High Tide: Mar. 4, 2016

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Redondo Union High School Redondo Beach, CA March 4, 2016 Vol. XCVI Edition 11

TIDE

PHOTO BY ANDREW KIM

FRONT ROOM RECORDS [on pg. 11]

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High Tide

news

Smooth Sailin’

Stephanoff and Belton travel to San Fransisco to compete in sailing

by Gianna Aquilina They stand up looking out to the water surrounding them, and focus on how they are going to beat the person in the boat next to them.

Junior Emi Stephanoff and senior Daniel Belton went with the RUHS sailing team to San Francisco on Feb. 21 to compete in a race. They sailed at Treasure Island and were part of the Pacific Coast Interscholastic Sailing Association (PCISA).

Many clubs went to San Francisco from places as far as San Diego to compete in the series.

“It was nice to go as a team and we had a lot of fun going even though we didn’t do as well as we wanted,” Stephanoff said.

Although only 20 teams continue on out of the 60 teams, they hoped to place high enough in the race to continue on to Pacific Coast Champs.

“We had our moments where we were doing really well in the races, but we didn’t win since many of our teammates couldn’t go to the race due to how far away the event was.

We definitely would have done much better if more people had come,” Stephanoff said.

Even though the team didn’t do as well as they wanted to they still had a lot of fun in San Francisco.

“We got to learn a lot and get experience,” Stephanoff said “We went into the race wanting to continue on in the series but

we learned a lot of valuable information and got good practice in order to be ready for the next race.”

Despite the team loss, both Stephanoff and Belton received good scores in their races.

“I got fourth place which I was very happy about because that’s my personal best,” Belton said.

Although she believes she could have done better, Stephanoff ended the race well.

“It was not my best performance but I ended up in sixth place in the last race, so I ended on a high note,” she said.

Both of them were surprised with how nice the weather was in San Francisco during the race.

“There’s usually a lot of breeze up there and it’s always super windy so it’s usually hard for us to sail but we actually got lucky this time because it wasn’t as bad as it usually is,” Belton said.

Both Belton and Stephanoff are very passionate about sailing and will continue to sail for a long time because it’s a “different” sport than most.

“I like to sail because it’s a little more varying than most sports. Instead of playing on a court that always looks the same like you do in basketball or something else, the race course is always changing and there is always different wind,” Stephanoff said. “I’ve

Sailing away. 1. Stephanoff and Belton pose with other members of the sailing team. The RUHS sailing team recently traveled to San Frensisco to compete in a race at Treasure Island. PHOTOS COURTESY OF EMI STEPHANOFF

been sailing since I was six years old and I’ve never gotten bored of it.”

Belton likes sailing because of the days where “you get lucky and just get to sit and relax and enjoy being on the water.”

“I’ve played other sports before but it’s by far the most fun. It’s unique because you have a tool, which is the boat, and it’s a lot of

work most of the time,” he said.

They both love the sail team and are extremely happy to have the opportunity to partake in it.

“The sailing team is a big family. We all love each other and help each other out and I couldn’t ask for better teammates,” Stephanoff said.

Hip Hop Club teams up with Dance Guard

by Summer Saad

Hip Hop and Dance Guard recently teamed up to compete in the West High School California Association of Dance/ Drill Team Directors (CADTD) dance competition and perform against five to ten other local schools.

The president of the Hip Hop club, Sarah Seixas, started preparing the team late December.

“We prepared a month and a half in advance so we would have the dances down, or else it would have been too late,” Seixas said.

Prior to this year, the Hip Hop team has not competed in any competitions, making it important for them to practice often.

Despite all the practice, the team did not place in either of their recent competitions, but have become aware of areas of improvement.

“Our strategy is to encourage the new-

comers since they were inexperienced when they first performed,” Seixas said.

According to Seixas, it was more than just the choreography that kept the team from placing well, limited time was an issue too.

“We probably could have worked on cleaning up the routine because there were a lot of last minute changes,” Seixas said.

Sophomore Mocha Ito agrees that if the teams were given more time, they would have placed higher.

“We took a really long time cleaning up the choreography,” Ito said. “Our main weakness for the competition was facial expressions. We needed more time to improve.”

The team learned new performing techniques from watching other groups, and are applying them to their own performance.

“In the first competition we learned how important the performance is, not just the

choreography, but looking at the judges and feeling the moves,” Seixas said.

Ito learned dancing and preparation techniques from the other teams.

“The other teams were definitely really well disciplined,” Ito said. “As I was walking around and seeing them practice they were always quiet and they would just practice; I barely saw them talking and conversing with other people aside from their coach.”

According to both Ito and Seixas, their first two competitions helped both teams in performing in front of an audience.

“There is more feeling behind the dances now, rather than just doing the moves. So, it was better overall,” Seixas said.

In addition to performing “better,” Ito feels that she has developed new friendships.

“It was definitely a new experience for me because I’m not a hip hop dancer so teaming

up with them this year was a new experience,” Ito said. “I got to learn a lot of new things and make new friendships with people I usually don’t see around school.”

Not only is Seixas excited to see how the teams improve, but she is also looking forward to seeing the individual dancers grow.

“It’s my last year so I’m looking forward to how much the beginners are going to improve if they decide to continue dancing,” Seixas said.

Although the teams did not place in the competitions, she is still glad to be a part of the experience.

“I’m so thankful to work with my co captain, Cece, and Mr. Chung in making a potentially official dance/hip hop team for our school,” Seixas said. “I am looking forward to more competitions and creating new experiences alongside the other dancers.”

March 4, 2015

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news

Teen Court SHADES

Students participate as jurors in Los Angeles’s first juvenile hate crime trial in two years

by Malek Chamas

On Feb. 25, jurors from RUHS’s Teen Court program went to the Los Angeles Superior Court to participate in a Stopping Hate And Delinquency by Empowering Students (SHADES) case. SHADES is a special Teen Court addressing hate crimes among juveniles.

Two RUHS students, seniors Faith Petrie and Yasmeen El-Hasan, were selected to be a part of the eighteen-person jury, along with jurors from other Teen Court programs across Los Angeles County. The accused minor was a male student in the seventh grade charged with aiding and abetting battery. He was also charged with a hate crime, because his motivation for the initial charges was the target’s sexuality.

“He had been accused of aiding and abetting in a fight against another male student at his school. He went up and asked the victim if he was gay, and the victim said, ‘It’s none of your business.’ Then the accused minor went and got his cousin, and had his cousin beat up the victim,” Teen Court Advisor Marie Botchie said. “So instead of being charged with specific battery, he was charged with aiding and abetting, or helping somebody batter someone else, as well as a hate crime.”

This is the first SHADES case held in Los Angeles in the past two years. According to Botchie, SHADES cases are unique because regular Teen Court cases do not cover crimes rooted in hatred or bias.

“The typical Teen Court case could be about anything. It might have nothing to do with hate. So in typical Teen Court, you might have battery, but it would just be kids who had a problem and got in a fight. In SHADES, it’s about a class or group that somebody’s in and hating them for being part of that group,” Botchie said. “This has actually been the first SHADES trial in two years. We’re not sure if it’s because hate crimes aren’t going on out there in the school population, or if it’s because the police are misdiagnosing the crimes when they assign charges, and are not seeing them as hate crimes.”

To prepare for SHADES trials, potential jurors must complete a week long training program at the Museum of Tolerance in the summer. Petrie says the training program she attended was very “interactive.”

“It was a week long training, and each day we were there for about the same length of time as a school day, so around eight hours, at the Museum of Tolerance in the summer of 2015. In training, we learned a lot about what defines a hate crime, what defines a

hate incident, and how to give questioning,” Petrie said.

The jury agreed on a guilty verdict. El-Hasan says that the deliberations were “probably the most difficult [she has] participated in” because some jurors wanted harsher punishment while others took a rehabilitative approach. After “a lot of debate and back-and-forth,” the accused minor was sentenced with forty hours of community service to be completed over the standard six month probation period. He also had to write apology letters to his own mother and the victim and attend a rehabilitation program at the Museum of Tolerance about hate and diversity. He must also wear an ankle bracelet, go nowhere but home and school, and was assigned a Superior Court judge mentor.

“Jury deliberation is always tricky because every individual has a different view of what they feel the appropriate consequences should be. At Redondo, we take a rehabilitative approach. Our goal is not to make the charged minor suffer, but rather to help them get better.

We focus on rehabilitation over punishment. Not every Teen Court functions like this,” El-Hasan said.

“SHADES cases are especially unique because they deal with hate crimes, which are really serious. The goal here is for youth to advocate against hatred, promote equality and help those who have gotten themselves into messy situations.”

Petrie feels that the jury’s final verdict, and the minor’s sentence, were “pretty fair” due to the nature of the case.

“Because the kid, who was only twelve, did do the crime, I think we gave a just sentencing, because we gave him community service. We suggested some things that might help him improve and enlighten himself about certain issues related to the world, like gay rights. So hopefully, our sentencing

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Order in the court. 1.

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helps him better himself as a person,” Petrie said.

El-Hasan feels that youth courts offer the opportunity for youths to “get better,” and that the accused receive more empathy in youth courts, where the jurors are their peers, than in juvenile courts.

“We really do try to help them as best we can, and since the jury is composed of the accused’s peers, we understand and are able to empathize with them better than a juvenile court judge and jury would in this case,” ElHasan said.

