High Tide Jan. 16, 2014

IGH H

Redondo Union High School Redondo Beach, CA January 16 , 2015 Vol. XCV Edition 8

TIDE

Arts over attendance Students such as Jason Lockhart and Elise DiPaola choose to do independent study or home school to have more time to pursue their passions [Lockhart story on page 6; DiPaola story on page 8]

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My voice suits Dorothy really well.

When playing Dorothy I try not to hold back any emotions that arise, as it allows me to become the character and act like she would.

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- Elise DiPaola

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I love karate because it gives me a sense of security and it makes me feel like I can protect the people around me if I ever have to. Martial arts is something I can see myself doing until the day I die.

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- Jason Lockhart

Prepping for their passions. Jason Lockhart is homeschooled

so that he can pursue karate and he ended up also becoming an actor.

Freshman Elise DiPaola did an independent study program with her theater so she could spend more time preparing for the “Wizard of Oz.” Photos courtesy of Jason Lockhart and Elise DiPaola.

Inside

pg. 7

pg. 10-11

pg. 17

Jaideep Chakladar visited India over winter break

A panel of staffers reviews various South Bay pizza and sandwich shops

The girls water polo team beat Palos Verdes for the first time in seven years on Wednesday

page 2

High Tide

news

News and Briefs

Teen Court

Order in the court. 1.

2.

1.

3.

PHOTOS BY CHANDLER ROSS

Staurt M. Rice, judge at the teen court case, goes over the judicial procedure the case will follow. 2. Senior Jaelin Kelly, senior Ruby Pacheco, and junior Rodrigo Guiterrez cast their votes on which punishment they believe is appropriate for the trial’s crime. 3. The jury deliberates after receiving testimony from both the defense and the prosecution.

Mourners find closure after Christmas Pageant tragedy

by Malek Chamas The benches of St. James Catholic Church were filled with mourning parishioners on Saturday, Jan. 10. They were there to remember two of their own, Martha Gaza, 36, and her six-year-old son Samuel, who were tragically lost on Dec. 17 when a suspected DUI driver hit a group of 11 people who were leaving the Christmas children’s concert.

Two other people, Saeko Matsumura, 87, and Mary Ann Wilson, 81, also lost their lives in the incident, which happened right on the crosswalk by St. James.

“The accident happened right here on the corner, on the seventeenth [of December],” Monsignor Michael Meyers said. “We had a service on Friday night, Dec. 19 over at our school, St. James School.”

Samuel Gaza was one of the students who performed at the concert. All who spoke of Samuel remembered him for his cheery attitude.

“Samuel. What a special young man,” Deacon Bob Miller said. “The image I still have of him, the one I think won’t go away, is his smile.”

Martha Gaza was also positively remembered by the parishioners for being a good mother, and a woman with strong faith.

“We want to thank you for 36 years of

happiness,” said Martha’s younger brother, David Aguilar.

According to Meyers, his congregation has managed to bounce back from this tragedy.

“At first, everybody was confused and overwhelmed. But immediately, we began to come together, support each other, and find hope,” Meyers said. “What helps to cope is the support of friends, the support of fam-

PHOTO BY MALEK CHAMAS

In Remembrance. A small memorial was set up on the corner of Pacific Coast Highway and

Vincent Street shortly after the incident. People placed flowers and gifts there. “I think we had about 600 or 700 people show up,” Meyers said. “We had an opportunity to pray together.”

ily, the support of so many other people who stand with them and give them hope and strength. They are not trying to deal with this alone, and that’s what is important: knowing they’re not alone. People are caring for them, loving for them, and supporting them, and that makes a huge difference when you’re trying to deal with a situation like this.”

The funeral of Martha and Samuel marked the beginning of the end of this tragic time for the parishioners of St. James. All four of the deceased have now had their funerals, and there are seven living victims that have already been treated for their injuries. The group of seven includes all the other members of the Gaza family, Saeko Matsumura’s daughter and grandson, and two members of the Quast family.

“There were 11 people hit by the car,” Meyers said. “Nobody’s left in the hospital now.”

According to Meyers, something good did come out during this time of mourning: gratitude.

“It caused us to recognize how precious our own lives are, and how precious our families are,” Meyers said. “To appreciate their children, or their spouses, or their parents, or whoever it may be.”

Tournament Debates discusses controversies

by Vivian Lam Tournament Debates in English teacher Aimee Gauvreau’s Speech and Argument class have had two teams of two students take turns in presenting pro and con statements about a controversial topic over this last week.

A team spent weeks researching their controversial topic, such as abortion or animal testing, before debating against the other team.

“The debates are heated in that the students only have two minutes to create a rebuttal to statements they have just heard two minutes earlier,” Gauvreau said.

Juniors Nicole Paulson and Osmar Castro are a team that debated for the legalization of medical cannabis.

“The topic was one of my top choices and educating myself on it made it much more interesting to me,” Paulson said.

According to Gauvreau, the students need to consider the opposing side while researching in order to create rebuttals because they don’t know what the other team is going to say.

“The opposing statements shouldn’t be that surprising and frightening during the actual debate. But the fact that they have two minutes to process it and come up with an argument is intense,” Gauvreau said.

According to Castro, his favorite part of the Tournament Debates is learning new things about medical cannabis that he didn’t know before hand. He also likes that the Tournament Debates will help him prepare

for the future.

“The Debates is a good way to force us to get involved in current political and social controversies,” Castro said. “It’s also a good way to get experience of being in front of someone later in life, like with an interview for a job.”

In Socratic Seminars, students “informally” offer and discuss ideas with each other.

However, Tournament Debates offer a more formal way of discussing topics.

“It’s like two teams of lawyers. You give an opening and closing statements and rebuttals, like what you would have in a court case. However, they are polite and professional about it. It’s a lot more polished than just shouting at each other like in Socratic Seminars,” Gauvreau said.

1.

2.

PHOTOS BY CHANDLER ROSS

To legalize or not. 1. Junior Osmar Castro

opens the debate with a statement in favor of medical cannabis. 2. The opposing team discusses possible rebuttals.

Jan. 16, 2015

page 3

news

New Broadcast class offered

by Roxanne Labat

Intro to Broadcasting will be offered again as an elective next semester.

Students currently in the class learn how to film, interview, edit footage, write scripts, manage teleprompters, work cameras, and use green screens.

“The class was approved at the beginning of 2014,” Intro to Broadcasting teacher Matthew Sheehey said.

“This is the first school year that it has been offered at RUHS and it is being offered as a third period.”

Roughly four students work outside the control room, four work inside the control room, and 27 do behind-the-scenes work by editing stories, developing scripts, and practicing as back-up reporters.

“All different types of personalities can enjoy Intro to Broadcasting,” Sheehey said. “Type A personalities who love to be in front of the camera

are great anchors and reporters. Shy people would probably like to learn editing skills and do behind-the-scenes work.”

Senior Auve’ay Davis shares what it is like being a news anchor for Beach City News.

“I joined because it seemed like a great opportunity to get involved with the school,” Davis said. “I look forward to being able to cover all of the exciting current events happening to inform students about them.”

Davis encourages those who want to learn more about broadcasting to join.

“I would recommend it to anybody who wants to get some experience being in front of or behind the camera,” Davis said. “Anyone who wants to gain insight on the broadcasting world would like it.”

The class has no prerequisites and is offered to all grades, therefore students do not have to wait long to learn the skills taught in Intro to Broadcasting.

“Students will leave my class knowing how to use the equipment,” Sheehey said.

“Since Intro to Broadcasting is a career-type technical education class, I’m trying to teach

students career skills. I hope that they decide that this will be a stepping stone to help them get into their major in college or that they can go straight into the industry.”

Davis plans to go into the entertainment business after high school.

“The experience I’ve gained and the tools I’ve learned will definitely help me in the future. This class is great practice for my career,” Davis said.

Sheehey aims to teach students techniques that they can use after high school.

“The beauty of this class is being able to learn what is used in the industry and ultimately developing life skills,” Sheehey said.

1.

2.

PHOTOS BY CHANDLER ROSS

High production values.1. Senior

3.

Taylor Galuppi stands behind the camera, giving the countdown for the news anchors. 2. Senior Wyatt Austin directs and produces the broadcast. 3. Junior Justin Williamson and senior Auve’ay Davis sit in front of the green screen that will become the room seen in the actual broadcast.

ILLUSTRATION BY STEVEN BELL-NIXON

Football Field renovations to be completed before end of January Brandt and Saltsman believe having the field redone will make it more appealing not only for football games, but for senior graduation too

by Isabella Cordero The football field will be renovated over the next four to five weeks, and the administration expects it will be completed before spring sports begin.

