May 13, 2011

B6: The Anchor reviews the street art exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA).

P5: The drum line team won second place at the Drums Across California Finals last week.

P7: A member of the boys lacrosse team takes a face off against Costa.

High Tide

Redondo Beach, CA Redondo Union High School

May, 13 2011 vol.

LMXXIV

edition 13

]www.hightideonline.org ]

Police search, NO GUN FOUND Report of a gun on campus triggered an extensive search by the police ­yesterday. But police did not find any gun.

by Danny Garzon

Students evacuated the science building yesterday because of a possible gun threat in the building.

Teachers and administrators took students into the auditorium, where they remained for approximately 45 minutes as police searched the building. Police did not find a weapon.

The following is an excerpt from a statement released by Principal Mary Little: You may have heard from your students or others that there was police activity on campus today.

We received information that a student had a gun on campus. We located the student quickly and after a thorough search, no weapon was found.

The Redondo Beach Police Department was called in to help us investigate the incident, and at their direction, we evacuated the science building, and police searched the building and lockers during period 6. No weapons were found.

RBPD will continue to investigate the incident.

PHOTO BY JONATHAN MARTIN

Sculpture class added as elective to next year’s schedule

by Kyle Bittman

Next year Redondo will host a sculpture class for the first time.

Taught by teacher and Visual and Performing Arts Department Chair, Toni Artiga, the course plans to explore sculpture design through the mediums of cardboard, paper, fiber, wire, and found objects.

Sculpture will focus on the study of 3-D Art. 3-D art transforms ideas into objects by using a variety of materials. Sculpture is also aimed at increasing ability to generate 2-D

thoughts, ideas, sketches and manipulate into space.

Because the Science Building will undergo Measure C construction this summer, its teachers are being moved out into temporary classrooms and trailers across the campus.

Sculpture will take place in the former Construction Technology. classroom, Room 61, and will be shared conjointly with fellow art teacher, Amanda Roth.

Sculpture will provide the alternative to some Visual and Performing Arts classes that will not be available in the 2011-2012 school

year.

As an elective, Sculpture will meet the Visual and Performing Arts requirement for entrance to UC/CSU schools along with the A-G requirements to graduate. Artiga has plans for the course to eventually become AP 3D Art. The idea for Sculpture was proposed by Artiga as she saw the opportunity for it with the upcoming Measure C construction, where she would not have access to a kiln, the furnace that is used to make pottery.

“Not being able to make ceramics has opened the door to present a new course.

[Since] RUHS already has excellent Drawing & Painting classes, I wanted to add to the Visual Arts with more 3D options,” said Artiga.

Administration told Artiga to develop the course and to have it sent it for UC A-G approval. Assistant Principal Amy Golden was responsible for getting the UC approval.

Golden believes Sculpture will be a good class for Redondo.

“It’s always a positive when we can add an elective to the Arts program, because it offers [students] a well-rounded curriculum,” said Golden.

Ohana O’keikai club honors surf foundation with movie

by Kimberly Chapman

Tonight at 7:15 the club Ohana O’keikai will premiere the surf movie “Drop Zone Fiji” will be premiering for the first time in the South Bay at the RUHS auditorium to raise money for the Jimmy Miller Memorial Foundation.

Senior Alex Shea, a member of the surf club Ohana O’keikai, came up with the idea of the movie event. Most if the money will go to the Jimmy Miller Memorial Foundation.

Pre-sale and door tickets are both $5 per person. Everyone attending the event is entered into a prize drawing for giveaways from the sponsors, such as Body

Glove apparel.

Body Glove employee and founder of the Jimmy Miller Memorial Foundation, Jeff Miller, is glad Shea presented him with this movie event.

“Alex is a volunteer for the foundation and he has been such an amazing help. He came up with the movie event idea and I thought it was brilliant. I think it’s going to be a wonderful community event,” Miller said.

The movie is a documentary about local surfers going to Fiji to surf and explore the country. It was created and produced

by Greg Browning, an RUHS alumni and local surfer.

“I’ve seen the movie and I think it’s fan-

School awarded for increasing number of AP students

tastic. It’s visually beautiful and it features great local surfers, Alex Gray, Holly Beck, and Cheyne Magnusson, who all have amazing ties to the Jimmy Miller Foundation,” Miller said.

The Jimmy Miller Memorial Foundation was started six years ago to honor the spirit of Jimmy Miller, a longtime surfer and lifeguard.

“This time seven years ago Jimmy was suffering with depression and mental illness that caused him to take his life,” Miller said.

The Jimmy Miller Memorial Foundation was created to help people such as injured marines or people with mental illnesses to cope with their illness through

surfing.

“Jimmy had a hurt shoulder at the time of his illness that kept him from surfing. I think it caused the loss of his passion and spirit for life and put him into further depression. If he was able to surf, it might have saved his life,” Miller said.

Injured marines from the Jimmy Miller Memorial Foundation will talk about their experiences at the movie event and local professional photographer Bryce LoweWhite will be showing his surf photos of film stars Alex Gray and Holly Beck.

The money raised at the event will raise money for equipment for the foundation.

“Life is better when you surf, especially when you use it to heal,” Miller said.

The district was placed on the College Board’s Advanced Placement (AP) Achievement List for increasing access to AP (Advanced Placement) courses while simultaneously maintaining or improving pass rates.

From 2008 to 2010, the district increased the overall number of students taking AP classes from 464 to 533 and improved the percentage of students earning AP Exam scores of 3 or higher from 78 percent to 83 percent.

According to Superintendent Steven Keller, both the staff and the teachers played a role in the recognition.

“The staff encourages students to enroll in AP courses. The teachers work diligently to ensure each student’s success,” he said.

Keller feels that the award gives the school greater recognition.

“This award is another example of why Redondo is a wonderful high school. This push for inclusion and success is a model for other high schools. I’m very proud of our teachers and staff,” Keller said.

The District was also recognized for having a steady or increasing percentage of exams taken by minority students.

According to English Department Cochair Leila Williams, whose AP English Language pass rates have improved by 14 percent with 21 additional students in the class, the increased rate is a good thing.

“I think we are becoming more efficient at getting the material to the students and teaching the techniques that are necessary,” she said.

Williams believes that students are also now better prepared for the rigor of AP classes.

“Now, more students that select to take the class know what they are doing,” Williams said.

However, Williams still sees room for improvement.

“One thing we are talking about is more access. How do we open up the classes to more students?” Williams said.

AP Information

There are currently 650 students enrolled in AP classes.

There are 17 AP courses offered at our school.

There is a steady increase in the number of students taking AP courses every year, from 492 in 2008, 507 in 2009, and 564 in 2010.

Pass Rates: Chemistry- 100 percent Calculus AB- 91 percent Calculus BC- 97 percent English Language- 94 percent English Literature- 90 percent The other pass rates are in the high 80 and 70 percents, with no pass rates lower than 50 percent.

PHOTOS BY JONATHAN MARTIN

State of Emergency. This Tuesday a coalition of members of the school district, including members of the PTA, School Board, school administration, school district employee unions and city officials to protest against more budget cuts on schools in California. “Our students are already impacted by the state cuts,” Superintendent Steven Keller said. PTA chairperson Genie Lewis agrees that the budget cuts already affect students and the district does not want anymore cuts. “We are all speaking with one voice on this issue. Our schools cannot sustain another round of these drastic cuts,” she said.

News

2

p.

]May 13, 2011 ]

Hunter wins ‘Teacher of the Year’

by Anacristina Gonzales

Battle of the Bands

PHOTO BY JENNY OEZTZELL

Rock and Roll. Various bands performed during lunch last week in Noble Plaza. The band By Hammer and Hand (above) performs.

The metal band Ascendency won the overall competition.

Changes made to the senior rally format

by Jeremy Porr

The annual senior rally will take place in the auditorium on May 20th however many changes have been made. The revamped senior rally will include a guest speaker, will exclude the junior class, and will take place during 3rd period. ASB Adviser Sherie Gross made the decision earlier this year with VicePrincipal Amy Golden.

“We really wanted [the rally] to be special for our seniors, the choice to exclude the junior class had absolutely nothing to do with the minor issue we had with some students last year,” Gross said.

Senior Class President Kelsey Szerlip has received little negative feedback about the changes and believes that the rally will be successful.

“I know there are some Juniors that are upset that they will not be attending the rally this year and that is understandable.

The tradition [for juniors to attend] has only been carried through for the last four years though,” Szerlip said.

Gross also had the idea to invite Keith Hawkins, a motivational speaker, to talk with students about their future. Szerlip has heard Hawkins speak before and is excited about the new role he will be playing in the rally.

“I know we as teenagers tend to have a short attention span and want to move into things quickly, but Keith really knows how to keep students engaged,” she said.

Despite the minor changes in the rally roster, Szerlip is confident that things will remain “traditional.” The rally will still include

the usual performances and teacher awards will still be given out by fellow students.

“The auditorium setting will be different but ASB has adapted to changes before and we will learn how to adapt again. I’m very excited to see what the results are,” Szerlip said.

Both Gross and Szerlip agree that they want seniors to walk away from the rally feeling accomplished about their high school experience and inspired to work harder in the future.

“At the end of the day, the changes in the rally are minor compared to everything else the senior rally is all about. It all comes down to feeling unified with your classmates, and reflecting on your educational growth,” Gross said.

Looking around her classroom, she is filled with pride. She sees her students— the same ones she has witnessed grow over the past few years. The satisfaction she receives from knowing she has motivated these students to reach their full potential is the ultimate reward she receives from teaching.

English and AVID teacher Dawn Hunter has been an educator at Redondo for 12 years and recently received the RBUSD Teacher of the Year award.

“It felt great [to win the award]. It was an extremely rewarding and gratifying thing to hear,” Hunter said.

As the coordinator, Hunter is in charge of all of the AVID programs on campus. She is also the AVID teacher for the class of 2012.

“I find it especially rewarding to work with the same kids for four years. I get to see them go from young ninth graders to mature seniors who get accepted to colleges and universities. That’s incredibly gratifying,” Hunter said.

Over the years, Hunter has witnessed a wide range of students who have benefited from the lessons she has taught in perseverance.

“I love working with students and seeing them progress. I also love seeing a kid who faces a challenge and succeeds at achieving his or her goal,” Hunter said.

Principal Mary Little recognizes the hard work that Hunter puts into teaching her students and praises her for receiving the award.

“I think Ms. Hunter is so deserving of the award. She truly cares about the success of her students and she’s been the catalyst to make our AVID program so successful,” Little said.

Little believes that awards such as Teacher of the Year give our school and staff appreciation for all their efforts throughout the year.

“It’s always good when we recognize excellence,” Little said.

PHOTO BY ERINN MIDDO

Winning. Dawn Hunter won RBUSD Teacher of the Year. Hunter teaches English and AVID and has been at Redondo for 12 years.

Whooping Cough shots mandatory

by Zack Elliott

The coming school year will require a new prerequisite, a T-DaP shot. This vaccine immunizes against Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Pertussis, also known as whooping cough. The new vaccine requirement is a result of an overall rise of whooping cough cases in California. In 2010 the state reported the highest number of whooping cough cases in over 60 years.

