Lancer express 4-2-14

the

LANCER ex we h ave issues.

carlsbad high school carlsbad, ca april 2014 volume 27, issue 6

PRESS

CHANGE

In this issue: 6 Wish for Kids party

12 Spring 18 Crises break ideas abroad

23 Hazing in sports

2 news

photo highlight

april 2014

photo by elise chen

On March 14, the United States Marine Corps Drum and Bugle Corp performed a combination of contemporary songs and traditional marching music to uniquely choreographed drill movements for an audience of CHS students and community members. They followed the musical portion by running through a series of synchronized armed drill routines. “I thought it all was amazing,” sophomore Taylor Thomason said. “They were so well prepared and did not mess up once.”

April / May Community Carlsbad 5000

4/4

Course selection due on Aeries (incoming 12th)

4/7 -11

Spring break (no school)

4/14

Course selection due on Aeries (incoming 10/11th)

4/21 -25

Cheer Tryouts (excludes 24th)

5/1

College decision deadline for most schools

5/5 -9

First week of AP testing

O

n March 29 and 30, students and community members volunteered and participated in the 29th annual Carlsbad 5000 and Junior Carlsbad Run. The proceeds from the event went towards the Carlsbad Education Foundation and Team Liam, Rady’s Children’s Hospital’s non-profit which raises money for kid’s neurosurgery.

In addition to helping out great causes, the Carlsbad 5000 attracted thousands of veteran runners who have set 16 world records on this course. Cash prizes were rewarded to the top runners in each class as well as bonus rewards for those who set records on the course.

The event didn’t only attract professionals however, as the Junior Carlsbad Race and the health and fitness expo provided opportunities for the whole family to partake in.

Each year many Carlsbad students volunteer at the Carlsbad 5000 in order to earn their mandatory 20 community service hours and give back to the community. Students handed out water, distributed goody bags to participants, helped with timing and provided support along the course.

Sports

Highlights

An Austrian perspective

B

eing from Vienna I have noticed numerous differences between schools in Austria and schools in Carlsbad. One of the biggest differences are that schools in Vienna have a population of 600-1000 students, therefore, a usual class in an Austrian school consists of 20-25 students.

Another difference are the amount of schools. In Vienna there are several small schools instead of a few big ones and schools are mostly just one building.

A normal day of school in Austria starts at 8 am and ends at 2 pm. It consists of six lessons, which last 50 minutes, each in a different subject with five to 15 minutes of break in between.

On some days there are even lessons in the afternoon. The subjects of those classes are usually music, art or PE, but students in Austria cannot choose their subjects. The 12 grades in Austria are split up into four grades of elementary school and eight grades of gymnasium (5-12). To wrap it up, I feel like the schedule of American schools are not as stressful as Austria’s.

-Max Trost (Austrian exchange student)

Perfect game pitched

C

arlsbad Baseball played Del Norte on Thursday, April 4 in a historic game. Ryan Wilson took the mound for the lancers and started off great. He got out of the first inning without allowing a single baserunner. The next inning saw the same results. Then the next inning. Then the next inning. Then the next inning. See a trend? Seven innings.

Zero baserunners. No hits, nada walks, zilch errors and not a single dropped third strike. Ryan Wilson threw a perfect game.

There are two golden feats a pitcher can achieve in baseball: the no hitter, and the even more elusive, perfect game. A no hitter is when the pitcher does not allow a hit, but batters can still reach base via a walk, a hit batsman, a dropped third strike or an error. A perfect game is when literally zero people reach base.

The team did not make an error, Ryan did not walk a man, hit a man or give up a hit. This is the first perfect game in Carlsbad history and is an incredible feat for any pitcher of any age at any level.

This game brought a 3-0 win for Carlsbad to improve the season record to 6-2 as the boys continue on.

lancer express, volume 27, issue 6

Stepping out of class into the real world

news 3

AP European History class to venture through Europe over spring break tanner layton staff writer

F

rom famous battles and feats of architecture to priceless art and seats of government, students in the AP European History class have studied and will see it all. Continuing its yearly tradition, the class has the opportunity to journey to Europe over spring break and experience the various pieces of history found in the classes’ curriculum.

After students fly overnight to Rome this Friday, they will spend two days walking through its streets and visiting places featured in the class such as the Sistine Chapel and Vatican City.

From there, the now international students will venture by train through the Italian countryside into Florence, birthplace of the Renaissance. Here students will return to topics they studied in the earliest days of the class and its summer assignment. Students will take a walking tour of Milan until finally they trek to Paris where they will spend the final two days of the trip.

For the 22 students going, the trip is more of a stimulating experience than it is an escape from the everyday routines of the class.

“I’m most excited about seeing all the gorgeously fabulous architecture since that is a topic that frequently comes up in our course of studies,” sophomore Tyler White said. “It’ll be really delightful to see how different regions and countries and even the continent is distinguished by the buildings.”

Arranged through a third-party educational travel agency, the trip is planned so that there is a balance between informative tours and free time to explore the different cities with other members of the class.

“In my free time I’m really looking forward to building an everlasting bond with my fellow classmates who will be joining me on this adventure,” sophomore Ryan Du said.

“All that really matters to me is taking a hiatus from my rigorous workload to enjoy the culture of Europe.”

The connections students will make between what they see and what they have learned is something that cannot be listed in an itinerary. Having an outside company account for the logistics provides opportunities for it to expand upon the curriculum, something AP European History teacher and organizer of the trip Chris Greene embraces.

“Going there and meeting expert tour guides and historians will be invaluable in supplementing the type of information we’ve spent eight months going over,” Greene said. “Having their input can’t be duplicated .”

Only in its first year organized by Greene, the trip witnessed a boost in sign ups and a tripling in attendance.

Accounting for this growth is the upsurge of students enrolled in the AP European History class, which this year reached over 200.

What not everyone may know is the trip is open to anybody. Sophomores not in the class are going as well, and Greene hopes anyone interested no matter what grade or class will consider the trip next year, which is planned to be either over spring break or the summer.

“I’m hoping the word will spread to anyone who wants to go so they know that they can,” Greene said.

“I’ll change up the cities so we can go to other places like Germany. If anyone’s interested, all they have to do is come talk to me.”

Day 1 Fly overnight to Rome

Days 4 + 5 : Florence

Days 2 + 3 : Rome • Take tour of Vatican City • Visit the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Basilica, and Colosseum • Take a self-guided walking tour

• See the Renaissance first-hand with art from Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci • Take a guided tour of Florence • Full free day to explore Florence

Day 6: Milan • Travel by high-speed train to Milan • Take a walking tour of Milan

Days 7 + 8 : Paris

• Strike a pose in front of the Eiffel Tower • Visit the École Militaire and see where Napoleon launched his rise to power • Tour the Louvre and see such masterpieces as the Mona Lisa • Visit Notre Dame Cathedral • Excursion to Versailles, the palace of the French monarchs

Day 9

Depart for home

Informational meeting at lunch for all freshmen interested in taking AP European History next year. Sign up and receive the summer assignment. Room 8204.

news 5

lancer express, volume 27, issue 6

The Commadant’s Own return to CHS chloe young

O

staff writer

n March 14, the United States Marine Corps Drum and Bugle Corp returned to Carlsbad High School for the third time as they continue their nationwide tour across the United States.

This detachment of the Drum and Bugle Corp, also known as “The Commandant’s Own,” shared their 45 minute performance with the Silent Drill Platoon, which is a 24 rifle platoon that performs difficult and unique precision maneuvers with M1 Garand rifles.

Altogether, the United States Marine Corps Drum and Bugle Corp only visits one public school a month, so it was a very long process for CHS to get them to come.

Initially, it took two years to get them to perform here for the very first time.

Having them return to our school for the third consecutive year is an honor others schools do not have the privilege of receiving.

“Having the Drum and Bugle Corp come was really cool because a lot of people don’t get to see something like this,” sophomore Quinn Rodgers said. “I really hope we can get them to come back next year so I can see them perform again.”

However, this was not a special performance for CHS alone. Carlsbad and Oceanside residents also came out to enjoy everything the Marine and Bugle Corps had to offer.

“My family knows members in the Marines so coming out to see this performance was very important to us,” Carlsbad resident, Pat Cowley said. “I

hope all the students here appreciate what an honor it is to have them.”

Keep in mind, the Marines gave so much more than the entertainment of twirling guns and a variety of different songs.

“Having the Drum and Bugle Corp come reconnects us to the patriotism we share,” Guidance Counselor Mr. Ashton said. “It also shows the good relationship the school has with the military.”

But before the United States Marines Corps Drum and Bugle Corp performed for schools and other events, they were tasked with presidential support duties during WWII and for this they were awarded their scarlet and gold breast cord by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, which was on their uniforms for the performance.

Then the Color Guard that accompanied the band carried a Marine Corps Flag with a battle streamer from every conflict in which the United States Marine Corps fought from the Revolutionary War to the Afghanistan Conflict.

“Those battle streamers show the dedication of the Marine Corps to fighting for our country and preserving democracy and human rights domestic and abroad,” junior Cameron Juybari said.

In addition, members of Drum and Bugle Corps and the Silent Drill Platoon go through eight hours of training every day to prepare themselves for every performance, but beyond that, these Marines must undergo full Marine Corps Basic Training, which includes going to pistol and gun ranges, combat training and physical fitness tests.

Then there is also Recruit training,

kayla fraga staff writer

T

his year’s “Don’t Stop Believing” theme for Miss Teen Carlsbad marked the 60th anniversary of the scholarship pageant. The pageant provided girls ages 13 to 26 with the chance to win a scholarship and be an active participant in the community. A scholarship pageant differs from a beauty pageant because it is based on the ability to carry oneself with grace and dignity.

“I think it’s a better representation of Carlsbad if it’s a girl that can present herself better as opposed to only how they look,” Miss Teen Carlsbad’s 2012 queen senior Jessica Streich said.

Giving back to the community also serves as a main objective of the pageant. The Lion’s Club, a charity with separate divisions to help different causes, receives all the net proceeds.

Pageant director, Elaine Brammell decided to take charge of the pageant 14 years ago, when the previous director moved away. She had always helped, because of

photo by elise chen

After the inspection by the sergeant in charge of the unit, the Silent Drill Platoon gets into formation for their coveted part of the parade. The menuevers enacted by the unit are carried out in silence and are entirely cohesive.

which is rigorous, but rewarding.

Individuals learn how to be part of a team and get to know the special band of brothers and sisters they have joined.

“The training ensures that everyone has a fair chance and that they learn to overcome obstacles, both physically and metaphorically,” Battle Color Detachment Narrator and Operations Chief, SSgt. J.D. Miles said.

Seeing the Drum and Bugle Corp in action taught many lessons, including the importance of the Marines in keeping us connected to and informed about the armed forces. Plus, knowing everything they went through to make the performance happen gives students a greater respect for everything that the Marines do.

