Beat the Burn

by Kate Monko

The inevitable outcome of a day well-spent results in nothing other than…a sunburn. I am a living example of the aftermath of the sun’s “kisses” as I write this article. The computer in hand and legs bright red, I have successfully pulled off a fiery burn that is best described as tomato red flesh transitioning from burning to itching to swelling and everything in between.
Beyond the obvious, a sunburn is a visible reaction of the skin’s response to ultraviolet radiation, which are the invisible components of sunlight. In the interim, while you’re waiting for your red skin to turn a golden brown bronze, take note of the following home remedies that can help ease the temporary pain.
Step one to beat the burn involves using a compress. Since the skin is inflamed, dip a cloth into any of the following substances: cold water or aluminum acetate–mix Domeboro’s powder packets ($8.50, sold on amazon.com) with water. Another dipping sauce is called witch hazel, which has been shown to have beneficial long-lasting effects in regards to anti-inflammatory relief. TIP: use a fan directed towards the burn for intensified cooling.
Interestingly enough, some common kitchen staples can be great sunburn soothers: tea bags, for instance, can be applied to closed eyelids that have been soaked in cool water while simultaneously decreasing swelling and lessening pain. Another homemade remedy involves fat-free milk. Mix one cup of milk with four cups of water plus some ice cubes. Use this mixture to dip a compress in and apply to the burn.
The pantry contains remedies as well as the plants that may be growing right outside of your house. Medical evidence is suggesting that aloe vera may really help wound healing. To apply, break off a piece of a leaf and put on the burn. But test a small section on your skin first to make sure you’re not allergic to this succulent.
Here’s the deal: nobody wants to make their sunburn worse. So avoid soap for the time being–steer clear from bubble baths or soaking in soapy water and instead take a cool bath. Also, make sure to always pat the skin dry because rubbing a burn with a towel only heightens the irritation.
A last friendly reminder when dealing with the sun’s wrath is to moisturize. Since we were so kind to our skin and definitely had sunscreen in the equation…not…it’s best to apply for sunburn relief, so to speak. TIP: place your moisturizer in the fridge for a while for extra relief and cooling effect.
A sunburn is a real, relatable predicament that you (hopefully) don’t have to encounter too often. It only takes one really good sunburn to rekindle your love and appreciation for the white stuff. That goo with the SPF in it really knows what it’s doing, but if you find yourself (like I did today) with glowing red flesh, then don’t look further than the parameters of your house to find at-home, natural remedies to lessen the burn and sting. Happy suntanning (or burning in my case…)

Source: facts derived from Prevention.com

Humans have been speculating since the beginning of rudimentary astronomy about whether or not we are truly alone in the universe. The possibility of other living beings–maybe even other sentient beings–coexisting with us (or causing intergalactic war, who knows) has been the bread and butter of many fantastical science fiction books and movies. But that long-imagined dream might have become a reality.

Early in 2017, scientists at NASA discovered seven Earth-sized planets orbiting the nearby star TRAPPIST-1. Three of these seven contain the appropriate conditions to sustain life: not too hot, not too cold. The fastidious criteria necessary for life to bloom on any distant planet have caused these celestial bodies to be termed “Goldilocks” planets in the past. Too hot, and liquid water cannot condense. Too cold, and liquid water will simply freeze. This quandary is of course given the assumption that any other biological organisms even remotely resemble humans, and would require liquid water to survive. Who knows–maybe the aliens out there don’t need what we need, and we’re looking in entirely the wrong place.

The exoplanets orbiting the TRAPPIST star, however, exhibit promising traits in the form of a rocky composition, appropriate size, and a similar amount of light received as earth. All of them are closer to their star than Mercury is to our sun–by standing on the surface of one planet, you could plausibly see geographical features of a neighboring one, larger than Earth’s moon. NASA’s Kepler and Hubble space telescopes are intently on the lookout, hoping to confirm the existence of liquid water on any planet.

What if those planets really do accommodate life? Are we not so alone as we thought? Without making this sound too much like a series of conspiracy theories, there are so many potential situations. As brought up before, there could be life on other spheres; just forms of life that we do not yet recognize or are unable to detect from afar. To potentially explain why there has not been any so-called “contact”, we could consider that the living beings that we’re looking for are not sentient, and therefore cannot communicate; contrarily, they could be so far advanced that for them to try and communicate with us would be like us trying to converse with a dog.

These are all far-fetched scenarios. NASA makes few assumptions, instead relying on (as they should) purely scientific data. All we can know for sure right now is the size of the planets, their approximate masses, densities, and likely climate. Science has come so far so fast that it’s not so unimaginable for us to learn very closely the detailed characteristics of these planets soon. We live in a world so comparable to the dreamt-up inventions of science fiction in years past. What’s to say the future we imagine now is not also right around the corner?

Bored of Break?

by Amanda Arnett

Yep, it’s that time of year again- Springtime. The flowers are blooming, the bees are buzzing, the time change has your circadian rhythm all wack, and the pollen in the air is filling up your sinuses. While spring time brings about a sunny joy to life, the one week break during this time causes students faces to light up. After the month of March mentally tears us students apart as we grind through school without a single day off, Spring break is the light at the end of our March madness tunnel (and I’m not talking basketball). As much as we use the prospect of Spring break as motivation to push through the terrifying thought of midterms this week, the inevitable fact is that many kids will find themselves sitting in their bed all day out of boredom for the majority of break. So, to help assure that you don’t waste your allotted freedom from school binge-watching Friends and wandering the explore page on Instagram all day, here are eight boredom busting things to do and places to see for when Spring break gets a little too long:

1. Go on the hunt for the best burrito: San Diego is home to some of the tastiest Mexican food in world, so grab a friend, get in your car and start driving because you’re on a mission to find the hidden gem of grimy taco shops.

