The Forge, Volume 102, Issue 1

Where are the Vending Machines? p. 5 | Editorials: High School Perspectives p. 9 | Top 5 Places for the class of 2016 to Graduate p. 4

THE FORGE Vol. 102 No. 1

SANTA BARBARA HIGH SCHOOL - FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2015

Artist of the Month

Sports

Senior Bridget Mitchell has her lastest fashion collection featured in the De Marcos Academy of Fashion’s annual fashion show. | p. 5

Girls Volleyball trumps Rio Mesa | p. 12

Dons Roll to a 3-0 Record with 52-7 win over CI | p. 11

Boys WP bested by Righetti 9-3 | p. 12

Est. 1914

Coming to the Bowl The Santa Barbara Bowl brings a wide range of artists to Santa Barbara in its 79th year | p. 10

WE ARE SB Back to School at Santa Barbara High School SBHS Welcomes New Staff | pg. 6 PEABODY STADIUM UPDATE

Stadium Renovation on Track Funding progress, construction obstacles, and more | p. 3

BREAKING NEWS

Famed Cow Missing SBHS’s iconic mascot gone!

Missing Dos Pueblos Helmet Cart found at San Marcos High School | p. 1

Pep-less Rally?

What will the legacy of 2016 be?

Final fall pep rally in Peabody Stadium prompts mixed reactions. | p. 8

Each year, the iconic cow reflects the narrative of the graduating class, from football to prom.

PHOTO COURTESY EMILIO MK VISUAL MEDIA

“Carpe Bubulae”

2 | NEWS

THE FORGE

SEPTEMBER 18, 2015

THE FORGE STAFF

2015 - 2016 700 East Anapamu Street Santa Barbara, CA 93103 (805) 966-9101 ex. 5031 Room 31

EDITORS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Tyler Greenwald

LAYOUT EDITOR Beau Lettieri

BUSINESS MANAGER

THE FORGE

Greetings from the Editor-in-Chief

Sable Layman

The 2015-2016 year at Santa Barbara High School marks a revolutionary year for The Forge. Returning this year as the sole Editor-In-Chief, my intention is to produce a paper with a new and improved relevancy to the content that is published. We are also introducing an entirely new, contemporary design that will represent the Forge’s entrance into the 21st century.

I hope our new approach will not only enhance the look of the publication, but will also excite our student

NEWS EDITOR Hugh Cook

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Lizzie Saunders

SPORTS EDITOR Tyler Greenwald

OPINION EDITOR Sarina Wasserman

readers. Additionally, we hope to implement a larger media aspect that will include more online coverage of school related events that will be updated daily by our staff reporters.

Our current staff contains a potpourri of exceptionally talented writers that devote much of their time and effort into creating the perfect paper every three weeks. I, along with my incredible staff, have prompted these transformations because I believe in delivering a paper that interests the

student public, increases readership, and offers our students a facilitated access to important information about the school they attend. So be on lookout for this year’s issues as The Forge switches into an entirely new gear.

TYLER GREENWALD EDITOR-IN-CHIEF THE FORGE

A Message from the Publisher

STAFF REPORTERS Choe Ballesteros William Blondell Alyssa Cardenas Nancy Carrera Angel Corona Annina Gonzalez Nele Kross Chloe Shaar

Welcome to another year of the Forge, SBHS’s student-managed, student produced, and student centered newspaper. I am excited to begin my third year as advisor to one of the oldest continuously printed school publications in California.

The picture on the cover of the first issue of The Forge, 2015 - 2016, is emblematic of how this year’s staff views the story of the class of 2016--largely unwritten, offering possibility and promise--the blank canvas of the cow will soon reflect historic school rival-

ADVISOR Otto Layman

ries, birthdays, proms and graduations. We, too, are a blank canvas, ready to paint our portrait of this storied high school. We have changed the look of The Forge, to something more modern and visually appealing, and are consciously returning to our original mission: to make The Forge a reflection of the School, to “hold a mirror up to Nature” and show us to ourselves, warts and all. We have much to be proud of as a school, and much to work on: here at The Forge, we want this paper to be a vehicle

to represent all students, in all their diverse wonder, and in all the variety we share as a school: academies, performing arts, street art to studio art, sports. Want to be heard? Write us. Make the Forge a forum for your perspective.

Don’t think you are seen as you want to be seen? Tell us. Show us.

Help us tell the full story of 20152016 at Santa Barbara High School.

OTTO LAYMAN ADVISOR, 2015 - 2016

Famed Cow and DP Helmet Car go Missing SBHS rolls out new Details are sketchy, as The Forge was going to press, but it has been reported that the iconic golden cow, used as a symbol of student spirit at pep rallies and football games, has been reported missing. Apparently the cow disappeared sometime between the first home football game and Wednesday, September 16th

from the stadium area. Sources say a note was left behind, but at this printing, nothing else is confirmed.

In a related story, KEYT is reporting that Dos Pueblos High School helmet car was apparently taken from DPHS, and was discovered at San Marcos High School at 7:30am on Wednesday morning in the quad in

front of the library. At this time it is unknown whether the two events are connected.

(Ed. Note: because of the late breaking of this story, the original story concerning the block schedule was truncated. The article in full will be published in our next issue)

Block Schedule

BY FORGE STAFF After months of preparation, Santa Barbara High School has transitioned to a modified block schedule, which will affect Wednesdays and Thursdays throughout the year. The showcase feature of the new block schedule is a built-in seminar period.

This forty minute block after the first period of the day will give tutorial assistance to students who are struggling in their classes, or allow students in good standing to work on homework. Enrichment seminars will also be offered to allow students in good standing to go deeper into

their subject interest. A selection of students in good standing will be academic mentors, who will aid students who are experiencing difficulties with a particular subject.

Monday, Wednesdays, and Fridays will remain the standard 57 minute period format. However, on Wednesdays students will attend periods 1, 3, and 5, while on Thursday students will attend periods 2, 4, 6. Each class will last about ninety minutes. After the first progress report, students will be placed in the appropriate seminar, but until then most students will have seminar with their third period teacher.