MissTeen Carlsbad

“I fought in Korea and later in Vietnam, where I received two Purple Hearts,” 30 year Marine veteran, Alvin Richard Fletcher said. “Being retired, now, I enjoy witnessing all that they are capable of and the students here should too.”

The United States Marine Corps Drum and Bugle Corp really impressed students and community members by overcoming the various obstacles they encountered during the performance. In the face of a gun malfunction and school bells ringing throughout they did not miss a beat. That kind of determination is admirable to many CHS students.

“I respect them a lot for working through so many complications,” freshman Genevieve Walker said. “Very few people could have pulled off something like that.”

gives back to the community

her husband’s role in the Lion’s Club.

“My husband has been a member of Lion’s Club for over thirty years and every year I help the club with the pageant,” Brammell said. “When the member of the club who had been running it moved away, none of the members wanted to take up the task, because it’s such a big responsibility. I did it because I’ve always thought it’s such a wonderful program for the girls in Carlsbad.”

When they crown the queen, not only does she accept the scholarship money, but also the responsibility of being a representative for the Carlsbad community such as showing up to city council meetings, holiday events, and ribbon cuttings. The winner has the responsibility of presenting Carlsbad in the best fashion.

“After you win, you participate in a lot of volunteering and charity; you participate in a lot of community events,” Streich said.

Before the audience arrives, the girls present a speech

to the judges followed by an interview. The pageant then starts with an opening number and an introduction of each contestant, then the girls participate in a gown walk to display poise and finally and impromptu question to finish the pageant.

“I love opening number, it’s always so fun, and it really kicks off the pageant with a jump start, and it gets everybody pumped up and excited,” Brammell said. “This year is our 60th anniversary pageant and our theme is believe, the song for opening number is ‘Don’t Stop Believing’ by Journey.”

No mathematical equation holds the key to ultimate success in the pageant. It is tasteful girls with grace and eloquence who win this annual pageant.

“It’s less of a beauty pageant and has to do more with poise and personality; basically how you present yourself, it’s definitely different than the stereotypical pageant,” Streich said.

6 news

april 2014

Granting one wish at a time madison mcmurray

T

staff writer

housands of children every year are diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses; their lives rankled to hospital beds and blue robes as they spend time fighting sickness when they should be playing and getting into all sorts of mischief.

While it may be painful to watch these brave kids struggle through tests, operations and treatments, one foundation has stepped in to come to their aid: The Make-A-Wish Foundation. This organization aims to grant the wishes of each of these strong children, in an effort to bring some of that childlike joy back into their lives. Make-A-Wish recognizes the bravery the kids exhibit daily.

Here at Carlsbad High School, a collective amount of students have taken on the very same drive and purpose as the Make-A-Wish Foundation, known as the Wish for Kids club.

“Our goal is to raise money to help the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which helps send terminally ill children on their wish,” junior and Wish for Kids club member Averi Aburto said.

As a part of Wish for Kids Club, members attend every meeting and plan out fundraising events. From annual

Wish for Kids meets Levi

street fairs, bake sales to rave-a-thons the students continually seek new means of donating their profits to the Make-A-Wish Foundation and sponsoring one child and their wish. This year, the club dedicated their time and fundraising to one special little boy: Levi.

“Last year we just raised money because his wish cost around $8,000. We raised $4,000 for the Make a Wish Foundation and then the foundation paid for his wish” senior and club president Yasaman Samsamshariat said.

With devotion, planning and compassion the Wish for Kids team raised enough money to grant Levi’s wish of attending a Disney Cruise with his family. After countless hours spent working towards this goal, the students saw how much of an impact they had on

“

Levi’s life by finally meeting him at one of their club sessions. On Wednesday March 5, the Wish For Kids club threw Levi a party during lunch, complete with pizza and gifts.

“He loves ‘Jake and the Neverland Pirates’ so we decorated Mr. Muilenburg’s room and got him a bunch of presents and he was just so happy. Seeing the joy on his face was amazing and made us feel so good that we’re doing this,” Samsamshariat said.

Meeting Levi not only reminded every club member of why they laboured to grant him his wish, but gave them an opportunity to show Levi that he had a group of people rooting for him. Promoting what their club stands for, this meetup rewarded every member by allowing them to see where their contributions went and

Seeing the joy on his face was amazing and made us feel so good that we’re doing this. ”

yasaman samsamshariat

Make-A-Wish Information If you wish to refer a child to have their wish granted by the San Diego division of the Make-A-Wish foundation contact them at sandiego.wish.org

• • •

what sort of an impact they have on so many children’s lives.

“I think it was really cool because Levi got to see how many people really care and how many people were involved in making his wish come true,” Aburto said. “I think he was really excited and happy about his gifts, too.”

In the future, the club plans on funding a new child and a new wish next year, once they finish raising money for Levi’s wish. In addition to the wide variety of fundraising events they already hosted, the club held a Jog-A-Thon event on Saturday March 15, which included neon clothing and music.

Even though granting wishes requires massive amounts of time and money, Wish For Kids endeavors on.

Their understanding of how much of a difference each of these fundraisers has, that their club has, on every ill child’s life has only elevated after meeting Levi and his beaming smile.

“Knowing that we were able to make someone who is struggling so much so happier is such a good feeling. They deserve it,” Samsamshariat said. “At age four he’s already going through so much and it was just nice to help him out.”

Make-A-Wish granted nearly 14,000 wishes in 2011 alone nationally.

To qualify for a wish, a child with a life-threatening medical condition must be older than 2½ years and younger than 18 A child can be referred by a parent or guardian, a medical professional, or by the child.

A child can be referred by a parent or guardian, a medical professional, or by the child.

photo courtesy of mitchell aragon

From left to right, Wish for Kids club member Julian Ortega, secretary Cheyenne Han Lee and president Yasaman Samsamshariat socialize with Levi as he enjoys his “Jake and the Neverland Pirates” themed party which included pizza, soda, and candy (left). Cheyenne Han Lee and vice president Loni Merritt keenly watch Levi’s reaction as he unwraps one of his presents, which the club provided (right).

news7

lancer express, volume 27, issue 6

Carlsbad participates in paw-sitive community service kelsey aijala

O

editor-in-chief

n Sunday March 16, community members took part in a 5K. Now this isn’t a surprise, Carlsbad and the rest of San Diego county’s gorgeous weather makes it an ideal host for races of various lengths throughout the year. What was unusual, however, was the participants.

Dogs of all breeds and sizes ran alongside their owners in the Puppy Love 5K Run/Walk to support the Helen Woodward Animal Center.

This was the fifth annual Puppy Love 5K for the center and it had by far the largest turn out. The run, hosted by Blue Buffalo, attracted a record number of approximately 1,500 participants, not including our four-legged friends.

“It was an incredibly, incredibly successful year for us. We think a lot of it has to do with the weather and maybe the luck of the Irish with St. Patrick’s day so near,” Jessica Gercke, PR manager for the Helen Woodward Animal Center said.

All funds raised went towards the center’s 13 different programs offered, focusing mainly on therapeutic programs and care for orphaned pets. Sponsors raised over $70,000 in addition to the money raised by the participants.

“It’s very nice here for fundraising, we had a lot of fabulous team raisers. People formed groups of six to 10 and put up things online and raised money for the pets so that was really lovely,” Gercke said.

The run started at 8 am, followed shortly by a walk at 8:20. Participants and their dogs followed a scenic route along Coast Highway 101 in Solana Beach.

Volunteers lined the route with signs of paw-sitive encouragement and whole families participated along with their dogs.

Some unusual pets even participated, including but not limited to pigs.

“We’re so grateful to the people that come out,” Gercke said. “We really feel that our dogs are family; they’re more than just pets. You see people out here with their animals, they’re dressed in costume, you can tell that they go running with these pets on a regular basis, they really are a part of their lives.”

Many of the participants came dressed up in St. Patricks Day attire and many pouches were decked out in costume as well. After the run, there were two costume contests for participants to take part in or watch: the lucky dog costume contest which was just for dogs and then the human-canine combo costume contest.

The day also featured an agility course,

photo by kelsey aijala

Community members of all ages participate in the 5K walk portion of the Helen Woodward Animal Center Puppy Love event on Sunday March 16. Walkers raised money for the center by forming teams and having others sponsor them.

booths with vendors offering shopping opportunities, a raffle and a kids section with mace paint, relay races and crafts.

While participants got warmed up for or cooled down after the event, they could take part in these activities while listening to the live music that played throughout the event.

“There are two wonderful things about

this event: first of all it raises so much money for the orphan pets at Helen Woodward Animal Center, and also it really does a lot for my heart to see how people bring their pets,” Gercke said. “We see a lot of rescued animals out here and people take them into their homes and make them family, and that really means the world.”

8 editorial

april 2014

Creating a new mission for club members F

editorial board

ree candy. Free pizza. Free filler. Clubs, what do they mean to you? Are they the fools we trick into giving us sweets at the club fair, the suppliers of Italian cuisine on those days we forget to pack a lunch or the ink we smother our college apps in to make us look much more involved than we actually are?

No matter which rationale students use to take advantage of today’s clubs, clearly the purpose of these on campus organizations no longer seems so cut and dry.

Each year 2900 teenagers mosey onto the grounds whether as freshmen or seniors, wondering how they will fit into the Lancer Life from day to day. Students are blessed here. Over 70 clubs afford us the opportunity to connect with thousands of other classmates and find a niche within the massive population. But, are we using this method of integration to build a stronger community or are we abusing the process?

There are two types of clubs: service and social.

One seeking to further the prosperity of achievement through our youth, and the other working to connect students through mutual interests. Both clubs, in theory, accomplish important necessities. However, we start to run into a problem when service clubs become more socially inclined and forgo their initial mission.

We begin first semester watching CHSTV advertise the club fair. We all go for a variety of reasons, but what predominantly goes on would puzzle the average bystander. Generally, the event is filled with jokesters moving from table to table signing with faulty names in

lancer express staff editor in chief: kelsey aijala section editors: julius koch vlad korobkin garrett snyder

business: alison casey

staff writers: calla blawusch natalie cortez eri flores kayla fraga emilio gonzalez john hankforth riley hoffman samuel horan jakob karlsson olivia langen tanner layton

order to receive candy. Yes, high schoolers.

Then comes club pictures where again our youthful sense of maturity is at full strength. Teens not in clubs will attempt to make their way into each groups’ snapshot only furthering the fact that it seems we care more about appearance than reality. Finally, we make it to a meeting, poach for an officer’s position we definitely do not plan to fulfill or slowly fade out of the classroom, only sticking around for the grub. Really helpful. We mooch, we figure out which club will have pizza on a certain day, and bam we’re there. Ignorant of the cause, or numb to its value, we forget the distinction between the types of clubs and create a stereotype which must be broken.

When we go to fill out our college applications, it’s easy to realize how involvement in a club has affected us.

There will come a supplement question with instructions to write about something you have been involved in and reflect on with pride. Then it hits you. That room you ate pizza in once a week actually had no impact on your character or outlook, so really it just became a lunch hour.

