entertainment

PHOTO VIA NETFLIXJUNKIE

Fresh off the bone

Netfix's new gut-wrenching series "DAHMER - Monster: The Jefrey Dahmer Story" will make your skin crawl

by Ethan Chi

“I want to hear your heart… because I’m gonna eat it,” Evan Peters said while playing serial killer Jefrey Dahmer. Dahmer whispers this as he lays on the chest of his victim’s beating heart in the frst episode of the limited series “DAHMER” which premiered on Netfix, Sept. 21.

Throughout the frst half of the David Jacobson-directed series, the series depicts the life of Dahmer, from his nightmare childhood to his life sentence in prison. Even though the series delves into the life of Jefery Dahmer chronologically, it also sheds light on the people afected by his gruesome actions. Even though most of Dahmer’s victims are only remembered for the bloody way they died, no one paid attention to the beautiful lives they lived.

The frst episode starts at the end of the timeline, with Dahmer playing out his last murder attempt. His last victim, Tracy Edwards, was lured to Dahmer’s apartment when he noticed something of. While the foul stench of Dahmer’s apartment put Edwards on edge, it was Damher’s heart-wrenching remark that sent him running for dear life.

After escaping Dahmer’s hotel hell, he fnds the police and tells them Dahmer’s murderous intentions. Once the police investigate Dahmer’s apartment, they discover a box with pictures, showing the disfgured body parts of his victims. It was truly disturbing to see lifeless bodies dismembered in just one polaroid. Overall, the frst episode was thrilling. My heart was booming at the suspense of Edward’s escape, as the chilling scene illustrated a tense nightmare. Let’s just say I didn’t sleep well that night.

From the blood-stained mattress to the tub of acid decomposing the fesh of his past murders, no detail was left out in the series. Aside from that, Peters gives the performance of a lifetime.

Peter’s performance as Dahmer was very unsettling. His oddly monotone voice and odd mannerisms accurately portrayed the strangeness of Jefery Dahmer. In addition to the perfect portrayal of Dahmer’s sinister character, the musical theme throughout the series encapsulates each eerie feeling in every single scene.

Even as the subtle nuances of “DAHMER” kept me hooked, the whole set design was equally incredible and added to the chilling storyline of the series. Whether it was Grandma’s dusty old-fashioned house or Dahmer’s “Brady Bunch-like” childhood home, the series brought this 1970s world to life.

While much of Dahmer’s life was detailed in the series, the show’s sole purpose was not to explain who Dahmer was, but rather focus on Dahmer's impacts to many families. Directors focused on the hypocrisy of the Mawaki police department for turning a blind eye while the black community cried for their help. The series shines a light on Dahmer’s victims by dedicating an hour episode to Glenda Cleveland, depicted as Dahmer’s next-door neighbor in the show. In that episode, it is revealed that Cleveland called the police station for six consecutive months while Dahmer carried out his back-to-back grizzly murders. The episode calls the blatant racism and homophobia exhibited by the police force in the show and real life, as Cleveland’s pleas were ignored with victims falling into the categories of black, gay men.

Niecy Nash embodies the frustration, sadness, and anger that went into this investigation in her Emmy-worthy performance of Dahmer’s neighbor, Glenda Cleveland.

“I called y’all over and over, a million times, and you know what you did? You did nothing. Now it’s too late. Y’all came too late,” Nash said, as Cleveland, to the police ofcers after they arrested Dahmer. It’s important to note that this scene, although powerful, is only a symbolic representation of Cleveland's anger and is not historically accurate. According to Anne E. Schwartz, author of “The New York Times” best-selling book “Monster: The True Story of the Jefrey Dahmer Murders,” Cleveland and Dahmer never spoke to each other in real life, nor did they live next to each other. In fact, Cleveland lived in the building next to Dahmer’s. While the series may have exaggerated some parts of Cleveland's background, her perspective is still impactful and moving.

