the forge, volume 101, issue 8

June 5, 2015Volume 101, Issue 8 [email protected]

THE SBHS

FORGE

What’s Inside?

Sports: Season recaps for all sportsCenterspread: Top artists at SBHS

News: Goodbye class of 2015!

thesbhsforge.com

Once a Don Always a Don: Late principal remembers his school in a big way

College can be the golden ticket to a more rewarding and better-

paying job, yet it can take a pot of gold to pay for all its expenses. For 50 stunned SBHS seniors, however, paying the bill for high education just got a little easier. This year the SBHS Alumni Association gave out 50 scholarships, each worth $1000, but in a surprise, a remarkable benefactor matched the scholarship with an additional $1000.

The extra money came from the Claud Hardesty Scholarship Foundation. The foundation was created this year by an “extremely generous gift” from Claud Hardesty, who reigned over SBHS as principal from 1957 to 1970. The new foundation will distribute funds to SBHS seniors each year from now into “perpetuity,” according to Alumni Association vice president Tim Putz.

David Zevallos, one of the recipients of the scholarship, was deeply thankful and impacted by this gift. “It was really amazing, my dad started crying tears of joy and I felt very proud of my school.”

Another recipient, Mathew Prado, stated “I was very appreciative when I found out that I received a scholarship from the Alumni Association and Mr. Hardesty. It lightened my financial burden and will help many students future students get to college.”

“His sizeable gift will ensure that many of our Dons will benefit from his extremely generous and gracious bequest for many years to come!” notes the Alumni Association.

A principal for 23 years, Mr. Hardesty lived until 103 and passed away in 2012. The alumni association reports that Mr. Hardesty had no family but always felt that each generation of Dons was part of his extended family.

While principal, Hardesty was known for his fancy western fashion, wearing a cowboy hat in the school olive and gold colors along with boots and bolo tie. Mr. Hardesty’s school spirit was so strong that he attended every Dons’ football and basketball game until the ripe old age of 102, cheering for ‘his’ team.

Edoardo KaplanManaging Editor

Goodbye to the Class of 2015! We wish you the best of luck in whatever you choose to pursue in the future.Photo courtesy of Jonathan Little (Roberts Photography)

My freshman year, we hosted a foreign exchange student from Germany--Ole Peters--who was a Junior at the time. Every day he would come home fixated on some new aspect of American high school that had amazed him during the school day. He first remarked how refreshing it was to have students of all skill sets, academic levels, and interests in one high school. He told me that the European model for high school divides students into specialized schools soon after junior high. Initially I thought this sounded like a pretty cool concept, however, Ole was quick to point out its shortcomings, and what he saw as advantages of our American system. In Europe, typically there are classical, scientific, musical, and vocation-specific high schools, which holds the downside of splitting students up into specific cohorts which rarely intermingle.

Adding to this, few European high schools fielded sports teams of any sort, nor did they require community service, or offer such diverse electives as student government or journalism. Above all, however, he noted that the concept of “school spirit” was a completely foreign concept to him personally. It was something he had seen in movies, but that, at the high school level, was a distinctly

American construct. Needless to say, he was quickly smitten with SBHS. He was fair, however and noted that neither of our two systems of schooling were, per say, any “better” or more successful than the other, but simply that they were very different.

And therein lies what I believe to be the beauty of our high school experience. Our standards of raging school spirit, fantastic sports teams, extracurricularly activity, and community involvement are unlike those of any other place in the world. Add in Santa Barbara High School’s specific tradition of school pride and excellence, and hopefully we begin to see why we, as the class of 2015, really should appreciate this place we’ve called home for the last four years.

Whether you’ve bought into the “school pride” game or not over these last four years, there is no denying it has helped shaped the high school experience for us all. Whether you believe our class was a spirited, or a drab bunch, there is no denying that our school events have done far more work to unite 2,300 teenagers than it has to divide them. Every test we ace, game we win, and event we put on, immediately impacts and invigorates our local community. When our basketball, or tennis teams go to state, our community gets behind them. When we put on a great theatre production our

community comes to watch. And when we all finally decide what and where we are going next year, our community gets to pat itself on the back and say “Yea, I had a hand in that”.

And so I would like to say thank you. Thank you for joining the scream team, for coming to dances, and for getting excited at Pep Rallies. Thank you for painting the cow, for explaining that a “Don” is an honorific Spanish title of a leader, and for saying “Olive and Gold” instead of “green and yellow”. Thank you for treating DP with friendly though patronizing disdain, and thank you for hating SM. Thank you for being dedicated to the activities you are involved in; the hard work you have put into your area of expertise has enriched the high school experience for all those around you.

You are not graduating from high school, but from “The High School”.

June 10th, let’s meet on the 50 yard line one last time. This time no facepaint.

P.S. Our Senior gift is a brand new cut marble sign at the Canon Perdido entrance to the school. Go us.

Sincerely, William BelfioreAssociated Student Body President

2014-2015

To the last class to walk down “The Hill” into “the stadium” as we know it. To the Class of 2015

Say goodbye to the Class of 2015!

News

A look to the future from next year’s ASB officers

A look back from your ASB seniorsHey Santa Barbara High School, David

Zevallos and Zachary Parent here, this year’s Pep and Rally. Last September we set out to accomplish one thing this school year: raise school spirit. Fortunately for us, you guys totally jumped on the bandwagon, and we’ve seen a resurgence of Don’s tradition unrivaled by any year in recent memory. We’ve had a few struggles putting on great student events, but these challenges have made our multitude of successes this year all the sweeter. It is thanks to the student body’s willingness to try new activities while continuing to support and revive old traditions that this year really has been one for the books. Cows were painted, crowds were pumped, and games were won.

Few victories would have been possible without the wonderful student body and our extremely involved Senior Class.

Zach and I now leave the school in the greasy, but soft hands of the entrancing Connor Egan and eye-popping Will Beightol as. These boys are some of the most professional, qualified, and above all, spirited students we know. They’re prepared to tick up the torch and represent at every game, spend countless hours preparing for their moments in the spotlight, and conquer each and every daunting task that will present itself. Pep and Rally is not simply a two man show, however. Connor and Will may be the ring leaders, but they will require a bonafide circus of passionate, wild and untamable students to bring the next generation of Dons up right. I encourage you to join in their coming army of festive, hell-raising students. I believe in the future of Santa Barbara High School, I believe in Pep and Rally, I believe in being a Don, and I

believe that we will win. To the class of 2015, we thank you

for allowing us to take the helm on this voyage through the olive and gold seas. To the underclassmen and seniors-of-years-future, we need you to step up, and continue to ride along the old trail of us, and all Dons who have come before. To Connor and Will, we wish you the best of luck and remind you that no feat is too large to accomplish, no student is too small to be included. You got this! Zach and I are forever thankful for the support and spirit that the administration, teachers and - above all - students have shown us this year. We made it.

