High Tide: Jan. 28, 2022 by High Tide

Jan. 28, 2022 Vol. CII Edition 6

Redondo Union High School Redondo Beach, CA

4 NEWS

9 FEATURES

18 SPORTS

The Redondo Beach Public Library will start enforcing stricter protocols

Red Cross Club and Key Club members help out at the Rose Parade

Basketball games were postponed due to Omicron

high tide

STAB ILIT Y

During the Omicron surge, students debate the benefits and drawbacks of online and in-person learning

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ILLUSTRATION BY ALLIE D’AMATO

ET Y

VIRUS ART COURTESY OF FREEPIK

www.ruhsmedia.com

@ruhsmedia

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news

The STRUGGLE with subs

COVID-19 leaves RBUSD with a shortage of substitute teachers by CHARLOTTE GOLDSTEIN

espite the Omicron variant of COVID-19 easily replacing Delta as the most prominent strain, the Redondo Beach Unified School District’s (RBUSD) search for substitutes has proven to be more difficult. RBUSD has a severe shortage of substitute teachers to take the place of sick teachers, according to Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Nicole Wesley. Wesley is in charge of hiring substitute teachers and placing them where needed in the RBUSD school sites. “It’s no secret that this year has been more of a struggle,” Wesley said. “And it’s no secret that we’ve had more teacher absences this year. I would go as far as to say that we’ve had the most absences [when we returned to school after winter break] district-wide than ever before.” According to Wesley, in a typical school year during any given week, an average of 24 teachers are absent across the entire school district. In contrast, on Jan. 13, 31 staff members were absent due to COVID-19 at RUHS alone. District-wide, 131 staff members were absent due to COVID-19. “This year has been more difficult not only because there are more absences, but also because we do have some substitutes who are afraid to work because of COVID-19, who may be experiencing COVID-19 symptoms or positive cases themselves,” Wesley said. Long time substitute teacher Kelby Bruno thinks that there’s more to the issue than just high levels of absentees. She believes that the substitute pool has also shrunk dramatically during the pandemic. “The lack of subs is a two-fold problem.

During the lockdown, there were substitute teachers that decided not to come back and some went into early retirement. So that’s part of the pool getting smaller. And then also a lot of substitutes don’t feel comfortable being in an environment with lots of germs,” Bruno said. Bruno, however, was happy to return to substitute teaching and now fills in for absent teachers three to five days a week. “When crisis hits, I sort of go into a mode of helping people and I wasn’t scared to get out into the community,” Bruno said. “I’m back to work and I love it.” While Bruno was ecstatic to be teaching, many other substitutes were more reluctant to come back to school. RBUSD has employed several different strategies in order to resolve the shortage. First, Wesley looks to the in-house substitute pool. This pool has a little over 100 substitute teachers who are contacted when a staff member reports that they will be absent. However, due to the climbing number of teacher absences and the fact that many substitutes are reluctant to work during the pandemic, this is no longer enough. “In addition to that, we have contracted out with a third party vendor called Scoot, which has been instrumental in helping us fill sub vacancies as well, because we can’t always fill them with our in-house sub pool,” Wesley said. However, the caveat of using third party vendors is that other school districts are using the same vendors to fill their own vacancies, causing competition between the local districts to staff substitutes. “Recently, before the winter break, we increased our substitute rates to encourage and reward and entice substitutes who

work in our district,” Wesley said. When these tactics fail to bring in the amount of substitute teachers required to fill all the vacancies, RBUSD must find other ways to fill the spots of absent teachers. “Once we see which classes aren’t covered, we try to be creative by filling them with teachers who are willing to give up their conference period and cover a class,” Wesley said. In a last ditch effort, sometimes substitute teachers may have to be transferred between schools in order to fill classes. Wesley noted filling the vacancy is like solving a puzzle.

“For instance, recently, Parras had ten teachers out and they were able to fill all the classes with the exception of two. So we called over to two different elementary schools and asked them to send a substitute over,” Wesley said. Despite the challenge in filling the substitute positions during times when COVID-19 surges, Wesley emphasized that there is still reason to be grateful. “I think it’s important to recognize that if it weren’t for the substitute teachers that we had out there and the patiences of our students and our staff, we wouldn’t be in as good a shape as we are,” Wesley said.

ILLUSTRATION BY HEATHER LEE

Students studied for their finals from home due to COVID-19 by SADIE SIMMONS

s of January 15th, 366 students had tested positive for COVID-19. As more students tested positive and were forced to quarantine, which caused others to stay home as a precautionary measure, more students had to learn from home. According to senior Vanessa Wasden, who was at home with COVID-19 the week after winter break, finding the energy to get things done was a true struggle. “It was hard to find the motivation to even look at a 115 slide PowerPoint. It was so intimidating it made me not want to do it. And I just often got sidetracked at home

ILLUSTRATION BY HEATHER LEE

in a way that I don’t at school,” Wasden said. In spite of her struggles, Wasden found ways to help her stay on task and accomplish everything that she needed to each day. “I tried to set myself a schedule, and I had goals every morning that I wanted to check off. That kept me going,” Wasden said. Wasden initially tried to stick to the schedule she would have used had she been in person, doing work for her specific classes on the days she had them, but she found it more efficient for her to do all of her work on the same day and have a “free day” in between. Even with her new schedule, Wasden found it difficult to find an optimal way to study for finals. “I talked about [what I was learning] with my parents, and that’s how I always study. I kind of teach them the content and by going over it again. It helps me remember,” Wasden said. According to Wasden, when students aren’t learning content in a classroom setting or on a Zoom call, they can decide when

they do work and when they study. Without pre-scheduled classes, it can be difficult to decide when the best time to study for a class is. “I would review at home and try to learn the content at the same pace of the in-person class. It was kind of weird to try and learn it and then study it the next minute,” Wasden said. At a “crucial” time before finals, Wasden felt it would have been easier to be on campus, where she could be in a classroom setting with her teachers. However, while it would have been more beneficial to be back on campus, it doesn’t mean that it was what she was most comfortable with. “I’d rather have been on campus, but due to the amount of COVID-19 cases, I felt safer at home. But I do think that since I was at home, I wasn’t getting the same opportunity [to learn in a classroom setting]. I wish I would have been at school before finals,” Wasden said. Wasden was not the only student who was concerned with the rising number of COVID-19 cases; currently, however, cases are beginning to drop. Freshman Jacob Gray spent the week after winter break learning from home as a precautionary measure, with the number of COVID-19 cases being high. Similar to Wasden, Gray

struggled with motivation when working from home, but he also struggled with focus. “Since there were so many distractions at home, it made it difficult to do what I needed to do,” Gray said. Nevertheless, Gray was able to find ways to stay on track in order to do his work and study for finals. “I made a timer for each and every day so that I could stay on track. I also had my family remind me to do my work,” Gray said. However, according to Wasden and Gray, there were some upsides to being home. Wasden was able to make more time for reading and reorganizing her room, and Gray found more time to rest, and both said that being at home was a mental reset and a way to have more freedom. But despite the opportunities given to them by staying home, both Wasden and Gray agreed that it would’ve been more beneficial to their education to be learning in person. “I feel like it would have been more beneficial for me to be back in class because it’s easier for me to pay attention. Sure, you have to get up earlier, but it’s well worth it for me to be able to learn more effectively and have a better future later,” Gray said.

HIGH TIDE JAN. 28, 2022

NEWS 3

DISTRICT DECISIONS The RBUSD board meeting on Jan. 25 discussed updates by RENA FELDE

PHOTO VIA RBUSD’S YOUTUBE CHANNEL

ighlighting Washington Elementary School’s Library Program, Washington Principal Andrea Bittick marked the start of the Jan. 25 Redondo Beach Unified School District (RBUSD) board meeting with a presentation recognizing their librarian, Mrs. Campisi, and the effort she puts into the school’s library and student interests. Bittick featured the collection of diverse authors, multicultural books and the intriguing visuals around the library that Campisi creates. “A lot of students shared that they love how she decorates the library and overall just her demeanor and welcoming type of attitude,” Bittick said. Afterward, Assistant Superintendents Nicole Wesley and Susan Wildes and Deputy Superintendent Annette Alpern shared a presentation about Transitional Kindergarten (TK) and the expansion of TK classes. The presentation included the history of TK in Redondo Beach, the facilities needed, legal requirements, the curriculum, enrollment projections and staffing. “The goal of transitional kindergarten is to prepare each student to successfully meet or exceed the challenging standards of California’s kindergarten program at the conclusion of their kindergarten year,” Wildes said. The board meeting also discussed events at RUHS, such as Winter Formal. According to Student Board Member Charles Steerman, Winter Formal is predicted to be postponed until mid-March 2022. “We’ve postponed our Winter Formal event to a time when COVID-19 has died down and when we believe it will be safe for

students to attend,” Steerman said. Steerman explained that ASB is busy with other events at the school as well, including the upcoming spirit rally taking place in early March, a second UCLA blood drive during mid-March and preparing for semester two’s club rush. During his report, Superintendent Dr. Steven Keller mentioned RBUSD’s shift to number six in the best school districts of the greater Los Angeles region ranking on niche.com. He also shared good news regarding the reduced number of COVID-19 cases seen in the district-wide COVID-19 Dashboard and the increasing attendance rates among students and staff alike. Alpern briefly compared the average daily attendance (ADA) rates of December during the 2019-2020 school year and December during the 2021-2022 school year. She highlighted the greater than 10 percent attendance drop that occurred on the day before winter break of 2021 as well as the close-to-eight percent absence rate district-wide due to a threatening social media post made nationwide on Dec. 17. According to Alpern, RBUSD received a shipment of two palettes of N95 respirators last week and hundreds of them have been delivered to school sites. RBUSD also received 25,000 KN95 masks, which were delivered to the RU health office and made available late afternoon Wednesday, January 26. RBUSD has 70,000 general medical masks, as well. Alpern also took part in the process of bringing COVID-19 testing to Redondo Beach. COVID-19 testing at Beach Cities Health District is available Monday through Friday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. and the weekend testing at RUHS will be around for just one more weekend, this weekend. Wesley then spoke about a significant

hire for RUHS’ football program. Former Seahawk and retired Buffalo Bills Linebacker Keith Ellison is now the head coach of the RUHS football team, taking over Matt Ballard’s position that he held for 10 years. “[Ellison] is coming back to coach the team. He has a clear vision and passion, and he’s ready to lead his alma mater,” Wesley said. John Nemeth, current Vice President for the Redondo Beach Educational Foundation (RBEF), gave updates on how things are going with the foundation as well as upcoming events. Nemeth shared that investor drive dollars raised through the end of Dec. 31, 2021 totaled $729,500. “As we are an ongoing fundraising organization, we will continue to do fundraising throughout the year. So keep your eyes open for additional events and activities that we’ll be doing,” Nemeth said. They have ‘plans in the works’ to provide RBEF Summer Session Classes and Seahawk Sports camps as well. Nemeth also announced RBEF’s support of an Esports development team available to RBUSD middle and high school students. Tournaments will happen on April 6, according to Nemeth. Finally, RBEF will be partnering with the BeachLife Festival from May 1315. “We got a lot of great publicity last year. It’s a really great way to continue to fundraise for RBEF and then pass those dollars along to the district,” Nemeth said. The district also entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) agreement with the local California School Empoloyees Association (CSEA). They represent the district’s classified staff, including instructional aides, administrative assistants, cam-

pus supervisors and child nutrition services. CSEA asked that the district pay time and a half for all classified employees who worked last year on June 18, 2021, because President Biden deemed Juneteenth a holiday the day prior. The district had 157 classified employees who worked that day. Instead of time and a half, the district reached an agreement that gave the impacted employees a holiday during this coming spring break, instead of them having to take a vacation day or unpaid day. By approving the MOU, the board also agreed that moving forward, Juneteenth would be a holiday that is observed by classified staff in the district. This does not impact teachers or students because school is already out by then. Later, the Southern California Regional Occupational Center (SCROC) stood prominently in the final conversations among the board members, and they agendized items regarding Board Policy 6178 while involving SCROC, as well. To conclude, board member Dan Elder commented on Assembly Bill 1614 proposed by Assemblymember Muratsuchi. This bill would raise base level educational funding, according to Elder. “This is one we’ll want to follow and potentially discuss as something we might advocate for in the future. There will probably be a need for us to do some advocacy and outreach to our community to inform them how critical these budget issues are. It’s critical that we’re involved in this budget discussion early and often,” Elder said.

Head of the Redondo Beach Teachers Association Sarah Robinson highlights COVID-19 protocols by DANI HARPER

ollowing LA County guidelines, RUHS strives to keep in-person learning safe according to Sarah Robinson, head of the Redondo Beach Teachers Association. “We [the district] are committed to following the LA County Department of Public Health guidelines. So right now, their recommendation for outside masking, we think is a good step to take during the surge, and if you look around, most people on this campus, in terms of employees, are following that guidance,” Robinson said. Outdoor masking, using masks with better levels of protection and using hand sanitizer frequently are among the recent suggestions to help better defend against COVID-19. Announcements on the school

intercom encourage RUHS students to take these further precautions in order to stay safe during in person learning. “We’re working to be sure that the sanitizing is continuing to go on in the classroom. So, we are in support of in-person learning, but it has to be done in a safe way,” Robinson said. The Redondo Beach Teachers Association partnered with the district to create an independent study program for students who are immunodeficient, live with someone who has an immunodeficiency or feel unsafe coming to school because of COVID-19 in general. The program was advertised during the beginning of the year, and students can also choose to transfer to the independent program for the upcoming

semester. “It’s a lot, you know, [to return to online school]. When we went to distance learning last year, we spent weeks negotiating to make schedules and to make all of that possible. I’m not saying we’re not willing to do it, but it’s not something that can just happen overnight,” Robinson said. For RUHS, online instruction isn’t available outside of the aforementioned independent study program because of state mandates on things such as minimum instructional minutes and student attendance. The previous year, virtual school was able to function because of accommodations from the state which have not been negotiated for this year. “The minimum of what a school district

does has to be what the county says,” Robinson said. At this time, RUHS is following all of the county mandates and COVID-19 protocol requirements. In order to keep everyone as safe as possible people need to stay home if they are sick and report to the school if they test positive. Being safe and continuing to follow guidelines to the best of our abilities will help keep as many people safe as possible, according to Robinson. “Like everyone else, teachers are concerned and want to be safe. We’ve made a commitment to be here and keep the school open and running. We are doing everything we possibly can to make that happen,” Robinson said.

NEWS 4

HIGH TIDE JAN. 28, 2022

LIBRARY LIABILITIES

The Redondo Beach Public Library will start enforcing stricter protocols.

Regulations include: Library staff being able to call police and have patrons removed

ILLUSTRATION BY KATELYN PERRY

by LUCY DAVIS

n Tuesday Jan. 4, the Redondo Beach City Council discussed changes to the city municipal code that grant library staff the authority to enforce their rules of conduct.

