The Forge, Volume 102, Issue 8

Hair Muralists Let the Sunshine In p. 11 | Ethnic Studies Class to Debut in 2016 p. 3 | Prom Shifts into Top Gear p. 4

THE FORGE Vol. 102 No. 8

SANTA BARBARA HIGH SCHOOL - FRIDAY, MAY 6, 2016

Est. 1914

Greenhouse Project

Jewelry:

Sports

Nears Completion

Diamonds are forever

Longawaited outdoor classroom to open | p. 2

Fine arts focus is the jewel in the crown at SBHS| p. 3

Goudy among Top Prospects in this years’ MLB Draft | p. 8

HAIR ROCKS SANTA BARBARA

Prom Court Announced The senior class has spoken. Prom is right around the corner! | p. 4

Hair, the American Tribal Love-Rock Musical at Santa Barbara High School | Photo Courtesy of Isaac Hernandez

2 | NEWS

THE FORGE STAFF

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

THE FORGE

MAY 6, 2016

The GreenLab: How Green Was My Valley?

Greenhouse Project Nears Competion

EDITORS EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Beau Lettieri and Sarina Wasserman

LAYOUT EDITOR Beau Lettieri

NEWS EDITOR Hugh Cook

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Lizzie Saunders

SPORTS EDITOR Tyler Greenwald

OPINION EDITOR Sophia Fischer

STAFF REPORTERS Jorge Cervantes Cole Creedon Brian Christensen Annina Gonzalez Dante Gonzalez Jill Horn Nele Kross Sable Layman Chloe Shaar Quinn Tubiolo

ADVISOR Otto Layman

The outdoor classroom project, being dubbed the “GreenLab” is almost complete | Photo courtesy of Beau Lettieri

BY COLE CREEDON Recently, students in Josè Caballero’s Environmental Science classroom have had his passionately fast paced lectures and labs superimposed over the blaring background noise of the nearby construction site only few paces away. Last year, Jose’s outdoor classroom, then called the Green Academy, was deemed unsafe by the district and ordered to be demolished. Lacking an outdoor learning environment, Josè began to work through the permit system of Santa Barbara, a city notorious for difficulties concerning the purchase of construction permits. Not only this, but the allocation of funding has become increasingly difficult to maintain in the public school system. Josè vocalized some frustration as he disclosed, “It’s unfortunate, but our public institutions depend on individual donors now.” Purely by coincidence this major renovation has begun in tandem with the massive renovations of Peabody Stadium, forcing Josè to advo-

cate for his own project, and execute all necessary footwork in order to organize donors. Originally, the construction was estimated to cost about half a million dollars, but following the state’s revisions to the original

ics program, as well as an area for the revival of his Small Scale Food production class. “Next year the Small Scale Food Production students will be in charge of really launching the program, and begin all sorts of proj-

plans in the form of some unforeseen additions, the cost has ballooned up to almost $900,000.

Regardless of cost, the new outdoor learning area will provide much needed space for Jose’s Advanced Placement Environmental Science (in coordination with his current indoor classroom space) the Aquapon-

ects for future classes.” These projects that Josè speaks so lively about are the next phases the site will enter following completion of actual construction. By the end of May, the first phase is expected to be completed and all the finishing touches on the building will be done. The following second and third phases will be

Scientology, the Kardashians, and a Very Lost Cow

BY QUINN TUBIOLO The end of the school year is right around the corner and Don Wondacow (the golden cow semi-mascot thingy) is still missing. Shocked? Neither am I. Appalled? So am I! That’s why I decided to get serious about finding it and took our investigation on the road.

I paid a visit to our friends over at San Marcos and demanded to speak to the person in charge. Unfortunately, the secretary promptly informed me that the person in charge is not available to answer questions at this time. But I was not taking no for an

answer. I again demanded to see the person in charge.

San Marcos refused to comment on the cow’s disappearance.

Afterwards, I visited our frenemies down at Dos Pueblos. I demanded to speak to the person in charge. I was stiffed again, but I still wasn’t taking no for an answer.

Unfortunately, Dos Pueblos also refused to comment on the disappearance of the cow . . .

So I was back to square one. I knew I was missing something. I began to think more deeply about the clues.

Did our semi-mascot count as a cash cow, being gold and all? I wasn’t

sure. So I thought about other famous cash-cows. Could it have anything to do with John Travolta? Or Tom Cruise?

Could the cow have been cownapped by a posse of crazed Scientologists? It was possible. Please note that I do not harbor any prejudices towards Scientologists. Seriously.

But, to be completely safe, I visited the Scientologist Church on State Street. I demanded to speak with Tom Cruise or John Travolta or whoever the hell was in charge. None of the above were available at the time to answer questions.

Thus the Scientologist Church refused to comment on the disappearance of the cow.

I went back to brainstorming famous cash-cows. I concluded that though cash-cows they are, the Kardashians and Kanye West probably didn’t have anything to do with our cow’s disappearance.

The clock was ticking. The end of the school year was approaching fast and I still had nearly nothing to go on. What kind of way would that be to end a school year? “Cow Still Missing”?

“It would be a damn shame,” one alumnus commented.

We are running out of time. As graduation day steadily approaches,

the worry over the cow’s location (as well as apathy, in equal measure), is beginning to mount. We’re now essentially working with three main logical theories:

1. A small group of Sarah Palin-style “Mavericks” from San Marcos or Dos Pueblo stole the cow with no intention of returning it. If this is the case, there will be retribution.

2. A small group of Sarah Palin-style “Mavericks” comprised of SBHS Seniors stole the cow as a part of their slightly over-the-top Senior Prank to insure that students of Santa Barbara High School will remember them for years to come. If this is the case, there may still be retribution.

3. There’s also the less likely possibility that, after hanging out at a high-school for more than thirty years, Don Wondacow finally decided to head to college (hey, anything is possible).

The truth is out there. And of course, the cow is out there.

handled by his food production class when it begins next fall. The second phase will consist mainly of planting drought-tolerant native species landscaping, planning for the on-site fruit orchard, the bee boxes, and improvements to the campus chicken coop.

Finally, phase three will include improvements to the old greenhouse, working it into the food production curriculum and ongoing care of the many facets of the new site.

