Senior Issue: June 2, 2023

IT'S IN THE NAME

John La Firenza turns service experience in MCJROTC into a career in firefighting

by Rena Felde

While some seniors crammed AP classes into their schedules, John La Firenza spent his time somewhere else. Since 2022, La Firenza has participated in the Redondo Beach Fire Department Explorer Program, an opportunity for 15 to 21-year-olds to train and get a feel for fire and emergency medical services by working with and learning from professionals.

“Getting involved in the community through [the Explorer Program] showed [me] how much people look up to the fire department and how they do much more than people think,” La Firenza said.

According to La Firenza, the continuous room for improvement is one reason he is drawn to the fire service.

“You can never be an expert at the job. There’s always something you won’t know or something new to learn about,” he said.

During his time at RUHS, La Firenza worked towards his goals of community service and leadership through his MCJROTC position as Cadet Supply Officer and most recently, captain. He also commands the 21-gun salute team, who shoot rifles for memorials, funerals and veteran celebrations.

Overall, he believes the leadership skills and focus he has developed through

his position in MCJROTC will help his readiness for his next step, the El Camino Fire Academy. RBFD Firefighter-Paramedic and Explorer Post Advisor Jordan Lehr agrees.

“I think his background [with MCJROTC] helps because it’s very similar in styles and attitudes and how you need to

handle yourself,” Lehr said. “[La Firenza] is very receptive, he’s punctual, he gets it, he understands it. He pays attention and retains the information.”

Upon receiving the required certifications and eventually graduating from a fire academy, the person applies to a department. According to La Firenza, departments look for those with station experience, which the Explorer Program helps them with.

Lehr says that the Explorer Program helps prepare new recruits for the fire academy, stating that being an Explorer before going to the Fire Academy makes a noticeable difference.

“They’ve been exposed to the equipment, they’ve been exposed to the para-military [structure] that the fire department is. The ‘Sir yes sir,’ the ‘Yes ma'am yes.’ Just having the structure and being what we like to say, ‘high and tight,’” Lehr said. La Firenza is one of 16 explorers in RBFD’s inaugural explorer group who meet twice a month, three hours a day. The explorer program dives into detailed uniform checks, proper gear usage, physical training and more. Their learned skills include putting on personal protective equipment to tying ropes and knots to throwing ladders to pulling fire hose.

“We’re trying to give them a taste of every aspect of the fire service to ensure that if they want to go down this path, it’s 100%. You don’t go into this 50%,” Lehr said.

With an overall goal for civic and community involvement, the fire service wasn’t La Firenza’s primary interest. Initially, he wanted to be a police officer and also considered the military route, but the Explorer Program helped him solidify his decision.

“Once the Explorer Program opened up and I really found out what the job is like, I made my decision,” La Firenza said.

In order to overcome obstacles, La Firenza says his main motivator is looking at the “final picture.”

“When I struggle a lot, I just take a deep breath and really think about what the outcome is going to be,” he said.

After completing the El Camino Fire Academy, he hopes to head east to Nashville, Tennessee for family, the music culture and the country life. Wherever he settles down though, his goals remain the same.

“As a kid, I always looked at [firefighters] as heroes, and I always wanted to be that person who helps other people,” La Firenza said. “People call us at their toughest times and I want to be that person to help them at their toughest times.”

Sofia Shaw moved from Dubai to California to fulfill her college ambitions

by London Carbone

Leaving the way of life as she knew it, Sofia Shaw moved to Redondo Beach from Dubai for her final year of high school, challenging her to flourish in a new setting.

The initial transition brought Shaw into a new environment, but by involving herself in common school activities such as senior events, the football season and homecoming helped her find a way to grow and adapt in a different space.

“[Some of the best moments] have been at all the different activities at school and the memories I’ve made with the best friends I have now. [Over the year] I definitely feel my social skills have grown a lot because I had to come out of my shell when I moved here to find people to talk to and become friends with,” Shaw said.

atmosphere. She was pushed to socialize more, meet new people and push herself in her work to adjust to the new curriculum.

“It was definitely difficult at first, and it took me a few months to get used to it because of how different [the schools and people] are here, but I was able to find a friend group quickly and get used to how different the school system is. I’m definitely still getting used to it now but it was much harder when I first moved here,” Shaw said.

After moving here at the beginning of the year, Shaw has been able to meet people and form relationships. Her media arts teacher, Matt Sheehey, has seen her grow academically and as a person.

“When Sofia came to me [and joined the class], she had never had any kind of

skills in editing,” said Sheehey. For her future, Shaw’s move has given her the ability to tour more colleges than she’d have been able to in Dubai, and plan how she will spend her time after she graduates. Knowing this, Sheehey hopes to have made a beneficial effect on Shaw’s ability to grow after she leaves highschool.

“[My advice for Sofia and students in her position] is to just make sure you have really good communication skills. You have to advocate and speak up for yourself or you're never gonna get anywhere in life. And you have to be willing to take risks because if you don't take risks you're never gonna get

Being able to work through and continue onto college after a huge move, Shaw has overcome the challenges that made this move more difficult for her such as not having everyone she grew up with around.

“[My move from Dubai] is definitely

Rylee Goldfarb

Activities

Grades

Future Plans

Attend

something that no one really realizes when they look [at me]. I don't go around flaunting it a lot. [But] I get a lot of questions about it and it’s just a fact about me,” Shaw said. “Feeling more separated from my dad is the hardest part.”

Coming to an environment where she had to adapt to numerous changes has only helped Shaw gain life skills and taught her how to adjust to circumstances she may find herself in the future.

“[Moving here] was just a great choice overall because I’ve made so many memories. I’ve had to be more social here and that was really scary because I left the only place I've ever had friends but I've only been able to improve a lot in talking to people and being more extroverted than before.”

Gabe Qatto

Activities

Cross Country

Future Plans

Complete general education courses and pursue a career in engineering or mechanics

Advice for Freshmen

John La Firenza displays equipment at a community event. PHOTO COURTESY OF JOHN LA FIRENZA

PHOTO BY TREASURED MOMENTS

PHOTO BY TREASURED MOMENTS

Sofia Shaw (right) with sister Grace (middle) and brother Josiah (left). PHOTO COURTESY OF SOFIA SHAW

Sofia Shaw surfs at Sunset Beach in Dubai

PHOTO COURTESY OF SOFIA SHAW

Shooting for the Stars

Passionate about the universe, Aaron Alpern plans to pursue a future in physics

by Cristina Couch

With sights set on the stars and an interest for learning new things, senior Aaron Alpern’s fascination with the world began when he was a little kid. His experiences in high school encouraged his exploration and furthered his interest in the sciences.

“I was three or four, and I was watching a documentary on the TV about the Roman aqueducts and how they [engineered] water to travel uphill. I remember thinking how impressive it was, and how I couldn't understand it. My mind has always been obsessed with trying to understand things, and even if it doesn't understand, it still tries,” Alpern said.

Alpern’s childhood friend, senior Jaxson Archer, first saw Alpern’s fascination with learning in elementary school, noticing his interest in “science books” and “knowing more facts than the average kid.”

“If he doesn't know [something], he'll spend time trying to know more about the topics. [Alpern] is good at persevering and even if he fails at first he’ll come around and try to find a solution,” Archer said.

Scouring YouTube for content, Alpern’s perceptions of science became forever changed when he stumbled upon “Particles Field in the Future of Physics," a lecture by theoretical physicist Sean Carrol. From

there, his desire to “understand [the] fundamental underpinnings of [the] universe” merged with his newfound interest in the study of physics. Eventually, he reached out to a research team from University of California, Irvine, to assist them with their work exploring topics of nano-optics and photonics.

“[The internship] gave me more reassurance that physics is the field that I want to pursue and by experiencing hands-on research, I know I want to enter the field of physics in a more broad sense,” Alpern said.

Beyond experience he gained through the internship, measuring and collecting data, designing and 3d printing necessary materials and creating charts to be analyzed by the researchers, Archer has additionally noticed that Alpern’s pursuit for knowledge led to his enrollment in accelerated courses, and involvement in clubs like the Rocketry and Astronomy club.

“I got my telescope in ninth or 10th grade and ever since then, I was into astronomy. I think those tiny dots of light in the sky help us grapple with the significance of where we come from, and where we might be going,” Alpern said. “You can't comprehend the sheer size of the universe until you have the rings of Saturn, staring

you in the face through a telescope. That experience of exploring astronomy gave me inspiration to start [the club], so other people could experience that.”

During the club’s ‘Star Parties,’ club members and others got together with telescopes in hand to observe the focus of their conversations appear in the sky after dark

“I enjoy the exploration of the night sky, but I also enjoy seeing others enjoy it. [This made me] want to pursue a professorship or job where you can teach others and allow them to see the beauty behind science, but also have time for your own personal research,” Alpern said.

Attending the University of Illinois, Alpern plans to get his Bachelors in Physics as well as study condensed matter or nuclear physics. He also aspires to work towards earning a PhD and research oriented professorship. However, just because he is set on a career in physics doesn't mean Alpern

is going to stop exploring other interests.

“I enjoyed my high school experience but I'm open to trying new things in college and expanding beyond repeating what I did in high school,” Alpern said. “I wouldn't be doing myself any justice by narrowing it down when I only know so much about being a high school student.”

President of the Los Angeles Mission Club, David Padilla works to help the homeless

by Charlene Elam

On trips to downtown Los Angeles, the "hypocrisy of L.A" is evident. Walking through the streets, senior David Padilla watches as influencers take pictures, right next to homeless people. Interested in the overhwheming lack of awareness about the increasing homelessness rates of Los Angeles, USCbound Padilla felt the urge to help out the L.A. community.

To accomplish this, Padilla created the Los Angeles Mission Club during the summer before his senior year. As president of this club, he works to shine a light on the homeless situation in our city, educating teenagers about the issues within L.A.

“We do presentations to educate members of the club about homelessness, since it’s stigmatized, especially in high income communities, such as the South Bay,” Padilla said.

The club took inspiration from an actual organization, Los Angeles Mission, which offers many drives and supplies for the homeless in L.A. Back at school, Padilla’s club hosted events such as a hygiene kit drive for the Skid Row community. Although getting the club started wasn’t difficult, recruiting more people to help was challenging, due to low recognition and awareness.

“[Although] it was difficult to have people bring in supplies for hygiene kits, we did community events and tried to push out flyers,” Padilla said. “Some teachers would even offer extra credit to students who helped out.”

Padilla’s club formed from his motivation to serve the community, which sparked from the club’s advisor, Sergio Quintero. Padilla recalls Quintero mentioning how people “complain about the homelessness and traffic in L.A, but then ask ‘What are you going to do about it?’”

“That quote made me think and motivated me to start the club,” Padilla said. “It led me to take more action to advocate and bring more awareness to issues like these. It’s definitely opened my mind a lot and changed my perspective on it.”

Marilian Manzano, the vice president of the club and a fellow senior, experiences

Scott McClain

Activities

Boy Scouts of America, Track, outriggers canoeing

Future Plans

Attend Dension College and major in kinesiology

Greatest Achievment

Padilla’s leadership first hand.

"He's good with welcoming people," Manzano said. "He always tries to make a joke and make sure the slideshows are connected to people's everyday life.”

Padilla’s personality reflects in his work ethic according to Manzano, as, “you can see how mch energy and love he has for the club from the flyers he makes and scheduling appointments with the actual L.A. mission.”

Manzano feels that Padilla brings a lot of unison and awareness to the club.

“Without him we wouldn’t have these drives,” Manzano said. “No one would've known about the L.A. Mission program or that it is an organization on Skid Row.”

Moving forward from highschool to USC, Padilla plans to take a Writing 150 Community Engagement class, where he would continue community service, then write and reflect about it. He also plans to further pursue his passion for Latino rights.

“I’m passionate about Latino rights and I love helping the Latino community by representing them as best as I can. Being

first generation is a big part of my experience, so going to college helps carry on the cause,” Padilla said.

Looking back on his highschool career, Padilla advises all highschoolers to “never feel like your opinion doesn’t matter.” Padilla also believes that “following your heart” and doing what you love will lead you to your “passion” in life.

“It’s what transformed my life,” Padilla said. “I see myself continuing community service, especially in L.A. and with homelessness [in the future]. I love helping the community and uplifting it, because if we all come together and work for our communities, it’s going to be better than ever.

I love spreading kindness, and the smallest acts of kindness can change someone’s life.”

Aidan Hempstead

Activities

Model United Nations, Theater, ComedySportz

Future Plans

Attend El Camino College for 2 years, then transfer to a 4 year college

Greatest Achievment

David Padilla and his club members drop off donations at the L.A. Mission headquarters in East L.A.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SERGIO QUINTERO

1. Aaron Alpern preapres a substrate for a chemical deposition. PHOTO COURTESY OF AARON ALPERN 2. GRAPHIC VIA FREEPIK

PHOTO BY TREASURED MOMENTS

"For my Eagle Project, I worked with A Sense of Home. They furnish homes of foster youth aging out of the foster care system. I collected donations of toiletries and then assembled toiletry kits to help equip bathrooms and reduce the cost of housing."

The L.A. Mission Club's first day of their hygiene kit drive. PHOTO COURTESY OF ABAGAIL LAMAS

PHOTO BY TREASURED MOMENTS

"Receiving the leadership [position] in improv club [because] it taught me about leadership over a large group of people. It brought me together with seven other amazing people on [drama] board, and I got to change a program I adore for the better."

Capturing the Cosmos

Marin Cantrell pursues biomedical engineering and photography

by Claudia Turner

As a junior, Marin Cantrell could never picture herself managing and presenting at a statewide conference, and certainly couldn't see herself volunteering for the role. Now in her senior year, Cantrell willingly flew up to San Mateo to represent allcove Beach Cities, organize a summit and speak about the importance of mental health to over a hundred guests.

“I had a say in everything–it was a very empowering experience," Cantrell said. "Working with allcove has [improved] my self-esteem and ability to do public speaking.”

Cantrell’s growth in high school extended beyond her presentation abilities; her career goals also went through changes. In eighth grade, she was set on pursuing nursing, which led her to RUHS' assemblage of biomedical courses. However, two years later, she started having doubts about pursuing that route.

"I [didn’t] want to be a clinician [anymore] and have a patient-facing job," Cantrell said. "But I was still interested in the science of it all because I enjoyed the content. Now I'm thinking about majoring in biomedical engineering, which is why I'm really glad I stuck with it."

Cantrell has also participated in new

activities throughout high school. In her senior year, she joined the journalism program where she held the position of copy editor, combing through articles for mistakes before publication.

"We'd be hanging out while I was editing, and [Cantrell] would look over while I was designing stuff," senior and High Tide editor-in-chief Elise Haulund said. "She would catch things

I’d never have otherwise. I told her: ‘You're amazing at this, you should become a copy editor.’ Since rising above the call of duty is in her nature, she went above and beyond and added copy editing to her already packed schedule."

Aside from serving as a copy editor, Cantrell is well-known and celebrated for her photography work for both journalism and yearbook. Her love for photography

bloomed after her dad introduced it to her in sixth grade.

"I started with this little camera I got for Christmas that had a very fancy pointand-shoot, but it wasn't a full DSLR [digital single-lens reflex] camera," Cantrell said. "I used that until I got a DSLR of my own to take photos outside of school with."

Cantrell says she’s inspired by "life in action;” dynamic shots of wildlife and people. One of her favorite photography subjects is the night sky, which is why, as a sophomore, she joined and became vice president and resident astrophotographer of the astronomy club.