2. Take a hike!: Come on guys, it’s Springtime and us San Diegans have been in need of some sun after this (somewhat) rainy winter. So get outside and get walking on beautiful trails such as Devil’s Punchbowl in Ramona, Potato Chip Rock in Poway, Ho Chi Min Trail in La Jolla, and the Solana Beach Mushroom Caves.

3. Go pick some wildflowers: While this may sound cheesy, don’t pretend you’ve never seen a field of springtime flowers and wanted to frolic around in it like a third grader. And after the rainy winter, wildflowers are rapidly blooming in open spaces throughout San Diego, so go and let your inner child run free as you skip along and make flower crowns out of daisies like they do in the movies.

4. Take a day trip to Laguna, Los Angeles, or Borrego Springs: I mean because you have time, so why not?

5. Go ice blocking: Step 1- Obtain a block of ice large enough to sit on. Step 2- Find a small grass hill. Step 3- Slide down the hill on your ice block and try to be the last person that falls off.

6. Go to a swap meet: One of the best is Kobey’s Swap Meet, open Fridays and Saturdays from 7A.M. – 3P.M. at the Sports Arena Square Shopping center. With hundreds of different vendors, ranging from miniature gardens in glass balls, to embarrassing Hawaiian shirts your dad wears, you never know what you could find at Kobey’s.

7. If you really don’t want to leave your house, develop a new skill or talent: Don’t know how to do anything? Use this pretty cool resource called the internet and look up a tutorial on how. Learn to juggle, walk on your hands, do the worm, bake a cake, or in my case, squirt a blob of whipped cream into your hand, hit your arm, then catch the blob in your mouth after it flies into the air.

8. Take a moment to reflect: If you’ve gone through this list without one of these items intriguing you, or you really just want some “me time”, take a moment to reflect on the fact that you don’t have finals for another two months, because that is sure to bring some joy to your life.

Not Again, Midterms

by Ali Youel

You can taste spring break; the binge-watching, traveling, and especially, the beach. We are at the light at the end of the tunnel, but before we can reach this ever so beautiful academically relieving week, we have to go through demon crawling, monster haunting, coffee fueled, torturous all-nighters. Midterms. Here are some study tricks to save you some time and some points on your exams.

1. DO NOT PULL AN ALL NIGHTER! I REPEAT DO NOT DO IT! Your body needs sleep in order to properly function. Pulling an all-nighter may seem as though you will learn much more, but you will forget much of it and suffer throughout the coming days.
2. Stop cramming! This is obvious, and I’m sure you’ve told this to yourself numerous times and have been told this as well. In a study at UCLA, it was proven that cramming or getting inadequate amounts of sleep before a test is counterproductive and hurts much more than it helps. Create study habits and routine throughout the days before your big test. You can get good sleep, have less stress, and be better prepared. Triple win!
3. Eat ‘brain food.’ Here are some good foods to increase your focus and help you conquer the demons of chemistry.
   – Leafy greens (spinach isn’t just good for your biceps, it’s also great for your brain)
   – Coffee: It makes you more alert but not if you drink it late in the day because you won’t be able to sleep when it comes time for bed.
   – Whole grains
   – Blueberries
   – Fish
   – Tomatoes
   – Nuts
4. Exercise! I know midterms make you want to cram into a little ball and eat chocolate and never move while the pain of your borderline grade slaps you across your face, but it is important to get your blood pumping and your body moving. Bodily movements positively affect cognitive functions, so don’t think that midterms give you an excuse to wear the same Star Wars pajamas for a week while you sit at your desk memorizing vocab. Move! Dance! PARTY! I’m kidding, don’t party. You should be working.
5. Turn off your phone. Don’t put it on the corner of your desk on “do not disturb.” You will know it’s there and you will face the agony of it being near you, but you knowing it’s a bad idea. Just put it in a different room or a drawer. Out of sight, out of mind.

I wish you well on your quest for either keeping your grade or moving up. Good luck, take a deep breath, and relax. And have fun on spring break, it’s always darkest before the dawn.

The Ball Brother

by Derek Li

Imagine siblings who came to stardom at a young age. You’re probably thinking of the Kardashians or the Jenners. Now, imagine that the siblings are all boys, all teenagers, and all basketball prodigies. Meet the Ball Brothers, consisting of Lonzo Ball (19), LiAngelo Ball (18), and Lamelo Ball (15), who have taken the high school and college basketball world by storm in the past few years. All coming from Chino Hills, California, and with all three brothers possessing incredible talents and unique skills, it may just be the beginning of the next basketball dynasty.

The Ball Brothers were born with a pretty good edge in the sporting world. Their father, LaVar Ball, played college basketball at both Cal State-LA and Washington State; he was a former player in the NFL for the New York Jets and the Carolina Panthers. Tina Ball, their mother, was also a former basketball player who went to Cal State-LA.  Despite the age difference in the brothers, Tina and LaVar did not want their three sons to play basketball separately. So, LaMelo always played with his two older brothers against older competition. In fact, he was playing under-17 basketball at 11 years old. They all went on to attend Chino Hills High School, where they became featured basketball stars.