Despite complications throughout the project, anything from having a wrong part ordered, to unavoidable bad weather, Josè has said that “It’s been most difficult to reconcile the needs and wants of all the people involved with the project.” I interpreted this similarly to a group project in a classroom setting, everyone brings different ideas to the table as means to reach an end goal, that people may envision differently. However once the project is completed, there are many opportunities for students and teachers alike to take advantage of the new space, “An outdoor classroom is neat for everyone, and every school should have one” Josè addresses the other potential ways the community can utilize the space, a laundry list of possible uses by art classes, events, for community outreach, and common use by other teachers allowing them to break the monotony of everyday use of a conventional indoor classroom. The only possible inhibiting factor would be a way to manage the the use, a way to schedule different classes so there isn’t accidental overbooking, and ensure that students are respecting the space that so many have worked to cultivate, and build. Not a day too soon, the first phase of construction is expected to be completed by the end of May, and the long awaited opening of the new GreenLab, will be official.

End in Sight for Peabody Stadium Renovation Funding

BY BEAU LETTIERI Earlier this week the Foundation for SBHS announced that once again another donor has offered a $100,000 challenge to SBHS matching all donations one-to-one between now and the end of the school year for the Peabody Stadium Renovation. Katie Jacobs reported that $4,650,000 out of the $5,000,000 in private donations needed to fund the project have been raised. The previous $100,000 challenge came earlier this year to great success, now SBHS has been given this unique opportunity to finish funding the project.

Jacobs added in the announcement “If you’ve been putting off giving until the end...THIS IS THE END! It’s now time for everyone who wants to see this project happen, to give.” There are also seats available in the new stadium for dedication, currently going at the rate of $1000 per seat. The Foundation on behalf of the entire school hopes that the community will seize this opportunity to finish funding this once in a century project!

NEWS | 3

THE FORGE

MAY 6, 2016

A Hidden Gem: SBHS Jewelry and Sculpture

Ethnic Studies to debut in 2016 - 2017

BY ANNINA GONZALEZ

Photo courtesy of Beau Lettieri

BY DANTE GONZALEZ Santa Barbara High School is renowned for being an amazing school, fully committed to accommodating the educational wants and needs of the entire student body. Besides the excellent curricula offered, the heart of SBHS lies within the direct focus and specialized departments of each academic field. Santa Barbara High School’s enormous variety of extracurriculars, ranging from sciences to maths, to a multitude of performing and visual arts classes and clubs, make SBHS first rate. For example, most other schools commonly offer freehand draw, and other introductory art classes, but it’s highly rare for any school to have a whole department or an even more rare, jewelry and sculpture class, especially one as advanced as ours.

In 1976, Janice Lorber founded the jewelry program. For the following 20 years, Ms. Lorber laid the foundation for the program and from then on, Jennifer Rabe took over. After 11 years under Ms. Rabe, former ASB teacher Laura Wooster began teaching the jewelry class. Since 2014, Jamie Davis, no stranger to arts and sculpture, began teaching the curriculum. Cal State Long Beach alumni Jamie Davis has always always had a heart for the artistic things in life. As an arts education major, Ms. Davis completely understands how to teach art to any type of student. Ms. Davis’ love for metal and ceramics truly blossomed in college. It’s definitely safe to say Ms. Davis is a perfect teacher for this class. She is educated and loves working with our students,

Jamie Davis, Jewelry Instructor but above all, her passion and love for art is truly spectacular.

The jewelry class at SBHS is much more than just a class where you create jewelry, it’s a fully developed art class where students learn to work with unconventional materials and high risk tools. Located in room 67 behind the quad, the class has branched out over the past years to create a more hands-on department as a whole. The class is generally project-based. Each unit, the class will tackle a new aspect of jewelry making and sculpture.

They’ll learn how to work with sterling silver, copper, brass, and stones.

Students will also learn to work with pretty advanced, dangerous tools to buff and polish their pieces such as a device called “the pickle”. Being a class almost entirely made up of upperclassmen allows Ms. Davis to be confident enough in her students to

let them work freely throughout the classroom. Upon entering room 67, you’d notice there are a multitude of workshops spread out through the classroom. Desks, unlike the usual ones you would see in any classroom, are also converted into personal workshop to give students as much workroom as possible.

Being an art elective, the jewelry class fulfills the A-G fine arts credits.

During the interview for this article, Ms. Davis made it very clear that this department is extremely special. “For students who don’t tend to have any other emotional outlet, this class is a great place for them to come and create whatever they’re feeling. It’s really rewarding to be able to create art out of nothing but sheet metal, wires and stones.”

Every winter, for two weeks, there is a jewelry sale in the main hallway that supports the department. For weeks in advance, the students of the

jewelry department are hard at work planning what they will sell, how much each article will sell for, and deciding who will create what. Each sale is completely student organized with supervision under Ms. Davis.

The fantastic part about these sales is not only that the students get to create whatever their heart desires, but their work is then sold and enjoyed by so many. A variety of rings, necklaces, earrings, key chains, and toe rings are made for the sale. When asked about the sale, Ms Davis said, “as an artist, there’s nothing more enjoyable than having complete artistic freedom and eventually selling your work that people love.” The week of prom, May 16 - 20, the department will behaving a jewelry sale. Go out and support our jewelry department and purchase something beautiful for someone you love.

The SBHS Jewelry class is a legacy in itself. Past teachers, in particular Jennifer Rabe, and students who were a part of the class, have gone on to become professional artists and jewelry makers. Sophia Covarrubias, an SBHS alumus and past student of the jewelry department, is now a professional hand-blowing glass artist.

Covarrubias’ nationally recognized, Rubi Glass, demonstrates how special our jewelry department is.

For anyone who is interested in jewelry making or sculpture, and doesn’t have time for the elective, there is a jewelry club that meets at lunch every first Wednesday of the month. If you’re interested in being a part of the jewelry class next year, talk to your counselor and get it onto your schedule.

County Bowl Season Opens, The 1975 Featured as Part of New Season

BY CHLOE SHAAR On Thursday, April 21, the band The 1975 performed at the The Santa Barbara Bowl. The group plays alternative rock and are on tour for their newest album I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of it. Their playlist that even included many of their best: Chocolate, Girls, and Somebody Else.

