Falconer February 2023 Issue

Mandarin Makes a Return

TPHS to reintroduce Chinese language pathway next year

After phasing out the Chinese language pathway over the past three years due to declining class enrollment, leaving AP Chinese as the only current class, TPHS plans to offer Chinese 1 through 4 classes next year if there is sufficient student interest.

These reintroduced courses, which will be taught by AP Chinese teacher Lu Qi, were recommended by district leadership, according to TPHS Principal Rob Coppo.

District leadership did not respond to the Falconer by deadline on the specifics of this recommendation.

In the Chinese pathway, students learn to speak in Mandarin and write using both simplified and traditional Chinese characters.

The reintroduced Chinese language pathway will follow a progression similar to other language pathways.

Chinese 1 will include interactive learning to familiarize students with the Chinese language and culture. Levels 2 through 4 will build on those language skills, teaching new vocabulary, sentence formation and everyday conversation. Currently, students in AP Chinese hone those skills to achieve a greater level of fluency and prepare for the AP exam.

According to Coppo, the course selection process currently underway will help gauge the interest in the introductory courses, and therefore determine which levels of Chinese will be offered next year.

“I expect [enrollment] to be [similar to] previous years, with a slight uptick

because it’s ‘new,’” Coppo said. “The numbers in Chinese 1 through 3 are typically low because many students take the intro classes off campus. This is very different than other world language programs.”

Regardless of how popular the intro course is, Coppo is confident that enrollment for AP Chinese will remain strong.

According to Qi, if individual class sizes are not sufficient for Chinese 1 through 4, she plans to have mixed classes combining levels 1 and 2, and 3 and 4.

Overall, students agree that having the introductory classes available will help equip students with the fundamental skills to thrive in higher levels of Chinese.

“People who aren’t native speakers

or aren’t really familiar with [Chinese] would [previously] take one year of Chinese and then go into an AP environment, so that’s kind of stressful,” Julia Liu (12), the president of the TPHS Asian Student Union, said.

Liu, who speaks Mandarin at home, took Chinese 3 in her freshman year and AP Chinese in her junior year.

Christopher Kam (9) is one student considering Chinese 1 for next year.

“I want to learn how to read, write and be more fluent because my Chinese is really bad,” Kam said. “When I visit my relatives in China or Hong Kong … I [want to be able to] communicate with the people more and understand what they’re saying so I can travel to different places.”

Kam also believes that offering continued on A2

COLLABORATION IN THE CLASSROOM: Students work during Lu Qi’s AP Chinese class, the only current Chinese class at TPHS. After being phased out over the past three years, the Chinese language pathway is set to be reintroduced in the 2023-2024 school year with the offering of Chinese 1-4 classes, pending sufficient student interest registration.

Eric Lee STAFF WRITER

PHOTO BY ANNA OPALSKY/FALCONER

Chinese classes is important from a global perspective, as “a lot of business people are Chinese and a lot of manufacturing is [done in] China.”

Qi also hopes that offering more Chinese courses will increase interest in the class.

“For me as a teacher, I want to make my class more fun and interactive and to tell people that the Chinese language is not that hard,” Qi said.

Other students believe that offering a full Chinese language pathway may draw more students to TPHS, as it

would allow TPHS to compete with other schools in the district that offer a full Chinese pathway, such as Canyon Crest Academy.

“A lot more people started going [to CCA] because it … provided the [language] credits that they needed, but I think that … now [that] we’re offering this, there might be a lot more people inclined to come to Torrey,”

Zoe Huang (10), a current AP Chinese student, said.

According to Counseling secretary Janet Daher, it will be known if there is sufficient interest in Chinese 1-4 by the end of March or April.

AP African American Studies curriculum released

Helene Gao ASSISTANT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The College Board released the official curriculum for the new Advanced Placement African American Studies course on Feb. 1, the first day of Black History Month. While it is currently available to approximately 60 schools across the U.S. as a pilot program, the course is slated to be available to all schools in the 2024-2025 school year. The organization started piloting the course in the 2022–2023 school year in those approximately 60 schools across the U.S.

Ayana Johnson (12), president of the TPHS Black Student Union, said that this course is a welcome addition to existing history curriculums.

“Ever since I started learning about history in elementary or middle school, there always was a lack of teaching Black history,” Johnson said. “We were only really taught about slavery and its effects over centuries but didn’t expand on topics like Black Power, Black excellence or [Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion].”

According to the College Board, the course is an evidence-based introduction to the contributions and experiences of African Americans from early African societies to more recent social movements.

Despite positive reception from some

students, the course has faced some backlash.

The Florida Department of Education rejected the new class in January, claiming it lacked “educational value” and was “contrary to Florida law.” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the state’s intention to ban the course from all high schools, citing that the course pushed a “political agenda.” Florida Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz Jr., who called the course “woke indoctrination masquerading as education,” posted a list of AP African American Studies topics from the pilot course and related concerns on Twitter.

“Florida is trying to minimize a topic that has already been minimized too much,” Tanay Gupte (12) said. “I think if anything, courses and opportunities like this should be amplified, and not subdued. It doesn’t make the country look good, but that shouldn’t be used as an excuse to ignore what happened and what is still happening.”

While the College Board denies allegations that the topics were removed to appease those responsible for backlash, multiple units that Diaz voiced concerns about were missing from the official course framework released in February.” These topics included Intersectionality and Activism, Black Queer Studies, Black Feminist and Literary Thought, The Reparations

Movement and many others. Originally a topic, the Movement for Black Lives, is now listed alongside Black conservatism as an optional course project.

“I think people are uncomfortable and they don’t know how to approach and have kids learn that way of teaching,” Johnson said. “A lot of people in this world need to understand it’s okay to be uncomfortable in those situations. And it’s okay to allow yourself to learn from different social issues.”

In a statement on its official website, the College Board claims to “deeply regret not immediately denouncing the Florida Department of Education’s slander.” The statement further details the College Board’s communication with the FDOE, denouncing Florida’s “effort to engineer a political win” by claiming credit for changes made to the official framework.

TPHS BSU Vice President Nylah Knight believes the topics taken out are critical to a complete Black history.

“Black Lives Matter is what the new generation is based on. [Leaving it out] is like telling people you can’t talk about

[Martin Luther King Jr.] and what he did,” Knight said. “It’s essential to our history. I don’t think that they should leave those topics out even though they can be controversial or hard to hear.”

The FDOE rejection faced backlash from other political figures. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker wrote a letter to the College Board, asking the organization to “preserve the fundamental right to an education that does not follow the political grandstanding of Governor DeSantis.” On Twitter, California Gov. Gavin Newsom denounced the curriculum changes, calling College Board CEO David Coleman a “puppet of Ron DeSantis.”

“The same argument could be made that not teaching the class also pushes the political agenda. We know that we have missed significant portions of African American history in our history classes over the years,” TPHS Principal Rob Coppo said. “It feels very close to censorship because it’s coming from a governor.”

According to Coppo, TPHS does not yet have plans to implement the course.

Unit 1: Origins of the African Diaspora Unit 2: Freedom, Enslavement and Resistance Unit 3: The Practice of Freedom Unit 4: Movements and Debates

FRIENDS AT FORMAL: Clara Caetano (11) (left), Hailey Twork (11 ) (middle) and Z Zabarsky (12) (right) enjoy formal together. The dance was organized by the TPHS Associated Student Body.

HOLLYWOOD HITS: The DJ lights up the House of Blues, entertaining students with a stream of upbeat hits. The dance included food served at casino tables.

PHOTO COURTESY OF KIAN SIME

PHOTO COURTESY OF KIAN SIME

ON THE DANCE FLOOR: Melissa Lee (11) (left) and Natasha Oliver (11) (right) hit the dance floor at the House of Blues. The House of Blues, located in Downtown San Diego, offered students a multi-level, decorated venue.

PHOTO COURTESY OF KIAN SIME

Antonia

Hastings SENIOR

“Overall, the formal was fun and I think that more upperclassmen should come.”

Brody Leonard

FRESHMAN

“I had an amazing time with all my friends all throughout the night. Formal is ... something I ... would recommend for anyone’s high school experience.”

CHARTING A COURSE: Lu Qi lectures during her AP Chinese class. The only current Chinese class at TPHS, some students in the class report unpreparedness because of the lack of introductory Chinese classes offered.

African American Studies

BY DIXIE WALLERIUS

PHOTO BY ANNA OPALSKY/FALCONER

Local school districts to build housing for educators

Caroline Hunt FEATURE EDITOR

The San Diego Student Safety, Health and School Repair Measure, known as Measure U, was passed in November, making San Diego Unified School District the first district in San Diego to set aside bond money to acquire and construct employee housing.

Placed on the November ballot by the SDUSD Board of Education, Measure U would allow SDUSD to use bonds, totaling $3.2 billion, to improve school facilities and pursue improvement projects across some 200 district-owned educational facilities. SDUSD has placed three other similar bond measures on the ballot since 2008, the most recent being Measure YY. What sets Measure U apart from previous measures is the inclusion of employee housing in its project list, as it sets aside more than $200 million of the total bond money to be spent on employee housing.

“The world has changed from previous bond measures,” Samer Naji, communication supervisor for

the SDUSD Facilities Planning and Construction department, said. “San Diego is just unaffordable, and we’re having a hard time hiring staff.”

Teachers within SDUSD make a starting salary of $50,744 yearly, the average of teachers in the district making closer to $88,000. Conversely, a one-bedroom apartment in San Diego County has an average rent of $2,200, according to the San Diego UnionTribune, forcing newer teachers to spend more than half of their monthly salary on housing.

“We asked [the voters], ‘in addition to renovating our schools, do you also support affordable housing for teachers and voters?’” Naji said. “And the voters again said ‘yes.’”

That said, some have pointed out that bond money would be better spent directly on in-classroom improvements or teacher salaries. However, the use of the bond money is restricted to physical improvements to schools.

“So, the money couldn’t be used to hire a teacher… bring in extra yard duty or hire a crossing guard,” Naji

said.

Interest in affordable housing opportunities has been shown by SDUSD employees, according to Naji.

While SDUHSD has not said whether they intend to pursue a similar housing initiative to SDUSD, some district employees are also interested.