In the 2015-16 high school basketball season, under the dazzling and purely impressive play of all three of the Ball brothers, Chino Hills went on to have an undefeated 35-0 season, beating De La Salle (Concord, CA), winning the CIF State Open Division final, and making Chino Hills High School the champions of California high school basketball. Chino Hills’ games were always sold out, as everyone wanted to watch the fast-paced and extremely entertaining style of play consisting of extraordinary dunks and long three pointers exhibited by the whole team.

Each of the three brothers have different special talents. First, there’s the oldest, Lonzo Ball. He was the first to gain attention in the Ball family when he was in high school. Lonzo is a 6’6’’, 190 pound freshman guard at UCLA, who is projected to be one of the top picks in the 2017 NBA draft. He is often described as an extremely adept playmaker, yet he is also extremely athletic, boasting a 40 inch vertical jump and catching a ton of alley-oop dunks in games. Although he is often criticized for having an unorthodox shooting form, Lonzo is nevertheless an excellent 3 point shooter, shooting over 42% from the 3 point line this season. As a tall point guard possessing an all-around game, Lonzo Ball looks to be a rising star in the NBA.

Then, there’s the middle brother, LiAngelo Ball, a senior shooting guard who committed to UCLA in 2015. One word describes him: buckets. LiAngelo is a pure scorer. His 6’6’’, 240 pound frame only bolsters his ability to score, as he can post defenders up with his strength and knock down long 3 pointers as well. LiAngelo averaged 51.3 points through his first 3 games of the 2016-17 season, scoring 56 points and 72 points in 2 consecutive games. As LaVar Ball said, “Nobody can guard him.”

Last but not least, there’s the youngest but fanciest one: LaMelo Ball. He verbally committed to UCLA at the end of his freshman season. He is a 6’3’’sophomore point guard who is very dexterous and brilliant offensively. From scoring 92 points in one game to draining half court 3 pointers and breaking defenders ankles, LaMelo Ball has made many jaw-dropping plays in games. Whether it’s his groovy moves or pure swagger, LaMelo has attracted much attention on social media recently, and also looks to be the best in the Ball family.

For the Ball brothers, there is one thing to be sure of: the future looks bright. Not only are they already a high school basketball legacy, but are looking to take over the college and professional basketball worlds.

Space Tours?

by Audrey Hsu

Just as common household items Kleenex, Q-tips, Chapstick, Band-Aids, etc. are known by their original trademarks instead of their actual terms, (i.e. tissue, cotton swab, lip balm, bandage), NASA is synonymously linked with the exploration of space. When I was a child, my parents, being the attentive doting parents they are, took me to every museum/theme park/book fair, etc they could, and this included NASA. With my stubby fingers and short legs, I remember a vast expanse of the ceiling, the pristine floors, and walls smelling like the very embodiment of science. The buzz of whirring simulations and machines interspersed with clambering little people my age exploring the vicinities, the important looking adults striding about with vital numbers and calculations in their heads, carrying identification badges and clipboards. The awe of it all overwhelmed my senses and I was standing still, bewildered. A kindly passing employee took notice of this, and gently took out a NASA sticker larger than both my hands put together and pressed it into my grasp. When we got home, I proudly had adjourned it high on my bedroom door, and to this day it is still there. That’s why when upcoming aerospace company SpacEx made its way into the public eye, I felt cheated. My childhood memories of glorious space exploration and the delicate balance of science and mathematics for this cause were not to be ruined by commercial opportunities by other another company looking to exploit the riches of space travel. The fantasy of space was becoming cheapened and tarnished, I could only imagine smarmy business magnates looking on smugly cutting red ribbons for grand openings of space airports while driving the market for tours to Mars!

In defense of my rampant imagination, I can only say that the impressions that one makes as a child are the longest lasting and most affectable. With no other previous competition to NASA, it seemed unnatural that a lesser known, the budding company should be able to initiate large-scale operations such as the launch and orbit of spacecrafts. As I looked further into SpacEx’s history and objectives I became more and more intrigued. For those of you who do not yet know, here is a brief summary. SpaceEx was created in 2002 by Elon Musk (founder of Tesla), and its main goal is to “revolutionize space technology, with the ultimate goal of enabling people to live on other planets.” It seemed to me that the vision for SpacEx’s aspirations was as dreamy as NASA’s, “To reach for new heights and reveal the unknown so that what we do and learn will benefit all humankind,” if not more specific. Already they began to break records in 2008 successfully launching the first privately funded liquid propellant rocket into orbit, the Falcon 1. In 2010, SpacEx launched the flight of the spacecraft Dragon, the prime focus of their labors, to the International Space Station, becoming the first private company accomplish such a feat as well as recovering of the spacecraft. Since 2012 the Dragon has been used for shipments of cargo to space, but it is being refined and attuned to accommodate humans, and the first manned flight (an arrangement with NASA) is to take place in 2018 in a bend around the moon and back.
Along with the invention of CRISPR technology (read the article on CRISPR), it would be hard to contend which advancement is more fantastical. Imagine going to the airport and looking up at the large screens displaying arrival and departure time of flights to Narita, Changyi, JFK, and… Mars? At the start of SpacEx, nobody would take confidence in a random millionaire who had no past experience in the business, whom big companies like NASA, Boeing, Lockheed, did not acknowledge. They had rough beginnings when looking for where to launch, and found a small island previously used for U.S. military purposes. Currently, though, SpacEx is flourishing, to say the least, with 8 million dollars in backorders for cargo shipments and satellites to the space station, they are also close to achieving reusable rockets launches. In short, perhaps it is time for a new era. SpacEx may yet be the company to quite literally propel our world to the first stages of deep space exploration in the next decades. All my star struck brain can visualize now are those envious Starfleet academy outfits and all the geek worthy scenes in Star Wars, Guardians of the Galaxy, Star Trek, and Ender’s Game.

