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editors-in-chief
Katarina (Haven) Beches
Ruby Crosthwait Elise Haulund
online manager
Zelia Lerch news editors
Erika Glass
"Last year, I was consistently harassed by multiple groups of guys. I'm just trying to exist, and I'm not doing anything, so they shouldn't do anything to me. In a sense, a lot of the harrassment I received was because of homophobia and transphobia. I defnitely saw a lot of queer people be nervous to walk around. A lot of them were experiencing tons of harass ment, and were too afraid to speak up because they knew nothing would be done. Everyone was just like, ‘I need to get to class before I get food thrown at me or I get called slurs and names.’”
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- Melon Ren, 12
Sara Miyake-Singer features editors
Mia Dowdell
Emilie Takahashi
Marley Van Pelt
opinion editors Scarlett Mische Romi Riss entertainment editors
Allie D'Amato
Sydney Lamich sports editors
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"Prior to the pandemic, I felt that students were more proactive about re porting incidents. Now, I don't know if people go to admin. I know people will go to their teacher and say, ‘This is what I heard,’ or ‘This has happened to my friend.’ I don't know if it's because of Covid-19 since we had a system in place before it, but it seemed like people didn't know where to go last year. If people did say anything, they didn't feel like admin really took care of it. This year, I feel like we're doing a better job. We're kind of coming back to a more normal year. I think we're going back to the good things we had established prior."
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: It can defnitely afect their grades. I've had students tell me that when they were bullied when they were younger, there was a huge impact on their mental health, their academics and their performance in class. Even if they liked the teachers and the students in the class, just knowing that they would be bullied outside those walls, made things hard for them. It was incredibly heartbreaking to hear.
- Angie Yi, teacher
What are your experiences with bullying, and how do you think bullying afects the community overall?
Marin Cantrell Cristina Couch Stavyah Naveen
Zoe Rossi Mia Schrift writing editors Lauren Greene Ethan Lerner Simra Zargar
online editors
Cristina Couch Lucy Davis Rena Felde Lauren Greene
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Ariya Anvari
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Anthony Biedenbender
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Sascha Perdue
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In school last year, kids were making fun of me for my anxiety, and I found out this year that people were laughing behind my back. At school, if someone's in a leadership position, and they proceed to talk badly about others, people under them think that it's okay. Even if someone might not have originally thought badly about someone, they might start because everyone others around them did. The chain of events just keeps repeating over time."
- Anonymous student
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Q: What experiences have you had with bullying, and how have they afected you?PHOTO COURTESY OF MELON REN PHOTO BY SARA MIYAKE-SINGER PHOTO FROM VECTORSTOCK
The start of a new school year often means the start of change. For ju niors Thi Chan, president of the Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) club, and Publicity Ofcer Grace Carroll, this meant changing their peers’ views on suicide awareness.
To honor Suicide Prevention Month, Chan and Carroll ran the Leaves of Change Fundraiser from Sep 12 to Sep 22. Students purchased a paper leaf to write positive
messages on and pinned these messages to a tree in the Wellness Center. Proceeds went to the Wyatt A. Lee Memorial Foun dation, a nonproft organization dedicated to suicide prevention awareness.
“I believe that we can only prevent suicide once we address the source of all destructive decisions, which is mental health,” Carroll said. “With September marking the start of fall, we felt that Leaves of Change would be an appropriate frst
fundraiser since our message for the event is to help teen suicide rates ‘fall’.”
Primarily led by Grace Carroll, the club cut out colored paper leaves by hand that served as certifcates of their donation to the cause. As it was the club’s frst fundrais er, Chan wanted to use this opportunity to “make an impact” larger than she was able to make through volunteering.
“I want to accomplish more outreach across the school. So far, we’ve just been able to impact members of the club, but the hope is that we’ll eventually be able to af fect more students,” Chan said.
Chan initiated the SADD club in re sponse to freshman Wyatt Lee taking his life in October of 2020. Lee was a friend of Chan’s, and Lee hopes that bringing the club to RUHS would “increase discussion” on topics of mental health.
“We want to let our peers know that it’s okay not to be okay and it’s okay to talk about these things and seek help,” Chan said. “We need to better educate students on the efects of destructive decisions and ensure that they don’t make them.”
Suicide is the second leading cause of death among teens and young wadults, with a 35% increase in the past 20 years, according to the CDC. Hoping to reduce this number, Wellness Center Counselor Rachel Andrews worked with the SADD club by giving them a space to set up the
tree and helping them organize the fund raiser.
“There’s a myth that if we talk about sui cide people will be like, ‘Oh that’s a great idea! Maybe I should do it!’ even though it’s further from the truth,” Andrews said. "If you talk about suicide and you’re open to those conversations, then people know that you are a person they can talk to about it.”
This isn’t the frst time Andrews has worked towards suicide prevention. Before coming to RUHS, she worked on a proj ect in the prison system to reduce suicide temptation among inmates.
“Suicide prevention has always been important to me. We used to train all groups of diferent inmates on how to sup port those who are going through suicidal thoughts. We would assign them someone who could support them in-person, and I hope that I can help students in a similar way,” Andrews said.
With this fundraiser and her past expe rience with suicide prevention, Andrews hopes to make progress towards widening the conversation on mental health at Re dondo.
“I feel like [Lee’s] death has [allowed] so many people to [understand why we] talk about mental health. I think a lot more people are willing to go to each other and say, ‘I'm not doing well, can you support me?’” Andrews said.
by Ariya Anvari
Thirty years ago, the public library in Veterans Park became an ex pensive venue for weddings and private events.
Recently, however, Mayor Bill Brand decided to make the space, a landmark placed on the National Register of Historic Places, open to the public. The venue’s frst public event was art exhibit CA 101’s ninth annual art gallery. Running from Sep. 2 through Sep. 18, the gallery featured work from 72 adult participants.
CA 101 curator Nina Zakladdon chose the library as the venue for the gallery due to “its historical value.”
“People [attending] really loved [the location] because they remember when it was a library. We were very excited to hold the exhibition in this building since it is one of the most historic buildings in Redondo Beach. The feedback we got from people was that they loved being in this unique place, so we feel that the event was a big success,” Zakladdon said.
This year’s exhibit, named after High way 101 where the gallery was frst located, featured a very diferent lineup of artists than last year. Overall, there were 41 re turning artists and 31 new artists.
One of these 72 participants was Ross Moore, whose art focuses mostly on motifs
and landscapes, noted the historical mean ing of the library.
“It's a historical monument, so it has a lot of signifcance to the community. For us to be able to put art in here and show it to a lot of people is wonderful,” Moore said. “Everyone had a great time. There were a lot of transactions and a lot of people buying and learning about art. The whole [event] turned out well.”
First time participant Catherine Coan used her art to express her opinion on cur rent events. Due to the prevalence of cen sorship in our day-to-day life, Coan made a piece concerning this issue. Using pages from four of the top banned books and some of her taxidermied creations, Coan made a display depicting books being de stroyed.
“This piece was about how we censor ourselves and how we are censored in the world,“ Coan said. “I fgured that since we were doing this in a library, it was a good time to call attention to what goes on [around us]. The books that I used in my installation are all books that have been banned somewhere in America or been on what's called a ‘Challenge List’ at some time.”
Moore’s work was based on the techno logical aspects of society. He painted land
scapes and chairs looking out on various views to depict the world around us and to express his desire for us to be more tied to nature and art rather than technology.
“Nowadays, sculpture and two-dimen sional design have lost their way because images are being taken by the internet. But these works are the emotional things that we build as artists. I think some of the new er younger generations are not that under standing of it. So if I can do these things and help people understand what it is, that's a great goal for me,” Moore said.
Due to the success of this event, Zaklad don hopes to keep the event going to con tinue promoting the importance of art in Redondo Beach.
“People need art. Art makes you look at other places, other thoughts and at what artists are doing about social issues. It opens your mind and your soul to other things. I started teaching our Hands On Art groups in schools because of how import ant it is for children to love art,” Zakladdon said. “There's not a lot of art in Redondo Beach so that's why we started showing art in Redondo Beach after high school. Through this gallery, people of all ages can continue to see art and be exposed to the messages diferent artists are sending.”
1. Ross Moore painted a chair facing a scenery to "connect youth to art rather than technology." PHOTO BY ARIYA ANVARI 2. Catherine Coan used pages of banned books and parts of taxidermy fgures to create statuettes of goats and mice. She also crumpled pages of books. This piece was created to protest censorship. PHOTO COURTESEYOn Sept. 17, as a part of National Coastal Cleanup Day, Heal the Bay, an environmental nonprof it in the South Bay, hosted its 33rd Annual Beach Cleanup. It was set up all across the beaches in Los Angeles (LA) County, and locations in the South Bay included Man hattan Beach, Hermosa Beach and Redon do Beach.
One group that coordinated with Heal the Bay to set up a cleanup site at Redon do Beach was South Bay Sandpipers. Site captains and co-chairs of the community outreach program for Sandpipers Candace Nafssi and Jessica Cairncross were the two adults present at the Redondo Beach pier location. They distributed cleanup materials, collected and counted the trash that people found and informed people of where to go and what to avoid.
“There are several hundreds of thou sands of pounds of trash that go on the beach, and while these beaches are largely monitored and cleaned by LA County, they still need more help. So Heal the Bay helps keep these beaches pretty,” Nafssi said.
By noon, the Sandpipers had collected over 35 bags of trash, according to Nafs si, which she estimated to be “close to 60 pounds.”
This specifc event was Heal the Bay’s “big push,” according to Cairncross, be cause it was for national Coastal Clean-up Day and the organization was pushing to
spread awareness for the coastal cleanup movement. Heal the Bay holds regular clean-up events on Saturdays throughout the year. They also organize other beachhealth activities to record trash levels in the ocean, such as monitoring and posting the levels of bacteria in the beaches in the South Bay.
Heal the Bay advertised for the cleanup through the organizations they work with as well as the people who are already a part of the group. Many students from RUHS found out about this event through their AP Environmental Science (APES) class, which ofered extra credit to those who at tended.
APES students Nicole Mathews and Finley Smigel, juniors, went to the clean up to participate in the community’s eforts to make their home cleaner.
