Members of the Canyon Crest Music Composition Club pose for a group picture.

By Rob LeDonne

Alvin Liang has been interested in music his entire life. A junior at Canyon Crest Academy who grew up in the North County, Liang first learned to play piano about 11 years ago: “When I reached high school, I took a music composition class and realized all you could do with the technology (concerning putting together music).”

Alvin was so smitten by composition and music production that he and his friend Ozan Berlinguette decided to start up the CCA Composition Club earlier this year devoted to those disciplines.

“We try to create an environment that makes people easily create compositions and have access to really great software whenever they want,” Alvin said.

Alvin credits Canyon Crest Academy with pioneering the idea of classes devoted to composition and wanted to build on that.

“A lot of people know Canyon Crest as a unique and creative school,” Alvin said. “However, many don’t know that we’re the first school in the United States to have a Digital Composition class, a Recording Arts class, and a Digital and Audio Production and Performance class. The latter of which was new this year.”

The club, which meets one day a week and runs the gamut of students between freshmen and seniors, focuses on a variety of genres; members are free to choose their own style of music to work on.  Most work on electronic or EDM (tracks that could be played in a club), but others, such as Josh Masters, focus on jazz. Alvin likes to compose scores that could be used for video games or film, a hobby that is linked to his interest in classical music: “I found a person on YouTube who was creating his own video game and needed a score. I submitted and he chose me, so my interest has grown from there.”

Even though the club is in its first year, it’s already launched a variety of successful projects, including a music festival called CCAchella (a play on Canyon Crest and Coachella, the well-known music festival held in Indio) which, according to Alvin, “turned out to be a big success. Over 300 people came, and everyone had a lot of fun.”

In addition, the club recently produced a full CD, “The First Byte,” on sale for students that features a variety of tracks members have been working on throughout the year. Said Alvin, “We’ve been selling it in the cafeteria and from what I hear, it seems like everyone is enjoying it. Some people have commented on specific tracks they think are good, which is awesome.”

The club is advised by teacher Vikas Srivastava, an alumnus of Harvard and UCSD, who naturally happens to teach the music classes at the school as well. “He’s very knowledgeable, and several of us owe our basic knowledge to him,” said Alvin. “He’s very flexible with our projects and has a teaching style based on the belief of trying things out and experimenting. If we ever need advice, he’s always there to help us.”

Alvin, who said he’s planning on pursuing music after he graduates, is looking forward to his second and final year heading the club. “After I leave, I would definitely want this club to keep going. In this modern era, audio technology is becoming more and more accessible, and we at Canyon Crest have an advantage over other people with what we have access to.”

To listen to some of the club’s music, visit youtube.com/user/ccacompositionclub

Canyon Crest Academy 2013 Varsity Swim & Dive Team with head coach Nico Kintz and assistant coach Megan Milder.

Congratulating his student-atheletes on a great 2013 season, Canyon Crest Academy head Swim & Dive Team coach Nico Kintz said he is pleased with how the team performed during its first year as part of the Palomar League. Building on coach Nico’s seven pillars of excellence — commitment, consistency, attitude, attendance, respect, team spirit, and time management — CCA Boys Swim & Dive tied with Torrey Pines High School for second place in the league, while CCA Girls Swim & Dive took fourth. At CIF, CCA Girls Swim & Dive won third place and CCA Boys Swim & Dive won fourth place.

CCA Swim & Dive Team seniors: back row, from left to, Caiti McCallum, John Guess, Alex Chen, Marcus McCloskey, Eric Schade; front row, from left, Skylar Wiggins, Annabel Tomes, Tanner Lack, Claudia See, Ariel Vacheron

Honoring team members for their exemplary performance and dedication to the team both inside and outside the pool, coach Nico named the following individuals as Swimmers/Divers of the Week: for the week of March 18, Eric Li and David Twyman; for the week of March 25, Jolie Rasmussen, Eric Schade, and Spencer Wiggins; for the week of April 15, Leah Buford, John Guess, Carly Rasmussen, Garrett Schmid, and Annabel Tomes; and for the week of April 22, Shelby Buford, Eric Schade, and Annabel Tomes.

