The Raven Review Issue 2

VOLUME 2, ISSUE 2

FRIDAY, OCT. 25, 2024

CCA Goes To The Polls

PHOTO BY: MIHIKA JUNEJA

1

News

The Election: VP Debates by lilah daniels

The crucial 2024 presidential election is drawing nearer, and America’s two major political parties: the Democrats and Republicans are seeking to maximize their communications with the American people and pitch why their candidates - former president Donald Trump and vice president Kamala Harris - should be the next president of the United States.

The Trump and Harris campaigns were able to face-off in the first (and likely only) presidential debate, which aired on ABC network on Sept. 10, 2024. However, this debate will be the only one as the Trump campaign has refused requests for another one. Despite the fact that there will be no other presidential debates, one occurred between vice president hopefuls: Minnesota governor Tim Walz and Ohio senator JD Vance. It took place on Oct. 1, 2024 and aired on CBS News. In this debate, Governor Walz and Senator Vance were able to address many of the election’s crucial issues and give a possible final pitch to voters.

The vice presidential debate, unlike its presidential counterpart, was extremely cordial. Vance and Walz were able to find common ground on some issues, including their agreement on some housing policies and the idea that gun violence has gotten out of control. However, it was clear that the extent of their agreement was only that these issues needed to be solved; there was hardly any overlap between their plans and policies. For example, Vance and Walz expressed different stances on climate change, which has been a crucial issue for younger voters. Vance said that they wanted clean air and water, but carbon emissions weren’t the issue. Walz, on the other hand, made it a point to mention that the farmers of America are significantly impacted by climate change and droughts. He proposed that we should find ways to create climate-friendly jobs, thus becoming a sustainable superpower. Climate change has been a historically divisive issue and this debate continued that trend.

The parties that voters tend to associate with also impact what their key issues are, which was carefully emphasized by each candidate on the debate stage. According to Statisca.com, voters from the Republican party tend tend to care about immigration and inflation,

with “31 and 26 percent ranking it their primary political concerns respectively”. In contrast, Democrats care about issues like healthcare and abortion, with only three percent of Democratic voters ranking immigration as their top priority. These statistics were felt in the debate, with both candidates being more resolute about their positions regarding these topics.

For example, Walz, when discussing abortion, passionately proclaimed that he and Harris intended to be pro-women, not pro-abortion, and that they support women in making their own choices. He also made sure to mention Project 2025, the political initiative (see the article about this in Opinion). In response, Vance stated that the Republican party did not intend to follow this agenda and that they wanted to help American families afford babies. He stressed that they weren’t seeking a national abortion ban, but instead intended to hand the power over to the states to decide.

Moving on to the traditionally Republican issue, Vance harshly criticized the amount of illegal immigrants and fentanyl coming into the country. He said that Harris’ open border was the reason for family separation and criticized Harris for getting rid of Trump’s border policies.

Walz brought up the bipartisan bill created by Oklahoma senator James Lankford, which Trump convinced his party to vote against because, according to Walz, he wouldn’t be able to use it for his campaign. Walz said that Trump had four years to fix the border, but he refused to do anything so it would remain a campaign issue.

Since this issue, as well as the aforementioned discussion of abortion, is so partisan, there was less common ground than seen in some other issues.

Notably, both Vance and Walz treated each other with respect and both candidates made sure to acknowledge when they were on the same page about an issue. When talking about school shootings, Walz shared that his 17 year old son, Gus Walz, had recently witnessed a shooting, prompting Vance to tell Walz that he hoped his son was okay. On the topic of gun violence, both candidates said that it was a problem that America shouldn’t have to deal with. Vance said that the government should invest in improving

photo credit: anna moneymaker on getty images

2

mental health and should create schools with stronger windows and doors. Walz, however, had a different thought. He said that “Sometimes it just is the guns. It’s just the guns” and that while the Democrats don’t want to take anyone’s gun away (he mentions being a hunter and a gun owner himself), he wants to find “solutions on this that work, protect Second Amendment, protect our children”.

Walz also expressed his disagreement about Vance’s plan for stronger windows and doors, saying that schools shouldn’t have to be fortresses and that there should be stricter gun laws.

Finally, after a thorough discussion of important issues, both candidates were allowed to give their closing arguments.

Walz started by thanking CBS, Vance, and the viewers for tuning into the debate. He briefly discussed Harris’ supporters and expressed that he believed in an optimistic future for the country.

Vance also thanked CBS, Walz, and the American people for tuning in. He said that Harris’ economic policies have made it harder for people to afford things and that she had three and a half years to do something but hasn’t.

He concluded his closing remarks by asking Americans to vote for Trump.

photo credit: lauren ko

Arguably, the most controversial topic of the night was the state of democracy. Moderator Norah O’Donnell asked about when Trump and his supporters protested the 2020 election was rigged, leading to a Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2020. Vance didn’t respond to the question, saying that they should be focused on the future and battling Harris’ policies that were causing inflation. Walz disagreed with Vance, calling out Trump for continually refusing to acknowledge that he lost the election. Walz expressed that democracy is bigger than winning an election and that Trump was the only president in history to try to overturn the results of an election. Vance responded by saying that the Democrats tried to fight against the 2016 election results with Facebook ads, causing Walz to say that “January 6th was not Facebook ads”.

Walz argued that it isn’t Democrats who are trying to censor people, but Republicans since they continually ban books. In this section, Vance continually said “I’m focused on the future” which Walz said wasn’t an answer. The 2020 election controversy is still a very relevant issue four years later, and it is obvious that people still have sharply opposing opinions on the matter.

Both Walz and Vance started by thanking the American people, expressed

their hope for the country, took the time to bash the other party’s presidential candidate, and ended with asking for people to vote for their candidate.

While this debate covered both tickets’ stances on important issues, it is reportedly unlikely to sway many undecided voters. In fact, according to several surveys conducted by news sites like ABC and CBS, voters believe that the debate was a tie. The vice presidential debate will most likely be the final event of this election where the candidates are able to go head to head, and while it was mostly insignificant, time will tell if future campaign events will finally sway undecided voters on which candidate deserves to be the next president of the United States.

photo credit: andrew harnik on getty images

Navratri and Diwali by arthi chandra

Usually, when people think of popular fall holidays, Halloween and Thanksgiving come to mind. Pumpkin-spiced flavored items and spooky decorations fill grocery shelves and retail stores. People add bags of candy, fall-themed snacks, and Thanksgiving feast ingredients to their grocery bags to prepare for the upcoming celebrations. However, in many Indian households worldwide, families add dandiyas, sparklers, diyas, colored sand, and various food items to their shopping carts at local Indian stores. Even though there is a large South Asian community in California, especially in San Diego, there is a lot of confusion surrounding their holiday traditions.

What is a dandiya or diya? What would you use colored sand and sparklers for? What do the holidays celebrate?

And when are the holidays celebrated?

Navratri also known as Durga Puja happened this year from October 3rd to October 12th. While it is often recognized through its dancing, music, and bright colors, many foreigners are unaware of the holiday’s rich history. Navratri translates to “nine nights” and occurs on the first day of the bright fortnight of the Hindu lunar month of Ashwin. Navratri surrounds the Hindu tale of the goddess Durga and her battle with a demon called Mahishasura. Each of the nine days represents Durga’s skills in tackling the demon. During this time, many held pujas or religious ceremonies to honor Durga’s victory and receive

some of her strength and protection.

Although the religious ceremonies are usually held at specific times across these nine days, the dancing festivals, also known as Garba and Dandiya festivals, are held throughout September and October. Garba is a form of dance that originated in Gujarat and the festivals are celebrated all around India. A key part about Garba that makes it so special is the variety of dance levels. Near the center, close to the shrine, is where you can find most young children experiencing it for the first time or relearning how the dance works. As you work yourself around the circle, the dance levels increase with many performing the rapid and skillful technique, while others gravitate towards slow and intricate dance.

While Garba can often be tiring and require a lot of endurance, dandiya or raas is a way many of these festivals end the night. In this dance, two long lines are formed with the two dance partners facing each other. Partners change throughout the dance, so it is a great way for people to interact with others in and outside their communities. The lines move clockwise, and each person steps forward to hit colored and decorated sticks (dandiya) with their partner. Once you’ve reached the end of your line, you move to the opposite side and continue the movement.

Furthermore, Diwali is also a large Indian holiday celebrated during the fall season and occurs on November 1st this year.

photo credit: arthi chandra

Although the religious story surrounding the origin of Diwali varies based on the part of India and the beliefs of the region, the most popular legend in North India describes the God Rama and his wife Sita. The story begins with Rama’s stepmother, who had wished for her son to become King, so she asked her husband to banish Rama. The King, having promised her two wishes beforehand, was obligated to fulfill her request and sent Rama and therefore his wife Sita away. Lakshmana, known for his loyalty and compassion, chose to accompany his brother into exile, recognizing the injustice of the situation.

Years later, the demon Ravana, in disguise, abducted Sita. Upon discovering this, Rama quickly went to rescue her, defeating the demon and bringing Sita back. Following these events, Rama returned home to the city of Ayodhya after 14 years of exile to a joyous welcome, with the kingdom illuminated

by lights and candles in celebration.

These candles, or diyas, are still represented today as a symbol of light over darkness and, more broadly, the victory of good over evil. In the modern day, people also celebrate Diwali by decorating their homes with these diyas. Placing them around your home they are thought to drive away negative spirits, honor the dominance of good, and protect your home. This tradition further connects to the festival of Dussehra. In South India, the story honors Lord Krishna’s victory over the demon Narakasura, while in other parts of India, it can be observed as the birthday or marriage of the goddess Lakshmi. Colored sands are also included in Diwali festivities and are used to make murals called Rangoli. The making of Rangoli is often done with friends and family to encourage togetherness, showcasing cultural values and traditions to the surrounding community.

California’s School Cell Phone Ban by sadie rose fischer

Cell phones—love them or hate them—are a constant part of our lives.

However, for students in California, this permanent facet might be disappearing very soon. As on September 23, 2024, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed the Phone-Free School Act. The Phone-Free School Act, officially known as Assembly Bill 3216, will inhibit cell phone use in schools. According to Newsom, this cell phone ban aims to “help students focus on academics, social development, and the world in front of them, not their screens, when they’re in school.” It requires all school districts, charter schools, and county education officers to draft new policies that restrict cell phone usage during the school day by July 1, 2026. This policy decision came after the U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory about the harms of social media, and is following similar policy requirements set by Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio, and Virginia.

The bans will not be absolute.

For example, suppose students need their devices for health-related reasons or specific education programs (such as English Learners). In that case, they are allowed to keep their devices no matter what policy is set. Also, during emergencies or “perceived threat[s] of danger” a cell phone must be able to be accessed. This exception hits at the heart of concern over the lack of safety created by blocking cell phone access. While parents, kids, and teachers tend to agree that these devices can be a distraction, the big concern over

over cell phone bans is public safety. With the current uptick of mass shootings across the country on school campuses, the ability for parents to contact children or vice versa is imperative. The exception does attempt to quell this fear, however, the practicality of it is of significant concern.

This danger exception only states that a phone must be able to be accessed, but with phones being taken away physically, getting a cell phone to each student in already high-stress situations seems extremely challenging.

Also, each policy is set by individual districts and it includes how they plan to enforce the safety exception.

This variety of how the exception will be carried out has led to some dislike and discourse over the new policy requirement as a whole.

While CCA has not yet made any big changes to our cell phone policy as a result of this new bill, that is not true for all the schools within SDUHSD. Just down the road, Torrey Pines High School issued a new policy this year in line with Newsom’s new bill, making phones inaccessible during class time, whether the student is in class or not (i.e., going to the bathroom or having an unscheduled period on campus). They also require for the phone to be in silent or airplane

photo credit: dobrila vignjevic on getty images

mode. Smartwatches also have restrictions, with their notifications having to be disabled for all of class time.

Students’ reactions to this new policy have been mixed. All students say it has been generally enforced by teachers, although the success of the policy has been debated. Lana Weber, a sophomore at Torrey Pines, explained that in her experience she has “seen less students go on their phones during class,” meaning that enforcement and the discipline that follows have led this new policy to make an impact on phone usage in the school.

However, others such as Ava Baldi, a senior at Torrey, say that overall technology usage hasn’t changed as “people use their computers more often.”

So, while the phones are away, the distraction caused by technology is still prevalent through students switching their preferred devices. This doesn’t mean that the policy is not doing all it was intended, since social media, one of the biggest problems people tend to have with cell phone usage, is more complicated on computers.

By taking away phones, social media usage itself might be decreasing. It is still too early in the year to see what will happen with continuing enforcement and future policies (such as on Chromebook regulation). As policies such as those at Torrey Pines begin to appear at all schools across the state, it will certainly be interesting to see how this new bill will influence education.

3

Homecoming and Pep Rally by margaret zhang

As CCA students finish up their midterms and begin the second quarter of the year, CCA ASB launches a fun week filled with school spirit, preparing for the big event of Homecoming 2024. From October 14th to 18th, CCA ASB picked a dress up theme for each day. Monday being greek life, Little me Tuesday, Pink out wednesday, Neon out thursdays, and red or black friday!

On Friday, October 18th, CCA students are lit with school spirit and buzz with excitement as their annual Homecoming Pep Rally finally arrives.

This year’s theme, Neon Out, brought bright and exciting color palettes for students to wear. On the morning of the exciting day, our very own ASB members work hard to deck out the school at 5AM with Neon-d out decorations, anticipating the school spirit at the event. As the second period ends, the decorated and calming gym fills with loudful cheers and energy.

Our wonderful instrumental conservatory brings the hype with playing YMCA and Hot to Go. Following, our stunning vocal conservatory awes the crowd with their amazing national anthem harmonies. Lights go out and the show begins! Our two MCs, One Galido and Max Gibbons fire up the crowd with excitement, with seniors and juniors wearing black, and sophomores and freshmen decked out in red.

Eager for the next show stopping performance, Max and One bring out CCA’s one and only k-pop dance club! K-pop dance club brings a lot of energy and excitement to our events, and their performances at pep rallies are no exception. These performances typically showcase the club’s talent and hard work as they prepare intricate dance routines based on popular K-pop songs. As the music ends and kpop dance club runs off stage, our ASB members prepare to start a competitive game of musical chairs!

