Turnout Tuesday

by: Kaylynn O'Curran

Today, Tuesday, October 9th, is Turnout Tuesday. With its catchy ring, this day is devoted to getting students on our campus to get out and register to vote. There are going to be numerous students with shirts and stickers dedicated to get people to register. The QR codes seen on them guide students to a website where they can register or pre-register.

It is a very simple process to get registered (if you’re 18 or older) and pre-registered (if you’re 16 or older). It takes about 5 minutes and all you need is your social security and license numbers.

Voter registration is essential to our generation, as it is historically known for low voter turnout. According to the Government Census, a meager 38% of those ages 18 to 29 voted in 2012 compared to the 69% of those 65 and older that voted. With the older generation guiding the polls, there is a lack of our voice, which usually differs from those older than us. The Director of Circle, an organization devoted to civic youth, Kei Kawashima-Ginsberg, states, “In 2016, young voters were a substantial voting bloc and they influenced the outcome.” This is evidence that our vote truly does matter.

No matter your party or ideals, your voice as an American deserves and needs to be heard. With the challenging schedule at CCA, there is only so much we have time to do, but voting is a sure way to contribute to change. There is a common stigma that students should not be voting as they don’t truly understand what they are voting for, or aren't educated enough. I would personally strongly disagree with this. I would challenge them, saying that many of us are in Government class right now learning about what makes our government what it is. I would also say there are many things we go through that the older generation does not understand, and because of this we should be the ones voting on those matters. We have a lot more power and brains than some give us credit for.

That is why some clubs on our campus, Team Enough and No Place For Hate, are collaborating with March For Our Lives to get our campus registered for the upcoming election (November 6th) and our next presidential election. No Place For Hate club is also having a voter registration booth on campus October 18th during lunch. This is another opportunity to get your vote on! It is up to you and only you to make your voice be heard.

MLB Playoffs Championship Series Preview

by: Dominic Stearn

The MLB playoffs started out with a bang. Every Division Series was entertaining in some way. Between walk-offs, insane comebacks, and close games, the first week of October baseball kept viewers on the edge of their seats. We are now down to four teams, let’s preview the NL and ALCS.

NLCS

The NLCS is an intriguing matchup. Both teams had to fight their way into the division lead, including playing in a game 163. The Brewers and Dodgers, respectively, had the best records in the National League, so it is fitting that they will face off for the National League title. The Dodgers won the regular season series 4-3, as the teams faced off shortly after the All-Star break. When it comes to a positional breakdown, these teams are nearly even. I give the starting pitching upper hand to the Dodgers. Kershaw and Buehler could be aces on almost any team, including the Brewers. They make a nasty one-two punch, and can pitch deep into baseball games. However, the current era of baseball is leaning more towards bullpens. In that aspect, the Brewers have a hefty advantage. Josh Hader, Jeremy Jeffress, and Corey Knebel can give you five innings and 15 strikeouts if they are on. Kenley Jansen is the only true lockdown reliever for L.A. On the other side of the ball, both teams are absolutely stacked. The Dodgers have twelve guys they can bat 1-8 depending on what handness they facing. The Brewers top of the the order is filled with all-stars and former champions. I give the slight hitting advantage to the Dodgers, due to their depth. When it comes down to this series, I think the Brewers will ride their winning streak and bullpen to a 7 game series victory.

ALCS

Baseball fans get what they want for the ALCS. The two best teams in the MLB (record wise) will face off in a rematch of last year’s ALDS. Houston defeated Boston in four games in the ALDS last year on their way to the franchise’s first ever World Series. Boston will look for revenge, while Houston will attempt to defend their title. Keep in mind, Houston won the season series 4-3. Both teams have very good starting pitching. Each team has two former Cy Young award winners, along with strong supporting casts. The Astros have Dallas Keuchel, Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole, and Charlie Morton. The Red Sox have David Price, Rick Porcello, Chris Sale, and Nathan Eovaldi. I give a slight advantage to the Astros, as I feel their pitchers go deeper into games. The Astros have a significantly better bullpen, even though the best relief pitcher in the series, Craig Kimbrel, plays for Boston. Names like Roberto Osuna, Collin Mchugh, Brad Peacock, Lance McCullers, and Will Harris make up a much better pen. As good as the Astros lineup is, it is clear that the Red Sox have the better bats. J.D., Mookie, Benintendi, and Bogaerts are all sensational and thrilling players to watch. This should be a fantastic series. I’ve got the Astros in 6.

Wildfires and Floods and Droughts, Oh My!

By: Izzy Ster

In a stark report issued by Monday by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, it revealed that the planet will heat up to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels before 2030. Such heat can potentially provoke the risk of wildfires, floods, extreme droughts, and food shortages for hundreds of millions of people.

To accomplish holding global warming to moderate levels, nations will need to take unprecedented actions to cut their carbon emissions over the next decade. However, with global emissions showing little to no signs of slowing, according to an infographic from the International Energy Agency, the goals of the previously implemented 2015 Paris agreement are very unrealistic. The 2015 Paris agreement. The Paris Agreement is an agreement within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Changes, dealing with greenhouse gas emissions mitigation, adaptation, and finance in 2020. Under the agreement, each country must determine, plan, and regulatory report on their contribution to mitigating global warming. It was announced in June 2017 that President Trump intended to withdraw the United States from the agreement. The U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change wrote, “there is no documented historic precedent” for the vast amount of change required in energy, transportation, and other systems to prevent temperatures rising higher.

If warming is kept at or just below 1.5 degrees Celsius, the impacts will be globally significant. Temperatures during summer heat waves can be expected to increase by three degrees. There will be more frequent droughts, such as the one in Cape Town, South Africa, along with extreme rainfall events, similar to Hurricanes Harvey and Florence in the United States. 70% to 90% of coral reefs would be expected to disappear, including Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.

