High Tide: Jan. 15, 2016

IGH H

TIDE

Redondo Union High School Redondo Beach, CA Jan. 15, 2016 Vol. XCVI Edition 8

ILLUSTRATION BY LULU WEGMAN

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High Tide

news

Cocoa and cram

Sweets and studies.

Students had the opportunity to receive free tutoring before finals

by Faith Petrie Dozens of students were seated in the Bingo Room January 12th and 14th to participate in Link Crew’s first annual, “Cocoa and Cram,” where the room was divided into several sections based on subjects such as history, language, and science.

Students were provided hot chocolate, candy canes, and a safe setting to work on their homework or study for their upcoming finals, with help from upperclassmen.

Teacher and Link Crew advisor, Victoria Vasquez affirms freshmen were a main priority for this event due to their newly given status in high school.

“This is the freshmen’s first experience with finals and big tests so we want to create an environment where everyone feels comfortable to ask questions from the Link Crew leaders,” said Vasquez.

Link Crew advisors created the new program to introduce new students to efficient study habits.

“We’re giving [students] the opportunity to cram but really it’s about making good habits and not just studying right before the test,” said advisor, Amanda Duran.

Link Crew members acted as on-site tutors to any students looking for help on any subject.

“Cocoa and Cram was an enriching experience for both the underclassmen and us tutors,” said Link Crew member, Emelie Okwo.

There were tons of Link Crew tutors offering their time to help the freshmen prepare for their first set of finals.

Freshmen Fuma Ueno was satisfied with the support he gained from his peers during the hour and thirty minute long session.

“I think it’s really helpful but I wish there was more space so a lot more could come because right I think it’s a little too small,” Ueno said.

Duran hopes that Link Crew can host similar events in the future to help students, particularly the freshman, get through the year as smoothly as possible.

“We saw from surveys and just from feedback that [the students] really want academic support and not just from their teachers but from older students,” Duran said.

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Students wait in line to get a cup of hot chocolate while attending Link Crew’s first ever Cocoa and Cram. Here, students are able to study and get tutored for their finals while receiving candy canes and other sweet treats. 2. Students study for their finals. This event was made possible by one of Link Crew’s subcommittees.

The Link Crew members of this subcommittee offer tutoring to the students in order to better prepare them for their finals in the following week.

PHOTOS BY HIROKI GOTO

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RUHS administration increases campus security

by Malek Chamas

In the wake of last month’s graffiti incident, there has been an increased interest in the district’s safety plans, notably from City Councilman Steve Sammarco of Redondo Beach’s District 4.

Principal Nicole Wesley says school administration plans on introducing multiple new security measures in the next few months in collaboration with RBUSD and the Redondo Beach Police Department (RBPD), although they were “planned out well before the graffiti incident.”

“I think we can start with one of the most obvious things that have already been implemented. You may have noticed on the doors of the classrooms, there are little latches. They allow teachers to lock their doors quickly without having to shuffle for their keys,” Wesley said. “But I want to make a point by saying that almost everything that we’ve done, or that we’re talking about doing, was planned out well before the graffiti incident. I don’t know that the incident triggered any of the upcoming safety proto-

cols that we’ve planned, or put into place.”

Assistant Principal Jens Brandt says the security measures include the introduction of many new, higher quality cameras.

“As you can imagine, camera technology, like all technology, has advanced significantly over the last few years, so we’ll be getting HD cameras. We’ll also get infrared cameras that can pick things up at night,” Brandt said.

“They would be helpful in identifying a suspect or suspects for incidents then. Obviously, an example of when those may have been useful would be when the graffiti took place.”

According to Brandt, school administration has increased meetings about campus safety with RBPD since the graffiti incident.

“We’ve had more meetings with RBPD in order to get feedback from them, and for us to give feedback to them, related to how we can improve campus safety,” Brandt said. “I can also tell you the police department have been around campus more. Officers are doing patrols where they’ll show up in the middle of the night, just to check things out, and

make sure everything is where it’s supposed to be. And they were doing that beforehand, the number of visits has just increased.”

Wesley and Brandt say that RBPD will also be working with the school to prepare a new kind of safety drill to prepare for active shooter situations.

“We are going to be working with RBPD this coming summer with a training, simulating an actual incident, just for them to have an even better understanding of our campus layout.” Brandt said “We want to practice an active shooter situation where they would respond to a specific part of the campus. And we obviously want to make that as efficient and effective as possible.”

Wesley and Brandt say that RBPD’s police chief Keith Kauffman is very “proactive” in establishing relationships with RBUSD schools, and believe that is key in figuring out how effective current safety plans are, and introducing new ones.

“The entire district leadership team met with Kauffman right after the new year, and

he made a great impression on everyone. He firmly believes in creating relationships between RBPD and the district, so that when you see the police on campus, they become a part of our school culture. It’s so that you don’t see them and think, ‘Uh-oh, there’s something wrong.’ No, there’s something right,” Brandt said. “He’s also very much about having a connection with the community. And that’s been a breath of fresh air.”

Wesley and Brandt say that the new changes will make the school safer and more secure, but will stay “within reason.”

“Reasonably, we don’t want to turn our school into Fort Knox, because that would be even more stressful and intimidating. We don’t want to create that kind of environment,” Brandt said. “If we put up barbed wire and cameras on every corner and make it look like a military outpost, I wouldn’t want to work in a place like that, and I don’t think anyone would want to go to a school like that. The school atmosphere has to be a balance between safe and welcoming.”

Jan. 15, 2015

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news

Art Club designs the Zine

by Austin Nunis

The Redondo Union Art Club is creating a new method of self expression for students through a mini art magazine, which is called the Zine.

A Zine, short for magazine, is a collection of student submitted art that ranges from drawings, collages, photographs, poetry, and songs to any other form of artistic expression. “[The Zine] gives students the opportunity to create even if they aren’t in an art class.

It will show the talent we have at our school, our ideas, and how we all think really differently. It’s a form of self expression, no matter the technique you put into it. It’s going to be interesting,” art teacher and Art Club president Amanda Roth said.

For the first issue of the mini magazine, Roth says that “every submitted piece will be published and that the talent level of the art won’t matter.”

Roth is concerned that there will be a lack of submissions or lack of people purchasing the Zine due to skepticism, though she believes that it will eventually be a success due to the publicity they will be recieving from their first issue.

“I think a lot of students are hesitant because they aren’t sure what [the Zine] is. So I think the key is just putting the first one out there. If it’s a hit then we can talk about doing another one, and by that time people will be more familiar with it so hopefully more students will get involved and participate in this project,” Roth said.

Art Club vice president and junior Kate Lux, on the other hand, believes that the new Zine will be an immediate triumph among the students.

“I think [the Zine] will be a big hit with everyone because a lot of people in the South Bay do appreciate, and are interested in art and creative things, so I think the students will love it. Anyone can send anything in and the whole point is that it’s a form of expression made by the school, for the school,” Lux said.

Like Lux, co-president and senior Jessica Chun is expecting the Zine to thrive among the student body and the artistic community outside of the school. They are both excited to see other people’s reactions.

“I think that it’s going to be really successful, and I just hope that other people who aren’t in an art class have the chance to express themselves through the art that they submit. It’s a great outlet for artists, especially since we don’t really have something like that here,” Chun said.

One unique factor of the Zine is that it is fully run and managed by the students involved in the RUHS art club. The president and co-president are extremely impressed by the number of people who wanted to be involved.

“It’s all student produced. That’s something to be proud of, that students who didn’t know each other came together and are bringing their ideas forward. And it isn’t going to be refined, it’s going to be published as is,” Roth said.

Although the Zine must censor obscene images due to school policies, they are doing their best to keep the students work as original as they can by editing them as little as possible.

Though most of the logistics surrounding the Zine remain undetermined, including future themes and release dates, the club is aware of the Zine’s purpose and overall short-term and long-term goals as they move into the second semester.

“We just wanted to create something that would showcase everyone’s art. You have your individual art classes and art projects, but not everyone else will get the chance to see your work,” co-president, senior Bridget Sheridan said.

By opening the forum up to everyone on campus, they plan to have a variety of people and styles that will be featured in the upcoming issues of the Zine.

“This is a way to let those around school see what you can do,” Sheridan said. “We’re trying to reach kids that maybe aren’t in an art class but are still artistic.”

On top of that, Lux said that they are also attempting to expand the art community at the school.

Besides giving students the opportunity to share their art with their peers, the art club is also using the Zine as a form of fundraising.

“This was our idea for fundraising for the

club. We’re trying to be original and unique by incorporating what we love [into the fundraising], then we will go from there,” Roth said.

With the money that they get from selling the Zines, the club intends to make Art Club t-shirts, buy art supplies, plan and fund field trips to various museums or exhibits, and even bring in experienced artists to talk to the students.

“The way you grow is by learning from others and experimentation,” Roth said. “I think that will eventually happen to the Art Club, but it will take a little fundraising to get there.”

They’re planning on selling the Zines for around one dollar per mini magazine, and are printing, editing, and binding the mini magazines themselves.

Roth, who believes that art is both “very confusing” and also “a conversation piece,”

feels that the Zine is important for another reason.

“I sometimes feel like art isn’t a priority at Redondo Union, but maybe it’s because a lot of people aren’t really aware of what art is and what it means to people. But I think [the Zine] is really going to promote the talent that we have and give poeple an opportunity to express themselves while doing something thst they love,” Roth said.

Although she believes that there is not enough of a focus on art, Roth believes that the Zine will reach a variety of unknown aspiring artists.

“Artists come in all shapes and sizes,” Roth said. “Some are really quiet, some are loud, some are secretive about their art, but I think this is a way for them to have a goal, express themselves, contribute to and put something into a piece of art that everyone else going to see.”