"The club plans ‘star parties’ where they bring telescopes to places like Palos Verdes to look at the stars. When I went, [Cantrell] would point out things to me that I had never heard of before," Haulund said. "One

time, she sent me a cool picture of Andromeda that she took and it's been my wallpaper ever since."

According to Cantrell, some of the most meaningful parts of senior year were when she spent time with her close friends.

"This year my friends put together a hiking group, where we go hiking together on weekends to explore and do dumb teenager stuff. It's been so much fun because I've seen and done so many things I wouldn't have if I hadn't known them," Cantrell said.

"I also remember when we all went to the senior tailgate, one of my friends made an offhand comment about [going to the Disneyland excursion together] and it hit me that they assumed we'd go together and I didn't have to be anxious about [asking] who I was going with"

As Cantrell pursues biomedical engineering and neural prosthetics at UC Davis, she’s “thrilled” to explore new careers and bonds in college, while also maintanher current RUHS connections.

"I feel very free and full of options," Cantrell said. "I'm not sure what my life plan is, which is good, because there are lots of options available for me. I'm lucky to have a supportive family and friend group who I know will be there for me no matter what."

Caelia Vallejo's passion for archery pushes her to compete and assist others

by Daniella Gross

After watching archery in the 2013 Olympics, senior Caelia Vallejo went camping and fashioned an archery bow out of a bendy twig and a piece of string. The twine about to snap and the bendy stick just stable enough, she aimed for tree bark with tiny sticks–the beginning of a lifelong passion.

"When I was eight, my dad worked at Big 5. He got me a [cheap] little purple bow setup, and we found a range. My first coach took my bow and said, ‘You

brand new [higher-quality] bow. I’ve never seen that purple bow since,” Vallejo said.

Vallejo has attended Trident Archery, a shooting range in Carson, for about a year and a half now, progressing as an archer and fostering meaningful connections along the way.

“Growing up in the sport, I didn’t have a lot of friends that I shot with. But since I started going to [Trident], I have made many friendships with teammates or others at competitions,” Vallejo said. “It is a very supportive and kind community; I even have people who I am actively competing against give me advice.”

Vallejo’s archery coach, Byron Burkhardt, head coach and owner of Trident Archery, acknowledges the zeal Vallejo has for the sport.

“Watching [Vallejo] grow and excel in the sport and seeing her determination and drive is absolutely remarkable,” Burkhardt said. “She loves the sport–it is like her little piece of paradise. Archery is a unique sport, as it is 80% individual. But she appreciates her teammates and members of the Trident club, constantly encourages others, and if she sees someone struggling, she's the first one to go over and help.”

Burkhardt says he has witnessed Vallejo shoot some of the highest scores in Trident Archery for her division, U21 (the division for women ages 18-21, primarily intermediate-level archers). This year, Vallejo attempted outdoor archery for the first time. After three or four practices, she went to her first national tournament, the US Ar-

Sofia Gonzalez

Activities

Future Plans Advice For Freshmen

chery Team Qualifier Series.

According to Burkhardt, participating in these outdoor competitions prepares Vallejo for her future plans in archery. Making it onto the US Archery Team requires hard work, preparation and focus. Burkhardt says Vallejo is best at persevering through demanding physical challenges and uses her frustration as a tool to fix her form, which will aid in joining the US Archery Team.

“She inspires me and I look up to her constantly,” Burkhardt said. “She knows how to adjust and handle herself under pressure. Her mental game is amazing.”

Although Vallejo still finds herself struggling with both performance and social anxiety, knowing that the range is "like a home" to her now, she feels a greater sense of support and kindness within the sport and the cohesive community that helped her overcome fear and self-doubt.

“Although it can be aggra vating when things aren’t working out, I can figure out why, and I have the power to change it,” Vallejo said.

Vallejo plans on continuing archery professionally as a career and hobby, hoping to return to Trident as a mentor for younger

students to support youth in sports. Her plan is to attend El Camino College for two years and then transfer to a school where she can primarily focus on archery.

“Archery gave me the space to sit, focus and work on something; I don’t have to worry about anything else going on in my life,” Vallejo said. “It’s almost like a reset because I’m fully in control [the process] of where my shot goes and where it hits.”

Toth

A photo of the Andromeda Galaxy. PHOTO BY MARIN CANTRELL

PHOTO BY TREASURED MOMENTS

"Participate in any and all school activities and events such as going to a sporting event or joining a high school sports team or any clubs that Redondo offers, because it really helps you meet new people to enjoy your next four years with."

"I’d say my greatest achievement was probably becoming Mock Trial president or getting into George Washington."

Vallejo aims her arrow for a target. PHOTO COURTESY OF CAELIA VALLEJO.

Vallejo and her coach Burkhdart. PHOTO COURTESY OF CAELIA VALLEJO.

The announcer spoke into the microphones and said, “Best Performance of the Year goes to… Sabor de Salsa!” Waiting in the audience they both turned to each other shocked and ran up to the stage to receive the award.

Winning “Best Performance of the Year” at the Sabor Latino dance competition in his freshman year felt “like a dream” and is an important memory for senior Marco Foster. He has made lasting memories since joining Sabor de Salsa Club to become co-president of the club. The club has helped Foster express himself through dance throughout high school.

“It brings me a lot of joy to be able to get better at dancing. I'll try this move, and then I'll suck at it. But eventually I'll get better and that feels so satisfying. Also, because I love parties and weddings, being on

Fostering Growth

Senior Marco Foster gains leadership in Sabor de Salsa Club

by CaraMia Leal

the dance floor- I always want to improve my skill so I can kill it,” Foster said.

Foster first fell in love with dancing in freshman year after being influenced by friends and family to join.

“I had some history with [salsa club] already through my family because my brother was in it for a couple of years. So, I already had some knowledge about it. I also had some friends who were joining at the same time so we said ‘Hey, I'll join if you join,’” Foster said.

After his first year in salsa club, Foster was hooked. He joined the cabinet as vice president his sophomore year then ran for president for his senior year.

“I got the result over the phone but I was still so happy. It was very exciting. [Since then], I’ve definitely grown because it takes a lot of responsibility and energy to be president, especially for a very large club like salsa. I'm more knowledgeable now and I’ve gained a lot more experience,” Foster said.

Foster has also been the co-president of the breakdancing club, B-Boys, this year, which added a lot to his plate. At times, juggling the responsibilities of a leader in two clubs and as a student proved to be difficult.

“[When] I had projects or a big test com-

ing up, I would have to worry about that and having salsa practice the next day. For practices, I would plan what we were going to do, so that definitely added to my workload,” Foster said.

Despite having a packed schedule this year, Foster took steps to avoid stress. He worked with his vice president, to make sure someone was always leading at practices, if he had a test to study for. He was able to organize his schedule to make lasting memories within the club; from competitions to funny moments at practices.

“There were so many fun moments with my friends. [Once] my friend and I both tried to do a stunt at the same time, we kicked up and we both fell to the ground at the same time. I just remember everyone laughing and then I was so stunned because I didn't even know what happened,” Foster said.

Junior Katie Martinez, vice president of salsa club, feels Foster made a lasting impact on the club. She always appreciated how thoughtful Foster is towards each club member.

“Every time I had a problem, he was there. He always helped me. If I couldn’t come to practice, he would help me at lunch. If I was upset at practice or he noticed I’m not not myself he would

Senior Nico Pascua grows in self-confidence through drama

by Summer Puterbaugh

After taking a break from acting during the COVID-19 pandemic, senior Nico Pascua did not anticipate that his step back on the stage in the theater department’s production of “Mamma Mia” would be such a “life changing” experience.

Pascua’s interest in theater sprung up during his freshman year, when he signed up for beginning drama. Despite persistent doubts regarding his acting abilities, he decided to audition for the theater department’s rendition of “Mamma Mia” the following year due to his appreciation of the soundtrack.

“When I auditioned, I didn’t expect to get in [the musical] because I hadn’t been in the department for a long time. When I did get in, I was pleasantly surprised and really happy. But it mostly helped me so much motivationally because I wasn’t able to build confidence before that. The [experience] boosted me so much,” Pascua said.

Pascua recalls struggling with “imposter syndrome” in freshman year. He had trouble identifying himself as an actor and battled stage fright before auditions but “Pascua claims he gained confidence in his acting through repeated performances in front of his peers combined with the comforting community he has found in the theater department.

“Joining Advanced Drama has pushed my limits and helped me grow. Even though it’s the highest level of drama, you’re still learning things and getting notes from your

peers so your performance can improve, even if it’s just by changing the slightest thing,” Pascua said.

make sure that I'm okay before I proceeded with practice," Martinez said. "He keeps everyone in sync for performances and everything, but he is also a loyal friend to have and he makes it more of an [inclusive] club. He's always there to listen.”

After high school, Foster will be attending El Camino College, which he then hopes to transfer to UCLA to major in psychology. Foster appreciates the role Sabor de Salsa Club played in his high school experience. Making new friends, performing and winning competitions, and participating in events at places like USC have all happened because of his love of dance and his participation in the club.

“If I had not joined salsa club I don't know what kind of person I would be like. It has helped me mature, “ Foster said. “All these responsibilities helped me become more of a leader and become better at communicating as well. I've been able to meet a lot of amazing people.”

“

Since “confidence is key,” Pascua has adopted the “fake it till you make it” mindset in his acting career to further his experience and abilities. He claims that his feigned confidence has completely altered his mindset for the better.

According to Pascua's friend and fellow thespian senior Clio Philp, Pascua has become “really integrated into the theater department.”

“He’s grown into somebody who is friendly with every single person. He’s very fun and bubbly and is always willing to talk to someone new. He’s all around a great guy,” Philp said.

It’s all about changing your mindset, which is really hard to do, especially when you’re coming from middle school, which can be the most traumatizing part of your life. It’s hard to transition to high school, but I just wish my freshman self could have known what I am now."

NICO PASCUA SENIOR

Olivia Duchouquette

Activities

Out-rigger canoeing, Teen Court, Biomed Club, Safe Harbor Juniors Charity Organization

Future Plans

Attend University of Manchester to study Cognitive Nueroscience and Psychology

Favorite Class Experience

"I liked Medical Interventions because it was realistic to a laboratory experience, which taught me that [something medical related] was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I thought that was a cool experience. Then AP Biology I loved because it taught me how endlessly passionate and obsessive I am about learning about the human body and brain.”

Philps also admires Pascua for “stepping up” in his role as Gavroche in the theater department’s production of “Les Miserables.”

“I think it was a difficult role, and he played it beautifully. He was great in ‘Mamma Mia,’ but definitely was not as outspoken [as he is today],” Philp said.

Along with boosting his confidence, joining the production lended Pascua the opportunity to combine his two favorite hobbies, art and acting, through set design. His interest became solidified after meet-

ing a professional set designer while on the theater department’s trip to New York City.

“I thought, 'This is definitely what I want to do when I’m older.’ Before, if you asked me what I wanted to do going into college, I would tell you that I had no idea. But I was able to experience the tech side of theater this year, which is crazy. There’s so many learning experiences you can get from theater, and it’s really influenced what I want to do with my life,” Pasuca said.

Before auditioning for an on-stage role in the play, Pascua carried out favors for other cast members by lettering forms and completing other art-related tasks behindthe-scenes.

“I’ve been the designated art kid for such a long time and it’s definitely shaped me as a person. I’ve always been the quiet kid,” Pascua said. “But I’ve always wanted to branch out to other things, which is what I did with theater. It’s a part of me. I know I don’t want an office job when I’m older. I want to do something that gives me joy and art is something that fuels me.”

Ingrid Sommerer

Activities

Yearbook, Digital Photo, Dance

Future Plans

Attend University of California Irvine to major in Dance and minor in Photo Journalism

Favorite High School Memory

“My favorite high school memory was taking photos of rallies and school events. I liked taking photos of all the students during each rally game. I will definitely remember these rallies because of how much fun I had with taking pictures.”

Foster practices dancing with Samarah Nuques.

PHOTO BY MICHEAL LEE-CHANG

PHOTO BY TREASURED MOMENTS

PHOTO BY CLIO PHILIP

PHOTO BY TREASURED MOMENTS

PHOTO COURTESY OF NICO PASCUA GRAPHIC VIA FREEPIK

TEARing Through Two

Caden Telleson has fought back after two torn ACL's in his high school football career

by Yasmeen Ford

From playing as a starting strong safety for the football team, breaking through the defensive line and assisting plays, to sitting on the sidelines, senior Caden Telleson has endured not one, but two ACL injuries to both his right and left knees throughout his high school football career. Putting his perseverance to the test, Telleson underwent months of rehabilitation and physical therapy, never faltering in the face of adversity.

“It was the last play of the game against Bishop Diego my junior year when I ran a dig [a route that starts off vertical, then breaks sharply to the middle of the field from 10-15 yards up]. At the top of the road I cut and felt my knee pop, I immediately knew something was wrong,” Telleson said. “The next day I found out that I tore my ACL.”

While Telleson had never per sonally experienced such an in jury before, the arduous journey made him well-acquainted with the lengthy rehabilitation pro cess. Undergoing his first ACL reconstruction surgery, Telleson

maintained an optimistic look on the subsequent months ahead.

“I had no idea what to expect. I was back on the field within five months practicing, but not fully recovered. I was cleared nine months before the pre-season summer camp, but I still wasn't allowed to play until the season began.”

From there, things seemingly could only go up, at least until about a year later when history repeated itself, this time, in his left knee.

“I remember we were playing against Santa Monica this year, I was just running, hitting the B-gap [the gap between the offensive guard and tackle].

While I planted, one of the [opposing] players grabbed my helmet and pulled me backward, hyperextending my knee.” Telleson said.

For most athletes, the risk of ACL injuries is prominent, as the most common cause of an ACL tear is that of a sudden pivoting or cutting maneuver during sporting activity according to John Hopkins Medicine.

On the field since he was five years old, football has always been a large part of Telleson’s life. While the contrast from being a part of the team

on the field to being on a bench is drastic, Telleson utilized his free time granted by the injury to coach fellow players alongside football coach Keith Ellison, learning what both a supportive player and mentor were all about.

“I figured [assisting our coaches] would do more good than just sitting out and thinking about what could have been. Last year I was on headset with the coaches, telling them what I see and what I think would work,” Telleson said. “[This year] I was just helping the specific posi tion that I play, (strong safety) getting them into the right position and to their right lines since they hadn't had as much experience with that.”

Due to his prior experience with an ACL tear in his sopho more year of high school, Ellison was able to empathize with Tell eson, recalling the rehabilitation and mental anguish of the injury. Thanks to Ellison’s wisdom and advice on the topic, Telleson was not alone on the road to recovery, as friends and family were present every step of the way.

“Every time I saw him, he was upbeat and positive, which is really

good. He worked so hard to come back from the injury [last year,] and to do it again at the end of his senior year was tough.” Ellison said. “But he's very determined, and [the setback] didn't get him down, he just kept pushing through and got to this position where he is now.”

Despite the abundance of obstacles attempting to prevent Telleson from executing his goals, the athlete plans to attend the University of Eastern Illinois, majoring in business and communications while continuing his football career as a linebacker. However, graduating is bittersweet for Telleson, as leaving behind the growing community at RUHS proves to be

“I’ve been playing with the varsity team and Coach Keith for so long, and especially due to COVID and the whole delay on the school year, it's hard to leave and start new, but it’s also really exciting,” Telleson said. “It’s a whole new experience and will be super fun.”

Hendrickson prepares to attend Chapman University to study Health Sciences

by Victor Simoes

Scoring goals in and out of the pool, varsity water polo co-captain Sammy Hendrickson plans on joining the water polo team and pursuing an education in health sciences at Chapman University.

