IGH H
Redondo Union High School Redondo Beach, CA April 1, 2016 Vol. XCVI Edition 13
TIDE
Shred [on pg. 10-11]
PHOTO BY MICHAEL YOON
page 2
High Tide
news
Photos of the week
Comedy Sportz game, choir concert, Henges cutout Cut it out.
1. Seniors Romey Moreno and Angela Stuckey pose with a cardboard cutout that students contributed to buy for Gov/Econ teacher Mike Henges. “We were a really close and intimate class and all really love Henges. It was sort of an ongoing joke and we decided to make it happen,” Moreno said. 2. RUHS choir performs at a concert on March 31. “Ms. Self is a great choir teacher and really helped us along the way. She cued us when she needed us and always cheered us on even when we felt like we messed up,” senior Faith Petrie said. 3. Comedy Sportz held another match on Wednesday, March 23. They competed against El Segundo High School and won 41-36.
2.
1.
PHOTOS 1 & 2 BY LUIGI LOPEZ PHOTO 3 BY GRACE ZOERNER
3.
Academic Decathelon competes in Sacramento by Kylie Yorke
RUHS’ Academic Decathlon team flew to Sacramento to compete with the top 69 teams and 600 decathletes in California last Saturday, March 19. After seven exams and six hours of competition, they walked away with seven medals in the Essay, Literature, Science, Speech, Art, and Interview categories. Only the top 9 teams from each region compete at the California Academic Decathlon State Competition, and according to Senior co-captain Mahzaib Quraishi, it is much more difficult to succeed at the state level. “It was really intense and more cut-throat than it is at the regional level,” Quraishi said. “You needed to get at least 90% out of
each of the exams to get a medal, and a lot of people did get 90% but still didn’t meet the requirement to get a medal, which I found to be really crazy.” Senior co-captain Anna Sieger earned the highest score of her nine team members and says that though success seemed hopeless at first, the new challenge pushed her to do well individually. “It was really hard to motivate myself to study hard at first because winning seemed impossible, given our competition,” Sieger said. “After regionals I knew that the likelihood of our team placing high at state was minimal, so I focused less on the team score and more on improving my own.”
Seniors Sherry Oh, Anya Watkins, and Peri Gibbs took home medals alongside Sieger, who earned the most metals out of the team taking home three of their seven collective medals. “I wanted to get at least one medal going into state, but I knew not to expect any because of the heavy competition, so earning so many medals makes me feel very blessed and very proud,” Sieger said. The team had been studying since the summer and met every day after school in the weeks leading up to their last competition. According to Sieger, it wasn’t easy getting into such a rigorous routine, but her passion for learning made it worthwhile and her
“studying time actually became [her] leisure time.” “It took a lot of discipline and self control for me to study so much because it required sacrificing my free time and my sleeping time.” Sieger said. “When I’m passionate about something, I enjoy working hard to achieve my goals.” Their success at the state competition will wrap up the team’s season and Quraishi, who says she is “really proud of the team” and how much they have improved. “I’m a senior so this was my last competition,” Quraishi said. “It was also the last competition of the year for the team so this was a really good way to end for us.”
April 1, 2016
page 3
news
Science building closes at lunch
by Austin Nunis
Due to the amount of trash continuously left in the science building by students, administration closed the popular lunch spot from March 7th to 11th during lunch as a solution. “We’ve warned students before and have closed [the science building] earlier in this school year because students leave food and trash behind. It’s as simple as that,” Assistant Principal Jens Brandt said. Brandt says that it is “unfortunate” because the problem is only with a “handful of students.” “We feel bad because it’s impacting the larger group, but at the end of the day our hands are tied here,” Brandt said. “We have to keep the campus as clean as possible, and we’re just asking everyone to pitch in, to help out and clean up.” Though Brandt says that there are “plenty of trash cans” in the area and campus safety assistants routinely walk through and re-
mind students “in a positive and respectful way” to throw away their trash, Assistant Principal Anthony Bridi “wishes he had the answer” to why the students litter as often in the building as they do. When the science building closed, a student responded by writing a note to administration, telling the administrative staff to be “proactive not reactive” comparing closing the building as a solution to “studying for a test that you’ve already failed” and ending with “RU serious?” “I found the sign pretty humorous, but I would have to argue that we’ve been very proactive about trying to solve the issue,” Brandt said. “We’ve given plenty of warnings and have asked people to remember school pride and spirit and pick up their trash.” Though Brandt left notes in response to the student, he never heard from them again. Most likely because they “thought they were going to get in trouble, which is so far from
the truth.” “I’m always open to dialogue,” Brandt said. “The person who put up those signs I doubt is one of those people throwing trash on the floor. They’re probably just a person that just wants to have access to the science building and obviously they were advocating for their fellow students.” One of the biggest things that Brandt stresses is not leaving trash behind because “we have custodians that are people.” “These are human beings that we should have the utmost respect for in terms of their work ethic and how much they care about our school. All it takes is just to pick up your trash and throw it in the trash can. It only takes 5 to 10 seconds out of your day,” Brandt said. Though some students may argue that it’s the custodian’s job to pick up trash, Brandt believes that it’s “insulting to them.” “They’re not supposed to clean up after
people who just blatantly throw trash on the ground. That doesn’t make sense,” Brandt said. “If we all thought that way the city, the school, and the entire world would be covered with trash.” Ultimately, Brandt and other staff members at RUHS just want to keep the campus clean and maintain the students’ pride in their school. “We have an amazing campus. I would even argue it’s one of the best high school campuses in the country and we want to keep it that way. It takes everybody to pitch in,” Brandt said. “And I know there’s plenty of students that are helping the cause and keeping their peers in check, but we need more of that.” Bridi understands that progress must be made, but believes that “a high majority of our student body are respectful of our school and take pride of the phenomenal environment here at RUHS.”
Former art teacher Jack McClain dies at 91 by Malek Chamas
His influence can be seen by looking at artwork across campus. Jack McClain, a former teacher at RUHS, passed away on the morning of March 17 at the age of 91. On April 2, there will be a tribute at RUHS for him. McClain, a native of Kansas, served as a radio operator in World War II before he attended college and became an educator in Chandler, Ariz. McClain and his wife June then moved to the South Bay in 1953, where they were both hired by RUHS. Jack was an art teacher until his retirement in 1985, and June became a school secretary. Bonnie Cohn, another former RUHS teacher who worked alongside McClain, says he was a man who “saw a lot.” “He was a young man when he left Kansas. He married at nineteen, as many people did back then,” Cohn said. “And he was in two very important places during World War II. He was part of the Allied invasion at Sicily, on a supply ship. After being in Europe, he was then transferred all the way across the Pacific to the Leyte Gulf in the Philippines.” McClain, with the help of his students, was responsible for various pieces of artwork around campus, such as the iconic sculpture of a seahawk in flight that stands near main hall, the seascape “Remember to Remember” inside the auditorium, and the mosaic outside of the old attendance office. RUHS Archivist Terry Martinez says that McClain, along with Caesar Hernandez, another teacher, believed that art “was not just for the students in the art room.” “He and Hernandez read a book called ‘Museum Without Walls,’ which inspired
them to bring the art to campus for all the students in the 1970s. It was called ‘Jesús students to participate in and enjoy. Even if Speaks: Perspective.’ I think it made a you’re just walking by something, your pe- big difference in a lot of kids’ lives to ripheral vision will say, ‘That’s a beautiful be involved in something they could thing that I’m walking by,’” Martinez said. really excel at.” According to Martinez, McClain made According to Cohn, McClain had pieces of art that represented all types of “unusually impressive talent” in addistudents, and was a person who offered “re- tion to a “wonderful personality.” freshing individuality.” He was also someone “He was very light-hearted, and who would “do anything you asked him to do always very generous towards other around campus.” people with his time and his talent. “Back in the sixties, the male teachers And I think his students as well as wore ties to school. And then you saw him, his friends, those of us who’ve worked with his waist-length hair and long beard. with him and knew him socially, all felt You’d think, ‘he’s so different from anybody that from him. He had a lot of personal else!’ When kids would want to start clubs warmth and a great deal of talent. So that were controversial, like Dada Club, we’re lucky to have had him in our which made a lot of jokes on the school ad- midst,” Cohn said. ministration in good spirit, they would go ask him to be their sponsor,” Martinez said. “He would do anything students wanted to help them explore their own potential.” McClain was also interested in film, and he wrote fifteen television scripts, including one for “Bonanza,” a Western series that ran on NBC from 1959 to 1973. “The script he wrote for ‘Bonanza’ was called ‘Dream Riders,’ and it’s one of the most popular 2. 1. scripts they ever showed,” Express Yourself. 1. Former art teacher, Jack McClain passed away on March 17 at the age of 91. He contributed many pieces of Cohn said. “He also made art to Redondo. 2. The sculpure of the seahawk erected near main hall was made possible by McClain, as well as other paintings and a film starring some of his murals, such as the one in the autitorium and outside the old office. PHOTO 1. CUURTESY OF TERESA MERTINEZ PHOTO 2. BY EDEN MILLAN
page 4
High Tide
news
Cracking down on
CANNABIS
Redondo Beach bans delivery and cultivation of medical marijuana by Miriam Farah Joining many other cities around the South Bay, Redondo Beach recently tightened medical marijuana policies by banning all delivery and cultivation of the drug within city limits. When the state legislature passed medical marijuana regulations, the governor gave Californian cities a deadline of March 1 to enact any specific laws regarding the delivery and cultivation of medical marijuana in their city, such as banning it or not. “The desire is certainly to make it more difficult to obtain substances that teenagers particularly don’t understand the effects of, but the state has determined that marijuana has a medical use. The city council determined that the ability of anyone to drive this narcotics [illegal drugs] to someone’s house, would make them much more available and to cultivate marijuana in your home with a license from a doctor will make that product much more readily as well,” Jillian Martins, Deputy City Attorney said. According to Martins, one of the reasons why the city council banned marijuana is due to the agricultural and environmental effects the drug has on the community and its residents.
