The Forge, Volume 101, Issue 3

THE

SBHS

FORGE

Volume 101, Issue 3

ASB adopts 26 families this holiday season

forge.sbhs@gmail.com

The holiday season is a time of cheer and joy, a time when everyone should feel satisfied with their lives. However, not every family is fortunate enough to experience this luxury. Families who are struggling to get by with low income jobs need help from the Santa Barbara community in order to celebrate the holidays just like any other family. This help comes from churches, community service organizations, and schools that care, including Santa Barbara High School.

This month, ASB gathered and wrapped numerous presents for a local non-profit organization called CALM (Child Abuse Listening and Meditation) to help low income families celebrate the holidays. “Throughout Santa Barbara High School, we sponsored twenty-six families to ASB through CALM’s Adopt-A-Family Program,” said ASB Vice President Talia Vestal, “because it’s just the right thing to do.” Among the gifts were toys, books, and other essentials such as blankets as well as other wish list items.

CALM assesses and treats child abuse in Santa Barbara County through services such as family violence counseling and parent-child interaction therapy for children, adults, and families.

Serving these twenty-six families will help work towards CALM’s goal of supporting 250 families this season.

SBHS also ran a canned food drive for two weeks to help feed those in need during the holidays.

December 19, 2014

Happy holidays from your ASB president

To my fellow Dons, Congratulations! The winter break we have all been looking forward to since… well…Thanksgiving break, is finally here!

As this first semester draws to a close, we would be remiss not to reflect on our year thus far. As a student body we have completed several particularly notable sport seasons; we have put on several dances, a winter pep rally, and donated thousands of dollars to charity. Before all of this though, we have focused on our education. We have done our homework— for the most part—asked questions in class, broadened our career goals, and done all this while still being on time to 5th period. Usually.

Though the trials and triumphs each ASB students Porter Reese and Sunny one of us encounters daily are as varied Probst wrapping presents for families and specialized as the 2,300 Dons who call SBHS home, it is these adventures that in need shape our collective student experience.

Photo courtesy of Marianna Alevra

Marianna Alevra News Editor

thesbhsforge.com

And so the question presents itself, what do YOU contribute to our school community? Perhaps you are making us proud on the basketball court; perhaps the scream team is your domain. Maybe acing tests, or tutoring peers is your forte.

You might spend your lunches breathing life onto blank canvas, writing your opus, skating behind Meister’s back, coding for robots, marketing a product, or just talking with friends. Whatever it is that makes you tick, be it school, a hobby, or otherwise, here is just one challenge. Get involved.

High school is just one big crazy opportunity. Never again will your elementary school classmates and new exotic acquaintances all be sitting next to you in math. And sure, there are a lot of lunches left in your life, but the aroma of the cafeteria, or freedom of Milpas just might not have the same draw when you’re 25. So, roll the dice, join a new

club, talk to that guy sitting behind you, and go to lunch.

Freshmen, you are only given 8 semesters to play this high school game, so play to win. And seniors, it is never too late to join the Ping-Pong club; I am sure they would love to have you.

So whether this first half of the year is ending mercifully (hang in there juniors), nostalgically (senioritis anyone?), or somewhere in between, we’ve got an all–you-can-eat buffet of activities yet to come this year. Filling your plate should be pretty easy!

Thank you for the support. Happy Holidays.

William Belfiore, -A.S.B. President

132 children dead after Peshawar school attack Emma Cisek Editor-in- Chief

On Tuesday, December 16th around 10 a.m. (midnight ET), seven Taliban attackers cut their way through the fences of Army Public School in Peshawar, Pakistan. 145 people were killed in the attack, 132 of which were students, 10 were staff members, and 3 were soldiers. The death toll does not included the terrorists who lead the attack.

To get into the facility, the terrorists set off a bomb inside of a car behind the school, diverting the attention of security guards. The gunmen entered the area where grades 8, 9, and 10 were having classes, and most of the students killed were between the ages of 12 and 16.

By 4 p.m. Pakistani troops had isolated the attackers to four buildings, and a few hours later, all seven attackers were dead.

After an overnight sweep of the school, authorities discovered that the principal was among those dead after the shooting.

The attackers were said to have had enough supplies and ammunition to last for days, and all seven were wearing suicide bomb vests.

Malala Yousafzai, who was shot by the Taliban in October of 2012 spoke out saying she was “heartbroken “heartbroken by this senseless and cold blooded act of terror in Peshawar,” stating that, “innocent children in their school have no place in horror such as this.” Malala has become

School children around the world mourn the loss of their Pakistani counterparts Photo courtesy of ibtimes.co.uk an international icon for her advocacy of education for girls, and last week, became the youngest winner of the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to promote education and girls’ rights.

The Afghan Taliban also spoke out calling the attack un-Islamic and sending their condolences to the families of the victims.

This has been the deadliest attack in

What’s Inside?

News: Protests sweep the Nation

Centerspread: Cheers to the Holidays!

Sports: Amber Melgoza ties record

Pakistan since 2007 when abou 139 were killed and over 250 were wounded in an attack near a procession for exiled former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

Since the attack, people around the world, especially children, have stood in solidarity with the victims, standing up for children’s basic right to education

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December 19, 2014

The Forge

Room 31, 700 E. Anapamu St. Santa Barbara, CA 93103 805.966.9101 ex. 5031

Staff Editors

Emma Cisek Tyler Greenwald Editors-in-Chief Nicola Freeland Layout Editor Edoardo Kaplan Managing Editor Marianna Alevra News Editor Gabriel Reali Nick Blondell Entertainment Editors Blake DeVine Sports Editor Beau Lettieri Website Editor Chris Gulden Opinion Editor

Staff Reporters Emmanuel Gonzalez Mark Gross Alonso Martinez Alyssa Mendibles Lizzie Saunders Sable Layman Kathy Victoria Cyprus Van Inwegen Anastasiya Brice Florentina Lang Elsa Rivera

Freelance Writers David Zevallos Olivia Harris Pheobe Mullen William Belfiore

Photographers Emma Gibson Christopher Sink

Advisor Otto Layman

News Protesters across the country rage against police brutality Marianna Alevra News Editor

Thousands of people across the country marched to protest the deaths of unarmed black men at the hands of the police and to urge lawmakers to take action.

In New York City, at least 25,000 protesters moved from 5th Avenue in Midtown up to Washington Square Park next to New York University in Greenwich Village. Organized by ‘Millions March NYC,’ they called for justice for 18-yearold Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri in August, 43-year-old father of five Eric Garner in Staten Island, New York in July, and Akai Durley, who was fatally shot in a stairwell in East New York last month.

They also call for special prosecutors instead of grand juries to handle cases of alleged police brutality.

Meanwhile in Washington, D.C., thousands gathered in Freedom Plaza and marched down Pennsylvania Avenue, hoisting signs that read “Black Lives Matter” and “Who do you protect? Who do you serve?” Others chanted “Hands up, don’t shoot” and “I can’t breathe” in reference to Garner’s last words gasping for breath while being allegedly arrested for selling untaxed, “loose” cigarettes off the street.

Eric Garner’s mother, Gwen Carr, told CBS, “It’s just so overwhelming to see all who have come to stand with us today. I mean, look at the masses. Black, white, all races, all religion... We need to stand like this at all times.”

Obama’s immigration reform Mark Gross Staff Reporter

Immigration is an issue that affects the entire country. The question of who should be allowed into the country and who should be denied has long haunted our nation.