Hendrickson sees his mother as a role-model, a nurse practitioner and one of the first female water polo players at USC. Hendrickson, also inspired by Marcie Rhee, a family friend, who is a physical therapist and runs her own interdisciplinary practice, where according to Hendrickson, she treats near 1000 kids a month.

“I'm really hoping to establish my own practice one day, that's my ultimate long term goal. [Rhee’s] just super inspiring to me, and I hope to someday have a similar

impact [to her],” Hendrickson said.

What drew Hendrickson to Chapman specifically was their integrative bridge programs, programs that grant priority admission into graduate school for qualified students.

Hendrickson’s interest in human anatomy took him through the Biomedical Pathway for two years, in the future he hopes to find a career in physical therapy and rehabilitation.

As an athlete, Hendrickson was partially inspired to go into injury rehabilitation after experiencing this himself and seeing teammates’ more serious injuries. Hendrickson has been a varsity athlete all four years of high school, becoming the water polo team co-captain this year beside long-

Bowen Little

Activities

Theater, Drama Board president

Future Plans Greatest Achievment

time friend and teammate Jack Guenther.

“In club, he was more of a team player but coming to high school he’s one of the star players. He’s a leading scorer, and he's able to fill a lot of different roles where he's able to adapt to whatever the team needs him to do, which is something that's really impressive, and that I've always admired about him,” Guenther said.

Jase Emery, boys water polo coach, notes Hendrickson was “instrumental” in the team’s success this year, building team camaraderie and interfacing between the coach and team.

“[Sammy]'s always been a leader. He's one of the kids that everybody else on the team always looks up to. He's the type of leader that doesn't need to say much to get people to follow him,” Emery said.

Sophomore Declan Gold stein credits Hendrickson for building his water polo skills, along with learn ing how to balance athletics with academics.

“He's been a great leader, mentor and he's been like an older brother to me, especially last year being a freshman. He really helped me and made sure that I knew how to play on the team,” Goldstein said.

The same as he has in fluenced the underclassmen

before him, Hendrickson looks forward to more mentors in his life.

“It's super nice being an upperclassman and getting to talk to all the younger players, but I do miss being new to the team and having those older guys to help you along the way,” Hendrickson said.

Hendrickson considers physical therapy among his “top career options,” but is also interested in becoming a physician’s assistant, which he considers a more “trueblue” option. Above all, he looks for a career where interact with people and make a difference.

“I know I want to do something where I’d feel like I’m making an impact. And I don’t ever want to look back and think, ‘did I ever help anyone’ [or] ‘is what I do really worth doing?’ And I know going into healthcare that I won't feel that way,” Hendrickson said. “It's built who I am,” Hendrickson said. “I wouldn't be the person I am today without water polo, having played for a decade now. I'm definitely not where I thought I'd end up when I first started, but I couldn't be more grateful for the experience.”

Blake Courtney

Activities

Varsity track and field, Automotive Club, Ultimate Frisbee Club, Boeing intern and Rocketry Club founder and president

Future Plans

Attend USC to study electrical engineering and aerospace.

Advice for freshmen

PHOTO BY TREASURED MOMENTS

“I

think my biggest accomplishment is getting to be drama board president.

It's really helped me learn a lot about myself and the people around me. I've got great public speaking skills, like presentational skills, just from being in a leadership position.”

PHOTO BY TREASURED MOMENTS

"One would be to not be afraid to meet new people. Two would be to do things for yourself and not for others. Three would be to start preparing yourself for your future as early as possible because it takes time to figure out what you really like."

Hendrickson sets up to throw the ball up field. PHOTO COURTESY OF SAMUEL HENDRICKSON

PHOTO COURTESY OF CADEN TELLESON

PHOTO COURTESY OF CADEN TELLESON

PHOTO COURTESY OF SAMUEL HENDRICKSON

Swim to Success

Madie Malone will attend Georgetown University to swim competitively at the D1 level

by Aaliyah Roberson

Swimming through the cool, blue water her senior year, Madie Malone competes for her final high school season before continuing on her journey to Washington, D.C. for college.

Malone's love for swimming started when she was young.

“As a little kid, I wanted to go to the Olympics. As I kept going in the [sport] I realized I really wanted to swim in college,” Malone said.

Malone's passion for swimming started on the Beach City club team nine years ago where she originally wanted to have fun with her friends. She began moving up in levels after discovering her talent in the sport.

“I had a lot of fun in swimming lessons. I [asked] my mom, ‘Can I swim on a team?’ and I just fell in love with the sport. I love racing and just being in the water,” Malone said.

Malone then tried out for the RUHS team and joined varsity her freshman year. Although she did not have a complete season, due to COVID-19, she was able to experience the sport at the highest level.

“I was excited because we had a fast team [my freshman year]. Going in I made it my goal to work really hard so I could get to where I wanted to go,” Malone said.

After freshman year, Malone realized she wanted to go on to compete at the collegiate level. Although it would be competitive, she wanted to find “family” in a team and believed college could give that to her.

“I knew it was going to be possible and a really

fun experience. I was a shy child and being able to be a part of a team has really allowed me to open up and find my competence,” Malone said.

lots of events going on, and it’s a smaller school, so it’s not too crazy. The swim team itself is really close, and I found it was best for me academically and athletically,” Malone said.

Sammie Hall, a senior on the swim team, knows Malone’s passion and drive in swimming after being her teammate for four years.

“Madie is a fierce competitor and is definitely a huge asset. She is super driven and puts her everything into [the sport],” Hall said. “I am so excited to see her achieving her goals and can’t imagine anyone more deserving.”

Malone will continue to put this effort into her swimming career at Georgetown and has “built an understanding of herself through her journey with the sport.”

“I’ve learned to develop my dedication and discipline. I’ve also learned a lot of social skills.," Malone said. "I have worked hard for a long time and it has really paid off.”

Malone will go to Georgetown University next year and plans to continue competing there. From there, she will further her career in collegiate swim.

“I wanted to get out of California and just [live in] a different environment in general. [Georgetown] has a really nice location with

Varsity Girls Basketball Captain Brillana Boyd leads her team to a 10-0 season

by Deeksha Prasad

As fluorescent lights shine down on the court during the last quarter of a game, exhaustion catches up to players quickly. The scoreboard flashes; the numbers aren’t guaranteed to be satisfactory, even for the girl’s varsity basketball team, who went 10-0 in Bay League. But when morale drops in the toughest games, the team has a pillar that keeps them strong—their captain, Brillana Boyd.

“During my first season, I honestly felt like I wasn’t that good. But it was an exciting new experience, and I was able to feel the level of commitment it would take for the next few years,” Boyd said.

Boyd became a varsity player in her sophomore year and was made captain during her junior year.

“The reason I chose [Boyd] [to be captain] was her work ethic, her honesty, the quality of her camaraderie with her teammates and the respect she has towards them,” Marcelo Enriquez, head coach of girls basketball, said.

Malia Natividad, a senior and co-captain of the team, has known Boyd since they were in the fifth grade.

“[Boyd] has been such an inspiration to me. When I become co-captain, I just followed the example she’d set last year. She promotes a really inviting and support ive environment for the team and carries that into both practices and games,” Natividad said.

According to Boyd, one of the most “intense” games she experienced was this year’s CIF-SS quarterfinals, against San Clemente High School. The game was a tight one, with Redondo closing the gap with a buzz er-beating layup that carried them into overtime. They scored 20 points and took the win, 66-54.

“I started off pretty cold,” Boyd said. “But then the reality set in that it could all be over after that

game. It was time to start catching up on my shots and free throws.”

Boyd scored a whopping 26 points during the game, becoming the highest scorer for the team that night. Not only that, but she had four offensive rebounds and four deflects. 17 of her points were on the free throw line.

“The energy she brought was so important for our win. It’s inspirational to see our captain working incredibly hard to get shots up and put points on the board for the team. It motivates everyone else to pick up their game as well, and ensures that they work just as hard,” Natividad said.

According to Enriquez, Boyd played a “tremendous” role in the team’s success in the state tournament. The team “struggled” with scoring in their game against Culver City. One of their starters was playing with a fever and a knee injury; keeping up the score was proving to be challenging. Boyd scored 19 points that game; her “calm demeanor” helped to “propel” the team to their victory. According to Enriquez, she spoke with her actions during that game: “Don’t worry, guys. We’ve got this.” “This year, [exceptional games] were countless for [Boyd]. She kept rising to the occasion, over and over,” Enriquez said.

Priyanka Desai

Activities

Varsity Cheer Captain, Cooking Club, Biomedical Club, Paper Hearts Club

Future Plans

Attend UC Berkeley to study molecular and cell biology

Greatest Achievment

Lots of things go into being captain. According to Boyd, the most important thing is to show leadership.

“It’s showing up every day, setting aside any issues you had during the day to not only give it your all at practice, but also to encourage everyone else who might’ve had a tough day. Practice is a time to empower everyone to work hard,” Boyd said. “Practice was the time where I felt the most like a leader.”

As captain, Boyd has had a myriad of different experiences. According to her, it hasn’t been “all sunshine and rainbows”.

“But that’s just a part of it,” Boyd said. “You’re always gonna experience ups and downs with your teammates, but it makes you come closer together. I’ve gained lifelong friendships from this team and our experiences."

Tivana Flickstein

Activities

Theater, Vice President of Jewish Culture Club

Future Plans

Attend El Camino, then transfer to a four-year university to major in STEM

Greatest Achievment

accomplishment

be

Malone dives into the pool at the Grant Hills Swim and Dive competition. PHOTO COURTESY OF MADIE MALONE

PHOTO BY TREASURED MOMENTS

"I'm most proud of the fact that I got into a really great school and also became captain of cheer because I've lived [in Redondo] all four years. So it's a really great role to have, especially because now I can mentor the people coming into cheer."

PHOTO BY TREASURED MOMENTS

"I think my biggest

would

getting a B on a test in physics because it was a much harder class than I thought it would be, and I really struggled. So all that studying and hard work paid off."

1. Boyd puts up a shot for two. PHOTO COURTESY OF BRILLANA BOYD

2. Boyd manuevers La Salle's defense to make a shot. PHOTO COURTESY OF BRILLANA BOYD

I’ve learned to develop my dedication and discipline. I have worked hard for a long time, and it has really paid off."

MADIE MALONE

“

Senior Summer is in

The High Tide Seniors share their favorite moments from high school

Sydney Lamich

Activities

Varsity girls golf captain, journal ism all four years, and Entertain ment Editor

Future Plans

Attend University of Tennessee Knoxville, majoring in Business Human Resource Management, hopes to join some clubs there, and try out for golf league of campus.

Greatest Achievment

"Getting varsity player of the year for golf was defnitely one of my biggest accomplishments. I've been working really hard, playing a lot, taking lessons and it paid of this year. I almost advanced to CIF second rounds and just being the leader of the girls golf team has been really fun and memorable"

Lauren Greene

Activities

Journalism, gymnastics, works at a gym, and teachs English to the student who lives in Venezuela

Future Plans

1

Attend UC San Diego as a human bio major, with an intrest in sports medicine.

Greatest Achievment

"Last year, I was part of the IV chain, which is the top 50 juniors in the class. And that was a really cool experience. We got to be at the senior graduation like we walked in with this literal IV chain. I think that was something I'll remember.”

Troy Nevil

Activities

Band, Journalism, Tri-M Honors Society, Pit Orchestra, Mock Trial

Future Plans

Attend the University of Southern California and major in Political Science while staying involved in band.

Greatest Achievment

"My greatest acheivement was defnitely winning the Best Student Orchestra award at the 2023 JRAYs awards ceremony. It was the culmination of over 10 weeks of hard work, dedication, practice and perserverance from myself and the rest of the orchestra that I directed and conducted on my own."

Journalism News Editor for two years, Key Club since sophomore year, Vice president for junior year and then senior year, lacrosse team all four years (two on JV, two on varsity, and Link Crew

Future Plans

Attend UC Davis

Favorite Highschool class

" My favorite class was journalism. Through journalism, I’ve been able to form friendships with so many cool and talented people, strengthen my interpersonal skills and keep myself informed and connected to the community around me. Journalism has truly played such an important role in my life these past four years and I don’t think I would be the same person today had it not been for this class"

Sara Miyake-Singer

Activities

Journalism News Editor, CPR volunteer for the Red Cross, and I participated in teen court.

Future Plans

Attend UC Berkeley, studying history, political science and public policy

Advice for freshman

"Don't be afraid to ask for help or questions. There's a lot of people whose job it is to help you, so don’t be afraid to utilize those resources"

1) Seniors Allie D'Amato, Erika Glass, and Sydney Lamich peaking down at their friends.

2) Seniors Ria Lopresto, Lauren Greene, Zoe Rossi and Emilie Takahashi striking a group pose.

3) Seniors Sara Miyake-Singer and Mia Dowdell throwing up peace signs.

4) Senior Ty Soria and Troy Nevil waving to their friends.

PHOTO BY TREASURED MOMENTS

PHOTO BY TREASURED MOMENTS

PHOTO BY TREASURED MOMENTS

PHOTO BY TREASURED MOMENTS

PHOTO BY TREASURED MOMENTS

Emilie Takahashi

Activities

Journalism editor, Key Club, MUN, Mock Trial

Future Plans

Attend UC Irvine for journalsim

Greatest Achievment

" I'm most proud of the writing competitions that I entered. I entered the state journalism competition and won second place in the state which was really exciting for me. I never expected to win an award because sometimes when you write for the paper, it feels like it just goes out into the void and no one really sees it or talks about it. The little metal I had was the most exciting thing in the world. I think that solidifed what I want to do and I'm feeling confdent in my abilities to do that

Zoe Rossi

Activities

Journalism Copy Editor and Redondo Union varsity cheer captain

Future Plans

Attend Cal State Fullerton with majoring in Business Admin with a focus in economics, and minoring in Psychology with hopes to be a corporate lawyer in the cannabis industry

Favorite High School Memory

" My favorite moments from highschool were when I’m with my friends. I’ve had a lot of fun this senior year being able to refect on my time here"

Mia Dowdell

Activities

Journalism Features Editor for three years.

Future Plans

Nonproft work or PR for a TV studio,

Advice for Freshman

Allie D'Amato

Activities

JV comedy sports team, co-president of Biomed club, ofce manager/dental assistant

Future Plans

Attend USC to major in premed, minor in cinematic arts or technical theater, also hopes to eventually relocate colleges to New York for Theater.

Greatest Achievment

"My greatest accomplishment is probably being able to balance everything i did in high school. i was co captain of the golf team, an editor for the newspaper, an active thespian, a comedy sports player, president of multiple science-based clubs, and an intern/worker at multiple medical clinics and hospitals."

Ria Lopresto

Activities

Online editor for journalism, varsity basketball, co-captain as a senior, vice president of cooking club

Future Plans

Attend am going to UCLA as a biochemistry major

Greatest Achievment

"Sometimes high school can be really grueling. But it’s not worth it to stress so much over grades and school. Just try to enjoy what you can and get involved with new things. That's how I met a lot of my friends, through various clubs and such"

" Don’t let anyone tell you what you can or can’t do; as long as you focus on your goals and work as hard as you can you can achieve whatever you want"

Ty Soria

Activities

Varsity football, battle of the bands, sports editor for High Tide

5) Seniors Zoe Rossi and Emilie Takahashi looking at each other behind the Hightide.

6) Seniors Ty Soria, Erika Glass, and Sydney Lamich peaking out the page.