Even though the show dedicated a few more episodes to the victims of Dahmer,

critics believe that the show focuses more on humanizing Dahmer instead of highlighting racial injustice. While I do agree that the purpose of the story confates the tragedy of Dahmer’s past with injustice, I do not think the show attempts to humanize him in a major way. Humanizing a character means giving them relatable traits. And nothing about Dahmer is relatable. From the start, Dahmer is depicted as a strange and unaware person whose main interest is drugging and dismembering people. Dahmer was born a killer and died a killer. The show made that clear in the last episode when Dahmer had fashbacks of everyone he killed before he died. Aside from humanizing Dahmer, critics feel the show feeds into the societal obsession with serial killers. However, I don’t think this is a bad thing. People are creatures of curiosity, and the show “DAHMER” explores those curiosities. Overall, I don’t think people are mainly obsessed with Dahmer as a person, but rather interested in the psychopathic nature of a serial killer. This is why thousands of moms poured their glasses of wine and tuned in to watch Dahmer, and murder shows alike. Who isn’t curious about a man who eats people’s hearts? Taking into consideration the subtle historical inaccuracy and slight message inconsistency, “DAHMER” is still a technical masterpiece, as well as a creepy thriller that will leave mouth foored and your popcorn bowl empty. "Amsterdam" fails to live up to expectations, despite its stellar cast and production

by Lauren Choy

Dear David O. Russell: I hate to break it to you, but casting tons of famous actors and actresses doesn’t make up for a lousy plot.

As the director of American Hustle and Silver Linings Playbook, Russell unsuccessfully takes viewers along the highly anticipated journey of a nurse and two veterans who uncover the suspicious death of General Bill Meekins. The frst screen of the movie reads, “A lot of this actually happened.” Although most of the characters and plot are made up (including the three main characters), the flm is partially based on the 1930s events that attempted to replace President Franklin D. Roosevelt with a fascist dictator. With too much complex information delivered poorly, the flm was terribly difcult to follow along and had me counting the minutes until the credits.

It starts in 1933 in veteran Burt Berendsen’s ofce (Christian Bale). He himself has a missing eye from the war and treats fellow veterans with similar injuries. As the flm fashbacks to the war in 1918, he meets his friend Harold (John David Washington), a Black veteran who faces racism daily throughout the flm. Both had many bloody injuries and the nurse who took care of them was Valerie Voze (Margot Robbie). When the three form a truce to always look after one another, they fee to Amsterdam to escape their problems. The three are the happiest they’ve ever been, but nothing good things can last, and Valerie leaves without a word. The one recurring message I enjoyed was the idea of this tight-knit friendship. Their pact brought out the best in one another and represents the underlying theme of the need for trustable friends.

Flash Forward to 1933, Liz Meekins (Taylor Swift) pleads with Burt and Harold for an autopsy of her father’s — General Bill Meekins — death. Burt and Harold go to autopsy nurse Irma St. Clair (Zoe Saldana) and stumble across suspicious evidence. They meet with Liz to forward her the news, but she’s found scrambling to run away because she’s been threatened. A few seconds later, Liz is dead on the street, and Burt and Harold are framed for murder. As they go to great lengths to prove their innocence, they stumble across the Voze family, a family flled with connections to clear their names. Not knowing Valerie’s actual last name, the two meet Libby Voze (Anya Taylor-Joy) and Tom Voze (Rami Malek) to discuss the peculiar death of Meekins and their plan to clear their names.

Notice not even halfway through this flm review, I’ve already listed more than fve actors/actresses you know: Christian Bale ("Batman"), Margot Robbie ("Wolf of Wall Street"), Zoe Saldana ("Guardians of the Galaxy"), Rami Malek ("Bohemian Rhapsody"), Anya Taylor-Joy ("The Queen’s Gambit") and of course, Taylor Swift. Russell had every possible opportunity to make the flm remarkable, yet I’m sitting here failing to picture how each character connects to the next. In my opinion, the talent was there - in fact, the actors and actresses were the best part of the flm. Every actor and actress played their role to perfection — I never once felt that they weren’t actually those people, yet a movie is supposed to be a combination of all these characters together. The glue wasn’t there, and that’s on Russell. With the help of General Gil Dillenbeck (Robert De Niro, yet another A-lister), the trio un- packs the com- plex murder mystery with a shocking ending twist, yet it wasn’t at all satisfying. An unexpected ending is supposed to leave the watchers with an “Ah ha” moment. But instead of an “Ah ha” moment, I got a “hmm” moment. Technically speaking, the turn of events was something I didn’t expect, and I give credit to Russell for his creativity. The big reveal of the murder has arrived, and the climax builds with tense conversations between Dillenbeck and Tom Vose in an overall nerve-wracking atmosphere. Dillenbeck reveals the murder in front of the whole crowd, a fght breaks out and gunshots are shot, but don’t get your hopes up. The “Ah ha” moment never comes and the delivery of the ending falls fat. Russell jam-packed too many fne details and characters in a two-hour movie that when I left, I was unsatisfed, to say the least.

