HIGH TIDE
Redondo Union High School Redondo Beach, CA October 7, 2016 Vol. XCVII Edition 3
“What was she wearing?”
“He was asking for it.” Inside:
PHOTOS BY EDEN MILLAN. NOTE: STUDENTS PICTURED HAVE NOT BEEN VICTIMS OF RAPE
pg. 4
pg. 5
The editorial board discusses the severity and impact of rape culture on society.
Pro/con debates the effects of the dress code on the student population and the learning environment.
pg. 12
Anonymous student speaks on the lasting effects of an abusive relationship marked by sexual assualt.
page 2
High Tide
news
Eyes in
the s
ky
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IO AT
AD BY
CR
IU AC
U ILL
The RBPD drone fleet has
6 drones
weighing up to
6.5 lbs.
capable of filming
4 k video.
INFORMATION FROM RBPD AND DJI.COM
There are
203 hobbyist & 1 non-hobbyist
drones registered in Redondo Beach.
81 government agencies
incorporate the use of drones.
ILLUSTRATIONS BY ADRIAN CRACIUN AND LULU WEGMAN. INFORMATION FROM THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION AND EFF.ORG
Oct. 7, 2016
page 3
news
RBPD implements the use of surveillance drones By Malek Chamas
A
t Tuesday night’s meeting, the Redondo Beach City Council unanimously passed a resolution containing the city’s first regulations on the use of non-hobbyist unmanned aerial systems (UASs), commonly refered to as drones. The resolution grants RBPD permission to use drones in certain situations and is in accordance with pre-existing state and federal laws. RBPD usually must obtain a warrant to use a drone. Situations that are exceptions to this rule include “an emergency involving an imminent threat to life,” search and rescue operations and environmental emergencies “such as oil or chemical spills.” Mayor Steve Aspel says these restrictions are meant to protect the privacy of citizens. “The police can’t just use drones to go spy on people. They have to be used in a police emergency or in police operations,” Aspel said. “It’s important to respect people’s privacy at all times. I have two daughters, and I don’t want anyone spying on them. And I also don’t want the police hovering a drone over [something like] a high school rally just looking for random acts. We [the city government] only want them to use it when there’s a specific need.” According to Aspel, City Attorney Mi-
chael Webb and RBPD Chief Keith Kauffman were two of the main proponents behind the resolution. Aspel says the use of drones is meant to “help RBPD with tactical maneuvers,” as well as prevent serious injuries or deaths to both officers and civilians. The drones are only used to gather criminal intelligence in the form of photographs and videos, among other things. Any weaponization of drones would have to be approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). “It’s going to be a valuable tool to protect officers from going into a bad situation. It’s almost like having a K-9 unit there, because you can send the dog in instead of an officer. They just send a drone into some place to see if it’s safe. So it’ll save injuries and definitely save lives,” Aspel says. “I think that there’s an agreement [among the city council members] that it’s a great tool to have in the toolchest when it comes to fighting crime. The whole object is to keep our citizens safe.” Currently, RBPD uses a van containing six drones contracted to it by Flying Lion, Inc., a private company. Reserve officer Barry Brennan, along with an RBPD sergeant and captain, supervises a team of eight private citizens in charge of operating the drones whenever they are called to action. Brennan says that drones offer a cheaper, long-term
solution to police helicopters. “RBPD is a department that will probably be fortunate enough to one day afford a helicopter, but there would be no purpose in having one for a city of this size. And because they can be sustained for a longer period of time, using drones really makes a lot of sense,” Brennan said. “You could think of it as a helicopter alternative.” On Tuesday night, a suspicious package was reported near a local supermarket on 1212 Beryl St. Although the package was eventually found not to be an explosive, the evening’s affairs were an example of a situation where the possibility of using drones to determine if there was a threat was discussed. “We made a recommendation as to whether we could’ve helped or not,” Brennan said. “For this situation, drones couldn’t have been used, because there is some concern that explosives could be activated by radio control. All the drones operate on radio frequencies, so there was a concern that there may be a chance that they could set the device off.” Aspel “absolutely trust[s] the command staff at RBPD to not abuse the privilege of using drones.” He believes that citizens feel similarly and do not feel that their privacy is being infringed upon.
“I haven’t [met any citizens concerned by this resolution]. Not one.” Aspel said. “But I think the attitude people have now is that if you’re a good guy, you don’t have to worry about it, and that you only have to worry about invasion of privacy if you’re doing something wrong. But because of social media and the tracking devices on cell phones, everybody’s used to it now.” The city has not yet passed any of its own regulations on the use of drones by private citizens, with those of the FAA being the only ones drone users in Redondo Beach are required to follow. Aspel says that the city council will begin discussing this issue “very soon,” and feels that private citizens using drones pose a bigger problem than RBPD using them. “This is the only drone law we have. It’s just the beginning. Next, we’ll be discussing private drones, whether people should be licensed to fly them, and where they can fly. We don’t want them flying over schools or by people’s windows, spying on citizens. It’s not a problem yet. but as drones become more inexpensive, and people buy more of them, I see it becoming an issue of privacy very shortly,” Aspel said. “We haven’t formulated rules yet or voted on anything, our city attorney is working on that as we speak.”