“[After hearing of Measure U], I thought, ‘wow, how awesome,’ especially for a new teacher who is at the bottom of the pay scale, [who] maybe does not have their own house yet,” TPHS counselor Toni Zurcher, who moved from the San Diego area to Ramona to buy more land for less, said.

In a public comment during a Jan. 31 SDUHSD board meeting, community member Carlos Magana read aloud a statement from a California School Employees Association member.

“I know I will never own a home because this is the career I have chosen… I just want to make it through a month without trying to figure out if I can pay all of my bills,” Magana said. “As one of the highest-paid classified staff members on the school site, I

Measure U

more than $200 million to employee housing

shouldn’t be struggling as much as I am.”

As of now, it is probable the affordable housing development will be located at the old SDUSD headquarters at 4100 Normal St, Naji said. However, the date construction will begin and be completed, the contents of development and the general details of how housing will be granted or paid are all currently unannounced as SDUSD conducts preliminary conversations with community stakeholders.

CSUSM to offer guaranteed admission to SDUHSD

Anna Opalsky NEWS EDITOR

SDUHSD announced plans to partner with California State University San Marcos to guarantee admission for all students who qualify under the partnership’s criteria, according to a Feb.17 community message from Interim Superintendent Tina Douglas. With this partnership, which will be ratified on March 1 when SDUHSD signs a memorandum of understanding, SDUHSD, along with three other districts, will join the existing 10 districts in the CSUSM initiative, called The Alliance to Accelerate Excellence in Education, according to Scott Hagg, the associate vice president of Enrollment Management Services at CSUSM.

Founded in 2015, the initiative serves communities in North San Diego, Southern Orange and Riverside.

“Our mission is to increase access to high-quality college education and the social mobility of students in our region,” Hagg said. “The guaranteed admission is just one part of the agreement. We want to see every student graduate from CSUSM.”

Students in The Alliance, currently approximately 1,400, are also provided with peer mentors during their first year at CSUSM through The Alliance College Link Mentoring Program and continued support through graduation, according to The Alliance website.

Mara Castillo, a sophomore at CSUSM, participated in the ACLMP in

Press is important because it gives a voice to the voiceless, educates, informs and inspires ... Press freedom allows work from every corner of life to be seen. Every opinion, every event.”

her first year as an Alliance student.

“As a mentee, I felt I had someone in my corner cheering me on and offering support,” she said.

As a current peer mentor, Castillo enjoys “connecting with my students through one-on-one meetings where I help them with a variety of matters such as guiding them with self-enrolling in classes and educating them about their major pathway.”

To qualify for acceptance as an Alliance student, students must be enrolled in high school grades nine to 12 and complete all A-G coursework required by CSU with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 upon graduation, as well as meet minimum CSU eligibility index requirements.

Additionally, students must pass the Early Assessment Program in their junior year in mathematics and English—a requirement met by passing the California Assessments of Student Performance and Progress, which is administered to all juniors— or successfully complete additional appropriate coursework. Lastly, students must submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

Both the filings periods of the CSUSM and FAFSA applications run through March 2. Students who are accepted and wish to attend must submit their Intent to Enroll and deposit by May 1 and all final official transcripts must be submitted by July 15, according to The Alliance website.

Zoe Morris, MavLife Editor-in-Chief

... student press is very important for people to learn how to openly express their ideas, and address problems that need to be solved. Furthermore, the group setting of journalism necessitates collaboration, and allows for a better understanding of synergetic learning, an important skill in today’s society.”

Quinn Satterlund, The Pulse Managing Editor

Even if journalism isn’t your future, your life can be bettered by the research, communication, listening and comprehension skills learned from being a student journalist.”

Jenna Wilson-Levin, The Mustang Co-Editor-in-Chief

Falcon Accolades

Scholastic Art & Writing Winners

Ellie Jiao (10) (Gold)

Vivian Ke (11) (Gold)

Layla Jiao (10) (Silver)

Jiyoung Park (12) (Silver)

Sara Cristofferson (12) (Gold)

Ryder Hurtado (9) (Honorable Mention)

Lauren Suh (10)

Anthony Kim (9)

Will Kwon (12)

Caden Jiang (11)

Science Olympiad

Bridge (5th): Vivien Vu (12) & Jaemin Kwak (11)

Write it Cad it (6th): Helene Gao (12) & Enoch Law (11)

Astronomy (14th): Claire Shin (11) & Ron Tal (12)

Muzi Wei (12)

Matthew Lee (12)

Anna Gohman (11)

Colten Farrell (12)

Parsa Eghdami (9)

Lily Goldenhar (9)

San Diego Museum of Modern Art

“Comfort & Calm” Winners

California All-State Ensembles and Concert Band

Chemistry Lab (11th): Claire Shin (11) & Ron Tal (12)

Forensics (13th): Helene Gao (12) & Michael Lu (11)

Write it Do it (14th): Helene Gao (12) & Enoch Law (11)

Derek Liu (12), Elliott Liu (11), Xinyu Meng (10), Jacopo Rizzo (11)

Edison Shen (11), Arthur Wang (11), Eric Xie (9), Nathan Xie (11), Teddy Xu (11), Jian Yu (9) American Invitational Mathematics Examination

Qualifiers

TPHS alumnus files lawsuit at University of Chicago

Michele Kim ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Fernando Stepensky (‘15), a third year law student at the Immigrant’s Rights Clinic at the University of Chicago Law School, is representing father and son Selvin Argueta Caal and Selvin Argueta Najera in a lawsuit against the United States Government surrounding the pair’s two-year separation — triggered by the Trump Administration’s “zero tolerance” policy — at the Mexico-U.S. border.

The father and son from Guatemala were separated at the U.S.-Mexico border in 2018 under former President Donald Trump’s “zero tolerance” immigration enforcement policy.

While an executive order issued by President Joe Biden in 2021 rescinded Trump’s policy and worked to reunite separated families, the physiological and psychological effects of their separation still linger, the lawsuit claims.

When Selvin Sr. and Selvin Jr. sought asylum in the U.S. along the Texas border after fleeing Guatemalan gangs, they were unaware of the “traumatic and dehumanizing experience” they would live through for the next two years in addition to their grueling journey, according to Stepensky.

“It was incredibly difficult to meet with them and talk about essentially the most traumatizing moments of their lives, over and over again,” Stepensky said.

Stepensky, acting as a studentattorney, joined the case after seeing coverage of separated families at the U.S.-Mexican border.

“When the news was coming out about the zero-tolerance policy, I thought it was absolutely horrible [and] absolutely unnecessary,” Stepensky said.

Stepensky, who worked as a sports editor on The Falconer time at TPHS, recounted his years on

the staff as nurturing his interest for current events.

Stepensky said. “I think a lot of the reason that I went to law school came

Assault in boys bathroom prompts safety measures

Jacob Zhang and Rami Kabakibi EDITOR-IN-CHIEF AND OPINION EDITOR

A serious assault involving two TPHS students occurred in the boys’ bathroom outside the B building on Feb. 8, leaving one student with serious injuries to his teeth, according to Principal Rob Coppo and San Diego Police Department Sgt. Sal Hurtado.

Ronald Schneider, the student who sustained injuries to the teeth, said he was struck approximately nine times in the altercation, with the first hit coming when his back was turned to the other student. He confirmed that his two front teeth were pushed in, his ears sustained cuts and his AirPods were broken.

A video, verified as the altercation by Schneider and another witness, shows a student repeatedly hitting

Schenider in the head with a closed fist and kicking Schneider in the leg once. Schneider said that throughout the entire altercation, he did not attempt to strike back. The other party could not be reached for comment.

Following the incident, which happened during a passing period, law enforcement arrived on campus and a police incident report was taken, according to Coppo. Schneider left campus to receive medical care, Schneider said.

A felony crime report was later filed by Schneider and his parents at the SDPD Northwestern Division Substation, according to Hurtado. Both TPHS and the SDPD immediately launched independent investigations into the incident. The specifics of the investigations are sealed to protect student privacy.

transferred to Sunset High School. The other party is no longer enrolled at TPHS.

The incident, along with other “serious issues” in bathrooms, such as vaping, prompted an email from Coppo to TPHS staff on Feb. 9, which gave teachers specific directives to limit the number of students outside of class during class time. Among other things, teachers are now required to keep a restroom log and only excuse one student at a time to the restroom.

Substitute teachers, who may not be as aware of school rules, according to Coppo, have also been provided with a similar set of instructions.

As an immediate change, campus supervision is now more focused on restrooms and restroom doors are left open at all times during the school

participating in violent or unwanted behavior, according to campus supervisor Jose Reynoso and Coppo.

“Having that door open creates less privacy, which is a good thing,” Coppo said. “[The bathroom] is not so much a hideout.”

According to Coppo and Reysono, these changes have been working. While he was previously called to the bathrooms multiple times a day to respond to reported misbehavior, Coppo said the frequency of these reports has decreased since Feb. 9.

One longer-term solution to prevent student misbehavior would be to add more campus supervisors to better survey the growing TPHS campus, Coppo and Reynoso said. He hopes to eventually have a total of five campus supervisors.

In October 2022, New York University professor Maitland Jones Jr. was terminated from his role teaching Organic Chemistry after 82 of his 350 students signed a petition claiming that he was at fault for their poor scores in the class. The termination was justified, as Jones’ incredibly unrealistic standards negatively impacted students’ motivation and caused much more harm to their futures than good.

Though Jones had taught the subject for over 50 years, the 85-yearold’s students claimed his class was “too challenging” and many had a hard time passing. Jones has received awards for his contributions to science and founded the nationally recognized textbook “Organic Chemistry,” but this does not mean he possessed the necessary skills to teach constructively. In their petition against him, his students stated he was not an effective teacher due to his “dismissiveness, unresponsiveness, condescension and opacity about grading.”

Additionally, the course averages, which dropped below the customary 65% for his class, clearly showed that the majority of students were struggling. In fact, in an interview with the New York Times, John Beckman, a spokesperson for NYU, said Jones’ class had “by far the worst [averages] among all the university’s undergraduate science courses.”

