Vol 1 Issue 1

THE WING vol 1, issue 1

april 2022

contents take off (pp. 2-6)

The quad (PP. 13-21)

Take Off: Table of Contents

2

Tips for AP Tests and Finals

3-6

The Quad: Table of Contents

13

Standardized Testing and College Admission

14-17

Standards Based Grading

18-19

Club Recommendations

20-21

falcon way (pp. 7-12) Falcon Way: Table of Contents

1

7-8

Getting That Motivation

9-10

A Healthy Lifestyle

11-12

Colophon

22

take off!

Written by Jaclyn Macatee, Danny Vladi Edited by Vivian Wang, Jaiden Wick Art by Thejo Tattala Layout Design by Sneha Javali

Tips for AP Tests and Finals

3-6 2

AP Tests and Finals

tips and tricks

Between balancing rigorous college-level courses, managing demanding extracurriculars, and maintaining a quality mental state, high school induces a lot of stress, especially when finals and A.P. tests come around. Though at times it seems nearly impossible to efficiently manage the workload these tests encourage, when you recognize the skills needed in order to succeed, stress around that dreaded time of the semester can be reduced significantly.

The Often Neglected Health and Wellness Due to hours spent on various homework assignments and cramming for important exams, sleep is often a much neglected aspect of high schoolers' lives. What we fail to realize, however, is how important sleep actually is in order to properly function. Many students run on coffee and get less than four hours of sleep every night, which is extremely unhealthy, especially considering that the CDC recommends teens ages 1318 to get 8-10 hours of sleep per every 24 hours. Although reading and

3

reviewing material may seem more productive than letting your body rest, you cannot fully absorb and comprehend the material while sleep deprived, making studying in this scenario impractical. In order to maximize sleep hours, it is important to develop a schedule for yourself that sets you up for success. Setting regular bedtimes, although often regarded as childish, can be extremely beneficial. With a set bedtime, one can plan ahead to finish all necessary work in time, and can cease studying in order to get a consistent 8-10 hours of sleep.

As important as it is to sleep often, it’s also important to supplement that sleep with many frequent breaks.

According to Cornell Health, taking purposeful breaks from studying refreshes your body and increases your productivity and ability to focus.

How long should these breaks last?

Typically, 5-60 minutes.

Ideas for what to do on your break:

SHORT 5-15 minutes:

Practice deep breathing Have a snack Stretch Daydream

MEDIUM 15-30 minutes:

Take a power nap Meditate for 20 minutes Take a shower Call a friend

Even with the help of breaks, maintaining a clear and collected state of mind is difficult, but all the same consequential. To manage those pre-test nerves, breathing exercises are particularly efficient.

We are told this often, but it is important to utilize them before a test or during long study sessions, take 5 long, deep breaths, and count to ten. This slows your heart rate, returns you to the present moment, and gives you a clean mental slate.

Practices of mindfulness to help you stay grounded in the present moment can also improve the outcome of your tests. Meditating for one minute, quick body scans, deep breathing, mindful nature walks, and even short yoga stretches can help you get in the right mindset to study constructively and maintain a peaceful mind throughout your exams. Anxiety is a mental barrier between you and the grade you are capable of; minimizing stress and being mentally prepared before your tests is crucial.

LONG 30-60 minutes:

Take a walk through nature Cook a meal Organize your workspace Draw / doodle / color

4

Study Methods To Study Efficiently and Productively When it comes down to actually reviewing a semester’s worth of grueling notes and assignments, it’s especially tempting to passively read and highlight without really processing the information, predominantly because it’s easy. This, however, fails to prepare your mind in the right fashion to answer complex test questions. Active recall, a method in which one actively practices the skills applied, is a spectacular way for one to study efficiently and productively.

Instead of reading through past notes without intent and highlighting meaninglessly, utilize practice problems, flashcards, diligent margin notes, and anything that can establish memory and practice. Such study methods stimulate your brain in the right way, so come test time, you have properly practiced the material and mastered the concepts, instead of just “reviewed.”

5

Despite the obvious benefit of implementing active recall, sometimes even that’s not enough to fully understand a topic. That’s when you should reach out to your teacher.

