Lancer Express 3.14.13

EX P R E S S

LANC R we have iss u e s.

carlsbad high school carlsbad, ca march 2013 volume 26, issue 5

Teletubbies to Teen Mom Does the media cause kids to grow up too fast? pg. 12-13

3

Grad Night update

11

Carlsbad dictionary

17

Speech and Debate

19

Drumline program

2 news

photo highlight

March 2013

photo by natasha menard In their Night With the Stars choral show on March 8, sophomore Grady McDermott, senior Alexandria Miller, junior Steven Dreifuss, and senior Julia Bradley get into character for Sound Express's 20 minute set, portraying animals that become humans and then return to being animals in the end. The show took place on two nights, March 7 and 8, and featured Carlsbad High's two advanced choirs, Chamber Singers and Sound Express. On March 7, choirs from Calavera and Valley Middle School performed, and on March 8, Carlsbad's own Encore performed as well.

news briefs

19

ASB and Student Council Apps Due

Best of the Best Assembly

28 - 29 Spring Break

15

22

ASB begins elections for Class Council, ASB

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W

A

ASB and Student Council Election

30 - 7

n a letter dating March 7 principal of Sage Creek, the controversial new high school that is bound to open next year, state that it would be open to only incoming freshman as ruled by the School Board on March 6. Previously stated by the School District that the new high school will enroll both freshman (current eighth graders) and sophomores (current CHS freshman), but now principal Morales stated that the school will be open for only incoming freshman. This change was due to the lack of enthusiasm on part of the current freshman as only 110 students signed up for changing school as compared to over 300 eighth graders consenting to going to Sage Creek. Morales states that it be not possible to provide the class of 2016 with full range of advertised programs of Sage Creek.

ith the arrival of spring, boys lacrosse started a fresh season. With the return of all of its starters from last year, the team is ready to face new challenges, opponents on their way to the CIF. Junior Spencer Buyer and senior Addison Sherwood, both committed to NCAA Division I colleges, lead the charge. Although the first game did not go in their favor, they showed great skill and prowess against Torrey Pines, San Diego’s top-ranked team.

This week our Lancer boys take on Scripps Ranch on Wednesday and Temecula Valley on Friday, both games at home at 7. At the same time girls lacrosse also took to the field with their sticks and balls. With games under their belt already the girls team proved themselves formidable opponents and contenders for the CIF title.

SB elections have begun and students now have the opportunity to elect people to be part of ASB. The elections take place on School Loop wherein students will have the opportunity to vote through a poll format. The elections take place on the 28th and 29th. Students can vote through School Loop only once. Additionally, there are applications for students to be able to be part of ASB without the elections. Through the application process, students will be interviewed by the President and Vice-President of ASB and with their approval students could become part of the ASB program. All students are encouraged to apply and vote in order to make sure the students have good representation in the coming school year.

act ivit ies

Grading period ends

Boys and girls lacrosse start new seasons

ath leti cs

March

Sage Creek will open for freshman only

academics

Calendar

news 3

lancer express, volume 26, issue 5

Class of 2013 chooses location of Grad Nite Grad Nite will be at Six Flags ryan eason staff writer

T

his year, Carlsbad seniors are going to have a different Grad Nite experience than preceding graduating classes. Whereas classes usually go to Disneyland without debate or controversy, the class of 2013 is not going to Disneyland, but instead had a choice between spending the evening at Six Flags or California Adventure.

Six Flags, located in Los Angeles, is known for attractions that focus more on adrenaline-inducing thrill rides than the more family-oriented California Adventure, a park within the famous Disneyland resort.

Many seniors are disillusioned. Students were looking forward to the traditional Grad Nite at the “Happiest Place on Earth”.

“I remember being a freshman and just dreaming about that trip to Disneyland and how much fun it would be,” senior Alexandria Miller said.

This year’s senior class had a choice between the two parks instead of the traditional Disneyland trip because when ASB contacted Disneyland, the park was not available.

“Heather Vaughn [senior Bryce Vaughn’s mother] did a lot of the work that we needed an adult to do,” senior class president Sebahar said. “She called Disneyland and they led her to believe that we couldn’t do it there, so she called Six Flags. Bryce came up with the idea for students to choose so that people could go to California Adventure if they wanted, which is pretty similar to Disneyland.”

However, there have been rumors that the change in location was due to inappropriate behavior by previous classes.

“I’ve heard that it’s not at Disneyland this year because of rumors that kids have been doing drugs the past couple of years,” senior Katie Ohlin said.

However, the behavior of the class of 2012 or classes previous had nothing to do with the change.

“Some people think that Carlsbad was the worst school last year or something and that that’s why we can’t go this year,” Sebahar said. “That’s not true.”

ASB members came to senior English classes to collect votes, and the results revealed Six Flags as the winner. Votes were the only factor that went into consideration: cost and/or convenience did not affect ASB’s decision.

“It was straight student democracy,” Sebahar said.

Some students feel differently. Many seniors were unable to vote, notably those in Ms. Parr’s English 4 AP class. These seniors are upset that they didn’t get to participate in the decision.

“I think its unfair because they didn’t ask all the people that are actually going,” said senior Christian Freeman, a student in Parr’s first period class. “I feel like a chef who had his best spice stolen by his pet monkey.”

Nevertheless, Sebahar insists that there is no revote.

As for upcoming Grad Nites, the future seems unclear. But ASB President Jackie Eghtesadi explains that Disneyland is a less likely option for next year than it has been previously.

“Since Disneyland gives you a spot when you spend Grad Nite there the previous year, and we’re having it at Six Flags this year, we won’t have that foot in the door we’ve had in years before,” ASB President Jackie Eghtesadi said.

Like the seniors, many members of the class of 2014 wanted a traditional Disneyland Grad Nite. But some, like junior Matthew Deemer, are not too upset with the choice between Six Flags and California Adventure.

“I wanted to go to Disneyland,” junior Matthew Deemer said. “But I’d go to California Adventure if I could vote. It seems very ‘us’ friendly.”

SOAPBOX

Which Grad Nite park did you vote for?

“

“

California Adventure because we couldn't go to Disneyland and that was closest.

California Adventure because I was looking forward to Disneyland and it is very Disneyoriented.

” Karina Bravo, 12

Alex Newby, 12

”

“

Despite all the change, many seniors, like Ohlin and Miller, are excited for the experience itself and won’t let the location determine the quality of the night.

“I am kind of sad that the senior class isn’t going to Disneyland this year,” Miller said. “But I also think Six Flags is a really fun place and a great replacement.”

Ohlin also sees the bright side of the situation, and figures that senior memories are senior memories and have to be appreciated as they come.

“Even though it’s not at Disneyland, going to Grad Nite with all my friends is a memory I want to have,” Ohlin said. “It’s a very unique experience, regardless of which amusement park we go to.”

“

Six Flags because that's somewhere we don't get to go to all the time and it would be more memorable.

Destiny Girley, 12

I voted for Six Flags because the rides are more exhilarating.

Matthew Kenney, 12

”

”

“

I didn't vote. They didn't come to my class.

”

Cameron Hart, 12

4 news

March 2013

Furlough days spark controversy Teachers and students stay home to cut spending eric hammond staff writer

M

any students at Carlsbad High have never waken up on a snowy December morning, never rushed to their window and seen a blanket of frozen water covering the streets, and never watched in heightened anticipation to see if their school was a part of the national social-cultural phenomenon known as a “snow day”.

However, this year, Carlsbad students are experiencing something similar.

No, there has not been a drastic change in Southern California’s warm climate.

But there has been an implementation of the “furlough day”; a day off of school designed to adapt to the tight budget.

There are two types of furlough days; instructional furlough days and noninstructional furlough days. Instructional furlough days are days off during which students would have attended school like regular, and non-instructional furlough days are days off during which teachers would have come to school for educational training, but students would have had off anyway.

Whether instructional or non-instructional, many students are happy with the concept of furlough days.

“I think furlough days are great,” freshman Lance Klausner said. “After all, nothing beats being able to miss school.”

Yet not all are thrilled by the new policy. A day off of school for students is also a day off for teachers. Teachers do not receive pay on these furlough days, and the campus is closed (unlike early-release Thursdays when teachers remain on campus). Thus, some teachers feel not only victimized by the new days off, but also think that they have detrimental effects elsewhere.