Some may argue that Jones was

merely trying to maintain high academic standards in his class, and that such standards are vital in STEM-based courses where the goal is to prepare students to become future doctors, engineers and scientists. However, there is a point at which extremely harsh expectations can backfire, inflicting more harm on students than good. This seemed to be the case in Jones’ class, where “single digit scores became common and we even had zeros on exams, something that had never happened before,” according to an editorial by Jones in the Boston Globe.

This extreme level of failure resulting from unrealistic standards like Jones’ can discourage students from wanting to challenge themselves intellectually and pursue higher education in their field of interest.

Jones’ class was a perfect example of the “weed-out” culture prevalent in our education system. Weed-out classes like Jones’ are intentionally structured with impractical expectations in order to supposedly isolate students who are “qualified” to pursue higher education. This system is based solely on disparities in grade point averages. With our hugely GPAcentered educational system, Jones’ astronomical standards could have been destructive to the dreams of many aspiring doctors, a profession that is already witnessing shortages; according to a projection by The Association of American Medical Colleges, there will be an estimated shortage of approximately 46,000 to 90,000 physicians by 2025.

With increasingly unreasonable expectations in education dimming students’ motivation, it is becoming more and more vital to have someone understanding of students’ needs teaching in our classrooms. Jones failed to meet these standards. His dismissal signifies a positive change in the American education system –one where students are in control of their own futures.

Long-time professor Maitland Jones Jr. was fired from New York University in October 2022 after a group of his students signed a petition complaining about the difficulty of his Organic Chemistry class and their unsatisfactory grades.

Although Jones had been teaching at NYU for 15 years and is a renowned figure in the world of organic chemistry, when just 82 of the 350 students in his class signed a petition merely complaining about its difficulty, his contract was terminated. The signatures of under 25% of the students in a class is not nearly enough to justify firing a tenured professor like Jones, who possesses outstanding credentials as an organic chemistry expert.

Jones’ firing raises a number of concerns about the direction in which our education system is heading.

With the currently exorbitant cost of college education in the U.S., schools are increasingly operating as businesses trying to satisfy all the whims and wishes of their “customers”: students. Students are paying large sums of money for a college education and expect satisfactory grades in return, without thought for the value of academic rigor and stimulation. NYU’s dismissal of Jones reveals this commodification of education that is plaguing our educational system today: colleges want to keep their customers happy.

For teachers, the termination of

Jones’ contract is unsettling. If students are given the power to decide if they are satisfied with a teacher merely because they are displeased with their grades, this sets a dangerous precedent for teachers in our educational system. They may feel forced to lower their grading standards and course expectations for fear of losing their job.

Furthermore, Jones’ dismissal is worrying because organic chemistry is a class typically taken by aspiring doctors.

As the future of our medical field, we need these students to be well-qualified to excel in their future careers, and teachers must make their classes as rigorous as necessary to ensure this qualification. Jones’ dismissal from NYU seems to reveal just how low the academic standards of our educational system have sunk.

Some claim that Jones’ firing was justified, pointing to the fact that his class did have low averages on many of his tests. It is possible that Jones’ method of teaching did not resonate with many of the students in his class.

It is important to also take into consideration, however, that we are recovering from a post-pandemic world. Students’ attention spans are lower and some are even behind academically due to COVID-19, and this likely played a big part in the disconnect between Jones and his students.

Yet it is unfair to blame Jones for the impacts the pandemic has had on students. Jones should have been given more time to adapt his teaching style to match the new needs of his students.

It is also probable that the unsatisfactory grades of some students were not due to Jones at all; according to an opinion-editorial by Jones in the Boston Globe, 60% of his students got A’s or B’s on their exams in his last semester of teaching.

The academic standards of universities cannot be lowered just to keep their customers happy; Jones’ firing has serious implications for educators and society alike.

In October 2022, New York University caused an uproar in the educational community by firing organic chemistry professor Maitland Jones Jr. in response to a petition signed by 82 students complaining about the difficulty of his course. Although maintaining rigorous standards in university courses is vital to prepare students for their future careers, the unrealistic expectations in Jones’ class did not benefit his students, and his dismissal was justified.

ART BY KATIE MCVEIGH

Cass Love STAFF WRITER

Liv Weaver STAFF WRITER

“That Girl” trend perpetuates unrealistic lifestyles

lionize designer brands and makeup, suggesting that to become the girl of anyone’s dreams, one must buy her way into it.

Martin Lee STAFF WRITER

“Wake up at 5 a.m., go on your morning jog, make yourself some all-natural, peanut butter oatmeal pancakes, drink an antioxidant berry smoothie, complete a full skin care routine and listen to a podcast for 30 minutes before going to work.” Such is the enlightening advice offered by the “That Girl” trend, primarily seen on TikTok and Pinterest. “That Girl” targets women with often unrealistic suggestions on how their routines should look. With many posts and videos reaching thousands of views, the “That Girl” trend promotes consumerism and deceitfully holds women to unrealistic standards of beauty and performance.

One of the most glaring issues with the trend is that it is propaganda for consumerism. The “That Girl” aesthetic orbits around becoming the “ideal girl” through the purchase of material goods. Multiple videos from the trend

Although it is subtle at times, this message is always sprinkled into every “That Girl” post. The trend goes so far as to encourage the purchase of specific cups and mugs for fruit smoothies and espressos, respectively. From pens to batteries and calculators, a plastic container to organize each piece of productivity paraphernalia is a must. While not a harmful suggestion, the obsessive organization implies that women need to have all facets of their lives compartmentalized. The normalization of this mindset discounts the vast majority of people who do not have their lives as perfectly structured and under control as the dishonest examples on social media.

In her “it will be ok” YouTube video, Emma Chamberlain, an influencer, said, “I think the ups and downs of your mental state are a lot more frequent than people want to talk about.” This quote that starts her self-help video shows that self-improvement can be messy, unlike the idealized versions the “That Girl” aesthetic portrays. Chamberlain’s video brings awareness to the fact that regaining control over one’s life is not always aesthetic and is not a change made instantly by waking up earlier, like “That Girl” may suggest; it is a slow and uncomfortable process.

Another way the trend spreads unrealistic advice is through the assertion that everyone has to, without fail, follow through on set routines.

For example, several content creators posting “That Girl” content upload a series of short videos tracking their daily routines. These creators’ main priorities for their videos is to look good; they tell their audience that every single day of their lives goes as planned. However, humans inevitably make mistakes. “That Girl” content ignores this truth and promotes the harmful narrative that one must never stray from their perfect routine to become their ideal self.

Yet some argue that the trend does more good than bad for viewers. A large portion of the “That Girl” aesthetic promotes clean diets, regular exercise

and positive habits – all tenets of a healthier lifestyle and self-care. Despite its seemingly innocent intentions, however, the trend still presents this lifestyle in an idealized and incomplete way. According to the Child Mind Institute, self-esteem in teenage girls is lowered by social media when they compare themselves to the perfectly curated content on social media. Viewers are discouraged when they fail to meet the standards of “That Girl.” Social media is both a blessing and a curse. It can be used to spread positivity and constructive advice or to cultivate insecurities in impressionable teenagers. While it may offer surfacelevel advice, “That Girl” ultimately perpetuates harmful consumerism and perfectionism, contributing to the toxicity on social media today.

Today’s body-type trends are more dangerous than ever

Humans are fickle creatures. We constantly jump from one trend to the next, never conforming to one idea for too long. Our capricious nature has caused women involved in the cultures of their respective regions to be subject to ever-changing beauty standards for thousands of years, from the lengthy and flared silhouettes of the early 15th century to the “S” shape of the Edwardian Era.

The existence of body-type trends in our society today, therefore, is not a new phenomena. In our modern culture, however, these body trends have become more dangerous than ever because our bodies themselves are expected to conform to the rapidly changing trends created by social media.

Of the many trends that existed in the past pertaining to a desired silhouette, many minds jump to the large skirts, impossibly small waists and dramatic ruffle collars from the Elizabethan Era. While these features may seem preposterous to our modern standards, the methods for achieving

this silhouette were relatively harmless. According to the Fashion History Timeline, a pilot project started by the Fashion Institute of Technology, an aristocratic woman in the 1580s would don a “pair of bodies,” which was the corset’s predecessor, a wheel farthingale and a bum roll along with other garments to achieve a smooth front and a stiff, square-shaped skirt. Although some may hear the word “corset” and immediately think of tight lacing, this was not a common practice, according to various videos by Bernadette Banner, a YouTuber who often recreates historical clothing using historically accurate methods. Corsets were designed to achieve a flat and smooth bodice, and by making the shoulders and hips much broader than they naturally were, the waist seemed narrower in comparison.

However, not all silhouettes are obtained through strategic shapewear and illusion. In our current culture of fast fashion and social media, our actual bodies must do the shapeshifting themselves.

Instead of using padding and hoop skirts, trends such as heroin chic from the 1990s, where being extremely skinny was idealized, and the popularized Kim Kardashian exaggerated hourglass shape of today rely on more dangerous methods like excessive dieting and plastic surgery, respectively. To starve oneself of necessary nutrients and to be pressured into risky cosmetic procedures are not on the same level as adding a couple shapewear layers to one’s daily outfit.

This is where the distinction lies between harmless and harmful body trends: those that use clothes to emulate desired features versus those that use the human bodies themselves to create a popular silhouette.

However, this is not to say that all body trends in the past were clothingbased. The plump figures idealized by the ancient Greeks, the slim and small build preferred by the Han Dynasty and many others fall into the same category as the body trends we deal with in modern times.

Yet the difference between these body-type trends and those of today is the introduction of social media in recent years and consequently, the dramatically accelerating speed at which trends change. The unprecedented accessibility to information that the new technologies of the modern day provide to the global

population has played a large role in the rapid development and replacement of new trends. While this would not be as harmful if different types of shapewear were to be switched out, to completely change one’s body composition every couple of years is not only nearly impossible to do on command, but extremely dangerous and unhealthy to attempt.

All in all, it has become more necessary now than ever to separate our bodies from fleeting fashions. While in an ideal world, body type trends would be completely abolished and all shapes and sizes would be regarded as beautiful, this is much easier said than done.

In order to work toward the wellbeing of our society, we must first focus on applying trends to disposable items such as clothes rather than to our own bodies — our life sources.

