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The Student News Site of Torrey Pines High School

The Falconer

The Student News Site of Torrey Pines High School

The Falconer

Lily Bruch

Lily Bruch, Arts and Entertainment Editor

As Lily Bruch continues her dedication to the Falconer in her second—and senior—year, she steps into the role of Entertainment Editor with excitement and curiosity. With a passion for storytelling and a keen eye for the arts, Bruch is ready to bring a creative spark to the section and help shape the Falconer’s voice during her final year. Outside the newsroom, she is a physical therapy intern, where she continues to explore her interest in health and hands-on care. When she’s not writing, interning or editing pages, you can find her crafting jewelry whenever Michaels has a sale, sunset swimming in the ocean with her best friends or putting on fashion shows in her living room. Whether chasing stories or butterflies-in-the-stomach moments, Bruch is eager to make her last year on staff unforgettable.

All content by Lily Bruch
Everything Falcons need to pack when they leave for college! Forget these and you could be very upset in the fall.

College packing: Dorm essentials

Lily Bruch, Arts and Entertainment Editor May 19, 2026

As summer begins, many high school seniors dive into the chaos of college packing lists. Between scrolling through TikTok comment sections, sending dorm inspiration photos to roommates and trying to...

As college decisions creep closer to finalizing, many students contemplate spending time abroad. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, over 6 million students studied in a foreign country each year.

Pro/Con: First year abroad

Lily Bruch and Dylan Guillory May 8, 2026

Many colleges, such as Northeastern University and New York University,  provide conditional acceptances for first-semester study abroad programs as a structured pathway for admission. Students are typically...

Arts and Entertainment Editor Lily Bruch (12) reflects on her closet in relation to her biggest inspiration, Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and The City. Bradshaw, in a way, taught her what she now wants in relationships, jobs and life. Photo courtesy of Paige Stallings.

Personal Perspective: Lily Bruch

Lily Bruch, Arts and Entertainment Editor April 30, 2026

Fashion is an integral part of my life. Paychecks vanish to boots and bags, my closet is a chaotic mess and piles of Vogue take up space on every countertop in my room. Maybe not for the mess of my closet,...

Coachella weekend one was full of high energy, eccentric sets and good vibes. Students who were able to attend are still on a high from all of the fun. Photo courtesy of Camryn Cassell

Recap: Coachella weekend one

Lily Bruch, Arts and Entertainment Editor April 17, 2026

Weekend one of Coachella is notorious for headliners bringing out exactly who the fans want to see, and this year did not disappoint. Headliners Sabrina Carpenter (Friday night), Justin Bieber (Saturday...

Prom is only 10 days away, and dress shopping is getting dicy for last-minute shoppers. Finding the perfect dress is much easier with the right places to shop.

Last minute prom dresses

Lily Bruch, Arts and Entertainment Editor April 8, 2026

As prom is right around the corner, girls are in desperate need of a gown. For last minute dress shopping, here is a compilation of stores and a brief description of each’s qualifications to be your...

Spring break outfit ideas are for warm days and beach walks. These looks were styled for an easy, relaxed vacation vibe. Photo courtesy of Creative Commons.

Spring Break outfit inspiration

Lily Bruch, Arts and Entertainment Editor March 27, 2026

With spring break inching up in less than a week away, last minute shopping seems to be a universal experience, especially among high schoolers. Whether its for the notorious torrey pines “Cabo spreak”...

Romantic comedies are the perfect entertainment companion to relaxing nights in. The Falconer found five rom-coms, ranging from classic to modern, for watching and rewatching this February. Photos courtesy of Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures.

Five romantic comedies to watch in February

Lily Bruch, Arts and Entertainment Editor February 19, 2026

As Valentine's Day passes without a boyfriend in sight, some serotonin and happiness come from watching favorite romantic comedies. A romcom is more than a cheesy love story or a movie just for laughs,...

The 68th annual Grammy Awards recognizes popular and up-and-coming artists. Trevor Noah hosted the event for the sixth and last time.

68th annual Grammy Awards

Lily Bruch, Arts and Entertainment Editor February 3, 2026

The 68th annual Grammy Awards took place on Sunday in the Los Angeles Crypto.com Arena, with Trevor Noah hosting for the sixth and final time. Hopes from the nominations were either celebrated or mourned...

