March 2, 2011

B1-B8: Senior Ryan DesVoigne does “parkour,” freely running and jumping over obstacles.

P7: Senior Alfredo Camacho attempts to tag a runner from West.

P3: Students and teachers discuss violence prevention in school.

High Tide

Redondo Beach, CA Redondo Union High School

Mar. 2, 2011 vol.

edition 9

]www.hightideonline.org ]

Dutch

LMXXIV

Almunus will hold writing workshop for interested students

ouble

by Michelle Hough

by Kyle Bittman

Yesterday, ASB hosted it’s second annual Recess at Lunch event.

The event turned out to have popular attendance, as multiple different groups of students from all over the school came to Freshman Circle to watch or get involved.

The noise of laughter and playful yelling filled the air, as high school students found themselves reminiscing of their childhood recesses. Many students enjoyed the Double Dutch game.

At the end of lunch at clean-up, students were overheard requesting the event again.

Starting on March 9, alumnus and former High Tide staff member Curtis Miller (‘05) will host a Fiction/Creative Non-Fiction Writing Workshop.

According to Miller, the aim of the workshop will concern the craft, technique, and purpose of narrative storytelling.

Miller credits his involvement with journalism for his inspiration.

“Journalism really got me into writing.

From writing features to opinions, it really gave me a feel of how [stories] work functionally, and how stories are built,” Miller said.

“I plan to make [the workshop] comfortable for the writers, as well as chanllenging.”

—Curtis Miller

PHOTO BY MAX PITTMAN

Senior BBQ canceled, not enough tickets sold

by Danny Garzon

The Senior Barbecue was canceled due to a low number of pre-sale ticket purchases, according to Senior Class Vice President Christiana Marvray.

Only 40-50 tickets were sold in the two weeks leading up to the Feb. 8 event. According to Marvray, there was simply no way to pay for the event with only $400 in sales just two days before.

“This is really sad for [ASB] because this event had the potential to be a huge fundraiser for the Senior Class, and we had awesome stuff planned,” she said.

Activities Director Sherrie Gross is saddened by the lack of interest and cancellation of the Senior Barbecue.

“I don’t think that the Senior Class realizes the affect it will have on their end of the

year activities,” she said.

Gross says that all the money accumulated by fundraisers since freshman year is put towards paying for end of the year activities.

“It’s possible that we might have to make the students pay for their end of the year activities, but we are exploring every option to make sure that doesn’t happen,” she said.

Marvray feels that the higher price of tickets compared to the previous Senior Barbecue was fair because all-you-can-eat Mexican food was going to be sold. She acknowledges that ASB erroneously ran out of food at the first Senior Barbecue.

“Personally, I would do anything to go back and fix the mistakes made at the last barbecue because uniting the Senior Class means that much to me,” she said.

Senior Nicolette Costa is disappointed that the barbecue was canceled. She was

planning on buying her ticket on the same day that the cancellation was announced.

“I was hesitant in buying a ticket because of last time,” Costa said.

“But it’s our senior year, and I feel like our class has been saving up for these events for the past four years, so I decided I would buy a ticket.”

Senior Patricia Gonzalez is also disappointed in ASB’s cancellation of the barbecue.

“I had no idea when it was,” she said. “I didn’t even know the tickets were on sale until a few days before.”

Gonzales felt that the ticket prices were unfair.

“I do think that $10 is a lot even though the food was unlimited,” she said.

According to Marvray, the apathy of the student body is difficult to overcome, but

ASB continues to plan new events in order to inspire school spirit.

“Senior events are meant to unite the class before we go to college, and it really makes me sad that the students are so hesitant to come together. If [ASB] didn’t care, we would stop trying, but we refuse to do that and we will continue to brainstorm and plan events for the seniors,” she said.

Costa yearns for increased school spirit.

“I feel like we have no school spirit and it makes me sad. I honestly wish we were more unified,” Costa said.

Marvray hopes that students will not blame ASB for the cancellation.

“Everything ASB does is for the students, and sometimes I don’t think people realize that,” she said. “I just hope that people will realize how much we care and how hard we try.”

Miller attends Biola University and is a soon-to-be student teacher in his observational stage.

Miller is studying non-fiction at Biola and has taken creative writing classes at UCLA. Miller hopes to use techniques he’s learned in his workshops.

“I plan to make [the workshop] comfortable for the writers, as well as challenging,” Miller said.

Miller is offering a workshop that focuses on telling stories.

He hopes to cover a wide range of topics — such as stasis and intrusion — prose style, dialogue, and submission. The workshop will also allow writers to read and analyze professional works and notice how authors use different elements to tell their stories, as well as analyze their work and other students at the workshop.

Miller hopes these exercises will help improve the writing of those students who choose to attend his workshop.

He wants students to leave with a finished piece of work. “[The goal is] to have every writer be able to showcase and workshop one piece of fiction,” Miller said.

The workshop will consist of five weekly sessions, running from March 9 to March 31. Meetings will either be held at lunch or after school in journalism adviser Mitch Ziegler’s classroom.

Students that are interested can sign up in rm. 209 or by emailing Miller at messanjah316@hotmail.com. The workshop can only accommodate 10 to 12 students.

New Peace Over Violence Conference aims to build healthy community

by Shannon Bowman

On Feb. 17, the 33rd School District PTA held the Peace Over Violence Conference at Hawthorne High School. Several Redondo students were selected to attend, along with students from Parras and Adams Middle Schools.

Students from high schools and middle schools throughout the 33rd District were in attendance, with about 200 teens in all.

Trina Greene, Peace of Violence’s Education Coordinator, led a PowerPoint presentation about different types of unhealthy and healthy relationships. Toward the end of the day, students were divided into groups and analyzed lyrics from popular songs and classified the relationships described as healthy or unhealthy.

According to their website, the aim of the Peace Over Violence campaign is to build healthy relationships, families, and communities free from sexual, domestic and interpersonal violence.

Anita Avrick, PTA Director of Leadership, felt the organization’s aim was important.

“It ties in with our new program called ‘I Choose Peace’,” she said.

Counselor Melissa Espinoza also feel that bringing the message of Peace Over Violence to Redondo’s teens is important.

“We liked the theme [of the organization],” she said. “How can you go wrong with that?”

Junior Nikki Blome was one of the student selected to attend the event. She feels she learned a lot from the presentation.

“I learned how to prevent violence in relationships, family, and friendships,” she said.

Blome enjoyed her time and feels grateful for the opportunity.

“We learned a lot about healthy relationships,” she said. “It was really interesting.”

Freshman Chris Ward also feels he learned a lot from the conference.

“I learned that there are a bunch of types of bullying,” he said. “Even if you don’t think you’re bullying someone, you might be.”

Middle school students were also included in the event. Linsey Gotanda, who attended the event as a counselor from Adams Middle School, feels the opportunity was important for students from all grade levels.

“It’s important for students to learn

about healthy relationships,” Gotanda said.

“Most kids don’t understand that they are in abusive relationships until they realize what the signs are.”

Gotanda also feels students could learn a lot from the program.

“I think it’s really helpful for kids to have [knowledge of unhealthy relationships].

Even if they’re not in an abusive relationship, they can see signs in their friend’s relationships,” she said.

Darian Wilkins, an eigth-grader from Adams Middle School, also attended the conference. The information she received has helped her to consider what she wants from her future.

“I’m not going to get abused,” Wilkins said. “I’m going to make sure all men are nice [to me].”

Both Avrick and Espinoza think Safe School Ambassadors, a program that hopes to promote a safe school environment, could benefit from the knowledge students have from the Peace Over Violence Conference.

“Safe School Ambassadors [can learn] how to watch for these signs,” Avrick said.

Espinoza agrees.

“Safe School Ambassadors can recognize violence and the different types of abuse,”

she said.

An unexpected, but fun, part of the conference were impromptu performances by students from the Inglewood School for the Arts and Dominguez High School. Students from Inglewood performed a step routine and two students from Dominguez freestyle rapped about healthy relationships. Three other students from Dominguez performed spoken-word poetry about their heritage, respecting women and their families.

Junior Jared Sweatman enjoyed the performances put on by the other schools.

“They were entertaining, and I especially liked the stepping,” he said. “The rap battles were very interesting and I liked the whole poetry thing [performance from the students] from Dominguez did.”

Blome also liked the performances, but especially enjoyed meeting teens from surrounding schools.

“It was fun seeing different people,” she said.

Overall, Blome and the other students enjoyed their time at the Peace Over Violence Conference.

“We really learned a lot,” she said. “I hope a lot of students benefit from the information.”

Signs of Abuse: -Extreme jealousy, emotional

withholding, verbal abuse, threats, lies, physical violence, power and control issues.

-Physical abuse is not the only harmful form of abuse. Mental and psychological abuse, such as belittlement, criticism, and rejection, can be just as destructive to the person being abused.

Healthy v. Unhealthy Relationships: -A healthy relationship includes respecting your partner’s right to be himself or herself, having a life outside of the relationship, making decisions together and compromising when necessary, good communication and having more good times than bad.

-An unhealthy relationship

includes focusing all our attention and energy on your partner, trying to change your partner into who you want them to be, dropping friends and family and activities you enjoy outside of the relationship, one partner makes all the decisions, there is physical or mental abuse in the relationship. [womenshealth.gov]

Opinion

2

p.

]March 2, 2011]

Gun lobbying threatens youth

Around

Redondo

“Should seniors be permitted to go off campus during lunch?”

“Yes, because most seniors I know leave anyway.”

12th

— Ethan Peake

“They should be allowed to leave, provided that they come back.”

12th

— Alex Palmer

Editorial: Senior apathy disappointing

“I think so, because it prepares them to be responsible in college.”

11th

­ Adam —

Rudow

“No, because people will take advantage of it and not return to class.”

10th

­— Cooper Lovano

“Every grade should be able to leave. We should be able to get our own food.”

9th

­— Lisa Hurley

“Definitely. After spending three years here, they deserve it.”

9th

­— Joey Jauregui

High Tide ]staff] Editor-in-Chief: Austin Pritzkat Managing Editors: Sophia Lykke, Julia Uriarte Editor of Design: Molly Simon News Editor: Kaitee Scheyer Opinion Editor: Josh Hillsburg Features Editors: Dylan Futrell, Kelsey Chung, Meglyn Huber, Christina Mehranbod, Ashley Pournamdari, Alison Peet-Lukes, Madeline Perrault Sports Editors: Adam Ammentorp, Jessica Cascio Photo Editor: Jonathan Martin Copy Editors: Shannon Bowman, Olivia Loveland, Melissa Rosero Cartoonist: Josh Hillsburg Online Editor: Brianna Egan Staff Writers: Vanessa Alarcon, Taylor Ballard, Kyle Bittman, Matthew Brancoli, Loren Brown, Laney Burke, Tati Celentano, Kimberly Chapman, Zachary Commins, Alexis Curtis-Olson, Camille Duong, Zack Elliott, Gianna Esposito, Dan Furmansky, Daniel Garzon, Allie Goldberg, Anacristina Gonzalez, Michelle Hough, Cedric Hyon, Bethany Kawa, David Kawa, Casey Lovano, Anthony Leong, Tricia Light, Cameron Paulson, Jeremy Porr, Melissa Rosero, Allison Salazar, Alyssa Sanchez, Joanie Schneider, Alex Shea, Jessi Shipley, Laura Shodall, Annica Stitch, Emma Uriarte, Zachary Zent 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, One Sea Hawk Way, 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.

All of the banners have been painted to perfection. Hun- friends and memories, and it’s about pride for your school. dreds of tickets have been cut out neatly. Ideas have been Regardless of whether or not students appreciate them, spirit carefully planned and are now ready for flawless execution. activities effectively bring students together to celebrate and ASB is sure that their hard work is going to pay off and that take pride in their school community. they will put on a successful Senior Barbecue. But despite all It is incredibly important that all classes, especially the this effort, less than 10% of the Senior Class purchased pre- Senior Class, make the most out of their high school expesale tickets, forcing ASB to cancel what could have been the rience by participating in school traditions like the Winter most successful, ambitious Senior Barbecue in recent school Formal and the Senior Barbecue. history.

An uncooperative, apathetic attitude toward class fundThe decline in participation in Senior Class events dem- raisers will undoubtedly result in seniors paying out-ofonstrates a lack of unity and spirit. The objective of these ac- pocket for their costly end-of-the-year activities, such as the tivities is not just to raise money for Senior Excursion and prom. senior events, but also to bring the “An apathetic attitude toWith the cost of graduation and class closer together. Unfortunately, ward class fundraisers will prom burdening this year’s Senior this is a rather difficult goal to reach Class, the looming task of somehow when only a handful of seniors are undoubtedly result in seniors paying for end of the year events will willing to support their class. Out of paying out-of-pocket.” prove to be challenging. It’s not that the 538 students that make up the difficult to just grab a few friends, senior class, only 40 students bought pre-sale tickets to the walk down to the lawn, and eat together to support your senior barbecue, a shocking all time low for this time-hon- class. ored tradition.

