulnerability to predators. The mountain brushtail possums survived massive flames by hiding in tree hollows, but each fire increases the chance of these trees collapsing.

Also, displacement makes it hard for surviving species to find a living space in the sparse areas that were spared from the fires.

Recolonizing these habitats will take longer than ever due to the utter devastation of habitats and the resulting vast burn scars.

With temperatures of 40ºC last year, as well as high winds, fires were almost inevitable.

Although ecosystems in Australia have evolved to endure in the fire-prone environment, many are now in peril as the severity, frequency and duration of fires have increased drastically.

In the wake of these intense changing conditions, scientists are initiating efforts toward protecting the ecosystem from the fire-prone environment.

“There’s so little research that’s been done, it stresses me out,” said Anna Doty, a physiological ecologist at California State University who is investigating the fires’ and smoke’s effect on things like animals’ metabolism.

Dickman hopes the government will pay some attention to the science that will ultimately guide the nation toward the best recovery plan. “[Ecologists] have been frozen out of policymaking for over two decades,” he said.

When observing this issue from continents away, one must understand that devastating fires such as the recent one in Australia could be a problem that we could face as well.

Similar aspects between the Australia environment and the climate in southern-coastal California include hot, dry weather that makes it easy for flames to spark and spread and long periods of drought that turn our vegetation into kindling.

In other words, natural disasters could strike at any moment.

In preparation for our next Santa

Barbara County fire, forestry management is the first thing that must be addressed, according to AP Environmental Science instructor Erik Faust.

It all comes down to the soil and plants and how they affect the rest of the ecosystem.

There is a quick response to put a stop to the fires that come through areas nearby Santa Barbara because they threaten the property and infrastructure of the city. By extinguishing these fires, the natural burn pattern of the fires, which would have otherwise gotten rid of some of the biomass, is “being prevented, which means you get a greater accumulation of biomass,” said Faust.

The accumulation of biomass is essentially fuel for fires.

If we stopped trying to put fires out immediately, they would be more frequent but less destructive.

“We’re trying to figure out what’s happening as things are changing,” Faust said, meaning that it’s harder to make accurate predictions.

Even with all these unknowns, it is imperative that we look at the patterns of wildfires, both in Australia and across the world, and do the best we can to prepare for the next natural disaster.

Hopefully, by being ready to face the flames, we will prevent lasting damage to the parts of our ecosystem that are most vulnerable.

“[Ecologists] have been frozen out of policymaking for over two decades.”

WORDS by ELIZABETH BISNO ART by MORGAN RAITH

thefourthestate.net NEWS • 7

Field Day

2020

PAGE by MACY CHRISTAL

Meet Mock Trial Team gets a glimpse into the legal world.

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his year marks the 20th anniversary of Laguna’s participation in the Mock Trial program. The team competes annually by preparing strategies and legal arguments for trial for either the defense or prosecution.

Each year, the Constitutional Rights Foundation releases a case packet that is relevant to noteworthy legal issues that are pertinent to the future generation.

Within this packet is the map to trial that includes case law, witness statements, exhibits and rules of evidence to bring a case to life.

At the start of each competition, the team is divided into two teams – students are placed on either the Defense or Prosecution team.

Within those teams, students are assigned roles based on one’s particular interest as a pretrial attorney, attorney, witness, bailiff, or clerk.

Participating in the competition requires hours upon hours of planning, preparation, practice and substantial familiarity of the case so as to be memorized in order to give a convincing and clean rendition of the case on the day of the competition.

On the day of the competition, each team battles other local county schools trying to get a verdict of either guilty or not guilty.

During the trial witness statements evolve into a character, and the witness is to answer questions while on the stand, and prepare to answer questions from opposing attorneys.

The bailiff acts as the officer of the court and ensures that those in the room follow courtroom rules while the clerk has the task of managing the time for trial.

Attorneys, meanwhile, are tasked with presenting pretrial arguments arguing for or against evidence coming into trial, conducting opening and closing arguments, examining witnesses, raising and arguing objections, and managing the overall arguments for or against the defendant.

All of the hard work that goes into each case, however, helps the participating students to form a better grasp of how the American legal system functions.

And for some, a glimpse of what going into the field of law might portray for those that aspire to be a practicing attorney one day.

On this subject, Peter Smith, the oldest continuously-participating attorney on the team, said, “Mock trial allows us to delve forth in the minutia of the law and really understand how it functions and works and really transcend the current zeitgeist of misinformation.”

All of the functions of mock trial are, of course, impossible without its Teacher Coach, Jessica Tyler, and the attorney coaches who volunteer their time to help coach the team to become more efficient, knowledgeable and capable of handling the many intricacies of arguing a court case. A special thank you to our Attorney Coaches Annie Hayes, Alumni Parents Stephen and Carol King, Parent Neil Levinson,

Trial Attorneys: Jack D’Agruma, Peter Smith, Jacob Self, Katherine Monroy and Jaleya Calloway

Prosecution Witnesses: Priscilla Abrego, Oscar Houglet, Jade Silva and Fiona Hernandez

The 2020 Mock Trial Team

Alumni Parent Dawn O’Donnell.

On the day of the competition, Laguna won three out of its four cases, with pretrial attorney Rhami Zeini and witness Robbie Dunn winning an honorable mention, and Audrey Murphy taking home the first place medal for her role as bailiff.

Tyler shared that teaching Mock Trial makes her think back to her early years in high school when she shared the same vision as some students to one day be a practicing attorney.

While she is not practicing now, she knows that leading this program is exactly where she should be and is beyond grateful for this opportunity not only for herself, but for the students to develop their mind in skills that are different from any classroom experience. She wishes the team Congratulations for each success that contributed to a memorable day of getting to the courthouse steps!

WORDS by JACOB SELF PHOTOS by JESSICA TYLER

thefourthestate.net NEWS • 9

“Extinct or Alive” Host Forrest Galante Forrest Galante presented at Laguna’s TEDx and shared his mission to inspire and educate people about animals and adventures.

WORDS by LANCELOT MABON ART by FORREST GALANTE

Why did you start what you are doing?

I grew up in Zimbabwe, and I had always had wildlife all around me and so when I was about 14 and I wanted to keep working with animals even though I wasn’t in Africa anymore.

I went to a good college, UCSB, and studied biology.

When I got done with that, I just wanted to be in the field.

I wanted to be out in the bush like I was when I was a little kid because that is where all my excitement was.

Then I figured out how to make that as my career and I just turned that into doing biology jobs in the field and turned that into doing biology for television and going on doing extinct species.

How was it to grow up in Zimbabwe?

The country that I grew up in doesn’t exist anymore, and what I mean by that is when I grew up there, it was very, very peaceful, nobody ever locked their doors. It was very friendly and very wild.

But in 2000 and 2001, there was a political uprising and things got very violent and dangerous. There was racism and things that hadn’t been there when I was a kid.

When I was young, it was perfect. I grew up on a big farm, we had a dam on the farm, we had motorbikes and horses and all the fun things a farm kid has but, by the time I left, it was pretty dangerous and violent.

How did you go about finding these thought to be extinct animals?

I was working in biology, and I was starting to garner a name for myself in high-risk biology. I was the guy that people would call in the state of California if someone needed some rattlesnake milk venom or to put collars on mountain lions.

I started doing anything that was kinda high risk and then people started contacting me. These little news stories went viral, and then I was like, oh, if these stories of me doing work with everyday animals are popular, imagine how much people would pay attention to really, really critically endangered presumed extinct animals, and it was what we started to put together.

The first-ever expedition I did was for the most iconic extinct species that people still think is out there called the Tasmanian tiger.

I spent months doing that, years of research and, of course, I didn’t find it. So it wasn’t 11 expeditions later that I found my first evidence for my first thought to believe that the extinct Zanzibar Leopard that you saw at your school existed.

How did you feel when you first found a thought to be an extinct animal?

Oh my god, it’s hard to explain. The culmination of a man’s entire career in a single one-second moment, a single 15-second video clip is pretty hard to explain.

I mean, even today, I get goosebumps talking about it because I get so excited, but it was the proudest, most-excited happiest moment of my entire life.

10 • NEWS thefourthestate.net

Laura Capps An interview with one of the former Democratic candidates for Santa Barbara County Supervisor.

While much of the public eye was focused on the national elections on Super Tuesday, Santa Barbara County held its own elections. One of the candidates who ran against incumbent, Das Williams was Laura Capps. Although her run was unsuccessful, Capps managed to gather a significant amount of steam behind her platform of “working for the people."

What are the main things you wanted voters to know about you and your campaign as we move towards the election?

“I’m a mom of an 8-year-old here in Santa Barbara, I was born and raised here. This is my home, and I love this community, but we have a lot of work to do to make it a better community for all of us.

That means addressing climate change, and that means addressing the fact that we have the second-highest poverty rate in the entire state and our state has the highest poverty rate in the entire nation.

We also have extreme weather events in this county, with floods and fires, and we need our county to be as innovative and proactive as they possibly can be.

Lastly, we need to clean up government and make sure that there isn’t as much money in it as there is now, so I’m running on a platform of campaign finance reform to put limits in so that special interests have less influence and really so that the government serves the people it was intended to serve.”

What inspired you to run for supervisor?

“Really, it was the Thomas Fire and the mudslides, and realizing that this district, which represents Carpinteria, Summerland, Montecito, Riviera, East Side, and Mission Canyon, is experiencing these extreme weather events, and the county’s job is to keep us safe.

It runs our sheriff department, our fire department, our mental health, our public health, and more, and so that is what propelled me to want to be part of innovative solutions to make sure that we are doing right by the people we serve.”

Can you describe for our readers what the responsibilities are for the supervisor position?

“So there are 5 county supervisors for a county of 500,000 people, and the main job is one, to keep us safe, and two, to protect and enhance our quality of life.

That means good schools, it means

the air that we breathe, it means oil development and keeping it off of our shores, it means turning towards alternative energy.

It’s very much the fundamentals, which is, I believe, the most important thing.

Even given what’s happening in the national government, realizing there can be dysfunction nationally, but what really matters, having served in the Senate, having worked in the White House, having worked in DC for almost 20 years, what matters most is local government.

And that’s what people need to know.

They should pay attention to who is going to serve the people, not special interest, not corporations like cannabis corporations, but actually the people of this wonderful county.”

