March 12, 2010

Page 4: Financial Aid Season is here. Students discuss the flaws and benefits of getting money for college.

Friday

focus

Today is the last day to pay for all Advanced Placement (AP) Tests. To order AP Tests you must register online and pay at the ASB Finance Office in room 202.

High Tide

Redondo Union High School

XC Number 9

Page 6: Redondo athletes reflect on their experiences in the junior olympics.

631 Vincent Park, Redondo Beach, CA 90277

March 12, 2010

Former student abandons newborn

Stage[d]

Right

8th grade parent night served as an unofficial grand opening for the new auditorium

general

Information

Jesse Canfield, class of ‘04, was released from custody after abandoning her baby last Wednesday.

The ASB Finance Office is open for student business at the following times only: before school, after school, snack, and lunch.

The College and Career Center student visit times are before and after school, at snack and at lunch. The center is closed during class hours except by appointment.

by Joey Hoy

Club

Information Auto Club-10 California Scholarship Federation- 301 Chess Club- 64 Fellowship of Christian Athletes- 823 French Club- 808 Heal the Bay- 205

info for

Students Remember that in order to park your car in the school parking lots, you must have a parking sticker for the current year for each vehicle you drive.

To get a parking sticker, please bring current and valid proof of vehicle registration, insurance, and driver’s license to room 202. Cost is $10.

Next Monday, March 15 is a minimum day schedule.

Winter formal photos will be available at lunch in room 202, ASB Finance Office. You may pick up your pictures before school, snack, lunch and after school ONLY. Please bring photo ID. If you earned outstanding grades in your academic courses last semester, you should apply to CSF— RUHS’s only academic honors society. Come to room 301 during lunch to pick up and return an application. All grade levels are eligible this semester. The deadline is March 30.

If you are hosting a student from Mexico, be sure to give your parents the information sheets about the parent meeting on Wednesday, March 31, at 7p.m. in the library.

weekend

weather

Saturday: Mostly sunny 64˚/50˚ Sunday: Sunny 69˚/53˚ Source: www.weather.com

High Tide What’s Inside...

Page 2, 3...............Opinion Page 4,5,6..............Features Pages 7,8..................Sports

1.

PHOTO BY ERIKA GAVITT

by Sonya Egan

The “grand opening” of the newly remodeled auditorium doubled as the 8th grade parent night Wednesday.

The $6 million project took approximately four months to complete, with the finishing touches added just hours before the event, according to Assistant Principal John Newman.

“We specifically waited for the affirmed date of completion and then scheduled the 8th grade parent night,” Newman said.

The 8th grade parent night served to give parents a good first impression of the school, complete with outdoor light projections, flashing “star trackers,” and a red carpet. “[Superintendent] Dr. Keller had talked about wanting [star trackers] jokingly, but I decided to look into it and make it a reality,” said Newman.

Parents of incoming freshmen were left with a positive view of the school.

“We were debating between public school and private school and, after tonight, we chose this one,” said Samir Radi, a Parras Middle School father.

Patty Bomar, whose daughter attends Adams Middle School, agrees.

“I feel very good about sending my daughter here, considering that I sent my son to Costa,” she said.

With most of the construction scheduled to be completed by next year, the class of 2014 will

3.

PHOTO BY CAMI WERNER-LONGO 1. According to Assistant Principal John Newman, the school intentionally planned the 8th grade parent night to be held in the new auditorium. “It is definitely intended as a public relations peice. We do want to present a good first impression, and the new building allows us to do just that,” he said. 2. The new auditorium bathrooms. 3. Light projectors welcomed parents to the parent night on Wednesday.

be able to reap the benefits.

“I love that everything is going to be done before she comes here in September,” said Bomar.

Bomar also commented on the recently finished auditorium.

“I’ve been here before for plays, so I’ve seen the before and after. It’s really nice and very professional,” she said.

For those interested in viewing the new building, Newman suggests attending upcoming events such as drama’s Spring Cabaret and the school-wide talent show.

“I would encourage students to see the facil-

2.

PHOTO BY ERIKA GAVITT

ity. Number one, to support our arts programs, and number two, to check out the new building,” he said.

The next event scheduled in the auditorium is the All-District Band Concert, which will be next Wednesday.

As for the 8th grade parent night, Newman feels that the parents’ impressions are going to be based on the presentation of the school as a whole.

“Anybody can have a nice building..but what [the parents] hear is going to be far important than just a nice building,” he said.

District to cut additional funds from budget

by Alexandra O’Hagan

At a community information meeting on Wednesday, Mar.3 at Parras Middle School, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Steven Keller announced that the Redondo Beach Unified School District (RBUSD) is planning to cut an additional $3 to $4 million from its 20102011 budget.

The school cut more than $5 million last year after two series of budget cuts, yet must plan to make this additional cut from its $65 million budget for the upcoming school year.

The current budget cut in question has technically not yet been approved by state leaders.

The governor has presented his 2010-11 budget proposal, which includes a $2.5 billion cut to public education. But with the current state of the economy, the RBUSD is taking no chances and planning ahead.

According to the RBUSD revenue history, the district is receiving less money per student for daily attendance.

In the 2008-09 school year, the state payed approximately $5,969.23 for each student per year. The state is now paying about $5,251.49 per student for the 2009-10 school year.

Another problem RBUSD is forced to contend with is that the state is paying all schools later. 25% of what the State owes the school district for 2009-10 will not be distributed until 2010-11. This leads to an upward trend in

the amount of money the school district must borrow until they are payed by the State.

To save money, the District must make changes in all levels.

The size for 9th grade math and English classes will increase. The size of the student to teacher ratio is predicted to increase to 30:1, and could possibly reach 35:1.

Principal Mary Little wants to keep the class sizes down.

“Our hope is to go to 30:1, but it depends on the union negotiations,” Little said. “We used to get money from the state for class size reduction, to keep classes small.”

The district no longer receives money to keep class sizes small, and now larger classes are necessary for saving money.

The school may also be offering fewer sections of 9th grade English and algebra. Fewer classes offered for 2009-10 present more savings for the district.

The Board of Education is looking into every opportunity for savings available. They are offering early retirement incentives and furlough days for teachers. Little estimates that if every teacher took two furlough days a year, the savings could amount to $440,000. The challenge is to try to take the furlough days outside of the instructional year.

Community support for the schools is crucial at this time. School staff is being forced to

do more with less, and the Board of Education agrees that help from the community will be needed.

“This will be a very difficult time for the teachers,” Board of Education Member Jane Diehl said. “Here’s a time to step up and ask ‘How are you doing?’”

“Attending school is huge,” Little said.

“Some parents even pay $36 for days when their student is absent for vacation.”

The Redondo Beach Education Foundation has presented another way for the community to support the School District, through a new program called Club 360.The program asks for a donation of $360 per family, but any donation is welcome.

The program strives to support school programs that are not receiving enough money to be run properly. It has supported the robotics and music programs, intramural sports, and bought new computers and updated technology for classrooms.

Despite of the impending budget cuts, Little retains a positive outlook for the future.

“It’s a tough time for everybody, but in spite of that the passage of Measure C and the new construction is making for exiting times.

I feel really fortunate that the Board had the foresight to get the bond. These fantastic new facilities will be a bright spot in the future.”

On Wednesday, Mar. 3 an infant’s body was found in a trashcan on North Irena St. in Redondo Beach. The mother of the child, Jesse Canfield, graduated from Redondo in 2004.

“It’s a terrible, terrible thing,” English teacher, Tim Ammentorp said.

Ammentorp taught Canfield her sophomore year for honors English.

“She was very bright and an excellent writer,” Ammentorp said. “She seemed to be popular with her peers.”

Despite being a good student, Canfield was not overly motivated according to Ammentorp.

“What she wanted to excel in, she did.

What she found valuable, she did brilliantly,” he said.

After being informed of the incident that occurred last Wednesday, Ammentorp was struck with sadness and disbelief.

“I thought that there’s no way that the Jesse I knew could do that when she was in her right mind. There’s no way the Jesse I knew could have done something like that,” he said.

Canfield has been released from custody pending further investigation. Charges will be contingent upon the cause of the baby’s death according to Redondo Beach Police Lieutenant Joe Hoffman.

“I thought that there’s no way that the Jesse I knew could do that when she was in her right mind.”

–– Tim Ammentorp “It is up to the district attorney at this point. It will wait about three weeks to see the cause of the baby’s death to see what charges will be brought.”

There is a law that protects mothers with unwanted children in cases such as this. The Safely Surrendered Baby Law was implemented on January 1, 2001 and signed into legislation by Arnold Schwarzenegger making the law effective in January 2006.

“Unwanted children can be dropped off at any hospital, police station or fire station and can be given the care that they need,” Hoffman said.

The law is an alternative to those mothers who are unwilling or unable to care for their child.

“People won’t be punished in anyway for giving up a child they can’t care for,” Hoffman said. “The child can be given the care that it needs.”

Since Dec. 31, 2009, 331 newborn babies were surrendered in California. Los Angeles County leads the state with 64 surrendered babies since the laws induction.

“Public awareness [of the law] is very important at this point so something like this won’t happen again,” Hoffman said.

Even though a tragic event struck a former Redondo student, Ammentorp is hopeful towards the school’s reputation.

“Obviously we take pride in our students who go on and do well, so I think rational people won’t let this color their perceptions of the school,” he said.

Page

Opinion

2

March 12, 2010

Letters to the Editor

sonya speaks

by Sonya Egan

Obituary

If you have an opinion about one of the articles published in the High Tide, we welcome letters to the editor.

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 bring signed letters to room 209.

High Tide Editor-in-Chief: Sonya Egan Managing Editors: Danielle Lew; Austin Pritzkat News Editor: Molly Simon; Claire Simon Opinion Editor: Jackson Greer Features Editors: Ashley Pournamdari; Julia Uriarte; Sophia Lykke; Dylan Futrell; Jonathan Martin; Jake Collins Sports Editor: Jessica Cascio Photo Editors: Daniel Fallon; Erika Gavitt Copy Editors: Josh Hillsburg; Joey Hoy; Brittney Madera; Adam Ammentorp; Mark Rieth; Christina Mehranbod Cartoonists: Josh Hillsburg; Asad Nazif Staff Writers: Vanessa Alarcon; Cody Anderson; Victoria Balding; Ramya Bhaskar; Shannon Bowman; Claire Chiara; Kelsey Chung; Alexis Curtis-Olson; Michael Cross; Julia Denney; Brianna Egan; Kaelee Epstein; Josh Fogelson; Daniel Garzon; Allie Goldberg; Ulises Gonzalez; Garrett Gutierrez; Meglyn Huber; Bethany Kawa; David Kawa; Steven King; Anthony Leong; Elisa Martinez; Cammille Mitchell; Asad Nazif; Alexandra O’Hagan; Joy Ohiomoba; Alison PeetLukes; Madeline Perrault; Alix Politanoff; Melissa Rosero; Allison Salazar; Alyssa Sanchez; Derek Sarno; Katie Scheyer; Laura Shodall; Casey Smith; Shelby Stitch; Shayna Stuart; Emily Sutton; Emily Vavrek; Anneliese Wilson; Alyssa Wolf Adviser: Mitch Ziegler The High Tide dedicates itself to producing a high-quality publication that both informs and entertains the entire student body.

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

The High Tide is published by the journalism class at Redondo Union High School, 631 Vincent Park, Redondo Beach, CA 90277.

Advertising is $7.50 per column inch, $6.00 if paid in advance. For information call (310)798-8665 ext. 2210.

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

Middle class gets little financial aid Working hard for four years to get into a great college may take care of the matter of actually being accepted to the school.

But in terms of actually enrolling there, another factor becomes equally, if not more, significant: money.

Now, this doesn’t seem to be much of a problem for those wealthy enough to pay their way through school, or for those destitute enough to receive much of their tuition through financial aid given by the college.

The people who are really hurt by high tuition costs are those who are right in the middle—too poor to pay themselves, yet too wealthy to receive almost any financial aid.

Some people refer to this situation as being in the “awkward gap.”

91.3% of all dependent students whose families have an income level below $40,000 a year receive some sort of financial aid, while only 64.9% with an income level over $100,000 yearly receive any (National Center for Education Statistics).

And judging by test performance in lowincome areas—those who earn over $200,000 a year receive an average of 321 points higher than those earning under $20,000 on the SAT (USA Today)—actual performance scholarships (rather than need-based aid) are probably given at a higher rate at the $100,000 or higher level than at the lower level.

Editorial

This means that the gap is even greater than the statistics show.

The students in higher-income brackets most likely receive a majority of their financial aid from performance-based scholarships.

Those in low-income brackets probably receive very little in that category.

Many schools can’t even afford a career center

The people who are really hurt by high tuition costs are those who are right in the middle—too poor to pay themselves, yet too wealthy to receive almost any financial aid. like the one we are fortunate enough to have.

But none of this is really unexpected.

The point the data makes is that frankly, it’s difficult to get any need-based aid from any college, or from the federal or state government, if your parents make a relatively high yearly income.

So that leaves those stuck in the “awkward gap” just that—stuck. However, there are a few ways out.

Student loans are never something great to overload yourself with, and should be avoided if possible.

But making payments on around $50,000$60,000 over a long period of time can’t hurt too much, especially if you plan to make a good living with your investment.

But what if that school you’ve been dying to go to ends up costing way more than you can even take out loans for? Then, it’s time to look at alternatives.

Many schools are willing to give money to students who they accept, anyway. Ivy League schools, and schools of great prestige often pay to help get students they want to attend.

Obviously, the most effective method of getting money to pay for college is through scholarships.

While it is true that one should not completely depend on scholarships, whoever said that there is a scholarship for everyone is absolutely right.