As the music stops, our MC’s call out random items that the competitors must grab and quickly run back to claim a chair. The last task was to bring a teacher to claim the chair, our two last competitors run to grab a teacher, and Raghav Patrachari (12) beats Ethan Leem (10) to the chair! A roar of applause and cheers fill the gym as Max and One announce the winner.

photo credit: hayden chang

4

With this excitement and electrifying crowd, our CCA ASB members bring out our student store merch boxes and candy, throwing them into the crowd, having our students reach and grab free merch and candy. As the students reach for merch and candy, our top three classes that dressed up the most for spirit week, begin to prepare for their Spirit Class competition.

This year, Mr. Corman, Mrs. Lamotte, and Profe Paz’s period two class compete against each other for a chance to win a pizza party. As the countdown begins, the student representatives line up with their tricycles, ready for the first task of the competition. As One and Max scream start, the students begin cycling to the end line and begin the teacher surf roll. One by one the students roll and try to get the teacher to get to the finish line by surfing on a table. As Mrs. Lamotte’s class finishes the table surfing in the lead, they complete the last task of completing the human period, and win the competition. The crowd is ecstatic with the news of Mrs. Lamotte’s class wins as they are awarded with a pizza party.

Our amazing ASB class presidents jump into our pep rally class singing competition, trying to sing the loudest out of the four classes.

The freshmen class of 2028 open the competition with “Baby,” sophomores continuing with “Beauty and a Beat,” juniors hyped up the crowd with the infamous “Fein”, and seniors finishing off strong with “Gimme, Gimme, Gimme.” As the crowd anticipates for the winner, Max and One make a decision and the seniors win! With the amazing singers of CCA, our amazing dance conservatory runs on stage with excitement as they get into position rocking their school spirit jerseys. As the dance finishes, the conservatory girls run off with lots of excitement and (aftermath of dancing).

To recognize our CCA sports teams, ASB decided to have them compete in a game of tug-of-war, having the losing team be dragged into a tub of water. Our first competitors were the boys lacrosse team and the girls volleyball team versus the track and field team and boys basketball team. As the competition begins, the boys lacrosse team and the girls volleyball team dominate

photo credit: brooke tomlinson

and drag the other team into the water pool. Our second competitors were boys volleyball and girls lacrosse versus boys cross country and girls field hockey teams. As the tug-of-war begins, the boys volleyball and girls lacrosse yank the rope and throw the boys cross country and girls field hockey into the water pool, leaving four teams drenched in water.

“Lots of excitement buzzed around the campus as friends were moshing on the dance floor, taking photos, and chilling and enjoying snow cones by the belly bars.”

After a long series of pep rally events, Max and One officially close the event with their signature sign offs and our thrilling school rock band close off with their amazing instrumental and singing skills. As the students file out, CCA ASB begins preparing and setting up for homecoming.

As school day ends, and the sun sets, the electric and bright lights of Homecoming begin to show! This year’s Homecoming 2024 lit up the school like never before, with the vibrant theme “Neon Out” setting the

stage for a buzzing celebration! The proscenium theater transforms into a kaleidoscope of colors, with glowing decorations and neon attire illuminating every corner. Students file in wearing a bright color scheme with traffic suit jackets, neon face paint, and exciting luminous accessories through a brightly lit entrance of lights and neon shine!

Right at the sign in tables, students are given finger lights as well as glow sticks! The first stop of the night for many were the two photo booths, as students get into lines and groups and take photos with the cute props, making memories that will last a lifetime. As the first hour passes by, the dance floor slowly gets filled with people moshing and dancing to the music. The dance floor is magically lit up with all the neon lights as well as each student’s glow sticks, a magical and gorgeous moment of the night.

Up the stairs of the amphitheater was the refreshing kona ice truck, as each student received a snow cone that can be customized to their own taste. Lots of excitement buzzed around the campus as friends were moshing on the dance floor, taking photos, and chilling and enjoying snow cones by the belly bars. Even our admin enjoyed the night by dancing the night away with our students on the dance floor!

As the music dies down, and the lights turn off, the amazing homecoming night comes to an end as people exit the school campus and take final pictures by the balloon arch and the gorgeous homecoming sign.

Homecoming 2024 and fall pep rally is one of the many memories that CCA made this school year alone, and by far one of the best ones yet. If homecoming is any indication of the great dances to come, look out for formal in January! Make sure to say thank you to ASB if you see them!

Presidential Playlists by charlotte sills

As Election Day gets closer and closer, our nation’s citizens are following all things politics - rallies, conventions, debates, and all the surrounding excitement. However, one subject that is often overlooked, despite its important role in each candidate’s campaign, is their choice of campaign music. Just imagine - you are running for president and have to select just a few songs that capture your beliefs and goals that you want to express to the voters - a big task, right?

Still, since the very beginning of elections in the United States in 1788, candidates (yes, even George Washington) have used music in their campaigns as a way to unite their party members and spread important points of view.

A past example of the use of campaign music to appeal to specific groups of voters and highlight key values is Hillary Clinton’s use of Rachel Platten’s “Fight Song” in her 2016 campaign. This choice effectively captured the excitement of Clinton being the first female presidential nominee for a major party. It also perfectly aligned with many of Clinton’s beliefs that she wished to express to the public, such as promoting feminism and overcoming obstacles. This is just one example, and each election year, new presidential candidates choose new soundtracks.

This year, Democratic nominee Kamala Harris has chosen powerful, inspiring songs to promote a strong image and reveal many of her goals to the public. Republican nominee Donald Trump’s patriotic song choices also support his campaign and express his personal beliefs; however, there has been some controversy around his music choices, as several artists have threatened to sue his team for allegedly using their songs without their consent.

Perhaps the most significant song Harris has used in her campaign is Beyoncé’s “Freedom”. She used it as her walk-out song for her first public appearance as a presidential candidate, and as the backing track of her official campaign video. Not only is the song itself extremely empowering and aligned with Harris’s values, but it is also a rare occasion for Beyoncé to allow one of her songs to be used.

Yet, it is not a big surprise that she has made this exception, as Beyoncé often uses her music intentionally to empower other women, inspire change, and advocate for freedom and equality.

Some of the standout lyrics are as follows: “Singin’, freedom freedom, where are you? / ‘Cause I need freedom too”. These lines emphasize the nation’s pressing need for freedom and change, stressing the importance of voting. The tone of the song continues to be uplifting and inspirational; it conveys to voters that Harris is determined to advocate for the rights of all citizens and is not willing to back down. In the past, “Freedom” has also been used as an anthem for Black Lives Matter demonstrations, representing another connection to the issues that Harris finds important and wants to address in office.

“This song choice further aligns with Harris’s campaign as Beyoncé, similar to Harris, is a woman of color, so selecting her song reinforces a theme of empowering individuals from groups who have often been underrepresented in high levels of government.”

In addition to Beyoncé’s song, Harris and her team have included elements of Charlie XCX’s hot new album Brat within her campaign, particularly on social media platforms. Harris is likely hoping that by featuring the music of such current and influential icons in her campaign, she will resonate with a younger audience, giving her an edge when it comes to winning votes from photo credit: charlotte sills the new generation of young voters.

At the moment, there is an entirely different narrative regarding Trump’s campaign music, as he has not had much success in finding songs representative of his values without running into objections from the artists themselves. Many artists whose music has been played at Trump’s campaigns or rallies have voiced that they do not want their music to be associated with his campaign, and thus feel that they have been violated. Trump has been threatened with lawsuits by a number of musicians and bands including Foo Fighters, R.E.M., Adele, Abba, and Celine Dion. While objections like these have happened with past presidents too, they have recently escalated to a new level. Musicians are arguing that their music is being used without authorization and in a way that tarnishes their reputation, spurring them to take legal action. These artists clearly do not want their music used in a political environment, specifically not to support Trump or any views that they do not agree with, which may reflect negatively on Trump and lose him votes on election day.

Despite all the drama, Trump does have a few goto songs that he has usedhis year and in past election years, such as

Bless the USA” by Lee Green“While it may “God wood. Another song commonly used

by Trump, specifically in his 2016 be consid- campaign, was Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Gonna Take It”, which has a more tone but does focus on ered a some- aggressive ideas of unity and strength. Choosing more lyrically “angry” song (one what old-fash- aexample of a lyric is “No, we ain’t take it (you’re all worthless ioned choice, the gonna and weak)”) can be risky as it might some people the wrong way or song expresses rub come off as too intense, but on the hand, it may fire up and excite Trump’s love for other certain audiences more effectively.

So, even though it may seem the United States like an unimportant factor amidst all the other chaos of the election season, music really can play a sigand pride in being campaign nificant role in contributing to each canimage, as their choices directly American, while didate’s reflect their values and can determine they are perceived by the public. also highlight- how While a campaign’s music may be unto change a voter’s mind when ing values such likely deciding which candidate to select on the ballot, the emotions stirred by muas defending the sic can enhance the connection that a voter feels to a candidate. This conneccan potentially translate into accountry and pro- tion tions that support that candidate - like positive opinions to others or moting freedom.” voicing simply making sure to get out and vote.

5

Opinion

Salt & Straw Flavors: Ice Cream or I Scream?

By Lilah Daniels and Carrie Krummen

Five cups of ice cream. Two people. One situation that is likely to end in a melty mess. However, this was a self-imposed situation. Since we (Lilah and Carrie) consider ourselves two of San Diego’s leading ice cream connoisseurs, we had no choice but to give our two cents on Salt & Straw’s infamous Halloween-themed ice cream flavors (you’re welcome). We believe our feedback is crucial to read if you want to try one of these unconventional flavors.

Jack o’ Lantern Pumpkin Bread (aka Autumn in a Cup) - 9/10 LD: Jack o’ Lantern Pumpkin Bread was definitely my favorite flavor. One bite brought in the cozy fall feelings that I was hoping for. It miraculously captured the feelings of autumn in the best way possible and I really enjoyed the experience. My reaction to the flavor was the exact opposite of my reaction to Essence of Ghost. After the divine pumpkin flavor entered my mouth, I immediately

Photo Credit: Ava Daniels

Essence of Ghost (aka Oreo Gone Wrong) - 2/10 LD: According to Salt & Straw, Essence of Ghost is made of scotch and dark chocolate. In my personal opinion, it was just made of scotch because I utterly refuse to believe that dark chocolate can taste that awful. This ice cream made me want to become a ghost myself because it was appallingly atrocious.

Once I tasted it, the only thing I could do (after recovering from my lousy ice cream-induced coughing fit) was say: “OH THAT IS SO BAD!” and push it as far away from me as possible. This was my least favorite flavor by a long shot (seriously, there was absolutely no competition) because it tasted so strongly of disgusting scotch and left a mystifying aftertaste. If I learned that there were actual ghosts involved in making this ice cream, it wouldn’t surprise me at all. After tasting it, I feel compelled to look into conspiracies that Salt & Straw is in cahoots with ghosts and made this ice cream to haunt people. In short, if you’re looking for a frightening experience, try this ice cream.

CK: Essence of Ghost was ghastly. The moment this monstrosity touched my tongue, a sharp burst of scotch poisoned my mouth. It felt like my taste buds were being electrocuted. Do NOT be fooled by this flavor’s Oreo-like appearance — unless you’re eager to turn yourself into a mutant zombie. This was a horrible flavor to commence our taste test with. It made me genuinely concerned about our upcoming samples, which is a scary thought, even for Halloween! I seldom come across flavors I refuse to finish, but this was one of them. Good thing we only purchased a kid-sized scoop!

6

looked at my ice cream-tasting partner with delight. I already knew I was going to like the flavor, but it exceeded my expectations!

CK: Jack o’ Lantern Pumpkin Bread was heavenly. It featured Salt & Straw’s signature sweet yet salty cream base with ribbons of pumpkin bread. Its buttery goodness was the epitome of autumn. The flavor transported me to fall in New England with orange foliage, warm sweaters, and pumpkin-scented candles. This flavor was so celestial that I wouldn’t be surprised if it single-handedly triggered the fall equinox. Please, try this flavor.

If San Diego “fall” isn’t autumny enough for you, this delicacy will turn all that around.

The Great Candycopia (aka Sugar Rush) - 8/10 LD: My take on this flavor might be a bit biased because I love peanut butter, but I thought this flavor was really great! I really enjoyed it and definitely came back for another taste. However, the one problem I have with it is that it is too sweet.

With a ton of candy stuffed into one small cup of ice cream, it goes without saying that it is packed with sugar.

While it was enjoyable, I doubt I would enjoy it that much if I ate a ton of it. Also, if you intend to give this to a child, be ready to have your hands full with an overly hyper monster.

CK: The Great Candycopia was VERY sugary. On one hand, the candy pieces (that were handmade by Salt & Straw) were impressively delicious. On the other hand, this reminded me of my Halloweens of childhood past when I would come home from trick or treating, holding my stomach in pain after eating one hundred Snickers bars. Although I have a

major sweet tooth, this flavor was almost too sweet for me. I wouldn’t be surprised if I found that this is the most popular flavor among individuals under 13 years of age.

Blackberry Tamales (aka Life on a Farm) - 6/10 LD: Alright, this ice cream (excuse me, sherbet) was probably one of the weirdest ice cream flavors I’ve ever tasted. When I first tried it, the pleasant blackberry flavor hit my tastebuds. It seemed like a normal flavor… until the tamale hit. Thus, a battle between the blackberry and the tamale ensued, and make no mistake, the tamale absolutely won. I was quickly reminded of a corn farm with one or two blackberry vines (hence the name Life on a Farm). However, if you are vegan and want to try a seasonal flavor, this one is a good choice.

CK: I genuinely believe that “weird” is the perfect word to describe Blackberry Tamales. To be honest, I wasn’t a huge fan of this combination.

Individually, I love sherbet and tamales, but there was an unnatural kick to this one that was borderline unpleasant. There were bursts of delicious berry sherbet, but the cornbread-adjacent aftertaste didn’t complement them. It wasn’t horrible, but it certainly wasn’t divine, either. I would consider getting this one again, but it’s at the bottom of my flavor hierarchy.