“There is a lot of trash that gets on our beaches, and it feels like the levels of trash and pollution are rising every day. We just want to help do our part to save the animals and the sea creatures as much as we can,” Smigel said.
The students appreciated the commu nity that the cleanup brought together to clean the beaches.
“This cleanup is obviously [benefcial] for the environment because it brings at tention to the amount of litter that is on our beaches,” Mathews said. “It’s also fun see ing all your classmates come here to help
Senior Rylee Goldfarb attended the cleanup as well. Goldfarb has been an en vironmentalist from a young age and began working with environmentalist nonprofts beginning in frst grade. Some nonprof its she has worked with include Algalita, the Sierra Club, LA Waterkeepers and the Green Power Alliance. Her passion for the environment stems from seeing the amount of pollution that gets accumulated and released into communities and her re spect for the beach and the role it plays in human lives.
“It's really upsetting when you see how people just don't care about the world and they're like, ‘The world is my trash bin, so I'm just gonna throw trash on the foor.’ That’s really frustrating because we are lucky enough to be here,” Goldfarb said. “We need to respect the environment and we can’t just destroy this habitat.”
Goldfarb currently works with the or ganization Grades of Green, and she has participated and co-hosted beach cleanups in the past, including one with California Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi, so par taking in this event was familiar to her. Last year, she partnered with Green By De
fault to clean power lines and get Redondo Beach to use 100% green power.
“Through all my passion for the environ ment and through working with Grades of Green, I’ve gained access to important re sources, like connections to nonprofts that I can work with, and gotten to speak with many infuential people, [such as] politi cians, environmental activists and others,” Greenfarb said. “I get a lot of opportunities to make a diference in the world, and that means the most to me.”
Like Mathews, Goldfarb also sees the positive efects of getting the community together for one big event to clean up the beaches.
“For anyone who doesn't feel like they're making a diference in the world or who doesn’t think they’re making that big of an impact, when you go to one of these events, you see what diference it makes when you get a community together to do something as simple as picking up trash,” Goldfarb said. “I think more people need to take part in events such as this one because it's such an empowering feeling when you know that you did something good for the envi ronment.”
On the evening of Sept. 21 from 6-8pm, RUHS celebrated In ternational Peace Day, an oc casion to encourage experiencing peace as a whole entity within local neighbor hoods and as a society. This event, held mainly in the school auditorium, was coordinated by the Rotary Club of Re dondo Beach (RCRB), a humanitarian organization aimed at advocating integ rity, understanding and maintaining a “Culture of Peace.”
Walking into the auditorium, at tendees were met with the sound of the RUHS band playing in front of a back drop of eight hands forming a heart with the words “Imagine Peace.” The RUHS choir followed, singing “Imag ine” by John Lennon. They later per formed again while RUHS became the frst school in Redondo Beach to receive a Peace Pole, gifted and revealed by the RCRB, a symbol built to recognize unity within the Redondo schools and com munity.
This occasion also marked the rec ognition of RUHS students receiving awards of Kindness, Humanitarian Ac tions and Most Welcoming.
The frst honor, the certifcate of Kindness, was awarded to senior Theo dore Danial for “consistently treating all with the respect with which you would want to be treated at all times,” a de scription given by the Rotary Club.
“I make an efort in all my classes to make people feel seen or special. I have this thing where I wave at my friends in the middle of class and we do it for a
sustained amount of time,” Danial said. “That’s what led me to getting the award and I realized that it continues to be our responsibility to be kind and to encour age other people to be kinder.”
Senior Jack Hagemeister received the award of Humanitarian Actions for “respectfully acknowledging other peo ple in the world and embracing ‘Service Above Self,’” a description given by the Rotary Club.
“A big contribution to what allowed me to get this award is that I had a chari ty fundraiser that I did for a group called Parents Against Cancer,” Hagemeister said. “For that charity, I raised $48,000 over the last three years following my own battle with cancer, and so that probably played a key factor.”
The last award, Most Welcoming,
recognized those who “behave as if ev eryone is a friend, to greet them with an open heart,” according to the Rotary Club. Senior Lindsey Arns, who received this honor, believes in “creating a posi tive atmosphere” and does that through her own acts of kindness.
“I bake cookies and hand them out to friends and people I might not know as well just to build those connections,” Arns said. “I also work at Trader Joe's, [and I have] for almost two years now, and [the store] is known for being real ly welcoming. I've defnitely grown into being a more extroverted and friendly person from that experience.”
In addition to the awards, an essay competition with the prompt “What could make Redondo Beach a more peaceful community?” sparked solu
tions among the RUHS students. Soph omore Kathryn Salazar, winner of this essay competition, wrote about her per sonal connection to peace and how it re lates to stress and anxiety.
“People often view peace as people not fghting, just everyone getting along, but I think it's important to realize that you should also get along with yourself and have inner peace,” Salazar said. “I know that in high school, there are many people who are stressed and anx ious and they feel like they don't belong. If we had a stronger community where we made sure everyone knew they be longed, they'd be able to love them selves, know they're worth it and have inner peace.”
Dr. Vicki Radel, spokesperson and organizer of the event, has been a mem ber of RCRB since 1989. Initially invited into the program by a fellow therapist, Radel had taken part in a campaign to eradicate polio and in her time with the program, she has continually encour aged peace within her community.
Peace has been the cornerstone of the RCRB and the 46,000+ worldwide Rotary Clubs who promote goodwill and understanding, according to Radel.
“The importance of International Peace Day is to educate the public on the diference between negative peace to the absence of war and positive peace,” Radel said. “It is very important to hon or the need to pause and refect and to do our best to try to create peace which is not just some nebulous thing in the sky. It is defnable and measurable.”
Maracas jingling to mariachi bands, red dresses fying in the air to the beat of the sal sa dance, and immense varieties of color ful and spicy foods food the tables. The month of September marks Hispanic Her itage Month, when Hispanic RUHS stu dents preserve their ties and connections to their origins, meanwhile raising aware ness of the diverse Latin-American cultural traditions.
Senior Miguel Gonzalez takes pride in his Mexican nationality and commemo rates the positive mission of Hispanic Her itage Month.
“Hispanic Heritage Month is a time of representation for the diferent Hispanic cultures and beliefs that are [prevalent] in our modern world,” Gonzalez said. “It al lows diversity to be recognized.”
Gonzalez maintained his appreciation for Mexican culture, even after moving to the United States from Mexico, by con tinuing his pursuit of one of his childhood passions, performing classical Mexican dances.
“I’m proud of my nationality. When I was little, I used to dance the ‘Folklórico’, which is basically a folklore dance of Mex ico,” Gonzalez said. “Now, I'm president of the school salsa team.”
Foster’s passion for dancing and mu
plete 45 hours of community service, in terms of helping with tutoring as well as help ing their community,” Mag none said. “Our job [through community service] is to make sure we bring awareness to this month.”
The Spanish linguistic de partment at RUHS is also in volved in raising awareness to the plethora of Latin traditions and cultures that fll our world.
sic originated from the rich culture of his mother's Guatemalan background and he developed his devotion to his Hispanic leg acy.
“This month is all about recognizing the contributions that the Latino community has made to the United States because all around we can see the infuences, not just in flm or media, but in positions of polit ical power as well,” Foster said. “On a lo cal level, the Latino community has made a great number of contributions to society too.”
“The goal of Redondo’s Spanish department during Hispanic Heritage Month is to ensure that students honor and value each one of the span ish-speaking countries equally,” Magnone said. “Our goal is to make sure students see the diver sity that exists within all those countries. So every year, we choose diferent coun tries to really demonstrate the level of di versity and beauty in those countries.”
Senior David Padilla, Vice President (VP) of Cervantes, wasn’t aware of the ex istence of Hispanic Heritage Month until Magnone taught his class about it, during his freshman year.
“A big thing for Spanish kids is reclaim ing our pride and who we are as Latinos to honor our heritage,” Padilla said. “It's a
time for all Latinos to honor their culture and ancestry and to learn more about it.”
With his role, Pa dilla encourages oth ers to be immersed in their own culture to build more identi ty and individuality.
Rios’ newfound outlook motivated her to then establish a way of infuencing oth ers for the better. She sparked a change in her community by introducing her peers to Hispanic cultural practices, through the creation of her own club called the Latino Heritage Club (LHC).
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“Here in Redon do, the demograph ic is predominantly white individuals and so for Latinos here, it’s common for most of us to feel a little bit left out and disenfran chised,” Padilla said.
“My role [as VP] is to empower them and to teach them to give back to all communities. I also aim to pro mote the study of the Spanish language in the Latino culture within Los Angeles and global ly.”
Padilla honors his heritage with his family by attending dif ferent gatherings to intertwine himself with his culture and ex perience authentic Hispanic cel ebrations.
“I go to Olvera Street in Los Angeles. We usually like to go there, especially on Mexican In dependence Day,” Padilla said. “There are mariachi bands, as well as food. It’s so intimate, so it's a tradition we will follow for years. We also throw big family parties for this time of the year to honor our culture.”
Junior Maya Rios also takes pride in coming from a Hispanic background and she honors the detailed history of Latina art. Her house has been covered in Latin art since she was little.
“Throughout my whole life, I've been in fuenced by artists like Frida Kahlo, who is a famous Mexican painter,” Rios said. “[My family] is really passionate about art and I grew up with that passion.”
Kahlo’s art and writings signifcantly moved Rios and infuenced a change in her outlook on life. Rios was “inspired” by Fri da Kahlo’s “tenacity” following a bus acci dent where a metal rod pierced her torso.
“[Kahlo’s] mentality just makes me feel like I can do whatever I want or put my mind to because she did that,” Rios said. “Even though she was in a wheelchair for her whole life, she was still out there doing her best work.”
“I notice that people don't really know much about the [Hispanic] culture, so I thought that it would be nice to teach some people who would fnd it interesting,” Rios said. “Not only would we be teaching about the culture, but we'd also be doing tradi tional activities.”
Rios’ emphasis on group collaboration and interaction within her club, on the top ic of Latina awareness, furthers her stance on celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month as one major entity.
