Senior Issue: June 3, 2022 by High Tide

June 3, 2022 Vol. CII Edition 10 Redondo Union High School Redondo Beach, CA

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1. PHOTO BY KEARA ANTONELLI 2. PHOTO BY PETE PAGUYO 3. PHOTO BY COLLIN CRUZ 4. PHOTO BY PHOTO BY ELIZABETH PETREY 5. PHOTO BY SASCHA PERDUE 6. PHOTO BY MADISON BRANDON 7. PHOTO BY ALEKSIA TAJIMAROA 8. PHOTO BY SASCHA PERDUE

www.ruhsmedia.com POSTCARD ILLUSTRATIONS BY BELLA LANGA

@ruhsmedia

2 SENIOR ISSUE

JUNE 3, 2022 HIGH TIDE

Nothin’ But Net

After being team captain of the varsity basketball team, Bradley Bennett will attend Yale University in the fall by ETHAN CHI

Bennett goes up for a dunk during a basketball practice. PHOTO BY FARLEY ANUNCIACION

hree. Two. One. The game has begun. Within the first minute of the game, Bradley Bennett gets the ball. He crosses up the defenders, moves to the side, bends his knees and angles his feet and elbows to the basket. Hands firmly on the ball, he jumps straight up and shoots. He watches the ball arc into the basket flawlessly with a satisfying swish. Getting into Yale was Bennett’s swish, but it’s not just about Yale’s acceptance letter; it’s about everything Bennett did to get there. Bennett’s journey to Yale started in seventh grade. At this time, Bennett was a social kid who loved playing basketball and got good grades. But, he notes that when he was in middle school, he wasn’t the most well-behaved student. “My teachers would send me outside, or I’d have to stay after class and talk to them,” Bennett said. “But it wasn’t in a bad way; I was just a kid.” Luckily, it was his seventh grade math teacher’s understanding that guided him into high school. “Bradley was very bright; he was just a little squirrely, but I always knew that he was capable of great things,” Bennett’s 7th grade math teacher Cassie Waddell said. “I always wanted him to reach that potential that I knew he was capable of.” Like a giant defender, life rammed into Bennett unexpectedly freshman year,

Michael Lee-Chang reflects on his social media presence and advocacy work by MIA DOWDELL

“

Did you see Michael’s post about it?” This is something many RUHS students say in reference to Michael Lee-Chang’s Instagram account, @ michaelmousestar, whose stories reach upwards of 1,000 views per day. His account serves as an “information hub” for the student body, giving updates on school events, schedules, student resources, and the occasional drama around campus, often shouldering him with responsibility. The @michaelmousestar account began both as a means of giving back to the school for their support, but also as an act “of spite” due to much of the confusion during distance learning. Students and administration felt conflicted in what procedures to follow or what rules remained as the world shifted alongside the pandemic, and Lee-Chang saw that “students needed someone to rely on for stability.” “Initially I started it because I saw that we have around 12 school Instagram accounts, but not a single one was really providing students with useful information. It was usually just school spirit pro-

paganda. I stepped up to the plate and basically said, ‘This is how it should be done.’” His advocacy for student concerns extends further than just social media. Lee-Chang works with Protect Us, a collaboration of student-led organizations that works directly with legislators to propose and support COVID-related bills. With this group, he helped push forward the California Senate bill 866, a bill that lowers the vaccine consent age to 12. “It happened after the COVID walkout happened and [after I was featured in the LA Times article], someone from the organization found me through the article. They contacted me and basically said, ‘This is great that this happened at your school. We want to work with you to get your story out to help support our legislation to ensure COVID safety at schools,’” Lee-Chang said. Lee-Chang made efforts to contribute both inside and outside the school’s community. As a South Bay Parkland Conservancy member, he worked to conserve, restore, and activate public use of open spaces in the South Bay region. At Redon-

sending him to the floor. Bennett’s dad went into a coma for three months due to sudden medical complications. With everything happening so fast, Bennett didn’t have time to be ‘squirrely’ in class. Instead, he had to grow up in order to provide for his family. With this said, Bennett’s life completely changed. Life fouled him early in the game, knocking him down. “There was a lot of stress and the uncertainty of like, ‘Wow, I don’t know if my dad is going to come home at all,’” Bennett said. “I had to grow up, and I couldn’t be a kid anymore.” Even though life knocked him down, Bennett got back up, knowing the game wasn’t over yet. “It’s cliche to say, but that experience built the foundation of the person I am today. It definitely made me better. In class, I was more focused. I matured a lot in terms of being able to communicate, especially when I needed help,” Bennett said. Now Bennett is back in the game. He has his rhythm back as he’s hustling up and down the court, scoring points left and right. “After my dad got sick I had a new perspective on life. As for sports, I used basketball as my outlet,” Bennett said. Bennett put his all into basketball, which is why he was team captain of the varsity basketball team, two years in a row. Bennett put his all into everything. He al-

ways wanted to be the best, whether it was in his community or in school. But, this is the moment where Bennett finds out if it was all worth it. Thirty seconds left in the game, and all his hard work, blood, sweat and tears; all of it led up to this one moment- this one shot. Bennett moves to the side, bends his knees, angles his feet and elbows to the basket, hands firmly on the ball, jumps straight up and shoots. As the ball leaves his hands and flies into the air, he knows he has done all he could. The ball misses. Although Bennett was ‘disappointed’ in not getting accepted into his first-choice college, MIT, he got the rebound. Bennett is going to Yale. “I am so lucky to be going to such a good college like Yale,” Bennett said. “The college is so diverse, which is one of the reasons why I chose it. I was there for three days, and even just being there, for that period, I met people who have completely different perspectives and point of view from me from all around the world,” Bennett said Going to Yale is a ‘once in a lifetime’ opportunity not many get to experience, but from an outside perspective, people only see the flashy headline, that acceptance letter to Yale, that buzzer-beater he made in the last second, but it wasn’t that one shot; it was the 99 other shots Bennett took that lead to the one perfect swish. Now the real game has begun. “I’m graduating soon, and moving on to the next thing. Even though I have faced heavy challenges, I have pushed myself to be the best, whether in basketball or school. I am ready to apply everything I have learned in high school to the real world,” Bennett said.

do, he spoke with a previous ASB advisor and crank out a ton of emails to a bunch of to allocate more funding for the band pro- people just to raise awareness on certain gram to further promote their achieve- things,” Nix said. “I’m very proud of him ment. He also helped establish eSports as for what he does, and I think sometimes he a legitimate competitive sport for students. wishes he got more recognition.” When Lee-Chang finds an issue he Lee-Chang will attend California wants to pursue further, his first instinct is State University, Sacramento’s Honors Proto “get people to gather about it,” by spread- gram to study political science. He hopes to ing the word about a protest or an upcom- become a lawmaker or federal official and ing walkout. Although planning such things implement real change in the world. can be daunting, he no longer sees it to be “I don’t do these things to gain anyas difficult as it once was. thing out of it. I just think when there’s an “It’s definitely a struggle when you’re issue, someone should speak out about it. trying to do it for the first time ever. But It inspires and encourafter you’re there and the [connection is ages others to do the made], I mean, I’m just casually texting same, and that’s the mayor on my phone,” Lee-Chang said. what I hope for. “It gets way easier after that to reach At the most, peoout to them and get them inple see things as a volved because at that point, group issue that can they’re just acquaintances be tackled together you know.” as a community,” Watching Lee-Chang Lee-Chang grow as both a student and said. a person, senior Zoe Nix said that once he sets his mind on something, he “really throws himself” into getting things done. “ I ’ v e seen him sit As part of homecoming royalty, Lee-Chang poses with girlfriend Zoe Nix after the homecoming football game. PHOTO BY INGRID SOMMERER

KATELYN NGUYEN

KAYLA GARCIA

Activities Debate Club. Model UN

Activities Theater

Plans Attend UC Riverside to major in creative writing

Plans Attend DePaul University to major in film and television with a cinematography concentration

PHOTO BY TREASURED MOMENTS

Advice for Freshmen

Greatest Achievement

“My biggest advice for freshmen would be to take risks in attempting to gain opportunities available during high school in anything they desire. Lastly, start the college writing supplements during the middle of junior year to save time if possible.”

“My biggest accomplishment this year was being the sole lighting designer of our school’s play ‘Anatomy of Gray’, as I’m the second student to fully design a main stage production’s lighting. It was an amazing experience to lead a crew and watch my thoughts translate to the stage.”

HIGH TIDE JUNE 3, 2022

SENIOR ISSUE 3

Salute to a military pursuit Biebl becomes the first female RUHS student to be accepted into NAPS by CHRISSA OLSON

he first time senior Ella Biebl was thrown into a leadership position in Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (MCJROTC), it resulted with her bursting into tears. The task at hand: leading stretches. Now, she’s the first girl from RUHS to get into the Naval Academy Preparatory School (NAPS), and she helps cadets see past stage fright by encouraging them and fostering a family-like atmosphere where they can grow. “Camaraderie is when you’re going through something really difficult, and everyone’s like, ‘Yeah, you got it!” It’s those moments where you look past the wall that people put up for themselves. I feel like most people put

up a bit of a front, or they project what other people want to see and camaraderie is when you’re able to see past that,” Biebl said. Despite the growth in her leadership and the tight-knit family she found in MCJROTC, her time in the program was less than linear—her senior year, she ended up with a lower-ranking officer position than she had hoped. “Acceptance is a big part of my life because I’ve had to accept things that happen to me, just random things and no one expects them. It’s a part of life being able to accept things that come your way. A lot of times younger people tend to rebel against the cards they’re dealt, and I’ve come to a place where I haven’t given up necessarily, but, I just accept it,” Biebl said. In her personal life, acceptance is also a key part of herself. Her dad died when she was eight-years-old, her mother has multiple sclerosis and Biebl works to support her family. However, her life is hardly all struggle and strife. “I’m very grateful because I have a lot to be thankful for, especially my community. I live in such a wonderful area and I have such supportive family and friends, and a lot of people don’t have that. The cards I was dealt are both the good and bad,” she

said, then with a laugh, “I have an amazing education, and I live in California.” In addition, she has a close relationship with her mother, who is her “number one fan, biggest motivator, and biggest support.” Without her, Biebl believes it would have been ten times harder to get into the Naval Academy. “My mom was talking to me, and she’s like, ‘Ella just do the best you can. All the work you put in for the Naval Academy will help you regardless of whether you get in there or not.’ She was right, because it was my goal for so long it pushed me to do other opportunities,” Biebl said. She did things she wouldn’t have done otherwise, like intern at an aquarium, and take SAT classes to raise her score. It gave her an “amazing plan B”—a full-tuition ROTC scholarship to the University of Washington. But her hard work paid off, and she won’t need it, because as she tells her mom sometimes over a cup of coffee in the morn-

ing, when the realization hits her, “I’m going to the Naval Academy.” Like the cadets she helps take down walls for in order to build them up, she took down her own wall: a fear of vulnerability. “You can’t put up a wall and not get vulnerable with the Academy, and that’s kind of what I was doing. I was willing to let my dreams get crushed, and I had to be willing to let my dreams get crushed, because if there wasn’t a dream, it wasn’t going to happen,” Biebl said. Biebl and First Sergeant Steve Mick at the 2022 MCJROTC banquet. PHOTO COURTESY OF ELLA BIEBL

2019 awards night after Biebl performed a color guard. PHOTO COURTESY OF ELLA BIEBL

The versatile Luther Wu gets into West Point after years of hard work By AVA WARMAN

he United States Military Academy West Point is one of the most prestigious and selective universities in the nation. Even with an 8.6 percent acceptance rate, Luther Wu made it into the military academy. Ever since the summer of his sophomore year, Wu has been intrigued by the military and participated in a variety of activities, from salsa club to the Esports team, setting himself apart from other applicants.

Wu was not always interested in the military. Growing up in China, he had no interest in enlisting in the U.S. Army. Wu’s Taiwanese father had always been intrigued by the military and was the one that encouraged him to pursue the military and attend West Point. The summer after moving back to Redondo Beach, his mom first told him about a camp, and he thought it was

just a fun summer camp. Little did he know it was a U.S. Marine Bootcamp. “It’s a ten-day trip, and it’s basically a basic training experience,” Wu said. “You drill, you march, you do physical training. They organize your day completely. You don’t know what time it is, but I’m pretty sure we woke up at four o’clock every single day. Lights out was at nine thirty, maybe. We had actual Marine soldiers and officers as our instructors, so they would just yell at us every single day, even if you do things right. So that got me exposed to the military aspects of the world.” Wu’s interest with the military has only grown since that camp. Wu was drawn to the level of difficulty of the U.S. Marines, and West Point was just another challenge to take on. Wu believes West Point will “help him achieve a lot on a physical and mental level, giving him the most options in the future.” In addition to his interest in the military, Wu participates in numerous extracurricular activities and has developed many memorable friendships. “I would say [my friends from different activities] are all pretty distinctive people. They’re very different from each other. And I would say that I’m a person with a lot of different sides. I have the gamer side, I have the sports side, I have the academic side,” Wu said. Wu has achieved a great deal ac-

KAYLA GARCIA Activities Theater Plans Attend DePaul University and major in film and television with a cinematography concentration

Highlight of Seinor Year

“The highlight of my year was getting involved again after staying fully online for my junior year. I got involved in new things like being an athletic training T.A., as well as my classic involvement with theater.”

ademically. One person who has helped Wu along his college acceptance journey is Nest counselor Ms. Martucci. “He’s basically a second semester sophomore in college with all his college units. He surpassed our math requirements. He literally ran out of math classes to take here and took them at El Camino. He really took advantage of the online learning opportunities at the college,” Martucci said. Martucci spoke highly not only of Wu’s academics, but his interest in achieving more. Martucci believes that Wu can do anything he puts his mind to. “And then all of a sudden he joins the salsa team. And he’s so passionate about it, and that’s a really cool thing. It’s like, you see him dance, and then he takes a dance class at El Camino. So now he’s learning about the history of tango and all this stuff. There is no ceiling for this man. If he wants to do it, he’s gonna do it,” Martucci said. In addition to the rest of his extracurriculars, Wu is also on the varsity volleyball team. He’s been on the team for his freshman, sophomore, and senior years. According to Martucci, there is always more to learn about Wu. Whether it’s of his character, his academics or his extracurriculars, Wu continues to surprise. “If you try to put (Wu) in a box, he’s a STEM person, he dances, he plays volleyball, he’s athletic. He just exceeds these expectations in whatever he does,” Martucci

said. “Just being able to watch him throughout this year has been incredible. He’s going to do amazing things. Amazing things.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF YUMIKA SUGAHARA

SYDNEY INANA Activities 4 years of varsity softball, CSF, Key Club Plans Attending Cal State Fullerton and planning to major in kinesiology

Advice for Freshmen

“Even if you complain about coming to school every day or how much work you get, make the most of it because it goes by really fast, and you’ll wish it slowed down.”

4 SENIOR ISSUE

JUNE 3, 2022 HIGH TIDE

Achieving Artistic Ambitions

Alexis Lee pursues art throughout high school, taking part in multiple AP art classes by Madison Kurihara

rom capturing a landscape onto a canvas to sculpting the human form with clay, Alexis Lee has loved to create for as long as she can remember. Lee’s original motivation to become an artist started with her dad who, although he never pursued art professionally, sparked her passion for it. By taking both AP 2D Art & Design and AP 3D Art & Design classes, Lee dedicated countless hours to complete the many pieces needed for her portfolios. In her art, Lee enjoys creating in a more realistic style, specifically portraits and landscapes the most. “I just like being able to capture what I see,” Lee said. “It’s a way for me to turn what I see into art that I can share with other people.” After high school, Lee plans to attend Otis College of Art and Design, hoping to continue her artistic pursuits through a career in either owning a gallery or teaching art. Through this, she also hopes to continue expanding her skillset. “To improve, I think I’d like to work with more mediums,” Lee said. “I would like to work more with sculpting,

which is something I discovered I liked Taking two AP art classes has been a more recently. Trying new things difficult task for Lee. Throughout the year, and learning from others are the in each AP class, students must have 20 imbest ways I think I could images total of their work along with a written prove.” explanation of each submission. However, being an art“[Doing the portfolios has] been reist has not been without its ally hard,” Lee said. “Procrastination is a struggles for Lee. In the past, big issue that you see with a lot she has experiof the students, so you have to enced difficulty in really put time aside to work comparing heron each piece and actually self to others. work in class. You have to re“Someally use your time well and times you see not mess around because others, and you it’s tough to get them done think that maybe otherwise.” you’re not good Lee’s art teacher for enough because the past two years, Amanda they’re better than Roth, finds Lee’s abilities “abyou or they’re much solutely amazing.” younger than you,” “Every time I look at Lee said. “But, you her work, I’m always like ‘I have to accept that didn’t know you could do you’re moving at that,’ and half the time, I your own pace, and don’t even know if she knows that’s okay. Evenshe can do it,” Roth said. “Art tually, you’ll get to is her calling, for sure.” where you want to PHOTO COURTESY OF ALEXIS LEE Roth also appreciates Lee’s affinity be because you’re always improving as long for understanding composition and space, as you practice.” along with the fact that “you can always see

how much thought and practice goes into [her art].” “She puts time and quality into her work, along with craftsmanship and presentation,” Roth said. “Everything is executed to get the best quality possible. It’s really cool to see her work. She’s probably one of the strongest artists I’ve ever had. I’ve been here for 13 years, and I’ve seen a lot of amazing work, but I’ve never seen someone do the variety that she’s done.” Roth particularly admires Lee’s willingness to “experiment” and “learn how to grow,” traits that she says are important for being in an AP art class. “She can go super hyperrealistic if she wants to, or she can break it down and do something more expressionistic,” Roth said. “She’s very diverse in her skillset, which is not something that you typically see in artists, especially high school students.” Lee appreciates the role art has served in her life and looks forward to being able to pursue it professionally. “Art is a really nice way to express yourself, and it’s what I enjoy,” Lee said. “I’ve always liked doing art and being able to use it to show who I am. That’s always been what I loved most about it.”