Armed intruder spotted at nearby church
By Malek Chamas
Junior Bryan Hwang was preparing for Shared Bread, a program which feeds hungry, typically homeless people in the South Bay at First United Methodist Church of Redondo Beach, when he was told to find a room, shut the blinds, and lock the doors. A man possessing a gun walked onto church property where several RUHS students were volunteering on Wednesday, Sept. 21. “It was super unnerving and definitely scary,” Hwang said. “I just kept thinking how crazy it was. At one point I walked through the office and there was a police officer standing outside with a huge rifle just staring at me, which is a little out of the ordinary.” According to Pastor Molly Vetter, nobody saw the man run onto church property due to the constant flow of people moving in and out of the church. “Usually we are pretty good for keeping an eye out for movements on the patio, but everything is imperfect and nobody is doing it constantly,” Vetter said. “They said that a black man in black clothes carrying a gun ran onto church campus, and none of us saw that. It seems like the kind of thing you would notice.” Volunteers were supposed to have begun serving food at 6 p.m., but the church was barricaded by police from around 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., preventing both volunteers and guests from going inside. “The police barricaded the road and they stopped people for entering and basically
put us on lockdown. They told us that we should stay inside the buildings if we were in them or to get inside one if we weren’t,” Vetter said. RBPD officers began to search for the suspected gunman throughout the church, and eventually found him near the church parking lot. The man’s intentions were not disclosed to the public. “At first there were just a lot of police officers, which isn’t really that unusual, except they were searching everywhere,” Hwang said. “They were going into the nursery and a bunch of random rooms throughout the church.” Throughout the commotion, Vetter’s mind was focused on both taking all necessary precautions and feeding the many hungry people awaiting a meal. “Part of me was conflicted, because there was a crisis going on, but there was also the task that we had to do; we wanted to make it possible for all the people to be fed and be safe,” Vetter said. “I just tried to trust the police to handle what they had to handle.” According to Hwang, because many of the guests wanting a meal came between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m., most were not prevented from entering the church. However, many of the volunteers were kept outside, making service difficult. “A lot of people tried to wait it out until they could come in, but by that time it was pretty much over,” Hwang said. “We ended up only having eight people remaining com-
In the event of an armed intruder:
1. RUN
• • •
Have an escape route in mind Leave your belongings behind Keep your hands visible
2. HIDE
•
Hide in an area out of shooter’s view Block any entry and stay silent
3. FIGHT
•
•
•
Attempt to incapacitate the shooter; use aggression Use only as last resort
INFORMATION FROM U.S DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
pared to the 60 to 70 people who wanted food before.” The guests were not told about the situation so no one would panic, but according to Hwang, the closed blinds and locked doors created a “tense” and “unnerving” atmosphere. “I feel like everyone was angry and just on edge. I would be serving food and people would be yelling ‘where’s my food.’ That
happens sometimes anyway, but it was a lot more frequent than usual,” Hwang said. Vetter is thankful for the composure of the volunteers who kept the situation controlled. “It always is going to heighten your fear when you’re told there is someone around with a gun who the police are pursuing,” Vetter said, “And it definitely raised anxiety, but I felt like everyone was helpful in trying to make it as smooth as possible.”
page 4
High Tide
opinion
Around Truth in numbers: Rape allegations are too often dismissed Redondo Editorial What do you think about the school dress code?
Compiled by Dina Ghanim Photos by Liam Adkins
“
It can be harsh at times because we have to put on P.E. shorts when our shorts aren’t that short
-Leah Carey, 12
“
”
It’s good and bad. I have mixed opinions on it. -Zekiah LoVett, 11
” “
Twenty-five years. Three months. One of these sentences was for a 46-year-old fast food worker who sold painkillers. The other was for a Stanford freshman who raped an unconscious woman. “Let the punishment fit the crime” certainly does not apply here. One of these crimes involves the consent of two parties—the seller and the buyer—who know the risk of the sale and the use of drugs. A rapist and his victim do not have the same relationship. Stanford student Brock Turner violently raped an unconscious, intoxicated woman and practically got away with it on the judge’s terms that imprisoning the young swimmer might have a “severe” impact on him, as if the rape didn’t have a severe impact on the young woman Turner brutally assaulted. Cases like these are not uncommon. In fact, only around 67 percent of convicted rapists receive a prison sentence, only 19 percent receive jail time and the other 13 percent get off easy with a probation sentence. These may seem like reasonable sta-
tistics at first glance, but the average term is 4 years. Even more shockingly, the average term for those sentenced to jail is around eight months. According to the Rape, Abuse, and Incest Network, only two percent of convicted rapists receive a life sentence. The fact that rape cases are treated so casually by both the rapists and the legal system is the reason so many women don’t even go through the emotionally traumatic experience of reporting a rape. With only 47 percent of incidents reported, rape is categorized as the most under-reported crime. The ordeal of answering detailed questions about such a scarring and personal event in front of judges, lawyers and family members takes a toll on a person. And to do so for a year or even longer while the case is on trial only to have the rapist get away with nothing but a few months in jail and probation hardly makes the process worth it. Ninety-nine percent of rapists are men. It’s often the same people who brush aside
women’s rape accusations that fear for the psychological damage rapists may endure as a result of being locked up. They seem to have forgotten that the rapist is not the victim. The victim is the helpless woman who was not only stripped of her clothes, but of her dignity and control of her own body. Unsurprisingly, considering the caliber of cruelty a rapist imparts, 30 percent of women who are raped experience PTSD within nine months of the rape, 33 percent contemplate suicide and 13 percent attempt suicide. Victims of rape are also 3.4 times more likely to use marijuana, six times more likely to use cocaine and ten times more likely to use major drugs. If the effects of rape on the victim are lifelong, then why aren’t the sentences of the rapists? Ultimately, rape is a serious crime that is not going to disappear any time soon, but the more harshly rapists are punished by law and the more seriously rape allegations are considered, the less acceptable rape culture will become.
It keeps people from dressing inappropriately. -Daniel Ramos, 11
”
“
It’s really hard to find clothes for school that follow the dress code, but it is good for our school.
”
-Olivia Bulgarini, 9
“
It’s for the most part unnecessary except in extreme cases and could be eased up on a bit. -Alex Ruybalid, 12
”
“
ILLUSTRATION BY LULU WEGMAN
It’s better than a lot of other schools but there are some things that can be changed. -Annamaria Filippis, 11
”
Yes
7
Editorial Board vote
Rape culture has a severe impact on women in society, and rape allegations should be taken more seriously.
No
0
Oct. 7, 2016
page 5
opinion
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.
PHOTOS BY EDEN MILLAN
Pro/Con: Is the dress code fair?
