April 1, 2011

B1-12: Senior Grant Wessel surfs at the Hermosa Pier. The Anchor explores our beach community.

P4-5: Career Guidance Specialist Karen Morris helps a senior with college preparation.

P7: Freshman Sara Curran swims butterfly in the swim meet agianst South.

High Tide

Redondo Beach, CA Redondo Union High School

April, 1 2011 vol.

LMXXIV

edition 11

]www.hightideonline.org ]

Red, White, and you

Students donated 154 pints of blood during the UCLA Blood Drive.

by Kyle Bittman

Whether it was for the movie tickets, for the lives they saved, or just to skip class for a bit, over 150 students attended the UCLA Blood Drive on Tuesday.

The UCLA Blood Drive was coordinated

by School Relations Commissioners Madison Hall and Nick Stienke. Creating all the signs and posters around school, making and keeping track of schedules and appointments, making the appointment cards, and contacting a UCLA correspondent were amongst some of the commissioners’ duties. The UCLA correspondent helped them with rounding up nurses and supplies for the event.

Redondo collected 154 pints of blood which were to donated to the UCLA Blood Bank. Normally, blood costs about $300 per pint for UCLA. Donating blood not only saves UCLA money, but it also saves lives.

Everyone who donates blood saves about 3 other lives.

One of the 150 donors, senior Derek Sarno, understands what it means to really help out.

“I saw my dad needing a blood transfusion once when I was a kid, so to be able to [give blood], knowing I’m helping others like my dad, just means so much to me.”

Sarno said.

This UCLA Blood Drive had lesser time slots than previous ones, but had a slightly greater amount of attendees.

Senior Johnny Melendez, who also donated blood, did not get to participate in the last blood drive so he wanted to donate blood this time around.

“It’s not such a big deal for me to do it, and there are people who I know who need [the blood],” Melendez said.

by Maddy Perrault and Alison Peet-Lukes

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3.

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PHOTOS BY Jenny Oetzel

Bloody good time. 1-2. Students sit with their arms up while their blood is drawn. Approximately 1 pint of blood is drawn from each student. 3. Senior Mwelu Mataya laughs with a nurse while his blood is drawn. 4. Students rest while they get their blood drawn in the Bingo Room.

SSR not observed by all classrooms on campus

by Bethany Kawa and Danny Garzon

A High Tide study shows that only 60 percent of non-P.E. classes listen to the morning announcements.

A similar study reveals that only 70 percent of classrooms are silent during Silent Sustained Reading (SSR).

Currently, morning announcements are broadcast through classroom phones, even though all classrooms have the PA System.

According to Principal Mary Little, if the school uses the PA system instead of the telephones, there will still be issues because not all of the classroom speakers work.

According to Chief Technology Officer Derek Kinsey, the issue with the PA system will be investigated next Monday.

IB Program delayed due to budget crises

“I didn’t hear about this issue until [Wednesday], when Mary Little called me about it,” Kinsey said. “We will check in on that system and work with the Maintenance and Operations (M and O) Department to fix any problem if it’s an issue.”

According to the study, almost seven percent of teachers turn off the volume on the phone, or have started teaching during announcements.

In almost 13 percent of classrooms, the phone is not loud enough for the class to hear.

Little feels that morning announcements are important for students to hear because they provide valuable information and that teachers should not turn down the volume in order to begin teaching.

With regard to SSR, reporters observed

only 20 percent of classrooms actually read, while 50 percent of classrooms have students working silently, either reading or doing homework.

According to Cynthia Leathers, Foreign Language Department Chairperson, the five minutes for morning announcements were originally part of the SSR time.

Leathers feels that the five minutes of announcements should be moved back to SSR in order to ensure that all students are able to hear the bulletin.

“Many students are tardy in the morning, so they are unable to hear the morning announcements,” she said.

Both Leathers and English teacher Emily Krueger feel that SSR provides a great transition from social life to the classroom.

“I enforce SSR in my class, because

I feel that it is important for students to read for 15 minutes. If they don’t have a book to read, I have many books for them to choose from,” she said.

The original purpose of SSR was to have everyone in school reading a book for 15 minutes.

According to Little, this has changed in recent years and SSR is no longer solely about reading.

AP Spanish teacher Deborah Forster likes the idea of SSR, but does not believe in forcing students to read a book during that time.

“People read because they want to read.

If you are quiet and purposeful during SSR, then it is useful. I totally support reading, but I don’t want to force my students to read if they don’t want to,” she said.

Food Truck fundraiser in Redondo Beach offers variety

by Jeremy Porr

PHOTOS BY LISA INOUE

On the road again. Food trucks with a variety of food line up in Redondo Beach. The trucks offer foods such as cupcakes and other sweets (left). Some trucks are environmentally friendly too. (right).

Cupcake and eco-friendly trucks are just of few of the kinds of food trucks that lined up on the streets of Redondo Beach in the last few weeks.

The food truck phenomenon has been taking America by storm, and on March 19, food trucks from all over Los Angeles gathered on Harbor Drive to feed hungry students and residents of the South Bay. The fundraiser continues into this weekend. Food trucks will be served on April 2 and 3 from 11a.m. to 8p.m.

Former Hermosa Beach council member and “Barbie’s Q” food truck operator, John Bowler, organized the festival at the site of the future Shade hotel. Ten percent of the proceeds from the fundraiser will benefit the Senior Class.

According to Senior Class President Kelsey Szerlip, the events are going well.

“The turn out has been really great.

This past time that I went some food trucks [were] sold out, so I have my fingers crossed that were going to make a lot of money,” Szerlip said.

According to Szerlip there were a wide variety of food trucks at the event, carrying everything from classic American Barbeque to Indian food. One of the most popular dishes was the Mac n’ Jack with pulled pork from Bowler’s truck “Barbie’s ,”= a dish he also refers to by its other name “redneck lasagna”.

ASB advisor Sherie Gross is a fan of food trucks.

“People enjoy food trucks for the simple fact that it is cheap and good food,” Gross said.

Gross was approached with the opportunity for the fundraiser last January.

“John [Newman] emailed me saying that he was looking for a group to give a donation to at our school so I put him in contact with Kelsey [Szerlip],” Gross said.

According to Szerlip, the fundraiser was an enjoyable event.

“It’s just such a cute idea, having all of these food trucks sitting in a parking lot near the beach where students can casually go up and purchase whatever they are in the mood for. It’s definitely quite the experience. It was really cool.”

Superintendent Steven Keller held a meeting on Monday with faculty members to discuss the district’s budget and the future of the IB program.

In an email to the staff yesterday, due to the current budget crises in California, Principal Mary Little announced the delay of the IB program’s application.

IB, or International Baccalaureate, is a program developed to further enhance a student’s intellectual, personal, emotional and social skills to live, learn and work in a rapidly globalizing world, according to ibo.org.

She believes that the suspension will give the school time to learn more about the program.

There has been debate between staff, administration, and Superintendent Keller on whether or not now is the right time to implement the program.

“The input [from the staff] is mainly that we’re not ready and that’s a huge piece of the puzzle, but the decision is not based solely on that,” Keller said.

“We lack sufficient information to be able to decide to adopt this program ... even if we had plenty of money to fund it.”

—Cynthia Leathers

According to Cynthia Leathers, Foreign Language Department Chairperson, the IB program is an unnecessary and expensive program in the midst of a budget crisis.

“The Superintendent revealed to us in his budget presentation [Monday] that ... we may have to take furlough days to make up for the money that the district will not receive. We will have to make many cuts in services and staff as well as increase class size,” Leathers said.

According to AP Calculus teacher Tim Baumgartner, there are other programs the school could fund with the money.

“If they are going to be spending money on something, middle students are more in need of attention now so they can more successfully meet the A-G requirements for college,” he said.

The IB program can set the school apart from Mira Costa and neighboring schools, enticing more students to attend. Students in Hermosa Beach and North Redondo have the choice of attending either RUHS or Mira Costa. The students who choose to attend Redondo can increase revenue for the school, according to Keller.

“That’s potentially people losing jobs,” he said. “I don’t want to lose the enrollment game.”

Before the School Board’s decision to delay the application of IB, teachers got a chance to voice their opposition or acceptance of the program.

“We lack sufficient information to be able to decide to adopt this program ... even if we had plenty of money to fund it,” Leathers said.

Although some teachers are against it for financial reasons, many teachers support what the program stands for.

“What students don’t get enough of a chance to do in public schools is take what they’re learning and make it useful. That’s what IB does,” choir teacher Philemon Theodorou said.

The IB program allows full mastery of subjects and strengthens the school, according to ASB advisor Sherie Gross. “[At IB training] I learned that kids should be assessed on what they know, not what they don’t know,” Gross said. “It is what I wish education was. It’s a stellar program.”

The delay of the IB program was due to budget cuts as well as input from teachers who spoke out this week.

“At the end of the day, we all need to move forward together,” Keller said.

News

2

p.

] April 1, 2011 ]

Administration, staff work to boost A-G pass rate

by Michelle Hough

On Sunday, March 13, The Daily Breeze featured an article titled “Redondo teens skid off the university track” that delved into the statistic that only 42 percent of our students meet the A-G requirements to attend a California State University (CSU) or University of California (UC) schools.

The article, written by Rob Kuznia, predominantly expressed surprise that RUHS’s A-G pass rate is so low compared to other schools in the area, especially considering the fact that RUHS has such a strong academic reputation with a high number of proficient AP students.

Principal Mary Little would have preferred more recognition in the article of what the school does to foster a collegegoing culture.

“The main thing I would have liked to see would be discussion on the things we do to increase the A-G pass rate. We have been up-front about this, and have been talking about it for a while. It’s not data were hiding. Although, I [did appreciate the detail about] AVID [Advancement Via Individual Determination], which is very important,” Little said.

The article featured commentary by student Nick Smith, who could not apply to 4-year universities due to the fact that “he never learned until it was too late that he needed two years of a foreign language to qualify.” Kuznia writes that “in many ways, he’s not unlike the majority of Redondo Union High graduates.”

Little thinks that the focus of the article regarding the reason why some students do not meet their A-G requirements was too limited because meeting the A-G is not a simple one-step process.

“It’s not just about “Do the kids know?”

I think we’ve been doing a pretty good job at communicating the A-G requirements.

English Department to adopt new books

by Dan Furmansky

The Redondo Beach Unified School District (RBUSD) has decided to bring new textbooks to the English Department.

“Our department hasn’t had a textbook adoption since 1999, so the current books are not aligned with the state standards for language arts,” Co-English Department Chairperson Leila Williams said.

The new textbooks made by McDougal-Littel will offer benchmarks to help keep the English Department aligned by grade level.

“The newer textbooks will contain more up-to-date literature and include non-fiction prose as well as fictional works,” Williams said.

The textbooks will come with supplemental electronic capabilities that the English Department believes will be more helpful in instruction and in learning language arts skills.

“The electronic materials include an outstanding writing resource called WriteSmart that includes [PowerPoint] lessons on various modes of writing as well as an interactive section that will allow students hands-on-access to some of the skills taught,” Williams said.

The books will also come with audio CDs that will allow students to listen to stories, work with vocabulary, and develop grammar skills.

The AP English classes will continue using its curriculum that is aligned with those of the AP/College Board, predominantly a core literature-based program, according to Williams.

The textbooks will be purchased with money raised from the sale of former Aviation High school property. Revenue from the sale was earmarked for textbook adoption within RBUSD when the sale of the property was made final in the mid 80s.

11th-grade CP is also exchanging Lorraine Hansberry’s Raisin in the Sun forMark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and 9th-grade honors is adding Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart.