Whooping Cough is an infection of the respiratory system and shares many symp-

toms with the common cold, including a runny nose, sneezing, coughing, and lowgrade fever.

"This new policy is intended to reduce the spread of whooping cough among the youth of California, the T-DaP is used to protect young people," Assistant Superintendent, Frank DeSena said.

Students will be required to turn in proper documentation proving that they received a T-DaP vaccine to the office before they can begin the 2011-2012 school year.

Yearbook wins Pacemaker Award

by Laura Shodall

Yearbook received the Pacemaker, an award given for excellence in student journalism, for their theme "Red, It's Part of U." According to former editor-in-chief Kristen Schryver, the book was both solid and strong because the theme was planned earlier in the school year.

"It was easier for the editors and I to direct the staff in the right direction," she said. "It ensured that the entire book was cohesive."

Former editor-in-chief Daniel Fallon feels that there was amazing talent on last year's staff.

"Seeing the talent reassured me that the book was in the hands of some great

designers, writers, and photographers," Fallon said.

Both Schryver and Fallon agree that the mini-mag in last year's yearbook was phenomenal.

"It had great design and great photos," Fallon said. "It helped our school connect to the rest of the world."

Yearbook advisor Mitch Ziegler is not surprised by yearbook's win.

"The staff started out with an amazing concept," he said. "[The theme] is one of the greatest school spirit themes I've ever heard."

Current editor-in-chief Bonnie MataMatthews credits the award partially to the staff.

"We had amazing leadership and [the leaders] were all unique," she said. "The

editorial staff was dedicated as well. The editors didn't need to be pushed to do their best because they wanted to do their best. We all have a mutual love for the book."

Dedication was a large part of last year's staff, according to Fallon.

"People were willing to spend late nights perfecting spreads and people weren't afraid to take on different roles," Fallon said. "I would see section editors grabbing cameras and photographers writing stories [if it was needed]."

Mata-Matthews sees a bright future for yearbook.

"The quality of yearbook keeps growing exponentially," she said. "We have an amazing staff lined up for next year and our success will keep building."

PHOTO COURTESY OF MITCH ZIEGLER

Setting the pace. Yearbook adviser Mitch Ziegler sits with former sports editor Nicole Olson and former editor-in-chief Kristen Schryver as they accept the Pacemaker Award.

The Votes are In... ­ ia Vidal N ASB President

Madison Hall Senior Class President

Spencer Peak ASB Vice President

Nikki Blome Senior Class Vice President

Noelle Graham Junior Class Vice President

Olivia Solomon

Samantha Witteman Senior Class Secretary Treasurer

Suzin Kim Junior Class Secretary Treasurer

ASB Secretary Treasurer

Sanjay Mahboobani Sophomore Class President

Emily Su Junior Class President

Kayley Blome Sophomore Class Vice President

Christopher Millet Sophomore Class Secretary Treasurer

PHOTOS BY ERINN MIDDO

ASB Commissioners School Relations Jordan Dobler and Tess Wainwright Activities Isabella Castaldi and Sarah Song Athletics Camera Carter and Ashley Nakamura Publicity Sydney Bongiovanni and Ruquayya Ahmad Spirit Sofia Colwell and Megan Riggle ICC Aroosa Ansari and Angeline Lee Club Facilitator Maria Bangash and Kourtney Noa

Entertainment Anjali Read and Kayla Steele Technology Daniel Maroko and Moiz Ansari ASB Manager Wendy Garcia School Board Representative Brooke O'Neal Senior/ASB Historian Erin Hardy Junior Historian Aileen Filishtiner Sophomore Historian Rachel Hernandez

Opinion

3

p.

]May 13, 2011]

Shannon’s

Around

Redondo

Shenanigans

“Would students benefit from a ban on homework?”

In defense of

Chocolate Milk

“Yes, because sometimes it’s just busy work and kids don’t really take it seriously.”

12th

— Drew Kozain

“No, because it gives us the practice that we need.”

11th — Eddie Choi

Editorial: Standardized tests ineffectual

“No. I don’t study. I just do the homework to pass tests.”

11th

­ Rachelle —

Alarcon

“It gives you the preparation for the tests you need to take.”

10th ­ Brent Bowles — “I don’t like it, but it has to be done. It can be a bit much, though.”

9th

­— Bridgette Schneider

“Maybe. Most kids do it, but not all actually get anything out of it. ”

9th

­— Jose Ixtacop

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, Nicolas Cruz 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.

We are nothing if not soldiers of the number 2 pencil.

With the standardized test as our foe and the sharpened pencil and eraser our sword and shield, we sing not the refrains of “left, right, left, right, left” but of “A, B, D, D, A.” We carry on, sweating and bubbling-in circles against the clock.

Granted, this battle is not all in vain. Standardized testing is implemented for creating and assessing, well, standards.

Without these national and state regulations, schools would be teaching possibly misplaced, inadequate, and unregulated concepts with a lack of consistency across school districts.

And teachers make a habit to remind us that, how we perform on these tests reflect on the school and its teachers.

In the process, however, students fall victim to a barrage of mundane, A-E multiple choice questions — seemingly the only manner of “testing our knowledge.” What testing services (the California Department of Education and the Collegeboard, among others) gain in efficiency with easy-toscan forms and compilable data and statistics, students lose in toiling through test after test, information chopped up and spewed out in a nauseating mess of letters on a sheet.

The multiple choice test rules our lives: CST, AP, SAT, CAHSEE — you name it and there is another acronymized test that relies heavily on fact recall or choose-the-best-answer.

But the infamous multiple choice is not, to say the least, for everyone. What happened to catering to “learning styles”?

There are those who perform better by writing, speaking, or even depicting, and such are the classical forms of examinations — actually applying and demonstrating. Did Socrates or Plato ever administer matching or fill-in-the-blank exams to their scholars?

Devoid of creativity or options for expression of thought, the tests go against the mantras of “express yourself,” and “be an individual.” Frankly, we live in an environment — mainly every May — where there is only one correct answer, where we must submit to prescribed test-taking strategies and listen to robotic, scripted instructions we can virtually recite back to the proctor (“Do not spend too much time on any one question. If you are unsure of a question...”).

Perhaps it is my over-fried brain speaking — a total of 700 multiple-choice questions in the past two weeks (AP’s, SAT’s, and CST’s) tend to do that to a person — but standardized testing should not revolve around multiple-choice and classes should not teach solely to pass the AP test.

Rather, we must step into other arenas of evaluation such as oratory or visual presentation. If high school is to prepare us for the ever-ominous “real world,” should we not hone interview and expression skills on school’s most important tests? Simply put, our future bosses will never ask us to “choose the best answer” but we will be required to design a solution and collaborate on a project.

Free response sections on AP tests are a step in the right direction (though not everyone is inclined to write for 125 minutes straight). By 2014, Collegeboard will change AP test formats to assess analytical skills rather than memorization skills. While adjustments towards varied modes of testing will require more effort on the student’s part and more expense in an already-strained school budget, they will provide an engaging means of learning and display knowledge.

Now that — an expanded means of showcasing our education — is a cause worth fighting for.

I’m fine with healthy food. I’ll take a veggie burger over its greasy, bloody counterpart any day. I always prefer foods that have fat-free, low-cal, and no-sugar-added stickers stamped all over it in big letters. Really, healthy food is great. But I’m drawing a line.

Back off my chocolate milk.

LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy recently issued a statement that all LA County schools will stop offering flavored milk. Apparently chocolate milk isn’t up to LAUSD’s standards and they’ve deemed the beverage “unhealthy.”

Except not really. The School Nutrition Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Dietetic Association, American Heart Association, and National Medical Association have released a joint statement in support of flavored milk. According to their studies, flavored milk includes nine essential nutrients including calcium, vitamin D and protein. The report says that the flavored milk is healthy, even with added sugar. Studies of children who drink flavored milk show they are healthier than kids who don’t drink milk at all (www.onlinejournal.com).

If you want to blame anyone for the ban, blame the English. Or, more specifically, one English TV chef: Jamie Oliver.

The star of Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution was recently on the late night talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live! and was joined by Deasy, who announced the proposed ban. This is after footage from Food Revolution painted the district’s take on healthy food in a very poor light. Oliver said he would be proud to send his children to an LAUSD school now that there is a crack down on flavored milk.

Thanks, Jamie. We didn’t fight a war over British interference in America or anything.

Yes, childhood obesity and diabetes are an issue. Yes, schools should offer healthy choices to kids. But chocolate milk? Most milk sales – 70% to be precise – are flavored milk. Taking away the choice might put some kids off from buying milk at all. Milk offers many nutritional benefits that kids just don’t get from other food sources they enjoy. And I can personally attest that kids enjoy chocolate milk.

If the sugar and additives in chocolate milk are a big concern, why don’t schools look into alternatives instead of just getting rid of the beverage all together? Less sugar or removing additives won’t make chocolate milk any less alluring.

Compromise, people. Think of the children.

Until then, get away from my chocolate milk.

Pro Con Should homework be removed from class curricula?

It is a routine high school students are all too familiar with: wake up after an insufficient amount of sleep, sit through seven hours of school, and reby Tricia Light turn home only to drudge through a mountain of homework.

The immense amount of homework assigned in some classes is not only agonizing but often a complete waste of time.

Yes, homework gives students a chance to review and practice materials studied in class. However, students cannot be forced to learn. Motivated students will put in the effort they need to to learn, whether or not there is a grade attached to every assignment.

On the other hand, there will always be students who choose not to do their school work, regardless of whether or not homework is assigned.

In any case, mandatory work that must be completed every night is ineffective.

Even if students do their homework, it may be in vain. Contrary to what we are constantly told, nightly homework is not necessary to build proper study habits. In college there aren’t regular assignments, rather it is the student’s job to stay on pace and prepare for exams.

Less structured classes would encourage students to become more independent and responsible.

In addition, cheating on take-home assignments is so easy and widespread that teachers have no way of fairly grading

homework. So many students copy off their friends, split up the work, or look up answers online that there is no way of knowing who has actually done the work.

The people who do their homework independently each night receive the same credit as those who copy during snack.

There are better options than assigning mountains of homework. It may be a romantic ideal, but students should be motivated by and interested in their schoolwork. Hour upon hour of busy work will only make students hate school and jeopardize their opportunities for success later in life.

While some assignments are worthwhile, it seems as though teachers often assign work simply to assign work. Just because an assignment is lengthy does not mean it is valuable or even challenging.

Workload should not be equated with the quality or rigor of a class, seeing as the most rewarding and interesting parts of a class are those moments spent inside the classroom.

Hours of homework are also counterproductive in that they keep students from participating in activities outside of school and achieving a sensible balance.

Between school, athletics, and other activities, most students get far less than the recommended nine hours of sleep per night (www.ninds.nih.gov). If we are half asleep while doing homework every night and too tired to be alert during class, is our education really being enriched?

Work outside of school is necessary for some people and in some challenging classes. However, assigning huge amounts of mindless homework is pointless, unfair, and ultimately ineffective.

W

ishful thinking persuades students to believe that homework is unnecessary and therefore a waste of time. And for some it may be a waste of time, but for the majority, it is vital to classroom success.

