The past few days have rocked the Middle East, reaching a breaking point for tensions that have been steadily building up since late last year.

In December, a 27-year-old pilot in the Royal Jordanian Air Force, Lt. Moath al-Kasasbeh, was forced to eject from his F-16 fighter jet when it crash landed in territory controlled by ISIS. He was participating in U.S.-led airstrikes near the Islamic State’s capital, Raqqa, a fact that was not overlooked by his captors. The terror group soon posted images on social media picturing multiple armed gunmen dragging a soaked al-Kasasbeh from a river and in an “interview” published by the Islamic State in its online magazine Dabiq, the lieutenant reported that his plane had been shot down by a “heat-seeking missile”, which goes directly against reports published by the U.S. Central Command, as well as the Jordanian government.

In the weeks following the crash, ISIS would go on to capture a pair of Japanese citizens by the names of Haruna Yukawa and Kenji Goto. Though Yukawa was soon executed after a $200 million ransom failed to materialize, Goto was kept alive as a hostage, one whose fate was tied to al-Kasasbeh. In a series of messages aimed at the Japanese and Jordanian governments, ISIS declared that it would exchange either or both hostages for Sajida al-Rishawi, a convicted terrorist who had participated in what many call Jordan’s version of 9/11: a string of suicide bombings in 2005 that killed 57 people across three Jordanian hotels.

However, neither of the two governments took the bait, and in response, ISIS beheaded Goto in much the same way it had James Foley and its other Western captives. Accompanying this gruesome video was yet another, this one depicting a caged al-Kasasbeh being drenched in oil and burned alive. Before considering any negotiations, the Jordanian government had repeatedly demanded that the airman’s captors release proof that he was alive. Watching the video, government officials concluded that the lieutenant’s death had been filmed weeks before Goto’s video—ISIS had been playing the Jordanian government false.

The country was quick to respond, promptly executing al-Rishawi and Ziad Karbouli—another convicted terrorist—the next day.  It would go on to bomb ISIS training centers, ammunition depots, and other strategic positions in Syria in an air mission that was named “Moath the Martyr”. Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh stated, “We’re going after them wherever they are, with everything that we have.”

Another spokesman for the government, Mohammed al-Momani, stated, “We will not let this crime of killing our pilots with the horrific way it was done pass without punishment.”

The killing even prompted Jordan’s Middle Eastern neighbors in the UAE to recommit to the U.S.-led coalition effort. As of now, Jordan, the UAE, and only a handful of Middle Eastern nations are actively fighting this looming terror threat, but in the words of Jordan’s Interior Minister, Hussein al-Majali, this is “the beginning of a continued process to eliminate [ISIS] and wipe them out completely.”

Brian Chekal is the Editor-in-Chief of Pulse Magazine.

On average, 2.5 billion people fly on airplanes every year, according to Airport Watch UK. The majority of flights go off without a hitch and the passengers reach their intended destination. Unfortunately, this was not the case for TransAsia Airways flight GE235. On Wednesday, February 4, 2015, flight GE235 took off from Taiwan’s capital city of Taipei and headed for Kinmen, an archipelago of islands near the coast of the Republic of China. Problems arose shortly after takeoff around 4 PM. Four minutes in to the flight, the plane hit a highway bridge. The pilot announced, “mayday, mayday, engine flameout” seconds before the plane crashed into the Keelung River.  The crash occurred three miles away from Taiwan’s Taoyuan International Airport. Dashcam footage captured the tragic scene.

The plane was less than a year old and completed a safety check on January 26, 2015. The twin-engine propjet had fifty-three passengers and five crew members on board. The route from Taipei to Kinmen is popular for tourists and business travelers. The majority of the passengers on the flight were tourists from China. In fact, there were two tour groups on board. Another passenger included a man who originally planned to return to his home in Xiamen, China for his wedding on Sunday. He did not survive the crash. A minorly injured passenger heard that his wife and one-year old baby were staying in separate hospitals and therefore, rode his bike to different hospitals in order to find them.

The pilot had nearly 5,000 hours of flying experience. Some argue that the pilot should be commended for reducing additional casualties since he flew the plane into the river instead of into housing units and schools. The plane clipped a taxi and injured two people. Fortunately, they are currently in stable condition.

The Ministry of National Defense in Taiwan sent one-hundred and sixty-five people plus eight boats to the scene to rescue the passengers. Once survivors were saved on rubber rafts, a crane lifted the French-built plane from the river. The crew was also able to recover the black box. Data suggests that the pilots lost power in one engine due to a “flame out” and decided to shut down another engine. They tried to restart the engines, but the plane crashed within 72 seconds. As of February 6, fifteen people survived and at least thirty-five other people died.

Unfortunately, this is the second TransAsia flight to crash in the past year. In July 2014, an ATR 72 plane crashed while landing on the island of Penghu, an archipelago of islands between mainland China and Taiwan. Unlike flight GE235, this flight experienced bad weather due to Typhoon Matmo. The torrential downpour and strong winds made it difficult to land, resulting in the death of forty-eight people. The crash in Penghu was the first deadly aviation incident in Taiwan in the past twelve years, however, the crash of multiple flights in a single year raises safety concerns for TransAsia. Taiwan’s Aviation Safety Council announced that Chinese officials will investigate the incident. In addition, Taiwan’s Civil Aeronautics Administration will inspect all ATR 72 airplanes before they are able to fly again.

Audrey Do is a Staff Writer for Pulse Magazine.

Being part of this generation, we put up with some crazy new technology devices. These things span from the very useful iPhone to crazy things such as hologram keyboards. Many of these things are extremely useful and are used for many different reasons, but there are some new technology devices that may only turn you against the new technology craze. One of these devices is called the “Selfie Stick”, and its use may just want to make you take a trip to Mars. It is a long metal pole that you can connect your smartphone to just to get the perfect selfie.