According to StudentFutures, “[T]o maintain or improve [your] grades…it’s important to communicate with and build relationships with [your] teachers.” It’s important to note that teachers are often busy and will most likely need to have previous knowledge of you wanting to meet up with them, which is why it’s important to make appointments and plan out what you want to ask beforehand. It’s also important to not make assumptions.

“You don’t know what your teacher is thinking,” StudentFutures states, “Don’t assume they don’t like you. Talk to them! You may be surprised what comes out of your conversation.” At the end of the day, going up and talking to them can only help, not harm, your opportunities in that class.

RESOURCES apps.ankiweb.net

Online flashcards.

khanacademy.org

Tutoring, videos, and personalized studying for almost every subject/AP course.

fiveable.me

Prep for AP Tests/SATs/ACTs.

quizlet.com

Online flashcards and interactive quizzes.

marcolearning.com

Study material for AP classes and personal planner template.

Managing Your Busy Schedule Another way you can improve your studying is by making deadlines for yourself.

According to ConnectionsAcademy, the reason deadlines are so effective is because they make studying more manageable.

“Breaking up projects into a series of smaller tasks makes them easier to complete and prevents you from waiting until the last minute to finish your work,” author Beth Werrell writes. “Once you figure out which tasks you need to complete, organize them into steps. Assign deadlines to these steps to ensure everything is completed before the final due date.”

On top of

helping you complete assignments on time, setting deadlines is a great way of learning how to be more selfdisciplined.

We hope these tips will help you study better and improve in your classes. Good luck on all your finals and AP exams!

6

The Falcon Way Getting that motivation: The Key to your success

9-10 Written by Akshara Madabushi Edited by Kavya Gurunath Art by Thejo Thattala Layout Design by Elena Fritz

7

The Falcon Way A Healthy Lifestyle Improves most aspects of your life

11-12 Written by David Brin Edited by Jaclyn Macatee, Danny Vladi Art by Nasiah Burns Layout Design by Lea Nepomuceno

8

getting that motivation THE KEY TO YOUR SUCCESS During difficult times like these, we often find ourselves losing motivation.

Whether that means struggling to do work, not being able to take your eyes off your phone, or even sitting down, ready to work, but nothing flowing through your mind. Losing motivation is a key factor in stress, anxiety, and sleep deprivation, according to online magazine, Positive Word Research. They concluded that, “In fact, without motivation, we cannot wake up every day to lead our life. We wake up just because we have the desire to live.” Hi, my name is Aksha and I am going to be helping you get that motivation.

Being motivated starts with you. You need to take the initiative and tell yourself that you got this. I am going to show you a couple ways you can feel motivated and ready to work.

METHOD 1: This method is called the 5 minute method. Usually, we don't start working until we realize we need to, or else we will face the consequences. The 5 minute rule is a method where you allow yourself to start working, just for 5 minutes. After a couple of minutes, you should have the motivation to continue working until the task is done or until you have completed a good amount of work.

9

METHOD 2: The second method that I find helpful is to study with friends and family. Whether this means teaching your family members, quizzing your friends, or even going over notes together. Any way of studying helps as long as you go over the material to the fullest extent.

METHOD 3: Listening to music can focus your brain and help increase your productivity. The most effective music to listen to is classical music, and music you do not know. Listening to music you do know allows your brain to feel distracted, and you will not be able to comprehend the task at hand.

METHOD 4: Has your brain ever told you to take a break even though you do not need to?

One method that has been proven to improve motivation is the Timer Break method. This method allows work to be done, but also allows breaks to be taken.

First, set a timer for a desired amount of time: around 25-50 minutes. After the timer goes off, give yourself a short and relaxed break. Grab something to eat, walk around, but stay away from the possibility of further distraction, such as your phone.

METHOD 5: Last but not least, being motivated is all about your mindset and your environment. Turn off your phone and put away any distractions that will cause you to slack off. Clean your desk, eat a snack, drink some water, and get ready to work.

Only you have the power to make yourself feel motivated and finish your work.