The motion to accept the new books was met with “unanimous approval” from the teachers on the committee and we’re looking forward to using he anthology.

But that’s just the initial piece, then we have to get kids to enroll in A-G classes, and get them to earn a C or better,” Little said.

Assistant Principal Amy Golden also disagrees with the sentiment that the majority of students are unaware of the A-G requirements.

“It’s not that the students aren’t informed and enrolled in the classes; they just are not all completing them with Cs or better. A majority of the students are taking the appropriate classes; they are just not all passing them,” Golden said.

“The main thing I would have liked to see would be the discussion on the things we do to increase the A-G pass rate,”

—Mary Little

Golden offers calculated opinion on why the A-G pass rate is so low.

“I think some students may have the mentality, ‘I’m just going to El Camino, or another community college; it doesn’t matter.’ I think that is a short-sighted statement. Why go to El Camino and have to retake all the classes you had the opportunity to pass in high school when you can do well here and get into honors there, or get rid of general education requirements before going there?” Golden said.

The focus of meeting the A-G is to provide students with more opportunities when they graduate.

“I think the expectation should be that all students are prepared to go to a 4-year college and have the option when they graduate. I don’t think that it is any our place to set them up where they don’t have

that option,” Golden said.

Plans to increase the A-G pass rate have been vigorously discussed at school board meetings for quite some time. One option that other schools have used is removing the D grade, which would require a C grade minimum for credit.

Golden has mixed feelings about removing the D grade.

“I think that some do the bare minimum to get the D just to have the credits for graduation. Requiring a C for graduation credits could light a fire under those students’ behinds. However, there are students who work really hard, just simply struggle with grasping that certain material, and still get the D. I think that we fail them by not recognizing that hard work, and defining their work as an F grade,” Golden said.

Little is also wary about eliminating the D grade.

“We have talked about eliminating the D as the gray area, either you are proficient or not [but], there are lots of things to consider. It has been successful in some places, but it is a whole different look at grading practices. At school, we look at our D/F rates each semesters, and we use that to talk about our instructional practice to help more kids be successful,” Little said.

The Administration has been working hard to foster a college-bound culture in order to encourage students to want to attain the option of choosing a four year college with A-G eligibility.

“We are doing things. For example, we have College Knowledge Thursday. Do I think that’s enough? Absolutely not. I think [college awareness] should be brought into every classroom. I think that we need to nag the kids until that it is expected for every student to pass their A-Gs, until it is ingrained into every students’ minds.

There needs to be ‘Hey! What do you want

to do? How can we achieve this goal? Let’s do that,’” Golden said.

Multiple practices have been modified to help foster a college-bound going mentality.

“We are getting pledges for freshman to sign at registration to set goals for meeting A-Gs starting with the class of 2015,” Golden said. “We have modified the Career Center presentations to emphasize A-G, counselors are meeting individually with students to make sure they aim for college not just graduation, and teachers are receiving professional development to implement strategies to help meet the aca-

“We have talked about eliminating the D as the gray area, either you are proficient or not [but]. there are a lot of things to consider,” —Amy Golden

demic needs of every student in the classroom.”

Little thinks that reinforcing a the A-G message for a period of time will significantly increase the success of students meeting the A-G requirements.

“We are increasing awareness and even talking about it in middle school. Our message is we want all kids to be prepared and explore options for life after high school,” she said. “A lot of kids don’t start to prepare for the college route until they hit junior year. We want to get them engaged 4 years ahead, or 6 years ahead. This is a shift for some families, where kids might be the first generation to attend college.”

Completing the A-Gs will better prepare students for whatever they choose to do af-

ter graduation. Even if students choose the community college route, they will need the skills they learned in high school.

“The better prepared students are here, no matter what they decide to do, [will always help them], whether or not they enter the job force, or maybe an apprenticeship.

They still need important math skills and communication skills.

“Completing those A-Gs are good for those avenues too. It’s not about just going to college. I think that it’s about post-secondary opportunities too. More and more businesses are saying that they need graduates that meet more than just the minimum requirements,” Little said.

Students who fail to meet the A-G are not maximizing the opportunities of high school. Students may not choose to attend a 4-year, but they will never have wasted the time they spent getting an education, and meeting their A-Gs. “Students need to maximize the opportunities at school and take advantage of the rigorous coursework [to prepare for any future decision.] A 4-year university not the only pathway,” Little said.

“Learning how to [analytically] read and write, how to work in teams, and how to interact [with others] is important,” Little said. “I don’t believe that college is the path for every student right out of high school.

Only the student and family can decide that, but our job is to give them as much as we can while they’re here. Meeting the A-G require provides multiple opportunities for students.”

Little is hopeful that with better practices and increased awareness, student will be more motivated to meet the A-Gs. “Redondo is a great school. We have great students, and great staff. I think that if we keep working together, we will see our A-G rate go up. I’m confident that it will happen,” Little said.

Earthquake precautions heighten school safety With the recent earthquake in Japan, the administration explains the school’s plan to deal with a disaster.

by Cedric Hyon

A devastating earthquake and tsunami struck Japan on March 11, leaving destruction and death in its wake. Scientists are worried about the possibility of a similar earthquake occurring in California, leaving

many students asking: is our school prepared for a major earthquake?

The short answer is: yes. Our school has had one earthquake drill this year, and another drill is scheduled to take place this semester. Assistant Principal John Newman says that there is a very specific plan if there should be a major quake.

Once the students are evacuated from the main campus, they are to evacuate in an orderly manner to the football stadium.

When students are there, the staff waits for the district officers to check classrooms’ statuses. Usually, parents come to pick up their students at the football stadiums.

“The plan is to remain [at the field] until the district officers can either say that it is safe or that parents can pick [the students] up,” Newman said.

The California Safety Code states that the school must have a ready supply of water and food to nourish the students after an earthquake, if one large enough was to occur. Newman, confirms that the amount of supplies is enough.

“We have a supply of water and food that has been determined by the district safety committee that it is adequate for over 2,000 students,” Newman said.

The supply of food is located in the cafeteria storage. Newman, however, declines to give information on where the water is.

Students raise questions on whether or not our actual earthquake evacuation plan is considered safe. However, the earthquake evacuation plan has become more safe over the years.

“Progressively, our earthquake drills have

gone more smoothly. Our routes to the stadium are more safe than last year,” Newman said.

According to Newman, the students are easy to find in the stadium if parents need to pick them up.

“In this last [earthquake drill], we had three different parents pick up their children unexpectedly. We were able to find them using our seating charts and printed out schedules,” Newman said.

Newman believes that the school is, in fact, prepared for a large earthquake. He feels the schools’ supply of food is ready, our drills are extremely safe, and parents will be able to find their students quickly.

“We have rescue teams, search teams, and teams that will shut off the gas. I do think we are prepared for an earthquake,” he said.

Opinion

3

p.

]April 1, 2011]

University track not for everyone

Around

Redondo

“Is the Sustained Silent Reading period used appropriately?”

“I do not think it is necessary. It would be nice to get out of school early instead.”

12th

— Naruhito

Sigiura

“I think so, but I would prefer it to be an extension of snack.”

11th — Samantha Witteman

Editorial: SSR and bulletin overlooked

“Mostly. A lot of kids just do homework, but I actually like to read.”

11th

­— Jayden Braunwarth

“Not really, since most people sleep or do homework.”

10th

­— Somtoya Arinze

“It should be used to make up work for another class or read.”

10th

­— Blake Ruskin

“I think we should use it to read, study, or eat a snack.”

9th ­— Elise Borovay

High Tide ]staff] Editor-in-Chief: Austin Pritzkat Managing Editors: Sophia Lykke, Julia Uriarte Editor of Design: Molly Simon News Editor: Kaitee Scheyer Opinion Editor: Josh Hillsburg Features Editors: Dylan Futrell, Kelsey Chung, Meglyn Huber, Christina Mehranbod, Ashley Pournamdari, Alison Peet-Lukes, Madeline Perrault Sports Editors: Adam Ammentorp, Jessica Cascio Photo Editor: Jonathan Martin Copy Editors: Shannon Bowman, Olivia Loveland, Melissa Rosero Cartoonist: Josh Hillsburg Online Editor: Brianna Egan Staff Writers: Vanessa Alarcon, Taylor Ballard, Kyle Bittman, Matthew Brancoli, Loren Brown, Laney Burke, Tati Celentano, Kimberly Chapman, Zachary Commins, Alexis Curtis-Olson, Camille Duong, Zack Elliott, Gianna Esposito, Dan Furmansky, Daniel Garzon, Allie Goldberg, Anacristina Gonzalez, Michelle Hough, Cedric Hyon, Bethany Kawa, David Kawa, Casey Lovano, Anthony Leong, Tricia Light, Cameron Paulson, Jeremy Porr, Melissa Rosero, Allison Salazar, Alyssa Sanchez, Joanie Schneider, Alex Shea, Jessi Shipley, Laura Shodall, Annica Stitch, Emma Uriarte, Zachary Zent Adviser: Mitch Ziegler The High Tide dedicates itself to producing a high-quality publication that both informs and entertains the entire student body.

This newspaper is a wholly student managed, designed and written newspaper that focuses on school and community events.

The High Tide is published by the journalism class at Redondo Union High School, One Sea Hawk Way, Redondo Beach, CA 90277.

Advertising is $7.50 per column inch, $6.00 if paid in advance. For information call (310)798-8665 ext. 2210.

Signed commentaries and editorial cartoons represent the opinions of the writer or cartoonist and in no way reflect the opinions of the High Tide staff.

Imagine there are no news stations. It’s easy if you try. No so classes should participate in them in greater part, ideally books below us, above us only sky. Imagine all the people, at the 100 percent level, throughout the school.

The announcements, given by ASB officials, allow stuliving blind and unaware. Uh oh.

To put it quite simply (or to the tune of John Lennon’s dents to focus on the day ahead and stay informed on events.

“Imagine”), if daily morning announcements and Sustained Such awareness is key to building responsible citizens, and if Silent Reading (SSR) periods go unobserved, our school be- overlooked, only encourages ignorance and apathy.

SSR, besides providing relaxation time before the seccomes that bleak, disconnected world.

Announcements and silent reading were implemented to ond half of the school day, builds comprehension and taskpromote awareness and reading skills, respectively, and must management skills. Students should bring books of personal interest to foster creativity and escape from generic class remain held to those principles. work, instead of sitting and talking, According to a survey our staff conducted last week of over 100 “Students should respect as 20% of the school seems to be doclassrooms, while the majority of the ing. Don’t we have snack, lunch and the privilege of having school school listens to morning announceafter school for that?

Ironically, the two integrated ments (about 60%), almost 40% of news read to them and being means of adding regularity to a hecclasses fail to hear them on a daily able to relax for 15 minutes.” tic day are threatened to dissolve basis, due most to chatter or teachinto more instruction time (or gosing over the intercom, or the absence sip time). Students should respect the privilege of having of an working intercom altogether.

SSR is observed by almost 70% of classrooms with stu- school news read to them and being able to relax for 15 dents either reading or working silently, while the other 30% minutes. Teachers should plan lessons around the times and of classes begin talking or, conversely, learning. enforce attentiveness in the morning and responsibility in Both announcements and SSR are, contrary to their treat- the afternoon. As an added side effect, partaking in these ment, accounted for in the bell schedule. The first class pe- activities simultaneously as a student body will promote riod of both A and B/C schedules are five minutes longer school unity.

You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. than the other periods, and the 15 minutes for SSR do not I hope someday we’ll all join in, and the school will be as cut into the time allotted for the next class.

The schedule was designed expressly for such operations, one.