On May 19th, 2014, the word selfie was added to the dictionary. A selfie is a self-portrait photograph, typically taken with a hand-held digital camera or camera phone. So to amplify one’s “selfie” companies such as RadioShack and CamKix have created metal sticks that you can connect your phone to, in order to take a selfie worth posting on social media. Because you cannot get a wide range of things with the length of your arm, companies decided to create a device to get all the surroundings and people in the background of a selfie.

Since there is a high demand in America for smartphones, and other handheld computers, businesses thought that they could make a profit on accessories for these devices and they were right. Companies have gotten millions from accessories such as the selfie stick, and these things become extremely popular once one person has it. When that one person approves then the next group want that and it just grows to a mass production of that certain product. So, since people have seen the selfie stick as a “cool” device they want, it is then categorized as a necessity for millions of consumers.

People all around the world have this selfie stick and have gotten pretty creative with it. Due to the fact that mobility is not a problem when having this device, taking videos and photos while moving and doing difficult activities is possible using this device. Selfie sticks may have originated within the extreme sports community. But an Instagram search for “#selfiestick” doesn’t turn up pictures of people enjoying the outdoors, clutching a metal stick with their GoPro attached to it. Instead, you’ll see images of hordes of young people posing for group photos. The primary appeal of the selfie stick seems to be its ability to fit more people into the frame.

This trend of using a selfie stick has grown so much that just a quick search on Amazon will come up with hundreds of results spanning from $7.99-$79.99. These metal sticks typically have an adjustable metal strap on one end and a handle on the other. They fit most smart phones and some even hold GoPros.

People wonder how far this trend will go. There is no telling what will come of the future of auto-photography, but there are some logistical issues to come of these devices. What happens when we’re all walking around holding 36-inch sticks, staring at own faces in our phones’ reverse cameras? Selfie naysayers will argue that selfie sticks are an indication that society has reached peak narcissism. But selfie sticks might just be a way for retailers to cash in on another viral trend.

Ronnie Simon is a Staff Writer for Pulse Magazine.

The 57th annual Grammy Awards were presented last weekend in Los Angeles. The award ceremony is put on by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Scientists of the United States to recognize impressive achievements made in the music industry. Each time there are standout artists and performers, memorable red carpet-wear, and hilarious mistakes. This weekend was no exception as people throughout the US continue to discuss the events of this award show.

The one big name that comes away from the show this year is Sam Smith. He was nominated for six, and won four Grammys this year: best new artist, record of the year, song of the year, and best pop vocal album. This has got to be extremely exciting for the 22 year old who released his first song only 3 years ago.

One of the biggest surprises came from 44 year-old Beck who won album of the year with Morning Phase. He has been nominated for 16 Grammy’s, the first one being in 1995, this one marks his fourth win. Beck is getting a lot of publicity for his win, mostly because Kanye West made a typical Kanye West move. He stands from the audience, and bumps a few people on his way to the stage. He then laughs and goes back to his seat. Beyonce said later that she was disgusted with his behavior. Kanye said he hadn’t been planning on storming the stage, but “There were voices in my head. So the voices in my head told me go and then I just walked up like halfway up the stage.” It is getting a lot of attention because Kanye’s made a similar move several times before, most famous, the 2009 VMAs.

Before the Grammy’s stars take the the red carpet to show their designer gowns and sleek suits. Best and worst dressed articles are some of the first and most common to be published. Some celebrity’s, particularly females ones feel that the fashion obsession is frustrating and shallow. Nicole Kidman expressed her apprehensions to FOX411 saying, “I just returned from Colombia doing work for the foundation, helping orphans [to] get job training and learning English, but if I go on a red carpet a reporter won’t ask about that. They want to know what I wore on my trip, if I’m still married and what did I do to lose my baby weight.” In response to the growing concerns the CEO of The Representation Project has started a campaign called #AskHerMore. This campaign is to support women on the red carpet and encourage reporters to ask her more about what she’s done then who designs her clothes. This campaign goal is also to discourage media from devaluing women’s achievements. While most believe this comes from a place with good intentions it has been receiving criticism. Many believe men are questioned on their outfits just as much, and that stars may just be using this campaign to benefit themselves by making their personal successes more public. Either way it is good to be challenging reporters to think more critically about how they approach celebrities and what questions they really want to ask.

Overall the Grammy’s served their real purpose, to entertain. Many loved the show this year; many also thought it was a complete disaster. Many memorable moments and interesting points of discussions. The Grammy’s serve as a time for people to be recognize for their musical achievements and the music industry to come together and appreciate their art. In the near future this show is certain to continue to influence the way the country sees artists and their products. If anything the awards show this year has taught us the importance of thinking for ourselves and challenging the regular.

Jessie McConville is a Staff Writer for Pulse Magazine.

A recent measles outbreak in the United States reignited the debate over whether or not parents should be required to have their children vaccinated. The outbreak, which began in late December of 2014, originated at the Southern California Disneyland theme park and has now reached 17 states. A total of 125 cases of the disease with rash have been reported by the CDC as of February 11th, 110 of which are California residents. Although the United States was able to declare measles eliminated from the country in 2000, meaning the disease is not “constantly present,” this significant outbreak and the Anti-Vaccination movement’s role in its spread endangers said elimination status.

Dr. Anne Schuchat, assistant surgeon general and director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases stated, “This is not a problem with the measles vaccine not working. This is a problem of the measles vaccine not being used.” The rise of the Anti-Vaccination movement began in 1998 when discredited British doctor Andrew Wakefield publishes a now-retracted paper claiming that vaccinations, including the MMR (Measles, Mumps, and Rubella) vaccine could cause autism in children. Since then, a growing number of parents have essentially decided to shun modern medicine and opt out of vaccinating their children because of these religious or philosophical beliefs. The current face of the dubbed “anti-vaxxer” movement is Dr. Jack Wolfson, a cardiologist from Arizona who refuses to give his own children vaccinations. Dr. Wolfson joins the ranks of former Playboy model and vocal anti-vaxxer Jenny McCarthy, who believes MMR lead to her son developing Autism.