“Marijuana is a very water heavy plant and there are smells associated with it, so that’s the difficulty in the neighborhood. In addition to drawing crime, people might want to steal the drug, whether you consider it legal for medical use or illegal for recreational use,” she said. Martins believes that allowing commercial delivery of marijuana would make it difficult for the police department to recognize licensed users as opposed to illegal drug dealers. By banning delivery completely, it could help eliminate some marijuana from entering the city. “There isn’t really a database or an ability to verify their claims that they’re doing something legally through commercial delivery. Our enforcement personnel were very concerned that this would essentially allow delivery of narcotics within our city,” Martins said.
4 states have
legalized recreational marijuana
1,500 marijuana dispensaries exist in L.A., more than any other city
Councilman Bill Brand believes there is too much law enforcement for those who illegally possess or smoke marijuana. “I think we have seen a huge pullback in the past couple decades in law enforcement of marijuana laws. There are a lot of serious crimes occurring that require more of our resources and attention than someone smoking a joint,” Brand said. Brand recalls a time in his life when medical marijuana improved his quality of life when he was under radiation treatment to cure his testicular cancer. “The relief I got from medical marijuana felt like magic. It was amazing because the other drugs did not work very well. When I had some medical marijuana, the nauseous feelings were completely gone, so from a personal standpoint I’m a big believer in medical marijuana. I think most people I talked to who had a direct experience with it or know
someone close that took medical marijuana are mostly very open to it,” Brand said. Prior to this law, Redondo Beach did not allow medical marijuana cards or dispensaries. However, each city has its separate laws that may differ from the federal or state government. “It is illegal at the federal level, legal at the state level, and illegal in Redondo Beach. However, in Redondo Beach, you can still have legally have a caregiver if you’re sick, or if you have cancer, or side effects to chemotherapy or radiation treatment, you can still legally receive marijuana from a caregiver who is a very specific person,” Brand said. Brand believes the government should focus on more serious issues instead of the police department investing their time in cases of marijuana use and possession. “I am glad to see that the laws are being relaxed for marijuana use and possession. I think a lot of government resources went into enforcing the law that could have gone for better treatment for serious drug problems. I expect the federal government to act sometime in the near future to relax and make it legal on a federal level the remains to be seen,” Brand said.
23 states have
legalized medical marijuana
60% of poll vot-
ers support the recreational legalization of marijuana in California INFORMATION COMPILED BY REEMA SAAD FROM GOVERNING.COM, LAWEEKLY.COM AND MARIJUANA.COM ILLUSTRATION BY LUMA WEGMAN
April 1, 2016
Students reflect on the recent ISIL and Taliban attacks in Brussels and Lahore by Reema Saad On March 22, 32 victims and three suicide bombers died in the coordinated nail bombings on Brussels Airport of Zaventem, Belgium and Maalbeek metro station in Brussels. Belgian nationals and brothers Ibrahim and Khalid el-Bakraoui were named two of the suspected suicide bombers and left about 300 people injured, around 60 requiring intensive care. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) claimed responsibility for the attacks (bbc.com). Just a day before the incident, Belgian authorities named Najim Laachraoui a suspect of the Nov. 13 attacks on Paris. DNA found proves that he was the third terrorist involved, linking him to the attack on the Zaventem airport. It is probable he was the weapons expert for the ISIL cell in Belgium (bbc.com). The western world quickly condemned the terrorist attacks, including French President Francois Hollande and President Barack Obama (abcnews.go.com). “Terrorists struck Brussels but it was Europe that was targeted—and all the world that is concerned,” Hollande said. “We will do whatever is necessary to support our friend and ally Belgium in bringing to justice those who are responsible,” Obama said. Many people took to social media to show their support for the families of the victims and for all Belgians alike. The hashtags “#prayforbrussels” and “#prayforbelgium” trended just as “#prayforparis” did on Twitter after the Nov. 13 attacks. However, senior Anam Khan was surprised to find that just several days later, the Pakistani Taliban related attacks on Lahore, Pakistan did not receive as much attention. On Easter Sunday, a suicide blast killed at least 69 and injured more than 341 civilians. Many of the victims were Christian women and children celebrating in the neighborhood park (cnn.com). Khan expected the tragedy in Pakistan to receive more attention because of the high death and injury counts. “It was so disappointing that I had to listen to corrupt Pakistani news to find out any information about it when only about 30 people had died in Brussels,” Khan said. According to Khan, a reason for the lack of coverage in the news and on social media could be that western nations feel threatened when other western nations experience terrorism. “Western nations only care about terrorist attacks when they happen to them,” Khan said. “It just goes to show that even though it was targeted at Christians, the news and
page 5
news
western media do not really care about third world countries or people of color and their lives.” Additionally, Khan believes it is easier for the western world to sympathize with majority white and Christian countries. “People start to sympathize when it’s Christians or whites. In western nations, we see ourselves in Brussels,” Khan said. “Whenever we think about other nations like Pakistan or other countries in the Middle East, we already connotate them with terrorism. When we think Pakistan, we think terrorism or Al-Qaeda or the Taliban. We lose all sympathy for them.” Khan compares this to the Boko Haram incident in a village of northern Nigeria where at least 86 people were killed. Boko Haram fighters firebombed huts and opened fire on civilians near the end of the month of Jan. through a series of attacks. “Look at Boko Haram. They are so much more dangerous than ISIS. They literally burned villages down and burned children alive, but no one cares about that,” Khan said. Junior Sanad El-Khatib agrees and added that relations among western nations also contribute to the direct sympathy. “Because of the friendships Western nations have, the amount of people that die is not really important for them. They just want to make it a big story in order to continue the war against terrorism,” El-Khatib said. El-Khatib believes the recent attacks will cause more Americans to be against allowing more Syrian refugees into the U.S. “It’s not fair because whoever did the attacks on Brussels is part of an extremist group. They are not the face of Islam. They aren’t even Muslim; they do not represent us,” El-Khatib said. “Generalizing the entire Syrian population as terrorists is racist.” Ultimately, Khan believes the lack of sympathy for Muslim majority countries experiencing terrorism hurts American Muslims. “I feel like maybe Republicans will take this as an advantage and say Muslims are threats and say ‘look what they did to these Christians,’” Khan said. “It makes it more dangerous for Muslims and Middle Easterners living here because they’re judging us when back home we’re facing even worse treatment than ever.” El-Khatib is sometimes “fearful” for his life because of the stereotype that “all Muslims are terrorists.” “You never know if there will be a guy who will come out and attack me for being who I am,” El-Khatib said. “But I’m also not fearful because I know that what my religion teaches is not what ISIS is.”
Of 255 students surveyed...
83.1% were aware of
the ISIS attack on Brussels,
but only 37.3% heard about the Taliban bombing in Lahore
96.5% knew about the Nov. 13 attacks on Paris,
while only 59.6% knew about the Nov. 12 attack on Beirut Only 28.2% were aware of the Boko Haram burning of Dalori villages but 44.7% believed they heard of a radical Jihadist attack on Agrabah, the fictinal city from Aladdin
page 6
High Tide
opinion
Limiting lunchtime litter Administration closes the science building due to lack of care by students, posts signs encouraging responsibility in attempt to curb behavior
Editorial
We’ve all seen the signs on the doors: “R U Proud??” Many of us have even faced the annoyance of finding a new lunch spot when the science buildings recently closed for excessive trash. And as frustrating as this can be for students, closing the space was the only appropriate response from administration. The rest is in our hands. Administration has signs up around campus being as friendly as they can be while urging students to have respect for their campus, and show it by keeping RUHS clean. They have teachers and staff patrol the grounds, always being friendly, yet firm, as they ask us to clean up. So why can’t we? At home, you wouldn’t dare leave your trash on the table, unattended and abandoned. Why do so many students feel that it’s ok to do so at school? This school’s grounds are shared by over 2,600 students and hundreds of faculty, and it is everyone’s responsibility to their fellow Sea Hawks to clean up after themselves. With ample trash cans and recycling bins available for our use, there is no excuse for the litter to persist. Our administration does their best to
reach students and drive home the importance of cleanliness and general courtesy, but we aren’t listening. There are only so many emails they can send, announcements they can make, signs they can put up, and patrolling of the campus that they can do. Ultimately it is up to the student body to recognize the problem and respond accordingly by taking responsibility for their actions and changing their behavior. Responding accordingly does not, however, include leaving another passive aggressive note on the posted sign, as one student chose to do. Clearly, the poster meant well, but by calling out administration for being “reactive not proactive” is, in fact, a very reactive response. If this student feels that admin isn’t doing enough, he or she should have saved the effort of a note and simply spoken to admin personally. The administration team at RUHS has made it abundantly clear, both through word and deed, that they are here for us, that they listen to our complaints and are actively seeking to make our lovely school the best it can be for students. They listen and they care about us, so why not just take the time to personally talk to them
and be “proactive?” In recent months, students have come to admin to talk about perceived problems and, as a result, direct actions followed. There was a campaign to eliminate litter and remind students about the negative effects of plastic bottles. They sent out emails to us detailing facts and figures and drawing our attention to the litter problem. Metal reusable water bottles were purchased and distributed for free to any student who wanted one. Students even filmed a short video that played on the Beach City News. All of those actions are proactive. Admin has proved time and time again that they are here for us, and we need to hold up our end of the bargain. They’ve
done all that they can to be proactive and provide the best learning environment in the South Bay, and have been validated by RUHS’s rise in rank and prestige. Students need to step up and feel a corresponding pride in their school. Students need to be the ones being proactive; we need to clean up our trash. Closing the science building to students for lunch and snack may be an inconvenience, but if inconveniencing the students who cannot be bothered to care about anything else is what it takes to get the trash problem noticed, then so be it. Administration chose a toally appropriate response to the overwhelming amount of litter and the all-too-apparent student apathy.
