The Forge Vol. 106 No. 2

Area 51 Raid p. 5 | Trump Impeachment p. 3 | Cross Country p. 11 | Monthy Horoscopes p. 8

THE FORGE Vol. 106 No. 2

SANTA BARBARA HIGH SCHOOL - FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2019

Est. 1914

Lookback on Homecoming

Why You Should Vote

Girls Volleyball Finshes Strong

Forge staff reviews this year’s annual dance | p. 2

Find out why you should vote in the upcoming election | p. 4

A rocky start to the season, Girls Volleyball finishes strong| p. 11

Senior Year in Full Swing

SB Football Beats San Marcos SBHS crushes SM 38-12 at Homecoming Football game | p. 10

Girls of the Senior Class | Photo Courtesy of Jacqueline Morison

2 | NEWS

THE FORGE STAFF

THE FORGE

OCTOBER 25, 2019

Lookback on Homecoming, 2019

2019 - 2020

700 East Anapamu Street Santa Barbara, CA 93103 (805) 966-9101 ex. 5031 Room 204

EDITORS EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Hannah Ziouani and Madeleine Mishler

LAYOUT EDITOR Jacqueline Morison

SPORTS EDITOR Andre Battle COPY EDITOR Emerson Steady

STAFF REPORTERS Zane Forte Elias Campos Sam Long Michael Elias Rebekah Miller Anya McCue Esme Gonzalez Viviana Trujillo Karissa Fields Gisella DeAlbergaria Will Goligoski Morgan Maloney Genesas Zarate Caroline Nuhn Sofia DiPadova

ADVISOR Otto Layman

This year’s Homecoming Princesses| Photos Courtesy of Hannah Ziouani

BY ESME GONZALEZ Homecoming was the start of a great year.

Just like every previous one in recent memory, Homecoming once again took place in the meadow- only this year with a twist. This time we had two venues on our campus, the Girls Gym and the traditional meadow. This year’s theme was Studio 54, a New York City nightclub that was opened in the late 1920’s and saw it heyday in the 1970’s.

With a lot of help from ASB and the musical assistance of DJ Hecktik, we were able to kick off the year with a fabulous event. The inside of the gym was more of a glow in the dark area, whereas the meadow was more themed, from the 1920’s to old school 1990’s. Everyone

seemed to have a fun night, with people mentioning “the mosh pit was thrilling!”, “it was an interesting beginning, but a great way to end the night” and “it was different, but a nice touch to something new.” Some students also believed the music was much better than in previous years. Many students also believe the music was better this year however, there were complaints about too much “old school” music like early 2000’s R&B hip pop. According to Mrs. Roesch, the double dance floor was an “admin decision” made for the safety of the students. In previous years, it seems the dance floors get a little bit too hectic and highly crowded, which concerned the staff about

the possible danger.

One of the suggestions from students and possible ideas for next year could be to move it to the quad for a more spacious event. Lets see what our ASB team has in store for us this winter!

Virginia Teacher Fired for Not Using Transgender Student’s Pronouns

BY EMERSON STEADY In a new age of pride parades, LGBTQ+ representation in the media, and support groups both in-person and online, many school administrations are struggling to keep up with new standards for tolerance, while also respecting people’s religious beliefs and free-speech rights.

It is an increasingly prevalent story, and most recently in Virginia, teacher Peter Vlaming was fired from his job for refusing to use a transgender student’s preferred pronouns. The student, who publicly transitioned from male to female during the summer before ninth grade, requested that the teacher use his preferred male name and he/him/his pronouns. Vlaming, a French teacher

at West Point High, began using the student’s preferred name, but abstained from using pronouns altogether. After multiple warnings from school administration along with an incident in which he inadvertently referred to the student as “she”, the teacher was fired for insubordination. Vlaming is now suing officials in the school district for wrongful termination, alleging that his firing violated the First Amendment, which protects freedom of speech and religion. Vlaming says that his refusal to use pronouns was based on his deeply-held religious beliefs, and people with similar religious convictions should not be compelled by the government to say things with which they do not agree.

For students at Santa Barbara High School, this begs the question: how would this school’s administration respond to similar behavior from a Santa Barbara High School teacher? The co-president of the school’s Gender Sexuality Alliance (GSA), Lee Palomares, who goes by they/ them pronouns, said that generally the school and its teachers are accommodating to students’ preferred pronouns and names. Lee, who started asking teachers to use their preferred pronouns this year, said that if they did have an issue with a teacher, they would report it to Santa Barbara High School administration and to the Pacific Pride Foundation, a non-profit based in Santa Barbara that provides resources and support to LGBTQ+ individuals. Lee hoped that the school would respond to teachers such as Vlaming in a similar way to West Point High, with warnings, trainings, and, if deemed necessary, termination, and described this type of behavior from teachers as “transphobic” and “dehumanizing.”

Additionally, Lee said that Vlaming bringing his religion into this issue is “inappropriate,” and that this case is solely about discrimination.

Although Lee thinks that Santa Barbara High School is generally acco-

modating to LGBTQ+ students, they believe that certain changes such as listing student’s pronouns and rosters and enforcing teacher’s use of students’ nicknames will make Santa Barbara High School a better place for transgender students. (The GSA, which is an ASB-approved club that provides a safe-space for LGBTQ+ students and straight allies, meets on Wednesdays at lunch in room 209.)

The West Point High case is representative of the struggles that many transgender students face at school, from bullying to so-called “bathroom bills” in state legislatures which only allow students to use bathrooms conforming to their biological (or birth certificate) sex. Beyond the religious aspect, there is certainly a cultural and generational divide at play here. Even for non-religious teachers, using preferred pronouns for a student is a very new phenomenon that may be confusing or difficult.

America is a country which prides itself on tolerance. This includes tolerance of transgender people, but also tolerance of different religions. With both of these in mind, shouldn’t Peter Vlaming’s compromise to avoid pronouns altogether have been enough for the school board? Perhaps a better solution would have been to have

found the student a different teacher who was not bound by their religions to refer to the student in a way that the student deemed as hurtful. On the other hand, LGBTQ+ groups such as the Resource Center at the University of Milwaukee say that referring to someone by their preferred pronouns is extraordinarily important because they may otherwise feel “disrespected, invalidated, dismissed, alienated, or dysphoric,” especially when it comes from authority figures such as teachers. One thing is for certain when it comes to LGBTQ+ people being accommodated: change is happening fast. Just last month, the Merriam-Webster dictionary added “they” as a singular pronoun for nonbinary individuals, and recently many of the leading 2020 Democratic presidential candidates appeared at a town hall exclusively focused on LGBTQ+ issues.

With teenagers at the center of this cultural shift, there are two questions the administration at Santa Barbara High School must answer: can they keep up, and will they know if they have gone too far?

NEWS | 3

THE FORGE

OCTOBER 25, 2019

Trump Impeachement

Club Rush, Successful Again!