NEW BELL SCHEDULE 2015 - 2016 Monday, Tuesday, & Friday Period 0: Period 1: Period 2: Period 3: Period 4: Lunch: Period 5: Period 6: Santa Barbara Sheriff ’s Department is investigating a crime involving the Dos Pueblos High School helmet car.

Photo Courtesy of KEYT

7:00 - 7:55am 8:00 - 8:57am 9:04 - 10:01am 10:12 - 11:13am 11:20 - 12:17pm 12:17 - 12:52pm 12:59 - 1:56pm 2:03 - 3:00pm

Wednesday & Thursday Period 0: Period 1/2: Seminar: Period 3/4 Lunch: Period 5/6

7:05 - 8:37am 8:44 - 10:16am 10:27 - 11:07am 11:14 - 12:46pm 12:46 - 1:21pm 1:28 - 3:00pm

NEWS | 3

THE FORGE

SEPTEMBER 18, 2015

Stadium Renovation On Track

BY WILLIAM BLONDELL Most Santa Barbara High School students and alumni now know that our beloved Peabody Stadium will undergo a renovation beginning at the end of this football season.

thirteen million dollars, the privately funded portion of the renovation is five million dollars. “We have two years to raise these funds, and until June of 2018 for people to pay their pledges,” says Jacobs. “So far, we have raised three and a half million throu-

gh both donations and fundraising, and most of our fundraising has been through committees of the Capital Cabinet, which include prominent members of the community.” Jacobs went on to explain that the project will receive five million from the Me-

(Above) Master Plan for the new Peabody Stadium. (Below) An artists rendering of the new Stadium Seating

Recent renovation projects (e.g. cafeteria) have been delayed due to unforeseen difficulties. These setbacks forced both fundraisers and donors raise many times more than the original estimate. Will this be the case here? Katie Jacobs, Director of Development at the Foundation for SBHS, couldn’t be more emphatic that is not.

Many students have asked questions regarding the renovation. While the entire project has a budget of over

asure Q Bond, and three million will come from the state to cover the cost of seismic upgrading, which is where the five million dollar privately funded “gap” plays. Earlier this week the school district, now with complete plans, revised the budget to work in a way that if the cost of the project were to go up, the privately funded portion of the funds would not increase. This means that if the project ends up costing more than the original budget, the extra funds will come from the district, not private donors.

The revised budget has also coincided with news of an unexpected obstacle within the project. In recent weeks it was discovered that a large pipe runs under the field. “In the twenties, the field would constantly become flooded by storm runoff, and water from the entire Riviera would travel directly under our field,” says Jacobs. This problem is causing dispute between SBHS and the district, and is hopefully last major problem that we run into during this renovation process.

The foundation for Santa Barbara High School in their quest to raise the remaining two million dollars has given the public an opportunity to have a seat named after them for $1000. However, at each of the five home games this football season the foundation will raffle off a seat. To enter, all one needs to do is attend the game. At the first home game of the season the first lucky winner was Joseph Jimenez. If you are interested in leaning more about the project or interested in donating, please visit www.foundationforsbhs.org/peabody-stadium-renovation.

The Greenhouse Effect: Who’s House? Jose’s House

BY HUGH COOK As I sat in a sweltering classroom waiting for Environmental Science teacher Jose Caballero to return from an errand, my eye was immediately drawn to the menagerie of model homes, created by his students, and the years old collection of National Geographic magazines. The model houses are designs for environmentally friendly homes, and there is a lending library for Jose’s prized literature. Just then Jose returns, finishing up a conversation about his fishing trips with a security guard, promising to send over some fish. He addressed me with a friendly face and apologized for the wait. He struck me as someone who may always be late, not out of disrespect for who he’s meeting, but respect for who he is with. He also struck me as someone who truly cares about the issues he discusses with his students, smiling fondly after recalling my brother’s name and asking me to say hello for him.

As we sat down to discuss his new project, I asked him about a recent setback he had encountered.

Obtaining building permits in Santa Barbara County is notoriously difficult, and that of course goes double for schools. Just as they were preparing to move ahead, right before the final signature was given for approval, the contractor discovered a change that would cost upwards of half a million. Following this, the laws surrounding the hiring of contractors in the state was changed. So a process that was once set to be twelve to twenty weeks has become “a much lengthier process: the part that changed the plan extends the building

The last remaining building of Jose’s former Greenhouse complex. The new complex is to inlcude a new outdoor classroom and additional storage. | Photo courtesy of Beau Lettieri

time by a lot”, according to Jose This is all despite the fact the money was almost entirely raised before the end of last school year, thanks to Jose’s work getting donor contributions. Jose met with Mr. Becchio on the eighth of September, requesting the final support necessary from the board of education. The board will then have all permits necessary to begin phase one.

Because of the lengthier process that the new safety precautions require, the building will be broken up into phases. According to Jose, phase one will be the construction phase, phase two will develop the landscape and surrounding area, and phase three includes improvements and long

term funding for his class.

All this construction is happening parallel to an intensive renovation of Santa Barbara high school’s historic Peabody Stadium. Jose explained that the two projects “came into the same building timeline and the same funding deadlines by coincidence.” He laments the fact that there is such limited resources for these school projects. “ It’s unfortunate, but our public institutions depend on individual donors now, we do not have enough government funding on our own, so I don’t think there’s been any hostility, but a lot of people that might support one can’t support both.”

This outdoor instructional space could offer a much more educational

experience to Jose’s students, but it also would serve as a space for our art classes, academies, and traditional academics. It could boast community lectures, and even encourage culinary education for those without food literacy. Our SBHS greenhouse could be used to show vegetables to people who live in an area without fresh produce. It is also well lit, vastly increasing the hours available for instruction.

Although eloquent and clearly politically savvy, Jose explained quite simply that he pushed for this because that’s what students want.

“I’m responding to the need students have told me they see… Students rave about this time.”

Fall Musical, Pippin Cast

BY BEAU LETTIERI Marking theatre director Otto Layman’s 20th year at the helm of Santa Barbara High School Theatre is the theatre’s fall production of Pippin, which opens this November. Just days after school started, over fifty actors auditioned hoping to be cast in the high energy, circus themed rendition of the Broadway classic. The cast features thirty Santa Barbara High School actors, and two young actors from local elementary schools. In the title role of Pippin — a young man looking for fulfillment in life — is Bradley DeVine, who now as a senior returns for his seventh main stage production.

