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Redondo Union High School Redondo Beach, CA Feb. 5, 2016 Vol. XCVI Edition 9
TIDE
Rise of the drones [on pg. 4]
ILLUSTRATION BY LULU WEGMAN
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High Tide
news
Photos of the week
Sadies in the Snow, R U Ready Night and Dodgeball School spirit. 1. A dodge-
ball team competes in the annual dodgeball tournament. 2. Senior Luke Lezhansky speaks at R U Ready Night, where eighth graders come to campus to learn about RUHS. 3. Seniors Charlie Perkins and Makayla Hughes slow dance at Sadies in the Snow, and annual dance where girls’ ask guys. “It was really fun,” Hughes said. “Charlie and I really enjoyed ourselves.” PHOTO 1 BY SAM BENDALL, 2 BY KAREN VUONG, 3 BY LUIGI LOPEZ
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RUHS distributes reusable water bottles
by Patrick Henry
250,000 plastic water bottles were distributed by the cafeteria to students at lunch, which represents the majority of trash that ends up in the ocean. In response, the AP environmental science class and SEMPER worked with the Surfrider Foundation to clean the waste off the Herondo beach drainline. “We know the problem quite well,” Gillian Moberg said, third year teacher of AP environmental science. “Finding a solution became a question of what is it that we can do and we had to look at ourselves, because we can control what we do. That was when we decided to go after the water bottles, and give out reusable ones.” For the past week, students have been able to exchange their used plastic water bottles for a reusable one in order to combat the waste problem that has been a problem here on campus. “The water bottle program is for marine debris trash, which the majority of which is plastic. Between last year’s class who started the idea and this year’s class who finished it, we decided to go after one particular type of plastic that we on this campus consume,” Moberg said. Already in the state of California, steps
have been made in many places aimed for reducing the amount of waste at the commercial level, and Moberg plans to “take this idea even further.” “As a state we have definitely gone after the single use plastic bags, which has been banned last year. We decided that we did not need to worry about plastic bags, we decided to go after plastic bottles instead,” Moberg said. The inspiration for the program stemmed from something that was not very difficult to implement, easy for students to partake in, and something that the students on campus could fully support. “We started with an interest survey for a very small sample of about 200 students which suggested that most students were interested in reusable bottles and liked the design, and said that they would pledge to use them,” Moberg said. Some complications came from funding the project, as well as ensuring it has an actual effect on students mindsets in a positive way. “Purchasing them was pretty expensive,” Moberg said. “It went beyond the AP class and most of them were paid by SEMPER, and this is the first time we are going after
the issue of trash reduction. We hope its effects will last a lifetime and resonate with the idea to think about what you are purchasing and if there is an impact it will have on the environment.” Moberg’s plan of addressing waste and solving the problem of the amount of trash at RUHS is a long term objective that will continue into the future. “It is my goal to have one action project every year. It might not be the same one because it needs to be relevant to current problems and needs to be topical to what is going on in the community at the time. Environmental science is something we live, so it should change with what is relevant and what we are doing at the time.”
Plastic to aluminum Students recieve aluminum, reusable water bottles in order to limit the trash around campus. PHOTO BY SANDER FINK
Feb. 5, 2016
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news
Warm and Cozy
RUHS partakes in a donation drive aimed to keep adults warm in the winter by Malek Chamas If it’s true that people get what they give, then RUHS students got a lot in the past few weeks. From Jan. 19-28, ASB held a clothing donation drive for the homeless, asking students to bring blankets and adult-size jackets to the front office. The items were then given to Shared Bread, a community program organized by First United Methodist Church of Redondo Beach (FUMCRB). ASB Advisor Brooke Mata says that ASB held the drive in response to an email from one of Shared Bread’s volunteers, who was trying to receive blankets and jackets for the program because they were the “most needed [items] for adults during the winter months.” “We got an email from a lady with a warming shelter. She was looking to get some people involved, and get items that they needed, blankets and jackets being the most needed for adults during the winter months.
They provide a warm meal, and other donations like clothes and blankets, to homeless people in our community. And so they were looking for help getting the items to fit their needs, especially in the rainy, cold months,” Mata said. Senior Marley Capper, co-president of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), says that although the school hasn’t previously collaborated with Shared Bread in the past, her club has worked with FUMCRB prior to this fundraiser. “I think it’s the first time that we have done it as a school, but it’s a really cool program, and it’s awesome for us [FCA] to see the school donate to somebody that we work with,” Marley said. “The goal is to volunteer together, as a school, and to spread positivity throughout the community. And to appreciate what we have, because a lot of the time, we take it for granted. It’s great to donate our
old blankets and jackets so that people who don’t have those things can use them. Any type of donation is great, whether it’s one or two jackets or many. It’s definitely appreciated very much.” Sophomore Bryan Hwang has volunteered at Shared Bread on most Wednesdays for the past two years, and says he has enjoyed it greatly. “The first six months, when I started out, I was just doing dishes. And then I started waiting tables. We provide food every week on Wednesday, and if people come early, we have extra toiletries and extra clothes that they can have. We give out jackets, toothpaste, toothbrushes and other stuff that people donate,” Hwang said. “There’s a lot of people who volunteer. It’s fun to talk with people who I wouldn’t meet otherwise. They’re close to my same age, and we’re good friends.”
Hwang also says that working for Shared Bread has taught him to interact with the homeless. “When people are being super moody, you learn to deal with it, no matter how bad they are emotionally,” Hwang said. “There’s some people who I see every week, and we end up talking.” Mata says that the blanket and jacket donation drive gave the school an opportunity to repay the community for all it has done for the students. “I think that any time that we can do outreach within our community is a really positive thing, and it’s our way to be able to give back to it. We’re really lucky to have what we have, and for us to be able to help those in need to stay warm in the cold and rainy months,” Mata said. “One of the many goals of Redondo is to create community participants.”
RUHS participates in a clothing drive by Simrun Ursani The junior class cabinet has a fundraiser associated with the company Schoola where they are collecting clothes to give back to Schoola in hopes of making funds to put into the class of 2017’s money account. Schoola is a company that sells second hand clothes online and gives a certain percentage of profits to schools for fundraisers. According to junior class secretary/treasurer Melanie Paiz, Schoola is a company that collects clothes from schools and sells them online for cheaper prices so people who normally cannot afford good quality clothes can buy them. “We get 40% of the money Schoola makes and I know that last year, our class made $400 and not too many people brought in clothes,” Narvaez said. “This year we are hoping more people bring in a lot of clothes because it is a good cause and it helps our class.” Clothes will be collected in the office for two weeks starting Feb. 1 according to junior class president Brooklyn Narvaez. “This money will go toward our big class account that goes to planning the class of 2017’s senior events and seniors won’t have to pay as much for senior events,” Narvaez said. Narvaez explains how their class will benefit from this fundraiser. “We collect the clothes in the form of a clothing drive and ship them to Schoola who sells them online for a cheaper price and the
money kicks back to us and we get 40% of the profit,” Narvaez said. Paiz is hoping that with more funds, the class of 2017 can have better senior events and they can also be cheaper for them as well. “Because we get 40% of the profits, the more clothes we collect, the more funds we get from Schoola, so we can plan for senior year,” Paiz said. Narvaez and Paiz agree that Schoola was successful for their class last year so they continued with it again this year to hopefully make more money and donate more clothes. “It was just an easy fundraiser to set up because it was familiar and they are nice to work with plus they sent us supplies we need to ship the clothes back,” Narvaez said. “We plan on doing another clothing drive from Schoola once more this year. It is a really good fundraiser and it feels nice to help give back and help a good company with a good cause.”
Charitable giving in America
72%
15%
Individuals
Foundations
8%
5%
Bequests
Corporations
INFORMATION FROM THE NATIONAL CENTER OF CHARITABLE STATISTICS
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High Tide
news
Game of
DRONES
Manhattan Beach implements new drone legislations concerning safety and privacy
by Jason Fong
With growing concerns over drone collisions, safety, and the violation of privacy, Manhattan Beach legislators are taking action, implementing restrictions on the locations where and height levels at which these drones can be flown. The new laws, in line with regulations established by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), are set to prevent drones from flying near airports and from photographing or recording individuals without consent in private areas like homes or enclosed yards. “I definitely think that the new restrictions on drone usage are reasonable and warranted. I don’t feel that it’s fair for people with drones to have the right to look in on what other people are doing in their private residence. We have to respect their privacy. I have to admit that I hear a drone flying over my house almost everyday, and it can get rather bothersome,” Michael Sheehey, drone owner and RUHS teacher said. Despite the advent of new restrictions, including the mandatory registration of drones to the FAA, drone sales have spiked dramatically. In 2015 alone, over two million drones have been sold to consumers (dronelife.com). “There has been a growing infatuation with drones lately. They’re so much easier to fly than other miniature aircrafts because they’re so stable. As far as the regulations go, I’m curious as to how they will be enforced.” Sheehey said. Sheehey and some students enrolled in
ILLUSTRATION BY LUMA WEGMAN
his broadcasting class have used the drone at RUHS, employing safety measures to ensure that no one gets hurt. “We make sure to keep the blade guards on the drone to minimize the potential for harm if there was a collision with a student. When we film with it, we sign permission
slips from the school and try to film at a time when not that many students are around,” Sheehey said. Although many users are only now starting to implement cautionary safety procedures in their use of the drone, many continue to tout the wide potential of the drones
for commercial use, as a monitor of police behavior, and even in agriculture (techworld. com). According to Sheehey, the drone has provided him and his students with unique camera angles to film from, which they have been able to incorporate into the broadcast. “Aerial footage is a total ‘wow factor’ in our broadcast. It gives me and my viewers shots from a different perspective that we otherwise wouldn’t be able to see. When we experimented with the drone, we knew that we had to extensively to redo our news intro to include it. The drone has been used to record footage for several key scenes as well, including of band and dance guard performing,” Sheehey said. Others, however, see drones as being used in the military or by terrorist operatives and question whether or not the public should be given access to them. “People’s fear of drones and much of their resistance to drone usage has definitely been caused by certain images of drones that have been presented by the media. When all people see is footage of drones getting in the way of firefighters, hitting power lines, or being used violently, they’re definitely going to be biased against them,” Sheehey said. Sheehey contends that the potential benefits of drone usage outweigh the dangers. “People opposed to the drones are focused only on the fact that they provide terrorists and criminals with a way of hurting people. They seem to forget all of the different ways that the drone can be used for good.”
