High Tide March 28, 2013 Edition

H IGH

TIDE March 28, 2013 // Vol. XCIII // Edition 12 Redondo Beach, CA // Redondo Union High School

STATE CHAMPIONS

p2-3//

A recap of Grease and other photos of the week.

p6-7 //

Students take a ďŹ rst look at the newly-opened Student Union.

p8-9//

Learn how to make easter eggs with a DIY tutorial.

Funding cut at El Camino

Photos of the week

Rising above the competition.

1. Freshmen Dylan Matic takes a contested jumpshot. 2. Assistant Principal Jens Brandt attempts to jump past and shoot over the outstrechted arms of juniors Tyler Saxton and Eric Beranek, members of team USA Breast Cancer Elite, during the final game of the three-on-three basketball tournament. Brandt’s team, Two Pods in a Pea, made up of all faculty members, went on to win the game and the tournament with a score of five to four.

3-on-3 Tournament

PHOTO BY DIANA LUNA

by Andrew Czuzak

PHOTO BY MITCHELL YONEMURA

Jazz and Choir PHOTO BY JUSTIN LEE

Good vibes. Freshman Amanda Toniolo and sophomore Scott Strause play their saxophones as part of the “B” band in the festival concert on Tuesday. This year had so many members playing they had to separate the band into two portions based on talent and experience.

Hawaiian Day PHOTO BY TYLER EISENHART

Aloha. Juniors Jonathan Ortiz and Davy Thomas enjoy lunch during the Spring Spirit Week.

According to one of the ASB members in charge of the Spring Spirit Week, Isaac Portillo, the Spring Spirit Week was a way for the school to bring out the the students to enjoy and show some RUHS spirit.

2 HIGH TIDE . NEWS

The process of transferring and paying for a community college just became harder.

According to Principal Nicole Wesley, the federal budget cuts known as the sequester will decrease the availability of classes at El Camino College as well as federal needbased aid.

“I’ve talked to a lot of second-year students who can’t transfer in that window because they’re one or two classes away from meeting their eligibility to transfer,” Wesley said.

Shannon Rodriguez, college and career counselor, recommends that students prepare early so that they can attend fouryear universities where they can graduate in the same time it takes to transfer at some community colleges.

“The best option for all students regardless of their financial status is to prepare early,” Rodriguez said. “Going to college is a process, not a reaction.”

Wesley agrees and believes that as community colleges get more and more crowded, four-year univiersities will become more appealing to students.

“The reason we have been pushing the A-G requirements at RUHS is so when

students graduate they have options,” Wesley said. “It’s a lot different when a student has options and chooses to go a community college than when the community college is their only option.”

Planning early also allows students to be awarded more merit-based aid which is important when federal need-based aid and work study programs are being cut, according to Wesley.

“At RUHS, I don’t think our students entertain all the scholarship chances on Naviance or in the Nest. The harder you work earlier, the more likely you are to earn those grants, scholarships, and other forms of merit aid,” Wesley said.

Rodriguez agrees and also believes that working during high school will help make students more motivated to attend a fouryear university while simultaneously paying for the cost.

“I know that focusing on school work is most important, but students should also be working anywhere between five and ten hours a week,” Rodriguez said. “Also, it adds to ‘ownership’ [of a college education.]

We all tend to take things more seriously when we are personally investing in it and education is something we should be seriously invested.”

Freshmen drop honors courses

by Ted Cavus

Many hours put into fulfilling the task of seemingly endless homework becomes just too heavy of a burden.

Freshman Patrick Cochran is taking English 9 Honors this year, but plans on taking CP next year.

“The main part of the grade is essays, and I don’t earn very good grades on them, so it is a struggle to pass the class,” he said.

Cochran has full support from his parents as well.

“They support me. They actually think it is better, so that I can just get a good grade in CP [courses] and get into colleges,” Cochran said.

Cochran had a discussion with both his parents and counselor and “decided it was best” for him. “[Maybe it will be too easy,] but like I said, it is better to get an A in CP than a D in honors,” Cochran said.

Principal Nicole Wesley understands the decision and knows that Honors consists of “more reading, writing and expectations.”

“Those students who are going to commit themselves to an honors class have to be fully dedicated to that class,” she said.

Wesley is in full support of students who want to explore other programs or activities.

“I think it’s a wise decision [to switch to CP] when you’re stretching yourself reasonably, however, if a student is capable of Honors, I would hope they reconsider,” Wesley said.

Wesley knows that students who are capable may be “deterred” by the amount of work and think they can “take the easy way out with CP classes.”

“If they truly want to be competitive when applying to colleges, it’s certainly worth the sacrifice of a few nights because they might not realize that the sacrifice is going to pay off,” she said.

Wesley recommends for students unsure about taking Honors in the upcoming year that they talk to their current Honors teacher or a future Honors teacher and parents.

“If students aspire to be writers or something related to liberal arts, then they really should push themselves to take Honors English,” she said. “Students should really focus on their end goal and how they are going to get there.”

She also recommends talking to the counsellors.

“They are fully aware of the work load as well. The counselor can look at the big picture in terms of what classes you’ve taken and what classes you’ll still need to take [to meet your goal.]”

Wesley believes students are capable of success.

“The skills that [Honors students] learn, like the ability to face difficulties and [succeed,] and develop[ing] tenacity.

These are the students who go on to college and overcome stress, anxiety and a heavy workload. The students who take the easy way out are going to be in for a big surprise,” Wesley said.

Grease

Curtain call. “Grease” members finished on a bittersweet note, according to junior Abby Attig. “I don’t know whether to party because I’m free, or cry because all these wonderful people have become my family over the last three months.” Photos

by Claire Tisius.

Next year’s classes offer students new opportunities VIDEO PRODUCTION

HUMAN BODY SYSTEMS

CREATIVE AND COLLEGE WRITING

FILM CRITICISM AND THEROY

by Yasmeen El-Hasan

by Kayla Nicholls

by Yasmeen El-Hasan

by Kayla Nicholls

Students with dreams to be on TV as a news anchor, weatherman, or reporter will get that opportunity in the new Video Production class to be taught next year.

Taught by media arts teacher Matt Sheehey, the class will guide students to write, direct, produce and edit a news program that will be streamed during SSR. The show will be produced by junior Jenn Duong, who recently produced a short film.

“The production crew is made up of many positions, so there are many opportunities to explore all of these positions and become a master of one or all,” Sheehey said. “Whether you’re in front of the camera or behind it, this class will give you the opportunity to be part of something special” In order to make the news broadcasts more realistic, the crew will be streaming their shows live.

“I want to prepare my students for the real world [broadcasting] experience. I feel this class is going to be a big hit with the students and I plan on producing an awardwinning program,” Sheehey said.

The class will be using some of the same equipment as the broadcasting industry, which Sheehey believes will make the transition to a college broadcast or job easier.

“This class is going to be an amazing opportunity for students to learn the skills necessary to pursue a career in the television industry,” Sheehey said.

The new Human Body Systems (HBS) class, a continuation of the Principles of Biomedical Science (PBS), will be taught

by Ann Bhare to all students who have satisfactorily completed the PBS course.

This class will teach physiology, which deals with the parts of the body and their functions, in a hands-on way.

“Students use computers to collect data for the labs and conduct internet research to solve problems,” Bhare said. “But [the class] is taught in an inquiry way as opposed to the memorization of a traditional physiology class.”

