High Tide: Feb. 1, 2024

ht high tide

February 1, 2024 Vol. CIV Edition 6 Redondo Union High School Redondo Beach, CA

THE

SOCIAL ISSUE

Social media's detrimental impact on teenage self-perception and the sexualization of minors 12 entertainment 5 features

3 news ASB hosted its first film fundraising event exclusively for sophomores www.ruhsmedia.com

@ruhshightide

Senior Allison Lin embraces her passion for nail design by running Naillisons, a self-made business

Although students have their own "comfort foods" when studying, it is important to take into account the benefits of healthier alternatives

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news

SNOW BALL SHOWCASE

high tide

Winter Formal's standout outfits

staff editors-in-chief Lucy Davis Ethan Lerner Romi Riss

by Cristina Couch

online managers Cristina Couch Stavyah Naveen

Q: HOW DOES THIS OUTFIT REFLECT YOUR PERSONALITY? A: I feel like I have a showy, extroverted personality. I love wearing [outfits] where I dress up, and I stand out because I love when people compliment me, and I love complimenting other people.

SOPHIE BELL, 11

sports manager Ethan Chi

A: I really like dressing big. [...] I'm definitely more of a dancer when it comes to [parties]. I don't just like looking pretty- I like to go out there and dance and the pants really helped with that.

BELLA SARDANA, 12

news editors Summer Puterbaugh Victor Simoes features editors Ethan Chi Daniella Gross Marley Van Pelt opinion editors Ariya Anvari Meara Fay entertainment editors Scarlett Mische Claudia Turner

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Q: WHAT INSPIRED YOUR LOOK? A: I like ball gowns, and I like fluffy things, so when I went shopping, and I saw these two pieces and the puffed sleeves it reminded me of the Victorians, and I loved it.

MADDY LUJAN, 12 3

sports editors Ava Anzivino Malina Young writing & copy editors Calvin Bonn Scarlett Kindt Isabella Kohler CaraMia Leal Kat Otey Aaliyah Roberson

`

A: My inspiration was Princess Aurora. I usually wear really dark colors, and I wanted to try something new.

LIDIA LOPEZ, 12 A: I just wanted to look black and gray for the snowball. I wanted it to look like I've got snow on me a little bit.

4 JASON ROSS, 12

online editors Lauren Choy Rena Felde Yasmeen Ford Valentina Masoni Kat Otey Deeksha Prasad Amina Raïss Priya Ramcharan Sam Schwartz Simra Zargar

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staff writers Delilah Aguilar Sanaya Bhatt Jameson Boddy Kate Brucia London Carbone Veda Celestial Carson Chi Jayla Dorbor Celeste Ernau Leyla Evenson Safi Hamilton-Torres

Kate Jacoby Marlena Lipan Kayli Mai Mia Nishimura Leah Rodriguez Payton Rothluebbers Athena Saadzoi Katarina Sapina Emily steckler Nathaniel Wellen

photographers Dalilah Almeida Abi Bierwiler Karis Bruno Mia Cielak Caitlyn Cisneros Price Currier Cate Hempstead

photographers Percy McGuinn Jai McKinney Dylan Moore Kayla Ongun Talia Pattishall Sascha Perdue Catherine Wong

adviser Kerri Eastham distribution manager Nicolas Tomsio

6 1. Junior Sophie Bell drew inspiration for her outfit by combining Barbie, Taylor Swift and the Snow Ball theme. 2. Senior Bella Sardana went beyond her usual style and chose a sequined outfit. 3. Senior Maddy Lujan felt especially drawn to the layers of flowers and puff sleeves of her dress. 4. Senior Lidia Lopez coordinated her dress with bows, pink gloves and her shoes. 5. Senior Jason Ross's outfit helped him stand out and receive lots of compliments. 6. Students fill the dance floor at Winter Formal. PHOTOS BY CATE HEMPSTEAD. SNOWBALL ILLUSTRATION BY SCARLETT KINDT

illustrators Lola Diehl Scarlett Mische Cristina Couch

news 3

high tide feb. 1, 2024

Winter Watches

ASB hosts its first film fundraising event exclusively for sophomores

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by Valentina Masoni

here’s no better way to embrace the season than to spend a night with your friends watching a nostalgic movie, playing games and enjoying boba and pizza.

On Jan. 5, ASB hosted the first Sophomore Winter Film festival from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Student Union.

“We really wanted to make [a fundraiser] that was exclusively for the class of 2026. The sophomores and freshmen don’t get as many events. Typically the upperclassmen do a lot more,” sophomore Vice President Nick Collins said.

The event was originally meant to be held before winter break. However, due to a scheduling delay, members had more time to publicize the event, sell tickets and sort out all the details.

“A lot of the publicity we did on Instagram was initiated

by Mrs. [Hedspeth].

She joined as an ASB director last year, and she believes in utilizing social media to connect to people at school. Ultimately, that's where the students at our school are always coming back to, so we use it to get word out. We dedicated a lot of effort to making posts along with flyers,” sophomore ASB President Ian Son said.

The Class of 2026 Instagram account, run by Collins and Son, has been very success-

ful in publicizing ASB events, not only for the sophomore class, but those that are school-wide, and keeping students in the loop, according to Collins.

“The Insta along with word of mouth, friends talking to friends, was a huge key in selling tickets and spreading word about the event,” Collins said.

The turnout for the event was “great,” according to Son, with all members of ASB alongside volunteers from the sophomore class making good ticket sales. As the first

of its kind, the event had certain challenges.

“Part of what we struggled with was that this wasn’t a previously established event.

It’s not an ASB event like homecoming or formal, where everybody is familiar with it and rushes to buy tickets. It was a little hard to get people to buy tickets for a firsttime event,” Son said.

The fundraisers that are held from freshman through junior year make money that goes towards senior events such as

Students stargaze while watching the film. PHOTO BY MIA CELIAK

prom, so the money the students spend on tickets goes towards events in the years to come.

“We wanted to include people who weren’t in ASB to experience what it's like helping out their class and setting up events,” Collins said. “It was an opportunity for people who are outside of ASB to see what goes into these events. If they want to join ASB in the future, this is a really good way to see how it works.”

Sophomores not previously involved in ASB signed up through the 2026 Class Council Club to work at the event, helping set up and clean up, work the food stations and promote the fundraiser while also getting volunteering hours.

“We definitely want to [do this next year] because it went well this year. It's going to be much easier because we've already done it and know what we can add and change. Now that people know what the event is like it'll also be easier to get even more people to attend,” Son said.

Sophomore Riley Beuth had an "amazing" time and enjoyed the opportunity to expand friendships with people across their grade.

“It was super fun, I had a good time playing the games and decorating cookies. The boba was really good and it was nice to talk more to people I usually don’t see as much,” Beuth said.

Not everything went exactly according to plan, as should be expected with any major school event. However, the spontaneity is what made the night so special.

“The best parts were the unplanned parts. The funniest thing to me was when the movie stopped working for a second, and everyone wanted to do karaoke. So we did karaoke, and we didn't end up finishing the movie, but that's where we also got the best pictures and people were really having fun,” Collins said. “Another really funny part was when the movie screen actually fell

Model United Nations hosts annual conference for its third consecutive year

by Mia Nishimura

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n Saturday, Jan. 27, RUHS hosted their third annual South Bay Invitational Model United Nations (MUN) conference. Seven high schools from across Southern California, ranging from local campuses like Palos Verdes Peninsula to as far as La Cañada, tallied 130 delegates “present” for a day of debate—the largest attendance to date.

Each year, the process is “a little easier,” MUN advisor Nicolas Sklarenko said.

"I did MUN for a decade before we even thought about hosting a conference, and honestly the group wasn’t big enough [to host] until two years ago. That was when we decided, ‘We have a good group, let’s do this.’ Fast forward here, it’s nice to have a couple under our belt.”

First-time crisis director Romel Kassaye, used to debating and competing for delegate awards, faced a different kind of

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pressure while organizing a committee of his own.

“It’s important to us that we represent Redondo well, and we want to show that Redondo has a strong, competitive, thriving Model UN program. Our main priority at the end of the day, though, is making sure that the delegates and advisors have a positive experience,” Kassaye said.

In order to make the conference successful, the students prepared for five months in advance, according to junior Allison Cha, who worked in the backroom of SBIMUN’s Percy Jackson crisis committee.

In crisis committees, where each delegate plays a character in a historical or fantastical situation, they send “crisis notes” to the backroom staff with actions that further the plot of the committee. “[Staff] had a lot of preparation before the conference with chairs of each committee, rehearsing how the committee was going to go to get the flaws out. We met for hours after school and practiced writing [crisis notes], chairing and talked about what we wanted to happen,” Cha said. Throughout the committee, unexpectedmo-

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ments—like mock trials in the Olympian court and secret assassinations—allowed staff to hone their creativity.

In the General Assembly, which is divided into specialized committees (like drugs and crime, women’s rights, or decolonization), each delegate represents a country while discussing a specific topic (this year’s UN Women committee debated policies of transgender women in sports). To prepare for debate, delegates research their country’s policy and brainstorm possible economic, humanitarian and technological solutions.

“You always have to do a lot of research beforehand, especially because you don’t know what [delegates] are going to ask,” freshman Olivia Reeds, who represented Spain in UN Women, said. “You have to present in front of a bigger crowd in a bigger conference. It’s hard to come up with a response to another speech on the spot since it’s not your policies but policies from the country you’re representing.”

Fellow UN Women delegate and new club member Richa Mu-

jumdar “felt like this was a good starting point” for her time in MUN. Compared to international conferences like those hosted by UCLA, SBI’s lower stakes put her at ease.

“I think I [performed] better because I was able to speak more about ideas and policies. I felt more comfortable being somewhere I’m familiar with,” Mujumdar said.

By the time the last gavel dismissed committee, everyone walked out with new skills and experiences after participating, according to Kassaye.

“The people at Redondo are genuinely special. The people in our Model UN program–every person who had a chance to prove themselves and gain experience, and those who are still learning–are really good.” Kassaye said. “We know how to put on a good conference because we know what we love as delegates, so it’s fun for everyone involved.”

1. Delegates confer. PHOTO BY DYLAN MOORE 2. Senior Case Fulton helps present awards at the final ceremony. PHOTO BY DYLAN MOORE.

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features Flying SOLO Junior Yixiong Liu travels to destinations without parent chaperones

by Jayla Dorbor avigating through a mosaic of tries don’t allow minors to stay in hotels lush greenery and postmodern alone, so he has to look up a youth hostel architecture has created an un- where he can stay. He also creates a general forgettable experience for junior Yixiong outline of what he’s going to do and creates Liu. If Liu wants to go somewhere his par- a budget for himself. Then he researches ents don't, he travels solo. the public transportation system, which he “Traveling alone is fun in that you’re finds the hardest part of traveling. independent, but the downside is that if “I take a lot of what you’re in a foreign country, and you don’t my parents do for grantspeak the language, you don’t have anyone ed. They are able to plan 2 to talk to, so I do get homesick,” Liu said. and handle stressful situLiu explained how he also gets “friend- ations all the time. When sick,” since it’s just him alone for weeks at I’m alone, sometimes in a time. Liu’s friend and fellow junior, Ja- an airport I can get lost, I cob Lipeles, has also seen a change in Liu’s can struggle to find a gate need for independence. or [terminal]” Liu said, “He’s done a lot of things by himself, “I think the hardest part but going on trips by himself has made him realize that 1. Senso-ji, Japan it’s nice to be around other 2. Shibuya Crossing, Japan people. Like after his trip to PHOTOS COURTESY OF YIXIONG LIU Japan, he realized it would be more fun if he went with other people,” Lipeles said.

Sharing his experiences from these trips has helped inspire Liu’s friends to go on trips themselves. Lipeles and Liu are even planning a trip to Japan this summer.

“Hearing about Liu’s trips got me very interested in the idea. It made me wonder if I could go on the trips, as well, so when I heard [Liu] was go1 ing to Japan again this summer I jumped at the chance to go with him,” Lipeles said. is navigating because if a country doesn’t To prepare for his trips, Liu has to first have a good public transportation system, find where he’s going to stay. Some coun- you have to walk on your own, and use

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signs or Google Maps.”

Going to Japan was especially difficult for Liu since he didn’t know much about the country's etiquette, like how you’re supposed to stand to the left on escalators to allow people to pass on the right. There was also a language barrier when Liu trav-

eled to Japan. He tried to learn the basics of Japanese before he went, but it was still hard to communicate with the locals.

“I learned some basic Japanese, but I was not great at it. My main struggle was I could ask [questions in] Japanese, but I couldn’t understand the answers. I speak Chinese at home, so when I went to China, I was able to get around pretty easily. So I try to go places where I can communicate [fairly well],” Liu said.

One experience that revealed Liu’s problem with the language barrier was when he accidentally strolled into a Japanese-only

restaurant.