Editorial Board vote
Yes
6
Administration was right to close the science building, as students need to change their behavior.
No
1
ILLUSTRATION BY ALINA BIESCHKE
page 7
April 1, 2016
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 Editors: Lizzie Fauver; Reema Saad Opinion Editor: Christopher Paludi Features Editors: Caterina Hyneman; Jon Mallen; Shaniya Markalanda Sports Editors: Jessica Johnson; Adam Yorke Entertainment Editor: Zach Hatakeyama Design Editors: Shawn Mallen; Grace Zoerner 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 Wegman; 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 k
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.
Common sense Micah Ezzes
The Beach Cities’ laws regarding marijuana risk dragging us backwards, away from common sense
Micah Ezzes Redondo Beach has passed legislation tightening the marijuana policy within city limits, denying any marijuana dispensary services the right to deliver and distribute weed in the city. Frankly, this is a shortsighted move that beats too much around the bush without addressing the real problem. It seems as though the Beach Cities believe that their children will fall under the scary, scary spell of Reefer Madness, but in reality, they are merely denying people who actually need medical marijuana from gaining easy access to it. It is admittedly very simple to get a medical marijuana card, but there are legitimate reasons to have one, and the city is doing nothing to cut down on underage use. Rather, they are inconveniencing the population that could -- and does -- actually benefit from the medicinal use of marijuana. It’s not a bold claim to say that kids will get weed, regardless of the legality of the drug. All the city is doing is telling these kids to go buy it in other cities, or from illegal dealers, which isn’t that bad considering there is nothing stopping them from buying
it and coming back into Redondo. It’s really just the nature of drug use: they are, in general, difficult to pin down on an individual basis. The city is only kidding itself when it comes to full-blown legalization, as is the state. The weed culture is much too strong throughout all of California to fight against it with toothless laws, and trying to confiscate everyone’s paraphernalia would be a massive, ultimately pointless operation. The only people who seem to be in denial about the viability of weed on a medical and commercial level are the state legislators -- and, apparently, the legislators of the Beach Cities as well. This is not to discredit those who are seeking legalization, as the movement grows more and more as time goes on. But really, it will take a greater push than what is currently happening to obtain legalization in California. Laws like the one passed by the city are just gap-fillers, wastes of time that make the city look as though it is being productive when it really is just idling on the issue, as is the state.
Believe it or not, legal marijuana is not going to kidnap our children, decrease our unemployment, nor will it ruin lives. What it will do, however, is bring in tax revenue for the state through a relatively safe drug, offer a legitimate medicine to a greater range of people, and decrease drug-related offences leading to prison time, a major economic and social issue in California. But hey, think of the children. The city only seems to want to shove the issue under the rug and keep legal marijuana activity out of Redondo, ostensibly, in an effort to look good without actually doing anything to help its citizens. In fact, it is much the opposite. The city is not only taking a step backward in policy and in culture, but also in their citizens’ quality of life, as the many, many people who can stand to benefit from marijuana will either have to go without their medicine or obtain it illegally. Instead of benefiting economically and socially, and instead of being on the forefront of the shift towards commonsense marijuana policies, Redondo Beach is lagging behind.
Selective sympathy Not all tragedies are seen as equal, and only some — mostly those in the West — attract attention The Facebook filters in the colors of Belgium’s flag, the Eiffel Tower lighting up with Belgium’s colors, the sympathetic hashtags— they’re all very heartwarming. But the hypocrisy is clear. Five days following the attack on Belgium, twice as many Pakistani lives were taken in a suicide bombing linked to both ISIS and the Taliban. Where were the hashtags, filters, and flashy lights then? ISIS is a cancer, and no one is safe from its aggression. Middle Eastern nations are far more susceptible to ISIS’ attacks than European nations are. The reactions to both the attacks in Brussels, Belgium and Lahore, Pakistan spark a clear conclusion: Americans are selective with their sympathy. Americans are generally desensitized to attacks that happen in areas of the world that they deem breeding grounds for terrorism. It
does not help that Donald Trump is calling to “take out [terrorists’] families,” or that Ted Cruz encourages a Muslim neighborhood patrol program. There is an apparent ‘us vs. them’ mentality that creates a divide in the average American’s mind. It is hard to sympathize with the victims of the attack when politicians and media outlets deem the very victims of ISIS’ attacks possible ISIS recruits. This hate group does not only target westerners. Anyone who does not share its perverse ideology is prone to its assault. If all we have to offer is sympathy, it’s important to make sure that no victim of war, regardless of background, is excluded. This is not a criticism of only Americans or Europeans, as individuals cannot be generalized based on a minority of ignorant people. This is a criticism of a common desensi-
Dina Ghanim
tivity to tragedies which affect those people of different identities which do not necessarily reflect our own. Of course, not everyone simply disregarded the suicide bombing in Pakistan; it was given some attention on the news, but not everyone was familiar with the event. It is impossible to sympathize with the victims of a tragic event if no one knows that the tragedy even happened. Spending some time getting familiar with what is happening in the world is important. Don’t allow the frequency of tragedies in these nations to numb us to these calamities. Sympathy should have no boundaries. We should be able to say that although these people do not share my language, my culture, or pigment of my skin, our fellow humanity runs deeper than surface similarities.
page 8
features
High Tide
Preparing to save a life
Senior Justin Pizzati trains for a future career as an Emergency Medical Technician
by Jason Fong A car accident. A sudden shortness of breath. A stroke. No one expects any of these things to actually happen to themselves. But if they do, senior Justin Pizzati will be on the scene soon, ready to help. Pizzati, who has been studying to be an emergency responder through RUHS’ SCROC program, realizes that work in this field can often have drastic consequences. “When you respond to a scene and a patient is going into cardiac arrest, they will most likely be brain dead within four minutes. I will really have to work fast to revive them. Former EMTs have told me that at this point, I’m literally holding their life in my hands. Knowing the procedures and being prepared for every given scenario is absolutely necessary,” Pizzati said. According to Pizzati, who is certified in CPR, the basic procedure is something that everyone should know how to perform, but is commonly overlooked by many. “Cardiac arrest is the number one cause of death in America. It could happen to almost anyone, anywhere, at any time. Too many lives are lost because many people don’t know CPR. It’s also a really useful skill to know how to do, as many professions outside of the medical industry require their workers to be CPR certified,” Pizzati said. Pizzati feels his interest in the medical field stems from an injury he suffered in grade school. “For me, the reason why I want to be an EMT stems from something that happened to me when I was in the fourth grade. I was at a friend’s house for a birthday party, and when we were playing hide and go seek, I accidentally ran completely through a very clean plate glass window. My face was bleed-
ing, my leg needed 14 staples to close it, and I had to receive 33 stitches. I just remember seeing so much blood, and remember wondering how I would ever be able to survive,” Pizzati said. According to Pizzati, however, it was the desire to be an EMT that would survive with him after his recovery. Pizzati realized thatbeing an EMT was something he may want to pursue. “They took such great care of me, and made me feel so comfortable and calm. It was their professionalism that I really remember the most. When I looked up from the ambulance window, right then and there, I knew that I wanted to be that guy, the first one on the scene,”Pizzati said. For Pizzati, however, the benefits of the job outweigh the potential consequences of extended 24 hour shifts, (relatively) lower pay given the physical nature of the job, and the inherent stresses that come with dealing with immediate injuries. “I know it’s a really stressful job, but it’s really something I want to do. I’ve been told that I just need to stay calm and trust in my training. As an EMT, your job is different everyday. I couldn’t see myself working at a desk at a 9 to 5 type job. You get to see and experience many different things, but you have to be ready to handle them,” Pizzati said According to Pizzati’s classmate, senior William Lee, Pizzati is different from some of the other students in that he shows a greater mount of interest in the career. “The class is definitely very hands on, and practical. We’re literally learning to save lives. Justin really stands out to me because of his genuine interest in the class. Many of the students are seniors just taking the class
Clear. Pizzati and classmate William Lee both know how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation, commonly known as CPR. CPR is an invaluable technique for heart attacks, drowning, and many other cases in which the beating of the heart has stopped. PHOTOS BY HIROKI GOTO AND ANGEL BLANQUEL
to get credits for graduation,” Lee said Pizzati plans to complete his EMT training over the summer through the RUHS SCROC program, and then major in Fire and Technical Paramedical work at El Camino College, as well as volunteer and intern at the National Fire Academy, where he will learn about the different types of fires and how to respond to these situations.