Administrators saw an opportunity in replacing the five and a half year old field after the manufacturer, FieldTurf, offered to replace it at a lower cost than if they were to replace it four years from now, when the warranty would expire.

“Basically they have a better quality product now,” Assistant Principal Jens Brandt said. “It’s kind of like a car that’s coming out in four years that’s brand new and has modern technology—we had an opportunity to get it at this point at a much cheaper price.”

Construction on the field began over break and should be finished by Jan. 30. The grading process—correction of errors in the base underneath the field, such as sliding

and motion due to moisture—was completed early.

“They’ve gotten pretty far along. They laid the new turf on Thursday of last week,” Athletic Director Andy Saltsman said.

With the higher quality turf, administrators hope to see fewer problems than the previous field had. For instance, black turf pellets were “a lot more prevalent” on the field, according to Brandt. He expects the field to look “better,” as well.

“I was watching a bowl game, and it looked really bad because it was a lowquality turf. You could actually see on the TV different parts of the field were different colors,” Brandt said.

According to Saltsman, they need to do a better job when it comes to upkeep and maintenance of the new turf.

“We have a plan for that,” Saltsman said.

“In terms of watering the place and dragging

up the field.”

In addition to these improvements, they also have plans to redo the R painted in the center of the field. According to Saltsman, it will be more round and less rigid, more like the R printed on the student uniforms. The turf will be clipped into the shape necessary to form the letter.

“The white lines that go on the field for football are automatically in the turf, but for everything besides that, they use clippers. They basically clip it out and then they take strips that are pre-made and they put the glue down, stick them in, and sew it all together,” Saltsman said.

Another addition to the field is permanently painted on lacrosse lines. This was in the interest of saving money, because after four years of repeatedly painting in these lines, the cost accumulated to $1,500 per year.

“To put the lacrosse lines in full-time now came to about $3,000,” Saltsman said. “The cost over time is saved.”

Once the football field is completed, the administration have future plans for more renovation. These plans include painting the track, so that both it and the field look new, as well as redoing the soccer field. Construction is supposed to begin after graduation, on June 19.

“That will probably take six to eight weeks,” Saltsman said. “It’s a bigger surface, and a completely different layout we’re doing.”

For now, however, both Brandt and Saltsman are “excited” about the football field being on its way to completion.

“The seniors get a new field to graduate on, which is kind of nice,” Saltsman said. “It’ll look really beautiful for graduation this year, because it’ll pop. Big time.”

page 4

Around Redondo What’s your New Year’s resolution?

I want to get more clients for my dogsitting business.

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Lola Chase, 11

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I want to get better at writing short stories and fiction.

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Sophia Ruffo, 10

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Spend more time with my daughter and find balance between work and personal life.

Dr. Nicole Wesley, Principal

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To drink more water and more coffee and to improve my photography.

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Raquel Zak, 11

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I’m going to get better grades.

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Madi Relaz, 10

Free speech can go too far While free speech should always be championed, we should consider the message of what we’re defending

Editorial

Compiled by Cody Williams, Chris Paludi, Chandler Ross and Jason Clebowicz

“

Two masked gunmen said to be associated with Al Qaeda murdered 12 people last week at the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in retaliation against the papers’ cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammad, which is considered blasphemous in many Islamic traditions.

Rightfully, much of the world has rallied to support Charlie Hebdo and freedom of speech and expression in the wake of this heinous attack. However, since Paris it seems many have unfortunately confused support for freedom of speech with support for what is being said.

It is important to note that this is is not to say free speech should be restricted. The right to free speech should be protected.

But, when reacting to this attack it is vitally important to remember truths about Charlie Hebdo and free speech before proclaiming “Je suis Charlie.” Because it’s possible to both champion and protect Charlie Hebdo’s right to freedom of expression while also realizing that their cartoons, especially when concerning something as important and incendiary as religion, are unnecessarily disrespectful and offensive.

The easiest position in the world to take right now is the knee jerk one: to stand in support of Charlie Hebdo and to condemn the radical extremist Muslims who perpetrate these kinds of attacks. And for once, the knee jerk reaction is the position that should be taken. However, saying that you have to support Charlie’s cartoons’ content in order to support freedom of speech is false — the cartoons in question were deliberately offensive and over the line, and while such cartoons are the right of the illustrator to publish, the fact remains that these specific cartoons do little to draw the PHOTO BY CHANDLER ROSS

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To make more money to donate to my church.

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Krystle Costea, 10

To quit procrastinating and get my stuff done.

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Nataleina Mendoza, 10

High Tide

opinion

ILLUSTRATION BY LUMA WEGMAN

West and those who hate it closer together.

In fact, deliberately offensive cartoons can be counterproductive to achieving peace and toleration between Islamic extremists and the western world, especially in the worrying context of the present situation in Europe, where thousands of men are being recruited by ISIS to fight in the Middle East.. Offending an entire religious group is a mistake, especially if extremists of that religious group are successfully recruiting soldiers, as ISIS is. In no way should freedom of speech be restricted -- without it, valuable papers such as Charlie Hebdo wouldn’t exist, and that would be a loss of needed commentary and insight in an era of political unrest. However, restraint is necessary towards enabling a dialogue and tolerance in the face of swelling extremism on both sides: spiking Islamophobia and the militant hatred of the West.

Following the attacks on Charlie Hebdo, it is essential that we stand with the newspaper and support freedom of speech. But it is also vital that we remember that freedom of speech is a right that should be exercised with responsibility.

Editorial Board

vote

Freedom of speech is a vital right, but it should be used responsibly.

agree

6

disagree

3

New year, same story

by Micah Ezzes Another year, another chance at new opportunities. We have a clean slate. A new outlook.

This narrative has remained unchanged for as long as I can remember. The same resolutions, same plans to do better and then to not follow up. The people I see when New Years rolls around are either the self-impor-

tant, who want to feel better about themselves, or simply people wishing to hop on the New Years resolution bandwagon.

At this point, I probably come off as a holier-than-thou who has to look for reasons to complain about the new year. I can’t blame you for thinking that, and I do admit that I am not a fan of the “holiday”. But the problem I have with New Years, and the inevitable resolutions that follow, is with the day itself. Why do we need a day to get us motivated? More often than not, people who actually want to change their lives in one way or the other will do so of their own

accord, not because our Gregorian calendar moved up a digit.

That’s not to say that New Years resolutions are bad in their own right; in fact, I know a few people who have followed up on theirs and improved themselves. But for every one person like this, there are countless others who make one up empty promises just for the fun of it, ruining the name of a New Years resolution and permanently associating it with bragging on social media about how good you’ll be this year.

If you want to (or have made) a New Years resolution, do yourself a favor: actually do it.

Jan. 16, 2014

Letters to the Editor

If you have an opinion about one of the articles, letters can be sent to the editor at hightideonline@gmail.com.

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

Please keep letters to a maximum of 250 words. Longer guest opinions are also accepted.

Women have earned more

High Tide

staff

Editor in Chief: Allegra Peelor

A writer’s take on how women’s achievements in academics deserve to translate into the business world

Managing Editor: Alejandro Quevedo News Editor: Jason Rochlin Opinion Editor: Christopher Paludi Features Editors: Yasmeen El-Hasan;

Vaidehi Gandhi; Caterina Hyneman; Shawn Mallen; Shaniya Markalanda; Amanda Shaw

Sports Editors: Nina Gomez; Sophie Maguy

Design Editor: Grace Zoerner Writing Editors: Stella Gianoukakis; Kayla Nicholls

Photo Editors: Ted Cavus; Chandler Ross Copy Editors: Joseph Blakely; Kira Bowen Online Editors: Vivian Lam; Romy Moreno

Photographers: Dinah Aiad; Samantha

Bendall; Jennifer Blanco; Madison Brooks; Erin Czulewicz; Daniel Green; Janelle Howe; Lexi Kleen; Carla Macar; Masha Pescheryakova; Laua’e Schweitzer; Tyler Wunderli; Adam Yorke

Illustrators: Steven Bell-Nixon; Kaita Pannor; Luma Wegman

Staff Writers: Dinah Aiad; Gianna Aqui-

lina; Samantha Bendall; Jennifer Blanco; Madison Brooks; Malek Chamas; Jason Clebowicz; Isabella Cordero; Erin Czulewicz; Kelly Dickinson; Micah Ezzes; Lizzie Fauver; Yasamin Fazeli; Jason Fong; Camille Gerson; Daniel Green; Ilene Guerrero; Zach Hatakeyama; Kayla Hiken; Jessica Johnson; Massa Kassab; Brittany Ketting; Jon Mallen; Marie Ona; Kaita Pannor; Sadie Pearson; Masha Pescheryakova; Samaya Rubio; Reema Saad; Laua’e Schweitzer; Parker Scott; Mylene Silver; Ava Uema; Simrun Ursani; Tyler Wunderli; Adam Yorke High Tide dedicates itself to producing a high-quality publication that both informs and entertains the entire student body.