The most direct positive effect of homework is that it can improve retention and understanding. Studies reveal that the relationship between homework and achievement for high school students is about twice as strong as for junior high students (education.stateuniversity.com).

If not simply to reinforce what was learned in the classroom, homework serves as a primary study tool. For those students who never study, imagine how much worse off you would be if you weren’t assigned homework every night?

Some would argue that by not being assigned homework, they would have more time to study. Again, this would apply to a very small percentage of the population because most teenagers simply do not have enough self control. Think about it, would a 16-year-old rather study or hang out with friends?

Not only does homework help retain information, but it also helps improve grades. Some people just aren’t good testtakers and always get low test grades. It would be unfair to these type of students if a class was solely based on exam grades.

In cases like these, they need homework to boost their grade.

More indirectly, homework can improve students’ study skills and attitudes toward school, and teach students that learning can take place anywhere, not just in school buildings. Students can therefore take what they learned in class and put it

into their own perspectives and apply it to their own lives.

The nonacademic benefits of homework include fostering independence and responby Melissa Rosero sibility. Homework is a test of maturity. If a student cannot be bothered to complete their homework assignments, are they really mature enough to responsibly make their own life decisions?

However, in order for students to appreciate the value of homework, teachers must give students a reason to value homework. Assigning overwhelming amounts of busy work simply discourages students.

Teachers assigning worksheets or generic exercises photocopied from textbooks should expect a lack of interest from their students.

Studies reveal that shorter and more frequent assignments may be more effective than longer but fewer assignments (nces.ed.gov). If teachers gave an adequate and fair amount of homework, students might feel more compelled to complete their assignments.

Not only can homework reinforce criteria and develop a sense of responsibility, it can also keep students out of trouble.

Who is more likely to venture into harms way, someone who has homework due the next day or someone who has nothing but time on their hands? By having homework as a distraction, students will feel less compelled to fall under pressure from their peers.

Features

4

p.

] May 13, 2011 ]

Ridio and Shahri idolize legends

LOVE

by Taylor Ballard and Loren Brown

or

OBSESSION? Students share their obsessions and their love for their idols.

Every morning, senior Monica Shahri and sophomore Alex Ridio wake up to their icons; Marilyn Monroe and rock and roll queen Joan Jett posters cover their walls. It’s routine. One girl puts on her red hot lipstick and slips on her stockings and gloves, the other one throws on her leather jacket and boots.

The girls enjoy two idols who are very different but their passion for the stars is very similar; adornment for their idols and their friendship.

What started with a postcard for Shahri sparked an everlasting love for the 50’s bomb shell Marilyn Monroe and the 50’s time period as a whole.

“I’m in love with the clothes and the history of the 50’s and I really have to thank Marilyn for that,” Shahri said.

Shahri was in the sixth grade when she saw the postcard that ignited her passion for Monroe. According to Shahri, Monroe’s beauty and youthfulness caught her attention.

“I started talking and singing like [Marilyn] and my mom would say ‘Wow, you sound like

her,’” Shahri said.

Ridio’s love for Joan Jett was sparked by her father when she was in the third grade.

“I remember my dad got me a karaoke machine and the one song I would re-sing and replay was ‘I Love Rock and Roll’. I would just refuse to play anything else,” Ridio said.

Growing up, Ridio’s peers did not understand her passion. It was not until her freshman year that Ridio met someone her age that understood her. Ridio and Shahri became friends in choir class when Shahri overheard Ridio talking about her idol.

“I heard the word Marilyn from her mouth and we’ve been friends ever since,” Shahri said.

Both Shahri and Ridio feel a sense of companionship to their idols.

“Marilyn makes me feel like I’m not alone.

What she had been through and the way she thought makes me feel like I can really relate to her,” Shahri said.

According to Shahri, the idols also give the girls a feeling of empowerment.

Shahri’s ambition is to follow Marilyn’s footsteps and become an actress and take her talent

all the way to Hollywood. Similarly, Ridio wants to follow her idol’s footsteps and change the way people look at rock and roll. However, Shahri feels some people mistake her love for Monroe for obsession.

“I hate when people use the word obsessed when referring to my relationship with Marilyn because they don’t understand. When you love someone from the heart it’s not obsession, it’s love,” Shahri said.

As Ridio became older, her passion continued to burn within her. However, she began to tone down her style and according to Ridio, it was not due to criticism from peers.

“I didn’t give up because what other people say just doesn’t matter to me, as long as I believe in myself I can do anything. For me now it’s just finding myself and being unique. That’s how Joan influenced me,” Ridio said.

While their friendship may have started with the infamous Hollywood icons Marilyn Monroe and Joan Jett Shahri and Ridio’s friendship goes beyond the star.

“I would still love her even if she didn’t like Joan or Marilyn, she’s [like] my sister,” Shahri said.

Huang defines herself as a ‘cat person’

by Zac Commins

She roller blades down the sidewalk to meet up with her friends. She pulls into the driveway, walks up to the car, and sees her two cat friends peek their heads out from underneath the bumper.

Along with her academic talents, senior Sharon Huang is known for her love for cats. She enjoys both drawing and playing with them.

“It’s just one of those indescribable loves and you don’t know why,” Huang said. “Some people are born cat people and some people are born dog people. I’m just a cat person.”

Her fascination with cats began when she was five years old in her neighborhood in Anaheim, where she would visit a pair of tabbies, one orange and the other gray.

“They would come without you even

calling them,” she said.

One of her other memorable encounters was the birth and kitten hood of a family of cats in her backyard.

“It was really nice to see them grow up,” Huang said.

Although she has had many enjoyable experiences with cats, Huang has been bitten by cats twice now, including the orange tabby. However, she recognizes the motives behind their aggression and feels just the same about cats as she did before.

“The orange one bit me because it was jealous since I was playing with the other one. I understand why [the cats] bit me,” Huang said. “Although, if it was a dog that chased or bit me, I would be terrified.”

Huang considers the traditional Balinese cat to be her favorite breed, with the

tabby a close second. “[Traditional Balinese cats] have really nice blue eyes. They are rated nine to ten on the intelligence scale they use for cats.

And they like to ride on people’s shoulders,” she said.

Not having a cat of her own, Huang feels frustrated with the lack of cats in her current neighborhood of Hermosa Beach.

“I live in a place where practically every other house has a dog,” she said. “It’s disappointing.”

Huang would like to own a cat, but her mother feels that cats shed too often.

“My mom doesn’t want me to have pets because of the furniture and having to deal with shedding,” she said.

Though she has never had one, she longs to one day have a cat of her own.

“I want my Balinese,” she said.

1.

I’M OBSESSED 2.

PHOTOS BY NOUR KABBANI

“I am obsessed with coffee and chocolate. I drink coffee all day, every day.”

“I am obsessed with Pokemon.

I know all the names in order.”

Norhan Tawil, 11

Mwelu Montoya, 12

“I’m obsessed with my blanket.

I’ve had it ever since I was born.

I feel safe with it.”

Ja'Val McAfee, 12

“I am obsessed with working out because I like to look good and beach season is coming up.”

Casey cook, 11

“I’m obsessed with Harry Potter. It reminds me of my childhood since I’ve been reading it for 10 years.”

Claire Wright, 11

“I am obsessed with music because music is passion, it’s what your passionate about.”

Omar Maldonado, 10

Why you so obsessed with me? 1. Senior Jacqueline Jacks-Herrera considers getting her nails done more of a hobby then an obsession. She enjoys getting pampered and believes that getting her nails done is a good way to pamper herself. 2. JacksHerrera spends a lot of money on her nails and also drives to Compton to get them done. She likes trying out new designs and colors. During cheer season she is not allowed to have acrylic nails or have her nails painted.

Herrera-Jacks gets nails done every two weeks

by Allison Salazar

As she sits in class she looks down at her hands and contemplates the next color she will pick and the design to make them stand out. For senior Jacqueline Jacks-Herrera, getting her nails done is a hobby that allows her to express her creativity.

“I consider getting my nails done a luxury and a hobby. It’s good to get pampered and I like having different nails all the time,” she said.

Although Jacks-Herrera began getting acrylics when she was in middle school, she has enjoyed getting her nails done since she was a kid.

“I used to beg my mom to buy me the fake nails you put on yourself. I always thought they were so pretty,” she said.

Jacks-Herrera began getting acrylics because she did not like her real nails.

She would bite them so it was hard for her to grow them out. Because acrylic nails cover the real nail, she goes every two weeks to get them filled.

“I usually get them when I can because I hate my nails,” she said. “Sometimes I like to get my nails done in weird colors just to be different and not so boring.”

Acrylics can cost anywhere from $25$100(www.acrylicparts.com). Because of the cost, Jacks-Herrera has an agreement with her mother and works in order to afford them.

“I’ve spent almost $80 on my nails before. I’m usually not willing to spend that much, but it also depends on what kind of design I plan on getting and the occasion,” she said.

In addition, she drives to Compton to get her nails done. She is a regular at the nail spa and she has developed a close friendship with a manicurist named Henry.

“Henry tries to do different things every time I go in. He definitely makes the drive well worth it because he does such a good job,” Jacks-Herrera said.

“I consider getting my nails done a luxury and a hobby.

It’s good to get pampered and I like having different nails all the time,” she said.

-Jacqueline Jacks-Herrera As a cheerleader, Jacks-Herrera was not able to have acrylics or have her nails painted during season. Despite this, she agrees with the policy and believes it should be ensured for safety precautions.

“Now that cheer is over I get my nails done a lot more than ever. Even though the policy is strict, it is set for a reason: so no one gets scratched or hurt,” she said.

Features

5

p.

]May 13, 2011]

Rising

2.

Rhythms 1.

Winter drum line takes second place in the Drums Across America finals.

by Alex Curtis

They stand by the door to the gym, waiting to be let in after a chaotic warm up, confident and ready to win.

Winter drum line took second place in the Drums Across California finals last Saturday.

“The performance was awesome. Overall, I was really happy with the performance on Saturday and I was really happy with the result,” drum tech Erik Plantiko said.

Senior Zac Commins contributes their success partially to their more melodic music.

“Unlike most drum line pieces, ours really had a melody to it. It wasn’t the typical ‘look what we can do’ It really had a deeper meaning to it,” Commins said.

Winter drum line is an addition to the percussion and drum line in marching band and competes on a separate circuit. The winter drum line plays independent of the rest of marching band.

“The drum line has a crucial role during the fall, but there’s a lot more focus on percussion in the winter,” Plantiko said.

After what Commins calls a “good fall season”, drum line was ready for its first performance, without the rest of the band, in November before the Southern California Judging Association.

“I don’t think most people realize how much it takes to play at a greater level,” Commins said.

Both Plantiko and Commins have played

3.

PHOTOS BY JONATHAN MARTAIN To their own beat. 1. Justin Welch plays the xylophone at a band practice. 2. Drumline prepares for their upcoming Drums Across America finals. 3. Zac Commins and Rodrigo Ramos practice alongside their team.

while at Redondo. He suggested the creation of a winter drum line to band instructor Mark Aguero. However it took a while for it to actually be made.