The Next Brexit?

by Hunter Katz

The French Presidential Election is just 2 weeks away. You are probably thinking: Another Presidential Election?! Why do I even need to care about what happens in France? You want to know that the next French President will be the most crucial in dealing with the United States relations and possible could be the death of the European Union. For the first time since after World War 2 neither of the two major parties in France, the left-wing Socialist Party lead by current French President Francois Hollande who is the most unpopular French president in modern history with just a 4% approval rating and the right-wing Republicans lead by Francois Fillon who is currently facing charges of a corruption scandal; are not in the runoff election on May 7th. Due to the popularity of Brexit (Great Britain voted to leave the EU to take more control of British issues) and the growing corrupt bureaucracy of the EU has propelled the National Front leader Marine Le Pen to face political newcomer and candidate of the new political party En Marche! Emmanuel Macron; in the runoff for the French presidency. This election could very well be the nail in the European Union’s coffin.

Marine Le Pen is the leader and candidate for The National Front; a right-wing populist party founded in the early 1970’s by her father Jean-Marie Le Pen. The National Front was nominated once in the runoff in but lost to Republican candidate Jacques Chirac by a wide margin. In January 2011, his daughter Marine Le Pen took over as head of the National Front and began an overhaul of the branding of the party, shifting it away from xenophobic allegations to an economic nationalist and patriotic party dedicated to curbing terrorism, illegal immigration and a return to the French currency the Franc. Le Pen’s re-branding of the party and removal of her father Jean-Marie from the National Front has gained significant traction to the party and has a gained a following of youth supporters. Due to the significant unpopularity of French President Francois Hollande and the terrorist attacks in Paris and Nice has had the National Front skyrocket in membership rates. Many political analysts view her as “The French Donald Trump.” If Marine Le Pen is elected she will not only become the first National Front president but the first French female president. Some of Le Pen’s policies include a severe reduction in immigration only allowing 10,000 immigrants per year, a massive tax cut to small business, increased tariffs on non-French imported goods and most importantly a referendum on France leaving the European Union informally called the “Frexit.” However many are still hostile to a thought of a Le Pen Presidency as many view her policies not far from her father’s and opponents point out that if Le Pen is president that France will be subject anti-immigrant rhetoric.

The challenger facing Marine Le Pen is a political newcomer and centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron. Macron was a former ally of French President Francois Hollande and a member of the Socialist Party until last year he formed his own political party En Marche! Macron’s charismatic nature and youthful demeanor have gained traction for his new party which is in the Center of the political spectrum, however, leaning slightly to the Left of the political divide. Macron went on the win the first round of voting by a 3% advantage over Le Pen and many consider him to be the favorite to become the next French President. If Emmanuel Macron is elected, he has pledged to have France stay in the EU. Some of Macron’s policies include a globalist France with more European workers, a reform in France’s employment sector and increased public spending on social programs. Many political analysts view Macron as “The French Bill Clinton.” However, many view Macron to be very similar to the unpopular Francois Hollande and his failed policies, opponents view that Macron is “very weak” on terrorism and that France will be a more dangerous nation prone to terrorism as Macron’s support for open borders and would be more impacted with crime if he’s elected.

The French Presidential Election is critical to us as Americans because France is a close ally of the United States and the new French President assumes that new responsibility. Will France follow in the footsteps of Great Britain to elect Marine Le Pen and let populism reign and a possible end of the European Union? Or will Emmanuel Macron win and globalism continue to dominate Europe? Only time will tell.

@CCABananaNibblers

by Kate Monko

By now, I assume you have acquainted yourself with the infamous @ccabanananibblers Instagram account. If you’ve consumed this fruit on the parameters on the CCA campus, there is a good chance a sneaky phone has snapped a photo of it and bam…it’s gone viral. But don’t let that deter you from reaching for a banana when you need a quick spike of energy.
Botanically a berry, bananas have been baked into bread, blended into smoothies, frozen then dipped in chocolate, and added to fruit parfaits. Commonly known as the nation’s most popular fruit, it has definitely gained attention and popularity on the boundaries of this high school campus for all to see when they log into their social media app.
Unripe bananas are heavier on the starch side where they are lower on the glycemic index. Due to the high resistant starch content, greener bananas are a friendly food for those who are looking to avoid high sugar fruits–such as Type 2 Diabetics. Additionally, they contain probiotic bacteria, a good bacteria that helps with colon health. Lastly, consuming less mature bananas helps the body absorb more nutrients, especially calcium. However, the greener the banana, the less antioxidant-rich the fruit is and could result in more bloating due to the higher starch content.
The other spectrum of the scale deals with a traditional banana–the kind depicted by the famous banana emoji, a peeled, yellow banana. Riper bananas are comprised of more sugar meaning quicker digestion and a higher glycemic index. As a banana’s skin transitions from green to yellow, the starches slowly break down to sugars, where it is comprised of roughly 90% sugar and only 10% starch. TNF (Tumor Necrosis Factor) is a property produced by ripened bananas, having anticancer properties, which helps combat abnormal cells. The more freckles you find on the skin denotes a higher immunity enhancement quality. The only drawback yellow bananas possess is a slight micronutrient (vitamins and mineral) loss.
Whether you eat bananas plain and on their own or in the form of banana flavored Laffy taffy or baked into banana nut muffins, bananas will still be that word that everyone questions how many “n”s and “a”s to add and the ticket to getting featured on the beloved Instagram if they ever decide to post again.