The other issue is what to do with people who have entered the country illegally.

The debates over these subjects have gone on for years without much change.

President Obama has now grown tired of nothing being done on this issue has has taken matters into his own hands via executive action. On November 15th, the President put his immigration plan into effect. It gives amnesty to all illegal immigrants currently living in the country, which means these immigrants will be pardoned from entering the U.S. illegally and will be allowed to stay. The plan also streamlines the process for all immigrants coming into the country in the future.

“All immigrants coming into this country will find it far easier to immigrate, and we also ask all illegal immigrants to step forward from the shadows,” said President Obama. Already the number of illegal immigrants becoming naturalized citizens has skyrocketed. For better or for worse, the United States is getting far more citizens into the population.

Protests against police brutality have flared up all over the world Photo courtesy of nypost.com Lesley McSpadden, Michael Brown’s mother, addressed the sea of protesters, “If they don’t see this and make a change, then I don’t know what we got to do.

Thank you for having my back.”

Peaceful protests were also conducted here in downtown Santa Barbara after the Ferguson grand jury decided not to indict Officer Darren Wilson for fatally shooting Michael Brown. The crowd began with a demonstration at the Santa Barbara Courthouse. Later, they marched up State Street and Carrillo and ended with a “sit-in” outside the police department headquarters on Figueroa.

However, protests were not always so peaceful in other parts of the country.

They sometimes turned quite violent.

For instance, the people of Ferguson experienced rioting with vandalism, cars and buildings burned, and looting.

To add to that, more extreme, triggering methods of protest were found in UC Berkeley when three cardboard cutouts of black men were found hanging by nooses.

The words “I can’t breathe” were written across one of these cutouts, along with names of past lynching victims. It is still unknown who was responsible for this plan.

But despite some feelings of anger and remorse, there are also signs of a collective self-esteem among these young people in protest that is proving to be a powerful tool. Overall, the people want justice.

Marianna Alevra News Editor

on tuition remaining flat,” said H.D. Palmer, spokesperson for the California department of finance. “The governor has been pleased over the last few years that we’ve been able to keep that commitment to the university.”

But state funding for the UC is currently $460 million below what it was eight years ago despite enrollment growth.

Hans Johnson, senior fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California, says that the reduction in funding is not the result of any malicious plan, but because higher education funding is easy to cut since there is no law to protect it.

According to UC president Janet Napolitano, 5,000 more Californians will be able to enroll in the UC system over the next five years. She also defends the increase by pointing out the reality of much-needed funding.

“We all recognize this is the best public research university in the world,” Napolitano said. “But you can’t have a tuition freeze indefinitely at the current level of state support that we’re receiving.”

Fortunately, 55 percent of California students will continue to have their systemwide fees fully covered. But, 31 percent of these students will have to pay in full, adding $130 million in additional revenue.

UC students protest tuition hike Ever since a committee of the University of California Board of Regents, the university’s governing body, approved a tuition increase plan, hundreds of students have rallied at campuses across the UC system.

In Berkeley, students marched through the city and occupied Wheeler Hall protesting the unaffordability of the plan. At UCLA, dozens of protesters wrote messages in chalk on the walls of Powell Library, such as “Student Power.” Similarly, UCSB students hosted demonstrations at Storke Plaza.

Approved by a 14-7 vote, the plan will increase tuition and fees by at least 5 percent for five years, on top of at least 4 percent increases in funding per year from the state. Currently, tuition is $12,192. For the 2015-16 school year, costs could be as much as $12,804 and as high as $15,564 by the 2019-20 school year--a 28 percent increase--depending on state funding. If state funding for UC rises enough, the plan would allow the hikes to be lowered or eliminated.

This is a stark contrast to what Governor Jerry Brown had hoped for. “The governor remains opposed to a tuition hike on students. Increased funding for UC in the governor’s budget is in fact contingent

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December 19, 2014

News Three dead after hostage situation in Sydney, Australia Emma Cisek Editor-in-Chief

Man Haron Monis was killed after holding cafe hostage Photo courtesy of sbs.com.au

Bradley Stone found dead

Police spent two days searching for Stone Photo courtesy of 6abc.com Emma Cisek Editor-in-Chief

Earlier this week, former Marine Bradley Stone, killed six family members in a tragic shooting spree. Stone’s victims included his ex-wife, Nicole Hill Stone, and mother and law and grandmother, Jo Anne Koder and Patricia Hill. He also targeted his ex-wife’s sister, Trish Flick and her family, killing her husband Aaron Flick and their 14 and 17-year-old children Nina and Anthony. The sole survivor of the attack was 17-year-old Anthony Flick who suffered from lacerations to his arms and fingers as well as a “gaping skull

fracture”.

SWAT teams searched the area for Stone for two days after he had last been seen around 5 a.m. Monday morning. His body was finally found about a half a mile from his home with self inflicted knife wounds. The cause of death however, is unclear. Coroner Dr. Walter Hoffman stated that there was no signs of trauma to Stone’s torso, contradicting statements made by prosecutors. Although there were wounds on the body, they were not found to be cause of death. Toxicology reports will be available next week that will hopefully confirm cause of death.

The hostage situation that took place in downtown Sydney, Australia finally ended early Tuesday morning with three dead, including the suspected gunman. Suspect Man Haron Monis, who called himself “Sheikh Haron” took the cafe during rush hour on Monday, and held 17 hostages for 16 hours. Other than the two civilian casualties confirmed by officials, many were also wounded during the event.

The gunman took over the cafe at 10 a.m. on Monday (6 p.m. ET Sunday).

Several hours later, five of the hostages managed to escape, throwing Monis into a fit of violence and anger. Tuesday morning, police began throwing flashbang grenades into the cafe, causing gunfire to erupt from inside. A team of Australian special forces troops and police then entered the building from two sides and killed the gunman.

Monis was an Iranian refugee in his late 40s who was given 300 hours of community service last year after being found guilty of writing offensive letters to the families of soldiers killed in Afghanistan. Monis has also been charged as an accessory to the murder of his exwife and the sexual assault of a woman in 2002. Law enforcement sources say Monis has no connections with any potential plot in the U.S. A U.S. intelligence source confirmed that the man was known to authorities in the Australia and has been arrested

A memorial nearby the scene of the crime is filled with flowers Photo courtesy of Tumblr previously for extremist activity. So far there have been no indications that Monis had any direct connection with international terrorist organizations.

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December 19, 2014

Opinion The Three C’s of the Season: Capitalism, Commercialism and Christmas

A defense of pep rallies

Anastasiya Brice Staff Reporter

David Zevallos In response to Freelance Writer Emmanuel Gonzales’ article from the November issue of The Forge which discussed the value of pep rallies, the students who participate in ASB felt obligated to a rebuttal. A survey of approximately 535 students yielded surprising results on the issue of pep rallies; 83.25 percent of students reported that pep rallies are the best part of school, while 63 percent attributed their success in school entirely to pep rallies. Senior William Belfiore commented, “I would much rather go to a pep rally than go to Disneyland, Europe, or an Ivy League,” and when asked to describe pep rallies in one word, senior Saul Nadis said, “Classic.”

There was a strong minority opinion however, and 10th grader Pablo Del Prado said that he “gets nothing out of pep rallies, and that they are a waste of time.”

However, further investigations revealed that Pablo is actually just an undercover student from San Marcos.