Sophia Gorba STAFF WRITER

ART BY Z ZABARSKY

ART BY ANNA OPALSKY/FALCONER

PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE JERRY WU

Assistant Editor-in-Chief Jerry Wu shares his story of self-discovery — from spending long afternoons at his grandparent’s house in Shanghai to capturing the streets of San Diego on his x100v Fujifilm camera.

“Jie - li!” Without hesitation, I leaped out of the car and followed the warm call from the wooden porch, where my grandma was waiting. In her bright pink slippers, she was bundled up in the layers of clothing she wore almost year-round. Out of the side of my eyes, my grandpa offered me a smirk and wave as he calmly tended to his pots of flowers. Inside the house, an aromatic concoction of Chinese herbs and spices filled the living room with the smell of spaghetti bolognese.

Those were my Sunday afternoons. During my seven years living in Shanghai, my parents and I would make an hour-long car ride every week to my grandparent’s home in the city suburbs. And on the way there, I would always ask my parents why we were visiting again and so soon.

Although I did not understand it then, over time, I slowly grew to realize what those long afternoon hours meant to me. Sitting by the porch side with my grandparents, listening to their

thrilling childhood stories and passeddown family recipes to their outspoken views of world politics – the world was my oyster. Mid-conservation, I burst out with questions, sometimes even the same questions, causing my grandpa’s eyebrows to furrow delightfully.

Growing up, I had always spoken a mix of Chinese and English to my parents, but being tasked with only speaking in Chinese with my grandparents could not deprive us of our laughter and tears. I always felt open to sharing my adventures and observations with them. I felt newly connected to a side of my family culture that now breathed and flowed through me with ready embracement.

This feeling continued to resonate with me at school. In Shanghai, I attended an international school with other students of different backgrounds and stories to be shared. To me, school was a time to explore. As I formed friendships with other students, I developed an open-minded curiosity to

explore countries and cultures. Whether introduced to a new food, a language or a friendship, these moments validated me and taught me something novel, something unfamiliar but akin to me at the same time.

Seven years later, I was struck by the news that my family was moving to San Diego. I was distraught. But before I could know it, a new journey had led its way into my life, and it was the start of high school. Though with little sense of direction, I entered TPHS, ready to face any hurdles life might throw at me. I began to introduce myself to classmates and started conversations with teachers. I also actively participated in different club activities.

Glimpses of my passion shined through when I enrolled in Beginning Journalism during the pandemic. Immediately, I became drawn to the ideas of personal connections and storytelling that journalism brings alive. Reminded of the moments I shared with my grandparents and old

friends, I knew journalism spoke deep into my learnings and beliefs. Through interviewing numerous individuals and reporting dozens of stories, I gleaned new skills and information that equally enhanced my enthusiasm for journalism and my global citizenship.

On campus, friends may constantly find me interviewing a student or teacher during class. Meanwhile, outside of school, I travel to unfamiliar parts of the city and stretch the boundaries of photojournalism with the x100v Fujifilm camera my grandpa gifted me before I left Shanghai.

Ultimately, I see my roles as a global citizen and journalist as a catalyst for an appreciation and self-discovery of cultures. I am proud to have worked to spread the values of cultural learning and my love for journalism to provide a unique and upstanding platform for all voices. To me, wherever I find a home, home is a place of endless diversity and exploration, which I forever hope to embrace.

SDUSD’s Measure U is so ironic it’s painful

because many teachers cannot afford to pay escalated rent with their current salaries. According to Zillow, the median yearly rent in San Diego is around $31,000 for a one-bedroom unit. Meanwhile, according to the San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD), the average yearly pay for teachers is around $88,000, meaning that even comparatively higher paid teachers spend more than a third of their income on their living space.

When one thinks of the most influential individuals in their life, more often than not a teacher will come to mind. Maybe the first grade teacher who showed you the magic of books and the power of words. Or the teacher in high school that helped you through a panic attack and dried your tears.

Teachers hold immense responsibility. They have the power to inspire intellectual curiosity in young minds. They mold brilliant scientists, climate change activists, innovators and above all, good and kind people.

Again and again teachers have proven themselves to be the backbone of society. And yet, they continue to be grossly mistreated and undervalued.

This ill treatment is glaringly apparent in the outrageously low wages teachers receive. This has become such a drastic issue that many districts in expensive areas of San Diego are seeing high rates of outward transferal

In an effort to combat this issue, in October of 2022, SDUSD passed a $3.2 billion bond, Measure U, in which $206 million would be allocated for the building of affordable housing for teachers on school-owned land. This bond, like all other local school bonds, is a measure voted on by citizens that allows school districts to borrow money that they can pay off by levying local property taxes.

While at first glance this may seem like a beneficial action for teachers, in fact, it is unabashedly a slap in the face. Its irony is so painful it is almost laughable, akin to something out of an SNL skit.

Rather than raising the salaries of teachers so that they can be part of the communities they serve, the government sits by and does nothing, leaving districts to scrap for any measures they can pass to combat the housing crisis gripping their teachers.

Measures like these do not address the root of the dilemma, but at least the districts are trying. One cannot say the same for the state and federal governments.

Why can SDUSD voters, who are already paying a multitude of taxes, spare another fee for the betterment of public education, when the government for some reason cannot? Why is the brunt of support towards the public education system falling on taxpayers rather than the federal government that spends $1.9 trillion dollars annually on its military?

Yet the passing of this measure does not come as a shock. The government consistently neglects teachers and the integral role they play in society

because they do not produce concrete profits.

However, teachers are the building blocks upon which every profession stands. Teachers care about the world, they care about the ideas and dreams of our society’s youth.

So why is it that we do not reciprocate this care? Why does the government not show how much we need our teachers? Why have we reached the point where we are desensitized to something like the passing of this bond, a desperate measure that SDUSD had to resort to because the government refuses to help? Teachers do not deserve this. They deserve the utmost respect. We owe everything to our teachers, and it is about time for us to pay them back.

PHOTO BY COLE FROST/FALCONER

Natalia Mochernak COPY EDITOR

ART BY TISYA NAIR

According to a recent poll conducted by Morning Consult, only 16% of American Gen Z adults (aged 18 to 25) are proud to live in the United States. Ranking lower than Baby Boomers at 73%, Gen Xers at 54% and Millennials at 36%, the survey places Gen Z as the U.S.’ least proud generation. But pride and patriotism are not one and the same.

To feel patriotic about one’s country is not to blindly agree with and be proud of each of its policies and believe it to be perfect, but to recognize both its strengths and weaknesses. Gen Z’s unprecedented willingness to call out America’s flaws solidifies them as one of the most patriotic generations ever.

From America’s deceitful war on terror abroad to its sharply divided domestic political landscape, the past 25 years of American history have featured far more pain than progress. And thanks to the internet, Gen Z has had a front row seat to every ugly detail.

As the first generation to grow up surrounded by cell phones and social media, information on any and every American controversy is simply a click away. Social media has offered today’s young adults a means of instantaneously communicating their thoughts, feelings and experiences to anyone, at any time. Although this has united millions, our connection has come at a price. According to a 2019 study conducted by the National Academy of Sciences, the average human is more physiologically activated by negative stories than by positive ones.

Thus, it should come as no surprise that the content reaching the highest levels of “virality” on social media tends to depict drama, violence and controversy.

Gen Z has used social media to gather support for the Black Lives Matter movement in the wake of the police killings of George Floyd and Tyre Nichols. Those graphic videos of American dysfunction point out the contradictions between the U.S.’ principles and actions – every flaw in the country’s pledge of “liberty and justice for all.”

From rampant school shootings, to the overturning of Roe v. Wade and the enactment of “Don’t Say Gay” laws in states across the country, Gen Z has borne the brunt of America’s recent failures. Likewise, they have been at the foreground of nearly every major protest and political movement over the past decade. Surrounded by an endless stream of negative news and information, defiance and protest is not a choice for America’s youth – it is a necessity.

Although the statistics may label Gen Z as the U.S.’ least patriotic generation, their distrust in American government is something to be commended. Gen Z is disillusioned by America’s unfulfilled promises. And that is a good thing.

In a country that prides itself on open debate and freedom of expression, Gen Z’s criticism of America is a positive sign for the nation’s future. Rather than remaining complacent through America’s many controversies,

FALCON FALCON

young adults across the U.S. are taking action. By educating themselves and increasing their involvement in the democratic system, Gen Zers are getting their voices heard on a national level.

According to the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE), turnout for voters aged 18-29 was at its second-highest during the 2022 midterm election since the 1990s.

History books often reference the U.S. founding fathers as some of the greatest patriots in American history – men who would live and die for their country’s prosperity. But before they were patriots, the U.S. founding fathers

FIGURES FIGURES

79% of Falcons said they are proud to live in the U.S.

60% of Falcons said they would not consider themselves to be patriotic

We, the Falconer staff, are dedicated to creating a monthly newspaper with the intent of encouraging independent thinking, expanding our knowledge of journalism, and providing the TPHS student body and community with a truthful, unbiased news source, in accordance with our First Amendment rights.

FAX: (858) 523-0794

E-MAIL: falconer.ads@gmail.com

WEBSITE: www.tphsfalconer.com

The Falconer is the student newspaper of Torrey Pines High School. Its content, which is the responsibility of the Falconer staff, is not subject to administrative approval. Unsigned editorials represent the opinions of the staff, while opinion columns represent the writer’s perspective. Advertisements do not represent endorsements. The Falconer, an open forum, welcomes signed letters or guest editorials on pertinent issues from the TPHS

were revolutionaries.

Like the youth of today, they sought freedoms in life and were dissatisfied with their government. Most notably, however, they understood that to be patriotic is not to have blind faith and pride in one’s country, but to constantly seek out and identify the ways in which their nation could be improved.

Although Gen Z may not be proud to live in the U.S. today, Americans should find comfort in their desire for change.

Like our nation’s founding fathers, the next generation of American citizens have their eyes set on a brighter future.

-TheFalconerStaff

145 Falcons responded to an anoymous poll sent out by the Falconer. Here are the results...

50% of Falcons are concerned that just 16% of 18 to 25-year-olds in the country are proud to live in the U.S.

73% of Falcons said they are dissatisfied with the current state of the U.S.

