January 7th, 2017 in the media center was where the first annual “Making the Cut – BBQ Competition Fundraiser” was held in high hopes of helping select students travel to Washington D.C. to represent Mira Mesa at the Kennedy Center. The premise of the BBQ’s competition factor brought in five contenders, of which included our very own: Principal Jeff Sabins, and served a full meal to our music program’s supporters. Helping to raise $3000 for the Wind Ensemble and Advanced Orchestra, the event was – indeed – a delicious success!.

As for the food, all contestants were to prepare decadent pulled pork and serve sample cups to all patrons of the event. Besides five generous taste test cups of pulled pork, BBQ-goers were also served their choice of mashed potatoes or potato salad, cornbread, and beans as sides, a brownie or ice cream as dessert, and bottomless water, lemonade, and coffee as refreshments. Needless to say, the $10 spent at the expense of the fundraiser was more than just a bang for your buck…

It was a melody for your money! There was a cycle of 90 minutes of performances from our very own followed by a half an hour break. The Wind Ensemble, conducted by Mrs. Christensen (better know as Mrs. C), performed The Light Eternal, Grand Canyon Overture, and In Flight.

The Advanced Orchestra also performed, but without their director Mr. Mulvaney. I’d like to give credit to the amazing orchestra leadership, Christina Hilley, Liz Gonzales, Angela Molina, Amy Songvilay, Jeric Baga, Kendrake Tsui, and Joylne Duong, for allowing the show to go on. The Advanced Orchestra performed Five Dives and Lazarus, Cakewalk, Fugue, Signs of Life, and The Incredibles (Suite).

Following the large ensembles, violin quintet– consisting of Amy Songvilay, Jeric Baga, Vincent Nguyen, Emi Rigby, and Jenna Nguyen– played Nessun Dorma from the opera Turandot.

With all ensembles a wild success and friendly BBQ competition, the luncheon finished with the utmost sincere gratitude from Wind Ensemble and Advanced Orchestra in supporting their efforts, and the announcement of who won the barbecue. Congratulations to Cody May and his family for winning the first annual “Making the Cut – BBQ Competition Fundraiser”! As a prize, not only does he have a pig trophy and a cookbook, but bragging rights until next year.

Join on the fun, and help decide next year’s winner. The band and orchestra hope to see you, Marauders!

Turkish chef Nusret Gökçe’s claim to fame began with his Instagram clip of preparing a gourmet steak. Uploaded on January 7, 2017, this 35 second clip initially seems to highlight his cooking abilities. He slices the tender meat right off the bone and chops it into fine chunks, proceeding to sprinkle it with salt.

Unlike the conventional method of lightly dashing extra flavor onto food, Gökçe decides to twist it up. After he raises his arm extremely high, he releases his pinch of salt with his wrist curved backwards. The salt comes into contact with his arm because of the angle of his hand, and it slides down onto the steak.

The screenshot of Gökçe’s superfluous seasoning inevitably left him vulnerable into becoming a meme, and he has developed into an international symbol for being “extra” and exaggerating insignificant things.

Upon walking in, it’s noticeable that the aesthetic is very modern, being sleek yet welcoming. With music playing over speakers and pictures of surfers and beaches on the walls, the place gives off a unique vibe. The Habit is known for their “Charburger,” described on the menu as a burger containing “a fresh ground beef patty with mayonnaise, pickle, fresh tomato, lettuce, and caramelized onions on a toasted bun.” For about $4.00, you can order a Charburger meal, which includes fries and a medium soft drink for an additional $4.00. For a vegetarian option, you can order the veggie burger, which is around the same price as the Charburger.

While the fries and soda selection are nothing noteworthy, the same cannot be said for the Charburger. The vegetables were fresh, accompanied by the cheese and the meat working together to bring out a wholesome, hearty taste with each bite. Working your way into the burger, the savory taste takes root and leaves you wanting more. While the veggie burger isn’t nearly as flavorful as the charburger, it’s a decent option for vegetarians seeking a filling meal. The vegetables are still fresh-tasting, but the bland bun and patty really dull the taste down.

While being pricier than other burger establishments, The Habit offers wholesome signature burgers at a reasonable price. With chill atmosphere, affordable pricing, and proximity to the school campus, it has all the makings of being the next big thing for Marauders seeking something to eat when the school day is over. Keep an eye out for when this burger joint opens. You’re not going to want to skip out on this one!