Donald Trump Protesters | Photos Courtesy of Google Images

BY HANNAH ZIOUANI Sexual assault claims, “birther” myths about Barack Obama, controversial comments about Mexican immigrants, insulting the military service of John McCain, endorsing violence displayed by his supporters, and falsely claiming to have won the “popular vote” in the 2016 election

have so far not proven severe enough to provoke the impeachment of our beloved current President, Donald J. Trump. Despite Trump saying confidently, “Have you even read the United States Constitution? I will gladly lend you my copy. In this document, look for the words liberty and equal protection of the law” to

belittle Muslim American soldiers’ parents’ speech about their dead children, he played himself. Trump has been unable to slow the momentum of Democrats as they investigate whether he abused his power and disobeyed the constitution by trying to pressure Ukraine to dig for dirt on potential 2020 for Joe Biden and his son Hunter. In turn of this momentum, Trump is being officially considered for impeachment.

Being the socially immature executive that he is, President Trump has not only tried to push the blame on the whistleblower, but he has taken to social media to skew the majority of the population’s viewpoint. In a series of tweets, Trump made comments such as “...the Whistleblower, and also the person who gave all of the false information to him. This is simply about a phone conversation that could not have been nicer, warmer, or better. No pressure at all (as confirmed by the Ukrainian President).

It is just another Democrat Hoax!” and, “The congratulatory phone call with the Ukrainian President was PERFECT unless you heard Liddle’ Adam Schiff ’s fraudulently made-up version of the call. This is just another Fake News Media, together with their partner, the Democrat Party, HOAX!” For someone previously advocating so religiously for a man’s natural practical joking about sexual assault, Trump sure seems to have a grave issue with hoaxes, or in other words, practical jokes. To top this off, Trump warned that he was pursuing the exposure of the name of the official who blew the whistle on

his call and dealings with Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky. This additional comment could be considered a potential violation of laws meant to protect truth-tellers and could easily play into any eventual charges by Democrats that he is seeking to dismantle their investigation.

While there are so far not many signs of a downhill slope in support among GOP lawmakers for Trump, shifting poll numbers in progress so far suggest the President faces the most prominent risks compared to the Democratic party in the impeachment showdown. When it comes to the overall promotion of impeachment of President Trump, a SQL Server Reporting Services poll concluded that the support of removal rose eleven points from forty-six percent among the Independent party, edged up fourteen percent within the Republican party, and has stayed close to one hundred percent of the Democratic party in advocation of the removal. As the statistics clearly show a threat towards Trump, his panic-stricken behavior has also demonstrated a genuine risk toward the continuation of his “reign” in the United States of America.

With Congress on “vacation” due to Jewish holidays, Democrats moved avidly against Giuliani, the President’s personal lawyer, requesting that by Oct. 15, he sends the “text messages, phone records and other communications” that they referred to as possible evidence. Additionally, they asked for documents and depositions from three of his business associates. American citizens are to remain biting their nails and laughing at Trump’s IQ displayed through the basis of his tweets. This event following through could make history alongside Nixon’s resignation and Clinton’s impeachment. America is on the potential path of insane modification.

BY CAROLINE NUHN Club Rush once again, proved to be a successful event for the Dons. Held in the quad, Club Rush brought together all of the organized clubs of our school, which made for an exciting afternoon. Female Equality, Game Development, Vinyl Records, Creative Writing, and many more clubs held promotion booths in the quad. Students could ask questions and learn more about the clubs featured from students running the club.

If you’re looking for a niche or want to find something you’re passionate about, explore our wonderful clubs! If there isn’t a club that aligns with your interests, start one! There are plenty of people who probably share similar interests and are looking for a club just like you.

Many of the club leaders had incentives, including candy or stickers, at their booths to draw people in and promotes interest.

Others had artistic signs to display their clubs talent and criteria.

It’s a really gratifying experience seeing all types of different students interacting and forming new friendships through shared passions. Club Rush is a great way to make new friends easily! All you have to do is join a club-it’s that simple!

Our school offers great opportunities for students to initiate and join clubs. There is plenty of time during seminar to gather with clubs, and there is a plethora of great resources provided by the staff to get help and support in creating these clubs. If you have any interest in joining or making a club, the best place to go would be to your counselor.

They’ll have any information you may need regarding where to go for certain clubs, how and where to sign up, or what sort of clubs you may be interested in. They are also good resources for anyone wishing to create a new club, as they can provide resources, teachers, and any forms you may need.

Be sure to stop by the next Club Rush and check it out!

4 | NEWS

Possible Closed Campus?

BY ANYA MCCUE A rumor has been spreading across Santa Barbara High School’s campus that there will possibly be a closed campus lunch next school year. To clarify the rumor, and further my understanding of what a “closed campus” would mean for SBHS, I went and talked to our school principal, Elise Simmons.

First off, I asked her whether the rumor was true or false. Ms. Simmons replied, “There have always been conversations around this idea of limiting the students from going off campus during lunch time.”

She informed me that ever since she started working here, it was a “conversation.” Every week she gets emails from parents that ask her to close the campus, primarily from worried mothers and fathers of ninth and tenth graders. Ms. Simmons said, “I think it’s a matter of; it will happen. The question is when will it happen, and how will it happen.” She tells me that it is a topic in her weekly conversation.

I also asked her what the good and bad things are about having a closed campus.

She confessed that there weren’t many good things about it besides a wider variety of food choices. The bad things she mentioned are safety reasons; there is less supervision off campus; car accidents, tardies and truancies rates are up on the class after lunch, and neighbor and business complaints. If Santa Barbara High School was to become a closed campus, Simmons would still describe this rather as an open campus, but only for those who have earned it. Only Juniors and Seniors who have obtained the grades and behavior of a respectable Don will be given the privilege to go off campus for lunch. “We are not putting up a fence around the school,” she later clarified.

The staff and administration would also be affected by this change, so I asked Ms. Simmons about how they will have to take charge. She replied that there will be more students on campus, and this means making more kids comfortable, providing more food and more supervision. She told me that it will have an impact on the cafeteria, which means considering the need for multiple lunch lines and more food for the students.

Ms. Simmons recognizes that the students might be frustrated by the closed campus.

She predicts that they will probably say, “Here’s yet another rule that makes school annoying,” and that they are going to feel like the staff is trying to control them more. But, she also predicts that students might be compelled to eat healthier at the cafeteria, meet with their teacher to get extra help, or join a club and be more engaged in a focused spirited school community.

THE FORGE

OCTOBER 25, 2019

The Importance of Voting

BY KARISSA FIELDS Why should you pre-register? As the new generation, it is our chance to have a voice.

We have become a generation of youth activists, and for many students in the next election, we have the opportunity to vote for legislation and officials that we believe in. Now is the time for us to use the freedom of democracy to our advantage. It is our time to engage in the politics of the United States.