“In some states, paramedics and firefighters work hand in hand. There is a separate branch of first responders that works exclusively with firefighters,” Pizzati said. “Having grown up nextstore to a fire chief, who used to tell me has inspired my career plans. He’d speak about the sense of brotherhood and family a lot. Being part of something like that is really what I want to do.”
Parhizi raises money for juvenile cancer by William Pournamdari Every year more than 160,000 children are diagnosed with cancer and the number is increasing. Sophomore Danny Parhizi funraises money for the International Society for Children with Cancer (ISCC). “I first started fundraising last year when I heard about the ISCC from a friend, and I wanted to do something to help the children with cancer who are unable to help themselves,” Parhizi said. ISCC uses money fundraised by its members to supply cancer treatment for poverty stricken children. “I raise most of my money by just asking my family and friends to help the cause by donating,” Parhizi said.
Parhizi uses a “piggy bank” given to him by ISCC to collect money. “All the funds I receive from people go into a donation box, and at the end of each month I drop it off at the ISCC office in Irvine,” Parhizi said. “Donations can be made online as well as in person at their office or with volunteers.” Asides from donating, there are a number of other ways to contribute to ISCC. “There are many ways to help besides donating like participating in the program’s annual events such as the read-a-thon,” Parhizi said. In order to bring more people to their cause ISCC makes appearances at various
public events. “We need to keep people aware of the harsh realities of today’s society so that we can better prevent these tragedies from happening,” Parhizi said. All the donations raised from charity events and members are transferred to organizations that provide cancer treatment. “The ISCC donates money to provide children who can’t afford cancer treatment to get the help they need,” Parhizi said. With the number of children diagnosed with cancer increasing, ISCC works to ensure that no child is left untreated. “Our goal is to help as many underprivileged as possible,” Parhizi said. “The average
cost of cancer treatment for a single child is 150 dollars a week so every donation is a big help to our cause.” According to Parhizi the cost of cancer treatment can be a heavy burden on parents, especially those with lower incomes. “Many kids aren’t able to pay for the heavy medical costs and aren’t able to get the cancer screenings and treatment they need in time,” Parhizi said. Parhizi believes that every effort to help ISCC has a huge impact in helping the struggle with cancer. “It feels good knowing that with every donation one more child gets the opportunity to fight cancer,” Parhizi said.
April 1, 2016
page 9
features
Speed and agility, strength and power Senior Jack Shin helps strengthen himself and others as a personal fitness trainer
by Shyanne Landers Running and lifting weights as often as possible while keeping a healthy diet, senior Jack Shin maintains a life of fitness. Shin’s love for working out and the gym prompted him to complete recent certification as a personal fitness trainer. “My friends text me everyday if they should eat this or that and what exercises the should do. This one friend of mine texts me every couple of hours asking me what she should eat and how to work out one part of her body,” Shin said. Shin stays true to a strict routine and diet in order to stay in shape, and helps his friends with their physical fitness and guiding them in foods to eat as well. “I have a few friends who want to be healthy and fit, so I help them become that and give them a new diet and workout routine,” Shin said. People he does not know have also noticed Shin during his regular visits to the gym, and some have asked for advice. “I’ve never gotten the chance to greatly help out any strangers. Although, when I’m in the gym, people come up to me and ask me what to do. For example if they want better shoulder muscles, I tell them what workouts to do. But I’ve never fully helped out a
stranger,” Shin said. Being a certified gym trainer, Shin is capable of giving legitimate workout tips and pointers without charging those who he helps. “I don’t have the people I help pay me, I usually just give them tips on what to do better and more of. I just want to inform people about staying fit,” Shin said. Shin began realizing his interest in health and getting stronger in eighth grade by beginning to work out. “I first started to find out about how to eat right and everything about four years ago, which is when I first got into bodybuilding and working out,” Shin said. When he lived in Chicago, Shin augmented his interest and enthusiasm in bodybuilding and working out through joining a local wrestling team. “When I started out on the wrestling team was when I began looking into what nutrients I need and how to gain more muscle weight. I also learned about how to increase my metabolism and that’s when I looked up different ways to work out,” Shin said. In Shin’s younger years, he felt he was smaller and skinnier than most of his peers. Other people’s muscles, size, and the ways
in which they worked out and got stronger caught his interest. “I think it all started when I joined the wrestling team in Chicago. I started to look at people’s muscles. That’s when I really got into putting some muscles on and working out. It occurred to me that kids my age were a lot bigger than me, stronger than me. I wanted to be that along with them and connect,” Shin said. Shin had continued his wrestling when he came to RUHS in his sophomore year and finished his four years of wrestling just last year. He has since then joined the Fellowship of Christian Athletes club (FCA) at the school. “I am in FCA club at RUHS, which is the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. We meet every Friday during lunch. The leaders of the club speak about the word of God and our main focus is to stay on board with God even with distractions. I think what we do best is connecting sports and working out to God,” Shin said. In the club, Shin has been able to better understand, relate, and motivate others. He has shared his routine with them countless times. “I usually go really low on carbs. In the
morning I have some oatmeal and later on I have a small snack. For lunch, I have a sandwich with some chocolate milk. The chocolate milk is really good after a workout. For dinner I have some chicken breast. Although on special occasions I don’t follow the plan,” Shin said. Shin has adjusted to a specific diet and workout schedule. “For workouts, I have the same thing every week. I focus on working out a different part of my body each day. Although, everyday I do plank and I try to get in some cardio,” Shin said. With his interest of staying fit in mind, he is open to spread the habit of staying in shape. “If anyone knows me and I know them and they need any kind of help planning a workout or a diet, they can always reach out to me to ask what they’d like,” Shin said. Shin believes he has had an opportunity to make his life healthier and find improvement since pursuing his new lifestyle of fitness. “Since I was a pretty skinny kid, I started to train for a bigger size for three years,” Shin said. “So I think it’s just all in your heart of what type of body you want and dedication.”
2.
Another one. 1. Shin uses dumbbells to lift a
1.
set of alternating bicep curls to target the biceps. According to Shin, repetition is the key to getting stronger and building muscle. 2. Shin performs an inverted tricep extension with a 30 pound dumbbell. Shin targets different muscle groups for each day he works out so as to even out his muscle growth and stature. PHOTOS BY EDEN MILAN
page 10
T
hey can be seen around campus walking with their decks in hand, talking to their friends about what tricks they can do on the stairs, or doing tricks on the grass at lunchtime. Freshman Devin Gracin, sophomore Roland Collazo, and juniors Chris Rennie, Keith Bowen, and Ethan Parker have all been skateboarding as a hobby since they were young. Both Rennie and Bowen learned to skate because of their older brothers. “I have been skating since I was two. I have grown up with skaters in the house because my dad and brothers skate. It was just natural for them to get me [a board] when I was more comfortable on my feet,” Rennie said. “Since I was able to walk, they threw me on the skateboard and it was just expected of me to skate, because its a family thing that we all do.” Gracin started to skate after her father brought home a skateboard. “After he brought it home I basically taught myself how to ride it in order to get from place to place because it was my only way around town. Once I was comfortable with it, I just started to learn tricks for fun,” Gracin said. After he broke his foot in middle school, Bowen had to take a break from skating to heal. “I couldn’t skate or pressure myself to get back on a board for a while, and once I started again I wasn’t really motivated to learn tricks or compete because I don’t see skating as a competition,” Bowen said. Skateboarding competitions are extremely popular because they give the opportunity for skate companies to show off their merchandise and for skateboarders to get sponsored. “I don’t do competitions for skating because I didn’t start skating for that. I skate because its something that I like to do and I’m pretty good at it,” Collazo said. Unlike Collazo, Rennie competes fairly often because he is sponsored by skating companies and competition is required. “I haven’t had the chance to do a contest recently but I enjoy them a lot. I’m Sponsored by ET Surf, Bones Wheels, and Mini Logo Skateboards, so I do have to get out and show their stuff by competing,” Rennie said. Rennie would “love to skate professionally” because he’s been skateboarding for so long. “It’s something that I have wanted ever since I was a little kid learning to skate, Rennie said.” Skateboarding is a huge part of all of their lives and they spend numerous hours a day doing something they love. “You get an adrenaline rush while you’re
High Tide
center
April 1, 2016
center
SKATE OR
Soul Performance Surfboards sponsors senior Osmar Castro
DIE
by Tanner McEveety
After school dismissal from Redondo Shores at 1:10, senior Osmar Castro skates until he gets home after dark. Skating, which began as a social activity, has led Soul Performance Surfboards, a surfing and skateboard shop, to sponsor Castro. “When you are sponsored you are basically hired to represent the company,” Castro said. “You have to show off their boards and compete using their name.” As a sponsored skater, he has certain duties to the company alongside using their boards and name. “We are required to skate in competitions throughout the year so that people hear of their brand,” Castro said. “You have to do around ten competitions a year.” When not skating for the team, Castro will often skate with senior Dominic Soufl. Soufl isn’t sponsored. “I wouldn’t go out of my way to [become a sponsored skater],” Soufl said. “There’s a lot that goes into it. It’s a nice process, and it can be fun, but it is a lot of work. I’d rather just skate.” Castro has other friends that are spon-
Local skaters discuss their lifestyle by Gianna Aquilina
2. Skater boys. 1. Redondo Shores senior Connor De Vitre executes a trick called a manual. 2. Rennie performs a trick midair. “Skate- can’t expect to learn anything without mess-
1. doing it and you just want to keep on doing it. Learning and perfecting tricks makes you happy because you realize you actually know how to do something with the board besides ride it,” Collazo said. Skating is a way for them to enjoy themselves and hang out with friends. “Skating makes me happy because it’s something you can either do with friends or alone and still have a good time,” Gracin said. Bowen uses skating as an outlet for his emotions and a way to get them out and ex-
boarding is such a big part of my life; it impacts me and my day to day life. My music taste and artistic abilities are influenced by some ing up at first,” Bowen said. of my favorite skaters,” Rennie said. “Learning to skate wasn’t difficult, but I was also very young, so I’ve just had a lot of practice with it. Skating is a sport that can be competitive I learned the basics when I was so young that skating comes relatively easy to me now, and learning a new trick only takes a few hours.” 3. Castro believes that his partnership with Soul Performance Surfboards will help him pursue his passion for skating. PHOTOS 1 & 2BY or not, but people are now starting to think MICHAEL YOON, PHOTO 3 BY SANDER FINK
press himself. “I don’t skate to be cool, I skate because it gets my mind off of things and I like to feel the accomplishment you feel when you finally land that trick that you have worked on for a couple days, or weeks, or even months,” Bowen said. Because skateboarding is mainly a male dominated sport, Gracin has found that people look down on her skating because she’s a girl. “Being a girl and skating is hard. You can definitely feel from some of the boys that
they don’t think I should skate just because I’m a girl,” she said. Although she hasn’t had a huge problem with people telling her she shouldn’t be skating, she has run into a few problems with people. “There was one time where this boy came up to me and I had just snapped my board skating and he was like, ‘You can’t even skate good because you’re a girl,’” Gracin said. “It upset me because gender doesn’t determine whether or not you’re good at anything, and I was better at skating than him anyway.”