Going abroad, Kayla Perdue plans to study her passions: art and French by Lauren Greene

hile many graduating seniors at RUHS are currently discussing their college plans for next year, Kayla Perdue has decided to follow a less traditional path—traveling not just away from home, but halfway across the world. Perdue plans to take a gap year in France as an au pair, where she will live with and work for a host family as a nanny-like figure. “I had the idea to do a gap year to

improve my French and get a sense of the culture there. Being an au pair is an easy way to do that because the families usually provide housing and pocket money,” Perdue said. Perdue became interested in exploring Francophone cultures through her three years of French studies at RUHS. After learning about the au pair experience from a YouTube video, Perdue decided to combine these two passions for her future. “I do have an understanding now of French from taking classes at RUHS, but I would like to really improve my fluency,” Perdue said. “I’m also hoping to form more relationships and friendships while I’m there and become close with my host family.” In addition to the “eagerness” Perdue feels regarding the opportunities to improve her fluency, she is also excited to pursue another of her passions: art. After her gap year, she intends to apply to art schools in France. “I decided that I wanted to study art at the end of sophomore year after I originally felt a pressure to do something more conventional,” Perdue said. “I decided that I wanted to do something that makes me happy.” As one of Purdue’s “best friends” since seventh grade, senior Amal El-Saheb admires her friend’s willingness to pursue her true passions. “Over quarantine, she definitely real-

ized that art is what she wants to do,” El-Saheb said. “I supported her and told her that she should do what she’ll be happiest doing, and not [pursue a career] where she wouldn’t be happy just because it’s what her peers tell her to do.” El-Saheb, who will also be moving out of the country for college, has been “inspired” by Purdue’s confidence to pursue her own path. “She’s always positive and looks on the bright side,” El-Saheb said. “She opens my mind and inspires me to do more, have more fun and make each moment count.” Throughout her life, Perdue has felt a special connection with art. While her reasons for admiring it have changed as she has grown older, she knows that she will continue to explore it. “I’ve been passionate about art since I was young,” Perdue said. “But right now, I find it [to be] a means to express emotions and different ideas. It provides a way to better break down different concepts and understand and interpret the world.” While Perdue recognizes art’s personal benefits to her, El-Saheb also finds that art allows Perdue to meet and connect with new people, making her “more confident and open-minded.” “She originally wanted to go into biology,” El-Saheb said. “But now, she wants to go into art, which is a whole different path. She has developed as a person, and rather than caring about what other people

think, she now focuses on what she wants to do.” This pursuit of passion will come with major lifestyle changes for Perdue that she feels “excited but also nervous” about. One of the biggest adjustments, according to Perdue, will be the transition from having lived with three younger sisters throughout her life to now living on her own. Overall, however, Perdue is “excited” for her experience and the adventures it will bring. “I’m looking forward to everything,” Perdue said. “This will be the first time I’m living on my own, so it’s really exciting. It is also nerve racking, obviously, but I’m excited to experience a different kind of culture.” Looking towards the future, El-Saheb is too excited for her friend to head to France so she can continue to grow as both an artist and person. But as the two move to different countries, El-Saheb knows she will never forget the important lessons she learned from her friend. “We are often influenced by what our parents and other people say,” El-Saheb said. “But Kayla is not letting this change her mind. A lot of people have fear, but they don’t realize that fear can be an illusion sometimes. You shouldn’t be scared to do what you want to do; if you truly want something, you should go to the limits and push for it. That’s what Kayla’s doing. She’s wanted to do this for so long and I think it’s a great idea for her.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF KAYLA PERDUE

ANDREW VITT

BRETT BERNDT

Activities Jazz Band, Wind Ensemble, Marching Band, Seahawk Band, CSF, Tri-M, Honors Society and Red Cross

Activities Wrestling Plans Attend El Camino College to play wrestling and to study political science/public affairs

Plans Attend UC Berkeley as an undecided major PHOTO COURTESY OF TREASURED MOMENTS

Advice for Freshmen

“Just take it easy, don’t overwhelm yourself. Because at the end of the day, as long as you’re healthy, that’s all that really matters.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF TREASURED MOMENTS

Advice for Freshmen

“You don’t need to run to get lunch.”

HIGH TIDE JUNE 3, 2022

SENIOR ISSUE 5

As Soon As We Can

Ansel Reyes makes his own music and reminisces on his time in high school

by TY SORIA s a former entertainment editor himself on High Tide, Ansel Reyes never strayed from being an actual entertainer. A self-taught producer and songwriter, he released his first Spotify song, “As Soon As We Can” on March 12. Initially, insecurities about his lyrics and singing blocked him from releasing songs with his vocals in it. When he overcame these insecurities, the release of “As Soon As We Can,” his first song with vocals, proved it. “I just decided I’m not going to really take it that seriously, and that made me write better lyrics,” Reyes said. “I wasn’t trying to necessarily tell a story, I was more trying to capture a general vibe or mood.” The lyrics describe a need to makememories while he is still able to, as many of his friends, including himself, will leave Redondo for college in a couple of months. Many

of Reyes’ favorite moments during high school came from his time as a swimmer. One of them was during a meet, someone who was scheduled to swim in the last event left early, leaving Ansel to swim in two legs of the race instead of only one. That’s when sophomore Leo Antioco stepped in and volunteered, even though he was done with his events. “When he changed out he looked like Superman. As we saw him come across the pool, we were like, ‘Wait, who is that?’ ‘It’s Leo!’ He was the main reason we held our own in that heat, it was insane for him to come in despite having eaten so much already,” Reyes said. Antioco recalls his moment proudly as well. Although Redondo did not win that event, he kept the race close and did not finish far behind. “I was already done, I had already changed, but I got my speedo back on in two seconds,” Antioco said. “I was already eating a huge meal, but I ran over and just dove straight in. It was great.” As one of the “more easygoing” members of swim, Reyes learned to “go with the flow” and help the team however he could, something that Antioco learned from him as well. “As a swimmer, [Reyes] has taught me that it is okay to not get the event that I want during the meet. He taught me to accept that and just have fun with it, no matter which event I get,” Antioco said. When spending time with his team-

mates, Reyes makes sure to capture these moments through “candid photos” that he takes of his teammates in between events and post some of them on his Instagram story. These photos show the sporadic, funny and memorable moments with his teammates during meets. “Whenever High Tide or RUTV sends out photographers and videographers to film stuff or take pictures, it’s usually stuff that’s happening in the pool,” Reyes said. “I was definitely able to capture many great moments during the season that didn’t take place in the pool, which was memorable in itself.” Reyes does not intend to swim for a school in college, meaning that he knew that his swim days were limited at the beginning of his senior year. “I never used to take a lot of photos with friends, but the fact that high school swim was something I was never going to experience again made me feel the need to take a bunch of pictures 3 while I was still here,” Reyes said. With the lyrics of “As Soon As We Can,” “We’re running out of time, we just don’t know it yet,” Reyes underlines the importance of making an effort to enjoy himself in whatever situation or activity he is in. Besides the thrill of the competition, Reyes believes spending time with the people he competes with

1. Reyes playing the guitar. 2. Reyes’ song ‘As Soon as We Can’ on Spotify. 3. Reyes’ screen when producing his song. PHOTOS COURTESY OF ANSEL REYES

proves to be as imperative to having fun. “I feel like we really needed to give attention to the things in between, because they are only caught there,” Reyes said. “I’d argue those moments are just as important as the spirit of competition, because why would we be doing this if we didn’t care about the people we were doing it with?”

Moises Gonzalez receives a D1 rugby scholarship to Davenport University by STRACHAN AMBROSI

n fourth grade, Moises Gonzalez began his rugby journey, already having a passion for the sport at that age. What started off as a fun sport to play on the side became a sport that Gonzalez devoted his life to, even earning a scholarship to Davenport University, a school with a top 10 Division 1 rugby program. Gonzalez feels that he left a mark on Redondo’s rugby team through his recruiting efforts. “In terms of rugby, I wanted to bring more attention to it because I feel like it’s not a very well known sport, especially in the US. I feel like I’ve helped do that over the past four years. My freshman year we would have eight to 10 people at practices. Then, in my senior year, we would have around 20 to 30 people at every practice with all of the recruiting my teammates and I have done,” Gonzalez said. In getting more eyes to the program, Gonzalez and his teammates would talk to football players and tell them the benefits of rugby and the effect it would have on football. “In getting more people in the program, I would just introduce myself and the rugby program and how we wanted more

guys. It was more about getting them to one practice and then usually after that, they would want to come back and continue playing,” Gonzalez said. Junior Adam Elhardouzi joined rugby his freshman year not knowing anything about the sport, but with Gonzalez as a “mentor”, he was able to fully grasp the basics to the sport. “I went to one practice my freshman year and then I just kept on going back. I didn’t know how rugby worked with the rules or techniques, but [Gonzalez] was always the guy that helped me out. He was playing rugby basically his whole life and he really helped me get started,” Elhardouzi said. Gonzalez took on a leadership role on the rugby team by helping out younger players understand the game and helping with the team’s overall development, helping new players understand rules, techniques, and so on. “Tto me, [Gonzalez] was really more than a coach. He helped me out with basically everything, and if it wasn’t for him, I definitely wouldn’t be at the place I am today,” Elhardouzi said. Along with playing varsity rugby,

Gonzales played four years of football at Redondo Union with three years on varsity, pushing himself to be ready for both sports. “I hadn’t played football before high school but knowing the basics of tackling and carrying helped with football, which later helped me with rugby. Playing a contact sport year-round helped me a lot physically,” Gonzalez said Coaches had a big influence on Gonzalez as they “helped [him] a great deal,” putting him into different situations that allowed him to grow as a player. “My sophomore year, Coach Ellison put me in a spot on varsity that I didn’t really know I was ready for, but he must have seen something in me that I didn’t. I think that helped build my confidence going forward and now, I feel like no matter what, I can be in a situation, be comfortable and be able to succeed,” Gonzalez said. Playing a game like rugby helped Gonzales learn to “keep calm in all the chaos” and remember what he was playing for. “When I’m playing, I kind of just think about the next level. So, in high school, I’m playing as if I’m going to be playing in college, and in college, hopefully, I’m going to play as if I’m gonna go pro,”

NIAMH BUTLER

Gonzalez said. Gonzalez has aspirations to take his rugby talent to the professional level but is still valuing the importance of attending university. “Right now rugby is carrying me to college and helping pay for my college,” Gonzalez said. “It’s crazy. I never thought it would get to this point.”

PATRICK HENRY

Activities ROTC

Activities RUHS sailing team, Model United Nations, mock trial, AP election

Plans Taking a gap year to learn German then going to study in Germany

Plans Attend Cal Poly SLO

PHOTO BY TREASURED MOMENTS

Favorite High School Memory

Biggest Accomplishment

“Zoom class in Miss Keller’s APUSH class. And I got to pick Ted Cruz as my background and I thought it was hilarious cause he’s terrible.”

Gonzalez taking down his oponent. PHOTO COURTESY OF MOISES GONZALEZ

“It would have to be in MUN [Model UN] getting on the MUN cabinet, hosting SBI MUN, and getting a best delegate award.”

6 SENIOR ISSUE

JUNE 3, 2022 HIGH TIDE

Like Cl ckwork Alezar Forbes reflects on his steps towards self-dependence by Stavyah Naveen

fter long hours of hosting customers at Coyote Cantina, the last chore that Alezar Forbes wanted to think about his assignment to read “1984.” But, despite his exhaustion after a long day’s work, Forbes still pushed himself to complete his homework and maintain his academic prestige. Forbes’ resilience and tenacity were the main contributors to who he is today: an “open-minded” and “well-rounded” individual. “When you’re at school, you’re around your teachers, faculty, friends and administration and you have a guiding hand,” Forbes said. “But, when COVID-19 came around, I grew this sort of resiliency, this idea that I need to get my [own] stuff done, or nothing will happen.” Around Forbes’ sophomore year, he realized that in order to achieve personal and emotional growth, he needed to depend mainly on himself and decrease his dependence on his family. During this time, Forbes experimented with living with his friends. “I stayed over at a friend’s house for a while during the pandemic, and it was just really hard to keep my grades up, but luck-

ily, I was able to,” Forbes said. “[During this time], I grew up, and I had this personal [revelation] that I can’t depend on my mom, my aunt, my grandma, my friends or [anybody] like that.” Forbes’ mom, Inger Echeverria, explains that Alezar’s venture for self-dependence was influenced by the ticking “of his internal clock,” a time during which every teenager yearns for a level of independence and self-autonomy. “I think at every level in your life, you’re able to go through this transition if you allow yourself the opportunity to change,” Echeverria said. “I believe that Alezar had his clock, [which is when] he started to open his eyes and realize that the world is so much bigger than his bedroom or [his] block.” Although Echeverria believes that Forbes had an awakening in which he began to value self-dependence at a greater level, she notes that Forbes has been independent from a young age. “Alezar has done acting, theater and auditions, and he has won dance battles, awards and trophies, all of which required him to challenge himself,” Echeverria said.

“This is a very difficult thing to do even as an adult, due to fear of failure. If there’s one thing that I could say about [Alezar], it is that he’s been able to face a lot of challenges of which he was afraid, but was able to move past his fears.” Forbes mentions that his positive outlook on life has influenced him to accept these challenges and difficult times. “The one big thing that I tell myself is that it’s all going to be worth it,” Forbes said. “[I tell myself that] I’m gonna work my butt off right now. But once I’m sitting pretty 20 years from now, while doing everything that I want to be doing, I’ll be content that all of that struggle has made me a determined, wonderful and grounded person.” According to Forbes, his distance from home increased his independence, allowing him to undertake greater responsibilities, such as his current job of building ball pits for celebrities like Adam Sandler, Robin Thicke and Jennifer Love Hewitt. “I had to struggle with knowing that I wasn’t at home,” Forbes said. “My mind was on everything else, and that really rewired my brain to handle stress and become more resilient.” Forbes believes that his growth in resiliency and independence helped prepare him for life after graduation, by increasing his emotional maturity and allowing him to understand how he should carry himself through life. “[Initially], I treated myself as if I was

a good person, and that I wasn’t hiding anything from myself or from everyone else,” Forbes said. “But, there was a moment where I was in constant mental disarray and stress, and I had to put up the biggest facade for others and myself because I didn’t want anyone to think that there was anything wrong. [As a result of my resilience and independence], I’m starting to come down from that stress and see my life come together, knowing that I’m a lot more put together than what I once was.”

Senior Alezar Forbes is building a ballpit for Adam Sandler’s son’s birthday party after almost six hours of labor. PHOTO COURTESY OF ALEZAR FORBES

Brooke Berger earned an associates degree while still in high school by Sascha Perdue

hile most high school students tend to focus on the classes offered either at their school or a community college for a boosted grade point average, senior Brooke Berger used community college as a way of earning an associates degree. “I decided over COVID that I wanted to attend community college instead of doing AP classes. Once I started taking classes, I realized that it really worked for me with the time period and assignments and test taking in general, so I took more classes. I realized I had enough units that I could have four different associate’s degrees, because they all kinda overlapped,” Berger said. Berger was able to get an associates degree, a two year academic degree, while also taking high school classes. She plans to continue with college and finish her bachelor’s degree at UC Irvine, where she has enough credits to start out as a junior. When working on her associates, she also looked into dentistry at SoCal Rocs

and then began classes to start working as a dental assistant. “I set up rooms with all the instruments, and I clean them. I break down all the barriers and I have to replace everything since everything has to be disinfected, or else diseases can be transmitted because there’s so much saliva in the air,” Berger said. “I also sterilize instruments and assist ‘chairside’ meaning I pass instruments and different materials. I hold lights to protect the doctor’s eyes and suction for patients.” Berger plans to pursue a career in the dental industry and SoCal Rocs allows her to gain experience in her desired field. “I go to work, and I get paid to have fun. I have never felt dreadful waking up in the morning. I’m excited to see my coworkers. I’m excited to see my patients and I’m excited to just learn,” Berger said. According to Berger’s college friend Aiden Stoltzfus, who she met in her Chemistry 101 class, Berger is one of the most driven people he knows. “Brooke was in high school and in

TORA MATSUDA Activities Key Club, Cyber Patriot Club, Esports Club, Salsa Club Plans Attend UC Santa Cruz PHOTO BY TREASURED MOMENTS

Favorite High School Memory

“My favorite memory was definitely the spirit rallies we have because a lot of my friends and the senior class usually use me as an icon of the class and hype me up, which is really funny and cool.”

college at the same time, and she never really complained about anything. It didn’t seem like there was much of a jump there for her, maybe that’s just what she’s used to, but I think that was pretty impressive,” Stoltzfus said. Stoltzfus has noticed how “impressive” Berger is in school activities, as they have been friends since September of 2021. “She’s one of the most successful younger people that I know. I mean, she’s only six months younger than me. But, just the fact that she’s already graduating high school, she has her associate’s, she’s done SoCal Roc, she has her certifications and she’s already a dental assistant. That’s pretty crazy to me,” Stoltzfus said. “I don’t think any of my friends are on par with her; she just doesn’t stop.”

1 1. Senior Brooke Berger (left) and her friend smile for a picture before they head into the dental surgery. 2. Berger polishes teeth during her training.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF BROOKE BERGER

BROCK MORISHIGE Activities Wrestling, Cricket Club Plans Attend UC Santa Cruz to study electrical and aerospace engineering

Favorite High School Memory

“My favorite memory was probably being able to get back on the wrestling mat after COVID-19. It was really nice to be in person as well, and it just felt great.”

HIGH TIDE JUNE 3, 2022

SENIOR ISSUE 7

From movies to MUSIC by Charlotte Goldstein

eing selected as the Executive producer for RUTV was music to Cory Cumpson’s ears. One might think this is because she hopes to go into the film industry, but in reality, music production is Cumpson’s true calling. Cumpson found that she progressed significantly in her four years with RUTV. In her freshman year, she took Introduction to Broadcasting, and while she gained experience in RUTV, she also fell in love with music. “I always wanted a music based job, and I wasn’t sure where to start with that. I think behind the scenes, even though they’re kind of different, film and music go hand in hand. So I think when I joined RUTV, it pushed me in the right direction,” Cumpson said. Cumpson is exploring the various ways she could segue her experience in broadcasting into a profession in music. “Since I am a producer of RUTV, I have definitely thought of production and producing music in the future, but I’m also thinking of going into radio, as well. I think

broadcasting, journalism and music all come together with radio, and that’s really cool,” Cumpson said. While many aspects to film and music production that are similar, Cumpson knows some many argue that the two industries don’t match up. “I realize when I go into the music industry, they’re going to be like, ‘Why do you have this background [in] broadcasting instead of [in] music?’” Cumpson said. Despite these comments, Cumpson stands behind the belief that she is capable of succeeding in the music industry. “I’m hoping that being able to use the skills and knowledge that I learned from being the executive producer here will help me,” Cumpson said. Cumpson thinks RUTV has taught her how to persist through challenges. “The pandemic just made it really hard because we had to work with such a small crew, and it’s been really hard to get back into the groove of a regular broadcast now that we are back,” Cumpson said. Luckily, Covid also provided some benefits to the RUTV production. Cump-

Cory Cumpson decides to work in the music industry after her time with RUTV son was able to apply the knowledge she learned during the pandemic as she improved the production this school year. In addition, Cumpson thinks that the bonds she has been able to make with her crew mates have helped her to learn important skills as her career progresses. “In life in general, and especially when producing, communicating and working together with a crew is so important. It has taught me a ton,” Cumpson said. Cumpson and Kennedy French (senior New Director), have grown up together in RUTV, and their friendship has taught Cumpson how to work with a crew. For French, knowing she had someone to rely on was beneficial to the production. “She’s been really cool to have around, and she’s been really helpful in planning the shows since we have been in it for so long and both have all those experiences,” Cumpson said.