Although the majority of the movie wasn’t well-done, Russell’s use of camera angles and color did successfully bring what was an otherwise disorganized plot. I savored how the color symbolism, such as the color red, aroused love and anger during the most prominent climactic scenes. The lower camera angles immersed viewers into every conversation; I felt as if I was a little kid again, craning my head up eagerly at the big kids. The technical choices kept me interested, but unfortunately, it doesn’t make up for everything.

The frst thing I did when the lights went back up was yawn.

Rooftop Cinema Club Review

by Zoe Rossi

Adreamy escape perfect for all movie lovers, the Rooftop Cinema Club awaits with fresh popcorn and a festive, cheerful atmosphere. Out of the three locations throughout Los Angeles, the El Segundo location, which opened in March of 2020, is located on top of a parking structure of PCH. This hidden gem is the perfect place for those in the South Bay who are eager to indulge in a Halloween-themed flm this October.

Tickets to see a flm at the Rooftop Cinema Club in El Segundo go for 20 to 30 dollars. The movie selection ranges from cult flms to classics to new releases. For October, the movie lineup celebrates the Halloween season with flms such as “Friday the 13th,” “Hocus Pocus,” “Dracula,” “Scream,” “The Shining,” “Bodies Bodies Bodies,” “Nope,” “IT” and “The Blair Witch Project.”

It is easy to check out movie showings and purchase tickets on the Rooftop Cinema Club website. Guests can buy sodas, popcorn or candy at the concession stand near the entrance, and adults over 21 can get canned beer or wine at the bright pink mini bar. Moviegoers can bring their favorite cinema snacks and take-out.

For the month of October, the Rooftop Cinema Club features adorable Halloween decor that makes the perfect background for a photo shoot with friends. During December, the rooftop transforms into a winter wonderland with holiday-themed movies, such as “Elf” and “The Grinch.” Guests can also sit and play a game of Jenga or hang out before the movie in one of the many vibrantly decorated sitting areas scattered around the rooftop. The screen displays trivia questions and karaoke games for those who prefer to sit and relax in their Adirondack chair before the movie starts.

Upon arriving, guests need to check in at the box ofce to receive a personal pair of Bluetooth headphones before picking out the perfect seat to watch the movie. Seating is arranged based on the type of chair purchased. A singular Adirondack chair costs $24.50, and an Adirondack love seat costs $26.50 per person. Both of these options include a small popcorn. Guests can also opt for an adjustable lounge chair, which is $19.50 or $22.50 with a small popcorn. The rooftop ofers a large, spacious area with plenty of seating, making for a pleasant, relaxing environment. The staf at the Cinema Club are kind, respectful and helpful if guests come to them with questions.

Since the Rooftop Cinema Club is, well, on a rooftop, headphones are required to enjoy the flm. The headphone provided upon checking in have excellent sound quality, with adjustable volume control and noise-canceling technology, but excessive wind may cause some audio static. The screen quality was also clear and visually dynamic. However, movies that start before 4:30 PM may be difcult to see due to the sun's glare on the projector screen. It is important to consider the movie start time because guests under the age of 18 are unable to attend movie showings that start after 4:30 PM. This restriction may be an issue because many horror movies are shot dark.

Also, be sure to grab a blanket or sweatshirt before leaving the house. Once the sun sets, it can feel breezy and chilly on the rooftop. Better yet, bring along some hot chocolate to stay warm—it will only add to the festive fall vibes.

Overall, the Rooftop Cinema Club is the perfect way to enjoy any movie and make unforgettable memories. With the luxury of fresh air and open space, it's a great place to enjoy a date night, an outing with a group of friends, or a solo excursion for guests who need some alone time. No matter the time of year or the movie, guests looking for an escape from the ordinary are sure to fnd whimsical fun at this rooftop getaway.