“I’m not Japanese, but from an outsider's standpoint, I look Japanese or at least East Asian, so when I was going to this restaurant I didn’t know it was Japanese only. They didn’t know I wasn’t Japanese.

So I got in, and I heard an American couple behind me get denied entry. I was already in at this point and questioned what to do, so I sat down and when I was ordering I was too scared to out myself as a foreigner. So I simply said yes, no, and thank you. It was a very stressful eating experience,” Liu said.

Though traveling alone was stressful at times, Liu got to appreciate the beauty of other countries like Japan and China.

“The atmosphere at the Senso-ji temple was great. It’s hard to describe but it looked very big and impressive,” Liu said. “Tokyo had a lot of small parks, which was pretty cool because it was an escape from the urban landscape.”

Traveling to new countries opened Liu’s mind to the culture of new countries and realize America isn’t perfect.

“I think in America we have a sense that [our way] the right way and everything we have here is great," Liu said. "Honestly, I think the US may actually have a lot of opportunities to learn and improve from other countries.”

Sophomores Athena Kong and Kathleen Pham express their love for Asian cuisine through their food blog by Kayli Mai

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hat do two foodies with a hunger for taste bud euphoria do with the knowledge of tasty dishes? With a mutual love of food and writing, sophomores Athena Kong and Kathleen Pham started a food blog, with the handle @atethenaphamwich, reviewing different cuisines, and sharing all their food-related adventures.

The pair started their friendship over food in 8th grade. Kong describes that, “food is a great topic to talk about. There's so much debating happening, especially if [the food is] either really disgusting or really tasty.”

With that idea fresh in mind, the pair started their food blog, spreading food knowledge to hungry Redondo citizens. The majority of their food blog goals are to find excellent local Asian restaurants that live up to their taste buds.

“I developed a love for food when I was traveling a lot.”

Pham said. “I've been to a lot of countries in Asia, and when I come back home, [eating] those foods and finding local restaurants around here makes me reflect on those memories and relive them.”

Kong shares Pham's affinity for food from childhood.

“With homemade dishes, I get the opportunity to connect [with others] through those foods. Maybe it's because I've been raised in an Asian household,” Kong said, “But I have a tendency

to like Asian food over other cuisines. We can work on being more diverse in the future. However, since there are limited options for authentic Asian food in Redondo, I want to spread the love for all the good Asian restaurants.”

When Kong and Pham put their knowledge of “delicious” food to the test, they write through a series of categories to curate a “thoughtful” restaurant review.

“For me, it's the flavor. I find that usually, the best restaurants have the worst service, and if I base [my review] on service, it can water down the experience and pure good food. Service doesn't matter [as long as] the food is delicious,” Kong

said.

Due to Kong and Pham's differing palates, the pair note that it’s good to have two different people running a food review account.

“I used to have that same opinion as Athena. But now if I have a bad experience with the service, that's making its way to my review. Once, I waited two hours for a restaurant because they forgot our food. When the food came it was bad even though we ordered seafood and were on an island. Of course, if the food is good then that’s fine. But the food is the most important and I also love a good presentation,” Pham said.

With the writing of the reviews finished, the duo then go on to their final step before posting. All of their posts include an overall rating of the restaurant, through the dining experience, service, and food.

“I [search] for the restaurant and compare it [to others I've been to before].

[Then I consider if] I like this restaurant better than another one, to use the answer to calibrate the score,” Kong said.

Pham describes her ratings as “being more intuitive,” giving and taking points depending on the atmosphere of the restaurant and the food.

The pair hope to continue embracing the culture and dishes that brought them together through the various restaurants they visit and the reviews they leave.

“All of the popular and good food reels show restaurants are far, most of them being an hour away in LA," Kong said. "I want restaurants to be more accessi1 ble.”

9.7/10

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10/10 9.3/10

4 1. Kong and Pham PHOTO BY DANIELLA GROSS 2. Chili Wontons 3. Zha Jiang Noodles 4. Iron Godess Milk Tea PHOTOS COURTESY OF ATHENA KONG

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high tide feb. 1, 2024

SUPER Substitutes Mr. O’Brien

by Kate Jacoby

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hether it’s being a security guard, a substitute teacher, a pastor at a Presbyterian church, or a man who makes balloon animals for a living at Joe’s Crab Shack, Shawn O’Brien has many different identities, which, according to him, has been his life’s pleasure.

O’Brien, also referred to as Mr. O, first began subbing after his part-time job as a security guard for five years. Including substitute teaching, he has been involved in the district for eight years. According to O’Brien, he likes both subbing and being a security guard. He says that he enjoys the fact they’re all different; they add variety to his life. After COVID hit, he switched careers and started subbing because the pandemic resulted in more job openings. Since then, he’s had more time for family life and his other hobbies.

“I appreciate [..] the flexibility of [subbing], so when my kids have things, or I have to be somewhere else, I can take the day off,” O’Brien said. “I like that every day is different. Different groups of kids, classes, and subject matter. From middle school PE to AP classes, you see everything.”

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s the self-proclaimed “mom” of RUHS, Kelby Bruno has dedicated her time on campus to being a maternal parent figure that students can open up their hearts to.

“Sometimes you have a teenager crying on your shoulder, or you have an opportunity to talk to someone about redirecting their life, and [learning] about their struggles,” Bruno said. “They want a friend in an adult.”

Bruno loves providing healing energy for students, especially international teens from other countries like Ukraine or Japan.

One such student joined campus after immigrating from Russia just before the Russo-Ukraine war started.

“He was [devastated]. We would sit and talk, and it was [wonderful] to be able to connect with him,” Bruno said. “It was very [fulfilling] to be able to comfort him and [bond] in a positive way. [Teens] can be lonely, or have trouble fitting in. They’re getting defined by the culture and it’s very unfulfilling. They just need somebody to see them.”

Bruno started substitute teaching at Catholic schools, but she knew she would eventually want to move to the school her kids would end up attending, hence how she ended up at RUHS.

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obert Warsaw—colloquially known as “Mr. Sub”—knew what his heart wanted; and pursued it.

He went straight out of the entertainment business in Hollywood into a classroom in Downtown LA. Warsaw was a full-time teacher at the Los Angeles Unified School District for about twenty-two years. He began his teaching career in his mid 40’s and retired in 2017 due to health issues. Though he was retired, he didn’t feel like hanging up the hat quite yet.

“I could have retired, but I missed the interaction,” Warsaw said. “I just wanted to take certain stresses out of my life, and subbing just seemed to be the perfect answer.”

During his time in Hollywood, Warsaw was an extra in shows like "FRIENDS" and "Cheers." Though he was in what seemed to be an exciting environment, Warsaw says that he felt an emptiness inside. He did what “he thought he should be doing,” and let the forces of outside pressures get to him.

“I felt that there just had to be more to life than making money. By my mid-40s, I [decided] it’s not worth it,” Warsaw said.

Warsaw ended up going back to school and got his Master’s in teaching, which is what began his career in Watts.

A spotlight on RUHS' favorite substitutes

O’Brien was previously identified as “The Balloon Dude'' when he attended El Camino College after graduating from South High School. While enrolled in community college, he had a contract with Joe’s Crab Shack that allowed him to have a successful business making balloon animals for six years. According to O’Brien, he still feels a sad nostalgia whenever he passes by the restaurant.

“I’ve always chosen money-making opportunities that give me the freedom to do what I want,” O’Brien said. “When I didn’t want to [work at] a party while making balloon animals, I’d say no.”

After relishing in the riches of his balloon-animal-making career, O’Brien transferred to the University of Hawai’i and graduated

from Biola University in California.

“College is that time when people start [finding] themselves,” O’Brien said. “[They go on a journey], and ask themselves life’s big questions.”

He majored in religious studies and became a pastor at a Presbyterian Church in North County Santa Barbara for about seven years. O’Brien says that because of his time as a pastor, he’s worked with kids for a large period of his life.

“It’s interesting. I [enjoy] religion, philosophy, and questions about life and how people work,” O’Brien said. “How the world works, and why.”

Because of his interest in religious dtudies, he received the opportunity to travel to Israel and Palestine for his Doctorate in New Testament Context. He visited ancient sites and swam in the Dead

Sea, which, according to O’Brien, was fascinating because of his passion for history.

“A religious studies degree [has] philosophy, anthropology, [and more]. It’s everything wrapped into one,” O’Brien said.

“That’s why I love history.

Shortly after his time as a pastor in Santa Barbara, O’Brien returned to Redondo.

He still gets to travel, however, and every summer, he takes his family to Mexico to surf. The time O’Brien receives to travel is, according to him, another reason he enjoys subbing so much.

Currently, as a substitute, O’Brien says he doesn’t see much disrespect from students, viewinf students who make trouble as more of “a challenge” than a real obstacle. Overall, his experiences with students have remained positive, and he enjoys the diversity that comes with his daily schedule.

"I’ve had some classes that are just great,” O’Brien said. “You leave the class thinking, ‘Wow, that was a great class,’ [whether it’s] the subject matter, the enthusiasm, or kids being kind to other kids.”

“I feel like I was guided there,” Bruno said. “I wanted to be watching [my kids] grow up.”

According to Bruno, one of her favorite parts about subbing is the flexibility in schedule. With more time to manage, Bru-

tian, so I love teens and being able to speak life into people and bring out their giftings.” Bruno said. “I just feel like this generation needs a ton of encouragement and guidance.”

Bruno also embraces her religion artistically. She makes worship songs on her acoustic guitar and has music released on iTunes under her name. Bruno brings her songs to Church to lead congregations and participate in harmonies or background vocals. At her church, she has also met people born and raised in Hawaii, reminding her of her time living in Makawao, Maui.

Bruno says that, in a way, she’s reconnecting with Hawaii by meeting people who lived there, even if she’s left that period of her life behind.

“You don’t want to rewrite a chapter because everything is a new chapter, but you still have a soft spot in your heart for something so special,” Bruno said.

Bruno moved to Maui to pursue professional windsurfing. Though she was born and raised in California, to Bruno, Maui seemed to be “where the future of the sport was heading.” From the ages of twenty-one to twenty-six, Bruno traveled the world on the professional circuit. She entered contests all around the globe, like Australia, and Europe, though she mainly won contests that took place on Maui’s north shore. “[Windsurfing] took me around the world,” Bruno said. “It was a huge life, I feel like I’ve already had such a big career.”

Nonetheless, no matter how big a career in windsurfing may have been, Bruno says that she finds immense joy in developing relationships with younger students. As a substitute teacher and a mother, she gets to take care of kids in and out of her professional life.

“I feel like I’m a mom on campus. You never know how many kids don’t have parents that are hands-on, or their mom is gone and their dad lives in a different state.

There are so many [different] stories,” Bruno said. “This is what I do. You just have to have an open heart.”

Mrs. Bruno

2 2. Bruno featured on the cover of a magazine PHOTO COURTESY OFKELBY BRUNO

no inserts herself into her religious life.

She even works with a couple of ministries, hoping to lead the youth in the right direction.

“I’m just always in motion. I’m a Chris-

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Mr. "Sub" Warsaw “When I’m in a room full of kids, that’s where I’m truly in life’s flow,” Warsaw said.

“That time when self-criticism turns off, time flies and self-doubt is gone.”

A friend of Warsaw’s who taught with him in Watts was a member of the Peace Corps and invited him to go to Africa one

“

When I’m in a room full of kids, that’s where I’m truly in life’s flow. That time when self-criticism turns off, time flies, and selfdoubt is gone.

ROBERT WARSAW

summer to teach children. Sub accepted the offer, and taught first and second graders in Namibia. “[In Watts], I was having conferences with great grandpar-

ents raising their third generation of children. There’s a whole lost generation to drugs and to violence. There seemed to be a stronger infrastructure with the kids in Africa. They [didn’t have much] but their families were still [close] and together.

They were very grateful,” Warsaw said.

He recalled having dinners with various families and sitting with them inside their huts, passing around delicious food. Even the principal of the school he taught at invited him over once.

“To them, food is sacred and a part of their culture. It’s different there. When we go here, food is entertainment and we’re so wasteful. [To Namibians], It’s something they have re-

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1. O'Brien passing out papers PHOTO BY DANIELLA GROSS

3. Bruno talking with a student [Kate Jacoby] PHOTO BY DANIELLA GROSS

spect for. Nothing is wasted,” Warsaw said.

Under a tree, Warsaw says he would draw phonics in the dirt with a stick. When he taught them in classrooms, he would sing Bill Withers’ classic hit, “Lean on Me.” Students would harmonize with him almost immediately.

“It was amazing to me how quickly they all fell into the rhythm and spirit of that whole thing,” Warsaw said. “Music and dancing is a big part of their culture.”

When he returned to America, Warsaw says that the world felt different; he was “overwhelmed by choices,” whether that was picking which toothpaste to buy in the nearest CVS or deciding which movie to watch at night.