“It’s really nice to be able to work with Mark and get his expertise on things,” Plantiko said.

Overall, Plantiko is more than pleased with drum line and how it is progressing thus far.

“The kids this year are great. I can’t believe their devotion to playing drums.

I’m really proud of [them] and what the

programs has become, and I’m looking forward to what it can become in the future,” Plantiko said.

Plantiko still sees room for improvement but feels it is drum line’s time to shine.

“We definitely need to work on dynamic shaping and expression, and overall drive,” he said. “[But,] it’s nice to be able to really show what we do, because it does take a lot of work.”

Drum line’s next concert is June 10th at seven p.m.

Esquivel practices Rastafarianism

Knee problems keep Moore from regularly attending school

by Anthony Leong

by Anthony Leong

Occasionally, we miss a day of school for whatever reason, and then we come back and deal with that seemingly massive pile of stuff that somehow manages to build up.

However, for senior Austin Moore, missing weeks of school at a time due to major knee injuries is not unusual. Moore missed three weeks of school in November due to a torn meniscus and one week of school recently because of a torn patella tendon.

Moore says that his teachers are understanding and that he could make up what he had missed without too much trouble.

“I just tell my teachers, and they know what’s up, and then I just make sure I get my homework done online and stuff and make up any tests,” he said.

Anita Stoddard, Moore’s physiology teacher, feels that Moore handled his extended absences particularly well for a variety reasons. “[Austin] is a very conscientious student,” Stoddard said. “I wasn’t really going after him for the things he missed; he made sure he got everything.”

According to Stoddard, missing so much school might have been more difficult in a math class, but she feels that physiology isn’t as bad in that regard.

“I’m pretty predictable teaching-wise,” she said. “The students know the song and dance and do what they need to.”

Stoddard feels that Moore’s family situation was a significant factor in his ability to work through missing so much school.

“He does have a strong support system at home,” she said. “If it were a different kid with a different home life, it could have been ugly.”

However, Stoddard feels that for Moore, it wasn’t a problem.

“Because of who he is, and his support system, it worked out all right and didn’t affect his grade,” she said.

According to Moore, making up tests was the most challenging part, as any extra homework he simply did when he wasn’t at school.

“The only hard thing about it was making up tests that I missed because I couldn’t do that at home, but it wasn’t bad,” he said.

In spite of the stress one might incur in missing one day of school, Moore manages to miss weeks on end without panicking.

“I guess I’m kinda used to [missing school], but I never really get stressed out about school stuff: I just do it,” he said.

other instruments, but choose to stick with drums. Commins felt drums give him a greater purpose.

“When I was given the opportunity to play drums, I tried it. It’s something I feel good at, something I can provide for a team bigger than myself. It’s not just me, obviously; it’s not just Erik,” Commins said.

Winter drum line competes indoors, while the fall equivalent, is outdoors.

“It’s a lot different playing indoors than outdoors because you’ve got to play more quietly. If you play how you would outside, you wouldn’t hear anything; it would just be noise,” Commins said.

Plantiko has been in Jazz band every year

PHOTOS COURTESY OF CHRISTIAN ESQUIVEL Not just dreads. Esquivel lives a life based on acceptance through Rastafarianism which is, as he describes, “a way of life”.

If asked to picture a Rastafarian, one might think of just dreadlocks or else simply a person who listens to Reggae.

According to Christian Esquivel, Rastafarianism runs a little deeper than his hairstyle or musical tastes.

“Rasta is not just the hair, it’s not just what you eat, and it’s not what you listen to,” Esquivel said. “Rastafari is not a religion. It’s a philosophy; a way of life.”

Although Rastafarianism originated as a Christian following that began in the 30s, Esquivel distinguishes this from what he calls “Rastafari”.

“In the Rastafari we believe that religion has put up too many walls to govern the life by,” he said.

For Esquivel, the Rastafarian way of life encompasses a variety of different aspects of his own life.

Rastafarianism also has its own diet.

“We’re not supposed to consume anything that bleeds,” he said. “It’s vegan, and it’s also a holistic diet, so you’re not supposed

to consume salt.”

The Rastafarian diet has other very specific aspects as well.

“Fruit that comes off the tree – you’re supposed to wait until it falls off the tree and the food is given to you before you consume it,” he said. “So I deal with sort of... issues, being that the food is processed that I am forced to eat or driven to eat.”

Rastafari is unique in other ways. Rather than governing one’s actions, Rastafari encourages one to avoid being judgmental, according to Esquivel.

“A big part of Rastafari is preaching acceptance,” he said. “It doesn’t matter what created us; we all came from the same place, we are all born in the same place. We all bleed the same color.”

Because of this, Esquivel feels that Rastafarians do not impose their beliefs upon others.

“So inherently, because it preaches acceptance, there isn’t a large effort to convert people to Rastafarianism,” he said.

Unfortunately, in spite of their efforts to

be accepting, Esquivel feels that people are often judgmental to Rastafarians, or “Rasta”.

“There’s a lot of negative connotations with the word ‘Rasta’,” he said.

In any case, there were successful Rastafarians, including civil rights activist, Marcus Garvey.

“Marcus Garvey was an influential character of Rastafarianism, as well as being an influential character in America,” he said.

Garvey advocated the observation of one’s roots. He encouraged his fellow African Americans to return to Africa, to visit the place they came from. Esquivel quoted Garvey saying “A man with no knowledge of his heritage is like a tree without roots.”

As a belief system, Rastafarianism distinguishes itself from typical religions in many ways.

Although Esquivel does not observe all aspects of Rastafari – like vegetarianism – he embodies the nature of the Rastafarian and anticipates that he will be able to find happiness alongside his belief system.

Sports

6

p.

] May 13, 2011 ]

Finding a

new

Linda Park

by Laney Burke

Third baseman for the school team and shortstop for her club team, senior Linda Park committed to Lewis & Clark College.

Park does not plan on playing softball professionally, but she hopes to become a coach or athletic trainer so she can continue being involved in sports.

Because Lewis & Clark College is a Division III college, Park plans on focusing more on academics than softball.

“I’m not getting ‘paid’ to play softball,” she said. “It’s kind of like an elective.”

Still, Park anticipates a difficult juggle between sports and school.

“I’m pretty sure that it will be hard to balance everything,” she said. “But I’ll just have to work it out when I get there.”

FLOCK

Senior Sea Hawks go to college to pour their hearts into the sports they love and look forward to joining their new team in the fall.

For the past four years, senior Mwelu Mataya has woken up at 5:30 a.m. to take the public bus to school from Long Beach.

He feels that going to school on a permit has helped him reach his life-long dream of a college basketball scholarship. Mataya will be joining the team at Cal State Northridge this fall.

“Redondo in general has helped me because being around more professional people has helped me mature more as a person. Where I was raised was not the best environment. Being in an

Elle Taylor

team,” Taylor said.

Taylor will be attending West Point Military Academy to play Division I tennis. Her sister Della currently plays tennis for West Point, helping Elle make her decision.

At first, Elle was only interested in West Point because of its tennis program. But after recruiting trips and talks with the coach, she discovered her new home.

“If it wasn’t for tennis, I wouldn’t have had this amazing opportunity to serve my country and show my love and gratitude to be born in such a great country with so many opportunities,” she said.

As the girls’ lacrosse team has grown in size and skill in the past three years, senior Julia Denney has been a part of that growth. She’s seen a once young, new team become three-time Bay League Champions and is now off to make her own way playing lacrosse on the East Coast.

Denney committed to Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania.

“My counselor actually told me about the school,” she said. “After seeing me play at a summer lacrosse tournament in New Hampshire, they recruited me.”

Denney is hoping that college lacrosse challenges her.

“I’m looking forward to playing at a higher level of lacrosse that I can’t get out here on the West Coast,” she said. “I think with a lot of hard work, I’ll adjust perfectly to the team.”

by Sophia Lykke

environment where people actually want to go to college instead of people just having babies has opened me up and changed me,” he said.

Mataya feels gratified that his hard work has led him to this opportunity.

“It feels great. It’s like a life-long dream. I worked hard my whole life for this and all the family support and good friends has been great. I feel good that I made people proud. That’s all I wanted to do my whole life,” he said.

Rain or shine, no matter what kind of pain she was in, senior Kelly Ryan would put her running shoes on and practice her heart out.

Her dedication and hard work brought her to her newest accomplishment, being recruited to run on the freshman team at the

by Alyssa Sanchez

Just ten days after graduation, senior Elle Taylor will be spending

by Allie Goldberg her summer learning how to shoot a gun in her combat boots at “Beast” military training camp in New York . Taylor has used tennis her whole life to get ahead of the game.

“Since I started playing tennis the ultimate goal was to get a scholarship and play for my college

by Laura Shodall

Mwelu Mataya

Laura O’Neill With a state record in the 4 by 1600, senior Laura O’Neill has signed to run on the cross country team for the University of California, Berkeley.

O’Neill credits her success to coach Bob Leetch. By believing in her and her goals, he taught O’Neill that she was capable of setting high goals and accomplishing them.

“I want to run in the Pac 10s, be able to compete with the best in the nation, and contribute something everyday to my team. No matter what I will always continue running,” O’Neill said.

O’Neill also plans on majoring in physical science and getting involved with a running camp.

“I really want to be invited to the high altitude camp that takes place for three weeks during the summer because I feel like every opportunity that is available to me will continue to lead to my success not only as a runner but as a student as well,” O’Neill said.

Julia Denney

Kelly Ryan

by Alyssa Sanchez

Santa Clara University this fall.

“I don’t have any big plans to run on a professional level, but if I have an opportunity there would be nothing stopping me from taking it,” Ryan said. “If I develop more talent and keep improving my times then I see myself competing on a more professional level.”

Ryan is preparing to focus on academics.

“Running has taught me to be resistant in academics, so I believe that in college I will be successful in majoring in environmental science, a subject that really interests me,” Ryan said.

Shayna Stuart

by Laura Shodall

With a scholarship in hand, senior Shayna Stuart is leaving the Wolf Pack to play for Cal State San Bernardino this fall.

Stuart is looking forward to playing basketball on the college level.

“I’m not moving too far away from home, which is nice,” she said. “But it’s not too close so I can still get that whole college experience.”

For Stuart, basketball has taught her “valuable” lessons which she will carry with her into college.

“Basketball proved to me that anything was possible if you work hard and dedicate yourself,” she said.

Though college basketball will be a new and exciting challenge, Stuart will always have a strong connection with the “Wolf Pack”.

“It was purely amazing,” she said. “It made my senior year the best year of my life.”

The sun is beating down on Senior Dezhan Bland as his feet hit the ground.

Bland makes his way across the track in another successful meet. Bland has been running track for the past four years and this year, joined the cross country team.

“After becoming so familiar and making

Riki Murakami

by Allie Goldberg

After the “Wolf Pack’s” success this season, senior Riki Murakami was sure her basketball career wasn’t over.

“I’m a really competitive person and I knew that I still had a passion for basketball,” she said.

After moving to Redondo Beach to play for high school coach Marcelo Enriquez, Murakami had about five different options to play college basketball, and ultimately chose University of La Verne.