New CIF bill passed for competitive equity in playoffs by Eden Millan Between two bills the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) voted on by a panel of Southern Section high school athletic directors, a relatively new playoff system using solely competitive equity passed by a “landslide” while a call for change in the sports calendar fell short of the votes. “I think this is a great step forward, and it is a wave of the future not only in California but nationally,” Roger Blake, Executive Directior of CIF told the Los Angeles Times. Starting fall of the next school year, all athletic teams except individualized sports will use competitive equity, also known as competitive fairness, to be the sole decider of playoff divisions. Competitive equity places teams of like ability and skill together to compete at a similar caliber of play. Out of three categories, CIF develops a
formula from the most important of them. “The old playoff system is out the door which, at times, restricted team sports to play with other schools similar in skill. Now, each sport will dictate how the factors will be weighted based upon the sport itself,” RUHS Athletic Director Andy Saltsman said. The team’s placement in playoffs depends on their previous playoff record, overall record, and strength of opponents. In previous years the CIF used competitive equity, geography, and enrollment size of probable opposing schools to determine a team’s ranking and what division they will be in. “You can look at this shift negatively by the simple fact that a team is not the same year-after-year. With implementing past records of a team to determine where they will place the next year can open the door for upsetting results,” Saltsman said.
Basketball began using competitive equity based playoffs about ten years ago. “The system has already been proven that it works. You are placed into playoff divisions with similar schools of the same ability. We use it in boys and girls basketball, now we have it for every other sport,” Saltsman said. In other sports, Saltsman believes there will be a change in “dynamics” with the new structure. “If you take baseball for example, last year they won a CIF title and if they do well in the playoffs again this year and say they win another CIF title they’re numbers are going to be pretty high. So, they’d jump from where they’re at which is Division III to possibly Division I. Due to the fact we are not basing records off of your current team but past history we would be in Division I and possibly not be as strong of a team because of players
we may gain and players we lose,” Saltsman said. Although there is no solidified information, Saltsman senses that the part most people are nervous about is who will qualify and where they will place in each division. “These are the numbers we are worried about. However, until the information comes out that’s when we and every other school find where [our teams] will stand,” Saltsman said. “As of right now, we don’t know where anyone will stand because we don’t have the numbers quite yet.” Due to the uncertainty of how these newly based playoffs will work with the other sports teams, Saltsman understands there will be “tweaks and turns” for a number of years. “Right now, we are not at a level to compete in some of the divisions were are at. Competitive equity allows us to do just that.”
Feb. 5, 2016
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news
Speaking up
Lester makes speech about involvement in SHADES program by Kylie Yorke Sophomore Madison Laster spoke at last Wednesday’s Los Angeles City Council meeting for National Holocaust Remembrance Day. After she was introduced by councilman Paul Koretz, Laster gave a five minute speech on her involvement with the Stopping Hate And Delinquency by Empowering Students (SHADES). The program aims to promote tolerance and end hate crimes. “There are a lot of hate crimes that are still taking place, and I think it’s so important that we try to end them,” she said. “There’s no reason that people are still having prejudices, segregation and such negative feelings toward groups that are not their own.” According to Laster, the dedication to the national holiday was meant to “not be so morbid,” but instead “show that it’s 2016 and we are making progress.” “They wanted to show that there are young people in our community that are preventing future hate crimes and preventing genocides,” she said. “The message to leave people is this did happen in history and we need to remember it so that it doesn’t happen again.” The SHADES program includes a five day training hosted by the Museum of Tolerance in L.A. Laster believes that her connection
with the program’s mission is what gave her this opportunity. “I completely back up the ideas of tolerance and standing up against prejudice, and that’s what the museum promotes,” she said. Laster was “humbled and grateful for the recognition and opportunity” to speak and was happy to be promoting the Museum of Tolerance and what it stands for. “It reinforced my ambitions and what my goals are, because it felt like I was doing the right thing for the world,” she said. Throughout her training, Laster focused on “critical thinking and creative expression” to promote tolerance and open-mindedness. “There are some people who think that one group is significant compared to everyone else, and I think that the SHADES program really creates the new generation to be loving and respecting people,” she said. Although her speech was meant to show the improvement in hate crimes since the Holocaust, Laster believes society needs time in order to completely eliminate them. “I think that the further we progress as humanity and as society, we will become more open, but I also think we still do have a lack of tolerance,” she said. One of the exhibits Laster encountered was an up-to-date list of hate crimes that
have happened within the last week in the U.S. Seeing the amount of prejudice still happening was “shocking” to Laster. “To me the most surprising thing was that hate crimes still exist,” she said. “A lot of people think that they ended when slavery ended or when World War II ended, and it’s kind of eye-opening to see that your perception is wrong.” Laster grew up in a family that has similar values as the SHADES program, in that both promote “positivity of interracial family and all the different protected groups like gender, ethnicity and race.” Because of this, it was difficult for her to hear the about the cruelty happening to people around the globe. “I was raised in a family where your skin color doesn’t matter,” she said. “But I was showed that my individual morals aren’t happening in the world, and that really caught my attention.” Upon the ending of her SHADES training last summer, Laster felt a connection to the museum and wanted to do more to help. She continues to volunteer as an exhibit docent and has spent over 50 hours running interactive exhibits and assisting children throughout the museum. “I continue to volunteer at the Museum of Tolerance because I think that everything
the museum promotes is so much of my own feelings,” she said. “The museum’s goals of being tolerant towards others and stopping hate are so similar to my own that it’s a great place for me to intern and volunteer there.” Laster typically works in the Holocaust section at the museum, which contains a database of people killed and those who survived. “We give everyone that comes in a card with a child from the Holocaust who they learn more and more about as they go through the exhibit, and at the end they find out if their child lived or not,” she said. Laster believes the intimacy of the exhibit helps people understand the reality of the Holocaust and allows them to feel closer to the events. “It really enforces the message that these people are just like your brother or sister, and then this horrific thing happened in history and half of them didn’t make it,” she said. As Treasurer of Teen Court and volunteer at the Museum of Tolerance, Laster has found her passion in bringing delinquents to justice and advocating against hate crimes. “SHADES has definitely shaped me so that I want to do something in the law field,” she said. “It’s given me a bunch of direction for what I want to do in the future.”
Tolerance. Laster said she felt “truly honored and humbled” while posing with members of the Museum of Tolerance and Los Angeles City Council upon being recognized for her speech and volunteer efforts. TESY OF MADISON LASTER
PHOTO COUR-
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High Tide
opinion
Around Privacy has to be a no-fly zone Redondo While drones do have their place, their use must be defined and restricted Will you use one of the free metal water bottles? Compiled by Eden Milan Photos by Christopher Paludi
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It’s lot easier to just refill a bottle from the fountain.
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-Diana Obinna, 12
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No, because I already have a reusable water bottle.
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-Haley Larsen, 12
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I think it’s important to use them because we are right by the beach.
Editorial
It’s a bird! It’s a plane!
No, it’s a drone. Recreational drone usage is on a rapid rise, and governments at all levels are stumbling through efforts to navigate this uncharted territory. In wake of this increased drone usage, Manhattan Beach has recently passed laws to curb the unprecedented safety and privacy concerns that are arising in this new age. Other cities, including Redondo Beach, should do the same. Federal laws governing drones do exist: the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulates their use. The FAA mandates that recreational drones fly below 400 feet, remain in the visual line of sight, weigh less than 55 pounds, and do not endanger people or property. These laws, however, can only be enforced by the federal government, as they are put forth by a federal agency. By incorporating these regulations into their municipal codes, local authorities give themselves the power to act on violations of the drone laws specified in city law. These local laws are a necessity. They do not only to allow cities the authority to
manage the growing prevalence of drones, but also to ensure safety and privacy. While recreational drone use is usually harmless, drones may also be used improperly or maliciously. Even now, there continues to be controversy regarding their recreational use, with 30 states having attempted to create laws banning video-capturing drones. The Chevron refinery in El Segundo has reported three incidents of drones on their property. In July, a drone entered the Hermosa Beach police station. There have been reports of drones flying at night and distracting drivers. Others have reported to the Hermosa Beach police department spotting drones outside of their windows on private property. Without drone laws specifically outlined in some cities’ municipal codes, local authorities cannot take action against any such misuse of drones, regardless of the threat to safety or privacy that they pose. That being said, harmless use of drones need not be discouraged. Domestically, drones are expected to create 100,000 new jobs and add $82 billion to the economy, according to the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International. By allow-
ing the use of drones, the South Bay is becoming a part of a new global industry. While the economic benefits are enticing, the priority should remain protecting citizens’ rights to privacy and the rights of those who privately own property. We are, whether we like it or not, living in an age where technology develops faster than our laws can adjust to them. It is important that we learn now, at this new era’s beginning, how to incorporate or create laws to establish the bounds within which citizens, corporations and governments can safely use this technology.
Editorial Board vote
City governments must take measures to govern the usage of drones to protect citizens’ rights to privacy.
Yes
7
No
0
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-Maya Thompson. 9
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If I know where to find them I will; using plastic water bottles is trashing up the earth.
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-Emma Lyon, 10
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I usually just reuse plastic water bottles.