The music they sang made you either want to stand up and sway your body around or stay seated and bop

your body around, unless of course you were in the pit and were trying to get that perfect picture or video for Instagram or Snapchat. Although the show was far from being sold out, due to the fact that they aren’t the most popular band, the group still put on an amazing performance and not just music-wise. Right when they hit the stage you could already tell the visuals would be amazing. The in sync, colorful, and intriguing light show was sstunning it made you want to watch the lights, as the main attrac-

tion with the upbeat music playing in the background.

Throughout the show the crowd was very hyped and seemed to know all the words to all the songs because the lead singer, Matthew Timothy or “Matty” Healy, would continuously put the microphone out for others to sing. However, the crowd went wild for their most popular songs Chocolate and Girls. Even the people who had been sitting for most of the time got up and danced around.

Don’t miss out on other fun art-

ists at The Santa Barbara Bowl, and go online and see what upcoming venues are coming soon. The Santa Barbara Bowl is a beautiful outdoor venue that allows all ages of the community to come together. Not only that, the food is pretty good and not too expensive. If you are intested in reciving subsidized tickets for any show at the Bowl this season, contact us at forge.sbhs@gmail.com. Ticket aviliblity is limited so act now!

There are some big changes coming to SBHS in the coming years and how great would it feel to say you helped makes these things happen? For example, who’s heard of the SB Ethnic Studies Coalition? In short it is an interdisciplinary field that deals with intersections of oppression within society, and it is a critical analysis of social identities.

But truly it is so much more, it’s a voice for people of minorities, a greater understanding of social inequalities and a department dedicated to people of all backgrounds to come together and help build a more understanding society for generations to come.

Students and families all around the country are working together to bring ethnic studies departments and classes into schools as an A-G requirement.

When walking around SBHS most of the faces you see are those of color, so tell me why were learning everyone else’s history but not our own. With Ethnic studies as a school requirement all students will have a better understanding for the history of all cultures and ethnicities and not just the ones that they read about in their typical history books.

“The school system is deficient in the understanding of social issues, in today’s world we’re getting closer to the boiling point” says Chimaway Lopez, student SBHS coalition leader.

Society is moving quickly and with that everyone should be able to understand everything that’s going on around them. If people aren’t properly informed and educated there will be many misunderstandings and How are we all going to know what to do and how to adapt if we don’t understand and respect each other history? In schools that have made Ethnic Studies into classes for the school have started strong but slowly began to dissolve due to the small number of students who hold interest in Ethnic Studies. Ethnic studies has been proven to benefit all students despite their ethnic background with the results of higher graduation rates, college application and acceptance rates, raises homework progress.

In the school system there is room for all forms of education and as students, taxpayers, or whatever sort of social connection we have we must all work together the make a safer more accepting society. Though we would like to see everyone out making a positive change and spreading productive knowledge there are those who do not support ethnic studies and those are the ones who either do not understand it and need it the most.

If after learning and understanding the movement someone is still not supportive well then they are clearly ignorant.

If you want to get involved or help out in any way come to Jackson’s classroom, Room 41on Thursdays or simply take a couple minutes out of your day to sign the petition!

4 | NEWS

THE FORGE

MAY 6, 2016

ASB Shifts Prom Preparation into Top Gear

The 2016 Prom Court | Photo courtesy of Beau Lettieri

BY BEAU LETTIERI As AP testing commences and the year comes to a close ASB is hard at work planning the annual Prom

dance. The dance, which will be held at the Santa Barbara Polo and Racquet Club, will commence later this month on May 21 and will feature the theme “Once Upon a Prom.”

The outdoor venue will provide the graduating seniors and their guests with a night to remember under the stars. The dance is still in its planning phases, so ASB didn’t want to give

away too many details, but desserts, mocktails, candy bar, game areas, and a photo booth are just a few of the many features of the dance. Special attention to detail is being taken and more than ever ASB is sticking to the theme, going as far as making the desserts match the theme. The dance will take place from 8 to 11pm in just a few weeks on May 21. The dance is only open to seniors and their guests. Underclassmen may only attend if their date is a senior.

Tickets for Prom go on sale starting Monday May 9, and will cost $65 per ticket for seniors, and $75 per ticket for guests. The second week prices go up to $75 for seniors. Guests who do not attend SBHS require a guest pass which can be picked up in the Assistant Principals office. Guests passes are due a week from today on May 13. In order to purchase your prom ticket you must first fill out a Senior Activities Form and turn it in when you purchase your ticket. Underclassmen must also fill out a sim-

ilar form if they are attending prom, being dubbed the “Underclassmen Senior Activities Form.” This can also be found in the AP office.

After the dance, ASB is hosting the annual “After Prom” event as Zodo’s Bowling and Beyond. This fun (and safe) event has been hosted at Zodo’s for years now and is supported by our very own PTSA. There will be bowling, arcade games, and food from 12am to 3pm, and it only costs $15.

After Prom Tickets can be purchased when you purchase your Prom ticket from the PTSA table during lunch in front of the theatre.

Grad Night is also approaching and those Grad Nite tickets can be purchased anytime with your prom ticket. The cost is lower this year as Six Flags is the venue, coming in at $115 per ticket for Grad Nite.

ASB has put together a package for those attending both Prom and Grad Nite: $185 for Grad Nite, Prom, and a video of graduation.

ONCE UPON A PROM...

BY SABLE LAYMAN, LIZZIE SAUNDERS, AND SOPHIA FISCHER

BOLDEN BRACE

SEAN BABCOCK

SABRINA DABBY

PORTER REES

IRVING SOTO

CARTER SOTO

On receiving his nomination, Bolden Brace was “hyped”.

He explained how it was the perfect icing on the cake to his senior year, and even if he doesn’t win it was an honor to be nominated. Bolden believes he was nominated because he is the best Flappy Birds player in the whole school. Outside of playing video games, which he wants SBHS to know that he is very good at, Bolden plays basketball and volleyball, as well as cooking, although he claims he can only make a quesadilla.

He is committed to Northeastern University for basketball and although he is leaving early he still wants to have a great, short summer. Bolden’s favorite prom princess is Shane Shields, and if he doesn’t win he wants Porter Rees to take the crown. Bolden’s biggest fear is heights, and he firmly states that the missing cow is “waiting to be milked”. He is stoked to wear the prince sash and feel cool all night long. Although he doesn’t have a date, he is still wearing something spiffy to prom. Everybody catch him there, eating his favorite food, pizza!