“The importance of this month is about diversity, just being together and lov ing each other,” Rios said. “It should be a
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whole year-long commemoration, not just a month-long celebration. But, all in all, I think it's really about appreciating each other and our diferent cultural backgrounds and traditions. Not everybody is the same, but we should all be treat ed equally. It's a re ally great month to learn about something new.”
A big thing for Spanish kids is reclaiming our pride and who we are as Latinos to honor our heritage.
DAVID PADILLA SENIOR
““Students [in the club] have to com 1. Spanish Honors Society created posters in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month. This poster can be translated to "Long Live the Culture", "meaning that Latino culture will never go away. It'll aways stay alive." Padilla said. PHOTO COURTESY OF DAVID PADILLA 2. and 3. Latin art displayed on the walls of junior Maya Rios' home during an art gallery event, showcasing work from diferent cultural backgrounds All of the art is for sale. "I love the fact that people will be able to take a piece of art home that has a lot of signifcance," Rios said. PHOTO COURTESY OF MAYA RIOS
s in most competitive sports, per sonal and athletic growth occurs when bonds with teammates help athletes conquer obstacles. In the case of sophomore Kaela Jones, these connections are not primarily with team members, but rather between humans and animals. As a competitive horse show jumper, Jones participated in the Portuguese Bend National Horse Show from Sept. 9 to Sept. 11, where she pushed herself to succeed despite obstacles in her path.
In show jumping, riders and their hors es compete in a series of jumps and are judged based on how well they ride the course. Jones began riding horses at the
age of fve after growing up around her aunt’s horse and started competing around the age of ten.
“My favorite thing about the sport is how diferent it is,” Jones said. “Not every one can experience it, but I'm so lucky I get to bond with [my horse, Chovita]. It's en couraging and empowering to be on a team with an animal that I can’t talk to.”
While Jones appreciates the “great com munity” of riders at her barn, she notes that her schoolmates have made fun of her for participating in this less traditional sport. She believes that not many others outside of her crew understand the sport because they don’t know much about it.
“I respect every sport and it amazes me when people are great at those, and I think if people took the time to understand [my sport], they might respect it more,” Jones said.
In addition to appreciating the unique ness of her sport, Jones also acknowledges the challenges it presents.
“Because it’s not a team sport, I think the hardest part about it is having to pick your self up after you fall and keep pushing to be stronger when you don't get the results you want,” Jones said. “It’s hard to not get frustrated when the horse isn't doing exact ly what you want. You have to keep calm and just try your best every time.”
At the Portuguese Bend National Horse Show, Jones competed in both the hunt ers and equitation classes, or courses. The hunter courses are judged based on how well the horse moves and jumps, and the performance is “subjective to what the judge likes.” Contrarily, the equitation courses are judged based on how well the rider performs and are “trickier,” as they require more rider skill.
“I'm very proud of my horse's per formance at this show. She is what we call ‘green’: untrained and not very experienced,” Jones said. “I got her this year, so it's been a rough and long experience with her, but I’m really proud of how she per forms at the shows.”
Despite the intense heat wave over the weekend, Jones was able to push through the challenge “even when [she] didn’t want to,” and ended up winning a few classes.
“I won the Taylor Harris National Chil dren’s Medal, which is a well known medal in the equestrian community. I've been try ing to get that one for a while,” Jones said. “I won another medal called the PCHA [Pa cifc Coast Horse Show Association], and a couple of the equestrian classes too.”
But Jones did not have a completely smooth trot to victory. On the last day of the competition, her horse got spooked by a man fipping a trash bag across the ring, thus running into the standards (the boxes that hold up hurdle poles) as they headed towards a jump. Jones came of after her leg hit the standard, causing her to lose her balance. Her air vest protected her back from injury during the fall, but she did end up with a minor concussion.
“After the fall I had the chance to go back in the ring and try again. My trainer pushed me to do it and I'm glad she did be cause I went in and actually had a beautiful round. I ended up third of the class,” Jones said. “It was a rough fall, but I was glad I had people to support me and have me try again.”
As Jones’ mom, Debbie Jones, watched her daughter’s fall, she doubted whether
be [injuries] with anything you do in life,” Mrs. Jones said. “I've seen it so much with her and other people. It’s part of the sport.”
Jones took a week of of rigorous train ing to heal, but continued riding to prepare for medal fnals at the end of September. Her love for competitive show jumping has stayed with her since she was little, and does not appear to settle any time soon.
“My biggest goal that I've had since I was a kid is to be on the Olympic team,” Jones said. “I would love to keep riding and [eventually] even put my kids in the sport.”
Paralleling this ambition, Mrs. Jones supports her daughter’s desires whether she wants to ride in college or for the rest of her life, “as long as she loves the sport.”
“I'm really proud of her,” Mrs. Jones said. “She works so hard and she has dealt with a lot. As a mom, It’s awesome to see that, as a woman, she can put up with a lot and keep fghting.
by Ariya Anvari
Aboard a ship at sea, yelling can be heard, the voices in unison of new recruits being trained. Some recruits as young as ten, other trainees as old as 18-years-old. All individuals learn and teach not just what it means to be in the military, but the leadership that comes with it. For most, this environment would seem confusing and foreign but, for junior Summer Phillips-Boyes, this situation is just another part of her life.
Junior Phillips-Boyes plans to pursue a future in the military and has attended the United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps yearlong program (US NSCC) for three and half years, having initially joined the program in April 2019. Sea Cadets focus primarily on learning leadership skills, in addition to morale (a military term often used to de scribe the quality of a soldier in regards to taking and giving orders and their level of skill at it) and basic military training.
“I joined Sea Cadets, not thinking I would ever be in the military. However, when I look back at it, it's always been in me: that kind of morale, the core values of the military and that discipline,” Phil lips-Boyes said. “I love leadership and that's a big part of the Sea Cadet program and I knew the moment I joined and went to my frst drill that I wanted to lead.”
Those who teach the new recruits are called Staf Cadets. Some Sea Cadets are of fered this opportunity to mentor and coach these new recruits into proper Sea Cadets. Phillips-Boyes has taken this position three times now and recalls it as one of her favor ite experiences.
“You get this new infux of recruits that know nothing. They don't know core values
or how to walk properly in the military or any of that information,” Phillips-Boyes said. “Then, in 14 days, you see them grad uate to these new cadets who look sharp and have [military] morale and are just overall good human beings. Seeing that, and being a part of that process every time has been the best part of [being a leader].”
Unlike other programs, taking part in Sea Cadets does not chain individuals to only military based careers, but rather,
don't just make good military personnel. It makes genuinely great human beings in side and out of the military.”
Additionally, Phillips-Boyes notes the program’s signifcance to her and how it has impacted her personally beyond just the military training and skills.
“[Sea Cadets] have changed my life. I would probably be a completely diferent person today, if it weren't for them. The ex periences, opportunities, people I've come to know, the connections I have and the network I've got through Sea Cadets is just incredible,” Phillips-Boyes said.
Phillips-Boyes found connections in be friending senior Harrison Collier. The two met through US NSCC three years ago. De spite having only been in the same division for one year, Collier notes Phillips-Boyes' growth in the program.
“When she [Summer] frst joined NSCC, she was pretty timid and shy. And then as she got older and progressed in the pro gram she grew more into a leadership po sition and was able to take advice to give advice to others,” Collier said.“Since then,
Philips-Boyes has both developed and ex hibited these traits in her time in NSCC, whether it be through helping new cadets or simple little gestures.
“There's countless times where she's demonstrated all three qualities. She makes sure everyone gets squared away and makes sure she told people where to be at what time; it’s the constant determina tion and leadership that makes her great,” Collier said.
Ultimately the experiences in these military programs taught and infuenced Phillips-Boyes to have a better grasp on leadership and how to help others become leaders as well.
“The higher ranking recruits are usually perceived as the leaders, but in reality any one, any age, any position, can be a leader.” Phillips-Boyes said. “Whether you're in a high position or not, being that one person in a room that is able to make everyone
prepares them for future challenges. The majority of those who join Sea Cadets don't plan to pursue a military based career, and go into civilian jobs instead. Despite this, the leadership skills and experience from Sea Cadets can still be applicable to these outside jobs, according to Phillips-Boyes.
“Leadership as a whole—those basic [military] morales, being the leader to set the example and putting the people frst— means taking initiative. All those core val ues of what a leader is, is defnitely instilled not just for the military, but for all people in life,” Phillips-Boyes said. “Sea Cadets
The experiences, oppor tunities, people I've come to know, the connections
have and the network
got through
is just incredible.
few kids selling Dr. Seuss cookies and lemonade at their lemonade stand may look normal on the outside, but for her, it was the beginning of her long-term pas sion. Sophomore Sadie Simmons cheerful ly recalls the memory that frst inspired her to create her new club: Baking for Benefts.
“When I was little I used to run a little lemonade stand at my friend's house where we would sell lemonade and rainbow Dr. Seuss cookies. Preparing everything, put ting the booth together and talking with customers was a really fun experience for me,” Simmons said. “It was a good way for me to learn about money, customer service and setting up events on my own. That re ally cemented my love for bake sales and events like that.”
Helping out, for Simmons, has been in her bones since the start of her time in middle school. This was a source of inspira tion for creating Baking for Benefts, which mixed her love for baking and helping.
“When I was younger, I would always
try to help the teachers with any paper work they needed help with like grading tests for example,” Simmons said. “My frst volunteering experience was when I did a walk for breast cancer with my martial arts team. I think it was at that moment where I developed a love for volunteering and giv ing back to those in need, so I made this club to give back as much as possible.”
According to Simmons, the club was created in hopes of students fnding a safe space where they are able to help out the community and be surrounded by those who also want to give back. Even though she has always loved to help as a little kid, the one person that inspired her the most was her vice president, sophomore Sophie Olko.
“Baking has always been something that I've enjoyed. And my one friend in particu lar, who is my vice president, Sophie Olko, bakes a lot and she would always bring in all these diferent treats whether they be brownies or blondies, and give them to us. I was just thinking about how she does that so often already, so I thought that if we could put that to good use, it would just be even better,” Simmons said.