We sat down with the renowned historian Kelly Biswell, to get his real insight on the foundation of pep rallies and why they have had such lasting influence on life at Santa Barbara High School.

When asked, Biswell replied that “I just love them, they truly make the world a better place, and each of us better too.” We also launched an in depth investigation of the Forge staff reporter Emmanuel Gonzales, and we were shocked to find a plethora of San Marcos memorabilia in his bedroom. When confronted outside of his bedroom, Emmanuel replied “Yeah, I bleed Royal Red and Blue, what’s it to you?” The real reason behind his anti-pep rally article has been exposed. For more results of our surveys and other shocking details, go to our Instagram account @ TotalFratMove.

What image comes to mind when you think of Christmas?

Is it the lights, or the thought of family?

Maybe for you, like for many other Americans, Christmas means presents, sales, and shopping. Over the past few decades, stores and businesses have taken over Christmas and changed its meaning for many of us. Nowadays, Christmas has come to mean catching all the good sales wherever they come.

Christmas used to be all about family and friends. Everyone would gather around the huge dinner table filled with food, candles, and happiness. They would talk about the memories they shared together and tell old stories of the family’s past, remember the relatives who could not make it this Christmas, and talk about how much they were missed and then drink in their favor. The holiday season would be about the decorations, the lights, the trees, the carolers, the gingerbread cookies and the gingerbread houses.

Where has all that meaning gone?

When did everything become so commercialized? This year, the National Retail Federation has projected that Americans will spend more than 600 billion dollars during the holiday season.

The holiday season is the one that decides if a store will make or break it. Where people shop determines which stores will survive through the holiday season, and

Spending money on gifts has now become the center of the holiday season Photo courtesy of moneytalks.com which ones will fail and fall into the deep dark abyss of capitalism.

Americans spend more on Christmas than any other nation. In fact, Americans spend more on absolutely every other holiday than any other country as well.

Consequently, we have lost the meaning of what Christmas really is and what it has meant throughout generations before there was a Macy’s or a Nordstrom. Christmas used to mean family gatherings, huge dinners, wonderful lights and trees, singing and celebration. Now it is all just,

“Sales! Sales! Buy more stuff and look how cheap it is!”

Next time you’re thinking of buying that totally amazing gadget that does that cool thing that you will never use, try to stop, back up, think about your family, and how you can change this Christmas to actually mean something. Take a step away from capitalism and commercialism, and go into the real meaning of the season: family, togetherness and love.

one. For example, neither one of these sources gives those with an opposing view a chance to speak. Have you ever seen somebody from San Marcos High School on C6AN give any of their opinions?

Exactly.

Channel 2 Action News actually hides all coverage of the incarceration ASB does against people of color at this school.

They showcase mindless commercials while handing out detention slips to lock up students. Do you know who happens to comprise more than 90% of the detention room at school? Latino students. Nate Owens, grade 12, says, “The injustice being done by the oppressive police state against minorities and women must come to an end.”

I spoke to supporters of C2AN who believe that it is a respected institution.

Matt Murray, grade 12, says, “It is there to remind us that we must follow the school rules and how speaking out against ASB is dangerous to the safety of students.” Kelly Biswell, grade 12, vehemently expressed, “David Zevallos is my HERO! How dare you say that he is lying to us! He is the ideal human we should all strive to be.

Chiseled by the gods to be a GOD!” I’m not sure if these people are brainwashed or crazy, but I hope they find help sometime in the near future.

Every day we choose to ignore the problem we sink deeper into an authoritarian state. We must set up a protest against ASB. We will likely be met by the SBHS PD Riot squad, but we must fight. It probably won’t be long before ASB censors the Forge, and our last source of free press would be gone.

Wake up Santa Barbara Emmanuel Gonzales I have Staff Reporter recently been doing a lot of investigation into the police state that ASB is running at SBHS and I can, without a doubt, say that the most serious threat to our well-being that I’ve come across is Channel 2 Action News. It appears as though C2AN is run by ASB’s Secretary of Propaganda, David Zevallos, grade 12, who coincidentally has a segment on the network. My research has led me to the conclusion that C2AN is similar to Fox News in many ways.

First of all, C2AN, just like Fox, is being used to spread a political agenda by brainwashing the public with charisma and fear. They are both portrayed as being fair and balanced news sources, even though any semi-conscious person could tell you that this is not the case for either

Shia Labouf opens up about “alleged” rape Alyssa Mendibles Shia Labeouf Staff Reporter recently claimed that he was raped at his #IAMSORRY performance art exhibit.

The event took place in Los Angeles during February, where Labeouf silently met members of the public one at a time, without leaving, for five days straight.

During an email interview with Dazed Magazine he stated that a woman had entered the exhibit and raped him. He

told the Dazed reporter that “One woman who came in with her boyfriend, who was outside the door when this happened, whipped my legs for ten minutes and then stripped off my clothing and proceeded to rape me...There were hundreds of people in line when she walked out with disheveled hair and smudged lipstick.”

In addition, there were even witnesses.

The people waiting in line to get in to the exhibit saw the woman who raped

Labeouf and did not do anything to stop her, or to help Shia Labeouf. However, there are some who don’t believe this is the truth. For example, Piers Morgan, who has publicly insulted Labeouf via Twitter about the tragic incident, says that Labeouf claiming that he has been raped is insulting to real rape victims. Morgan stated his opinion in public, saying, “People are actually defending Shia Labeouf. continued on page 5

Editorial/Opinion Policy: While we will do everything possible to grant the greatest range of free expression to our contributors, The Editorial Staff and Faculty reserve the right to edit for objectionable language and space constraints.

The views and opinions published in The Forge newspaper are not necessarily those of The Forge or any of its affiliated organizations, including Santa Barbara High School, advertisers, and so forth.

Each editorial represents only the views of the specific reporter(s).

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December 19, 2014

Features

I.S. In the Mind of God: A Conversation on Terrorism and Religion with Professor Mark Juergensmeyer In August of this year, Ed Kaplan Managing Editor the world was shocked by a gruesome video showing the beheading by the Islamic State (I.S.) of the American journalist James Foley. Foley, who had been taken hostage by I.S. a couple of years earlier while working in Syria, was the first victim in a series of highly publicized executions that the organization has carried out in recent months and taped for the whole world to watch.

Ever since I.S. took to the world, questions have been raised about the scope and goals of the organization. Little known by the wider public before the infamous videos, I.S.’s scope and goals remain elusive to many of us. To address some of the information gaps on I.S., I recently had a conversation with Mark Juergensmeyer, a professor of religion and global studies at UCSB and a renowned scholar of the relation between religion and terrorism. Professor Juergensmeyer has written several influential books that have become best-sellers, including Terror in the Mind of God. I caught Professor Juergensmeyer in-between his busy teaching schedule and frequent travels to Washington D.C., where he is a consultant for the government on religious violence.

I began by asking Professor Juergensmeyer why terrorism is erupting around the world and why religion is a part of it. Professor Jurgensemeyer had an original approach to answering the question.

“I did something very simple. I went out and talked with people, as simple as that.

