Lancer Express 12.18.13

the

LANCER ex we h ave issues.

carlsbad high school carlsbad, ca december 2013 volume 27, issue 3

PRESS

The Evolution of Carlsbad pg. 12-13

photo courtesy of carlsbad city library history room

In this issue:

15 Mancer 21 Surf 3 Twilight 6 Joey Classes Szalkiewicz Dancers Team

2 news

photo highlight

december 2013

photo by danny tajimaroa

Senior Roy Meilich plays a tailor who helps Herr Zangler, played by junior Max Deloach, get decked out in all his finery to meet his fiancée during a scene of the fall play, “On the Razzle.” The play, centering around the romantic adventures and mistaken identities of workers in an Austrian grocery store, ran from Nov. 14-16 with packed crowds. “We’ve all been friends for so long that coming to rehearsal didn’t feel like work,” senior Jessica Streich, who played Marie, said. “It was just a lot of fun for us to all be on stage together.”

Dec / Jan Community 12/18 12/20 -1/5

Mitchell Thorp Foundation supports local families

Red Cross Blood Drive Winter break

1/11

SAT Boot Camp

1/20

Martin Luther King Junior Day

1/21 -23

Finals Week

1/24

Semester Break

T

he Mitchell Thorp Foundation dedicates its time and resources to giving financial aid to families in southern California going through the pain and struggle of having a child with a life threatening illness. The inspiration for the organization came from their son Mitchell, who passed away in 2008 after a five-year battle with an undiagnosed illness.

Getting involved with this southern California based organization is very easy. Volunteer forms are available on the Mitchell Thorp Foundation website for the upcoming events happening in 2014. The Hearts for Hope 5k Run/ Walk, on Feb. 1, is a great opportunity to make a difference in a child’s life. In the spirit of the holiday season, there is also the Holiday Adopt-A-Family Program which collects presents for the diagnosed children and their siblings.

To get more information about The Mitchell Thorp Organization and find how you can sign up to volunteer or participate in this years walkathon go to www.mitchellthorp.org.

Highlights

CHS makes College Board Honor Roll

R

ecently, the College Board announced the fourth Annual AP District Honor Roll, which is a list of 477 districts across the United States and Canada being honored for increased access to AP course work and scores of 3 or higher on the AP exams.

The Carlsbad Unified School District is one of the 477 districts being honored for their AP achievements.

The district received this honor on the grounds that there were 19 percent more students taking AP classes in 2013 than in 2011 and 80 percent of the students in the district received a 3 or higher on the AP exams. Teachers and administrators focused a lot of their time and energy on AP classes, so seeing the district receive this great achievement is quite impressive.

AP classes themselves can be very difficult, but that did not stop Carlsbad Unified School District students from taking them. Stay tuned to The Lancer Link at thelancerlink.com for more information on this honor in an upcoming article.

Sports

Boys soccer prepares for the challenging season

T

he varsity boys soccer team is expected to have a very successful season this year as the team has seven returning seniors and nine returning varsity members total. Finishing as a finalist in CIF last year, the group is quite different from the senior dominated squad that took the field against San Pasqual. Team captain, Matt Deemer, will lead the team through many tough games with his four years of experience on varsity. Even though it is early in the season, the team is already qualified for CIF. So far, the team has won four games, tied one and lost one, but there are plenty more games to go. This week they will play a difficult game at Oceanside High School and over winter break they will play in the Southern California Soccer Classic also hosted

by Oceanside. The boys are in the open division, which is more challenging with teams who automatically qualify for the CIF playoffs. The soccer team is definitely prepared for the many tests it will face this soccer season.

news 3

lancer express, volume 27, issue 3

Twilight classes at Sage Creek High School kayla fraga

M

staff writer

ira Costa College has teamed up with Sage Creek High School to provide their college classes on the newlybuilt campus. Starting on Jan. 14 students from Carlsbad High School will be given the opportunity to participate in college classes to improve their skills as well as add credit to their high school and college transcript.

“We’re really excited about this unique opportunity and we see this as not only an academic benefit for our students, but a financial benefit as well,” Superintendent Suzette Lovely said.

For those passionate about a subject and willing to prepare adequately, the classes will make a good addition to their schedule. The demands that these classes impose help prepare students for college by refining studying skills. In addition to receiving the credits, one is benefited with the value of hard work.

“People have to know that the courses are rigorous; they’re college level. So it will require more studying if you have a full schedule already. You’re going to have to study harder; we see this as helping students get ready for college level

courses,” Lovely said.

The classes include history of rock and roll, physical geology, intro to film, oral communication, first semester elementary Spanish, composition and reading and intermediate algebra. Despite being college level courses, the classes selected are those in the highest demand by high school students.

“This allows students with an impacted schedule to take one of their classes and bring it back to their high school transcript. It’s also for kids that just want

to get started on classes and experience what a college class is like,” Assistant Superintendent Robert Nye said.

Frequently, students are unable to fit all the classes that they’d like to, into their schedule. The program offers students the opportunity to take college classes in the evening, giving them the name “twilight classes.”

“I think that this program is a great opportunity to take more classes and electives and it’s something I’d definitely be interested in,” junior Ethan Emery said.

The classes are free, courtesy of Mira Costa covering all finances. Students will be saving about $140 in tuition for one class. The only worry a student should have is figuring out how to juggle a college class in addition to their regular schedule.

This program will also benefit students in the future by giving them credits they can use towards college graduation, which will cut down on burdensome tuition costs “I think it could be something to be interested in if you wanted to up your high school or college credits. Take as many electives as possible because they can only help you in high school,” senior Austin Beekman said.

This program opens up many doors for both students who plan to attend college and those who couldn’t consider it due to lack of finances. The classes count for high school and college credit, and teach students the value of hard work, establishing skills students will carry for the rest of their lives.

“We’re hoping to find some students out there who wouldn’t ordinarily think of even going to college,” Nye said.

“Hopefully students will take a class they normally wouldn’t have thought about taking and that will spark an interest that leads to them going to college.”

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e g e l l o C a t s o C a r i M “ s definitely a wa p e t s t s r fi t a e gr emic into my acad

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news 5

lancer express, volume 27, issue 3

Speech and Debate brings the heat to Winter Classic jennifer simpson staff writer

W

hen most people think of winter, normally images of cozy sweaters, comforting gray skies and Starbucks winter cups flash before their eyes. However, if you are a member of the Carlsbad Speech and Debate team, winter holds a very different meaning. As these students see the days dwindle away on the calendar, they realize that the annual Winter Classic Speech and Debate tournament is finally upon them.

On Dec. 6-8, Carlsbad High’s Speech and Debate team sent its best individuals to compete at La Costa Canyon and encountered a diverse group of students representing the western states ranging from Alaska to Arizona.

Students performed within a variety of events and represented Carlsbad High in every counter argument and skit.

“We did really well. We had a lot people break to semifinals and finals. Overall as a team, we were really strong,” junior Shannon Rohring said.

Carlsbad students took home first place in Parliamentary Speaking, Congress, Expository, Oratorical Interpretation, Traveling Trophy Grand Sweepstakes and the title of Combined Speech and Debate Sweepstakes.

Despite shifting lineups, making room for impressive novices and new upperclassmen, Carlsbad has been able to maintain its dominant presence at Winter Classic for the second year in a row.

“Last year we won sweeps. We were the top team at that tournament . We had a lot of kids win their events,” senior Ashwin Rao said. “We lost a lot of good seniors from last year, but we are still a very strong team and we still bring the best competition in our league."

Making it to the top of Winter Classic is no small task.

Members of Speech and Debate spent countless hours reciting speeches, gathering evidence, researching current events, working on performances and sharpening their abilities in order to trump the other debaters.

“It’s a really tough tournament because it’s super

photo by rebecca nasser

Sarah Sheets studies her notes, getting ready to perform her thematic interpretation at Winter Classic.

prestigious and all the competitors are really talented,” junior Shannon Rohring said. “It’s really tough to do well here, but it just makes doing well more rewarding.”

This tournament brought challenges for not only by the competitors but for the judges as well. Having to crown a champion between two passionately spoken individuals is no easy task. As students stressed over their collective presentations, parents like Tarri Martin were left to marvel at the capabilities of these gifted students and produce honest judgment.

“This was only my second time judging but I was very impressed with the student’s composure and professionalism when they were speaking. I thought everyone was so brilliant and smart, it had to be pretty tough competition,” judge Tarri Martin said.

photo by mikayla ferraro

Showing off their duo interpretation skills through a well thought out skit, senior Tristen D’Abreau and junior Isabelle Lee astonished the judges at Winter Classic bringing home third place.