ALL GRAPHICS VIA FREEPIK

PHOTOS 1-6 BY SASCHA PERDUE PORTRAITS BY TREASURED

MOMENTS

PHOTO BY TREASURED MOMENTS

PHOTO BY TREASURED MOMENTS

PHOTO BY TREASURED MOMENTS

PHOTO BY TREASURED MOMENTS

PHOTO BY TREASURED MOMENTS

PHOTO BY TREASURED MOMENTS

Clemson University

David Bick

Cypress College

Rin Lakandula

Emerson College

Mia Schrift

Fullerton College

Aaliyah McFarlane

Jasmine McFarlane

Laguna College of Art and Design

Leah Tornyi

Long Beach

Community College

Brillana Boyd

Sa’Mir Braccey

Lauren Ferguson

Justyn Williams

Los Angeles Pierce College

Caitlin McNaught

Loyola Marymount University

Rylee Goldfarb

Jared Ho

Alisha Kumar

Anthony Richmond

Konstantino Richmond

Callie Salazar

Moorpark College

Natalia Chazaro-Bravo

Mount San Antonio College

Jadan Williams

Occidental College

Samantha Miller

Orange Coast College

Hunter Cahalan

Matthew Keller

Justin Wunderli

San Diego Mesa College

Mia Murillo

San Diego State

Chloe Appleton

Jack Eisland

Nathan Robertson

Spencer Schmitt

San Francisco State University

G Cannon

Caleb Jaquez

Alisa Taubkina

San Jose State University

McKenna Hennington

Nicole Mendoza

Sean Shumpert

Chase Treglia

Kyan Wong

Santa Barbara

Community College

Luke Antley

Kyra Arakawa

Shane Elminouf

Brandon Herold

Nolan Hoelscher

Ryder Hogan

Lucas Lahmon

Aden Laureano

Luke Sokol

Charleez Vargas

Santa Clara University

Chris Shobe

Santa Monica College

Bryce Bowsher

Monique Daley

Isabelle Fougoux

Sydney Fuentes

David Lastiri

Gabrielle Marmot

Ellen Puterbaugh

Lilianna Kruk

Sonoma State University

Riley Corcoran

Patrick Stoltz

Zoe Inzer

Harper Jones

Sofa Safranek

Carolyn Tran

Jiaye Wang

Celine Ziedins-McMullen

Univeristy of California, Davis

Marin Cantrell

Jacob Dick

Erika Glass

Iain Hennington

ILLUSTRATION BY KAITLYN HODAC

Univeristy of California, Irvine

Julia Bell

Luke Chambers

Savannah Duke

Matthew Hirokawa

Ethan Ngo

Alexander Nguyen

Ingrid Sommerer

Emilie Takahashi

Asher Vollom

Univeristy of California,

University of California, Merced

Luc Le

William Waguespack

University of California, Riverside

Anne Ibrahim

Olivia Maehara

Karla Osario

HyungJun Son

University of California, San Diego

Tyler Campbell

Timothy Carraher

Lauren Greene

MaKenzie Smalling

Jonathan Yepez

Santa Barbara

Tatiyana Fakhreddine

Carly McGuinness

Brooke Pollock

Connor Robertson

Sabrina Sawamura

Kaylee van Voorn

University of California,

Santa Cruz

Zerik Grifn

Trey Guzman

Isabelle Nguyen

Brendan Rose

Esther Sun

Alyson Young

University of Redlands

Maegan Deng

University of

San Diego

Arianna Anderson

University of Southern California

Phoebe Chalupsky

Blake Courtney

Josephine Crosthwait

Ruby Crosthwait

Alexandra D’Amato

Jack Hagemeister

Maxine Hofman

Ella Kang

I. Langa

Troy Nevil

David Padilla

Westmont College

Benjamin Pimentel

...and a new day on the horizon

United States Air Force

Nicholas Whelen

Auburn University

Andrew Bogstie

Ella Short

Central Connecticut State University

Pauline Pluchard Cole

United States Coast Guard

Frederik Bach

Arizona State University

Hailey Arnold

Justin Baker

Kyle Camiolo

Kayla Carlos

Finn Cota

Marisa Douglas

Aidan Giebler

Sofa Little

Andrew McKenna

Nico Pascua

Sophia Perez

Kaitlyn Reilly

Garrett Slusser

Winston Watkins

Grand Canyon University

David Mansilla

Northern Arizona University

Andrew Futerer

Lilah Pattishall

University of Arizona

Ella Ailif

Andrew Gasparro

Jazmine Jimenez

Benjamin Nguyen

University of Hartford

Samantha Grout

Florida State University

Gabriel Gonzalez

Florida International University

Gianna Tagoai

University of Miami

Tatum Esparza

Arkansas State University

Christian Hunt

University of Hawaii at Manoa

Sydney Cohon

Zane Marquez

Purdue University

Meena Chepenik

Ryan Williams

University of Michigan Ann

Arbor

Danielle Bellamy

Elina Castillo

Peyton Jensen

Caitlin Kakuk

Iowa State University

Adams State University

Carlos Castellon

Colorado State University

Fort Collins

Tyus Arnold

Kaylynn Atkinson

Aidan Bracy

Caitlyn Hasebroock

Sebastien Imberechts

Colorado State University

Pueblo

Jackson Wheat

University of Colorado

Boulder

Jaxon Archer

Nicholas Carrozza

Victoria Castle

Harrison Collier

Jacob Greif

Jack Lyons

Ty Safon

Rebecca Shima

Lillie Torok

Jordan Weinstein

Boise State Universiy

Alexandra Short

Idaho State University

Kaili Bodolay

University of Idaho

Nicolasa Jacobs

Kansas Wesleyan University

Aaliyah Young

University of Mississippi

Laila DiNisco

Sofa Gonzalez

Destiny Velez

Eastern Illinois University

Caden Telleson

Loyola University Chicago

Dru Delano

Northwestern University

Keira Wagner

University of Illinois

Urbana-Champaign

Loyola University Maryland

Cole Simmons

University of Nevada

Las Vegas

University of New Mexico

Mikaela Gelber

Northeastern University

Isabella Baptista

Marty Graw

Springfeld College

Clion Philp

Alysa Whelchel

American University

Abby Johnson

George Washington University

Madison Toth

Georgetown University

Madeline Malone

Indiana University

Bloomington

Gavin Bresnahan

Adison Busse

John Guenther

Mackenzie McGovern

Brendan Ryan

Hudson Tingley

Shreya Wunnava

Briana Xavier

Cole Kallick

Barnard College

Zelia Lerch

Columbia University

Tomas Lopez

Cornell University

Michigan State University

Charlotte Ayotte

Zachary Steinbrun

Fashion Institute of Technology

Alyssa Moore

Hofstra University

Kate Turner

Manhattan School of Music

Joseph Mintz

New York University

Reina Morales

Syracuse University

Aidan Tseng

Oregon State University

Lucas Kotsifs

University of Oregon

Mitchell Capizzi

Sebastian Haskel

Zane Hodge

Maya Jacobson

Tanner Lutton

Jacob Marquet

Una Meidav

Sachi Saunt

Brown University

United States Marine Corp

Michael Gonzales

Carter Goodlin

Eric Granados

University

Zane Hull

Cornish College of the Arts

Kainalu Montas

North Seattle College

Clemson University

David Bick

Gabriel Philmon

Sophia Rodriguez

Spokane Community College

Naomi Kessler

University of Washington

Seattle

Duke University

Mia Minestrella

Audrey Scheller

Cole Stokes

Ava Szymanski

Mia Wildenhain

Leilani Willard

Linn-Benton Community College

Demi Rossi

Lipscomb University

Caleb Davis

University of Tennesse

Knoxville

Sydney Lamich

Ann Marie Maden

Ethan Chen

Casey Huo

Sarju Patel

Andrew Suncin

Washington State University

Garrett Flanders

Marilian Manzano

Western Washington University

Naomi Cignarale

Scott McClain

Natalie Omahen

University of Cincinnati

Shae Reger

Xavier University

Jaden Hancock

Drexel University

Elizabeth McGrath

Juniata College

Casey Cappasola

LeHigh University

Jacob Spangler

Pennsylvania State University

Cynthia Goldstein

University of Pennsylvania

Kai Deines

Norman

Mele Faiva Corral Blagojevich

Peter Moody

Baylor University

Mila Nguyen Dallas College

Sedonee Caranza

Texas A&M University

Corpus Christi

Kyle Czulewicz

Texas A&M University

Utah Tech University

Luke Marin

University of Utah

Jonathan Afalo

Ryan Afalo

Jack Bacon

Peyton Bobbitt

Samuel Bosse

Marin Davindson

Christina Davidson

Jake Fallon

Cole Francis

Elisabeth Huang

James Kaufman

William McCauley

Hana Najjar

Kyan Panis

Milan Ray

Benjamin Siegel

Chase Szabo

Madison

Nathan Cohen

Ecole d'Ingeniuer Paris Centre

Elsa Morin

LUISS Guido Carli University

Vincent Calta

Lappeenranta University of Technology

Jesse Makhonen

McGill University

Cordelia McKellips

Sophia University

Ikuya Okada

The University of Western Australia

Zachary Noyes

Universidad Carlos III de Madrid

Lucas Beltran Rua

Universidad Europea de Madrid

Lily Rowe

University of Manchester

Olivia Duchouquette

University of St Andrews

Cecilia Ryan

University of Toronto

Kaeli Khindri

University of Virginia

Peyton French

University of Victoria

Zoe Lekan

Senior Katarina (Haven) Beches overcomes self doubt and stigma in MUN and tennis with hard work and confidence

by Ethan Chi

Four years ago, Redondo took a chance on an inexperienced freshman, sending her to her first travel Model United Nations (MUN) con ference in Washington D.C. Few her age, if any, had the skill and ability to compete in such an intense environment, but senior Haven Beches isn’t like anyone else.

Although Beches maintained con fidence and composure when she took the MUN floor, she was anxious.

“My voice always gets shaky, I start breathing fast, and I'll feel it in my chest. At first I thought it was bad, but it's just a reminder to me that I'm doing something important, and some thing I care about,” Be ches said.

Beches put this kind of care into everything she did, which paid off, as she was the only stu dent from Redondo to win an award. Beches work ethic was quickly noticed by MUN advisor Nicholas Sklarenko.

“Haven had this in satiable drive. She didn’t just attend every confer ence, she did exceedingly well, receiving individual recognition every time. It

usually takes a while for the freshmen to get to that level, but she was already there,” Sklarenko said.

While Beches outwardly appeared poised and confident, she internally struggled with self-doubt, despite all of her accomplishments. To cope, Beches turned towards tennis as an outlet to clear her mind.

“Tennis has been my whole life. I knew that I could always just go on the court and play a match or hit some balls and then feel better,” Beches said.

Beches’ hard work helped her make varsity tennis as a freshman, but Beches dad becoming the Redondo tennis coach freshman year, presented new challenges.

”You're always being questioned and questioning yourself whether you earned your spot on varsity or if you'd got [the spot] because of nepotism. I think with me already questioning my own validity and worth, that was a very difficult thing to deal with,” Beches said. However, when it came to journalism, she always trust-

ed her gut instincts and abilities as a skilled writer, never shying away from writing the difficult topics.

“The pornography story I wrote stands out from the rest of my work. When the idea was first introduced I was thinking to myself ‘I am so passionate about High Tide, I have to show that I'm committed to the program that I'm willing to put my reputation on the line just to write a story.’ And I did just that,” Beches said.

Beches’ risks in journalism earned her the position of editor-in-chief as senior. In tennis, she shed the stigma of being the coach's daughter by her performance on the court, earning her the position of team captain. Most notably, Beches worked to become president of MUN, winning numerous awards and attending prestigious conferences, including her last travel conference her senior year in New York.

“There was a big difference in myself, and I think if my tiny freshman Haven saw me in the New York committee she would be so proud,” Beches said.

Though she was nervous, Beches took the MUN floor one last time, knowing this was where she belonged.

“No one is 100% self-assured or self-confident,” Beches said. “There's always a flicker of doubt. But when you confront that doubt, it builds your character and shows

who you really are.”

Beches lead Redondo to achieve the highest award at the New York conference, proving one last time she wasn’t a fluke or a product of just getting lucky.

"I was so proud of myself, but I was also really sad because this conference was a culmination of four years of hard work and leadership. MUN has such a close place to my heart since I've been with it for so long, which is why I was so excited when we won. I was sitting next to my really close friends, and we were filled with pride and joy because we knew we had put in the work, and we knew we earned it.”

Senior Ruby Crosthwait unites medicine and journalism in her future career

by Marley Van Pelt

Choosing your future career can mean choosing between different passions but ties between interests can be more similar than may be seen at first glance. Senior Ruby Crosthwait joined the journalism program her freshman year, becoming editor-in-chief (EIC) her senior year and became inspired to pursue a career as a medical researcher with the exposure gained from a writing elective.

“Coming into journalism, I was in over my head. I was shy and getting shoved into this sphere where you need a lot of social skills to hold conversations with upperclassmen and teachers. It was daunting,” Crosthwait said. “But, being in High Tide was a great opportunity for me to come out of my shell and share the experiences of others.”

Having a love for reading and writing, Crosthwait saw High Tide as a “perfect opportunity” to explore different forms of writing, to be involved on campus and to make a difference in people’s accessibility to local events and issues.

“I hope I was able to make a positive influence on others, especially through journalism. I love being a part of something that's become an educational tool and a vehicle for people to express themselves and learn more about each other,” Crosthwait said.

Along with her involvement in the

High Tide, Crosthwait interned with the Palos Verdes Medical group for four months during her sophomore year, specifically working with the mRNA vaccine.

Crosthwait also volunteered at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and Harbor UCLA Medical Center during the summer between her junior and senior year.

“I was not only following around doctors, but I was also conversing with patients,” Crosthwait said. “The resident doctors there encouraged me to get my hands dirty and to be able to actually see what it's like, and I was so grateful to have this opportunity.”

These volunteer opportunities “allowed an introduction” into the many fields of study Crosthwait could pursue in the future. Crosthwait plans to merge both of her interests by double majoring in human biology and journalism at the University of Southern California, one of the leading private research institutions in Los Angeles, in the hopes to become a medical researcher.

“COVID-19 was a catalyst for me because it was the first real representation of medicine and journalism mixing together. Understanding and seeing the scientific part of this virus during my internship at PV and writing about it through journalism was incredibly important to me,” Crosthwait said. “It became so apparent how paramount journalism is to the medical sphere, because you need to commu-

nicate scientific topics in a way where everyone can understand, and that's what I wanted to do.”

Crosthwait’s mother, Tracy Crosthwait describes her daughter as someone who has an “impressive internal drive” and who is “unstoppable” when achieving her goals.

“The world is her oyster. I'm sure she will have a legacy and I am so glad that she was EIC of the paper. That's definitely something she'll be proud of because I know she poured her heart and soul into it,” Mrs. Crosthwait said.

Despite having a “very busy schedule” during her high school career, Crosthwait doesn’t regret one bit of it.

“It's allowed me to grow as a person, not only as a student, but as a future researcher and journalist,” Crosthwait said.“I

Activities

Football Team, Rugby Team, Script and Sports Writer for RUTV

Future Plans

Attend Long Beach State to play Rugby and major in media journalism

Favorite High School Memory

“I

want future and current students to know that they can pursue what they wish to and that they shouldn't let boundaries confine their abilities or pursuits.”

Coming full circle from freshman year, Crosthwait now moves toward new experiences in college, but will remember the lessons and experiences gained and will use them to further herself forward.