Sophomore Madison Laster, a Teen Court member who attended the trial but was not selected to be on the jury, said that

Madison Laster, Yasmeen ElHasan, Alyssa Soto and Faith Petrie pose in the courtroom after the trial. Schools from all over Los Angeles County attended the trial and participated in the case.

2. The jurors are sworn in.

There were 18 jurors randomly selected, including Yasmeen El-Hasan and Faith Petrie. In order to serve as a SHADES juror, students must be certified through a week-long training at the Museum of Tolerance. Those who were not selected as jurors watched as members of the audience.

PHOTOS BY HIROKI GOTO

the SHADES program, and Teen Court as a whole, are “invaluable to our society.”

“SHADES cases are a way to keep kids from getting jail time. Instead, it puts them on probation, where they learn from their mistakes, and it’s all about the rehabilitation process, instead of just putting people in the prison pipeline,” Laster said.

Botchie feels that the SHADES program can “expose the [accused] minors to points of view that they don’t have themselves.”

“The goal of the SHADES program is for them to see that there’s other ways of thinking about things,” Botchie said. “It’s to show this age of the population that people have differences, and that we’re all still people.”

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news

High Tide

The results are in

Students reflect on the wins and losses of this past Super Tuesday

by Tanner McEveety Super Tuesday is the biggest day of the 2016 presidential primary season on which a large amount of states hold primaries or caucuses. The Super Tuesday results put the primary season into perspective.

For the Republicans, Donald Trump came out on top, winning in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Vermont, and Virginia with a total of 319 delegates. Ted Cruz won 226 delegates in Alaska, Oklahoma, and Texas. Marco Rubio has 110 delegates and won in Minnesota. Kasich won 25 delegates, and Carson won eight.

For the Democrats, Hillary Clinton won in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia and ended with 1,052 delegates. Sanders has 427 delegates and won in Colorado, Minnesota, Oklahoma, and Vermont.

Super Tuesday is a day that often makes or breaks election campaigns, and this year was no exception for several candidates.

“From the looks of it, it’s all over for Bernie, unfortunately. Super Tuesday was supposed to be a big day for him, especially in Massachusetts. It seems like he won’t be able to pull that off either,” junior Yoseph Ghazal said. “The problem is Hillary had the votes from the southern states, especially Texas, and that’s what really killed him.”

Junior Lydia Sayad agrees. “[The results] solidified the fact that Hillary’s going to be the nominee on the democratic side,” Sayad said.

Senior Natalia Hererra believes that Hillary’s success was bound to happen.

“I’m not really surprised by Clinton, but I’ve seen all the support she’s gotten among

young people, so I think it’s a matter of getting our generation out to vote,” Hererra said.

Instead, Hererra’s surprise comes from the Republican Party.

“Personally, I’m surprised by Trump. It’s kind of a wake up call to everyone,” Hererra said.

Ghazal has similar thoughts about Trump’s sudden rise.

“It seems like it started off as a joke, but the joke isn’t funny anymore,” Ghazal said.

“He’s taken seriously now, and he’s gotten a lot of attention from the Republican Party. It doesn’t seem like he’s going to let up.”

Sayad, on the other hand, supports Trump, though she believes that none of the candidates are perfect.

“Everyone knows me as the girl who loves Trump,” Sayad said. “Although I agree with many of his policies, I don’t think there’s any one candidate in this election that stands out as the best for the whole country.”

While Sayad was not surprised with Trump’s success, Herrara was not expecting it.

“Overall, I think it was an accurate display of what the country wants. Trump coming in first puts into perspective that he is actually an accredited candidate and not just a joke,” Sayad said. “I think it was a good awakening for a lot of people.”

Sayad feels the candidates for the final election are clear.

“We still have a large amount of delegates left in many other states. However, [Super Tuesday] does usually set the tone for the rest of the election,” Sayad said. “I feel like Trump will continue to pull out strong in

other states, Clinton will keep winning her superdelegates, and we’ll have interesting election between Trump and Clinton.”

Ghazal agrees about the final two candidates.

“It seems like it’s going to be Clinton

versus Trump,” Ghazal said. “At this point, it would take a miracle for Bernie to make any kind of comeback at all. The problem is that Super Tuesday is what usually decides the final results. If Sanders couldn’t even come close, then it’s basically over.”

Candidate preferences of 403 students surveyed 73.7% for Bernie Sanders

26.3% for Hillary Clinton

33.7% for Marco Rubio 12.7% for John Kasich 15.6% for Ted Cruz 14.1% for Ben Carson 23.8% for Donald Trump

Henges explains the purpose of the Electoral College

by Jason Fong While most young adults are constantly being told that “your vote counts” and are eager to exercise their new privilege, they aren’t aware that their votes do not directly determine who sits in the Oval Office.

“The president of the United States is elected via the electoral colleges. The popular vote in each state determines how many electoral votes a candidate will receive. For example, if a candidate wins the popular vote in California, he or she will win all of the electoral votes for said state,” government teacher Michael Henges said.

Many criticize the electoral college as outdated and ineffective, as it can give certain areas and states more political clout than others. Additionally, a candidate who receives enough votes from the electoral college can lose the popular vote, and still

be elected as president. In the 2000 election, in which Democratic nominee Al Gore received the popular vote, Republican candidate George H.W. Bush was ultimately elected. A recount of votes in certain states had to occur, and issues of “voter error” and the potential disenfranchisement of minority voters was raised.

“To people who support the popular vote [as being the means of electing a new president], the electoral college seems to be very undemocratic, as a small group of individuals have the power to decide the presidential election. Having a candidate receive a proportionate amount of electoral college voters based on the popular vote in each state would give more voice to underrepresented constituencies, such as Republicans in California,” Henges said.

However, having an election be determined by popular vote instead of the current electoral college system leads to certain problems, such as a less popular president, and an even longer election process.

“Having a winner take all type election could dilute the vote. If there were five candidates, someone could potentially win the election with, say, only 25% of the vote. This doesn’t bode well for the ability of the president to work with Congress and the unhappy one-fourth of the country. There could be a potential runoff election, which could cause more people to lose interest, extending the length of the election along with its drawn out primary,” Henges said.

Additionally, in order to institute a popular vote, a constitutional amendment is necessary, which three-fourths of the states must

agree to.

“It is unlikely that this will happen as the electoral college system gives small states more influence, and political parties, entrenched in big states where voters have consistently supported them, will be unwilling as well. The political bureaucracy in all levels of government will make it hard to institute this as an amendment as well,” Henges said.

Political purists contend that the Electoral College is an extremely important link to United States history and therefore should be maintained.

“The current system honors our federalist tradition and history of states being their own independent governments under federal a federal government. Each state should have a say independently of each other,” Henges said.

March 4, 2016

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news

Meet the

CANDIDATES

Democrats and Republicans debate major issues this election season INFORMATION COMPILED BY REEMA SAAD FROM BERNIESANDERS.COM, DONALDJTRUMP.COM, HILLARYCLINTON.COM, MARCORUBIO.COM AND TEDCRUZ.ORG

Hillary Clinton on:

GUN CONTROL Bernie Sanders on:

HEALTH CARE Ted Cruz on:

RELIGIOUS LIBERTY Marco Rubio on:

EDUCATION Donald Trump on:

IMMIGRATION

Backround checks need to be strengthened and loop holes closed. Irresponsible dealers and manufacturers should be held accountable.

Health care must be recognized as a right, not a privilege. The only long-term solution to the crisis is a single-payer national health care program.

The First Amendment right to religious freedom needs to be protected. The rights of citizens do not come from government, but from God instead.

The federal governement should be stopped from pushing Common Core on states. States and localities should be given control over education.

A wall across the southern border paid for by Mexico to reduce crime and a requirement to hire American workers first are needed.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY LUMA WEGMAN *REPUBLICANS BEN CARSON AND JOHN KASICH ARE NOT FEATURED

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High Tide

opinion

Apple, the FBI, and you

How one court case over a locked iPhone could protect or further erode, our diminishing privacy Editorial

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is attempting to force Apple to help them hack the iPhone of one of the terrorists involved in the tragedy in San Bernardino. In a watershed case that will either strengthen our fractured privacy rights or further remove them, Apple has thankfully refused to comply, and Americans should hope that the courts decide in their favor.

“This is not a case about one isolated iPhone,” Apple’s brief begins, and they’re absolutely correct. This case is about whether or not the government has the right — should have the right — under existing law to force American citizens and corporations to compromise their privacy to accommodate government interests.

Apple objects in this case to the FBI’s demand that the company create a nonexistent new operating system with a “backdoor” accessible to the government, which they rightly argue is an “unreasonable burden”—a term stemming from in a 1977 case involving the New York Telephone Company in which the Supreme Court ruled that an “unreasonable burden” imposed by a government order could excuse a third party uninvolved in a crime from compliance.

In theory, an unlocking of an iPhone in the course of a criminal investigation may

not sound like a big deal. But once you take into account the fact that this case may well set legal precedent, it becomes quite a big deal indeed: as Apple’s Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook said, “rather than asking for legislative action through Congress, the FBI is proposing an unprecedented use of the All Writs Act of 1789 to justify an expansion of its authority.”

This expansion of authority would not only give the government immediate access to this iPhone—and the 12 other iPhones from which the Department of Justice is seeking data—but also act as precedent vesting in this branch of the government the broad authority to further expand the range of rights it controls in its purview. Since this action would be unauthorized by Congress, this hypothetical is a clear violation of the separation of powers.