“They affect teachers negatively because they affect income,” math teacher Ms. Purnell said. “They affect students negatively because they affect what you’re supposed to learn during the school year. It also affects the district negatively because eventually it will drop your API score.”

cts a F h g u o l Fast Fur - Furlough days are unpaid days of leave for federal employes.

With fewer days of school to teach, lesson plans have to fit into a smaller amount of time as the state of California requires teachers to meet a certain curriculum despite the furlough days. Some argue that this is not beneficial academically.

“Furlough days are dangerous for the school because it robs us of our education, which can give us disadvantages later in life,” sophomore Sean Maple said.

Some teachers are stressed as a result of the shorter amount of time to fit in the same amount of education.

“It’s a nightmare,” Spanish teacher Mrs. Wakefield said. “In some of my classes, we use every single day. I have to give my students time to prepare with lessons, and I’m struggling covering what I’m supposed to cover before this year ends, and before my students have to take the final. I don’t want to short change anybody. I have to be very careful with what I cut.”

The current construction on the school and the upcoming opening of Sage Creek High School has caused many to wonder how we can afford advancements and renovations, but struggle to keep and pay teachers.

Purnell points out that part of the answer lies in the pockets of the citizens of Carlsbad.

“The building and supplying comes from the grant (a type of funding to an organization), which comes from other money and resources such as taxpayers,” Purnell said.

Some teachers are frustrated also because they feel like the district was not as responsible as they could have been about the distribution of the funds they were given.

“Two years ago, the board should have backed off on their spending, and held on to the bond they were given,” Wakefield said. “The fact that these funds could have been used towards the running of the school instead of having students and teachers pay for it is inconsolable. It may be even slightly dishonest.”

Carlsbad currently has one more furlough day left in the year on May 24th.

- The goal in this program is to provide the California government a chance to manage the budget by not having to pay some hundreds of thousands of employees for one day.

- This creates tension between the government and federal employees who have been forced to comply with these mannerisms in order to manage our stateʼs budget.

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editorial 7

lancer express, volume 26, issue 5

Early morning agendas are incomplete without CHSTV editorial board

M

ornings are tough. School mornings are even tougher.

Waking up before the sun does, leaving at the crack of dawn to (hopefully) find a parking spot, literally crawling into class, trying desperately to stay awake...teenagers are not morning people.

Thus, first and second period tend to move slower than periods later in the day. Not nearly as many students participate, unable to find the energy to raise their hands. Teachers work hard to fine-tune their lesson plans, using first period as a guinea pig to try out new teaching techniques.

All the while, both parties try to fight nature’s circadian rhythm, our internal clocks obviously protesting the early morning schedule of public school.

And in this early morning flurry, students and teachers both neglect a very important responsibility...CHSTV. Our school has the best student broadcast program in the nation. Yet, an increasing number of students and teachers forgo watching CHSTV. Some teachers justify their habit of opting out of airing CHSTV by saying it detracts from their class time with students; time these students really need to prepare for further educational escapades. While this is true—students do need every minute possible under instruction to further themselves intellectually— the idea that CHSTV takes a significant chunk away from class time is a bit of an overstatement.

CHSTV starts every day (save the few days a year when they attend their national convention, such as last week) at approximately 9:20 each morning.

The ten minute program only takes up 8% of first period, which is actually the longest period of the day at 120 minutes compared to the 117 minutes of period three and 118 minutes of period five.

Teachers who refuse to play CHSTV regularly, thinking that the time is better spent teaching, are denying their students many opportunities by taking away their connection to the rest of the school. CHSTV provides students with information otherwise difficult to find or unavailable to the average student.

Dr. Steitz, Ms. Nasser, and many others have worked diligently to create a sense of community at CHS, something the campus has lacked in past years.

Students this year are closer than ever, narrowing the gap between cliques as more students include themselves in school-wide activities. CHSTV has played a crucial role in this shift, alerting students to events and sports games.

In their ten minute live production, students in CHSTV provide a comprehensive news program while developing their skills as prospective broadcast journalists.

Between the general announcements, club updates and sport recaps, CHSTV also profiles various students on campus, providing important insight into characters otherwise unseen by most of the student body.

CHSTV works hard to not only find stories, but also present them in a very professional, interesting way. Many years of practice has honed their ability to produce material students not only need to know, but enjoy watching.

And this year they have developed their livestreaming, giving out-of-town relatives and students unable to attend sporting games quality coverage of a myriad of sporting games.

Miss the livestream? Just wait until later in the week; chances are the CHSTV students will also have a commentary outlining the game in language simple enough for anyone to understand.

However, students and staff miss all of these developments by either not airing the program or, worse, not paying attention. CHSTV is way too good to serve as background noise to your conversation.

Adding to their lengthy list of accomplishments, CHSTV has recently paired up with the Lancer Link to produce a four part series outlining the effects of drunk driving. Steering Teens Straight incorporates a documentary style approach to the fabricated death of two students as a result of driving under the influence.

The segments air every few weeks on CHSTV, updating students on the status of the student actors depicting the real-life consequences of driving under the influence. The first installment of the series, a 15 minute dramatization of the fatal crash in the CHS parking lot, aired in early March.

Yet, ask a given group of CHS students about Steering Teens Straight, and very few will provide an accurate description of both the program or the first installment. Why? Not many students and teachers actually watched it.

CHSTV works hard to produce a daily program at a professional caliber. And, yet, students and teachers alike do not appreciate this program to the extent it deserves. Saying congratulations for winning category after category is one thing, paying attention to the daily program is another. Only one really supports the program.

Wake up and realize the privilege that is CHSTV.

this is a cartoon

lancer publications

staff writers section editors, print kelsey aijala julie ambo kathleen dooley editors-in-chief, chase heck talia cain print nicolas dmitriev ryan eason shannon casey managing editor alex gnibus emilee foltz garrett snyder allie gordon editors-in-chief, copy editor aj johnson online eric hammond jennifer kim john hankforth jack beetham bryanna mundy section editors, online riley hoffman jessica jenkins scott de taboada zak jones juliet luty savanna kanester

trina kim julius koch vlad korobkin matt la bounty emily matteson kaylee pitts scott snow haley spanier robert sweeney jenna tarantino blogger madison dearie

editorial policy

multimedia michael ricci sarah scudder

amanda navarro As a public forum for student alice pecoraro expression, Lancer Express omar ortega

head of photo, online seannie bryan

design jb berkowitz eric tarter aislinn bryan

head of photo, print natasha menard

artists tyler grove jeff schaefer

photographers jared cohn sierra gomperts

business jalen lovato ashley odom

welcomes letters to the editor, but reserves the right to refuse inappropriate or anonymous letter. Letters must be directed to room 3104 or to the editorin-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 opinions

March 2013

Students under pressure do not turn into diamonds shannon casey editor-in-chief

I

t’s mental breakdown season.

Between quickly approaching AP tests to the looming knowledge that finals lie just around the corner, students can definitely feel the increasing pressure of second semester.

And second semester brings far more stress than first semester and understandably so. The material gets harder, the tests get longer, the teachers get tougher.

Then factor in the amount of stress that stems from circumstances other than school...family, friends, sports, clubs, extracurriculars, puberty...

Soon enough, students are drowning in a sea of stress, and we were never taught how to swim.

As much as we hate to admit it, stress is quickly becoming a taboo subject. In a world where vulnerability can ruin a reputation—and where vulnerability and stress are synonymous— more and more people choose to closet their stress, opting instead to slap a smile on their face and push their troubles farther and farther into the dark.

And, consequently, by not talking about stress, many teenagers take it upon themselves to find solutions to their everyday woes.

While some students find healthy, proactive ways to keep their stress levels under wraps—exercising to blow off steam, creating art to promote clarity of mind, prioritizing to better manage time—the majority of students develop unhealthy habits due to their inability to address and conquer their stressors. Teenagers, infamous for their ability to make bad decisions, create escapes that only temporarily deal with their problems.

Partying, reckless driving, substance abuse, excessive sleeping, over/under eating, promiscuity, procrastinating...all provide an opportunity for teenagers to forget their troubles and all line the very base of the metaphorical pyramid of coping mechanisms by health level.

Among these lowly coping mechanisms is probably the most taboo of all: self-injury.

An increasing number of young people are turning to self-injury as a means of relieving their tired minds in an effort to feel something other than the stress of the situation.

Based on information from the Boys Town National Hotline, the crisis hotline provided by Parenting.org received 696 calls relating to selfinjury in 2007. By 2011, that number had tripled to 2,052. More alarmingly, 79% of these self-injury

calls came from minors.