Highlights of the season included strong performances by team members at the Mt. Carmel Invitational back in March, with the Boys Varsity team earning a second place finish, and the Girls Varsity taking sixth overall. At the Junior Varsity Invitational, CCA Boys took second place.

Additionally, numerous records were broken by CCA swimmers and divers during the 2013 season. Swimmer Tracy Chen set new CCA records in the 200 IM and the 100 Fly. Swimmer Jolie Rasmussen established a new CCA record in the 100 Back. Swimmer Annabel Tomes earned new CCA records in the 100 Free (also a new Palomar League record) and the 200 Free, both of which were All-American consideration times. Swimmer Alex Chen set a new CCA record in the 100 Breast. Swim Eric Li earned a new CCA record in the 500 Free. Swimmer Garrett Schmid established new CCA records in the 200 Free, the 200 IM, and the 100 Back. Divers Shelby Buford and Mason Mercer also set new CCA records in the 6-Dive.

On top of all the individual records, the CCA Girls Relay team of Tracy Chen, Carly Rasmussen, Jolie Rasmussen, and Annabel Tomes set new records for CCA, the Palomar League, and Division II CIF competition in the 200 Free Relay, and for CCA and CIF Division II the 200 Medley Relay, garnering All-American consideration times for both events. The Boys 400 Free Relay team of John Guess, Eric Schade, Garrett Schmid, and David Twyman also established a new CCA record during the 2013 season.

On May 15 and 18, the following CCA Swim & Dive Team members competed at Division II CIF semifinals and finals: Leah Buford, Shelby Buford, Tiffany Chau, Alex Chen, Tracy Chen, Rebecca Donoghue, Kyle Grozen, John Guess, Tanner Lack, Eric Li, Caiti McCallum, Liam McCallum, Marcus McCloskey, Mason Mercer, Carly Rasmussen, Jolie Rasmussen, Eric Schade, Garrett Schmid, Claudia See, Samantha Shao, Alessandro Thomson, Annabel Tomes, Josh Trissel, David Twyman, Ariel Vacheron, Spencer Wiggins, and Jonathan Zhu. Relay alternates for CIF included Robert Burklund, Raegan Correll, Gayla Hahn, Isabelle Imacseng, Colin Loyd, Claire Phinney, Gavin Rockwood, Daniel Santana, Maddie Schade, Tanvi Shah, Aaron Tsai, Skylar Wiggins, Derek Yen, and Roland Yu.

At the team banquet on May 19 at the Fairbanks Ranch Country Club, coaches Nico Kintz, Megan Milder, Jenny Waters, and Jamie Pearce honored graduating seniors, wishing them well as they embark upon their college careers in the fall, as follows: Alex Chen, Stevens Institute of Technology; John Guess, University of California, Santa Barbara; Tanner Lack, Arizona State University; Caiti McCallum, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo; Marcus McCloskey, Brigham Young University, Idaho; Eric Schade, University of California, Berkeley; Claudia See, Yale University; Annabel Tomes, U.S. Naval Academy; Ariel Vacheron, University of Connecticut; and Skylar Wiggins, Northern Arizona University.

Also at the team banquet, coach Nico gave the Varsity Coach’s Award to swimmer Marcus McCloskey, coach Megan gave her Varsity Coach’s Award to swimmer John Guess, coach Jenny gave the Junior Varsity Coach’s Award to swimmer Isaac Ortega, and coach Jamie gave her Dive Team Coach’s Award to Shelby Buford. Varsity swimmers winning the Most Improved Award included Eric Li and Tracy Chen; Most Improved Diver went to Tanner Lack. Girls Varsity 2013 MVP was awarded to swimmer Annabel Tomes, while swimmer Garrett Schmid was named Boys Varsity MVP for 2013.

Applauding the team on their increasingly competitive performance over the six years he’s been with the team, coach Nico Kintz, a two-time Olympian himself, concluded, “I got into coaching to get back into swimming, but now I am into coaching to get back into winning.”

The Del Mar Schools Education Foundation (DMSEF) raised the most money it ever has in this year’s campaign. With an influx of funds coming in the last few weeks of the campaign, the Foundation was able to raise $1.32 million.