Dixie

Jacob

Helene Gao

Jerry Wu

Natalia Mochernak

Anna Opalsky

Rami Kabakibi

Caroline Hunt

Kathryn Reese

Adriana Hazlett

Michele Kim

Cole Frost

Regan Guirguis

David Zhang

Maddy Miller

Martin Lee

Hannah Meltzer

Macy Swortwood

Sophia Gorba

Makaylah Gerling

Joy Ma

Elsa Goodman

Liv Weaver

Lexi Lamb

Cassandra Love

Ellie Koff

Eric Lee

Adviser:

Mia Boardman Smith

ART BY CLAIRE HWA

A classroom at TPHS may feel comfortable for most, but walking into a room hearing another language and seeing a lifestyle completely different from one you see at home, causes international students to feel overwhelmed; but with the sheltered and English Language Development (ELD) programs on campus, international students are able to transition into their new life in a more approachable way.

Students from all over the world choose to attend TPHS because of its campus diversity, the size of the English Learner Program and wide selection of sheltered classes.

Being in a new environment makes it hard for international students to connect with their American peers. In sheltered classes, students find solace with other students who have gone through a similar journey to TPHS.

“[My class-mates] are also not good at English, so we can [become] friends, [even] though they are from another country, [we both] know what we are feeling,” Anna Lim (11), a sheltered English student from South Korea, said.

The social barriers that ELD students have to overcome when they first join TPHS are not easy; yet intimate classes make it easier to attend a new school in a new country.

“When you go to a regular class it’s kind of hard because it’s for Americans. But when you’re in ELD, it makes a seamless transition,” Ukrainian Max Kovalchuk (11), a sheltered English student, said.

a look at

Sheltered English teacher Cullen and Sheltered Math One teacher Kristin Sandy build stronger relationships with their students in their close-kint enviorment. According to Sandy, sheltered and ELD teachers are essentially taking on a parental role in order to address students’ needs outside of class. For instance, Sandy recalls connecting a student with a TPHS basketball coach, so they could become more involved around school. Thus, international students are provided with more of a connection that not only focuses on their English development, but also their extracurriculars. Sheltered and ELD teachers like Joanne Serrano, who ran the program for 18 years prior to Butler’s arrival this school year, teach their multilingual students about American culture.

“I think it’s giving them the skills they need to survive in American schools. We are teaching them American culture at the same time that they’re preserving their own,” Serrano said.

Mixing students with different cultures in a sheltered classroom only exposes them to a small bubble, while participating in a club gives students the opportunity to broaden their horizons. The International Friends Club at TPHS was created in 1999, by Billy Au who moved from Hong Kong. It was created in an effort to help students share their cultures, meet other international students, practice English and do activities together. Club president Honoka Kato (12) said that being in an environment with new languages is very challenging and students can feel a lot of overwhelming pressure. By joining these clubs, international students reduce that pressure in their new environment.

Co-presidents Nethra Manhendran (11) and Isabella Tassara (11) created the

Multicultural Student Association, in an effort to bring awareness and allow for a spectrum of student views to be put into place.

“I feel like our purpose is to help connect everybody and help them understand. So having them come and join our club would help them connect with other students,” Tassara said.

These classes and clubs allow students to feel more confident and comfortable to come out of their shell.

“[International students] are [less likely] to take a chance with brand new students in a different class,” Cullen said. “This class gives them the opportunity to develop that confidence, and to practice with people that are also learning with them, with the same background.”

Yet, with a tight budget, smaller class sizes bring more struggles with juggling the amount of sheltered classes the school can afford in the coming year.

“We just want our students to know that we support them, and that we’re going to help them with whatever issues we can,” Tellers said. “But I think that the ultimate scare is that we just hope that these programs don’t go away.”

by Makaylah Gerling and Elsa Goodman

[My classmates] are also not good at English, so we can [become] friends, [even] though they are from another country, [we both] know what we are feeling.

Anna Lim (11) STUDENT

“High School” Sweethearts Sweethearts

TPHS is home to teacher couples who share a love for teaching and each other. The Falconer takes a look at these beloved couples and their origin stories.

The Doerrers

In the rush of passing period, two new teachers jostle past each other, one exiting and one entering Room 108, the classroom they share. Exchanging only a few words as they rotate classes, neither would have guessed that six years later they would be married.

Chas Doerrer, an AP Psychology teacher and football and track and field coach, laughs remembering that year of sharing a classroom with his wife, Jennifer (King) Doerrer.

“With coaching and everything else, I was probably always rushing,” he said. “I don’t think I made a good impression.”

Despite this unconventional introduction, they reconnected a few years later and have not looked back since.

“She overcame my horrible first impression,” Chas joked.

While they no longer share a classroom or even a hallway, the Doerrers find time in their days to support each other on campus.

Early on in their relationship, Jennifer, an art teacher and the cochair of the Visual & Performing Arts Department, often developed her art curriculum with Chas.

“We used to be night owls … so we would just paint sometimes,” Chas said. “She would be doing her art lesson and I would do whatever the lesson was. [At] one in the morning, we’d still be painting.”

While this routine ended when they started their family, Chas still appreciates Jennifer’s creativity; he often incorporates art into his psychology class and during breaks, will email her art inspiration.

Though their days remain separate, these email exchanges and check-ins during lunch, create treasured moments throughout the day.

“We’re a serious cardinal and gold family,” Chas, also a former TPHS student, said.

With this dedication to their campus, the Doerrers have worked to find a balance between their shared career and their family life.

“There are pluses and minuses to sharing the same job because it’s sometimes harder to find a boundary,” Chas said. “You have to find the right balance in your life.”

For 15 years, the Doerrers have practiced finding that balance. While they may no longer be passing each other in the doorway of Room 108, a quick email exchange about a local art installation or a knock at a door to signal a lunch delivery are reminders of the role TPHS played in their relationship.

by Anna Opalsky

The Lopezes

Falling in love with someone who shares the same passion and career is lucky, and working at the same school? Even better. Getting to see your spouse throughout the day in hallways and school events is not for everyone, but Heather and Mike Lopez would not have it any other way.

The couple has been married for 14 years, a rare pair at TPHS. Mike teaches freshman Biology and Culinary Arts, while Heather teaches AP Research, AP English Language and Cheer P.E.

In their case, the Lopezes barely see each other during school hours. They have two daughters, ages eight and 12, that need to be taken care of, so they alternate schedules, – Mike finishing before lunch and Heather starting late and working until the end of the day. Working around their teaching schedules has become second nature

for them.

“We have always taught opposite schedules so we can be with our kids,” Mike said.

They both have been teaching for over 20 years, and even worked at a school together prior to TPHS. They met teaching, coincidentally, or maybe by fate, getting hired at the same time. When they are not working or spending time with their kids, the Lopezes adore traveling. Heather has been to all 50 states, with Mike accompanying her to the last few. Together they have visited nine countries.

“When I think of my favorite things we have done, most are with travel and our kids,” Heather said.

Just like their contrasting subjects of teaching, with Heather in humanities and Mike in STEM, the Lopezes are proof that opposites really do attract.

“I love how he is laid-back and always ready for adventure,” Heather said.

In contrast, Mike describes Heather as the kind of person who gets things done. Without her, he believes, there would be a lot missing in their household.

The Lopezes’ love story started and continues with what they love to do: teaching. If they had never been applying for the same job at the same time, their lives would be completely different.

by Macy Swortwood

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE DOERRERS

PHOTO BY ANNA OPALSKY

A chance encounter on Catalina Island sparked not only the Ralls’ careers in teaching, but also their marriage.

Both Mary Ann, now a biotech and AP Biology teacher, fresh out of her studies at the University of Nebraska, and Michael, now a chemistry teacher, returning from a job in Alaska, were each drawn to Catalina Island as a place to figure out their “next step.” They found that step together as instructors at an educational program for visiting students.

“It was a fun time in life because [we were] surrounded by likeminded people that enjoyed science … and [were] ready for adventure,” Mary Ann said.

That love of adventure defined their relationship. After setting off from Catalina Island, they spent three months traveling Australia, the Cook Islands and New Zealand, forming many of their favorite memories together.

“Mrs. Rall was my dive buddy,” Michael said. “We went on a lot of really good scuba diving adventures.”

When they settled in San Diego, their memories lingered.

“The time we spent on Catalina Island teaching really resonated with us … so we gravitated toward getting our credentials in teaching,” Michael said.

While they initially taught in different districts, un-synched school breaks that no longer allowed for shared adventures spurred Michael’s move to TPHS, where Mary Ann had been teaching for four years.

“We were losing the commonality of what we [did],” he said.

Nestled toward the back of campus, in classrooms facing each other,

the Ralls have shared TPHS ever since, welcoming two children along the way.

“I gaze at him from the back door,” Mary Ann joked.

“Yeah right,” Michael quipped.

While they are separated by only a few steps, their days remain fairly separate.

“We have 190 students plus … and we teach technical classes where people have questions,” Michael said, adding that their days are too “busy” to have much crossover.

However, that separation at work, especially as it relates to creating boundaries, has strengthened their relationship.

“When you work with your spouse, it’s important not to talk about work when you go home,” Michael said. “That was a rule we made early on.”

For 21 years, the balance has served them well, as they bring the same love for science and nature that they fostered on Catalina Island to the classrooms of TPHS.

by Anna Opalsky

The Ralls The Neubauers

The clock strikes 3:25 p.m., and the parking lots flood with students eager to head home for the afternoon. Meanwhile in the teacher lot, Julie and Eric Neubauer meet up to debrief each other on the day as they drive home.

“We really love that we have saved gas money,” social science teacher Julie said.

Julie, who teaches AP World History and AP European History, has enjoyed working alongside her husband at the same school for the past seven years. Eric works in the Career Technical Education pathway as an Automotive Technology teacher and sitting as the TPHS Chair and District Chair for CTE for the past eight years.

“It’s neat to have [students] that we both know that we can talk about because when I taught at a different school, he [Eric] would not have any idea who they were, so now we can talk about the kids,” Julie said.

Although the Neubauers’ classrooms are far apart on campus, their 12-year marriage, 25-year relationship began in two side-by-side seats in the Rhetoric and Writing 100 7 p.m. class at San Diego State University.