New year's goals are set mid-December when people often feel motivated due to "Fresh Start Effect." However, studies proved that this often leads to procrastination.

Resolution or procrastination?

Lily Bruch, Arts and Entertainment Editor January 7, 2026

Every year, starting around mid-December, the talk of New Year’s resolutions begin. People give themselves a few weeks to intoxicate, eat poorly, be a slob and do whatever they please before attempting...

In the line a worker gives you a bag to mark your desired bagels. At the check out, we received our cream cheese and then waited for the bagels to come out.

Food Review: PopUp Bagels

Lily Bruch and Reese Carsley December 16, 2025

Snuggled in a La Jolla street corner is PopUp Bagels, one of San Diego’s new, not-so-hidden gems. After it opened just a few weeks ago, Falcons flocked south on weekend mornings for a taste of these...

Many notice a shift towards women using more subtle ways to launch their relationships. This article examined womens' growing independence.

Shift towards independence: Soft launching solitude

Lily Bruch, Arts and Entertainment Editor December 10, 2025

A Vogue article published in October, “Is Having a Boyfriend Embarrassing Now?” fluttered across tiktok, emphasizing the rise of modern romance. The piece essentially unpacks the shifts in social media...

Season recap: ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Season 34

Season recap: ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Season 34

Lily Bruch, Arts and Entertainment Editor December 8, 2025

Season 34 of Dancing with the Stars (DWTS) kicked off on Tuesday, Sept. 16 on Disney Plus and Hulu. Streamed on Disney Plus and Hulu, fans counted down minutes until a new episode went live every Tuesday...

Daylight saving time brings an annual period of time change, where people seem to lose an hour of time in spring, and gain an hour of time in fall. This year, daylight savings time ended on Nov. 2.

Satire: Ways to use extra hour from time change

Lily Bruch, Arts and Entertainment Editor November 6, 2025

Daylight saving time, which ended on Nov. 2 this year, was perfect timing for "Halloweekend." That extra hour can seem chaotic and hard to handle for some, with our phones changing, our microwave clocks...

Over 100 members of both the schools junior varsity and varsity dance teams performed at the homecoming football game on Oct. 17. It's made quite clear that the theme was “Neon Out,” considering the bright accessories that the team wore. 
Photo courtesy of Taylor Faassen (12).

Day on the Team: Hip-hop dance

Lily Bruch, Arts and Entertainment Editor October 24, 2025

The school's varsity dance team prepared for their homecoming football game halftime show, arguably the biggest performance of the season, on Oct. 17. After a day filled with classes and practice, over...

The lyric video for "My Man on Willpower," shows Sabrina Carpenter embodying a playful style. The track was the third on Carpenter's album "Man's Best Friend." Photo courtesy of Island Records.

Behind the Lyrics: ‘My Man on Willpower’

Lily Bruch, Arts and Entertainment Editor September 11, 2025

“My Man on Willpower” is the third track to Sabrina Carpenter's seventh studio album, “Man's Best Friend.” Through this song, Carpenter expresses the neglect that one may feel in a relationship...

Sabrina Carpenter's "Man's Best Friend" is the artist's seventh studio album, and consists of 12 tracks. Carpenter released this alternate album cover after her controversial first cover came under criticism. Photo courtesy of Island Records.

Album Review: ‘Man’s Best Friend’

Lily Bruch, Arts and Entertainment Editor September 4, 2025

Sabrina Carpenter's album, “Man's Best Friend,” was released on Friday and has quickly waltzed its way up the charts. It gained popularity prior to release due to controversy regarding Carpenter's...

The school's dance team impresses the crowd every performance, so there was no shock as the crowd went wild. Proven in this captured moment by their facial expressions, neither passion or talent is lacking. Photo Courtesy of Taylor Faassen (12).

First game halftime performance

Lily Bruch, Arts and Entertainment Editor August 29, 2025

At the halftime of the first home varsity football game of the season on Aug. 22 vs. La Jolla High School, the school’s cheerleading and dance team put on a show for fans and players.  The cheerleaders...

Yoga is one of the wellness trends emerging in 2025. Other trends included saunas, pilates, green juice, and various other physical and dietary changes.

[Photo] Wake up to wellness

Elsa Goodman, Director of Social Media May 28, 2025

Yoga is one of the wellness trends emerging in 2025. Other trends included saunas, pilates, green juice, and various other physical and dietary changes.