Thank you Santa Barbara High School#thedreamOnce a Don, Always a DonZachary Parent ‘15 (Pep)David Zevallos ‘15 (Rally)

Hi my name is Pablo Gatica. I know I will forever be proud of my beginnings as a Don and will always remember the wonderful memories I have made here over the last four years. It is crucial that each of us find our niche in high school--that activity or group of people that makes us truly happy and fulfilled during this period of growing up. For me, this community of people was ASB. Joining ASB truly opened my eyes to all the wacky and unbelievable opportunities that this school had to offer. My high school experience was not always this way, but thankfully I found my place and now I feel I will always be able to look on my years in high school and smile. Even more importantly than learning your subjects in

class, it is my sincere hope that you feel you can say the same about high school that I can, when your time here draws to a close.

We can all relate to being scared on the first day of school. I remember the anxiety of not knowing whether I’d find my friends in the crowd and the stress of just trying to stay calm around so many unfamiliar faces. Freshman year seemed like it would never end and now that we seniors are graduating, senior year is something that I can’t believe will be over in a matter of days. I am not ashamed to say that I’ve messed up on my journey to graduation. Grades, attendance, organization, relationships: these are all things we have to deal with. I think I’ll

manage to pull through in the end, and so will you.

Looking back on this year, I’m going to miss walking into the ASB room, seeing all my friends, and being part of the students who really made a difference at the school. I’ll miss the hassles of organizing the Homecoming assembly, choreographing the Winter Formal Prince’s dance, and most of all planning our senior prom! As we prepare to say goodbye to adolescence, and our high school experience comes to an end, it is my sincerest wish that we can always look back on the good old days at Santa Barbara High!

Once A Don Always A Don!Sincerely, Pablo Gatica Senior Class VP ‘15

What’s up team, this is Sean Babcock. I’m looking to make this next year super fun for everyone, with a load of cool, new, and improved ideas for school events. I want to try to increase attendance at all activities, whether they be sporting events, school performances, or lunchtime events. In terms of specific happenings at our school, I really like what went down this year with the casual dances and

dodgeball tournament, and I want to build off those ideas for next year. I also want to implement some completely new events such as a Class Olympics competition and a day of Puppies in the Quad. I think this year was pretty awesome (big thanks to William Belfiore), but next year can be even better by improving our school spirit and the feeling of support and community at Santa Barbara High. My first three years

at this school have been unforgettable, I love it here, and I’m so stoked to serve the school as ASB President. It will be tons of fun, and I will put great effort into helping our school to be the best it can be.

#checkshrek2k15Until next year!Sean Babcock A.S.B. President ‘16

Hey! My name is Lily A. McIntyre (the second), next year’s Senior Class President. I was told to write about how epic this next school year is going to be, so here I am.

As Senior Class President I plan to make our senior year legen (wait for it) dary by using the best resource ASB has--all of you. It’s about time we step outside of our comfort zones and just go all out with the many great ideas we have yet to

embrace. Even if events ultimately fail, we at the very least made an effort. I’m sure you have all taken notice of the huge increase in spirit this year, and this is due to the fact that our student body is engaging and growing closer through these new activities. As seniors, we will need to keep up the standard for spirit and pride; let’s leave a legacy that is nearly impossible for our juniors to live up to. I look forward to the many memories that are in store for us

this upcoming school year. Whether they be made at a sold out game, a stellar play, or one of the dances, I can guarantee our experiences will exceed all expectations. Here’s to our final year at SBHS, class of 2016. It’s up to us to make the most of it.

#SMwho?Sincerely yours,Lily McIntyreSenior Class President ‘16

Hello Santa Barbara High School, this is Ben Zevallos. With the end of the year in sight, AP tests behind us, and finals slowly approaching, you underclassmen are most likely wondering what the year of 2016 holds for us. What will be different? What will be better? This past year has been quite a ride indeed. Between the dodgeball tournament, tailgate, student auction, and casual dances, many new and improved events have been introduced to the student

body here at SBHS. All returning students should expect nothing less next year. This past year has proven that the spirit emanating from the students and faculty at Santa Barbara High cannot be compared to any other high school community.

As a representative for my class, I’ll strive to constantly reinvigorate the juniors, as well as the whole school, with school pride. Through dances such as dollar ragers, Winter Formal, and sporting

events that are typically poorly attended (I’m looking at you tennis/track/water polo/wrestling) we’ll keep up this year’s momentum, and push to include more students than ever next year.

Thank you for choosing me to represent the Junior Class. I’ll see you all next year.

#chocomilkSincerely,Ben ZevallosJunior Class President ‘17

June 5, 20152

Editors

Emma CisekTyler GreenwaldEditors-in-Chief

Nicola FreelandLayout Editor

Edoardo Kaplan Managing Editor

Website Editor

Marianna AlevraNews Editor

Gabriel RealiNick Blondell

Entertainment Editors

Blake DeVineSports Editor

Beau LettieriWebsite Editor

Chris GuldenOpinion Editor

staff rEportErs

Emmanuel GonzalezMark Gross

Alonso MartinezAlyssa MendiblesLizzie Saunders

Sarina WassermanMitzi De La LuzEvelin Cervantes

Alexis Gaytan

ContributorsDavid ZevallosOlivia Harris

Pheobe Mullen

CartoonistsFrances and TessKieran Meaney

advisor

Otto Layman

Staff

The ForgeRoom 31, 700 E. Anapamu St.

Santa Barbara, CA 93103

805.966.9101 ex. 5031

News

Santa Barbara High School’s Top Department Dons

Top row from left: Saul Nadis, Caroline Andersen, Lexy Gulden, Jake Sutton, Edoardo Kaplan, Brooke McGill, Amara Teague, Leslie Perez, Pablo Gatica,

Jackie Cabral, Patrick HallBottom row from left: Megan Hendersen, Daisy O’Mahoney, Christain Loza,

Emma Cisek, Claire Casey, Kendall Christiansen, Spencer Glesby, Aaron Linker, Karina Portugal, Jenny Rojas, Francesca Giraldo, Amazing Llanos,

Jose Cruz

Santa Barbara High School’s Distinguished Dons

Top row from left: Ruben Prado, Jake Sutton, Matthew Jimenez, Andrew Guittierez, Jackie Cabral, Max Mercurio, Jenny Rojas, Jessie Moore, Alessio

MorelloBottom row from left: William Belfiore, Rachaell Diaz, Lindsey DePledge,

Nicole Morgan, Karina Portugal, Talia Vestal, Alessandra Taconelli, Sareena Hunt, Hana Antrim

Not pictured: Jenry Almengor, Spencer Glesby, Zach Parent, Berenice Ruiz, Diego Tapia

Letter from the editor: Farewell to The Forge It is Wednesday

night. I’m typing this in between takes of my

friend’s video project of which I’m a lead character. Tomorrow morning I have to wake up at 6am to sign up for the classes I’ll be taking in college next year. After that I will go to school where I’ll then go to the junior high to give a presentation with my biology class, and then I’ll come back to the high school and skip the rest of my classes while I sit alone in The Forge classroom frantically putting together the last pieces of this newspaper before it is sent away to be printed over night and delivered early Friday morning. Finally, a break, right? Wrong. Friday morning I’ll come to school early to start distributing the newspapers, if I’m lucky I’ll only be 15 minutes late to my first period (sorry Throop). This is the part where I get a break. But only for periods 2 through 4 because right after English I’ll plop myself on a bus with the rest of my senior class and we’ll be zipped off to Disneyland as we’ll attempt to stay awake for the next

12 hours. Ladies and gentlemen, the life of Emma Cisek, Editor-in-Chief.