Please take this probably unfamiliar message into careful consideration: Not everyone should go to college.

Don’t get me wrong, attending college certainly has its advantages and it can be the best

by Zac Commins post-high school option for many, if not most, students. In fact, the average high school graduate makes $1.2 million in his or her lifetime while the average individual with a bachelor’s degree earns $2.1 million, according to the United States Census Bureau. Yes, college is an amazing opportunity for students to expand their minds and discover new fields of interest.

But society has unfairly intensified its pressure on students to go to college. Here on campus, there are constant reminders, both explicit and subtle, from the administration, counselors, and teachers of the importance of college for all students. While they proudly proclaim the many advantages of a college education, many fail to recognize the significant, possibly devastating, financial cost.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the average annual cost of attending a four-year private university has soared 230 percent in the past 30 years to $31,704. The average college graduate graduated had approximately $24,000 of debt in 2009, according to the Project on Student Debt. It seems that the increasingly risky investment of higher education may not pay off for many graduates unless they can manage to stand out in their college classes and in the labor market.

Due in part to our fast-paced, evolving society, the average worker now changes jobs ten times between ages 18 and 38, according to the United States Department of Labor. The incredible cost of a four-year university may not be truly worth it if one is not confident in their career choice.

We as a society cannot afford all students growing up to be business professionals, health care providers, and engineers. Currently, there is a worldwide shortage of skilled labor, such as electricians, plumbers, and carpenters. For students that may not stand out academically, but wish to be productive and maintain strong, enduring careers, I strongly recommend checking out trade schools as a cost-effective alternative to the traditional college track.

Local natural disaster panic has gotten out of hand We’ve been hearing about it for years: the “Big One.” California is notorious nationwide for its susceptibility to devastating earthquakes. With the

by Shannon Bowman tragedy in Japan, our not-so-distant neighbors, we must consider if we’re ready for a large earthquake.

The “Great California ShakeOut” is a program developed specifically for our region and the issues we face.

Designed to help prepare all residents for emergencies with state-wide earthquake drills, the ShakeOut has been supported by many groups such as the Southern California Earthquake Center at the University of Southern California

(www.good.is). The group is now considering working tsunami preparedness into their program, taking the recent disaster Japan as a frightening reminder of how dangerous the sea can be.

Obviously, we are especially prone to worry as the ocean is right here in our backyards. We see it walking from class to class, and some of us even see it from our windows. So many of us have a great love and respect for the sea, often spending time surfing, swimming, and diving in its waves or tanning on our beaches. But when tsunami warnings for our area were spread, we stopped looking to our ocean as a source of inspiration. We looked at it with fear.

Fear of the ocean, and the ground as well, has grown since the 8.9 earthquake in Japan. Earthquake “expert” Jim Berkland, and others like him, told millions that we should expect a huge

earthquake last Saturday (www.cbn. com). Obviously, it didn’t happen, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t cause panic.

Students googled seismic predictions during class and discussed how the millions of dead anchovies in King Harbor were signs of the “Big One” on its way.

Being prepared is extremely important and helpful; blind fear is not. Some students may feel unsafe at school, as some of our buildings seem older and unlikely to survive a large earthquake.

But with the passing of the Field Act in 1933, after the huge Long Beach earthquake that same year, California school buildings have been held to extremely high inspection and construction standards (www.shakeout.org).

As for fears about our older buildings, consider this: they’ve survived every earthquake since their inception.

Simple logic states they will probably

continue to.

Instead of discussions and unsubstantiated panic about how unsafe we feel, we should instead be proactive.

Encourage your family to have emergency items in easy reach and practice routine earthquake drills.

If you live near the beach, get to know the warning signs of tsunamis and devise an emergency escape plan to reach higher ground quickly. While the Japanese devastation was no one’s fault, we on the West Coast can learn a lot from the tragedy. If you are prepared now, you will naturally be more likely to survive later.

The “Big One” may come tomorrow, or in 50 years. What’s important is being prepared and thinking rationally.

For those who are worried, be proactive.

Educate yourselves. But don’t fall prey to hysteria.

List of UC eligible art courses should be expanded Every day we see proof that art is a vital source of happiness — a cathartic outlet for the emotions that overwhelm us.

The singer expresses her heartby Gianna Esposito ache in song, revels in the high of doing what she loves, and then lets go of her lost love. The painter crafts a scene from a different perspective, allowing himself the opportunity to see his own situation from another point of view. The dancer moves in graceful rhythm, yearning to spread her overwhelming happiness to her spectators.

No matter what the medium is, art is a poignant and important part of life.

Fortunately, the California Department of Education (CDE) recognizes

the importance of art in students’ lives.

The “A-G” requirements, which consist of the standards students must meet for admission to a University of California (UC) or California State University (CSU) campus, include requirement “F” for one year of a “visual and performing arts” class.

However, the list of courses deemed satisfactory “visual and performing arts” excludes a several important courses.

If Beginning Dance and Advanced Dance and Choreography qualify for the art requirement, then team sports like dance and cheer, which demand much more time and commitment, but equally an comprehensive study of dance and performance, should qualify as well.

They are nothing if not “visual” arts.

Granted, dance and cheer are sports first and foremost, but since there is no “A-G” requirement for athletics, includ-

ing them in the visual and performing arts category would not be redundant.

These sports are unique in their emphasis on public performance. If you ask any dancer or cheerleader what their number one reason is for joining their sport, almost none will say “for the exercise.” They dance and cheer because they enjoy putting on a show and telling a story through movement. It’s not just about beating out the competition. It’s about riling up the audience. Dancers’ and cheerleaders’ efforts are focused entirely on evoking an emotional response.

Their purpose is to make art.

Even school publications are arts meant to tell stories and inspire emotion.

By nature, newspaper and yearbook tell the stories of our school — the stories of its students, teachers, staff, events, activities, and community. These stories are told through writing, photography, and

design — all skills which require artistic ability and creativity — in order to create attention-grabbing, visually appealing work.

All of these activities require a great deal of time and commitment, making it difficult for the dedicated athletes, writers, and designers involved in them to find time in their busy schedule to take a qualified art class. This creates a frustrating inconvenience for those already involved in unapproved artistic activities when they are forced to enroll in additional classes just to be UC eligible. If these colleges truly look for “excellence in extra-curricular activities” (www. admissions.ucsb.edu), then the CDE should include dance and school publications in the visual and performing arts requirement, if only to foster dedication to an extra-curricular students choose for themselves.

In-Depth

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Alumni provide advice to help with college decision

Community colleges are a good alternative option

“Most of them will give you an honest description of what college Choosing the right college can life is like there,” he said. be even more stressful than apAlthough the aesthetics are implying for the right one. You’re portant in choosing the right colnot just putting yourself on paper; lege, the alumni ranked “Look/Apyou’re establishing the next four pearance of Campus” below other years of your life. Luckily, alumni factors like academic rigor and can help guide the way to making school reputation. the best decision.

“It’s very easy to fall in love First of all, take a deep breath. with pretty buildings,” Alex Loftis, It’s highly likely that you’ll be who attends University of Washhappy at the college you choose. ington at St. Louis, said. “It’s very In a recent survey of RUHS alumeasy to be disappointed with ugly ni, 85 percent of respondents were buildings. Know that [and] you’ll satisfied with their college choice, quickly get used to both kinds.” but getting there was not easy.

Many alumni stressed considAlumna Sonya Egan, ‘10, ering the “feeling” of the campus changed her decision last minute, while visiting. from the University of Washington “You should know immediately in St. Louis to UCLA. if you belong there or not,” Giselle “In choosing the Piña and Penn State private school, I “I was absolutely terstudent said. realize I was atJon Schneider tracted to it for rified about leaving was disappointed in its ‘name-brand’ home, about moving his choice, UCSC, status, and its roto the other side of the because it does not mantic location have a strong histofar from home,” country, [and] about ry program, which she said. fitting in and making he didn’t realize Egan realized friends at a place that until he began his that these factors freshman year. were not as impor- seemed so different “I didn’t do my tant as the positive from RUHS,” research,” he said. aspects of UCLA: – Ryan Mendias “But it’s important the weather, the for someone who proximity to home, might not at first the sports, etc. When choosing a enjoy their college to give your college, beware of false idealism school a try, and decide by sophoand focus on the real factors the more year [whether to transfer].” college offers.

Another key factor in choosing a Many alumni encourage taking school is size—class size, campus advantage of programs that allow size, and population size. you to stay at the college overnight Kevin Maniar, who attends UC for a day or two to get a feel for life Berkeley, regrets not taking class at that college. After staying over size into consideration. night at Columbia, Alex O’Hagan “I thought that I could handle felt that she had found the perfect whatever amount of kids there fit. were in my class,” he said. “Now “I always thought I would stay I realize that class size really does in California for school, but now influence my attentiveness.”

I love living on the other side of Although aspects like weather the country,” she said. “You have may seem trivial, Kevin Huang to be open minded about your fuwarns, “Don’t overestimate your ture.” tolerance for things like rain for Alumnus Cody Schmidt, ‘09, entire weeks.” who committed to UC Berkeley, For those looking at east coast encourages students to interact colleges, beware of the winters. with the students of the campus “It’s all about learning to layer you visit.

by Kimberly Chapman

by Laney Burke

WHERE ARE YOU GOING? Students explore the various options they have when deciding which college is right for them. They consider community colleges, financial support, and a gap year when choosing which choice suits them best.

and buy the right [winter clothes],” O’Hagan said. “The snow never stops you from doing what you need to do.”

Location is crucial to making a decision: do you want to be two hours from home or on the other side of the country?

Ryan Mendias was hesitant to take a leap of faith and commit to Yale.

“I was absolutely terrified about

leaving home, about moving to the other side of the country, [and] about fitting in and making friends at a place that seemed so different from RUHS,” he said.

Now Mendias feels that choosing Yale was the best decision he’s ever made.

Della Taylor chose a less-traveled path when making her college decision: she is attending the United States Military Academy at

West Point.

“Even though I don’t get to have the normal college experience, I know this is where I belong,” she said.

When considering a military college over a traditional one, consider the commitment you will have to the military (5 years) and the daily mental, physical, and academic demands of the academy.

Ultimately, there is no perfect

formula in choosing the right college, but whether you choose to stress financial aid, greek life, or location, go to the college that feels right for you and make your decision carefully.

“If you [choose] right, there’s a good chance that everything you think you know right now will be totally deconstructed in college,” 2008 alumna Rachel Baker said.

“It’s an exhilarating process.”

FAFSA gives valuable scholarship money to students College can become expensive for many students. Fortunately, there are scholarships and financial aid available to make debt lighter.

by Taylor Ballard and Anacristina Gonzalez

PHOTO BY ERINN MIDDO

Helping his future. Karen Morris, head of the College and Career center, helps senior Brennan Abramowitz make choices for college. Morris is available at lunch and snack everyday to help students of any grade with their college concerns.

Preparing for college can be stressful, especially writing college acceptance essays and taking the SAT. But there is a less stressful option for receiving a high education: community college.

Community college is a good start for kids who are struggling to find their career path, according to counselor Melissa Espinoza.

“Sometimes kids don’t know what they truly want to do. Community college is a good way for kids to try different options without spending a thousand dollars on a class you end up not liking,” Espinoza said.

Redondo alumna Erika Gavitt believes that going to a community college has helped her determine her major.

“Before college, I intended my major to be English but after going to El Camino, I have never been more sure that English should be my major,” Gavitt said.

Community colleges can benefit students who need help financially, according to Morris.

“The costs of four year colleges are very expensive. At community colleges such as El Camino, you are offered financial aid.