However, it is not just about being motivated, it is about putting in the right work. Visionshine.com, a website that works to educate young adults to learn time management and productivity, shares that “Motivation is just not enough; Right motivation is what you need.” The only way you can be motivated is if you find the right way to motivate yourself. This could mean reflecting on your future, finding different methods to help yourself, or fixing your mental mindset. Remember, the worst way to get motivation is by comparing yourself to others, and thinking about what your future may look like negatively.

Motivation can be achieved in many different ways. If you feel discouraged, consider the importance of your end goal.

As long as you keep your eye on the prize, you will have the right mindset to get to where you need to be. Motivation is the key to your success. I hope I have sparked change in your habits, and inspired you to get that motivation!

Anytime you feel unmotivated, ask yourself, why am I doing this? Getting the right motivation allows you to feel less stressed, and allows you to feel good about your progress. No one is perfect, but we can all work on building better versions of ourselves and becoming better people. After accomplishing your goals, you will feel much better, and you will be proud of yourself.

10

Lots of people talk about a healthy lifestyle, but how much can it actually do for you?

From sleep and diet to productive habits, a healthy lifestyle can improve many aspects of your life.

1. sleep Sleep is instrumental in crafting your mental health and influencing your day.

We have all heard that getting sleep is beneficial to teenagers, yet what’s surprising is the striking effect that sleep deprivation has on lives. It can greatly alter your memory, mood, and health in “far-reaching and surprising ways,” says Johns Hopkins sleep researcher and Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Patrick Finan, Ph.D. Finan states, adding that “A major focus of my research to date has centered on the measurement and analysis of dynamic measures of pain and emotion captured in the course of daily life.” He focused his research on sleep deprivation and the devastating effects that it can have. Below is the graphic Finan provided to represent his findings in some striking statistics:

11

Sleep deprivation is additionally known to even create a higher chance of certain diseases and risk your physical health along with your mental health.

The Cleveland Health Clinic corroborates Finan’s findings and even specifies optimal sleep ranges for certain age groups. They state that teens ages 14-17 should maintain 8-10 hours of sleep consistently.

It’s time to make a change in your sleeping habits because sleep plays a crucial role in your health, according to Sleep disorders expert Harneet Walia, MD. The Clinic explains stress and drowsiness from a lack of sleep causes relationship stress, impaired memory, a higher chance of car accidents, and overall lower quality of life.

Fixing your sleep schedule is drastically beneficial for your health, but so is maintaining a balanced diet.

Just like sleeping, what you eat is necessary for a healthy lifestyle.

The CDC warns about the drastically unhealthy average diet of Americans, “6 in 10 young people aged 2 to 19 years and 5 in 10 adults consume a sugary drink on a given day.” They reference many different health food options that you can research by going to their website and looking for healthy food alternatives. Many studies, including those from the CDC and Harvard Medical School, explain the obvious risks of an unbalanced diet and how it can directly lead to several different health problems. The CDC reports on the state of Obesity in the US: “ In the United States, 19% of young people aged 2 to 19 years and 40% of adults have obesity, which can put them at risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers.” The implicit result, however, isn’t as widely discussed.

2. food A bad diet can also lead to mental health problems. A study in the field of nutritional psychiatry,

by Professor Suzanne Dickson from ECNP, reports evidence showing an unhealthy diet can deteriorate mental health, but there is still debate on the validity of this evidence due to lack of overwhelming data to overcome metabolic differences.

Although not all questions are answered, scientists are confident in a few of their conclusions, for example, the link between a vitamin B12 deficiency and fatigue, poor memory, and depression.

the conclusion Taking some time to improve your lifestyle is imperative in healing your physical and mental health. Prioritizing your health is in no way selfish, but a necessary task that not only allows for improvement in your own life but also improvement in the lives around you. By carrying a positive attitude and contributions into your community, you can directly improve the culture of your community. I spoke to SRHS junior, Justin Angert, who started the Cultural Fusion District with the goal of improving cultural relations in our community.

Angert states the best way to inspire cultural change and support is with “balance and prioritizing the important things.” Without prioritizing a healthy lifestyle, and improving your health and drive, creating positive change in your community is much more difficult.