Warsaw has gained many experiences from his life as both a substitute and a full time teacher. He says that he felt as if he was “born to do this,” and thanks the world for helping him find his long-awaited calling.

“My biggest fear was always that I would die living a life that wasn’t worth living. After being a teacher, I no longer had that fear. It was a much more peaceful feeling.

If something were to happen, I would know I had done something [meaningful],” Warsaw said. “To me, becoming a teacher was everything.”

4. Warsaw in class. PHOTO BY TALIA PATTISHALL

feb. 1, 2024 high tide

6 features

An unspoken language Monique Dimitrova works at The Gentle Barn to tend to previously abused animals

by Leyla Evenson

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n February of last year, sophomore Monique Dimitrova looked for volunteer opportunities, trying to find something new. She found The Gentle Barn, a nonprofit organization that works to rehabilitate animals. According to Dimitrova, after a couple volunteer sessions and meeting the people working there, she decided it would be a perfect fit for her. The barn is only open on Sundays, and she attends every other week for a five hour shift, 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

“My favorite part is seeing people realize how nice the animals really are. A lot of people show up, and they think of animals as less than humans and that they don't matter as much, especially farm animals,” Dimitrova said. “But, when they show up and start getting loved on by all these animals that have had rougher times in the past, they love them. You can really see the people change.”

Dimitrova is a docent for the animals at The Gentle Barn, caring for an-

imals including llamas, pigs, horses, cows, sheep and turkeys, which add up to a total of over 100 animals. All the animals were rescued from abuse from their previous owners, and so the volunteers, including Dimitrova, form bonds with the animals to help them recover from their traumatic experiences and give them a better life.

“We got new turkeys a couple of weeks ago, and the very first time that they were out on a Sunday, they were really scared of people. As I stayed with them, several of our turkeys have shown a lot more compassion and love towards people. They’ve gotten a lot more warm towards everyone and have started letting people pet them,” Dimitrova said. “I love seeing how even just sitting near them and let-

ting them do their thing lets them get more comfortable with me, I love seeing how much they really grow from that.”

Dimitrova’s father, Dimitar Dimitrova, finds joy in Dimitrova's contribution to the barn’s cause.

“I'm happy because these animals used to be abused, and they have suffered, and now people take care of them, and Monique is one of those people,” Mr. Dimitrova said.

Dimitrova’s father finds all the effort his daughter puts into helping the animals “very impressive.”

“It’s an hour drive almost every Sunday. She gets tired because she's standing on her feet for six hours and talking to people and looking after the animals,” Mr. Dimitrova said. “She has to look after the animals, no matter if it's raining or if it's hot or sunny. That effort is something I am proud of.”

Part of the organization's purpose is to create awareness about animal abuse and the staff and volunteers work to create the environment for visitors to learn about that. “[Awareness for the animals] is 1 a common thing to see when you're

around an animal sanctuary, and being around those kinds of people, you get to see a side of society that's more caring,” Dimitrova said. “When you hang around people [who care about animals,] you get to learn a lot from each other, as well as learning from the animals directly.”

Watching and helping the animals recover is one of Dimitrova’s favorite parts of her job, and she especially loves working with a young llama named Skip.

“Skip is really fun to work with, and I especially love seeing little kids get to know him because it’s usually their first time seeing a llama in person or getting to pet one up close, and it's so cute seeing how everyone starts to form a bond with him,” Dimitrova said.

Despite all the joy produced from people bonding with the animals and experience seeing new animals, Dimitrova has had to prevent kids and animals from getting hurt.

“We have really small kids that come by, and sometimes the parents aren't as responsible, and the kids start chasing animals or climbing or doing things that they're not supposed to, and we have to step in and correct them,” Dimitrova said.

According to Dimitrova, handling these possibly uncomfortable situations has helped her to grow and become more self-assured.

“My confidence has gotten way better since I started volunteering. I used to be really anxious about social interaction, but after volunteering, it's way easier for me to talk to people,” Dimitrova said.

Aside from the difficult moments, Dimitrova’s hours are filled with wholesome animal-human moments that she loves to see.

2 “I was volunteering with a horse name Celeste, and she’s affected by dwarfism, so she's a little smaller than the usual horse,” Dimitrova said. “I had a guest come up to me and meet her, and I was telling her about how Celeste has dwarfism, and she told me she works with kids that have dwarfism, and she really formed a bond with Celeste over that. I thought it was amazing.”

Dimitrova’s volunteer job has many enjoyable and heartwarming moments, putting the good parts of humanity and of animals on display for anyone to see every Sunday.

“Seeing people change their minds about how animals really are- that’s really wonderful,” Dimitrova said. “I really enjoy knowing that I can help these animals learn to love people again after they were treated horribly in the past.”

1. Dimitrova feeding a llama named King.

2. Dimitrova next to a cow named Holy Cow. PHOTOS COURTSEY OF MONIQUE DIMITROVA HOOF TRACK VIA FREEPIK

Swimmer Avalon Kim competed in the Junior Olympics, finishing second

by Katarina Sapina

S

wimming at six-months-old evenbefore she could walk, freshman Avalon Kim honed her skills to eventually compete in the girls' biannual Junior Olympics. In the 200-yard backstroke long course, Kim secured second place with a time of 2:28 minutes.

Although swimming demands much of her time outside of school–12 hours a week over six days–Kim doesn't find it “too time-consuming” and still balances her school, social life and mental health.

She intertwines her passion for swimming with people she likes to spend time with and still finds time to complete her school work.

“I have a lot of friends at swimming, so I have a lot of fun. And then I have to get my homework done afterward or before," Kim said. “I can manage it because swimming is my favorite thing to do."

The individuals in Kim's life have helped her become the swimmer she is now. Her father, who had competed in a swimming state championship for Australia when he was younger, has mentored her throughout her swimming career along other swimmers who motivate her to “be better and get faster."

“My parents put me in swim lessons, and I joined the swim team when I was seven," Kim said. “[When I got older,] I knew I was gonna go to the Junior Olympics.”

Starting in the pool from six months

old, Kim is confident in her swimming because of her fast times, but commonly among most athletes, she still feels “a little nervous” before racing. The sport has had a large impact on her whole life since childhood, so Kim aspires to pursue swimming throughout her life past high school.

“I've always wanted to do

swimming. I want to swim in college and hopefully further than that," Kim said. “My goal is probably to be a college swimmer and to get as far as I can."

Swimming coach Julie Brancato has coached at RUHS for 10 years and sees Kim a “rare case.”

“Since I've been here,

probably 20 to 25 swimmers have made the Junior Olympics, and that's considered a pretty small number compared to how many swimmers there are," Brancato said.

According to Brancato, athletes should follow Kim’s dedication to her sport if they want to be capable of reaching her level of success. However, because of certain circumstances that are out of their control, such as starting their sport at a late age, “not every athlete” can get to that level.

"I think the difference [between Kim and other athletes] is work ethic, hours of training and dedication, the mindset and their competitive nature," Brancato said. "Also being the right age, since she's younger."

According to Brancato's, based on her experience coaching, the most important thing to achieving success like Kim's is time.

"It's about putting time and energy into it," Brancato said. "She's definitely put in that amount of time to get to this point."

Kim gave a simple piece of advice about how dedicating herself to something she liked is how she achieved success in her sport.

“I’ve been swimming for a long time, and I’ve always really liked it,” Kim said.

“Just try your best and continue doing what you enjoy doing.”

Kim with her swim cap after a competition.

PHOTO COURTSEY OF AVALON KIM

features 7

high tide feb. 1, 2024

Senior Sasha Kuzmenko plays competitive ping pong by Marlena Lipan

Nail Genius

W

hile a dusty white sheet covering a wooden ping pong table may appear unused, once the cover comes off, senior Sasha Kuzmenko is ready to spend hours furiously practicing for his next competitive ping pong tournament.

At a young age, Kuzmenko’s father began introducing him to ping pong.

“My dad’s almost always been into sports, so naturally he tried to get my brothers and I into sports, as well. My dad used to play ping pong when he was younger, so he would sometimes take me to play when I was two or three years old,” Kuzmenko said.

Kuzmenko’s father continued to nurture his son’s interest in ping pong as he grew and played with him during breaks in the recreation room at his local Russian school, where he went after school to study and be social with others that shared his culture. “[My dad] would go in depth about how the game worked and was able to show me how fun it was. I think over time that did provide interest, and when I started playing I already knew how the game worked, and I knew I’d enjoy it,” Kuzmenko said.

When Kuzmenko was seven-years-old, his training became progressively more intense and often.

“My dad put in a bunch of effort to make sure I trained well. Over time, I did improve and began to play in competitions.

In competitions, my dad would always go and support me and just make sure I had fun. Overall, my relationship with my father did provide more improvement in my career because I was able to get the best experience and enjoyment out of playing it,” Kuzmenko said.

Kuzmenko continues to progress and currently plays at a very high level, while setting goals to expand his career further.

“Right now, I’m trying to see if I can make it to the senior national teams. I’ve been improving a lot the last few years, so I’m hoping I can keep that up,” he said.

For the past two years, Kuzmenko played in the US Open, one of the most prestigious table tennis tournaments in the United States, boasting a prize of $60,000.

“Playing in such tournaments, I know what the pressure is like. I know how people behave there, and I know what to expect. Once you go there, you get to see so many strong players all in one room. It’s a crazy feeling, especially when you get to take photos with some of the best players in the country,” Kuzemenko said.

Along with having competed in the US Open, Kuzmenko recently played at the Los Angeles Open.

“I ended up pulling off the biggest win of my career so far. It was honestly the best I’ve ever played in a match. It felt good to finally be able to show what I can do on the field,” Kuzmenko said.

Kuzmenko trains 15 hours per week at the Grace Lin Table Tennis Club. Since starting, he has created lasting relationships with the people he goes to competitions with, especially one of his close friends, Liam Guadiz.

“We were both at a tournament and during my finals match that Sasha was able to coach me because of his advanced skill, and I was able to win. I was really excited and grateful for Sasha because he was able to figure out my opponent really fast to develop a foolproof strategy for me to win,” Guadiz said.

Kuzmenko plans to continue playing throughout college and even envisions the possibility of going to the Olympics.

“Ping pong is something that anyone at any age can enjoy. I’ve met so many new people from playing,” Kuzmenko said. “It’s so many people with similar interests and 2 and it’s helped me both outside of school inside school, and I have formed so many new connections because of it.”

Senior Allison Lin embraces her passion for nail design by running Naillisons, a self-made business by Delilah Aguilar

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assion fuels business, and naturally driven entrepreneur senior Allison Lin is no exception. Lin is a self-financed entrepreneur who began her nail business, Naillisons, in 2022 after agreeing to do a friend's nails for prom.

“This was my first time doing somebody's nails besides my mom’s and a fam-

“

Doing nails is how I destress. When doing nails, I think about precision, perfecting each detail, and properly applying each coat. I’m not thinking about anything else or worried about other factors of my day.

ALLISON LIN SENIOR

sion. “[Allison is] very creative and goal-oriented. If she thinks she can do something, without a doubt, she will follow through,” Lyons said, “She’s a wonderful leader and a good person to model yourself after.”

Despite starting her business in high school, Lin recalls her joy for nails sparking when she was seven-years-old. It was an activity that brought her closer to family.

“My mom and I would always go to the nail salon together [...] that piqued my interest in doing my own nails. Occasionally, the nail ladies couldn’t recreate the designs I wanted as I envisioned them. I thought, ‘Why don’t I just do this myself?’” Lin said.

Lin has been painting her nails since she was 10-years-old but was later motivated to learn how to do acrylic nails and Gel-X, a soft nail extension that artificially lengthens nails while maintaining flexibility.

Through the beginning her newfound hobby, Lin would practice on both herself and her mother, finding inspira- tion and learning tips from social media.

4

ily friend's. I decided to charge her a small amount, and that’s when I realized I could form a business out of my passion for nails,” Lin said.

Senior Julia Lyon bonded with Lin over nail care before she started her businessand she is now a frequent customer at Naillisons. “[Allison] always had a great mind for business. We’ve known each other since kindergarten, and I remember side businesses she had in middle school. I’m happy to be able to support this one. It can be nerve-wracking to get your nails done and feel unsure the nail tech will do a good job, but Allison is extremely talented, self-assured and dedicated to her business.

I always feel comfortable trusting her to do a good job with my nails,” Lyons said.

As a long-term friend of Lin’s, Lyons notices how Lin’s character positively impacts her business and “admires” her pas-

1

2

“Being able to do my mom’s nails meant a lot to me. She’s often at work, and when I got to practice on her, it was a meaningful time where we’d have one to two hours out of the day together. I appreciated those extra hours with her,” Lin said.

Senior Lalitha Muttulingam heard about Naillisons through word of mouth and wanted to support her classmate. She felt Lin’s nails looked “professional” and was eager to book an appointment.