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

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

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

page 5

opinion

PHOTO BY CHANDLER ROSS

by Grace Zoerner

People too-often treat the wage gap like a myth. If you went to research the wage gap, you’d notice this as one of the immediate Google search suggestions: “the wage gap myth.” Click on it, and you’d find countless articles labelling it as such, claiming no sort of gender-based pay gap exists. If you didn’t know anything about the topic, you’d probably think they’re pretty convincing, too. Most people aren’t well-informed enough to see the wage gap as anything more than a fantasy perpetuated by feminists to exaggerate modern-day sexism.

On the other side of the spectrum, amid articles spreading awareness about the wage gap, you’ll typically find just as much misinformation. Most statistics reported about the wage gap are flat-out wrong.

You’ll usually hear it quoted that women are paid about 78 percent of what men are paid; while this may be true, it’s an extremely averaged value, and it doesn’t prove anything.

You can’t compare a female teacher’s salary to a male lawyer’s - obviously, the woman will make less money. Statistics averaging wages across different fields hold little to

no validity. Any study that researches the wage gap must account be made within a single job field and account for all of variables that determine any person’s salary: job position, experience, etc.

In 2002, the American Association of University Women sought to figure out the real truth about the wage gap. They followed men and women who graduated from the same college, with the same degrees, holding the same types of jobs. In their very first year out of college, the women earned 5 percent less than the men. Ten years later, in 2012, the men earned 12 percent more.

This means that women graduate directly into the wage gap, and throughout their lifetimes, the gap only expands, with the difference between wages getting worse. The wage gap isn’t a myth. If you are a female student, this is the world you live in; this is your future — even though statistically, right now, you’re probably doing better in school than the boys around you.

Information gathered by the National Assessment of Educational Progress indicates that in 2009, the average unweighted

female GPA was 0.20 points higher than the male GPA. (Last year at RUHS, female seniors had a GPA about 0.20 points higher than male seniors, matching the national statistic.) Female students also earned more credits than the males, and earned a higher number of credits for core academic courses (English, math, sciences, and social studies).

And these trends have a long, proven history. Since 1990, female students have been statistically outperforming their male peers.

Clearly, education has never been and still is not an effective tool with which to fight the wage gap. Some studies even report that women who hold bachelor’s degrees are more affected by the wage gap than women who don’t. We’re led to believe that our success in school will translate to success in life, but for women, it’s obvious that this won’t necessarily be true.

Despite proven greater academic success and just as much hard work, women continue to be paid less than men. The wage gap isn’t an antiquated notion or a myth — for many women, wage discrimination is their reality.

Grade Point Average

Total Course Credits 27.5

4.0

27.0

3.2

26.5

3.1

26.0

3.0

25.5

2.9

25.0

2.8

24.5

2.7

24.0

2.6

23.5

2.5 0

0 1990

1994

1998

2000

2005

1990

2009

1994

High School Graduation Year

1998

2000

2005

2009

High School Graduation Year Female

Male

INFORMATION COURTESY OF NATIONSREPORTCARD.GOV

page 6

Karate Kid

High Tide

features

Homeschooled junior Jason Lockhart pursues martial arts and acting

by Gianna Aquilina and Yasmeen El-Hasan He does not feel the muscle fatigue after a hard day of karate training until he wakes up the next day. Then everything hurts him, and even raising his hand requires effort. The pain is worth it for homeschooled junior Jason Lockhart who has a first-degree black belt in karate and is an actor.

“I love karate because it gives me a sense of security and it makes me feel like I can protect the people around me if I ever have to. Martial arts is something I can see myself doing until the day I die,” Lockhart said.

Lockhart began training Shorin-Ryu Shidokan karate at Koshiki Karate-Do at age nine. Despite his experience and expertise in the art, it is still challenging.

“When I am in midair for a kick, I think, ‘don’t fail, don’t fail, don’t fail’ and that I have to try and break through whatever I’m kicking,” he said. “You kick with one leg as hard as you can, you push off of the other leg that wasn’t kicking as hard as you can, you twist as hard as you can, and you hope that you don’t fall on your face.”

Lockhart’s passion for karate began even before he started taking lessons and was inspired by Bruce Lee. “I had wanted to do karate since I was six years old. I used to sit in front of my TV and watch all the Bruce Lee movies then I would run around my house kicking all the furniture,” he said.

Four years ago, he decided to shift from

Redondo public schools to homeschooling so that he can balance his acting martial arts careers.

“It used to be a real struggle to keep up with all my homework. I would stay up until four in the morning doing homework because of how much work I had left over from school. Once I got into homeschooling I could get homework done a lot faster.

I caught up with all my credits with ease,” Lockhart said.

Lockhart’s father John Lockhart supports his decision to become homeschooled and is proud of him for his dedication to karate.

“I thought it would be better because then he has time for everything. It’s a blessing because him being home has brought us closer together,” Mr. Lockhart said. “I support him in everything he does. I’m the one that drives him to auditions or rehearsals, I practice his lines with him. I’m always going to be right behind everything he does,” Lockhart agrees that being homeschooled has brought him and his father closer together.

“My dad and I have spent a lot more time together since I became homeschooled. He helps me with training at home, meaning I get him to hit me with the shinai and I practice blocking,” Lockhart said.

Training involves blocking shinais, which are bamboo swords; kata, which means forms; hitting wooden posts and sparring.

Lockhart gets a sense of satisfaction after completing training.

“It’s like that feeling after you’ve finished the SAT’s--you feel relieved and really good about it,” he said.

Karate helped Lockhart improve his stunt work for acting. He has been acting for six years, beginning with stunts and commercials. He recently did a stunt for Beach Magazine where he jumped off the Hermosa Beach Pier into the water.

“Jumping off the pier was like a roller coaster without the safety of knowing you’re not going to kill yourself. Looking down towards the water, it looks a lot higher than it does when you actually jump. The jump only takes about three seconds. From above, it looks like it’ll take an eternity. The worst part about the fall was when I slapped the water with my hand as I landed,” he said.

While supportive, Mr. Lockhart recognizes the dangerous aspect of his son’s work.

“I support him in everything he does. I’m the one that drives

him to auditions or rehearsals, I practice his lines with him. I’m always going to be right behind everything he does,” Mr. Lockhart said. “But it’s always scary to see Jason doing stunts because, as a parent, you’re always scared of your child getting hurt.”

Lockhart’s atypical routine has helped shape his outlook on life.

“To quote Bruce Lee, ‘Be like water.’ Meaning, adapt to whatever you’re doing,” Lockhart said.

PHOTOS BY CARLA MACAR

Jan. 16, 2015

page 7

features

Home away from home Jaideep Chakladar visited India over winter break

by Marie Ona The streets of India are always crowded.

Street vendors yell, shop bells ring, kids play, cars honk, and as sophomore Jaideep Chakladar absorbs it all. He, his mother and younger brother visited family and friends for nine weeks in Bangalore over winter break. With a total of nine visits with immersion in Indian culture, Chakladar appreciates and embraces his Indian background.

“I like my Indian background because of the rich history and the diversity. India is one of the oldest civilizations in the world.

My Indian friends don’t necessarily share the exact same culture as me,” Chakladar said.

“It’s a really cool thing to say that I have been able to experience all of the aspects from both sides of the world and have a broader view in general.”

Chakladar is surrounded by his culture even at home, where his family practices Indian customs. He understands both Bengali and Hindi but has trouble speaking.

“I didn’t have to adjust much when I visited India because my parents raised me like they were raised in India, but I did have to adjust to the setting a little bit, “ he said. “I don’t know much about the sentence structure of Bengali so I can’t speak very well. My parents learned Hindi in school and speak it moderately well but I can only understand some bits of it.”

Chakladar notes the many social and cultural differences between America and India.

“All of the kids there don’t watch TV or play video games as much. They’re more active than a lot of the kids over here. Also the people seem to have more relationships with others. Everytime I visit, my grandpa introduces me to five friends I have never seen before.” he said.