This is probably much like the lives of many of my fellow seniors, but we finally made it, and although I may not say it as eloquently as others who have writing on these pages today, it has been amazing. High school, and senior year in particular, has been insane, and it would not have been the same if I hadn’t joined The Forge that fateful August day of sophomore year.

Being a member of The Forge not only taught me about journalistic writing, responsibility, and our community, but it gave me a place where I belonged. It opened my eyes to the endless opinions of others, and it allowed me to interact with students as well as adults that I wouldn’t have been in touch with otherwise. Being in The Forge brought meaning to high school, allowing me to break away from the usual routine of required academic classes and explore a new facet of the world that not everybody has the privilege to see. While it was chaotic at times (most times, actually), The Forge gave me

Emma CisekEditor-in-Chief

To those graduating -and those who’ve helped along the wayMakala HieshimaContributor

240 credits. That’s one thing that all of the students here today

have in common. We’ve earned those 240 credits, passed the CAHSEE in both Math and English, and completed 60 hours of community service. We’ve turned in our library books—and been fined for mysterious water stains we claimed to know nothing about (it was ice cream), we’ve been satisfactory citizens, and we’ve cut classes less than 35 times this semester.

However, while we share the completion of those core graduation requirements, we also come from a variety of backgrounds. Each of the students in my class has a

different story. All have endured their own struggles, and have experienced their own triumphs. Today, we’re gathered here to celebrate these accomplishments, and look forward to those to come.

On another note—from the knowledge that the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell, to the importance of staying awake in class, I’ve learned extremely valuable life lessons in each of my classes at SBHS. Thus, I would like to thank my amazing professors for preparing me for nearly any problem the future will bring. I’d especially like to thank Ms. Woods, for her exceptional instruction in all things Physics. I’d also like to give a shoutout to Mr. Todd. Whenever I would ask for help

structure, and while creeping deadlines drove me insane, the repetitive movements of formatting the paper acted as my therapy. Of course there was frustration, arguments, mistakes, yelling, tears, etc., but looking back, I loved it all and I am so lucky to have been able to participate.

Now, we all know that this experience would not have been possible without the help of a few people so I would like to take some time to thank them. First, I would like to thank a few people who made my first couple years in The Forge make me want to stay forever. Stephanie Rivera, Emma Deardorff, Matthew Wallock, Mian Laurain, and Sandy Campbell; whether you’re reading this or not, thank you. You were the ones who introduced me to journalism and made it enjoyable enough that I stayed for the rest of high school. You guys were my teachers and mentors and always encouraged me to strive for something better and because of you guys I will probably always be working to be the best. I would also like to thank Otto Layman, who so kindly took over as

advisor of The Forge last year and since then has always been so supportive and willing to put up with my shenanigans. He allowed, and often encouraged, me and the rest of the class to push the boundaries with our writing, so much so that we sometimes broke them, but it was worth it. And thank you to my staff, the ever fluctuating group of writers, photographers, editors, and artists that have contributed their time and creative energy into the paper even when I had to force it out of them myself; to those of you who will continue as members of The Forge next year: good luck, you are going to crush it. I am leaving this paper in your very capable hands and while at times it might seem like it’s all circling the drain, just remember that you’ve never created a paper so bad that you actually had to throw the whole printed batch away and start again. To SBHS students, staff, alumni, community members, family and friends: thank you for your endless support, feedback, contributions. To The Forge: thank you, you gave a scrawny, angsty, teenage girl a voice.

on a calculus question, Mr. Todd would always answer, “yes,” and then walk away. The consistency of his teachings was very refreshing.

I’d also like to take a quick moment to recognize a certain student who is here in our hearts.

Gracie Fisher was the 101st patient under the age of eighteen to be diagnosed with acute flaccid myelitis. As a community, we’ve run laps around the SM track, nominated her for prom princess, and been inspired daily by her strength and resilience. A few weeks ago, I asked Gracie what advice she would give us if she were to give a speech at graduation—I was told that she had actually already

spent a lot of time writing a speech herself. While I’m sure she didn’t mean to teach me a life lesson with that statement, I feel that her actions speak for themselves. When caught in a difficult situation—we must learn to keep calm, and carry on. We are now coming to a stage in our lives where things will be new, exciting, and a tiny bit scary at times, but as long as we remain unfazed by the unexpected, we are sure to go far.

Thank you so much to my classmates, professors, and parents for offering me new perspectives on life every day of my high school career. I look forward to taking on the world with all of you. Congratulations.

3June 5, 2015

Opinion

Things I regret about high school I have spent the last

four years of my life enrolled at Santa Barbara

High School, and I am proud to say that I will be graduating along with the senior class of 2015. I have thoroughly enjoyed myself here at SBHS; however, there are things I regret.

First and foremost, I regret not taking full advantage of the classes that I enrolled in. For example, prior to my freshman year, I completed two years of Spanish at Santa Barbara Junior High School, and in ninth grade I passed Spanish 5-6, all with A’s. Living in Southern California, the ability to fluently speak Spanish is a near-invaluable asset. However, through no fault of my language teachers’, I am unable to speak any Spanish that amounts to anything more than the most basic of sentences, which generally incorporate incorrectly conjugated verbs and mistaken nouns. As a cashier at a fast-food restaurant on lower Milpas, I frequently am uncomfortably forced into taking orders in Spanish. Although I am able to do so with commendable accuracy, it is the embarrassment from incidents like offering “purple juice” rather than orange juice to those ordering breakfast that serve as constant reminders of how much better off I would be had I actually made the

effort to really learn the material, rather than just memorize it for a test. That way, I could later benefit from the lectures that I was forced to suffer through.

To many students, the College and Career Center remains a mysterious room on campus that some have not even paid a visit to. I regret having not taken advantage of this very accessible resource until my senior year. I had struggled to complete my mandatory sixty hours of community service for lack of places to volunteer at, and it was only after serving these hours that I learned a list of organizations requesting volunteer students was publicly posted in the center. Furthermore, my seemingly fruitless search for employment would have been greatly expedited had I glanced at the board of businesses looking to hire high school students. Perhaps the College and Career Center’s most useful contribution to our students are the immeasurable benefits to one’s academic and professional careers that can be reaped from even a single meeting with those who work there. They helped me to decide which colleges to apply to and informed me of scholarship opportunities, among other things. Without a doubt, I would be much better off had I dropped by the Center earlier than I did.

Santa Barbara High School’s superb

community of outgoing students comprise the members of the sports teams and the massive variety of clubs right here at our school. When presented with such a wide range of choices that cater to just about any interest, it is puzzling that more of our students do not join clubs or try out for a sports team. Electing to spend some spare time with a group of like-minded peers who share a common goal can be very rewarding. Due to my prioritizing of other activities above school clubs and sports along with conflicts of schedule, I decided to leave the SBHS golf team after two years and to severe my brief involvement with our Robotics Club. In retrospect, these were regrettable actions as I will likely never get the opportunity to experience memberships to such a unique breed of groups again.