This revision makes refusal to leave the facility after reminders, warnings, and exclusion a violation punishable by a misdemeanor, up to six months and jail time and/or fines of up to $1,000. These rules, which include limitations on attire, volume of conversation, and general behavior, were adopted by the Library Commission in 2006 and have been in place at both the North Branch and Main Libraries since their creation. Under the former municipal code, however, only the city manager or city council could enforce expectations when handling uncooperative patrons. This

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[These regulations] are protection of public space. We are protecting that space for everyone’s enjoyment. NILS NERENHEIM CITY COUNCIL MEMBER

created, city manager Mike Wazansky said, “a revolving door of concern.” “[With the revision of the municipal code,] what we really want to do is [solve] a structural flaw with our lack of enforceability under the law,” Wazansky said. From a legal standpoint, the new code gives “enforcement capabilities in those rare cases where the police are called,” city attorney Micheal Webb said. Though the changes were proposed in 2019, the pandemic pushed back discussion with the city council until a few weeks ago. According to library director Susan Andreson, the rules of conduct will be posted prominently in both libraries. These rules “may regulate disruptive behavior, noise, offensive odors, health and sanitation hazards, and bringing posses-

sions, materials or objects into the library or facility which are likely to interfere with its use by others,” according to the new ordinance. These revisions come with indication of future action: the Library Commission is awaiting approval to change the dimensions of baggage allowed within the facility, with criteria focused on size rather than number and change to rules about lounging on library steps. Tuesday’s ordinance is the “first step,” according to Wazansky. Libraries are community epicenters: adults on lunch break, retirees reading the paper, students in the children’s room and teens scribbling assignments can all be found peppered throughout the aisles of books in silence. “This is protection of public space,” city council member Nils Nerenheim said. “Libraries have always been a place where the public can gather, where the public have a safe space. So when we get people interrupting that for whatever reason, we are protecting that space for everyone’s enjoyment and everyone’s ability to use it.” In recent years, many libraries adapted to also become an all-purpose space for their community. Librarians aren’t just scanning books to lend out anymore: their role is much more encompassing to support the needs of their communities. According to the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness, “libraries provide relief during times of extreme weather, a place to relax, connect and receive support. Libraries can [also] function as enriched spaces by offering opportunities to spend the day unnoticed by others, and legitimating their presence in prime rather than marginal spaces.” According to the Brookings Institution, libraries and librarians “help local people figure out the complexities of life, from navigating the health system to helping those with housing needs. This ‘go-to’ role has influenced library programming and events, with libraries providing advice and connections to health, housing, literacy and other areas.” There are some concerns about how

these changes will affect the city’s unhoused population since the library is utilized by them for Nerenheim’s very reasons. Sophomore Yuma Kaneko notices these patrons when he visits after school, but in his experience, their disruption in the library itself is minimal. “Usually, they just keep to themselves, reading or using the computers,” Kaneko said. “But it’s true that they use the bathrooms to keep themselves clean.” Though patrons are not allowed to use the restroom facilities to bathe themselves per the library rules of conduct, Kaneko encounters unhoused patrons

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There should be more resources made available for the homeless so there wouldn’t be a problem like this. YUMA KANEKO SOPHOMORE

tidying themselves “almost every time.” “It doesn’t bother me too much because I understand; they do their own business without disruption because the resources are available to them. But there are a lot of people—younger people—who would understandably be more uncomfortable,” Kaneko said. Kaneko is “neutral” about his thoughts on the matter, because there are “two perspectives to consider.” “It is a place where a lot of children go after school, and seeing something like that can be really traumatizing. But at the same time, I would hope that there are more resources for homeless people so they wouldn’t have to resort to using the library sink,” Kaneko said.

Bags of excessive demension such as suitcases not being allowed

Breaking these regulations can iccur a

$1000 fee

OR up to

months in jail

HIGH TIDE JAN. 28, 2022

NEWS 5

KEEPING THE DREAM ALIVE RBPD and its Community Board hosted their third annual MLK Celebration “The Beloved Community: Honoring Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr” at the RUHS Auditorium. by JADE MONTOYA

his Martin Luther King Jr. Day, RUHS hosted the Redondo Beach Police Department’s (RBPD) third annual celebration of Martin Luther King Jr, the civil rights activist who peacefully protested to end segregation against African Americans. Police officers and the police department’s Community Engagement Board members gave speeches about the importance of King and understanding each other. The celebration also included multiple performances, such as dances and singing from multiple performers. According to board member Tanya Mckenzie, the event’s purpose was to help bring people in unison to rejoice in King’s legacy and build connections with each other, despite their backgrounds, and ul-

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Loving the community that we live in, wanting to build bridges and bringing people together for a common purpose was the inspiration for this event. TANYA MCKENZIE COMMUNITY BOARD MEMBER

timately to come to mutual understanding. “Loving the community that we live in,

wanting to build bridges and bring people together for a common purpose was the inspiration [for this event],” Mckenzie said.

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Martin Luther King Jr has taught me so many things. His leadership changed the world and his message empahsized unity which is really relevant today. TANYA MCKENZIE COMMUNITY BOARD MEMBER

“Unity, harmony and understanding Redondo Beach has kept this event going for three years.” Mckenzie and the RBPD are part of the Community Engagement Board. The board was developed four years ago with the goal of gathering a diverse set of people and understanding their views. This event was developed in an effort to emphasize the importance King’s message has today. “This event is important because it celebrates the diversity of our community,” Captain Joe Hoffman, who gave a speech at the event, said. “We created this board to get different perspectives on how to im-

prove trust and transparency in the police department. We hope that organizing events like these will help to bring the community together.” Musical performances included the Psalms Dance Network who made a choreographed dance symbolizing freedom and glory, and Ashley Channel and Band who performed a musical prelude. Songs such as “Glory” by John Legend, which feature lyrics about King’s struggle and the Civil Rights movement, were played. Mckenzie believes that the speeches and performances were important as they convey King’s message of acceptance. 2 “[Martin Luther King Jr] has taught me so many things. He brought about unity and his leadership changed the world,” Mckenzie said. “I think it’s important to remind people of his message because his message of the need for unity is still relevant today. The most important thing is that we are all humans and we all have a story. Even if your story is different, it’s important to recognize the humanity behind each person.” GRAPHIC VIA VECTOR STOCK

THE ATTENDANCE PROBLEM Many RUHS students and staff have been absent due to the spread of Omicron

On January 19th

15%

by MICAH MACFADDEN

of students and staff were out with COVID-19

As of January 25

5% of students and staff are out with COVID-19

s the new variant of COVID-19 Omicron surged, so did the amount of people in quarantine. Many classrooms across RUHS entered the new year with every other seat vacant leaving many students wondering if they will be the next person to be quarantined. On the first day back from winter break, 44 new cases were confirmed among students and staff, and the infection rate rose to 16 percent during the second week of January, according to the RBUSD COVID-19 Dashboard. This was accompanied by a dramatic drop in attendance due to quarantine, fear of catching the virus, or common illness that in other circumstances would get shrugged off. Some teachers have experienced half of their class gone, and other teachers were out for weeks on end. According to Julie Rosadini, whose geometry class had 16 out of 35 students absent during the first week back, “it’s still at least five or six kids [out].” “There are students making up homework a week later or some still have not

returned. It really impacts us and the students feel really stressed out from being behind, being confused and the overwhelming amount of work that they need to do. It’s been really tough for the students,” Rosadini said. Rosadini, along with other teachers, use techniques developed during quarantine to minimize the impact of long absences, such as pre-recording lessons and offering tutoring over Zoom. However, this arrangement carries, according to Rosadini, “only slightly reminiscent” of distance learning “because we still have students in person.” Freshman Isabella Forbes was absent during the week of semester finals and the week preceding it. According to Forbes, this impacted some of her classes because they lacked online resources. “By not being there, I would miss some key things. Teaching myself the material was difficult. Studying by myself helped, but in class I can ask questions,” Forbes said. Not all students were impacted by their long absences. Some did not have to make

up work because all of it was online and accessible from home. Sophomore Laney Underwood, who was in quarantine for the first week of January, did not miss any work because it was all online. “Thankfully I didn’t really have any trouble with anything. Since everything was accessible, it was pretty easy to catch up,” Underwood said. The problems that come with an absence only get exacerbated by the arrival of finals. Students absent for finals week had to reschedule and miss class time. There is light at the end of the tunnel, however. According to the RBUSD COVID-19 Dashboard, COVID-19 infection rates at RUHS dropped to around five percent on January 25 with 180 total cases, a significant decrease from previous weeks. Nonetheless, students, at school or at home, continue on despite the disturbance, according to Rosadini. “The students that are here still focus on learning as much as they can, and they’re still working hard no matter the surrounding environment,” Rosadini said.

features

VIA LO

Keep on Climbing

VEPIK

Cunningham climbs competitively

by LAUREN CHOY

op 5, no. Top 10, no. Top 15, no. She was last. Her brain twists and turns at the sight of her name being in last place instead of having the normal “1st place” next to her name. But later on, freshman rock climber Tatum Cunningham sees this divisionals competition loss as not a failure, but a learning experience.

“I came in last and as a person who loves tally, she bounced back quickly due to her to get first, it was horrible. But over time I “passion for climbing,” but “the physical had to learn that I did not fail. I just had a part of not training for a year and then findchance to grow and experience something ing the motivation to come back and train that was new to me,” Cunningham said. was difficult,” she said. The divisional competition took place a “I’m not very familiar with being last and year after her losing so that was a really good expeinjury and it rience for me to accept that.” was her comeNot letting this loss stop her, back. Due to Cunningham is currently placed her lack of fourth in all of southern Califor- I’m not very familtraining for nia, southern Nevada, southern iar with being last a year, she Utah and Hawaii. The competition wasn’t ready was her comeback from recovering and losing so that for how comfrom a climber’s worst nightmare in was a really good petitive divifourth grade—a broken arm. sionals were “I fell fifteen feet bouldering experience for me and received when I was at my peak. I was so to accept that last place. Fulgood. I was climbing really well and ly healed now, then I broke my arm and that set me TATUM CUNNINGHAM Cunningham’s back a lot. The gaining of self-confi- FRESHMAN set to compete dence in myself again was hard and in an upcoming honestly, I know many people that would get injured doing something they regional in a few weeks. Coming back, she explains how she was love and then be scared of doing it again,” excited to finally be able to return to one of Cunningham said. Unlike the majority of injured climbers, her favorite types of climbing – projecting. “Projecting is where you go up and then Cunningham didn’t have that fear. Men-

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you fall and you’re not going to reach the top on the first try. It’s something that you have to work on overtime. Setting goals and reaching those goals is really cool,” Cunningham said. Cunningham’s love for climbing stems from growing up in the gym and how climbing has been her escape and happy place. “I say that because I’ve always found climbing like that. It’s my niche and I have always been pretty good at it,” Cunningham said. Cunningham believes in addition to dedicating many hours to practicing to get where she is today, her passion and love for the sport have allowed her to further accomplish many achievements. “That was a lot of practice. Practice, practice, practice. I think if I didn’t have a passion for climbing, I couldn’t have gotten fourth in the region no matter how much practice I had because I wouldn’t have any motivation,” Cunningham said. Cunningham’s inspiration for climbing comes from her memory of her dad, Andrew Cunningham. He was always building rock climbing walls in her previous homes all the way back to 12 years ago.

“It was something to do together. Tatum started when she was three years old so it was something where we could hang out because she liked climbing on stuff at a young age,” Andrew said. Cunningham’s inspiration to keep going comes from her dad because of the way he pushed her but still left room for enjoyment. “I just hope that she continues to have fun with it and I don’t want the competitiveness to steal the thunder out of how fun it is just to climb for yourself,” Andrew said. Climbing has allowed Cunningham to learn life lessons. While there may be other things in the books for her future, Cunningham knows climbing will always be with her. “I think rock climbing will always be in my life whether I’m doing it competitively or not,” Cunningham said. “I have other inspirations but I definitely think climbing will never not be in my life because of the life lessons it’s taught me. Sometimes I’ll be a stronger climber one day rather than another so I think that ties back to life morals and it helps me learn.”

Female students face more issues with working late than male students at RUHS by ERIN HARTMAN

t’s 11 p.m. Being the only one in the store, she quickly cleans up so she can leave. As she’s about to take out the trash, she notices a car outside, parked. The driver just sits there and watches her. The trash doesn’t get taken out until her mom is there to pick her up. Senior Angelina Chachulski, who works at Cold Stone Creamery has overcome her fair share of alarming experiences and doesn’t always feel safe at work, especially since she often works late. “The only times I don’t feel safe is if two girls are working, and it’s eleven at night. It’s also hard if I don’t have a ride home, and sometimes I have to bike there. Sometimes we’ll have people come in and bring drugs,” Chachulski said. While closing up the store, Chachulski has experienced many scary incidents, such as when someone started banging on the windows. “My friend and I were closing the store register and we had the door locked and everything, but then we heard this banging on the window. They kept banging three times on the window. We were scared. I wanted to run out of the store, I was so scared. We couldn’t see anything, but there was just banging on the window,” Chachulski said. The store’s shift leaders are usually two girls closing up at night. With late night shifts, this can be scary, and Chachulski sometimes has to call in a male worker to

stay during night shifts in order to feel safe. my location. I ask them to check my loca“There were sketchy people outside, so tion to make sure I don’t go a completely I called my friend to come in. He worked different way or something. But you know, there at the time and I called him saying, you get kind of used to it, but most nights ‘Hey do you think you can come in? Be- I’m pretty nervous going out,” Chachulski cause we’re both kind of nervous being said. While working late can be a nightmare alone here right now.’ We had him just sit in the back while we cleaned up because we for girls, it isn’t always the same for boys. Senior Jackson Davy, who works at Eswere nervous, since we’re both girls,” Chaperanza Cocina de la Playa, feels safe at his chulski said. Many strange customers have entered job. Even when his shifts end at 1 in the the store, some of them under the influence morning and drug deals sometimes take place at the restaurant, it doesn’t bother of drugs. “There’s a lot of people who smell heav- him. “If I’m being completely ily of weed. I’ve heard my coworkers say honest, I’m a tall white they’ve offered weed. The guy. I don’t feel super customers are like ‘Do nervous. Although you smoke weed? one time there I have this realwas a dead ly good place.’ It’s pretty obvious they’re Always feel on drugs since unsafe walking when they alone at night come in they’ll act really dumb and then thier eyes will be red,” Chachulski said. Chachulski sometimes has to bike home, resulting in almost a five guy in front mile ride for her. Along the way, she tries to avoid people, and get home quickly. of the restaurant a cou“When biking home, I do sometimes feel ple of months ago. Once in a nervous. I text my friends, and they have while, it can be a little nerve-racking,

but I’m pretty aware of my surroundings and I’m not too scared,” Davy said. Davy even admits that his parents would never allow his twin sister to work as late as he does. For Chachulski and many other workers, keeping a good mindset can be a good way to get through the rough parts of work. “I think when it comes down to it, work is work. A mindset a lot of people have is just to try to get it done. I just want people to appreciate workers. I wish people appreciated working teens too who are just trying