Spooky Showdown

Which store is the best to supply Halloween costumes and activities? PARTY CITY

by Hadeel Azzam

It’s the most wonderful time of year again, Halloween. With that comes the decorated store aisles stocked with fake spiderwebs, skeletons and costumes you only wear once. But which store offers the best of the best when it comes to Halloween supplies? That is the question I took upon myself to answer. I went to three diferent stores for my research: Target, Party City and Spirit Halloween.

TARGET

SPIRIT HALLOWEEN

When I walked over to the Halloween corner of the store I wasn’t impressed, but I also wasn’t disappointed. It is a good middle ground. I was able to fnd anything I needed there such as face paint, wigs, fairly priced costumes and a singing infatable skeleton. But it is defnitely not the place I would go to if I wanted to go all out for Halloween. The costume section had a lot to ofer—considering it was Target. But it was also disorganized and I almost tripped over one of the taco costumes scattered on the foor. Also, many of their shelves were bare and items were out of stock, but that was mostly their decor items, such as monster fower vases or spooky telephones. Target is a last resort if it is October 30th and you don’t want to wait in the long line the other stores are probably hosting, however that's only if they keep their stock up. With all the hype around Spirit Halloween I had high hopes, and I was not disappointed. With a wide selection of Halloween decor for sale they had many of their animatronics out on display, which made the experience a lot more interactive. Jumping in front of them to see what they would do or say was extremely entertaining. There was even one that would grow taller out of nowhere, and it scared me more than I would like to admit. I will say that with kids running around the store trying to see all of them at once, paired with the obnoxiously loud music, all the noise and commotion got irritating after a while. Spirit also had home decor scattered around the store, organized by movie or franchise which made my organized heart extremely happy. They also had Halloween themed stufed animals and trinkets that can be used year round, like mugs and keychains. The best part though was the costumes that you can grab and go—a refreshing system when compared to Party City. The costumes were also organized by franchise and category like the home decor. Many of their costumes were eye-catching and detailed. One in particular was an infatable chicken costume that I fell in love with but sadly, I didn’t think my mom would approve of. Alas, Spirit Halloween, like Party City, sold their costumes at a high price point, such as $50 for a kids clown costume. Since Spirit is a seasonal store, opening in July then closing as soon as November 2nd, they defnitely take advantage of it and sell their products for more expensive prices than necessary.

Overall I would put Spirit Halloween on the top of my list. Despite their high prices, they do compensate for it by having a wide variety of products that you can’t fnd anywhere else. When I walked into Party City, I knew there was one thing I was bound to fnd—a costume that ofends at least one culture or minority. I wasn’t particularly mad at that, but I was bafed to see a coin hip scarf, traditionally worn in Middle Eastern countries around someone’s hips while dancing, labeled as “Mystic Scarf” along with a photo of a woman wearing it around her head. The worst part of all was the photo displayed her wearing it insanely wrong. In the section next to it, among “pimp canes” and fake gold chains with large dollar bills attached, I found a box braid wig. With the awareness in today’s world I thought Halloween stores would at least try to minimize their ofensiveness, but it seemed like Party City upped their game this year. I walked away from it and to Party City’s infamous wall of pictures of Halloween costumes. If you’ve never shopped for your Halloween costume at Party City, a majority of their costumes are displayed on a wall near the back of their store with a picture of the costume and number. Next to the wall, there is a staf member and you give them the number of the costume you want. The staf member then gives the number to another member who resides in the back of Party City where all the costumes are stored. The second member takes it from storage, and calls out your number for you to pick it up from a table at the back of the store. The system has been in place for years and is a complete burden and waste of time. It takes you from one line to tell them you want the costume, to a large crowd where you wait while number after number is called until yours fnally arrives. I can see why Party City enforced this inconvenient system—they do not have the space to display all their costumes for customers to grab. But maybe if they took things like “mystic scarfs” and box braid wigs of their shelves, they could not only make more room, but minimize their select ridiculous and ofensive costumes. Not only are these costumes a task to grab, but you are also paying an unnecessary amount for them. I really do not see the reason one should spend $50 for a Harry Potter robe. If any other aspects of the costume were involved I would get it, but the price for the robe alone was an overkill. Despite everything wrong with Party City, they did have a range of costumes and masks to choose from and even then it was mediocre at best.