I asked several other Santa Barbara High School students what they regret about high school. One student answered, “I regret getting caught cheating on a vocab test by using my phone a few years ago, because I was not allowed to bring my phone back on campus for the rest of the year, and it certainly affected my college acceptances”. Interestingly, this student regrets “getting caught cheating” rather than “cheating because it is a dishonest thing to do”. Some students may never

learn. Other answers included “not going to

enough football games”, “that I stopped playing my instrument when I reached high school”, as well as lower quality responses such as, “being truant too infrequently”, “having to show up”, and “that it lasted this long”. One senior stated that she regrets “not getting drunk often enough during my freshman, sophomore and junior years because I have been drinking tons more senior year to make up for it, and my life is falling apart, man.”

While I have greatly enjoyed these unforgettable last four years, there are some things that I would have done differently. It feels as if it were only yesterday that I was a freshman here, and seeing how time really does fly by so quickly only compounds my feelings of remorse resulting from the easily avoidable mistakes that I have made over my past years here. I can only urge my younger classmates to live life to the fullest and take advantage of everything that Santa Barbara High School has to offer while you can, because you will be graduating before you know it and we only get one high school experience as students.

Chris GuldenOpinion Editor

If I were to speak at graduationThe end of the year

is rapidly approaching and graduation is right

around the corner for the senior class of 2015. Those chosen few who have been selected to speak to the student body at graduation will share whatever words that they have been able to come up with. As the graduating students prepare to head out into the world, they will be bombarded with speeches and advice during graduation and into the future. Some of this advice will be useful, other pieces of advice will be empty and generic clap trap. Since I myself will not speak at graduation, I will speak my piece through the school newspaper.

High school might be over, but now the the rest of your life is beginning. The road ahead is hard and treacherous, many challenges await and plenty of graduates will stumble and fall along the way. Life will not cut you any breaks and the way will be filled with suffering and failure, but man is born to struggle on, and if you push yourself to your limits and remain pure in form and mind, absolutely nothing can stop you. That’s the rub though, you have to stay responsible and determined,

and that is not what the current culture of America is.

As it currently stands, the culture of this mighty nation has become rotten to the core. It is an era of empty consumerism and corrupt social progress. Hedonism has become the focus many and too many people have fallen prey to this toxic culture, becoming self obsessed degenerates. By focusing only on ourselves we have shut ourselves off from everyone else, we have relationships with no meaning, fill our heads with garbage that the vapid media continuously pump out.

To counteract this rot, you must strive to make a difference and better yourself, without it being at the expense of others around you. You must have a strong moral center and strong values. Balance fun and work, do not have fun at the expense of others, prevent yourself from becoming addicted to anything. Never give in to pressure, fight on for what matters to you. Do not let the buzzwords and constant guilt mongering by others get you down, be proud in yourself and achieve wonders. This is your life, you are the one who must make it matter.

Mark GrossStaff Reporter

Numbers don’t define meSince the day I

entered kindergarten, I have always been

told to get good grades. It wasn’t just my teachers telling me; it was my parents, friends, family and other adult figures who would remind me much too often. Getting good grades has always been a top priority, for, without them, students (including myself) weren’t “smart.” Special privileges were not given to the boy who was failing fourth grade math, and the girl who had a bad grade in music was not given donuts at the end of the month like the rest of us. I’d always thought this wasn’t fair, but never looked more deeply into the situation. I’d think to myself, “this is how it’s always been, so the system must be good, right?” Today I say-- Wrong!

As a sophomore in highschool whose mind is constantly bombarded with thoughts of class grades, test scores, AP results, etc., I have finally come to realize that our educational system is in desperate

need of change! Grades SHOULD NOT define a student, a holistic view of each student as an individual student should. Let me tell you why.

To begin, grades (upon which they are based) are subjective and punitive. Teachers often abide by this common alphabetical grading system because they either don’t know any better or, for the majority, they are obligated to use this antiquated system. But, you see, when a student is given a F, he or she has learned nothing. Similarly, when you give a different student an A, he or she has still learned nothing! Due to this formula, students who don’t produce the grades, are looked down upon as if they are less valuable in school and even society than their higher performing counterparts. There is so much more to a student’s performance in class then what one sees on the surface. Teachers have no way of accessing students’ true potential. Shame on this artificial grading and educational system.

Sarina WassermanStaff Reporter

Editorial/Opinion Policy: While we will do everything possible to grant the greatest range of free expression to our contributors, The Editorial Staff and Faculty reserve the

right to edit for objectionable language and space constraints.

Knives and pensMy entire high

school experience can be described by a

couple songs. One of the songs is “All By Myself,” by Irving Berlin. Freshman year was a lonely year, yes I had a few friends, but I was still lonely. During lunch, I would head over to my fifth period and just sit in the room, and wait for the lunch bell to ring to start fifth period. Then school would end, and I would begin the long trek home, alone. Once home, I would do my

homework and then sit on the couch doing nothing. That was freshman year summed up.

Sophomore year can be described by “ Blessed” by Brett Dennen. I managed to find a group of friends that hated me for who I was. I first met most of them in first period P.E. From there we made stupid movie projects together in our English class. For lunch, I now had a place to be instead of my fifth period classroom. We’d usually have the same classes together, so

it was easier to know them better. I felt as though my life was blessed after I met my group of amazing friends.

Junior year was my thrill ride year. It is the best year out of my high school experience. It can be described with the song, “ Best Day of my Life” by American Authors. I was getting A’s and B’s in all of my classes, and was actually having fun being at school. First semester flew on by, and boy it was it was blast. Second semester was kind of slow but still just as

enjoyable. However, my enjoyment and happiness ended senior year.

It is senior year, time slowed down, and all I could look forward to was the end of the year. I was finally getting to leave high school, and go on to college. The song to describe this experience was, “ I’m Free” by The Who. this as my last year of high school, I felt free. I am going on to college to pursue my dream of becoming a firefighter.

Alonso MartinezStaff Reporter

June 5, 20154

Features

Comic by F&T ComicsComic by Kieran Meaney

Staff Spotlight: Mr. SandovalI recently

interviewed one of Santa Barbara

High School’s assistant principals, Mr. Sandoval. Mr. Sandoval has been working at SBHS for three years now, and his year has been his last. Mr. Sandoval says that he enjoys working at SBHS and will miss it when he leaves, “I just enjoy the people I met; teachers and families. The teachers made my job enjoyable, so did the overall community of Santa Barbara.”

We all know that there are many hard things about being in an administrative position like assistant principal, but Mr. Sandoval says the hardest thing is that “everyone needs you at one. The hardest part is that there’s not enough of me to go around to everybody. I don’t always have enough time in a day to take care of everybody. Time is management, organization is another hard part of my job, but overall the time is the hardest part.”