“[When I first sat next to Julie] I think I was intrigued,” Eric said. After class Eric offered to walk Julie to her car.

“When he walked me to my car and saw I had a Jeep, I think that is when he decided he was going to propose,” Julie said.

Although Julie’s tan ‘85 Jeep Scrambler was definitely impressive, Eric’s love went much deeper than that.

“[Julie’s best quality the] ability for both of us to accept each other’s interests regardless of if we like them at the same time,” Eric said.

While working together at TPHS has strengthened the Neubauers’ relationship, the couple’s best memories lie beyond campus.

“My favorite times with him are when we are at the river with our dogs,” Julie said. “It is our happy place for both of us … we have a lot of fun.”

The Neubauers, 25 years strong, are proof that a casual classroom encounter could introduce you to your future significant other.

by Hannah Meltzer

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE RALLS

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE NEUBAUERS

PHOTO BY ANNA OPALSKY

PHOTO BY ANNA OPALSKY

MY KIND OF WOMAN

by Mac DeMarco

THERE IS A LIGHT THAT NEVER GOES OUT

by The Smiths

I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU by

Dolly Parton

DREAM A LITTLE DREAM OF ME

by The Mamas & the Papas

WONDERFUL WORLD

by Sam Cooke

LOVE.

by Kendrick Lamar

LOVE ON THE BRAIN

by Rihanna

LOVERS ROCK by

TV Girl

KISS ME

LOVER, YOU SHOULD’VE COME OVER by

FADE INTO YOU

HOPELESSLY DEVOTED TO YOU

by Olivia Newton John

LAY ALL YOUR LOVE ON ME

by ABBA

SOMETHING

by The Beatles

LOVE ME

TENDER

by

Elvis Presley

The Falconer shares some of the best love songs, dating all the way back from the ‘50s to today.

LOVE IS IN THE AIR

by Mazzy Star

Jeff Buckley

by Sixpence None the Richer

VIDEO GAMES by Lana Del Rey

BEHIND THE VELVET CURTAIN

Okay, cutie patooties,”

Marinee Payne, the head of the TPHS theater department, says, commencing the TPPlayers’ rehearsal.

In the mostly empty Performing Arts Center, the Players stand on the stage, performing a bare bones Act 1 of their new play, sometimes glancing down to the red script books they hold to recite lines like “Two beeps or not two beeps? That is the question.”

Shakespearean dialogue meets ‘50s and ‘60s rock meets “Star Trek” in the TPPlayers’ current production, “Return to the Forbidden Planet.” The musical is based on Shakespeare’s play “The Tempest” and the “cheesy” (as Payne calls it) 1956 science fiction movie “Forbidden Planet.”

“This production is definitely a lot quirkier than others we’ve done ... but it’s a good quirky,” Libby Bezdek (12), who plays the robot Ariel, said.

For the past two months, the TPPlayers have rehearsed every day from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Auditions were held before winter break.

“What I look for is the essence of the character in the person,” Payne, who casts the show, said. “I have this series of exercises that I do where I go, ‘Oh, that person has a quality of this character’ or, ‘That person doesn’t have the quality of any of the characters.’”

Still, the actors must make an effort to understand their characters fully. Trevin Henry (11), who plays a lead, Captain Tempest, said that

when rehearsals started, the actors created fictional backstories for their characters to help embody their personalities better.

Bezdek also has a variety of methods to get in touch with her character.

“I read my script a lot. I like to get to know my scene partners, so I’ll usually hang out with them outside of rehearsal,” she said. “But a lot of it is just doing character work on your own, like putting your character in everyday scenarios and wondering, ‘How would they react to this?’”

The actors receive guidance from Samira Sattarova (12), the acting director, who is in charge of telling the actors “how to act this, how to bring that to life,” according to her.

“Our actors are very dedicated,” Sattarova said. “We give them some advice, and they take it to heart, and at the next rehearsal, they do better.”

While acting is a vital part of the show, so is the music. In music teacher Amy Gelb’s room, with a sticker that says “Music is what feelings sound like” pasted on the wall, the Players sing songs like “Teenager in Love” and “Good Vibrations” as the pit band, made up of members of the jazz band, plays the instrumentals.

“Sing out of your head. Sing out of your eyeball,” Payne cries out to the singers in between the swinging electric guitar strums and thrum of the drums.

“Just commit to it,” Jason Nguyen (12), the music director, says.

Nguyen leads the pit, both conducting and playing the guitar.

“The pit already knows how to

play music, so it’s just about getting them comfortable with theater, and then also getting the theater kids comfortable with music,” Nguyen said.

One of the major parts of the show’s music is the ensemble, which harmonizes with the characters for songs and “brings life to the main characters as they interact with us,” according to Brooklyn Hampel (12), a

lighting,” Nolan Greer (10), the head lighting designer, said. “When we practice, we just have the regular house lights on, so you only see the actors, but in lighting, you really get to create that world.”

The musical’s world is also created by the Drama Production classes, which construct the sets for each show.

Nor would the play be complete without costumes, many of which for “Return to the Forbidden Planet” are “really unlike what you would expect in a normal show” because of the “absurdity of the setting and story,” according to Gwynnie Kermorris (11), one of the costume designers and the actor playing Miranda.

member of the ensemble.

Along with that, the ensemble performs choreography — something specific to musicals — on top of blocking, which is the exact staging of characters in the play.

During rehearsal, the ensemble practices choreography in the PAC’s black box as Bezdek, one of the choreographers, teaches a “Barden Bellas” hip bounce.

Meanwhile, some of the other actors rehearse their songs on stage as the backdrop’s lights switch from a bluish green to hot pink.

Lighting, along with other technical aspects, is essential to the production.

“Marinee says if you’re a good lighting designer, then the audience shouldn’t be able to recognize the

Clothed in their bright blue and mustard yellow costumes, the actors have one last dress rehearsal the day before opening night.

Helping behind the scenes are the stage managers, Zoe Huang (10) and Jake Fargo (12), assisting with quick changes, opening the curtain and making sure the actors are in the right places, among other duties. The hair and makeup team are also at work in the dressing of rooms of the PAC.

In the chime of the actor’s impassioned voices, in the perfectly timed sound effects of alarms, explosions and Ariel the robot’s mechanical whirring, in the vibrant dance of the piano keys over the rolling drums, one thing stands out very clearly: the hard work, effort and passion of the TPPlayers has certainly, and once again, paid off.

by Adriana Hazlett

The Falconer takes a look at the TP Players’ producton process for their new show, “Return to the Forbidden Planet.”

This production is definitely quirkier than others we’ve done ... but it’s a good quirky.

Libby Bezdeck (12) STUDENT

Fifteen years ago, just 24 miles north of TPHS at El Camino High School, the idea for her debut novel, “The Mothers,” blossomed in the mind of then 17-year-old Brit Bennett. She was the same age as her novel’s main character, Nadia Turner, and shared a similar yearning to leave her hometown — Oceanside. Just like Turner, Bennett had big dreams for her future, though she never could have imagined how far she would come.

After high school, Bennett attended Stanford University where she received her B.A. in English before earning her M.F.A. at the University of Michigan, suffering through the brutal Midwest winters as a Southern California girl at heart.

All of Bennett’s success is utterly and completely deserved. She is a master of literary seduction, of creating a tale so enticing that a reader does not begin to notice their intense investment in the story till it is too late to look back. She drops hints and clues to how she will end the story, deftly disguising them as poetic metaphors and breathy similes.

Bennett has the rare but essential talent shared by all literary greats: that of taking hard-hitting, raw issues and constructing stories that not only teach integral lessons but also entertain. She does not shy away from the gritty and hard truths. “The Vanishing Half,” for example, includes a recounting of the lynching of a black man.

Bennett was completing a writing fellowship at Michigan in 2014 at the time of the separate police killings of the black men Michael Brown and Eric Garner. In response to the court cases absolving the policeman involved in the killings, Bennett wrote an essay for the website Jezebel, entitled “I Don’t Know What to Do With Good White People,” garnering more than one million views in the span of three days. Soon after, a literary agent reached out wondering if she was interested in writing a book. The rest is history.

When “The Mothers” made its first appearance on bookstore shelves in 2016, both critics and readers were immediately entranced by the tender story of young love in a contemporary Black community of Southern California. As an exciting new voice in literary fiction, Bennett was named a 5 Under 35 honoree by the National Book Foundation, and “The Mothers” was listed for the NBCC John Leonard First Novel Prize.

Bennett examined similar motifs of race, identity and womanhood in her second novel, “The Vanishing Half.” Not surprisingly, the book proved to be an even greater hit than her first, quickly rising to become a New York Times #1 bestseller and a Good Morning America June Book Club pick.

Everything about Bennett’s books is vibrant: from the colorful swirling designs pasted on her books’ covers, to the kaleidoscopic-like feeling of her novels that interweave a multitude of different perspectives and stories.

Many of these stories Bennett pulls from her surroundings; a variety of the distinct personas in her novels are based on real Oceanside locals. Take a stroll down Mission Ave, and you just might meet a preppy blonde girl like Kennedy Sanders or a group of elderly women heading to church like “the Mothers.” Just like Desiree Vignes in “The Vanishing Half,” Bennett’s own mother was a fingerprint analyst for Oceanside county’s sheriff department. Her description of the relationship between twins Desiree and Stella Vignes in “The Vanishing Half” would not be half as heart-wrenching or convincing without her own experience growing up with two older sisters.

Bennett says she grew up looking up to and still pulls inspiration from prolific black authors like Toni Morrison, James Baldwin, Zora Neale Hurston and Alice Walker. It is not far off to say that one day her name will be up with these Black literary legends as well.

by Natalia Mochernak

BRIT BENNETT OUR OUR

“I have to come from a standpoint of, ‘I’m a consumer first, and what do I want to see?’” he said. “So then I write the story that I

Lambert’s dream of creating his own comic company began with the founding of Image Comics, a collection of artists that broke off from DC and Marvel Comics. Seeing this company’s success from a young age gave him the hope that a “normal person” like him could

“I was able to see a black-owned company, so that meant I could do it, and [it was a] fledgling company that started with no backing, so that really let me know ‘Oh, I really can achieve this,’” Lambert

Now, years later, Lambert works with fellow creators to produce comics that underrepresented audiences and writers can truly see themselves in. Perhaps Wingless entertainment will inspire a new generation to enter the comic industry. Lambert encourages young creators to put themselves out there, and appreciates Black Com!x Day as an event that can support these budding artists.

