High Tide: Oct. 22, 2021 by High Tide

ht high tide

INVISIBILITY VISIBILITY OF A STUDENTS SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES WITH INVISIBLE AND VISIBLE DISABILITIES

Oct. 22, 2021 Vol. CII Edition 3

Redondo Union High School Redondo Beach, CA

4 NEWS

9 FEATURES

18 SPORTS

Theatre Arts puts on in-person show, “Anatomy of Gray”

Japanese club teaches members Japanese

Girls Varsity Volleyball wins in rematch against Palos Verdes

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news What the

PINK RIBBON

is all about

Members of the RUHS community discuss what Breast Cancer Awareness month means for them

by AVA SCHRIFT

12.9 percent

of women in the US will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime information from the National Cancer Institute

RBUSD holds

Inclusion Day

to celebrate differences and promote tolerance by ELLA SILBERLING

n Oct. 15 2021, Redondo Beach Unified School District (RBUSD) celebrated Inclusion Day to highlight the importance of inclusivity and recognize differences that make people unique. Inclusion Day was organized by the Inclusive Educational Practices Committee that is made up of Redondo Beach parents, teachers and administrators. They were inspired by Spread the Word, a global organization that works to spread inclusivity through grassroots action. Assistant Principal Marvin Brown, who is part of the committee that organized Inclusion Day, says he is proud to have been part of organizing the event and hopes that people will continue inclusive practices even after Inclusion Day is over. “I feel like students with disabilities may feel isolated in some ways and it’s important for people without a categorized disability to understand that there are different types of challenges and adversities that everybody faces,” Brown said.

edondo Beach Police Officer Kyle Lofstrom made many appearances around campus, his pink hair making him hard to forget. Lofstrom dyed his hair pink at the start of October to raise awareness for breast cancer. “My wife likes to dye her hair,” Lofstrom said. “So, I thought, ‘what if I dye my hair pink in October if we raise a certain amount of money?’” The Redondo Beach Police Department (RBPD) set a fundraiser goal of $5,000 for the month of October. If the goal was reached, Officer Lofstrom agreed to dye his hair pink in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. By the first day of October, they had already met their goal. “At the beginning of the month, to have raised that much money already on top of whatever we’re going to do during the month, is pretty cool,” Lofstrom said. Breast cancer is an issue that is personal to Lofstrom. There have been lives lost to breast cancer at RBPD affecting everyone that works there. In turn, Lofstrom began to think about his wife and children, and what would happen to his family if something happened to his wife or himself. “That’s when something like that became much more real,” Lofstrom said. “Before, it didn’t matter as much if something happened to me. But now, I think about what impact it would have if something happened to me or my wife, like what would happen if my children grew up without a dad or mom.” Lofstrom would like to tell people struggling with breast cancer or know someone who is struggling with the disease to not give up. “I love you,” Lofstrom says to people struggling with breast cancer. “Don’t give up.” Lofstrom raised money for people like freshman Carly Arthur’s mom, who was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was young. Within RUHS, coaches and teachers work to do their part to spread awareness for breast cancer as well. For example, football coach Matt Ballard believes that it is very important to raise awareness for

breast cancer. So,the RUHS junior varsity and varsity football teams played their pink-out football games on Oct. 7, 2021 and Oct. 8, where the JV players wore pink socks and the varsity members wore pink sleeves. “We all have mothers, we all have sisters, we all have females in our lives,” Ballard said. “It’s important to know why it’s not just something we do in October with football. There’s a reason behind it, and it affects all of us at some point. Most of us have some personal story about it.” Arthur experienced breast cancer from a young age. When she was twelve years old, her mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. Arther’s mom had surgery the day after Halloween; the night of Halloween, Arthur couldn’t stop worrying about the future. “[My family and I] were all just at some random house and all of a sudden I just started bawling. My mom had to take me home to tell me that it would be okay,” Arthur said. “It made me super scared about the future and if there would be a future,” Arthur said. Arthur had never come close to breast cancer before, so when her mother was diagnosed, she was shocked. “There hasn’t really been anyone in my family that has had cancer,” Arthur said. “The idea of cancer became more real, instead of just something you hear about.” Arthur’s mother didn’t have to go through chemotherapy to recover, and now, she’s fully recovered. “Luckily for me, everything was okay in the end, but that’s not how it always is,” Arthur said. “I would just say, if you know someone who has cancer, be there for them. If you had a bad day, don’t take it out on them.”

Throughout the district, students participated in handson activities and and got to meet people they wouldn’t have normally talked to. At RUHS, all students made a pledge of inclusivity, and a pledge wall was set up in the Student Union. The idea for the pledge wall came from Spread the Word’s website where anyone can make a pledge on how they will be more inclusive. Some students pledged to “compliment a stranger,” “introduce myself to someone I’ve never met,” and “sit with someone new.” Dr. Monica Mallet, who teaches a Special Day Class at RUHS, also helped organize Inclusion day. Mallet applauded students’ behavior towards people with disabilities at the school. “Students here are very accepting of our students with disabilities. They have really big hearts, they want to make a difference, they want to include all our students, they want to understand how they can be helpful and they want to be a part of what they’re doing. That’s been very touching to me,” Mallet said. Although Brown planned the event to help increase inclusivity at RUHS, he is impressed with the attitudes students already have towards people who are different from themselves. “I rarely as an administrator run into situations where kids are getting bullied because they have a disability. I don’t think it’s happened since the four years I’ve been here and so I think that that’s a testament to our student body and the culture that we have on campus,” Brown said.

According to Brown and Mallet, there is always room to grow when it comes to inclusivity. Both stressed the value of continuously expanding understanding of what it means to be accepting of all people. As part of Inclusion Day, students were shown a video about inclusivity that explained how inclusion is a mindset that should guide the way people act, not just something done for one day. RUHS also has other programs on campus that allow students to interact with and learn important lessons from each other. One of these programs is the Athletic Mentorship program which allowed SDC students to take part in sports practices alongside their peers. In Mallet’s opinion, programs like these and events like Inclusion Day help our campus become a stronger community where students can feel comfortable with their classmates. “[The Athletic Mentorship program] was something transformational for students because they had an opportunity to connect with the athletic programs and participate in a practice, just like they were on the team. Not only did it help our students, but it helped the student-athletes see them in another light,” Mallet said. Mallet believes that it is everyone’s responsibility to show “tolerance and acceptance” to all students so that RUHS can become a more inclusive school. “Everyone should be around someone who is different so that we can not only see how we are different but also how we are similar,” Mallet said.

iLLUSTRATION BY ALLIE D’AMATO

HIGH TIDE OCT. 22, 2021

NEWS 3

Ethnicity

in education

Assembly Bill 101 makes ethnic studies a graduation requirement for high school students, starting with the class of 2030 by RENA FELDE

n Oct. 8, 2021, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 101, making Ethnic Studies a graduation requirement for the graduating class of 2030 and beyond. The bill also requires all public high schools in California to offer at least one semester-long course of ethnic studies by the 2025-2026 school year. A curriculum adoption committee for RBUSD will be formed next year to determine what will and won’t be adopted by the district. There are not many details about how the new bill will affect RUHS nor the process of implementing the curriculum. RBUSD has a Race and Equity Committee (REC), which was created in 2020 because former and current RUHS students said the climate on RBUSD campuses, specifically RUHS, wasn’t as inclusive as administrators thought. RUHS Vice Principal, Marvin Brown, is the co-leader of the REC. “I think that there’s going to be a greater level of sensitivity and understanding towards different cultures [due to ethnic studies],” Brown said. “It’s going to make us more well-rounded and we’re going to have a greater sense of education, understanding of human beings, our culture, and our nation than we’ve had in the past.”

Sarah Robinson, Spanish teacher and Department Chair of World Languages and Cultures at RUHS, believes ethnic studies will affect schools and students in an overall positive way. “If students are never really exposed to systems of oppression, systems of colonization and their impacts now, they won’t know how to change them. When they’re learning about them, they can see how they’re developed and that will help them learn and realize how to change them in the future,” Robinson said. Robinson is a member of the California Teachers Association and is the chair of the Civil Rights in Education Committee within that organization. This committee advocates for and works with legislators on bills related to civil rights, as well as helped create the model curriculum for ethnic studies in high schools. “I think making it a requirement is the most important part because it shows the value that our state places on diversity and equity in education,” Robinson said. “The things that you require are the things that are important.” On the REC are four students, including junior Sam Miller, who said she is “overjoyed” that the first steps are being taken to implement ethnic studies statewide.

“I think implementing ethnic studies is great. I think it’s necessary, and it’s going to allow people to see other perspectives that they haven’t been exposed to before,” Miller said. Miller further specifies why she thinks the course is necessary and the relevance of it, especially now. “Minorities not being able to learn about their history and culture makes them feel alienated and alone and like they are other and different,” Miller said. “Within the last year, I think a lot of us have realized that it’s time for change in our school systems, in the way that students are taught, and in what we are learning.” Senior Kenny Thomas also feels strongly supportive of the future course and is critical of the current history and social studies curricula. “[The current US history and social studies curricula] don’t tell the full story at all,” Thomas said. “We need to learn that there are more people that were in the civil rights movement, other than Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks.” Thomas supports the mandating of the course, touching on the reality of high school students’ course selections. “If it was an elective, you know people just wouldn’t want to take the class,” he said. The current 900-page model curriculum for high schools was initially approved on March 18, 2021 by the California State Board of Education (SBoE) with a unanimous 11-0 vote. It has become the first statewide ethnic studies curricu-

lum for high schools in the US. The curriculum received over 100,000 public comments and took three years to get passed by the SBoE. There are 33 lesson plans that schools can choose from. Using the curriculum is not mandatory, so schools are able to choose from its lesson plans or use it as a guide to design their own. Newsom had vetoed an earlier version “to ensure that the draft ethnic studies model curriculum achieves balance, fairness, and is inclusive of all communities,” according to a letter written by him on Sep. 30, 2021. Students such as Miller appreciate the new course and feel that it is a step in the right direction to ensure that the future will be well-educated and considerate of other people, their history and how their history affects current day lives. “I believe that exposure is the best way to influence tolerance,” Miller said.

iLLUSTRATION BY ALLIE D’AMATO

Beach Cities Transit offers free bus rides, but capacity limits pose an issue by MICHAEL APRAHAMIAN

ince the start of the pandemic, students and all riders have been getting free rides from Beach Cities Transports, (BCT) in the Beach Cities area. As more and more people are getting on the buses since the beginning of the school year, limited space on buses has become a problem. “In the past, we used to have passengers crowded very close together. We can’t do that right now because we have to maintain some social distancing,” said Joyce Rooney, Transit operations and transportation facilities manager for Redondo Beach. The students face a challenge themselves with the buses. Capacity limits caused by pandemic restrictions have often made the wait time for the buses longer. “Sometimes, if I don’t get into the line early after school, I wait 30 minutes to get

inside of the bus,” junior Richie Wong said. As the kids spend more and more time in the line, many feel that their time is wasted and could be used doing something more productive. “Waiting in line for the bus takes a long time out of my day. I could be spending that time on homework or other things,” junior Enzo Araujo said. A solution to the problem is getting more buses; however, a limited number of bus drivers are available to drive them. According to Rooney, limited bus drivers are not an issue yet, but they could become one in the near future. “ I t ’ s pretty tight

RUHS students file onto the bus as a monitor counts students to ensure they follow space restrictions. PHOTO BY KEARA ANTONELLI

because we have to have some of these extra buses out that we wouldn’t normally have to use during the school runs,” Rooney said. Despite the longer wait times, students benefit from fareless bus rides. Due to COVID-19 subsidies, BCT has been able to offer free bus rides over the last year and a half. “We’ve been fortunate in that we have been getting federal COVID-19 relief subsidies as a transportation agency. We received funding from the CARES Act, which was recently approved this past year,” Rooney said. T h e CARES Act is a

COVID-19 relief act that serves many purposes, such as supporting small businesses, providing unemployment assistance and giving subsidies to transit agencies. But, because the free trips are being funded for by government subsidies for COVID-19, there must be an end to the fareless rides. BCT will eventually have to begin charging for rides again “We will continue it through the end of the school year through probably June 2022. It’s kind of focused on what’s happening with a pandemic,” Rooney said.