Thanks to this rewarding experience at Winter Classic, Speech and Debate students were able to not only further establish themselves as high ranking competitors within the nation, but also leave lasting expectations for the remainder of the year. This might be the end of Winter Classic, but this is just the beginning of the seasons to come, which will bring with it new competitions and new opportunities for Speech and Debate to further impress Carlsbad.

Students prepare to play ping pong for Rwanda jacob luna

T

staff writer

here are many clubs on campus for a variety of different student interests and one club is striving to separate itself from the norm by giving back to a severely deprived part of the world. Since it’s formation last year, Athletes For Rwanda has been hard at work raising both awareness and money with their meetings and by holding various competitions and events for every student to enjoy.

They’ve already begun by establishing a tennis tournament which they have held officially for the past two years, and they are looking to create more events to help raise more money.

“Events like the tennis tournament and this upcoming ping pong tournament help the club raise money for the shelter in Rwanda,” senior Sean Deng said. “ Donations don’t go to the club, but instead to the children that are in need.”

This year, the club leaders have decided to also hold a ping pong tournament, with donations from the

participants going straight to the Rwandan relief fund they have set up.

“After thinking about it and realizing it would be very do-able, we decided to begin planning by asking who could provide the tables and choose a location,” senior Riley Porter said.

The students can expect to see a plethora of their peers, ranging from freshman to seniors, participating in the event and competing to win the tournament “We’re expecting a big turnout, because of the number of friendly faces who will be in attendance from every grade, and because ping pong is such a fun sport,” senior Maddy Oas said.

The ping pong tournament will be held on Jan. 11 at Poinsettia community park, will have a variety of gift cards as prizes for the winners and will cost $10.00 to enter for a team of two. The tournament layout will consist of bracket play with double elimination.

“One of the benefits of having such nice and caring kids in the club is that there are a lot of thoughtful parents that give us generous donations that we turn into prizes for the tournament in the form of gift cards,” Oas said.

These activities and events they hold are also a way for the club to spread the word, as it gains a widespread reputation. This helps it attract more potential members and shows each of the individual participants’ dedication.

“Ever since the first tennis tournament we held, we have gotten a boost in interest from more of the students at the school, and we’re hoping that trend still continues,” Porter said.

The club is chalk full of students from every corner of the school, all of them dedicating some of their own time to do what they can and help those less fortunate.

“Although Athletes for Rwanda is only a small club at the high school, we’re taking small steps to help change the world,” Deng said.

Going to the Athletes for Rwanda first annual ping pong tournament is aiming to be both fun and educational for all who attend, and is looking to be the first in possibly a long line of tournaments.

“We want everyone to come out to enjoy friends, fun and the competitive spirit of the game,” Oas said. “But I also hope people will try and make an effort to come not only for the fun, but also to help out a great cause.”

6 news

december 2013

Joey Szalkiewicz climbs to share the view W

kelsey aijala stephen sweeney editor-in-chief artist

Lancer Express: How did you get started with climbing?

Joey Szalkiewicz: We’ve always been an outdoor family and every year my dad’s business partner would ask him to climb Mt. Whitney with him and every year he’d say no, no, no until one year he said yes. Being the 10 year old who loved adventure that I was, I begged my dad to go. He thought that there was no way that I would make it to the summit, but low and behold I made it to the top. When I got back down, all I could think was “What’s the next thing I could do?” I found out more about something called the Seven Summits which is the highest peak on each continent and I’ve been climbing ever since.

LE: How far along are you with your goal of climbing the Seven Summits?

JS: I’ve climbed two so far and I’m gearing up for the third one, Aconcagua, on the Dec. 27. The two I’ve climbed so far are Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa and Mt. Elbrus in Russia. I hope to climb all of the seven summits by the time I graduate high school. Everest will be the last one and I’m planning on leaving for that second semester of my senior year.

hile freezing cold weather, tall mountains and extreme poverty may be completely foreign for most Carlsbadians, Joey Szalklewicz embraces it all by climbing the Seven Summits and running his own charity, Share The

View. Lancer Express reached spoke with Szalklewicz just weeks before his trip to the third summit and were able to get the low down on his non-profit and what it takes to reach the top of the world.

LE: How do you train for this sort of thing?

that made me want to reach out. We started a nonprofit called Share the View and we want to donate a pair of glasses for every meter that I climb and we’re pretty close to our goal.

JS: It takes a lot of dedication. Every Saturday, I wake up early in the morning and just go climb for the entire day. I do a lot of leg work outs and lifting heavy weights because for Aconcagua you have to carry 50-60 pound packs every day. And then you have to train by keeping your grades up while training for the actual mountain. The most important thing for me is to remain confident. Like most things, it’s a mental game. If you can beat the mountain mentally, then the rest will follow.

LE: Can you tell us more about you Share the View organization?

JS: When my dad and I started the climbs, we wanted it to not just be about climbing, because the stuff you see when you go to the areas around these mountains makes you want to reach out to people. When we went to Africa, we brought school supplies to a group of at risk teenagers there and that was good but we wanted it to be more. When I was in first grade I cracked my skull, which permanently damaged my vision and I found out that there was a lack of people can afford the eye-care they need. When I wake up in the morning and I don’t have my contacts in, I’m blind so to think that people live like

LE: How are you going to share the experiences you’ll have on the climb?

JS: When I get back we’re going to hold an event and share all of the pictures from the climb and all of the people that I meet through the organization.

We have a Facebook page that will be my only way of communicating while I’m on the climb. So people can read about what’s going on from their bed while I’m out there going at it.

LE: With all of the school you miss in order to go on these climbs, how do you stay balanced?

JS: Well I’ll be getting back from Aconcagua the day before finals week so that will be fun, but my parents tell me that I have to have good grades before I leave.

Right now I have straight A’s so their pretty cool with it, but I study hard when I’m on the plane traveling to the mountains. There’s a real chance my grades will take a little bit of a hit, but I have to do it for the experience.

To do before I graduate: Mt. McKinley • •

United States 6,194m

Mt. Elbrus • •

y! a w my On Aconcagua • •

Argentina 6,961m

Mt. Everest

Russia 5,642m

• •

Nepal/China 8,848m

Kilimanjaro • •

Tanzania 5,895m

Carstensz Pyramid • •

Check out the Share the View website & donate to the cause at:

Mt.Vinson • •

Antarctica 4,892m

Indonesia 4,884m

editorial 7

lancer express, volume 27, issue 3

Failing the Food Drive O

editorial board

ur generation has forgotten something. Forgotten that the world does not revolve around the latest episode of “Teen Wolf,” most recent breakup between the “cool” kids or the next rager soon to get barred.

There lies a population outside of the bubble at CHS which needs our help. Every once in a while the chance appears to create some positive change. While in the past we have risen to the challenge, this year’s Canned Food Drive was a sobering reminder of the lack of generosity still prevalent in the YOLO generation.

The Carlsbad Christmas Bureau, a non-profit allvolunteer organization, has been serving needy families since 1970 through the many programs it runs each winter.

It works to provide food, gifts and relief for struggling communities in hopes of making the holiday season more enjoyable. Many of us are fortunate enough to not directly face the repercussions of today’s economy; accordingly, we should take advantage of this fortune by not acting blind to the predicament it poses to others.

Don’t get defensive. We know it’s running through your mind right now. “The drive was only two days.” “I didn’t even know about it.” “I didn’t have any cans at my house.” In reality, excuses are virtually unacceptable and our student body shouldn't be looking for them in the first place. Because of the shorter time window than usual, ASB, CHSTV and The Lancer Link went to great lengths to advertise the drive. Posters in school, the trailer in the quad, notifications on social networks, reports and articles all conveyed the necessity of the task at hand. And yet, so few people followed through.

Everyone can agree that participation was minimal this year. We were all thinking the same thing during the CHSTV report showcasing the “good job” we did. In a school of over 3000, the amount of cans donated was staggeringly low. Additionally, the lack of guilt found in our student body is a little alarming.

The question remains, why was the decline in donations so sudden? We are sad to conclude that the loss of an in-class incentive led to a substantial drop in donations.

Apparently we’ve been taught as students that giving in exchange for personal benefit is acceptable. We’ve begun to think that receiving is a prerequisite for giving.

Did we learn nothing from kindergarten? That first day when your class created the rules for how you all would interact and take care of one another? Have we lost the morality instilled in us from the moment we heard the Golden Rule?

For our future’s sake, we can only hope not. Our community needs our help, and as inconvenient as it may be to drop by the store and pay a whole 21 cents for a pack of Ramen noodles, it’s really the least we can do for our fellow man. For the same people that sat next to us in kindergarten, learning the same lessons about sharing and the proper way to treat others.

