Senior Issue 2022

the

FOURTH

estate

LAGUNA BLANCA SCHOOL

4125 PALOMA DRIVE SANTA BARBARA, CA

JUNE 2022

NEWS

FEATURE

04 05 06 08 09

10 12 13 14 16

Letters from the Editors The Cruise Ship Debate Microplastics in Blood Midterm Dawn Ukraine Refugees

Student Songwriters OverSimplified Videos Rising Writers Senior Instagrams Los Padres Trip

THEME

OPINION

18 20 23 24 25 26 27 28 30 34 35

36 38 39 40 42 43 44 45 46 48

Stance of the Staff College Map Senior Playlist College Crash Course AP Crash Course College Connections Lifers Dear Seniors - Ashley Tidey Senior Quotes Senior Awards Senior Poem

Block or Not? Roe v. Wade Disrupting Text Criminal Justice Reform Sex Education COVID Guidelines Defining Success Self-Discovery The Fourth Estate?

Performative Activism

LIFESTYLE

SPORTS

50 51 52 53 54

56 Sports Report 58 Senior Captains

Bon Appétit à la mode California Summer Spots Olivia Rodrigo Mamma Mia!

COVER shot by Dewey Nicks of the Class of ‘22 on the athletic fields.

OUR TEAM EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Frances Carlson Madeleine Nicks

THEME EDITORS Frances Carlson Madeleine Nicks

MANAGING EDITORS Dare Fitzpatrick Hanna Masri

OPINION EDITOR Hanna Masri

WEBSITE EDITOR Owen Noble NEWS EDITORS Myles Hazen Luca D’Agruma FEATURE EDITOR Dare Fitzpatrick

LIFESTYLE EDITOR Alexandra Siegel BUSINESS MANAGER Abby Kim EDITOR OF FUN Jackson Baltes

MAGAZINE STAFF Jackson Baltes Olivia Davenport Annika Firlik Ada Green Milla Hirsch Aden Meisel Dionne Peterson Sofia Ramirez Jinling Wang Lucy Wang Elli Westmacott Olivia Davenport FACULTY ADVISOR Trish McHale

Letter from the Editors Dear Readers, This letter marks the end of an era for us. We have been on this staff for four years, watching, learning, and growing.

Jack Stein let us have confidence in our ideas as first-year students, and Beau Glazier showed us that creativity is chaotic.

One year later, Mia Humbred-Hilf taught us that dedication comes with long hours. And then, during our junior year, Phoebe and Daisy gave us the freedom to let our ideas have a real impact. These are the people who shaped us and taught us what it means to carry the name of The Fourth Estate.

We said goodbye to those leaders and watched as they started their new journeys that felt, at the time, utterly unimaginable to us.

And, somehow, now it’s our turn to say goodbye to high school, hand off the magazine, and start our unimaginable adventures.

Reflecting on this year—the year we have been waiting for—was more fulfilling than we could have ever imagined.

In our first letter, we described the new staff as enthusiastic and willing to learn, and they only become more enthusiastic, more willing, and more dedicated with each issue.

Walking into class each day, the room was filled with joy, new ideas, and weird snacks. We are immensely grateful to have led a group that starts to cry happy tears during our post-issue discussions because they “feel like journalists.”

Each issue, class, and late-night panic could not have been the same without the (better) half of our editorial board, Dare and Hanna. They made us feel like every bad text wrap, problematic layout, and incoherent sentence would be okay. And the process of making it okay would, of course, be filled with laughter. It’s time, now, for a nap.

Oh, Trishy. How we love you so. Always with the snacks, always with the rage, always with the idiots who don’t know about Didot. You have always upheld this magazine to the highest standard, spending hours of our own time combing through every page, graphic, and word.

This year, you gave us your trust, and we did not take that lightly. Thank you for giving us the gift of these last four years, where we were able to find a place and a purpose.

And to next year’s staf, we’re only a call away.

Editors-in-Chief Frances Carlson and Madeleine Nicks 4 • NEWS

• MISSION STATEMENT The Fourth Estate is an open forum created for and by journalism students of Laguna Blanca Upper School. We hope to use this space to cover events, interviews and topics of interest in greater depth.

Our staff seeks to be a platform for creative expression and to report on events and ideas of importance to our readers and to focus on topics of significance and interest to inform and entertain the school community.

• LETTERS TO THE EDITORS The Fourth Estate welcomes guest columns and letters to the editor. Letters must be signed and must be no longer than 400 words. Editors reserve the right to edit for length, clarity and/or taste. Anonymous letters will not be published. The Fourth Estate reserves the right to reject advertising. Opinions expressed in this publication reflect the perspectives of the staff whose goal is to inform our readers with reliable information from which to base decisions and opinions. Editorials represent the voice of the staff and are voted on by the entire staff. Columns and commentaries are labeled as such and represent the opinion of the author. The Fourth Estate publishes four issues per year with a senior insert in the last issue.

• BYLINE POLICY When two or three people work on a story, all names will be listed. If an editor rewrites a majority of a story, the editor’s name will be listed.

• ADVERTISING POLICY The Fourth Estate accepts paid advertising and will accept ads from all sources and shall determine if any advertisement is not acceptable. Ads for illegal products or services will be rejected.

• CORRECTION POLICY The staff strives for accuracy. When factual errors occur, mistakes are found or brought to the attention of the staff, corrections will be printed in a corrections box in the next issue.

• COLOPHON This is the 27th volume of The Fourth Estate magazine and the final issue of 2022. Laguna Blanca School, 4125 Paloma Dr., Santa Barbara, CA 93110.

Contacts are available at tmchale@lagunablanca. org, (805) 687-2461x0317 or via the website www. thefourthestate.net. Laguna Blanca has an EK-12 student population of approximately 400, and a faculty of approximately 60. The Fourth Estate is a general magazine, created on MAC computers on Adobe InDesign CC2021, using Avenir Next and Mencken font families. 300 copies are printed and distributed free for US students and faculty, and available at $30 for annual subscriptions. We are associated with NSPA, CSPA and JEA. thefourthestate.net

Cruise Ships: Opportunities or Obstacles?

The cruise ships are back in Santa Barbara; how do these affect the ocean, sea life and our economy?

WORDS by ANNIKA FIRLIK PHOTO by JACKSON BALTES

A

stop in Santa Barbara is a must for those who love to cruise, and with COVID-19 levels declining, people are traveling again, and cruises are one form of traveling that is making a comeback.

Santa Barbara is a popular travel destination that allows tourists to visit the city for the day and then move on to their next destination.

The Santa Barbara Harbor has plans to welcome 15 cruise ship visits this spring from mid-March through May. Local businesses are realizing the economic benefits of the return of cruise ship passengers who shop, eat, book hotels and experience Santa Barbara.

“The Cruise Ship Program launched in 2002. Since that time, Santa Barbara has hosted nearly 200 cruise ship calls, with 20 to 30 cruise ship visits per year, and sizes ranging from 200 passengers to 3,500 passengers,” said Noozhawk reporter Joshua Molina.

According to Santa Barbara Channel Keeper, “Every day, a typical cruise ship generates 30,000 gallons of sewage, 250,000 gallons

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of greywater (wastewater from galleys, showers, sinks, and laundry), 5,000 gallons of oily bilge water, 15 gallons of toxic chemicals, and seven tons of solid waste, as well as air pollution equal to that of 12,000 cars.”

These harmful chemicals and massive pieces of machinery pose a real threat to marine animals, including whales and dolphins.

“With the increase of cargo and cruise boat traffic over several decades, ships have become one of the deadliest threats whales face in open oceans and coastal waters,” writes Susanne Rust, LA Times.

“Between 2016 and 2020, at least 112 beached or dead whales were identified by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as having “injuries consistent with ship strikes,” according to an informal NOAA database of whale deaths.”

Conversely, according to Carson Shevitz ‘18, manager of Channel Watch Marine, Inc., “Any impact that a cruise ship could cause to whales is going to be negligible. The large ship traffic is already occurring with very rare issues.

There are already programs in

the area which reward ships for reducing their speed while in the shipping channel to prevent fatal injuries to whales if a collision was to occur.”

According to the Friends of the Earth report on cruise ships, “Out of 18 cruise lines evaluated, 10 of them have F grades and 5 have D grades,” which means that these ships do not follow proper protocol for the safety and health of the environment.

The fact that over half of the ships evaluated received such poor grades proves the harm caused by these ships being in the harbor.

While cruise ships can pose a threat to the environment, there are pros to Santa Barbara’s being a cruise-ship destination.

“Think about it this way; these ships can sometimes bring upwards of 3,000 people into our town.

What would we rather have, 3,000 cars driving from the place of origin all the way here to be a tourist or one cruise ship?,” Shevitz said. ”I am not an environmental expert but I think I’d rather see these people carpooling on a cruise ship if you will.”

NEWS • 5

Microplastics Found in Our Blood

From cosmetics to the foods we eat, humans are ingesting harmful microplastics at an alarming rate. While the full impact is still unknown, studies show the deteriorating effects on human cells.

R

emember that Amazon package you opened last Friday or the Starbucks cup you tossed out at lunch? Yeah, those. Did you know that they are full of microplastics? Well, not yet.

While both are made out of plastic, in the end, they will eventually break down into microplastic particles that originate from both the breakdown of larger plastics and commercial products.

According to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric European Chemical Agency, microplastics are tiny fragments of plastic classified as less than 5mm, about the size of a sesame seed.

Microplastics are comprised of more than 24.4 trillion particles polluting the environment and harming animals and humans in the process.

Microplastics are everywhere and have been a concern for scientists for decades. “Scientists warn that if our plastic production and disposal patterns continue, our oceans could contain more plastic than fish as soon as 2050,” according to EcoWatch writer Linnea Harris in an article titled “10 Simple Ways to Avoid Microplastics in Your Everyday Life,” In theory, plastics can be recycled, a hefty amount continues to end up in places like landfills, watercourses, and in marine ecosystems. While they are tiny in size, these plastic particles stay ubiquitous pollutants that permeate every inch of our planet. So why are they harmful?

Derived from petrochemicals extracted from oil and gas products, many of these particles stay toxic due to their carthonegic or muta-

6 • NEWS

WORDS by JINLING WANG ART by LUCY WANG

genic chemicals, which harm cell health and heighten cancer risks.

Though many are familiar with the disturbing images of turtles and dolphins stuck in soda rings (yokes) or even fishing nets, underneath, there is a less visible effect found.

A paper published by Environmental International found plastic in the blood of 17 out of the 22 adults.

Following the discovery, a new study developed by researchers found a method for detecting microplastics in human blood.

Microparticles of four common

“Scientists warn that if our plastic production and disposal patterns continue, our oceans could contain more plastic than fish as soon as 2050.”

- Linnea Harris

Microplastics were found in the 22 healthy participants conducted in the Netherlands.

Posing as a huge health risk, a study originating from Germany found that microplastic particles can destabilize lipid membrane barriers that protects cells, which can ultimately lead to cell malfunction.

Scientists then detected the plastic additives, which included traces

of bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates found in urine, that traced to common polymers.

While many are still invisible to the eye, there are two common microplastics: primary microplastics and secondary microplastics.

In comparison, primary microplastics originate from particles in cosmetics (mascara, foundation, etc.), while secondary comes from the breaking down of more oversized plastic items such as plastic bags, soda bottles, and tea bags.

Though much concern continues to surround the effect microplastics have on the marine environments, much of the seafood we consume, like shellfish and fish.

The blood samples collected from the healthy adults were then taken anonymously as they sought to find plastics between 700 and 500,000 nanometers (nm).

To put that into perspective, The Wire Science’s Aathira Perinchery calculated that seven hundred nm to be equivalent to 140 times smaller than the width of a human hair.

Polyethylene terephthalate, or PET, commonly found in disposable water bottles, has now become the most widely encountered plastic polymer after being found in approximately 50 percent of all donors. While the second is polystyrene (PS), which is commonly used for food packaging or foam particles which stay invisible to the eyes.

Just last year, when Amazon’s plastic pollution went under scrutiny, a report released by a non-profit advocacy organization in Oceania said that the e-commerce company thefourthestate.net

was responsible for over 465 million pounds of plastic packaging waste.

However, that can’t be the only way plastic may have entered our bloodstreams.

A variety of foods, water, air, and personal care products like toothpaste, lip gloss, and dental polymers, all play a huge role in the ingestion of microplastics.

In vitro studies showed the detrimental effects of microplastics found in cells.

Studies also showed the destructive effects of the plastics that could result in cell death leading researchers to believe that “[i]t is scientifically plausible that plastic particles may be transported to organs via the bloodstream,” resulting in particles moving around the body and eventually lodging in organs.

Plastics continue to be a major factor in releasing particles into the air that enter the human body via inhalation, which leads to millions of deaths a year.

As vast amounts of plastic waste are heaved into the environment, the contamination of microplastics does not leave an inch of our planet untouched, from the summit of Mount Everest to the floor of the Mariana Trench.

Prof Dick Vethaak, an ecotoxicologist at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in the Netherlands, says that the short-term exposure the patients had received before the blood samples originated from items such as plastic-lined coffee cups and plastic face masks.

“The big question is what is happening in our body?”

Vethaak asked.

In-depth studies show how microplastics latch onto the membranes outside of red blood cells, causing limited ability to transport oxygen. thefourthestate.net

But not to fear, the good news is also on its way amidst all of these discoveries.