As the students learn about new body systems, they will represent what is occurring in a specific body system on a structure called a ‘Maniken’.

“As students move through a system, they use clay to build the body parts they are studying,” Bhare said. “As the year progresses, the Maniken becomes more and more complete.” “[HBS] teaches skills that help students, regardless of what they plan to study in college,” Bhare said. “In addition, it exposes student to a variety of health care careers.”

Bhare looks forward to teaching this class because it will be “fun” for both the students and herself.

“I’m excited about it. The students and I have both enjoyed PBS, so HBS should also be a lot of fun,” Bhare said.

The new course Creative and College Writing, taught by English teacher Dawn Hunter, will be offered next year to seniors.

The class will allow students to develop both their creative and formal voices in writing. Students will read poetry, short stories, novels, plays, and essays that represent diverse perspectives.

Students will participate in Socratic seminars, writing workshops, and peer evaluation groups as they work towards becoming “critical and strong” writers. They will also practice writing formal college-style analytical, explanatory, and argumentative essays.

“The class will allow them ample opportunities to participate in intellectual collaborative conversations about literature and formal writing practice to hone their analysis skills, in addition to allowing them to put into practice the very techniques that the studied authors and poets have used as they craft their own creative writing pieces,” Hunter said.

Hunter hopes that the literature will inspire students to creatively write poems, narratives, reflections, and descriptions.

“I am very much looking forward to teaching this student-centered class, which will allow students to grow as critical readers and writers. It was fun to create a curriculum filled with literature that I love to teach and students love to read,” Hunter said.

Next year, a Film Criticism and Theory will be offered to all students who have passed 9-11th grade English. Norma Molina will teach this class that will focus analyzing and critiquing various genres of film. It will teach students knowledge that will change how they watch films.

“Once students have a working knowledge on how to approach film on a theoretical/critical level, they will have a more enjoyable entertainment and intellectual film experience,” Molina said.

“By taking this course, students will receive two great experiences for the price of one.”

In addition to changing all students’ outlooks on film, this class will teach them how to judge a film by its quality.

“This course will help hone visual perception skills and visual analysis skills, as well as help students broaden their film literacy. As film consumers and film lovers, students will also have a better sense of which films have artistic merit and not waste their time and money on watching horrible films,” Molina said.

Molina feels that this class is important because of the importance film has on modern culture.

“I am very excited about this new course, since cinema has been a significant component of our culture. We are in a media-information culture dominated by moving images,” Molina said.

3 HIGH TIDE . NEWS

PRO

In every class there are certain expectations a student must live up to, and AP classes should be no different.

While many students take AP classes solely to challenge themselves and embrace the finest education, they are actually wasting their time. Since the class’ entire curriculum is designed to fit the requirements of the AP test, students who were never serious about taking the end-of-the-year exam are wasting their time learning how to please the AP review board. An entire year’s worth of education is lost because the student did not take the test they prepared for all year.

Students who never intended on taking the AP test should have never taken the class to begin with because it is pointless.

Students not intending to take the AP test should change their perspective and consider it an opportunity. If the student passes with a three or better they can receive college credit, but if a student does not pass the test there is no real penalty. The test does not affect the grades they earn in the class.

Many students who do not feel confident enough to take the AP exam should still be required to take it. After committing to a year of hard work and dedicating hours to studying, doing homework and taking tests and essays, students should take the test because there is nothing to lose. There are many opportunities, however, for students who do take the AP test.

90 percent of colleges and universities in the U.S. provide credit for qualifying AP exam scores (apreviewbooks.com). Many schools allow students to earn up to a full year of college credit with the right number and combination of qualifying AP exam scores. Not only does college credit help a student earn their degree quicker, college credit awarded based on AP exam scores can also save students a lot of money. According to apreviewbooks.com, the average college costs $20,000 a year in tuition and fees. AP test scores can also be a factor for earning

AROUND REDONDO compiled by Vicky Artaza

Should taking the AP test be mandatory for students taking the AP class?

PHOTOS BY ZOE EZZES

4 HIGH TIDE . OPINION

Pass rates of the school’s most popular AP classes.

By the numbers 100 90

100%

96%

AP tests are an unnecessary stress for students seeking challenging classes but not necessarily needing college credit.

The gym is lined with tables, two chairs a piece and tension hangs in the air as students file in. As each student takes a seat, their collective heartbeats are heard throughout the room. It is the day of the AP test and anxiety is a common feeling. AP testing is hard on students, and they should not be forced to take the tests.

First off, AP tests are a huge expense at $89 per AP test. Once students begin taking more than one test, it will start to become a heavy financial burden. Not only are these tests expensive, they are also not the only expense students have to pay for throughout the year. Between dances, sporting events and other school events, add in AP testing, and high school can become a financial hassel.

AP tests can also be a big stress inducer in students’ lives. Students take AP courses because they enjoy the challenge presented when teachers force them to think in ways CP classes wouldn’t, and they are interested in what the class has to offer. Their enjoy-

academic scholarships and awards. While the AP test may seem expensive at first, they might help a student save a lot of money long term for college.

Another reason to look at AP tests as an opportunity is the fact that they help students stand out in the admissions process when applying to college. Admission officers look for students who they believe will work hard. People who take the test are also able to experience a college-level test and adjust easily to the rigor and heavy workload of college classes.

The end-of-the-year AP exam should be mandatory for AP students because there are more opportunities for people who take the test. For the students who believe they cannot take the test due to financial problems, the AP board offers a waiver for financial aid to help with exam fees. There is no excuse for students to skip the AP exam because they have worked hard all year and can earn benefits for qualifying scores and will not be penalized for failing scores.

Pass rate (Percent)

Karissa Taylor

Students should take the AP test if they chose to enroll in the AP class because there is nothing to lose and a lot to gain.

CON

Should students in an AP class be forced to take the AP test?

96%

90%

84%

80

72%

76%

70

69% 56%

60 50 40 30 20 10

English Euro Chem U.S. Gov U.S. Calc AB Bio Psych Physics Lang History & Politics History

AP exam

“ Yes. If they are in the AP class, they should be able to pass the AP test.

— Jessica Johnson, 9

”

“ No, it’s unfair for

people are forced to pay money to take a test if they don’t want to.

— Curtis paine, 12

“ Yes. They put them-

people to have to pay for the exam after taking the class.

— Rylee Guinn Mai, 11

“ No, it’s unfair that

”

ment of the class, however, is ruined by the stress brought on by this big important test they need to study for. Teachers emphasize the importance of how the AP can help students in college so they do not have to take a few classes. In turn, students cram for the AP, and the class becomes more stressful than fun.

It is unfair to the students who work hard in the classroom but have trouble taking an exam. Students will work hard all year and score a three on the test, which, to anyone who has ever taken an AP, is a good score.

To many colleges however, a score of a three will not even be accepted, forcing the student to take the course again once they attend college. Students then wonder what the point was in taking this class if they will not even earn college credit.

Additionally, some schools do not give credit for any score, making the AP test worthless for students who plan on attending those schools. The class, however, would present them with challenging curriculum that they’d need to be successful in college.

In cases like this, the class is important, but is the test?

Many teachers offer AP review sessions after school for those who would like the chance to study in a group with the teacher. Unfortunately, numerous students are part of sports teams or have other commitments, making attendance for an AP review session either very difficult or impossible.