Self-injury encompasses a myriad of behaviors including cutting, hitting, burning and assorted destructive practices.

It all starts as an impulse. You get stressed out to the point where nothing seems rational except the backwards logic behind hurting yourself. You try it, and realize that the sense of control can temporarily silence the negative feelings stemming from your lack of perceived control.

Then, the euphoria wears off, muffled by the guilt of self-injury. The possibility of people discovering your “dirty secret” causes you to panic, stressing you out even more before.

And then the vicious cycle kicks in.

You harm to feel better, and then feel any worse... leading to even more harm. All the while, you make absolutely no progress in confronting your stressors, instead withdrawing from loved ones and friends in fear of disapproval.

Trust me, I’ve been there.

Sophomore year, a series of changes in my life happened faster then I could adapt to them.

In a last-ditch effort to control the uncontrollable, I turned to the one thing I could control: my own body. I mangled my own body in a desperate attempt to gain some sort of control. And after they took my physical weapons away, I turned my own body against me.

Therapy and support from my family and peers guided me down the road to recovery, rewiring my brain to associate hurting myself with unacceptable behavior. I learned tactics like prioritization (in

the grand scheme of things, skipping a three point homework assignment to study for a 50 point test will be more beneficial) and mindfulness, the art of living in the moment.

But, most importantly, the whole process taught me the importance of educating others about the potential dangers, both obvious and emotional, of self harm...dangers the community is becoming increasingly aware of.

Due to the increasing popularity of self-harm as a mean of coping, a large population of internet bloggers and psychologists widely refer to March as Self-Harm Awareness Month (an unofficial extension of the March 1st Self-Harm Awareness Day)—a period dedicated to educating people about the growing phenomenon.

Destructive habits as a means to cope with stress are completely avoidable, an ideal embodied by an increasing number of organizations such as To Write Love On Her Arms and the Butterfly Project.

Changing the way people talk about stress could potentially save all of these people who feel they have no other options but to hurt themselves.

Changing the way stress is viewed—viewing it as an inevitable fact of life as opposed to an excuse for the weak and hurting—could promote a more nurturing, innovative environment to find solutions for those suffering from stress (ahem, everyone).

Remember: Self-harm is a symptom of something else, and is completely avoidable. If you or someone you know is thinking about and/or hurting themselves, please seek help with the school nurse or psychologist, or the Boys Town National Hotline at 1(800)488-300. We’re all here to help.

Productive ways to combat stress:

T

eenagers that feel the pressures of adolescence too often do not know how to properly deal with their stressors. Many turn to unhealthy habits such as overeating, substance abuse, sleeping and withdrawal as

Change your stressor: Avoid

Alter

While no one goes looking for stressful situations, some students find them to be completely unavoidable. However, avoiding situations, people, conversational topics and excess responsibilities can greatly reduce everyday stress.

Being assertive, yet flexible, and voicing your opinion can diffuse the tension of a bad situation. For example, fretting over a deadline that seems infeasible ? Try talking to the teacher and coming to a compromise.

passive techniques to reduce their stress. However, these tactics only result in numbing sufferers of stress of their troubles, which will only reappear later. Instead, when you’re stressed out, remember the four A’s...

Change your attitude:

you can’t change what’s stressing you Adapt If out, learn to change your own attitude towards the situation. Focus on the positive in the situation and learn to really prioritize due to important. Don’t stress the small stuff.

Accept When all else fails, realize that you can not control the uncontrollable. Accept the situation knowing that you can not change anything. In this instance, talking and sharing your feelings is very cathartic and can prevent meltdowns.

SAD, BAD, RAD

Imagine a life under the constant eye of the public. Sounds stressful, right? Now, add a meltdown to the mix...

Tiger Woods

The PGA tour does not always attract the attention of the “average joe” flipping through his television guide. However, in 2009 the world saw a catastrophe involving a famous athlete and a former Swedish model. When it comes to Tiger Woods, one of the former faces of Nike, many just shake their head sadly. Once at the top of the professional golf world and viewed as one of America’s finest athletes, Tiger’s sex scandals have definitely taught us one lesson: just don’t do it.

SAD

Lindsay Lohan

Remember that cute girl in The Parent Trap? What about that charming exchange student in Mean Girls? The ginger that won us over in our childhoods only ever surfaces on the news now to remind us that moral purity evaporates faster than hot water in the middle of Texas in August. It’s difficult to use a sentence about her without at least alluding to drugs or jail. Her descent is a rather sobering example of the dangers of teenage stardom.

BAD

Britney Spears

2007 was a rough year for us all. Remember middle school? Probably not, if Freud’s theory of repression holds. But no one had it worse than Britney Spears. Between a dissipating marriage, public freakouts and some pantyless partying, Britney not only hit rock bottom, but hit rock bottom with a shaved head.

However, look at Britney now and you would never guess that the bald woman yielding an umbrella has made it above and beyond expectations. Props, Brit, you did it again.

RAD

opinions 9

lancer express, volume 26, issue 5

‘tis (always) the season to help the homeless robert sweeney staff writer

I

’d like to start by thanking my dad for inspiring me on this piece.

Every time the holiday season rolls around (Yes, I know it’s March), people tend to be more generous to those in need, and volunteer in places such as soup kitchens, or donating old clothes and toys. All of you should be proud of what you’ve done. What’s better than helping out the less fortunate? Give yourselves a pat on the back.

For about three weeks, those in poverty are happier than ever. With so many kind souls giving their time to help, who wouldn’t be happy?

Too bad there are 49 other weeks in the year.

After the holidays, many seem to move on with their lives, with a satisfied feeling, knowing they helped someone in

need. However, it’s not like the homeless and others are suddenly fine after you’ve helped.

For many, they know after the holidays they’ll have to endure months of freezing weather (Don’t forget, most homeless people aren’t in Southern California. Try living in Boston or Chicago for a winter and tell me how it goes, San Diego.). Then comes another summer and fall, trying to get away with scraps and loose change, with few people volunteering to help them.

This is where my dad comes in.

He made it his New Year’s Resolution to volunteer at least twice a month, in order to keep the homeless happy year-round.

After talking to a few people at his work about his resolution, he received options of where he could volunteer left and right.

Obviously, that makes it easy to pitch in anywhere around San Diego.

Why doesn’t everyone do this? It takes up about six hours a month. That’s a day of school, something every student clearly is able to handle.

All of you who volunteer during the

holidays, isn’t the feeling great when the homeless are overjoyed at the food you gave them? There isn’t any better feeling than making someone happy, and knowing that you positively impacted their lives.

So why not do that more frequently in the year. It helps you and them.

Where to Volunteer.

Community Resource Center

-One can volunteer as a Thrift Shop worker for just shifts of two hours.

-650 Second Street -Encinitas, CA, 92024

Bread of Life Rescue Mission

-Operates a Soup Kitchen and a Sunday Chapel Service -1919 Apple Street, Suite I Oceanside, CA 92054

Hope Food Bank

-713 N Escondido Blvd Escondido, CA - 92025

Fill-a-Belly

- Every Tuesday at 7pm at Holiday Park (It’s only a mile away from the high school), hosts an event where people of all ages volunteer to help those in need.

Military recruiting on campus Should we allow it at Carlsbad? vlad korobkin staff writer

pring has come S at last to our campus and military

recruiters followed right behind it. Yes, those ones with the Hummers full of decals, a pull up bar, the free items in return for filling out a form with personal information and the usual lunch-time harassment of any passing by guy.

A clause in the No Child Left Behind Act, signed by former president Bush, allows unrestricted access for the military personal to the schools who receive them, like Carlsbad High.

Multiple times while walking across the campus at lunch, I have been stopped and lectured by the uniformed men about joining the Army or Marines. It was more than an inconvenience; it was harassment.

One of my biggest concerns over recruitment on campus is the age at which the military deems appropriate for boys to be classified as soldiers.

With the consent of a single parent, a 17-year-old with a high school diploma or a GED is fair game for a tour in Afghanistan or service on a Navy vessel, yet is still a minor who can’t even be called a full member of society because of the many restrictions placed on him.

The government doesn’t trust 17-year-olds to vote, be on juries, buy alcohol or place wagers, yet it gives them full control of a three ton war machine

with more weapons than holes in Swiss protecting us from known and unknown cheese. enemies, they should not have to be sold Would you trust the boy sitting next the idea of doing this. to you in class with a machine gun or More or less, this is coercion, just better yet a torpedo or a missile? You with the promises of a machine gun and might not, but the Army sure would! a lanyard. Free will diminishes in the Growing up in an age where the choice whether or not to enlist since most fighting or war a teenager has a specific, directed pressure from the seen involves the awe inspiring Master advertiser is forcefully pressuring you to Chief in Halo or bazooka- toting John clearly choose one side, not another.