Creepy Crawly Critters (aka Matcha Bliss) - 8.5/10 CK: Creepy Crawly Critters was shockingly amazing! This was

Photo credit: Ava Daniels

the flavor I was most afraid to try since there are chocolate-covered crickets and toffee-brittle mealworms inside (for this reason, my vegetarian co-author tapped out here). Despite all this, I was pleasantly surprised. The creamy matcha was delightful, and the candy-covered insects were not a problem. Rather, these sweet bursts of protein were parts of the ice cream I wanted in every bite! Honestly, they tasted more like chocolate chips or toffee pieces than bugs. This flavor makes me hopeful for the future; if we ever enter a situation that forces us to eat insects for sustenance, I would not object. (Granted, real-world bugs would not be coated in sugar, but my point still stands.) I will be returning to Salt & Straw for this exquisite ice cream.

In summation, we both agree that Jack o’ Lantern Pumpkin Bread is the perfect fall flavor to try, while Essence of Ghost is the perfect flavor to give to your enemy (tell them it’s cookies and cream… they might believe you). The Great Candycopia is delicious, but it might induce excessive wall-bouncing if you have a sibling or younger friend. We found Blackberry Tamales to be rather average, but a good option to get into the Halloween spirit if you’re vegan.

As for Creepy Crawly Critters, the matcha ice cream base was a satisfying way to end our taste test and bring us into the Halloween spirit.

If you want to watch our reviews in real-time, check out our videos on the Raven Review website!

2024 Candy Review: Is it a Trick or a Treat?

By Misa Uchiyama and Sierra Huang

To prepare ourselves for Halloween, we wanted to test if some of the most popular Halloween-themed candy from major brands would be a trick or a treat. Rest assured, we only creep it real here.

Haribo Sour Bats: 7/10 Pumpkins Oh, Haribo! The German gummy brand that continues to innovate with spunky shapes, colors, and flavors. Unsurprisingly, these Sour Bats are no exception.

The packaging features bright, pastel colors, which are uncharacteristic of Halloween candies. Yet, the bat shape of the gummies, the trickor-treating bear on the cover, and the bubble font of the text worked well together to convey a Halloween spirit.

The three distinct flavors of bats match the colors of traffic lights: orange and black currant (yellow/orange), green apple and black currant (green), and cherry and black current (red). Although we appreciated the variety in flavor and colors, there is definitely a hierarchy in the traffic light trio. The orange was the worst of the three, as it was far too reminiscent of vitamin C supplements. Next, the cherry taste was not strong enough in the red gummies, and the sourness overpowered any existing flavor.

For cherry haters, this is a blessing, For cherry lovers, it’s a disgrace. We found that these cherry gummies were nothing to write home about. Luckily, the green apple saved the pack. They were the perfect balance of tart, sour, and sweet, and every bite was consistently good.

Overall, Haribo bat gummies did not disappoint and lived up to the motto: “Kids and grown-ups love it so…the happy world of Haribo!”

Milk Chocolate Pumpkin Pie M&M’s : 6.28 (2π) / 10 Pumpkins Autumn is never complete without a good slice of pumpkin pie.

Therefore, we were stoked to see these pumpkin pie-flavored M&M’s lining the shelves of Target.

When we ripped open the packaging, we were hit with a faint whiff of pumpkin and saw three M&M

colors: orange, creme, and brown.

These M&Ms reminded us of a cozy fall day. So far so good.

Upon the first bite, we were hit with that iconic M&Ms crunch.

These pumpkin pie M&Ms were about the size of peanut M&Ms–a little larger than standard ones–so we hoped to get more out of each piece. Unfortunately, we were underwhelmed.

Flavor-wise, there was undoubtedly a faint pumpkin flavor that nicely complemented the creamy milk chocolate.

However, as we continued to sample more, we found ourselves looking for a pumpkin spice “punch”. This begs the question: what even characterizes the iconic pumpkin pie flavor?

Culinarily, pumpkin pie is made with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and cloves. Although this blend is more famously recognized for its use in the pumpkin spice latte (PSL), it’s important to remember that pumpkin pie walked so the PSL could run. As pumpkin pie connoisseurs, we’re glad it is getting its moment again. Ultimately, though, we were hoping for more pumpkin spice and less chocolate. We’re not confident that this treat will give pumpkin pie the positive reputation it deserves.

Photo credit: SIERRA HUANG

Ghoulish Green Twix and Snickers: 6/10 Pumpkins Out of all the candy we reviewed, this was definitely the most visually off-putting. These Halloween Twix and Snickers look the same as standard ones, except the interior nougat was dyed a radioactive green.

Regardless, this marketing tactic seems successful, as even through our judgmental remarks (“I’m not sure how I feel about this”), we still

purchased these ghoulish sweets. We braced for the worst while taking the first bite, but were surprisingly not upset.

Both candies tasted identical to the original versions: chewy, crunchy, and creamy. Though pleasant, we wish the flavor was more seasonal or at least slightly different.

We expected more from these candies, given their versatility and potential.

For the future, we recommend a pumpkin-flavored Snickers or an apple cinnamon Twix.

Hershey’s Cookies and Creme Fangs: 4.5/10 Pumpkins The visual appeal of this candy was rather odd and indistinguishable. It seemed to resemble something familiar - zigzag lines on a flat white surface and a frame on the outside. Gum drops, perhaps? Or a marble relief from the AP Art History textbook? Nonetheless, our instinctual answer would not have been “fangs” if we had not read the packaging.

The taste, on the other hand, was very straightforward. It was delightfully creamy but too sugary, making it difficult to take many bites.

The occasional dark chocolate puffs embedded in the white chocolate did help to add some depth to the flavor.

However, we were hoping for a higher cookie-to-cream ratio and less sweetness. We undeniably enjoyed Cookies and Creme Hershey’s, but the lack of Halloween spirit brings our rating down by at least 1 pumpkin.

Breaking Bones and Witch’s Brew Kit Kats: 2.5/10 Pumpkins Kit Kats seem to have it all.

From the creamy milk chocolate coupled with the light wafer to the dip in the center that allows you to share with a friend, Kit Kats are a fun and altruistic treat.Entering this review with high expectations, we took in hand two versions of the Halloween Kit Kat: one fully white (Breaking Bones) and the other bright green (Witch’s Brew). The first sign of our imminent disappointment was the fact that we spent an entire five minutes trying to find the name of the candy

“Breaking Bones”. It was nowhere on the individual wrapper and was only on the bulk bag in small text, which indicates that trick or treaters would not have any context as to what they are eating, which is a big problem for visual eaters. Even worse, without the name, it was just a plain, white chocolate Kit Kat–better suited for the holiday season than Halloween. Next, we tried the Witch’s Brew.

This had a superior design: purple packaging that nicely complemented the green Kit Kat. Perhaps this was the trade off for its sickeningly sweet flavor. Although this treat was labeled “marshmallow flavored,” we only got an unsatisfyingly light trace of artificial vanilla and a lingering, perfumey aftertaste.

Photo credit: SIERRA HUANG

Reese’s Snack Size Bats and Cats: 2/10 Pumpkins Our hopes were high when we saw the packaging. What is not to love about a small pumpkin or bat-shaped chocolate nugget filled with nutty peanut butter? However, when we ripped away the wrapper, we suddenly realized we were severely bat-fished.

The pumpkin and bat versions were indistinguishable, both the same brown oblong shape that resembles something far less sanitary. Biting into the peanut butter and chocolate encasing, we were reminded of wet sand.

The chocolate and peanut butter were equally mushy, making us question whether we were eating baby food or candy. Although these bats and pumpkins would likely satisfy extreme peanut butter fans, it was insufficient to please us. We would much rather reach for a regular Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup.

7

What Makes a Good President?

By Skylar phelps

A president represents the people of the United States of America. A president is what leads the United States toward a more prosperous future. A good president also has to relate to other world leaders and maintain good relationships to keep America safe and protected. However, for a president to be considered a “good” president or have a chance at reelection depends on their character and policies. This means that people usually correlate a great president based on their character, morals, honesty, and integrity towards the U.S. At the same time, many people also show that they value a president who can get things done based on the policies that they pass or promise to pass.

“However, for a president to be considered a “good” president or have a chance at reelection depends on their character and policies...people

usually correlate a great president based on their character, morals, honesty, and integrity towards the U.S.” Furthermore, traveling back in time, we can see our first president George Washington set the foundation as to what is not only expected but needed in a president. He showed a profound sense of duty towards the new nation as well as an honest character; he remained adaptive towards the changing nation to lead the U.S. in the best possible direction.

George Washington also understood what needed to be done, to become a president rather than a king. George Washington knew that a new constitution needed to be implemented into the newfound nation so that democracy could take its place in the U.S. This outcome of the United States becoming a democracy would not have been possible without George Washington declining his kingship for he did not believe that the U.S government should reflect a monarchy.

In 1932 President Roosevelt

had the greatest foreign policy successes through his Good Neighbor Act. Its main principle was for America to have non-intervention and interference in the domestic affairs of Latin America. for America to have non-intervention and interference in the domestic affairs of Latin America.

Fast forward to 2016, where Republican candidate Donald Trump won the presidency over Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. Trump’s appeal wasn’t his moral compass, but his policies and plans for America. This demonstrated that a president is considered “good” through their actions, their dedication to bettering America’s future, and delivering on their promises.

Way before that election year in 2008, Obama won the popular vote against John McCain mainly based on his integrity and character as well as his famous slogan of, “Yes we can,” targeting American people’s hopes to

wards a better future. In 2012 he won again against Romney, winning the popular vote and reflecting that he as an individual had the power to influence change through his promises of policy as well as keeping his integrity.

Illustrating that a “good” president also needs to hold key values to relate to and gain the respect of the U.S. population. Considering recent presidents like Donald Trump and Joe Biden, it’s been a while since a president has delivered on both character and policy toward America.

This could reflect our current national diversity of not only race/ gender, but also thoughts, ideas, and ideals towards what America should be. As we celebrate our 248th birthday this year and enter into our 60th presidential election it’s up to us as the American people to vote and seek out which presidential candidate reflects these core values of what makes a good president.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

What’s on CCA Students’ Minds This Election?

By arthi chandra

8

With election day fast approaching, it is important to ask how students’ voices are being heard. Over 75% of CCA’s student body can’t vote due to the age restriction (only citizens 18 and up can vote in the US). While

this is the case, many argue that it is crucial to consider young voices, because the presidential decision affects adults and youth alike. In contrast, many maintain that age can correlate to knowledge and therefore experienc-

es in the world. Furthermore, what are CCA students’ overall thoughts on this very controversial and rapidly changing race? Is the election important to them? Do they want to spread their voices and opinions about the elec-

tion? Four students, each of varying grade levels, share their thoughts on this race.

Photo Credit: Arthi Chandra

Photo Credit: Arthi Chandra

Photo Credit: Anika GamBerg

Photo Credit: Arthi Chandra

“This election is so different from the past especially since we have women candidates on the ballot. I also noticed that they are trying to influence the younger generations of voters with popular social media campaigns across apps like Instagram and TikTok. Students’ voices can be important in some situations because some issues can be relevant to them and not to others like public education.”

“Overall in this election, I don’t think there are ideal candidates on either side. Although student opinions do matter and can be important, some of us don’t know much about the election or have a meaningful opinion about the topic. On a large scale across America, we also don’t have that much experience compared to adults making their voting decisions. ”

“Kamala Harris matches my ideals because she supports women’s reproductive, queer, and trans rights. Students make up a large part of America and our voices matter because we are the future. I have personally written postcards to undecided voters in battleground states, and started a business which donates half of its proceeds to the Harris Waltz campaign.”

“This election is extremely important because historically senior citizens have the highest voter turn-out while those aged 18-25 have the least registered voters. In my opinion, Vice President Harris is an overqualified candidate willing to take the country a step forward. Even though I can vote in this election, staying involved in the news can be equally as important if you don’t reach the age limit.”

- Anushka Tongle (9)

- Alex Destefano (10)

- Anika Gamberg (11)

- Benjamin Sartwell (12)

Overall, as the election draws near, students who are 18 and older must recognize the significance of their vote. Every vote contributes to

shaping the future of our community, whether you are voting for the first time or not. For those who aren’t eligible to vote, like most of the CCA

population, staying informed is still essential. There are many ways to do so, from reliable news sources to social media platforms. Understand-

ing the key issues and researching candidates thoroughly can help make informed voting decisions.

What is Project 2025?

By Finlay Taggart

If you have been keeping up with politics at all, you’ve probably heard “Project 2025” mentioned.

It’s like the boogeyman, with some viewing it as the saving grace for our country, and others like it was written by the devil’s own hand.

Project 2025 is a ~900 page book, written by the conservative think tank Heritage Foundation, that acts as a “checklist” for the next Trump presidency. As a practice, this

ows can be traced back to the deep mistrust formed between the American people and the government primarily during the time of the Vietnam War, with the Watergate scandal playing a large part. Reactionary conservatives have adopted elimination of the Deep State as one of their core values: part of the reason Trump has become a sort of lord to be worshiped by certain conservatives is because he isn’t a born-and-bred politician. There is a long list

Photo Credit: Getty images

is actually pretty common for think tanks, yet the way Project 2025 has come to represent the conservative movement in the US is unusual. It has four main values: bring family back to the centerpiece of American life, depower the administrative state, enforce national and border security, and protect our God given right to civil liberties.

of valid criticisms about the federal bureaucracy - namely the inefficiency of the massive workforce, the large amount of federal funding that pays for them, and the fact that they aren’t accountable to the average voter.