PHOTO FROM COROFLOT

PHOTO FROM CNBC PHOTO FROM APARTMENT THERAPY

SET FOR VICTORY

Volleyball wins second place at home tourney, winning 5 of 6 games

by Aaliyah Roberson

Girls varsity volleyball competed in the Redondo/Mira Costa Varsity Classic Gold Division tournament against six teams from Friday to Saturday, Oct. 7 and 8. The team played in a best-of-three format, winning fve out of six games and coming in second.

The team stayed ready going into their second game of the tournament after winning their frst game against Thousand Oaks High School in the frst two sets. They beat Palos Verdes the day before, which helped them in their preparation for the tournament.

“We played a tough match against PV, and I think after that our team just really wanted to up their game,” senior Mele Corral-Blagojevich, outside hitter, said.

Redondo took an early 13-5 lead in the frst set of the game, with Redondo’s blocking showing out on defense. The players were ready to defect Aliso Niguel's attacks and stop their spikes from landing.

“I feel our team was defnitely prepared,” Corral-Blagojevich said. “It’s not really about running crazy plays. We just like to keep it simple.”

As a libero, a back-row defensive specialist, junior Summer Suppik constantly succeeded in her position, keeping many rallies alive for Redondo to come back and win the point.

“Everyone relied on each other to do their job,” Suppik said. “I think everyone did a great job staying in their position.”

The players made some strategic plays and hit controlled kills. Winning the frst set with a long rally against Aliso Niguel, Redondo went into the second set feeling confdent after winning 25-17.

“The more you focus and the more you’re like ‘I want to win,’ the better you do, and I think we were really locked in at that moment,” Corral-Blagojevich said.

Redondo and Aliso Niguel started the second set of trading points, keeping the score close. According to right outside hitter Abby Zimmerman, the girls’ remained focused for the rest of the game.

“We always think of the next play. [We] don’t sit on the past. We always want to get one step ahead, one point at a time. Just staying on the next play really helps us,” Zimmerman said.

Redondo controlled the play of the game, coming out strong and covering the court, getting a hand on every ball. The serving and blocking helped them continue to hold their lead against their opponents.

“The biggest thing we focus on in our practices is making sure we take care of the ball. The more we take care of what we can control, the better we do,” Corral-Blagojevich said.

Redondo led late into the second set, 2319, but Aliso Niguel fought back and closed the score to 23-22. Redondo secured the win after scoring the fnal two points to end the game of of their blocks.

“It’s our home tournament, everyone had this hungry feeling and really wanted to win,” Corral-Blagojevich said. “Physically, we just worked really well as a team and everyone was just focusing on doing their job really well.”

1. The team pats each other on the back after the point. 2. Taylor Boice tips the ball over the net. PHOTOS BY PETE PAGUYO

Girls tennis loses narrow match against Mira Costa 8-10, inspiring new confdence for future matches by Summer Puterbaugh

1

In their ffth league match of the season, girls varsity tennis fell short to Mira Costa in a close 8-10 home match on Thursday, Oct. 6. Although Costa has stood undefeated against Redondo for quite some time, number-one singles player senior Maegan Deng claimed Thursday was “the tightest match against Costa we’ve had in years.” “Everyone was playing so well. Everyone was supporting each other because we were neck-and-neck, so of course, you get really nervous,” Deng said. “We were basically one point away.” According to junior doubles player Malia Wilken, the girls put up a good fght, focusing on consistency in their basic strokes throughout the match. “We had good groundstrokes and were hitting [diagonally] across the court. I think we could have worked on our serves a little bit more, but overall we were pretty consistent,” Wilken said. While the girls’ groundstrokes remained strong, it was ultimately their nerves that got in the way of victory, according to Wilken. “It was a rough start in the beginning. I’d like to think we were doing well but we defnitely could have played better,” Wilken said. “I think we found our groove in the last round, but I wish we had gotten there sooner because we would have probably won the entire match.” According to Deng, staying calm under pressure proves to be one of the team’s weaknesses. This often prevents them from winning crucial “pressure points,” highly competitive points played near the end of a tight game that dictates the winner. “With pressure, I know we hate it. Once you’ve played a lot of pressure points, you start to know how to deal with it, but you’re never going to get used to it. It’s always going to be really agonizing,” Deng said. Though anxiety was high, so was the girls’ indomitable enthusiasm and team spirit, which helped to energize them before and during the match. “We have really good team spirit. We’re always cheering each other on and telling each other not to worry—we’re going to do this,” Wilken said. “The entire week I’ve been encouraging the team and saying we’re going to beat them; this is our chance.” The team got tremendously close, as the girls played some exceptional points, with top singles players Deng and junior Sidney Cherry sweeping all three of their matches. With a little more confdence, Deng believes Costa “wouldn’t have stood a chance.” “The team is capable of so many great things. They’re just so good in practice, and I think if they believe in themselves that they can put that into a match, they will do so much better in the matches to come,” Deng said. Despite their loss, such a close match worked to bolster the team’s confdence and motivate them for their next match against Costa on Monday, Oct. 24, according to Deng. “I’m really excited because I think that now we’ve gotten a taste of them and we’re getting used to it. We know what’s going to happen. We’re really going to soar better,” Deng said.