Although the decomposition rate of a new piece of polyethylene terephthalate (plastic bottles) can take up to 450 and 1,000 years to become a microplastic, new technology has helped.

Due to non-existing organisms to help break down chemical bonds like

A research team from the Canadian Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS)created an electrolytic treatment.

The electrolytic oxidation does not include chemicals but instead helps the water system utilize electricity to induce the removal of contaminants in the water.

With the help of water treatment, INRS Professor Patrick Drogui believes this mechanism is an environmentally safe process.

As plastics break down, another process known as initial coagulation and sedimentation helps treat drinking water.

With water being one of the most contaminated things, this advanced treatment can remove 1.8% to 54.4% of microplastic with a larger-than-normal dose of flocculent, which increases the removal to 62%.

As technology continues to progress, there are many precautions that we can take.

Here are some of the top five ways to avoid microplastics in your daily life.

1. Stay away from microwaving your leftovers in plastic Tupperware and instead transfer your food to a ceramic or glass container.

2. Rather than grabbing bottled water due to convenience, turn to a glass or stainless steel bottle.

3. Avoid plastics with the recycling code of 6,7,8 due to the presence of phthalates, styrene, and bisphenols.

4. Look for plastic-free cosmetics and micro-bead-free beauty products, which contain phthalates due to their fragrance.

plastic, under- going weather, exposure to waves, wind abrasion, and ul- traviolet radiation causes slow degradation.

5. Try replacing tea bags(containing 11.6 billion microplastics) with loose leaves.

NEWS • 7

The Midterms Dawn With historically low polling averages, intra-party fights are growing.

WORDS and ART by LUCA D’AGRUMA

T

he midterms aren’t looking good for Democrats. “A special thanks to the 42% of you who actually applauded,” President Biden said, joking about his historically low approval ratings at April’s White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner.

Morbid midterm jokes have become a fixture of Democratic politics over the past several months.

Biden’s approval ratings have shrunk, and Democrats have been hit with a succession of redistricting losses.

At the same time, Democratic party primaries are deciding whether to steer the party towards progressive policies, or to advocate for candidates they think can win.

The Republican party is amid competitive brawls for safely-Republican Senate seats by different factions, all competing for Trump voters and the former President’s endorsement.

In Pennsylvania, Republican Senator Pat Toomey is retiring, opening up a free Senate seat in a state closely won by Biden in 2020.

In the Democratic primary, liberal Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman won against moderate Con-

Pennsylvania Senate Biden +1.17

8 • NEWS

gressman Conor Lamb. Fetterman’s fundraising advantage puts him in a good position, but faces a difficult road to victory.

On the Republican side, two men are in the midst of a post-election brawl. Breaking out of a large crowd of candidates, Dr. Mehmet Oz, a former TV personality, and David McCormick, a hedge fund manager, finished both around 31% of the vote.

However, the margin is thin, and the few thousand uncounted voted could tip the balance from Oz to McCormick. Experts are preparing for expensive litigation from each candidate, even after the mandatory recount. The saga could potentially last till June.

In Texas’ 28th congressional district, a Democratic primary is heating up as warring factions of the party compete for the nomination.

The formerly deep-blue district has trended heavily to the right.

Nevertheless, Biden still safely won the district, and progressives see the seat as a pickup opportunity from one of the most conservative Democrats in the house.

Incumbent Henry Cuellar is defending his record against progres-

Texas-28 House District Biden +4.4

sive immigration attorney Jessica Cisneros, who narrowly lost an earlier challenge in 2020.

Cisneros is supported by national progressive groups like Planned Parenthood Action Fund and Justice Democrats due to Cuellar’s prolife stances and moderate economic policies.

Super PACs are spending big in defense of Cuellar. After no candidate got over 50%, Cuellar and Cisneros advanced to a runoff.

In Ohio, a GOP Senate primary showed more fractures within the party.

An April poll showed former author and businessman JD Vance leading the field narrowly, with former state Treasurer Josh Mandel and anti-Trump State Senator Matt Dolan trailing.

Trump announced his endorsement of Vance in late April. The race became rough as candidates rushed to emphasize their proTrump credentials, and Super PACs invested millions of dollars in attack ads.

On May 3, Vance narrowly won the primary, emphasizing the enduring power of the Trump endorsement in Republican politics.

Ohio Senate Trump +8.1

thefourthestate.net

Support Ukrainian Refugees With millions of refugees fleeing relentless violence, the United States and allies look to increase humanitarian aid to confront the crisis.

S

WORDS and ART by LUCA D’AGRUMA

ince Russia began its devastating invasion of Ukraine, more than 3.7 million Ukrainians have been forced to flee their country. Millions more have been displaced within Ukraine, feeling the war-torn east to the relative safety of the west. The human suffering of the war cannot be documented more thoroughly. Russia is pursuing a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, bringing war and violence to high-density urban areas, carpet bombing cities and committing war crimes against the civilian population.

Despite facing an advanced military, Ukraine has resisted the invasion and has thrown Russia back in key theaters of war.

Russia began its invasion with rapid assaults of key cities, sending columns of tanks and mechanized infantry through key towns with the goal of quickly taking over the countryside and Kyiv.

“Russia chose to pursue too many objectives from too many axes of advance. That worsened its logistics problems and meant that Russia could not muster sufficient combat power to achieve many of its initial objectives,” said military strategist Rob Lee, in a statement in an Economist article.

Instead of quickly overrunning the Ukrainian military, as they planned, Russia overstretched its forces, allowing Ukraine to ambush columns at will, stalling the advance around the country. Russia failed to break through hardened Ukrainian defenses while their lines of supply were attacked, leaving their soldiers without food, ammunition, and fuel.

Still, Russia continued to push into Kyiv until late March, when their military regrouped and focused on engaging eastern Ukraine in the Donbas and Mariupol.

“The Donbas is the last major offensive the Russian military can attempt given the current state and availability of

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forces. Whether it succeeds, or fails, the Russian military will be largely exhausted in terms of offensive potential,” wrote Michael Kofman, a expert on Russian military strategy.

“The general trajectory of correlation of forces in this war is not in Russia’s favor. If the Russian military sends units in piecemeal, sticking to roads, with narrow advances—they will be defeated by the UKR.” Though the tides could be turning, Ukraine needs help. Millions of its citizens fleeing and the Ukrainian government faces a massive budget shortfall, according to President Biden, who called on Congress to pass emergency funding to help Ukraine.

In a $30 billion dollar proposed package, Biden outlined funding to address Ukraine’s “immediate and nearterm security and economic needs” by funding military supplies, flexible budgetary grants, strategic food production, and humanitarian assistance.

“The United States needs to do more for refugees. Countries like Poland and Romania are taking millions, but they simply do not have the infrastructure to hold them long-term,” said senior George Nicks. “The United States should step in and take in refugees because we can hold them for the long-term.”

With Biden’s Ukrainian refugee resettlement program, United for Ukraine, the federal government seeks to house 100,000 refugees.

Any U.S. citizen or individual can apply to sponsor Ukrainian applicants on the Department of Homeland Security’s website.

NEWS • 9

Student Songwriters Four students share their process and experiences in the unique art form of songwriting.

WORDS by ADA GREEN ART by DIONNE PETERSON PHOTOS by DARE FITZPATRICK and ADA GREEN

Dionne Peterson ‘25: Q: What are your favorite genres to listen to and write?

A: I like listening to songs that have a big message. I feel like those songs stick with me more. I like lyrics that actually make sense and aren’t just a bunch of words. I like listening to deeper songs, that have a little more meaning than just love and repetitive lyrics.

Q: What is the hardest part about writing a song? How do you overcome it?

A: Putting the lyrics and the chords together. I’ll know how I want it to sound, but then putting how I want it to sound onto chords is hard, because you have to match the chords and the vibe you’re going for. It’s hard because they’re two separate things and you have to put them together.

My way to overcome that is tweaking, tweaking, tweaking, experimenting, trying again and again and again until it sounds right.

Noah Olorin ‘24: Q: What is the hardest part about writing music?

A: For me personally, it’s just sitting down and doing it. I’ll be like, ‘Oh yeah! I want to write a song!’ and then I’ll go do something else. I have all these ideas in my head and I’ll write some of them down sometimes, which pushes me towards the process where eventually I just have to sit down and do it. Once I’m in it, most of the time it usually feels pretty in flow. The one other thing that does get in the way when I am writing music in general is my own assessment of its worth. ‘Oh, I don’t really like this’ or ‘this isn’t very good’ and that’ll convince me to stop writing whatever I’m writing. I really have to convince myself, ‘Okay, no, just get through, even if you don’t like it now you can just keep working with the idea.’ So, really not worrying too much about how I view its value in the moment and just having the process be enjoyable in of itself is something I’m working on.

Q: What is your favorite part about writing music?

A: As a form as self-expression, music is so multifaceted. When you hear it all come together, the different parts, it’s like this emotional, uproaring orchestra that just gives you that little buzz that other things have in different ways, but that music has in a very specific way. This massive emotional dynamic range in this method that isn’t normally how we communicate. It’s this way to communicate emotions that I think can connect to a different part of your brain than just speech or visual art, which all have their own beautiful capacities, but it’s just another way to really make people feel something.

10 • FEATURE

thefourthestate.net

Maura Jaye ‘22: Q: Briefly describe your composition process.

A: Sometimes, I go with the method where I actually write a poem first.

And then, I write the chords and the melody and I apply the poem verses as lyrics. Other times, I’ll start first thing with the chords. It kind of just comes to me naturally. Then, once I have a progression that I like, I hum a melody. From there, I have to come up with lyrics, which can be really hard. Something I will say is, throughout my composition process, I tend to take a ton of little voice memos—little snippets of different parts so I can remember. Then, I compile them all together.

Q: What kinds of topics do you think make the best songs?

A: Love obviously is a good one. I find a lot of times, I end up writing songs that really don’t apply to me. I’m just writing about some fictional character, some person I don’t know, some imaginary person that maybe actually has no construct in my mind. I’ve tried writing about my own experiences and my own perspective, but I find that it often doesn’t agree with me. Usually I write about someone else—a made up story. Love and heartbreak make good topics as always.

Q: How do you come up with a topic to write about?

A: The topic comes to me after I start writing. I write the first lyric, or maybe the chorus first, whatever happens.

When I first start writing, that line is probably the vibe I’m feeling at the time. From there, I ask, ‘Okay, what does this imply? Where am I going to go with this?’ And then I start to formulate the topic of what the song is going to be. If my first line is something like, ‘Walking out the door’ then I’ll ask, ‘Is this going to be a breakup song? Is this going to be a fierce, girl power song?’ I feel like the topic comes after I start writing.

Molly Morouse ‘23: Q: Briefly describe your composition process.

A: I have two different ways of making songs. The first way consists of finding chords that I think sound cool together (usually on guitar or piano) and then messing around with melodies until I find something that I like. From there, I’ll write lyrics to those melodies and write them down. The second, and more common, way that I write songs is finding a beat online and humming melodies until I find something that I like.

With these pre-made beats, I can produce something much more professional and record and mix my vocals on my computer. I usually go through a few versions of mixing before I get to the one that sounds the best.

Q: What kinds of topics do you think make the best songs?

A: I’ve always loved journaling and poetry, so for me, songwriting is just an extension of that. I write songs about how I’m feeling, what I’m experiencing, or often times a hypothetical situation. For me, I’ve found that I make the best songs about my own emotions and experiences because it becomes much less generic and much more personal. I’ve written about being a teenager, love, and random things like good weather.

Q: What made you try writing music?

A: I’ve always had a passion for music, both my own and others, so music has really turned into a way for me to express myself. I love turning my own experiences into something that I can listen to and preserve. thefourthestate.net

FEATURE • 11

Consider It Simplified Although OverSimplified videos help us to understand historical events, it is debated whether or not they can stand alone as lessons.

WORDS by ADEN MEISEL ART by OLIVIA DAVENPORT

Y

ouTube creator Webzwithaz created his first animated history video in October 2016, “WWI—Oversimplified (Part 1).” Currently, the channel has racked up over 38 million views, and has since had its name to OverSimplified.

These videos were not the traditional history lessons one would expect. Instead, they came across as a line of jokes, as they were filled with comedic comments and other aspects that made the content entertaining.

It is because of these traits that middle school and even high school history instructors find ways to implement them into their curriculum. “Many students find history boring and dry, but these videos are actually able to keep them engaged,” said ninth grade Social Science Instructor Kevin Guay.

“Visual aid is a different way of getting information across, and that’s what Oversimplified does—it’s another way of engaging historical material,” Guay said.

For the most part, Oversimplified videos are effective in teaching because they are good for establishing a foundational understanding of particular historical events.

“What these videos do is they lay kernels of historical information that you can find interest in and build off of,” Guay said. “They are great for opening the door for a larger discussion.”

Freshman Ethan Somer thinks that OverSimplified videos are a useful resource. “I like these videos more

12 • FEATURE

than a traditional classroom lecture because they provide an element of fun. It keeps people of all academic levels engaged in the lesson and helps them absorb information,” Ethan said.

“It’s very hard to focus on a teacher who just repeats information from a textbook for a long period at a time,” Ethan said, “but the person who voices these videos includes jokes to keep the audience intrigued.”

“I am able to retain more information from these videos. The

“[These videos] lay kernels of historical information that you can find interest in and build off of.”