Sure, it fills up one line on your common app, but for the most part it tells colleges very little about your true personality and gives you a false sense of accomplishment.

We’re not saying clubs are accomplishing nothing. It is easy to point at the great deeds done by the Red Cross, Make a Wish, GSA, Best Buddies clubs and many more.

However, these clubs do not account for the misdoings of the many other organizations. We hold too much potential to squander it. We can build our students up through the process or let clubs fall by the wayside. These social opportunities are privileges which, for the most part, test the masses—a test dependent on will power and

initiative, practically a participation grade.

Find something worthwhile. With so many clubs filling the campus there should not be an excuse for sitting around and wasting a lunch period. Maybe you already do enough for the community. That’s fine. The problem is not that nothing is getting done, but rather that we seem to care less about the clubs and more about what they provide us.

There exists a growing lack of connection, lack of purpose and lack of pride in the organizations we run ourselves. What are we running these clubs for? Each group has a mission statement or set list of goals for how it should be run, but when it comes down to it, do we simply care more about appearance and appetite? We have service clubs available all over the campus, but how much are we actually accomplishing? Let’s not waste another minute. Stay true to your goals as a club, whether to connect or create, and make the campus a stronger environment. Opportunity is calling Carlsbad, answer it.

For the rebels who will continue to ignore this call, we have a solution. Rather than joining many clubs and neglecting the importance of each along the way, stick to one your passionate about each and every day. Seek to be involved, but not at the expense of a club’s integrity.

Sneaking into a club’s pictures, diving in for lunch delights and begging for an officer position to put on your college applications is frankly ridiculous. If that is the aim of our clubs today then we are in a very sad situation. One which in reality may be better off if we simply created a pizza club to meet every Friday for the sole purpose of the purchase and consumption of the Italian dish Carlsbad cannot go without.

editorial policy jacob luna madison mcmurray brooklyn o’neill david rubinstein jenny simpson lauren t’kint savannah wardle chloe young tyra wu artist: stephen sweeney

photographers: elise chen mikayla ferraro jacquelyn nakamura kyle veidt

design: tyler dresser zack spanier

As a public forum for student expression, Lancer Express welcomes letters to the editor, but reserves the right to refuse inappropriate or anonymous letters. Letters must be directed to room 3104 or to the editor-in-chief. Lancer Express adheres to a strict policy regarding propriety of all photos and text. Controversial advertisements and opinion articles do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the entire staff. Both sides of any issue are welcome here. Letters, questions or comments by emails to lancerexpress@gmail.com are welcome.

lancer express, volume 27, issue 6

On your marks. Get set. Bro.

opinion 9

Bromances bring new meaning to high school relationships

riley hoffman

L

staff writer

SAD, BAD, RAD

adies of the world, the year is 2014 and it’s time to end the hate. The love between one man and another is a sacred bond that is not to be ostracized and ridiculed.

Bromances are alive and real, and the girlfriends of the world need to learn that, no matter how great they think their relationship is, your man will always choose his boys.

It’s reached the point where it’s more than just a man crush. This is full on man love, and nothing you do or say will ever interrupt this relationship. Quit trying to fight it, because you can’t do anything about it. Just accept that you will never be number one, and hope that your boyfriend’s other man likes you and is okay with you staying in the picture. It sounds harsh, but many girls don’t realize how crucial the relationship with our Brohammad Ali truly is.

There is really no need to be worried. A bromance is not a type of love that involves physical affection or other things like that, it’s just a psychological bond between two straight men, that unites them into a star-crossed relationship. No matter what any party does, the bond between two completely bromantic men simply can’t be broken.

We all know the classic saying. Bros before “women of questionable morals.” It’s disregarded as sexist and stupid, and with that I don’t disagree, but the core idea of it is simply true. We men choose our fellow males over women. There’s a reason that the widely used version of the word is brotherhood and not sisterhood.

Sometimes girls can be fickle, loving each other in person and hating each other behind their backs. While this may not be true for all girls, the amount of girls I have seen in these catty “friendships,” far outnumbers the amount of men. Men in genuine bromances belittle each other ruthlessly face to face, but would give our left arm for any of our brothers without a second guess.

I understand that you ladies will always have besties, but the willingness of man to give up all he has for his bromantic partners is simply insurmountable. Not to take anything away from the strong friendship that many girls have, as I have seen plenty of wonderful, selfless girl friendships, but my boys have just never let me down. A guy friend of bromance levels will always have your back with twitter fights, man hugs or even an extra pair of

photo by mikayla ferraro

Senior Sean Deng (left) and junior Anthony Derose (right) are two self professed bromance partners. “I love him more than food,” said Deng. “He’s just a great man.”

undies when you need it. While your bestie may let you borrow her mascara, none of them will ever match the level of clutch achieved by well timed help from a main homie.

Rah rah all you want Lady Gaga, but I’d choose a rad bromance over a bad romance 100 times out of 100.

This may be the one issue that bromances do run into.

The feeling of betrayal when a former Abroham Lincoln chooses a controlling girlfriend over you is indescribable.

It feels like the sadness of losing a puppy, combined with an anger with the fury of a thousand suns. Breakups in a usual romantic relationship are to be expected; sometimes you just have differences. Breakups in a bromance are almost always a blind side. You pick your Shoeless Bro Jackson based off who you want to be friends with regardless of outside circumstances, and them tearing the bond apart is an atrocity.

This article is not a bash on the LGBT movement by any means. I always have been and always will be a huge supporter of equal rights for everyone, regardless of size, shape, race or sexual orientation, and the support for bromances has only gained traction with the increased support for the gay rights movement. The move toward acceptance that gay rights have achieved in recent years has broken the ice on people being weird about very close male friendships. You’re no longer “gay” for giving your close guy friend a hug, you’re just showing affection for a close friend. The two go hand in hand in reaching a tolerance for universal love in the world, and the increasing publicity and prominence of both is, in my opinion, a key step to reducing the unnecessary hate in the world.

Maybe the issue of bromance acceptance isn’t exactly the number one problem in the world, but I believe it could be the exact baby step that the world needs to ease our way into universal acceptance. If the way the world has to reach that starts through red blooded, classic man love, then so be it. So to the Barack Brobamas and Napoleon Bronapartes of the world, keep up the love for your fellow man, and know that you are making monumental strides toward a new world.

Bromances are alive and real, so how do some of the more publicized bromances stack up?

The Jonas Brothers

One Direction

Seth Rogen and James Franco

The original JB lives on forever in the hearts of many. A formerly shining bromance that has become a hollow shell in recent years, it isn’t hard to empathize with the Jo Bros.

With a throwback Thursday to 2006, they were everyone’s man crush Monday, but ever since the oldest Jonas, Kevin, got married in 2009, the mighty have crumbled. They went from classic middle school bangers like “S.O.S.” and “Burnin’ Up” to dropping off the face of the earth in less time than it takes to name all three brothers. An official split and a reality show later, the formerly baby faced boys recently attempted a comeback album, but canceled it’s release and tour mere days before its release, only to split again.

A five person group and yet still not an ounce of talent. People have called them the new British invasion with the way they have stolen the hearts and minds of pre-teen and teenage girls in recent years, a notion which is simply disgusting. Comparing their commercialized, artificial “bromance” to the original fab four, quite possibly the greatest bromance the world has ever known, is like comparing an ice cream sundae to the heel of a loaf of stale bread. The only reason their boy band even exists is because Simon Cowell saw the money making opportunity in five baby faced teenage boys singing about fake relationship problems. They are frankly a disgrace to real bromances everywhere.

Quite possibly Hollywood’s most lovable bromance, these Judd Apatow movie mainstays have the entire world laughing.

Well know for their joint acting in movies such as Pinepple Express and This is the End, scripted acting is far from all that these two engage in together. Having originally met on the set of the show “Freaks and Geeks,” the two have since acted and directed their way to the top of the comedy world. Their recent spoof of Kanye West’s “Bound 2,” in which Rogen played Kim and Franco played Kanye, went viral almost immediately, and a recent reprisal of these roles in a photoshopped version of a Kimye Vogue cover only put the icing on the cake.

SAD

BAD

RAD

10 opinion

april 2014

Prom pressures push girls too far kelsey aijala

W

editor-in-chief

hile Facebook is dying, inactive for most unless they want to boast of their college acceptances or share a link to some vine post or buzzfeed quiz, one page stays strong. The 2014 Carlsbad Prom Dresses page has ensured that every time I check my phone, numerous notifications await me.

When I was first added to this page, I was taken aback.

Didn’t we just get through with Formal? Even God took a day to rest, but for the ladies of Carlsbad, there is no break in the dance-planning frenzy.

The group was created on Feb. 27. Yes, before formal.

So while I was still scrounging around to find a pair of heals, other girls were already on the hunt for that perfect dress. I say hunt because that’s what it is. An intense search in which girls tear through store after store and leave no web-page unsearched, all in pursuit of a dress.

I won’t even say that’s unreasonable. Every girl deserves to feel like a princess at Prom. To stand at the top of the staircase while their date’s mouth hangs open in awe and their mother snaps hundred of pictures like in every high school movie ever made. What I find unreasonable are the lengths to which some girls are willing to go to in order to find this dress.

The main purpose of the Facebook group is to ensure that no two girls wear the same dress. Girls post every time they see a dress they like, claiming multiple dresses without making a single purchase. But unless you’ve bought the dress, anyone has the right to it. And even after you’ve bought it, it isn’t exclusively yours.

Would it be the end of the world if one other girl had the same dress as you? If you found a dress that you look and feel amazing in, are you really going to pass it up because another girl already bought it? No, because it’s your night too. And even if you two have the same dress, it doesn’t mean you look identical. The other girl may have a different body type, different accessories, different hair and makeup which make her look entirely unique from yours.

But because a lot of girls do care, they dig deep—in stores and into their purses—to find a dress that no one else will have. Many of the dresses you will see on prom night will cost $300 or more. Three-hundred dollars.

For a dress you will wear once in your life. While it’s a special night and you do deserve to splurge a little, I can guarantee you ladies that your date won’t be able to tell if you’ve shelled out $50 or $500. He’s going to think you look amazing no matter what, so I think it’s better to not

“

go bankrupt trying to impress him.

Of course, he or she is not the only one to impress.

Girls love the feeling when they’re complimented on their outfit and Prom is the ultimate chance to attain that feeling. This is the one thing that I believe the 2014 Carlsbad Prom Dresses group is good for. Almost every post of a dress in the group (and I feel the need to say that well over 50 girls have already found and posted their dresses) has numerous likes. Girls comment, saying praises about how beautiful each other looks and how much they love their taste. It’s a wonderful oasis of positivity within a high school experience that can sometimes be filled with negativity and cattiness.

Girls chat about plans for before and after Prom, ask questions to which ASB representatives eagerly reply to in hopes of creating even bigger hype for the event and generally give each other reassurance that Prom will be every bit as magical as the night they’ve always imagined it to be. For these reasons, I don’t believe that the Carlsbad Prom Dresses Group is a bad thing. It’s a tradition that is generally helpful to all and should be upheld for years to come. I simply think that its early arrival this year signifies a shift in what Prom really means to girl nowadays.