Due to the early receival of this report, there is some affirmation that it is possible to avoid these dire consequences. For example, if all emissions stopped today, the planet would not reach that temperature. The document continues to say the world’s annual carbon dioxide emission (40 billion tons per year) would have to be on a steep decline. Overall reductions in emissions would need to amount to more than one billion tons per year and by 2050, the report calls for total phaseout of the burning of coal. According to the report, the two main ways of removing carbon from the atmosphere include increasing natural processes that already accomplish this and implementing experimental carbon storage or removal technologies. It will also require considerable global political engagement. However, as mentioned previously, the Trump Administration’s stance on this issue is not correlated to taking immediate action. Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore shared, “Unfortunately, the Trump Administration has become a rogue outlier in its shortsighted attempt to prop up the dirty fossil fuel industries of the past. The administration is in direct conflict with American businesses, states, cities, and citizens leading the transformation."  Jim Skea, co-chair of the IPCC panel and professor at Imperial College said, “Frankly, we’ve delivered the message to the governments. It’s not their responsibility...to decide whether than can act on it. What we’ve done is said what the world needs to do.”

The significant takeaway of the report is that the world is woefully off target for combating detrimental climate change, and immediate action needs to be taken, now.

Infographic mention in article.

Salary Cap: The Economics of Basketball Superstardom

by: David Sun

Competition. Nil satis nisi optimum. “Nothing but the best is good enough.”

This Latin term, competere, has occupied a clear importance in sports, dating back to the first Olympic Games in 776 BCE. Since the nascence of professional sports, fair competition has been critical in keeping athletics riveting. Leagues such as the National Basketball Association implement underlying restrictions and limitations to keep the exquisite orchestration of professional basketball riveting and cutthroat, known as the salary cap. Recently, the Golden State Warriors reinvigorated the debate surrounding competition due to their acquisitions of multiple superstars and domination of the league. In such an age of competere, it’s crucial to understand the economics of basketball competition: the unrevealed frame of the NBA wage limit that runs the show from behind the scenes.

In sports, a salary cap is a form of restriction on teams that limit how much money they are allowed to spend. This limit maintains fair competition, limiting wealthier teams like the Los Angeles Lakers from skewing talent and accumulating superstars. The NBA implements a soft cap, a limit that can be exceeded in particular exceptions with restrictions and consequences, along with a luxury tax system that punishes teams that exceed it, making it virtually impossible to exceed the limit by too wide of a margin. The luxury tax, a certain proportion of money that teams are required to pay, occurs when teams exceed the tax line, which is slightly above the soft cap. For the 2017-2018 NBA season, the soft cap dictated a limit of $99 million, with the tax line at $119 million.

The amount of luxury tax owed is in clear juxtaposition to the amount over the tax line. The more you surpass the tax line, the higher the luxury tax. For example, if a team spends less than $5 million more than the tax line, then they pay $1.5 for every dollar exceeded: spending $3 million more than the salary cap dictates an obligation to pay $4.5 million in luxury tax. If a team spends more than $20 million more than the tax line, then they pay $37.5 for every dollar exceeded, which means a $25 million surplus would translate to $93.75 million in luxury tax.

The salary cap itself has its own restrictions as well. Once the cap limit is reached, teams are not allowed to sign free agents or trade for players that would cause them to exceed their salary cap. Nevertheless, teams can harness certain exceptions to allow them to spend more than the salary cap.

The minimum salary exception comes into play when a team is required to complete their 14-man roster. If a team spends its $99 million soft cap on just five players, then the minimum salary exception allows them to sign extra free agents on minimum salary deals and for a contract no longer than two years.

The Larry Bird exception, named after the Boston Celtic legend, allows teams to resign the players on their current roster and exceed the salary cap. The team has the “bird” rights to a certain player, which includes qualifications on players that are eligible to be kept over the soft cap.

The mid-level exception (MLE) is a relatively small amount of money that teams are allowed to use to sign players, regardless of the cap restrictions. In the 2017-2018 NBA season, the mid-level exception was $8.4 million. The MLE varies per team, with non–tax-line teams receiving a higher MLE than tax-line teams. The New Orleans Pelicans, as a non–tax-paying team, received $8.4 million, while the Oklahoma City Thunder, as a tax-paying team, received $2.2 million. While there are more exceptions that teams can use to exceed the salary cap, the three listed are the most common.

Underneath the glamour and spotlights of talent, skill, and competition, the economics of the National Basketball Association, specifically the utilization of the salary cap, quietly power the flamboyant engine that professional basketball thrives upon. The importance of an economic foundation to strengthen fair competition ensures that, though the Warriors may be champions (for now), the league is sure to stay competitive and captivating for years to come.

Arabian Nights Marathon

by: Justin Wang

How long, from start to finish, would it take to read Moby Dick out loud? In order to seek the answer to this question (and many more), CCA students organized the Moby Dick Marathon last year. Consisting of a cover-to-cover, full out-loud reading of Moby Dick, the marathon was a resounding success both its execution and the sheer variety of ways people conducted and responded to the reading. Given last year’s success, CCA students are attempting to create a new verison of the Moby Dick marathon - this time, centered on Arabian Nights.

Arabian Nights, or One Thousand and One Nights (its true title given the Arabic translation), is a collection of short stories likely composed during the Islamic Golden Age. The entirety of the story is based off of one frame narrative, which ties the stories together as one cohesive piece; in this case, the frame story focuses on a Sasanian king. This king, after finding his wife to be unfaithful, married and subsequently executed every virgin in the land (so that none of his wives could ever dishonor him again). However, after exhausting all of the virgins provided by his vizier, the king finds one more - the vizier’s daughter Scheherazade. Scheherazade, being markedly more intelligent than the other virgins, realizes that by telling the king a story, but saving the conclusion until the next day, she could delay her execution: the king, like everybody else, wants to hear the end of a good story. Scheherazade continues this trend for the next 1,001 nights, giving the collection its name.

However, out of all the long novels out there, why read Arabian Nights? This choice was, according to the club organizers, mainly based on how special the book as a whole is both in language and content. Arabian Nights is one of the earliest examples of uses like frame narrative and embedded narrative, which is evident in the events of the frame story that set up the rest of the collection. Furthermore, each story within the collection itself uses AP Lang staples like crime and horror fiction elements, foreshadowing, dramatic visualization, irony, etc. The content of Arabian Nights is even more interesting. In fact, Arabian Nights as it stands today was never popular in the medieval world — Arabs during this time period did not often recognize fiction as truly outstanding writing. It wasn’t until 1704, with the translation of Antoine Galland, that Arabian Nights finally started to gain recognition and transform into the classic that it is today. Every story told by Scheherazade is different in one way or another, and they all interlink with subtle themes that persist across stories.