Anna Scipione sits on a field with her camera, smiling for a picture. Scipione founded Scippix about 18 years ago, with photos dating back to 2007 still on her website. Photo courtesy of Anna Scipione.

Capturing moments: Anna Scipione

Viktoria Kiss and Lily Bruch May 19, 2025

With a camera in hand and an eye for the extraordinary, Anna Scipione is a constant presence on the sidelines, capturing the pulse of each game and the raw emotion of sport with every frame. Scipione is...

Club booths and PALs members welcome students to Fun Friday. The first Fun Friday took place last week, during lunchtime on April 26.

PALs launches ‘Fun Fridays’

Lily Bruch, Staff Writer April 30, 2025

The school’s first Fun Friday, organized by the school's Peer Assistant Leaders (PALs) was held last week in collaboration with the school's Foundation. “It was super successful and it was great...

February Athlete of the Month, Jack Bottini (12), applauds his fans after a game. This was Bottini's second year being crowned as Athlete of the Month. Photo courtesy of Anna Scipione.

Athlete of the Month: Jack Bottini

Lily Bruch, Staff Writer February 28, 2025

Editor’s note: Athlete of the month is released by ASB a week after the month ends. Stories on each athlete are delayed for this reason. Jack Bottini's (12) dedication and leadership on the field...

Kendrick Lamar and choreography dancers perform to his song "squabble up." The Superbowl was on Feb. 11 2024. Photo courtesy of Rolling Stone.

Review: Super Bowl LIX halftime show

Lily Bruch, Staff Writer February 13, 2025

"Too loud, too reckless, too ghetto," Samuel L. Jackson, playing Uncle Sam, said on Sunday during Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl LIX halftime performance. He continued, "Mr. Lamar, do you really know how...

'Debí Tirar Más Fotos' combines Bad Bunnys Puerto Rican roots and desire to advocate for social and political justice.  'Debí Tirar Más Fotos' was released on Jan. 5. Photo courtesy of Rimas Entertainment.

Album Review: ‘Debí Tirar Más Fotos’

Lily Bruch, Staff Writer February 11, 2025

Proving that music transcends language barriers, Bad Bunny’s sixth studio album, “Debí Tirar Más Fotos,” released on Jan. 5, pays homage to his Puerto Rican homeland through traditional sounds...

Alex Consani is a transgender modeling superstar making waves in the modeling industry. Consani was named Model of the Year at the Fashion Awards. Photo courtesy of Creative Commons from Dave Benett/Getty Images.

Alex Consani named Model of the Year

Lily Bruch, Staff Writer February 10, 2025

Alex Consani: a transgender modeling superstar making waves in the modeling industry. Cosani walks for major brands like Chanel, Stella McCartney and Victoria’s Secret. At just 12 years old, Cosani began...

What does 2025 hold for the entertainment industry? 2024 was filled with hit songs like 'BRAT' and new fashion trends like the comeback of adidas Sambas.

2024 A&E year in review

Lily Bruch and Eric Lee January 22, 2025

Fifty-two weeks, 365 days, 8760 hours and tons to recap. Twenty-twenty four was full of trending moments including new music, food, movies and pop culture moments that will be extensively remembered. With...

Whether it's a cozy night in or an exciting holiday party with many shareable treats needed, these holiday items will always have your back. This winter season, coffee shops and stores sold a variety of holiday products.

Popular 2024 holiday treats

Kai Strzelecki and Lily Bruch January 17, 2025

As temperatures continue to drop and holiday menus are still available, we decided to find some of the best winter treats to keep us going this season.  From Starbucks drinks to Trader Joe’s cookies,...

Sleep, snacks and socialization; finding ways to stress less is incredibly important for your well-being. What helped you unwind this finals season?

Stress less this finals season

Lily Bruch, Staff Writer December 17, 2024

I am sure I can speak for everyone when I say that the end of the semester is an especially stressful time. With all of the constant Quizlet notecard practices and intense Starbucks study sessions, it...

The Falcons Rugby Club lines up for the next play. During the 2023 season, the team won the All-American state championship. Photo courtesy of James Curtis.

Falcons Rugby Club struggles to gain recognition

Lily Bruch, Staff Writer December 16, 2024

The Falcons Rugby Club started accumulating titles since its establishment at the school in 2010 and was ranked among the top five teams nationally during their 2022-23 season. Whether or not it is an...