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-Tyler Klepper, 11
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Yes, they’re easier to carry they don’t dent.
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-Ryan Bender, 11
ILLUSTRATION BY ALINA BIESCHKE
Feb. 5, 2016
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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.
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
Heed Mr. T
While students should resist the urge to leave school, restrictions should also be tightened to keep them here
Micah Ezzes One time when I was little, I saw a PSA involving Mr. T telling his viewers: “Don’t be a fool, stay in school!” It spoke to me on a personal level. All of my childhood’s fundamental truths laid in that statement. I am no fool; I will stay in school. As a second-semester senior, however, I find myself struggling to heed the advice that the mohawked, gold-chain-wearing TV icon gave me so many years ago. I’m sure I’m not the only one who is feeling the pressure to avoid walking off of campus. Frankly, it’s not even that difficult. A walk to the office, a quick call to your parents, and you’re home free. I guess it depends on how quick your parents are to trust you, but at an even rate of calls home spread out across the span of months without regularity, it’s not too difficult to get away with. For a plurality of seniors, it’s even easier than that. Those lucky enough to be born in a month during the school year will be 18 at
some point, and will be able to sign themselves out without parent approval. For these seniors, the ticket to the outside world is through the health office. An important thing to note: I’m not advocating cutting class, or pretending to be sick in order to do so. The reason I bring this up is to highlight what I believe is a problem inherent in the system involving truancies and the school’s inability to reduce them. Ultimately, administration can only control students’ movement so much. Having said that, it is rather easy for seniors to get off of campus. Beyond the health office route, there is always the option of simply walking out. I know students who have walked out of the admin office without a note or anything by simply acting confident and looking like they know what they’re doing. As silly as it sounds, I’ve seen this happen more than once. An easy way to reduce kids ditching school would be
to have someone to ask the students where they are going if they’re leaving. Of course, there are only so many things that can be done to keep students here, and there are always going to be students who want to leave, especially at this time of the year. Perhaps classes should offer some extra incentive to students who stick around and don’t cut. The usual deterrents from doing this — a bad citizenship grade and loss of points and study time in class — don’t really apply to second-semester seniors, who have already sent college applications and are ready to leave anyway. An incentive to keep these students present at school could really prevent a lot of walking out. Ultimately, the onus of attendance is on the students to show up, stay here and take their classes seriously. As I battle my own impulses to stay in bed and sleep the day away, I say to you: be the student that Mr.T knows you can be.
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.
Another tool in the box While admittedly sometimes misused, Slader is an important resource for many students’ comprehension
Dina Ghanim Time is ticking. Your head is spinning. Your bed has never looked more comfortable. It would be a pain to dedicate another few hours towards homework after seven hours of school, plus additional hours of homework, so you pull out your phone, open the Slader app, and begin to copy. Slader is a tool. That the homework problems there are already worked out can compel students to take the easy route and simply copy the problem down. However, people who use Slader for its detailed, comprehensive explanations should not be denied a resource from which they they can learn. The misuse of Slader by some students is not reflective of its use by all who benefit from it. Those who submit answers are usually students themselves or tutors looking to make some extra money. A study by the Griffith University shows that learning from
peers is highly effective, because they can explain the solution in the way that they understand it best. The contributors can provide helpful ways to understand concepts that teachers may not recognize. The reality remains that the answers to many homework problems are online on various websites. Odd answers to review exercises can actually be found in the back of most textbooks. On Slader, however, students can read a description of how the problem was executed step-by-step, providing the same service as the back of the book, but with helpful explanations to show confused students how to arrive at the answer. Slader is, essentially, a tutoring platform. However, the benefits can extend beyond that of one-on-one education. It is less of a hassle for parents who drive their kids, and it does not raise the issue of financial hardship.
Yes, some people will take advantage of the worked out problems and copy the answers to get credit. But Slader should not receive the blame for students’ bad decisions. Furthermore, Slader did not introduce plagiarism. It just made it somewhat more accessible, and students who wish to plagiarize or cheat will always find a way. At the end of the chapter, students will eventually be assessed on their knowledge. If students do not use Slader in the way that it is meant to be used, then they are only hurting themselves. Students who sincerely use Slader to supplement or facilitate their education with self-studying should not be dismissed under the assumption that they are cheating. The odds are, they’re saving their parents’ time and money while better understanding the material. PHOTOS BY MITCH ZIEGLER AND SANDER FINK
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High Tide
features
Hungarian appily
Junior Victoria Petz connects with her culture through Hungarian Scouts by Shyanne Landers
A cluster of wavy, light-colored dresses flow together in traditional movements as different groups perform for other troops. One of these dancers is junior Victoria Petz, who pursues Hungarian scouting as a hobby. “Hungarian Scouts is pretty much like Girl Scouts. We go around to other Hungarian groups and dance and help them learn about Hungary,” Petz said. Her troop meets every other Friday to discover Hungary’s historical background. “We learn history of Hungary, what it went through, the basic customs and culture. We also learn the language and interpret it more, do a lot of dances, tell folklore, and sing a lot,” Petz said. Petz is in the 17th group of the worldwide organization. The official name of it is Magyar Cserkész, which translates exactly to Hungarian Scouts. “Even though it’s not directly related to the Hungarian church, my group still goes into churches and talks about what we do as scouts. We hold events, usually at churches, and invite other Hungarians to come and learn about the history of Hungary,” Petz said. Petz has been dedicated to her troop since elementary school and has connected with new people since she joined. “I met my friend, who is also Hungarian, back when I was beginning the program at eight years-old. She started doing it and she wanted my sister and I to participate, so we found out about it through her,” Petz said. Although she was born in the United States, both of Petz’s parents are Hungarian and were elated upon finding out she wanted to be a scout. “My parents were really excited when they found out I wanted to do this. At first, my sister and I were hesitant about doing it because we haven’t met that many Hungarians before, but my parents encouraged us a lot to where we finally decided to join,” Petz said. In her troop, Petz has been able to perform for large audiences at big and small events. “We show off our dances. We have an event that’s kind of like a ball and we all dress up and dance for other groups. Although,
anyone can really come to see it. We all just dance in front of them and then we tell some Hungarian stories and sing. After that, they perform for us,” Petz said. Petz’s troop performs multiple times each year. The performances grab the interest of both Hungarian and non-Hungarian people. “Usually, only about 50 people show up. But at our winter and spring showcases, there can be anywhere from 200 to 300 people. Some people come because they’re Hungarian, but others because they’re just interested in the culture,” Petz said. These events are mostly held at hotels and sometimes they are in forests. All of the troop gathers and stays for three days. “We have this annual trip to the Los Angeles Forest and we all meet with tons of people. Sometimes we get 500 people to come and we all camp out for the weekend and we all just sing by the campfire, dance, play hungarian games, and just have fun,” Petz said. All of the people in the Hungarian Scouts are Hungarians of all ages. “There’s older people, there’s younger kids, there’s somebody who’s 25, and there’s somebody who’s eight. We all just mingle with one another. We have leaders, who are the older kids, like myself. We teach the younger scouts about what we learned before, which is the history and all that. In the end, what really brought us together was our culture and who we are.” Petz said. The leaders are people who can guide and teach the younger and newly-recruited scouts. “When I was younger and first starting with my group, I would see the older kids who were instructing and leading, and I would think that I want to be that and help out just like they were,” Petz said. The dances performed by the troops are all from the Hungarian folklore and culture. These dance groups are separated by age. “When I am about to perform, I get super nervous. I talk it out with my partner and go over the steps to calm our nerves and reassure ourselves. We make sure we have it all down and ready to go. ” Petz’s dancing partners are usually different ages than her and get just as emotional.
1.
Culture Lovin’. 1. Petz
poses in a traditional, festive Hungarian shirt. 2. Petz poses with her scout’s neck tie. PHOTOS BY HIROKI GOTO
“When I’m dancing, I’m in the zone. I don’t feel the same when I’m dancing. Of course, when you’re first on the stage realizing where you are, you are really nervous. But when I am actually on the stage dancing, the nervousness goes away and I feel a connection to my past ancestors and how they expressed their culture. I feel this especially when we are doing folk dances and listening to traditional Hungarian music. It makes me really remember who I am.” Petz said. Hungarian Scouts perform in attire ranging from simple flower dresses to more for-
2.
mal dresses, depending on the importance of the event. Aside from their performances, the scouts recruit new people yearly and influence Hungarians to connect by doing so. “I’ve definitely been able to meet more people through my troop. I was even able to make a best friend. It helps me to improve my social and life skills in general,” Petz said.
