High Tide: Sept. 23, 2016

HIGH TIDE

Redondo Union High School Redondo Beach, CA September, 23 2016 Vol. XCVII Edition 2

Packed

by Caterina Hyneman

ILLUSTRATION BY LULU WEGMAN

On the first day of school, most of Blair Dyer’s students arrived anywhere from five to 20 minutes late, simply because they couldn’t find her room.

Students joke that room 152 lies in the dungeon, down the stairs in the Career and Technical Education Building, past the engineering and robotics room, at the end of a long hallway.

With enrollment at RUHS at an all time high,

more teachers are being added every year to keep up with growing demand; therefore, more rooms are required. While the school is already planning to build new classrooms, with construction beginning in spring, “creative solutions” are being implemented in the meantime, such as using room 152 and the Bingo Room as additional classrooms.

[cont. on pg 9]

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High Tide

news

Photos of the week

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Seniority rules. 1. Seniors Anna Kurasaki, Lydia Sayad, Brooklyn Narvaez, Lauryn Alejo, and Madison Martin dance and show off their spirit at the first

spirit rally of the 2016-2017 school year. “Through spirit battles, we try to get the students to feel an overall sense of school spirit and and unity betwen members of the same class because those are the people they’ll be with until they graduate,” junior Nick Webb said. “Working together towards a common goal brings them together in a really fun way.” PHOTO BY SAMANTHA ALDOVER 2. Seniors Andrew Graven and Jaideep Chakladar promote their club, Redtalks, at this year’s club rush. The club plans to bring in speakers throughout the year on various topics, including STEM. “Redtalks is a great way for students to make connections and learn about the working world,” Chakladar said. “Even if you may not be interested in the filed of work presented for one lecture, you may end up being interested by the end.” PHOTO BY JACOB SEGURA

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A path to excellence

Number of students who have met A-G requirements grows 20 percent in five years

By Ben Brill Five years ago, just over half of students met A-G requirements for college readiness at RUHS. Through years of extra commitment, perseverance and sacrifice from teachers, students, and staff, 72 percent of students from the class of 2016 were ready for college under the A-G requirements.

“This is great news for our school and community and another indicator of RUHS’s incredible momentum,” principal Jens Brandt said. “And we hope the upward trend continues. We are emphasizing the importance of A-G readiness.”

Brandt refuses to take any credit as principal for the 20 percent increase in college readiness. Instead, attributing the achievement to RUHS’s staff, students, and parents.

“In no way can I take any credit as principal this year. The teachers, students, and parents deserve the recognition for this collective effort,” Brandt said. “We have more students that are likely to succeed in college and careers and really proud of what has been accomplished over the last five years.”

According to Brandt, the teachers lay the foundation for the students’ increased preparedness for college and their careers.

“The quality of instruction has greatly increased. Our teachers have rigorous instruc-

tional practices. They are engaging,” Brandt said. “They put their students in a place where they take ownership of their learning.

Students are taking on critical, creative, and collaborative thinking skills that are necessary in the classroom, college setting, and eventually a career setting.”

Brandt noticed a drive within all the teachers to improve and better their students’ learning and knowledge.

“We have an outstanding instructional staff in terms of perseverance and character and in terms of the willingness to refine and improve their teaching methods,” Brandt said. “There is a willingness to observe and learn from each other and try new instruction methods” Brandt also believes there has been an improvement in the way students retain the information taught in class.

“Students are leaving their classes with a better understanding of the content, concepts and skills that will help them beyond their classes in high school,” Brandt said.

According to Brandt, increased participation in clubs, sports, and extracurricular activities were essential to the high college readiness percentage.

“Our students are very well rounded and

I think they feel connected to our school,” Brandt said. “I think they feel very excited and happy in the classroom but they are also excited for activities outside the classroom. They feel like-minded by a similar peer group. Getting involved is a key piece to this.”

The students’ parents and guardians are also key to their high school success.

“The parents are very much involved in their child’s life,” Brandt said. “They show up at many events and really show support and concern for their child in school. The school and the parents work together as a team to ensure student success.”

According the Brandt, the relationship established between students, their teachers, and the faculty creates a sense of community which contributes to college success.

“There is a comradery on campus between students, staff, and teachers that is really unique to RUHS,” Brandt said. “We appreciate our students who are reaching out and making that connection.”

Along with performing their instructional duties, teachers have also assisted students with emotional matters beyond school.

“The teachers are doing an exceptional job with connection with the students and

teaching the necessary concepts and skills not just for school but for life,” Brandt said.

“They share practices and ideas and continue to refine their craft to ensure their students academic, social, and emotional success.”

Brandt and administration hope for a 75 percent A-G college readiness rating for the class of 2017. In order for that to happen, Brandt wants to promote and establish a sense of positivity around campus.

“We continue to focus on the positivity that is prevalent here, celebrating success, acknowledging individuals and recognizing the incredible contributions our staff, students, and parents are giving to our community so we can continue to move up and above,” Brandt said.

Brandt hopes that the collaborative effort between everyone involved in and around the school remains to ensure students’ success for the future and beyond.

“We’ve been fortunate that this team effort in terms of improving academics for our students, involves everyone, from the board of education to parents to students,” Brandt said. “We don’t just preach a college-going culture. We create the recipe to ensure students are successful when they go to college.”

Sept. 23, 2016

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news

Increased RBPD presence sparks debate

By Malek Chamas After altercations between students last Thursday during lunch, RBPD officers were called in by school authorities to help restore order.

According to Principal Jens Brandt, the police department is typically called whenever there is a physical confrontation between students on campus, because criminal charges are often filed as a result of such altercations. Brandt also says the police were there to “maintain safety and wellness for everyone, students and staff.”

“We called the police just to make sure everybody understands that our students’ safety and our staff’s safety are our number one priorities at all times on campus,” Brandt said. “That’s especially important when you have about 3,000 people on campus during school hours.”

A relatively large group of officers— “about a dozen,” according to Brandt— were called in at the time of the incidents. RBPD officers also “maintained a presence” on campus after school hours that day as well as during snack and lunch the next day.

“We called for additional police support last Thursday because a couple of different incidents happened. There was a confrontation between two male students and a supposedly unrelated confrontation between several female students,” Brandt said. “A

third incident was particularly unfortunate, because it could have put a lot of students in danger. Four or five students started pretending they were running towards another confrontation. There wasn’t one. A bunch of students, several hundred, started running as well, because they wanted to see what was happening. This mob mentality started to develop, and a few students did fall. Thankfully, they were picked up by their friends and put to the side when this running occurred.”

Brandt believes the number of altercations that took place and the amount of students affected warranted a large police response.

“Almost all of our students are very well behaved. They make good decisions and have self-awareness, self-management and responsibility. We have a very, very small cohort of students who for some reason feel emboldened in these situations to make very poor decisions that could potentially affect others. But those types of students do realize when police are involved, they need to think twice about those actions, because they know there will be repercussions,” Brandt said.

Some students agreed that the response from RBPD was appropriate in size due to the seriousness of the incidents.

“I did notice [the increased police presence]. When one fight happened, I was in

that place until it got really ugly, and then the police came,” sophomore Ethan Garcia said.

“I feel like it wasn’t an overreaction, because they were doing their job. I’ve been to other schools where they have police everywhere, so I feel that we should have some police officers stay here just in case something does happen again.”

However, other students felt that too many officers responded for what was simply “just a fight,” in the words of sophomore Saige Stock. Freshman Jack Wyatt had a similar opinion.

“I think that the school did what they should have done [by calling the police], but I don’t think there should have been that many police officers on campus. I don’t think it promotes a good environment,” Wyatt said.

Still, others felt that on-campus staff should have done more to handle the situation without relying too heavily on the police.

“I didn’t feel that they needed that many police, but they should have some more oncampus security guys who can control these situations because of how many students we have here,” senior Isaiah Redmond said.

Brandt says that the RUHS administrative team is “really appreciative of [its] relationship with RBPD and its chief of police, Keith Kauffman,” and the police will be contacted if and when there are physical confronta-

tions on campus again. He hopes that students will not “assume something is wrong” whenever officers are present.

“We really want an environment on our campus where people are welcoming to the police and don’t feel threatened in any way by police being here on campus. People often think that there must be something wrong whenever they see them. We actually want to create an environment where the police are very much a part of campus culture and are seen as collaborators rather than adversaries,” Brandt said.

Brandt asks students to refrain from posting videos of conflicts on Snapchat and other social media sites. Freshman Amber Khan can attest to how quickly news is spread this way, saying she “heard all over Snapchat that the police were [on campus]” even though she “didn’t see very many [officers]” herself.