According to Chakladar, the Indian education system does not differ much from that of America.

“From what I saw in India, there are not too many differences between them and us. Their education system is really similar and in some cases better. The students from India have a high chance of being accepted into American universities,” he said.

According to Chakladar, students in India do not have the advantage of open space that Americans enjoy.

“There have been people living in the Indian villages that have been able to move to places like California and New York and have been successful,” Chakladar said. “The only difference is probably that have have less space to do their activities since there is a large total population.”

During his trips, Chakladar volunteers at a private school near his grandparents house.

He was impressed by the work ethic of students his own age.

“They all seemed to be really happy in school and that made me happy,” he said.

“There were kids that went to school and on their breaks worked in their parents’ shop.

I mostly learned how I should work hard in so many different aspects so I can be well rounded.”

Over the course of his visit, the school he volunteers at improved.

“The school had just gotten larger. It was brand new and it looked really cool. My grandparents encouraged me to volunteer there,” he said.

He taught students English and football.

“I tried to teach them American phrases.

Being that they are five year olds, a lot of their grammar was horrible,” Chakladar said.

“Football for them is soccer so I taught them how to play American football which was cool.”

Chakladar also visited the college which his mother attended.

“She would always tell me that she was at the top of her class at her old college and

it turns out her college used to be second worst in the state, but now it’s like second best,” he said.

According to Chakladar, the city of Bangalore has developed a great deal each time he visits.

“It used to be a ton of open fields and in a span of five years it became a metropolitan place, like downtown Los Angeles but way more crowded,” he said. “It was pretty cool.”

Aside from volunteering and visiting sites such as the Taj Mahal and various temples, he and his family went to an ashram, a religious retreat, for an Indian guru.

“He’s an intense philosopher and really popular. The place we visited was 20 miles in diameter, it was crazy big.

There were people from all around the world. You can see different ethnicities that were all devotees of him,” Chakladar said. “It was pretty amazing to see.

I learned about what his philosophy was about. It was pretty cool.”

Chakladar enjoys his visits to India and wishes he could go more often.

“We usually try to go once or twice a year just to visit family. It’s gotten harder because of high school. This time I had to take a bunch of homework with me,” he said.

“When I was younger I used to go during the summer so I could spend a full six weeks there.”

2.

2.

On the flip side. 1. Chakladar and his younger brother stand

1.

1.

in front of the meditation building in the ashram. He and his family visited an Indian guru at the ashram. 2. Chakladar, his younger brother, and his mother stand in front of a statue at the ashram. 3. Chakladar poses in traditional Indian clothing. He is wearing a kurta top, which is a traditional Indian garb for men. It comes iin a variety of colors and patterns and depending on the design and style, can be worn for any occasion. It is commonly worn at weddings and other ceremonies.

3.

PHOTOS BY TED CAVUS

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High Tide

features

She’s not in Kansas anymore Elise DiPaola does independent study while rehearsing for play

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It is her moment to shine, and she does not want to pass it up for any reason, especially not for school. Freshman Elise DiPaola is an actress for the Encore Entertainers theater company. She got the opportunity to be Dorothy in their production of The Wizard Of Oz and while she was doing her tech week she participated in a “super helpful program”, the independent study program.

“As she sings somewhere over the rainbow, her voice is so light and beautiful, just like the Dorothy from the movie. Her overall performance as Dorothy portrayed a sense

of excitement and innocence,” Freshman Maegan Hood said.

The program helped her keep up with her schoolwork as well as keep up with the “crazy” schedule that tech week entails. Through the independent study program, she was able to keep up with the “strenuous” practices that go from four to ten every night.

“I would look at my packet of schoolwork, figure out what I need to learn, and do my best to understand the material,” DiPaola said.

When DiPaola auditioned for Dorothy, she never dreamed she would get the chance to play the “iconic” role. The audition process

Traffic Collision Zach Rodriguez was hit by a car, suffered a compound fracture

by Reema Saad Already in the middle of the crosswalk, sophomore Zach Rodriguez had no idea that his normal route to school on a Wednesday morning would result in him getting hit by a car.

As he crossed the street on Del Amo Boulevard and North Lucia Avenue on January 7, a man in a truck, blinded by the sun, did not see Rodriguez, and proceeded to make a left turn without using his turn signal. He was first hit by the car, and after he fell, the car ran over his left leg.

“I did see it coming so I got out of the way as much as possible but he ran over my left leg. I knew I was going to get hit because he was not paying attention, so I was shocked and scared for a bit. But after that I felt pain and that was all I could feel after that,” Rodriguez said.

After she had made a U-turn, senior Emma Gibson got out of her car, called 911 and tried comforting Rodriguez as much as possible.

“I just sat and held Zach’s hand and tried my best to comfort him until the ambulance came. The main thing going through

2.

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by Samaya Rubio

EN

1.

No place like home. 1. DiPaola has the role

was “grueling” and took a week.

“They told me after one of the callbacks that they’d give me Dorothy. I was pretty psyched,” DiPaola said.

She never thought that she would get the role as Dorothy but as soon as she did, she knew that she would pour her heart and soul into it.

“My voice suits Dorothy really well. When playing Dorothy I try not to hold back any emotions that arise, as it allows me to become the character and act like she would,” DiPaola said.

She has been with the theater company since she was seven but this was her first

time ever participating in the independent study program. She found it helpful, but when she went back to school on Monday the twelfth, she felt behind from her peers.

“Now I feel really out of it and unprepared for school,” DiPaola said. “But I know that I‘ll rebound with a little bit of extra effort.”

She knows that her ruby red slippers will always lead her back to the stage- her “home”.

my mind at the time was ‘Where is the ambulance?’ because I wanted Zach to get help as soon as possible. I could tell he was in a lot of pain, but I was really afraid because I did not know how seriously he was injured,” Gibson said.

Rodriguez suffered a compound fracture in his left leg, meaning a bone had broken and part of it stuck out of his skin. In efforts to ease the situation, Gibson did not let the sight of the injury bother her and continued to be of help to Rodriguez.

“I could tell from the second I got to him that the leg was broken and badly injured, but I just told myself that showing him how panicked I was would not help anything. I just concealed my panicking by comforting him. It was like being overwhelmed with feelings of disbelief and then feelings of compassion for Zach. I just really wanted to help him,” Gibson said.

As he waited for an ambulance to arrive, Rodriguez said he was “lucky” to have someone like Gibson to make sure he was okay.

She even called both of his parents to notify them of the accident. Gibson was especially helpful because Rodriguez still did not know what the consequences would be.

“At first it was excruciating. It was the worst pain I have felt in my life, I think. I have never broken anything before and the injury could have been a lot worse. I did not get any brain or body damage which would have changed my life a lot. I would not be myself anymore or I would not function properly,” Rodriguez said.

However, Rodriguez had taken away from his accident to be more “grateful” and to take precaution, even if the situation is not in his control.

“There was no blame on me, it was all his fault, but I will be fully recovered and fully walking in two to three months. I’ve gotten encouraging thoughts in the hospital to strengthen myself. I’ll try to be more careful on routes, maybe choosing different routes while walking to school or being more aware of what cars are trying to do.”

of Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, a production of Encore Entertainers theater company. 2. DiPaola “never dreamed” of being able to perform “such and iconic” role.

JE SUIS

Jan. 16, 2015

features

CHARLIE Important events behind the conflict Charlie Hebdo republishes potentially offensive cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad from a Danish newspaper along with original cartoons for the first time

2006

Muslim extremists firebomb Charlie Hebdo’s offices. The magazine’s cover following the firebombing depicted a Charlie Hebdo staff member kssing a Muslim man with office rubble in the background Muslim extremists attack Charlie Hebdo offices, killing 12 and wounding 11

2011

2015

page 9

Judging by appearance Kamila Aouragh recounts discrimination while visiting France during and after the attack on “Charlie Hebdo”

by Joseph Blakely Senior Kamila Aouragh was an hour outside of Paris visiting family when the Charlie Hebdo attacks occurred.

“We were going to drive down the day the attack happened, and then we heard about the attack and decided not to,” Aouragh said.

Being from an Arab and Muslim family, the attacks held a personal significance as the attackers were Muslim terrorists.

“My entire family argued about it after the fact, because we are all Arabic and they are all Muslim so they took great offense that somebody would do that in the name of Muhammad,” Aouragh said. “I don’t agree with the fact that they murdered 12 people and then murdered four more in the hostage situation, but I can understand why they were doing it because you don’t make fun of someone’s religion.”