There are scholarships for tall people, lefthanded people, and even people good at making duck calls (www.collegeandfinance.com).

With all these opportunities for scholarships, it seems likely that everyone will receive something, assuming you go out of your way to get it.

So don’t be discouraged because you’re in the “awkward gap.”

Though it will be more difficult to pay for college, it is far from impossible.

Navy prepares to allow women on submarines

Incriminating photos should stay off web

How many students at Redondo have added pictures to their Facebook or Myspace of them plastered drunk at some party?

Did you know that anything you say or Michael Cross do on your MySpace, Facebook, YouTube account, or IMs can be used against you in a court of law?

Recently courts have ruled that despite any privacy settings on your accounts, everything online is fair game in court.

Many people may not realize how much this applies to them, but take for example a student who throws a party and it gets rolled by the cops.

The original ticket may be around $500 or involve some community service hours, but when brought to court the prosecuting attorney pulls up several pictures and videos of you from other nights of drunken debauchery.

The judge now has more reason to increase your punishment to the full extent of the law.

Colleges and businesses are also using Facebook and MySpace to investigate potential employees or students.

An administrator for a middle school got fired for postings on his Facebook. He had

An unnamed baby was found dead in the depths of a trash bin on Wednesday March 2, 2010. The baby is survived by its mother. There will be no memorial service.

Please direct your condolences to preserving its memory.

During its few short hours on Earth, the baby did not leave behind a lofty list of accomplishments. Nor did it ask for flowers at its funeral. It didn’t even ask for a funeral.

The baby found on the corner of Irena and Beryl last Wednesday struck a chord in many Redondo resident’s hearts because in our quaint, beachside town, babies are generally loved and nurtured.

It’s easy to pass judgement on its mother, a former student here, and wonder how she could allow such a thing to happen.

But we can’t judge her without knowing her story: the panic she must have felt and the dilemma she was in. And besides, this isn’t about a mother—it’s about a baby.

According to Project Cuddles, an organization that aims to raise awareness on the consequences of infant abandonment, about 57 babies are abandoned per day— and these are only the ones that have been found. How many children pass away unnoticed every day?

It’s a scary question to answer, and one that has resonated with me for a very long time. Infant abandonment is an issue that is dear to my heart.

In eighth grade, I did a semester-long project as part of Democracy in Action at Parras Middle school aimed at raising awareness for infant abandonment.

During my research, I remember reading an article on a woman who dedicated herself to creating tiny graves for abandoned infants. Forgotten at birth, at least the babies could be remembered at death.

In honor of our baby’s memory we can educate ourselves and our friends on the consequences and alternatives for infant abandonment.

It is illegal to abandon a child. But, thanks to California’s Safe Surrender Baby Law, women who cannot take care of their newborn can leave the child at any hospital, police or fire department, anonymously and without any fear of repurcussions.

57 babies each day are abandoned, neglected and forgotten.

But our baby will be different. Our baby doesn’t need an obituary in the paper. It doesn’t need a memorial or a tombstone.

It doesn’t even need a name. Regardless of the circumstances, our baby will be different because we will remember it.

joined groups titled, “I Love Watching Fights at School,” and, “Everyone Hates ___.”

Imagine the look on your parents’ faces when the acceptance to your top choice gets rescinded because of pictures the school found of you on your Facebook.

Two female students at an all-Lutheran school were suspended for comments they made on their MySpace pages about their sexual orientations and relationship.

A police officer was fired for posting information on his MySpace regarding an arrest he made.

On top of these punishments, it would be extremely difficult to find a job or get into college.

Everything you post on the internet can be traced back and used against you.

E-records, as they are commonly referred to, can last forever and can come back to bite you years down the line.

Take Michael Phelps, for example.

The holder of sixteen Olympic medals almost had his career shot because a picture of him taking bong rips was posted on the Internet.

Our generation as a whole spends a majority of their time on Facebook and MySpace, often not recognizing the consequences of their actions.

Despite how cool it might look to your friends, pictures of you smoking and drinking can get you arrested and fined.

The role of women in the military has been an issue since our country’s creation. Women have taken many steps, even going as far as assuming male Cody Anderson identities, in order to serve alongside men in almost every American conflict dating back to the American Revolution.

They have been gradually allowed more roles in America’s military, but active combat roles have been off limits until recently.

The Navy first allowed women to serve with men in combat on surface warfare ships in 1993, and is now preparing to allow female naval personnel to serve aboard submarines.

The move comes in light of the Army Chief of Staff’s recommendation that it was time to revisit the rules restricting women in combat roles, and the approval of the plan by the Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates.

But is the military really ready to allow women to serve with men in active combat roles?

The announcement of the Navy’s plans has ignited a surge of controversy, and this controversy itself calls into question if the benifits outweigh the risks of such

a move.

When women were first allowed to serve aboard surface warfare ships, cases of sexual harassment, pregnancy, and other issues were common. But these issues were to be expected with women and men living and working together for long periods of time. War ships were not designed to accommodate both men and women.

Quarters are tight, privacy is limited, and tours of duty are long.

Allowing women to serve alongside men without taking necessary precautions is a huge risk. Introducing female crew, especially to the extremely tight quarters of a submarine, jeopardizes not only the safety and well being of the women, but the combat readiness of the entire crew.

Regardless, women should be allowed to serve in every aspect of combat. Already, countless honorable women have served our country, taking on roles of leadership and risk.

They have performed their duties not only under enemy fire, but under the fire of the men they serve with who do not feel women have a place in the military.

Despite this, they continue to serve, sometimes making the ultimate sacrifice for the nation they love.

So long as there is a risk, however, equality needs to come second to the safety of our forces abroad and the security of our nation.

Opinion

March 12, 2010

Page

3

Cutting senior year: innovative or unwise?

PRO

Senior year in high school is known for being the relaxed year. For most students, taking challenging classes and bringing home stellar grades isn’t as important.

After first semester, senioritis spreads like a plague, with college acceptance letters draining seniors of any motivation they have left.

Doing away with senior Mark Rieth year and changing the graduation requirements would be an efficient use of the school’s resources, and although the idea seems far-fetched, it’s currently being discussed in some school districts.

Senator Chris Buttars of Utah has proposed a bill that would eliminate 12th grade for certain high schools. Eliminating the 12th grade, or creating an opt-out system, could save Utah $60 million (www. latimes.com). Creating a similar system for schools in California would save the state desperately needed money.

With all the saved money from omitting senior year, the schools could allocate money to other areas. More electives, improved facilities, and new text books, for example, could all be made possible.

At first, this solution seems unrealistic. High school has traditionally been four years long and

With all the saved money from omitting senior year, the schools could allocate money to other areas. More electives, improved facilities, and new text books could all be made possible. simply eliminating a year for the sake of money seems over the top.

But for students, it’s a perfectly feasible plan. Some students go out of their way to fulfill the graduation requirements and graduate early anyway. Eliminating 12th grade in high school would allow students to use that year more efficiently. Instead of taking high school classes, students could take classes at the

community college. If students have the freedom to take classes at a community college, then they can get a taste of college before even going there.

Not only would this better prepare students for college, but it would also save them money. Classes taken at El Camino are more likely to count for college credit than AP classes, and they’re much cheaper than courses taken at a four year university.

Nixing senior year cuts down on costs for schools, and it could save students some money as well. But if only three years of high school seems too radical, then an opt-out option that makes it easy for students to choose between three years and four years is also a possibility.

The fact is, California can’t come up with the money that it needs to sustain the current costs of education, and budget cuts are being made left and right.

While other measures to save money could take away from students, eliminating senior year–or making an opt-out option–actually benefits students. It gives them the freedom to apply directly to college, or to use their vacant senior year to take college level classes at community college.

around

Redondo

How would cutting senior year affect your future plans? Would cutting it be beneficial or detrimental to students?

“I don’t think that [cutting twelfth grade] would bother me at all, but it wouldn’t help [students].”

–Paige Rumery, 10

“[It would be harmful for students]; I don’t think after junior year you could live on your own.”

–Konrad Schreier, 12

“I wouldhave to take more classes and I would be more unprepared.”

–Benni McLaughlin, 10

“[Cutting twelfth grade would be detrimental because] I need those classes to graduate.”

CON

–Alex Oetzell, 11

Will cutting the 12th grade prove to be beneficial to the economy?

This is the premise of Utah’s financial plan to redeem their state debt and, frankly, it seems quite illogical.

According to the LA Times, Utah plans to save $60 million by cutting the 12th grade in order to reduce Julia Denney their state debt.

After thoroughly thinking this plan over, it seems potentially more destructive than beneficial to the economy.

This plan actually will counteract its goals by charging the state and the American taxpayer more.

It is very possible that cutting the 12th grade could add pressure on funding for junior colleges.

With fewer people getting into college due to lack of credits, many would rely on junior college for an op-

portunity to go further in their education if this plan was in place.

In order to pay for this extra education, more teenagers will start to compete for lower paying jobs.

Consequently, a teenager willing to work for a lower salary will eliminate other potential workers and force them into unemployment.

This plan will actually counteract its goals by charging the state and the American taxpayer more.

Therefore, increased unemployment rates lead to more taxes for the average American tax payer.

After considering the fiscal consequences of Utah’s strategy, the next factor that will affect students is the lack of maturity at age 16 or 17.

The last year in high school is essential for gaining confidence and for developing skills before entering college; so without a 12th grade, students simply would

not be mature enough for the college experience.

Along with maturing, many seniors develop their education in the sense that they master every basic subject in the 12th grade.

If students did not have their senior year to master each subject, graduation rates would potentially decrease because some students need this final year of high school to pass the CAHSEE and similar exit exams.

Besides the basic subjects, other subjects, from economics to another year in Spanish, are critical for succeeding in the real world. College acceptance rate would drastically change if the 12th grade was eliminated.

Essentially the whole country would have to eliminate the 12th grade, otherwise college acceptance would be unfair for the states without the 12th grade.

Even if the whole country unanimously switched to this system, our government would be advocating limited opportunity–not quite the land of opportunity that it originally promised.

The American education system is already flawed, and this drastic change would hurt American education more than it would help.

Health food can be too much of a good thing Many people these days are trying to eat healthy. But is there such a thing as eating too healthy? It’s called orthorexia—an unhealthy obsession with eating healthy foods.

It may sound conGarrett Gutierrez tradictory, but in fact orthorexia is a type of anorexia, and may result in severe weight loss.

In a culture obsessed with food, it’s not uncommon to find people starving themselves while others gorge on Big Macs and giant portions.

While anorexics refuse to eat in order to stay thin, out of some distorted self-image, orthorexics refuse to eat anything they deem “impure” or unhealthy, which often results in a lack of adequate nutrition.

When faced with the option of eating saturated-fat laced burgers or going without eating for days on end, orthorexics will always go without (todaysdietitian.com).

It’s strange to think that unhealthy behaviors can result from something that seems inherently healthy, but the real enemy facing people with eating disorders is obsession. Obsessing over eating can lead to obesity, anorexia, or-

thorexia, bulimia, or any one of numerous eating disorders.

In the case of orthorexia, obsessing over the consumption of only healthy foods can lead to emaciation or malnutrition. Additionally, eating too many healthy foods or obsessing over living a healthy lifestyle can lead to overnutrition, which ironically enough is a form of malnutrition (webmd.com).

Obesity is one result of overnutrition, caused by excessive intake of food and nutrients in general. And most people realize too much fat and salt will wreak havoc on one’s body, but an often overlooked form of overnutrition is consuming more vitamins than necessary. Although vitamins and minerals are essential for optimal health, taking too much niacin to counteract one’s high cholesterol can result in irreversible liver damage.

Too much of just about anything will kill you, and health foods and vitamins are no exception. Popping eleven multivitamins a day and eating nothing but spinach, tofu, and organic honey can be substantially worse for you than smothering your morning toast in butter and sugary jelly or having a burger every once ina while.

Moderation is key in America’s fight to combat eating disorders. Whether someone’s

obsessing over staying thin, always eating everything in sight, or only eating healthy foods, unhealthy behaviors merit a change in how one views the food he or she eats.

A burger every once and a while isn’t going to kill you, as long as you skip on other unhealthy choices and aim for a generally healthy lifestyle.

It all comes down to choice. Although some humans are predisposed to have preferences in their food choices, or have thyroid or hormonal conditions that may contribute to their eating disorders, medications can only go so far. In a western civilization with unlimited access to food around every corner, individual choices determine what one consumes. So if you want to be healthy, make healthy choices, but allow for a little wiggle-room. Likewise, if you want to end up with clogged arteries and an early death, you can choose to smother all of your food in grease.

Real health is determined by one’s ability to make positive, healthy choices, without being obsessive.

Eating a Big Mac is substantially healthier than not eating for days because one can’t find any healthy foods around. Just be sure not to add extra salt on your fries and down twelve sodas while you gorge.

“I’d say [cutting twelfth grade] is beneficial.

You have easier classes and nothing is really expected of you.”

–Josh McClendon, 12

“It’s important because we’re we are going straight out into the world.”

–Kyle McLay, 12

Compiled by Anneliese Wilson and Jake Collins

Page

Features

4

March 12, 2010 START HERE

Eligibility

Loan Cap

The Financial Aid Maze

Morris sees greater financial aid in depressed economy

by Emily Sutton

The country’s economic crisis is causing the price of college education to rise dramatically, and the increase of scholarship funding is helping students everywhere obtain financial aid, according to Career Center adviser Karen Morris.

“The amount of money being put into scholarships has actually increased over these past years because people know the cost of education has become so high,” Morris said.