The lack of study time makes students feel unprepared for the test and taking the test becomes even more of a challenge and a stressor.

Ultimately, making AP students take the test is simply unnecessary stress in the already stressful lives of AP students. Some students just want the challenge of a harder class without the financial burden. It seems unfair to force students to pay a huge fee for a test that might be of no use to them in the future.

“ No, there should be a choice to take it or not.

— Arielle Chacon, 9

”

selves in the AP classs so they should be able to pass the test.

— Samsara Read, 9

Savannah Stern

”

”

“ No, just because you take the class doesn’t mean you should hav to take the test.

— Matthew riley, 12

”

Letters to the

Editor If you have an opinion about one of the articles, we welcome letters to the editor at hightideonline@gmail.com.

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

High Tide

Staff

ILLUSTRATION BY COOPER LOVANO

Majors for Humanities and S.T.E.M. classes keep students from exploring other options EDITORIAL What we think Majors for Humanities and S.T.E.M. hinder students from a more holistic education as most students are not certain of what their careers will be in the future while they are in high school.

Looking across the course registration sheet, your eyes dart from one class to another. You start to feel indecisive as to which class you should take. You know that this new class will be easier than the AP class, even though you had decided to take that AP class before you knew about the new class.

The new S.T.E.M. and Majors for Humanities classes are too specific and specialized for high school students and these new classes steer students off the AP path.

It’s good that the school is offering more English, math and science classes, such as Expository Reading/Writing and Intro to Engineering. These specialized classes are great for students who know what they want to do in the future. However, we’re still high school students; most of us don’t know what we want to be yet.

The school wants to offer paths for the type of careers students will want, such as the Biomedical Sciences path. This path requires taking Principles of Biomedical Sciences, Human Body Systems, Medical Interventions and Biomedical Innovations.

Many freshman, however, come into highschool certain they will become something in the medical field and end up changing their minds by their senior year. They could have been on a regular science path, learning a little of everything, but they wasted their time and effort in classes they didn’t enjoy because they wanted to take classes that suit a career they weren’t certain of.

If students in these Majors for Humanities or S.T.E.M. classes suddenly find that they are not interested in the course, they are stuck in that class for the rest of the year.

In any Majors for Humanities class, the class would only focus on one type of writing and maybe touch upon other types. Students can easily become bored and tired of writing the same thing over and over again for a year. These students don’t get the invaluable exposure to other types of writing that traditional students get. Students need to be exposed to as much as possible during high school so that they can be well-rounded individuals. The tracks students would be placed into prevent them from experiencing new things.

S.T.E.M. and Majors for Humanities are also not fair to the students. The new selection of English classes may not offer the type of English class that some students are looking for. For example, the school offers Multicultural Literature, but some may want to take just British Literature. It’s not fair for those students who want to take a specific type of English class, but the school doesn’t offer it and simply offers another class that those students aren’t interested in.

Some students can think that the new

classes are an easy way out of taking AP classes, which the school encourages so that students challenge themselves.

By offering new classes that aren’t AP, the school is decreasing the likelihood that students take AP classes. If students continue to take the easy way out, how are they supposed to succeed outside of high school?

Additionally, numerous students would reject a holistic education in favor of taking more math classes or more English classes.

There is only so much room in a student’s schedule, and adding classes in one concentration will mean ommiting classes in other concentrations. A future engineer who had a hidden passion for writing would never discover it if they fill their schedules with math and science classes.

The school wastes money on the new classes as well. The money could be used for opening more classes that the school already offers. Some students are unable to take the class they want because it clashes with the rest of their schedule. The school should limit the number of new classes they will be offering for these tracks and spend some money on making sure students get into the classes already available if they want them.

No student should be turned away from an AP class due to lack of room available. That’s exactly what would happen with too many new classes being offered.

The specialized class helps students prepare for future careers, but it’s mostly for students who already have a confirmed career.

For students who don’t have a confirmed career and still signed up for a specialized class, they should rethink their decision.

Editor-in-Chief: Julia Tran Managing Editor: Emma Uriarte Writing Director: Tricia Light Design Director: Taylor Ballard Sports Director: Tatiana Celentano News Editor: Andrew Czuzak Opinion Editor: Mannal Haddad Health Editor: Cedric Hyon Features Editors: Taylor Brightwell; Shivaani Gandhi; Kylie Martin; Haley Meyers Sports Editors: Allegra Peelor, Alejandro Quevedo Entertainment Editor: Haley Meyers Photo Editors: Vitoria Magno-Baptista; Diana Luna Copy Editors: Hana Ghanim; Ilana LaGraff; Navikka Dasz Cartoonist: Cooper Lovano Online Editors: Vivian Lam; Kayla Maanum; LeAnn Maanum Staff Writers: Victoria Artaza; Alina Bieschke; Joseph Bieschke; Jewell Black; Kira Bowen; Kolbie Brightwell; Ted Cavus; Deborah Chang; Edwin Chavez; Caitlin Cochran; Yasmeen El-Hasan; Micah Ezzes; Zoe Ezzes; Anna Fauver; Stella Gianoukakis; Nageena Hamraz; Natalie Hardiman; Katie Hill; Haris Khan; Chance King; Angela Kim; Justin Lee; Daniel Loveland; Shawn Mallen; Nicholas McCarthy; Romy Moreno; Alida Newson; Kayla Nicholls; Susan Nieves; Rachael Orford; Lindsey Pannor; Cameron Paulson; Jene Price; Jason Rochlin; Shelby Salerno; Beth Shallon; Laura Smith; Cole Stecyk; Savannah Stern; Karissa Taylor; Claire Tisius; Grace Zoerner Adviser: Mitch Ziegler The High Tide dedicates itself to producing a high-quality publication that both informs and entertains the entire student body.

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

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

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

5 HIGH TIDE . OPINION

AROUND REDONDO 2.

Good eats. 1.

While it has been under construction for some time, the cafeteria is now open and ready for business. 2.

Students customize their lunches at the opening. 3.

Tables and chairs were custom made to reflect sea hawk pride and beach culture.

PHOTO 1 BY VINNY VARGAS PHOTOS 2-3 JENNY OETZELl

1.

a recipe for

success

by Chance King

R

UHS’s Student Union opened this week, with all grade levels being allowed to experience the facility.

With a brand new lunch menu, eating area, and rooftop deck, the Student Union is poised to become a central hub for both students and staff.

The Union boasts a brand new cafeteria and menu, with a multitude of new eating options at the same cost of a regular lunch. The new cafeteria aims to provide students with fresh an unique dining options.

The main dining area has a large amount of bench and booth seating and boasts flat screen TVs that play movies and TV shows. The rooftop deck has a view of RUHS and the ocean, and offers a pleasant area for eating and hanging out. The amenities make the Union an enjoy

6 HIGH TIDE . FEATURES

able place to hang out while the spacious layout and design give it a very modern and inviting feel.

The layout does create some issues however. Having a large seating area makes the dining area hard to navigate , leading to cramped lines and the blockage of foot traffic. In contrast, the rooftop dining area is small and does not allow for that many people to enjoy the deck seating. Although this rule is for safety and cleanliness reasons, it still detracts from the deck’s overall appeal.

Despite its minor issues, the Student Union is a modern and fun new location for students to enjoy their lunch and afterschool hours. The new menu offers fresh foods of different types of cuisines with healthy options included.