Yes, the last barbecue proved to be a flop, but that If upperclassmen are not willing to take pride in their class shouldn’t discourage future attendance, especially considand their school, whose to say that the younger classes won’t ering that ASB is earnestly attempting to improve senior follow suit? Seniors are left with the unspoken duty of setting events. They are working tirelessly for the good of a student an example for the rest of the school to follow. As such, it body that is severely deficient in class enthusiasm. ASB can’t is their responsibility to keep these important school tradi- be tasked with fostering school spirit by themselves. They tions alive. Lack of enthusiasm within the Senior Class will need the support of our seniors as well. eventually cause school spirit and any desire to uphold these This is the last chance for the Class of 2011 to come totraditions to dwindle and rot away, something our school gether and celebrate the trials and accomplishments of their simply cannot afford to do. high school career. With fewer than four months remaining Contrary to contemporary, and often misguided, popular in the school year, they cannot let this opportunity be tossed opinion, high school isn’t just about academics. It’s about aside.

On the morning of Jan. 18, a seemingly typical Tuesday in a Gardena High School health class only six miles away from our quaint campus, a seventeen-year-old student threw his backpack on his desk, causing the

by Zac Commins gun he was carrying to discharge and critically wound two of his fellow classmates. This incident was one of the two school-related shootings in Los Angeles County so far this year.

Let’s be clear, our Second Amendment right to bear arms was conceived in a time when Americans were both fearful of a return to monarchy and determined to explore the western frontier.

And although that time has passed, pressure from gun enthusiasts remains, leaving us with a culture of gun violence — ­ even in our schools.

In perverse opposition to the usual proposed solutions of increased security and harsher punishment for contraband possession, some politicians have actually recommended adding guns on campus to promote school safety. Two Colorado Republican state legislators, Chris Holbert and Greg Brophy, proposed a bill on Feb. 4 that would permit those without concealed weapons permits to legally carry concealed weapons on all public school grounds in the state, even elementary schools. The Harrold Independent School District in North Texas has already authorized teachers and staff to carry concealed weapons on campus with proper permits.

It is ridiculous to think that schools could actually prevent gun violence by allowing more guns on campuses. This is like promoting racial, religious, and social stereotypes to eradicate bigotry, dropping bombs to promote peace, or using illicit drugs to endorse drug prevention.

To diminish gun violence in this country, it is key to prevent the spread of guns rather than promote it. According to the Children’s Defense Fund and National Center for Health Statistics, over 3,000 children and teens under the age of 20 are killed by gunfire in the United States every year. In Japan, where citizens may only possess rifles and shotguns for sport and must pass a yearly firearm aptitude test, guns are responsible for approximately zero child deaths annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

It is obvious that a nation with clear approval of private gun ownership cannot exist peacefully within its own borders. We, as Americans, must look out for future generations and stop gun violence from seeping into our schools. A school should serve as a home of learning for the impressionable children of America, not a battlefield.

Pro Con Should seniors be allowed to leave school during lunch?

W

ith braces freshly off, three years of high school under their belts, and more than 50 hours experience behind the wheel, shouldn’t seniors

by Melissa Rosero have the privilege of leaving school grounds for lunch?

Everyday at 12:20 p.m., no matter what grade, we are all subjected to the same punishment: eating lunch within the school’s confines.

With college only a few months away and adulthood around the corner, it seems ridiculous that seniors are still held captive by such an arbitrary rule.

By not allowing upperclassmen to leave school grounds, the administration is disregarding three years of experience and maturity.

Even worse, by the end of senior year, most will be able to join the army, skydive, vote, and buy cigarettes. One would think that with all these clearly adult activities so nearly at our disposal, the ability to leave campus for a mere 35 minutes would be a non issue.

There is always the concern that students will be hit by a car, hit someone else, or get arrested. These are valid considerations, but they beg the question: Couldn’t these events conceivably happen at any given time? Circumstances may be even more dangerous before and after school hours.

Some argue that seniors who have

left for lunch will simply not return to their afternoon classes. This catastrophe could be easily averted by implementing a merit system, which would grant students with at least a 3.0 GPA and no more than one U in citizenship the privilege of leaving campus during lunch.

Such a system would eliminate potential attendance issues by only allowing students who have proven themselves capable and trustworthy to leave campus (schooldigger.com).

Off campus lunches may also serve as an incentive for underclassmen to earn good grades, so that they may be granted this privilege as upperclassmen. Not only would open lunches help underclassmen succeed academically, but they would help seniors prepare for the responsibility and freedom of college.

There is no discernible difference between a senior four months from graduating and a college freshman besides a mere seven months of age, three of which would most likely spent lazing about during summer break. So why should high schools treat their seniors differently than a college treats its freshman students?

By allowing seniors the option of leaving, high schools are allowing them to practice much needed skills of time management and decision making.

We aren’t asking for the right to skip class or steal staff parking spots. We just want to expand our menus and spend our brief afternoon free time outside the confines of a chain-link fence. Surely, after three years, we’ve earned that right.

F

or years, students have dreamed of leaving school for lunch — and some do more than fantasize, much to the chagrin of school administrators. As alluring as the prospect of 35 minutes of unsupervised freedom may be, students often forget the potential consequences such behavior has on the school. Every freedom comes at a price.

In the past, it was common for schools to allow students, particularly seniors, to leave campus for lunch. Now, however, all students are restricted to the school’s grounds. Why the change?

Firstly, school lunch sales help contribute to much needed district funds. If an entire year of students were to leave campus for lunch, our school district would lose a chunk of profit. Our school even provides food from popular restaurant chains, the same sort that students would be buying off campus.

Furthermore, there is no school bell in local restaurants. Seniors would be reliant on their phones or watches to know when the lunch period has ended. Inconsistencies between the school’s bell schedule and the time displayed on a student’s phone or watch could result in an increase in tardies for those who decide to wait until the last minute to return to campus.

As evidenced by the amount of tardy sweeps we’ve had, the school certainly has more than enough tardies — about 150 a day according to assistant principal John Newman — to contend with without the added bother of wayward lunchgoers, who would use traffic or the restaurant

inefficiency as an excuse for their tardiness.

There is also the possibility that students will fail to return to campus at all.

Students will, of

by Alex Curtis course, be punished for ditching class, but this is not always incentive enough to stay. The ability to leave without questioning will undoubtedly create a greater temptation to leave and not return.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, seniors eating off campus creates a huge liability for the school. If a student leaves campus temporarily on the school’s permission, the school is still responsible for that student. Any reckless behaviors students engage in off campus, without the supervision of counselors and security guards, would still fall into the school’s lap (phaionline.org).

Even if students are well behaved and manage to avoid brawling with Subway cashiers, accidents always happen. Students could be hit by traffic or come down with debilitating food poisoning — neither of which would reflect well on the school if these happened during the school’s permitted off-campus period.

The potential for lost profit due to declining lunch sales and attendance as well as the important liability issue are more than enough reason not to yield to the whims of wistful students, no matter how large their Big Mac cravings may be.

Features

3

p.

]

] March 2, 2011]

Resource Cards made for student safety

By Brianna Egan

With the click of a few buttons and the buzz of a dial tone, help can be just a phone call away. No, it’s not OnStar and it’s not the police — it’s a crisis hot line, one of the many on “Student Resource Cards” distributed to students last week.

As the first in a pool of student-aid programs that a committee of counselors and school and district administrators plans to implement, the businesssized cards, along with full-sized papers posted in classrooms, list telephone numbers and descriptions of crisis centers.

Originally student-proposed, the cards were created to expand students’ options for dealing with their issues, according to Assistant Principal Amy Golden.

“When a student is having a problem, it’s really about who they are most comfortable talking with, whether that is a teacher, counselor or administrator,” Golden said. “And if [the student] is not comfortable with someone on campus, there are a whole bunch of places [to] go, like these hot lines.”

In creating the card, counselors Tiffany Straight and Kelley Goo took into account problems students

face on a regular basis, which include bullying, violence, and drug and alcohol pressure.

“Mrs. Goo and I looked at resource numbers we’ve used in the past, and we talked as a counseling team to find issues students struggle with,” Straight said. “We just wanted to find a variety of topics for a broad range of resources to cover what students may be dealing with.”

These resources include family and youth crisis lines, suicide and runaway help lines, and sources for substance information as well as counseling for sexuality issues.

From a counseling standpoint, Straight stresses the importance of students seeking out information from trustworthy sources such as adults, counselors, and these hot lines.

“Everyone is going to have problems in their life but if there is someone reliable they can talk to, the problem may not go away, but they can more effectively cope with it and more effectively manage their life and get a better education,” Straight said.

Straight encourages students to call the resource numbers with any pressing questions or concerns.

“We may not be dealing with stressors or conflicts here, but if a student is just curious about something,

they can call up and ask,” Straight said.

The resource card provides a confidential, nostrings-attached way students can approach their issues.

“I think sometimes there is a stigma of saying, ‘Oh, nothing’s wrong with me.’ So the resource card is a way students can be a little more confidential if they are not usually comfortable being face-to-face to ask their questions,” Straight said.

Additional cards for students to freely take are located in administrators’ offices, and the numbers will be posted on the school website.

The committee behind the card is also planning a question-and-answer service for students to anonymously submit questions to be answered by the counselors.

Golden stresses that in any case, school staff is always on hand to help students, especially to prevent violence.

“If someone’s being bullied or threatened, they can ask a counselor or administrator because our job is to help them on campus,” Golden said. “You’re never alone, there will always be someone here willing to help — it could be the most unlikely of people but there is someone who wants to help.”

Aiming TOend

]

Around

Redondo

“Do you feel safe at school?”

“Yes, because there are no threats at Redondo.”

12th

— Chris

Rook

“It’s enclosed and by the beach. There’s nothing bad that could happen.”

12th

— Kelsey

Szerlip

“Yes. It’s a nice neighborhood and nice school.”

Violence

9th

­ Bridgette —

Schneider

“I’ve never witnessed any problems so I don’t see a reason not to feel safe.”

10th

“Yes, because it’s a great environment and there is a police station nearby.”

­—Erin Guernsey

9th

­ Adonis —

Okuda

Student and staff learn from violence

By Emma Uriarte

Rodney Nichols walked into class and took a look at his new classmates. He was now in a special needs class, but he did not have a mental handicap. It was not ability or intelligence holding him back — it was violent behavior.

He was placed in a special education class because teachers did not know how to handle him in a regular classroom environment.

Years later, Nichols, now working with the IPASS program at RUHS knows the effect vio1. lence can have on an education.

Similarly, senior Ashley Noriega also knows how the amount of violence in a school can impact an education.

“The teachers are more interested [at Redondo], whereas in my middle school if the student didn’t care, the teachers didn’t care,” Noriega said.

She is here on permit in order to stay away from the violence. Noriega came to Redondo from Bud Carson Middle School, where police not only had offices at the school, but constantly needed to prevent the violence among students.

Rodney Nichols grew up in a school system 3.

2. where violence was regular and after becoming PHOTOS BY JONATHAN MARTIN AND MOLLY SIMON a teacher, he believes that parent involvement Safe Haven. 1.Teacher Jason Johnson uses his experience teaching in Watts in his makes a big difference in the quality of educaclass at RUHS. 2. Senior Ashley Noriega avoids violence by switching schools. 3. Rodtion. ney Nichols helps the IPASS program by drawing inspiration from his own experience.

“Here parents are more involved and concerned for the well-being of their kids,” he said.

According to IPASS teacher Jason Johnson, who used to work in Watts, parent involvement plays a huge role in the quality of education, especially when resources are limited, like at the school he used to teach at.

“You can give students the best resources, but it is their choice if they want to take it for granted or throw it away.”

–Ashley Noriega “On average, in Watts I talked to a parent once a month, whereas here [at Redondo] I talk to one once a day,” Johnson said.

According to Noriega, her school did not have as much money or the supportive teachers Redondo has, and violence was brought to school by the students from home.

“I think violence has a lot to do with the household,” she said. “What you see at home you bring to school.”

Unlike Noriega, Johnson thinks that vio-

lence at school is an independent factor, and if anything, students are violent because they enjoy the rush.

“There is a different set of rules at school.

The environment at school is violent and the home may or may not affect this,” Johnson said. “People enjoy violence, and it is hard to compete with for sheer entertainment.”

Noriega did not want to become involved in the violence of her middle school, so she chose to stay away from people that would cause problems.

“I tried not to get involved with people because if you don’t cause trouble nothing happens,” she said.

According to Johnson, there is no comparison between the violence in the Los Angeles Unified School District and the violence in Redondo, partly because of the types of students.

“I think the difference is that violence here is an occurrence, and violence in Watts is an expectation,” he said.

Noriega recognizes that a school can have the best resources and the best teachers, but it will not help if a student is not willing to learn.

She says a student’s education depends on the amount of motivation they have.

“You can give students the best resources, but it is their choice if they want to take it for granted or throw it away,” she said.

Violence Prevention Action Committee looks to eliminate bullying

By Nicolas Cruz

It started off as an ambition to promote a safer environment in schools. Parents wanted to protect their children from one of greatest threats in schools — bullying.