“Unfortunately, in this day and age there is a fascination with social media. Many students want to film these situations and put them on Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter or whatever they are using,” Brandt said, “We [the administrators] implore students to think in these situations before anything occurs. If they are aware of an impending situation, they can report it anonymously or to any adult on campus, like a teacher, counselor, administrator or campus safety assistant.”

Of 239 students surveyed...

94.2 % 86.3 %

were aware of the events that took place last Thursday.

noticed an increase in RBPD presence on campus.

55.8 %

believed that the police reaction was appropriate.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY ADRIAN CRACIUN

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High Tide

opinion

Sardines or students?

The quality of education at RUHS is faltering with the increase in student population

Editorial

As the sole high

school in Redondo Beach, RUHS has been struggling with a campus that is growing at an alarming rate each school year. The start of this year welcomed 900 freshmen and transfer students. This escalation in school size will certainly affect the quality of education. Overcrowding is under-educating.

When class sizes grow too large, teachers feel that they can no longer cater to students’ individual needs. Some teachers cannot even remember students’ names even after months, let alone remember their learning habits.

Students in science classes have to crowd into lab tables due to lack of seats.

Rallies and school events have to be split up into two separate times. To be blunt, students are feeling overwhelmed by being packed into classes like sardines.

Eventually, RUHS will have to expand its campus, and that’s certainly not going to be cheap. In a time where expenses are high and taxpayers are growing restless, a growing campus is going to be too chaotic. The lack of textbooks and functionable speakers in the gyms should be primary concerns.

According to studies, students learn drastically better in a small classroom environment. Teachers can give their stu-

ILLUSTRATION BY ALINA BIESCHKE

dents more attention. They can pay more attention to how each individual learns best. By having less students, they have more room to cater to specific needs. If this high school keeps growing, lessons may turn into university-influenced lectures and lack of communication, group work and special project time.

According to the RUHS vision statement, “Redondo Union High School will become Southern California’s premier high school where students are prepared for the academic, artistic, athletic and individual demands of the 21st century.”

If conditions remain unchanged and overcrowding remains a critical problem for the RUHS campus, “individual needs” certainly are not being met.

Let RUHS stay true to its goal of being a campus that educates students according to their personal needs. Cutting down the amount of students entering the school will save money and keep education standards high.

Editorial Board vote

RUHS campus is suffering and students are suffocating at the hands of overcrowding

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PHOTOS BY EDEN MILLAN; HAYLEY O’CONNOR RIGBY

Taste the Trump Campaign Controversy arises as Donald Trump Jr., son of presidential candidate Donald trump, compares Syrian Refugees to Skittles Dina Ghanim Let’s make it clear-- comparing human beings to food never ends well.

Controversy sparked when Donald Trump Jr. tweeted a picture asking: “If I had a bowl of Skittles and I told you just three would kill you, would you take a handful? That’s our Syrian refugee problem.” He captioned: “This image says it all. Let’s end the politically correct agenda that doesn’t put America first.”

Trump’s analogy argues that it would be dangerous to take in a group of people if a few individuals posed a threat to national security. His implication, however, is ultimately ignorant, statistically inaccurate, and rather insensitive to Syrian

refugee crisis.

If a bowl holds roughly 100 skittles and three are deadly, that would be a 3% risk of picking the wrong Skittle. But the statistics for death rates at the hands of terrorism reach no results as deadly as that.

The odds of dying at the hands of a terror attack carried out by a refugee are 1 in 3,640,000,000.

So, if someone offered you 10,920,000,000 skittles and told you just three would kill you, would you take a handful?

Well, if those skittles were escaping a war zone, perhaps you would. If those Skittles were thoroughly vetted for 18 months,

perhaps you would consider it. If those Skittles were actually innocent children, women, and men just trying to escape death, maybe it would make a better case.

Ultimately, you have a much higher chance, about 1 in 3408, of choking to death on that Skittle. Apparently, Skittles don’t need terrorist ideologies to kill you.

The point is: Skittles are food, and refugees are humans. The two cannot be compared without considering that their circumstances are drastically different. An uneaten Skittle might have to endure a trip to the trash, but a rejected refugee might have to face a fate much worse: death.

To compare victims of war to Skittles is

to dehumanize the image of a Syrian refugee-- a well-known aspect of the Trump campaign.

Trump’s argument undermines the refugee crisis and the role that the U.S. government plays in the situation.

Stating that the agenda to accept refugees into the U.S. does not put America first is ignoring the fact that the destabilization in the Middle East is not an isolated incident unrelated to U.S. affairs. As a world power, the U.S. has a duty to help Syrian refugees.

Make America great again: stop comparing living, breathing refugees of war to inanimate objects.

Sept. 23, 2016

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opinion

Pro/Con:

Letters to the

Editor

If you have an opinion about one of the articles, letters can be sent to the editor at hightideonline@gmail. com.

We reserve the right to edit them for content, grammar, and space constraints. Letters must be signed and are not guaranteed to be printed.

Please keep letters to a maximum of 250 words. Longer guest opinions are also accepted.

Refusal to stand for National Anthem

High Tide

staff

Editors-In-Chief: Caterina Hyneman; Shaniya Markalanda Online Editor-In-Chief: Reema Saad Opinion Editor: Dina Ghanim News Editors: Ben Brill; Jon Mallen Features Editors: Reem Chamas; Miriam Farah; Lizzie Fauver; Summer Saad; Adam Yorke; Kylie Yorke Sports Editors: Mia Berger; Luke Peterson Senior : Yasamin Fazeli; Amanda Shaw Photo Editor: Eden Millan Copy Editors: Davina Nguyen; Marie Ona; Samaya Rubio Online Editor: Justin Pioletti Illustrators: Lulu Wegman Staff Writers: Brian Adler; Analise Asaro; Maryam Bacaloni; Brittany Baker; Amanda Ban; Mia Berger; Tessa Biscaldi; Malek Chamas; Michael Chang; Alexander Dang; Whayden Dhamcho; Kayvon Elahihaghighi; Yasmine Elahihaghighi; Martha Farah; Sar-ah Flannery; Daphnie Fulton; Camille Grace; Maya Groark; Kelly Harraka; Kayla Hiken; Kylee Kallick; Kaitlin Katayama; Lauren Kim; Julian Kimura; Shyanne Landers; Grace McGonigle; Hayley O’Connor-Rigby; Marie Ona; Daniel Parhizi; Luke Peterson; William Pournamdari; Julian Quevado; Rubab Quraishi; Batia Rotshtein; Danielle Sestak; Keana Sterling; Nadia Stod-der; Angie Tait; Benjamin Yepez; Erika Zlatkin Photographers: Cass Anderson; Matthew Davidson; Hiroki Goto; Jarrah May; Anne-Elyse Peterson; Michael Yoon This is a wholly student-managed, designed, and written newspaper that focuses on the school and community..

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

Reema Saad

Jon Mallen

Kaepernick’s actions bring attention to societal problems

Though he had good intent, his actions were unpatriotic

After Colin Kaepernick decided to sit out during the national anthem before his Aug. 26 game, the San Francisco 49ers quarterback faced immense backlash. He’s anti-American. He’s antimilitary. He’s simply unpatriotic.

But if we step back for just a second and look at it in the same light as what it means to “be American,” isn’t Kaepernick simply exercising his Constitutional right to protest? When questioned about his decision, Kaepernick explained he refuses to stand during the national anthem because he is in solidarity with people of color who are oppressed in the U.S. Kaepernick has a point. He named police brutality and racial injustice as his two main reasons for kneeling during the “Star-Spangled Banner,” which are legitimate issues in today’s America.

However, many continue to go back to the argument that Kaepernick is disrespecting those who fight for our country’s freedoms by putting on a uniform and serving in the armed forces. While the “Star-Spangled Banner” does commemorate the sacrifices made by numerous brave soldiers, it also glorifies slavery. It is little known that the national anthem written

by Francis Scott Key alludes to the pleasure he had in knowing that some freed blacks had died; the poet owned slaves himself and was openly anti-abolition. In the third verse, Key writes “No refuge could save the hireling and slave, from the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave.” It might be silly to dwell on the past, since we are supposedly a country that is past racial inequality, but the issue should not be taken lightly. Isn’t it just as un-American to champion a poem that essentially defends the institution of slavery?