When Sean Babcock isn’t eating his favorite food, Chickfil-A, with his sister, he is either participating in Football, Track, ASB, or Choir. Yes, Sean is very active in the Santa Barbara High School community.

Most students know him from being our ASB President, but he is also extremely active in many fields. When Sean was first nominated, he was surprised and excited; he felt as though this showed that people liked him enough to vote for him. He is excited that the nomination will take up more time while he practices making a fool out of himself for the assembly. One nominee in particular, Alice Upton (whom he hopes to be crowned), will be his Prom date. When Sean arrives to Prom, he will be wearing a classic white suit and a black bow tie. Sean, like the other nominees, is a frequent Forge reader and believes that the cow has been stolen; many sources believe that Sean knows where it is but evidently due to his answers, he is not aware of where the cow has gone. Sean will be continuing his studies at UCLA playing rugby and probably majoring in Business Econ.

Sabrina Dabby’s reaction to being nominated was also shocked and excited, but she also believes that is a whole new step to acceptance by both herself and others. Being prom king means a lot to Sabrina, she feels that by winning it would show growth in the community, something that Santa Barbara needs immensely. Outside of school, Sabrina is a member of VADA, she plays music, she loves art and hanging with her best friends.

She states that this changes her senior year because “people are becoming more aware about gender identity and this is great for Santa Barbara. It really makes me happy to know that people are becoming more accepting and compassionate.”

She says “I’m prom prince and I love it!” She is still working on her talent, but she is leaning towards singing and dancing with her friends. Her favorite food is tri-tip, she says “sorry to all you vegans and vegetarians!” She is attending Sonoma State University after college, with an undeclared major. Her favorite prom princess is all of them, and if she doesn’t win then she wants Irving Soto to.

Porter Rees was enthusiastic and “psyched out” when he was nominated for Prom prince. He admits that although he didn’t think he was going to the nomination due to his lack of attendance at school, he is excited that he did because he feels that his classmates think well of him and nominated him to represent the dance in a respectable way. Porter participates in ASB (as the ASB Vice President), varsity football, and lacrosse as well as men’s ensemble. He says, “I’m prom prince and hyped for prom!” Porter anticipates that being prom prince will change his night because he will have to talk to more people and generally be more present throughout the night.

Porter has, “no comment” on his talent because he would like it to be a surprise. After graduation, Porter will be enrolled as pre-med at University of Wisconsin. Porter jokes that he interprets “PROM” to mean “Porter Ragin’ On Molly.” He would like the SBHS student body to know that he is approachable and genuinely cares about what everyone has to say. When asked where the cow is, he responded, “I don’t know dude!”

Irving Soto was shocked and surprised when he was nominated as prom prince. He says, “I think I was nominated because I sent a mass snapchat as a joke and people actually did it so thanks everyone who voted for me!” Around campus, Irving has been involved in both choir and theatre for the past few years and is currently starring as the lead role in Hair. Over the years he has played many notable roles such as the angel Moroni in Music of the Night and Neville Landless in The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Irving feels that being prom prince means that he has made a positive impact on his peers enough to have earned their nomination however, he does not feel that being a prom prince drastically changes his senior year. After graduation he will attend UCSB as a bio-psychology major and Vocal Music minor. In his free time he enjoys finding typos.

Irving admits that he does not have a favorite prom princess but if he is not crowned prom prince, he hopes Sabrina is since it is such a progressive decision for SBHS.

Carter Soto is extremely excited to be nominated as Prom Prince. When the Homecoming princesses came in to nominate him, he was completely caught off guard.

Carter hopes to follow the legacy of being crowned King because his dad was crowned King of Hearts for Winter Formal. He plays for the high school’s baseball team and is in ASB. Aside from the school affiliated activities, he also enjoys lacrosse, going to the beach, working out, eating Chick-fil-A, and spending time with his girlfriend Amber. After rapping in front of the entire senior class at the assembly, we will see Carter cruising up into Prom in a cream tuxedo with Amber Melgoza by his side. If he isn’t crowned, he hopes that Porter Rees is, along with Shane Shields. This Prom will be a good way to “put the icing on the cake” for Carter in his last month of high school. After high school, he will be getting a job and playing baseball.

Because Carter is a frequent Forge reader, he has followed the cow burglary and believes that either the cow has been assassinated or has been burned down in the fire.

NEWS | 5

THE FORGE

MAY 6, 2016

Editorial: If Kanye is West, Let’s Go Beast

BY HUGH COOK In the last issue of the Forge, an editorial entitled “If Kanye is West, let’s go East,” was published. It criticized popular music as “uncreative, dumbed up musical culture,” and described rap as “electronic drum beats with a self obsessed ‘musician’ spewing profanities.” It claimed “rap songs are based around a slightly modified beat that has been used time and time again, but the lyrics can simply be written by any narcissistic person with no writing experience. Not only that but these these ‘songs’ are chalked full of unnecessary, vulgar sexual references, and lyrics more degrading to women than any other form of media we see or hear.”

It called for people to rescue musical culture through “[supporting] the shrinking punk scene, [buying] rock and roll records, [starting] a band, or [going] to concerts,” but punk and rock are not the only genres of music producing creative and sonically

unique pieces. Many new sounds and styles are emerging in rap itself, and it is important to recognize that no genre is as simple as the songs or people you don’t appreciate.

I will cede that Kanye is probably quite narcissistic. Indeed that is one aspect of his personality that allows him to throw himself into his music with such single minded determination. In the Kanye albums that I can appreciate as a whole his narcissism is balanced by a display of the soul, of his raw, real insecurities. For example, in his debut studio album “College Dropout,” a song titled “All Falls Down” reveals “Man I promise, I’m so self conscious / That’s why you always see me with at least one of my watches,” displaying his human side.

However, I do not want to write this to argue about whether or not Kanye is an artist or a narcissist. That’s overdone; anything I say will further entrench you in your views.

