Issue 3

LI V Vol. X 3 E I S SU 2 0 2 3 , 2 2 .

DEC

CAFFEINE KILLING MACHINE

BRIAN WANG

SILENT OR SILENCED?

DEMEANING GIRLS

UNDERWATER WINS

OPINION PAGE 3

FOCUS PAGE 8

SPORTS PAGE 13

PALOS VERDES PENINSULA HIGH SCHOOL PVPHSNEWS.COM

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Opinion

ABUSE IN THE SYSTEM NEEKTA BAGHOOLIZADEH Warm blood drips onto unforgiving concrete. A prison guard shoves a man headlong into a wall.

Another punches an incarcerated person repeatedly after he hits the floor. These disturbing scenes, along with many others, reveal the inhumane conditions fostered in Los Angeles jails and the grim reality of incarceration across the United States. Taken from the jails’ security cameras, videos depicting these abuses were released on Nov. 9 as part of an ongoing lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) against LA County. This class action lawsuit, Rosas v.

Luna, centers around the routine use of excessive and unlawful violence against incarcerated persons and the pattern of brutality often enforced by incarceration officers.

The callous violence depicted in these videos, while deeply unsettling, is not a unique phenomenon.

U.S. prisons have long been a source of concern when it comes to human rights, with abuses including but not limited to unpaid labor,

women being shackled during childbirth and unnecessary use of violence being reported by the United Nations (Reuters). Mental health is another area in which the incarceration system drastically wrongs its inhabitants. Concerningly, only about 3 in 5 mentally ill people in these systems have access to the mental health treatment they need, and half of them do not have access to the medications they were taking prior to being incarcerated (National Alliance on Mental Illness). Moreover, half of all mentally ill incarcerated people do not have access to the medications they were taking prior to being incarcerated (NAMI).

“Inmates with mental illnesses [have] a lot of trouble getting treatment [within the prison system],” World History and Advanced Placement World History teacher Scotte Massey said. “The care that these inmates are given is definitely subpar, [considering how] they are [shackled] to tables and not [treated] professionally. Inmates with mental illness especially have special needs.”

These human rights abuses are only exacerbated when it comes to the treatment of people of color, especially Black people. For one, Black people are nearly five times more likely than white people to be incarcerated (Cable News Network).

Additionally, they receive harsher sentences than their white counterparts who commit similar crimes, as revealed by a study by the United States Sentencing Commission. When serving time, Black people are nearly twice as likely as their white peers to have negative experiences, including being restrained and put into segregation (The Guardian). These statistics are even more concerning when considering that many states deny ex-convicts the right to vote, leading some to go so far as to label the incarceration system “the new Jim Crow”— a set of laws in the Southern U.S. which enforced segregation, delegated Black people as “second class” citizens and suppressed their voting rights. Furthermore, forced unpaid labor in prisons, especially in southern states such as Georgia, paints a picture eerily similar to plantation slavery. It is clear that this is not only a cruel system, but one that upholds the very foundations of institutional racism in the U.S. “[Violence against prisoners] is something inherent to prison systems, [especially with] how dehumanized prisoners are,” senior Chris Yeh said. “Prisons should really focus on

rehabilitation over punishment. Right now, our prison system is focused on keeping [incarcerated people] in—there is no incentive to make them productive members of society again.”

Rehabilitation is a major talking point with regards to the current prison system, especially with bloated populations of incarcerated people.

About 1 in 142 U.S. residents are in prisons or jails, a much higher percentage of the population than any other developed country (American Psychology Association). Incarceration systems should be focused on rehabilitating as many of these people as possible, and making sure that everyone, including incarcerated people, stays safe. However, the lack of robust rehabilitation programs casts doubt as to just how much safety is prioritized. When compared with other countries, the practices of the U.S. incarceration system become even more suspect. Norway, in particular, has been lauded for its humane and effective prison systems.

Noticeably lacking both capital punishment and life imprisonment, the Norwegian Correctional Service makes a point to push for reintegration whenever possible (New York Times). In fact, special care is given to secure housing and job opportunities for Norwegian incarcerated persons, making Norway’s incarceration rates one of the lowest in the world (Coastal Carolina University).

“I would absolutely reform the incarceration system [to have more of an emphasis on rehabilitation],” junior Theseus Beeson said. “We should have more therapists and psychologists working in [incarceration systems], as opposed to people who are [focused on] violence.”