“The coach showed a lot of interest and came to almost all of my league games,” she said. “I also [get] the opportunity to be team captain my freshman year.”

Riki’s father, Jeff Murakami, believes that University of La Verne was a great choice for Riki.

“Riki was given a scholarship, she will really contribute to the team, and it’s a good distance away from home,” he said.

Jeff is happy for Riki and proud of all that she has accomplished.

“She has had to sacrifice a lot for this and we always made sure that it was what she really wanted to do,” he said. “Not many athletes get the opportunities to play in college [so] she’s really fortunate.”

The net swishes. The ball squeaks as she spikes it to the floor. Though the sounds are all too familiar, the setting has changed.

Lara Dykstra graduated this past January in order to play volleyball on scholarship for the University of Nebraska.

According to Dykstra, her transition into college has been going well.

“I’m feeling great about college,” she said.

“During spring we have conditioning, lifting, and practice almost every day. We’ve been

by Laura Shodall playing against other colleges and even a team from China.”

Though she has moved on to the college level, Dykstra still values her time in high school.

“What I loved about high school volleyball was that it was competitive and required hard work,” she said. “I wouldn’t have changed anything. I made great relationships with the people around me.”

Lara Dykstra

Dezhan Bland

by Kyle Bittman

such good memories with track, I felt this year would be time for a change,” Bland said.

Bland was offered a near-full ride scholarship to Northwest Christian University (NCU) in Eugene, Oregon.

NCU has been scouting Bland since the end last year and the beginning of this year.

“Receiving [the scholarship] was a huge accomplishment in my life and felt like crossing the finish line of an extremely important race,” Bland said.

With over 124 students on the Track and Field team, senior Mahmoud Hassanyn took getting recruited for college into his own hands. He contacted

Mahmoud Hassayn

by Olivia Loveland

about 15 coaches himself and committed to Seattle University for triple and long jump.

“I just felt like the only way I would get a chance to do Division I athletics was if I got my name out because I know that with so many athletes and not as many coaches to help out the athletes, I had to be proactive and get my name out to college coaches,” Hassanyn said.

Hassanyn narrowed his choices down based on their track program and academic majors and found Seattle University to be the “perfect” package.

“While I was in Seattle [on an official visit], they told me about their offer and showed me my financial aid package, and it was one I couldn’t pass up. I really liked the school and the team vibe was perfect,” Hassanyn said.

Alex Marin

by Joanie Schneider

Senior Alex Marin left the soccer field continuously thinking about how her family would pay for college.

While maintaining an average grade point average of 3.75, Marin trains five times a week and has never looked back since she fell in love with the sport in first grade. She will be playing soccer for the University of Hawaii at Hilo.

“I was so ecstatic when I found out about my scholarship. It helps cut costs almost in half which is very important for my family,” Marin said.

For Marin, playing soccer in college has been a dream for Marin and now has become reality.

“I love the sport and being part of a team. I also like being able to travel to play against other schools. This is all a dream come true. My family is proud as well” Marin said.

Sports

7

p.

]May 13, 2011]

The Final Hurrah Softball lost its last game of the season, 2-1 yesterday against Peninsula

by Jessi Shipley

PHOTO BY CELESTE MANAGULAN

Driving. Freshman Harrison Faecher attacks the goal in a game against Chadwick. This year marks the first in Redondo Boy’s Lacrosse history that the team made the CIF playoffs. The team went on to win the first round but fell to the number one seed in the second.

History-Makers Boy’s Lacrosse completes a long list of firsts this season after making it to the second round of CIF.

by Camille Duong

2011 marked a series of accomplishments for the boy’s lacrosse team. It was the first time they beat Downey, the first time in playoffs, and they won more games than ever before.

Last Friday the team lost to Loyola 8-6 in the second round of playoffs after beating Crespi 14-8 in the first round.

According to senior Dillon Guth, going to playoffs was a great accomplishment.

“I knew that our team always had a chance,” Guth said. “It felt good to get there after four years of playing.”

Junior Max Christy agrees with Guth.

“It was an awesome feeling going

to the playoffs because we all worked so hard and we got to go so far into the playoffs,” Christy said.

But making it to the playoffs was not easy, according to coach Phil Comito.

“April was a rough month,” he said. “We lost six of seven games.”

The team ended up getting the fourth seed in the Division II playoffs.

“After all of the hard work we put in it finally paid off,” Guth said.

The first round was against Crespi and according to Christy the team was “pumped”.

“Going into the first game was really exciting,” Christy said.

Comito felt good going into the game as well.

“We had two good days of practice,” he said. “[The game] was evenly matched.”

The win also gave Christy and the rest of the team the drive to beat Loyola.

“When we beat Crepsi in the first round it got me more pumped to play [Loyola] because I knew we had a chance to beat them,” Christy said.

After previously losing 11-4 to Loyola, the team had another chance to face them.

“Playing Loyola the second time was great because this time we knew what they were like,” Christy said.

Even though the team lost, Comito believes it was a good game.

“The first quarter was 6-0, and

through the second, third and fourth quarters we tied 6-6,” Comito said.

“We dominated and played so hard and so well.”

Guth feels the same.

“The last two goals were well contested,” he said. “Everyone did what they were supposed to.”

Overall the team had a successful season, according to Christy.

“I couldn’t ask for more,” Christy said. “We all played so hard.”

Comito agrees.

“It has had its ups and downs,” Comito said. “But overall it was a success.”

According to Christy this is the best that the team has ever been.

“I can’t wait to see what we have set in store for next year,” he said.

Baseball splits series, earns spot

PHOTO BY CELESTE MANAGULAN

Party. The softball team celebrates freshman Katrina Cohen’s home run in their game against Costa.

Tennis is one and done

Even after losing 8-3 last night, baseball splits series with West, and earns first playoff birth since 2008.

by David Kawa

by Zach Zent

The baseball team is headed to the play-offs for the first time since 2008. Despite an 8-3 loss last night where Peninsula “made our field look small”, according to manager Jeff Baumback, the team is looking forward to play-offs.

However, Baumback remains modest and is not taking credit for reviving Redondo baseball.

“It feels good to make play-offs,

2.

but I feel like this team would have made it with any coach. The talent level here is pretty good and I don’t think it has to do with me or any of the coaches we brought in,” Baumback said. “Hopefully we brought something to the table, but its about them and not us.”

Senior Drew Wright looks on the team’s play-off berth as a notable accomplishment and feels like the team has certainly come a long way.

“It feels like a pretty big accomplishment and I feel like we’ve done way better than last year. We showed all those teams who thought we were a ‘push-over’ of a team. We’re not ‘push-overs’ anymore,” Wright said.

The team will stay focused and not alter their preparation in anticipation of the heightened level of competition they will face next week, according to Baumback.

“We’re just going to keep doing what we do. This game is pretty basic and we prepare the same way for every game we play, whether its play-offs or not,” Baumback said.

Wright believes the team should have a new attitude in preparation for play-offs.

“We’re definitely going to come out with more intensity because any one of these games could potentially be our last,” Wright said.

The team has felt the toll of the

Softball lost their game 2-1 yesterday against Peninsula. According to the girls, they are happy with their season no matter what the outcome.

The game was close and they held Peninsula off until the last couple innings when a few big hits led to Peninsula runs. Although Redondo came back with one final run in the 6th inning, it wasn’t enough for them to win.

“The game was hard and intense.

I’m glad to say we gave them a good game and worked them hard,” senior Brett Aspel said.

Even though the girls did not make playoffs, they feel as if they accomplished a lot of their goals for the season.

“We worked hard, we may not have won as many games as we hoped but we feel like we have improved for the most part,” Aspel said.

Even without a stellar record, the girls feel like they gave it their all, and they are content with results of their year.

“I’m proud of the girls. We did our best and that’s all we can ask for.

Our team was strong,” senior cap-

tain Cindy Zamudio said.

This game was especially emotional for the seniors. Prior to the game there was a ceremony honoring every senior on the team.

“As a senior it’s sad to think its all over, but I’m happy with my last four years, and I’m happy with this last game,” senior captain Linda Park said.

The seniors feel like their last four years with the Redondo softball program has taught them a lot.

“I learned how to be a better player, person and friend, but overall I learned how to be a part of a real team,” Park said.

As for the younger girls on varsity they feel as if they are ready to take over the reins.

“With the help and advice I’ve received from the seniors and coaches, I feel like the rest of the girls and I are prepared to take the positions they left,” freshman Katrina Cohen said.

Overall the girls feel like they have had a great year. Win or lose, they are proud of how they have played as a team.

“I’m proud to be a Sea Hawk.

I couldn’t have asked for another group of girls to play with. I’m truly going to miss them,” Park said.

1.

PHOTO BY ASHLEY MAULDIN

Selfless. 1. Junior Kyle Esparza lays down a successful sacrifice bunt during Tuesday’s game against West. 2. Grant Wessel pitches in Tuesday’s game against West. The team split the series, winning Tuesday and losing yesterday. The team has earned third place in league and secured its ticket to CIF.

extremely competitive Bay League in recent weeks, but is using the experience to its advantage.

“These last few weeks since we played Leuzinger have been like the play-offs for us,” Baumback said.

“We had to win some games and do some things to even get to this position.”

Senior Nyc Bongiovanni is also looking beyond the team’s loss on Senior-Recognition Night.

“It feels good to finally make

the play-offs and be the group that actually made it. Everyone is ready to play and excited for it,” Bongiovanni said.

The team was not able to combat Peninsula’s power hitters last night, despite shutting them out on Tuesday night, in a 2-0 victory.

“They just hit a bunch of homeruns. They came out and they swung their bats aggressively. They knocked us around a bit but we fought back in the end,” Baumback said.

After finishing fourth in Bay League, Boy’s Tennis lost to Loyola 13-5 in the CIF wildcard round.

Senior Josh Obear feels the team underestimated the competition.

“We walked in with a fair enough chance, but they played better than we expected. Their doubles were a lot stronger than we thought,” he said.

Senior Paul Levchenko agrees.

“I think they are on the same level as Costa, so if we played like we did when we beat Costa, we could have won. But, it would have been a stretch,” he said.

Coach Jessica Seibert is grateful for the chance to compete at CIF. “It was a good experience for the team. We got a good picture of what CIF is and what kind of competition is at that level. We were lucky to get in,” she said.

Senior Jonathan Yang feels the team made the most of a “building year.”

“I felt that we have done well considering what we have done with our team this year. We have lost many good varsity players, so our team had to pick up a lot of slack,” he said.

Seibert is proud of having a “fantastic” season.

“We exceeded my expectations.

We are just thrilled about Costa after a six year dry spell,” she said.

According to junior Chris Farmer, the Costa win validated the season.

“Beating Costa made the season.

I’m stoked with how we wound up.

We did well with the guys we had,” he said.

Yang appreciates his time on the team.

“I am proud to say that I am a part of this team. Even though I was a sub, I still enjoyed supporting my team and the individuals on it,” he said.

Seibert looks forward to a promising season next year.

“With a brand new team, we got great results. This group has a lot to look forward to next year,” Seibert said.