Camille Umoff commands the stage as the Leading Player, the ringleader of the circus troupe of performers. Others include

Camille Umoff (Leading Player) and Bradley DeVine (Pippin) rehearse the number “Simple Joys”

Quique Hernandez-Black as King Charlemagne, Meredith LeMert as Charlemagne’s conniving wife, Fastrada, and Fastrada’s simple minded son, Lewis, played by Cooper Umoff. Sable Layman portrays Catherine, Pippin’s love interest in the second act, and Lex Siegel, a fifth grader at Montecito Union plays Catherine’s son, Theo. The production features a vast ensemble of actors who are currently learning a variety of performance skills ranging from Aerial Skills to stage combat. Pippin from its early stages is proving to be one of the Theatre Department’s biggest and boldest productions ever.

Make sure to check out Pippin Opening November 6, 2015.

CLUB “ROESCH”

SEPTEMBER 25

IN THE QUAD AT LUNCH CHECK OUT ALL THE CLUBS SBHS HAS TO OFFER!

4 | NEWS

THE FORGE

SEPTEMBER 18, 2015

Gold is the New Green at SBHS Santa Barbara High School turns off the spigot. Lawns die as SBHS cuts water consumption.

BY ANNINA GONZALEZ Although it’s a bit of a dry subject, it’s time that we all take a look at the California drought’s effect on Santa Barbara High School. On August 8, 2014 a required water resolution was brought to our vice principal David Meister. New laws state that any watering of the campus grass that is not required for sports is strictly prohibited, and any water that is used for fields must be reclaimed water. The stunning change to the visual appearance of our campus has caught the attention of many people in our community. Students have made it clear that our “golden” lawns do not adequately portray the pride that we have in our historical campus. Mr. Meister shared, “As someone who takes a lot of pride in this campus and how beautiful it is the drought does not help” and continued to say

In addition to the front lawn, senior lawn, and other previously green areas on campus, the Quad has fallen victim to the mandatory water cut backs

The historic front lawn of the school clearly displays the effects the drought has taken on SBHS | Photo Courtesy of Beau Lettieri

that while it is not visually appealing, “We took it seriously and we adapted.

When we see how much water we’re saving it’s worth it.” Drought resistant plants have been planted throughout the campus and now fewer trees are being planted. As an example, take a look at our beautiful new area outside of the library that now consists of drought resistant plants, mulch, and new wooden benches. Be sure to send a thank you out to our maintenance crew.

Our new perspective on water conservation have been eye opening and altering but it’s best to know and understand that it’s all in respect to the state’s crisis and SBHS is trying to help as much as it possibly can.

Apart from the school’s attempt to do its part in this extreme drought it there is also a community obligation on the part of students and staff to make changes in their own homes and lives. New laws for homes have also been put into place stating that homes that use more than their average amount of water are to subject to a ticket up to $250 and/or the shutting off of their household water. We can avoid this drastic punishment by being sensitive to a difficult situation.

It is vital to remain understanding and patient with these new life changing alterations and together we can find our way through this stage three drought.

Where will we graduate? Top 5 Places to Graduate in 2016

BY SABLE LAYMAN AND LIZZIE SAUNDERS

#1 - SANTA BARBARA BOWL

Okay Seniors, here’s the question that’s been troubling our minds since last year: where are we graduating?

Many were upset to find out halfway through last year that we wouldn’t be able to continue the tradition of walking down the hill and graduating in Peabody Stadium since 1924. Even though this saddens many of us, this does not mean that we won’t be graduating at the next best place. There has been much speculation as to where we are graduating, so here are the top most desirable places to graduate (as voted by the class of 2016).

#3 - SANTA BARBARA COURTHOUSE

#2 - SANTA BARBARA CITY COLLEGE #4 - SANTA BARBARA ZOO

#5 - THE BEACH

PHOTOS COURTESY OF LIZZIE SAUNDERS

SEPTEMBER 18, 2015

NEWS | 5

THE FORGE

This September, Bridget Mitchell had her designs featured in the De Marcos Fashion Show, held at the Arlington Theatre

SBHS Student unveils collection at annual fashion show

BY LIZZIE SAUNDERS Bridget Mitchell is not your traditional artist. While she has loved drawing and painting since she was a child, Bridget at age 14 found a passion in the field of fashion and costume design. Since 2012 Bridget has been a student of Jodi De Marcos at the De Marcos Fashion Academy (DMFA), where she was able to make her aspirations of learning all aspects of fashion design come true.

Year round Bridget works at DMFA where she develops a collection of pieces that is featured annually in the

Bridget Mitchell

De Marcos Fashion Academy alongside her fellow DMFA peers. Bridget has been featured for the past three years in the DMFA fashion show, most recently just two weeks ago where she unveiled her collection of pieces inspired by nature and the iridescent creatures of the sea. Bridget described the many hours of preparation as incredibly tedious — requiring her to work on fitting models until the last possible moment. Bridget describes her style as “whimsical” and different than other designers because of its elaborate and wide range of colors. Bridget’s dream job is to design costumes for Cirque du Soleil.

Last winter Bridget costumed the annual student directed musical revue “Music of the Night,” applying her skills to costume a cast of over twenty five actors.

The show included over 130 pieces, between fifteen different musical numbers — all requiring unique costumes, from costumes as simple as a doctor, to as complex as Dr. Seuss’s the Grinch.

Outside of fashion design, Bridget is involved in The Visual Arts and Design Academy (VADA) and says the program provides a large

community of people and friends who love art, and that it leads to many opportunities in the artistic world. VADA has helped her develop her artistic hand, which is vital to drawing conceptual drawing of her costume designs. After high school she plans to pursue a degree in fashion. She hopes to continue to do what she loves into the future, whether that be with fashion shows, live theatre, or even film. Bridget has found great inspiration in Alexander McQueen and is also influenced by her mother.

She happily confesses that art is always on her mind and that it is truly her passion.

With a costume-like feel to her designs, Bridget describes her pieces as “whimsical”

A conceptual drawing from this year, the finished piece can be seen below.

Many of Bridget’s designs have a distinct Cirque du Soleil style to them.