The ACLU has also proposed its own basic outline for an improved prison system across the country, calling for a drastic decline in the prison population. It lays out a plan to accomplish this, suggesting that capable incarcerated people should be allowed to reintegrate into society, while the U.S. invests in alternative solutions to incarceration.

Individual opinions on reform may differ, but the foundational truth remains: the current system is in dire need of change. All human beings are deserving of safety, dignity and liberty. The current incarceration system denies all of these, instead feeding into a vicious cycle of violence and discrimination. For a country that loves to declare its protection of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” the U.S. regularly denies a significant number of its citizens the most basic of these rights.

Until this system of cruelty is dismantled, the U.S. will not truly be the land of the free.

EDITOR: ALENA RHOADES

JULIETTE LIN

Opinion

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS MCKENNA MCCALLISTER & NOMUNDARI TSOGMAGNAI The conflict between Israel and Palestine can be traced back to the late nineteenth century when the United Nations adopted the Partition plan dividing the British Mandate of Palestine into Arab and Jewish states. The first Arab-Israeli war broke out and in turn caused the land to be separated into 3 parts: the state of Israel, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip (Global Conflict Tracker). Tensions continued to grow for years along with the complexity of the issue itself. After an unprecedented attack on Gaza by an Islamist group called Hamas, a formal war directive was set forth by the Israel Defense Forces and retaliation after retaliation ensued.

The history and backstory to this conflict is so immense and complex that it cannot possibly be accurately portrayed within a half-page editorial without bias and exclusion of facts. This publication includes staff members passionate about both sides, but it was leadership’s ultimate decision to not add fuel to the fire of misinformation and antagonizing statements with an underresearched commentary that regurgitates the same information everyone else is relaying. There are people who dedicate their lives to studying global conflicts and they should be the ones giving their educated opinions on the subject. In a school with such a diverse student body, it is simply irresponsible to take a stance without alienating an entire group of people one way or the other.

As can be seen on many college campuses across the country, demonstrations have broken out and not all have remained peaceful.

The messages of these protests, driven by the pain and loss of each country’s supporters, can be overshadowed by the vicious criticisms being exchanged between groups. This has caused a dilemma for college staff as they attempt to balance the right to protest with the civility that a school campus demands (Cal Matters). In early October, three students from Tulane University were assaulted in the cross-fire of the protests between both present groups (National Broadcasting Company News).

The tensions in the modern day world are worse than ever with every single issue and question- political or cultural- being a polarizing subject that becomes the starting point for a fiery and hurtful debate.

A productive discussion would need both sides to open to each other and be thoughtful as to the other person’s perspective and their backgrounds. At a high school level, it would be extremely difficult to have such talks without alienating or offending a group due to a general lack of maturity, understanding and empathy. This conflict contains several layers to dissect and analyze that the leadership team does not feel qualified nor comfortable to cover at length without containing inaccuracies and omission of facts. The violence on all fronts, both physical and verbal, in response to the developments of the conflict is appalling. The Pen stands firm in its denouncement of the terrorism and murder of innocent citizens as well as further violence on the part of people who claim to support the same cause.

This is not a new political issue to be argued about and then forgotten; this is a humanitarian crisis that requires the recognition of a common goal: peaceful existence.

CENSURING IS THE NEW CENSORING AARUSHI CHAUDHARI Censuring is defined as a punishment enforced upon members of Congress equivalent to a child receiving a scolding from an adult.

Someone can be censured in Congress for breaching the House of Representatives’ code of conduct or for an ethics violation. In order for a member of Congress to be censured, there must be a formal majority vote in the House on a resolution disapproving their conduct. When a member is being censured, they are to stand in a “well” and receive a verbal rebuke from the Speaker of the House, the leader of the United States House of Representatives (Congressional Service Research Report). In the well, the member being censured stands in the center while other representatives surround them in a tight circle. However, a censure does not carry any tangible punishment, like being removed from office. Instead, members of the House of Representatives and Senate are forced to listen to a public, verbal record disapproving of an official’s actions. From 1990 to 2020 there were only nine censure motions in Congress, but from 2020 to 2023 there have been 35 censure motions. Recently, censuring has been used as a way to attack members of Congress with opposing views; however, its intended use is a form of ridicule to discipline members who have done something disrespectful.