I talked with people who were engaged in violence and involved in some horrible acts of terrorism, including the bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993. What I found out in talking to all these people was that they all defined what they had done as an act of war. They did not consider themselves terrorists, but soldiers in a great fight. With their actions they meant to show that the war was real. In sum, what I learned from talking to people involved in terrorist attacks all over the world is that they all had a vision of warfare that they linked to their religious tradition; they believed in a great “cosmic war.” And they were trying to make this “cosmic war” real by showing people that it was not just imagination. Their

acts were performances, which is why I came up with the definition of terrorism as performance violence, an act in the public arena that tries to draw you into the terrorists’ view of the world.”

What do you think the United States’ role should be when confronting I.S.?

“The terrorists would really like for us to come at them with guns, like an army, which would prove that their idea of the great fight, the “cosmic war,” is true. This makes America’s response very difficult. After 9/11 we attacked and invaded Afghanistan; then two years later we attacked and invaded Iraq, which had nothing to do with 9/11. In my mind, this just made things worse, because it advertised to the world, particularly to the Muslim world, that Osama Bin Laden was right about his vision of the world at war with Muslims. I think the US also has a certain moral responsibility, simply because it is the most powerful nation in the world momentarily. If all hell is breaking loose in one part of the world and people are dying, if we could do something that would keep people from being killed and oppressed, we should do it.”

How did I.S. come to power?

“Al-Baghdadi, who is the leader of I.S., had been a part of Al Qaeda ten years ago in Iraq. When I went over and talked with these people after the U.S. invasion and occupation, I discovered that the Sunni tribal leaders were really furious that the Americans were supporting the Shia; they were afraid they were going to be marginalized. That’s why they were supporting Al Qaeda. Eventually the U.S. changed its policy, took American troops out of the western region of Iraq and empowered the Sunni tribal leaders to fight against Al Qaeda. Al-Baghdadi was defeated and ever since he has been trying to regain power. His time has now come. The Shia faction is in power and is treating the Sunnis like dirt. So once again they say, ‘Hey Al-Baghdadi, do you want to come in and put us back into power?’

The same thing happened in Syria.

I.S. is a very small organization, but they rule by terror, and they rule by terror in their own communities. If anyone challenges them, their head gets chopped off. I mean, they really will chop

Mark Juergensmeyer is a professor of religion and global studies at UCSB Photo courtesy of juergenmeyer.org

off someone’s head and put it up on a fence just to scare the crap out of people.

Personally, I don’t think that state of fear will last forever; it’s not a winning strategy for getting people to like you, but at least for right now this keeps them in power.

They could last for a long time unless two things happen. One, their resources are taken away, which would involve the Americans bombing the oil fields. Second, the Sunnis will start to feel like they no longer need them. This would imply that Baghdad or Damascus are more open to the Sunni. If that happened, I.S. would disappear overnight.”

What is I.S. strategy and what is its difference from Al Qaeda?

“Al-Baghdadi wants to focus on consolidating power for the Sunni and ruling territory in the Middle East. He is not at global war with the United States, which is Al Qaeda’s main goal instead.”

Continued from page 4 The world’s gone mad. He’s invented a supposed ‘rape’ for cheap public relations - utterly shameful.” Morgan continued, “Shia Labeouf’s claim to have been ‘raped’ is truly pathetic and demeans real rape victims. Grow up you silly little man” It is sad that people aren’t willing to believe LaBeouf about his rape. In my opinion, he would not have lied about being raped. As he was at the exhibit for five whole days, he didn’t get to see his girlfriend even though it was Valentine’s Day. He told the Dazed reporter that, “It was no good, not just for me but her man as well. On top of that, my girl was in

line to see me, because it was Valentine’s Day and I was living in the gallery for the duration of the event - we were separated for five days, no communication. So it really hurt her as well, as I guess the news of it traveled through the line. When she came in she asked for an explanation, and I couldn’t speak, so we both sat with this unexplained trauma silently. It was painful.” If Shia LaBeouf’s rape claim was truly a “hoax”, then why would he and his girlfriend silently remain sitting there inside of the exhibit? Collaborators from the #IAMSORRY exhibit have spoken out on LaBeouf’s claim. One collaborator is a

British artist, Luke Turner. He posted on Twitter, “As soon as we were aware of the incident starting to occur, we put a stop to it and ensured that the women left.” He talked about how they really just wanted the woman to leave more than anything.

The Shia LaBeouf rape claim is true. If it wasn’t, there wouldn’t have been so many people who witnessed the woman leaving the exhibit, nor would LaBeouf’s girlfriend and the collaborator back up LaBeouf’s claim.

Finally I asked Professor Juergensmeyer why he thinks Iran is important toward finding a solution to the I.S. phenomenon and what else he sees would help stop I.S. “As I said earlier, the way that I.S. would come to an end would be if its resources dried up or if the Sunni ceased to be oppressed by the Shia-run Syria and Iraq. Well, Iran is right next door to Iraq, and they have a lot of influence over the Iraqi government. They are also the major suppliers of arms and weapons to Syria.

Syria relies heavily on Iran, so Iran, if it wanted to, could tell both of those powers to ‘cool it’ and be more open to the Sunnis.

The reason I.S. is supported by normal Sunni tribe people is because these people are looking for respect and some way to get involved in public life. If given a better opportunity, they will take it and will drop I.S. like a hot potato.”

Submit letters to the editor at forge.sbhs@ gmail.com!

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December 19, 2014

Holiday albums by your fave celebs A Very Gaga Holiday -Lady Gaga 8 Days of Christmas -Destiny’s Child The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection This Christmas -John Travolta & Olivia (2011) (2001) -Taylor Swift (2007) Newton John (2012)

A Very Merry Perri Christmas -Christina Christmas in the Sand -Colbie Caillet Perri (2012) (2012)

Home for Christmas -N’Sync (1998)

Christmas (2013)

Kisses

-Ariana

Grande

Mason Jar holiday gifts

Stumped on what to give your secret santa? Have a white elephant party to prep for?

Here are some quick and easy gift ideas that conveniently fit in a jar!

Caramel apple in a jar

Photo courtesy of sodahead.com Ingredients 8 oz wide mouth mason jar 12 wrapped caramels ¼ cup mini M&M’s Small apple Lollipop stick 1 teaspoon water

seconds at 50% power.

4. Stir and microwave for another 1530 seconds at 50% power and stir until smooth. Be sure to watch very carefully.

5. Insert stick into apple and dip apple in the melted caramel using a knife to add caramel to the entire apple.

6. Dip and roll the caramel apple into Instructions the mini M&M’s.

1. Remove mini M&M’s and place them 7. Fill in any empty places by adding in the lid.

M&M’s with your fingers.

2. Unwrap the caramels and place the in 8. Gently press mini M&M’s into the the mason jar. caramel and set it on a piece of parchment 3. Add water and microwave for 60 paper.

Cinnamon sugar popcorn

Photo and recipe courtesy of cookingwithmykid.com Ingredients: heat.

1/2 cup organic popcorn kernels 4. While still warm shake cinnamon vegetable oil sugar mixture onto popcorn and stir 2 tablespoons granulated sugar mixed together. Transfer to bowl and serve with 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon immediatly.

Instructions 1. Cover the bottom of a large pot with oil and place over medium heat.

2. Add kernels, cover loosely and wait for popping.

3. When popping starts, lower the heat and shake the pot.

4. Once popping slows remove from

For an even more festive touch, when putting together this gift, package the cinnamon-sugar mixture in a small, transparent Christmas ornament that the recipient can use again!