page 11
Gracin thinks that more girls should skate because it looks “smoother” and “different” than boys skating. “I definitely think more girls should skate because girls skating is so much more graceful because we know our bodies and what to do with them and how to control it,” she said. Skateboarders believe that skating takes “determination” and “patience” to get better. “Skateboarding takes time. Don’t expect to learn it overnight. You will fall and hurt yourself. You will eat it and embarrass yourself a lot when you land on your butt, but you
it’s all a competition. “Everyone has their own style and way to skate and as long as you’re having fun with it then it doesn’t matter how many tricks you know,” Collazo said. Bowen and Gracin both agree that with skating, they cannot be in their heads the entire time. “You can’t think a lot while you’re skating, the more you think about it and stress out the more times you bail out. You know you’re going to get hurt, but you have to go for it. Just get back up and dust yourself off and try to land the trick again,” Bowen said.
3.
sored. Before being sponsored, he spent a lot of time with them in the Soul Performance shop. “I’ve been skating since I was nine years old,” Castro said. “I used to go to the shop all the time with friends. We would go to the shop and get decks and then one time we just asked if could have a free deck because we bought them there so much and the owner agreed and then later asked us to skate for them.” Castro used to live “in the ghetto,” where he felt there were two options: skateboarding or becoming involved with gangs. “I spent a lot of my time when I was younger skating to stay out of trouble,” Castro said. “As cliche as it sounds skateboarding actually did save my life.” Later on, he began skating for fun to avoid getting into trouble. “Being sponsored didn’t change anything,” Castro said. “I skate for myself because I enjoy it, but it’s nice for people to actually think I’m good enough to be on a team.” Things changed when he was sponsored by Soul Performance. “When I got sponsored I got a lot more motivated because at first I didn’t think I was good enough, but I was good enough to be on the team,” Castro said. “I started to push myself more and more to learn new tricks.” Now skating for Soul Performance is something he thoroughly enjoys. “I skate because its the only time I feel normal and comfortable. When I’m on my board I know what I’m doing and I’m good at it,” Castro said. “You get a lot more creative when you skate too. People who skate have more of a creative mind because normal people will see a sidewalk and not think anything of it but a skater will think what can I do on that curb?”
page 12
features
High Tide
Carpe Pulpitum
Serenity Robb plans to pursue acting by Kelly Harraka Walking onto the stage, she takes a breath and goes into character, knowing there’s no other place she’d rather be. Senior Serenity Robb has been acting since elementary school. “I remember in the fifth grade I saw a production of the show ‘Crazy For You.’ I saw the [actors] tap dancing and singing and I went home and thought ‘alright, that’s what I’m going to do,’” Robb said. According to Robb, this year’s production of “Beauty and the Beast” brought back memories of a past production. “The first big show I did on a stage was “Beauty and the Beast” in the sixth grade and I played the [role of the] wardrobe. I remember looking at the girl who played Belle and I really hoped that one day I would be able to do that. And this year, I was able to play that role, and I’m really grateful for that,” Robb said. Robb “loves” the feeling of being on stage. “It feels like being struck by lightning in the best possible way. It’s the most exciting feeling when the spotlight hits you. And for those two hours you’re on stage, it’s like you’re on another planet,” Robb said.
Not only does acting effect those on stage, but those in the audience as well. “The main reason I enjoy acting and want to pursue it as a career is because I see it as such a gratifying thing,” Robb said. “You can make an impact on other people and yourself as a person. I like to take something from every character I play and just step in their shoes and learn a little something from every role.” When on stage in front of an audience, Robb feels as if she is at home. “I feel most in my element when I’m on stage and feel the most comfortable. That feeling is a motivator to me to pursue acting.” Despite loving the feeling of being on a stage, Robb doesn’t see herself on a screen anytime soon. “I’ve never thought I had the right look for TV, and I love to sing and dance, so I think theater is more my element,” Robb said. Setting herself apart from the other actors, Robb has developed a “unique personality” on stage. ”I really love people in general and I feel I have a personality that works in my favor because I’m outgoing. I’m also kind of weird
Strike a pose. Senior Serenity Robb is drawn to acting because it is “gratifying.” “I feel the most like myself when I’m onstage. I absolutely love stepping into somebody else’s shoes and taking the audience on that character’s journey,” Robb said. PHOTO COURTESY SERENITY ROBB
so I stand out in that way,” Robb said. Through various productions, Robb always sees something different in her performances. Whether it be a different style of dialect or movements, nothing is quite the same. “I’ve been trying to get as much training and experience as I can and grow. I can always take something from my performances,” Robb said. During her pursuit of acting, Robb has had her mother and Mr. Baldrige by her side to encourage her through her performances. ”My mom has always been there in a heartbeat and is super supportive. Mr. Bald-
rige has taught me so much as a person and as an actor,” Robb said. “I’m super grateful for them because I know some people don’t have that kind of support.” Moving onto college next year, Robb hopes to further her passion in theater arts and possibly acquire an agent to help her get more spots in upcoming productions outside of school. ”I hope to make myself the most polished performer I can be,” Robb said. “Ultimately, what I really want to do is to do theater around the world and learn theater in different countries. I just want to keep growing and flourishing as an actor.”
April 1, 2016
page 13
features
Returning from retirement Ms. Moon comes back to teach culinary arts
Back to biology
Rubke returns as a subsitute biology teacher for Frame after retiring a few years ago
by Luke Peterson As she has done many times before, culinary arts teacher Kris Moon takes her position in front of her 35 person class in order to deliver the class agenda. Except this time, she knows her role as the instructor will be a temporary one. Moon has come out of retirement after what had been a 28 year teaching career to head the culinary arts department for the second semester of the school year. “When the school asked if I would consider a return; I was enjoying retirement, but then I didn’t have to think all that hard about it because they needed me. How could you say no when the need was so great?” Moon said. “There wasn’t much else out there that could provide the help they needed, and it was hard to see a program that I had built up and had been a part of for 28 years fall apart.” Moon found herself in a challenging situation after returning to a class that had been taught by a successive line of substitute teachers for the entire first semester. “It wasn’t easy to come back, since I had to undo some of the bad habits that had been instituted here, so from that standpoint, it isn’t easier than when I had taught before,” Moon said. “From the other standpoint, I know that I’m a short-timer, and I don’t really know how to approach it from a bits-andpieces standpoint, so I have to teach from the entire package of material.” The circumstances surrounding the temporary condition of her return have altered Moon’s teaching style from what it had previ-
ously been. “Now I am teaching things a little bit differently from when it was before I retired; I have loosened up a couple of areas,” Moon said. According to Moon, her family’s encouragement has helped bolstered her confidence to carry out another semester. “My entire family has supported me in coming back, and one of the main reasons why I retired in the first place was to spend more time with them, so if it was alright with them, it was alright with me,” Moon said. Moon and her family have deep ties to the school, strengthening her connection to it and to her job. “The whole Moon family has been really involved with RUHS. My 28 years here during that time I’ve been sponsor of many committees and I’ve put on 13 homecoming dances and one prom, not to mention that both my son and my daughter went here and were involved in the school’s athletics,” Moon said. “I’m a Seahawk, even though I long ago graduated from Costa. If you prick me, then I’ll bleed Seahawk red.”