STATISTICS COURTESY OF YouGovAmerica GRAPHICS BY KATARINA BECHES

Never feel unsafe walking alone at night

HIGH TIDE JAN. 28, 2022

FEATURES 7

Bitcoin logo via clipart-best Cryptocurrency statistics via Young and the Invested Gold coins via Seekpng

LING

IN CRYPTO

Students invest in cryptocurrency as it becomes a worldwide phenomenon by STAVYAH NAVEEN

ome students at RUHS are attempting to get a headstart at growing their wealth and attaining privileges by buying and selling digital coins which can make them thousands of dollars overnight. Junior Tyler Pitts recalls the events of a particular evening that contributed to his financial success. Pitts claims that while he was sitting on his bed playing video games one evening, the various cryptocurrencies he invested in increased in worth to over thousands of dollars within an hour. “There’s a lot more potential to make money like this,” Pitts said. “So let’s say you make $70,000. That’s the same amount people make in a job where they give away hours of their life. And we just sit around playing video games, doing whatever we want.” According to Investopedia, cryptocurrency is a “digital or virtual currency” in the form of virtual coins. These coins are coded using binary data and are exchanged by investors (many of whom are high school students). Cryptocurrency’s rise was attributed to the desire to break away from the U.S. dollar currency and the inflation associated with it. Senior Jack Morrison condemned the effect that inflation has on simple, everyday products. According to Morrison, a consequence of inflation is that there’s a lot more money, and so the government’s problems are solved, but the people’s problems ar-

en’t. “Candy bars are so much more expensive and gas is ridiculously expensive at this point, all because the government keeps on printing more money,” Morrison said. Morrison has been investing in Bitcoin (a specific type of cryptocurrency) for two years. He was inspired to invest in Bitcoin by the successful endeavors of the people he surrounded himself with. “My dad was into Bitcoin pretty early, along with some of his best friends,” Morrison said. “With everyone around me talking about its potential upsides, I actually ended up getting an internship at a Bitcoin Trading Company.” Morrison interned at Tantra Labs, an agency whose foundation was built around programming algorithms that instruct investors when to buy and sell Bitcoin, based on statistical indicators. Morrison was programming in different languages, such as Python, to create an algorithm that reads trends of the stock market in an attempt to create positive returns. “I was informed about the internship through one of my dad’s friends, and I interviewed with the CTO of the company,” Morrison said. “I was recognized as someone interested in Bitcoin and coding, and the rest is history.” A key factor that fuels Morrison’s interest in Bitcoin is its “efficiency” during purchases. Morrison defines the term “efficiency” as the security of the currency, as well as the speed of the transaction. “If you’re making a purchase for a $50,000 car, the credit card company that

you are affiliated with will basically have to oversee the purchase,” Morrison said. “On the other hand, with Bitcoin, you can send $50,000 worth of crypto to the recipient. There’s no one mediating it, and so nobody can tell you what you can do.” According to Pitts, another upside to Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies is that there are a limited number of coins. So, the more coins that are used, the fewer there will be left, resulting in increased worth of one coin. “Currently, the Federal Reserve System is controlling our US Dollar currency. And the thing with crypto is it’s not controlled by anyone,” said Pitts. “It’s decentralized, and there’s a 21 million coin supply limit. There won’t ever be more Bitcoins that will be produced. And as the coins become more scarce, more people buy into it, causing it to go up in value.” Pitts believes that cryptocurrency, especially Bitcoin, has a foreseeable future in the U.S., perhaps even surpassing the usage of the U.S. dollar currency. “I think Bitcoin will be massively adopted,” said Pitts. “In the past year, the country of El Salvador made it a legal currency, so stores, shops, and anywhere you go will accept Bitcoin. I think that over the next year, you’ll see a lot more of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.” Though the cryptocurrency market is incredibly volatile, Morrison abstains from becoming discouraged when he receives negative returns from his investments. Instead, the thought of a decreased Bitcoin price motivates him, due to the fact that he

is now able to buy more Bitcoin at a lower price. “I actually get excited when the price goes down because it means I can buy more,” said Morrison. “The only thing that would really concern me is if there was some grand, catastrophic global event where Bitcoin dropped to a 1,000th of a penny. That’s when I would get concerned, but other than that, not really.” Morrison’s passion for investing in cryptocurrency is further fueled by his enthusiasm for informing people about the absence of a transaction fee when using cryptocurrency. In other words, according to Morrison, all of the money paid during a purchase is going entirely to the recipient, eliminating the necessity for the sender to pay additional thousands of dollars in taxes to the government and credit card companies. “What really excites me is when people are getting interested in Bitcoin for the right reasons, which is to free the world from the grasps of very large companies [who are] sucking our hard-earned dollars, penny by penny,” said Morrison. “And it gets me excited when I tell people the story of Bitcoin because everybody wins. And it’s great. I love seeing people get into the spirit of freedom.”

Horrocks is the lead guitarist in a band of middle-aged men by IZZIE ESCOBAR

usic is used all around the world to bring people of various backgrounds and ages together. Junior Thatcher Horrocks gets to experience this first-hand with his band, The Last Seconds. The group consists entirely of adults in their 30’s which gives Horrocks a different perspective on the music making process. Horrocks describes their rehearsal process as “more mature” because of this age gap. “Some of my band mates write originals so we’ll all come up with parts to their songs. When we rehearse we’re there to rehearse, not really goof around. It really makes you appreciate the music you’re making.” Despite the massive age difference Horrocks believes that’s not as important as the music being made. While working with adults can affect the process of rehearsing a song, the end result is solely based on whether or not the love for the art is there. Even though he was only 13 when he first joined the band, Horrocks doesn’t recall any intimidation or nervousness when playing with them. Horrocks believes that

since he knew one of the members as a family friend, the environment was slightly easier to adjust to. “I was excited about the fact that the band would help me grow as a musician and become more creative. I entered feeling pretty comfortable but I didn’t really know how to fit in musically with a band at first. Now I find it’s really helpful when writing songs to collaborate with other musicians and build off each other’s ideas,” Horrocks said. Junior Lily Gray attended “The Last Seconds” most recent gig in support of Horrocks. She described the atmosphere as a “chill positive place.” “The bar was crowded and the band had really good stage chemistry. You could tell they were super comfortable with each other just by how in sync they were and how they cheered each other on. It was also really fun watching them interact with each other during songs.” Their setlists usually engage the audience due to the many genres of music they cover. Horrocks said they “love to play any-

thing from classic rock to smooth jazz and R&B”. Horrocks first joined the band three years ago when their lead guitarist had moved away. “There was never an official induction into the band; it was super casual,” Horrocks said. “One of the guys asked me one day to join and I first started out as singer. I knew he was in a band but I didn’t know anything about it until he approached me.” Horrocks had just started learning guitar at this point but eventually became the band’s lead guitarist. His passion for music allowed him to pick up the instrument pretty quickly. Horrocks said, “I learned all the baseline skills myself. I took lessons for a couple months but then went back to learning by myself. I actually preferred to teach myself just because it gave me the opportunity to not learn by the book. I could make my own math in a way.” The band took a bit of a hit when the pandemic started and their regular gig spots closed down. Though they were un-

able to perform or rehearse for a year, they were able to eventually come back together and make music like they had never been apart. “It was a really good pick-me-up when we did our first outdoor gig at the start of the school year. It definitely lifted my spirits to be playing music with some friends.” Finding time to rehearse posed a bit of an obstacle since the other members have full-time jobs and some have families. Even then they still worked around to do something they all truly love. Horrocks said he has received many questions about whether working with adults is better or worse than working with teenagers but never really seems to have an answer. He feels that it would likely be the same as long as the group shares the same amount of passion and devotion to music. That’s the end goal for “The Last Seconds” — to make music they’re proud of. “When it comes down to it, we’re all just a few guys making music and doing what we are all passionate about,” Horrocks said.

8 FEATURES

JAN. 28, 2022 HIGH TIDE

RO SES Stop and smell the

The Key Club and the Red Cross Club volunteered at the Rose Parade by MARLEY VAN PELT

n January 1st, during one of the most nationally televised celebrations of the New Year, RUHS students from different clubs participated in preparing the Tournament of Roses Parade. Junior Isabelle Nguyen, Co-Vice President of Key Club decorated floats that would be featured in the Rose Parade. “It was just really cool, seeing everything. The floats are gigantic and they’re actually really detailed and it’s so cool to see because you only see it on TV,” Nguyen said. This year, Nguyen stepped into a new position supervising and managing multiple divisions for the event. “There were multiple schools coming and as a Lieutenant Governor, you oversee all the schools in your division. The Lieutenant Governor wasn’t there and I’m actually the fundraising coordinator for our division so I had to fill in for her. I got to oversee a lot of the schools and help them,” Nguyen said. Nguyen’s position in Key Club at RUHS allowed her to step into this leadership role. “I did like leading them and just making sure that everything was running smoothly and that’s actually why I’m running for Lieutenant Governor this year,” Nguyen said. “I like being involved and being in the top position, making sure everything is going well.”

Junior Marin Cantrell attended the Rose Parade as a First Aid Responder, operating radio communications and transmitting messages back and forth. Cantrell wasn’t able to treat as many individuals,

but pre-parade, Cantrell took part in many medical situations. “The first three days were before the parade,” Cantrell said. “We got to help somebody who fell on her arm and I helped ban-

dage it and take her blood pressure.” Cantrell expressed that though the preparations were “stressful and tiring, it was just cool to be able to be there and to provide help to people.” Junior Maya Patel, another member of the Red Cross Club, also attended the Rose Parade, which served not only as a first experience applying her medical knowledge but also as a stepping stone towards a career as a nurse. “I thought I should join because I want to be a nurse when I grow up,” Patel said. “After the Rose Parade, I’m 100% sure I want to be a nurse.” Patel and Cantrell both provided first aid at station 8 during their time at the Rose Parade. With volunteers needing to be 16 years of age or older, and COVID-19 canceling the Rose Parade for one year, the majority of volunteers were attending the Rose Parade for the first time. “I’m definitely going to do it next year because this was such a great experience. Doing this really showed me it doesn’t matter how hard or long you have to work because it’s enriching to help someone,” Patel said.

Marin Cantrell and Carolyn Tran head out to the patrol area. “The steps leading up to the event were exciting because I learned skills like CPR, administering oxygen and giving basic life support,” Tran said. PHOTO COURTESY OF MALINA AU

CAUGHT ON TAPE by MADISON KURIHARA

lthough he only played the role of a background zombie in the pandemic-themed horror film, junior Luke Chambers ended up getting a new opportunity that he “couldn’t say no” to. Through connections to his friend junior Marin Cantrell, Chambers received the offer to assist with the filming of the movie Escape to the Cove, directed by Robert Enriquez. “I got to meet with the director of the movie, Robert Enriquez, who runs the Sunscreen Film Festival, and his girlfriend Hannah Dominic,” Chambers said. “I talked to them and told them how I’d been really interested in filmmaking and that sort of thing, so they asked if I wanted to do an internship there because a spot opened up, and I was totally up for it.” In early Nov. of 2021 during the film festival, Chambers interned there to help with filming interviews, coming up with interview questions and editing videos of panels for the festival’s social

media. Not only did Chambers gain experience with filming and editing among professionals, he also gained valuable advice from those attending the festival. “It was super fun listening to all these different filmmakers and directors and cinematographers talk about their experience with the film that they were presenting at this film festival,” Chambers said. “It was super inspirational. I got some great advice that I’ll take with me for the rest of my career.” Due to time constraints with school, Chambers was not able to work on personal filmmaking projects as much as he would have liked to. However, the COVID-19 pandemic gave him another chance to resume his hobby. “When the pandemic started, I decided to take up [filmmaking] again,” Chambers said. “I just decided ‘Hey, I have extra free time, why not create some little short films for my friends and family to enjoy?’ I just grabbed a tripod and a camera, thought up the ideas in my head and just went with it.” Some of Chambers’ works during this time ranged from reality TV skits to a silent noir film about a detective uncovering the secrets of a seemingly unsolvable

Luke Chambers interned at a film festival, assisting with its social media content

case. He even submitted a short film to the International Geocaching Film Festival. Although it didn’t win, Chambers says he “now knows how to improve his films.” Despite Chambers’ current interest in filmmaking, he didn’t always plan to go down this path. “When I was in middle school, I thought I wanted to be an actor in movies and television because that’s where the big names are,” Chambers said. “But later I realized that I have more of a creative mindset in terms of visual aspects, so I thought that, in working to be an actor, I’d probably lose that part of me.” As one of Chambers’ close friends, Cantrell has witnessed Chambers’ growth as a filmmaker throughout her time helping him with his personal short film projects. “To be honest, I’m personally not super passionate about [filmmaking], but [Luke] definitely really enjoys it,” Cantrell said. “I’m very impressed with how much his editing skills have gotten better. You can really see the difference as you go from his older to his newer videos.”

Even though Cantrell is more passionate about photography than filming, she still enjoys making short films with Chambers. “One of my favorite things is that we’re really good friends, so it’s just a lot of fun getting to hang out while filming,” Cantrell said. “It’s never like, ‘Oh shoot, I hope I do everything correctly.’ We’re just playing around and creating bloopers. It’s something he really loves to do and I want to help him get better at it because he really wants to make movies.” Aspiring to follow in his father’s footsteps going into the film industry, Chambers wants to pursue filmmaking as a career in the future. Although he admits it’s a “tough business”, he doesn’t plan on giving up. “There’s definitely some fear [in entering the film industry],” Chambers said. “It’s not a sure thing. If you don’t know somebody at the right time and place, that opportunity might pass. But, I’m going to keep going with it because I have a passion for it, and I think that’s the most important thing in the end.”