The Violence Prevention Action Committee (VPAC), was born from this concern in 2004. A group of concerned parents decided to take on the task of preventing bullying in schools.

Eugenie Lewis, the chairwoman of VPAC, leads this campaign against bullying. She works as a counselor at Beryl Heights and Birney Elementary Schools and has

experience with students who have been bullied. Other members of the committee include teacher Mary Simun and Assistant Principal Erin Simon.

“We want to create a safer environment where all students [can] feel safe,” Lewis said.

Lewis worked as an intern at Adams Middle School and saw firsthand the effects of bullying. She witnessed students calling other students names and ostracizing each other.

“It shocks me about how cruel people can be,” she said.

“It breaks my heart.”

In order to change this conduct, VPAC created their “Choose Peace” program. The program promotes guide-

lines to encourage better behavior: respect others, take action, ask for help, and celebrate success.

“I would like to see kids [speak up] when they see [bullying,]” Lewis said.

Lewis and fellow members of VPAC hope that they can help students take a stand for other students and help stop bullying.

“We would like to see people being kind [to others],” she said.

However, putting an end to bullying has been a six-year trial for Lewis. “[Our task] is a culture change,” Lewis said.

Members of VPAC hope to change the culture of schools and end name-calling, alienation, rumor spreading, teasing, cyber-bullying, and violence.

With this in mind, Lewis and fellow members set out to make children feel safe at school. At monthly meetings, they put together programs such as TASK (Take A Stand 4 Kindness) and the “Choose Peace” program that help spread knowledge on bullying and how to prevent it.

According to Simun, the bullying problem has gone too far and she anticipates this program providing new hope for students.

“I don’t want to lose another student,” Simun said.

Features

4

p.

]March 2, 2011 ]

White goes on anti-fungal diet to improve overall health

Finding an Alternative

by Cameron Paulson

Sophomore Kevin White and his father David White are on a strict anti-fungal diet due to a set back in their immune systems.

“My dad got heavy metal poison and had toxic levels of mercury and lead,” Kevin said. “He got really weak and got a yeast infection and gluten intolerance.”

White’s father has been on this diet for about 4 years now and White has been on it for about 5 months.

Students cure their medical problems by using unusual doctors and methods.

Avalos seeks medical treatment through chiropracting

by Anacristina Gonzalez

It’s three in the morning. Her stomach and throat burn fiercely. The immense pain takes her away from her sleep. She’s gotten used to this kind of pain, this occurrence is fairly routine for her. All she can do is wait until her next appointment.

Sophomore Selena Avalos has put her health in the hands of her chiropractor for about a year now. She relies on his unique treatment to alleviate her of her stomach and back problems.

“Dr. Adrian Korol’s helped me through all of my [health] problems. Without him, I probably still wouldn’t know what’s wrong with me,” Avalos said.

During a regular appointment, Dr. Korol realigns Avalos’s spine by putting pressure on different spots on her back. He also tests Avalos for strengths and weaknesses in her limbs by pushing on each limb while she tries to resist the force. He does this repeatedly, having her place her hands in different positions each time.

By observing her strengths and weaknesses, Dr. Korol knows what to adjust in her body.

“What he does is unusual. Most people think that chiropractors don’t do any-

thing other than crack your back,” Avalos said.

Avalos visits her chiropractor three times a week. Each appointment lasts anywhere from 15 minutes to a half hour.

Along with these weekly treatments, certain restrictions are put on her diet.

According to Dr. Korol, certain foods make certain organs inside of her not function as well as they should. He is able to tell what foods trigger these malfunctions by placing a sample of a food on her stomach while she is lying down and testing her limbs for strength and weakness.

“For instance, I love peanut butter, but I can’t have it. Not eating it will help me in the long run, though,” Avalos said.

Dr. Korol has been Avalos’s family chiropractor for years. He has helped cure Avalos’s sister of her asthma in the past.

Avalos suffers from a hiatal hernia, which is the sliding of the stomach into the esophagus.

“I woke up one day at three in the morning and I had this pain in my throat. It felt like my airway was closing up. Then every time I tried to eat or drink anything, I got this really bad pain through my chest and into my back ,” Avalos said.

After several visits to the emergency room, Avalos knew that what the doctors were telling her wasn’t helping her get better. She then turned to Dr. Korol for his alternative treatment.

Dr. Korol had proven to be helpful in the past for Avalos. She used to suffer from lactose intolerance up until a few months ago.

“He pretty much cured the lactose intolerance in me by pushing on my belly and putting pressure on certain organs,” Avalos said.

Dr. Korol is currently working on fixing Avalos’s hiatal hernia, along with her other health issues. These include her scoliosis, seven bulging discs is her spine, and torn ligaments in her back.

“All of these adjustments are baby steps towards me getting better,” Avalos said.

Cracking up. Sophomore Selena Avalos visits her chiropractor three times a week to cure her hiatal hernia, as well as her scoliosis, seven bulging discs in her spine, and torn ligaments in her back.

Dr. Adrian Korol has helped cure her lactose intolerance as well as has helped her grandfather stay healthy. She turned to Dr. Avalos after visits to her normal doctor were not helping her pain.

PHOTO BY JON MARTIN

“I started feeling really weak and since I run cross country it became a problem. I went to the doctor and got tested and found out I had the same conditions as my dad so I started the diet.”

-Kevin White Kevin and his dad are limited to what they can eat each day.

“I can eat hardly anything that I used to,” Kevin said. “But I can eat all the meats and vegetables I want.”

White can’t eat many of the foods he used to and that makes the diet that much less enjoyable.

“I don’t really like the diet,” Kevin said. “The worst part is not eating bread; I really miss sandwiches and pasta.”

Kevin did not willingly go on the diet himself; his health conditions forced him to join the diet with his dad.

“We found out I had a lot of the same [illnesses] my dad does so I went on the diet with him,” said Kevin.

Kevin just recently found out he needed to also be on an anti-fungal by noticing he started to have the same symptoms as his dad.

“I started feeling really weak and since I run cross country it became a problem,” Kevin said. “I went to the doctor and got tested and found out I had the same conditions as my dad so I started the diet.”

Being on the diet, Kevin is better off to go about his day.

“Even though the diet isn’t the best, it helps my health and my dad’s health a lot,” Kevin said.

Features

5

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]March. 2, 2011 ]

Sanchez family immigrated from Colombia to US

by Kimberly Chapman and Joanie Schneider

A new school. New friends. A new home. A new country. A new language.

Instead of a transition from middle school to high school, freshman Ana Sanchez moved from Colombia to California.

“It’s hard for me but I know it will get better.”

This is what Sanchez tells herself as she tries to fit into her new lifestyle as an American teenager.

Since moving to California from Colombia about a month ago, Sanchez has been struggling to adapt to her new home.

“My parents say, ‘It’s a big change but it will get better, you will adapt soon.’ I haven’t adapted yet. I’m still trying to figure things out,” Sanchez said.

Sanchez believes her main problem is communicating with her peers.

“It’s hard to express what I want to say and how I feel to people because I can’t speak English very well,” Sanchez said.

Sanchez’s trouble with English often makes her feel left out of conversations.

“Sometimes I hear people laughing about something and I don’t know why. It makes me sad that I can’t laugh with them. There are still a lot of words that I don’t understand or know how to say,” Sanchez said.

She longs for her old friends as she finds that it has been hard for her to make new ones.

“The friends I had in Colombia had been my friends my whole life. We grew up together since we were all in the same class every year,” Sanchez said.

She did not expect Redondo to be so different from her school in Colombia.

“I never imagined it to be this big. In Colombia we studied at the same school every year. It was never separated into elementary school, middle school, and high school. I also used to have to wear a uniform every day,” Sanchez said.

by Cedric Hyon

Home sweet home.

Ana Sanchez and her family recently moved to California. Sanchez is still trying to adjust to life in Redondo.

Although Sanchez has to overcome cultural and language barrier, she keeps a positive attitude and looks forward to her new future. Because of the drastic change, she has become more reserved.

Sanchez is also adjusting to having boys at her school since her old school was all girls.

“The boys here are very different from the ones in Colombia. The main reason is because the boys in Colombia are a lot more respectful toward the girls,” Sanchez said.

She also noticed that people’s general attitude is different toward her in California.

“In Colombia they are very friendly and welcoming toward new people, but not [many] people have acted that way towards me out here,” Sanchez said.

Although she has not had the best experience out here so far, Sanchez tries to keep a

positive attitude.

“I know I have to stay out here for a while so I am trying to stay as positive as I can. I know it will get better, it just takes time,” Sanchez said.

For Ana’s parents, Jorge and Victoria Arce, they feel the same when it comes to the difficult language barrier.

“In the several months living here, the language and the cultural approach have been the toughest things to get used to,” Mr. Sanchez said.

Despite the complicated new lifestyle, the family is just happy that they are here in the United States.

“I am very happy with the move so far

and I would never see myself moving back to Colombia anytime soon,” Mr. Sanchez said.

The United States culture is a huge factor in the family’s full enjoyment of the United States. Since the move, Ana’s parents have noticed a shift in her personality from being charismatic to shy.

“It is very difficult to socialize and to be accepted within her classmates. The language has been a huge barrier,” Mr. Sanchez said.

Regardless of their shortcomings in the United States, the family is still positive.

“I am excited for our future as a family” Mr. Sanchez said.

Being deaf does not keep Nelson from accomplishing her goals

by Kimberly Chapman

There are distinct sounds we hear at a high school basketball game. The sound of the ball pounding against the court, the booming chant of the crowd and the blaring buzzer, the squeaking of sneak-

Bouncing Back.

Sophomore Ana Nelson plays basketball despite being deaf.

Eskilson and Lee fence for adrenaline rush

ers on the hardwood floor as players run down the court, and the blown whistles of the referees. But sophomore Ana Nelson hears nothing.

Nelson was born deaf, but she has never let it get in the way of participating in sports such as basketball. ““It is a little bit harder for me to play sports since they have a lot to do with communication, but my teammates and coach have been very supportive. Sometimes my basketball coach signs to me and my teammates help by repeating to me what he says if I missed anything,” Nelson said.

Nelson believes basketball can be difficult at times since it has to do with a lot of verbal communication.

“Sometimes they try to call my name and I don’t respond. All I can see are mouths moving and arms waving,” Nelson said.

Nelson feels that she can do anything she sets her mind to, even though it may be a lot of extra work. She decided to never let her disability get in her way, even at school.

“The hardest thing for me for a long

time was understanding what was happening in class, but I overcame that with the help from my interpreter and by getting stuff done ahead of time. I work hard and that makes me feel really accomplished and proud of myself,” Nelson said.

Ana’s mom Kate Nelson believes Ana was never discouraged growing up.

“She knew she couldn’t hear, but she never thought of it as a problem. If she ever read a situation wrong, she would just think it was funny and laugh at herself,” Mrs. Nelson said.

Although Ana sometimes feels ignored by her peers and left out of conversations, she does not let it bother her.

“I feel like being deaf takes away from my social relationships. The funny thing is that if people are being mean to me or trying to put me down, it doesn’t discourage me because I can’t hear them anyway,” Ana said.

With her “never-give-up” attitude Ana is working to get her pilot license.

“Being deaf doesn’t stop me from flying. I like it because it’s very visual and independent,” Ana said.

Nelson looks to her board of inspirational phrases such as “Keep your eye on the prize” and “Prove yourself everyday” as one of the ways she stays motivated to work through her disability and receive her pilot license.

“She has a lot of aspirations. She will be able to fly airplanes solo in two months when she turns 16. She is very self-motivating and always finds ways around being deaf. The new technology we have today helps her,” Mrs. Nelson said.

Ana continuously surprises her mom with her strength and determination she has shown throughout her life.

“She’s my hero. Sometimes she comes home and tells me stuff that goes on and I think ‘wow I would have given up a long time ago’, but Ana has never quit anything,” Mrs. Nelson said.

Sophomore Alexandra Nelson, Ana’s sister, sees Ana as an inspiration.

“She can overcome challenges that some may deem unattainable. My sister is living proof that despite hardships in life, if you work hard towards a goal, you can achieve it,” Alexandra said.

Intensity builds up. Heat increases from the stuffy mask, and there is one target, the torso. If you take one wrong step, you’ll end up with a “sword” in your chest.

This kind of adrenaline rush is what freshman Christopher Eskilson and senior Josh Lee experience before every fencing bout.

Both Eskilson and Lee do foil fencing.

Foil fencing is the first kind of fencing commonly taught to beginners. It’s more difficult because the only valid target is the torso. If you are pointed anywhere else, the point does not count.

Fencing also requires much speed, and precision according to Lee. “There is a skill level, but it’s limited.

Once you reach the top two [levels], technique is the most important, but speed can get you far,” he said.

Physical stamina is not the only thing necessary to be a successful fencer according to Eskilson.

“Fencing is almost like a physical chess [game], it works on your whole body and mind,” he said.

“Fencing is almost like a physical chess, it works on your whole body and mind.”

—Christopher Eskilson Eskilson and Lee consider foil fencing more of a “gentleman’s sport”.