Also, many people do not know that there are scholarships available for community colleges as well,” head of the college and career center, Karen Morris said.

Community colleges also provide students with a higher chance of getting into the college of their choice, according to Morris.

“UCLA only accepted about nine students this year from Redondo. If you went to El Camino, you have a better chance of getting in if you transferred,” Morris said.

Students at community colleges can raise their grades if they did not do as well as they wanted to in high school before applying to the university of their choice.

Every year as the cost for college goes up, so does a student’s stress level. Attending a four year college entails a heavy price with the possibility of going into debt. Luckily, there are plenty of financial aid options available to high school graduates, according to Karen Morris, head of the College and Career center. “[The students] are encouraged to fill out [the FAFSA, or Free Application for Federal State Aid,] no matter what the income of the family is,” Morris said.

AP Government and Macroeconomics teacher Shannon Rodriguez recommends students do what is most financially responsible when deciding which college they will attend because debt can be hard to pay off, especially when interest rates can change yearly.

The FAFSA is one of the easiest ways for students to receive financial assistance, including loans, grants, and scholarships, according to Karen Morris, director of the College and Career Center.

According to Morris, the FAFSA is made easy to fill out on fafsa.com and one can even call a Student Aid Advisor for help on

filling it out. A FAFSA advisor will fill out the form for students and maximize a student’s eligibility.

In order to receive any kind of financial aid, filling out the FAFSA is vital.

“Students should start the process at the beginning of their freshman year.

They should not wait until they receive their college acceptance notices and getting the news of the cost that it is actually going to be [to attend the college of their preference] –Karen Morris When applying for student loans there are two types: subsidized loans and unsubsidized loans. According to csus.edu, subsidized loans are awarded on the basis of financial need. A student will not be charged any interest before he or she begins repaying the loan.

On the other hand, an unsubsidized loan charges interest from the time the money is first disbursed until it is paid in full. One of the best ways to manage an unsubsidized loan is to pay the interest as it accumulates.

“The subsidized [loan] is absolutely better, no question, Because you do not get interest added to the loan,” Morris said.

While loans can be convenient, they have the ability to cost a student more in the long run.

“Students should try to stay away from loans in order to stay out of debt,” Morris said.

Similarly, Rodriguez said students should be careful of how much money they borrow because it does add up and the interest of loans compounds.

In order to ensure that a student gets as much financial aid as he or she needs, a student should pay careful attention to deadlines and start applying for scholarships early on.

“Many scholarships can be somewhat time consuming because they require a lot of effort but seniors do not have much time,” Rodriguez said.

Morris believes seniors should start ap-

plying for scholarships and grants earlier so they have more time to make their decisions.

“Students should start the process at the beginning of their freshman year. They should not wait until they receive their college acceptance notices and getting the news of the cost that it is actually going to be [to attend the college of their preference],” Morris said.

Rodriguez is very involved in choosing which student qualifies for the Gates Millennium scholarship. The Gates Millennium Scholarship offers students with a “goodthrough-graduation” scholarship at the college or university of the student’s choice.

“To me, the Gates Millennium scholarship is the best scholarship out there,” Rodriguez said. “Every year I try to identify one to two kids who fit the Gates Millennium Scholarship Requirements.”

Because Rodriguez understands that her seniors are under somewhat of a time crunch as college approaches, she tries to aid in their success.

“When you are going off to college you have to put your pride aside,” Rodriguez said.

“Community colleges allow you to have a fresh start since your GPA does not carry over,” Morris said.

Gavitt enjoys the smaller class sizes at El Camino because they are less intimidating.

“Smaller classes let me think I can talk to my classmate if I need help with anything. In a way it helps you stay motivated. Having the ability to get to know your professors is also really nice,” Gavitt said.

Community colleges have many similarities to normal universities. For example, they have similar campuses.

“They have sororities and sports teams.

What many people don’t know is that kids can even be recruited at the community college level to play sports,” Espinoza said.

Community colleges such as El Camino have several unique programs that can benefit students.

“They have programs such as the Honors Transfer Program where kids will be guaranteed to be excepted in UCs, the First Year Experience where students receive special counseling, and the Puente Program which provides English instruction, writing classes, and mentors to help Hispanic students that are struggling,” Morris said.

Gavitt is involved in the Honors Transfer Program at El Camino.

“I like it because you get to meet people who are as excited to transfer as you are,” Gavitt said.

Espinoza recognizes that some people may talk negatively about community college, but she believes it ultimately depends on a person’s end goal.

“The most important thing is that you go to college, so no matter what path you take, whether you go straight to Cal states or UCs, or you start at a junior college, you all end up with the same degree in the end. That’s what’s important,” Espinoza said.

Otzelberger and Loveland decide to take gap year HOW HAPPY WILL YOU BE? A survey of 20 alumni ranked the level of importance of certain aspects when deciding which college to commit to.

1. Academic rigor 2. Available majors 3. Campus social life 4. Reputation 5. Campus appearance 6. Campus size

15% not s were atisfie d

85% were of alumn i satisfi their colle ed with ge c hoice

by Alex Curtis

It is expected that high school students go to college the second we graduate, whether we are ready, need it, or could really use some time to figure out what it is we want to do with our adult lives.

Senior Rachel Otzelberger plans to take a gap year, which is a year in between high school and college, so that she can prepare financially and be certain about what she wants to study and pursue as a career.

She feels scholarships cannot cover enough college expenses and that even transferring from a community college can end up wasting money.

“What if I go to El Camino and waste a bunch of time and money trying to figure [what I want to do] out and I don’t figure it out? I don’t want to be stuck at ‘El Co’ for six years,” she said.

Although she feels a gap year is her best option, her family disagrees and encourages her to attend college right away.

“My mom’s willing to go with whatever I choose, but she thinks I should go to college straight out [of high school].

[My grandparents] feel that I won’t go to college if I don’t go straight out,” Otzelberger said.

Otzelberger wants to attend college in the fall to please her family, but she realizes this is not the best plan for her future.

“I wish I could go straight to college for them, but I’m uneasy about it. I want to make my grandparents happy, but I don’t know what my future will hold,” she said.

Senior Olivia Loveland has an entirely different plan. She has decided to take a year abroad in Argentina with a program not affiliated with college.

“I’ve always been interested in working [in] international relations. I thought this would be the best way to get experience,” Loveland said She says that a college program will not give her the opportunities that this program will.

“I really wanted to travel, and I wanted to take a full year,” Loveland said. “Usually in college you end up going with a group of Americans and not getting the full immersion.”

Loveland learned of the program she chose through a research project in her junior English class, but had to apply a year in advance.

She was fortunate enough to get one of her first choices in countries.

“You can [set a] preference [for] countries, but they can send you anywhere.

You hear of a lot of people going to Europe, so I thought it would be interesting to go to South America,” she said.

Whether a student is unsure of what they want to do or dead set on a goal, a gap between high school and college can be beneficial, so long as there is some plan in play.

Otzelberger advises other students that are unsure of what they want to study to take some time to figure it out.

“Take a step back and make up your mind before you jump in and get in a lot of debt,” she said.

PHOTO BY ERINN MIDDO

Filling the gaps. Senior Rachel Otzelberger plans to take a year off after graduating to decide what she wants to do. A gap year will also help her financially.

Sports

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LACROSSE

looks for the

LEAD

PHOTO BY CELESTE MANUGHIAN-PETER Ready to play. Junior Joshua Rosenberg runs past a player from Beverly Hills in order to maintain possession.

After a win against Downey, boys’ lacrosse prepares for the PV challenge.

By Camille Duong

On Wednesday the boys’ lacrosse team beat Downey for the first time 10-8, bringing their record to 7-3.

The team won 60 percent of the face-offs, which helped to the teams’ performance according to coach Phil Comito.

“We need to play perfect lacrosse — no errors or mistakes. We need to be on point all game. We need to stay focused the entire game.

– Dillon Guth “There was excellent play from Max Christy [on face-offs],” Comito said.

In addition to the face-off wins the team played well overall, according to Christy.

“We did what we were supposed to,” Christy said. “We worked the ball around and we took more opportunities to shoot.”

The team played “really well” according to Comito “The team did well with clearing, face-offs, ground balls, and in between the boxes,” he said.

This is the best the team has played so far, according to senior Dillon Guth.

“Our team is doing good and we are playing a lot better than before,” Guth said. “We have really progressed from where we started at the beginning of the year.”

Christy attributes the win to confidence.

“The team overall did better because of the confidence we have in each other,” he said.

Today the team plays Palos Verdes, the number one team in the Bay League.

“PV is a tough team and we need to play the best we can,” Guth said.

Even with the win and better performance than previous years there are still some adjustments to be made for the game today, especially finishing shots, according to Comito.

“Offense played really well. They generated a lot of shots and completed plays but we still need to work on finishing those shots,” Comito said.

According to Comito, the defense was strong against Marina Monday but was caught off-guard during unsettled ball situations and man-ups at the game against Downey.

“We need to continue work on position and body on ball and off,” he said.

Comito is “excited” for the game, but at the same time recognizes the difficulty in this game. “ [PV] is at the top of the Bay League, and on of the best teams in the southern division,” Comito said. “Our team is a much better now and we can use this game to measure and compare our team from one of the best.”

Christy knows that in the game today the team has to bring all that they have onto the field.

“I think that [PV] is a hard team and we need to try our hardest,” he said.

Guth believes that the team needs to be on top of its game to have a chance at winning.

“We need to play perfect lacrosse — no errors or mistakes.

We need to be on point all game,” he said. “We need to stay focused the entire game.”

Golf gets the time to regroup Boys’ golf hopes to succeed in its next tournament despite small size.

By Tatiana Celentano

Last week the boys lost 193-205 against Palos Verdes in an away match. Sophomore Lawrence Ree led the team with a score of 38.

Inglewood backed out of this week’s match, giving the boys time to regroup for next week’s Knabe Cup Golf Tournament.

“I will try to stay focused on improving my mistakes and hopefully it will turn out with a good score,” sophomore Ray Malazo said.

According to coach John Burke the team is at a disadvantage carrying only six players, because each player must carry his weight.

According to sophomore Matthew Ferradas, the team has not been able to perform to their full potential because in off-season some of their players didn’t play and practice enough to prepare for the season.

“We are trying to get good quickly. We are starting to take advantage of the time to practice. In doing so, we are bringing a more serious attitude and commitment to perform better,” Ferradas said.

Burke has high hopes for the team to perform successfully for the remainder of the season with a new PHOTO BY JENNY OETZELL committed attitude and more practice.

Preparation Path.

Sophomore Lawrence Ree focuses on “My goal is to win the rest of the matches and qualify his drive and hopes to improve for next week’s tournament. for CIF as individuals,” Burke said.

Softball becomes a family After winning against Torrance last night, softball develops an even stronger bond between the returning players and new players.

By Jessi Shipley

Softball won their game 11-8 yesterday against Torrance High.

According to the girls, it was their consistent pitcher, strong offense, and tough defense that won them the game.

“We were really in it today. We came in strong and confident: ready to play,” senior Cindy Zamudio said.

The girls feel as if they will continue to come out on top.

“We really have improved. I can see us getting better.

If we keep this up, we will continue to win,” senior Linda Park said.

The team sees that it is not only their skill level that makes them win, but the unity of the team as well.

“It’s the team chemistry that really shows in our games.

It’s our key to winning,” Park said.

According to many of the players, softball has been more than a team this year — they have been a family.

The older and more experienced players coach the young players.

“One extremely important thing that our team has this year is a great family atmosphere,” junior Juliana Jordan said.

Aside from what they learn from the coaches, the younger members of the team get help from the returning varsity players.