12

The QUAD contents

standardized testing - 14 Written by Kavya Gurunath, Vivian Wang Edited by Melanie Calkins, Akshara Madabushi Art by Nasiah Burns Layout Design by Elena Fritz

Standards based grading - 18 Written by Melanie Calkins, Jaiden Wick Edited by Stephanie Le Art by Sahithi Lingampalli Layout Design by Sahithi Lingampalli

falcon club recommendations! - 20 13

ⓈⒶⓉ ⒶⒸⓉ

Should or be used to determine college acceptance?

Over the last year, the Universities of California system made headline news as they made standardized tests, such as the SAT and ACT, optional for application to their universities. This sparked a conversation over whether standardized tests should be used for college applications at all. Standardized testing for colleges was created after World War I and was intended to determine how ready a student was for college (Gilman, 2020). However, there are many drawbacks to these tests that have started to outweigh the advantages of standardized testing.

Socioeconomic Advantages In a study done in 2013, researchers found that higher income families did better on the SAT than lower income families (Hess, 2019). In a 2015 analysis, it was found that students with a family income higher than $20,000 had higher averages on the SAT than those with a family income less than $20,000 (Hess, 2019).

NO

There are a couple of reasons for why wealthier students do better on standardized tests. The first is that they have the money to take the SAT or other standardized tests multiple times.

The SAT costs $55 for the 2021-2022 school year (College Board, 2021).

Students with a higher income can afford to take the test multiple times.

Although there are fee waivers for students with a lower income, richer students are still more likely to retake the SAT multiple times.

In addition, those with higher income also have access to better funded schools, so their education might be of a better quality. They might also have access to more courses and tutoring that help you prepare for standardized tests that students with lower income can’t afford. This gives students with higher income families an inherent advantage when taking standardized tests. This is unfair to the lower income students who the standardized tests should favor just the same as higher income students (Hess, 2019).

14

Stress Standardized testing is stressful. It feels like your entire future rides on this one test. While there are opportunities to retake, some students might not have the effort or time to take tests, such as the ACT and SAT, again. A study done on stress caused by standardized testing shows that there is a 15% increase in the level of cortisol (stress-causing hormone) in students that are about to take a standardized test than those who aren’t (Tatter, 2019). Stress might cause students to do worse on the test, making the test score an inaccurate reflection of the student’s ability.

Inaccurate Indicator Standardized testing is supposed to indicate how ready a student is for college. Researchers, however, make the case that SAT and ACT scores don’t reflect student-readiness for college as well as other indicators, like high school GPA (Cooper, 2020). GPA reflects preparedness, ability to finish work on time, working hard over a long period of time, etc, which are all skills needed to succeed in college.

15

An SAT or ACT test score indicates how good you are at studying for one particular test, but doesn't say anything about working hard over long periods of time. So, standardized testing doesn’t even succeed in its main goal of indicating readiness for college.

All of these factors show why standardized testing should no longer be considered for college admissions.

While it is supposed to put all students on an even playing field, there are inherent advantages that some students have over others when it comes to taking these tests. In addition, there are other factors that can be looked at when it comes to college admission, such as GPA, community service, etc.

The SAT and ACT are no longer as effective as we think them to be.

Maybe it is time to consider an alternative to standardized testing.

ⓈⒶⓉ ⒶⒸⓉ

Should or be used to determine college acceptance?

YES

In November, the University of California system announced that they would be extending their test-blind policy indefinitely.

Critics, who have long maintained that testing is biased against low-income and underrepresented students, praised the move.

(An admittedly rather small segment of) the public rejoiced — after all, students whose families netted over $100,000 were more than twice as likely as those below $50,000 to score 1400-1600 on the SAT (Kantrowitz, 2021).

How horrid!

In isolation, standardized testing is unfair.

Average scores in the under-$25,000 bracket lag behind the $100,000+ bracket by 120 points (Kantrowitz, 2021). So why, then, did the very same system’s Standardized Testing Task Force (STTF) declare in bold print that “The Task Force does not at this time recommend that UC make standardized tests optional”?

Contrary to mainstream criticism, they write that “standardized test scores help to identify and admit students who are members of historically excluded groups and/or first generation” and requested that the Academic Senate conduct more research about the potential effects of such a drastic policy change (UC Academic Council Standardized Testing Task Force, 2020).