Aouragh believes that the political cartoons that mocked Islam and Muhammad were “inappropriate” but would have gone about expressing her distaste differently.

“Generally, making fun of religion is not a good idea, because it causes war. It causes attacks like that,” Aouragh said. “I would have written a letter or have talked to the editor, I wouldn’t have murdered 12 people.”

Aouragh experienced discrimination during the rest of her time in France, as people were quick to generalize the actions of the

attackers to all Arabs.

“Everyone is predominantly white over there,” Aouragh said. “The second most dominant race there is Arabs, and French people don’t like Arabs. They are really racist.

Picture America in the 1920’s against black people. It’s kind of like that.”

Aouragh experienced such discrimination when she went out with her grandmother.

“When I went to the market with my grandmother who is very Muslim; she dresses in the hijab and she is very conservative, she got into a confrontation because of the Charlie Hebdo attacks,” Aouragh said. “At that point, I was afraid of being attacked. It was scary, like this is what happens when religion forces its way to the forefront.”

Being in yearbook, Aouragh has additional insight into the freedom of the press, but believes the newspaper Charlie Hebdo went too far.

“I agree with the protester’s protesting for their freedom of the press and free speech rights, but sometime you need to think, ‘What are the consequences if we post this?’” Aouragh said.

Aouragh believes that in order for cultures to coexist, religion must not be such an important dividing factor.

“I don’t think you should force your religion on other people, and I don’t think you should make fun of other religions, because it will cause fractions like this,” Aouragh said.

page 10

Eats

High Tide

center

Local

Jan. 16, 2014

page 11

center

The Panel

The High Tide hits local restaurants to see who’s got the best of what

Alejandro Quevedo

Caterina Hyneman

Chandler Ross

Chris Paludi

Steven Bell-Nixon

Yasi Fazeli

“

Jersey Mike’s - Philly Cheesesteak

“

“

I like the meat on this sandwich better, and I think the cheese really complements the meat.

“

This sandwich is meaty, cheesy, gooey, and just awesome.

”

-Caterina

The pepperoni is exceptionally good and the sauce was outstanding.

The bell peppers go really well with the sandwich.

-Alejandro

-Yasi

-Caterina

”

“

I thought the pizza was overall very delicious, and the pepperoni was especially great.

”

-Chris

-Chandler

“

The sandwich is overstuffed, which I really like.

The pastrami was very lean and thinly cut, which I liked a lot.

” “

The mustard is very mild and complements the meat really well.

-Alejandro

-Steven

”

This sandwich is the greasiest so far - but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. However I do feel the most fat eating this sandwich.

”

“

“

”

-Chris

There’s an equal amount of meat and cheese, which makes it a perfect Philly sandwich.

-Steven

”

This pizza was a little stiff in my opinion.

-Steven

-Caterina

”

-Chandler

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The pizza is pretty good, the only problem is that the crust is kind of hard. But the flavors are good.

”

-Allegra

This one has good spices in it, I like it.

I don’t know about them, but this is the best pizza I’ve had in a while.

”

-Alejandro

”

-Steven

This Philly has more finely ground meat than the other, which to me went better with the cheese.

-Alejandro

It was a little too greasy, but still really tasty.

“

It’s like cheese on bread with pasta sauce.

The pepperoni is too greasy.

“

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-Alejandro

“

”

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The crust is phenomenal - its really good. The pizza as a whole is awesome, I give it a 10 out of 10.

Viva la Pizza - Pepperoni Pizza

Big Mike’s - Philly Cheesesteak

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”

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Pedone’s - Pepperoni Pizza

Capicola’s - Pastrami Sandwich

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Garlic Jim’s - Pepperoni Pizza

Allegra Peelor

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Locale 90 - Margherita Pizza

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It looks like someone cut all of the toppings off, but the crust is nice and soft, which I like.

-Alejandro

”

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Its really oily and the dough tastes like cardboard.

-Caterina

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The crust was amazing, but there was not much cheese.

-Chandler

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It tastes like someone poured a soda on it, I would much rather not have this again.

-Chris

”

”

”

page 12

High Tide

features

Something’s fishy...

Junior Lindsey Pannor becomes pescetarian, standing by her opinion on animal rights

by Yasi Fazeli The piglet’s scream breaks through the room, its tail just cut off. It is then crammed into a tiny cage, where it will spend the rest of its life. Six months ago, junior Lindsey Pannor decided to become a pescetarian due to health reasons as well as her views on animal rights. “[I started] for health reasons because my family doesn’t eat meat that much in the first place and red meat isn’t that great for your health. Fish honestly is not that bad but then I’m also an animal rights person and I’ve seen way too many slaughter videos,” Pannor said.

Lindsey’s sister, freshman Kaita Pannor, support’s her decision, but doesn’t feel that it is a big deal in the family.

“It only affects me a little bit. I make her different foods sometimes, but other than that it doesn’t seem like a really huge deal in the family,” Kaita said. “Sometimes she’ll just be like, ‘oh I don’t eat that.’ It’s a good thing for her, but it doesn’t really affect us.”

She previously was a part of different animal conservation groups.

“I have volunteered at ASPCA and I used to volunteer with a rabbit rescue company so I’m just really compassionate about animals,” Lindsey said.

Kaita also supports protecting animals, but it hasn’t influenced her to stop eating meat.

“I do support animal rights as well. I just look at it and I see that there is no other way around it, but she is the type of person who believes that we’re the only people in this world and we can make a change if we support these things,” Kaita said.

According to Pannor, the transition to stop consuming meat was not hard.

“The only meat I really ate in the first place was sushi, which is why I didn’t go full on vegetarian and my family doesn’t eat it all that much anyway,” Pannor said. “Although it does make you pay more attention to what you eat.”

Because it’s not very difficult to stop eating meat, she believes that more people should try to become pescetarian.

“Honestly, it’s just surprising that more people aren’t [pescetarian or vegetarian].

Not eating meat is not difficult at all because meat is is not a huge part of anyone’s diet, especially mine,” Pannor said.

She has noticed many positive changes in herself throughout the past six months.

“You feel lighter because you eat a lot more fruits and vegetables.” Pannor said.

“It’s also really helpful in watching what you eat because even though its not that difficult, you are paying attention to everything.”

Health concerns played a role in her decision to not become vegetarian from the very beginning.

“I’m a bit of a wimp and and I love sushi too much to give [fish] up. Also I was about not being disciplined enough to maintain

scetarian as well.

“I have thought about [becoming pescetarian] but my parents are always arguing that we’re growing and we need to get enough nutrients. I might if I liked nuts, so I could replace them with the nutrients of meat,” Kaita said.

“I plan on staying pescetarian for as long as I can and eventually progressing to fullon vegetarian,” Pannor said.

Don’t eat:

Shrimp

Swordfish Lobster

Health Concerns • Seafoods contain excessive amounts of mercury • Fish like tuna, shark, king mackerel, marlin and swordfish are generally more contaminated with dioxin • Dioxin is a pollutant formed as a byproduct in the manufacturing of herbicides and in paper bleaching INFORMATION COURTESY OF http://www.livestrong.com/article/399500-the-disadvantages-of-a-

pescetarian-diet/

healthy protein levels without consuming some sort of meat,” Pannor said.

The decision to become pescetarian was her own idea. People both influenced and questioned her choice.

“It was my own idea. Actually a lot of people were asking, ‘why would you do that,’” Pannor said.

Though she strongly believes that becoming pescetarian will help in regards to protecting animals, she hasn’t influenced anyone to become one as well.

“I’m a really strong believer in not forcing my opinion on other people so I have told people about the way animals are treated and slaughterhouses and things, but I haven’t tried to force anyone into it,” Pannor said.

Kaita has thought about becoming pe-

Shrimp: - High levels of cholesterol

Swordfish: - Contaminated with mercury - Prey on fish coated in mercury - Increase LDL (bad cholesterol)

Lobster: - A 1-cup serving contains 71% of daily cholesterol and 31% of sodium - Excessive cholesterol and sodium intake can lead to heart disease and stroke

Jan. 16, 2015

page 13

features

Eat:

Vegetarians

Salmon: - Heart healthy, rich in omega-3 vitamins

Anchovy: - Lowers bad cholesterol and toxins - Improves skin health - Strengthens teeth - Reduces risk of osteoporoses

vs.