–Kevin Guay well-made animation allows me to associate information with the animations on the screen,” Ethan said.

However, there are some aspects to these videos that may be problematic.

The first being that they, according to Guay, “create a monolithic narrative that doesn’t specify reasoning used in history.”

Take the outbreak of World War I for example—although an OverSimplified video can inform the viewer about what happened in that specific event, the viewer won’t be able to identify the logic behind each of the decisions that led to the outbreak.

“Instead of going into different interpretations of the past, which really complicates things, OverSimplified barely skims the surface,” Guay said.

Another issue with OverSimplified videos, besides the possibility of the creator not addressing their own biases, is that they happen incredibly fast.

“Take again the context of a major event such as a world war for example—something that may take years to pass is attempted to be explained in a matter of seconds,” said Guay. “The problem with this is that the viewer can only catch glimpses of the event, but will never be able to fully grasp the gravity of it.”

However, when supplemented with in-depth and authentic course material, OverSimplified videos can be any teacher’s best friend.

It’s simply a matter of engaging students to open their minds and participate in discussion.

“Any time you get information out there like OverSimplified that makes people think about their own society, how we got here, and if there are patterns that we can analyze that could inform our decision in the future, why wouldn’t we use them?” Guay said.

thefourthestate.net

Rising Writers

The Middle School Writer’s Workshop elective aims to foster the next generation of writers and journalists.

WORDS and PHOTOS by JACKSON BALTES An Interview with Instructor Allison Armstrong Q. Why did you choose to teach a writer’s workshop?

A. The head of Middle School was thoughtful enough to give the choice of a few electives and that one seemed like one that I would love because it falls into an area that I consider a strength…

I like writing. I am familiar with it.

Q. Do you find most students enjoy the journalism unit in particular?

A. This is my first time teaching the class and it is a small group and I think there are elements of it that they enjoy but I personally would do things differently to make it more interesting. Some students really like it and some students really want to get on to creative writing.

Q. When doing the journalism unit, how did you decide on which stories to cover?

A. I made it totally open to the student’s choice, to what interested them as long as we could create a fairly well rounded page. I said it would be good to have one thing that is politics or news related so someone picks either local or national, international or military or something like that. Someone picks something a little bit more Laguna Blanca student life so I really let student’s pick whatever they wanted to write about.

Allison Armstrong watches over her Writer’s Workshop class.

An Interview with Instructor Jill Sonbudtasan

Q. Why did you decide to teach the journalism unit?

A. Because I’ve always seen myself as an author and a writer, the journalism unit was really just something that I was personally interested in. I think that kids in general write for school because they have to but I want them to write because they love it.

Q. Do you teach your students journalism ethics?

A. Yes, that’s really the beginning of how we start, kind of the nuts and bolts but also the responsibilities is something that we focused on.

Armstrong during a presentation to her Writer’s Workshop class.

Student Spotlight with Hadleigh Bolton ‘27 Q. What sparked your interest in journalism?

A. Well, I’ve always been interested in creative writing, but journalism is another way to improve my writing style and technique.

Q. How long have you been doing journalism?

A. Only since last summer.

Q. How did you find yourself in Writer’s Workshop?

A. I’ve always liked writing and when I saw a Writers Workshop elective, I thought it would be great because I could pursue more creative writing.

Q. Do you intend to join the Fourth Estate when you enter into high school A. Yes. I look forward to joining the magazine and writing more.

Hadleigh Bolton works on a writing exercise. thefourthestate.net

FEATURE • 13

#seniorinstagrams PAGE by HANNA MASRI

Amelia snaps a mirror selfie before dinner.

Dare picking out flowers in San Francisco.

Maura and Phoebe posing before prom.

Maud admires the art installation at Coachella.

Catie and Madeleine share a moment before the prom.

Freddie, Miles and Henry show off their boutonnieres.

Frances and Mike in a pre-prom candid moment.

Molly Newell celebrating at Coachella.

Paloma and Julianna out at dinner.

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The Los Padres Club Spring Trip Over spring break, students and chaperones Michelle Fink and Zach Lillie-Liberto participated in a working vacation to perform trail maintenance and help pave the overgrown paths of the Los Padres Forest.

WORDS by ELLI WESTMACOTT

“This was our first day we arrived at camp around 3 pm and we were walking back from the watering hole by our site and a lot of people got in the water but I just sat on the rocks and watched everyone have fun.” - Zoë Stephens ‘22

“Paving paths wasn’t too difficult with the help of others, especially Harrison and George. Both Harrison and George were really helpful and fun on the trip.” - Ryan Kim ‘25

Zoë taking a break by the watering hole as others arrived at camp.

Sophomore Jesus Delgado sitting atop a rock and taking in the view on the first day of the trip.

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“The most memorable experience for me during the trip was the waterfall.” - Ryan Kim ‘25

“George brought his favorite loose leaf oolong tea, so we hiked up the waterfall with mugs and jetboils and had a rustic tea party!” - Maura Jaye ‘22

Walking on the trail heading into Manzana Schoolhouse Camp, in the LPFA. thefourthestate.net

“We had a buddy system. This photo is me with my buddy, Owen.” - Zoë Stephens ‘22

Brewing George’s loose leaf oolong tea in the wild with fresh spring water.

“During my time on the trip, my favorite part was probably hanging out around the campfire with the rest of the group.” - Ryan Kim ‘25 FEATURE • 17

Our senior editorial board and rising editors share a loving group moment.

18 • THEME

thefourthestate.net

stance of the staff editorial

C

ampus feels silent and strange. Passing periods, normally loud and bustling, are quiet and still. The senior quad sits empty at lunch; the space feels too large for us to inhabit. Juniors fill the senior lot, a place once prized by our beloved seniors. Patterns, routines and norms are now changed, and we don’t know how to feel yet.

The presence of the senior class shaped all of us, in the ways we learn, talk, and lead. Now, without them, we must continue to strive to uphold these values that they’ve instilled–without their comforting laughs or soothing smiles.

However, it is the universal truth we all have to face, whether we want to or not, because everything eventually ends. As much as we’ve looked forward to seeing the seniors go to college, we’ve always disliked endings. But endings are inevitable. Leaves fall. You close a book. You say goodbye. Today is one of those days for the Class of 2022.

Yes, it will be hard to replicate Rhys’ school spirit at volleyball games, Catie’s leadership in assemblies, and Claire’s friendliness to all grades, but if the seniors have taught us anything it is that we must represent and embrace their collective characteristics.

They all have inspired and taught the student body to promote school spirit, engage in thoughtful learning and respect our peers. On our school’s values: scholarship, character, balance and community, we can find no greater examples than the Class of 2022.

Through their work ethic and care, our entire school has prospered. We promise to continue their legacy and make sure that Laguna remains the welcoming community that they provided for us.

We may feel heavy of heart, but we know this will pass. We know to celebrate the seniors and their accomplishments. We know to honor their legacy and uniqueness.

Even though this time is bittersweet, and we all don’t know what to make of it, it’s beautiful. The experiences and moments we share as we approach a new chapter in our lives won’t be forgotten. We’re all growing up, and each year is a story.

The changes we see in our classes, as seniors pass down the reigns to juniors, isn’t something to fear. Instead, it’s something to enjoy and cherish. Though we’re sad about the people we will miss, we’re incredibly grateful and happy for our seniors.

They’ve braved a worldwide pandemic that turned their lives upside down. They’ve conquered one of the toughest college admission cycles on record. They’ve lead the student body and touched all of our hearts. There is no doubt that they are going to thrive in college and beyond.

It is time for us to bid you farewell and bid you a successful life ahead. To the Class of 2022, go forth (estate)! There is nothing you should be except your authentic selves. We’re proud of you, we’re happy for you, and we can’t wait to see what you accomplish.

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THEME • 19

The Class of 202

See where our graduating c

Boston University (2) Brandeis University Cal Lutheran University Chapman University (4) Claremont McKenna College Connecticut College Duke University Lehigh University Loyola Marymount University (2) Pennsylvania State University Pepperdine University Pomona College Reed College San Diego State University Santa Barbara City College 20 • THEME

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022 College Map

g class is headed next year. *Scotland

Scripps College Skidmore College Southern Methodist University Swarthmore College University of California, Berkley (2) University of California, Davis University of California, Los Angeles (2) University of California, Riverside University of Colorado Boulder (2) University of Denver University of Michigan University of Rochester University of San Diego University of Southern California (2) University of St. Andrews Vassar College thefourthestate.net

THEME • 21

SENIOR

JUNIOR

SOPHOMORE

FRESHMAN

Created by Class of 2022 - 4 yrs, 0 min PAGE by DARE FITZPATRICK

While it may seem impossible to properly fit your first 18 years of life into a couple sentences, here is some advice from seniors who have lived through the process.

WORDS by FRANCES CARLSON ART by MADELEINE NICKS A major component of any college application is the writing. This includes the main personal statement essay, along with supplements and descriptions of your activities. While the majority of your achievements, awards, and grades may be in the past, the essays are something that you can control in the months and weeks leading up to any application deadline. These written pieces are essential to giving a more complete version of who you are as a person. So, here is some advice on how to handle these separate, but important pieces of your application. An important reminder: there is no one answer to the perfect application, nor one perfect way to navigate the process.

It may be intimidating to start, but as you look at this first phase of the process, try to see it as the most fun, open part. Think about the experiences you have had—in school and out—and how those instances both reflect on who you are and who you want to become. Make sure not to dwell on the meaning of every little detail; enjoy reminiscing about what you care about. It could be as simple as your love for cookies or as big as a moment that changed the way you see yourself; both options are good places to start.

A vital aspect of the brainstorming process is talking with friends, family, teachers, or really anyone else who may know you and your character. Ask about any funny stories, memories, or anecdotes that come to mind.

What quirky thing did you do as a child that may speak to who you are now or how you have grown over the years? What act of kindness or responsibility have you display for your friends or family in the past?

After you have written down all the ideas that come to mind during the brainstorm phase, it is time to get a little more specific. The most important part of this whole process is answering the question: what do I want X college to know about me? What part of my character do I think is most important to express? In finding the answer to these questions, you must think back to what you will be displaying in other parts of your application.

Your grades, awards, and extracurriculars will show how hard you worked. So, don’t make your essays a repeat of the same information.

“I think with writing the essays it’s really important to focus on your personality and experiences you’ve had in life beyond just volunteering or things that look good on applications. A lot of colleges want to see who you are and they can see all of the other information on your application“ said senior Julianna Seymour.

You must also start to decipher which topics will fit into which essays. As you think about your main essay in relation to supplements, figure out which ideas should with certain questions.

Now, it is time to put words together. This is the time to show your creativity while also showing your skill of writing and using language. Play with your writing. Don’t have it be one didactic sentence after another. Play with word order, don’t worry about grammar (if done in a purposeful manner), and make your sentence length vary.

Also, start early. “My biggest advice to those who are about to start the college application process is to start your supplementary essays during the summer. If you are applying to a lot of schools, the supplementary essays stack up, and before you know it, you may have 20 different paragraphs to write,” said senior Maura Jaye.

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Here’s some advice from seniors on how to survive and succeed in some of the most popular and difficult AP classes.

WORDS and ART by MADELEINE NICKS

With Dare Fitzpatrick

With Maura Jaye

Q: What would have you done differently when studying for the AP test?

A: I definitely would have practiced the LEQs and DBQs more, or even just practiced making outlines for them, so that when I took the AP, I was more confident in my ability to construct these types of answers. The AP graders look for a very specific type of answer. I wish that I had been a bit more confident in my ability to construct these highly formalized essays in a limited amount of time.

Q: What study method worked for you?

A: Keeping up with the reading and watching review videos so that I wouldn’t forget what I had learned earlier in the year made it so that when I was getting ready to take the AP, I wasn’t too intensely cramming.

Q: What was the most effective way to do homework?

A: When it comes to dialectical journals, I’ve found that the most effective method for completing these is to set aside a good chunk of time, and do it all in one sitting. Make sure not to start it at ten if it’s due at twelve, you’re going to want to work on it while you’re present and awake!

Q: What are some strategies to study for the AP? A: In my opinion, doing lots and lots of multiple choice questions helped the most. The multiple choice section is a learning curve, especially if you typically take longer with reading comprehension. Putting in the practice helped me decrease my test-taking time and made me feel much more confident.

With Noah Kamps

With Hanna Masri

Q: How was your experience in Chem looking back?

A: AP Chem was truly a crash course in the world of AP’s. There were highs and lows, but ultimately it taught me how to be a better student. My two biggest tips for success were to meet with Ms. Pointer individually to go over the material in more detail and always always study with friends, two minds are greater than one.

Q: What are some study tips for the exam?

A: Always bring multiple pens and highlighters because there is a lot of information to absorb and highlighters will help you organize the information. In terms of taking the AP, make sure you start studying early.

And as Ms. Pointer once told me, “One score on a test does not determine your value as a human being.” thefourthestate.net

Q: How did you manage the homework load?

A: The most effective way to do homework is over a couple of weeks. Ms. Pagels usually assigns the homework with at least a few weeks or a month to do it, and so it’s really helpful to, as Ms. Pagels said; “Treat it like a marathon and do it over that period of time.” It also really helps to do this because the homework covers and reviews different topics in the unit, and so, doing at least one question every night lets you review each topic after you’ve learned it that day in class.