“I like being one of the younger girls because I feel like I’m learning a lot from the older and more experienced players,” junior Jazmin Jordan said.

The seniors also feel like they benefit from coaching the younger girls.

“I enjoy helping the other girls. It lets me go over what I need to improve on too,” Zamudio said.

With all of the girls working hard to make each other stronger players, a bond has been formed within the team.

“I still feel like we get along great and that we have great camaraderie,” Jazmin said.

According to the girls, having such a tight team really builds up their confidence for the games.

“We know were going to do well, we believe in and trust each other,” Zamudio said.

With close friendships and teammates helping each other out, the girls are preparing themselves for their games ahead.

PHOTO BY JAKE COLLINS Family strength. Senior Brett Aspel hits a single in last night’s game against Torrance High.

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Third straight title in sight Girls Lacrosse beat Downey Wednesday and Costa Tuesday to essentially clinch the Bay League title.

by Olivia Loveland

The girls’ lacrosse team beat Downey yesterday 17-7 after beating Mira Costa, 16-12, on Tuesday.

The girls “dominated” Downey, allowing for many different girls to play.

“We had eleven different girls score including two defenders who never get to play offense, Jaden Braunwarth and Ciara Diaz,” coach Tom Borgia said.

The Downey game gave younger players a lot of “valuable” playing time according to Borgia.

“Most of our starters played every minute of the Costa game and their legs needed a rest,” Borgia said.

The girls beat Costa for the second time this season and it marked an important day for the seniors.

“Our seniors will be the first girls to graduate with a winning record versus Costa.

We have won five of six games the last three years versus Costa,” Borgia said.

At half time the score was 14-7, with four goals and one assist from senior Alli-

2.

PHOTO BY CELESTE MANAGULAN

Run and Gun. 1. Junior Brittany Ross attacks the goal in Tuesday’s game against Costa. Although Costa “came back strong, the girls beat them 16-12. 2. Senior Allison Field breaks through Peninsula’s defense for another goal.

With a current record of 7-0, the team is looking to capture the Bay League crown for the third year in a row.

PHOTO BY JON MARTIN

son Field, three goals and three assists from senior Julia Denney, and two goals from sophomore Bailey Czech.

“We played an OK game versus Costa.

We were sharp for the first half but we got sloppy in the second half,” Borgia said.

They finished with a four-goal lead over Costa with added goals from new varsity players, sophomores Allison Kotzbach and Brittany Ross.

We have already beaten the remaining five Bay league teams we have left on our schedule by a total of 49 goals so we are in great shape,” Borgia said.

The girls have three more league games left in their season.

“Palos Verdes might give us a challenge but that is our last regular season game and I know this team will not lose that game when they have a chance to go 12-0 in Bay

League for the second year in a row,” Borgia said.

Right now the team is focusing on relaxing for most of spring break and getting ready for the last league games in the first week back from break.

“Our goal is to win the rest of our games and if we do, that will give us a 33-1 record in Bay League over the last three years,” Borgia said.

Tennis to focus on Costa

Swimmers are right on target

by David Kawa

by Tati Celentano

On Tuesday the boys won 122-48 against South. Girls lost 104-66, they were defeated in every race except one relay. For the girl’s teams, South preformed with the fastest times yet in our new pool.

“Going into the meet, we knew that South’s boys team has a lot more strong swimmers in a variety of different strokes than we do,” junior John Portis said. “We were expecting a close race but ended up doing really well and winning overall.”

According to Rubke, senior Hogan Inscore, Diaz, and junior Meglyn Huber were the top swimmers of the meet. Diaz hit his personal best time, 2:04 in the 200 IM. “[Before getting in the water] I knew I wanted to improve my time and move up in the top twenty. I’m happy I was able to win and set my own personal record,” Diaz said.

Now Diaz plans to start focusing on breaking the school record in the 500 free style and improving his time in the 200 freestyle.

Senior Hogan Inscore reached the 100 breaststroke qualifying time for CIF. “Last year in CIF I got a better time, but I am ahead of where I was last year. I want to keep the pace going by showing up to every morning and Saturday practice and training afterwards,” Inscore said.

Some swimmers were disappointed in their performances.

“Not everyone performs at the same level any given day. As long as some are good, it’s a good sign because they all have the same training. We have a reason to be confident because of the number of good swims,” Rubke said.

According to Rubke the majority of the team is lowering times and improving on technique.

“I left the meet feeling good overall and I have a sense that the swimmers that have been working hard are responding to the training,” Rubke said.

The next meet is in two weeks against West, giving the swimmers time to improve over spring break.

According to Portis, West’s team should be similar to South. They have fast sprinters in freestyle as well and the boys need to focus and prepare for that.

“My hope for this coming meet and season is for our relay team [junior Declan Andrew, Diaz, Inscore and Portis] to break all of the relay school records. This is the year to make it happen. This is the team to make it happen,” Portis said.

“We got up and then relaxed a little too early, but I think we all knew there was no way we were losing at home to Costa. We have not lost a home game in the last three years and Costa wasn’t going to steal that game from us,” Borgia said.

After this game the team is confident in winning a Bay League title.

“It was a big win because it basically clinched our 3rd straight Bay League title.

PHOTO BY JENNY OETZELL

You got served. Junior Chris Lew serves in a doubles match against West. Although the team lost 17-1 to PV yesterday, they are optimistic about securing a third-place spot in League.

Boy’s Tennis lost to Palos Verdes, 17 - 1.

The team is currently 1 - 1 and fourth place in Bay League.

Coach Jessica Seibert was not surprised by the result. According to Seibert, Palos Verdes stacked the team with six “great new” freshman.

“They are the strongest team in the league. We all knew we didn’t have much of a chance. We would have liked our score to be a little closer, but it just didn’t go our way,” she said.

Sophomore Derek Levchenko scored the only win, 6 - 3, in his final set.

“By the third set, I wasn’t happy about losing the first two, but I was just glad we didn’t end 18-0. I was glad I was able to support the team with a win,” he said.

Senior Paul Levchenko puts the loss in perspective.

“We played alright, they are just so good.

It’s not the biggest deal, but you don’t ever want to lose 17 - 1. At least we lost to a really good team, not one at our own level,” he said.

Senior Sebastian Mendoza does not see the match as a complete loss. According to

Mendoza, he and doubles partner, senior Jonathan Yang, put up a fight.

“We got three out of six games against their number three. We weren’t expecting to get anything, but we were able to break their serves and stayed pace with them until the end. We tried to play as consistent as possible,” he said.

The team leaves the loss behind to address it’s “most important” match against

“We played alright, they are just so good. It’s not the biggest deal, but you don’t ever want to lose 17-1,” – Paul Levchenko Mira Costa. This match decides the third place rank in Bay League and a chance at advancing to CIF. “We were prepared for the PV loss, but now we are setting our focus on Costa. It’s a more realistic match,” junior Chris Lew said.

According to Seibert, Costa is as beatable as she has seen them in years. The team stays optimistic for a win against their “big-

gest competition” in league. “[Mira Costa] lost their three best singles players and their best doubles team. I can easily see the match coming in a 9-9 ties, but we are hoping for that 10-8 win. It’s going to be really neck and neck this year,” she said.

In anticipation of the match against Costa, the team plans to practice independently through Spring Break and improve their technique.

“If we can get a win on them we can get to CIF. We can’t be slacking,” Paul Levchenko said.

Strategic readjustments may be the key to clinch the victory according to sophomore Derek Levchenko, including changing up the match-ups.

“It’s going to be a big one and a close one. We are thinking about changing the line and stacking the singles players, but we don’t know if it’ll come to that,” Levchenko said.

According to Seibert, it will take a united team to pull out a win.

“We are staying pretty positive. We have been talking about this since the beginning of the season. It’s a team goal, we are all on the same page,” she said.

Baseball springs forward

by Zach Zent

After a 11-4 win against North on Wednesday night, the baseball team is looking forward to a tough weekend tournament in Anaheim. Although the tournament will feature a few of southern California’s best teams, the team is not intimidated, according to manager Jeff Baumback.

“Our approach to playing games never changes. We go into each game thinking about ourselves and improving on the way we compete and play the game,” Baumback said.

Coach Baumback and the team are ready for whatever comes their way.

“Who’s in the other dugout is irrelevant.

We simply play the game and react to the ball,” Baumback said.

The team’s bats are also starting to make some noise, which will help the team leave their mark in Anaheim, according to Baumback.

“After starting the season in a bit of a hitting slump, our bats are beginning to come alive.

We are getting runners and executing well enough to score some runs,” Baumback said.

Solid hitting has also eased some of the pressure off of the pitchers.

“Our hitting has really helped our pitching staff relax and not have to worry about giving up a couple runs. When pitchers know they’re going to get run support they

generally pitch better,” Baumback said.

However, pitching still remains the name of the game for the team, as it has all season.

Junior Adrian Benoit believes the team’s success ultimately revolves around pitching.

“Grant Wessel has really established himself as a legitimate starter, which has made our team more relaxed and better overall,” Benoit said.

Benoit is confident that if the team stays true to the fundamentals of the game, they can’t go wrong.

“We’ve got to stick to the fundamentals.

It’s all about the stuff you learn in Little League: catching the ball, hitting the ball, and throwing the ball.”

As always, the team is looking to improve, according to Baumback.

“Defense is still the area where we need to continue to improve, but we are definitely progressing.”

Baumback believes the team is going to do well in upcoming games, despite not having a great record.

“I am very proud of this group, we have competed well and the results of competing are beginning to come to us. The team is 7-5 at this point, but has won 6 of the last 8 games. We are building some momentum and confidence and I am looking forward to our tournament over spring break.”

PHOTO BY ASHLEY MAULDIN

Eyes on the prize. Junior Hunter Bradshaw hits a single in Wednesday’s game against North. The team won 11-4 and is looking to continue improving this weekend in Anaheim.

Sports

8

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]April 1, 2011 ]

Volleyball stuffs PV

Athlete of Julia Denney the Issue

by Matthew Brancolini

Boys’ volleyball swept Palos Verdes 25-17, 25-17 and 25-22 yesterday afternoon. The team’s strong offense carried them through all three games, according to coach Duncan Avery.

“We have a great offense,” coach Avery said. “We served really well the whole game.

I always say that serving and passing are the cornerstones of the game and if you can do those things well you’ll be successful.”

Coach Avery also feels confident about the team’s blocking.

“Our blocking was spectacular this game. We had 15 stuffed blocks. That many blocks puts you in contention to win a lot of matches.”

However, the highlight of the match came when the team was down 22-17 and it appeared that the match would be headed to at least 4 games. Then the team, led by the serving of junior libero Kevin Fender, closed out the final match on an 8-0 run.

“We’re a veteran team with 30 combined years of varsity experience and runs like that show that we can find a way to win if things aren’t going well,” Avery said.

Luckily, the team works situations like that into its practices.

“We actually have a drill in practice like that,” Avery said, “In the drill, we’re down big and we have to win it. It helps us get used to the pressure. That’s exactly what happened in game three so we were ready for it.”

The team has been working hard this week to get their defense up to par with their offense, according to junior libero and designated server Clay Attig.

“We’ve been working on situational defense because its more realistic than normal drills,” Attig said. “We have our middles line up and hit like PV and then we practice how to defend it.”

Coach Avery believes that the players will need to clean up their defense if they want to beat California’s elite teams, including rivals Mira Costa.

by Allie Goldberg

PHOTO BY JAKE COLLINS

Spike. Senior Trevor Butler spikes the ball on a player from West last week.