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December 19, 2014

Christmas trivia that will have you ho ho ho’ing

Hanukkah facts that will make you “challah”

1. When visiting Finland, Santa leaves his sleigh behind and rides on a goat named Ukko. Finnish folklore has it that Ukko is made of straw, but is strong enough to carry Santa Claus anyway.

2. When distributing gifts in Holland, St. Nicholas is accompanied his servant, Black , who is responsible for actually dropping the presents down their recipients’ chimneys.

He also punishes bad children by putting them in a bag and carrying them away to Spain.

3. Christmas has different meanings around the world; Christmas Eve in Japan is a good day to eat fried chicken and strawberry shortcake.

4. Leftovers can sometimes be your enemy. Spoilt leftovers are responsible for 400,000 cases of post Christmas associated illnesses.

5. Christmas is a great time to exercise. You will walk an average of five miles between the parking lot and stores, however, don’t let this give you a false sense of security, most people still gain those pesky Christmas pounds despite this.

6. Forego throwing out your Christmas tree and make it lunch. The Evergreen is actually edible, well most parts of it anyway. In addition, it is nutrient enriched, so if you take the advice stated previously you’d be getting a good source of Vitamin C and roughage. Don’t mind that you will be eating a tree; it’s just one step away from any other vegetable.

7. Kris Kringle really lives in the North Pole. But guess what he foregoes the reindeer and drives a 1984 Ford Tempo, additionally; he delivers Pizza instead of working in a magical toy shop.

1. There are at least 44 candles in each box of Hanukkah candles, enough for one person to light the hanukkiyah according to tradition every night. Some boxes include extra candles as they tend to break easily.

2. The average 100-gram sufganiyah (doughnut) packs 400-600 calories. One potato latke has about 150 calories, svinge (a Moroccan cruller) 350-442 calories, and chocolate coins 220 calories each. Israelis devour some 24 million sufganiyot during the eight-day holiday – adding up to 10.8 billion calories.

3. Hanukkah also goes by the names of the Festival of Lights and Feast of Dedication.

As if multi-names weren’t enough, the holiday also has a variety of transliterated English spellings — thanks to the guttural Hebrew sound of the first letter, which cannot be rendered properly in English.

4. Israeli author/politician Avram Burg is said to have the largest dreidel collection in the world, counting more than 3,500.

5. Though it is one of the most well-known and celebrated Jewish festivals, Hanukkah is actually a more minor holiday, according to religious tradition, than Passover, Rosh Hashana or Yom Kippur. The holiday is not even mentioned in the Torah.

6. The menorah is a seven-branched candelabra used in synagogues. The hanukkiyah is a nine-branched candelabra used during Hanukkah. Because the hanukkiyah can also be called a Hanukkah menorah, confusion often sets in.

7. According to accepted rules, you should place the candles right to left to correspond with the direction in which you read the Hebrew language. But you should light the candles from left to right, giving more attention to the new candle first.

Recognize this man? No, not Santa

15 songs turning 10 this New Year 1. “Bad Day” -Daniel Powter 2. “Hollaback Girl” -Gwen Stefani 3. “You’re Beautiful” -James Blunt 4. “Don’t Cha” -The Pussycat Dolls & Busta Rhymes 5. “Wake Me Up When September Ends” -Green Day 6. “Because of You” -Kelly Clarkson 7. “My Humps” -Black Eyed Peas 8. “Since U Been Gone” -Kelly Clarkson 9. “Gold Digger” -Kanye West 10. “Mr. Brightside” -The Killers

We all love laughing at crying children, but something that makes it even better? When Santa is double-timing as The Forge advisor. Shown right is Otto Layman dressed as Santa at Berkshire Hathaway. (We threw in the other picture just for giggles.)

11. “Beverly Hills” -Weezer 12. “Drop It Like Its Hot” -Snoop Dogg 13. “Collide” -Howie Day 14. “She Will Be Loved” -Maroon 5 15. “Beautiful Soul” -Jesse McCartney

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December 19, 2014

Features December Horoscopes

Staff spotlight: Ms. Ruth Nick Blondell Enterainment Editor

Patricia Ruth’s years at Santa Barbara High School have been anything but calm.

Florentina Lang Originally a college professor at Scripps Staff Reporter College in Claremont, the former chair of the English Department moved to Santa Capricorn (December 23-January Barbara with her family, and when a 19): Get all the answers to your teacher was fired, acquired an emergency questions, build your future and control teaching credential, and began teaching your destiny. This is your month! high school English. “There are many Aquarius (January 20-February 18): good things that high school teachers do You and your beloved friends will go out that college professors never learn,” she a lot and you’ll enjoy the last part of the said, and she has said multiple times that year. Singles, get out there and have fun, she “saw the light,” and that is why she you will meet some interesting people. still teaches high school.

Pisces (February 19-March 20): You Sixteen years later, she is now one have to work harder to reach your goals. of the most-loved teachers at SBHS. Believe in yourself and have faith. There However, her teaching path was always will be a great surprise for you at the end a little rocky. When the district required of this year. her to acquire a real teaching credential, Aries (March 21-April 20): Love is in she was a full-time teacher at SBHS, a the air. You can’t stop thinking about this full-time graduate student at UCSB, and one person and he or she will make you a full-time single mother of three boys at very happy this month. the same time. “In retrospect,” she said, Taurus (April 21-May 20): You could “I have no idea how I did that. I guess I have some misunderstandings with your didn’t sleep.” family and close friends under the moon position. Let it go, everything will fall in place from the 7th onwards.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) :Throughout the month, my Gemini, you Compiled by Sable Layman will be very accommodating and you will Staff Reporter stay away from conflict. You’ll also bathe in total harmony. This will allow your cells to regain their health!

Cancer (June 21-July 22): You are very generous and you do generous things to all the people around you. But don’t wait too long for something to return from the people at the receiving end of your acts of generosity. You will be grateful for small things.

Leo (July 23-August 22): The start of this month will be quite difficult for you, don’t take things too serious. The planet Neptune will make you a dreamer. Don’t be too quiet, you get rest but you don’t feel like yourself. You miss action!

Virgo (August 23-September 22): Here is the month during which you won’t have a minute to lose, you’ll be everywhere at once and you’ll do everything for everyone. Don’t be too nice, darling, people might use you.

Libra (September 23-October 23): Winter is your favorite time of the year and you are so excited, you can’t decide what to do first, baking cookies, decorating the tree or wrapping presents for your family. Happy Holidays!

Scorpio (October 24-November 22): Take it easy and don’t stress. In this month you’ll tend to overthink things and you’ll get worried for no reason. Don’t care too much for people who aren’t worth it. Live your life the way you want to and not the way others expect you to.

Be your own hero and stay strong.

Sagittarius (November 23-December 22): Make the last chapter of this year unforgettable. You will have the time of your life and you will be thankful for what you’ve got.

Ms. Ruth has been teaching AP English for 12 years Photo courtesy of Nick Blondell Her favorite texts to teach are William Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, except she said a case could be made for both Twelfth Night or Hamlet, both of which are by Shakespeare.

However, there are certain times where one can see that she raised three boys.

Teens Tweet

The Forge staff would like to remind everyone to use social media safely.

When talking about films, she told me that “Die Hard is the greatest Christmas movie of all time.” Her 12 years of teaching Advanced Placement have inspired many students to be writers, and SBHS should be glad that Ms. Ruth is still lending her talents to our students.

