Ashley Lauber, Sophomore 

“I don’t think that it’s necessary because we already have our licenses.”

Lon Garbett, Junior

“It sounds a bit excessive because we already do classes to allow us to drive and now they want us to do a class to park.”

Jake Gordon, Senior

“I’m not going to be here next year, but that is a bummer for the grades below mine.”

Becca Tang, Freshman

“That is the worst idea I have ever heard of.”

Imagine not having to wake up at the crack of dawn to ensure a parking spot. Imagine rolling up to school and having somewhere to park, guaranteed. Imagine a CHS where parallel parking was a thing of the past.

Imagine a parking lot with hardly any cars in it?

While the new parking lot excites drivers at CHS, the requirements to park in the lot brings this excitement to a screeching halt.

The new parking lot will have 400 spaces, and after accounting for the staff, 300 will be available for student use. However, for students to be eligible to park in one of these spaces, both the student and their parent or guardian must attend a Smart Start class at the CAC.

According to the flier on School Loop, topics covered by a Smart Start class create “awareness of possible consequences, both financial and physical, of distracted or impaired driving, and provides applicable information about collision prevention.”

Many students do not see the point in this class, claiming the class teaches the same thing already learned through months of Drivers Education.

Unfortunately, many students only see one side—their side—and fail to consider the benefits of taking a course that greatly differs from Drivers Ed. While a two hour class deters most students, those who have already taken the course often regard it highly.

Who has taken it, though? The entire San Dieguito School District, actually. While their parking policies do not match ours exactly, the class is mandatory, and has been for the past year.

Students who took the class last year say it was very little like Drivers Ed. While Drivers Education brushes on the subject of the consequences of reckless and distracted driving, Smart Start focuses on the physical and emotional repercussions of collisions. And, let’s be frank, teenagers are not the best drivers.

The class will open the eyes of student drivers to the dangers of collisions, and should be mandated to all students who wish to drive themselves to school, not just those who want to utilize the new parking lot.

Administrators’ only concern by mandating the Smart Start course is safety. Considering that 66% of ALL fatal accidents occur with teenagers–despite the fact that teen drivers constitute only 4% of all the drivers in California–measures can always be taken to make teen driving safer.

In the San Dieguito District, students must take the class every year to renew their permit, which seems a bit excessive. Students should take the class only once to receive their permit and in their first year of driving for the most dramatic, informative effect.

CHS has never required a class like Smart Start—even with the old senior lot—but Carlsbad drivers have always had a reputation as sub-par drivers (for example, the “CHS Students Suck at Parking” on Facebook with 268 “likes” and counting). Basically, Smart Start can’t hurt, only help.

A lot of teenagers need a wake-up call, anyways. Driving recklessly or while distracted can have major consequences, a concept Smart Start makes very clear.

Past attendees of Smart Start felt strongly impacted by the considerably graphic images shown during the course. In addition to images, the class also features testimonies loved ones of fatal teenage crash victims.

Smart Start teaches very important information that students should learn regardless of whether they want to use the parking lot or not.

Smart Start would make CHS safer, and who would object to that?

“Prop 8 is the idea of making it legal to make a man married to another man. I find this unconstitutional because there is matter of church and state involved,” junior Copper Wood said.  “It is unfair to bring a specific religion into the law and it accounts to all minority religion.

The court has many different reasons to back up their decision. First, Proposition 8 violates the constitution; Article IV of the U.S. Constitution states that “The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government.” The judges felt the proposition violated this portion of the constitution.

Another issue that came up is about the purpose of the proposition; many believe it was a form of hatred toward gays and lesbians.

“I believe Proposition 8 violates people’s rights because the government should not tell you who you are allowed to marry,”senior Sarah Osborn said. ” I think it is unfair and violates people’s rights. I agree with the federal court.”

Even though the panel of judges overturned the proposition, it still has many steps until it becomes law. A panel of 11 circuit judges must vote on whether to appeal the case to the Supreme Court. If the case is accepted, the Supreme Court will make a final decision.

With all of the controversy, many gay rights parades and protests for Prop 8 have been occurring across the state. Every summer, Los Angeles hosts an event called West Hollywood Gay Pride by spreading gay awareness.

“I think these parades are a great way to spread awareness,” Osborn said. ” It shows the Supreme Court that people are passionate about their rights.”

Even with all of the support Proposition 8 has, gay marriage will not be legal for a while due to the lengthy appeals process.

“I predict that gay marriage will be allowed in about five years,” government teacher Mr. Aster said.

“For me, as a captain of the team, it was a big deal. I wanted to make it something to remember because it was my last year on the team,” senior Camille Posard said.

Since the beginning of January, the dancers trained, working for five weeks before traveling to Florida to compete. Dancers had to sacrifice hanging out with friends and time they could have been doing homework for their team.

“I sacrificed much of my social life and put forth all my energy and focus towards the competition,” junior Christina Pecore said. “It was my first time on the team so I wanted to make sure I devoted all my hard work to my new teammates and Nationals.”