Feb. 5, 2016
features
page 9
Designer the Making in
Sophomore Alena Smith interns for an interior designer at BayShore studios by Samaya Rubio
She walks around a barren skeleton of a house, imagining what it could look like. Imagining what she could create. She thinks of paint colors, floor tiles, and even small things like doorknobs. Sophomore Alena Smith interns and learns interior design under Kimm Dunne at BayShore Studios in Hermosa Beach. “I wanted volunteer hours and I was looking for something that would set me apart from everyone else so I decided to help [my family friend] Kimm out,” Smith said. She has known Dunne and her family since she was young, but this internship gave Smith the chance to bond with her. “We’ve known each other for a long time, but now that I work with her, it’s almost like she’s a friend of mine. We’re really close and she’s so sweet,” Smith said. Smith was expecting to do simple tasks
for her community service hours, but she has a bigger influence in the company and has an input on the final products of the design of the houses. “Going into this, I expected to be organizing papers here and there, but I’m allowed to input my opinion on hardware for houses. Even when I file papers, she trusts me to file old documents and legal stuff,” Smith said. Smith respects Dunne’s work and accomplishments because Dunne branched from a large-scale company to her own interior design company. “She’s an interior designer, so she works with a lot of contractors and they know they can’t design the house on their own, so they look into interior designers and they hire them. The contractor builds the house, but Kimm makes it a home,” Smith said. When she takes private jobs, Dunne is hired to redesign houses according to the preferences of the owner, not a contractor. “There are a lot of private jobs where people either go to her office or are referred to her and they ask for help decorating their houses. There are a lot of new houses [Dunne designed] on the market. Many of them are on The Strand or near it,” Smith said. Dunne’s work with houses near the ocean presents obstacles, including wood rotting and digging too deep underground. “The big struggle with Hermosa Beach houses is if you dig down more than sixteen inches, you hit saltwater, and when we work with contractors, they are more likely to put in wood floors instead of the porcelain that looks like wood, even though the porcelain will last much longer and not rot,” Smith said. When they work on a house, they are given floor plans and what the contractor or customer would like. From there, they make design boards: tables covered in samples of paint, tile, and color schemes. “She asks me my opinion on things and
No more gender stereotypes. Alena Smith and Kimm Dunne look at different backsplashes for one of
Dunne’s clients. “The contractor builds the house, but Kimm makes it a home,” Smith said. PHOTOS COURTESY OF ALENA SMITH
sometimes I disagree, but it’s always a respectful disagreement,” Smith said. Interior design is a job that interests Smith, but she would rather be involved in other forms of the design field. “Working with Kimm has enabled me to connect with others in the design community, and that’s what I really like about it. I like meeting and connecting to new people through my work,” Smith said. This internship has given Smith many op-
portunities and she plans on continuing to pursue this path throughout her high school career. “With Kimm I work on refining taste and how everything comes together to create a general theme or mood,” Smith said. “It will help me because in my future I would like to be the graphic designer or creative director for a media, and in those jobs, I would create the overall aesthetic for the product or publication.”
Aluin went to the Merrie Monarch Festival in Hawaii by Brittany Baker
He waited anxiously with his group to be called on stage. Junior Ikaika Alluin spent only a single day auditioning for a chance to perform a choreographed hula dance in the week long Merrie Monarch Festival in the town of Hilo, Hawaii. “It’s really strict about who they accept because we are representing one of the three Californian halau,” Alluin said. The festival began in 1963 when the county was trying to discover a way to attract tourists. It takes place for a week at the end of March, but preparation begins as soon as four months before. Welcoming tourists was an idea looked at as a necessity as an opportunity to boost the
economy when the sugar industry went down after being hit by a tidal wave. “It’s like the Hawaiian Super Bowl. There are so many people that are trying to come over and everyone is watching on their TV’s because it is such a main event,” Alluin said. According to Alluin, he and his group are planning to spend time bonding when they get to the “big” island of Hawaii. “I can’t wait to get there. We’re renting out a house for all the men to bond together. It’s going to be a better experience since we’ll be more comfortable with each other. Having to spend that much time with people really makes you understand them,” Alluin said. According to www.merriemocharch.com,
the festival is to honor of King David Kalakaua who inspired many Hawaiian traditions, their native language and arts. “[Hawaiians and Alluin] really get into it because we think it is such a great cultural thing to keep in touch with,” Alluin said. Alluin has been hula dancing since he was eight years old and has been participating in the festival for years since then. “I started when I was really little and got back into it now that I have a lot more time because I set aside time for water polo and found a way to have it not conflict with my schedule,” Alluin said. A portion of the festival features an internationally-acclaimed hula competition, along
with many other hula shows followed by a grand parade. “The best part is being up on stage with everyone knowing that we came from California and it really idolizes people who are trying to keep the culture going,” Alluin said. The attire Alluin and his group must wear consists all of a cloth being less than the width of their waists. “I haven’t put it on in like two years so I’m scared of it falling off,” Alluin said. The Merrie Monarch Festival honors Hawaiian history through the many arts. “The point is to keep in touch with your culture and meet other people who are trying to be the best Hawaiians,” Alluin said.
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STUDYING ABROAD Education around the world According to the PISA exam, a test given around the world to exaluate student performance
The United States is ranked
28th
20 2
28
54 23 in overall educational performance
80%
compared to
93%
of people in the United Kingdom
of Americans graduate high school
$115,000 per student. The Slovak Republic spends $53,000 per student and gets the same results. The United States spends
1 in 4
American 15 year olds are not proficient enough in math to “participate effectively” in society.
2%
of American students reached the highest level of math on the exam
whereas
31%
of Chinese students reached the highest level of math on the exam
The average American spends 15 years in school
while the Chinese spend 9 and the Mexicans spend 10
Feb. 5, 2016
High Tide
features
page 11
features
After studying in France for most of her life, freshman Jenna Gulamani compares the education system in the U.S. to the education system in France by Reem Chamas and Yasi Fazeli
Before she went to bed, she walked to the window of her small apartment in the outskirts of Paris, stopping to admire the Eiffel Tower gleaming above the horizon. From her distance, it was about the size of her pinky finger, and she stared at it, thinking about how lucky she was to be there. Freshman Jenna Gulamani lived with this view for seven years. Gulamani moved from the U.S. to France because of her dad’s job as an international director. She was six years old at the time, but it took her some time to get used to her new home. “I kind of hated it because I was used to certain things [in the U.S.], and it was really weird because I couldn’t speak to people because I didn’t speak any French,” Gulamani said. “I had definitely missed the States already because I had just been on a plane for ten hours, and I was tired. It was sort of a feeling of ‘I just want to go home.’” About a month after the move, she had adjusted and started to appreciate French culture. “It was really cool because here there is no public transportation, but there you get everywhere by metro,” Gulamani said. “I got to see the Eiffel Tower which was a big thing because you see it in books and you are like, ‘Wow, that is so cool’ and then you realize, ‘Oh, I live here.’” Gulamani also enjoyed how close other European countries were relative to France. “I got to travel a lot, which was cool because we went on a lot of road trips and we got to see Barcelona and Berlin,” Gulamani said. “It was so easy to jump from one culture to another.” While Gulamani was in France she attended the British School of Paris, which provided her with the opportunity to learn about various countries because the students who attended came from all over the world. “Once I got a little bit older, maybe 10, I began to actually appreciate the culture that I was getting exposed to,” Gulamani said. “Most of the students were there for two or three years because their parents were expats and they were there on business. Every semester we would have an international day where the students would
56.6%
Out of 433 students surveyed at RUHS,
would like more emphasis on career based work
50.1% dress up in their traditional clothes, bring in their food, and you would really get to see what the different cultures are like. It provided me the opportunity that you might get from traveling.” Gulamani’s mother, Milly Gulamani, believes the British school Gulamani attended also enhanced her knowledge about foreign countries all over the world. “She was at a British school but really it was more international than British, I think there was only 30 percent British people there and she was exposed to so many different cultures within the school,” Ms. Gulamani said. “I think the school was representing roughly 50 or 60 nations, so that was a really wonderful thing for her. And they got to learn about a lot of cultures other than just the French which was outside of school.” Gulamani appreciated that you could switch the math class you were in based on test scores and your capability in the subject. “Also their math was different; here you have Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra 2, but there, everyone in each grade does the same thing and there are sets so the difficulty levels were different. Depending on your test scores you could move up or down throughout the year, so everyone was learning pretty much the same thing just at different levels,” Gulamani said. “The American system is a lot more standardized and the British one is more based on your abilities. Here if you are in Algebra 1 you are going to stay in Algebra 1. There you can jump up and down between difficulty levels.” When Gulamani returned to school in the U.S., she was surprised by the impact of the choices students make in choosing courses early in their high school experience. “I like that there you weren’t stuck in one thing for a whole year if you picked the wrong thing in the beginning of the year,” Gulamani said. “I’m surprised that
like focus on group work and collaboration
66.5%
dislike starting school early in the morning
73.7%
like the variety of classes available
34.6% would like more emphasis on the arts
we start choosing our paths freshman year. You have to know the path you want to take so that you can get the prerequisites right.” Larger class sizes, specifically at RUHS, is another negative. According to Gulamani, classes in the UK generally have between 15 and 25 students, allowing the teachers to get to know each student individually. However, she feels that the education system in the United States allows students to learn in greater detail. “I think there are less choices in the classes you take here but I like the fact that you take less classes because then you learn in more detail in the classes that you do take and the ones that you are interested in,” Gulamani said. Even though Gulamani enjoyed the British education system more than the U.S. education system, she was relieved to come back to Redondo Beach because of the convenience. “I think here life is actually easier and there are a lot more opportunities here,” Gulamani said. “It was a small school so we had less resources because there weren’t enough people who would use them. Here it is such a big school I mean we have a pool at school, and every single sport imaginable, and we have a ton of different subjects as well. So here there are definitely a lot more opportunities.”
58.9%
dislike the amount of homework
54.7% Mrs. Gulamani believes that having her daughter live in France and the U.S. really enhanced Gulamani’s awareness of the different places around her. “I think she was able to live and breathe Europe having lived in the States most of her life already, so it was a great balance for her and now we are back in the States,” Ms. Gulamani said. “I think she has had a really good experience and balance of both worlds, America and Europe.” Looking back, Gulamani wishes to go back to France to revisit her childhood in France. “I really miss it now. The way it looks like all the buildings are really old and there is history,” Gulamani said. “I miss friends obviously, and I miss the food which was really amazing. It was an amazing experience and I wouldn’t change it, and I think it was one of the best experiences in my life.”
dislike two hour lectures
Bon Voyage! Gulamani poses with her mother on the top of the Arc de Triomphe on one of her last days in Paris, last February. “It was freezing cold and the sun was setting. It was bittersweet, but pretty too,” said Gulamani. PHOTO COURTESY OF JENNA GULAMANI
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features
Beating the odds
High Tide
Reynolds and Riley will play in the MLB Scouting Bureau All-Star Game by Austin Nunis
One out of 200 high school baseball players will get drafted by an MLB team, and about three out of 50 players will go on to play men’s baseball at an NCAA member institution. For seniors Connor Riley and Sean Reynolds, college and a career in baseball is a possibility for the future. Riley and Reynolds have been invited to play at the Major League Baseball Scouting Bureau All-Star Game. “It’s a showcase, or game, where the top high school baseball players in California
2.