Members of the Marauder family watched on from the crowd as the team and its various divisions strutted their stuff. Performance teams included introduction, all-male, all-female, class dances, as well as some small group and individual routines. The crowd’s roar was continuous as they saw friends and peers on the showcase floor. One team member’s parent remarked, “She’s really a different person from what I know at home… I am proud of [her].” Sophomore Victoria “Tori” Cone expressed her excitement for both her own performance and those of her teammates: “It’s tiring but I feel really good because it’s just something that I love to do… This year, it’s quality over quantity. The kids this year have a lot of potential in them and they really love what they do.” The cheers for Tori were plenty in number, yet they were only a small piece in the monstrous praise given by the crowd.

For many members of the team, 2016 was the last showcase of their high school careers. Despite the melancholy in this realization, Dance Team’s seniors kept their heads up high. Senior Cedric Josefat commends the team’s effort, saying, “The team really did well. We gave it our all with all of work we’ve put in until now.” He addressed incoming members in the future, advising them, “Get ready for a good experience and a fun time.”

Likewise, senior Isabelle Castillo addressed future members planning to join, promptly saying that she wanted to see “a lot of new faces and a lot of new people that I want to join the team.” With the seniors departing soon and new incomers expected to join in the future, our current newbies have already shown their capability in both showcase and competition.

Freshman Anthony Hoang feels confident as a member of the team: “I’ve shown my family and my friends what I can do, and it’s gotten better for me.”

Much lies in store for the MMHS Dance Team. With competition season on the rise in January, they must prepare for the rigorous trek ahead. Through the long bus rides to competitions and the late after-school hours of practice, the team’s passion, dedication, and family ties will only strengthen as they work to represent our school and make a stunning impression to all. Whether you see them on campus during school or on a stage performing, be sure to give our Dance Team a well earned applause!

       The San Diego Unified School District began revamping their school stadiums in order to make all of them ADA (Americans with Disability Act) accessible and to improve overall safety for fans. If anyone has been in Mira Mesa’s stadium before, they might immediately notice the worn out wooden stairways. The wood is old and decaying from weather and general usage over the years. The new aluminum stands will have handrails to prevent fans from falling down and injuring themselves.

       In the stadium, both the home side and visitor side bleachers will be replaced. Other advancements include a new state of the art score board, new lights, new concession stands, and a contemporary PA system which will be used for graduation so the school no longer has to rent a speaker arrangement that costs several thousands. Additionally, a modern sidewalk for pedestrians to get to the stadium from the north parking lot is being created for better accessibility. As for the football field and track, neither are being remodeled at all. According to Vice Principal and Athletic Director, Ron Lardizabal, the stadium and field will still be available to PE classes, athletic teams, and band practices during construction. He hopes that, “students will not be heavily impacted.”

       The renovation will not only impact those in the school, but will also apply to alumni as a new entry way with pavers will be constructed. The pavers can be purchased by alumni to mark their time at MMHS. The school also plans to further improve other athletic facilities besides the stadium. The upper field area is receiving a new turf field between the baseball and softball ones. This field will be used by the field hockey, soccer, and lacrosse teams. For soccer teams, they may have to play their games on the road if the upper is not completed in time for their league games in January. The softball field will be gaining new dugouts, a new score keepers booth, and a new scoreboard. In the baseball field, a new PA system and scoreboard is being implemented as well.

       This immense project may be completed in a shorter time than students and staff anticipate. Construction is scheduled to begin in November of 2016, after the annual MMHS Sapphire Sound Band tournament and football season. The upper field is expected to be completed by January 1st of 2017 and the stadium by mid-August of 2017. Overall, the project’s completion may be finalized in less than one year from November.

       Mira Mesa High is not holding back with the renovation, and both the school and community in Mira Mesa are excited to see the new facilities. Some may disapprove of the remodeling of their beloved stadium, but regardless, this advancement is a big step for MMHS.

Considering all the factors enumerated above, Trump won 279 to 228 in electoral votes. His message of restoring America’s greatness appealed to a silent majority that was not seen even in the pre-election polls. Being an outsider proved to be an advantage for him. Trump campaigned relentlessly throughout America, including states his opponent had underestimated. He was challenged with Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, states known to hold a majority of democratic voters. Once he won the vote of these deep blue states, Trump’s position in the presidential election was almost certain, and it slimmed Clinton’s chances of recovering from her loss of such crucial states.