Into the DEEP END

Boys Varsity Water Polo sufers a 7-12 loss to Bay League rival Palos Verdes

by Sam Schwartz

Coming of a blowout win, varsity boys water polo was looking to beat their Bay league rivals Palos Verdes (PV). Despite the tough battle for both teams, Palos Verdes came out on top, winning 12-7 on Tuesday, Oct. 11. Redondo played their sixth home game of the season, and even though Redondo was excited to play home, they started of shaky with PV scoring three goals in the frst fve minutes, leaving Redondo trailing 1-3. While they proved a tough opponent straight out of the gate, Redondo tried to prepare for PV’s ofense in practice. senior and co-captain Jack Guenther's preparation alone paid of for him, as he scored 2 goals.

“I watched [PV’s] flm multiple times over the weekend. I know a few guys on their team and I looked for someone I could match up with an attack on,” Guenther said.

Even though Redondo started to pick up towards the end, they were still behind. Nevertheless, Redondo persisted. Right as the 3rd period ran out, co-captain Jack Guenther got the crowd’s hand to fy up with a buzzer-beater goal. A few more good plays brought Redondo back into the game as they pushed through the end of the quarter. “The frst three quarters were all very intense, but once the fourth quarter hit, PV took the foot of the gas [and we saw an opening],” junior attacker Chris Yook said.

With Redondo's ofense starting to turn the tides, freshman Miles McDaniel got the ball and immediately bounced it in for a goal, putting Redondo on a 3-0 run.

However, the strides Redondo made in the fourth quarter weren’t enough to win the game.

“They [PV] beat us last year. I can’t remember the last time we beat them, they are a pretty good team,” Yook said.

Redondo looks to improve in future games after their lose to PV.

“The defense started to improve on preventing fast breaks and the ofense started [to] move the ball strongly to the goal and

Senior Samuel Hendrickson looks to pass the ball upfel, hoping to hatch a good play. PHOTO BY INGRID SOMMERER

both will need to continue doing so,” Guenther replied.

Yook agreed with Guenther that the team needs to work on other factors from this loss, to help the team rebound for next week.

“Ofensively we need to work on moving the ball around [with more control] and not throwing the ball into the middle, [right in front of the goal to a teammate] where we turn the ball over. On defensive we need to work on not get countered by the person we’re matched up against,” Yook said.

Even though Redondo couldn’t pull of the win, the players’ performances left high hopes for the team for the future.

In the coming weeks, the team looks forward to climbing up the ranks in the Bay League. With only three more regular season games to go, the seahawks creep closer to a winning season, as it would be their sixth year in a row.

“We are playing Costa next week, and being able to compete with this high-level team [PV], a team that continues to exceed my expectations, gives us way more confdence in our upcoming games within and outside of CIF,” Guenther said.

Boys Varsity Football is defeated 35-0 at Homecoming against Palos Verdes

by Andrew McKenna

On Friday, Oct. 14, a 6-1 Redondo Union football team returned to the Sea Hawk Bowl to play in front of a home crowd for the frst time in nearly a month. Fresh of their frst loss of the season to Culver City, Redondo was looking to get back on track against fellow Bay League member Palos Verdes High School (PV). PV had won three straight games heading into the night, outscoring

Senior Pete Paguyo looks in the crowd for family and friends after homcing game against Palos Verdes . PHOTO BY INGRID SOMMERER their opponents 137-10 during that span. As Redondo would soon discover, PV’s recent success was not a fuke.