WORDS by IAN BROWN ART by MIA HUMBERD-HILF

thefourthestate.net NEWS • 11

From left to right: Simon Lea, Kai Nakamura, Lucas Acosta, Andreas McClintock, Lucas Chen, Lucy Cao, Caetano Perez-Marchant, Eka Nayaka

L

aguna’s robotics team has officially qualified for the 2020 VEX Robotics State Championship, which take place on March 7.

Throughout the year, the class has been constructing their own robot to compete in three separate competitions.

The cross-divisional team with middle and upper school students will compete locally against other regional schools, and, as a result of their performance, they have guaranteed a slot for Laguna at the state-level competition in Bakersfield.

The class, taught by John Pagano, was initially intended to last only one semester, however due to their strong performance, they are continuing on through at least early March.

The team consists of students from eighth to twelfth grade who are tasked with the objective of building a robot which is capable

Robotics Team Qualifies for State Competition Laguna Blanca’s cross-divisional Robotics Team recently made school history and secured a spot in the Vex Robotics State Championship.

of collecting and stacking cubes faster than their opponents.

It should also be capable of fully autonomous driving and manual control during the contest.

Needless to say, such a feat requires an immense amount of programming and construction, making this achievement one to be

commended.

The team has spent hours upon hours outside of class and even school working on improving their robot for competition, and their work has clearly paid off.

“Kai Nakamura has spent virtually hundreds of hours — all of winter break and nearly every weekend since, 10 hours a day both Saturday

and Sunday — in the STEM room developing the robot,” said Applied Computer Science instructor Dan Ary. Ary will accompany the team to Bakersfield for the competition.

When asked about his time in the class, senior Kai Nakamura said, “We have spent every weekend working on the robot. We are focusing on increasing the overall reliability of the robot, as well as enabling it to score more points as well as doing autonomous. I think we will do very well and hopefully qualify for Worlds.”

Kai and the rest of the team can be seen regularly in the middle school STEM lab, working tirelessly on various contraptions to add to their already impressively intricate creation.

WORDS by IAN BROWN ART by SIMON LEA

12 • NEWS thefourthestate.net

Spring Outfits

WORDS by DAISY FINEFROCK ART by OLIVIA DAVENPORT

On staff artist, Olivia Davenport, created a colorful inspiration board of stylish teenage outfits for this upcoming spring season!

Cute striped pants paired with a burgundy top can help you stay warm in the cool spring breeze!

An 80s inspired top paired with blue jeans create a classic yet ever fashionable look.

A retro jacket popping with blue and red accents make for a cute (and warm) extra layer!

A cute muted multi-colored outfit with a simple denim jacket to tone it down.

Spice up any outfit by matching the color scheme with a vibrant headband!

A skater-vibe with a snap back can always be a reliable fit!

thefourthestate.net NEWS • 13

The changing of the seasons brings more than new weather and changing temperatures — studies show that some mood and mental health changes correspond with the changing seasons.

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he start of a new season is fun for everyone — special traditions make each season exciting in its own way. Most of us tend to prefer one season over the others, but sometimes, a dislike of a season can go so far as being a mental disorder.

SAD, or seasonal affective disorder, as explained by Dr. Norman Rosenthal of Georgetown University, is a type of depression that is correlated with the colder, darker months in autumn and winter.

The National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH) states that “people with SAD may have trouble regulating one of the key neurotransmitters involved in mood, serotonin.” During the winter months, people with SAD have five percent more serotonin (the happy hormone) transporter protein meaning that the serotonin in your brain is being “absorbed” by these transporter proteins, resulting in your brain having less “happy hormones” which can worsen your mood.

The NIMH also states that there is a direct correlation between the sun and your mood. As the days in the winter become shorter and the sun shines for less time, the darkness increases the production of the sleep hormone melatonin.

This means that as you are exposed to more darkness in the winter months, your body produces more melatonin which “leave[s] people with SAD to feel sleepier and more lethargic.”

In terms of the sun, “[p]people with SAD also may produce less Vitamin D” according to the NIMH due to the lack of sun exposure in the winter months.

Vitamin D also may play a role in the serotonin that your body produces.

The direct relationship between the

two means that if you are getting less vitamin D due to the sun not shining as often, you could produce less serotonin which leads to symptoms of depression.

A study done at BYU refers to SAD as a disorder in which “seasonal increases in sun time were associated with decreased mental health distress.”

The Tri-City Clinic also states that “the availability of sunshine has more impact on mood than rainfall, temperature, or any other environmental factor.”

“When I’m experiencing SAD, I become unmotivated, overly emotional, depressed, antisocial, and easily-angered.”

SAD is more common in the northern United States due to the harsher, longer winters where sunshine isn’t guaranteed on a daily basis.

However, even on a local scale, some students at Laguna experience SAD. In a poll sent out to Laguna students, of the 48 Laguna upper school students who participated, 58.3 percent say that they feel mood changes due to the changing seasons — especially from summer to winter.

Senior Grace Fitzpatrick moved from Massachusetts to Santa Barbara a few years ago and she recalls the difference in her mood when living in the North

East saying, “Before we moved, I would rarely feel motivated to actually get up and go to hang out with my friends when it was winter. It was like my mood reflected the weather outside. When we moved, though, my whole attitude shifted in the winter and I became happier in general.”

While SAD may be more common in northern states than here in Southern California, people are still affected by SAD in Santa Barbara and areas with similar weather.

Sophomore Lily Connor says that SAD causes her to “become unmotivated, overly emotional, depressed, antisocial and easily-angered” and because of this she, “usually avoid[s] making plans and end[s] up curling up in [her] room waiting for the day to end.”

Just like Lily, many teens in the United States express similar painful and unpleasant symptoms that Lily deals with come autumn and winter.

While many people either don’t know about SAD or believe it isn’t real, an actual shift happens in the way that one’s brain works when the physical displays of the changing of seasons occur, according to NIMH. If you think that you may be affected by the sun in this way, what can you do?

Light therapy lamps can mimic the feeling of sunlight and can be very effective in improving moods during the gloomier months from October to March.

However, when it is nice outside, it’s very important to take advantage of the sunny days and spend as much time outside as possible — save movie days for rainy days.

WORDS by HANNA MASRI and DARE FITZPATRICK ART by CLAIRE TOLLES

14 • FEATURE thefourthestate.net

16 • FEATURE thefourthestate.net

Your Guide to the College Application Process: Navigating through the college process is difficult enough, so when schools and guidebooks start to use unfamiliar terms, it can become overwhelming.

Here’s a few quick guide to the “college lingo” of application season.

Early Action (EA) - This application is NON-BINDING, which means that although students hear back earlier, they do not have to commit to a university until May 1.

Restrictive Early Action (REA) - This application is NONBINDING, so students are not obligated to attend if they are accepted; however, the student may only apply to one school REA and no other schools early.

Early Decision I (EDI) - This is BINDING, so if a student is accepted by their ED university, they must attend. A student is allowed to apply to only one school EDI. The benefit is that they can receive an admission decision at an earlier date. Applying Early Decision shows the university that the student is very interested, so this option may help the student in the admission process.

Early Decision II (EDII) - EDII is BINDING and is the same as EDI except that it has a later deadline than EDI. EDII is offered to students that are not sure if they want to fully commit to one school at the EDI date.

Regular Decision (RD) - RD is the most common process by which students submit their applications.

If a student applies RD to a school, they are likely to receive their admission decision no later than April 1.

Waitlisted - If a student is waitlisted, it means that the university has reviewed their application and instead of denying or accepting the individual, the admissions team moves them to the waitlist, where they may or not be admitted to the school. A student may be waitlisted due to various factors, such as low test scores or GPA, poor writing supplements, or in a different case because the admission team feels that the student may not thrive in their learning environment.

Deferral - If a student applies to a school EA, REA, EDI, or EDII, they may be deferred to the RD pool of students.

Getting deferred is not a bad thing — it simply means that the admission team is postponing the student’s decision and will review their application along with the RD applicants.

WORDS by JULIA GUGLIELMO and PAIGE LEVINSON ART by MIA HUMBRED-HILF

The Illustrated Interview with Kai Suzuki '22 The illustrated interview is The Fourth Estate’s way of highlighting talented students on campus. Kai shows his many interests and facts about himself by drawing his responses to our questions!

What’s your dream pet?

Whats your biggest fear?

What makes you smile?

Draw a self portrait

What’s your favorite hobby?

What’s your favorite food?

Where do you come from?

What is your spirit animal?

What do you dream?

A Glimpse into Motorsports Getting up to speed with motorsports.

WORDS by WESLEY SCHULZ and ART by EMMA RAITH

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op speeds of 200 miles per hour, 100 to 0 breaking in 40 feet, 1000 horsepower. These crazy numbers are the norm for the top end of motorsports, sports like Formula 1 and LMP1 are among the most technologically advanced industries in the world, where even a 1 percent increase in efficiency can mean a championship title or not. However, many people are unfamiliar with these amazing machines and the incredibly brave drivers that race them.

After the critically acclaimed "Ford vs. Ferrari" came out, the interest in motorsports such as the World Endurance Championship (WEC) and Formula 1 increased tremendously.

Especially in regards to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, an endurance race in France that features some of the most technologically advanced race

cars in the world, as well as being one of the most difficult tracks to race on.

What makes Le Mans and the rest of the races on the WEC calendar interesting is the fact that they have to race for upwards of 24 hours, meaning and the cars have to be able to be driven at the limit for the longest time out of any other motorsport.

The races in Formula 1 are much different. One of the main differences is the cars, owing mainly due to the fact that Formula 1 cars are open-wheel, meaning that there cannot be anything covering the wheel.

Another distinguishing difference is the race times: Formula 1 cars race for an average of an hour and a half; significantly shorter than the up to 24 hours that WEC cars race for.

However, this makes for

much closer and more action-packed racing than most WEC races.

You don’t need to be a professional driver to participate in racing. There are many race tracks around California that will let you drive on them for a fee as long as you’re of legal age.

And that’s exactly what junior Arabella Cairone’s dad, Andrea Cairone, does during his free time. “Well, I suppose that like with many sports, the attraction is to remove yourself from daily life and be forced to concentrate intensely on something you don’t do every day. It’s also fun to meet people from all walks of life (it’s not just people with fancy cars at the track days I usually go to) joined together by a common passion.”

There are lots of people at school that love racing, and there are a hundred different ways to get into it.

Whether you’re an F1 fan or a WEC fan, there’s something for everyone in motorsport.

Owls in College As recent Laguna alumni approach the end of their freshman year in college, they have discovered a bigger world as well as their new identities. Let’s listen to what two graduates think of their first year of college life.