“You can’t really get angry, or else you’ll get black cards. You also have to salute to the judge, the audience, and your opponent,” Lee said.

Both agree that they picked fencing as one of their main sports since “conventional sports” do not appeal to them.

“When I was little, I tried all sports. I did baseball, soccer, but fencing was the sport that felt good. You want to do it over and over again,” Lee said.

Eskilson believes that fencing can help him in some aspects of his school work.

“I enjoy the choreography and fighting of it, but it helps in certain times of historical research. I try to visualize and create an image while I’m reading,” he said.

Lee and Eskilson agree that fencing is also extremely quick considering other sports.

“Between touches, there are only ten seconds of waiting, and the actual action is very short. It seems like a long time, but when watching other people fence, there’s barely any action. The meat of fencing happens all in 5 seconds,” Lee said.

Fencing is a test of both mental and physical skill according to Eskilson.

“It’s a very exciting mental sport.

There’s not a lot of lag, and the matches can be extremely tiring,” he said.

Nyingfa’s father is chief of town in Nigeria, Twon Brass

by Bethany Kawa

Sophomore Inara Nyingifa is royalty.

Well, not technically because in Nigeria women do not have titles. But she is, after all, the daughter of Chief Sample Nyingifa.

Inara’s father, Jerry Idibiye Nyingifa (Chief Sample Nyingifa) is chief of Twon Brass, a town located in Bayelsa State in the southern part of Nigeria.

He was born in Nigeria and speaks the native Nembe. Though he lives in the United States, he visits Nigeria two to three times a year and makes daily phone calls there.

“People hold me to higher standards when I’m in Nigeria. I can’t go to normal places when I visit, because I have to go with security,” Inara said.

When Jerry visits Nigeria, he stays in his own home in the center of Twon Brass.

While he is not there, his brother Inatimi helps run the town.

According to Inara, obtaining chieftaincy is hereditary, so Jerry could not be denied the right to be crowned chief.

Chieftaincy can only be passed on if one chief has passed away.

“After my great-grandfather died,

his immediate family began looking for possible candidates who could take his position in Twon Brass. Since my father’s two older brothers had taken chieftaincy from different ancestors, it was his turn to receive the crown,” Inara said.

Because Twon Brass is such a large area, Jerry is chief along with about eight other people. His role as chief is to economically protect the townspeople.

“The responsibility of resolving dispute rests squarely on the shoulders of the chiefs,”

—Jerry Nyingfa Since Nigeria is a leader in oil production, he helps finance what oil is going into the town and helps with money exchange to help Twon Brass prosper.

“My dad carries out traditions like the New Year’s tradition called ‘Ikegi Masquerades,’ as well as weddings and the becoming of a man or a woman. He disputes problems in his town, kind of like

a judge,” Inara said.

When Inara visits places in Nigeria, she and her mother are announced as, “daughter of Chief Sample Nyingifa” and “wife of Chief Sample Nyingifa” respectively.

Men have proper titles, Inara’s brother is referred to as “Sample,” because he will inherit their father’s position. When chieftaincy is inherited, the name from the previous chief is taken.

“My dad says that accepting chieftaincy is one of the most respectable position that person in his town could have,” Inara said.

With chieftaincy, come special privileges. In Nigeria, Jerry wears a hat called a “bola hat”, an orange coral around his neck, and a long cloth called a “dunn,” which is only given to chiefs. “ No r m a l p e o p l e w e a r e t e b o’s o r brokates. Women normally wear long colorful dresses or very colorful flowy tops with very long skirts that fall to the ground. My dad wears more coral on his wrist because in his town, they identify a chief by the greatness of coral on the wrist,” Inara said.

Inara celebrates her Nigerian heritage and has fond memories of her visits. She appreciates the fact that she has access to

her family history and wishes she could visit more often.

“My family there is really nice even though I can’t visit them as often as I would like. They take religion very seriously and sometimes visit the local church once or twice every day. All of my great grandfathers until the first Nyingifa were buried in the same cemetery in Twon Brass,” she said.

Jerry is honored that he was appointed Chief of Twon Brass.

“It is a life time award and it is one of the most respectable positions in my home town. I was nervous and excited at the same time because of the award that was about to be place upon me,” he said.

A responsibility of the chiefs is to address the main problems and find the best way to solve them according to Jerry.

“The responsibility of resolving dispute rests squarely on the shoulders of the chiefs, who must do so with a sense of fairness, objectivity, and common sense,” he said.

Being a chief is a very big honor and responsibility according to Jerry.

“You have been elevated to a position of privilege and as it is said: To whom much is given, much is required,” he said.

PHOTO COURTESY OF INARA NYINGFA

Royalty. Jerry Idibiye Nyingifa, also known as Chief Sample Nyingifa, poses in traditional clothes. In Twon Brass, wearing coral on the wrist, as shown above, is a sign of greatness according to Nyingfa.

Inara believes her father’s job is a big part of why her Nigerian heritage is kept alive, and why she is able to visit.

Sports

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] March 2, 2010 ]

And they’re off After a successful season last year, both boys’ and girls’ track set their sights on the Bay League Championship.

By David Kawa

With track opening the season at the Paramount Relays on March 5, the team hopes to claim the Bay League Championship for both boys and girls.

The team is also working toward qualifying individuals for the state championship.

PHOTO BY IAN ROSENBERG Flyer. Senior Adam Ammentorp swims the 100 fly in last years meet against Torrance. The team looks to improve after moving into the new facilities.

Jumping In

Swim utilizes new facilities and sets individual goals

by Tatiana Celentano

This Thursday the swim team will compete for the first time in the new pool against Chadwick and El Segundo.

According to coach Mark Rubke, it is a great way to start off the season because the coaching staff for all three teams are relaxed about the meet. The competing teams both have some top swimmers in the area that will work hard to beat their times.

With the new pool, all the meets will be all be at home except for the meet against PV. With all the traveling last year, the team is excited to compete at home, according to senior Gabriella Reynoso.

“We are working better as a team this year. We are less scattered than at the Costa

Softball seeks to come together to improve play

pool and [we] are closer together. We are beginning to bond and really work like a team,” junior John Portis said.

Seniors Jonathan Diaz, Hogan Inscore and Jaycee Baldus, and junior Decklan Andrews and sophomore Susan Nieves are key swimmers this year, according to Rubke.

With the new fitness center, assistant coach Chris Stolba will be directing a strength-training program for the team four times a week to work on strength and flexibility, according to Rubke.

“The boys can perform well this season, with all the seniors, and everyone is working hard to break many events in top twenty [school records],” senior Alec Ortiz said.

According to Rubke, the boys might be

“ We have to be positive and keep focus. When we mess up we can’t get mad, we just got to shake it off and encourage our teammates to do better.”

– Cindy Zamudio Not only is teamwork going to help the girls succeed, but a good attitude is important to them too.

“We have to be positive and keep focus.

When we mess up, we can’t get mad. We just got to shake it off and encourage our teammates to do better,” said Zamudio.

With being positive and staying in the game, the girls feel they can reach their goals.

“We definitely want to strive to win league. I think we can. We’re a good team.

With small improvements and working hard, we can get where we want to be,” Aspel said.

With their first game this Saturday, the girls are pushing themselves so that they can pull through and win.

“We just got to stay strong and give it our all. We want to win, but if we don’t I’d like to go home knowing we tried our best and put up a fight. That’s the mentality that will lead us to win throughout the season,” Zamudio said.

– Aundrea Yancy “Everyday we work toward these goals and standards. The program and quality are there and we are constantly preparing,” coach Bob Leetch said.

Senior Dezhan Bland is confident in the team’s abilities.

“I know we can take Bay League this year.

We have some of the best training facilities, best coaches and we work our hardest everyday,” Bland said Senior Mahmoud Hassanyn agrees with Leetch.

“Everyone’s goal is to win both as a team and individually. The way we have been training, we expect to finish first [in Bay League]. We are deep at every event so anything short of first place will be a disappointment,” Hassanyn said.

As reigning Bay League Champions, the girls’ team is working to defend it’s title.

“We are all putting our hearts into each practice. Our goals are to improve each meet and defend our top position,” senior Aundrea Yancy said.

According to Hassanyn, the team is mo-

Spring Sports

Preview

by Jessi Shipley

Girls’ varsity softball is optimistic and ready to start their season.

According to senior Cindy Zamudio, the girls are willing to give it their all and they think they will do well.

“There’s not a lot of returners this year, but I can tell that our team will come out on top. With practice and hard work, we can definitely win,” Zamudio said.

The girls understand that they have a lot of work to do if they want to be the best, but they are also excited to become closer as a team.

“Not only do we need to just practice softball, we also need to work on the chemistry of the team, so we can understand how we all work together,” senior Brett Aspel said.

over-estimating themselves, but he agrees they do have the talent and diversity to perform well and be competitive at Bay League.

The girls’ team, however, does not have the same advantage. They do not swim a variety of strokes because many of the girls are talented at the same strokes. Some freshman girls might even compete at the varsity level to contribute, according to Rubke.

“My number one hope is to see a significant improvement. I want the swimmers to hit their target times- always, time is number one,” Rubke said.

Rubke believes that these improvements can come from having a new home pool.

“I am most excited to be back home on Redondo campus and compete in front of a home crowd,” Rubke said.

“ We are all putting our hearts into each practice.

Our goals are to improve each meet and defend our top position.”

Volleyball seeks to improve

by Julie Tran

The mind set for the boys’ volleyball team is based on desire–the desire to play, the desire to compete, the desire to improve, and, most importantly, the desire to win.

“We practice [determination] every day even before we set foot on the court,” junior Clay Attig said.

Attig believes that everyone has improved their game immensely, most notibly Ryan Mather and Nick Williamson. Mather made “big strides this off season,” according to coach Duncan Avery.

“Last year, Ryan’s attitude was way off,” Attig said. “But he did a total 180 and is now 100 percent in the game.”

Williamson, on the other hand, was on the JV roster to begin with, but practiced often with the team. Because he and junior Cody Spainhour are so evenly-matched, they will be competing on a week-to-week basis and switch between JV and varsity, depending on performance.

“It’s hard competing against a friend,” Williamson said. “But we do what we have to and put volleyball before friendship. It just makes everyone incredibly anxious.”

Avery says that the boys put maximum effort into everything volleyball.

“Our strengths lie in our work ethic,” Attig said. “Heart and effort will win us titles.”

According to Williamson, the team does not have any glaring weaknesses and often cooperates well because the team plays as one instead of as individuals.

“There aren’t six people on our side of the court, just one team,” Williamson said.

Avery believes that Mira Costa, Santa Margarita, Loyola, and Newport Harbor will give the team a run for their money.

However, junior Jesse Conner stays relatively positive because, due to the addition of three new assistant coaches, Cooper O’Connor, Jeff Urton, and Donald Suxho, more specialized work is being done in regards to positions.

“Our strengths lie in our work ethic. Heart and effort will win us titles.”

—Clay Attig “One of the new coaches was an outside setter in the US Olympic Team and another started on UCLA’s team,” Williamson said.

“They contribute knowledge and experience that we wouldn’t have otherwise. We’ve all become more consistent and have better honed our skills.”

Every player is very talented and the amount of sheer skill every player displays shows a lot of promise, according to Attig.

On the downside, co-captain and three year starter Austin Moore is currently battling through numerous injuries. He missed all of basketball season with two bulging discs and already had eight knee surgeries.

Despite these, Avery expects an extremely successful season because the

PHOTO BY IAN ROSENBERG Going for the kill. Senior Trevor Butler spikes the ball against Thousand Oaks in a game last season.

team includes nine returning players from last year’s varsity team who have trained rigorously during off-season conditioning doing plyometrics, weight lifting, and beach volleyball.

“We’ve surpassed expectations,” Attig said. “We live and breathe volleyball, and won’t stop even after we win.”

tivated by coaches and teammates alike.

“Our coaches do a great job of motivating us as athletes to always give 110 percent,” he said. “The seniors all try to lead by example and work hard rather than talk a big game.

No one slacks off because we feel like that is disrespecting the team.”

Competing in the Parloff Relays, a practice meet, allowed the team to assess its strength going into the season.

“We are way ahead of where we’ve been [in previous years]. We are moving right along in every event,” Leetch said.

Leetch looks forward to the Paramount Relays and the season in general.

“We’ve got a lot of great people going forward. We have some household names and we are all ready to go,” he said.

PHOTO BY IAN ROSENBERG Sprinting to Victory. Senior Laura O’Neill and junior Rachel Bush race in a meet.

Golf looks to improve from last year

by Alex Shea

With fresh facilities, new faces, and a revamped style, boys’ golf is looking to improve their position in league and do better than past seasons.

Last year, the boys’ team started a momentum that has carried through the year and puts the team in a good position for upcoming matches.

“Even though we only won a few matches last season, it was definitely a step up from previous years. It was good because the wins we got boosted our confidence as a team and gave us belief in what we were doing,” said junior Kenny Cole.

After last year’s glimmer of success, the team saw the potential to do well this year.