Big leagues. 1. Riley celebrates with teammates 1.
in the dugout during the CIF championship last season. 2. Reynolds prepares to make a force out at first base. PHOTOS BY TED CAVUS AND ELISE DIPAOLA
get invited to to play for the north region or the south region,” Riley said. “We’ll participate in a combine-like event, and then a scrimmage.” Reynolds, who hadn’t heard of the event until a few months before receiving his invitation, was eating lunch at school when he got the news. “I read the email and didn’t really know what to think at first. Obviously it wasn’t an opportunity that I was going to turn down, so I responded right away. I’ve been looking forward to it ever since and am really excited about it,” Reynolds said. Riley will pitch in the game and Reynolds will pitch and play first base. Both have high hopes and are eager to play. “It’s something that I’ve definitely wanted to do. The experience and the pressure and just the intensity of the game will help me [as a player]. It’s a milestone for me,” Riley said. They are excited to share the experience together. “I’m super stoked that I get to do this with him,” Reynolds said. “It’s a great opportunity for both of us and I think we both worked hard and deserve to be put in a position like this, so it’s going to be a lot of fun.” Riley agrees, saying that “Sean’s a great player and there’s no one else on our team
that I’d rather go with.” Many atheletes playing in the game have hopes to be drafted into the MLB. Though Reynolds is already committed to playing baseball at Rice University in Houston, Texas, he’s still working toward the possibility of being drafted. “The game should be good exposure for major league scouts to see me and what I can do,” Reynolds said. “I hope that after the game [the scouts] know our names and start following us through the high school season. Hopefully we’ll start building some momentum up to the draft.” Riley isn’t committed to a college yet, but he’s planning on playing baseball at whichever school he attends and is enthusiastic about the possibility of being drafted. Though both players are excited for the draft, being chosen to play professionally could cost them time at college. Signing a major league contract forfeits NCAA eligibility. “If I were to get drafted I would have to make a choice whether I wanted to go play college or take the money and play with the pro team,” Riley said. “And honestly, I couldn’t answer that right now. It’s definitely a decision I have to talk about with my family.”
Torres feeds homeless on Skid Row by Summer Saad
For an entire year, freshman Massahico Torres could think of only one thing he wanted for his fifteenth birthday: the ability to give back. That wish came true when he walked through the crowded streets of Skid Row with boxes of food in hand. “God blessed me with a lot of things, so I wanted to help other people out,” Torres said. In the past, Torres would have asked his parents for a birthday present as any other teenage boy would, however this year was different according to Torres. “I felt blessed that I had a lot of things for myself,” Torres said. “I thought of doing it last year but I couldn’t. I finally got to do it this year.” Torres had the company of his friend, freshman Ryan Candido. According to both Torres and Candido, they went out with no hesitation. “I wasn’t scared at all because we’re all the same; we’re all human,” Torres said. While out in the streets, Torres figured the day was going to simply consist of handing out meals and then returning home. However, Torres found himself touched by
several different individuals. “I noticed how the real world is and how any mistake can lead you into that situation, so you should be happy for what you have and not argue about what you don’t have,” Torres said. While handing out the meals he prepared, some people shared their story with him. “I met a lot of people, and they actually told me their story of how they ended up there,” Torres said. “Some of the stories were really touching.” Torres realized that people become homeless in many different ways. One story of a veteran was particularly “shocking” to him. “One man was a veteran, he was in the war and he got shot in his ankle. Afterward, he ended up on the streets. He currently lives in a tent with his wife.” Some people questioned Torres and Candido as to why they were gathering these meals and handing them out. “They were surprised when I told them it was for my birthday,” Torres said. “They gave me kind of an awkward look because they had never seen a kid do that before.”
Torres’s mother helped him with this by buying the supplies he needed and driving him to Skid Row where he and Candido handed out the meals. “We woke up at 4:00 in the morning so we could get all the meals together,” Torres said. “Then we left around 7:00 so we could catch everyone early.” The meals consisted of an orange, a banana and one large ham sandwich with mayonnaise and mustard on the side. “We had the food in boxes and we put them in little ‘goodie bags’ and then passed them around when we saw homeless people in the streets,” Torres said. This was more than just giving back Torres, it was trying to actually help out and make a difference. “We helped about 100-150 people,” Candido said. “It felt good seeing him help so many people and I was proud of him.” Candido filmed Torres at some of the spots they made. The video was posted on Torres’s Youtube channel and has over 200 views. “We did a couple stops at first to just give
them out one by one but then we went to one spot where there were a lot of homeless people which caused us to run out of the meals quickly,” Candido said. Torres’s mother encouraged him to post the video on Youtube in hopes of inspiring others. “Other people usually do it to show the world that they’re a good person but, I did not want to do it for that reason,” Torres said. According to Torres, the video has already inspired others to give back to their community. “One family that saw my video was inspired to do a similar thing where they handed out blankets instead of food,” Torres said. Torres plans to continue giving back to those in need. “Next time I want to give toys to kids with cancer in local hospitals,” Torres said. Torres believes that if someone is going to do something similar to this, it should not be for themselves. “Do it by heart, not to get attention,” Torres said. “Do it for the love and to help others out.”
Jan. 15, 2016
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features
Stolen bases, softball, and success Natividad inducted into the Pasadena City College Hall of Fame by Tanner McEveety It’s possible to bump into the newest member of the Pasadena City College (PCC) Hall of Fame while strolling through the halls of RUHS. Learning Strategies Management teacher Gina Natividad was recently inducted into the PCC Hall of Fame for her athletic accomplishments while attending the school, play-
ing both softball and volleyball. During the softball season, she broke the school record for stolen bases with 41 stolen bases. She only spent a year at PCC before moving on to San Diego State University. “It was probably the best year of my life,” Natividad said. “I learned so much that year, not only on the field and in the gym, but academically as well. I had some of the best instructors and coaches I’d ever had in my sports career.” She moved to SDSU on a softball scholarship. She broke the school record for stolen bas-
Taking the field.
Natividad found success playing as shortstop at Pasadena City College. Her prowess in stealing bases and skill as a player won her recognition and a spot in the hall fame. PHOTO COURTESY OF GINA NATIVIDAD
es there as well, stealing 32 in a single season. She is excited for the unexpected honor of being added to the hall of fame. “I have two young girls who are also into sports, so it was great to have them in the audience,” Natividad said. “They were very proud of me.” Back during her time in college, Robert Lewis, the current sports information specialist at PCC, promoted Natividad for her accomplishments as an athlete. “It’s especially gratifying when a former student athlete that I covered or promoted makes it into the hall of fame,” Lewis said. “It’s certainly something special because of the fact that I saw them play.” Lewis also hosted the awards ceremony, and enjoyed seeing all of the former PCC athletes return. “Many of the inductees have gone on to great things, but they all come back and talk about their experience at PCC. That’s what our hall of fame is about,” Lewis said. “It’s something that we are very proud of at Pasadena City College.” Natividad never imagined that she would
end up as a member of the PCC Hall of Fame while she attended the school. “It was definitely not something that I thought about or probably even knew about at the time,” Natividad said. “I didn’t play sports with the hall of fame in mind.” Instead, she believes she kept playing because she enjoyed working with a team. “I have such great memories of so many different teams that I was a part of,” Natividad said. “I’ve built a lot of friendships and connections by being part of team.” It was working as a team that pushed her to do as well as she did on the field. “[Teammates] pull inspiration from each other,” Natividad said. “Even in a close game, I could feel supported and confident that we were all working towards the same goal.” Once she graduated, she went to school to become an athletic trainer, but ultimately decided to change career paths. “I never intended on becoming a teacher while I was in college,” Natividad said. “It wasn’t until after I graduated, when I became an instructional aide in a special education classroom, that I fell in love with teaching.”
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High Tide
features
Masterpieces. Coach Paine works on one of his ink portrait drawings. “For my subject matter, I always like picking people that you wouldn’t normally know, people who aren’t celebrities, B-list people.” For instance, he is proud of his drawing of Albert Peck, an early settler of the San Pedro area. He also has drawn French director Francios Truffaut and beat poet Jack Kerouac. PHOTO BY SANDER FINK
FRANKLY
Artistic Assistant surf coach Frank has pursued hobbies in art since high school by Kelly Harraka
Refining the edges of his sketch, he removes his pen from the paper; he looks at what he has created and is not hesitant to begin a fresh piece of art. Assistant surf coach Frank Paine is constantly sketching, painting, and drawing and has been since he was a student at Redondo Union. “It’s influenced all that I’ve ever done, whether it be designing a surfboard, painting something, or drawing something,” Paine said. “I always think of how it’s going to be better than others. I think that’s been the biggest way creativity has been a part of my life.” According to Paine, art has changed the way he has looked at life’s challenges, and he tends to think outside of the box. “Art has changed everything. When I have problems come up, I don’t just think, ‘How do I solve this?’ I try and solve it creatively. I think not wanting to settle for the obvious choice or the simplest thing made me come up with solutions that were different from other people,” Paine said.