The second part of the film 'Wicked' will appear in theaters next year. Released on Nov. 22, 'Wicked' left viewers anxious for the second act. Photo courtesy of Universal Studios.

Movie Review: ‘Wicked’

Lily Bruch, Staff Writer December 5, 2024

Last month, the iconic musical “Wicked” came out from the curtains of Broadway and into the theatres of Hollywood, impressing fans across all platforms with its familiar spin on the classic fairytale,...

From left to right: Taylor Steele (‘90), Eric Hirshberg (‘86), Rachel Buechler (‘03) and Dan McGuire (‘84) are inducted into the school's Hall of Fame. The ceremony was held during halftime at the football game against Poway High School on Oct. 25. Photo courtesy of TPHS Foundation.

Hall of Fame announced first four inductees

Lily Bruch, Staff Writer November 22, 2024

Every generation has its icons, those exceptional enough to rise to the top of societal success. However, behind every individual's story is a foundation that eventually led them to end up where they did....

Social media stalking became a popular and common pastime with the rise of social media. Staff writer, Lily Bruch, questioned what really characterized social media stalking?

Social media stalking

Lily Bruch, Staff Writer October 31, 2024

The average teenage girl would likely tell you that she can find the entirety of someone's extended family within five minutes online. It's become a universal experience, stemming from getting way too...

Walking into the newly opened Better Buzz Del Mar location, the cafe offers an open and eccentric atmosphere. This location opened for business last Friday.

Restaurant Review: Better Buzz

Kai Strzelecki and Lily Bruch October 31, 2024

It's no coincidence that the name of quite possibly the best coffee shop of all time, has the word “better” in it. The versatile assortment of food and drinks Better Buzz has in their inventory sets...

The Victoria Secret Fashion Show is pictured on a metro card. The show made a comeback on Oct. 15 after a six-year hiatus following controversies including bullying and harassment reports. Photo courtesy of Marc A. Hermann / MTA through Creative Commons.

Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show returns

Lily Bruch, Staff Writer October 29, 2024

The annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show was held on Oct. 15 in New York City for the first time since a six-year hiatus. The show featured various models, Victoria’s Secret Angels, on its runway,...

This year, popular Halloween costumes consist of various animals and the classic princess choice. Halloween inspiration from students were found on  Pinterest and TikTok.

Halloween decision fatigue

Lily Bruch, Staff Writer October 24, 2024

Halloween, as an extremely indecisive person, is a hard holiday for me. It practically revolves around questions … What weekend to celebrate? What to wear? How overdone is too overdone? What should my...

The schools student section, Cardinal Chaos, is only allowed to use a slim amount of props. Other school districts in the area have permitted their student sections to use more enticing props like fireworks, powder and beachballs. Photo courtesy of Anna Scipione.

CIF student section policies

Lily Bruch, Staff Writer October 22, 2024

When the typical high school alumni looks back on their experience, football games under the Friday night lights are most often the first thing that pops into their mind. The reason behind most of the...

Celebrity scandals and feuds are too normalized in the entertainment industry. This was famously seen in the Kendrick Lamar and Drake disputes.

Normalization of celebrity scandals, feuds

Lily Bruch, Staff Writer October 1, 2024

The entertainment industry is notorious for drama, and filled with a new scandal in every direction, which is not as coincidental as you may think. Top celebrity scandals over the years have included Britney...

Sydney Meltzer (12) is a starting  captain for the varsity field hockey team this season. Meltzer was named the first female Athlete of the Month for this school year. Left to right: Morgan Christie (11), Sydney Meltzer (12) and Kara Dunlap (11). Photo courtesy of Anna Scipione.

Athlete of the Month: Sydney Meltzer

Lily Bruch, Staff Writer September 19, 2024

Editor's note: Athlete of the month is released by ASB a week after the month ends. Stories on each athlete are delayed for this reason.  Going into her third year as a starter for the varsity field...

The term 'brat summer' became popular after Charli xcx released her new album 'BRAT' over summer. The album was released on June 7. Photo courtesy of Atwood Magazine.

Album Review: ‘BRAT’ – Charli xcx

Lily Bruch, Staff Writer September 11, 2024

Charli xcx’s sixth studio album, “BRAT,” is not only a fan favorite in terms of musicality, but also the internet's most recent favorite obsession because of how creative the album is in its developmental...

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