This was evident when the House voted to censure Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib, of Michigan, on Nov. 8. Tlaib is the only PalestinianAmerican in Congress and she was censured for sharing her views on the Israel-Hamas war (Associated Press News). Although Congress members should be recognized for misconduct, weaponizing censuring is an ineffective form of punishment, an unproductive procedure and an unsustainable disciplinary tactic.

“Censure can serve as an important mechanism for holding government officials accountable,” junior Sophie Wang said. “However, finding a balance between its use and maintaining fairness and certain disciplinary measures is key. As long as there is bipartisan support, a censure should create specific penalties or restrictions that can make them more impactful.”

The U.S. government has a duty to represent issues that are in the best interest of its citizens, however when the members turn against each other, it can create dysfunction societally. The excessive use of censuring will eventually render it meaningless, further diminishing the

3 THE PEN PALOS VERDES PENINSULA HIGH SCHOOL 27118 Silver Spur Rd, Rolling Hills Estates, CA 90274 EDITORS IN CHIEF McKenna McCallister Nomundari Tsogmagnai MANAGING EDITOR Josie Kwak HEADS OF DESIGN Brian Wang Lynn Takahashi HEAD OF BUSINESS Kylie Baik ADVISER Jaymee DeMeyer PUBLICITY Savanna Messner Rodriguez Ricardo Escalante OPINION EDITOR: Alena Rhoades WRITERS: Aarushi Chaudhari Neekta Baghoolizadeh NEWS EDITOR: Sivan Stoler WRITERS: Gunnar Lee Allison Kumamoto FOCUS EDITOR: Juliette Lin WRITERS: Jihoon Kwon Caori DeGuzman

miniscule impact the process had to begin with. If Congress continues to censure members because they find them unfit, then eventually the overuse of this procedure will not only harm the reputation of the STUDENT LIFE member being censured, but also Congress’ reputation as a whole.

EDITORS: Zahra Habib On top of this, censuring can lead to further polarization between Angelina Wang Congress members. This was shown in 2022 when the Republican WRITERS: Melina Ajami Arizona representatives censured certain Democrat representatives Jacelyn Chen for their perceived opposition to former President Donald Trump. The Democratic representatives retaliated by censuring a Republican senator ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT for refusing to vote against a filibuster. This reckless use of censuring SPORTS caused the Democratic and Republican Party representatives of the state EDITOR: Tessa Kang to be further divided upon their beliefs (Cronkite News).

WRITERS: Sura Kiasatpour “It makes sense to use censuring in specific cases where a member Neha Sambangi of Congress was being blatantly disrespectful,” senior Miguel Andrade said. “[However], when it is used to attack people of opposing opinions, GRAPHICS it is just a waste of time. People can disagree on certain topics but [those Abby Lee opinions] should not get in the way of their jobs.”

Angie Jo The U.S. is in the midst of numerous crises, whether that be climate Anthony Jang change, food insecurity or an unstable economy, and censuring distracts Jiselle Nguyen people from more pressing global issues. Using this procedure to attack Juliette Lin people from other political parties has taken the focus away from its Kiara Lee intended purpose of disciplining members for a disrespectful action Veronica Chen they may have taken. Since censuring has gotten so out of hand, a more effective solution should replace it, such as implementing a set of ADS guidelines that spell out what actions deem a censure motion. Instead Caide Jung of placing a censure motion on the basis of ethics violations, which are Frederica Nishioka very broad, they should be placed in specific cases where a Congress Kana Fujimoto-Taitano member is truly out of line. Additionally, imposing fines as a disciplinary Marisa Tan action would be productive since that money can go toward improving government programs. Money is also a more finite concept than “The Pen” is the newspaper humility; a person’s loss of money is more tangible than their emotions, produced by the journalism students which is more impactful on someone and may therefore motivate them of Palos Verdes Peninsula High to change their behavior.

School. Advertising inquiries may “Including a set of guidelines on what actions would warrant a be directed to Head of Business censure might make it easier to take the appropriate actions when Kylie Baik (424) 458-8395 dealing with misdemeanors,” senior Evelyn Chou said. “From there, it Copyright © 2023 will be more clear on when to censure someone, and it will not be used COVER DESIGN BY as a partisan weapon.”