For Carlsbad, this one opportunity has passed, but students should motivate themselves after this let down to take advantage of other local seasonal opportunities to help. Work in a soup kitchen, donate food and toys or invite someone over for holiday dinner. Think about how it feels to receive a gift from someone, then learn how awesome it feels to give someone else a gift.

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 jacob luna

editorial policy 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.

8 opinion

december 2013

The holidays have taken over chloe young staff writer

T

hanksgiving and Christmas used to be holidays focused on family and giving thanks, but now companies take advantage of these holidays for the wrong reason: profit. Holiday shopping has warped into a total blood bath, resulting in fights over sale items and people getting trampled to death for being an obstacle in the way of holiday deals. It is completely ridiculous how a simple thing like shopping causes so much chaos when people could be spending time with their families.

In the past, Thanksgiving was its own day without the intrusion of Black Friday madness, but this year stores opened as early as 6 PM Thanksgiving day. So instead of focusing on the delicious Thanksgiving meal countless parents slaved over, many were mapping their Black Friday route. The sad thing is people used to look forward to the pies, mashed potatoes and Thanksgiving turkey until Black Friday got in the way of it all.

But when it came down to it, the shopping itself was no simple task. There were many dangers facing the brave souls that ventured out into the Black Friday war zone.

Vicious rival shoppers did just about anything to get the best deals, including pepper spraying 20 people. However, according to ABC 7 news, only about 44% of Americans were brave enough to make the journey. The other 56% decided to skip out on this hazardous day. They were scared of all the pandemonium associated with Black Friday shopping, but no one should feel the icy chill of fear when they hear the names of stores like Walmart or

Toys R Us. It is just wrong.

Sadly, the end of Black Friday is not the end of all the holiday craziness, there are still the 24 days leading up to Christmas to survive before you can finally relax. Holiday decorating, for a start, is a simple chore that was taken to new and extreme heights by some Christmas aficionados.

To set up Christmas lights, it usually costs a couple hundred dollars to do a decent display, but decent was not enough for some people. The website, HouseLogic.com, found the Faucher family in Delaware and estimated that their one million LED light display costs over $10,000 a month to keep lit. Spending so much time and money setting up so many lights is a waste. You could have spent all that wasted time with family or friends, plus it is also rude to deprive your neighbors of much needed sleep with such an obnoxious light display.

Spending time with family is further pushed into the background as the month goes on. Once the lights are up, the focus then turned to the decorations inside the house.

There was the tree and decorations to buy and the wreaths and mistletoe to hang, but Christmas wasn’t always blown so out of proportion with all the preparations. In the past, Christmas wasn’t even a major holiday for some people, it was just another day. Of course, that soon changed, but it is still interesting to think that this all consuming holiday used to be so small.

This year, don’t let the excitement over presents, shopping and decorations eclipse Christmas the same way shopping eclipsed Thanksgiving. They are both great holidays that don’t need to be taken over by our materialistic tendencies.

The red cups are coming! The red cups are coming! griffin nordin

G

lancer link staff writer

et your matching yoga pants and Uggs out, the holiday drinks from Starbucks are here. Ladies, it’s go time. Have your Instagram filter ready to capture the moment that the barista hands you your artfully crafted Arabic gold. Every turn of the season brings the return of the holiday season’s infamous drinks whether it be the classic Peppermint Mocha, the savory Caramel Brulee Latte, the brand new Gingerbread Latte or the old reliable Eggnog Latte.

What makes these drinks so darn-tooting craveable?

Maybe it’s the fact that it reminds some of us what the holiday seasons meant to us as young children or that they help keep us warm on a cold and frigid morning in winter. Either way, the nation’s demand for these unique holiday drinks is never ending and a bit confusing.

The Eggnog Latte barely delivers on its promised “eggnog” taste and the Caramel Brûlée Latte leaves drinkers over-sweetened by the almost diabetic amount of sugar. The exaggerated sense of importance Starbucks exudes is extremely apparent in these drinks. For one

Caramel Brûlée means burnt caramel. To me, that sounds utterly disgusting.

Social media’s ever-constant grasp of these drinks can be seen through the typical “white girl” selfie standing with BFFs five feet from the barista who just handed the ladies dressed in infinity scarves and messy buns having a#nomakeup day their much anticipated red cup of holiday goodness. Tweets building up to the “release” days fill up the #StarbucksHolidayDrink page. Highpitched squeals and jumps of joy for the iconic red cups of the holiday seasons replace tears of sadness for the departure of the iconic Pumpkin Spice Latte, the white girl symbol for fall. People lose their marbles over the silly marketing scheme of the red cups. They have to have it because it’s only for a limited time.

That’s life people. Things don’t last forever. You don’t have to go bananas just because something is only around for the winter and comes in a specially designed cup.

Perhaps these drinks are no more than just another attempt by corporate America to hop on the once pure holiday season now which is now ruled by consumerism meant to exploit the raised spirits of common folk. The Peppermint Mocha is not drizzled with chocolate sauce

but actually the tears of coffee baristas everywhere as they use their degree in liberal arts to make designs in whip cream for a living. If I have to deal with one more sassy, hipster barista who judges my taste in coffee because I may not choose the Ethiopian organically brewed dark roast, I might just explode.

But nonetheless, the drinks do bring some joy to people’s lives and perk up either miserable school days or the beginning of a ten-hour work shift. Isn’t that everyone’s goal in life to be distracted from the bleak existence they call their life? Even if it’s only for a few minutes. It’s perfectly okay to take time every once in a while to indulge yourself into one of these drinks if you truly need a pick-me-up or are just having a bad day.

The real problem is that they are over-hyped every year to the point where I lose a little bit of my sanity every time I see the commercials or advertisements. You may be thinking that I’m the world’s biggest Grinch for not liking one of the so called “greatest part of the holiday season,” but remember what the holiday season is truly about: thankfulness, joy, family and giving. Not commercialized products espousing fake messages of gotta-haves and wants.

opinion 9

lancer express, volume 27, issue 3 madison mcmurray staff writer

Should we really do it for the Vine?

A

fter six grueling hours of uncomfortable plastic chairs and flickering fluorescent lights, completing five more hours of homework at home does not sound very appealing to us students. So what do we do to take a little break?

Play on our phones, just like we have been all day.

So we mill through every notification, post, video, tweet, picture and update on apps.

As we see our friends and celebrities showcase their lives we also see a pattern of people trying to impress each other through everything they share. Little things like Instagram photos or videos, Facebook posts, notes on Tumblr, questions on Ask.fm or six second stories on Vine are just a few ways we seek acceptance from our peers, which social networkers exploit by feeding our desires to become famous. It’s not abnormal, almost everyone seeks attention with likes, comments, followers or mentions.

Who doesn’t want that little rush when more than 100 people like or favorite your photo?

Who doesn’t feel good when someone you like comments those cute emoji faces (especially the one with heart eyes)?

Craving that kind of attention through social media sites is fine, totally normal. Everyone posts the occasional status or photo in hopes of getting lots of positive

feedback from your peers.

But lately, some people have been manipulating this way of receiving attention. No, I am not talking about the occasional selfie. I mean the people that will do and post anything for attention. A nonchalant hashtag here and there is no big deal, but once that post offends or harms someone, including the person posting, then it has gone too far. You and I might understand this concept, yet it seems that a good portion of social media users have yet to grasp at this idea.

One app where this is a problem is Vine. Gaining popularity with likes, comments, tags and revines, these looping videos can become unbelievably popular overnight. And many Vine users are willing to do whatever it takes to reach that kind of popularity.

Scrolling through the looped six-second videos, our eyes are subjected to remakes of Macklemore’s same love, smack cams, people breaking the law, rap fails, smoking tricks and the never ending black reactions versus white reactions in stereotypical scenarios.

Yes, some of these are quite funny. But in many cases, Viners just go too far. With people fighting, smacking pies onto brides, jumping over cars, dabbling with the police, shouting cuss words in public and in front of children, scaring or hurting their own relatives and even abusing

animals it seems that some will go to any length just for recognition.

As if these Vines were not already out of hand, they have infiltrated other social media sites such as Facebook with pages displaying the “funniest” ones or Instagram with its recent update that allows users to post videos.

Vines are even slowly making their way onto Twitter and Tumblr, where users can post these short videos or links to them.

Now that Vine has creeped into several social media sites, certain Vine users seem even more eager to come up with the next idea that will catapult them into Vine verification. But when will it be enough? How far will some people go for a popular Vine?