Escape From Reality

by Annie Lu

Virtual reality, if loosely defined as a means of trying to convey a scene in which we are not truly present, can be seen in the form of panoramic paintings from centuries ago. “Virtual tourism” had been conceptualized as early as 1939 by William Gruber, who created a device (the View-Master) that allows the viewer to see two side-by-side images through a stereoscope, giving them a sense of three-dimensional depth. We probably scoff at that comparison, though. The geeky, tech-savvy vision we moderners may conjure up when confronted with the phrase “virtual reality” resembles something more like a set of fancy glasses, mounted to the front of one’s face. It’s supposed to convey all of the possible human senses, perhaps even go beyond that in its utter futuristic-ness. It should allow someone to perceive whole other worlds.

The truth of today’s virtual reality technology does certainly resemble that of science-fiction fantasies. VR still relies on a stereoscopic display (the two images on one screen at slightly different angles idea) to create immersion. Accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers, and other fancy-sounding gadgets galore are all employed to allow the VR user to interact with the 3D space, simulating movement and other senses like touch, hearing, and possibly even smell (Mullis, 2016). All of this consolidates into an artificially created environment that can seem almost life-like.

So, what’s so important about this? (Apart from really really immersive videogames, of course.) There is such a thing as virtual reality therapy (VRT). VRT uses virtual reality to diagnose and treat medical patients with psychological conditions that may otherwise cause difficulties. A present example is its use in burn therapy: treatment for serious burns can be excruciating. Virtual reality, specifically in the form of SnowWorld, has been used to control pain by creating a cold, snowy environment that distracts the mind (Hoffman).

In a similar vein, psychological disorders regarding fear can also be mitigated. Patients with PTSD can confront painful reminders of their traumatic experiences without facing any “real” danger. This way, patients can hopefully be desensitized and trained not to panic, all in a safe, expert-controlled environment.

VRT can also be used in conjunction with brain-machine interfaces for limb rehabilitation and paralysis therapy. It allows patients, often post-stroke, to use their brain activity (which may no longer fully induce responses in their own bodies) to control an avatar in virtual reality, all the while receiving visual and tactile feedback. Potentially immobile patients can then practice moving what seems to be their own limbs, eventually helping them to regain their mobility (Ballester et al, 2015).

It would be nice to just take this technology for granted and look at all the benefits without addressing any concerns. The truth is, however, that while virtual reality therapy substantially reduces patients’ pain throughout traumatizing treatments or illnesses, it also carries with it potential side effects (as expected). This can include cybersickness, a type of motion sickness caused by the disjunction between movement in real life and movement as perceived in virtual reality; perceptual-motor disturbances; and lowered arousal, a result of overexposure to a different kind of reality that doesn’t necessarily behave in the same way. Nevertheless, virtual reality as a whole has a myriad of applications, even in medicine alone. It aids medical training by letting students perform “hands-on” procedures without the possibility of accidentally putting their human guinea pig at risk.

Virtual reality therapy can only be described as a revolutionary application of science-fiction-worthy technology to real-life problems. If we can use the concept of other worlds to treat psychological pains and disorders, one can only imagine what we might come up with next.

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New Year, New Classes

by Annie Lu

The noteworthiness of CCA is an undisputed fact and an oft-cited point of pride for students. Something special occurs on campus every week, from ASB-coordinated lunch activities to sports games and performances after school. On a larger scale, it is common knowledge that the B building has been newly constructed, but not everyone knows about the ever-changing repertoire of classes offered.

Last year, the AP Computer Science Principles class launched at CCA. An exhibition of CCA’s uniqueness: we were the only school in the district providing this class. Mr. Remington, a computer science teacher, referenced the class as fit “for people who have taken a computer class before but are not quite ready to take full-on college programming.” If they are more excited about the latter, they could take on the more difficult and specialized class of AP Computer Science A. “Principles is like a college introduction, a transition into more advanced topics.” The class was successful in its pilot run last fall, according to the end of course survey. Students expected it to be “challenging but doable”, but effective in building interest. After all, since we live in the digital age, it’s a good idea to understand how all of these newfangled devices function (before they gain sentience and learn how we work instead).

Another class offered for the first time last year is sports performance training, taught by coaches Lackey and Riese. Sports performance training is an alternative to more traditional P.E. classes like weight training and personal fitness. Mr. Lackey compared this class to its more specific counterparts like basketball or football P.E. at other schools in the district. “What we did,” he explained, “is we have a program that kind of encompasses all those.” While sports performance training is more physically demanding, given that the expectations are higher, it’s not exclusive to school athletes. There are no official prerequisites, so anyone who wants to get a good workout and see personal improvement can take the class.

Looking forward, we can see a new and exciting class beginning for the first time at CCA. Mrs. Sevilla, who has always loved Organic Chemistry, is piloting an Organic Chemistry course. She said, “Most students feel chemistry is very abstract. Organic Chem figures out how you could use this reagent and this catalyst, open this and close that, move this around. Besides just the beauty of the structure, see how you convert one thing to another.” This is how the world is put together. We are, after all, organic matter ourselves. Students interested in medicine, pharmacology, or biochemistry would see this class as most important. Organic Chemistry is not a weighted or College Board-sanctioned class, so students will not be taking it just for a GPA boost (please don’t). Instead, it intends to draw passionate students into the field of Organic Chemistry with its lab component and for its remarkable status as a second-year college course.