4 NEWS

OCT. 22, 2021 HIGH TIDE

BACK ON STAGE Anatomy of Gray is the theatre department’s first production back in-person by CRISTINA COUCH

he lights dim, and the chatter of the crowd dies down as whimsical harmonising rings through the trees and wooden structures of the set. A masked silhouette emerges from the sides of the stage. The warm light shines in as the singing gets louder and louder. The show has just begun. On Oct. 14, the theatre arts program hosted their first show back in person with the dramatic coming-of-age play Anatomy of Gray. The show takes place in a rural town in Indiana 1880, where June Muldoon, the main character of the story, wishes for a town healer after the death of her father. Her prayers are seemingly received when Dr. Galen Gray flies to the rescue in a hot air balloon. According to theater arts director Melissa Staab, the play touches on the pain of loss while shining light on a small town story. Staab said that when deciding what play to choose, the theme of Anatomy of Gray spoke to her more than others. “We’ve never done a show on this kind of subject matter before,” Staab said. “I found a lot of parallels to what had been going on in our world. It relates to loss, love and acceptance, and I feel like it connects back to students’ experiences today.” Although the play tackles heavy themes, according to senior Jack Bergman, the assistant director of the play, the show is still “fun and humorous.” “The characters just feel a lot more

he RUHS Marching Band strides onto the football field under the darkening sky as the bleachers fill with spectators. Unlike other Fridays, the band is accompanied by younger students who are eager to play in front of this loud crowd. On Oct. 8, band students from the Parras, Adams, and Hermosa Valley middle schools played alongside the marching band during the Redondo vs. Culver City football game. This annual event, where middle schoolers get the opportunity to play songs with the RUHS marching band and watch them perform at their halftime show, was started to encourage middle schoolers, specifically eighth-graders, to join the band program. The invitation for the middle schoolers to play is, according to band director Raymundo Vizcarra, “important to keeping the Redondo band program alive” as it “exposes middle school band students to the high school’s band program.” “The [middle school] students need to know what the high school atmosphere is like. We want to make sure that the kids know what is available here,” Vizcarra said. “Since they’re coming to a football game, one of the most fun activities that we can have for the band, the middle school students can see what being in marching band is all about.” For eighth-grader Lily Olinger from Parras Middle School, this event encouraged her to potentially join the marching

Seniors Bodie Beaumont-Gould and Eliza Peterson as Dr. Galen Gray and Rebekah Muldoon; PHOTO VIA RUHS THEATRE SHUTTERFLY

for two years, the theatre program had alive in the world,” Bergman said. to make big changes “There are some genas they resorted to uinely funny moments performing shows and endearing charwith digital backacters. The characters grounds on computgo through hard times, We’ve never done a show er screens. “We’re so but there are many on this kind of subject happy to be back,” humorous fourth wall Staab said. “Theater breaks that keep the matter before. It relates to is an in-person exlive audience intrigued loss, love and acceptance, perience, and there’s and laughing.” and I feel like it connects just nothing like it.” For the theater arts A major change program, this play was back to students today. the theater program special as one major had to adjust to was part of theatre that was MELISSA STAAB manually working taken away during dis- TEACHER long hours after tance learning was the school again. The connection the actors theatre program worked for hours, five had to the audience. While in isolation

“

THE

BEAT

GOES

PHOTO BY MEAGAN CHING

Middle school band students performed with the RUHS Marching Band as part of an annual recruiting event by MICAH MCFADDEN

days a week for over two months to rehearse and create the setting of Anatomy of Gray. In total, over 120 hours of work from lighting, to creating props to rehearsing lines went into creating the first play back on campus with almost every piece of the play being pitched, produced, and created by the students. “All of that is someone’s work,” said senior Bodie Beaumont-Gould who plays Dr. Galen Gray. “They’ve put six weeks of dedication into it, and it’s great that after all our hard work, it can finally be seen by a live audience.” For Beaumont-Gould, performing in front of a screen and in front of a live audience has felt very different. “Words don’t really describe how different the vibes are,’’ Beaumont-Gould said. “Being able to perform in-person in front of a live audience was taken away from the theatre department, but now we have the ability to make a direct connection with the audience. We became closer as a group in the process and are enjoying every part of it.” Beaumont-Gould feels that during this time people need something “positive” and something they can relate to. He feels that the play “comes from a loss and from love,” and hopes that it will resonate with the audience. “This show shows how quickly something can just kind of be taken away,” Beaumont-Gould said. “It allows people, the audience and the cast and crew, to remember to make every moment count.”

band next year. “When I had questions, they were able to help me. In middle school, I’m used to being the most advanced, but I feel like when I go to high school, there’ll be so much more to learn and that’s what I enjoy,” Olinger said. “I wasn’t sure [about joining high school band] up until we played with them. I’m now considering it since they sounded so cool and I think it would be a great opportunity.” Delaney Vargas, a senior and Band Captain, finds that being with the middle schoolers is “different” and is always “enjoyable.” “It’s been really fun; [the middle schoolers] are always so energetic. Sometimes they’re even louder than the high schoolers. They love playing music,” Vargas said. “[They] bring a lot more excitement to the crowd, to the flock, and everyone in general.” Because of the excitement the event brings, the marching band hopes to continue to show middle schoolers what makes the marching band “special.” “The students in the high school want our program to succeed and grow and they know that recruiting middle schoolers play an important role in that,” Vizcarra said. “It’s always fun to be part of something bigger. Combine the three middle schools with the marching band, and it’s more exciting for everyone.”

HIGH TIDE OCT. 22, 2021

NEWS 5

THE TOIL WITH

PHOTO BY JULIE LEOPO, VOICE OF OC

The early October oil spill off the coast of Huntington Beach sparked problems for surfers and wildlife by RYAN PARHIZI

n Oct. 1, boaters reported a shimmering oil sheen and a rotten egg odor off the Huntington Beach coast. The following day, diving teams explored the area and determined that an oil spill had occurred. Governor Newsom called a state of emergency and the Coast Guard was assigned to the initially estimated 126,000 gallons of oil spilled by an Amplify Energy pipeline in Huntington Beach. The spill greatly affected both beach goers and conservationists. This call to action led an estimated 1,600 personnel to the spill cleanup. It also closed beaches in Newport Beach, Laguna Beach

and Dana Point. Beach closures frustrated varsity surfer, junior Patrick Hynes, as they prevented him from surfing in the Orange County area. “I feel like these situations keep happening, and it seems as if they are just waiting for the next spill instead of trying to stop the next one. I haven’t been able to go out to Orange County for a week now. I hope we keep our beaches clean so these beaches can be used by the next generation,” Hynes said. After further investigations, the Coast Guard determined the pipeline responsible

for the massive oil spill could have been damaged up to a year before it leaked thousands of gallons of oil into the ocean. According to CBS News, officials have said that the pipeline was “likely struck by an anchor multiple times and dragged across the ocean floor for more than 100 feet.” Further investigation did, however, provide a more accurate spill number; the estimated amount of oil spilled was lowered to at least 30,000 gallons. “I really appreciate the efforts of the Coast Guard and the clean up crew because without them this mess will never

get cleaned up. I was planning on heading out there with my friends to offer any help we can,” Hynes said. The spill has resulted in greater implications than closing beaches for surf lovers. According to Gillian Moberg, AP Environmental Science teacher, the ocean currents brought the oil south. Oil sheen and tar balls ended up in Talbert Marsh, ensuring at least some harm to the biodiversity. “Oil is a carcinogen. It causes cancer in marine mammals, so we’d expect cancer rates to go up, that’s going to be a long term effect. Dead oil coated fish if ingested by birds unknowingly pass toxins along food chains, therefore the full ecological impact is unknown,” Moberg said. According to the Voice of OC, the Orange County wetlands are home to 23 endangered species, many of which are birds. This oil spill is a massive threat to these birds. “Birds get hypothermia because the oil makes their feathers clump together and they don’t get insulation from their feathers. We are expecting many birds to die,” Moberg said. For conservationists, this disaster sparks recollections of once nearly destroyed marshes in the area. Matas Jeneliauskas, an RUHS junior and former volunteer for the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center, expressed his concerns for the Talbert Marsh and neighboring marshes. “It makes me sad because it reminds me of pictures I’ve seen of the wetlands being destroyed to make room for industrial development. These wetlands used to be around 3,000 acres and they’re about 180 acres now. I hope we don’t see any more losses to these marshes because they’re a great way to get out and learn about California’s amazing biodiversity,” Jeneliauskas said. Though volunteering for wetlands and beach clean ups aren’t open to the public just yet, those interested can check the Huntington Beach Wetlands Conservancy and the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center for scheduled events. “Once volunteering opens, I hope as many people as possible go out and help the efforts to clean up the marshes and beaches,” Jeneliauskas said. “It’s a duty you owe to California.”

The Kiwanis Club of Redondo Beach hosted its first ever community fair by DANI OTEY

n Oct. 16, the Kiwanis Club of Redondo Beach hosted its first annual community fair at Anderson Park. This fair included games, music, crafts and more and was completely free for those in the community. At the event, there were countless volunteers, many of which were from the Kiwanis Club, an organization part of Kiwanis International that is a small subsection of many clubs that are scattered around the nation, all focused on helping their respective communities. Jeff Emdee, the Committee Chair, was one of the helpers and coordinators of the event. Emdee directed volunteers throughout the area to set up booths and made sure everything was organized and working properly. “Everything here is completely free,” Emdee said. “We spent about a thousand dollars on this, but it’s not a fundraiser. It’s for the people of Redondo.” There were eight booths set up, some with crafts, such as carnival masks and hands on turkeys, and others with games, such as bean bag toss and sack races. Though this was the Kiwanis Club’s first annual community fair, it wasn’t the first thing they’d done for their community. Living their motto, ‘Kids Need Kiwanis,’ 40 adult members, including students from K-12 schools, meet twice a month for

regularly scheduled meetings, and more for charity events and projects. As well as adults, the teens of Redondo have been getting involved. There were many volunteers at the community fair from Key Club, the student-run Kiwanis Club at RUHS, at the event. One of these volunteers was junior Eva Lopez-Quintana. “It’s been a while since I was able to do community service, so getting back in the saddle again and interacting with kids was amazing,” Lopez-Quintana said. This is Lopez-Quintana’s first year in the club, and she’s already immersed in many volunteering activities. “I feel really happy because I know what I’m doing is making other people smile,” Lopez-Quintana said. Along with the Kiwanis, Key Club volunteers at events—such as the Hermosa Beach Music Festival, which was earlier in October. “You can only learn through doing with community service,” said Lopez-Quintana. “For me personally, I feel so content after I do community service knowing that I helped my community. I got to make a bunch of little kids happy.” At the community fair, RUHS volunteers were able to make real connections with those kids. “There was a specific kid at my booth, and he was so sweet. I forget how kids are

still so imaginative and they just want to talk,” Lopez-Quintana said. “They just talk to you, saying things like ‘I’m in kindergarten. I’m so strong.’ Kids talk like that, and while volunteering I remembered I used to be like that, talking to adults about absolutely anything. It was just very adorable.” PHOTO VIA CREATIVE COMMONS

Volunteers working at the hands on turkeys booth. PHOTO BY NADIA BIDARIAN

features

THISTLE

while you

WORK WORK

Junior Cielo Szeles embraces her creative nature and love for art at her job at J Flowers by YARA EL-HASAN

Szeles working at J Flowers flower shop in Redondo Beach and three of her flower arrangements. PHOTOS COURTESY OF CIELO SZELES

he ringing of a phone fades into a cacophony of rushed conversations, the rustling of leaves and a loud beeping noise signaling a new DoorDash order. A pair of frantic hands grab a bundle of white flowers, handling them with just enough care to avoid ruining them. A petal drifts to the floor and is stepped on by a customer ordering a vase of orchids. The phone’s insistent ringing gets lost in this web of commotion but continues to demand attention. Junior Cielo Szeles finally answers the call with a bouquet of roses in one hand and a pen and notepad in the other, working hard for the Mother’s Day hustle at J Flowers. “I liked the rush of it,” Szeles said. “There were so many people coming in and going out, and then you’re getting to help everyone. You were never just sitting around because there’s always something to do.” Szeles has been working at the family-owned flower shop in Redondo Beach for less than a year, but has already grown a strong passion for flower arranging. Along with putting together beautiful arrangements, she also helps out with other aspects of the business, like customer service, cleaning and shop management. “I like it because you’re always talking to people and getting to know the customers,” Szeles said. “That’s my favorite part about working at a small business, you get regulars and they become people you know really well.” Szeles became a raging “plant mom” at the start of quarantine when her interest in plants started. Her collection began with one small bamboo plant, incrementally growing with her passion for nature. As time went on, Szeles became more interested in learning about plants and now gets to express this at

her job. “I also think I’m especially attached to my job because I feel like I haven’t connected well with other teenagers. Most of the people I work with are in their 30’s and above and we get along really well. It’s like we’re a family,” Szeles said. Having just turned 17, Szeles practices balancing her job and the rigors of school, even spending her free fifth period at the shop in order to work as much as possible.

“

They have so many colors, shapes, textures and types; they’re like nature’s version of art. CIELO SZELES JUNIOR

Because she is still a minor, the law allows her to only work 4 hours on school days and 8 hours on weekends. Szeles maneuvers around this by volunteering at the flower shop once her 4 hours are up. “Art is something I really feel like I can have some sort of expertise with,” Szeles said. “You know sometimes when you’re at

school, and you feel like you’re not good at anything? Like, I’m not good at math. I’m not that great at science either. But being a florist and working at that shop makes me feel like I know what I’m doing, and it gives me confidence.” Her sources of inspiration extend far and wide, from other florists’ Instagram pages to weddings on TV shows. If she sees a certain color palette or arrangement she likes, she will try to recreate it at work. Making these arrangements can take anywhere from 5-30 minutes, depending on the flower and vase that she’s working with. “They’re like nature’s version of art. They have so many colors, shapes, textures and types,” Szeles said. “I remember I first got specifically interested in arranging flowers when I saw Ikebana, which is a traditional Japanese way of arranging flowers. It was the way they manipulate nature to create feelings and emotions that got me into it.” Szeles wants to continue growing her hobby in the future, striving to also turn it into her profession. She hopes to one day open a business, even if it doesn’t end up being a flower shop, and continue implementing nature and art into all aspects of her life. “I’m also in AP art since I really love it. I can do it at my job, and so many things I learned in my art class here are things I can apply at the shop,” Szeles said. Despite the love she holds for her job, Szeles recognizes its overwhelming nature as she sometimes comes home in need of a break, unwilling to do her homework. Nevertheless, Szeles believes the occasional stress is worth it for the new friendships and good memories that have come out of it. “You can make such beautiful art out of simple things, and that is the coolest thing in the world,” Szeles said.

Freshman Lucas Richardson brings creations to life using 3D-printing by MARLIE CORNWELL

rcher. Beekeeper. Coder. Drummer. Equestrian. Students at RUHS have many different talents, and freshman Luca Richardson has proven that one of them can be 3D Printing. Richardson has been putting his artistic ideas and mechanical skills to work for about eight months now, since winter of 2020. “The most fun thing [about 3D printing] is being able to create whatever you want, whenever you want,” Richardson said. “I love the idea of being able to make my own products.” 3D printing, according to Richarson, is a manufacturing technique that creates prototypes out of plastic materials designed with a virtual 3D model. The design is then produced with a printer that includes an “extra dimension.” Richardson has created a variety of pieces, ranging from a masquerade mask for RUHS’ annual Homecoming dance to a pistol replica from the popular video game Fallout 4. As a fun and engaging pastime, Richardson also took Media Arts over the summer of 2021, meeting Nina Schwartz while he was there. Since they’ve become friends, Schwartz has witnessed many of Richardson’s designs come to life; having an artistic mind herself, she knows how interesting it is to watch an idea come to fruition. “He’s very passionate about it,” Schwartz said. “He likes creating all sorts of things. I’ve never known anyone who’s been able to do stuff like that.” Richardson’s goals as an artist have grown into bigger printing plans for his future; or more specifically, one big plan. “Something that I really want to do one day is create my own suit of armor from basically any Star Wars franchise,” Richardson said. “Maybe Clone [Trooper or] Mandalorian armor.” This armor was his inspiration for starting 3D printing in the first place. After watching Star Wars, he wanted armor of his own and decided to make that happen, using 3D printing. “Having my own suit was originally why I wanted to buy a printer,” Richardson said. “But I found that I liked the hobby as a whole. I not only want to make armor; I also enjoy the process and designing as well.” In fact, his favorite pieces have nothing to do with Star Wars; one of them is a sentimental, spiritual statue he made as a gift for his dad. “My dad’s not Buddhist, per se, but he really likes Buddhist culture,” Richardson said. “So I printed him a Maitreya statue, and I painted it for him in gold.” Richardson doesn’t shop for gifts because he can use his 3D printer to create his own thoughtful presents. Eventually, this became one of his main incentives for his crafting. “Ever since I got the printer,” Richardson said, “I haven’t bought a gift for anyone. I actually make them something. And if you can change the parameters of [the design] yourself, you can even make them something unique.” Even though some prints take a long time, Richardson thinks that they are always worth it. When he finishes something successfully, he feels “fantastic,” especially if he “really liked the thing that [he] made.” “There’s nothing more rewarding than thinking of something that nobody else has made before,” Richardson said. “And then… less than 24 hours later, it’s a real thing that you can hold and feel.”