Much like the Moby Dick marathon last year, the Arabian Nights marathon promises to be an amazing event. The project organizers also have a much larger vision in terms of interdisciplinary collaboration: musicians, dancers, actors, filmmakers, artists, and readers are all welcome to put their spin on one of the stories in Arabian Nights. Each story is meant to be its own act, to be performed, not read. And with a larger and more diverse production team, the marathon (stylized as CCA Arabian Night 2018) promises to be an amazing experience. If you want to get in on the action, the informational meeting for the marathon is on November 9th in Mr Stiven’s room (B103). Also, join the Facebook group for periodic updates (CCA Arabian Night 2018 is the group name)!

Halloween How-To's

by: Ali Youel

Halloween is upon us; haunted houses, pumpkin pie, scary stories, and costumes galore. October is my favorite month, solely because of pumpkin pie and the excuse to dress up in hilarious get up. Here are some ideas and reviews to get your spooky on.

1. Haunted Hotel-Let me preface this by saying I am not one for jump scares. At all. It costs $20 to get in for ten to fifteen minutes of pure fear. The Haunted Hotel doesn’t disappoint. There are non-stop jump scares from start to finish, and I definitely didn’t cry. (I probably did, I blacked out from fear after thirty seconds.)
2. Pillsbury Sugar Cookies. The ones with the ghosts on them. The best part of halloween...by a landslide. Baking these cookies is one of the highlights of the fall season. I mean they are warm, sweet, delicious. What else could you ask for from sugar cookies with a cartoon on them? I could (and have) eaten dozens in a sitting. No shame here.
3. Costumes-I love to dress up. Thrift stores have a wide range of costumes and garments that can be easily made into costumes. You can be a cat, basic but classic, a ghost, angel, devil, witch; the list goes on. Buzzfeed has many fun articles and How-To’s on how to make fun costumes out of things already in your closet. Pinterest, my favorite procrastination destination, has thousands of ideas to impress your friends. There are always fun couple costumes too; salt and pepper, Mickey and Minnie, Han Solo and Leia Organa, Arthur and Buster, Thing 1 and Thing 2, and ketchup and mustard.
4. Pumpkin Patches-The best photo op. I absolutely love pumpkin patches, there are tons of beautiful pumpkins, ready to be carved into fun faces. Filled with bouncy-castles, petting zoos, and tons of fun attractions, pumpkin patches are a fabulous way to get into the Halloween spirit. Bates Nut Farm may be a little bit longer of a drive than The Pumpkin Station, but has a corn maze and more. Bates Nut Farm is always a fun experience, I mean, who doesn’t love seeing pumpkins that weigh into the triple digits? I am very excited to go to Bates Nut Farm and finally outsmart the corn maze.

All-in-all, October is a great month for your instagram, and your spirit. Get out there and go to Scream Zone or The Haunted Hotel, pick out the perfect–and over-priced–pumpkin, and eat some pumpkin themed food. But, I beg you, don’t get a pumpkin spice latte. I mean love fall, but seriously? Just have some of the sugar cookies with ghosts on them.

Harvard Lawsuit

by: Amanda Benbow

As a senior, college may well be the only thing on my mind at the moment. There’s no use in trying to do my AP Government homework, or studying for my AP Biology test, all that time is being spent thinking about my applications and how I made the biggest mistake of my life pushing that submit button a month before the deadline. What if I misspelled something in my essay? What if I put the wrong amount of hours on my activities section? There’s too many things to worry about. Piling on top of all that is a new headache, but not specifically for college applicants, rather for the colleges themselves.

Recently, Harvard University fell under fire after Asian-American students claimed that they were victims of illegal discrimination in the admissions process. They “assert that Harvard uses what amounts to an unlawful quota system, which results in qualified Asian-Americans being denied admission,” as said in the The New Yorker article, “The Underlying Attack in the Harvard Admissions Lawsuit.” This is in direct violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which outlaws discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Ultimately, Asian-Americans are being denied admission to the school, despite their more-than-stellar test scores and grade point averages. Harvard denies this, claiming that grades and scores are not the only factors it considers in their admission process, they instead conduct a “holistic” review of the applicant as a whole, taking into consideration extracurriculars, volunteer work, and more factors along those lines. Additionally, they strive for diversity on their campus, which may mean taking race into consideration. The class of 2022 was made up of 18% Asian-Americans, with only 10% Black or African-American, and 6.5% Hispanic or Latino. With this in mind, they are striving to admit a more diverse population of students.

While this is a big deal in the world of education, affecting students and professors alike, it has had an additional impact on the world of politics and our culture. In the end, this lawsuit doesn’t just determine whether or not you would get admitted to Harvard as an Asian-American, it sets a precedent for our ongoing battle in America with the legal and political inequalities present for people of color. The Trump Administration has gotten involved, saying that they support the lawsuit, but their past efforts to limit voting rights and demonize immigrants may say different. Ultimately, this lawsuit will be one that we remember for years to come, and will most likely affect the college admissions process forever.

How CCA Became the Best School in California

by: Bri Cateriano

It is no secret that Canyon Crest Academy, our high school, is the one of the best schools academically in the state of California. Other schools look at CCA as an example, asking how we do it and what drives many to have perfect ACT and SAT scores. Not only do we provide an academic example, but the social aspect also drives our school into the academic gem that it is.

What is CCA known for? Let me give you a hint, “Stay weird CCA”. We are known for being weird, and that is one of the reasons we are such a terrific school. The reality of our school is different and not traditional compared to a normal high school, which is part of why we are excelling ahead of others, such as Torrey Pines.  

The 4 by 4 schedule. The schedule which many both love and hate. This is what Torrey students would refer to as “weird”. However it plays a large role in our school’s success. The 4 by 4 allows students to not only double up on subjects such as math or a language, but also provides more work, which increases the academic rigor. No, it is not a traditional schedule. However, it allows students to choose to focus on 4 or less classes, and avoid the stress of having to worry about 5 or more classes at a time. It was originally created to allow students to take more electives, but has evolved in allowing students to take more APs, another weird characteristic of CCA- students love to take AP classes.