BRIAN WANG & LYNN TAKAHASHI

News

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JOBS PLATEAU AND INFLATION SLOWS GUNNAR LEE Could the United States economy, after months of progress, be entering a recession? The economy has come a long way since the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, recovering from rampant inflation and unemployment. This is mostly due to the Biden administration’s efforts in supporting essential industries and growing the middle class. The job market is currently the strongest it has been for decades, as the unemployment rate has gone down and inflation continues to fall from its COVID-19 peak of nearly 10%. Despite these positive projections, seemingly slowing job growth in October has economists hopeful and alarmed in equal measure.

To them, a cooling job market may mean anything from inflation slowing to a possible recession in the future (National Broadcasting Company).

Neoliberal policies, a philosophy stressing minimal government interference in the economy, had left the U.S. unprepared for a national crisis like the outbreak of COVID-19 (Roosevelt Institute).

Minimal interference in the market meant that workers had low job security, depleted public services such as healthcare and scarce collective interdependence (Sage Journals). Employment fell by 22.4 million jobs in March and April 2020, with important industries such as manufacturing suffering heavy losses. Following the end of the quarantine in 2021, a rapid rise in demand for previously banned services such as traveling coupled with interest rates near zero led to the worst inflation in nearly 40 years (Forbes). These issues have become pivotal to Gen Z as they enter the economic world. They are cutting back on spending and finding it difficult to form good credit (USA Today). Seniors who will soon be applying for student loans and searching for jobs Although many feel that neoliberalism is to blame for this, senior and Economics Club Vice President Siena Hicks feels that although neoliberalism has its pitfalls, it offers the economy a degree of freedom. “[Because the U.S. has] a mixed

economy, I think we need some [government] intervention but we can not have that much,” Hicks said. “We need some intervention to be able to control [the economy], but we have to make sure that [the government does] not get too much power over it. [For example, now,] there will be less jobs [due to government intervention], but in the long run it should help prices go down.”

The election of President Biden signaled a significant change in economic policy. To recover from the damage of the COVID-19 Pandemic, he abandoned neoliberalism by implementing economic reforms. Dubbed Bidenomics, the president’s policies focus on growing the middle class and combating rising inflation. Legislation such as the American Rescue Plan Act and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 have been central to investing in vital industries and supporting workers in securing higher wages and job security. According to The Guardian, Bidenomics have been the most successful economic policies in decades, curbing economic inequality, booming manufacturing industries and creating a strong labor market. The labor market has now seen 34 months of growth and unemployment rates have remained below 4%, finally returning to where it was in February 2020 (Roosevelt Institute). The president has also tackled inflation, by having the Federal Reserve set adequate interest rates, which caused inflation to drop from 9.1% in June 2022 to 3.7% in September 2023. Senior Katherine Chiu, Vice President of the Economics Club, believes that although Bidenomics will continue to be successful, the immediate future will yield a brief period of trouble before rebounding.

“In the long run, [Bidenomics] might successfully create jobs and combat inflation,” Chiu said. “At the same time, I feel like there is going to be a point where [the economy] might get a little worse. A lot of people might be out of jobs all of a sudden. [I believe] there is going to be at least a short period of time where it is going to be worse and then [the economy] will get much better.”

Despite the trend of falling inflation and unemployment rates, October has yielded

ANGELINA JO EDITOR: SIVAN STOLER

unfavorable results for economists. U.S. economy created 336,000 jobs in September, which was not only double the amount experts projected for the month but about twice the jobs created in August. In October, however, a mere 150,000 jobs were added, although nationwide strikes such as the United Auto Worker strikes led to less workers being accounted for in these statistics (NBC). Some experts see this job plateau as a sign of a slowdown in inflation, pointing to lower airfare, car, gas and food prices in October (Public Broadcasting Service). Others believe that it indicates a slowing economy and even a long anticipated and dreaded recession, which would occur if a large supply of goods were not consumed due to their expense. Economists and the Federal Reserve itself are uncertain whether current interest rates are enough to quell inflation or a hike, an increase in interest rates, is necessary.

A hike may tame inflation further but could potentially trigger a recession if overly aggressive (NBC). Experts have likened the current state of the economy to the popular fairy tale “Goldilocks and the Three Bears”: not too hot and not too cold (Bloomberg). The hope for the Goldilocks scenario is that the job market remains solid but cools gradually and inflation continues to go down. This creates new questions about the future of young adults such as Chiu and Hicks who will soon be entering the workforce. A slowing job markets raises concerns about how these seniors will find sustainable work after high school or college.