What is pre-registration? If you are 16 or 17 years old you can pre-register. California youth who pre-register to vote will have their registration active once they turn 18 years old. To be eligible to pre-register you must meet the following three criteria; be a United States citizen, not currently in state or federal prison or on parole for the conviction of a felony, and not currently found mentally incompetent to vote by a court. Where do you pre-register? You can do so online at https://registertovote.ca.gov. You can also

pre-register at the election office in Goleta. It’s simple!

The majority of voters are senior citizens, baby boomers, people with multiple degrees, and wealthier or more educated people.

People with three degrees are more likely to vote than high school students. This continues the dominance of the white and wealthy ruling class in our society. The lowest number of voters are between the ages of 18 and 29. This group also makes up the largest percentage of the population. So it’s time to stop letting the older generations make decisions for us.

You are able to register now because you have a say in your future and the future of this country. Vote!

2019 Democratic Candidates

IT Chapter 2 Review

BY MICHAEL ELIAS The first Democratic caucus is still months away from happening, but the race for the presidency has already begun. With 19 democratic candidates remaining out of the original 27, each looking to challenge for a place in the White House. The current situation began not so long ago in 2016, when Hillary Clinton lost the presidential election against the current president, Donald Trump.

This marks when the Democratic party started to become a pretty nebulous organization due to a lack of leadership up top. So who is going to be Trump’s opponent in the 2020 race? To answer that, is still too early to decide. As of now, Joseph “Joe” Biden and Elizabeth Warren are leading the polls, with Bernard “Bernie” Sanders coming behind in third. This article will mainly be discussing those three because otherwise it would be extremely long, and any other candidate is unlikely to win unless some sort of miracle comeback happens; all other candidates have less than 6% of the party’s support, and approximately two thirds of registered Democrats support one of these three as their favorite. Joe Biden, as many Americans know, served as vice president under Barack Obama from 2008-2016, Elizabeth Warren is a politician serving

BY CAROLINE NUHN In 2017, the movie, “It”, based on the Stephen King novel written in 1986, hit the big screens. The movie was an immediate hit, as positive reviews swarmed social media like tweens at a One Direction concert.

The film kept the audience on the edge of their seats the entire time through jump scares, a gripping plot, and lovable characters.

September of 2019, the sequel of the hit movie was released. Set twenty-seven years later, “It Chapter Two” follows the characters everyone grew to love in the first movie. Except the characters are now older, and with no recollection of their past in the small town of Derry.

In the 2017 version of “It”, the main character, Bill, and his “ragtag” group of friends fight and defeat a terrifying clown creature, Pennywise, who was bent on feeding off of the children’s fear. By the end of the nail biting film the clown is killed and the seven main characters make a pact that if Pennywise ever comes back, they’ll return to Derry and kill him once and for all.

With this ending to the first chapter, and for those who have read the original book from 1986, the sequel was no surprise. “It Chapter Two” begins with Bill, the main character of the first movie, now a writer and married, who receives a call from Mike (one of his friends from Derry still living in the town) who explains that all of them need to get together, and doesn’t mention the fact that It has returned. Mike merely warns that they have to return home. Throughout this beginning we see the characters, now in their thirties and living new lives, being called back to Derry.

The characters then begin their next adventure; It is back in Derry and feeding on new children in the town. The main characters fight to keep the children, and themselves, safe from the monster.

The adults of this movie

as a senior senator of Massachusetts, and Bernie Sanders had a presidential campaign back in 2016. If you are 18 years old by November 3, 2020 and a citizen of the United States, (the election day) then you will be allowed to register to vote in the upcoming election. Given you have this opportunity and you’re planning on voting against Trump: the question remains, who should you vote for? Listed below are the main candidate’s goals for the nation if they are elected. The main goals of the democratic party are listed first as those are the goals that most people in the party agree with.

Then, whatever goal makes each candidate unique is listed below.

Universal Democratic goals: -Reduce incarceration -Increase background checks on guns, ban assault weapons -Do not oppose abortions -Make medical care more accessible -Make college free, cancel student loans -Eliminate cash bail -Tax wealthy people -Fight climate change

had huge shoes to fill. The young actors from the first “It” were phenomenal. The adult actors did an outstanding job in portraying these young characters. The actors adopted the same traits and attributes that really helped make the characters unique.

Bill Scarsgårg, who played Pennywise himself, will most likely go down in horror history. Curry is one of the scariest horror antagonists of all time, according to viewers. His mannerisms, voice, and overall acting is downright creepy.

This character was one to give you nightmares.

In regards to the horror factor, “It Chapter Two” was overall considered funnier more than scary. I appreciated the plot and character dialogue more than I was scared; however, others who I’ve spoken to were understandably terrified by the movie. I have always been a fan of horror movies, and in terms of that genre the movie was somewhat lacking. For those debating whether or not to see the movie I would encourage it, if you’re a fan of scary but not too scary movies. However, for those hardcore horror fans hoping for a movie full of blood, guts, and gore, I would go into this movie with lowered expectations.

I personally enjoyed the movie because of the character dynamics.

They were really funny and had a lot of relationship issues come up from the last movie. The only part I didn’t like about the movie was the lack of scariness that I was anticipating after being quite scared by the previous film.

Area 51 Raid

Colombus Day Controversy

The Pre-Raid | Photo Courtesy of Google Images

BY SOFIA DIPADOVA Local authorities and the community in Rachel, Nevada prepared for September 20th, the promised “Area 51 Raid.” Rachel has a population of only 54 and is surrounded by nothing but ghost towns and desert. Only four businesses exist within the city limits, and only one provides room and board. The only gas station in Rachel closed in 2006, so visitors would have to fill their tanks at the nearest station, 50 miles away. The website of the only town inn claimed that its 14 rooms were booked solid, and the Sheriff reported that there were an estimated 2,000 people in Rachel and another 250 in Hiko, a neighboring town.

Thankfully for the town of Rachel, fewer alien enthusiasts showed up to Area 51 than authorities expected.

Only 3,000 people showed up rather than the promised two million that RSVP’d to a facebook event to storm government facility Area 51 to “see them aliens.” But the 3,000 people that did show up unanimously agreed against storming the loca-

tion after law enforcement reminded them of the consequences. That apparently didn’t hold for everyone, however, as there were multiple arrests of civilians. One of them was a public intoxication arrest, as one of the participants arrived inebriated.

The other was a Canadian citizen for acts of public indecency. One woman was close to crossing the border into the facility, so she was detained for a few hours and then released later that evening. The Nevada Highway Patrol was also reported to have made multiple arrests for unknown reasons. According to several law enforcement officers, the crowd was very manageable for emergency services. Officers were mingling with the crowds in good spirits and both sides had a fairly positive experience. The motto from many officers to alien seekers was, “look and see what you can, but don’t cross.” Many of the campers told CNN that they had no plans to go through with the raid Friday, and that they were just there because they thought it would be funny. Many campers were seen

wearing alien themed attire, or other costumes to add to the theatrics of it all. The facebook event page had already been taken down by the time of the “raid” but many still dedicated a whole day to celebrating Area 51 and its mysticism.