“When people realized our potential last year, I think some players were motivated to get better and improve their game,” Cole said.

With the addition of new golf facilities and a revamped practice schedule the team is able to focus and practice regularly.

“This is actually the first year we have had any sort of a weekly practice routine,” senior George Whitson said.

Along with the new facilities, the team has received new transfers and younger players that have moved up to varsity. According to junior Matt Ferradas, the inclusion of Lawrence Ree and Michael D’Angelo, along with new varsity players, is “a great addition to the team.”

With the addition of new players stepping up to varsity, new facilities, and a structured schedule, the team is well on its way to a successful season, according to Whitson.

“I think that Bay League is in our sights. But even just a few good matches will make us happy. But if there is a chance to win Bay League, we’ll work as hard as possible, because that would be a huge accomplishment for Redondo,” said Whitson.

Sports

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]March 2, 2011]

Added Athleticism After graduating the majority of their team, lacrosse looks to younger athletes to pick up the slack.

According to Clites, he believes that practicing everyday after school has helped Things are looking a little sparse for the the team. boys’ lacrosse team this year. After graduat“Every time our team plays lacrosse we ing 16 players last year, the team looks to improve in some way,” he said. rebuild the entire defensive line and most Guth believes that the team will do betof the offensive line. ter this year than in the past despite the loss There are only four returning varsity of so many players. starters, including senior Dillon Guth, “We are more serious this year,” Guth senior Taylor Romero, junior Jeff Brandon said. “We are going to work harder to win and junior Eddie Clites. more games.”

“Dillon and Taylor are three year varsity Comito has added conditioning pracstarters and have stepped up as leaders this tices with personal trainer Jenn Paolucci. year,” coach Phillip Comito said.

According to Guth the team has had a hard Losing so many players has affected the time adapting to these workouts. team, but even so it has had a chance to “She definitely helps but it has been difadd new kids who are learning fast accordficult because the team has been so relaxed ing to Guth. in the past,” Guth said.

“There is a lot of new talent this year,” They workout three times a week with he said.

Paolucci. The workouts have challenged Comito agrees that the arrival of new the team and made them tougher mentally kids is adding athletic and physically according to talent to the team.

Comito.

“We’ve got a great “We’ve had far fewer injufreshmen class that’s ries this year and I attribute been playing together that to Jenn,” he said. for the last three years For their first game on on club,” Comito said.

March 7 against Loyola, the Another key com2009 LA County champions ponent is the team and traditionally one of the chemistry according to – Phil Comito strongest teams in the southGuth. ern CIF division according to “We have a better team chemistry this Comito, the team is prepared to compete. year than in the past,” Guth said.

“I’m really looking forward to the upComito has also seen enthusiasm in this coming season and I feel we’ll continue to year’s team. improve as we have in each of our first four “I’m really excited about the athleticism years,” Comito said. of this new group. Their attitude and apBoth Guth and Clites are geared up for proach to improving as individuals and as a this upcoming season. team is really impressive,” he said.

‘I’m going to do my best and I’m really Junior Eddie Clites also believes that the looking forward to this season,” Guth said. upcoming season will go well because of Comito also attributes success to the fact the practice they have been putting in durthat more players are coming from other ing the off-season. sports to play.

“We have learned a lot from our past “I think people are starting to figure out mistakes and we are more prepared than we how unique and special [lacrosse] is,” he have been in the past,” he said. said.

by Camille Duong

PHOTO BY JAKE COLLINS

Focused. Senior Alfredo Camacho attempts to tag out a runner from West. The team is looking to improve after going 3-17 the past the past two years in league play. The team’s new head coach is “bringing the intensity back” to the program.

New coach on the block

by Zach Zent

The Sea Hawks are looking to revive the rich tradition of Redondo Union Baseball with the hiring of manager Jeff Baumback.

“Coach Baumback means business. He immediately recognized how lazy and unprepared our team was and put his foot down. Coach knows what it takes to win and he proved it at Long Beach Wilson,” junior Hunter Bradshaw said.

Baumback’s success as a pitching coach, which includes a national title with Long Beach Wilson, has influenced the team to work hard, according to junior Jake Jimenez.

“He keeps us in line and focused on our tasks that we need to accomplish and get better, and that’s a good thing,” Jimenez said.

Baumback acknowledges that the team’s large group of seniors will be an advantage.

“The senior experience will definitely help, but we just need to start playing bet-

ter defense, pitch up to our capabilities, and just stay healthy,” Baumback said.

Bradshaw believes this season will hold a lot more success than in the past due a new presence in team unity.

“This season will be a lot different than the previous two because our team this year is definitely more together and we play good as a team. Last year we had a lot of good talent but we didn’t have a strong team bond like we do this year,” Bradshaw said.

Jimenez also feels that good team chemistry will result in wins.

“This season will be more productive because we always come out onto the field with swag,” Jimenez said.

The team feels that they should match up favorably against the “tough” competition of the Bay League, according to Jimenez, despite going 3-17 in league play the previous two seasons.

“We have the advantage this season because I believe that we have more talent and potential than any other team in the Bay

League,” Jimenez said.

Bradshaw believes that the team as a whole, and not a certain position group needs to “come up big”, while Jimenez believes that the team will be unstoppable if the defense shows improvement. The team can only get better, according to Jimenez and Bradshaw.

Coach Baumback hopes the team will be able to finish games, something the team has had trouble accomplishing in previous seasons.

“They’ve had the opportunity to win, but they just weren’t able to finish games and we got to fix that. We just have to play within ourselves and not try to do too much. I have high expectations,” Baumback said.

The squad hopes to live up to the hype and show what they can do this upcoming season.

“We have more talent this year than we’ve had in a while. With this combination of talent and coaching we could bring home the title this year,” Bradshaw said.

“I’m really excited about the athleticism of this new group. Their attitude is really impressive,”

A Rebuilding Year Boys’ tennis looks to rebuild after losing a majority of their team.

by Zack Elliot

Despite graduating 11 of their best players, the varsity boys’ tennis team is feeling confident about their upcoming season, according to coach Jessica Seibert.

Coach Seibert is working on rebuilding the “fractured” team.

“We’re rebuilding. Most of our JV 1.

PHOTO BY ERIKA GAVITT became varsity, so they’re putting in Bouncing Back. 1. Senior Collin Mat- extra work to get to the level they need thews returns a serve in a match against to be. They’ve formed solid doubles North last year. 2. Sophomore Derek Levchenko performs a forehand in last partners so we have some great teams year’s match against South. The team is in place,” Seibert said.

The loss of the seniors will not be looking to rebuild this year.

a hindrance in the team’s upcoming game against South High, according to sophomore Derek Levchenko.

“We’ve been practicing a lot. We’ve been running and doing drills and we’ve spent a lot of time on our lineup. We have a lot of new blood this year,” he said.

Levchenko, however, is not new to the sport; he has been playing since he was 9 years old “I spend about 24 hours a week playing tennis or practicing tennis.”

Levchenko said. “Each match I improve and experience is a really good teacher.”

However, not all players are as optimistic as Levchenko. Junior Chris Lew feels that there is still much more training and hard work to be done.

“Our team is still developing from

the loss of our 11 senior starters. We have to adjust to the competition of varsity, after a few matches we’ll be playing at our full potential.”

Senior Paul Levchenko also wants to focus on training and practice.

“The team is younger and much less experienced with match play. We have lost a lot of experienced seniors and now we have more juniors and sophomores,” Paul said.

Despite some skepticism about the upcoming season, coach Seibert is confident in her players and their abilities.

“I really like this group of guys.

They’re hardworking and always push each other, so I’m hoping for a good season. Overall, what we may lack in talent, we make up for in hard work and effort,” she said.

2.

PHOTO BY ERIKA GAVITT

Girls’ Lacrosse seeks to continue success Lacrosse looks to continue its dominance in League.

by Adam Ammentorp

PHOTO BY JON MARTIN

Relentless. Junior Micayla Kotzbach attacks the goal in a game last year. After averaging 18 goals a game, the team looks to continue its dominance this year.

Last year, the girls lacrosse team was a force to be reckoned with. Averaging 18 goals a game and only allowing four goals to be scored on them, the girls plowed through the opposition and seemingly nothing could get in their way.

Until last year’s CIF championship game, where Los Alamitos showed them who was really on top.

“It definitely felt like we were unstoppable. That loss was a wake-up call for the whole team,” senior Julia Denney said.

The girls lost to Los Alamitos in the CIF Finals. Before losing to Los Alamitos, the girls had a record of 15-1, going undefeated in Bay League and preseason games.

“Nobody could handle our offense last year. We were constantly attacking the goal and never let up,” Denney said.

Although the team lost their leading scorer last year, coach Tom Borgia is not concerned.

“I think we can average 12-15 goals this year against a much harder schedule. Julia Denney will power our offense this year and she is almost unstoppable going to the goal,” Borgia said.

Even with the loss of some “key” seniors last year, the team feels that they have more athleticism and are confident that they can defend their League title.

“To defend our title we are going to be very aggressive on defense, pressuring the ball more than last year because we are faster and more athletic,” Borgia said.

Although the team features a prolific offense, Borgia is also confident in this years defense.

“Our defense will be much improved over last year, and that defense only gave up four goals a game. Ava Elsner is the best defender in the Bay League and LA County. She totally controls the game on the defensive side of the field,” Borgia said.

The girls will need a staunch defense this year in a schedule that features tougher competition from schools outside the LA area.

The girls will be playing Pacific Palisades, who went 16-1 last year and will be their toughest competition, according to Borgia. The girls are also headed to an Orange

County tournament, where the competition is typically stronger.

“It’s great that we’re going against tougher teams this preseason. We need to face better competition so that we don’t have a repeat of last year’s championship game,” Denney said.

After coach Erin Garnsey left the team to continue a career in nursing, Borgia filled her place with assistant coach Amanda Riggin.

“She has played since she was 8 years old and played at a prep school and in college and then coached a high school team. She was an attacker so she will be focusing on our offense this year,” Borgia said.

The girls have accepted her well, and will look to her for extra advice, according to Denney.

“Her playing experience will be really helpful for us. She has a lot of insider knowledge,” Denney said.

The girls are excited for the start of the season, especially their first games at the Rose Bowl Tournament on March 5.

“This first tournament will be the true test to see if we can continue our success from last year,” Denney said. “We will be facing some good competition and I’m excited to see how we respond.”

Sports

8

p.

]March 2, 2011]

Girls bounced out by Etiwanda

by David Kawa

The Wolf Pack defeated Long Beach Milikan, 56 - 44, in the first CIF playoff round, but lost to Etiwanda, 45-42, in the second round. The Wolf Pack currently ranks eleventh in the 1AA division.

A strong defense kept the Etiwanda game close.

“Etiwanda averaged 67 points a game during season, so our girls did a tremendous job slowing them down,” coach Marcelo Enriquez said.

Senior Shayna Stuart feels that the Pack could have clinched the game with a stronger approach.

“The only thing that kept us from winning that game was ourselves. We were the better team. I guess it just wasn’t in the cards for us. It’s depressing for all of us,” she said.

The Wolf Pack mentality kept the team focused throughout the season. “‘The Pack was really fun because we all believed in the [Wolf Pack] motto and took it to heart. I will never forget playing with this team,” senior Rachel Scarlett said.

The Pack fought for dominance every game.

“They wouldn’t go out without getting the Bay League Title,” Enriquez said.

According to Scarlett, moral support kept the team fighting hard.

“We got a lot of support from the school and community. People were excited that

RUHS basketball was ‘back,’” she said.

The seniors reflect on their RUHS basketball experience.

“It is kind of weird not playing anymore because we’ve been doing this for years. I have a lot of good memories with this team. I am going to miss it,” senior Ashiana Antar said.

According to Antar, commitment was the key to victory.

“I am very proud of how it all turned out.

I know how hard we worked and it paid off in the end,” Antar said.

Stuart attributes the success to strong team loyalty.

“It has been the most rewarding and exciting year of basketball. These girls are my sisters, my teammates, and the Wolf Pack will always be in my heart,” she said.

The Pack leaves a legacy of teamwork and aggressive determination.

“The Wolf Pack proved that if you work hard to reach goals, then you will eventually be successful. Hopefully future teams will see that,” Antar said.

Enriquez considers the season an overall success. He is proud to see the seniors go out on a high note.

“They have been varsity for three years now. To have two consecutive sub-par seasons and then go undefeated is amazing. They are one of the best teams I’ve ever coached.

These girls have nothing to be ashamed of and everything to be proud of,” he said.

Final Score Boys’ soccer ended their season in the second round of CIF.

by Jessica Shipley

1.

The Pack. 1. In the third quarter, senior Rachel Scarlett drives the basketball past a Long Beach Milikan defender in the first round of CIF playoffs.

Redondo won, 56-44.

2. Coach Marcelo Enriquez calls a timeout to rest his girls and make game adjustments to ensure a win against Milikan.

2.

PHOTOS BY JAKE COLLINS

Boys’ BBall falls short in CIF

by Tatiana Celentano

PHOTO BY MATT MARDESICH

Drive. Senior Brandon Boyd shoots a lay-up against a Mission Viejo player.