It should be noted that Apple is not a saintly guardian of privacy here—the company is much more concerned with its public relations cachet, the strength of its operating system’s software keys, and the encryption that guards them than it is over its users’ privacy, despite whatever they might say in a press release. Apple’s case does, however, stand as a bastion against the kinds of government intrusion into privacy seen again and again over the past several years.

ILLUSTRATION BY ALINA BIESCHKE

A catch-all law from 1789 should not serve as legal basis for the government to force technology companies to help them potentially spy on millions of Americans more than they already do. The government already collects metadata from and records communications between countless innocent citizens; it is vitally important that we grab hold of a rock on the slippery slope of privacy before we fall any further.

PHOTOS BY SANDER FINK, MITCH ZIEGLER, AND TED CAVUS

Editorial Board vote

The court should rule in Apple’s favor to deny government expansion of power.

Yes

5

No

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The online activist generation For many young people just beginning to get involved in politics this election, their participation primarily happens online with social media Dinah Ghanim Young adults who get involved in politics at an early age form a lifelong commitment to changing the way the world works. Generally speaking, high school students have yet to attain the wisdom of an adult and therefore lack some credibility with making sound political decisions, but they should nonetheless train their minds to constantly think of how they can make their country — and the world at large — a better place to live in. The sooner adults accept that Generation Z — people between the ages of 2 and 19 — consists of future leaders, the sooner they can teach them how to achieve political excellence.

With the upcoming 2016 presidential elections, teenagers all over the country are

joining the political process by speaking out in classrooms and on social media in support for their candidates of choice. The array of animated, sometimes comical interactions between candidates in this election has contributed to a high level of student interest.

Based on the recent Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary, a CNN poll concluded that of the Democratic voters under the age of 30, over 80 percent chose Senator Bernie Sanders. Many young adults who are eligible to vote are obviously “feeling the Bern” this election and are expressing their support for the Democratic candidate online through his unprecedented number of individual campaign contributions and through social media.

Social media movements like “#feelthebern” and the “Bernie or Hillary?” memes that compare hypothetical positions on ‘the issues that matter’ to young people — famous bands and songs, catchphrases, TV shows — reveal young people’s use of the platform through which they can communicate best, by getting involved and making their political opinions known online.

Students are also increasingly expressing their political opinions on campus.

Many classes have discussions about current events, and most teachers on campus encourage their students to get educated on the issues, conduct research on candidates, and develop opinions. By encouraging students to explore political concepts in a learn-

ing environment, they affirm how important political input from the youth is for the future of this nation, as the youth’s opinions influence the direction of the government more than they realize.

Young people nationwide are discovering their opinions in this political race. By showing support for presidential candidates and political parties on social media and at school, many young people are getting involved in the political process as best they know how.

However, if you are already of age or will be by November, make sure you register to vote, as arguing about politics on Twitter, no matter how passionate you may be about your opinions, will not get you very far.

March 4, 2016

opinion

Let’s try

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; Reema Saad Opinion Editor: Christopher Paludi Features Editors: Zach Hatakeyama; Caterina Hyneman; Jon Mallen; Shaniya Markalanda Sports Editors: Jessica Johnson; Adam Yorke Design Editors: Shawn Mallen; Grace Zoerner

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something new

Micah Ezzes

Events such as the Senior Picnic should be more unique to encourage attendance and students’ enjoyment

Taking full advantage of senior year is something that everyone should do. As it turns out, a lot of opportunities present themselves when you know you’re going to be leaving in a few months and don’t care anymore.

Obviously, there are good ways and bad ways to spend your final months of high school; and knowing this, the school attempts to create a sense of class unity and fun with senior events. For example, the senior picnic offered food and music during lunch.

The problem, though, is that the event really wasn’t all it was chalked up to be. There was indeed food, but it was food similar to what is normally offered for school lunches anyway. All that was really set it apart from any normal lunch was a change of venue, and the music played over the loudspeakers.

To top it all off, it was during lunch, meaning that those who had a free period after lunch could leave. So, people scoped it out, saw what was there, and promptly left, presumably to go home or go get lunch somewhere else.

Overall, it was an underwhelming experience. It was fun to sit down in the grass and ate lunch with my friends, but I do that every day and the food was worse than what I usually eat. I can hang out with my friends anywhere, and nothing about the event really made me want to hang around. The only draw was the lottery to hit the teacher in the face with a pie, and some informational stuff about prom. Beyond that, it was just another lunch.

The thing is, I know that we are capable of making senior events that are fun and enjoyable, with good food and more activi-

ties. First semester’s Senior Day is the prime example. With pizza and cookies, an inflatable jousting ring, and full use of the soccer and football fields, the day was engaging and fun enough to make most of us forget that we were stuck at school for a day while the underclassmen took the PSAT. Obviously, I don’t expect ASB to drop that kind of money for every senior event, but the point is that there are ways to make every event fun and unique. It seemed as though it was the same thing as has been put on every year, and little thought was put into updating the picnic. I honestly expected more things to do, whether it be some games or senior-related activities, and I wasn’t surprised to see people leaving as early as they did. I hope things improve for future events, like the Senior Luau, so that us seniors have a memorable final semester of high school.

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

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

White Noise

Donald Trump’s candidacy is fueled by hateful words and a famous name, and should scare all of us Christopher Paludi Super Tuesday would seem to indicate, that America wants to be made great again; but, if we want to be a great nation, Donald Trump is not the man for the job.

Having made every effort to understand why he’s gotten this far, I can understand Trump’s appeal. He’s an outsider to a system hated for its seemingly commonplace corruption and inefficiency; he is a successful businessman with more money than most of us will see in a lifetime; and he says what he believes, with none of the typical filters or focus-grouped non-answers we’re used to hearing from political candidates. The problem, though, is that many, many people also believe what he’s saying.

This is not an analysis of Trump’s policies, but rather a frank appraisal of why he successfully draws so many supporters, and why that should scare us.

To write this column, I watched too many hours of footage of Trump’s rallies, debates, and interviews, as well as read tweets and his website, to make sure that what I thought was in fact true: Donald Trump — racist, xe-

nophobic, sexist — is the personification of a kind of social id of many white Americans.

We’ve all heard about Trump’s wall, an appeal to the belief of many Americans that illegal immigrants from Mexico and the rest of South America are crippling the economy and taking jobs.

However, per the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, more Mexican immigrants have been deported form the U.S. since 2005, and since 2009 over one million emigrated back to Mexico, according to the 2014 Mexican National Survey of Demographic Dynamics. The net immigration numbers? More Mexicans are leaving the U.S. than entering it.

Trump’s rallying of his supporters — against immigrants, Muslims, science, foreign nations — is not based in fact or reality, but in ignorance, fear, and in many, hatred, of those of different ethnic backgrounds.

America is becoming a more diverse nation, with census data projecting that by 2050 no race will be a majority of the population. For now, though, whites are the major-

ity, and many of Trump’s supporters seem to want to keep it that way.

Backed whether he has disavowed them or not (and he hesitated to do so) by the Ku Klux Klan, and supported by prominent white supremacist Jared Taylor, who has said that “there’s been no one worth endorsing” until Donald Trump’s candidacy, many of the new voters Trump inspires are members of racist hate groups, or share views similar to theirs.

His racist remarks in public forums, from “[Mexicans are] rapists” to “we’re going to be looking at [getting rid of Muslims],” are met with applause and chants of “Trump! Trump!

Trump!” — a new kind of white noise.

Whether you are Muslim or Mexican, regardless of any aspect of your identity, if you are an American you deserve to be treated with respect and dignity, especially by your president. You have the right to be treated equally under the law regardless of the color of your skin or the god you worship. Our country has been built on these principles.

Donald Trump rejects them.

page 8

features

Dancing queen Freshman Hetal Shah connects with her Indian heritage through Bollywood dance

by Yasi Fazeli She listens to the upbeat music, surrounded by vibrant colors and bright sequins and is able to forget all her worries. In that moment, she is able to see herself as a Bollywood actress on the set of a film.

Freshman Hetal Shah has enjoyed every minute she has spent Bollywood dancing for the past 10 years.

“When I first joined, my dance teacher said something that made me smile and in that moment I fell in love with it. For the rest of class, I couldn’t stop smiling. Ever since, I always look forward to going to dance classes. It’s the one thing I have never regretted or hated going to,” Shah said.

Bollywood, a term used to refer to the Indian movie industry, is a combination of the

words Bombay, or, Mumbai, and Hollywood.

The films are known for their colorful dances which combine the different classical styles from India and other dance styles, such as hip-hop and ballet, from other parts of the world. The dances were originally used for ceremonial purposes to celebrate the gods.

Shah feels that the the grace and fluidity involved in some of the dance moves are difficult to master. She finds it difficult to dance knowing thousands of years of Indian culture lies behind it.

“You don’t want to offend people, so you have to preserve the culture. That’s one of the hardest things,” Shah said. “To understand Bollywood you have to understand the song that you’re doing, the lyrics, and what

they mean so you can best express what you’re trying to show.”

But rather than letting the pressure of perfecting the dance affect her mindset, Shah embraces the Indian culture.

“I feel like it teaches me,” Shah said. “It’s telling me to spread my culture to others around me and to help preserve it. It’s very special to me because it connects me to the people around me- to my family especially. It helps me connect with my grandparents, my mom, and dad. I really feel the family love.

These are my people and I love them.”