Pescetarians

• Vegetarian diets are lower • Seafood provides vitamin in cholesterol and satuB12 which is lacking in rated fats plant-based foods • Also higher in fiber and • Vitamin D is also abunvitamins C and E. dant in fatty fish like • They can lower blood salmon pressure, the risk of heart • Omega-3 fats in fish oil disease, and obesity help improve brain nerve function and short-term INFORMATION COURTESY OF http://healthyeating.sfgate. com/going-vegetarian-pescatarian-9459.html memory

Tuna: - Quick, cheap source of lowfat protein - Rich in vitamins B12, D, calcium, and iron

Anchovy

Tuna

Avoid Saturated Fats • Abundant in red meat and poultry • Contribute to accumulation of fat and plaque in the arteries and arterial walls and lead to heart disease and stroke

Healthy Preparatory Methods • Bake, poach, broil or grill fish rather than frying them • Use herbs, spices and citrus juices for flavoring • Although mercury levels and dioxin in fish pose risks, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks

Salmon

Nutrition Tips Reduce Cholesterol Levels • salmon,tuna, mackerel and herring are rich in omega-3 fats • lower triglycerides, a type of cholesterol found in high fat foods • these fats in fish lower the risk of heart disease, stroke, and metabolic disorders

Increase Intake of Essential Vitamins and Minerals: • whole fish contain vitamins B6 and B12 • fish liver oils contain good sources of vitamins A and D. • seafood is also abundant in calcium, potassium, iron, zinc, phosphorus and selenium.

Lean Protein • fish are low in fat and calories • provide for a broader range of proteins, vitamins, and for essential nutrients

page 14

features

New season, new coach

High Tide

Shelby Haroldson became girls water polo’s head coach this season

by Stella Gianoukakis Shelby Haroldson is the new head water polo coach. Last year was her first year as the assistant coach for the girls program and she was also one of the coaches for the frosh-soph swim team.

“I am extremely excited and honored for the opportunity to be head coach for the girls water polo team. I grew up around this program, both my sisters and I played water polo and swam here at RUHS, so it’s a great privilege to be coaching back at my alma mater,” Haroldson said.

As the new head coach she made a few changes in training the girls.

“We have started our conditioning a little earlier than in years past [through morning practices] and we are working on concepts and skills during the afternoon practices. Allowing the girls to focus on skills and concepts during the majority of the practice time during the pre-season is really important to their training and overall understanding of the game,” she said.

Haroldson began playing waterpolo

at age seven and incorporates what she learned as a player into her teaching style.

“When it came to me coaching, I just thought of the coaches that had the most positive impact on me and kind of adopted their techniques but put my own little touch on it,” Haroldson said. “If the girls have a positive and fun experience and progressed as a student athlete then I think my mark will be made within each of those girls. That’s the ultimate prize. Knowing that I somehow affected and changed their lives is a rewarding experience for me.”

The JV water polo coach, Elizabeth Payan, believes that Haroldson is doing well as the new head coach and has many great ideas for the team.

“She is very driven, organized and anxious. She is giving it her all. The girls respect her, and that is important. I think her youth is what sets her apart most from the previous head coach. Also, she’s a girl. It’s exciting to have a female coach not only because they [the players] can relate to her, but also be-

cause it gives them someone to look up to,” Payan said.

Haroldson wants to see the team grow throughout the year and accomplish certain goals.

“One of my goals for the team is for them to work together in order to be successful.

Another goal is for each girl to grow as a student athlete and learn something from her experience on the team,” Haroldson said.

Haroldson believes that this will be a “great” season despite facing a few challenges as she adjusts to being the new head coach.

“I think any new coach has their challenges, I do think one right now would be that I’m coaching 35 teenage girls. My only advantage is that I, not too long ago, went through everything they are going through now, so it’s really hard for them to get anything by me. I do love it though. I knew coaching was something I wanted to do for a long time.

Even when I was in my senior year here at Redondo, I told myself I would make it back here one day to coach, and that dream came sooner than I had expected. I’m ready for the challenge,” she said.

2.2.

PHOTOS BY KAMILA AOURAGH

1.

Head in the game. 1. Haroldson claps her hands after her team scores a goal. 2.

Haroldson gives feedback to her team during a time-out. 3. Haroldson reacts to her team’s play.

3.

Jan. 16, 2015

page 15

features

Cervantes club gives to orphans in need

by Kayla Hiken She looks around as she walks through the run-down neighborhood, when finally she arrives at the safe haven for dozens of children: the Colina de Luz orphanage.

A few weeks before winter break, the Cervantes Club started a clothing drive for children in Tijuana, Mexico. They collected items for children ranging from a few months old to young adults.

“We decided that clothing would be the most useful of all things to send because we concluded that it would be convenient for people to donate their old clothes they don’t need any more,” president Rodrigo Gutierrez said.

According to Gutierrez, the clothing drive “exceeded” their expectations.

“We think the turnout of the clothing drive was so great because we had it announced during the morning announcements,” Gutierrez said.

After collecting as many clothes as they could, the vice president of the club, Ariana Reyes, traveled to Mexico during winter break to deliver the clothes to an orphanage.

“Mexico seemed like the best option since it is nearby and most orphanages in California have what they need,” Reyes said.

She looked into the nearby orphanages and decided on the Colina de Luz orphanage, with 54 kids.

“Most of the kids at the orphanage have been found on the street, probably sent by parents to cross the border and get jobs, but later abandoned. The kids grow up, go to universities and then come back to the orphanage to help out,” Reyes said.

This drive not only went to a good cause, but it helped changed the perspective of many of the members in the club.

“It was very emotional for me because it reminds me that there are a lot of problems in the world and the fact that I was able to take part in helping makes me feel very honored. It has put the world into perspective and reminds me that many other people struggle on a daily basis, and not everyone is so fortunate as we are and for the little things that we take for granted,” Reyes said.

Although this was the first time the club ran a drive, the club hopes to continue doing drives like this for as long as possible.

“I hope Cervantes can makes this an annual event and not just for the same orphanage but a different one each year. The kids at the orphanages need to feel that someone cares about them and what better way to show them that someone cares than by bringing them something useful.

They looked at me like they were so blessed to be given this opportunity, and they were all very grateful,” Reyes said.

Safe haven. 1. Vice president Ariana Reyes takes the donations

from her club to orphange Colina de Luz, located in Tijuana, Mexico.

2. The women pictured greeted Reyes as she came in with the donations. They were “surprised at first, but very grateful.”

1.

2.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ARIANA REYES

page 16

High Tide

sports

Boys basketball begins league Face-off. Junior Morgan Means passes during the Inglewood game.

Photo by Dinah Aiad.

by Tyler Wunderli Boys basketball started league after winning against Inglewood this Wednesday, but they are without key player Billy Preston who transferred out of RUHS. The team won 74-63 this Wednesday at home and junior Elijah Nesbit thinks they will do well in league this year.

“We should be league champions again,” Nesbit said. “We’ve really improved from last year, everyone on the floor can actually do more than just one thing, everybody can dribble and mostly everybody can shoot.”

Senior Mike Munn agrees, however he does not think it will be quite as easy.

“I think we’re gonna do very well,” Munn said. “Although it’s gonna be tougher this

year than any of the previous years, but I think our team is strong enough to go undefeated in league if we play together and just continue to do what we do.”

While losing a player who is currently ranked 8th in the ESPN 25 class of 2017 may appear to have a huge effect, both Munn and Nesbit downplayed how much it will affect their team.

“He was a big role but we’re still a team, we don’t count on any individual to carry a team,” Munn said. “We’re still a group of players who play together and work together so we’ll be fine.”

However, according to Munn, they will have to improve as a team and work on some

specific skills.

“We just have to be more solid defensively, be more scrappy. We’re gonna have to really run the ball because we’re smaller than most teams,” Munn said.

Their gameplan will change, as expected, with Preston’s transfer. According to Nesbit, they “don’t really have bigs” and will often play four guards.

Looking ahead, they will play at Morningside. RUHS and Morningside both have 12 wins and 4 losses.

“I think we should beat them, but it should be a hard game; every game should be hard,” Nesbit said.

Munn agrees that no game is easy and

they cannot take anything for granted, even when they play teams that are not quite as good.

“We can’t take anyone too easy in league because we’re a target for a lot of teams in league to beat,” Munn said. “We need to come out ready to play every night.”

The team believes they have improved even just over the course of the season and have become closer.

“Over time we started to really mesh together as a team and the more time we spent, the more time we played, we really got to know each other’s abilities,” Munn said. “We’re really coming together, we’ve gotten a lot better like that.”

Girls soccer kicks off season

by Adam Yorke

PHOTOS BY CHANDLER ROSS

Pushing back. Junior Makayla Hughes dribbles the ball down the field during the game against Bishop Montgomery.