Matty Roberts, the creator of the Facebook event page was surprised by the sheer exposure that the page got. He created the page on June 27th, titled “Storm Area 51, They Can’t Stop All of Us.” The United States Air Force however did not find the practical joke so funny. They released a statement saying that they promised to stand “ready to protect America and its assets.”

SBHS “Forging Epidemic”

BY HANNAH ZIOUANI As the common saying goes, “If your friend jumped off a cliff, would you jump too?” While I was growing up, the saying was used primarily to challenge children who used the excuse, “But they did it, so why can’t I?” after saying a bad word or putting a “Kick Me!” sticky-note on their friends’ back. As time went on, using bad words became normal occurrences and “Kick Me!” post-its were a thing of the past; this adjustment came with becoming a teenager.

Common disciplinary punishments started being enforced from actions such as cyberbullying, fighting, and possession or usage of illegal substances. The culture of these acts inherently have no justifications, it should be widely-known amongst most American teenagers the general laws put in place on and off campus.

Despite the common sense aspect of it all, where one resides could be a huge factor in the amount or the type of unruly behavior they participate in. Here in Santa Barbara, there are many prohibited actions that teenagers partake in purely because “everyone else is doing it.”

Teenagers smoking marijuana, drinking alcohol, using hard drugs, shoplifting, and fighting, are all issues that I would say for the most part, everywhere in America has a plethora of. The little issues are the ones being less focused on, for obvious reasons, but when does the amount of focus become too little? On a day to day ba-

NEWS | 5

THE FORGE

OCTOBER 25, 2019

sis, teenagers in Santa Barbara itself are participating in prohibited acts such as vaping, swearing, the usage of racist slurs, and speeding; although illegal and completely inappropriate, the culture in this community perceives these acts as significantly less serious, because “Everyone is doing it”. It may be true that these acts in particular are less serious than others, but that does not make them okay. As our minds have developed tremendously since we were young, we should know better than to jump off the same cliff that our friends are.

Now, by addressing these problems, I am in no way claiming to be above the participators in them as I am definitely not the ideal representation of an innocent student nor teenager in general. By addressing these problems, I’m simply advocating for those who are unaware or ignorant of the true repercussions of actions that are “normalized” within our environment. A topic in particular that is vaguely addressed and extremely common is the act of forging; producing a copy or imitation of (a document, signature, banknote, or work or art) for the purpose of deception.

Since elementary school, students in our community have time and time again, been imitating their parents/ guardians signatures whether out of convenience or because of time-sensitive due dates. Typically, if a student mentions their forgery, their peers are not likely to emphasize the severity of it. In most instances, a peer

would reply with, “Same!” or “Oh, really?” then move on. What might not be largely acknowledged here in Santa Barbara, is that after the passing of Proposition 47 in California, under Penal Code section 473, forgery is considered a misdemeanor offense.

If the court finds one guilty of felony forgery, it can mean a sentence of 16 months, or 2 or 3 years in county jail. This implies that despite common beliefs, the repercussions for forgery are far worse than even those for under-age drinking, as California alcohol laws state that a violation of the under-age drinking law will result in the following penalties: a fine of $250, and 24 to 32 hours of community service that does not interfere with attending school or working at your place of employment.

Let’s put this into terms now, “If your friend forged a signature, would you forge it too?” Now that you know the consequences of such a “minor” crime, would you still par-take in it?

For time-sensitive situations or convenience issues, I would say a simple email explaining the circumstances is a better option than serving jail time, paying a fine, suffering suspension, or even becoming at risk of expulsion, even if that entails a deduction of a grade point. Being educated on the consequences of every inappropriate action is extremely beneficial in the long run, that is, if you care about your future, so just because everyone else is doing it, doesn’t mean you should too.

BY KARRISSA FIELDS America has a dark history of racism and oppression lurking in its shadows. Time and time again, America has tried to ignore this ominous shadow, and pretend that it doesn’t exist. Is this out of shame or ignorance? Racism is deeply rooted in Americas politics, economics, and the justice system. The history of slavery is pushed aside as something of the past, but in reality African Americans are still suffering from its ripples. Men of color make up the largest population of inmates and have statistically been shown to get harsher sentences than white men and women. America was built to bring liberty and freedom to white men, and it still continues to do so. Indigineous populations continue to live in poverty and their communities are plagued with addiction. The national holiday, Columbus Day, celebrates the “discovery” of America by a white man. The fact that their land was stolen when Christopher Columbus stepped foot on North American soil is simply pushed aside as the progress of men. This dark ever looming shadow of American history is simply glossed over and is often mistaken as a stepping stone to the success of a nation.

Columbus Day has a lot of controversy surrounding it, but where did this holiday originate? Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer and navigator. He stumbled upon North America in 1492, while trying to find an alternate route to India. He has since been credited for discovering America. Most people now know that this statement is untrue; as indigenous people had been living there for hundreds of years before he arrived.

Additionally, he was not even the first European to come to America.

Because of Columbus’ “monumental discovery”, America decided to commemorate the day Columbus came to America by declaring the second Thursday of October a national holiday, Columbus Day. This holiday was heavily pushed by italian-american business owners. It was unofficially celebrated in a number of cities as early as the 18th century. It began to be federally celebrated in 1937 by President Roosevelt.

To further clarify, Christopher Columbus did not discover America. Indigeonous people lived in North America long before Christopher Columbus stepped foot on Carribean soil. The effects of Columbus’ voyage on natives was detrimental and catastrophic. Columbus did not intend to bring diseases across the pond, but he did, and these diseases killed off a vast majority of the native population. The diseases were not the only problem; he also took slaves for display back

home and to work in his conquered lands. Indigenous people still feel strongly about this day; many feel that this day celebrates imperialism, racism, and genocide. The undeserved acknowledgement given to Columbus fuels the retroprogressive message that it is acceptable for America to invalidate an entire population’s existence, unless a white man is involved.

America does not confront its dark history with remorse, or as a learning lesson, but instead tries to manipulate it and contort it to become an image of progress.

Some Americans associate Columbus Day with the “American dream”. They see this day as a reminder of the ideals the nation was built on, equal opportunity, and the pursuit of liberty and freedom for every American. Some also feel the same about the Confederate statues that scatter the nation, particularly the south. Their meaning has been changed in the eyes of the general public from a symbol of nationalism and American ideals, to a symbol of America’s racist history.

The statues purpose is to remain standing to remind America of its shameful history - and that white America used to celebrate the suffering of minorities, particularly African Americans. Is this the purpose of Columbus Day? Other nations, such as Germany, choose to aknowledge their history is also dark and inhumane; they choose to confront the holocaust with penance and compassion. It is not hidden from visitors and residents. The names of every person that could possibly be found whose lives were ended due to the holocaust have been given memorials and rocks or torches displaying their names.

Germany does not try to hide the genocide that took place on their soil, so why do we?