Kaepernick could upset fans, lose support, and bring negative attention to the 49ers organization, but he continues to demonstrate and plans to for the rest of the season. Obviously, Kaepernick is more than successful: His annual salary this season will be $11.9 million. And he’s not the first athlete of color to do this. Professional boxer Muhammad Ali was unapologetically black and Muslim during a time where both of those things could have destroyed his career. Yet as Ali passed on June 10, everyone remembered him as the honorable activist he was.

In a sense, Kaepernick has the potential to leave a similar impact on society through his decision to kneel during the national anthem. He is a significant figure in American culture after all; and he is choosing to use his prominent voice for good rather than to start the next Internet feud with Taylor Swift.

Colin Kaepernick’s decision to kneel during the national anthem over is nothing short of disloyalty and negligence for the values of patriotism and honor the United States holds dear.

Kaepernick’s protests first received public attention on Aug. 26 during a preseason game against the Packers. He told the media after the game that he had sat to protest the oppression of people of color throughout the U.S., as well as police brutality.

The issues of racism that Kaepernick is responding to are, without a doubt, present in America. The justice system trends toward a higher rate of arrest for African-Americans than any other race or ethnicity. The incarceration rate of black males is six times higher than that of white males. By all means, Kaepernick, among other African-Americans, has a right to protest.

Every citizen is granted freedom of speech and freedom of expression under the protection of the First Amendment.

However, Kaepernick’s choice to disregard the national anthem of the U.S., the anthem of his country, his home, is a pass that lands far beyond the intended reception of protest. “The Star Spangled Banner” stands as one of the largest symbols of American nationalism, and in many ways embodies the American spirit. As well as this, the anthem and the flag pay tribute to the lives of fallen soldiers who died fighting overseas for our freedom. If he does not accept the national anthem, then where does his loyalty lie? Kaepernick has the right to protest, but he has that right because, at the end of the day, he is American.

Colin Kaepernick must remember that his country made him the professional athlete he is. His paycheck comes from the National Football League, an American football league dedicated to one of America’s favorite pastimes, and a key part of America’s national identity. Each and every NFL game is preceded by a performance of the national anthem, as a token of respect to the great nation that makes the league possible and gives its citizens the freedom to pursue their own interests and make their own living, Kaepernick making his through football.

Kaepernick’s 114 million dollar contract is paid to him in U.S. dollars, his 4,600 square foot house in San Jose sits on U.S. soil, and he continues to enjoy the privileges of full U.S. citizenship.

Maybe it is time Kaepernick gives thanks to the nation that his provided him so much and allowed him to pursue a lifelong dream of playing professional football. He can at least show some respect by standing during the national anthem.

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High Tide

features

All wrapped up

Seniors volunteer by making burritos for the homeless in a local LA project

by Marie Ona One chops the vegetables, another cooks the beans, another wraps the tortilla. They not only help make burritos, but also make a difference in the lives of the less fortunate around the area. Seniors Yoshino Goto, Celine Oh and Namie Fotion volunteer at the MA Center LA’s Burrito Project.

Visionary leader and humanitarian, Mata Amritanandamayi, who simply goes by “Amma,” created this worldwide program to help “alleviate the pain of the poor” by making hundreds of burritos to be sent off to homeless shelters. Adults and youth spend Saturdays wrapping and packaging burritos at the MA Center in hopes of bettering the lives of many.

“I think the Burrito Project is such a great place to help the community with friends and family and to meet new people,” Goto said. “It’s definitely a heartwarming experience overall, from chopping carrots to wrapping burritos to mopping the floor at the end, to know that you are helping others.”

Amma’s motherly instincts plays a significant role in her accomplishments. Ever since she was young, she witnessed many misfortunes in her small village in South India which lead her to grow passionate about caring for people. According to Goto, Amma is a very respectable person that many would be honored to meet.

“From what I’ve seen and heard, she seems very kind hearted and genuine and almost like a saintly figure,” Goto said. “She’s always smiling in her pictures and when I saw her at a big event from far away, there was a long line of people trying to meet her, so I think she is highly respected and revered by a lot of people.”

Goto enjoys dedicating her time to this program, knowing it can make an impact on others.

“It feels so pleasant to know that what you’re doing is helping others, especially when people from the homeless shelters give us feedback and sweet comments,” Goto said.

Goto first heard of the project through the Helping Hands Club. As president of the People to People club, she encouraged her club members to join, beginning January of this year.

“I was really glad when they joined because it’s fun to volunteer with friends and share such a sweet experience,” Goto said.

According to Fotion, the Burrito Project is a “rewarding experience.”

“The managers of the project are so passionate and devoted to the cause. I’ve learned a lot of how nonprofit organizations work in the past year since I started volunteering there,” Fotion said. “Of course, just

1.

the knowledge that I’m preparing food for other people in need is a reward enough but I’d really like to deliver the burritos to a shelter myself one day and see the effects of our hard work.”

The Burrito Project creates a tight knit community where people can work well together as they share the same passion for helping.

“It’s also a fun place to get to know students from other schools and people in the community. Everyone seems very genuine and eager to help,” Goto said. “I’ve met and talked to so many new people, from students attending schools around the center to workers from large companies who came to volunteer with their coworkers. It really helps open your mind to different opinions and experiences.”

Oh believes volunteering helped shape her into a better person.

“It’s helped me become who I am today.

Partly because of this project, I feel like I’m more compassionate and understanding of all circumstances people experience,” Oh said. “There was this time I didn’t go and I felt kind of guilty because I wanted to help people but I couldn’t.”

The Burrito Project is Oh’s most memorable volunteering project and is eager for more projects with the group of volunteers she bonded with.

“I’m humbled to be a part of a project at the MA Center which help[s] people around me,” Oh said. “The Burrito Project is definitely an eyeopening experience and it’s really motivated me to find more opportunities where I can give back.”

2.

A Helping Hand. 1. Celine Oh is cutting vegetables to put in the burritos that will be later distributed to the homeless. 2.

Yoshino Goto, Alex Connoy, Celine Oh and Namie Fotion are sitting together to help plan future projects to improve the lives’ of the homeless. Due to the amount of time they have spent together, Oh believes she has formed many longlasting friendships with the people she has volunteered with. 3. Alex Connoy helps move supplies and ingredients across the kitchen to deliver to the cooks. PHOTO COURTESY OF 3.

CELINE OH

Sept. 23, 2016

page 7

features

The Ones Who Helped Us Grow Students write a book about an influential and knowledgeable elder in their life

by Mia Berger Quit whining and walk off your punctured lung and broken ribs. This is one of the many lessons passed down by the Elders featured in the self-published book, The Ones Who Help Us Grow.

The Ones Who Help Us Grow is a collection of 45 short stories written by 15 to 20 members of last year’s Parras Middle School eighth grade Writer’s Cafe about an elder.

“I made the Writer’s Cafe to be a time where the students who appreciate writing and want to share that experience with their peers can get together at lunch and discuss real writing opportunities,” eighth grade English teacher Janet Barker said.

The stories included in the book originally started as English assignments about a significant experience in a senior citizen’s life. Barker said the goal of the book was to show old and young people what they have in common and to remind others what one can learn from the elders.

“When you read the stories, you can’t help but look at older people, not as folks in the last chapter of their lives, but as the sages that they are. People who have wisdom are usually eager to share their experiences with the youth,” Barker said. “Our hope is that the stories will inspire people to explore the lives of older people and learn from them.”

Freshman Jenna Tripoli is one of the many writers who helped create, The Ones Who Help Us Grow. Tripoli’s short story is about her grandfather, Chester Tripoli, and his choice to have back surgery after given

one year left to walk.

“My grandfather had a lot of trouble doing simple things before he had surgery.

However, something that he said to me was that you have to live your life to the fullest. He faced something really scary like surgery so that he wouldn’t have to face the rest of his life without walking which for him, was unimaginable,” Tripoli said.

Many of the writers discovered new things about the elders after completing this project.

“At the time I wasn’t aware of [my Grandpa’s] situation. When I did the interview, I f o u n d o u t about [my Grandpa’s back], but my mom who told me afterward that he had been given one year to

Building family bonds.

The selfpublished book featured a colorful cover with a picture of a tree, grandfather and his son pictured on the left. “The young people are passionate while the old are reflective and hopeful that their life experiences can help others realize their full potential,” Barker said. “However, when they come together it results in a power Master Class experience for readers.” PHOTO COURTESY OF JENNA TRIPOLI

walk without the surgery,” Tripoli said.

Freshman Dylan Herman, another writer featured in the book, used his story as a way to help his grandfather get through a hip surgery and remind him how he had survived much greater injuries.