Q: What worked best for you in the class overall?

A: The biggest thing that worked was keeping all my notes organized. Again there are a lot of notes and material and it’s important to group everything in each unit so you know what to review when.

THEME • 25

College Connections With this year’s seniors ready to move on to some of the top colleges and universities, faculty offer words of wisdom and advice to the students attending their alma maters.

WORDS and PHOTOS by DARE FITZPATRICK

University of Southern California Blake Dorfman Q: What are some fond memories?

A: I was a sports writer for the Daily Trojan; I just feel like it launched me into my first career and the opportunities at USC to cover big time sports were just amazing. Also, the social aspect—since I’m kind of a school spirit guy—so, you know, that’s easy to come across at a place like SC. Q: What traditions did you enjoy?

A: It’s cliche, but the football games.

I think the pageantry for me was really great.

Claire Tolles Q: What are you looking forward to in college?

A: I’m so exited for all of it—it’s where my sister goes, I don’t have any GEs, I’m studying game art which is so fun so I’m excited for life (and the food).

Q: What are you nervous for?

A: Finances I think, for the most part.

I’m very nervous about buying food and budgeting myself and living sort of alone.

26 • THEME

Boston College Melissa Alkire Q: What are some fond memories?

A: My time at BC was some of the happiest years of my life. I met of my best friends there. It’s such a closeknit community—a large school but it’s not so big that you get lost.

University of Michigan Valerie Yoshimura Q: What are some fond memories?

A: Ann Arbor is a great little community to be apart of and football Saturdays are what it is all about.

You couldn’t get any work done because you went to the game all day.

Q: Do you remember BC traditions?

A: We had a tradition where everyone wears these ugly yellow-blue shirts given at orientation. Every grade has a quote on the back, so though you look the same in the crowd, you can tell who’s a senior, junior, is by the quote and you just keep it until you’re a senior.

Q: What advice would you give to an incoming freshman at UMich?

A: There’s so many opportunities and so many resources—you simply need to decide what piques your curiosity, and I can guarantee that there’s someone on campus who can help pique that interest.

Maura Jaye Q: Why did you choose BC? A: The size was just right as I would get small class sizes, but also be able to enjoy the perks of great sports and school spirit. I also fell in love with the campus when I visited.

Q: What traditions are you looking forward to?

A: I’m very excited for BC’s annual Beanpot tournament in which Boston schools play against each other.

Ben Rodgers Q: What are you looking forward to in college?

A: I’m excited for the football games—it’s something we don’t really get here, that big school spirit.

Q: Why did you choose U Mich?

A: For me it was the perfect blend of academics and fun—it’s a good university, there are a lot of opportunities. I’m majoring in bio so there are research opportunities, but it’s also a fun school. thefourthestate.net

Laguna’s Lifers

Laguna’s lifers take a look back at their 13-year-long career as Owls.

WORDS by HANNA MASRI teachers and friends. All of those events and memories combine to create the best 13 years I could imagine.

Frances Carlson Q: What will you miss most?

A: Above all else, I’ll miss the people. After 13 years at this school, I can’t imagine a world where I don’t see my teachers and friends every day. I’ll miss the little interactions and jokes throughout my normal day.

Q: What was the best part of your time at Laguna?

A: I don’t think there was necessarily one best part of my Laguna experience. I think what made it so great was actually all the small and big things mixed together — the sports games, the tests, the classes that changed the way think, the TEDx events, the Fourth Estate Issues, the

thefourthestate.net

Madeleine Nicks Q: Who was the most memorable person at Laguna?

A: There are so many to name, but Ms. Pointer has had a huge impact on me. She has always believed in me, supported me in anything I wanted to try, and has gone to bat for me every single day. Chemistry was such an amazing year, but getting to have her now as my sounding board and supporter has been a highlight of my last two years.

Q: Why was your time at Laguna so special?

A: It’s a very profoundly special thing to know that I have been at Laguna for 13 years. The most special thing is having teachers that have seen me grow up. I am eternally grateful for being surrounded by such a powerful support system through my entire education.

George Nicks Q: Who has made Laguna special for you?

A: The teachers, and the amount of effort and time they’ve put into teaching, is truly special. I don’t think I’ve ever had a teacher who was phoning it in, every teacher really tries to make sure everyone is learning and I think that effort is a gift that will continue to give through college.

Q: Who has been the most memorable?

A: It’s hard to choose one but, in terms of memorability, Ace of course is unforgettable. Honestly, I cannot choose one person in terms of impact, there’s just too many great people.

Nicole Khodabandehlou Q: What was the best part of your time at Laguna?

A: The beginning of school year class trips. I loved getting to bond with new classmates as well as returning ones. My favorite class trip would be either the sophomore trip to Catalina or, shockingly, the 7th grade trip to Santa Cruz.

Q: Who had the biggest impact on you?

A: Mr. Robitaille. He taught me so many valuable lessons throughout my childhood at the Lower School and the Laguna chants. Whenever I see Coach Robitaille, I know that he will always greet me with a smile on his face, just as he greeted me 13 years ago.

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NEWS •3 THEME • 29

Senior Quotes Peers and teachers share special words for each senior in the graduating class of 2022.

PAGE by DARE FITZPATRICK PHOTOS by MADELEINE NICKS

A shining light on campus, Sofia’s genuine kindness and care towards her friends radiates through her positive disposition. - Danica

The queen of horse girls who always puts a smile on my face. Always happy and willing to help others. Maud is one of the funniest people I have ever met and to know her is to love her. - Mike

30 • THEME

I consider Morgan to be the best potential business partner and all-around MVP. He radiates the “be better” not “feel better” stoic mentally that I admire him for. - Diego

Olivia is an immensely talented artist, musician and writer, and one of the best people I’ve ever met. I’m honored to write this because now I have definitive proof of our friendship before she becomes famous. - Noah

Oliver Bates is hilarious.

He is easily the most spontaneous person I have ever met, but he is also very down-to-earth and a great listener. - Olivia

In two short years, Evan has become my best friend. He is the kindest and smartest person I know. I can’t wait to see how he revolutionizes the field of economics!

- Myles

Frances is a magical person.

For 13 years, she’s been my work wife, best friend and protector. She’s a hardworking and joyful person who never ceases to leave people better than she found them. - Madeleine

Jason is one of a kind. If his passion for history could be harnessed, it would be the ultimate solution to the energy crisis. - Mr. Shertzer

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Frida is the most kind, charismatic person I know. She cares so much about the people around her and spreads love and positivity like no other. - Ama

Catie is one of the most driven and focused people I have ever met. Her discipline, work ethic and humor are things that I find inspirational every day! - Hanna

Under the motorcycle jackets and coffee addiction you’ll find one of the nicest and endlessly generous people you will ever meet. - George thefourthestate.net

Seb is the one guy you always want to have around.

He brightens everyone’s day and doesn’t allow anything to bring his attitude down. - Rymer

Myles is the kindest, smartest and most hard-working person I’ve ever known.

My life has been blessed with his humor and caring personality. - Evan

Dare is full of light and love and is one funniest people I’ve ever met. I don’t know anyone as motivated and passionate. I know she’ll THRIVE at Swarthmore. Molly

Mike is a best friend, sister, and mom all in one. She’s intelligent, supportive, hardworking, and beautiful, both inside and out. Amelia

Amelia is probably the toughest person you’ll ever meet, but also compassionate and kind. I’d put on the apocalypse squad–that’s high praise, indeed. - Faust

Maura is my crazy, strange, hilarious, smart and talented friend who is unapologetically herself. I feel so fortunate to have been deemed worthy of Maura’s friendship. - Phoebe

Noah is always radiating great Nicole is the friend that everyone needs. She is so gen- Angel is one of the kindest energy. Along with his wit, souls I know. The music uine and kind and the spirit his creativity, work-ethic and he creates brings people of Laguna.

Everyone will miss fun-spirit make Noah an amaztogether. I’m grateful to have her in college! - Paloma ing friend and human. - Maud him in my life! - Kai THEME • 31

Hanna is the friend that knows when to be there without being asked. She’s dependable and kind, even when we’re stressed, stuck in the “deep yogurt” we call Calc BC. - Catie

Paloma is one of the kindest Zoelle is the first friend people I know. I can count I made at Laguna. From on her to be there for me laughing at each other as we whether it’s coffee runs or fail to do a skill in aerials or going to McConnells for sea both having damaged but salt cream and cookies. - colorful hair I’m so glad I met Julianna her. - Zola

Molly is the Tanya to my Rosie and long-lost twin. I love her so much and she is the most hardworking, funny and empathetic person in my life.

I can’t wait to watch you grow, Molly. - Dare

George is an incredibly clever, funny, smart and genuine person. Ever since fifth grade, George has pushed me to be a better student and person. I wish him the best. - Owen

A woman of many talents, Satya has been marching in the direction of her dreams. Thoughtful and sensitive, she speaks the language of music as a singer, pianist and creative writer. - Ms. Hill

32 • THEME

Rymer is someone you can always laugh with. A smart and genuine guy who always has your back.

I couldn’t have asked for a better friend. - Foster

Ama is fierce, courageous and empathetic. A huge part of my character development is not only due to being in the US, but because of Ama. She’s taught me what pure friendship is. - Frida

There are no words that can truly describe Madeleine Nicks.

She lives in superlatives—always caring the most, listening the longest, and explaining that every song is in fact her favorite song ever. - Frances

O.P. is that all-in-one kind of guy. He is an unbelievable athlete and scholar. I wish him the best of luck in college and beyond. - Aden

When anyone thinks of Henry they think of his caring heart and his charismatic personality. He’s not only a best friend, but I look up to him. - Miles

Phoebe says what everyone else is thinking. She’s not afraid to be bold and bright. Her intelligence is unparalleled. Phoebe, thank you for always being the pig to my cow. - Maura thefourthestate.net

Ava and I have been through so many embarrassing, funny and sad moments. She is one of the most selfless people I know and a good friend. - Jaleya

Ben is an amazing, funny guy who you can always share a laugh with. Also his late-night pasta cooking is great. - Rhys

Julianna is such a strong and Jack is always willing to give brilliant person. There is nev- advice and help out with any er a day that goes by that I dilemmas. One of the greatam not impressed by her. She est storytellers I’ve ever met, shines like no other. - Nicole my life wouldn’t be the same without him. - Ben

Kai is a very charismatic, knowledgeable, and passionate individual. Whether it be through his skill on the tennis court, his unique films, or his hip fashion sense, Kai is greatly admired. - Angel thefourthestate.net

Claire is the trail to my mix, my big sister I never had, and one of the most hard-working, charismatic, artistically talented people I know. - Jinling

Freddie is a true Brit. Uniquely, he has excellent teeth. All jokes aside, Freddie is one of the most hilarious and compassionate human beings you will ever meet. - Henry

Miles is one of the funniest people I know. He consistently puts others before himself, and is one of my dearest friends. - Freddie

Foster is the kind of person I’ve known Zoe for about that always sees the good. seven years and, without her, I He is able to make you couldn’t have made it to where laugh in situations when I am now. She is the most caryou though it was impossi- ing, empathetic and beautiful ble to laugh. -Emma person to walk the planet. - Elli

Diego is a great friend.

He’s always willing to share a motivational quote or tell a funny story. - Morgan

Rhys is bright, funny and loyal everyone enjoys being around him and he’s someone you can always count on. - Jack THEME • 33

Senior Awards While awards ceremonies are nice, the staff decided to give out the truly significant, correct and honest awards of the senior class.

PAGE by MADELEINE NICKS ART by OLIVIA DAVENPORT

DARE FITZPATRICK

GEORGE NICKS

BEST CAR-PERSONALITY COMPATIBILITY

BEST FRAUDULENT TENNIS CAPTAIN

BEST OWNER OF A DISORGANIZED MOUND OF PAPER

HARRISON JONES

MAURA JAYE

SOFIA ANDERSON

IS 100% AN UNDERCOVER COP

BEST HAIR TRANSFORMATION

BEST TRUNK SNACKS

JASON DOUGLAS

OLIVER BATES

JACK SHIEBLER

BIGGEST, LOUDEST AND BESTEST SNEEZE

THE DAIRY INDUSTRY’S LEADING CUSTOMER

BEST FACIAL HAIR (AT LEAST HE THINKS SO)

BEN RODGERS

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Goodbye

By Phoebe Ray How can I express the tender ache the corner of my heart?

In that space which is reserved for the scent of warm asphalt against my cheek, rays of honey through watching trees.

The blooming euphoria of a regular day, when giggles of exhaustion have dissolved into delicious delirium, and sensing solidarity in eyebags, we push each other through with laughter.

It could be any day, stepping into the four-cornered sanctuary where picnic tables are sacred circles and it doesn’t matter who is sitting because you’re always welcome here.

Here, joined in quest with others who also understand your yearning to pluck the fruit, offer it as sacrifice for digestion to starving stomachs.

But seeds become trees: branches splitting skin, lacing through open arteries, sprouting from ears and eyes.

Yes, growing is hard.

I have walked these grounds since fifteen, curious and unsure.

I thought nothing could come close to the last place, but this one proved me wrong.

It proved me wrong in the wisdom of my masters– teachers, trees, friends, the bird who is always singing, even as students shuffle below her, their heads hanging heavy with anticipation for the next evaluation.