“I immediately felt very comfortable with [Allison], I could make suggestions, and she was open to my feedback. I noticed she was very detail-oriented and considerate of how I felt throughout the entire process. [...] I prefer her over a nail salon and recommend her to anyone who asks.

Her nails are detailed, durable and she’s extremely easy to work with,” Muttulingam said.

Lin’s business has also served as a form of self-care. Even throughout the hectic weeks leading up to a school dance where she’d be overbooked, her passion drove her to ensure each set of nails was well cared for.

“Doing nails is how I de-stress.

When doing nails, I think about precision, perfecting each detail and properly applying each coat. I’m not thinking about anything else or worried about other factors of my day. It’s an extremely relaxing time where I can let my mind rest and focus on a skill I love,” Lin said.

After doing her nails, Lin notes she often feels fulfilled and more confident. While doing other people’s nails, she enjoys the idea that they leave feeling the same.

“I feel satisfied and content with myself because I get to assist others as they build their confidence through a fresh coat of nail polish," Lin said. "I’m also happy to be able to share my work with others while raising their self-esteem.”

3

1-3. Senior Allison Lin paints her friends' nails for personal business, "Nailisons." PHOTO COURTESY OF ALLISON LIN 4. Senior Allison Lin. PHOTO BY SASCHA PERDUE

Finsta-Worthy?

8 high tide feb. 1, 2024

in-focus

Spam vs. Main Spam Accounts: second accounts created usually on Instagram that tend to be private and only accept requests from closer friends. Teens open spam accounts for varying reasons, but these accounts are mainly used to post more often with less pressure from the wider audience of a main account.

Social media trends can alter self-perception by influencing which clothing and behaviors are viewed as normal, creating an intense gym culture and encouraging teens to open spam accounts to post more freely

by Scarlett Mische, Marley Van Pelt and Rena Felde

The Spam Account Phenomenon

T

“I think people make spam accounts for the fun of it, whereas they have main accounts because they feel that they need to have an Instagram account. Even though it seems like everyone has social media, they really don’t, and so spams are for those who use social media frequently.”

- Jalene White-Short, 11

main

spam

“I post on my spam account more frequently because it’s just my friends, so I don’t care what they think. But if it’s on my main account, then it takes more effort to post.

I want to make sure to portray myself in the best light [on my main account.}" - Cole Barnes, 12 main spam

“For my spam account, I just click the plus button and add whatever photos I want. I don’t even think about it.

I’ll add a random caption or funny emojis and then post.

On my main account, I take a lot of time to pick precisely which pictures I like.”

- Fiona Grossman , 11

main

spam

he desire to fit in among peers and in the media can be prevalent in many aspects of a teenager’s life.

Whether through the way people present themselves on their accounts, the way people dress, or the body people strive to have: various social influences can lead to the urge to fit in.

In recent years, spam accounts on Instagram have grown in popularity, with these alternative accounts being used as a place for people to “spam” or post constantly, allowing for more self-expression.

Junior Fiona Grossman has a private spam account, and a private main account. After having her main account for three months, she decided to create a spam as a way to better and more frequently express herself to her close friends. The intimacy of Grossman’s private account makes her feel more comfortable posting, resulting in an account which is “really funny” and “fitting to who [she] is.”

“For my spam account, I just click the plus button and add whatever photos I want. I don’t even think about it. I’ll add a random caption or funny emojis and then post. On my main account, I take a lot of time to pick precisely which pictures I like. And on my main account, I’m always switching out what I want to be shown. I have a very routine main account, with carefully chosen parts [of my life],” Grossman said.

Similarly to Grossman, senior Cole Barnes has both a private spam and a public main account and he too feels “more pressure” when creating posts for his main account.

“I post on my spam account more frequently because it’s just my friends, so I don’t care what they think. But, if it’s on my main account, then it takes more effort to post. I want to make sure to portray myself in the best light [on my main account],” Barnes said.

Junior Jalene White-Short takes similar effort in selecting what to post to her main Instagram account, a public account. Her spam account is a “pressure-free environment,” but on her main account she often thinks, “Is this Instagram worthy?” before posting. After having a main account for three months, White-Short felt that starting a spam account would be an exciting new way to portray herself.

“I think people make spam accounts for the fun of it, whereas they have main accounts because they feel that they need to have an Instagram account. Even though it seems like everyone has social media, they really don’t, and so spams are for those who use social media frequently,” WhiteShort said.

Dr. Albert Knapp, a board certified behavior analyst at the doctoral level and a registered play therapist, gives a reasoning

PHOTOS BY ROMI RISS

to the social expectation that teenagers feel to possess a form of social media.

“People will create accounts to create the persona. When email started, people would often make a Gmail address that would be for professional communication or personal communication, and then another email address for all the newsletters,” Knapp said. “So, in a way, social media can be that idea of making an account to give out to people that you’re not really interested in, but you want to be socially appropriate.”

To anonymous senior Hannah, “letting someone follow [her] main account is like smiling at them in the street,” but her spam account is followed only by her closest friends. “[My spam account] is a scrapbook of the past two years of my life, and as I add to it I want to make it as beautiful as I can, less so for other people and more for myself,” Hannah said.

Hannah still feels that posting on her spam account comes with “less judgment” than posting on her main account, but posting on both is “an experience.”

“Even on my spam, I want a post to be an experience, so I’ll spend, like, half an hour at the end of each week choosing which photos to share and ordering them in a sequence that feels right,” said Hannah. “I’m still conscientious of how I’m presenting myself for others, but because it’s people I trust, they know who I am, and I don’t have to apologize for it.”

For Hannah, a spam account is an outlet to focus on what brings her joy in life and it “helps [her] lead with joy as [she goes] through [her] life.”

The stress of curating an image on social media can be alleviated through use of secondary accounts like spam accounts, which allow users to post with less pressure and appreciate or collect joyful moments in life.

Fashion and Maturity in Media Trends

W

ith an increasing presence of social media in teens’ lives, students can start to perceive themselves in a more conscious light. Dr. Knapp explained how it’s “human nature to want to fit in” and that social media comes “a lot of second guessing and a lot of focus on [self] perception and how other people perceive [us].” Anonymous freshman Sophia echoes this idea as her exposure to social media has changed the way she presents herself.

“Social media has affected the way I dress because I see all these pretty girls, and I want to look like them,” Sophia said. “I tried to see their style and put that into my

style because I don't really know what my style is.”

Dr. Knapp also attested to the way that not just social media, but also peer pressures can affect the way young teens perceive themselves. “[Teens] look towards their peer group to make connections with others in order to make sense of the world around them.

Maybe even a little bit to a fault, they lean a little bit too much on their peers,” Knapp said. “Then their peers also expand to not just the physical people you see in classes, but those in the Discord servers and the TikTok videos and then those people become who they aspire to be. I feel like they rely on that information a lot more than authority figures like professionals, parents and older relatives.”

After first getting social media in middle school, Sophia expressed that it “told [her] how to be a certain way.” In seventh grade, she experienced an “awkward phase” and how that period of time allowed her to feel as if she “had her own style” but also felt she “tried too hard.”

“Social media was probably the reason I shifted out of that phase and also me trying clothes that I thought would never suit me,” Sophia said. “I feel like myself a little bit less now because back [in seventh grade] I wore what I wanted to and I didn't really care and now every morning it’s like ‘Does this look good?’ It's frustrating.”

Anonymous freshman John related to this idea as he also experienced this time of growth in middle school.

“Mine was halfway through seventh grade, and it sucked because it felt like everything was against me,” John said. “I'm happy that I went through that phase because I feel I'm more mature and now that I'm on the other side of it.”

John sees how social media affects his student peers and believes in the idea that people shouldn’t have to “look or act a certain way.”

“Whatever the trend is, it's cool to have that trend,” John said. “But then later on, after the trend is over, sometimes you're gonna regret it and it's not going to be worth it.”

Knapp advocates that one of the best ways to combat the pressures and influences of social media is to “prioritize in-person activities.”

“That [space from media] would be helpful because then you're sharing an experience together in real time,” Knapp said. “[A resistance to media] comes with forming an identity and being happy with who you are and trying to make decisions that further your own self-development.

Because then hopefully, you can block out the ‘noise’ and focus on what makes sense to you and what you're interested in.”

Social media “noise” can influence users to separate themselves into two different people - who they are, and who they want to be - which can create a cycle of false truths in our society.

Gym Culture and Social Media

G

ym culture, promoted by online xercise content, has grown in popularity, leading to a spike in teen attendance at local gyms. Influencers posting inspirational content can push people to unhealthy practices while they strive for a certain body type, but it can also encourage healthier eating and exercising habits. Senior Austin Flippo said the gym is a place for friendly competition and a place to hangout with friends.

“If you have a friend and you both want to improve yourself, the gym is great competition,” Flippo said. “You guys can improve and prepare new ideas and different workouts. So much of my social life is from working out with my best friend.”

Though gym culture has its benefits, trends like cutting and bulking may have health risks. Competitive bodybuilder and senior Joshua Loyola has seen firsthand how male body standards may lead to health extremes such as intense diet regimens like cutting and bulking to achieve an optimal body fat-to-muscle ratio.

“Anytime I would do either [bulk or cut], I would get extremely upset. It would get to the point where when I was bulking, I wouldn’t even look at myself in the mirror,” Loyola said. “But whenever I was cutting, I would get sad because I knew how powerful I felt in the gym when I was bulking.”

Aside from striving for health and strength, Loyola claims he “100 percent” prioritizes aesthetics over well-being, causing him to struggle physically and mentally.

Registered Dietician Nutritionist Valerie Barnum understands that social media can promote “unattainable standards” and can push people to take drastic measures to achieve them. Barnum summarizes her overall message with a single sentence: “Health is not all looks. It’s what’s going on inside physically, mentally and emotionally.”

Loyola was originally motivated to work out after being bullied for his weight in middle school, but his hobby eventually turned into bodybuilding competitions; his first was in Nov. 2022.. “[Bodybuilding competitions] suck.

Most people can’t handle it,” Loyola said and admits it can become “toxic.” “But fitness is great in general and everyone should do something active.”

Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Trauma Specialist Naceem Navidi echoes that “diet culture is so alluring because we’re doing it under the guise that we’re trying to be healthy, but that can be misleading and very unhelpful to people who are still struggling with the root issues like internalized shame, perfectionism, sexual abuse, trauma.”

Social media can promote a “grind culture” which

Of young girls (8-18) surveyed:

Of young girls (8-18) who wear makeup:

58%

65%

reported to wearing makeup

began wearing makeup between the ages of 8 to 13

Survey conducted in 2012 with 572 girls ages 8-18 within the U.S. by Harris Interactive on behalf of The Renfrew Center Foundation.

puts an emphasis on constant improvement that isn’t always achievable. Flippo originally started going to the gym to get stronger for soccer, but it “quickly fell into a physique thing.”

“I was always the type of guy to be like, ‘There’s always better.’ There’s always something I can do; a little tweak here, a little improvement here,” Flippo said. “And I feel like if I wasn’t actively doing that, maybe social media was making me feel inadequate if I wasn’t pursuing a better version of myself everyday.”

Senior Shane Calcagno felt insecure about his frame and strived to gain weight since freshman year; he would compare himself to his peers’ posts where they “looked better.”

“I was always the skinniest. When I take off my shirt at the beach, I’d be called a skeleton,” Calcagno said. “I acted like it didn’t really affect me, but after hearing all that, you don’t want to look like that anymore.”

He adjusted his diet and focused on eating foods like chicken and rice and less “empty” foods. But this habit became unhealthy when he disregarded what foods he was eating and focused solely on aesthetics and gaining weight. Though his insecurity diminished his confidence, he says inspiration from Instagram had pushed him to “change in a good way.”

“Instead of looking at these people and thinking ‘Damn. I don’t look like them, I’m just going to be sad,’ I’m like, ‘Damn. I want to look like them, so I’m going to work as hard as I can to get to that point,’” Calcagno said.

Barnum warns social media users that though influencers don’t have ill intent, “they’re talking as if they are experts,” and she advises to confirm information found on these platforms with credible sources.

“It’s good to get your knowledge, but you have to know where to get it. [...] If we’re going from one diet to another or restricting or purging, then there might be some short-term change, but in the long term, they’re setting themselves up for this constant battle, and it’s so much harder to manage your metabolism if you mess with it at an early age,” Barnum said.

A healthy relationship with the gym and one’s body makes widespread fitness inspiration a force for good. When manageable goals are set forth, the gym functions as a place for socializing and confidence.

“I just love the sport. Being in the gym, I love the adrenaline, the rushes you get whenever you do something heavy,” Loyola said.

“Whene v e r you do h a v e a good workout and you look in the mirror like, ‘Damn. That looks sick.’”

feb. 1, 2024 high tide 9

Cut and Bulk Breakdown Cut and Bulk: diet cycle in which one is in a calorie-surplus in attempt to gain weight and build muscle and then transitions to a calorie-deficit in order to lose body-fat weight to expose muscle. This is typically paired with weight training and a consistently high-protein diet in order to build and maintain muscles.