Many cities and states around the nation are not as ignorant to the reality of colonization of the Native people of the Americas. States such as Vermont, Maine, Oregon, Minnesota, and Alaska officially recognize Columbus Day as Indigionous Peoples Day. Dozens of US cities, including San Francisco and Cincinnati, decided to stop observing Columbus Day and will instead celebrate Indigenous People’s Day. Does Columbus Day remain because it’s a difficult reminder of America’s dark history? Or does it remain as a symbol of the true underlying values of this country; white supremacy and ignorance.

6 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

THE FORGE

Head Over Heels: SBHS Theatre has “Got the Beat!”

This Years Fall Show Representation | Photos Courtesy of Otto Layman

BY EMERSON STEADY Santa Barbara High School’s renowned theatre program is putting on the bold new musical Head Over Heels which just ended its run on Broadway this January for their fall show.

Despite taking place in ancient Greece, Head Over Heels is truly a musical for our modern era. Filled with concepts of gender fluidity and sexual orientation, the show preaches unadulterated love for yourself and others. In contrast to its 16th century origin, the epic poem, Arcadia, the music is pulled from the catalog of 70’s all-female rock band, the Go-Go’s, featuring hits such as “We Got the Beat,” “Our Lips are Sealed,” and, of course, “Head Over Heels.” The show is under the music direction of Sio Tepper and, in tribute to the Go-Go’s, will feature an all-female rock band right onstage. The music’s upbeat rhythmic drive and Gianna Burright’s exquisite choreography will keep your heart pumping throughout.

Head Over Heels follows the King of Arcadia, Basilius, played by senior heartthrob Carter Beaudette, as he learns that Arcadia may lose its famous “beat,” if they don’t change their rigid ways. Basilius takes his royal court, consisting of his wife Gynecia, played by Angela Zevallos, his daughters Pamela and Philoclea, played by Josie Gillingham and Adelia Hubbard, and their servants Dametas and Mopsa, played by Quinn Ferguson and Logan Fleming, into the Greek forest to subvert the prophecy. Additionally, the famous Oracle of Delphi is portrayed by Q Le, and Philoclea’s childhood love, the shepherd Musidorus is played by Ben Watkins. The large ensemble of twenty people provides a plethora of exuber-

ance and fuels the musical’s numerous outstanding dance numbers.

Otto Layman, Santa Barbara High School’s dynamic theatre teacher in his 25th year at the school is, of course, directing this unique production. Layman described the energy of the show as “manic and joyous” with an “insistent beat and a clear voice.” SBHS’s Theatre Department is known for being on the cutting edge of musical theater, being the first high school to premiere both Matilda and Spamalot, and Layman is excited for how the themes and questions raised in Head Over Heels play into this vision. In the spirit of the show, the program will feature all cast and crew members’ preferred pronouns along with their names. Layman told me that the goal of this is “to honor and recognize the radical idea that self-identification is less oppressive than the narrow categories imposed by the majority—I am, therefore, I matter.” He hopes that the audience will leave the theater in disbelief that what they saw was produced by a high school, and knowing that SBHS theatre does not just talk about acceptance but lives it and flaunts it.

Head Over Heels will play November 8, 9, 15, and 16 at 7PM, and November 16 and 17 at 2PM. People of all gender identities, sexual orientations, and from all walks of life are invited to enjoy an outrageous, witty, fastpaced journey through ambiguous oracles, gender-fluid disguises, singing sheep, and ultimately self-acceptance, featuring the pop-rock hits of the 1970’s. As the musical’s opening number says: “Kids got the beat!”

Head Over Heels opens November 8, don’t miss this revolutionary show. Get your

tickets online now!

Photos Courtesy of Otto Layman

OCTOBER 25, 2019

OCTOBER 25, 2019

THE FORGE

Head Over Heels cast gives us a preview of their awesome show! | Photos Courtesy of Otto Layman

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | 7

8 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

THE FORGE

Possible War with Iran?

OCTOBER 25, 2019

Monthly Horoscopes

BY GENESIS ZARATE Aries (Mar. 21 - Apr.19):

Potenial Boat Bomb? | Photo Courtesy of Google Images

BY SAM LONG On June 30, 2019 an oil tanker in the Persian Gulf was attacked by multiple mysterious drones and was hit by an estimated 7 missiles. The outcome of this attack was the halt of almost 5 percent of the world’s oil supply,which in turn dramatically raised gas prices.

With many world leaders furious with this outcome, including President Donald Trump, blame for the attack has primarily been pressed against Iran. Recently, Trump has been claiming he is “Locked and loaded” for a counterattack, although he is hesitant on sending in our troops. Meanwhile in the Middle East, the production rate of the oil field has slowed as the world’s gas supply is disrupted.

In the United States, we have been dealing with the aftermath; prices are rising and troops will likely be sent to the Middle East. The conflict continued as an American drone scouting the strait of Hormuz was then shot down by the country of Yemen. President Trump then followed up on Yemen’s actions by tweeting that they are making a “Very big mistake”.

On the other hand, there has been circulating suspicion that Yemen actually initiated the attack; Yemen’s response was merely denying the suspicions and that the attack was in fact Iran’s wrongdoings.

Most experts blame Iran for the attack, but this prompts the question: is there a motive that could have caused Yemen to send the drones? Interestingly enough, Yemen isn’t going into specifics as to the direction the drones came from. Over in Saudi Arabia, officials are not jumping to conclusions of who they believe to be the culprits. Either way, there is an unsolved mystery that could easily start a war.

One theory popular theory amongst the public was that it could have been Yemen’s recent drone technology allowing almost a 950 mile radius; this means that drones could have been planted Iran, stayed there, then launched under the disguise of Iran attacking. This is a bit far-fetched but with this type of attack, money and war could potentially be on the line. Yemen itself has not claimed responsibility; others, such as Yemen rebels alight-

ed with Iran, have claimed that they personally launched those attacks.

This also adds fuel to the fire. If Yemen and Iran are rivals, they would try to weaken them, planting “rebels” that are certified allies of Iran to say they did it?

With tension growing, world leaders met and they agreed to not fully take action until further investigation of these events was finished. This attack was a serious crime, and whoever was behind these actions wanted to start a war; now the issue is to figure out who is to blame and what will be their consequences will be. I only hope that these events won’t lead to an unnecessary killing of innocents.

Hong Kong vs. China

BY ZANE FORTE Hong Kong has been protesting over the past four months, to protect their rights and distance themselves from the rest of mainland China and their communist government. These protests started because of the unpopular Extradition bill. This bill allowed Hong Kong to send back anyone convicted of a crime to the foreign state where the crime was committed. This bill was intoduced after a man from Hong Kong comited murder in Taiwan, but could not be charged after he returned to China because these two countries did not have an extradition agreement. As of September 4th, the Extradition Law was withdrawn, but the protests continue.