It proved me wrong in the kindness of a pair of eyes, ones that witness without conditions.

My gratitude is endless.

It took awhile but I have come to understand the utter ecstasy of flourishing, of always having enough oxygen and water, more than enough, of learning and loving with those who also love to learn.

This feeling I’ve only just uncovered only to realize it’s fading fast, slipping through my fingers like sand, now just a few grains left.

So I don’t know how to express this ache.

All I know is it is time to go, though I am not yet ready.

Somehow, although I did not realize how soon, I must find the words to say goodbye.

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THEME • 35

Block or Not? Debate amongst the student body and faculty continues as Laguna further settles into the 8-day curriculum.

WORDS and ART by ADEN MEISEL

T

ransitioning in and out of the pandemic, students here and across the country experienced extraordinary changes in their academic life. Measures such as following arrows on passing periods, daily health screenings, and mandatory mask-wearing were implemented into the school curriculum.

Returning from a semester of remote learning on Zoom, Laguna adapted to COVID-19 with a schedule that maximized student safety by shortening the school day, but more importantly, made contact tracing easier and exposures more contained by altering the rotating schedule. Not only was it more COVID-safe, but it also allowed for easy transitions between in-person and online classes.

The new schedule was a 2-day rotating schedule, which meant alternating between two different days. One day would have four classes, followed by the next day with the other four. Though we used a somewhat similar schedule while online during the spring of 2020, this one was more thoroughly developed and was used the whole year.

However, now that we have returned to the 8-day rotating schedule, there is debate amongst the Laguna community over which plan is more preferable.

Academic Services Coordinator and Latin Instructor Rose Steeber argues that our current 8-day rotation is superior. “The 2-day schedule allows for more predictability, but that does not outweigh the negative effect of having the same class last period every other day,” Steeber said.

“Teaching classes first period, the period before lunch, and last period of the day can be difficult depending on the subject, topic of the lesson, or week of the year. Rotating classes alleviate this problem,” Steeber said. “There needs to be some variation or flexibility with classes, or we’ll all die of boredom.”

According to Steeber, keeping longer classes productive is more difficult than it seems.

“Students may not realize how difficult it is to teach that last block. Everyone is saturated, teachers and students alike, so no one is as productive as they should be,” Steeber said.

However, English Instructor and Department Chair Victoria Dryden believes otherwise.

Dryden believes that a “more varied lesson plan with multiple learning styles catered to and students have more time to understand what I teach.”

Additionally, according to Dryden, “I was able to cover a lot more material with the old schedule. I could also cover material with more depth.” Lastly, “I believe the [2-day] schedule meant less homework per night and let students focus on specific classes at a time. My guess is that the current schedule equals more homework per night.”

The student body also happens to be heavily opinionated on the subject. Junior Carson Bohnet prefers the 8-day rotating schedule. “The shorter class periods in the 8-day rotating schedule keep me engaged relative to the longer classes in the two-day schedule. The shorter class periods don’t burn me out or bore me.”

“Even though I found the 2-day schedule more manageable for homework, the 8-day schedule overall serves me better during school hours, which I believe matters most,” Carson said.

However, senior Frederic Russel thinks otherwise. “I prefer last year’s schedule. It guaranteed to have one day to do as much homework as necessary. Also, because I had two free periods lined up, I would only have two classes every other day.”

Preferring one schedule over the other, for any student or teacher, is a matter of weighing what aspects of school become subjectively more manageable and simple with each plan. For now, the student body generally leans toward our current 8-day schedule, but it will be interesting to see if that statistic remains the same as we further transition out of the pandemic.

36 • OPINION

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An Attack on Freedom The right to a safe and legal abortion is at risk of being overturned.

A

WORDS and PAGE by LUCA D’AGRUMA and HANNA MASRI

merican civil liberties are under attack. The right to choose, the right to privacy, and the right to a woman’s bodily autonomy, are soon to be gone.

In early May, Politico released a draft majority opinion that would completely overturn Roe v. Wade.

In 1973, the Supreme Court ruled in a 7-2 decision that the right to an abortion without restriction was federally protected under the Constitution.

The ruling found that the due process clause of the 14th Amendment protects abortion under a “right to privacy,” along with Planned Parenthood v. Casey in 1992, which upheld Roe, abortions have been generally protected for over four decades in all states.

The leaked draft completely reverses the precedent set

by Roe. In the draft, Justice Samuel Alito states the majority opinion of the conservative faction.

The draft states that the rights outlined by Roe and Casey are not in the constitution and, therefore, can not be granted by the federal government or the Supreme Court.

“It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people’s elected representatives,” Justice Alito said.

Essentially, the opinion states that the right to an abortion should be decided by states.

If confirmed, overruling Roe v.

Wade would severely restrict the rights and access to safe and legal abortion in many states across America.

According to the Guttmacher Institute, 26 states are certain or likely to ban abortion once this decision is released.

This ruling is deadly. It’s dangerous and inequitable, meant to disproportionately affect people without access to healthcare or the ability/means to travel to a different state to get an abortion.

That’s a perspective that’s important to keep in mind at Laguna.

The vast majority of people simply cannot afford to travel to a different state to get a safe abortion or other life-saving reproductive services.

The Lancet, a medical journal, did not mince words.

“If the US Supreme Court confirms its draft decision, women will die.”

“Alito and his supporters will have women’s blood on their hands.”

While ostensibly “pro-life,” the movement to end abortion will do the opposite, being fatal to women who seek out unsafe abortions because they don’t have any other choice.

California is moving to enshrine abortion in our state constitution.

We’re lucky—at Laguna, we’re priv-

ileged in every sense of the word, but the vast majority of women in the U.S. do not have access to the same resources. After this ruling, it will get worse.

It’s not just a female issue; it’s a racial issue. Those who will be affected the most are going to be people of color due to the centuries of institutional racism have created a system in which those are the people who lack resources and access to healthcare.

Make no mistake, this draft decision is an egregious affront to human rights, and will jeopardize the lives of millions of Americans.

Not only will it roll back decades of progress on gender equality, LGBTQ+ rights, and racial justice, this decision will condemn millions to the fate of a forced pregnancy.

The ruling will destroy decades of precedent and will lay the groundwork for the further erosion of rights, including gay and interracial marriage and the use of contraception.

This is an attack on our constitutional right to privacy, which is an attack on every American’s freedoms and civil liberties. This ruling signals to a greater issue in our judicial branch, an unelected body chosen by an unrepresentative legislature can impose its will on us.

This draft decision must be opposed by every level of our government and our representatives must codify the right to abortion. Change will not come from the halls of Congress, but from millions of everyday Americans deciding that enough is enough.

We must march, we must vote, we must fight for our rights, and we must say no to those who want to control us.

Students at the Bans Off Our Bodies March.

38 • OPINION

thefourthestate.net

Disrupting Literature Laguna looks to initiate ways to #DisruptTexts and upturn the literary canon.

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any schools force students to read books that they either don’t relate to or don’t understand because of the significant time difference. This disinterest leads many to turn to websites like SparkNotes instead of reading the book.

In recent years, these flaws in the traditional English curriculum have been brought to light.

Disrupt Texts, a movement by teachers created to challenge the traditional literary canon aims to incorporate books that give students a more diverse look into the world and aims to widen kids’ lenses by including more diverse perspectives.

Teachers in the English Department at Laguna have taken the initiative to upturn the literary canon.

On April 27, they participated in a day-long retreat with Lorena German, the founder of Disrupt Texts, to examine how Laguna can improve

WORDS by SOFIA RAMIREZ ART by OLIVIA DAVENPORT its English curriculum.

The western literary cannon comprises of books written throughout centuries that most consider “classics.” The canon consists of books such as “To Kill a Mockingbird,” “The Great Gatsby,” “Of Mice and Men,” and the works of Shakespeare.

These are common reads for any English class, although there has been a push back to introduce more modern books to the classroom in recent years.

While generations have read the classics, many feel that what we teach in the classroom should include and reflect America’s progress regarding racism and sexism.

These books often hold discriminative views that might be harmful to students if not addressed correctly in the classroom.

“To a critical thinker, no work of good literature (classical or not) is harmful. Artists should be free to express their imaginative perspectives,” said English teacher Bojana Hill.

Disrupt Texts agrees with, “We do not believe in censorship and have never supported banning books.”

Books that include racism open up the opportunity to talk about the negative aspects of America’s history. While texts from the cannon will always hold a special place in literature, most reflect the white American view of life.

Books like the “Great Gatsby” and “Of Mice and Men” tell the story of the White American dream while denying the reader of a more diverse dream. Others like “To Kill a Mockingbird” have a White male savior trope that holds racist views.

“My lens to the world through fiction was mostly from a White male who lived many years ago in a completely different world than exists today,” said English teacher Victoria Dryden. “While some classics are amazing reads and can teach you lessons, they often teach them from one perspective, which does not mirror today’s world.”

Another downfall to focusing the English curriculum around these books with limiting perspectives adds Dryden, is “cutting out voices and opinions and ways of thinking about things, that really reduces and isolates us.”

By bringing books written in modern times, students can read from more diverse perspectives. Students are able to understand these books better. Therefore the lessons that they are teaching resonate more with the reader.

In the coming years, teachers aspire to create a balance between classical books that teach us about our history and more modern books that reflect the diversity of the classroom.

thefourthestate.net

OPINION • 39

Criminal Justice Reform The reincarnation of the racial caste.

WORDS and ART by ALEXANDRA SIEGEL

T

he United States is the world’s leader in incarceration rates.

The nation holds up to two million men and women who have committed wrongful acts according to the nation’s criminal legal system.

The United States makes up less than 5% of the global population, but our prison’s hold approximately 20% of the world’s prison population.

The corrupt system of mass incarceration upholds the centuries-long racial caste system that has succeeded in the United States since the first colonizers. Since slavery reigned in the U.S., there has been discrimination and race-based hatred in our hyper polarized society.

It started as slavery and the TransAtlantic Slave Trade that unwillingly brought over around 12.5 million Africans on the Middle Passage, and exploited them for labor.

After the Emancipation Proclamation was established in 1763, African Americans were freed from slavery—but not discrimination. As soon as 1777, there were new segregation laws notoriously labeled as “Jim Crow” laws. Jim Crow laws were state and local statutes that legalized racial segregation, and enforced racist attitudes and prejudice especially in the southern states.

After decades of segregation, continuous boycotts and civil rights activism, the so-called “second institution of slavery,” was legally banned and declared unconstitutional in the country. That was 1964.

Today, there arises not only a new form of racial discrimination, but one that disproportionately victimizes and mistreats people of color in the United States. “The New Jim Crow,” a phrase coined by author and civil rights activist, Michelle Alexander, is the term used to describe this reincarnation of the racial caste.

40 • OPINION

Mass incarceration. Is the unique way the U.S. has locked up a vast population in federal and state prisons, as well as local jails. The fact is that the U.S. incarcerates more people than any nation in the world, including China. With the staggering disparities among Black and Latinx people imprisoned in the United States given their overall representation in the general population.

“The term is a reference to all the systemic injustice towards people of color that has intentionally been embedded into society today. It is the new and legal way of continuing the marginalization and discrimination towards people of color and specifically Black people that was set up after emancipation and the failed Reconstruction,” said Victoria Dryden, English Department chair.

Furthermore, our judicial system is inefficient and biased. Men and women who have not been convicted of a crime, sit in overcrowded and understaffed jails waiting for their day in court.

Inmates in Chicago’s jails in 2015 served the equivalent of 218 years more time waiting for trial than the sentences they would ultimately be given. Housing the inmates for this extra time cost taxpayers $11 million.

But the money is the least of it.

Consider Kalief Browder, a 16 yearold from New York who was wrongly convicted of a petty crime, and sent to prison awaiting for a court date. Browder spent three years in prison at Rikers Island–including two in solitary confinement–before his case was dismissed. The trauma of those years alone behind bars lingered. At 22, Browder committed suicide. thefourthestate.net

Amer­ica’s approach to punish­ment and rehabilitation consistently lacks a public safety rationale, inordinately affecting minor­it­ies, and administering sentences, even for petty crimes.

While just touching the surface of the large issue at hand, mass incarceration poses the largest threat to continued prejudice and racial discrimination in this country. The issue of mass incarceration has a rich history that starts during Nixon’s presidency.

The prison popu­la­tion began to grow in the 1970s, when politi­cians from both parties used fear and racist rhet­oric to administrate increas­ ingly disciplinary and “corrective” policies. Nixon spread this divisive ideology, declar­ing a “war on drugs” and justi­fy­ing it with speeches about being “tough on crime.”

The prison popu­la­tion skyrocketed during Reagan’s admin­is­tra­tion.

Reagan took office in 1980 and the total prison popu­la­tion stood at 329,000. By the end of his eight years in office, the prison popu­la­tion had almost doubled, to 627,000.

Due to Reagan’s rhetoric claiming “law and order” represented true American ideals, the prison rates rose. This stag­ger­ing rise in incar­cer­ a­tion rates affected people of color the toughest, for they were dispro­ por­tion­ately imprisoned then and remain so today.

“The War on Drugs was a political manipulation to gain political support during elections,” said Dryden.

“The whole criminalization of Black men that started after the Civil War fed into the need for a “War on Drugs.”

The problem is that the very people who were criminalizing Black men and people of color were also, not only supporting drugs being siphoned into marginalized communities but also making sure that incarceration punished them, broke up their families and fed the fire of thefourthestate.net

poverty, crime and powerlessness that resulted.”