Instead, I would like to recognize rappers who emphasize creativity

and consciousness about their music and its subject matter. The “Beast Coast,” a Brooklyn based collective comprised of Pro Era (Joey Bada$$, Kirk Knight, etc), Phony Ppl (Elbie Thrie, Dyme-a-Duzin), The Underachievers (Issa Dash and Ak), and finally the infamous Flatbush Zombies (Meechy, Jewice [pronounced juice], and Erick Arc Elliot) are making music that reaches back to New York’s extensive and storied rap history, using older sounds and developing and expanding the NY scene, while displaying the creativity of true artists and exploring racial and socioeconomic tensions that have punctuated their lives.

Denzel Curry’s most recent album “Imperial” details his struggles growing up with mixed heritage, both African-American and Asian. YG and Nipsey Hussle are using their songs to explain to their fanbase political issues and their views. Amazing lyricism that tells the story of a young African American man who has lighter

skin and because of this was an outcast is displayed extensively in Logic’s discography. There are too many talented rappers producing music right now to present them all, but Chance, Noname, Ab-Soul, Tech N9ne, Jedi Mind Tricks, Action Bronson, Alien Family, and a thousand other up and coming artists are producing sonically refreshing and individual music.

I could spend years discussing music and rappers, but the most publicly visible example of rap that fuses African-American culture and promotes consciousness and awareness of issues affecting this minority population is Kendrick Lamar (K.dot!), his sophomore studio release, “To Pimp a Butterfly,” analyzes the relationships between young artists and the music industry that would like to ‘pimp’ them for money, his struggles with depression and the difficulties of growing up as an impoverished boy in compton. In the same album, a deeply emotional song emerges, “The Blacker the Berry,” In which elegant rage is balanced with acknowledged hypocrisy, and the internal strife this creates leads to a narrative that will

have you in tears, and present you with more insight into the lives of African Americans than any other media I have encountered. He uses jazz classics such as George Clinton, James Brown and gives tribute to ‘Smooth Criminal’ “merge jazz fusion with the trap music I mix black soul with some rock and roll” as described on his separate single Black Friday. He samples Sufjan Stevens, Boris Gardiner, Fela Kuti and Tupac Shakur, creating a sound that is both fresh and inventive, while tipping his hat to those who influenced and inspired his culture.

This album received Grammy nominations, topped various charts, and was lauded by critics as an instant classic. President Barack Obama said that ‘How Much a Dollar Cost,’ off of TPAB, was his favorite song of 2015.

I agree that we should support rich and creative musicians, regardless of genre. So, support punk, support rock, support swampadelic, support rap, and recognize that the vocal minority does not represent the whole.

Prom Court 2016

REYNA PAREDES

VICTORIA BIANCONE

BLUE NEBEKER

CARLA SANDOVAL

SHANE SHIELDS

ALICE UPTON

Reyna Paredes has been involved in many different aspects of Santa Barbara High School. Apart from being a part of MAD, she also has been involved in soccer for the past four years. In her free time, she loves to hang out with friends, which is probably one of the reasons she was nominated; although she wasn’t extremely ecstatic to be nominated, she feels as though she is well-liked in the school and it shows how charismatic she is. To Reyna, Prom and the end of her high school career will not change very much, she will just be wearing a crown and a sash.

On Prom night, you will see her in a very beautiful dress escorted by James Mehl. If Reyna isn’t crowned Queen, she hopes that the other winners are Blue and Sabrina because it will promote gender equality and change the “social-norms.”

The Forge also is thankful that Reyna is a frequent Forge reader and keeping up with our biggest story: where is the cow? Reyna thinks that perhaps San Marcos stole it but doesn’t think they are smart enough. Reyna will be going to UCLA in the Fall.

Like many nominees, Tori Biancone was extremely shocked and happy during her prom nomination. Tori believes that being nominated as Prom princess adds to her responsibilities around SBHS campus as well as in our community, especially when it comes to being a role model for girls at her dance studio. In addition to splitting her life between dance and school, Tori is also a part of the MAD academy, involved with Peacebuilders and loves shopping, going to the beach and babysitting.

Although she follows a vegan diet, Tori’s favorite food is sushi so she munches on vegetable rolls, tofu, and miso soup.

She admits that although this experience does not change her high school experience, she will certainly have to make sure her hair and dress “work” with the tiara and sash. Tori is excited to dance as her talent during the assembly. After graduation, Tori will be moving across the country to major in psychology at Pace University. She would like SBHS to know that this has been a dream of hers since she was, “super little and watched it in movies.”

Blue’s first reaction to getting nominated was first excited, and then she thought “oh they must all have eyes and brains.”

She believes that who is nominated is respected and valued socially, and being a transgender she doesn’t get to experience that as much, making this a more exciting experience than usual. She believes she was also nominated because of this, as she “thoroughly stands out in the way she dresses and presents herself.” She believes this will change her senior because “I feel like it has brought me from someone who isn’t sure what everyone thinks of me, to somebody who now doesn’t need to worry about that.” She is involved in many LGBTQ+ activist groups, as well as Pacific Pride foundations youth group. Blue is a member of VADA and after high school she is headed to Santa Barbara City College.

Her favorite prom prince is Sabrina Dabby, and her prom dress? Well, that’s a surprise but “don’t worry, it’s going to be great.”

Along with the other nominees, Carla Sandoval was both surprised and excited when she was chosen for prom princess. Her belief of being a princess means that she is high school royalty, although she doesn’t quite know why she was nominated. Carla has been thoroughly involved in the school, as she has been on the Donettes Dance Team since her freshman year and has loved every step of the way.

On how being nominated will change her night, she says, “I don’t believe it will, because regardless I am still going to enjoy my night around fun outgoing people.” Her secret talent is eating a whole box of pizza by herself, and of course, dancing! Her favorite food is pizza and In-N-Out because they are “both saucy like her.” Even though she doesn’t have a date, she will still be there to support her fellow prom princess Blue!

She states, “Blue should win because she slays every day of the week!” Her favorite prom prince is Irving Soto, and she wants SBHS to know that even though she is a performer, she is a very shy person outside of dance.

Shane Shields was both surprised and flattered upon her nomination of prom princess.

Although she had no desire to be nominated she has come to peace with the situation and is happy that she can tell this story to her future children.