“You can have real face-time with people who are doing what you want to do. You can take the time to actually ask the questions that are necessary,” he said. “Everybody’s welcoming, and you’re going to learn so much.”

Lambert recognizes that the fear of failure can stop aspiring artists, especially marginalized communities. Yet, to those who hope to create their own comics one day, Lambert says to “do it, because everybody sucks.”

“Everybody who’s out there has failed. Everyone who was out there has done something that was subpar. Everyone who was out there has been in your position,” he said. “The only person stopping you, is you.”

by Kathryn Reese

BRIAN LAMBERT

PHOTO BY ANNA OPALSKY/FALCONER

PHOTO COURTESY OF NPR

ANDRA DAY

Behind a podium stands a woman with red lipstick, large hoop earrings and hair in a tall, curly updo. She’s wearing a long and colorful dress as she graciously accepts Billboard’s Award for “Powerhouse” singer. This is Andra Day.

Day is best known for her song “Rise Up” from her album “Cheers to the Fall,” a unique and artistic singer, her music style is described as R&B with her distinct jazz, blues and soul influences. Even her stage name, Andra Day, pays homage to the jazz singer Billie Holiday, who was often called Lady Day.

Day, born Cassandra Monique Batie, had always been musically inclined and was drawn to performance arts at a young age. Since she was five, Day had taken dance classes and later started singing at the First United Methodist Church in Chula Vista along side her participation in musical theater. What really drew her toward music, though, were her arts-oriented elemen tary school and exposure to her biggest influences — the jazz singers Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and Dinah Washington — at the age of 11. In an article from The New York Times by Alexis Soloski, Day describes the first time she heard Holiday sing: “I heard ‘Sugar’ and then I heard ‘Strange Fruit.’ It changed my idea of what a great singer was.”

She attended the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts, however, it took her until 2010 to make her breakthrough when Stevie Wonder introduced her to producer Adrian Gurvitz, after Wonder’s wife at the time, Kai Millard Morris, saw a video of Day singing on You Tube. In an interview with Live Nation, Day described the first time Wonder called her: “I was living in a tiny little studio apartment with my mom…I didn’t be lieve it.” She ended up collaborating with Gur vitz for much of her debut album and was able to get an album deal with Warner Bros.

Now a seasoned musician and actress, Day is still in contact with Wonder and she has many professional achievements under her belt. She performed at the White House, sang with Stevie Wonder and other artists and received many awards in both her singing

and acting career. Some of these awards include nomination for the 2016 Grammys Award for Best R&B album for “Cheers to the Fall,” nomination for the 2016 Grammys Award for Best Performance and a Daytime Emmys Award for her performance of her song “Rise Up.” She was only the second Black woman in history to win the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture for Drama for her debut as Billie Holiday in the movie “The United States vs. Billie Holiday,” in which she was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress. San Diego raised, Day was awarded the key to the city by elected officials in 2021. In an article in The San Diego Union Tribune, Day said “This just means everything because I love my city…I will always have San Diego on my shoulders, on my back and in my heart.”

A main reason Day makes music is to make an impact on people and help them through tough times. One strategy she uses to spread her message in her songs is to partic-

According to Day in the article “San Diego Native Andra Day to Appear on 40 Million Coke Cups at McDonald’s” in the San Diego Voice & Viewpoint, her song “Rise Up” is a “simple reminder to persevere.”

Through the Coke Campaign, she can spread this same message with her lyrics and the QR code to a short film inspired by her song on Coca-Cola cups at McDonald’s. This action carries out her purpose of helping others since “[“Rise Up” is] healing and encouraging and inspiring because I believe music in its purest form is a vessel of healing,” as Day said in an article from Billboard by Adelle Platon.

This translates into her music through her expressive voice and convey true human tion. Each song is filled with so much care and soul, making her discography worth listening to.

by Sophia Gorba

HISTORY HISTORY

Before Kadir Nelson could read, sing or spell he began his journey as one of today’s most brilliant oil painters. The Black Art Depot, an art gallery in Georgia that sells Nelson’s and other talented black artists’ work, briefly shares Nelson’s life story, where he states that “[art is a] part of my DNA”.

Growing up, Nelson’s knowledge of the world of art and its culture was influenced by his uncle.

“My uncle gave me my foundation in art,” Nelson said on The Black Art Depot’s website.

Under his uncle’s wing, Nelson was able to experiment with many different forms of art, specifically in drawing and painting. At age 16, Nelson began oil painting, quickly growing attached to the art form.

Nelson also received mentoring from his high school art teacher at Will C. Crawford Senior High School in El Cerrito, San Diego. Nelson’s art was later recognized by the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York through which he received a scholarship to attend.

“My art is inspired primarily by great stories,” Nelson said in an interview with Scholastic. “I really like the story of being able to overcome great odds, becoming the hero or the hero to ourselves that we know we can be.”

Nelson’s realist art celebrates and echoes African American culture, specifically in terms of his figurative paintings that focus on past and present Black narratives. His art is presented in places all around the world and in many different forms, from magazines to books to album covers.

“I feel that art’s highest function is that of a mirror, reflecting the innermost beauty and divinity of the human spirit; and is most effective when it calls the viewer to remember one’s highest self,” Nelson said in an interview with Reading Rockets, a national public media literacy initiative.

Nelson concentrates his work on the illumination of the best in

people, his work is comforting to people’s minds and souls, always highlighting a greater idea. This is executed flawlessly in one of his illustrations for Scholastic, “Read Every Day.” The illustration depicts a little boy reading a huge book with reverence. A sun shines from behind his head, symbolizing his mind “being brightened, illuminated by what he’s reading,” according to the same Scholastic interview.

As Nelson’s work began to reach the public eye, The New Yorker Magazine began displaying his work on their front covers that reflected the ideas of justice.

His art is richly colorful and eye-catching and is beyond any words The New Yorker could ever put on their covers. Many of his portraits illustrate people in real time, which is why they are so eye-catching; viewers can relate to them. His portraits portray the way the world was, is, and will be. They speak both good and bad, but they also speak for change.

Nelson’s work became world-renowned, so much so that he has illustrated album covers for both Michael Jackson’s “Michael” album and Drake’s “Nothing Was The Same” album.

Nelson’s illustrations have been presented in over 25 books, including one of his most famous, “We Are The Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball”.

Nelson endeavors to bring comfort to those that seek it, and joy to those that need it. A San Diego native, he has received worldwide recognition with awards such as the Caldecott Medal, Coretta Scott King Author and Illustrator Awards, the New York Times Best Illustrated Book Award, several NAACP Image Awards, and arguably the coolest of all, an Olympic Art Bronze medal.

Nelson has become one of the masters in his field, as he stands as one of today’s most noteworthy turn-of-the-century artists. by Elsa Goodman

KADIR NELSON

PHOTO COURTESY OF VARIETY

PHOTO COURTESY OF KADIR NELSON

The TPHS girls varsity basketball team (10-0), defeated Vista High School (3-7) by a score of 75-32 on Feb. 10, clinching the league championship and paving the way to CIF post-season play.

The whistle blew and Laura Rucks (12) successfully won the tipoff giving the Falcons an advantage to start off with the ball. Seconds later Grace Trusso (11) went in for a layup and scored, with an assist from Rucks. Fouled in the play, Trusso was up for two free throws and made both.

The game continued with the Falcons up 11-0 about 4 minutes into the game. Vista held onto the ball after an unfortunate turnover, then scored a layup for their first basket of the game, bringing the score to 11-2. The pace picked up quickly in the last few minutes of the quarter –the ball repeatedly went back and forth between Lauren Mills (10), who made three 3-pointers in a row, and Rucks with several lay-ups and jump shots. The Falcons were up 18-9 by the end of the first quarter.

Rucks’ outstanding performance in the first quarter continued through the rest of the game. She scored a total of 15 points by the end. Being the only senior on the team, her senior night was everything she could have hoped for, ending with such a resounding win with the teammates she has shared the court with for years.

“I love this team so much, and I think it was so important to finish out on a really good note, and I’m really proud of everyone for how we got to do that,” Rucks said.

Coming out strong in the

Falcon basketballgirls defeats Vista

second quarter, the Falcons continued to widen their lead. Their score rose fast after Mills scored another three 3-pointers in a row. Scoring the highest number of points of the game with a total of 17, Mills kept up her energy until the end.

“I think we evolved a lot during the season and to end on a win like this was great,” Mills said.

Approaching the end of the first half, the Falcons had a double bonus; in fouling 10 times in the first half, they gave Vista two free throws.

TPHS led after the first half with a score of 45-20.

Going into the third quarter, the Falcons maintained their scoring efficiency. Their favored play, called “RIP” – in which a player cuts front outside the three point line to inside by the hoop, gets the ball and then shoots – earned many buckets for them. Vista rarely possessed the ball throughout this quarter and the Falcons continued adding to their tremendous lead.

They repeatedly passed the ball to the post, with countless assists from Zoe Lau (11). The Falcons ended the third quarter with a score 70-29, gaining an outstanding total of 31 points.

The fourth and final quarter went by quickly, with both teams refusing to let up. The Falcons continued to play aggressively to prevent Vista from catching up. Vista used all of the fight they had left, only allowing the Falcons to score five more points in the fourth quarter. The Falcons, however, only let Vista add two points to their score.

Communicating with her teammates effectively throughout the game, calling plays and playing the

majority of the four quarters, Trusso helped lead her team to victory ending this game with an individual point total of 13.

“We played really well as a team; our chemistry was really good,” Trusso said. “Everyone played as a team instead of individually.”

The win for the TPHS Falcons added to their undefeated record on the season.

Coach Morgan Overman

was extremely impressed by the grit and teamwork shown by her players.

“The game went better than planned, a great way to end our season, as well as a great team win,” she said.

The team ended the game and the season in division 2, seed 1 going 11-0.

They are now the No. 1 seed in CIF Division II and will play Oceanside High School in the CIF championship game on Friday, Feb. 24.