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December 19, 2014

Entertainment Beyonce and Sam Smith crush Grammy polls Gabe Reali It’s scary to Entertainment Editor think that there are artists who were nominated for Grammys just 5 years ago, who are nowhere to be found in the industry today. Everyone knows that the music industry has changed and is constantly changing, but never in a million years would I have expected “Anaconda” to be nominated for a Grammy. In my mind the Grammys are for world class singers like Stevie Wonder, Adele, Justin Timberlake, Sam Smith, Celine Dion, and insanely talented producers like David Foster, or Max Martin. However, after doing some research I found this years “shocking” nominees are not all that surprising. Six years ago Daft Punk was nominated for several awards and even won the Dance category for “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger.” Five years ago The Black Eyed Peas dominated with their repetitive, yet revolutionary electronic music including “I Gotta Feeling” and “Boom Boom Pow.” Part of the confusion is that people don’t understand exactly what’s being nominated. When something is nominated for record of the year, they are referring to the producers, etc. Song of the year is for the lyrics so the award goes to the songwriters. And awards that are for performance go to the singer. I asked over 200 students on campus and got some of their opinions. Results showed first and foremost that Beyonce is queen, and Sam Smith is another fan favorite.

Emma Cisek Its no secret that boy Editor-in-Chief bands have been making a comeback in a big way.

From One Direction to 5 Seconds of Summer to The Wanted, young musicians have been sweeping the music charts lately, and stealing young girl’s hearts along the way. With these huge bands dominating the pop music scene, who would want to compete? The answer: Rixton. This young group of four hailing from Manchester, England has already made a name for themselves on the charts with their number one single “Me and My Broken Heart”, but coming early next year, the boys will be releasing their first full album Let The Road, and The Forge got an exclusive sneak peek.

The Forge got access to five of the band’s new songs, including “Me and My Broken Heart”, and from what we can tell, these boys are going to make it big. The band breaks away from the typical boy band mold; with a more unique look and style, they don’t look like they’ve been growing in aquariums in Simon Cowell’s basement, and they’re sound is different too. Not different like “Wow I’ve never heard anything like this before!”, but different in the sense that they’re doing their own thing and it is going to stay that way. While some of their songs such as “Appreciated” and “Hotel Ceiling” channel One Direction’s developing sound, their more upbeat tunes like “Wait On Me” and “We All Want the Same Thing” have a less poppy more rock vibe that could be compared to Maroon 5.

(Yes, the lead vocalist Jake Roche is that talented.)

In the looks department, as a die-hard One Direction fan, I can’t say these boys meet my standards, but like I said, they’re different, and they still have the requisite great hair. They’re also late bloomers for the music scene, while One Direction and 5SOS started their careers in their teens, the members of Rixton are already in their twenties, which has given them more time to get tattoos, piercings, and a more gentlemanly sense of style.

With One Direction kicking off another tour in 2015, it’s not unlikely that they’ll take Rixton in under their wings like they did with 5SOS and have them as their opening act. Rixton’s album Let The Road will be released January 13, 2015 and soon you’ll see these British hunnies plastered all over your Tumblr dashboard.

FOUR album review Kathy Victoria Staff Reporter

Throughout their four years as a band, One Direction has won a total of 178 awards. The major awards they’ve claimed this year are a Guinness World Record for Highest Debut by a UK group on the US singles chart with “Live While We’re Young”, 2 BRIT Awards for British Video and BRITs Global Success, and an IFPI Global Recording Artist Award. They’ve also recently won 3 American Music Awards for Artist of the Year, Favorite Pop/Rock Album with Midnight Memories, and Favorite Pop/ Rock Band; as well as an ARIA Music Award for Best International Artist. Apart from being musically successful, they’ve also released their fragrance You & I in early August which won a Pure Beauty Award for Best New Design & Packing.

One Direction have been very busy, recently finishing their European, North, and South American Where We Are tour and releasing a concert film of the tour in early October. One Direction also gave their fans a 24 hour opportunity to download a track from their upcoming fourth album, FOUR, called “Fireproof” on September 8, 2014. Later on, the first single of the album, “Steal My Girl”, was released on September 29, 2014, which topped the iTunes singles chart in the U.S and reached number 1 on Billboard Top Twitter Tracks. The second single “Night Changes” was released 3 days before the album hit the market. Once FOUR was available in stores it reached number 1 in 146 countries.

The album consists of 16 tracks,

The British are coming!

One Direction’s newest album was released in early November Photo courtesy of sugarscape.com and although I enjoy all of the songs, there are a few I prefer the most. My favorites are “18”, “Fool’s Gold”, “Once In A Lifetime”, “Night Changes”, and “Spaces”, which all share an acoustic and mellow vibe to them; the type of songs you’d listen to while being wrapped up in a blanket and drinking hot chocolate on a rainy day. Apart from those peaceful and slow songs, the album also includes great upbeat songs such as “Stockholm Syndrome”, “No Control”, “Illusion”,

“Where Do Broken Hearts Go” and “Clouds”. They’re great for getting one in a pumped up mood when feeling a bit blue; songs that you’d enjoy blasting, dancing, and screaming the lyrics to when you’re left home alone. I have to give the One Direction lads a pat on the back for making yet another great album. Honestly, even if you’re not a fan of the boys, I think this album will help change your mind.

Along with them being sweet and humble dudes, they’ve really developed as a band.

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December 19, 2014

Sports

When fantasy money becomes real debt Over the Nick Blondell Entertainment Editor past few years, the Federal Government has been cracking down on online poker and sports betting websites.

However, there has been a recent resurgence in sports gambling in the form of daily fantasy sports websites. These sites, which allow “players” to wager amounts of money, usually large, on the performances of certain professional athletes, are protected by federal law, which exempts fantasy sports from online gambling’s restrictions. Popular sites, such as FanDuel and DraftKings, have been simply collecting the dough whilst users peddle away their earnings. In fact, FanDuel expects to bring in 40 million dollars in revenue at the end of 2014.

These websites, although protected by a loophole, are most definitely gambling outlets, and have come to annoy many professionals in the sports business; in fact, the NHL has publicly denounced daylong fantasy sports with monetary value. “It becomes akin to a flip of the coin, which is the definition of gambling,” said Robert Bowman, the chief executive of Major League Baseball Advanced Media, the league’s Internet company, in March 2013. Fantasy sports have been around forever, and many leagues include entry fees and payouts to the winners.

However, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Act of 2006 established their legality by including certain exemptions, the major one stating that wagers on games of skill were legal, as long as the said games were not determined by the outcome of a single game or the performance of a single player.

Then the Internet sped things up.

The popularity of yearlong fantasy sports weakened as fans became accustomed to the instant gratification and continual interaction in every walk of life, and so businesses began to experiment with games that took place over shorter time spans. These games have taken on various forms. Sometimes, they operate like season-long fantasy sports, but the most popular matches usually cap at about a week. Free games simply aren’t risky anymore, and so they have declined in popularity.

These games also have affected our school’s population. Although only 26 percent of our student body plays fantasy sports, 92 percent of those users play with money at stake, usually in large sums.

Said one user: “I blew $10 dollars last week,” finishing “it sucks!” Recently, an another anonymous user was heard saying that he had lost up to 40 dollars over the past week using FanDuel. Clearly, these “sports” are costing students real money

Men at work?

Photo courtesy of FanDuel.com in real time. Also, this problem only seems to dwell in the minds of the school’s male population. Although some girls certainly use websites like FanDuel and DraftKings, the percentage is minute compared to the percentage of men who play. Is this a problem in the mindset of teenage boys?