The Union’s versatility, location and atmosphere give it the potential to become the center of the newly renovated RUHS campus.

Regular or Spicy Chicken Sandwich Regular or Spicy Chicken Wings w/ Breadstick Grilled Hamburgers/ Cheeseburgers Mini hamburger sliders Grilled Chicken Sandwich Cheese Nachos with Jalapenos Stuffed Baked Potato

3.

Bean and Cheese Burrito Beef and Bean Burritos Tostadas Quesadillas Beef Burrito Bowl Chicken Burrito Bowl

What do you think of the new Student Union? really nice and appealing. It’s really nice ““It’s to have a place to actually sit and eat. Before the students just went around wherever. The Student Union is very open and aesthetically appealing.

— SPENCER WYMAN, 12

”

e new cafeteria is way better than the snack “ Th shack. The food looks healthier and tastier.

— JESSE MARTINEZ, 11

”

a beautiful facility and the design team did “ It’s a great job creating an environment students

are comfortable in. The food is great and having options and designated areas for these options really helps separate the crowds. The TVs are a great addition and a cool touch.

— ELI JARMEL, 11

”

e new cafeteria is beautiful. Its like a college “ Th cafeteria and we are super lucky to have this

A NEW TAKE ON LUNCH

student union. I got the hawaiian pizza and it is delicious.

— BRITTNEY BIALE, 11

”

e cafeteria turned out nicer than I “ Th thought it would because of all of the conSweet and Sour Chicken w/ Brown Rice or Noodles Teriyaki Chicken and Vegetables with Brown Rice or Noodles Tangerine Chicken Orange Chicken Lemon Grass Chicken

Deli Sandwiches Turkey / Cheese Tuna Ham / Cheese Roast beef / Cheese

struction. It looks like a college cafeteria.

— FAITH PETRIE, 9

”

COMPILED BY DEBORAH CHANG PHOTOS BY JUSTIN LEE

Salad Shakers Soup in Breadbowls

7 HIGH TIDE . FEATURES

Album Review

‘HABITUAL LEVITATIONS’ MERMAID EGG

DIY

Step 1: Poke holes in both sides of the egg.

You can use a toothpick to make the holes bigger.

Empty the egg by blowing the yolk out.

Step 2: Clean and dry the egg off and you can begin drawing your design with the marker of your choice.

Step 3: Finish the base design of scales and begin to add any finishing touches.

by Grace Zoerner

Despite its somewhat intimidating album artwork, “Habitual Levitations (Instilling Words with Stones)”

by Los Angeles-based band Intronaut proves to be a stunningly intellectual album.

Fans of progressive metal, a genre of music that combines heavy metal and progressive rock, do not want to miss this hauntingly beautiful album.

Whether you are a fan of metal or not, it is hard to disregard the brilliant composition of this album.

The intricacies of the basslines, woven so seamlessly with the precision of the drumming, create a spectacular complexity.

To me, someone who was introduced to progressive metal a relatively short time ago, much of this album sounds like something that should be a jumbled mess but somehow, miraculously, is not. The layers of music are astounding.

This complexity and attention to detail combines in such a way that “Habitual Levitations” puts you in a dreamlike state; “Harmonomicon” and “Blood From a Stone,” tracks six and eight, are excellent examples of this. These songs in particular can elevate lis-

INTRONAUT

teners to a different world.

A clear standout song is “Milk Leg,” which was released earlier this year as a single. It immediately develops an ominous mood by starting with with muted, indistinct mutterings fading into heavy, deep guitar, and maintains this with spare, yet effective, use of growling vocals.

The second track of the album, titled “The Welding,” is another exceptional song and my overall favorite.

Again, Intronaut starts off strong with short, jolting bursts of guitar and proceeds to integrate impressive drumming into the melody.

One of the few problems I have with this album is the length of the songs.

Personally, I prefer tracks that are under five minutes in duration, and the average length of a song on this album is around six minutes and the longest song is nine minutes.

This, mixed with rhythmic repetitions and dreamy atmospherics, can sometimes grow to be faintly monotonous.

I found this to be the case in the opening song of the album, “Killing Birds With Stones.”

Though I find its opening chords to be initially

promising and very drawing, the song is a little over eight minutes long. By this time, it is hard not to long for a change of pace.

Overall, “Habitual Levitations” is a remarkable album. Intronaut maintains an impressive coherency throughout the entire album, even though the songs themselves are distinct and stand as individuals. There is a consistent mood of eeriness and unearthliness, off-putting in the best way possible, maintained in every song, and this is what I enjoyed most about the album.

I would definitely say that this is not the kind of album you will hear on

Highlight Tracks 1. The Welding 2. Harmonomicon 3. Eventual 4. Sore Sight for

Eyes

ILLUSTRATION BY KARISSA TAYLOR

most mainstream radio stations, and it certainly may be a bit scary to those who have never listened to metal before. To an open mind, however, it is impossible to deny Intronaut’s clear, articulate voice in this album.

A capella club inspired by “Pitch Perfect”

by Edwin Chavez

Step 4: The final product.

Be careful not to break the egg because it is very fragile.

PHOTOS BY TAYLOR BRIGHTWELL

8 HIGH TIDE . ENTERTAINMENT

There’s a new music club on the block, one that recreates every instrumental sound and beat with their vocals. This new club is an A cappella group.

According to vice president Cedric Hyon, the club was inspired by the recently released movie “Pitch Perfect.” Hyon claims to have always been fascinated by A cappella, but never thought about starting his own group, until seeing the movie.

“The movie made me realize that maybe it is possible to do it. You know, why not make my own A capella club?” Hyon said.

The club is currently working on Bruno Mar’s “Just the Way You Are.” “The goal of the club is to create a welcoming musical environment,,”

says A cappella club president Somtoya Arinze.

According to Hyon, however, the current focus of the group is to get down the basics.

Now A capella is evaluating each member’s tone and range before adding any choreography or any other details.

Arinze believes that RUHS’ A capella club, although inspired by the typical high school singing club, is different from every other group sparked by the new pop culture phenomenon to join an A capella club.

“What separates this club from other choir groups is that we try to stay true to traditional A capella by not only covering more recent songs, but also classic oldie songs too,” Arinze said.

The club is planning to sing for a

nursing home and children’s hospitals with the idea that music can heal.

This co-ed group encourages anyone to join them on Tuesdays and Thursdays at lunch in the choir room.

A capella welcomes anyone who is willing to work, while maintaining focus in the classroom and a 2.0 GPA or higher, according to Arinze.

It is only the beginning of the RUHS A cappella club, but it has already attracted enough of “Pitch Perfect”’s Fat Amy fanatics to fill the choir room.

The A capella group is hoping to soon start performing in rallies and concerts.

“I just envision this group to be so big for us,” Arinze said. “That’s what I really want.”

Book Reviews

Start Spring Break with a good read.

Our staff shares newly-released books worth checking out.

Rating guide: Very Memorable, focused and boundary challenging Strong tracks overall, but lacking true originality Lacking focus or experimentation, but still memorable GRAPHIC BY KARISSA TAYLOR

“THE WISDOM OF HAIR”

by Kim Boykin

Kim Boykin’s “The Wisdom of Hair” offers eloquently scripted insight into the world of love.

Its femininity may turn off male readers, but someone looking for an easy read full of wit, hu-

mor, and truth will enjoy this book.