HIGH TIDE OCT. 22, 2021

JUMPING

LIMITS

he arena erupts with the thunderous roar of the audience. The floor shakes and ponpons are flung into the air. The athletes run onto the court, ready to play the best game of their lives. As a basketball star, this is the experience that Senior Tyler Doiron reveled in on a frequent basis. However, on March 9, 2020, these electric events were halted for what would become a hiatus of over a year. In resignation, many athletes who’ve previously devoted much of their time to basketball surrendered their passion for physical activity. On the other hand, there was Doiron, who not only attempted a new sport but also received one of RUHS’ best High Jump placements in nearly 25 years. High jumping is a track and field event in which competitors are required to jump over a horizontal bar at certain, measured heights without displacing it. Doiron jumped over 6 feet and 4 inches in his first track and field meet, an achievement that qualified him for state-level championships. “I think I’ll definitely jump higher this year, compared to last year,” Doiron said. “Basketball training is very similar to high jump training. So, most of what I do in basketball will help me in track, once track season starts.”

Doiron began high-jumping during the pandemic, mainly because he wanted to stay active during his period of hiatus from basketball. “I’ve played sports my whole life and I didn’t really know what to do [during this time],” Doiron says. “Everyone told me to do track. So, I finally succumbed to peer pressure and said I would try it.” Committing himself to both sports equally, Doiron aspires to continue high jumping and playing basketball in college. “I definitely think that there’s an opportunity for me to get a scholarship or at least compete in college,” Doiron says. “I also want to play basketball because I think [high jumping and basketball] go hand in hand, due to the similar training for both.” Doiron’s placement already meets Harvard University’s high jump standard and opens him up to a variety of colleges to attend. “If I can go to Harvard, I’m not going to be sad,” Doiron said. “Harvard is a very prestigious school, but as of right now I’m looking to increase [my high jump] number so that it opens [me] up to a greater variety

OVER

FEATURES 7

Senior Tyler Doiron’s high jump score qualifies him for state championships

by STAVYAH NAVEEN

of schools.” Doiron’s track and field coach, Bob Leetch, strongly believes that Doiron has the potential to reach his goals. “I think he’s got the ability and the talent to [increase his high jump number],” Leetch says. “For someone who has just started [this] event to be that good is remarkable. He’s got tons of potential and he’s super coachable.” Bob Leetch claims that he is confident in Doiron’s future progression in the sport, despite the obstacles that may have hindered Doiron from getting extra time to practice during the COVID-19 quarantine period. “He’s a hard worker,” Leetch said. “Some people don’t work hard since they already have lots of talent. So, they think that they’re [already] good, but you just don’t see their improvement. However, [Doiron] appears to have a really good work ethic and a great attitude.” After Doiron made it onto the track team, he found that he enjoyed the sport for its individuality. He recommends that if anyone is interested in track and field,

1. Doiron praticing his hIgh jump at RUHS. 2. Doiron with his qualifying score. PHOTOS COURTESY OF TYLER DOIRON

2 they should join the team. “It’s a fun experience,” Doiron said. “There’s not a lot of pressure that goes with it. It’s an individual sport where you’re part of a team. So, your performance doesn’t affect anybody else’s standing. I don’t have to carry anybody or put pressure on myself for somebody else, which is what I love about it.”

Tyler Notah and John Bradley celebrate their cultures for Indigenous Day by MARLEY VAN PELT

“

In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue,” is the opening line of the well-known nursery rhyme, by Jean Marzollo, that reemerges every second Monday in the month of October. However, what was once used to remember the history of American colonization has now become a day that celebrates the people that were there before the European settlers: the Native Americans. Though Columbus Day was made a national holiday in 1937, it wasn’t observed as Indigenous People’s Day until 1992. The change was due to the acknowledgement of the harsh treatment towards Native Americans by Columbus and other European explorers during the colonization of America. Senior Tyler Notah is a member of the Navajo Nation, whose reservation is located in the Four Corners of Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. Notah was born and raised here in the South Bay, but his grandparents, who lived on the Navajo Reservation in Utah, came to California in the 1960s after graduating from Inner Mountain boarding school. Notah’s grandparents chose Southern California because “the Federal Government promised them housing and jobs in Los Angeles, so they were discouraged to return back to the reservation.” Despite having to leave the reservation, Notah’s grandparents were able to build a life in California for themselves and for future generations. “The government did live up to their promise. My grandpa became a weld-

er and my grandma was actually a truck driver [...] I still have my grandma’s old GMC 1970’s truck that she used to drive from here all the way to New Mexico,” Notah said. Though Notah and his family have continued to live here in California, they make efforts to stay connected to their roots. “I’ve visited The [Navajo] Nation to attend events with my family and to go to places like Shiprock Fair, and also see my uncle who lives on the Cheyenne River Reservation in South Dakota,” Notah said. Over the years, it has become a tradition for Notah and his family to go back to the reservation to visit relatives and explore their native land. “When I was younger, going back to the reservation was a learning experience, but I was also having fun while doing it,” Notah said.

A powow is a North American Indian ceremony involving feasting, singing and dancing. Notah, growing up immersed in the Native American culture, learned the traditions and food styles of the Navajo. “I’ve been participating in film screenings, attending powwows and volunteering at an organization called the Wild Horse Native American Association. I also chose to fundraise by serving frybread and Indian tacos,” said Notah. Notah has also expressed appreciation for his non-indigenous friends when they joined him in some of the powwows, saying that it was a “really good experience for them to be a part of it.” Senior John Bradley, a member of the Cherokee and Comanche tribes, takes a great interest in his Native American Traditions as he also attends powwows as a way to celebrate his culture. “Powwows are very family-oriented events,” Bradley said. “Each one of us would know certain dances to contribute. My father actually used to do a game day at the museum, when we were younger, to teach other people how to play Native American games.”

Growing up, Bradley has always been proud of his heritage, and it helped him form not just his identity but also the way he views the world and everyday activities. In Bradley’s eyes, Indigenous People’s Day is an occasion to credit Native Americans for how far they’ve come in history. “It’d be nice for people to know what it was, what it meant and acknowledge that it’s happening,” Bradley said. For Tyler Notah, identifying as Indigenous brings him a lot of pride because he is able to represent the voices of those that were silenced in the past. “I don’t feel ashamed of my heritage. Some people may have picked on me about it but it just didn’t really affect me like that. I was taught that we [Native Americans] were very strong people,” Notah said. With Indigenous People’s Day came a great deal of gratification for Notah because it was a chance for others to learn more about his culture. From Notah’s perspective, understanding Native American history is a looking glass into American history. “The day is an opportunity for us to really look back and respect our past, and also respect our traditions and realize that we wouldn’t be the same person without our traditions,” Notah said. “For people that are not indigenous, I would say, if you are really curious about it, go ask someone who is indigenous or ask a teacher that knows everything about it.”

PHOTOS BY VALERIE TISCARENO

OCT. 22, 2021 HIGH TIDE

8 FEATURES

En Pointe Miller and Boddy recover ballet technique post-pandemic by CHARLOTTE GOLDSTEIN

hen ballerina and senior Julia Miller performs, she knows the material by heart. When she dances, each muscle in her body is engaged for a specific reason, and each step she takes is taken with precision. Nothing is left to chance, and nothing is unexpected. Unfortunately this practice cannot be applied to life; her response to COVID-19 was not something that she could rehearse until it went smoothly. The various lockdowns stole the show from the Lauridsen Ballet Centre and robbed them of their ability to practice and perform. Now, as COVID-19 restrictions gradually lift, the studio is rebuilding community bonds and reinstating the high quality dance education and productions they once had. Miller explained Lauridsen is not only a place that educates their dancers, but also encourages its members to take pride in learning. “Our studio is really supportive. We’re snapping, clapping and cheering each other on,” Miller said. “We’re actually encouraged to take the younger classes, just so the little dancers have someone to look up towards and kind of envision themselves as.” Unfortunately, when the COVID-19 lockdowns were instituted, the studio was forced to suspend in-person instruction and, like everything else, the ballet classes were held over Zoom. Ballet dancer and sophomore Payton Boddy thought that it was hard to feel those same community bonds and support through the screen. For Boddy, the loss of comradery was amplified because her family relocated from Chicago to Redondo Beach at the beginning of the lockdown. “It’s hard being the new kid, especially

during COVID-19,” she said, “I felt very isolated.” Both dancers were ecstatic once in-person classes resumed, but unfortunately that time away from the studio took a toll on their bodies. Most ballerinas created a set up so they could train from home, but according to Boddy, who was dancing in her cramped garage, “nothing compares to being in person.” “It was tight. I was dancing on concrete which really weakened my knees. I think I lost a lot of my technique in dance and my endurance,” Boddy said. Miller also found dancing over Zoom “I was inspired by Swan Lake, an iconic ballet repertoire, which is specifically exuninspiring. pressed in the position of my hands and legs,” Miller said. “You really build off of teamwork and PHOTO COURTESY OF JULIA MILLER other people’s energy and drive. Not having that makes it hard to find your own persontime affording a venue to hold their annual lots of room for imperfections and slackal motivation,” she said. production of “The Nutcracker.” “We usu- ing off, but being so close to the audience Although Lauridsen is now back to holdally rent the El Camino Theater,” said Mill- doesn’t allow that. ing in person classer. However she noted Another benefit of having an in-studio es, the studio is still that due to financial production is the way that it unifies the dealing with the construggle and their hes- community at the studio. After a long time sequences of the panitancy to hold large spent apart, Boddy believes that working demic. One of the main M y teacher says it’s gatherings, the Ballet on the production will help boost morale problems facing LauCentre decided to have and unify the community. ridsen and its dancers a good learning exan in-studio produc“I think it’s the artistic directors [who is recovering from the perience to be able tion. are building the stage set up] and any parfinancial hit they took to dance so close to To those who usual- ents just in general who are willing to help. during lockdown. Like ly work hard on it, it is It’s definitely a community effort,” she said. many other business- someone and to be disappointing that they Being back in the studio has brought a es, closing up shop was fully present. will not have an extrav- renewed appreciation of community to the financially devastating agant production this dancers at Lauridsen Ballet Centre. Despite for them. JULIA MILLER year. But there’s also a the hardships they have experienced the “We had the lights SENIOR bright side to this loss. show must go on and they are grateful to off to save on elec“My teacher says it’s be dancing together again. “I think in the tricity bills and everya good learning experi- long run, it made me more appreciative to thing,” Miller said. “It was really a shock at ence to be able to dance so close to someone dance in a studio, even with a mask on, just first because it was so different. I’m used to and to be fully present,” said Miller. She ex- dancing around other people is great,” Bodthe bright studio where light fills the room.” plained that dancing on a big stage leaves dy said. In addition, the studio also had a hard

“

Nicole Sasaki worked as a ball kid in Indian Wells tournament by DANI OTEY

n esteemed privilege in the world of tennis, ball kidding is no joke. Sasaki, who has been playing tennis for almost six years, is on one of the doubles (two players per side) teams, on the varsity tennis team who are nearing the end of their season. Her love of tennis is what led to her discovery and pursuing of this opportunity. “I saw it on TV,” Sasaki said. “I saw the ball kids, and I always kind of joked with my family, like, how cool it would be if I was the person running to get balls?” Though it began as a joke, Sasaki would soon find out that it could become reality. “In 2017, I attended the Indian Wells BNP Paribas Open, a tennis tournament in Palm Springs. It’s not officially a grand slam like Wimbledon, but it is considered the ‘fifth’ slam. I saw the kids walking around in their uniforms and thought, that is so cool,” Sasaki explained. Thus, she decided to apply. As a ball girl, Sasaki retrieves balls that hit the net during serves or rallies so that they don’t obstruct the player’s next moves. To become a ball girl or boy, teens in a specific age group have to fill out an application form to be considered. If accepted, they go through multiple training sessions to learn how to be professional and effective during matches. Sasaki applied to be a ball girl late in 2019 and was accepted and trained in early 2020. “The first game I was supposed to ball girl for actually ended up being the very first match to be canceled because of COVID-19,” Sasaki said. Sasaki was crushed to have come so close and then have to wait out a time with little to no professional sports at all. Despite all these challenges, Sasaki is glad that she made the choice to try

and become a ball girl, and this year, she’s doing it all again. “It’s harder than it seems,” Sasaki said. “One match I was at, it was 100 degrees out.” As the match is in progress, ball girls and boys have to work in full uniform in intense heat and maintain professional appearances. “There’s this thing called happy cactus and sad cactus,” Sasaki said regarding the position ball girls or boys must hold when preparing to give a tennis ball to a player. “Happy cactus is holding your arms at a 90 degree angle and sad cactus is when your hands droop. We’re all forced to have happy cactus arms all the time.” Additionally, due to the pandemic, there are fewer volunteers and thus more work for each individual, which leads to more soreness, especially in the ankles and back. Also, they’re not allowed to talk to the professionals whose matches they work in. This method is what the trainers call “silent but appreciated,” said Sasaki. After applying for the program and being accepted again, she went to multiple matches and had great success. “One of my favorite parts was making new friends, some from out of state who are also in the program,” Sasaki said. “And my old friends told me they even saw me on TV.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF NICOLE SASAKI