High Tide
staff Shaniya Markalanda
Editors-In-Chief: Caterina Hyneman; Shaniya Markalanda Online Editor-In-Chief: Reema Saad Opinion Editor: Dina Ghanim News Editors: Ben Brill; Jon Mallen Features Editors: Reem Chamas; Miriam Farah; Lizzie Fauver; Summer Saad; Adam Yorke; Kylie Yorke Sports Editors: Mia Berger; Luke Peterson Senior Editors: Yasamin Fazeli; Amanda Shaw Photo Editor: Eden Millan Copy Editors: Davina Nguyen; Marie Ona; Samaya Rubio Online Editor: Justin Pioletti Illustrators: Lulu Wegman Staff Writers: Brian Adler; Analise Asaro; Maryam Bacaloni; Brittany Baker; Amanda Ban; Mia Berger; Tessa Biscaldi; Malek Chamas; Michael Chang; Alexander Dang; Whayden Dhamcho; Kayvon Elahihaghighi; Yasmine Elahihaghighi; Martha Farah; Sarah Flannery; Daphnie Fulton; Camille Grace; Maya Groark; Kelly Harraka; Kayla Hiken; Kylee Kallick; Lauren Kim; Julian Kimura; Shyanne Landers; Grace McGonigle; Hayley O’Connor-Rigby; Daniel Parhizi; William Pournamdari; Julian Quevado; Rubab Quraishi; Batia Rotshtein; Danielle Sestak; Keana Sterling; Nadia Stodder; Angie Tait; Benjamin Yepez; Erika Zlatkin Photographers: Cass Anderson; Matthew Davidson; Hiroki Goto; Kaitlyn Katayame; Jarrah May; Anne-Elyse Peterson; Michael Yoon 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.
Caterina Hyneman
Dress code is vital to professionalism
Dress code is necessary but currently unfair
Students constantly complain that the dress code is unfair; however, the dress code serves a purpose in promoting a professional environment. School is intended for students to gain an education, not for individuals to showcase their senses of style. Even then, revealing more skin does not make an individual more stylish. The dress code helps to teach professionalism. Workplaces have dress codes, just as schools do. Teachers do not sag their pants or wear revealing attire. Professionals would get fired for such clothing. Since students would find it inappropriate for teachers to dress that way, the same should be considered inappropriate for students. It is important to take into account the environment for dress codes. If people are looking for places to show off their clothes, they can head over to the beach or the mall, but not school. School is, or rather should be, a professional place. Dressing inappropriately shifts the focus from education to what an individual is wearing. School is not a fashion show; it is a place to gain an education. The hot weather is a common excuse students use to wear less clothing. Despite the heat, wearing shorter shorts or revealing tops will not dial down the heat. Students can dress for the weather and still adhere to the dress code. Attire that violates the dress code is not a matter of “expressing oneself.” It is not like students are wearing uniforms. Students can express themselves in an appropriate manner. Clothing or looks do not define a person. Those are just a parts of an individual. There is more for a person to be proud of than looking good in a short dress. In public places, people cannot just walk around with their private areas uncovered; they will get arrested. Sure, people will not just come to school naked, but even some restaurants or stores refuse to serve people who are shirtless or barefoot. This is the school’s version of those same requirements. People being dresscoded are not being body shamed; the school is simply following its policies. If they did not take the necessary actions to dress code individuals, nobody would actually follow the dress code. Needless to say, that doesn’t mean the dress code is perfect. Yes, it serves a purpose, but in order to avoid targeting specific girls, or even just girls in general, the dress code should apply to all students who violate the dress code. Boys often get away with too much, and that cannot be understated. Some boys sag their pants and wear graphic t-shirts that suggest sexual activites and drug use. Other boys wear tank tops, but it is rare for them to get dress coded for such attire. Anyone who violates the dress code should be dress coded, regardless of gender or body shape.
Most of the “rebellious” young women who have been dress coded these past couple of weeks most likely didn’t dress the way they did to provoke administration. It was 102 degrees. They’re trying to not die of heat stroke in non-air conditioned classrooms, not lure little Timmy with their curves. Punishing young women for showing their bodies sends the message that a girl’s appearance is more important than her education, plain and simple. Young women are being pulled out of class to change out of their clothes, causing them to miss out on important class time so that the boys around them will concentrate on the lesson. Instead of addressing alleged harassment to change their assumptions, we are doing the opposite. In its current form, the dress code is sexist because it primarily targets girls. Boys wearing tank tops expose just as much of their shoulders as girls do; wearing saggy jeans exposes more undergarments than a bra strap sticking out. Yet it is rare to hear of a boy getting dress coded. The dress code is also sexist toward men. It paints them as lusting monsters that can’t control their sexual urges. We should have more confidence in the young men on campus and assume that, just like the girls, they are here to learn, not become mesmerized by Maria’s shoulder blades. The dress code should not be abolished. I think we can all agree that no matter how hot it is, showing up to school in bikinis and speedos would not be appropriate. “Closed toed shoes are a must” is a rule enforced in elementary and middle schools that make sense for student safety. But most of these rules have nothing to do with safety. Adults wonder why teenagers have such low self esteem and body image, then punish them for showing their bodies. Dress code is teaching students that female bodies are inappropriate, sexual objects, subject to constant scrutiny, even by adults who are supposed to be looking out for us. This leads us to having low self esteem, the exact problem adults are trying to cure. The dress code ultimately perpetrates the idea that women should hide their bodies because it’s only natural and normal for men to carry out their sexual urges. It also creates victim blaming; a woman is blamed instead of teaching boys that ogling at his classmate’s pink brastrap is ungentlemanly or teaching that rape is an horrific crime. A rape victim’s choice of clothing is not an excuse for the disgusting crime his or her attacker committed. It may seem extreme, comparing dress code to rape culture. But the ideas and consequences of our actions in our adolescence impact how we are to behave for the rest of our lives. Are we going to be the generation that creates more “Brock Turners” or the group that takes a stand?