“My grandfather [was in a] traumatic ski accident where he broke several ribs and punctured his lung. His motto was ‘Quit whining and walk it off,’ so when he had his accident, he was still tough enough to drive himself to the hospital,” Herman said.

The book is dedicated to the elders who the writers use as role models. “[My Grandpa] said to cherish every moment that you have in life because it’s precious and you never know how long it’s going to last. It’s made for you,” Tripoli said.

“Those are words that he lived by and words I want to live by.”

This book has lead to a change in Tripoli’s view on writing as a whole.

“When I was younger, I didn’t have a positive outlook on writing. The book has changed that because it was a different take on what and how to write,” Tripoli said.

Another way the Writers Cafe has decided to commemorate all senior citizens is to donate the profits made from the book to a local Senior Center.

“The staff has decided that we would give all of the proceeds to the Redondo Beach Senior Citizens Services because they offer all kinds of important programs to our local elders,” Barker said.

Howard competes for the US National Beach Tennis Team

by Amanda Shaw It’s Sunday afternoon. The sun beats down. Waves crash. She jumps and serves.

Her muscles tire, but she continues to train for the eighth hour in a row. Junior Alexi Howard is a professional beach tennis player, with goals to compete in World Championships and beyond.

“I love to be an athlete. This is my favorite thing to do. To me, I don’t see it as work or being hard. It’s something that I love,” Howard said. “I would go out there all day if I could but I have work everyday at 5 and I get out of school at 12, so unfortunately I can’t stay until sundown. I love to learn the new techniques. It’s the best thing ever.”

From the beaches of Barcelona, Spain to those of Lisbon, Portugal to 14th Street in Hermosa Beach, Alexi Howard’s professional beach tennis career allows her to travel worldwide.

“I love to travel and this something that I want to travel for and see beautiful places.

I’ve seen so much already. When I went to

Barcelona, I saw the level of play. When I went to Portugal, I saw the level of play. All of those amazing players have inspired me, and I look up to them,” Howard said. “They’re amazing.”

In addition to the heightening of her own skills as a result of watching and competing against these elite players, Howard has also formed international relationships.

“The best part is that I get to meet millions of people around the world. At my last tournament in Barcelona I actually met my boyfriend who lives in Lisbon, Portugal.

I went to Portugal to play in a tournament there and stayed with him for ten days,” Howard said.

The support of her sponsor, Sexy Beach Tennis, allows her to travel to all of these elite competitions. With some of the matches lasting up to an hour and watched by large crowds, Howard always tries her “best to keep her head in the game.”

“If I’m in a finals or semifinals of a match,

I can get really nervous. It will affect my game because the game is very personal. If the game gets to you, it gets to you. I mostly try to get out of my own head and remember that it’s just me on the beach playing like I always do,” Howard said.

While Howard has learned to internally cope with the pressure she faces in these important matches, the support of her trainers and partners have also played a role in her success.

“I had a tournament in Long Beach with my sponsor’s wife, and she’s ranked very very high. I was actually not that good at the time so when she was looking at me telling me we were in the finals, the best thing she said to me was, ‘Play your game. You’re awesome,’” Howard said. “I had a match point and I served it. It was an ace on a serve and we won the entire thing. I cried and I hugged her. It was the best moment of my life.”

While she plans to compete for the US National Beach Tennis Team in the World

Championships in Aruba, in addition to traveling across Europe next summer for two months, her future career plans do not end there.

“We’re trying to get [beach tennis] in the Olympics in 2024, so my goal is to be the first beach tennis Olympian who is going to be an American because there’s not that many Americans playing this sport since it originated in Italy. Right now, America wants to beat the Italians right now. My goal personally is to represent our country,” Howard said.

Howard hopes to spread this passion she discovered for the sport, as well as all of the relationships and learning experiences it entails, to other young people.

“I definitely would tell everyone to come down and pick up a paddle and just try it once because that’s what happened to me,” Howard said. “I played ten years of soccer and I thought I was going to go to college for it, but I picked up a paddle one day and I never looked back.”

page 8

news

High Tide

Sept. 23, 2016

Packed

RUHS student population

ILLUSTRATION BY LULU WEGMAN

volume of numbers. Even with a well-designed master schedule, which it really was, we just have kids that have more specific needs that we can’t plan for.”

However, according to both Vice Principal Lindsey Corcoran and Holmes, the master schedule ultimately has accomodated most of student requests for classes, regardless of the increased student populations.

“When we did initial scheduling, off of what the students requested in spring, 95 percent of those students, according to the computer, received in their schedule what they requested,” Holmes said. “I think a lot of kids, if [they] go back and check their course requests in spring, they got what they asked for.”

Much of administration agrees that the “clutter” will subside as students begin to get more comfortable with campus.

“I think at the beginning of the school year a lot of kids are trying to figure out where they’re hanging out, so kids really haven’t found their groove yet. As the year goes on, kids find their niche around campus and it feels less crowded even though it’s not,” said Corcoran. “The first three weeks of every school year seems more crowded because everyone’s out in the quad or everyone hangs out at Freshmen Circle before they find their areas around campus.”

While large volumes of students require changes across campus, Bridi asserts that it is ultimately a great problem to have.

“I look forward to this school year, even with the increase of the student body and student numbers,” said Bridi.

“Redondo Union High School is the best high school in the South Bay, and that’s why students are coming here. We care about every individual student here and want to provide them with the success that they deserve, opportunities that are really boundless and individual success.”

2,847

There are currently

students enrolled at RUHS

653 seniors

[cont. from cover]

“They have to utilize all the space on campus,” Dyer said. “It’s a big campus, but also very full. I know that if there was more room, I would be in the 800s with the rest of the history teachers. But for now, this works.”

More students means even longer lunch lines. During lunch, cafeteria lines are out the Student Union doors, making school staff wonder whether having two lunch periods would be a possible solution.

“I haven’t had any conversations about that, but if we’re trying to find solutions as far as what would make sense for our students, I wouldn’t rule that out,” said Vice Principal Anthony Bridi. “If you look at the lunch line, we have to ask, ‘Is this doable? Can we feed that many students within a 40 minute period of time? Is there enough room for students to socialize?’ We’re going to be gauging what the student traffic looks like during snack and lunch to come up with creative solutions.”

The increased student body also impacts the work of counselors, as students are getting less individual attention.

“So a lot of the way the counselors are addressing that is meeting with kids in classrooms,” counselor Denise Holmes said. “We at least we get more intimate time with [students] but we’re not able to do as much as calling the students out and individually meeting with them. But again, we’ve shifted the way we’re delivering services to try to meet the growing needs.”

According to Holmes, while scheduling becomes more complex with more students, the increased population allows for greater class options, such as specialized classes.

“Scheduling is like a puzzle, the more pieces you have, the more difficult the puzzle,” Holmes said. “But I don’t think we can always plan for the

page 9

news

665 juniors 754 sophomores 775 Next year

freshmen

enrollment is expected

3,000 students new students on permit Fewer than 5 were accepted 1 assistant principal position to reach

and

4

teaching positions were added this year

5

new classrooms will be added this spring

and

in order to continue to maintain the

35:1 student to teacher ratio COMPILED BY CATERINA HYNEMAN AND BEN BRILL

page 10

High Tide

features

The row less traveled

Honea and Sherman compete in the paddling Catalina Crossing U.S. Outrigger Championships

by Miriam Farah

1.

N-Sync. 1. Seniors Hali Honea and Shannon Sherman paddle 30 miles to Catalina Island with their team and

win second place in the race. “My favorite part was probably the finish because it was so rewarding when I saw the casino in Avalon,” Honea said. 2. Honea and Sherman had to undergo intense training in order to prepare for the race. “Conditioning was the most difficult part because you have to [train] to be able to go six hours with enough energy to finish the race,” Honea said. PHOTO COURTESY OF HALI HONEA

Paddling against the ocean swells and gusting winds tired them, their muscles ached, but they continued. They found a renewed strength, however, when they saw the island in the distance.

“I was really tired because we woke up at four am, but we were really excited to compete. The middle part was alright, but by the end of the race, my back started to hurt and I needed to take Advil. We were hungry for sure, but [overall] the race was pretty good.

I would want to do it again next year,” Shannon Sherman said.

Seniors Hali Honea and Sherman, who train at the Lanakila Outrigger Canoe Club in Redondo Beach, paddled about 30 miles to Avalon, Catalina with seven other girls in the 19 and under division.

According to Sherman, the weather at the start of the race made paddling more difficult which affected their finish time.