Being obnoxious, rude or hurtful to anyone or yourself is not worth any amount of likes. All you will end up with is someone getting hurt and a lot of people screaming at you in all caps over the internet. Doing it for the Vine does not apply to every situation, so please do not use it as an excuse to do something irrational or crazy.

If you really are that desperate for some attention, find another outlet for that need. But in the meantime, try to stick to the selfie: you will hurt a lot less people, receive a lot less hate and you might even get a few kissey face or heart emojis.

YouTube isn’t just for cat videos anymore kelsey aijala

editor-in-chief

I

t’s 11 PM the night before a big test. Your mom comes in and sees your eyes glued to the computer screen, YouTube open, and scolds you for not studying. The thing is, you are.

We’re growing up in the digital age. Parents may crack a joke about how they had to look things up in an encyclopedia each time you sit down behind the computer to do a research report, but they’re really just jealous of all the resources we have available at our fingertips nowadays.

This accessibility to such vast stores of information on the internet wasn’t always used for the most productive ventures by the teenageers; we dug our faces into Facebook and Insta, searched for cute cat videos on YouTube and pirated those new TSwift albums. The internet, especially YouTube, was never thought of as an educational tool, just a medium of entertainment.

Enter the Vlogbrothers, just two of hundreds of informational YouTubers out there willing to spread their knowledge and my personal saviors the night before a big

test. John and Hank Green started out as two brothers having intellectual discussions through vlogs and now that conversation has expanded to hundreds of thousands of people sharing their opinions on current events, discussing classic literature and anything else you can think of. They’ve even expanded to include other channels such as Scishow and Crashcourse which break down complicated AP topics in entertaining and engaging ways.

Need help finding a derivative? A quick brush up on the Civil War? Curious about the current political situation in Nepal? You name it, it’s out there. And maybe that sounded a lot like an infomercial but it’s true. They’re put the information out there for us and they’ve even been so kind as to package it up in en entertaining and engaging way just like a Christmas present.

And this is just the first wave of online education through YouTube. Vsauce answers philosophical questions and inquiries that have puzzled society for generations. Khan Academy provides college level instructions in math and science free of charge to all those willing to click its videos. VICE takes the viewers to the distant recesses of the world to show them some of the most beautiful and atrocious events. Ted brings together the experts in their respective fields of study and gives anyone with internet access a chance to hear their ideas.

These web phenomenons answer our questions and give us new things to wrap our brain around.

And isn’t that the point of education? To provoke an intellectual interest. To get kids to not just memorize facts and definitions from a textbook but to understand the material and want to dig deeper into the topic. The internet has the capability to do that. It isn’t limited by what can be printed on the page of a textbook. It can include interactive visuals, be embedded in a funny video, tailored any which way to suit every learning style.

Information is constantly changing. History and science textbooks need to be replaced each year if they want to stay up to date, but, even in our relatively affluent area, we will never have the means to accomplish that task. The internet, however, is constantly being updated by experts who can communicate the information much more effectively than a textbook can. So why integrate the two types of education mediums together? Maybe we’ll need to start lifting weights once we no longer have to lug books in between our classrooms but I think you’ll agree it’s a reasonable tradeoff.

Check out these YouTube pages for some help:

Math: PatrickJMT, Kahn Academy Science: Scishow, Crashcourse English: Crashcourse History: Crashcourse Miscellaneous: VICE, Vlogbrothers, Vsause

10 student life

december 2013

Sticky situations

calla blawusch staff writer

T

oo often romanticized, high school does not only consist of prom, football games and college acceptances. A time of growing up and tough decisions, adolescence can be just as much trouble as it is fun. Awkward moments happen all the time without warning, like sending a text to the wrong person or getting rejected by your crush. Unfortunately, teens are also unprepared for real dangerous situations, such as a friend suffering from self-harm or a party gone out of hand. Many adults ban teenagers from participating in certain activities, without actually educating them in how to handle these situations should they become involved. If you were to get caught up in a “sticky situation,” ask yourself... Would you be ready?

Dealing with a breakup/rejection: •

Three Ways to Deal with a “Sticky Situation”: • • •

Do not dwell on the awkwardness. Move on as quickly as possible and diffuse tension by switching topics or activities.

Speak up. Offer constructive criticism and be honest about what you dislike.

Leave the scene. Politely excuse yourself and get

• •

•

Let out your feelings. One of the worst things you can do is internalize negative emotions, so talk it out with a friend, take a few minutes to cry if you need to or write in a journal.

Get busy with other activities in your life and never act desperate.

Put the situation into perspective. In a few months, you will probably look back on this bump in the road and laugh. Do not generalize. Just because you got rejected once, does not mean it will happen every time.

Allow yourself to keep a positive attitude and gradually move on.

some fresh air.

Party Gone Out of Hand: •

• • • •

Prevention: The first thing you can do to stop a party getting out of control is to make sure the guest list is controlled. Clearly state that friends should not invite “extras” without your permission. Never post an open invitation to Facebook or any other site.

If a party starts to get out of control or too many “extras” show up, call the police. They will remove uninvited “guests.”

Comply with officers and never throw things or attempt to interfere with their work If you are arrested, remain calm and respectful towards the police. Ask what you are charged with (they are obligated to tell you) and if you wish, plead the right to remain silent to avoid self-incrimination.

Self Harm: •

• • • • •

Know the signs: claiming to be “clumsy” or have accidents often, wearing excessively baggy clothing to cover their arms and legs, even in hot weather.

Seek out the help of a mental health professional Suggest alternatives to self-harm, such as rubbing ice on yourself or snapping a rubber band Talk out the feelings behind self harm, never blame them for their actions Call this self-harm support hot line: S.A.F.E. Alternatives at 800-366-8288 If you need immediate assistance, call 911

student life 11

lancer express, volume 27, issue 3

Things to do over the holidays john hankforth

E

staff writer

very year, winter break comes in and replaces all that time you would have spent sitting in class or doing homework with time for your friends and family. With this annual liberation from schoolwork, students

Breakfast with Santa Balloons, brunch and face-paint all with some time with Santa for a more family oriented morning.

Jingle Shells Bay Sail Hop aboard the decorated water taxi complete with music and the sailing experience.

have the opportunity to break free and add a little bit of fun into their winter season. This free time serves as an opportunity to try new things and experience San Diego in a way you never have before. Whether or not you prefer the big get togethers or smaller events, North County offers many events for anyone to become part of the holiday frenzy.

Bonfire Nights Celebrate the cool air by getting warm in Old Town San Diego.

Fireworks included.

Stars on Ice Professional, dramatic and funny performances all done on ice skates.

Jungle Bells Take part in a three-week holiday themed animal experience.

Skating by the Sea Uniquely Californian experience, an out door ice skating rink with an ocean view.

Christmas Celebrations at San Diego Seaworld features new holiday themed show, from a whole new Shamu performances to a new Christmas tree.

Catch a Falling Star Lamb’s Festival of Christmas brings in a new musical play to be performed exclusively in San Diego.

Legoland Snow Days Build a snow man with LEGO accessories and enjoy LEGO themed events

U.S.S. Midway Cruise Take a cruise on the WW2 Battleship. Fine dining and tour included.

Fashion Valley Mall Wrap up your Christmas shopping and enjoy a nice day out in the town on your next trip to San Diego.

California Nut Cracker An almost traditional classic ballet performance done in the San Diego civic theatre.

12 december 2013 S

featu

tudents at Carlsbad all have one thing in common. It doesn’t matter whether we moved here this past year, came here in middle school or are a proud fifth generation local, we all call Carlsbad home now. But this home is not the same now as it was for the student who moved here in middle school, and it is certainly different than how it was five generations ago. Carlsbad has grown from a small settlement of farmers, to a tight-knit beach town, to a prime tourist location in a little over a hundred years. But have the changes been beneficial? You will find passionate locals who swear the modernization of Carlsbad is the worst thing since communism but you will also find locals who claim the changes have been positive to the community as a whole. One thing the local surfers, fifth generation Carlsbadians, business owners and newbies all agree on, however, is that the city has seen and will probably continue to see much change in its existence. Rather than choose whether or not these changes have made Carlsbad paradise or have ruined the beauty of the city, we wish to demonstrate the prevalence of the evolution: from old State Street parades, to surf shops, to Twin Inns, Carlsbad looks more different than Michael Jackson post pepsi commercial.

Mr. Zeigler

Mr. Isbell kelsey aijala

photo

editor-in-chief

savannah wardle david rubinstein olivia langen staff writers

zack spanier

graphic designer

“The new programs and clubs at our school really allow students to expand their options and sort of see what they want to do in the future. The transformations have made a huge improvement, but I definitely see a lot more to come.”