A conceptual drawing of the Grinch, from the sixteenth season of Music of the Night.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF BEAU LETTIERI

International Students: Academic Culture Shock

BY NELE KROSS Santa Barbara High School has had international students for over 30 years and this year there are over 20 international students at SBHS. I met a few of them they are from different countries like Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Brazil and Norway. What I discovered is that there are great differences between the countries and the school systems. I decided to share some of my experiences as an international student with you.

For example, in Germany we change the teacher, not classrooms. At the beginning of the year the teachers decide in which class you are going to be enrolled in. After this decision you have to stay in this class for the whole year. I think it’s easier to get close with other students that way. In the US you change classrooms and the teacher

Nele Kross

every period. This way it is easier to get to know more people but it is more difficult to get to know to them.

In Germany you are not able to decide what subjects you take. For example, you have to take Maths, English, German, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, P.E, Geography and Economic Policy. The only things you’re allowed to decide are wether you take French or Latin, and decide between Religion as a Subject or Philosophy.

My school back in Germany is not as big as SBHS but we do have over 2000 students.

Also the school system is different in the US. Here you have primary school, middle school and high school.

In Germany middle school and High school are all in one and it’s called “Gymnasium.”

I like the US school system more because you are able to meet more people that are your age or close to your age.

Additionally we don’t have school spirit like schools in the US have either because we don’t have sports like football, volleyball or tennis, nor art like theatre or stage craft in schools. I think that is quite unfortunate because you are not able to let your creativity or school spirit out.

A great difference to Germany is that the teachers in the US care about you and your grades. It seems that they are more helpful because teachers here in the US are more responsible. The people here are more open, friendly and polite. They smile at you for no reason

or saying hello just because they are polite and nice.

I was really surprised that the students here are looking forward to go to school and that they are very motivated. Every student is so proud of this school and being a part of this community. They’re just happy to be here.

There is an international students club where you can get to know the other international students from the school, their cultures and them as persons. The president of the club is Violet Betters and they meet every Tuesday in room 103.

Members of the international club | Photo Courtesy of Beau Lettieri

#BringBackOurVendingMachines2K15 Vending Machines Removed over Summer

BY SARINA WASSERMAN At the beginning of this year, the Santa Barbara School District Office made the unfortunate decision to eliminate all of the vending machines from our campus. This caused a great deal of talk among the students, for those machines have been beloved objects of our affection. Many of us were perplexed by the removal of the vending machines, so we went to Principal John Becchio to see if he had an answer. When we asked Mr. Becchio, he said the main cause of their removal was due to environ-

mental and sustainability issues. He explained that the amount of plastic bottles being purchased through the vending machines did not coincide with the school’s “eco-friendly-ness.”

Without them, SBHS is doing its part to prevent pollution by eliminating the sale of plastic bottles.

However, our investigation has led us to discover that sustainability is not the only reason for the removal. As per usual, it seems that money may have something to do with the decision. Could it be that the

school district wants students to be spend more money by purchasing all of their drinks and food from the cafeteria? Or, maybe, it’s the fact that the money made from the machines isn’t going directly to the school. As the 2015-2016 school year progresses, we hope to learn more about this “tragic” situation. It has truly been a shame to lose such a nice perk. But hey, who knows, maybe with enough student body dissent they’ll reappear!

NEW STAFF

MAURICIO ORTEGA Mr. Mauricio Ortega has spent the last two years as an assistant principal at SBJHS. After the assistant principal position at SBHS opened up at SBHS he saw it as the next logical step in his administrative career. With over ten years of

teaching experience in the LA area, Mr. Ortega found his joy in teaching while serving as a high school wrestling coach during his time at Cal State Los Angeles. Prior to teaching, Mr. Ortega received his BA in Sociology and worked on planning various events and projects. Mr. Ortega is thrilled to be a part of a community that has such an enormous sense of pride in their school and hopes to be integral in the continual building of the rich student culture at SBHS. Outside of SBHS he enjoys listening to music, hike, and to spend time with his wife and two sons. He is ready to embody what it means to be a Don this year at SBHS.

TIFFANY CARSON Ms. Tiffany Carson is a SBHS veteran with a decade of experience in the special education department at SBHS. Splitting her time between Chicago and the UK in her early years, Ms. Carson attended Ithaca College to receive a BA in Classical Music Performance. After college, Ms. Carson moved to Santa Barbara to attend the Music Academy of the West. While in Santa Barbara Ms Carson became an instructional assistant at SBHS. Last June when an assistant principal position opened up Ms. Carson was offered the job after three years as coordinator the of the special education de-

partment. As one of the new members of the administration Ms. Carson hopes to help unify the school and show everyone all the great work the students and staff of SBHS are doing. While at SBHS, she secretly hopes to one day play flute in a school musical.

MARY LA FACE

STEPHEN RENEHAN

RACHEL PHELPS

JOSEPH BREGANTE

ADRIAN MACIAS

Here to bring a fresh approach to choir, is Mary La Face, the new choir director here at SBHS. Coming from a family of teachers, La Face decided to become a teacher as a freshman at USC. After visiting her high school choir while in college, she realized that she wanted to help students recreate her memorable high school experience. Ms. La Face has has spent the last three years teaching in the Bay area, and after applying all over the state she took the opening at SBHS. This year she hopes to inspire new kids to come check out choir to see how awesome it is.

Mr. Stephen Renehan, a native of Goleta is glad to back in the Santa Barbara Area after teaching for ten years in Massachusetts.

While on vacation in Goleta over this past summer Mr. Renehan was hired as a physics teacher at SBHS. Quickly, he flew back to the east coast, packed up the bare essentials, and drove across the country to Santa Barbara, all in under ten days. Before teaching, Mr. Renehan worked at UCSB (his alma mater) as a researcher and later in the environmental consulting field in Santa Barbara and Sacrmento.

Rachel Phelps, SBHS’s newest Math teacher has over six years of teaching experience throughout the California Area and is ready to help students succeed in math. After attending UCSB and later University of California at Irvine, Ms. Phelps has always loved teaching teenagers. After a year at La Cumbra Junior High Ms. Phelps came to SBHS. In her first weeks at SBHS she has found both students and staff to be incredibly welcoming and helpful and admires the immense pride students have in their school.