Shane plays on the varsity tennis tennis team and in the past has participate in various clubs such as Social Club, Hearts Therapeutic Club, Green Club, and Interact Club. Next fall, Shane will be attending University of San Francisco as a child development major. In her spare time, Shane enjoys going on hikes, playing with her dog, and going to the beach with friends. She admits that being prom princess forces her to act out of her comfort zone, especially with having to dance in front of a large audience.Shane is thrilled that she will get to attend prom night as a princess which will make it even more of a night to remember. In Shane’s opinion “PROM” stands for People Romping Around Making flowers. Although her talent is still under deliberation, Shane and Reyna are expected to perform together.

Many students may know of Alice Upton’s work throughout the Santa Barbara High School community. Not only has she been in ASB for herentire high school career, but she also runs XC and Track and Field.After the initial shock of becoming a nominee, the thought of doing a talent in front of the entire senior class dawned on her.

Alice feels as though she was nominated because she is honored by her peers, and this nomination adds to the excitement and nostalgia of the last few months of high school. Alice will be arriving to “Promenade” and dancing the night away (although she doesn’t really know how to dance). She hopes to see her favorite prince there, Sean Babcock, of whom she thinks is “pretty cool.” If Alice isn’t crowned princess, she will be happy with any of the other princesses winning because they are all equally deserving. Along with the other ASB students, she is not aware of aware of where the cow is.

Next year, she will be attending American University in Washington D.C. and will be majoring in Political Science.

6 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

THE FORGE

MAY 6, 2016

Sex, Society, and Authority: SBHS Musical Hair Opens

BY HUGH COOK The musical production Hair, based in the years during the Vietnam war, takes place during the height of the counterculture movement. Hair, the musical, which debuted on April first of 1977 on Broadway, was recently produced at Santa Barbara High School from and opened last weekend on April 29th.

This piece first sparked controversy when first performed in 1968 for its seemingly non-patriotic message, its infamous nude scene, (no, that was not performed here at SBHS) and its liberal use of hallucinogens and cannabis.

This is the second time Director Otto Layman has directed a production of Hair, one of the most controversial shows at its original date of showing, and still as poignant a reminder of the strange interactions that tribe, race, and religion have.

Astrology, environmentalism, and pacifism are displayed dramatically as interacting themes, with a few Shakespearean references thrown in to prove, as it has, that the message Hair emphasizes goes beyond the 60’s. It goes beyond hippie life, it displays the lives of a generation. Dr. Jon Nathan, Director of the UCSB jazz ensemble, directed a live band for the show. Bonnie Thor designed amazingly accurate and theatrical costumes that accentuate the psychedelic aspects of the show. Production Stage Manager Beau Lettieri put together an impressive set of projection designs for two screens that are held high above the crowd.

Onto these screens relevant images were projected that gave the viewer a more complete immersion in the time and setting the show recreates. The lighting, designed by Mike Madden, was purposefully reminiscent of the 60’s, although obviously, more high-teched; it evoked feelings of action and anger, youth, emotion, and most of all, passion. In the play, we follow a group of hippies, no younger or older than you or me: students. They are lamenting the pointless draft cards they have received, even going so far as to burn them, and in the process

rejecting society. The cast is large, it was made up of : Dante Gonzalez, Sable Layman, Irving Soto, Sarina Wasserman, Leora Wasserman, Ben Zevallos, Hailey Turner, Mia Valdes, Meredith LeMert, Bradley DeVine, Cai Norton, Cameron Meza, William Blondell, Rio Salazar, Cooper Umoff, Lizzie Saunders, Nolan McCarthy, Penny O’Mahoney, Hazel Brady, Alana Ochoa, Bella Holland, Quique Hernandez, Iyana Brown, Lilliana Johnston, Leah Martin, Isaac Cortes, Sophia Hurtado, Zoë Padilla, Drewes McFarling, and Julia McCarter.

The stage they act on is a wonderland, psychedelic, painted with words of love and acceptance. The hippie styled van on stage left, and a larger than life Jimi Hendrix mural painted on the background with polka dots and a vivacious colors, as well as the time accurate protest signs, along the flowy, retro-realistic outfits (designed by Bonnie Thor), all immerse the viewer in the period, and the commitment and passion of the actors brings an era of anger, rebellion, contrasted by youthful love and revolutionary ideals about freedom to the forefront of your reality. But, just as the children are rebelling against government rules, even the symbol of the stage has a relationship with the violence that war causes.

The Tribe is made up of Irving Soto, playing Claude, a rebel who cannot decide his cause, caught between parental and societal pressure, and peer pressure and a desire to live that compels him to dodge the draft, Sheila (Lizzie Saunders), a hyper- active political figure hung up on Beger “hung up on”; Jeannie, played by Rio Salazar, who exaggerates the damages of air pollution by donning a terrifying gas mask, an excellent nod to the poisons being released in Agent Orange during this war; Woof, AKA Quique Hernandez, is filled with love for all, especially seeds; Hud - Dante Gonzalez, who plays a militant civil rights activist, dances while twirling an American flag, proclaiming himself “King of The United States Of Love”.

As Margaret Mead, an anthropolo-

gist studying this new phenomenon of youthful exuberance, Hazel Brady decides that kids should “do whatever you want, just so long as you don’t hurt anyone.” These characters embody the free spirit, rebellious nature that these kids embody, but also the inescapable insecurity and difficult choices that one has to make when deciding one’s life.

The songs performed were memorable, and relatable, one of the best known songs in the show is “The Age of Aquarius.” The lyrics imagine a utopian new age, but the events of the plot show that conflict and trouble are still part of the Age of Aquarius and the life of the Tribe. Berger, played by Ben Zevallos, the charismatic leader of the hippie group, is petty and even cruel, but loving as well, and funny and loving with his friends. His harsh rejection of his girlfriend’s gift leads to her song “Easy to be Hard.”

The experiences of Claude are the most troubling of all. Claude debates the ethics of the war in Vietnam and whether he should resist being drafted. Claude, played by Irving Soto, has to make the tough decision of doing what his parents tell him, or doing what he feels like doing, as his friends Berger (Ben Zevallos), Sheila (Saunders), his love interest do, and Woof, his confidante.