MacTavish from the The high school Call of Duty: Modern students who excel in Although recruitment their studies and show Warfare series, our of high school generation has skewed leadership abilities are perceptions of war. to attend a students is immoral encouraged They see it as an military academy such as and should be innocent game where the famous West Point. “players” get to take a There, cadets earn a four reformed, it is still break when they run year degree in any field much better than out of caffeine during they pursue equal to other options. a night dedicated to that of an Ivy League for “gaming it up” instead free, graduate as officers of a months long dedication to vigilant in the armed forces, not as enlisted protection of U.S. interests abroad. soldiers, and leave with commanding In a battle zone, you can’t “respawn” positions in the military. or have your BFF come over and Students who do not meet the “revive” you from a shot to the head. In requirements to enter the academies reality, you have missing limbs, dead must enlist as privates in the armed friends, mental disorders and shell forces and only after serving at least one shock. tour can he reap the benefits of the free Boys will be boys and every education that the military promotes. A generation was, is and will be interested private can only become an officer after in playing war games up until the hard enrolling in an officer training program reality strikes them and knocks them off after completing a tour in the armed their feet. forces.

Also, the whole moral behind this The armed force’s weapon of choice shady business is wrong. If someone when it comes to recruiting is simply truly wants to join the rank of the heroic not telling the whole truth, instead men and women on the front lines highlighting the facts it wants students

“

”

to see instead of presenting a clear picture. It focuses the attention of the potential soldiers on the benefits they receive from enlisting rather than warning of the (very abundant) dangers that arise.

The recruiters talk about the potential education under privileged students can earn, traveling around the world, meeting new people, looking quite dashing in their uniforms and being the fist of democracy in a crusade for world peace.

What they fail to mention are the elevating suicide rates among first-tour soldiers, sharp increases in PTSD, drug and alcohol abuse after service and the high chance of being wounded or losing your life fighting in a dangerous country.

It’s as if they purposely blind the students to the most important, yet very concerning facts and choose which information to give to them and which to not. This course of action doesn’t sound very democratic to me.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I am not unpatriotic, I simply believe that America and her highly praised armed forces don’t have to stoop to such low level as taking teens as soldiers when it has such a high surplus of patriots over the age of 21.

Although recruitment of high school students should be reformed, it is still better than other options. Conscription, a recruitment tool used by most countries all over the world, blindly robs mothers of their children for four years.

lancer express, volume 26, issue 5

Carls•bad dic•tion•ar•y kathleen dooley

I

editor

student life

11

Defining a student-created language

f you mobbed another high school’s campus, you’d probably run into a bunch on groms frothing about whatever sick movie they saw last weekend, or how gnarly the surf has been lately. Well, probably not...

Spend a day in a high school outside of Carlsbad and you will notice the students function on a completely different set of colloquialisms. We aren’t entirely sure how a high school’s or region’s lingo comes about, but we are certain that we hear students using some pretty interesting words—we’re often guilty ourselves. In the end, we all make sense to each other, but we sound

totally stupid to outsiders or those not in our generation. Lancer Express compiled a running list of words and phrases our students say, attempting to explain some of them ourselves, and letting seniors Derek Doszkocs, Levi Sebahar and Tyler Pahl, and English teachers Mr. Jeff Spanier and Ms. Christine Parr do the rest. Surprisingly enough, some of the most consistent users of Carlsbad’s personalized language found trouble formally explaining their lingo, and as for teachers, well they just think we sound silly.

chs dictionary bail (beyl) v. This one may require referencing our other definitions. 1. When you’re in a sketchy situation, or barred sesh—whatever you want to call it—and need to get out, you leave, or bail.

2. Also used in casual conversation as a synonym for leave. This word can simply be used in a sentence such as “Everyone is leaving, let’s bail” or “I’m going to bail, I have to be home by 11.”

barred sesh (bahrd sesh) n. Barred, most likely referring to prison bars, and sesh being short for session, when put together refer to a situation that is ruined by a number of possible reasons, whether it be the police, parents, an injury, or just some random complication.

“A barred sesh is when you’re having a good time and everything goes wrong; someone either gets hurt or someone gets in trouble pretty badly,” Doszkocs said. bro/brah (broh/brah) n. Although bro has come to refer to a guy who drives big trucks out to the desert to ride dirt bikes, using the words bro or brah usually just adds an air of casualty or friendliness to conversation. fro•thing (frawth-ing) adj. Usually heard coming from the mouths of

surfers, frothing describes the sense of excitement felt when witnessing big surf or basically anything else which excites them.

“Frothing means super excited, it’s when you see something that is just epic like as a grom, you just want to get at it and mob it,” Doszkocs said.

gnar•ly (nahr-lee) adj. The rest of the country dubs gnarly the word of

Southern California. Basically anything can be gnarly as long as it goes beyond the regular intensity of everyday life.

“If something is gnarly; it’s just an amplifier. It can be good or bad. If something is gnarly it can be scary or it can be awesome. Gnarly just amplifies whatever is occurring,” Sebahar said.

“If something is gnarly, it’s beyond totally awesome, but also tough,” Spanier said.

“Hectic, intimidating, or awesome. It can be all three at the same time,” Doszkocs.

grom (grohm) n. Living in a beach town, it is not uncommon to see young

guys with long-matted-blond hair, wetsuit-neck tans, and peeling noses; these are groms.

“A young adult, teenager, adolescent; whatever, that surfs, skates, or

bail • swag snowboards,” Doszkocs said.

“I think a grom is a new surfer, not an experienced one.” Parr

mob (mob) v. 1. Although mob is known formally as a noun, meaning a threatening group of people, Carlsbad kids have changed it to use as a verb meaning, well….we aren’t entirely positive.

“A big group of out of control people.” Parr said.

2. As students described the word, we realized mob, although it holds the same basic meaning however it is used, can be used in so many different ways, it’s hard to keep track.

“Mob can mean just go somewhere, to do something with intent. No dillydallying, it’s direct,” Sebahar said.

“It can be used literally or figuratively, like ‘I’ve been thinking about something but I don’t know if I should say it.’ ‘No just mob it,’” Doszkocs said.

“You can mob intangible things, you can mob a place, you can mob a person, you can mob a food, and you can mob inanimate objects too.” prime (prahym) adj. First rate; the best for the situation.

“Perfect for whatever situation,” Sebahar said.

sick (sik) adj. We’re sure this drives the generation above us crazy.

Describing something as sick means that thing is awesome, or really cool.

“Sick does not literally mean ill, even though ill can have the same casual connotation. It just means cool,” Sebahar said.

“Not feeling well, but I’ve also heard students use it to mean ‘gnarly,’” Spanier said. ex) “This is going to sound stupid, but ‘that movie was sick,’” Parr said to exemplify how she hears students using the word sick.

sketch•y (skech-ee) adj. Sketchy describes things or situations that make a person uneasy. Also used is ‘janky’ when talking about something that is sketchily made.

“Sketchy means really scary or just hectic,” Pahl said. “’I’m not really sure,’ is what I think sketchy means,” Spanier said. swag (swag) n. It’s hard to put an exact definition to the word swag. 1. Some

see swag as describing a person who has some sort of infinite cool and effortless style.

2. Others see it as having negative connotation toward kids who try too hard.

“Someone who has swag is ostentatious and stuck-up,” Parr said.

12 march 2013

featu

Indecent Exposu F

or most kids, there’s no escaping it. In a generation where the TV is man’s best friend, a cell phone that can’t do your homework is considered barbaric, and a kid is lame if they DON’T spend their weekends on the couch alone watching Netflix. The media is more prominent than ever in the lives of youth.

With the rise of TV shows like “Skins,” “Gossip Girl,” “Breaking Bad” and “South Park,” generations of children are now growing up watching content normally reserved for adult audiences. The average kid watches about four hours of TV per day. Chances are, it’s four hours of glamorized substance abuse, violent killings, promiscuity and profanity. Not to mention iPods full of explicit song material and never-ending feeds of risque graphics and phrases on all social media sites.

“It influences their actions and mindset toward how they act in their day-to-day lives,” senior Erika Leal said. “It teaches them habits based off of what they see and hear.”