PHOTO BY ASHLEY MAULDIN

POW. Junior Chris Lew returns a serve in a Bay League match. The team lost to Loyola 13-5, and are out of CIF.

Sports

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] May 13, 2011 ]

Elite swimmers head to CIF preliminaries

by Tati Celentano

Last Thursday the swim team competed in Bay League Finals and took fourth for the boys’ and girls’ team.

“We knew there was a small chance that we would do so well as to win Bay League, but we were excited to see what we are capable of and where we placed against other schools,” junior John Portis said.

Seniors Jonathan Diaz and Hogan Inscore and juniors Declan Andrew and Portis took two seconds off the school record in the 4x100 freestyle relay.

“We were really surprised when we saw that we beat the school record time because we weren’t planning on trying to beat it,” Andrew said.

The relay team is confident diving into CIF knowing they have already broken

Track sends 24 athletes to CIF

by Julie Tran

Following the Bay League finals at Mira Costa last week, 24 athletes qualified to advance to CIF preliminaries on Saturday at Moorpark.

“There is no longer a team aspect to track when it comes to CIF,” coach Julie Ferron said. “It’s all about individuals making times, placing, and qualifying.”

Cross country stars junior Lyndsey Mull and sophomore Cara Ulizio were closely matched, finishing second and third respectively in the 800 and 1600 meter runs.

Ulizio, a returning CIF distance runner, attributes his success to heightened focus, which has enabled individuals to better hone in on there skills.

Most notable was senior Chris Bassman, who swept in the 100 meter dash, finishing .22 seconds ahead with a personal record of 10.79 seconds. He then took second in the 200 meter dash, and ran as the second leg of the 4x400 relay, and won.

In addition, the season’s most consistent performers placed first and second as well. Senior Mahmoud Hassanyn, Aundrea Yancy, and sophomore Evan Malone-White placed first in their individual events. Meanwhile, junior Haley Miller, Laura O’Neill, and Max Niebergall and senior Ruby Davis, Taylor Bongiovanni, and Dezhan Bland placed second.

In the boys’ 4x400 meter relay, junior Derrick Duran, Bassman, Malone-White, and Bland emerged victorious with 3:28.64.

“People qualified for CIF because they trained hard and took it seriously,” he said.

“It’s plain and simple. You get what you work for.”

According to Ferron, CIF preliminaries will be a “breeze” compared to Bay League finals.

“Our league is very tough since there are so many state-level and ranked individuals,” Ulizio said.

However, all of the athletes have been training “harder than ever before” with the coaches lately, according to Malone-White.

“These past few meets have been the most important meets,” Bassman said. “Those are what we train for.”

Ferron is confident that the hard work will pay off and enable most, if not all, of the athletes to move on to finals the following week.

“We are not only all shooting to reach the CIF master meet, but even farther,” said Ulizio.

PHOTO BY JONATHAN MARTIN

Long strides. Senior Nick Steinke leads the pack in a meet last week.

their record.

John Portis believes the boys can lower their time even more.

“We are going in very motivated since we have done so well this year and beating the record in the 4x100 just adds to our success this season. This is the last time we can swim together as a relay team before Jonathan and Hogan graduate so we want to do something awesome,” Portis said.

Rubke is pleased with the boy’s performance this year.

“I would like to see how they do at CIF before I make my final decision, but overall I have high expectations,” Rubke said.

Senior Ethan Peak dropped six seconds in the 500 freestyle event, setting his personal record at 5.14.

“Knowing this was my last competitive swim meet, I was really focused on getting a 5.15 in my event, and I ended up doing

Volleyball beats Dana Hills, 3-0

by Kaelee Epstein

PHOTOS BY JULIE D’EATH

Breathe. Senior Jonathan Diaz swims breath stroke in a non-league meet.

even better,” Peak said.

Senior Gabriella Reynoso set her personal record in the 200 freestyle event. “[I think I accomplished this by] tapering, going out harder and faster,” Reynoso said.

Diaz, Inscore, Andrew and Portis will be representing Redondo at CIF this Friday and hope to move into finals Saturday.

“CIF is the climax of the season and we all worked really hard to get here. I know it’s going to pay of,” Portis said.

The relay team’s main goal is to make top eight in the 4x100 relay to get into the finals, according to Andrew.

“We’re looking forward to a lot of improvements for our swimmers. It’s going to be a good two days for Redondo swimming. History will be made,” Diaz said.

Charging Towards the finals Girls’ lacrosse looks to meet rival Los Alamitos on Saturday at the Sea Hawks Bowl for the CIF Championship.

by Olivia Loveland

Girls’ lacrosse hopes to make history tomorrow at 12:45 p.m. at home, playing Los Alamitos to become the CIF Southern Section champions and the first team from LA County to beat a team from Orange County.

“These girls won’t back down from any challenge and we hope to play our best game,” coach Tom Borgia said.

Had the girls not won a crucial game against Cate High School 11-10, they would not have the chance to be CIF Southern champions.

After clinching the win Wednesday against Cate, the girls claimed the CIF North Championship title for the second straight year after beating Palos Verdes (15-5) and Palisades Charter (15-10) in playoffs.

by Allie Goldberg

Senior Aundrea Yancy is taking after her mother as a track star, scoring in four completely different events at every meet.

“I’ve been doing track since fourth grade,” she said. “My mom was always did track and she really got me into it.”

Yancy’s dedication to track has given her a lot of versatility.

“When I started out, high jump was my main thing. Now at every track meet I do high jump, triple jump, the 100 meter hurdles, and shot-put,” she said.

According to Yancy, track has helped her develop a lot as a person.

“Because of track I’ve always had to keep my grades up. I also learned that if I want to be the best at something, I have to go out and work for it,” she said.

Yancy’s determination has paid off, as now she is the school record holder in the 100-meter hurdles at 13.51 seconds.

“I almost never lose in the hurdles,” she said. “It’s exciting because that was never really my main event.”

Yancy has developed her skill and technique in all of her events through her persistence.

“Our girls showed true heart and determination is this game. Every game we have won this year has been a comfortable lead for us and this was our first true test of what we are made of,” Borgia said.

The girls were tied or behind two to three goals for the majority of the game.

After half time, junior Ariel Mistuloff was moved up from the JV team to get “fresh legs” on the field and made a crucial play making the score 8-8, according to Borgia.

“We went crazy and knew we still had a chance to make something great happen,” Borgia said.

The score was tied 10-10 when senior Julia Denney scored the game winning goal with four minutes left in the game.

But when Cate got the ball from the next draw, they had three shots on goal.

Sophomore goalie Heather Czech had

“It’s been hard because over the years we’ve lost a lot of our coaches at Redondo.

On the weekends I go to this high school near my house to practice and I lift a lot,” she said. “I also used to look at videos online to help myself.”

Yancy’s mother and coach, Christine Williams, was on the track team at UCLA and went to the Olympic trials before having Yancy.

“I put her into track when she was younger like most parents do,” she said. “My expectations have always been very high.”

Williams believes that Yancy is a very athletic person with many capabilities.

“She is naturally athletic so when she tries different things and works hard she becomes very good,” she said.

Head track coach Bob Leech described Yancy as a captain who “leads by example.”

“In the past she didn’t really speak her mind, but now she’s become much more vocal,” he said. “She works hard and she’s been a great team captain for us.”

Leech explains that Yancy’s athleticism has been the key to her success.

“She’s a division one college athlete. She’s fast, and explosive jumper, and she’s powerful,” he said.

critical saves to clinch the win.

“Under extreme pressure, she came up with save after save, especially in the last three minutes when [Cate] was trying to tie it,” Borgia said.

Defense was “spectacular” in the second half, according to Borgia, only giving up three goals after giving up seven in the first half.

Senior Julia Denney led with four goals, junior Micayla Kotzbach and sophomore Allison Kotzbach each had two goals, seniors Bailey Czech and Allison Field and junior Mistuloff each had a goal as well.

“Next up will be a huge challenge for us against one of the powerful Orange County teams. I’ve never been prouder of this team and their desire to fight back the entire game,” said Borgia. “They have the hearts of champions.”

Yancy is a returning MVP from last year, according to Leech.

“I don’t know if she always wanted to do all of her events, but she did it very unselfishly [to earn her team points,]” he said.

Leech describes Yancy as “well known in the track community within the state.”

“She’s one of the few kids on our team who is more well known outside of Redondo than she is on campus,” he said. “A lot of people on campus don’t realize how talented she really is.”

The volleyball team swept Dana Hills in 3 sets scoring 25-22, 25-20, and 25-18, last night.

Yesterday’s game was “crucial” for the team to clinch the CIF championship.

“The game was very important. In order to advance further into CIF we had to win.

If we lost we would be out and the season would be over,” senior Greg Evans said.

The team felt comfortable with its standing going into the game against Dana Hills.

“If we always play our game and don’t let up at all we have the ability to go all the way, it’s just whether or not we choose to play hard,” junior Clay Attig said.

Evans shares the same confidence.

“I was confident that we would win as long as we didn’t worry about who was on the other side of the net and just stayed focused on our game and what we worked on everyday in practice,” he said.

He also thought teamwork was key.

“We had all the tools to win. As long as we came together as one team and worked together we are able beat any opponent we face,” he said.

The team created a new strategy for the game yesterday.

According to Attig, the team began using both of their setters and both of their opposites in order to increase their competitiveness.

They have also been preparing mentally.

“We have tried to improve our team attitude as a whole and improve our energy,” Attig said.

Along with these new improvements, the team has continued working on basic passing and serving drills.

“Passing and serving are the two main things we need to be better at than all of the other teams we play,” Evans said.

The teams serving and passing practice paid off.

“Our serves and passes throughout the whole game were good. That is important because if we serve tough it makes it harder for the other team to get good hits and if we pass good it gives our hitters more options to make good plays,” Evans said.

As a whole, the game went as planned and was well executed according to Evans.

“We played strong the whole time, we never slowed down. It was a good game,” he said.

As a result of a well played game, Evans does not think any one player or play stood out from the rest.

“Everyone played strong and almost every play was successful.”

Saturday night the team plays Santa Margarita in the next round of CIF. The team is planning having strong practices with more work on serving and passing.

“We need to keep improving the same things. We also need to come together as a team for the next game,” Evans said.

Evans is confident that Saturday’s game will go as planned.

“If we keep working hard and playing hard we will win,” he said.

Athlete of the

Issue Aundrea Yancy

“Art in the Streets” exhibit showcases urban creativity [B6]

A behind-the-scenes look at AP Testing [B3]

Artistic students have always found a place to thrive within Redondo Union.

Whether their medium be paint or ink, film or clay, our school’s various facilities have nurtured our gifted and passionate student’s talents. [See B4-B5 for more]

The High Tide Redondo Union High School Redondo Beach, Calif.

May 13, 2011

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PHOTOS BY JON MARTIN AND ERINN MIDDO

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May 13, 2011

day life in the

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by Emma Uriarte

Creating his own medium Sophomore Cooper Lovano fuels his passion for art by sketching everyday.

Walking around campus, sophomore Cooper Lovano attends Ecology club meetings, eats lunch with his friends, and goes to his volleyball practices, but Lovano’s real passion lies in art.