The boys’ basketball team faced a tough defeat, 53-45, against Mission Viejo, taking them out of CIF playoffs and ending their season on Feb. 18.

“We let the lead get away in the first half.

It’s what really hurt us in the end,” senior Mwelu Mataya said.

According to senior Brandon Boyd, in the first half, the team didn’t rebound and the players couldn’t make their shots.

Isaac Newton, a defensive player for Mission Viejo, used his height as an advantage to rebound and block shots. He was a key player in their defense and a reason why Redondo had trouble, according to senior Jacquiese Bates.

“Second half we started clamping down on defense and scoring. We were able to pull through and tie the game, taking us into

Athlete

Issue

of the

Adam Anderson

by Allie Goldberg

He double checked the list just to make sure. After playing soccer his entire life, Adam Anderson realized he would be spending his sophomore year on the frosh team, once again.

“I felt overlooked and undervalued as a soccer player,” Anderson, now a senior, said.

“But I knew I had too much love for the game to quit.”

Anderson explained that this frustration encouraged him to work extremely hard and to make the best out of the situation.

“Sitting and complaining doesn’t get you anywhere. I knew that my team needed me and I worked as hard as I would have worked on any other level,” he said.

This mentality enabled Anderson to skip JV and become the starting sweeper for varsity his junior year.

“I worked really hard in practice and I had to prove myself. I knew there was more in me,” he said.

Anderson became team captain his senior year and led his team to CIF for the first time in a decade.

“As captain, I knew I had to try and subdue a team full of comedians and keep them focused on playing soccer and wanting to win,” he said.

After suffering three seasons without any

wins, Anderson is proud to be a part of the program’s success this year.

“It was all about our mentality this year. We had ten seniors, way more than the previous year and we realized we had the talent to be successful,” he said. “We wanted to end the season with no regrets.”

Senior Kevin Tom has been playing with Anderson for two years and said that he was a key reason the team made it to CIF this year.

“He believed that we could win no matter how tough the other team was. He always motivated us on and off the field to stay focused,” he said.

Tom feels that Anderson played with confidence, which made the whole team stronger.

“As a keeper, I felt really secure with Adam as my sweeper,” he said. “He never made any big mistakes.”

Tom explained that this was a very “funny” group of players, and that Anderson did a great job at keeping everybody on track.

“He kept us focused in practice by challenging us to do better than he did. His competitiveness inspires us all to work harder,” he said.

overtime,” Boyd said.

In overtime Mission Viejo hit a threepointer to put them up and RUHS started to foul. Mission Viejo was making its free throws, which brought Redondo down even more, according to senior Martyre Demarco.

“We had a winning streak going and it was a heart-breaking loss. I have never seen my team get anywhere near that emotional point over a lost game before,” Bates said.

According to Mataya, reaching CIF took a lot of hard work, passion and trust in one another to overcome the many set backs they were faced with.

Boyd’s ACL injury kept him from playing to his full capabilities and the absence of senior Austin Moore was also a setback, according to coach Ron Riggs.

The team had an advantage of a senior based team, with the strive to accomplish

great things and the fight knowing it was their last year. The team also had the advantage of gaining key players Bates and senior Martyre Demarco, according to coach JR Martinez.

Demarco and Bates agree they were welcomed with open arms and grew to be a part of this tight knit team.

“This season was difficult because of the hard schedule we played and all the adversity we went through, like having two new players come in,” sophomore Derek Biale said. “I think we got through it and went out on a good note in the end, unfortunately we were a couple points short from continuing our pursuit to win CIF.” Mataya agrees that this was a successful season.

“It’s a shame that we couldn’t go further in CIF, but we accomplished a lot this season and we did it all as a team,” Mataya said.

The boys’ season came to a conclusion after a loss in their second game of CIF. But the boys and their coaches see the season as a success.

“I think our team played really well in the pre-season then struggled at times during league, but in the end, we were able to achieve our goal of qualifying for CIF,” senior Adam Anderson said.

The team kicked off the season with some wins, but got over-confident and began to lose focus, according to Anderson.

“We started the season really good. After the first few games, we started getting too confident and we weren’t trying as hard,” junior Ruben Pereida said.

The team understood it had certain things to work on, but through team bonding and lots of practice, it over came the struggles.

“We messed around a lot at practices.

[But] we got serious when the coach told us to be. The team was brought closer because we had a lot of team dinners, which were fun,” Peredia said.

In order to fix problems, coach Ignacio Lopez had to keep the boys in line.

“Discipline was very important. Trying to get everyone to practice was hard at first, but, by the end, for the most part everyone was there and working hard,” coach Lopez said.

They kept improving throughout the season to reach their goal of qualifying for CIF. “We won our wild card game at Moorpark in overtime, which gave the team a new life. However in our next game, we faced a strong St. John Bosco team and one mistake cost us the game losing 1-0,” Anderson said.

They may not have won every game in CIF playoffs, but they were satisfied with how far they got.

“Our goal was to make CIF and we accomplished that,” Pereida said.

Over all, the boys season went well, according to coach Lopez.

“I just want to thank all of the boys who [were] committed and tried their best, 100 percent in practices and games and gave it their all. We will set our expectations higher for the next year,” Lopez said.

All wrapped up The wrestling team’s season has come to an end after the three qualifying wrestlers lost in the first round of CIF playoffs.

by Matthew Brancolini

The season is over. The wrestling team ended their season last Saturday after all three qualifying wrestlers were eliminated on the first day of the CIF state tournament.

Coach Arond Schonberg is proud of senior Matt Ulizio and juniors Jake Harris and Raymond Gandara’s performance in the CIF tournament.

“The guys wrestled tough,” Schonberg said. “Looking back at it, I realize how hard it is to make it past CIF and into the Masters. South High sent 14 wrestlers to CIF but only one of them made it to the Masters tournament.”

Ulizio, who placed eleventh in the heavyweight division, feels that he gave it his best effort.

“I was definitely under weight,” Ulizio said. “Everyone I wrestled had 60 pounds on me. It came down to me competing. Being a senior, it was my last chance to make it to Masters but I’m not disappointed. I wrestled to my abilities.’”

Schonberg believes that Ulizio put in a good effort at CIF. “Ulizio wrestled guys that were way heavier than him and it really starts to catch up to you,’” Schonberg said.

Harris looked at the CIF tournament as a learning opportunity for next season.

“I didn’t do too great, but CIF showed me what I have to work on,” Harris said.

“I definitely have to work on my strength.

I’m also going to continue to work on my

technique and learn a few more moves. I’ll be training a lot harder.”

According to Schonberg, Harris held his own against some of the state’s best competitors.

“Jake wrestled some absolute monsters and he hung in there,” Schonberg said.

“There’s always the possibility with Jake that he’ll win with some crazy pin or roll.

He can do that no matter how down he seems.”

Gandara feels disappointed with his CIF performance this year.

“I could have done better,” Gandara said.

“I did worse this year than in the previous years because I moved up a weight class. I lost because of their strength and size, so I have to work on getting stronger during the off-season.”

Schonberg does not fault Gandara for his worse-than-usual performance at CIF. “Raymond wrestles tough. He’s always outweighed by his opponent,” Schonberg said. “He’s barely too heavy for the 102 pound weight class so he ends up wrestling guys that have twelve to fifteen pounds on him.”

Schonberg believes that Redondo will have a bright future if they are willing to work for it.

“If we can retain kids for all four years and get them to be stronger, faster, and have better technique, that will make a big difference in the future. It all depends on their dedication, heart and will. If kids go in with purpose, we could be a great team,” Schonberg said.

by Julie Tran

Pressured, manipulated, and forced into submission, senior Kevin Oldham is vulnerable to an arm fracture and about to be suffocated to death, but refuses to tap out until his vision goes starry.

This is Jiu Jitsu. It’s a sport. It’s self defense. It’s an art. And it’s a passion both Oldham and junior Mateo Tenzera share.

“Jiu Jitsu is a way of life,” Oldham said. “I think about it every day.”

Oldham attends Unity, a Jiu Jitsu academy, daily and intends to open his own academy once he earns his black belt, which due to the ranking system, most likely will not be for another seven to ten years. However, that does not faze him.

“I’m committed to Jiu Jitsu 100 percent so it doesn’t matter to me how long it takes,” Oldham said. “I’m in it for the long run.”

According to Unity owner Nick Curson, Oldham’s technical skills are amazing and admirable for a first-year student.

Agility.

Courage.

Technique.

art.

A

the March 2, 2011 Features Magazine

nchor

[continued on on back]

b.

2

March 2, 2010

day life

a

in the

Naruhito Sugiura desribes his experience at Redondo as a Japanese exchange student.

PHOTO BY JAKE COLLINS

by Olivia Loveland

Rotary Youth Exchange students spend their high school careers country by country, as is the case with Naruhito Sugiura.

Sugiura left his native Japan

PHOTO BY JENNY OETZEL

Exchanged. Japanese exchange student Naruhito Sugiura displays his RUHS sweatshirt.

to spend a year as an exchange student, patching together an enviable life of foreign sights and adventure, instilled with curiosity.

For every new experience or embarrassing moment trying to communicate in a new language, there is a breathless report to friends and family from another locale – Chiba, Japan.

By going to school and living with host families, he was determined to experience a different lifestyle and to learn English “the hard way.”

Now in his sixth month of exchange, Sugiura, or “Naru,” as he is called by his friends and host families, has grown used to his daily routine.

He wakes up early and takes the bus around 7:30 a.m. to get

to his first class, Volleyball P.E., a sport he played with his team in Japan but says he is too short to play here.

As he rides the bus to school, he remembers the two hour journey on train, bus, and bike that he took to get to school in Japan.

“When I was in Japan, everyday was just tough. Not just because of my daily routine, but also [because of ] studying. I had been studying on the bus, train, or the cram school and wouldn’t get home until 11:00 p.m. sometimes,” he said.

Suguira takes a full schedule and has to keep up his grades so he can transfer his credits to Japan and apply to colleges.

“When I first got here, it was very hard to communicate with

other people. I had been learning English, but the real was way harder. Everyone speaks very fast, so when someone was taking to me, I could only smile and pretend I was understanding,” he said.

He likes the freedom of switching up his classes at the second semester to meet more people.

“I got many good friends and everyone understands me even if I cannot [understand] something that they say or what to do, so they help me a lot. I really appreciate my friends,” he said.

After school, Naru studies for the SAT and TOEFLL exams he needs in order to apply for college in Japan. He also spends this time with friends and his host family.

“Outside of school, I sometimes go to the mall or hang out with friends. My host parents are amazingly nice and take me to many places,” he said.

As he is part of the Rotary program, he also gets to meet other exchange students staying in Southern California about every two months in activities and orientations. For example, a weekend in Big Bear and spending time at lake Elsinore at the beginning of the school year.

“I love meeting other exchangers. I can make lots of friends from all over the world.

When we meet, we are in same situation so can share the feelings, concerns or just everything. I’m sure we will keep in touch even after going back to each country,” he said.

March 2, 2011

b.

3

a crumbling

foundation After being diagnosed with bone cancer, sophomore Angela Ramirez comes to terms with her emotional issues and finds optimism for the future.

by Allison Salazar

It started off as a small bump that looked like a pimple on her knee, but it turned out to be much more. By last October, sophomore Angela Ramirez was left immobile and diagnosed with bone cancer.

“I almost died around Christmas,” she said. “I started throwing up blood in the doctor’s office and my grandmother was told that if she hadn’t rushed me to the hospital I would have died.”

Ramirez was hospitalized in the Mattel Children’s Hospital at UCLA while she underwent chemotherapy. She was only 13-years-old and the cancer took an emotional toll on her.

“I didn’t talk to the doctors because I was very shy and I felt like there was no point because I was going to die,” Ramirez said.

When she was diagnosed with cancer her sister, Desire Delfosse, 14, ran away and stopped talking to Ramirez.

“It depressed me a lot because she felt like I was getting all the attention,” she said.

Ramirez blamed her cancer on her grandmother because she didn’t think much of the bump on her leg when it first emerged.

“I was so overwhelmed with all these different emotions that I didn’t even want to talk to her,” Ramirez said.

Part of Ramirez’s emotional struggle was due to the abuse and abandonment she experienced when she was 3-years-old.

When Ramirez was a baby, her mother tried to kill her by smothering her with a pillow, but her aunt stopped her. Ramirez then moved in with her father and stepmother but after her stepmother threw her down the stairs and jumped on her left leg, her grandmother, Marlea Hernandez, took her in.

“She was really angry about everything.

I guess that’s what made her quiet and shy.

She went through a lot at a young age,” Hernandez said.

However, Ramirez feels that the close relationship she has with her grandmother makes up for the lack of a relationship with her mother.

“I grew up with her and in a way she was the only real mom I ever had,” she said.

“It was hard for me to love [my biological mother] as a mom because she didn’t love me as a daughter.”