This serves as an eerie reminder that talk of action is not as important as real action, a theme confronted in the show. Because the musical The heart of the performance was the passion that all involved held for the show, whether because they can see how important it is today given the current U.S. militaries roaming, or because they value the story that it tells - but dancers, singers, and actors alike put on a very topical and yet historically powerful. Hair was directed by Otto Layman, who also designed the set, with choreography

by Jenna Tico (Class of 2008), costumes by Bonnie Thor, and light and design by Mike Madden. HAIR continues tonight Friday, May 6 at 7pm, May 7 at 2pm and 7pm, and closes May 8 at 2pm.

PHOTOS OF HAIR COURTESY OF ISAAC HERNANDEZ

THE FORGE

MAY 6, 2016

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | 7

VADA students ‘Let the Sunshine In’ with Hair Murals

The set of Hair. Both the Jimi Hendrix Mural and the VW Bus were hand painted by a crew of VADA students. | Photo Courtesy of Beau Lettieri

BY BEAU LETTIERI “We’re going to paint the inside of the theatre,” theatre director Otto Layman said to VADA student Amanda Weymouth. No — not just paint the theatre, paint murals on the inside of the theatre. If you’ve walked through the theatre this month, you’ve seen the enormous murals that now cover the theatre walls. The unique project is for the theatre’s production of “Hair” which opened last week and continues this weekend. The Peter Max inspired murals that cover both sides of the theatre and the entire back wall of the set took ten weeks to paint by a crew of VADA students, headed by Sophomores Amanda Weymouth and Kieran Meaney. Back before rehearsals for the show began, Layman gave Weymouth and Meaney the task of transforming the theatre from a high school theatre into a groovy, psychedelic, concert hall for the rock musical. All they were given was a few paintings by Peter Max (the iconic artist of the 1960s, well known for his

artwork on the Beatles Album “Yellow Submarine”) some brushes, and A LOT of paint.

“You can’t do this in any other theatre in Santa Barbara,” added Layman, who from the beginning saw the murals as an integral part of the set design. “The theatre was build in 1924 and hasn’t had much cosmetic remodeling since 1970. This provides us with a great opportunity to transform the space into anything we want. We can crash a helicopter, build a VW Bus, and yes, even paint the walls.” The project began with the sides of the theatre, which now are home to two Statue of Liberty heads and then moved to conquer the nineteen foot tall by thirty-five foot wide back wall which bears a portrait of Jimmy Hendrix. Finally the crew moved up a level to paint the upper side walls. In addition to the murals, Hair features a full size VW Bus that was meticulously painted to reflect the hippie movement. The crew of painters, most of which are current VADA students, lead by Weymouth and Meaney included: Leah Makler,

G-Eazy Opens Bowl Season

BY SARINA WASSERMAN Named Gerald Earl Gillum at birth, G-Eazy has taken the pop music scene by storm. He began his music career in 2008 as a record producer and since, has gained popularity worldwide at only 26 years old. Most recently, G-eazy has performed at Coachella, Stagecoach, and even our own Santa Barbara Bowl (just to name a few). His current world tour has managed to sell out almost performance as he is now one of the top

artists!

On April 19th, G-Eazy performed at the Bowl as part of his “When its Darkout” tour. The crowd was crammed with young adults full of excitement, alcohol, and not to mention, sexual tension. Nef the Pharaoh and Marty grimes, two up and coming rappers, opened for him. Between sips of whiskey, and tossing some hundred-dollar bills into the audience, the openers definitely managed to keep the audiences’ attention. But of course, when G-Eazy came on he stole the show. Singing his most popular songs, “Me, myself, and I”, “I mean it”, and “Tumblr Girls” there was no lack of audience involvement when it came to singing along.

Overall, the night was full with great energy, good laughs, and tons of fun as G-Eazy killed his Santa Barbara Debut performance! The bowl continues to host a wide variety of great performers and artists.

One of two Peter Max Inspired murals of the Status of Liberty.

Grace Wenzel, Samantha Atherton, Olivia Pinho, Julia Campos, Eliza Leventhal, Karina Nunez, Bridget Mitchell, Ava Samuels, Giovanna Ayala, and Leah Martin. The murals,

which are impressive for both their attention to detail and enormous scale, can be seen this weekend at Hair, which runs for four more performances: Tonight, Friday May 6

at 7pm, May 6 at 2pm & 7pm, with a closing performance on May 8 at 2pm.

Performing Arts Department Showcases Talent

BY JILL HORN As the year wraps up, the performing arts department of Santa Barbara High School has come to point in the year where they feature the talent of SBHS’s finest performing artists. You can choose between Hair, the Spring choir concert, the 11th annual SBHS dance recital, two band concerts and and The Sound of the City, a vocal showcase, presented by students of advanced theatre class.

First up, continuing its run tonight, is “Hair” the theatre department’s latest production. The show features twenty-nine actors who last weekend dazzled in the classic love rock musical. There are four remaining shows, tonight May 6 at 7pm, May 7 at 2pm, May 7 at 7pm, and Sunday May 8 at 2pm. Tickets are only $10 for students, $15 for adults, and free with your ASB gold card.

The vocal department will be holding their Spring Choral Concert, performed by choir classes of Santa Barbara High School on May 13th and 14th at the First United

Methodist Church. Come and enjoy music from around the world with the groups A Cappella, Esperanza, Invictus, Women’s Ensemble and the Madrigal Singers will sing a variety of choral music in French, German and other languages under the direction of choir director Mary LaFace.

Tickets are $12 at the door. Come and take joy in listening to Santa Barbara High’s nicest voices.

The 11th annual spring Dance Recital of Santa Barbara High’s dance classes, directed by Ms. Beth Goldman will take place on May 19th and 20th. There will be performances of all her classes, such as Dance Production Beginners, Advanced and Aerobics. The main part of the show will be performed by the Dance Production Advanced class which will perform more than ten different dance pieces on stage. The hard work and effort the dancers have put into the rehearsals this semester will glamorously be shown off on stage and all the act. The students will perform a diverse repertoire of dances from a variety of styles including

jazz, hip hop, musical theatre, tap and many more.