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Express yourself. 1. “I like the Zine a lot because it provides an outlet for RUHS’ creatives

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to share their work in a printed and unusual way, as well as anonymously if the student wishes, allowing them to express their emotions in the piece, making it better and more engaging, without having to feel embarrassed or worried that they will be judged,” sophomore Kaita Pannor said. 2. “We really want to allow everyone at this school get involved in art, even if they’re not involved in any of the art classes. People can only show their art at the showcase at the end of the year and this allows them to express their art throughout the year,” Sheridan said. PHOTOS COURTESY OF BRIDGET SHERIDAN

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High Tide

news

Trash Talk Administration and AP Environmental science classes plan a new recycling program

by Ben Brill

As part of an ongoing initiative to make students more conscientious of the environment around them, administration and AP Environmental Science classes are instituting a plan to promote recycling around campus. Beginning next semester, more recycling bins will be placed around campus with the final goal of having a recycling bin for each trash can.

AP Environmental Science teacher Gillian Moberg believes that in order for the plan to work, students need to be willing to recycle.

“I think the plan is evolving, but at this point we think that we can successfully get

students to sort their trash between recyclables and stuff destined to the landfill,” Moberg said. “We are really trying to push out the fact that whenever you don’t recycle, it really just fills up the landfills. We’d like to get it to the point where we are recycling consciously rather than just adding to the land waste.”

Despite efforts to clean up RUHS, Moberg believes that the best way to reduce waste around campus is by not generating waste at all.

“It really is part of an ongoing mission to change students’ mind sets. Instead of trying to clean pollution, the most effective way is

to prevent it,” Moberg said. “Giving alternatives or choosing a different habit could ultimately reduce the amount of trash that is entering the environment by just changing students behavior.”

Senior Sabrina Endicott, who is part of a committee organizing the implementation of the plan, thinks that getting students to actually recycle will be difficult at first.

“It’s going to be hard because people aren’t used to change,” Endicott said. “At first, it’s kind of just letting people know and making people more aware and conscious of their actions in order for them to be more aware of trash usage.”

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Reduce, reuse, recycle. 1. Typically, recyling

bins are empty, but when they are not, students fill them with trash. Throwing away trash like unrecycleable plastic and fruit in the recycling bins causes actual recyclables to be trash also. 2. Paper and plastic water bottles do not always make it to the recycling bins.

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PHOTOS BY SANDER FINK AND KATIE KATAKEYAMA

Assistant principal Lindsey Corcoran wants students to take their recycling habits with them as they move on from RUHS into the real world in order to better the environment.

“The idea is that we are building habits and the students will ideally extend those habits beyond high school,” Corcoran said.

“We are fortunate to see our ecosystem so close to us because we are two blocks from the beach, and it’s one of the ecosystems that is impacted directly from littering.”

Endicott also wants students to take habits learned from RUHS elsewhere to leave a lasting impact on the community around RUHS. “It’s my last year at Redondo, and I know it’s kind of late to try and start to implement something and have it be there at the end of the year, but I really want to make people realize it and have people start composting and be more aware of the environment,” Endicott said. “And then they’ll go out and take what they learned here elsewhere.”

Moberg wants students to eventually reach the point where they will not need reminders to recycle or be conscientious about waste and believes it all starts with a change in mind set.

“I don’t think it needs to be a radical change, I just think it needs to be a change of behavior,” Moberg said. “I hope that students will not need the constant reminding or media campaign to recycle. To just have it be automatic that students reuse more and consume less and recycle.”

Disneyland is no longer the senior trip

by Kayla Hiken

With a little more than half the school year left, the long awaited senior grad night is soon to come. This year some changes have been made and the grad night has changed venues from Disneyland to Universal Studios.

Every year RUHS puts in a ticket request to purchase a certain amount of tickets in order to cover the class through a company that organizes student events. However, this year the ticket request for Disneyland was denied.

“We knew that some changes were going to happen for grad night. We just didn’t know what they were going to be. They had asked people to fill out a lengthy survey about how they can improve grad night, and there had been rumors that it was going to be all together closed down,” teacher Brooke Mata said. “Unfortunately, we are thinking that one of the changes that they are doing is to lessen the amount of people at grad night, but we can never be sure exactly what

the reason is for us having been denied the ticket request.”

After hearing the news about their grad night being changed to a different location, many seniors were upset.

“I’m very disappointed because I’ve been looking forward to the Disneyland grad night since my freshman year. Lately, Disneyland has gotten very expensive, so I haven’t been in years, which is why I was so excited about the grad night being at Disney,” senior Samantha Will said. “When I heard we weren’t going to Disney I was upset, but I appreciate the fact that they still made sure there was another trip for us. However, Disney was definitely the place I was really looking forward to going for my senior trip.”

Although Disneyland was not an option anymore for grad night, two other venues were available: Universal Studios and Six Flags. The seniors voted on their preference for which trip they preferred to go on.

“Both Universal Studios and Six Flags

were venues that offered grad night that happened to fit in with our master calendar.

There are a lot of factors that go into deciding a date and both Universal and Six Flags had grad nights,” Mata said.

Once the seniors were told about the new venue and that grad night is still happening, there was less disappointment.

“I think after all Universal will be a good alternative to Disneyland, and it will be a new experience for all the seniors to enjoy,” senior Ericka Veloz said. “We just have to make the most of our trip and make it fun for ourselves.”

With the unexpected changes for grad night, the seniors still come out of this with a “fun and positive” night they will enjoy together.

“I think what it breaks down to is that grad night is an experience and you’re going to have fun regardless of where you go because you are with your friends and you are celebrating as a class,” Mata said.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY LUMA WEGMAN

Jan. 15, 2015

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news

Coding California Future history textbooks must recognize the Mexican Repatriation.

Drivers cannot drive with both earbuds in their ears.

Compulsory vaccinations are needed for students to attend school.

Health courses will now be required to cover sexual violence and consent.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY LUMA WEGMAN

Laying down the law

New legislations implemented with the start of the new year Over 800 new bills were signed into law for the new year. Of the many passed, some relate to compulsory vaccinations, sex education, and driving.

According to the Los Angeles Times, high schools that currently require health courses must now provide lessons aimed at preventing sexual violence and the concept of consent.

Legislators said this is one of the first laws of its kind in the U.S. “Without action, more than 100,000 students will be sexually assaulted on college campuses nationwide,” Sofie Karasek, cofounder of the group End Rape on Campus, said. “By passing this bill to educate high school students about consent, California is taking a critical step towards lowering that number.”

Students are required to take sexual health classes unless their parents object.

This means that classes are now technically voluntary.

In addition, new lessons must be added to be inclusive of different sexual orientations and expand on lessons in HIV prevention.

“I firmly believe that by instilling in young minds the importance of affirmative consent and relationships built on love and respect, that we can reduce the sexual violence inflicted on young women,” said state Senate leader Kevin de Leon.

Incidentally, President Hoover’s Mexican Repatriation Act has long been a point of anger to many Mexican-Americans. Across the country, people who were Mexican or were merely suspected of being Mexican were stopped on the streets and asked to show papers to prove their right to be in the United States.

“With our state being the home to so many successful Mexican Americans, our children and all Californians should be aware of the injustices that took place so long ago,” Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia, author of the measure, said.

Now the state must make sure that future history textbooks for public schools include the 1930s deportation of more than one million U.S. citizens of Mexican descent.

The ideas for these two bills were submitted by a fifth-grade class at Bell Gardens Elementary School as part of their annual “There Ought to Be a Law” contest.

Among some of the more controversial laws taken up by the legislature this year, the new vaccination law now requires more children in school to be vaccinated against diseases including measles and whooping cough. This is due to the recent Disneyland measles outbreak that turned into one of the worst cases that California has seen since 1991.

“The science is clear that vaccines dra-

matically protect children against a number of infectious and dangerous diseases,” Gov. Jerry Brown said. “While it’s true that no medical intervention is without risk, the evidence shows that immunization powerfully benefits and protects the community.”

Children with medical conditions like allergies and immune-system deficiencies, with confirmation from a physician, would be excused from immunization. Parents whose children who attend private homebased schools or public independent studies off campus can also choose to decline vaccinations.

California will also join the list of states that bar religious and other personal-belief exemptions for schoolchildren, a move that could affect tens of thousands of students and set up a potential court battle with some that are against immunization.

Many parents have said that they will sue, push to block the law, or even home school their children in order to avoid getting the compulsory vaccinations needed to attend school.

The new “hoverboard” laws have gained national attention. Previously unrestricted, you must now be 16 years or older, wear a helmet and ride them on roads with speed limits of 35 mph or less to operate them in public. Safety gear must be worn at night to increase visibility.

There is a $250 fine for breaking any of these laws. Additionally, these electric-powered boards can be ridden in bike lanes and pathways so they avoid cars and bicycle traffic.

The growth of car accidents due to careless driving has prompted new laws on driving. While it has been illegal to wear overthe-ear headphones for some time, it is now unlawful to wear earplugs in, earphones covering, resting on, or inserted in, both ears while operating a motor vehicle or a bicycle.

Only one earbud can be in at a time to ensure safety on the road.

Police and traffic officials claim that having one free ear allows drivers and bike riders to be more focused and tuned into traffic.

However, this law does not apply to people operating authorized emergency vehicles, construction equipment and refuse or waste equipment while wearing a headset or safety earplugs.

Additional driving laws include the ability to pay parking tickets in multiple installments and the requirement of emergency exits on limousines.

“You’ve gotta brush your teeth every day.

You’ve gotta take in the laundry. You’ve gotta put food on the table,” Gov. Brown said. “In the collective life, though, we’re always fixing something and doing something. And I would say we’re making a lot of progress.”

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High Tide

opinion

Around We should thank Westboro Redondo Their hate gave Redondo—community and school—a chance to unite Did you go to the Westboro counterprotest? Why or why not?

Compiled by Carmen Hamm Photos by Megan Contreras

“

I went there to support my people.