French has also found companionship in Cumpson over the years and is excited to see what she does in the future. “It’s been an honor to do RUTV for four years with [Cumpson], and I think she’s going to do great, because ever since I’ve known her she’s known so much about music. And she’s been really good at updating me, and likes talking to me about the music she listens to,” French said. Next year, Cumpson will continue her journey by attending El Camino Community College, but she also has plans to jump start her career outside of school. “I’m hoping that being able to use the skills that I learned and the knowledge of being the executive producer here helps me in finding internships,” Cumpson said. The skills and experiences Cumpson has gained from her time with RUTV have transformed her future and changed her perspective on life. “I enjoy being able to focus on all the little things that make the final product,” Cumpson said. “It’s how I feel fulfilled in life, something that RUTV has given me.”

Photo Courtesy of Cory Cumpson

Celina Moreno’s passion for photography leads to a path of self-discovery by Izzie Escobar

he transition from high school to college is often seen as a huge part in a person’s journey through self-discovery. Celina Moreno’s journey started when they discovered a passion for photography, a form of self-expression which taught them how to be comfortable with themself. “Originally, my work related a lot to my own gender expression and having to deal with my self-perception,” Moreno said. As they studied what angles worked best and the role lighting played in a photo,

they found became more comfortable with the camera. “I think being able to put on different personas of the person I want to see in the photo helped me understand myself better. I was able to feel more free and expressive,” Moreno said. Moreno has also used photography to ground themself. Moreno describes themself as a “perfectionist,” and taking pictures in the moment allows them to ground themself. “It’s an art form that’s pretty hard to create because you have to work with what’s already there instead of starting with a blank canvas,” Moreno said. “I’m taking photos of real life with real people, and I can edit things later, but I just have to use whatever is given to me.” Moreno uses this mindset most during concert photography. While taking pictures of local bands, they have to let go of their perfectionist mentality to capture the moment. It often

requires them to “work on [their] feet” and develop more control under high pressure situations. Moreno’s approach to photography has changed over high school, while she learned to have fun and take a picture “simply because it looks cool.” “I like my first pieces a lot just because you can tell there’s a lot of raw emotion to them, but I also did a shoot at night in the ocean where I used flash and captured my friends coming out of the water. They just have a really cool look to them. Sometimes my pieces don’t really have a deep meaning; they’re just a fun project,” Moreno said. Even though all of their pieces aren’t emotionally introspective, they still try to make the photos expressive. According to Moreno, this is sometimes more challenging when photographing their friends or other people instead of their usual self-portraits. “It takes a little more work when I have to direct somebody, but I honestly prefer working with [normal people] than actual models because it looks more real. I don’t like when pictures look too posed or photoshopped,” Moreno said. “But when I take pictures of my friends, I see it as me giving them the chance to look at themselves in a different light, just like it did for

me.” Moreno’s boyfriend, Tyler Champagne, details the experience of being photographed and how he got to witness their creative process first-hand. “They had a very clear idea of what they wanted us to do. They gave precise instructions so there was little room to stray away from their vision,” Champagne said. Champagne says he sees photography’s effects on Moreno as a person. “By using themself as a model, it really gets their point across, and the [photos] that portray their feelings or internal things always turn out cool and well executed,” Champagne said. “They put a lot of thought and planning into their work and it shows.” Moreno’s passion started with a curiosity about their parent’s profession in photography and has since grown into an art form that allows them to connect with themself and their loved ones. Since the pandemic, they have also discovered the importance of living in the moment and using photography to build and save memories. “It’s nice knowing that I’m catching these moments after COVID-19 especially since there’s not much time left in high school for us,” Moreno said. “It’s reassuring to know that I have this role in capturing these parts of our lives.”

Photo Courtesy of Celina Moreno

Kaila Minei

Evan Fung

Activities Girl Scouts, Helping Hands club, Basketball, Teen Court, Model UN, Speech and Debate

Activities School Swim team, Club Swim Team, Red Cross Club, Beach Buddies

Plans Attend USC to major in English and Minor in Law.

Plans Attend UC Davis and then transition to Medical School.

Advice for Freshmen

“My advice would be to get involved in clubs and maintain your interest in them and just reach out to people. I think that everyone is a little nervous to meet people and it will open up so many doors for you”

Advice for Freshmen

“Join at least a couple of clubs, find things that are interesting and you might make some friends. As for classes, make sure not to overload yourself. Especially in junior year, focus on your grades and don’t overload yourself.”

8 SENIOR ISSUE

JUNE 3, 2022 HIGH TIDE

MASON S

ARS ON

Mason Beches balances his interest in both tennis and Eagle Scouts by ZOË ROSSI

cquiring leadership skills throughout high school from both his Eagle Scout troop and tennis team, Mason Beches plans to continue to apply these skills to pave the way for students in the future. “Tennis and Eagle Scouts helped me meet a lot of people at RUHS, which allowed me to foster comfortability with my peers while also boosting my self-confidence,” Beches said. Beches’s work as a tennis captain and his duties in the Eagle Scouts program, such as guiding troops for camps, allowed him to cultivate leadership skills and “come out of his shell.” “As a freshman, I was less talkative, but I'm not like that anymore. I feel like, overall, the experiences those groups provided helped me grow as a person,” Beches said. As his coach at RUHS, Beches’ dad made a huge impact on his love for tennis- at first he only played because his dad pushed him to, but eventually, he developed his own motivation to continue the sport. Despite this passion, Beches has

experienced the struggles and hard work it takes to become a student-athlete. “Doing sports through high school taught me time management. It's hard to balance all of it,” Beches said. “I have to make sure all my assignments are completed while also having time to practice and manage the competitive tournament schedules. You have to learn how to manage it all; otherwise, you’ll fall behind.” Since elementary school, Beches has had to balance between tennis, school and other extracurricular activities. He began to develop essential life skills at the age of 10 when he joined Cub Scouts, the elementary-level version of Boy Scouts and Eagle Scouts. “Cooking, building, and survival are some of the things that the Eagle Scouts and the other

Boy Scouts programs taught me,” Beches said. “They also helped with my confidence, allowing me to talk in front of people without being scared and give presentations more easily.” The skills Beches gained through Eagle Scouts provided him with a “full circle” moment when he was given the opportunity to put these two passions together: for his Eagle Scouts project over the summer of 2020, he used both the skills he cultivated in the program and his love for tennis to build new tennis sheds for his teammates. “I knew that would be a great project that would help the tennis community at Redondo and provide it with better equipment,” Beches said. “I feel like the tennis program has given a lot to me and I really wanted to give back to it.” In addition, Beches’ involvement in these programs allowed him to meet

new people and find a community as he entered high school. Inspired by his eighthgrade history teacher from Adams Middle School, Mr. Rappaport, Beches hopes to use his leadership skills to become a history teacher in the future. “Mr. Rappoport made history interesting, which I felt other teachers didn't do. I want to be able to do that for other students,” Beches said. “I find it fun to teach people and watch the lightbulb go off as they say ‘Oh that makes sense.’” Beches’ teammate and co-captain, junior Harrison Collier, sees both Beches’ growth along with his energy and “determination” during practice. “Mason influenced everyone on the tennis team. He would show up with the most energy and excitement even after we lost the day before,” Collier said. “Every day he showed up to practice and proved he was ready to lead us to victory, which he did— we had our best season in almost 20 years.” Beches in his Eagle Scouts uniform. PHOTO COURTESY OF MASON BECHES. TENNIS BALL VIA CLIPARTX.

STICK NG TO HIS PASSIONS

Gabe Berger will pursue biology and lacrosse at UCSB by CRISTINA COUCH

alancing his passions throughout high school, Gabe Berger plans to pursue his devotion to lacrosse and biology as he enters college. First introduced to lacrosse in elementary school as he watched one of his friends play, Berger decided to pick up a stick of his own around sixth grade and immediately fell in love with the sport. “I love the thrill I get from running around, hitting people, shooting [at the goal] and scoring,” Berger said. Lacrosse has been a way for Berger to express his competitive spirit while also providing him with an experience that is “relaxing in an exhilarating way.” “It has always calmed me to get on the field and play,” Berger said. “It's the perfect medium to get my excitement out.” Unlike many other student athletes, Berger began playing on the varsity team as a freshman after one of the seniors was injured and continued to do so for all four years at RUHS. According to Berg1 er—who is currently a midfielder and one of the three team captains—playing varsit y

was “stressful” in his earlier years. “I was a tiny guy,” Berger said. “There's grown men, 18-years-old, coming in trying to kill you. It was definitely a lot of pressure.” But despite the pressure he experienced being on varsity at a young age, Berger felt that he “stepped up” to the leadership role that came with being captain in his later years. “[Being captain] gave me a little bit of respect to help guys out and teach them what I've learned,” Berger said. According to Berger, his four years of experience on the team were “thrilling,” especially because of the connections he made with his teammates both on and off the field. “All the guys that I hang out with everyday are lacrosse guys or were lacrosse guys,” Berger said. “It's a real family.” As his high school years come to an end, Berger plans to play lacrosse at UCSB next year; however, Berger isn't just going to UCSB to continue his lacrosse career, he is also going there to major in biology and minor in buisness to eventually become a doctor. After enrolling

in all four years of the Biomedical Pathway during his time at RUHS, Berger quickly realized his love for science. “The class is for someone who loves biology and learning how stuff works,” Berger said. “The course was challenging, but worth it.” Berger describes the class as a “perfect” fit for him, and his Biomed teacher of two years, Karin DeCollibus, agrees. “He was always very interested in Biomed,” DeCollibus said. ”He’s the type of student that would ask a lot of questions because he seemed genuinely interested in the subject (the human body and biomedical sciences).” DeCollibus believes that Berger has a lot of potential in the science field and hopes that Berger will continue to pursue his passion, which he intends to do at UCSB. Working in medicine runs in Berger’s family, from grandfathers, cousins and mothers all pursuing medical careers. But ultimately, Berger’s love for helping people and passion for medicine is the drive for finding solutions to real world medical problems, especially in cardiology (the study of heart disorders) and oncology (the study of cancer). With years of school ahead of him,

NAOMI FUNG

Berger still hopes to “get out there and continue to play lacrosse.” "Hard work pays off. You don't have to be the biggest guy, or the strongest guy because if you really want something, not just in lacrosse but in life, hard work will pay off," Berger said.

1. Berger on the lacrosse field PHOTO COURTESY OF GABE BERGER. 2. Berger working in Biomed PHOTO COURTESY OF GABE BERGER. LACROSSE STICK VIA CLIPARTX.

CHRISTOPH WALIGORSKI

Activities Swim

Activities Cross Country/Track

Plans Attend UC Davis and eventually enter scientifc research

Plans Attend UC Berkeley

PHOTO BY TREASURED MOMENTS

PHOTO BY SASCHA PERDUE

Biggest Accomplishment

10 Year Vision

“Coming back from quarantine and still having the motivation to be successful.”

“In 10 years I see myself working remotely from a van, traveling as much as I want and maybe still running.”

HIGH TIDE JUNE 3, 2022

SENIOR ISSUE 9 Asjia Roberson playing lacrosse for RUHS, during a 2020 game.

LaCROSSING the Finish Line

====== ====== ======

by YARA EL-HASAN

After several years of playing lacrosse, Asjia Roberson commits to play the sport at USC

f Asjia Roberson told her fifthgrade self that she would be receiving an athletic scholarship to play lacrosse at USC, she would have been shocked. Roberson has played on the RUHS lacrosse team since freshman year and worked her way up to a future that she never thought would have been possible. “My favorite memories from lacrosse would have to be [from] this entire past season and every game we played in it. When you’re a senior, you tend to realize that you only have [a few] games left to play, and so every practice with my team

Asjia Roberson at the RUHS Girls Lacrosse Senior Night. PHOTOS COURTESY OF ROBERSON

this year was really special,” Roberson said. She decided to begin the sport in fifth grade after doing a Girls on the Run program where she met the high school coach, Tom Borgia. Roberson and the other program members were taught the basics of lacrosse, which was when she realized her passion for the sport. “I’m really competitive, and I always like to win, so I think that my competitive nature really drives me to try to be the best I can be while playing lacrosse,” Roberson said. She finds joy in lacrosse, but her passion for playing is also a commitment that requires dedication. Roberson’s biggest supporter and inspiration is her dad who teaches and coaches her about lacrosse, making the experience much more enjoyable. “My family does everything. They pay for my sticks, they pay for my training and they take me everywhere. They’re my biggest support system and without them, I would not be where I am now,” Roberson said. The inspiration she gets from her family encourages her to keep working hard in lacrosse. Roberson’s younger sister, freshman Aaliyah Roberson, admires both

her sister and her accomplishments. “My sister has inspired me by being the best role model. She’s always looking to find the best in people, and she’s a really great leader. She always knows the right thing to say and she’s taught me how to play as a team,” Aaliyah Roberson said. Although Aaliyah Roberson did not choose to follow in her sister’s footsteps by playing lacrosse, she does play on the RUHS tennis team, allowing her family’s passion for athletics to stay intact throughout the generations. She’s inspired by her sister and has begun to think about how her life will proceed when Roberson graduates. “She’s staying close [to home], but I’m still sad because it’ll be an adjustment to not have another sibling in the house, and it’ll take some time to get used to,” Aaliyah Roberson said. Along with her family, Roberson’s friends are a large part of what fuels her passion for the sport of lacrosse. “My friends are just always supporting me,” Roberson said. “They’re the best teammates, and they make it easy to be a

good [player] on a great team. d o n ’ t

Without them, I think I would be here.” Although Roberson is eager to play lacrosse in college, she is also veering down a new pathway by majoring in architecture. Her goal is to become an architect while still maintaining her passion for lacrosse. “I’m really excited to be on a new team and get the opportunity to play and work with some of the best girls in the country. Also just [being able to] grow in a new area and start fresh in college is exciting,” Roberson said. As her high school lacrosse journey comes to a close, Roberson spends more time thinking about her future at USC and reflects on her high school experiences. “You just have to find what works for you in high school. Whether that’s school [activities], classes, studying or sports, you just have to find stuff that you like and stick with it,” Roberson said. “Just give it your all and go into it with a lot of hope and determination.”

Owen Zarnick plays soccer internationally as a key player on his club team by LUCY DAVIS

ourteen years, seven countries, three clubs and one history-making CIF title—all because of an undying love for the game of soccer. Senior Owen Zarnick’s soccer career will extend to university and beyond, but looking back on this chapter of his life, what he feels most is “gratitude.” “Being able to play at all, especially after COVID-19 happened, was a relief. The past few years have been uncertain and everyone was a little worried [that we wouldn’t be able to play again], but coming back to play was awesome,” Zarnick said. Although this year marks his first year on the RUHS boy’s varsity soccer team, Zarnick earned his spot as team captain due to more than a decade of experience on the field. Before joining his current club team, Pateadores Academy, he played for South Bay Force and the LA Galaxy Academy, the latter of which allowed him to travel all around the world. “I’ve been lucky enough to travel to all sorts of places, but my two favorites were probably Jeju Island [just outside of South Korea], and Croatia,” Zarnick said. Both trips were “amazing,” but traveling to Jeju came with unexpected complications. “During the first flight, we got stuck in a typhoon, so we had to make a quick stop in Wuhan [China]—just five or six

months before COVID-19 started, so it was the Academy off-season, leading to a hisa funny coincidence we got stuck there. toric season for the RUHS soccer program. “During the high school season, I got Once everything was smoothed out and we to play with a lot of my buddies, some that landed, it was great,” Zarnick said. International trips gave Zarnick the I grew up with and played with when I was opportunity to meet a diverse group of younger. There was a long period of time players, and when they weren’t trying to when we [weren’t on the same team], so slide tackle each other, he found that many coming back together and winning the CIF title was amazing,” Zarnick said. of them are “really cool guys.” Playing for numerous soccer clubs “We met a team from Cardiff City with a variety of teammates helped Zarnick [Wales]; a few find his own of my buddies leadership went to knock on style, which one of their hotel he was able to room doors and bring to the we just started RUHS boys’ talking. We had varsity team as a two-hour conteam captain. versation about “My first the differences in few years as soccer and daily a captain [in life in Americlub soccer] ca and Europe. was a process They were just of trying to fun to talk to, ” Owen Zarnick kicking the ball during one of his club games. build up and Zarnick said. understand the role. This past year with When Zarnick moved to Pateadores Redondo was a great opportunity to lead; it Academy during his sophomore year, the academy team’s league did not allow their helped me see where I’m coming from [as a players to participate in high school soccer leader] and taught me how I can improve,” for fear of injury. The policy changed when Zarnick said. Zarnick’s position as captain at Pateadores switched leagues in 2021, and Zarnick took the opportunity to play during RUHS reinforced an “important” lesson: he

DEREK STOETZER

Owen Zarnick dribbling the ball. PHOTOS COURTESY OF OWEN ZARNICK

was one of eleven on the field, and at the end of the day “it wasn’t about me, it was about us.” “As much as I kind of fit into the leadership role [of a captain], being a center back, being a senior and having experience, it was a demand of leadership to boost each other up. We made sure to keep talking to each other and bouncing energy off of one another,” Zarnick said. Looking forward, Zarnick plans to play Division 1 soccer at Southern Methodist University in Texas and pursue a professional career after university. “Everyone wants to play overseas in England or Spain or France or Italy. I just want to be there to watch good soccer— there isn’t a specific team I want to play for,” Zarnick said.“Whatever happens, happens; I’m just there to make the best of it.”