Perhaps it has to do with the classic alphamale dogma, or maybe it is because men

are more likely to gamble than women.

Overall, these games are simply not worth the risk. Although major winnings are possible, the downside is awkwardly apparent when players, usually men, begin to view fantasy football as a full-time job.

And let’s be honest: guessing how well players will do is not a solid way to earn money.

I definitely give a lot of credit to both my dad and my club coach, Vince Thomas.

My dad has supported me throughout my entire life and always helps me when I need it, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without my coach.

score more goals and as a team we want to go all the way and try to win CIF.

You are only a sophomore and have already officially committed to play for UNC, what other options were you thinking about and what made you choose North Carolina?

I would say the most memorable experience was when we were playing San Marcos and I was trying to make a play on the ball and the goalie ran over my face.

It’s hard to forget something like that.

I was very interested in Stanford and a couple of other schools but I ended up choosing North Carolina because I really liked the campus and also just the whole area of Chapel Hill where the school is located. The program is great and I love the coaches, it’s my dream school.

Your brother is committed to play soccer at Stanford and I know both of your parents are heavily involved in the sport, how has soccer being so prevalent in your family influenced your young career?

Rising athlete: Alea Hyatt

Hyatt has commited to attend UNC Chapel Hill in 2017 Photo courtesy of Lizzie Saunders Tyler Greenwald Editor-in-Chief

The Santa Barbara high school coaching staff was quick to smack the name “Alea Hyatt” down on the varsity soccer roster last year, and after an impressive season with the Dons, it didn’t take long for the University of North Carolina to do the same. Alea was named to the 1st team AllConference and 1st team All-Area after her freshman season and immediately became a hot commodity to multiple Division 1 colleges around the country. After careful deliberation, Alea has recently committed to play for the University of North Carolina in 2017 where she will be one step closer to achieving her ultimate goal

of playing for the U.S. Women’s National Team. Soccer is quite a familiar topic in the Hyatt household, which plays a big role in Alea’s considerable success. Her father is a former college soccer player, and her brother Colin, a senior at SBHS, has already committed to play for Stanford next fall.

A bright future awaits the soccer phenom, and she will be counted on to serve as the catalyst for the Dons’ offense this season..

What are your expectations as you proceed in the direction of playing at the collegiate level?

What’s the most memorable experience from your freshman season at Santa Barbara High?

Having that soccer nature in our house is really helpful because I know I can talk to anyone of my family members about it and they will be able to relate. Almost everything we do is revolved around playing soccer and so it forces me to work harder because I’m constantly playing and constantly thinking about it so I gradually just get better and better.

There is a lot of preparation involved and my coach is already helping me get ready because he is very familiar with the program at UNC and their style of play.

I’m excited but also really scared because What are your overall goals both in and I know I’m going to be playing with after college, do you want to become a and against a lot of experienced seniors professional player or are you looking for that are much bigger and faster than the a different career path? competition I face now.

As far as college goes, I want to be a first What are your goals both as a team year starter and make the NCAA 1st team. and individually as you start your second After college I want to play professionally Who do you credit most for your overall varsity season at Santa Barbara High? and travel a lot but I ultimately want to success in the sport of soccer not only this play for the United States and get a chance season but previous seasons as well?

Individually I hope to make a much to play in the World Cup. bigger impact than I did last year and

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December 19, 2014

Sports Dons off to strong start in Channel League season Blake DeVine Despite losing some Sports Editor talented seniors after graduation, Santa Barbara’s girls water polo team has been able to find success early on this season.

The Dons have had to fill many holes on a team which lost some quality players from last year’s squad.

“Last season, we graduated four starting seniors so we are learning how to replace them right now. We only have two returning players in the field, so we are trying to fill those shoes with some sophomores and freshman,” said head coach Mark Walsh.

Recently, Santa Barbara came up victorious in emphatic fashion over Buena in their Channel League opener. The Dons defeated the Bulldogs 12-0 at the SBHS Pool on Tuesday afternoon.

“At this point in time, we have a lot more experienced girls than they do,” added coach Walsh. “Some of their girls hadn’t played any water polo before they got to high school. Most of our girls have, so right now we have much better team.”

Freshman Grace Raisin scored a season high of four goals. Among six other Dons to score was Lauren Duggan, who scored her first varsity goal. Jessee Ransone had team high four assists and made two saves while playing goalie during the fourth period.

“Our team is really close so we do a lot of team bonding activities together. This has helped us overall and has translated into the team working really well together,” commented senior goalkeeper Sienna Goggia.

Previous to this, Ransone scored in the final seconds of regulation to force overtime and Kailie McGeoy delivered the game winner as Santa Barbara defeated Agoura 7-6 in a non-league girls water polo match.

Down 6-5 on their final possession, Ransone took a pass from Jessie Brummett and scored with eight seconds left in the game. It was Brummett’s fourth assist of the game.

“Last year, Jessee Ransone was our top sub and now she has moved in as a starter. She has played really well for us while logging a ton of minutes,” added Goggia.

Before that victory, the Dons earned a split in its pair of matches on December 6th. Santa Barbara started the day with an 8-6 win over Edison before being outscored 14-11 against Los Alamitos.

Brummett and Ransone scored three goals apiece for the Dons. Raisin and Georgia Ransone scored their first varsity goals. Goggia chipped in with a solid performance in goal with eight saves.

Against Los Alamitos, Kristina Garcia

Santa Barbara’s Lauren Duggan looks for a pass during a matchup versus Buena on Tuesday.

Photo courtesy of Blake DeVine

broke out of her scoring slump in a big way, rocketing in nine goals to break the school’s single-game scoring record.

Ransone added two goals while Raisin had a team-high four assists and three steals.

When asked his expectations for his team this season, coach Walsh responded: “During the year, we will compete as hard as we can. I expect us to play hard and

smart each and every game.”

With the victory over Buena, the Santa Barbara improve to (3-2 overall). The Dons also played yesterday versus arch rival San Marcos. The team plays host to Montebello tomorrow.

Brace paces Dons past Nipomo in Non-League romp Tyler Greenwald Editor-in-Chief

Santa Barbara coach David Bregante was able to rotate an entire 12-man roster en route to a 91-42 demolition over Nipomo in a non-league matchup at J.R. Richard’s Gymnasium on Friday.

Bolden Brace led the team with a double-double, sinking 24 points and snatching 15 rebounds, marking his third straight performance posting a game high.

“We did a really good job pushing the ball in transition,” said Brace. “We had guys spreading the court and Ben (Clay) was able to open things up in the middle so I was able to get a lot of good shots and convert my opportunities.”

Ben Brown went 3-for-3 on the day from behind the arc and finished with 14 points while Ben Clay tacked on 12.

Santa Barbara got off to a slow start as they led by only a 3-point deficit after the first quarter. However the Dons got on top early in the second as Brace and Brown hit three-pointers on back-to-back possessions to spark an 11-0 run.

“We tend to start slow against inferior competition, especially this season,” said Andrew Fay. “It seems like we always go on a huge run later in the game because our guys start to get more comfortable knocking down threes.”

After a dominant second quarter resulting in a 41-26 halftime lead, the Dons never looked back, as they outscored the Titans 50-16 in the second half alone.