WORDS and ART by VIOLET ZHOU

Tony Xu’ 19

Babson College

Major: Finance & Economics

Q: Are you involved in any new extracurricular activities you’ve never done before? What are the cool things you’ve done so far (can be either academic or extracurricular)?

A: I stepped out of my comfort zone and joined a business fraternity, AKPsi. I never imagined I would be a frat boy back in high school, but being a member of a business frat only means that I have a bunch of people who share the same passion as me, and we will help each other out on our way to becoming business leaders.

I started a company with some close friends in the fraternity back in October. It is a text-based learning platform that makes learning as personal and frictionless as possible, one text message at a time. To date, we have earned around $55,000 in net income from subscriptions.

Q: Describe your academic life: is it intense or easygoing? To what extent do you think that Laguna has prepared you for college scholarship?

A: My school is small in size compared to other big universities. There are only around 2,000 undergrads, so in some sense, it feels like another four years of high school. All classes here are teamwork-based, meaning that you have to make friends and be a team player to finish assignments and get good grades. Since I have had a lot of teamwork experience back at Laguna, I feel very comfortable working with other people. Babson is a business school, therefore all the classes here closely follow and adjust to what happens around the world. Work gets especially intense around the company with the stock market turbulence. Recently, the market plunged due to Coronavirus, so all-nighters have been pretty frequent in the past couple of weeks.

Ava Morouse’ 19

Barnard College

Major: Art History & Visual Arts Minor: Women’s/Gender Studies & Psychology Q: What are your suggestions on choosing the “right” college for current Laguna seniors? Has your perception of your college changed since when you made the decision to attend it last year?

A: I think my main advice for the entire college process is to follow your intuition and trust yourself. As soon as I walked onto Barnard campus for the first time, I got that feeling that people talk about when visiting colleges, but I didn’t realize this until I visited 10 other colleges over the course of that week and didn’t feel anything even slightly equivalent.

That being said though, I only found out Barnard existed the second semester of my junior year! So it was all very new, but I felt like it was so right, and felt so comfortable and was a place I was so excited about.

Being a part of such specialized classes—like my freshman seminar “Intimate Partnerships,” six-hour painting studio classes, or my current favorite class, “Religion & The History of Hip Hop in the United States”— constantly remind me how much I love to learn, and the incredible amount of access to knowledge college gives you the chance to access.

I have grown to love Barnard more and more since I’ve been here. Because I found it so late in my senior year, I definitely had so much more to learn, and I have loved becoming integrated on campus and in this amazing city!

I didn’t know very much about it before I came, but I am so so proud to be a part of this community of strong, empowered, incredibly inspiring women here. I’ve also grown to love the connection between Barnard and Columbia, and now feel a part of both schools and having the best of both worlds on these two campuses and their resources. I’m so happy to be here and find myself finding new opportunities and adventures every single day.

Q: Are you involved in any new extracurricular activities you’ve never done before? What are the cool things you’ve done so far (can be either academic or extracurricular)?

A: I’ve loved getting involved on campus. I’m currently in a dance group called Orchesis, which is the largest student-run arts group at Columbia. I’ve loved getting to know so many people, dancing, and, this semester, I’m a board member for the club. thefourthestate.net THEME • 21

I’m also involved with arts groups on campus, including Columbia's Ratrock​art magazine, and Postcrypt Coffeehouse, a performance venue under a church on Columbia’s campus that hosts open mics on the weekends, and Barnard Zine Club.

One of the coolest experiences I have was seeing a prescreening of “Little Women,” which was directed by Barnard alumna Greta Gerwig. Barnard rented a theater and offered free tickets to students a couple weeks before the movie came out! Very cool experience, and so fun to watch with a whole theater full of Barnard students!

The Instagram Effect Social media has affected nature, and the culture surrounding it. Are we enjoying or destroying our natural destinations?

WORDS by CODY BUSCH-WEISS ART by MIA HUMBERT-HILF

I

t seems that whenever you go to a park or other natural destination, tourists are swarming around with cameras.

Too often, people go to these places with the sole intent of getting photos for their social media pages, a phenomenon dubbed “The Instagram Effect.”

The inherent nature of Instagram and other social media sites means that almost any post, photo, or video can go viral.

Someone can discover a beautiful place that was previously a well-kept local secret, post it to social media with coordinates attached, and soon more and more people are visiting until the once-peaceful destination is smothered by a frantic struggle for photos.

The people and “influencers” that go there tend to not really spend time appreciating the place they’re in.

Instead, they take photos and move along, often damaging the environment, which can lead to people viewing nature as nothing more than a resource for likes and followers.

One famous example of this is the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve, which became a viral destination in the summer of 2019 due to a flower

superbloom that turned an easily accessible field into a social media sensation, where thousands of influencers and tourists came every day and trampled the flowers, eventually killing almost the entire field before the trend died down.

A local example is the Lone Oak in the Pismo Preserve in San Luis Obispo.

Recently opened up to the public, it has now been swarmed by influencers and tourists, often sitting on or getting too close to the tree.

There are thousands of examples of photo-hungry tourists putting the well-being of themselves, others or the environment at risk for the sake of getting the perfect photo for their social media page.

The popularity of natural destinations is to be expected, but natural parks as a whole are so understaffed and under patrolled that they can’t react to a surge of popularity on the scale that Instagram can spark.

A sudden spike of visits to a destination without the infrastructure

to support an influx of new visitors makes it increasingly difficult to ensure that everyone is being safe and respectful of the land.

So what can be done to combat the negative impacts of the Instagram Effect?

One measure would be to create more barriers between protected areas and paths in popular tourist destinations to significantly reduce the number of visitors going off-trail.

Another change would be to increase funding to national parks and monuments to allow for more rangers, better infrastructure and better enforcement of rules.

There are improvements beyond infrastructure, as well, that we can make including changing how we interact with nature and when and where we visit.

Just because a place is trending doesn’t mean you have to go there.

If you do go to a popular destination, don’t spend all of your time taking photos or posing. Just enjoy the spectacular environment in person rather than as a photo op.

Next time you go outside for a hike or visit someplace in nature, resist the urge, put your phone down and enjoy the view.

A California Staycation When staying in town over Spring Break, it can be challenging to come up with new and affordable activities that are accessible and enjoyable for teens. To add variety to the typical beach day and bring to mind what Santa Barbara has to offer, we brainstormed teen-friendly activities that will revamp your perspective of a stay-at-home break.

Treat yourself to a day at the beach here in Santa Barbara. To glamorize your beach day, we recommend picking up some coconuts from your local grocery store; don’t forget your beach chairs! We’re lucky enough to live where the beach is in our backyard, so take advantage of it. Head to Butterfly Beach for the most optimal Mexico setting.

Stretching the idea of a stay-at-home vacation, take a day trip to Santa Monica where you can enjoy not only the sand and the water but also fun games and rides on the local pier. For a more shopping-oriented day trip, Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles harbors plenty of cute affordable shops and hip cuisine. Don’t forget to fill up your gas tank before the big day!

If you want to go somewhere new but aren’t able to leave town, devote your staycation to finding new restaurants. There are many hidden gems in Santa Barbara, and you’ll be in for a surprise as well as a treat. Who knows, you may find your new favorite restaurant! Along with this, venturing around town on foot may be your best option if you hope to stumble into a little boutique or bakery.

If you want to explore nature without traveling far, go on a hike! We have fantastic hiking spots in Santa Barbara, such as Hot Springs Trail, Inspiration Point, and Knapp’s Castle. This is a great way to exercise with friends and has many picture-perfect opportunities.

Another way to enjoy the sun and fresh air is to abandon your car for the day.

Find your bike and use it as your mode of transportation — the Santa Barbara area is conveniently tight-knit and you’ll feel like a teenage icon out of your favorite rom-com.

It’s entertaining to step back and pretend that you’re a tourist in your hometown — there are so many activities you overlook or take for granted! Use Spring Break as an opportunity to appreciate the beautiful place you live in.

WORDS by JULIA GUGLIELMO, MADDIE KIRK, AND PAIGE LEVINSON Art by MIA HUMBRED-HILF

In recent movies, shows and books the idea of a traditional love story is being shifted and modernized to mirror the many forms that love is now experienced.

W

WORDS by MADELEINE NICKS ART by MADELEINE NICKS and FRANCES CARLSON and MIA HUMBERD-HILF

e’re all familiar with the idea of a movie love story: love at first sight, falling more deeply in love, a quick little obstacle and then marriage or engagement or an ever-lasting promise. Fast forward a decade, and now there are kids in the picture and cute house in a suburb.

This is the idea of true love that is ingrained into the malleable minds of youth. It was definitely the picture in my mind when I was younger. When you close your eyes and dream about love, it's always some romantic-comedy version of love in real life.

But this just isn’t true anymore. We are now living in a time where more truth is being exposed to younger people. Love isn’t just a fairytale anymore, and it certainly doesn’t appear out of thin air. It’s complicated, hard, personal and comes in many different forms.

The most recent slate of Oscar-nominated movies was a wonderful example of new perspectives on a love stories, with “Marriage Story” leading the pack. Written and directed by Noah Baumbach, “Marriage Story” gives a raw and honest portrait of a couple struggling to let their love go, enduring divorce and maintaining normalcy for their child.

This process is not an unusual one.

According to the American Psychological Association, 40 to 50 percent of all marriages end in divorce. But “Marriage Story” is different. It portrays divorce not as a war, but solely as a story about two people fighting to keep their sense of self while losing their partner, their support and life as they know it.

In an interview with Stephen Colbert, Adam Driver, one of the stars of the film, describes it as “a love story through divorce.” These two things may seem to

clash, but instead, Baumbach is able to take the end of a marriage and turn it into something new and unconventional: not a love story, but a self-love story.

With movies such as “Marriage Story,” the audience is exposed to love in a new, realistic and honest light, thus dismantling the idea of old school rom-com love.

These are the love stories that have brought us “If you’re a bird, I’m a bird,” “I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible,” “Look, Jack, I’m flying,” “Nobody puts Baby in a corner,” “But mostly I hate the way I don’t hate you. Not even

accepted after time.

The greatest champion of highlighting unconventional love stories beautifully is “Modern Love,” a NYT weekly column turned pod-cast turned book turned TV show of real people’s essays on their love stories.

Each one is different. Some are about falling in love, some about falling out of love. Some are about losing the ones you love, or accepting the ones you haven’t loved in the past. Some are about loving yourself, or the journey which led to a point of love.