While mass incarceration is a new tactic of discrimination, there is a growing cause and plan against mass incarceration, which ranges from those like Michelle Alexander, author of “The New Jim Crow,” who argues that the way the country has filled the prisons is established to discriminate African Americans directly, to business people who can see that as a policy and growing institution, mass incarceration isn’t working.

This increasingly more normalized system has proven to set convicts up to re-enter society broken and unable to have a normal life. From the inability to vote, get food stamps, and get a job, many ex-convicts are set up for failure when they walk out of prison.

“If you weren’t broken when you went in, you will be when you get out,” Dryden said.

Evidence suggests that being locked away scars, stigmatizes, and damages inmates. The economic hardship and lingering mental issues that ex-convicts face are detrimental to their future success.

While the future of mass incarceration seems dark and destitute, education is a powerful tool students and people can use to spread information about mass incarceration and “The New Jim Crow.”

“There are people that sacrifice their lives to make a difference and to educate us and to bring change,” Dryden said.

“It is so important for young people, all young people, but also Laguna students who have privilege and access to learn about these things and to make it a part of their journey to force change.

This country is in a crisis right now.

The next generation holds the most power for change.”

OPINION • 41

Unhushed Sex Education is an important part of a child’s education, and for those who are taught that abstinence is the only option, one is faced with the fear of unknowing, especially because of the influence of media and television.

WORDS and ART by ELLI WESTMACOTTT

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ex. The word hushed amongst society. The topic that women are neglected from seeking, and men are rewarded for pursuing. The idea that is essentially sinful in the eye of society, though it is a natural and fundamental part of the creation of life.

Many of today’s media and television illustrate sex as an everyday activity.

In reality, sexuality in this matter is not appropriate, especially for women, but how is a child supposed to distinguish the difference between media and reality when they are led astray by both the media and their school’s Sex Ed programs?

There, there’s the issue with teaching abstinence-only. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) addressed abstinence-only Sex Education as “immoral,” describing how this form of Sex Education takes away the very civil liberties they fight to preserve.

“In some places, teachers of sex education are prohibited from mentioning topics such as intercourse, abortion, homosexuality or condoms.

Only five percent of students receive truly comprehensive sexuality education.”

Sex Education in today’s schools is a controversy that most don’t realize is very relevant.

People believe that teaching abstinence will prevent children from exploring their sexuality before marriage, limiting the number of sexually transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancies. Still, this idea is overly optimistic and somewhat controversial.

The ideas are given in a simple

42 • OPINION

fashion, but with the abstinence-only method of Sex Ed, women are portrayed as pure until they lose their virginity.

Girls are taught that they must stay abstinent, for their virginity is of much value and is what keeps a girl “good.”

Girls are taught that sexual behavior changes them as human beings. Along with being taught that sexuality is scandalous, girls are also taught that their bodies, especially when transitioning from girl to woman, should be covered and concealed out of fear of what people think.

Today, the two approaches to teaching about sex are either Abstinence-Only, which only highlights the importance of postponing sex until marriage, or Comprehensive Sex Ed, which explains how to keep oneself safe while also emphasizing that abstinence is the safest way to go about sexuality.

While teaching abstinence as the only way to go about life gives a feeling of security to parents and teachers, children don’t get the information necessary to keep themselves and others safe.

The fight for comprehensive sex ed in schools is opposed throughout the country, with campaigns for school boards to rid of informative sex education.

The ACLU writes that comprehensive sex education is “critical in giving young people the information and skills they need to make responsible decisions and protect themselves.”

thefourthestate.net

COVID Guidelines Laguna’s COVID-19 policies protected students during the pandemic.

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t’s March 2020 and community spread of COVID is becoming a public health emergency. Laguna moves school online, leading to a series of events that gave Laguna students one of the richest educational experiences in the city.

It would take months, but in October, Laguna determined that it was safe to return to school in person, though under restrictions that seem oppressive to us in hindsight.

Students were required to observe six foot social distancing, wipe down their desks every time they switched classes, and fill out a form every morning.

Lunch was separated by grade level. Classes were required to keep windows open leading to cold classes during winter. The result: Laguna’s upper school suffered almost no cases, despite opening up much earlier than the public schools.

Soon after public schools opened up, Laguna was dealing with cases per month, while other schools were dealing with cases a day.

As our understanding of COVID progressed and students started getting vaccinated, Laguna was able to start loosening restrictions.

When the 2021-22 school year began, students were no longer required to wear masks outdoors though guests still were.

WORDS by MYLES HAZEN PHOTO by JACKSON BALTES Things wouldn’t change until Jan. 7 when masks became mandatory outside again. The rise in omicron variant cases began to concern the school, with reason. In the first two weeks after the return from winter break, 21 students tested positive on the Hope Ranch campus. This led to entire classes being moved online.

As cases began to fall once again, the outdoor mask mandate was lifted a month after it was put in place, which would started a series of lifting restrictions. March 14 brought a slew of lifted restrictions.

Indoor masking was now no longer required, though still recommended and students no longer had to fill out a survey every morning.

Students left for spring break with very few restrictions left at school. The administration learned from the Omicron variant surge during winter break, however, and gave each student two COVID tests for the break.

After spring break there were fewer positive COVID cases than the period after winter break.

From the first day of school after spring break to April 13 only six students tested positive compared to 21 in a similar time frame after winter break.

Students were able to return to in-person school

for longer than many other schools in the area. This ability will benefit Laguna students for the rest of their lives. While organizations published articles about how public school students lost a year of education, Laguna remained open and in person and stayed in person.

Bishop Diego, another private high school in Santa Barbara was forced to close down after reopening.

Laguna suffered no such problem.

Though several students tested positive over winter break at Laguna, other schools suffered the same issues. Laguna’s policies throughout COVID, while not perfect, were some of the best in the county and led to a much richer experience for its students.

Despite this, it is important to realize that there are still many daily COVID cases in Santa Barbara. Students are still catching COVID, and while COVID poses a much smaller risk now that we understand it more, it’s important that we remain vigilant. Laguna must continue to monitor cases and manage risks to continue to protect its students and their families.

Defining Success The criteria for success is different for everyone. How do you measure your success?

WORDS by JINLING WANG ART by LUCY WANG

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o we believe Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos to be the epitome of success due to their riches or the power they have, or is it something else?

While the meaning of success remains different for everyone and is constantly changing, we all have something in common; it’s something we all strive for in life.

It could mean achieving a certain social status in life or fame or finding happiness and contentment without the materialistic aspects.

There is no right of way to becoming a billionaire, helping thousands of people, or working a 9 to 5 job; the substance of the term success has changed and it matters.

With society’s ever-changing one-sided view, its textbook definition excludes exploring a nontraditional view. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines success as having a “favorable or desired outcome” that comes with the “attainment of wealth, favor, or eminence.”

However, while this definition leaves space for variations among people, many are still on the chase to find fulfillment and obtain career advancements, money, or social status. Yet we still don’t feel successful when we finally have those things in many cases.

So what is stopping us? Leaving something to be desired, America’s perception of success remains elusive. While only 10% of Americans can reach the standard success rate, reports recently found that there continues to be a disconnect between America’s perception of personal success versus what society sees as a successful life.

44 • OPINION

Built on the foundation of the “American Dream,” The United States has evolved into a national ethos that promises every individual the opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, motivation, and initiative. This traditional Western definition is modeled on a lifestyle fixated on perfecting a life filled with wealth, position, and power.

So how about we expand this limited ideal into something that includes love and passion and focuses on finding that brings you joy and a sense of accomplishment?

Success isn’t a one-size-fits-all label, though it may seem like it at times. You have to dig deep to truly define success, not in what your families, friends, or even renowned entrepreneurs say.

One of the reasons people don’t live a successful life is because they don’t take the time to know what they truly want. Why live in someone’s version of success while standing in the way of your own. When believing in someone else’s vision, you’ll miss the target because what someone wants to accomplish isn’t what you truly want.

Success comes from motivation, understanding, and valuing who you are, like many things in life.

However, it is easier to know your true value when you realize all of the existing strengths, skills, and knowledge you have to go into with open-minded ideas.

“When I think about high school students, what I hope for them is that they develop a growing mindset about their ability to seek chal-

lenge and to stretch themselves in ways that allow them to develop skills, along with a sense of who they are, and to begin considering what there passions and next steps out of high school would be,” said US Head Melissa Alkire.

The next time you think, “I want to be successful,” think about what it means to you and how you want to challenge yourself? Create a blueprint to follow through your life with your terms that fit. That could mean having a sense of helping others, giving back to the world, or making a difference by accomplishing a highly competitive career.

No matter what you decide, being able to do the thing you love answers the questions of what it is to be successful. A successful life is only measurable when you discover what drives your happiness and helps you find purpose. Being brutally honest, the one-size-fits-all approach that success is simply unattainable. Similar to keys, each one opens a different door. So, find your key and unlock the door to your future. thefourthestate.net

Self-Discovery Teenagers seem to have it all figured out before leaving high school.

But what does it truly mean to find yourself?

WORDS by DIONNE PETERSON PHOTO by SOFIA RAMIREZ

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he ideology of “finding yourself” has not been unheard of when it applies to high school. However, what does it mean to find yourself?

The ideology of “finding yourself” is often heard of when it applies to high school. Whether it is finding yourself physically, mentally, or spiritually, this ideology seems like it must be crossed off on the high school checklist.

But what does it truly mean to “find yourself?”

Although this term scopes on many different themes, there seem to be three underlying key terms that encompass this phrase: expressing, experiencing, and experimenting with oneself.

“I think that clothing definitely helps me express who I am, but I don’t think it changes it,” said freshman Eleanor Crafton.

Experimenting with one’s style creates the creative liberty to express their distinctness and personality.

Through expressive hairstyles and a unique style, teenagers can find a part of themselves through their “fashion identity.”

Expressing one’s beliefs to their high school community is another way that one can find oneself.

This gives an individual a sense of belonging and acceptance in their environment, but being able to experience and lead pep rallies,

thefourthestate.net

clubs, and other extracurriculars can lead to teenagers finding their interests that will add a significant portion to their individuality.

It’s impossible to find oneself by following a list of structured, orderly steps.

Many different obstacles can hinder an individual from being unable to find their own identity.

The stereotypes that come with embracing their hobbies can be a major obstacle. Labels like “theater geeks,” or “robotic nerds,” can cause people to hide their true hobbies and embrace the highschool stereotype.

Spontaneously having fun and loud parties are all images that come to mind when envisioning

the perfect high school experience.

However, the peer pressure of having to fit into this cliché can cause one to feel very uncomfortable in their environment.

A term titled “cultural code switching” is where an individual subconsciously modifies their behavior to accommodate the different cultural norms in their environment, for example, using different language around peers to fit in than they would with close friends.

With the desire to fit, or at least blend into both cultures and societies, individuals often create another identity not to face ethnic adversity.

“There are so many pressures and expectations placed on teens, even pressure from themselves. But there are many tools to deal with these pressures.

Self care is number one: taking care of your sleep, movement (exercise), connection (relationships), breath work (mindfulness), and nutrition can build a solid foundation for handling these pressures,” instructor Andrea Wilson said.

Finding one’s identity does not have to be a stressful process that must be accomplished in the high school years. In the end, “finding yourself” is a perpetual, lifelong journey that will not be a systematic process, but instead will be an unexpected roller-coaster ride.

OPINION • 45

The Fourth Estate?

Good journalism gets lost in the chaos of propaganda.

WORDS by ALEXANDRA SIEGEL ART by LUCY WANG

T

he Fourth Estate. The term refers to the press and news media both in the explicit capacity of advocacy, and implicit ability to frame political and social issues. The media has powerful techniques to persuade and capture people’s attention and opinions. Throughout American history, there has been some form of news media that can alter the outcome of historical events. Following, news is how people stay informed, up-todate, and well-educated.

But as time and technology have progressed, the news media has begun to manipulate and take advantage of people’s biases and sway their choices motivated by profit. Under the guise of free speech, these media (news, TV, digital) players have used journalism to spread false news, influence citizens, and attempt to influence election results.

American journalism dates back to 1776—the birth of the United States. From local stories to the top ranking positions, journalists are there to cover the good, the bad, and even the honest.

Journalism is often con-

2 • NEWS

sidered so significant that it acts as the fourth branch of government, hence its name “The Fourth Estate.”

In many ways, it serves as a balance of power and check of position in a democracy. It keeps elected politicians and highly ranked personas in check and holds them accountable for their actions while in office, while also preventing them from obtaining too much power. The press is free to denounce and condemn anyone in a governmental role.

Journalism and the media industry have continued to evolve and strengthen quickly. The advancements of technology, such as television and the internet, have allowed information to be released to the public at unprecedented rates. Due to these advancements, journalism now has the ability to per-

suade billions of people and, in some circumstances, harm the greater good.

Take the 2016 Presidential election, for example. Voting patterns were largely preordained in this hyperpolarized era, so people must examine the media to determine its role in the 2016 election between Donald J. Trump (R) and Hillary Clinton (D). Journalists play an indispensable role in our political system. They are responsible for providing us with the information we need to govern ourselves in a democratic society. But in 2016, they let us down.

The televised Republican debates helped tip the nomination toward Trump by placing him front and center solely based on polls.