“We shared the ball effectively and had multiple guys in double figures,” said coach Bregante, “our posts did their job rebounding the ball and we played good

Max Henderson goes up for a floater late in the fourth quarter in a non-league matchup against Nipomo. Henderson tallied 8 points on the day.

Photo courtesy of Tyler Greenwald defense, especially in the second half.”

Santa Barbara got the crowd on their feet in the third quarter after a lofted pass from Max Henderson connected with Brace on a huge alley-oop dunk.

Despite another phenomenal offensive performance from Brace, the Dons were able to distribute the ball well and get multiple players on the board. Ten players scored for Santa Barbara and nine had at least five points.

“Bolden played another great game but we have surrounded him with shooters that have all been doing a great job of taking the scoring load and pressure of off Bo,” said Fay. The Dons (now 7-1) will head into the Carpinteria Jim Bashore Cage Classic on Friday but have already began preparing for bigger things, as Channel League is right around the corner.

“We have to keep going, and our next

obstacle is the Carpinteria tournament,” said Brace. “I think we’re going to do pretty well and I’m hoping to beat San Marcos and get an early win.”

When asked about the future in regards to channel league, Clay simply stated: “I want to go undefeated all the way to the Channel League championship and wipe it out again.”

12

December 19, 2014

Sports

Melgoza leads Dons to 2nd consecutive Gold Coast Title Tyler Greenwald Amber Melgoza poured in 158 points Editor-in-Chief in a four-game span, tied the renowned Holly Ford’s record for most points in a single game, and carried the Santa Barbara girls basketball team to it’s second consecutive Gold Coast title.

Melgoza tied the record of the former USC star in the semifinals with a miraculous 45-point performance to push the Dons past Pacifica and into the Gold Coast Championships. With the power duo of Melgoza and Jada Howard burying a collective 60 points, the Dons ousted Rio Mesa to secure their second consecutive trophy.

“During the game I was really feeling my shots and was confident they were going to fall,” said Melgoza. “It’s awesome to have tied the record and now my goal is to get 46 points and officially break the record but I won’t be able to do that without my teammates.”

Melgoza was three points shy of her previous record breaking outing in the championship game, while Howard tallied 18 points, grabbed 7 rebounds, and ran away with 4 steals on the day.

“Amber and I have been playing together for so long,” said Howard. “We have a connection on the court, she knows how I play and I know how she does and that makes it much easier to give each other the ball on the right scoring opportunities.”

Santa Barbara kicked off the tournament with a hard-fought victory over Lompoc, and without the presence

of an injured Jada Howard, the Dons were barely able to eke out a 73-68 victory.

Despite the Dons defeat over the same team a few days prior with a sufficient 22-point cushion, the visiting Braves retaliated with a dominant first half and were able to establish a 17-point halftime lead.

But a motivated Melgoza went for 28 points in the second half -- after only a 6-point showing in the first -- to march her team to victory. However the game would have been one for the “L” column if it weren’t for the avid contributions of Kimberly Gebhardt and Jocelin Petatan.

Gebhardt showed her versatility on both sides of the ball with a double-double consisting of 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Petatan also chipped in 12 points on top of her nine assists.

“At halftime we knew something had to change,” said Melgoza. “And without Jada we all knew we would have to give 110% in the second half in order to pull out the victory and we did just that and were able to put 50 points on the board in the second half.”

Santa Barbara’s momentum continued in their quarterfinal matchup as they overcame Centennial of Bakersfield, 54-36. Melgoza once again erupted for 37 points, while Gebhardt and Howard combined to knock down 15 points.

“We have a phenomenal group of selfless girls,” said coach Andrew Butcher.

“They do a great job of getting Amber the ball whenever she is open and aren’t afraid to shoot themselves. We definitely have a

Amber Melgoza tied Holly Ford’s record with 45 points in the semi-finals of the Gold Coast Tournament.

Photo courtesy of Presidio Sports nice balance.”

Little did the Dons’ know that the victory would only be a stepping-stone for Melgoza’s record-tying game and their eventual claiming of the Gold Coast championship title.

If the teams’ offensive efficiency continues, it will have no trouble fairing well in the Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions this weekend. The Dons are preparing to face Hanford in the first round on Friday.

“Defense will be key,” said Howard.

“We are always trying to enforce different defensive aspects in practice and with

the quick team we have, we just have to prepare to react aggressively toward the ball and make our press especially dynamic.”

Coach Butcher spoke about some much-needed improvements, saying: “It’s no secret that we are not a tall team. Rebounding is an issue for us and defending inside players is something we are definitely going to have to work on.

Offensively, we need to keep the tempo up and play at a faster speed.”

Nosotros ready for South Torrance Tourney Blake DeVine So far so good for Sports Editor the Santa Barbara boys soccer team this season.

The Nosotros are currently ranked seventh in the latest CIF Division 1 polls and hold an impressive record of (5-1-1 overall).

“The biggest thing is chemistry. Our guys get along really well and that reflects on the field. Playing as well as we have, if we continue that chemistry I think we are going to have a solid year,” said head coach Todd Heil.

Most recently, Santa Barbara got a nice road victory over Lompoc. The Nosotros defeated the Braves 1-0 during a non-league matchup on Monday night.

“The Lompoc game was one of those games where we didn’t have to play pretty to win. So basically we just bashed the ball forward in those difficult conditions,” commented senior center back Carlos Hernandez.

Jorge Garcia Torres scored on a beautifully driven shot from the corner of the 18 yard-box to the far post. Adrian Gamez came in the clutch with the assist.

The game was called in the 65th minute due to the weather which included incredible wind and a torrential downpour.

“During the Atascadero tournament, the conditions consisted of rain and mud.

The experience of playing in that tourney definitely helped us be better prepared for the Lompoc game,” added coach Todd Heil.

Before this, Santa Barbara scored off a free kick in the 66th minute and tied Santa Ynez 1-1 in a non-league game last Friday in Santa Ynez. Garcia Torres authored the lone goal for the Nosotros.

When asked about the team’s goals this season, Heil responded: “We actually maintain the same goals every season. This includes winning 20 games, getting 15 shutouts, and winning Channel League.”

Previous to that, Santa Barbara broke through Arroyo Grande’s packed-in defense for two goals in the second half and then held off the Eagles in the last 12 minutes for a 2-1 non-league victory at Peabody Stadium.

Gamez broke a scoreless game with a nice goal in the 43rd minute. Ignacio Rendon made it 2-0 after hitting the post with a shot moments earlier. Arroyo Grande continued to pressure but the Nosotros’s defense was up to the task for the final 12 minutes.

During their first tournament of the season, Santa Barbara rebounded from a semifinal loss against Paso Robles with a 4-0 rout of Lompoc in the third-place match at the Cats & Hounds boys soccer tournament in Atascadero.

“Overall, since this was our first tournament I think that we did a pretty good job,” said Hernandez. “Unfortunately, we started getting a little too confident towards the end which led to our defeat.

Next time, we have got pull through those

Members of Santa Barbara’s boys soccer team celebrate a goal scored during a match played earlier this season.

Photo courtesy of Roberts Photography tough times.” posted its third overall.

Carlos Rodriguez, Alvaro Lopez, Santa Barbara will play next in the Peter Ruiz and Garcia Torres scored for South Torrance Tournament on Friday the Nosotros and Saul Donato and Gamez night versus Culver City. each had assists. Goalkeeper Robert Soto recorded his second shutout, and the team