“I’m absolutely floored, it’s amazing,” said Drew Isaacman, interim president of DMSEF. “To be able to exceed last year’s total and have the highest amount we’ve ever received, it’s a great feat.”

This money will go toward funding 14 full-time equivalent (FTE) Extended Studies Curriculum (ESC) teachers in the subjects of science, technology, music, art and PE. The 14 teachers represent one more teacher than the Foundation funded last year and also makes up for the one less ESC teacher the Del Mar Union School District will be able to fund due to its budget cuts.

Isaacman said he considers that 14 FTE teachers funding a big success as no one wanted to see the ESC program negatively impacted as the district was forced to make those tough budget decisions.

Fundraising efforts this year received a big boost from strategies such as tapping into corporate partnerships and the first annual Carmel Valley 5K Run/Walk in December. The 5K was able to bring in $42,000 worth of contributions and a partnership with the new Whole Foods store, which donated 1 percent of its opening profits, netting $5,000.

“Those two things in essence were the delta that allowed us to exceed last year’s contributions,” said Isaacman.

Isaacman said the Foundation would look for the 5K to grow even more this year as well as the corporate fundraising side.

“With the influx of restaurants and businesses in our area, more restaurants are inquiring about standardized giving and partnerships and that’s exciting,” Issacman said. “Whole Foods really opened our eyes to that.”

Isaacman also noted that the Foundation was able to maintain its lowest ever expense ratio this year at 7 percent.

The Foundation will undergo a transition in July when the 2013-14 board is formed and new officers are elected. Isaacman, who took over this year as an interim president after Amy Caterina stepped down, said he is interested in staying involved but does not know if he will again be president.

In April, Del Mar Hills and Del Mar Heights parents suggested a change in the DMSEF district-wide fundraising model. Parents proposed a hybrid model where once a school has raised enough to cover its share of ESC funding, donations above that level would go back to the donating home school only.

Isaacman said the new board would consider the parents’ proposal for a hybrid model, while noting that the Foundation raised more money than ever using the current districtwide model, noting that the “schools really pulled together.”

Santa Fe Christian Schools junior Caroline Peck (second from left, second row) receives the Yale Club of San Diego Book Award.

Caroline Claire Peck, a junior at Santa Fe Christian Schools, was one of 16 outstanding juniors in San Diego County who was awarded the Yale Club of San Diego Book Award at the annual ceremony on May 18. All students nominated by their schools for this recognition had to be in the top 2 to 3 percent of their class, and demonstrate leadership and “outstanding personal character and intellectual promise,” according to the Yale Club of San Diego. Award recipients received a Yale-affiliated book chosen according to their interests, a DVD of an Open Yale Course, as well as a certificate highlighting their achievement.

Peck received “Sticks and Stones: Defeating the Culture of Bullying and Rediscovering the Power of Character and Empathy” by Emily Bazelon, and the Yale Open Course DVD: Global Problems of Population Growth.

The Yale Club Book Award was established to identify outstanding high school students and acknowledge their academic achievements. It also serves to “encourage students who might not otherwise have thought themselves likely candidates to consider Yale University as a possible choice for their college studies,” said Giovanni Chimienti, Ph.D., university professor, retired, and chairman of the 2013 Yale Club of San Diego Book Award committee. Other Yale alumni serving on the Committee were: Paul Friedman, MD, professor emeritus, Radiology; The Honorable Robert Longstreth, judge, Superior Court San Diego County; Elizabeth A. Porterfield, attorney at law; and Bryna Kranzler, author.

Most everyone knows that the Special Olympics take place every four years, drawing global attention and athletes from all over the world. However, the Special Olympics are an organization that holds events year-round, including a Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR).

The Law Enforcement Torch Run is an annual event where San Diego County law enforcement agencies carry the Special Olympics Torch through San Diego cities where it eventually reaches its final destination at the Summer Games in Long Beach. (More than 1,100 athletes from throughout Southern California will participate in the Summer Games on June 8 and 9 at Cal State Long Beach.)

The ceremonial lighting of the torch will begin on May 28 at 9:30 a.m. at the Chula Vista Police Department Memorial Wall. After the ceremony, officers will begin the first leg of the run that starts at 10:15 a.m. and continues through Del Mar until the torch is set to rest for the evening.