Right of the bat, PV marched down the feld undeterred, picking Redondo’s defense apart before they eventually scored on a six-yard touchdown pass. A poor situation turned worse when Redondo was fagged for jumping ofsides on the PAT (lining up to attempt a one-point feld goal), leading PV to attempt a two-point try, which they successfully converted. Simple mistakes such as this appeared to be a common theme for Redondo, and PV took advantage.

“We just beat ourselves with mental mistakes and mental errors,” senior strong-safety Caden Telleson said. “We can beat that team if we play better defense and make a couple more plays on ofense. It was just the small details this week. We need to keep working in practice and get better.”

After forcing a quick punt on PV’s second drive, Redondo’s defense appeared to be getting back on track. On a third and short within PV’s own 20-yard line with momentum starting to shift towards Redondo, PV senior quarterback Charlie Beuerlein dropped back and lofted a pass to the far sideline, where it was caught for a 25-yard gain. Just a few plays later, the drive ended with an 18-yard passing touchdown, leaving Redondo with a soul-crushing 28 point defcit going into the second half.

“It was just bad communication on that play,” Telleson said. “The safeties, partially me and partially some of the other safeties, didn’t shift out in time and we didn’t get to our man. We miscommunicated, we didn’t talk enough about it before the play and we just didn’t execute. It’s something we’ve practiced many times, we just have to execute it now.”

Unfortunately for Redondo, the ofense did nothing to pick up the defense. On the frst play from scrimmage following the most recent PV touchdown, senior quarterback Christian Hunt targeted junior wide receiver Nate Stiveson on a short-passing play. Tracking Hunt’s eyes, a PV defensive back jumped the route and ran the throw back for a pick-six. The frst play of the following drive was no better, as the snap soared over Hunt’s head before it was eventually recovered by the PV defense. PV would go on to score three plays later on a three-yard rushing touchdown.

“We didn’t do anything to help ourselves tonight,” Redondo head coach Keith Ellison said. “A lot of mistakes on our throws, a lot of miscommunications, misalignments and misplacements; our guys just weren’t in the right spots. I take a lot of the blame for that as the coach for not preparing us for it.”

Redondo would go to the locker room in a 28-point hole. According to Coach Ellison, the only way to get back in a game that lopsided is to start fast and make more aggressive plays. After successfully driving down the feld all the way into the redzone, Redondo was now faced with a fourth and short. The ofense seemed to be clicking for the frst time all night, so Ellison decided to roll the dice and go for it. That decision didn’t pan out.

“We were trying to fnd something to get some momentum going,” Ellison said. “I felt that if we could have come down and scored that drive, then we could have made a stop and gotten back into the game, but mistakes killed us again.”

Redondo’s ofense was given a gift a few plays later when the defense recovered a PV fumble, leaving them with great feld position, but they again failed to capitalize on the opportunity. The next play saw a ball get tipped at the line of scrimmage before eventually falling into the arms of a PV defender.

“I don’t think that it was all one position’s fault; I just think that the ofense was just a little bit of tonight,” Telleson said. “I think that if we correct the small mistakes [we’ll be fne].

Redondo had one more nice drive before the game’s conclusion, but it ended scoreless. The game would end 35-0, leaving Redondo without points for a second consecutive game. Looking past the scoreboard, Telleson found a few positive points to build on for upcoming games.

“There’s just no quit in the defense. It doesn’t matter if it is 50-0; that’s not going to stop us,” Telleson said. “The same thing goes for the ofense. They keep trying to move the ball, Christian (Hunt) still hangs in the pocket, running backs are taking big hits and everyone is trying to make a play. At the end of the day, everyone is giving it their all, it’s just mental mistakes that are holding us back.”

Extra,

Students overwhelmed by stress and anxiety due to Extra: stress responsibilities and extracurricular activities at school all about it

by Scarlett Mische

Everyday, students are faced with new challenges and responsibilities. Whether it be a club, an AP class or an after-school sports activity, the pressure of flling one’s resume to the brim can break even the most well-organized and diligent students.

Key Club President and theater crew member senior Maya Patel spends the “vast majority” of her week either planning a new event for Key Club, working on homework for one of her many AP classes or designing sets for school musicals.

“Mentally, I would say that sleep deprivation and I are really good friends. We have become well acquainted throughout my last four years,” Patel said.