page 6
High Tide
sports
Oct. 7, 2016
page 7
sports
Girls tennis is crushed by Mira Costa by Angie Tate
Disorder on the court. Freshman Aimee Gri-
jalva lunges to back hand the ball over the net in the RUHS-Palos Verdes on Tuesday. PHOTO BY JARRAH MAY
A
fter beginning their season with 7 wins and 4 losses, the girls tennis team ended the day with a loss to Mira Costa, 1-17. “We knew it was going to be a tough match. Costa is very skilled, especially in doubles, and they have a lot of new freshmen so it was pretty rough. We’ve tried
to prepare ourselves mentally by going through a lot of drills,” coach Jessica Seibert said. The team mainly contributes the loss to their weakness in doubles, and the loss of their top seniors from last year, Alyssa Grijalva and Emily Zargham. “Doubles we can definitely improve, but singles we’ve been playing very well. Emily and Alyssa really led our team and added strength, motivation, and points to us so not having them has thrown off our team dynamic and our lineup,” junior Alena Smith said. Seibert agrees that the loss of Zargham and Grijalva has impacted the team, but is also optimistic about other players rising to the top ranks of the team, including freshman Aimee Grijalva. “[Junior] Renay Charley, who’s our number two, has also been playing really well and consistently. Then [senior] Jana Jones, our captain, has stepped up and been playing really good singles,” Seibert said. Seibert agrees that the loss of Zargham and Grijalva has impacted the team, but is also optimistic about other
players rising to the top ranks of the team, including freshman Aimee Grijalva. “[Junior] Renay Charley, who’s our number two, has also been playing really well and consistently. [Senior] Jana Jones, our captain, has stepped up and been playing really good singles,” Seibert said. Through the season, however, the team has continued to battle with other renowned South Bay teams such as West Torrance, Palos Verdes, and Peninsula. “In Bay League, other teams like West and Peninsula totally kicked our butts. We recently just played our third Bay League match against Palos Verdes, and although we beat them last year for the second time
in 15 years, we lost to them now,” Smith said. The team believes that they have a shot at participating in CIF. “We’re really hoping to get a bit into CIF. We’ve been moved [up] into Division II, which is a huge upswing for us,” Seibert said. “We’re really hoping to go far in the draw, but the first thing we have to do is get into CIF, so we’re shooting for a long winning record to get us there.”
ILLUSTRATIONS BY LULU WEGMAN
e h T
Girls volleyball gets served: Redondo suffers a loss to Costa
a v i R
y lr
by Austin Nunez
Girls volleyball was defeated by Mira Costa on Thursday Oct. 6, losing all three sets 25-16, 25-19, and 25-16. “I feel like we got a rhythm in the second and third game. We just needed to push a little bit more, and I think we could have won some points but we were a little rattled. Overall, we did our best and competed really well,” sophomore Jasmine Davis said. Though they were beat by their rivals Costa, the team doesn’t believe that it was a “tough loss”. “We made a few mental errors but we came back with more ‘smarter intelligent aggressiveness’, one of our terms that we use in volleyball, and next time we play them it’s gonna be ours,” senior Naomi Leilua said. Though happy with their recovery later in the game, Davis is still upset by the outcome of the game. “I feel pretty disappointed since it’s a big loss, we lost three straight sets, but I still feel
like we competed well,” Davis said. “We were a little nervous but that’s how every game against a big rival is.” Coach Tommy Chaffins credits the loss to Costa’s physical advantages and experience. “I felt like we played really hard,” Chaffins said. “At the end of the day we played our best but just didn’t score enough. Their size and experience was also too big for us to overcome.” Despite the outcome of the game, the team is optimistic about the future. “We play inglewood on monday and we have some of our lower level teams play them but our next big one will be marymount on tuesday. We’re currently ranked number 9 in division 1 and marymount 7 so it’s a good opportunity for us to try to move up in the rankings,” Chaffins said. Overall, the team knows what they need to improve and are confident about taking on future opponents.
“We’re going to need to score more offensively, and the other team passed real well but again they have more experience and it’s a different match,” Chaffins said. “I think we’ll be better off because of what we’ve learned from the game tonight and we’ll be ready to go next time.”
B
oys water polo falls short to rivals Mira Costa high school with a score of 3-12, making this the second loss they suffered this week. “We didn’t have the fire we needed to play, especially against teams like Costa,” co-captain Blake Vogelsang, junior said. The team agrees that a result of their performance was caused by their initial attitude going into the game. “Most of the team were hoping for the best, but we kind of expected a loss, and as leaders, it’s really hard to get that motivation up. We can’t have any doubt in ourselves, but unfortunately, that’s what happened this game,” Vogelsang said. According to sophomore Logan Lewis,
Thrown down. Co-captain Blake Vogelsang, junior looks to throw the ball through a Costa defender on Thursday., Oct. 6. PHOTO BY SAM SLATCHER
Water Polo sunk by Costa in second league game by Davina Nguyen
the boys played “smart defense all the way up until the second half,” where they managed to keep the score at 1-4 in the first quarter; however, strength from both defense and offense faltered when Costa gained a 5 point lead in the second quarter, which broke their momentum and eventually allowed Costa to further widen the gap between scores. “We weren’t on the same page this match. Some of us were trying to play our own game and just work on ourselves, others were working for the team, and some people thought that we weren’t going to do well at all and gave up before even going in,” Lewis said. The boys believe that immediately as-
suming the outcome of the match is their biggest barrier keeping them from making victories. “We all have this mentality that Costa is always going to beat us. We have to realize that if we keep thinking that way, it’s going to happen, but we have to get over that obstacle in our head,” Vogelsang said. The team also fell to Palos Verdes on Tuesday, Oct. 4 with a score of 9-17. The boys played with high intensity during the first half of the game, keeping the score even at 7-9, but eventually faltered by the second half. “We were able to work as a team at a high level in the first half, but Palos Verdes was able to get ahead on scoring in the third
and fourth quarter. It was definitely a game we could’ve won, but we didn’t keep up with our opponents the whole game through,” cocaptain Matthew Thorne, senior said. Despite the rough start since the beginning of league, the boys remain confident, purely focusing on their performance during practice in order to halt their current losing streak. “We’re going to take practices more seriously - no more screwing around,” Vogelsang said. “As captains, Seth [Ulrich], Matthew [Thorne], and I will give constructive criticism towards our players to improve our play, but most importantly, we just need a better mentality going into every single one of our games.”