In particular, the STTF found that “factors other than standardized test scores disproportionately affect AfricanAmerican and Latino students in the state; second, that the standardized tests are valuable because they enable more accurate prediction within disadvantaged groups, of likely student outcomes; and third, that UC considers standardized test scores in admissions decisions, in the sense that comprehensive review helps to mitigate mean test score differences among groups” (UC Academic Council Standardized Testing Task Force, 2020).

To elaborate upon the third (and quickest): while certain schools like the University of Iowa offer automatic admission according to GPA and SAT/ACT scores, the vast majority of US colleges and universities practice holistic admissions. Among the University of California’s considered factors are “Quality of your academic performance relative to the educational opportunities available in your high school,” and “Academic accomplishments in light of your life experiences and special circumstances” (UC Admissions, n.d.).

16

In other words, higher SAT scores are only strictly better than lower ones if all else is held equal.

But wait, someone particularly involved might note, Less than half of students from the bottom 20% attend any college at all, and 4 in 10 0.1%ers attend an elite school (Chetty et al., 2017). In theory, the gap is accounted for, maybe, but in practice, it’s not. The downside to holistic admissions is discerning what causes what in what amounts. If the disparity in admissions were solely caused by testing, every other factor must be perfectly equal.

They aren't.

Say we decide to boot testing in favor of course rigor — well, rural students have a 27.1% chance of attending a high school that offers no AP courses (35.3% of American Indian or Alaskan Native students) in comparison to 14.8% overall. This cannot be considered holistically the same way testing can: there is no way to identify a strong student in the absence of advanced coursework. (As an aside, when the ACT became required in Michigan high schools in 2007, “for every 1,000 lowincome students who had taken the test before 2007 and scored well, another 480 college-ready, low-income students were uncovered by the universal test,” testing actually

17

improving 2018)).

identification

(Dyarnski,

The less said about extracurriculars, the better.

If we tried GPA, we’d see that the effects of grade inflation don’t hit everyone equally — between 1998 and 2016, average GPAs in private schools jumped from 3.25 to 3.51; in suburban public schools, 3.25 to 3.36. In urban public schools, that number went from 3.26 to just 3.28 (Marcus, 2017). If a high school doesn’t report average GPA and colleges haven’t been able to track that high school’s graduates — especially likely for Title 1 schools that send fewer students to universities — what does admissions have to work with?

Testing is that data. While the STTF mentioned that UCs “may already use test scores in a manner unlike that of other institutions,” the Massachusetts Institute of Technology also finds “that considering performance on the SAT/ACT…substantially improves the predictive validity of our decisions with respect to subsequent student success at the Institute” (Schmill, 2020).

The SAT (or ACT) is far from perfect — our education system is far from perfect — but it does not worsen equity. Its removal, on the other hand, will.

1

3

2

how beneficial is being graded

on a scale of 1-4?

2020 granted two new situations for students; Covid, and the San Diego Unified School District standard based grading implementation. Two years later, Covid has changed the way students are being taught, while the standard based grading system has made a very large impact as well.

PowerSchools Blog defines it as “the intention of teachers tracking their student’s progress in order to achieve their highest potential.” With the 0100% scale changing into a 1-4 scale, and the fear students feel because of this change, , the importance of looking into the various benefits and downfalls is heightened.

As an A becomes a 4, a B becomes a 3, a C becomes a 2, and a D becomes a 1, “0”s, or F’s, are eliminated from the grading scale.

Some would argue that eliminating the use of “0”s and replacing it with “incompletions” is less of a punishment to students and can contribute to their overall success.

With this new grading system, priority shifts to the mastery of concepts, instead of just completion of work to get a grade. With “incompletions”, there is typically a given period where

students are allowed to make up that work. They are given the opportunity of this time to gain up to what would be considered as a “B” letter grade.

Thus, students are held more accountable for what they are learning as a whole instead of moving on directly after completing an assignment. With more chances at mastery, it is easier for students to achieve academic success with this 14 grading scale(i.e. retakes or recompletion of assignments).

Regardless, there is always a flip side.

Despite the pros of standards based grading, most teachers and students are still confused by and against it. Most schools have grading programs that automatically calculate percentages into the grade book.