The protests started on June 9th, when millions peacefully marched for the removal of the Extradition Bill, but these protests gradually became violent. Tear gas, batons, water cannons, and firearms have all been used against the protesters. Throughout the protests, there have been thousands of injuries and

arrests, leading to even more protesting. After protesting the recent facemask ban, a 14 year old was shot in the chest, the second case of police using their firearms. While the citizens of Hong Kong believe the police are using excessive force, protesters continue to march for what they believe in.

While the extradition law might sound reasonable, the citizens of Hong Kong have a different perception. The people of Hong Kong were not specifically worried about the bill itself. They are more worried about China gaining additional power over the people and government of Hong Kong. “One Country, Two Systems,” is a principle which allows Hong Kong and China to be part of the same country, while simultaneously having two very different governments. Mainland China has a communist government, while Hong Kong has a limited democracy. The people of Hong Kong hope to keep their independence, which is supposed to last until at least 2047, but are worried that

mainland China is already making progress towards merging the two governments.

Overall, these protests have brought the Hong Kong community together, and the protests will continue until their goals are met, or they are overcome by the Chinese government.

This month will be a social month for you, which isn’t a typical Aries trait. You are willing to change to accommodate others and you are more concerned with other people’s affairs than your own. This month you will strengthen and grow relationships and expand your social circle with those who contribute to your well being.

Taurus (Apr. 20-May 20): This month will be a big changing point in your life so expect difficulties to arise. Work harder and stay focused to achieve your goals and objectives and if you are struggling don’t feel shy to ask for help from a mentor. You will achieve greatness by applying effort in everything you involve and invest yourself in.

Gemini (May 21- Jun. 20): This month will be all about growth for you. You will advance with school and your personal relationships.The things in which you invest yourself in will pay off with major benefits.

Cancer (Jun. 21- Jul. 22): This month will be very action packed in a good way. You’ll have many things going well and coming your way. All of your hard work will pay off and your goals will come to light because of your effort. Learning to cooperate with others this month will benefit you so let new people into your life and let them have a good influence upon you and your decisions.

Leo (Jul. 23- Aug. 22): This month your main focus will be connecting and spending time with your family and friends to bring you peace. You are a very independent sign, but try allowing yourself to allow others to help and guide you when you’re struggling. Don’t be shy, embarrassed, or ashamed it’s ok to not be able to have everything in control or care for everything that’s going on ourselves.

Virgo (Aug. 23 - Sep. 22): This month your focus is putting your happiness and well being first instead of others for once. Once you are emotionally secure that is when you will see yourself grow.

Try channeling your social capabilities, but ensure that you associate

with the right people so that your month continues to run smoothly.

Libra (Sep. 23 - Oct. 22): This month you main focus will be to find emotional success and invest in yourself. Your independence will help you achieve things on your own without the help of anyone. You are passionate about what you set your mind to. You will try and better yourself this month and will hopefully adopt skills to care for yourself.

Scorpio (Oct. 23 - Nov. 21): This month your focus will be on your emotional aspects and personal desires. They will help enable you to achieve your dreams to a certain extent. You are an assertive individual so you have the mindset to achieve your goals so don’t be scared and believe in yourself. Your family and friends will show you how proud they are of your achievements and your self love journey.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22 - Dec. 21): This month your focus will be on your family and personal interests.

Your own personal development, influenced by your hard work and determination will help you grow.

Try to take risks that will benefit you and your future for the better.

Capricorn (Dec. 22 - Jan. 19): Your main focus this month is to enhance your public image. You are concerned with your status in society. You are very confident, but you do need some help with your self development. Your social contacts will play a major role in your life that will ensure success.

Aquarius (Jan. 20 - Feb. 18): This month you will be ready for any challenges that happen to come your way. However, you are in need of balance in your life. Make sure you are spending equal amounts of time with school and your personal life. You will help people who are in need of your guidance.

Pices (Feb. 19 - Mar. 20): This month you will focus on following your ambitions. You will face some difficulties, but they’re meant to challenge you to see if you are capable of dealing with problems. You will only succeed if you believe in yourself. You are capable, don’t underestimate yourself.

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.

The opinions expressed here are not those of the Forge or its staff as a whole.

Photo Courtesy of Google Images

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | 9

THE FORGE

OCTOBER 25, 2019

Artist of the Month: Veronica Sanchez

One of Sanchez’s amazing works. | Photo Courtesy of Genesis Zarate

BY GENESIS ZARATE Artist of the Month is when we as a staff pick an artist from Santa Barbara High School and explore about their journey as an artist while showcasing their beautiful work. I personally chose my friend Veronica because I am such a huge fan of her artwork, she has her very own distinct style that’s very intriguing. Her work reminds me of my own culture and she makes me feel represented and seen. Her work is also very fun and creative and makes you feel as if you are viewing a whole other world.

Veronica Sanchez is a senior here at Santa Barbara High School. She discovered her passion for art in 6th grade when a teacher complimented her shading on a drawing; it got her excited so she continued to create drawings. She became more invested in learning more about art so she asked her uncle, who was an artist, if he could teach her. Her uncle was paralyzed from the neck down and learned to draw with his mouth. She would place a notebook in front of him and sit and watch him for hours.

She loves how she can get lost in art because it’s like another world.

When she’s painting she’s usually stressed so it’s an escape from real-

ity for not only her. Her paintings capture the emotions she’s feeling in that moment and many people have described her work as a “dream” or “fantasy”. She relates to Frida Kahlo when she said, “I paint my own reality”. She loves all her paintings, but her favorite piece so far is called, “Chisme Enlatado”.

It’s a morphed version of her childhood and she incorporated a lot of her culture and even her favorite t.v show growing up, “Dragon Ball Z”. She gets a lot of her inspiration from her Mexican culture and how and where she was brought up. For example, she incorporates a lot of the Aztec mythology like Quetzalcoatl or palm trees because she feels very connected to the beach and Santa Barbara. She also uses a lot of blues, greens, reds, and browns.

Blue to her represents waves and green represents the mountains and palm trees. Red is usually an accent to make little things stand out and brown represents skin. She loves painting and incorporating brown skin because she feels it’s not something you really see get represented especially here in Santa Barbara.

She wants people to feel happy, inspired, and almost like they’re being transported somewhere else.

She hopes they love her work as

much as she does. Her paintings are very surreal and she wants people to discover and make their own meanings, because she feels art is very personal and every interpretation is valid because there’s never really a concrete meaning. She was part of the Santa Barbara Arts Alliance for 4 years and worked on a few murals with other youth around Santa Barbara. Murals are actually her favorite type of art to create because they’re so big and you can really give them life. If you would like to see any of her work in person you can see them at the Franklin Neighborhood Center,Santa Barbara Junior High, and a few other locations. You can also keep up to date on what she’s currently working on on her artwork account @ photosketchline and on her photography account @guao_pictures on Instagram.