”

-Kyra Hamlin, 12

“

I wasn’t with Westboro, but I don’t think GSA should’ve had a counter protest because they were feeding into it.

” “

-Kwess Vega, 9

Editorial

Thank you, Westboro Baptist Church.

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to discover the impressive unity and support of our community, and also for reminding us that there is still hate outside our school. The crowd of approximately 300 students, staff, alumni, and other community members, overwhelmed the handful of WBC protesters.

According to senior Lola Chase, the Gay-Straight Alliance president, it was “really overwhelming and amazing to see so much support from everyone in the community, from our school, from people of all orientations and identities.”

Thank you for giving us perspective.

Though we are lucky to attend a diverse, progressive school, we will not forget the students who are not as lucky as we are.

According to a 2015 study by the Human

Rights Campaign, 51 percent of LGBT students have been verbally harassed, 48 percent have been “excluded” by their peers, and 17 percent have been physically attacked while at school.

We must recognize homophobia’s existence in schools beyond RUHS in order to do anything about it once we graduate to that world.

Westboro Baptist Church, your attempt to spread your message of hatred was counterproductive. It reminded us of how important it is to protect all marginalized members of our community, as unfortunately the reality, as demonstrated Monday by Westboro, is that hatred still fills the hearts of many people.

The fight against intolerance and bigotry may be hard, and it may seem like standing against hate is a losing battle, but we must recognize that it will never end.

Extremists such as the Westboro Bap-

tist Church will always exist. Prejudice, whether it targets certain sexualities, gender expressions, ethnicities or religions, will also always exist.

However, so will acceptance, support, and love. RUHS and the Redondo Beach community, as well as sympathizers from several other high schools and nearby cities, demonstrated that by nullifying the efforts of the hate group who could barely be seen, much less heard, across the street.

On Monday, we affirmed that our school is a safe space for anyone; every student of any gender, sexuality, race, or faith has a place at RUHS and a community that supports them.

But to truly continue the fight beyond RUHS, the acceptance and support shown for our fellow students must be demonstrated in our postgraduate lives. For change to happen in the world, we have to be the ones to make it.

I did not go because I overslept, but I meant to go because I wanted to go against Westboro.

”

-Jacob Ramos, 12

“

I helped organize the protest because I knew it would mean a lot to the students.

”

-Paris Gibbs, 12

“

I went, and it was really fun.

”

-Dylan Gamsby, 10

ILLUSTRATION BY ALINA BIESCHKE

“

Heck yeah I went. I wanted to see the community come together.

”

-Matt Yonemura, 11

Yes

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Editorial Board vote

The Westboro Baptist Church’s protest became RUHS’ best opportunity yet to unify in support of all members of our student body.

No

1

Jan. 15, 2016

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opinion

Pro/Con:

Letters to the

Editor

If you have an opinion about one of the articles, letters can be sent to the editor at hightideonline@gmail. com.

We reserve the right to edit them for content, grammar, and space constraints. Letters must be signed and are not guaranteed to be printed.

Please keep letters to a maximum of 250 words. Longer guest opinions are also accepted.

Should students have picketed?

High Tide

staff

Editors in Chief: Yasmeen El-Hasan; Stella Gianoukakis Managing Editor: Vaidehi Gandhi News Editor: Lizzie Fauver; Shaniya Markalanda Opinion Editor: Christopher Paludi Features Editors: Zach Hatakeyama; Caterina Hyneman; Jon Mallen; Samaya Rubio; Reema Saad Sports Editors: Jessica Johnson; Adam Yorke Design Editors: Shawn Mallen; Grace Zoerner Writing Editors: Kayla Nicholls; Amanda Shaw Photo Editor: Ted Cavus Copy Editors: Micah Ezzes; Carmen Hamm Online Editors: Romy Moreno; Mylene Silver Illustrators: Alina Bieschke; Luma Wegman Staff Writers: Gianna Aquilina; Cass Anderson; Brittany Baker; Mia Berger; Ben Brill; Malek Chamas; Reem Chamas; Jasmine Dube; Micah Ezzes; Miriam Farah; Yasamin Fazeli; Jason Fong; Dina Ghanim; Kelly Harraka; Hannah Hastings; Patrick Henry; Kayla Hiken; Shyanne Landers; Gerika Macalino; Tanner McEveety; Eden Millan; Micky Munns; Davina Nguyen; Austin Nunis; Faith Petrie; Hayley O’Connor-Rigby; Luke Peterson;Justin Pioletti; Samaya Rubio; Summer Saad; Angie Tait; Simrun Ursani; Lulu Weg-man; Kylie Yorke; Erika Zlatkin Photographers: Syd Alli; Samantha Bendall; Angel Blanquel; Megan Contreras; Elise DiPaola; Sander Fink; Hiroki Goto; Ilene Guerrero; Anam Khan; Serena Maanum; Gisela Pedroza; Faith Petrie; Laua’e Schweitzer; Keiko Shingu; Nita Villas; Karen Vuong; Ania Webb This is a wholly student-managed, designed, and written newspaper that focuses on the school and community..

Signed commentaries and editorial cartoons represent the opinions of the staff writer or cartoonist.

Mylene Silver

Students were right to stand for what they believe in Our first instinct was to protect those being attacked, and it was beautiful. There is a mutual unsaid agreement that all hatred, ignorance and bigotry in the past in regards to homosexuality is out of place. This is a new generation that no longer tolerates shame and exile, but rather promotes love and acceptance. This kindness was displayed this past Monday morning by the cheers and rainbows of an entire city in protest against the Westboro Baptist Church (WBC).

Some may argue that by countering WBC’s protest, the demonstrators are giving them attention and thus legitimizing their cause. The demonstration, however, was to promote unity, solidarity and open-mindedness.

People of all ethnicities, sexual orientations and backgrounds from even beyond the South Bay community put aside their differences and banded together for the purpose of encouraging acceptance.

There was also the concern that individuals participating in the demonstration might be angered enough to act violently, which could result in lawsuits against them. The WBC is, in fact, notorious for inciting reactions and then filing lawsuits, claiming that their first amendment rights have been violated.

Knowing this, the Gay-Straight Alliance and the South Bay LGBT Center made sure to focus on how they reacted to such vitriol. After everyone got past the initial anger, people saw with clarity that we needed to protect and defend our school, our home.

Bearing all of this in mind, signs were made with messages promoting positivity and love. There was an aura of positive energy radiating from the crowd. The focus was no longer on WBC and their hate, but rather our community’s acceptance.

Not only did the community come together, but so did the administration. The outpouring of support from RBUSD and local government officials only strengthened the fervor and gave credibility to the movement. It cannot be denied how much they care about our safety and well being.

The level of energy of both sides was indicative of their devotion to their respective cause. WBC was quiet and passive, while RUHS was loud, large and loving. We are a force to be reckoned with. The crowd of people around the front office, the heart of our school, acted as a shield, protecting the school and those within from hate.

Instead of fighting fire with fire, we cut off their oxygen and smothered their flame. Homophobia and any kind of bigotry must be fought against actively, not passively. This was not a matter of hate against hate, but rather love against hate. And love always wins.

Christopher Paludi

The counter-protest gave the tiny group power The Westboro Baptist Church terrorizes with shocking and incendiary messages in their pursuit of headlines and visibility for their organization. On Monday, the counter-protest gave them exactly what they wanted.

The “church” was represented by a handful of protestors— a nuisance at worst. However, the counter-protest mounted by the Gay-Straight Alliance and those admirably wishing to support LGBTQA+ persons attracted a level of attention that would otherwise not have been paid to the few tentative individuals across the street.

Westboro does not aim to convert. They are not missionaries; they are grandstanders, lawyers aiming to shock their victims into attacks that they can respond to with lawsuits, all with the end goal of getting money for their organization.

Thankfully, the counter-protest mounted by RUHS students and the surrounding community was nonviolent and focused on love and acceptance—a powerful and admirable message, one I have no problem with demonstrating in our everyday lives.

While living in opposition to the views of the Westboro Baptist Church by accepting and supporting people of any and all sexualities, genders, races and other self-identifications is something I can and do fully encourage, I cannot support validating the efforts of a hate group by giving them attention.

Hateful things are said all of the time. However, very little, if anything at all, is done about them, and arguably those offhand comments made by prejudiced or ignorant members of our student body are much more harmful than a faraway hate group represented only by enough members to squeeze into a Prius making a pit stop on their way back from the Golden Globes.

Let me qualify this by stating how proud I am of the hundreds of members of our student body who came together with love in support of the victims of hatred. On Monday morning, I was as proud as I ever have been to be a Sea Hawk.

But objectively I cannot deny the power that media attention gives these organizations and the platform their words are given to reach many more people than they would have otherwise. Without the attention of the media, the Westboro Baptist Church would be just another group of backcountry bigots. But over the past few years they have gotten the press they desire, the pageviews that help fund their operation.

On Monday, we were, in the course of an admirable show of unity, unfortunately part of the problem that allows this hate group to continue. And moving into the future, we have to focus on improving things within our own school while turning the other cheek to those who want our eyes.

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features

Celebrating Christmas in Nigeria

Awujo traveled to attend her uncle’s chieftaincy ceremony

by Tanner McEveety Fireworks and music, dancing and church—all to come together and celebrate in a Nigerian Christmas.

Awujo traveled to Nigeria and attended her uncle Tony Onyeagoro’s chieftaincy ceremony. He earned the title by giving back to his community.

“During the reception, his whole village came to his compound and celebrated him and his family,” Awujo said. “It was a lot of fun.”

While attending ceremonies in Nigeria, Awujo attended two traditional Nigerian weddings and visited the Nigerian capital of Abuja. She went during Christmas time.

Awujo believes that the holiday there is more about being with family than getting presents.

“The only presents I got were from America,” Awujo said. “And I didn’t even mind, because I spent time with family that I hadn’t seen in a long time.”

