High Tide Dec. 21, 2012

HIGH

TIDE Redondo Beach, CA // Redondo Union High School Dec. 21, 2012 // Vol. XCIII // Edition 7

2012: A YEAR

IN REVIEW

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Cameron Paulson reviews the Nutcracker at the Long Beach performing arts center.

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Suzie Benoit and Kait Ritter bake cupcakes for their friends.

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Barak Obama wins the 2012 election

Foreign Language Department, Leathers beginning to award the Seal of Biliteracy The Seal of Biliteracy, a program which honors those who are proficient in at least two languages, has just been implemented at RUHS. The Californians Together, a statewide group of parents, teachers, and school advocates that betters the education for all, proposed this idea which was passed through the school board Jan. 1.

“Californians Together actually proposed this idea, and what a great service they have provided everybody. It is one of the best things the state has proposed in a long time,” Cynthia Leathers, Department Chair of World Languages, said.

The Seal of Biliteracy will be presented at graduation to honor those who have achieved a set list of requirements. The honors will include many different aspects.

“The benefits are to recognize and validate a real world skill that our students have achieved through several years of studying a world language,” Leathers said.

Unlike other schools who go through records to determine who gets the seal, RUHS is only giving the Seal of Biliteracy to students who apply.

“We want our students to apply for [the Seal of Biliteracy] because we want our students to be a part of the process--students who are trying to get it and realize they want it,” Leathers said.

RUHS also wants to extend the Seal of Biliteracy application range to students all the way from kindergarten.

“One thing we are trying to do is make it a district-wide goal, not just a high school goal. One thing about the seal a lot of people don’t know is that it’s supposed to be K through 12. So even in elementary school, there is some kind of honor because you use your language skills at a very young age,” Leathers said.

In addition to using language skills, the point of the Seal of Biliteracy is for

understanding both written and oral language.

“Biliterate rather than bilingual means that you not only speak two languages, but you are literate. You read and write in those languages. It is a really important step because a lot of people are bilingual. They can converse, but they can’t necessarily read and write,” Leathers said.

The importance of biliteracy extends into college applications, as well as in work skills.

“If you can read and write the languages, then you have something that is really profitable,” Leathers said.

French teacher Cynthia Fronda is biliterate and found that knowing more than one language has been beneficial to her career.

“It has been invaluable because it has opened up many opportunities both nationally and internationally that I wouldn’t have been exposed to had I not been literate,” Fronda said.

Being biliterate opened many career options for Fronda and the Seal of Biliteracy is also a great way to ensure validation and provide many jobs to those who have earned it.

“It is a tremendous help. I would never have had a job abroad and have lived and worked in so many countries if I didn’t know a second or third language. It was one of the reasons I was hired,” Fronda said.

The Seal of Biliteracy will also enhance students’ graduation honors in both their appearance and their diplomas.

“The Seal of Biliteracy is a graduation honor symbolized in a medallion that is worn at graduation, a certificate from the state of California, and a gold seal that is put on your diploma certifying that you are biliterate,” Leathers said.

Already, many California students have received the Seal of Biliteracy.

“We already had 10,000 kids that got the seal last year. Can you imagine what it is going to be like this year?” Leathers said.

PHOTO BY DIANA LUNA

PHOTO BY DIANA LUNA

Spreading the holiday spirit. Choir performed at their winter recital last Tuesday along with Jazz Band. Choir also walked around campus on Thursday asking teachers if they could carol.

Tying the knot Senior Andrea Gonzalez helps senior Torrey Brugger tie her tie while senior Emily Field watches on.

ILLUSTRATION BY VALERIE CHOI

by Kayla Nichols

RUHS spreads dating abuse awareness

by Joseph Bieschke

Photos of the week

While the idea of a “perfect couple” may be unrealistic, dating violence is definitely a reality. To raise awareness, Assistant Principle Adam Genovese organized a meeting.

Genovese invited Link Crew members to brainstorm with Ericka Gonzalez of the Redondo Beach Police Department (RBPD). Gonzalez, a victim’s advocate for the RBPD, is experienced in helping individuals in abusive relationships through her use of financial and emotional support.

“We want to figure out whatever is [benefical to the victims]. We want to figure out how to best utilize Ericka and how to best help our students,” Genovese said.

Gonzalez and Link Crew members brainstormed ways to approach the “serious matter” of dating violence in a “fun way.”

Some ideas during the brainstorming were bringing in guest speakers and organizing rallies. A prevalent idea among the group is creating a video similar to the RU Ready video from earlier this year.

This week the choir performed at their winter recital, RUHS dressed up to show their spirit on Pajama and Ugly Sweater day, and Frosty’s Festival showed the school’s festive side by celebrating the holidays of the winter season.

2 HIGH TIDE . FEATURES

“I think that if [students] watch a video on dating abuse and realize how important it is,” Link Crew member and senior Vitoria Magno said. “It’ll have more of an impact.”

The video would aim to capture everyone’s attention, not just those in an abusive relationship.

“Who is the real problem: the person who’s being abused or the abuser?” Gonzalez said.

Another idea is implementing various student art groups to create murals to promote awareness. According to Gonzalez, students participation is key.

“Teenagers reach out to their own peers for help. It’s about learning how to identify things. What is love? What is control?”

Gonzalez said.

By informing the students in interesting ways, Gonzalez and Genovese hope that they can prevent dating abuse at RUHS. “We have no idea what’s going on at home, but there’s a ripple effect,” Gonzalez said. “What goes on at home touches everyone in the community,” Genovese said.

Takemoto, Currie share tips on successful clubs

by Shawn Mallen

2.

1.

PHOTO BY CLAIRE TISIUS

PHOTO BY CLAIRE TISIUS

Dawn of a new era. 1. Drama teacher Justin Baldridge plans to teach a class on Shakespeare next year that combines writing and acting 2. Major for Humanities allows students to prepare for college by exploring subjects that are typically not offered.

Brandt introduces Major for Humanities program

by Jewell Black

Major for Humanities is being developed at RUHS for students who are more interested in languages, history, English, visual arts, and performing arts.

“It’s dedicated to students who are creative and excited about expressing themselves,” Assistant Principal Jens Brandt said.

Principal Nicole Wesley’s objective is for students to be able to explore potential similar classes they might take in college.

“I believe students will have a more competitive edge if a college were to see that

a student graduated having completed a humanities program,” Wesley said.

There will be several degrees available such as visual arts, international relations, economics, social media, and performing arts. These degrees might involve crosscurricular components such as the theatre department and the English department collaborating to teach Shakespeare.

“This would be exciting because we understand that students would welcome an opportunity to not only read, but to also act out Shakespeare,” Brandt said.

According to Brandt, there are other

schools across the country who have taken on the humanities pathway.

“We are modeling this program off of other schools, [but we also plan] to create new courses because we want our school to be unique,” Brandt said.

There is a possibility of having of students maintain a portfolio throughout high school to be presented to their teacher and peers at the end of this pathway.

“The idea is to present something to our students that is similar to a college experience, so they are prepared [for] the expectations of college,” Brandt said.

Club Rush is long gone, and all of the clubs have attempted to provide the promised experiences for their members.

The problem is that some have not delivered.

According to Kelsie Currie, a club facilitator for ASB, the clubs that disband struggle to keep the interest of their members or are unorganized.

“What I’ve seen is that the club’s success is really dependent on holding regular meetings,” Currie said.

Although some clubs struggle, senior Tyler Takemoto, president of the Aspiring Author’s Club, has found ways to maintain his club’s interest. “[The Aspiring Author’s club] kind of has its own niche. All of the people in the club are passionate about what we talk about,” Takemoto said.

In addition, they set short and long term goals for themselves to accomplish over time. This sets a purpose for the club and its members who are “motivated” and “excited to learn.”

“The main thing that a club can do to make it a successful club is make members excited about what they are doing,” Takemoto said.

Administration closes bathroom in an attempt to stop future vandals

by Laura Smith

The walk becomes farther and the line longer as the boys rush to use the only open bathroom before the snack bell rings.

Unfortunately for the boys, the Main Hall bathroom was closed last Friday due to excessive vandalism.

According to Assistant Principal Jens Brandt, the mirrors and tiles were carved up, toilets were clogged, and wet toilet paper was thrown on walls and left to harden. “[By closing the bathroom] we’re trying to send a message that obviously these actions are disrespectful and unacceptable,”

Brandt said.

He understands, though, that not all the boys are taking part in such acts.

“About 99% of our students don’t do this sort of thing,” Brandt said. “It’s embarrassing to the rest of the school.”

Senior Nick Johnson agrees that the vandalism is disrespectful and inconsiderate towards others.

“It’s honestly a bummer for those who didn’t do anything wrong and have to pay the consequence of losing the Main Hall bathroom,” Johnson said. “I’m upset about the situation that the vandal put us in.”

Johnson also finds the bathroom closing to be a burden.

“It’s an inconvenience for all of us because we have to walk farther to the next bathroom and stand in an even longer line than before,” he said. “By the time a stall is even available, the bell might have already rung.”

Brandt claims that the bathroom had been closed due to vandalism years ago, as well, and that by restricting the use of the bathroom, admin “[hopes] that vandalism at the school will decrease.”

Johnson justifies admin’s decision to close the bathroom down temporarily.

The administrators’ decision was a fair choice in order to prevent people from doing even more damage to our facilities,” Johnson said. “It’s a reasonable consequence, but I honestly feel they took it too far and that it didn’t do much to prevent vandalism in the future.”

According to Brandt, the vandalism is destroying the school’s campus that the community has put its money into.

“To me, Redondo has the nicest high school campus in California, and they’re abusing it,” Brandt said. “We’re hoping that the boys take responsibility to respect their bathroom as well as their campus.”

PHOTO BY DIANA LUNA

PHOTO BY DIANA LUNA

Feeling crumby? Seniors Sierra Kaufman, Izzy Del Real, Britney Oldham, and Amanda Towler decorate gingerbread cookies at Frosty’s Festival, an event held by ASB every year to celebrate the holiday season.

Strutting their stuff. Juniors Jazmine Cary, Marissa Cascio, Destiny Ponce, and Alyssa Gruenwald all displayed their school spirt when they dressed up for Ugly Sweater Day on Thursday.

3 HIGH TIDE . FEATURES

Letters to the

Editor If you have an opinion about one of the articles, we welcome letters to the editor at hightideonline@gmail.com.