Next year, Mr. Sandoval will be taking over as the principal of Cleveland Elementary School and says, “I’m excited to be promoted. I’m glad I’m going to be working at a ‘feeder’ school, which basically means that the students there will be coming to SBHS one day, so I’m really fortunate that I still get to be part of the Dons tradition.”

When I asked Sandoval how he felt

about leaving SBHS, he answered, “When I found out I was leaving I thought about all the students I will be leaving behind. They announced I was the new principal at Cleveland and students came up to me asking how can I be leaving them, and who would I talk to when I have problems or issues. It was very heartwarming to hear. It really made me appreciate my job here because I knew I was making a difference in the student’s lives. I’m going to miss sporting events, the theater, the dance recitals, and all the extra things you don’t get in elementary school. I will miss all the action that happens in high school.

Mr. Sandoval said the reason he took the job at Cleveland is because, “at Cleveland 89% of the students are ELD which means they are bilingual and are not proficient in English yet, so I hope to improve their academic language so then they are ready for junior high and high school, and so the parents know what to expect and get their kids ready for college. Those are some of the things I want to work on at Cleveland.”

Mr. Sandoval said is most memorable moment here was when we was observing a class and he was sitting in one of the desks and then slowly the legs began to split apart and before he knew it he was on the ground. He said that all the students were in an uproar and it was a great laugh for all.

Evelin CervantesStaff Reporter

Over the summer, Mr. Sandoval will not only be preparing for his new job, but he will also be running summer school, so he really doesn’t have a summer vacation. However, he’ll be going to Hawaii in July to get married.

At the end of the year, we say goodbye to some good friends we might not see next year, but we will also say goodbye to an amazing assistant principal, who we are all going to miss a lot. Good luck with your new job next year!

Next year, Mr. Sandoval will begin is duties as principal at Cleveland Elementary

Photo courtesy of Evelin Cervantes

5June 5, 2015

Arts & Entertainment

The Forge’s Top Artists of 2015Julia Kupiec

Julia Kupiec is ready to take the New York film

scene by force this fall. Set to attend NYU, Julia has one very specific inspiration as a filmmaker: the indie darling director Drake Doremus, who specializes in films with improvised dialogue. She “really wants to film with the actors and communicate with them,” instead of giving them extremely detailed instruction. Currently working on a promotional video for a rising Santa Barbara artist and writing and co-directing

Alessio works on his short film, Out HerePhoto courtesy of Alessio Morello

Alessio Morello

Not many filmmakers are able to convince

marines to appear in their passion projects, let alone post-apocalyptic passion projects. However, senior Alessio Morello apparently said the magic words to Ryan Rupcich, who agreed to star in Mr. Morello’s short film Out Here. Inspired by such directors as Tarantino and Fincher, Alessio has loved film from a young age. After deciding that he wanted to become a film major relatively early (as soon as

Nick BlondellEntertainment Editor

Aaron has starred in many of the theater department’s productions over the years and has always shown incredible talent and ability to embody so many

different characters.Photo courtesy of Isaac Hernandez


Gabe Reali

Gabe has been performing since he was a

toddler. He began doing musical theater in elementary school which evolved into a passion for music. Growing up in a musical household impacted him in a big way and still channels inspiration from artists his mom would play around the house like Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, and Mariah Carey. In 9th grade, Gabe started writing music and covering songs on Youtube. He released his first fully produced music video: “Royals” his junior year and it received great feedback.

He kept his original work private until

he entered a county-wide song writing competition last year and won! Gabe said “it took (me) 15 minutes to write the lyrics and come up the melody, then another couple of hours to produce the track and put it on a CD.” This was a huge motivator for Gabe to keep writing songs and work on getting original music out. He says that “lyrics and melodies come natural to (him), and that if being a performer doesn’t work out, (he) would love to be involved in the industry in a different way like song writing or talent management.He will pursue a music minor next year at CSU Long Beach.

Julia will be pursuing film next year at NYUPhoto courtesy of Julia Kupiec

Gabe is always performing and really knows how to wow the crowdPhoto courtesy of Emilio Madrid


Aaron Linker

To say that Aaron Linker has enjoyed a great

career in SBHS’ theater program would be an understatement. After snagging the leading role of Jack in Into the Woods his freshman year, Aaron has been a mainstay on the SBHS mainstage. In fact, it was that role that made his decision early. HE wanted “to work in the theater for his whole life.” He’s not a Theatre Major

yet, but it won’t be surprising when he declares at Vassar College soon. He pulls his inspiration from the people around him, but also from a small youtube celebrity named Jeff Blim, an actor in the famous theater troupe STARKID. Aaron isn’t certain where he wants to work after college, but his dream is to continue acting while safely earning a living. It’s a daunting task, but if anyone is up to it, it’s Aaron.

the MAD senior video, which is a film that the MAD seniors create every year, Julia is set to take the video in a completely new direction. Instead of doing the standard documentary, they have written the beginning of a short film, which will end halfway through, zoom out, and give the audience a behind the scenes look at the filmmaking process. She wishes to continue making films throughout her life, but might look to specialize after college in either directing or editing.


he “entered high school,”) he’s gone on to direct several short films, including the aforementioned Out Here and the Music of the Night 2015’s hit sketch Marriage Counseling with the Wormwoods. Alessio plans to major in film production at Loyola Marymount University, one of the top 10 film schools in the country. Before he moves to LA, though, he first has to finish working on the MAD senior video, another unnamed project that he is currently writing, and a promotional video for the Zagat rated restaurant Olio E Limone.

June 5, 20156

Arts & Entertainment

Sydney Barton

Not many aspiring artists are able to work one-

on-one with their inspirations. Luckily, Sydney Barton’s inspiration was very close to home, in the form of Santa Barbara legend Phillip Van Nostrand. Sydney, who will attend the Pratt Institute this fall to major in photography, spoke very highly

The Forge’s Top Artists of 2015Liam Cetti

Liam is one of the so-called #bostoncrew2015.

That is, he’s one of the many SBHS seniors attending college in the greater Boston area this fall. However, it’s not always one of the Boston crew goes to the extremely difficult Berklee College of Music. Liam will major in either Film Scoring or Jazz


Composition, and continue to master the drums he already knows so well. He looks up to the band Snarky Puppy as inspiration, and he looks forward to college. Liam hopes to play in Broadway orchestras after graduation, or score films. Let’s just hope he doesn’t have a Whiplash experience.

Liam Cetti goofs around in the band roomPhoto courtesy of Nick Blondell


Sydney will be attending the Pratt Institute in the FallPhoto courtesy of Sydney Barton

of Mr. Van Nostrand, and added that it was a great opportunity to intern with him. As a graduate of the VADA class of ’15, Sydney has had a huge impact on this school through her art. She wishes to become a photographer for a fashion magazine after her college graduation, and we wish the best to her as she moves on down the road to New York City.