Girls soccer defeated Inglewood 8-0 on Jan. 13 to kick off their season.

“We played well, we just worked on implementing the things we’ve worked on in practice and putting the ball in the back of the net,” captain senior Marissa Marshall said.

Redondo can attribute their win to their movement on and off the ball and ability to keep possession.

“We worked hard, everyone had their head on a swivel looking for the next pass or shot,” freshman Ashley Herm said.

Recently, Redondo switched their formation from a 4-4-2 to a 3-5-2. Even with one less defender, RUHS kept a shutout.

“There hasn’t been any complications really, we adjusted really well and I constantly talk to my defenders and midfielders and tell them when to drop and what not, “Marshal said. “When the opposing team has the ball one of our midfielders drops in and we transform into a 4-4-2.”

Redondo’s defense is strong, but the attack needs to improve in order to compete with the stiffer competition.

“Lately, Shelly has been emphasizing that

we need to take more shots, and against the harder teams we will need to finish the shots we have,” Martinez said. “Building up to the goals on the attacking side could use a little more practice, but other than that we are solid.”

Redondo plays Morningside on Jan. 16, then Peninsula the following Tuesday. To prepare, Coach Shelly Marsden has incorporated a lot of running into their practice schedule.

“All of the fitness we have been doing has taught us how to work through the pain of heavy legs. It feels as if we were at the end of a close game and were pushing for the win,” Herm said.

The big win started off the season well for Redondo, but they know it only gets harder.

“Peninsula, Palos Verdes, and Costa are all very good teams and it won’t be easy getting the Bay League title, but I am confident we can do it if we play hard every game,” Marshall said. “I also believe we can make a deep run in CIF as well, but again we have to work hard, nothing is going to be handed to us, no matter how much talent we have.”

Jan. 16 , 2014

sports

Loss to Beverly Hills motivates boys soccer

page 17

by Mylene Silver

The boys soccer team lost 1-0 to Beverly Hills High School on the home field last Friday.

“We were really motivated to do well and keep a high intensity throughout the whole game. But going into it, I think we were a little cocky,” senior Ricky Olvera said. “Beverly Hills has always been a pretty competitive team. It was a fun, but I feel we could have done better.”

The loss set the team off with a chip on their shoulders as they enter the season, according to senior Manny Carillo.

“Beverly Hills came out hard and physical.

In the first half they were beating us to every ball but in the second half we definitely stepped up the intensity. It was the type of game where nothing really went our way,” Junior Daniel Kelly said.

Senior Brian Fonseca suffered from a hit 15 minutes into the first half which left him with a broken rib and concussion. The absence of their midfielder was a huge loss to the team and brought their game down, according to Carillo.

“We started the game with a new formation that we weren’t too used to playing. As the game went on, we lost control with that formation. It just really did not look like we were outplaying the other team in the first

Going for the goal.

PHOTO BY PETER TRAN

An RUHS player attemopts to score against Beverly Hills.

half,” Carillo said. “When we went down, I felt like we all just shut down mentally and we couldn’t get back in the game.”

The team started the second half with one of their more traditional formations, according to Carillo.

“Everyone is capable of playing at a high level it’s just making sure we play to that standard every game. In terms of weaknesses, there aren’t really any major ones,” Kelly said. “We’ve already addressed some issues in practice and we are improving every day.

According to Carillo, no single player can be praised because the team as a whole has been working really hard.

“Chemistry is definitely the strong point of our team. We all get along really well and we have team dinners before every game,” Kelly said. “I’ve learned that this is a really great team and if we stay focused, winning games is a very achievable goal.

As the season progresses, the team’s biggest goal is winning Bay League, according to Olvera.

“We take everything one game at a time so we just keep getting better and better,” Olvera said. “I don’t really see us getting worse because we have a great coach and our attitude is to improve. I think we’ll be alright.”

Girls water polo comes back after loss against Peninsula

by Zach Hatakeyama

Girls water polo persevered through a game against Peninsula last Thursday, taking a loss of 7-5. They then came back Wednesday, winning against PV 10-3, beating the team for the first time in about seven years.

Having played Peninsula before, the team went in knowing they were in for a struggle.

“We played Peninsula in a tournament in December and we beat them by one so we knew that this one was going to be a close game,” said senior Dinah Aiad.

RUHS faced many challenges that cost them the game during the first quarter.

“We came out really weak in the first quarter and it took all the way up to the half to figure out what we were doing,” sophomore Maddie McCaw said. “Once the third quarter came around, we really picked it up and didn’t let them score for the rest of the game.”

Senior Madison East believes that small mistakes were the team’s biggest issues.

“We made a lot of bad passes which gave up possibilities for goals. We also needed to be more aware of who was open so we could get the ball to them and score,” she said.

McCaw believes that without these mistakes, the team would have been successful in defeating Peninsula.

“If we had played the game without mistakes, like in the third quarter, we would have won hands down,” she said.

Since the game on Thursday, RUHS has

been anticipating a tournament coming up this weekend.

“Hopefully we play well this weekend.

Bishops and Fullerton are our first games and we have never played Fullerton before,” junior Ilene Guerrero said.

To ensure no mistakes are made at the tournament, the team has been practicing to strengthen their weaknesses by.

“We are already working on our passing.

Repetition is key and our upcoming tournament will give us the opportunity to perfect our game before the rest of our league games,” East said.

Because they have been practicing since their loss on Thursday, McCaw is hopeful they will come out victorious in the tournament.

“I know we’re matched up against some really good teams but I really think we can come out strong and possibly even win a trophy,” she said.

Along with being confident in the tournament this weekend, McCaw is also confident that the team will improve and have a successful season.

“I think this year is going to be one of the most successful ones in a long time,” she said. “No one really expects much from us and we are definitely the underdogs of the league, but that just makes me more excited to get out there and show the other teams what we can do.”

1.

On a roll.

1.

Junior Brooke Sullivan blocks a shot in the PV game last Wednesday. Photo

by Kamila Aouragh.

2. Captain sophmore Maddie McCaw gurads a Peninsula player in the home game last week. Photo by Chandler Ross.

2.

page 18

High Tide

sports

Shortboard. Sophomore Tate Curran competes in a shortboard competition last December. The surf team prepares for their upcoming competition against Peninsula.

Getting air

PHOTO BY KAMILA AOURAGH

Surf comes off a high in their recent win against West and looks to continue their streak

byJon Mallen Redondo surf dealt a crushing defeat Friday as they beat West Torrance High 109-41.

According to Freshman Max Grollman, the success is a regular occurrence this season.

“Our team has been competing really well,” Grollman “We’ve won all but one contest.”

Freshman Kolby Holdsworth contributes the team’s success to the usual lineup.

“We’re doing really well,” said Holdsworth, “Coach just puts in the same people every time, and it works.”

The girls of the team, according to Grollman, have brought in big points helping to

secure their many victories.

“The girls have done especially well in their heats, getting in the top three in almost all of the places,” Grollman said.

Along with the girls’ success, one sophomore has truly stood out this season, according to Holdsworth. His name: Kyle Beatty.

“Kyle Beatty is probably doing the best for us right now,” Holdsworth said.

Holdsworth attributes the success of Beatty in his technique.

“He knows where to sit, and he knows how to pull off and do everything really well,” Holdsworth said, “He’s just overall re-

ally good.”

Grollman, meanwhile, attributes Beatty’s victories to the hard work he puts in.

“He probably spends a lot of time in the water practicing,” Grollman said. “Along with that, he really goes after each wave from the time the contest starts to the time it ends and does his best to catch as many waves as possible.”

According to Grollman, the team as a whole along with Beatty has better ability above the rest of the local teams, such as their recent matchup against West Torrance.

“We just caught more waves than they did, and we were more aggressive,” Groll-

man said.

At the same time, poor conditions may have impaired West Torrance’s ability to bring in the points, according to Grollman.

“The conditions really weren’t that good, and it was really hard to get those maneuvers,” Grollman said, “I think Torrance just kinda struggled.”

So far, the surf team’s season brought in victory and has been a successful one, Grollman stated.

“Right off the beginning, we just start catching lots of waves,” Grollman said, “I’m really proud of the team because we do a really good job.”

Cheer qualifies for nationals

by Jason Clebowicz After finishing third place last year at the Jamz Palms and Pyramids competition, the cheer competition team won first place and a qualification for Jamz Nationals in Las Vegas.

The team experienced crisis the morning of the competition, with two members absent due to other complications.