The instrumental music department will be holding their spring concert the theatre later this month, and finish the month up with their annual Jazz festival which will feature jazz bands from throughout the state. The jazz festival will take place in the theatre on an upcoming Saturday. The band department, lead by director Karney VanDerSal is celebrating its 100th year at SBHS. Finally the year will wrap up with The Sound of the City an organized vocal showcase at Santa Barbara High School for any students who wish to demonstrate their talents in voice. The concert is still in its planning phases, so keep an eye out for more info on the theatre callboard outside the little gym. The shows will be Friday, June 3rd and Saturday, June 4th at 7:00 pm in the SBHS Theatre.

The May has a lot in store, so make sure to come out and support these up and coming artists!

8 | SPORTS

THE FORGE

MAY 6, 2016

Kevin Gowdy among Top Prospects in this years’ MLB Draft

Kevin Gowdy has a lethal three pitch combination consisting of a low 90’s fastball, an effective slider, and a commanding changeup. | Photo Courtesy of 3rdManIn.

BY TYLER GREENWALD Santa Barbara High School’s Kevin Gowdy has been committed to play for the UCLA baseball team since early his sophomore year, but as of late, it looks like an alternative option may arise.

The SBHS senior pitching star has exhibited top-notch skills that have not gone unnoticed, as Gowdy is currently ranked 22nd on the MLB top draft prospects list.

The 6-foot-4, 175-pound right-handed pitcher has a free and

loose delivery that consistently deals a unique three-pitch combination. His repertoire most commonly consists of a low-90s fastball, an effective slider, and a commanding changeup.

“Having a three-pitch mix and being able to throw any pitch in any count is something I take pride it,” Gowdy told 3rd Man In. “I didn’t throw a curveball until I was 14 years old. I think learning fastball command and learning a changeup first helped me.”

Despite always having a talented base in the sport of balance, Gowdy’s

SBHS Tennis plows through Channel League Individual Tourney

Kevin Gowdy is currently listed 22nd on the MLB top draft prospects list. | Photo Courtesy of Presidio Sports

largest leap forward was his sophomore season at Santa Barbara High School, which was when UCLA began to get in contact with him.

“I’ve always been an all right player,” Gowdy said. “But, the summer before my sophomore year is when I took the next step forward with developing. I grew that year and my velocity went up.”

In regard to his choice of commitment to UCLA, Gowdy says: “I just knew that UCLA was where I wanted to go. I think Coach John Savage is one of the best in baseball. It is close to home. I can come home on the

weekends. Obviously, it has great academics. Plus, it’s southern California.

It’s sunny year round. I thought it was a really good opportunity for me.”

Due to his strong work ethic and determination, Gowdy is a pitcher who could march through a minor league system quickly.

Gowdy undoubtedly has potential to be a starting pitcher in the major leagues one day, it’s just a matter of a team giving him a chance and selecting him in June’s MLB Draft.

However despite his name looming around all of the draft talk, Gowdy isn’t focused on pro ball and is simply

Santa Barbara Overwhelms Buena in Key Channel League matchup

looking forward to his senior season of high school baseball and knows that he has a great opportunity at UCLA next fall, regardless of the outcome.

“I don’t really worry about the draft because I have such a good option in my back pocket in UCLA,” Gowdy said. “We will see what happens with the draft. But, right now I am a Bruin and that’s really what I’ve been focusing on.”

But certainly keep your eyes out for the polished pitcher in this years Major League Baseball Draft.

Things Overheard in the Hall Way “I judge people by their ringtones.”

“It’s not that you’re ugly, it’s just that you’re crazy.”

“It’s amazing how much Netflix you can watch in one sitting.”

San Marcos’ Kento Perera

BY TYLER GREENWALD After dominant performances from San Marcos’ Kento Perera and Santa Barbara High’s Spencer Ekola in the Channel League Individual tournament, the two champions will go head-to-head on Thursday for the singles title.

Santa Barbara High’s Spencer Ekola made his Channel League Tournament debut and won his first two matches handily, beating Coby Morales of Buena and fourth-seeded Vincent Villano of Dos Pueblos in the second round. Ekola won three straight singles titles in the Frontier League for Bishop Diego before transferring to Santa Barbara.

Ekola’s teammate, Harry DeBoer, won two matches to earn a shot at Perera but was ousted 6-1, 6-0, while and Ekola topped Dominik Stefanov of San Marcos, 6-2, 6-1 in the other semifinal matchuo

Perera is the two-time defending Channel League champion, and Ekola will look to halt his streak tomorrow at the Knowlwood Tennis Club at 4:30 p.m.

The Channel League Individual Doubles Tournament kicked off today as well with three Santa Barbara doubles teams advancing to the semifinals.

No.1 seeded team in the tournament Jackson Powell/Logan Lender got a buy in the first round and swept their second while Taggart Mills/ Tyler Greenwald and Taylor Kleine/ Noah Ostovany prevailed in two consecutive matches to advance to semifinal play tomorrow alongside Ekola and Perera.

The teams of Kleine/Ostovany and Powell/Lender with have an inter-squad match of sorts as they will face off against each other

Carter Soto grounds a ball from second base earlier in the season

BY TYLER GREENWALD The Santa Barbara High baseball team tallied a clutch win on Tuesday, defeating the Buena Bulldogs 7-1 in an important Channel League matchup in Ventura.

The win keeps the Dons in second place in the standings at 5-4, one game behind Dos Pueblos (6-3).

Buena falls to 5-6 in league.

Pitcher Kevin Gowdy struck out 12 in a complete-game performance and improved to 4-2 on the season, but he also got a lot of assistance defensively.

“Buena is a challenging place to play, especially with the wind blowing out to right field and a bumpy infield,” Santa Barbara coach Donny Warrecker told Noozhawk. “Tommy

“I’m you, but stronger.”

Holguin played flawlessly at shortstop and Kevin was his usual efficient self on the mound, working ahead of the hitters and forcing their hitters to put the ball in play.”

“G-Eazy? That sounds like a

Carter Soto recorded a single and a double on the day, driving home two in the process to spark the Santa Barbara offense. John Jensen continued his hot hitting, going 2-3 with a double as well. Antonio Andrade tripled and scored in the fourth inning and singled in an insurance run in the fifth.

Santa Barbara (10-7 overall) and Buena (12-13) play their final meeting of the season on Friday at Eddie Mathews Field.

men.”

birth control pill.”

“AP is a man because I hate

“There’s a special place in hell for the college board” “The sun is really overwhelming, we should blow up the sun”