HIGH TIDE JAN. 28, 2022

Students come up with unique New Year’s resolutions by AMINA RAÏSS

at healthy, decrease screen time, go to the gym. These are all common resolutions made every new year by a countless number of people. For some, the new year is an opportunity to change oneself and get a fresh start. Freshman Avery Rapoport made a New Year’s resolution with the hopes of decreasing her screen time. While the idea of reducing the time spent on a phone is a common resolution, Rapoport takes her resolution goals to the extreme. “I smashed my phone on a rock and threw it in the trash. In the end, my parents bought me a new one, an older model, though,” Rapoport said. “And now I just keep it in a box on weekends and had my parents change the screen time password, so I don’t know it anymore.” Rapoport first expressed her concern for a possible addiction when it became nearly impossible to ignore the urge to reach for her phone during any minute of downtime. Her attention span decreased significantly. “Losing my phone, I’ve already seen the positive effects. I don’t need a phone anymore; it’s been really freeing. With my New Years’ resolution, I hope to continue to eliminate the need I’d developed.” Rapoport said. “Even though we can think that Instagram and all those apps are just ways to pass time, I’ve really seen how bad they can truly be these past years. Don’t get me wrong, I love using them but, social media isn’t the only thing to life.” Another freshman, Sophia St. John, also felt her phone time increase during quarantine, and she wants to lower it this year. “Since basketball shut down during quarantine I had a lot more time to actually spend on my phone. The six hours I would usually spend in school were replaced with six hours of phone time.” A JAMA Pediatrics study conducted on the impact of screen time revealed that as the number of time spent on devices rose, detrimental impacts on their mental health rose as well. “Social media and video chat can [create] social connection and support, [but] we found that most of the adolescents’ screen use during the pandemic didn’t serve this purpose.’ Jason Nagata, MD, who is the lead author of the JAMA Pediatrics study and the assistant professor of pediatrics at UCSF, said in a UCSF article. “Every year I seem to be doing slightly better with my screen time because of taking off apps and even going to school in person. [In 2022] I want to go down a few hours and maybe have an average of around three hours a day instead of something huge like nine,” St. John said. Resolutions offer the opportunity for a fresh start and wipe the slate clean of bad habits. They offer a chance to audit one’s life and edit out the things that can hold people back. “New Year’s resolutions are some of the only times when people can actually feel motivated to make a change. I love when I make my resolutions because I feel good about myself after. Everyone should always take advantage of this opportunity to try and really make a difference in their life,” Rapoport said.

FEATURES 9

Read between the lines

Selected AP Art students illustrated pages in a children’s book

Senior Katelyn Perry‘s illustration for a scene where Tally and Pip take a nap after watching squirrels. ILLUSTRATION BY KATELYN PERRY

by ELLA SILBERLING

ally and her trusty dog Pip set out to navigate the unfamiliar world, unaware of what they might find. With each new page, they find themselves on an adventure more lively than the last. To help bring their story to life, AP art students at RUHS contributed illustrations to “Tally and Pip,” the children’s book written by Susan Schiells.

Teacher’s aide Emily Van Alstyne met author Susan Schiells at a stray cat shelter in LA where they both volunteer. Here, Schiells revealed her interest in storytelling to Van Alstyne. She asked Van Alstyne for help with illustrations and Van Alstyne passed the opportunity to students in AP art classes, believing that they could benefit from it. “I think that being able to have your artwork seen by somebody else is a huge opportunity, and having it published in a book means that they can get their names out there, especially if they’re going to go into the art industry,” Van Alstyne said. “ This is a very good foot in the door because they can use it on their portfolio and on resumes for job applications.”

“

We’re coming together in a synthesis of creation and it’s a really great example of community. EMILY VAN ALSTYNE TEACHER’S AID

The stories Schiells writes are based on her own experiences, and the story of Tally and Pip is no different. Tally and Pip venture through their city, interact

with new people and overcome challenges side by side. Van Alstyne believes that Tally and Pip teach young readers the significance of friendship, even with a dog, and the beauty of exploring new things. “It’s just a touching story about how following a dog around can lead you on some pretty great adventures,” Van Alstyne said. Van Alstyne is “impressed” with students’ abilities and glad to have united so many different people under a shared goal. “It’s really great that a little old woman in her 60s came up with a story and is able to collaborate with a bunch of kids on the other end of the age spectrum. We’re coming together in a synthesis of creation and it’s just a really great example of community,” Van Alstyne said. Senior Joshua Vela is among the students who illustrated pages for Schiells’ book. According to Vela, he was always very creative especially in his youth which is where his passion for art was born. He was given a prompt by Scheills for his drawing: to illustrate squirrels perched in a fig tree, interacting with Tally and Pip. “To begin [my drawing process], I usually come up with characters and ideas in my head and then sketch it out to see if it works on paper. For this book specifically, I used the prompt I was given and my own style to initiate ideas for the drawing. At first, I thought it wasn’t going to be that much fun but once I started, it got exciting. I had high expectations for myself and am proud of my work” Vela said. Vela has enjoyed his time in RUHS art classes, saying that he feels lucky to have had access to so many resources and opportunities. However, according to Vela, the irregularity of the past few years hin-

dered his life, especially his art. “There were some upsets last year because going online meant we didn’t have access to the usual materials. It was hard

“

Kids reading the book could be inspired by my art style. Just the thought of that made me glad to share it. JOSHUA VELA SENIOR

because I wanted to be here and do normal things, like using the clay and paints, but I’m glad to be back and have new opportunities,” Vela said. Van Alstyne believes that by having the illustrations done by students, young readers will better relate to the story and hopefully share in the joy that students like Vela experience when creating. “This is my first time drawing for someone else’s book. When I thought about it, I figured it would be good for me and possibly for children reading the book too. Kids reading the book could be inspired by my art style or what I made and just the thought of that made me glad to share my art.” Vela said.

10 HIGH TIDE JAN. 28, 2022

IN-FO

SCHOOLS SHOUL

STAY OPEN by KATARINA (HAVEN) BECHES

he chatter of whether or not to shut down schools could be heard all across campus, leading many to question, would schools close? Or perhaps the better question, should they have? According to several students and staff members, closing was the last resort, as we have more knowledge than ever on how to battle this virus while simultaneously prioritizing mental, physical and academic health. “I totally understand why we shut down in March because everyone was so scared,” AP United States History teacher Amber Keller said. “At the beginning of the pandemic, we didn’t know anything about this virus. There was no vaccine and doctors didn’t even know how to treat it. It was a novel virus, and so people didn’t understand.” However, as more information was discovered and safety precautions made widely available, junior Zachary Steinbrun believes, alongside Keller, that shutting down would not have been the right option. “Since the spike in Omicron, I’ve double-masked every day, but others are not taking the same precautions,” Steinbrun said. “I think that if we’re going to mitigate the current situation, we should consider that the people who are transmitting COVID are the ones not being cautious outside of school.” Referring to individuals who ignore isolation suggestions and gather in large groups, oftentimes maskless, Steinbrun believes shutting down would only have created more opportunities for such gatherings. Additionally, according to the New York Post, “data from around the world [shows] that school buildings [are] not the source of coronavirus infection spread.” Per this insight, shutting down schools would not only have been ineffective (as they are not the main spreaders) but also not worth the mental and academic strain it would place on students across the country. “If the safest thing to do [was] shut down schools, I think we should [have done] that. But for me, that’s the last resort,” junior Brooke

THE C VID QUESTION After a surge of new Omicron cases, RUHS students and staff weighed the possibilities in order to answer the dying question: in-person or online learning?

ILLUSTRATION BY CECILIA APITZ

Talbot said. “On the top down would [have been I’m a very extroverted p single day and not being Talbot is not alone ly wreaked havoc, ran many—such as Steinbru Talbot herself—to mono the case for senior Gabe

“

Personally, d was such a c academically go through t shut us down GABE BERGER SENIOR

“During online learn up, I went to school, I fi I went to work, and th same and I never hung saxophone because of m monotonous,” Berger sa This monotone exis noted how mental healt year.” “Not being able to se motivation and my roo ally disheartening,” Tal to be the place where I ing school in my bedro laughing at TikToks, I w Steinbrun, Talbot an classroom and interact face-to-face is inva “One piec co

SCHOOLS SHOULD BE CLOSED by ELISE HAULUND

s students milled around campus on Jan. 3, 2022, they were met with multitudinous empty chairs in their classrooms, faces covered with KN95 masks and quickly rising COVID-19 numbers. With COVID-19’s most recent front-runner variant, Omicron, in the foreground of school life, a number of students and teachers felt or still feel unsafe with in-person school and desire a return to distance learning, if only for a couple weeks, until the surge dies down. After contracting COVID-19 over winter break and subsequently needing to miss the first week of school in January, junior Jesse De León felt that “if we keep doing what we’re doing right now, it’s just going to get way worse.” And in the second week of school in January, the infection rate rose to just over 15%. “Obviously I wasn’t oblivious to COVID before, but having to experience something will definitely make it more relevant to you,” De León said. “And it’s not just me. So many people I know are getting COVID. Before, I’d just hear about it on the news, but to have this affect my personal life and other people’s personal lives that I’m very close to does show how much more rampant it’s gotten here.” De León missed eight days of school while isolating with COVID-19. Without a virtual learning alternative, his only option was to get assignments from friends and ask his teachers for makeup work for over a week’s worth of school. “If you miss one day of school, especially if you have AP or honors classes, you are a goner. When you look at everything, you realize just how much goes on each day of school. And not only that, but you’re also missing social interaction with friends and peers,” De León said.

In the debate o León feels that it school over the ot rious to students’ be dangerous to th “I get that onli much rather just that long term ef year. I think it wo De León said. “Th having online sch transitioning back Junior Anne I chronic illness, al COVID-19 close t line, “for a week o so it’s not so dan option. “I would prefe on the off chance seriously ill. I kno Ibrahim said. “I’ll ple have it in this To Ibrahim, it’s more and more e in their classes ig school sick. “To people wh really don’t know really know how isn’t affecting you affect others,” Ibr Ibrahim—who risk—doesn’t feel

JAN. 28, 2022 HIGH TIDE 11

OCUS

Teachers and students share their grievances with online learning and why in-person communication is important

pic of mental health, school shutting n] the worst thing possible for me. person, so being in lockdown every g able to see friends was very tough.” e. Isolating and learning remotenging from learning loss amongst un’s elementary school siblings and otonous and apathetic days, as was e Berger.

distance learning change socially and y that I don’t want to that again [...] Don’t n again.

ning, my days were the same. I woke finished school and went to lacrosse, hen I repeated. Every day was the out with friends. I never played my my schedule, and everything was so aid. stence was shared by Talbot, who th-wise she “was at [her] worst last

ee my friends, having teachers lose om becoming my classroom was relbot noted. “My room is supposed relax and not focus on school. Dooom was terrible because instead of was crying about AP Euro.” nd Berger all agree that being in the ting with classmates and teachers aluable. ce of advice I give a lot of people oming into high school because I’m a pretty stellar student is that just lis-

tening to your teachers and asking questions is the greatest way to learn,” Berger said. “Teachers’ jobs are to teach you, so if you ask questions, they’re going to answer. On a computer, it’s a lot harder to ask questions. You can put it in the chat, but most responses are delayed. In-person is just more efficient.” In other states such as New York, which is approximately three weeks ahead of California on the pandemic timeline, a down-surge of Omicron infection rates is becoming more apparent. This gives hope to Keller, who considers online learning “improper.” “Last year, online was difficult because as teachers, we couldn’t see the kids. We can’t reach out, most of them have cameras off and they weren’t listening or paying attention,” Keller said. “Our AP scores across the board were lower because when you’re learning on a computer, it’s very easy to disengage and get distracted.” Talbot noted that such disengagement led to “very apparent” learning loss, as the online model prevented her from “raising hands and getting handouts” that help her learn. Teacher-student relationships were also impacted heavily by remote versus in-person learning. “It’s tough to learn when you’re not in person, not talking face-to-face with somebody and not having that dialogue in a classroom where education can thrive,” Keller said. “When in-person, the teacher-student relationships are much better because you actually meet and get to know each other. You get to talk to people after class, see them at snack and lunch and have real conversations.” Recalling her teacher relationships, Talbot noted how “even though online calls were great, as soon as you log off, that’s it.” She “likes when teachers can know stuff about [her] but when you only have the chat or glitchy mics, it’s very hard to build those relationships.” Teacher-student relationships and academics aside, school is about “the people,” according to Steinbrun, and it’s them “who make it worth it.” Humans by nature are social creatures, so interaction is vital in maintaining motivation, a sentiment shared by all interviewees. Many students want to stay in school, but had Omicron forced a mandatory shutdown, a small break “wouldn’t [have been] the end of the world,” according to Berger. “My mom is a nurse, so if I get COVID, she can’t work.

Based on the facts, shutting down for a week would probably help because people would isolate more, but not to the point where it would fix everything,” Berger said. “But personally, distance learning was such a change socially and academically that I don’t want to go through that again.” In the meantime, there are actions students can take to reduce exposure, such as opting out of large gatherings, wearing masks correctly and being tested weekly, which “are necessary,” according to Keller, “because the spread is here and all we can do is minimize it.” When asked for any last remarks, Berger said, “Don’t shut us down again,” a comment many at RUHS can sympathize with.

ho aren’t taking this seriously enough, you what you have until you lose it. You don’t it’s gonna affect you, and just because it u personally doesn’t mean that it doesn’t rahim said. has asthma, which puts them at higher safe at school.

“I felt more secure at school when there weren’t as many cases,” Ibrahim said. “It would be like, ‘Oh, one person got it, and I don’t know that person, so it’s fine.’ But then I saw people in my classes start to get it, and then someone in my immediate friends circle got COVID. I tested negative, but it was really scary how close it got.” An anonymous teacher spoke about the unique plight teachers face in this crisis. “Teaching is already a stressful job, and then you add on angry, upset people when you’re just trying to show up and do your job. But, your job all of a sudden last spring became ‘wipe down the table person’ and ‘make sure everybody stays six feet apart person’ and ‘make sure that your seating chart is constantly updated person,’” the teacher said. “I’m always thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, those kids worked on a project together. I need to update my seating chart. And did I take roll? And is everybody who is here actually supposed to be here?’” The teacher believes that “we’re beyond the point of closing” now, but feels that RUHS should have stayed online for the first few weeks back from school so “the first two weeks of the new year wouldn’t have felt so unmanageable.” “I don’t think anything right now is going to be ideal. It’s not ideal to be constantly wearing a mask and be diligent about social distancing, but that’s also what’s keeping us safe right now. That’s how I would have felt about virtual learning if we had to do that for a couple of weeks just to get us through this crunch,” she said. According to this teacher, she averaged 10 students out per class at the end of the first week back from break. On top of missing students, the teacher says, teachers are also asked to cover as substitutes during their prep periods and get even more strained because they feel guilty taking those prep periods to grade, plan or just rest.

Of students would’ve preferred a hybrid option after winter break “It takes a lot of people to make the school run, students and staff included, and when those people are missing, it causes a ripple effect of difficulties that are unmanageable,” she said. “What was most stressful about this week [Jan. 10–14] was the sheer amount of people who were out who make the school run.” What is different about distance learning this year versus last is that teachers and students already know each other, the teacher said, which is why she feels a “compromise” of online school for two weeks would have helped “mitigate some of the overwhelming stress.” “Don’t get me wrong, I recorded a couple of screencasts for some students who were out with COVID, and I hated it. There’s no replacement for being in person and having these amazing discussions that I just couldn’t facilitate, no matter how much community we built, on Zoom,” she said. “I don’t think virtual learning is great. I just think it would have been the safer alternative.” Teachers are trying to maintain “good, positive faces” for their students right now, according to this teacher, but they’re also trying to figure out how to support themselves. “I don’t know how things could have been worse than what they were the last two weeks. So I’m hoping that brighter days are ahead, but this week [Jan. 10–14] was so hard for every single person,” the teacher said. “I’m tired. I’m really tired. Physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally, I’m just very tired.”