“The document outlines govern“the way Project ment policies to 2025 has come encourage marto represent the riage when havconservative ing kids, reduce movement in the the numbers of US is unusual.” single parents by Strengthening the nuclear expanding federfamily through protecting marriage is a key conservative issue for the al funds for marHeritage Foundation. The document outlines government policies to enriage education courage marriage when having kids, reduce the numbers of single parents by expanding federal funds for marprograms, and riage education programs, and altering tax codes to incentivize marriage. At altering tax codes surface level, and in many ways, this goal is bipartisan and pretty aweto incentivize some. Ensuring parents stay together is massively beneficial for children, marriage.” directly contributing to their success in life. A more complex and nuanced goal of Project 2025 is to depower the administrative state - which is essentially the formal way of describing elimination of the Deep State, another Boogeyman term used to describe the power of unelected bureaucrats in the capital through agencies like the CIA, FBI, and IRS. This concept of a Deep State ruling our country in the shad-

However, non-nuclear families would be strongly discouraged by protecting religious institutions that would refuse to recognize non-heterosexual marriage and the above stated reforms would only apply to straight marriage. This highlights how sometimes their religious values encourage a recession in recent civil rights

victories, like in Obergefell v. Hodges and the federal protection of same-sex marriage. To move onto the next main focus, which is depowering the administrative state, Project 2025 outlines policies that completely obliterate key agencies like the Department of Education and others. In addition, much more power is placed directly into the hands of the president by reinstating Schedule F, a designation that would change federal civil servants into political appointees. This essentially gives the president the power to hire and fire as he pleases within the federal bureaucracy. Enforcing national and border security is exactly what it sounds like. Project 2025 wants to increase funding towards securing our border through physical barriers, like walls and fences, as well as drones, sensors, cameras, and just more people. They also want harsher regulation on illegal immigrants through enhanced deportation and allowing the separation of families. A reformation of legal immigration would include a more merit-based system in line with the conservative belief that large amounts of unskilled immigration comes from certain countries. This can strain the social fabric of our country and negatively impact the economy.

A reformation of the Department of Homeland Security and FBI would accompany this part of the plan. The Christian values of the authors of Project 2025 become very transparent in the last goal: protecting civil liberties.

In this case “protecting civil liberties’, is really protecting Christian religious values - at the expense of literally everyone else. The plan spells out how to roll back policies that conflict conservative Christian values, namely ones pertaining to abortion, LGBTQ+ rights, and gender identity. If you were paying attention earlier, you might remember that one of their major goals was to allow the president to hire and fire civil service heads to align the actions of the bureaucracy with that of the sitting president. If this were to happen, the next president could

execute their views on civil liberties through control of the FBI and DOJ, which can selectively prosecute and enforce laws around racial and sexual equity, gender affirming care, and LGBTQ+ workforce protections.

“The plan spells out how to roll back policies that conflict conservative Christian values, namely ones pertaining to abortion, LGBTQ+ rights, and gender identity.”

This is where Project 2025 comes together in a way that really showcases the genius. The Heritage Foundation wants to consolidate power under the executive branch to bypass the legislative process and effectively implement a conservative agenda, hidden under the guise of rhetoric such as “fighting the deep state” and “protecting civil liberties”.

The issue is when all the parts of the plan are executed together, it would break down policies and procedures put in place to protect citizens. Overall, even if Trump wins, it is unlikely that the sweeping plan put in place through Project 2025 would actually go through. However, this is the perfect showcase about why political education is important, and to research the candidates and policies you vote for!

Photo Credit: Getty images

9

Feature

Last Minute Costume Ideas

BY Katherine Pfeizer

Many CCA students understand we put things off until the last minute. For example, you may be putting off Halloween to focus on other priorities… like early deadlines. However, do not be frightened and give up on celebrating this spooky holiday season, because this article is here to save you! Here, I will list many last minute, easy, budget-friendly costume ideas that range from movie characters to animals, as well as accessories, all of which can reignite your enthusiasm to dress up for Halloween!

Movie Characters To begin, we have movie characters! Often movie characters are easier to dress up as because it is easy to search through your closet and craft an outfit that reflects your character of choice! However, if you still can’t think of any characters , here are some ideas! Of course, I can not go without mentioning the movie “Inside Out 2”!

I am more certain most people have watched or at least heard of this movie, so you do not need to fear that people won’t know who you’re dressed up as. Crafting a costume from this movie is simple, all you need to do is put on some face paint for your chosen character. For example, if you want to be Anxiety, wear your hair in a ponytail, and an orange outfit. The “Inside Out” characters are incredibly simple to dress up as because all you need is

to reflect the color of the emotion! Another movie that has come out this year is “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice”! It is very easy to dress up as Beetlejuice. All you have to do is mess up your hair and wear striped clothes. Another option is to dress up as Lydia Deetz in her red wedding costume, because all you really need is a red dress! This movie is also very new, so there’s already a familiarity like with “Inside Out”, meaning that you do not need to fear that people won’t recognize your costume!

Another movie, although this next one is not new, is the 2000s classic, “Mean Girls”, which is a reliable and very effortless outfit to put together.

All you have to do is find a pink skirt,

“Whether you are a movie character, an animal, angel, or simply just putting on a mask, you can still bring in the festive spirit!”

pink jacket, white shirt, and heels, and there! You are Regina! Of course, you are not limited to these movie characters, but they serve as ideas of who you might want to dress up as , as well as helping you realize that dressing up as a character is not difficult Easy Accessories Finally, if you are looking for easy accessories to spruce up your costume,, there are many simple, budget-friendly options. To begin, there are animals! All you have to do is think of an animal of choice. For example, a cheetah! All you have to do is get cat ears and wear a cheetah pattern. Oftentimes, many thrift stores have their own Halloween sections where you can find many animal ears! Another easy costume idea is an angel! This costume allows for so much creativity. Whether you want to be a classic white angel, a black one, or even a cupid or one with animal wings, all you really need to do is check out a thrift store, since they often have wings at an incredibly discounted price! Lastly, the simplest option is to just go to a thrift or Halloween store and buy a mask! There are many masks of horror characters, such as Ghostface, or Michael Myers for you to buy. Then, all you have to do is wear an outfit that matches! See, very budget-friendly and effortless!

As you can see, creating a Halloween costume is much easi-

er than you may assume. There are so many creative ways to dress up.

Whether you are a movie character, an animal, angel, or simply just putting on a mask, you can still bring in the festive spirit! So, regardless of your other responsibilities, it is important to get ready for this year’s Halloween and enjoy some time with friends, family, or even just yourself!

Photo Credit: Katherine Pfeizer

Cat Halloween

BY Ava Daniels

Halloween is almost here! At this time of year, it is common for students to think about their costumes and all the candy they’re going to eat. However, Halloween isn’t just for humans!

It is just as fun to dress your cat in various cute costumes and celebrate the holiday with them, especially since black catsw are one of the classic symbols of Halloween. So, let’s get into some of the best examples and ways to celebrate Halloween with your feline friends.

Perhaps the best way to celebrate Halloween with your cats is to dress them up in fun costumes!

There are many great resources to

photo Credit: Emily Myers

10 Photo Credit: Emily Myers

find awesome kitty apparel, but some of the websites that I recommend include Chewy and Pet Costume Center.

Chewy is an incredibly versatile onestop shop that offers several categories of costumes, including trending, animal, classic, funny, and food. They offer lots of fun costumes like a cat in a bucket of fried chicken and an adorable kitty as a red lobster. The price range, which is between less than 10 to 40 dollars, is also pretty versatile for any budget. A downside about Chewy is that there isn’t free shipping unless you have an order over 35 dollars, but it is still worth a look. Pet Costume Center also has many options in a similar price range. It includes costumes such as a cat pirate hat and even a Cleopatra costume, as well as many options from various movies and popular intellectual properties. Unfortunately, it also doesn’t have free shipping unless it is for orders over 49 dollars, but it is also something to look into. If you want to overcome the barrier of shipping, you can always check out your local Petco or go to Amazon and make due with their limited options.

As for some pet Halloween costume ideas, there are many ideas to get your pets looking their best! First of all, it is always a good idea to check Pinterest for some inspiration. They have all

photo Credit: ava daniels

sorts of amazing suggestions for any type of vibe you are looking for. These boards can help guide you in the right direction. Pinterest aside, I have many ideas for how you can dress your feline friends! If you want to dress your cat as another animal, I highly recommend a bumblebee. It is an incredibly cute and lighthearted option that compliments your cat’s fluff (or fuzz) perfectly.

There are also many options online and in the stores, which makes them both adorable and plentiful. Another more classic choice is dressing your cat up as a pumpkin. You can never go wrong with a timeless Halloween symbol!

Another positive quality about pumpkin costumes is the fact that they’re very versatile. The options range from just a hat to full body apparel. On the hilarious side of the spectrum, you can choose a costume that resembles the

famous internet cat meme Nyan Cat. It would be both hilarious and adorable to see your little kitty as a flying PopTart with rainbows coming out of it. This costume would be a great choice, for a bunch of pictures and a laugh. Finally, a great food centric option would be a candy corn costume! This is not only an adorable choice but it also follows the Halloween theme perfectly.

Hopefully, these ideas will help you on your quest for the perfect cat costume.

Obviously, you cannot have Cat Halloween without pointing out some shining examples of adorable kitties rocking their costumes! One of the most notable examples is Mrs. Myers’s cat Guillermo, dressed in a super cute teddy bear outfit in front of a gigantic candy bowl. Guillermo exudes the essence of Cat Halloween in this amazing ensemble. My cats are another fantastic example of some kitties rocking their Halloween costumes! My cat Diva (the Siamese one) is dressed as royalty in a cute velvet cape while Sumi (the Tabby one) is looking adorable as a little lion. Both of these costumes not only embody the spirit of Halloween, but they also show off the awesome personalities of my cats! All three of these wonderful examples prove that the essence of Cat Halloween is simply to bring out your feline friend’s awesome and lovable personality.

Coffee Chats: Ms. Aguilar Edition

BY ZOE TRUONG AND SAGE PARK

more about our campus’ beloved teacher, sit down, relax, grab a cup of coffee (or preferred beverage of choice), and tune into the full podcast episode!

Q: How do you like your coffee?

A: “I’m kind of a purist. I just like coffee. If there’s no cream, I’ll take it black. But then other than that, I like heavy cream, not half and half. I like something a little thicker than that.”

PHOTO CREDIT: SAGE PARK

What we had intended as a sitdown talk about the upcoming election with the Co-Social Science Department Chair, Ms. Aguilar, became a wholesome chat about favorite music artists, concerts, weekends, friendship, Instagram dances, and subjects of enjoyment. Then again, the intent of the Coffee Chat series is to get comfortable with CCA’s dearest faculty and humanize them! There is still a balance between personal and professional topics brought up in the interview and the selected Q&A, of course.

In our second edition of Coffee Chats, we touched on some of Ms. Aguilar’s sources of joy. Part of it comes from her role as a Social Science teacher.

In reflecting on the highs and lows of watching students grow over the semesters, Ms. Aguilar provides advice on navigating the vigorous life as a CCA student and how to find happiness in the little things. If you want to learn

Q: Do you have a song recommendation?

A: “Forgive Me by ODEZA and Izzy Bizu.”

Q: What was your intent on starting the CCA Social Science Instagram?

A: “With the Instagram, when I… decided to put more effort into that, I was thinking… ‘how do we speak to young people?’...I think watching old people try them, or even trends… while it might be a little bit…cringy… [is] also…very fun, and we like to poke fun at ourselves…I just wanted to have fun with my department, which is typically…my aim at the school day every day…And that is just like another avenue for doing it.”

Q: How do you like to unwind over the weekend?

A: “On the weekends, on Saturdays, we have some type of sport for Buck [her son], and then typically [on] Saturday or Sundays, we’re out with friends…

We take Buck out, and he hangs out with

our friends, and we go to restaurants, we go to the park, we go to the beach…

And you know, if it’s coming up this fall season, we’d love to go to live music…we want him to enjoy those things with us. So my weekends and unwinding are usually filled with exercise, being outside, and eating good food.”

Q: What’s your favorite class to teach?

A: “Well, because it’s an election year, Government is really fun to teach this year. So just the timing of that, I think, has allowed me to kind of lean into that class. But my all-time favorite is U.S. History. It doesn’t matter the level, but I typically have been teaching AP U.S. History, and that was my major…I think that I have an appreciation, not only for the history of this country, but I love teaching young people about it because it’s changed since I was younger – how we view our history, how we reflect on it, [and] how we actually try to understand it, as opposed to just…teaching facts and dates…Once [students] take it, they kind of understand people.. or…how the world works…It was my favorite class in high school too.”

experience has been mostly with AP U.S. History in general, having juniors that you know what they’re going through…but spring junior year with AP tests, taking those classes, or…the fact that they’re [at]...the end of their junior year, ready to be seniors, it’s just a fun time…I really [see] you guys go through that and then be successful at the end…It’s just a unique experience.”

Q: How do you incorporate real-life events into your curriculum, and is it important to talk about these events in the classroom?

A: “I always try to talk about current events, and we have so many now because [of] the presidential election…it’s easy to trace what’s going on now on a daily basis to what we’re doing in class.

So at least once or twice a week, I try to bring up relevant current events based on the election, based on what’s happening in the United States, [based on what’s] happening in the world …I’m always like, ‘How do we start a class?’

‘How do we bring people in?’ But outside of incorporating events, like current events…every single day we try to…make sure that they can apply it.”

Q: Is there a reason why you particularly enjoy teaching juniors?

A: “There’s something about juniors in the spring where…I feel like… sometimes the stress and the worry is like palpable in the room; but…at the same time, they’re having success together…Maybe it’s just because my

Celebrating Día de Los Muertos

By Julia Piekarski

In a season of ghouls, ghosts, goblins, and cauldrons full of candy, the more morally sophisticated holidays of the season are overshadowed. The main example being Día de Los Muertos. On this day, family and friends of those who have passed honor their loved ones. This day of remembrance keeps people alive in the hearts of those who cared about them the most.

For centuries, people have participated in cleaning the deceased’s graves and setting up altars covered in treats, flowers, and pictures. However, the holiday did not always consist of these traditions.

Originally, the holiday was intended to honor Mictēcacihuātl, the Lady of the Dead. The Aztecs, who were the originators of the holiday, believed that she would protect and watch over the ‘bones of past lives’ and that these bones were used to create new life on Earth, the land of the living. The Aztecs used skulls to honor their deceased. These same skulls can be seen in Aztec temples meant to symbolize death and new life.

As Spanish Conquistadors arrived in present day Mexico, where the Aztecs resided, their Catholic traditions combined with the Aztec traditions of remembrance to create The Day of the Dead. The indigenous people’s practices assimilated with some Catholic beliefs about the afterlife to produce the beautiful holiday that still exists today.