“At RUHS, I will miss the people with whom I've made very meaningful relationships with, and I’ll miss the paper the most. It's been an amazing opportunity to be able to learn and grow up with these people over four years and be able to create something that has such a great impact on our campus and has significant individual meaning to all of us,” Crosthwait said. “I have total belief in next year’s class and their ability to maintain the High Tide legacy.”

Activities

Police Training Activities, Protein Pals

Future Plans

Attend Cal Poly SLO to study physics

Advice for a Freshman

agenda

Adam Elhardouzi

PHOTO BY TREASURED MOMENTS

"My senior year football season was some of the best times of my life. The El Segundo game when it was raining, we were up about 20 to zero at halftime. And the second half, we were enjoying it so much it didn't even feel like we were playing. I was just out there having fun with my best friends” (Elhardouzi).

Jrue Reese

PHOTO BY TREASURED MOMENTS

would recommend getting a planner or

and using that to keep track of your schedule and what homework you have. It kept me organized throughout highschool. Without a planner, I wouldn't be able to operate on a daily basis” (Reese).

1

1 & 2 PHOTOS COURTESY OF HAVEN BECHES

Elise of All Trades

High Tide Editor In Chief Elise Haulund on balancing her passions

by Romi Riss

Elise Haulund loves a lot of things. She loves poetry, reading, physics, biology, writing, problem-solving citrus-flavored things and especially dance.

“I just really like a lot of stuff. I love bi ology. I love writing, I love reading, I love dancing and physics,” Haulund said. “I don't really know what the future of Elise Haulund is. And I'm kind of sad that it's not going to be all of those things because I can't be a writer-dancer-phys icist-biologist-doctor. I can’t, but I feel like it's a good problem to have a lot of interests.

According to Mira Costa junior Paige Acquistapace, who dances with Haulund, Haulund is the problem-solver of the group and an advocate for their needs.

“By always asking everyone questions, always checking in on how people are do ing, even just asking them what your favor ite breakfast food is, [Haulund] just really shows how much she cares about every one,” Acquistapace said.

In balancing her academics, dance, High Tide and more, Haulund is motivated by “curiosity itself, the pursuit for knowledge and a wide range of passions,” according to Acquistapace.

From age two, Haulund has been committed to dance and worked her way up to pointe at 11. This year, Haulund danced the

lead role of the white swan in Swan Lake.

“that final moment of being on stage.” The exhilaration and camaraderie motivate her and drive her passion for dance.

the future,” Haulund said.

As editor-in-chief of High Tide, Haulund begins each class period similarly to dance: by asking the class to share their “good things.” She values her experience in High Tide for giving her the opportunity to interview students and “do honor to their

“It’s special to have people trust me. There's always much more going on beneath the surface. High Tide let me witness that first-hand and gave me the responsibility of doing justice to their struggles,”

Haulund believes that even if you think you know a person, there is always more

Haulund views dance as an art form and looks towards “that final mo ment of being on stage.”

The exhilaration and camara derie motivate her and drive her passion for dance.

Haulund views dance as an art form and looks towards

day, I would much rather have the people feel proud of themselves and not tear themselves up over any imperfections than have a perfect product. The only thing worse than messing up is letting that mess up taint anything you do in

2.

“I was so surprised that these people who didn't know me were willing to open up to me,” Haulund said. “There's no other program on campus I can do that's going to give me that insight into people's lives. And getting that deeper insight made me love Redondo.”

3.

Zelia Lerch reflects on taking charge within High Tide and Tech Crew

by Lucy Davis

Her bullet journal–and her life–burst with activity. There are magazine cutouts, watercolor paintings, and ballpoint pen sketches filling up pages of to-do lists and monthly overviews. Between managing the growing online presence of the High Tide and working as lighting designer for the theater department, Lerch’s senior year was “constantly busy” before the first bell of her final year rang. Before she ran the lighting board in the auditorium and the Instagram page of the High Tide, Lerch ran a city. In

June 2022, she was RUHS’s 2022 Girls’ State delegate, one of 400 young women from across California selected by the American Legion to build a mock state government during their one-week program. Lerch honed her leadership skills as mayor of her city, an experience that helped her “harness her bossiness.”

“It made me way more proud to be upstanding and able to speak for myself. It showed me the tangible results of what girls are able to achieve and the places they're able to go because of that quality–the willingness to not be quiet,” Lerch said.

Embracing agency would soon become an essential part of her leadership roles at school when she became the High Tide’s first online editor-in-chief (EIC).

“Before [Girls’ State], I was way more apprehensive about being too opinionated or trying to get things done. I didn't want to step on people's toes. But especially as an [EIC], being clear and direct gets you better results. You have to tell people, ‘This is the best way to do this,’ or, ‘This is how I envisioned it.’ Then there’s also another part of leadership–allowing for more ideas and trying different ways to approach things,” Lerch said.

When not in the journalism room, Lerch was in the auditorium with another creative group: the theater department. She joined the technical crew during her freshman year and was immediately drawn to their dynamic.

“The crew seemed so comfortable with

Malia Merager

Activities

Future Plans

Scouts

Attend California Polytechnic State University and major in Civil Engineering

each other. When I heard how they were laughing and joking, I knew I wanted to be a part of that kind of environment,” Lerch said.

When being interviewed for the position of lighting designer, Lerch emphasized both her talent and her interpersonal skills.

“It’s a very unique opportunity to be a leader in a small environment of five or six people. Making sure that everyone feels seen and appreciated and wanted was something really important to me when I was doing interviews for tech. That was what motivated me to continue doing theater when I was a freshman, and I wanted to continue that culture [as a leader],” Lerch said.

In junior McConaughey Curto’s opinion, Lerch succeeded. Curto credits her integration into the “booth baddies”–a nickname for the students who collaborate in the technical booth running sound and lighting during shows–to Lerch’s work in making her feel included.

“No matter who you are, Zelia will make you feel like one of her best friends,” Curto said. “She’s one of those people you can’t help but smile around.”

Curto calls it “the Zelia effect:” when Curto came back to sound crew to work “Les Miserables” after taking a break from the theater department, she felt “out of the loop” with the cast and crew. It was Lerch who helped her catch up.

“One day she just stopped and was like, ‘I'm so happy that you're back. I missed you

so much.’ It made me feel so cared about and loved,” Curto said.

As the spotlight fades out on her time at RUHS in preparation for the next four years at Barnard College, Lerch looks back to “appreciate everything [she had] before it’s gone.”

“I made sure that everything I did was something I loved,” Lerch said. “Nothing ever felt like a chore. I romanticized the process of everything I was part of, and I found a lot of joy in that.”

Zerik Griffin

Activities

Cross Country, Track, Cooking Club

Future Plans

Attend UC Santa Cruz and major in Maternal/ Hereditary Anatomy

Favorite Class

"I really liked my AP Calc BC this year. There was a good balance of classroom banter and games as well as stimulating content. We would do fun things like have potlucks, but it was still very engaging. I learned a lot while having a good time”

BY TREASURED MOMENTS

PHOTO BY TREASURED MOMENTS

"I would tell freshmen to exclusively take classes you’re interested in. If you’re not interested in history, don’t take AP U.S. History. If you’re not interested in math, don’t take an AP Math. Focus on your interests”

1. Lerch works on "Cue-To-Cue," as she coordinates lighting for the entire program. COURTESY OF ZELIA LERCH

PHOTO

2. Allie D'Amato, Liliana Kruk, Brooke Talbott, and Lerch, A.K.A "The Booth Baddies," pose in front of the set of "Chicago" that they helped design. COURTESY OF ZELIA LERCH

1. Haulund performing the role of the white swan in the ballet "Swan Lake." COURTESY OF ELISE HAULUND

Haulund editing a story for High Tide. COURTESY OF ELISE HAULUND

Haulund counting High Tide newspapers to distribute among classes COURTESY OF ELISE HAULUND

THIS IS WHAT IT TOOK

Jesenia Alvear, Elisa Forino and Nika Jacobs reflect on the triumphs and challenges of creating the 2022-23 yearbook

Given its aim to represent the entire student body and many, many moving parts, the yearbook process begins over the summer, according to senior Elisa Forino, one of the yearbook editors-in-chief (EICs). The EICs, who are chosen at the end of the previous year, are the overseers of the book’s production: this year, Forino, joined by seniors Nika Jacobs and Jesenia Alvear.

“The yearbook is really unique because it's a representation of the whole school,” Forino said, “and no school year is the same. This is one of the only programs I feel that is able to represent how special and unique one school year can be.”

That also means that each year is a new experience. Jacobs describes the beginning of the year as “more of a learning process than ever,” for both the new members of staff and the EICs, despite the past experience of herself and Forino, who have both been in the program all four years. All three seniors agree that the position has been a challenge to add to their schedules, which included soccer, part-time jobs, Spanish Honors Society and softball.

“I knew we'd be the backbone, that we'd be overseeing everything. But it was definitely more than I expected. It’s hard work, having to walk through every single problem. It's a lot, and I didn't realize it would be so much coming in. But it kind of makes [being EIC] more worthwhile,” Forino said.

Jacobs and Alvear also went in with expectations of the workload but unsure of what the leadership position would actually entail. For Jacobs, it meant getting asked a lot of

by Kat Otey

“As a page editor, you don't really realize how much the EICs are doing in the back. You see them always working, but you're like, ‘What are you working on?’ It's so much more than you think,” Jacobs said.

The position came in an especially transitional period for Alvear, who joined yearbook senior year after working in the journalism program as a sports editor and a staff writer. Upon changing classes, she noted many differences

year.”

The yearbook is due late March; in order for the product to be printed and shipped in time for students to get it by the end of the year, March becomes the “most stressful” month of the year for the three EICs.

Jacobs remembers balancing soccer practices and games with Saturdays where the staff would eat all three meals in the yearbook room in order to get the hundred-page book done. Some weekends were full of “breakdowns and tears.”

“Everyone who came that Saturday [of one of the power outages], we all walked over to the public library and we were editing our spreads on the computers in the library,” Alvear said. “Mr. Martinez (who works at the library), shout out to him, he logged us all onto the computers for free, and we were able to work that way. And it was such a stressful week on deadline, but to have that support from the community was great.”

“I think the saddest night for me was the day of the play,” Alvear added, referencing the RUHS theater department’s spring production, Les Misérables. “Everyone could see people walking through the window to the theater; Nika bought a ticket and had to give it away because we weren’t done with our work yet.”

in the programs, including the yearbook encouraging underclassmen to become editors because there’s “so much work that needs to get done.”

Going into the class, Alvear was a “blank slate” in terms of yearbook knowledge, but was also able to carry over some knowledge from the newspaper—such as her knowledge of how to create longer-form stories and experience with after-school worknights—in order to put herself in a “good place to learn” and make herself “available to help other people.” Her unique perspective helped the EICs work “really well together,” despite the challenges and many pieces that go into creating their final product. While Alvear was strong in writing and helpful when creating the interrupter pages (longer-form stories featuring students within the book), Forino and Jacobs were experienced with design elements of the yearbook pages.

“It was a little bit of a turning point this year in terms of organization. We really found a balance between us three in terms of how we organize everything, how we learn the editors’, writers’ and photographers’ strengths and play them up,” Forino said. “And honestly, it's different every single year. This year we were just really lucky, [the EICs] being able to work together so well funneled down to the rest of the staff. March this year was hard, but we were also more ahead than last

CHARLOTTE AYOTTE

Activities

Secretary/Treasurer of ASB

Future Plans

Attend Michigan State University and major in biomedical labaratory science.

Favorite Class

“My favorite class in high school was Art 1 during my freshman year because I met so many people in that class. Everyone expects high school to be so hard academically, but this was a fun little art class.”

Despite this, the EICs agree that the book came together with much less stress than last year, which was at times heightened by an even harsher learning curve under new advisement and an even busier March up until the deadline.

“We had to manually go through the index (this year)— every single name and page—and get rid of all the wrong names, and that took six hours [with all of us working],” Forino said. “I think one of the EICs last year, she had to pull an all-nighter and do it on her own the night before the book was due. Just to put in perspective how lucky we were not to have to do that because we just had more organization.”

Yearbook has helped Alvear, Forino and Jacobs to communicate better with their peers, as well as with work, family and social spheres outside of the class. Forino believes it is thanks to the program that she has been able to get so much support from her community, as well as learn to take initiative in leadership roles she fills in her life. The seniors hope that they have left behind a program in which the staff are able to take initiative as well, and to “take an extra step, do a little bit more work, dig a little bit deeper to find answers to your solutions,” Alvear said.

“We've learned to carry ourselves really well and recognize that just like we give our student athletes grace on the field when they make a mistake, the book is not going to be perfect because we're high school students trying our hardest,” Alvear said. “And we hope that the rest of the students and staff at the school can look at our book and be like ‘Wow, they did a really great job’ and not look for a mistake. Because we're telling you right now there's mistakes because we're teenagers, you know, and we hope that everyone will appreciate the hard work we put into it and the meaning and messages—the theme of our book.”

CHRIS SHOBE

Activities

Current Events Club, Band, Tri-M Honors Society

Future Plans

Attend Santa Clara University and major in computer science and engineering.

Favorite Memory

it felt I had already started high school and gained a big friend group full of people of different ages.”

PHOTO BY TREASURED MOMENTS

“I think my favorite memory might be my freshman year marching band experience since the band was huge back then and it was really all about just having fun. The clarinet section also had tons of people to talk and interact with, so

PHOTO BY TREASURED MOMENTS

We've learned to carry ourselves really well and recognize that just like we give our student athletes grace on the field when they make a mistake, the book is not going to be perfect because we're high school students trying our hardest."

JESENIA ALVEAR

PICTURED FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: ELISA FORINO, JESENIA ALVEAR, NIKA JACOBS.

PHOTO BY LILIANA ROMERO

Flocking to success

Andrew Gasparro amplifies school spirit as mascot Sammy Sea Hawk

by Luca Artiga

The loud music of the Sea Hawk band, cheerleaders chanting, plays being called, and roaring excitement from The Flock, all muffled underneath a giant Sea Hawk head. The person behind the mask, senior Andrew Gasparro, is also RUHS’s school mascot Sammy Sea Hawk.

Gasparro transferred from North High to RUHS as a senior, and soon after he began his position as Sammy Sea Hawk. Despite his late transfer, Gasparro was able to encapsulate and represent Redondo’s school spirit through his portrayal of the mascot.

“The Flock is a part about being Sammy Sea Hawk that I am definitely going to miss. Where I used to go to school, the student section was never hype like Redondo. Redondo’s student section is the best I've ever seen so I’m really going to miss that,” Gapsarro said.

Gasparro played football his freshman year at NHS, but due

to an injury he was left looking for a new activity. He wanted to remain active both physically and in his school community without having to play a sport. After a “trial run” thanks to ASB advisor Lisa Hedspeth, taking on the role of Sammy Sea Hawk was an opportunity for Gasparro to be under RUHS’s Friday night lights without playing on the field.

“Drew has been spectacular since his first day, and he really embodies what our school is all about being Sammy Sea Hawk. He makes it about the community and the school rather than himself,” Hedspeth said.

“He takes this job very seriously and is a very kind and reliable person.”

The Flock’s football student section this year was voted #1 Best Student Section in LA County out of the 2,608 public schools, and Hedspeth believes that it is thanks to Gasparro’s hard work and dedication this year as our mascot.

“One of my favorite memories was definitely crowd-surfing The Flock at the homecoming game

because everything was building up to that day, and it was the highlight of it all after the rally,” Gasparro said.

Although his high school football career was cut short, Gasparro is not letting go of his passion for football, and he will be attending the University of Arizona majoring in physiology and medical Sciences in hopes of becoming a football coach.