In the forward to the book “Modern Love,” editor Daniel Jones details his struggle with understanding love. “Our definitions of love, too, tend toward the flowery treatment."

"From where I sit, however — as someone who had read, skimmed, or otherwise digested some one hundred thousand love stories over the past 15 years — love, at its best, is more of a wheelbarrow than a rose: gritty and messy but also durable. Yet still hard to put into words.”

Love is complex and unknown. Most of us will experience love in different ways, and it will most likely not come in the perfectly packaged rom-com love our younger selves might have dreamed about.

Live your own version of a love story, and embrace whatever form that takes.

The Beatles famously sang the anthem “All you need is love.”

So search for love, find it in unusual places, hold on to the love you have for others and the love you have for yourself.

Remember the past lovingly, feel comfortable with letting love go, and open yourself up to letting love shift and grow and change until it fits perfectly for you.

“Ridiculous, inconvenient, consuming, can’t-live-withouteach-other love.” close, not even a little bit, not even at all,” and, of course, “Your girl is lovely Hubbell.”

These are the loves we all dream of having, the love Carrie Bradshaw so perfectly described as “Ridiculous, inconvenient, consuming, can’t-live-withouteach-other love.”

But this isn’t what happens, this isn’t reality. Now we are shifting our expectations, changing the perception of what movie love actually is. We are moving away from the fairytale and waking up the reality.

In current movies, like “Booksmart” and “Little Women,” characters develop crushes that never come to fruition, fall in love only to be left heartbroken, or learn to live peacefully alone. The love doesn’t need to come crashing into a crescendo of roses, marriage and joy. It can develop softly, be pushed aside or

Parks and Recreation The deeper reasons behind why "Parks and Rec" is more than just a popular and beloved sitcom.

T

he widely acclaimed TV sitcom, “Parks and Recreation,” has earned its fame largely through a unique story setting — a city government based in the fictional town Pawnee located in Indiana.

Given the broad scope of tasks and missions that a city government has to deal with, audiences are hardly awarded repetitive stories and perspectives.

Plot lines range from a funeral for the city’s mascot pony Lil’ Sebastian to the electoral process for the city council.

While “Parks and Rec” is indeed a comedy, it also offers a valuable and somewhat accurate outlook on the tasks and norms of a city government.

More importantly, through intentional ridicules and dramatization, “Parks and Rec” serves to reveal contemporary issues and trends.

Because of its proximity to contemporary politics and societal characteristics, "Parks and Rec" exceeds its original limitation of being merely another laugh-provoking TV show but instead proves to be valuable in terms of shedding more spotlights onto attention-worthy problems in our society.

Parks and Rec exceeds its original limitation of being merely another laugh-provoking TV show.

The most noticeable portrayal of contemporary issues on Parks and Rec is the collective irrationality of the public in the face of fantastical elements.

WORDS by BONING ZHANG ART by MADELEINE NICKS

In season five, when Leslie Knope, an ambitious and enthusiastic government employee who just got elected on the city council, proposed to add fluoride into Pawnee’s water supply, she met opposition from another city councilman, Jamm.

At first, Leslie is confident that her proposal will pass simply because of all the facts and science she can offer.

However, she soon exclaims the famous quote: “Jamm isn’t really going to be able to kill this thing is he? On my side, I have facts, science, and reason – all he has is fear-mongering … Oh, my God, he’s going to win!”

The underlying meaning is that the general public is usually more susceptible to imagined elements than actual science, that it is a universal tendency for people to let their emotions, rather than rationality, take over their decision-making processes.

Corresponding to Leslie’s rant, Jamm later announces that “Leslie now wants to add fluoride, which is a chemical, in our water. Do y’all know what else is a chemical? Mercury.”

The Pawnee residents, unsurprisingly, appear appalled at such a classic example of logical fallacy.

The next issue that “Parks and Rec’s” tackles is the inside story of the pharmaceutical industry.

Jamm, a dentist in Pawnee, has claimed that Pawnee is a paradise for him because Pawnee has the fourth highest obesity rate in the United States and he is the only dentist in the entire town.

In the same episode in which Leslie proposes to add fluoride to Pawnee’s water supply, Jamm blatantly aligns himself with a Candy Company, Sweetums, to propose a bill that would add sugar into the Pawnee water supply.

To him, more cavities lead to more business. This time, the sweet tooth of the Pawnee residents dominate their decision-making process, and they support the bill almost unanimously.

Jamm’s character reflects the broader issue of the self-serving characteristics of the pharmaceutical industries.

[Parks and Rec] ventures to raise a discussion regarding the rightful extent of government’s involvement in citizens’ lives.

Jamm’s cooperation with Sweetums is only a part of the secret deals being made between pharmaceutical corporations and companies manufacturing harmful products and generating lucrative profits.

“Parks and Rec” does not merely humorously portray current problems, but ventures to raise a discussion regarding the rightful extent of government’s involvement in citizens’ lives.

The show establishes the platform for this discussion by maximizing the uniqueness of each character.

Ron Swanson, the director of the Pawnee Park Department, is portrayed to be a staunch libertarian whose character embodies many stereotypes of small-town American: a lust for

26 • THEME thefourthestate.net

alcohol, hatred toward any left-leaning government, and passionate towards any and all activities that demonstrate masculinity.

To purposefully enrage Leslie, Ron once intentionally adopts an unhealthy lifestyle and repeatedly emphasizes that his prideful status of a “free American” allows him to do so.

“The whole point of this country is if you want to eat garbage, balloon up to 600 pounds and die of a heart attack at 43, you can! You are free to do so.”

While such a statement screams obvious exaggeration and sarcasm, it

simultaneously pinpoints the mindset of some members of our society.

They treat free-will as the ultimate priority and look at any suggestions from authority as repression of their freedom.

Their over-protectiveness of their freedom is necessary, but can also prevent them from receiving beneficial advice, and deny them a logical and rational perspective.

Occasionally, Ron is shown altering his beliefs and embracing the alternative.

In the final episode of the show,

Ron accepts a job as the Director of the Park Rangers and employed by the Federal Government, an institution he previously despised.

Although the show clearly tries to ridicule Ron’s behavior and mindset, it does not endorse any side, but merely showcases that sticking to only one opinion can ultimately result in.

"Parks and Rec" exposes serious topics through humor so that these ideas will reverberate in people’s minds as they talk about and enjoy the show.

In other words, the show is lending its popularity to those attention-worthy topics.

thefourthestate.net THEME • 27

SBCC: An Overlooked Opportunity Why are we shaming people for making the right choice?

T

WORDS by WESLEY SCHULZ

he college search is one of the most exhausting and nerve-racking experiences a high school student can go through, and this stress is amplified by parent expectations.

Most of this is normal, of course.

Parents want their children to go to the best college possible, after all, they’ve devoted years raising their kids and they want to see them succeed.

Surprisingly, one of the best options is avoided like the plague. For some it’s a dirty word, “Santa Barbara City College,” and just the thought can make some people recoil.

But why?

Why do we dismiss a perfectly legitimate option, just because it isn’t a top-10 college?

“Laguna provides an environment in which choosing to go to CC makes one vulnerable to being deemed unintelligent, less motivated or unable to get into college,” said senior Xiaxia Taylor.

Many people think going to SBCC is admitting “failure” because it’s not a big-name private university.

However, there are many benefits to going to SBCC after high school instead of applying to private universities, especially if you’re interested in going to a college on the West Coast.

The transfer program at Santa Barbara City College is one of the best in the

even then you’re looking at only a 35 percent acceptance rate overall.

Of course, there is the money question. Luckily, the in-state tuition to most UCs is very affordable, but if you were looking to transfer to a university outside the UCs, you would save almost a hundred thousand dollars by going to SBCC for two years.

And arguably the most important benefit of going to SBCC is relief from the pressure students face as seniors in high school.

“Overall, my choice to go to CC has strengthened my senior year overall. Not only has it been less stressful, but I have also been getting better, more consistent grades than I have ever been,” senior Kevin Khodabandehlou said.

It feels as though there is too much pressure put on kids to go to a prestigious university, especially as we live right next to one of the best city colleges in the country.

I hope that we will start to encourage students to look at SBCC as a valid option instead of immediately disregarding it.

“Laguna provides an environment in which choosing to go to CC makes one vulnerable to being deemed unintelligent, less motivated or unable to get into college.” country; it merely requires students to maintain a 2.4 GPA or higher and complete most of the GE courses.

Students can transfer with almost a 90 percent acceptance rate to any of the UCs. Compare that to your chances out of high school. To have a competitive chance at getting into UCSB, you would need 4.08 GPA and 1360 on the SAT, and

28 • OPINION thefourthestate.net

thefourthestate.net OPINION • 29

WOMEN IN POLITICS WORDS by PHOEBE STEIN and MIA HUMBERD-HILF ART by KATHERINE MONROY

Students today are a part of the generation that is known for its involvement in political conversations, but that conversation is rarely balanced. We asked AP Comparative Governments professor Dr. Dena Montague about her experience in the world of politics, and why she thinks that female students tend to be silenced by the overwhelming voices of male opinion.

When did you get interested in politics, and how did you explore the field prior to teaching?

“I think I started getting interested in politics pretty much from a young age; I was always really interested in human rights. When I was growing up there were issues around the apartheid system in South Africa, that were getting a lot of attention, and of course, the cold war was going on, and I think also during that time, too, there was a lot of music that was kind of speaking out against inequality that was very influential to me?

And issues around human rights always impacted me and touched me, so when I was in college I really wanted to know more about the world. I majored in American studies and Political science, so that I could kind of get a deeper understand of how the world functions, why there’s so much inequality in the world, and like what could we do about it? And those are some of the reasons that I got interested in politics.”

Have you experienced gender disparity in political discussions during your education and career?

“Yeah. I think when I was in college I definitely started to become much more aware of issues around gender. As I was growing up, I was concerned about issues of human rights, but I didn’t necessarily understand my place as a girl, a woman in society. I didn’t understand systemic oppression. I read a book that was kind of about a women’s utopia. So what would happen if women existed without these institutions that men built?

What would happen if we, on our own, could create our own society? And I had never really thought about that before, or the constraints that women feel because of the way society is structured. I remember one time having a conversation with a friend and she was saying, “What kind of societies are we building where we have half of the population who is not equal? What does that do to a society?

I don’t think that I had ever thought of it in that framework — half of the society is not able to fully engage and that’s detrimental to everybody. I think also, political science is a particularly male-dominated discipline, so I know that it impacted me to go through a Ph.D. program. I had a whole dissertation committee of men.