Her mother, Binta Shah, who also danced when she was younger, is “thrilled” to have a meaningful way to connect with Hetal.

“She has embraced her culture through her dance and that has made her confident as to who she is. She meets other girls who she can relate to. She has improved her understanding of our language and what it means to be Indian,” Mrs. Shah said.

Shah also enjoys the feeling of pride and accomplishment when her dance teacher, Nakul Dev Mahajan, praises her work.

Mahajan, a well known choreographer, has been featured on So You Think You Can Dance and opened the first Bollywood dance studio in the United States, NDM Dance Productions and Studios.

“He’s an amazing person. He grew up constantly being made fun of being a boy who danced and eventually grew up to live out his dream. When someone like that compliments me, I feel like I can do something amazing as well,” Shah said.

Shah admires her teacher’s determined mindset and his great achievements.

“He was able to unite so many Indian people together with his dance school, and that just inspires me to have great leadership qualities like him,” Shah said. “He always pushes me harder. He teaches us not to

High Tide choose the easy path and to never give up. I practice dance every day no matter what because those are his ideals. You always have to work hard. You can never give up.”

Through Mahajan, Shah has learned lessons that she is able to apply to her daily life.

“My dance teacher has taught me that you need to have balance in your life. He’s actually very famous, but he cares about his students and we’re always his number one priority,” Shah said. “He teaches us to have fun with the dance but also teaches us about the culture. When we learn the song, he’ll make us learn the lyrics and what they mean.”

Shah challenges herself to go beyond the obvious religious and cultural connections and give moves different meanings.

“We don’t wear shoes when we dance out of respect. But I also make up my own interpretations. So when we dance without our shoes on, I feel it connects me with the earth and the people of the earth,” Shah said.

As she “becomes one” with the music she is able to appreciate the simple parts of life. “[Dancing] connects me to everything peaceful and the simple joy of nature in general,” Shah said. “It gives me peace when I think about myself as part of myself.”

Dancing often allows her to show emotions she couldn’t otherwise express.

“When I’m dancing I can think about anything. Sometimes I can even solve some of my problems. I dance when when I feel an emotion very strongly. It helps me just get it out,” Shah said.

Shah feels that Bollywood dancing has showed her the “true” beauty of her country.

“I’ve never been to India, but dancing has helped me create an image of what it is like there and create a visual of what people say about India,” Shah said. “It makes me happier in life. It’s beautiful yet tiring. It’s everything in one.”

Dance, dance. 1. Shah

poses in her costume for a performance at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center in 2013. “That was one of my best performances because I felt like I did really well. I was able to really connect to the song, feel the music and express it,” Shah said. 2. Mahajan uses Shah as an example for what the girls’ makeup should look like.

They performed at Redondo Beach Performing Arts center in 2009. PHOTOS COURTESY OF HETAL SHAH

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Surf’s up. 1. Mather and

Thomas (second from the right) and Thomas (last on the right) pose with the girls’ surf team. 2. The girls paste their logo on different clothes and sell them.

3. Mather and two teammates sit by the water after surfing. 4. Pictured is the “Girls Surf Too” logo.. PHO-

2.

Mather and Thomas launch clothing brand, Girls Surf Too

TOS COURTESY OF PHOEBE MATHER

by Austin Nunis

Since its beginning, surfing has been a male dominated sport. Though several organizations throughout the years have tried to promote female surfers, surfing is still per1. ceived as a “guy’s game”.

To change these stereotypes, seniors produce shirts, patches, and stickers.

Phoebe Mather and Mackenzie Thomas co Though the girls have been using an onfounded a surf brand called Girls Surf Too. line company to make their clothes, they are “We’re trying to inspire girls to get out looking into using a different platform. and surf. We just want to encourage girls to “We also want to support local businesses. get out in the lineup and show the guys that We’re going to talk to someone local who can we can surf too,” Thomas said. possibly print shirts for us and embroider for The girls are confident in their belief that a lot cheaper,” Thomas said. both men and women should “support each The aspiring business women sold near other no matter their talent level” and en- $200 worth of shirts online in a week, but courage young women to pursue male domi- have profited “a very small amount”. nated sports no matter what.

“All of our money that we do make from “I’m proud of the message we’re sending, selling patches and shirts and stickers is gowe’re trying to reach out to girls and tell them ing to go towards trademarking the name, to keep practicing,” Mather said. “We’re just because the whole company is still kind of in as good as the boys out in the lineup.” the works,” Mather said.

The idea for the company came to Mather Thomas thinks that the company has powhile she was surfing near San Onofre State tential to grow and make a lot of money, is Beach with her friends and saw a quote on- not discouraged by the lack of profit. line that read “girls surf too”.

“It’s part of the process,” Thomas said.

At first, Mather thought it would be a “Not all companies start off making a lot “cool” name for a brand but did not think of money, and I’m willing to do whatever it much of it until Thomas became involved. takes to make ours a legitimate business.”

“If it weren’t for Mackenzie and her givAnother way Thomas and Mather are ing me and our company that extra push we planning to expand their company is through wouldn’t be where we are now,” Mather said. trunk shows, which are sales at people’s “It was an idea for so long, and one weekend houses, and possibly selling their merchanwe sat down and did [all the planning].” dise at local surf competitions. Eventually, They created an email, PayPal account, the girls hope to have a running website. and found out how much it would cost to Throughout the growth of Girls Surf Too,

the pair has received support from both their families and their friends.

“Our friends help us and encourage us by buying our shirts and patches and our parents [have been a big help] supporting us financially and helping us with their knowledge of business,” Thomas said.

As their company grows, the founders have been contemplating whether or not to use recycled clothing.

“We’re throwing around the idea of going to Goodwill and buying overalls, cute highwaisted shorts, high-waisted pants, cute shirts and then washing them and putting patches on them. Right now we’re working on reselling them,” Mather said.

In addition to building their inventory, the girls are also working on building a team.

“If you’re a girl that can surf then you’re on the team. It’s a team for everybody,” Mather said. “Right now our team riders are really good friends of ours or [girls that have] surfing styles that we like. [Being a team rider means that] we post pictures of you on instagram and get the word out.”

Girls Surf Too have six team riders: Mather, Thomas, (junior) Kylie Kirkpatrick, Alaina Gomez, (sophomore) Taylor Rose and (senior) Rebecca Mu, who are all featured on their instagram page, @GirlsSurfToo.

Since both students are graduating seniors, college is on the horizon. While in college, the girls plan to continue growing their business and to inspire future surfers.

“Both of us plan take courses in college to help us expand our knowledge on how to be successful entrepreneurs,” Thomas said.

To help them help their company, Mather and Thomas will be enrolling in courses such as business, accounting, and economics.

Along with their financial and business goals, the philosophy of Girls Surf Too is to give girls confidence in their surfing styles.

“It’s a message to girls saying that ‘you know what, you can surf too.’ If a guy is putting you down and [saying that] girls don’t surf, girls do surf. We know what we’re doing in the lineup,” Mather said.

Mather stresses the fact that everyone has a different surfing style and just hopes that Girls Surf Too gives young surfers confidence and helps them overcome the intimidation she once faced.

“Don’t be afraid. My freshman year on surf team, I was so afraid to go surf every single day because all the guys were so good and I [felt like a] terrible surfer compared to them,” Mather said. “[Girls Surf Too] is just telling the girls [they’re] good in [their] own way and to just keep practicing.”

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March 4, 2016

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Redondo rappers Seniors Daniel Kelly, Aidan Zenka, Andrew Kim, Josh Arrow, Lucas Lossone and Sara Bilowit write and produce their own rap music

by Faith Petrie

Food Chain Deekay, Talladega, Andyroo, Saucy J Sound of music. Daniel Kelly, Aidan Zenka, Andrew Kim, Josh Ar-

row and Lucas Lossone on the cover of their most popular single, Food Chain. While they have each individually released songs under the Front Room Records label, Food Chain is the first rap featuring all of the members. PHOTO COURTESY OF LUCAS LOSSONE

(Prod. Luca)

An intricate rhythm and a strew of incomplete lyrics fill their minds and suddenly they’re gathered in the studio.

What was once an irrelevant thought is transformed into musical genius.

Seniors Andrew ”Andyroo” Kim, Josh “Saucy J” Arrow, Aidan “Zenka” Zenka, Lucas “Luca” Lossone, Daniel “Deekay” Kelly, and Sara “S Bill$” Bilowit express themselves through the art of music.

In their junior year, the current-seniors created “Front Room Records,” a collective SoundCloud account where all their music is uploaded.

Creator Lossone thought of the name “Front Room Records” because the front room of his house posed as a makeshift recording studio equipped with a microphone and various musical instruments.

“I play guitar, bass, and drums and it was getting to difficult [to play] because I was too busy with sports,” Lossone said. “I started making my own music because I didn’t have people to play with. It would come out pretty well and I taught myself how to use a program; one day my friends hit me up to start making music and I said yes.”

The group produced their first track, Kelly Oubre, and have launched numerous songs since then. Their most famous release, Food Chain, gained popularity with over 2,300 listens and 53 likes on SoundCloud since its release.

“People recite my lyrics back to me [in class],” Kelly said.

The group’s members each have a separate approach for the creative process of forming a new song.

“Personally, I can’t sit down and begin to write. I’ll think of one lyric in my head and write my rap within five minutes,” Arrow said.

For other members, the process is not as hurried.

“My best lyrics have all been thought of in the shower,” Kelly said.