Sharing similar values to Simmons, Olko has a love for giving back purely be cause she enjoys “putting a smile on peo ple’s faces.”
“I just really like to give people a reason to have had a good day. For example, if they look back on their day, they're like, ‘My day
was not good today—but Sophie brought cookies for lunch. That made me smile be cause they were good,’” Olko said.
While Olko decided to help run the club because of her love for baking, Simmons' motivation to start it was for two other rea sons.
“A lot of people in my family have strug gled with cancer. Recently, my aunt died of cancer, and my former PE coach's daughter also died of cancer. That's when I decided that I wanted to raise money for the Chil dren's Hospital to help fund childhood can cer research. My family is also Ukrainian, so I wanted to make the war one of our causes so that we can help raise money [for Ukrainians],” Simmons said.
The ideas to support causes she con nects with have always been in the “back of her head” but it took such events to actually put them in action.
“I feel like it'd be nice to make a difer ence in other people's lives so they don't have to experience the things that my fam ily has gone through. No one wants to go through it but it happens,” Simmons said.
Simmons and Olko plan to hold bake sales in populated areas, like Hermosa Beach Pier, where people will be able to do nate. Simmons believes the whole process will run smoother than other bake sales because of the causes they are supporting.
“Most bake sales are raising money for school events where they're trying to get fundraising, whereas we're just trying to
give back and help others,” Simmons said. “We're not at all trying to fundraise for a school event and I feel like we have a bet ter cause than most bake sales. So I think that we're gonna have a lot more people do nate because they’re not just buying baked goods.”
At the end of the day, Simmons just wants to do this for her community. She feels that if everyone puts a little more ef fort into volunteering and giving back, it’ll make the world that much better.
“It's important to fnd these creative ways to give back because a lot of the time, people don't want to volun teer because it feels like a chore,” Simmons said. “But if you can fnd a fun way to give back, more people will want to help and it can make a diference in a lot of people's lives.”
After fnishing a long practice end ing near his bedtime, the last thing senior Jadon Bailey want ed to do was spend extra time stumbling into “the barn,” putting instruments away in pitch black darkness with no idea where they would be in the morning. The barn is a storage shed located behind the away bleachers of the football feld, where the marching band keeps some equipment and all of their drums in-between practices and performances.
Bailey saw an opportunity to end the struggles by renovating the barn to help his community for his Eagle Scout project. In order to get promoted to an Eagle Scout, the highest scout rank in Boy Scouts Amer ica, he had to conduct an entire project on his own that helps his community in any way. In order to fx the barn, Bailey raised over $700 through a GoFundMe for the materials to build shelves and solar light ing.
As the battery (drum line) section lead er, Bailey admires the marching band pro gram and its legacy. But, the “poor” condi tion of the barn did not refect this.
“When I look at the barn, it makes me feel like we have a disorganized program, but we are an award-winning state pro gram,” Bailey said. “When you go in and look at that shed, it defnitely does not say ‘award winning state program’.”
The disorganization resulted in the marching band having to stack instruments on top of each other in order for all of it to ft, not only risking potential damage to in struments but wasting time as well. Some times, band members had to spend too much time putting the drums away after
zero period, causing them to be tardy to their second periods. On top of this, the lack of lights in the barn generated turmoil after late practices and competitions, leav ing the drum line to guess where to put ev erything in the dark.
“When we come back [from practice], all the feld lights are of when we are try ing to pack everything away. We all want to go home because it’s super late at night, but putting everything back is really hard and really slow.”
Bailey and his volunteers, consisting of his family and fellow Boy Scouts, got to work on Sunday, Sept. 18 with a fourphase plan. The frst phase included clear ing the barn out completely and removing the small shelf inside. They installed the shelves and lighting for the second and third phase, and in the fnal phase they put everything back in an organized manner. Although they expected to be there from around 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., they fnished at around 8 p.m..
“It was a very long day, but I couldn’t ex press the relief and excitement I felt when we fnally put everything back in," Bailey said.
Wanting to surprise his bandmates, Bailey chose not to inform them about the renovations, including sophomore Lilly Hazard.
“The rest of the drumline and I were blown away,” Hazard said. “We struggled with the disorganization for so long, so the realization that we have such a nice storage space available now was amazing.”
for his own Eagle Scout project, giving him familiarity with the building and plan ning procedure.
“
by Romi Riss and Lucy DavisI was stoked to be suspended.”
Anonymous senior Zach watched “Avengers: Endgame” during his time of from school. The four day suspension was administered as a disciplinary measure after an on-campus physical confrontation with a friend. While at home, Zach’s punishment felt more like a vacation than a time for self-refection.
“I didn’t learn anything [from my suspension]. I was like, ‘This is sick. ’ I didn't have to go to school, and I got to play video games all day,” Zach said.
To learn his lesson, Zach thinks that it would have been more efective for him to remain at school longer or in iso lation from his friends during lunch while serving detention.
“Most people who are get ting in trouble at school dislike school as a whole. So punishing them by not letting them go to school is a pretty bad idea. If I don't like being at school, why would you suspend me?” he said.
“
takes.
“There is no one solution that [addresses] all behavioral issues on campus. We're trying to have a menu, so that we can match actions with the person with the consequence, so that there are no repeat behaviors going forward,” Ro sadini said.
In one case, anonymous senior Cameron faced harass ment for a year by one of his peers, ranging from dead-nam ing to unconsented photography and food-throwing.
“I was consistently late to certain classes because I tried to avoid the areas [that my aggressor frequented]. Or I would walk with my friend to her class because they were harassing her as well, as she’s transgender. Another friend would walk us both to class to ensure that we would be safe, which was unfortunate because we were always late,” Cameron said.
Most people who are getting in trouble at school dislike school as a whole. So punish ing them by not letting them go to school is a pretty bad idea. If I don't like being at school, why would you suspend me?
In August 2021, the Califor nia Department of Education issued a statement stating that “the state’s new accountability system reports suspensions and incentivizes minimizing the use of punitive discipline. With this guidance, [they] update the feld about recent legislative chang es and suggest alternatives to suspension and other punitive practices.” One of these alterna tive paths is a community-based support system known as re storative justice that focuses on improving students’ mental and physical health to enable better behavior and greater aca demic achievement.
ZACH ANONYMOUS SENIOR
Part of the RUHS move toward a restorative justice system is what Assistant Principal Jefrey Rosadini calls a “discipline menu”: the staf will decide consequences based on how the student would best learn from their mis
When he could, Cameron fled incident reports against his aggressor and notifed ad ministration, a process that “had its pros and cons.”
“All I got [from admin] was, ‘We're going to talk to him.’ I never received any follow up about what was happening,” Cameron said. “That made me feel really alone. I didn’t want to have to resort to violence, but it was getting to a point where I was going to school prepared to have to defend myself on a regular basis be cause I felt hopeless and defenseless.”
Under the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, all student discipline records must be confdential. Though admin istration may not outwardly address an issue, Mental Health and Wellness Counselor Rachel Andrews says, “They’re always working behind the scenes.”
To give both students closure, Cameron participated in a restorative circle, part of the restorative justice model on campus, with his aggressor. Andrews described restorative jus tice as a campus-wide cultural shift toward empathy and communication.
The goal of restorative circles is to address the root of students’ problems to prevent repeated behaviors and to make students on campus feel seen and secure, according to Andrews. “Restorative Circles in Schools” provides a ba
sic framework for responding to “challenging” behav ior: “What happened? What were you thinking at the time? Who has been afected by what you have done? In what way? What do you think you need to do to make things right?”
Following this structure, Cameron’s restorative cir cle created a space where each student could explain how the situation afected them. Both students also signed agreements to cut contact with one other.
“We had to talk it through, and I feel like it did help in the sense that if anything happened, he [the perpetrator] would get in trouble.” Cameron said. “[Since signing the agree ment,] I haven't received any harassment from the guy. Of course, people can take pictures behind my back, but outwardly my friend and I have not been harassed by him or any of his friends.”
According to Andrews, if a hypothetical situa tion arose where a student threw fruit at another stu dent’s head, a restorative justice model would orga nize a community circle with teachers, counselors, the students involved and other impartial students.
Keeping the campus safe is the responsibil ity of all of us, not administrators, not teachers, but students too. We want to sure that our campus is a safe place. It's place for learning for focusing on your future.
JEFFREY ROSADINI ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL“[As a group], we would talk about how [the situ ation] made them feel, why they wouldn't want it to happen again, and how we can move forward. It's more powerful than, ‘You threw an orange? Here's a deten tion,’” Andrews said.
Santa Monica-Malibu Unifed District reduced their percent of multiple-suspension students by 53 percent after implement ing restorative justice prac tices in 2018. In Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, a restorative justice model reduced serious infractions by 69 percent, and the number of students with multiple suspensions by 64 percent between 2010 and 2013. According to “Restor ative Circles in Schools,” a guidebook to restor ative justice by ex perts Bob Castello, Joshua Wachtel and Ted Wach tel, suspension rates are di rectly lowered by restorative practices like conflict/heal ing circles.
Zach believes this move away from punitive con sequences would have benefted him as well. He felt that his suspension exac erbated his frustration, rather than difuse the confict.
“[A] majority of the time, fghts [with my friends] were caused by miscommunications. We were then separated com pletely and we weren’t given the chance to talk it out. This kept the confict going: we just got suspend ed and punished and then we would just blame each other for the punish ment. It would give us a reason to be
frustrated with each other,” Zach said.
With a restorative justice model, Zach and his friend would have had the opportunity to prevent future con frontations by learning skills to resolve confict without violence. Andrews stressed the importance of building good communication skills and understanding every person’s perspective and emotions in restorative justice practices.
“With empathy and understanding, you're going to see way less bullying and conficts resorting to violence,” said Andrews. “I think this can happen as long as there's extensive training for administration, teachers, and ev eryone else. [For example,] the tools and the resources at Santa Monica High School are a model for good restorative justice practice.”
AP English Literature teacher Kitaro Take sue worked in the Santa Monica-Malibu dis trict before joining RUHS staf and brought his training in restorative justice practices into his new classroom.