Nick Blondell

Nick broods in The Mystery of Edwin DroodPhoto courtesy of Isaac Hernandez

Since a young age, Nick Blondell has loved the arts. He’s

the only senior to appear in 8 main stage productions (as well as 4 years of Music of the Night,) but his success doesn’t end at the high school level. His role in Upstage Left’s Lysistrata as the Leader of the Female Chorus was met to great acclaim, as well as his performance in Lights Out Macbeth this March. Nick

plans on attending Gordon College in the fall, and will major in both Theater Arts and Vocal Performance. He lists the opera singer Nathan Gunn and actor James Corden as his main inspirations, because of their ability to constantly amaze. When asked about his future plans, he described several graduate degrees that he might be interested in, but an MFA in acting is what interests him most. We wish Nick the best of luck on the east coast this fall.

Emma CisekEditor-in-Chief

Chet Stussy

Chet recently had the opportunity to play with the Santa Barbara Symphony with his teacher Rudi (right of Chet)

Photo courtesy of Chet Stussy’s Facebook


Chet Stussy has huge dreams. Not holding anything

back during his interview, he laid out his plan clearly: attend New England Conservatory of Music, study with one of the greatest trombone players of all time, graduate, and win a seat in a philharmonic across the globe. Pretty heavy stuff, but it won’t be difficult for Chet after what he has accomplished in Santa Barbara. After

deciding that he wanted to make music a major part of his life sophomore year, he has since played in the Santa Barbara Youth Symphony, various SBCC ensembles, and now the Santa Barbara Symphony. When asked about working with his idol, James Markey, Chet couldn’t hold back his excitement. Well, we can’t hold back our excitement when it comes to Chet Stussy’s illustrious career.

7June 5, 2015

Features

Fall Sports RecapCross Country

This season, the Santa Barbara’s girls team finished a solid

3rd place in the Channel League. The Dons were led by sophmore Ruth Hunter, who finished with an 18:30 at the Mount Sac Invitational. The squad also got some notable contributions from junior Alice Upton, who finished with a 20:30 at the Seaside Invitational.

The Santa Barbara boys team finished in 5th place in the Channel League this season. Despite their struggles, one of the bright spots for the team was co-captain Will Walter. The junior had a personal-record time of 16:00 at Seaside Invitational while finishing in 23rd place overall. Also setting the pace for the Dons was sophomore Jared Levy, who’s best time was 17:16 at Ventura Invitational.

Blake DeVine Sports Editor

Football

Under the direction of first-year head coach JT Stone, the Santa

Barbara football team finished 4-6 overall and 1-3 in Channel League. Despite their struggles in league play, the Dons showed sparks of brilliance at times this season.

After starting off the year slowly at 0-2, Santa Barbara reeled off three straight wins over Oxnard, Rio Mesa, and Royal. During their homecoming game, the Dons suffered a brutal 44-7 homecoming loss to Ventura at Peabody Stadium.

Following this, Santa Barbara

responded with a 28-21 overtime victory on the road versus rival Dos Pueblos. After a road loss to Buena, the Dons fell to the Royals 27-20 in perhaps the most entertaining Big Game is recent memory.

Santa Barbara was led on defense by senior cornerback Russel Enholm who was an All-Channel League first-team selection. Also making a notable impact on defense was defensive back Alex Guadarrama and linebackers Victor Garcia and Carter Soto. On offense, Santa Barbara was led by wideout Danny Vallin, quarterback Brent Peus, and running back Victor Garcia.


Girl’s Tennis

Once again this season, the Dons captured another Channel League title

while posting an impressive record of 20-7 overall, 8-0 league. Santa Barbara graduated an impressive class of seniors that included the likes of Madison Hale, Mattea Kilstofte, and Summer Garrison. This season marked the end of Greg Tebbe’s run as coach of the girls team.

After going undefeated in league play, the Dons reeled off victories over Brentwood, Harvard-Westlake, and Mira Costa in the Division 1 CIF playoffs. In

the semifinals, Santa Barbara was defeated 12-6 at the hands of University. Following this, the squad defeated Granada Hills in the CIF Southern Regional Championships before being knocked out by Torrey Pines.

The tandem of Kilstofte and Hale claimed the Channel League doubles championship. Later on, the dynamic duo finished as runners-up in the CIF-Southern Section individual tennis tournament. In singles play, Garrison finished as runner-up in the Channel League singles championship before reaching the round of 16 in the CIF Individual Tournament.


Girl’s Volleyball

This year, Santa Barbara (17-13 overall, 5-3 league) earned a share of the

league championship with San Marcos and Ventura. After defeating Canyon, the Dons reached the second round of the CIF Division 1A girls volleyball playoffs. In the second round, the squad was defeated in four sets by top-seeded Aliso Niguel.

After opening Channel League play with a sweep over crosstown rival San Marcos, Santa Barbara improved it’s record to 9-3 overall. Following the victory over the Royals, four players

on the Dons were handed three-match suspensions for violating the school’s conduct code. During their suspensions, the squad struggled while losing two of three league matches.

Meanwhile, Santa Barbara battled back to win three of their final four league matches. However, the team’s moral and the early season swagger was never quite regained by season’s end. The Dons were led this season by Lourda Weger, who was a first team All-Channel League selection.


June 5, 20158

Sports

Fall Sports RecapGirl’s Golf Boy’s Waterpolo

The Dons (0-5 league) suffered through a tough season, finishing in last

place in the Channel League. This could be expected from a team which fielded five new golfers this year.

Santa Barbara was led by Jade Allmon, who consistently led the squad in scoring throughout the season. The sophomore sensation shot a 54 twice this year at both Montecito Country Club and Victoria Lakes golf course. Likewise,

sophomore Riley Bigger contributed solidly to the Dons throughout the season. Bigger shot a score of 60 at three different times this year.

Santa Barbara’s best team score was during a 280-302 loss to Santa Ynez at Montecito Country Club. Another solid team effort was during a defeat at the hands of Ventura, when the squad shot an overall score of 303 at the Buenaventura golf course.


Despite a roster full of young sophomores, Santa Barbara (16-13,

3-6 league) fought valiantly against a very challenging Channel League this season. The Dons had to fulfill many holes on a team which lost some quality players from last year. While battling many obstacles, the squad was able to find success at times with a younger core of players.

Santa Barbara was led by sophomore right winger Sawyer Rhodes, who scored an incredible 91 goals for the


team this season. Also having big impact for the Dons was Chris Bartholomew, who guided the squad with his senior leadership. Other notable players included sophomores Adam Gross, Jack Rottman and Chris Gaffney.

Although Santa Barbara started off the season with a non-league record of 12-6 overall, the team could never fend off the powerhouse teams in the Channel League. The Dons went 0-4 against cross-town rivals Dos Pueblos and San Marcos on the year.

Winter Sports RecapBoy’s Soccer Girl’s Soccer

The Nosotros (17-5-4 overall, 6-2 league) claimed second place in

the Channel League this season. Earlier this year, Santa Barbara finished as a semifinalist in the Buena Tournament and placed 4th in the South Torrance Tournament. The team also reached the second round of the CIF Division 1 playoffs.

The Nosotros were led throughout the season by the outstanding play of goalkeeper Angel Cervantes, who posted an astounding 0.70 goals-against average and recorded nine shutouts. The senior was awarded the Channel League


Defensive MVP and selected to the All-CIF Division 1 team. Santa Barbara also got solid play from first-team Channel League selections Brandon Sanchez, Peter Ruiz, and Jorge Garcia-Torres.