Mr. Joseph Bregante comes from the neighboring Santa Barbara Junior High School to teach at one of the best high schools in the country. Since becoming a basketball coach, Mr. Bregante has found a close link between coaching and teaching. Mr. Bregante became a teacher two years ago at SBJHS after attending SBCC and CSU Channel Islands, majoring in business.

This year as a teacher in the Math department, he makes it a goal to be the best teacher he can be. Outside of teaching Mr. Bregante loves to play and coach basketball.

Last year Mr. Macias worked in the social studies department as part of the UCSB Teacher Candidate program at SBHS. Initially majoring in Political Science at UCSB, Mr. Macias aspired to go to law school.

However, while working towards a minor in education he found a greater passion in education. Over this past summer Macias was about to take a job in Columbia when miraculously a job opened up in the very same classroom he had taught in the year before. Mr. Macias is ecstatic to back teaching US History this year at SBHS.

F AT SBHS

DAVID CHRISTIE

MEGAN TAUBER

RACHEL ROESCH

BRANDON TERIS

JONATHAN MITCHELL

Mr. David Christie is a man of many talents and careers, from mountain guide, to ski patrolman, to musician, and most importantly educator.

Previously training in Silicon Valley with companies such as Oracle, and building luxury homes, Mr. Christie attended UCSB, and later UCLA to receive his master education. Last year Mr. Christie became a substitute teacher and then was hired unexpectedly for a full time position in the spring. He teaches because he wants to make a difference in peoples lives and as a math teacher here at SBHS he plans to do exactly that.

Megan Tauber loves making art and this being her first year as a freehand drawing, and Color & Design teacher at SBHS she is excited to inspire her students to love art as well.

After getting married this summer Ms. Tauber relocated to Santa Barbara, so after a job opened at Santa Barbara High School she jumped on the opportunity.

Ms. Tauber mentioned that she choose to teach art because she believes that art is undervalued in our society.

She is glad to be a part of Santa Barbara High as one of the Dons.

Rachel Roesch is a UCSB graduate who began her teaching career at SBJHS before making the jump to SBHS to take over ASB. She has always wanted to work with kids, and when she got to graduate school she realized she was drawn to Science, Avid, and Intervention. Rachel is an avid runner, biker, swimmer, loves doing triathlons, Power Yoga, paddle boarding and hiking. Her goals as a teacher are to encourage students to plan ahead, increase communication, and to be self-sufficient. “I am so lucky to work at SBHS and be a Don!”

Since being a student teacher at SBHS seven years ago while at UCSB, Mr. Brandon Teris is honored to join the staff this year as a Freehand Drawing teacher.

Aspiring to be a teacher since the tenth grade, Mr. Teris has always found art as a pathway to express what words cannot, and throughout his academic career found himself helping his peers, especially during art classes. After teaching for six years in the Bay area, Mr. Teris is happy to be back at Santa Barbara High School.

Jonathan Mitchell is SBHS Theatre’s newest technical director. With over fifteen years of experience, Jonathan has worked for a large variety of venues ranging from rock show to theatre production. Since he was twelve years old, Jonathan has worked with audio and went on to learn video, lighting, and construction.

After the Technical Director position opened up last May, Jonathan quickly applied. Currently Jonathan works daily with the tech crew on building the set for the fall production of Pippin.

8 | NEWS

THE FORGE

SEPTEMBER 18, 2015

Pep-less Rally the New Norm?

COWABUNGA! SBHS kicks off year with fall pep rally. | Photo courtesy of Beau Lettieri

BY THE FORGE STAFF September 2, 2015 marked the final fall pep rally to take place in the original Peabody Stadium. With a massive renovation project taking place later this fall, which will demolish and then rebuild the historic Peabody Stadium, the class of 2016 was the final class to take part in the long standing tradition of running down the hill into the stadium. While the first wave of seniors was thoroughly enthusiastic as they sprinted down the hill, the subsequent waves were not as energetic as one would hope. As the seniors

moved down the hill while over 1,500 students watched from the stadium steps, a small group of band students played music intended to rev up the crowd. ASB students tossed various prizes into the crowd, as a frenzy of of high schoolers dove, hoping to be lucky enough to catch some of the school merchandise. Despite this festive atmosphere, it failed to bring out the school spirit in many. Some students described the rally as “not as peppy” as previous years.

Others commented on the painfully loud and distorted voices of the various commentators. The Pep Rally

was so loud that it prompted complaints from the residents who live in the homes surrounding the stadium.

After the seniors settled on the stadium steps the Pep Rally began.

The rally presented the students with inspirational words from Principal John Becchio, who welcomed all the students to the new year, encouraging them to not only excel in their academics, but to also enjoy the finer aspects of high school like sports and the performing arts. Later the SBHS cheerleaders took the stage and performed a few cheers in an attempt to rally the comatose members of the

crowd. The choir, lead by new director Mary La Face, sang the Alma Matter, then the rally’s hosts, Conner Egan and Will Beightol, introduced SBHS’s new staff members. With the introduction came a game in which the teachers were given a cake tin filled with whipped cream and a piece of chewing gum buried at the bottom.

The whichever teacher could find that piece of gum, then blow a bubble first would win. Brandon Teris won the contest, as he and the other new staff members stood with whipped cream covering their faces.

After the contest the pep rally quic-

kly came to a close. As the rally came to an end many were surprised by its short length which occurred because the rally was squeezed into the new built in seminar period.

The subject of the poor school spirit is not a new one; as far back as the 1920’s Forge editorials decried the lack of spirit. Perhaps, hopefully, the class of 2016 will embody a different legacy.

EDITORIALS | 9

THE FORGE

SEPTEMBER 18, 2015

EDITORIALS

Freshman Perspective

BY CHLOE SHAAR High school. Everyone has to do it and in the end everyone has a different experience. However, most people start off the same: a nervous, timid freshman that doesn’t know what to expect. I assume that if you have an older sibling that has already graduated or is currently attending SBHS, going into high school may be a little easier. Someone might actually warn you about the perils and pitfalls of high school- or at least let you know where all the good food is! However seeing as though I’m an only child, I did not get the inside scoop and had to figure things out on my own.

To me our high school was this big scary place where I would be

spending the next four years of my life. By the way did I mention how big it is?