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

HIGH TIDE

STAFF

Editor-in-Chief: Julia Tran Managing Editor: Emma Uriarte Writing Director: Tricia Light Design Director: Taylor Ballard Sports Director: Tatiana Celentano News Editor: Andrew Czuzak Opinion Editor: Cedric Hyon; Mannal Haddad Features Editors: Taylor Brightwell; Shivaani Gandhi; Kylie Martin; Haley Meyers; Alejandro Quevedo Sports Editor: Allegra Peelor Photo Editors:Vitoria Magno-Baptista; Diana Luna Copy Editors: Hana Ghanim; Ilana LaGraff; Navikka Dasz Cartoonist: Cooper Lovano Online Editors: Vivian Lam; Kayla Maanum; LeAnn Maanum Staff Writers: Victoria Artaza; Alina Bieschke; Joseph Bieschke; Jewell Black; Kenneth Bowen; Kira Bowen; Kolbie Brightwell; Ted Cavus; Deborah Chang; Edwin Chavez; Caitlin Cochran; Yasmeen El-Hasan; Micah Ezzes; Zoe Ezzes; Anna Fauver; Stella Gianoukakis; Anacristina Gonzalez; Nageena Hamraz; Natalie Hardiman; Katie Hill; Haris Khan; Chance King; Angela Kim; Justin Lee; Daniel Loveland; Shawn Mallen; Nicholas McCarthy; Romy Moreno; Alida Newson; Kayla Nicholls; Susan Nieves; Rachael Orford; Lindsey Pannor; Cameron Paulson; Jene Price; Jason Rochlin; Molly Rood; Shelby Salerno; Beth Shallon; Laura Smith; Cole Stecyk; Savannah Stern; Karissa Taylor; Claire Tisius; Grace Zoerner Adviser: Mitch Ziegler The High Tide dedicates itself to producing a high-quality publication that both informs and entertains the entire student body.

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

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

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

4 HIGH TIDE . OPINION/NEWS

Editorial:

Administration closes main hall boys’ bathroom due to vandalism.

WHAT WE THINK By closing the boys’ bathroom, all students, even those who did not take part in the vandalism will suffer. The inconvienienced students who had nothing to do with the vandalism will pressure the vandalists to stop.

Some men just want to watch the world burn. What else could possibly motivate these people to vandalize the boy’s bathroom? What’s stopping them from doing it again?

Yes, administration closed the boys’ bathroom to show that this kind of behavior is unacceptable. Some would argue that this is only punishing the people who didn’t vandalize the bathrooms, but maybe that’s the point.

A few years ago, I was on a recreation league basketball team with a kid who disrespected the coach all the time. The coach made him run almost nonstop, but that didn’t change his behavior. He would still jog through the runs, make snide comments, and make lazy plays.

So the coach did something unexpected.

He had the boy stand in the middle of the court and had everyone else run while the boy just stood there and watched. This happened every time he was disrespectful or lazy; we ran.

We despised the delinquent for it and he knew it. It didn’t take long for the players to privately speak to him and tell him he either needed to get his act together or stop play-

ILLUSTRATION BY COOPER LOVANO

ing. The team was sick of running for his mistakes and we were going to end it there.

Ultimately, the coach’s tactics worked.

While he, as an adult, could not force the player to do anything, the players knew him on a personal level, and we were able to connect with him to force him to change. It was no longer a matter of a distant authority figure telling him to do something, but rather a friend telling him that he was making himself look bad.

If the boys here want to be treated with respect, we need to earn it. Someone who didn’t participate in the crime must know someone who did. Whoever that is needs to

tell that person that their behavior is unacceptable, not just to the administration, but to their peers and friends.

On the other hand, we could simply complain about administration and do nothing about the situation as we see it repeat over and over again.

Now the power to stop this behavior is not in the hands of the administration, it is in those of the students’. Now is the time to show them that we refuse to let a few people embarrass the whole student body. Now RUHS can show that not only do we have one of the most beautiful campuses in California, but that we deserve it as well.

ASB to enforce club regulations

by Molly Rood

Starting second semester, club regula​ tions will be enforced. There is a misconception that ASB has added multiple new rules for clubs to follow. The rules, however, are not new; the only change is that clubs will be closely monitored to make sure they are following the regulations. ​ASB adviser Sheri Gross says that she is now aware of the regulations which were never really clear to her before. ​“We are going to do our best to make sure the rules are followed,” Gross said. ​As of now, students are not fully aware that they have to turn in minutes and duration of club meetings or that they must

participate in a community service activity.

The first step to making the regulations known was the club presidents’ meeting that was held last week. ​“Right now, we are just going to try to ease everyone into the changes,” Gross said. ​Club presidents seem to be supportive of the changes. Drama Club President Noelle Graham believes that although clubs may die off, students will have a better experience with their club members. ​“I think the new regulations will narrow club options, but now we will have clubs that actually want to make a difference,” Graham said. ​Part of the issue is that many of them are not very active within the school or the

community. ​“It will weed out the clubs that just meet for fun and do not really get anything accomplished,” Graham said.

Graham’s club has already met all of the requirements so she “does not feel worried” about the regulations.

Sanjay Mahboobani, head of Junior Class Council, agrees with Graham.

“Students are supposed to make clubs for something they are passionate about. Too many students create a club just to get into college. That isn’t what it should be about,” he said.

Some clubs have nothing to worry about.

Others though, will need to step up to the plate and make a change.

PRO: Non-

AROUND REDONDO Do you think nonfiction books should be added to our reading curriculum? compiled by Navikka Dasz and Ilana LaGraff

“I like true stories because they’re more realistic and I like fiction because you can use your imagination.”

Wendy Garcia, 12

Jason Rochlin

fiction books better prepare students for life.

The Common Core State Standards in English will hit the California legislature by 2014 and, if they are passed, anywhere between 50-70 percent of the books in curriculums between kindergartens and high schools around the state will be required non-fiction. This law would replace the typical fictional novels teachers and students alike are so used to in their school experience.

While most may consider the idea of shelving certain literary classics such as The Great Gatsby and The Catcher in the Rye in exchange for more documentaries and historical records a terrible idea, it is not as bad

a development as it sounds.

In high school, the main focus of reading fictional novels is to soak in the timeless life lessons they offer and develop yourself as a person. However, how does this style prepare you for life beyond high school? Many experts believe that an education so full of fictional reading and lacking non-fiction leaves students badly prepared for college, where most of the education will be based on documents and speeches at a more vigorous level.

On top of that, what happens in the real world when you are out of college and much of the reading you do will be from newspapers about politics? If you are not disciplined to read that style of writing early on, how prepared will you be when you have to in everyday life?

According to English teacher Angie Yi, who teaches the Expository English class (focusing almost entirely on non-fiction books), there are other benefits to students reading more non-fiction novels. While the

subjects in fictional books typically associate with the same universal themes that we have been learning since a very young age, nonfictional material focuses more on issues that plague our modern-day society.

Students tend to show much more enthusiasm when arguing about issues related to their everyday lives from what Yi has seen through her teaching. They are much more likely to be outgoing and voice their opinions when it’s on issues such as obesity and class relations and less afraid of their opinions being seen as “the wrong answer” to the question.

So yes, while some teachers may be upset that they are being forced to change the way they teach and that they may not have the chance to teach the classics they grew up with,students truly benefit from this legislature.

Also, if the literary classics are truly as special as they have been portrayed, then we should still be encouraged to read them, despite them being cut from the curriculum.

“Yeah, they’re great ways to teach and educate people about past events and history.”

Chris Heredia, 11

“I think so because they are real stories.”

Should there be more nonfiction literature in English curriculums?

Alyssa Grijalva, 9 “No, fiction is better because you can make it more fun and more interesting.”

Michael Okuda, 11

“Yes, because they are better to learn about real stuff.”

CON: Non-

Sara Bilowit, 9

“Yes, because they give real life events to relate to.”

Austin Bruner, 11

“It’s nice having fiction in the curriculum; fiction’s enough.”

Jon Gelotin, 10 PHOTOS BY VITORIA MAGNO

Anacristina Gonzalez

fiction books lead to a lifeless curriculum.

The ability to imagine and create is one of the most unique abilities that we all have as humans. It is one of the main traits that make humans unique. Consider for a moment how a person’s ability to be imaginative and creative would be completely stifled if that person were never exposed to literary works such as Gulliver’s Travels or The Ad-

ventures of Huckleberry Finn while in school.

Works such as these might not be based on true events from history, but the messages they have to offer are no less valuable than any from a nonfiction book.

British writer Richard Hughes once said, “All that non-fiction can do is answer questions. It’s fiction’s business to ask them.” Fictional works are able to present topics and ideas in ways that a non-fictional work cannot do without compromising their historical credibility and accuracy. Fictional works are also able to stimulate the creative components of the human mind that non-fictions would never be able to reach. If these creative components of the mind are never nourished and stimulated, how are they ever expected to grow?

Since school is where most students do most of their reading, limiting fictional works from the school’s English curriculum would get rid of one of the few places where young adults can still be exposed to works of literature that can challenge their way of seeing the world around them, one of the few places that can teach them important life lessons in easily accessible ways, and one of the few places that can help their imaginations flourish and thrive.

Fiction has the power to cross cultural, economic, and social barriers. It offers an escape from the occasional dullness of everyday life, and it can enlighten people through its often universally accessible messages.

A world without fiction would be a very dull and colorless one.

. . OPINION 5 HIGH TIDE

Chris Colfer talks about his new film ‘Struck by Lightning’

by Hana Ghanim and Navikka Dasz

Sneak peak & synopsis Struck by Lightning, a coming-of-age film written by Chris Colfer of “Glee” portrays the life of 17-year-old Clover High School senior Carson Phillips (Colfer), who is desperate to get out of his small town where the people around him are closeminded and lack ambition.

Carson is an aspiring journalist surrounded by stereotypical high school students—the jocks, the goths, the cheerleaders—a deadbeat, alcoholic mother, and a father who left him as a child and returns years later with a pregnant fiancé. However, he is killed by a bolt of lightning so the movie recounts his last few weeks alive.

Through his failure to run the school paper, his scheme to blackmail popular students into writing for his literary magazine, and his blossoming relationship with his only friend at school, Melanie (Rebel Wilson), the sarcastic and unhappy Carson learn in that sometimes getting too wrapped up in life can be dangerous.

Struck by Lightning comes into select theatres beginning Jan. 11.

Quick Q & A with Colfer Q:

How does it feel to see a book you wrote come to life?

A:

Amazing. I think the best feeling I’ve ever had. It’s kind of like holding your child, but less fluid.

Q:

What was your inspiration to make the film?

A: I was tired of movies coming out that

were geared towards an audience that I didn’t relate to. They were always about the same people—the jocks, the cheerleaders, and the people that wanted to be them. I got really frustrated especially because they were all about sex and drugs and parties, and I wasn’t participating in any of those things.

I really wanted to see a movie about kids, like us, that had dreams and goals and the things they had to deal with just for having the audacity to have those dreams and goals.

I thought a movie like that would be tentimes more beneficial.

Q:

Did any of the bullying that Carson experiences have anything to do with your past?

A: Yes, I’d say so, except Carson never let

himself be a victim, and I think I always let myself be the victim and let people pick on me. I had some great one-liner comebacks, but they were never quite as good as Carson’s.

A: My “struck by lightning” moment in

high school was around the same time that Carson was “struck by lightning.” [Carson and I] were both in a very defeated state of mind. We were both trying to run The Writers’ Club, we were both trying to accomplish what seemed like absolutely impossible and were completely underappreciated for it. I still remember the exact spot that I was when I had the idea. I was walking to my car, just like Carson was when he got struck by lightning.

Q:

When you were writing your script, did you always envision yourself to be the lead character?

A:

It was always me. I was always very vain when I wrote it. I definitely wrote it for myself; and I quickly learned that if you want to do something, you have to do it for yourself. I always had myself and Allison Janning in mind.

Q: How has the film, “Struck by Lightning”, differ from anything you’ve done before, such as “Glee”?