Though over 90% of children among the ages 19—35 months received vaccinations in 2013, the CDC explains that people possessing similar views on vaccinations tend to live in the same community, thus, varying the levels of immunization by state or area. The so-called pockets of unvaccinated communities make the spread of disease easier as well as more difficult for health officials to contain. Those most at risk are, of course, the unvaccinated, including babies too young to receive the vaccine.

Moreover, anti-vaxxers who base their supposedly “informed” decisions off of studies that amount to nothing more than conspiracy theories are not simply placing their own children in danger. Reports of alleged “measles parties” occurring California so that unvaccinated children can, “get immune the old-fashioned way, the way God intended,” epidemiologist Art Reingold of the University of California at Berkley told KQED. The careless and ignorant actions of a growing minority have the propensity to pull measles off of the eliminated list.

Emily Abrishamkar is a Staff Writer for Pulse Magazine.

Above: Harry Potter Alliance co-founder, Andrew Slack, at TEDxYouth@SanDiego.

“Hashtag activism”. Blogging. Online petitions. Social media has created an easy way to engage youth in changing the world. A less known form of activism that heavily uses social media is on the rise, and it is making a momentous difference; fan-based activism occurs when groups of people who are passionate about the same piece of media- a book, television show, movie, etc.- band together to fight for an issue that is important to them, which is often similar to a theme that is covered in the media piece the fan group surrounds. People of any age can be a fan activist, but it is particularly popular for teenagers and young adults.

The most efficient and largest example of fan based activism is the Harry Potter Alliance (HPA). The HPA boasts that it “turn[s] fans into heroes by making activism accessible through the power of story and engag[ing] millions of fans through [their] work for equality, human rights, and literacy”. If you are a major Harry Potter fan then you have probably heard of the recent success of the HPA’s four year campaign, Not In Harry’s Name. All Harry Potter chocolate products sold from Warner Bros. will be Fair Trade (meaning that the producers of the cocoa will be paid fair wages) by the end of 2015 thanks to the HPA’s direct communication with Warner Bros. Studios and the HPA’s petitions which garnered thousands of signatures. Not In Harry’s Name is just one of the many campaigns the HPA has run. The HPA’s other recent campaigns have centered on prominent issues including net neutrality, literacy, and economic inequality.

By using popular book series such as Harry Potter and The Hunger Games, the HPA is reaching a specific population- the “geeks” and “nerds” that are often overlooked in the activism sphere- and motivating them to take action by relating real life to fictional tales. Stories are read because they give people something to believe in. The themes in popular media can always be related to real life, regardless of how unrealistic the story’s premise sounds. For example, the HPA created the Odds In Our Favor campaign based of of the popular book series, The Hunger Games. In the series, the people in the Capitol are very wealthy, while the people in the districts are poor and suffering. The people at the HPA noticed the parallel between the inequality in The Hunger Games and the economic inequality in real life, and decided that they could use this parallel and the movie release of Catching Fire, the latest Hunger Game movie, to raise awareness of the wealth gap in the United States.

It can be difficult for youth to get involved as activists, but fan activism is an easy way to engage younger age groups. The more people empowered to make a difference in the world, the better, and since every piece of media has a community surrounding it, fan based activism is the perfect way to utilize those ready made communities. The author of Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling, said that “We do not need magic to change the world, we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already: we have the power to Imagine Better.” Fan based activism shows people that they can make a difference in the world, no matter what your age or who you are. Just look at Harry Potter- he defeated Voldemort at age one, and continued to outsmart him from ages eleven to seventeen. If Harry Potter can band together with friends to save the world, then so can we.

Michelle Goldie Jacobson is a Staff Writer for Pulse Magazine.

With the amazing and fresh new fields opening up on campus and our Ravens utilizing every blade of grass and synthetic turf to carry them to victory, there seems to be one sport and one particularly laborious construction project that has been forgotten. Even without a home field to play or practice on, our varsity baseball team recorded more wins last year than any baseball team in our school’s history. Now, after being road warriors for a year, the baseball team intends to be hometown heroes with amazing new facilities.

Last year was a year of transition for our school’s baseball team. When our team had finally come to grips with the fact that they would have no home turf for the 2014 season, the head coach of the baseball team announced his resignation. Now with no captain, the ship had to sail on. As a replacement was found, the team practiced on their doomed field as the slow process of demolition pressed on. Eventually, shortly after the water had been turned off, the field was no longer playable. As our Ravens watched their house being torn down, another cold truth had set in: the only option until a new house was erected was to couch surf at their more fortunate neighbor’s house. That’s right. Falcon territory.

With no other option, the baseball team made the trek down Del Mar Heights Road behind their new coach for not only off season practices, but also every regular season practice. To add adversity on top of adversity, the Torrey Pines team needed to practice at the same time so often the Ravens had to call the Torrey Pines junior varsity field home. While our boys in black could often be seen staring out at where their once proud home was, they realized they had business to attend to.

It felt, for them, as though all of the adversity and all of the training they had put in for the last year was preparation for just one week. The always anticipated, but never more tense than last year’s, series against the Torrey Pines Falcons. Our Ravens could barely sleep as they prepared themselves for battle. Not only were the two teams sharing fields and the same equipment, the Ravens’ old head coach was now on the coaching staff of the Falcons. As the Ravens boarded their bus, a cold, or, more realistically, warm reality set in. It was fire season 2014 and the game was postponed. However, rest assured, when the teams did finally face off, the Falcons faced the addition of three L’s to their record.

Now, the Ravens wait anxiously for their next season and to take the field in their beautiful new ballpark. With an all new orientation to the field, the bombs should surely fly over the left field wall and with new bullpen facilities; our pitchers will be more ready for battle than ever. While the beautiful new uniforms looked good subduing the Falcons on their home field, they will look even better in the new Ravens ballpark and slightly less good hung up in the park’s new club house. The baseball team is more excited than ever to start the season, especially with a new scoreboard for a target in the outfield.