Some members gain lyrical and musical inspiration from a diverse amount of artists such as Lil Dicky, Earl Sweatshirt, Fetty Wap, Carson James, and MF Doom.

Despite the myriad of artists available, Lossone seeks inspiration from himself while Bilowit finds inspiration from her home country, Czech Republic.

Once a song is created and published, the group uses numerous platforms to promote their work and gain as much exposure as possible.

“Sometimes I go up to people in my classes [and tell them about our music],” Arrow said.

Other members also advertise their work to strangers for outside opinions.

“I showed it to a couple of Uber drivers,” Bilowit said.

The group has been able to publicize their work mainly

using the online audio distribution platform SoundCloud and Twitter.

“If someone listens to our music it means a lot” Lossone said.

Although the group is able to consistently create new projects, artistic differences between them sometimes hinder the process.

“I think when we disagree with something we try to work towards a solution,” Zenka said. “But there’s always a compromise,” said Kelly.

Overall, the group likes each other’s company and being able to collaborate on projects.

“I enjoy making music with my friends, more so the process than the result. I think it’s fun,” Kim said.

The members share their music with their parents which elicits numerous responses from them.

“My dad works for Universal Music so he can admire music and even though he doesn’t like all of the references I make, he gets what rap is,” Arrow said.

Some member’s parents encourage their music making.

“My parents encourage it because it brings out my creative side,” Lossone said.

Members are split on whether they would aspire to work in the music industry in the future. “[My parents] enjoy it and want me to pursue it more, though I don’t know if I want to,” Kim said.

Kelly is not considering pursuing music full time in the future.

“I wouldn’t say I would pursue a career in the music industry because it’s more of just an interest and a hobby at the moment,” Kelly said.

“It is something I’m passionate about but I’m also realistic about my life goals; I would keep it in mind but it wouldn’t be my main pursuit,” Kelly said.

On the opposite spectrum, Lossone hopes to minor in Music Production at USC and work within the music field while in college.

“I might DJ in college and see where it goes; try different things,” Lossone said.

According to the members, although most of the responses towards their music are positive there are also those that do not like what they produce.

“There will always be people who are going to hate but you just have to block it out,” Lossone said.

Despite the critics, the group hopes to continue concocting more music in the future.

“I think some artists get too caught up in what others want to hear [from them] but it doesn’t matter what people think,” Lossone said. “Music is self expression, and we’re going to do what we want.”

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High Tide

Passion for photography

by Miriam Farah

She opens the box for the first time and beholds the magnificent new camera in her hands. She imagines all the memories she can capture with this new tool. As she picks up her camera, she immediately feels ready to capture life’s greatest moments.

As a child, freshmen Ryan Cartee had an interest in photography and filmmaking. Her passion for the art grew as she received her first camera and began to experiment with different editing tools.

“I remember when I was four years old, I got my first film camera and it wasn’t that good but I still took pictures around the house. Later when I was 11, I got my first DSLR (digital single-lens reflex) camera. I got the Canon T3 and I took pictures of my friends and doing photoshoots, and it went on from there,” Cartee said.

In order to expand her portfolio and improve her techniques, Cartee takes many different types of photos.

“I have taken pictures of a lot of people, but usually places vary. I have gone to the beach and done photo shoots many times there and around my house. I have done other gigs like at birthday parties and I also took photos at Lincoln Elementary for a Hands-On-Art ceremony and the Beryl Elementary Talent Show. My sister’s friend is a model now, so I take pictures of her and she sends them to her agency,” Cartee said.

Cartee recalls a particular moment when her passion for photography grew.

“One of my favorite places I took photos at was definitely Terranea Resort last year. My friends and I were taking pictures [while the sun was setting]. We were flipping our hair and I remember being so happy in that moment,” Cartee said.

After a photoshoot, Cartee uses social media, specifically Instagram, as a way to showcase her photos for other people to view.

As a self taught photographer, she experiments with different apps and photoshop for photo editing.

“Social [media] is really helpful because it helps me get out there and people will see my pictures. I have had an Instagram for photography for a really long time and I post pictures there often. What I usually do before I upload a picture onto social media is go into photoshop and I play with the exposure, saturation, contrast, and correction,” Cartee said.

According to Cartee, she has heard many different misconceptions about photography. She believes it is a unique

experience that varies from photographer to photographer.

“I have met people who said ‘It’s only pressing a button’, but it is not. Also, some people believe if you have a really good camera, then your pictures would be really good,” Cartee said. “Having a good camera is just one small aspect of being a photographer. It has to be how you view the world and your perspective, and what you think you is worth taking a picture of.

As she pursues her interests, Cartee plans to attend a photography and filmmaking camp where she will learn about different styles and how to improve her techniques.

“I also took photography classes two years ago in the summer. I’m planning on doing another one at UCLA this July.

I am looking forward to being with other people that love photography and filmmaking and share the same passion as me, and learning new things about photography that I didn’t know before like editing with news,” Cartee said.

Cartee believes being a photographer has taught her many things about the world around her. She plans to become a professional photographer and enter the filmmaking industry.

“I think I have gained a better understanding of the world; there is always an opportunity to take a picture,” Cartee said.

“I plan on pursing a career in photography and filmmaking business. I want to take pictures for magazines, work with really experienced people and have fun.

Snapshot. Cartee draws inspiration from nature, people, and her sur-

roundings while using internet platforms such as Tumblr and Pintrest to explore mew subjects. “There is always an opportunity to take a picture,” Cartee said. PHOTOS BY RYAN CARTEE

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Architecture, Construction, Engineering ACE program allows students to explore how buildings are made

by William Pournamdari Structural engineer Nate Samsonite and his colleagues offer an engineering based program for students at RUHS. The Architecture Construction and Engineering program offers the experience and information students need to progress in the world around them.

“ACE is able to teach the experience learned from real world situations through fun and interactive workshops,” sophomore Danny Parhizi said.

Club members participate in group assignments such as drafting designs for buildings.

Students can also meet with engineers who give brief presentations and are open to questions.

“Last meeting an electrical engineer came in and we learned about all the different components of a building’s utilities,” sophomore Joey Shy said.

The program also goes on field trips to various construction sites and trade shows to gain real world experience.

“Our last trip was to the terminal one in Los Angeles Airport which is currently under construction,” Shy said. “We were able to experience first hand what goes on in a real

construction site.”

At the construction site, students learned about the basic structure of buildings as well as construction management.

“Our instructor Nate even points out each component of the building’s structure and explains what was done to make it,” Parhizi said.

Students were shown the beams, rebar, and studs to demonstrate how all the parts come together to make the different structures in a building.

“My favorite part is going into construction sites because we are able to learn first hand what it’s really like on the job,” Shy said.

The club members believe that unlike in school classes, they are relieved from the pressure and monotonous lectures that tend to occur and instead are encouraged to get involved.

Students not particularly interested in a career in the architectural area can simply go for fun or to attain a better comprehension of construction or design.

Students can ask questions and propose their own ideas to the instructor for various projects. In addition, the club competes in competitions with ACE programs from other

Building buildings. The ACE program meets every other Thursday in the IED lab after school. PHOTO BY KAREN VUONG

schools.

The club is currently working on a contest to design an Olympic VIllage. All teams will submit their designs and the school with the best design will be named the winner.

“ACE has showed us that in construction, books can help but the best way to learn anything is through trial and error and by actually facing problems that arise on the job,” Parhizi said.

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features

Beauty and the Beast

by Erika Zlatkin

The spring production of “Beauty and the Beast” invites you “be their guest” and witness the musical showcase performed by the drama department.

Serenity Robb, who plays the role of Belle, says the storyline of the show is “one of the most heartwarming things to watch”. She says it is nice to watch a story that you’ve grown up with come to life.

“Beauty and the Beast has a really wide appeal and it’s a really good show to put on,” Robb said. “Everyone should see the play because it brings the Disney movie we all know and love to life. You can really see a little bit more of every single character’s journey and development.”

Jacob Reno, who plays the Beast, comments on how the work they have put into the show can be recognized through its “good quality”. He says there is more to Beauty and the Beast than just its storyline and that its lesson is very valuable.

“Students should definitely come to see the play because I’m sure that even if they have the mindset of, ‘oh it’s just Beauty and the Beast,’ that they will get something out of it,” Reno said. “They will laugh along with the jokes. They’ll be amazed by the choreography. I really think that people will appreciate how much work we’ve put into it and how much time has been devoted to it.”

Robb says she is excited to put on this musical and see one of her favorite Disney stories come to life. She loved Beauty and

the Beast growing up and is looking forward to playing the lead role.

“I think it’s exciting that it’s my last senior year musical and we’re going to go out with a bang, especially for me personally,” Robb said. “It’s a show that I’ve wanted to do since I first started doing musical theatre.”

Robb loves how close the cast is with one another in theatre. She says everyone is always so friendly and nice and they always get along.

Freshman Beck Hokanson, who plays the role of Lumier, believes the cast has grown together and everyone has a very close connection.

“It’s been really good working with everyone because there is such a good cast and we all have really good chemistry,” Hokanson said. “Everyone puts in their all and works really hard to benefit the show. I think everyone feels as if they’re meant to be there.”

Robb and Hokanson agree that the cast is all friends and that everyone gets along very well. Robb also comments how well the cast works with their director and drama teacher, Justin Baldridge.