The distance between Ramirez and her biological parents used to affect her but by coping with her cancer she learned to accept everything that has happened to her and not to let it negatively influence her future.

PHOTO BY JENNY OETZEL

Standing tall. Ramirez smiles and displays her short hair, injured leg, and optimistic attitude.

“One of the things I will never forget her saying is ‘I don’t love you because I didn’t love your dad.’ It really hurt to hear that,” Ramirez said. “I just want to do well in school so that one day I can prove that I made something of myself.”

In order to deal with all of these emotional issues, Ramirez went to counseling.

“More than anything, it helped me understand that it was going to be hard to deal with the cancer but that if I kept my spirit up I would make it through,” she said.

Her friend, sophomore Jaymi Rae, believes that although Ramirez was a strong person before she got cancer, she is even stronger now.

“I think she is such a strong person after all that she’s been through especially because she is very positive,” she said. “Before I met her I thought she was just another student, but now I look at her and I just hope I can be as strong as [she is.]”

Ramirez had close friendships before her diagnosis, but when she started experiencing all the side effects of her chemotherapy she cut her friends off from her life.

“The weight loss, but more importantly losing my long brown hair, made it hard for me to let any of my friends see me,” she said. “I felt ugly and it really took a toll on my self-esteem.

I felt like I couldn’t leave the house because whenever I did, I would cry.”

She found comfort in her family and eventually found the courage to walk around in public without her wig.

“I would feel like everyone was staring at me. One day at Target someone even told me ‘I know you’re going to die’ and I couldn’t believe someone would ever say

that,” Ramirez said.

Although she went through depression at first, Ramirez attributes her change in attitude to her hospital roommate Bianca, 17, who helped inspire her to continue fighting. Bianca was diagnosed with the same cancer as Ramirez, but had to have her leg amputated.

“I remember she was so happy. At the time I was really down and depressed, but seeing her fight even though her parents lived two hours away was inspiring. She was always positive and upbeat so she got me to open up,” Ramirez said. “She told me not to lose hope; I will never forget that.”

Ramirez has been off of chemotherapy for four months now, but fears the possibil-

ity of the cancer returning in her lungs.

“The thing I fear the most is the scans because they determine if the cancer has progressed or not, and it’s a sign of whether I will die or not,” she said.

However, Ramirez will not lose faith.

“Cancer can change someone but it doesn’t make them any less. I don’t want to be treated with pity or any different. I just want to be treated like everyone else,” she said.

She is determined to overcome her illness and use her experience to help others.

“At first I thought of [the cancer] as a disease. Now I see it as a disability, but it does not define who I am, it is just a part of me,” she said. “I want to help other patients see that there is hope for them too.”

b. 4

b. 5

March 2, 2011

LENDING SOME HOPE. A HAND, A VOICE, &

Reaching out.

1. Approximately one child dies every 15 seconds due to a disease related to consuming contaminated water (thirstproject.org). 2.

Sophomores Silver Destouet and Olivia Bustamante sell T-shirts in order to raise money for The Thirst Project. 3. Junior Sofia Dilsizian and partners have raised enough money to buy over 300 pairs of shoes for Armenian orphans. 4.

Sophomore Mannal Haddad plays with kids in Friendship Circle every Wednesday at lunch. She also participates in off-campus events as well.

Students support The Thirst Project

by Annica Stitch

As her older siblings leave for school, a young girl takes a separate path. She walks for miles to a well in sweltering weather in order to get water for her family. By the time she is home, her siblings are walking back from school. As the global water crisis worsens and the availability of potable drinking water decreases, so too does the lack of educated youth in developing nations.

One in six people on the planet do not have access to clean drinking water and those working at The Thirst Project aim to provide safe, clean water and sanitization to 1 million people by 2015 (thirstproject.org).

After a presentation in Biology and AP Environmental Science teacher Mary Simon’s class, students like sophomore Silver Destouet became thirsty for action.

“This cause matters to me because I started to have a ‘Why should I sit here and do nothing when I could be giving people the help that they need?’ kind of attitude. Seeing how fortunate I am and seeing how more people deserve to have clean drinking water that won’t cause them harm [makes me want to help],” Destouet said.

In order to help the Thirst Project reach their goal, Destouet made shirts in order to raise money and awareness.

“I feel really excited about helping people I haven’t met before because I feel that issues in Africa, like the water crisis and child soldier abductions, are not really acknowledged and spoken [about] enough in America,” Destouet said.

Other problems arise due to the lack of accessible water. Young girls from impover-

1.

ished villages have to attain water from wells which are an average of 3.75 miles away from villages.

This task takes up so much time and energy that these girls aren’t able to go to school. Lack of education makes it nearly impossible “to break the cycle of poverty” (thirstproject.org).

Without educating the children who often have to attain the water, those children cannot help develop the communities they come from.

Founder Seth Maxwell believes that the problem is complex, but the solution is simple.

Over 1 billion people on the planet do not have access to sanitary water, even though it may be right under their feet.

“The solution is right below the ground, but for most communities in these developing nations, they simply can’t reach it because they can’t afford to drill down to it.

Water is a human right,” Maxwell said.

Destouet is hopeful about the situation.

2.

4.

3.

by Tricia Light

“I just think that if The Thirst Project gets enough publicity, we can show more people how they can help and that these people need their help,” Destouet said.

Maxwell also believes the solution to the

water crisis is in the hands of the students that he and his associates speak to. He believes that everyone can lend a hand.

“We can no longer ignore the number one global killer of children,” Maxwell said.

Dilsizian donates shoes to orphans in Armenia through Shair a Pair organization

by Gianna Esposito

Heads bowed against the wind and arms hugged close for warmth, the orphans trudge through the snow. Some are lucky enough to own an old, worn-out pair of shoes while others go barefoot. But all that will change if junior Sofia Dilsizian and her friends Kristen and Bridget Abajian can help. They have a plan and a dream to Share a Pair.

Dilsizian is one of the three cofounders of Share a Pair, an organization that raises money to buy shoes for orphans in Armenia. The other founders, Bridget and Kristen, visited Armenia in 2007 and told Dilsizian of their experiences.

“They saw firsthand how bad the conditions of the orphanages in Armenia are,” Dilsizian said. “It’s very cold and snowy and the kids walk everywhere so their shoes wear away fast and they don’t get new ones when their old ones get messed up.”

Kristen was not only struck by how “run -down” and “dirty” the orphanages were, but was also touched by the kids’ excitement.

“The orphans were very excited to see us and their smiles truly left an impression on me,” Kristen said. “The orphans love and look forward to visitors.”

Upon learning about the orphans, Dilsizian, who is full Armenian, became inspired to make a

Haddad inspired by autistic twin to take action

difference. And since November, the three girls received enough donations from friends and family, and from others through Facebook and advertisements, to raise about $2,000 — enough to buy 300 pairs of shoes.

Kristen said that they were “shocked” by how much money they were able to raise “so fast,” but believes they “worked extremely hard to raise it.”

Dilsizian agrees and is very proud of the work they have done so far.

“Our idea has turned into something real and it is growing so rapidly,” she said. “I never thought three girls could make such a difference, let alone thousands of miles away.”

According to Dilsizian, their goal is to raise

enough money to buy 1,200 pairs of shoes — one for every orphan in the fifteen orphanages in Armenia — by the time they leave. She believes that a donation as “little” as $10 “can make such a difference” and help them achieve their goal.

“We have so many pairs of shoes and we don’t realize how fortunate we are to have our feet protected,” Dilsizian said.

The girls have been sending shoes over in increments, but are eager for their trip to Armenia in July when they can personally deliver them.

“I am really looking forward to how excited the orphans will be when they receive our new shoes,” Dilsizian said. “Those smiles will be worth all of the hard work that has gone into this.”

She spends lunch at the Friendship Circle Club, directing games of monopoly and playing hangman with a handful of other volunteers. After school she sits with her sister, patiently helping her with each homework problem. A few short hours later, she is running through a gym playing basketball at a Friendship Circle Sports Night. Before long it is 9 p.m., and she hasn’t had a chance to start her homework, let alone hang out with her friends.

Between having an autistic twin sister and volunteering with the Friendship Circle, working with individuals with special needs is a main focus in sophomore Mannal Haddad’s life. “[Working with children with special needs] just feels natural to me,” Haddad said.

“The Friendship Circle is something I really love.”

Her sister, Hebah, gives her a unique appreciation of the Friendship Circle’s importance.

“Everyone deserves a friend,” Haddad said.

“It hurts me to think that Hebah might not

have a friend [without Friendship Circle], and it makes me happy to think that there are students that are willing to be friends with her.”

The Friendship Circle is an organization that pairs high school students with children and teenagers with special needs.

“It is more than just a place to volunteer.

We have a really cool community,” she said.

Haddad visits a boy with autism, Canon Behenna, every week through the Friendship Circle Friends at Home program. “[Mannal] just gets it,” Canon’s mother, Christie, said. “She doesn’t talk down to Canon or feel sorry for him. She accepts him for who he is and cherishes his uniqueness and personality. I have never seen someone so young be so wise.”

Canon’s first Friendship Circle event was also the first time he was alone with people outside the family.

“Mannal ran up and promised to be Canon’s buddy and not let him out of her sight.

That was the day we fell in love with Mannal,” Behenna said.

Haddad has been a part of the Friendship

Circle for over three years, attending everything from whale-watching trips to rockclimbing events.

“It is something that I chose to do. No one is making me go or anything,” she said. “It is really fun and very rewarding.”

She also devotes time to helping Hebah, who can never be left alone and requires assistance with some normal, day-to-day activities.

“Sometimes I need to watch her instead of hanging out with my friends,” she said. “It can be frustrating, but it’s worth it.”

Despite the challenges, Mannal feels that having Hebah as a sister has taught her many lessons.

“I’m definitely more patient and empathetic [because of her],” she said.

While their relationship is different than that of most siblings, Mannal enjoys spending time with Hebah.

“She is funny and can brighten my day,” she said. “I know I won’t always be able to live with Hebah, but I always want her to be a part of my life.”

PHOTO 1 OURTESY OF THE THIRST PROJECT. PHOTO 2

BY MOLLY SIMON. PHOTO 3 COURTESY OF SOFIA DILSIZIAN. PHOTO 4 BY CELESTE MANUGHIAN-PETER

DONATE YOUR TIME AND MONEY

TO THE CAUSE: Friendship Circle:

Donate 30 minutes of your time by going to rm. 505 during Wednesday at lunch.

Share a Pair:

Donate your money by looking up Share a Pair on Facebook.

The Thirst Project: Learn more about the project by going onto thirstproject.org

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Mar. 2, 2011

FEELING AROUND Compiled by Dylan Futrell

Since the advent of the iPad, hardware manufacturers the world over have rushed to cash in on the tablet trend. While iPad knock-offs seem like they’re a dime a dozen these days, here are a few that offer something new.

HP Touchpad

Apple iPad

While not out yet, HP’s tablet rivals the Xoom in features. It is the first tablet to run WebOS, the operating system for Palm smartphones.

Despite its promise, it is difficult to say how the tablet will perform once it hits the market.

While not the first, or the last, to do what it does, the iPad is still the king of the market, although its rigid functionality and lack of cameras deter anyone who wants more than an oversized iPod Touch.

However, the iPad 2, rumored to be revealed soon, may correct some of these shortcomings.

Motorola Xoom

Dell Streak 7

Motorola aims to deliver a bigger, better iPad, and largely succeeds. With a 10.1 inch screen, front and rear facing cameras, Android 3.0 support HDMI output, and eventual 4G compatibility, the Xoom towers over its competitors.

However, all that power comes with a price: $800 without a contract, $600 with.

Dell brings us the first tablet with 4G compatibility. The streak also supports Adobe Flash, but will soon be outdated by the upcoming wave of tablets using Android 3.0.

Samsung Galaxy Tab Technology juggernaut Samsung’s entry into the tablet market, the Galaxy tab offers more features with a smaller size.

However the phone feels much like Samsung’s own Android smartphones.

iPad apps help autistic students effectively communicate Five tutors crowd around him, notebooks in hand, pens poised.

“What do you want, Roman?” one tutor says. “Outside, or bounce on ball?”

Maybe he’ll gurgle

by Laney Burke out an almost inaudible “bounshee-ball,” but usually he’s silent.

Instead, he clicks on his iPad and accesses the Proloquo2Go application, touching the picture of a bouncy ball.

This is the daily life of Roman, my autistic, five-year old brother. A year ago, Ro-

man could only communicate through crying, screaming, and the few words he knew.

But now, with the large number of autism applications for the iPad, he and other autistic children can communicate with more ease.

The iPad is not just for reading eBooks, surfing the web while on the move, or playing Angry Birds. The iPad is a groundbreaking invention used by autistic children to do what typical people take for granted –– communicate.

Many autistic children to not have the ability to read, write, or speak –– three essentials to simple communication. Apps

like Proloquo2Go convert text to speech so that people with autism can learn to associate a word or picture with the sound phrase. AutismXpress allows kids to convey their feelings by selecting an interactive emoticon, while TapToTalk helps kids learn new words using touch-screen pictures. These apps are instantly usable, breaking tasks down into lots of small steps and making learning fun. It’s like playing Zoombinis in elementary school –– you hardly noticed you were learning amidst having fun.