PHOTO COURTESY OF STRUCK BY LIGHTNING

say, ‘Nope, I rewrote it.’ That was the biggest difference.

Q: What advice do you have for kids who are pursuing their dreams?

A: My best advice would be to not give up

by lightning” moment?

Whenever I flub a line on Glee, the script supervisor comes up and says ‘Chris, you got the line wrong’ and then tells me what the right line is. Whenever I would flub a line on “Struck by Lightning”, the script supervisor would come up and say ‘Chris, you got the line wrong’ and I’d just

and not let the fact that there are other people at your school that are competitive like you discourage you.

Overall, don’t let other people’s lack of imagination discourage yours. I was always intimidated by people in high school. And I was right, but you can’t let being intimidated take away your drive.

Through the bustle of people and the soft sounds of the orchestra, there was a certain air of anticipation while waiting for curtain call. Gold and red filled the stage as beautiful dancers leapt across the floor and the live orchestra began to play. Music filled the room and the audience applauded for the Long Beach Performing Arts Center’s performance of the ballet classic The Nutcracker.

Going to the ballet, one usually pictures adult ballerinas and dancers. After 30 years of The Nutcracker going strong at the Long

Beach Performing Arts Center, the most recent director, David Wilcox, has evolved the Nutcracker to be a more kid friendly, family show.

Ranging from small children and teenagers to professional adults, the Long Beach Ballet put on a spectacular show.

The story of The Nutcracker follows a young girl named Clara and a mysterious Nutcracker her uncle gave her on Christmas Eve. As Clara falls asleep with the Nutcracker in hand, she delves into a dream filled with dancing mice, toy soldiers, sugar-plum fairies, and flowers.

The first act is centered around the a family Christmas party filled with young children, a maid, and adults. Clara, the main character does a wonderful job of dancing the story and staying in character.

She demonstrated beautiful dance technique for such a young age.

The first act is mainly geared towards younger audiences, as more children were in the dances than expected. While it was entertaining, some people, including myself, might have liked to see more of the adult dancers and their advanced choreography.

As the first act ended with Clara flying up into the sky in a horse-drawn carriage, the audience was anticipation for the second act as intermission started.

After 15 minutes of getting snacks and beverages, the orchestra seemingly got louder and louder from outside the doors, signaling that the show was about to start.

The curtain opened, and more young girls appeared on stage as angels. Although I’m sure a proud parent in the audience was thrilled to see their child, I wanted to see the professionals.

At last, adults started to enter the stage and, to me, the real performance began.

The performace was diverse and unique as the spanish, chinese, russian, and arabian dances took on the stage in sugar plum fairy and flower costumes. With meticulous precision to each dance, tremendous prop design, and talented dancers, the audience was captivated by the show.

The last performance is this weekend, Dec. 22 and 23, at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at the Long Beach Performing Arts Center.

Tickets are $28 to $65. I strongly recommend the Long Beach Ballet’s The Nutcracker to enjoy the arts this holiday.

Q: In high school, what was your “struck

A:

Review of Long Beach Ballet’s ‘The Nutcracker’

by Cameron Paulson

PHOTOS COURTESY OF PASADENA NOW

6

HIGH TIDE . ENTERTAINMENT

Chance’s Choice

BEST ALBUMS OF 2012 according to Chance King

Very Memorable, focused and boundary challenging release.

Strong tracks overall, but lacking a true focus.

Lacking focus or experimentation, but still maintaining memorability.

FRANK OCEAN - CHANNEL ORANGE

HOLOGRAMS - HOLOGRAMS

DIRTY PROJECTORS - SWING LO MAGELLAN

Beautiful, emotional and catchy songs about love and identity. The album is arresting from start to finish with excellent singing and storytelling. Ocean is at the top of his game.

The debut release from this Swedish post-punk outfit boasts some of the most energetic tracks of the year. Fans of Joy Division and New Order will enjoy this release.

On their sixth studio release, the New York collective has crafted some of the most upbeat and catchy tracks of 2012.

Track to listen to: “Bad Religion”This is Ocean’s most powerful song yet and highlights what makes this album brilliant.

Track to listen to: “Chasing My Mind”This track will make anyone bounce off the walls...in a good way.

JOEY BADA$$ - 1999

The debut mixtape from this New York rapper steals it’s style from golden era hip-hop giants like the Wu-Tang Clan while still sounding fresh.The excellent beats and wordplay make this the best mixtape of the year.

Track to listen to: “Survival Tactics”This track has a great piano sample in the beat and displays the rapping ability of Joey Bada$$ like no other track on the tape.

CLOUD NOTHINGS - ATTACK ON MEMORY

The latest release from the rock outfit creeps along very slowly, but shares powerful songs. The musicianship of the members in this group make it one of the best rock albums of the year.

Track to listen to: “Stay Useless”Definitely the standout track from the album. Poppy and fun with an excellent shout-along chorus.

Track to listen to: “About to Die”- This song has the strangest beats of any on the album, but is the strongest in terms of melody and songwriting.

KENDRICK LAMAR - GOOD KID, M.A.A.D CITY

On his sophomore release, the California rapper displays his writing prowess.

Backed by stellar production and storytelling, this release stands out as one of the most essential rap albums of the year.

Track to listen to: “Swimming Pools (Drank)”- Excellent rapping and a catchy hook, not much more to it.

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HIGH TIDE . ENTERTAINMENT

C

upcake

C

Whether biting down into soft vanilla cake, enjoying the delicate melting of chocolate or savoring the zesty taste of lemon, sweets have the power to taunt taste buds.

For seniors Kait Ritter and Suzie Benoit, baking and decorating cupcakes unleashes their sweet tooth and brings their friendship closer together.

Although they have known each other since the sixth grade, both Benoit and Ritter became best friends when they began baking together at the beginning of their junior year. Since then they have created various designs ranging from Pac-Man to baseballs to cookie monsters.

“I doodle in class and think of things that could go on a cupcake that would make a cool design. The holidays are also good inspiration for ideas,” she said.

Even though they have created and decorated many cupcakes, not all of them were easy to create, according to Ritter.

Despite the time it takes to make them and how much focus goes into each detail, they both enjoy the challenge and the final outcome of their cupcakes.

“Sometimes the designs can be a pain in the butt and it can be irritating, but the result always pays off, and they end up looking really cool,” Benoit said.

One specific batch of cupcakes stands out to both Benoit and Ritter. They tested their skills through an intricate design of melting chocolate to decorate three- dimensional butterflies.

“The butterflies were a challenge, but they definitely looked the best and turned out amazing,” Benoit said.

Both Benoit and Ritter decided to make cupcakes one day to pass the time and they fell in love with baking and decorating.

They continued to make cupcakes because it sparked their interests, and they have a fun

8 HIGH TIDE . FEATURES

time designing them.

“We started baking cupcakes together, and it is just our thing. I don’t think very many other people think about baking and decorating cupcakes all the time,” Benoit said.

Ritter and Benoit are not the only people impressed with their work, however; many people, including friends and family, enjoy seeing their latest creation. Although they usually make them just for fun, they have also made a profit from their designs.

Benoit and Ritter made $30 from a neighbor and close family friend for a single batch of the duo’s cupcakes. Ritter’s mother Roberta Clark believes their commitment is the reason people “want to see what they come up with.”

“The girls are very clever with designs, usually going with a theme. They frequently sketch out designs and have gotten really good with decorations,” Clark said.

Through baking they have learned that they both work well together and seem to be a match made in heaven; they can be focused on their work and still have a good time together.

“They’re very collaborative and work well together.

Their creative ideas and execution is a testament to how well they get along and how they respect each other’s ideas,” Clark said. “They giggle a lot when they’re working together, but they’re also really focused on a specific outcome. They spend a lot of time

reativity Senior Suzie Benoit and Kait Ritter bake creative cupcakes for their friends. illustration and story by Karissa Taylor

making sure the end result is just so.”

Although they spend a lot of time baking, Benoit and Ritter have never seriously considered going into business with one another because they see baking as a hobby, not as a career option.

Each time they make their cupcakes, it takes about two hours to bake and decorate them, but Ritter and Benoit make sure baking never interferes with their schoolwork and will only bake in their spare time, after school, or on weekends.

“Sometimes we end up spending hours and hours baking cupcakes, losing sleep on school nights,” Ritter said.

To make sure baking never becomes their first priority, both Benoit and Ritter multitask to get their homework done.

“We typically do something while [baking cupcakes] like homework or watching a movie since we have to wait for them to actually bake in the oven,” Benoit said. “It kills two birds with one stone.”

Ritter and Benoit firmly believe that baking has strengthened their relationship.

They are able to get work done together as well as have a laugh or two.

“We have fun making a mess together and make each other laugh a lot when we bake. Baking has made us closer because it’s something we both love doing together and get excited about,” Ritter said.

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Baking buddies. 1. Seniors Suzie Benoit and Kait Ritter’s Pac-Man cupcakes decorated with colored chocolate and vanilla frosting. 2. Vanilla cupcakes topped by blue vanilla frosting and a candy rainbow. 3. Vanilla cupcakes decorated with vanilla and chocolate frosting, topped by a raspberry. 4. Three-dimensional chocolate butterflies on top of chocolate cupcakes. Photos courtesy of Suzie Benoit.

Life Lessons

by Angela Kim

Culinary Arts provides srudents with valuable cooking skills

The subtle aroma of baked treats still lingers in the warm air of Kris Moon’s classroom from last Friday’s lab. Every Friday, Moon’s beginning and introduction to culinary arts classes work in groups to bake.

“I like [cooking] with people because it’s fun, and you’re sharing the work, sharing the cleanup,” freshman Madison Caldwell said.

Because the Introduction to Culinary Arts classes do not venture into cooking the more difficult and savory dishes, the classes spend a lot of their time baking.

“Pastry baking is my thing. I love designing. I love the little details. I love all that.

I love the small, little things,” freshman Samantha Moran said.

Although Moon, an advocate of healthyeating, admits baked goods with their high sugar content are not the healthiest of foods, they are ideal in order to teach the students the basics of cooking: measurement, accuracy, and timing.

“To teach some of the skills that are required, there’s a lot of baking with sugar and flour. Plus, those are less expensive ingredients to start off with,” Moon said.

Despite the high content of sugar and fat included in baking, Moon emphasizes the importance of healthy eating and of basic sanitation.

“Everybody needs to have a good healthy diet and know about food sanitation, kitchen sanitation, and safety to prevent food-borne illnesses and accidents,” Moon said.

Moon herself enjoys cooking because she knows exactly what ingredients are going into her food and how her food is being prepared, unlike in restaurants where food is usually prepared behind closed doors. Many students share her views and enjoy cooking themselves.

“I like cooking because it’s a way to connect with people. If you cook, everyone likes to eat your food,” said senior Sierra Gaffney.

According to Moon, cooking is not only a social outlet where friends and families can gather to have a pleasant time, but also an efficient way to save money while doing so. Cooking is a hobby that has lasted her whole life.

“Cooking is extremely social, providing a wonderful opportunity for families and friends to get together,” Moon said. “I’ve actually been cooking with the same group of friends since college. We still get together and cook.