Prom has become more about the preparation than about the dance itself.

Tips for your prom dress: Go vintage, not only can you find yourself a unique dress that is truly one of a kind, but you can get it a cheap price.

”

Prom has become more about the preparation that about the dance itself. Evidence of this is the group itself as girls are buying dresses and making plans before they even have a date. Now that’s not to say that you need a date to do to prom, but the point remains.

People plan limos and party busses, dinners before hand and parties for after, spend months preparing and the whole day of the event getting ready. But they only actually spend a few hours at the dance.

Once you add up the hundred of dollars for a dress/ tux, cost of tickets and transportation, price of your meal beforehand, additional cash to spend on plans for after and/or before and the optional spending on shoes, hair and makeup, you could easy end up spending over $1,000 dollars on this night.

Now it may be worth it, and some may have the money to do so, but it doesn’t have to be this way. The Facebook group lets us get caught up in the grandeur of the dance.

We see other girls spending so much time and money on it that we believe we should too. There’s nothing wrong with buying a cheaper/used dress, doing each others’ hair and makeup with your friends, having a potluck for dinner or carpooling to the dance. Prom should be about the actual dance, the people you go with and the memories you make there.

This year, don’t rely on a dress and a box of receipts signifying how much you spent to remember the night by.

Just have a great night and make sure that your post-Prom activities don’t inhibit you from remembering it.

Etsy: a website to buy and sell vintage styled items along with handmade garments Ebay: a website to purchase clothing for any style and event My Sister’s Closet: a thrift store located on 8610 Genesee Ave, San Diego, CA 92122 Buffalo Exchange: a trendy resale shop located on 3862 5th Ave, San Diego 92103

opinion 11

lancer express, volume 27, issue 6

School’s not like UFC, nap out emilio gonzalez staff writer

Z

zzzzzz.

This is my synopsis to every weekday. Go to school, spend 80 percent of my time planning out what I am going to do right when I get home, get home, scratch out my earlier plans, watch TV, drain my brain, start my homework with an ounce of motivation, finish my homework between the hours of 10:30 and 11:00, die. Seems nice yeah? Should’ve taken a nap, and I am about to tell you why.

The common stigma against naps is that naps are only for sloths and the lazy. Oh, how far from the truth this is.

In reality, naps are for the academically elite and socially ept of the world. Naps are actually for those who intend to have the energy to apply themselves and change the world.

Naps are little known Life Hacks which basically preserve sanity during the chaotic school year. For those poor fools who are unaware of this rejuvenating exercise, ignorance isn’t bliss. Naps are not just for toddlers. They have also been proven to improve alertness and daily performance for many young chaps, who would otherwise have to resort to self-lobotomization.

Not only do naps rake in the energy for the day, but they also got your back in bumping up those B+s to some A-s. A NASA study showed that a 40-minute

nap can increase your alertness up to 100%, and that a 20-minute nap is more effective than 200mg of caffeine.

Its also been proven to be a bonus in remembering those trigonometric identities for that test you know is already going to end you.

There are three types of naps that make up your primary nap pyramid. The aforementioned Powernap, is one of these. This is the nap you’ll want to take between classes, during lunch, or whenever you are short on time. Duration: 20 to 30 minutes. There is the Recovery Nap, always a good call for those Sunday afternoons to recharge the ole’ Medulla Oblongata after a hectic night.

Duration: one to two hours. Then there is the rare, yet sometimes inevitable straight-up Sleep Cycle Nap. This last option is when you find yourself on Sleep Row, after remembering about that Calc test at 11:00 pm leaving you with one of those late-late-late-no-sleep-kind-of-schoolnights. Duration: as long as it takes to avoid certain death.

Naps are essential to society as we know it. Naps add sauce to your afternoons, naps counteract entropy, naps define the individual naps make the world go round.

Eighty percent of mammals are polyphasic sleepers, mammals which sleep periodically throughout the day.

So if there is no evidence supporting the fact that humans aren’t periodic sleepers, why must we conform?

Many nap skeptics might say “Hey man, my teachers are burying me with homework, I ain’t got no time to cash.” We both know that when you get home you spend more time checking your feeds than yourself. You better check yourself before you wreck yourself. Everyone, and I mean everyone, has time to take at least a 20-minute nap. I can say this because I’m in three AP classes and I realistically hover from my phone and my computer for at least four hours after school everyday.

Once you start napping you begin to look forward to your next nap for the rest of your life, basically. Naps have a positive effect on life no matter how long or short they are and have proven to make legends out of ordinary folk. The Wolf of Wall Street? He took naps. Napoleon Bonaparte? Yup. Plato? Couldn’t go a day without them.

Jesus? Probably. What does this tell us? If you want to make big changes in the world, you have to be willing to make profound sacrifices.

12 student life

april 2014

Breaking down spring break 2014 jennifer simpson staff writer

I

f you can think back to Spring Break 2013, you may find that it lacked the luster, charisma and general activity you initially anticipated. But don’t let this get you down,

Spring Break 2014 is on its way and with it new opportunities to enjoy all things fun.

With all the overwhelming stress and anxiety of school, it’s time to get back to basics and bask in the freedom of all past responsibilities. So stash away those text books, say goodbye to all those confining classrooms, and prepare yourself for a spring break to remember. Here’s a list guaranteed to help this year’s break live up to the expectations and even add to the hype.

board? Try paddle boarding. No waves required. This simple concept of standing on a surfboard with a handy paddle have taken most coastal areas by storm. While some brave individuals try to balance over the choppy ocean, others find enjoyment in glazing over the Lagoon’s smooth surface.

Having good balance will definitely give you an advantage, but if you don’t obtain this skill don’t worry, you’ll soon get the hang of it after a few spills into the water. Paddle board rentals are easily available along the Carlsbad Lagoon for those looking for an active day in the sun.

Crafts: Feel like indulging in some Martha Stewart-like activities and getting crafty? Or maybe you feel like showing off your own D.I.Y. attitude? Whatever the case may be, spring break gives you the perfect opportunity to let your creative abilities flow on whatever project you decide on. Websites like Pinterest or Tumblr can easily provide you with new ideas and step by step instructions on how to create your future masterpieces. Whether its resurrecting an old pair of Converse or adding some colorful strokes to a bedroom door, D.I.Y. projects are an enjoyable way to pass the time during spring break.

The Beach: If the concept of the beach is foreign to you, I will sincerely question your Californian ethnicity. It’s the perfect place to socialize with friends, build a killer tan and explore the endlessness of the sea. Tower 37 is the place to be for many of the students at Carlsbad during spring break. Being close to the village square makes it easy for finding a midday lunch or a chance to grab some Arizona’s at the neighboring 7-11 to beat the heat.

Hiking: Hiking offers not only excellent exercise, but allows you to get down and dirty into the heart of nature and explore.

Thanks to California’s beautiful landscapes, lagoons and beaches, finding a place to hike is child’s play. Calavera, Torrey Pines, and San Elijo are just a few of the many locations which offer beautiful trails for the public to explore. So grab some friends, a mean pair of sneakers and hit the trails.

Paddle Boarding: Suck at catching waves, but enjoy being on a

Road Trips: Carlsbad may be one of the most meritable places to live, but taking a step away from home can be just as refreshing and bold. Mapping out the perfect route with a couple of friends and hitting the road is freeing and fun. By welcoming new experiences, new sights and new encounters there’s no way to you’ll miss out on the vibrant world around you. Whether its family or friends, the people you experience this trip with will add to the adventures and the thrill of exploring unknown territory.

College Tours: Kicking back and relaxing isn’t for everyone.

If you want to stay productive during break and get ahead on your future, college tours are a great opportunity to take advantage of. It doesn’t matter if you’re a freshman or graduating senior, taking the time to wander around a university and educate yourself on the many opportunities available could be extremely influential towards your future. College tours are a relatively less expensive and simple way to broaden your plans for the future and get excited about the new paths ahead.

Concerts: What is spring break without music? Whether it’s from your Ipod, radio or TV, music is everywhere, especially during this carefree week of fun. But nothing beats live music. With bands like Foster the People, City & Colour, Rome and Cage the Elephant coming to Southern California there’s no reason to miss out on these talented performers. Sadly, if you’re one of the millions missing out on the sunny festival of hippy apparel and astounding live music known as Coachella, don’t mourn this loss for too long. There’s always next year, but in the mean time check out other concerts hitting up San Diego.

Camping: If you want to spend spring break channeling your inner

Bear Grylls, enduring extreme climates, and eating raw fish intestines... maybe you should rethink your priorities. However, if you’re up for roughing it (in the most comfortable sense of the phrase) simple camping should do just fine. Having a night under the stars, away from the noisy bustle of civilization and the real world may be the perfect way to spend break. Whether it’s local the Carlsbad Campgrounds or Yosemite National Park, finding a spot to settle down in is a cinch.

SOAPBOX

What are you doing over Spring Break?

“

“

I’m going up to L.A. to see ‘The Book Of Mormon’ with my Dad.

karinya ghiara, 11

I’m really looking forward to going snowboarding with my friends at Big Bear.

brian russell, 12

”

“

I’m going to Washington to visit my family, and then going down to Texas to tour colleges.

”

heather runzel, 12

“

This spring break I’m going backpacking with my friends in Catalina.

ferris suleiman, 11

”

”

Student Life 13

lancer express, volume 27, issue 6

CLUB

BATTLES

CLUB

julius koch

T

editor

he 17th century Franco-Spanish war seems to have scarred the memories of select students at Carlsbad High School. Tensions were running as high as ever between the two language clubs last week as Tuesday, March 25 marked this year’s annual French Club versus Spanish Club competition. The two forces clashed arms at lunchtime in Senor Riccitelli’s room and both sides arrived with sizable forces.

“I would venture that that might have been the most students I’ve seen at any club meeting at this school,” Spanish club advisor Senor Riccitelli said.

Dozens of students had heard the call that the clubs had made on CHSTV, over the internet and by word of mouth. The tense interview on CHSTV set the stage for the inevitably highly-competitive encounter. The occasion even brought on the arrival of a group of scavengers who hoped to profit in their own way.

“There were a lot of people that were just there representing the Food Club and not necessarily the French or Spanish club,” Spanish Club President Ramiro Mosquera said. “I think just because there were so many people we couldn’t really have the club on club situation we originally wanted.”

The sheer amount of students in the room required the sides to change their tactics. In a unique collaborative effort, both club’s officers joined forces to entertain the hungry crowd.

“There were definitely a lot more people than we thought there would be so we were probably a little underprepared,” French Club President Jessica Streich said. “It was a little bit unorganized and I wish we had gotten to do more activities and such but it was still a lot of fun.”