Because of this, the 4 point scale is converted to a 100 point scale, nullifying the whole point of a 4 point scale(Lesson Lady, 2013).

But, students and teachers alike have felt that a 100 point scale has more accurately represented mastery of a topic. On the other hand, the scale of 1-4 doesn’t have a 0 to represent when a student fails an assignment.

The scale was purposefully designed

4 18

4

that way, so as to not discourage students, yet that idea doesn’t prepare them for the “real world” where deadlines are expected to be met (Lesson Lady, 2013). Additionally, 7th-12th graders have been working with the traditional A-F grading system their entire lives. Hearing that this whole system is changing can be discouraging for these , especially when their academics start to truly count for college applications. So, is the new system there to help students succeed, or is it leading to more failure?

From personal experience, there are more students in favor of traditional grading (0-100 scale) over standards based grading (1-4 scale).

Due to all the time and effort put into the completion of homework, it’s logical to have that work contribute to one’s overall grade, yet that is not the case in the 1-4 scale. Standard based grading has placed more stress on students since their grades depend solely on tests. With the preexisting stress of testing environments, having extra pressure placed on students to perform well on tests can negatively affect their mental health and/or lead to lower scores. Mrs. Gay, a teacher at SRHS, explains that, “the district’s standards for a 4 fall into a category of knowledge we haven’t explored yet.” The ideal grade (a 4) almost seems unattainable because, without the proper knowledge and education,

4 19

2

an impractical learning environment is created. Overall, standard based grading is not the “desired utopia” the school district intended and is not universally supported by those who experience it.

Throughout this ongoing controversial issue, there’s the question of whether or not it’s worth fighting to bring back traditional grading. There are clearly a multitude of aspects to each grading system to consider. Which scale is more beneficial for the academic success and overall well-being of the students? Do you think it was a good idea that didn’t go according to plan, or should the new system stay?

Which grading system do you prefer?

Now it is up to the students and staff to make a stand.

3

1

3

GET INVOLVED! A Falcon Take on Clubs CSF Debate Debate Club develops public speaking skills coupled with a useful aspect of conducting research and formulating well-prepared arguments.

Beating other schools in debate tournaments is a great highlight of the club.

Debate Club both improves your public speaking skills and teaches you more about the world. When I went to my first debate, I was a bit scared of arguing and defending my points with my partner. Now, I'm much more confident in my public speaking skills and defending my ideas with solid evidence. Even doing research is fun, because you can use critical thinking to recognize bias, what evidence counters what point, and you can also just learn more about the world we live in. Topics I had never heard about before, I am now educated about because of the Debate Club.

The California Scholarship Federation, or CSF, is an amazing club to join in order to have your hard-earned grades and volunteering activities recognized. Each semester, they have application drives for all students if they meet the requirements. To be in CSF, a member must earn 10 CSF points, which correspond to their semester grades on their report card. They also have inactive and active membership for those who want to be recognized for their community service. If you want to do further research on the qualifications for the club, check out their website (you can access it through the club page on the SRHS website). I am personally in CSF and it motivates me to work harder in school. I also volunteer around San Diego and it is nice to be recognized for the hours I put in. This club is a great opportunity for students at Scripps and they have their next application drive in February of 2022.

They are always looking for new members so see if you qualify for this amazing club. :)

20

Philosophy The name is pretentious; they should've done the British secondary school thing and gone with philosophy society, really. The basic structure is topic overview — discussion questions shown — freefor-all. It's not necessarily a debate (but most of the time it is), and the point is to propose ideas, however out there, and think about them. Aaron, the president, likes to call it the "unsafest safe space on campus," in the sense that everyone is told not to judge people for what they say in Philosophy Club, outside of it. Join because radicalism is cool and talking is fun.

South Asian Student Union You should absolutely join the South Asian Student Union, because it is a celebration of South Asian Culture.

Not only do we do fun activities, but there are various fundraisers and donations all of which benefit the South Asian community. There are also cultural events like our Diwali Event in October, which was across all the different SASU clubs in San Diego. This club is really fun, so please join if you would like!