The story begins on narrator Zora May Adam’s nineteenth birthday, when she gathers the courage to run away from her alcoholic mother in North Carolina.

Encouraged by her high school English

“THE MADMAN’S DAUGHTER”

by Megan Shepherd

Shockingly thrilling and a bit unsettling, “The Madman’s Daughter” is a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Megan Shepherd does an exceptional job at portraying the terrifying and mysterious island of the

famed Dr. Moreau and his unimaginable creations.

This book is the first of a trilogy written by Shepherd.

In “The Madman’s Daughter”, Dr. Moreau’s daughter, Juliet, arrives onto the island only to find that the doctor has been experimenting on

“THE STATISTICAL PROBABILITY OF LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT”

by Jennifer E. Smith

Due to the title of this book, I expected to be rolling my eyes throughout the book, but the silly title really has nothing to do with this novel.

Jennifer E. Smith writes about Hadley Sul-

livan, a 17-year-old girl who hates flying almost as much as she hates her father, so when a British boy named Oliver strikes up a conversation with her during her flight to London, she welcomes the distraction.

Contrary to what the title might imply, there

teacher, Zora follows her dream and enrolls in beauty school.

One of the strongest aspects of “The Wisdom of Hair” is its many relatable characters. Boykin fully develops each character she writes about, even the minor ones.

However, it is hard not to find some angles of the plot to be a bit cliché and predictable.

I found myself con-

tinuing to read not beDespite its universal cause of a page-turning core, “The Wisdom of plot, but because I was Hair” is clearly not a book emotionally invested in for everyone; almost evthe characters. erything, from the plot The book’s weakest to the characters, echos point is probably its final femininity. paragraph, where Zora Still, it is a fairly worseems to be preaching thy read for young womwhat she learned during en. Boykin deals with the duration of the story. themes of love and forI found this disap- giveness in an artistic, yet pointing, as it lacked effective, way.

Boykin’s earlier effortless articulation.

—Grace Zoerner

animals so that they resemble, speak, and behave as humans. The novel was inspired by H. G. Wells’ “The Island of Dr. Moreau”.

The novel opens full of suspense, and ends with an interesting plot twist.

One of Shepherd’s strong points in the novel is the development of each character. Shepherd does a good job of describing the inner conflict within

Juliet. It was easy to imag- to overlook serious ethical ine her mind struggling faults adds a disturbing between her morals and psychological depth to the her dark curiosity. already haunting novel.

Shepherd also used the “The Madman’s Daughcharacters to establish an ter” is sure to appeal to even darker undertone to any fans looking for a the story. chilling read.

With Montgomery, Overall, I thoroughly enShepherd introduces a joyed reading this novel deeper psychosomatic and I have high hopes for development as a result the next book and Megan of staying on the island: Shepherd’s continued sucStockholm Syndrome. cess as an author.

Montgomery’s readiness —Vicky Artaza

was no love at first sight.

In fact, Hadley barely notices Oliver the first couple of times she saw him.

I was glad that their relationship turns out to be so believable.

A big part of the story is also Hadley’s rocky relationship with her dad, who is getting remarried two years after leaving Hadley and her mom.

I was worried that the

book would become repetitive because of its 24hour window, but Hadley’s flashbacks keep the novel going at a good pace while making them more complex.

More than love, this book is about fate. As things kept falling perfectly into place for Hadley, I thought maybe it was a message about destiny.

By the end of the novel I thought, “It was meant to

be.” So congratulations, Jennifer E. Smith. You made me think their relationship was fate.

Although I did roll my eyes once or twice, “The Statistical Probability of Falling in Love at First Sight” was not a bad book, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a dash of drama with a full serving of comedy, romance, and fun.

—Illana LaGraff PHOTOS BY DIAMA LUNA

9 HIGH TIDE . ENTERTAINMENT

Keeping nails and hair pristine–or not

by Deborah Chang

How to stop biting nails:

Why/how hair products are bad for hair:

. Eat foods rich in calcium and

. Several hair products, including shampoo and conditioner, contains

.

.

. . . .

magnesium to help repair your nails and make them grow.

Distract your mouth. i.e. chew gum, eat a lollipop, etc.

Cover your nails. Wear gloves, wear fake nails, cover the ends of fingers with band-aids.

Get regular manicures. People tend to not bite when their fingers look good.

Distract your hands. Take up a new hobby such as knitting.

Paint your nails with nail polish. The bitter taste will discourage nail biting.

Keep nails trimmed short so there will not be anything to bite.

.

various sulfates such as sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS). Some companies produce sulfate-free products.

These sulfate products break up the grease in the hair, allowing it to be rinsed away. Sulfates can be rather harsh for sensitive skin and may strip away color.

The possibility of over-shampooing can wash away your hairs natural moisture that helps your hair look healthy and make your hair look dry.

How to take care of your hair:

. Wash hair sparingly with good qual. . . . .

ity shampoo. Try to find shampoo that does not contain sulfates or parabens.

Aim to shampoo hair at most every other day.

Do not brush hair too much. Brushing or stimulating the scalp can pull hairs from the follicles, create split ends, and create irritation. Hair can not handle the constant friction and stimulation from the brush.

Let hair dry naturally. Using a blow dryer results in hair damage from the heat.

Trim hair regularly. Try to trim ¼ inch above split ends every 6-8 weeks.

Treat or dye hair sparingly, if any at all.

Avoid or keep to a minimum perming, crimping, straightening, curling or bleaching.

Eat healthy and give your hair the right amount of vitamins. Vitamin C strengthens hair, Iron helps transport oxygen to blood vessels, zinc grows and repairs tissue, and omega-3 fatty acids grow healthy hair.

Remove stress. Stress can cause hair loss and will keep your hair from realizing its full potential.

Why people bite their nails:

.Stress and boredom are the main reasons people bite their nails. .People bite their nails to ease their .anxiety.

A lot of nail biting is linked to physi-

cal, emotional, or mental disorder.

Nail biter’s hands subconsciously go to their mouth and they start biting without realizing they are.

Why biting nails is a bad habit:

. Biting nails rips and tears the nail and the skin .

Illustrations by Joseph Bieschke

10 HIGH TIDE . HEALTH

.

around the nail, causing bleeding, infection, and pain.

Germs live under the fingernail, so biting nails make germs enter the mouth which may cause sickness.

Nail biting can also harm your teeth causing poorly aligned and weakened teeth.

Fernandez and Taylor-Posa dye hair

by Ted Cavus

Electric Blue, purple, neon green - these are not colors of a Crayon box, they are the colors of one’s hair.

Sophomore Gwen Beltrame avidly dyes her hair to express herself.

“It’s a way to express myself. When I have my hair a ‘normal color’ I feel like I don’t stand out,” she said.

Beltrame dyes her hair despite that dyeing can cause damage to one’s hair.

“Lots of people tell me that it makes your hair fall out, and it does. That’s why you have to use treatments for it. But colors like pink, blue, green etc don’t damage your hair: they stain it,” she said.

Friends and family support Beltrame’s decision to dye her hair.

“My mom says it’s just hair. My thing is if the worst thing I do is dye my hair, nothing is wrong. Most of my friends dye their hair so they don’t care.” Beltrame said.

Beltrame enjoys her hair being dyed and enjoys her current color of hot pink.

“I love this color so much and it makes me feel pretty for once. As long as I’m happy, that’s all that matters,” she said.