“Our next game isn’t until April 14th, when we play Costa. We’re going to have to spend a lot of time in the gym working on our defense in preparation,” Avery said. “We didn’t dig enough balls today for me to feel good about our defense.”

Avery plans to work the team hard during their fourteen day layoff to avoid coming out flat against Costa.

“We have good momentum and that’s what you want before going into a tough

game,” Avery said. “But Costa will to be playing against some of Hawaii’s best teams so they’ll be fresh when they play us. We have to make sure we’re not flat.”

The team is not intimidated by Mira Costa’s success, according to junior middle blocker Austin Bowen.

“I think we’ll do pretty good against them,” Bowen said. “We can beat them.

We just have to play and see what happens.

She put her spandex and her bathing suit into the bottom of her drawer. After senior Julia Denney’s sophomore year playing three varsity sports, she decided to dedicate the second half of her high school career entirely to lacrosse.

“I really liked volleyball and water polo but I knew I could only play one sport at the next level,” she said.

Denney has spent the last 4 years on varsity and feels that the program has been extremely successful.

“We won Bay League the last two years and now we are going for a three-peat,” she said.

Denney came up two goals short of the school record with 52 goals last season, and continues to be the leading scorer, according to coach Tom Borgia.

“She’s our best player,” he said. “She leads our team everyday and plays the most difficult position.”

Denney is the center, which means she plays both offense and defense.

Borgia explained that Denney’s happy-golucky spirit always encourages her teammates.

“She’s really funny and outgoing,” he said.

“She always plays very loose and free and everybody follows her example. She makes sure nobody is in a panic when games get close.”

Borgia attributes a lot of Denney’s success to her commitment to her fitness during the off-season.

“I think she might be our only player who went out and did extra work outs after practice during the off-season. She was willing to do anything to better her game,” he said.

Borgia described Denney as the “Lady Gaga” of the team.

“She has so much energy and really gets everybody fired up,” he said.

According to senior Allison Field, Denney vocally motivates her teammates intensely during each game.

“Shes a very smart player,” she said. “She says what she wants at the exact moment it needs to happen.”

Denney committed to Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania earlier this year where she will continue on in her Lacrosse career.

“I’m so excited about Swarthmore. It’s such an amazing school and I probably would never have had the opportunity to go there without lacrosse and I’m really glad my decision to play lacrosse was the right choice,” she said.

Track continues running for gold

by Julie Tran

The track team is currently placed in Bay League after “dominating” yesterday at a trimeet against Palos Verdes and Leuzinger.

They prepare to compete in the Arcadia Invitational next week, in which the boys are entered in the 4x800, while the girls are entered in the relays. Several distance runners and sprinter are also expected to have qualified for individual races, according to coach Julie Ferron.

“Arcadia is one of the most elite track meets in the United States,” Ferron said.

“You need qualifying times just to enter.

They then sift through all of the entries and only take top times from all over the U.S. No doubt our top varsity members will make it.”

Sophmore Cara Ulizio sees the Arcadia Invitational as an opportunity to compete with the nation’s best.

According to Ferron, the girls’ team has incredible depth and managed to beat Palos Verdes rather heavily regardless of the numerous injuries.

In addition, people were making personal records at the meet.

“We thought it’d be a close competition- neck and neck going down to the last couple races, but we were incredible and really won by quite a bit,” Ferron said. “The boys team won by a lot but we expected to win.”

The girls swept in pole vaulting, jumps, and throws. Highlights include junior Jasmine Freeman, who pole vaulted a personal record of 10’9” and the return of junior Lindsey Mull, who was recently out due to an injury.

According to Ulizio, overall the team had a strong performance and placed in every event. The sophomores, however, shined on the field.

Despite a back and hip injury, returning Bay League champion, sophomore Shelby Bassman placed first in the 100 and 200 meter dash. “[My injury] kept me from practicing for a couple months and just to be able to run, I have to go to physical therapy every week. It’s hard having to stop during practice and stretch or to ice,” Bassman said. “I worked through the pain because I knew that I was going to have a good chance to go far this season.”

Sophomore Erin South, the newest addition to the team, won the 400 meter and sophomore Evan Malone-White, who is currently the second fastest sophomore in California, also placed first in the two-mile with a time of 10:05.

Ferron hopes to utilize Spring Break to the team’s fullest advantage. Practices will run from eight until noon. They will practice at the track during the week and at

PHOTOS BY JENNY OETZELL

Up, up, and away. Junior Jasmine Freeman pole vaults in a track meet last week. Freeman cleared a 10’ 9” pole vault jump yesterday.

Malaga on Saturdays.

“Without the distractions and stresses of school, we’ll break times,” Ulizio said. “We

have a lot of potential both on the boys and girls side. Everyone is determined to do well and come out victorious.”

SPRING into NEW UNIFORMS

Redondo sports are wearing new uniforms featuring the third school color, blue.

Softball’s uniform has been updated for the new season with a new style of jersey including the player’s names on the back. “It makes it a bit more personal,” senior Jen Stevens said.

Baseball’s uniforms now have blue hats, belts, a seahawk logo on the back of the pants and home and away jerseys. “The new coach represents a new team and style and the new uniforms further represent the team’s positive transformation,” senior Travis Fischvogt said.

Track’s uniforms are tight fitted- and light to reduce wind resistance. According to senior Laura O’Niell, the uniformas add an extra element to the team dynamic: “There is an intimidation factor. We get a lot of comments from other teams about our uniform.”

THE SURFER BOND

LIVE AND LEARN

Although some localization of surf spots occurs in the South Bay, surfers usually bond with one another over a passion for waves and a love of the ocean.

A father-son duo and a club on campus, Ohana O’Kekai, teach others how to surf and gain a deep appreciation for the ocean in the process.

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b.3

OUTRIGGER

ACROSS THE BAY

PADDLE DOWN THE COAST

Stroke, stroke, stroke. Students build both physical and mental strength by working together to outrigger with the Lanakila Outrigger club.

Paddling next to fish, dolphins, sharks, and whales, paddlers form an close relationship with the ocean and its many creatures.

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SPEARING THE FISH

TACK. JIBE. SAIL.

Swimming through the kelp forests, fish dart out from all around the spear fisherman. He releases his spear and strikes the fish, catching his next meal.

With wind in their sails and their boat racing along, sailors harness the power of the mighty Pacific, learning to understand the ocean and embrace its unpredictably.

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PROTECTING

MARINE LIFE

GUARDING THE SOUTH BAY

Volunteers work to rehabilitate local marine life, repopulate endangered species, and teach the community to respect the ocean and its diverse ecosystem.

Scanning the horizon, the lifeguard spots a swimmer in a rip current, within seconds he has already entered the water and moments later he makes the rescue.

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OCEAN M I N D E D

too Often we forget the vast force right in our backyards. we see it, we recognize it, we marvel at it. but what power does it really have on our community? The possibilities are endless. So do it. Dive in. Ride that wave. Raise that sail. Snorkel through that kelp forest. play in the whitewash. jump in that outrigger. The ocean is our playground. but it is not ours for the taking. it is ours to embrace. it is ours to respect. It is ours to protect. it is our community. it is our harbor. it is our beach. it is our ocean.

The High Tide Redondo Union High School Redondo Beach, Calif.

April 1, 2011

A

the

nchor

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10

Apr. 1, 2011

A Fishy

by Nic Cruz and Anthony Leong

situation

The recent mass die-off of sardines at King Harbor negatively impacted the local ecosystem, but the recovery is in progress.

An unpredictable tragedy struck on March 15, when countless fish suffocated in the waters of King Harbor.

But even though the fish were removed from the bay, a putrid smell still lingers in the air around the harbor and the ecosystem is still recovering.

According to AP Environmental Science teacher Mary Simun, the problem is far from over.

The effects of the die-off will impact the environment around King Harbor for quite some time.

“When I went down, even in the rain, I could smell decomposing fish,” Simun said. “Certain types of bacteria must be thriving.”

Simun predicts that the incident will cause a shift in the balance of the ecosystem.

“It can affect the food chain in many ways,” she said.

Scavengers and decomposers in the harbor will thrive with an abundant source of food –– the remaining decomposing fish. While these kinds of organisms survive, other types will suffer, according to Simun.

“The lack of oxygen will harm [animals like crabs and muscles that cannot move easily],” she said. “They can’t go find water with higher oxygen levels.”

Despite the current problem, Simun feels that

by Joanie Schneider and Vanessa Alarcon

the volunteers that helped remove the fish helped lessen the devastation on the environment.

“Having the people physically come and remove the fish was extremely helpful,” Simun said.

However, according to SEA Lab Public Programs Supervisor Kris Perez, the fish clean-up has been suspended.

“They removed as much as they could and now they’re just relying on mother nature to take course [and clean up the rest of the fish],” Perez said. “Right now there’s a bunch of anoxic bacteria breaking down the sardines.”

Ann Zellers, member of the Algalita Marine Research Foundation, an organization devoted to keeping the ocean clean, believes the deaths will have adverse effects on the ocean.

“The ecological balance will be thrown off for a while,” Zeller said.

Although there are many theories as to why millions of small fish were found dead in the harbor, Perez believes it was not due to hazardous or toxic material in the water.

“We all kind of came to the same conclusion,” he said. “Sardines are schooling fish. It only takes one sardine to make a wrong turn, so that one sardine turned into the harbor and the rest fol-

lowed suit.”

But it wasn’t just a wrong turn that caused this disaster.

“The hypothesis is that the change in currents pushed the sardines into the area, and then they swam into King Harbor,” he said.

The oxygen in the harbor was limited, and with millions of sardines in the harbor, the oxygen content was bound to diminish quickly.

Despite all of the fish that died, the SEA Lab was able to save about 260 sardines using nets.

The fish were then transported back to the lab and are currently in the lab’s “schooling fish” tanks.

“We have lots of people coming in and asking about the sardines,” Perez said. “We just want to be able to show them that it was a lack of oxygen [that killed the fish] — it wasn’t a toxin in the water.”

But according to Zeller, the bacteria problem is not a long-term, serious problem. The high bacteria levels are a result of both bacteria growth from the King Harbor incident and run-off from the recent rainfalls. Also, the waters tested by the SEA Lab have shown that the oxygen levels of the waters have been increasing.

“Luckily the tidal flush is good in most parts of the harbor, so recovery is not far off,” Zeller said.

exploringthe sea lab

The Redondo Beach SEA Lab, a local non-profit aquarium, focuses on educating the public and rehabilitating local sea creatures.

The SEA Lab is home to many rare species of marine animals such as the giant black sea bass and the bat ray.

The SEA Lab rehabilitates sea creatures injured in the ocean and those inadvertently captured by the nearby power plant.

“The power plant brings in animals and we rescue them to release again, or keep them for education. We like to teach people about the creatures in their oceans,” Chris Bautista said.

Bautista works for the LA Conser-

vation Corporation, which partners with the Redondo Beach SEA Lab. “I volunteered for three years and have been working here at the SEA Lab for 6 months and I love it. Teaching people about what is important about the ocean is very important.

Especially since we live in proximity to the beach,” Bautista said.

Junior Charlotte Kim shares similar opinions as Bautista regarding volunteering at the Sea Lab. “[Working at the SEA Lab] is a great experience that prepares you for interacting with people like you would do in a job in addition to the fact that you get to learn more

about our oceans and our sea life” Kim said.

Volunteers at the Sea Lab are mostly teenagers or young adults. But all volunteers enjoy working at the SEA Lab. “I think educating the public and making them have more interest in marine animals is the most important thing the SEA Lab does for us,” Kim said.

The Sea Lab is a hidden gem right in our backyard that many students have had the pleasure to find. The SEA Lab educates people living in our community and attracts volunteers thirsty for knowledge.