“It was so gloomy that we couldn’t see the island but the water was very calm. Within a few hours, we could see the mountains on Catalina and the wind starting kicking in against us. The wind was going east and the swell was going south, so we had to make sure we wouldn’t flip over,” Sherman said.

In order to train for the race, they attended weekly practices during the summer where they exercised their muscles, practiced turns and worked to improve their time.

“We had three big paddle races which were 20, 24 and 26 miles, so we can gradually prepare for the race to Catalina. We are on the junior team, but also practiced with the women’s team to practice more,” Sherman said.

Sherman believes the practices over the summer helped improve the paddlers’ stamina and to endure the race.

“The hardest part was definitely trying to stay focused and keeping on time with the rest of the crew. Since it was a long trip, I sometimes forgot what I was doing during the race. We try to talk but we were so tired so we stopped talking near the end of the race.

We tried to motivate each other throughout the race to keep going,” Sherman said.

After the first 40 minutes of the race, those on the escort boat replaced some paddlers to allow them to rest so they can regain energy and strength to continue with the race.

“The difficult thing about changes is that we have to get in and out of the boat while it’s still moving, which requires a lot of core strength. I was most nervous about that and I was thinking to myself ‘What happens if I missed the boat?’ because that has happened before,” Honea said.

Honea and Sherman’s team consisted of younger girls, putting them at a disadvantage against some of the older and more experienced paddlers. Their team came in second of two boats, about ten minutes behind the winning team.

“This year, there was one team with very competitive [girls]. We only had 15, 16 and 17 year olds, so we were on the younger side.

We placed in second which made us only want to train harder and work to improve our time,” Honea said.

Although they competed against older girls, both Sherman and Honea wish to train harder in order to improve their time in next year’s competition.

“I really want to do it again because it was such an awesome experience. It was something I will never forget. I’ve met a lot of new people through [paddling] and the coaches have been encouraging me to keep doing it,” Honea said.

2.

Sept. 23, 2016

up,

page 11

features

. . . y a w a d up an

Grutzik trains for his glider’s license over Mt. Whitney

Flying high. Junior Gus Grutzik pilots a glider flying 15,000 ft. over the Mount Whitney. PHOTO COURTESY OF GUS GRUTZIK

by Shaniya Markalanda His entire life he has been watching planes in the sky. As he sits on a plane, ready for liftoff, his stomach warms from the excitement. Finally, he is no longer the observer nor the passenger. Junior Gus Grutzik is a pilot in training to fly gliders.

A glider is an aircraft that runs without power from an engine, but instead relies on a support system such as a tow plane or launching mechanism.

According to Grutzik, one of the major differences between gliders and commercial airlines is the surrounding.

“When you get on a big commercial airliner, you don’t get the same feeling of how high you are because it’s a controlled environment. They try to make everyone feel comfortable, but when you’re [in a glider], you get an idea of how alone in the air you are,” Grutzik said. “You’re really, really high up, and you can tip the wing over and look straight down at the ground, like 12,000 feet down.”

The isolation and sense of empowerment are major factors as to why Grutzik glides.

“I remember growing up I haven’t really been the most mature person, so when a person says ‘You have the controls,’ you’re empowered with the feeling of having someone else’s life in your hands, and you need to rise up and grow up at that moment and take everything in the world seriously,” Grutzik said.

Because he must take “take everything in the world seriously” when he steps into the cockpit, Grutzik’s mood immediately changes from when he is outside the glider.

“I am never joking or giggling at all when I’m flying. I’m always in the moment, focusing on the instruments, on what I need to be doing, on what the wind is doing, and how far away from the airport I am. What’s my altitude? Am I in a thermal right now? What should I do?” Grutzik said.

Grutzik had an interest in planes since he was young.

“I’ve always kind of looked up at planes or at any flying thing in the air and said ‘That looks really fun.’ I kind of get this strange nervous giggle whenever I am taking off in a plane to travel somewhere or do something like that. I’ve kind of always had that interest and always had that inspiration to try it out for myself,” Grutzik said.

One of Grutzik’s favorite parts of gliding, is the feeling of freedom he gets from flying.

“I’m always giggling. For me, I get a warm feeling of joy and excitement and freedom.

The biggest thing is freedom. Freedom brings me joy and happiness and everything like that,” Grutzik said.

Although he did not deal with it himself, Grutzik believes that a major challenge when it comes to flying is learning to trust oneself.

“A lot of people get a big confidence gap when they step into a cockpit and they’re told ‘You have the controls; you’re flying the plane now,’ because they doubt themselves.

Right away they [say] ‘Oh gosh, I can’t do this. I’m going to crash. I’m going to pay so much money.’ As soon as you get that doubt in your head, it’s going to take three times as long to get whatever license you want,” Grut-

zik said.

Because Grutzik did not think about hypotheticals or worry about what could happen, he felt confident from the start.

“I was really confident going in because I’m a person that has way too much confidence to begin with. I was really confident because I didn’t even think about what could go wrong. I didn’t even think, what if this happens, or what if this happens. That never crossed my mind. I just got in the plane, said ‘This is going to be awesome. I’m going to have a great time, going to be up there flying.

I’m going to wave to my dad as I take off the runway and then I’m going to leave and it’s going to be awesome,” Grutzik said.

One aspect of gliding that Grutzik appreciates is the serenity of his surroundings.

“In a glider you have no headphones, no nothing. It’s just quiet, the sound of the wind going over the shell. It’s just that. There’s nothing else,” Grutzik said. “You’re basically just sitting in a bubble 12,000 feet above the ground and it’s quiet. It’s awesome, and it’s super fun.”

Despite the fun, death is a major risk of gliding. “[When] I got in [a plane with] a FedEx pilot, he handed me a parachute and was like ‘Put this on. You’re probably not going to need it but in case you do need it, the pull is right here, just pull away from your chest just like that.’ I was like ‘Oh my gosh. Okay.

Sure.’ That was kind of like okay, you’re doing something dangerous. You have the life of others in your hands, and here’s a para-

chute to prove that. So that was definitely an exciting moment,” Grutzik said.

Grutzik “loves” the thrill of knowing that what he is doing is dangerous.

“You get in this different mindset of how scary what you’re doing is. For me, I love that feeling. So I was definitely nervous, but once you’re in the air and you have something to focus on other than how high you are, or just the scariness of having that responsibility, it’s really awesome and fun,” Grutzik said.

Despite his initial anxiety, Grutzik is “not relieved” when he lands on the runway but more upset about that the flight ended.

“Flying is really fun, and I wish I could stay up in the air longer. On the ground, you kind of feel proud of your successful flight.

You’ve landed. You’re safe on the ground. You haven’t killed anyone, or yourself. Or hurt the plane in any way. You’re proud of that, happy of that. So you get out of the cockpit, and it’s a good feeling,” Grutzik said.

Gliding has helped Grutzik mature and become open to other experiences. “[Gliding] gives you a different sense of what kind of things you’re capable of,” Grutzik said. “This was a big moment in time when I was awakened to what I’m capable of, and it just makes me think that I could do anything I wanted to. Flying gliders is just a really, really fun thing to do, but that just makes me think of how many other things are really fun to do. It’s really exciting, and it’s really fun. It’s definitely changed me as a person, definitely made me grow up a lot more.”

page 12

High Tide

features

Cutting edge

Junior Liam Donahue spends his free time making knives as a blacksmith

By Erika Zlatkin The room is filled with sharp knives, two thousand degree burners, and potentially explosive propane tanks. No it is not a torture chamber, it is Liam Donahue’s workplace.

For almost two years, junior Donahue has been a blacksmith sculpting knives from raw blocks of dull metal and transforming them into shiny, usable kitchen knives which will eventually be sold for profit.

“I love how blacksmithing is an intimate crafting process,” Donahue said. “For example, you see a small piece of steel transform from a brick of grey metal into a beautiful, sharp, and well crafted tool”.

What Donahue loves most about blacksmithing is how he can see the progression of the blocks of material he starts with become a functional physical kitchen knife.

“I’m a self taught blacksmith. I’ve watched some YouTube videos and read some books, but I’ve never had any actual professional training,” Donahue said.

For almost two years, he has frequently been in his garage working on his craft. Although he admits the work environment can be “brutal”, he enjoys the work that he does.

“When it’s mid-summer and you’re wearing a lot of protective gear and a lot of leather, it’s not too fun,” Donahue said, “And being surrounded with materials that are burning up to two thousand degrees in a tiny, cramped garage with very little ventilation can be a burden”.

Yet Donahue still continues to push through the hot conditions to pursue what he loves.