After nourishment in the form of Lola’s burritos and Nutella crepes had been distributed to all present members, the clubs found the time to play a short, controversial round of trivia in which Spanish Club shut out French Club in a Tic-Tac-Toe style trivia game. Much debate has ensued about who actually won the overall affair.

“In my unbiased eyes, I still think French club won because we brought more members and we brought more food; we were more prepared overall,” Streich said. “We were also civil on CHSTV whereas Spanish Club was throwing shade a little bit.”

Though it seemed like the food distribution and event coordination brought out an unlikely friendship between these two cultural associations, post war discussions have strongly refueled this rivalry.

“We played one quick game in which Spanish Club came out on top,” Mosquera said. “I guess if you wanted it to be a battle, Spanish Club would have won.”

Despite different views on the result, everyone agreed that the event mutually benefitted the clubs. The students who attended were fed and enjoyed the company of some great people. Club members felt that the event was succcesful despite the overcrowding.

“I think both clubs won because it was kind of neat to see so many kids show up to represent both clubs,” Riccitelli said. “I was most surprised about how well they

photos by rebecca nasser

Leading the Tic-Tac-Toe trivia game, French officer Nicole Harris and Spanish Club President Ramiro Mosquera took charge of the large crowd. Despite some controversy, Spanish Club ended up winning three points succesively and shutting out French Club in the game.

Both teams of officers successfully publicized the event as the lunchtime meeting was one of the most well attended in the clubs’ history. A mix of Spanish and French food was distributed including bean and cheese burritos, quiche and Nutella crepes.

Trying to get everyone fed, senior French Club officers Jason Oliver and Jessica Streich made Nutella crepes for everyone at the meeting. The clubs provided food for about 100 students who attended the meeting at lunch on March 25.

dealt with [the big crowd] and handled it.

Carlsbad can be proud to feature such extensive language programs, and joining one of the language clubs at CHS can offer many benefits to students who enjoy their language class and want to find an easy way to immerse themselves more in the culture.

Spanish Club and French Club offer their own distinct benefits. The French take pride in the presentation of good food at their meetings as well as their organization in regards to community outreach. The Spaniards offer occasional food and a welcoming social atmosphere as well as regular guest speakers who inspire students by talking about their foreign experiences.

Still, as the second semester reaches it’s latter stages, clubs in general may encounter some difficulties.

“Naturally as second semester goes on, I think all clubs find that attendance starts to suffer a bit,” Riccitelli said.

“We have a lot of senior leadership and their priorities change when they begin focusing on college and finals; I think a lot of times they become victims to the schedule.”

This club battle provides a perfect example of how events can add flair to a club agenda as the year winds down. Participants present on Tuesday witnessed the optimal demonstration of a healthy rivalry.

“I thought they did a great job, it seemed like there was a lot of cooperation between the two clubs,” Riccitelli said. “You could tell there was respect between the two presidents and that was neat to see. In the future if students have that working relationship, they’ll be able to do a lot more activities and events like this.”

14 april 2014

Test Wars: College Board strikes back calla blawusch

kelsey aijala

editor-in-chief

O

staff writer

ne of the most dreaded tests of high students’ careers, the SAT, has been known to cause spontaneous stomach aches and dizziness for the juniors and seniors who have endured the four-hour test. Falsely regarded as the ticket to a prestigious university, many students spend excessive amounts of money to prepare. Anxious students can spend $2000 or more on specially designed SAT prep classes.

The ACT, the other commonly accepted college readiness test, is similar in intent

natalie cortez staff writer

but has a few significant differences that distinguishes it from the SAT. Some of these differences include content and sectioning of the test. While most colleges accept scores from either test, most students gravitate towards one or the other.

Due to complaints that the SAT does not focus on fundamental academic skills, the College Board has decided to make some key changes to the test starting in 2016. Additionally, many complain that the extensive SAT tutoring many of the more affluent students attend has afforded them

tyra wu

staff writer

tyler dresser

graphic designer

an unfair advantage.

“A lot of people put a lot of money and time into the SAT and that happens to be a predictor for some of the universities,” counselor Mrs. Bentley said. “But when you look at the full scope of things, I believe that the SAT is a tool that’s overused.”

As part of their movement to provide opportunities for more students, the College Board has announced that they will partner with Khan Academy to provide free online SAT prep for all

percent of test prep students have completed CHS students’ post high school plans

For more information on the SAT and ACT, scan the QR codes below.

zack spanier

graphic designer students. Income-eligible students will also receive fee waivers to apply to four colleges for free.

Through these changes, the makers of the SAT aim to alter the test’s content to reflect more closely what students learn in school. In this way, the College Board hopes to alleviate the stress related to these tests and provide students with more opportunities to pursue higher education.

However, with these controversial upcoming changes, the age-old question resurfaces: which test should you take?

featu

ture

lancer express, volume 27, issue 6

15

Why is this quiz important? This quiz is important because the current SAT and ACT tests are extremely different, and almost all colleges will accept either score.

This means you should pick which test to take based on your personal strengths and weaknesses as a test taker.

Source: College Board

The 2400 scale will revert back to 1600.

There will no longer be a penalty for wrong answers.

The essay will be optional and will take 50 minutes instead of 25.

The test will include less obscure vocab, replacing it with more frequently used words.

Khan Academy will now provide free online SAT prep for all students.

Math will focus on five sections, linear equations, complex equations, ratios, percentages, and proportional reasoning.

Each exam will include an excerpt from the nation’s founding documents.

3 hours with optional 50 minute essay

More percentages and proportional reasoning

Questions will require students to cite evidence

“They’re changing the SAT because they don’t want companies to take advantage of the profit because the SAT is a pretty big profit making business. If they take out that strategy part, then the tutoring part isn’t needed anymore.”-Eric Yu (11)

“I like the changes because I’m not really good with the fancy vocabulary but I can see how people feel either way.” -Micaela Ecija (10)

“I think the SAT will be better for everyone, it will be more based off of the knowledge that we have rather than test taking skills.” -Walker Nasser (9)

“I think it’s a good thing for future generations but not for us. But even if we had the updated test, I would still take both the ACT and the SAT.” -Nicole Graber (11)

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current events 17

lancer express, volume 27, issue 6

The world keeps changing and we keep learning vlad korobkin

he last three month of 2014 have brought monumental changes to the world we live in. From territories changing hands to disappearing planes to cruel infringement of human rights, the world political and social spheres have had many quick changes occur

editor

over the past few months, some with far fetching repercussions for generations to come.

Though some changes may not be hitting close to home for some students, the Lancer Express believes in order to have a healthy student body, we need an informed student body of life outside of our beach community.

Ukraine: A European coup

Hide-and-Seek with a plane

T

W

hat started off as a sizable protest of President Viktor Yanukovych’s rejection to concede to European Union’s trade plans and proposal to reform the Ukrainian Constitution to the 2004 form had a snowballing effect.

As the protester’s numbers swelled, the protest spilled into bloody street altercations with the local police and military units in Kiev, the capital, which ended with the President fleeing to Russia, the former revolutionaries taking temporary power of the political apparatus, and regions splintering over their political affiliations and culture.

Crimea, the formerly Ukrainian peninsula region on the Black Sea with a heavy Russian cultural heritage and population, seceded from Ukraine by a 97 percent popular vote and pleaded Russia to rejoin it, becoming part of it again just like it was for centuries before 1954. Russia used the troops stationed there already as part of their Black Sea fleet to ensure a peaceful transfer of power and avoid the bloodshed and

T

turmoil that occurred on the mainland, especially in Kiev.

The party that gained power of Ukraine, now without Crimea, is a Right Wing party, affiliated with ultra nationalists and neo-Fascists, who used their numbers and training to become monumental in the ousting of the former president. The new elections are scheduled for mid spring and many candidates, from a variety of political parties and professions, have already submitted their election ballots.

Russia’s annexation of Crimea has sparked an outrage in the international community. Russia was recently excluded from the Group of Eight (G8) and US and Canadian governments have placed restrictions on travel and back accounts of prominent Russian and Crimean politicians. Rhetoric of trade restrictions has flared up recently, but Europe’s reliance on Russia’s cheap export of oil and natural gas make that a dangerous gambit.

Turmoil in South America

he Arab Spring not only influenced the social upheaval in Ukraine, but led to the protests and violence in South America, especially Brazil and Venezuela. From late 2013, both countries have experienced many protests on the local and national scale aimed at reforming the perceived corruption by their respective governments and some protests even resulted in deadly clashes with progovernment forces.

Venezuelan protests sprung up initially after the death of Hugo Chavez, the country’s leader for the last 14 years, and the subsequent election where the more popularly-backed candidate lost to Chavez’s successor, Nicolas Maduro.

From there, the college students joined the protests in huge number and the overall protests shifted focus from presidential candidates to addressing problems of high criminal activity in the nation, inflation and political corruption.

Meanwhile in Brazil, protests were started by local, grassroots movements disgruntled with high prices on public transportation. These demonstration

quickly spilled over into major cities and grew to include issues plaguing the entire nation- high levels of corruption, police brutality and sub par social services for the poor. What made the social situation so much worse was the fact that the Brazilian government hiked up taxes on the middle and lower class to finance building facilities for 2014 FIFA World Cup, the 2016 Summer Olympics and the Confederation Cup when the money could have been used to improve the medial care, infrastructure and public transportation.

One of the biggest similarities between Brazil and Venezuela is their adherence to communistic economic beliefs and repression of competitive free market trade. Venezuela has strict price control, while Brazilians pay a 40 percent tax on incomes for free public healthcare and social benefits.

Both country’s socialistic policies seem good on paper, but when coupled with corruption and a stark inequality in wealth distribution, only the top government officials reap the rewards while the blue collar workers receive little of the promised benefits.

O

n March 8, the Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 on route from Sepang, Malaysia to Beijing, China presumably crashed in the ocean after losing contact with ground control an hour after take off. On board were 227 passengers, most Chinese citizens, and 15 crew members.

What makes this plane crash so eccentric and remarkable is the fact that all communications have ceased and signals lost, even the automatic ones.

For three weeks now, 26 countries have been using satellites, ships, planes and radar to comb over miles of open ocean looking for traces of the lost airplane.

What makes the searcher’s job so much harder is the fact that the plane went off its normal course by making a sharp turn randomly and making future predictions of its location almost impossible, the ocean’s current ability to carry debris for hundreds of miles, and the inability to make accurate estimates of where the fuel could have ended or what happened on board.

Many false positives have been flaring up, some of the most promising

by Chinese and Australian vessels, but by the time searchers get to the location, due to bad weather, all traces previously spotted have been swept away.

Some speculation over what occurred on board to cause the presumed crash include a technical fire that killed all of the electronics on board, possible pilot suicide, ignition of cargo and even a botched terrorist attack. So far, many current and former pilots support the idea of an electrical fire on board.