While there are other computers designed for autism-communication, the iPad

is faster, cheaper, more portable, and more interactive than other costly digital devices.

My mom can take the iPad to the park so Roman can indicate whether he wants the slide or swing, and the tutors can use it to teach him basic communication skills all around the house.

Kids can play games, learn the alphabet, and express their needs through communication programs that otherwise may have been out of reach due to cost or difficulty of use. A device that was initially made for watching movies, reading electronic newspapers, and playing games is undoubtedly changing the world of autism.

Mar. 2, 2011

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RADIOHEAD TAKES ROOT British iconoclasts pull their punches to craft eerie, sparse record.

Artist: Radiohead Title: The King of Limbs Genre: Alternative Purchase at www.thekingoflimbs.com ($9.99 for MP3, $14.99 for WAV) ILLUSTRATION BY MOLLY SIMON

by Dylan Futrell

In the eyes of the public, Radiohead has never had trouble breaking new ground.

1997’s OK Computer revolutionized alternative rock with its scope and density.

2000’s Kid A, a moody, electronicallydriven opus, is often lauded by critics as the greatest album of the new millenium.

2007’s In Rainbows shocked the music industry with its abrupt release-- only ten days after the announcement-- and its risky “pay-as-you-want” price point.

Now, in 2011, Radiohead sets their sights a bit lower: there are no genres to revitalize, no great truths to realize, no apocalypses to prophesize. Lead singer and lyricist Thom Yorke said it best himself in a 2009 interview regarding the success of In Rainbows: “None of us want to go into that creative hoo-ha of a long-play record again...

It’ll kill us.”

This leaves us with The King of Limbs, a brief, but occasionally beautiful record that brings nothing new to the table other

than a reminder of what makes them great in the first place.

Limbs borrows the artificial production of Kid A and Amnesiac, liberally applying vocal and instrumental samples throughout each piece. In spite of that, the album more than fulfills its namesake –– a 1,000 year old tree found in the forests of southern England –– by creating jittery, sparse pieces that feel both haunting and strangely organic.

The jagged climb of “Little by Little” is a perfect example, combining Yorke’s unmistakable croon with the uneasiness of a foggy night in the woods.

Throughout Limbs, each sample is used effectively and thoughtfully, layered and delayed to construct dense, bone-chilling walls of sound –– except the drum samples.

Each song only uses one unique drum sample, meaning the same 1-2 second loop is repeated for upwards of 4 minutes. With all of the possibilities available to the band, this only sounds lazy and uninspired. Hopefully Phil Selway,

the band’s perfectly capable drummer, will be able to stay awake through live performances.

The first half closes with “Feral,” a regrettable instrumental interlude that is all build-up and no release. The song is every bit as unnerving as the preceding songs, but that may have more to do with the idea of Yorke believing people would actually enjoy this pointless wankery. Clocking in at a mere 38 minutes, Limbs can’t afford dead weight like “Feral.”

Thankfully, the album rebounds with its first single, “Lotus Flower.” Easily the most accessible track on the album, the bass takes center stage, shaking and rumbling under Yorke’s falsetto. The infectious rhythm compels even Yorke to “dance,” as seen in the song’s music video.

While Yorke’s jerky, epileptic stumbling says “drunken karaoke night” more than “Grammy-winning, internationally respected rock outfit,” it’s artsy. I think.

With its remaining songs, Limbs tones down the electronics, for the better.

“Codex” is a beautiful, piano-driven

gem. The shimmering instrumentation and drowned-out vocals provide a welldeserved interlude from the eeriness. That is, until you realize the lyrics are probably about suicide.

Largely absent from the album is lead guitarist Jonny Greenwood. His distinctive, aggressive style, which once propelled and energized the band’s work, is now reduced to merely supporting Yorke’s own vocals and instrumentation. It’s a shame that a band containing one of modern rock’s most unique and inventive guitarists can’t be bothered to use him fully.

This translates to Limbs’ greatest conflict: it has no conflict. Like a horror movie that never ends, it’s all atmosphere, no action.

In the pitch-perfect album closer, “Separator,” Yorke dreamily chants “If you think this is over, then you’re wrong.”

If only it were true. While great in its own right, Limbs feels less like a highly anticipated album years in the making, and more like a glorified, highly polished EP. But, maybe, that’s how the band likes it.

Clash of the Titanettes: “Hold It Against Me” vs. “Born This Way”

by Jeremy Porr

Last December, Lady Gaga previewed “Born This Way” during the MTV Video Music Awards, and immediately after, “little monsters” everywhere began counting down t h e days to its release.

On Feb. 13 the wait was over and the song was unveiled, but not without some competition.

Nearly a month earlier another pop goddess by the name of Britney Spears released her new single “Hold It Against Me,” WIKIMEDIA COMMONS leaving a lot of

people asking themselves “Which song is better?”.

Both songs prove to be hits, “Hold It Against Me” reached number one on iTunes in 23 countries the day of its release and “Born This Way” achieved the same feat in only three hours. The release of “Hold It Against Me” was somewhat random in the sense that Britney didn’t do any publicity for it. In contrast, “Born This Way” had a lot of hype. Gaga did an array of interviews and previewed the entire song to a select number of her celebrity friends, including Elton John, who compared the song to Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive” and called it the new “gay anthem” The lyrics for “Hold It Against Me” aren’t anything ground-breaking with lines like “you feel like paradise and I need a vacation tonight.” Despite the lackluster lyrics, the song carries rave like sounds, and a dubstep

dance break that make it certain to be a hit among fans everywhere. Britney has been in the pop industry far longer than Gaga, and her latest single debuted at number one on the Billboard charts. Spears succeeds in reinventing herself again and her song certainly appeals to the young and dance obsessed.

Lyrically speaking, Gaga’s new single is beautiful and inspiring, she confidently proclaims “whether life’s disabilities left you outcast, bullied, or teased rejoice and love yourself today cause baby you were born this way”.

Underneath the outrageous outfits that Lady Gaga is famous for wearing there is a message that people rarely see, she wants to liberate people through her music and that is just what “Born This Way” sets out to do.

The song starts with a subtle intro and explodes into a 90’s retro pop tune that is similar to Madonna’s “Express Yourself ”

“Born This Way” has a long lasting message and its lyrics speak to the struggles of many different people today, “Hold It Against Me” is an entertaining song that is fun and easy to dance to, but it certainly isn’t another Britney classic like “Oops...I Did It Again”.

Both Britney Spears and Lady Gaga are amazing at what they do, but if a choice needed to be made between the new singles, Gaga would be the winWIKIMEDIA COMMONS ner.

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Moving up the ladder

by Loren Brown

Inhale, exhale. He knew he could do it. He had trained for this. He stepped in front of the class, nerves running and up and down his spine, and introduced himself to his new taekwondo students.

Realizing that he needed to earn money, Senior Ryan Decker asked his Sensei, or head teacher, for a job at his martial arts school, J. Lee Taekwondo, over the summer. Having finally reached the level of a second degree black belt, he knew he was qualified.

“I started off as an assistant and now I’m an official instructor. I teach from white belts to red senior belts. So I teach from [age] five all the up to [age] 15,” Decker said.

Decker has been practicing taekwondo since he was in third grade. According to Decker, mastering the art has taken patience, discipline, and commitment.

“The hardest part is remembering all the stuff you were taught before.

You have to remember the techniques from when you were a white belt. Only once in a while do we go back [to review],” Decker said.

As a teacher, Decker must have the ability to remember and distinguish levels from white belts to red senior belts and to teach techniques successfully. According to Decker, taekwondo can be very rewarding.

“It teaches you to be respectful.

Most kids start off at a young age, so it teaches them discipline and to focus and concentrate on one specific thing,” Decker said.

Although it can be a challenge, Decker enjoys teaching his classes.

“It’s a part of my nature to be able to work with people, especially kids. I’m very patient. Just to know you’re making a difference in their lives by not only making them better at taekwondo, but making them better people feels great,” Decker said.

According to Decker, taekwondo is an art that sticks with you forever.

Although he does not plans to continue the art in the future, he is very grateful for his experience. “[Taekwondo is] so much more than a self defense class. It gets you mentally stronger. You learn life lessons. It has shaped me as a person. It made me respectful and confident. It’s a way of life,” Decker said.

March 2, 2011

The art of defense

[continued from front]

“I’m confident in his ability to go far,” Curson said. “He is progressing at an incredibly fast pace.”

Jiu Jitsu, according to Oldham, is mentally and physically beneficial. Instructors teach moves and instill virtues that can be applied to the real world.

“As for virtues, I learned to be patient and to respect others despite their seize,” Oldham said.

“And, as far as self defense goes, it’s all about technique and state of mind, not personal strength.”

Tenzera, who attends Machado Academy in North Redondo, is drawn to Jiu Jitsu because it proves to be a positive outlet for his energy.

“If I’m stressed out or angry for any reason, I just go to Jiu Jitsu and let my emotions out on the mat,” Tenzera said.

The academy is a close-knit community, where each key player serves as an important and active member.

The sport has allowed Oldham to develop intimate relationships with his instructor and other stu-

1.

2.

Grounded. 1. Senior Kevin Oldham pins junior Jack Collins. 2.

Oldham resists Collins’ pushes. 3.

Oldham twists out of a hold.

dents.

“I’ve grown so much closer to my friend, Jack Collins, who I’ve trained with every day since day one,” Oldham said. “I’m certain of his reliability and I know he’s got my back.”

3.

On another note, Jiu Jitsu also provides many competitive opportunities.

Tenzera and Oldham are both white belts, but perform well against blues and purples. They hope to participate in two highly-

prestigious and internationally renowned Jiu Jitsu tournaments, the Abu Dhabi Pro Trials and the Pan American Championships, next month.

According to Tenzera, Jiu Jitsu is not like boxing, where you can only go for so long before you get permanent brain damage. It truly lives up to its name, the ‘gentle art,’ as it is composed mostly of grappling, take downs, and everything but striking.

“Basically, you can do Jiu Jitsu forever,” Tenzera said. “Which is what I’m going to do. I definitely see myself pursuing a career in it and teaching my kids, if I have any, the art one day.”

Tenzera and Oldham receive a fair amount of support from their friends. In fact, many were inspired to do Jiu Jitsu because of them.

“My parents, on the other hand, are on the up and down about all this,” Oldham said. “They’re against it mostly because they think it’s consuming my life. It is, but I’d recommend it to anyone and everyone because it’s liberating. It is, by far, the best activity I’ve ever taken part of.”

Jumping new heights to freedom

by Kyle Bittman

He begins running, headed toward the edge of the roof he’s on, with the intent to jump off.

It’s not a suicide attempt, it’s senior Ryan DesVoigne performing one of his regular “parkour” runs.

DesVoigne is an experienced “tracer,” or someone who practices parkour.

A french word, which means “the art of displacement,” parkour is an extreme sport which involves freely running and jumping off and over obstacles. DesVoigne started watching videos of tracers on Youtube and was inspired to take up the sport after it made its way to the streets of America no more than just six years ago.

“It looked really neat and interesting and I wanted to give it a shot,” DesVoigne said.

His first experience with parkour took place in a grass field at a barn that belonged to one of his friends.

DesVoigne distinctly remembers the first jump he made, along with the rush that immediately followed.

While parkour is still more popular in France, it’s made itself

well-known in America. There are parkour clubs such as Urban Free Flow and American Parkour, but DesVoigne does not partake in them. “[Parkour clubs] are more popular in the Midwest and on the East coast. It’s a lot more fun in older towns that have lots of buildings,” DesVoigne said.

DesVoigne is not completely alone in his parkour runs; a few of his friends partake in the sport as well.

He and his friends spend their weekends going on runs around schools, parks, and any other places that have step and ledges to jump off of.

And while DesVoigne has a lot of fun with the sport, he also takes the safety aspects of it very seriously.

“Don’t try anything you only have one shot at,” is a motto that DesVoigne lives by. He believes that safety is a priority and tries to avoid stunts that may be too dangerous.

So far, DesVoigne has had no injuries that are worse than a sprained ankle and a couple of bruises, and

2.

3.

4.

1.

Empowered. 1. Senior Ryan DesVoigne jumps over a railing. 2-4. Parkour runs and jumps over a trash can.

doesn’t plan on getting any.

Parkour gives DesVoigne a sense of empowerment. He parkours for the build up of confidence that comes from every jump and run he performs. DesVoigne feels that parkour has changed his life for the better. “[Parkour has] given me more confidence, a sense of freedom, and has empowered me. I used to be really shy, but now I’m less shy and more outgoing, with a lot

more confidence than before.”

When he’s parkouring, DesVoigne is overwhelmed with emotions and feelings. DesVoigne acknowledges these feeling as one the best parts of parkour.

“It definitely gives me an overall sense of elation and an invigorating adrenaline rush. I also like the freedom of physical exertion it gives. You can go anywhere and do anything,” says DesVoigne.