Macy Swortwood STAFF WRITER

PHOTO COURTSEY OF SCRIPPIX

ON THE ATTACK: Laura Rucks drives past two defenders. Rucks was the Falcons’ leading scorer this season.

SHOOTING HER SHOT: Averi Kwok shoots over two Vista defenders. Kwok has been on varsity since freshman year.

Zoe Lau (11): Nike KDs

PHOTO COURTSEY OF SCIPPIX

PHOTO COURTSEY OF SCIPPIX

TPHS students find a second home at the gym

Martin Lee STAFF WRITER

From an outsider’s perspective, gym culture may look like nothing but a hulking combination of steel fortresses and bulging muscles. As powerful rhythmic thumps of weights pummeling the floor resonate throughout gyms, some may even be intimidated by gym culture. But within the snowy chalk and heavy lifting equipment, several TPHS students have found a home in the gym, a safe space for not only improving their bodies and mental health, but a tool for turning their lives around for the better.

When one thinks of gym culture, the thought of a ripped weightlifter filming himself deadlift for Instagram to show off may come to mind. In truth, this perception paints an incomplete picture of what gym culture truly is.

“They’re a few crazy people who post videos of themselves lifting insane amounts of weight while on steroids and if you go to the gym long enough, you might run into some mean people,” Giancarlo Delcore (11) said.

In reality, the majority of gym content on social media is motivational and the last thing most people at the gym think of doing is bothering others.

For TPHS students, gym culture is all about supporting each other in the pursuit of self-improvement and the cultivation of a healthy lifestyle.

“I go to the gym because it’s a safe space for everyone to go and better themselves. Also, whenever I go, I feel

like I’m progressing myself and being productive with my time,” Alia Amor (11) said.

The gym is also a place for students to step away from their hectic lives.

“It’s a place that’s just a good stress reliever, you feel a lot more at ease when you’re done,” Daniel Hong (11) said.

The gym has also been a way for students to fix their unsatisfactory routines. During the lockdown from 2020 to 2021, Leo Kong (11) played video games to fight his boredom but before he knew it, Kong had spent countless hours on his newfound pastime. Realizing that he was wasting his time and health, Kong decided it was time to make a change and go to the gym.

“Now, I take the gym seriously because I strive to become the best version of myself…,” Kong said.

Students use the gym as a powerful tool against substance abuse. When he was 14, Max Yu (10), currently on the TPHS Varsity Swim Team, was swept away by stress that came from the demands of swimming, school and his family. To ease the pressures, Yu turned to painkillers.

“I was going through a lot of stress and anxiety from swimming as I was very nervous and even scared of it at the time because of the high expectations my family had for me,” Yu said.

But when the painkillers took a toll on his physical health, Yu decided to put it down for lifting.

“I wanted to take [swimming] to

the next level, so I started lifting. This completely changed my life,” Yu said.

For Yu, the gym was a place where he was left unbothered to thrive, a place to do whatever he wanted, the safe space that he lacked in his life.

“A couple weeks after I started lifting, I completely stopped taking pain killers as I didn’t need them anymore,” Yu said.

Additionally, the gym has even helped students recover from surgeries. In January of 2021, Trevor Kalt was recovering from a recent chest surgery for pectus excavatum.

“I was super weak for a while and I felt pretty bad about myself because of that,” Kalt (11), a TPHS track and field athlete, said.

According to the Mayo Clinic, a cardiology medical center, pectus excavatum causes a person’s breastbone to sink into one’s chest which can interfere with the function of the heart and lungs.

Ever since he recovered from his surgery, going to the gym has drastically improved how Kalt feels about himself.

“I think going to the gym has really made me happier and stronger physically and mentally,” Kalt said.

In poetic irony, the gym is where one puts physical burdens on the body to release the emotional burdens of the soul. As students work through the chaotic and stressful obstacles of high school, the gym and its supportive culture makes the endeavor lighter and lighter, weight by weight.

Spring season kicks off at TPHS

Spring sports season is just around the corner, and the TPHS Falcons are preparing for another successful season.

With their minds set on a CIF title, the boys volleyball team has already gotten to work, preparing for their first game on Feb. 28 against Rancho Bernardo High School.

“I’m expecting that we go undefeated and win our league,” varsity setter Brandon Pho (11) said.

This season, Pho looks forward to their game on May 23 against Carlsbad High School, who are their biggest rivals.

Track and Field has also started their preseason. Captains Dominika Janik (12) and Karina Janik (12), have been preparing with their team since the start of the school year in their Track P.E. class. The team has grown significantly in numbers compared to last year.

“We are more likely to place in the meet, and if there are injuries, there are a lot of alternate [athletes] to fill in,” Dominika said.

This season, Dominika and Karina both look forward to their meet against Cathedral Catholic High School.

“I want to become a state champion in the 300 meter hurdles and beat the Cathedral girls,” Karina said.

The team is competing against RBHS for their first meet of the season on March 2 at TPHS.

For the girls beach volleyball team, this is only the second year the girls beach volleyball has been considered an official CIF sport.

“We have such an amazing team of talented players and an amazing coaching staff … we are all really excited to start competing,” varsity defender Isa Wiklund (11) said.

Last year, the team was undefeated in the Avocado League and placed second in the open CIF division. This year, the team is hoping to win the CIF finals.

“[We are expecting] a very good

turnout this season because we have a very strong team that I think will take us all the way,” varsity defender Layla Williams (11) said.

Playing in the sand is a difficult part of playing beach volleyball, so training on sand is a major part of the players preseason training.

“Preseason training has included lots of practice on the sand and weight training in the gym,” Wiklund said.

Last year, the team lost to Cathedral in the final round of CIFS, but they have hope for a win against them this year.

“My goal for the girls this year is to win leagues and be very competitive in CIF finals,” Coach Williams said.

ON THE GRIND: Andrew Taich (9) lifts weights during football P.E. They lift multiple times a week in the weight room.

The sun beats down on the concrete expanse of the skatepark, its surface worn and scarred from countless wheels grinding, flipping and sliding. A group of skaters gathers at the lip of the half-pipe, surveying the obstacles that loom before them.

To them, skating is not just a pastime – it is a way of life, a constant challenge and never-ending journey of discovery. It is a fusion of dizzying heights, split-second decisions and pure adrenaline that cannot be replicated anywhere else.

Jorge Acevedo (11) crouches down amid the bustle. With a quick pop of the tail, he launches upward, flipping his board in a gravity-defying feat of skill and finesse that seems to defy the laws of physics. He lands with a satisfying thud and rolls away with a prideful smirk, having nailed the trick once again, not by luck, but through years of repetition.

“I started skating at about age five or six. Every other day, I’d go to my neighbor’s [house] to skate with him and that’s what we’d do all day,” Acevedo said.

From the famous La Jolla Cove to the bustling Gaslamp Quarter, San Diego is a rider’s playground and a skateboard is the ticket to seemingly endless possibilities.

“Skating means the ability to go wherever and still feel connected to the world around you,” Finn Hecko (11) said.

There is simply no feeling like the thrill of cruising down a smooth pavement carving curves. The breeze rushing past, the sound of wheels on the concrete and the freedom to travel wherever you want spell invigoration and liberation.

“I have been skating for about five years, and I like that the environment is supportive and laid back,” Hecko said.

According to Hecko, skateboarders often eschew the rigid rules of more traditional sports, preferring to express themselves through creativity and style.

The calm and cool nature of the sport has helped to make it one of the most popular and enduring

“I picked up my first skateboard during COVID-19 when I wanted to try a new hobby,” Salvatore said. “With persistence and practice, I found the rhythm that I have today, and I’m glad that I can skate whenever I get the chance.”

Whether they have been skating for three years or 10, skaters are united by a common conviction – their skateboards provide them with a shared creative outlet of art and creativity all in one electrifying experience.

According to Hecko, his friends who skate are consistent contenders at the Sun Diego Am Slam, an annual surf, skate and music festival hosted by sports gear brands such as Billabong, Quiksilver and Roxy. Such events offer opportunities for likeminded individuals to connect with each other to celebrate the sport they love.

According to Acevedo, these social get-togethers are important occasions in the skating community.

“My friends who skate tend to come together

in a sense of brotherhood,” Acevedo said. “It’s exciting to see that the skate community is From vintage boards to cutting-edge gear, local businesses are not only supporting the growth of the sport in the county but also enabling

“I usually shop at Sixes and Sevens Skateshop by Rancho Penasquitos Park. Its location is helpful; people get boards, trucks and wheels right where they’d skate,”

According to Mayberry and Preske, the sales of skate gear has skyrocketed in recent years, as more people are looking to get into the sport.

“I would definitely see more customers in shops and more skaters at the pump tracks,” Preske said. Acevedo agreed with Preske.

“It’s so exciting to see as the SoCal area has adapted itself to offer more skate contests from shops, local riders and fundraisers, allowing for younger riders to hone their skills,” Acevedo said. As the sunlight begins to wane and the park’s lights flicker on, the group of skaters let out a collective long sigh, exhausted but exhilarated from a day of pushing their limits and perfecting their skills. With their limbs heavy and hearts full, they peel off their helmets, pack up their boards and eagerly look forward to their next skate adventure.

by Joy Ma

PHOTO BY COLE FROST/ FALCONER

1.

Our Guide to Valentine’s Day

Dear TPHS Students,

According to all social media on Feb. 14, everyone is apparently in a committed, healthy relationship, despite having been talking to someone else three weeks prior. Therefore, we have carefully constructed a brief yet essential guide of things in your Valentine that mean it’s time to make a break for it.

If they obnoxiously rev their car’s engine in the school parking lot... don’t get in their car.

3.

Please let’s put an end to cringey gifts. Heart shaped chocolate boxes need to be the first to go.

5.

If you have to list ten excuses and warnings before showing your friends a photo of them, they’re probably not worth it.

2.

Check for grammatical errors in your card. Nothing worse than “I want to be YOU’RE Valentine.”

If they insist on you ordering whatever you want, but then proceed to tell the waiter they’re fine with just bread.

If they don’t ask you to be their Valentine before they start telling all their friends that you’re dating, do not date them.

Insert Here

4.

6.