Nowadays, common practices include the creation of individual altars called ofrendas. Ofrendas are made up of photos, the dead’s pos

“The holiday spans from Nov. 1 to 2. Nov. 1 is entirely dedicated to the remembrance of deceased children, while the second day is for the celebration of all passed loved ones.” sessions, their favorite foods, candies, candles, and more. Foods like Pan de muerto (a type of sweet bread), moles, tamales, and chocolates cover ofrendas and are shared during the holiday with family and friends. The most recognizable features of the ofrenda are the bright orange flowers, marigolds, and the decorated skulls, called calaveras. The Aztecs started including marigolds (cempasúchil) because the vibrant colors were thought to guide the spirits to the land of the living.

The holiday spans from Nov. 1 to 2. Nov. 1 is entirely dedicated to the remembrance of deceased chil-

dren, while the second day is for the celebration of all passed loved ones.

Toys are commonly added to the altars of los angelitos (little angels) for the spirits of children to play when they return to the land of the living.

For over three thousand years, these days have been dedicated to the loved ones of the past, keeping their memory alive, and protecting the future of the living. It serves as a time to bring communities and families together for the honoring of loved ones; Día de Los Muertos can bring positivity and celebration to lives well lived rather than sadness for what is lost.

PHOTO CREDIT: Emily Lu

“Día de Los Muertos can bring positivity and celebration to lives well lived rather than sadness for what is lost.”

11

BY ARIA KHAITAN AND HAYDEN CHANG

With November 5th quickly approaching, the 2024 Presidential Election is imminent and we are experiencing a tight race between two candidates who could not be on more opposite ends of one another: Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. Americans have strong opinions and there have been many clashes between the two parties. However, from Kamala Harris’s BRAT memes to Donald Trump’s CAT memes there is no doubt an element of humor and ridicule in this election, strongly manifesting in the younger generation, some of which are freshly eighteen and ready to vote. While the jokes are lighthearted, it is imperative that the wave of misinformation does not blind voters and that the memes can be differentiated from the truth.

There have been countless notable moments in this election but here is a quick recap. On July, 21, 2024, Joe Biden, the current President of the United States, dropped out of the race against Trump and endorsed his Vice President, Kamala Harris to take his place, making her the first Black and Indian woman to run.

12

“This race is intense and there have been massive changes, shifts, and surprises that have completely altered the predictability of this election. November 5th will be a toss up.”

This shift in the democratic nomination was monumental and many would say necessary. After a disastrous debate with Trump, many were calling

for Biden to step aside and after a gracious sacrifice, the democratic party had their new presidential candidate.

Another moment which stunned the nation was Trump’s attempted assassination attempt on July 13, 2024 at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, stood on a roof and opened fire, hitting the side of Donald Trump’s ear. While Trump was taken to the hospital and no harm was done, this attempt really awoke America and opened space for discourse on political violence.

Every single vote is going to be crucial this year, with Kamala having a slight lead of 3% according to the Times/Siena poll and 1% in the Pew Research Center poll. However, polls are constantly switching their winner pick and none have given either candidate a wide margin of winning probability. Surprisingly, Trump is opting to visit blue states like California and New York in his next cycle of rallies rather than taking the more orthodox strategy of targeting these swing states. It’s easy to question his methods, but Trump is easily the most un

orthodox candidate the United States has seen in a long time and his flashy politics have won him an election in the past. Especially with the massive money boost coming from Elon Musk and his associated super PAC, Trump certainly has the resources to finish this election season off strong.

“Ultimately, the election is going to come down to the few undecided voters in this polarizing political climate, making swing states like Arizona, Nevada, and Pennsylvania more important than ever in determining the outcome of this election.”

Despite Trump’s advantages, Kamala is still a threatening candidate who uses non-traditional methods herself, which is most clearly seen through her Brat social media marketing. She fully takes advantage of “sound bite politics” and her social media interns are quick to create memes and TikToks of debate clips and other contemporary events. It’s interesting that her approach uniquely targets younger generations because they have the lowest voter turnout, so we’ll see if her social media campaign pays off in November.

This election is also historic if Kamala wins because she would be both the first woman and first Asian president.

She has already made history as the first Black, Asian, and woman vice president, so her legacy would only be extended through a presidential win. With such a tight margin, it’s still anyone’s race. While Trump’s subpar debate performance was well-covered in the media, Kamala’s responses were far from

“This election is definitely going to be a historic one to witness and the results will have major consequences on the political fabric of the nation, no matter who wins.” perfect and she took months to share an official platform, which was highly irregular.

During the presidential debate on September 10th, she skirted around many questions surrounding foreign policy.

It’s essential that Kamala has answers to these questions since there were many significant foreign events during her time in office such as the removal of troops from Afghanistan and the Russia/Ukraine War. Trump didn’t fare much better, however, with his statements about immigrants generating massive discourse on social media.

With all this being said, it is imperative that voters educate themselves and stay up to date on the constant changes in the presidential race. The media is a great resource but holds potential for misinformation and misleading statements to be spread and should be cross checked when making informed decisions. As we inch closer to the big day, remember your voice matters and if you are able to, make it out to the polls on November 5th. Go vote CCA!

13

Artist Spotlight

By Jadyn Hecht

Senior Dani Nawrocki has been a member of the Envision conservatory program at CCA for 3 years now. Looking back, she expresses endless enthusiasm and gratitude for her experiences there. As a member of Vocal Conservatory, Nawrocki is required to take at least one music class per semester, including choir, digital composition, recording arts, and rock band. Through those experiences, she has only become more passionate and excited about various art activities; she has developed a media production company, works as a freelance live sound engineer at local music events, and takes private vocal lessons in her free time. I urge you to take note of and learn from Nawrocki’s reflections as she gives advice about her time in high school thus far.

“The goal in conservatory is not to admit people who are already amazing at what they do (although I’ve seen many extremely talented first-year students) but to adQ: What have been some of the most memorable conservatory momit people who ments in high school so far?

A: “I don’t even know where to begin!

Vocal Conservatory has given me such have the potential a plethora of memorable experiences that it’s difficult to sift through all of to be amazing.” them, but I do have some that come to mind. Some of my favorites include: 1. Practicing in the music library with my best friend Cece; her dedication to music is incredibly inspiring, and I learn a lot about the world, and myself, by being around her.

2. Chatting with our director, Ms. Whattoff; one thing that makes me look forward to conservatory is knowing that our instructor and mentor is someone who I can trust with almost anything.

Whether you want to talk about something silly that happened over the weekend, receive constructive feedback on a song you’re working on, or confide in someone about your deepest struggles, she’ll be all ears and respond with wisdom and sincerity. I look back at many of our conversations very fondly.

3. Witnessing my peers perform. It’s hard to forget the chill down your spine when you’re watching a vocal performance, and someone hits that one note just right. Being surrounded by such talented singers, I constantly take inspiration from the ways that my peers interpret music and learn more about the different repertoire they choose. The performances that inspire me the most are the ones that were the most well-prepared and have the most feeling behind them.”

Q: How has being a part of the arts community impacted your experience at this school?

A: “Being a part of the arts community at CCA didn’t merely impact my experience here, it completely changed my perspective on this school and on being a student here. I have to admit that during my freshman year, I completely dreaded coming to school. I felt lost, most of my friends ended up going to Torrey Pines, and I didn’t think that I “fit in” at CCA. I wasn’t able to take any music classes freshman year, so it was sophomore year that my life turned around. After just my first day of conservatory, my perspective started to shift. I realized that this school had music education resources that no other school in the district had,

14

and suddenly, art and music became one of my greatest priorities. I genuinely look forward to attending classes each day, knowing that half of my schedule is filled with music and that I can practice even more after school on conservatory days. Here, I realized there doesn’t have to be much pressure to “fit in” with anyone; you can find your own path and cater your goals and schedules around what you think is important. Sure, there’s a small chance that some people could judge you for not following a “conventional” path, but with the strong arts community here and the friends that you’ll make in these programs, the positivity and support are so much more powerful than any negativity you might face.”

photo credit: Dani nawrocki

Q: Would you recommend joining a conservatory to people considering applying, and what advice would you give them?

A: “I absolutely recommend conservatory to anyone interested in applying, regardless of skill level. Because of conservatory, I’ve had the chance to explore [vocal] music in a way that I never have before. We traverse through the many musical genres, focusing on world music, contemporary and classic choral pieces, opera, and art songs. We’ve even had lessons on overtone singing before! It’s because of our classical concerts in conservatory that I realized how much I love opera. However, a large majority of our conservatory projects are also driven by personal preferences; in our coffee house concerts, you can choose nearly any popular genre you’d like to perform. While everything I just stated applies to the vocal conservatory specifically, in any of the conservatories offered here there’s a chance to explore the full extent of your medium.

My greatest advice to anyone looking to apply is to never doubt yourself. I remember when I auditioned for vocal conservatory, I was terrified that I wouldn’t be good enough. The goal in conservatory is not to admit people who are already amazing at what they do (although I’ve seen many extremely talented first-year students) but to admit people who have the potential to be amazing. This also applies once you’re in conservatory as well.

Don’t be discouraged that your peers may seem to be doing better than you; you’ll be surprised at how much you’ll improve when you fully dedicate yourself to your art form. The progress that I’ve witnessed in the younger levels of vocal conservatory and my own level, is truly awe-inspiring.”

Q: What are your goals after you

graduate? Are you planning on pursuing a career in the arts?

A: “My best friend of 10 years, James, and I have been planning throughout high school to found our own production company, JD Arthouse, once we graduate. There’s no doubt in my mind that film and music will be incorporated in my future career, even if I’m not fully planning on being a vocal performer or full-blown filmmaker. One of my current ideas for the production company is to incorporate my love for math, business leadership, music, and film into one: designing studio spaces catered towards recording live music for film, and curating and securing rights to existing songs to be used in movies. While I love all genres and plan to incorporate a great variety when devising film soundtracks, I would like to specialize in jazz and classical music in film. With the influence that opera and jazz has had on my life, it’s inevitable that these genres will also influence the films and music that I produce. It’s hard to say exactly what I’ll be doing 5 or 10 years from now with the turbulent nature of an entrepreneurial career in music, but I do have a vision. I really look forward to entering college next year and having the opportunity to dive fully into music indusqtry and production.”

“Art and music became one of my greatest priorities, I genuinely look forward to attending classes each day, knowing that half of my schedule is filled with music and that I can practice.” even more after school on conservatory days.”

Dani Nawrocki’s willingness to explore her interests creatively has allowed for a truly transformative high school experience. Nawrocki urges anyone considering any activity in arts to just try it out because your life could change for the better as a result. Whether your interests follow a “conventional” path should not shape your decisions; make sure that when you dedicate yourself to something, it excites you.

She shares that it was her abilities to grow, adapt, and take risks that shaped her life in high school and her future career plans after graduation. Congratulations, Dani Nawrocki, on being CCA’s first featured student artist!

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

BY Shea Salel

October marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a crucial time for raising awareness about this deadly disease that affects countless lives. Breast cancer mainly impacts women but can also occur in men, a rarely known fact highlighting the need for widespread awareness and education. It can lead to serious health complications, including theqwe development of tumors in vital organs such as the brain, bones, and lungs. The primary aim of this monthlong campaign is to promote screenings and preventive measures while cultivating a greater understanding of the disease through increased awareness.

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women, accounting for approximately 30% of all new cancer diagnoses each year. While the incidence of breast cancer has increased, advancements in awareness and education have significantly contributed to a decline in its death rate. Currently, breast cancer is the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths among women, claiming over 40,000 lives annually in the United States alone. Breast Cancer Awareness Month’s acknowledgment is essential for women’s health globally, encouraging early detection and timely intervention, which will save lives.

Screening guidelines are a critical aspect of breast cancer prevention.

Medical professionals recommend that women begin receiving mammograms at age 40, or earlier if there is a family

PHOTO CREDIT: Angeline park

history of breast cancer. Regular screenings can lead to early detection, which can significantly increase the chances of successful treatment and survival.

Here at CCA, we are spreading awareness on Oct. 13 which is National Breast Cancer Awareness Day by having a “pink out” spirit dress up. Wearing pink is a powerful way to support survivors in our community and to acknowledge the struggles faced by those currently battling the disease.

Our school community will come to

gether in solidarity, promoting discussion about breast cancer and fostering a supportive environment for all. Another local event at CCA that we are doing to spread awareness of breast cancer is sports nights. For example CCA is hosting the girl’s volleyball breast cancer awareness night. On Oct. 3, girls’ volleyball had a pink out-themed game where they wore pink jerseys and partnered with the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. This partnership helped shed light on how important raising

money for breast cancer research is.

In addition to our local efforts, it’s essential to highlight resources available for those affected by breast cancer. Many communities offer support groups, counseling services, and educational workshops designed to help patients and their families navigate the complexities of a breast cancer diagnosis. Engaging in these resources can provide vital support and foster a sense of community among those affected.

Furthermore, individuals can contribute to breast cancer awareness in various ways, from participating in fundraising events to volunteering for organizations dedicated to research and support. Each action, no matter how small, plays a role in the larger fight against breast cancer.

Recent advancements in research and treatment options provide hope for a future where breast cancer can be effectively treated and managed. Ongoing studies are continually improving our understanding of the disease, leading to better therapies and outcomes for patients.

As we observe Breast Cancer Awareness Month, let us commit to educating ourselves and others about health. By engaging in conversations, supporting initiatives, and encouraging early screenings, we can make a meaningful impact. Together, we can honor survivors, support those currently facing this challenge, and work toward a future free from breast cancer.

Behind the Scenes at Raven Review

By Diana Gomes

Every month, our school newspaper begins a painstakingly and carefully crafted process for creating an issue. There are deadlines, hard work, creativity, and teamwork.

Transitioning from a magazine to a newspaper was not an easy project.

We were tasked with figuring out the entire process of making a newspaper: from deciding what the contents would be to distributing copies to the rest of the school. A new system had to be set in place for The Raven Review.