Awujo also visited a Nigerian farm and found the atmosphere different from that of America.

“Nigerian farms are a lot different than

farms in America. Everything is by hand.

Planting, harvesting, feeding animals, everything. It’s a much slower process,” Awujo said. “America is more modernized, but Nigeria is slowly catching up.”

However, Awujo also noticed a more “negative” aspect of Nigeria.

“I hate to say it, but when I was there I noticed Nigeria has a lot of corruption,” Awujo said. “When I was in the airport, they wanted to check our bags. All my parents had to do was bribe them since we had a lot of luggage.

It saves time, but it’s bad because smuggling can occur easily.”

Despite the corruption, Awujo enjoys engaging in her culture.

“It really matters that I took part in Nigerian culture because you can say you’re from somewhere, and look up pictures of that place, but being there, experiencing the people and culture, and getting a feel for the country is a lot different,” Awujo said. “I’ve been there before, but I feel like I experienced more when I went this time because I’m older, and could understand more about what was going on.”

Home is where the heart is. Awujo (middle) felt right at home when she visited Nigeria. She understands Igbo, a Nigerian language, and eats Nigerian food and goes to Nigerian church in the United States.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHIKA AWUJO

Awujo believes that her household is simliar in nature to Nigeria. She goes to a Nigerian church, eats Nigerian food, goes to Nigerian parties, and can understand their native language, Igbo.

“I feel like home is just like it is in Nigeria,” Awujo said. “When I’m at home, then I go back to Nigeria, it is not a culture shock for me. I almost feel like I’m in the same place.”

Jan. 15, 2015

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features

Finding a new beginning Moliterno starts “Gay Code” on YouTube after moving from Brazil

by Brittany Baker Thirty-five thousand six hundred and thirty two views later, senior Kenui Moliterno has over 4,700 subscribers on his YouTube channel ‘Gay Code’ in less than two months.

“People who found out about it come up to me and say ‘Oh I loved your video’ and I always try to ask people what they liked about it and what they would want us to do more,” Moliterno said.

Destiny Atlas, co-owner of “Gay Code” attends Cal State Dominguez Hills. She befriended Moliterno at a popular restaurant, Scotty’s On The Pier, where she trained him for the job.

“It’s an amazing feeling that people take the time to watch our videos, Kenui and I put a lot of time into making them and we hope that we are able to educate people on the gay community as well as make them laugh,” Atlas said.

Moliterno and Atlas work to give the perspectives of both lesbean and gay relationships, so viewers of all genders can relate to their videos.

“I really love helping people, it’s so fun to see people coming out and to have people telling me their life story, I don’t even know them. I just help them with whatever they are going through and it’s really cool to connect with them like that,” Moliterno said.

According to Atlas, many times the media portrays unrealistic stereotype perspectives on gay people.

“We want to give an accurate representation of how it is to be gay and that you don’t have to be the stereotype if you are. Growing up, it was hard for me to relate to gay girls on television because I wasn’t the typical stereotype of being butch,” Atlas said.

Butch is a term describing a female gender identity that focuses on masculine traits.

Tolerance. Moliterno (right) was only supposed to live in the United States for six months., but decided to stay because he “felt safe, like [he] can be whatever [he] wants”. PHOTO BY SANDER FINK

Moliterno and Atlas try to build a relationship with their followers with each video they post.

“I don’t look at our followers as followers, they are amazing people that support us and continue to give us the encouragement to keep going,” Atlas said.

When Moliterno moved to the United States from Brazil around two years ago, he researched schools in the South Bay and moved in with a family in the district when he found Redondo Union.

Moliterno moved from living with his brother in Marina Del Rey to Redondo because he prefered to go to RUHS instead of Venice High School, which would have been the alternative.

“I found Redondo and I thought, ‘this is a perfect school for me’, and when I got here it felt safe, like I can be whatever I want,” Moliterno said.

According to Moliterno he was bullied by people at the school he attended in Brazil for his sexuality.

“It’s one of the reasons I moved to the U.S., not many people know that,” Moliterno said.

Moliterno described the process of moving to the United States as perfect timing due to his sister taking an internship in San Diego, his brother moving to Marina Del Rey, and his mother moving to Los Angeles.

His dad still lives in Rio, where Moliterno was originally going to return after enough time passed to allow the bullying he faced to blow over.

“The plan was for me to only stay for six months, but once I got here I was like I am not going back,” Moliterno said.

Moliterno got accepted into and plans to attend Oregon State University. Despite their distance while he is at college, he will continue running “Gay Code” with Atlas.

Cloutier and Corman do frisbee trick shots

by Simrun Ursani As the frisbee finally goes into the trashcan with a “swish from the bag and a thump of the frisbee hitting the bottom,” sophomores Bryan Cloutier and Ryan Corman begin to celebrate their success of another trick shot.

“The cool thing is you never expect to make the shot, that’s why whenever you make the shot you go crazy,” Cloutier said.

Since they never expect it, Corman has to record each test shot at the perfect angle so that “the frisbee is always in the frame.”

“It is really invigorating because as the frisbee is going into the trashcan, some shots take a long time. So, once you actually do it it’s an amazing feeling. It gives you a sense of accomplishment,” Corman said.

The most difficult shot Corman and Cloutier have done recently was an overhead flick shot, which took roughly an hour and a half to do successfully.

“The frisbee is vertical in your hand. It kind of floats and mid air it flips and starts to

land. It is a basic shot once you learn how to do it but it is very tough to learn. There was nothing to bank the frisbee so it was hard to figure out how to judge the throw,” Corman said.

The hardest trick shot Cloutier has ever done was a throw where he couldn’t see the target.

“I did one trick shot where I had to throw the frisbee over a wall and I couldn’t see the bucket. I would hammer it over the wall and hit the fence so it would go into the bucket off the fence,” Cloutier said. “When you can’t see your bucket it is the person who is behind the camera celebrates first. You just have to wait until they say you made it in the bucket before you can celebrate.”

The first thing the boys do when trying to come up with a trick shot is find a camera angle in which the frisbee can be seen the entire time.

“Anywhere you try to do a trick shot you have to find an ideal spot for what shot you’re

going to do. Like for a flick shot, you would want to do it around a wall,” Corman said.

Cloutier prefers a frisbee when doing trick shots because “there are a lot more openings of shots that you are able to do.” Corman likes to do trickshots with other sports equipment like a basketball and a football.

“Personally, I am better with other balls like a basketball or a football but I do like the way the frisbee moves,” Corman said. “With a basketball, you are limited with the kinds of shots you can do. But because of the way the frisbee moves you can do so much more.”

Cloutier and Corman both enjoy working with frisbees because of the way it moves.

“You can curve it and you can also bounce it. You can throw it against the wall and it will ride against the wall. The frisbee curves and you can avoid obstruction. You can throw it into the wind and it’ll come back. At first it doesn’t look like it’ll make it because I am not close to the bucket but then it ends up making it,” Cloutier said.

Flick of the wrist. Although Corman prefers doing trick shots with basketballs or footballs, he enjoys using frisbees due to the higher amount of techniques and shots possible. PHOTO COURTESY OF BRYAN CLOUTIER

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features

FIGHTING

HATE

On Monday morning, hundreds of students and community members unified in a counter-protest against the Westboro Baptist Church. Chanting, holding up signs, and proudly waving rainbow flags in the air, RUHS showed that “love always wins.”

A small group of about five members from the church began their protest at around seven a.m. but were quickly drowned out by the mass of students and residents protesting against them.

Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) advisor Amber Keller describes seeing the community unite as a “surreal” experience.

“I got choked up just seeing the unity and the community coming together,” Keller said. “For the rest of the day I felt like I was almost floating on a cloud because I just felt it was so tremendous.

You could really feel the unity of our community.”

The president of the Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA), senior Lola Chase, found the counter-protest emotional as well.

“Just to know that I was such a big part of getting all these people together as Redondo, as the South Bay, and as a school as well made me really happy,” Chase said. “All they want is for us to get angry and confrontational so it was really important for us to stand together, united, in a nonviolent protest to show who we are in a good way and basically kill them with kindness.”

WITH

The counter-protest was planned over Facebook and initially only involved the GSA and a few of Chase’s close friends. Soon after, however, the event page was receiving media attention at a national level, and Congresswoman Janice Hahn voiced her support for the counter-protest in a letter to GSA and a speech to Congress.

“Being president of the Gay-Straight Alliance I knew I had to do something.

I think that if I hadn’t done something then someone else would have. I really don’t think it was anything too brave of me that I did,” Chase said. “I think that’s just the kind of school that we’re at. Redondo doesn’t stand for hate. Redondo stands up for themselves. We believe in ourselves and we will stand up for who we are, and I think that’s the great thing about us.”

Members of the GSA were among the most spirited supporters in the crowd, but many other students passionately showed their support as well.

“There was so much support for GSA and there were so many students that were not in GSA that came to the meetings in my room to help facilitate and plan. People wanted to make signs and so many people asked how they could help and support GSA. It was a huge factor in expanding their influence on campus,” Keller said.

Senior Gayle Wilson appreciates

LOVE

that the event was peaceful and, like many other students in the crowd, was happy to see so many people show up to the counter-picket.

“It’s nice to feel like it’s a very inclusive space, and that was the whole point of this. It was to get a foundation of support from the school, but the fact that people showed up from outside of the school is really nice. Having people on the other side of the street with them is great,” Wilson said. “It just feels very inclusive, and regardless of the fact that there are people there who would love to see nothing more than our demise, it sucks for them because there’s too many of us.”

Chase believes that this protest strengthened the GSA’s influence on campus.

“The past few years, the GSA hasn’t been too big, but this year there has been a huge peak in people coming to and being involved in the club,” Chase said. “It’s been quite a whirlwind for us and I’m glad to see people wanting to be involved in each other’s lives, be happy with who they are, and feel like they’re in a safe environment.”