Josh Dillen is the Editorial Director of Pulse Magazine.

Chelsea King, was last seen wearing running clothes in the Rancho Bernardo Community Park on February 25, 2010. Her body was found six days later. She was a seventeen year old high school student from Poway and while on a run she was abducted and killed by a known sex offender. I still remember seeing the missing fliers five years ago. Her loss was felt by so many, by those that knew her and also those who realized what it would be like to lose a friend or family member much too soon. A few members of the community were so affected by her loss that they decided to “finish” the run that she started when she was abducted. Word spread and on March 20^th 2010 more than 3,500 people showed up to run and walk in honor of Chelsea King. This event was so moving that Brent and Kelly King, Chelsea’s parents, decided to make it an annual event.

Each year thousands of people show up in honor of Chelsea’s memory and to support Chelsea’s Light Foundation. Chelsea’s Light Foundation supports laws that help to protect children from sex offenders, sponsors Chelsea’s Light Peer Corps, and the Sunflower Scholarship Fund. The proceeds from the run is the primary fundraiser for the Sunflower Scholarship Fund. This fund “provid[es] scholarships for San Diego County college-bound teens who have embraced characteristics that embodied Chelsea’s academic prowess and service-over-self ethic”. The run is now also sponsored by Girl Scouts San Diego. Together Chelsea’s Light Foundation and the Girl Scouts of San Diego recognize a common goal “of recognizing and supporting young people who will make the world a better place”.

I have ran for the last four years and each time I participate I’m moved by the experience. All around you can see people who were inspired by Chelsea’s spirit. We run in memory of Chelsea, but also to continue to change the world in a way that Chelsea would approve of. Chelsea’s favorite flower was a sunflower. This is appropriate as sunflowers are bright and grow tall enough to tower above. You can see images (and real) sunflowers on the running bibs, on shirts, and people who put sunflower clips into their hair. Also, in memory of Chelsea some of her favorite quotes are written on the track.

This year the annual 5k walk/run is on March 7^th , 2015 and starts at 7:30 at Balboa Park. There is the 5k route and for those who want to participate, but are unable to go that far there is a one mile route. After the run there are free refreshments, exhibits, activities, and entertainment.

As high school students we can understand the place where Chelsea was in her life and appreciate that she was taken before she even lived to fully grow into her amazing potential. To run and be able to give even a little to this wonderful event will help the Chelsea’s Light Foundation to continue “to unite and lead people who are passionate about protecting children and inspiring positive change in their communities” as they state in their core values.

Kelila Rotto is a Staff Writer for Pulse Magazine.

With new technology breakthroughs coming out on what seems to be a daily basis, the question arises: Is everything really getting better? I mean, the way my phone acts now doesn’t seem too amazing.

Obviously technology from movies isn’t a good measure of technological success in a generation, and there isn’t a clear, universal measure of technological advancement, but a vast improvement of our gadgets is clear, and a little bit mind blowing. For example, the computer that guided the Apollo mission had about 0.000064% the memory of an iPhone 6. Whether you have an iPhone 6 or not, your phone is, in many ways, more powerful than the computers that sent astronauts to the moon. And yet it takes 5 minutes to send that Snapchat. Crazy, right?

Another measure of technological success is the entertainment industry. From video games to movies, almost all facets of the game have been improved.

Picture quality from video games are nothing but improving. Not only are CGI (Computer generated images) improving on video games, but they are improving in movies as well. For example, compare a movie like Interstellar to a classic like Jaws that came out in 1975. Jaws made hundreds of million dollars, and is said to have scared a generation out of the ocean. I saw this movie recently, and to be honest, it wasn’t even a little scary. The shark was just too unrealistic. As someone born in 1999, the special effects from back then are almost laughable. Comparing this to Interstellar, with its amazing special effects using the most modern technology almost isn’t fair. That’s because it isn’t. Jaws Came out forty years ago.

The special effects used in Jaws were extremely modern and top of the line, and people weren’t used to that. Although the model shark wasn’t very lifelike, it was better than anything else at the time. In forty years from now, the amazing graphics in movies like Interstellar will share the same fate.

This is what technology does. It replaces the old with a shinier, faster, better alternative. I’m not saying VCRs or flip phones don’t work, but they are going extinct, simply because they are less convenient, efficient, and powerful than the next generation of technology. The same will go for paper books, paper magazines, CDs, paper cigarettes, and much more.

In my opinion, what is more interesting than how technology has improved is where it will go. Self-driving car’s are going to be in the market soon, and the technology is already here. They don’t have to be perfect, just better than humans, and they already are. (Think Google Map’s automated cars) Radical changes are happening to almost every industry, and more and more of life is going to be automated.

Is this new technology a bad thing? Well, new gadgets will take some jobs, (The transportation industry won’t need truckers if cars are automated, robots are already working in agriculture, just to name a few examples) but those are jobs we don’t want people doing. The less demand there is for human manual labor, the more people will be working white-collar jobs, leading to a more educated, productive society.

Jakob Saloner is a Staff Writer for Pulse Magazine.

Measles, also called rubeola, is a highly contagious disease due to the fact that it is airborne. It can be spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes and other people inhale the droplets. The droplets remain contagious and active on surfaces for hours and therefore, people can become infected if they touch a surface and touch their eyes, nose, or mouth. Also, it is transmittable four days before and after rashes appear. The incubation period lasts from ten to fourteen days. Symptoms include a high fever, dry cough, inflamed eyes, runny nose, and skin rashes. The rashes start on the face and later spread throughout the body.

Measles, however, is more than just a rash and a fever. It’s one of the leading causes of death for children worldwide.  According to the Washington Post, more kids died from measles than from AIDS or car accidents in 2013. The recent outbreak started at Disneyland. California health officials believe that it was spread from a tourist visiting from overseas. As of January 30, 2015, there are 102 cases of measles across fourteen states. This is the highest number of cases in the past two decades, considering that measles was declared “eliminated” from the United States in 2000. Besides California, there are cases in states from Illinois to Pennsylvania.