No football team: CCA has all the sports, well, except for football. No football team. That’s weird. The lack of a football team is good for our school because there are no football jocks nor are there cheerleaders for them to date. Sure we have soccer and water polo  players, but they do not have the same social impact on our school as football players have on their schools. No football players ultimately means less social division among our campus, providing an atmosphere without them has led students to be more themselves without fear of being made fun of. The lack of a football team has created our school to not only be academically excellent, but rather socially excellent as students can go to school without fear of the football team.

Conservatory: The Canyon Crest conservatory has had an incredible impact on our school by allowing students to show their passion. Many attend CCA because of the conservatory, and although it has no direct academic impact on our school, it certainly helps students create friends and allows them to do something they love at a high level. How does this impact us as the best ranking high school in California? It does so because it attracts students with talent to our school in the first place, students who excel in school and help our overall academic ranking. I am by no means saying that students who are in conservatory are smart, but for me, if you can be in dance conservatory and learn all of that difficult photography in a short amount of time, then you seem pretty smart to me. Those who do participate in extracurriculars like conservatory help our school’s social atmosphere which contributes to our academics.

No dress code: CCA is every teenage girl’s dream, no dress code! The no dress code rule plays a large social impact on our school as it allows students to express themselves, which plays a role in how they feel as a person. The better one feels as a person the better they do in life, as they feel more motivation and happiness. Expression is important for teenagers as without expression, people become lost and most often times depressed if they continue to hide who they are as a person. That is not a problem at CCA because of our privilege to express ourselves without limit.

How to Chill Out Before Finals

by: Kayla Fung

So, finals are coming up. Huge bummer, am I right? It seems like just yesterday when we had a month left before the dreaded day, but alas, finals lay a short while away, five days to be precise. In the frantic flurry of last minute studying, final projects, and nail-biting anxiety of borderline grades, it seems impossible to relax, even for a second. In this article I’ve come to offer a short compilation of ways to chill out before finals, because trust me, you need it.

1. STOP STUDYING. Yes, you heard me right. No, I’m not kidding. It may seem counterintuitive, to take a moment off studying when you feel as though every second should be dedicated to poring over your notes and study guides. Through my four years as a student at CCA, I’ve endured countless quarterfinal and final exams and would like to consider myself somewhat of a seasoned veteran. When I first started out at CCA, the nights before my finals were spent downing coffee, anxiety ridden, and sleepless. Now, the night before my finals are spent sleeping. Yes, sleeping. I’ve found that cramming the night before is not benefactory, and my friends and peers agree. Your brain can only retain so much information, and overloading the system only hurts your ability to test the next day. The takeaway: Don’t overdo the studying. Relax.
2. Have fun! What a novel concept to the average CCA student. Fun? Leisure? What is that? I know having fun and going out with friends are the last things on your mind the weekend before finals, but I assure you, it is the key to your success next week. Now don’t get me wrong, don’t get wild this weekend, everything in moderation. But come on, let loose, you’re WAY too tense right now. Studying is best and most effective when punctuated with well-time breaks to allow your brain to rest after running overtime for hours. You need to take breaks and relax in order for your brain to remain refreshed and in turn retain information more efficiently. The takeaway: Take a break, have fun!
3. If you absolutely must study all weekend with no time at all for any breaks, then I recommend study groups. I discovered the value of collaborative study throughout my years at CCA and believe it is an amazing asset to maintain academically. It is a great way to stay engaged and focused and to keep the boredom at bay. It’s also a great way to incorporate a more lighthearted environment around the idea of finals, and is extremely effective to lower the intense stress levels at hand.

The takeaway: Study groups, try it out. Thank me later.

So there we have it. My personal ways to cope with finals that I’m now sharing and passing on to you. I acknowledge that the solutions to dealing with finals stress I am offering up may not work for everyone, but you never know until you try it. I encourage you to experiment with ways to deal with the stress of finals and to find or adapt ways that work for you.

Crime Shows: Debunked

by: Emily Gao

Criminal Minds, Law & Order: SVU, NCIS, Hawaii Five O. Just a few of the crime shows that populate people’s TV screens each night. Each of these shows consist of episode after episode, season after season of “catching the bad guys” and “serving justice”. You are lying to yourself if you say that you haven’t felt the slightest urge to quit everything and become a criminal investigator after watching a couple episodes of these shows. It is no doubt that these shows glorify being a criminal investigator, whether it is the F.B.I, C.S.I, or a local police task force. After all, the main characters of these shows always somehow prevail over the criminals in every episode and seem to have an unlimited supply of high intensity cases to investigate. These characters always seem to persist, solving crime after crime, with seemingly no emotional trauma as a result of the heavy weight of their job.

Now I’m not trying to crush your dreams. But, I think we all need to know: are these crime shows realistic at all? Here are some myths debunked...

Computers Are Not That Powerful:

A consistent scene among almost all FBI shows seems to be the process of a FBI analyst receiving a single thumbprint or a single strand of hair and then being able to pull up an entire profile of a suspect within the matter of minutes. Veronica Maxwell, who has worked for the bureau for 27 years, indicates that when working with databases, “you have to go to a lot of different sources to pull together what you need and then synthesize it”. In other words, no, the FBI can not pull up a profile of someone in the matter of seconds: it takes time. Also, the magical “enhance“ filter that seems to always be used to turn a pixelated blurry image into a high quality one when agents analyze security footage? Completely fiction. You simply can not apply a filter to make a low quality video or photo turn into HD quality.

It’s Not Really That Secretive:

It seems to be a preconceived notion that FBI agents’ jobs are top secret one hundred percent of the time. That talking about their cases to others is completely off limits. However, one cases have been adjudicated (been through court), FBI agents can talk about them all they want.

FBI Agents are not Emotionless:

A critical component of an agent’s job is being able to get witnesses to relax and help the case, get criminals to confess, and garner the trust of those involved with the case. Gary Noesner, now retired, was the chief of the FBI’s Crisis Negotiation Unit.  He indicated that the most effective agents are “personable, outgoing, and have a good sense of humor”.

It’s Not As Dangerous As It Seems:

Throughout Gary Noesner’s career, he dealt with numerous kidnappings, hostage situations, and armed robberies. In an interview with Business Insider, he stated that despite the variety of crimes he dealt with, he was “in few dangerous situations throughout his career”, but the oh so popular scene of a “negotiator holding his hands up and walks up to the person holding a gun” is pretty much fiction.