It's a learning and your
“The idea behind that training and behind circles is that when you're talking about re storative justice, you have to have a commu nity to restore. The circle is a really important element of taking the teacher out of the center [of attention] and focusing the students on each other and each other's needs,” Takesue said. “The purpose of it is to build community so that when a harm is committed, you can go back to the circle and see how the community is failing.”
Although it takes time to build this com munity, Takesue believes that a sense of con nection between students is “fundamental.”
“If there's no relationship, if there's no party that [the students] actually have connection to, they're not going to feel like they want to make any of those adjust ments in order to be part of that community—they nev er felt like they were part of that community to begin with,” Takesue said.
Takesue blocks out time
for community circles once a quarter for each of his classes, but the community building within his classroom is consistent throughout the year: highs and lows of students’ weeks, a trivial question to start the class period, or having them refect on their current needs. And, he said, these activities help students fnd common ground.
“By giving students that place to debrief and share out with others, it helps them better partic ipate in class. It helps them be more vulnerable. In an AP class, I think it's especially important because so many kids have impostor syndrome. When they hear the struggles of other kids, it’s like, ‘They're on the precipice of destruction, as much as I am almost in the void of despair,’” Takesue said. “But it takes one person to be vulnerable, and sud denly other kids are like, ‘I want to do that, too.’”
Rosadini emphasizes that as RUHS makes the transition toward restorative justice practices, building a positive school culture is most import ant.
“Keeping the campus safe is the responsibility of all of us, not just administrators, not just teach ers, but students too. We want to make sure that our campus is a safe place. It's a place for learn ing and for focusing on your future,” Rosadini said. “Redondo should be a safe space for every single student.”
Restorative justice = community-based support system focused on improving students' mental and physical health to enable better behavior and greater academic achievement
reduction of students with multiple suspen sions because of restorative justice at a school in Bethle hem, Pennsylvania
reduction of serious infractions because of restor ative justice at a school in Bethle hem, Pennsylvania
The social discipline window: a graphic that illustrates how restorative practice difers from other types of discipline:
Before this summer, Tate had never even crossed my radar, so when I began research ing his history, I became more and more astonished and disgust ed at how long his toxic messages have been swirling around in cyberspace. He claimed COVID-19 was a hoax during 2020, an opinion that sums up his intelligence regard ing our world. What’s more, his personality has a con cerning amount of infuence on our younger generations, especially teenage boys.
and dozens of experts will teach YOU exactly how to make money.” Every professor is “personally” vetted by himself. Gaining a large following on his platforms, Tate was able to promote this program—a program that reinforced his toxic and sexist ideology. Advertising Hustler’s University on social media, giving talks at large venues and encourag ing all generations to invest in his program not only made Tate even more successful fnancially, but also spread his misogyny ideas globally.
It does not escape my notice that it is the male popula tion who, by and large, don’t fnd Tate harmful or threat ening, as most have never had to deal with what so many women have. Most men do not worry about walking alone at night or having their drinks spiked. Most men do not have to worry about being passed up for a promotion be cause of their gender or living with the knowledge that their male-dominated government has the authority and means to legislate away body autonomy, as the United States Supreme Court did in June of 2022 with the over
by Haven Bechesndrew Tate. Even the name sparks visceral disgust and rage as I type it, an indication of my blatant bias in writing this opinion. Honestly, my opin ions on the man are associated with general contempt, nausea and bitter disappointment in the future of man (and yes, man is intended) kind and contradictions to such claims are in my mind, both foolish and ignorant.
Tate, a former professional kickboxer, rose to fame on social media such as Instagram, YouTube and Tik Tok, where he documented his lifestyle and views.
The frst time I heard of Tate was abroad. Dawdling amongst Greeks, Germans, Romanians, Poles, Brits and other nationalities this summer, I heard my friend men tion how much she hated him. I, unaware of who Tate was, questioned her and was shocked when I googled his name and the results appeared, and then again when I looked him up on Instagram and saw that many of my peers fol lowed him. My frst reaction was a misunderstanding; surely people I knew, whom I considered highly educated and holding some basic respect for women in this god-for saken world had followed him by mistake.
Tate demeans women constantly, promotes toxic mas culinity, and even has admitted to moving to Romania be cause the “police [there] is less likely to investigate s*xual assault cases in the country,” according to Sportskeeda. Yet, people still follow him—or, they did before he was banned by Instagram.
Some quotes by Tate include stating that women should bear “some responsibility” for r*pe, that “[l]ife as a man is far more difcult than life as a woman” and that femi nists who don’t want kids “are the most miserable stupid b*tch[es] in the world.” The frst comment got Tate banned from Twitter in 2017, while other statements continued to pop up on impressionable teens’ social media feeds until he was banned.
AWhen I returned from abroad, I began researching and approaching my peers regarding their views, specifcally those I knew who followed Tate before his ban. I spoke to numerous individuals, male and female alike, and the gen eral consensus was this: male students found Tate some what alarming but were able to look past his issues to ap preciate his promotion of men’s confdence and mental health, while women felt anger, shock and fear regard ing their futures in a world where men like Tate are accepted. Further, the vast majority of males I spoke to not only found Tate unalarming but also, and I quote, “entertaining and inspira tional.”
Many of the boys I talked to considered Tate to be a comedian of sorts and found humor in his so obviously ridiculous com ments, not considering that many indi viduals actually believe and support what Tate was preaching. The way I see it, by acting in this way—either following or lik ing Tate’s content—they directly support ed a sexist, toxic and vile human being.
They also cited his program called Hustler’s University, a subscrip tion-based community, which according to his website is “[a] community where me [Tate]
While teens shopping for video games may seem harmless, not all games are rated E for everyone. Representation for all is lacking in the world of video games, especially when it comes to clothing. While the male hero is dressed in head-to-toe ar mor and strapped up to his teeth with guns and knives, the female characters are dressed in a G-string bodysuit that makes sure to cover the nipples, but barely anything else.
The lack of representation of women in video games and the over-sexualization of their personas in their main character (MC) roles can deeply afect the way women view female role models. Young girls can look at the screen, see
young age.
Examples of female MCs portrayed in next-to-nothing in terms of clothing are Mileena from Mortal Kombat, Mai Shiranui from Fatal Fury and The King of Fighters and Ivy from Soul Calibur. All of the female characters are in what I can barely classify as underwear. Female MCs in popu lar video games are dressed in attire with coverage akin to wrapping themselves in a piece of ribbon.
“Women […] who play video games feel that the over-sexualized portrayal of female characters in video games is sexist and damaging to their self-image,” Eden MacDougall and Andreas Copes wrote in an article titled “Temple women open up about sexist video game charac ters” from Temple University.
This fanciful depiction of women creates body dysmor phia and long-term harm to the mental health of adoles cent girls and women.
Various authors in an article titled "Female Gaming, Gaming Addiction, and the Role of Women Within Gam ing Culture: A Narrative Literature Review" published by Frontiers in Psychiatry wrote, “Representation of women within video games and their well-being has been recently studied. Findings showed female gamers report self-objec tifcation and consequently perceive low levels of self-ef cacy.”
When I am fipping through a PlayStation game cata log, if I see these demeaning depictions of women in the game preview, I will automatically swipe away. As a young woman, seeing these female MCs personifed with skimpy clothing and airheaded personalities feels dehumanizing and belittling in facets ranging from my intelligence to my body image. The persona that video games produce of
If these men did understand or share such experienc I think they would take personalities like Tate more seriously. Rather than writing of his comments as ludicrous, as so many do, and a bit “out there,” they might identify the systemic issue of sex ism at work and take steps to rem
Tate said it best: “Maybe I’m completely crazy. Maybe I’m full of sh*t.” For once, he got it right.
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women perpetuates an unrealistic and unattainable standard.
“It [the video game industry] realizes it’s marginalizing half its audience [by] making women characters pander to the male gaze,” media communications researcher Tere sa Lynch said in an article published by PBS titled “Study tracks 31-year history of female sexualization in video games.” “Women don’t like to be seen as sex objects. When they don’t feel like game content positively refects [their gender], they’re not interested.”
I’ve had food thrown at me for be ing gay.
It was only once, and I was lucky enough to not have any repeat incidents. But my experience is far from the only one at Redondo and not enough is being done about it.
I’ve known that I was gay (bisexual, actually) since I was in eighth grade. I won’t share that story here, but it was an easy enough transition. I have an amaz ingly supportive family, grandmothers who are married, a genderfuid cousin and positive role models all my life. The nerves and stress surrounding coming out were defnitely there, but I knew that I had the support of my friends through out the coming out process.
So I was more than surprised when at this school self-proclaimed “neo-nazis” threw food and stole stickers and made gay jokes at the Gender-Sexuality Alli ance (GSA) booth at Club Rush last year. The group of guys, no more than fve or ten students, did this for the entire lunch period, putting us on the spot for no rea son other than because they could.
These kids, teenagers, had become so strongly against LGBTQ+ individuals' right to exist proudly that they were will ing to harass, humiliate and hurt other students. I get there were probably other factors infuencing their decisions (peer pressure, home life, personal troubles, etc.), but what they did in that moment was ultimately inexcusable.
Especially for those who are openly, loudly and proudly gay, we have to consider our safety in a place where we are supposed to learn in peace."
ROISIN GROSS SENIORAnd that isn’t even close to the reports that I’ve heard from other LGBTQ+ stu dents.
Over the summer, one student sent the GSA Instagram account a video of them and their friends being harassed for their sexuality. They were called slurs by another group of students in plain sight in downtown Hermosa. Friends have told me about witnessing or experiencing ver bal harassment in the hallways, ranging from more “mild” name-calling to literal threats of violence. Hair-pulling, dead naming, dirty looks—the list goes on and on. I’ve heard of kids being misgendered by their teachers, intentionally and re peatedly called by the wrong names and pronouns.
My only major experience of being ha rassed was a one-of thing, and for that I am very grateful. I can’t imagine having to choose between expressing who I am and feeling safe at school. But other stu dents at Redondo don’t have to imagine making that choice because they’re al ready living it. Especially for those who present outside of the gender binary or who are openly, loudly and proudly gay, we have to consider our safety in a place where we are supposed to learn in peace.