“I love being with my castmates and seeing the way we’re all growing as a unit with no divides. We’re all in a harmonious state and it’s really exciting working with him and I’ll especially miss working with Mr. Baldridge,” Robb said.

Hokanson describes Baldridge as a respected advisor. Hokanson believes Bal-

dridge helps everyone figure out their own character in depth and helps them connect to their role.

“Mr. B helps us figure out our characters in depth. Trying to understand my character’s objective and how I try to achieve that is one of my main struggles as an actor and he has really helped me with that,” Hokanson said.

Reno respects Baldridge’s coaching and says he has helped him strive as an actor.

Reno believes his hard coaching and motivation has helped him understand his role as the Beast and the theatre world in general.

“Mr. Baldridge has done an excellent job and he is an excellent director and I wouldn’t have wanted to work with anyone else. He is always pushing you to do something great,” Reno said. “He’s so honest and it’s a very admirable quality that he has. If I’m not doing my best he will pull me aside and say so, and I really appreciate that.”

Baldridge has high expectations for the cast to succeed. He hopes the audience will see a non replicated performance of the Disney version of “Beauty and the Beast”, but an alternate version of it.

“I’m hoping the audience will see a nonDisney version of the show, but a unique interpretation of Beauty and the Beast,” Baldridge said. “There is depth to each character and not they’re not just a cartoon character that flutter around on stage. There is a truthfulness to each character which I hope the audience can recognize.”

Baldridge also hopes that the audience will appreciate the amount of time and effort the cast has put into perfecting the musical.

“I think the audience needs to know how much time and effort it takes to put on a musical. I don’t think people realize how many hours they’re here, and how many hours I’m here,” Baldridge said. “When I talk with people on campus, there is a perception that shows magically happen. Yet it’s a lot of hard work and time being poured into this show.”

Baldridge and Reno agree that the show produced at RUHS will be unlike any other production of Beauty and the Beast anyone has seen before. Reno believes that no show is the same and the audience can expect to see a unique interpretation of “Beauty and the Beast” at every performance.

“I love how theatre is so tangible and how you will never get the same show twice. You can watch a movie a million times and nothing will change, but you can watch the same show a thousand times and you will get a different show every single night,” Reno said.

Reno appreciates the uniqueness of Beauty and the Beast RUHS has to offer. He is confident that the play will be a success and that many people will love it. He, along with the entire cast, invite everyone to come be apart of this production.

“Beauty and the Beast is an emotional ride, it’s a journey,” Reno said. “I really hope that we can take the audience on that journey and they can come on it with us.”

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No one says “no” to Gaston! 1. Seniors Serenity Robb

1

and Alec Johnson rehearse a scene of the play as their characters, Belle and Gaston. Gaston repetiitively attempts to win Belle’s heart with his prowess and brawn, but is not successful.

PHOTO BY SERENA MAANUM 2. Freshman Beck Hokanson practices his role as the character of Lumier: a man who was turned into a candelabra. Lumiere is a kind-hearted, charismatic, yet rebellious servent of the Beast, who is portrayed by senior Jacob Reno. PHOTO BY ELISE DIPAOLA

March 4, 2016

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ALBUM REVIEW:

99¢ SANTIGOLD

ILLUSTRATION BY LUMA WEGMAN

by Zach Hatakeyama Since 2008, Philadelphia native Santi White a.k.a. Santigold has pushed the boundaries of pop music. Despite comparisons to Gwen Stefani and M.I.A., White paves her own lane and proves it on her third studio album “99¢.”

Most of the world has heard Santigold’s music in a Honda commercial, but not many actually know the singer herself. While majoring in Music and African American Studies at Wesleyan University, White began writing music with strong political undertones. On her first two albums, she tackled issues such as racism and gentrification through her lyrics and music videos. With the introduction of her third release, White serves up a new set of topics ready to be struck down, all while looking into her own

personal struggles.

A stand out track on the album and the lead single, “Can’t Get Enough of Myself” tackles narcissism and is paired with an interactive music video in which viewers and insert themselves into the video itself.

Another standout track on the album, “Chasing Shadows,” tells of White’s quest to remain relevant in the music industry. The song boasts repetitive piano riffs and a jumbled delivery. The song’s video further illustrates a struggle for relevancy and includes scenes of White eating Christmas dinner alone. The song also alludes to the album’s overall theme of how artists are seen as products.

The art depicts White vacuum sealed in plastic alongside clutter from her home.

“It’s like me and my life in this bag, shrinkwrapped, and there’s a 99-cent sticker on it,” White told Rolling Stone. “Everything is a product at this point, including people and relationships.ww. So, I’m a product. And also, everything is undervalued, so I thought 99 cents is a good price for me and my life and all my hard work.”

Along with songwriting and visuals, White also expands her sound on “99¢.” In “Walking in a Circle” she pairs a hip-hop beat with eerie vocals. In “Rendezvous Girl,” White perfectly overcomes double standards for women in music while recreating the synth-pop sound of the eighties. “Run the Races,” one of the album’s closers, creates a downtempo sound with layered vocals and minimal production at the hands of Rotsdam

Batmanglij, a former member of Vampire Weekend.

“99¢” is the perfect Santigold album.

That being said, it is almost impossible for listeners to completely appreciate it without listening to her two previous albums. White has created a reputation for releasing cutting edge music that both challenges and nurtures the direction of pop music, making it almost sacrilegious for music fans to keep her out of their radar.

With a strong set of songs that get better the more they are played, Santigold has released an album that deserves to be celebrated on radio stations everywhere; however, due to the general public’s craving for big names, it remains absent from airwaves, but not overlooked.

MOVIE REVIEW:

Gods of Egypt GERARD BUTLER, BRENTON THWAITES

by Brittany Baker “Gods of Egypt”, starring Gerard Butler, Brenton Thwaites, and Nikolaj CosterWaldau and directed by Alex Proyas, tells a dramatic story of two brothers fighting for the throne of Egypt.

Set in ancient Egypt, mortal Bek (Brenton Thwaites) faces uneasy circumstances due to a change of power on the throne. He decides it is best to make an alliance with Horus, (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) the god of air. Horus’ uncle Set (Gerard Butler) executes King Osiris (Bryan Brown), taking the throne, Horus’ powers, and manipulating the daily life of many.

Bek and his mortal girlfriend, Zaya (Courtney Eaton), try to escape Set’s rule

and turn to Horus for help with an offering.

Once Set’s assistants kill Zaya, Bek makes it his mission to help Horus regain the throne.

Once Hathor (Elodie Yung), goddess of love, escapes Set, she joins Horus and Bek on the journey to help Horus take down Set. Although “Gods of Egypt” is affiliated with and takes place in Egypt, the casting choice of primarily caucasian actors in place of the more realistic darker-skinned actors of North African descent caused controversy among those who watched it. When director Alex Proyas was confronted about his so-called “whitewashing,” he reflected on his thoughts and actions towards the issue.

“The process of casting a movie has many

complicated variables, but it is clear that our casting choices should have been more diverse. I sincerely apologize to those who are offended by the decisions we made,” Proyas said.

Lionsgate, the production company responded to the issue regarding the cast as well.

“We recognize that it is our responsibility to help ensure that casting decisions reflect the diversity and culture of the time periods portrayed,” a representative said. “In this instance we failed to live up to our own standards of sensitivity and diversity, for which we sincerely apologize. Lionsgate is deeply committed to making films that reflect the

diversity of our audiences. We have, can and will continue to do better.​​” Aside from the cast portraying ethical confusion, the movie creates some hard to follow transitions in scene and setting. An example of a transition that would be hard to follow is when Bek and Zaya escape the village by carriage almost completely safe and easily while not a single guard chases after them. They were incredibly outnumbered, so there is no explanation for how they reach their destination untouched.

Although “Gods of Egypt” wasn’t perfect considering the actors casted in the film, it was still successful at telling the adventure of Bek and Horus with an love interest.

page 16

High Tide

sports

Broken Harts

Girls soccer is eliminated from CIF in the second round

Stepping in front of the competition. Junior Essie Bonney steps in front of an opponent in their last game against Hart High School.

PHOTO BY LAUA’E SCHWEITZER

by Angie Tait The girls soccer season has come to a close, losing to Hart High School in the second round of CIF. “I was happy with the overall season.I know we could’ve gone further because we have the potential and skill, but the luck wasn’t in our favor, which is okay,” senior Brittany Bravo said.

The girls lost only two games in their regular season, and are in agreement that this season was the best they’ve had in several years.

“This year was my third year on varsity, and by far the best season yet. It was such an amazing team both on and off the field,” junior and co-captain Madi Kennel said. “We

Winter Sports

College Commits

compiled by Kayla Hiken

Katie Stein Grand Canyon University “I’m excited to be in really good shape and improve my soccer skills while playing the sport I love at the highest level and representing my school.

It’s going to be way more intense and I’m also going to have to work a lot harder to get a starting spot.”

Trenton Klatte

University of North Carolina at Asheville “I am most excited about getting to play the highest level soccer and building bond new teammates. Soccer in college will be much more intense and demanding. My biggest challenge is going to be balancing my classes and sport.”

started off a little shaky, but once season came around, we all clicked and began really working as a team.”

Despite such a successful season, the 2-1 loss in CIF still affected the team, who believe that they deserved a higher ranking in the competition.

“Before the last game, I was super excit-

ed and nervous, because I didn’t know if it would be our last,” Bravo said. “The match was intense and I was sad to see our season come to an end.”

Senior and co-captain Katie Stein had similar thoughts.