The community members involved in the counter-protest were thrilled to

Jan. 15, 2015

High Tide

see RUHS plan a successful event to show that “love is love.” The transgender moderator for the South Bay LGBT Center and RUHS graduate of the class of 1974, Rita Loy, expressed her pride in the growth of the GSA club.

“We didn’t have the Gay-Straight Alliance at Redondo at that time, so for me it was just something I had to come to. I had to be here. This cause is close to my heart for a number of reasons.

This is my high school and my home city and I’m part of the LGBT community,” Loy said.

Additionally, some members of the counter-protest were concerned with legal issues regarding the Westboro Church protestors. Parent Hillary Fiedler passed around a petition to keep the church members farther away from the students.

“This organization bullies students who are under the age of eighteen.

These students that they are protesting against are all part of a protected class and they are under eighteen so there should be a distance between them and the students,” Fiedler said. “Not across the street, but yards. Hundreds of yards away. I feel that having something that

page 11

features

Monday’s peaceful counter-protest against the Westboro Baptist Church unified the community

by Yasi Fazeli

Love wins. 1. The efforts of the counter-protesters overwhelmed the picketers from the Westboro Baptist Church. “I felt so loved by everyone and I could tell that everyone had so much love for each other,” Chase said. “I knew that we had won.” 2. RUHS alumnae Kayley Blome, Ceara Moran, and Casey O’Connor returned to show their support for their old high school and the LGBT community. PHOTOS BY ANDREW KIM

protects children in the state of California is something that is necessary.”

The reactions counter-protesters had towards the Westboro Baptist Church varied. Some voiced their deep resent but most focused on the “love, peace, and acceptance” on Redondo’s side.

“I don’t have hate in my heart. I just don’t understand them, and I’m going to have to respectfully decline to listen to anything they have to say on the topic,” Wilson said.

Chase believes that trying to reason with the stubborn minded church is useless.

“As long as we stand behind knowing it’s wrong and as long as we stand behind knowing that love always wins, it doesn’t matter,” Chase said. “We didn’t do the picket for the Westboro Baptist Church. We did it for us. We did it for Redondo and our community.

We did it not just because some people were coming in and being mean and preaching hate, but because we care about each other and who we are. We’re not going to let someone else tell us who we are.”

“I felt so loved by everyone and I

5.

1.

2.

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High Tide

features

1.

Curl up and dye

Freshman Bella Biggs and sophomore Mylene Silver express themselves through hair color

By Shyanne Landers

A sea of deep purple and violet splashes in freshman Bella Biggs’ hair. Passerbys give her strange glances as she walks down the street, but headstrong and confident, she holds her head of vibrant color high.

“It’s a way for me to give off how I am as a person and show my personality. It’s easier for me to express it that way,” Biggs said.

She uses hair color as an alternative to doing anything permanently “bad or damaging” to herself.

“I dye my hair instead of doing something, like going out and drinking every night or something that can be really harmful to my body. Hair is just an easy way to express yourself without doing permanent,” she said.

Biggs has dyed her hair pink, blue, periwinkle, and has recently dyed her hair purple and lavender.

“I’m a person that needs a lot of differences and changes happening, otherwise I just get really bored and unhappy. I change my hair a lot, so as you can tell, I can never commit to one thing,” Biggs said.

Biggs wants to embrace the diverse aspect of her personality.

“I kind of wanted to be different. In middle school, there was no one with crazy hair colors or styles. I just thought no one was doing it and I really liked it, so I might as well dye my hair. ,” Biggs said.

Now that Biggs is getting older, she feels she has a stronger sense of self-expression.

However, she had to wait a couple of years to persuade her parents.

“My parents were really unsure of letting me dye my hair at first, but they eased up later on. To show your parents that you’re mature enough to have dyed hair, you don’t want to badger them or whine. The best thing you can do is show you are educated on the subject,” she said.

Like Biggs, Sophomore Mylene Silver frequently dyes her hair. Her parents, however, allowed her to make her own decisions concerning her hair color.

“They don’t even flinch when I come out

2.

Back to their roots. 1. Silver has been dyeing her hair since the seventh grade. “I think being mindful

about what hair color I want ruins the fun. I think it’s really healthy to be mindless sometimes,” she said. 2.

Biggs has also been dyeing her hair for years. “I feel like pastel purple is what really describes me. It’s a really calming and soft color, but it also has a dark aspect to it. PHOTOS BY ANAM KHAN

of the room with bright purple hair and I’ve just had blonde hair,” Silver said. “The only issue is how costly products can be, but getting paid to do other people’s hair helps me there.”

Both girls do not mind the attention they may receive as a result of dyeing their hair

different colors.

“The first few days of school, I got a lot of stares. Not all them were bad, but if you dye your hair, it kind of comes with people staring because it’s something that you don’t usually see. Some people said some dumb insults about it, but it honestly doesn’t matter

because it’s how I want to show who I am,” Biggs said.

Silver dyes her hair approximately twice a month “There was something about looking like a completely different version of myself that I enjoyed. I appreciated that I could totally revamp my style by simply changing my hair color,” Silver said.

Silver approximately changes her hair color every three weeks.

“Frequently changing my hair color makes me happy and helps me cope with my emotions,” Silver said. “It’s the only time when my mind doesn’t wander. I’m focused on the task at hand and I completely forget about any and all emotional stress I may be under.”

Silver is very spontaneous when changing her hair. Being different from the normal crowd, she has been able to reflect on herself.

“Unfortunately, I feel like we still live in a time in which a person’s opinion of you is solely dependent upon your outward appearance,” Silver said.

She doesn’t give the people who don’t like her any attention.

“The only opinions of myself that matter are my own and those of my close friends,” Silver said. “I don’t see being abnormal as a very bad thing now that I’m older. I think it’s very good to be strange.”

Silver is highly intolerant of any negative or hateful remarks towards her.

“I’ve been told before that when I’m 50 years old and I look back at my high school photos that I’ll be embarrassed because of how naïve I was with my hair. I very much disagree with that, because I’ll look and remember that I was happy,” Silver said.

She is confident in herself and doesn’t give the comments a reaction.

“I think people are afraid of and reject things that are different like blue, purple or red hair. But if I’m satisfied with what I see in the mirror, then I don’t think any of that matters,” Silver said. “The only thing that’s important is that you love who you are.”

Jan. 15, 2016

Soul says

page 13

features

Cora Eden and Carissia Carter express themselves every Tuesday at Poetry Night

By Gianna Aqulina On a Tuesday night in a small coffee shop you can find two girls sharing their heartfelt poems.

Junior Cora Eden and senior Carrissia Carter both express themselves through writing poetry and reading it at poetry night at Coffee Cartel every Tuesday night. Both girls find sharing their poetry with people “exhilarating.”

“It felt good to get the poetry out finally because before that I never shared it with anyone and to finally get it out there was nice,” Carter said.

According to Carter, she writes because she does not want to keep all her emotions bottled in.

“I need to be able to get stress out. One of the only ways I can do that is to write poetry,” she said.

Eden writes poetry because she plans on being a writer when she grows up.

“Poetry is more of a freeing type of writing because you can write poetry about anything, which I enjoy because my other writing isn’t like that,” she said. “It was a way for me to tell how I’m feeling. I thought instead of keeping a diary I would write poetry.”

Eden has been writing poetry since she was in sixth grade after she won second place in a reflections contest.

“When I wrote the poem I thought it was pretty good but looking back and reading it I realized it was terrible,” she said.

Eden and Carter were both very nervous about reading their poetry in front of everyone during poetry night.

“When my name first got called up I was asking myself if this was actually happening and why did I want to do this in the first place,” Eden said.

Eden built up the courage to go up and read by practicing for two weeks before the night she read. “[When] I read it, everyone loved it and they all clapped for me and told me how good it was and how they loved how open I was,” she said.

Carter read her poetry the first night she went to Coffee Cartel because the people there were all very “supportive.”

“It was nerve-wracking at first because I was sharing with people I didn’t know and they were about to know my life story in a few simple words,” Carter said.

Both girls thought that they could read their poetry if others were reading as well.

“I was scared that people were going to judge me, but once I started reading, the people were all very supportive and they liked my poetry,” Carter said.

Eden also believed the people were very

nice and was “relieved” that they liked her poem. She was nervous before, though, because she was sharing personal information with strangers.

“None of these people know who I am and I’m just going to come right out and tell them my life story,” Eden said.

The poem Eden read the first time was called “Here,” and it’s about the way people fall in and out of love.

“It was hard to chose which one to read because they all have meaning to me,” she said. “So I had to ask myself, ‘Which one do I feel comfortable with reading in front of everybody.’”

Both girls write their poetry about the sad things that happen in their life with their friends and family.

“I write poetry because it’s a form of art and expression and its hard for me to say what I’m thinking but when I write poetry it’s easier for me to express what I’ve been through” Carter said.

Eden has grown over the years and now she is writing a novel. She wants to write because she isn’t artistic in any other areas.

“I can’t draw to save my life and I can’t take good photos. Writing is the only thing I’m good at,” she said, “I just have a way with words.”

1.

Dead poet’s society.

2.

1. At poetry night on Tuesday, Eden recited a poem entitled “Here.” “It is about reminiscing a past relationship that ended with heartbreak and the realization that the significant other has really moved on,” she said. 2.

In addition to poems, local musicians also use poetry night to express themselves.

“Most of the time there are people that will also perform original songs and it is amazing because everyone is able to openly express themselves in any medium they see fit their personality. It’s just a supr chill environment in general,” Eden said.

PHOTOS BY SANDER FINK

page 14

features

We would like to disagree with certain recent protestors outside Redondo Union.

We think

God Loves Everybody.

(Seriously. Everybody.)

So we do, too.