RUHS needs to take more action, both to promote acceptance schoolwide and to educate those who have already opposed it. Just like there was no excuse for stu dents to harass the GSA Club Rush booth, there is no excuse for the school to be in active about these cases.
Many of us are quick to point out each other’s toxic traits and preach the importance of fostering healthy romantic relationships–that is, until we sit down to watch a movie or read a book. Usually, a distinct line is drawn between the reality of being in relationships and the way that they are illustrated in fabricated, idealized storybook settings. However, that line becomes extremely blurred when people–teens especially–feed into the media, obsessing over an unhealthy relationship dy namic, which is based upon the very constructs of misogyny and toxicity; they subconsciously develop a mindset, which pushes them to want to mimic such damaging portrayals.
The romanticization of toxic relationships in books and movies has become increasingly apparent, and it has signifcantly impacted the way teenagers view and seek out their own relationships. The general consensus seems to be that characters who are depicted as dark, brooding and controlling immediately assume the position of the popular love interests: the ones who get away. The ones whose decisions are justifed by audience favor. The ones who always end up with the girl. The ones whose actions are blatant ly selfsh and intentions are unnecessarily impure yet still manage to garner sympathy and popularity in spite of their manipulative and cold demeanors.
Don’t get me wrong. I am a sucker for a good romance; but there are some instances where contem porary media and entertainment have gone too far in promoting the “bad boy” image, advertising a false sense of security and buried compassion under layers of plain indecency and stupidity.
by Allie D'AmatoSpeaking as a romcom afcionado, I, too, have been blinded by these characters and the relationships they pursue. You can’t help but swoon over Conrad Fisher, Joshua Templeman, Noah Calhoun, Mr. Darcy, and other leading men who possess the most undesirable qualities possible as they take out their anger on their romantic interests. Audience members become drawn to them, watching as they attribute their behavior to a dark past, change into better men as they are infuenced by the goodness of their partners or maintain a soft spot for the people they love in the midst of their immorality. People are invested in their redemptive plo tlines and are so quick to focus on their small deeds, failing to acknowledge the larger truth at hand: these men are jerks who make all the wrong decisions before going through a forced transformative realization.
Oftentimes, these “bad boy” characters are hostile toward their prospective partners, en gaging in harsh dialogue where they demean and belittle the women they seemingly “love.” Some viewers mistake this aggression as a build up for some sort of passionate turning point or as an outlet for misplaced agony which has been the root of their desires. We want to believe that these men contribute liveliness, afection and fulfllment to their relationships by exercis ing control over their partners and gaslighting them. The allure of these men is thanks to the
fact that they seem to have some deep grasp on their reality and the reality of their partner, and that this understanding paints them as “fxable” or “salvageable” in some twisted way. We root for them, we fnd comfort in their struggles, and we in turn become enamored, viewing their misbehaviors as attractive.
This character archetype is continuously perpetuated in media today, becoming ingrained in the way we view and value relationships. We forget that these characters and the circumstances surrounding their relationships do not parallel those in real life; jerks stay jerks, and we can’t expect anything out of them. Teenagers are incredibly naïve and misinterpret certain responses or behaviors, assigning a romantic tone to people, places or things, which hold no romantic signifcance at all. The bliss of romance which is seen at the forefront of toxic relationships and asso ciated with toxic fctional characters masks the true questionable–and sometimes detrimental–state of reality. I feel as though these types of relationships and characters must be scaled back, or else they only serve to negatively contribute to a false perception of romantic relationships and ideal partners.
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The new historical drama "The Woman King" features female warriors and is a must see
by Scarlett Mische“
An evil is coming. It threatens our kingdom, our freedom, but we have a weapon that they are not prepared for.” Those are the frst words in the trail er for the new movie “The Woman King” which came out on Sept. 16.
“The Woman King” revolves around the African kingdom of Dahomey and their all female warrior troop called the Agojie. This movie centers around the fctional leader of the Agojie, Nanisca (Viola Davis) and a Dahomey village girl who was gifted to the king to be used as an Agojie, Nawi (Thuso Mbedu). The flm highlights the growing relationship of these two characters as well as their loyalty to their kingdom and Agojie sisters.
The acting and character development in this movie was next-level spectacular. The large range of emotion I felt while watching this movie was a new but wel come experience. The relationship between the two main characters grew in such a del icate manner throughout the flm, with the actresses handling their roles with such grace and eloquence. The build up to their ending relationship didn’t feel rushed, which I fnd to be an incredible feature for a two-ish hour movie.
Spoilers ahead, so skip to the next paragraph if you haven’t seen the movie: The plot twist of fnding out Nawi is Nanis ca’s daughter was so perfectly executed by Davis and Mbedu that my new standards for character development and chemis try between actors has skyrocketed to the point that not even the end of “Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back” could cure my insa tiable craving for a fawless “I am your Fa ther” (or Mother, in the case of “The Wom an King”) plot twist.
The carefully planned use of dialogue kept me on the edge of my seat for the du ration of the flm and made the plot that much more compelling.
The acting wasn’t the only exemplary element of this new movie; the cinematog raphy (as directly quoted from my notes while watching) was “absolutely immacu late and tear-inducing to the point of sufo cation.” The earthy tones gave this movie a very “cavern-like” vibe, as if you could feel the humidity in the air, stifing your breath and allowing it to consume you– mind, body, and soul.
The composition of camera angles and shots reveal miniscule details that bring out all of the tiniest eforts put into the flm.
In particular, the way that the ending shots were composed helped to embody every feeling presented throughout the flm in a very short last montage—all fve stages of grief were present along with the feeling of
the brutality of slavery itself. If these sub jects make you uncomfortable, take cau tion before deciding to watch this flm.
Some understanding of the kingdom of Dahomey in a historical context is also es sential to view this flm. This movie might have been a great historical fction; how ever, it is important to remember that it is
this movie that undermine the issues that are present in Dahomey’s historical society.
Contrastingly, in a CNN article, Dr. Nsenga Burton, a former editor-at-large for the Root, an African American-orient ed news magazine and a member of the African American Film Critics Associa tion, disagrees with attempts to boycott this movie due to historical inaccuracies.
Burton writes, “As much as it is about any thing else, “The Woman King” is about the precarious journey Black women take— and the obstacles they face—in pursuit of freedom and self-determination in a world where misogyny and misogynoir reign su
Taking into consideration inaccuracies presented throughout this movie is import ant, and at the same time, the technical components and emotional impact of “The Woman King” are simply too impeccable to overlook. As long as the topic is han dled with respect and you know your own boundaries when it comes to triggering content, this movie is a must-see.
blood and
ou know you’ve read a great novel when all you want to do is scream, shout and cry at the end of it while simultaneously try ing to convince yourself there’s an alter nate ending. Or maybe that’s just me.
This summer, I was required to read a novel for my AP Lit class, and just like any high school student, I decided to wait until the very last minute to read it. But after gaining an entirely new perspective on systemic racism, bullying and discrim ination in 1960s America following my completion of the novel, I must say that I defnitely regret not reading it sooner.
That young adult novel is Colson White head’s “The Nickel Boys,” which is based on the true story of the Dozier School for Boys, a reform school formerly located in Flori da. For 111 years, this institution’s intend ed purpose was to give troubled children convicted of crimes a place to learn about the world and become better citizens; how ever, after a failed state inspection in June 2011, the school was shut down. In this in vestigation and subsequent ones, 55 graves were found around the institution, along with the remains of roughly 51 students.
These events inspired Whitehead to
write an enlightening novel, one that high lights the extremities of discrimination, racism and harassment in an America fghting for the civil rights of African Amer icans and equality for all U.S citizens. And if Whitehead earning the Pulitzer Prize doesn’t say enough about the impact of this novel, I don’t know what else does.
“The Nickel Boys” follows the story of Elwood Curtis, both in his childhood in the 1960s as well as his adulthood in the 2010s. As Whitehead jumps between the two timelines, the reader understands how Elwood’s time at the Nickel Acade my afects his future passions and how America’s progression in the civil rights movement intertwines with those events.
The majority of the novel focuses on Elwood’s teenage years, and it is during his time at the Nickel Academy where the reader uncovers Whitehead’s themes of how White supremacy frames the disparate relationship between the White and Black students at the institution. In multiple in stances, we see Elwood and his Black peers discriminated against for their skin color while the White students at the academy are spared, highlighting the persistence of systemic racism within the various institu tions of the 1960s United States, and how even educators used their personal bias to
perpetuate such racism and segregation.
An important thing to note about this novel is that it’s pretty tragic at times, but it's necessary. There were so many mo ments where I felt angry, distraught and helpless, because even though the events were fctional, they followed a tragic and true story. Elwood may not be a real per son, but there were certainly students in the Dozier school who went through the same bullying and discrimination that he and his peers faced. That encouraged me to fully comprehend the depth of White head’s message and apply it through out my future as I learned more about systemic racism and its lasting impacts.
With this issue focusing its attention on bullying and discrimination around our campus, I believe that reading this novel would be a good way for students to learn about how racism and ignorance have im pacted and continue to impact others on a larger scale. While Whitehead’s main message isn’t as simple as “bullying is harmful,” his narration of the novel does an outstanding job of demonstrating not only how bullying tied with discrimination and systemic racism can have a signif cant impact on its victims, but also beyond to the institutions and people involved.
Whitehead didn’t earn a Pulitzer
Prize for nothing—his masterful writ ing throughout “The Nickel Boys,” re veals various horrifc truths about Amer ica and imperative lessons our country must learn through beautiful storytelling, vivid characterization and parallelism.
Two years of anticipation, a fore shadowing Netfix documentary and a drum roll release of teaser photos: all for what? BLACKPINK’s high ly awaited album “Born Pink” does not fulfll a fraction of the forecasted fanfare.
With the scarcity of new BLACKPINK music, you would think that they follow a “quality-over-quantity” standard; howev er, their new album meets no such stan dard. I expected new experimental sounds, stories and concepts rather than the bland recycling of their previous themes.