Those sponsoring scholarships and financial aid are expanding and actually giving out more money to a larger group of individuals than they have in the past.

“I solicitate at least a couple hundred scholarships from community organizations and I have found that a very large percentage of them have increased the amount of money they are giving out to students, regardless of the economy’s condition,” Morris said.

There are new annual scholarships being created every year, and only few end up being cut because their sponsor can no longer afford them.

“A very low percentage of the scholarships that are given out every year are being pulled out because of the nation’s economic crisis,” Morris said. “However some organizations are pulling out the money that was originally meant for individual students and putting it towards the community instead.”

Many large organizations are increasing their scholarship amounts such as Tylenol and the Coca-Cola Company.

“Everyone knows that the prices for college have risen dramatically and the large corporations are willing to help students achieve the education they want by helping them afford it,” Morris said.

Smaller local organizations such as the Hermosa Beach Women’s Club have recently raised each of their scholarships by $500.

“Even private and small organizations have increased the amount they are giving to graduating seniors more so than in past years,” Morris said.

With prices of college rising more each year, the students are utilizing all the possible opportunities for scholarships.

“This year I have found more stu-

dents than ever coming into the Career Center searching for different financial aid and scholarship opportunities,” Morris said.

Despite the recession, new financial aid is being created all the time to assist student and families in this hard economic time.

“I get so excited when new organizations will come to me and want to provide scholarships for our students,” Morris said.

The price of education after high school are becoming so high that financial aid opportunities is becoming essential for students to continue their educations.

“Right now we would be lucky if the amount of money put into scholarships would remain the same as past years, but the fact that it is increasing is even better,” Morris said.

With the Career Center being used more and organizations putting more funding into their scholarship opportunities, student’s capability to receive an education past high school has increased greatly.

“I am very passionate about students applying for scholarships and using available help in continuing their education,” Morris said.

What do you do when you are stuck in the middle?

FAFSA

by Brittney Madera

Your family can’t afford to pay for all of your college education, but they make just enough money for you to not receive financial aid. Sound familiar? It does to senior Catherine Eskilson, who finds herself in that awkward position of being in the middle.

“The government says [my dad] makes too much money for me to be qualified for financial aid, since your parents have to be below a certain income for you to be considered for many financial aid programs,” Eskilson said.

Although the government says that her parents’ income is enough, Eskilson feels that it is unfair for her family who will not be able to afford to pay for both her and her brother’s college educations, especially after paying more taxes than most.

“Yes, they do make more money than some, but that doesn’t mean we can just write a check for my college—not to mention my brother’s after mine—education without it having an effect,” she said. “It’s frustrating. It seems like that a lot of the time people assume because you have a job and pay your bills and make over a certain amount of money that they should [be able to] pay for an expensive education.”

Having been prepared for financial

Guaranty Fee

Default

Grants

END HERE

Scholarships

Relatives survive devastating earthquake in Chile n Various family members recount their own experiences and the experiences of their relatives in the 8.8 earthquake that struck Chile.

by Melissa Rosero

His bed begins to shake, frames fall to a shatter, windows roar and rumble as he feels that his room has been consumed by a loud and violent thunder storm. He stands up to look out the window and sees that everything has been consumed by darkness, with only the cries of the evacuators and the car alarms ringing in his ears.

On Feb. 27, an earthquake of a magnitude of 8.8, the seventh strongest earthquake ever recorded, struck just off the coast of Chile.

While over 700 people did die, Chile’s enforcement of standard earthquake proof measures significantly decreased the amount of casualties, compared to the 200,000 Haitians who died in the recent 7.0 earthquake.

Sophomore Francisco Peralta’s brother, Andres Peralta, felt the earthquake first hand.

Andres who lives in Santiago, the capitol of Chile which is located 205 miles

from the earthquakes epicenter, felt the magnitude of the earthquake.

“Although the earthquake hit at 3:34 a.m., I was still awake. I was on the 12th floor of my building and the building felt like it was floating or falling. I really thought I was going to die as the building swayed violently back and forth until we finally evacuated the building,” Andres said.

The swaying motion that Andres felt was the rubber counterweights that have been incorporated into many larger buildings as an earthquake resistance measure that allows buildings to sway side-to-side rather than collapsing.

Unlike Francisco’s family who was completely unharmed by the earthquake, many were affected.

Junior Rio Anderson’s family, who live just 60 miles from the earthquakes epicenter in Talcahuano, felt devastating results.

“My family’s house went completely down and nothing was left standing, but at least my family managed to get out of the house with only minor scratches and bruises,” Anderson said.

Anderson’s family had built an earthquake resistant foundation for their house; it was not strong enough to withstand the 8.8 quake.

Although this earthquake resistance measure did not work, Anderson’s family had previously mapped out a plan and stored emergency supplies in case of an

emergency.

“They have loads and loads of bags full of blankets, clean clothes, foods, undergarments, and toiletries. They even had enough supplies stored to help other families who hadn’t prepared anything,” Anderson said.

Chile usually experiences more than one earthquake a day, all varying in magnitudes above 3.0.

The highest earthquake ever recorded was in Chile and had a 9.5 magnitude.

Being a fairly developed country, Chile’s earthquake measures for buildings are substantially advanced, so that total chaos did not result from the 8.8 magnitude earthquake.

Many houses that were destroyed are being re-built to withstand greater magnitudes.

“The local church is helping to build my family’s home to withstand 8.0 earthquakes and bigger so that others can be sheltered in case of another emergency,” Anderson said.

By following emergency plans and precautions, many Chileans saved their lives and their houses, unlike those who lived in Haiti.

“I don’t know what my family would of done if they hadn’t stored supplies. Not only are these supplies helping my family live through this disaster, but they are helping others with their struggle as well,” Anderson said.

aid rejection, Eskilson’s parents have been doing everything they can to save money for their children’s educations.

“My parents have been pretty fiscal.

They have been saving money and not doing too many things that are financially draining, like keeping the two cars we have had for a long time, no huge, expensive vacations and whatnot,” Eskilson said.

Eskilson has also been looking into other options to help pay for her education as well.

“I’ve been looking for more merit-based scholarships, ones that you don’t need to have below a certain income to apply for.

Hopefully the college I end up going to will also award me some of their merit based scholarships,” she said. “I will probably [also have to] take out a student loan.”

Many seniors in this situation have received the same notification: “The California Student Aid Commission has reviewed information from your FAFSA and GPA and determined that you will not be awarded a Cal Grant Entitlement award.”

However, according to Karen Morris of the College and Career Center, government financial aid is not the only way to pay for college.

According to Morris, colleges will send their admitted students school-awarded financial aid packages, which should cover part of to all of their costs, by April. These financial aid packages may include student loans or work-study opportunities.

However, if a student finds that their financial aid package isn’t enough, there is another solution.

“Students not satisfied with award letters should contact the financial aid director with their circumstances by letter,” Morris said.

She is willing to help those who need assistance with these letters.

However, according to Morris, many students would not be this worried about receiving scholarships had they filled out the College and Career Center’s Scholarship Folders, which only 225 seniors out of 572 have.

“I wish all the students would take the opportunities offered to them by the College and Career Center and be more proactive,” Morris said.

March 12, 2010

Features

Page

5

Halverson plays AVP volleyball

by Madeline Perrault

As he runs in to his first period chemistry class, teacher Braidy Halverson stashes his volleyball equipment and begins to teach, all thoughts of his early morning practice behind him.

Four years ago, Halverson became part of Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP).

“I’ve been playing volleyball since I was in 7th grade. Fourteen years,” Halverson said.

Halverson played club volleyball at Cal Poly San Louis Obispo all throughout his college years, and received a B.S. in biochemistry.

Now, he tries to get out to the beach about three to four times per week to practice, and is currently training for an AVP tournament in Fort Lauderdale, Florida over spring break.

Even with a teaching job, Halverson continues to play volleyball.

“There are many things about beach volleyball that keep me playing. The beach lifestyle, the high level of competition, the opportunity to travel around the world, and simply the love of the sport,” Halverson said.

Although he has the chance to play all around the world, Halverson still says his two favorite beaches to play at are in Hermosa Beach and Santa Cruz.

Halverson is sponsored by FLUID Recovery and Unlimited Fitness and is currently ranked 8th in number of blocks with 1.42 blocks per game, according to the AVP website.

He is ranked among other professionals including Phil Dalhausser who won gold in volleyball at the 2008 summer Olympics in Beijing.

Halverson’s partner, Billy Allen, is ranked 7th in number of digs per game (4.82 digs per game) in front of Dalhausser’s partner and gold medalist Todd Rogers, according to the AVP website.

In volleyball a dig is a way of passing the ball back from a starting down low position. It is most often used to prevent someone’s spike from hitting the ground.

Halverson and Allen have been partners for three seasons and are currently ranked 12th on tour.

They have even had the opportunity to play against Dalhausser and Rogers.

“The best team I have ever played against are Phil

Dalhausser and Todd Rogers. They won the Olympic gold medal at the last Olympics and they are currently the best beach volleyball team in the world,” Halverson said. “Needless to say, we’ve never beaten them.”

Although Halverson and Allen have never won gold themselves, they have managed to earn 5th place at the Atlanta Open, their career best.

Due to his success, Halverson thought about quitting teaching to focus on volleyball.

“About two years ago, when I was teaching at Torrance High, I quit for a year to just play volleyball, but I decided I wanted to do both. That’s when I was hired at Redondo,” he said.

Even with the effort he has to put in to be a professional athlete, Halverson makes teaching a priority.

Also, he values the time he can spend teaching in the classrom.

“Being a teacher and a professional beach volleyball player complement each other very nicely. During the summer I can travel and compete freely and during the school year I can still train, but I can focus on teaching” Halverson said.

AHF offers internships

Speight interns at production company

by Steven King

The Academy of Health and Fitness (AHF) is a specialized program for students who wish to enter the health and fitness industry. The academy’s unique schedule gives seniors a diverse range of classes such as kinesiology, physiology, and a new internship program that gives students hands-on experience in the professional world.

“There is no better resume builder than the internship program here at the AHF,” Duncan Avery, AHF Internship Instructor and coach, said.

According to Avery, the program gives precedent to AHF students.

“I think our program is a unique opportunity for students, especially in these economic times,” Avery said.

“A lot of these businesses are happy to hire interns who have worked for nearly six months.”

Among the list of organizations willing to accept interns are Gold’s Gym and Smack Sportswear.

“It gave me a piece of real life outside of high school,” senior Brianna Ettley said. “I feel that my time working as an intern was a very valuable experience.”

Ettley, who worked at Smack Sportswear for one month admits that her time spent as an intern grew a little tedious. “[The staff at Smack Sportswear] asked the new interns what kind of work we were interested in,” Ettley said, “I said I was interested in graphic design, but because my stay there was so short, they had me do busy work, such as answering the phone and the like.”

Ettley, who is currently interested in interning at a film studio is seeking a suitable location, somewhere not as far as her thirty minute commute to Smack Sportswear.

Senior Alex Washington, who has been working at

by Annica Stitch

PHOTO BY DANIEL FALLON

Senior Brianna Ettley sits attentively in her AHF kinesiology class. Ettely, like many other AHF students, had the opportunity to intern at various companies.

Gold’s Gym since the beginning of February, recognizes the importance of her stay as an intern as well.

“By practicing and dealing with real work situations, us interns receive valuable experience,” Washington said, “Having my friends work there as well is just a bonus.”

The internship programs offered at Gold’s Gym and Smack Sportswear have the interns work four hours over the course of two days, divisible by the interns’ preference. During the first semester of the AHF intern program, students were set up into several “businesses,” and tasked with designing, manufacturing, and marketing a product.

The simulation was designed to give seniors a professional work environment coupled with the stress of competition.

“My plan was to give the students a chance to think critically about the challenges that accompany everyday workers,” Avery said, “So that, by the time they accepted their intern positions, they were ready.”

While the internship program and Avery are new to AHF, the futures for both appear to be stable.

“Seeing these students change to workers, and applying what they learn in the classroom to a business situation is a very special thing to see,” Avery said.

Fernandez finds joy in internship at animal hospital

by Casey Smith

Senior Erika Fernandez arrives at Signal Hill Animal Hospital at 8:30 a.m. in the morning and heads straight to the cat boarding room. Opening the door, a familiar sound of meowing greets her. After saying hello to all the animals, she heads to the back room to change. By nine o’ clock, she’s suited up and ready to lend a helping hand.

The summer before ninth grade, Fernandez and her aunt took their dog to the animal hospital for a check up. Her aunt had already been visiting Signal Hill for the past fifteen years.

“My aunt knew the veterinarian Dr. Boctor pretty well already, but it was my first time speaking with him,” Fernandez said, “I was a bit shy, but I asked for an application and he gladly gave me one.”

Fernandez didn’t get the job of an actual employee, but the hospital had agreed to let her do an internship.

“They understood how much I loved animals and

PHOTO COURTESY OF BRAIDY HALVERSON

Brady Halverson competes in a volleyball match. Halverson competes in professional volleyball matches when he is not teaching chemistry.

they told me that an extra pair of hands would be great,” Fernandez said.

Fernandez has now been doing an internship at the animal hospital for the past three and a half years.

Her job is to assist the technicians with anything that they need, giving animals baths, cleaning cages, cutting nails and even preparing shots.

“I do a lot but the majority of my job is cleaning up the hospital. One can only imagine the mess an animal can make over night,” Fernandez said.

Fernandez also helps with the animals by preparing them for x-rays, ultra sounds, vaccines and such.

“Sometimes the technicians have a lot on their plate and cant handle every animal patient on their own,” Fernandez said.

Although this may seem like a busy job, Fernandez does it all for free.