Football kicks off league against Morningside by Luke Peterson
Volleyball vs. Mira Costa Set Scores Set 1: 25-16 Costa Set 2: 25-19 Costa Set 3: 25-16 Costa
o C
n i t n
s e u
Block me if you can. Sophomore Kyla Doig
jumps up to spike the ball down and score against Costa on Thurs, Oct. 6. PHOTO BY MICHAEL YOON
RUHS will play an away game at Morningside tonight, marking its first league game of the season after losing three games and winning two. “The number one thing we have to do when playing Morningside is stopping one of their very good receivers; he’s by far the best player on their team and he can make plays,” senior Logan Kerby said. Over the past few seasons, RUHS has beat Morningside, however the team will still prepare like they would any other team. “The last couple of years, we’ve been the dominant against Morningside although last year we had our share of mistakes on both sides of the ball, so in regards to play-
ing against Morningside, we still have areas of our game to improve on,” Kerby said. Although the team will be playing Morningside tonight, they will also be using this game as an opportunity to prepare for the Homecoming game against Palos Verdes. “After Morningside, our team is going up against Palos Verdes, which is one of the most dominant teams in the league,” Kerby said. “They’ve won every single league game that I can think of, so around 25 games.” RUHS will need to beat PV in order to increase their chance of winning Bay league. “To me, the game against PV is the gateway game to the rest of league play,” Kerby said. “We’ve become used to finishing
behind them in the league standings, so if we want to be league champions, then we need to pull off a victory against PV.” The team is midway through its season even though this will be their first league game, and their practices consist of reviewing their performances from past games. “We’ve been going over our first five games of the season and we’ve been working on improving our offense and defense with the goal of being the dominant team in the league this year,” Kerby said. The team has been trying to fix small problems so that it does not affect their game as a whole. “Losses only make us want to win a lot
more and we need to make sure we don’t repeat the reasons for the loss again. As long as we do our job the right way, we will win every time,” senior Chase Watson said. “We understand that no one player is going to win a game for us; it’s a team effort.” RUHS creates a team environment that stimulates growth in the relationships of the players, something the team considers important to success on road games. “You need to be able to believe in what your brother is doing on the field next to you during a game or in practices,” Kerby said. “We call ourselves ‘brothers’, if we don’t trust in each other and ourselves, then we lose games.”
page 8
The reel
features
High Tide
deal
Brandon Putman goes offshore fishing with family by Kelly Harraka
Prize catch. Senior Brandon Putman holds up a shark he
caught after on the back of his boat after a long fight. PHOTO COURTESY OF BRANDON PUTMAN
Miles off shore, senior Brandon Putman steadily bobs up and down on his 50 ft. vessel, the gentle Pacific waves lapping at the side of the boat. He waits patiently, watching the tip of his fishing rod for signs of a nibble. Time is no worry, he could stay out all day with his family by his side. Finally, the tip of the rod begins to twitch. The twitches turn into shakes, and Putman gets ready for a fight. “Catching a fish is the ultimate tug of war. It takes a lot more strategy than people give it credit for,” Putman said. “When I hook into a big mahi mahi and it changes color and it takes off, starts to jump out of the water and shake the hook, there is no better feeling.” His most impressive catch was a thirty pound “dorado” or “mahi mahi”, which are typically greenish yellow and 2.8- 4.6 feet in length. “I caught it on a 12 pound test line, meaning that the line should break with 12 pounds of stress on it. Plus I caught it in U.S. waters which is cool because the big ones don’t seem to come around here too often,” Putman said. He was proud of this victory and was happy to see his family was as well. “It was amazing because it was my first mahi mahi and was something I’ll remember forever,” Putman said. On days without a big catch, Putman still enjoys his time out on the water. “A successful trip is like winning a game, but even an unsuccessful trip is good too. A bad day on the water still beats a good day at work,” Putman said. His grandpa, grandma, mom, dad, and brother have always been part of Putman’s
“successful trips”. They have fished from the northern Channel Islands to Mexico “and everything in between”. “My grandpa got me into fishing. He used to work on the fishing barges off of Paradise Cove when he was younger,” Putman said. “Though he doesn’t fish commercially anymore, he bought a sportfishing yacht for recreational use that I’ve grown up on.” Needing only a rod, a reel, and some kind of bait, fishing in itself is a “fun hobby” for Putman, and the scenery makes it even better. “Being out on the ocean is the most relaxing thing. There is something special about being able to escape the craziness of life and to enjoy the insane views,” Putman said. Aside from his grandpa heavily influencing his interest in fishing, Mike Ryba, owner of Reebs Lures, has also impacted Putman. “He offered me a sponsorship when I was younger that I accepted. I had to fish his lures and give him feedback,” Putman said. “I also had to market them wherever I went pertaining to fishing. He is now one of the biggest fishing companies in southern California.” Putman’s love for fishing has led him to become interested in competitions, and he hopes to enter a few in the near future. “I really want to compete in offshore fishing tournaments all around the world and eventually fish in the International Game Fish Association World Championship.” Putman finds the experience exciting every time he is out on the water because he knows no trip will be the same as the last. “I like to fish because of the mystery that it has, you never know what you’re going to reel in,” Putman said.