Thinking back on it, this is kind of reassuring. It’s good to know that FBI agents are normal humans like us and aren’t always one wrong move away from being shot when they are on the job.

NFL Trade Deadline

by: Josh Golden

This weekend, the NFL completed its eighth week of the season, which means the majority of the league’s teams are at the halfway point of their season. Now, each team has a better understanding of their chances to hoist the Lombardi Trophy come the first weekend of February. For some of these teams, they believe they have a shot at the championship, yet would like to add a few extra pieces. Teams that are already thinking about next year might have a few pieces they’re willing to send away to get a few draft picks. Perhaps these teams could make some trades. However, come today at 1 PM, the NFL’s trade deadline will have passed and teams will no longer be able to make trades until March. So far, Amari Cooper and Carlos Hyde have changed teams, but what other big names could be on the move?

LeSean McCoy

This season, the Buffalo Bills and their historically atrocious offense have stumbled their way to a 2-6 record and are in clear rebuild mode despite making the playoffs last season. Therefore, there’s been a lot of talk surrounding a potential trade involving former All-Pro running back LeSean McCoy. At first glance, trading McCoy makes perfect sense; he’s a talented yet aging running back who’s contract expires in 2019 and can provide some help to many teams. However, looking deeper into the idea of a McCoy trade, it’s not the best idea for Buffalo. Once rookie quarterback Josh Allen returns from his injury, the offense will still have a lack of weapons, so trading McCoy could potentially harm the growth of the future of the franchise. Therefore, the Bills place a higher value on him then most teams do (reportedly, the Bills want second and third round picks in return for McCoy). He likely won’t get traded, but if a last second deal gets done, it’ll likely involve McCoy wearing an Eagles jersey again.

Demaryius Thomas

After a rough 3-5 start for the Broncos, the team is looking like they’ll come up short of the playoffs once again despite having high hopes coming into this year. Case Keenum, the biggest addition to the team this offseason, has put up wildly unimpressive numbers so far, putting up only 10 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Since Thomas is a free agent after the 2019 season, trading the star receiver is a good option for the Broncos if they’re looking to add some draft capital in order to get their quarterback of the future. Thomas has put up over 400 yards and three touchdowns through eight games, proving that he could be worth giving up a third or fourth rounder to teams that missed out on the Amari Cooper sweepstakes, such as the Eagles and Patriots.

Patrick Peterson

With rookies head coach and quarterback along with their 2-6 record, the Arizona Cardinals should be focused on rebuilding their team around Josh Rosen. One player who can help the rebuild is Peterson. The All-Pro cornerback is under contract through 2020 and could easily be sent away for an extra first rounder. Peterson has publically gone back and forth on the idea of a trade, so the idea is definitely out there, but he has most recently said he’d like to stay with the Cardinals. I don’t expect to see him get dealt, yet I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see the Cardinals trade away a few other players such as linebackers Haason Reddick and Deone Bucannon.

Tyrod Taylor and Sam Bradford

Both Taylor and Bradford were brought in this offseason to serve as bridge quarterbacks. Both quarterbacks only started three games, will be free agents this offseason, and can easily be traded to a quarterback needy team (Broncos, Giants, or Jaguars, to name a few) for a draft pick to help the young quarterback. This is simply just a why not scenario, as neither team is actively shopping the quarterback, but are completely unnecessary players to teams that could be looking to increase draft capital.

Although the NFL trade deadline typically isn’t a big deal, there are some big names that could potentially be on the move today. There’s only a few hours left, so NFL general managers are on the phone right now, looking to add one more piece to help make a Super Bowl run, or add one more draft pick to get a young guy who can help in the future. Time is ticking, and deals will likely be made, so keep an eye out for breaking news.

World Series Recap

by: Jordan Goldmann

Game 1:

The Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox face off at arguably one of the toughest ballparks to play at. The Dodgers coming off of a Game 7 win to move on against the Brewers and the Red Sox beating the defending World Series champs in 5 games. Clayton Kershaw would start game 1 for the Dodgers and put up 5 earned runs in 4 innings pitched. Kershaw has had a reputation for not playing well in playoff games through his career. Chris Sale came off of a stomach flu and had obvious decrease in velocity. He threw 3 innings with 3 earned runs. This wasn't the best day for pitchers but a great one for hitters. The Red Sox hit extremely well with 8 runs and Eduardo Nunez with a 3 run homer in the 7th to open the lead over the Dodgers. The final score was 8-4 Red Sox.

Game 2:

Although David Price has had his bad moments pitching in the playoffs, Price threw a great game that helped the Red Sox hitters score some runs. Price went 6 innings with 2 earned runs and 3 hits and held down the all right handed lineup from the dodgers. The Dodgers pitcher, Hyun Jin Ryu, didn’t perform to his best, posting 4.2 innings pitched and 4 earned runs. Mookie Betts had 3 hits on the night and 1 RBI to help the Red Sox come out on top. It wasn’t a great night for the Dodgers hitters as they posted 3 hits as a team and 2 runs scored. Arguably the top Dodgers pitchers in the starting rotation did not perform to the Dodgers expectations in this game.

Game 3:

It was an eventful night, at Dodger Stadium, for both teams as they played a record 18 innings in the longest game ever playing in World Series history. It was a pitching duel of the ages as Walker Buehler for the Dodgers pitched 7 shutout innings with two hits but the Dodgers couldn't help him out as the Red Sox tied the game in the 8th. This game showed the great significance of both teams pitching staff. Coming out of the bullpen, Nathan Eovaldi pitched an amazing 6 innings but unfortunately gave up the winning run in the 18th inning, as Max Muncy hit a walkoff homer to end the game.

Game 4:

With the Red Sox winning in the series 2-1, the Dodgers have a chance to even the series. The Red Sox hitting is just to tough for the Dodgers to stop as Mitch Moreland hit a three run homer in the 7th and Steve Pearce hit a homer in the 8th. These bats are crucial for the Red Sox and would eventually seal the deal for the Red Sox and end game 4 with a win. The Dodgers struggle pitching wise to compete against a great hitting Red Sox offense.