It started when we were in college and we didn’t have money to go out, so each person would bring an ingredient and we’d make a meal out of it.”

Students like Gaffney and Caldwell share Moon’s views. Also like Moon, they think that RUHS should offer Advanced Culinary Arts as an elective as it did before in years 2007 to 2010.

“I think we need [an advanced class] because most people know the basics of cooking. We should have the more advanced students learn how to do more than the basics,” freshman David Lean said.

In Introduction to Culinary Arts, the students focus mainly on the food sanitation components and cook for themselves.

But in Advanced Culinary Arts, the students would focus more on cooking for and serving others. In addition, the sanitation issues would be stepped up and there would even be an opportunity for the students to write a resume.

“For somebody who might be interested in pursuing a career in [culinary arts], Advanced Culinary Arts gives them something to put on their resume when they’re applying out there,” Moon said.

Still, Advanced Culinary Arts would not only target those interested in pursuing a career or part-time job in the culinary arts field. According to Moon, simply being able to cater at the annual art show grand open-

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ings and Western Association of Schools and Colleges team meetings was a benefit for the advanced class’s students. “[Cooking and catering] gave the [students] a real sense of pride and accomplishment because they made the food and they served the food. And to stand in front of their peers on campus and be able to present their food gave them a real sense of pride,” Moon said.

Moon is not the only one who advocates the re-establishment of the advanced course.

Though Moran is only a freshman, she already considers the possibility of majoring in culinary arts. Consequently, she supports the restoration of the Advanced Culinary Arts course.

“I would definitely sign up for that class to take my skills to the next level.

As I’m growing up, I would like to learn skills like those of an adult,” Moran said.

Not only will the course attract those who want to delve deeper into the components of Culinary Arts, but according to Gaffney, an advanced course would also appeal to upperclassmen.

“It’s not that [seniors] want to learn to cook, it’s that we want a class where we can learn new things, new recipes, and new techniques,” Gaffney said.

Moon does not know whether the course will be re-established, but hopes it will because according to her and her students, culinary arts is an enjoyable course any student can excel in.

“I’ve seen a lot of kids over the years be so proud of what they can do,” Moon said.

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PHOTOS BY ALIDA NEWSON

Iron chefs. 1. Moon gives directions as the class begins their twelve foot long burrito that was made on Wednesday. 2. A student dices up tomatoes for the burrito. 3. Moon adds sour cream to the burrito. 4. A student takes her turn sprinkling grated cheese onto the burrito. 5. A student adds cilantro to her section of the burrito.

9 HIGH TIDE . FEATURES

Home sweet home

Freshman Annabella Ioda feels comfort knowing that her brother is safe at home after serving in the marine corps.

by Stella Gianoukakis

She had been waiting in the cold and in the dark for hours, when finally she saw a bus approaching. Minutes later, she saw him walk off the bus and ran into his arms.

In that instant, the thoughts of never seeing him again vanished. After what seemed to her like an eternity, freshman Annabella Ioda was reunited with her brother.

Ioda’s 24-year-old brother, Anton, came home after serving in the marines for four-and-a-half months. According to Ioda, she and her family were relieved to see Anton home safe.

“I wasn’t crying when I saw him, but there was a lump in my throat. I was about to explode. The sadness turned to joy and all my feelings mixed together in a bunch,” Ioda said. “It was probably one of the happiest moments ever just to see him alive.”

Even though her brother is back, it is still tough for Ioda to think about the day he left. Her entire family drove up to San Diego to see him leave on the bus.

“It was really sad. Everyone was in a little room and gathering to say goodbye. When he was leaving, he started to cry, which made me cry. It was a very sad moment. On the way home I could not stop crying,” Ioda said.

From that moment on, Ioda and her family had no communication with her brother for days.

“When he left, it would take a few days for him to get to the base. It was very scary and nerve-racking because we didn’t know if he landed safely or not,” Ioda said.

Anton knew that leaving would be tough on his family

as well as himself.

“I have always had the upmost respect for the military, and I wanted to be a part of something greater than myself. I admired the discipline, commitment, and courage of marines, so I decided to enlist,” Anton said. “I knew time away from friends and family would be difficult, but I was fortunate enough to have internet and phone communication where I was stationed, at so it wasn’t that bad.”

For Ioda, the first few weeks were the hardest. Anton could not communicate with them for longs periods of time. According to Ioda, it was rare for her brother to call, but when he did, she was overjoyed.

“I didn’t to know what to expect. We were not sure if he was okay and alive or what was going on. It was tough to cope with it because I didn’t know if I would ever see him again,” Ioda said.

However, during the moments when it was hard for her to cope with the situation, Ioda knew that her family would help her through it and she learned an important lesson that she will carry with her for the rest of her life.

“I learned to appreciate people when they are here. You can get upset with them, but you must always appreciate them because you never know what will happen. One day you will see them and the next day you might not,” Ioda said.

After the experience Ioda had, she grew as a person.

“The final time I saw my brother, I thought

Fighting for a cause

by Susan Nieves

Most teenagers struggle with problems like getting A’s on their tests, making sure to squeeze in enough sleep, and dealing with their annoying younger siblings. For senior Carlene Cui, however, her struggles revolve around her battle with lupus.

Cui was officially diagnosed with lupus in 2011. Since her diagnosis, Cui has had to set aside time from her normal schedule for treatment. She has gone through months of chemotherapy and radiation and has taken various medications. Currently, lupus is not curable. “[Before I was knew that I had lupus], my family noticed [that I was] drowsy, and I started to bloat up,” she said. “I went to sleep with a migraine and when I woke up later that night, my mom took me to Cedars Senai Hospital. I was diagnosed there.”

Living with

Lupus THE FACTS AND FIGURES

Lupus symptoms:

10 HIGH TIDE . FEATURES

1.5 million 90% 70% 20%

PHOTO COURTESY OF ANNABELLA IODA

Senior Carlene Cui adjusts to RUHS after transferring, copes with lupus disease, and collects funds for lupus throughout the school by selling bracelets.

In order to receive treatment for her lupus, Cui had to move closer to a hospital that offered it. As a result, she also had to transfer to RUHS. According to Cui, she did not have friends for her first months of school. Cui admits that during her junior year, she was suffering from depression.

“Psychologically, it’s hard to deal with something like this,” Cui said. “I was going through an emo stage and [I] was very suicidal.”

Senior Phoenix Mackley saw signs of Cui’s depression after meeting her.

“Sometimes she would have really good days,” Mackley said. “But the next day, for no apparent reason, she would get really upset and neither she, nor I, would know why.”

Despite having to deal with lupus and depression, Cui was able to find a silver lining when the Make-a-Wish foundation granted her wish for a trip to Hawaii with her entire

1. Pain or swelling in joints 2. Muscle pain 3. Fever with no known cause 4. Red rashes, most often on the face 5. Chest pain when taking a deep breath 6. Hair loss 7. Pale or purple fingers or toes 8. Sensitivity to the sun 9. Swelling in legs or around eyes 10. Mouth ulcers 11. Swollen glands 12. Fatigue

that it might be the last. So, I really embraced that moment. When he returned safely, I knew that from then on I would always treasure all the times I have with people I love,” Ioda said.

family.

In addition, Cui has made an effort to help others who have lupus. Last year, Cui asked the school to help her fundraise for the Lupus Foundation. She has raised over $500 through donations and through selling various bracelets.

“It was inspirational,” Mackley said. “[Cui] wasn’t selling bracelets selfishly at all. She was selling bracelets because it was her trying to take a step towards [battling] lupus, not just for herself, but for every person that has it.”

Cui realized “how short life is” when she met another student at Redondo whose brother had just passed away.

“She saw how much I hated to be where I was and how down I usually was. I saw how much she loved her brother and how much he looked forward to living his life after he got out of the hospital. She showed me how much it means to live and to appreciate life so much more,” Cui said.

people in America have a form of lupus, a disease where the body’s immune system becomes hyperactive and attacks normal, healthy tissue. of people diagnosed with Lupus are female. of all cases are Systemic lupus, the most severe type of lupus that can affect any of the body’s organs or organ systems. of those with lupus have a parent or sibling who already has lupus or may develop lupus.

Facts complied at http://www.niams.nih.gov/health_info/Lupus/lupus_ff.asp

REACHING OUT Students find ways to help others this holiday season by collecting toys for underpriviledged children and by spending time with sick children in the hospital.

Orford to spend time with sick children first person by Rachael Orford

The memories of being stuck in bed with IV’s, of having an abundance of ever-changing nurses and doctors, and of eating food that tasted about as good as airplane food struck me as I thought of the children that will be stuck at the hospital during the holidays. I have always considered the holidays a time to be close to people, and I know that being at the hospital is a very lonely experience.

Last year in November, I was hospitalized because I had fainted several times in the span of a week. I spent about a week at the Long Beach Miller’s Children Hospital going through multiple neurological exams. Unfortunately, my doctors were unable to come up with a diagnosis for my illness, but I was able to come home. I have been sick since

then, but I have never forgotten what it was like for me my first time at the hospital when I was suffering the most from my illness.

Staying at the hospital was extremely boring. There was nothing to do but watch TV and play on my iPhone. All I remember about staying at the hospital is being so lonely.

Of course I had visitors, but after being there for days on end, it felt like I was forgotten.

Knowing what it is like to feel such loneliness, I decided that this year I would spend time with the children at Long Beach Miller’s Children Hospital on Christmas Eve and reassure them that they are not forgotten. I am going to gather a small group of my friends, and we are going to

bring cookies and holiday treats to the patients. Hopefully, we will make their day a little less lonely.

The gesture is not grand by any means, but it is a simple way of caring for other people. I hope to really connect with the children by relating to them with their struggles for health. The patients that I met when I stayed at the Long Beach Miller’s Children Hospital seemed so sad and hopeless and I know how truly frightening health can sometimes be. The volunteers and staff that I met when I stayed there really were so compassionate and gave me hope that whatever I was going through health wise will be okay in the end.

I want to be able to give that same hope to children in the hospital as well.

Clubs organize toy drives for holidays

by Nicholas McCarthy

As the holiday season rolls in, even the less fortunate can still be cheerful through the help of the People to People Club’s toy drive.

The People to People Club is an international club, founded in 1956 by President Eisenhower, whose goal is to promote peace through understanding and education.

“We are trying to help our local founding area,” club president Sebastian Coronel said, “Our focus this year is on property and us.”

The school club is holding a toy drive to donate to the Family Crisis Center, a local nonprofit shelter for domestic violence survivors, runaway and homeless youth, lowincome people, and others in crisis. “[This shelter] is local and is not quite well-known, so we can provide direct aid to families in all of South Bay,” Coronel said, “It’s a direct way to help the community and you get to see the people you are helping.”

The People to People club has also volunteered at the shelter to help wrap the donated toys as well as help the people there pick out presents.

“We can give the opportunity to the kids and to the families an experience to spend an actual Christmas together,” junior Sierra Foshe, a member of the People to People Club, said.

The club is striving to get at least 300 toys donated. Although the drive is school-wide, the club has only 122 toys donated so far, according to Foshe.

“We are hoping it picks up,” Foshe said.