“Someday I could be a vet, and I know that this experience will pay off,” said Fernandez, “This internship is only helping me in the long run.”

Fernandez decided she wanted to try for a job at

Signal Hill in eighth grade. She had always dreamt of working with animals as far back as she can remember.

“I’ve always loved animals, but I never knew if I actually wanted to be a vet,” said Fernandez, “Working at Signal Hill has only helped me realize how much I do want this for a profession.”

Her employer and fellow employees had nothing but good things to say about Fernandez.

“We love Erika’s cooperative, positive, and energetic attitude towards any task that she is given,” said Dr. Boctor, “She completes all tasks asked of her in an orderly and timely manner.”

In order to fulfill her dream of becoming a veterinarian, Fernandez plans on attending a four year college to get a degree. After she would like to go to UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine where she can receive her vet license.

“I believe that I can make it far in this field,” said Fernandez, “Its my dream and I’m more than willing to make it happen.”

There’s a common expression in show business, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know,” and it’s true, according to senior Tyler Speight.

Speight wants to be a part of the movie industry as his family is a part of it too; his stepmom, Danielle Latora, is a location manager, and her cousin owns a production company.

“If you get in a good word with people, you’re set.

If somebody speaks highly of you, you’re guaranteed a job pretty much, and having family [in the movie industry] helps too,” Speight said.

After he graduates this year, Speight plans to intern at a production company run by his stepmom’s cousin, Vince Latora.

“I’m just going to intern there to start off with, so it’s not really like I’m getting some really special thing,” Speight said, “But this is going to help me further my career because it’ll give me hands on experience and like it’ll help me decide whether I really want to do this because I might go there and not even like it.”

Even though Speight knows he might just be bringing people coffee and running small errands, he hopes that he will get to do “some cooler things” since he’s related to Vince.

Speight sees this internship as a quicker way to be involved in the movie industry, as opposed to going to college.

“I’m pretty sure this is what I want to do, so it’s going to be a quicker way for me to get out there and work with film, and I could always go to college if this doesn’t work out,” Speight said.

Speight has liked film ever since his stepmom took him to her work numerous times throughout his childhood.

According to Speight, the film led him to want a job in the movie business today.

“I see this job opportunity as one of my best options really, one of my best ways to get a job because [the movie industry is] around me all the time. I guess have to be passionate about it, it’s a part if my life.” Speight said.

Danielle Latora has worked on shows like Scrubs and Heroes, and she continues to take Speight to work with her.

“She just shows me the behind the scenes stuff, and I was really interested in it and it’s really exciting and interesting,” Speight said.

Speight believes that film is a good expression of oneself and he appreciates how movies can turn any idea into reality.

However, he is why he isn’t picky about what job he may hold in the future.

“I hope to accomplish getting a career, a well-paying career in any area of film, it could be music videos, TV, whatever, because really in the whole film business, in the whole industry you’re never bored at work.” Speight said.

Lacrosse mishaps result in clear and present danger for track atheletes

by Joy Ohiomoba

Lacrosse safety netting is currently being shipped here in the coming weeks according to Assistant Principal, John Newman.

So far in the spring season, three athletes have been injured with stray lacrosse balls.

Sophomore Samantha Goldberg, was one of the few students who was hit. She suffered from a bruised eye, injured her nose, missed a week’s worth of practice, and could not participate in the first Track and Field meet of the season: the All Comer’s Meet.

“I was bleeding all over my arms and shirt. When I went to the doctor, he said that I wasn’t allowed to do anything for a week in case I landed on my nose weird doing some-

thing like high jumps or even sprints,” Goldberg said.

Like Goldberg, sophomore Rachel Bush has also been hit with a lacrosse ball in the recent weeks. “[Track team] and I were all just stretching and sitting on the benches. Then, one of them [Boys’ Lacrosse players] threw it and it hit me,” Bush said.

Bush did not suffer from injuries as severe as Goldberg’s although she got a bruise where she was hit.

“I don’t really care. I mean, it did hurt. But I really wasn’t gonna complain,” Bush said.

Both players feel as though this problem of track and field athletes getting hit with stray balls can be fixed with the placement of safety nets around the goal post. “ [School] should probably put the nets up on each side of the goal post but they haven’t gotten to doing it yet,”

Goldberg said, “It’s been a while but they haven’t put it up yet. I thought they would be put up a little faster but it doesn’t look like it’s happening any sooner.”

According to Assistant Principal, John Newman, the school does not have lacrosse safety netting but the order for the netting was placed last week.

“We have ordered safety nets. As soon as they’re here, [maintenance crew] will put them up and they will be there until the end of the lacrosse season.” he said.

Until the nets arrive, Comito feels that it is in the best interests of both the track and field team and the lacrosse teams to cooperate until the nets are installed.

“Lacrosse coaches need to be conscious of other people using the facilities and lacrosse players have to be conscious of people standing behind the net,” he said, “Track people, if

not in a meet, have to be conscious of where they are standing on the field.”’

Newman believes that further measures should be taken to ensure the safety of athletes out on the track field.

“The school has done nothing negligent that would make us liable. At the same time, athletes are cleared by their own insurance. If they don’t have insurance, [the school] provides a low cost insurance to cover them,” he said.

Newman feels that athletes have to understand that there is a risk in all sports.

“Any athlete that participates in high school athletics realizes that an injury can occur at any time. It is just the risk of playing sports,” he said. “We also recognize that we can provide a more safe environment and that’s what we are doing.”

Page

6

Features

Going for

Gold

March 12, 2010

nWhile they may not have been eligible to participate in the

2010 Vancouver Olympic Games, Redondo student-athletes play hard, compete internationally, and win gold in the Junior Olympics.

Anello and Vellutato bring gold medal experience to Redondo

By Camille Doung

A once in a lifetime feeling took over senior Michael Vellutato as he stepped up to the podium to receive his gold medal at the 2007 Atlanta Junior Olympics.

His team was one of five to ever go completely undefeated in the Junior Olympics, with a 22-0 record.

“My team was favored to do well, but when we went to the Junior Olympics it was exciting to have chance to compete for gold,” Vellutato said. “To win the gold undefeated was exhilarating.”

Fellow club and school teammate A.J. Anello, senior, feels the same about winning gold.

“It felt unreal because we were the underdogs in the tournament,” Anello said.

“It did not hit me until later after we won and I actually thought about my experience and team.”

According to volleyball coach Duncan Avery 20 players from Redondo have participated in Junior Olympics, with five players receiving gold medals.

“This is a huge accomplishment,” Avery said.

Both Anello and Vellutato are the senior leaders and bring a lot of experience to the team, according to Avery.

“They do a good job of leading the other players,” Avery said.

According to Vellutato, his team prepared with gold in mind and would also go over videos of other teams they had previously played to better prepare them for the games.

“When we were there at J.O.’s we would have one practice in [Atlanta] to get our bearings and to get in our comfort zone,” Vellutato said.

Anello’s approach to the games differed

from Vellutato’s.

“I prepared by spending more time alone clearing my mind,” Anello said. “ I was only thinking about what I had to do and how I was going to get it done.”

According to Anello his focus helped him learn to play in pressure situations.

“I have learned to be a better sport [and that] anything is possible if you work hard,” Anello said.

1. Senior A.J. Anello waits to receive a serve in a game against Los Alamitos. 2. Michael Vellutato, senior, sets the ball for junior Austin Moore in last years game against West High. Both Anello and Vellutato won gold in the 2007 Junior Olympics.

Inscore finds success through his versatility

By Josh Fogelson

1.

PHOTO BY JAKE COLLINS

“My team was favored to do well, but when we went to the J.O.’s it was exciting to have a chance to compete for gold. To win the gold undefeated was exhilarating.”

— Michael Vellutato Vellutato believes that competing in Junior Olympics taught him that hard work and dedication pays off in the end.

“It also showed me that teamwork and team chemistry is vital to succeed,” Vellutato said.

This experience has driven Vellutato to always strive to be better every practice, and to shoot for a CIF championship for Redondo, an acomplishment Avery believes the team can achieve.

“I really think that we have to potential to go really far,” Avery said. “[We have] the potential to play with any team in the country.”

2.

PHOTO BY QUINTEIN VAZQUEZ

Bates competes internationally in Tae Kwon Do

By Bethany Kawa

n Jessie Bates, sophomore, travels the world while participating in Tae Kwon Do competitions. Bates’ dedication to the sport has landed her a position on the Youth Olympic Game Team.

Sophomore Jessie Bates is on the U.S. National Tae Kwon Do Team and the Youth Olympics Game Team. On Mar. 3, she fought in Tijuana, Mexico, to qualify for the first ever Youth Olympic Games, which takes place in Singapore this August.

Bates started Tae Kwon Do when she was five years old while living in England. She was at a community gym when she saw Tae Kwon Do competitors working out, and wanted to try it.

“Because of Tae Kwon Do, I have been able to travel all around the world to fight representing my country. I have friends all over the world that I would not have ever been able to meet otherwise,” she said.

For Bates, Tae Kwon Do is a serious commitment. She trains six days a week, three times a day, while trying to keep healthy and stay focused.

“I go to the beach everyday and run three miles, then I either go to the gym and lift weights, or kick paddles with my team. I also do yoga to keep my body toned and in shape,” she said.

Although Bates has gottem far in the Tae

Kwon Do program, training is not always easy.

“Everyday is a challenge. There is always something physically or mentally standing in my way that I am trying to overcome, but the challenge only makes me better. In the end, that’s really what is going to set me apart from the rest of the competition,” she said.

To prepare for tournaments, Bates practices with the rest of her team to work dynamics and explosive drills. She concentrates on combinations to prepare for what she would do in a fight.

“Preparing for a fight isn’t only physical, it is mostly mental. You can lift all the weights in the world and be the strongest person on the mat, but if you’re not confident in your abilities, none of it matters,” she said.

Though Bates has worked hard for her achievements, she feels motivated and encouraged by her fahter and coach, Chee Bates.

“Having my dad as my coach is like having a personal trainer everyday. At times it is difficult, but i know it’s only for my benefit.

I really believe that we have established a strong relationship as father and daughter as well as coach and athlete,” she said.

Mr. Bates feels that being Jessie’s coach and father gives her a great advantage over her competitors.

“I push Jessie as hard as she can go to help her become a better fighter. When she is fighting on the mat, I know her so well that I can read her body language and know

what move she is about to make, so I can coach her from there,” he said.

Mr. Bates helps Jessie improve her techniques and makes sure she is mentally and

“Preparing for a fight isn’t only physical, it is mostly mental. You can lift all the weights in th world and be the strongset person on the mat, but if you’re not confident in your abilities, none of it matters.”

— Jessie Bates physically prepared for her competitions.

“Before competitions, I make sure Jessie only eats healthy foods because it benefits her physically. I encourage her to fight her best in every competition. Jessie is aggressive and a fighter. I am so proud of her for all of her accomplishments and all she had to

sacrifice for this sport,” he said.

Through all the hard work and dedication, Bates still has to make time for school.

As a result, she recently had to enroll in independent studies.

“I have been traveling so much in order to compete in these competitions. It is very difficult to find time to study but I manage on the weekends. I go to independent studies every tuesday at 3:30 for about three hours to take my tests and do my work,” she said.

Bates feels “lucky” to represent the United States in the Youth Olympic Games.

“It truly feels incredible to get the chance to experience all the countries in the world come together at once. You see your friends from other countries cheering for you, and you get this rush words cannot even describe.

I really feel blessed. I am only 16 and I’ve earned the chance of a life time,” she said.

Junior Hogan Inscore pulls his aching body forward approaching the last lap of his harrowing 200 meter individual medley race.

His legs and arms burn as he pushes himself even harder, the distance between the wall and Inscore gets closer and closer. It will be a close finish though, as this is not a regular race – this is the Junior Olympics.

On Feb. 4-7, 2010, Inscore participated in the Southern California Swimming Older Junior Olympics, held in Long Beach.

Swimmers from all around the country came for the four-day competition to compete for gold.

Inscore competed in the 100 and 200 meter breaststroke, the 200 and 400 meter individual medley, and the 100 meter freestyle events.

Swim coach Mark Rubke thinks Inscore’s versatility in the four main swim strokes earned him a spot in the Junior Olympics.

“Of all the swimmers I’ve coached, he might be the most balanced in all four strokes, and if not the most, definitely one of the most. It’s unusual to get a swimmer that’s so balanced,” Rubke said.

Despite Inscore’s many talents, he failed to make it to the final round of any of his events.

However, Rubke thinks that participating in the Junior Olympics is just as important as actually winning events “I think the experience that these club swimmers get by swimming in these big meets is really valuable experience. It translates to a more mature swimmer,” Rubke said.

Inscore began swimming competitively when he was 12 years old and has competed in the Junior Olympics for the last four years. His attraction to the individuality of the sport has kept him with it.

“I like swimming because it’s an individual sport. You’re on the team, but you do swimming for yourself and your personal time and you don’t rely on other people to get the job done,” Inscore said.

However, Inscore thinks that the individuality of swimming is a double-edged sword. “[Swimming] can also get boring because it’s an individual sport,” Inscore said. “You’re just constantly swimming and staring at that same thing underwater; that black line.”

Inscore has competed in the Junior Olympics for four years straight because he enjoys the competition.

“It’s really cool because you just get to hang out and swim,” Inscore said.

Inscore also enjoys the social aspect of a large competition like the Junior Olympics.

“You just meet people from new teams while you are hanging out. You talk to them, become friends, and then when you get to the pool you have to race them, ” Inscore said.

Inscore enjoys participating in the Junior Olympics and looks forward to next year’s competition.