Game 5:

The Dodgers fight to stay in the series with a 3-1 deficit to the Red Sox. The number one starters from each team faced off to battle it out. David Price for the Red Sox and Clayton Kershaw for the Dodgers. What in the world is baseball??? David Price started off the game letting up a homer to David Freese, but then quickly settled in and pitched 6 shutout innings after that. Clayton Kershaw would give up 4 runs and eventually take the loss for the Dodgers. Steve pearce would get 3 RBI’s on the night and eventually get the World Series MVP.

Underrated NBA Players

by: Derek Li

In recent years, we have all witnessed the rise of the likes of famous NBA megastars such as LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and more. Yet, we often ignore those who quietly make a significant impact to their teams success, due to reasons such as having an “un-flashy” playstyle or . Here are some of the most underrated players in the NBA.

Gary Harris: Harris, a 6 foot 4 shooting guard for the Denver Nuggets, proved to his team last year that he was an excellent and legitimate two-way player. He averaged 17.5 points per game on an efficient 48% shooting while grabbing 1.8 steals per game. These are awesome statistics, yet frequently overlooked. Playing for a an extremely young and underrated team in the Nuggets (who unfortunately barely missed the playoffs last season despite going 46-36) further causes his contributions on the court to go unnoticed. However, this should change in the coming seasons: the Nuggets are building a formidable championship-caliber squad with a core of Gary Harris, Nikola Jokic, and Jamal Murray (maybe even Michael Porter Jr.) that will be deadly trio in the near future.

Joe Ingles: A combination of playing for the Jazz, being “boring”, and relatively mediocre basic statistics makes Ingles, a key starting small forward for the Salt Lake City team, a very underappreciated player. His impact on the game comes from not only his outstanding 44% 3-point shooting, but his knack for just having a phenomenal feel for the game and being at the right place at the right time. Ingles is a flexible defender who has the size to guard strong bigs but also has the speed and agility to make it hard for guards to score on him. For a forward, he also possesses great court vision, averaging nearly 5 assists per game last year. Ingles’ contribution to the Jazz organization come from being great at all the small things that add up.

Steven Adams: Being the center doing the dirty work for a team whose global spotlight and attention is on Russell Westbrook and Paul George is not easy. Yet, Adams plays every game on the Oklahoma City Thunder with 100% effort and his hustle on the court combined with his physical tools and great post game should cause him to be considered one of the best big men in the league. Adams averaged an insane 5 offensive rebounds per game last season and got 1.2 steals per game while shooting nearly 63% from the field. Many of his points come from playing his bread-and-butter pick and roll game with Westbrook, which is often unstoppable due to the unique strength and finishing ability that he possesses. As someone who sacrifices his body and hustles on the court to make his entire team better, Adams is the epitome of an unselfish team player.

Khris Middleton: For a few years now, Khris Middleton has quietly established himself as a one of the best premier and consistent scorers in the shooting guard position. Picked 39th in the second round of the NBA draft in 2012, Middleton got little attention when he entered the league. However, over the years, his numbers have continually improved. In the 2017-18 season, he averaged 20.1 points per game, 5.2 rebounds per game, and 4 assists per game while shooting nearly 47% from the field. Although he plays underneath the shadows of the Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, Middleton is a reliable secondary scoring option who can also take over the game when needed. Despite not having a flashy playstyle, he is a key to the Bucks’ future success.

Five Scientifically Proven Ways to Score Better on Tests

By Makayla Gubbay

We’ve heard it all before: the key to good test scores (and almost anything in life) is getting enough sleep, eating healthy food, and doing some light exercise. But what happens when you’ve done all the basic procedures and still find yourself scoring less-than-stellar on your tests? If the basics aren’t enough for your academic success, here are five unheard of (and highly efficient) ways you can improve your grades, and possibly your life.

1. Download Internet-Locks

As noted by Gurl.com, apps like Cold Turkey can get rid of internet temptations once and for all! Just simply download the app and choose the websites you want to block. When you block a website for a few hours, you make it impossible to distract yourself with BuzzFeed quizzes and interesting articles. If Iphones are your biggest cause of distraction, you can download apps like Freedom to block other apps.

2. Change Your Learning Perspective

According to a scientific paper published by ScienceDirect, “[When a teenager has] high cognitive activity and achievement motivation[,] positive emotions play a key role in maintaining high academic success and engagement.” So if you're an overachiever whose school life is causing yourself extreme stress, it may be helpful to dedicate more time to what makes you happy. You may find doing what you love for an hour, like painting or playing an instrument, could significantly improve your grades while even improving your quality of life.

3. Adopt Mindfulness Meditation Practices

Mindfulness practices, including mediation, are being increasingly relevant in today’s society, with new evidence constantly proving its ability to aid numerous aspects of life, both mental and psychical. However, what makes mindfulness meditation interventions so interesting the beneficial impacts it could have on your learning. These practices have been found to increase short-term academic performance, while improving in-class learning. Other studies found that it can even help individuals manage ADHD. Incorporating mindfulness meditation into your life can be as simple as devoting five minutes of your day to meditational concentration practices.

4. Change Things Up

Tired of studying in the same room for hours every night? Apparently, your brain is too. According to The New York Times, a study found that changing up your location can increase studying efficiency. “What we think is happening here is that, when the outside context is varied, the information is enriched, and this slows down forgetting,”Dr. Bjork, the senior author of the two-room experiment, told The New York Times. So the next time you’re in a studying runt, try a change of scenery.

5. Become a Teacher

Studies show that the ability to retain information is enhanced significantly when a student teaches the material to another person. You can do this by teaching your family members, and even becoming a peer tutor.

With enough determination, you are sure to find a system that works for you. Just remember that, while these tips could give you the extra edge you need to move up a letter grade, it’s still important to implement the essentials. So get enough sleep, eat some healthy food, and do some light exercise! Your brain (and body) will thank you.

Municipal Election Records

by: Kaylynn O'Curran

Yesterday was November 6th, 2018, a day some would say is the most important election to happen. Yesterday people went to their nearest polling location and casted their ballots. They voted for their values and for their futures. Some said the people who voted kept in mind whether they liked the President or not.

Today we hear the results; the results of people marching, of people knocking on countless doors, and of people rallying.