Sleep deprivation, an issue connected to the overabundance of responsibilities, is a condition that students, like Patel, have to balance. Patel also addresses the conficts associated with communication needed for when students fall behind in work.

“If the school could be a smidge more understanding about certain pressures put onto students that would be appreciated,” Patel said. “It would be nice if there was a forum or a way for the school to communicate with us better than just our school email.”

To Patel, the joy that comes from her responsibilities holds “more value” to her than pursuing perfection in everything she does.

“Theater and

Key Club help me “feel grounded in the fact that I'm a human being and I'm just doing what I love,” Patel said.

Similarly to Patel, ASB President and senior Reece Cartee, has “quite a bit of pressure” put onto her, due to her day-to-day responsibilities.

“I am trying my hardest to be president, and I don’t know how hard or easy it appears to others, but it is a hard job,” Cartee said. “I take on a lot, but I still want to be here for the students if they need something or if they want change. I want to be able to bring them that change.” Cartee cares “immensely” about her role as club president. Even though she has “many other responsibilities”, such as her three AP classes, she still does “everything within her power” to act as a bridge between the general student body and ASB. “I am taking the weight of the projects and upcoming events that we have. So, it afects my anxiety, and I get stressed out about trying to manage everything, but luckily I am able to let my teacher’s know that I’m a busy girl. I’m able to

clearly “communicate with my friends, fami ly, and teachers to make sure I’m getting every thing done on time,” Cartee said.

Senior Catherine Tran, Red Cross Club president, echoes Cartee’s sentiments on the importance of community and how it can help to de-stress an environment.

“Mentally, I would say that I'm a lot more tired at the end of the day than I used to be, because [in addition to] stressing about school, I now have to think about [Red Cross] every day,” Tran said.

On top of mental struggles, junior Serena Daley speaks to the social struggles tied to it. She is president of the Asian Cultures Club, a player on the girls basketball team and a member of Salsa Club, Model United Nations, Students against Destructive Decisions and National American Mental Health Alliance. On top of that, she is vice president of the Red Cross Club. Holding these positions, Daley expereinces “both ups and downs” of these activities with regards to her social life.

“[I spend] most of my free time working [on homework]. But being involved in clubs is defnitely how I get my social life back. When I'm in my clubs, I get to talk to new people. I can be with my friends, and salsa especially is a great community. Clubs defnitely help, but the workload is still socially limiting,” Daley said. Finding a balance with her responsibilities allows for Daley to feel accepted into a “great social community.” This feeling of acceptance led to her being less focused on perfectionism and more focused on understanding herself.

“Balancing everything with school is probably the hardest part because [fve AP classes] are demanding. Clubs involve a lot of commitment. In salsa I have to practice with my partner a lot outside of school, so practicing takes up a good chunk of time, even on weekends. And organizing for our next Asian Cultures Club meetings definite ly takes a lot of time, and it can be stressful especially with all of my other responsibilities,” Daley said. Agreeing with Daley’s opinion on the importance of balance, school Mental Health and Wellness counselor Rachel Andrews often deals with overly stressed students who struggle to maintain a proper balance between their schoolwork and activities.

“One of the biggest causes of stress is lack of balance. A lot of people have anxiety or high stress levels and they don’t realize that they’re doing too much until they’re in a full blown crisis,” Andrews said.

The ability to healthily balance a variety of responsibilities can be “largely based on what type of person” you are and how you “view school.”

“School plays a role in things getting out of balance especially if you’re one of those people who wants to be a part of everything, and so you’re signing up for everything and giving yourself to every club, every class, every sport until there's nothing left for yourself,” Andrews said.

Overworking has the potential to disturb student’s social life and mental state, but participating in a variety of activities and living for passions is one thing that Patel, Cartee, Tran and Daley all found in common.

“If you’re interested in trying something [new], it’s never too late, just go and see what happens,” Andrews said. “Take that risk, because that is how you will grow and fnd what you are looking for in life.”

If the school could be a smidge more understanding about certain pressures put onto students that would be appreciated. It would be nice if there was a forum or a way for the school to commu- One of the biggest nicate with us better causes of stress is a than just our school lack of balance. A lot of email." people have anxiety or MAYA PATEL SENIOR high stress levels and they don't realize that they're doing too much until they're in a full blown crisis." RACHEL ANDREWS MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS COUNSELOR 107 107 there are