The UDA competition consisted of over 300 teams in various categories; teams were allowed to compete in two categories. The pressure built as the time grew closer to competing.

“I gave it my all to handle the pressure. I tried to bottle it all down and focus on the task at hand. Every time before we danced, we as a team, came together and had talks and motivational gatherings to help us focus,” sophomore Taylor Kullman said.

Winning first place in small varsity hip hop and eleventh in small varsity jazz the Lancer Dancers came home to Carlsbad feeling satisfied and accomplished. Winning Nationals in hip hop for the second year in a row, the varsity Lancer Dancers now hold the bar high for future competitors.

“I don’t know how to describe it. It was an experience of a lifetime. As cliche as that sounds I never will forget the team and competition. The feeling now is indescribable,” sophomore Hannah Webb said.

Only forty-eight when she died, Houston has left behind quite a legacy, one which includes two Emmy Awards and six Grammys as well as a number of films, most famously “The Bodyguard,” “Rogers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella” and “Waiting to Exhale.”

“Whitney Houston like many other talents was taken before her time. The impact she had on the world will never be forgotten. Her music lives in us all: now and forever,” senior Trio Harris said.

Born on Aug. 9, 1963 in Newark, New Jersey, Houston got her start singing in her church’s gospel choir and then performing with her mother in New York City nightclubs. Houston came from a show-biz family, her father an entertainment executive. While her mother Cissy Houston, cousins Dionne and Dee Dee Warwick and godmother Aretha Franklin all were notable gospel, rhythm and blues, pop and soul singers.

In the ’80s, Houston was discovered by Arista Records label head Clive Davis and asked to model for Seventeen magazine (among many others) becoming the first woman of color to grace their cover. In 1987, Houston had a total of seven consecutive hits on the US Hot 100 chart, topping both The Beatles and The Bee Gees who previously held the record with six. By the late ’80s Forbes magazine listed her as the third highest earning African American entertainer (after Bill Cosby and Eddie Murphy).

“She had one of the greatest voices of all time. And she really raised expectations for female vocalists to a new level. Whitney Houston had a huge impact on the music industry,” junior Jenna Tarantino said.

In the star’s personal life, her marriage to R&B singer Bobby Brown, the couples drug use and their erratic behavior in recent years have been highly publicized. Especially after the 2009 interview on the Oprah Winfrey show in which the star admitted she and Brown often used cocaine and marijuana. In recent years, Houston had been making strives to end her addiction to drugs.

Houston’s legacy, though, lies in her career which lasted from 1977-2012: turning out over 411 awards (earning her The Guinness Book of World Records title of music’s “most awarded female artist of all time), performances on every continent, international stardom as a singer, model and actress and true to her church upbringing, the establishment of the Whitney Houston Foundation For Children Inc., a non-profit which cares for problems such as homelessness, children with cancer and AIDS.

Houston’s private funeral will take place at the New Jersey church where the megastar performed for the very first time.

Hosted on the Del Mar Fairgrounds, the event allowed students to interact with professional educators from the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) field.  The High Tech Fair was divided into 7 sections:  Biotech, Energy and Clean Tech, Conservation and Environment, Aerospace and Engineering, HealthTech, InfoTech and Robotics.

“Most of the businesses use math applied to their industry,” math teacher Jeff Simon said.

Each division was supported by companies who shared their knowledge and products. The Conservation and Environment section included the Carlsbad Aqua farm which showed students the benefits of  domestic agricultural techniques.

“My favorite was the aqua farm,” Simon said.  “I saw a tank of sea monkeys and saw a clam swim.”

Another display was The San Diego Project Heart Beat exhibit which featured a live ambulance with medical equipment laid out.  Students watched as experts demonstrated medical procedures such as CPR and explained how to use an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) machine.

Also in the Health Tech division, Tri-City Medical Center held a interesting show about the use of technology to prevent heart attacks.

“They had stent examples used for the heart that helped pump blood,” freshman Sandra Shin said.

At the space and engineering division, students learned about the functioning of Global Positioning Systems (GPS), the design of an engine and the working of aviation equipment.

“I learned some new facts like the difference between an industrial turbine engine and a jet engine,” freshman Harper Moore said.  “The overall experience was educational and fun.”

The High Tech Fair introduced students to career choices while educating them.

“My motivation for attending was for those students who were really interested in a career, a STEM career, to get exposed to job opportunities,” Simon said.  “It’s neat to me to see them maturely interact with industry experts.”

PETA, the experts and the trainers claim that, under the 13^th amendment, slavery and involuntary servitude are illegal and find this law applicable to Seaworld’s orcas . They are fighting for the rights of these animals; however, they may be going about it in a questionable way.

“PETA is a little radical at times and it kind of turns people off to the organization –people think PETA is a bunch of crazy animal freaks,” sophomore and PETA member Ally Mason said.

While PETA did take a very questionable approach by claiming enslavement of the orcas, their real mission was to help the animals and have them released into their natural habitats.

“It seems kind of ridiculous, but they aren’t meant to be in cages. They aren’t blatantly being treated as slaves but I’d rather they didn’t keep them in enclosures,” Mason said.