DONOVAN HWANG

Activities Baseball, Journalism, “Paper Hearts” Club

Activity Tennis

Plans To attend College of the Desert and to play baseball professionally or to coach baseball

Plan To attend Rochester Institute of Technology and to work at the Pentagon

Biggest Accomplishment “I think my biggest accomplishment is [being committed] to College of the Desert. This is because I was already committed to a 4-year college, but I had gotten my scholarship taken away because of an injury. The fact that I was able to fight through those injuries and find a really good program that wanted me is probably the biggest achievement of my life.” PHOTO BY TREASURED MOMENTS

Advice for Freshmen

“Don’t slack off. Definitely keep trying [your best] all throughout [your high school career], but also make sure that you still enjoy your life outside of studying.” PHOTO BY TREASURED MOMENTS

10 SENIOR MAP

JUNE 3, 2022 HIGH TIDE

Oh, the places...

WE’RE GOING! 1. Cal Poly Humboldt Dylan Couden Cassidy Faye

2. California State

University Chico Hailey Deer Maureen Galves Kokomi Hollinger

3 13. California State University Monterey Bay Justin Clapp

10 15 12 13

Kaylie Bao Patrick Henry Lucas Livingston Brendan McCann Skylar McCurry Ryan Pollock Julia Silkes Tyler Slatcher 26. Cerro Coso Community Ava Thomas Ashleigh Wodzinski College Dante Trudo 24. California Lutheran University 27. Biola University Taitem Brown Roberto Echevarria

Riley Hulit

9. Academy of Art University Kaia Fittz

28. Cerritos College Diego Flores

41 5217

26 24

University Dillyn Baer Clover Levinson Mateo Ruiz Matthew Olson Cassandra Efole Elijah Perkins-Smith Lauten Harris 34. Occidental College Alexis Portillo Jose Montano Malia DeCastro Stephen Ude Dryden Sarcona Jackson Schonberg Lauren Ziskin 35. Otis College of Art and Design Will Schwartz 31. California State Alec Swenor Melina Jukosky University Northridge Angela Urrecheaga Alexis Lee 40. California State University Fullerton Jordan Benitez Sydney Inana Vanessa Preciado Charles Rondeau 32. Sebastion Silva

Chidera Awujo Julian Bailey

6. California State University Maritime Academy 5. California Northstate Jorja Davy University College of 12. San Jose State Health Sciences University Anika Chandrasekaran Eve Divinity 11. San Francisco Ashlinn Dowd State University Mario Ikeda Kaitlyn Lynch Bekkah Assadi Izaac Newman Hailey Chiu Sterling Cooper Tyler Thomas Jeremy Tochihara Jada Dean Lela Fenstermaker Isaac Flaherty Danielle Jennings Lara Magdesian Madison Porter Kaiya Rothwell Tyler Sharp

38 30 3519 4328 47 25 26 55 50 28 Jayden Coleman 29. Compton College 33 36 53 48 34 54 44 31 Jacob Pech 49 33. Los Angeles 57 18 Jordan Collins 42 45 32 40 39 Harbor College 46 Anthony Garcia 30. Loyola Marymount

25. Santa Monica College

10. University of San Francisco

4. California State University Sacramento Michael Lee-Chang

CA L

19 7 9 8 11

23. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

8. Santa Clara University Riley Friedman

3. Sonoma State University Jessica Yandell

7. California State University East Bay Ethan Rodriguez

Henry Aguilar Sydney Dunlap Sanaa Gray Eli Hempelmann Jarvis Twumasi Anthony Villanueva

Chapman University Zoe Parore

Cassidy Mahoney Jessica Morell

36. Icon Collective College of Music

21 37

22 5156

38. Art Center College of Design Carson Carnahan Jackson Carnahan 39. Concordia University-Irvine Luka Brancato

41. California State University Bakersfield Mehlo Ermeti Morgan Edwards 37. College of the Desert 42. Fullerton College Derek Stoetzer Adam Blanco

HIGH TIDE JUNE 3, 2022

14. UC Davis 19. Madison Brandon Shayla Cota Nicole Divish Ella Duffner Evan Fung Naomi Fung Catherine Kavalauskas Elizabeth Melton Zoe Scherer Morgan Wlaschin

SENIOR MAP 11

UC Santa Cruz 22. Marcellus Blangy Chyeanne Griffith Samuel Lux Joshua Marriott Toranosuke Matsuda Brock Morishige 43. Holden Nix Riley Norman Brendan Prasad Eissa Quinones Joshua Schuman Matthew Wang-Mizuno Spring Ye

UC San Diego 46. Pasadena City Harry Lonsdale College Carina Munoz Eben Lester Justin Prupas Steven Shi 47. Pepperdine Erin Swift University Cal Poly Pomona Karma Sarni Youssef Adel Julia Butler Jacob Chavez 48. Long Beach Dylan Hoffman City College Gabriel Martinez Evan Cheaure Vivian Martinez Nathan Linares Asan Nabiev Talayia Reed

52. Santa Barbara City College Yann Borges Lima Taylor Brocoum Kenneth Jin 20. UC Los Angeles 44. California State 49. Toni & Guy Rennie Magallanes Annika Anbiai-Fard University Long Hairdressing Jackson Rubic 16. UC Merced Colin Choy Beach Academy Zachary Sullivan Ellie Herschelman Scott Fujiwara Adrian Abraham Emma Arrambide Omid Janani Zaden Griffin Cecilia Apitz 53. Simmons Cody Moser Hayley Hoang Kian Asgharzadeh 50. University of University David Oplatka Paris Johnson Isabella Borgese Southern Meagan Ching Ethan Poladian Stetson Torok Amal El-Saheb California Kai Simonsen Madison Van Pelt Jacob Evans Andrea Guevara 54. Whittier Anton Stover Giselle Frisby Jacob Hatakeyama College 17. UC Santa Barbara Hana Gardner Kaila Minei Jason Morell 21. UC Riverside Gabriel Berger Emily Harnden Asjia Roberson Summer Duong Joshua Cole Kaiya Hayashida Elisa Switzer Samantha Halloran Michael Farah Alisa Iwai 55. University of Alexandria Scotting Melissa Gavin Joshua Klugman Redlands San Diego 51. Lennox Jeffries Annalisa Mathiason State University Yusef Mayet 18. UC Irvine Carissa Le Miguel Mier Brevin Blair Brooke Berger Katelyn Nguyen Celina Moreno Collin Fitzpatrick 56. University of Kaitlyn Cloutier Celina Osorio Vadim Pak San Diego Sean Greene Jadelynn Collins Justin Pak Kyla Simon Volney Howard Jack Morrison Hayley Dorfman Allyson Pham Ethan Travis Matthew Lezhansky Michelle Garcia Margot Straus Daniel Vorndran Claire Murray 57. Los Angeles Trade Brielle Hamm Victoria Valenzuela James Perrotta Valeria Hill Sanchez Technical College Aryaman Verma 45. Irvine Valley College Kai Pichay Jayden Hyman Mark Mejia Ethan Trask Lena Kim Alexander Sanchez Heather Lee

15. UC Berkeley Sofia Cielak Chrissa Olson Andrew Vitt Christoph Waligorski

58. El Camino College Genesis Abercrombie Alexander Acosta Valery Alamo Tapia Marcos Alfaro Olmedo Jennah Alkazzaz Layla Alkazzaz Tyler Allen Utku Altunsoy Gavin Alvarado Mateen Aqmal Micheal Arellano Alicia Arias Alexandra Asnis Josephine Azali Nicole Baker Isabella Baligad Christian Barajas Bailey Barham Daniel Bassani Ezrah Baulisch Taylor Belenfanté Aidan Bell Spencer Bennett Lyla Berg Jack Bergman James Bermudez Brett Berndt Bryn Binder Hailey Blackshire Johnny Bleavins Devin Bogar Max Bonetati Ava Bradley John Joseph Bradley Lincoln Brydon Mia Burzminski

Kamila Bustos McKenna Butler Duncan Callari-Martin Allison Camfield Christopher Camfield Cruz Carratala Ryan Ceragioli Zoey Cervantes Tyler Champagne Saul Chavez Paula Che Kaci Chew Victoria Chung Ava Cooper Carson Crouch Collin Cruz Cory Cumpson Charles D’Agostino Micheal Derouin Connor Dewolf Logan Dewolf Ryland Doersam Joel Dominguez Thomas Eapen Rebecca Eden Isabella Elias Miko Fajardo Bijan-Ali Fakhreddine Kayla Ferreras Brenden Fisher Alezar Forbes Piper Frankel Abraham Galarza Chelsea Gomez Gavin Grace Breanna Granillo

Erica Griego Peter Gruhn Maxwell Guderian Teyah Gutierrez Arianna Haile Daniel Hammond Allisun Hand Kyle Harris Van Harrison-Nielson Raymond Hashimoto Jacob Hatfield Jacob Heaslet Liam Heinz Liam Heinz Ciana Henderson Aiden Henriquez Sophia Herrera Sean Isozaki Joshua James Kimberly Jaramillo Myles Jason Juan Jimenez Owen Johnson Isabella Jones Adriana Juez-Estrada Zachary Kelly Dylan Kennedy Estelle Killackey Blake Klade-Klein Rachel Kwon Sydney LaBruno Thomas Laplante Ethan Lavallee Justin Lemus Aidan Lerner Eduardo Licega-

Covarrubias Carolina Llanes-Gaxiola Emily Lodge Marcelo Long Victoria Lopez David Loya Josselyn Luce Sofia Luna Patrick Maloney Peter Mardikian Ryan Marosi Ian Matheson Tessa McComas Devin McDonough Aidan Mejia David Loya Josselyn Luce Sofia Luna Patrick Maloney Peter Mardikian Ryan Marosi Ian Matheson Tessa McComas Devin McDonough Aidan Mejia Jose Alberto Merino Julia Miller Alexie Mitchell Grace Molinero Grayson Moore Nyah Nettleingham Tyler Notah Justin Oliver Victoria PassosRogernud

Rognerud Nikhil Patel Olivia Pershing Ian Peters Isabella PetersonOrosco Jessica Pham Edward Philips Riley Pierce Alexander Pina Andrew Pina Meghan Piper Nicholas Ponsiglione Dylan Price Dylan Price Madilyn Radeke Ashley Ramirez Kahil Ramirez Justin Rash Sean Remensperger Logan Ritstovski Isabela Rodriguez Spencer Rogers James Rose Aiden Ross Dean Rubio Cambria Ryan Angie Sanchez Leilani Sanchez Isabela Sanjume Ava Schaeffer Courtney Schatan Leonardo Serafin Zachary Severin Ava Sharifi

Luka Shegich Erik Silva Malacai Smith Giovanna Soares Leilani Sosa Allyssa Staley Jake Stimpfig Nathan Stock Mason Stone Yumika Sugahara Micheal Sutton Sabrina Sutton Tyler Swart Tiffany Sword Aleksia Tajimaroa Ryan Talbot Casey Tang Dylan Thomas Luke Thompson Hakim Toudji Julianne Tran Andrew Vazquez Caio Vieira Vanessa Villegas Nathan Vu Cruz Walker Alistair Webster Brooke Wellnitz Maya Wilcox Travis Wilkins Madison Will Colton Wimmer Thitaree Yaisingboon Kai Yone Mason Zayas

NATION

12 HIGH TIDE JUNE 3, 2022

New Season

of Life

The University of Alabama Chloe Seebode

Arizona State University Grant Berman Scott Beucler Grant Dinsdale Tyler Fujikawa Kaiden Hoelscher Parker Kindt Bryson Morgan Nicholas Petryshyn Sofia Roberts Lucas Schmidt David Solimando Tara Winslow GateWay Community College Christina Villanueva Grand Canyon University Luke Hoskins Ryan Mayfield Northern Arizona University Jenna Anglin Isadora Scott Sophia Scott Timothy Scully University of Arizona Cameron Bloch Anthony Cerofeci Ashley Kaden Lucas Link Diana Pogorila

South Kent School Peter Davis United States Coast Guard Brandon Amezcua University of Connecticut Tyler Doiron Yale University Bradley Bennett

Colorado School of Mines Drake Bondio Madeline Travis University of Colorado Boulder Sophia Davis Baylee Drevno Lucio Giovannetti Mckenna Walters University of Denver Brooke Goldman

George Washington University Megan Sweeney Georgetown University Tyler Lee Anthony Wassink Howard University Aniya Jenkins

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach Canyon Swaffar Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University Chloe Powell Florida International University Dylan Grentzinger Florida State University Sierra Wheeler Valencia College James Grant

Clark Atlanta University Jasmine Grissett Georgia Institute of Technology Alexander Akstens Brandon Eum Morehouse College Ashton Isaacs

Hawaii Pacific University Connor Fong University of Hawaii at Hilo Bradyn Schneider University of Hawaii at Manoa Maximillian Barnett Nicolas D’Angelo Alexander Kim Ania Magdesian Francesca Murphy Kayla Portillo Erin Yagi

Butler University Sarah St. John Earlham College Antonio Paganelli Purdue University Mia Santorelli

University of Iowa Kaia Vanney

DePaul University Ava Berry Kayla Garcia Mina Gregory Charlotte MacMorran Illinois Institute of Technology Cameron Bracewell Loyola University Chicago Lauren Felix Norah Flannery Jasmina Guerra Katelyn Tan Northwestern University Nadia Bidarian Kennedy French

University of Kansas Taylor Jordan

Louisiana State University Logan Downer Aidan Garcia Presley McMillion Mackenzie Vargas Tulane University Amanda Slivar

Maine Maritime Academy Dylan Dean

United States Naval Academy Ella Biebl

Berklee College of Music Serena Boensch Boston University Maria Hoffman Brandeis University Maya Williams

Davenport University Moises Gonzalez Michigan State University Julian Ananyev Jordan D’Amario Cydney Eberhardt McKenna McEveety Riley Rothschild Kenneth Thomas University of Michigan-Ann Arbo Grace Christensen Grace Maki

University of Minnesota-Twin Cit Amelia Paulson Brenna Rubasky

University of Missouri-Columbia Valerie Tiscareno

University of Nevada-Reno Corban King

HIGH TIDE JUNE 3, 2022 13

NAL MAP

ties

ALL ILLUSTRATIONS BY KATELYN PERRY

Pennsylvania State University Nathan Kizlinski Nicole Lang Vanessa Wasden Saint Francis University Caylah Olay University of Pittsburgh Connor Kaplan

Brown University Benjamin Ringel University of Rhode Island Avi Celestial Southern New Hampshire University Keara Antonelli

CUNY Queens College Sarah Munn Fashion Institute of Technology Makena D’Amario Caleb Domael Fordham University Malina Au Ithaca College Peyton Hawkey Marist College Jazmin Khraishi New York University Eliza Peterson Ruari Root Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Marcus Moreno Rochester Institute of Technology Donovan Hwang Syracuse University Haley Greene Hannah Kobayashi Rider Sulikowski West Point U.S. Military Academy Luther Wu

High Point University Beau Yantz

Case Western Reserve University Tommaso Beretta Ohio State University Chace Arnold

Lewis & Clark College Bodie Beaumont-Gould Oregon State University Baron Baker Alejandro Gutierrez Patrick Quigley Portland State University Alex Bolte Southwestern Oregon Community College Tatiana Edmonds University of Oregon Erin Davis Claire Fritock Bryanna Gonzalez Meghan Jacob Eva Kelley Sydney Kosel Isabella Licata Amanda Metalsky William Nemeth Sierra Nunis Elizabeth Petrey Gabriela Ramas Macy Stuart Dylan Witherow University of Portland Sydney French Willamette University Samantha Krug Matthew Mason

South Dakota State University Billy Varela

University of Washington Seattle Delaney Alonso Elise Dahl Kamalieokea’ehukai Jellings Natalie Kokes Washington State University Sarah Barraclough Zoe Nix Nicolas Portillo Jessica Spotts

University of Wisconsin Madison Katelyn Perry

Baylor University Dylan Douglas University of North Dakota Dallas Baptist University Delaney Vargas Carly Carter Southern Methodist University Owen Zarnick The University of Texas at Arlington Deanna Chin The University of Texas at Austin Brecken Runquist

Going Abroad

University of Utah Cole Abramowski Luke Aldover Mason Beches Sequoia Buck Paloma Celis Jackson Davy Ryan Doyle Thomas Hammond Emily Hazard Jenna Matheson Kareem Najjar Sophia Oswald Aidan Quijuis Ansel Reyes Jamie Stahr Robert Tan

International Christian University Marissa Godoy Temple University Japan Olivia Evans Kouki Takebata

University of Toronto Julianna Lai York University Andrew Herman

University of Oxford Meriel Klinkner University of Greenwich Meriem Djabri

14 SENIOR ISSUE

JUNE 3, 2022 HIGH TIDE

MAKING WAVES by AMINA RAÏSS

quipped with the skills she’s learned through her four years on the varsity swim team, Erin Swift is leaving RUHS as a soon-to-be summertime LA County Ocean Lifeguard. “On average, I had over 18 hours of practice a week and spent most of my weekends at meets. Maintaining good grades while committing so much time to a sport was hard, but it taught me great time management and self-discipline,” Swift said. While on the team, Swift became a two-time record holder in the 200 medley relay and 400 free relays, a CIF finalist and a multiple-time Bay League Champion. She broke both relay records in 2021 and was a CIF finalist and Bay League Champion in her freshman and junior years as well. “I never specifically thought about doing super well on the relays, but we’ve had a great team these past couple of years, so we had the opportunity to do super well in them,” Swift said. Swift’s involvement with the water will continue as she plans on ocean lifeguarding. In order to become an LA County Ocean Lifeguard, candidates must go through a nine-week hiring process, consisting of a written and swim test, background investigations and 200 hours of training at the Ocean Lifeguard Academy.