The search first started in the Gulf of Thailand, the area where the plane initially went off the radar and then moved to the Andaman Sea and is currently being conducted in the Indian Ocean. The depth of the Ocean ranges from approximately 4,000 feet to 23,000 feet and finding a tail wing with a height of 60 feet is like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Persecution of LGBT in Africa

A

lthough the persecution of gays and lesbians in Africa has been some of the harshest and inhumane this world has ever seen, a new law enacted by the Ugandan president takes that cruelty to a new level. Despite criticism from US and other Western nations, Ugandan President Yoweri ­Museveni signed off on a bill upping the penalties for practicing homosexuality in his country.

Although homosexuality is already illegal in the country, the new bill extended authority’s power to persecute lesbians and imposed a 14 year prison sentence for first time offenders and life imprisonment for repeated offenders of the law. It even imposed prison sentences for those who do not inform the government of someone’s sexual orientation or even “promote” and “recognize” homosexual relations.

But such vehement prosecution of members of the LGBT community is nothing new to the continent. Only six weeks before, the Nigerian president signed a bill punishing gay marriage with a 14 year imprisonment and a 10 year sentence for creators of gay clubs or

organizations. All across the continent gays have been unlawfully arrested and tortured by police, denied basic human rights, expelled from native villages and cities and have had their graves desecrated.

President Obama condemned such abhorrent treatment of Ugandan citizens by its government while US Secretary of State John Kerry said that the passage of this bill will set back relations between America and Uganda.

Amnesty International also criticized this turn of events and some European countries are contemplating pulling out their aid from the country.

One of the reasons that homosexuality is viewed as morally wrong and deserving punishment on the African continent is due to the rapid expansion of Christianity and Islam during colonial rule. To this day, 38 out of 54 African countries on the continent have incriminated homosexual relations while others encourage the shunning and abuse of gays by not condoning the violence and letting offenders escape on purpose

18 arts & entertainment

april 2014

Sam and Jakob’s declassified Coachella survival guide samuel horan jakob karlsson

T

staff writers

here are less than two weeks left until the most famous music festival on the west coast begins. On the weekends of April 11-13 and April 18-20, the dry desert of Palm Springs will be occupied by thousands of people swarming to Coachella once again. It may have been a long time coming or maybe it snuck up on you.

Established in 1999, Coachella has been a hit for fourteen straight years, attracting some of the most iconic names in music such as the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Daft Punk, The Black Keys, Paul McCartney and this year’s headliner: Outkast. The lengthy list of artists during this two weekend concert makes the expensive tickets worthy. If you are still on the fence about whether or not you should get a ticket, you still have time to get your act together.

“If you wait a week or two before Coachella you can buy a ticket for a cheaper price because people that originally have the ticket panic and sell them for less,” senior Maddy Oas said.

There are a few places you can snag a ticket. Those daring enough to brave the perils of Craigslist could be rewarded by finding a ticket as low as $375. While $375 looks like a hefty price, speaking in terms of Coachella, it is actually a really good deal.

Senior Adam Faringhy is a soon-to-be first timer at Coachella. Faringhy tried to obtain a ticket in January when Coachella released their final batch of tickets.

However, the tickets, originally priced at $450, were sold out within 10 minutes forcing Faringhy to quickly change plans and buy from a different source.

“I spent a measly $780 on my ticket but, you know, it’s worth it. I got a shuttle pass too,” Faringhy said. “But that’s not what’s important in this case: what’s important is the fun we’re going to have.”

As Faringhy said, aside from the admission ticket there are additional passes that you can purchase to facilitate your festival experience: The shuttle pass and the camping pass.

Running at $60, a shuttle pass gives you access to various shuttles running from the festival to the surrounding hotels. In previous years you had to specify which shuttle line you would be using beforehand, but the shuttle pass has changed for 2014. This year the shuttle pass gives you access to any shuttle line at any time.

There are different sleeping arrangements you can make. Coachella happens to offer a few on site options.

If you have a few thousand dollars to blow, you could stay in the luxury teepee and tent village. The more likely scenario is a nearby hotel or the camping lot on the

Daily essentials needed to survive Coachella: 1. Water & food 2. Sunscreen 3. Polarized sunglasses 4. Comfortable shoes (aka crocs) 5. Mini flashlight 6. Phone charger 7. Toilet paper 8. Happiness

photo courtesy of maddy oas

View of the ferris wheel that was showcased in the middle of Coachella in 2013. A ride costs $5, considerably the most affordable attraction, and the peak of the wheel features a birds-eye view of the entire festival from 150 feet in the air.

nearby polo field. The spots have technically sold out on the website, but you can still find a camping pass for around $100 online. Alternatively, if you prefer more shelter, you could find a room at a nearby hotel for about $80 and the shuttle pass will get you back and forth from there. The shuttle pass even covers rides to Joshua Tree national park if you feel like camping there.

Senior Erica Esserman, who slept at a relative’s house last year during the festival, plans on changing it up this year by experiencing the camping life with a few friends.

“I’ve been researching a lot about it; we plan on getting there early to get a good spot and apparently it’s more fun because it’s a continuous festival instead of going home each night,” Esserman said.

Coachella hosts a wide variety of popular groups ranging from world renowned DJs to the most neo-indie hipster-rock group you’ve never heard of.

“The cool thing about Coachella is the mix of genres, so you can go and do the whole EDM thing one night and go and see all the indie bands the other night. It’s just a really cool mix,” Esserman said.

The music is obviously the focus of the whole festival, but if you find yourself a little worn down from constant dancing and rolling around, there is a handful of eye opening attractions that will be present.

“There’s a bunch of art everywhere, and a ferris wheel, and a weird water tasting bar thing. Also there is a silent disco which is pretty cool,” Esserman said.

With so many sweaty people crowding the multiple

“

concerts going on at once, getting lost is not completely unheard of. Junior Kevin Gordon, another soon-tobe first timer at Coachella, has an idea of how to stay organized during the concerts.

“I have been told to pre-plan what you want to see beforehand so you don’t get lost,” Gordon said. “Have a schedule listed so you know where to go.”

All you need is a pre-planned schedule for a slight assistance that could possibly save you from stressful confusion during the middle of the festival.

Many factors, including the scorching weather, can take a toll on your body throughout the weekend, so if you happen to find yourself at Coachella in the following weeks be smart.

“Bring water, lots of water; coconut water, vita coco, whatever you need to stay hydrated,” Gordon said.

Aside from food and water, arguably the most basic of human necessities, there are plenty of helpful essentials that will assist you during the epic weekend.

“A lot of sunscreen, a phone charger, comfortable shoes and sunglasses are definitely needed”, Oas said.

A little bit of time to make sure you have a few extra conveniences could surely enhance your experience. With good preparation, a little determination, some money and a good source for tickets, you too could experience the Coachella music and arts festival.

“Coachella was definitely a little overwhelming at first but it was by far the best music experience I’ve ever had; that’s why I’m going back again this year,” Oas said.

The cool thing about Coachella is the mix of genres, so you can go and do the whole EDM thing one night and see all the indie bands another night. erika esserman

”

arts & entertainment 19

lancer express, volume 27, issue 6

Stage is set for a curtain close erianna flores

staff writer t’s that time of year again. The art department is entering their busiest time of the year as choir, ASL and theatre all prepare for their end of the year show cases. The pressure to end the year with a bang intensifies with each day, but through their hard work and determination, they know they will leave the drama on the stage.

I

Show choir competion season It’s competition season for show choir. Which means it is time for intense dancing, singing and glamour for about six hours a week. That doesn’t include the weekly after school rehearsals either.

“People really underestimate what show choir is all about,” choir director Mr. Bullock said. “A lot of people think of it as just some silly activity. But it’s a lot like a sport, all year we prepare for competitions and it takes time and dedication.”

Since the beginning of august Sound Express and Encore have been preparing photo courtesy of deborah dodaro their 17 minute set for their competition against five to seven other show choirs.

The intermediate all girls show choir Encore poses for a picture after winning The set contains a variety of songs that range from pop to alternative to rock to second place at their competition in Los Alamitos, California. broadway.

“There’s never a rehearsal when we aren’t out of breath or drenched in sweat, but the results make all of the work so worth it. ” Junior Juandalyn Abadir said.

The ASL Show

photo by erianna flores

If you haven’t been to the American Sign Language show, you probably don’t expect much laughter coming from the audience, but that’s all the crowd seemed to do. Gripping their stomachs with aching cheeks, they kept their attention on the stage. The asl students performed comedic skits to popular songs, using nothing but american sign language to communicate with the audience.

“I almost forgot that there was no dialogue throughout the show.”

Junior Jeffrey Mars said. “The show was much more entertaining than I expected to be. I’ve gone every year, and it never disappoints.”

Although the skits were comical, the goal was to bring recognition to those with hearing disabilities and how different their lives are.

“You could tell the students took the show seriously,” Mars said. “They definitely succeeded in fulfilling their objective.”

A group of asl students perform their Little Mermaif skit, and sign “Daughters of Triton.”

“How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” After all the guessing and constant wonder of which show Mrs. Hall will surprise us with next, the moment has finally come. Since February the cast has been rehearsing “How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying”.

“We meet everyday after school until 5.” junior Jonah Ibrahim said. “As opening night gets closer our rehearsals will get longer, but our performance level will get stronger.”

The musical follows a young man who, with the help of the book “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,” cheats his way to the top of the World Wide Wicket Company.

“We have such an amazing cast this year,” said Ibrahim. “I know that this will be the show that will keep our audience talking for weeks.”

Playing J. Pierrepont Finch, the lead, is Max Deloach. Rosemary Pilkington, the lead’s love interest, is Valerie Maybaum. Rosemary’s best friend, Smitty, will be played by Alexa Harris.

The boss of the World Wide Wicket Company, J.B Biggley, is played by Evan Ridpath. And finally Emerson Diehl, plays Hedy LaRue, Biggley’s mistress.

“It’s so much work, and it can be exhausting but we all would much rather be here than anywhere else.” Ibrahim said.

photo by erianna flores

The cast of the spring musical performing “A Secretary is not a Toy” at one of their many after school rehearsals.

20 arts & entertainment

april 2014

“And then they made me their chief” jacob luna

A

staff writer

lover of both watching movies and theater, and of the behind the scenes process, senior Evan Ridpath has always tried to involve himself in both drama and theater. He has always been fascinated by the way shows and productions come together. From the early first auditions, then endlessly rehearsing the scripts and cues, and finally coming out with the final piece, a flawless production.

“I’ve always had a passion for film and theater, so I tried to find any way that I could get myself involved with those two,” Ridpath said. “I like the process of starting with very little and then making something that everyone will remember.

I think it’s just really neat. I like creative thinking and I think acting is a rewarding experience for that kind of endeavor.”

Evan has had the chance to do a variety of fun characters in high school, ranging from people like Don Lockwood from “Singing In the Rain” during his junior year, to Gandalf the Grey from “Lord of the Rings” this year. In addition to those characters, he’s done Shakespeare characters including Octavius Caesar Oberon from “Midsummer Jersey” as well as other roles like those of King Midas, Metamorphoses and Weinberl from “On the Razzle”.