Beltrame doesn’t know why she first did it, but she said that “she loved that she was different”. “[ I don’t plan on stopping]. I really love the color I have now so I’ll probably keep

it for a while, but I don’t plan to someday dye it normal or let it grow out and stop,” Beltrame said.

Likewise, senior Marissa Fernandez enjoys dyeing her hair.

“I love being creative and there aren’t many ways for me to express it,” she said.

Her father also supports Fernandez’s hair.

“My dad thinks it’s cool and he’s completely fine with me being unique,” Fernandez said.

Fernandez says it helps make her feel confident. “ Most of my friends love it and they tell me it really suits me,” she said.

by Grace Zoerner

3.

1.

PHOTO BY CLAIRE TISIUS

2.

PHOTO COURTESY MARISSA FERNANDEZ

PHOTO BY VITORIA MAGNO

True colors. 1.

Senior Marissa Fernandez once dyed her hair dark green. 2. Fernandez now has blonde hair with green and red highlights in the back. 3. Sophomore Gwen Taylor-Posa’s hair had varied over the year ,but now she has settled for hot pink.

Olive Oil Treatment

Olive oil helps nails to become more resistant to breaking and

chipping by strengthening them.

What you will need:

a 3 tablespoons of olive oil

a large heat-resistant bowl

1 cup of water

optional: add 3 drops of lavender oil to the mixture to prevent

nail fungus.

Directions:

Boil the water with the olive oil in the bowl. Let the mixture

cool down to a medium warm as to not burn the skin.

Dip nails in the mix for 10 minutes.

Afterwards, rinse nails with lukewarm water.

Dealing with Nail Biting

Nail Whitener

Lemon juice removes stains from nails while toothpaste whitens and buffs nail beds.

What you will need: 2 teaspoons whitening toothpaste 1 teaspoon lemon juice Directions: Mix the toothpaste and lemon juice to form a paste. Apply to the nails gently and leave on for 5 minutes. compiled by Laura Smith

Almost everyone has some sort of nervous habit, something they use as a crutch during times of tension and worry. For many people, such as freshman Sabeehah Ginwalla, this habit is nail biting.

However, Ginwalla believes that this habit can grow to become a “problem;” her own nails have been on the verge of bleeding on multiple occasions. Because of this, she is currently trying to kick the habit.

Freshman Isabella Guzman, who used to bite her nails, agrees many forms of stress can often trigger nail biting.

“For me, there wasn’t even a clear reason why I started biting [my nails]. It started out of nowhere,” Guzman said. “I sometimes bit my nails when I was got nervous, but other than that, it was just a weird habit.”

A member of the JV lacrosse team, Ginwalla also feels she bites her nails as a result of events outside of school, such as during a lacrosse game.

“I remember biting my nails last week at my game against PV,” Ginwalla said. “I was biting them because I was getting nervous and stressed, because our team was only a few points behind from winning.”

After years of trying to break this habit, Guzman was finally able to refrain from biting her nails. According to her, though, it was challenging; for a long time she “just couldn’t stop.”

“About two years ago during the summer, I was determined to stop because I didn’t even like biting my nails. I just had always been doing it, and it felt weird stopping,” Guzman said.

Though she still continues to bite her nails, Ginwalla has also achieved some positive results by using nail polish.

“I’ve tried several times to stop the habit.

I’ll put nail polish on, because it tastes disgusting and reminds me not to bite them,” Ginwalla said. “Last year, I was almost able to stop for good, but I started once again when I got into high school.”

Ginwalla is still trying to stop biting her nails very soon, like Guzmand before.“It took a whole summer to get rid of the habit, but I’m glad I don’t have it anymore,” Guzman said.

Stressed out. Guzman bites her nails in an exam. “I usually bite my nails when I’m stressed or nervous, like the day before a test. I do it a lot at times like that when I have to manage my time well for school.”

11 HIGH TIDE . HEALTH

Crazy for Disney

by Susan Nieves

Many people refer to Disneyland as the “happiest place on earth.” Sophomore Rachel Rosolowski and senior Max Foster refer to it as their second home. “[At Disneyland], I feel welcome anytime and I can be myself,” Foster said. “It’s a place for me to think and relax.

It’s a good escape.”

Rosolowski also views Disneyland in the same light.

“Disneyland is just a place where I can go and not worry about school, drama or parents,” Rosolowski said. “It’s my one place to go for fun.”

As annual pass holders, both Rosolowski and Forster visit Disneyland frequently.

How they spend their time at the park, however, differs.

Foster enjoys roaming around the park and taking in the sights.

“Sometimes I’m just there getting in the whole scenery,” Forster said. “It sounds kind of dorky, but I just like everything. I like the feeling of being [at Disneyland].”

He also sees the park as an outlet to spend time with family and friends.

“I go with my sister a lot,” Foster said. “But when I go with my whole family, it’s just a really good experience.”

Unlike Foster, Rosolowski sees Disneyland as a place to socialize with other people, whether it be with friends or people she meets in the park.

“I like to be able to go [to Disneyland] and to make friends,” she said. “[I’ve even] joined the Disney group on Facebook.”

Through social networking sites like Facebook, Rosolowski has joined Disneyland-themed groups, where she has

12 HIGH TIDE . FEATURES

been able to meet people who share a love for Disneyland and connect with other teenagers.

She meets up with these people at special events such as Dapper Day, an event that occurs in the park twice every year.

“It has been an interesting experience for me and I have a lot of fun,” she said. “I like to dress up for fun and go and [meet up] with the group. We meet up, take pictures, and have contests. It’s really fun.”

Despite their love for Disneyland, both Foster and Rosolowski acknowledge that going to Disneyland is not just fun and games. With the recent increase in price of Disneyland tickets, it has been difficult for both to maintain the habit of going to the park.

“My parents were deciding if I was going to get a pass or not,” Rosolowski said. “It was a big decision because of the price. [They decided] it was going to be my birthday and Christmas present.”

Foster also had the same problem. In order to keep going to Disneyland, Foster had to buy one of the cheapest passes, a So-Cal pass, instead of his usual premium pass.

“Price increases did affect my decision to buy a pass, but not wanting to [keep going] to D i s n e y l a n d ,” Foster said. “I just love [Disneyland].”

Although financially straining, price hikes

were not enough to keep Foster and Rosolowski from visiting the theme park. Both manage to visit Disneyland very frequently. Rosolowski even admitted to visiting the theme park 3 times in one week.

Despite visiting the theme park very often, both Rosolowski and Foster have stated that visiting DIsneyland does not get repetitive.

“It hasn’t [gotten boring] for me,” Foster said. “Some people might be like ‘I get bored of going over and over again,’ but it’s just somewhere I go. It’s just the one place I don’t really get bored of.”

According to Rosolowski, going with different people allows the theme park to retain its “Disney magic.” Each visit to Disneyland is a different experience for Rosolowski.

“The experience [is different] each time because I have friends who I go see characters with and friends who I’ll go on rides with,” she said. “It’s a different experience every time and I always do something new.”

The theme park has affected Rosolowski’s and Foster’s perspective on life.

Disneyland has inspired Foster to be more creative. “[Disneyland] has give me a more creative perception of life. It definitely has influenced my life,” Foster said. “When I’m older I want to work in graphic design and animation.

Being surrounded by [Disney’s art] led me to wanting to do that.”

Unlike Foster, Rosolowski sees Disneyland as a place to feel young again.