There have been reported cases around the world. According to German authorities, the recent measles infections in Berlin allegedly began from a Bosnian child whose family was seeking asylum. The first death in this outbreak occurred in Berlin. The eighteen-month boy had a preexisting medical condition, but the Charite hospital states that it wasn’t serious enough to lead to his death without the measles infection. Since October, there have been over 570 cases in the German capital.

There have been recent measles outbreaks throughout Europe and Central Asia. Kyrgyzstan currently has around 7,480 cases, Bosnia and Herzegovina has around 5,340 cases, and the Russian Federation has around 3,250 cases. Dr. Zsuzsanna Jakab, the World Health Organization’s regional director for Europe, states that they “are taken aback by these numbers” since they were “just a step away from eliminating the disease” over the past two decades. In Southeast Asia, the Philippines has 21,420 confirmed cases.

Dr. David Elliman, an immunization expert for the Great Britain’s Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health, states that deaths of measles patients mostly occur when the patients have other health problems, including asthma. In addition, people with a vitamin A deficiency have a higher rate of contracting measles. It kills around 1 in every 1000 people in developed countries, but the rate is higher in the developing world. According to the World Health Organization, around four hundred people die of measles every day, which comes out to about sixteen deaths an hour!  In addition, 1 in every 1000 infected patients will develop encephalitis, or brain swelling, due to infection. This can lead to brain damage. The most effective way to avoid catching measles is to get the MMR – measles, mumps, and rubella – vaccine.

Audrey Do is a Staff Writer for Pulse Magazine.

American sports have progressed into a standard for big plays with a little capacity for extended attention from viewers. Along with little plays is a growing concern for safety. For example, are helmet standards regulated and standard in American football?

Football helmets have been remade throughout the progression of the game. When the sport first started leather helmets were the only head protection for players, but the game was not as violent and hard-hitting as it is now. Injuries were far and few between because of the unpopularity of the sport. When the game gained some traction and became an American staple more thought was put into the design, especially when plastic and synthetic plastic were introduced.

As 21st century football has emerged into one of the most attended sports, it is not only standard, rather it is required to wear the approved plastic helmets. Although football players are depicted as the most physically in-shape and elite, a recent study shows that the glamorous lives of the players are short lived not long after retirement.

Due to the amour out head on tackles and collisions, the safety of players has become jeopardized.  Many players face an occasional confusion from a tackle but these injuries build up. The enormous amount of unregulated helmets or refurbished helmets isn’t safe and puts the status of players’ head safety at risk. Since pain and injury build up, lifelong effects can be hindering mentally and physically.

The pain is so enormous that some professional and collegiate athletes take pain killers before playing. As unhealthy as that may seem it kills the pain and adds on to the pain and longterm effects because it enables the players to hit harder and play with more aggression and no pain. Building up pain leads to dangerous and possibly lethal bursts.

The reason professional football players live shorter lives and have serous injuries after their professional careers is because of this built up pain and brain damage. Due to these injuries mostly affecting the brain, cases of Alzheimer’s, a lack of ACh, causes serious memory loss and early death. Different types of Dementia also stem from head injuries due to the loss of brain cells. Moreover, the connection between brain diseases and football is very notable and intriguing, as many are now questioning the safety of the sport for those playing in high school and beyond. If more people knew of the serious long-term side effects from this sport, would people no longer watch? Would they cease to attend games? The continued profit and success of this industry dramatically depends on its popularity. Furthermore, those who continue to spread word of the detriments of this sport may jeopardize the business and possibly the livelihood of the conglomerate heads of the NFL.

In my opinion, more individuals should know the danger the players are getting themselves into and question whether the sport should truly stay as one of the American pastimes, or be deemed as a form of barbarity.

Elliot Cohen is a Staff Writer for Pulse Magazine.

On Tuesday, March 2nd, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a controversial speech to Congress, sparking debate over America’s potential nuclear arms deal with Iran and the state of Middle Eastern affairs.

In his address, Netanyahu was adamant in his opposition to US-led talks between Iran and the six world powers known as P5+1. The talks, which have only recently been restarted after years of inactivity, were meant to facilitate discussion and provide ways for Iran to escape the crushing sanctions the West has been placing on it, while diverting its current enrichment capabilities for purely civilian uses. The Prime Minister declared that world was at a crossroads, and that the current proposed deal would “pave the way” for Iran and that it would “all but guarantee it” nuclear capabilities. He stated, “We have been told that no deal is better than a bad deal. Well this is a bad deal. It is a very bad deal. We are better off without it.”

Though the speech focused primarily on an issue that many prominent politicians on both sides of the aisle have traditionally agreed on, critics have lambasted the move, alleging that more partisan motivations may have come into play. Right from the start, Netanyahu’s visit was marked by controversy as Republican Speaker of the House, John Boehner, had invited the Prime Minister to speak without the prior approval of President Obama, a move that did not go overlooked by the national media. Even then, pundits were widely discrediting the invitation as nothing more than a partisan ploy to drum up political support.

With this in mind, it was no surprise that over 50 Democratic lawmakers decided to boycott the speech, which was marked by frequent, and very passionate, standing ovations by Republicans. This same juxtaposition was seen in the leadership. Though Speaker Boehner figured prominently in the broadcast, seated directly behind Netanyahu as he spoke, President Obama was nowhere to be seen, later reporting that he had been preoccupied with other matters while the Prime Minister was making his address. The president would go on to express disappointment with his polarizing Israeli visitor, remarking in a press conference that, “the Prime Minister didn’t offer any viable alternatives”, and that “the alternative the Prime Minister offers is ‘no deal’, in which case Iran will immediately begin once again pursuing its nuclear program.”

The speech may have also been important for Netanyahu personally as well. Facing an election in two weeks, the repeated standing ovations in Congress have the potential to bolster his support back home, especially since his political rivals do not have the same opportunities to project their images worldwide.