With Gasparro leaving, there will be big shoes for next year’s school mascot to fill, and Hedspeth urges anyone interested to reach out for an opportunity and excel the same way as Gasparro did.

“I’m definitely going to miss him,” Hedspeth said. “He was an ambassador of RUHS’s school spirit and is quite frankly the best I have ever seen in doing what he does as Sammy Sea Hawk.”

Senior Class President Bella Baptista has been a vital component of ASB and Teen Court

by Ethan Lerner

The stands shake intensely with spirit as the class of 2023 slams their feet—at the bottom of the stands is ASB Senior Class President Bella Baptista, decked out in class orange, leading the cheer and charge.

Baptista's service to the class of orange began in her junior year, initially serving as a manager, helping coordinate events and organize other ASB members; however, a sense of familiarity with fellow students in her class and accumulated experience in ASB prompted her to nominate herself on the ballot for senior class president.

“I saw Sarah Munn, who was senior president last year, and how happy her job made other people,” Baptista said. “She was constantly putting on senior events and uniting the senior class after COVID. So, halfway through my junior year, I realized that was the position I wanted to run for.”

Baptista found that spearheading the senior class came with its associated challenges, including “constant” phone calls, planning and communication with ASB advisor Lisa Hedspeth to ensure they are kept on schedule. Regardless of the workload, Baptista values the community ASB has provided for her.

“We’re all constantly supporting each other. It’s not just me running the senior class, it’s all of [ASB] working together to

put on events,” Baptista said. “ASB really is like a family to me, all of those people I love and will always love.”

Although this school year was Hedspeth’s first as Redondo’s ASB advisor, she feels connected to the community’s “authenticity” and “owes” her knowledge of RUHS traditions and their meanings to Baptista, calling her “organized, meticulous and driven.”

“It was a hard transition, and we didn’t know how it was going to work with [Hedspeth] coming from out of the district,” Baptista said. “She really tried to connect with all of us, spending time getting to know all of us, how the school works and coming to all of our events to make sure she’s always there to support us. She’s more on top of it than me, and I’m pretty on top of it.”

Having always wanted to be a lawyer, Baptista also joined Teen Court, a program where teens charged with real crimes can be sentenced by a jury of their same-aged peers, and rose to the role of co-president. She believes that the value of meeting and understanding real students' situations is paramount to helping them.

“One time we learned about a girl who was accused of battery. But, it turns out she was living with an abusive boyfriend,” Baptista said. “She didn’t have anyone to

Samarah Nunques

Activities

Salsa President

Future Plans

Build

Greatest Achievment

talk to and no one to tell her story to, so her coming to Teen Court and telling her story really opened our eyes to her situation. It was inspiring to have an impact and actually help this girl who went through so much.”

Baptista attributes Teen Court to giving her an understanding of the “real world,” as the cases she has dealt with aren’t fabricated as they are in Mock Trial.

“I’ve always been a very outgoing person, a natural-born leader, my mom’s the same way so I get that from her. I knew that when I came into high school, I wanted to be known and I wanted to be in a leadership position, somehow, someway,” Baptista said. “But I didn’t expect to fall in love with Teen Court as much as I did. I wouldn't trade it for the world.”

Baptista plans to utilize what she learned as ASB senior class president and Teen Court co-president to pursue a degree in International Business at Northeastern University. Although her time at Redondo is ending, Baptista will always appreciate the “tight-knit” community

Baptista (right) poses infront of the stands at a football game.

Carter Goodlin

Activities

Future Plans

Work and then join the Marine Corps or Air Force

Advice For A Freshman

PHOTO BY TREASURED MOMENTS

"I’ve had a lot of personal growth through leading Salsa. Teaching people how to dance and watching them perform after so many hours of practice is truly amazing. They grow out of their shells in front of my eyes, and that’s something I’ll always be proud of."

PHOTO BY TREASURED MOMENTS

"I would tell freshmen to not stress about the drama or the academics beacuse most of it really doesn’t matter to you in the end."

1. Gasparro, dressed as Sammy Sea Hawk, rallies the student section at a Friday night football game in October.

2. Gasparro crowd surfs during RUHS's White Out game, 2023, PHOTOS VIA @ruhs_asb

PHOTO COURTESY OF BELLA BAPTISTA

A Complimentary Duo: ROTC & THEATER

Theater and JROTC gave Aidan Bracy experiences and friendships he'll cherish forever

by Scarlett Kindt

Taking on both ROTC and Theater, senior Aidan Bracy has gained a multitude of experiences, providing him with friendships and opportunities that have helped shape who he is as a person.

“ROTC is unique because it’s differ ent from other classes as it’s not a sport, but you can still go outside of school to do activities and it [provides] the chance to hang out with other people. With theater it’s hands-on work that I don’t get to do in other classes. There’s a lot of building and designing and it’s student led,” Bracy said.

Honoring the role of platoon command er in ROTC–a role that leads the entire class period and the activities held–Bracy was able to advise younger students and he recommends they “try anything as it is worth giving it a shot, even if it isn’t fit for them.”

“I get to teach new freshmen and watch the ones I taught learn and grow and be come their own individuals,” Bracy said.

Bracy looks forward to each ROTC class, as “it’s not always predictable. Sometimes it’s folding flags or doing drills or cleaning, but we’re working together to learn.”

Bracy first joined Build Crew for play production his junior year, for the show “Elf.” Bracy decided to continue in the

class as he likes using power tools and enjoys the social circle it provided him. During his most recent show, “Les Miserables,'' Bracy was a designer as Shop Foreman.

“My favorite memory of theater was

school and helped him form connections.

“The friendships increase the quality of high school, and it provides me with people that I can hang out with outside of school and extracurriculars,” Bracy said. “[ROTC and theater] forms tighter bonds because there’s people you’ve worked with on harder projects whether it’s physically or mentally difficult.”

Also a part of ROTC and theater, sophomore Ro Bernberg first met Aidan through apprentice crew for "Mamma Mia" during their freshman year. Dedicated to his work, Bracy was able to influence the professional growth of those around him by stepping into the role of a leader. Bernberg was able to see his leadership skills cultivate over multiple shows.

“Aidan knows how to manage time and he even comes into the theater on days he's not [required] to come in [because] he wants those projects done He takes the time to push aside his own work to finish theater work, and that inspires me to do more,” Bernberg said.

Committed to his involvement and willingness to give advice, Bracy has positively impacted Bernberg by being able to offer support and assistance when needed.

“He has made my theater experience better. I wouldn’t have been able to get on

to shop crew without his knowledge and guidance. Even when I didn't know how to do something, he would be there to help,” Bernberg said. “He took me underneath his

The friendships increase the quality of high school and provide me with people I can hangout with outside of school."

Aidan Bracy SENIOR

wing and he mentored and taught me the basics. I’m thankful for Aidan for teaching me this and I’m proud to work with him.”

Being in a leadership role comes with a lot of authority and duty, which Bracy has dedicatedly taken on.

“Both theater and ROTC puts me in positions to make decisions for a whole team and I have to make them confidently for everyone. If things go wrong, I have to take responsibility and figure out how to fix the mistakes,” Bracy said.

JROTC Commanding Officer Sara Yong hopes to join Air Force ROTC in college

by

Although joining Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) was at first a way to get out of PE, in the end it provided a “close-knit” community and college opportunities for senior Sarah Yong.

Yong has been active in JROTC since she was a freshman and now holds the highest leadership position the program offers, commanding officer. Although, she struggled to stay committed over COVID-19, she continued to work hard and put in the extra

hours.

“Despite all of the hardships our year had to face, I kept trying my best in this program, keeping up with everything that was handed to me,” Yong said. “In the end, consistency is the reason I got this position.”

Yong finds that the bond between her and the other members of JROTC is unique because the environment is much more disciplined than a regular school setting. They hold each other with higher respect than typical classmates would.

“We spend hours on end with each other and learn so much about one another. We have a lot of respect for each other and follow the reprimands of the marine corps,” Yong said. “I’ve met some of the greatest people I know and really hope to stay in contact with them.”

Aside from making close friends, JROTC influenced Yong to join Air Force ROTC. This program pays for college, in exchange for serving two years in the military.

“I’ll be attending Cal State Fullerton, but hopefully switching to UCLA for their [Air Force ROTC] program and then serve in the military after,” Yong said. “This option has given me a lot of hope, and I have very high expectations for the military.”

Yong also participated in the color guard teams, JROTC groups who march at football games and rallies in addition to competing a couple of times a year. She commanded these groups her sophomore and junior year, despite not having learned some of the basics because of COVID-19,

Tomas Lopez

Activities

Varsity Baseball

Future Plans

Attend Columbia University to play D1 baseball and spending time with his family and friends.

Advice to Freshman

work piles up and it gets stressful," (Lopez).

such as handling the rifles.

“Commanding the team without knowing how to was a big challenge for me,” Yong said. “Junior year the group was a whole batch of newcomers and I had to make sure they learned and had fun which was not an easy task.”

Yong’s close friend in JROTC, Kimberly Bautista, admires Yong’s balanced and persistent leadership.

“She is a great commanding officer because of her determination and dependability,” Bautista said. “Whenever a big obstacle comes her way, she never gives up and looks for all the possible solutions.”

Another member of JROTC, Minkyung Jo, views Yong as a teacher and role model. She appreciates the hard work that Yong put into the program and awards Yong has won for their color guard team.

“She is a great mentor for anyone who is having a hard time,” Jo said. “She is very kind and considerate and taught us how to be successful.”

Yong also teaches kids martial arts along with her JROTC training. She loves teaching these classes, and finds the little kids to be hilarious.

“They're usually very bright and excited to learn, which really builds my energy when I'm having a bad day,” Yong said. “Since they're so young, their opinions about things are really pure and that really just makes me smile a lot.”

Yong doesn’t regret her decisions to join JROTC and is appreciative of all the skills she has learned there.

“It helped me develop a sense of understanding of what the real world is like,” Yong said. “The communication and organization you learn is so beneficial in all aspects of life.”

Alyssa Moore

Activities

ASB Senior Vice President, Theater, Fashion

Future Plans

Attend Fashion Institutde of Technology (FIT) in New York City and hopefully start a successful brand of her own.

Advice to Freshman

“Immerse yourself in multiple different activities and extracurriculars because eventually you will find a place on campus that feels like a safe place for you and you may have to try multiple activities before you truly find that happy place," (Moore).

Avery Rappaport

Aidan Bracy helping design and build a theater set. 1.

PHOTO COURTESY OF AIDAN BRACY

PHOTO BY TREASURED MOMENTS

"My advice to freshmen is to not be afraid to try new things and meet new people. Enjoy your time in high school because it goes by fast. Work hard to get things done because when you procrastinate, the

PHOTO BY TREASURED MOMENTS

JROTC preparing for the Pledge of Alligence at the 2023 spring spirit rally. Sara Yong working as Commanding Officer of JROTC 1. & 2. PHOTOS COURTESY OF SARA YONG 3. IMAGE VIA BRGFX ON FREEPIK

Writing & All That Jazz

Eva Lopez-Quintana plans to continue her passion for theater at Marymount

by Ariya Anvari

All senior thespians in the drama department had to write an exit letter, showcasing their time spent in the theater and their future hopes. Out of these seniors, only three would be awarded a $500 scholarship for their college. In the auditorium no one knew who would be chosen, many didn’t think they would. Of those seniors, Aurora Dietz came first, then Lilianna Kruk; Eva Lopez-Quintana never expected to be next.

Since freshman year, Lopez-Quintana has taken part in 11 out of the 12 shows the drama department produced in those four years. When she decided that she would be focusing on the more technical aspects of theater in college, preventing her from having time to perform in the future, Lopez-Quintana decided to take the opportunity to participate in as many productions as she could.

“I feel [that] throughout high school I've grown so much into myself. I realized my potential as a human being more,” Lopez-Quintana said. “I got to know myself more especially through quarantine and I built super awesome relationships with other people.”

When Lopez-Quintana decided to audition for prominent on-stage roles, she was cast as Roxie Hart in the last fall mu-

sical, “Chicago.” Through the production, she became close to her co-star, senior Aurora Dietz. Dietz met her ini tially in freshman year and was “intimidated” by Lopez-Quintana at first.

“She's very good at what she does. She's always had a very cre ative mindset and she's always growing in some way. It's really cool to watch her process work,” Dietz said. “As I got to know her more junior and senior year, creatively, she has grown so much and I'm so glad that she is pur suing writing and directing because watching her process is incredible.”

Lopez-Quintana thought she would be an actor in her future, but a project in intermediate drama to write her own scene opened her to the other aspects of theater she en joyed. She was so proud of her first piece it even inspired her to apply for the position of assistant director for “Mamma Mia” so she could add her vision of the show and take cre ative lead by working alongside Me lissa Staab, director of the theater arts program.

“I fell in love with the story telling and producing aspect [of

theater.] That's where I knew that this is probably want to life. Also being on side of the table realme grow as an actor, Which is why I still acted in three shows this year. The combination of the end of sophomore and the end of junior year really accumulated into this [writing] being something I see myself doing for a very long time,” Lopez-Quintana said. Lopez-Quintana plans to attend Marymount Manhattan College, located in New York, to study theatrical directing and playwriting and to minor in artist management. She was “grateful” to get into the majority of the colleges she applied for, but chose Marymount Manhattan College due to its location and the directing program it offered, which only accepted 30 students.

“When I narrowed it down, I wanted to choose a school that

really [focuses on] your academics, and Marymount doesn’t beat around the bush. They give you great networking opportunities. They really prioritize your academics and your student life and they care about you as a person,” Lopez-Quintana said. "That's what I noticed was Marymount, they seemed like they cared. Marymount is right in the heart of New York City. There's no way to beat that, it's a program like no other and I'm excited and grateful.”

Lopez-Quintana connected to others in play production due to the rigorous schedule it requires, with each production having two weeks each of tech week and dress rehearsal, where those involved must stay for seventh period.

“Because [the drama department] spends so many hours and so many days of the week together, we've all grown into a little family. No matter where you are, if you just see someone in the drama department, that's someone I've been friends with for four years. I could just walk right up to them,” Lopez-Quintana said. “I've made awesome friends and we all have the opportunity to goof off together, I've made many funny memories and I've had a great time.”

Una Meidav lives every day to the fullest through art, nature and yoga

“Life is long, there’s no need to rush,” the motto of senior Una Meidav’s, which she lives by everyday. Her goal is to find the value in “every single part of life.”

Meidav has procured a "loving" and "ap-

and having an understanding of what it's going to look like hours earlier based on the clouds. It’s beautiful,” Meidav said. “I find so much solace in being outside.”

In addition to art, Meidav has taken up yoga and values the "intangible" skills it brings. Yoga is not only a source of activity

stories.”

Nevertheless, Mediav doesn’t restrict herself to a single goal, and seeks to treasure each era of her life.

“There's no rush and even the slower, sad times are just a part of life and [they're] beautiful too. I used to always have to be doing something and accomplishing things and I feel like in order to get out of it, I reframed the way I thought about [things],”

Senior Emilia Almer, one of Meidav’s closest friends, values Meidav’s perspective on life, and has tried to implement them

“I admire her ability to give so much love to other people. She gives so much of her time and attention to other people. She really values every single one of us. I love how outgoing and friendly she is with peo ple. I love her confidence,” Almer said.

Whether it’s a sunset or after prom swim, Almer believes that her and Mei dav share the same energy, and are always open to sharing good experiences.

“We had to wait for food for 10 to 15 minutes, and I said, ‘Oh now we have to wait,’” Almer said. “But Una said, ‘We don't have to wait. We're living, we're not waiting. We're living.’ And that's really so spe-

Mediav recognizes "living life" as an important message to spread to her peers.