In the end, the lawsuit was dismissed by a judge who stated that the 13^th amendment only applies to people and not the captive whales or any animals for that matter. Although PETA did not get to fight for the five orcas, they did bring attention to their cause.

“I don’t think the lawsuit was very productive. There was a lot of negative publicity for SeaWorld and for PETA. So, it wasn’t really worth it and they should have done something more practical,” Mason said.

While the attention may be seen as negative, PETA has said that they will continue to fight for the rights of these animals and all other animals to end their enslavement.

Some teachers know just the right amount of pressure to put on their students –a healthy amount. Additionally, they know how involved to become in directing their students toward success. However, it seems that others are unaware of how they conduct themselves when attempting to “help” students.

A positive teacher knows their boundaries while these teachers do not. Although it’s usually with the best intention, some teachers cross the line between teaching into trying to control a student’s life. They attempt to force them to take different classes, join certain clubs or push them to make decisions about their futures –all because they believe it is best for that student. But what about what the student wants?

Everyone has heard stories of teachers interrogating their students almost like they would their own child. These teachers have even been known to yell at students and reprimand them for things unrelated to academics. Now that does not seem like something a teacher should do.  A teacher is meant to teach material and life skills. It is not within the job description of a teacher to involve themselves in the events and decisions of a student’s life. Therefore, these domineering teachers are acting quite unprofessionally.

In the end, the over-involved teacher does the exact opposite of what they set out to. Sure they are trying to instruct their students, but by stepping from beyond their bounds they ultimately accomplish the opposite. Students detest these teachers and start to defy them by slacking off in their class. Often times a student will go as far as dropping the class altogether, just due to instructor’s actions.

Overbearing teachers believe what they are doing is supporting their students. However, the way a student sees it is the exact opposite. These teachers put too much pressure on students and need to step back; a teacher is there to teach, not make a student’s choices for them.

Coach Ross O’Briant’s team consists of seven seniors who have been with the program for several years. All the team’s hard work and dedication has paid off because this year they placed second in league.

“We came in and dominated [El Camino] like we have all season,” senior Jesse Orona said.

Orona lead by example scoring 24 points to El Camino’s 8 points during his 172 lb weight class dual. Senior Danny Knox also racked in 21 points wrestling in the 197 lb weight class. Stetson Galloway, Pearse Early and Manny Canals won by forfeit. Senior Charlie Rassel, weight class 222lbs, pinned his opponent in 37 seconds.

Rassel’s wrestling career started seven years ago, back in sixth grade at Valley Middle School. He gives credit to those older than him who made his wrestling career such a successful one.

He admits, although it was hard at times, he is glad he stuck with the sport through high school. His story is similar to all the other senior wrestlers.

“I had a bunch of good seniors my freshman year to kick my butt, rough me up, to get mentally and physically tough,” Russel said. “I try to do the same to my teammates.”

All the seniors serve as outstanding role models for the wrestling team’s youth. Hopefully with all the guidance from the seniors, the underclassman can continue the victorious ]wrestling legacy.

Although wrestling is not the most popular high school sporting event, the old gym was filled with more than the usual number of supporting fans on Senior Night. ASB brought out the tunnel for the seniors to walk through with their parents and Coach Ross O’Briant put together a picture slideshow.

“I am really proud of the program and how far we have come,” Orona said.

The following wrestling meet against La Costa Canyon was held on Feb. 9th, deciding who would take first place in league. Unfortunately, LCC came out lucky, beating us. The loss has fueled the team to keep improving so they can defeat LCC next year in the hopes of becoming league champions.

The biggest highlight of Teen Scene is always Battle of the Bands. Eleven different bands competed for the title of this year’s 2012 Carlsbad Battle of the Bands Champion. The stakes were high with a chance to win a day recording in Hurley’s professional recording studio, Big Bear Mountain Resort Ski Lift Tickets, paid gigs at Rock the Library concert series and more.

Each band had a fifteen minute set to play their best songs and impress the four judges. Carlsbad High School students played in a few of the entries: Glass Giant, Aquacade and Tragic Waste. With the help of the audience’s reactions, the judges decided on the winning band,  MonoMood. The audience was estatic helping the judges make their decision.

“I liked all the varitety in music from the bands. I think MonoMood was definitly my favorite, ” sophomore Heather Runzel said.

Although the bands were a big part of the night, the event also featured teens showcasing their artwork, films and photography. The art cafe was filled with a beautiful variety of artwork. The wii game Just Dance 2  was also set up for anyone who felt like picking up some new moves in the art cafe.

“I like the dancing room because its fun to learn dances and look at the art,” Lauren Robertson said.

Dance-offs are fun, but the game truck parked outside drew in a big crowd. With everything from PS3 to Xbox, the truck was popular all night with a line forming outside made of eager gamers ready to show off their skills.

People waiting outside the game truck could easily see the film festival playing outside throughout the night. The film festival had five minute shorts made by local teens that played all night.

The 2012 Teen Scene offered fun and excitement, giving every teen that attended a great way to spend the night.