In the first round of the CIF playoffs, the team defeated Redondo Union 1-0 in overtime classic. A spectacular diving header in double overtime from forward Ignacio Rendon capped off a back-and-forth defensive affair to pace the Nosotros past the Hawks. Following this, Santa Barbara was knocked out of the playoffs by Santa Margarita for the second consecutive year with a 3-1 loss.

Santa Barbara struggled this season under the direction of

first year head coaches Jill Wolf. The Dons (7-10-4 overall, 2-4-2 league) finished in 3rd place in the Channel League. Earlier this year, the squad finished as runners-up in the San Marcos Winter Classic Tournament.

Alea Hyatt led the way for Santa Barbara while tallying 7 goals and 6 assists. The sophomore was the team’s

Outstanding Offensive Player and was a first-team Channel League selection. The Dons also got notable contributions this season from Bailey Wolf, Erin Graf, and goalkeeper Katherine Hawks.

Santa Barbara faced challenges against their cross-town rivals throughout the year. The Dons lost three out of the four matches to both Dos Pueblos and San Marcos. The team’s only rivalry victory came during a 2-1 victory over the Royals at Peabody Stadium.


9June 5, 2015

Sports

Winter Sports RecapBoy’s Basketball

The Dons had one of the most successful basketball seasons

in school history. Santa Barbara (29-6 overall, 7-1 league) won the Channel League title for the third consecutive year. The squad also reached the second round of the CIF Division 2 State Tournament and were runners-up in both the SB Holiday Classic and Jim Bashore Holiday Cage Classic.

The Golden Tornadoes were led throughout the season by Bolden Brace, who averaged 20.5 points, 4.2 assists, 6.8 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game. The versatile junior was awarded the Channel League MVP and was selected to the All-

CIF Division 2A team. Santa Barbara also got solid contributions from the rest of it’s starting five, which included Max Henderson, Chris Wagonhurst, Nick Busch, and Ben Clay.

During CIF play, the Dons went on a magical run that took them through the southern section and state playoffs. In the Division 2A quarterfinal game, Santa Barbara defeated Hart 62-51 in front of a sold out crowd at J.R. Richards Gymnasium. Following this, the squad fell 61-58 at the hands Redlands East Valley. In the state playoffs, the Golden Tornadoes beat Mission Oak before being knocked out by top-seeded La Costa Canyon.


Girl’s Basketball

Santa Barbara finished in 2nd place in the Channel League

this season. The Dons (24-7 overall, 6-2 league) reached the second round of the state playoffs and the semifinals of the Division 2AA tournament. Earlier this year, the squad won the Harold Oliveira Tournament, Gold Coast Tournament, and Bryan Ayer Classic.

Amber Melgoza led the way for Santa Barbara with a phenomenal season in which she scored 1,015 points and averaged 33.5 per game. The junior

superstar was named co-Channel League MVP and selected to the All-CIF-Southern Section Division 2AA team. The Dons also got solid play throughout the year from Jada Howard, Kimberly Gebhardt, and Jocelin Petatan.

During the CIF playoffs, the team defeated Summit 89-76 in the Division 2AA quarterfinals. Santa Barbara then fell 59-54 to Redondo Union in the semifinals. In the state tourney, the Dons blew out visiting Sierra 72-40 before getting knocked out 52-31 by Mira Costa in the second round.


Spring Sports RecapBoy’s Tennis Boy’s Volleyball

Another year, another championship for the Santa Barbara

High School boys’ tennis team as the Dons plowed through the Channel League season with an 8-0 record, thus securing their 50th league title over the past 51 years. They went on to make it to the CIF playoffs but were stopped short in the second round by Northwood, having two play despite the absence of their top two players. The Dons were led by No.1 singles player Jackson Powell and

the power duo of Jordan Rodnick and Logan Lender in doubles, both of which dominated throughout the entire season. Santa Barbara was also assisted by newcomer Taggart Mills, a transfer from Santa Ynez, who added some depth to the starting lineup. Harry DeBoer and Miles Hale returned after an impressive year last year and showed their versatility with strong play in both the doubles and singles departments. The Dons closed out the season with a record of 16-6.

Tyler GreenwaldEditor-in-Chief

The Santa Barbara High School boys’ volleyball team was

able to string together a particularly experienced group of players, and the result – a channel league championship. After faltering to San Marcos in the battle for the title last year, the Dons rallied to beat the Royals twice, went undefeated,

and secured the league trophy. Santa Barbara saw stellar offensive play from Jasper Rhodes and Hayden Millington who racked up kills all season long while setter Cord Pereira facilitated the Dons’ offensive success in dishing out dimes and running the offense. Santa Barbara was knocked out in the first round of CIF playoffs.


June 5, 201510

Sports

Spring Sports RecapBoy’s Baseball Boy’s Golf

The Santa Barbara High School baseball team was unable to

prevail against Buena in the Channel League decider, but tied for the runner up position with Ventura. The Dons capped off the Channel League with a record of 7-5. Santa Barbara was excellent on the mound all season with Kevin Gowdy and

Trevor Moropolous carrying most of the pitching load. Dalton Schroeder and John Jensen were also key players for the team as well, locking down center field and third base respectively. The Dons season was put to a halt in the CIF playoff opener as they were edged out by Oxnard in a 4-3 decision on the road. The baseball team finished the season 16-12.



Junior Brandon Crane’s constant delivery on the golf

course paced the Santa Barbara High School golf team through a successful season this year. The Dons came up empty handed in Channel League but had various moments of triumph throughout the season. Despite their failure to prevail in Channel League, they finished with the spectacular record of 6-2. In early April,

Santa Barbara took home the trophy in the Lompoc Invitational Tournament. Crane medaled with a 76 and Torin Bjorklund and Preston Gomersall shot a collective 161, carding 78 and 83 respectively. The Dons also pride themselves on having defeated both of their cross-town rivals, San Marcos and Dos Pueblos. Santa Barbara wrapped up the season with an overall record of 10-7.

Swimming

Santa Barbara High School got could results from both its

girls and boys swim team this spring. The most important meet of the season was a riveting rivalry matchup against San Marcos. Despite the girls suffering a 113-70 loss, Jesse Ransone claimed a 200 freestyle race while Nina Enholm won the diving competition. In the boys department, Ben Brewer won the 200

IM and 500 freestyle. Alex Roderick took the victory in both the 200 and 100 free while Cuyler Gabriel prevailed in 100-backstroke race. Neither teams one channel league but both were very pleased with their outstanding seasons. The guys and the girls will both see a lot of good returning swimmers next seasons and are both expected to have breakout years.


The Santa Barbara High School lacrosse program moved from

simply a club to an official CIF recognized sport this year. The girls team captured its first win against Dos Pueblos in a 7-5 conclusion. They went on to overcome rival San Marcos after faltering in the first meeting between the two teams. The rematch ended in a 13-5 score that was facilitated by Bella Gniadek and Mia Barton who each tallied 4 goals on the

day. Santa Barbara capped off the season with a victory over West Ranch. The boys’ team also saw much success in league and in the rest of the regular season, their most impressive streak coming in the tail end of the year when they secured three consecutive wins over Dos Pueblos, Dunn, and Royal, respectively. Making the adjustment to a CIF sport, it was a phenomenal year for both squads and the program hopes to solicit more interest from students next year.