JV/Frosh

Sports

Page

Golf starts with wins

fast stats

by Shannon Bowman

FROSH

JV

BASEBALL Score vs South: 12-3 W Quote: “We practiced hitting the day before and that is why we won,” junior Tommy Huberty said.

Score vs Saint Paul: 5-3 L Quote: “We need to work on our running,” freshman Travis Anderson said.

TENNIS JV

Boys’

Score vs North: 14-4 W League Record: 3-3 1.

PHOTO BY JAKE COLLINS

VOLLEYBALL FROSH JV

Boys’

Score vs North: 25-13, 23-25, 25-19 W Score vs North: 25-18, 25-22 W

JV/Frosh

sports shorts

by Christina Mehranbod

Make fliers: done. Advertise all around school: done. Get faculty support: done. Find a coach: done.

Explain to teenage girls the reasons why they should join a sport of which they had never heard: not so easy.

After spending every summer in the East Coast since she was ten years old, then sophomore Emily Walkley decided to start a lacrosse team at Mira Costa in 2003. Since none of the high schools in the area had CIF lacrosse teams, she was forced to make a club team.

“It was initially tough to get people interested, but after the first year [girls’ lacrosse] kind of blew up.

We had girls from all around the South Bay coming to play for us,” Walkley said.

After playing lacrosse for NYU, Walkey moved back to the South Bay where she encountered Redondo’s summer lacrosse program and decided to help out with the influx of new players in the school’s program.

“I was blown away how committed and excited the girls are [at Redondo],” Walkley said.

With lacrosse attracting many freshmen and all around new players, there has been enough girls to start a junior varsity team, allowing Walkley the opportunity to coach a series of new, unexperienced players.

“She’s fun to be around, so I look forward to practice every day,” junior Hayley Lane said.

Walkley’s youth and vigor in her coaching has made the transition to the sport much smoother and easier for many of the players, especially for JV captain Emily Field. “[Walkley] makes me feel very welcome because she’s like one of us. She’s really funny, but gets strict when she needs too. Since I am one of the captains, I feel responsible for helping her,” Field said.

According to Walkley, girl’s lacrosse is expanding much faster than expected in the West Coast making her want to help in the development of the young players’ skills and keep the girls excited to pursue the sport.

“I’m surprised that for how young they are, they are internally motivated. I’m stoked that 14 to 18-year-olds can manage themselves out there,” Walkley said.

With Redondo’s supportive, cheering crowds and spirited players, Walkley looks forward to playing against her alma mater where she had first started the girls’ lacrosse program.

“I’m excited to go back. I’m excited to see where the team’s gone.

They’re going to be our biggest challenge. We are excited for the matchup,” Walkley said.

7

1. Junior Trevor Butler attempts to block a Los Alamitos outside hitter in preseason play while Michael Vellutato anticipates a dig. 2. Junior Austin Moore and senior A.J. Anello go for a block in the game against North High School last Friday. The team won 3 out of 4 matches, 25-13, 23-25, 25-19, and 25-17.

2.

PHOTO BY DANIEL FALLON

Boys’ volleyball affected by SAT

by Allie Goldberg

Boys’ volleyball will begin playing in the Best of the West tournament tomorrow, after a win against North High School last Friday 25-13, 23-25, 25-19, and 25-17.

According to coach Avery, the boys had a very strong mentality in the first game.

“We played at a very high level,” Avery said. “We did things we do in practice, and it was a great effort.”

However Avery believes that in the second game, the team lost focus.

“We don’t judge wins and losses by the scoreboard, but by how people play,” he said.

Avery explained that in his eyes, “games two through four were a loss.”

“We played down to the competition, and didn’t do all the things we like to see from our team,”

Avery said.

Junior Greg Evans believes that after the first game, the team struggled to keep up intensity.

“We should have done better. We lost our focus in the second game, and we struggled to come back,” Evans said.

Sophomore Kevin Fender agrees.

“I think we were over confident goin into the second game and let them build up some momenteum which made it difficult to turn the game around,” Fender said.

However, Fender believes that the team was well prepared going into the game.

“We are always prepared going into each game because we practice hard, and our coach makes sure of it,” he said.

Going into the Best of the West tournament this weekend, the team sets goals as better serving and more

Girl’s lacrosse faces Penn

focus.

Evans believes that with more control, will come more success.

“We have to come together more as a team after every play,” he said. “[We need to] communicate and keep focused.”

Avery believes that this tournament is one of the best in California.

“It should be a test,” he said.

Avery believes that the volleyball program is a “blue collar program,” meaning that “success comes from hard work.”

“The guys are working very hard at a high level to compete at a high level,” Avery said.

After the game against North, Avery feels as if improving the fundamentals will be a big factor in the upcoming tournament.

“We need to do a better job of serving the ball. I think at any level

Softball starts season

by Kaelee Epstein

by Adam Ammentorp

After going 1-2 in last weekend’s Rose Bowl tournament, the girl’s lacrosse team is ready for another successful season.

“We overcame some obstacles and got used to each other,” senior Chantel Celotto said.

With two of their “star defenders” missing, Ava Elsner and Allison Field, the girls relied on first year players to step up.

“Allyson Barry and Heather Czech really stepped up for us and made key stops when we needed them,” Celotto said.

With ten returning starters, the team was hopeful about the outcome of the tournament.

“We moved up a division this year, but we were still really excited and ready to compete,” Celotto said.

“We came in knowing competition was going to be tough.”

A highlight of the Rose Bowl tournament was its victory against CATE, the team who knocked it out of CIF playoffs last year.

“They basically destroyed us last year, so to be able to come back in the rain and without some of our best players was really cool for us,” senior Angelica Truong said.

Although only winning a single game, the girls finished better in the tournament than any of the other Bay League teams.

The girl’s first pre-season game is next Monday against Peninsula.

According to Celotto, the team this year is basically the same as last year’s, but with some extra fire.

“We feel like we have a target on our back and this just motivates us to do better and work harder,” Celotto said.

in volleyball the team that passes and serves best will win,” he said.

Evans and Fender agree that serving the ball well will increase chances at success in this weekends tournament.

Due to the SAT Saturday, the team will be slightly handicapped.

“We will be hurting Saturday, as seven of our players will be taking the SAT,” he said. “But we will still have enough players to play.”

Despite the SAT, Avery feels confident going into The Best of the West.

Fender believes that if the team performs well, the tournament will be successful.

“Since we have already been practicing hard, we will be goin into this tournament well prepared and ready to represent Redondo.This tournament is important to us and we all want to do well,” he said.

The golf team beat Chadwick, 207-212, in yesterday’s game.

“The game was riveting towards the end because we were winning by one on the last hole,” junior Jack Yates said.

Senior Zachary Kano attributes the win to performances by some of the players.

Kano says the official start of League matches may have also encouraged people to do well.

“I think as a group we are more focused, since these are now League matches,” he said.

However, Kano thinks the team didn’t do as well as they could have.

“The wind might have added a couple of strokes to our scores,” he said.

The loss against North was a non-league match, which could be a reason why the team lost, according to Kano.

However, the team won against Torance.

“We’ve really improved,” sophomore Kenny Cole said.

This improvement is largely due to the new freshman talent on the team, according to Cole. The team has also been conditioning and practicing more than ever before. The team practices every Tuesday and Thursday.

Kano thinks the new freshmen keep the upperclassmen on their toes.

“Having two new freshmen has added an extra level of competitiveness because no one wants to lose their spot,” he said. “It forces the returning players to perform at a higher level,” Kano said.

Overall, the team is excited for the upcoming competition this season, according to Yates.

“We are excited that our team is finally showing off its hard work and dedication,” Yates said.

Trevino is happy with the success.

“When I started coaching golf I had a five year plan to develop the team. We’re in year four and we’re winning,” Trevino said.

PHOTO BY JAKE COLLINS

Sophomore Matthew Esparza attempts to get a North runner out at second base.

Baseball wins, 6-5

by David Kawa

Boys’ baseball beat Hawthorne, 6 - 5 yesterday.

Senior Nick Rideo feels the team stepped up from behind. Despite a rocky start, the team pulled out a victory in the end.

“We started small and ended large.

We were down in the game and came back with the win,” he said.

Junior Travis Fischvogt believes a powerful hitting strategy helped boost the teams confidence.

“We came out and scored the first inning. We kept pretty good momentum throughout the game with our hitting,” he said.

Junior Drew Kozain feels the turned the game around because the team utilized its opportunities.

“We showed real heart today by coming from behind when we were down a few runs. We got a clutch hits and we stole bases. We took advantage of what we were given,” he said Senior Alex Mistuloff promised the team victory with his performance in the seventh inning.

With two men on base and no outs, Mistuloff struck three players out.

Kozain believes a change in attitude will benefit the team.

“We have to change our mentality and how we play the game,” he said.

Junior Richard Atherton agrees.

“Last season is over with. This year we expect great things,” he said.

According to Fischvogt, the team is focusing on maintaining its strengths in preparation for the next game.

“Our pitching at the moment is pretty solid. Hitting is always the factor that defines the team, so that will stay our main point of practice,” he said.

The team plans to take the initiative and the lead in the next game, according to Kozain.

“Next game we hope to jump on top to begin the game and stay in the lead,” he said.

Rideo believes the confidence boost of victory will encourage the team to future wins.

“We won today’s game and we are going to keep it rolling,” he said.

The softball team started off its season winning a game against Peninsula 1-0 and losing to Torrance 6-4 last Saturday.

According to junior Jen Stevens, Peninsula has always been a tough opponent so the win was a good way to start the season.

Rain has been a reoccurring obstacle for the team.

“We fought through [the Peninsula game] after having to pause until the rain stopped. We came back as a team and beat them,” senior Sonia Colavita said.

Both the Peninsula game and Torrance game showed the team’s weaknesses.

“Unfortunately I did not hit as well as I could have. However I did have two nice hits throughout the day. I did not get any particularly good plays on Saturday,” Colavita said.

In addition to some weaknesses, it ran out of time in the game against Torrance, only playing four of seven innings.

The team made no major offensive plays resulting in the loss.

“I think we lost against Torrance becuase we lacked the offensive part of the game, and our pitchers were tired from the game before,” Stevens said.

Coach Jennifer Dessert agrees with Stevens.

“We need to come out with more aggressive hitting in order to be successful,” Dessert said.

She knows this is possible because players such as Jennifer Stevens, Sonia Colavita, Bret Aspel, Nicolette Royal, and Linda Park are all strong batters.

However in the Torrance game the team only had four hits.

“I think we lost against Torrance because not everyone was hitting.

In that last inning our defense just could not pull through and hold it

together,” junior Bret Aspel said.

The home game against Torrance scheduled for today has been cancelled due to weather issues. The next game is still tentative.

Despite this delay, the team is still working as hard as they would if the game was still going to take place.

In order to be successful in their next game, Stevens thinks the team needs to play tougher.

“We need to keep our defense and offense strong. As long as we have our mental toughness, and good spirits we will win,” she said.

According to Dessert, it is still too early to determine how the season will play out; however, she and the team are confident that the season will be better than last year. They are hoping to go to CIF. “I know as time goes on the team can only go in one direction, forward,” Colavita said.

During practice, the team has been working hard in order to achieve their goals.

“We don’t goof off, we listen to new ideas regarding how to become better, and we work hard. Then in games, we all make sure to pump each other up and get the energy going,” Colavita said.

Also, Colavita thinks the team needs to learn to show more respect so they can work better together.

“We need to work on our respectfulness, respect towards each player and our coach. The team needs to be tightly bonded like a family. Right now we are a growing family,” she said.

The team is capable of having a successful season, according to Aspel.

“We are already looking great and starting off strong. We have some tough competition this year but we can handle it. I have a very good feeling about this season,” Aspel said.

Page

Sports

8

March 12, 2010

Track faces West

by Alison Peet-Lukes

Yesterday, track won most of the events against Culver City High School including the boys’ and girls’ 800 meter, 1600 meter, 2400 meter, open 100 meter, 200 meter, 400 meter, and 4 by 400 meter.

“We dominated most of the running events. We set many great times and even moved some freshmen up to varsity,” coach Julie Ferron said. “In some races we filled all of the top spots. Chloe Curtis even set a new school record for the 400 meter race,” she said.

Sophomore Rachel Bush believes that even though it is early in the season, the distance runners are performing very well.

“Most of the time we went out leading the races, and a lot of the time, we would end up coming in first, second, and third,” she said.

Bush believes that the key to improvement is focus.

“We need to focus on speed more, and we need to build more confidence,” she said.

Senior Ryan Hyman believes that although the team did well, the sprinters did not perform to their full potential.

“Were out of shape, but everyone is trying to build. We need to work hard in the weight room and focus in order to improve,” he said.

According to Hyman, the problem is that they do not have a top runner in some of their races.

“The boys varsity 4 by 100 meter race does not have a legitimate anchor leg competing in it, and that is a big race for us so it hurts us,” he said.

Hyman believes that the team will be able to improve because it has been able to work together.

“We are always sticking together, even when we get into arguments. We pull through and overcome our struggles,” he said.

Because of a victory against Beverly Hills last Thursday, the team has a record of 1-0.

“The girls distance medley and the boys sprint squad really performed well at Beverly Hills, they are already top in state,” Leech said.

Coach Leech believes that even though the team has started off well, there is a lot of room for improvement.

“As the season unfolds, we need to get the hurdlers established and work on our throws,” he said.

Sophomore Lyndsey Mull feels that starting the Beverly Hills meet off well was a good way to begin the season.

“Our team swept a lot of the races, especially in the distance races. It was a good confidence boost for the rest of the season,” she said.

On Saturday the team will be competing in the Bishop Amat Relays.

“Its not a League meet, so its not as important, but it will still be fun to go and race new schools,” Mull said.