Compiled by Yasi Fazeli
w
Q: Why did you decide to come back? I came back really simply because I have so A: much respect for Ms. Frame. I realized that if it
goes well, I could save her some considerable work and give her a chance to focus on her newborn, her family and her own health. I think if it was an open, ‘Go teach Bio. Would you come back?’ I don’t think I would’ve done it, but it was because I have a high level of respect for her and the way she has carried herself in the department.
Q: Do you have specific goals for this year? A: My main goal is to make things flow as effi-
ciently as possible for Ms. Frame so that when she comes back she feels comfortable with the way things transpired in the classroom. My goal is to let her be and to hopefully motivate the kids to take advantage of the accessibility to the materials that she’s already put into place.
Q: What have you been doing in your free time since your retirement?
A:
I’ve been doing a lot of birding. I know everyone will laugh at that, but it’s so cool to get out there. I’ve been doing a lot of volunteering at the Madrona Marsh and mainly doing bird counts for them but also helping with restoration and clean up. I’ve also had more time to spend on projects around my house.
Q: Has it been a smooth transition so far? A: Yes. Let me just say that students have been Chopped. Culinary arts teacher Ms. Moon assists students in class. “The teachers and students here had been extremely supportive of me coming back. I always hear a ‘Mrs. Moon! You’re back!’ from students on campus and others shouting across campus at me. There’s also been lot’s of support from the staff and the Admin. team, too,” Moon said. PHOTO BY ILENE GUERRERO
welcoming and have been well behaved. They seem to know their material. Already, I feel like I can rely on the AP kids to direct me as to what Ms. Frame had in mind. So far so good.
page 14
High Tide
features
Cab fight: With just a few taps or a phone call, you can easily summon a vehicle to take you to your destination. Uber, founded in 2009, is a card-only ridesharing service known for its fast and generally reliable service. Taxi services are well established around the world and use company maintained cars. Most taxis can accept cash. Even though Uber’s drivers do not need to be tipped, the company has been notorious for its surge pricing. According to Uber’s website, surge pricing is the way that reliability is kept when “demand cannot be met by the number of drivers on the road.” “At times of high demand, the number of drivers we can connect you with be-comes limited. As a result, prices in-crease to encourage more drivers to become available,” Uber.com said. Taxis do not have surge pricing, but this is made up for by a 15-20% tip generally given to the driver. Both services also differ in what they measure to charge customoers. Uber charges for both time in the vehicle and distance traveled simultaneously. This is made up for in
Uber and Taxi companies compete to secure customers their low base fare and cheaper rates. Taxis only charge for distance when moving and time when stopped. However, taxis charge three times as much per mile when moving than an Uber,
UBER • Has a base fare of $1.65 and charges $0.90 per mile and $0.15 per minute • $5.00 cancellation fee • Company maintained car • Trips are tracked with GPS on both the rider and drivers’ phone • Can only assist passengers with fold-up wheelchairs • Are not exempt from requiring children to use child restraints
and slightly more than half per minute when stopped. One of Uber’s major problems is the drivers themselves. “Who’s Driving You” is a public safety
campaign that’s trying to let people know what’s wrong with services like Uber. Gaps in insurance and cheap third-party background checks have worried many Uber riders. In 2014, these problems started a legal battle against Uber by Los Angeles and San Francisco. Uber assured customers that it used industry-leading standards during their vetting process, but without the use of fingerprints, the information found is practically useless. “Fingerprints can’t be faked,” WhosDrivingYou.org said. On the other hand, taxi drivers undergo rigorous inspections before being able to be a driver. According to TaxiCabsLA.com, a local taxi company must sponsor you. Then, they must submit their entire driving record from the DMV and resolve any outstanding tickets or fines. After taking a driving exam, their fingerprints are taken and they are given a drug test. Next time you want to get somewhere, think twice about the service that’s going to take you there.
TAXI VS
• Has a base fare of $2.85 and charges $2.70 per mile and $0 per minute • No cancellation fee • Driver maintained car • Cars have a security camera and are hardwired with GPS tracking • Provides cars which are wheel-chair accessible • Exempt from requiring children to use child restraints INFORMATION COMPILED FROM https://www.choice.com
Apr. 1, 2016
page 15
entertainment
ALBUM REVIEW: ZAYN, MIND OF MINE
The year of Zayn
The former One Direction member debuts with a mature sound by Faith Petrie A year after leaving popular boy band One Direction, Zayn Malik released his debut album “Mind of Mine.” His album consists of adult themes with a sultry, R&B sound. Malik’s album is the polar opposite of his previous work with One Direction. Fans of One Direction who may have expected the same, tired rhetoric of bubblegum pop in “Mind of Mine,” will be pleasantly surprised. Malik does not shy away from dropping curse words and singing explicitly about his sex life, something One Direction would never dare mention. A stand out track on “Mind of Mine,” is “tRuTh.” The song, with a sound reminiscent of R&B singer The Weeknd, confesses how his past career endeavours were not a true representation of who he was as an individual artist. The lyric “see the truth” is a constant reminder that his future work will be what he wants and only him. Another track, “Blue,” is a piano-ballad that showcases Zayn’s powerful vocals, conveying his yearning for an everlasting
love. As one of the slower numbers on the album, Malik uses this song to prove he has a unique and strong voice using riffs and a clear falsetto. The last track, “INTERMISSION: fLoWer,” is an ode to his Pakistani culture. With an acoustic guitar backing his echoed vocals, Malik belts out an impassioned song in his native language, Urdu. Malik’s culture is, and always has been, a large part of his identity and he exudes this in the one minute, 44 second song. Each song on “Mind of Mine” has a similar sound: slow and sensual. I would have liked a bit of variety throughout the album. With that being said, each song does have its own unique characteristics that set them apart from each other. Malik uses “Mind of Mine” to create a new voice for himself. One that isn’t covered by an industry created to silence his artistic integrity. The raw, unapologetic sound of “Mind of Mine” is a step in the right direction of creating a new and truthful Zayn Malik.
MOVIE REVIEW: ALLEGIANT
Third film in Divergent Series meets expectations by Brittany Baker
Starring Theo James and Shailene Woodley, the movie based off the final book of the Divergent series, Allegiant, written by Veronica Roth, portrays the action packed drama of lovers Tris and Four escaping their city for the first time in search of better lives outside the wall. Four (Theo James) and Tris (Shailene Woodley) create a plan to get past the guarded walls of the experiment city of Chicago to discover for themselves the truth of what is actually beyond the walls. Four and Tris are welcomed to the Bureau of Genetic Welfare outside of the wall by the overseer David (Jeff Daniels). The bureau watches over the experiment city controlled by David. Within the first day of getting the the bureau, Tris is invited upstairs into David’s office where she is told that she is genetically pure, a fact which viewers could have assumed because of previous knowledge of her being divergent. Although Four is also divergent, he discovers that he is not genetically pure leading him to question David’s strategies and ultimate plan. Tris believes in David’s plan
to repair the genetically damaged and thinks that Four is just jealous that he is not able to access upstairs like she does because he isn’t pure. Once Tris realizes that David isn’t in planning to stop the faction system and is actually trying to recreate it, she makes the decision to follow Four back to Chicago to fight for their city. Once they get back to Chicago, they find that Peter (Miles Teller) is already with the leader of the civil war between the factions and the factionless within the city, Four’s mother Evelyn (Naomi Watts). Peter is hired by David to convince Evelyn to use the memory serum to win the war and restore the factions without her discovering David’s underlying power to control the system. David wants Evelyn to use the serum to wipe the memories of everyone in Chicago so he can restore the separation of the individuals of Chicago by tasks, otherwise known as the faction system. Tris’ brother Caleb (Ansel Elgort) helps Tris and her friend Christina (Zoe Kravitz) save Four after he was captured when returning to the city. They also attempt to stop
Evelyn from releasing the serum, which she doesn’t know would wipe everyone’s memories, including hers. Allegiant the movie was unnecessarily different from Roth’s book to the point that viewers could leave the theater scratching their head. Although both the movie and book share similar aspects and plot points, the differences lead to an confusing conclusion. The movie removes Caleb’s trial when Four saves him before he gets the chance to be tried, but in the book, Caleb gets sentenced to death at his trial. Caleb is only saved in the book after Four rescues from his cell the day of his death sentence. In the book version, the group against the faction system helps the group with Tris and Four get out of the city, including the leader of the Allegiant, Johanna (Octavia Spencer). However, in the movie the Allegiant didn’t have anything to do with her escape. There are also characters from the book that were missing in the movie. For instance, Uriah was apart of the group that escaped Chicago, as well as Zoe and Amar who were
the first people that they met outside of the wall, but were absent in the movie all together. The technology used in the movie is very advanced compared to what was depicted in the book. The movie contains plasma globes, hovercrafts, and even a floating glass elevator, similar to the one in Willy Wonka, and the virtual reality of Tris’ mother’s journal. The technology in the book was much simpler, to the extent of an old airplane and a tangible journal instead of a hovercraft and virtual reality memories. Allegiant seemed to leave many of the viewers confused and wanting answers to the open ending. The main question that leaving the theater and wanting to know was, why didn’t Tris die? This question led to an explanation that there must be another movie. Although Allegiant is the last part of the book series, Ascendant will be the last of the movie series coming out in the summer of 2017. This movie will most likely pick up where Allegaint left off and tie up the loose ends.