21

The Falcon Playhouse At the Falcon Playhouse, students within Scripps Ranch High School can learn and be a part of the productions that are put on throughout the school year. Through after-school rehearsals and performances, many within the cast and crew often learn as they go, and often create lifelong bonds with each other through the supportive environment. Experience isn't a requirement as many people within the Falcon Playhouse have learned as they go, making it a comfortable learning environment. The end result is the combination of the hard work both actors and technicians have put in to be rewarded with a stellar performance!

Covers for Lives Covers For Lives is a community service oriented club here at SRHS. They organize and participate in various drives in order to make our community a better place. Simple, but still fun and engaging, activities that relate to the club’s focus at the time take place at meetings. You are also able to gain community service hours by taking part in and helping at some club events and activities, which is a big plus!

contributors leadership staff writers Lea Nepomuceno, '23 - Editor in Chief Sahithi Lingampalli, '23 - Editor in Chief Fanna Seman, '23 - Treasurer Stephanie Le, '23 - Secretary Kavya Gurunath, '23 - Writing Director Jaclyn Macatee, '23 - Writing Director Elena Fritz, '23 - Layout Design Director Nasiah Burns, '22 - Art Director Thejo Tattala, '24 - Art Director Victoria Podakova, '22 - Marketing Director

our amazing advisor Mr. Tom Eberman

credits

AP Test and Finals: tips and tricks written by: Jaclyn Macatee, Danny Vladi edited by: Vivian Wang, Jaiden Wick art by: Thejo Tattala layout by: Sneha Javali Getting That Motivation: the key to your success written by: Akshara Madabushi edited by: Kavya Gurunath art by: Thejo Tattala layout design: Elena Fritz Lots of People Talk About a Healthy Lifestyle, but How Much Can it Actually Do For You? written by: David Brin edited by: Jaclyn Macatee, Danny Vladi layout design by: Lea Nepomuceno

Jaclyn Macatee, '23 Danny Vladi, '23 Akshara Madabushi, '24 David Brin, '23 Kavya Gurunath, '23 Vivian Wang, '24 Melanie Calkins, '23 Jaiden Wick, '23 Nidhi Babla, '24 Shabdika Gubba, '23 Sophia Kaufman, '23

artists Sahithi Lingampalli, '23 Nasiah Burns, '22 Thejo Tattala, '24

layout designers Sahithi Lingampalli, '23 Lea Nepomuceno, '23 Elena Fritz, '23 Sneha Javali, '22

all Cover art by Sahithi Lingampalli, '23

How Beneficial is Being Graded On a Scale of 1-4? written by: Melanie Calkins, Jaiden Wick edited by: Fanna Seman art by: Sahithi Lingampalli layout by: Sahithi Lingampalli Get Involved! A Falcon Take on Clubs Debate: David Brin, Shabdika Gubba Philosophy: Vivian Wang CSF: Melanie Calkins Covers for Lives: Nidhi Babla South Asian Student Union: Kavya Gurunath The Falcon Playhouse: Sofia Kaufman

Should SAT or ACT Be Used to Determine College Acceptance? NO/ YES written by: Kavya Gurunath edited by: Melanie Calkins, Akshara Madabushi layout design: Elena Fritz

22

Editor's Note Self-help, studying tips, and lifestyle advice of any kind are essential to your time here at Scripps Ranch High School. Undoubtedly, it is the same for us as we bring you the first edition of the WING Magazine! This Magazine is an amalgamation of our passion for writing, art, graphic design, self-improvement, and studentled organizing. Being our third year as high school students, we realized the need for a vehicle sharing advice among students and doing it in a way that uplifts the incredible talent at Scripps Ranch High School. A printed publication was the perfect route to allow our vision to take flight.

Made by falcons, for falcons; we separated the WING in three sections: take off (academic/ college advice to prepare you for flight), the falcon way (a focus on lifestyle and mental health exemplifying the character of a falcon), and the quad (student opinion submissions embodying the diversity of our campus). Each section comes together to provide you with a series of tips and takeaways to elevate your Scripps Ranch High School experience.

Because together, we can fly high!

Your Editors in Chief Lea Nepomuceno '23 & Sahithi Lingampalli '23

Lea

Sahithi

Kavya

Jaclyn

Elena

Victoria

Fanna

Stephanie

Nasiah

Thejo

Mr. Eberman