-Mr. Isbell, history teacher

Mr. Muilenburg

Mr. Walker

“The biggest change I would say is the overall growth, there is hardly any open space, and it’s easier to get around because there are roads that are connected now that were not before. I think a lot of the changes have been good: the town is more organized and some of the sketchy, broken down stuff is gone.”

-Mr. Walker, science teacher

Mrs. Stitts

“With the class sizes growing so large, I’ve had to make a lot of changes in the way I teach. Recently, it has gotten more difficult to connect with the students one-on-one, and striving to make that connection has made me a better teacher.”

-Mrs. Stitts, science teacher

yearbook pictures cour

1882 F raz ier We ll d Sc 1887 ril h bu utt l ilt e M ed an So sio u t n Co h C m 1914 (G pa oas arc ny t L ia’ es and s B tab arb lis er hed S Sh ch 1919 op u be tt ) e co me Man s T sio Mi wi n ssi n c o 1923 Inn re ate n Sa s nt d iag o Ca 1926 op rlsba en s d Th ea Ca tre r l its sba 1928 th elf a d p ro ea s vo “ho mot ca do me o es ” f C oh 1929 nH ou se Ca bu r l ilt Ho sba 1930 th tel o d M eS p i ea ens nera ) (C l Sp arl ri sb ngs Cit ad 1952 y by es o f tab C lis arls h

“I do miss a lot of the open spaces we used to have here. I kinda like the idea of not driving through all of Carlsbad. The school has actually improved I think, in terms of kids involvement and school spirit. I think I’ve seen school spirit increase.”

- Mr. Muilenburg, science teacher

“My most prominent early memory of Carlsbad was that you didn’t have to pay for parking down at Tamarack beach. I really was questioning turning the football field, but the outcome, that was a good idea. And the new buildings are really good because it was time to get rid of the old buildings.”

- Mr. Zeigler, science teacher

ture

lancer express, volume 27, issue 3

70s

oto by mikayla ferraro

13

50s photo by mikayla ferraro

Tower 37 courtesy of the carlsbad city library carlsbad history room

Carlsbad Village

courtesy of the carlsbad city library carlsbad history room

80s

Twin Inns Ocean House

photo by mikayla ferraro

courtesy of the carlsbad city library carlsbad history room

50s

urtesy of purple shield

CHS

courtesy of the carlsbad city library carlsbad history room

clo Co se h s 1972 be n H co me ouse sN ort e P 1984 ipe lin es cre ate Na d t Hi ion 1995 sto al ric Re al gis Pla ter ce of s LC 1996 C CH sp lit S sf rom Kn 2004 op ocko en ut s Piz za Kn 2008 op ocko en ut s Bu rge r Sa 2012 ge Cr ee ko pe ns 2013

ep ot nD Tra i

1960

1957

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photo by mikayla ferraro

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arts & entertainment 15

lancer express, volume 27, issue 3

Mancers stretch their talent to new lengths

A holiday dance team with something for everybody

SOAPBOX

What did you think of the Mancer Dancers’ performance?

photo by jacquelyn nakamura

The Mancer Dancers practice their moves in a warm up for the matinée show on Dec. 14. The showcase ran December 1214, with shows at 7 pm each night and an extra matinée show at 2 PM on Saturday.

riley hoffman

M

staff writer

ancer Dancers. It is a name that incites fear, joy and even just general confusion into the hearts and minds of students at the high school. Any who have attended the Lancer Dancer winter showcase in years past know exactly the level of talent these young men can put out. The true question has been figuring out just how high that level is.

The men themselves certainly have no shortage of confidence about their team’s skills, at least after the few practices they have had.

“We are an elite group of dancing men,” freshman Tucker Park said. “I personally started dancing in the womb, and I haven’t slowed down since.”

Though the dancers’ true skills may be quite suspect, their attitudes suggest that they are willing and able to put in the long hours perfecting their craft. Though this may be the only actual event the Mancers participate in all year long, they seem to be fully dedicated to actually gaining some dancing ability.

“I bring a lot of hard work to the team,” sophomore Ryan Du said. “Blood, sweat, tears, I leave it all out there. Especially the tears. There’s a lot of crying on this team due to our extreme passion for the dancing arts.”

All of the Mancers feel extremely honored being chosen to dance on the team. Their combined efforts paying off has had a great effect on the morale of the men.

“It means a lot to be a Mancer Dancer,” junior Nick Poser said. “It’s a huge

honor that our talents are finally being recognized on a large scale.”

Anyone who has been exposed to the co-ed group understands the Mancer’s and Lancer Dancer’s facetious relationship.

Though the Mancers feel a slight tension in working with their female counterparts, they also feel that the Lancer Dancers need to help them out a little bit, specifically by using improved patience to help the Mancers improve their skills.

“I think the Lancer Dancers need to be a bit more patient with us,” junior Max Chacon said.

“Maybe like count to 10 in their head if they’re feeling some anger, or some breathing exercises maybe. Patience is a virtue. We’re trying our best.”

The Mancers, while trying their best to coexist with their counterpart female dance team, still struggle with working together with the Lancer Dancers. Some even seem slightly afraid of the ladies.

“The Lancer Dancers just cause us a lot of stress at times,” Poser said. “They can be frightening because of how intense they are at times. The two teams just need to even out our intensity.”

Through all the adversity, the men maintain that their dedication to dance has been the number one aspect fueling their talents. The Mancers remain confident of their skills, even though the amount of work they claim to have put in versus the amount they actually put in varies heavily.

“

“We’ve actually only had like six practices leading up to the show,” Poser said. “Practice really is quite easy. The girls could definitely make it more rigorous, but we just make sure to stay limber and well stretched regardless of the work rate.”

Though confident in their individual talents, the men believe their success as a team is due to their combined efforts.

Each individual dancer bringing their own style has brought the team to new levels as a whole.

“I bring blue collar work ethic to the team,” Chacon said. “As a team we’re not afraid to get down to the nitty gritty, but at the same time we add flair in everything we do.”

Understandably, the Lancer Dancers have gotten slightly tired of the heavily confident men. Though not going as far as to attack their dancing skills, the ladies want the men to know their place.

“The Mancers are great, but they’re very egotistical at times,” junior Tiffany Smith said. “That said, our guys this year are the best we’ve had so far. Their work ethic, skill and performance never cease to amaze us.”

The Lancer and Mancer Dancers do their best to collaborate and create the best show possible.

“We love the Mancer Dancers,” Smith said. “Our schedules are so busy, and it’s just amazing to be able to relax and have some fun with all the great guys there.

There’s no better way to get in the holiday spirit.”

We are an elite group of dancing men.

”

“

The Mancer Dancers were beyond awesome. They were elegant and beautiful out there. steven dreifuss, 12

”

“

They were indescribable. The cherry on top for an already amazing show.

”

ashlyn sprinkle, 12

tucker park

“

Their performance was actually really great. They're talented dancers and they were just on it. spencer beyer, 12

“

”

They were so beyond sick. They just have their moves down and it's amazing.

”

junior macedo, 12

16 arts & entertainment

december 2013

Chasing Norman revitalizes psychedelic rock

photo by mikayla ferraro

Carlsbad High/ Mission Vista High based band Chasing Norman plays a multitude of original and cover songs at the Coyote Bar and Grill on Dec. 12 from 6-10 PM. The band members from left to right: Jesse Cardile on the keys, Sage Provins on bass, Casey Hensley singing, Hunter Pipp on drums and Riley Hoover playing lead guitar.

samuel horan

I

staff writer

n an age where music charts are topped by Katy Perry, Kanye West and Blake Shelton, a band that mimics the psychedelic and classic rock feel of the 60’s and 70’s would seem commercially impossible. However, local band Chasing Norman intends to do just that.

The band was formed when CHS seniors Sage Provins and Riley Hoover and Mission Vista senior Hunter Pipp started jamming together back in 2011. Ultimately, the group has found success in finding gigs at bars and even more prestigious venues like the House of Blues.

The band utilizes an original, psychedelic and slightly heavy sound, while incorporating influence from musically tight bands such as Phish and the Grateful Dead, to put on a very jam-oriented, late 60’s to early 70’s style show.

One aspect they pride themselves on is their improvising and jam-worthy style.

“Now, we’re trying to go for something where [the audience] won’t hear the same song that they hear on the album when they see us live,” Provins said. “We’re gonna have something different in there; We’ll jam it.”