“Each character that I’ve done has been a new challenge,” Ridpath said. “I think that is what’s so cool about acting and about theatre in general, you get the opportunity to explore these characters and get into their lives, into their thoughts and into their words, and create it in your own way that the audience will connect to and hopefully enjoy.”

The theater program’s musical, “How To Succeed In Business Without Really

stephen sweeney artist

Trying,” will be opening in early May. Ridpath’s character is J.B. Biggley, the president of Worldwide Wickets, which is the setting of the musical.

“It’s a very fun show to work on. The music is just great and the story is very enjoyable,” Ridpath said. “This is my senior year, and I have been doing the musical since sophomore year; I was in “Phantom of the Opera” and I was the lead in “Singing in the Rain” last year, so I guess this is my final run with the musical, and it has been a pleasure to be a part of it each year.”

Ridpath is planning on using all of the experiences that he has collected throughout his life so far to hopefully study film in college, particularly in either producing or something related to screen writing. He is motivated by his passion for telling stories in his own way, and he hopes to take all of these traits and apply them to a career as a Walt Disney theme park designer, applying his creativity and skills in the best way possible.

“I have a lot of inspiration, obviously with my passion for Disney. I am a big fan of Walt Disney and his work, and also John Lasseter is a big inspiration of mine just for his work, innovation and storytelling with Pixar,” Ridpath said.

“Their work inspires and motivates me to always strive to create and try new things in the work that I do.”

Ridpath has earned much respect and praise from his colleagues in drama and theater due to his perseverance and focus that he shows, while also having a smile on his face the whole time he works.

“I’ve known Evan for about 5 years now, all of them through drama,” Fellow senior actor John Norall said. “Acting with

The Evan Ridpath story

him has been such a great experience, every time I’ve worked with him he’s been nothing but kind and hardworking, and has always taken acting and performing very seriously.”

Throughout his life and career in acting and theater, Ridpath has enjoyed the creativity that goes into putting on shows and musicals and the fun he has experienced while onstage in the productions. But there is also another part of theater and production that he finds very appealing.

“The friendships that I have made doing this have been the best. I could be doing all of this on my own and I know I would not have as much fun without all of the people,” Ridpath said “Onstage, offstage, in the audience, everybody is part of the whole experience and to me that makes what I do so special. Making people laugh or bringing a more serious note to things, any way that I can connect with other people is great, and I have made so many friends in this process. I will never forget these people. This is my family.”

As we enter the latter part of this school year, Ridpath is faced with the final leg of his high school acting career.

The productions put on by Carlsbad High School this year have all been tirelessly worked on, and their spring musical is no exception.

“Carlsbad High School has a fantastic theater program and it should not be missed. You have not seen high school theater until you have seen a Carlsbad High School show,” Ridpath said. “How To Succeed” is going to be a lot of fun for everyone involved, so I hope that everyone can come out and see it.”

photo by stephen sweeney

Senior Evan Ridpath practices his competition piece, “Hamlet, Prince of Denmark” with fellow Advanced Theater student junior Tara Robertson that they will be performing on April 5.

Did you hear?

You can earn college credit for

practically FREE!

Hear what?

How?

High school students now can take MiraCosta College credit classes and NOT PAY the enrollment fee. That saves you $138 a class!*

For more information, or to apply for admission, visit miracosta.edu/highschool or call 760.795.6620. *$138 savings for a 3-unit class. Students still must pay health services and student center fees.

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Cardiff Oceanside Online

sports 23

lancer express, volume 27, issue 6

Sports teams warned not to partake in hazing savannah wardle

I

staff writer

t is Monday, four in the morning. You’re torn out of bed, put in a chicken suit and required to applaud the upperclassman as they walk through the parking lot gates.

This is initiation.

The University of Maine has reported 47 percent of students have experienced hazing prior to entering college. This statistic is likely so high because most students partake in the view that hazing encompasses only pressure to perform serious and harmful acts.

CHS administration has drawn a clear line that any sort of hazing, even mild, will not be tolerated in order to make students aware that the hazing culture should not be a normality in the process of joining any organized group on campus. Liebentritt shares the official CIF athletic handbook definition.

“Hazing may include bodily injury, physical harm or personal degradation or disgrace resulting in physical or mental harm to any other person,” Liebentritt said.

The soccer team praised their incoming varsity players by taking them to breakfast in crazy costumes that they would wear throughout the school day and to practice.

Still, they organized the event prior with the teammate’s parents and none of the girls seemed to have any issues with the process.

“Every year we call the parents and let them know we are going to pick up their kid early in the morning and dress them up so they know what’s coming. We ask them to put their school and soccer stuff together so it’s easy to grab in the morning,” junior Shelby Lee said.

Liebentritt explains that the problem is not with planning an early morning breakfast, but instead with singling out only certain members of the team in front of the school population.

“Arranging an early morning ‘kidnap’ is fine. That’s welcome to the team; we are going to give you an event that you can remember,” Liebentritt said. “If they all chose to wear their team shirts to school, that’s OK. That’s not hazing. Making [the athletes] do something against their

will and making them stick out is hazing. That’s being exclusive.”

Athletes from several sports teams convey that their intentions arose from a good place. The varsity basketball team gave their new athletes crowns to wear as a way to portray their accomplishment.

“We didn’t give it to them with the purpose of embarrassing them. We saw it more as a pride and recognition for their hard work.

They just made a varsity team, which was really hard to do and they did it,” senior captain Delaney Porter said.

Administration believes there is a disconnect between the true idea of continuing a tradition and making teammates feel welcome.

“Why is it that to join this activity I have to feel degraded before you’re willing to accept me as being part of the program,” Liebentritt asks. “Hazing does not make [athletes] feel welcomed.

It makes [athletes] feel less valued as the next person in the organization.”

Liebentritt has taken precautionary measures to ensure there will not be a serious violation of CIF rules that could lead to a magnified punishment.

“I’ve had a very stern talk with the coaches saying that this is something we will not tolerate and in both cases, it was just a case of the players wanting to continue the tradition rather than the coaches condoning the activity,” Liebentritt said. “This year it was just a reminder that this is not something we want to do.”

Captains and members of several sports teams agree with administration’s view in that they should focus more on praising their new team members.

“The idea should be to build them up and build their confidence. [Liebentritt] wanted us to be more of a team

“

from the get-go and said that we shouldn’t put them into another category in front of the student body,” Lee said.

Perception is largely the issue when drawing the line between “all in good fun” and an act of hazing. What does not offend one person, may offend another.

“I know that it’s all how people perceive it, even though we know our intentions are right, we have to think about how other people are seeing this and we have to represent ourselves [positively],” Porter said.

Although a common argument by students is that dressing team members up is a tradition, Liebentritt holds CHS to a higher standard in allowing us to recognize the flaw in that thinking.

“Just because it is a tradition does not mean it is good.

So why don’t we start a new tradition being happy that we are a team and start a true bond?” Liebentritt said.

Making a team or club should be more than showing off your newly-awarded privilege to the student body.

“If you’re going to build a team—and when I say team, I’m talking about band, dance, any kind of organization where students are going to come together to work hard and become a unit— it needs to be an environment where they feel safe and know they’re respected,” Liebentritt said.

As for next year, coaches and captains will have to make it clear to new team members what is and is not allowed and to uphold the respect of each individual member.

“Next year [soccer] won’t have crazy costumes,” Lee said. “We might still wake up early and take [the team] to breakfast [in a way] that won’t attract as much attention.”

Just because it is a tradition does not mean it is good. So why don’t we start a new tradition being happy that we are a team and start a true bond? ” Mr. Liebentritt

Hazing is...

• Forcing students to do anything against their will • Embarrassing, humiliating, or making fun of students • Making underclassmen feel less important than their upperclassmen counterparts • Forcing students to wear crazy costumes at school • Forcing students to praise, applaud, bow down to, etc. upperclassmen

Hazing is not...

• Agreeing to wear team shirts on a certain day • Recognizing each new player with a ceremony • Taking teammates to breakfast before school • Planning any other bonding, inclusive event for the whole team

24 sports

april 2014

Meet the new guardians of America’s Pastime david rubinstein

B

staff writer

aseball. America’s pastime since the first opening day pitch was thrown June 19, 1846. It has evolved from a sport played by just a handful of immigrants to one of America’s three major sports, with

30 major league teams that each have three or four minor league teams of their own. It has changed from a club activity workers did during their breaks, to a multi-billion dollar industry.

Yet this multi-billion dollar industry still has its foundation in humble roots: the high school program. Every

professional ballplayer, from Troy Glaus (CHS alum) to Henry Aaron to Babe Ruth all played baseball at their high school (or religious reformatory in the case of the Babe). With this in mind, it becomes obvious that the coaches at the high school level play a huge role in the development and growth of the players themselves, and

on a grander scale, the sport itself. There has recently been a changing of the guard with the guardians of America’s pastime: CHS has a whole new set of coaches, in Jonathan Montgomery (“Monty”), Chris Bonta, Jake Savicki and Anthony Jackson.

Along with being a teacher, Bonta played baseball throughout high school and eventually played independent ball in Mexico. He has been coaching baseball in North County for 13 years now, and once he heard Monty was hired he had a meeting with him, and Monty put him on the staff. Bonta’s job on the team is to run the infield/outfield drills during practice, meaning he hits flyballs to the outfielders and grounders to the infielders. As for how he thinks the team will do, he agrees that the team should make it far in the playoffs. “I think [the team] will go deep into CIF. Obviously a goal of ours is a championship, that’s why we’re out here practicing every day and working hard, to bring another ring to Carlsbad.”

Savicki played baseball at Vista high school (I know, what a traitor. It’s okay though, he’s made it for it now) before playing up in Shasta College in Redding, CA. He knew Monty for about five years, and jumped at the opportunity to coach once Monty got the job. Along with helping the outfielders, Savicki likes helping players with base running because he sees it as an easy way to change some games. Savicki is also of the opinion as well that the team has what it takes to bring home another championship to Carlsbad. “I think the [players] have the talent to get there, they just have to figure it out, and that’s the coaches job. To put the best team out there.”

Monty has been playing since he was 5 years old, and is still playing today as catcher for the competitive teams, “The Bones” and “The Knights.” He has coached baseball and softball for 17 years, and originally applied for the Softball Coaching job.

Liebentritt suggested he move his resume to the baseball team, and he was immediately hired as the Head Varsity Baseball coach. Monty recognizes the team will go through some growing pains with the new set of coaches, but emphasizes how impressed he is with how quickly the players are adapting to the new system. “If we play hard every second we are on the field, and give it everything we have as a team, by the end of the season, we will have surpassed my expectations and achieved all unspoken goals.”