Blacksmithing, in Donahue’s words, is a general term for any type of metalworking, usually with iron, involving heat and changing the shape of metal-based materials. He has turned this task of creating metal works for fun into a way to make money.

“For now, I’m in between using blacksmithing as a hobby and as a business opportunity,” Donahue said. “Yet in the future, I don’t plan on doing this as a profession. It’s just a way to make money instead of having to get a job at Starbucks”.

The knives he makes range from $150-$200, and take about twenty to thirty hours to make. He tries to carve out his schedule to make room for at least an hour of blacksmithing per day, but even so, it would take more than a week to finalize the production of one knife.

Donahue said he has dabbled in different styles of knives, yet wants to focus on perfecting the one in which he will ship out for profit online. To make his product, his shopping list mainly consists of exotic hardwoods, epoxy, brass, and carbon steel.

“I have to buy all the materials I use to blackSteeling the show. Liam smith with my own money, which is a much Donahue works in his garage, more daunting task that you’d think,” Donahue shaping various metals into knives. PHOTOS COURTESY OF said. “I have to buy steel from a supplier in LIAM DONAHUE Chicago, go to wood stores in the South Bay to find the right type, and get a lot of over-

all

bits and pieces I need from all around the country”.

The pride he takes in his hard work can be a bit daunted by the skepticism of others. His peers and family didn’t support his passion at first, but they have now adjusted to loving his work.

“Usually people are skeptic when I say I blacksmith, asking if I’m ‘going to murder them,’” Donahue said. “However, once I show them what I make, kitchen knives that is, people generally start to open up. Generally, people have been overall very accepting of it.”

Likewise, his parents weren’t very appreciative of turning the garage into a metal work office run by their teenage son. Concerned by the risks of blacksmithing, it took some convincing before totally getting their approval to pursue his hobby.

“My parents were pretty hesitant about the whole blacksmithing idea at first. What most concerned them was the two 20lb propane tanks hooked up to homemade burners that might explode the first time you turn them on,” Donahue said. “But after a while, they were able to be a bit more open about it”.

Liam’s father, Tim Donahue, supports his son’s blacksmithing despite the fact that in the beginning, he was reluctant to allow a teenage boy to work with dangerous power tools.

“The danger aspect was really concerning for us because he is constantly surrounded with high-heat temperatures and sharp blades in which a lot of things can go wrong,” Tim said.

Since Liam takes all the necessary precautions in his work, this comforts his father when ensuring his son’s safety. Tim frequently talks to Liam about being safe while blacksmithing and knows that his son is “trustworthy” enough to do so.

“My wife and I are thrilled that our son is a blacksmith. He has learned so much and he’s using his skill in a productive manner,” Tim said.

According to Tim, Liam has shown a lot of “maturity” and “responsibility” when using his blacksmithing time productively. His father believes that blacksmithing is a good way for Liam to channel himself in his work.

“I think that blacksmithing is an art, just like anything else,” Tim said. “We love to see Liam express himself creatively and learn through art.”

Liam’s parents support him in his hobby. They believe he can be “even better than he already is” if he continues to work hard.

“I really like building things and this is one of the things I found out that I’m pretty good at so I figured I’d keep blacksmithing until I would get bored of it,” Donahue said. “And so far, I haven’t”.

Donahue believes that blacksmithing is a “really good way to show off [his] craft”, considering he likes to build and create new products.

“I continue to blacksmith just because it’s one of those things that is a really intimate process that I really enjoy,” Donahue said. “I feel that it’s not a very widely

talked about topic anymore and not a lot of people do it, so I take pride knowing that I can do that.”

Sept. 23, 2016

page 13

features

Taking the stage

Sophmore Alexis Escalante expresses her heritage through dance

by Kelly Haraka Hoping to spread her heritage through traditional dress, songs, and dance, she makes her way onto the stage for her performance. Sophomore Alexis Escalante has been dancing for dancing for nine years in a private studio.

“I got started when I was 6 years old. My mom thought that it would be nice for me to learn about my Mexican culture and believed that the best way was by dancing Ballet Folklorico,” Escalante said.

Ballet Folklorico is a type of traditional Mexican dance which became popular in the 60s and 70s, and it gives Hispanic Americans a sense of cultural pride.

Dancers from all ages are welcomed to the stage to display the traditional dance.

“Folkloric dance combines the Mexican folk culture with ballet characteristics [such as] good posture, pointed toes, and exaggerated moves,” Escalante said.

It was difficult for Escalante to find a dance studio because there aren’t many cultural dance studios that are nearby, but her mom eventually found one called Sabor de Mexico.

Escalante has come to love the feeling of being on stage with the same group of girls that she’s danced with for the past nine years.

“It feels great because at that moment, I feel that all the hard work that I put into my dances was worth it,” Escalante said.

During a performance, there are various dances that require different attire, changing props, costumes, and hairstyles. Fans, lazos, and even peacock feathers are

used to make the dances more dramatic.

Although sometimes the nerves get the better of her, her worries melt away knowing that she often has the support of her family and friends. “[My family] comes to see how much I’ve learned from year to year and what a big improvement I’ve made since I was 6 years old. When people come to see me perform and when they tell me how great I did, I know that I’ve done well [spreading] Mexican culture,” Escalante said.

Escalante’s mom, Olga, has been a big supporter through her dancing career and hopes that her daughter continues to pursue it as a career.

“I hope that she continues dancing and that [after] college she could become a dance teacher,” Olga said.

Escalante is excited about possible triumph in the upcoming competitions this year.

“I [want] to continue going to competitions and hoping to win first place [consistently]. Next summer we are going to Europe to compete against many countries and I want to come back with a first place trophy,” Escalante said.

Interpretive dance has been a teacher in itself. While learning new choreography every performance, Escalante is immersed in an environment rich with ancestral history.

“I’ve learned a lot about my culture through dance because whenever we learn a new song or dance it comes from regions I didn’t know about,” Escalante said.

Game face.

Sophmore Alexis Escalante poses in traditional Hispanic dancewear, before a performance. PHOTO COURTESY OF ALEXIS ESCALANTE

Sophmore Caiden Engeberg defies gender stereotypes through makeup

By Shyanne Landers A bathroom counter is covered in various lipsticks, palettes, brushes, and countless other cosmetics. With foundation on his face and brush at the ready, sophomore Caiden Engeberg perfects another elaborate makeup look.

“Some people don’t take me seriously since I am a transgender guy and wear makeup. I personally don’t think makeup has a gender. Anyone can wear it, so it shouldn’t matter. It

Tears of pride. Sophmore Caiden Engeberg uses makeup to express himself and his identity. PHOTO COURTESY OF CAIDEN ENGEBERG

shouldn’t be that only girls can wear it,” Engeberg said.

He takes being a makeup artist (MUA) very seriously, especially when people stick makeup to a certain gender role.

“They just kind of see [me being trans] as a phase. It definitely does make me seem more feminine. I get weird looks in the boys bathroom and I have actually been told that I wouldn’t succeed since I wasn’t born male,” Engeberg said.

Having his own share of negative feedback on his passion, Engeberg turns the other (highlighted and blushed) cheek.

“Makeup is hard. It’s really tough [to do]. If anything people should consider it a masculine thing. Have you ever ripped latex off? That hurts!”

Within his experience, he has seen multiple fellow MUAs who have encouraged him to continue his work no matter what people believe about it.

“I’ve really been inspired by people like Jeffree Star, MannyMUA, PatrickStarrr, NikkiTutorials, and even my own friends,” Engeberg said.

Even with his numerous influences, he has always learned from his own mistakes.

“I haven’t had any mentors to help me. Of course, I have watched tutorials online, but I’ve just been trying to figure it out all on my own,” Engeberg said.

He has been an aspiring MUA for nearly two years, and more recently began exploring both cosplay and SFX makeup.

“Recently, I’ve been trying to do more special effects on myself. I tried to do a gore-type look on my face along with the use of prosthetics,” Engeberg said.

Aside from latex and facial glue, he also portrays several fictional people.

“I cosplay a lot of things. I’m working on some characters that require some heavy facial prosthetics. I constantly have to do my makeup that seems to alter my facial features, which means playing around with a lot of contour,” Engeberg said.

Engeberg expresses that being skilled in the industry doesn’t mean you’re perfect at what you do.

“I would say I’m decent, but there’s always room for improvement. I’m not going to sit here and claim that I am the best and all of that,” Engeberg said.

With modesty in mind, he plans to advance to a cosmetic college in Hollywood and make a living off of being an MUA. “I’m starting to build a portfolio of all my work because my stepdad’s cousin runs a makeup college, so I’m going to apply there. They put you in the union for movies and they pay you 60 to 80k a year just for doing makeup all around Hollywood,” Engeberg said.