Coach Leech is anticipating the first

2.

1.

PHOTOS BY IAN ROSENBERG

1. Senior Maggie Nelson placed first in the 100 meter high hurdle, with a time of 18 seconds flat and first in the 300 meter low hurdle, with a time of 51.3 seconds. 2. Senior Alec Jolicoeur ran the mile in four minutes and thirty-five seconds, also placing first. 3. Junior Laura O’Neill and sophomore Rachel Bush placed first and second respectively in the 800 meter race.

home meet next Thursday against West Torrance.

“Saturday isn’t a big benchmark meet for us,” he said. “[But] next Thursday is our first home meet, it is also a night meet and we are excited to finally be competing in a new

Swim wins against Brentwood

3.

Lacrosse loses to Crespi

by Olivia Loveland

Last night the boys’ Lacrosse team faced Crespi for their first game of the season, and lost 9-6.

“Tonight was our first game, so there are some things we are looking to clean up over the next few days before our first League game,” coach Phil Comito said.

The team held Crespi at half-time 5-5, and the last goal scored by Redondo was in the first ten seconds of the fourth quarter by senior Michael Cross.

by Meglyn Huber

The swim team beat Brentwood yesterday, giving it record of 1-1.

Coach Mark Rubke knew that Brentwood was close to the same level as Redondo, and it would be a tough meet.

“I’m not surprised that the score was close but I’m surprised that we prevailed,” he said.

Although Rubke had doubts, junior Jake Leonard was confident that the team would pull out an easy win against Brentwood.

“Since they have only been together as a team for three years, their swimmers are not as experienced,” he said.

Junior Jonathan Diaz agrees that Brentwood’s team is inexperienced and also believes that its size contributed to its defeat.

“I definitely think we won because we are far more experienced than them and their team is a lot smaller than ours,” he said.

To improve the outcome of the meet, Rubke moved some JV players up to swim for varsity hoping it would bring our score up enough to beat Brentwood.

“I wanted to be as competitive as we could be,” he said. “I knew that it would be close and it appears that [moving players up ] was successful.”

Leonard believes that the team’s strongest swimmers, juniors Hogan Inscore and John Diaz will be able to make another great season.

“They will definitely be able to pull us through some meets this year; however, they will be hard pressed, as our team is quite inexperienced compared to the other Bay League teams,” he said.

Diaz thinks that the team’s triumph will be a result of their coach, Mr. Rubke.

“Rubke’s experience as a coach will definitely contribute to the team’s success throughout the season,” he said.

As for the results of each meet, Rubke believes that the swimmer’s personal accomplishments are important to the team, not the actual score.

“I think it would be wise to have the swimmers work on their own personal performance,” he said. “We want to be on the same level as everyone else as far as maximizing our performance.”

Although the team does not have the same amenities as other schools, Leonard believes that this year’s swimmers have a certain dedication that others are short of.

“Though we are at a disadvantage because we lack a pool, the very existence of our team shows our commitment to the sport,” he said. “Though our record may not be impressive this season, we will prove to the rest of Bay League that Redondo never gives up.”

facility,” he said.

Mull believes that the team is confident about Thursday’s race.

“Everyone will really step it up for the race since its going to be our first Bay League home meet,” she said.

“There are some things we are looking to clean up over the next few days before our first League game ” —Phil Comito

PHOTO BY DANIEL FALLON

Senior Regan Riggs dodges to the cage during the scrimmage on Tuesday. The team had its first game last night.

“At the time the score was 9-5 and we got the ball from the face off and [Michael] took advantage of the situation and caught the team off guard. It gave us momentum temporarily, [but] unfortunately, we couldn’t sustain it,” Comito.

Cross scored two goals in total and

sophomore Jeff Brandon scored a goal in his first varsity game. Junior Dillon Guth, senior Bennet Trotter, and senior Shane Flannery all scored goals as well.

“I think we did some really good things on offense. Unfortunately though, we had a tough time getting in transition and we struggled to clear the ball, and we ended up playing a lot of defense and not as much offense,” Comito.

The teams next challenges will be against Penninsula and Mira Costa in the next week.

“Costa is going to be a huge challenge because they were were League champions last year and they have all returing players. We’re also always very competitive with Peninsula and its always a one point difference between winning and losing,” said Cross.

Last season the team finished with a 6-8 record according to Comito, and they hope to improve upon that record this year.

According to Comito, the team has an advantage over most of their opponents because they have six to seven midfielders who can play well on offense as well as defense.

“As season goes along we expect to do better than the sloppy performance we had [last night]. The game showed where we stand and where we need improvement. We look forward to being better prepared for our next game,” said Cross.

Tennis beats North, prepares for Long Beach Poly

by Alix Politanoff

The boys’ tennis team won against North yesterday 14-4, making its overall record 3-3.

This is the team’s second win against North, and senior Dylan McCarthy deemed this match a success because of the team’s aggressiveness.

“With North, we came up to the net and finished off points quickly,” he said.

Senior Robert Tekie also believes that this match was an accomplishment because it provided him with more doubles experience and wins.

“We played very well, and I knew that when I couldn’t get to some shots that my partner Dylan would be right behind me; we’re like Timon and Pumba,” he said.

The team has currently played only pre-league matches, but with Bay League matches starting at the end of March, senior Dylan McCarthy feels that the team is at its strongest due to 12 out of the 16 players being seniors.

“Luckily we have not graduated many seniors, so we have experience on our side which will help us remain strong and possibly win some Bay League matches,”he said.

Senior Kevin Shin also believes that the team of veterans combined with the new players on the team such as freshman Derek Levchenko, called “the prodigy,” will help

PHOTO BY ERIKA GAVITT

In the game against North, senior Daniel Jang hits a cross-court forehand. The team beat North yesterday, 14-4.

contribute to more wins.

“Derek is a freshman but he is quickly adjusting into high school tennis compared to the individual tournaments he is used to

playing,” he said.

Despite the experience the team may have, it started off its season with two losses against South and Santa Monica due to

some very close sets, according to coach Jessica Seibert.

“South got in two singles players that made their line-up very deep, yet it could have gone either way. We lost 7-11, but two of those matches we lost were 5-7, and the other one was lost in a tiebreaker,” she said.

Due to the losses, Seibert is considering changing the line-up and stacking in doubles in order to make the team stronger.

“We are testing whether we can create stronger doubles partners because previously we were giving up many sets. If we succeed with this then we’ll maintain this new doubles option,”she said.

Seibert also believes that the team could do better in Bay League matches by placing the two singles players, Robert Tekie and Paul Levchenko in doubles instead.

“In non-league we’re having trouble getting singles sets, so we’re thinking in League its going to get harder,”she said.

The team’s next game is on Monday against Long Beach Poly and McCarthy feels confident that this new strategy will improve the team’s chances of beating Long Beach.

“I think stacking doubles will be an effective strategy against L.B. Poly because points that would be lost in singles matches could be gained in doubles matches,”he said.

Features Magazine

nIn Hollywood’s long show-business history, the Pantages and El Capitan theaters have led way.

For those seeking Broadway quality shows without the five hour flight to New York, Hollywood is the nearest hotspot.

Home of the Pantages Theatre and the El Capitan, Hollywood is the number one most visited spot in Los Angeles, and for good reason. Home of the stars, shopping, and drama, Hollywood has transformed people’s ideas of theater.

From the second your feet hit the red carpet, the feeling of A-list stardom is instantly overwhelming. You can’t help but wonder which celebrities have been standing in the exact spot that you are.

The Pantages Theatre, founded in 1930, had been the home of the Academy Awards when the Oscars were first televised. Now, the theater holds performances of “Wicked,” “Cats,” “Young Frankenstein,” and “the Lion King.”

Since these plays are “off-Broadway,” the actors are incredibly talented and the costumes make the play come to life.

Upon entering the theater, the elegant and elaborate scheme of the draping chandeliers and classic red curtains take youback to the 20’s. One might wish that they spent more money on renovating the lobby rather than beautifying it, because the lobby becomes uncomfortably small and crowded during intermission. Not to mention, there is no eating allowed in the theater, which forces you either to starve or choose among the tacky and overpriced choices they have. I already paid 80 continued on B8

the

Anchor

March 12, 2010

B2

n

March 12, 2010

The Anchor

n

Entertainment

FRENCH

IMPRESSIONS LACMA’s Renoir exhibit chronicles the later part of the artist’s life, in which he focused more on portraits, landscapes, and nudes.

by Brianna Egan

1

2 1. Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Dancer with Tambourine, 1909 Photo © 2009 National Gallery, London/akg-images 2. Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Young Girls at the Piano, 1892 Photo © 2009 Musee d’Orsay, Paris/ RMN 3. Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Jean as a Huntsman, 1910 Photo © 2009 Museum Associates/ LACMA 4. Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Woman Playing the Guitar, 1896-97 Photo © 2009 Reunion des Musees Nationaux /Art Resource, New York (ART 146681) 5. Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Gabrielle with a Rose, 1911 Photo © 2009 Musee d’Orsay, Paris

In 1913, just six years before his death and while succumbing to crippling rheumatoid arthritis, the already acclaimed Impressionistic artist PierreAuguste Renoir proclaimed, “I am just learning how to paint.”

Renoir was, in a sense, doing just that: over the past three decades his artwork had seen dramatic change as he began to rework his artistic style from Impressionism to early modernism.

The Renoir in the 20th Century exhibition at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) focuses on this latter and lesser known part of Pierre-Auguste Renoir career and life.

The exhibit is open until May 9 before it moves to Philadelphia as part of a tri-city tour (it debuted in Paris). It explores Renoir’s shift in artistic style.

His works range from the vibrant and romantic Impressionistic style that dominated his early prosperous career to a more sentimental and modern style––a period of his artistic career that, according to the exhibit’s creators, has been misunderstood by his contemporaries and modern critics alike.

As such, the exhibit’s collection seeks to provide a complete perspective of the last thirty years Renoir’s life. The exhibit’s subtitle strictly delineates the time period in focus: the 20th Century. The exhibition is a testament to Renoir’s undying passion for cultivating and shaping his artistic skill.

The exhibit features a compilation of exclusive original paintings by Renoir and those he inspired (including Pablo Picasso), sculptures, photos, prints, and even a primary-source film excerpt of an aging Renoir hunched before an easel. Artwork descriptors and quotes line the white-washed walls of the exhibit, and an accompanying audio guide is available for a $6 purchase.

The layout of the exhibit is arranged chronologically to explore the time frames of Renoir’s artistic explorations. Many of the oil-on-canvas works such as Two Girls Reading, and Yvonne and Christine Lerolle at the Piano, depict intimate household or domestic settings, with the dominant figure a rosy-cheeked female engaged in such activities as childcare, sewing, grooming or leisure.

Other painting subjects include Renoir’s own family members, art patrons, and models. Some works by Renoir are even in mediums he was unaccustomed to, such as sculptures and sketches before paintings.

No previous art knowledge is needed to enjoy the exhibit.

Stepping through the spacious art-lined rooms and standing amidst fellow curators and patrons of the arts is in and of itself an enriching experience.

LACMA boasts many resources to aid in understanding the exhibit––audio guides are for purchase, complementary guidebooks are available in each room, and there are free docent lectures, to name a few. The exhibit spans an entire level of LACMA’s new Broad Contemporary Art Museum (BCAM) Building, so ample time should be allotted for a complete experience.

Renoir in the 20th Century is one of LACMA’s “Specially Ticketed Exhibitions,” so the ticket price for those over 18 years old is $20, but those under 18 years old receive free admission to this exhibit as well as to the entire museum. Attending the exhibit is well worth the hour-long drive and the ticket price.

Devoting an afternoon to immersion into the arts can be a suprisingly refreshing, and even enlightening, change.

3

4

5

The Anchor

n

Entertainment

March 12, 2010

n

B3

Art [History] LACMA’s new exhibit, American Stories: Paintings of Everyday Life, 1765-1915, recalls social and political events and people throughout American history.

by Ramya Bhaskar

1.

2.

3.

A black bear, a great white shark, a slave woman, and Paul Revere all in the same room. Although the odd encounter might sound like an chance rendezvous in a colonial zoo, the group can be seen together today. They exist on canvas in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art as part of the new exhibit.

The exhibition consists of pieces depicting various aspects of American landscape and everyday life, from 1765 to 1916. The galleries touched on several historical themes. Works ranged from romantic depictions of the western frontier to devilish mobs spectating the raved boxing matches of the Roaring Twenties.

Naturally as Californians, we immediately gravitate to the California section. Scenic painting of Yosemite scattered the walls, but what was especially intriguing were the snapshots of early Santa Monica and San Francisco’s China Town. It is comparable to reading through messages in a yearbook––the multiple translations of familiar sites were amusing and insightful.

However, there were unexpected standouts, such as Eastman Johnson’s Negro Life in the South. His work deviated from the rest of the exhibit, specifically because I had never seen them in any of my text books already.

Almost all of the exhibit’s paintings were oil, but Johnson’s use of colors and light separated the lively outdoor scene from other renderings of Antebellum South. Expressions were vivid, not dreary and poised, giving the scene an almost modern feel. Although paintings which produce an escapist feel––long endless terrains and landscapes–– immediately capture our attention, cascading shadows on either side made Negro

Life in the South just as lively and endearing.

Those who question the purpose of going to the museum when their computer works perfectly fine are heavily misinformed. As there were no velvet ropes separating patrons from the paintings, there was freedom to lean in close to any painting––just short of touching, and literally take in the textures and the artfully placed ridges that created the tempered shadows.