“Whenever we’re denying our body the calories and nutrients it needs, we are messing with our metabolism.

This is why we want to have not just our healthy eating patterns, but our healthy eating thoughts because this sets us up for the rest of our lives.”

- Registered Dietician Nutritionist Valerie Barnum

“Social media portrays an unattainable standard, yet young people are thinking it’s attainable, but some of these things aren't attainable without surgery. It’s just an unattainable standard that they’re looking for, when we should be aiming for something more attainable. Health is not all looks. It’s what’s going on inside physically, mentally and emotionally.”

- Registered Dietician Nutritionist Valerie Barnum

10

opinion

YES: I

TIME magazine named pop star Taylor Swift Person of the Year 2023, causing controversy

by Isabella Kohler

NO:

n the words of the icon herself “haters gonna hate.”

That is exactly what people have been doing to Taylor Swift and women like her. And what makes it ten times worse is the fact that a great deal of the people that hate on women like Taylor Swift are women themselves.

Extreme controversy has followed the recent naming of Swift as TIME magazine’s “person of the year” and to me, this

by Priya Ramcharan

T

controversy goes against everything that feminism stands for. People argue that there are other people in the world who are more deserving of the title because they are “doing more important things” like Malala Yousefzai or Greta Thunberg— and these women are doing truly amazing things to change the world, but why must we put some women down in order to show support for other women?

Having different dreams doesn’t make a woman any less than another. A pop star like Taylor Swift is just as worthy of praise as an activist.

Although Swift isn’t finding the cure for cancer or solving global warming, she still has an important role in this world; she gives people a voice that they can see themselves in. There is a reason that Swift was the number 1 Spotify artist of 2023 and the person of the year, and it wasn’t because of her dating life.

People listen to Taylor Swift because they see themselves in her lyrics and find comfort in the message of her

Does

aylor Swift and Joseph Stalin.

Nice mix!

TIME magazine’s tradition of choosing a “person of the year” has been running since 1927, listing impactful individuals from Adolf Hitler to Greta Thunberg. This year, I was surprised to see the sequined pop star Taylor Swift next to the previous winners. I don’t doubt Swift’s takeover of the pop music scene; however, the TIME's choice to highlight such a trivial person in history devalues the crucial person whom I believe is far more notable.

A celebrity, especially in music, is prone to exploiting the masses. What is supposed to be art has mutated into a commercial venture, and Taylor Swift sits as the queen of it all. Though Swift sells tickets and merchandise fast, her dominance is not a phenomenon. The Era’s tour brought her to peak fame, but selling tickets does not equate to having impact. She did not invent the idea of “musical eras'' or “narratives.” In fact, genre switching is a classic marketing move.

In contrast, musicians like Bob Marley who wrote songs about peace, and John Lennon who protested the Vietnam War, both influenced the zeitgeist in meaningful ways. Instead of exploiting their fame for more money and catering to the lowest common denominator, they every industry, from law elevated the audience with powerful ideas. And what did to coding. Taylor Swift Taylor Swift do? Have a cruel summer? There is nothing has altered the muspecial about her music’s message in the global sphere; sic industry and has besides fun and sweet sentiments it offers little else. Her donated to food music is worth enjoying; however, making her the person banks, but her imof the year out of all the other authentic and impactful peo- pact feels like virple signifies a dangerous turn the world is taking toward tue signaling and is self-serving. triviality. “politTIME themselves cites her relationship with football Her player Travis Kelce and its cause in the rise of the game’s viewership as an impact. By this logic, Pete Davidson should be the next Photo via person of the year because of his entertainvecteezy.com ing dating life. Better yet, the Kardashians!

It shocks me that people turned on their TVs to watch Taylor Swift watch her boyfriend play football. ical activism” is just boiled down cheap Swift hides behind pseudo-feminism and red lipstick, but she is just another pop star with a style to sell. commercial vacuous lines that do a disservice to the real Taylor Swift and her fans are not the problem here, but la- problems. I’d even argue her existence is counter-feminist, beling Swift as the most influential person crudely under- because she emphasizes “capitalistic” women’s rights and mines the monumental events that occured this year. 2024 superficial ideology. Swift pales in comparison to the genhas seen wars in the Middle East, technical innovation and uine landmarks of our time, such as Altman, who has the social movements. In the face of all this, it is ridiculous to ability to change the world with the click of a button. He is highlight a billionaire pop star as the breakout. Let’s think far more deserving of the prize than our money grabbing about the world as more than TikTok feeds. Or rather, let’s Miss Americana.

Taylor Swift was chosen to grace the cover of the TIME explore why you are looking at it. Who is the real person of the year? Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, which released to boost sales. A diplomat or scientist or war hero would Chat GPT this year. I don’t buy the hype around AI being gain less traction. This fact is the problem. People no lonhumanity's downfall; however, the release of this software ger think about the world. They’d rather be mindlessly fed created an important conversation as society ventures into excruciating break up songs.

Though I argue for Sam Altman, part of me is glad Taythe world of technology. Open AI’s innovation sparked the writer's strikes in Hollywood, academic cheating, deep lor Swift was picked. I imagine the children of the future as fakes, misinformation and so much more. Before anyone they study history and read the list of prominent individdares mention Swift’s “impact on the economy,” let’s talk uals. They will see Mahatma Gandhi, Winston Churchill, about how AI may deliver an additional economic output Ronald Reagan and Angela Merkel. And where it says of around $13 trillion by 2030. AI increased stock prices 2023, they will see Taylor Swift. And they will know the in countless industries, which stimulated Wall Street, as year people lost their minds. well as spark mass concern for AI’s impact on working class people. AI is discussed in every news outlet and in

Taylor

deserve the title?

songs, which is apparent by the fact that she had 26.1 billion streams in 2023, according to Spotify Wrapped. I guarantee that no matter who you are, you can relate to at least one of Swift’s songs.

I have been singing and writing since I was six-yearsold, so believe me when I say that music connects you to a part of yourself that is entirely unknown to others; and it can take you to places where you can escape from the gut-wrenching hardships of everyday life.

Take Swift’s album “Folklore” for example — it evokes feelings of nostalgia for the heartbreaks of the past and takes you away to a quintessential seaside town where you experience the love triangle between Betty, James and Augustine. This fervent feeling is exactly why the album reached over 5 billion streams on Spotify within the first two years of its release.

Women like Betty Friedan, the author of the feminist novel “The Feminine Mystique,” Sylvia Plath, author of “The Bell Jar” and Simone de Beauvoir, author of “The Second Sex” all fought for women to have the choice to do what they pleased with their lives—baseball players, astronauts, mothers, authors, singers, actors— they wanted to have options. So why are we constantly comparing our achievements when the idea of women being able to follow their own paths is what we as a female population have been fighting for for hundreds of years?

Hatred against Taylor Swift is often rooted in the sexism and misogyny that exists within the music industry.

According to research conducted by the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative only 13.4% of Grammy nominees between 2013 and 2021 were women with a whopping 86.6% were men. The music and film industry has always favored men and bestowed a sense of internalized misogyny that often goes unnoticed and unspoken.

This internalized misogyny is felt even between women as their views and opinions of other women are shifted by the world around them.

I’m not in any way saying everyone has to love Swift’s music because not everyone has the same taste. I don’t limit myself to just Taylor Swift’s music; I love The Beatles and Fleetwood Mac and Harry Styles and so many other artists, and I love them all in different ways. If Swift’s music is not your cup of tea, then that's fine. Just try to understand why so many people do love her music. Taylor Swift gives people a home to run to when they are feeling everything that humans feel; happy, depressed, angry, heart-broken, whatever it may be, Taylor Swift has a song that feels like someone is looking at the contents of your mind through a telescope.

letters to the

editor

The High Tide encourages greater input of perspectives from both students and staff. If you have an opinion about one of the articles, letters can be sent to the editor at hightideonline@gmail.com We reserve the right to edit for content, grammar and space constraints. Letters must be signed and are not guaranteed to be printed. Please keep letters to a maximum of 250 words. Longer guest opinions are also accepted.

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If you have a story to share, a unique outlook on something, or a personal opinion, fill out the form linked at the QR code.

opinion 11

high tide feb 1, 2024

Why so SAD?

PHOTO BY STAVYAH NAVEEN

Seasonal depression and wintertime sadness deplete energy, but hope for sunnier days continues

T

by Deeksha Prasad

he mornings start to gray. The serious. It usually clears up on its own in a weather gets colder, the days fairly short amount of time.” grow shorter, and the wind picks However, there is a more serious version up. Winter is coming. of winter blues: seasonal affective disorder, Sometimes, during these three months, abbreviated as SAD. NIH says that SAD inI come home from school and find myself terferes with daily functioning over a sigunable to do anything. I lay on my bed for nificant period of time, with shorter days hours, staring at the ceiling with no moti- and less sunlight being the main cause. vation to drag myself out of bed and get to Be it simply winter blues or SAD, it’s work on the pile of assignments that seems hard to deny that the winter season is hard to grow exponentially as the minutes tick to power through. The school routine sets by. By the time I’m up and ready to actu- in, and along with that, the workload from ally do something productive, the sun has classes increases. Stress begins to accumulong set, and the rest of my family is pre- late, and even though winter break offers paring to sleep. I go to bed at 3, maybe 4 a momentary pause, it's hard to forget that a.m. I wake up at 7 the finals are just next day, and the cycle around the correpeats. My exhaustion ner once we reand stress build. turn to school.

Funnily enough, as In contrast to Seasonal depression, February closes out, summer, where my inexplicable tired- known clinically as there tend to ness and mental fog- Seasonal Affective Disorder, be fewer reginess evaporate. The sponsibilities sun comes out in the happens during certain and more free morning, chasing away times of the year--most time, winter my stagnation along just feels like a often fall or winter. Less with the gray. never-ending Winter blues is, no daylight is thought to run of packed doubt, a pretty comdays with little mon experience. It’s trigger a chemical change room to actually characterized by sad- in the brain leading to breathe. In the ness, tiredness, apathy space between towards things you’d symptoms of depression. returning to normally feel passionschool after the ate about and changes INFORMATION FROM new year and in diet and sleep. Ac- JOHNS HOPKINS MEDICINE spring break, cording to the National excluding weekInstitutes of Health (NIH), “Winter blues ends, we only have four days off. This is a is a general term, not a medical diagnosis. stark contrast to the period from the start It’s fairly common, and it’s more mild than of the school year to winter break, when we

had 22 days off, allowing us significantly more important than our outward appearmore time to rest and relax. ance. Getting enough rest and not piling That’s not to say that we should be tak- stress on ourselves should take precedence ing more days off due to the mental decline over how we think people perceive us. If that comes with the cold season. Rather, we have a decreased amount of energy and it’s how we deal with motivation, the our weariness and burnbest way for us out that becomes all the to work with it more important during is to ration that this time. energy better.

A big part of coping Funnily enough, as Things like forcwith that fatigue is look- February closes out, my ing yourself to ing for ways to recover look a certain the energy that seems inexplicable tiredness way to everyto have mysteriously one else should and mental fogginess depleted and, unfortunot be our first nately, procrastination evaporate. The sun priority; rather, and late-night study we should look comes out in the and homework sessions out for ourselves do not help with that. morning, chasing away first. Instead of I always see videos on giving in to the TikTok of perfect girls my stagnation along with urge to just lay who seem to have their the gray. down and put whole lives together all aside work for the time; perfect hair, later, it’s crucial makeup, outfits, study DEEKSHA PRASAD to do our best setup, and videos cap- SOPHOMORE to push through tioned “do a late night the slump and study session with me!” with candlelit desk- try and do as much as you can. tops and aesthetic notes. When I study at 2 I’m trying my best to adhere to these in the morning, I look like a feral stray dog. policies; I’m spreading myself out in a way And the next morning, I look even worse. I that is helpful to myself and only myself. try to make up for my ratty appearance by In the midst of this winter upset, I try to putting even more effort into my makeup, find ways to make life seem fun and not my hair, in order to preserve a composed just draining. I get out of my house on the image that I’m almost 100% sure exists weekends with people who don’t deplete only in my head. I force myself to talk to my social battery. I light a candle while I everyone at school, rather than just the two study (even though my desk still isn’t nearor three people I actually want to see. By ly as aesthetic as the TikToks). I do my best the time I come home, I’m fully worn out. to hold out until spring because I know that Our mental health should always be better times are coming.