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Wonders to sea. 1. The spiral-shaped egg of a horn shark. The SEA Lab provides tours of various animals like these three times every Tuesday through Friday, and six times every weekday. 2. A volunteer feeds the fish their lunch, which includes squid and lamb head. 3. A family of lobsters residing in their tank. The SEA Lab is open every day of the week except Monday.

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Apr. 1, 2011

b.

guarding The

bay

The ocean can be a dangerous place.

Sometimes, the only things standing between beach-goers and a watery grave are the lifeguards that patrol our shores day in and day out.

ambition to

Guard

by Alyssa Sanchez

Diaz hopes to pursue career in lifeguarding after participating in the Junior Lifeguard program.

He feels the warm sand underneath his toes and watches the crashing waves from a distance when he sees a lifeguard sprint towards the ocean and dolphin under the waves effortlessly. This image is forever engraved is senior Jonathan Diaz’s head. This image is what sparked his desire and laid out his path to become a LA County lifeguard. He has dedicated a lot of his time to achieve his dream.

Diaz has been in the Los Angeles County Junior Lifeguards program for seven years and for two of those years, he served as a cadet. In 2010 he was named Cadet of the Year.

Diaz’s training in the Junior Lifeguards program gave him enough experience to save five people last summer.

“On one occasion I saved a kid and when I gave him back to his parents all of the younger junior lifeguards were chanting ‘Hero’ in unison. It was awesome and made me feel re-

Guarding

yourself The serenity of the beach can be deceiving. Here are some tips to prevent disaster and make lifeguards’ jobs a little bit easier

ally accomplished as a rescuer,” Diaz said.

Diaz feels more than just accomplishment when he succeeds in saving people.

“It is such an adrenaline rush and it feels great to save the people and be thanked for it”, Diaz said.

Years after Diaz becomes a lifeguard, Diaz would like to become a JG’s instructor and teach children to have the same feelings towards the ocean as he does.

“We live in a beach community, so it is important to love and respect the ocean and that is what I want to teach children when I become an instructor. It is also rewarding to see kids you teach rise up as they become older and be more comfortable with the Ocean,” Diaz said.

Diaz’s will always have a love for the ocean.

“I prefer being in the water than on land, I am basically a fish,” Diaz said.

rip tides

Rip tides are isolated currents that flow away from the shore. They are characterized by their brown, frothy waters and mushroom shape. Do not swim near anything that looks like a rip tide or areas otherwise designated by life guards. If you get caught in the current, do not swim against it. Instead, swim parallel to the shore and conserve your energy until you get assistance.

-http://www.usoceansafety.com/safety

photo by Erinn Middo

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April 1, 2011

BREAKWALL BROTHERHOOD

by Cameron Paulson 1.

Brotherhood.

Background: Junior Connor Beatty watches the waves before paddling out for a surf session.

1. Senior Matt Picazo bodyboards at a surf competition. 2.

The surf team gets out of the water after a morning session.

2.

[

PHOTOS BY ALEX SHEA

]

Go to Hightideoline.org to listen to the interview “Surfing past the stereotypes” to hear Ben Fortun and Matt Picazo talk about their heroes and how they started surfing.

Popular culture portrays surfing as all about catching the biggest wave, winning the biggest competition, and doing the coolest tricks, but for seniors Matt Picazo, Ben Fortun, and junior Connor Beatty, the feeling of brotherhood among surfers is the most meaningful part of the sport.

Picazo started surfing at a very young age and never stopped.

“My dad would always just push me around on a board in Mexico and I fell in love with it,” Picazo said.

“I’m out there at least five times a week, if not more depending on how good the waves are,” Picazo said.

Picazo values the friendships that he has developed from surfing.

“I’ll have life long friends,” Picazo said. “No matter what, the surfers are always there for each other. For example, when you see one of your friends barrel or fall you’ll be more stoked or concerned more than ever because you can relate.”

Beatty also first got on a board at an early age but didn’t develop a passion for it until a few years later.

“When I first stood up on a surfboard I was about three,” Beatty said. “I really started getting into it when I was seven.”

For Beatty, surfing has a much deeper meaning than catching a wave.

“It’s not just a sport or a hobby,” Beatty said, “It’s a lifestyle that will last forever.”

Despite graduating high school and leaving for college in the next two years, he will continue surfing his entire life.

“It would be cool for [surfing to be] a profession but right now its a hobby that will always be there,” he said.

Like many surfers, Beatty feels as though surfing will always be a part of him.

“Surfing has taught me so many things,” Beatty said. “It has taught me so many life lessons and without [surfing] I wouldn’t be the person I am today.

Fortun also started surfing at a young age in Maui.

He was influenced by his father.

“My dad was a surfer, so when I was a kid I imagine he’d put me on a board any chance he could get,” Fortun said. “When I was a kid my dad owned a surf shop in Torrance and my earliest memories of surfing are that shop. [My dad] was a surfboard shaper, surfer, wind surfer, and fisherman. He kind of was the one who set me straight on surfing. Everything I do now in surfing is because of him.”

Just like Picazo, Fortun thinks friendship is a major factor in surfing.

“I think the main thing I like about surfing is the friendship you get out of it,” Fortun said, “My friends and I get in fights on land but once we’re in the water, it breaks all those barriers and creates a ring of respect for people.”

Even though Fortun likes surfing with friends,

he admires the old time surfers around him.

“I would rather surf with a bunch of old guys than young kids,” Fortun said. “I have so much respect for them and the time they’ve spent in the water and hearing their stories is inspiring.”

Although they are both graduating high school this year, Fortun and Picazo will continue to surf frequently.

“Even though I don’t know whats gonna happen in the future, [surfing is] such a big part of my life that it’s kind of impossible to stop,” Fortun said.

Fulfilling both Picazo and Fortun’s dream, 58year-old Don Swift is a local that’s been surfing his whole life.

“I started when I was about nine years old,” Swift said. “My cousin got me influenced. His dad shaped my surfboard and that was unheard of to do in a backyard. That got everything going.”

Swift now shapes his own boards.

“I do my fair share of shaping,” Swift said.

“When I got out of high school I worked at Bay Cities, and they made surf boards there and it just kind of took off.”

Swift enjoys surfing with younger surfers, though he feels that they are too competitive at times.

“The whole point of surfing is to have fun.

That’s where half the kids are missing the point, they’re all trying to out-surf each other,” he said.

“Here’s the deal, ego is a big thing. You’re a legend in your own eyes but respect everyone around and just have common courtesy.”

Surfing almost 50 years, he recalls one instance when the comraderie between him and his fellow surfers saved his life after he broke his neck surfing at Topaz.

“I was out on a big swell and it was low tide and I just got tossed. Right when I hit, it completely paralyzed me,” he said. “I was floating in the water and realized I ate it. I couldn’t move and I was helpless. My partner saw me and ran out to get me but by the time they pulled me out I couldn’t hold my breath anymore and I remember inhaling water. I had actually drowned.”

According to Swift, if it wasn’t for the lifeguard and the people around him, he would have died.

“They told me they cut off my wetsuit, put defibrillators on me and brought me back,” Swift said.

“All those guys saved me. If it weren’t for them I wouldn’t be here.”

Swift considers it a miracle that he is alive and now never takes a good surf for granted.

“Surfing will no doubt always be a part of my life,” Swift said.

With a love for the ocean and a passion for the sport, surfing and the comaraderie that comes with it will prevail in Fortun, Picazo, Beatty, and Swift’s lives.

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April 1, 2010

3

FOSTERING AN OCEAN COMMUNITY Ohana O’Kekai teaches students to surf and respect the ocean.

by Annica Stitch

First there is the serenity of a relaxing day at the beach, lying under the sun undisturbed by the murmur of other beach goers.

Then, if they are lucky, there is the promise of a good waves. After a day of fun at the beach, senior Benjamin Fortun and his club Ohana O’ Kekai remember to give back to the ocean they love.

Fortun and AP U.S. History teacher Phil Comito started the club because of their shared love of the ocean.

“We have the same affinity [and] love of the ocean and the history of surfing and the waterman life style in the South Bay,” Furtun said.

Fortun wants to pass on the history of surfing and teach others about respecting the ocean.

“The full respect of the ocean [comes from] learning about it. Ancient Hawaiians used to devote their lives to just understanding the ocean: how it works and the different scenarios the ocean wants to give,” Fortun said.

When the club surfs together, they try to leave their surf spot in a better condition than how it was when they arrived.

“We make sure that where we surf is [left] clean. We also teach everyone [in the club] about the wildlife and the ecosystem down [at the beach].” Fortun said.

According to Furtun, the main reason people join the club is to share their passion and love of the ocean. Senior Jessica Flores learned how to surf with the help of the other club members.

“I just kind of like the energy mostly.

Everyone here is really open and friendly.

Ben and the other people are willing to teach me, let me use their boards, and show me tricks and things so that when I want to go out by myself I can do it successfully,” Flores said.

Nearly every Saturday, the club goes to the beach to surf together.

“I feel like we’re getting closer. Our surf days are really nice. You see other people’s techniques and the style in which they surf and it’s just really cool to see your friends go out there and show their passion,” Flores said.

Comito attributes the club’s success to Fortun and club members like Flores.

“They do an awesome job of talking to the kids and talking about really relevant subjects having to do with the ocean, ocean safety, surfing and history. They draw a really good group of kids every week that are excited [about the club]. They do a great job,” Comito said.

Fillman and father bond by teaching surf lessons

by Emma Uriarte

It’s the first day of surf class and sophomore David Fillman is in his element. But he isn’t learning how to surf; he’s teaching it. David and his father, Steve Fillman, teach surfing together as a father-son bonding experience.

David has been teaching surf for four years now, and according to him, it never gets old.

“It’s really cool to see someone stand up for the first time,” David said. “I love seeing the looks on peoples’ faces when they know they’ve caught their first wave.”

Mr. Fillman teaches surfing along with his son, but he has more than 14 years of experience.

Before he puts his students in the water, he talks to them on the beach about safety and techniques to stay out of trouble.

“When I’m teaching someone, I teach them how to pop up and balance on the board and to keep their legs relaxed,” Mr. Fillman said. “After that, we get in the water on a foam board and wait for waves and tell them when to paddle and when to stand up.”

According to Mr. Fillman, surfing has been a family activity that he was happy to share with his son.

“It’s nice because I originally taught David how to surf and now he teaches others to surf with me,” he said. “Now he’s a much better surfer than I am.”

David likes to teach his students to respect the ocean, along with all of the other fundamentals of surfing.

“I teach [students] how to stand up and how to catch a wave, but also let them know to be patient with the ocean because you

have to let the right wave come to you.

When you can wait for the perfect wave, it makes surfing a better experience,” he said.

Not only does David teach surf, but because he loves the ocean so much, surfing teaches him to protect the ocean.

“Surfing means you’re in the ocean all of the time, so you want to take care of it,” David said. “I don’t trash the beaches because when you surf in dirty water you can get sick. I want to be able to do something I love without worrying about anything else.”

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April 1, 2011

‘OHANA

by Tricia Light

Power in numbers. 1.

The Lanakila Outrigger Canoe Club makes a 180-degree turn at the Kahakai Nine Man Sprint Race. 2. Alex Oetzell and her outrigging team with their coach Danny Ching.

Sisters Alex and Jenny Oetzell have learned to appreciate teamwork and the ocean through outrigging.

1.

Photo courtesy of Chris Silvester

2.

Photo courtesy of Olivia Loveland

The majestic calm of the ocean gives way to the frenzy of a canoe approaching the finish line. Paddles move perfectly in sync as months of practice payoff, and team members work as a single unit to achieve their goal.