The process begins with engagement from the entire class: story pitches. Each member of the newspaper, both intro and advanced students get a chance to present their ideas for the next issue. During our brainstorming session, students bring their ideas to the table and inspire others. The CoEditors-in-Chief Zoe Truong and Sage Park guide the conversation, and record all of the pitches into a Google Doc so that everyone can access the multitude of ideas to choose a story to write. The

PHOTO CREDIT: Diana gomes

“From the initial brainstorming sessions to the final distribution, the process of creating our school’s newspaper is both challenging and fulfilling.” pitches cover a range of topics, fromschool events and sports to pop culture and national occurrences. We organize these ideas by section, ensuring that every issue offers a diverse selection of content for our readers. This initial

step sets the tone for the issue and al lows every writer to pursue the topic that they are most passionate about.

Once the pitches are finalized and every writer has selected a story, the next step is writing the drafts. Each writer delves into their writing process by interviewing students, attending events, and refining their thoughts on paper. Drafts often go through a few rounds of revision as the writers work to improve their articles to make them newspaper worthy. Students take about one week for drafts and one week for revisions to produce a final draft. After final drafts are completed, our Copy Editors, Ava and Lilah Daniels, step in to review every article. They fine tune the writing, checking for grammar, clarity, and overall quality. This ensures that each article is ready for publication and meets the high standards of our newspaper.

Another important aspect of The Raven Review are the graphics that accompany each article. They provide important context and understanding to the articles, and so, it is vital that we use non-copyrighted material, or preferably original photos and illustrations. For this issue, we decided to collaborate with EVA Conservatory to create student-made illustrations to accompany certain articles.

With the stories and graphics ready, it becomes time for the layouts.

This part of the process is handled by our section editors, who are responsible for designing the newspapers overall look and feel. Using InDesign by Adobe, they arrange articles,

photos, and pull out quotes to create a visually appealing layout. Because of the limited monitors available, this task requires a great deal of coordination and communication between editors and writers. The layout process typically takes about a week and requires a lot of careful planning to make sure everything fits just right.

Finally, after weeks of hard work, it’s time for the last step: distribution. The printed newspapers are picked up and distributed throughout the school. At this point, all the hard work, late nights, and intense editing sessions pay off as our publication reaches its readers.

From the initial brainstorming sessions to the final distribution, the process of creating our school’s newspaper is both challenging and fulfilling. It is a team effort that involves collaboration at every stage. The end result is more than just a collection of articles—it is a reflection of the dedication and creativity of our entire staff.

“The layout process typically takes about a week and requires a lot of careful planning to make sure everything fits just right.”

15

Entertainment Student Short Film Review: Never Me

By Charlotte Sills

Here at CCA, we have a reputation for being one of the most academic schools in our area, leading many people to assume that the school consists primarily of “STEM kids” - who are solely interested in math, computer science, and all related topics. However, amidst these stereotypes, many people forget what the first “C” in CCA stands for: creative.

Since its founding in 2004, the school has offered various courses and even specialized conservatories with a primary focus on the arts: music, painting, sculpting, film, you name it. Many students here at CCA are incredibly talented in these subjects and often pursue them outside of school as well.

Specifically, one of CCA’s very own, Dani Nawrocki (12), is director, writer, and producer of a short film that came out this summer titled Never Me. Fellow ravens Cecilia Viera (12), Sonia Whittle (12), Daniil Domanin (11), and Isabel Lai (11) are also part of the film’s crew. Never Me follows a 16-year-old girl named Sarafina as her world is turned upside down by an unexpected teen pregnancy. As difficult as her situation already is, Sarafina, living in Texas, is faced with a new obstacle: the recent overturn of Roe v. Wade. With her options

harsh reality of the current laws that are so restrictive of women’s rights.

Lindsay Magid, who plays Sarafina, skillfully portrays the emotions of being a teenage girl as she navigates the ups and downs of becoming a woman. Being on the brink of adulthood, the pregnancy forces Sarafina to make difficult and life-altering decisions on her own. As a result, she develops into a more mature character with a newfound sense of her own rights and independence. While she does become more independent throughout her journey, Sarafina also seeks help from her

“the film... aims to suppost women’s reproductive rights and address the harmful Photo Credit: Dani Nawrocki narrowed due to these new laws, she friends and family. Despite her somerepercussions of is forced to turn to a risky solution. what troublesome relationship with her The film touches on several import- father, Sarafina’s strong connections topics such as abortion laws, rela- with her mother, grandmother, the overturning ant tionships with friends and family, and and friends ultimately provide into adulthood. Not only is it her with the support she need of Roe v. Wade.” maturing entertaining, it also brings light to the to overcome her challenges.

Fall Musical Preview

By Naomi Li and Brundasree Unadi

Canyon Crest Academy is known for its arts department, and the theater conservatory plays a huge part in that reputation. Each school year, the students put on plays in the fall and spring that show off their singing, acting, and dancing talents. This year, the theater department has chosen the musical comedy Xanadu and the play Middletown.

“Xanadu reminds us that the spark of creativity lives inside each of us” Xanadu follows the story of chalk artist Sonny Malone and a muse named Clio. Set in the vibrant Venice Beach scene in 1980, the musical chronicles how Sonny determines to combine the arts and athletics into the first roller disco. Meanwhile, Clio’s jealous sisters cause chaos, and the two leads eventually end up in trouble with her father Zeus. Thanks to the colorful and dynamic story, fans of Greek mythology, retro throwbacks, and parties in general are sure to enjoy the musical piece. Ms. Marquie, who runs the entire theater program, is the director of the musical. She has been teaching for twenty-eight years, but is particularly excited about Xanadu’s

16

production, and recalls how she first wanted to direct the musical when she saw it at the La Jolla Playhouse. The show was postponed for a few years because of the pandemic, but Ms. Marquie believes it is important to put on the play as it is, “such a funny, silly, lighthearted show”, with “such a great message.” Additionally, she stated that, “At a time when it can feel like everything needs to be perfect or complete, Xanadu reminds us that the spark of creativity lives inside each of us, waiting to be uncovered.” Students at CCA can surely relate to Sonny and Clio as they struggle to prove themselves and uplift each other along the way.

The play first opens at the Black Box Theater on Halloween at 4:30, but ends just in time for everyone to go trick or treating. Students can also see it on November 2nd, 7th, and 8th at 7pm. Colorful posters

“such a fun, silly, lighthearted show” have been put up around the school, and tickets are available at the finance office: $16 for adults, $9 for students, and only $7 if you have an ASB card. Be sure to attend the musical to support classmates, listen to great music, and, most importantly, to see roller skates and maybe a pegasus.

Photo Credit: Christi Gallego

This aspect of the storyline emphasizes the importance of having close relationships, especially in times of hardship.

With so much political action currently occurring, issues such as the Roe v. Wade overturn are more pressing than ever. The disheartening repeal of this abortion law is a massive step backwards for women’s rights and although it is a controversial topic, it cannot go undiscussed. Never Me of fers a raw and emotional story that emphasizes the heart-breaking, very real effect that these laws are having on women and even young girls around the world. As the title of the short film suggests, many girls simply believe: “that would never happen to me”.

However, as laws become increasingly restrictive, countless women are facing upsetting situations as they are forced to go to extreme and possibly unsafe lengths just to be able to make their own decisions about their own bodies. For this reason the film possesses a deeper significance, as it aims to support women’s reproductive rights and address the harmful repercussions of the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

Overall, Never Me is a compelling, artfully filmed story that does a great job of touching on important themes and real-world issues that call for change. If you have 20 minutes of your day available to give this short film a watch, I would highly recommend it!

Dress to Impress: The Lana Lore

By Ava Daniels

The Dress to Impress Halloween update is coming very soon! So, in anticipation of the update, this article will explore the greatest enigma in the entire game: the nail technician Lana, who is best known for providing a horror element in a seemingly innocent game. I went to all the secret locations and other places associated with the Lana lore in order to get a bigger picture of Dress to Impress horror element before Halloween. While this isn’t an extensive cover of every single event (since the lore is so vast it could be a novel), it should give a good look into what might be going on with this mysterious nail tech.

The first thing I did was go to the secret room in the actual Dress to Impress game. This can be found if you walk through the shelf next to the makeup station in the salon. Famously, this room once had Lana in a cage, but she seems to be gone with the September update. Since Lana and her cage are no longer in the secret room, it lim its the actual amount of lore inside

in the main game. Though it seems like she has made a lot of enemies if someone was keeping her locked up.

As the current version of Dress to Impress has limited Lana lore, I decided to check out her Roblox account: Lanadoesnails. This account has several experiences (i.e. games), with the first one being Forest. The goal of Forest is to follow the flowers that take you into a portal. This portal will then lead to a maze. There are several creepy words that can also be found flashing on the screen, such as “doppelganger” and “will you ever find me.” These various statements hint that Lana’s life has been infiltrated by these doppelgangers and it is impossible to know where she actually is. Though, there were some other words that mentioned that she was feeling unmotivated and tired. As for this maze, I man aged to check it out despite all the crowds. Unfortunately, I didn’t get too far because at a certain point there were some chilling Lana doppelgangers that screamed and

Photo Credit: Ava Daniels

chased me. I’m only willing to go so far for journalistic purposes.

I skipped the second game, Questionnaire, because it is reliant on the developers being in the server.

Instead, I moved onto the third game, Fortress, which is a multi-room ex perience with a whole lot of lore to unpack. Fortress tells players that Lana is working on “the Awakening” with a guy called Agamemnon (who may be part of the reason she is acting this way). It also reveals information about a secret group that she may have formed called the Coterie, which does her bidding. There are three badges that you can get that involve the exploration of certain rooms.

Overall, in my opinion, this is the most lore-heavy experience and shows that Lana and her cohorts are up to no good.

The final Lana experience is called Sanningens Galleri (which means “the Gallery of Truth” in Swedish). This game is an art gallery with tons of paintings depicting Lana’s past.

There are several rules at the beginning, such as “Everything you see here is the truth” and “Don’t go too far into the hallway.” If you break these rules, there will be a monster that jumpscares you and ends the experience.

Finally, I checked out Lana’s YouTube channel, which has many revelations about her. It reveals that as a child she had a chronic illness that left her in medical debt. She went to work for a woman named Gigi to pay that debt but ended up realizing that Gigi intended to use the Dress to Impress players as experiments. Lana betrayed Gigi, went into hiding, and started an uprising called the Awakening. Overall, it is a goldmine of information and is

worth looking into if you’re interested.

So, all together, what do we know? Well, Lana confirmed that she was in medical debt her whole life after an illness, and her boss Gigi promised to help pay it off by giving her a job. Lana was miserable in this job and was even seen crying in the April Fools update. Eventually, she learned that

nism and the Soviet Union at the time.

Godzilla is another example of this; first produced in 1954, it displays an unstoppable monster wreaking havoc on civilian populations because of military actions. These fears are not necessarily restricted to the time period either; they can also be cultural. An example of this is Get Out (2017), a movie that heavily plays on the sinister racism of getting black individuals to lower their guard in order to take advantage of them. The horror film that is widely considered the scariest, The Exorcist (1973), commentates on the nature of faith and believing in religion.

Not only are the visuals and atmosphere in horror movies terrifying, so are the core societal issues that they represent.

in humans. The response is a boost of adrenaline, dopamine, and endorphins— chemical messengers in the brain that create a state of flight-orfight and hypervigilance, getting people both amped and terrified. After the movie is over, the chemicals are still flowing, just at a slower rate, which results in a sense of exhilaration. This heightened experience is closely tied to horror movies and is why people keep coming back for new scares.

It is just the season to watch these movies, too. The weather starts to get colder and greyer, and the days shorter, creating a similar atmosphere to the ones in which horror movies are set. Halloween is the peak of this, a holiday dedicated to celebrating the arcane and mysterious, the mischief and mayhem, the thrills and scares.

Many of the symbols and imagery for Halloween represent this, too— from witches and black cats, to monsters like zombies, vampires, and skeletons.

They all border on the fears of the macabre and mystical. It only makes sense to get in the mood by watching a movie that readily indulges in both fears and often imagery as well. Horror movies combine survival responses and societal fears to produce not only a film but a collective experience of heightened emotions of all kinds.

And maybe, just maybe, this time the characters will get a happy ending.

The Haunting of Horror Films

By Alara Schroeder

The moon is high in the sky, a bright blood orange looking down upon a crew of characters. The trees grow scraggly and barren. All is quiet except for the sounds of footsteps— then a rustle comes from behind. It could just be an owl, or even a bat, but the characters aren’t so lucky.

Out pops a clawed hand— and jumps the audience— snatching one of the characters, completing their pre-written fate. The others can only watch and wait for their turn. It’s the oh-so trope-filled and predictable path of a horror film and yet, as Halloween approaches, many gather around to participate in the collective suspense.

The movies almost never end well, so why do audiences still insist on watching them? To answer that, let’s first dive into the origins of horror movies.

Although horror stories have been around since humans can conceptualize and communicate fear— the first horror novel is considered to be The Castle of Otranto, written in 1764

by Horace Walpole. As for the horror film genre, it started along with the origins of film in the late 1800s. The first ever horror film made is considered to be Le Manoir du Diable— translated to the House of the Devil— in 1896 and features a variety of demons, ghosts, witches, skeletons, and even a haunted house that turns into the Devil. Although it lacks sound and color, it is still

very fitting for the Halloween season.

Horror films, like any other genre of film, have progressed along with the technology and freedom of expression found in this form of story-telling. As a result, many subgenres of horror films exist and there are even a slew of different types of horror based solely on the scares.

Horror, like many film types, meshes with genres to create unique pieces of film such as sci-fi horrors and even comedy horrors. This morphing and changing with the times is why horror movies have survived as a genre.

Horror as a genre displays commentaries on society taking the cultural fears at the time and representing them with monsters that haunt the

Photo Credit: Getty Images

characters. For example, the slew of sci-fi horror films from the US in the 1950s; many of them include aliens invading and breaking the fundamentals of American society— a thinly-veiled metaphor for the fears of commu-

It is also exactly those visu als that make the movies so scary. The elements of visuals— both the scenery and the physical monsters— audio, suspense, and plot combine to activate the base instincts of survival

Photo Credit: Ava Daniels

Gigi was planning to experiment on the Dress to Impress players, so Lana betrayed her by sharing this information. She left and went into hiding to plan a rebellion with a group that she controlled called the Coterie. She also joined forces with a guy called Agamemnon. This connection, along with Lana’s thirst for vengeance towards Gigi and the players (who were complacent in her suffering), as well as her obsession with power and popularity led her to insanity. Lana’s lunacy led her to become the cause of something called the Awakening. This “awakening” may be a monster. Despite all that players know, there is clearly more to unpack with Lana’s story that will hopefully unfold in the Halloween update.