“If you're living life as a means to an end, then all this time, you're just waiting.

A lot of times people view this as wasted time and they're not actually enjoying it until they get over a certain point,” Meidav said. “Why can't we live through all of it?”

Peyton Jenson

Activities

and become someone who is unapolegetic for who they are."

PHOTO BY TREASURED MOMENTS

"My favorite class was probably physiology because Ms. Mauss is a very patient and understanding teacher. I also love learning about the human body and how it works."

Lopez-Quintana school's production of "Chicago". PHOTO COURTESY OF EVA LOPEZ-QUINTANA

PHOTO BY TREASURED MOMENTS

"I'm most proud of the growth I have made throughout high school. From a person with few friends and failing confidence, I have been able to surround myself with great people and friends

by Malina Young

Right to the End Z NE

Elsa Morin is an avid leader and supporter of the Girls Flag Football Team

by Stavyah Naveen

It was the third game of the season.

Elsa Morin was switched onto the feld for a run play. She grabbed the ball and took a sprint. Glancing to her right, she noticed a well-built opponent running towards her. One tackle later, Morin remembers the feeling of falling down with her opponent, dislocating her hip.

This was a “crucial” moment for the future of Morin’s football pursuits. At this time during her senior year, Morin was on the varsity tackle football team, and she was also the captain of the Girls Flag FootballTeam. Despite the injury proving inopportune for Morin, seeing as she wasn’t able to get as much fag football game time as she hoped for, Morin was still an integral contributor to the successes of the team due to her “passionate and cheerful” leadership.

“I'm not gonna lie, playing [tackle football] with guys was really intimidating,” Morin said. “I would always feel lesser than them in a way because I'm a girl and because I'm a new player. So, in my junior year, I chose to join the Flag Football team, too, because I was with other girls and I felt like I had more of a leadership mentality when I was around women.”

Morin attributes her active leadership in the Girls Flag Football team to her experience playing club volleyball. Similar to the team camaraderie fostered by Morin’s club volleyball team, Morin made an efort to cheer her teammates on and make the feld as “loud and communicative” as possible. Jake Jimenez, RUHS Girls Flag Football coach, explains that Morin’s supportive personality has been an integral factor to the team’s overall success and relationship.

“[Morin] is probably the loudest, most passionate person that we have in the program,” Jimenez said. “She has been that way for two years, and I think that's how she lives life. She is nothing but supportive

Michael

by Scarlett Mische

for all of her teammates.”

Morin believes that the “fun” chemistry within the girls fag football players difers greatly from some of the more “serious” settings within opponent school teams.

what pushed us to do so well through the seasons.”

Morin attributes her passion for the sport to her confdence that women are

[program],” Morin said. “So many people have told me that it’s awesome that I’m playing football, and that they’ve always wanted to do that, too, but were never able to because their parents told them ‘no’. I want to tell these people to just be yourself. Go for what you want. Go for your dreams, and make sure that you can achieve them.” Morin plans to attend ESME engineering school in Paris, France for college, and hopes to continue to try out for teams in France or play in recreational leagues in her free time. Morin aspires to become a fag football coach as a future occupation, believing it to be a “really fun” way for her to make the sport more pervasive throughout the female community.

This combination of talent and fun, accord ing to Morin, has allowed the team to really “shine through” and make it through mo ments of adversity.

“I feel like just being myself and be ing a loud person got my teammates to be loud as well,” Morin said. “We're basically a family, and we love each other so much. We just want to have fun together and win and I think that’s

“[Morin] should just keep up the good work and keep doing what [she’s] doing,” Jimenez said. “Keep that personality that she has all throughout life, and she’ll be successful in whatever avenue of life that she wants to go through. I know she's going out of the country for college, but I just know that Girls Flag Football is proud to have her as a part of the program.”

Gourzis shows his enthusiasm for music by playing at Project Barley

From rocking out with a make-shift wooden spoon guitar at a young age, to performing every Thurs day with a live audience now, Michael Gourzis has been able to fnd himself in music.

This love for music is, ac cording to Gourzis’s mother, Melanie Gourzis, an integral part of her son’s development. He was unable to speak for the frst ten years of his life, and so the guitar was his way of expressing himself.

“Right before he turned six, we gave him a guitar because he was non-speaking at the time,” Mrs. Gourzis said. “He feels safe with his guitar, with the microphone.”

According to Mrs. Gourzis, she is “beyond proud” of the way that Gourzis has grown as a person and the way that mu sic has aided him in his growth.

“Michael is so authentic. He stays true to himself at all costs. He does not change who he is to please people,” Mrs. Gourzis said.

Gourzis “doesn’t see the ugly in the world” and “has huge goals for him self,” according to Mrs. Gourzis. These goals have always been deeply root ed in the South Bay and in Redondo Union.

“He loves the South Bay. Every time we would drive by Redondo Union, he would be like ‘I’m gonna go there,’” Mrs. Gourzis said.

He has always looked forward

been a struggle [in terms of academics], but it’s also been very positive to be in that environment for his social development,” Mrs. Gourzis said. “Being a part of a community and being around so many typical kids has been really benefcial to him.”

One such member of this community is Jef Cracknell, RUHS security guard. Cracknell has known Gourzis since his freshman year of high school and has enjoyed being able to interact with Gourzis on

“One of Michael’s best qualities is that he’s very friendly. He’ll go out of his way to say ‘hi,’” Cracknell said. “I’m really going to miss him. I’m going to miss my daily interactions with him. It is something that I look forward to each and every day because I knew he was always going to come over, my gate.”

Cracknell has also gotten to know Michael better through family friends, which has led to him being able to hear more about the profound impact that music has on Gourzis’ personality and life.

“I’ve had the pleasure of being able to see Michael perform and he is a phenomenal musician. Great on the guitar, good singer, it’s quite a feat to watch him play,”

Gourzis has been able to further showcase his talents through performing at Project Barley’s Breweries on an almost weekly basis. Joe Smith, partner at Project Barley’s Breweries has gotten to know Gourzis quite well over the past year that he has been performing at Project Barley.

“The most notable part [about Gourzis]

is his enthusiasm, his love for music, his love for people. He always brings a smile to my face and he’s very encouraging to the other musicians. He just truly fnds joy out

of playing music,” Smith said.

As a mentor to Gourzis, Smith has enjoyed watching the way that Gourzis has blossomed over his past year performing.

“I hope that [music] continues to take him down the right path,” Smith said. “Where he fnds an outlet to use his voice how he needs to, and that he continues to grow with his music and be happy.”

So many people have told me that it's awe some that I'm playing football and that they've always wanted to do that, too, but were never able to. I want to tell these peo ple to just be yourself. Go for what you want. Go for your dreams, and make sure that you can achieve them.

ELSA MORIN SENIOR

I'm really going to miss him. I'm going to miss my daily interactions with him. It is something that I look forward to each and everyd day because I knew he was always going to come over to my gate.

JEFF CRACKNELL SECURITY GUARD

PHOTO FROM FREESVG

Michael Gourzis plays guitar at Project Barley. PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHAEL GOURZIS

Elsa Morin looks to the crowd in the middle of a game.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ELSA MORIN

MUSIC NOTES FROM CLIPART LIBRARY

usic toMyEars

by Isabella Kohler

Jake Lambuth has a passion for music and plans to pursue it in college

With a deeply rooted love for music that began at a very young age and experience in singing, songwriting and playing guitar and piano, senior Jake Lambuth hopes to make a name for himself in the music industry.

“I'm always listening to music. I feel like there are certain songs that I resonate with. I've listened to them for certain experiences and things that I’ve been through.” Lambuth said.

For Lambuth, music is a safe haven—a place that he can go to when he is at his lowest and instantly feel more connected to himself.

“Anytime I'm feeling stressed or sad or mad, I can go sit down at the piano and I can just get my frustration out. It's such a nice way to relax yourself, calm yourself and get better,” Lambuth said.

Whether it is pop, rock or just a song on the radio, there is an extremely strong connection between Lambuth and music, which stems from his reliance on it during the hard times of his life.

“The songs that I usually have an emotional connection to aren't songs I’ve particularly listened to a lot. I think ABBA has an emotional connection for me as well as just whatever Alyssa plays in the car,” Lambuth said.

Senior Alyssa Moore, Lambuth’s girlfriend, has witnessed his passion for music rise in the past year after pushing him to pursue it as a career.

“I was kinda the one that really pushed

him to do it. He really grew a lot from there in his musical abilities and started practic ing a lot more seriously. He’s really grown his passion and love for music. It really makes him so happy, he talks about it all the time,” Moore said.

For as long as she has known him, Moore has seen a vivid connection between Lambuth and music, and she realized how happy it made him.

“I think I saw something in him that was hard for him to see in himself. From his perspective he saw it as a hobby and didn’t really realize his talent. But from my perspective I was like ‘Oh, he really has a gift,’ and I told him ‘You have to pursue this and you have to share this and you can really go far with this, especially if it makes you happy,’” Moore said.

Although Lambuth began playing the piano at a very young age, it wasn’t until his freshman year of high school that things skyrocketed and his efervescent love for music began.

“My friends and I all started listening to the same music, and I really found a deep love for it. The more I played guitar, the more I wanted to listen to music, and the more I listened to music, the more I wanted to play guitar, or I want ed to play piano,” Lambuth said.

Lambuth listens to a variety of diferent genres and enjoys playing them as well. From Bossa Nova to rock music, Lambuth loves it all and wants it to be the focus of

his life. He plans to attend Biola University to study music in the fall and continue his journey to become the best musician that he can be.

“The end goal is to become a successful musician. Performing, playing, writing,

hopefully being a well known name. And if that isn't the path that ends up ultimately working out for me I think being a professor at a university for music would be really cool,” Lambuth said.

Callie Salazar will major in English, continuing to expand her literary abilities

by Ava Anzivino

You can never be too sure when you’ll fnd inspiration, and where you’ll fnd it. For senior Callie Salazar, her inspiration was found right here in our English department. The avid reader and library TA has set out to be come a high school English teacher after graduating.

It began with freshman year English, a year cut short by the pandemic, however, Salazar persevered. She took interest in the second semester content, with stories like “The Trage dy of Romeo and Juliet” and “The Lord of the Flies.”

“I found myself es pecially fascinated by 'Lord of the Flies,' this idea of these kids wait ing for an adult to save them but they never came, it encapsulated my COVID experience, as I waited for the adults to tell me I was allowed to come back to school,” Salazar said.

After freshman year English sparked her inter est, Salazar ventured into sophomore year honors English, exploring the idea of pursuing English as a major more seriously. As she delved into the texts and teachings in her class that year, her passion only

grew.

“I got more solidifed in my decision actually, to become an English teacher. During my COVID year, I had Mrs. Eastham. She was an absolutely fantastic teacher who really motivated me and she cared about her students as people, not just students taking tests and whatnot. She was the reason I wanted to be an English teacher, so that I can be that inspiring fgure in someone’s life,” Salazar said.

From there, Salazar enrolled herself in the most challenging classes she could take to write more. She encountered more “role models” like Elizabeth Valentekovich, Kitaro Takesue, and upon her arrival to the library club, she met Cassandra Jones, who’s been a big contributor to Salazar’s growing involvement in the English program.

“English certainly isn’t everyone’s favorite subject. But when you have students like Callie, who I never even had as a student, I always hear great things. When teachers come into the

library to check out books and they see her, they light up. She’s defnitely a legend in the classroom because it’s so amazing to see someone who loves an English course, when it’s really just reading and writing,” Jones said.

Salazar’s passion for literature helped her form bonds with many people throughout high school. With heartwarming stories, like reading “Twilight” with Jones, or just spending time with her peers, English provided her with some of her “favorite” high school memories.

“My English class this year only had 13 people in it, and it feels like a tight knit family. Like yesterday, we were watching “She’s the Man” because it’s based of of one of the books we read in class, and we just laughed and joked with each other. It didn’t feel like you were just watching a movie with your class, I was watching a movie with my friends,” Salazar said.

When it came to colleges, Salazar prioritized fnding a good English program, she ended up choosing to attend Loyola Marymount University as a double major in English and Psychology, and she’ll be applying for the University Honors Program, a choice made based on one of her “only high school regrets.”

“I don’t think I challenged myself enough in high school, and I fnally have the emotional maturity to realize it. I didn’t want to take AP Euro, but I totally could’ve, I was just too scared. Here I am now, applying for this really difcult program, and I’m not scared to try anymore. And if there is a hint of fear, I’m not going to let it hold me

back from what I want to do,” Salazar said. Salazar’s bonds with her teachers and students are a “very valuable” part of the learning environment and campus morale.

“I’m so sad to see her go, and I’m sad to see all of these seniors go. It sucks to know I’m not going to see Callie’s sweet, bubbly face and energy every time I walk into the library next year,” Jones said.

As Salazar prepares for her graduation and departure from home, she is “reassured” to know that she will only be traveling thirteen miles away. With her commute, Salazar is able to take on college with the support of her family to rely on.

“I’m nervous, of course, but I’m only going twenty minutes away from my family, which is super comforting. I joined the University Honors program, which is a massive amount of work but incredibly rewarding,” Salazar said, “I want to make my own decisions and never be sitting there regretting what could’ve been, so I think I’m ready for this.”

Marchin

Ahead

She counts herself off, and shouts, “Band, Ten-hut!” Heels together, toes slightly apart, shoulders back, chin up and arms at a forty-five-degree angle, the marching band immediately si lences and awaits instructions. Shreya Wunnava, co-Drum Major, worked twenty-four hours a week her senior year in order to lead the marching band through a successful season.

Maintaining the role of Drum Major requires leadership skills and the abil ity to deal with large responsibilities. This year, Wunnava and Troy Nevil, the other Drum Major, led the marching band through their long practice hours.

“Being in a position where you have to be authoritative, but also a friend to the band was challenging this year. Not every one is going to be happy or understand the things that are going on. It’s not their job to understand everything that’s going on. They’re members of the band and didn’t sign up for leadership and to deal with all that comes with it,” Wunnava said.

After zero-period marching band re hearsal, Wunnava makes her way to teach “Sea Hawk Band,” a required class for freshman marching band students. There Wunnava teaches freshmen the ins and outs of being in march-

by Malina Young

ing band.

“It can be very intense as a freshman

band throughout high school. “I have so much passion for putting

work ethic. She’s very dedicated to the program, and you can tell that she cares a lot about how well the program is doing and everybody’s well-being. She’s a really great fit for the position,” Kaplan said.

Kaplan also believes that Wunnava’s directory skills prevailed throughout the season, and that she was able to obtain a strong stage presence in front of the band.

“She does a really good job of getting everybody’s attention. I feel like she leads the band in her own way, that’s different from everyone else. She makes a lot of great connections with people and it’s a good way to lead by knowing everybody and getting them to like you as a person,” Kaplan said.

Although Wunnava won’t be participating in marching band in college, she believes that the skills she’s learned over the last four years will reinforce any future occupation she enters.

“Being so involved in a leadership position has really helped me communicate with people, and really learn how to talk to people in different situations, and how to approach different types of people,” Wunnava said. “There’s always some issue, no matter how much you might prepare for it. I think being Drum Major you’re put on the spot a lot and have to find a solution and deal with what’s going on.”

three years in RUTV, senior Ava Szymanski becomes the executive producer

by Meara Fay

Painting, drawing, crafting and building, senior Ava Szymanski has been making art since she was a little kid. She channeled that initial exploration of her creativity throughout her life, eventually gaining her position of Executive Producer for RUTV.