And I think the other thing, too, is just noticing gender dynamics in the classroom, and how I would feel intimidated to speak, and trying to deconstruct why I didn’t want to say anything. Issues like the politics of anger, how women can’t be angry – what does that mean? When women express anger it’s seen as something that’s outside of the structures that we’re supposed to be in. It’s such an important emotion.

So, all of these things I think kind of made me try to be much more of an advocate for women— they have such an important voice and tend to be much more interested in human rights, and issues around health-care, justice. We have a lot to say, and it’s important that we feel free to express ourselves.”

How do you think we can engage young girls in political discussions without silencing their voices?

“Sometimes I feel like we, as girls, are engaged in these issues, we have these discussions. A lot of the problem is the boys and the men aren’t engaged in this discussion, and they should be. I feel frustrated when it becomes our discussion and they have a pass. One of the things that need to happen is to bring in the guys into the discussion about gender disparity and inequality. [Gender disparity] is an afterthought, a marginal issue. But, I’ve been really impressed with students talking about issues like toxic masculinity and privilege. Back in the day, you would never see that. It is good that these issues are starting to become more prominent so that they are engaging, but there’s a long way to go.

I think to study politics, when you see politics being very male-dominated, when women enter into politics, they’re entering into a system that’s not made for them. What happens?

Do women have to adjust to that system? How do we find our true, authentic voices in these systems and those institutions, and not just take more of a role that emulates what the men have set up? That’s a real challenge too.”

How can we make a political system built for men more suitable for women in the long run?

“I think in the last few years, there’s been a huge change.

Hilary Clinton’s campaign was massive, and now seeing Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar on the stage, they’re so impressive. It’s so inspiring to see that— them taking on these men. Elizabeth, in the debate, taking on Bloomberg, we’ve never seen that before. I think that as long as we keep pushing, we can start making more changes. It basically goes to how we’re raised. Gender dynamics, the path we’re supposed to take as women is reinforced at a very young age.

That needs to break down. I would love to see women in the discipline of political science. In undergrad, I had one political science teacher who was a woman. That’s crazy. When we’re talking about politics, our voices aren’t heard. Our issues, which are human issues, across the board, aren’t heard.”

If you could give one piece of advice to young girls interested in politics, what would it be?

“Don’t be intimidated. Keep moving. Last night I was giving a presentation for the work that we’re doing at UCSB, and there were two women and a guy. He said, “oh, it’s so interesting that I am on a panel that isn’t all white men. And he said, thank you for doing this, for having this diverse panel.” And I was thinking, the onus shouldn’t be on other people; why not on you? As a man, make sure that when you are on panels, when you are speaking, that it is diverse.

Even for me, still, I have these moments where I’m like, am I saying this right? There are these doubts that we are raised with. I would say, never be intimidated, know that your voice is important, even if you feel like men are belittling, don’t let that impact you. Always know your worth and your value.

Women are extraordinary.”

GENDER $ELLS H

WORDS by DAISY FINEFROCK ART by EMMA RAITH

ave you ever found yourself watching your Monday night ritual show, “The Bachelor,” and right before a catfight ensues, the show cuts to a commercial and you’re bombarded with multiple 15-second clips of women shaving their legs and spraying Marc Jacobs perfume in a rose field? Then it’s Football Sunday and in between timeouts, the screen is filled with car and food ads.

This isn’t to say "The Bachelor" is exclusively for women only or football purposely shuns women away… however, marketing companies would beg to differ.

It doesn’t just belong on the screen though, toy store aisles are lined with blue and pink toys.

In a consumer-oriented world, marketers have become increasingly more cunning with their strategies to entice spenders.

Since the 80s boom of advertisements, companies have used gender as a key factor to sell their product. But how harmful are these ads and why do we continue to buy into their games?

But where do these stereotypes stem from and could there be a valid purpose behind them? As forward thinking as this generation is, we are still behind the times in many regards.

The blame can’t just be placed on our society. These stereotypes have been ingrained in our brains for as long as there has been modern-day marketing.

In 1955, a printed advertisement for Lux Liquid Detergent featured the classic homemaker: a pleasantly smiling woman with an apron with stacks of dishes in front of her with her family enjoying themselves outside. The phrase plastered below her was “Get out of the kitchen sooner!”

This type of ad wasn’t out of the ordinary; during the 1900s, this was the norm. You'd never expect to see a man in an ad wearing an apron and loading the dishwasher or folding clothes— you still wouldn’t.

It’s just not the way we’ve been conditioned to view roles.

Companies cater to what we already view as the norm and feed into these false perceptions. These seemingly ridiculous ads aren’t from the depths of the history books, they are less than 80 years ago. Gender marketing hasn’t stopped, companies are just better at hiding it.

When companies create brands, they don’t intend to alienate certain consumers but instead, to hook in their targeted audiences that much more. There is a bit of truth to marketing for select audiences and the influx in sales it can produce.

In a 2004 Wall Street Journal study, it’s reported that 80 percent of consumer decisions are made by women. Therefore, it’s logical to market home goods to women as they are the ones making the majority of the decisions.

In Gloria Moss’ book “Gender, Design and Marketing,” she explains that the psychology behind purchasing gender-specific products isn’t fictitious.

Moss says that typically when a man is browsing products they look for a “few details… focusing on his top priorities”, whereas women go into much more depth and expect “all the information and will not make a decision to buy until completely satisfied.”

However, psychological marketing techniques and inequality in products are two different

things. If merchandise is separate, then it must be of equal quality and pricing.

This isn’t the case though.

Whether it be wages (PayScale’s 2019 survey says that women earn $0.79 for every $1 a man makes) or political opportunities (The United States has never had a female president) women are often given less than their male counterparts.

Companies market so that women are persuaded that they need a certain product and men need a different one; when in reality, the only difference is it being a light pink shampoo bottle instead of a black bottle with the words ‘for men’ on it.

Although it may be a couple of dollars difference, it represents the plight and injustice of women even in the 21st century.

According to the Consumer Reports, the cost of being a female spender is much higher with no real explanation in the variation of products. It was found by the University of Central Florida that on average, women’s deodorant is 30 cents more than men’s. Okay, maybe there’s some special ingredient to it? But no, they deduced that the only found difference is the scent. If you know anything about budgeting, it’s that every cent adds up.

Gender marketing is one thing but using it to a company’s advantage is unjust. The ASA (American Sociological Association) has determined they won’t ban gender stereotypes in ads but harmful depictions of women aren’t allowed.

Nontoxic marketing is the key to the right way of drawing in buyers. What isn’t okay though is when the consumer is barely developed enough to know what they are using.

Children’s marketing was one of the first forms of advertising. Appealing to kids is simple: bright colors, recognizable TV characters, and funky phrases.

Marketing for young children is dangerous because every little thing is new. Every little thing is being registered and forming in their brains.

According to the Atlantic article by a sociology professor Elizabeth Sweet in 1975, it was stated that only 2 percent of toys were marketed for a specific gender.

Just 20 years later, 50 percent of the toys in Sears catalog were gendered ‘for boys’ and ‘for girls.’

How is it that as we are becoming more acceptable in our society, we are somehow more stereotypical in our marketing.

Companies don’t reveal how sexist they are because they are keeping up with the standard expectations of what young girls and boys are.

In 1925, a Sears ad for a toy cleaning set was explicitly for girls. The packaging said in a decorated font: “Mothers! Here is a real practical toy for little girls. Every little girl likes to play house, to sweep, and to do mother’s work for her.”

The toy suggests the idea of what a girl’s future should be. Whereas a young boy’s typical toy is a builder’s construction toolbox with the Sears phrase “every boy likes to tinker around and try to build things… He will learn the fundamentals of engineering.”

One kid is learning the introduction to constructing buildings while the other equally capable child is being told to pretend to mop the floors.

Back in the early 1900s, there weren’t upset editorials about the injustice of mini household toy sets specifically for girls.

Just as not many people are boycotting Barbie and Ken as the pretty princess and brave hero.

Times have changed and now we look back in shock, wondering how on Earth these sexist toys were produced. These issues haven’t gone away, we just aren’t opening our eyes wide enough.

Gender marketing does more harm than good and, at this point, scheming tactics to pull consumers seem unnecessary.

Shouldn’t adults be able to choose what they want and not need a brand to tell them what they need? It’s a blurry line between deception and marketing and one that makes us wonder if it’s just another way to take advantage of consumers.

All of this makes us question how much we are truly changing. Is marketing stuck in the 80s or did we never really leave this sexist consumer world?

thefourthestate.net OPINION • 33

34 • OPINION thefourthestate.net

stance of the staff H

ow does one adapt their perspective on the world to be more open-minded, more inquisitive? And more importantly, what does shifting perspectives mean — can it be defined simply, or must it be explained with terms that go beyond the simple definition?

Changing the way we view the world around us is a critical part of being an active member of society. As a staff of high-school students looking to shift our gaze from the school setting to the problems of the complicated world around us, we changed the way we observe current events, carefully estimating how each conflict that passed through our radar could relate to students who are more concerned with education than economics.

Understanding our role as observers of civil rights and as participants in social justice is just the beginning of fulfilling the role that is set out for us as teenagers as we prepare to enter the fast-paced adult world. We took this concept of changing the way we see the world and used it to fuel an inside look into the positive results of “shifting perspectives” in an attempt to learn and grow.

With concepts like the incredible advantages of attending Santa Barbara City College to the exploitation of gender in marketing techniques, the idea of “shifting perspectives” was brought to a whole new level.

Instead of tackling these issues from the same angle as always, one that never seems to garner true progress or understanding, we sought to take on complicated topics from an angle that could allow for our peers to take part in the conversation, rather than solely observe it.

Hopefully, by asking the right questions and approaching these ideas with an open mind and a perspective that is new and passionate, the articles in this issue are the beginning of the process of opening the conversation in a way that it hasn’t been before.

Shifting perspectives isn’t just about looking at something in a new way, it’s about being ready to learn and talk about issues that have, in the past, been told in a singular narrative, one that reads like the only real story.

We have learned, though, that there is no single answer to a question. Answers can be multi-faceted. Hopefully, we, as a society, will not automatically dismiss someone’s view of a subject and will, instead, opt to examine and consider the perspectives of others.

Without changing the way we look at the world, there would be no end to conflict, no agreements met, no open conversation, and without conversation, there can be no change.

thefourthestate.net OPINION • 35

Forty-five presidents in over 130 years, not one of which has been a woman. Why has this position remained male-dominated, and what would happen if a female were to be elected?