The same themes are reheated and served on a cold plate of anticipation and expectation. If they can’t do their icon ic narrative, four heartbroken girls, any better, then they simply shouldn’t. None of these songs will live up to amazing sto ry-building tracks such as “Lovesick Girls."
Nothing new is presented in the mu sic itself either, leaving the album sound ing a bit like an AI that was fed every BLACKPINK song to spit out a new BLACKPINK song. For example, “Typa Girl” is entirely laid under a predictable blaring siren sample, an overdone ele ment that they need to stop leaning on.
Besides “Pink Venom” and “Shutdown” none of the remaining six songs provide any substance to be memorable. Tracks “Hard to Love," “Tally," “Yeah Yeah Yeah” and “The Happiest Girl” all blend together in one generic melo-drama pop song. They each sound like they took the pre-cho rus of a much more interesting song and added fller synth, basic drums and rhyth mic claps to stretch it into a full song.
To keep up with their compe tition, BLACKPINK must reawak en the “revolution” that they have so proudly claimed to have created.
For example, K-pop has started to switch gears toward more simple beat songs like aespa's “Life’s Too Short” and all of NewJeans’ debut album, which climbed the charts with music in stark contrast to most high density K-pop songs.
If they want to compete with their max imalist and avant-garde sounds they ar en’t winning either. This album is easily drowned out by IVE’s strong releases such as “After LIKE” that uses new stand-out samples that form a charming music style.
Taking a look at their competition, new and shiny girl groups are looking to make a mark in the industry and have parent com panies hungry for fame. This creates the perfect environment for sound exploration, high quality tracks and carefully curated albums. This is a caliber that BLACKPINK is at risk of losing with their unimpres
on one of these factories, YG Entertain ment, who produced the hit sensation four-member girl group in question. Since their debut, they rose to the top of K-pop with a fan base of over 50 million, but the K-pop factory complex does not stop chug ging, and BLACKPINK is falling behind.
It’s not hard to like “Born Pink” for
with splashing comebacks only to fzzle out as they lose their experimental charm, becoming reliant on their loyal fan base.
YG knows that BLACKPINK sits at a level higher than the rest and they may just be get ting too comfortable there. This multi-mil lion dollar entertainment company seems to be relying on the group’s popularity and legendary status exemplifed in their lazy excuse for a “ground breaking” album.
K-pop is becoming a more interesting and in tricate sphere than ever. With every new group that tries to establish them selves in a clut tered genre, a new image and sound is born.
BLACKPINK's new album makes it clear; they are sole ly relying on being “Born Pink,” when they need to grow up.
On Friday, Sept. 23, the Redondo varsity football team took the short walk down Del Amo Bou levard to Peterson Field to play West Tor rance High School. Riding a four-game win streak, Redondo was searching not only for a ffth consecutive victory of the season, but for a seventh consecutive win over West.
The game got of to a slow start for the ofense, as senior quarterback Christian Hunt threw an interception on Redondo’s frst drive. The defense had their back, though, stufng West at the goal line on fourth down to give the ofense the ball back. This was just one of the many plays that the defense made, as they played a huge role in keeping Redondo in the game.
“When you know that the defense has your back, it makes calling the ofense less stressful,” ofensive coordinator Kyle Mc Manus said. “When they make a stop on the one-yard line and are playing lights out, it gives us the confdence to take some shots when we get the chance. We were on the eight-yard line and we called a vertical because I knew that the defense was going to be there to help us out of that pickle if it ended up going the wrong way.”
After the drive following this stop stalled, the defense came up with anoth er big play. After shedding a group of blocks, a crowd of defenders pounced on the ball-carrier, with senior defensive back Zane Hull forcing a fumble later recovered by Redondo. The ofense took advantage of the opportunity this time, with Hunt even tually fnding junior wide receiver Bobby Shaw for a touchdown. With the ensuing PAT blocked, Redondo now led 6-0. Hunt later connected with junior wide receiv er Nate Stiveson in the back corner of the endzone for another touchdown.
“I told [the ofense] that we just need to calm down and play our brand of football,” McManus said. “We got out of rhythm, and it’s difcult at times to regain that rhythm. We would have two great plays in a row, but it felt like we’d always end up one play away. Sometimes you just have to calm the guys down and get them doing what they do best.”
The defense once again held West in a goal-to-go situation, leaving the score at 13-0 at halftime.
Entering the second half with the score 13-0, McManus emphasized that the of fense needed to “get the ball moving”, and shifted his focus to “coming out and running the ball a bit more often”. Unfor tunately for Redondo, the ofense again struggled to make things happen and end ed up going scoreless in the second half.
“We were calling plays, and guys just were in the wrong spots, or not making the right reads,” McManus said. “There were a couple of times where we were a half sec ond away from a completion that would have put us in a better position moving forward. It was just little mistakes that we need to clean up to beat better teams.”
The defense continued to have the of fense’s back, though, as they allowed just seven points in the second half. Accord ing to sophomore linebacker Milo Youker, sticking to the basics was just enough to stop West.
“This team doesn’t run anything dif ferent from the other teams we’ve already played.” Youker said. “We were just real ly focusing on fundamentals, recognizing their formations, and just making calls based on that.”
The game continued to be highly com petitive, with both defenses holding strong
until the end. Pinned inside their fve-yard line with around a minute to go, Redondo decided to take a safety in their end zone instead of punt ing. By doing this, Redondo took a crucial 10 seconds of the clock, avoided giving West good feld position, and maintained a big enough lead so that West couldn’t kick a walk-of feld goal to win. The kickof following the safety gave West the ball around their 40yard line. The defense just had to hold of the West ofense for thirteen seconds, and the game would be over.
“We were just making sure they couldn’t get out-of-bounds,” Youker said. “We made sure that we tackled them inside and didn’t allow them any big plays. That’s all we had to do to keep the clock running.” Redondo didn’t even end up needing to run the clock down to end the game. The frst play of West’s fnal possession was a deep pass that was initially defected before landing in the arms of senior safety Caden Telleson for a game-sealing interception.
With the fnal score of 13-9, Redondo be came 5-0 on the season. Next up for Re dondo is Peninsula High School on Sept. 30, as the quest for an undefeated season continues.
“It was great to get the win on the road in a hostile environment. We showed some toughness and resolve, and we showed that we can compete in a tough game,” McManus said. “We’re going to keep aiming high. Bay League is going to be tough, but we’re open to the challenge. It will be fun.”
On Wednesday Sept. 21 girls varsity vol leyball faced a neigh boring city rival, Palos Verdes, and fell short in a nail-biting match. They won their frst set (25-18), but the last three got the best of them. The frst set had a promising start with con sistent serving by senior outside hitter Mele Corral-Blagojevich, as well as strong blocking and defense. The set concluded with a powerful spike by junior libe ro Summer Suppik.
“We had some good defen sive touches, [they] still need improvement, but that’s been our goal for a lot of games,” freshman Opposite Hit ter Abby Zimmerman said.
Suppik agrees that middle blocking has im proved; she claims that “We’re reading the hit ters a lot better,” but be lieves they can do better on their serve receives.
According to junior outside hitter Victoria Henkel, the frst set was the team’s best of the match.
“I feel like we were re ally on top of it. We went for the kill,” she said.
Both Suppik and Henkel were happy with their serving throughout the match with Zimmerman adding that, “[Suppik] put on a great serving streak, not
missing very many, so I feel like that re ally helped.”
Though there were “spurts” of good plays during the game, according to Cor ral-Blagojevich, the game proved to be more mental rather than physical.
“We weren’t focusing. We weren’t exe cuting. It wasn’t that we played horrible, we just weren’t locked in,” she said.
During the second set, Redondo strug gled with returning the ball, ending with the most lopsided score of the match, 1725.
Though they lost the set, Redondo’s spirit stayed unwavered with the help of positive afrmations from the bench and the players on the court. “Shake it of,” and “We have the next point” became even more frequently used during the next two sets.
“There were a lot of times where may be our energy was down or we weren’t calling out what the other team was do ing, but I feel like I was consistently [com municating],” Corral-Blagojevich said.
In the third set, the Seahawks fell be hind on the scoreboard, but eventually caught up to PV by the 20-point range. The girls struggled to stay on top though, losing the set by a close 22-25.
PV took the lead in the fourth set, but yet again, Redondo caught up. The catchup was not enough though, when PV scored the fnal point, 25-21, winning the match.
Besides PV putting up a strong fght to win, Corral-Blagojevich also believes the Durango Fall Classic tournament in Nevada the weekend before tired the Sea hawks out, preventing them from playing their best.
“During the game, we had fght, but not enough,” she said. “I think we went in thinking we could beat PV easily, but they brought their best match. I think instead of stepping up to that, we kind of just let them have it. There were a few times where we gave up a few runs on their serves. They have great serves, but we can defnitely take them on.”
In order to win games, the team focuses on three things: next-play focus, commu nication and energy and having a sufocat ing defense. The next-play focus allows the team to bounce back from a bad play and focus on the next. The sufocating defense pushes the team to go for all of the plays the other team gives them.
Suppik is confdent that improving the team’s energy will help them win their next game, as this time it did not reach their standards.
“[The energy] was not our best. We defnitely could have been more together, more fred up,” Suppik said. “If we change our attitude or get more fred up, that will defnitely improve how we play.”
As one of Redondo’s biggest rivals, losing to PV at home wasn’t taken lightly but according to Corral-Blagojevich, “[the team] knows what [they] have to do next time to win.”
2. Alanna Jones seen dancing while Jamie Deines, Malina Young, Madi Collines, Dru Delano, and Simi AdefeminwaTwenty-four schools and 176 ath letes competed in the Nike Cross Country Invitational; Redondo Union boys ranked 1st out of all the Califor nia teams. On Sept. 29th Redondo traveled to Portland, Oregon to compete among na tionally highly ranked schools in America. Redondo ranked in the top fve, with the boys ranking 4th overall in the 5000-meter championship race. The girls placed 10th overall and 3rd of all the California teams.
The meet is prestigious because it is hosted by Nike, which is known as the face of high school cross country, making this experience much more special to the team, according to senior Jack Hum phrey,
“It means a lot, obviously when COVID hit, all our travel needs got canceled, so I didn't have that op portunity before. So having this chance to go now as a senior was a big deal to me,” senior Malia Mer ager said.