Midterms are commonly known to have a lower turnout than Presidential elections. However that does not mean the midterm election is any less important. This midterm many seats were up for reelection including all 435 seats in the House of Representatives, one-third of all U.S. senators, thirty-six state governors, and countless other local seats. Luckily this election was one for the books.

The Election Project estimates that about 40 million Americans are expected to have voted this election, which would be a huge increase from the 27.2 million who voted in the 2014 midterm election. There was also a huge turnout of early voters in key states such as Arizona and Florida. Along with the numbers of voters, the number of candidates running were also at a record high. There were more women and LGBTQ+ candidates running than ever before. According to the Washington Post, 277 female candidates ran for Congress and governor and as of this morning 117 of them have won the midterms. The amount of women in Congress before last night was 106 (a record number) but this election is predicted to exceed that number by a lot.

There are of course notable women to recognize. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (of New York’s 14th congressional district), at the age of 29, is the youngest person to be elected to Congress. The first ever Native American women were also elected to Congress, Deb Haaland, of New Mexico’s 1st congressional district, and Sharice Davids, of Kansas’s 3rd congressional district. Haaland won with 54% of votes compared to her opponents 36%. Davids, who identifies as lesbian, is the first openly LGBTQ+ member of Congress in Kansas. The first two Muslim women elected to Congress reside in the Midwest. Rashida Tlaib, of Michigan’s 13th congressional district, dominated with 85% of votes in her favor. Ilhan Omar also had a staggering win in Minnesota’s 5th congressional district with 78% of votes in her favor.

This election, my first election being able to vote, was a record-breaker. With millions storming the polls to vote for the large group of candidates, this country’s government is slowly beginning to represent the diverse population we have.

NFL Midseason Playoff Race

by: Caleb Posner

Through 9 weeks of the NFL season, the playoff picture is starting to become much clearer.  Teams like the Rams, Saints, and Patriots who were favored early on to make a deep run this year have been playing like it.  Until last week’s defeat to the Saints, the Rams were the hottest team in the NFL. They were undefeated (now 8-1) and have two potential MVP candidates in Jared Goff and Todd Gurley.  Their star studded roster has come together really well and I believe they will continue to play high level football en route to the playoffs. The Saints are also on fire having gone undefeated since their close week 1 loss to the Buccaneers.  They handed the Rams their first loss of the season, and their offense looks unstoppable with Drew Brees having only 1 interception on the season. These two teams look poised to battle it out for the NFC crown. On the AFC side, the only team really expected to be a front runner that has played like it is the Patriots.  As always, Tom Brady continues to not disappoint as he leads the Patriots to the top of the AFC East. The team isn’t as strong as previous years, but Brady sure isn’t showing that. These three teams have been the no surprise front runners to win it all this year.

There have been some major shockers this year, though, that could make the NFL playoffs.  The Houston Texans have won 6 straight games after starting 0-3. Deshaun Watson is playing good football, and their defense has stayed healthy which has been a huge issue for them in the past.  If those two things continue, look for the Texans to be a possible dark horse candidate at playing for the Lombardi trophy. Elsewhere in the AFC, the Chiefs were expected to be a good team, but not this good.  Patrick Mahomes is playing MVP caliber football leading the league in Passing Yards and Touchdowns. With him leading the team, the Chiefs offense has been dominant and looks almost as unstoppable as the Saints and Rams.  Watch out for the Chiefs (if they can finally not choke in the playoffs) to be the biggest competitor to the Patriots in the AFC. In the NFC, there have also been some big surprises. The Chicago Bears, coming off a 5-11 season, completely redid the roster in the offseason, finishing this redesign with the acquisition of Khalil Mack right before the start of the season.  Their defense has lived up to the “Monsters of the Midway” name, and their offense has shown flashes of greatness. The Bears could be in position to win the NFC North this year. On the flip side, the Eagles have been a negative surprise this year. Most expected the Eagles to come back and be as amazing as last year, if not more. Instead, they have underwhelmed with a record of 4-4 and a position of second place to the 5-3 Redskins.  As long as Carson Wentz can return to his pre-injury form (which he looks on track to do), though, you can’t count the Eagles out. Look for the teams mentioned above to try and play spoiler to the Saints, Rams, and Patriots as the rest of the NFL season plays out.

College Football Playoff Outlook After Ten Weeks

by: Dom Stearn

The College Football Playoff picture is finally starting to form. Week ten was one of the most entertaining weeks thus far, as there were several games between teams that were competing for the four coveted playoff spots. Multiple teams watched their playoff hopes wash away with a loss, while others can still see the finish line following a win.

Two teams were basically eliminated from the CFP, as they suffered their second loss of the season. LSU lost to #1 seeded Alabama, and Kentucky lost to #6 seeded Georgia. Both teams got blown out at home, possibly proving that LSU and Kentucky might not have been as good as the rankings suggested. Alabama and Georgia are now set to face off in the SEC championship on December 1st.

Several playoff contenders survived close games against inferior opponents. #4 Notre Dame went on the road and defeated Northwestern 31-21. Although Notre Dame never trailed in this game, they never lead by more than 14 points. If Notre Dame wants to reach the playoff, they will need to play better as they face Florida State, Syracuse, and USC down the stretch. #7 Oklahoma defeated Texas Tech 51-46 on the road. Oklahoma once again proved that their offense is legit. However, the defensive play is raising a lot of questions. #8 Washington State survived against Cal, winning 19-13 in front of their home crowd. Heisman candidate Gardner Minshew threw for 334 yards, including a game winning TD in the final minute. The offense will need to play better in order to remain undefeated. #10 Ohio State held off 2-7 Nebraska in “The Horseshoe,” by outscoring the Cornhuskers 36-31. Ohio State has played terribly lately. They need to figuring things out before Michigan come to town. #13 West Virginia went on the road and defeated #17 Texas. Down by seven, West Virginia QB Will Grier threw a TD with 16 seconds remaining. Instead on kicking the extra point to tie up the game, WVU went for two. Will Grier ran into to endzone and completed the upset comeback. West Virginia’s playoff hopes remained, as they look ahead to hosting Oklahoma in two weeks.

While the teams I mention survived, three other teams thrived this weekend. As I noted to earlier, #1 Alabama shutout #3 LSU on the road. Alabama has been historically dominating, as this was the first game that star quarterback Tua Tagovailoa played in the fourth quarter. #2 Clemson also rolled over Louisville. The score was 77-16, but the game felt even more one-sided. #5 Michigan dominated #14 Penn State, defeating the Nittany Lions 42-7. Michigan is undefeated since losing on the road in week 1 against Notre Dame, and shows no signs of slowing down.