Though the talks between the various countries (the US, UK, France, Germany, Russia, China, and Iran) have still to be finalized, negotiators hope to flesh out an outline by the end of March, and a detailed plan by the end of June. With the current turmoil in the Middle East, nothing is truly certain. However, with Netanyahu’s speech and vocal opposition, we can be sure that this issue won’t be going away soon.

Brian Chekal is the Editor-in-Chief of Pulse Magazine.

The United States ambassador to South Korea was attacked on Thursday morning in Seoul by a man wielding a knife.

Ambassador Mark Lippert was attending a breakfast meeting at a performing-arts center in Seoul when lone attacker wielding a 10-inch knife slashed his face and arm. Lippert was bleeding from his face and his arm as he was rushed to a hospital.

Lippert underwent surgery for cut wounds to his face and his arm. He needed as many as 80 stitches but by Friday was “doing well” and recovering.

Doing well&in great spirits! Robyn, Sejun, Grigsby & I – deeply moved by the support! Will be back ASAP to advance US-ROK alliance! 같이 갑시다!

— Mark Lippert (@mwlippert) March 5, 2015

The attacker was believed to have acted alone. The attacker, Kim Ki-jong, is a self described political activist who believes that American interference was preventing the reunification of the two Koreas. Thursday’s attack was not the first time that Kim had taken drastic actions. He had previously been arrested in 2010 after he threw a chunk of concrete at Toshinori Shigeie, the Japanese ambassador to South Korea. Later he was cited in 2011 after trying to erect a memorial alter to Kim Jong-il in Seoul.

The attacker is not believed to have been sent or trained by North Korea. The secluded nation, however, applauded Kim stating that his attack was a “just punishment for US warmongers… [Kim] boldly attacked Lippert, punishing him with knife slashes of justice” (Korean Central News Agency)

US Secretary of State John Kerry defiantly condemned the attack in a statement, saying that “[The United States would not be] intimidated or deterred by threats or by anybody who harms any American diplomats”

Joshua Bi is the Online Editor-in-Chief of Pulse Magazine.

Kaaboo Del Mar has recently released its stellar lineup for a brand new music festival scheduled for September 18th.  SoCal now will now have their very own 3 day music festival at the Del Mar Racetracks.  Many are thrilled to be able to participate in this event, but others worry about the consequences.  It’s hard to know exactly what to expect from this brand new event.

Tickets for Kaaboo Del Mar went on sale on February 23rd.  A standard 3 day pass is currently available for $269, though the price will rise to $329 at the main gate.  There are various upgrades and specialized ticket packages, the VIP pass is priced at $2499.  The festival is open from 11am-3am Friday the 18th through Sunday the 20th.  The headline bands are The Zac Brown Band, The Killers, and No Doubt.  Other popular artists include Snoop Dogg, Dirty Heads, and the Spoons.

One of the unique things about this festival is the focus on creating an exciting experience for everyone.  There will be 7 stages and 100+ musical acts playing.  There is also a comedian stage where 10+ comedians will be performing at various times throughout the weekend.  Kaaboo is also taking pride in the cuisine they will offer, as well as contemporary art, dancing, and other “personal indulgences” according to the website.  You’ll be able to get a haircut, a massage, or your nails done inside, as well as playing virtual golf or virtually surf.  Much of the weekend is focused on comfort and relaxation, so one can expect to see a variety of nice places to hang out.  There will be a mix of indoor and outdoor attractions and restaurants as well as places to clean off. This event will appeal to those commonly against similar festivals because Kaaboo is “anti-dirt” and promises to create an environment to avoid long lines and port-a-potties.  The website describes Kaaboo Del Mar as being “Just right for grown-ups that want to join the perfect party, cut loose and have fun with a better level of entertainment experience.”

If there is one thing North San Diego County residents take away from the races and fair is the traffic.  This is sure to be no different as we experience a huge wave of tourists on the road.  Another thing that worries people is the fact that many teens may be skipping school in order to attend this large event.  The event is advertised as being open to all ages, and people aged 3-10 get half price tickets.  Attendees under age 18 must attend with a legal parent or guardian. This seems like a good way to control younger participants, but a parent at CCA wonders how well they’ll be able to enforce the rule.  There is also a huge concern that students at nearby high schools and colleges will be subject to large amounts of drugs and alcohol at the festival.  Kaaboo Del Mar’s website does show that alcohol and drugs cannot be brought into the event.  Any and all outside food and beverages are prohibited.

Overall it seems as though Kaaboo will be a fun experience for all, void of much “adolescently manic.”  It seems like a controlled, mature music festival that will differ from other popular events like Coachella. It will be interesting to see what people think of the new show, and how it will progress in the future.

Tickets are now on sale at kaaboodelmar.com.

Jessie McConville is a Staff Writer for Pulse Magazine.

Mean Girls…the classic high school, drama filled movie. We all know it, have seen it, and quote from it ever so often. We may enjoy this movie but when it really comes down to it, no one would want to actually live this movie as their high school experience. Sorry to break it to you North Shore-ers, but this nightmare of a movie seems to be slowly making its way to reality. If you haven’t been updated on this new trend lately, there is a new app launching through schools like wildfire.

This app is called the Burnbook. Yes, just like the infamous burn book from the movie mean girls, it comes to be sorely for the entertainment of criticizing one another. I am not saying that the creator made this app for students to criticize each other and say rude comments, but the name of the app itself leads to the demise of itself.

We all know that the burn book was pages among pages of people’s gossip, secrets, and hurtful names. Leading anyone to believe that this application does the same. From downloading this app you are introduced to a whole world of name-calling, threats, and even extremely inappropriate pictures. There have been recorded cases in some areas where explicit photos of both female and male kids were posted on this app.

How this app works is there is a list of “communities” or most of us just see them as high schools, and you get to see what is being posted on that communities wall. Don’t see your high school on that list? Oh, don’t worry just email the creator and he will get it right up there for you.