The shelter generally needs toys for teenagers and gifts for mothers because so many toys are donated that are meant for younger children. According to Coronel, the club is looking for gifts like headphones for teenagers or toiletries for mothers. Coronel believes that although they are small items, the people will greatly appreciate them.

Through their hard work and support, the People to People club will be receiving a $6,000 check as a reward from the People to People International, according to Coronel.

Clubs from all over the country have submitted a paper tallying all the volunteer work they participated in, and the top 30 clubs will receive a check as a reward.

Coronel expects to use the check to further help and continue giving back to the community and hopes to eventually make it a much better place to live in.

The third annual holiday toy drive will finish Thursday, and the club hopes for more donations.

“We appreciate every toy that is donated,” Foshe said.

“And we appreciate all the help we can get.”

1. Lending a hand. Senior Sebastian Coronel organizes donated toys into boxes according to gender and age groups. 2. Toys R Us. Students donated toys such as Hot Wheels, Nerf basket balls, books, and more.

11 HIGH TIDE . FEATURES

2012:

IN POLITICS

A YEAR IN REVIEW

“

IN POLITICS

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Think about the America within our reach: a country that leads the world in educating its people, an America that attracts a new generation of high-tech manufacturing and high-paying jobs, a future where we’re in control of our own energy, and our security and prosperity aren’t so tied to unstable parts of the world, an economy built to last, where hard work pays off and responsibility is rewarded. We can do this. I know we can, because we’ve done it before. At the end of World War II, when another generation of heroes returned home from combat, they built the strongest economy and middle class the world has ever known. -BARACK OBAMA

”

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IN TECH

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12 HIGH TIDE . FEATURES

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1. DAMON WINTER/THE NEW YORK TIMES/AP 2.

DAVID GOLDMAN /AP 3. AP PHOTOS/ISAF 4. ERIC RISBERG/AP 5.

ZEF NIKOLLA/ AP 6. MARK LENNIHAN/ AP. 7. NATI HARNIK/AP 8.

AP PHOTOS 9. PATRICK SEMANSKY/ AP 10. LISA AASERUD/AP 11. AP/MATT SLOCUM

IN NATURAL DISASTERS 1. President Barack Obama won a second term. 2. Supporters of Obama’s health care law celebrate outside the Supreme Court in Washington D.C. after the court’s ruling that his health care bill is constitutional.

3. David Petraeus, who is often considered the Eisenhower of this generation, resigned from his CIA directorship post after he was found having an affair with a journalist. 4. Major websites, like Wikipedia and Google, rallied in protest of SOPA and PIPA, both piracy acts that would censor. speech and penalize online businesses 5.

Facebook went public and its stock was listed on NASDAQ. 5. devastated portions of the Caribbean and the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, 7. Cracks form in the bed of a dried lake, the outcome of drought in Waterloo, Neb., The nation’s worst drought in decades is getting worse again. 8. The Sandy Hook shoot killed 26 people. This was the second masacre this year after the Colorado Theatre Massacre. 9.The Giants swept the Tigers in four games, winning the World Series twice in three years.

10. At the Summer Olympics, sprinter Usain Bolt won the 100 m gold medal with a time of 9.63 s, setting a new record. He became the first man in history to defend both the 100 m and 200 m Olympic sprint titles. 11.

Swimmer Michael Phelps holds the all-time records for Olympic gold medals. In the Summer Olympics, he won four golds and two silver medals, making him the most successful athlete of the Games for the third Olympics in a row.

6.

IN CRIME

“

God has called them all home. -BARACK OBAMA

IN SPORTS

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able to do something that’s “ Being never been done before, that’s what I’ve always wanted to do.

There was nothing that was going to stand in my way of being the first. -MICHAEL PHELPS

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HIGH TIDE FEATURES 13

Hosting a herd Junior Jeff Mueller finds compassion and responsibility in animals.

by Kira Bowen

Meowing, hissing, and barking fills his house as junior Jeff Mueller wakes up to a zoo.

Mueller has six pets that include a rabbit, a snake, a turtle, a dog, and two cats. He has owned over 43 animals in his lifetime and with each pet comes more responsibilities.

“There are so many responsibilities with taking care of my animals. I have to feed them, clean up after them, and I have to make sure that they like their living environment,” Mueller said.

His pets are a major part of his everyday schedule and his life.

“I usually try to spend about an hour to an hour and a half with my dog and cats a day, which includes feeding them, walking them, playing with them, and caring for them,” Mueller said.

Last year he had over 15 animals, which was even more high maintenance. “[Life with 15 animals] was nice around the house.

It was also a little hectic taking care of all the animals,” Mueller said.

Mueller has always loved animals since childhood.

“I have had animals ever since I was a baby, and I have always found interest for them. I love animals,” Mueller said.

His brother Scott Mueller also shares his love for ani-

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PHOTOS 1,2 BY VITORIA MAGNO

Life at the zoo. 1. Junior Jeff Mueller holds his pet snake.

2. Mueller with his dog, his favorite pet. 3. Mueller’s old rabbits.

He had to give some of them away because he did not have enough time to take care of all of them.

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF JEFF MUELLER

mals. “[My pets] bring love and compassion into my life everyday, whether it’s a good day or a bad day,” Scott said.

Mueller loves all of his animals, but dogs are his favorite.

“I love dogs. Ever since I got my first dog, I have always enjoyed playing fetch and running around with him. Dogs are always there for you. They are always so loving to everyone,” Mueller said.

He hopes when he is in college and has his own home he can get more animals, specifically more dogs.

“I want to get a labrador retriever. I have been wanting one for so long. As soon as I move out of my house and start going to college [and live in my own apartment,] I want a black lab,” Mueller said. “To me, black labs are the sweetest dogs. They always love to play.”

Because of school and other responsibilities, he had to make sacrifices.

“I began getting rid of my pets because they became a lot of responsibility,” Muller said. “It’s hard to juggle time to spend with pets when I have school.”

For Mueller, losing his animals is a very challenging task that is a necessary part of owning pets.

“One of the worst feelings is knowing that the animal you took care of for so long has died or you have to give it away,” Mueller said. “I had to get rid of so many baby bunnies. I had named almost all of them. It is so hard to give them away, but when you know that they are in the hands of a good owner [it makes it easier].

Being an animal lover, Mueller wants to pursue a career as a marine biologist.

“I love all animals. My main focus is to become a marine biologist because I love all sea animals,” Mueller said.

Mueller believes that having pets can change people. “[Being able to take care of animals] shows responsibility and maturity. For me, I can never imagine myself without any pets. Animals have always been a part of my life,” Mueller said.

Mueller’s love for animals and his pets makes the many duties of being a pet owner worthwhile.

“To me, there are never too many animals. I always want more,” Mueller said. “It can get expensive when it comes to doctor visits, but it’s definitely worth the money. My pets are like family.”

MAN’S BEST FRIEND Out of the 67 students polled....

82 18

percent have pets

percent did not have pets

14 HIGH TIDE . FEATURES

The most popular pets among RUHS students.

51% 36% 28% 13% 7% 3% 3% had dogs

had cats

had lizards

had birds

had fish

had rabbits

had other

Cult of cubes

by Haris Khan

In the classroom, all that could be heard was the dull back-and-forth clicking of the rubix cube as its sounds echoed to the ears of fellow students. It is a hobby that many puzzlers such as junior Will Tait and sophomore Carlos Suarez have taken up.

“Last summer when I was visiting my family in Argentina, my uncle got me a rubix cube. I didn’t really pay attention to it at first until I found out that one of my Argentinian friends could solve one,” Suarez said. “Eventually I became interested in puzzles and have been doing them for fun ever since.”

Tait became interested in the rubix cube and puzzles as well.

“I don’t necessarily want to impose it and rally people to respond to the call of the cube; it’s more interesting to sit back and watch people’s own curiosity lead them towards wanting to learn how to solve it,” Tait said.

It began with Suarez bringing his rubix cube to a cross

Students on campus find intellectual entertainment solving rubix cubes.

country meet and grew from there.

“On the plane [there], I played with my rubix cube, and a lot of people on the team became interested. The team eventually embraced puzzles,” Suarez said.

Both Tait and Suarez began to notice the sudden interest in “cubing” around campus.

“All of a sudden, I saw some of the water polo guys and others in my chem class with cubes, and I’m still seeing more and more people with a cube every week,” Tait said.

Tait and his friends eventually took “cubing” a lot more seriously by holding “friendly competitions” among each other.

“We’re not really a group; it’s just something we all do for fun,” Tait said With months of practice now, Tait and Suarez have already gotten a lot of experience with the cube and break their own records frequently.

“I started out with the standard three-by-three, then I got a speed cube, which helps me solve much faster. I don’t time myself that much, but my fastest timed solve was around 53

seconds,” Tait said.

Tait’s proficiency in solving the cube led him to pursue solving cubes with higher dimensions.

“Moving up to the four-by-four was fun because there were a lot of new steps and algorithms to learn; I can probably solve that in around five minutes,” Tait said. “I just got a five-by-five for my birthday, and I’m still working on my speed for that one. My fastest solve thus far was a little under 17 minutes.”

Like Tait, Suarez also plays with different rubix cubes for fun, not for competition.

“Rubix cubes are a good mental challenge. It is also a nice way to relieve some stress,” Suarez said.

Tait finds the rubix cube so “cognitively interesting” because of its ability to draw people in by its “organic nature” alone.

“I find the rubix cube so captivating because it’s a challenge that most people have faced but haven’t figured out,” Tait said. “That feeling of being able to solve it and having that knowledge that most people don’t feels good.”

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Club of cubers. 1. The cross country cubers play with their puzzles.

2. They show off their rubix cubes. 3. A stack of the cuber’s cubes.

Costumed crew

by Shelby Salerno

She neatly tucks her hair into a blue wig, paints a thin X across her face, and slips into a heavy black robe. Suddenly, junior Jeanette Higgins is Saix from Kingdom Hearts.

But Higgins is not dressing up for Halloween. She is, in fact, cosplaying. Cosplaying has become a hobby for people worldwide; people like sophomores Jamie Campbell and Camille Gerson and junior Jenna Barrett enjoy transforming themselves into TV, game, and anime characters.

“Cosplaying is similar to Halloween,” Higgins said. “You get to dress up and act like someone completely different.”

Indeed, cosplay is a “unique” and “immersive” way of experiencing a show. When putting on a character’s costume, people tend to “truly” feel like the character.

“You get to be someone completely different than yourself with new hair, makeup, personality, [or] gender,” Higgins said.

According to Gerson, cosplaying is for “standing out” of the crowd, “paying homage” to beloved artists, and making friends. Campbell adds that cosplaying is about having fun and enjoying the experience.

“The purpose of cosplay to me is to leave behind your regular life and become someone else, whether it be your favorite character or a character you look up to,” Campbell said.

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PHOTOS BY VITORIA MAGNO

Juniors Jeanette Higgins and Jamie Campbell and sophomores Camille Gerson and Jenna Barrett find self expression and fun in cosplay.

Cosplayers meet at conventions and cosplay gatherings held between the conventions. These conventions and gatherings can occur at any time and any place during the year, such as Downtown Disney or Little Tokyo.

“At these [events] you meet with a large group of cosplayers to take pictures, make cosplay videos, play games, and talk,” Gerson said.

What’s more is that no one type of person does cosplay.