“People think I’m crazy that I like Disneyland so much,” Rosolowski said. “But I think it’s just that everybody has their one place to go for fun and this [is my place]. I think that everybody still has that kid in them and I just like to go find it more often than others.”

Puppy

Freshman Tatyana Rosen and her family help dogs through their rescue program, Bullies and Buddies.

LOVE

by Daniel Loveland

Everyday in America pitbulls and other breeds of dog are abused and mistreated. Some dogs are not provided a suitable home, or are sick and could potentially die because of it. Freshman Tatyana Rosen and her family are currently trying to prevent the problems that these dogs face.

Bullies and Buddies, the rescue program that Rosen and her family work with, try to help dogs that are in bad conditions.

“We rescue all different types of dogs and we give them safe homes to life in,” Rosen said.

According to Rosen, the rescue takes in all breeds of dogs, but mostly pitbulls because they are usually mistreated more often.

“We mainly rescue pit bulls because they have a bad reputation and we lost our pitbull so everyone at Bullies and Buddies started to have a soft-spot for the breed,” said Rosen.

According to Rosen, the rescuing process involves retrieving the dog, and then finding a home for it.

“If we get a call that there is a dog my mom goes and gets it and then finds foster homes and people who can take care

Test of time

o f t h e dog,” Rosen said.

Rosen first started rescuing dogs when her own dog passed away.

“My dog passed away from veterinary malpractice and I lost a best friend,” Rosen said. “From there on out we rescued three of our own dogs and our love for rescuing and for the breed grew,” said Rosen.

According to Rosen, from that point on they have done a lot to help many dogs.

Bullies and Buddies has seen a lot of success and has even made it onto the news before. Many people, including some famous people, contact them to rescue dogs that are in need of help.

“We’ve had the famous photographer Mike Ruize, the celebrity rapper ‘The Game’, and the actor Dean Winters, to name a few, adopt dogs,” Rosen said.

Rosen, along with “Bullies and Buddies”, is trying to do all she can to help pit bulls and other dogs in the area.

“I love working with Bullies and Buddies because I know I am making a difference for dogs by helping to find them loving, caring homes,” Rosen said.

Looking to adopt?

Adoption Events | Saturdays

11:00am - 4:00pm | Boardwalk Restaurant 1031 Hermosa Avenue Hermosa Beach, California 90254 Call: 310.462.848 for more information visit www.bulliesandbuddies.com

Senior Maddy Marroquin is always short on time between school and work in order to afford college.

by Edwin Chavez

After each tick on the clock, she grows more and more anxious. With no time to look anywhere but ahead, senior Maddy Marroquin always finds herself racing to her next destination.

Marroquin lives in Carson and has to commute about 45 minutes to school every morning. Her traveling, however, does not end there.

On Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, Marroquin finds herself rushing not only to school in the mornings also to Carson after school in order to make it to her job at Subway on time.

“There’s no time to talk to anybody. Sometimes I even have to use the restroom, but there’s no time to mess around,” Marroquin said.

She must reach the bus stop on Torrance Boulevard each work day at 3:25 in order to be on time for work. If she were to miss that bus, she would have to wait until the next one, guaranteeing a late arrival to work.

“If I get to work late I know my manager and my coworkers would get really upset, especially since people get off work or are on their breaks and it gets really busy at the start of my shift at 4:30,” Marroquin said.

Even when she makes it to work on time, Marroquin still finds herself rushing to do many things before her shift begins.

“I’ll arrive at 4:15 and have about 15 minutes to swallow food before my shift starts,” she said.

The bus is usually on time, but Marroquin gets frustrated because it runs late occasionally.

“I get to Subway and I literally have to change in two minutes,” she said. “My entire uniform includes my visor, apron, shirt, nametag, work pants, and work shoes.”

According to Marroquin, she always worries about the clock. Before work, she hopes time will go slower, but during work, she hopes that it flies.

Marroquin’s manager at subway sees her effort each shift and appreciates her contributions. “She always provides really good customer service and she is a very fast learner,” says her manager.

When she finishes working at 9:30 p.m., she hurries home, where another job awaits: homework.

“It’s really hard and sometimes, I hate it,” she said. “I tell myself I’m going to get older and I’m going to be in college soon, so I have to get ready for it all right now.”

Always rushing towards some destination, Marroquin has grown tired of the distance between herself and her school, job, and friends. However, she knows that her work will pay off in the long run.

“All my life, I’ve felt like a commuter. But for once, when I get to college, I know I won’t,” she said. “It will all be worth it.”

Tim dy e cru M min arroq nch.

Sen ute uin s so t i hat to an comm or Mad she ute d f s ro can affo m sch 45 rd c o olle ol ge.

13 HIGH TIDE . FEATURES

Girls’ lacrosse beats Beverly Hills

by Anna Fauver

PHOTO BY MATT MARDESICH

by Natalie Hardiman The track team competed at both the Meet of Champions at Azusa Pacific College and the Beach Cities Invitational last Saturday, placing third in the boys’ 800, second in the girls’ 400, and winning the girls’ Dream Mile. The team is now preparing for their meet against West today.

According to coach Bob Leetch, the stand out runner was senior Kayla Ferron, who won the Dream Mile with a time of 4:55 and qualified to compete in the Grand Prix Dream Mile in New York.

In addition, Leetch believes that seniors Cara Ulizio and Evan Malone-White and sophomore Anevay Hiehle performed exceedingly well in the meets.

After losing to Palos Verdes the previous game, the girls’ lacrosse team came back strong with a 18-7 win against Beverly Hills in Friday’s away game.

According to senior Hailey Newman, the girls played well and held possession of the ball for most of the game.

“We had possession about 75 percent of the game,” she said. “We took a lot more shots in this game than our game against PV.” Newman believes that the girls won because of a combination of Beverly Hills being a weaker team than PV and because the girls played an all around better game than they did in their previous game.

“PV does have better stick skills and transitional passing [than Beverly Hills,] but we had an off game when we played against them,” she said.

The girls played much better as a team and really channeled what they had been practicing lately, according to Newman.

“In this game, we really worked as a team and successfully executed the offensive techniques we’ve been practicing,” she said.

Senior Emily Field agrees with Newman in that the girls played very well as a team this game.

“Our teamwork was spot on in today’s game,” she said. “We all played together and seven different girls scored goals.”

Newman thinks that the team is much

closer this year than last year and everyone is passionate about the sport.

“We have better team chemistry,” she said. “There are no cliques and each of us wants it just as much as the other.”

Newman has no doubt that this “team chemistry” translates into the girls’ playing.She believes that there are no stand-out player, and that each girl on the team is a good player.

“In all the years past, we’ve had one or two superstars, but this year everyone on the team is a solid player,” Newman said.

Photo by peter tran

Sprint. Senior Allison Kotzbach sprints for a shot on goal during their game against Penninsula on March 6. They won 11-7.

BASEBALL

BOYS’ GOLF

by Jené Price

by Alina Bieschke

The baseball team lost to North on Tuesday 7-0. According to senior Freddie Smith, the team could have come out with a little more focus and relaxation in the beginning of the game.

The boys’ golf team lost to South Torrance 197-191 on Tuesday, but are looking forward to playing South again today since the score was so close.

“

14 HIGH TIDE . SPORTS

by Lindsey Pannor

In their last non-league game of the season, boys’ tennis crushed North Torrance this Monday 16-2.