The final leg of the LETR will begin at 6:30 a.m. on May 29 and end with Camp Pendleton Marines running the torch through the base and handing it off to the Orange County Sherriff’s Department.

“It’s a countywide event that incorporates pretty much all law enforcement agencies throughout the area,” explained Kelcie Kopf, the development manager for Special Olympics of Southern California. “Various agencies take certain legs, from San Diego all the way up to Long Beach. One agency passes the torch to the next.”

The goal of the run is to raise awareness and funds for the Special Olympics, which provides sports programming for people with intellectual disabilities and, according to Kopf, is an important facet of community life.

“Anytime an organization takes an interest in their community, especially individuals in their community who are often marginalized, it strengthens the community as a whole,” said Kopf. “There’s really no downside to participating; it mainly shows residents that law enforcement is more than just parking tickets and drug busts.”

Agencies local and national alike (including the San Diego Police Department, the FBI, and the IRS) will all participate in the run, which kicks off at 9:30 a.m. in Chula Vista. The run will move through the Torrey Pines State Beach area and Del Mar around 3 p.m., where it will rest for the night. The next day begins at Camp Pendleton.

The race has its roots in Kansas, where it began decades ago and has grown since, branching out to different states across the country, including right here in California and in 48 nations; overall, 142,000 people volunteer their time to the race annually. As a result, it’s become the largest grassroots fundraiser for the Special Olympics all year. Kopf herself moved to the San Diego area from Texas, and starting working with the organization as “a way to give back to community, and it’s been life changing. There was trepidation at first before taking this job, but it’s just opened my eyes. Our athletes and families who we work with are amazing.”

Kopf said she has about 300 law enforcement participants signed up for the race so far, which is on par with recent years, and is still open to having people sign up right up until the day of the race. Says Kopf: “The whole event is a beautiful symbol of what the Special Olympics are all about.”

To donate, call the Special Olympics office at 619-283-6100 and pay by credit card or mail cash/check to the office: Special Olympics Southern California San Diego County, 10977 San Diego Mission Road, San Diego, CA 92108. Visit www.sosc.org/sandiego.

http://www.sosc.org/summergames

www.sosc.org/sandiego

The ceremony will take place from 11 a.m. until noon. Some highlights of the ceremony include the Col. Frank Brezina Venture Scout Crew #42 as Color Guard, the Santa Fe Christian School Band, Camp Pendleton Young Marines, and special guest speaker David Jacinto, who will address the community. City dignitaries and representatives from all branches of the armed forces will also be present. Light refreshments will be served. For more information: 858-720-2453 (Parks & Recreation Department).

The Del Mar Art Center features all local artists working in many different mediums, including painting, photography, mixed media, glass, ceramics, jewelry, sculpture and upcycled sculpture.  The show runs through July 28.  Two-hour free parking and refreshments.

The Del Mar Art Center is located at the Del Mar Plaza at 1555 Camino Del Mar #106, Del Mar, 92014. Visit http://www.dmacgallery.com/

On any given night in Del Mar, you will find packed restaurants and seaside establishments filled with patrons in search of a delicious meal with one of the best views in the world. The sun setting on the Pacific Ocean is the perfect backdrop for enjoying a glass of wine or a perfectly designed dinner. That’s why many of us live here and so many more visit our beautiful town of Del Mar from all over the world.

On Tuesday, May 21, Del Mar Rotarians will be doing just this – sipping and tasting overlooking a Del Mar beach sunset – all in the spirit of giving back to those in need. The club invites you to join them for the 9th Annual Sunset Soiree on the ocean view deck of the Del Mar Plaza. The event will go from 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. and will raise funds for local and international service projects and organizations such as water projects in Africa, building schools in India, polio eradication efforts throughout the world, local teen scholarships, the Boys and Girls Clubs of San Dieguito and the Magdalena Ecke Family YMCA.

Event tickets include unlimited tastings from the delicious and generous restaurants of the Del Mar Plaza and Stratford Square, unlimited wine and beer tastings from local vineyards and breweries, live music, opportunity drawings and a silent auction.

Please visit www.delmarsunsetsoiree.com to join the fun, beautiful sights and worthy cause.