Boys Baseball Schedule

• Tuesday, April 8 vs. Vista @ Vista High • Thursday, April 10 vs. Vista @ CHS • Saturday, April 12 vs. Vista @ Vista • Monday, April 14 vs. Clovis North @ CHS • Tuesday, April 15 vs. Otay Ranch @ Otay Ranch High • Wednesday, April 16 vs. Valhalla @ Valhalla High • Tuesday, April 22 vs. Fallbrook @ CHS • Thursday, April 24 vs. Fallbrook @ Fallbrook High • Saturday, April 26 vs. Fallbrook @ CHS • Tuesday, April 29 vs. RBV @ CHS • Saturday, May 3 vs. RBV @ RBV (game 1) • Saturday, May 3 vs RBV @ RBV (game 2)

Jackson started off playing second base and center field at the University of Pacific. “I was drafted out of college by the Colorado Rockies and played with their minor league program for three years before playing [his] last two years of professional ball with the Los Angeles Dodgers minor league team.” Jackson moved to Carlsbad two years ago to live with his Carlsbad born and Carlsbad alum fiancée he met in college.

He met head coach Monty at one of the local batting cages a few years ago, and Monty asked him to come coach when he got the head coaching job. Along with being the manager of the JV team, Jackson likes to help the outfielders from all levels with their drills and skills.

Varsity Baseball Roster

•Derrick Benson (Sr) •Brandon Bertussi (Sr) •Will Bjorstad (Sr) •Adam Bruck (Sr) •Grant Buck (Jr) •Eli Cullinan (Jr) •Alex Emerick (Sr) •David Gonzalez (Sr) •Isaiah Gonzalez (Jr) •Chase Grant (Sr) •Andrew Jackey (Sr)

•Robert Kraszulyak (Sr) •Gary Luo (Jr) •Connor McKenna (Soph) •Kyle Mendenhall (Sr) •Cody Norton (Jr) •Trevor Parkford (Sr) •Valtteri Salomaki (Sr) •Jacob Spatz (Sr) •Devon Valdivia (Jr) •Matt Wezniak (Sr) •Ryan Wilson (Sr)

sports 25

lancer express, volume 27, issue 6

Weisel shines without the spotlight lauren t’kint

T

staff writer

alented athletes get a lot of recognition regardless of whether they play professionally, in college or even high school. While the standout pros get million dollar contracts and prime time coverage, high school students are often broadcasted on CHSTV or talked about in the school paper and around campus. But sometimes some of our most talented stars go unnoticed by the public eye, which seems to have been the case with gymnast, senior Lauren Weisel.

“I began gymnastics when I was two when I did the mom and tot classes and then I moved up through the levels and now I’m a level 10 gymnast. I started at the YMCA and now I’m at Wild Fire Gymnastics in Orange County,” Weisel said.

Competing since age seven Weisel is a standout athlete for one of the largest and most successful gymnastic clubs in the country. The club’s notoriety did not come easily and requires a rigorous training schedule that may seem like a full time job to many.

“Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday workouts are from 3:30 to 8 pm. Thursdays and Fridays are shorter from 3:30 to 6:30 and Saturdays from 10 to 1:30. So it’s six days a week, 23 hours, and an hour commute each way, so it’s a lot of time,” Weisel said.

With all of this time dedicated to gymnastics, it’s incredible to think that she is a full-time student at Carlsbad. Even more impressive is her role as a Royal Lancer, an honorary title given to the top 20 students with the highest GPA’s in the senior class. With a 4.5 average

photo courtesy of matt dames

Lauren Wiesel performing her floor routine at a competition with her team, Wild Fire Gymnastics. As one of the highest ranked teams in the nation, Weisel contributed greatly to her teams overall score.

GPA, it’s not surprising that she started being courted by colleges since junior year.

“In the summer, the Assistant Coach from UNC came

in and was interested and it just went off from there and I went and visited the school. I loved it from the minute I was there, from the academics to the coaches to the teammates,” Weisel said.

UNC, also know as the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, is among the most elite colleges in the country as well a Division 1 school. While her prospects for next year are bright, Weisel’s career with Wild Fire Gymnastics is not finished yet. She and her teammates compete in all four events during competitions, which include floor, vault, uneven bars and beam. In order to place well gymnasts must excel in every event, both individually and as a whole, which looks easy for Wiesel’s team, who just placed 1st in their State meet.

“We do invitationals and they can range anywhere across the country. Some of our invitationals have been in California, New York and Puerto Rico. It goes State, Regionals, and then Nationals. I have done national competitions and competed in state and regionals every year...nationals is the goal,” Wiesel said.

As she approaches her last couple months as an amateur gymnast, Lauren Weisel is one of the athletes that Carlsbad should strive to represent. Although her talents have escaped the public radar for most, it is about time people start recognizing the athletes who don’t always get in the spotlight.

“I don’t really mind being out of the spotlight. For me, gymnastics has always been about the personal satisfaction and reaching my own goals. I look forward to competing as a collegiate gymnast at UNC next year,” Weisel said.

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Registration Open April 1 to May 23 www.sdys.org • 619.233.3232

— VISIT —

our rehearsals in Balboa Park on Saturdays and Sundays to learn more.

ONLY 200 YEARBOOKS ARE LEFT Prices go up in June.

Buy your yearbook today for $85.

To purchase go to: CHS web store or buy at the ASB Window Checks made out to CHS Publications

Lancer Express would like to thank its generous Intro: Bridget & Robert Maas 2013-2014 donors!

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Dave & Jennie Aijala Danny & Elena Aijala Tim Chen & Juan Shen Chris & Beth Snyder Dan & Nancy *For subscription and donation information Sweeney e-mail: Karen H. Wunderlin chslancerexpress@gmail.com

Sports 27

lancer express, volume 27, issue 6

Lancers swing into spring sports

A

fter wrapping up their seasons, we say goodbye to winter sports and welcome the spring teams. Winter sports went out with a bang as girls water polo earned their third straight CIF title and boys soccer made history by winning CIF and advancing to the state finals. Though it’s early into the season, baseball has started the year off strong and has managed to attain a 4-2 record while boys lacrosse continues to do well

currently standing at a 4-1-1 record. Girls lacrosse maintains a 6-1 record and boys tennis maintains an undefeated 3-0 record. Boys volleyball holds a 3-4 record, while softball holds a 6-3 record. Boys golf will have another home game on April 3 against Fallbrook at the Crossings Golf Course, and the next swim and dive meet will be on April 3 at El Camino. With dedication and hard work, athletes prepare for spring.

1. Senior Chad Stone hits a forehand to the Escondido opponent changing the tide of the game on March 18. Boys varsity tennis defeats Escondido 15-3 and will have another game on April 3 at Rancho Buena Vista.

2. Boys varsity lacrosse crushes Otay Ranch on March 19 in the CHS stadium 16-0. Senior David Manning blocks the goal deterring the Otay Ranch offender from scoring. On April 2, the Lancers will play away against Fallbrook. Additionally, Carlsbad defeated LCC 12-11 for the first time in history on March 26. For the team, this win signified CHS advancement as a lacrosse powerhouse.

3. Junior Dylan Rutledge runs the anchor leg in the shuttle hurdles relay team at the Falcon Relays meet on March 22. The team finishes with a time of 1:09.46 finishing in fourth. The next home meet is on April 17 against Rancho Buena Vista.

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photo by jacquelyn nakamura

photo by elise chen

4. Senior Adam Bruck pitches the ball against Calvary Christian on March 13 at home. Bruck throws four strong innings, but the Lancers were defeated 3-1 in the end. Boys varsity baseball will have another game against San Pasqual on April 2 at the CHS stadium.

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photo by kyle veidt

photo by mikayla ferraro

28 lancer in the crowd

april 2014

Dendy’s just dandy livi langen john hankforth staff writers

A

lthough the majority of students dread the sudden office call, there is something about Kate Dendy that makes the trip to the counselor much less threatening. She shows concern for every problem students bring to her office, regardless of how small the problem may be.

Dendy stays motivated through sharing conversations and remains positive by resolving problems. The majority of her daily routine revolves around reaching out to students because they are her inspiration. There is a certain combination of selflessness and spontaneity required for the profession of counseling.

“Each day is different. When I first started counseling I didn’t realize that,” Dendy said. “When I get to work, something could happen right away that changes the course of the whole day. I don’t sit down at my desk and have a set schedule; it all depends on whoever walks in the door. And I like that. It makes my life interesting, and there’s never really much room for boredom in this job position.”

Dendy makes an effort to reach out to students, encouraging them to come to her office for some advice. She even goes to students to spark a conversation and help in whatever way she can.

“My favorite part about counseling is working with students who are right on the brink of adulthood because they have a lot of great ideas and a lot of time ahead of them,” Dendy said. “Each person has a different set of circumstances and I’ve been able to get to know a lot of really wonderful kids.”

Dendy accommodates the unique needs of the students she’s attempting to support through her naturally compassionate personality. Moreover, this trait shows itself amongst her friends and coworkers and helps to provide a hospitable atmosphere.

“She just makes me laugh a lot. I enjoy working with her because she’s really fun,” counselor Susan Penrod said. “This can be a hard job sometimes, but she has the ability to balance professionalism and personal life, and we can still have fun even though we’re doing a really important job.”

Beyond being a great friend, Dendy also strives to be a relatable yet dependable authority figure to the hundreds of students she counsels.

“She really wants to help kids,” Penrod said. “I really admire that she empowers kids to make the best choices

Going above and beyond in counseling for themselves. Instead of just telling kids what the best choice would be, she would suggest for them to decide. She is able to tell them the consequences of either choice they’re considering, but would never make the choice for them.”

Dendy blends understanding with personal experience to do more than just give advice to teenagers. Instead, she facilitates two-way conversations supplemented with life experience. Dendy uses her own life as a means to provide the student with wisdom, guiding each and every student the insight necessary to persevere through their years in high school.

“When I was in high school I got to know my counselor really well, and I always thought it would be a fun job,” Dendy said. “As I got older, I started substitute teaching until I realized that I didn’t really want to be a teacher. I wanted to work with students one on one and get to know them better. I like hearing their ideas and guiding them toward their futures. It reminds me everyday just how young these students are and how much life they have ahead of them.”

Throughout her life, Dendy, like many students here at CHS, has demonstrated a passion for travel and exploring different cultures. She has found adventure by traveling to places like Costa Rica, Mt. Whitney and many European countries.

These experiences contribute to her own worldliness, adding a greater depth to her conversations with students.

“Counseling is one of the best decisions I have ever made, aside from my family,” Dendy said. “I am thankful every day for my job and what I learn from students and getting to understand the dynamics of different families. It definitely makes me feel good to know that I can have any influence on students’ decisions for their futures.”

Being a counselor is just one of Dendy’s jobs. The other is working with her husband to raise their two little boys. Between these two full-time responsibilities, Dendy has a very full schedule.

Despite the crazy days of balancing work and family, Dendy remains very well-organized and collected. This trait of organization allows her to fully apply her attention to the student’s situation.

“As the years go on, I reflect on certain times I’ve had with students,” Dendy said.

“It’s fun to watch them grow up in front of me. Students often come into my office confused about decisions they’re going to make, and my job is to listen. I try to understand their situation and give my best possible advice.”