HIGH TIDE OCT. 22, 2021

FEATURES 9

Translates to “Hello Japanese Club”

Sawamura and Kobayashi start Japanese Club at RUHS to educate others on their culture and establish community by ERIN HARTMAN

itting in is something that everyone wants, especially in high school. Finding a safe place to express yourself is important and many look to school clubs to find this. Juniors Moana Kobayashi and Sabrina Sawamura created the Japanese Culture Club, a place where all students can safely learn about Japanese culture, whether they’re of Japanese descent or not. The club teaches students about Japanese culture, traditions, and how to speak the language. The two friends, both of Japanese descent, decided to start the club to teach students more about Japan since it was this year’s Olympics host country. They also wanted to teach about Japanese culture beyond the stereotypes. “Through [the Asian hate] people started creating a lot of stereotypes towards Asian cultures, and we wanted to clarify some of those things,” Sawamura said. Though the presidents haven’t experienced any hate tied to the recent racism, they have felt judged for their culture in the past. “When I was in elementary or middle school, I don’t think, at that time, people were aware, and respected other peoples’ culture. I got made fun of for my food I brought to school, and the type of stuff I had. I felt like I wasn’t normal with everybody, and kind of an outcast,” said Kobayashi. Sawamura has also felt judged

for her culture and was even at one point embarrassed about being different. Both presidents are now proud of their culture and want to help others to be proud of their own cultures. “There’s actually a lot of different races and ethnicities of students that joined our club, so I’m hoping that they can respect each other and understand cultural differences and break through those cultural norms. And I want people to enjoy Japanese culture, even if they’re not Japanese so that they can realize we’re not all that different,” Sawamura said. Both presidents speak fluent Japanese and have a solid understanding of how to teach the language to their peers. They both took a Japanese course at El Camino College and will use some of the same strategies of teaching that they learned. Different regions of Japan have different dialects, some being more formal than others. In places like Tokyo, people speak in a formal dialect or in a more respectful way. “On the main island, we all speak in a formal way. But if you go to places like Osaka, those places have a [different] dialect, so they might say things differently,” Kobayashi said. The formal dialect is the most com-

mon, and both presidents speak it and will if there’s a holiday, then we’ll make a post teach the language this way. about the holiday and how our families celAlong with language lessons, Kobayashi ebrate it,” Kobayashi said. and Sawamura plan on preparing more With a turnout of both Japanese and games with aspects of Japanese culture. Af- non-Japanese students, the presidents are ter landing a meeting happy about the interwith the president of est in their culture that the Japanese Culture students are showing by Club at Loyola coljoining their club. lege, the presidents I got made fun of for One student who got inspiration for plans on staying in the my food I brought to new activities for club for both semesters school, and the type their own club. is freshman Mei Sada, “[The club’s ac- of stuff I had. I felt like of Japanese descent, count] popped up on who has a good underI wasn’t normal with my Explore Page on standing of the Japanese Instagram, and I was everybody, and kind language. Sada joined just looking through of an outcast. to learn more about her their account and I roots and how to speak saw that somebody I the language more forknew from my Japa- MOANA KOBAYASHI mally. JUNIOR nese school was part Sada’s friend Karis of that club. I wantBruno also joined the ed to ask them about what they do in the club since she wanted to learn more about club, and he told me to ask the president, Japanese culture, as well as to improve on and she then set up a Zoom meeting for us,” speaking the language. Kobayashi said. “I have many Japanese friends, and I go Along with fun games such as a Japa- to their houses often. I am influenced a lot nese version of pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey, by Japanese culture. I’m actually studying a game with chopsticks, and many card the language right now so I like to go over games, the presidents incorporate facts to their houses and talk to their parents in about Japanese culture that either connect Japanese.” to the activity they do that day or are just For many students, it’s nice to find a interesting for members to learn. group of people who appreciate their heriThe presidents even plan on spread- tage and are respectful of a culture that they ing their love for Japanese culture be- identify with. yond the school walls by starting an “It makes me feel really at home, and Instagram account. it’s really comfortable in that environment. “I think we’ll post about fun facts People there want to know more about the about our culture, and then maybe culture,” Sada said.

“

Translations courtesy of Moana Kobayashi

Club presidents: Sabrina Sawamura (left) and Moana Kobayashi (right) PHOTO BY VALERIE TISCARENO

Esports and traditional sports should be viewed equally in merit by LAUREN CHOY

hey sit on their couches, playing video games for hours; their life revolves around staring at a computer; they eat chips and drink soda all day; this is the present stereotype that many people assume about all gamers. But this isn’t the case for junior Joey Wang. “So the thing about stereotypes and rumors is that they’re always true to a certain degree. But people need to know that they are not true for everyone,” Wang said. As a varsity club member of the League of Legends club, Wang states that he and other club members don’t match the stereotype, but there are still other gamers that are accurate representations of these stereotypes. There are always going to be people that sit on the couch and play games all day. But, Wang feels that this negative stereotype surrounding all gamers puts gamers like him under a bad light even when they are managing their time wisely and effectively gaming. “People praise sports players for their talents and spirit. You can find the same thing in esport players. They have the same values and the same experience,” Wang

of physical sports. The League of Legends said. Wang believes that there are clear par- club gives members community and collaballels between esports and regular sports oration practice like what you would get in because for regular sports, constant prac- physical sports. Since gaming retice, drills, and conquires players to put in ditioning are schedhours to improve, a lot uled in order to make of people assume that the players improve. gamers spend all of their Similarly, the gam- So the thing about time gaming, meaning ing club holds scrimthey are often unpromages and practice stereotypes and ruductive and lazy. With matches to help play- mors is that they’re Wang, that’s not the ers learn from their always true to a cercase. mistakes. “At the moment I’m Club Presi- tain degree. But peodoing Model UN. I redent Luther Wu ple need to know that cently joined the Youth also thinks gaming they are not true for and Government club should be recognized for the school. I have a everyone. as a sport. really big conference at “The teamwork, UCLA. A lot of research the community, the JOEY WANG and writing will have to effort you need to put JUNIOR go into that. So a lot of in, the rigorous practhings are coming our tice schedules: these way. And then, numerous other guys from qualities all qualify as a sport,” Wu said. Wu compares how working and strat- my varsity team, they play golf, they play egizing with teammates are a main aspect tennis and they’re very sporty,” Wang said.

“

Wang wants to study history and spends many hours reading and learning to achieve his goals. And Wang’s not the only one. Other team members devote and prioritize other responsibilities as well. These sports take up much of their time, yet they still manage to game alongside school. “We have our own goals and are working towards them, and we all just happen to play video games,” Wang said.

Gaming controls. ILLUSTRATIONS VIA KATARINA BECHES AND CANVA

IN-FO

10 OCT. 22, 2021 HIGH TIDE

DISABILITY IN STUDENTS

BY THE NUMBERS INFORMATION FROM PEW RESEARCH CENTER AND THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION STATISTICS

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“You never know who may need additional assistance or who is going through a harder time because they are hindered by their mental struggles. With my low processing speed, I tend to take a lot of time to get through work that is piled upon me; it takes a while for me to understand the content,” said Doe. Many of these conditions permit 504 plans or Individualized Educational Plans (IEPs); these initiatives are both designed to provide accommodations to students with either mental or physical disabilities. “A lot of students I know have 504 plans, and it is becoming more common. My plan mainly allows me to ask for extra time on assessments and assignments. I’ve had to use my plan quite a bit this year, especially being in so many AP classes and jumping right back into in-person learning after the pandemic,” Doe said. For Doe, learning has been “fairly difficult” this year. He feels as though some staff members and teachers are respecting his accommodations, but others have made it hard for him to transition smoothly back to an in-person learning environment.

Students with both mental and physical d have their experiences understood

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JOHN DOE JUNIOR

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I CAN EASILY HIDE MY ACCOMODATION, BUT IT SHOULDN’T BE THAT WAY. WE ARE ALL EQUAL HUMANS.

“With low processing speed, it’s hard for me to absorb information and retain it, so I require extra time in order to really grasp the content. My counselor has been a great resource. She’s advocated on behalf of me, and I always try to tell her when I’m having trouble in certain classes,” Doe said. “On the other hand, I’ve had bad experiences with a couple of teachers where they don’t really recognize my need for extra time. They think I can finish loads of work in such a short amount of time.” When staff members fail to adhere to students’ 504 plans, Doe, among other students, becomes “increasingly stressed” due to the pressures placed upon him. Each student should be allowed to use their accommodations freely; however, when they are hindered by teachers, they grow “weary” and “anxious,” as observed by freshman Johnny Appleseed, who has anxiety. Appleseed feels as though this may lead them to perform worse on classwork or assessments. “It’s a small thing, but chewing gum really helps me stay focused in class. I have anxiety on top of reading comprehension issues, so it’s really hard for me to pay attention in class. I get jittery and fidgety and having the option to chew gum really centers me and calms me down. In the past, some teachers haven’t respected this accommodation, and in those classes, I found myself falling behind,” said Appleseed. Many actively use their 504 plans in order to compensate for the limitations of their mental conditions, and some students have had their 504 plans throughout middle school into high school. “I remember when I was little, my mom noticed some of my struggles in the classroom, and she asked around to see what she could do to help. Eventually, I got my 504 plan, and I definitely think I’d be in a much worse place without my plan,” Appleseed said. Some students who struggle with mental disabilities feel “misunderstood” due to the fact that the general population of high school students isn’t widely knowledgeable about certain mental health conditions; people can sometimes “come off as insensitive,” says junior Nicholas Carrozza, who struggles with autism and attention deficit disorder (ADD). “A lot of people don’t realize that my behavioral differences are just a part of my nature,” Carrozza said. “Even though some students are wired differently, all we want to be is treated like normal human beings.” Doe and other students feel as though RUHS can “definitely take steps forward” when it comes to inclusion, improving upon its approach to students struggling with mental health conditions. “There’s a prevailing stereotype regarding people with mental disabilities, and a lot of us get judged,” Doe said. “I can easily hide my accomodation, but it shouldn’t be that way. We are all equal humans, and we should be treated as such.”

an x

he stress of completing assignments with enough time. The inability to focus during class instruction. The prospect of being judged by others and singled out because of a behavioral or genetic difference. These are all very prevalent hardships faced by people who struggle with mental health issues or mental disabilities. Several students at RUHS possess inherent or developed mental conditions, ranging from ADD and ADHD to autism, dyslexia and anxiety. Though seemingly typical students, they are usually subjected to “greater hardships” when faced with academic material according to junior John Doe who has low processing speed.

MORE THAN MEETS

by ALLIE D’AMATO

MENTAL DISABILITIES

OCUS

HIGH TIDE OCT. 22, 2021 11

PHYSICAL DISABILITIES

EYE

disabilities struggle to

n recent years, a primary focus of Redondo’s has been inclusion. Through diversified English reading sets, district-wide committees and critical class discussions, students are being exposed to fresh, diverse perspectives in order to cultivate a more socially-aware student body. While race, ethnicity, gender identity and sexuality are now common classroom discussions, another perspective important to include, according to deaf and speech-impaired student John Doe, whose name has been changed to preserve anonymity, is the one of students with physical disabilities. According to Doe, some RUHS students can be ignorant to what students like him go through. “It does have an effect on my learning,” Doe said. “Whenever teachers play videos, I need to have closed captions. I need to sit at the front of the classroom, and I can’t hear if the air conditioning or any fan is on. There can’t be background noise. Group projects are also really hard.” Doe has cochlear implants, a small electronic device he fits into his ears each morning, and his teachers wear a device connected to his implants that make hearing easier for him. Beyond the academic implications of his disability, being deaf has psychosocial effects as well. “Being deaf does make me a little sad,” Doe said. “It’s really hard to socialize with people because I have a hard time hearing what they are saying to me. Sometimes it’s just a bunch of noises and I can’t even make out the words.” Although Doe has experienced some bullying in elementary and middle school, both him and senior Gabe Berger, who has partial albinism, think the student body generally has good intentions. According to Berger, whose partial albinism is shown through differing pigmentation on his arms and parts of his face, some students are simply “unaware of how to properly interact” with someone with his condition. “Should I have not been such a confident person, I probably would have been a source for bullying, but being a confident person, I kind of turned being different into one of my strengths. I get a lot of weird looks, especially if I’m wearing a short sleeve shirt, and a couple people will ask me if I bleach myself or if I was on fire,” Berger said. “I’m not ashamed of my skin in any way, but it does help when people ask so that I can tell them exactly why I look the way I look; I don’t like being pitied.” According to Doe, his experience at school would be made bet-

MEET THE STAFF

by BEN RINGEL ter by students treating him with more patience. “As a deaf person, I live in two worlds: a world where there is sound and a world where there isn’t,” Doe said. “It’s fine if students ask me about my implants or my hearing device, I just wish students were more patient with communicating with me.” Beyond patience, Dr. Monica Mallet, a Special Day Class teacher and educational specialist who oversees students on the certificate of completion (as opposed to diploma) track, thinks students can tend to overfocus on our differences. “When there are perceived differences, people don’t really understand that we’re all still the same. We all still have the same core values. It’s about understanding and having empathy for other people’s differences,” Mallet said. Mallet helps oversee junior Charlie Goeldner, who is diagnosed with autism, born with poor muscle tone and is mute, according to his mother Caz Walker-Goeldner. Because of this, RUHS provides Goeldner with multiple accommodations to help him navigate RUHS’ “vast campus.” “He gets fatigued much sooner than most people would because he is building up his endurance. He has a walker to get him around campus, and his full-time aid Phyllis Rousse is with him as well,” Walker-Goeldner said. Compared to her work across Los Angeles county, she said the “students here are pretty remarkable.” Before the pandemic, able-bodied athletes and students with disabilities got to participate in a mentorship program in which students like Goelder got to try new sports and the athletes got to engage with students with special needs and “see how blessed they are for being able to run and jump.” “I see photos from his aid Phyllis all of the time. His classmates are very very accepting and they always try to help him out. They even will bake him cookies in the Culinary Arts class. His little team really helps him get involved with the cooking,” Walker-Goeldner said. With the funding and resources in place, Mallet said the most important thing is for students to continue to be empathetic and kind. “We have a friendship circle club that will begin soon to meet every other Wednesday. We’re going to meet, connect, have some pizza from Fresh Brothers and get to know each other and see how students can help out,” Mallet said. “I think that people can just be friends. Don’t act like they’re different or there’s something wrong with them. Just treat them like you treat everyone else.”