“The training is very strenuous, physically, mentally and academically. You have to be focused on what you’re doing and put forth your best effort with everything, even when you’re really tired,” Swift said. During the 12-hour-long training sessions, candidates practice lifeguarding at Manhattan Beach, running in and out of the surf, swimming and doing push-ups. The candidates also learn about ocean conditions in a classroom. According to Swift, the goal of the academy is to push the people out who don’t have the strength to do the job. “I’m definitely super stressed and exhausted all the time, but I’ve been focusing on keeping it together and staying strong. I know that I have to get through it in order to get where I want to be,” Swift said. The lifeguarding training has affected Swift’s personal life, forcing her to miss prom and time with friends. “I know that the goal I’m working towards right now is something that can be with me my whole life and this job is something that I can have for the rest of my life. While it was unfortunate that I had to miss out on some experiences, for me having [this training] is a really great opportunity and is a lot more important,” Swift said. One of Swift’s close friends, senior Grace Maki, was asked to write a letter of

Erin Swift plans on becoming an LA County Ocean Lifeguard

recommendation for Swift as part of the hiring process. “They basically asked me to describe stressful scenarios where [Swift] wasn’t [anxious] and that turned out to have a good outcome,” Maki said. “I wrote about how during her junior year, she was taking three APs and competed in CIF [for swimming]. APs are already stressful as it is, but being able to do both and being able to excel in both of those is impressive.” Maki, who has known Swift for five years, is “excited” to see where lifeguarding will take her friend. “I’ve put in a lot of hard work over these past four years, academically and athletically, and while it is a great relief that all of it is over, I am proud of what I have done. I am able to apply my athletic skills to a job that I’m able to have throughout my life, as long as I stay up with my swimming and fitness,” Swift said. In the fall, Swift will be attending UC San Di-

ego to study political science and later possibly pursue law. “I know that that doesn’t really relate to lifeguarding that much, but in a way, I draw the connection of helping people. While in lifeguarding, I’m doing it on a much smaller scale, but [with politics] I could do that on a larger scale. That’s always been a thing I’ve been super passionate about,” Swift said. Senior Erin Swift swims the 100 backstroke during Bay League 2021. PHOTO COURTESY OF ERIN SWIFT

Meriel Klinkner plans to study history and literature at the University of Oxford by ELLA SILBERLING

eriel Klinkner appears to be nothing less than a possible time traveler dressed in vintage clothing, speaking in a uniquely elegant manner. At 16 years-old, she has been accepted to the University of Oxford, written novels, learned multiple languages including French, Latin and ancient Greek, sung in the RUHS choir, learned to play the violin and to fence. Klinkner is interested in modern and classical history, and her favorite eras of fashion are the 20s, 30s and 40s. “My friends joke that I dress like an archaeologist in those eras,” Klinkner said. “I’m inspired a lot by vintage Ralph Lauren catalogs and the English countryside aesthetic.” Klinkner has been interested in fashion her whole life, but it took her a while to build up a wardrobe with the style she wanted; however, she was patient and enjoyed the process nonetheless. “The pandemic helped a lot because before, I was rather impressionable since I was always a bit young for my grade. I did dress a lot more like most people here did for the [first] few years of high school before realizing that that’s not the aesthetic that I like,” Klinkner said. “The last few years, I’ve

been able to adjust the way I dress, grad- her interests in history and literature. ually changing things and discovering my“I would love to work within Oxford self.” for academia as After being a professor or accepted to all research histofive of the English rian,” Klinkner Universities to said. “I also which she applied, would like to Klinkner decided work as a muon Oxford because seum curator of of its historical antiquities. It’s campus, small size rather a dream and course selecof mine to be tion. a curator of “I’m very Greco-Roman excited to be in antiquities in England and study the British Muthe subject that I seum, ideally adore. It’ll be quite even to negotilovely constantly ate the return surrounded with of some of the such history and Parthenon tradition,” KlinkMarbles.” ner said. Klinkner Klinkner also hopes to hopes to get her complete and doctorate at Oxpublish her Senior Meriel Klinkner overlooking Oxford’s All Souls gradford or Cambridge uate college while atop of the University Church of St. Mary novels by then. and go into a ca- the Virgin. PHOTO COURTESY OF MERIEL KLINKNER One of her reer that caters to writing endeav-

HAYLEY HOANG Activities Speech and Debate, Teen Court, Yearbook Writing Editor Plans Attend UC Merced to study biology PHOTO BY TREASURED MOMENTS

Senior Year Highlight

“The highlight of my senior year was submitting the yearbook. All of us collectively felt a huge relief, and we all cried. That’s when it really hit me that senior year was coming to an end, and it was a bittersweet moment.”

ors, a trilogy titled “Society of Antiquaries,” is modeled on the structure of a Greek tragedy. “The book follows a group of students at Oxford who decide to re-establish a long-defunct antiquarian society, soon becoming entwined in the tragic fate of its last expedition, as well as in the mysteries of an apocryphal ancient Greek cult that had been its obsession,” Klinkner said. Senior Evelyn Shepphird has been friends with Klinkner since freshman year, sharing her interest in history and historical fashion. “I’m inspired by people who have their own unique personal style, like [Klinkner]. I suppose what I’m going for now is a historically-inspired fashion with my own personal style incorporated so that it feels individual and personal, and I think Meriel has that down,” Shepphird said. Shepphird is attending King’s College in London, about 40 minutes from Klinker. She plans to major in European studies with a French pathway and is excited to be close to Klinkner after high school. “Meriel is completely brilliant,” Shepphird said. “She’s super eloquent and really lovely to talk to. Every time I talk to her, I’m inspired.”

ELIZA PETERSON Activities Comedy Sports, RUTV, Theatre Arts Plans Attend NYU to major in drama

PHOTO BY TREASURED MOMENTS

Advice for Freshmen

“Don’t let other people tell you what you can and can’t do. Just find the balance. It’s perfect for you because you’re the only one who could find it.”

HIGH TIDE JUNE 3, 2022

SENIOR ISSUE 15

Leading in a MAJOR Way Celestial leads marching band to a championship as drum major by Micah McFadden

he student leaders of nine high school marching bands stood on the open field at the 2021 Southern California Band Championships, waiting. Then came the announcement: “In first place, with a score of 91.0, Redondo Union Band and Guard!” Front center, cape over his shoulder, Drum Major Avi Celestial accepted the trophy, now proudly displayed in the band room. Celestial’s highest point in his high school band career was winning the SCBC division championships in his final season. “We didn’t do so well freshman year. Sophomore year we were so close. Finally it was

great to be in that line with all the other drum majors and leadership and hear our name being called. That was really, really rewarding, and it was a nice cherry on top for my final season,” Celestial said. However, Celestial’s band life did not end at high school. In his sophomore year he auditioned for Drum Corp International, which is a competitive league for drum corps (marching bands composed of solely brass and percussion) members 14 to 22-years-old. Celestial first saw DCI groups, Pacific Crest and Santa Clara Vanguard, perform at the Rose Bowl the summer before sophomore year, and decided to audition for Pacific Crest for the 2020 season. “I got a call back, and I got cut. The season didn’t even end up happening that year because of COVID. I was disappointed, but determined to make it the next season. I wanted to do it for the 2021 season. I practiced, and I made the

spot, and I ended up marching the trumpet,” Celestial said. Celestial’s persistence did not end at the audition either, as the outdoor rehearsals and drum corps overall were “a lot of hard work.” “Sometimes you get stressed out during rehearsal because it’s hot, and you’re sweaty and you’re doing it for hours and hours every day. But when you have that final product at the end of the day, when you’re performing at, say, the last performance at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, it’s a great feeling seeing thousands of fans stand up for you after that last note of the show.” Celestial’s friend and peer, Maria Hoffman, describes him as “hard-working, thoughtful and smarter than he thinks he is.” “[Sophomore] year he was already starting to lead his peers within sectionals and then once it got to junior year online with COVID, he took control. It made perfect sense to me that he would be drum major,” Hoffman said. Celestial recalls the energy two years ago during their semi finals performance,

a memory he shares with Hoffman and the rest of the band. “At the warm up a lot, everyone was really in a great mood to go perform. We saw [a rival band] on the field before we were performing and we were like, ‘They have no chance’. Even though they did end up scoring higher than we did, we felt so confident in our performance,” Celestial said. “The crowd was so energetic and everything was just so great about that performance. That will stick with me forever.” PHOTOS COURTESY OF AVI CELESTIAL

Williams masters resilience through basketball and managing self-doubt by Jess Alvear

his season, girls basketball has played some down-to-the-wire close games. In a crucial game against Mira Costa, in the last thirty seconds and down by two points, senior Maya Williams made key shots. Without her efforts, the girls would not have made the CIF playoffs. Girls Basketball Coach Marcelo Enriquez says her valiant effort was especially memorable late in the second half. “She was being so physical and aggressive and getting rebounds for us. She was hitting key buckets for us. That was the boost we needed to get over the hump and win over Costa,” Enriquez said. When Williams entered high school, she was a “more reserved and quiet individual.” Through the RUHS basketball program, she says her coaches and teammates helped her find her voice to become the best leader possible as team captain. “Coming into high school I was really nervous because the team had just won the CIF championship, and I totally idolized all the girls on the team. I had gone to so many of their games, so I knew them, but they didn’t know me. I was starstruck when I started playing with them,” Williams said. Enriquez knew Williams before she joined the program through a club basketball team: the Breakers. “She was fundamentally sound enough to where we could play her at the

varsity level. So over the years having to play with that upper echelon group that had won the state title really helped her develop the intensity, the mental toughness and fortitude that you need to succeed,” Enriquez said. With the hard work and long hours of practice, Williams believes she has improved immensely from her collaboration skills to her technique in the game. “I have made massive improvements. I have gotten so much more comfortable working with other people and becoming a better ball handler. I guess it helps that have gotten a little taller, too,” Williams said. Enriquez feels confident that Williams will benefit her college team. “Her worth ethic and commitment is phenomenal. don’t think she

I ever

PHOTO COURTESY OF MAYA WILLIAMS

OMID JANANI

missed a practice. As a matter of fact, I know she will carry that dedication over to the next level. I am so looking forward to hearing nothing but great things about her,” Enriquez said, Williams says Enriquez has been a “great mentor” to her and his advice has benefited her in tough game situations. “He always tells us to play free, and that has always stuck with me these last four years. As a freshman on varsity, I got caught up in my nerves. Having that reminder to really let loose and play calmly has really helped me succeed,” Williams said. After the t e a m came back from t h e COVID-19 shutdown, they had a completely new team with a majority of new members. Therefore, Williams believes it was her duty to

step out of her comfort zone and play a bigger part in leading the team as she was one of a few upperclassmen at the time. “We needed to figure out what methods would help lead our team to success. I needed to be a leader for my teammates and be vocal. I needed to dig deeper and find what it means to be a captain and how to lead,” Williams said. Williams admits there have been moments where she has been uncertain about how rewarding playing basketball is in the long run. However, she feels the lessons she has learned through her experiences speak for themselves. “I have learned to be so resilient. I have definitely doubted my abilities. Working hard through doubting yourself is a hard thing to do, so keeping that perseverance and balance has been key for me,” Williams said. She plans to continue her basketball career at Brandeis University in Boston, Massachusetts and hopes to carry her diligence to a whole new level of the game. “It is definitely bittersweet. I have gotten to the point where I have seen everyone I have known since freshman year leave the program and move on to do great things,” Williams said, “It’s time for me to create my own path and leave the team to the next seniors. I am really looking forward to what is next for me.”

BROOKE GOLDMAN

Activities Model UN, Chem and Physics Tutoring, Chess Club

Activities Yearbook Editor-in-Chief, Mock Trial, Club President

Plans Attend UCLA to study electrical engineering

Plans Attend University of Denver

Advice for Freshmen

“Don’t hold back. Join as many clubs that interest you as you can. Try to get involved with a lot of new people and programs. Start experimenting to see what you like because high school is setting you up for the future.” PHOTOS BY TREASURED MOMENTS

What was the highlight of your Senior Year?

“Winning homecoming queen was really special to me. Having the dance in person for the first time in two years was needed for all of us. For everyone to vote for you and see you as someone special to the school made me feel loved even more.” PHOTOS BY TREASURED MOMENTS

16 SENIOR ISSUE

JUNE 3, 2022 HIGH TIDE

On the Air

Karma Sarni anchored on the RUTV broadcast and led the ComedySportz team by Marlie Cornwell

tep one foot forward, and all of a sudden it’s a new life. This was what Karma Sarni (she/he/they) experienced on their first day of high school. Having transferred from a private school outside of the RBUSD district, they saw no familiar faces. But according to Sarni, the fact that people describe them today as extroverted and energetic is thanks to their role in RUTV and ComedySportz. “ComedySportz allowed me to gain a certain confidence in myself, and now I can’t imagine myself as introverted,” Sarni said. “Being a people person is something that I consider really, really integral to who I am now, and I don’t think that was the case before ComedySportz.” ComedySportz gifted Sarni the ability to be a “people person” not only by giving them space to be their true self, but also by allowing them to have a major effect on others. Sarni received “overwhelmingly positive” feedback from their Junior Varsity ComedySportz team. “The whole reason I interviewed for [a leadership position] was that I wanted to make sure that JV had a fun experience.I

love ComedySportz, and to think that other people weren’t having a good experience was really genuinely heartbreaking to me,” Sarni said. “Later this year when I saw that I had successfully achieved my mission, I was brought to tears.” Sarni’s achievements and growth aren’t limited to the stage in ComedySportz, however. Their co-anchor on RUTV, Ben King, also happens to be one of Sarni’s closest friends, and noticed their change. “She’s become more confident and knows herself better. I think she’s become happier, a n d just

Brendan Prasad moves on from RUHS Marching Band Drum Major to play in the Santa Clara Vanguard by Dani Harper

Persad plays the trombone in marching band performance in fall of 2021. PHOTO BY MADISON BRANDON

rom the RUHS marching band to the Santa Clara Vanguard, Brendan Prasad, one of the current Drum Majors for the marching band, has worked hard to lead the marching band to the place that it is today. Transferring from playing the trumpet to playing the baritone saxophone and trombone, Prasad has been in band programs since fifth grade and has continued through his middle and high school years. “[Marching band] has taught me a lot of life skills. I know it’s generic, but it taught me about putting in hard work, time, and effort into something. All the experiences I have greatly benefited me as a person. I’m going to pursue music in my future and it’s been an overall great experience,” Prasad said. Prasad rose through the ranks of marching band, auditioning and interviewing for band leadership during the summer of 2021. Prasad was successful in obtaining a leadership position, specifically the position of Drum Major. “Our band director, Mr. Vizcarra, relies on us, as well as some of our other

MADISON BRANDON Activities Yearbook, Key Club, Photography, Beach Buddies Plans Attend USC to major in cinema and media studies PHOTO BY TREASURED MOMENTS

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

“I really hope I’m happy and running a career that I enjoy. I wanna be in charge of my own business like my dad is. I really admire him so I want to be him when I grow up.”

found her place in things,” King said. Being in RUTV, where Sarni did something they were interested in every day, gave them a chance to be themself and open up, even through quarantine in their junior year. “I can always bring unique elements of my personality and myself to RUTV, and that makes it worthwhile and enjoyable,” Sarni said. While Sarni does know that RUTV helped them become who they are today, they also acknowledge that above all, ComedySportz has been

the ultimate hand that shaped their personality. According to Sarni, their courage to pursue all other ventures is thanks to ComedySportz. Sarni is “beyond thankful” for what their activities in high school have taught them about themself. But, what they’re most grateful for is the people they met on the path they tread to who they are today. “I mean, what if I had been in different classes?” Sarni said. “I probably would have ended up with a completely different group of friends... that’s really bizarre to think about because I know these people and they know me inside and out, and I cannot imagine a life without them.” Karma Sarni and Ben King ancoring for an RUTV broadcast. PHOTO VIA RUTV YOUTUBE

student leaders, to make sure everything is nity to grow.” running smoothly in rehearsals and just in Prasad is also involved in drum corps general helping out the younger members and is currently a part of the Santa Clara of the band,” Prasad said. “People rely on Vanguard, one of the top drum corps in you, and look up to you for advice. It’s defi- the country. He initially auditioned for the nitely stressful, but it’s a good experience.” Pacific Crest drum corps, the performance Junior Jessica Kaplan, a friend of of which had been canceled due to the panPrasad’s since freshman year as well as a demic, in sophomore year. member of the marching band, believes “We had some staff members here that for Prasad, the that were involved in leadership position the drum corps, and was something he they kind of influwas able to “adjust enced us and encourto well.” According aged us to give it a to Kaplan, Prasad’s shot,” Prasad said. leadership and hard In the drum work allowed for corp, Prasad will train the marching band and learn the marchto perform well, ing show that the corp with Prasad helping will be performing. to form the commuThe corp will then nity of the band. perform at venues “He was a throughout California very good leader before traveling east BRENDAN PRASAD and he cares a lot for more performancSENIOR about the program es. The corp’s final and was a key part performance will be in our success this in Indianapolis at the past season,” Kaplan said. “I think his lead- Lucas Oil Stadium. ership has had a huge role on the environ“The whole reason I wanted to be on ment of the band. Our whole leadership leadership was to give the younger memteam this year did a really good job of culti- bers a great experience. I really enjoyed vating a culture and bringing us back after my experience in the band program and I COVID, and specifically [Prasad] provided wanted them to be able to enjoy it just the a strong base that allowed for that commu- same,” Prasad said.

“

The whole reason I wanted to be on leadership was to give the younger members a great experience.

ERIN DAVIS Activities Yearbook Plans Attend University of Oregon to major in architecture PHOTO BY TREASURED MOMENTS

What is your biggest accomplishment?

“Probably meeting new people in high school since I’ve been a very quiet person my whole life. I branched out and met a lot of great people during my four years at Redondo.”