Saving the Future of our Planet B VIVI TRUJILLO

The current worldwide epidemic is our dying planet. Even though scientists have shown research for the last 30 years that our planet is dying, we are only starting to take action now, it may be too late. Earth-orbiting satellites have shown, after many years collecting data, that our climate is rapidly changing. Since 1950, carbon dioxide emissions have been at their highest, and are still rising. Carbon dioxide and many other gases have been known to get trapped in our Earth’s atmosphere and warm our planet. Even if we stopped emitting greenhouse gases today, global warming would still continue for years, even decades. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the global livestock industry is responsible for nearly twenty percent of humanity’s greenhouse gas emissions, which is more than all cars, trains, ships and planes combined. Cattle consumes nearly 10% of the world’s fresh water resources, and 80% of all farmland is devoted to the production of meat.

Climate change affects everything, from the oceans to all living organisms. The ocean takes up much of the emitted Carbon Dioxide, meaning that the ocean is heating up.

This brings a lot of changes that are not for the better. Warmer temperatures in the water make Antarctica unsuitable for the animals living there, causing species as a whole to become extinct. Warmer temperatures also mean that currents are changing. Currents that were once cold are now directly affecting the food chain of sardines, which in turn feed the dolphins, whales, and gannets. We are all a part of this chain of life, and when one species dies out it affects the entire food chain. It also affects the rising of the waters, in addition to extreme weather like hurricanes, tsunamis and major weather storms. In this time of crisis the planet needs us.

They need us to take action for our future, our younger siblings, our future children and ourselves.

When we so desperately needed change and motivation, a girl who had been diagnosed with Asperger’s and selective mutism decided that

she needed to speak up now. This girl is Greta Thunberg, a 16-year-old Swedish climate activist, one of the many people making a change for our futures. She has made speeches in different countries, including Ted Talks for climate change and she started a school strike worldwide among students. One of her recent speeches, at the United Nations, began with “How dare you?”

She says that she is disappointed in the older generation. “We are at the beginning of mass extinction, and all you can talk about is money and fairy tales of eternal economic growth.” Greta demonstrated her anger throughout her speech because she feels that this should not be her responsibility; that she should be able to have a regular childhood because the adults have power to take action.

“How dare you continue to look away, and come here saying that you’re doing enough, when politics and solutions needed are still nowhere in sight.” The only idea “the people” want to pursue is to cut gas emissions in half in ten years, which only gives us a 50% chance

of staying below 1.5 degrees celsius, and risks setting off an irreversible chain reaction beyond human control. Thunberg continues on to say that this is not enough, more must be done for a better chance of survival and that the adults are failing us. She ends the speech saying that the younger generation will now take action to change what has been done. If you want something done right, then do it yourself.

In the week of September 20th through the 27th more than 7.6 million people joined the climate strike. It has been confirmed as one of the largest global protests; initially starting from Greta Thunberg when she began skipping school on Fridays to sit outside the Swedish Parliament. She inspired students around the world to raise awareness and start change for our planet by skipping Fridays to march. Students say that this is far more important than our education, because there would be no point in focusing on our future in schools if there might not be any future. Italy, New Zealand, Spain, the Netherlands, and the United States are just some of

the many countries participating, our city and school included. On September 20th many students in Santa Barbara High School joined the worldwide protest filling the downtown area with hundreds if not thousands from Santa Barbara alone, led by the Green Club. The Green Club is an on campus club that works to make Santa Barbara more sustainable and do things that benefit the environment. During the march the community and united, shouting chants and sharing empowering speeches with one another. If you missed it do not worry, as many more are to come. Even if you can not afford to miss school there are different ways you could do something, simply by reducing your meat intake, carpooling, or writing letters to our local representatives, and most importantly, voting if you are able to!

10 | SPORTS

THE FORGE

OCTOBER 25, 2019

Dons Football Continues to Flourish

BY ANDRE BATTLE

The Dons varsity team played arguably the biggest game of their season, October 4th against long time rival San Marcos High School. The game was played at the Santa Barbara City College football stadium and was filled with hundreds of energetic fans, excited to watch the two teams battle for victory. The Dons had the upper hand right off the bat and were pre-game favorites; everything was still up in the air as the game got closer to its start and the fans became more and more anxious for kickoff. Once the game finally started, the fans roared as San Marcos kicked the ball off to the Dons.

The Dons jumped out of

the gate scoring first a big opening drive that was capped off with a stunning 51-yard run by Ty Montgomery. The Dons then forced a fumble by San Marcos and were quickly able to convert that turnover into a touchdown after a long pass by junior Deacon Hill, and a good run by junior Justin Perez.

Unfortunately, the extra point kick was blocked, leaving the Dons leading 13-0.

In the second quarter, the Dons continued to get stops on defense until the Royals had a huge interception, bringing the ball all the way to the Dons twenty-five yard line. The Royals were able to convert on that drive and, in turn, got the touchdown, missing the

PAT and leaving them behind 136. The momentum continued to be on San Marcos’ side, until the Dons defense was able to get an interception, stopping the Royals’ drive downfield. But once again, the Royals got a stop, forcing a fumble.

Luckily, the Dons defense was not going to let San Marcos score, and continued to aggressively get stops.

The half ended with the Dons leading 13-6.

The second half had all cards on Santa Barbara. The Dons opened the half by driving the ball all the way downfield to start the half and scored a touchdown. The Dons went for two, but unfortunately could not convert, extending their lead to 19-6 at the start of the

third quarter. After a good defensive possession, the Dons got the ball back and scored once again in the middle of the third while San Marcos scoreless. After another stop on defense causing a forced fumble, Deacon Hill made an easy pass to Jake Knecht at the start of the fourth quarter. Finally, to cap off the win and the play of the game, the Dons returned a punt 42 yard to score in the middle of the fourth quarter. San Marcos was able to score one more time, but it did not matter and the Dons got the win, scoring thirty-eight points to San Marcos’ twelve.

San Marcos stood no chance in this game and the Dons defense came up major clutch. This

was a huge morale booster for the Dons, increasing their record to 5-2.

Their next game was the homecoming game against Santa Ynez at Dos Pueblos on October 11th. That game was definitely a great way to start the homecoming weekend, as the Dons crushed the Pirates 340. The game began with the Dons forcing a San Ynez fumble and converting with a drive down the field, capped off with a touchdown. Once again, the Dons got another stop on defense, forcing a three and out, and were able to score after a huge 37 yard pass by Deacon Hill to Jackson Gonzales, increasing the Dons lead to two touchdowns by the end of the first quarter. In the beginning of the second quarter, San Ynez offense could not get 10 yards and were forced to punt, giving the Dons another chance to score; they did not let that chance go for granted as they scored on that drive. The Dons scored once again on the next drive, increasing their lead to 27-0 by the end of the half. San Ynez had no chance of winning this game and the 2nd half was pretty uneventful.

The Dons were able to scored one more time in the fourth quarter and kept San Ynez scoreless, winning decisively 34-0.