However, for seniors begining to consider student loans, slowing inflation could be a respite from high interest. Junior Eric Lu is confident that the economy will reach a point where jobs are available and inflation is kept under control. “[The current state of the economy] does not sound that catastrophic,” Liu said. “If 300,000 [jobs created] is double the expected value, then 150,000 [jobs], a statistic already deflated due to strikes, is not that far below the target. Besides this, [the results] are only for one month. S0, there is still time for things to improve.”

News

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LEMONADE LIABILITY

ALLISON KUMAMOTO On Sept. 10, 2022, college student Sarah Katz purchased a caffeinated lemonade called Charged Lemonade from Panera. Later that day, the high levels of caffeine triggered Katz’s Long QT Syndrome. She went into cardiac arrest and soon passed away at the hospital. Katz was diagnosed with Long QT Syndrome when she was five. Due to her condition, she avoided caffeine for the majority of her life. This has led her family to believe that if Katz knew about the amount of caffeine in the lemonade, she would not have drank it (New York Post).

Before this year, Katz’s death was the only known incident of this nature, until Dennis Brown, a supermarket employee suffered a similar fate on Oct. 9. Similarly to Katz, Brown did not consume energy drinks due to his high blood pressure. However, while at Panera he drank three Charged Lemonades. On his way home, Brown went into cardiac arrest and passed away the same day (NBC News).

After their deaths, both Katz and Brown’s family filed lawsuits against Panera. According to NBC News, the high amount of caffeine in the lemonade was not directly advertised prior to Katz and Brown’s death. Elizabeth Crawford, the lawyer representing Katz and Brown’s families, pointed out that their deaths could have been prevented if Panera had simply labeled the drink clearly. After Katz’s lawsuit, the chain put the label “CONTAINS CAFFEINE” on their Charged Lemonades. However, even after this, Panera continued advertising their drinks as “plant-based and clean.” If either Katz or Brown believed this advertising, they could have thought that the drink was healthy and drank even more caffeine than presumed. Freshman Roma Baeza agrees with this and believes Panera should take more precautions to ensure the safety of their customers.

“To prevent incidents like [Katz and Brown’s], restaurants can implement safety measures such as secure storage of potentially dangerous beverages, childproof packaging and clear warning labels,” Baeza said. “Additionally, staff should be trained to closely monitor and supervise the consumption of potentially harmful drinks.”

Although the new label does acknowledge the

caffeine in the drink it is still vague and does not describe the potentially fatal volume that it contains. Furthermore, Panera’s highly caffeinated drinks are displayed adjacent to caffeine-free drinks, making it easy for people to confuse the two (Rolling Stone). Panera was then further criticized for not making the dangers of the drink known to those who are most likely to be affected by them such as children, people with heart conditions and pregnant women.

Panera spokespeople have recognized that their actions have done great damage, but the deaths of Katz and Brown cannot be undone. NBC News writes that Crawford wants Panera to own up to their actions by continuing to stress the dangers of Charged lemonade or taking it off the menu completely. Sophomore Caroline Fiamengo thinks that the brand did not promote it correctly due to fears that it would make them lose profits.

“I do not think companies should be allowed to add that much caffeine [to their drinks],” Fiamengo said. “If consumers knew how much caffeine was in these drinks they would probably not want to drink them. Customers then would not buy the caffeinated drinks and the company would lose a lot of profit.”

Despite Katz and Brown’s deaths highlighting the dangers of caffeine, people are starting to ignore precautions regarding caffeine set forth by doctors (Virginian-Pilot News). According to USA Today, pediatricians recommend that children under 12 avoid caffeine completely, but elementary school children are starting to drink more caffeinated beverages than ever. As a result, school districts across the country have banned energy drinks (New York Times). Gen Z, however, still consumes more energy drinks than any other generation, leaving doctors concerned about lasting effects like high blood pressure and caffeine addiction (National Institute of Health). Freshman Kadyn Kastner consumes caffeine almost every day and feels that promotions online have fueled young people drinking more of it. “[Caffeine has] become such a staple in people’s lives that they cannot function without it,” Kastner said.