Some people buy expensive costumes to take professional pictures and gain “glory,” but other people go simply to have a good time.

“Cosplay is for anyone who likes to show off their love of a show,” Barrett said. “If you’re too worried about looking ‘cool’ then you probably won’t ever cosplay.”

However, cosplaying does have a negative side. Lots of money, along with time, is required when creating a costume.

“It’s almost sad how much [effort] I put into it,” Campbell said.

Despite the negative, all four girls believe that cosplaying is worth the cost. In fact, the only reason Higgins isn’t “obsessed” is because cosplaying is too expensive.

“Making a cosplay is time consuming,” Gerson said.

“But it is very rewarding to go to a con, get complimented for your cosplay, and say ‘thanks I made it myself.’”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF CRAIG BLANK PHOTOGRAPHY

Costumed play. (Fom left to right) Sophomores Camille Gerson and Jenna Barrett and junior Jamie Campbell pose with other cosplayers.

15 HIGH TIDE . FEATURES

PHOTOS COURTESY OF DOMINIQUE DODD

Do

by Jené Price

ore

She steps out of the plane and snaps a photo.

Sophomore Dominique Dodd travels to many places and uses them as her inspiration for her photography.

“I don’t know if I want to pursue photography as a career yet. I am fairly new to it and keep most of the photos to myself because of that,” Dodd said.

Dodd travels to many countries and uses that as her inspiration. She captures shots of things like the Big Ben and famous churches in London. Her most recent trip was to the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

“It was great being in London around many athletes and meeting so many new people.

London is just so beautiful,” Dodd said.

Dodd’s friends support her and believe she can accomplish her dreams in photograp h y

16 HIGH TIDE . FEATURES

or whatever she decides she wants to pursue. “[Dodd] recently told me she was interested in photography and I believe she has a great chance in pursuing it. She is genetically gifted and a very hard worker,” senior Shoon Shojima said.

Dodd’s parents are the reason behind her many traveling experiences because when her parents were professional volleyball players, she traveled to many places to watch them play.

She has been to London, Greece, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, and Italy, among other places. Dodd’s parents emphasize the importance of travel because they believe that it makes for a “well-rounded” person.

“There is so much more outside of Manhattan Beach, Calif. that my children need to see,” Mrs. Dodd said. “These world experiences give my kids a greater appreciation for the privilege of being an American.”

She also shows her kids the different cultures and lifestyles in other countries.

“I think it’s very important for my kids to see how other people live, how mass transportation works, how efficient or inefficient public services are in other countries, how little other people have, and yet they are so happy,” Mrs. Dodd said.

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Although Dodd travels a lot, she barely misses school and makes sure she stays on top of her grades.

“We understand the importance of attendance and rarely pull our kids out of school for traveling,” Mrs. Dodd said.

Dodd and her family also use these experiences to pick up on different languages and atmospheres.

“Because Dominique speaks Spanish, after a couple weeks she was able to carry on simple conversations in Italian. I was really proud of her for trying to communicate,” Mrs. Dodd said.

Even though she is unsure whether professional photography is in her future, she is thankful for her experiences.

“It is super important for me to see the world,” Dodd said. “My parents have given us a great life by taking us to many places around the world.”

er

A S o p ho m L L

T D H N E U O dd’s travel W

Talbot defies “tomboy” stereotype

by Nageena Hamraz

PHOTO BY VITORIA MAGNO

Down and dirty. Talbot works on her car, a Mazda RX7. “I really like cars and I like learning about them,” she said. “I want to work on older, more basic cars. The less technology, the better, because then it’s all hands on.”

The wind blows her hair in her face, the dirt blinds her eyes, and the fear of falling flat on her face gives her an adrenaline rush. Senior Trinity Talbot enjoys learning about cars, surfing, skateboarding, dirt biking, and snowboarding.

“When I’m doing extreme sports, I feel a rush.

It’s unexplainable,” Talbot said.

Because she prefers extreme sports, she has been referred to as a “tomboy.”

“I do guy-ish things, but that doesn’t make me a tomboy. I’m still a girl, I just like extreme sports,” Talbot said.

Her brother taught her how to skateboard when she needed a new form of transportation, and this sparked her interest in extreme sports.

Since then, she has loved skateboarding, and she gradually started learning about other extreme sports.

“I realized that I was pretty good at these things.

They are fun and enjoyable and way better than walking around stores and shopping,” Talbot said.

Although she dislikes shopping, she enjoys dressing up. However, she doesn’t “dress to impress” at school.

“My liking extreme sports during the day, and then at night dressing in dresses and makeup makes me feel good,” Talbot said. “I’ve always been a girly girl, and just because I started doing guy things, [it] doesn’t mean I’m going to dress like a guy or change the things I like.”

Talbot recently became very “passionate” about cars and wants to become a car mechanic.

“I’m not in it for the money. I’m in it for the experience and the hands-on,” Talbot said.

In order to reach her goal, she hopes to attend

a trade school in Hawaii for a year in order to earn her license.

Another one of her goals is to become a NASCAR driver like Danica Patrick.

In contrast to her current interest in racing, cars and extreme sports, Talbot’s father initially sent her from Australia to California so that she could pursue acting.

“The moment I realized I didn’t want to be an actress was when I fell in love with cars, and [realized] that acting was just a hobby,” Talbot said. “I felt good but sad at the same time because I knew my family wanted me to go big with acting, but that’s not what I love to do.”

However, her parents’ passion for extreme sports have been a major influence in her decision to take part in them. Her dad was a street racer when he was a teenager, and her mom has both an airplane and a motorcycle license.

“My mom has influenced me by her doing all these extreme things,” Talbot said. “It just showed me that my mom’s cool. She got all the licenses she could get, and she was cool and did the extreme, so why can’t I?’” Mrs. Talbot is very “proud” of Talbot for following her passions and supports her in all her decisions. “[Extreme sports] is something she is passionate about. She always does her best in everything she tries to do. No matter what, she doesn’t give up on anything she tries,” Mrs. Talbot said.

Trinity’s mother admires her perseverance. Even though Talbot has gotten hurt many times, she keeps trying.

“The pain is so worth it to know that I did something sick,” Talbot said. “I’d rather break a leg just to know that I did an awesome trick.”

Doykos attributes success to Boy Scouts

by Grace Zoerner

Be prepared—that’s the motto of the Boy Scouts of America. Senior Peter Doykos, a long-time boy scout, feels the program has helped him do just that. Today, he is ready to handle whatever life throws his way.

“I’ve been a boy scout for so long because it’s a way to learn [many] moral lessons,” Doykos said. “It teaches you how to be a better person and how to stay on the right track in your life.”

Through the program, Doykos feels he has gained skills that translate into his everyday life.

“Being a boy scout has positively affected my work habits. It prevented me from getting lazy,” Doykos said. “If I wasn’t a boy scout, I don’t think I’d be nearly as good of a student as I am now.”

Doykos entered the Boy Scout program in the first grade with the encouragements of his parents.

“I wanted him to identify with the values

that scouting teaches and to see himself as part of a group that embraces service to the community,” his mother Celeste Doykos said. “I am very pleased that Peter has chosen to continue his interest in scouting for the past 12 years, and I have had many occasions to be proud of his courage, dedication and leadership.”

Today, the time and effort Doykos has put into the program have paid off: he has earned the title of Eagle Scout, the highest honor attainable in the boy scout program.

“To become an Eagle Scout, you have to give back to the community in some way,” Doykos said. “I did a really huge project, actually. I fixed and re-landscaped the entrance to the Madrona Marsh Educational Center.”

Doykos and his mother are both proud of his leadership and determination.

“Watching Peter plan, organize, coordinate, and lead his Eagle Project will stand out in my mind forever because he was ul-

timately responsible for its success or failure. It was all on him,” Mrs. Doykos said.

“His project was very physically demanding.

There were times I didn’t think I could continue, but Peter never wavered in his resolve or doubted that it would all get done.”

They credit his ability to complete this project to the Boy Scouts program.

“Peter told me that he had never been so proud of himself,” Mrs. Doykos said.

“Thinking you can do something, then actually going through the steps to get it done and knowing you have done it, is the very definition of personal growth. Being involved in scouting gave Peter the skills and confidence to turn his vision into reality.”

Doykos, taking pride in his achievements, now looks back upon his project with a sense of accomplishment.

“Personally, it was the most work I have ever put into anything – over 50 hours alone – and the greatest achievement of my life so far,” Doykos said.

PHOTO BY VITORIA MAGNO

Scout’s honor. Doykos does the traditional three-finger Eagle Scout salute.

17 HIGH TIDE . FEATURES

WEIGHT WATCHERS

on a whole preparing for the new scale Boys’ wrestling takes di- weigh-in

by Edwin Chavez

Tick tock, tick tock. Junior Tristan Lohman knows the time between his wrestling matches is scarce, which is why each day is just another 24 hours of preparation for him.

Wrestling for him is not just a sport, “not when everything you do revolves around it.”

After joining wrestling, Lohman had to adjust his eating habits to fit the structure and discipline of the sport. “I had to learn to cut out the nonessentials from my diet,” Lohman said.

Lohman now diets daily in order to position himself for a match at any weight within his range.

“I start preparing a week before, by eating healthy: a lot of salads, lean meats, fruits, and vegetables,” says Lohman, “and no water, not even during practice…its tough.”

His dedication to the sport is tested constantly throughout the season. One of his toughest challenges was having to lose eight pounds within a one week span before his match.

“At the beginning of the week I started practicing in a heavy sweatshirt in order to sweat as much as possible, I stopped drinking water, and I made sure all the liquid intake came from the food I ate,” Tristan said.

As the day of his match approaches he begins to take further steps in order to cut weight quicker. “I’ll put on a sauna suit, which is basically covering myself in plastic bags, and on top of that would be a sweatshirt, then I’ll go sit in the sauna,” Lohman said.

Wrestling tournaments have varied weight allowances, which allow wrestlers not to have to be at the exact weight of their weight class for their match. Though there is small room for error, Lohman has always reached his goal of “[making] weight each time.”

The importance of one’s weight during a match cannot be overstated, something Lohman experienced firsthand.

“I once cut down to 128 pounds but had to wrestle in the 132 pound weight class, so I was underweight and really fatigued,” Lohmand said.

“Four pounds may not seem like that big of a difference, but it is, especially when the other guy has all his energy and is able to move and react quicker,” he said.

He saw the importance of his diet, and how the precision

eting to an extreme level, dropping extra pounds before their matches

of his weight gain, or loss, can mean a huge difference during a match.

Diets and routines he has developed from research, as well as tips from other wrestlers are what now consume his mind daily. Each day is a plan for his next match.

“When I’m cutting, if I don’t get enough sleep I’ll just be at a huge lack of energy,” Lohman said. “[When] you know you’re not eating enough to get your energy, not sleeping is just going to make it that much worse.”

On the days of his matches, he reduces himself to no food at all.

“I will have literally nothing to eat, and on those days it’s so hard to get through class,” Lahman said. “I can’t think of anything else except the match and how sick I feel.”

Whenever his sluggishness carries over from school to his matches he sticks to what he knows, reminding himself to persevere and work hard. During every match he remains focused and trusts his preparation.