HIGH TIDE JUNE 3, 2022

SENIOR ISSUE 17

Spirited Away

ASB helped develop Scotting’s leadership and event planning skills by ROMI RISS

Scotting and ASB take photos before the fall rally. PHOTO COURTESY OF PJ SCOTTING

J Scotting’s dedication to ASB and her classmates shaped her goal as ASB Vice President to excite students about returning to school and showing them all high school has to offer, despite the effects of the pandemic. “When I came in my sophomore year, I was appointed to the position to run the rallies. It was a bigger position for an underclassman, and I didn’t know how anything really functioned in the class. It was definitely a challenge, ” Scotting said. Scotting adapted to the new role and learned to be “firm” with her words and command the groups that make up the rally. Her first successful rally in spring

wrapped up the year as the pandemic shut down schools in 2020. “My biggest accomplishment my sophomore year was the rally. I was genuinely proud of them, and I think the people in ASB were happy with how it turned out. Not everyone enjoys rallies, but for the people that do and like school spirit, I think they had a good time,” Scotting said. This achievement pushed Scotting to the decision of sticking with ASB despite the pandemic and quarantine. During her junior year, the year of school being shut down, Scotting and other classmates ran the ASB instagram, @sammyseahawk. Before the pandemic, the account was used for advertising school and ASB events, but at home its focus shifted. “We focused on highlighting cool groups at Redondo, like Spanish club, salsa, cheer and other little groups. It’s important to recognize that these people and these groups were still out there trying to do stuff despite what was happening,”

Chung participates in both marching band and dance guard by TROY NEVIL

hether spinning a rifle on a football field or tossing a flag on a gym floor, Tori Chung’s love for performing has made a significant impact on her high school journey. For all four years of high school, Chung has dedicated her time to both the marching band and the dance guard, activities that provide an outlet for her to express herself through dance and weapon-work. “After the first two weeks of band camp [my freshman year] where I met all of my friends, I instantly fell in love with guard,” Chung said. “Even though I’m very accident-prone and I had so many injuries, it didn’t become something that I was forced to join. It became something that I wanted to do and I wanted to stay in, even during COVID-19.” Even through the struggles of COVID-19, Chung’s love for dance guard and performing gave her the position of Guard Captain during her senior year, where she had the opportunity to become

the first ever captain of the guard program. “I knew that I wanted to be the first in a generation of captains to come because I thought it would be cool. I’ve been on the side of just being an underclassman, but I wanted to feel what it was like being the one helping everyone else, being the senior, and being the role model for the group,” Chung said. For Chung, the friends she’s made through the program and the success of the marching band and guard in recent years have been the highlights of her high school career. “Whenever we placed well during marching season or indoor season, we would always come back to the team in a circle and just celebrate [our achievement],” Chung said. “It was always exciting to see everyone’s reactions and hear Ms. Frias and Mr. Vargas tell us ‘You guys did amazing. Now next time we’re gonna do this and then we’re gonna even get even better.’” One of Chung’s instructors, band di-

LARA MAGDESIAN

Scotting said. At the end of her junior year, Scotting began her campaign for ASB Vice President. “I focused my campaign on what the school could be again after COVID-19. I wanted to show the underclassmen and sophomores that didn’t get to experience everything that there is so much that the school can give them and so much you can experience,” Scotting said. She had to focus on improving and growing on her communication skills, and she learned to differentiate how to talk to underclassmen and upperclassmen. “I try to be kind and empathetic when things go wrong, and I help work through the problem and solve it. I found the balance between not letting people walk over me and solving problems for others. I like to work together and say, ‘It’ll be our responsibility,” Scotting said. Scotting’s work behind the scenes for ASB events and fundraisers helped decide her aspirations for her upcoming time at the University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB). “From ASB, I’ve learned that I find a lot of enjoyment in planning events. I like to know what goes on behind the scenes and then see the final production and see if people enjoy it,” Scotting said. “ It connects me to what I want to study in college, since I want to study environmental science. With

biosciences I want to figure out the background stuff to solve environmental problems and impact people at a bigger scale.” With the stress of college admissions and leaving home, Scotting notes finding comfort in her family. “In these past few months my mom has become the person I can go to to talk about problems and figure stuff out,” she said. “She is such a strong and independent woman, and her secureness in herself inspires me. She’s genuinely the kindest person I know, and she’s very empathetic and very much in touch with other people’s emotions and feeling that connection between people. I want to be like that.” Growing up with the class of ‘22 makes her feel connected to her classmates, even if they don’t know each other well. She’s going to miss the little conversations and bonding moments she can have with everyone in her class and at school. Scottings said she will miss her classmates at Redondo and is excited to see what the future will hold for friendship and community beyond RUHS. “I’m trying not to wish the time would go faster, but we are getting so close to the good stuff,” Scotting said. “Our caps and gowns are coming soon, and I know when I see them I am going to realize it’s really happening. We’re graduating.”

rector Raymundo Vizcarra, applauds her growth over the years and her dedication to the program since the beginning of high school. “As a freshman and sophomore, I saw how she struggled with being in certain stressful situations,” Vizcarra said. “But I

love the fact that she has grown so much as a result of taking on this challenge. Even in such a challenging year with COVID-19, she held much of her composure and led her teammates to championships both in the fall and in the spring, and I think that’s a very good way for her to end her senior year and come out on top.” Outside of dance guard, Chung’s relationship with her older sister, alum Jade Chung, has played a large role in her journey through high school. “She’s the one that got me into dance guard, and she’s the one that supported me throughout it. She’s been happy through all my achievements and I know she always has my back even when we fight,” Chung said. As she finishes high school, Chung will start the next chapter of her life by attending El Camino College for two years, in hopes of transferring to a university and majoring in women’s studies. “I feel like it’s a very important subject especially because of where we are now in the world,” Chung said. “I don’t really know which career path I’m gonna go into with this, but as a woman who’s been through a lot, I just want to be there to help others and make a difference.”

Chung does her rountine while on Dance Guard. PHOTO COURTESY OF TORI CHUNG

GRACE MOLINERO

Activities Journalism

Activities Teen Court, Key Club

Plans Attend San Francisco State University to major in communications or journalism

Plans Attend El Camino for two years and transfer to a UC to study economics or business

Where she sees herself in 10 years

“Hopefully either working for a news channel or writing for movies or TV shows. I feel like Universal Studios would be really fun to work at. It has a really good vibe, and I feel like I fit that vibe.” PHOTO BY TREASURED MOMENTS

Advice for Freshmen

“Try new things, even though you may have one thing that you want to stick with. I think it’s important to diversify yourself and meet new people.” PHOTO BY TREASURED MOMENTS

18 SENIOR ISSUE

JUNE 3, 2022 HIGH TIDE

The story isn’t over W

Chrissa Olson reflects on writing her novel and taking leadership of High Tide

by ELISE HAULUND

hat is Chrissa Olson’s favorite reason to do something? Because she can. And she proves it too; Olson wrote an entire book while she was in high school, on top of managing over 140 students in her posts as editor-in-chief (EIC) of High Tide and executive officer of the Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (MCJROTC). Across over 300 pages of a Google Doc, 82,000 words, seven drafts and 40 pages worth of planning, Olson created not one but two alternate universes in her YA fantasy novel. “I started writing out of spite. Sometimes people are like, ‘Chrissa, you just don’t have the motivation to do it,’ and that’s a lie. I do have the motivation, and I do have the power,” Olson said. Instead of punching walls when she’s angry, Olson channels her emotions into her writing. Because of this, Olson’s novel contains pieces of herself that make it a “map” of her life. “It takes a lot of discipline and self torture to actually force yourself to do something as tedious as write a book, but I still did it,” Olson said. “It taught me that I do my best work when I’m doing it for the joy of it, when I have no outside expectations or forces making me do it. Proving to myself that I could make something that I dreamed of really was the most special part.” Olson didn’t write her book for monetary value, but she says it would be “really cool to get it published and see it on the shelves.” As a half-Korean, half-White person subject to a lack of representation in media, Olson wanted to write a Wasian protagonist. “I believe that you should write what you don’t see. There are so many stories I want to be told, and I just thought, ‘Who is gonna write these?’ and then I decided it was going to be me,” Olson said. Did Olson ever consider quitting? “Hell no.” Google Docs is Olson’s art medium of choice, and she decided in

second grade that she was going to write for the rest of her life. Olson began her book in ninth grade and finished it in tenth, but ever since has been reviewing, redrafting and revising. “You know you’re going somewhere when you have your playlist going and you’re writing, and then the playlist shuts off for some reason and you just keep going in the silence,” Olson said. “That’s my favorite part, when everything switches off and suddenly it’s just me in my own head and I can feel like I’m physically in my own story.” Although she finds writing a book to be her high school magnum opus, Olson’s leadership roles in MCJROTC and journalism also shaped her over the past four years. “The first day of being EIC in journalism, I had this code switching moment where I said to the class, ‘Is this understood?’ and expected everyone to reply, ‘Yes, ma’am,’ [like they do in MCJROTC]. I had to learn how to exemplify the leadership skills I had in ROTC in a different format in journalism,” Olson said. Leadership, as Olson sees it, is “when you make other people want to step up.” While MCJROTC taught her to “wrangle” people, journalism taught her to “show people grace.” In any case, Olson is “in the business of getting stuff done.” “Sometimes stuff is literally on fire, and people are like, ‘Chrissa is everything okay?’ and I smile and say, ‘everything is fine.’ You just give them a solution, make it happen and voilà,” Olson said. “You know the thing from “Madagascar,” where it goes ‘smile and wave boys, smile and wave’? I literally do that.” To Olson’s friend and fellow-writer Heather Lee, Olson is “a force of nature, one of [her] closest friends, very smart, very scary, a strong leader and a brilliant writer.” “It’s always midnight,” Lee said. “Someone will text the other person, ‘So I got this idea,’ or ‘I was writing and I noticed this.’ For example, when it comes to characters I had a really hard time pinning down exactly what I want-

Ben Ringel assists people globally through the Youth Climate Action Team by MARLEY VAN PELT

t was the night before senior year and me. But, when we were on Zoom, it was less all through the neighborhood, not a intimidating to join since people were just creature was stirring… faces on a screen,” Ringel said. Except Ben Ringel. Among these extracurriculars were Locked in the midst of a pandemic, Mock Trial, Journalism and Model Unitsome people were not able to participate ed Nations, as well as taking part in outin the activites they normally would have side programs such as the Youth done at school. Ringel, however, found Climate Action Team (YCAT) and alternative ways to impact his commuacademic research. nity through pursuing his passions “Most of what interests me is soof public health, social justice and cial justice, international coorreaching people on a global scale. dination, politics, advocacy, and According to Ringel, junior year helping those that are less fortugave him the chance to be imnate. Those interests were sort of all mersed in more activities and in this sphere,” Ringel said. to feel more involved in Ringel’s contribution his community on local, to YCAT, a non-profit ornational and internaganization working on a tional levels. variety of different proj“Before the panects related to climate demic, I wasn’t in activism and climate ormany extracurricuganizing, stemmed from lars, because it just originally taking part in always intimidated Journalism. The YCAT PHOTO COURTESY OF BEN RINGEL

TYLER NOTAH

Olson rides a trolley in downtown Los Angeles following a journalism convention. PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRISSA OLSON

ed my characters to be, but I think she has a very clear idea of what she wants her story to do. But structurally getting there, I think for both of us, is difficult.” With her novel, Olson tackled two main themes that speak to the young adult audience she writes for. “I’m trying to find a balance between having really young characters experience extremely adult things and balancing that with the childhood they deserve to have, because the plot is intense, but I also want the characters to reflect some of the people that would be reading the story,” Olson said. “On another side, the story is also about finding the line between loving others and taking care of yourself. Prioritizing yourself over others is a difficult step, but it’s something I want to explore in my writing.”

platform presented Ben with the opportunity to be immersed in international connections online, relating to his position as Online Editor in Journalism. “I was interested in using social media to increase engagement because nowadays, so much is digital,” Ringel said. “I proposed to the director of the organization to make a blog for the YCAT, because I knew I was pretty good at it after my experience at the High Tide. I got to become the press director for this organization.” This blog gave a voice for those who were passionate in topics related to global issues, which connected Ringel to people whom he felt he could make a difference with, regardless of the various locations around the world. “Some of the writers are international, and they write stories for the blog, relating to a variety of different climate change topics,” Ringel said. “So, I got to make a platform for a bunch of these kids and also approach climate activism on a national level, which was super cool.” Through all this, Ringel’s college and career counselor, Ryanne Martucci has witnessed his growth as Ringel had engaged in his various programs and activities. “When I first met Ben, I started learning about his advocacy and how, through COVID, his community grew from Redon-

do to this global community, because he had access to working with students from all over the world,” Martucci said. Through the time they worked together since meeting in Janurary of 2021, Martucci has seen a change in Ringel, not just because of the implementation of new extracirriculars, but as he’s grown in confidence. “It was beyond just Mock Trial and Model UN, it was his advocacy, his research, and his ability to create this global community impact,” Martucci said. “He used to be a little bit quieter and reserved. And now, you wouldn’t know it, that kid is a walking encyclopedia.” Ringel, following his passions, overcoming intimidation, taking on new and complex responsibilities, made his time at RUHS worthwhile as he is now bound for Brown University, planning to major in Pulic Health and Enviornmental Studies. “In the second half of high school, I focused a lot on learning and understanding issues that are bigger than me, bigger than my community, and how I can make an impact that benefits others,” Ringel said. “Whether I go into law or environmental studies, or if I’m even a doctor or a researcher, it’s still going to tie back in some way to helping people who are different from me. It’s just a general principle that I want to carry on.”

YUMIKA SUGAHARA

Activities Football

Activities Hip-hop, basketball

Plans El Camino College, then Cal State Long Beach, going into sports broadcasting

Plans El Camino College, getting a cosmetology certificate to become a nail tech

Advice for Freshmen

“Take part in anything that piques your interest. High school is a really fun experience. Surround yourself with the right people, and those people will last you throughout all four years.”

Advice for Freshmen

“Keep up the grades and don’t slack off, because it’s gonna matter later on.”

HIGH TIDE JUNE 3, 2022

SENIOR ISSUE 19

PARDON MY

FRENCH

Meghan Jacob pursued her interests in French and journalism throughout her time at RUHS

by ALLIE D’AMATO

erci et au revoir Redondo! Throughout her years at RUHS, Meghan Jacob has been a dedicated member of the French Honors Society (FHS) and the High Tide staff, expanding upon her “love of French and English” and scoring leadership positions in both programs. “I’ve always loved learning about different cultures and languages, and French really stands out to me. Everything I’ve been able to learn from [FHS] is invaluable, and it has just added to my love for French customs and values,” Jacob said. Jacob first became president of French Honors Society during her junior year when COVID-19 gave way to online-schooling. Jacob says that the club wasn’t very active until she decided to take on more responsibility. “Ever since I took on the role [of FHS president,] I’ve been making a continued effort to inform club members about French news and important current events that are occurring in different French-speaking countries,” Jacob said. “I tried to create a clear purpose of fostering a community for students who love to learn about French culture, or any other cultures, in general.” As she has been a part of French Honors society for three years at RUHS, Jacob believes that it has “shaped the person” she has become.

“It’s helped me grow a lot, and I’ve gotten the chance to really discover and commit to my interests. I actually am planning to study French in college, and this club played a huge role in developing my appreciation for cultural diversity,” Jacob said. Her co-president, senior Elisa Switzer, echoes these sentiments, and thinks Jacob is a “respectable person all around.” “Meghan has always been extremely dedicated to bettering this club, and I really admire her hard work and genuine interest in expanding her French knowledge,” Switzer said. “She is always so fun to be around, and she just makes everyone laugh. She contributes so much, and, as a friend, it’s been a pleasure to witness her success.” Along with being co-president of French Honors Society, Jacob takes on the role of Editor-in-Chief (EIC) of the school newspaper. “Similar my passion for French culture, I’ve always fostered an intense appreciation for the news and journalistic writing. The High Tide really gave me a chance to expand upon this passion, and ever since freshman year, the thought of becoming an EIC was a dream,” Jacob said. “Fast forward four years later, I actually achieved said dream, and it has been an absolute pleasure to watch the paper grow and provide guidance to the staff.”

Meghan Jacob and Elisa Switzer promoting the RUHS French Program at the Adams Middle School Cultural Fair. PHOTO COURTESY OF MEGHAN JACOB

Jacob and her co-EICs, Chrissa Olson and Nadia Bidarian, oversee the creation of each issue, as they are in charge of deciding the concepts of every story and designing the most complex sections of the paper. “It’s a lot. But it’s really rewarding, especially since we have such a reliable and upbeat staff. Every time an issue comes out, I always feel like all the work put in was worth it,” Jacob said. “The beautiful thing about journalism is that it’s writing to inform. It’s writing to educate, whether that be through sharing opinions or discussing current events. Journalistic stories are extremely enjoyable to write, and I’m always happy to cover different topics.” According to Jacob, the journalism program has provided her with valuable skills and “close friends.” “I’ve been able to explore multiple opportunities because of journalism. I truly feel that my writing and designing has gotten so much better over the course of my four years, and the fact that I got to be a part of contributing to some of the most

notable editions of the High Tide yet really means a lot to me,” Jacob said. “I feel like I’m coming out with a second family–we have all been through so much together, and we’ve all seen each other grow. Nadia and Chrissa are some of my best friends, and I’m so thankful that I was able to get to know them better through the program.” Jacob plans to attend the University of Oregon Honors College in the fall where she will be double majoring in French and Political Science. She feels “proud” of all of the work she’s been able to accomplish in both FHS and journalism and is “hopeful” for what’s to come in her future. “It’s really bittersweet leaving RUHS. I’ve built a life here, surrounded by my friends and interests. So, jumping into a new school in a new state seems scary,” Jacob said. “But it’s also so exciting. I can’t wait to further my studies and experience a whole new scene. RUHS has been an integral part of my teenage life, and it’s hard for me to come to terms with my departure, but I know that I’m leaving both the French and journalism programs in good hands.”