455 STUDENTS SURVEYED

er going online because I don’t want that e I get it, I give it to him and he ends up ow this virus is around me, and it’s scary,” l look around and think, ‘How many peoroom?’ I feel like it’s everywhere I go.” s a “domino effect” to be at school and risk exposure, especially when they see people gnoring mask requirements or coming to

Of students are close to those with greater health risk (i.e. elderly, youth)

Teachers and students share their anxieties with in-person learning

of distance versus in-person learning, De t’s “hard to try to value one medium of ther,” because online school can be deletemental health while in-person school can heir physical health. ine school isn’t for everyone, but I would have to do it for a little while than have ffect and have to do it for the rest of the ould give us the chance to get cases down,” here’s not anything too damaging with just hool for maybe one or two weeks and then k.” Ibrahim, whose father is at risk due to a lso relates to the increased fear of having to their life. Ibrahim feels that going onor two to recuperate and flush out the virus ngerous for people’s families,” is the safer

Of students say online learning hurt their mental well-being

PENCIL ILLUSTRATION BY ALLIE D’AMATO

12 FEATURES

JAN. 28, 2022 HIGH TIDE

MOVING to the MUSIC

Seniors Tyler Champagne and Charles D’Agostino plan parties with live music to mosh to by LARA MAGDESIAN

D’Agostino also mentioned hile heavy metal and how he “loves” going to his other rock concerts are friend’s performances to particitypically the scene for pate in moshing and how, contramosh pits, a few seniors at RUHS dicting Champagne’s opinion, the have started creating their own energy is the same as professional at small shows their friends concerts. put on all across the South Bay. “I’m a huge metalhead, and Although moshing may seem I’m involved in the local scene dangerous to some, many argue around here, so I feel like when I it’s more enjoyable to participate go to a real concert I’m surroundin the moshes to get the full expeed with people who are already rience at concerts. my friends. I’ve been to shows Senior Tyler Champagne says where people get injured so badthat after going to his friend’s ly they need the paramedics, and concerts he feels “accomplished if everyone bands together to make [he] was able to be in a mosh pit.” sure that person is okay. It’s the “I’ve done mosh pits at big same at my friend’s concerts. Evconcerts and at my friends’ house eryone looks out for each other.” shows. They don’t really get danD’Agostino went on to mengerous. I’ve really only lost my Students mosh at a Willowake concert, a band formed by students Junior Polanco and Gavin Alvarado. HOTO BY CELINA MORENO tion how although he’s currently phone, but there are rare occajust a fill-in guitarist for the band, formed,” Champagne said. “Mosh pits at and a few of us fell down. Although immesions where people can get hurt. There’s an etiquette where if someone falls my friend’s concerts are a lot smaller than diately after everyone helped each other up he would love to keep playing. “We’ve only done about two or three down you help them up, or if someone bigger concerts, but they’re just as fun. Any and went back to enjoying the music,” said shows, so we’re hoping to get more gigs wants out nobody stops them from leav- music that amps you up enough to a good Champagne. Senior Charles D’Agostino plays guitar as we go on,” says D’Agostino. “We’re just speed is good to mosh to.” ing,” Champagne said. Champagne then went on to talk about for his band Ubiquity—which plays mostly gonna keep pushing it and see where it One of the emerging bands that proves popular for Champagne and his friends is his favorite mosh pit experience back when metal. He claims that “moshing is a part of goes. I try to perform as often as I can.” D’Agostino’s love for performing acthe [metal] culture” and that he’s always Willowake, a band formed by RUHS stu- he had first started out moshing. “My favorite experience was this show I glad to see people jumping around at his centuates his love for moshing even more. dents Junior Polanco and Gavin Alvarado. He participates in both sides of the experiChampagne believes that it’s unnecessary went to for the Hellp. It was probably one own gigs. “When I see people move, that’s defi- ence—leading the music and reacting to it. to mosh only to metal, as some of the live of the cooler venues I’ve been to, which was “From a performer’s point of view, shows he and his friends attend play music El Cid. They had a small sized pit but what nitely a good sign that people are getting made it my favorite experience was that at into the music,” D’Agostino said. “When you’re getting everyone involved in the ranging from rock to indie. “The shows that Willowake throws ar- one point in the song Tu Tu Neurotic, the I’m performing, I’m not really shy, so I’ll music so they feel more connected to the en’t as aggressive, and everyone was still music picked up and the crowd started start telling people to start running in a cir- band,” D’Agostino said. “A show is more than just watching someone play.” able to have a mosh pit while they per- moving and like 6 people crashed into me cle or to jump around, things like that.”

Graham pursues an acting career through the show Mack Chat on the Disney Channel by ARIYA ANVARI

hrough the muddy grass crowded with chattering teenagers, freshman Sloane Graham walks forward, not nervous in the slightest, as determination and eagerness cross her face—eagerness to tell her story in the only way she knows how. Graham started acting classes as a 7-year-old, and dance and singing lessons soon followed. Growing up watching the Disney Channel, constantly seeing kids on television inspired her to take a step and become a child actress. Graham’s career as a child actress was set into motion with magazine and newspaper appearances but began snowballing into commercials and eventually “the film side of acting.” “One of my favorite roles was on the show Mack Chat. I had a lot of fun doing that because it was really just talking about the show and having fun with other classmates. That was probably my best experience,” Graham said. On the show Mack Chat, child actors discussed episodes of the Disney Channel hit Andy Mack and even got to meet some of the original cast members. Despite the benefits of being a performer, the fear of being rejected never went away for Graham. “Rejection is a huge factor. From a very

young age you’ve been told ‘no’ constantly to balance her school work by doing small and sometimes it really makes you ques- assignments and reading during breaks on tion why you’re even set. Graham juggling doing it in the first school and her career place,” Graham said. eventually became a Graham was able routine for Graham, to find solace in her but quarantine left parents as a major [Confidence] allowed all order and ease besupport system. Her hind, causing acting dad advised her to me to think of actclasses and auditions “just walk in, get ing more as a passion to be shut down left it done, and leave” that I loved rather than and right. Graham when she would get received emails from nervous for audi- something that I was several agencies that tions. doing just for the sake they would no longer “I think that really view any in-person of doing it. helped me boost my auditions. confidence and ad“It would only be just to the business,” SLOANE GRAHAM self tapes. So I did a FRESHMAN Graham said. lot of self tapes in my Being able to bedroom and set my boost her confidence phone up and just helped Graham to carry on and continue to read a script to my camera, which was realexplore her “passion” in acting. ly different but it worked out. So that was a “It allowed me to think of acting more really big change.” Graham said, “I decided as a passion that I loved rather than some- that during these two years, I would build thing that I was doing just for the sake of up my skills, take more lessons, and reevaldoing it,” Graham said. uate what I really wanted to achieve in the Graham, while frequently missing business,” Graham said. school because of auditions, still managed Eventually Graham concluded what she

“

really wanted to do with her career: explore her options and focus on the film side of acting even more. Acting for Graham means doing what the stars who inspired her (Zendaya and Margot Robbie) did: taking an ordinary role and put your emotion into that character to make it real, but most importantly be vulnerable. “You have to be able to let go [of your fears] and show emotion and not worry about what you look or sound like. I think growing up I had to adjust to that because I was always self conscious that everything I was doing was wrong—I always worried about being embarrassed. Being able to open up and show my vulnerable side was a struggle for me,” Graham said. According to Graham, her seven years of experience has allowed her to take more risks, display more vulnerability and improve her acting techniques. “I think it’s important to stay positive, no matter how sad or embarrassed or angry you get, if you really want it then go for it and there’s nothing that’s stopping you but yourself,” Graham said. CAMERA GRAPHIC VIA CANVA

HIGH TIDE JAN. 28, 2022

FEATURES 13

N TARGET Junior Roisin Bells spent quarantine honing her archery skills for competitions by ETHAN LERNER

taring down the end of the range, with a new skill or with just practice, so Junior Roisin Bells nocks an ar- I spend two hours with him out on the row in her bow, takes aim and range,” Bells said. “We go over skills and lets loose as it zips away and sinks into her different ways to shoot, and it’s pretty nice target. Even though a pandemic season cut to have.” Bells hasn’t been able to compete traher competition career off before it even began, Bells hasn’t let that stop her from ditionally due to COVID-19, but she has been able to participate in pin shoots at the stacking hours and arrows of practice. Bells has had an interest in archery ever SBAC, where she has five of the seven pins for Junior Archers. since she was young, Pin shoots consist of reading a book series archers all shooting called “Ranger’s Apat targets for an hour. prentice” and feeling Whoever is most acinspired by the charcurate and scores the acters and their “unI can just go out and most points with 30 usual but interesting arrows wins a pin. skill.” The series is stand on this beautiful really beabout the protectors cliff side in Palos Verdes ing“Not able to compete of different kingdoms in competitions bewho use archery as and enjoy the air. cause of COVID-19 their main form of has been pretty disdefending the people. ROISIN BELLS appointing,” Bells As of last year, Bells JUNIOR said. “But at the same decided to take up artime, it’s given me chery competitively. a lot of chances to “I love [archery], practice and improve it gets me out of the house and active, and it’s just a very quiet before I go into competitions and face peosport, I don’t have to go running or do any- ple who have been in archery for much lonthing super aggressive,” Bells said. “I can ger than I have.” On top of being an archer, Bells is also in just go out and stand on this beautiful cliff the process of becoming a level one archery side in Palos Verdes and enjoy the air.” According to Bells, archery is a very “in- instructor herself. This role is a certification dividual” sport, as she practices by herself of high safety level on the range and ability once per week for three hours at the South to teach beginner archery programs. “[Being an archery instructor] is a reBay Archery Club in Palos Verdes, where she also receives help and instruction from ally great way to take something I already enjoy and find a way to make it productive her coach. “I see my coach whenever I need help and beneficial for me outside of the normal

“

ways that [archery] helps me,” Bells said. She also hopes that archery can become more “mainstream” and “recommends” it as a leisure activity, even if people choose

Bells said. “It’s a lot of intense work, but it’s also a lot of very delicate work, and it really helps me hone in on how I’m feeling that day and what I need to do in the future.”

not to do it as competitively. “I would absolutely love for people to get into [archery],” Bells said. “I’ve brought friends with me before, and it’s such a fun experience to try out, especially when you’ve never done it before.” In spite of the fact that Bells hasn’t been able to pursue all that archery has to offer, she still drives to work with what she can, compete how she wants, and improve her skills every time she draws her bowstring. “I can do [archery] on my own at any time and feel really at peace with myself,” 1: PHOTO COURTESY OF ROISIN BELLS. 2: PHOTO COURTESY OF MIA CALVO. GLOBE AND PIN GRAPHIC VIA CANVA

nternational

isolation

Junior Mia Calvo quarantined in Italy over Winter Break by ORIANA CHOVIT

s a flurry of Omicron cases sweep the nation, many citizens find themselves isolated and sick in their uneventful homes. However, a select few cases take place in a more exotic environment. Tens of thousands of U.S. residents have experienced this throughout the pandemic while being stuck abroad with Covid-19. Junior Mia Calvo woke up one morning to the notification alerting her to the “burdensome” discovery that she had contracted the virus. But instead of being in the comfort of her own bed, she had to deal with the sickness in a hotel room in Florence, Italy. “It was a planned vacation for a really close friend’s birthday, for which I traveled with a few other families.” Calvo said. “That was the original plan, just to go for his birthday party and then as well as leisure, so it was just a vacation.” Unfortunately that vacation ended up taking a turn for the worse as they all contracted the Omicron variant while in Florence. Despite exercising caution while traveling, Calvo and her family knew the risks

that came with traveling, no matter what city they happened to be in at the time. “It was totally a surprise. Obviously traveling is a risk, but with that, we took every single possible precaution. Also, the area that we were in had less cases than Los Angeles did at the time. So I honestly even felt more protected there than I did here,” Calvo said. The vacation, initially planned to be eight days, ended up lasting 14. After Calvo and her family got their test results back on the fifth day, they had to spend the remainder of their time in Italy at an AirBnB. The scramble to adjust cost her family both time and money. “When we found out we had COVID we decided to cancel our hotel reservation and go to an Airbnb instead to stay away from hotel staff,” Calvo said. “Changing plane tickets was also a huge hassle. It costs us a couple extra $1,000 to change our tickets.” Being a student, Calvo was missing out on important class time while isolated in Italy. Especially with finals creeping up, falling behind could be detrimental to a person’s grade. Contacting teachers through email and checking Schoology resulted to be helpful to an extent, but Calvo believes that online contact isn’t the most effective way to get information. “School was a worry for me because I had to do it online. I still did all of my as-

signments, but obviously I would miss lectures and in person activities. I spoke to all my teachers and most of them were helpful, but a few of them never responded to my emails. In those classes especially, I was really worried about missing out on school,” Calvo said. Despite the loss of ability to explore

during her quarantine, Calvo doesn’t express regret or resentment from traveling. “I feel like I would have gotten COVID either way, whether I was here or there, especially the way that things are going. It was a bummer that I was in Italy when I got COVID, but I was still able to quarantine in a beautiful country,” Calvo said.

opinion

HIGH TIDE

STAFF EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Nadia Bidarian Chrissa Olson Meghan Jacob NEWS EDITORS Elise Haulund Erika Glass Sara Miyake-Singer

The Easy Enemy

It’s easy but unproductive to blame admin for COVID-19 policies

FEATURES EDITORS Katarina (Haven) Beches Mia Dowdell Ruby Crosthwait OPINION EDITORS Allie D’Amato Emilie Takahashi ENTERTAINMENT EDITORS Heather Lee Zelia Lerch

PHOTOS FROM IHELATHLABS. COM, SCHOOLSIN. COM AND CREATIVE COMMONS

SPORTS EDITORS Ty Soria Jess Alvear WRITING EDITORS Simra Zargar Mia Schrift Romi Riss

n third grade, strapped for cash, I got busted for selling stickers to my classmates. I hid my products within a photo album, but because the stickers were the puffy kind and often ocean-themed, filled with a glittery liquid I hinted to customers might be tasty if eaten, the album was bursting at the seams and hardly fit inside my backpack.

by NADIA BIDARIAN While contemplating my options (Burn the sticker book? Plead the Fifth?), I found myself in the principal’s office, swearing then that the all-powerful man in front of me was my enemy. Nine years later, I wonder if I still feel this way. As students entering the third year of a global pandemic, do we think, to a certain extent, that our school administrators are our enemies? Or at the very least, that they hold all the power? And that in turn, they deserve the blame? Is that why when I attended our school walkout on Jan. 12 against current COVID-19 policies, which a KTLA news helicopter captured on video, I witnessed a student argue with Vice-Principal Bill Dargen as he pleaded for her to just go back to class? Or when I hear students complain to one another, asking why Principal Bridi isn’t doing X, why he’s letting students do Y, and for God’s sake, why doesn’t Administrator Z just stop with all the A and start doing the B, for the safety of all of our students? Or stop with the C and continue with the D, for the mental health of all of our students? As students, we have to recognize two things: one, that our school administrators do not hold all the power, and two, that they’re on our side. Our realization of these two truths should lead to a third: We owe them more respect than they’re receiving from us. Listen. I understand why students are angry about our school’s COVID-19 policies. At our worst, 15% of the RUHS population was infected with COVID-19 (as of Jan. 27, it’s 3.4%). This month, our school district has endured up to 60 daily teacher absences, compared to pre-pandemic, which averaged 12-24 daily teacher absences, according to RBUSD Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Nikki Wesley. Yet the school train hums merrily back to the station every morning, and all 3,174 of us board—some not because we want to, but because we have to. But many don’t realize that it’s not within Principal Bridi’s power to shift RUHS to remote learning.