“

Colleges favoring legacy applicants creates an unethical admissions process by further normalizing nepotism

W

by Ariya Anvari

alking into a doctor’s office own merit. While it can be argued that havand demanding a job on the ing families donate to schools is necessary grounds of “my dad is load- for funding, I completely disagree. It will ed and used to work here, so I should” create a never-ending cycle of rich families wouldn’t get you a job, but for college ad- getting more opportunities than everyone missions, it just might work. else. While not all legacies are necessarily The principle of college legacies makes wealthy, 42% of them are potential top domy blood boil. As juniors, all of my friends nors according to The Hechinger Report. and I are fretting about college like there College is supposed to be about learning is no tomorrow. We are selling our souls and creating new opportuto mounds of AP classes and boatnities for your future loads of homework in prayer to by fostering new get into a college our parents connections will approve of. But for and learning legacies, the odds shift the skills to entirely. According to succeed NPR News, the averin the age Harvard appliwork78% of private cant's odds of getting force, universities in is 1 in 30, but for b u t consider legacy students, the due to odds of being admitunfair legacies during ted shift to 1 in 3. In p r i v admissions this battle to the death, ileges for legacies, the odds offered are “ever in their favor.” to legacy DATA FROM A 2022 There is one phrase that students, it FORBES ANALYSIS OF seems to describe legacy stubecomes more AMERICA'S TOP 100 dents: Nepo-babies. Legacies about money, corCOLLEGES are based on nepotism at their core, ruption and status passing down a title based on family status than education and success. and generational wealth rather than one's This mindset sets a horrible precedent: A

normalization of the idea that hard work and dedication aren’t as important as money and titles.

People who have fewer economic opportunities–such as immigrants and first-generation Americans–don’t get the same privileges and opportunities as people who are legacies. According to Peter Arcidiacono, Duke professor and successful economist and econometrician, who studies statistics and their relations to the economy, 70% of legacy students admitted to Harvard are white. Accepting legacies prevents colleges from being able to foster the diversity and new perspectives they so desperately need.

Additionally, no child is their parents.

There is no way to accurately judge the capability of an individual by examining their lineage rather than what they themselves have to offer. Most people rely on their own hard work to get into college, so money and connections having more importance is unfair. According to Forbes, 78% of private colleges give at least a little thought to whether one is a legacy or not during the admissions process. This is 78% too many. Many things in our country today give weight to money and family ties, colleges included, and it needs to stop. Education should be about passion, and most importantly the new: new knowledge, new students, new faces and new families. Mov-

ing forward is to accept change, and if more colleges can’t learn to do that, they will forever be stuck in the past. People working twice as hard as others and getting half the recognition is nothing new; it's a tale as old as time. Colleges teach about our history, but they need to refocus on the present and the people they ignore in favor of the past.

Harvard admits 1 in 3 legacy applicants, compared to 1 in 30 applicants who aren't legacies DATA FROM NPR NEWS

12

entertainment Food for thought Although students have their own "comfort foods" when studying, it is important to take into account the benefits of healthier alternatives

by Calvin Bonn

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e’ve all been there: with a big test the next day, an entire review packet to finish, notes to look over, your grade teetering on the brink, when suddenly your stomach grumbles. Midnight snacks for the bleary-eyed, exhausted and hungry studiers are as popular as ever, especially around finals week. As we start off this new semester, I wanted to review some snacks that are both tasty and good for your brain.

While chugging caffeinated drinks may allow you to pull those all nighters, low caffeine or caffeine f r e e

drinks are best for your long term psychological health. The next time you want to down a Red Bull, try Sparkling ICE drinks instead. These bottled sparkling waters come in a variety of flavors, but my favorite is Black Raspberry. They can conveniently be found in our school’s vending machines for only $2, making these both economical and refreshing, with the carbonation offering a much needed zing to reawaken tired brain cells (or taste buds at 1 least). With zero sugar and a multitude of vitamins and antioxidants, including hard to get Vitamins B12 and D, these drinks are a good study alternative to caffeine.

Cool, crisp, moist–another refreshing food are cu-

cumber slices. On the brain front, cucumbers contain fisetin, a chemical that prevents nerve damage as you age and improves your memory, according to Science Direct. These fruits are also a good source of water, preventing dehydration during the times when you are too locked-in to think about drinking.

Cucumbers and vegetables, like carrots, pair well with another brain superfoodhummus! This chickpea-based dip comes in a variety of flavors, but as Harvard nutritional psychiatrist Dr. Uma Naidoo reports, all are high in protein, fiber, iron and zinc, improving cognitive health.

I report that an ample serving of hummus always leaves me feeling full, as the creamy, nutty and even zesty concoction proves to be irresistible.

For any chocoholics out there, you may be validated to hear that dark chocolate is actually good for your brain. According to a study by the National Institute of Health, cocoa contains a type of chemical called flavonoids that have the ability to improve memory. Healthy amounts of these chemicals are present in dark chocolate, but largely absent in milk chocolate and white chocolate. Personally, chocolate always boosts my mood when I’m on a last minute studying binge, and the smooth texture and variety of flavors are dependably invigorating and comforting.

I can safely say that I saved the best for last.

My personal go-to study snack has no vitamins, minerals, protein or beneficial nutrients for brain health to speak of. That doesn’t stop Trader Joe’s Chili & Lime Flavored Rolled Corn Tortilla Chips.

These off-brand Takis are better than the originals,

2

and healthier in comparison at least, with less saturated fat, sodium and sugar. The satisfying crunch and rush of flavor send my brain into a state of bliss, regardless of any actual study benefit they may bring. Sure, the orange dust might leave obvious fingerprints all over your keyboard, textbook or worksheet, but that is just the price to pay for deliciousness.

Of course, the best study strategies for late night cram sessions would be to spread out your studying ahead of time, drink some water, and go to bed, but that would make a pretty boring article.

I much prefer rewarding my procrastination with delightful delectables, providing my mind and body with a much needed energy boost. What works best for you also varies from person to person, and sometimes your favorite comfort foods are the best for offering the emotional support necessary to find the motivation to read the next page. But I hope these foods serve as inspiration for those looking to spice up their study snack repertoire.

1. PHOTO BY SCARLETT MISCHE 2&3. PHOTOS BY SASCHA PERDUE

3

The simplistic yet intricate feel of the new indie film "Sometimes I Think About Dying" makes it an intriguing and heartfelt movie

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by Claudia Turner

y personal favorite type of indie movies are the ones that have titles that flag my school counselor when I search it up on school wifi.

Rachel Lambert's "Sometimes I Think About Dying" fills this premise perfectly, its dark title juxtaposed its romantic-comedy genre tag, which gave me mixed expectations for what I was about to witness when walking into the theater. And I'm glad I went into it that way, as it led me to become fully immersed in the poetically mundane world the film had to offer.

"Sometimes I Think About Dying" follows Fran (Daisy Ridley), a woman trapped in a never-ending loop of nondescript office work and coworkers she struggles to engage with. The only thing that takes her away from her anxieties and loneliness is magical and beautifully framed daydreams of her own death. Fran isn't particularly suicidal—she's not even sad really—she just feels an absence of happiness and uses t h e s e fantasies to cope with her struggle to be a functioning human. Often, indie films of this nature focus on big emotions and caricatures of people, but Fran feels very real. She's socially awkward, she likes things she knows well and things she's good at, and she has a mild-mannered persona that Ridley executes perfectly.

In some scenes, she walked off camera, and I didn't even notice: that's how well Fran's isolation was played up.

When the male lead Robert (Dave Merheje) joins the office and takes an interest in Fran, she is forced to choose between her budding relationship and keeping up the walls that have protected her from her own vulnerability. I found Robert to be a great character; he's not some Prince Charming rom-com hero, but he has enough spark in him that his presence throws a wrench in Fran's comfortable monotony. Robert is kind, flawed and pretty open about himself and his past, something Fran takes an interest in but can't bear to reciprocate. Seeing her work her way up to being confident in trying new things with Robert was more gratifying than a whirlwind romance, because the audience knows how hard it was for her to get to that place.

Fran's on-screen presence is primarily montages of standard office life, awkward interactions with coworkers, and a lot of silence. In fact, before Robert enters the film, Fran barely utters a word. Instead, the sound design highlights her lack of words by making the noise of the world around her so much louder. Be prepared for a lot of clicking, pouring, muffled chatter, typing, beeping and clinking noises, as the "boring" bits of the film rely on this and this alone for sound. In contrast, the indication that Fran is beginning to daydream into one of her death fantasies is the hints of orchestration that begin to build up, one of the only times the music is used in the film. Dabney Morris (the score's composer) ingeniously takes inspiration from old Disney films, using classic whimsical music to transition the viewers into Fran's headspace.

Another aspect of this film that was a pleasant surprise was its comedy. Again, just like the romance, it was a bit atypical for the rom-com genre. But for me, the deadpan style worked perfectly for the movie it was in. From Fran's bluntness to her coworker lying about random things for no reason, there were plenty of moments that actually made me laugh out loud, even though the characters clearly didn't know they were being funny.

Above all, my favorite element of "Sometimes I Think About Dying" was its realness. Though slow to get started at first, I think the build-up of office scene after office scene worked to immerse the viewer into Fran's position.

She knows her life is monotonous and dull, but she's unsure if there's much she can (or wants to) do about it. Her attitude towards the 9 to 5, as well as her coworkers, office and even the "get to know you" exercise forced upon her mirrors hundreds of thousands of offices across America. I could see myself being Fran, and I know a lot of people who have felt like her before, so I rooted for her even when she acted a bit rudely or obnoxiously.

Because of the indie budget and realistic script, a lot of the burden of hooking the viewers falls on the acting skills of the cast—and they deliver. Fran's hatred towards her own emotions is communicated so well with Ridley's ability to choke back tears and have them slip out while straight-faced. Another stand-out is the character of Carol, played by Marcia DeBonis, a freshly retired member of the office who is harboring a secret revealed near the end of the film.

DeBonis' performance beautifull y switches between sweet and heartbreaking, and she stole quite a few scenes despite having minimal screen time.

I think her conversation with Fran has some of the best lines in the film. As Carol says: "It's hard to be a person," yet we keep living anyway. Simple yet powerful, a perfect demonstration of "Sometimes I Think About Dying"'s biggest appeal.

PHOTOS VIA ROTTENTOMATOES. COM

high tide feb. 1, 2024

entertainment 13

"Mean Girls" is a lively and immersive movie-musical, but falls short in comparsion to both it's Broadway and movie counterparts by Aaliyah Roberson

W

hat do you get when you turn a movie into a musical that was already a musical based on a movie? Well, “Mean Girls” is a new musical interpretation of the original 2004 film with added songs from the hit Broadway show, has the answer to that. This new adaptation was set to be even more “fetch” than the original, but despite the new songs and fresh take, I believe it fell short of the iconic film I grew up with.

ternet, which although humorous at times, fell flat and was one-sided instead of captivating, as social media typically is.

This made it difficult at times to focus on the storyline of the movie and not get lost in the colors and visual display.

The songs throughout the movie seemed random at first; I had never seen the musical and didn’t listen to the soundtrack before watching because I wanted to be a surprise. To give an authentic review for those who I am sure

the movie. Despite this, it was obvious that many lead actors did not come from a singing background. While many of the songs sung by singer Reneé Rapp (Regina) felt authentic and emotional, the others were lacking in sentiment due to a forced tone, making the film boring at times.

The casting of the film was overall pretty well-done and had many enjoyable performances and great chemistry among the cast.

On Wednesdays We Watch The story once again follows a new Another aspect I appreciated student to North Shore High, Cady Herabout casting was in regard to the on (Angourie Rice), who moves to the US mother-daughter relationships. from Africa following her mom's decision Cady and her mother, who was to take a new job. As she is placed into played by “The Office” star Jenna the wild life of a teenager in high school, Fischer, looked very related and she develops friendships with Janis Ian sold the performance between (Auli’i Cravalho) and Damian (Jaquel their characters. I always enjoy Spivey) and learns about the school higood, accurate casting because it erarchy. At the top is the queen bee, Remakes the story even more realistic gina George (Reneé Rapp, who was cast and evinces the care the directors for the role on Broadway), along with put into the movie. The same goes Karen Smith (Avantika Vandanapu) and for Regina and her mom (Busy Gretchen Wieners (Bebe Wood) who, afPhilipps) who have comfortability ter meeting Cady, decide to let her into with each other in portraying an their clique. As the movie progresses, Jaannoyed teenage daughter and a nis and Damian suggest a plan to expose “wannabe cool” mother.