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Oct. 7, 2016
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features
Singin’ in the South Bay
Blackman, Goddard and Deer perform in a community talent competition by Miriam Farah Writing original songs and performing in front of a large audience was difficult enough for sophomore Jessy Blackman. However, gathering the courage to perform a song written about her godmother’s recovery from cancer made the experience much more heartfelt and memorable. “I would have never performed a year ago. Performing was so scary to me. My mom is the one who pushed me. She constantly told me that I should perform and I refused,” Blackman said. After the performance, I was so happy.” Sophomore Sierra Deer and junior Sterling Goddard also performed at the James Armstrong Theater, along with over 70 other singers, for the South Bay’s Got Talent on Sept. 24. Although the three singers did not place in the top three spots, they plan on returning next year with improved
voices and confidence. “I performed an original song called ‘My Promise.’ It is about my godmother, Michelle Dobler, who was diagnosed with cancer. The song [is] about her surviving and how I was there for her. It was very heartfelt,” Blackman said. As an amateur songwriter, Blackman faces challenges when writing lyrics but relies on her vocal teacher for additional help and advice. “The hardest part for me is the chorus because it is what [people remember] about the song. I am thankful I have many people who encourage and help me write the songs,” Blackman said. Goddard, who sang “The House of the Rising Sun” by The Animals, believes choosing the right song to sing is critical for a strong performance. “If you do not pick the right song, you may not deliver a great performance. Song selection shows who you are as a performer and personality. Picking the right song is a major part of performing,” Goddard said. Singing jazz and the blues makes it
easier for Goddard to perform since she can develop a connection to the lyrics. “The best part is when you are able to take a song and transform it into something that you can personally connect to. I like meaningful music,” Goddard said. Deer believes singing can be used as an outlet for one’s true feelings. “When I was going through rough times, singing and writing music helped me get through it and let me express myself,” Deer said. Blackman uses Instagram and YouTube, in hopes of new people finding and listening to her music. “I remember when I first posted a singing video and I was so scared. It gave me more confidence to be out there more,” Blackman said. “Even though [the videos] are not professionally done, they help me do what I love.”
ILLUSTRATION BY LULU WEGMAN
Sophmore Ryan Cartee participated in Sunscreen Film Festival by Shyanne Landers Sophmore Ryan Cartee was featured in the Sunscreen Film Festival Mentorship Program, held from Sept. 29 to Oct.2 at the Hermosa Community Theatre. The event was held for young people who want to be in the film industry. “I was approached by the mentorship program to be a part of this project because of some of my previous work that I post to my Instagram and Vimeo account,” Cartee said. Her video, titled ‘No Superhero’, is available to view on Vimeo. Cartee was both the director and editor of the music video made at the festival. “I also was able to work with many creative and wonderful individuals. My partner
for the project was former RUHS student, Cole Ficklin,” Cartee said. “I’d actually like to thank Lesley Wright, the artist of the song, along with all of the cast and crew for making everything happen. And none of this would have been possible without the directors of the festival, Julie Nunis and Robert Enriquez.” Since the beginning of production, her and her colleagues have grown to work together as a unit. “I am extremely grateful for the bonds created from this project. Since I plan to be in the film industry, I think it’s good to be able to know how to make connections and get experience working with people that I may not know that well,” Cartee said.
During the progression of the video, they decided it would be created to encourage helping and staying true to themselves. “The message behind the music video is that everyone can be their own superhero,” Cartee said. “Sometimes we get too caught up with what other people think, or hang around people who bring us down. We start to lose sight of who we really are. We all need to find and embrace our inner superhero to give us the strength we need to face all our challenges.” Previous to working on bigger productions such as the music video, Cartee began with making film as a hobby. Cartee developed more of a connection for video recording and editing, leading to
the point of her parents noticing how serious she was about it. “My parents bought me my first DSLR camera. From middle school to present, I’ve really started to learn, and still am learning, about the real craft of photography, cinematography and storytelling,” Cartee said Now working on more professional pieces of work, Cartee is able to fully embrace her future career. “Any spare time I have, I’m out taking pictures and filming. I really love being able to tell a story and make an impact on the world through what I create,” Cartee said. “Photography and filmmaking have always been a part of my life and I couldn’t imagine it without it.”
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High Tide
Fix it Franco
Eddie Franco works with his father to remodel cars by Marie Ona The engine roars and it’s a feeling of satisfaction for senior Eddie Franco who customizes old trucks to sell. Truck building helped Franco gain more knowledge about vehicles “The thing I like about building trucks is that you get to learn how everything works in a vehicle,” Franco said. “Doing it for so many years, you could pretty much spot a problem with a truck depending on the noise it makes or when it leaks.” Franco searches on Craigslist for possible trucks to customize and eventually starts to bid offers for the truck on Ebay. “We look for vehicles that are for sale that fit the realm of the truck we want to build. Depending on the location and how good of the condition the truck is in determines whether or not we’re going to want it,” Franco said. “Initially while we’re building, we already have people interested in the build because of my Instagram so then after I’ve had it for almost a year and it’s close to finish, people start making offers on the truck.” From gaining experience of buying and selling cars, Franco learns to value money. “We invest enough money into the cars to make them pretty and then we sell them,¨ Franco said. “I know what the worth of a dollar is now. I know how to be smart with my stuff and not just waste my money on stupid things.” Franco must meet certain deadlines to finish projects. “You have to think about everything you have to do by the due date and it gets pretty stressful at times,” Franco said. “With my truck, it has to be done in November and it seems like we probably won’t finish it but we
have to for a car show. I’m also sponsored by some companies and they give me free products so I have to be done by the time frame.” Customizing vehicles comes with unexpected delays but doesn’t hold Franco back. “We’ve put a whole truck together that didn’t even start. That happens a lot, when you’ve done everything and you put all the right stuff together but like in any situation, nothing’s perfect,” Franco said. “I’m pretty patient when it comes to that stuff because I know that if you freak out, you can break something that’s important. There will always be flaws that you just have to fix.They say a project car is never finished; that you’ll always be working on it.” According to Franco, his father sparked his interest in cars since an early age. “I’ve been building cars and trucks with my dad since I was four. My dad was into cars as a kid because he didn’t really have an outlet to have fun in his life so when he got his license he started getting interested in cars,” Franco said. Franco’s father, Eddie Franco Sr. believes his influence on truck building has become a way to spend time with his son. “It’s not really work, it’s just normal for me to have him there where I can help and give input on what we