From the time the app came out to now, the two “communities” or schools that got affected the most by this were Poway High School and Del Norte High School. Inappropriate pictures were posted, threats were made to many of the students, and rumors were spread all throughout this app like a disease spreading through a subway, At one point, the creator of this app was told to take down Del Norte’s wall because it was just getting to offensive.

As much as most of us just dream about having that movie-like life, I’m sure that you would not want this as your so-called “perfect” dream high school experience. So, will this trend of using the application burn book continue to grow, or will we be spared from the horrid nightmare this application could cause?

Ronnie Simon is a Staff Writer for Pulse Magazine.

The United States has recently been invaded by different opinions on how they should support Iran. The Middle Eastern conflicts involving the US have been a touchy subject recently. The Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, spoke on March third to Congress on Capitol Hill. The dramatic speech made the issue in Congress and the White House a more complicated issue.

Netanyahu’s speech has made the executive branch of the US try to speed up the ruling in order to aid Iran and their military power. Although this isn’t the response Netanyahu was hoping for, his speech did turn the Congress’s vote a little. This complicated the process of the agreement passing because now the president does not want to go through Congress to seek approval. This is because the executive branch knows that the Congress could veto the agreement.

The Prime Minister’s speech was so empowering that Real Clear Politics, a popular online news provider, referred to it as similar to Churchill’s 1941 address to the Canadian House of Commons. Churchill’s speech empowered Canada to fight against the Axis powers in WW2 and helped the Allies win the war. Netanyahu presented his opinion on how the US should handle the Iran conflict from a relatable and experienced approach since Israel has had many conflicts with Iran since there distinction as a state. His agreement was clear cut. Iran is at its most radical stage currently and providing aid would fund there nuclear missile inventory and create a nuclear disaster in the Middle East.

The speech has also stirred up conflict back home in Israel. Some even rally in Tel Aviv to protest Netanyahu as a leader and advocate that “Israel wants change”.  The reason for this is because some Israelis believe Netanyahu’s mission to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons is not as important as other presiding issues in Israel today.

There is no doubt that the Iran Deal is risky and that Iran could potentially misuse American money, and obviously aid there nuclear arsenal. This deal is testing Iran governmental legitimacy, and could have any type of result. The US is attempting to discover the truth behind Iranian nuclear power. President Obama even said, “If we are able to verify that in fact they are not developing weapons systems, then there’s a deal to be had.”

Although Netanyahu gave a valiant effort, it is still looking like the Iran Deal will follow through. The United States has a few very crucial decisions to make soon that will rewrite the history of US-Middle East relations. With a clear signal from the President, since he didn’t attend Netanyahu’s speech, it might not look clear towards what the US-Israel relation will be towards the future. Although Congress has put considerable effort in the past 30 years towards strengthening ties with Israel, it might all break down in the upcoming months. How will the Greater Middle East participation in NATO look after the Iran Plan has been settled?

Elliot Cohen is a Staff Writer for Pulse Magazine.

The dreaded midterms week. Where in one day you try and stuff more information in your head than you have the entire year. This one week is full of notecards, study guides, and stress. Unfortunately, being this stressed out about doing well on finals is unhealthy and not fun to be around. So, in order to help with that problem, the PALs decided to take action and create a Stress-less Week with fun activities every day for the students to enjoy and put aside the stress of finals.

In case you didn’t notice the massive spray of foam in the quad this week, PALs had planned many activities in the quad for the students on the week of midterms. This week was simply to reduce the stress level of midterms and have some fun and exciting activities during school for students. The activities that were planned for the week were; bubbles on Monday, having a dunk tank for the teachers on Tuesday, a massive foam party in the middle of the quad on Wednesday, and the relaxing presence of puppies on Thursday and Friday to cool down the stress of midterms.

The reaction and participation from the students showed PALs that their efforts to help the student body were noticed. Not only did being able to dunk your favorite math teacher calm down the nerves of the students, but dancing in a giant pool of foam seemed to be the highlight of the week. Unfortunately, waiting through two other periods soaking wet with bubbles was not too fun, but I’m sure most people would agree that it was worth it. Not everyday would you have foam flying everywhere, especially on school campus.

Some of the teachers that were put in the dunk tank were Ms. Zanoni, Ms Hamawandi, Mr. Shea, Mr. Happ, Mr. Unwin, Mr. Gilbert and Ms. Dobashi. What’s better than dunk tanking your favorite teachers during the middle of lunch?

The answer to that question could be Bosley. Bosley is one big loving mastiff brought to us by Love on a Leash. On Thursday and Friday we got some very special companions to spend time with. Fluffy, adorable companions that everyone loves. From Miss American, the energetic sweet golden retriever to Bosley the big mastiff everyone seemed to love. These pups lifted everyone’s spirits before their next final in second period.

When asked if she thought this was a successful week, Marisa Simon, a representative from PALs answered with, “Most definitely! I really think the events brought students together and took some stress off finals. The student participation and feedback from this week was amazing.”

Since this week was enjoyed so much by the students, I think we are all curious to know if CCA will continue to do this, and the answer to that is yes! “CCA can look forward to events like these during finals week,” as I was told by Marisa Simon. Thanks to the PALs for an incredible week and remember you’re worth more than a final grade!

With Canyon Crest Academy’s Business Management class in the midst of constructing business plans for their latest ideas, a group of students was able to create a new app by the name CCA Today. It became available to the public in the Apple App store as of April 10^th, and has seen promotion from both CCA-TV and Instagram. It stands as a beta test app, while the team still works to improve and expand the product.

The app aims to connect all aspects of the school with the widespread use of technology, as it offers various resources to follow the events and programs of Canyon Crest Academy. Downloading the app allows students, teachers, and parents to subscribe to subjects of interest, and receive notifications through their phone that highlight game days, show times, and other Raven events.

The Business Management class, taught by Jeannie Chufo, aims to prepare students for the world of business. The class is centered on innovative ideas coming to life and encouraging entrepreneurship; and has seen previous success with projects such as CCA’s student-run café, the Nest.  At the beginning of the semester, students were asked to brainstorm ideas for a new business, and later assigned to bring the idea to life.