Looking ahead at the games this weekend, there are a couple of games that involve CFP contenders. #10 Ohio State travels to East Lansing to face off against #18 Michigan State. Ohio State looks to keep their playoff hopes alive, while Michigan State hopes to defend their home turf. #16 Mississippi State will face off against #1 Alabama. I’d imagine that Bama will cruise to victory. #6 Oklahoma hosts their interstate rival, Oklahoma State in “Bedlam.” If Oklahoma can play some defense, they should win easily. #8 Washington State will visit Colorado. After Colorado started 5-0, they’ve lost four straight. They hope to avoid 5 straight losses and eliminate WSU from the playoff picture. #5 Georgia will match up against #24 Auburn in the “Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry.” Georgia will look to knock off their third straight ranked opponent. Lastly, #2 Clemson will march into the cold Northeast as they face their toughest task yet, #17 Boston College. Clemson is heavily favored, but Boston College has upset several opponents under their home lights.

This exciting college football season is far from over. With each team still having three regular season games left, the contenders will separate themselves from the pretenders. Currently, there are nine contenders remaining. However, there are three match-ups that showcase two of those contenders. Oklahoma @ West Virginia will play each other on November 23rd. The following day is “The Game,” or Michigan @ Ohio State. And as I noted earlier, Georgia and Alabama will face off in SEC championship game. A lot still has to be figured out, and football fans will be highly entertained throughout the next month as they watch teams attempt to prove they’re the best.

The Ultimate Guide to 2018 San Diego Theatre

by: Izzy Ster

In 2018, San Diego’s theatre community was treated with masterpieces such as the smash-hit musical Hamilton at the San Diego Civic Theatre and Neil Simon’s Barefoot in the Park at The Old Globe. Afraid you missed your big chance to catch a Sunday matinee of your favorite show? From hit musicals straight from the shining lights of Broadway to novel plays from uprising playwrights, here is the ultimate guide to San Diego theatre to catch before 2018 comes to a close.

8000M: Featuring the direction of Alice Cash, CCA alumni and founder of Golden Shards Productions, 8000M will show at the Moxie Theatre for its West Coast debut following a sold-out run in New York. 8000M, written by David Greig, unfolds around an exhibition team in the Himalayas that attempts to summit Lhotse (the fourth highest peak in the world) and the evolution of the relationships between team members. 8000M will run from November 15th to November 18th. For fellow CCA students, discounted tickets are available using the link provided and the promo code “RAVENS.”  8000M.BrownPaperTickets.com

Wicked: Based on the Gregory Maguire novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West with music by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman, Wicked is a prequel to L. Frank Baum’s The Wizard of Oz. Wicked tells the story of two unlikely friends, Elphaba (the Wicked Witch of the West) and Galinda (Glinda the Good Witch), who struggle through a rivalry over the same love-interest, polar-opposite personalities, and a corrupt government. Since being nominated for 10 Tony Awards in 2004 (including Best Musical), Wicked is Broadway’s sixth-longest running show and will have performances at the San Diego Civic Theatre through November 25th.

Waitress: This touching musical first premiered on Broadway in 2016 and raked up four Tony nominations features music and lyrics by Sara Bareilles and a book by Jessie Nelson. Inspired by the 2007 film of the same name, the show follows waitress Jenna Hunterson in her journey featuring an unexpected pregnancy, an unhappy marriage, a scandalous affair with her gynecologist, and, of course, pies. Waitress will be playing at the San Diego Civic Theatre on November 27th and will have its final performance on December 2nd.

The Year to Come: The world-premiere of rising playwright Lindsey Ferrentino’s newest work will show at the renowned La Jolla Playhouse from December 4th to the 30th. The Year to Come revolves around a distinctly American family that mirrors the turbulence of the 21st century, featuring politically incorrect banter and a highly-anticipated onion dip.

Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas!: This San Diego holiday favorite is back for its 21st year at the Old Globe Theatre and will play through December 29th. Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas is a musical based on the classic Dr. Seuss book that tells the timeless tale of the Grinch, resident grouch of the fictitious Whoville, who attempts to put an end to Christmas once and for all. If you are looking for guaranteed fun for the whole family, this is the show to see. The Old Globe even offers a special performance on December 1st at 10:30 for children on the autism spectrum and their families, allowing everyone the equal opportunity to catch this whimsical musical.

88Rising: Reshaping Popular Culture

by: David Sun

Earlier this month, as BTS stormed the United States charts with their best-selling album Love Yourself: 結 ‘Answer’ and Crazy Rich Asians became the highest grossing film in America for a while, the creative work of traditionally unseen minority voices became the most popular media that Americans were consuming. As the new order of respect for Asian Americans in popular culture becomes more prominent, the distinct moment of holistic ubiquity also includes a multimedia/management enterprise that Sean Miyashiro had planned to take over the world all along: 88Rising.

In 2015, Miyashiro started the label as CXSHXNLY to pursue a movement to put on Asian Americans in popular culture. To Forbes, Miyashiro stated, “There are four billion Asian people. There are two billion millennials between 16-34. They’ve been waiting for a media brand that speaks to their taste but also celebrates and communicates that to people outside of Asia. We want to not just cover culture, but we want to create it. We want to create big moments.”

Through 88Rising, Brian Imanuel (aka Rich Brian) quickly elevated himself from a novel reputation to an artistic sensation, opening up for an entire class of aspiring artists of East Asian descent. Following him are six other contemporary artists making their way into Western spaces that previously were devoid of such cross-cultural pollination.

Not only is the group bringing Asian artists to America, however, but also American artists out to Asia. They serve as a link between two contrasting sides of the globe that rarely simultaneously connect, with relationships based on organic mutual interest and shared instincts rather that market strategy. Rather than assimilate to an existing framework, 88Rising instead has included their likeness in the definitional edges of artistry in music.

As 88Rising broadcasts native Asian culture for the rest of the world, Miyashiro’s efforts now exist as part of a continuum of multimedia shifts: the moment that Asian culture in America finally felt like simply culture.