“As the season goes on, it gets easier to cut and stay on weight, but for me the first match remains the most challenging,” Lohman said. “It’s the hardest because your body isn’t warmed up and you’re still asleep since most of the matches are early in the morning.”

Additionally, Lohman notes that his dieting along with his “first match nerves” are what at times cause his performance out on the mat to not be his best. Nonetheless, Lohman credits his dedication and hard work for allowing him to even be out there competing for a victory.

At times however, Lohman questions it all and wonders if all he does is really worth it. “This is really negatively affecting my body, and you feel sick all the time, but then you go out there…you win, and you feel great,” Lohman said.

“You feel like nothing can stop you.”

MONDAY Lunch: banana, apple, granola bar Practice with sweatshirt NO WATER Sleep ASAP TUESDAY/WEDNESDAY

Lunch: banana, apple, granola bar Practice with sweatshirt NO WATER Run at night THURSDAY Lunch: banana, apple, granola bar Practice with sweatshirt NO WATER Run at night Hop in the suana at Fitness Evolution (7pm) FRIDAY: MATCH DAY

Weighing in. 1. Lohman practices in the wrestling room.

2. Lohman weighs himself before matches.

In order to get his lowest weight, he doesnt eat or drink water before he wieghs in.

No food AT ALL Wait until weigh-in Prepare for match

1.

18 HIGH TIDE . FEATURES

2.

PHOTOS BY CLAIRE TISIUS

Danielle

Sung 1.

2.

3.

Ballet is not just a hobby for this freshman–Sung lives and breathes ballet, practicing for 15 hours a week to perfect her performances.

by Natalie Hardiman

Wearing a sparkly white tutu, a silver tiara, and laced up pointe shoes, freshman Danielle Sung rehearses her part backstage. She takes a deep breath as she spins on stage, making her debut as the Ice Queen.

Sung is a dancer at the School of Dance and Music.

“I love to dance for the learning experience,” Sung said. “To me, dance is one of those things when you find something that inspires you. It’s one of those things you feel just so connected to.”

This past weekend, Sung’s studio put on the show, How the Grinch Stole the Nutcracker, a spin on the classic ballet, The Nutcracker.

“It was amazing, just perfect,” Sung said. “Everyone just had fun with it.”

Sung is happy with how the dancers performed and thinks this show was the best they have ever done.

“The show went so well that afterwards we got a comment that this was the best ballet [the audience had] ever seen,” Sung said. “It just shows how special this production was.”

Gabrielle Talmatier, one of Sung’s dance teachers, created this production for her students.

“I wrote this story instead of just doing The Nutcracker because our students have a little more character than that and we wanted to emphasize this,” she said.

Talmatier thought her students did amazingly well because they did not miss any of their cues.

“I was extremely happy with how smoothly it went considering the cast [contained]180 kids,” she said.

Talmatier thought Sung did excellently in this ballet, especially when she danced her part as the Ice Queen.

“I loved being the Ice Queen,” Sung said. “It was a beautiful part and had an amazing costume.”

Besides performing in productions, Sung practices ballet, salsa, jazz, and contemporary dance.

“My favorite style of dance is ballet because it is the easy to find new ways to improve, and I really enjoy the challenges of it,” she said.

According to Sung, her teachers at the school try to make creative performances for their students.

“I love doing these performances that are really fun and creative,” she said. “My teachers like to make routines that you wouldn’t normally find. Once we did hula-hooping on point. The teachers are just so out-of-the-box sometimes.”

Although many unique routines are created at Sung’s dance school,

they are not usually entered in competitions anymore because of inappropriate competitiveness, according to Sung.

“The kids who did these inappropriate moves usually won the competitions. They just did tricks instead of dancing,” Sung said.

“It seemed like everybody was forgetting that it’s about dancing, not the tricks.”

Sung does not mind not doing competitions, and she enjoys the productions, routines, and dancing in general.

“It is something you love to do all the time. Even when you are injured or hurt, you are always able to get back up again,” Sung said. “It is something that no matter what happens, you always go back to it. For me, that is dance.”

To prevent major injuries, Sung tries to always have proper form, even when it is painful.

“I think one of the hardest parts [of ballet] is trying your best when the dance is so hard on your body,” Sung said. “The difficulty is the endurance and strength. You always try to be consistent.”

Sung also believes that another struggle of ballet is getting past the fear of not being good enough.

“I remember when I first went to summer intensives, which is like a ballet camp. Everyone was so much better than I was,” Sung said. “I got over it by telling myself that being the best does not matter as long as I give 100 percent.”

Even with these struggles, Sung has been dancing since she was two and hopes to continue to dance for as long as she can.

“I feel very free in a way when I dance. I feel very open a n d relaxed,” Sung said. “I just really enjoy it, and it is something that I am passionate about.”

5.

4.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF DANIELLE SUNG

En pointe. 1&5. Sung uses her pointe ballet shoes during her most recent ballet, How the Grinch Stole the Nutcracker. 2. Sung performs in another ballet as a “pointe angel.” 3. Sung gets ready backstage for How the Grinch Stole the Nutcracker. 4. In How the Grinch Stole the Nutcracker, Sung played the role of the Ice Queen.

19 HIGH TIDE . FEATURES

athlete of the issue: Inara Nyimgifa

by Beth Shallon

SHOOTING FOR SUCCESS

In the beginning of December, senior Inara Nyingifa was recognized in the Battle of the Beach Tournament.

She holds her trophy in her hands. Golden, rigid wings extend out from the base, ribbons suspend on the backboard in the air, the ball positioned below. Senior Inara Nyingifa has been chosen for All Tournament.

All tournament is comparative to the MVP of the team for the Battle at the Beach Tournament.

“It was a great honor. It made me feel really proud and accomplished,” Nyingifa said. “It makes me feel a tad bit pressured because now I know other people think I am good and are going to expect more from me every game.”

Nyingifa finds inspiration in her older sisters, who also played on the team.

“I try not to get down on myself during my games, but whenever I do, I think of my older sister,” Nyingifa said.

“If I want to be as good as she was in high school, I can’t let one thing that happened in the game hinder how I play the rest.”

Teammate, senior Alex Mohr has been playing with Nyingifa since RBYB (Redondo Beach Youth Basketball).

“She compares herself to her older sisters a lot when she needs to focus on her own game. When she does that, she plays really well,” Mohr said. “I know for a fact that she wants to make her sisters and family proud by being successful and I believe she has been so far.”

Just how Nyingifa has found inspiration in her sister, her

teammates have found inspiration in her.

“I try to stay positive on the court and always point out when a teammate of mine makes a good play. Especially the younger ones,” Nyingifa said. “They really get lifted when they know people notice their hard work. I feel like it makes them want to work even harder during the game.”

Nyingifa has been proven helpful and supportive to her teammates.

“She wants to work hard for her team and help us be successful in anyway she can,” Mohr said. “She is always telling us what we can do better and is always there if we need anything.”

Coach Marcelo Enriquez also notices Nyingifa’s comments and actions.

“She is always trying to encourage her teammates,” Enriquez says. “She is in a position of leadership [which means] she needs to be an example out there on the floor, vocally and physically. She has done those things for us.”

Even when Nyingifa feels that she is working hard, her coach often must remind her that she can strive to be even better.

“I think I play really strong defense, but a lot of the times my coaches say I play too selflessly,” Nyingifa said. “A lot of the time I think about the next pass and how it might help my team, instead of my own takes to the basket.”

PHOTO BY HAILEY NEWMAN

Kiss the rim. Senior Inara Nyingifa shoots against defensive Serra players in Battle at the Beach Tournament.

Bummed out

The repeated flat surf is giving the team time over break to prefect their skills and to go into their meets better prepared.

by Lindsey Pannor

The RUHS surf team had to cancel yet another competition yesterday due to flat surf. This is the third tournament rescheduled this season, but the flat surf is becoming an advantage to the team, allowing more practice time and preparation for their competitions.

“Our surfers just really need more time in the water to improve,” coach Duncan Avery said.

He is encouraging everyone on the team to practice over the upcoming break.

“A fun way to improve is to have mock heats with friends, and it encourages surfers to focus on their style and finish every wave,” Avery said.

Top surfers sophomore Luke Meyers and Trevor Lashure plan on improving together over the PHOTOS BY DIANA LUNA

20 HIGH TIDE . SPORTS

break.

“Individually, I plan on surfing with Trevor everyday over break,” said Meyers.

On deck. Senior Ethan Pezzolo and sophomore Trevor Lashure prepare for their next meet.

Starting off right Over winter break, the soccer team will finish the South Torrance Holiday Classic Tournament.

by Micah Ezzes

The boys’ soccer team started off strong in the 43rd annual South Torrance Holiday Classic, defeating Narbonne 2-1 in the first round.

This is exactly what the team was expecting, according to senior Enzo Mattucci.

“We moved the ball very well and our chemistry was great,” Mattucci said.

Redondo made one of their goals off of an “amazing” bicycle kick by sophomore Justin Leavitt, who slotted the shot into the top left corner. Junior Gus Pamungkas made the other goal.

Mattucci believes that this game will set the tone for the rest of this tournament.

“Our next game is going to be tough, but I am confident that we will take home another win,” he said.

“Not much needs to be done [in preparation for the next game],” he added. “We just need to be mentally focused and ready to play.”

The tournament continues today and the players have high expectations after their solid win against Narbonne. “[The momentum from the win] definitely will [carry over to the next game],” Mattucci said. “We are looking to get top three in this tournament.”

The team definitely has something to prove this year, and after a strong preseason and a close loss to highly-ranked Millikan, Mattucci believes that they are certainly capable of achieving high marks.

“We want our name to get out there and [we want to] show the other teams that we are coming out to win,” he said.

Break through. Junior Dustin Harrold jukes out the St. John players.

PHOTO BY BRIAN FERNANDEZ

Saved by the line. Freshman Micaela Enriquez attempts to keep the ball in bounds, in game against Serra in the Battle at the Beach.

girls’ basketball

by Alina Bieschke

The girls basketball team will be competing in the Edison tournament, Dec. 26 in Orange County. It will be the team’s last tournament prior to Bay League.

“With these two weeks, we can start to take advantage of all this practice time we get and be able to brush up on our

skills,” junior Kourtney Noa said.

Although the tournament is immediately following the holidays, assistant coach Lynn Flanagan knows all of the players will be there.

“As a basketball player and a basketball coach, you’re kind of used to that.

[The team] always plays at Christmas time—it’s kind of a tradition,” she said.

The Edison Tournament compiled by Tatiana Celentano

Schedule All games a Edison High School

Wednesday, 12/26: Redondo Union

VS.

Aliso Niguel at 4:30pm

Winner Plays

VS.

Loser Plays

VS.

Winner of Shafter v. Orange Lutheran at 3pm Loser of Shafter v. Orange Lutheran at 6pm

Thursday. 12/27:

PHOTO BY HAILEY NEWMAN

Follow updates on the tournament through the hightideonline.org

21 HIGH TIDE . SPORTS

LOSING FOCUS Although the girls’ soccer team lost to South on Wednesday, the team believes they still have a good chance at placing first in Bay League.