Essential skills teac her Special ed. instructional Steph anie Powell assistant Yolanda Laman

Special ed. instruct ional assistant Safaa Gui rguis kills s g n livi llet dent onica Ma n e p Inde r Dr. M e teach

ructional Special ed. inst Lewis assistant Rosa

cochlear implant PHOTO BY KEARA ANTONELLI

T H E N E A R LY

7 MILLION D I SA B L E D STU D E N TS IN AMERICA MAKE UP 1 4 % O F N AT I O N A L PUBLIC SCHOOL ENROLLMENT

ILLUSTRATION BY KATELYN PERRY

14%

OF ALL PUBLIC SC H O O L STU D E N TS AG E D 3 -2 1 R EC E I V E S P E C I A L E D U C AT I O N SERVICES UNDER THE INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES EDUCAT I O N ACT ( I D E A )

1 3 .7 % O F P E O P L E WITH A DISABILIT Y H AV E A M O B I L I TY DISABILITY WITH S E R I O U S D I F F I C U LT Y WA L K I N G O R C L I M B I N G S TA I R S

OCT. 22, 2021 HIGH TIDE

12 FEATURES

DRIVING force Some students have been driving without a license by LARA MAGDESIAN

tudents who drive without a license tend to underestimate the severity of their decision and justify breaking the law in the name of joyriding. According to The Law offices of Howard Kitay, as of 2018 over 1.3 million crashes in the United States were caused by teens aged 15 to 20. In fact, the risk of crashing is highest at the age of 16, which is typically around the time teenages start driving. Not only is illegally driving unsafe, it can threaten a teenager’s ability to earn their license by suspending it if pulled over by an officer and ticketed. Some may even receive the punishment of 6 months in jail or a $1,000 fine if it’s a serious enough misdemeanor. “Of course I know the risks,” student Jane Doe, whose name has been replaced to preserve anonymity, said. “Even though I don’t have a permit or license yet, I still like to drive around and listen to music to help empty my head.” When asked if she thinks it’s worth the risk, she replied that while driving is risky, she enjoys going for drives to visit friends or use it as an outlet for frustration. “I personally think it’s worth it because it’s a way for me to relax or calm myself down if I’m angry, or it lets me go see my friends in case I need some time away from my family,” Doe said. Another student, Johnny Appleseed, says that although he does have a permit, he still has not earned his license to be able to drive alone. His reasoning for getting behind the

wheel isn’t for leisurely purposes, but to help around their household. “A lot of times my mom asks me to drive to the store for groceries if she’s too busy to do it herself since she’s at work until really late,” Appleseed said. “I’m always really careful when I drive because I know if I get pulled over by a cop, I could get into a lot of trouble.” Other than helping his mother, he doesn’t ever drive around for fear of getting caught by the police. “One of my friends actually did get pulled over by a police officer and was by herself in the car with only a permit. She was lucky enough to get off with a warning since the officer was nice, but she’s been extremely careful ever since,” Appleseed said. One student even ad-

mitted to having gotten caught by her parents after coming home from driving around with friends. “It was pretty late at night, so I assumed my parents had gone to bed. But when I came home, they were waiting for me in the living room. They got really upset and wouldn’t let me get my permit until after I turned 16.” When asked how she felt about this, the student explained how she felt “annoyed because they would have to wait longer to drive independently” yet understood their parents’ reasoning and for worrying about their child’s safety. It’s a major risk to be driving without legal certification yet the increase in driver’s without a license continues to soar. Although the rules and regulations tell underage teens and those who have yet to earn driving authorization to stay off the streets, many choose to take the high road and drive anyway. “It can be scary to drive without an official license, but it’s nice to be able to have that freedom of going anywhere.”

ILLUSTRATION COURTESY OF FREEPIK

GOOD HOSPITALITY

Senior Deanna Chin volunteers at the UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital by SADIE SIMMONS

igh school classes at RUHS, college courses online, volunteering in person at two hospitals, fundraising for another hospital virtually, and working in a restaurant: Senior Deanna Chin does it all. Chin volunteers at the ER at PIH Health Good Samaritan Hospital, at the Nursing Unit at Kaiser Permanente and at the Youth Ambassador Program at the UCLA Mattel Children’s hospital. However, due to COVID-19, the Youth Ambassador Program was online, so while virtual volunteer activities were still completed, the program shifted to focus more heavily on fundraising. The program had included a mandatory fundraiser in past years as well, but with no in-person volunteer opportunities, the fundraiser became a bigger focus. Chin had a goal to raise $1,250 to $1,500 for the hospital. “During our meetings with UCLA, two students usually present their fundraising project and they demonstrate what they’re going to do to raise money. A lot of them mentioned using social media, and a lot of people in the program actually succeeded in raising $1,250 by selling things and [using] social media as well. So I think it’s a good platform to reach out to a lot of people,” Chin said. Chin used many different platforms to promote her campaign, including Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook. She sold fake eyelashes through a website of her own for a time, but between school, work, and volunteering she had very little time to run the website. So she layed off the website and relied more heavily on social media to sell eyelashes. “I feel that everything was through social media. Through TikTok and Instagram, a lot of people started to wear eyelashes. And it seemed like, ‘Oh, this is the trend now.’ I started wearing them myself, and I began to go all in,” Chin said. Aside from fundraising, there are other volunteering

Deanna Chin poses with the cards she’s made for children’s hospitals. PHOTO COURTESY OF DEANNA CHIN

activities that Chin partakes in through the Youth Ambassador Program. “I’ve donated a lot of different gifts like candy, erasers, simple stuff to make little activity kits for the children. I’ve also participated in making many comfort cards to display my creativity to them and hopefully bring a smile to the kids’ faces,” Chin said. Chin doesn’t just help kids though; she also helps people of a variety of ages both in the ER at PIH Health Good Samaritan Hospital and elderly patients in a nursing unit at Kaiser Permanente Hospital. At the ER she restocks carts, cleans beds, discharges patients, gives patients their food, helps nurses with belonging lists when they are moving patients to a different department of the hospital and talks to nurses as they explain to her the steps to take to become a nurse. “As a young child, during the yearly physical checkups, I was always amazed by doctors knowing the answer to everything,” Chin said. “I wanted to have that knowledge and be able to help people as well, and let them know what was wrong if they were worried about something. I enjoy helping people, so by being in the medical field, I’m able to go and help if people are having life-threatening situations. That’s a big factor, actually saving a life.” For Chin, making a difference in people’s lives is more important than having free time. She is happy “just to bring a smile to people’s faces.” Between school, work, and volunteering, Chin has no time to spare, but she continues to volunteer to help those who have unfortunately ended up in the hospital. “Helping kids has always been my passion, as I started from tutoring students to volunteering at hospitals. I believe kids are still young and they have so much more in life. Being in a hospital is really unmotivating, and giving them the motivation and hope to forget they’re in the hospital would help them in continuing on,” Chin said.

SKATE

HIGH TIDE OCT. 22, 2021

Students who skateboard discuss the construction of new skate parks in Redondo Beach

FEATURES 13

away

by MADISON KURIHARA

he sound of wheels quickly moving across the concrete floor filled the air as excited skaters gather around the board to look at the concept ideas for what would soon be built where they stood: a skatepark. In the near future, Redondo Beach will be getting two new skateparks, one at the pier and one at Perry Park. Skaters of all ages from the community can already be found at

“

Skateboarding is just as important as basketball courts and tennis courts; it’s a lifestyle that’s not going anywhere.

years ago. Bernier also got Spohn Ranch Skateparks, a skatepark construction company, onboard, as well. “We’ve got some general concept ideas, but we want to hear from the public and all of the kids on what they really would like to see here, on the pier, and potentially a third party in the years to come,” Dave said. “So it’s really a blank canvas.” Even though a skating area will be an exciting new addition to the park, skaters are advised to maintain harmony with the other spaces there. “This is a mixed-use park,” Bernier said. “Skateboarding is going to be a piece of it, but that doesn’t mean skateboarding is any more important than someone walking by or people playing basketball.” To Bernier, this project not only gives skateboarders a new place to hang out and practice, but it also serves as a way to “empower

DAVE BERNIER SKATER Perry Park skating with their friends, but the addition of a dedicated skatepark will certainly benefit their experience. Dave Bernier, with 32 years of skating experience, initially pitched the idea to the mayor five

kids to take up the cause of working on things that are important to them.” “I think so many people have done such a great job to help the general public see that we’re just not something that needs to be apologized for or hidden,” Bernier said. “Skateboarding is just as important as basketball courts and tennis courts, and it’s a sport and a lifestyle that’s not going anywhere.” Other skaters in the community, like juniors Dillan Porto and Alejandro Mena, feel grateful for this project. According to Porto, a skater with eight years of experience under his belt, Perry Park as it is doesn’t provide as much excitement for skaters as they would like. “Sometimes it can get a little crowded when a lot of people go, but people don’t really go there as much as they used to,” Porto said. “It’s more so just how boring it gets after a while. Instead of people being chased out of places by cops and whatnot, they have an actual place to legally skate.” Additionally, the more public places that cities designate specifically for skating, the less likely skaters are to skate on private property. Respecting skaters as athletes who need open space to practice legitimizes and supports them, which is what the skate park aims to do. “[Skating] helps me to stress out less, and it’s a safe way to have fun,” Mena said.

ILLUSTRATION COURTESY OF FREEPIK

Students reflect on their time with the Dual Immersion Program by LAUREN GREENE

he words “elementary school” don’t usually connote a sense of lifelong community and an extensive understanding of language. However, this generality is being challenged by the Dual Immersion (DI) program at Washington Elementary School. Washington Elementary in Redondo Beach developed the DI program, where students beginning in kindergarten have the opportunity to learn both English and Spanish and emerge from elementary school bilingual. The first round of students to participate in this program were from the class of 2025, many of whom are now freshmen at RUHS. “In kindergarten, [typical elementary school classes were taught] 90% in Spanish, 10% English,” freshman Paula Valenzuela says. “And then as we got older, it pushed to 50% English. Basically it’s a Spanish speaking program where we learned quickly in Spanish.” The DI program immerses students in the language and culture of Spanish-speaking countries by promoting discussions with peers and teachers in this second language. “It’s basically just putting you in real

[conversational] situations instead of just teaching out of a textbook,” freshman Liam Price said. Freshman Taylor Roth, who also participated in this program, feels that it has well prepared her for her future and expanded the opportunities available to her. “I think just knowing this language will help a lot for jobs and then in college if you want to study abroad,” Roth said. “With job applications, someone will most likely hire you if you speak Spanish well with other people.” This program taught students more than just Spanish and its culture, however. It helped them create a community of friends as close as siblings that they have maintained throughout elementary and middle school, and continue to carry with them as they enter high school. “Literally our entire childhoods we spent together [which] built a community while we were really little,” Valenzuela said. This tightly woven community allowed the students to understand and appreciate the broader world they live in, which in turn helped them develop as students and citizens. “In DI, we cared so much. Like we raised

a bunch of money [for Hurricane Harvey]. lives in a multitude of beneficial ways. I feel like it made everyone leaders,” fresh- Valenzuela appreciates the program “more man Isabella Jones said. for the [communal] environment than the After learning the language at such a actual learning” but also believes that it young age, some students have found that “[made] it easier to talk” to her Hispanic practicing grammar in their current class- family. es is more difficult Roth also than it is for other gained similar students, who have benefits from the practiced textprogram.“Visiting book-style gram[Spanish speaking] mar since Spanish Our entire childhoods we countries is super 1. easy [...] Speaking spent together building “They couldn’t a community when we at restaurants and teach us the gramin public in general, mar because our were really little. if someone needs class was wild, so help, I’m like ‘Oh, then they gave up PAULA VALENZUELA I know what you’re on it. So now when FRESHMAN saying. Let me help I’m learning the you.’” accents and stuff I The students excan still do it, but emplified the deep [it’s difficult],” Jones said. “Everyone al- understanding of themselves, their world ready knows it and we’re building on to it and their peers that the program developed, but I don’t know it [...] And I think that now creating a shared culture and community of they probably teach that [at Washington], it classmates they will remember forever. was just our class was the first class.” Jones recommended this program “100 Nonetheless, the four students unani- percent [...] It’s probably one of the best demously agree that DI has impacted their cisions you could make.”

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opinion Ditch the Diet Culture

HIGH TIDE

STAFF EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Nadia Bidarian Chrissa Olson Meghan Jacob

Diet culture proves to be detrimental to body image

ILLUSTRATION BY ALLIE D’AMATO

s teena g ers living in the age of Instagram, photoshop and disgustingly binary beauty standards, we’re faced with the relentless and perpetual message that our bodies aren’t thin enough, pretty enough or just enough. There’s always something we can do to be better to please some invisible and all-knowing figure, and in achieving this impossibility, our life will be filled with joy and happiness. The excruciating truth is that this is completely, utterly, irrevocably false. Let’s get one thing straight: thinness does not equate to health. Our bodies are a rainbow; from large to medium to small, bodies come in all shapes and sizes. Unfortunately, societal standards deem larger bodies as unsavory and proactively promote thin bodies, under the

veil that the only interpretation of health can be found in a smaller body. This belief that “thin” is healthy can be summed up by diet culture. Diet culture refers to a set of beliefs that values thinness, appearance and shape above physical and mental wellbeing and actual health. It is a proponent of unhealthy behaviors that feed upon insecurities, underscoring our supposed faults and making them the center of one’s world. Diet culture is so ingrained in our society that once you begin to notice it, you can never look back. Just because you’re thin doesn’t mean life is magically better. What you think is a ‘perfect fix’ can actually lead to depression, anxiety and an inevitable feeling that whatever you’re doing will never be enough. That’s the thing about trying to fit into society’s standards—you won’t ever be enough. There’s no winning. So if there’s no winning, why play the game in the first place? I used to be someone who looked down upon larger bodies. I used to judge someone based on their appearance. Thinking back to the person I was, I am utterly revolted. The depressing truth is that those who are most insecure judge others; it’s the people who cry themselves to sleep and don’t know where they can find their worth if not in a number on a scale that will glare. It wasn’t until I took a deep look within that I began to really appreciate individual diversity and uniqueness. All shapes and sizes are acceptable—in fact, they’re more than acceptable, they’re fantastic.