So what is happening to the young viewers who are exposed to increasingly scandalous media? When the TV screen goes blank, do kids go back to their daily lives, unchanged by what they watched? Or are their attitudes, perceptions and behaviors altered forever after they’ve hit the power button on the remote?

According to the American Psychiatric Association, there’s no doubt about it--

media has a huge and dangerous impact on kids. The biggest finding in research on mass media is that “exposure to media portrayals of violence increases aggressive behavior in children.” Indeed, an overwhelming number of studies show that media with violent or sexual content has an adverse effect on young audiences.

The numbers don’t lie--statistics and studies show that media definitely affects the mind. A study done at the University of Michigan attributes 10% of youth violence to television alone, and another study conducted by RAND and published in “Pediatrics” showed that kids with higher exposure to sex on TV were twice as likely to initiate sex, compared to kids with lower exposure.

And there’s no shortage of real-life examples, increasing as media delivers an early affect on children. Violent video games like Call of Duty were recently discovered in the basement of Sandy Hook killer Adam Lanza-- he reportedly spent hours playing them, a fact that led the NRA president to point to violent video games as a cause of gun violence. People question whether the media changes the youth’s moral perspective.

“The media of today manipulates the ideals of today’s youth, rather than allowing their personal gravity direct them to their happiness.” senior Shayan Hosseini said.

In the wake of the debate over limiting violence and other explicit content in

AP Psychology teacher Mr. Shinnefield on the psychology behind the media’s negative effects on children’s behavior.

Lancer Express: Has it been scientifically proven that violence in the media causes violent behavior among kids?

Shinnefield: There was actually a recent story in the news about that. The evidence wasn’t as conclusive as previously thought. The evidence was a little mixed, but the prevailing idea has been that violence in the media desensitizes kids. In other words, it’s been found that violence in the media doesn’t necessarily cause violence-- it doesn’t trigger someone to perform a violent act, but if a kid was to witness a violent act (in the media), they would tend not to be as empathetic. They wouldn’t be as shocked, either.

LE: Do you think sexual content in the media has an effect on behavior among younger audiences?

S: I think what might happen is, depictions in movies, TV shows, etc. overrepresent what’s really happening. It can lead people to think that certain behaviors are happening more than they actually are.

They think, “Everyone else is doing it. Why shouldn’t I?” LE: As both a psychology teacher and a parent, how do you approach controlling your kids’ exposure to the media?

S: I really try to limit video games, TV programs, even the news. My wife and I try not to expose our daughters to the news partly because it exposes them to violence, but also because it’s an issue of not wanting to promote anxiety. Young children can be exposed to things on the news and be anxious about the world.

LE: How can parents predict whether their children are likely to be affected by violence in the media?

S: There’s a correlation between violence in video games and violent behavior; however, this is for the 5% of kids who are more prone to anger and have aggressive tendencies. If a kid has traits of aggression and stress, it’s predictive of bullying. Parental involvement and peer support help; well-adjusted kids are less at risk.

lancer express, volume 26, issue 5

ture

ure

n

ia

d

nt

ng d.

alex gnibus

editor-in-chief

jessica jenkins staff writer

savanna kanester staff writer

13

What is your opinion on the influence that violence in video games has on teenagers and their morals?

Adam Abdallah, 9

“I don’t think it has an influence on teenagers. It has no reason to affect them.”

the media, what can students do to prevent further negative behavior? They can educate themselves. By becoming aware of the way media crafts youth, students can limit their time spent on electronic devices and social media sites. An awareness of the separation from media and reality can help students from falling into the traps that many forms of media create.

So instead of being glued to the television screen, put down the controller and venture outside to some alternative activities such as hiking, surfing, sitting down with a cup of coffee, or reading your favorite book. According to the National Wildlife Federation, “the average American boy or girl spends just four to seven minutes in unstructured outdoor play each day, and more than seven hours each day in front of an electronic screen”. Switching from electronic to outdoor stimulation can reduce stress, and improve outlooks on life. Although it would be unreasonable to completely eliminate these things from everyday encounters-- say, playing Angry Birds on the phone or turning on the morning news-- the benefits of limiting exposure to them can greatly improve the health and mentality of students and should become more of a priority in their packed academic schedules.

Emma Allen, 11 “Its influence depends on the amount you play them. The more you use it the more influence it has.”

How do you know if you’re too young for that show?

Many kids and their parents don’t understand the real meaning of TV rating guidelines.

TV-Y

TV-G

Acceptable for all children

General audiences

TV-7

TV-PG

Children 7 and older

Parental guidance is suggested

TV-14

TV-MA

Parents are strongly cautioned

Mature audiences only

Explicit

FV

Songs with, you guessed it, explicit content

Family violence, most think it means “family viewing”

design by Rick Tarter

Robert Mahin, 10 “The more video games you play the less you think of the human life.”

Erica Wissman, 12 “People are a product of their environment; if they are exposed to [violence] too much it will affect their behavior.”

14profile

March 2013

Social swap sheds new light on student groups chase heck editor

I

n a school as large and diverse as CHS, there are countless activities in which students can participate. These extra-curriculars can range from sports teams to academic leagues, music groups to dance crews. As a result, students rarely branch out from the group they affiliate with most directly. Football players

Before

After

e ell No

i: rd ca Ac

Lancer Express: What is your initial opinion of band and orchestra?

Noelle Accardi: I think they’re very hard working, I’ve never really talked to any of them, I feel like they’re all kinda like friends with each other. Everyone’s kind of clique-y. I definitely think they’re nice people.

LE: How similar or different are your groups?

NA: I’d definitely say the cheerleaders are more outgoing and I guess more like “peppy” overall. But we both have same the goal to get the crowd spirited, and we both work hard for what we want and have competitions. I really respect the band, I’ve heard that they compete a lot and do well in competitions. And they always sound great.

LE: Do you think you’d get along with someone from band or orchestra?

NA: We both want to get the crowd excited and spirited and we both have Se goals, we’re both very hard working. ni I think I’d get along with them, r, and as a whole I think they’re pretty easy to get along with people.

o

rarely spend time with Speech and Debate members, and you’ll hardly ever catch a bando outside of the band room. The fact is, most Carlsbad students know very little about other groups on campus. In order to give groups a chance to learn more about one another, Lancer Express has taken two members of very opposite organizations, and allowed them to spend time amongst the other.

Because seniors usually have found their place in a group, Lancer Express switched cheerleader Noelle Accardi and orchestra member Sarah Cho, in hopes that these two “opposite” people would find some common ground.

Ch ee r

Before

Sara

hC ho :S Lancer Express: How was your en time spent together? io SC: We went to Carls Jr. and talked while r,

After

we were there eating and I got to learn a lot O r about cheerleading and what they do. Cheerleading is not a class... that surprised me. Orchestra and Band is an actual class you get credit for, but cheerleading is actually self -volunteered. It’s like a club that you join for no credit at all... It shocked me. We really got along well.

LE: Did you learn anything about cheer?

SC: Definitely the music program with instruments devote a bit more time in class and outside of school with practices.

There aren’t many similarities. One thing is that they do competitions, but that’s something they have to try out for which isn’t true for music programs. But they are similar in that both groups have positions. Like in Orchestra we have sections like violin, cello, and bass and I don’t quite remember all the cheer positions but I know that Noelle is a flier where she’s on the top being lifted and thrown.

LE: Sum up the experience.

SC: It was a great experience for sure, meeting new people and socializing.

I’m glad I got to know her more. I’m glad I got to know cheerleading more, all I knew is that they cheer for other people, and I’m really glad that I got to know more about them.

es ch

a tr

Lancer Express: What is your initial opinion of cheerleading?

Sarah Cho: Being in band, football games, you always see them cheering people on... they’re very athletic. It’s like one different category of sports, like orchestra or band I think cheerleading has their own category, too.

LE: How similar or different are your groups?

SC: From orchestra to cheerleading, first off I think one’s more of a sport and the other is a music group. I just think they don’t even fall in the same category. In orchestra there’s a lot of different people, and I’d think that’s true in a cheerleading squad, too. If you see the orchestra group you see there’s a lot of different people with a lot of different personalities, and I think that’d be the same for cheerleading.

LE: Do you think you’d get along with a cheerleader?

SC: I don’t think they’d be different to hang out with than any other person I think they’d be more social, though, forsure. They’re peppy, happy personality, I’m thinking would definitely be good for social skills.