High Tide Editor-in-Chief Nadia Bidarian relects on her time in the program by RUBY CROSTHWAIT

ith each school year at RUHS comes a new generation of student leaders, including Editor-in-Chief (EIC) Nadia Bidarian, who helped pioneer a return to normalcy for the student newspaper. After an entire school year online, Bidarian and the other two EICs of the High Tide, WMeghan Jacob and Chrissa Olson, led a happy return to printed papers while also maintaining an online presence established the preceding year. “Because I had a full freshman year on staff, I remember how joyful and exciting it was to be able to physically pick up the newspaper and distribute it to students,” Bidarian said. “I wanted us to maintain both our online presence and bring back the print presence this year, and I think we were able to strike a good balance.” In addition to navigating this shift, Bidarian had to handle the many other mundane responsibilities that came with her leadership role, as she and her fellow EICs led a group of around 75 students through the many steps of newspaper pro-

duction. Embracing her leadership role, Editor, a role she held during her sophoBidarian learned to love the emotional re- more and junior years on staff. She finally became an EIC during her senior year. sponsibilities attached to her position. “Ever since I was a freshman, I “The staff usually produces looked up to the EICs,” Bidarian said. brainstorming ideas for stories, “What makes this program unique is but it’s up to us to meet outthat, at the end of the day, when the bell side of class, go through all the rings, these 17 and 18-year-olds stand ideas and pick which ones end up and address the class. When up going in the issue,” Bidaryou’re 14 years old and you just ian said. “Often, people also started high school, those setext one of us saying they niors seem so big, strong and have some problem with sure of themselves, and they their story, or an editor says give you something to look they have a problem with up to because they do seem their page, so we need to free so mature. But at the same a lot of time to help them. It time, you know that you seemed intimidating at first have the capacity to be that but I grew into it and now I reby your senior year.” ally enjoy being the person who Despite the active role can make the staff feel better and Bidarian holds as a leader of make them feel more confident in the program, she still finds their abilities.” comfort in the new, as of Joining during her freshman year, Bidarian started off as a Bidarian holding the cover this year, journalism advistaff writer for the paper and later of a High Tide she designed. sor Kerri Eastham. Bidariprogressed to becoming a Features PHOTO BY SASCHA PERDUE an is able to “bounce ideas

ALEKSIA TAJIMAROA

off of” her advisor, who has “always been supportive” throughout the year’s events. Eastham herself became impressed with Bidarian’s abilities as a leader and her maturity for her age. “She carries herself like an adult,” Eastham said. “She is very self-assured and leads with class and confidence. Something that I especially appreciate about her is that she doesn’t get riled up. She’s not reactive, she’s proactive. I have been upset about things this year, and Nadia took them in stride.” In pursuit of a career in the journalism field, Bidarian will continue her education at the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. Although sad to leave, Bidarian is confident in the next generation of High Tide leaders found in the current junior class. “I think the paper can only get better from here,” Bidarian said. “Although there are seniors leaving, I think we were able to give a lot of our knowledge to the staff, and the talent that they already have is out of this world. I’m really excited for them.”

JADA DEAN

Activities Photography Club, Theater, Yearbook, Youth and Government

Activities Track Plans Attend San Fransisco State University to major in Illustration

Plans Attend a four your university PHOTO BY PETE PAGUYO

PHOTO COURTESY OF JADA DEAN

Biggest Accomplishment

Where do you See Yourself in 10 Years

“Creating a Youth and Goverment delegation here because before this year, there wasn’t one at RUHS. It’s not super big but I’m very proud of it and think that it's a great addition to the school.”

“I want to be a comic book artist. I want to move to Japan and learn about art there and talk to some great comic book artists because they have really great comics there.”

20 SENIOR ISSUE

JUNE 3, 2022 HIGH TIDE

Picture Perfect

Rider Sulikowski will continue photography hobby at Syracuse University by ZELIA LERCH

n order to “perfectly” capture the fast-moving world through a camera lens, a photographer needs a good eye or a keen sense of the story behind the subject. Senior Rider Sulikowski has both. Throughout his high school career, Sulikowski has explored the medium of photography, primarily through candid shots of people and landscapes: his preferred subject matter. “I’m not directly a part of the paper but I like to go and see what’s happening behind the scenes. It’s very interesting to watch the staff create the paper from virtually scratch,” Sulikowski said. Sulikowski appreciates the experiences that being involved with the school media has given him, especially in regards to watching the individual publications take form throughout the year. “When I was on Yearbook staff, it was really fun to partake in creating the book and doing all the photography assignments. You get to talk to all the people; not only for interviews, but the staff as well. I love all the shenanigans, and I’ve enjoyed the same thing here with the school newspaper,” Sulikowski said. Sulikowski originally was introduced to photography under the retired Mitch Ziegler, and has since graduated to contribute to the publications under the advisor-

ship of Kerri Eastham. “I started with taking Digital Photography in freshman year. I was like ‘Why not?’ and I’ve since had a lot of fun with it,” Sulikowski said. Eastham especially commends him for his “good eye for photography” and his ability to “talk to people and get access to places he otherwise might not.” She specifically recalls an instance during the photo workshop last fall at the Redondo Beach Pier. “On the walk down he befriended two people who were doing something that he wanted to shoot and the next time I saw him he was on a yacht in the harbor with this family, who were getting quite a kick out of him,” Eastham said. “They even allowed him to photograph their grandchild. He’s really talented in this respect.” Although he will not be majoring in photography or the arts when he attends college, Sulikowski expresses gratuity for the experiences photography gave him in high school as a way to connect closely with the school’s publications. It has also provided him with the skills he will utilize to document his personal life next year, along with those beyond. “I’d like to continue photography next year. I’ve looked into getting a nice camera for myself, not crazy professional ones like we have here, but just something

LEFT: Sulikowski’s photography. RIGHT: Sulikowski poses for a photo. LEFT PHOTOS COURTESY OF RIDER SULIKOWSKI, RIGHT PHOTO BY CHRISSA OLSON

nice to take high quality photos and share with my friends and family,” Sulikowski said. Next year, Sulikowski will be attending Syracuse University in New York to study economics. He especially has interest in the ethics and fraudulency of cryptocurrency, which he hopes to “write papers or a book about.”

“I like the economics degree because it allows me to have a variety of options to choose from in regards to careers. You can do a lot of different things with it,” Sulikowski said. “Even though I’m not one hundred percent sure what I want to do, I chose Syracuse because it allows me to figure out exactly what I want to be doing with my degree while I’m there.”

Lee writes fiction for fun while being an entertainment editor by SCARLETT MISCHE

he clock strikes 2 A.M. as a sigh of relief can be heard along with the closing of a computer screen, an experience that many writers go through, including Heather Lee. An entertainment editor in journalism, as well as a fiction writer, Lee has been a “High Tide” staff member for four years now. She spent her first two years as a staff writer and her second two years as an entertainment editor. Over this period of time, she grew as a journalistic writer and editor, while also working on writing her own novels as a hobby. “I think most writers are like this — you start wanting to write as soon as you start to read, and I have grown up in a household that really likes to read,” Lee said. Writing is an activity that Lee found great joy in at a young age, and even though there were times throughout her life that she became more or less fond of writing, Lee will not be giving up this passion of hers anytime soon. “In terms of fiction, I think it’s about delivering a message. Even though when you start out writing and you might not be sure of where it is going, one of the things that fiction writers have to have is a life les-

son that they’re always repeating and deepening through lived experience. So I think that trying to find this lived experience, trying to find this message is what drives me to write fiction,” Lee said. Editing other people’s work comes naturally to Lee due to the fact that she edits her own writing. The act of editing should, according to Lee, be done with the intent to help the writer rather than belittle them. “As an editor, my main goal is to make sure that my writer knows that I care. I do care about them. I care about the writer, I care about what they have to say. The critiques that I’m leaving are never to tear them down or degrade them. It’s because I feel that they can easily fix something that just needed to be pointed out,” Lee said. The efforts that Lee puts into forming a connection with her writers have not been ignored by them. Sydney Lamich, a junior staff writer who predominantly writes entertainment stories works with Lee on a regular basis. “Heather is really supportive. She is one of the editors that you can become close with. She’s very nice when she edits and she is never harsh. When she edits, it is more like a suggestion rather than [a com-

KATELYN PERRY

mand],” Lamich said. Lee’s editing strives to be kind, light-hearted, and meant to improve her writers’ strengths, according to Lamich. The environment that Lee creates for her writers allows them to hone in on their creativity and opinions. Her editing style shares many traits with her writing style. Senior Chrissa Olson, Editor-in-Chief for the “High Tide,” describes her writing as “whimsical and down to earth,” yet at the same time, “entirely digestible to an average reader.” “She is a person with a lot of feelings, which is reflected in her work. Her words are so beautifully articulated, and she has a very distinctive voice,” Olson said. The enthusiasm and genuine care that Lee puts into all of her work, whether that be editing or writing is widely appreciated by her peers. According to Olson and Lamich, Lee’s editing and writing styles remain truly unique and irreplaceable.

“Writing is not [a] very loud [practice], but it is frustrating. Coming up with ideas for stories can be hard, but in the end, it is nice to see [your finished product],” Lee said.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF HEATHER LEE.

ANTON STOVER

Activities Marching band, High Tide, wind ensemble

Activities Model United nations, ComedySportz

Plans Attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison as an art major, hoping to go into a creative field

Plans Attending UCLA as a history major

Favorite High School Memory

“We did have a lot of band section parties and those were always really fun. Also being able to come back to school after quarantine and seeing people was also a big highlight because I hated online learning.”

Advice for Freshmen

“Take classes that you want to take. Don’t take classes because they are hard. People care more if you’re actually interested in something. Also, join clubs.”

HIGH TIDE JUNE 3, 2022

SENIOR ISSUE 21

All Booked Up

Carissa Le revives her love for reading after exploring new genres in high school by ERIN HARTMAN

hile juggling school and extracurriculars, senior Carissa Le still finds time to pursue her passion for reading. During quarantine, Le took up reading again after taking a long break and has continued this hobby ever since. “[Middle] school kind of ruins reading. There were a lot of books that we had to read, and I feel like I personally don’t enjoy those books as much. Back then, being forced to read something that wasn’t enjoyable for me,” Le said. Le mainly reads fiction, but sees value in branching out. “I try and explore different genres. I like to stick to fiction, but there are some nonfiction and some science books that I like to read. Specifically in fiction, [I like to read] fantasy. I just like to explore new genres, and I don’t really have a specific favorite,” Le said. Le always makes

sure to find time to read, whether she’s at school or at home. “During SSH I try to give myself a break and read. I always bring my book with me. Any free time I have, I read. I like to read when I’m brushing my teeth and getting ready for bed. Sometimes I put on an audio book and do other stuff [while I’m listening], so there’s many different ways [to read] but that’s the primary one,” Le said. Le is not the only one in her family with this hobby, and shares her love for reading with her dad. “We’re actually currently trying to collect old books, and the oldest we have right now is from the 1700’s and it’s in Latin. We like to go to Barnes and Noble and just browse,” Le said. Le buys her books at thrift stores and Barnes and Noble, as well as at The Friends of the Redondo Beach

Public Library shop, where she now volunteers. “[The books] at the Friends of the Library are donated books, or donated from the library if they don’t have a use for them, and they’re much cheaper, and you’re saving the environment with them,” Le said. With many fond memories of the store as a child, Le decided to find a job there many years later. Though fully immersed in the world of reading, she hasn’t joined a book club due to the time constraint that comes with reading in a group. Instead, Le and her friend, senior Allyson Pham, trade and talk about books together. The two met in fourth grade, and after going to separate middle schools, were able to rekindle their friendship in the ninth grade. They will even be attending the same college next year, and will dorm together. Pham has Le to thank for helping her find one of her favorite books, "The Book Thief" and helping her explore new genres. “[Le] gave me "The Book Thief," so I have her to thank for that. I think she’s probably the main reason why I started

liking historical fiction or reading about sad books. She’s really opened my eyes and helped me have an open mind when reading books. There are some genres that I wouldn’t have read if it wasn’t for her, like romance or comedy,” Pham said.

Carissa Le browses for books at Barnes and Noble. PHOTOS COURTESY OF CARISSA LE

Eve Divinity works hard and is on track to becoming a future Olympian by LAUREN STRAZZERI

enior Eve Divinity started running track in fourth grade. From that point, Divinity ran phenomenally on the track and jumped far on the field. She concluded her high school running and jumping career at the CIF State meet, qualifying in all of her three primary events. Finishing her last high school season, Divinity stands tenth in California for the 100 meter and eighth in the 200 meter and eleventh in long jump. Divinity always aspired to accomplish these feats. As a sixth grader, Divinity set goals to become first in the state by freshman year. However, once she reached to high school, Divinity realized that as she was becoming faster, the girls she competed against would become faster, as well. Divinity reflected and realized that in order to accomplish her goals as a runner, she had to maintain a strong work ethic. “By senior year I reached the ultimate goal by getting first place in Division 1 CIFSS finals, so I think I did come to reach the goals that I set as a young track runner,” Divinity said. Divinity qualified for the CIF-SS Masters Meet and for the CIF State meet for her three events: the 100m, 200m and long jump. Though Divinity wins many of her

races now, it was not always this way. For the 100 meter, Divinity consistently got second place in her races, as she could not get out of the blocks as fast as other people. Divinity did not enjoy placing second in races and concluded that it stemmed from, as coaches say, “mind over matter,” and she knew that not all training was going to be physical. Having not run the hundred the week before she placed first at CIF prelims last year, Divinity focused on improving her mentality going into the race by reflecting on her performance and proving to herself that she could succeed. Divinity’s highlight of the 2022 track season was running sub-12 seconds in the 100 meter. She recalls this achievement “any 100 meter athlete’s dream.” “Just being in that all-conditions 11 second range is phenomenal to look at in terms of progression, because as soon as you break that 12 second mark, your times can continuously go down because you know you have the

potena n d

tial to keep going faster faster,” Divinity said. Setting a world record is Divinity’s ultimate motivation for running. She wants the power of association, where people say “that world record was set by Eve Divinity.” “I’ve watched track in the Olympics ever since I was in fifth grade, probably even younger. I love athletes, I love the sport and I just want the glory that comes with having a world record to my name,” Divinity said. One way in which Divinity prepares to make this

aspiration to come true is by attending SJSU (San Jose State University). Receiving offers from Cal State Fullerton, Sacramento State, Colorado University, and UCSB, Divinity chose SJSU on a full ride scholarship. In the 2022 track season, SJSU recruited the top runners in California to make an all star California-based track team. Divinity’s sister, sophomore Lela Divinity, keeps the Divinity name alive. Lela qualified for the CIF SS Masters Meet in the 300 hurdles. In terms of running, Lela believes her sister is an inspiration. “She works really hard, and she gets the results. Sometimes I want to mimic that, so I can also get the same results as her. We can be really, really fast siblings,” Lela said. As Eve closed her final high school track season, she broke her old school record, with a 200 meter time of 24.03 seconds. “I think she’s more than capable [of making it to the Olympics]. Especially because she’s been making all these great achievements in track, barely doing any weight training. So, I think she has a lot more potential,” Lela said.

Eve Divinity finishes strong in her track meet. PHOTO VIA JIMMYSUPHOTO.COM

DASHA SHEVCHENKA

ALISA IWAI

Activities JV Tennis, Co-President of Girls Who Code Club, "Mamma Mia" Pit Orchestra, etc.

Activities Cheer Captain, ASB Activities Commissioner, Teen Court

Plans Double major in computer science and music, as well as pursue a career in music production and technology

Plans Attend Cal State Long Beach and major in biology

Advice for Freshmen

“I would say to be present in the moment as much as you can because all those little moments in between classes and those interactions with people you don’t normally talk to– you will remember those the most.” PHOTO BY TREASURED MOMENTS

Advice for Freshmen

“My advice for freshmen is to have fun and put yourself out there. Even if it's not something super social, just joining something that you like can really help you find your place and find friends.” PHOTO BY TREASURED MOMENTS

22 SENIOR ISSUE

JUNE 3, 2022 HIGH TIDE

On Track to the Finish Line M

by LAUREN STRAZZERI

ake Varsity by junior year. Get a Blackhawks jacket. These were the goals Senior Victoria Valenzuela set as a freshman. Throughout her high school cross country and track career she has surpassed her goals by becoming a team captain, receiving two Blackhawks jackets, and making it to the 2021 California State Championships. The ten fastest girls on the team receive a Blackhawks jacket, same for the boys. Watching one of her idols Montgomery Allison receive a Blackhawks jacket sophomore year, Victoria set her sights to obtain one for herself. During her sophomore year, that goal was within reach. Not only did Victoria achieve her goal of receiving a Blackhawks jacket, she became second on Varsity. “Sophomore year I was like, boom, second on Varsity. The year moved really fast and I was really excited to achieve all the things that I set out to do. I had never imagined all of these achievements for myself, however, after I made second on the team, I felt this big pressure to stay in that spot, and hold on to my ‘status.’”

Victoria underwent a moment of growth as she realized “we’re all on our different paths.” She figured out that she does not have to put an extra mountain of stress on herself 1 when she does not finish the race with the same marks as her teammates. “I had to accept that people being faster than me didn’t mean I got slower. We are all different and it’s impossible to compare,” Victoria said. “Now, I look at the sport as something that’s fun. I don’t need to win it as long as I finish and I know I had fun doing it.” Valenzuela feels her new outlook on running stems from her achievements in cross country. She realizes that she can not blame herself for becoming injured before track sea-

son started and that she will have a second chance in college. The stressors and competitiveness of Victorias Sport led her to resent running, causing her to reflect on who she is running for. “If it’s getting to a point where you’re not enjoying it, then maybe you need to rethink what you’re doing,” Victoria said. Spreading her wisdom, Victoria remains a “shoulder to lean on,” according to her younger sister, freshman Paula Valenzuela. “I’m motivated daily by the presence my sister sets for me, not just with running, but in general,” Paula said. “She works hard in school and helps lead the other freshman girls. Her motivation to do better and be better not just for herself but other people really lifts up the team spirit, and me with it” Victoria ultimately decided to continue her running career in college because of the community. Through her decision, Valenzuela finds comfort in the idea that she will walk onto the cross country and track team in college.

Court is Adjourned

Victoria Valenzuela’s time on the RUHS track team comes to an end “I don’t ever want to stop running,” Victoria said. “I want to continue this for the rest of my life until my knees give out and I have to get a titanium hip. I will still be lacing up the hokas and running.”