A sketch that has always remained one of his favorites wasn’t planned and isn’t on a canvas. “My favorite piece has been a quick drawing of my wife that I did on a napkin in a restaurant one time. I really caught the moment and it’s always been one of my favorite little things,” he said. He feels that there are contrasting sides to every artist that are shown at particular moments. “I think a lot of artists have an artistic personality and a regular personality. It’s funny how they’re two different sides but they end up coming together,” Paine said. Sometimes after completing a piece, Paine stands back amazed at what he has created. “I don’t want to call it an out-of-body experience but, when I look at some of the things I’ve drawn I think ‘I did that? How did I do that?’,” he said. Back when he went to RUHS, he designed his class insignia for the ‘Mantle Bearer’,
which is the robe that the valedictorian wears. “I came up with the design for 1968. It had a torch with the flames that created a 68’ and the valedictorian initials on the handle,” Paine said. After developing a love for art in high school, he continued to pursue his passion through college. “I started out college as a history major and I went to my counselor and said I’d really like to change to an art major. He said to me, ‘Why would you wanna do that?’. For the first time in my life I told myself that I really liked art and I decided I don’t care if everyone else fails at it,” Paine said. “So, I did it against his advice. That was one of the first times that I really asserted myself and that was important to me.” Despite an unsupportive counselor, there was a positive impact from his professor. “In college I had a professor who was a sculptor who also did a lot of drawing classes. He encouraged me a lot and that made
me feel really good. I think he was a really strong influence on me.” Paine feels the influence of this professor’s words to this day, and they even guided him towards his current career. “Always encourage your friends that are dancers or writers or musicians. Then, as a community we can all grow,” he said. “That’s one of the reasons I’m a coach. It does my heart a lot of good getting to see [Redondo’s] surfers and growing in the sport.” After years of developing new techniques and conversing with other artists, Paine has learned to deal with those who aren’t supportive and believes everyone is capable of accomplishing anything. “For people who are getting started in art, or music, or dance there will always be people who say ‘you’re bad’ or ‘you suck’ or ‘you’ll never make it’. I think you should listen to those people politely, and then you should ignore them. Follow your drive and your instincts and you can’t go wrong if you do that,” Paine said.
Feb. 5, 2016
page 15
entertainment
MOVIE REVIEW:
ALBUM REVIEW:
by Amanda Shaw
Rihanna
ANTi
The Finest Hours
“The Finest Hours”, starring Chris Pine, Casey Affleck, and Holliday Grainger with direction by Craig Gillespie, tells the story of the most daring rescue mission in U.S. Coast Guard history, with an added romantic twist. Set in 1952, this movie depicts a devastating storm that splits the SS Pendleton into two. Th bow sinks within minutes, along with the captain and several sailors. Miraculously, the 30 sailors, led by Ray Sybert (Casey Affleck), stuck on the stern of the ship manage to stay afloat. When news of the wreck reaches Chatham, Massachusetts, Coast Guard member Bernie Webber (Chris Pine) receives orders to round up a rescue crew and head out toward the Pendleton in what is essentially a suicide mission. Each moment is action-packed and suspenseful as the point of view switches back and forth between the men on the SS Pendleton and the men on the rescue boat. The fact that Gillespie was able to so realistically portray such a large-scale ocean storm, complete with tsunamisized waves, deserves recognition. Furthermore, each key plot moment, such as the tragic death of the Pendleton’s chef as he falls to the rescue boat, or the stress and paralyzing pressure Webber felt as he maneuvers the tiny rescue boat through raging waves, was portrayed in a way that makes the viewer feel as if they are there right beside Bernie or Ray. The incorporation of a romantic relationship between Bernie and Miriam (Holliday Grainger) made the movie even more relatable for a general audience. It reminds us that yes, there are the people who are out fighting wars and saving ships, but those people also have children and parents and fiancees who are as just as deeply affected. While the obvious bravery and intelligence of Bernie is inspiring, Miriam is equally as thought-provoking with her feminist behavior and views far beyond her time. Not only does she refuse to follow orders from the head of the Coast Guard in Chatham, she, as the woman in a 1950s relationship, asks Bernie to marry her. She adds a new perspective to a story that would have typically only been told from a man’s point of view. Overall, “The Finest Hours” was one of the better movies that has come out recently, and I highly recommend it to anyone seeking 117 minutes telling one of the greatest feats of human strength and courage.
The eight-time Grammy Award winner still has tricks up her sleeve by Faith Petrie
After a four year hiatus, powerhouse Rihanna released her long-awaited album, “Anti”. The album is more than the upbeat, sultry, and sometimes pop music formally released by the singer, showcasing the vocals she acquired over 13 years of experience in the music industry. Fans of Rihanna may be surprised at the many ballads and love-related songs on “Anti” compared to her past album, Unapologetic (2012). The lack of “dance” music is obvious but in no means takes away from the complex storyline portrayed within the album detailing the ups and downs of relationships. A standout track is “Higher”, the twelfth song on the album. Opening the number
with string instruments, Rihanna belts her feelings of affection and loves towards another. Embodying the feelings of intoxication, Rihanna reveals how her love makes her feel as though she is floating. A second song, “Needed Me,” contrasts “Higher” by not indulging in the feelings of love but rather repenting it and taunting the feelings her suitors adopt for her. This song features a heavy and lively bass and the Rihanna’s more familiar sensual tone. A prominent song on “Anti” is Rihanna’s cover of the Tame Impala song “New Person Same Old Mistakes”. Titled “Same ‘Ol Mistakes”, Rihanna maintained the psychedelic mood of the song but was able to put her own twist and originality to the song.
A consistent issue I found throughout “Anti” was the length of the songs. Just when a song was beginning to peak my interest, it ended. The jazzy song, “James Joint,” only lasted 1:12. This left me wishing for much more from the album. Overall, “Anti” was a sensational album. It was different from her past work in that it was not the typical sound you would expect from the islander pop star, but nonetheless she did not disappoint. These songs portray a beautiful tale of love and loss in a new and distinct way. Though change may seem daunting, it appears Rihanna is going in a direction that she sees fit and I cannot wait to see what she has in store.
BOOK REVIEW:
Silent Alarm Jennifer Banash
by Dina Ghanim The twisting pain that accompanies the death of a loved one, the lasting effects of one person’s actions, and the question of why people do the things that they do are themes that can be found in any novel. However, Silent Alarm by Jennifer Banash offers these themes through the unique insight into the deep emotions of a teenage girl whose brother killed 15 people in a school shooting. As he offers her a casual greeting, her brother points the barrel of a gun at her, a barrel through which 15 other lives were taken. He changes his mind and takes his own life instead. Now, Luke Aronson is dead, but the effects that his actions leave on his sister, Alys, are very much alive. Throughout the teen fiction novel, Alys offers a first-person narrative as she struggles to understand how her beloved brother
could commit mass murder. Searching for answers while dodging the media and familiar faces, Alys presents a thought process surprisingly relatable to all teens through this peculiar situation. This book is drenched in mystery and constantly has the reader deep in thought. The reader is eager to discover answers piece-by-piece alongside Alys. This novel also displays the reality that all students are susceptible to and guides the reader through the experience and aftermath firsthand. Other adolescent issues like family relations, friendships, and how our peers perceive us are also discussed. If the psyche of the female teenage mind suffering from a tragedy is not a gripping concept to the reader, however, the novel
PHOTO BY TED CAVUS
may resemble a rough draft. The style of writing is quite raw and underdeveloped, most likely in order to realistically convey the emotions of a high school junior. Realistic as it is, a reader with a mature vocabulary might not appreciate the author’s style. Every paragraph hits hard and sparks deep analysis as the reader wonders: should school shooters be sympathized with for their deep psychological imbalance, or must they be treated with the same contempt that any other murderer receives? Based on these conclusions, this novel is for anyone who has the patience to read pages with scarce dialogue and an abundance of imagery. If given proper regard, this book will have the reader captivated and engrossed.
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sports
Kickin’ it
Girls soccer looks to a successful season by Angie Tait
Goals. 1. Sophomore Katlin Bebe dribbles down the field in a game against Inglewood. 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
In their seventh game of the Bay League competition, girls soccer dominated over Inglewood High School on Jan. 29 with an ending score of 6-0. Varsity would’ve played a similar game against Morningside on Feb. 2, but the junior varsity team played in their place. “Since JV played for us, we all worked out on our own, and used it as a day to strategize. It’s good for JV to get some games in, and hopefully it was more fun for the Morningside girls as well,” senior and co-captain Katie Stein said. The girls agreed that letting the JV play for them allowed deeper preparation for the more challenging games to come. “I think letting JV play for us is going to be beneficial in the long run. We didn’t have to play, and we don’t need anyone to be injured,” senior Makayla Hughes said. Considering the more powerful teams they have yet to face, the team is planning on using a lineup of players that will concentrate on the opponent’s weaknesses. “Sometimes, when we play better teams, we put in a lineup of players that focus on the other team, whether it’s players with the
most speed, or best defense. ,”senior Brittany Bravo said. The girls have been reflecting on the past season, and discussing what they can use to their advantage in the next few weeks. “Our drive, power, and work ethic strengthen as we face harder teams,” Bravo said. “Our focus to win and to become a better team has also become a strength.” However, the team will need more than focus to keep their first-place ranking in Bay League, and possibly make it all the way to CIF. “We are in first place right now, but one game can make or break our position. We have three critical games coming up, but I am confident that we will remain in first place and win the Bay League title,” junior Madi Kennel said. If the team does win the Bay League this year, it will have been the first win for girls soccer since 2004. “We can’t let our victories against PV and Costa get to our heads. We need concentrate on keeping our spot,” Hughes said. “We are physically fit enough to push through the season, and we are skilled enough to win.”