At an up-close vantage point, Fannie E. Duvall’s Confirmation Class, San Juan Capistrano Mission seems to have several major imperfections. After stepping back several paces, the purpose behind her use of grey in the young girls’ skin becomes evident. Rather than project a forlorn feeling throughout the painting, the faces were crystal-like in appearance, reflecting the overbearing mission’s front.

Nevertheless the issue over whether a tedious trip to the LACMA is worthwhile is still debatable. Why exactly would seeing ancient renderings of previously studied material from US History be worthwhile?

When a physical manifestation knowingly created by an artist from that specific epoch in history is presented to the viewer, a connection is established, no matter how jaded the viewer is. Thus, the very fact that William McGregor Paxton’s The Breakfast was painted exactly one century ago elicits the said connectionsomething unobtainable anywhere else.

Furthermore, having tangible objects to tie back those Gilded Age facts makes memorizing history much less daunting. A trip to LACMA is indeed a better alternative to a two-hour lecture.

5.

4.

1. John Singleton Copley, Paul Revere, 1768 © 2009 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston 2. John George Brown, The Card Trick, 1880-89 Photo courtesy of The Joslyn Art Museum 3. George Caleb Bingham, Fur Traders Descending the Missouri, 1845 Image © The Metropolitan Museum of Art 4. John Singleton Copley, Watson and the Shark, 1778 Image courtesy of the Board of Trustees, National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. 5.

Arthur Fitzwilliam Tait, The Life of a Hunter: A Tight Fix, 1858 Photo courtesy of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art

B4

The Anchor

n

B5

In-Depth

Christensen embraces adopted siblings

Hoy reunites with birth mother

By Elisa Martinez

By Cammille Mitchell

Family is a relative term. This is an idea that senior Evan Christensen has become very familiar with. His experiences with divorce and remarriage had made him familiar with what it was like to live in a “blended family” and prepared him when he gained three adopted younger siblings.

“The adopted kids have been a major part of my life for such a long time now and I couldn’t imagine what it would be like without them,” Christensen said.

Up until a few years ago Christensen was the youngest of five. He had always wanted a younger brother or sister but when his parents divorced it didn’t seem like he would get one.

Then his father and step mom, Lisa Christensen, told him about their plan to adopt. They had the option to choose from private adoption, foreign adoption or to take from the foster system. They decided to adopt a child through the Fost-Adopt program that is common in Southern California.

“Los Angeles County has more children up for adoption than anywhere else. I wish more people would think to adopt from their own backyard instead of looking elsewhere,” Mrs. Christensen said.

When they began looking for children they had specifics they looked for: girls who were four or younger and mixed Hispanic and Caucasian to match Evan’s ethnicity.

They were unable to find kids that matched what they were looking for completely. Instead they found a pair of Caucasian sisters ages four and two, but they came with a fourteen month old baby brother.

Usually it’s difficult to adopt siblings, as the kids might have had to have been spilt up into different families. So even though they hadn’t thought of adopting a boy or three kids they decided to take in the three siblings in.

“We had to change our lives, but we figured if we had to change for one we might as well take in three,” said Mrs. Christensen, “We dove in headfirst and did our best.”

According to Mrs. Christensen adopting from foster care is a slow process, as you have to allow the children to build a relationship with the family gradually. After many small play dates and the gradual build up to fostering the kids, a year later they were able to officially adopt the children.

Also because the kids were adopted at such a young age and taken from the foster system, special attention has been paid to their lives before adoption. Mrs. Christensen had to take special parenting classes that focused on the needs of foster children.

“It’s really about transitioning the child into a new family.

Because a child never forgets they came from somewhere else you have to be able to help them feel like they are a part of the family and loved,” Mrs. Christensen said, “You have to get used to these children and their special needs before you bring them into their home.”

The children’s mental welfare wasn’t the only obstacle the family had to overcome. Though Christensen was always supportive of the adoption, his older siblings weren’t.

“When the kids were first adopted, my older four siblings were pretty angry and they felt betrayed,” Christensen said.

Since the older siblings were adults and had moved away they hadn’t spent much time with Christensen or the adopted kids. According to Mrs. Christensen this disconnect made it difficult for them to understand.

“It was hard at first to hear other children call their dad ‘daddy’. There had to be an adjustment period,” Mrs. Christensen said.

Once they had adjusted though, the negative feelings

started to fade and they have formed good relationships with their adopted siblings. The rest of the family also accepts the kids as blood. According to Mrs. Christensen there’s no distinction between the adopted kids and the rest of the family.

The process was long, but has ended well according to the Christensens. The kids are now six, seven, and nine and have been a part of the family for six years.

“Once you move past the fact that you are not related by blood, then the relationship is just as close if not closer than any normal sibling/parent relationship,” Christensen said, “An adopted relationship is a funny thing because you are not related by blood, but you still share a set of parents. When people ask me how many siblings I have, I say seven even though only four of them are related to me by blood.”

Sitting across the table from alternative education teacher, Cindy Hoy , was the woman she had wondered about all her life. The woman who had given her life and the parents that had loved her so much every day since the adoption. They sat there a bit nervous, but as time ticked by they both grew comfortable in each other’s company. By the end of their meeting they were sharing laughs and crying, overwhelmed with the feeling of completion.

Hoy was reunited with her birth mother, Joan Steele in 1995. According to Steele, she gave Hoy up because she was young and

[Adopted]

the father was not in the picture. She wanted her baby to have a good future and a fair chance at succeeding in life. After careful de-

[uh-dopt] v: to take or receive into any kind of new relationship.

Adoption is embodyment of the new– be it people or ideas, adotption is an important part of student’s lives.

Kozain adopts the Jewish religion

By Victoria Balding

11 years ago junior Drew Kozain and his mother Erika Robinson knew very little of the Jewish religion. When Erika remarried she had no idea that besides a marriage she would also end up with a new religion that she feels is perfect for her. The two are now pious followers of the faith.

“I was thrilled that I’d found a religion that “fit me” and didn’t make me feel like a freak for thinking the way I did,” Robinson said.

She found the Jewish beliefs to be similar with her own and worked extremely hard to adopt her religion.

“It is not a decision to be taken lightly,” Robinson said.

For her the conversion process took over two and a half years of dedication toward her new found faith. Growing up however the option of Judaism never presented its self prior to living in California.

“I’d tried many [religions] over the years

including Catholicism, Lutheran, Methodist, Baptist, Episcopalian, but never Judaism because where I’m from in Texas, there are not many Jews,” Robinson said.

Even though she is passionate about the religion she admits that the main reason she began her practice was because of her son’s curiosity.

“I was mainly influenced by my step dad’s family because they were all Jewish and I was curious,” Kozain said.

He was five when his mom was remarried but was curious about the religion.

He started Hebrew school at age eight, which is considered late for most Jewish children.

“I saw the religion and my family practicing it and I really liked it. I didn’t belong to a church or anything at the time,” Kozain said.

Kozain now helps teach the Hebrew language at his Temple and still feels that

his Bar Mitzvah was one of his greatest accomplishments in his life.

“I got to become a man in the eyes of the Jewish religion and its something I am ecstatic about,” Kozain said.

He feels that adopting this religion was one of the best decisions he could have made and feels it gives him the start of a very positive future.

“Drew made a choice that this was the path he wanted to follow and we just helped him,” Robinson said.

Robinson, who originally expanded her knowledge on the Jewish religion for the purpose of understanding basic Hebrew prayers and cultural practices, now feels that the faith is an important part of who she is.

“In my mind, I simply was born Jewish and didn’t know it,” Robinson said.

1.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ERIKAROBINSON

1. Drew Kozain and his two cousins pose at his Bar Mitzvah.

Kozain converted to the religion after his mother remarried into the faith. 2. Erika Robinson poses with her husband at Drew’s Bar Mitzvah. She feels at home in the Jewish faith.

2.

liberation she decided adoption was the best option for the both of them.

“Adoption was the only option for me and since I was still very immature, even I knew that the best for my child was adoption. Knowing the doctor would find the right parents for my child really helped me feel I was doing the right thing.”

Steele said.

Hoy’s parents told her about her adoption through tales when she was younger, but later told her the real story. Her parents were patients of the doctor who delivered her, so he set them up for adoption.

Though Hoy felt the comfort of knowing she had been wanted by her adoptive parents through out her life, she still felt disconnected from some of her other relatives.

“I did not feel that I truly belonged in my extended family although I felt deep belonging with my mom and dad and my maternal grandparents. Always, I have been enchanted by seeing other families whose members physically resembled each other. I resembled no one in my family,” Hoy said.

After a period of consideration, Hoy decided to hire her friend’s husband, a private investigator, to get in touch with her mother. He suggested that Hoy write a letter to her mother, expressing her interest in meeting her. Steele accepted within a few days.

“When the meeting was arranged I was apprehensive. I figured we would meet and I would be home in an hour or two.

Once we met and started talking, our visit went on for hours. There was a definite connection between us and I liked her right away.” Steele said.

Hoy’s adoptive mother, Georgia Clark, was relieved when her daughter reconnected with her birth mother. She felt happy knowing there would be someone to still care for Hoy when she was gone.

“Both of my mothers celebrated Mother’s Day with me for a few years and they each had a chance to tell each other thank you for the gift each gave the other. My birth mother was happy to have someone love me and raise me, and my adoptive mother was grateful for the best gift of her life. When my adoptive mother died in 2004, it was my birth mother who was my anchor and rock, and that would have made my adoptive mother extremely happy,” Hoy said.

Steele recalls looking back upon their meeting and sees that it didn’t take long before they were completely comfortable with each other.

“I was very happy to know that she had a very happy life with her adoptive parents and it wasn’t long before my husband and I met them and liked them immediately. I thought her mother was lovely and it touched my heart that she was so thankful for the gift of Cindy that I gave her. She was a very special lady, ” Steele said.

Besides looking alike and sharing similar mannerisms, Hoy and Steele share a sense of belonging to one another and have developed a very close bond. “ I have a really great relationship with my birth mother. I can count on her if I need something, and a big plus is that we really enjoy each other’s company. We have similar interests and traits and we like doing things together. She and I are very involved in each other’s lives and are emotionally close.

She adores her only grandson, my son, Joey,” Hoy said.

Hoy’s attitude about her adoption has never once wavered.

“I was meant to be my parents’ daughter and I belong to them just as sure as if I had been born to them. Along with that, I was meant to be given life by my birth mother and to be blessed with our relationship in my adult life,” Hoy said.

B6

n

The Anchor

March 12, 2010

A ofTale

n

Entertainment

James Mercer and Danger Mouse form an unexpected duo, Broken Bells, releasing a successful debut that merges their different styles

Two Indies

by Erika Gavitt

How the cultivation of such a brilliant partnership between James Mercer of the Shins and Brian Burton, otherwise known as Danger Mouse, came to be remains a mystery.

Burton, as a producer, is known for producing acclaimed albums like The Gorillaz’s Demon Days, Gnarls Barkley’s The Odd Couple and St. Elsewhere, and Beck’s Modern Guilt.

Burton is also known for his own creation, The Grey Album, with tracks the combine instrumentals from The Beatles’ White Album and vocals from Jay-Z’s Black Album.

Needless to say, the concept of The Grey Album appeals to a very specific audience, and the tracks are a curiosity in and of themselves. Regardless, Burton still has talent as a producer, if anything.

James Mercer is known best for being the lead vocalist of alternative-indie band The Shins.

The Shins, unlike Danger mouse, is a band founded on the notably acoustic and carefree nature of its songs. Tracks off of their last album, Wincing The Night Away, call to mind summer days spent laying languidly in open fields.

Associating Danger Mouse with such music seems ludicrous. But somehow, the two have come together to create a seamless blend of two unlike genres of music.

Unexpectedly, Broken Bells is a legitimate band, and not simply a James Mercer album produced by Danger Mouse.

While Mercer’s vocals lead the song, Burton leaves his mark with synthesizer and electronic samples which are laced

into most of the tracks. Both artists contribute equally to mains completely tied together.

Upon first listen, Broken Bells is anything but what the the instrumentals in the background as well. Neither artist listener expects. But by the end of the album, there’s no is forced to reign in his ability to comprimise for sound.

Each track offers just as much Mercer, already known denying that the album was crafted by two unstoppable and and loved, as Burton, who keeps the audience listening cu- ingenious artists that have the courage to experiment with new sounds. riosly for what twist he offers to each song.

That, in and of itself, makes the album worth listening Hence, if one is looking to purchase an album that sounds relatively like something created by The Shins, the to. It helps that the album is also easy to listen to straight James Mercer vocals and guitar are prevalent in most songs through, or by individual tracks.

Broken Bells reaches out to a broader audience, offering but apart from that, Broken Bells is clearly a completely an album with something for everyone. different story.

Unlike most well known tracks released

by The Shins, Broken Bells has a clear, melancholy, undertone that is consistent throughout the entire album. Albums by The Shins remind listeners of the frivolity of youth. Broken Bells is more mature, dark and even morbid lyrically.

The self-titled album begins with “The High Road,” the title track that was released The Shins’ James three weeks prior to the release of the album as Mercer and Brian the free single of the week on iTunes.

Burton, a.k.a. Danger Mouse, formed Listeners that enjoyed that single will surely Broken Bells after enjoy the other tracks, as the song is an accumeeting at a Danrate representation, or preview, of the album ish music festival.

The band combines as a whole. both musicians’ Unexpected elements and instruments strengths.

ALL PHOTOS FROM WWW.BROKENBELLS.COM are added to each track, clearly distingushing one from the other. Still, the album re-

Almost Alice almost captures essence of movie

by Danny Garzon

With the release of Tim Burton’s highly anticipated film, Alice in Wonderland, comes the equally anticipated companion album, Almost Alice. An eclectic mix of pop-rock artists come together to bring a modern twist on the classic Disney film.