Presently working on prosthetics and in-depth makeup, he has only been scratching the surface of his MUA career.

“If makeup is something you’re passionate about, why not do it?” Engeberg said. “It doesn’t matter who you are. You

don’t need to be just a girl to do makeup.”

page 14

sports

High Tide

Winning over West. Junior Jermar Jefferson runs the ball through the defensive line as junior Jeffrey-Autasi Leiato runs interference against West on Friday, Sept. 16. PHOTO BY HIROKI GOTO

Football wins first game of the season vs. West

by Angie Tait

After suffering three losses in the beginning of their season, the RUHS Football team finally snagged a staggering win against West Torrance on Sept. 16.

Ending the night with a score of 58-10, the team was unanimous in feeling more confident with the crowd’s energy compared to previous matches.

“Of course, we’re very happy with the results, but when you play a team like [West], that’s what’s supposed to happen. We did our jobs,” junior Diego Balcarcel said. “I was very excited to see the high level of energy throughout the field and the sidelines, so it was a really good motivator for us after our

previous losses.”

Junior quarterback Jack Alexander had similar thoughts, agreeing that the game’s atmosphere inspired the team after their last games.

“I expected that we were going to win the game, and it helps that we were at home, going in with all the students and fans here. I wasn’t thinking the game would end up with such a good score, but we all really practiced hard, came together, and won with a great score,” Alexander said.

The score constantly rose thanks to Alexander, as well as junior defensive backs Jermar Jefferson and Balcarcel. With their

success, coach Matt Ballard agreed that there was little to criticize about the team’s performance.

“Jermar obviously had a big game. Defensively, Jack took care of the ball really well.

Then, Diego has the legacy number, and only special players can carry that,” Ballard said.

“I thought we had a rough two losses before this game, and we needed to have a good showing and come together to come out like we did. It’s hard to complain, with a score like 58-10.”

Ballard also noted that the players had improved the way they worked together on the field.

“I’m proud of how we started playing hard right from the beginning, took the lead quickly, and never let our performance go up and down. We haven’t been consistent in the weeks prior, so it was good to see us play consistently,” Ballard said.

The players took out more time to understand what they were going up against prior to the game.

“I think it helped that we watched more film and prepared better, so we knew what would and wouldn’t work for us,” Alexander said. “We and the coaches eventually put together a good game plan, executed it, and just played our [butts] off.”

Boys water polo beats Millikan and West this week

by Kayla Hiken Boys water polo played Millikan on Sept.

21, beating them for the third time in the last two years.

“As a team we did pretty well. We communicated a lot better than we have been in the past games and [our] team chemistry has really been building since our summer league, which we didn’t do too well in,” junior captain Seth Ulrich said.

This year, the boys team was moved down to division four. The team beat the number eight ranked team, Millikan, by a score of 8-6, which they hope will put them over the edge into the top ten ranking.

“Last year when we were in division two and it was difficult, but it’s good change because it’s a divison we can excel in,” coach

Chris Murrin said.

Yesterday on Sept. 22, the team played West High, winning again with a score of 25-3.

“I think we’ve been playing alright, but there are still some things we can improve on as a team,” Murrin said. “It was a good win yesterday beating [Millikan], however [West] wasn’t really a competition.”

Although the boys won both their games the past week, they believe there are still plenty of improvements they would like in their game in order to have a successful season.

“We definitely need to talk more [in the pool] and communicate more than we do now. We also need to work on our passes,

precise shooting, and we just need a better sense of chemistry throughout the whole team,” junior captain Blake Vogelsang said.

Murrin believes the boys can still do a lot more in practice to add on to and develop their skills.

“We are going to work on everything [during practices], so defense, our zones, our offensive post ups, and our plays,” Murrin said.

Although the team hasn’t been holding morning practices, they still work on extensive conditioning.

“We’ve been conditioning a lot. We haven’t been to any morning practices but we swim for awhile during practices,” Vogelsang said. “Of course we work on our plays

and our driving and everything and a lot of shooting also.”

Along with the skills the team would like to work on during practice, they believe they have some notable strengths that they could use as a cornerstone to their play.

“Our team’s strengths are in its defense, offense, six on five, and our counterattack.

All of these strengths for us and have helped us do well against other teams,” Murrin said.

The boys believe that if they continue to work hard and do well in games, they can accomplish a lot this season.

“As a team, we ultimately hope to take CIF and win Bay League,” Vogelsang said. “If we can continue to score, cover over defense, we can lead move far this season.”

Sept. 23, 2016

Brotherly Rivalry

page 15

sports

Senior Ethan Comeaux and sophmore Ben Tait battle for top cross country spot

by Kylie Yorke

As both friends and close competitors, senior Ethan Comeaux and sophomore Ben push each other to succeed, securing their spots as the top two runners on varsity track with 4:09 and 4:20 mile times.

“I think that’s the one thing that really drove my acceleration through my freshman year,” Tait said. “I ran faster times than a lot of the other guys would, just because I had Ethan there to work toward. Not just on race days, but him being there every day encourages me to work a little harder.”

Although Tait’s mile time is eleven seconds slower than Comeaux’s, Tait is one of his closest competitors, and encourages Comeaux to keep his lead.

“It’s good to have such a strong competitor. Last year I was pretty much alone in terms of having people to train with, because I was faster than everyone else and Ben was still just a freshman. This year with Ben being closer to me, it pushes me to train harder than I would have trained before,” Comeaux said.

Not only does Tait think he can catch up to Comeaux’s time by his senior year, but he hopes to match it this year while Comeaux is still around to see it.

“I do want to beat him in a race someday, and not just catch up when I’m a senior and beat the remnants of him,” Tait said. “I ran faster times my freshman year than what he ran, so by the time I’m a senior I hope to be running faster than him.”

However, although Tait claims he has been “pretty close” to beating him in a race, Comeaux believes Tait won’t catch up by the end of the year.

“He has never beat me in a real race be-

fore, only in practice, and I don’t think he’s ever going to,” Comeaux said.

Tait recognises that Comeaux’s age and greater experience puts him at an advantage, but he still tries to match his pace during races.

The different training styles separate Tait and Comeaux from the rest of the team, which Tait admits “can be isolating.”

“Sometimes I do feel a little separated from the team,” Tait said. “It feels like there is a difference in race attitude, mentality, and

Catch me if you can. Senior Ethan Comeaux and sophomore Ben Tait run in first and second place at a run during the Big Bear Cross Country Camp. PHOTO COURTESY OF BOB LEECH

“I usually stick with him for the first three laps but he breaks away on the fourth,” Tait said. “I’m still working toward beating him, because he’s been running very well for four years, and I’m just starting my second year.”

approach just because of the difference in our speeds.”

Comeaux agrees, admitting that it sometimes doesn’t even feel like they are part of the team.

“We do our own workouts normally. Ben and I will usually do our workout significantly faster than the rest of the guys on the team, but we do our long runs together so we do have a chance to interact with the rest of the team then,” Comeaux said. “However it does feel a little bit like Ben and I are our own team, separate from everyone else.”

Tait is familiar with this type of isolation; he was the only freshman varsity runner last year.

“I’ve definitely grown closer to Ethan.

Around this time last year I was also the seventh runner on varsity, which is pretty much the bottom of the totem pole, and Ethan was way above me,” Tait said. “I never really talked to the other guys on the team because most were seniors, and I was just a freshman.

I ran and talked to them when I had to, but there was never really smooth conversation.”

Because both are working toward the top varsity spot, there has been a common misconception that Comeaux and Tait are rivals rather than friends.

“We do have that friendly competition and definitely want to beat each other, but we don’t hate each other or anything like that,” Tait said. “He’s definitely a friend and a colleague, and I don’t want him to die or fall off the face of the earth or anything.”

Comeaux’s constant presence has encouraged Tait to set his goals as high as he has and achieve his impressive time.

“Ethan’s a friend of mine and it would be very different without him,” Tait said. “He’s among the top in the state and top in the nation, so he’s definitely pushed me to higher than I would have been able to go otherwise.”

Girls volleyball defeats Mater Dei

by Davina Nguyen

A bad day for Mater Dei.

Sophomore Jasmine Davis jumps to spike the ball for the win in the second set of the Mater Dei game. PHOTO BY KYRA PACIFIC

Girls volleyball played Mater Dei on Wednesday night, Sept. 21. A first time for both teams to cross paths since the CIF Division 1AA final match the previous season that determined Redondo’s state championship title.