CCA Today took their idea to Pitch Deck, which is similar to the television show Shark Tank, except that it geared toward teenage entrepreneurs. This project has been assigned in previous years, however, Hannah Bush states, “past years didn’t usually go to Switch Deck, but we did, which is what really gave us a bigger opportunity”. The team won first place and $300 to fund their idea.

Seeking out technological assistance in creating the app, the students contacted app developers, but many were too expensive for their budget. Finally, the students discovered BuildFire, which was able to design their app. The $300 they won at Pitch Deck was able to reimburse the starting cost to code the app by Buildfire, and every month the team pays $50 to keep it in the App Store. The Nest currently funds the app, however, they are hopeful that ASB will later take over and expand it as a school sponsored app.

After launching CCA today in the app store, within a week the app gained 150 downloaders including teachers, parents, and students of the Canyon Crest community. Sixteen students work together every day for an hour and a half to work towards their goal of connected every aspect of CCA. The team has been working on the idea since March, and it has finally come to life. With great ambition came great success, and the students are more driven than ever to build CCA Today to an even bigger scale.

For the past few weeks, you can barely go anywhere in Carmel Valley without seeing something about One Paseo; Ads, signs in lawns, and people outside stores asking for signatures. Recently, the San Diego City Council voted to approve the One Paseo project. Already, people are starting to gather signatures for a referendum. With all these different groups giving biased information it’s hard to understand exactly what this is all about.

One Paseo would be a development across from the Highlands on Del Mar Heights Road. This would be a mixed use development with businesses on ground flop and housing above. The plan also boasts a “walkable main street” and safe bike lanes.

The group who is opposed to this development state that this site will bring many more problems to Carmel Valley than the good things it offers. On the website, www.whatpricemainstreet.com it states that this development will “add four times the traffic to our roads and create severe gridlock”. They also assert that that this increase in traffic will further hurt our environment. This group also predicts that One Paseo will hurt the community character as it will be very large in size and tower over surrounding buildings and houses that are already standing. Those opposed to One Paseo also say that although the developer of the property claims it will be bike-friendly and work with new public transportation, the site will expand Del Mar Heights Road creating dangerous conditions and will be without a public transportation system until the year 2035, well after the development has already been built.

Those who support One Paseo state that this new development will bring a lot of good to Carmel Valley and the surrounding community. Supporters say that there will be new and continuing economic benefits. They predict that there will be about 1,590 new permanent jobs brought to the area because of this development and that the building of One Paseo will create 3,800 construction jobs. They also predict that $15 million in fees will go to the San Dieguito Union High School District, Solana Beach School District, and Carmel Valley Facility Benefits Fees. Those who are building One Paseo say that the community will also limit its effects on the environment as it will be sustainable and energy efficient; the new development will have green buildings, cool roofs, electric vehicle charging stations, and energy and water efficiency features.

Both those who oppose and support One Paseo have valid concerns and excitement for the development. The reality is that we will not know for sure what effects it will have on the community until it is built and functional.

On March 8th, in celebration of International Women’s day, Emma Watson visited Facebook’s London headquarters to host a discussion about gender equality and her organization HeForShe. As the UN Goodwill Ambassador, Emma Watson, known for her role as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter films, has made it her mission to bridge the equality gap between genders. The Facebook conference was a Q&A session, moderated by Greg James, using questions submitted on Facebook and from the live audience.

To start off the event, Emma Watson gave some background about what HeForShe is. In December 2014 Watson announced the creation of HeForShe, “a solidarity movement… developed… to engage men and boys as advocates and agents of change for the achievement of gender equality and women’s rights.” Watson addressed the UN about HeForShe with a powerful speech that quickly went viral. Describing her main goal for the speech, Watson said “I really wanted to communicate that gender equality, historically, has been predominantly a women’s movement for women, but I feel like the impact of gender equality and how it is really affecting men hasn’t been addressed. So I really wanted to make that one of the clearest messages in my speech.” HeForShe has gathered thousands of signatures from men around the world who want to share their support for gender equality, and the campaign is only growing.

During the Q&A, Watson dished out a lot of valuable advice for everyone, including her younger self. “What I would tell my younger self if someone said [a sexist comment] to me [is] I [should] know that I am not alone in this fight. That it’s an education problem. And in the not too distant future I really hope that most people will be horrified by a comment like that, as opposed to sort of mildly irked.” Watson knows when to pick her battles, but she is done standing quietly aside when faced with sexism. Watson’s fans constantly tell her stories of the sexism they have faced, and in response, Watson says “don’t let anyone tell you what you can or cannot do or what you can or cannot achieve. Just don’t allow it. Be who you want to be!” Even simple things like encouraging girls to pursue careers that are male dominated can make a monumental difference, because as Watson said, “Women have so much to offer… so much potential gets wasted because women aren’t encouraged the same way men are. We could achieve so much.”

The purpose of HeForShe is to make men realize that gender equality can be as beneficial for them as it can be for women. “We don’t acknowledge how much pressure we put on men to conform to a certain perception of masculinity…. I get disturbed by this idea that men can’t cry. They can’t express themselves and I think that’s the saddest thing in the world. Being able to express yourself is what makes you human — it’s not what makes you a girl.” Watson wants her supporters to break down these stereotypes, and share their process through social media. It does not matter how small the actions are: ” Whether it’s speaking up or trying to change the way someone else thinks about an issue… It’s everyday, it’s individual, it’s on a case by case basis.”

Emma Watson said many wise things in her HeForShe speech. She made it clear that while her campaign is aimed at men, “It’s not about men saving women.” HeForShe is “not a men’s club,” said Watson, “It’s an equality club for both genders.” To ge the full benifit of Watson’s wisdom, watch Emma Watson’s entire Facebook Q&A (https://youtu.be/LNi9Ypc0cg8).