17

Spooky Spots of San Diego

By Brianna Morrison

When people think of Halloween towns, their minds may go to Salem, OR or Sleepy Hollow, NY. For San Diegans who find visiting scary trails and ghostly areas exciting, there are a plethora of “haunted places” right here in America’s Finest City! You don’t even have to fly across the country to visit. Here are a few spooky areas to explore whenever you’re in the mood for a fright.

USS Midway One of San Diego’s major tourist attractions is going atop the USS Midway, but who would have thought that spirits lurk among this longest-serving naval aircraft carrier? According to the museum’s curator, David Hanson, there are many accounts of paranormal activity. Throughout the past couple of years, there have been over thirty ghost sightings. Ad

Photo Credit: Brianna Morrison The Whaley House First on the list is the notorious Whaley House in the Old Town neighborhood of San Diego. The Whaley House was built in 1857 to serve as a courtroom, a general store, and of course, the residence for the Whaley family. While the family lived there, numerous tragedies struck their

“Even today, 166 years later, visitors describe loud, unexplained footsteps and eerie sounds in the house.” household. In addition to losing their youngest son to scarlet fever, their store burned down and they began to recount paranormal activity. The main source of these abnormalities is the proclaimed ghost of Jim Robinson, who was hanged on the property for stealing a boat before the Whaleys moved in. After experiencing the hauntings of Robinson, as well as the suicide of one of the Whaley daughters (after her newlywed husband revealed that he was a con artist who only married her for the family’s fortune), patriarch Thomas Whaley relocated what remained of the family. As a result, the house was left abandoned for twenty years and remained that way until 1909, when the eldest son, Francis Whaley, restored the property for many other generations of Whaleys to reside in. It has been one of the most haunted sights in San Diego ever since. Even today, 166 years later, visitors describe loud, unexplained footsteps and eerie sounds in the house. Go see it for yourself if you dare to experience these ghostly delights!

18

ditionally, the USS Midway was one of the ships listed in the 2012 Maritime Ghost Conference in San Diego.

Other ships in this category included The Berkeley and the Star of India.

Go check it out if you want to learn about the important history of the ship or look to encounter spooky spirits!

Hotel del Coronado Coronado has a very rich history, with one of the most notable landmarks being the Hotel del. As well as being a popular vacation spot and a famous place to film movies, it is also supposedly haunted by the ghost of Kate Morgan, a 24-year-old woman who checked into the hotel in 1892.

While going to meet her estranged husband (or potentially another male companion), Mrs. Morgan booked room 3327 in the Hotel del. Days later, her body was found on the hotel steps leading to the beach. Ever since the young woman’s mysterious death, hotel guests and employees have experienced paranormal encounters. These occurrences include flickering lights, televisions turning on their own volition, unnerving breezes, unexplained

to find out if her spirit truly remains.

If you are still curious about the mystery of how Kate Morgan haunts this famous hotel, you can learn more in the book, Beautiful Stranger: The Ghost of Kate Morgan and the Hotel del Coronado or you can go check the hotel out for yourself. Is Kate Morgan still waiting in room 3327?

“Throughout the past couple of Old Point Loma Lighthouse The Old Point Loma Light- years, there have house was built in 1854 and was in use until 1891. As its location was poor been over thirty and fog often interfered with its ability to guide ships, the lighthouse was in service for only 36 years. Now, this ghost sightings.” historic landmark serves as a museum in the famous Cabrillo National Monument. It has recently been repaired and updated for visitors to check out.

More importantly, in regards to the spirits that haunt the old lighthouse, there have been many reports of chilling apparitions and unsettling sights.

Extreme drops of temperature when venturing up the spiral staircase are common, as well as the sounds of a low moaning when visiting the two bedrooms located in the lighthouse. Many believe that Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, the Portuguese explorer who is credited for discovering California, haunts

downtown area, built in 1850, and served as a makeshift hospital for about ten years. Now, each room in the house depicts a historical purpose that this house has served: a private residence, hospital, and pre-civil war military housing. Since many people have passed through this house, whether as patients or just visitors, it is not surprising that many spirits are rumored to lurk around the corridors. Common spooky sights include random lights being on after they were turned off, unexplained breezes, items moved from their original places, and more. There

Photo Credit: Izzy Fink

the lighthouse. It could also be the previous caretakers of the lighthouse that continuously lurk in the shadows.

Conversely, as the landmark stands approximately a mile away from the Point Loma Rosecrans National Cem\ etery, the spirits may have derived

Photo Credit: Brianna Morrison

noises, and faces of ghostly figures.

Supernatural activity has even been recorded in Mrs. Morgan’s room and there have been sightings of a young woman dressed in a black dress in the hotel and along the beach. Many seek

House (formally known as the William Heath Davis House) is a Victorian-era historic home located in the Gaslamp Quarter of downtown San Diego. It is the oldest standing building in the

from there. Is there really a ghost – or multiple – that linger in this re nowned area? Go find out for yourself.

Davis-Horton House Lastly, the

Davis-Horton

have also been multiple sightings of a female apparition dressed in Victorian garb as well as the ghost of a cat (even though a cat has never been reported on the premises), whose meows can be heard throughout the house. Other hauntings can be traced back to the house’s days as a hospital where many people died from a tetanus outbreak.

Also, a medicine chest in the museum has been found closed with the items inside moved around. Do these examples give you the evidence you need to conclude that the house is haunted? If not, do you want to go visit to check if the hauntings are real? If this seems up your alley, go visit the Davis-Horton House, also known as the “most haunted house in the Gaslamp Quarter”.

Whether it’s for Halloween or just a fun activity to hang out with friends, these five spooky spots of San Diego are great to explore. These places, as well as others not listed here, are riddled with mystery, ghostly activity, and eerie sights. Don’t be afraid to visit and as Jack Skellington says, “life’s no fun without a good scare.”

EARN COLLEGE CREDIT IN SPAIN AND FRANCE! Language and Cultural Immersion Programs in: Biarritz, France Barcelona, Spain Málaga, Spain San Sebastian, Spain

Now enrolling for Summer 2025!

Study abroad! Immerse yourself in the beautiful French and Spanish cultures while also earning credit for college. A fantastic way to spend a summer with you friends

Scan the code to request an e-brochure!

www.yourhorizonsabroad.com

Language

Culture

Arts

Sports

19

Sports

What is the Deal With Baseball?

By ISABELLA POSEL

When, this spring, I suddenly started hearing about the Padres everywhere I went, I began to wonder what was up. For years, I had forgotten about them. Taking a cue from the absence of other San Diego sports contributions, I assumed maybe they sucked, a thought that had not been challenged until this year’s season. Don’t get me wrong — I have lived in San Diego since I was two years old. I have been to at least a few Padres games, and have a foam ball that was hucked into the bleachers to prove it. I have felt the frenetic energy. I have sipped an overly massive lemonade. I have cheered when it seemed like maybe everybody else was cheering. But, I have never truly understood baseball. When the Padres made the postseason a few weeks ago, I decided that someone needed to get to the bottom of this and figure out what was going on with this baseball fever.

the Padres win, the entire city of San Diego receives a burst of energy. If you walk around San Diego in Padres merch, you’ll likely hear multiple ‘Go Padres!’ shouted at you.”

In a similar vein, I spoke to Padres fan and history and pop culture teacher Mr. Spilkin. He told me that “Baseball is a synthesis of team effort and individual accomplishments. The Padres are special because they are really the only major sports team left in San Diego, the stadium (Petco) has so much great history and Padres fans are classy.” Spilkin explored the historical perspective ingrained in baseball, describing the appeal found in the sport: “I think baseball has a very democratic nature to it, THE PEOPLE, meaning anyone regardless of

ed to win and soon other owners started to hire players based on ability and not skin color. I think that speaks volumes for the world we live in today, it’s not about altering the playing field, changing the rules, or giving any one person or group an advantage over others, baseball in many ways is simply ‘Here is the stage… now perform.’

Baseball really is and sports in general is performance art (with tobacco juice and pine tar as the window dressing).”

For another perspective, I sought out literature teacher Mr. Leal, who once compared baseball to The Odyssey – an epic I understood far more than the sport. “Every aspect of baseball is a story. If we start at the smallest level of the at-bat, one player comes up to face one pitcher. Over the

“I have never truly understood baseball. When the Padres made the postseason a few weeks ago, I decided that someone needed to get Photo Credit: Troy Morrison their station in life can participate by course of that at-bat, there is a story, to the bottom of watching on TV, listening on radio, and the story is individual,” he says. or being at the stadium on game day.”

Leal references poet Robthis and figure out As America’s pastime, baseball ert Francis’s “The Pitcher,” and has a rich and storied history start- how, when approaching the batter, in the 1800s, when immigrants the pitcher “throws to be a moment what was going ing brought the game to our shores and misunderstood // making the batter it into the modern version. understand too late.” As Leal puts on with this base- developedWhile Spilkin could simpli- it, deception is at the core of the atfy the sport down to “Men in tight bat: “the pitcher is trying to deceive ball fever.” pants, using a dead tree, to hit a ball the batter, and the batter is in a con My independent research fell short – according to the first result of the Google query “what is the point of baseball,” the goal of the game is “to score more points (runs) than the other team” (per Wikipedia’s preview).

According to the PBS article “Baseball for Beginners,” “baseball exists outside of time,” and in the form of a lengthy glossary. According to apparently famous sports journalist Jimmy Cannon, “Baseball isn’t statistics.

Baseball is DiMaggio rounding second.” When these declarations failed to illuminate America’s pastime for me, I sought wisdom from other sources.

Raven Review’s own frequent sports columnist and varsity softball player Carrie Krummen explained it to me like this: “Baseball is a community builder, allowing cities to unite people of all backgrounds under a shared uniform. For instance, when

20

of yard covered in dead cow skin,” he also reflects on the cultural history of baseball and its legacy. “As a historian I find it fascinating that we were able to accept a black man playing baseball with white players,yet we were still many years away from acceptance and inclusion in our schools, stores, and places of worship, and daily lives,” Spilkin says, referring to the professional leagues’ past and the history of segregation not just in the sport, but in America as a whole. While Jackie Robinson is undoubtedly the most famous figure in this regard, Spilkin illuminates the Padres’ own connection: “My very close friend’s grandfather (William “Chick” Starr) owned the Padres in the 1940s before they became a MLB franchise in 1969. Grandpa Starr was the first owner to sign black players, while the other owners shunned that practice. Well, what happened?

The Padres with players of color start

frontation without knowledge.” In a simple sense, the batter wants to leave home, to hit the ball, and run the bases, but it is the pitcher’s job to try and prevent them from doing so.

“There’s an element of tragedy in baseball because really good baseball players – hitters, I’m talking about – fail two-thirds of the time. So that’s failing seven out of ten times to leave home. So the batter is trying to have his story at the plate work out,” says Leal. It isn’t until a player can successfully overcome the pitcher’s deception and hit the ball that their “quest” begins – a quest to “to leave home, confront trials and tribulations, and return.” At this point, the story transitions from the batter’s individual story to a team story. “You have an individual story of each player, then you have a communal story of each team through each inning which might end up with a score at the end.

Then it turns, and the other team gets the same opportunity,” Leal explains.

Each inning is part of a game, which is part of a season, which serves to make up the team’s history. Last year, the Padres had a poor season.

This year, they had an amazing one.

The team’s story is intricate and complex. Leal reflects on the nature of the baseball season, saying “these various stories are woven together in the standings over the course of a season that begins in spring, goes through summer – the dog days of summer, and archetypically spring is associated with birth, summer is associated with youth – so that’s why they are called the boys of summer, baseball players are called the boys of summer. So, they participate through the summer and they come to the end of the season in autumn, and autumn is that time of transition, of when you’re leaving youth and age sets in. And the story of your season is coming to a close, you see the ending of it. If you are fortunate enough to make the postseason, you can go further into autumn, your life goes a little bit longer, your story continues – if it’s heroic – into a future where you’re longing to be the one that wins at the very end.” He mentions A. Bartlett Giamatti’s “The Green Fields of the Mind,” where Giamatti describes how baseball “breaks your heart.”

“The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone,” Giamatti writes.

Baseball is an American story of hope, littered with epic heroes and calls to pathos. As Leal says, “So, the beauty of the game is, it replicates life so fully. Other sports don’t capture that.

[Other sports] don’t have that same phenomenon of that element, where you can look at it to that level of completion of the human experience. That is – you know, it’s a magical tradition.”

Unfortunately, after an amazing run and several crushing victories, the Padres’ story has ended for the year. It was a devastating loss but, as Leal told me, “the beauty is every season ends and then it begins again.” I look forward to the spring, and even during this chapter break, go Padres!

“Baseball is an American story of hope, littered with epic heroes and calls to pathos.”

Here is the Deal With Baseball

By Carrie Krummen

Dodgers fans threw trash onto the field at Padres outfielders. This didn’t stop the Padres from mopping the floor with the Dodgers with a whopping 10-2 as the final score in that particular game.

Photo Credit: Troy Morrison

What do you mean, “What’s the deal with the Padres?” Can you even call yourself a real San Diegan if you’re not keeping up with the most adored team in America’s Finest City?

I’m mostly kidding; many of my closest friends don’t follow the Padres. And that’s okay. The Padres — or any baseball teams, for that matter — don’t need to be everyone’s cup of tea. However, I endeavor to change that. Thus, I have made it my mission to be a source of information about all things Padres. This article will delve into Padres lore, comment on the Los Angeles Dodgers (with minimal snarkiness), and convey the importance of baseball from the perspective of a lifetime San Diego sports fan.

How did the Padres do this year?