With Trump’s constant media coverage and policies, there was only one candidate that had a shot at winning the presidential election.

And that was soon-to-be-President Trump.

After the media interference with the 2016 election, many citizens were critical of the news they consumed. It became blatantly clear that news has the power to sway an entire nation. The post-election world was on high alert, for citizens of the United States finally realized the power and capabilities of the media.

The Fourth Estate describes journalists and acknowledges their influence and status among the most significant powers of a nation.

While journalism plays various roles in society, perhaps it is most important how it serves as a bridge of information from the government to the ordinary citizen.

By simply in-

forming the public about what is happening in the world and how they can relate to it, there can be exponential shifts in how our public combats essential issues.

The media serves a variety of essential roles in a democratic society. Their most fundamental purpose is to inform and educate the public, providing citizens with the information needed to make critical decisions about leadership and rule. The media also acts as watchdogs examining and dissecting public action and government activity. They set the agenda for general discussion of issues and give a platform for political expression and identity. By facilitating community building, people can find common causes, identify civic groups, and work toward solutions to societal problems.

So, looking past the manipulation of the news and journalism, how and what can citizens trust these days?

Without the confidence of knowing if the news one consumes is truthful, it can be challenging to convince yourself that any news is nonpartisan and honest. To find good journalism, people need to become critical thinkers and consumers against fake information.

the-

Critical consumers take command of the environmental, social, and political effects of their choices. The critical consumer sympathizes with specific social movement goals and contributes to them by modifying their consumption behavior. Critical consumers actively search for ways to adjust their mindset and action to pursue a better world environment.

The Fourth Estate and its mission is pure in conception, but its intentions can get lost in the whirlwind of “dirty politics” and propaganda.

Just like the name of our magazine, The Fourth Estate describes journalists and acknowledges their influence and status among the most significant powers of a nation.

Journalists can and are changing the world.

Performative Activism Reposts. Hashtags. Black screens. Does activism deserve instant applause? How does one define activism apart from performative trends?

W

WORDS by MILLA HIRSCH and ELLI WESTMACOTT ART by ELLI WESTMACOTT

hat does it mean to be an activist? Someone who advocates for social and political issues, a person who fights for change in a world where others are too afraid to speak up; Martin Luther King Jr., Malala Yousafzai, Rosa Parks, just to name a few.

These are prominent activists who have accomplished multitudes and spread ideals of change through peace and the power of speech.

Activists can also be the untold names of people who march through the streets to protest abortion regulations in Texas or the vile actions performed by police brutality. So how can it be that such a powerful concept, activism, can be conceptually weakened by performative motives?

“I would describe performative activism as the act of supporting a social justice cause at the minimum in order to be seen as a good person; whether or not you actually support those causes, typically on social media,” freshman Elanor Crafton said.

History teacher Dr. Kevin Guay says, “It’s essentially a surface-level attempt to demonstrate loyalty to a particular social or political issue.

Often using social media. In graduate school, my fellow candidates would pejoratively refer to these individuals as ‘armchair activists’ and ‘keyboard crusaders.’

Activism has taken new shapes, where the final goal is not to change the world or speak out about crucial matters, but to gain publicity, status, media support, glory, and of course, the ultimate initiative, to make more money.

With the easy access to social

48 • OPINION

media during this age, people have the power to create this positive and devoted image of themselves using activism and critical public issues when in reality, they are not well informed.

Crises like war and poverty are sometimes twisted into self-righteous trends, where people post about them only to receive praise for seeming empath.

There’s a difference between following a trend and supporting a movement; when those lines are indistinguishable social media gets messy.

- Zoë Stephens #StandWithUkraine, #FreePalestine, #StopAsianHate, #FaceTheClimateChangeEmergency, #StayAtHome, #MyBodyMyChoice, #MeToo. These trends can acknowledge social emergencies with a deaf tone at times. For example, this flood of media often causes abrupt support for five seconds, all until the internet moves onto celebrity drama and forgets about these topics. At other times however, these trends provide a free space for people to share about personal

experiences or traumas in a place where they won’t feel alone.

Senior Zoë Stephens says, “It’s a controversial topic because on one hand, it helps movements spread and expand through the amount of people reposting important messages, but it’s also a problem because a good amount of people don’t even know what they are supporting or not supporting. When people follow these movements purely because other people are following it, a movement that effects real people turns into nothing more than a trend.”

Anyone can download Twitter, Instagram, Tik Tok, or another type of social media and speak behind the shelter of their screen, wielding information built on fallacies just to get the reaction from others that gives themselves a sense of importance. Many users get the majority of their news knowledge from their favorite apps. It becomes more difficult to differentiate between what’s true versus false, and raises questions of what is considered activism- whether something is performative or inspiring can be hard to differentiate, primarily through our exceedingly online-based lifestyle.

“Honestly I get a lot of my news from TikTok and Instagram. I’ll see someone repost an article or a tweet about something, or see educational posts. After that I always check multiple sources to see if it’s accurate or not,” says Eleanor. Dr. Guay stays informed by keeping up with The Daily podcast, The New York Times, NPR, and other news outlets. He says, “Our implicit biases make us all vulnerable to thefourthestate.net

disinformation and fake news. I try to remain hyper-critical about the information I take in.”

A new marketing strategy for large companies is “brand transparency,” a tactic that attempts to build trust in the consumer audience, for example by forming campaigns and labels that reveal dramatized climate change control in order to appeal to consumers as a more considerate and conversational company. A lot of clothing brands release separate labels specifically marketed as “sustainable”, where all the sources are revealed and the materials are responsibly made. All of this transparency is a tactic to distract from where the majority of their clothes are sourced, how they are produced, and the truth behind their un-sustainable brand.

Another example of performative activism among companies is the ban on plastic straws in California, unless requested, back in 2019.

Even though Starbucks discontinued their old plastic straw encouragement, this movement was merely a distraction from true over-production and excessive amounts of fossil fuels and single-use items that Starbucks contributes. Saying “Save The Turtles” is not an efficient, long-term, or effective cause. #BlackOutTuesday took place on June 2, 2020. This was an online Black Lives Matter protest against racism and police brutality during the peak of the uprise after the murder of George Floyd. A flood of black squares were posted on Instagram on that day as a collective action. However, with A-list celebrities on board and so much participation, this overwhelmed platforms and, in some ways, silenced the voices that needed to be heard. thefourthestate.net

Dr. Guay says, “I believe that bringing attention to any matter associated with social justice or a fight for equality is worthy. Social media is a powerful tool that conveniently and effectively disseminates ideas to a broad audience.

I don’t blame people that feel passionate about an issue and want to do something positive. If these trends can inform a wider populace about systematic injustices and provide a sense of community, I think a real difference is

soon to follow.

However, it ultimately depends on the motive.

If a person changes their profile image to a black square or yellow equal sign to garner more likes and respect or achieve a moral high ground, some may see it as ‘virtue signaling’, which could damage the cause in question.”

Social media is known for giving an open platform that encourages freedom of speech and self-expression. In theory, this concept sounds

constructive. However, we are left questioning whether these apps are meant to be used as a political battleground. With the loom of cancel culture and misinterpretation, it can often be challenging to depict one’s ideas through technology accurately.

Young teens and adults are exposed to performative activism; there can be underlying guilt from staying silent about politics, along with the insularity centered around speaking up about these matters on places like Tik Tok or Instagram, the fear of misspeaking, or spreading false news on accident.

Eleanor says, “I definitely felt guilty when I would see people I’m friends with post something in support of a cause when I hadn’t.”

There is a light at the end of the tunnel, when youth is given the space online to share their beliefs, ideas, they may have the ability to open up in ways that they are not able to beyond the screen, perhaps being sheltered in their real-life familial situation or community.

Speaking up about these imperative topics takes bravery, less so behind a screen, but nevertheless: these voices make a difference. Say their names: George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Emmett Till. Try donating, signing petitions, and showing support.

Eleanor says, “I posted quite a few things for the BLM movement back at its height in 2020 and continue posting about LGBTQ+ and women’s rights topics. At the time, being barely a teenager, I felt like it was kind of the most I could do.

Now I definitely try and do more than just posting about things… I think it’s good to use social media to educate as long as you know it’s reliable.”

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Bon Appétit Seniors create their ideal summer lunch including a drink, salad and dessert.

WORDS and ART by ABBY KIM CRUSHCAKES The heat waves of summer bring light, flavorful refreshments. While there are many different types of fun summer drinks, senior Phoebe Ray’s favorite drink is the Butterfly Palmer from Crushcakes. It is a mix of lemonade with butterfly pea flower tea that turns purple and pink when it is mixed. “You can add lavender, rose or raspberry flavor, but lavender is my favorite,” Phoebe said.

Crushcakes is a local Santa Barbara restaurant that has menu options ranging from beverages and pastries to lunch food and desserts. While known most for their cupcakes, they have a variety of drinks that are perfect for summer.

WHOLE FOODS Both healthy and refreshing, salads are vital to a summer meal.

Salads are perfect for a quick, healthy bite in the summer sun. They range from classic salads served at restaurants to customizable salads one can make themselves.

Senior Maud Christal likes to customize her salads at Whole Foods.

“I like to add arugula, sweet potato, chicken, tomatoes and cucumbers, balsamic dressing, and lemon on my salads,” Maud said.

While Maud enjoys creating a personal salad, she also enjoys the California Salad from Mesa Verde which has lettuce, kale, avocado, micro greens, cucumber, olives, radishes, chives, dill, and a pickled carrots house vinaigrette.

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VIA VAI The ideal summer meal would not be complete without a sweet dessert to finish. Staple summer desserts include gelato, ice cream, cookies, sweet fruit and more. Senior Rhys Zemeckis’ favorite summer dessert is tiramisu.

“I always have it in Italy during the summers. It’s my favorite because it is a very good dessert for after dinner. I love the coffee in it as well,” Rhys said.

Tiramisu is a traditional Italian dessert with layers of coffee-dipped ladyfingers and cream. The rich, filling dessert perfectly completes a summer meal. thefourthestate.net

á la mode Style for days: the casual closets of boys around school.

WORDS and PHOTOS by MILLA HIRSCH

S

uits, slides, surf shorts, and everything in between. Surf and skate culture influences the casual fashion sense of many Santa Barbara boys. On the contrary, high fashion finds its home on runways, red-carpet events, and galas. Everyone is free to experiment with style and flare no matter their lifestyle.

Most teenage clothing stores follow and replicate many trends, especially skater-style. Freshman Jules Leclercq said, “I go to Lighthouse skate shop a lot, I get a lot of my pants from Vans and Volcom, and I get a lot of my shorts from Billabong. I wear a lot of board shorts during the summer.”

Senior Freddie Russell likes clothing at Pacsun but sometimes feels “too lazy to go shopping, so [he’ll] just order something on Amazon, which is always available.”

Fashion inspiration mainly stems from social media, music culture, TV shows and movies, sports attire, and celebrity brands. “I think ASAP Rocky has some of the coolest

fashion I have ever seen, and I think only he can pull it off,” said Freddie.

Jules finds inspiration from Odell Beckham Jr.: “he always has the most fly shoes,” Jules said.

Math teacher Erik Faust says, “At school, I obviously want to look more presentable. And when I’m outside of school, I dress a little bit more like a hoodlum—like baggy pants and a little bit more like a 90’s era hip hop kid.” Faust also said, “I like to wear old-school denim Levi’s jeans and Carhartt that I can beat up.”

Sophomore Jack Garcia said, “I enjoy dressing up for school because I care about my fashion sense wherever I go. I don’t care if it’s to the beach or to the fanciest restaurant.”

Outfits reflect creativity; this form of self-expression is constantly adapting over time.

Jack finds a lot of inspiration from the musician Tyler, the Creator.

Artists and actors like Timotheé Chalamet, Frank Ocean, and Harry Styles venture out of their comfort zones and break gender norms, expanding the world of masculine fashion.

Back in May, the MET Museum hosted its annual MET Gala, the prestigious event housing many celebrities in their fanciest attire for the evening. A few fashion standouts included Evan Mock, Sebastian Stan, Shawn Mendes, and Jared Leto.

“My style is, I wear the same thing pretty much every day, typically khakis and a t—shirt; occasionally, I’ll whip out the Crocs, which are extra stylish,” Freddie said. “I don’t really love shopping in general­—it just takes a lot of work. It’s fun sometimes though” Jules said. thefourthestate.net

Mindset is crucial, Faust said: “Style is 100% personal, and people who rock what they wear with confidence automatically look amazing. It doesn’t matter what everybody else is wearing or what everyone else is doing; you do your thing and do it confidently.”

Now that it’s almost summer, everyone is preparing their favorite swim wear and adventure clothes.

“I dress totally different in the summer. During the school year, I wear a lot of baggy clothes and a lot of hoodies and pants, and during the summer, I wear, like, only shorts and shirts,” Jules said.

Jack says, “I do wear the same clothes year-round, but I like to mix and match to find new outfits.

Some people look at me oddly for wearing a sweatshirt and a puffer jacket in 90-degree weather, but I can care less about what other people think of my outfit.”

Jack Garcia ‘24, Franky Baron ‘23, and Jules Leclercq ‘25 chat in Senior Quad

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California Summer Spots From small beach towns to wine country hot spots, California offers a diverse array of destinations to visit for a quick trip.