NEWS EDITORS Elise Haulund Erika Glass Sara Miyake-Singer

by KATARINA (HAVEN) BECHES

For those who are unaware, companies profit off of our insecurities. They sell us an unachievable dream, smirking behind closed doors at their shrewd exploitation of our most vulnerable insecurities. It’s sickening but true. The next time you catch yourself thinking “Hey, maybe I shouldn’t have eaten that” “I’m so fat!” “I’m disgusting, I need to be more disciplined” or any number of other phrases that frequent conversations, please remind yourself that you’re only profiting an already rich and most likely male CEO. He wants you to think these things so you will buy his weight loss pills, invest in his “quick fix” diet, spend thousands on weight loss surgery, or even buy a magazine advertising thinness and thus his perception of beauty. He is lying to you. You don’t need him, even if all of your friends and family are falling for his clever disguise. You are more than a body. You are more than a sack of bones. You are worth more than the carbs in an apple, the calories in your birthday cake and the excruciating hours you spend exercising to burn off what your body requires to function. If anyone has ever told you or insinuated differently, I’m sorry. That is their own insecurity showing, being amplified by diet culture and those around them, and soon enough, I hope they will see its danger and come into the light.

RUHS should bring back vocational education courses

by ZELIA LERCH

he extent of my first hand experience with work related classes came from 20th century high school movies like Grease 2. I’ve never taken classes like Autoshop or Home Economics, as it always seemed like something from my parent’s generation of classes, when schools weren’t concerned with political correctness. However, as our society begins the progression past the need for stay at home moms and office-attending fathers, the classes that traditionally prepared students for an outdated suburban lifestyle have the ability to outlive patriarchal gender roles and give students the opportunity to explore fields they typically are unable to in school. Schools need to implement these vocational and adult living classes back into curriculums without gendering them, as they allow students to enter the workforce immediately after graduation and prepare them for life as adults. Typically, the classes we see in schools are a reflection of the economy and society as a whole. Family and Consumer Sciences (Home Economics), and by association, Vocational Education classes became prevalent in high schools in the early 1910s, adjacent with an increase in consumer culture and a solidity of traditional gender roles in the American household. The practice of these traditional classes continued to change with the times. In

Redondo Beach, the SCROC (Southern California Regional Occupational Center), established in the late ‘60s, offered students who wished to go into more technical work straight out of high school credits. Students could take classes from fashion design to welding, and get credits 1 that counted towards graduation. According to archivist Terri Martinez, a variety of factors at RUHS contributed to the decline in these vocational and home-oriented education Students in Home Ec. and Autoshop classes. The combination of a changing society that placed women in the workplace, the introduction of the 230 credit requirement to graduate, budget cuts and a push from administration for students to pursue a four year degree pushed teachers out of classrooms to make room for classes that met requirements. Going straight into a career from high school shouldn’t be looked at as “lesser” than going to college or university. A workforce requires diversity, and when pursuing a bachelor’s degree is associated with being the “correct” decision, it discourages students who do want more vocational education and careers from achieving what they really want, and this should be respected. Additionally, SCROC continues to offer vocational education courses in de-

sign and medical services; the opportunity to take these classes could easily be more advertised to students to ensure that they all know of their options when it comes to career preparation decisions. Although I don’t agree with the connotation of the traditionally gendered classes, I think they should be reinstated in school curriculums. In the ‘80s, Home Economics offered a course called Adult Living, which gave upperclassmen a placet to talk about anything from credit scores to how to have a healthy sex life. Adult Living was “just amazing. It was a safe environ-

FEATURES EDITORS Katarina (Haven) Beches Mia Dowdell Ruby Crosthwait OPINION EDITORS Allie D’Amato Emilie Takahashi ENTERTAINMENT EDITORS Heather Lee Zelia Lerch SPORTS EDITORS Ty Soria Jess Alvear WRITING EDITORS Simra Zargar Mia Schrift COPY EDITORS Romi Riss ONLINE EDITORS Ben Ringel Ria Lopresto Ansel Reyes Troy Nevil ADVISOR Kerri Eastham

STAFF WRITERS Dani Otey Micah McFadden Yaya Kitagawa Meara Fay Marlie Cornwell Stavyah Naveen Ethan Chi Sadie Simmons Marley Van Pelt Sydney Lamich Hadeel Azzam Lara Magdesian Lucy Davis Rome Kanouse Strachan Ambrosi Michael Aprahamian Ava Warman Ella Silberling Amina Raiss

Lauren Greene Zoe Rossi Sarah Bronstein Ryan Parhizi Andrew McKenna Madison Kurihara Lauren Choy Lauren Strazerri Rena Felde Erin Hartman Jade Montoya Nicolas Tomsio Yara El-Hasan Ethan Lerner Sydney Palmer Cristina Couch Scarlett Mische Charlotte Goldstein

PHOTOGRAPHERS Pete Paguyo Meagan Ching Celina Moreno Spencer Rogers Rider SulikowSascha Perdue Collin Cruz ski Elizabeth Petrey ILLUSTRATORS Carly Carter Cecilia Aptiz

Katelyn Perry Heather Lee

LETTERS TO THE

2 1, 2: PHOTOS COURTESY OF TERRI MARTINEZ

ment with no judgement,” according to Amanda Cartee, graduating class of 1987. As a junior, I still have no idea what to do with a credit card or how to pay taxes, which is definitely scary. Personally, enrolling in classes that can teach me how to fix my car or what it means to be a functioning adult would make me less stressed out about growing up. I think it’s time for me to start learning.

EDITOR The High Tide encourages greater input of opinions from both students and staff. 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 for content, grammar and space constraints. Letters must be signed and are not guaranteed to be printed. Please keep letters to a maximum of 250 words. Longer guest opinions are also accepted.

HIGH TIDE OCT. 22, 2021

YES

OPINION 15

SUGARCOATING REALITY

by RUBY CROSTHWAIT

t’s a night like no other, with Jack-olanterns and styrofoam headstones decorating the sidewalk as you make your way down your common neighborhood lane. The crisp, evening air of autumn whips your costume around as the mildew on the grass sets in, and the atmosphere becomes electric with the buzz of a waking community. Giggles and shrieks have you surrounded as you finally make it up the steps to the first house on the corner, ringing the doorbell to request treats that will later act as currency in sibling negotiations. It’s Halloween night, where all you can think about is how to get to the house with the good stuff the fastest, and how much your candy bag is going to weigh you down on the walk home. It’s a night of laughs, fun and excitement—who could possibly deny a kid that? Chesapeake, Virginia thought it could when it passed an ordinance in 1970, stating that “if any person over the age of 14 years shall engage in the activity commonly known as ‘trick or treat,’ or any activity of a similar nature under any name whatsoever, he or she shall be guilty of a Class 4 misdemeanor.” It further clarifies that this law does not apply to guardians escorting their children, but it does make trick-or-treating later than eight o’clock a misdemeanor as well. Though the law is still in place today, Mayor Richard West stated in 2019 that he intends to “remove the ordinance altogether” to TIME magazine, citing the law as “ridiculous.” West’s opinion could not have been more sound; shoving government laws between children and their fun is a cruel and senseless prospect. After the existence of the Virginia law went viral in 2019, social media commenters also made known their own opinions on the controversy, some giving anecdotes on certain familial situations. One man shared that his 36-year-old wife has Asperger’s

Can teenagers enjoy trick or treating or are they living in the past? Syndrome, a condition on the autism spectrum. He explained that she has “a childlike nature about her,” as she loves to dress up and hand out candy, but also hang out with close friends and neighbors to go trick-or-treating. Everyone’s situation is different, but this is especially so for those of special needs. Dr. Vanessa Lapointe, a psychologist and published author, explained to Parents magazine that “many children with special needs are developmentally much younger than they appear. It is about developmental age and stage, rather than chronological age and stage.” She also urged that those handing out candy on Halloween “remember that not all developmental differences are visible” and to “have a heart and welcome them to your doorstep,” as they deserve to enjoy a night of fun without any form of discrimination, may that be the age in which they decide to go trick-or-treating. Teenagers need to be supported, not banned from the comforts of being young and happy. Teenagers deserve to enjoy themselves right next to the 12-year-olds because puberty isn’t a shackle on happiness—if a 17-yearold wants to celebrate their last moments of youth by dressing up, being with friends and collecting stashes of KitKats or Skittles, who has the right to say no?

t’s Oct. 31—the one day of the year where little kids have the opportunity to dress up as their favorite movie or cartoon characters, accessorize their houses with eerie decorations, stroll around the neighborhood asking for handfuls of cheap halloween candy, and go home to sort it all out and fight over the classical favorites such as Twix bars, Kit-Kats, and Skittles. But for high schoolers, this day might look a little different. As teenagers, we have reached a point in our lives where making our own group costumes from our favorite Netflix shows, watching horror movies and going to parties is what makes Halloween a special and eventful day. However, is going around the neighborhood with our parents, knocking on front doors and screaming “trick or treat” something we should be doing at this age? Trick-or-treating is heaven for little kids: who wouldn’t want to dress up in a fun costume and beg for candy that will be devoured in a span of a few weeks? But for us teenagers: aren’t we a bit too old for such a childish activity? Many might argue that “free candy is free candy,” and don’t get me wrong, anything that’s free sounds like a good deal to me; however, little kids don’t have the freedom to drive to the store on their own, take out a five dollar bill, and use it to ILLUSTRATION BY CARLY CARTER, PHOTOS VIA CREATIVE COMMONS

NO by TROY NEVIL

purchase a few pounds of Halloween candy. Not to mention, it isn’t very safe of them to do so, unless it’s with their parents. On the other hand, us high-schoolers can easily grab a group of friends, go to a local Dollar Tree or CVS, and buy heavy bags of Halloween candy for a cheap price. Many of us have drivers licenses too, which would make the process 10 times easier. My point is, there is no reason for us to interfere in an activity that is catered towards a younger audience. Sure, trick or treating was an extremely fun experience when we were in elementary school, but we have grown out of that phase in our lives. At this point in time, as high schoolers, it’s time to meet up with their friends, go to a party, or visit a local haunted house that might be a bit too thrilling for the youngsters. At the end of the day, Halloween is a day for kids of all ages to do what they want. If trick or treating sounds like a blast for you, go for it—I’m sure stocking up a few pounds of candy will satisfy your once-a-year event. However, if you’re really looking for a fun Halloween experience, get with your friends, throw a party, visit a local theme park for their Halloween events and maybe scare some little kids along the way—it will definitely contribute to their spooky Halloween while giving you a few good laughs along the way.

73% said kids

should stop trick or treating between the age of 12 and 17, according to a survey Today.com

Regulations on oil drilling are vital to save our home by ETHAN LERNER

il, an incredible blessing and a horrific curse: It has burned the way for innovations in humanity that would’ve been impossible to achieve otherwise but also acts as cancer, slowly poisoning the world, including you. The recent oil spill of 126,000 gallons on the coast of Huntington Beach raises the hand higher on the ever-present question of oil bans and regulations. Should there be more rules to protect humanity and this world we’re stuck on for the time being? Unequivocally the answer is yes, but that is a complicated yes. Try imagining for a moment, pouring gasoline into a glass of water and drinking it. Sadly, this is comparable to what actually happens. Now, widen that to the disastrous effects on marine life and the ocean oil has had already: air-breathing mammals can suffocate in the thick layer that oil creates, coral reefs are destroyed by the toxic chemicals present in oils and seabirds die because being smothered in oil prevents them from regulating body temperatures and the list goes on. It’s inexcusable that we actively allow our oceans to be poisoned because of oil and drilling. If making it more difficult or

needing more qualifications to drill is the answer to saving the unique ecosystems of the sea then bans are wholly worth the extra pain it gives trillion dollars to oil-conglomerates. The same oil platform that was responsible for this most recent leak has also been fined for improper use of a leak-detection system in the past, according to the LA Times. From this, it seems like a partial answer to the question is that the regulations that manage the people who run oil-drilling operations need to tighten. It’s difficult to trust companies to maintain the best standard of safety when they have shown otherwise. The reduction of drilling will make oil more expensive as less drilling can be done, but gas becoming more expensive pushes the need to discover better alternatives. In reality, alternatives that exist already, such as hydrogen or battery-powered cars, aren’t a viable choice for most peo-

ple due to cost. In 2019, Congress blocked offshore drilling expansions in the Pacific, Atlantic and Florida Gulf. They should continue to block and restrict because in the future when improved technology becomes cheaper more people would be willing to make the switch. Pollution caused by oil drilling and gasoline, a product of oil, are also destroying the health of humanity through the greenhouse gas effect. According to the World Health Organization, 1/3 of deaths caused by stroke, lung cancer and heart disease are due to air pollution. In my eyes, that is reason enough as to why there should be drilling bans as it would save lives.