Every year, classes come and go and change, providing a dynamic course profile for students to peruse. Who knows what might come next—tree climbing? College cooking? How to stage a revolution? The possibilities are endless. The multitudes of opportunities, like a seemingly infinite collection of classes and watching the teachers play corn hole at lunch, could make anyone envious of the CCA environment. CCA’s ever-shifting culture never ceases to fulfill the description of “amazing”.

The Back-to-School Blues

by Frank Yang

As my senior year is coming around the bend, it’s about time that I share some of my profound experience. Without further ado, let’s move on with the proceedings...

For Freshmen: Connections!

Make more friends! Don’t be afraid to join new groups and meet new people! It’s important to step out of your comfort zone. One pro tip for this challenging obstacle is to spread your love and kindness around the community. Say hi to new people every day and always remember to smile! Smiling is one of the most contagious assets that we have, and it’s up to us to utilize this potential to make the CCA community a more welcoming and accepting group of diversified individuals.

It’s important to take advantage of your opportunities. Use social media to stay caught up with school activities! Make connections in class: gather contact information from a couple of study buddies from each class to allow yourself to get caught up with classes or get engaged with social media to create class group chats or Facebook groups to collaborate on your studies. And finally, joining school activities such as clubs, sports, and school dances will allow you to bond with people faster and truly experience CCA’s lively, multifaceted culture.

For Sophomores and Juniors: Protect your sanity!

Manage your classes to have some free time for your extracurricular activities and hobbies. Remember, it’s important to keep balance in your schedule and to protect your health. Contrary to CCA belief, sleep is not for the weak. It’s better to wake up a little earlier than to stay up later at night to finish your homework. Similarly, it’s not healthy to wake up in the middle of the night just to do homework. Take care of your circadian rhythms!

It’s key to show rigor in your schedule, but from another viewpoint, it’s unlikely that someone could be interested in every single one of the AP classes offered at CCA, so be more inclined to take the classes that display your interests or are aligned with the curriculum you plan to study in college and beyond.

For Seniors: Don’t give up on your classes!!

It’s pertinent to finish strong in the home stretch and It’s not too late to get started on college apps, as it is always best to look at certain college essays and questions in advance to see what colleges look for or like to see in students. Start with a college list and plan your schedule accordingly to meet the deadlines of certain applications! Ask your teachers early for a letter of recommendation if necessary, and don’t be afraid to ask your counselors for help or clarification.

On a lighter note, take advantage of the senior events that ASB offers. Become a role model for the underclassmen and employ CCA’s accepting and creative ideals into your day. And most importantly, enjoy your time at CCA while it lasts!

For All CCA Students: Don’t forget to take a variety of classes that you might not normally choose; experiment with your schedule in your freshman year, but make sure that it’s balanced. Take classes that are more specialized (e.g. video film, drawing and design, principles of engineering) to expand your repertoire of skills. Don’t let competition and peer pressure put you down. It’s the acceptance and creativity, the interaction of different personalities and characters that make CCA unique. Let’s make it stay that way.  

To AP Or Not To AP

by Ali Youel

It’s the start of another school year, and there are papers to write, tests to take, projects to create, all-nighters to be pulled, and an enormous amount of coffee to be consumed. The deadline to drop a class without a “W” is Tuesday, September 12th, and as we realize our course load and schedules, the question is: to drop or not to drop? For students with Advanced Placement (AP) classes, the question is very important. It also brings up the thought, “Are AP Classes worth it?”

Obviously, there is the possible GPA boost as well as the college credit, and it can make your transcript look better for college applications. But AP classes come with a load of homework, and if you have no interest in the subject, the work can be tedious and brain-numbing. Not to mention stressful. For students taking two or more AP classes a semester, the work can pile on, creating a mountain of stress, and with sports and other extracurriculars, this can become hectic.

Stanford University senior lecturer Denise Pope said, “Frankly, many high-achieving high school students are really stressed out. They have a lot to do between extracurricular activities and homework and also trying to get the sleep they need. They need to be prepared for what an AP course involves. The extra tests, extra homework, on top of an already demanding schedule, can be brutal. And a very low grade on your transcript from an AP course may hurt you more in the long run than not taking an AP in that subject at all.”

AP classes can potentially save you a lot of money. You can get credit for a hundred dollar test, much less than the alternative thousand plus dollar class. As College Confidential states, “AP college credit is a good buy... [An] AP course can be taken for the price of registering for the final exam, which is less than $100.” This is a great option for many students and their families, and should definitely be considered when in deliberation over taking an AP class.

All in all, the decision is yours, and you know best what you are capable of. Be careful when taking multiple hard classes, especially APs. Don’t forget that your mental health is the priority. I know you may laugh at the idea of a full eight hours of sleep, but it is possible. Do what is best for you.

The Best Chicken Soup in Town

by Kaylynn O’Curran

We all know what chicken soup is. Made with chicken broth and chunks of chicken, sometimes noodles, carrots, rice, or celery. Soup itself is thought to be as old as the history of cooking itself, as it is easy to digest and you can put just about anything in it. It is said that the Greeks created the broth and chicken concoction and used it to help cure most illnesses. As far as I am concerned, the best chicken soups I have tasted were found at Mexican restaurants. In Mexico, soup has been a dish served before each meal since colonial times. It was used to persuade people to eat more (though in reality it made them eat less). But north of the Mexican border, eating soup before a meal isn’t very common. More prevalent is eating soup as the main meal.

As San Diego is on the border, it receives heavy influence from Mexican culture. With that influence comes some of the best Mexican food seen in the United States, which is where Lourdes comes in: started in 1988 in Escondido, the restaurant was named after the owner’s wife. Lourdes created the soup from a family recipe but “Americanized” it, keeping the American part a secret. The shop has maintained a cult following, including a man in Colorado who requests gallons to be shipped every 6 months. The restaurant has since expanded to Cardiff and another location in Escondido.