LE: How was your time spent together?

NA: We went to Carls Jr. and her friends drove and they just kind of told me all about the difference between band and orchestra and they were really nice and really fun. I expected it to be a lot more quiet and awkward but they were super welcoming and they were really loud; it was really fun.

LE: Did you learn anything about orchestra?

NA: I learned that they compete a ton. I mean I knew they competed but not that much. AND I didn’t know that band and orchestra have their own class periods.

LE: Are you more or less similar than you originaly thought?

NA: We’re more similar than I thought we would be. I guess there’s like different cliques in band and cheer and stuff, and there’s drama in both groups and we both kind of try to stand back. We’re similar as people in that we’re both very friendly and it’s really easy for us to get along.

LE: Sum up the experience.

NA: It was definitely really eye opening and I’m really glad that I did it because it was interesting to be able to get along with other people I don’t know. We’re so different but we’re actually so similar.

But I never would have know that unless I did this and I thought that was really cool.

profile 17

lancer express, volume 26, issue 5

A day in the life of a speech and debate competitor kelsey aijala staff writer

I

t may be called speech and debate but it should be called speech and debate and drama and comedy and politics and, above all else, camaraderie.

During a typical speech and debate competition, students compete in one or more events which showcase their talents of public expression. They speak on a plethora of topics and issues in a variety of styles ranging from serious and informative to

humorous and entertaining.

Even though it’s a competition and the students ultimate aim is to bring home a trophy, it has the feel of a social gathering.

In between events you can find students from different schools discussing their topics and intermingling—in addition to the eccentric traditions of speech and debaters.

“I broke!” and “I made my judge cry!” are commonly expressed with glee, while others can be found talking to walls, trees and other inanimate objects in order to prepare for their event. It may

seem odd anywhere else, but it’s embraced at a speech and debate competition.

Odd antics aside, the competitors demonstrate a passion for their trade that’s admirable and a respect for each other that the world could learn from.

On March 9, student competitors gathered from all corners of the greater San Diego area at CHS to participate in a State Qualifiers Tournament, the most important tournament of the year as it decides the fate of many students vying for a position at State, and later, Nationals. Lancer Express followed some CHS students throughout the day...

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Morning Junior Pavan Muddukrishna and Senior Andrew Allan prepare to give their speeches for the first round of the day after having made it through Friday’s rounds. On Friday afternoon and Saturday morning speakers present their speeches, going through two rounds in hopes of making it to the semi-final round. There were 29 schools competing in this State Qualifying Competition. Carlsbad spent approximately 80 students, all with the hopes of making it to State.

Speech Events Interpretation: DI: (Dramatic Interpretation) speakers present a published work that has a dark theme.

HI: (Humorous Interpretation) speakers present a published work, trying to portray their character(s) and be humorous.

TI: (Thematic Interpretation) speakers present three or more publicized work with a common theme.

Midday

OI: (Oratorical Interpretation) speakers present a publicized speech, trying to portray the work’s original message.

Juniors Rohan Deshmukh, Ashwin Rao, Quynh Tran, Pavan Muddukrishna, and Nik Sharma check to see if they advanced to the next round.

Throughout the day, when results from a round are posted, students will yell, “Postings!” and students will rush to the area to see if they broke through to the next round. If they advance, they will exclaim, “I broke!” In Semi-finals it break to 14 competitors and in finals it breaks to seven hopeful competitors.

Carlsbad had an impressive showing of speakers who advanced into the semifinal round.

OPP: (Original Pose and Poetry) speakers present their own original work with the intent to tell either a serious or humorous story.

DUO: teams of two speakers present a dramatic or humorous work with the limitation that they cannot make physical contact.

Platform:

Afternoon A competitor from another school prepares to give his speech in the semi-finals by practicing to a wall.

This is standard practice as the competitors enter a zone of total focus before their events. Competitors are narrowed down throughout the day, having to advance through three rounds in order to make it to the finals, where the top speakers present to three judges and other competitors who gather for support. Carlsbad swept the final round in National Extemporaneous and International Extemporaneous and held many final spots in other events.

Evening Seniors Natalya Phillips and Carter Keeling accept their tied first place trophy for most points earned by and speech and debater in the last three weeks.

Also from Carlsbad High School, senior Scott Snow won speaker of the year, Keeling won debater of the year, and Phillips won top speech and debater.

Carlsbad also claimed first in sweepstakes as well as most first place awards in the individual categories.

Overall, it was an incredible showing by Carlsbad. photos by kelsey aijala

OO: (Original Oratory) speakers present a persuasive speech on any topic.

OA: (Original Advocacy) speakers present a speech with the intent to inform the audience about a social issue and calls for legislature to resolve the issue.

EXPOS: (expository) speakers present an informative speech on a more interesting, conversational topic, using visual aids.

Spontaneous: IMP: (impromptu) speakers choose one of three topics and are given three minutes to prepare a five minute speech to present IX & NX: (extemporaneous) speakers are given 30 minutes to prepare an eight minute speech on a national (NX) or international (IX) issue.

Other: Congress: 13 speakers gather and hold a congress session in which they write and pass legislature.

18 arts & entertainment

march 2013

photos by seannie bryan far left: Senior Jacquelyn Nelson portrays Juliet alongside junior Adam Gilmore, who plays Romeo, in their Romeo and Juliet scene set in Holocaust times. This unique spin on the traditional love story is sure to leave audiences in awe. left: Seniors Laura Parker and Katie Ohlin embrace in bundle of chair magic as Parker takes her last few breaths before tragically dying in their scene Antony and Cleopatra.

Advanced theater transforms traditional Shakespeare talia cain

said. “You don’t want to hurt people’s feelings, but you want to have a good staff writer group.”

A successful group usually requires t is the day when thespians come males.

Most stories have male together from all across Southern characters, and Shakespeare is no California. It is the day students spend exception.

Certain adjustments will months in preparation. It is the day full have to be made due to the fact that of adrenaline, anticipation and artistic the theater class has only six boys in a challenges. It is DTASC. class of over 30.

DTASC, or the Drama Teacher’s “It is really stressful because Association of Southern California, is everyone wants and needs guys,” an organization dedicated to hosting senior Jessica Major said. “If you don’t two different theater festivals that have a guy for lets say, Romeo and provide students with the opportunity Juliet, who is going to be Romeo. A to grow as performers and individuals girl?” as well as connect with students from After the pressure of choosing other schools. groups is over, students have an On April 27, students of Carlsbad entirely different mountain to climb.

High’s advanced theater class will Depending on which category they travel to Fullerton Union High School are competing in, they carefully select along with over a hundred schools to a play that will best fit the capabilities compete in the Shakespeare DTASC of their group and allow for the most festival. Before they get on the bus, success.

From there, they must cut they face obstacles that are quite 90 to 120 minutes of material into a different from what most students are comprehensible and interesting five to accustomed to. eight minutes.

When teachers assign a “group “Condensing an entire Shakespeare project,” the usual moans and groans play requires us to focus on a specific from the introverts and the joyous theme or concept,” senior Katie glances between best friends are Ohlin said.

“It also makes it more fun commonplace, but the reaction because we get to take our own spin of the thespians are different. For on Shakespeare and interpret it in our performers, working together can own way.” be challenging and rewarding at the Once the idea is clear, cutting is same time because it gives them the finished and the script is ready for opportunity to connect in a unique action, students begin the exciting way. endeavor of bringing their story to “At this festival, I will be working life.

Blocking (the way in which actors with a lot of people I haven’t worked move about the stage) is carefully with before, which is really exciting,” planned down to every movement junior Adam Gilmore said. while transitions are mapped out Also, the chance to choose who specific to every second of a scene. they work with adds a completely With so much to get done and an different component to the process.

“It sometimes causes a lot of drama, abundance of varying opinions, making sure everyone’s voice gets which is kind of ironic because it is heard can either be the responsibility a drama class,” junior Josh Collins

I

of one person or the entire group.

“It depends on the group. Most everything gets done collaboratively, but when a leader is needed we elect someone to be in charge,” Collins said.

No matter who is directing the rehearsal process, one element every group is guaranteed to bring to the competition is a unique speciality called, “chair magic.”

“When you have a cool chair formation, it sets you apart and gives the judges something to remember you by,” Collins said. “It’s like being a hipster.”

With so many

other different schools competing, bringing a one of a kind component that goes beyond the basic artistic appeal is bound to land you a leg up in the competition, but Carlsbad is interested in more than just winning.