The idea that oil regulations should be non-existent is appalling, they are necessary to maintaining the dangerous balance of environmental safety and keeping the world’s engine running. But, as we edge closer to the point of no return in damages to our planet, the right steps must be taken to ensure a healthy place for future generations, as no amount of money is worth our home.

entertainment

Freaky Films for Fall

by ANSEL REYES

he tension and shocking visuals of Ari Aster’s “Midsommar” are why this film maintains a large following. Dani, played by Florence Pugh, travels to Sweden with her friends to escape the grief and trauma following the death of her sister. Despite the tragedy that strikes at the beginning of the film, “Midsommar” doesn’t rush into any frightening or disturbing imagery. Instead, the first two acts focus on character development which supplements “Midsommar”’s focus on ramping up its gore and horrific imagery at a tantalizingly sluggish pace. “Midsommar” manages to deeply showcase the emotions of its characters in addition to conveying a message about trauma and grief without coming off as a preachy attempt at educating the masses about mental health struggles. Although a significant portion of the movie is dedicated to the main protagonist Dani’s battle with loss and chronic depression, “Midsommar” is just as dedicated to berating its audience with blood and guts. The terrifying and gruesome death scenes are juxtaposed by the beauty of “Midsommar’s” setting: a commune in rural Sweden. The inviting tall trees and rolling green hills complement the deceitful nature of the cult that Dani and her friends unknowingly join. Rather than being a casual, fun film to enjoy for some scares, “Midsommar’s”depressing tone makes it an experience that one would need to be in the mood for. Despite the serious nature of the film, the situations that Dani and her friends are put through manage to make the movie fun to watch because you won’t know what to expect.

othing is colder than Jack Nicholson’s icy stare in Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining.” The Torrance family spent their winter in a Hotel in Colorado where the father, Jack Torrance, played by Jack Nicholson, goes insane and tries to kill his family. The film’s cinematography is hauntingly beautiful. The wide, nearly empty shots of each room in the ski lodge manage to strike feelings of danger and isolation among those who watch it. The splash of blood through the hallway is is absolutely haunting.Kubrick’s willingness to experiment with scenes like the ones featuring the nude bathtub monster lady and the dead twins, which one might not even consider to closely be related to the movie’s themes gives “The Shining” an artsy approach. Several events in “The Shining” may leave one disoriented, wondering “What? Why is that happening? That makes no sense,” but this curiosity and wonder that Kubrick fosters by throwing in wild sequences is what makes this movie special. It is never explicitly said in the movie that there is a supernatural aspect to the setting that causes it.“The Shining’s” horrific events occur, which leaves several facets of the movie’s plot open to interpretation and fan theories. This decision is what caused people to regard the film as a classic, since viewers develop their own ideas and conjectures as a result of the direction’s open-endedness. A key part of horror is subverting expectations, and “The Shining” is no stranger to that. Kubrick keeps viewers on their toes by embracing an unorthodox approach to horror.

he body horror in Kevin Smith’s “Tusk” is enough to make anyone’s skin crawl. The gruesome visuals are enough to make viewers sleep with the lights on for a week. The skin walrus prosthetic is truly frightening, and the premise of the movie is even scarier. Rather than having a deep, character-driven story that explores the hubris and motivations of each character, “Tusk” focuses on two things: comic relief and gruesome imagery. The jokes in this movie are somewhat hit or miss, but most of the humor that fails to land doesn’t detract from “Tusk’s” charm. The cheesiness of the film is endearing in a terrifying way, but the film does go to great lengths to gross-out its viewers just for the sake of grossing them out. Viewers who expect thought-provoking characters will be sorely disappointed. The backstory of the “scientist” who turns the protagonist Wallace into a Walrus does a stellar job at coming off as goofy. The scientist’s guilt for eating a walrus that he befriended while deserted on an island is funny, but this detail results in a tone-deaf movie that seems like it isn’t sure of what it’s trying to accomplish. Attempting to land both jokes and scares is what makes comedy/horror movies difficult to make, and it’s clear that Tusk struggled to perfect a dynamic where the two balance each other out. Despite this, the imagery is nowhere near as vomit-inducing as other films in the body horror subgenre which makes it a decent film to watch with your friends for some shock value.

MOVIE POSTERS VIA IMDB. LEAF GRAPHICS FROM CANVA.

“Venom: Let There Be Carnage” delivers a fresh, punching sequel by SYDNEY LAMICH

ans celebrate the return of the comical, action-packed Spider-Man Marvel supervillain spin-off, “Venom,” as they come back for their sequel, “Venom: Let There Be Carnage,” released on Oct. 1. While the dysfunctional but physically functional duo of Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) and his symbiote, Venom, have to face an even bigger villain to fight, “Let There Be Carnage” also challenges the duo’s emotional rollercoaster of a platonic love story. Let’s just say that Venom fans will not be disappointed. In the original movie in 2018, Venom, an extraterrestrial alien, latched onto Brock’s body and gave him multiple superpowers like strength and the ability to withstand death. Brock and Venom’s friendship was knowingly testy, as they constantly argued over who’s in charge of Brock’s body. Brock lays down the law and requires that Venom has to stop causing chaos if he wants to keep living with him. For example, Venom used to eat bad people but now can only eat chocolate and sometimes chickens because

they contain the necessary nutrients that Venom needs to not suffocate Brock. Immediately starting where he ended off, Brock continues to pursue a career in print journalism rather than video reporting. His latest story features psychotic serial killer Cletus Kassidy (Woody Harrelson) who killed his parents and grandma right before he was sent to an asylum for unwanted children. Not only does Tom Hardy perfectly fit the role of Eddie Brock, but Harrelson also represents the twisted character of Cletus Kassidy with complete ease and talent. His unsettling mumbles and body movements truly embody someone sinister, and this repetition throughout the movie convinced me of his characterization of Kassidy. Similarly, Kassidy’s childhood lover Frances Barrison (Naomie Harris), also known as “Shriek” for her ear-piercing capabilities, is in the same boat as her psychotic boyfriend. Separated when they were teens from their childhood mental asylum, the two lovers’ wish is to reunite. But as

Kassidy is on death row for his crimes, the San Francisco FBI assigns Brock to investigate and talk to Kassidy. As Brock dives deeper into his investigation of Kassidy and his offenses, the amount of time they spend together only increases. Kassidy begins to taunt Brock causing Venom to lash out and get close to Kassidy. Seizing his opportunity, Kassidy violently bites Brock, which unknowingly transfers a small symbiote to Kassidy. Brock’s attempt to make Venom fall in line failed fantastically, accidentally creating a bigger monster and adding more problems to their soap opera. The small little red symbiote offspring turns out to be more violent and messy than Venom, resulting in bloodshed and lots of damaged walls and buildings, making “Carnage” even scarier and action-packed. After conflicting over everything from their diet to their attempts to control each other, Venom grills Brock for his pointless rules and in the process, leaves him, claiming he is better off without him. After leav-

ing Eddie temporarily, Venom jumps from body to body and heads to a Halloween rave where everyone thinks his “costume” is the best in the house. Covered in glow sticks, this scene was one of my favorite highlights in the movie because you got to see Venom act like a human, having fun on a night out. The whole movie leaves fans on the edge of their seats with intense action scenes, extremely funny jokes that made the whole movie theater laugh and a plot that compels even the most stoic of viewers. In addition, fans will finally get the answer to whether Brock and Venom classify themselves as “the lethal protector” or the antihero. “Let There Be Carnage” gently picks at the emotions of each character, especially Venom. The two friends eventually realize that their strong connection isn’t worth giving up. They reunite, knowing in the end that they work better as a team. Don’t worry, Venom doesn’t get all cozy and cuddly. As the end credits remind us, there’s more in store for the extraterrestrial alien and his host.

HIGH TIDE OCT. 22, 2021

ENTERTAINMENT 17

ONE OF US IS

LYING

The best-selling novel hitting your TV screens PHOTOS COURTESY OF PEACOCK

by MIA DOWDELL

hen the novel, “One of Us is Lying,” was published in 2017, it sold more than 200,000 copies in a single year. At any given time, I could pinpoint at least one student in my freshman year English class who opened that book during independent reading time — I happened to be one of them. The novel zooms in on five teenagers who spend an afternoon in detention. One student dies of an allergic reaction after someone places peanut oil in their cup of water, placing the other four in a difficult position. One of them is responsible for this murder, and all of them of are left suspects. But I’m not here to talk about the book. In Aug. of 2019, author Karen McManus spoke with show directors to produce a teen drama for the novel. In the end, producers conjured an eight-episode series, each 45 minutes in length and slated to release gradually on Peacock starting Oct. 7. Similar to the novel, the pilot episode calls to mind The Breakfast Club and Riverdale with its characters. We first meet Bronwyn, an ambitious girl who dreams of attending Yale, who gets an afternoon of detention after her phone goes off in class. There is Nate, a notorious troublemaker around his neighborhood who receives detention for his usual mischief; Cooper, the

recruited athlete and star baseball player, who also gets his phone confiscated, then Addy, the school’s “it-girl,” ending up in detention for skipping class. At face-value, the immediate pigeonholing of the characters made me think this adaptation would quickly pale in comparison to its source. They seemed to outline stereotypes of high schoolers rather than actual teenagers. Although apparent in the novel, the stereotyping had been somewhat acceptable given that readers were offered glimpses of depth beyond the boxes they were crammed in. In the show, this is less forgivable. Television featuring “the jock” and “the nerd” and so on is a song well-overplayed and is inauthentic to how teenagers actually are. Very quickly, I noticed that the core characters don’t appear as they were described in the novel. Some of the characters are fairly true, such as Bronwyn, but others such as Nate who was described to have dark hair and intimidating attire are now blonde in brown corduroy and sweatpants. Around half of the casting choices failed to align with the book’s depictions, and the older age of the cast exaggerates this further. Subtle changes like these aren’t necessarily distracting to the viewing or are rare in television, but are just mildly frustrating

to those who have read the book. Something that is also weird about the show is the extremely saturated yellow filter over the show. I am not sure what purpose it intends to serve, but aesthetics is not one of them. The tone is also much more serious than I had anticipated. Not to say that there’s anything lighthearted about murder, but the flat humor and monotonous dialogue have a limited effect on balancing the overall mood. Any attempt at a joke is pulled from the obvious and doesn’t search for anything new. The producers from Netflix’s “Elite” had worked exclusively on the project, which is likely the root of these undertones. Small directing decisions, such as the pool scenes and emphasis on vanity, felt very in-tune with “Elite.” However, the suspense element is successful. Further along in the series, the four meet together privately to discuss newly surfaced evidence for who could be the killer, creating rifts in many of their relationships between each other. New details are added to nearly every character that give them more insight than what the novel revealed. Even some minor characters, who had fewer speaking roles in the novel, were given side-plots that allowed the viewer to see them as more than a name that comes

up in a conversation or two. These layers build up with time, which invested me further with each episode. There were twists that I thoroughly did not expect, some possibly pulled from the second novel of the series. Another thing I came to appreciate was that the stories per character were also well-balanced, a feature that also stayed true to the source material. Camera angles and scenery were pleasing throughout. The set design for the school felt very spacious and high-class, which seemed a little out of place for a public high school. Although I commend them for staying up to date, the songs chosen for the soundtrack were generic and almost like shallow attempts at relatability, with many of them being by Olivia Rodrigo and Megan Thee Stallion. Overall, One of Us is Lying is a decent watch. It can pass fairly seamlessly along with other teen dramas, and its strong sense of mystery distinguishes it from many of them. As far as adaptations of books go, the series is nearly identical. I recommend the series to those who’ve read the book and are curious enough to learn more about the characters, as well as to those with no knowledge of the book who are looking for a mystery drama that checks off just the right amount of boxes.

Sweet treats at Sweet Wheats: New French bakery is worth a try by ERIKA GLASS

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ERIKA GLASS

s one drives by the corner of Avenue G and PCH, they are no longer met with Chipotle, but rather a lovely bakery painted brown on the outside and filled with delicious culinary items on the inside. Sweet Wheat, the newly opened French bakery, is bound to fulfill any sweet or savory craving. After noticing that the bakery had opened in late September, I was eager to check it out, deciding to drive down on a Sunday morning around 9. As I walked up to the entrance, I was immediately met with a slightly bothersome long line, likely due to lots of people interested in checking out a new place in town. However, the wait went by rather quickly and made me even more excited to try the food items offered. While waiting, I noticed the plentiful array of tables both inside and outside, giving multiple seating options to customers. When I finally got to the counter to order, I told the nice lady that I was writing a review, and kindheartedly, she helped me pick out popular products to sample. Once I got to the checkout with all of my items, one of the owners, who was working the register, gave me the baguette bread I had on my tray for free, which I really appreciated. Carrying my two trays filled with food, I headed outside to get a table in the warm sun. I unloaded everything onto the table — baguette bread, a chocolate croissant, a choquette, a Quiche Lorraine, a raspberry

tartlet, and a Parisien sandwich (which I was planning on saving for lunch) — and debated over which one I wanted to try first. After a quick back and forth, I decided to first try the chocolate croissant, which was $4. With a flaky golden exterior, fluffy interior and small rich chocolate pieces rolled up inside, I hoped it tasted as good as it looked. I love croissants and anything chocolate, and luckily, this chocolate croissant, which had only a faint taste of butter, did not disappoint. Though $4 may be on the higher side for a smaller sized pastry, the experience I got while trying it was worth it. I then tried the Quiche Lorraine for $7, which was made with pâte brisée, a delicate pie crust, jambon de Paris, Parisien style cured ham and gruyère cheese, a type of yellow Swiss cheese. Though it was a little liquidy on the inside, likely due to the cheese used, it was overall rich and had a good amount of salty and savory flavor. I also simultaneously snacked on pieces of the baguette while trying the other items. This bread, which I got for free but is normally $4, was SO GOOD. I’m obsessed with baguette bread, and this bread, made with French Tradition flour, white bread flour from France, filtered water, fresh yeast and sea salt, was a perfect combination of everything. Dusted slightly with flour, the bread’s solid yet squeezable outside complemented its soft inside. I enjoyed every bite. Next I tried the choquette for $0.60.

This small bakery item, made of pâte à choux, a delicate pastry dough, and pearl sugar, was fluffy and sweet. Despite sugar being its main flavor source, given its low price, it’s definitely worth trying. I last tried the raspberry tartlet, which was $6. BEST THING EVER. Made of pâte sablée, a pastry dough, sweet custard cream and fresh vibrant raspberries, it was love at first bite. I’d definitely come back to this bakery just to order this. Again and again. A few hours after I got back home, I heated up the Parisien sandwich, which I took to-go, and it was the best lunch I’d had in a while. This sandwich had jambon de Paris, emmental cheese, a flavorful medium-hard yellow cheese, and salted butter all nestled between two long pieces of baguette bread. For $10, considering its large size and exquisite flavor, it was filling and I didn’t mind spending a little extra money. Overall, Sweet Wheat is a great and fairly affordable place to visit to try new types of foods and immerse oneself in a French atmosphere. Open from 8am-3pm everyday, leaving basically no time for students to visit during the week, it’s best to go on the weekends. This bakery offers a large array of items I look forward to trying on my next visit, and everything is freshly baked each morning. Though it does get busy and they do sell out of some items early, Sweet Wheat’s growing popularity shows it’s truly the place to be.

sports Diggin’ It

Girls Volleyball returns the favor against Palos Verdes, winning 3-1 after losing to them earlier in the Bay League season by ETHAN CHI

n Oct. 12, the Girls Varsity Volleyball team beat Palos Verdes 3-1 after losing 2-0 weeks before. The team started strong, winning the first set but “losing focus in the second set,” sophomore Summer Suppik said. However, Suppik, the starting libero, was not worried after losing the second set, stating she “knew we were going to win within the first 10 minutes.” Their strategy going into this redemption game was to play competitively. They wanted to work on their defense and get more production offensively on the right side. As for making these plays happen, setter Maddie Collines focused on “feeding the hot hitter with the hot hand,” senior starting outside hitter Ella Duffner said. The first half of the game was close. Palos Verdes was hitting the corners, and RUHS’ defense was trying to save every ball. Setter Mele Corral-Blagojevich (who had not played at the last game against

Palos Verdes) played a big part defensively this time against Palos Verdes.