Growing up in Escondido, I started going to the original location in 2005, and ever since, I have not gone more than a month without eating this soup, sometimes eating it two times a day. It does not matter if it is 90 degrees out or 55; people will still be lining up out the door to get a taste. When I moved to Solana Beach, Lourdes happened to open their Cardiff restaurant. This for me was the most exciting coincidence and meant I could continue my relationship with this fantastic chicken and rice soup. Now, I know most people who haven’t tried this soup would say that this is very dramatic and odd, but I can’t even begin to describe how wonderful this soup is. I mean, of course I am biased and have a love for cilantro, of which the soup has a surplus, but I have tried others and have not yet found something comparable. Fidel’s, residing in Solana Beach, has a very delicious soup but is not nearly as convenient. This is a sit down restaurant with waiters and all. Lourdes, however, is a simple taco shop, and the convenience contributes to the image. Another comparable soup is found in Encinitas at Jorge’s, also a walk in taco shop. I would say that this soup is good, but it is just missing something. Not to mention it’s a little too sweet and has chunks of tomatoes floating about the broth—I strongly dislike tomatoes. But regardless of the tomatoes, Jorge’s just isn’t as good.  

The slogan of Lourdes is “the best soup in town” and I can attest to that bold statement. I just hope you will give them the time to see if you also agree. Who knows—you might even ask them to ship gallons of it to your home.

Riverdale Review

by Libby Edwards

After a dramatic and surprisingly well-reviewed 1st season, the hit TV show Riverdale is coming back! The new teen drama, based off of the old 1940’s Archie Comics, first aired in January of 2017 and was added to Netflix in May of the same year. It has now been renewed for a second season, and the cast is revealing all sorts of spoilers.

The first season marked a special occasion: Cole Sprouse's return to acting. He last played Cody Martin on the Disney channel show "Suite Life on Deck." His newest character is the center of teen girl obsession. Jughead Jones is a Holden Caulfield-like rebel whose world changes when he meets the love of his life, Betty Cooper. The TV couple have such good chemistry that fans believe the actors portraying them are secretly dating in real life.

The show follows a group of high school students facing regular teen issues: grades, which boy to date, and the unsolved murder of Jason Blossom—you know, just your everyday kind of problems. The cast is considered by most to be the best part of the show. Usually, when a teen TV show has all 20 and 30 year olds playing high school freshmen, the viewers lose interest. But not in this case.

The first season was action-packed with pedophile teachers, shootouts, and, of course, dinner at Pop's choc-lit Diner. Riverdale is a show guaranteed to always keep you on the edge of your seat and to keep you swooning over the myriad of extremely attractive boys in the cast. Season 2 airs on October 11th—we can't wait to see what they have in store.

NFL Week Three Summary

by Josh Golden

This week of the NFL season was by far the most exciting one so far, between the overseas action, political conflicts, crazy upsets, overtime thrillers, and more.

To start off, Sunday, the Ravens faced off with the Jaguars in London, a game in which the Jaguars destroyed Baltimore 44-7. However, the headline from this game wasn’t the actual game—it was the national anthem. In response to President Trump’s comments about Kaepernick’s boycott of the national anthem, many people from both organizations kneeled and locked arms during the anthem, including Jaguars owner Shad Khan.

In Sunday’s early slate of games, upsets were common, with the Bears defeating the Steelers in overtime 23-17, BIlls beating the Broncos 26-16, Saints beating the Panthers 34-13, and Jets beating the Dolphins 20-6. Along with these upsets, the Patriots survived a close call at home against the Texans via a spectacular drive with two minutes left, engineered by Tom Brady, and poor clock management by the Texans and rookie quarterback Deshaun Watson. Additionally, the Falcons survived a scare in Detroit due to a last second touchdown that was overturned, making Atlanta the only remaining undefeated team in the NFC.

In the late games, the Chargers lost 24-10 to the Chiefs, thanks to a big day from Kansas City’s rookie sensation Kareem Hunt. This loss dropped the Chargers to 0-3, making them one of five winless teams in the league and three games back in the division to the Chiefs, the only remaining undefeated team in the NFC. Also, the Packers survived an overtime scare to the Bengals at home thanks to Aaron Rodgers finding Geronimo Allison for 73 yards in overtime on a play where the Packers forced an offsides penalty on Cincinnati. In the third and final late game, the Titans defeated the Seahawks 33-27 despite Russell Wilson breaking his career record for passing yards. However, the story of this game was once again the National Anthem. Along with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tennessee and Seattle decided to avoid the controversy of the anthem and remain in the locker room as one unified team. In an interview with CBS Sports, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin justified his decision by saying “we’re not going to be divided by anything said by anyone” and “people shouldn’t have to choose” if they should participate in the anthem.

In the night game, the Redskins defeated the Raiders 27-10 to cap off a spectacular day in the National Football League. Next week will consist of classic rivalries, winless battles, discussions of protests of the anthem, and more.

Will Penny Pull the Votes?

by Noah Gaines

Rashaad Penny is thriving at San Diego State, racking up yardage left and right, resulting in 7.9 yards per carry and 8 total touchdowns. He draws up favorably to fellow San Diego State running back, Marshall Faulk. Faulk is the all-time leading rusher at San Diego State, widely considered to be one of the best running backs in pro football history and elected into the pro football hall of fame in 2011. Penny’s numbers are on track to match Faulk’s senior season marks, which placed him very close to winning the grand daddy of them all—the Heisman trophy.