The team was able to travel to Portland for the frst time in three years, and they enjoyed being in Portland outside of the meet.
“It was cool being at the Nike quarters. It's just a cool feeling knowing you're at such an historic company. It was
by Simra ZargarIn their fourth league match against Mira Costa in the 2022 season, the varsity girls golf team lost 243-217 in their home game on Thursday, Sept. 22. Though the team has maintained a sol id winning streak in their frst few league matches, sophomore Ashlyn Fischer said their game against Mira Costa was their “toughest match yet.”
According to senior Jamie Ou, who has played on varsity her sophomore and ju nior years, the game had a very “competi tive air” to it, especially due to the strength Costa has maintained over the previous years.
“Last year, there was a little bit of a shift when most of their seniors graduated. And all their seniors were really, really good,” Ou said. “I remember freshman year when I was on JV, we actually broke a record for the frst time in over fve years. Then in sophomore and junior year, we continued to beat them.”
Both girls agree that during Thursday’s game, the team brought their best to the feld and played fairly well, a few mistakes resulting in two team members being dis qualifed from the game.
“I would say that overall, we were doing well in the beginning. That was before we had issues with the rules,” Ou said. “As the game progressed I noticed that our coach seemed to be distressed, which led to a little bit more tension during the round because of some people not knowing the rules.”
According to Ou, the week of the match was packed with several other games, in
such an awesome experience,” Humphrey said.
With the whole varsity team in Port land, the pressure was on. However, when the gun fred, Redondo started rocky.
“It was kind of a weird race because Zerik Grifn (senior), one of our top guys, tripped at the start of the race. Unfortu nately, he was past the 50-yard line, so they didn't recall it. So at the start, he was dead last in the race,” Hum
While the boys were facing the difculties in the frst few seconds, the girls also start
“We got out a bit slow, slower than normal. We got cut of because we got out so slow, so our teammates got discon nected,” Mer
Similar to the girls, the boys didn’t stay together for the whole race ethier, meaning they had to go through with
some of the race by themselves.
“That was probably my challenge, need ing to push through that middle mile be cause that middle section of the race is the hardest part. With the middle section, you have a lot more to go and you're by your self, but you can manage it, sometimes you just gotta be mentally strong,” junior Kyle Nguyen said.
Even though everyone slightly faded from each other in the middle, the both the girls and boys were back together by the end,
“After we all separated, we did one big loop around, and we were able to groove up a little bit better around that turn, and then it takes you through another hairpin turn on the way back, and I was able to stay with one of my teammates, Kimberly Nguyen (sophomore) for that whole area through out the whole course,” Merager said.
Merager and Kimberly Nguyen’s team work displays the importance of packing with your team. Kyle Nguyen on the boys team had a similar experience with his teammate.
“I was by myself for the frst mile and a half. I was kind of struggling, and I felt myself fading back a little bit, and then one of my teammates, Adam Divinity (sopho more) comes behind me, and he gives me a little shove on the back, pushing me for
ward a little bit. At that moment, I realized since my teammate is right here, I have to run hard, not for me, but for him. I have to run hard for Redondo. Running with the team makes you remember what you're running for,” Nguyen said.
Overall, through Redondo’s teamwork and motivation, both the boys and girls ranked in the top 3 among all the California teams that competed.
“Feels great, I mean, progressing with the team and being able to have results like that, because I feel like we've been trying to pack more and focus on strategy, and I think it really paid of,” Merager said.
However, Redondo’s well-executed per formance was by no means just a fuke, ac cording to Humphrey.
“We have a really strong team this year. For the most part, all the pieces are slowly coming together and with being the num ber one California team I say we did well,” Humphrey said.
Redondo showed the nation what they could achieve at the Nike Invite, but, ac cording to Humphrey, this is just the be ginning.
“I wouldn't say to expect it, but it's a very high chance that we're going to do well this year and hopefully set some more re cords,” Humphrey said.
cluding one at San Clemente on Monday, Sept. 19 and one against Chester Washing ton on Tuesday.
“It’s honestly understandable why we lost because I think that some of us might have been a little bit tired from the other games,” Ou said.
time for us to all bond as a team. I love my teammates, and it's really fun to play with all of them,” Fischer said. “I'm also look ing forward to growing as a golfer before the season ends because I feel like this is usually the time when I can prove myself,” Fischer said.
In the future, both girls look forward to potentially making it to CIF.
“'I remember before our match started, Coach John Burke said, ‘I have a good feel ing about today,’” Ou said. “Even though we didn’t win this time, we're defnitely a lot more competitive than we have been in previous years. Now, we have a bit more of a presence in our division. We’re aiming to advance to the next round of CIF this year, as none of our players were able to last year.”
The loss hasn’t been a major pushback for the team. According to Fischer, the girls have plenty of team spirit and are confdent in pushing through the season with high hopes without letting any losses get in the way.
“I like the golf season because it's a great
Cross Country competed in Nike Invitational, the boys claiming 1st out of California schools and girls getting 3rd of California1. Senior Sydney Lamich hits the ball with her 3-wood on a par
Even though we didn’t win this time, we're defnitely a lot more competitive than we have been in pre vious years. Now, we have a bit more of a presence in our divi sion."
JAMIE OU SENIOR
Nothing ever disappears once it’s posted on the internet. Pictures, comments, posts— once something is in cyberspace, there’s no taking it back. In this digital age, cyberbullying has become a prom inent and detrimental part of everyday life.
Senior Sam, who wishes to remain anonymous, was cyberbullied during their junior year for their gender identity and expression.
“Last year there was a series of Instagram ac counts to make fun of students on campus. I was one of them. I was singled out for my gender iden tity and how I look. My appearance seemed unset tling or not conventional to whoever was running one of the many accounts that I was targeted on,” Sam said.
Although Sam was largely unafected by this bullying because they had “heard worse,” they were concerned for their peers who were also targeted.
“I personally have very thick skin. It didn’t afect me,” Sam said. “I was fearing mostly for the other people that were featured on the account, people who I know don’t have as thick of skin. [I was wor ried] that it might actually afect them and be detri mental towards their mental health.”
Online bullying exposes the “real ugliness” of people and is even more hurtful, Sam said, because nothing can truly be deleted. The majority of cyber bullying experienced and observed by them consist ed of photos taken and posted of students without consent on anonymous Instagram accounts.
“It hurt them in terms of self-esteem and how they view themselves,” Sam said. “I know a lot of people on that account that have anxiety or feel judged in their everyday lives, and [being posted] like that confrmed [existing feelings]. It basically confrms their fears, and that’s the worst.”
Regardless of what type—physical, verbal, or cy ber—bullying is “traumatic,” according to Mental Health and Wellness Counselor Rachel Andrews.
“It impacts how you feel about your relation ships, friendships, sense of self-worth, esteem and efcacy. It can really impact you if you don’t have a really solid sense of self established,” Andrews said. “If people knew how much they can afect someone else, a lot of people would pull back.”
The form of cyberbullying experienced by Sam is common, according to Andrews.
“A lot of the people [targeted by these Instagram pages] were people who were going through really big struggles in their life. And it was just horrible. They’re like, ‘How do I even deal with this?’” An drews said.
For many, cyberbullying at RUHS has manifest ed as a result of personal expression and difering political views. Upon wit nessing “extreme” bul lying of one of her peers for posting about being pro-Republican, senior Ev elyn, who wishes to remain anonymous, does not feel “safe” expressing her opin ions.
across our desk we investigate fully, and punishment is meted out, if you will, based on factors,” Rosadini said. “If [someone] is being cyberbullied and does not feel com fortable coming to school and therefore is not performing to [their] greatest strengths, then again, you’re ruining the academic envi ronment.”
Even as cyberbullying occurs at the high school level, Andrews commented that she saw it more in middle schools because in high school, stu dents are more ready to call out such behavior.
According to Andrews, the pandemic “stunted some social growth,” and some people who “might be freshmen may be more operating on a sev enth-grade social level,” so there is an increase in cyberbullying because of students’ “emotional ma
Victims of bullying, whether cyber or in-per son, can reach out beyond administration for sup port, according to Rosadini, including using Spri geo anonymously if they feel uncomfortable talking to someone.
SAM ANONYMOUS SENIOR“I just remember ev eryone commenting really mean, harsh things,” Ev elyn said. “While I don’t like Trump as a person, I do agree with some of the Republican views that cor relate with his campaign, and [students’] response to her post scared me. If she could be harassed like that and receive death threats, with everyone think ing that’s okay, I don’t feel comfortable sharing any of my political opinions at all. Everyone here prais es ‘acceptance’ and ‘inclusiveness,’ yet the moment someone disagrees with their opinion, they send harmful messages like this.”
The administration knows cyberbullying is not “something new,” according to Assistant Principal Jefrey Rosadini. Sam recognized that the school took action by forcing the owners of the Instagram account to take it down.
“Previous administrations have taken [cyberbullying] on just as we have. We take it as seriously as any other thing that comes across our desk,” Rosadini said. “We do our best. It’s a challenge, but we are defnitely aware of cyberbul lying, and we investigate every single claim that comes across our desk.”
The administration’s “main” objective when it comes to tackling cyberbullying is to identify if the individual’s academic environment is being disturbed, according to Rosadini.
“Everything is done on a case-by-case basis when it comes to discipline and suspension. Every single episode of cyberbullying or report that comes
“You can come to ad ministration, but the ad ministration [members are] not the only adult[s] on campus,” Rosadini said. “If you feel more comfortable going to a teacher, go to a teacher. If you want to see one of the librarians, one of the campus security guards, or if you feel comfortable talking to one of the lunch ladies, there’s always someone on campus who is here to listen to you and help you out. If anyone is bullied, we want them to feel safe on campus.”
The resounding message from Sam is as follows:
Every single episode of cyberbul lying or report that comes across
desk
investigate
On the internet, it’s even more hurtful because nothing can truly be deleted. It exposes the real ugliness of people."
“
Administration does their best to regulate cyberbullying; however, easy access to social media and normalization of bullying contribute to poor mental health
has "the right amount" regulation over