Released three days before the film, the album, features some of the top alternative artists of the day tapping into a range of emotions and elements associated with the movie.

The lead single, “Alice” by Avril Lavigne, is a strong, emotional opening song, which showcases Lavigne’s vocal range in a style unlike her previous music.

Another notable song, “Very Good Advice”, which is performed Robert Smith, of The Cure, comes from the original Disney animated movie.

Smith’s catchy and melodious take on the original makes it an unforgettable and outstanding song on the soundtrack.

The music on this CD perfectly fits the whimsical aspect of the movie. Songs like “The Technicolor Phase” by Owl City, “The Lobster Quadrille” by Franz Ferdinand, and a cover of Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit” by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals showcase the psychedelic side of the movie.

WWW.ALMOSTALICEMUSIC.COM

Almost Alice brings together the most popular pop artists of the day, including Owl City, 3OH!3, Avril Lavigne, the All-American Rejects, and Plain White T’s.

Other songs on the album seem to have a mellowing effect, songs like the passionate “Poison” by the All-American Rejects and the cryptic “Welcome to Mystery” by the Plain White T’s. “Strange” by Tokio Hotel and Kerli re-

minds one of the Cranberries’ “Zombies”.

Another relaxing song is “Always Running Out of Time” by Motion City Soundtrack, which could easily be confused for an Owl City song.

One song that I find impossible to get out of my head is “Follow Me Down” by 3OH!3 featuring Neon Hitch, but for all the wrong reasons; the song is so horrible it becomes engraved in your head.

My hopes were dashed at the beginning of the song as the lead singer begins his sickeningly repetitive intro, which seems to be the only thing he can manage to sing throughout the song.

The inclusion of Neon Hitch, an obscure up-and-coming artist from England, does not help the song.

The album is a catchy, appealing blend of songs, but does manage to disappoint at times, “Tea Party” by Kerli is shrill and ear-splitting to the point of being obnoxious.

Other songs throughout the album seem to sound like the repetitive wannabe rock act that we’ve all seen before.

However, through the album’s faults, this collection of artists provide a decent accompaniment to the movie.

The Anchor

n

Entertainment

March 12, 2010 n B7

// Lightning Reviews // Smoke and Mirrors

by Lifehouse

Brooklyn’s Finest Three cops, three stories, one movie. “Brooklyn’s Finest,” directed by Antoine Fuqua, takes us through the stories of three officers that intertwine around each other: one about to retire (Richard Gere), one trying to steal enough money to support his seven kids and sick wife (Ethan Hawke and Lili Taylor), and one working undercover as a drug dealer (Don Cheadle). All three actors add a layer of depth to their characters which the film couldn’t have survived without. The film has the right mix of action and story to keep both your heart and your mind racing. It pulls off a cliché story line and set of characters, making you believe that their choices are right. It’s interesting to watch all three men fall from grace, each for different reasons, but each with a similar outcome.

–– Alex Curtis

two Belus by Burzum

1

3

After making it big in 2001, Lifehouse returns with their new album Smoke and Mirrors with their familiar pop-radio rock songs. With their well known contemporary yet mild ballad sounds, Smoke and Mirrors contains familiar lyrics about love and breakups and finding strength as an individual.

The well blended sounds of Jason Wade’s vocals and the accompanying guitars is an improvement from their old albums. The first song, “All In,” is a rather upbeat rock song but with some hints of pop. Other good songs are the mellow sounding “By Your Side” and the catchy “Halfway Gone”. “Falling In” however has generic lyrics and tends to get boring after a while. “Nerve Damage,” which is one of the best songs on the album for its mix of slow beats and electrifying guitar solos are reminiscent of “Stairway to Heaven.”

Another song that has a potential to be a success is “Had Enough” featuring the Chris Daughtry,whose rougher voice adds more depth to an otherwise average song. Overall, fans of Lifehouse will be pleased with Smoke and Mirrors for its familiar rock-pop songs.

–– Kelsey Chung

m

m. org

w

Plastic Beach

by Gorillaz

12 Gauge by Kalmah

5

four

–– Josh Hillsburg

h.c om

ww

Varg Vikernes–– notorious Norwegian black metal pioneer, convicted murderer and arsonist—has at last released his first metal album in over a decade. The delay, however painful, was well-justified, as Vikernes had been serving a 21-year prison sentence up until May 5 of last year for the murder of former bandmate, o Øystein Aarseth, and the arson of four churches. e.c ous feh i l .

Deviant criminal history aside, Vikernes has earned an enormous folww w lowing among fans of the genre for his hypnotically abrasive solo-act, Bur.b ro ok zum, which had released four of the most highly-acclaimed albums in ly n sfin est black metal prior to his incarceration. mov ie.com The highly anticipated Belus is proof that Varg had spent a great length of his prison time contemplating a masterpiece. The album is very distinctly Burzum, from the characteristic lo-fi production to the hypnotic, dissonant melodies that entrance the listener throughout its entirety.

Vikernes picks up almost precisely where he left off before his imprisonment, with the only major difference being the vocal style. Gone are the bone-chilling, ear-splitting shrieks of Burzum past. With this rezu ur w.b lease, Vikernes has opted for a more tolerable harsh rasp and even employs ww occasional clean vocals, which are actually quite soothing.

Belus is not meant to be enjoyed exclusively by seasoned metalheads. Fans of the avant-garde as well as those curious to hear the musical stylings of a murdering, church-burning lunatic are just as likely The newest release by Finnish death to be captivated by its charm. metal juggernaut, Kalmah, marks a return to The highly fan-anticipated new Gorilform from the mild disappointment of their prelaz album Plastic Beach provides a new variety of vious album. Discounting that album, Kalmah has –– Josh Hillsburg sound.

Unlike the previous two albums, the songs are less been celebrated in the metal world for its consistent pop and more experimental. Some of these experiments work and output of quality melodic death metal albums, 12 Gauge some do not, and all are quite different. By exploring different areas proving no exception. of music, Damon Albarn—who writes, sings, produces and plays The acoustic intro of the opener “Rust Never Sleeps” lulls most of the music— is able to create an intriguing melting pot of you into a false sense of security before violently bashing music.

The album is an attempt to separate the music and characyou over the head with a barrage of furious, poundters that have become one. The characters were originally supposed ing swamp metal. to represent the music the group played, not play the music for The keyboards, which have always played an them. Unfortunately, trying to split them apart caused the integral role in Kalmah’s symphonic sound, new album to lose some of its signature sound as Albarn have been toned down dramatically. and his collaborators tried to become people instead of While the album is a significant imvoices for cartoons. Never the less, it is a clever mixprovement over Kalmah’s last release, ture of sounds and takes Gorillaz to a new level. Beit can become tiring when listened cause of the slight shift in focus, Plastic Beach feels to in its entirety. more personal than the previous albums.

ww

a alm w.k

–– Alex Curtis

co m laz. oril g . ww w

B8 March 12, 2010

The Anchor

n

Features

Hollywood eateries offer variety

continued from B1

dollars to attempt to see this play and now you’re going to charge me three dollars for snickers bar? I’d rather starve and wait for some McDonalds on the drive home.

With a capacity of 2,691 seats, there is plenty of room for all; however, the seats will cost you one pretty penny. Tickets in the boondocks of the veranda can cost about $80 per person. Now, these seats are fine for those who love squinting for an entire two hours while being smashed against the back wall. But, some might want to spend the extra $100-300 in order to see the actors’ faces and comfortably enjoy the show within this earth’s atmosphere. Even though the price of tickets is ridiculously high, the quality of the shows are actually good and well worth the cost (if you’re into that sort of thing).

The Pantages is not the only renovated and reestablished theater in Hollywood.

Just down the block is the prestigious El Capitan Theater, home of the Disney scholars. The theater took a turn for the best by becoming the home of several first-run movies from the Walt Disney and Touchstones studios.

The theater has held premieres for all the major and original Disney movies, Lion King, Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, and Beauty and the Beast. Don’t be fooled by what I call “kiddy” atmosphere. The Capitan is adult and teen friendly, housing movie premieres such as The Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy and is now the home of the Jimmy Kimmel Tonight Show.

The most eye-catching part of the theater that draws you in for more is the elaborate outside box office area, which is dazzled with its ornate, gold woodwork overhead. The amusing factor is the poor guy that they make dress up in an old

by Alex Curtis

PHOTOS BY JONATHAN MARTIN AND JAKE “THE CAT” COLLINS

Hollywood attracts hundreds of people for its bright lights and sights, including famed places like the Pantages.

ticket-taker’s get up. Classic old movie feel.

But, the Capitan is not just any movie theater. Almost every Christmas season, each movie screening is preceded by a live Disney stage show featuring characters, dancing, singing, and even Santa.

On the downside the theater is single screened, so options are limited. Not to

mention the line that stretches down the entire block just to buy the not so inexpensive tickets. Once again, the problem of space comes into play when you have to pay extra for “good seats.” Is it worth the wait, money, and discomfort? Probably not, but you can’t live so close to Hollywood, and never experience the magic

Beverly Hills offers more than just fancy shopping

by Joanie Schneider

Beverly Hills and Hollywood have long been the center and the home of inspiring fashionistas. Paving the way to luxury, the large golden-brown polished sign read Beverly Hills. Exquisite 2010 Mercedes CLK AMG’s had replaced the 1970 Toyota Ercels we have seen in the South Bay. Every single corner laid Audi A6’s BMW 5-series’, and boxster Porsches. The fine suited gentlemen and the tall tan women with their Louis Vuitton purses in hand were everywhere. The people looked so exuberant in their lavish clothes sitting outside Morton’s eating their lobster and steak.

There was such a dramatic change. Many of us probably have lived in the laid-back south bay area for much of our lives and haven’t gotten to see the different cultures that are so close to us. Even the many different types of shops that lied on both sides of the street were so diverse.

As many people know, Rodeo Drive is known for being the heart of fashion. It’s

true, it is home to some of the stores: Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Kate Spade, BCBG, Burberry, Coach, Michael Kors, and Chanel. These stores had such a rich appeal to them. In Louis Vuitton, the entrance included 4 security guards pacing back and forth. On the side of the security guards, the exquisite handbags of different patterns and styles were on smooth glass shelves. The floors were made of a luxurious type of marble, and the walls on the heading to the second story were glass. The fashionistas wore high heeled boots, cashmere sweaters, and for some, even Burberry scarfs.

On the other hand, BCBG was a new; more laid back type of store. A lonely one security guard greeted the people coming in with a smile. Some teenagers walked around searching through the sale section. The floors were wood, the color gradient from light brown to dark brown. The white walls made the store look somewhat boring. The clothes were split up into white, dull racks making the florescent sign that read sale all the more at-

tractive. A light hum of music came from the ceiling as the women shopped around.

There was such an easy going feel in this store than the uptight, packed Louis Vuitton.

Yes, the Louis Vuitton is a much more established name with fine clothing and handbags.

However, the BCBG store gave off a sense of home and less extravagant. This upscale neighborhood was a great contrast to our calm society.

Trekking away from Rodeo Drive, a small neighborhood included vintage boutiques, restaurants that were more affordable, and books/kitchen/accessory stores. The boutiques all had large bold lettered signs that read “Sale”.

Peeking around the neighborhood, there were average people eating hamburgers and fries.

Most of the people were drinking their daily decaf lattés outside of the closest Coffee Bean restaurant. This neighborhood reminded me of the South Bay. It seems that whatever one is looking for, it can be found on Rodeo Drive.

A perfect afternoon wandering up and down Sunset Boulevard with a group of friends, peaking into the plethora of odd stores, pointing at a juggling man on stilts as he runs across the street, walking into a tiny yellow train car for a delicious cheap dinner.

A day in Hollywood just isn’t complete without visiting one of its famed restaurants.

If you’re tight on money, but still want quality food, Pink’s Hotdog Stand is a great place. Pink’s is probably the most widely known and certainly has the longest line. The hotdogs are amazing and well worth the wait.

It’s almost impossible to go there and not see someone well known in the film industry standing in line.

If standing in the sun for up to an hour for a hotdog doesn’t sound appealing, Carney’s is another low priced venue with great food.

Carney’s is a small restaurant on Sunset that is inside of a yellow train car. The food is ridiculously cheap and there is usually a very short wait.

Finding the right door to get into on the first try is a bit of a challenge; most of the doors on the train car have been sealed shut. Nevertheless, the small space makes the restraint cozy yet secluded with its single row of tables.

If you are willing to spend a bit more money you can go to Mel’s Drive In, another popular burger joint. Mel’s Drive-In looks like it jumped straight out of Happy Days.

The diner is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner at all hours of the day.

Mel’s is about the price and type of food as Ruby’s Diner.

If you’re more inclined to a hightech environment, UWink is another burger joint with an interesting twist.

It uses technology to its fullest to create an interesting eating environment.

You order your food through touch screen computers,onwhichyoucanalsoplaygameson.

It certainly is a unique experience. A more expensive place is the Disney Soda Fountain, but it’s well worth the money.

The Disney Soda Fountain is right beside the marvelous El Capitan Theater. The food is great and well priced and the ice cream is some of the best.

It’s a great place for families and kids, as would be expected with anything “Disney.” It’s a good idea to call for reservations if you don’t want to wait long.

The food is good and moderately price, but the service is terrible.

Another expensive, but more formal restaurant is the Dakota at the Roosevelt Hotel.

The meals are highly priced, but the food is worth it. Be sure to call for reservations. Knowing that the building your eating in is where the Oscars once were is an amazing feeling.

Each of these restaurants is a great place to visit and eat at.

Make sure to go to them before they’re gone.