“We may not have props, or costumes or sets, but we have Shakespeare’s words and our creativity and that is all we need,” Ohlin said.

“And as rewarding as it is for us to place, it is more about the story because, at this competition, you see a lot of unique perspectives of Shakespeare that you never would have thought of.”

DTASC Rules and Regulations Audition Monolouge: Five minute limit/ Only 2 chairs may be used Nicole Harris and Maya Reddy Shakespeare’s Grand Tour: Antony & Cleopatra: Must be set outside the Brtitish Isles/ Location must be clearly stated/ Must be straight scene Katie Ohlin, Laura Parker, Evan Ridpath, Daniel Salter Tragic Deaths: Richard III: 5 minute limit/ Must have several deaths/ must be a performance of dramatic intent, not a parody Alexa Harris, Madi Lewis, John Norall, Emma Rudolph Shakespeare Replay: Titus: 8 minute limit/ must include the same dialouge twice, once in a comedic manner, once in a dramatic manner Valeria Maybaum, Allie Houston, Zandra Mikhael, Chris Gervais, Ally Mason, Crystal Cobian, Madeline Withers Fetatured Play- Romeo and Juliet: maximum of 8 minutes/ must be a scene of dramatic intent, no parodies allowed Josh Collins, Adam Gilmore, Colleen Oh, Jessica Major, Jacquelyn Nelson, Jackie Dister Featured Play- Much Ado About Nothing: Max of 8 minutes/ must be scene of comedic intent Kat Padgett, Alli West, Destiny Girley, Jessica Streich

arts & entertainment 19

lancer express, volume 26, issue 5

CHS Drumline prepares to excel at competitions john hankforth staff writer

Student participants hope to drum up success through drumline

I

t’s three in the afternoon. The shuffle to exit campus begins to subside. A few lonesome stragglers sit around campus, bothering nobody, but a thunderous boom shocks them into activity only to be followed by a chorus of percussive force.

Competitions challenge more than the individual musical talent of the group. Drumline’s are also expected to have a completely choreographed show before each performance. The shows are judged on their complexity, the how the theme of the show is conveyed, how well the drumline moves as a unit, and how it plays together. In addition to having to play in unison, the drumline must march and even sprint across a floor in specific formations, all the while carrying drums that weigh up to forty-five pounds.

“Everything we do at competitions are perfectly exact and timed. We simply have to move on an exact schedule,” Adam Tammariello said. “We base ourselves off drums and therefore rhythm and pace are essential for every performance.”

The lack of recognition drumline receives greatly contrasts with the amount of responsibility placed on the students, and even more so, the dedication that goes into the program in of itself.

Much like other organized sports, drumline eats up a student’s free time by taking both weekends for competition and afternoons for practice.

Furthermore, instructors involve themselves by supervising practice, acting as choreographers, and handle the business aspects of the program.

“You receive a lot of personal freedom in drumline, but with that comes more responsibility to do what you need to do. You’re just expected to do your part and not have to be checked up on,” senior Kyle Murray said.

The added responsibility, however, allows the musicians to display their individualism. Due to how the ensemble is orchestrated, the musicians responsible must be adept at what they do otherwise the resultant sound becomes discordant.

It takes a great amount of skill in order for drumline to sound cohesive.

“We garner more respect because it’s easier to pinpoint mistakes within when the groups are smaller,” junior Cole Penick

photo by natasha menard Sophomore and first year drumline participants plays his quads to show off the progress he has made this year.

said. “We’re given difficult music that suits our individual ability, because that best shows off our talent as a whole group.”

With each additional member the drumline must work harder at maintaining a cohesive sound.

Students join the program with an immediate responsibility for their instrument and their roles.

Instructors, responsible for the sets, compose a part for the new additions to the performances sound.

This grants even younger members an opportunity to stand out amongst their more experienced peers.

“Drumline is probably the most amazing part of band. I would never do anything else because there is so much variety and opportunity in what we can do in this program,” sophomore Darrien Deleon

photo by natasha menard Students who take part of drumline practice together for hours at a time every even day.

said. “Drumline provides the backbone to band.

Without drumline, there is no beat, rhythm, or funk to any performance.”

Competitions challenge more than the individual musical talent of the group. Drumline’s are also expected to have a completely choreographed show before each performance. The shows are judged on their complexity, the how the theme of the show is conveyed, how well the drumline moves as a unit, and how it plays together. In addition to having to play in unison, the drumline must march and even sprint across a floor in specific formations, all the while carrying drums that weigh up to forty-five "Initially, drumline pounds. was made up of just snare "Symbols march “Everything we do at competitions are perfectly and base drums. I guess you along with the battery. exact and timed. We simply have to move on an could say that the squads add the exact schedule,” Adam Tammariello said. “We base Musically, we put the middle ground to the sound of ourselves off drums and therefore rhythm and pace emphasis in drumline. We drumline and provide a variance are essential for every performance.” add the special impact to of sound."

The combined effort involved in the drumline our shows." program comes together at Monrovia High School -Chris Thorne -Cole Penick next week. It is there drumline will have its third competition. This competition will “Base provides display all that the program has been "Snare drums are the purest the beat and foundation “Front Ensemble is responsible working towards for the better part of the embodiment of drumming. for drumline. Drumline without for adding color and texture to winter season and then some.

You can't get a melody out of base is a car without an what the battery is playing“When you’re marching on something snare drums. We add to the engine. Base is the boom of providing contrasting themes you can paint yourself rather than a school rhythm of the show." the show." to the show." built football field, you feel more a part -Matt Kreml of your performances,” junior Brian Le -Jack Newcomb -Kassandra Bednarski said. “Additionally, these freedoms cause us to be judged more strictly and harshly.

It’s easy for judges to scrutinize small details when we’re responsible for so much.” graphic by aislinn bryan

sports

lancer express, volume 26, issue 5

21

New stadium sets softball up for success kelsey aijala staff writer

T

he softball team may be full of returning players, but a lot has changed for the team. Following a successful 2012 season in which the team made it to the semi-final round of the CIF tournament, this year’s team will play on a new, state-of-theart field in new jerseys sponsored by Adidas.

Construction of the new facilities included a new varsity field, dugouts, four batting cages, concessions and spectator seating for 75 people.

The finishing touches for the new stadium were completed on March 1 for the upcoming season, and a new JV stadium is also on track for completion in August. “[The stadium] is completely different,” head coach Dan Worley said. “The old facility was 25 years old and now we have a true, well thoughtout facility that is on the same level as any college field.”

Construction on these new facilities has been under way since last year, disrupting the team’s workout schedule. This has forced the team has found ways to work around the photo by kelsey aijala renovations in order to keep itself in Construction of the new softball filed was complete on March 1. Opening Day on March 23 will be the first time the softball team plays in this state-ofshape for the upcoming season. the-art stadium.

“We’ve been doing the best with make this new stadium possible will and the new field will be really lost some strong seniors last year and what we have,” senior Kristen Anaday accommodating to spectators,” while we haven’t replaced them, we’ve come together with fans to inaugurate said. “We all play on travel teams Ukegawa said. “People should come gained some aggressive and quick new the new stadium. and we’ve been holding workouts at “We’re a strong team this year players who I expect to step up.

Above out and support.”

Calavera, but [the new facility] will anything, we want to continue to play help make practices more convenient at as high a level and make every game and allow us to do more with our mean something.” workouts.”

The team’s preparations have The players have missed playing h 16 included twice a week workout on their home field and were eager Marc mont ss sessions during preseason leading up when they were finally able to return s Gro v to the two-hour to CHS and practice on daily practices their new field for the Now we have h 21 which ensue Marc Henry first time on Feb. 16-18 a true, well rick during season. for tryouts. After an s Pat v Light-hearted intensive weekend of thought-out traditions such as tryouts, coach Worley h 23 facility that is on dressing up new Marc ernardo selected a varsity B the same level as varsity players cho Hills team that works well n a R vs in ridiculous est together. any college field. & W ng Day costumes “We practice hard ni Ope dan worley and other every day after school team bonding which contributes a lot March experiences balance out this hard to our success, but we also have great 2 v s work.

Though the team is wellEscon 6 chemistry as a team, which will make d ido prepared for the upcoming season, it this season a good one,” junior Robyn needs the crowd’s help to get them to Ukegawa said.

Mar CIF once again.