The team’s doubles players were able to sweep all of their games, with a new lineup of number two and three singles playersfreshman Pablo Trevino and sophomore Brett Ishihara playing third position doubles together. Despite the change, the boys displayed much improvement, according to coach Jessica Seibert.

“I knew we’d play well against them, but I was definitely able to see a large amount of [improvement] from the first match,” Seibert said.

According to both number one doubles player junior Sean Mitchell and Seibert, the win was really a team effort.

“Doubles swept yet again [Monday],” Mitchell said. “There was a really consistent effort from every player.”

According to Mitchell’s partner senior Christian Grantz, the remainder of the season will be tough and will require great focus from the team.

“Last Thursday we beat West, and this was a crucial win in our league. We usually end up in fourth place in Bay League, but with a chance to beat Peninsula. We also have a chance at third in league, guaranteeing us a spot in CIF,” Grantz said. “I believe that we will be up for the challenge coming with playing Penn and Costa. The road will be tough, but I believe that we can fight hard and make it into CIF.”

“

We can just adjust our minor problems, and hopefully they won’t do as well so that we can get a victory.

The team came out flat, and we seemed to not have much energy, which costs us.

— JAMES ZIMMERMAN, 11

Boys’ tennis crushes North Torrance 16-2

”

— MATT RICO, 12

”

PHOTO BY MATT MARDESICH

PHOTO BY CAMERON PAULSON

Pitcher. Junior James Zimmerman pitches in a game earlier in the season. The baseball team lost to North 7-0 on Tuesday.

Sprint. Senior Matt Ferradas putts in a golf match earlier in the season. The golf team plays South today for the second time.

Boys’ LAX loses to Costa

by Micah Ezzes

Sink or swim?

by Romy Moreno

Although it is said that it was their best meet yet, the swimmers were still unable to beat Peninsula High School last Thursday, ending with a score of 100-61 for boys and 110-36 for girls.

“Both of our teams went into the meet expecting the loss, the boys especially, because Penn has just about the strongest boys’ team in the league,” coach Mark Rubke said.

Senior Nick Johnson has similar thoughts towards last week’s meet as well.

“We knew we needed to try our best to get the times we wanted,” Johnson said.

According to the team, this meet was one of their better ones so far, despite the loss.

“This meet against Penn happened to be most of the swimmers’ best meet in terms of times,” Rubke said.

The swim team lost to Peninsula last Thursday but still looks forward to their meet against West today.

According to Johnson, the team is very proud of all the swimmers that set personal records (PR) last week.

“Our team set many PRs in the Penn meet, but Jack Bradford was able to break 50 seconds on the 100 freestyle, which is a huge deal,” Johnson said.

Sophomore Elle Inscore was also proud of her performance in this meet.

“Penn did have a stronger team, and we were not expecting to come out on top, but overall I was proud of what I was able to do,” Inscore said.

The team has an idea of how they will do in today’s meet against West Torrance.

“Most likely it is going to be a close meet for the guys, but the girl swimmers at West happen to be stronger than the girl swimmers at Penn, so we are expecting the girls at West to dominate in today’s meet,” Rubke

said.

The swimmers are planning on West being stronger than last year but are hoping to defeat them today, even though they are less experienced.

“West has definitely gotten better compared to last year, and our team is mostly underclassmen, which is not necessarily a good thing,” Johnson said.

Inscore has similar thoughts about this year’s team.

“Last year we had a handful of seniors who had a lot of experience and now we only have two,” Inscore said.

Even with less-experienced swimmers this season, Rubke is expecting the team to improve.

“This team will definitely go further, and I am very pleased with the progress and effort of the swimmers,” Rubke said.

BOYS’ VOLLEYBALL

SOFTBALL

by Cole Stecyk

by Caitlin Cochran

The boys’ volleyball team lost to Palos Verdes on Friday 21-25, 24-26, 25-20, 22-25. According to senior Nick Williamson, the team gained a lot of energy and momentum during their third game but failed to keep it up.

The softball team beat West Torrance 11-4 yesterday and feel confident going into their next games, according to sophomore Morgan Moczygemba.

“

We have a lot of ups and downs and we rarely have a consistent fire.

— NICK WILLIAMSON, 12

A closely fought game resulted in a loss for the boys’ lacrosse team, which fell to Mira Costa 14-12 on Monday.

In their game earlier this year, RUHS won in a match that was not closely contested by the Mira Costa team. Junior Harrison Faecher believes that game had an effect on the Monday game.

“Our guys thought it was going to be a cakewalk since we beat them last time,” Faecher said.

The game exposed problems that need to be fixed in order to continue the team’s Bay League run this season, according to freshman Preston Faecher. The fourteen goals allowed by the team were the most allowed this year.

“Our defense got caught watching balls go by, and we didn’t execute as well as we needed to,” Preston said.

As for Bay League, the team remains in second place, behind PV. “Obviously, we would like to be in first place,” he said. “But second place is just as good, considering we have never been so highly ranked in Bay League.”

Preston also feels that the team is capable of accomplishing great things this season.

“Our goal [before the Costa game] was to go undefeated in league, as well as win Bay League,” he said. “[Despite the loss,] our goal is to still win Bay League and win the rest of our games, so we’re just going to have to put this one behind us.”

“

Our team was on fire today. We had a lot of energy and not too many errors, so we were able to get the win.

”

— BRIGID ANTONELLI, 10

PHOTO BY MITCHELL YONEMURA

Set and spike. Senior Nick Williamson sets to sophomore Dominic Cangialosi. The volleyball team is third in Bay League.

” PHOTO BY TYLER TAKEMOTO

Fast pitch. Sophomore Haley Reed pitches in a softball game at West Torrance yesterday.

15 HIGH TIDE . SPORTS

“

[Winning] was shocking to us because we never would have thought we’d be state champs when just the year before we... lost in the first round of playoffs. [Winning] was emotional because it was my last game with this team. — chris henderson, power forward

winning the game

” “

When we won the first thing that came to my mind was pure happiness. I was relieved the game was over and just so happy. But as they called out names for medals I was getting sad. I realized I’ll never play with those guys again. — Ian fox, point guard

”

Cover photos (from top left): Senior Chris Henderson shoots the ball against a College Park defender. Senior Derek Biale and coach Reggie Morris embrace after winning the championship.

The team dogpiles for a photo after winning the game.

Back Photos: 1. The team celebrates winning the Division II State Boys’ Basketball Championship 54-47. This is the first State Championship an RUHS sports team has won since 1946 (information provided by Andy Saltsman). According to senior Sebastian Lindner, winning was the most amazing thing he’s experienced.

2. Junior Ian Fox shoots the ball. His favorite memory from the game was when the starting five players walked on the court and he realized it would be their “last battle” together.

3. Sophomore Jeremmiah Headley shoots past a College Park offfensive player. Jeremmiah was “pleased” with the game and with how the team “was able to fight through [the game like they] usually do.”

4.Senior Chris Henderson dives for a loose ball to gain possession for his team. According to Henderson, “The best part of the game was definitely Jeremmiah’s dunk.” After winning the game, Henderson “felt really shocked and excited...It was an emotional moment for most of us.” photos by mitchell yonemura

16 HIGH TIDE . FEATURES

“

[After my dunk] I felt ecstatic.

It felt like a rush of energy hit me, and I was more determined than ever to win the game. — jeremimah headley , forward

”