page 16
sports
Girls lacrosse uses game against La Canada as practice for Bay League by Mia Berger After a rocky start at the beginning of the season, girls lacrosse won yet another game when they played against La Canada on Wednesday. “Before the season started, we along with others, were doubting ourselves by thinking that we were not going to be as good as last year. However, this game just went to prove the fact that we are definitely exceeding expectations and are doing great,” senior cocaptain Hailey Vorndran said. La Canada is currently ranked 41 in the CIF Southern Section compared to RUHS who is ranked 10. “This game was good practice for the other Bay League games. La Canada is not in our league so we were able to use this game to practice different plays and settling the ball,” Vorndran said. Despite the large win of 17-4, the team believes that this was not their best game physically and mentally. “It was not our best game, but not our
On the attack. Junior Jaymie Bettger runs the ball down the field in their game against Peninsula . PHOTO BY SAM BENDALL
worst game either. I think that it was just ‘soso’ overall. When we had the ball, we were efficient in running plays and scoring off of them. We were also successful by looking for
the open girl in the middle to pass to and score, but when it came to ground balls we struggled,” senior Julia Brand said. Emotionally, the girls’ competitive men-
High Tide tality was off, according to the team. “We played a different game than normal. First of all, we barely had any energy so that definitely affected us poorly. I think everything was kind of scrambled and disganized when we got to the field a little late which made it so we did not have our full warm-up time,” senior Kate Rourke said. This was an away game, so the teams played on La Canada’s home field. “The field was terrible. It was super hard and felt like you were walking on concrete. We are not used to this field which definitely allowed them to have the homefield advantage, but we have more talent so it doesn’t really matter,” Rourke said. According to coach Tom Borgia, this game really pushed the team’s defensive skills. “I think that we had a strong game. Our defense was fantastic, lead by Jackie Schneider and Adrianna D’Agostino. However, the star of the game was, hands down, Hailey Vorndran with a record nine goals in leading the way to our win,” Borgia said. The team agrees that this game has proven they are improving on things that they need to work on as the season progresses. “Before, I thought that we needed to work on getting the draws, but this game we won a lot of them. We have been working so hard in practice to master the draws and it is so great to see that practice makes perfect,” senior cocaptain Sam Marcon said. The girls are excited, as the season passes the midway point, that they have come this far having only lost two games and won six. “We are still a classic Redondo Lacrosse team,” Rourke said. “We win almost all of our games and we are on track to win Bay League for the eighth year in a row. If we make sure to go back and work on the basics like ground balls, then we are sure to win.”
Track faces hurdles Track and field faces more competition in recent meets by Simrun Ursani Track and field distance runners competed at the Meet of Champions Distance Invitational at Azusa Pacific College last Saturday. All other track athletes attended the Mustang Relays at Mira Costa High School. According to Coach Stephen Kelley, these meets were a “great start to the season.” “It is always nice having some competition, and this meet was a little bigger with more competition,” Kelley said. “We had some students set personal records.” At the Mira Costa meet, junior Tate Curran won at 15 feet, but continued vaulting in order to beat his personal record. “I made 15 feet 3 inches, then 15 feet 9 inches. Finally, I went to a personal best of 16 feet 5 inches,” Curran said. Curran believes that the small stress frac-
ture in his shin does not inhibit him during practice and meets. “We had a lot of injuries, so we had to have some of our younger athletes step up,” Kelley said. According to Curran, this past off-season was much more intense which better prepared the team. “The sprint workouts are always good and they always get me ready for the meets and for the season. [The coaches] have been super influential and I look up to them and respect them,” Curran said. Compared to last year, Kelley is taking a more “guided approach” to his coaching because of the newer athletes. “This year we have a lot of new runners, but our expectations remain the same.
Jump in. Junior Pierson Wodzynski races in the hurdles race at the Mira Costa meet. PHOTO BY MICHAEL YOON
We expect both boys and girls to win [Bay League],” Kelley said. Kelley creates a specific workout schedule that will best sculpt the team both physically and mentally for the upcoming meet. “Sometimes we have two meets per week, so we work on a lot of technique, but if we only have one meet that week we do more
high volume runs and repetitions,” Kelley said. Curran sees “much improvement” after the workouts. “You’re going to get better at anything if you do it, so practicing pole vaulting [helps for meets]. I also do pull ups and short sprints for practice,” Curran said.
April 1, 2016
page 17
sports
Softball starts season on high note by Justin Pioletti
With league season just around the corner, Redondo Softball already has a strong pre-season as they are 10-2 after five weeks of play. They just defeated West High School on Wednesday 6-1, proving themselves as competitors for the season. “I think our success is just coming off our previous wins. We have some nice momentum and it’s easier to win a game with the momentum we’ve had. But, the first few innings were still tough,” senior Elena Ceja said. “Once we had some key hits, it kind of just took off from there. Also in practice as well, we really focused on our weak spots and just did drill after drill to try and eliminate them altogether.” Despite their win, the game highlighted necessary areas of improvement. “We’ve been working to improve things we’ve noticed in games, and I think that boils down to mostly communication,” senior Kat Ung said. “Whether it be bunt defense or just a pop fly in the outfield, we need to determine who goes for the ball.” The girl’s bunt defense, or preparing themselves for a hit within infield, has been a struggle to improve upon since the beginning of the season. “We were really struggling to find a rhythm with our bunt defense and we finally have. I think we still have room for improvement but it’s a lot better,” Ceja said. In order to improve upon themselves, the coaches has initiated rigorous practices throughout spring break. “It’s fun, but it takes focus, like we take initiative in the middle of practice to figure out what specifically we need to work on when we face teams like North, who have ag-
Got ball? Senior Kat Ung pitched 13 strikeouts while on offense the team took control of the game early. PHOTO BY NITA VILLAS
gressive outside pitchers and fast runners,” sophomore Kylie Fraser said. According to Ung, the week off can really determine which teams take the lead in league. Their main rivals, Mira Costa, Palos Verdes, and Peninsula, are expected to be competitive adversaries.
“Spring break is a really crucial part of the season,” Ung said. “Because if we take the entire week off it’s going to be difficult to bring back our mentality, and there’s other teams going just as hard as us.” In spite of their challenges, the girls have kept league season in mind.
“I’m really proud of how well we’ve overcome the struggles,” Ceja said. “I know our seniors are drained with classes and activities, so I think the sophomores have been doing a great job at stepping up. As long as we keep doing what we are doing and working hard , this could be our best season yet.”
Volleyball beats Penn, prepares for alumni match by Davina Nguyen
Set away. Setter Sean Cramer, sets the ball to
middle blocker freshman Gabriel Mirando in yesterday’s match against Penn. PHOTO BY TED CAVUS
Redondo played Peninsula yesterday in Sea Hawk Pavilion and winning 25-15, 25-21, 25-10. Tomorrow, the boys’ volleyball team will compete against a handful of Redondo Union’s exceptional volleyball alumni tonight at 7:00 PM in the annual Alumni Game. Previous varsity volleyball players of Redondo tonight will come back to play against the current volleyball players in a match of three sets. “The Alumni Game is always a lot of fun; it’s exciting because everyone comes back and we get to see an abundance of talent in one gym,” said junior Jake Ernst. The Alumni Team includes former players ranging from those in college to those who are middle aged. “A lot of the alumni have either played with us or coached us at one point,” said senior co-captain Sean-Michael Cramer. The varsity boys’ team has not defeated
the Alumni team for eight years in a row. “We always get excited to play the alumni because we have a chip on our shoulder. The four years I’ve played at Redondo, we have never won. They are usually very loud and spirited, and they talk a lot of trash about the current team to try to get into our heads. It would be huge if we beat them in my senior year,” said Cramer. Despite the losing streak, the boys are hopeful that the outcome will be reversed this season with formidable members and strong synergy. “I think that the outcome will hopefully be successful this game. We’ve got pretty strong members in the team. Most of the team works really well together, and we get along pretty well, which is very important regarding communication. For example, if one of the players messes up, we huddle together and encourage each other and make sure that our teammates aren’t discouraged by
simple mistakes during games or practice,” said junior Logan Glave. The boys have very strong communication, such as between players Ernst and Glave. “There are certain players I know really well, such as Logan Glave. I always know what his next move is, it’s like we’re twins. We’re very connected, and it’s always beneficial to have that sort of chemistry on the court,” said Ernst. Along with solid teamwork, the boys also agree that they will use their youth to their advantage against the more experienced alumni. “We’re young and we probably have more endurance than they do, and our bodies are a little more healthier,” said Glave. Also occurring on the same night is the boys’ beach volleyball championship ring ceremony, as they won the state championship early in September.