“In my childhood home we had a craft room and I would spend all my time in there. Doing crafts and building things like Legos was what really got me into exploring my creativity,” Szymanski said.

Szymanski’s parents continuously supported and encouraged her artistic ventures from her early childhood to her teenage years. Once she got to high school, Szymanski enrolled in Media Arts as an elective. What she didn’t expect was her teacher, Matt Sheehey, to urge her to join his RUTV class for her sophomore year.

“I liked Sheehey a lot as a teacher so I thought I would join [RUTV], and then it kind of just stuck,” Szymanski said. “It was something that stemmed from getting to learn more about cameras and editing.”

After Sheehey’s recommendation, Szymanski became an integral addition to the RUTV broadcasting team. Throughout her sophomore and junior year, Szymanski served as a reporter and anchor for the

broadcast, and spent her time behind the scenes editing. Through her experience, she found a new passion for broadcasting and was able to channel her creative energy into her work on the show.

“Being able to see the ideas from my head come to life physically and being able to share those thoughts on a screen for the first time was super powerful,” Szymanski said.

The production of RUTV broadcasts were briefly halted due to the COVID-19 lockdowns of 2020 and 2021, but Szymanski continued with the program and eventually earned a spot as an executive producer. As the “EP,” she helped lead the class each day as well as overseeing the entire production of the show.

“I spend a lot of time making sure everything for the broadcast gets done on time and in high quality,” Szymanski said. “Watching our first show come out was pretty cool for me because it had my name on it as the executive producer, and I felt really proud.”

With the help of her advisor, Szymanski was given the liberty to express her creativity to its greatest extent, and as a result inspire younger members of the program to embrace their own passions through her leadership role as executive producer.

“She's very good under pressure. I nev er see stress on her face,” Sheehey said. “Whenever she goes up to the front of the room, everyone stops to listen. She’s very respected by the class, and every day when she leads the other stu dents she does a fantastic job at it.”

Szymanski’s interest in film was sparked by her involvement within RUTV as she began to learn more about cameras and editing. Since 2021, Szyman ski has fully direct ed and produced two, 2-minute-long shorts and one 15-minute short film that she wrote and ed ited by herself. The films ex plore many different themes and styles, and reflect her ar tistic capabilities as a produc er and creator.

“Kind of how some people love to draw and write to ex press themselves, I love be ing able to put my emotions into film and photography,”

Senior Shreya Wunnava ends her four years of band with a succesful senior year as Drum Major

After

"Don’t be as nervous as you are. You’re going to be okay, you’re going to find your friend group, and you’re going to find your thing, and you’re going to stick with that through highschool. It’ll be up and down, but you’ll be fine. I promise you’ll make it out alive".

"Enjoy every day you have here because next thing you know you’re going to be a senior and you know, after that, you may not see these people ever again, so just try to enjoy it because time will fly by."

Ava Szymanski takes a photo of the CTE walkway.

PHOTO BY MARLEY VAN PELT

Shreya Wunnava conducts the marching band during half-time at a football game. PHOTO COURTESY OF SHREYA WUNNAVA

Roisin the Riveter

Multi-talented Roisin Gross leaves her impact on multiple communities

by Calvin Bonn

a greater presence within her own community while fostering connections between club members.

“It's been really fun to not only find people who I can relate to, but who can relate to each other and bring them together when they wouldn't [otherwise],” Gross said.

Pride Month this year. So they're going to be flying pride flags at City Hall. Our main goal is to get the school to also fly a pride flag,” Ron said. “We also want people to come to the club for the last few weeks of school, so we'll be handing out flags, stickers, possibly pins and other free [giveaways] at lunch.”

Archer, dancer, juror and queer leader, UCSD-bound Roisin Gross has helped many of the communities that she loves on campus before she graduates this year.

Gross is the Sabor de Salsa fundraising chair, leads Archery Club and is co-president of Teen Court and the Gender-Sexuality Alliance (GSA). With the latter two groups especially, Gross feels she was able to help the most people in the school community.

“With Teen Court, the most appealing part for me was its social impact. It's a way for me to get involved where I don't even have to leave campus when making an actual tangible difference in someone's life; [to help] students who are just like me or even could be me if something changed in my life,” Gross said.

Similarly, the GSA allows Gross to have

Gross’s co-president of the GSA, senior Melon Ron, has seen her leadership within the club help fulfill its goals of creating a “safe space for everyone and spreading awareness about [LGBTQ+] issues.”

“She definitely puts the right foot forward and always takes initiative,” Ron said. “She's very adamant that it's all about positivity, so she's just kind to everyone.”

Ron also credits Gross as having left a positive impression on him personally, which greatly changed his high school experience.

“We met in freshman year, which was a big change for everyone. She was my very first introduction to a queer person in real life. Being around her [confidence] really helped me realize who I am,” Ron said.

With June being Pride Month, Gross and Ron have a full slate of priorities lined up to end their high school careers with a bang.

“Redondo Beach is officially recognizing

Gross learned many essential skills through her leadership in these clubs, including how to communicate with various stakeholders in the community.

“Being in Teen Court, you have to know how to talk to judges, parents, advisors and students and so I've learned how to communicate really well,” Gross said. “The same goes for GSA. I've had to learn how to work with school administration to tack le issues that are facing our students. I've had to learn how to deal with inappropri ate conversations happening at school. I've learned how to connect with people, and I've also gotten to express myself more freely. [As a result], I've gained more confi dence with public speaking.”

Gross advises other students to “branch out” and join clubs on campus, as she even tually did, and credits high school with teaching her the value of community.

“I think that strong communities create more human connection. Especially com-

ing back from COVID, everyone was so isolated, and none of us really got the chance to grow over those two years,” Gross said. “So being able to make friends through what I'm passionate about and being able to [introduce] friends to my interests has been huge for me. It's really important to me that if I'm passionate about something, I build a community that supports it and that supports each other.”

Sa'mir Braccey carries her high school experiences on to college

by Ava Anzivino

Akey high school experience is learning where your abilities can make a difference. Senior Sa’mir Braccey found passion in her role as the vice president of the Black Student Union, as well as being in track and field.

Braccey immersed herself in the school culture by joining the Black Student Union. BSU gave her a chance to have a “safe space” in which she could think and speak freely, which “greatly improved” her efforts to stay mentally strong throughout high school.

“I started with BSU during freshman year, I was only involved a little bit, but I started to get more involved when we came back [from COVID] in junior year. I have an amazing support system around me in BSU now, and with the board I’m on, we give everyone a chance to speak, even just the club members who don’t have leader ship roles,” Braccey said.

As Braccey moved up the ranks from ju nior to senior year, she directed her efforts at creating a more diverse staff and making the club more inclusive and interactive.

“We’re trying to get more teacher inter action, there’s not many POC teachers on campus, and we’re trying to change that. It’s hard to get in contact with the high er-ups that can do that, but we’re in contact with the superintendent and I think that’s a good start compared to just doing noth ing,” Braccey said.

Braccey intends to take what she’s learned with her work in BSU out

real world, where she can “educate instead of lecture.”

“It’s a lifestyle that’s outside of just BSU. I’ll carry myself the same way. If something happens outside of school, I’ll speak up about it, just to educate people,” Braccey said.

Caleb Davis

Activities

Varsity Soccer Team Captain

Future Plans

Continue athletic career and play D1 soccer at Lipscomb University and become a PA.

Biggest Accomplisment

able to recognize the groups I wanted to grow more muscle in, which helped me with running,” Braccey said. Her passion for kinesiology helped her build a stronger bond with her peers, and resulted in one of her “closest” friendships ever with senior Leilani Willard.

“I didn’t want to stress myself out in my last year here. It’s important to graduate high school, but when I loop it back to mental health, it’s more important to stay grounded, and that it was ok if I didn’t go to a big university,” Braccey said.

Braccey advises that while her mental health was “prioritized,” it’s necessary to persevere, which was her “biggest take-

“Do your homework, and try. I know it’s hard, the anxiety of it all is hard to deal with, but participate and get involved,”

Saya Ward

Activities

Marching Band Drum Captain, Vice President of National Honor Society

Future Plans

Attend UC Davis to study Agricultural Economics and work in the government or help local communities' food production.

Biggest Accomplishment

Gross during a Mock Teen Court reading.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ROISIN GROSS.

PHOTO BY TREASURED MOMENTS

"I am proud of myself for having a positive outlook through COVID, and reflecting on my feelings gave me life. Everyone went through their own struggles during COVID, but I am proud of myself for not letting the isolation get to me."

PHOTO BY TREASURED MOMENTS

"I'm most proud of keeping my relationships consistent and making sure that even though I have had other friends who maybe I'm not as close to, I've still had my core group of people throughout [high school]."

Gross leading a GSA club meeting. PHOTO COURTESY OF ROISIN GROSS.

Braccey partaking in the Long Jump.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SA'MIR BRACCEY

STEM-ing into Success

by Ariya Anvari

Becoming valedictorian is thought of to be a step-by-step process with a strategic course selection, each class meticulously chosen for the purpose of a higher GPA. Yet for this year’s valedictorian, senior Theodore Danial, it came as a surprise. For Danial, it was just a by-product of his goals to challenge himself academically throughout high school and advance in all subjects of interest.

Growing up with both parents in the STEM field as engineers, Danial took an interest in the field as well. Originally, Danial got accepted into UCLA to major in an undeclared engineering path but, after exploring his options, he decided to attend UC Berkeley instead. This led him to shift his focus to chemical engineering, as UC Berkeley is home to one of the top chemis try programs worldwide.

“UCLA definitely would have been the easier choice. I would have had more flex ibility in my major and there would have been a lot more opportunities available to me,” Danial said. “But, at UC Berkeley I would have to fight for it more and I’d be more independent. Even though it's more challenging to get the opportunities that would help me advance myself, the chal lenge in accessing this is what makes the college experience worth it.”

Throughout his high school experi ence, Danial continued to test himself by enrolling in various rigorous courses and joining the academic decathlon for all four years.

“There are a lot of different things that I'm interested in so I couldn't take it to not leave an academic stone unturned,” Danial said. “I ended up trying to take all the hardest classes and all

the subjects because I knew that if I didn't challenge myself, I would regret opting for something easier.”

Danial also found classes not offered at RUHS and broadened his range of studies through El Camino College, becoming more adept in the STEM field by taking courses such as criminology and sociology.

“The canonical thing to say would be to do the things that you're interested in and things that you're good at. Challenging myself with random classes that I have no intention of studying in college has been really helpful to force myself to learn because, often in classes I'm good at, I'll find myself

with around 20 students per class, so he was able to connect to others he wouldn’t have otherwise.

“We were communicating with each other and making jokes about the materi al all the time at parties. Even though the class was super challenging, it never felt like work because it was always with people that I really enjoyed being around,” Danial said.

In addition to his rigorous course load and social life, Danial made connections in RUHS’s competitive improv team, Comedy Sportz. Since third grade, Danial took improv classes but, as his schedule became

where he serves as president, and through other commitments.

“He has been there, present and encouraging, to folks,” Mrs. Danial said. “I saw that this year participating on the Comedy Sportz Team because, when you're working on an improv team, you have to be collaborative and help other people on the stage

Danial is grateful for the support he has received throughout high school, whether it be from peers, the administrative staff or

“As parents, [we] want him to feel supported and that he has a community of friends and family that he can reach out and connect with,” Mrs. Danial said. “I hope he enjoys this next chapter in life as he's headed off to college and getting away from home. We want him to follow his heart and his passion.”

Reflecting over the last four years, Danials says his drive came from a dedication to be proficient in academics and to be exposed to different facets of education. But he still wishes he could have done more.

“If I had the opportunity to do it over again, I definitely would have tried some new things,” Danial said. “I have regrets about things that I didn't do, but I'm so happy with the things that I have done that I don't regret the choices that I made.”

I. Langa becomes salutatorian after taking rigorous courses and plans to be a synthetic biologist

by Summer Puterbaugh

After juggling a schedule filled with honors and AP classes and a variety of extracurriculars in art, biology and soccer, l. Langa received the honor of “Salutatorian,” as well as a full ride merit-based scholarship to the University of Southern California.

“I’m satisfied with how I’ve gotten here because I’ve worked really hard all four years to get to this position and to get a high GPA,” Langa said. “I’m not upset, but a little disappointed that I wasn’t valedictorian, because that was my goal. But, salutatorian is a great place to be and I’m very happy with the result I have.”

Langa’s heavy course load, combined with their ADHD, has made them prone to procrastination, which they combat by “minimizing” their workload to a couple hours of intense focus each day, so they don't get overwhelmed.

“There’s so much pressure because, if you mess up or fall behind, it’s hard to get back on your feet. If you stop, the work keeps building up,” Langa said. “I was always a little nervous about breaking under the pressure. There’s also the imposter syndrome, which made me feel I was gaming the system and didn’t really deserve my achievements.”

While overcoming these barriers, Langa has invested their time in an athletic setting as well as academics. Since the age of four, they’ve been playing soccer for three to six hours a week.

“Soccer is a great contrast to my academics. It requires a lot of the strategy and

thinking skills you use in school, but it’s different because it’s impulsive. If you make the wrong choice, then you try again,” Lan-

up to eight hours a week, providing many “beneficial” effects on their mental health.

“I had a lot of ideas in my head that I was frustrated about and couldn’t com municate. I wasn’t going to talk about them, I felt they were mine. Art became a way for me to express all these ideas,” Langa said. “ In mid dle school, I had a lot of stories I would make up in my head. I’d have these characters who were very viv id and alive. I felt wrong that nobody knew about them, so I just started drawing them for my stories and it helped me put a face to the name.”

According to Langa’s sister, MJ Langa, I. Langa has grown to better expand and articulate their identity throughout high school.

lutatorian.

“I love them so much and I really look up to them. I’ve seen them put more work into school and work harder to achieve higher grades,” MJ Langa said. “In middle school, it wasn’t as easy for them, but in high school, they learned how to properly manage their time and have a better grasp of what they want to learn.”

At USC, Langa plans on majoring in biochemistry in pursuit of becoming a synthetic biologist and working to optimize photosynthesis to slow the rate of climate change. Though they plan to continue climbing to great academic heights, they don’t want that to define them.

ga said. “It’s a great stress reliever because exercise increases your dopamine levels and you’re not focused on sitting down and working and thinking. It’s more intuitive.”

Along with athletic outlets, Langa also explores creative and emotional means of expression through art, allowing them to “destress.” While their school schedule often restricts the amount of time reserved for artistic endeavors, enrolling in AP Art and Design has allowed them to draw for

“I. has always been strong academically but I’ve seen them create an identity that’s not just being smart. I think that they deserve every iota of success,” MJ Langa said. “They don’t cheat, they don’t lie. They help everyone around them. They catch on to things and can learn languages really quickly. They’re overall really quick and bright.”

MJ says that they are proud of their sibling’s academic and ar tistic achievements and aims to “beat them” academically next year as sa

“I hope I’ve left the mark that you can do these highly competitive academic things and you don’t have to be a jerk about it. It doesn’t have to consume your life,” Langa said. “I hope people remember me as a nice, bubbly person who is actually fun to be around, even if I am a major

Theodore Danial takes the title of valedictorian and will attend UC Berkeley to pursue chemical engineering

ALL ILLUSTRATIONS BY ESPY CAROLIPO

I. Langa as mantel bearer in the ivy chain in their junior year. PHOTO COURTESY OF I. LANGA

Danial with his academic decathlon trophies. PHOTO COURTESY OF THEODORE DANIAL

I. Langa samples phytoplankton for the roundhouse aquarium. PHOTO COURTESY OF I. LANGA