According to Lovano, drawing and painting is an outlet that allows him to focus on something other than school.

“I like doing it, and it’s a fun way to put my thoughts, ideas, and views on certain things onto paper,” Lovano said.

Lovano’s father is a muralist and first got his son interested in art, and started teaching his son at a young age.

“When he was like three or four I started teaching him shading with spheres, circles, and different shapes,” Mr. Lovano said.

Now that he is older, Lovano and his father help each other with their art.

“It’s always good to have someone else to bounce ideas off of in a drawing’s composition and execution,” Mr. Lovano said. “We help each other out by talking and sharing ideas.”

Aside from taking advice from his father, Lovano takes ideas and advice from other people at school. For Lovano, art is a learning experience.

“I learn from experiencing new techniques with other people and using what I learn from other artists,” he said.

“I get a lot of ideas by researching different artist’s styles and going to museums.”

Lovano usually draws for an hour a day, but he always to make sure his art does not interfere with his schoolwork and

other priorities.

“Art motivates me to get other things done quickly so I can spend more time on [drawing],” Lovano said.

Lovano has a wide range of interests when it comes to drawings, and he enjoys experimenting with many different techniques.

“I used to like drawing hands a lot because it’s something I can draw while looking at it,” he said. “Right now I like drawing personified animals, like an elephant with glasses. [I draw] combinations of things you wouldn’t expect to see.”

Although Lovano draws some art for fun, he likes to put a message into each of his works.

“I generally have a deeper meaning behind most of what I draw so that it’s more than just visually appealing,” Lovano said.

May 13, 2011

From financing to testing environments to scantrons, the administration plans ahead to ensure that the two weeks of AP testing run smoothly.

by Tricia Light

Dozens of anxious students sit in desks perfectly spaced according to regulation.

Each student receives a dauntingly large test booklet. Papers rustle as the proctor reads from a generic script in a monotonous voice. Pencils scratch as two long weeks of AP testing begin.

Just as students and teachers have worked to prepare for the testing, the administration has been looking after every detail to ensure that everything goes as planned. “[Preparing for the testing] is a year long process,” Assistant Principal and AP Coordinator Erin Simon said.

Simon has been working since August to attend to details such as registering teachers and submitting course audit submissions for classes.

“If the course isn’t approved, students won’t get credit for the class, so that’s huge,” she said. “Arranging testing locations and hiring proctors can be very time consuming as well.”

The magnitude of students taking tests also presents challenges, seeing as every student is required to turn in the proper forms and payment on time.

“Just getting out the 1350 tests is a big job,” Simon said. “Teachers have been helpful in disseminating information to students and parents.”

ASB Finance Clerk Joyce Stern also played a role in the process by managing the collection of the payments.

“It was hectic and busy,” Stern said.

“We did have some lines because everyone waits until the last minute, but we managed.”

This is Simon’s first year working here

and overseeing the AP program.

“I worked with teachers and made my own way from there. Most teachers are familiar with teaching AP classes. I look to them, especially with me being a novice,” she said.

Simon feels that the program is valuable to students and to the school.

“It is a very rigorous program,” she said. “It gives students a chance to be waived from certain classes in college.”

Virginia Okawauchi, who helped proctor AP tests, felt that her unique perspective allowed her to observe not only the intricacy of the testing plans, but also the students’ varied behavior as they tested.

“I can tell that certain teachers expect more out of their students, and when it is someone’s first AP test [because] they are really nervous and easily distracted,” Okawauchi said. “If you haven’t paid attention to your teachers it is very obvious because you are lost.”

Despite the challenges, Simon feels that all is going well.

“We’ve been planning things all year to ensure that everything runs well,” she said. “Things come up, but you have to deal.”

These are just some of the steps adminstration had to take in order to preparation for AP testing: June: set up a new account at AP central September: Register for coordinator workshops and distribute testing schedule to teachers December: create a plan for distribution of AP bulletin to students February: distribute “dear parent” letter along with bulletin March: ensure that all students have registered for their AP exams April: secure AP exams once they arrive May: tests are administered and must be sent back for grading

A P

Advanced Preparation

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May 13, 2011

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Ceramics is a time-consuming but rewarding craft

by Nicolas Cruz

In the beginning, it is nothing more than a ball of clay. But after hours of hard work and concentration, this dull piece of clay becomes a piece of art.

Making ceramics is a labor-intensive process and involves many different steps, according to Ceramics teacher Toni Artiga. Students spend time and effort in their art projects.

“The process of making ceramics is more time consuming than people realize,” Artiga said. “To make pottery, a lot of time is used preparing clay, building, drying, firing, sanding, glazing, and then [firing one more time.]”

Despite the work put into making a pot, the results are worth the time. Junior Alexis Bracken believes that making ceramics is great because she can see the end result and feel proud about her hard work.

“People who are not in ceramics do not know how tough and time consuming it is,” Bracken said.

She is able to look past the difficulty in ceramics and is able to see the final product. According to Bracken, the best part of ceramics is when other students are able to recognize the hard work she put into her art.

“When someone actually says ‘Whoa, that is really cool,’ it makes you feel really proud,” Bracken said. “That [moment is] when you feel the work had paid off when someone compliments your piece.”

Bracken became interested in ceramics when she went to the Noble Gallery Art Show last year. She loved looking at all the artwork by her peers.

In June, Bracken gets to be part of the art show.

“I’m excited that my projects I am re-

SOMETHING OUT OF NOTHING MAKING

ally proud of will be on display for the community to see,” Bracken said. “I had never handled clay [before] so I am really happy how [my projects] turned out.”

According to Artiga, she is glad to help students pursue art.

“I can proudly say that I create art everyday whether perfecting my own skills or assisting my students. I want my students to see me produce art and know that I go through the artistic process with them,” Artiga said.

What motivates Artiga is getting to see her students achieve their highest potential in art and guiding them to reach this potential.

“It is every artist’s dream to be inspired. Seeing my students produce creative and original work motivates me to want to make art and teach higher expectations every year,” Artiga said.

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PHOTO BY CELESTE MANUGHIAN-PETER

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PHOTO BY ERINN MIDDO

PHOTO BY JENNY OETZELL

PHOTO BY JENNY OETZELL

by Dan Furmansky

No matter what the medium, students learn the various forms of creative art and aspire to continue their craft.

AP Studio Art allows students to develop as artists

by Gianna Esposito

The magic begins with the first touch of charcoal to paper. As her hand grazes across the page, she exalts in the pure satisfaction of both improving her technique and doing what she loves. What was once a hobby of “doodling” for senior Jesi Nicoloro has now become a true passion, all thanks to AP Studio Art. “[After being in AP Studio Art class, I] won’t settle for any less [than being a professional artist]. Art is the only thing that I am sure will never disappoint me and it’s given me a reason to want to go to school as well,” Nicoloro said.

AP Studio Art teacher Debrah Smith believes that Nicoloro has developed as an artist in the class.

“She has a passion for art and definite ideas on how to express herself in her own visual language,” Smith said.

According to Smith, one of the benefits of AP Studio Art, compared to Art 1 and other CP Art classes, is the opportunity for students to truly establish themselves as artists, having already learned about different artistic techniques and mediums.

“It is a privilege and pleasure to work with young artists, to see them create in a visual language of their own, to see what they see of this world and to see a visual representation of what they think and how they think,” Smith said.

In AP Studio Art, students express their artistry through their portfolio, which serves as their AP Exam. According to Smith, it is made up of a minimum of 24 pieces of art, 12 of which are varied styles in order to show “breadth” and 12 of which are part of a “concentration” on a “specific visual idea” that the students choose to explore.

Nicoloro believes this portfolio requires a great deal of work and is one of the reasons why the class can be difficult, but she thinks it is well worth the work.

“I have heard from others that AP Studio Art is one of the hardest AP classes and it does seem intimidating at first, but sending out a finished portfolio [was] the most rewarding thing I have ever done,” Nicoloro said.

Smith agrees that AP Studio Art is difficult, but that it is only “intended for highly motivated students who are seri-

ously interested in furthering their skills in the visual arts.”

According to Nicoloro, with Mrs. Smith’s encouragement, AP Studio Art students are able to push their limits as artists.

“I have grown more as an artist in this class because Mrs. Smith has always encouraged me to challenge myself and find a deeper meaning in everything,” Nicoloro said.

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PHOTO BY JENNY OETZELL

Evening of

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PHOTO BY JENNY OETZELL

opening reception:

Tuesday, May 31 6-8 p.m.

exibition dates:

June 1 & 2

Snack and lunch noble gallery, room 106

Photography class focuses on digital and modern methods

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PHOTO BY CELESTE MANUGHIAN-PETER

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PHOTO BY CELESTE MANUGHIAN-PETER

Art. 1. Senior Justin Yang shapes a sculpture. 2. Ceramic Lanterns. 3. Ceramics on display in the kiln where they are fired. 4.

Senior Brian McMartin takes a photo of another student during Photography class. 5.

A Ceramics student begins the initial shaping of his project. 6. Senior Jesi Nicoloro with one of her AP Studio Art pieces. 7.

Senior Alex Oetzell tracing a drawing with a marker during AP Studio Art. 8. Senior Brian McMartin edits a photo on Adobe Photoshop during Photography class.

Point. Shoot. Compose. Edit. The photography class at Redondo provides self-directed and advanced instruction for the use of traditional and digital cameras.

Matt Sheehey is in charge of the class and teaches the students how to properly use a digital single lens reflex camera as well as composition and editing techniques.

“I cover the many opportunities that photography has to offer,” Sheehey said.

The class covers topics such as lenses and optics, light and sensors, optical effects in nature, perspective and depth of field, sampling and noise, the camera as a computing platform, image processing and editing, and the history of photography.

“Basically, students learn how digital cameras work and techniques used to produce a photograph and not just a snapshot with their cell phone,” he said.

Students in photography then have the option to manipulate their photographs using software like Adobe Photoshop. The class falls under the category of Career Technical Education.

“My class helps prepare students to be successful in a career in the field of photography or photo journalism. Its kind of like a stepping stone for journalism and yearbook,” Sheehey said.

At the end of the year, students print out their best work to put into a portfolio and display it in the Noble Gallery Art Show.

“The visual arts are important because it’s another way for students to express themselves artistically. We live in such a fast paced digital era right now,” he said. “With computers getting faster and faster and the many types of graphic software available, students are becom-

ing more and more creative digitally.”

Sheehey feels that the class is an artistic outlet for students.

“I do find that some of my artistic students display emotions in their work but this is a beginning digital photo class. I spend a lot of time training them and how to use the cameras correctly,” he said.

Though there is not an advanced photo class being offered at the moment, Sheehey hopes that there could be one in the future.

“Advanced photo techniques are offered in the advanced media art classes.

Next year a new teacher will be taking over the photo program,” he said.

Photography student Paul Stacey’s passion for photography began with skateboarding.

“I would take pictures of my friends while they were doing tricks and it just stuck,” Stacey said.

He began in eighth grade when his dad gave him his first camera.

“I was hooked immediately and ever since then I’ve saved up my money and bought different lenses for it and accessories,” he said.