page 18
High Tide
sports
Athlete of the Issue: Samantha Marcon
Started from the bottom Samantha Marcon reflects on her four years playing lacrosse by Kayla Hiken Entering high school lacrosse, senior varsity captain Samantha Marcon was a “newbie” learning the basic skills of the game, and she never thought she’d achieve so much in her high school career. “I was first introduced to lacrosse in middle school PE, playing with the plastic lacrosse sticks with Coach Tom Borgia. I ended up really liking it, so I started playing the summer after eighth grade,” Marcon said. When it came time to choosing a sport in high school, Marcon was not confident in her soccer skills, so she picked up lacrosse. “Starting off, I just wanted to get the two year credit for PE. A lot of girls have been playing since middle school, so I thought I was just going to make it to JV and then quit after sophomore year. As I kept playing, I fell in love with the sport, and I became really good at it through club and practicing,” Marcon said. In order to advance her skills in lacrosse, she took a step further by joining WAVE, a club team managed by Borgia. “I [joined] WAVE Lacrosse my sophomore year and then junior year I moved up to Coast to Coast lacrosse, which is another version of WAVE but higher level and more competitive,” Marcon said. As well as playing club lacrosse, Marcon
practices at home during her spare time. “To improve myself, I practice in my backyard everyday. I go out there for 20 minutes and play wall ball, which has helped me become really fast with my stick skills, and then I’ll have my brother, my dad, and my sister pass with me so that we all get better,” Marcon said. While playing lacrosse, Marcon looks up to former varsity captain Maddie Farmer. “Maddie is really good at lacrosse, and she’s playing D2 right now at Colorado Mesa. She was always super helpful and was always really encouraging, which is something that I really like. That’s why I look up to her,” Marcon said. As a captain Marcon has gained a new perspective on the game and focuses more on the team as a whole. “Being captain has taught me that instead of having the ball and going straight to the goal, it’s better to pass and let someone else get a goal. I like to round out our entire team, instead of just focusing on myself scoring, and focus more on other girls scoring,” Marcon said. Although Marcon loves the sport, she chose to keep lacrosse as a hobby and is going to college for academics over sports. “I’m going to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
Full sprint. Sam Marcon drives down the field on a fast break against Glendale. PHOTO BY MATTHEW YONEMURA
Originally I wanted to play for a lacrosse team in D1, D2, or D3, but all the colleges that were looking at me were really small. I decided to just go to a university that I like and then if they have lacrosse I’ll play,” Marcon said. “Cal Poly has a club lacrosse team, so I’ll probably play on their club team.” Despite her decision, she is appreciative
of how playing the sport has affected her life. “[Lacrosse] has impacted me in a really positive way because I’ve met all of my friends through it. We’re like a family and I love how close we are,” Marcon said. “It’s also taught me a lot of things about team playing and being able to help other players not only improve but participate more during games.”
Boys lacrosse off to frustrating start by Angie Tait As their season continues, boys lacrosse is still struggling for a win after losing 21-7 to Oak Park on March 24. “They weren’t any better than us, I’d say they were actually the underdog, but they had the effort when we didn’t. We didn’t communicate enough on defense, and we need to possess the ball on offense,” senior Ryker LaFranchi said. The boys currently have zero wins and seven losses, and believe their lack of success is due to lack of experience working together. “Oak Park is a very experienced team who’s been playing together for a number of years in the same system with the same coach. Being that we have a very young team and a new head coach, I thought we played well,” coach Jesse Cox said. “Overall, there were flashes here and there of good lacrosse on our side, but we just haven’t been able to pull together four complete quarters of good
lacrosse yet.” Despite this issue, Coach Cox has acknowledged the skills they’ve developed so far, and what they are still looking to improve before the season’s end. “We’re finally starting to learn how to possess the ball for long periods of time to wear down [the other team’s] defense. We can still improve in every facet of the game, but the biggest thing I’m looking to improve currently is Pushing and shoving. An RUHS player tries to work his way around a Simi our communication. Valley defender behind the goal to get a shot off. PHOTO BY SERENA MAANUM We need the players
on the field to talk to each other, both on offense and defense,” Cox said. Another big priority, according to the boys, is to keep a positive mentality following every game, whether they win or lose. “Honestly, I ignore the rankings. It’s hard to get a grip on what a team is truly, just by looking at numbers. We know, regardless of our tough early schedule, we are in control of our destiny if we can surprise some Bay League teams in the next half of the season,” Cox said. The boys’ next game is April 1 against Glendale, an easy game that the boys are hoping will fire up their spirits before Spring Break. “The team has not given up and we are still working hard,” sophomore Bryan Cloutier said. “All it takes is four quarters of lacrosse as a team. We can do that, as long as we work hard, play hard and continue to improve.”
April 1, 2016
sports
page 19
Twelve-and-oh Baseball remains undefeated after twelve games and two no-hitters
Swing and a hit. Senior Jason
Dicochea meakes contact with a pitch against Torrance High School. PHOTO BY MICHAEL YOON
by Luke Peterson As Connor Riley works his way through a game where RUHS was dominating North high with a 6-0 score by the third inning, senior pitcher Connor Riley just wants to get the team another win. He does more than that, pitching a 9-0 shutout no-hitter against the opposing team, his second in this young season. RUHS is preparing to play Newport Harbor today on the road, just three days after an impressive win over North, extending their undefeated season to twelve wins. “I honestly felt kind of slow and robotic warming up at the game against North, but after the first inning, I settled in and found my rhythm,” Riley said. “I just wanted to get our team back to feeling comfortable on offense, and to get us another win.” The team has been putting up “fantastic” numbers since the beginning of the season, one of the factors resulting in its current 12-0 record. “The game against North went really well. We took great swings and Connor Ri-
ley threw a no-hitter, which helped of course. The pitching has been great; it makes winning a whole lot easier when we’re only giving up one run per game, not to mention that we’re scoring an average of eight runs a game,” senior pitcher and shortstop Jason Dicochea said. According to the team, the win over North gave it a boost for the upcoming games after it found itself in a slight slump, although still winning. “We feel really good about our game right now after playing North,” senior Jacob Springman said. “We had a few games where we seemed a little down, but we’re swinging the bats well again and obviously I have no worries about the pitching or the defense the way we’ve been playing as of late.” The team describes defense and pitching as some of the most important and impressive aspects of the way they play. “Defense and pitching are definitely cornerstones of our team’s play,” Springman said. “We have a lot of faith in our lineup, but
there are going to be days when some guys are a little off or nothing’s falling. If a team is going to beat us, they’re going to have to hit, and that’s tough to do against a staff like ours.” RUHS feels that it needs to take today’s opponent, Newport Harbor, as a serious contender although it feels that the game will go in it favor. “Newport Harbor is a pretty tough team and they’ve played other tough teams, which has hurt their record, but if we play the way that we’re capable of then we should be good,” Dicochea said. The team’s schedule sees it facing off against progressively better teams, with more road games than home games. “When I look at the teams in the upcoming schedule, two-thirds of them are tough opponents and two-thirds are on the road as well,” Riley said. “It will be good to see our team be tested physically and mentally with these games.” Besides changes geared toward the
team’s mental approach, the team believes that practices won’t be altered any further. “I don’t think that anything has changed in the practices, even though there are good teams coming up on the schedule. We all know the importance of taking it one day and one game at a time, so we just focus on each day as it comes,” Springman said. “We generally keep the same routine in practices no matter who’s coming up. Nothing really changed much when we got to the playoffs last year, too.” According to Riley, spending time with each other outside of baseball increases the energy that the team plays with. “I think that the bonds that we make with each other helps each other play better; I think that’s what sets us apart from other teams,” Riley said. “Before big games we have team BBQs, and we spend countless hours before games and during practices together. So when the time comes we are ready to fight for our brothers. We are closer than any other team that I’ve been on.”
page 20
High Tide
news
What to do over spring break compiled by Reem Chamas
SEA Lab Description: The SEA Lab works When: Tuesdays-Fridays:9AM-3:30PM to rehabiliate animals, gives free tours Where: 1021 N Harbor Dr., Redondo and has educational talks about local Price: Suggested: $2–$4 per family marine life.
Old Town Music Hall
Chen Art Gallery
When: Tuesday-Friday: 10AM-4PM When: Fri. 8:15 p.m., Sat. 2:30 & 8:15 Where: 1625 Abalone Ave, Torrance p.m. Sun. 2:30 p.m. Price: Free Where: 140 Richmond St., El Segundo Description: This gallery is a Price: $8.00 per person display of Dr. Tei Fu Chen’s collection. There are over 1,000 art pieces datDescription: Old Town Music Hall is ing back to the 1300s. a place to watch classic silent and sound films and occasionally listen to a live orchestra play jazz music.
Roundhouse Lab When: Monday-Friday: 2-8PM Where: Manhattan Beach Pier
1.
Price: Suggested: $2–$5 per family Description: Visitors can hold sea creatures. They can see eels, a diverse range of fish and an assortment of sharks.
2.
3.
Breaking spring. 1. A student visits the Chen Art Gallery in Torrance. The gallery has over 4.
1,000 artworks. 2. The Old Town Music Hall is in El Segundo and costs eight dollars per person. It is open only three days a week: Friday, Saturday and Sunday. 3. Faris Advic and Chris Paludi visit the SEALab in Redondo Beach. 4. A student visits the Roundhouse lab on the Manhattan Beach Pier. PHOTOS BY EDEN MILLAN