BeachFaith Youth www.beachfaith.org

High Tide

Jan. 15, 2015

page 15

features

Modeling equality for all

Freshman Kennedy Trawick starred in an advertisement advocating womens rights

2.

Then and now. 1. Trawick (left) works alongide

1.

other models in “Hope for Our Daughters,” an ad for Meryl Streep’s recently released movie “Suffragette.”

“Modeling in ‘Hope for Our Daughters’ was cool not only because of what it was about and what it stood for, but also because it was an advertisement for ‘Suffragette,’ a movie that recently came out starring Meryl Streep about women and the Feminism Movement in 1915 fighting for women’s rights,” Trawick said. 2. Trawick, as well as other models, were asked questions about what they know about womens rights as part of the video.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF KENNEDY TRAWICK

By Kylie Yorke As of 2015, nearly 74 million girls worldwide under age 14 are child laborers. Some 62 million girls don’t have the opportunity for an education, and about 39,000 girls daily are forced to marry before they turn 18.

These are just some of the statistics freshman Kennedy Trawick learned modeling for a project called “Hope for our Daughters,” which was created as an advertisement for the recently released movie “Suffragette,” about the feminist movement in 1915.

“I was really excited to have booked the job,” Trawick said. “I’m really passionate about gender equality and to be able to be a part of a movement for it was absolutely amazing.”

In November, Trawick starred alongside other young girls in a two minute video whose “purpose was to bring attention to the lack of women’s rights and the gender inequality.”

The girls were given statistics, and they had to decide whether the statement is true for 1915 or 2015.

“The video showed that while women have gained many rights, there’s still a lack of fairness and equality,” Trawick said.

The video, which has over 720,000 views, has given Trawick the opportunity to work for a cause she is passionate about and helped people realize there has been “little improvement” in women’s rights in the last 100 years.

“I felt very connected to the project be-

cause it’s always angered me that men are viewed and held higher than women, and I hope someday soon women will be able to change that,” she said.

“Suffragette” shows women being discriminated against and abused by men, but Trawick believes “a person’s gender, race, or sexuality shouldn’t determine their worth in life.”

“There should be equality clear across the board,” she said.

Trawick’s typical auditions don’t usually involve an interview, but “Hope For Our Daughters” wanted to ensure their models would show natural commitment to the cause.

“I auditioned for it like any other job, but for the audition, they asked me to speak on a subject I felt strongly about,” she said. “I ended up choosing racial equality.”

Modeling for “Suffragette” was not Trawick’s first job, but in fact one of many. She started modeling for Kmart when she was just five months old. Since then she has modeled for companies such as Target, JcPenney, Billabong, Barbie and the NBA. “It doesn’t feel weird seeing myself in commercials or on Barbie boxes,” she said. “I just think it’s really cool that I’m not the only one seeing it, thousands of other people see it too.”

When it comes to the editing of photos and making sure the photos she models in feature her at her best, Trawick is confident

in the judgment of the companies she works with.

“I know the company is looking for the best image possible, so I don’t have to worry about looking bad or doing anything wrong,” she said. “I actually like working with bigger companies because I know my family on the other side of the U.S. will get to see me.”

Because she started modeling at such a young age, Trawick admits the reason she “wasn’t scared was because [she] had no idea what was going on,” and that it never felt like a job to her.

“Print never really scared me because, to me, it would be just like playing dress up,” she said. “I would get to try on a variety of different clothes and pose and smile for the camera.”

Although doing print has always been enjoyable for Trawick, commercial shoots are more intense. She admits that even though she enjoys acting, there is a lot more pressure to do things a certain way and not much room for error.

“Although it’s fun to act, I’ve always really loved modeling for print. If you’re just modeling clothes they play music and you get to dance around and just be yourself,” she said.

“When doing commercials, they atmosphere is usually strictly business and not as relaxed. Everyone is watching you and waiting on you to execute your lines as perfectly as you can.”

Though there is a difference in the atmo-

sphere of print and commercial shoots, each shoot is unique. As well as working with new companies every month, Trawick also experiences variety in the places her work sends her.

“For both print and commercial the setting is always changing,” she said. “I’ve done photo shoots in big rooms with white backgrounds, but I’ve also gone all the way to Joshua Tree and to Canada for some.”

Being a model means it is your job to be more physically appealing or fit a company’s “look” more than any other girl at an audition, and Trawick admits it can be hard not to compare yourself to the people and models she works alongside.

“Don’t compare yourself to others, because you’ll lose your confidence,” she said.

“I know a girl who I’ve modeled with for a long time who’s been in Twilight, but I realized I can’t compare us because she looks way different than me.”

Trawick enjoys modeling, but she does not take what she has for granted. Meanwhile, a great many girls worldwide don’t have the opportunity for an education, and while she doesn’t plan on quitting modeling any time soon, Trawick wants to take full advantage of her rights and opportunities by finishing school and attending college.

“I would love to grow up and continue modeling,” she said. “I can see a career in it, but I also have other plans to go to college or become a psychologist.”

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High Tide

sports

Shooting for the best Girls soccer starts off stong and has high hopes for the rest of the season

by Angie Tait

In their first league game of the season, Girls’ Soccer dominated over Inglewood on Jan. 12 with an ending score of 10-0.

“It’s nice easing into league because we have some tough games coming up next week, so I think these first two games will build our confidence,” senior and co-captain Katie Stein said.

The team used the high score as a way to practice in-game, working on ball placement, passing, and communication. “[The game] was a fun one, since we really got to show off our skill. After halftime, we worked on using the entire length of the field to connect passes and utilize all the space they were giving us,” senior Makayla Hughes said.

Stein had similar thoughts.

“Since they were easier, we played some players who don’t always get a chance to get on the field, which was good for us to see some of the potential in all of our players,” Stein said.

Despite the easy match, some players thought the game and practice wouldn’t be helpful for when they face tougher teams in the future.

“Playing teams like Inglewood is good

in some aspects because we get to work on playing with each other and trying new things, but it’s not helpful in preparing us for teams like Peninsula,” junior and co-captain Madi Kennel said.

To prepare for the tougher teams this season, the girls have been focusing on fitness and ball control.

“This is the most conditioning and weight training we’ve done as a team, and I think it’s making a great positive impact on the shape of our players. Also, everyone seems to get along, with no drama so far,” Stein said.

On top of regular soccer skills, the girls have also been trying to talk more, on and off the field, so they can understand the focus of each game.

“We all work very hard in practice, and push each other, because we all have the same drive. We have a tough time communicating on the field and understanding what each girl might do with the ball, but we’re working on that,” senior Brittany Bravo said.

The team will be playing Morningside High School next on Jan. 15, and agree that it will be an easy game, similar to Inglewood.

“Morningside should be another game for us to practice what we need to work on. We

Goals. 1. Junior Callie Hokanson dribbles down the field in a game against Pacifica on Dec. 12. She fends off a midfielder as she passes to forward to score a goal in the second half of the game. PHOTO BY SAM BENDALL

can get more relaxed with trying new plays, and also trusting one another to make the extra sprint, or play a crafty ball,” Bravo said.

Going off of both the Inglewood match and preseason games, the team is confident

in their skills for facing other teams.

“I think our team is ready to face the rest of our opponents for the season,” Bravo said.

“I see us being able to compete against the top teams.”

Tipping off the season

Girls basketball is confident that they will be successful in the upcoming game against Morningside

by Davina Nguyen The girls basketball team started off their first league game with a victory, defeating Inglewood high school on Tuesday, Jan. 12 with an overall score of 55-15.

“We were solid tonight,” senior co-captain Micaela Enriquez said. “Our main focus was defense, so we worked really hard to stay low and jump to the ball.”

Junior Lauren Tsuneishi acknowledged in improvement in regard to the girls’ teamwork, as well as how a multitude of players individually contributed to the team’s victory.

“Players like Hunter Noa, and Diana Obinna hustled for loose balls, and Makenna Peneueta’s assists to our post players like Kyra Hamlin and Daylan Bonner were a key part of our win too,” Tsuneishi said.

Enriquez noted that their defense was one of the team’s major focuses in order to defeat Inglewood, and the girls succeeded in executing that strength well.

“I’d have to say our defense [is our main strength],” Enriquez said. “We’ve been working really hard in practice on perfecting our defense and since this was our first league game, we really wanted to make our defense great.”

Other improvements the girls have made since the season has started included a heightened level of energy and focus.

“I’ve noticed that we have started to bring more positive energy and intensity into practice, so hopefully, it shows up in the games,” Tsuneishi said.

On Friday, Jan. 15, the girls’ basketball team will compete in their second league match against Morningside high school, using their victory from Inglewood as momentum to defeat tomorrow’s opponents.

Their experience with Morningside last season on March resulted with a score of 827.

In spite of this, the girls remain modest in

need to stay humble “andWenot worry about the

team we play against, but focus on giving each other our best efforts on and off the court -Lauren Tsuneishi

”

terms of the results of tomorrow’s match, as both teams are continuing to cope with the loss of last year’s graduating players, according to Hamlin.

In addition to that, the team believes that if they were overconfident, it would possibly work to their disadvantage, resulting in a potential loss.

“I think that right now, even though we know the skill set of the other team, we need to stay humble and not worry about the team we play against, but focus on giving each other our best efforts on and off the court,” Tsuneishi said.

Senior co-captain Kyra Hamlin has similar thoughts. “[Our confidence] does affect our attitude, but we just have to make sure we don’t play down,” Hamlin said.

The girls are confident in the outcome in the match, agreeing that based on their recent refinement in terms of teamwork and communication, the results of this game could contribute to their current winning streak.

“I know that if we play united as one instead of individuals, we can compete against any opponent,” said Tsuneishi.

Jump shot. Junior Nicole Swift takes a shot against Carson High School during the game on Dec. 9.