Regina as a vile person to the school and While the movie kept some of get Cady with Aaron Samuels (Christoits original jokes and character pher Briney), a boy she falls for (who is arcs, it also fostered some of its also Regina’s ex). own identity with the added songs The movie opens with Janis and Damiand personalized performances. It an singing “A Cautionary Tale” as TikTok was enjoyable to watch a rendition performance while breaking the fourth of a beloved film from my childwall. This was an interesting choice that hood, especially alongside my own I enjoyed because it brought a modern mom with whom I could share the perspective on teenage life, showcasing laughter. “Mean Girls” as a movie how musical was interesting and a fun, 2. we relay our lives on social media. From Left to RIght: Karen Smith, Cady Heron, Regina George and Gretchen Weiners PHOTO VIA PARAMOUNT PICTURES This concept played a big role in the new take on the story–much better movie, as gossip spread through videos than the second movie hardly anyfeaturing cameos of influencers and celebrities like Chris are going to see it with only movie knowledge, I found that one talks about–but I still prefer the original because of Olsen and Megan Thee Stallion. The movie used montages the arrangement of the songs was made with intent as they its comedic timelessness. of short clips spread across the screen to resemble the in- further pushed the story along and gave a humorous tone to

Celeste Ng's debut novel "Everything I Never Told You" tells a compelby Scarlett Kindt ling story of love, loss and generational trauma

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This book has themes of loneliness and hen their daughter's body is found in the lake, the Lee resentment. The Lee children—Nathan, family's stability becomes de- Lydia and Hannah—become isolated as stroyed as unspoken truths rise to the sur- they lack friends and a sense of belonging face. The novel “Everything I Never Told due to their racial differences. Resentment You” by Celeste Ng showcases a compelling builds in Lydia as the burden of being the favorite child story about a Chinese-Amerbecomes too ican family living in 1970s much for her.

Ohio. It follows the trials and Resentment tribulations of racial diversity, and regret are interracial marriage and sexalso shown in ism during this time period, as Marilyn, who well as family dynamics. Lydia– had dreams whom the story centers on–is of becomthe teenage middle daughter of ing a doctor, Marilyn and James Lee, and her but eventuparents have high hopes for her ally settled that she will fulfill the dreams down and got they weren’t able to. However, married. As her parents’ aspirations for her a result, she become crushed when Lydia’s puts all of her body is found in their local lake, unfinished and the questions and mysteries dreams onto that unfold as a result bring the Lydia who Lee family into chaos.

SCARLETT KINDT has no interThe narrative is intricately est in pursulayered, alternating between SENIOR ing medical past and present, which sheds light on the family’s history. While it is a school. These themes of isolation, misslower-paced book that focuses on the Lee communication and the search for identity family’s everyday life and struggle to cope resonate on a universal level, which makes with their grief, it is still character-driven the story relatable and thought-provoking. and beautifully well-written. Ng's writing It is relatable to me as it reminds me to not style captured me from the very beginning have any regrets and to pursue my interests and made the book an enticing page-turner instead of following others’ paths.

Ng was able to seamlessly incorporate by expanding on the emotional complexities of each character. I found this was a the harsh reality of being a minority race nice change of pace compared to other in 1970’s America and the difficulties that books I’ve read, which focused more on the come with being discriminated against. In plot rather than developing the characters. addition to racial tensions, Ng centered

“

Ng’s novel offers valuable insights, providing parents and teenagers with lessons on avoiding harsh judgments and fostering understanding between generations.

this book on the issues of sexism and generational trauma. Marilyn was discriminated against for being a woman in STEM, and both her and James’s trauma from feeling as though they don't belong bleeds into their children, leaving them with their own insecurities and each other. I believe generational trauma is an important topic that is often overlooked and not talked about enough. Ng’s novel offers valuable insights, providing parents and teenagers with lessons on avoiding harsh judgments and fostering understanding between generations. When I finished this book, it made me reflect on my own parents' generation, which was more conservative than the one today.

They learned differently and were taught different things, so it's important to recognize this and be able to have open conversations.

I definitely did not expect this novel to have as big of a n impact as it did on m e ; however, it exceeded my ex-

pectations and left me thinking about it for weeks. This novel will leave you heartbroken and numb. Following Lydia’s story and the final pages leading up to her death made me want to transport myself into the pages of the book and help her. I believe there are valuable lessons to be learned in this book, specifically targeted at teenagers and parents. This was truly an amazing book and definitely worth a read.

PHOTO BY CLAUDIA TURNER

sports

Down to the Minute

14

Girls Water Polo beats cross-town rival Mira Costa in a 10-9 nail-biter

by Jameson Boddy

A

fter a 9-8 loss against Palos Verdes just days before, girls water polo got into the pool with one goal in mind: to beat their rival, Mira Costa. On Jan. 24, the girls won after four tough periods with a final score of 10-9.

Senior Captain Kiley Peirce knew this wasn’t going to be an easy game. Dribbling as well as making clever passes wouldn’t be the only thing necessary to lead the team to victory.

“I had not beaten Costa since I’ve been on this team, so that was a really big motivator that we could have the opportunity to beat them,” Peirce said. “We were able to motivate each other to continue pushing and not let the other team's scoring get in our head.”

Since it was Senior Night, the girls were accompanied by the cheerleaders, Sammy Sea Hawk and dozens of friends and family members, adding a bit more pressure than the girls usually have. Peirce knew she wasn’t the only one nervous about playing in front of a big audience causing her to “[tell her] team to pretend that there is no one in the stands.”

Almost immediately into the first quarter, Mira Costa took control, dominating possession and making smart drives down the center of the pool. Costa’s proficiency early in the game earned them a lead of 4-0 by the end of the first quarter.

“We came out strong thinking that we’d beat and then automatically, it's just like, wow we are down by that much,” Peirce said. “The first quarter timeout, [our] coach came over and told us we aren’t out of the game yet. [Costa] is only winning by

a little bit. We are still in this game. We can still win.”

Heading into the second quarter, the girls began to get a better feel of the game and how their opponents were playing.

They were also able to figure out what they needed to change and improve on after a challenging first quarter.

“In the second quarter, we just needed to focus on our shots better, better placement and passes because I think we came out a little scared in the second quarter because of how down we were,” Peirce said. “We started to play better defense and started to be more aware of the game.

[Our] offense started to be more aggressive and go after the ball.”

The girls ended the second quarter, 5-2 Costa, and slowly started to inch towards a comeback after the first quarter being a “punch in the face."

“We were [starting] to get frustrated.

Our teams are pretty evenly matched, and so the fact that they were winning by that much more started to get all of us a little angry and determined to win,” Peirce said.

Halftime gave the girls an opportunity to reflect on not only how they were playing physically, but also how they were handling this tough game mentally.

“The mental block was the [hardest] because in the first half, all of us were a little bit discouraged. We felt that [Costa’s] defense was good and that we couldn’t have the opportunity to score without a defender taking the ball from us,” Peirce said. “[Our] coach told us the important Costa players to focus on during the next quarters. The second half we focused on shutting down their shots while also improving our offense.”

Sophomore Remy Errett, who Freshman Lucy scored the team Menschner winds goals, up to score a goal. multiple PHOTO BY TALIA adapted to how PATTISHALL Costa was playing in order to make more efficient drives and passes.

“We were making sure they couldn’t get the ball into set because [Costa] has a really good set shot,” Errett said. “On offense, [we worked on] getting more movement so that we could get more shots in.”

The girls ended the third quarter be-

hind, 8-4, making it obvious that they were slowly running out of time, yet they showed no signs of backing down.

“During the second half of the game, we definitely stepped up our teamwork because we all wanted to beat Costa, which made us work harder,” Errett said.

With less than three minutes left of the game, Errett knew that she could get open and eventually lead the team to victory. It was a long shot (literally) but they all reminded themselves, "If we are going to win it has to be now.” Then with a play that “none of us were expecting,” Errett caught the ball and landed it directly into the net, scoring the game-tying goal with barely two minutes left to spare.

“We were definitely well-conditioned and definitely a strong team with strong shots, but it really came down to it's was now or never. If we are going to win, it has to be now,” Peirce said.

With fewer than two minutes left, the score tied 9-9, the girls gave everything they had to score one more point. With multiple Costa players on her, and the clock counting down, junior Audrey Bonelli was able to push through and score the game winning goal. For the remaining minute, the girls were able to hold Costa from scoring any more goals, leading them to an exciting 10-9 win. “[The fourth quarter] was like a fireplace. The last spark is always the biggest ,and [we were] able to put on a show,” Peirce said. “We like to keep the stands on their toes.”

Boys soccer ties in a matchup against PV in attempts to qualify for CIF playoffs

by Carson Chi

F

ighting for CIF qualification, boys down, and I think after the first half that soccer knew they had to come we did a good job of that,” Kizlinski said.

PV was captained by Oliver Knotek, who away with a result against Palos Verdes. The rivalry match up, which took broke the school’s scoring record as well as place on Jan. 19, ended in a 1-1 tie even committing to division one soccer college, with the help of extra time. Though it was SMU. Redondo had their work cut out for not the win they were hoping for, after a them, but according to Kahn, they never hard fought battle from both ends of the counted themselves out. Even though they pitch, Redondo managed to salvage one went down 1-0 in the dying moments of the first half, the second set of 40 minutes point, moving them closer to a CIF spot.

Redondo took the upperhand in the proved to be resurgent for the team.

“We had nothing to lose early stages of the first at that point. We’re fighthalf, with all the acing harder because we’re tivity on the attacking the ones with the spot on third. That momentum We're fighting hardthe line. I feel like it was would eventually peter just the mentality. We had out as PV’s star pow- er because we're the a different fight than them, er upfront became too ones with the spot on trying to win in 40 minutes much for the Redondo the line. We had a dif- to save our season,” Kahn defense, leading them said. to concede just before ferent fight than they The top three teams halftime. Junior and did, trying to win in 40 in the bay league are who center midfielder Jett qualify for Kahn draws the line be- minutes to save our CIF tween playing frustrat- season. ed versus using motivation.

JETT KAHN “In that first half we JUNIOR didn’t play as a team.

We were all over the place, our team chemistry wasn’t there, and we were all yelling at each other.

It’s different when you use anger to motivate you than when you know you 1 did something bad and someone’s yelling at you. When you get in your own head, it honestly just makes you play worse,” Khan said.

Going into the game the players knew PV were a huge opponent, and spent the week preparing for the number two team in the bay league. One player in particular is what both Kahn and senior goalie Nick Kizlinski were worried about.

“We just knew we had to contain him.

We can’t let him turn on the ball. We can’t let him shoot. We just gotta lock him

“

saw the ball go over the wall and the keeper dive I thought we won. It definitely was disappointing, but the keeper made a good save,” Khan said.

Though junior team Captain Owen Hancock

2 playoffs, and with Redondo being at third, one spot behind PV, they could not afford to lose. The game shifted into the hands of the Redondo offense for almost the entirety of the second half, and finally they got the reward they were looking for.

“I was just trying not to sky it, and I didn’t even know it went in until I saw the ball was already 3 in the net. That was my best goal of the season. I was thinking, ’Oh my God. We just tied PV. We got time to win it.’ In my head I was thinking like, ‘I’m going to score the winner, too,'" Kahn said.

After equalizing, Redondo pushed forward with urgency to try and secure the three points over the “cocky” PV opponent.

After 80 minutes, a winner had still not been decided despite the efforts of the Redondo offense. First to score in two ten minute halves is what was going to determine the Sea Hawks chances to compete in CIF. Late in the second half of extra time, Redondo had a dangerous freekick to potentially end the game and seal the win.

“When Owen [Hancock] got it, I thought we were going to win. We all did.

It was a golden goal, so that was it. After that, we would’ve just beat PV. When I

couldn’t ice the game in the dire moment, Redondo still took away a point from the match with the result being 1-1. Redondo wanted the win, but a point against PV is what inches them closer to the CIF stage.

The team beat Santa Monica on Jan. 26, 2-1, to clinch CIF qualification.

“This game showed us that we’re up there with the best, and we can compete,” Kizlinski said. “We’re at Santa Monica on Friday, and the only thing on our minds is let's score goals, and go win CIF.” 1. Redondo huddles to hype one another up between plays .

2. Senior defender Riley Hernandez holds possession of the ball.

3. Senior full back Austin Flippo tosses the ball to begin the play.

ALL PHOTOS BY TALIA PATTISHALL

ON TOP

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1.

1. Point guard Hudson Mayes attempts a layup.

PHOTO BY KAYLA ONGUN 2. Chris Sanders tries to break by PV's power forward.

PHOTO BY KAYLA ONGUN

oming off an exciting win against cross-town rival Mira Costa, boys basketball began the second leg of the Bay League with an untouched 5-0 record. Luckily, the Sea Hawks pulled through in a back-and-forth matchup against Palos Verdes at home on Jan. 19, preserving their number one seed in the Bay League, winning 74-58.

The boys had every advantage going into Friday’s match-up against PV, given they were on a five-game winning streak, and Palos Verdes was down three key players, one being their top scorer Alex Hassanein.

“We went pretty confident, obviously everyone thought we were going to win; we’re the best in the Bay League right now,” sophomore guard SJ Madison said.

Despite Redondo’s confidence, PV brought the heat straight out of the gate. Regardless of their underdog reputation, the Sea Kings were scrappy on the court and held possession of the ball equally as much as their adversary. By the end of the first quarter, the two were tied, 18-18, and it was this unexpected fire that seemed to push the Sea Hawks’ limits.