are building,” Eddie Sr. said. “If I was into sports then maybe he would be too, but the trucks and customizing is what I always do with him so it’s normal to us.” Franco is passionate about cars and trucks and wishes to pursue a career in the car industry. His biggest accomplishment was receiving multiple job offers while attending car shows. Some of the jobs offers included being a suspension tech for Crown Suspension and a marketing director for Accuair. “My dad and I have gone to a lot of car shows and we’ve gotten to meet important people from certain companies and corporations that are involved in the truck scene,” Franco said. “My dad had become good friends with them and since I am his son they started liking me and were interested in giving me a job.” Eddie Sr. believes Franco is headed towards future success because of the skills Franco obtained. “I am proud of the job opportunities that have come his way. These offers are about him and his character and personality,
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not just his knowledge and vision for the projects or builds that he’s worked on,” Eddie Sr. said. “With all of Eddie´s understanding and skills, I think he could go twice as far in the industry than I have, if he wants to.” Living in Palm Springs, Franco and his dad built cars daily. However, since moving to Redondo, it’s only been convenient to work during weekends with the limited work space ¨I stopped working on the trucks daily because we had sold almost all of our trucks that we had at the time to afford the full move up to Redondo,¨ Franco said. ¨We used to have a garage and a full side yard that we could store our cars in but now we don’t have any of that and so we have the trucks at my uncle’s shop in Pomona.¨
The wheel deal. 1. Franco is installing his front porterbuilt in an old car he will later sell. He spends a lot of time remodeling cars in hopes of making a good profit. 2. Franco helped fix this car with his uncle. They installed a full running porterbuilt and accuair. With new wheels and advanced motor, it is ready to sell. PHOTO COURTESY OF EDDIE FRANCO
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Oct. 7, 2016
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features
Beware of the bulls
Singleton participated in the Running of the Bulls in Spain by Amanda Shaw A corr rocket is s al g et at 1,20 0-po e swing off at und 8 a. s op stree m bu en, t and ., the g Nick s of San lls are iant s u r unn F ing ddenly enou Singlet ermin, on t s S gh t h ix pain roug in o lar b odie reach o their m , RUHS h the s u t avoi d be and jus t and to idst, ju eacher st c t qu ing u c h ick gor “It los th It w was ey ed by a enough eir mus e as te e-op c horn t o narr uen rr reali . owly ty of ifying. Y ing. It was ou a just see peop w e ll le tr hat you of sudd xhilarat amp ing. w e nh i ll d ling pun each o to su ave this chin rv othe g, try r to ive. You ing t g et ou o ge t of t out o f the much less hu way . The manity re’s in thos e mom ents.”
in it, you realize just how dangerous it is,” Singleton said. Surrounded by thousands of people, each vying for their life, Singleton was a first-hand witness to the realities of human nature. “It’s a glimpse into the primitive ways of humanity and just
into the streets, through which the participants and the bulls run. The race ends with the arrival of all bulls in the bullring, where participants try to slap the bull as it runs past them. Although Singleton has pursued other extreme sports and activities before, running with the bulls was an “intense” experience that stands apart from t h e
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what real survival is. Even though not everyone is in mortal danger, everyone is acting as if they are. It was just a glimpse at who we are at our core that I’ve never really seen before,” Singleton said. The running of the bulls begins with all six of the bulls being released ILL US
al adition t the tr h g u o b d gleton d re un, Sin r e h t t, an into r i join h out ite s , wh stepped ality of s t n e e pa and n. The r thing whit before o i me f t o o a r s t a e s ton attir the nigh no prep tes wa ngle i S a h h e f scar eets wit e run cr red wit e nt tr h s s t i e g of ru c th eath ully re a . d e n r d ti i u f o life- ad not the r nt. The e roman t f o t h e r r ha that e sta y confid uch mo think t f h t e l y r m ll so er befo s ov bulls is idn’t rea ousand ’re a w “I the you t. I d se th with lity of i s becau en once g n a i n re rou . but th the nge than too da ry year ve as it w e do it e l peop
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Making the spur of the moment decision to
rest. “I’ve been skydiving, bungee jumping, and I ride motorcycles and things like that, but this is the first time where
there’s that camaraderie because everyone’s doing it at the same time and you’re doing it with people. It was a unique experience for sure,” Singleton said. While he began the run alongside five of his friends, he ended it with many more. “You become best friends with the people next you. And then afterwards everyone goes for food or libations of some sort, and you talk about it while having a good time,” Singleton said. The running of the bulls had always been something Singleton had wanted to check off of his bucket list, but it was likely a one-time experience for him. “I am definitely happy that I did it. Would I do it again? Probably not,” Singleton said. “Afterwards, there’s still the adrenaline rush but then you start to recognize all of the gore that you saw throughout and just how lucky you are to survive something like that because if you have bad luck that day, it could be fatal.”
Cowley trains for the National Crossfit Championships by Yasi Fazeli With every day she spends in the gym, every hour she spends perfecting her skills and every minute she spends lifting weights, sophomore Tia Cowley comes closer to achieving her goal of reaching the National Crossfit Championships. Crossfit has three aspects: gymnastics, weightlifting, and endurance. Because athletes in regional and national championships are expected to be very skilled in all three areas, the training is demanding and stressful. But, Cowley believes it to be equally “exciting.” With hopes to secure a position as the best in the nation, Cowley trains six to seven days a week for three to four hours at a time. “To be a perfectly well-rounded athlete you have to do all of [the three aspects]. One day I’ll do weightlifting and endurance and
another day I’ll do conditioning and gymnastics,” Cowley said. But, when it gets hard during a workout, I think about the results I’m looking for and put my mind in a place that makes me not want to give up.” According her coach Joshua Chan, through hundreds of handstands and barbell repetitions, Tia never loses the “invigorating” energy she has during each practice. “Tia understands the value of training and simply improving little by little by putting in the hours,” Chan said. “She’s in a highly repetitive sport and that can get mentally exhausting. She knows how to step back, clear her mind, and then back at it again.” Although workouts are difficult, Cowley appreciates crossfit’s ability to take her mind off personal problems and build her mental strength alongside her physical capabilities.