Coach Karen Bustillos was left with no choice but to quickly alter their competition routine. This included taking out an entire stunt group, changing formations, and modifying previously rehearsed stunts.

“No one on the team slacked. We all coped with the situation the best we could, and tried to focus on the task at hand.

In the end, it worked out well for us,” Team Captain Keely Brooks said.

The competition was held last Sunday, January 11 at the Long Beach Pyramid (located on the Cal State University Long Beach campus).

Over 200 teams were present, each falling into one of 5 separate divisions. RUHS Cheer competed in division 3.1, the second highest skill level, and cheered against two other teams.

Made up of only 24 Cheerleaders (40 total cheerleaders in program), the RUHS Cheer Competition Team finds motivation in seeking a common goal.

“It’s nice to be part of a team where everyone wants to win. Our younger cheerleaders tried to make their first competition a good one, and our seniors demonstrated leader-

ship in one of their last,” Brooks said.

With a gratifying first place finish, RUHS Cheer will compete in the Jamz Nationals at the New Orleans Hotel in Las Vegas on Feb 20. Altogether, the cheer team has three competitions ahead of them, with the other two taking place Feb 15 at the Long Beach Pyramid and the other at the RUHS gymnasium Mar 22.

With the end of the 2014-15 season approaching, emotions are flared and anticipation is arising. This is the finish of an irreplaceable experience, and members want to make

PHOTOS COURTESY OF LAURYN ALEIJO

They’re soarin’, flyin’. The entire team competes in their most recent competition in Long Beach on Saturday.

the best of it.

“It’s an exciting time to be a cheerleader. I look forward to cheering with my team in the few competitions I have left as a Senior Captain, and I know we’ll go out there with all we have,” Brooks said.

Jan. 16, 2014

page 19

sports

Wrestling aims to use new strategies to prepare for upcoming competition against Santa Monica

PHOTO BY CHANDLER ROSS

Headlock. Senior Raven Mcauliffe wrestles his way out of a headlock in a recent competition.

by Simrun Ursani In the tournament over the weekend, the Redondo Varsity wrestling team came in 13th place and scored a total of 77 team points.

Wrestling coach Around Schonberg reveals some strategies he and his coaches use to prepare for duals and tournaments.

“We try to create a healthy balance between these kids so they aren’t just scrambling around. It’s a strategy that you take instead of just going out there,” Schonberg said. “We try

and teach them to stay in a good coil position so you are always ready to act, ready to attack.”

Schonberg is calling this year the “year of the individuals” where they focus on individual goals this season.

“All of a sudden there are a lot of kids that are being very successful because they are seeing things happening on the mat, and things happening on the mat is that you learn to con-

trol your opponent and, as a result of that, all of a sudden you are getting wins where as before you are getting losses,” Schonberg said.

Wrestlers Jack and Sungnak Shin reveal their goals for the upcoming season in hopes of achieving the best they can.

“My individual goal is not breaking myself mentally or physically, but also spiritually. I want to go as far as I can and possibly go down to state and place,” Sungnak said.

“My goal isn’t to place but I just want to grow mentally or physically,” Jack said.

Working for the rebound

by Mylene Silver Girls basketball lost against Mater Dei High School last Saturday at RUHS, with a score of 67-43.

“I think they’re supposed to be the number one team in the state and the nation. And we lost by a significant amount,” senior Nao Shiota. “For what it was, we’ve played really hard and I’m really happy with our efforts.”

According to junior Mica Enriquez, the team suffered from Mater Dei’s many fast breaks and easy shots.

“We were a little bit bummed because losing sucks, especially by that much,” Enriquez said. “But our coaches talked to us and told us they were proud of our efforts so I think that made us feel better.”

The team’s strong defensive side helped combat their weak offense, according to Enriquez.

“Nicole Swift came off the bench and gave a very nice spark to the team that we needed. Mica hit a couple of key threepointers,” Shiota said. “The other team’s players were like six feet and above.

According to Shiota, the team needs to focus on communicating, playing as a unit, and basket shots.

The brothers also describe the strategies they currently utilize and hope to use in upcoming duals.

“I try to take down and get as many points as I can. I use these moves called Butcher. I also use Halves a lot and also Turk. Those are the three main moves I use,” Sungnak said.

“I use whatever move I can use. The opponents can be really good and some can be sloppy so I just do what I can do,” Jack Shin said.

Schonberg believes that the team has begun to succeed because they finally believe in themselves.

“I think overall they are starting to believe in what we are trying to teach them. We can teach you everything you need to know to be a successful wrestler, but the key is believing,” Schonberg said.

Schonberg compares wrestling to chess because of its strategically skills one needs to be successful.

“It’s human chess so you have to figure out what my next opponent’s moves will be. Just like in chess, the first move can dictate the match,” Schonberg said.

Jack has hope for the future of his team because he sees the hard work and effort they put in the matches.

“Sometimes I watch their matches and I can clearly see that some other guys have wrestled a lot longer than our guys have but I saw that our players weren’t afraid and they fought with all their knowledge and all their skill,” Jack said.

Upcoming Games . . .

Event:

Location: Date:

Girls Basketball

Morningside High School

Today

Boys Soccer

Morningside High School

Today

Girls Soccer

Home

Today

Boys Basketball

Morningside High School

Today

Girls Water Polo

Placentia

Today - 1-17-15

Surfing

Hermosa Pier

1-17-15

Girls Basketball

Narbonne High School

1-17-15

Boys Basketball

Foothill Christian

1-17-15

Girls Water Polo

Home

1-19-15

PHOTO BY CHANDLER ROSS

Boxing out. Earlier in December in a tournament hosted at RUHS, sophomore Makenna Peneueta boxes out an opponent as she attempts to make a pass.

“I felt like our team was very connected during the game and we were on the same page even though we were down by so much,” Enriquez said. “We still had each others’ back.

And when somebody messed up or something we’d be like ‘it’s okay, you got it’. So it was nice.”

Before the game, the girls discussed playing without fear, according to Shiota.

“I think not only myself but my whole team learned that we can actually play with girls who are highly recruited and the best teams out there if we just give it our all. We can actually play with the bigger and supposed better girls,” Shiota said.

The team hopes to use this mentality to beat Morningside High School today at 3 p.m.

page 20

High Tide | Jan. 16, 2014

sports features

athlete of the issue: Justin Leavitt

Fast and furious Senior Justin Leavitt finds relief from his busy life of AP classes in being varsity soccer captain

by Jessica Johnson For senior Justin Leavitt, soccer isn’t just his sport or his passion; it’s also his stressreliever.

“Whenever I find everything to be too stressful I put what’s most important first and do my best to balance all my work and sports,” Leavitt said.

Even if he is “stressed out,” he goes to practices because he loves the atmosphere of being on a team.

“Being able to have fun while being energetic among friends and winning only makes it better,” Leavitt said.

Leavitt started playing soccer when he was five years old. His parents put him in AYSO and he “fell in love with the sport.” When he was 10 he moved to a club soccer team and still plays club soccer.

His biggest fans are his parents, according to Leavitt, and he credits them to the major successes in his life.

“My parents always do their best to be at all of my games and both of them fully support each decision I make,” Leavitt said.

In addition to his parents, his “self-motivation” and his passion for the game inspires him.

“I have always wanted to be my best, and on the soccer field I get to pursue my talents while having the time of my life,” Leavitt said. “Every goal we score brightens my day and sharing that joy with my entire team really brings the joy in soccer for me. In general, my passion for soccer and my aspirations keep me playing.”

Getting named captain of the high school varsity team is one of Leavitt’s proudest moments in his soccer career because he says that it has had many benefits in his personal life as well.

“It showed to me the team and coaches trust in me as a player and a leader. It’s a responsibility I enjoy and respect and every moment has been special,” Leavitt said.

With all his accomplishments there have been equal struggles with his soccer career. He says that his biggest disappointment was one season where his club team lost the majority of its games.

“It was an entire year of hardship that made me doubt my team and my individual abilities,” Leavitt said. “Luckily, we bounced back tremendously, I rose to become a leading scorer and my team had a close to perfect season the next year.”

Leavitt hopes to pursue soccer at any college he attends. Playing at a Division 1 college his dream.

“If it doesn’t work out all I know is that I’ll be playing, and if going professional ever becomes a possible reality I’d like to pursue that as well,” he said.

1.

2.

PHOTOS BY PETER TRAN

Soccer Star. 1. Justin Leavitt shields the ball

from two defenders in a game against Beverly Hills last week. 2. Leavitt prepares to kick the ball in the Beverly Hills game.