The Lanakila Outrigger Canoe Club provides students with an opportunity to compete and enjoy Hawaiian Outrigging.

“Lanakila is a really cool community. There is a real ohana spirit, and we are all like a family,” sophomore Jenny Oetzell said.

Lanakila coach and Redondo alumnus, Danny Ching, ‘01, has received many outrigging honors, such as being the first non-Hawaiian to ever win the 32 mile Kaiwi Channel oneman race.

“It is one of those things where you try it once and are hooked for life,” he said. “It is physically and mentally chal-

lenging, but you can look back on your work [and be] very satisfied.”

The sport consisting of up to six people requires each person to use one paddle to propel the outrigger canoe, which has a float, or ama, running down one side for added stability.

“There is no sitting anyone in the corner like you might do in other sports. One bad participant ruins the entire team,” Ching said. “If you don’t work together as one you won’t get anywhere.”

He feels a deep connection to the ocean, outrigging, and Lanakila itself, which his father founded.

“I grew up right near the beach in Hermosa [outrigging].

All of my friends and family have done it forever,” he said.

Ching has kayaked in the Olympics and has traveled around the world for outrigging competitions.

“He is fantastic. There is nobody better. You really are learning from the best,” senior Alex Oetzell said.

Both Alex and her sister Jenny paddle with Lanakila.

“It is one of the funnest workouts there is,” Alex said. “I love the people. I really look up to all of the adults.”

Alex participates in long dis-

tance races that are hours long, such as the 30 mile race to Santa Catalina Island.

“It’s really fun, but [it] can get very intense and exhausting,” she said. “It can be scary to look around and see no land anywhere.”

Outrigging requires a level of teamwork and dedication unlike any other sport according to Jenny.

“You need to keep pushing yourself. Just stopping isn’t an option. Everything you do affects everyone else,” Jenny said.

“You’re all alone out there in the ocean. You just need to trust your team and all work together.”

She feels that her time outrigging has been both rewarding and educational.

“I have started to do more things outside of my comfort zone. It challenges me to always work to the best of my ability,” she said.

Alex also feels that her experiences paddling, such as a close encounter she had with a group of blue whales, has helped her form a bond with the ocean.

“You get to see tons of [sea life]. It really makes you more concerned about what happens to the water,” she said. “Outrigging has made me more in touch with everything.”

April 1, 2011

b.

PADDLE OUT Photos courtesy of Currie Ritchie and Hogan Inscore

Senior Hogan Inscore and junior Currie Ritchie have become closer through paddle boarding.

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1. Currie Ritchie races to get a head start at a paddle boarding competition. 2-3. Senior Hogan Inscore finds spending time paddle boarding is a way to release the stresses in his life.

4. Junior Currie Ritchie appreciates the unique bond between paddleboarders. 5. Ritchie and Inscore have grown closer through paddle boarding. Both Inscore and Ritchie have won paddle boarding competitions.

by Melissa Rosero and Shannon Bowman

Hearing a splash, junior Currie Ritchie suddenly jolts 180 degrees on his paddle board.

Both Ritchie and senior Hogan Inscore instantly freeze in shock and disbelief as they watch the dorsal fin of a great white shark submerge beneath the waters. They live for these moments.

“The most memorable experience was last summer when I saw a Great White shark. Before I could get away, the shark bumped my board. I think after that was the fastest I have ever paddled,” Ritchie said.

Inscore finds such encounters priceless.

“When I go out paddle boarding with my family, we will go four or five miles out and chase Blue Whales. Who else can say they do that? I get to be near the biggest animal in the world just because of paddling,” Inscore said.

According to Inscore, paddle boarding is a mixture between surfing and racing. The race consisting of starting on shore, usually paddling around a buoy, and finishing as they cross the

starting line.

“As soon as I hear the gun shot, I don’t think of anything. My mind clears completely and I just charge and try to get ahead of the pack.

As soon as I touch the water, I keep the speed from running to get a good skim and then I just start paddling as hard as possible, never thinking about how tired I am,” Inscore said.

For Ritchie, he finds the family aspect of the paddle boarding community unique. He and Inscore have been paddle boarding together since they were 13-years-old and now see each other as brothers. Ritchie feels that Inscore has become his “mentor.”

“When we paddle, he’s faster than me, so he pushes me to go faster and stick with him,” Ritchie said.

Although they share techniques, they find that neither has the advantage since paddle boarding can be a race of luck.

“It’s not like running or swimming. There are a lot of different variables that you can’t control. You can be in very last place and if you’re lucky enough to catch a wave, you can win, and

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if you’re unlucky and fall off the board, you’re done,” he said.

Inscore believes his competitive spirit is his main motivation.

“Coming back towards the shore is the most intense. I just get tunnel vision. I don’t think of who is watching me or who I’m racing. I don’t care about anything else in the world; I just want to win, no matter what it takes,” Inscore said.

Ritchie and Inscore have both won first place in the Junior Lifeguards Nationals competition — Inscore last summer and Ritchie in 2009.

While competing is a thrill for both Ritchie and Inscore, they also enjoy the relaxation paddle boarding brings.

“Since I grew up around the water, being able to feel the waves beneath my board and just being in the water makes me feel calm,” Ritchie said.

Inscore agrees.

“If there’s a lot on my mind, I’ll just call Currie up and we’ll be out [in the ocean] for hours and just sit on our boards and talk. It’s like my second home,” Inscore said.

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April 1, 2011

photos by Molly Simon, Jake Collins, Jon Martin, and Alex Shea

ALL ON BOARD

Our ocean is the start of our day. Our ocean is the slight glimpses from the highest points on campus. Our ocean is the object of every groan on those warm spring days. Our ocean is the hub of our city. Our ocean is our story in the making. Our ocean is us.

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April 1, 2011

GOING FOR THE

KILL

Catch of the day. Junior Tyler Mills catches a fish while spear fishing.

Mills and junior Chris Webb both enjoy spear fishing and plan on continuing the hobby for many more years.

PHOTOS BY ALEX SHEA

by Allison Salazar

He submerges his body six feet under water. As he holds his breath and clings onto to the seaweed, he waits for them to pass by.

Once he has spotted his kill, junior Tyler Mills takes his polespear and pulls back the shaft. He aims, releases the shaft, and the spear shoots forward, killing the fish.

“There honestly is nothing like your first kill. Everyone has an aggressive streak inside them, me more than others. The feeling of your spear sliding through your hands and punching through the side of a fat juicy fish is exhilarating,” he said. “That exact feeling gets your adrenaline pumping and gets you hooked.”

Mills began spear fishing last year during the summer. He had seen other people doing it and found it intriguing, so he bought a spear and taught himself how to do it.

“I started as kind of a joke, and then I actually got really into it,” he said.

Unlike regular fishing, spear fishing involves being underwater with the fish. Mills wears a wet suit while he dives, and uses a poles pear with an elastic band and a shaft.

“It’s a completely different world underwater. Also, it takes a different type of skill compared to regular fish-

ing, which I suck at,” he said. “The fish are faster and harder to shoot than you think. In order not to scare them there is a certain amount of stealth involved.”

Junior Chris Webb, who has just recently taken up the sport, also finds that spear fishing provides an exhilarating experience.

“It’s way more exciting because you never know what kind of critters you’re going to run into,” Webb said.

Although the sport focuses on killing the fish, Mills tries to be precise and ethical by only catching specific fish and limiting what he kills.

“I don’t just shoot everything, as tempting as it is. I only shoot what I eat and what is legal to kill,” he said.

Among the fish he kills are the Barred Sand Bass, the Kelp Bass and the Sheepshead. Mills tries to stay away from fish that contain high levels of mercury such as the White Croaker.

Because of the excitement involved in going spear fishing, as well as the patience and “stealth” needed, Mills prefers to go alone.

“It’s cool to have something that not everyone does or can do. I like to go on days when the water is clear and when it’s nice outside,” he said.

Webb, on the other hand, enjoys going with his

friends so that he can teach them how to spear fish.

“It’s a great bonding time when you’re with your buds teaching them for the first time,” he said. “I really enjoy seeing the excitement when they catch their first fish.”

Mills has gone to Palos Verdes and San Diego, but when he goes to new locations he tries to go with other experienced people. Mills and Webb both like to spear fish at the Topaz Jetty more than other beaches.

“I like Topaz more because the water is beautiful and filled with fish,” Webb said.

Spear fishing is one of Mills’ favorite hobbies, and he plans to continue to do it in the future so that he can improve his skills.

“I’ve used a spear gun a couple times but I am still learning how to use them properly,” he said. “I really enjoy [spear fishing], and I love ocean activities so I can see myself getting better and continuing to do it.”

Webb also thinks it is a hobby that he will continue to practice for the rest of his life.

“It’s a great feeling when you catch something, and I love the ocean, so that makes me like it even more,” he said. “The perfect moment to spear fish is when it is early in the morning. The sun is shining, and the water is warm and clear.”

April 1, 2011

SETTING

b.

SAIL

by Laura Shodall

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Anchors Away. 1. Junior Brandon Folkman takes over the wheel and navigates the boat. 2. Folkman and his fellow teammates, compete as part of New Zealand’s sailing team at a race in Long Beach.

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF BRIAN MCMARTIN AND BRANDON FOLKMAN

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He feels the cold metal between his fingers.

The ocean rises and sinks beneath his boat, the waves carrying him softly back towards the harbor. This is the moment that junior Brandon Folkman has been feverishly anticipating all day.

Folkman began sailing as soon as he had the chance.

“I’ve always been around boats,” Folkman said. “Sailing just came naturally to me.”

According to Folkman, sailing has led him to appreciate the ocean.

“It’s cool to see a lot of wildlife in the ocean while you are sailing,” he said. “For example, dolphins will see your boat from far away and come to swim and play in your wake. If we don’t take care of our ocean, all of that is going to be gone.”

Folkman’s passion for sailing has led him to dedicate much of his time to the sport.

“I have races pretty much every weekend, and I’ve started practicing every single day of the week now,” he said. “It’s difficult and a lot of time to commit, but I know it’s so I can be the best that I can be.”

Folkman recently participated in a sailing competition that put him up against sailing professionals.

“Last February I became friends with the New Zealand team, and they talked to me on Facebook about a race in Long Beach they wanted me to do with them,” he said. “Though we didn’t get the Congressional Cup, we won the Butler and Ficker cups. It’s an honor just to sail with [New Zealand] because they are ranked thirty fifth in the world right now.”

For senior Brian McMartin, sailing is a family affair. He sails with his sister and was inspired by his dad who, according to McMartin, was a world class sailor.

“My dad kind of inspired me in a way because when I was younger, I was determined to become better than him,” McMartin said.

Because his sister also races, McMartin found that they often clashed.

“Back when we used to race in the same boat, it was very competitive and we argued a lot,” he said. “Now that we don’t race the same kind of boats, we push each other to get better at our respective boats. Sometimes we sail together and do relatively well.”

McMartin found that sailing was a good way to help him relax.

“When I’m racing it can be very stressful, but still relaxing,” he said. “It’s fun to go out [on the water] and practice new techniques and perfect old ones.”

Drama is a big issue when it comes to his sailing, according to McMartin.

“People who are overly full of themselves start rumors about what you do. That led me to quit my old yacht club and start racing for Del Rey Yacht Club,” he said. “It’s better in many aspects, but it’s not local.”

Sailing is not just a hobby to McMartin and Folkman, it has become a way of life and a huge part of themselves.

“I love it,” Folkman said. “I wouldn’t give it up for anything.”