“As principal, I do not have the authority to shut down a school. There’s a hierarchy that’s involved in that type of decision-making,” Bridi said in an RUTV interview emailed to students on Jan. 19. Essentially, every COVID-19 guideline featured in our morning announcements comes not from our school administration, but from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LACDPH). Even the at-home tests distributed to each student on Jan. 6 and 7 were supplied by the state of California, not RBUSD itself. Additionally, state lawmakers tightened attendance rules for school districts last year in Assembly Bill 130, which threatens to cut funding for schools that don’t offer in-person learning. This technically doesn’t discount the possibility of offering a remote learning option for RUHS students, as long as RUHS does not unilaterally shift students to remote learning. But not only is that a tiresome process—it took weeks of negotiation last year, according to Sarah Robinson, President of the Redondo Beach Teachers Association—but it doesn’t seem to have much support among students, nor within LA County itself. With RUHS reporting all positive cases to the county and no guidelines from the LACDPH indicating the need to go remote, RUHS will continue to stay open, simply because we have not been told that we need to close. And, as shown before, we’re following LA County’s lead— not the other way around. Principal Bridi confirmed this truth again in his RUTV interview: “As of right now, [hybrid learning] is not in consideration at all,” Bridi said. Given that RUHS is staying open, we can at least give credit where credit is due in admin’s efforts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. LACDPH has mandated that all teachers wear N95 masks, and although that mandate does not extend to students, Bridi said in an interview that all students can pick up a free N95 mask from the health office if they want one. For any student with lingering questions to ask Bridi, he has made himself ap-

proachable—he and other administrators have met one-on-one with every student who asked them to. Despite these truths, I won’t discount students’ rage. No one dreams of spending their teen years, the “golden years,” in face masks that seem to be pulled straight from a wildfire evacuation kit. But who are we truly angry at? I fear our own misunderstanding of who calls the shots in this pandemic, which is a feeling undoubtedly shared by all Americans, is preventing us from having sympathy for those who have our best interests in mind. I will not end with some gleaming conclusion about how the greater pandemic is not the COVID-19 one, but the lack of caring one. Or how my sticker business may have been busted, but a new friendship between that principal and I was forged (which did not happen, by the way; instead, I resented him for years). But what I am calling for is a recognition among students that our administration does not hold the all-encompassing power to dictate the trajectory of RUHS during the pandemic, and that for many of our questions, the only answer they can provide is the most unsatisfying one: I don’t know. For those who want changes to the way things are run here, there are more effective ways of saying so, ones that don’t involve shouting in the face of an administrator or forming a mosh pit with a Nicki Minaj flag at its center. We can meet with Principal Bridi, like senior Ruari Root did. We can speak at RBUSD school board meetings— the next one is on Feb. 8 from 5-7 pm—like senior Giselle Frisby did. We can create online petitions to garner media attention, like the anonymous Instagram account @ruhscovid, who also planned the walkout, did. If we’re feeling ballsy, we can even contact Ted Lieu, our U.S. representative, to change policies that may seem beyond reach. Balancing academics and extracurriculars during an unending pandemic is a thankless job. But so is running a high school. Let’s be kinder to one another.

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HIGH TIDE JAN. 28, 2022

OPINION 15

Democratic Disappointment by BEN RINGEL

Democratic party must make serious changes in order to deliver on their campaign promises

m sick and tired of politicians who continuously choose to prioritize protecting the status quo over protecting the burning climate, the right to vote, the safety of students, the affordability of healthcare and the very people they swore to serve. When I first started truly paying attention to politics, the White House was run by former President Donald Trump and the Senate by Mitch McConnell. While frustrated that legislation I desired hardly ever went into effect during this time, it made sense – the people in charge held ideologies that were a complete 180 from what I believed in. So, when the Democrats, who had relentlessly opposed Trump and McConnell for the last four years, assumed control of the White House and both chambers of Congress, I couldn’t help but expect that the climate bills, pandemic policy, criminal justice reform and everything else Democrats begged for under Trump would finally come to fruition. Disappointingly, I was wrong. The Democrats now control the cockpit of the government, but there are only a few seats available for those who actually get to determine this country’s flight pattern –– seats filled by 79-year-old Joe Biden, 81-year-old Nancy Pelosi and 71-year-old Chuck Schumer. Of course, age isn’t everything—I find Senator Bernie Sanders to be highly in tune with what young people think. But it’s a signal of the uncontroversial, impartial and

complacent leadership that has proved to be unable to substantially address our nation’s crises. Data from Tufts University says voters ages 18-29, especially young voters of color, were “crucial” to Biden’s win; additionally, polling by the Pew Research Center says young people hold new and progressive ideas about the climate, race and the role of the government in the economy. However, neither of the three are keen on supporting bold, powerful legislation like the Green New Deal, real gun reform, student debt relief or strong voting legislation. (And when I say “supporting,” I mean finding a way to enact the policy, not tweeting or holding press conferences expressing favor without actually putting it on the agenda.) I understand that it’s hard right now; the Democrat’s majority in the Senate is incredibly slim and moderate Democratic Senators Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin are reluctant to vote yes on large spending bills. But if not now, when? Our Earth is on fire due to corporations that the government has yet to substantially regulate; our working class is exhausted due to wages and conditions our government has yet to substantially improve; our healthcare system, our pharmacies, are entrenched in hefty price tags that the government has yet to lower (despite these medications and procedures costing much less in other developed nations); and our children have to practice hiding under desks and inside of storage cabinets from guns

that our government has yet to limit. We only have a few months left of a guaranteed Democratic majority. Manchin consistently blocks and dilutes climate spending, but, according to CNN, he also receives millions of dollars from the coal industry; numerous other politicians rack in millions from similar environmentally exploitative industries, pro-gun lobbying organizations and pharmaceutical companies as well. How do we know these powerful donors aren’t influencing politicians to reject legislation that jeopardizes their stream of income? Anti-democratic practices like these further separate politicians from those they’re supposed to be representing, stalling important progress that’s typically popular among the public. If this is why our nation’s greatest crises have yet to be addressed on the magnitude

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How do we know these powerful donors aren’t influencing politicians to reject legislation that jeopardizes their stream of income?

they demand, then I argue for a deprivatized and truly democratized Congress, free of donors whose interests lie in astronomical medicine prices or natural resource exploitation. After that? Abolish the filibuster. The time for playing it safe is over. The Republicans are ruthless. Mitch McConnell proved when he pushed Amy Coney Barrett’s Supreme Court nomination through the Senate that his party doesn’t care about hypocrisy or unfairness, and sitting around waiting for compromise will no longer serve the Democrats. With less than a year left of the Democratic majority, it is time to get rid of the filibuster, a relic of the

Jim Crow era, and pass legislation that not only proves to voters that Democrats care about the most pressing of issues, but also strikes down state and local legislation that is projected to disproportionately disadvantage poor voters, young voters and voters of color in the following months. Looking long-term, the Democrats need to put their young, grassroots politicians at the forefront of their leadership. It’s also time to get rid of ancient Senatorial rules that concentrate power in the oldest members of the body and dilute the voices of the people; for example, Dianne Feinstein, a 87-year-old Senator from California who’s one of the richest Congress members and accepts money from various lobbyists, has had many lawmakers and staff worry about her cognitive decline, according to The New Yorker, yet it was her who was the highest-ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee as Trump and McConnell sent hundreds of conservative judges to life-long terms. Young people are tired of establishment politics. I call for Democratic leadership that’s actually in touch with the generation who will inherit the results of today’s legislation (or lack thereof) –– leadership daring enough to challenge the status quo and reject money from industries completely antithetical from what they purport to believe in. And for this, I expect many adults, and maybe even some teenagers, will shake their heads. He’s young and idealistic. His visions sound great in theory, but that’s not how the real world works. What’ll happen when the Democrats are the minority and there’s no longer a filibuster to protect them? To that, I say maybe you’re right. Maybe I’m naive. But personally, I won’t sit back and watch this nation that I love crumble under the status quo and burn in the name of pragmatism. The visions I have for the expansion of democracy may be too audacious, but I’d rather aim for the unlikely and land somewhere close than not try at all. The complacency of our older generations is deteriorating our democracy and our planet. It’s time to give young people a turn.

The emphasis placed the Omicron variant being “harmless” devalues the lives of those still at risk by CHRISSA OLSON

Change is impossible when you have no idea what needs to be fixed. On Jan. 7, the director of the CDC announced what she called “encouraging” recent data showing that 75 percent of people who died from the Omicron variant of COVID-19 occurred in people who had four or more comorbidities, or medical conditions, at the same time. Really, she said, the only people dying are those who were “quite unwell” to begin with. Are we—are we supposed to be excited? What makes this so discouraging is the fact that the director of the CDC called the disproportionate disabled deaths “encouraging.” One interaction with a disabled activist would have revealed the trauma the COVID-19 pandemic has inflicted upon disabled people whose deaths have been so often pushed to the side as collateral damage. How could a health official in charge of a trusted government body let something so casually calloused slip? What could have been reported as fac-

tual information and another reminder to follow safety protocols was instead implicit validation that the lives of disabled people are expendable. The rhetoric surrounding the mildness of the omicron variant is inherently ableist and inducive to eugenics. Not only does it shove every disabled and immunocompromised person into an easily ignorable, nondescript ‘other’ category, but it devalues their lives. This utilitarian and selfish view reinforces that it is okay to spend the lives of others. This disturbing sentiment is fueled by the stereotype that disabled people lack agency over their own lives. The dehumanizing viewpoint that disabled people have no autonomy is pervasive, tiresome, and utterly false—what is so horrible about being disabled, and what stereotypes we consumed that allowed us to believe such a thing? How do we determine which lives are more valuable than others? How much of the answer to that question is answered with the “disabled people have a low quality of life” narrative? Why do we believe that, and why do we think we are allowed to even answer the question of what gives

life value? Because disabilities are often invisible, and because it’s easy to turn a blind eye towards the visible ones, we pretend that the problems we can’t see don’t exist. Stop looking away, and start seeing. Start listening. Instead of thinking of the phrase, “The Omicron variant is more likely to kill those who are disabled and immunocompromised,” and wipe your hands of the topic because I’m in the clear, think of it as more of a reason to enforce mask wearing, social distance and get vaccinated and boosted. Let’s not measure human life as more or less valuable based on whether one is able-bodied or disabled. There is no way to measure that. There is no equation. Of course, some argue that since disabled people are a minority, the world cannot come to a halt in order to accommodate them. To that, I reference the centuries upon which change was stunted because the majority believed that the lives of minorities do not deserve care, or that their movements didn’t happen at the right time, or that it was too much of a burden to the majority to take on such a task.

But I am not asking the world to stop in its tracks. I am not asking for a complete shutdown of life as we know it—I am asking that you take the necessary precautions so that disabled and immunocompromised people do not have to continue to endure the forced shutdown of theirs as a result of the refusal of able-bodied people to take simple preventative measures. In order to better understand the lives of disabled people and how COVID-19 affects them, start by consuming media, art and literature by disabled people. If you’re on social media, try following a variety of disabled activists and people. A disabled person’s life doesn’t have to be about being disabled—follow disabled people simply to be around them. The more you diversify your feed, the more stereotypes are broken down as you listen to stories told by the people who have every right to tell them. This action at the individual level is easy, and segues into the harder work that comes with educating oneself and the uneasy realization that the stereotypes were wrong. But it allows us to form a basis of knowledge to tackle the bigger governmental failures and misconceptions that disabled people have been talking about all along.

PHOTO FROM CDC.GOV

entertainment

A South Bay getaway

Bonjour French Pastry is perfect for a luxurious weekend snack by HEATHER LEE

onjour French Pastry takes the cake as the most delicate and frill-filled pastry shop in the South Bay–it is perfect for anyone who needs a Saturday afternoon away from the mundanities of everyday life. Bonjour is invariably steeped with the sort of measured and relaxed pace that is usually associated with an indulgent afternoon tea. Cakes, jellies and M o n t Blancs rub shoulders inside the pastry display case; fresh bouquets and houseplants sit on wooden shelves, waiting in rustic metal buckets to take someone’s fancy. The shop is tiny, made even tinier as they have blocked off the seating inside with shelves of prepackaged cookie sets. It smells of different things on different days; one visit ago, there was no smell. Two visits ago, the smell of vanilla and freshly baked sponge cake wafted out of the door as soon as you opened it. Three visits ago, Bonjour smelled faintly of floral tea. There is only a rectangular strip of space free, where customers find themselves sandwiched in between the pastries and a careful-

ly curated collection of English breakfast tea tins, almond-chocolate round cookies, seashell-like madeleines and brightly colored postcards. There is simultaneously everywhere to look, and nowhere to look – somehow, even with its slightly overwhelming decor, Bonjour manages to feel cozy rather than cramped. Bonjour’s pastries mirror the warm feel of the storefront. While the selection may not be as wide or curious as other pastry shops, (Hello, Porto’s meat pies and local Chantilly sesame cream puffs!) Bonjour’s cakes, puddings and baby cream puffs are elegant in their simplicity. Nothing embodies Bonjour quite like their basic, yet luxurious chocolate cake, which has accompanied me through the past six birthdays of my life. Friends come and go, relatives start cold wars, parents are irritated by the annual waterworks put on by the birthday girl, but Bonjour’s soft chocolate cake is a constant and tastes like a soulmate. Lace-like sponge cake is sandwiched by fresh cream and chocolate shavings, with none of the traditional oiliness or cloying sweetness of birthday cake out of the box. There is a deliberate balance in the presentation of Bonjour’s chocolate cake between chocolate and cake; wet and dry;

sweet and cream; beauty and function. At Bonjour, duality is key: each spoon of cake leaves you completely satisfied but still wanting more. T h e weekend special mocha cake is just as decadent as the c h o c o l a t e cake,

HER

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equally Y NS B chocolatey as

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the chocolate cake but with a fragrant dose of coffee. The coffee is heavy enough to add something to the chocolate without being overpowering or bitter, while the chocolate doesn’t drown out the coffee. As I munched on this cake, I found that it was very easy to lose myself in a mocha cake induced madness. It was sweet without being too sweet, flavorful without being too intense and creamy without being overwhelming. I fought my brother for the last bite of this cake. Their cheesecake is soft and fluffy without being overpoweringly cheesy. It doesn’t stick to your palate and isn’t too sweet.