3 1. 2. 3. Valenzuela runs to the finish with the RUHS cross courntry team. PHOTOS COURTESY OF VICTORIA VALENZUELA 4. I-stock

Wassink is leaving his Mock trial and Model UN presidency positions for Georgetown by Sarah Bronstein

rom freshman to senior year, much has changed for Anthony Wassink, but one constant in his high school career has been his passion for politics and public speaking. Through middle school, Wassink planned on becoming the future president of the United States, but his newer plans involve pursuing his love of law to become an attorney. He is the president of the Mock Trial and Model United Nation clubs and hopes to continue with these clubs at Georgetown University. “I joined my Mock Trial team in eighth grade at Parras. At that time, I was interested in being president, so I wanted to have a political career. Now I want to be an attorney, but Model UN, politics, Mock Trial—those were the types of things that I was into at the time, and I still am,” Wassink said. Even for those that don’t envision a career in public speaking, Wassink believes Model UN and Mock Trial can be beneficial for everyone. “You need to know how to communicate with others and convey ideas for literally every occupation,” Wassink said. “I used to not be the best public speaker and I like to think these clubs have made me a more concise speaker.” Mock Trial held a special place in his

heart. Since joining the club, it has not only improved his public speaking skills, but it introduced him to politics. After discovering his love for Mock Trial in eighth grade, he continued partaking in the club for the entirety of high school and has been the president of the club for two years. Being president has allowed Wassink to work with new and interesting people to benefit the club. “Mock trial has two attorneys who help the club and are able to offer a lot of help and guidance. I like being able to run questions by them to help the club,” Wassink said. “In return, I give feedback to them on various questions they ask me. It allows for a really cool collaborative experience.” While Mock Trial was one of the kickstarters to Wassink’s interest in politics, Model UN was just as impactful. Model UN has been helpful not only for gaining public speaking skills, but with becoming more independent. The program teaches students about real world issues and educates them on countries around the world and their diplomatic policies. “There is a contrast between Model UN and Mock Trial. In Mock Trial, you’re either being asked a question by a teammate or timing a teammate, because you’re on one side together. In Model UN, you are

they are. I don’t know what we’re going to do without them next year,” Lerch said. “He’s always been a really friendly face within the Model UN community and helped a lot of new people and underclassmen be more confident within it.” Even though his presidential aspirations have been abandoned, Wassink is off to DC, and his experience gained in both Model UN and Mock Trial have prepared him to be—as all of his fellow club members agree, especially future Model UN president Katarina Beches—“one hell of an attorney.”

1 representing an assigned country at various conferences by yourself. I sometimes will help people with their papers if they reach out, but overall it is really independent,” Wassink said. Fellow club members are able to develop the oratory that Wassink has now. Fellow Model UN club member, Zelia Lerch, spoke to his influence and energy in the club. “Anthony is an amazing leader. He and Tyler both really make meetings what

1. Wassink with the Georgetown mascot. PHOTO COURTESY OF ANTHONY WASSINK 2. The mock trial team after a competition. PHOTO COURTESY OF ANTHONY WASSINK 3. From i-stock

KAYLIE BAO

JUSTIN PRUPAS

Photo by Treasured Moments

Activities Cross Country, Track, Cricket Club, Physics Tutoring

Activities President of paper hearts club, Vice president of the math tutoring club, Volunteers at the library

Plans Attend UC San Diego to major in mechanical engineering

Plans Attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo to major in electrical engineering.

Where do you see yourself in ten years: “Hopefully with a lot of money.”

Photo by Treasured Moments

Highlight of senior year:

“The feeling of being done with every milestone. The feeling of being done with college applications and AP season and all that stuff is just way more rewarding knowing that you went through all that in one year.”

HIGH TIDE JUNE 3, 2022

SENIOR ISSUE 23

May The C

urse Be With You

Justin Pak reflects on his time as a member of the RUHS Golf team by DANI OTEY

is friends, family, coach and teammates—Senior Justin Pak has relied on both his talent and all the people who have helped him get to where he is today as the captain of the Bay League winning boys golf team. “The team won Bay League this year for the first time in ten years. The last time we won was when Justin’s cousins were on the team, so I already knew his family and I expected him to be this good coming from that family,” John Burke, coach of the golf team, said. “And he did not disappoint.” In his earliest memories of golf, Pak played with his two older cousins, who are alumni of the RUHS golf team. Pak recalls a positive memory of his team winning Bay League and the “California Interscholastic Federation (CIF)” this year. While he expresses some personal doubts in his performance occasionally this year, he says that the team overall had a good season. “A lot of the younger players have become more motivated to play,” Pak said. “And that made the older players, the seniors, want to play better.” He’s especially proud of how his younger teammates have

stepped up this year, compared to in previous years. Many of the players this year were underclassmen who have been working hard for the team. Burke, in turn, is proud of Justin and how he’s done this year as a player and a captain. “He leads by example. He has a really strong work ethic in practice,” Burke said. Burke also notes the physical aspects of Justin’s play, such as his swing and short game, as well as his mental strength and determination. “He’s got the right demeanor, the right temperament.” Pak is proud of the work he’d done as captain. “If I was in [the younger players] shoes, I would have wanted to have myself as a captain,” Pak said. “I try to give them experience, give them lessons,help them grow as players and I hope they’ve gotten a lot better this year.” Pak has been number one for all four years on the team and has now passed his knowledge down to the younger players as his older brothers, private coaches, and friends did for him. “He’s really good working with the freshmen,” Burke said “We had a lot of new

freshmen this year and he really took them under his wing and worked with them. And they really liked him.” While this team environment is a prominent part of high school golf, Pak is also excited to move on to play in ametuer and professional leagues, where the work rests more on the athlete personally. He says he thrives more under personal pressure. He’s committed to UC Irvine where he hopes to study computer science, as well as play on the team as a walk-on. “If I do bad, it’s because of myself. If I do well, it’s because I worked hard,” Pak said. As for playing in college, Pak says that one of his main goals is to become a “top player” in the amateur leagues by his twenties. Pak is grateful for all the support from his friends, on campus and off, coaches, and family. Though he wishes he could “stay for one more year,” he hopes the younger players continue to do well when he leaves for college. “I’m excited to go to college,” Pak said, “to get new experiences. Golfing wise,

it’s gonna be a fresh start. I’m gonna go up against the amateurs and see how well I do up there.”

Justin Pak putts onto the green. PHOTO COURTESY OF ALLIE D’AMATO Golf ball via CLIP ART Library.

Valerie Tiscareno uses photography to connect with others

Keara Antonelli’s photography hobby pushed her out of her comfort zone

by SADIE SIMMONS

by RIA LOPRESTO

hen the photos come in, the emotions come out. For senior Valerie Tiscareno, photography all at once a hobby, an emotional outlet, and a way to help others. “I think [photography] is a really intimate way of sharing people’s stories and telling them more about themselves,” Tiscareno said. Tiscareno officially started shooting once she became a photographer for RUHS’s publications as a sophomore, but her interest in photography started. She plans to study sports journalism at the University of Missouri next year. “Photography is important to me because it’s become a core part of who I am and my identity,” Tiscareno said. “It has helped me express my emotions, and it’s become this really creative and good outlet for me.” Although she has captured photos of many different people throughout her time as a photographer, Tiscareno has consistently used friend and senior Justin Rash, the school mascot, as a subject. “[Tiscareno] is extremely hardworking and very persistent. When she finds something that she wants, she will go to great lengths to get it and is just very driven as a person,” Rash said. Since taking on the role of photography editor-in-chief (EIC) her senior year, Tiscareno’s jobs include making schedules, helping photographers troubleshoot errors with their cameras and teaching them new shooting techniques. “Seeing [the other photographers’] photos really inspires me and pushes me to try harder,” Tiscareno said. “It gives me hope, because they’re the next generation of photographers, and I’m really excited to see what they do.” Tiscanero mostly does sports photography for the school. Having grown up around sports and playing beach volleyball, combining the two passions made “perfect sense” for her. “Capturing peak moments of action is so spectacular because you can see the pure strength and athleticism these players put into their game,” Tiscanero said. To further her interest in photography, Tiscareno created an Instagram account (@tiscareno_photos) where she posts her work and experiments with different photography styles and subjects, including architecture, the environment and

the people that she sees. “My peers have photography accounts but I was really in my shell. Opening the account was a really big push for me and promoting my passion and love for [photography], just because I’ve been pretty shy about sharing my work in the past,” Tiscanero said. Tiscanero plans to photograph and interview the people she meets throughout to create a unique, interactive website. She’s found that the conversations with customers she meets while working at Jamba Juice have been helpful in starting her project. “[My regular customers are] all of different cultural backgrounds and ages and genders, and they are different people completely. It made me feel so connected with our community just to have those interactions with them and share their stories, so I hope to make people feel more connected with others by doing this project,” Tiscanero said. “A big part of helping people is simply listening because everyone has a story. Stories should be shared, but not everyone gets the chance to do that sometimes,” Tiscanero said. In addition to inspiring others through photography, Tiscareno volunteers with the Friendship Foundation, which helps individuals with special needs. She was inspired by her experiences with a relative who has special needs. “It’s very hard for [my aunt] to walk and communicate with others. I think growing up around her, I’ve always seen people interact with her and kind of push her aside, even though she’s fully capable of interacting and she just wants to interact with everyone else,” Tiscareno said. “Seeing that really motivated me to volunteer because I’d be helping a group of people that were like my aunt, which was really special to me.”

xcitement builds in the stands and the field as the runner approaches the end zone. Just as the player crosses the goal line, snap, she catches the play in action. Over her past four years at RUHS, Keara Antonelli has made a place for herself as a photographer for both the school newspaper and the yearbook. “I feel like photography gave me an ‘in’ because I’m not very involved in the school,” Antonelli said. “I never really had clubs I was a part of, sports, or anything like that, so I feel like photography really gave me kind of a purpose to go to events and be in a group of people.” Although she had interest in photography before high school, Antonelli really got involved with it after taking digital photo freshman year. “I knew that I would like photography going into high school because I’ve always enjoyed it, but I don’t think I knew I would like it this much. Photography gives me confidence and I like being able to tell stories through photos,” Antonelli said. “It pushed me out of my comfort zone and kind of forced me to be more social.” One of Antonelli’s favorite things to photograph is sports because “photography brings such a different aspect to it” by being able to show the game up close. “For a lot of sports, you get to go down on t h e field or in the dugout with the team, so you get to know players and coaches more and it’s really cool. You see their emotions and thoughts, which you can’t get from t h e

stands,” Antonelli said. Photography also opened up other opportunities to be a leader at school. As one of the editor-in-chiefs (EIC) for photography, Antonelli helped new students navigate the ropes and become comfortable with their cameras. “I love sharing all the information that I know about photography with [the new photographers], and helping them grow and learn the studio. Because a majority of our photographers only took online classes during COVID, they’ve never really touched a camera or taken photos of sports, so it was really fun and interesting to teach them all of this new stuff,” Antonelli said. In addition to teaching the new photographers, Antonelli developed other leadership skills through her position. “Before, yelling at everyone and getting mad at people or having those difficult conversations with someone about how they can improve would have been very difficult for me. Knowing that my classmates needed me to step up really gave me confidence to do so, and I feel like I’m a lot better at public speaking now,” Antonelli said. Although taking on this role is “very time-consuming” and requires lots of scheduling and organization, “it was definitely worth it,” according to Antonelli. “Seeing the photographers grow, from the beginning of the year where they didn’t even know any of the settings to now where they’re taking over is really cool and rewarding,” Antonelli said. Despite all the time spent focusing on photography, Antonelli still found time to be part of an Irish dancing group. “I started [Irish dancing] around third grade because my mom wanted me to try it. She had done it with her siblings when she was younger, and my teacher actually used to dance with her,” Antonelli said. “I didn’t want to do it initially, but I ended up loving it.” Although she won’t be continuing dance in college, Antonelli will be majoring in photography at Southern New Hampshire University. “I’m gonna miss walking around [the RUHS] campus and taking photos and hanging out with my friends,” Antonelli said. “Just try to enjoy everything [during high school] and take it all in. Nobody cares about what you do because everyone’s in their own little world.”

Tiscareno and Antonelli with their cameras. PHOTO BY SASCHA PERDUE

HIGH TIDE JUNE 3, 2022

SENIOR ISSUE 24

Redondo Beach Unified School District

Official Transcript

Taking the LEAD

Student Name Steven Shi Class of

Grade

2022

Steven Shi becomes valedictorian with a keen interest in cybersecurity

Rank

Gender

One Sea Hawk Way, Redondo Beach, CA 90277

by RENA FELDE

aledictorian, President of Chess Club, previous Boeing software intern and CyberPatriot team co-leader—Steven Shi has done it all. Next year, Shi will be attending the University of California San Diego to study computer science, which goes right along with being a self-titled “tech guy” and his self-proclaimed side hobby. In sophomore year, Shi was first introduced to cybersecurity and the CyberPatriot club through Mitch Middler, Shi’s past computer science teacher. “[Middler] introduced CyberPatriot as a cool way to get experience in cybersecurity, and at the time, I didn’t really have a lot of extracurriculars so I thought that joining the club would be interesting,” Shi said. Shi recalled “not being that into [cybersecurity]” his sophomore year, and that a lot of the time he felt like he “didn’t really know what [he] was doing,” finding himself relying on Google to solve problems. Nevertheless, he enjoyed doing competitions with his CyberPatriot team. CyberPatriot had about 20 members this year, 10 to 14 of which came consistently to meetings according to Shi. Alongside two of his friends, seniors Tyler Fujikawa and Ruari Root, Shi co-led the club and team. “A lot of times when I had problems, [Shi] would be there and have a solution. I think he just likes working with other people and helping them by using his experience and knowledge,” Fujikawa said. At competitions, the team is given a computer, and they must solve as many security flaws as possible. They play against other cybersecurity organizations nationwide, about 2000-3000 people total. This year, RUHS CyberPatriots reached platinum, which includes the top 30% of the nation, compared to last year when they reached gold.

“For me, it felt really good [to compete] because the better ranking showed me that in practicing and researching cybersecurity, I made tangible improvement,” Shi said. Since cybersecurity was only skimmed over in his computer science course, Middler claims it was Shi’s own motivation that led him to begin cybersecurity. “[Shi] enjoys learning and researching new topics and being innovative and creative, and [since] that’s what all of computer science is about, it meshes well with his interests,” Middler said.

“

I started looking more in-depth intotopics of encryption, file systems, operating systems, exploits and such. STEVEN SHI SENIOR During junior year, early dismissal from school and free time due to virtual learning helped him develop his passion. “Junior year was when it really started to take off. That year, I started taking CyberPatriot more seriously. I started looking more in-depth into topics of encryption, file systems, operating systems, exploits and such,” Shi said. Also during junior year, Shi joined a

program called CyberStart, which Middler also introduced to him. CyberStart gives cybersecurity challenges and games and participants are encouraged to complete as many challenges as possible by a given date. Last year, Shi completed about 40% of the CyberStart challenges which qualified him for a three-day national competition ran by the National Cyber Scholarship Foundation. He placed top 600 in the National Cyber Scholarship competition, which earned him a cybersecurity training course worth 3,000 dollars and a 2,500 dollar college scholarship. “I think it was at that point that I really started getting into cybersecurity [and realized] this is something that I want to do in the future,” Shi said. “The most valuable part I got was experience because that training course gives you a lot of labs where they let you try out the techniques that they teach you, and [unlike other courses], it actually puts you in this environment where it lets you mess around with the tool to solve problems with it.” Through cybersecurity and CyberPatriots, Shi was able to make friends such as Fujikawa and senior Dasha Shevchenko. Shevchenko has been a member of CyberPatriots since her sophomore year and has been in the same coding class as Shi since freshman year. According to Shevchenko, Shi was a good team leader by keeping his team on track and showing them new resources, operating systems and languages and incorporating humor. “He’s a pretty funny person and I enjoy being around him and interacting with him because he always finds a way to relate something that we’re learning in class to some sort of joke,” Shevchenko said. Besides the funny moments, the dif-

ficulty of cybersecurity kept Shi drawn to it, with “one of the most fulfilling parts” being putting in the work to get the reward. “The main thing that I learned from cybersecurity is that in order to improve at something, sometimes there is just no way around other than to just keep trying,” Shi said. “It’s the grit, the perseverance.”

PHOTO BY VALERIE TISCARENO

Ethan Poladian becomes Salutatorian after taking part in Chemisty Olympiad and Cross Country by ARIYA ANVARI

chool murmurs are everywhere; every day absurd events constantly occur and no one can be sure how to decipher fiction versus fact through the haze of gossip. Yet, the fact that the “chemistry wizard” and known Salutatorian of RUHS’s 2022 graduating class, Ethan Poladian has gotten into UCLA to pursue a path in Biophysics is by no means false. Salutatorian is anything but a meaningless title; it refers to the student with the second highest GPA in their senior class. Poladian took part in Advanced Placement Chemistry and, as result of such dedication, plans to attend UCLA in the fall, majoring in biophysics. His ambition while pursuing these sciences allowed him to participate in the United States National Chemistry Olympiad, consisting of a series of online tests that gradually increase in difficulty as one progresses. The more tests successfully completed, the more the contestant’s score increases. “I remember getting an email saying I’d qualify for the Olympiad and I couldn’t stop smiling for the rest of the day. Those [qualifying for the olympiad and chemistry class] were some of my favorite moments, dealing with chemistry,” Poladian said. However, this didn’t come easy as there were no mentors or teachers that could educate Poladian on the topics or help him properly prepare. Due to the general lack of assistance, Poladian took it into his own hands to find online resources and teach himself the information. In some instances,

Poladian learned class material in advance in order to succeed in these Olympiad tests. “Some content [on the Olympiad Exam] went beyond AP Chem topics. A lot of studying I had to do was outside of AP Chem and there were a couple units we hadn’t learned so I learned them in advance to be prepared,” Poladian said. “I’ve always liked learning. To just learn more difficult subjects was motivation for the competi-

tion,” Poladian said.

Poladian wasn’t given resources by the school or a traditional library at all. Instead, he turned to the internet, using online tutorials and lessons. According to Poladian, needing outside resources to learn the same topic is not something people should fear and even when you have an understanding of the topic, alternative sources of information can still be beneficial. Similarly to preparing for the Olympiads, maintaining the position of Salutatorian p o s e d its own challenges. Poladian,in the same aspect, had to adapt both his schedule and studying methods to increase efficiency. “I challenged myself, I practiced time manage-

ment and I focused on making sure I really understood the content,” Poladian said. “This was to understand it so that I wouldn’t have to waste time reviewing for tests and could focus on information as it’s introduced and really understanding it. That really helped me with managing a lot of classes and the hard workload.” In addition to putting effort towards his academics, Poladian also had a record on the cross country and track team, where he met senior Justin Prupas. Poladian trained with Prupas for 3-4 years in addition to undertaking several AP courses together. “We’ve been struggling through all of our challenges, [and] working our way up together,” Prupas said. “[Poladian’s] one of those guys where you’re always astonished with how smart he is and I’m sure he’ll succeed with whatever he does.” Poladian’s pursuit in biophysics and chemistry managed to thrive since his freshman year. This appreciation for science continues in Poladian and he reveals the subject is not only his strength but his passion with the ways it affects our world outside of acedemics. “Chemistry and sciences are all around us in life in ways we don’t realize. Even if it doesn’t involve you specifically with where you’re working, it has profound impacts on medicine and really important facets of life. I think a good understanding of it will help you throughout your life,” Poladian said. PHOTOS COURTESY OF ETHAN POLADIAN