PHOTO BY MATTHEW YONEMURA

Jan. 15, 2016 Athlete of the Issue: Trenton Klatte

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sports

Born into it

Klatte looks forward to playing college soccer at University of North Carolina

by Kayla Hiken For as long as he can remember, his father and brother have been playing soccer in their free time, and as a result, senior Trenton Klatte’s own interest in the sport only grew with age.

“Ever since I began to enjoy playing soccer and actually take it seriously, it’s always been my goal to play for a college. When it finally happened I was really excited; it was kind of like a dream come true,” Klatte said.

Klatte recently visited the University of North Carolina at Asheville, where he committed to play soccer.

“I visited the school on my official visit in October, and while I was there I got to stay with the team. It was an amazing experience and I loved the team and

1.

atmosphere there,” Klatte said. “Its very different than LA, but its going to be a good change, which I’m really excited about.”

Klatte is optimistic about his future playing for Asheville.

“I’m looking to get to play time my first year and continue to get better, hopefully starting my sophomore year. I want to make the team known for being a great soccer school,” Klatte said.

In addition to improving the soccer program, Klatte is looking forward to the opportunities he is personally going to receive.

“I am excited to play at the highest level [before getting payed] in the country and be able to grow as a player as well as a student,” Klatte said. “I’m also hoping to be able to experience winning a Big South Conference Title and advancing to the NCAA tournament.”

Klatte is aware of the new challenges that come along with playing soccer at the college level, but believes he is prepared.

“College soccer is a lot more intense and serious than high school soccer because you are playing against the top players. However, I think that the environment is a lot better and I’ll have a lot more fun playing,” Klatte said.

Soccer has become a big part of his life, and Klatte enjoys it for many reasons. Not only has it helped him physically, but it has helped to shape him into the person he is and he has learned a lot about himself and certain skills through playing soccer.

“Soccer just teaches you good life skills; it teaches you to work hard and focus. You end

Winning. Seniors Adam King and Trenton Klatte pose for a picture after winning the Southern California Developmental Soccer League for their club team. 1. PHOTO BY ANAM KHAN 2. PHOTO COURTESY OF TRENTON KLATTE

up building great bonds with people, like teammates from high school and college, and making good friends,” Klatte said.

As the first half of the season is already over and there is only a short period of time before the end of his high school soccer career, he reflects on his favorite memory from his four years.

“The most memorable moment for me would have to be when our team beat Ventura High School during my freshman year,” Klatte said. “Our team was the wild card in

the game and they were the number one team in the state, and we ended up beating them at their field.”

Although he is looking forward to playing soccer in college, Klatte says he’ll miss the environment of playing high school soccer.

“The thing I’ll miss the most is having to leave my good friends that I’ve grown up with for the longest time,” Klatte said. “Not being with them to play soccer all the time is something I’m really going to miss when I’m in college,” Klatte said.

Wrestling looks forward to a successful season

by Hayley Rigby

The varsity wrestling team performed strongly at their last meet despite not advancing to the final round of the tournament on Saturday, Jan. 9 at La Puente High School.

The tournament was the second “Dual” type tournament of the season.

“Dual” Tournaments are unique when it comes to advancing to win a match. According to sophomore Nick Webb, there is a huge difference these tournaments and the more common “individual” tournaments when it comes to leveling up throughout a meet.

“Dual meets are when two teams wrestle in order by weight and you earn team points depending on the score. The team with the most team points wins. So everyone has to rely on the team as a whole. Unlike dual meets, individual tournaments are tourna-

ments in which each wrestler wrestles to advance him or herself to the next rounds,” Webb said.

Webb also mentions that competing in these “dual” tournaments by working together as a team can benefit how far they advance in a tournament; however, he is more favorable to the “individual” meets.

“I prefer individual tournaments because, although I am not wrestling for my team to advance, I am in control of whether or not I advance. In dual meets, everyone on your team has to do well to win the dual. We struggle in duals with our young roster and lack of wrestlers in the heavier weight classes.

Individual tournaments are where you get to show your personal skill and you are the only contributor to your win or loss, ” Webb said.

Beat down. Junior Thuylinh Turek competes in a tournament last season.

The next tournament is Saturday, Jan. 16 at Citrus Hill High School.

Webb is confident with enough practice, the wrestling team can gain a lot and improve within the future.

PHOTO BY CHANDLER ROSS

“We are optimistic as a young team with a lot of potential as long as we keep learning, practicing, and improving, “ said Webb.

“Hopefully in a few years we’ll be able to win league as a team”.

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sports

Starting strong Basketball opens league with win over Inglewood, looks to Morningside

Poster boy. Senior Wesley Gilbert dunks over Westchester high school’s Terrell Waiters. Gilbert sizes up at 6’10 vs. Waiters who stands at 5’10.

PHOTO BY ANDREW KIM

High Tide

by Luke Peterson With 30 seconds left, RUHS was tied at 53 in their season opener against Inglewood.

Then Morgan Means stepped up, driving down the court and kicking the ball out to Leland Green, who hit a three. Less than 20 seconds later, Means sunk two free throws to clinch the win, 58-53.

Basketball is looking for a second win tonight in a home game against Morningside high school after winning the first league game at Inglewood.

“We did an awful job of getting defensive rebounds at Inglewood,” senior point guard Eli Nesbit said. “We were lucky getting the win; we played badly but our offensive specialists Morgan, Leland, and Ryse hit some very important shots down the line for us to pull out the win.”

Improving team rebounding is certainly on of RUHS’ priorities going into the game against Morningside.

“What we need to address in practice is right in front of us,” Nesbit said. “Everyone knows about the problem, but the coach will still emphasize the severity of rebounding in practices because that will be a key factor for the rest of the season and when the playoffs come around.”

According to senior guard Morgan Means, the team excels in rebounding, which is the “key to in excellent defense.”

“Our team is known for our defense,” Means said. “We aren’t particularly known for being good players individually, but our teamwork is what makes us great.”

According to Nesbit, the team’s reputation as being “one of the best in the nation” has put pressure on its competitors to perform at a higher intensity and level than them.

“We are ranked 7th in the nation, so we have a target on our backs. Everyone wants to beat us so they play to win,” Nesbit said.

Overcoming Inglewood, the team can now focus on Morningside.

“It always feels good to get a good team win like this, but the win is more important in that it allows us to focus more on the next league game on Friday,” senior guard Leland Green said.

RUHS is evaluating Morningside’s skill in order to determine their strengths and weaknesses. “[Morningside] won’t be the same team that they were the last time we played them.

We know that they’re going to be scrappy; they lost their leading scorer over the offseason,” Means said. “That should help us get the win, but no game is easy. We should definitely win it, though.”

The team spent the first day of their two day break between games in the film room instead of on the court to see what went well and what they need to improve.

“In practice on Wednesday, we watched film about our general performance and rebounding against Inglewood and how they scored a lot on second chance buckets because we didn’t get the rebound at the first opportunity,” Nesbit said.

Besides the obvious concerns surrounding rebounding, the team has had to stress the improvement of other aspects of their game in order to stay strong.

“Practice on Wednesday wasn’t just about rebounding since we also need to improve our communication on the court and completing our plays on fast breaks,” Means said.

“In all of our practices we stress sharing the ball, which leads to making assists. We really just focus on learning how to make the right plays during games.”

The team holds optimistic views for the rest of the season, despite the bumps in the road that the rebounding represent.

“All of the games won’t be a breeze; there will still be fights but we are going to go undefeated,” Nesbit said. “We have no real competition in the league except for Inglewood.

The rest of the games will be for working on perfecting our game.”

According to Nesbit, the current team is similar to the successful ones that he has seen in the past couple of years of RUHS basketball.

“Up until this point in the season, the team has been very good,” Nesbit said. “Over the past years I’ve seen a different variety of teams, and this one seems to be the most capable of going all the way.”

Surf forced to cancel practices due to El Niño

by Romy Moreno and Kelly Harraka As El Niño begins to strike, RUHS surf team is forced to postpone practices and possibly upcoming competitions. However, coach Avery still believes the team will be nothing short than victorious.

“Basically anywhere within fifty miles of the coast the storm drains empty out into the ocean. There are a lot of cleaning processes of the water, but ultimately the water is polluted,” coach Avery said.

Since the South Bay hasn’t had any major storms in a while, all the debris that has been sitting in the streets has now been swept into the ocean, resulting in the team being unable

to practice for 72 hours following a storm.

“When we have big rains all of the storm drains open that lead into the ocean, flooding certain areas of the beach with bacteria infected water which can cause a staph infections and make it more likely to to get sick,” senior Phoebe Mather said. “So it’s not safe for the team to enter the water, which is not beneficial to the team when it comes to practicing and improving.”

So far the team has only had to deal with practice cancellations due to wwwater pollution, but no contests have been cancelled yet.

Even though Avery is expecting more

“non-surfable” days, he doesn’t think it will affect the the team.

“The reality is that almost everyone on the team surfs every chance they get. Missing a practice here or there won’t have a dramatic effect,” Coach Avery said.

On the other side, with the storm comes huge surf reaching around fifteen foot fronts and ten foot backs.

“El Niño typically creates lots of large swells which provides a good opportunity for the newer kids to gain confidence and experience in heavier surf,” Langdon said.

“As far as contests are concerned, RUHS has

a pretty solid large wave lineup, so if we are going to have any contests in bigger conditions we should perform quite well.”

Most of the team is anxiously awaiting the the big surf, but the girls longboarding team prefers smaller, longer waves.

Although the rain and big surf will cause problems, it does bring promising waves and swells in the upcoming months.

“We have and are having a great season with lots of wins and especially with the El Niño everyone’s very excited,” Mather said.

“We have an insanely strong team this year and will do greatly.”

Jan. 15, 2016

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sports

A rough patch in Inglewood Boys soccer defeats Inglewood despite tough playing conditions

by Mia Berger

Short and quick. Senior Adam King turns a North high school midfielder to initiate a counter attack.