PHO TO B Y

CLA IRE TISIU S

Kick it. Junior Janel De Curtis steals the soccer ball from the opponent in game against Notre Dame Academy two weeks ago.

by Romy Moreno

In the last pre-season game, the girls’ soccer team fell short in the second half and ended with a 3-2 loss against South High.

“We went in knowing that South was an extremely talented team, and in order to win we really needed to focus,” senior Megan Perkins said. “We felt confident, but at the same time a little frazzled and tired from the South Tournament this past weekend.”

Junior Sharon Lee believes that the girls started off stronger because they were “connecting and playing with a high level of intensity.”

RUHS got their first goal within the first 20 minutes by heading it into the net from a corner kick. Even though the girls got the first points up on the board, it didn’t matter in the end.

“It’s not unusual for our team to score a goal early on in the game and then maintain the slim lead for the rest of the time,” Perkins said. “However, I do feel like the team is becoming a little too comfortable with a 1-0 lead.”

The girls felt that as the game went on, they lost their momentum.

“Our motivation did lessen in the second half, mainly due to the fact that we were down a goal and weren’t connecting, making our confidence level decrease,” senior Britney Oldham said.

The girls had a hard time coming back after South’s first goal. Lee believes that they were “all trying, but it seemed as if it was difficult for us to get back and pick up the intensity after we got scored on.”

The girls struggled on getting the ball in the back of South’s net for different reasons in the second half of the game. Senior Tana Granados believes that they “went in nervous [in the second half ] and were forcing a lot of plays and passes that were challenging when [they] could’ve kept things simple.”

On the other hand, some thought it merely had to do with them getting distracted.

“We started making careless mistakes and losing

Wrestling prepares for tourney

by Cole Stecyk

As the Brute Classic Tournament approaches, the wrestling team is confident and prepared. Junior Kevin James is excited because this is the last tournament before winter break. He believes that the team needs to maintain their wrestling techniques and strength over the break.

“I just hope I can contribute to the team’s score by doing the best I can do,” James said. “We need to maintain our technique over the break, though, because if we don’t, we will really get hit hard in our following games and tournaments.”

Senior Julian Rodriguez believes that the

22 HIGH TIDE . SPORTS

team will go into the tournament strong and leave as champions.

“My goal for this upcoming tournament is to get the team all the points we need to win,” Rodriguez said. “I hope I can keep the team’s spirits up and get each wrestler ready for every match. If I could teach something to this team, it would be to just simply be the best they can be.”

Coach Arond Schonberg believes that the wrestling team should stay in shape and practice their moves and take-downs over the winter break.

“We just need to stay consistent and work hard over winter break on our moves,” Schonberg said.

focus. South was able to score a couple of goals off of lucky breakaways, which threw us off our game,” Perkins said.

Even though the girls might have lost some of their focus and motivation, Lee believes that they never quit trying and therefore scored once more in the second half.

“Although we were losing, we pulled through for at least a second goal and never stopped trying,” Lee said.

The girls plan on taking this loss and using it to help them in Bay League play, which starts on Jan. 8 against Peninsula.

“If anything, this loss showed our team how difficult this season will be for us if we do not keep our composure,” Granados said. “It was a good game to start winter break on. It also helps us individually on what we as players can do to improve our techniques and talent, so when facing big teams it will not be as challenging.”

Lee has similar thoughts regarding their loss to South.

“Although we are going into break with a loss, we have had a pretty good pre-season because we only lost two games. I believe that this loss will only motivate us to work harder and improve every aspect of our game,” Lee said.

The team also plans on working out all of their minor setbacks by bonding over the break, so that they can play like one strong unit on the field.

“Right now, we are in the process of building our team chemistry and learning from our mistakes,” Oldham said. “I think we have a lot of potential and talent to go far, as long as we stay focused and bring what we practice into the game.”

Overall, the team has high hopes for the start of league.

“Our goal is to win Bay League and, as a result, get a really good seed in the first round in CIF,” Perkins said. “The girls on the team are determined and I have no doubt that we will all push ourselves to achieve our goals.”

PHOTO BY VITORIA MAGNO

Take him down. A wrestler attemps to beat his opponent in a match against Pacific Palisades.

Water polo looks to improve offense Although the girls’ water polo team has a strong defense, the girls agree they need to improve their offense in order to be competitive against tough Bay League teams like Palos Verdes.

by Anna Fauver

In one of the last non-league games of the season, the girls’ water polo team beat Chadwick 7-4 at Monday’s home game.

This was the first time the team beat Chadwick in four years, and coach Mitch Yamamoto is very happy with the teams’ performance.

“The team played really well today,” Yamamoto said. “This was probably the best game of the season so far.”

According to Yamamoto, the team played well together, and every girl contributed to the team’s success.

“The teamwork was right on. We didn’t depend on one or two players,” he said. “Everyone got involved and I think that that’s the reason we won the game.”

Junior Bridgette Schneider also believes that their strong teamwork played a large role in their success.

“We played strong today and pulled through for the win today,” Schneider said.

“We had great passes and it showed.”

Schneider thinks that the defense did well, and even the offense “finally” started to get some movement, as opposed to their previous games.

“We knew their best players from the start so we tried to shut them down,” Schneider said. “Also, we got some motion and drives in the second half, which showed on the scoreboard.”

Sophomore Madison East, however, still thinks that the offense needs some work.

“We played well, but we definitely need to be more aware of our drivers so we can get them the ball to score,” East said.

The team agrees that they can improve on many things offensively and defensively, but the main thing that they need to improve on, according to the coach and players, is awareness.

“We need to improve on our awareness of our drivers and opening up our ears to listen when other players are yelling for the ball, because they are usually open,” East said.

Yamamoto agrees that the team needs to be more aware of what is happening around them, and they need to be careful not to turn into “spectators.”

“The team needs to understand that they need to make eye contact with their passes,” Yamamoto said. “Sometimes they try to automatically pass and they don’t see where the defender is. We need to put the ball where the defender is not.”

With this in mind, the team will go into Bay League aiming to meet their goals, which include making it to the CIF tournament. To do this, they need to stay competitive with other Bay League teams such as Mira Costa, Peninsula, Palos Verdes.

“Palos Verdes is probably our biggest competition,” East said. “A few of the play-

2.

PHOTO BY AHMAD KABBANI

1.

PHOTO BY JENNY OETZELL

ers on their team, including their goalie, are on my club team and going to Junior Olympics together, so they know how I play and where I shoot.”

In order to make it into the CIF tournament in February, the girls needs to beat Peninsula, whom they lost to last year.

“Mira Costa and Palos Verdes are the two teams that are at the top of our league, but Peninsula is strong, too.” Yamamoto said.

“Last year, all three of those teams beat us.

We split games with Peninsula and had also one close game with PV and one close game with Costa.”

According to Yamamoto, this team is better prepared to compete with these teams because all of the girls are stronger players

Basketball beats Cathedral despite weak second half

by Jené Price

PHOTO BY MITCHELL YONEMURA

Shoot for the stars. Senior Derek Biale dodges a Cathedral player in a game last Thursday.

Despite facing many setbacks in the second half and having many fouls and turnovers, the boys’ basketball team beat Cathedral High School 76-61 last Thursday.

“When the other team started to make a comeback we pulled together and kept the intensity up,” senior Derek Biale said.

They started the game off strong with a lead of 19-4 at the end of the first quarter due to their pressure defense. After the first quarter, the gap began to close as many fouls were called on Redondo and they had 15 turnovers.

The defense’s full-court press was not as effective after the first quarter due to a lack

of communication.

“We had trouble talking on defense and getting help so we could stop the other team,” freshman Leland Green said.

With the defense issues came fouls, which caused tension between the players.

“The hardest part about the game was trying to keep my composure,” Coach Reggie Morris said.

Despite their mistakes the team was able to get plenty of steals in the fourth quarter and win.

“A lot of the credit should go to the coaching staff,” Biale said. “They put us in the correct situation to win and had us playing to our fullest ability.”

Success in the pool. 1. Senior Brida Brando catches the ball in game against El Segundo. 2.

Sophomore Madison East begins to make a pass in game against Chadwick on Monday.

and they have improved a lot from last year.

“Last year there were three main players,” Yamamoto said. “This year, I’m very confident that all six of our starters are strong and we have a strong bench.”

East believes that this strong team, which has both good starters and bench players, will make it into CIF. “I definitely believe that we are going into CIF this year,” she said. “I think we can do really well if we continue to work hard and stay focused on what we need to work on.”

The team will participate in the Western Tournament on Jan. 4 and 5, and then Bay League will start with a game against Peninsula on Jan. 9.

WINTER BREAK SPORTS SCHEDULE

WRESTLING -Brute Classic: Dec. 22 -Shark Tank Classic: Dec. 28-29

BOYS’ SOCCER -South High Tournament: Dec. 19-22 -Marina Tournament: Dec. 27-29

GIRLS’ BASKETBALL -Edison Tournament: Dec. 26-29

BOYS’ BASKETBALL -Vegas Tarkenian Classic: Dec. 20-22 -Sea Hawk Classic: Dec. 26-29

23 HIGH TIDE . SPORTS

What would you do if the world was ending?

According to the Mayan calander the world will end today.

Whether it’s fact or fiction, we want to know what you would do.

by Karissa Taylor COMPILED BY ZOE EZZES . PHOTOS BY VITORIA MAGNO

Jocelynn Montoya GRADE 9

“I would probably go to the house of my favorite band, Pierce the Veil, and kidnap the lead singer and keep him in the basement until the world ends.”

Noelle Graham GRADE 12

“Cry? Pray, light candles, fall down the stairs, shoot myself before I burn.

That’s terrible! I wouldn’t know what to do.”

Tyler Novak GRADE 11

“I’ve always wanted to go to the zoo and ride all the animals, like some tigers or something. I would also like to hang out with my cat.”

Cynthia De La O GRADE 12

“If the world was endng I would drive to my house, pick up my family, and then drive to Disneyland one last time.

That way I would die at the happiest place on Earth.”

Ariana Pizzati GRADE 10

“I would probably gather up all my loved ones and hug them and hide from the world ending. And I would probably do my lifelong dream of skydiving.”

Angie Yi ENGLISH TEACHER

“I would use my savings to buy a whole truckload of twinkies and share them with the Redondo community, and we can all just eat twinkies until the world ends.”

Cover photos going clockwise.

Blast to the past. 1. Photo courtesy AP, Jason DeCrow. Students visit a memorial in Newtown, Conn. for the 26 victims of the 12/14/12 Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting. 2. Photo Jenny Oetzell. Girls volleyball celebrates after their win at home vs Mira Costa. They placed second in CIF and first in Bay League. 3. The Pilot won a Pacemaker and Gold Crown. The High Tide won a pacemaker. 4. Photo Jenny Oetzell. Jeff Yalden speaks at the RU In back to school rally. 5. Photo Jenny Oetzell. Construction on the cafeteria begings at the end of the 2012 school year. 6. Photo Jenny Oetzell. Metta World Peace signs a basketball at the opening of the small gym at the beginning of 2012. 7. Photo courtesy AP, Marcio J. Sanchez. The San Francisco Giants won the World Series. 8. Photo Jenny Oetzell. Amber Gore runs at a PV meet.

24 HIGH TIDE