Going into my first day I knew it wouldn’t run very smoothly, I would probably get lost, and be late to some classes. I did expect the teachers to be more helpful though. The first time I needed help I asked which way my class was and a teacher waved her arm vaguely in the air and said “Oh it’s down that way.” Of course, I was late to that class. The last teacher I asked for help from couldn’t even tell me the location of my class. I had to rely on my friends I knew in the upper grades. Overall my first day wasn’t as hard as I had built it up to be in my head.

Everyday I get more and more comfortable at SBHS.

I have already learned so much after just being at the school for such a short amount of time, here are some pieces of advice I would give to freshman. One: If you can’t find your classes so print out a map from the SBHS website and carry it around with you for a couple of days. Two: Bring your ID card everyday! It is much more important now than it was in junior high. Try and get off campus at lunch as much as you can but try to plan ahead and use your time wisely so that you won’t be late to your fifth period. Eat at nutrition; it helps you survive until lunch, especially if you’re always hungry like me.

Stay tuned because the next column is how to open your locker, if I can even figure it out myself.

Junior Perspective

BY NANCY CARRERA The first day that I got here I was feeling very confident, the only thing that I was concerned about were the teachers; I asked myself, “Are they going to be bad teachers?” When the day was

over, I had come to realize that they were actually pretty good!

The thing was, some were more strict than others. Although I didn’t have much homework on the first day, I am prepared for the homework that is to come. I am expecting this this year to be

the most difficult because of all the collage pressure. Even though the school year has just begun, I have a feeling it won’t be as hard as I’ve been told. I can’t wait to see what this year holds. I am so looking forward to my junior year!

Senior Perspective

BY HUGH COOK

The Forge Wants You! We are looking for news, feature, & entertainment writers, as well as photographers and photo journalists.

Community Service Available Email us at Forge.sbhs@gmail.com

My perspective appears unchanging until I review the past.

Because of my experiences, both here and outside of the classroom, my opinion of, and what I value in school has shifted: before last year, I thought non- AP classes were a waste. How could they not be? No college credit, lowers your GPA, less motivated students. College prep classes were a nightmare to even consider, I refused non honors courses. In short, I was an

academic snob. My junior year, all I thought about was school. That’s how you are supposed to do it, right? Every teacher, administrator, counselor, and grown up is telling you you need to get these grades so you can go to this school so you can make money at that job; you are rushed through your childhood, told you need to decide what you want to do, and study it. It must better than an average job, a comfortable job with a great health plan, marry, buy that house. However, forcing a person

into a career is backwards. The career should be modeled around the person- otherwise you are just pretending to live. This is why it is vital for you to explore all the options offered by the school- I had no idea how enjoyable school was until I enjoyed my classes- because they fit me, I didn’t have to try and fit them. If you don’t do what you love, you will work hard and be miserable. If you do enjoyable things, your work will be far more rewarding and fulfilling.

Sophomore Perspective

BY ALYSSA CARDENAS I can’t say sophomore year will outdo freshman year, but I can say that it’s going to be another amazing year at Santa Barbara High School.

Last year our eight year winning streak against San Marcos in football ended, and as a freshman, it was devastating. Hopefully, last years’ loss will be a first and a last for the team. I believe this year symbolizes growth, freedom, and a step closer to the real world. This year it gets real. The CAHSEE has to be taken along with some of our first AP tests. This year matters. Our every academic move guides us toward our future beyond high school. This year will be memorable. As a bigger fish in the sea (not just a guppy), I look forward to participating in more activities such as ASB, Pep and Rally, Yearbook, the school newspaper, and sports, as well as becoming more self-sufficient and outgoing. Also, new classes and activities allow us to make new friends who, hopefully, we will get to spend the rest of our high school career with. And lastly, what about all the dances?! Between Homecoming, Winter Formal, and maybe even a surprise dance, we sophomores definitely have a lot to look forward to this year.

Editorial 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.

10 | ENTERTAINMENT

THE FORGE

SEPTEMBER 18, 2015

Coming to the Bowl The Santa Barbara Bowl returns for its 79th season, bringing a large variety of artists to Santa Barbara.

BY ALYSSA CARDENAS The Santa Barbara Bowl has been bringing entertainment to Santa Barbara for almost eighty years. The Bowl was built in 1936, and renovated from 1994 to 2012. Originally, the bowl was solely designed for fiesta pageants, but later became a well known attraction for a variety perfor-

mers. This year, the bowl is hosting a variety of outstanding attractions including Florence and the Machine -- an indie rock band from London -on October 20th, and Janet Jackson -known for her elaborate stage shows -- on October 21st and 22nd. Brothers Damian and Stephen Marley -- two out of fourteen sons of legendary reggae singer Bob Marley -- on

their Catch a Fire tour bringing love and peace to the Bowl on September 25th. Additionally, the bowl will host many more amazing musicians including Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals on September 19th, Mark Knopfler on September 20th, Death Cab for Cutie on September 26th, Counting Crows on September 30th, Scorpions on October 6th, Don

Straight Outta Compton

BY CHLOE BALLESTEROS-PEREZ

Straight Outta Compton kicks off the end of the summer by introducing five Compton-born rappers who immediately revolutionized the hip hop genre with their raw and intense music. This biographical docudrama focuses on the rise and fall of the late 80’s rap group, N.W.A. ( N---az Wit Attitudes). It zeroes in on the corruption and complications the members DJ Yella, MC Ren, Ice Cube, Eazy-E and Dr. Dre dealt with on their way to becoming cultural revolutionaries and eventually, icons.

N.W.A. took the nation by storm when they released their 1988 hit song “F-- Tha Police” which went on to become their most successful song ever. The song introduced, with a metaphorical punch to the gut, the outside world into the brutal complexities the community faced on a regular basis — specifically how they were treated by the LAPD. Straight Outta Compton is remarkable in showing how it portrays black Americans in the LA area were targeted and discriminated by police. A

scene late in the film depicts N.W.A. hanging outside of a recording studio and being harassed by the police even though they were not causing any trouble. This encounter actually happened to the group in 1987, but it did not inspire Ice Cube for the concept of the song since he already had the idea before the incident occurred — an instance, it seems, of life imitating art.