H

alf of the men in the United States are uncomfortable with the concept of electing a female as the president.

According to Forbes magazine, who conducted the poll in 2019, some hesitate to put individuals they see are emotionally unstable in positions of power, while others believe our country is not yet ready to move from androcentric politics.

The reasons vary, but they all tell the same story – one of a country that thinks men are more fit to lead.

It’s not just men who support the idea of a male POTUS. Even throughout the most recent election, women can be heard claiming “they would like a woman president, but…” It’s the pause there that matters, an underlying message that translates to “I believe a man would do better in as head of state.”

It doesn’t come as a surprise that so many wary of having a female running the country— people fear the unknown and electing a woman president is uncharted

waters for American voters.

This year, however, things are changing. The conversation is opening up, and the possibility of a woman residing in the Oval Office is beginning to feel increasingly concrete.

In the 2020 presidential race, female presidential candidates have found their places on the ballot. Elizabeth Warren, closely following behind the Democratic Party’s leading male candidate Bernie Sanders, and Senator Amy Klobuchar continue to show a commitment to the installment of women in the presidential race and American politics generally.

While Klobuchar joined fellow former candidate Kamala Harris in dropping her 2020 campaign, her short time in the spotlight brought a plethora of unforgettable observations.

“I have an idea of how we could stop sexism on the internet: We could nominate a woman for president of the United States.”

Amy Klobuchar’s statement in the February Democratic debate brought applause from the crowd, a rare show of excitement for the Minnesota Senator, whose platform has hardly been a central focus of the 2020 election.

“I have an idea of how we could stop sexism on the Internet: We could nominate a woman for president of the United States.”

36 • THEME thefourthestate.net

While supporting this narrative of a one-step fix to political sexism in America might feel progressive, full acceptance of this statement would shift the focus away from what initially has kept women from the presidency and roles of political power in the first place.

Many might argue that fear of electing a female candidate has stemmed from generational norms.

However, much of the hesitation has also been cultivated from a lack of trust in women in power. For years, some have asked the question, why have we not had a single woman in the office, but the answer is much more nuanced than one might think.

History labels women as unpredictable, irrational, and naive – and these stereotypes have an influence on American politics.

There is a narrative, particularly in America, that females are emotional, – that they let their feelings dominate their decisions instead of practicality or rationality.

People have used this narrative as an excuse to paint women are untrustworthy – both in politics and in general – and this has only been amplified by a stereotype that women let empathic tendencies dominate decision making.

In an article about the fear of using female pronouns when referring to a future president, New York Times journalist Jessica Bennett commented, “people gravitated toward male language when talking about presidents, that could indirectly contribute to a culture in which women were not seen as typical candidates.”

Women have not been looked at as typical candidates because there has been an extremely low number of possible presidents that weren’t men.

This system built of the power of men has certainly succeeded in one thing: keeping women out of office.

Despite the issue’s continuing influence over American politics, many have worked tirelessly to reverse the stigma surrounding the well-rehearsed image of an emotional woman in the workplace – with females occupying more political positions than ever.

Outspoken congresswomen like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Kamala Harris, a former Democratic presidential candidate, are taking a pivotal role in driving that change in perspective.

People claim that the best part of the democratic debate is women being allowed to talk in a place where being interrupted is forbidden.

Others think that the best part of these debates is the focus that women are putting on topics that may not have been focused on before – for example, Bloomberg’s non-disclosure agreements with multiple women.

Candidate Bloomberg’s past was practically ignored in the presidential race until Warren jumped in, asking him if he would be willing to reveal the contents of these NDAs. Of course, this question led to a deadend, and there was no new information revealed on the stage.

Nonetheless, this simple question prompted a conversation that may not have come into play if the people on that stage hadn’t been working to support women, not just men.

While it might be unfair to claim that a female in office might fully reverse systemic sexism in America, it certainly won’t hurt. However, is the

“People gravitated toward male language when talking about presidents, that could indirectly contribute to a culture in which women were not seen as typical candidates.”

thefourthestate.net THEME • 37

female’s seat in the Oval Office feasible in the 2020 election?

Maybe, maybe not.

What their presence could do, however, is at least bring women to the political conversation.

Who knows what is possible if the dialogue ignores gender and instead focuses on questions that are worth asking?

WORDS by PHOEBE STEIN and MIA HUMBERD-HILF ART by MIA HUMBERD-HILF

Alternatives to Attending College Attending a traditional university isn’t the only path for graduating seniors. There are other options for them to consider.

A

t this time of year, seniors face the most significant decision of their lives — college. However, college is not the only way to grow and thrive after high school. Other options, including taking a gap year, getting a minimum-wage job or joining the military, deserve consideration.

Taking a gap year is not uncommon for public school students, but not common for Laguna seniors. Many of us thrust ourselves into a competitive college environment, unsure, insecure and confused.

Imagine giving yourself an entire year to reflect on your past and contemplate your future.

If you decided to take a gap year, how would you use that time productively?

Getting a minimum wage job is typical for ‘gappers’. The experience can have several benefits.

Newly employed students surround themselves with people from a wide range of backgrounds.

Working a minimum-wage job is humbling and makes you grateful for what you have, broadening your perspectives.

Higher education is not the only way of creating a meaningful life. Getting work done, whatever that may be is

very satisfying and will give your life purpose.

Showing up to work with a positive attitude, completing tasks thoroughly timely or merely showing up to a commitment despite personal struggles are examples of an admirable work ethic.

Making choices that get you out of your comfort zone and on to new experiences is vital for human growth.

Long-lasting benefits of leaving your comfort zone include exposure to new perspectives and more opportunities further down the road.

Joining the military is as uncomfortable as it gets. “I’m not opposed to joining the military straight out of college.

I have a cousin who is in the military,” senior Brian McClintock said.

“We send letters to him and he responds. He went to college for a couple of months, hated it and dropped out.

He signed up for the military. Now he is the top marksman in his class.”

The military forces physical training, rough mental callusing and instills a strong sense of nationalism into the soon-to-be soldiers some of whom return as leaders in society.

Many veterans who leave the military have learned discipline and how to create schedules for themselves.

Without a schedule, we grow idle and bored. A schedule is constant and forces us to focus and complete tasks, which is highly beneficial.

As humans, we have an inborn desire to push ourselves and keep ourselves busy even if we don’t want to.

Those who choose the traditional path from high school to college are excited about the next step in their lives.

thefourthestate.net OPINION • 39

“I got accepted early action to my top-college choice, Caltech, mid-December. It was a big relief because now I can spend time exploring my passions and not worry about college,” senior Kai Nakamura said. “Personally, this extra time was beneficial for me to do STEM.” Fatta Koroma, an international student-athlete at Laguna, has an interesting perspective in regards to the college process.

“My brother and my sister have gone to college. But not a college in the U.S. Back in Sierra Leone, you don’t have people that are scholars.”

“In college, I am so excited to meet people that are scholars.”

The vigorous high-school environment of Laguna prepares students for college and the majority of students going off to college are ready for the tremendous amount of work presented to them and are excited to pursue their passions.

Whether you choose to attend a fouryear college or not, know that whatever decision you pick is the right one.

WORDS by PATRICK OTTE ART by CLAIRE TOLLES

#springinstagrams PAGE by ELLI WESTMACOTT

40 • A&E thefourthestate.net

The start of a new decade brings a new wave of hair acceptance. Women are no longer piling on extensions, but instead, are going for modern, sleek and easily manageable styles that embrace the hair's natural texture.

WORDS by MADELEINE NICKS ART by MADELEINE NICKS and MIA HUMBERD-HILF

One of the largest current hair trends is curls. We are starting to see less and less beachy waves or stylized ringlets and more voluminous, wild curls. One of the champions of this movement is Tracee Ellis Ross. She recently debuted a hair-care line, Pattern, devoted to ensuring healthy, full curls that women can feel beautiful with.

Natural curls have also recently increased in representation on media. Sophomore Phoebe Ray comments on her own curls saying “I have always loved embracing my curls and have fun playing with different styles. ” thefourthestate.net

Anna Wintour, Editor-in-Chief of Vogue Magazine, was the originator of the power bob. Since then, the bob has also been the go-to cut for the no-nonsense women of the world.

But recently, the bob has become one of the most popular celebrity looks, accommodating all face and hair types. It has shed its businesswoman character and taken on an efficient, fashionable and easygoing style.

Senior Xia Xia Taylor explains her love of her bob. “Having short hair was the best decision ever! It’s so easy to take care of and style.”

Perhaps the most daring of all the current hair trends is the pixie cut. It was made famous by the elegant powerhouses of the 50s, and now a new wave of celebrities have adopted this chic, boyish style.

Charlize Theron and Zoe Kravitz both debuted their pixies during award season, enhancing the refined and luxurious side to a pixie cut.

Senior Beau Glazier recently made the popular switch, saying “My long hair was really annoying and I couldn’t stand it anymore. I wanted something new and fresh that wouldn’t make me bored.”

A & E • 41

Billie Eilish: An 18-year-old Icon

The up-and-coming artist is making waves in the music industry with her new voice that captivates fans and artists alike.

A

t the age of 14, most people are not on the cusp of super-stardom, but the case is much different for Billie Eilish. The now 18-year-old rose to fame in 2016 when she uploaded her first hit, “Ocean Eyes,” to the popular music distribution platform, SoundCloud.

The song, originally written for her brother Finneas O’Connell’s band, instantly gained media attention and shot the singer to international fame. In August that same year, Eilish signed with record label Darkroom, Interscope.

From there, her fan base and fame began to grow. As she slowly churned out songs after “Ocean Eyes,” her voice in the music scene started to change and evolve.

She went from being a pop-like girly singer to one who produced songs that are deep and dark such as “idontwannabeyouanymore” and “Bellyache.” These two combined to create her first EP, "Don’t Smile at Me," which has amassed a billion streams on Spotify and established Eillish’s role on the music scene where she continues to experience massive success.

What is most captivating is that in most of her songs, the themes of depression, death, anxiety and suicide play a prevalent role.

Much of her success is due to these dark themes. She appeals to the themes of her generation.

Her music captures what many teens go through in their daily lives, which is part of the reason people love her songs.

Sophomore Mike Janey said, “[she] loves listening to Billie Eilish’s music because her songs can paint a full picture in [her] mind, each one has a mood, a color, and a texture. She has the gift of being able to express everything she feels without sharing the emotions word-for-word. Not to mention, her voice is so calming that it works as an escape.”