This vision carries into their recent album, titled Chief Gritts, which was released earlier this year. The band is more focused on the instrumental aspect of their sound and musical prowess than the lyrics. While some musicians focus on lyrical songwriting, Provins says that it’s the exact opposite for Chasing Norman.

“We’ll write the music and then write the lyrics to match it,” Provins said The creative process when composing the songs for the album is a very collaborative process. Hoover usually comes up with the basis for a song by coming up with a guitar riff, melody or chord progression. Then from there, everybody will come in and jam over it to see what sounds good. By the end they will have added the rhythm guitar, keys, drums and bass parts. They’ll finish off a song with Provins and Pipp writing lyrics for their singer Casey Hensley.

Even though the process of writing music has stayed the same throughout their history, their music style has gone from a more alternative sound to what it is now. This change started last year when they parted ways with their previous singer and frontman after commitment issues.

“We had like seven songs with our old singer.

Now that I listen to them I realize that it’s not what we really wanted,” Provins said After the singer left, the band really made a point of doing the kind of music they wanted; Emphasizing instrumental skill and leaving lyrics until the end. “[Our old singer] wrote a lot of the parts for them,” Hoover said. “Our sound has changed dramatically [since then]. We focus more on classic rock and real heavy vibes now.”

Although the group is still young, and they gained their new singer only a year ago, they already have a focus for their future as a band.

“The dream is to tour,” said Jesse Cardile, rhythm guitar/keys player and senior at Mission Vista High. “That’s where we want it to go and hopefully that’ll happen sometime soon but you never know. Right now it’s just bars and venues, just random places.”

The main obstacle that confronts the band right now is the coming of college. With Hoover and Pipp both applying to universities, the band has to either quickly find success or fall victim to the classic story of high school band broken up by the arrival of college. “[I’ll] probably [go to] junior college if anything right now but I don’t know,” Cardile said. “I plan on working and seeing where these guys end up going, and if they have to leave maybe go up and live by them to keep the band going.”

Even through talks of college, the band members are still optimistic. Cardile, Hoover, Pipp and Provins were all once schoolmates, and are still all good friends even now that they don’t all attend the same school. The core of the band will likely stay in touch regardless of what the future holds for Chasing Norman. They do, after all have good reason to keep optimistic; with the vast wealth of musical experience that each member holds, the group is only gaining more fans and supporters with every gig they play.

“We’re still going to take the band seriously,” Pipp said. “If we get offered a tour, then the band will be our priority.”

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18 arts & entertainment

december 2013

Choir lives for the applause at Holiday Concert natalie cortez

presented a show at CHS. Since the former choir teacher, Ms. Owen, left staff writer to do missionary work in the Ukraine, he Choir Department presented students had to adapt to the new style a show on Dec. 4-6 to kick off the of Mr. Bullock’s teachings. holidays, taking modern day songs “[Ms. Owen] helped me so much and entertaining the audience with as a person and as a performer so it their talent and live music. was really hard to see her go. I think Preparing since October, the that Mr. B is so talented and to have Choir Department pulled through his leadership in Encore is definitely in their coordinated performances a different feel, but I think that it’s and danced each number with high gonna lead us in a good direction,” spirits. Through the breaks between Eagleston said. “I like where it’s going songs, junior Garrison Zoutendyk and hopefully by competition things and Jackson Brians performed a small will be even better. I like him a lot and act as hosts. They displayed a short I think he’s a really good teacher. He’s story along the show about mastering so talented. I’m just blown away.”

MCing with the help of Isaac Briske, The choir department presented the former MC of past shows, setting songs like “Mad World” sung by tasks for them. They entertained the Lancer choir and even gave room audience with cringing Christmas for comedic pieces. Senior Stephen jokes and puns and even through the Pitman sang the “Hanukkah Song” and

photo by elise chen the Chamber Singers sang “National fifteen minute intermission where The entire choir department performs “Jingle Bells” in Christmas sweaters, directed by Mr. Zoutendyk danced to the nutcracker Weather Forecast” where they dressed Bullock. The choir classes will work on their next show “Night with the Stars” in March. in a snowman suit. in tourist outfits, dreaming about “The MC’s did a good job between Christmas in California. All four choir reminder of that and even though we’re in dancing abilities,” sophomore Andrian the transitions of the performances. It groups ended the show traditionally with a class together, we’re like family,” junior Eagleston said. “Some of our Encore made the show very engaging,” alumni Mr. Bullock, singing ‘Hallelujah.’

Kami-Jane Pacanos said. choreographers’ dance moves were really Brianna Castenada said. “‘Hallelujah’ has been a Carlsbad Encore, an all girls show choir, and intense and I was not use to that at all Even though for most, it would tradition for nearly a decade,” said Sound Express practiced for two hours going into it. So it forced me to have to be difficult to perform in front of an Pacanos. “It was really interesting having each class and several more after school practice my dances outside of school. I audience, several of the choir students the audience, not only watch the show, working with choreographers to perfect think that helped me a lot, especially by rely on each other for support. Choir has but be part of the show. They sang along their steps. Apart from the holiday show, the end of the year to be able to say okay helped students grow as performers with with us, that’s what makes this tradition the choir members learn challenging the dance moves were hard, but I did it,. numerous practices and peer criticism. so unique, not many other choirs are able numbers and are constantly preparing The Holiday show had something “You always have people to go to to include the audience. I’ve never been their voices to hit the right notes. different twisted within. It is the first and ask for advice and you’re not alone in an organization that feels more like a “I used to be really unconfident in my year Mr. Bullock, the choir teacher [on stage] so it’s always nice to have a family than just a school production.”

T

A look at those who make the show possible

R

photo by elise chen

Junior Mason Cottrell and senior Jeffrey Justice work backstage handling the curtains during the Holiday concert. Flyman operate 800 pounds of expensive equipment. “If we drop out from where we are and mess up on something we’re the most noticeable thing ever,” Justice said.

unning a show requires more than a director and cast; it takes a group of skilled tech members to run lights, sound and backdrops. Advanced tech runs productions with 11 crew members, educated in the basics of tech, but specialize in their personal interests. Countless amount of hours are spent preparing sets and props, working lights and managing sound to assemble a flawless show.

“A stage, is a blank canvas. You can look at a stage and there can be a famous musician on it, a choir on it, any production that you see, [tech] is the brush that paints the artistry of it. We support the performance and we make everything we can possibly the best,” senior Aidan Bach said.

There are several vital jobs that are multi-managed by skilled technicians.

The stage manager works with the crew to direct cues for sound, lights and backdrops.

The backstage members set up props and make sure things are exactly where they need to be in order to make the scene.

“As an assistant stage manager my job is to make sure that everyone on my side of the stage is doing exactly what they need to be doing. Specifically on stage left. I have to worry about the flight crew, making sure all the curtains come in and come out at the exact same time they need to,” senior Jeffrey Justice said.

The tech group is required to stay after school for various hours, they spend their weekends working and manage every show presented at the CAC, school produced and community run.

“It’s a really rigorous agenda, but in the end it all pays off because right now on my transcript I have over 1100 hours of community service and it’s opened up a lot of opportunities.” Bach said. “Junior year I went to New York and actually interned on Broadway and helped the stage manager call a show for ‘Spiderman.”’

Being part of advanced tech has brought a lot of benefits to it’s students. The CAC itself is advanced with equipment most schools don’t have.

“It’s pretty much a professional environment, we just don’t get paid.” Bach said. “We can really design and produce any show that we want. We’ve done every kind of weather. We can do wind, we have a snow machine, we’ve done rain.

Any illusion, anything you can imagine in the theatre, we can do it. We have so many advantages to have a theatre so technologically advanced,” Not only does tech manipulate the elements to create an illusion, they become the illusion.

“We wear long sleeve black shirts, long black pants and black shoes, we’re the shadows in the theatre, you don’t know that we’re there,” Bach said.

Despite the long days and the constant pressure placed on them, tech students carry a passion for their never ending work that they will use for their future in the industry.

“This is what we want to do. We love tech. That is what we do and that is what we want to do forever,” senior Zandra Mikhael said.

sports 19

lancer express, volume 27, issue 3

Girls basketball gives back to Jason Harper jakob karlsson

L

staff writer

ast summer Carlsbad High School lost a beloved teacher and father. Jason Harper passed away Aug. 7, 2012 leaving behind three children with little support for college funds.

Carlsbad High School girls basketball team began their confident season by hosting the second Annual Jason Harper Basketball Tournament. Although the Lady Lancers sought to keep the trophy in Carlsbad, there was another motivation that meant way more than winning. This tournament will always be less about who wins and more about raising money for Harper’s children and the recognition of his life.