“Going into the last game, I was trying not to be too nervous. When we did lose, I realized it was my last high school game ever, and it was bittersweet because I was so devastated but so proud,” Stein said.

The team was also discouraged by their close loss to Palos Verdes in Bay League, when before that, Redondo had been in first place for the majority of the league.

“The biggest disappointment was when Palos Verdes scored on us in the last five minutes of overtime, which led to them winning Bay League,” Kennel said. “Even though it was an amazing season, I think we could’ve definitely won Bay League.”

The three graduating seniors Katie Stein, Brittany Bravo, and Makayla Hughes have strong faith in the rest of the team’s skills, and the potential they carry for next season.

“I won’t be here next year, but I know the team will have several really strong seniors that hopefully will lead the team to success,” Hughes said.

The remaining team is also confident in their abilities, and have high hopes for the rising success of the soccer program.

“There are three seniors this year, and even though they are each a big part of the team, it’s nice not to be losing too many people,” Kennel said. “I think the team will be just as solid and possibly even better next year.”

Adam King Hamline College

“The thing I’m most excited about is being able to play very competitive soccer while still being able to get my education. I think playing soccer in college is going to be a higher level play, the physicality will probably be the hardest part.”

Brooke Sullivan Sonoma State University

“I am looking forward to improving in and playing the sport I love. I think playing in college is going to be a lot more intense and at a much higher level. I think my biggest challenge will be juggling water polo, my classes, and having fun.”

Kyra Hamlin Seattle University

“It’s going to be a lot more challenging because of the competition and it’s going to be a job as opposed to a hobby. Balancing school, basketball, and a social life is going to be hard because no one will be telling me what to do it’s all my decision.”

PHOTOS BY ILENE GUERRERO

March 4, 2016

page 17

sports

1.

Girls basketball loses against West, eliminated from CIF

3.

Baskets. 1. Senior Micaela Enriquez and junior Lauren Tsuneshi cheer after their team scores against West.

2. Senior Diana Obina shoots in the game against a team playing in a tournament. 3. Senior Micaela Enriquez shoots and scores a three pointer in the game against West. PHOTOS BY MATT YONEMURA

by Davina Nguyen The girls basketball team proudly finished first in Bay League with an undefeated record of 10-0, entering the 2016 CIF playoffs in high hopes of winning a second straight title since winning the CIF title last season.

However, this bid fell short when the girls lost to West High in the Division 1AA semifinal match, with a score of 42-47.

“We just weren’t as focused as we’ve been in the previous games...we turned the ball over 22 times,” stated senior captain Micaela Enriquez.

Despite the defeat, they refuse to allow the scoreboard to determine the team’s capabilities, agreeing that they have the potential to capture the title once again.

“It doesn’t matter what your record is, whether it’s bad or good, it doesn’t determine the actual skill of a team. Even though we lost semifinals, I think we all realized we could go far in playoffs, and in my opinion, we could’ve gone all the way,” senior Hunter Noa said.

The girls are confident in their abilities, even agreeing that they have “the best defense in the South Bay,” Noa said.

The girls also took the results of the playoffs as a learning lesson, acknowledging that focus and high ambition is the key to domination.

2.

“We learned that in a game, every second counts, and that if we are not 100% on our game, whether it be players not playing their best or the energy of the bench not being the best, every little thing counts for a lot in a very close game and that we can never get too comfortable. We also learned that we have to be very focused and beat everyone.

You have to beat the other team, the referees, and definitely the crowd in order to be successful,” said senior Diana Obinna.

Fondly looking back on the season, the team reminisces that one of the most essential factors for their victories this season was the support they received from their teammates and coaches.

“Without my teammates I would have never been able to make it through our practices. We go through all the tough times together and all the good times together. The coaches really got us pumped for game time because they would fill our heads with positivity, such as saying that, “we are the best defensive team,” or that, “we are the hardest working team,” Enriquez said.

Leadership is also an important factor in

the team’s success, as all the seniors in team act as a leader in some way in spite of there only being one captain.

“Being a senior takes a lot of responsibility. All the seniors are expected to lead by example, such as being the loudest on the court. We all have major responsibilities, so the pressure isn’t only put on the captain,” senior Kyra Hamlin said.

According to the girls, being a leader also means being unselfish and providing for the team in as many ways as possible, whether they are a starting player or not.

“As a senior, I have many years of experience under my belt. The underclassmen look up to seniors as examples.

If they see us slacking in practice they feel like they can too. I make sure to try hard in every drill, step in for teammates that are tired in order to set a good example for the rest of the team and so they learn and start trying hard as well. The other seniors and I are also responsible for keeping the energy of the team up, because if we have a bad practice it then transfers over to

games,” said Obinna.

As the captain, Enriquez advised upcoming seniors that savoring every moment of the season, as well as being a role model for the team is necessary.

“I just really want the seniors to have fun next year. It truly goes by quickly so enjoy every second of every game and practice because next thing you know, it’s going to be over. For the future captain(s), lead by example and you’ll be fine,” Enriquez said.

“It was really a blessing to be able to grow closer with our seniors Kyra, Hunter, Micaela, and Diana. They are such fun people to be around and they did a good job setting an example for the underclassmen. We’re definitely going to miss their spark and energy,” Tsuneishi adds.

As the seniors get ready to leave for college, the rest of the girls look back on the achievements they have made as a team, and know that next year, the seniors will be missed.

“It truly goes by so “quickly so enjoy every

second of every game and every practice because the next thing you know it’s going to be over.

”

-Micaela Enriquez

page 18

High Tide

sports

Down but not out

Boys basketball drops to consolation bracket after a loss in CIF open division

by Luke Peterson Boys basketball is cruising through the CIF Southern Section Open Division consolation bracket with a win over Compton by a score of 77-59, followed by another win over Alemany by a score of 82-70.

RUHS got knocked into the consolation bracket after losing a close game to Sierra Canyon by just four points.

“The playoffs started off rocky for us, as we got knocked out in the second round,” senior forward Duncan Lomenzo-Torres said.

“Being in the consolation bracket for any sp-ort is just disappointing; we’re just trying to work harder and perfect our game for the state playoffs.”

In preparation for these last few playoff games, the team assessed their competitor’s skill in the practices before each games.

“We went over driving to the paint in practices before playing Alemany because they weren’t equally sized to us, if not shorter than us, so we wanted to attack the paint,” senior point guard Eli Nesbit said. “We also focused on giving each other help when we need it and staying in front of our man because they’re going to try to drive the ball to the hoop.”

In each win, RUHS jumped out to an early lead in the game by the end of the first half and stuck to it to the end. This is something that the team addresses in practice.

“Before our game against Alemany, we knew they were good at driving the ball and kicking it down the court,” senior Morgan Means said. “We came out really well against Alemany and had great energy; we jumped on them in the first half and that was it for the win.”

Although the team beat both Alemany and Compton, RUHS was outscored in the second half of both the games, making concentration one of the biggest areas of improvement.

“The biggest issue we had with that game

Ballin’. Morgan Means completes a lay-up on a fast break against Sierra Canyon. PHOTO BY MATT YONEMURA

was that we didn’t sustain our focus throughout the entire game. That’s what we focused on throughout our practices after playing Alemany,” Means said.

According to Nesbit, RUHS also failed to execute its game strategy in the win against

Alemany, but still found a path to the victory.

“We were just a better team but we were terrible at executing the game plan. We didn’t use our advantage by knowing their plays; we acted like they knew we were brand new,” Nesbit said.

After beating Alemany, RUHS continued to put pressure on the improvement of its play on both ends of the court.

“We still practice driving to the basket, making our free throws, and our defensive press. We also went over our competitors’ offensive plays,” Lomenzo-Torres said.

Although the team is in a relatively good situation at the moment, Means believes that they will need to put a greater emphasis on defense in future practices.

“We worked a lot on defense in the last few practices in preparation for the next games and to just generally improve our skill,” Means said. “We’ll probably put more of an emphasis on defense in upcoming practices because defense wins championships.”

RUHS sees defense as one of the keys to winning the game against Crespi, along with the plan to counter Crespi’s offense.

“We went over Crespi’s players in the practice before the game, as well as their offense. We just have to get them to miss their threes by contesting shots and by controlling the rebounding,” Nesbit said.

According to Lomenzo-Torres, although the past few games have gone by with easy victories, the team expects the road to become naturally more competitive.

“I expect the team to become hungrier and hungrier since we’re getting closer to the state playoffs. All of the Division 1 playoffs are against teams that we’ve seen before or have seen play in other tournaments,” Lomenzo-Torres said. “We have a great coaching staff and our team is full of experienced players, so we know what to expect.”

Means feels that the team is ready to move forward.

“Truthfully, I feel good about where we are now and the teams ahead of us. I feel like we have a long road ahead and the only thing stopping us is us,” Means said. “We feel ready to take on these teams and go to state.”

Boys golf starts their season strong

by Angie Tait Placing 19th in the Ayala High School Tournament, boys golf swings into their season with “plenty of aspects to improve upon.”

“I believe that we underperformed in many ways. We went against a lot of private schools that receive much more funding for their programs and therefore receive better recruits,” senior Aidan Curtin said. “I definitely think our team is way better than what the scores indicated.”

While the team agrees that they play well as a whole, RUHS aims towards improving their putting.

“We have to work on our putting, because the most important aspect of golf is putting.” junior Oasys Okubo said. “Putting really determines your score because the ball is only a couple feet from the hole and a single miss could determine a win or loss.”