These qualities, combined with her unique, almost whisper-like, sound resonates with listeners.

Eilish, in part, brought this new genre and sound to the music scene. Her unique voice established and popularized the mid-tempo electropop tune in music. It doesn’t look like the international sensation is slowing down. In 2019, Eilish released her first studio album, "When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?" which has furthered her popularity.

The album debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200 and won Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album at the 2020 Grammy Awards.

Eilish also won the Best New Artist and Song of the Year thefourthestate.net

and Record of the Year for her song “Bad Guy” at the 2020 Grammys. It is safe to say that her fans love her music and can’t wait for her upcoming projects.

WORDS by HANNA MASRI ART by OLIVIA DAVENPORT and EMMA RAITH

43 • A &E

Winter Formal 2020 An insider’s look at Laguna’s annual Winter Formal dance along with exclusive photo booth photos.

WORDS by MADELEINE NICKS and FRANCES CARLSON

CAETANO PEREZ

Q: What was your role during setup and clean up? What was your favorite part to help with?

A: I helped decorate the foyer that morning and took down the decorations from the previous TEDx event. I also helped especially with putting up the black drapes for the walls and throwing out the trash. And as for my favorite part of the dance, I enjoy resting out in the foyer in-between my dance sessions.

KIKI TOLLES

Q: What does the brainstorming process for deciding the dance theme look like?

A: The brainstorming process for this dance was actually pretty seamless. We knew that we wanted something that would not only look festive, but would allow people flexibility in the formality and style of their costumes. I think it was Paige Levinson who came up with the play-on-words theme: Roaring 2020’s. From there, the Council voted almost unanimously on this idea, and we moved forward on planning the design of the dance.

KIKI TOLLES

EMMA RAITH

Q: What was your goal as you headed into the second dance of the year?

A: This year, the student counA: My favorite part is when our cil has worked to make our team meets on the Saturday dances more interactive. With before the event as we begin new activities, decorations, and setting up the foyer and dance re-envisioned dance space, we’ve floor. It’s always exciting to see transformed the experience for our aesthetic vision play out in our student body. Both Homereal life after weeks of planning. coming and Winter Formal were But more than that, the camaraa huge success with the largest derie and teamwork among the SC as we set up is so fun--making student-turnouts ever--now, we’re excited to continue planthe experience that much more ning future events! enjoyable.

Q: What is your favorite part of the pre-dance preparation?

AUDREY MURPHY

Q: What is the process of making the playlist? What is the perfect playlist for you?

A: I listen to all of the recommendations that are given, then go through all of my previous playlists, the top hits playlists, and whatever I can get my hands on. Usually, I end up with a playlist that’s about 6 hours long, so the rest is cutting it down and sorting the songs. I also have two students look over the playlist before I input it so it’s not just me. From there, the DJ has the freedom to choose which songs out of the hundred+ that I give him to play.

KIKI TOLLES

Q: As president, what did you want to make special for our first winter formal?

A: We tried to make Winter Formal special by paying close attention to the feedback--good and bad--we received after Homecoming. Furthermore, we responded to concerns about plastic waste. All of the decor (except for the balloons) was recyclable or reusable, including the drapes we used to cover the walls in the foyer. For drinks we bought only aluminum cans and paper cups, and we set up a labeled disposal for polyethylene chip bags to be upcycled into other materials.

44 • A&E thefourthestate.net 44 • A & E thefourthestate.net

thefourthestate.net A&E • 45

Captains from left to right: Jack Shiebler, Macy Christal, Kai Nakamura, and Kevin Khodabandehlou

SPRING ASPIRATIONS Spring sports season is the start of new opportunities for freshmen joining teams for the first time, seniors becoming captains and players getting new shots at beating rivals from other schools. We caught up with some of the team captains to find out their thoughts on the upcoming season.

WORDS by ANDREAS JACKSON ART by KATHERINE MONROY

Boys Indoor Volleyball Captains: Finn Walker and Jack Shiebler.

Q. What is your prediction for the season?

“I think we are going to win the league and have the potential to go really far in CIF.” - Jack Shiebler Q. What could prevent the team from winning the league?

“The only reason we wouldn’t win the league is if we didn’t put in the message effort to win, otherwise, we should be able to win the league” - Jack Shiebler Q. How does this year’s team compare to last year’s?

We are a younger team than last year.

However, I think that we have the potential to become as good if not better than last year’s team.

- Jack Shiebler

Girls Beach Volleyball Captains: Macy Christal, Katherine Tolles, Audrey Murphy and Ella Delwiche.

Q. How is the team different from last year?

“I think this season will be strong! We have a new assistant coach. I think he is going to add a lot to the team. There are a lot of freshmen. There are only 5 returning players so the team chemistry is a little bit different than previous years.”

-Macy Christal Q. Who are your biggest competitors for this season?

“Grace Brethren will be strong competition for us. We are in a new league, so every team will be a new challenge for us.”

-Macy Christal Q. What kind of player do you think is most valuable to the team?

“For sure someone who works well with the team and tries their best.”

-Macy Christal

Boys Tennis Captains: Kai Nakamura and Kevin Khodabandehlou.

Q. What specific strategies is the team implementing for this season?

“We are trying to not hit unforced errors and focus on being consistent especially early on in the season.”

-Kai Nakamura Q. What separates this year’s team from previous years?

“This year we have a team with good chemistry since all of the freshmen get along well with the rest of the players.”

-Kevin Khodabandehlou Q. What could prevent the team from winning the league?

“The chemistry and mindset of our team is incredibly important ,especially in doubles, if we lose our head it could be our downfall.”

-Kevin Khodabandehlou

Q. What made you decide to coach high school beach volleyball?

I’ve always known that coaching and teaching were going to be a big part of my future when I was finished competing at the pro-level. I come from a very big family and working with kids in any facet always came very natural to me. We didn’t have high school beach volleyball teams when I was in school so this was an easy choice. Laguna has my second favorite beach courts in Santa Barbara (East Beach is #1) and it is really a privilege to coach here. I hope to be here for the long haul, coaching and inspiring kids to take advantage of all the opportunities they have in front of them.

SITTING SITTING DOWN WITH WITH DOWN ANTHONY ANTHONY MEDEL MEDEL As the girls beach volleyball season is kicking off, there are a lot of changes, including the addition of a new assistant head coach, Anthony Medel.

In the words of head coach Jordan Dyer, Anthony is “fiery, charismatic, and motivational.”

Starting his career on the legendary sands of East Beach, Anthony played for San Marcos High School and then moved on to play Division I volleyball in college.

Q. What is your biggest accomplishment with volleyball?

Teaching the next generation. I coach numerous organizations in town with multiple skills levels and I also train kids that have Olympic aspirations and love the game the way I do. What good is all of this experience if I can’t pass what I have learned from some of the most brilliant volleyball minds that have coached me?

I watch all these kids around me, these talented young athletes put the time in and continue to show up and improve; that is the most rewarding feeling.

Q. What are you excited about with this upcoming season?

I’m looking forward to coaching alongside Jordan Dyer.

I love learning new things from the people around me.

I can’t wait to see what we can accomplish as a group.

These beach programs are still in the early stages and I’m proud to be part of establishing them as elite programs in town.

Q. What are your goals for this team?

My goal for this year’s girls beach team is to come together as a group, put in the time and effort to get better and see what we can accomplish. If the preparation, effort and the right attitude is there great things can happen for us.

Q. Who is your biggest inspiration?

The first person that popped in mind was my Dad. He is the hardest working man I’ve ever known and set to retire in just a few short months. He always puts his family first and sets a great example for us kids. This is the kind of father I try to be for my daughter and the kind of coach I try to be for my kids.

WORDS by MACY CHRISTAL ART by ANTHONY MEDEL

REWRITING RECORDS

Inside Lamar Jackson’s record-setting sophomore year in Baltimore, where he embraced the hate and had one of the most successful seasons in NFL history.

T

he 2019-20 NFL season was nothing close to a disappointment. With a star-studded rookie class and a plethora of superstars hungry for a Lombardi trophy, hype was at an all-time high going into this season. All eyes were on last year’s MVP, Patrick Mahomes, along with other elite quarterbacks in the league, one of which has received heavy criticism for his play style: Lamar Jackson, quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens.

After winning the Heisman at Louisville in 2016 for a sensational season, he fell to the 32nd pick in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Analysts questioned whether or not he would be effective at the quarterback position due to his questionable arm talent as well as his superb athleticism. He was labeled either a wide-receiver or running-back by the media, but he took that doubt and

turned it into motivation. Flashes of brilliance were seen in his rookie campaign as he took the Ravens to a wild card game against the Los Angeles Chargers. The season ended in disappointing fashion, as they fell to LA in that game at home.

Jackson worked in silence during this offseason in preparation for the 2020 season, and it showed. His season could be summarized by one of his famous statements, “Not bad for a running back.” Jackson never forgot the criticism he faced, and whenever he and his squad took down a big-time team, that was his go-to statement for the media.

Twenty-three-year-old Lamar Jackson led Baltimore to a league best record of 14-2 while throwing for 3,127 yards, six touchdowns and six interceptions. His most impressive accomplishment, though, was his record-breaking 1,206 rushing yards on the year, which broke Michael Vick’s previous rushing record of 1,039.

In a game against the San Francisco 49ers, a commentator for San Francisco said the following regarding Jackson’s play: “He’s really good at that fake, Lamar Jackson, but when you consider his dark skin color with a dark football with a dark

uniform, you could not see that thing.”

Again, Jackson did not ignore this derogatory comment, as he played the next game in a white uniform with white compression leggings and a white long sleeve undershirt to make the point that the quarterback position has nothing to do with race.

Kids all over the country wear Jackson’s jersey. His leadership style is taking the sport by storm and the next few years of the NFL are going to be dominated by Baltimore. The sports world has no doubt that we are just seeing the surface of Jackson’s potential, and the 2021 NFL season cannot come soon enough.

LAMAR JACKSON 2019-2020 STATS PASSING 3,127 yards 66.1% completion 36 touchdowns 6 interceptions RUSHING 1,206 yards 176 rushes 7 touchdowns 8 fumbles TEAM 14-2 record Dominating wins against the Patriots, Rams, 49ers, and Seahawks.

WORDS and ART by CHRISTIAN BRANCH thefourthestate.net A&E •

49

Take a look into Laguna’s one-woman swim team — Catie Fristoe! In this interview learn about Catie’s intense schedule filled with practices and meets, her favorite types of races and her strength-training tricks.