The Padres had one of the best records following the halfway point of their regular season. After the mid-season break, they won 43 games out of 63 — unheard of! The team was electric with returning players Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, and Jurickson Profar; rookie Jackson Merrill; and recent trade acquisition Luis Arráez. They also recorded their second franchise no-hitter on July 25, which was authored by pitcher Dylan Cease. It appeared that their momentum was strong enough for them to breeze through the playoffs and into the World Series. They cruised through the first round of the postseason, sweeping the Atlanta Braves in a mere two games. Unfortunately, the National League Division Series against the Dodgers was where things went awry.

“With proper dedication and unity, teams can use failure as a catalyst for success.”

Game One featured an intense back-and-forth matchup where the Dodgers inched out a 7-5 win. Games Two and Three were huge showings for the Padres. The “Slam Diego” Padres pulled out a crushing 10-2 victory and a narrow 6-5 win, respectively. Games Four and Five were disappointing for

San Diego, as the Padres were unable to put forth any runs. The Dodgers struck back with a demoralizing 8-0 and a devastating 2-0, securing their spot in the National League Championship Series. This was a heart-shattering end to the Padres’ historic year, but San Diegans are confident that the Padres have what it takes to make it to the finish line in a future season.

What is the Padres-Dodgers rivalry?

The tension between the Padres and the Dodgers is nothing new.

The Padres-Dodgers rivalry, sometimes called the I-5 rivalry, is a feud between the two biggest baseball teams in Southern California: the San Diego Padres and the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, the rivalry is not confined to baseball. Though the friction has been long-lasting, it was accentuated by gut-wrenching relocations in basketball and American football from San Diego to Los Angeles.

In 1984, the San Diego Clippers became the Los Angeles Clippers, and in 2017, the San Diego Chargers became the Los Angeles Chargers.

This gave LA its second basketball team (after the Lakers) and its second football team (after the Rams). Plus, the LA region has two baseball teams: the Dodgers and the Angels. LA fans’ seemingly nonchalant attitude toward their plentiful sports teams has contributed to intense competition between the Padres and the Dodgers, the former remaining one of the only professional sports teams in San Diego.

If you are at a Padres versus Dodgers game, it is not uncommon to hear a crowd of San Diegans chant “Beat LA!” Sometimes, this feud gets messier. On October 6 of this year,

What is the appeal of baseball?

I will conclude by answering the guiding question of this article: what’s the point of baseball, anyway?

When you join a baseball (or softball) team in your formative childhood years, you quickly learn that the sport isn’t as passive as its critics chalk it out to be. Baseball has a large mental aspect; it requires understanding how to maintain a calm demeanor under excruciating pressure so you can deliver for your team — and how to bounce back after you fail to deliver.

Michael Jordan, though a basketball and not a baseball player, put it best: “I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed.

I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”

Photo Credit: Carrie Krummen

In his famous quote, Jordan masterfully captured the agony of repeated failure that is so common in baseball, even if he doesn’t play the sport. He also mentioned another crucial facet related to failure: success. After every missed shot, lost game, and failure, Jordan had the option to hang his shoes up and call it a career. However, his choice to unequivocally embrace embarrassment and return the next day allowed him to win six NBA championships.

Similarly, a batting average of 30% is considered exceptionally good in professional baseball. That means even the best among the pros fail 70% of the time. Failure is a crucial pillar of baseball. If a team’s back is against the wall in the final innings

of a game, more often than not they will fall short of the win. Still, they choose to fight for another day, another game. With proper dedication and unity, teams can use failure as a catalyst for success. When they adopt this mindset, nothing will stop them.

“The San Diego community is strong because of baseball. Regardless of this season’s outcome, I am so proud to be a Padres fan and I cannot wait to see what the future holds for them.”

Baseball fans — and San Diegans in particular — are resilient.

Although the Padres have never won a national championship, their ardent fan base and dedicated team continue to put San Diego on the map. As such, the energy is unmatched at Petco Park, the Padres’ home stadium. I encourage you to attend at least one game at Petco. While there, you will see fans starting a wave, cheering with joy for their favorite team, and soaking up the beauty of America’s Finest City. You will see players make mistakes, take

Photo Credit: Carrie Krummen

a moment to reset themselves, and come back to deliver a stunning pitch, hit, or play. And the crowd — fans who are sitting in the stadium, watching on TV, and listening on the radio — will go wild. The San Diego community is strong because of baseball.

Regardless of this season’s outcome, I am so proud to be a Padres fan and I cannot wait to see what the future holds for them. In the meantime, for LA fans, I hope the Dodgers’ inevitable loss is as bitter as unsweetened lemonade.

Photo Credit: Carrie Krummen

21

CCA’s Athletes of the Week

By EmikO Matsuda

winning another D1 championship or making it to the open division. While he aspires to play at the collegiate D1 level, Salimi doesn’t plan to pursue a professional career, preferring to focus on other passions beyond water polo.

Looking ahead, Yoon aims to help lead her team to regionals this season and has her sights set on qualifying for CIF states. With a dream of playing Division I golf, she is thrilled to have committed to CSU Long Beach, where she will continue pursuing both her academic and athletic goals.

“She is thrilled Kailey Yoon (12) Golf to have commitKailey Yoon, a star on CCA’s varsity women’s golf team, began ted to CSU Long golfing at the age of six when her father introduced her to the sport.

Beach, where Her father remains her biggest influence, constantly motivating her to will continpersevere in the activities she loves. she One of the standout moments in Yoon’s golfing career came recent- ue pursuing both ly when she placed in the top 20 at the Photo Credit: Aiden Salimi ard,” he says. Beyond the wins and 2024 IMG Junior World Champion- her academic and Aiden Salimi (12) - Water Polo competitions, however, Salimi is most ships at the renowned Torrey Pines Golf Aiden Salimi, a standout playproud of the relationships he’s formed Course. This achievement represents athletic goals.” er for both CCA’s varsity water polo through water polo. “The memories years of effort paying off at a highly team and La Jolla United Club, has been playing water polo for over eight years. His journey began with a passion for the game, and today, he credits much of his success to his high school coach, Coach Noah Tiu. “Coach Noah’s love for water polo and our friendship have had a huge impact on me,” Salimi shares, when asked about how this relationship has shaped his experience.

One of Salimi’s most memorable achievements came during his freshman year when his team clinched the D1 finals. That victory set the stage for his future at CCA, motivating him to aim even higher in the years that followed. “It really set the tone for what I wanted to achieve moving forw

and friendships are what make the experience truly special,” he adds.

Salimi’s training schedule is rigorous, consisting of weight training and pool practice five to six times a week, along with games during the week and weekend tournaments. His preparation for games includes listening to music, stretching, and ensuring he’s well-fueled with enough energy for every match.

Over the past few years, balancing academics and athletics hasn’t been much of a struggle for Salimi, as he’s prioritized water polo by taking manageable courses and freeing up time in his schedule for recovery and training. Looking ahead, his goals include

The End of an Era

By Carys Oyvetsky

For many, the idea of playing professional soccer seems like an impossible feat. Once you accomplish it, the feeling of competing on some of the biggest stages in the world, as well as the excitement of waking up every day and getting paid to do what you love makes it all worth it. However, this feeling can’t last forever, and the time eventually comes for a player to hang up their cleats and move on from the game. This year, some of the biggest names in soccer have decided to leave the spotlight and continue on to the next chapter of their lives.

While not many players are retiring this year, the few that have decided to move on signify the start of a new generation of players who will continue to make the game great and bring home glory for their countries. However, no matter how many new faces are welcomed into the world of soccer, these legends have left a lasting imprint that will forever be celebrated and recognized.

An example is Alex Morgan, an NWSL legend and world champion who has announced her retirement.

Throughout her career, Alex Morgan has continued to break record after record for close to 20 years in the professional spotlight. From 2013 to 2024, Morgan has taken the field wearing the jerseys of 3 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) Teams: the Portland Thorns from 2013-2015, the Orlando Pride for a single season, and finally the San Diego Wave,

22

where she ultimately chose to hang up her cleats, bringing home multiple trophies and titles for each club.

Not only did she play nationally, but she wore the United States Women’s National Team Crest for over 10 years, representing her country in multiple World Cups and Olympic Games. During the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, Morgan was not chosen to once again take the field with

Photo Credit: Maja Hitij/Getty Images

her teammates. In response, Morgan wrote a touching post on social media. Rather than expressing feelings of sadness and anger, she communicates feelings of closure, and it seems that she is beginning to lean towards moving on from her professional career. “I am very proud of my accomplishments on the pitch…I’ve achieved more than I could have ever imagined through the game…I’m equally proud of what I’ve fought for off the pitch. Pay equity.

Player safety. Visibility & storytelling.”

She leaves the world of soccer with 2 Olympic medals, numerous national titles, and countless awards, even tying the record for most indi-

competitive level. However, what Yoon is most proud of is not just her achievements, but her persistence and commitment to the game. The ability to stay focused and driven throughout the years has been her greatest accomplishment.

Balancing golf with her academic responsibilities, Yoon practices often, dedicating 2–3 hours after school every day to sharpening her skills and competes in tournaments on weekends.

Mental preparation is key for her, as she listens to music during drives to matches. Physically, she gets ready with standing stretches before each tee-off.

Yoon finds that organizing her schedule in a calendar helps her manage the demands of both golf and school. vidual goals in a World Cup game.

Additionally, she left an imprint on the lives of others off the field. Launched in 2023, The Alex Morgan Foundation is a non-profit organization working to help girls and women on their path to success in the professional world.

Morgan’s last professional game was on Sept 5, 2024, where she played for 13 minutes against the Kansas City Courage. After scoring her final goal, she walks to the middle of the field, holds her cleats up to the crowd, and slowly makes her way to the bench, signifying the end of her career.

All over the world, thousands of people traveled to see her on the field.

Even after Morgan is long gone from professional soccer, many will continue to wear her number (13) on their back.

Another international legend that helped pave the way for European players is none other than Pepe, one of the best defenders to ever step on the field. Throughout his career, he sported the jerseys of many legendary teams, including Real Madrid (a team he played on for over a decade). He was a positive representative for Portugal and Porto for close to 20 years, playing in four World Cups and five UEFA championships. He earned recognition quickly, earning the devotion of millions of fans across the globe.

After 23 years playing at the highest level, he’s brought home over 34 national level and international trophies, earning the respect of legendary players like Lionel Messi (Argentina) and Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal).

After Pepe announced his retirement on social media through a video reflecting on the special moments

Photo Credit: Kailey Yoon

of his career, Ronaldo shared a few parting words to his friend, expressing his love and appreciation for the years they have shared the field together.

“We won everything there was to win on the pitch, but the biggest triumph is the friendship and the respect I have for you. You’re unique, my brother.”

Pepe’s last game was a loss to France during the quarterfinal. Although he lost, he left the pitch a legend and an inspiration for the next generation of players representing Portugal. At 41 years old, he finally chose to hang up his cleats permanently.

Many dream of getting the opportunity to take the world’s biggest stage and be able to make a career out of doing what you love. These legends put their lives into their work, and the choice to leave all of that behind can be one of the hardest decisions they will ever make. Through many wins, losses, championships, and hardships, both Pepe and Morgan prove to be a prime example of resilience and hard work. While we will never be able to see them live on our screens again, the precedents they set for the game of soccer will always stand, and they are just some of the many who will continue to make the game great.

“Some of the biggest names in soccer have decided to leave the spotlight.”

23

Crossword Crest Academy

By Carrie Krummen

ACROSS: 1. Opposite of more 5. Smallest unit of matter 9. Hammer-wielding superhero associated with lightning 13. Topping for pancakes, waffles, and french toast 14. Neutral number 15. University in New Haven 16. Air service branch of the US military = __ ___ Force 17. Multicolor pill-shaped candies = Tic ____ 18. Elementary students’ preferred recess activity 19. Michelangelo painted this building’s ceiling 22. Bottom and right letters on a compass 23. Abbreviation for the most populated city in the US 24. “What’s done __ ____.” - Macbeth 27. Green hotel in Las Vegas = ___ Grand 28. Killer whale 30. Colloquial spelling of “what” 31. Engineering branch involving aircraft

35. Smile bones 37. Princess mattress disruptors 38. Whack + abbreviation for “them” 40. “But” in Spanish 41. Precision-cut geometric shape to separate light 43. Prescribed when ill 45. First name of Hamilton’s playwright 46. Price 48. What Bugs Bunny calls everyone 49. French-derived word for a flamboyant display, but repeat the first letter 51. Teaspoon abbreviation 52. Realization sound 54. Purchase made to attempt a jackpot win 59. Unemployed? Get _ ___!

61. Ice skating jump 62. Line of song 63. There are 300+ at CCA (singular) 64. Verb for the second half of the lunar cycle 65. City in Hokkaido, Japan 66. Name that sounds like a computer programmer 67. When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that’s ____e

68. Throw DOWN: 1. Breakdown of a cell membrane, in biology 2. Pencil rubber function 3. Worn to business meetings 4. Fleetwood Mac’s “Silver _______” 5. Mesoamerican people in present-day central Mexico (singular) 6. First four letters of a professional educator 7. First four letters of an instrumental ensemble 8. Collage 9. Not handwritten 10. Witches’ favorite day 11. “Hello” in Portuguese 12. Protagonist in Star Wars VII, VIII, and IX 13. Among Us slang 20. Female nature spirit in Greek mythology 21. Junior year aptitude test 25. Parisian cathedral = _____ Dame 26. Credibility, in rhetoric 27. Spongy plant in humid habitats 28. Group of eight singers 29. Flute for 20 DOWN

31. Keeps the 48 ACROSS away 32. Adjective associated with 10 DOWN 33. Fluffy atmospheric structure that “cries” 34. Targets (verb) 36. Book that tells the story of a hero’s adventures 39. Middle 42. Med school entrance test 44. Second aviator in a plane 47. Capital of Canada 50. Central area in hotels 51. Steven of Aerosmith 52. Vegetables enjoyed in Oklahoma 53. Royalty descendants = ____ to the throne 55. 21 DOWN and 42 DOWN (singular) 56. Abbreviation for a building refurbishment 57. Prefix meaning “cell” 58. University in Texas with horned frogs as the mascot 59. Collegiate athletic conference on the Atlantic coast 60. Recent divorcee of Ben Affleck