In order to achieve progress, the players consistently visit the practice green which the school provides.

“At our home course we have practice greens, which are always available. Anyone can practice there anytime they please,” Okubo said. “It just matters that everyone

uses it as much as possible and spends the time responsibly.”

Although the practice green provides exercise in putting, preparation against courses with steeper hills has been tough to grasp.

“Our home course, Alondra, is very flat with few little hills, but Palos Verdes has many hills, which makes it harder for us to hit the ball,” Okubo said. “We just have to deal with it because our school provided us with a flat course. Other schools like Peninsula are given a very difficult course, which is very hilly. The only way to prepare for that

kind of situation is to practice beforehand at a hilly course.”

While the lack of variety in their home course has proven itself a challenge, what has separated RUHS from opposing teams is their amount of young players.

“Our team is way younger than last year’s team. Being the only senior, I can tell we have much more talent than last year but with a younger group of kids we get sidetracked often,” Curtin said. “Next year Redondo will be a powerhouse in our league and CIF conference.”

March 4, 2016

sports

page 19

LADIES’

LEGACY Bay League titles: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 CIF Title: 2015

by Justin Pioletti Girls lacrosse is starting off the season uncertain as they prepare to play their first game of a tournament at the Rose Bowl.

“This season is definitely going to be different from last year because we don’t have a lot of returning starters. It’s going to be a challenge, but it’s going to be a good challenge,” senior Kate Rourke said.

RUHS has won Bay League for seven consecutive years, and although they hope to win again this year, the team has lost many key players.

“There’s a lot of pressure because last year we set a record for amount of Bay League championships and we won CIF, but I think we are doing a good job of not letting the pressure get to us and I think we are doing the best we can with the new people who have moved up to varsity,” senior Julia Brand said.

The team is trying to remain optimistic and continue with their goal of winning Bay League for the eighth year in a row.

“We have a really strong defense and a

really strong offense, so overall, I think our team is really solid and I am hoping that we win Bay League. Even though we definitely have some tough competitors like PV [Palos Verdes High School] and Mira Costa, which are going to probably be two of our hardest games, I definitely think we can win,” senior Hailey Vorndran said.

Although some of the players are doubtful that the team will still be able to perform well without their top seniors, coach Tom Borgia is continuing to try and push a positive atmosphere among the team.

“Borgia has been pushing team chemistry and being positive which we have noticed has been missing with a bunch of our starters. A lot of them are being negative and are thinking that we can’t win without our past players, but I think that positivity is a really key factor in performing well as a team,” Rourke said.

Out of the 21 players on the team, only eleven of them are returning from previous years, and only a few have experience start-

ing.

“The starters from last year had been starting for multiple years, but this year we only have two or three returning starters. All of us obviously have experience playing but we are definitely going to be missing that experience of being able to play hard right out in the beginning of the game,” Rourke said.

Last year, the team lost in the beginning of the tournament during the first game, but then went on to win the other two.

“We lost eight seniors from last year, so I’m pretty proud of what we have accomplished so far this year, especially because we lost so many of our starters. I’m pretty confident that we will be able to win most our games,” Vorndran said.

In order to prepare for the Rose Bowl Tournament, and the upcoming season, the team has been scrimmaging against Junior Varsity.

“Even though we are practicing in scrimmages against JV who are not as good in skill, just practicing playing together as a

team and not against each other helps us to get more comfortable moving the ball and helps to improve the team’s chemistry,” Brand said.

According to the team, one of the main differences between varsity and junior varsity is the need for making and using plays during the game which requires other team members.

“In JV you’re able to kind of just run the ball up and shoot it, and you aren’t really forced to use your teammates all of the time.

But in varsity we are going to really have to work on using each other to get the ball up and perfect our plays so that we can score,” senior Sam Marcon said.

Overall, the team is excited to “see how the season goes.”

“So far I’m really proud of what I have seen so far from the team and especially of the new girls who are stepping up to fill the spots of the seniors from last year,” Vorndran said. “I don’t want to jinx anything, but I think this will be a really great year.”

page 20

High Tide

news

Weather woes

Fluctuating weather conditions accompany El Niño

by Ben Brill It is 88 degrees outside and administration sends out a notice informing students about the dress code. They remind students not to wear shorts higher than the tips of their fingers, strapless tank tops or crop tops, expecting that students will dress for the heat. This reminder is no longer relevant three days later when a storm strikes, bringing heavy rain and forcing students to wear raincoats and pants in order to stay dry.

“The weather has been really bipolar,” freshman Sabrin Bacaloni said. “Some days it’s scorching hot, other days it’s freezing cold. The few times it’s rained, it has poured.

The weather kind of messes with you.”

During the week of February 15, the maximum temperature for each day ranged from 88 degrees fahrenheit to 64 degrees fahrenheit in Redondo Beach. Rain has been on and off, even with the coming of this year’s El Niño, which, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), is one of the strongest on record.

El Niño Southern Oscillation, commonly referred to as El Niño, is characterized by warmer than average water temperatures in the southeastern Pacific Ocean off the coast of South America. Usually, this body of warm water is located in the western Pacific Ocean, near Australia and Indonesia, and is kept in place by the trade winds, winds that flow from east to west along the equator. During an El Niño, however, trade winds decrease and the warm patch of water moves eastward.

The warmer ocean fuels a southward dip in the jetstream. This, in turn, causes cooler and wetter climates to come to southern Califor-

nia and warmer, drier climates to strike the pacific northwest.

The NOAA says that this El Niño is as powerful as the historic 1997-98 El Niño, whose floods brought over half a billion dollars in damages to California.

According to Weather Underground, however, it has rained only six times during the past two months at Zamperini Field Airport in Torrance whereas in 1998, it rained a total of 18 times during January and February.

“It looks like an El Niño, it feels like an El Niño, but where’s the rain?” AP Environmental Science teacher Gillian Moberg said.

Southern California is not experiencing the rain and storms that should come with an El Niño, but Northern California is getting their share of floods and damages due to extreme El Niño-like conditions in that region.

According to the NOAA Regional Climate Centers, the bay area received 150 percent more than average precipitation, whereas Los Angeles has only received 80 percent of the average amount of rain.

“Our El Niño started out exactly the same as the other two major El Niños,” Moberg said, “but they received precipitation over a long period of time while we have been receiving chunks of rain. We can still recover since it’s only March, so no one is declaring El Niño is a bust yet.”

El Niño was widely expected to bring relief to the ongoing drought in California and it has provided the best winter in terms of precipitation since 2010-11, according to Mercury News, but the NOAA says it has not been enough to make up for the deficits cre-

ated over the past four years by the drought.

As a result, the water restrictions put in place by the state are expected to remain in effect.

“It’s a big disappointment, I know a lot of people have been looking forward to the easing of the water restrictions,” Moberg said. “We knew it wouldn’t end the drought.

We thought it would ease the drought but it doesn’t look like that’s happening either.”

Moberg believes that Californians should be ready to adapt to the water restrictions for the coming years.

“We shouldn’t have expected this drought to be short term. Long term restrictions should have been put in place as, after all, California is a desert,” she said.

The environmental state of the world has changed since the El Niño of 1997. Greenhouse emissions have taken their toll on the earth, causing global temperatures in late 2015 and early 2016 to be the highest ever recorded by the NOAA. It has not been definitively proven that global warming directly affects El Niño, but much evidence supports that the impacts of El Niño are influenced by our warming world.

The warmer atmosphere can hold more water, according to Climate Central, resulting in less frequent but stronger storms.

Many believe that this plays a part in the constantly changing weather.

In addition, the Sierra Nevadas have been receiving both increased snowfall and increasing temperatures this winter. This will cause the meltwater produced to disappear more quickly, according to Moberg.

“I think up north they are a little bit disap-

COMPARE: El Niño vs. Average February snowfall in Alpine Meadows

February precipitation in San Francisco

pointed with the snow pack. It’s still high but it’s not what we expected. Thats where climate change comes in, because with warming temperatures, the snow is not going to be there for as long as we need to store drinking water. It’s going to melt very quickly and just run off in the ocean,” Moberg said. “We need the rain to be evenly distributed to ease the drought so the snowpack can stay long enough to obtain in the water.”

According to the NOAA, there is a chance that a La Niña could potentially follow the end of this El Niño.

“I hope that doesn’t happen,” Moberg said. “La Niña on top of the drought we’re having now? Agriculture in the state would take a huge hit.”

While RUHS has already many water conservation measures in place, Moberg believes that more could be done.

“At campus we have already put in place a lot of measures to conserve water,” Moberg said. “We have waterless urinals, a quarter of the campus is irrigated with recycled water, and ocean friendly gardens are put in. There are still some things we could do, like putting aerators on faucets to slow water coming out.

It would be a big help.”

With the lack of rain from a strong El Niño, the ongoing drought, and the possibility of a La Niña, Moberg believes life will change due to the increasing water restraints.

“I was all set for the rain because I don’t think we can continue to do things regularly with a longer drought,” Moberg said. “A longer drought is going to mean a lot of things are going to change.”

Effects of El Niño Increased rainfall

Inches

13.64”

186” 78.7” Time

El Niño, 1998 Average

El Niño, 1998

4.06”

Increased clouds

Average

Increased winds

ILLUSTRATIONS BY LULU WEGMAN , INFORMATION FROM WEATHER UNDERGROUND