WORDS and ART by FRANCES CARLSON

50 • A&E thefourthestate.net

Q: When did you start swimming?

How did you get started and what makes you keep going?

A: I started swimming when I was six or seven on a country club swim team. During that time, I was also very committed to dance and, up until sixth grade, I balanced a heavy schedule of both swimming and dancing almost every day. At the country club, I built great relationships with the lifeguards, and they convinced me to join Santa Barbara Swim Club, where I have been swimming since then.

The sport has really become a part of who I am, and I can see myself doing it through high school and college. I love the balance of independence and camaraderie within swimming. I could not work as hard as I do without my teammates constantly encouraging me, challenging me and making me laugh.

Q: What does your average schedule look like every week? The earliest you wake up, which classes you miss, and the latest you get home?

A: I go to practice six days a week, which includes two morning practices at 5:30 a.m. on Tuesday and Thursday, and three hour-and-a-half long, drylands ,which includes weight lifting or cardio exercises. My practices start at 2:30 p.m., which force me to miss the last period of school almost every day, making my schedule very chaotic at times! I workout between two and three hours, drive home, eat dinner, do homework and then get ready for the next day.

Q: How do you plan ahead to make up for the work that you miss in your classes? Do you email your teachers?

At the beginning of the year, do you have a conversation with each teacher? How do they respond?

A: At the end of the summer each year I send out emails to all of my teachers either introducing myself and explaining my swim schedule, or reminding them (if they have already taught me). I always make sure to ask what I can do beforehand to make sure I can get caught up on missing work.

School is always my first priority, so I

want to make sure I have sorted everything out before classes start and I have homework.

During the year, I have friends send me the notes that I miss in class, or I contact teachers to plan a time to meet and go over any complicated material.

The teachers at Laguna are a huge part of why this schedule can work for me! They are so supportive throughout the year and are always willing to help me in any way that they can, whether its explaining concepts or giving me guidance.

Q: What’s your best time/or favorite type of race?

A: My best stroke is breastroke. I usually race in the 100-meter breaststroke, 200-meter breaststroke, and 200-IM (which is a mixture of all four strokes) the most. My best times are 1:10.2 (for the 100), and a 2:29.1 (for the 200 breaststroke).

Although it’s not one of my best events, I like to do distance swimming once and awhile (like the 500 or the 1000) because I love the fact that you have the time to come back and potentially pass the people you are racing.

Q: How is the dynamic of being on a swim team different than that of another sport like soccer or volleyball?

A: Swimming is very different than other sports because you are always racing on your own, and you are only relying on the effort that you put in to improving your times. But, what many people don’t realize, is that it is also considered a team sport because there is no way you would ever improve without being challenged by your teammates every day and racing them in competitions. There are many moments when your best friend[s] will beat you in race.

One of my favorite parts about the sport is that I’ve learned how to not be disappointed with that, but to use it to make me stronger than I was before.

Q: Do you have a specific eating schedule to follow?

A: In the 3-4 months leading up to a big championship meet, my coach has us focus on eating foods within a certain food group, for example, in the

weeks before the competition, we eat tons of carbs in order to give us/build up energy to swim fast. Other than that, I really focus on eating not only a big meals, but food with the vitamins and proteins I need to build up strength.

Q: What does an average swim meet look like?

A: Swim meets usually start around 6:30 a.m. and last anywhere from three to five hours. In that time, we have races for each stroke and length.

Q: How do you build strength? What does your dry-land or P3 training look like?

A: My club team works with Titan Training, which also trains SBVC, multiple high school teams, and more. They either come to the pool where we have a weight room, or we all meet at the Titan Gym. The coordinator of our dry-land training, Matt, puts together a month-long program that builds up intensity as we get closer to important competitions.

It is filled with weight lifting, cardio, ab workouts and focuses on teaching us how to safely keep our flexibility and mobility in check. We started this training about a year ago, and I have not only loved it, but have gotten so much stronger!

Q: What does your high school season look like?

A: Along with club swimming, during a period from March-May, I swim against other high schools essentially as Laguna Blanca’s one-woman swim team! I have been so happy with how it has worked out and I am hoping that by doing this through all four years of high school, other students joining Laguna can see that swimming is a possibility.

I find it very fun because I am able to swim against schools like Cate, Santa Barbara High School, and San Marcos High School where many of my friends swim. Last year, I was able to place second in an individual event in our league meet and in the top 20 in CIF Finals.

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TOKYO

This summer, an international multitude of athletes and sports fans alike will gather in Tokyo for the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games. Over 600,000 attendees are anticipated to flood into the culturally vibrant capital of Japan—and there is no shortage of excitement surrounding the 2020 event.

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ifty-six years after their first games, Japan’s capital city, Tokyo, will host the 2020 summer games. Kicking off on July 24, the Olympic games will last until August 9. After a two-week hiatus, the Paralympics will launch on August 25 and close on September 6.

Events will be held across nine districts, with a majority in two sectors: the Heritage and Tokyo Bay Zones.

In keeping with the Olympic Agenda’s advocated reforms, Tokyo will reuse some of its existing venues from the previous games in 1964.

These Heritage-Zone grounds include the reputable Nippon Budokkan for judo, the Yoyogi National Gymnasium for handball, and the Baji Koen Park for equestrian events.

The Tokyo National Stadium, however, will be entirely rebuilt into a new arena for athletic events and the Opening and Closing Ceremonies.

Attendees can look forward to the addition of five new sports to the lineup: skateboarding, surfing, sports climbing, softball/ baseball, and karate.

Existing competitions such as boxing, fencing, kayaking, and canoeing will undergo rebalancing and modifications to encourage gender equality.

According to Olympic organizers, the committee is planning to make the games the “most innovative ever organized, rest[ing] on three fundamental principles to transform the world: striving for your personal best (achieving your personal best); accepting one another (unity in diversity); and passing on a legacy for the future (connecting to tomorrow).”

Amid concerns of COVID-19, Japanese-representative for the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Seiko Hashimoto, has called for the Games to “be held within 2020.” While that news “could be interpreted as allowing a postponement,” Hashimoto assures Japan’s commitment to “ensur[ing] that the Games go ahead as planned.” Moreover, IOC president, Thomas Bach, is “very confident with regard the success” of the Tokyo 2020 Games.

WORDS and ART by EMMA RAITH

11,091 athletes*

339

events

206

nations*

165 MEN’s events

156

women’s events

50

disciplines

33

sports *EXPECTED

thefourthestate.net SPORTS • 53

REMEMBERING KOBE & GIGI BRYANT

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Kobe Bryant • Gianna Bryant • Payton Chester • Sarah Chester • Christina Mauser • John Altobelli • Keri Altobelli • Alyssa Altobelli • Ara Zobayan

here have been events in history that made our nation stop and want to wake up from what seemed like a nightmare.

Deaths of iconic figures typically have had that effect, especially when they are taken from us unexpectedly and in their prime. The passings of Tupac Shakur, John F. Kennedy, Paul Walker, and others populate the list of influential individuals that were taken too soon.

Most recently, a helicopter crash in the hills of Calabasas, CA took the lives of nine people, including Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna.

As the reports of the tragedy surfaced, time froze and, not only the nation, but the world could not believe what the headlines read.

The basketball deity who millions of people saw as a superhero thanks to his killer mentality and relentless competitive spirit was supporting his daughter’s basketball team on a Saturday, and taken from this world on the following quiet Sunday morning.

Through a lengthy 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, Bryant not only made fans feel as if he was untouchable in the basketball world, but he also garnered the same respect from his teammates and opponents in the NBA. His nickname, the “Black Mamba,” speaks to his passion, determination, and hatred for complacency that he

demonstrated whether or not he was on the hardwood.

He embodied a killer mindset while also setting the standard for fatherhood. The sacrifice he preached throughout his time in the NBA rarely came at the cost of his family, as he always made time for what truly meant the most to him. He always made it clear that basketball was not who he was.

His passion for the written word and for filmmaking was quickly made apparent as he won an Oscar for Best Animated Short Film in 2018. Life was just beginning for Bryant at the age of 41, not to mention for his 13-yearold daughter, Gianna who was going to be the next Kobe Bryant and then some. Her love for the game sparked a strong passion within Kobe’s life to fight for women’s rights, especially within the basketball world.

What pained fans the most about his sudden passing was the fact that Bryant was just getting started in life. While it may be hard to believe that one could be happier after a decorated career that included five NBA championships, two NBA Finals MVP awards, an MVP award, 18 AllStar appearances, four NBA All-Star MVP awards and two Olympic gold medals, Bryant proved that it is definitely possible, and also incredibly realistic. He was never satisfied.

Fans could not wait to see what

the Mamba had in store next. His Oscar win woke the media up to the fact that he, along with many other professional athletes, are capable of much more than performing in their sport.

The obligation he felt to assist homelessness in Los Angeles made it evident that his heart went far beyond the game of basketball.

In the retirement letter he wrote to the public, he eloquently stated that as much as it pained him to walk away from his first love, basketball, he knew that it was time for him to move on and pursue the many other passions he had: filmmaking, writing, and most importantly, raising his four daughters alongside his wife, Vanessa.

Those who knew him well could not overstate how truly happy he was seeing his daughter Natalia tear it up on the basketball court. His daughter and best-friend, Gianna, was becoming the “Mambacita,” and doing it in her own way. Fans would always joke with Kobe and say, “Try for a son, Kob!” to which Gigi would reply, “No, I got this.” She had dreams of setting the WNBA on fire, and with Kobe at her side, there is no doubt that would have been achieved.

On January 26, an international inspiration was taken from us alongside Gianna Bryant and seven others. However, as Kobe famously remarked, “Heroes come and go, but legends are forever.”

KOBE AND GIANNA IN THE EYES OF LEGENDS MICHAEL JORDAN “When Kobe Bryant died, a piece of me died. Kobe Bryant was my dear friend, he was like a little brother. Everyone wanted to talk about the comparisons between he and I. I just wanted to talk about Kobe.”

LEBRON JAMES Kobe is a brother to me, and from the time I was in high school watching him from afar, to getting in this league at 18, watching him up close, all the battles that we had throughout my career, the one thing that we always shared was that determination to just want to win and just want to be great.”

SHAQUILLE O’NEALE “Kobe was a truly gifted and intelligent student of the game. But I could tell you what filled Kobe’s heart with the most pride was his role as a loving husband to Vanessa and daddy to Gigi, Natalia, Bianca, and baby Capri.”

WORDS and ART by CHRISTIAN BRANCH thefourthestate.net SPORTS • 55