Notable in the film is the feud between Ice Cube (played by his actual son O’Shea Jackson Jr.) and Eazy-E (played by Jason Mitchell). Ice Cube, who wrote 40% of the group’s album, felt like he was not getting a fair share in royalties and suspected the manager, Jerry Heller (portrayed by Paul Giamatti), of financial corruption. So Ice Cube departed from the group to start a solo career, and more importantly, to get away from Jerry’s dishonesty. This did not sit well with the rest of N.W.A., and they later released a video that dissed Ice Cube. He retaliated by releasing the song “No Vaseline,” which included harsh insults towards N.W.A., especially Eazy and Jerry.

I enjoyed this film very much and thought the representation of this iconic group was authentic, realistic, and raw. However, I was disappointed in two things: the movie did not reveal, or even mention, the feud between Dr.Dre (played by Corey Hawkings, a rather uncanny looking Dre) and Eazy-E. It was an unsettling gap in the storyline. The Dre and Eazy-E beef is a notable feud in hip hop history. It spawned classic diss tracks such as “F-- Wit Dre Day” and of course “Real Muthaph---king G’s”.

Most importantly of all, the movie glosses over an insider’s the groups’ well-documented misogamy & harsh treatment of women.

Straight Outta Compton gives viewers an insider’s perspective of the hardships N.W.A. faced. It shows how they used the power of music to express themselves (no pun intended). While watching this biopic, the audience takes a rollercoaster journey through N.W.A.’s success and downfall. This movie will be one to go down in history.

Henley on October 7th, Neil Young on October 10th, My Morning Jacket on October 11th, Jimmy Buffett on October 15th, and Hozier on October 18th.

The Santa Barbara Bowl has been especially generous towards local schools and organizations by providing them with very low priced tickets for any concert at the bowl. The

Forge would like to extend this offer to the student body of Santa Barbara High, anyone interested should e-mail The Forge at forge.sbhs@ gmail.com. We have a limited number of tickets (4) per show, and will do what we can do get as many to students to the bowl as possible.

THINGS OVERHEARD IN THE HALLWAY “I watch Little Einsteins for a living” “That guy scares me” “-- that’s Uncle Sam” “Charlie, that’s not your wagon” “I don’t know what to say... I’ve eaten too many croissants” “Woah look at how big his chin is! Or wait is that a beard, am I looking at a beard?”

“You don’t have to be hairless to be a monk” “Snoop Dog is my life... Thanks Obama” “My shorts are too short, they show my whiteness” “There shouldn’t be any nomads with sharp knives in this area” “You know they’re black bears, you can’t see them” “Yeah! in real life! I saw it in a video!”

“It was a good morning — until I woke up.”

“Too bad I only ditch class when it is in my best interest”

COMIC BY KIERAN MEANEY

SEPTEMBER 18, 2015

SPORTS | 11

THE FORGE

Dons passing offense too much for Channel Islands in Home Opener Third straight blow out victory for SBHS Juggernaut

Running back Sean Babcock breaks away from a Channel Islands defender for a big gain early in the third quarter. Babcock finished with 10 rushes for 37 yards and a touchdown.

Photo courtesy of Mitch Klopp

BY TYLER GREENWALD The Santa Barbara passing offense was seemingly unstoppable last Friday night, and that proved to be the difference in a 52-7 demolition over 8th ranked Channel Islands in a non-league matchup at a rowdy Peabody Stadium.

Coming off an explosive 42-0 road victory against Santa Maria, the fifth ranked Dons showed no signs of slowing down as they improved to an undefeated 3-0 record.

“We’ve been teaching from Day 1 with this offense that we want to go for the jugular,” said head coach JT Stone. “That’s our mentality. It may not be other coaches mentality but our mentality is to go for the jugular, and that’s what we want to do. We want an up-tempo offense that’s able to score. We want the football. We want the football all of the time.”

The Santa Barbara offense, led by quarterback Brent Peus, got on the board early with 21 points in the first quarter and an additional 12 points in the second.

“We got off to a good start early on both sides of the ball and that really helped us,” said Peus. “We came out with a lot of energy and emotions were running high with it being the home opener and fortunately we were able to stay hyped up throughout the entire game.”

The Dons kicked off the game with a 59-yard drive, which was capped off by running back Sean Babcock who punched in a 2-yard touchdown after Peus connected with wide receiver Mason Bigelow on two consecutive big gains to put Santa Barbara in the red zone. The Dons missed the PAT,

leaving the score at 6-0.

Bigelow was able to turn his yards into a touchdown on Santa Barbara’s second drive after an interception from Donovan Zavaleta gave Brent Peus and co. excellent field position.

Chris “Tick” Jellison hauled in a 15yard pass from Peus to get the Dons into striking distance, Peus then threw one to Bigelow in the end zone.

Subsequently, Sean Babcock converted the two-point conversion to increase the lead to 14-0.

“We called a crossing pattern which we usually use as a decoy but the linebackers sunk into a zone,” said Bigelow. “As soon as I passed their outside backer I knew I was open and Brent threw a perfect ball.”

Behind a solid offensive line, Peus completed 22-28 passes for 256 yards and 4 touchdowns on the night while Bigelow reeled in 8 catches for 113 yards and a touchdown.

Santa Barbara concluded the opening quarter with another passing touchdown as Peus found 6’5” wide receiver Blake Kelley in the back of the endzone on a slant pattern.

The Dons tacked on two additional touchdowns in the second quarter, the first of which was a 1-yard plunge by running back Isai Figueroa and the second came on a 17-yard dart from Peus to Jellison on a corner route.

Santa Barbara walked into the locker room at halftime with a decisive 33-0 lead.

“Brent was just throwing to the open guys,” said Jellison. “We have four very good receivers. We’ve worked together for three years, so we have a really good connection and we’re all hard workers, so we know we’re masters of our craft.”

Jellison had 6 catches for 93 yards with two touchdowns to show for it.

His second came off a strike from Peus in the third quarter as Jellison

Quarterback Brent Peus scrambles from a defender and throws a dart to wide receiver Mason Bigelow early in the fourth quarter.

Photo courtesy of Mitch Klopp

was streaking dow the middle of the field, which resulted in a 27 yard score for the Dons.