With the Dons beating their rivals and then winning their homecoming game, it has been a great past two weeks. The whole football team went into the Homecoming weekend happy and ready for their next game.

Senior Sunrise Recap!

Athelte of the Month: Hayden Randolf

Senior Class Girls | Photo Courtesy of Jacqueline Morison

BY GISELLA DEALBERGARIA Girls’ volleyball is starting to wind down as the Forge has chosen our next Athlete of the Month: junior varsity starter, Hayden Randolph.

Randolph is a natural athlete, excelling in both soccer and volleyball.

Randolph’s volleyball career began in fifth grade when she grew restless sitting and watching her older sister’s tournaments, so she decided it was her time to walk onto the court.

She provides a crucial leadership role on the team by bringing a contagious, positive energy that gets her teammates pumped for competition.

“Hayden is definitely an asset to the team,” says varsity player, Reese Kelley. “She makes everyone feel confident in themselves and always strives to do her best, even when the competition is tough.”

Randolph also fell in love with soccer when she was just three years old and has been actively participating in club soccer since she was six years old. As a freshman, she was placed on Santa Barbara High’s varsity soccer team as center midfield. With the club season currently in session, Ralndolph struggles to find time for her volleyball practices, high school soccer practices and school work. At the end of the day, her stressful and time-demanding schedule dictates that she is efficient and focused, as she has learned to fit in everything and still succeed in all areas.

BY JACQUELINE MORISON The excitement of senior year has officially begun, and we are thrilled!

This year’s class of 2020 Senior Sunrise was a success. For those of you who are unaware, Santa Barbara High School puts on an annual gathering for the newly inducted senior class. The school provides food, drinks, games, music, and of course -- our senior shirts. Being able to spend a morning with solely the senior class, is something extremely special. Every year, it’s a gamble whether or not the weather is going to cooperate, but luckily this year it landed on a warm, clear morning. Additionally, the food was

outstanding. So on behalf of the senior class, we would like to thank all of the donors who helped feed over 500 students a great breakfast! With an impressive amount of enthusiasm, our seniors continue to plunge through the stress that college applications have thrown at us, as we slowly move towards graduation day!

Hayden Randolph’s biggest inspiration is her sister, Devan. The two have supported each other for a long time, and were even partners during beach volleyball season last year.

Randolph plays to make her sister and herself proud. She hopes to play soccer in college, but right now she is focusing on doing her best on her

high school and club teams. Make sure to go support Hayden Randolph at our last few volleyball games, and look forward to seeing her on the soccer field in the spring.

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THE FORGE

OCTOBER 25, 2019

SPORTS 11

Girls Volleyball

Dons girls volleyball at gametime.| Photo Courtesy of Will Goligoski according to junior libero Hayden

BY WILL GOLIGISKI Randolph, who leads the team on deThe Dons’ Girls’ volleyball team fense. The team is working on piecing and fans are excited to see what the their game together, their goal is to upcoming season has in store. They succeed as a unit on the court. With started the season right out of the games and practices in full swing for gate on August 20th, their task to the season, the team is expected to qualify for the CIF playoffs in late see lots of improvement for the team October. as the season progresses..

Reese Kelley and Annabelle Ceas- Some of the toughest games on the er are the teams captains this year. schedule for the Volleyball team inThe Dons’ captain, Reese Kelley, clude San Marcos on Sept.12 and describes the team’s style of play as, Oct.1; despite the inevitable ner“Very scrappy and defensive.” Reese vousness leading up to it, the priKelley is the main offensive player mary feeling towards that game is

always exciting as it’s the biggest rivalry game of the year. When asked about the how the team feels leading up to the San Marcos confrontation, Libero Hayden Randolph said, “As the season continues we hope to be prepared for that huge game by getting better as a unit and playing as a team.” Another one of the tougher games for the girls is going to be away at Harvard Westlake on Oct.12, as they’re known for having a consistently strong girl’s Volleyball team. September 20-21st is when the Tournament of Champions happens, hosted by our school, and it brings

some of the best volleyball competition into town to vie for a championship. This will certainly give the Santa Barbara girl’s team an opportunity to grow and reflect as a team.

With only three seniors on the team this year (Reese Kelley, Annabelle Ceaser, and Charlotte Copp) the Dons are looking to stay consistently strong for the future. Sophomore Emma Zuffelato is looking very promising as the future of the girls’ program. The outside hitter is giving the team much needed offensive power, as she is one of the strongest and smartest hitters on the team.

Sophomore Charlotte Caesar also has a big role and bright future, according to some of her fellow teammates, as she’s another very scrappy libero that contributes a lot for the defense.

Make sure to support the girls throughout the season, and keep an eye out for future updates on their performance.

long way to go, but have a lot of potential this season. Another meet to focus on was the Ojai invitational that took place on September 21st.

The Don’s boys finished 7th overall and the girls finished 15th, AJ Reyes was back in the lineup and helped the Dons get a good placing on the leaderboard. As for the girls, one junior, Isabella Borduas, had her first meet, and did very well, finishing 13th place in the 1.43 mile of over 50 girls competing. Everyone competed and their hard work paid off.

This year’s cross country team has something special, and they have very talented athletes of both genders. With a great coaching staff, the Dons should definitely be aiming for CIF. Be sure to check out the Dons this year.

be very well-balanced and fun teams to watch.

This year, the Dons are blessed with talented athletes at all grade levels for both squads. There are new freshmen, who are expert when it comes to running, while there are a lot of potential and some up-and-coming sophomores who

are surprising the coaching staff and doing very well in the current meets. One sophomore runner, Amir Walton, never thought to become a long-distance runner, but after joining cross country had a natural talent and is doing extremely well in every meet and helping the team out as he gets on the leaderboard in the majority of the meets. Another sophomore, Katherine Hendrick, showed great promise in meets and is having a terrific start to the season. As for the juniors, they are all solid, performing at the highest level. Then there are the experienced seniors, who are ready to end their high school Cross Country experience on a good note.

One senior, Jake Ballantine, is one of the best cross country runners in the state, and competes in many tournaments outside of school. He is one of the best distance runners the Dons have seen in a long time.

The Dons season opener, (Gaucho Invite), at UCSB was definitely a strong way to start the season, given that star varsity runners Jake Ballantine and AJ Reyes both did not compete. The Dons boys and girls teams both finished 9th overall.

It was a very competitive meet with excellent good teams from across the state. It proved that the Dons have a

Cross Country

BY ANDRE BATTLE

With the start of the new school year, there is a wide array of fall sports including one of the most difficult sports one can do: Cross Country. Cross Country is a sport based on distance running. This year for the Dons, Fresh/soph, JV, and Varsity should be very good, and

given recent history, there should be runners from varsity that go on to compete in CIF. There are many meets around the county; and it can get very competitive and exciting to watch as both genders can compete in their gender oriented races. This season, both Santa Barbara High School’s Cross Country teams should

12 | SPORTS

THE FORGE

OCTOBER 25, 2019

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