Boys Basketball prepares for Peninsula by Luke Peterson Today boys basketball will travel to Peninsula high for a league game after coming off a win at Morningside high, beating them 98-77. Although the team won by double digits, team members don’t consider how they played in the game to be thier best performance. “We didn’t play really well against Morningside, even though we got the win,” guard Morgan Means, said. “We scored well, but we gave up too many points.” According to point guard Eli Nesbit, the team didn’t implement its plays on both ends of the court to the highest potential. “Our biggest flaw that game was our lack of execution on our plays, both offensive and defensive,” Nesbit said. “Those were some of the things that we had stressed in the practices before the game, which makes it a little troubling. We also didn’t make as many free throws as we could have, and we almost had 20 turnovers.” As of now, the team is working on improving thir weeknes from the last game, as well as from the game against Inglewood. “We needed to work on the execution of our plays, as well as our rebounding and putting our attention on what’s in front of us,” Means said. Means also believes that the
team hasn’t been sufficiently mentally preparing for its past few games. “We haven’t been that focused on our games lately, so improving that is one of our main objectives in these practices,” Means said. Besides the current predicament that RUHS has with its style of play, the circumstances surrounding an away game at Peninsula present further problems. “Playing against Peninsula always presents another big game,” Nesbit said. “We always have a tough time going up to Peninsula. Their gym is a hostile place for us to play in, but all we have to do is start off stronger than them.” The team puts Peninsula’s particular style of play into consideration when preparing to play them. “We expect them to try and slow us down by playing zone defense,” Nesbit said. “However, they also play fast and out of control on the offensive end, which is something we can take advantage of.” Despite the challenges that playing Peninsula will bring, RUHS remains confident in its ability to beat them. “It won’t be an easy win, but we are definitely capable of beating them at their home and handing it to them,” Means said.
Jump man. Senior Eli Nesbit scores against Inglewood in the game on Jan. 29.
PHOTO BY MATT YONEMURA
Feb. 5, 2016
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sports
Drowning the rivalry. Senior Ilene Guerrero passes to a team matewho scores a goal againt a Palos Verdes player.
PHOTO BY GISELA PEDROSA
Making history
After beating Costa, girls waterpolo looks to success by Justin Pioletti Overcoming a sixteen-year loss streak, girls water polo made Redondo history during their match against Mira Costa on Jan. 20, turning a 1-5 deficit in the final quarter to a 9-7 win. “Our win against Costa definitely wasn’t just a coincidence. It was good playing on our part, and intense preparation before the game,” junior Haley Winn said. “Before our match, Costa had won every game they had played, so it wasn’t a matter of them getting worse, but us getting better.” The girls unanimously agree that throughout their season communication and
overall reliance has vastly improved, and as such preparation against their rivals involved team bonding. “We had a lot of fun preparation things leading up to the Costa game, like we had music and speeches, just to really hype up the team,” junior Sophie Maguy said. “It felt like we had put ourselves into a rut the past sixteen years, and now was a good as a time as ever to beat them.” While their game against Costa was a success, the girl’s recent match with Palos Verdes high resulted in an 8-9 loss. “We came out really strong in the begin-
ning and I think that just a few bad passes and not covering on defense affected us in the end,” sophomore Camille Grace said. “It’s really important that we don’t dwell on the loss, but use it to our advantage for upcoming games.” Statistically the girls are ranked first in the league with Palos Verdes, rising above their initial ranking of fifth place determined by the Daily Breeze. According to Winn, their success so far hasn’t come effortlessly. “Everyone has been taking the season seriously, and we don’t have any girls that are ditching practice or bringing distractions,”
Winn said. “Everyone has really put their heart in it, and now that the team knows we have a fighting chance, our practices and games have gone a lot differently.” With their expectations now a reality, the girls have progressed their intensity to maintain placement. “The coaches always come prepared wanting us to do well, but I think what has gotten us far is that the players have matched that intensity,” Maguy said. “We come to practice everyday really driven and determined, and focus on setting goals which can help beat other teams.” While their passion is evident, the girls have recognized that consistency is key, and continue drills from the beginning of the season. “For upcoming games we’ve been using the same basic layout, just evaluating game film over and over, and having [coaches] Noah or Shelby give us specific drills to foolproof the minor mistakes,” junior Mia Furman said. “It’s simple, but it definitely works.” With many players who have been on the team since freshman year, their bond has noticeably progressed through the seasons, and the team hopes to keep its momentum going. “It’s cool to think of us as the underdogs, because we weren’t ranked high at first but have fought ourselves to the top,” Winn said. “It’s given us hope to do something the team hasn’t done in decades.”
We realized at the very “beginning of the year
that the team had potential to win Bay Leaguge and it’s starting to become a reality for us. -Mia Furman
”
Wrestling hopes to pin down a spot at CIF by Jessica Johnson Wrestling moves on to the final Bay League meet on Feb. 11, where individual wrestlers will compete against Mira Costa, Peninusla, Santa Monica, and Beverly Hills and may individually qualify for CIF. After a tough 7 -60 loss against Costa on Tuesday Feb. 3, due to injury, sickness and, according to junior Matt Davidson, “lack of depth,” the team is working hard during practice to prepare for the upcoming tournament. “The team is working to improve keping a good base and positioning. It doesn’t matter who we are competing against. Conditioning will be our best option so we will be able to go the length of the match,” Davidson said. Because the team has not qualified for CIF duals, from this point forward the tour-
naments become solely based on individual performance. “Our goal is to have every wrestler perform at their very best and apply different techniques that we have learned in practice at the Bay League finals,” Davidson said. As the team looks on to next season, they believe that there is room for improvement. “I believe that we made good use of what we had. My opinion is that we had a decently strong season, however we can always improve,” Davidson said. The team hopes for new recruits that will help them succeed next season. “Next season’s success depends on the individual wrestlers, but if we get more wrestlers, we should be able to get the results we want,” Davidson said.
1.
Beat down. Junior Matt Davidson tries to “break him down to his stomach so [he] can turn [his] opponent over, pin him and win.” PHOTO BY HIROKI GOTO
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High Tide
It’s now or never
Boys soccer has season’s three toughest games left and sits one point behind first
by Mia Berger After beating Morningside 5-0 on Tuesday, Boys soccer is now only one point behind Palos Verdes High School, the first place Bay League team. “We will have to see if, [in the next games], the team can handle the pressure. If they will step up to the plate and play to their maximum potential so that they can get the results they want,” coach Nacho Lopez said. If the boys win the next three games against Peninsula High School, Palos Verdes, and Mira Costa, that will put the team two points ahead of PV and in first place. “The next three games will be a challenge, but we have a good motivation [to win Bay League], and our intuition is there,” Lopez said. The Morningside game was, according to the team, a revelation that reminded the boys that no matter who they are playing they cannot go into a game “relaxed.” “We only scored one goal the first half which is really sad considering we beat them 9-2 and [they] haven’t won a game yet this season. We went into the game way too relaxed,” senior Adam King said. Although the team’s initial performance was “disappointing,” it was an “amazing” showing from freshman Noah Ristovski. “We brought up a freshman, Noah, in the first half. It was his first touch at varsity and he scored four goals, Trenton scored the other,” King said. Ristovski surpassed all expectations, in-
cluding his own. “I didn’t expect to score anything because I didn’t know what to expect, but after my first goal my confidence boosted. I was really excited to score those goals, “ Ristovski said. Overall, the team and the coaches agree that the team needs to start working harder if they want to win Bay League. “[At half time] I talked to the boys and told them, ‘The future is in your hands, we can be Bay League Champions.’ I honestly don’t remember the last time Redondo’s won Bay League, maybe never,” Lopez said. The first out of the next three games will be away against Peninsula, on Friday, Feb. 5. “Peninsula plays with high intensity, high pressure, and they never stop running. They are going to be hard to beat but we can win, I can feel it,” Lopez said. The next game will be against PV on Tuesday, Feb 8. Last time Redondo played PV they went to overtime but tied 0-0. “PV was a game that was fairly even though we created better chances on the whole. We have them coming to our stadium and hopefully we can whip them and be on top of league,” senior Ryan Wadhams said. On Thursday, Feb. 11 the team will be finishing off the season against Costa, who beat Redondo 2-0. “Costa made us look bad at home and we aren’t going to take that. Costa just needs to know we’re coming for them and that they’re going down, no question,” Wadhams said.
Hard to miss. 1. Senior Ryan Wadhams misses a one on one with Morningside’s goalkeeper. “Ryan is really fast but has a hard time finishing the ball,” senior Trenton Klatte said. PHOTO BY ELISE DIPAOLA
The team agrees that in order to get mentally and physically prepared for the upcoming games, they need to work “harder” in practice and put in “as much effort as possible.” “Winning requires everyone to be fully committed to the program and to practice to the maximum. You have to have the stamina to last the full game so that you can handle the pressure and win the game, and winning
Surf’s down
Shredding.
Sophomore Braeden Anderson rides down the face of a 4 ft wave in Redondo’s surf competition on Jan. 16. PHOTO BY
Surf looks toward upcoming contest, despite surf conditions
CLAIRE ANTONELLI
by Romy Moreno Due to “not so great” surf conditions, the surf contest has officially been postponed until today, where the team will finally face off against Palos Verdes high school. The contest was originally supposed to be yesterday, but because the surf has been really small, it has been moved to today. Although the majority of the surfers do benefit from larger surf, longboarders prefer the smaller surf that has been present lately. With only two losses in their division, the team is confident that they will prosper once again in today’s contest. “Honestly, I think we have a really strong team this year so it should go great,” Mather said. “PV is a really strong team as well so it’ll all come down to the last heats and whoever
scores the most points in their heat.” Sophomore Taylor Rose had similar beliefs. “I think we will do well; we have been doing a lot better lately and have some great boy shortboarders that will get us the points we need against PV,” Rose said. “I do believe that PV has a few good surfers but I don’t think there are many. Overall I think it will be good as long as the conditions are in our favor.” It is agreed within the team that their shortboarders will most likely do the best for them during the contest. “They are probably our strongest on the team and should definitely take their heat win this [today],” Mather said. “Those divi-
requires being mentally and physically prepared,” Lopez said. The team’s ultimate goal is to win Bay League and do everything they can to accomplish it. “Second is nothing to spit on, and we’ve done well to get here, but we all know we could be winning,” Wadhams said. “We just need to work as a team and work hard and we’ll win league.”
sions are stacked with really good surfers; they are the kids that have been surfing for a very long time and probably surf about five days a week or just whatever free chance they have.” However, the team explained that how they do will all depend on how they individually decided to perform on the given day. “We have all been practicing as much as we can but it’s honestly up to the individual on how far they want to push themselves; it’s truly an individual effort,” Mather said. “With it being so cold it’s hard to get into the water on time, but if you are motivated it’s all about getting there early and pushing yourself.” Some of the other surfers went on to explain one of the major factors that motivates
them and what keeps them in the right state of mind. “The end factor of winning your heat is always a great feeling. But also with surfing every time you surf you paddle out with the best session possible in mind and even though that’s sometimes nearly impossible it helps to think that way to improve your performance,” Rose said. Even with all the minor, out of their control, setbacks the team still has high aspirations for today’s contest. “I think our team has really great performances in any kind of surf partly due to surfing in Hermosa [where they typically practice] because we see it all there,” Mather said.