“

We lost to them last time, and we knew that we were better. It was nice knowing our momentum was back. SUMMER SUPPIK SOPHOMORE

“Having Mele is a huge advantage. She is one of our best passers on the team, so it’s really helpful to have her back there playing defense and passing.” Duffner said.

In the third set, RUHS started to ramp up the middles, who were playing more aggressively and blocking more spikes. “Mele is one of our best passers, she really makes a difference in our pack row,” Duffner said. The defense got progressively more agile, diving to save more balls and giving the outside hitters better passes. “We just clicked in the fourth set, which was why we won,” Duffner said. By the time RUHS had started to gain their momentum, there was no stopping them. Their power, speed and momentum allowed the team to swiftly take the lead in the fourth set. After the final buzzer went off, the girls had won decisively against Palos Verdes. Especially on their home turf, this was a great accomplishment for the team. The crowd chanted in victory, celebrating the team’s win. “We lost to them last time, and we knew that we were better. It was nice knowing our momentum was back,” Suppik said.

1. Senior Sarah Munn hits an overhand set. 2. Outside hitter and sophomore Giselle Gallegos spikes the ball. 3. Sophomore Victoria Henkel tips the ball over the net. PHOTOS BY COLLIN CRUZ

Girls Cross Country places third in their first Bay League meet by LAUREN STRAZZERI

irls Varsity Cross Country stood on the podium in third place for Bay League #1 on Oct. 14. Although the athletes did not win this time around, they have a greater outlook on their future. “It wasn’t our race collectively. We were out a couple people and I don’t know if everyone’s mindset was completely there today, but I think we’re gonna have a big improvement next time,”senior Julia Butler said. With only a few girls completely healthy, Butler stays positive and believes the girls will come back even better in the next round, the Bay League Finals. The Varsity Girls won most of their meets this season

and believe they will not lose their streak from one unsuccessful race. “Just because we have one less than amazing race doesn’t mean by any means that this great streak that we’ve been on is going to end,” Butler said. The team continues to improve on their tactics, like packing, which is sticking together throughout the race. “That’s something that’s so important that I think was lost on us last year, because in dual meets everyone gets so spread out, but in invitationals, it’s so essential,” senior Vicky Valenzuela said. Packing up with teammates throughout races guides the girls to victory. Having someone be the anchor by her side helps

Valenzuela and the rest of her team work together, and reach their goals together. “I would rather have them there so we can work together, and also to discourage girls from other teams because being passed by two girls from the same team at once hurts a lot more than just being passed by one,” Valenzuela said. Polishing the team’s tactics after this loss, and with the presence of Valenzuela, Redondo hopes for a comeback. “Even the hard races, it’s not something you can really beat yourself up about because it doesn’t do anything productive. If anything, that frustration is allowed to fuel us to move forward,” Valenzuela said. “But, it’s not something we can throw ourselves a pity party about, it’s something you have to learn from and be able to build off of.” Valenzuela describes that the past few seasons could have been better and thinks this season could be different. She and her team plans to move forward from their one hiccup and hope to exceed how prior years performed. “I don’t want to keep up the streak of the last few years [in Bay League],” Valenzuela said. “I want to go back to before that when this was a really really strong program, and I think we’re very capable of bringing the team back to that. I want to see it happen.”

1. A map of the Palos Verdes cross country course, featuring the infamous Agony Hill. This course is considered by many to be one of the most difficult courses in California. 2. Fellow cross country runners watch as sophomore Lyla Fedio pass by. MAP PHOTO VIA TRABUCO XC., RUNNER PHOTO BY MEAGAN CHING

HIGH TIDE OCT. 22, 2021

SPORTS 19

An una-polo-getic win

Boys Water Polo wins against Culver City due to successful shooting and communication by ZOE ROSSI

oys Water Polo won 15-4 against Culver City on Tuesday, Oct. 12. Captain Riley Pierce says as a team, they could have been more successful shooting and communicating. But overall, it was “a pretty easy win for the team.” “I felt like Culver City wasn’t as experienced and the game went by pretty smoothly. We were able to give our bench players some time to play,” Pierce said. “I think there were a couple of shots that we could have made; we were either shooting too high over the cage or just not hitting all our shots, which is bound to happen.” Freshman Declan Goldstein believes that the team’s mindset accounts for their win. “We have to go into our games with the mindset that we’re going to win. If we go into the game thinking we’re going to get our butts whooped, we’re not going to win,” Goldstein said. “But if we go into a game saying, ‘Hey listen, they might be better than us, but we need to play as hard as we can and focus on our game,’ then we will have a higher chance of winning.” Despite RUHS’ win against Culver City being an “easy win,” Captain Scott Fujiwara says there is always room to improve. “We could have done a better job of setting up a shot for one person to shoot the ball. Better communication would have helped us plan our shots a little more,” Fujiwara said. According to Pierce, these improve-

ments were part of their plan to get ready for their match-up against Palos Verdes on Thursday, Oct. 14, a “tough opponent”. The boys lost against Palos Verdes 13-9. “The game started off strong and went back and forth for about the first 2 quarters, but we fell apart during the 3rd quarter,” Goldstein said. RUHS has another chance to score against Peninsula at the upcoming home

“

Everyone on this team has been putting in a bunch of hard work to get better and improve everyday.”

RILEY PIERCE SENIOR

game on Oct. 30. “Everyone on this team has been putting in a bunch of hard work to get better and improve every day,” Pierce said. “We always want to strive to improve from the previous days. We always want to keep on looking forward.”

2 1. Senior Caio Vieira attempts to pass the ball under pressure. 2. Sophomore Derek Schaffer looking for an open pass. PHOTOS BY SASCHA PERDUE

Mark Your Calendars

- Boys Water Polo vs. Peninsula Tuesday 10/30

- Girls Tennis vs. Mira Costa Tuesday 10/25 - Girls Volleyball vs. Harvard-Westlake Thursday 10/21 - Football vs. Santa Monica Friday 10/22

Girls tennis falls to Peninsula despite strong effort by ANDREW MCKENNA

n Tuesday, Oct. 12 at 3 pm, Girls Tennis hit the road for the third time this season. This time they headed to Palos Verdes with their minds set on revenge. They were set to face fellow Bay League member Peninsula High School. Last time the two schools faced off, Peninsula defeated RUHS 12-6. However, juniordoubles player Phoebe Chalupsky felt that this time they’d be better prepared for their opponents. “I think that we’ve improved our doubles strategies and keeping the ball from the net player,” Chalupsky said. “We played crosscourt all the time, keeping it from the net player. We also practiced a lot of volleys to make sure that we could get that point if we got the opportunity.” Despite all the hard work Chalupsky and her teammates put into preparing for the match, Peninsula exerted an effort that RUHS struggled to keep pace with. Seemingly every shot that RUHS had was effectively countered, and they made sure that RUHS earned every point they scored. After a series of hard-fought matches, Peninsula emerged victorious, winning by a final score of 15-3. “I think we just need to continue practicing doubles,” Chalupsky said. “Our singles are strong, so we just need to make sure that our doubles are as strong as we can make them.”

Chalupsky’s teammate, sophomore doubles player Nicole Sasaki, also noticed several things against Peninsula that she thought they could improve on. “They were able to keep their double lines, so we couldn’t poach, which was where I thought we would’ve won most of our points. They were really consistent and we weren’t,” Sasaki said. “I think next time we just have to focus on getting our serves in, staying consistent and not getting in our heads. More than anything, it’s just a mental match.” While the result certainly wasn’t what the team had hoped for, there were still plenty of positives the girls took away from their matches. “We had some groundstroke shots that were good, and we were able to poach and finish points off at the net,” Sasaki said. Chalupsky agreed, adding that the team has “improved on doubles strategies” and also in “keeping the ball away from the net.” With the season drawing to a close this upcoming week on Monday, Oct. 25 at 3 pm against Mira Costa, the “team is excited for the highly-anticipated matchup against their rivals.” “Our biggest goal this season is to beat Costa,” Chalupsky said. “I want to really improve enough to where I can play hard against Costa and actually give them a run for their money.”

1. Junior Phoebe Chalupsky gets ready to receive the ball. 2. The Seahawks and their opponents meet at the net postgame.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF CELINA MORENO

HIGH TIDE OCT. 22, 2021

OUR ROAD TO

IN-FOCUS

INCLUSION

RUHS' path to an accessible campus and accepting atmosphere

by RIA LOPRESTO

From taking the stairs to walking through crowds and picking future classes, there are countless activities that the majority of students do with ease. But for roughly 1,225 disabled students in RBUSD, getting around campus can be a daily struggle. Stephanie Powell, one of the essential skills teachers at RUHS, teaches students independent life skills such as how to manage money, take care of a household and make their meals. Powell specifically works with students with moderate to severe disabilities, which includes a range of students from those with intellectual disabilities to those with medically fragile disabilities. She often sees her students struggling to navigate the school. “Getting around school can be challenging for students without disabilities too, but for Dr. Mallet and my students, they need to be put in a position where it’s routine and they have to see it on a daily basis,” Powell said. “A lot of our students can’t get around campus without support [from staff and aides], so it’s very challenging for our students to be able to just navigate on their own.” But, Powell feels that there are ways that RUHS can help her students around campus even more. “We need some more support here, as far as staffing. Also color coding or even using shapes — if the students follow all the squares to this side of the campus or follow all the triangles to that side of the campus, that might be able to support our students. And definitely educating the entire school on our students, because you have the general ed population and then you have the special education population. Most of the time our general education population doesn’t really know how to deal with or even understand students with special needs,” Powell said. In addition to making some of these changes, Powell hopes to see her students included in more school activities. “I'd like to see more of our students included in things that general ed kids do on campus, whether that's cleaning up the campus or being part of a club. But also, [we need to] have the support to support them in that club. It's one thing to just push them into a club and say ‘Okay, here he is, work with him,’ but another to have the support behind that as well,” Powell said. Still, RUHS has made improvements over the past few decades. It has “expanded programs to allow [students with disabilities] more access so that they can not only partake in classes, but also find levels of success in those classes,” according to the Teacher on Special Assignment

Jeffery Rosadini. This means he is responsible for helping with interventions for students who are struggling. Some physical features on our campus that help mitigate its inconvenience include ramps, wheelchair elevators and handicap parking spaces, which were incorporated on campus over the past 17 years, according to RBUSD Director of Facilities, Maintenance and Operations Fred Naile.

“

1990 AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT PASSED The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in several areas, such as transportation and unemployment. This law prompted RUHS to make its campus more accessible.

I'D LIKE TO SEE MORE OF OUR STUDENTS INCLUDED IN THINGS THAT GENERAL ED KIDS DO ON CAMPUS, WHETHER THAT'S CLEANING UP THE CAMPUS OR BEING PART OF A CLUB. STEPHANIE POWELL

ESSENTIAL SKILLS TEACHER When the school does any kind of construction on campus, it must be approved by the Department of State Architects, who ensure that the requirements of the American Disability Act (ADA) are met. The ADA was signed into law in July of 1990 and guarantees that people with disabilities have the same opportunities as everyone else to participate in mainstream life. This can include requirements for access to properties, buildings, restrooms and parking. But aside from building new ramps and lifts, RUHS has other ways of helping disabled students at school. “At freshman orientation, we have a flock of counselors and support staff to help students have a better orientation of the campus. There are transition meetings for students with special

OCT. 20, 2021 FIRST FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE MEETING OF THE YEAR The Friendship Circle, led by junior Zachary Steinbrun, seeks to create meaningful friendships between teen volunteers and children with special needs. At the first meeting, students bonded with others through pizza, games and TV shows. The club meets Mondays in Room 503.

needs that come over here, so that they can get some face time to help navigate things like picking your classes, because it's hard coming over to high school from middle school,” Rosadini said. “But overall, students with needs are in all classes. They're mainstreamed as much as possible in all the regular classes because we always want to put them in the least restrictive environment and have them with all their peers. We also [had]

20022012

Inclusion Day [last Friday], and that's a big thing that we're celebrating. I mean, Inclusion Day is taking on the forms of many ways being inclusive, and amongst that is students with needs.” Inclusion Day is a part of Inclusion Week, a elevators district-wide celebration of Disability Awarewere ness. On Inclusion Day, the school encouraged built students and staff to wear purple for a "purple around out" and asked students to write personal campus pledges on Post-it notes about how they plan to be more inclusive. The goal, according to Assistant Principal Jennifer Chatmon, is to see "3,000 sticky notes flapping in the wind." 2009This year is the first that RBUSD has 2011 celebrated Inclusion Week, which will now be a yearly event. By incorporating events like Inclusion Day and modifying the campus, RUHS strives to create a disability-friendly environment. “When you work with students with needs and you see them reach a goal, and you underwheelchair stand how much drive and perseverance it has lifts built taken them to reach that goal, it’s throughout very satisfying. For some students, campus school comes easy to them. They just fly through and don't have to study,” Rosadini said. “But for other students, 2001-2012 school has never come easy. To see that glimmer in their face when they reach that level of success is really, really special.”

10+

wheelchair ramps were added, as well as handicap auditorium and bleacher seating

OCT. 11-15, 2021 RBUSD'S FIRST ANNUAL INCLUSION WEEK Every day in the week of Oct. 11-15, students watched a video about inclusivity during Silent Study Hour (SSH). The week culminated in an inclusion pledge on Friday, Oct. 15. Students wrote their pledges to sit with someone new at lunch, be an accepting teammate and more onto Post-it notes displayed in the Student Union.

PHOTOS BY KEARA ANTONELLI. INFORMATION COURTESY OF FRED NAILE, RBUSD DIRECTOR OF FACILITIES AND MANAGEMENT.