“There are workouts that you dread so much. It takes a strong mental state of mind, not just physical strength,” Cowley said. “I love being at the gym, and when I do the things I love it helps me be less stressed out.” Though Cowley’s hard work plays a big role in her success, Chan believes she also has a natural talent for the type of training crossfit demands. “She’s the kind of athlete coaches spend years trying to find. I have been around athletes my entire life, as a gymnast and now as a coach, and Tia has everything you look for: explosive, flexible, strong, coordinated, mobile, etc. Some people are either flexible or strong, Tia is both,” Chan said. Two years ago, Cowley began crossfit as a way to stay in shape. This past summer she began to “become very interested in it” and
take the workouts very seriously. Working out at the gym without any previous experience, Cowley needed to work hard to reach her current level of strength. “It was intimidating the first time because I was weak and I look at all these strong people. It looked impossible and didn’t think I could ever do any of it,” Cowley said. Her immediate goal is the regional championships in April. If she is the best in her division, she will move on to nationals. With each personal record she breaks or skill she perfects in training, Cowley feels she comes closer to realizing her goals. “There’s moments where you achieve something or get a new record and that’s one of the things that makes you want to move forward,” Cowley said. “You feel accomplished and on top of the world.”
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Forced into silence Anonymous student recounts her experience with sexual harassment by Shaniya Markalanda
Sexual Assault:
any unconsented sexual behavior or contact that is accomplished through the use of force, intimidation, violence, manipulation, or abuse of authority
Only 5-20% of sexual assaults are actually reported
S
1 in 10
1 in 7
males were victims of rape
females were victims of rape
he was too scared to say no. Afraid to speak up for herself in fear that her boyfriend would kill himself, senior Jane Doe was sexually harassed as a freshman. “He would act all depressed. We’d talk about it, and I’d say I don’t want this anymore. And then he’d say ‘Don’t you love me?’ He’d get all upset and he’d basically guilt trip me because he was not satisfied with his life,” Doe said. Although she wanted to tell him to stop, Doe endured her boyfriend’s harassment for at least four months. “He started touching me, even against my wishes. Two days after our first kiss, we met up and he just went crazy. His hands started going everywhere,” Doe said. “I was too scared to respond whether I wanted it or not. He asked me, but I was too scared and I didn’t say anything, and he saw that as a yes, so he kept touching me.” Doe’s boyfriend continued the harassment, even after she told him she did not like it. Because it was her first relationship, Doe thought her relationship was normal. “I told people around me that I was in a relationship with him, and even my mom didn’t approve; she saw this coming. I went against her wishes and I continued my relationship, and got deeper into the relationship, and then I realized he was very depressed,” Doe said. “I couldn’t get out of the relationship. Well, I could’ve but I was too naive at the time to realize that I should’ve gotten out of the relationship as soon as I could.” Doe was afraid to tell people what she endured during her relationship.
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Every minutes, another American is sexually asaulted.
80%
of victims are assaulted by a known acquaintance
INFORMATION FROM RAINN.ORG/STATISTISC AND RID OF MY DISGRACE
“I was scared to tell people because I was scared of their judgement and how they would view me. It’s hard in the beginning. I had difficulty talking about it and would avoid talking about it because I felt awkward and ashamed to tell people that I let him do that, but it wasn’t my fault,” Doe said. Doe’s boyfriend sometimes harassed her while on dates at the park and other times in the car. “If we’d hang out on dates, it would just happen in his car, and of course I didn’t want it, but it was a trapped space. I couldn’t get out. If I told him, I thought he would leave me because he was my ride,” Doe said. After talking to her friends and understanding her relationship with her boyfriend was “toxic,” Doe ended the relationship. “I realized that wasn’t healthy for either of us. I gauged the reactions of the people I told and I realized ‘This is very bad. I’ve got to get out of this,’” Doe said. Even after the relationship ended, Doe was worried about her now ex-boyfriend’s safety. “I was afraid that he would try and kill himself, and he basically tried. He got really
violent after. After the breakup I saw it come out. He punched a door. He drove over to my house and showed me his bloody fist and said ‘Take me back,’” Doe said. Doe’s ex-boyfriend told his psychiatrist about touching Doe without her consent. By law, his psychiatrist was required to call RBPD. “The officers at our school had to talk to me about it. At first I was scared: ‘Why are the cops coming to talk to me?’ but it was also a year after our breakup so I was already past it by then. If they had intervened sooner then it would have helped a lot,” Doe said. Doe told her mom about the incident after the police contacted her. “At first my mom pissed me off a lot because she was being an adult in the situation; I was being too childish about it. She kept asking about his wellbeing, and of course that pissed me off because she was asking me about it. She was just looking out for him, which I understand now, but she always asked me about it and I wish she asked someone else. She wanted to see if he was okay because he was suicidal at the time,” Doe said. The police also talked to Doe’s ex-boy-
“He got really violent after. After the breakup I saw it come out. He punched a door. He drove over to my house and showed me his blood fist and said ‘Take me back. ‘“
friend. “I was glad that he finally had to face it, because he got away with it until he told his psychiatrist. That made me happy. I know that the police talked to him, but it was just because he was 18 and I was a minor. I feel like if I wasn’t a minor nothing would have happened. The system sucks, and girls are taught to be weak and let the guy do what he wants,” Doe said. Since ending the relationship, Doe has become less afraid to ask for what she wants. “I saw this thing that said ‘If you don’t get what you want in a relationship, you learn what you don’t want in a relationship.’ So, I learned what I don’t want in a relationship, which is unconsented touching. I’ve learned to be a stronger woman because of that and fight for what I want,” Doe said. “And if no one can give it to me, then stop there. It’s made me a stronger individual.” Because of the harassment, Doe found it difficult to get into a relationship afterwards. “After the breakup, I just didn’t want any guy near me or just the possibility of being touched like that. [My ex] also hung around for a year and kept trying to get me back, so that also made me really not want a relationship,” Doe said. One of the hardest parts of the breakup was Doe’s friends hearing her boyfriend’s side of the story and siding with him. “People didn’t trust me. They thought I was just a b***h to my boyfriend, so I wanted people to know he was wrong,” Doe said. “There are two sides to the story. He was wrong.”