The team fell short against Mater Dei in a 5 set match with an overall score of 25-21, 18-25, 25-23, 19-25, 10-15.

“We didn’t have set expectations to win or lose, but we wanted to come out as strong as we can and we were really motivated to play our best,” senior captain Madi Relaz said.

The girls agreed that the most difficult obstacle they encountered during the match was problems with their defense and serving.

“We were siding out really well, but we just need to score more on our defense,” Relaz said. “We had great ups but at times, couldn’t put the ball away.”

Recently, however, the team has been taking steps to maintaining their state title by targeting their defense.

“We just need to improve our serving to get the other teams out of system and give our defense a chance because we have been improving in that department,” Relaz said.

Although the girls agree that there is room for improvement, they acknowledge the accomplishments they’ve made since the beginning of the season, along with the talent that they’ve recruited for this season.

Freshmen Nalani Iosia, RUSH’s latest addition as libero, contributed by pushing Mater Dei back with precise serve receives and powerful defense.

Senior Naomi Leilua, the outside hitter, delivers by getting most of the balls up in the air, along with having a great attitude and being aggressive at the net with her vertical jumps.

As team captain, Relaz pumped the team up before matches by reminding the girls that the key to success is to play as successfully as they have during practice.

“Before the game, I always tell my teammates that the people we play against are faceless and to play the way we practice and leave everything out on the court,” Relaz said.

According to junior Sam Pahl, the girls’ continual efforts to play to the best of their ability will protect their state title for a third year in a row.

“All the girls on the team work their hardest every practice and every game they give it their all, so I think that’s enough as long as we put in the hard work,” Pahl said. “Our coaches are also always there for us and Redondo has achieved great things because of the support we get from our coaches.”

page 16

High Tide

news

Additional Junior Varsity Volleyball team

by Austin Nunis

With one of the biggest freshmen classes to ever pour into RUHS and volleyball’s evergrowing popularity among girls in the South Bay, accommodations had to be made in order to compensate for the massive amount of aspiring volleyball players.

As a way of making sure that many girls aren’t denied the opportunity to play volleyball for RUHS, coach Tommy Chaffins created a second JV team, known as the JV White Team while the other Junior Varsity team is known as the JV Red Team.

“I just have a lot of juniors that I think are pretty strong players, but I don’t have a home for them,” Chaffins said. “So I could either cut about twelve players or create this second JV team so they could have a home to continue to be involved with the school and a place to hone their individual volleyball skills.”

Despite being thankful for the opportunity to play, junior Cami Kerster, who is a member on the JV White team, describes the situation as “not ideal.”

“Of course we’d all rather be on the JV Red team, but I guess it’s better than not playing at all,” Kerster said. “I think we all just really appreciate the opportunity that Chaffins is giving us because it’s nice of him to go out of his way to make tournaments and a fourth team for us so we can still be included in the program.”

Though overcrowding is often blamed as the cause for an additional team, one of the main contributors to the team’s formation was actually Chaffins desire to build and maintain a strong program.

Sophomore Rachel Davis, who plays for the JV Red team, offers her own explanation for Chaffins’ purpose in forming the JV White team.

“He doesn’t want to cut people that he knows are passionate about the sport, and he wants to give everyone the opportunity to play, but he wants to win at the same time,” she said. “A lot of people [on the other JV team] are friends of ours, and we’re just happy that they get to play with us,” Davis added.

Chaffins explains his strategy more methodically, saying that he wants “the best freshmen to either be on Varsity or on JV because they’re usually the future.”

He doesn’t like to have any sophomores on the Frosh/Soph team or any juniors on the JV team, but because he would’ve had to cut “a lot of good [players] and good people”, he instead created a fourth team.

Because RUHS is one of the few schools that are home to four teams, the JV White Team doesn’t play as often as the JV Red Team. The Red Team plays other JV teams from local high schools around once or twice a week and in tournaments, while the White

Team competes in tournaments and against schools that either have a fourth team or are “less competitive.”

Due to the all freshman team last year, this is not the first time that there’s been four volleyball teams in the gyms of Redondo, and though the system “seems to be working well,” Chaffins is unsure about incorporating a fourth team into the program next year.

“I’m going to wait and see how it goes.

My first instinct is that I won’t [have another JV team] next year,” Chaffins said. “But my philosophy has always been that if it’s close

trial for road competition and that surprised me.”

Besides national competitions, Phillips has trained for and competed in international races.

“Track nationals were about a month before we started school. So I was training for basically a year before that, but not just for nationals, but also for a big European race in Copenhagen that was for professionals and they had a sort of mini version for my age,” Phillips said. “Between the training I did for the race in Copenhagen and for track nationals, I didn’t really get much of a summer, although I do probably have 25 wins at races between the two major events. Now I’m training to get onto a better team.”

Phillips uses his skills as a cyclist to better connect with his parents.

“My parents are very involved with what I do and I can only describe it as strengthening the bond we share,” Phillips said. “They drive me to races and ride with me and stuff like that; I think it makes us closer than a normal family would be.”

His parents’ history with cycling is the main reason why Phillips is as involved with the sport as intensely as he is now.

“My parents and my friends really got me into cycling. My parents cycle hardcore; my dad has something like seven national

titles and my mom has one or two,” Phillips said. “They kind of just integrated it into my life. When they competed, that was the time when cycling had started to pick up in the United States.”

Phillips uses time after school for more training given the opportunity.

“I train on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and the rides that I do during the other weekdays usually add up to 12 hours on a typical week.

I’ll ride on Saturdays and Sundays too.”

Among the various types of cycling, Phillips prefers racing on an indoor track for competitions, going to the Velo Sports Center cycling track after school for training.

“For cycling, there are different disciplines. There’s track, cross and mountain biking, but I usually train on a track which is set up on an indoor course at the Carson Center, which is sort of like a running track but bent,” Phillips said. “I’d usually get 125 kilometers on that; training focuses on stamina and endurance.”

According to Phillips, the intensity at which he does the sport isn’t a commonality at most schools, which makes it more difficult to find others his age that engage cycling at the same level.

“Cycling is such a rare sport to find anyone else doing, especially anyone else

between a freshman and a senior, I play the freshman. And my JV Red has a lot of freshmen that are going make varsity next year.”

Though there may be different teams based on different skill-levels, Chaffins wants it to be known that none of his girls’ hard work goes unnoticed.

“I want to give credit to those girls,” he said. “[I admire how] they want to represent their school and come in and work on their games, and I think they’ll see improvement when they’re playing with their club teams during the school’s off-season.”

Red and White. The Junior Varsity White Team poses for a team photo. Photo courtesy of Cami Kerster

Ryding towards Tour de France

by Luke Peterson

The starting gun goes off and freshman cyclist Ryder Phillips begins racing in the middle of a throng of 100 other riders in an outdoor competition for his age group. Phillips maneuvers his way ahead of the peloton aware that he’ll have maintain his speed for another 30 or so minutes.

“I’m very passionate about cycling. I feel that it’s probably one of the most important things in my life right now. You usually have to start early in your life to get really fit, and I started a long time ago whereas most would start at age 16, and I’m 14 now,” Phillips said.

“You need a really good coach with a lot of experience, but it might be most important to have a parent or guardian that was involved in it to help you get involved.”

The national track season ended last July, and Phillips competed at the championship level for his age group and won the championship title.

“Currently, I’m the US Track National Champion, which means I won the national championship for my age group. So technically, I’m the best in the nation for my age group, which I think is pretty cool,” Phillips said. “I don’t have a more accurate projection since racing season is over and starts up again sometime in December, but I am much better on the track than I am on the road, although I got tenth place at the national time

that goes to the same school you do. There is someone at Costa that’s also pretty good; sometimes I train with him at the track.

There’s also two other cyclists at PV and another at Peninsula,” Phillips said. “I’ll ride with the others on Saturdays and Sundays and when there isn’t school. I mainly ride on my own time.”

Despite the school’s proximity to the beach and the scenic biking routes that run along it, Phillips still has trouble with being able to train on roads after school.

“If I wanted to ride on the road after school, then I would have to wear the spandex suits that people would wear for that, and that would be pretty embarrassing, not even considering all the traffic around the school; that kind of contributes to me just going to the track,” Phillips said.

Phillips hopes to take his cycling to a professional level within the near future after his high school career, and has to alter his performance and training regimen to eventually meet this goal.

“I’m hoping to take it pro. Everyone’s heard of the Tour de France and those big time events, and those are all on the road,” Phillips said. “Road season starts before track season, so I have to start training on the road and do well in those races.”