“I can’t even say we were doing that great during the first half. It was really a battle. They got points just as much as we got points. We would only get little spurts on offense, and then we’d just stop,” Madison said.

These “small spurts” helped the boys gain the upper hand in the first half by a small margin, walking off the court at halftime with a score of 36-24.

“We could’ve come out better, could’ve utilized the whole court better, gotten

Boys basketball defeats PV 7458 maintaining their undefeated Bay League record

by Ava Anzivino our outside shooters some points. That’s what really went wrong that first half. We just weren’t aggressive.

We needed to just play with what’s in front of us instead of waiting and then having to play catchup to win,” junior shooting guard Hudson Mayes said.

PV remained consistent and confident with their great shot accuracy, earning them many three-pointers and notable offensive drives, so Redondo was not yet in the clear. However, the boys seemed to have a renewed sense of competition when they returned for the third quarter, which was evident on the court.

“We were getting on the [free-throw] line a lot in the second half, and they were calling a lot of fouls,” Mayes said. “We didn’t really get to shoot a lot of threes so that second half was really us getting to the basket for the shot.”

Mayes, one of Redondo's top scorers, succeeded in penetrating PV's defense consistently throughout the second half. While PV utilized getting points outside the perimeter to avoid Redondo’s full-court press defense, Mayes had no trouble pushing their boundaries to secure the win.

“They really weren’t doing a lot to stop me, so if they’re not going to do anything about it, then that’s what I’m going to keep pressing. I try to use my size and my strength to my advantage, and that gets us baskets, obviously, but it also gets us to the

[free-throw] line,” Mayes said.

Finishing off the third quarter with a score of 50-43, Redondo felt urgency to pull further ahead, maintaining a safe lead for the rest of the game. According to Mayes, the team “lit a spark in the fourth quarter, " allowing them to play more aggressively and “stop being scared.”

With that spark, the team put another win on the board, with a final score of 74-58. Although putting up a sufficient amount of points during 2. the second half, Redondo did not seem satisfied with their performance earlier that night, according to Madison, which they sought to improve going into their Jan. 23 game against Bay League runner-up, Culver City.

“We need to execute our plays better than we did tonight. I feel like we had some goals to drive and attack on defense that just weren’t seen through,” Madison said.

Regardless, the team is ready to take on their final games of the regular season, as their last game of the Bay League is set to be played tonight at Mira Costa, where they’ll hopefully clench the Bay League Champion title.

“We have a couple of practices left; we’re just going to keep fixing what we’ve been inconsistent on so far and just hope to do better. We’ve got a lot of excitement and energy to play, come out and finish it,” Mayes said. “We’re going after that championship.”

Girls soccer redeems themselves, defeating PV on their turf, 3-1

by Celeste Ernau

L

ast time the Redondo varsity girls ed to have a chance of winning the league, went head-to-head against Palos we would have to win this game,” Davidson Verdes on Jan. 5, they fell short, said. taking their first season loss, 0-1. However, With the half’s progression, the team when matched up again against the unde- kept their defensive efforts high. Even with feated Sea Kings on Jan. 19, they managed the Sea King's valiant offensive efforts, Reto achieve a swift redemption. Even with an dondo managed to end the half 1-0. injury on the field and a constant battle to In the first ten minutes of the second score, the game's final score half, they had been able to ended 3-1, helping the girls keep the ball out of Sea King secure another much-needterritory, yet as the time ed win for their season. wound down on the clock, When we got scored With the game's high the Sea Kings shot their first on, instead of getting stakes for the team's future goal of the game. match-ups, junior forward down on each other, “When we got scored Kaitylnn McMullin empha- we used it as motivaon, instead of getting down sizes how she and her team- tion, like, 'Come on. on each other, we used it as mates felt coming into this Let’s get it together,' motivation, like, 'Come on. game.

Let’s get it together,' and and we scored five “We knew we had to put we scored five minutes after minutes after they it all on the field, especialthey scored on us,” senior ly coming from a loss along scored on us, team captain Amanda Goldwith how they were undestein said. feated. We definitely all had AMANDA GOLDSTEIN Even with a rattling score SENIOR to lock in and have motivaby their opponents, they did tion to get us pumped for a not let it detract from their challenging team,” McMullin said. intentions of winning. The game was the Although the Sea Kings started with pos- determining factor of whether or not the session, Redondo got the ball deep within girls made the playoffs, so it was important their territory early in the first half, mov- for them to continue their high defensive ing it through their passes to bring it up the efforts, explained Goldstein. field. Within the first few minutes of the “We knew that going into this game if half, junior forward Reese Kennel gained we lost, we would not go to the playoffs or possession via a pass from her teammate win the Bay League, and for us that’s everywhile centered in the midfield area. As she thing,” Goldstein said. approached the red zone, Kennel strategiContinuing the second half, the girls cally passed it off to her teammate, junior were once again deep within the Palos center midfielder Shannon Davidson. With Verdes goal line. As they shifted through Davidson in close contact, she pushed for- their opponents, once again Davidson had ward against the defenders, clearing her gained possession of the ball. With her way for a foreseeable goal. Although the quick moves toward the Sea Kings' goal, efforts of the opposing team's goalie were Davidson scored the second goal for the evident, it was no match for Davidson; she team with a straight shot to the net, startmanaged to score the first goal, leaving the ing the second half with a score of 2-1.

Sea Kings trailing by one.

“It felt really good to score because they “I got excited that we scored first, we had tied it 1-1, so we were in the lead again had lost to this team last time, if we want- in the second half. All we had to do was

“

just keep that lead, and then we could win,” Davidson said.

A few minutes after Davidson managed to get them back in the lead, the game took an unexpected turn, and forward Reese Kennel went down with an injury. Kennel assisted the first goal of the game, and according to Goldstein, was very valuable to the team, and her ability to out maneuver other players allowed them to score. Davidson emphasizes that even with Kennel’s absence, the team was able to push forward for their teammate.

“It’s hard to replace a player like that’s such a big part of the team, but for someone to come up off the bench and help keep the lead was important for our win, having people who can step into that role,” Davidson said.

With one player down and fewer than 15 minutes left in their game, the girls were leading by one, while, eager to tie the game, the Sea Kings continued to push the ball up Redondo’s territory. Until freshman center forward Izzy Casana took control of the ball with a mere two minutes remaining. Even with the Sea King’s goalie positioned to deflect Casana’s shot, she scored the third and final goal.

The girl's team kept their winning streak strong as they progress further into their season. Now, their record stands at 5-2, leaving them in the third spot within the league, and will next enter CIF playoffs.

“We all just played together, played our game, and we won 3. Mina Nagashima blocks PV's defender. PHOTO BY DYLAN MOORE 3-1. It was a great game for us,” 4. Delanie Corcoran chases the ball. PHOTO BY DYLAN MOORE 5. Shannon Davidson maneuvers the ball. PHOTO BY DYLAN MOORE Goldstein said.

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ONLY ONLINE in-focus 16

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Sexualization of minors online, especially young girls, is a degrading cycle fed by teenage insecurity and normalization of objectification

“

by Meara Fay

Twerk.” “Mommy.” “Does she you feel really cool.” have an OnlyFans?” “Just one Outside of the allure of followers and more reason not to have a daugh- likes, Ella’s TikTok served as a tool to ter.” These are all comments left ease her insecurities about her physiunder anonymous junior Ella’s 500 thou- cal appearance. The 2022 National Poll sand-follower TikTok account that she on Children’s Health by C.S. Mott Chilstarted when she was 14-years-old. dren's Hospital at University of Michigan One day during her freshman year, Ella Health reported that nearly two-thirds of posted a public TikTok of her dancing in parents say their child is insecure about her bathroom, wearing pajama pants and some aspect of their appearance and one a long-sleeve shirt. Despite not thinking in five say their teens avoid scenarios much of the post herself, to her surprise, like being in photos because they're too Ella woke up with 3 million views and 50 self-conscious. Additionally, 73% of teen thousand new followers–most of whom girls report being insecure about their were men. appearance, and parents who report their Ella had been posting videos of herself child as self-conscious are twice as likely online since elementary school but quick- to say their child is more affected by soly found a new type of fame when showing cial media than in-person interactions. her newly developed body. After her first “Around the time I started posting viral video in 2021, Ella began to receive more, I was going through a lot with my text messages from her friends concerned body changing. I had a lot of acne that about her followers. boys at school bullied me for, which made “People started sending me screenshots me really insecure,” Ella said. of my TikTok saying ‘[Ella], what is your comment section?’

So then I began checking, and the comments scared me,” Ella said.

Ella had thousands of comments under videos of herself, mostly of people making unsolicited sexual remarks.

The majority of the profiles commenting these things belong to men, their ages varying from pre-pubescent to elderly despite Ella’s age of 14.

“It was very uncomfortable and made me not want to post as much. I felt scared because I don't know these old men, I don't know what these people are capable of,” Ella said.

According to Ella, no matter what she According to wore, men would “find a Manhattan Beach way” to objectify her.

Licensed Clinical “If I wore a bra, peoPsychologist Dr. ple said I was asking Irma Maldonafor it. But when I didn't It's like [people] have do-Enriquez, sexwear a bra, I would read two different sides of ualizing oneself, out comments saying especially on social ‘Your headlights are on’ themselves, and I get media, can be moor ‘Need a blanket?’” to see the other side tivated by personal Ella said. insecurities and the Despite her initial because I post the desire for praise. discomfort with the videos they comment “I think [posting comments on her posts, sexual content] has a Ella said that she later on. lot to do with self-esfound validation in the teem. If they put attention she was receivthemselves out there ELLA ing. in a sexualized way, “I began posting vid- ANONYMOUS JUNIOR they receive a lot of eos, for example, of me attention and posiwearing a bikini in my room without going tive feedback, especially from the opposite swimming, because at a certain point I just sex,” Maldonado-Enriquez said. “Most of wanted to be famous,” Ella said. “To wake the time that's something that they didn't up to notifications saying you gained 5 have before, so then they're going to conthousand followers in your sleep, it makes tinue to [post] because some attention is

“

better than no attention.”

Although the online attention eased

riquez said. “Because of that anonymity, [others] are more inclined to make a statement.”

At one point, Ella had adult professional athletes and social media stars messaging her after seeing her TikToks, disregarding that she was a freshman in high school.

“I’ve seen a lot of people, especially in this scenario, act disgusting or weird online, but then in real life they could be this famous [public figure] or super cool person at their school. It's like they have two different sides of themselves, and I get to see the other side because I post the videos they comment on,” Ella said.

Although she hasn't posted on her TikTok account in 2 years, Ella says that some classmates still consider her past social media presence as a defining factor of her intelligence.

“Everyone that meets me now from knowing me online, it doesn't matter, absolutely no one thinks I’m smart. I'll talk about how I want to go to [a top university], and they’ll laugh and say, ‘You're not getting in,’” Ella said. “It makes me feel weird because I work so hard, and people just assume I’m stupid because they only see me as my TikTok.” Reflecting on the situation three years later, Ella expresses.

“At the moment it didn't feel horrible, but looking back at it I'm thinking, ‘Why would I do that ALL COMMENTS TAKEN FROM TIKTOK so often?’ I don’t think it completely ruined my reputation, but it made past insecurities, according to Ella, she people think I’m nothing but a showoff, or faced backlash from her peers’ parents. that I just want people to see that I have “I got shamed. I had moms, especially [breasts],” Ella said. moms with daughters, telling me that I was Ella says that if she kept posting on Tiktoo developed for my age and that I needed Tok, she could make it a full-time job. to lose weight. It was horrible,” Ella said.

“Once I become 18, if I post videos, “A lot of high schoolers post ‘thirst traps’ it's almost as if their actions are justified on TikTok, but [parents] only said those because I'm [a legal adult]. Because that rude things to me because I had followers. makes everything okay. But in the end [...]

If I didn’t, no parent would be commenting you can't win.” on a 14-year-old like that.”

Ella hopes that other young girls can Ella also received vulgar comments learn from her experience and realize that from teenage boys from nearby high although it may be a momentary fix of hapschools, oblivious to the fact that she at- piness, sexualizing oneself online can be tended RUHS. It was as if they “didn’t harmful in the long run. think of [her] as a real person.” This phe“I feel like a lot of girls that are trying nomenon is not unique to Ella’s comment to get famous and lie about their age know section, though: according to Dr. Maldona- what they're doing because I knew what I do-Enriquez, online anonymity normalizes was doing; I was trying to get followers,” and encourages harassment more so than Ella said. “But I don't think they underin person. stand until it happens how weird [those “Whether it's older men or teen guys, comments] make you feel and how gross it people get braver on social media because actually is.” when you comment you're not saying it to someone's face directly,” Maldonado-En- COMMENTS GRAPHIC BY LUCY DAVIS