WORDS and PHOTOS by ANNIKA FIRLIK

NAPA Located in Northern California, Napa is a bit of a far drive. However, you can take a quick 1 hour flight from the Santa Barbara airport to the equally small and convenient Charles M. Schulz airport and skip the hustle and bustle of LAX or SFO. Napa valley is a world famous region for wine and grape orchards, complete with stunning views and mountain views. Here you can also visit neighboring towns such as Santa Cruz and Sonoma which are all equally as charming.

OJAI Ojai is a small picturesque town less than an hour’s drive away from Santa Barbara. It is known for its dramatic mountain backdrop, hiking trails, cute town, and great restaurants.

Ojai is perfect for a day trip or a long weekend because of its close proximity to Santa Barbara and is popular among residents to visit.

For longer visits, there are a few great hotels to stay in; most notably the Ojai Valley Inn. This hotel has gorgeous mountain and golf course views and is situated close to town.

MALIBU Quintessentially California, Malibu is the perfect place to spend your summer days. Close enough to drive into LA for dinner yet secluded enough to hear the crashing waves rather than urban sounds.

Malibu is a little over an hour drive from Santa Barbara. Here you can experience the classic southern California ambiance and do anything from relax on the beach to have dine at beautiful, including Nobu Malibu and Malibu Farms.

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Whether it’s blasting “Driver’s License” in your car or watching rain pour down as “Deja Vu” queues, Olivia Rodrigo influences the world with her music.

WORDS by DIONNE PETERSON and SOFIA RAMIREZ ART by DIONNE PETERSON Purple tinted vintage film entails a girl wistfully staring out the window, crying while driving through empty, unlit suburban streets. This captures Olivia Rodrigo’s first single, Driver’s License, a song that incorporates the reminisce of heartache and the bitter emotions that emerge post-breakup.

While some may think that Olivia’s fame came suddenly, she has been working up to it for quite a while.

Her love for the performing arts started at a young age as she participated in school plays and took singing lessons. She started acting in major production films at the age of 12, playing Grace in “An American Girl: Grace Stirs Up Success”.

While Olivia had been steadily gaining popularity thanks to Disney she shot to fame with the release of her single, Drivers License in 2021.

On Jan. 8 her song debuted at number one on the Hot 100 and stayed there for eight consecutive weeks.

Olivia’s hit album not only gained her the honor of being the first Asian American artist to be named Billboard’s Woman of the Year, but it also earned her an invitation to the Grammys.

The Grammys was a huge breakthrough for Rodrigo as she was awarded New Artist, Best Pop

Album, and Best Pop Solo Performance of the year, including three Grammys and seven nominations.

This monumental achievement for the young pop artist was not only due to her popularity before her debut, but also b e cause

of her unique style of genre. Rodrigo uses a pop-and-rock instrumental that interlaces with creative, heart touching and meaningful lyrics that are made for all the teary post-breakup teenagers that crave a good heartbreak song.

For Olivia Rodrigo, her successful career as a solo artist has just begun. She plans to follow up her top charting album SOUR with another album in the near future. She also has planned to do in-person tours across the United States during the summer, one of them being in Santa Barbara.

For now, Olivia Rodrigo fans can continue screaming “Good 4 U” and sobbing to “Deja Vu” while watching as the young teenage pop star continues her rise to fame.

Mamma Mia! April marked the long-awaited return of the spring musical with celebrated pop musical, “Mamma Mia!” Cast and crew members share their favorite moments of the performances.

WORDS by ADA GREEN PHOTOS by BRAD ELLIOTT

Madeleine Nicks ‘22: “My favorite part of the experience is that we worked in a very short time frame with a big cast in all different grade levels on this huge show that sold out all three nights, which is completely new for this theater department. I’m really glad this is the note I’m, and all these seniors, are going out on and that the memories of this show is we get to hold on to.”

Luca D’Agruma ‘23: “It’s this really big moment in all of our lives. It’s at this time where there’s a lot of transition and it’s this one moment where everyone’s going to be fighting with a lot of meaning and happiness.

We all are going to grow up, and it’s really nice to have this experience with everyone and we’re all going to carry that.”

Elyse Weaver ‘24: “I think it’s a very supportive community and everyone is really looking out for one another. We’re all just working towards a common goal and it’s all something we all really care about. That really shows because of how supportive and collaborative everyone is. I really appreciate that.”

Grace Trautwein ‘24: ”I think it’s really cool how we get to meet people from different grades and actually interact with them. I have so many more inter-grade friends than I did before I started this. And, it’s always fun to sing and dance.”

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Evie Comis ‘26: “I love just being ridiculous, because I think that’s the point. My favorite song is “Slipping Through My Fingers” because it sounds the prettiest.

But “Lay All Your Love On Me” is the best dance, let’s be honest.”

Lucas Acosta ‘24: “My favorite part about “Mamma Mia!” is getting to sing and dance on a stage.”

Phoebe Ray ‘22: “My favorite part about “Mamma Mia!” is how even though the songs are super cheesy, it puts everyone under a spell, and you can’t help but love it.”

Kai Suzuki ‘22: “My favorite part is the people. It’s a great community here.”

Amelie Dalporto ‘24: My favorite part about being in “Mamma Mia!” is being with the amazing community that comes with the show and getting to sing and dance with everybody.

Eleanor Crafton ‘25: “My favorite part is definitely the music. I’m a big ABBA fan.”

Léo Michaud ‘27: “Dancing is the best part of ‘Mamma Mia’ All the choreography is amazing.”

Sasha Drucker ‘24: “I like being a part of everything.

Even though I’m ensemble, I still feel like I have a role and I’m depended on.”

Owen Noble ‘24: “The people are really just amazing.”

Molly Newell ‘22: “Being a senior, this is my last opportunity to be in a production at Laguna, and I’m happy that I have such a supportive cast to be around so I feel more confident in making mistakes and being myself.” thefourthestate.net

LIFESTYLE • 55

Sports Report A recap of Laguna’s spring sports.

WORDS by ABBY KIM PHOTOS by BRAD ELLIOT Boys Indoor Volleyball Boys indoor volleyball returned once again with an explosive roster. In the Tri-Valley League, the team went undefeated winning all ten of their matches and made it all the way to semi-finals in CIF. The team has practice every day after school from 3 to 5 P.M. led by Coach Jason Donnelly and Captain Jack Shiebler.

“I’d say our team chemistry was amazing and I think that’s one of the most important aspects of high school sports.,” Jack said.

With a successful season and influx of new members, Jack trusts that the team is in good hands next year.

Sailing For the first time in 10 years, Laguna Blanca reintroduced sailing! Practice is held twice a week inside Santa Barbara Harbor or off Leadbetter Beach depending on wind conditions. All teams are under Santa Barbara Youth Sailing Foundation and are coached by Director Nick Kaschak.

Coach Kaschak praised the team stating his best memory “... was seeing the grassroots effort by the two main skippers who recruited their friends and brought the team together so they could actually do tournaments after ten years of no sailing.”

Sailing is a year-round sport, allowing Laguna and the other high schools to start practice in September and have a regatta every month from October to May. Regattas are a series of races between sailboats with two members on each boat. The team qualified for the Pacific Coast Championships and finished 19th out of 54.

Squash Squash returned after a 12 year hiatus. With two teams, Team A and Team B, both practice at the Santa Barbara School of Squash and are led by Coach Robert Graham.

The teams competed in the Southern California High School League placing first in Division B, winning six out of nine matches over three weekends.

Not only did the teams practice together, but they also did community service as a group.

“A weekly small group volunteered together on weekends and went to a retirement home to play board games with seniors,” Coach Robert said.

With a strong return, the future of the squash team is something to look forward to.

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Boys Tennis Boys tennis returned this spring as strong as ever. In the Tri-Valley League, the team had 10 wins and 2 loses moving on to CIF. In April, after the Tri-Valley League tournament, four players qualified for Individuals. CIF playoffs also began the first week of May and the team made it to semi-finals.

The team practiced everyday after school from 3:00 to 4:30 P.M. with Coach Trevor Thorpe and varsity captains Ben Rogers and Kai Suzuki leading the team. Senior Kai Suzuki’s favorite memory from the year was, “...playing at El Monte high school. Every time we played a CIF game we would go to In-N-Out afterward. By the time we reached semis, I think everyone was getting sick of it.”

Girls Beach Volleyball The girls beach volleyball team returned stronger than ever. Previously, girls beach volleyball did not qualify as a CIF sport because of a lack of league teams; however, this year the sport qualified. After the Tri-Valley League, the team had a postseason where they continued to play matches against other local teams.

Coach Jenny Sims, a former volleyball player herself, led the team. Coach Sims also arranged a variety of activities, ranging from bringing a nutritionist to inviting Katie Spieler, a professional volleyball player, to talk to the team.

“When I was playing basketball in high school, my coach brought in a nutritionist, which I really enjoyed and wanted my team to do the same. The girls loved it and got a lot out of it so it was super special,” Sims said.

Swimming Despite being a team of two, Laguna ended the season with fantastic results. The team consists of Catie Fristoe ‘22 and Kendall Keshen ‘24 who compete in meets together. Both qualified for Tri-Valley League championships. The pair each won titles at CIF, with Kendall winning the 200 individual medley and Catie winning the 100 breaststroke. Both shared that their favorite memory is seeing Dean of Students Blake Dorfman and students show up to support them.

While this is Kendall’s first year as a part of the swim team, Catie Fristoe started the team in her freshman year. “Since Kendall and I have been swimming at Santa Barbara Swim Club together for years, it has been great to also be on our high school team together and become closer,” Catie said.

Boys Golf Boys golf returned with a strong roster of 10.

Despite not having a team the past couple of years due to COVID-19 and a lack of golfers, This year saw a strong interest.

The team is led by Head Coach Valerie Yoshimura and Assistant Coach Isao Sugano who both express their zeal for coaching the team. Coach Sugano describes the boys to be “...hungry and ready to play. Many want to be out there practicing and we are seeing substantial progress.”

The team has practice every Monday and Wednesday with matches on Thursdays. Freshmen Mason Siegel and Jules Leclercq qualified for the Tri Valley League individuals where Mason finished 10th and Jules 13th. thefourthestate.net

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Henry Otte

Jack Shielber

Claire Tolles

Sr. Captains PAGE by ADEN MEISEL Claire Tolles (Girls Tennis) “I think being a captain means setting the tone for the rest of the team­—especially for the lower classmen. This means making sure everyone feels comfortable and valued.

I believe that one can only play their best when they’re having fun, loose and relaxed.

If I ever pushed anyone on my team, it was a push to chill out and have fun.

Jack Shiebler (Boys Football) “I think being a captain means that the team has chosen you as someone they want to listen to and respect.

Pushing players will not only help them become better athletes for the rest of their lives, but it will also teach them about themselves and other lessons that can apply to life in general.

I felt very inspired by leadership that previous captains showed—they created a constructive and productive environment that incentivized me to continue playing and rise up to that level of leadership when I became a senior.”

Henry Otte (Boys Soccer) “As a team captain, it’s both an honor and privilege to take on this role. It has taught me patience, empathy, and leadership. Owen and I were amazed to see what a team filled with such young players was able to do.

I am proud of what I’ve learned and what we were able to bring to the table. I believe that it is imperative to push your fellow teammates to become better athletes. Strengthening and motivating fellow players is a must.”

Hanna Masri (Girls Soccer) “Being a captain is special to me because it means that I can give everyone on the team guidance and support on and off the field.

I’ve learned to work hard and balance an active lifestyle with my work. Participating in sports has also helped me socially and taught me to be a better leader, teammate, student and friend.

I remember being on the team as an un underclassmen and looking up to the senior captains—I really love being that person for the underclassman now. “

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ns Showcase PHOTOS by BRAD ELLIOTT and ASHLEE MAYFIELD Frances Carlson (Girls Beach Volleyball) “I feel honored to have been able to be a captain and offer the same encouragement to the younger players that made me love sports when I was their age.

Because beach volleyball is so secluded compared to indoor volleyball, it was very crucial to stress the importance of supporting and cheering during competition days. It makes a huge difference when you hear your teammates cheering you on—especially when they give helpful comments or tips during time-outs.”

Miles Sedlin (Boys Volleyball) “Leadership is an important part of any team. Their job is to make sure that everyone gravitates toward one specific goal, and that is to win every game. It has taught be how to align younger players and all sorts of different people on that goal.

Since I’ve become a senior, high school sports have become a lot more meaningful.

I’ve been thinking since CIF playoffs have started that any of these games could be my last game, and that really hit me.

This motivates me to leave it all out there for the team and for myself so that I can look back knowing I did my best.”

Ben Rodgers (Boys Tennis) “Being a captain to me means showing the new guys the ways of the team, teaching them how to act on and off the court, and leading the team with the goal to inspire. Of all the things being a captain has taught me, patience is probably the biggest one. Our progress this year is definitely a good note to end on for my Laguna sports.”

Catie Fristoe (Girls Swimming) “Being team captain in swimming has been really fun throughout high school. My goal was to just make sure that Kendall and I had a space to swim at Laguna and could compete to represent Laguna.

Because Kendall and I were on the same club team, it was given that we would push and race each other in order to become better athletes. I am very satisfied with where Laguna, combined with the Santa Barbara Swim Club has brought me.” thefourthestate.net

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Frances Carlson

Ben Rodgers

Miles Sedlin