When CHS lost the admired math teacher, Coach Waters thought of the idea to hold a basketball tournament to memorialize the impact Harper had on his students, faculty and friends. She wanted to help his family and felt there was no better way to honor them than hosting a basketball tournament in which 50 percent of the funds go to his children.

“We knew he had three little kids and we just wanted to help provide for them because we knew that’s what he would have wanted,” Waters said.

This year’s tournament had an

exceptionally better outcome than last year’s. Coach Waters recognized the higher level of competition than last year as well as the heart-filled support for Mr. Harper’s children.

“We almost doubled our profit which is great for the kids,” Waters said. “It went off without a hitch.”

As the years go on, Coach Waters expects the tournament to get bigger and bigger as it brings the community together in support of a great cause. Waters hopes to attract more fans and teams as the years come.

“Each year we are going to try to add something more festive to remember him,” Waters said. “Next year we are going to get Hawaiian shirts made for the J. Harper tournament and hand it out to the coaches in their school colors.”

Senior Delaney Porter, has been a member of the varsity team for two years now and she found herself a little sentimental by having the privilege to play in support of her old geometry teacher’s family.

“It feels good to give back to the community for all of our hard work we put into it,” Porter said.“I think it’s awesome that we come together as a program to support the cause.”

Senior Nicky Piancastelli is another second year varsity member that believed

photo by carolyn oertle

Junior Danielle Bosley (standing) pumps up the Lady Lancers before their game against Otay Ranch which resulted in a 60-34 Lancer victory.

the tournament had a huge impact on Harper’s children and the community.

“The cause is great and it was really nice of Coach Waters to come up with this tournament,” Piancastelli said. “It’s a good thing to win a tournament and to get our name out there, but more importantly we want to get more people from our school to come and help Mr. Harper’s family.”

The Carlsbad High School’s girls basketball program seeks to have the

Jason Harper Basketball Tournament as a motivated kick-start to their season. For as long as this tournament lives, Jason Harpers’ name will never be forgotten in Carlsbad.

“Mr. Harper was an influence to a lot of his students but he also had a lot of fans, faculty members and friends that were here,” Waters said. “Even though he isn’t here, at least we are stepping it up and trying to raise something for his children.”

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sports 21

lancer express, volume 27, issue 3

Surf team does swell in first half of season tanner layton erianna flores

B

staff writers

arreling off an impressive season last year, the Carlsbad Surf Team continues its tradition of supreme talent and Poseidon-given knowledge of the waves. With several top-ranked surfers returning and a new class of rising stars coming up, the team carries on its dynasty of being one of the best in all of California.

Placing high in the rankings last year, the team looks to build upon their second place finish last year in the boys shortboard division and win in the girls shortboard division. With several surfers receiving high scores in their respective categories, a top division ranking for Carlsbad places the team in great contention for the state title.

“We’re at least tied for no. 1 since we’re 3-0 for both A and B team,” coach Jake Blackburn said. “I don’t know if there’s any other schools that have a record like that, so we would be ranked first for the San Diego series.”

The rhythm started by last year’s team hasn’t skipped a beat with this year’s, as Carlsbad is highly feared among the high school surfing community.

“I would say that we’re pretty comparable to last year’s team because we were 5-0 last year too,” Blackburn said.

“We did lose some key girls off our varsity shortboard team that went to state last year. So our girls shortboard team is going to be made up of some new kids that haven’t competed yet.”

The team shows promise after defeating Torrey Pines, Canyon Crest and La Jolla in their first three contests.

The season, however, remains far from over, with three more competitions culminating in the state championship in April. The team now focuses on the two remaining competitions: Jan. 12 at the San Clemente Pier and another on Feb. 9 at the Oceanside South Pier.

“Our goals would be to win the next two contests for both teams to be undefeated at the end of the season,” Blackburn said. “We want to go 5-0 and win the San Diego series.”

As the season reaches its midway point and surfers come back from their break, the team will go into full swing preparing for the remaining two competitions.

Being a subjective sport, surfers practice knowing their performance in competitions is based on skill and talent.

“During practices we’ll run heats, just like the contests,” Blackburn said. “And so at practice we’ll run mock heats and give the kids feedback, such as this is what you should or shouldn’t have done

photo courtesy of chris grant Sophomore Kylie Loveland hits the lip at the north side of Oceanside Pier. Loveland remains as the highest ranked girl in the NSSA Open and is one of only four girls selected to the Under 18 division for the USA Surf Team. differently. That prepares them for the contests.”

With a sport scored according to the talent of individual surfers, the team gives each surfer the responsibility of bettering themselves to improve the whole of the team.

“The surf team practices just once a week, but it’s really up to the individual to practice on their own,” junior longboarder Kalia Cosby said.

Not only does the Southern California locale encourage surfers to use their outside time to improve, it allows the sport to be more freely accessible. Surfers have at their disposal the ability to experiment with the tricky craft and explore new depths.

“I do surfing more for the fun,” Cosby said. “I’m also in the Oceanside Longboard Surfing Club and that starts up in January.”

Being a team sport based on individual performances, each surfer can be recognized for their pursuit of the skills needed to be successful in the sport. This allows the spectacular prestige of the tea to carry surfers to man opportunities or them to stand out. ................................................................

How Competitions Work: At every competition, eight to ten schools are paired together and compete against one another.

The surfers are then rated by three different professional judges based on:

* Commitment and degree of difficulty

* Innovative and progressive maneuvers

* Combination of major maneuvers

* Variety of maneuvers

* Speed, power, and flow

“Hopefully if I continue on competitively surfing I’ll make it to the Women’s World Tour Surfing,” sophomore short boarder Kylie Loveland said.

The world of surfing presents more to surfers than can be originally thought when taking up the sport. Whether the intention is to surf for fun or as a career, with enough talent and perseverance, surfers can create a bright future for themselves doing something they enjoy.

“I would like to—if there is one—go to a college on the coast and join a college surf team,” senior long boarder and short boarder Daniel Salter said. “Then maybe I’ll go pro.”

Each member has a tremendous amount of talent to offer, not only the team, but the world of surf. They all collectively come together to make up the state championship level team. With the great experience of being on one of the top surf teams in California comes the feeling of great achievement to each surfer, and they should all be aware that they are part of something significant.

“My favorite part about surfing is when you look back behind you,” Cosby said. “You see the wave and you realize what you just accomplished.”

22 sports

december 2013

It’s all downhill from here P emilio gonzalez staff writer

photo courtesy of coleman depretis

Downhill skateboarder, Tristin Pool, forms skid marks as he bombs a local Carlsbad hill. Pool is just one of many who see downhill skateboarding as their way to leave their mark on the community.

eople need brakes: brakes on their bikes, brakes on their cars, people always need brakes. Without them there is uncertainty, a lack of control which most people avoid. Some people, however, enjoy choosing to rely on faith rather than brakes. One group of kids with this mentality are the local downhill skateboarders.

Downhill skateboarding, another step of extreme above regular skateboarding, is uncommon among most skateboarders due to its high risk tendency and of course the lack of brakes.

To sophomores Tyler White, Coleman DePretis, Tristin Pool and Noah Drake, though, it’s a dandy, in large part due to that risk that must be taken in order to fully immerse yourself in the sport.

“I’d always skated vert and street, but it was really slow and you stopped much more. When you skate downhill you are always moving and going at really high speeds,” White said.

The commitment to the sport by the group in large part sprang from the fact that it was something which they all did together. Nevertheless different aspects interested them about the extreme sport, yet they all came together in a similar fashion.

“We all used to pretty much skate down this one hill everyday which was really fun and was just a way for all of us to get together after school,” DePretis said.

This alternative extreme sport brings them into a state of mind much different than their regular selves. A state of mind which cannot be accessed without flying down your local street at the highest speed reachable.

“That moment when everything is really calm after being really hectic dodging cars and stuff like that, eventually there’s just that moment of bliss when nothing is really going on around you,” DePretis said.

Despite their enjoyment of the thrill of downhill skating, they are aware of the substantial risk which comes with taking up a sport like this. It isn’t an unknown fact that participating in this sport endangers oneself and others on the streets. This lesson is especially implanted in the mind of sophomore Noah Drake who has come across the inevitable consequences of this speed-rush.

“One of my worst injuries was when I fractured my knee cap bombing this one hill. It was really bad but ever since I’ve been wearing knee pads,” Drake said.

People ask why crazy kids like these would even attempt to take on an extreme sport with such high risks. In response, they believe it’s due to its payoff. The difference from downhill skating and other sports, by consensus, is the feeling that can be attained by risking it all.

“You feel so in control, even though the smallest movement can make you crash, but you just know that as long as you make it to the bottom everything’s going to be okay,” White said.