Feb. 5, 2016
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sports
Leading League
Girls basketball hopes to maintain undefeated league record when playin Penninsula today
by Davina Nguyen
The girls basketball team will compete against Peninsula high school in an away game tonight. Based on the results of their past games with Peninsula, the girls are confident that the outcome of tonight’s game will be in their favor, contributing to their current winning streak. “I think it’s going to be a good battle, but I feel confident that we will come out with the win,” senior Micaela Enriquez said. The last league game the girls played against Peninsula was on Jan. 19, defeating Peninsula 60-36. Despite the gap in the score, the girls acknowledge Peninsula’s determination, as well as their ability to wear Redondo out during the match. “Peninsula plays really hard,” Enriquez said. “They don’t care who it is that they are playing against, they just always go out and give it their all, and I respect that.” The girls also recognize that in today’s game, the victory might not be so easily handed to them as it was last month, cautious of the fact that it is a home game for Peninsula, and that would potentially motivate their opponents to compete more ambitiously. “Peninsula is a team of 3-point shooters, so we have to be on the lookout for them, especially since they are playing at home,” junior Lauren Tsuneishi said. In their last game against Peninsula, the team took note of the fact that Peninsula had strong offense, specifically identifying their guards who contributed most of their points. As a result, the girls played denial defense, where the guard was assigned a defensive player who prevented her from further posing a challenge to the girls. “One of Pen’s guards was scoring a majority of the points so in the second half, we played denial defense on her and she barely even shot the ball after that,” Enriquez said.
That defensive player who restricted the guard from scoring in the second half of the game was Tsuneishi. Her defensive contribution in the game was a decisive factor in the girls’ victory, as they scored half as many points in the last two quarters compared to the first half. “Putting the girl in situations where she couldn’t score was a team effort which required complete focus and hard work from everyone,” Tsuneishi said. “The coaches made the decision to key in on this particular player during the second half of the game which was the major difference in the outcome.” In spite of the precautions that the girls are taking note of regarding their competitors, the girls have also been improving certain aspects of the team physically. “We’ve been working on our closeouts for defense. Closeouts are when you run to the player you are guarding and make short choppy steps to slow down your momentum so they are unable to go by you.” Enriquez said. According to Enriquez, the team has also been working on refining their mental ability to compete against their opponents, such as talking about and going over the team’s core covenants. “The covenants are the cornerstones of our team and what we want our team to be known for,” Enriquez said. Components of the core covenants include work ethic, passion, selflessness, confidence, reliability, camaraderie, communication, and mental toughness. The preparation that the girls undergo in practice contribute to the girls’ increasing anticipation for tonight’s game, as well as those in the future. “I know that playing at Peninsula is always a great playoff atmosphere because of their student section, so it should be a good game,” Tsuneishi said.
Lob city. Junior Nicki St. Claire completes a short lob over two Inglewood defenders. PHOTO BY MATTHEW YONEMURA
Cheer team holds clinic for young kids by William Pournamdari Last week, the cheer team hosted a two day clinic where young kids came out to see what it takes to be a cheerleader. “It encourages them to do cheer when they’re younger and help build up the cheer community,” senior Marley Capper said. Every year RUHS hosts one of the largest cheer clinics in the South Bay to help encourage students to cheer at a younger age while also fundraising for the team. “It’s an opportunity for the elementary and middle schoolers to come and learn from our varsity and junior varsity teams and learn a couple dances and some cheers and get to perform at the basketball game,” cheer coach Justine Wright said.
“It’s cool because sometimes we’ll get girls in 7th or 8th grade who are going to be later participants in the tryouts,” Capper said. “It definitely benefits the middle school girls, who are going to try out for our team next year because we can know their skillset, and already get to know them.” The clinic is not only for middle schoolers but is open for grades K-12. “We create dances that five or six year olds can perform so they are relatively easy,” Capper said. The captains enjoyed teaching the different cheers and chants. “It’s also fun for them to teach the younger girls how to cheer and take what they learned
and spread it to these younger girls and it’s a great bonding opportunity for them,” Wright said. The team captains, Capper, Haley Hyatt, and Paige Perry, helped show the kids dance routines and jumps. “It’s cool for us to get to help the girls and encourage the students to tryout,” Capper said. The captains were greatly involved in the clinic, but they were not the only ones running the show. Many parents, such as Tiffany Brooks, get involved and help make the clinic possible by spreading the word and collecting forms. “Tiffany Brooks does all of it. She runs it
and we are so thankful for her,” Wright said. The clinic spent the first day focusing on involving everyone in fun and interactive activities. “We do little games that we can do in circles that will include everybody and we will teach them to dance and show them jumps and just basic techniques,” Capper said. The second day was a review of what the kids learned and afterwards they were able to perform with the cheer team at the basketball game. According to Capper, “The best part was being able to show the younger girls that they can do anything that they want to in life.”
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sports
Athlete of the Issue: Phoebe Mather
Surfing the world
Mather’s travels around the world influenced her love for surfing
2.
1.
Catch a wave. 1.
Mather paddles in the ocean on her longboard. 2. “Surf has impacted my life in a positive way. I surround myself with really good friends that I surf with a lot,” Mather said. 3. She enjoys learning and practicing tricks with her firends, emphasizing that it takes practice. “It’s all of us wanting to improve ourselves and that’s how we get better.,” she said. 4. Mather rides a wave on her longboard. She has been surfing since she was very young. 3.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF PHOEBE MATHER
4.
by Kayla Hiken She sits on her board listening to the waves break. The ocean water splashes up to her lips--she can taste the salt. Traveling internationally with her family since the age of seven, surfing gives senior Phoebe Mather an “indescribable rush.” While in Thailand, Mather began learning how to surf and as her family continued to travel to different countries on their boat, such as Costa Rica and El Salvador, her love for surfing grew. “It was super random, but the waves were really good and my parents were like ‘why not, let’s go surfing’” Mather said. “I didn’t surf again until we got to Costa Rica, but we surfed like everyday we were there. My dad actually picked up surfing along the way, he’s pretty decent, and I remember he and I would just go out all the time in Costa Rica.” When Mather travelled to El Salvador, she found one of her favorite places to surf. “I love El Salvador. The water is so warm, the waves are so fun, and it’s just a really good place to kind of learn to surf. I would definitely say that’s where I really learned to surf as well how to stand up, pop up, and get a feel for everything,” Mather said.
When Mather’s family stopped traveling the world on their boat and settled down, Mather picked surfing up again and has been surfing ever since. “I started surfing again through the Junior Lifeguard Program, and just fell in love. It was probably eighth grade going into my freshman year I just started surfing every single day. Surf team tryouts came around and I just decided ‘hey why not try out, give it a go? The worst thing they can do is say no.’ I ended up making the team and I’ve loved it ever since, it’s super fun,” Mather said. Looking back at her decision to do surf, Mather is glad she chose to do it because of all the friends and memories she has made. “Surf has impacted my life in a positive way. I surround myself with really good friends that I surf with a lot. I wouldn’t want to say that it’s more than a hobby because even though I’ve been competing for the surf team I look at it like a hobby, I look at it as something fun that I like to do on the weekends with some of my friends,” Mather said. Mather believes that she has met her “life friends” through surfing. The surf team was where she met her two best friends, and they
all surf together almost every weekend. “We’ve all met through the surf team and Topaz [street], basically, because we would always be down there everyday and when you surf at Topaz you just become friends with everybody else that’s surfing there. Eventually we all became friends and would go and get lunch together, and then go surfing whenever we wanted to,” Mather said. “When we all met, we were probably the most terrible surfers ever but being friends with them has really helped us all progress so much and we have gotten so much better at surfing.” As well as making friends on the surf team, Mather has become good friends with some people outside of the team who surf at the same spots as her. “I’ve met so many people. I remember my freshman year going into sophomore year and my sophomore year going into my junior year, both of those summers I would surf at Topaz every single day,” Mather said. “I met so many people and so many friends out in the lineup that if I saw them surfing now it would be instant conversation.” While surfing, Mather finds her inspira-
tion in her friends and looks up to them for improvement. “My friends and I are all about improving one another. If my friends are out there and say one of my friends just hung five for the first time, everybody’s going to be stoked for her. It’s just awesome because everybody’s there for each other and we all just kind of look up to each other for ‘how can I improve on this?’ or ‘oh my god that was an awesome wave you just caught,’” Mather said. With college soon coming and her senior year already halfway over, Mather has been thinking about how she’ll continue to surf while in college. “I haven’t applied to any out-of-state so thats pretty good. I will definitely try to still be out surfing every weekend, if I can,” Mather said. Surfing has left a large influence on Mather and is a huge part of her life now. “I love surfing, it’s a such a positive hobby. It gets me out there, it gets me active, and it keeps me out of trouble,” Mather said. “I can absolutely see myself doing surf in the future; I want to keep it as a hobby for as long as my body lets me.”