In college football, there are five main conferences in which colleges are grouped together to compete: the SEC (Southeastern Conference), ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference), Pac 12 (Pacific 12), Big 10 (which is in the northern and partially midwest U.S.), and the Big 12 (which is midwest and southern U.S). The Aztec football team is not in any one of these conferences. Generally, these five power conferences provide the best competition to test the team’s skill against various difficult teams. Because the Aztecs are not within one of the five power conferences, they have been known as an outlier of sorts. This outlier has costed many players national recognition, which is significant because the players win national awards based off national attention and voting. If a team can’t even partake in one of five power conferences, how are they going to pull in votes for their players and their team?

You’re probably wondering: what does this have to do with Rashaad Penny and Marshall Faulk? Well, this exact scenario occurred multiple times, most notably about 25 years ago. Marshall Faulk was an outstanding running back in college, he was as good as—or maybe better than—Penny is at the moment. He was a Heisman finalist; the Heisman is given to the best player in the country for three straight years. To be a Heisman finalist, you need to be one of the top three performing players in the country during the football season. Faulk was a finalist in 1990, 1991 and 1992. His biggest Heisman snub came in 1992, when he was runner-up to Florida quarterback, Gino Torretta. Faulk was the better player according to everyone who studied him as a player and watches the game. The Heisman is widely disputed and for good reason: the Heisman winner is selected based off popular vote. Florida is one of the schools in the power five conferences. They’re in the SEC, so Gino got the leg up on Faulk do to this. This is known as the worst Heisman result in the history of the award because better talent did not ultimately win.

If Rashaad Penny keeps performing at this rate and is selected to be one of the finalists for the Heisman trophy, it would be interesting to see if he pulls in the votes.

An Extraordinary Find

by Audrey Hsu

Extraordinary desserts is a small restaurant made just for dessert enthusiasts located on the very outskirts of downtown San Diego’s Little Italy. The surrounding area is packed with tiny, glowing, modern bars teeming with mingling adults, and cars are lined bumper to bumper because street parking is mandatory in most downtown cities. There is a large rustic gray door centered in between large glass panels, which allow the area to emit a vivid warmth of promising colors. Stepping inside, your sensory details are immediately invaded by rich chocolatey scents floating from behind the lit glass counters encasing many displays of decadent cakes and piles upon piles of thick nut riddled cookies. A platter right in the center of the cakes is filled with perfect spiral shaped macaroons, golden brown dusted with bits of toasted coconut. Varieties of brownies, cheesecakes, bread puddings, and layers of unknown cake combinations are topped with fresh berries and dusted gold. It was a stunning view for a sweet addict like me, and I got a chill up my spine just from looking at it. Chatter in the crowd rises to the chandelier peppered high ceilings and resounds off the walls. Behind a small podium is a marble topped bar, stretching to the furthest corner of the room, as well as many dimly candlelit tables where many servers dressed in semi-formal attire mill around. Minuscule pieces of pastel-colored macaron jewelry were laid out on a white-gold embroidered plate, and artsy deco colorful wallets were on wooden wall shelves as well as several cookbooks. Interested, I picked a few up and examined them, killing time until the waitress announced our name after about a 25 minute wait.

We were led to a small table for our family of four, and we handed the waitress our well thought-out list of desserts. On the list of requested items was one cheesecake brownie, a Gianduia, coconut ice cream, a strawberry ice cream, and a decaf espresso. I took another look around at the inner half of the restaurant. Outside behind a sliding glass door was a small patio with fiery heat lanterns and couples bundled up with scarves and jackets. A horde of college students were gleefully celebrating a birthday at the back of the large ballroom-like room, and older couples sat together slowly drinking various kinds of coffees, wines, and teas, with their desserts. Looking down at the long menu with rows of small gold script, there was an overwhelming amount of uncommon teas, coffees, and inventions between them. Small platters of cheese with fruit were available, and simple cafe food, like salads, sandwiches, and soups. Our food came in about ten minutes within ordering and our waitress, while being extremely busy with many other tables, was courteous and on par with everything. My first bite of the cheesecake brownie was an unexpected burst of chocolaty moist goodness with hints of cheesecake. Neither flavor overpowered the other, and overall effect was unique, but not too unusual. I took a bit out of the Gianduia, and rich dark and milk chocolate swirled around in my mouth along with crunchy glazed bits of hazelnuts. The amount of sweetness of both desserts were too much for my parents and sister, who did not eat any more than a few bites and washed the taste down with coffee and tea.

Overall the ambiance had a charming, rustic, and warm feel. They have a few neat offers such as English breakfast for Sunday mornings and happy hour dessert buffets for a set price. I have almost no complaints but that the handmade ice creams, (pistachio and vanilla) that we ordered were unavailable because they were sold out. Of the 20-something flavors of ice creams, about 80% were sold out, except for chocolate and coconut. The service was okay, nothing much to complain about, since we got all our desserts on time, so it might be a little nit-picky to say that they are short-staffed by a person or two. This comment is only because she did not have time to check on whether we were doing okay halfway through our food. I did not try their food dishes, but many people ordered and recommended grilled panini and sandwiches in other reviews. Most of the desserts were slightly overpriced, and an average slice of cake was about $6-8. At least for a dessert fan like me, I thought it was a fair price for the heavenly taste! The restaurant also includes many gluten free and vegan desserts and foods which is a definite plus. Overall I am delighted with finding such an ‘extraordinary’ restaurant and will be going back to try their many other selections.