With all of these improvements vs Bo ch 28 nita V “It’ll be really exciting for my and the momentum from its success ista senior year,” Anaday said. “We had a in last year’s season, the team feels lot of crowd support last year and it optimistic about this season’s outlook Apri really pumped us up and contributed despite the tough competition in its l1 vs Vi 1 to how well we did so we want that league. sta again for this season.”

“It should be an exciting season,” Softball hopes to kick off another Worley said. “There are 32 games this season, all against strong teams, which strong season a with a win at its first home game. Opening day is March 23, will help prepare us for playoffs. We when all of the key people who helped

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22sports

march 2013

photo by seannie bryan Stumpy leads the Loud Crowd in the "Rollercoaster" cheer at the White Out game on Feb. 8. Kaiser pumped the crowd up with the debut of this cheer taken from many college fan sections.

Stumpy steps up, leads Loud Crowd garrett snyder

L

managing editor

oud Crowd. The name alone demands a presence that can command the atmosphere of a stadium full of screaming spectators. This group of spirited students strives to motivate its team to victory and leave a lasting impression on the visitor’s side.

This year, the Crowd has grown into a much larger beast, a change attributed greatly to the leadership of one extroverted individual known by the name of “Stumpy” or as the attendance sheets will show, senior Matthew Kaiser.

Halfway through Kaiser’s junior year he moved to Kansas with his family, only to return his senior year thrilled with the idea of graduating a Lancer with his longtime friends.

His journey to Kansas provided him with an example of what outstanding school spirit looked like, but most importantly fueled his ambition to be a part of the Lancer Loud Crowd.

“In Kansas, everyone truly loved sports, and the school had fantastic support for them,” Kaiser said. “I saw a great opportunity to get the ball rolling when I came back.”

Stumpy did not disappoint his fellow students when in the second game of the football season, he made his trademark entrance down onto the track in front of the Loud Crowd section in hopes to excite the fans.

This step towards leadership started a tradition where Kaiser would go down on the field each game using his old

CHSTV press pass and lead chants.

“The first time Stumpy hopped down and made us ‘go bananas’ really motivated me to show my Lancer pride,” senior Arturo RodriguezAranda said.

Stumpy’s cheers have become quite a scene and gained much acclaim from teams, teachers and most importantly, the student body. Fans view him as their leader on the sidelines and look to Kaiser to raise them up when the team faces adversity. Stumpy brings a new and vital element of leadership to the Purple Pit.

We hope to take “Stumpy's legacy

and enthusiasm to continue to make the Loud Crowd the best group of fans around.

”

spencer beyer

“Stumpy has shown other students that you don’t have to be a cheerleader or athlete to have school spirit,” senior Jackie Eghtesadi said.

Support for the school’s sports would not stop with just football.

Kaiser continued his character while attending many of the volleyball and basketball games, always prepared to cheer outlandishly. Stumpy’s commitment to the athletic programs does not end when his voice goes hoarse, but rather when the last buzzer rings in every game.

photo by sierra gomperts In full morphsuit, Stumpy stands before the Loud Crowd in anticipation for the "We Are Carlsbad" cheer, as the visiting Grossmont team enters the arena for the CIF game on Feb. 20.

“His enthusiasm has excited everyone about the games, but also put a lot more pressure on him,” senior McCall Smith said.

Especially enjoying the White Out game and water polo game at LCC, Stumpy realizes sports provide a school’s students with lessons as important as those learned in the classroom. Stumpy uses school sporting events as an outlet from all of the pressures of class, and encourages others to show their spirit and let loose at games.

Although Kaiser only took on this responsibility starting his senior year, he will not stop after graduating a Lancer.

“I’m interested in the chant squad at Kansas State and can’t wait to try my hand at collegiate crowd support,” Kaiser said.

Next year Stumpy will find himself among the many fans of the infamous Kansas State Octagon of Doom. His experiences in the Loud Crowd will shape his excitement for the change of scenery, but most importantly his presence in the Purple Pit will alter the complexion of it for years to come.

“I don’t think anyone will ever be

able to fill Stumpy’s shoes, but I hope someone can come close,” senior Keziah Njoroge said.

The Loud Crowd has evolved this year under Kaiser’s leadership; the group no longer looks so senior focused, and actually takes on a much more fanatic appeal. Underclassmen have joined the ranks and will fill the stands in the upcoming seasons, and Stumpy has high hopes for the future Purple Pit. However, with a loss of many outstanding senior leaders, but plenty of juniors, the Loud Crowd will definitely need to look for someone to step up next year.

“We hope to take Stumpy’s legacy and enthusiasm to continue to make the Loud Crowd the best group of fans around,” junior Spencer Beyer said.

Whether Kaiser will go down as the boy in the banana suit at the football games, or the morphsuit man leading the Crowd in cheers at the CIF basketball game is still to be seen. Yet no matter how students will ultimately remember him, his leadership this year proved an integral part to the success of the Loud Crowd, something students will forever cherish.

sports highlights 23

lancer express, volume 26, issue 5

Athletes prepare for spring season nicolas dmitriev staff writer

With winter gone, dedicated spring season athletes from all over the sport spectrum are enduring workouts to prepare for their regular seasons. From baseball to track and field, volleyball to lacrosse athletes are motivated and prepared to achieve victories and set records. Teams are dedicated and inspired to leave a good impression during their first com-

Practicing in the heat, junior Masami Amakawa, freshman Kate Carter, sophomore Ana Almaguer, junior Kevin Freeman, senior Ian Marshall run their practice lap in track and field. With more than hundreds practicing track and field this year coaches will have an abnormally large group to train towards the upcoming competitions.

This year the coaching staff for track and field will consist of distance and head coach Katie Cullen, assistant coach Connie Martin, sprint coach Andre Freeman, jumps coach Denny Cooper, hurdles coach Charles Daniel, and pole vault coach John Martin. The track team partook in their first meet this Tuesday.

petitions. Even with little time to prepare coaches are ready and focused on preparing athletes to come out victorious and set personal records. With many returning varsity players, expert coaches, and fresh new talent from underclassmen CHS should have no trouble beating the competition and returning victorious.

Carolyn Oertle practices her swimming routine during the swim teams conditioning session, Previous to the february 5th tryouts the swim team had trained during two weeks of conditioning. The swim team now consists of 24 JV and varsity swimmers participating in freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly events.

The first home swim meet will take place on the 15th of march and will have the swim team face off against Rancho Bernardo. photo by alice pecoraro

photo by omar ortega

photo by alice pecoraro Junior Taylor Bloomquist practices his set up during volleyball conditioning. This season the boys volleyball coaching staff will consist of head coach Andy Tomkinson, assistant coach Tobin Knudsen, and frosh coach Kristin Tomkinson.

The JV volleyball team defeated Rancho Bernardo in a three round game by winning the first two rounds 25-10 and 23-13. During march 8 and 9 varsity participated in the best of the west tournament, which matches varsity teams from the west coast to compete in a series of elimination volleyball matches.

photo by jared cohn Outnumbered , junior Henry Gardner swiftly defends against his opponents. Trained by varsity coach Tyler Bue and JV coach Dave Demuth, boys lacrosse returned all 10 of their starters from last season and only graduated one senior last year.

Wednesday boys varsity competed against Scripps Ranch at their second season home game.

The next varsity game will take place here on Friday from 7:00 to 8:30 against Temecula Valley.

24photojournalism

Above: The pit that sits just south of the field hosts four jumping-related events.

Jumpers can test their skill in long jump, triple jump (a hop, skip, then jump into the sand pit) and long jump. Senior Paulo Hernandez demonstrates the long jump, trying to break his own personal record.

march 2013

Tracking their progress jared cohn

C

photographer

arlsbad’s largest sport, track and field, has just begun their 2013 competitive season, competing in their first meet on Mar. 2. The squad has been consistently making CHS proud, with last year’s squad consistently breaking, then setting, then breaking their own records. Although longtime head coach Joe Angel retired at the end of last year to embark on a cross-country RV road-trip, Katie Culley has graduated from distance coach to head coach and is ready to carry on his legacy. This year, Culley will lead the team to sprint faster, run farther, vault higher and jump further.

Below: Junior Ravyn Rowlett practices her high jump, confirming her varsity ability by clearing a 4'8" warm-up jump with ease. High jumpers must encompass the ability to transfer horizontal speed to vertical height in approaching and clearing the bar.

Left: In a different transfer of speed, senior Michael Pacanos shoots, not for height, but instead distance. Jumpers are measured by their closest mark to the start of the pit, so coaches try to develop their technique for maximum length.