Redondo lost the game 3-1. PHOTO BY TED CAVUS

Boys soccer takes on the first game of Bay League with a win against Inglewood HighSschool on Tuesday.

“Inglewood is not the most skilled team, but they were much better than when we played them in the past,” senior Adam King said.

RUHS opened up the game by scoring the first goal off of a cross.

“We came out strong and got a good first goal, the result of a great run by [senior] Brandon Cohen and a solid cross from King.

But then they came back and fought hard,” senior Daniel Kelly said.

The game was tied until the end of the fourth quarter when senior Bryan Natareno scored the winning goal.

“Towards the end of the second half we recognized that we really needed to win, so we pushed hard and were able to get one last goal before the game ended,” Kelly said.

The boys played on Inglewood’s home field which is known for its poor quality and difficult playing conditions. According to the team members, the field’s condition decreased their level of gameplay and made it very difficult to control the ball.

“Every square foot had a piece of uprooting grass which made it very hard to play on. There really wasn’t a lot to take from this game because the field dominated so much of the game,” King said.

The Inglewood field is dirt and not turf, which was “a hard adjustment”.

“Because of the surface we were given to play on, we couldn’t play the style of soccer

we are used to which made it difficult,” Cohen said.

According to the team, Inglewood played a very “hostile” and “biased” game, resulting in five yellow cards and two red cards.

“Inglewood received two red cards in that game so they had nine players to our 11. An Inglewood player even spat on one of our players out of frustration. There were also a lot of unfair offside calls against us which took away a bunch of chances for us to possibly score,” Cohen said.

Overall, the team agrees that they are proud of the way they reacted to Inglewood’s actions.

“Despite everything in Inglewood, I think the team stayed strong mentally and kept a cool head,” Cohen said.

RUHS will play their second game of Bay League today at home against Morningside High School.

“Morningside is not as good as Inglewood and it will be a home game so it will be on a nice field. Last year we beat Morningside 7-0 so I don’t think we will have any problem beating them this year, but you can never be too confident,” King said.

The team agrees that they are confident in their performance at Inglewood and excited to take on Morningside and the rest of Bay League.

“Our ultimate goal is to win Bay League and this is where it starts. I definitely think that we have the skill and capability to win, we just have to work on finishing and not coming out flat,” King said.

Water polo prepares for Lady Brahmas tournament

by Justin Pioletti Girls water polo began its league season with a 7-9 loss to Palos Verdes High School, but still have high hopes for their upcoming Lady Brahmas Winter Classic tournament. ”Our team definitely has the potential to do really well in the tournament, as long as we work together and play the game we know how to play,” senior Mackenzie Thomas said.

According to sophomore Camille Grace, despite their loss, the game revealed necessary aspects of improvement, which may determine the outcome of their tournament.

“We definitely learned that pressing is really important because it doesn’t allow the other team to pass,” Grace said.

The girls have recently began working on improving their offensive tactics through rigorous drives and plays.

“We’ve been working on driving a lot recently, as well as developing plays,” junior Sophie Maguy said. “Our plays have really

become detailed and intense, which will really hit the other teams with surprise.”

While their plays are precise, successfully scoring on offense has become tough to grasp among the players.

“A lot of our shots tend to go over the goal, and sometimes hit the goalie directly,” junior Mia Furman said. “We’ve really took the time to practice our ball handling during practice, which is slowly yet noticeably improving. ” Following three hour practices nearly every day of winter break, the girls’ dedication is evident, even among opposing teams.

“Players from the other teams have said they almost want us to win, because they’ve seen how much time and effort we put into preparing for each game,” Maguy said. “We are working so hard, and it is definitely paying off. It’s not even just about the time we’ve put in, it’s the fact that everyone has put their best foot forward and really wants to win.”

Wide right. Senior Brooke Sullivan dives for a PV shot that fell wide in Redondo’s 7-9 loss to PV on Tuesday, Jan. 12.

PHOTO BY GISELA PEDROZA

Many girls have formed a bond after being on the team together since their fresman year. However, the girls recently began going into matches as a unified team.

“Everyone’s really improved in their own ways, but we’ve improved playing more as

a team than anything,” Winn said. “We’ve worked a lot to make sure we bond well, which has definitely helped a lot. I can tell everyone has put more their our hearts into it, and I’m certain it will pay off in this tournament.”

page 20

High Tide

news

Gaining ground

Staff reflect on changing attitudes towards LGBTQ+

by Miriam Farah

The silent one walks down the crowded hallway. With every step he takes, he comes closer to a walk without fear, but it does not last. He was pushed against the locker by an unknown hand, subtle, yet purposeful. He cannot do anything to defend himself, and no one would believe him if he told. He is silenced again.

Teachers Keith Van Swearingen, Justin Baldridge, and counselor Arond Schonberg reflect on the struggles of the LGBTQ+ community in the 1980s and ‘90s, noting how society has grown to be more accepting of different sexualities and genders.

“The students that came out then knew it was going to be a struggle. If you came out, you knew that you were going to lose some friends and there was going to be ridicule.

You knew people were going to talk about you behind your back, and you had to be strong enough to handle that. Not just proud of who you were, but able to handle all types of negative things happening to you,” Van Swearingen said.

Van Swearingen recalls a moment where he began to understand some of the hardships LGBTQ+ people faced.

“I grew up with one of my closest friends who was gay and closeted most of his life until late in high school when he came out to a few of us. He expressed how difficult it was for him to go along with the jokes and stereotypes people believed in. It was difficult for him and in that moment I realized how hard it must have been,” Van Swearingen said.

As a counselor, Schonberg has spoken with students who seek support about coming out and dealing with negativity. He recalls one student in particular whose situation became complicated after coming out back in 2003.

“He said that he can’t live a lie anymore. I told him to wait one more semester because he got into Berkeley where it’s a lot more accepting and he’ll have a greater support system. He told me he was tired of denying it and how it took so much energy to deny it, so he decided to come out,” Schonberg said.

The student received support from his classmates. His father, however, did not react as kindly.

“When he he told his mom, she told him that she loved him no matter what. When he told his dad, he said ‘We don’t do that in our culture and you’re a man.’ He became very abusive,” Schonberg said. “We had to get the Department of Children and Family Services involved and he and his mom had to flee.”

Schonberg believes that coming out was unsafe in the past. In order to shield themselves from prejudice and bullying, many students came out to close friends before opening up to others.

“In the beginning a lot of students had great friendships, tight knit friendships, so if they came out, they would use their friendships as buffers. Now it is a lot safer than it was,” Schonberg said.

According to Baldridge, some students find safety and acceptance in larger cities compared to the small communities o towns where coming out was rarely an option.

“If you grew up in a city you tend to have a lot more liberal thinkers and open minded people. I did grow up in a small town and it felt like you were in your little bubble. There was this overwhelming sense that if you were to come out, you would be the only one,” Baldridge said.

According to Van Swearingen, school clubs such as the Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) did not exist when he was a student in high school in the ‘80s. This, he believes, may have led to many LGBTQ+ students hiding their sexuality.

“There were teachers who were certainly more tolerant and I think LGBTQ+ students might go and have lunch in those classrooms and confide in groups who they felt were more liberal. There were friend groups where people would go and knew they wouldn’t be judged. But as far as in an actual sponsored school group, I do not remember there was any,” Van Swearingen said.

Like Van Swearingen, Schonberg remembers a lack of support groups in the past. He attributes this partly to stereotypes that surrounded the LGBTQ+ community. A popular misconception at the time was that AIDS and HIV are “gay diseases” which associated gay and bisexual men with AIDS and HIV. “When I was in high school, if you had a club like that, it would be disbanded quickly. With the misunderstanding around that people associated AIDS and HIV [are gay], there wouldn’t be a club like that on campus. Back then, it just wasn’t going to happen,” Schonberg said.

Today, the GSA club provides a safe place for LGBTQ+ students and celebrates different genders and sexualities.

“The thing that makes the GSA

such a wonderful club is that it’s not just a ‘gay’ club for gay students to go talk about homesexuality. That is not the point and it never has been. The point is to bring people together and give a common place where people can relax and be themselves and not worry about being judged. It is hopefully what the whole school will be in the future: a gay-straight alliance.,” Van Swearingen said.

According to Baldridge, the media plays a significant role in the more welcoming attitudes towards the LGBTQ+ community. He anticipates greater change and acceptance in the future.

“We had shows like Will & Grace and people like Ellen who came out in major public forums and what end up happening is that it triggers the teenagers of that era and guess what, those teenagers are now adults my age.

We are the byproduct of this mindset that it is okay and once we started voting, I think that is when you have a lot of power. I think we are going to see an even greater shift in the next 15 years because the [next] generation is so open already,” Baldridge said.

Like Baldridge, Van Swearingen believes society’s growing acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community is partially due to the media which has encouraged people to be more open about their sexuality.

“The idea that people of different genders and sexuality are now seen as equals is probably based on movies and TV, and hopefully just in people’s lives. It is much more difficult for anyone to be prejudice when there is more people that you know who is LGBTQ+.

It is harder for you to be prejudice because you know someone who you really like such as a teammate, a teacher, a co-worker or someone who is gay and because that there are so many more people who are making this far more normal than it used to be,” Van Swearingen said.

Because of the greater acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community, more people are becoming comfortable with their sexuality.

“When it comes to finding someone to love in this world, I think people are understanding more now than ever the value of real love, caring, honesty, and building a real loving relationship with somebody and how important that is. There are people who realize that maybe the people of opposite sex are not a romantic match and it’s fine to fall in love with someone of your own sex. If real love happens with someone in the world, I think that it’s a good idea to pursue that,” Van Swearingen said.

With time comes change. Students hold a sign promoting acceptance of LGBTQ+ at the demonstration that took place during the Westboro Babtist Church protests.

PHOTO BY ANDREW KIM