“Licorice Pizza” is anything but sweet This questionable movie doesn’t deserve the hype

However, Bonjour’s desserts can sometimes feel like a hit or miss. While their chocolate cakes, cheesecakes and fruit cakes never miss, their choux and Mont-Blanc didn’t strike me as particularly special even though they were still tasty. Sometimes the balance felt a little too controlled –the vanilla and chestnut flavors were too plain and reserved to really stand out next to the chocolate cake, cheesecake and the mocha cake. I’ll admit that it could be personal preference, but their iced tea tasted perfume-like to me. It was very floral without much of the warm toasty flavors I expect from a good tea. Even after eating six years of their birthday cake and sampling all their hits and (semi) misses, Bonjour still stands up as one of the best pastry shops in the South Bay with indulgent desserts that won’t break the bank or leave a cloying taste in your mouth. As pandemic precautions resurface, a quick trip to Bonjour is just the thing to revive your weekend afternoon.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF VARIETY AND HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

by ZELIA LERCH

y expectations going into “Licorice Pizza” were low to begin with. I was intrigued as to how this film could maintain above a 90 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, when all I had heard about it were its pedophilic undertones and racist commentary. The only way I can think about this movie is with extreme dissatisfaction and confusement. “Licorice Pizza,” which first released in late December, follows Alana Kane, a “20-something” year old who hasn’t figured out what she wants to do with her life. She works as an assistant for a school yearbook photography company when she meets 15 year old Gary Valentine, who instantly changes her life as they form a close bond. Set against the harsh background of the San Fernando Valley in the 70s, the rest of the film chronicles their adventures in business ventures and acting as they navigate their youth and relationship. Reviews for “Licorice Pizza” categorized it as one of the best movies of the year. The trailer made it seem like your typical fun, coming of age, historical movie, like Submarine, or Perks of Being a Wallflower. The technological aspects, especially the fact that it was directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, added to its promise. This movie could not be further from the best movie of the year. The most imminent issue about the movie is the staggering age difference. It immediately made me uncomfortable, especially with the (albeit usually innocent)

romantic innuendos. Alana and Gary flirt relentlessly and toe the line between best friends and something more, which feels completely overlooked in reviews, considering it’s a 10 year difference. The weird age gap needs to be recognized and reacted to appropriately. What could have made this movie phenomenal is a recognition of Gary and Alana’s strange relationship and an ending to the film that qualified why it was weird and gross of Alana to even consider pursuing it. Throughout the plot, she verbally announces her denunciation of her romantic feelings, but continues to add fuel to the fire by humoring Gary. She even flashes him. Yeah. The actors had zero chemistry, and every interaction felt forced and staged. To add insult to injury, it’s clear to the audience that Alana was written purely as a male fantasy. The only thing she’s shown to ever really have an interest in is supporting Gary and his various businesses. She does nothing for herself besides what he sets up for her or encourages her to do. If Alana had been given her own character motivation, or even just ONE more dimension, it would have made the movie that much better, especially considering she’s one of the few Jewish women to make it on the big screen. The actual story isn’t compelling either. Lots of the various subplots feel erratic and fantastic. How was a fifteen year old boy able to buy his own waterbed store location? Where did he get the money? Where

are the waterbeds produced? How was he able to convert it into a pinball machine location just a few months later? Why are none of the characters EVER at school? The audience can only suspend disbelief so much. The plot feels like a hazy memory rather than a story that’s supposed to teach us something profound about humanity. Gary was somehow both ostentatious and boring, which shouldn’t be possible. Alana was ruined because of her romanticization, and all the characters that I actually wanted to hear about were never mentioned besides vaguely participating in the background. Even the subplot where Alana helps cover for the gay mayorial candidate—which could have turned the plot for the better—was only introduced in the last 20 minutes and added nothing of value. People and events are only thrown in to add on extra time to meet the hour and a half mark. I love a relentlessly unexceptional plot where the characters do nothing for the sake of doing nothing. I LIVE for it (Hello? Noah Baumbach’s entire filmography—not to mention Before Sunrise, or even Lost in Translation). But the extent to which Alana and Gary meander is ridiculous. This isn’t even to touch on the racist jokes throughout the movie, usually coming from the white man who owns a Japanese cuisine restaurant and frequently plows through various Japanese wives. When I did some more research on this, Paul Thomas Anderson said that it was “rel-

evant to the time period,” which I disagree with. It also was not clear at all whether the “jokes” were written in a way that the audience was supposed to laugh at, or along with what he was saying. Besides the general camera movement and cinematography, which was always perfectly balanced in hue and contrast and fully encapsulated the desperate tension that is the Valley, all I really noticed and enjoyed was the costume design. It’s rare in movies to see characters rewear certain pieces, but in Licorice Pizza it happens frequently and with intent, allowing the audience to understand how the characters feel about their surroundings. For example, Alana has a floral, long sleeved dress that she wears on a couple occasions. She wears it on her first “date” with Gary, on her first day as a volunteer for the new mayor’s campaign, and to dinner with her family (who she isn’t close with). From this, we learn that this nice dress is what she wears when she isn’t completely comfortable in her surroundings, usually in a more formal setting. I appreciated these tiny details. However, I would not recommend watching this movie; it’s a disappointment on all fronts. I’m shocked by the amazing reception to Licorice Pizza, and it makes me question the reliance we place on critics to determine the validity of movies. Just because a talented director is behind a movie, doesn’t mean it’s automatically a masterpiece—case in point, Licorice Pizza.

HIGH TIDE JAN. 28, 2022

“Dawn FM” ushers in a new, better 2022 by SYDNEY LAMICH

s the world is surrounded with darkness under the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic, The Weeknd steps into the first hints of light with his fifth album “Dawn FM.” Promising freedom and relief for the listener, The Weeknd, also known as Abel Tesfaye, started 2022 on a positive note. Coming off of his previous album “After Hours,” my expectations were set pretty high and Tesfaye did not disappoint. The album consists of 16 songs anchored around 103.5 Dawn FM, an imaginary radio station hosted by well-known actor and comedian Jim Carrey. While it may seem like a humorous station with Carrey’s jokes

sprinkled sporadically throughout, the radio station actually reflects The Weeknd’s step towards maturity as he reviews his past mistakes and attempts to become a better version of himself. Traveling back to the 1980s, the whole tracklist reflects the upbeat, retro, electronic music that once flowed throughout the neon-lit nightclubs back in the day. With the synthesizer as his main instrument, Tesfaye revives the music-jamming era into a refreshing, catchy reality. Immediately starting with an intro to his new radio station, Tesfaye sets the tone for his masterpiece with Carrey reassuring the audience that “Dawn FM” will bring the listener “out of the darkness” and “into the light” with “open arms.” His voice sounds like he’s using an RCA vintage microphone with calming background music and he makes the listener feel like they’re about to enter an alternate reality. I saw myself slowly leaning back in my chair, closing my eyes and letting the transition to the first song sink in. It felt euphoric. Tesfaye’s first single “Take My Breath” captures the singer’s well-known catchiness. Just how “Blinding Lights” and “Can’t Feel My Face” immersed listeners into another world, “Take My Breath” follows suit. While it is a head-bobbing song, it doesn’t come close to the next track titled “Sacrifice.” The harmonies, instrumentals and lyrics brought this song in my top five. I couldn’t stop humming to the beat to the point that my parents told me to quiet down. However, out of all the songs I listened to on this album, nothing compared to my favorite track, “Less Than

FROM THE ST AR TRIBUNE

The Weeknd is here to bring you light

ENTERTAINMENT 17

Zero,” which revolves around Tesfaye’s previous love interest who perceives him now as “less than zero.” The instrumental scale in the chorus and in the verses made the song ten times better considering I danced in my seat while listeni n g to it. T h e different notes on the synthesizer combined with the drums made me sing and hum the full chorus on the second listen. I don’t think I’ve been this invested in a song before. I’m definitely keeping it on repeat. Similarly, in “How Do I Make You Love Me? Tesfaye describes how “we’re going back in time” to convince his future love interest “how to make [her] love [him].” The whole idea is very clever and ties together with the whole vibe of the album: jumping back in time and modernizing the 80s spunk and fearlessness that shaped the era. Following “How Do I Make You Love Me? Tesfaye

Thank you for coming to Betty White’s party

returns to the present and hints at his past relationship, describing that he was too late to “make her [his]” and was ultimately “Out Of Time” as the track title states. You could feel the pain, regret, and anger he felt after he lost her as he sings “How do I make you want me/ And make it last eternally?” Towards the end of the song, however, he learns his mistakes and moves on from them. Before the song is completely over, Carrey has an interlude, talking with the listener about how they are “out of time” to switch the imaginary radio dial to another station. Before you leave 103.5 FM, Carrey suggests the whole album is the pathway to the light, hence “Dawn FM,” where all your problems slip away as the last song ends. It felt like I put the last piece into Tesfaye’s puzzle about the meaning of his album considering I jumped in my seat when I figured it out. As the album began to close, instead of the typical outro consisting of a short song, Carrey ended it. His powerful message how you can choose if you’re ready to reach the light sadly brought me back to reality. He further explains that “You have to be heaven / To see heaven,” symbolizing the freedoms at the end of “Dawn FM.” As I listened to the whole album, I lost track of time. I only focused on how Tesfaye’s voice and beat synthesized into utter mastery. I felt as though everything and everyone blurred around me, revealing that I was the only one involved in his fantasy world. Tesfaye’s previous albums didn’t make me feel this way, even though they were top-tier. The instrumentals, narrations, flawless transitions and interludes make “Dawn FM” astonishing. The Weeknd never disappoints me as he is one of the only artists that can have repetitive instrumentals and similar vocal flows but still make it fresh and enjoyable. As The Weeknd speaks for all listeners in “Less Than Zero,” “I can’t get it out of my head.”

“Betty White: A Celebration” captures the essence of the beloved star

n theaters for one day only, “Betty White: A Celebration,” captures the magical legacy left by icon Betty White, who recently passed just a few weeks from what would have been her 100th birthday. The documentary played in theaters for just one day–White’s 100th birthday, which was on January 17th. The film featured interviews from Hollywood stars, including Ryan Reynolds, Carol Burnett, Tina Fey, Robert Redford, as well as many other notable celebrities. They each shared their favorite memories of White. Included in this one-time special was a message from White just days before her passing, thanking fans for “coming to [her] party” and supporting her long-lasting career. As America’s sweetheart, White left quite a legacy. She starred in hit sitcoms such as “The Golden Girls,” “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” “Hot in Cleveland” and “Date with the Angels” as well as many others, all spanning over eight decades. While White is most popularly known for her work in front of the camera, she was also one of the first women to work behind the camera as well, producing many of the shows she acted on. White was and will continue to be a role model for many women in the industry, as clearly stated in the documentary. This production was a way for all who loved and supported her to celebrate the exciting life she lived. White seemed to have lived forever, but yet still not quite long enough, always leaving the audience wanting more. Walking into the theater, you could feel the love and passion from the audience. The crowd, as expected, mainly consisted of men and women in their 70s and 80s. They were lively and interactive with the documentary, chuckling at each of White’s quips. This comforting aspect made the film much more enjoyable to watch, as you

could clearly tell everyone around you was engaged in the jokes and happy to (virtually) be in White’s bubbly presence one last time. Though the overall concept was heart wrenching, the documentary proved that White would never truly be gone and continue to live on forever in our hearts, as well as on our television screens. Rather than focusing on the sadness surrounding White’s passing, the film remained positive, highlighting the greatness she shared with this world. Aside from her major contributions to the entertainment industry, White spent a great deal of her life dedicated to helping animals. She donated much of her money to various animal sanctuaries. Aside from her late husband Allen Ludden, they were her greatest love. White’s only birthday wish was for everyone to pick a local rescue or animal shelter and donate five dollars. While acting and animals were White’s two passions, she never fails to mention her love for her late husband. As discussed in the documentary, White and Ludden first met on set of the 1960s game show, “Password.” The two immediately clicked and remained together for many years to follow. Sadly, Ludden died in 1981 of stomach cancer. When asked if she would ever date again, White would say “If you’ve had the best, who needs the rest?” The two were soulmates and have finally reunited, something White always looked forward to in death. I had always recognized the name Betty White, but never really knew the person behind the name. However, now I feel I can say I truly know the name Betty White and everything she stood for. This sweet story captures the warmth that White brought to the screen and life. As Ryan Reynolds perfectly put after her passing, “the world looks a little different now.”

FROM TOP TO BOTTOM, PHOTOS FROM GOOD HOUSEKEEPING AND COUNTRY LIVING

by MIA SCHRIFT

sports BACK IN ACTION After a shutdown due to COVID-19, basketball is back on the court by DANI OTEY

ports have been shutting down rapidly with the outbreak of Omicron— especially sports involving contact and indoor sports. Basketball falls under both of those categories, and was shut down the second week of break. Basketball is a winter sport, which means before the shutdown the teams had already begun their season. According to co-captain of Girls Basketball, junior Brillana Boyd, “it took us a second to get flowing, but we’re doing much better than when we started.” Just before the break, the girls were fresh off of their first win on Nov. 27. against St. Anthony. Two wins in a row helped them get into their “groove,” according to senior captain Maya Williams. “Unfortunately, that [groove] was cut short,” said Williams. “But I think if we can find [the groove] again going into Bay League and then into playoffs it will be really key for us.” In order to stay in shape during the shutdown, Girls Basketball participated in Zoom workouts. In these socially distanced workouts, members of the team set up Zoom in their garage, backyard or some other open space and exercised as best they could. “It was interesting,” said Williams. “We obviously did a lot of them back in 2020. It felt more like we were taking steps backwards instead of moving forward, but we’re back on the court now. And I think we’re all more excited to be in person.” The break was hard on the players, but Boyd believes that it won’t affect their strat-

egy or team cohesion during the rest of the season. “As long as we practice before we play, we should be fine,” Boyd said. “Hopefully then, it will be easy for everyone to get back together.” However, Boyd believes “it’s working out way better than we expected.” “When we shut down, we kind of lost hope,” Boyd said. “But now we get to start playing again. That makes things much better” Both captains agree that they want to finish out the season strong and “just play.” From there, the teams will play until they lose, “hopefully” advancing to the champi-

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including how teams have to get tested once a week, unlike regular students. “It’s kind of frustrating to be shut down,” Bennett said. “Especially because it’s something out of our control. It’s a decision made by the school board.” Basketball was allowed to start practice again on Wednesday, Jan. 12, and both varsity teams had their first games the following Friday, Jan. 14. They will finish out the Bay League season on Feb. 6, before the playoffs start on Feb. 11. Playoffs will look a little different this year, with five games instead of ten, due to COVID-19 restrictions. “As long as we can turn around and finish, we have a chance to do what we want to do,” Bennett said.