Lacrosse

11June 5, 2015

Sports

Forge Athlete of the Year: Amber Melgoza

The junior superstar goes up for a shot during a matchup this season

Photo courtesy of Presidio Sports

This winter season, Amber Melgoza had one of the most historically

successful years for an individual Dons athlete ever. The junior helped Santa Barbara (24-7 overall, 6-2 league) win three preseason tournaments and advance to the semifinals of the CIF-SS 2AA Division. Furthermore, the superstar averaged 33.5 points and 8.7 rebounds per game while claiming the Channel League MVP award and being named to the All-CIF Southern Section team. Other highlights of her fantastic season included breaking Holly Ford’s single-game scoring mark of 45 points with a 50-point performance in the CIF quarterfinals and becoming the Dons’ all-time career scoring leader with 2002 points. Despite all the accolades and recognition, Melgoza gives all the credit to her teammates and coaches while looking forward to next year.

What did it mean to you to break

Holly Ford’s single-game scoring mark and become Santa Barbara’s all-time career scoring leader in only three years?

I definitely give a lot of credit to my teammates and coaches. I have also worked very hard to get to the point of

being able to score so much, because it doesn’t come easy.

Despite drawing so many different defensive tactics from opposing teams throughout the year, what allowed you to score so effectively?

When it came to the CIF playoffs, teams were putting two or three defenders on me. However, every single game, my coach would have a plan for me to get open. I would attract all the players to me and then dish it out to my teammates to make threes.

What were the most vital things that you took away from the success of the team during your sophomore year to better your game this season?

Before my junior year, I pretty much lived in Los Angeles all summer long with Team Taurasi. By playing on my club team, I came back as a whole new player. While becoming a team leader, I also learned that the little things in life get brought onto the court.

What has been your favorite basketball-related memory at SBHS?

Playing in the CIF Division 3AA Championship game against Lake

Elsinore. They were a very tall team that was much stronger than us because we didn’t have much height that year. When the buzzer went off when we won, it was an amazing feeling to know that we were the first girls basketball team at SBHS to win a CIF championship

What are parts of your game as you still working to improve heading into next season?

I am definitely working on my defense, ball handling, and being a more aggressive player. I am also trying to become a better leader out there who can direct people on the court. I have been playing with Team Taurasi since April and we’ve already had one tournament in Virginia.

What schools have you received offers from and which are your front-runners relating to college plans?

Recently, I took unofficial tours at both UCLA and Gonzaga, which are two of my top choices. I have also talked a little bit with the coach at Oregon. So far, I have received a scholarship from every team in the Big West and West Coast Conference. Right now, I’m just focused on playing basketball in the summer but in August, I would like to assess things and commit somewhere.


7 seniors are to play at the NCAA Division 1 level next fallThis years’ Santa

Barbara High School senior class is

composed of a diverse group of athletes, 7 of which will go on to play at the Division 1 collegiate level through a variety of schools next fall. These prominent athletes include Madison Hale, Mattea Kilstofte, Russell Enholm, Lexi Rottman, Dalton Schroeder, Siena Goggia, and Cassandra Amador, each of whom will attend UC San Diego, University of Dayton, University of San Diego, UC Santa Barbara, Brown University, Concordia, and Grand Canyon University, respectively.

Fellow teammates and doubles team Madison Hale and Mattea Kilstofte will both attend top-notch universities, Hale at UC San Diego and Kilstofte at the University of Dayton.

Kilstofte and Hale won a CIF title together as freshman. This year, they came up victorious in the doubles department of Channel League individuals before making it to the championship match of the CIF Individual Tournament in Seal Beach. They later won the renowned Ojai tournament in the doubles 18’s.

“A lot of my friends are on the team so I’m going to miss them a lot. Also my coach has really helped me over the years, but the big one is definitely Maddie (Madison),” said Kilstofte. “I always play with her so having to start playing with different partners is going to be really weird.”

Now while Hale will be competing at UC San Diego, she won’t be far from football cornerback Russell Enholm as he will attend the University of San Diego. Enholm served as the catalyst of the Dons’ defense, finishing with four interceptions,

15 pass breakups, 42 tackles, and blocked a punt.

“(USD) is a great school academically so that’s definitely a big part of it,” Enholm told Presidio Sports. “I’m stoked to get to keep playing because I was just starting to get the hang of it and I thought it might have ended, but now I get to keep playing and that’s huge because I love playing.”

As opposed to the majority of her fellow classmates, Lexi Rottman is not done making her mark on the Santa Barbara volleyball community and has thus decided to take her talents to UCSB.

“I chose UCSB for many reasons,” said Rottman. “Not only because it’s a great school and I get to continue playing volleyball, but when I went on my official visit I knew it was the school for me. After meeting the team and seeing the atmosphere I knew I wanted to be a Gaucho.”

Head coach, Nicole Lantagne Welch also made some remarks in a statement released by the Gauchos, “Lexi brings depth to our setting position and strengthens the back court. She always works as hard as possible on the court, and does whatever is asked of her. Having been around volleyball her entire life, she is a great defender and really reads the game well. We love the fact that Lexi is a local product, representing the Santa Barbara community as well.”

Dalton Schroeder will attend the prestigious Brown University in the fall where he will combine his academic intelligence with his savvy skills on the baseball field. The 6’3 180 pounder played center field for the Dons and pitched occasionally. He says, “I knew I wanted to go to a really good academic school

while also playing Division 1 ball,” said Schroeder. “So the an Ivy League program seemed like the right match and I really like the coaches there. So it’s definitely going to be fun, being able to play high quality baseball while getting a good education.”

While her classmate Lexi Rottman will be tearing it up on the volleyball courts of UCSB, Cassandra Amador will be tearing up the sand at Grand Canyon University. Amador chose GCU after extensive deliberating between ait and Cal Poly, but eventually committed to GCU due to its higher caliber pay of play and elevated scholarship offer.

Amador is already preparing for this major transition from high school play to collegiate competition. “I have started

playing in open tournaments against professional volleyball players right now,” said Amador. “I am also training with Misty Mae’s trainer right now so I think I’m ready.”

Finally, Sienna Goggia will attend Concordia University for Water Polo. Goggia was a star goalkeeper for the Dons but also played volleyball and emerged into a star player who helped the Dons reach the CIF Division 1 semifinals as a junior. She plans on stepping up right away and helping Concordia in a big way on the defensive side of the ball.

These seven soon-to-be collegiate athletes will take the next step toward each one’s exciting opportunity on June 10th when they will walk at graduation.


Pictured Left to Right: Lexi Rottman, Russell Enholm, Cassandra Amador, Dalton Schroeder, Madison Hale, Siena Goggia, Mattea Kilstofte.

Photo courtesy of Presidio Sports

June 5, 201512

the forge, volume 101, issue 8

Documents