The 2016 American election ended with an arguably surprising outcome, with a president-elect whose success was constantly doubted. Popular opinion suggested that the two presidential nominees were the least popular candidates of all time. Therefore, winning this presidency might still cast a shadow of doubt upon the American people, because most believed they had to vote between the lesser of two evils. We have yet to see how Donald Trump’s policies could either strengthen America and lead us to a path of greatness, or push the country to regress further more into devastating foreign conflict.

Congratulations, president-elect Donald Trump, 45th president of the United States.

On May 3, 2016 Kenny T., the ASB President,  tweeted out “these freshmen next to the student store need to leave…” and later on went to say that “they cut in line & give attitude when we tell them to go to the back like we’re doing something wrong… ugh sorry they suck.” “Talk to us in person and maybe we can work something out let’s quit the tweets… ok?” responded 9^th grader, Justin L. Calling out the entire freshmen class was very unnecessary; there are only a select few students who are freshmen that cut in line. This being said, Kenny DID have valid points. There are various students that continue to cut the line every day, and students who are very loud and obnoxious during lunch. The problem at hand is not all freshmen are immature and we need to stop them, but instead the problem is that there are multiple students who feel like they can cut in front of everyone and disrespect those around them.

There were two main issues with this situation. First, should a school elected official be able to say everything that’s on his mind? Secondly, if freshmen in question want respect, then why are they acting like stereotypical freshmen?

At what point does an elected official cease to be an individual and become the office they represent. In this case, when does Kenny Tran become Kenny Tran ASB President? For right or wrong in todays society, they represent the office. In this case Kenny’s Twitter account says “mmhs asb president 15-16.” He should be held to a higher standard than the average student tweeting because his comments could be easily misunderstood to include an entire class, rather than just a few individuals.

On the other hand, people should be able to respect others and cooperate with the rules. After interviewing some freshmen they agreed that this whole thing was avoidable, and those select few that did disrupt others at the Student Store do not represent who they are as a class. “It’s kinda disappointing how those people who did that truly act like the stereotypical freshmen, they need to just grow up and be more mature” said a ninth grader.

In reality, mistakes were made on both sides. Hopefully everyone involved can learn from the situation to avoid larger issues that might come up later in life. A few days after the incident, Kenny T. reached out to us and apologized if anything that happened offended the class of 2019. His response was:

 Thank you for the opportunity to let me address the recent incident that occurred outside the student store which lead to my unfortunate comment concerning the freshmen class.

 I do not now, or have I ever, devalued the Class of 2019.

 ​Working at the Student Store is not as easy as it looks. We have to deal with customers with little to no respect for others, people who “mess” with the people in line, and people who cut. It gets frustrating because it’s hard to stop and continues to happen on a daily basis.

 ​This particular incident involved a select small group that was making general disturbances in the line. I had tried to stop the situation from getting out of hand, but was unable to do so.   I was frustrated at with the individuals, and with myself for being unable to stop the situation and I mistakenly made a twitter comment out of sheer frustration.

 Working the Student Store, I saw that there were kids who were going up to the front of the line giving other people money to buy things, cutting line, begging for money, and being an annoyance to the customers trying to wait in line. I was talking about it with others in the store and a student walked up to me and told me that the same group of freshmen outside the Student Store disrupt the line every day.

 As ASB President, I feel that I have valued all people in all classes and they all have a right to be heard. Hearing that students in our store were having a problem with something, I needed to address it. Unfortunately, I addressed it the wrong way.  I apologize and know that I should have worded any tweets differently, I was just frustrated and wanted that one group to stop bothering the people in line.

 The situation blew up and became a “MMHS VS 2019” fight, with people from different classes fighting with the freshmen class. This was never my intent. The few individuals in the Class of 2019 not following the rules, do not represent the class nor should their actions be a reflection of the entire class.​

 What I said on Twitter does not represent my beliefs, nor who I am as a person.  I should not have let the situation frustrate me as it did, and I apologize for the comment and the misunderstanding it has caused.

 I just wanted the cutting and the disturbance by the student store to stop and I did not mean to insult the whole class, because I really do love every class at this school and I honestly try my best to show it.

 Thank you for allowing me to clarify my intent and to clear any misunderstandings.

 —

 Kenny Tran

 ASB President

 Mira Mesa High School