BAY LEAGUE RECORD

GIRLS BASKETBALL

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BOYS BASKETBALL

1-3

We don’t want pity. If we lose, it’s not because of the shutdown. It’s because we didn’t play well.”

BRADLEY BENNET SENIOR onship. The boy’s team also started the season strong with a record of 11 wins to 5 losses. They were shut down on Dec. 31, the day after winning their game on the 30th. Senior Bradley Bennett, varsity captain, noted that the season was going well, their first eight games ending with a “start of 7 to 1.” The boys team was also allowed to participate in practices during school, but always “only conditioning, in the gym with masks,” according to Bennett. Bennett is also optimistic about the team’s chances finishing the season. “We were shut down last year,” he said, “and now we have this feeling that we’ve done this before, and we can do it again.” Despite a hard loss in their first game back, he says, “we don’t want pity. If we lose, it’s not because of the shutdown, it’s because we didn’t play well.” Though the season is going well, he expresses concerns regarding guidelines the teams have to follow in order to stay open,

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Senior Tyler Doiron attempts to defend a layup by Palos Verdes. PHOTO BY VALERIE TISCARENO

Girls Basketball dominates Palos Verdes 49-24 by JESS ALVEAR

ue to the on and off shutdown of sports, the absence of practices and games for Girls Basketball caused seniors Maya Williams, Morgan Edwards, and Yumi Sugahara to miss out on a majority of their high school career. On Friday, Jan. 21, senior night for Girls Basketball, they celebrated with a 49-24

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Every player contributes to the team’s success, no matter what role you may play.” MORGAN EDWARDS SENIOR

win due to effective defense against Palos Verdes. “We have such a strong defense. I think that’s what made us get up by big numbers

against our opponents. We work on defense so much in practice that I think we are just at that point where we know what to do in the games,” Edwards said. According to Captain Maya Williams, senior, a number of components contributed to the team’s win. “We did really well getting the ball inside to some of our bigs and letting them hit the glass. We also had a number of three pointers, too, which really helped us get the lead,” Williams said. Senior Yumi Sugahara says she tried out for the basketball team for fun since she was interested in learning more about the game. Four seasons later, she is “grateful for the opportunities given to [her].” “When I tried out for the basketball team freshman year, I didn’t even know what half court was. I have just learned to never give up. Playing on the court on senior night gave me so much confidence,” Sugahara said. Every player on the team played on the court at some point in the game, and Suguhara believes every individual contributed to that success. “This was my first game starting this season so to be out there with all the girls and communicating on the court just felt great,” Sugahara said.

Before Friday’s game, each senior walked out with their family members and were celebrated by friends and teammates. “In this program, I’ve learned to always know your role. Being a good team player is really important and every player contributes to the team’s success, no matter what role you may play,” Edwards said. According to Williams, learning about an opponent’s strengths and weaknesses plays a key role in ensuring the game is “in our hands.” “We are looking to improve on keeping our opponents locked up, finding out their weaknesses and exploiting that. We just need to make sure we have control and are taking care of the basketball on both sides of the courts,” Williams said. In preparation for the playoffs coming up, Williams says, “playing teams outside of Bay League is going to be really beneficial. Playing against solid competition is going to help us on our way to win a cham1 pionship.” On Saturday, Jan. 22, the girls fell short to Rolling Hills Prep, losing 61-62 in a nonBay League game. On Tuesday, Jan. 25, the girls took on Culver City, winning 52-49. “We kept our intensity up and stayed focused every quarter of the game. Culver made it a challenging game. They are great

at setting picks and getting the right person to shoot the ball,” Edwards said. The girls play Santa Monica today at 6:00 PM, and are looking to “keep the momentum going.” “We come out to each game really fired up and ready to win. We’re all continuing to grow and I think if we keep that up, it will lead to some great successes and 1hopefully a championship,” Williams said.

1 1

Junior Kyra Arakawa eyes the basket deciding if she can attack the gaps against Palos Verdes. PHOTO BY SASCHA PERDUE

HIGH TIDE JAN. 28, 2022

SPORTS 19

Overtime Overload Boys Soccer loses to Mira Costa 2-1 in overtime but bounces back in the next two league games by TY SORIA

or many RUHS athletes, playing under the lights against Mira Costa is the highlight of their season, whether the outcome goes their way or not. In the case for Boys Soccer, the game did not turn out the way they wanted, losing 2-1 against Costa at home in overtime on Jan. 18. To prepare offensively for this game, RUHS simulated high intensity situations in practice to be mentally ready for the heat of the game, according to juniors Peyton Bobbitt and Caleb Davis. “We worked on passing the balls in the box at far distances and our headers,” Bobbitt said. “In the game, we had a lot of great header attempts, we passed the ball a lot, and we combined well, but we just needed to finish our chances.” Although RUHS wanted to execute better on finishing their drives, junior Jadan Hancock, an attacking forward, did manage to score a goal. This caused RUHS to

start the game with the lead and keep it for the rest of the first half. Defensively, the players knew that Cos-

“

Sometimes it just doesn't go our way. We need to let this feeling simmer in us because we know that it's hard, but we want to bounce back.”

CALEB DAVIS JUNIOR ta was a “big, strong, fast team,” and it was imperative to focus on fundamental play. According to Bobbitt, a left back, the defense “had good shape, pressed well to-

The team celebrates after senior Ryan Doyle scores a goal in second overtime to beat Palos Verdes 1-0. PHOTO BY ELIZABETH PETREY

gether and everyone was communicating.” Although both offense and defense remained steady, fouls slowed down the momentum of the game for both teams. Davis, a center back, received a yellow card after he caused a player to fall when making a sliding tackle in pursuit of the ball. “I was hesitating for half a second, but I was just like ’I'm just gonna go for it,’ and I ended up laying him out. It was definitely my fault, and I definitely need to take that into consideration for the future.” Unfortunately for Redondo, fouls not only slowed down the momentum, it cost them their lead, as a different foul gave Costa a free kick, from which they scored off of the rebound. This goal ended up reversing the tone of the game. “After they scored their first goal there was just non stop pounding from them,” Bobbitt said. “They just kept on coming at us, and it was really hard to retaliate after.” When reflecting upon this loss, Davis recounts when RUHS lost to Costa in the Bay League semifinals last year, as they played in similar conditions. Davis wants the gut feeling of defeat to fuel the team for the rest of the Bay League season, so they can get their revenge next time against Costa. “Everyone played their socks off. We were out for blood in this game, but sometimes it just doesn't go our way. We need to let this feeling simmer in us because we know that it's hard, but we want to bounce back,” Davis said. The boys did bounce back the next two games, beating Palos Verdes 1-0 and Culver City 2-1. They play against Santa Monica this afternoon at 3:00, and will face off against Costa again for their final league game on Feb. 2.

Freshmen Medina and Suark practice on their own on account of cancelled team practices

Upcoming Games Boys Soccer - 1/28 @ Santa Monica, 3:00 - 1/31 vs. Peninsula, 6:00 - 2/2 @ Mira Costa, 6:00

Girls Soccer - 1/28 vs. Santa Monica, 3:00 - 1/31 @ Peninsula, 3:00 - 2/2 vs. Mira Costa, 6:00

Basketball - 1/28 @ Santa Monica -2/1 vs. Peninsula - 2/3 @ Mira Costa

by LAUREN STRAZZERI

ollowing the return to campus on Jan. 3, Athletic Director Evan Fujinaga postponed many sports practices as students and staff fell ill from COVID-19. Instead of working on techniques and skills as their season approaches, many athletes did not practice during the suspended time period. However, freshmen Sophia Medina and Arianna Suark kept up their work ethic. Playing Girls JV Lacrosse, Suark trained in her backyard using a rebound net. Rebound nets are used to improve the player’s aim, catch and other techniques. “The main reason I want to get better is to improve not only myself and my individual skills, but the team as well. I want to get better to help my team, and to help us succeed in games,” Suark said. Since this is her first year at RUHS, she remains concerned about what will come next in her season. “When I first heard about the postponed season practices, I got a little disappointed because I was excited and happy to get back into lacrosse,” Suark said. “To find out lacrosse was postponed was really nerve-wracking because it made me wonder if the whole season would get canceled in the end.” Athletes continue to battle with the thought of their season coming to a close. As COVID-19 cases spiked, there stood a reminder sports’ seasons may fall back one more week. Suark expresses her worry as she does not want her first lacrosse season to end before it even starts. “With everything going on considering

COVID, hearing about the postponed practices felt kind of overwhelming because so many things have already been canceled. With so many people testing positive for COVID, many things have felt like they have been going wrong, and learning about the postponed practice just added onto all

“

To find out lacrosse was postponed was really nerve-wracking because it made me wonder if the whole season would get canceled in the end." ARIANNA SUARK FRESHMAN

of that,” Suark said. Balancing three sports during the year, Medina expresses her worry that if winter sports continue delaying, she may face an issue: soccer season diving into the upcoming track season. “This outbreak has affected my plans because now that our games and practices are getting pushed back a week, it’s going to cut into a week of the track season I switch into in February,” Medina said. Playing for Girl’s Frosh/Soph Soccer,

Medina wishes to "strive for the best." After hearing the news that Fujinaga would postpone sports a week, Medina went to work. “My friends and I started making plans to practice and continue getting our touches in while some of the other teams aren’t so that we can be prepared for when we come back to the soccer season,” Medina said. Medina realizes her opponents may not put in the extra time and effort into training, which encourages her to practice to beat them. Alongside her friends, she stays on top of practice, as "performance reflects the effort put into the game." “While we’re practicing, we usually work on our stamina, and we work on things that in games we struggle with. That can be first touch [on the ball] and quick movement," Medina said." Medina enjoyed her cross country season and would like to fulfill her track season as well. She adds the “positive people” in cross country and track, and how the athletes hold a determined mindset, which Medina admires and appreciates. Balancing two sports remains difficult and time-consuming. However, Medina maintains a positive headspace as she considers doubling sports. “I was planning to only do one sport at a time, and this postponed season is going to make me have to show dedication to both sports,” Medina said. “I feel like other students in my situation will also struggle because, on top of athletics, we also have academics.”

Girls: 6:00, Boys: 7:30

Girls Water Polo - 1/27 - 1/29 Socal Champs Tournament

Boys Wrestling -1/29 South Torrance CIF Duels Tournament

Rugby - 1/28 Francis Parker HS 7's Tournament

20 IN-FOCUS HIGH TIDE JAN. 28, 2022

OMICRON

Overload “WITH OMICRON, A KN95 IS THE BEST MASK THAT CAN HELP PROTECT MY FRIENDS, MY FAMILY AND ME.” ELLEN PUTERBAUGH, 11

JAN. 13 - RUHS COVID-19 CASE NUMBERS PEAKED

475

cases

14.97

percent of school population

The rapid rise of cases, both inside and outside the community, prompted growing concerns about student safety while on campus. Despite measures implemented by administration to reduce the spread, some students demanded that a virtual learning option be provided to ensure that residual cases settle down. Organized by anonymous Instagram account @ruhscovid, hundreds of students gathered near the cafeteria during SSH, grabbing attention from local news outlets and school administrators. The intended purpose became somewhat moot, however, because according to junior Sam Miller who spoke during the protest, many students arrived unmasked or as an excuse to ditch class.

JAN. 12 - STUDENT WALKOUT

SAM MILLER, 11, WHO SPOKE AT THE WALKOUT

JAN. 19-21 - FINALS WEEK

Flexibility during finals week allowed students who missed school due to COVID-19 to take their finals the following week. Typically, the teachers’ deadline to submit final grades is 10 days following finals week. This year, however, teachers were given an extra week to finalize grades in order to give students time to make up their finals.

310

VIRUS CLIPART FROM FREEPIK 1. PHOTO BY KEIRA ANTONELLI 2-4. PHOTOS BY ELIZABETH PETREY

AMBER KELLER, HISTORY AND AVID TEACHER Keller pushed her finals a week later to help her students prepare when she returned to school after contracting COVID-19 during winter break.

cases “IT’S NOT FAIR AT ALL FOR STUDENTS WHO GET SICK AND MISS CLASS DUE TO QUARANTINE TO HAVE TO TAKE FINALS AT THE SAME TIME. I STRONGLY FEEL LIKE EVERYBODY’S RIGHT PLACE IS HERE AT SCHOOL, BUT CATCHING COVID IS NOT SOMETHING WE CAN CONTROL.”

“MANY OF US DON’T FEEL SAFE BECAUSE WE FEEL AS THOUGH STUDENTS AND ADMINISTRATION AREN’T FOLLOWING THE COVID-19 GUIDELINES PROPERLY.”

ounding out the holidays with family, festivities and fun while cheering on the start of a new year can be a much-needed reprieve for many stressed-out high school students. But, as we watched the glittering ball in Times Square reach the bottom of its platform on New Years Eve, we also saw the newly discovered COVID-19 variant, Omicron, rapidly invade cities and hospitals around the globe. Since then, reported COVID-19 cases at RUHS sharply increased, and an even higher number of students did not attend school the first week of January.

JAN. 8-9 - PCR TESTING CENTER OPENED A free drive-in PCR testing center opened on the weekend of Jan. 8 and 9 to any RUHS student or close family member. Compared to that of rapid testing, which has an accuracy rate between 80 to 90 percent according to the CDC, PCR tests are more accurate. The wavering accuracy of state-distributed rapid tests may be cause for concern, but PCR tests also present the chance of giving a false positive due to their high sensitivity.

A line of cars crowded the central parking lot awaiting free rapid at-home COVID-19 tests. Provided by the state of California to all public schools, RUHS faculty requested students take their antigen tests on Sunday before Jan. 10 in an attempt to catch and isolate COVID-19 cases before they reached campus.

JAN. 6-7 - RAPID COVID-19 TEST DISTRIBUTION

279 cases

Tracking the spread of the highly contagious COVID-19 variant, Omicron, through RUHS by MIA DOWDELL

JAN. 3 - STUDENTS RETURNED TO RUHS

Trading out the common surgical mask, many students gradually began wearing N95 or KN95 masks in their classes. This came as new information surfaced that while surgical masks do help prevent the spread of COVID-19, N95 or KN95 masks are more effective. N95 masks can be found in the health office for students and staff members.

cases

179

JAN. 4 - SPORTS SHUT DOWN TEMPORARILY

In response to the COVID-19 surge, some sports postponed their games until further notice. The fluctuating case numbers also led these sports to reopen and close again throughout the

month. “I was really upset that our games had been postponed because it felt unfair, especially since the varsity team had all neg-

ensure that everyone would be safe.”

ative tests,” junior and forward varsity basketball player Kendall Joyce said. “But at the same time, I feel like it was necessary to