Even though Stacey describes photography as an expensive hobby, he knows that he wants to pursue it.

“I’m planning on going to an art college like OTIS or San Francisco to study photography,” he said. “I still have a lot to learn but I’ve played baseball and skated and photography is the only hobby I’ve kept on pursuing.”

He has an active interest in being a professional photographer when he’s older and imagines his career focusing on action sports.

“I go to the beach and take pictures of the sunset and things like that but I also take it seriously. Keep on pursuing what interests you and hopefully you can make a career out of it,” he said.

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May 13, 2011

day life in the

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by Emma Uriarte

Creating his own medium Sophomore Cooper Lovano fuels his passion for art by sketching everyday.

Walking around campus, sophomore Cooper Lovano attends Ecology club meetings, eats lunch with his friends, and goes to his volleyball practices, but Lovano’s real passion lies in art.

According to Lovano, drawing and painting is an outlet that allows him to focus on something other than school.

“I like doing it, and it’s a fun way to put my thoughts, ideas, and views on certain things onto paper,” Lovano said.

Lovano’s father is a muralist and first got his son interested in art, and started teaching his son at a young age.

“When he was like three or four I started teaching him shading with spheres, circles, and different shapes,” Mr. Lovano said.

Now that he is older, Lovano and his father help each other with their art.

“It’s always good to have someone else to bounce ideas off of in a drawing’s composition and execution,” Mr. Lovano said. “We help each other out by talking and sharing ideas.”

Aside from taking advice from his father, Lovano takes ideas and advice from other people at school. For Lovano, art is a learning experience.

“I learn from experiencing new techniques with other people and using what I learn from other artists,” he said.

“I get a lot of ideas by researching different artist’s styles and going to museums.”

Lovano usually draws for an hour a day, but he always to make sure his art does not interfere with his schoolwork and

other priorities.

“Art motivates me to get other things done quickly so I can spend more time on [drawing],” Lovano said.

Lovano has a wide range of interests when it comes to drawings, and he enjoys experimenting with many different techniques.

“I used to like drawing hands a lot because it’s something I can draw while looking at it,” he said. “Right now I like drawing personified animals, like an elephant with glasses. [I draw] combinations of things you wouldn’t expect to see.”

Although Lovano draws some art for fun, he likes to put a message into each of his works.

“I generally have a deeper meaning behind most of what I draw so that it’s more than just visually appealing,” Lovano said.

May 13, 2011

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The

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Cris Bennett, junior Cameron Bennett’s dad, has actively supported the South Bay for decades.

by Julie Tran

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huffling through papers, answering phones, and meeting customers at his restaurant chain Good Stuff, Cris Bennett is no stranger to hectic and demanding days. Despite his busy schedule, Bennett has managed to volunteer in the community and support local schools for 25 years.

Bennett’s son, junior Cameron Bennett, believes that his dad keeps a good balance in his life and has his priorities straight.

“My dad is a hard-working man and I’m proud to have a father so involved, so humble, [and] so charismatic,” Cameron said. “Sure, his work keeps him busy most of the day and not around too often, but he still manages to find the time to make us dinner nearly every night and make my sandwich for school every morning.”

Mr. Bennett actively supports the South Bay, investing his time in the Vitality City Advisory board, Riviera Village Association, Redondo Sunset Baseball and Softball, Rotary Club of Redondo Beach, the Mayor’s Advisory Board for downtown El Segundo, and King’s Harbor Church. He also has coached soccer and roller hockey.

“I want to support the community that supports me,” Mr. Bennett said.

Mr. Bennett also purchases advertisements to help fund the school and promote his business.

“I live, work, and support the city of Redondo Beach,” Mr. Bennett said. “I have

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had two kids graduate from Redondo, my wife graduated [from there], and I have a junior there as well. Over the years, I have bought advertising in the different sports programs, yearbook, have had my banner in the gym, as well as donated food for the basketball tournament, baseball program, and volleyball fundraiser.”

The Good Stuff line of restaurants Mr. Bennett owns and manages have enabled him to volunteer in the community. Mr. Bennett once wanted to be a dentist, but now believes that he wouldn’t have been as involved in the community had he become one.

“It was all because I wanted to work four days a week. The dentist I went to as a kid always had Friday, Saturday, and Sunday off and so I thought I wanted to be a dentist,” Mr. Bennett said. “But then I got my first restaurant gig when I was 15, and then I thought ‘forget dentistry. This is the life.’ ” His parents helped him open the original Good Stuff—which can still be found on Olympic in West Hollywood—upon graduating college.

“I did everything back then,” Mr. Bennett said. “I cooked, painted, hung lights, made the menu - I practically worked 12hour days, seven days a week.”

Despite the challenges, he always believed that he would be successful.

“This sounds cocky, but when I was first starting the business, I honestly thought I’d be retired by now,” Mr. Bennett said. “I went

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in really confident. I knew I’d make it, but after six kids and inflation, retirement isn’t in the picture at the moment.”

The success of the original Good Stuff led Mr. Bennett to open several more restaurants, including the current locations in El Segundo, Hermosa Beach, and Redondo Beach.

While Mr. Bennett hopes that his children will carry on his legacy, he also supports their independent choices.

“This sounds cliche, but I don’t want my kids to follow in my footsteps [just] because I want them to,” Mr. Bennett said. “I want them to do it because they have a passion for it. I’d consider them successful if they do something they love to do.”

Mr. Bennett also feels self-motivation is crucial to success.

“I’m not the smartest finance guy out there or the best cook, but I’ve always had a drive as a restaurateur,” Mr. Bennett said. “In the restaurant business, you don’t have a boss dangling a carrot for you. You have to wear a lot of different hats—the father figure, the repairman, the cook, the marketer, the advertiser, the visionary. Now that I’ve been all of those, I was left with some more time on my hands.”

Good Stuff’s success has allowed Mr. Bennett to spend his free time not only volunteering, but with his family.

According to Mr. Bennett, a large percentage of his community efforts centers on the

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Photos1-2 and 4-5 by Erin Mido. Photo 2 courtesy of Cris Bennett

He's just good. 1. Cris Bennett interacts with his customers at his restaurant. 2. Mr. Bennett helps serve food with his employees. 3. Mr. Bennett proudly poses in front his restaurant in the Riviera Village. 4. Mr. Bennett helps repair his restaurant. 5. Junior Cameron Bennett admires his dad’s dedication and hard work.

sports, church, and school that his children are involved in.

“Family is the most important thing,” he said. “Now, my kids may not agree that I feel that way and I know I haven’t always put my family first, but I hope I can pass that value of family importance more than the successful businessman ethic because, at the end of the day, family is what it really comes down to.”

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8

Where’s the

?

May 13th, 2011

beef

by Annica Stitch and Josh Hillsburg

The Spot Without meat, vegetarians sometimes search for an alternative to satisfy the cravings for something savory. The Spot’s appropriately named “savory sauce” is that alternative.

Brown rice, steamed vegetables and tofu seem plain, but adding savory sauce to any dish on the menu is a delicious way to make your meal more interesting.

This restaurant is a modest sized natural food place nearly hidden behind a corner off of Hermosa Avenue.

The prices are decent considering the generously sized servings, but the only item on the menu to The Spot really rave about is the Hours 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. savory sauce.

The service is ques- Open every day tionable, even on days Location when there aren’t many 110 2nd St. Hermosa Beach people dining. On days when there is not more Recommended Dish than one waitress, it’s Savory Garden Burrito: Garden veggies like eggplant hard to even ask for a and zucchini with savory sauce refill.

The Green Temple The Green Temple provides tasty dishes and a caring atmosphere that even non-vegetarians would enjoy. Sitting outdoors next to a fountain makes customers feel like they’re sitting in a garden.

It’s a great place to go on a hot afternoon. The service is great, even on busy Saturdays. The Blue Plate, which comes with a veggie burger, mashed potatoes with gravy, broccoli and a choice of soup or salad is just one of the flavorful entrées that the restaurant offers. The veggie burger is a worthy opponent of any real beef patty.

The Green Temple The tofu sauce, Hours similar to the Spot’s Tue-Thu: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., 5 p.m. “savory sauce,” is a 9 p.m. ; Fri-Sat: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., 5 - 10 p.m.; Sun 9 a.m. - 4 p.m., good dipping sauce for p.m.

5 p.m. - 9 p.m. vegetables. The teas on Location the menu are also very 1700 South Catalina Avenue #103, good especially when Redondo Beach they’re accompanied Recommended dish The Blue Plate :“Our homemade veggie by agave nectar, a su- burger patty topped with sautéed mushperior substitute for rooms and onions and mushroom gravy and served with a side of mashed potatoes plain sugar. and steamed broccoli.”

Being healthy doesn’t always mean eating bland meals. Vegetarians need tasty cuisine, too. Here are some local eateries where herbivores and carnivores alike can find something to enjoy.

Happy Veggie Vegetarian curry with potatoes and imitation chicken would be better homemade with a package Golden Curry mix, rather than ordered at Happy Veggie. The imitation chicken is flavorful and definitely not as bland as it often is at other restaurants, but the curry is not spicy like the menu advertises. The potatoes are mushy and bland, leaving customers wishing for more of the soy meat.

Despite this dish falling short of expectations, the pho soup is fantastic. The broth is savory even though it isn’t meat based.

With a number of different additives served with the soup like bean sprouts, chili sauce, and Happy Veggie jalapeno peppers, customers Hours will get their money’s worth Lunch: 11:00am - 2:30pm, when they order this large Dinner 5:30pm - 9:00pm, Closed Sunday bowl of soup.

Location The staff is personable 709 North Pacific Coast and in such a small venue, Highway, Redondo Beach it’s easy for customers to get Recommended Dish the waitress’s attention. This Pho: A mouth-watering healthy is a good place to order take- noodle soup made with tofu, soy out since the service is fast chicken, roasted ginger, shallots and over 10 healthy herbs. and table space is limited.

The veggie grill A far cry from your typical hole-in-the-wall mom-and-pop diner, The Veggie Grill offers delicious and healthy entrees in an uncomfortable, commercial setting.

Seated in offensive orange plastic, the establishment’s patrons all bear the same conflicted grimace, very clearly contending with one universal emotional schism: My carne asada is divine, but why won’t the grumpy server make The Veggie Grill eye contact with me?

That said, the sweet potato Hours fries are utterly sinful. Coat- 11 a.m.- 9 p.m. Mon.- Thu. 11 a.m.- 2:30 a.m. Weekends ed in a delicious salty dust, Location these crunchy delights are a 720 South Allied Way treat for both your belly and El Segundo your coinpurse.

Recommended Dish But in stark contrast to the Carne Asada: This blend of marinated slick, brightly colored dining synthetic proteins slathered in The Veggie Grill’s famed southwestern area are the bathrooms. spiced vegan mayo is purely blissful.

Calling to mind the cold, grimy desolation of an abandoned subway, the flickering lights and stench of raw sewage are a sure damper on an otherwise adequate restaurant experience. Garish decor and soulless, corporate atmosphere aside, The Veggie Grill offers a flavorful palette of meatless caricatures to satisfy any appetite and fool even the most discerning tongue.