Skip to Main Content
The Student News Site of Torrey Pines High School

The Falconer

The Falconer

The Student News Site of Torrey Pines High School

The Falconer

Editorial

With the rise of social media news consumption, consumers often look to influencers and celebrities for commentary on political issues. A 2025 update by Pew Research Center stated that 1 in 5 Americans regularly get news from TikTok. Photo courtesy of Creative Commons.

Entertainment meets politics: Influencers sway Generation Z politics

Autumn Bowman, Staff Writer October 23, 2025

With the constantly changing political climate of today’s society, Gen-Z is looking more and more toward their role models to form views on current events. From overwhelming social media news consumption...

Billionaires like Elon Musk, Bernie Madoff and even Taylor Swift hold immense power on account of their wealth. Many have noticed their negative impacts on the environment, the lower class and the democracy of entire nations.

Billionaires: Outlandish, excessive, abusive

Christopher Bacon, Staff Writer October 23, 2025

Billionaires range from pop stars Selena Gomez and Taylor Swift to controversial technology tycoons Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, from politicians Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un to criminals Bernie Madoff...

Columbus Day, sometimes known as Indigenous Peoples' Day, is a federal holiday on Oct. 13. This article examined whether or not the Italian explorer deserved a federal holiday.

Christopher Columbus: Hero or heretic?

Tylor Shin, Staff Writer October 14, 2025

Many historical figures shape the world to be what it is today, some for the better and some for the worse. Celebrating these people leads us down a slippery slope we should not go on. Christopher Columbus...

In the digital era, notifications pile up on lock screens and ring at every hour. This article explored the consequences of digital notifications on our attention, memory and energy.

Notifications: Affects on our attention, memory

Sarina Feng, Editor-in-Chief October 7, 2025

6 messages, 1 missed call. 81 degrees in San Diego, sunny. Due tomorrow: HW 10/7. The buzz of a phone is now the metronome that propels the rhythm of modern life. Notifications pile up at every hour: we...

Schools focus on the controversy of using artificial intelligence (AI) for academics, but studies find that romantic roleplay and venting problems is much more common for teens using chatbots. This article examined the ethics of having AI take on roles associated with human empathy.

Computers as companions: Dangers of AI in mental health

Jessie Chen, Assistant Editor-in-Chief, Workflow October 1, 2025

When 16 year old Adam Raine began texting the artificial-intelligence (AI) chatbot ChatGPT, his parents believed that it was helping him with homework. Instead, according to a lawsuit filed earlier in...

Different cultures worldwide have different standards for animal consumption. From insects to guinea pigs, parrots to fertilized duck fetuses, many Americans consider some of these cultures' unconventional foods to be strange.

Diverse animal consumption: An ethical question?

Isabel Ji, Copy Editor September 23, 2025

A common question arises regarding the consumption of guinea pigs, parrots and other animals “too compatible” with humans: Is there really a line between uniquely tasty and nauseating? In reality,...

Amid tariffs and a potential stock market bubble, many Americans fear that the economy is falling into a dangerous recession. This article analyzed the validity of these concerns.

What recession looks like

Tylor Shin, Staff Writer September 22, 2025

Financial news is available far and wide with different outlets reporting different things. While some proclaim economic stability, others cry out warnings of a major recession. So where does the economy...

Charlie Kirk was a right-wing political activist known for co-founding Turning Point USA. He was assassinated on Sept. 10 at Utah Valley University.

Deride, dismiss, distort: Charlie Kirk’s legacy in a divided nation

Claire Zhou and Joanne Liu September 19, 2025

When the bell rings after seventh period on Sept. 10, you walk down the stairs of the B-building and open Instagram by second nature. Instinctively, your thumb hits the sunset gradient of your friend’s...

A visitor wanders through halls of ancient artifacts, oil paintings and historical exhibits. The Trump administration cancelled ten millions of dollars of grants for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

Undervaluing museums: A disservice to our personal growth

Emily Chao, Staff Writer September 17, 2025

Boring. Long. Ugh. For most people, that is what comes to mind at the thought of going to a museum. Hours spent aimlessly wandering cool, dark rooms of meaningless artifacts. Feet aching and exhausted...

The FDOT issued an order to paint over rainbow crosswalks in Florida. Is this a safety precaution or an act of oppression against the LGBTQ+ community?

Rainbow crosswalk removal: Suppression, not safety

Viktoria Kiss, Sports Editor September 10, 2025

Rainbow crosswalks: Are they truly a threat to public safety, or is it just a way for individuals in power to suppress political expression and gain control over the public? Throughout the country,...

Spanish teacher Viviana Alvarado-Gomez works on grading her students' tests. Alvarado-Gomez spoke about the importance of Spanish classes for native speakers.

Space for Spanish: Native speaker classes

Gabriela Morillo Dal Piccol and Priscilla Akin September 2, 2025

From French to Korean, Arabic to Chinese, each vibrant language spoken on campus is a reflection of our world’s diversity.  Although one of the most prominent languages spoken at the school is Spanish...

A student carries a Labubu keychain as they walk to class. Labubu originated as a character from Kasing Lung's series, 'The Monsters,' and were sold as Pop Mart toys beginning in 2019.

Labubu, rise of overconsumption

Joanne Liu, Opinion Editor August 19, 2025

With a row of sharp fangs and a sinister grin stretching across more than half its face, one devilishly iconic smile recently took pop culture by storm. Complete with the rest of her physique — bunny...

Load More Stories
Donate to The Falconer