It seems that people who are set on doing something they enjoy, like downhill skating, to them it doesn’t matter the cost. In some ways the risk is the very aspect which keeps their drive alive. With everything in this world needing brakes these days, to some it’s a breath of fresh air to rely on a little bit of faith.

Curran continues to push the envelope lauren t’kint

J

staff writer

oe Curran does not have boundaries when it comes to how much he can do. From bombing the slopes in Big Bear to finishing his fifth consecutive cross country season, there is little he hasn’t done.

Home to thousands of world class athletes in this cornucopia of athletic opportunity, San Diego attracts thousands of adrenaline seekers like Curran. Throw in a school that offers 22 varsity sports, talented athletes as parents, a tireless attitude and you get an athlete like Curran.

“Living in Carlsbad gives me the opportunity to be exposed to a variety of sports. From the surfing on my doorstep to a quick day trip to the desert or ski slopes, SoCal has it all,” Curran said.

Only a sophomore, Curran participates in seven sports, both on and off campus, plays three instruments and is constantly searching for something else to add to his impressive repertoire.

“I really got into triathlons a couple years ago. I was already doing cross country, so I decided to try them out and I got hooked. I’ve done 26 so far and plan on doing loads more” Curran said.

Few people at Carlsbad can even say they have competed in a single triathlon, let alone 26. It’s no wonder that Curran has so much energy to take on such a wide range of activities. He would not have been able to pursue such opportunities if he had not been exposed to them at such an early age.

“My parents definitely influenced my athletic pursuits.

My mom ran four years of cross country for UC Riverside and swims masters, while my dad competed in the professional tennis circuit. I wouldn’t be where I am today without their support,” Curran said.

As a cross country runner, lacrosse player and member of the surf team, the word break doesn’t exist in his vocabulary. In order to make time for such large commitments and keep up with school, Curran is part of an independent study program. Taking only two classes at Carlsbad as a freshman and four as a sophomore, Curran takes the remainder at a charter school.

“My parents knew that it would be hard for me to keep up with schoolwork without giving up a few of my sports, so they suggested the idea of taking independent study courses,” Curran said. “Now I have the best of both worlds. I use my extra time to study at my own pace and workout the rest of the time.”

With this healthy balance between sports and school, Curran is able to perform at his best in all aspects of his life. Appreciating the outdoors as much as possible, Curran’s family has enjoyed camping and backpacking trips as a family in places like Yosemite and the Sierras, as well as multiple winter trips to the popular destinations of Tahoe, Mammoth and Big Bear to snowboard and even compete.

“Did I mention I’m a Mancer Dancer in the Lancer Dancer Showcase?” Curran said.

In his second year on the Mancer Dancer crew for the Lancer Dancer Showcase, Curran’s extensive involvement in extracurricular activities at school is far from average.

Displaying what it means to be a Lancer, Curran sets an excellent example of the student body here at Carlsbad.

photo by kyle veidt

Joe Curran competes in his last Cluster meet of the year at Guajome Park in the Boys JV race on Nov. 1.

“Living in Carlsbad has allowed me to do all of these incredible things at once, which gives me the opportunity to do what I love every day” said Curran.

sports 23

lancer express, volume 27, issue 3

Fall we want is winter A s the fall sports season came to an end, the autumn athletes passed on their torches to the athletes of the winter season. Football reached semi-finals for CIF, while girls volleyball made it to the finals and boys water polo did even better, swimming to another championship ring after a two year drought. Tennis also made it to CIF, advancing further than they have in the last four years. Golf made it to leagues and

defeated LCC securing regionals to finish eighth place overall. Boys cross country team made its presence felt at State for the second year even after loosing valuable seniors.

With the sun setting on fall, winter teams such as wrestling, girls and boys basketball, girls and boys soccer and girls water polo are about to take off a journey where all of their preseason work will be put to the test against other San Diego teams.

1.

1.

Boys Varsity football plays against the Grossmont Foothillers in the quarterfinal game in the CIF playoffs on Nov. 21. Senior Damaris Pulido catches a pass from Christian Chapman and runs the ball to the ten yard line, leading to a Lancer victory of 33-17. After the game, they went on to play San Pasqual in the semifinals on Nov. 27 where they unfortunate lost after a difficult game that concluded the Lancer’s strong season.

2.

photo by jacquelyn nakamura

2.

Freshman, Taylor Onstott, takes a shot in order to help the girls varsity water polo team win 17-8 over Ramona High School in their game on Dec. 13. The varsity team graduated a lot of seniors last year, leaving this year’s team very young. With the help of talented freshmen like Onstott, however, the team hope to earn a third consecutive CIF championship. photo by kyle veidt

3.

3.

The boys varsity soccer team defeats Mission Hills 1-0 on Friday, Dec. 13. Senior Juan Tovar looks to trap the ball out of the air and keep the team in possession. The Lancer squad will play Oceanside today away and hope to head into the break on a hot streak with the Southern California Soccer Classic right around the corner. photo by mikayla ferraro

24 lancer in the crowd

december 2013

Soaring to new heights tyra wu brooklyn o’neill staff writers

W

hile most people can only dream of flying, sophomore Grant Holve spends his days navigating through the clouds. Since the young age of four, Holve has aspired to become a pilot. His passion for aviation has prompted him to undergo the rigorous process to gain his pilot’s license. While the process is lengthy and involves several tests, Holve believes it is well worth the time and hard work.

“There is most definitely nothing else like it. That’s why I love it so much,” Holve said.

Although he has loved flying since he was young, Holve finds his inspiration for aviation through several pilots. However, his neighbor, a fellow pilot who recently passed away, inspires him most.

“He showed me that I could do something else in addition to aviation and gave me the tools to start flying,” Holve said.

With guidance from pilots and his family, Holve began the process to obtaining his pilot’s license in the summer of seventh grade, making him one of the few young pilots in training. Since then, he has attended flying lessons at Palomar Airport twice a month. Holve now plans to attend an aviation-based college to become a commercial pilot.

For now, he is focusing on passing the license test and going on his first solo flight next summer.

“Since I was young, it’s been my goal to solo across the US,” Holve said.

Holve believes that in order to become a successful

pilot, you need commitment, passion and the ability to multi-task: skills that he has worked for years to develop.

Maintaining a calm demeanor even in times of danger is essential for an activity as high-risk as aviation. As a young pilot, Holve has come across many challenges.

“For someone who’s young, it’s a lot more work and more nerve wracking than getting a driver’s license,” Holve said.

“

There is definitely nothing else like it.

That’s why I love it so much.

” grant holve

Holve’s flying lessons have taken him all throughout California, even as far as south LA. Once he has obtained his pilot’s license, Holve plans to embark on cross-country flights to several airports around the United States.

His passion for aviation has also led him to discover another hobby, photography. Through his photography Holve expresses his love for aviation and nature. He values the spontaneous nature of photography and utilizes it as a creative outlet.

“You can basically do anything with photography and create what you want,” Holve said.

Holve makes use of any spare time he has to take pictures. A self taught photographer, Holve sees photography as a way to showcase the important aspects of his life. Holve especially values the versatility of photography.

“I love that you can do just about anything with a camera,” Holve said.

In addition to his passion for aviation and photography, Holve also manages to find time to play volleyball. After watching his sister’s volleyball game, Holve decided to try it out and since then has been playing for two years. He has developed his skill by playing on his club team, Coast volleyball and our school’s team.

“It’s definitely a team sport in that beyond a good team, everybody has to be a good player. Any team can win any given day,” Holve said.

Despite his hectic schedule, Holve manages to balance his hobbies as well as his academic schedule. With flying, volleyball, photography and a social life, Holve utilizes some of his weekend time to finish homework. However, in order to become a commercial pilot, a college degree is required, so Holve places emphasis on doing well on school and plans to maintain a high GPA throughout high school.

“I don’t want to make my schedule too hard, but I will definitely take a few AP and honors classes,” Holve said.

Although the path to becoming a licensed pilot is challenging, Holve is adamant about his future career. For him, the adrenaline that comes from aviation is like no other. For hopeful pilots to be, Holve has some advice.

“If it’s something you’re interested in, you should try it out and if you love it, you should go for it,” Holve said.

In spite of his a busy schedule, Holve’s passion for his hobbies motivates him to set his goals high. After all, “for most people, the sky’s the limit. But for those who love aviation, it’s home.”

Sophomore Grant Holve flies a plane during one of his monthly aviation lessons at Palomar Airport. He has been taking lessons since seventh grade and hopes to receive his license next summer. photo courtesy of grant holve