Defensively, Santa Barbara put up nearly a perfect performance, allowing only one touchdown in the third quarter. The Raiders’ only moment of glory came when wide receiver Ralph Navarro broke free for a 68-yard touchdown off of a pass from quarterback Tommy Sliva.

Santa Barbara’s Angel Velasquez served as the catalyst on the defensive side of the ball, intercepting two passes from Silva.

Bigelow gives lots of credit to Valasquez as well as the offensive line for the victory saying, “Angel was a force on defense this week. He was making plays all night, finishing with a handful of tackles and two interceptions. I also have to give a lot of credit to the offensive line, they were creating time for Brent and allowed him to put the ball where it needed to be.”

Jeremiah Nicholson relieved Peus of his duties late in the fourth quarter and showed his mobility with a 20 yard run that landed him on the 1-yard line which he turned into a touchdown on the following play with a quarterback sneak, thus concluding the game with a score of 52-7.

The Dons will host a tough Rio Mesa tonight as they look to maintain their undefeated record.

“Our emphasis this upcoming week against Rio Mesa is our team focus,” said Peus. “We know that we have the athletes and the play making ability to compete with this team. This is going to be one of the toughest games we’ll have all year and it’ll be a good test for us.”

12 | SPORTS

THE FORGE

SEPTEMBER 18, 2015

Dons fall to Righetti in short-handed matchup

BY TYLER GREENWALD The Santa Barbara High boys water polo team got off to a solid start on Tuesday but was unable to hang on as the Dons suffered a 9-3 defeat against a talented Righetti squad in a non-league matchup at home.

Santa Barbara came out firing from the get-go with a collective three goals in the first half alone, two coming off the hands of Jack Rottman and one delivered by Adam Gross.

“Our defense was good from the start so we were able to stay in the game early and create some opportunities on offense,” said coach Mark Walsh.

“Then we started to get tired and we ran out of gas so we didn’t have any energy left for the second half.”

The Dons put up points early as Rottman converted one in the opening minutes of the game. “Our first goal was set up off of a counter attack. I was darting up the middle and Adam (Gross) hit me with a perfect cross pass and I was able to finish it.”

Righetti answered right back with a goal of its own until Rottman gave Santa Barbara the lead once again off a well-placed lob pass by jacke Castillo. Gross later struck in what turned out to be the final goal of the half as well as the game for the Dons.

“We got a man up and one of our guys drew an ejection and we moved the ball around well,” said Gross. “I got a long pass from the righty position at the lower end all the way to

Evan Blix tries to close the deficit on an offensive attack in the fourth quarter. | Photo Courtesy of Tyler Greenwald. me on the left side and my defender put his hand up and I had a clear shot so I skipped it under his arm into the near side corner.”

Gross’ score closed out the first half with Righetti holding only a onepoint deficit at 4-3. However, in the second half, the Dons were unable to maintain their momentum.

“I told the guys at the half to hang in there as long as they can and play

hard until the last second but Righetti just outswam us and put up a great offensive performance in the second half and we couldn’t stop them,” said Walsh.

Santa Barbara was short handed all game, playing without the contributions of Sawyer Rhodes and Chris Gaffney, two prominent players in the Dons’ starting lineup.

“Chris and Sawyer would’ve really

helped, they are two defensive specialists for us and I think their presence would’ve definitely changed the outcome of the game,” said Gross.

Despite the loss, Walsh credits goalkeeper Justyn Barrios for putting up a good fight in the net, keeping the game close for the majority of the game. Barrios tallied 6 saves and 2 steals on the day.

“Overall if we were a little faster

and played at a quicker tempo I think that would’ve helped us a lot but their guys were simply just bigger, faster, and stronger than ours and that’s a tough thing to compensate for.”

Santa Barbara drops to 3-3 after the loss but looks to bounce back next Tuesday, as they will host Malibu in another non-league meeting.

SB Girls Volleyball ousts Rio Mesa in four Girls net decisive victory look forward to Laguna

BY TYLER GREENWALD Lourda Weeger and Jessyca Beksa’s dominant play at the net paced the Santa Barbara girls volleyball team to

a 25-19, 25-21, 18-25, 25-21 victory over Rio Mesa on Wednesday at Peabody Stadium.

Weeger and Beksa finished with a collective 36 kills, knocking down 20

and 16 respectively.

“We saw some great numbers from both of our big hitters Jess and Lourda ,” said coach John Gannon. “They did a really good job for us. They have

Linnea Skinner sets Maggie Wilde for a huge kill in the third game. | Photo Courtesy of Tyler Greenwald.

to carry a lot of wait for us because they are the ones with the most experience on the team and that’s exactly what they did tonight.”

The Dons got off to a good start in the first set, cruising to a 25-19 win with ease. However Rio Mesa began to make the Dons earn it, trailing by only a 1-point deficit late in the second set at 21-20.

The Dons faltered the third set 2518 as Rio Mesa went on an impressive 12-6 run to spark a large late lead.

They capitalized after a big serve was too hot to handle for the Dons, thus concluding the set at 25-18.

“After losing the third set we knew we just had to get back our focus and play tough,” said Weeger. “We knew we could win and it was just a matter of patience and making less errors.”

On the defensive side of things, Lauren Suh served as the defensive catalyst digging up 19 balls while Liana Tacconelli contributed a lot of beautiful passes of her own.

“We were playing really clean volleyball all night and we kept our passing and serving game where it needed to be,” said Suh. “We knew coming in that that was going to be the key to beating this team and fortunately we came out on top.”

It was back and forth affair in the early stages of the fourth and final set and it wasn’t until the two teams reached a score of 5-5 when the Dons be-

gan to pull away. Santa Barbara went on a 9-0 run behind the serving of Linnea Skinner, but Rio Mesa began to once again crawl its way back in it.

But Beksa shut down the possibility of a fifth set with two consecutive kills that capped off the fourth set at 25-21.

“In the final set we had excellent ball control and served really well, which we have been working on in practice,” said Gannon. “We’ve been talking a lot about the ‘serving and passing battle’ and after failing to win that in the third set, we stepped it up in the last one and closed it out.”

The Dons improve to a 3-2 record and will play Laguna Blanca at home on Tuesday, September 22.