“Influencers promote caffeine by promoting energy drinks, coffee and soda. People then want to purchase the drinks to fit in or because they trust the influencer.”

ANGELINA JO

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Meet the Opinion Section

WHAT IS OPINION? Opinion is the only section other than Arts and Entertainment that can use bias in its articles. Since it utilizes bias, it covers controversial subjects relating to the student body such as human rights and school policies.

EDITOR Hi everyone, my name is Alena Rhoades! I am the editor of the Opinion section and this is my third year on staff. I love romantic comedies and writing scathing reviews on Goodreads.

I also volunteer at the library! Aside from newspaper, I also participate in Model United Nations and my main goal in life is to become Elle Woods. I am incredibly proud of the Opinion section this year, my writers are doing an amazing job so go check their articles out! This year I am looking forward to having a healthy sleep schedule and having at least one creative layout.

WRITER Hi, my name is Aarushi Chaudhari and I am a writer for the Opinion section. This is my third year on the staff as a writer. In my free time I like to browse a variety of coffee shops, constantly searching for new study locations. I love traveling; my most recent trips were to Spain and Portugal. I also enjoy listening to music and going to concerts. My time on staff has significantly improved my writing by giving me the tools to use my voice. This year, I hope to write an article that I am proud of.

WRITER Hey guys! My name is Neekta Baghoolizadeh, this is my first year on staff and I am one of the writers for Opinion! I have been in love with everything reading and writing related for as long as I can remember—some of my favorite authors and poets are S.A. Chakraborty, R.F. Kuang and Ocean Vuong. When I am not lost in a good book, you can probably find me inadvisably procrastinating homework, chatting with friends or diving into obscure rabbit holes online. In addition to writing for The Pen, I play piano, basketball, and I am on the board of Mock Trial.

Panther Corner

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NUMBER ONE VICTORY ROYALE JOSIE KWAK “Fortnite: Battle Royale,” created by software developer Epic Games, is one of the most captivating and innovative survival video games that has taken hold over pop culture. Following its release in 2017, it rapidly gained traction due to its freeto-play feature. Its cartoonish graphics, vivid colors and kooky dances appealed to many and gained millions of loyal players, old and young, worldwide.

However, as with most games, its popularity has declined over the years, with its downfall being attributed to excessive updates, 5-year-old over-competitive players and cringeworthy collaborations with other franchises, such as Star Wars and Marvel. In addition, other

LYNN TAKAHASHI

battle royale games have been released, such as EA’s “Apex Legends” in 2019 and Activision Publishing’s “Call of Duty: Warzone” in 2020, whose sudden increase in popularity stole the spotlight that “Fortnite” had maintained for so long.

Nevertheless, with the release of the new season, “Fortnite OG,” many original players wiped off the dust on their consoles and started up the game once again, reminiscing over previous gameplay mechanics, maps and weapons that, for many, defined their middle school childhoods. Old friends queued up for the first time in years, eager to skybase, detonate impulse grenades, rocket ride and rift across the map. Even previously popular streamer Tfue began to play the game after a months-long hiatus, and his streams amassed millions upon millions of views. Overall, during the four-week period dedicated to the OG season, 100 million players booted up the game, even surpassing former records that were set when “Fortnite” was in its prime.

Less is more. That is one thing that Epic Games should have learned from the wildly successful “OG” season’s comeback. The simplistic nature of the original version of “Fortnite” is unmatched, and its goofy yet captivating content is what sets the game apart from its competitors. In comparison, the modern version of “Fortnite” is much more difficult to navigate, featuring confusing weapon modifications and an overwhelming amount of bot characters, with some even likening it to a worse version of “PUBG” or “Call of Duty.” The future of “Fortnite” is heavily dependent on maintaining a healthy balance of both new and old characteristics of the game.

However, with “Fortnite’s” newest season featuring Artificial Intelligence characters like Peter Griffin, trains and clear cash grabs, it is a mystery as to whether Epic Games will actually take user feedback to heart.

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Focus

FETCH OR FLOP? JIHOON KWON Out of the most iconic teen films of the early 2000s, one stands out due to its large impact on popular culture: “Mean Girls.” In addition to grossing over $130 million worldwide, this movie is still discussed all over social media and influences everything from fashion to everyday sayings (Box Office Mojo). The film centers Cady Heron, a girl who grew up homeschooled, and follows her journey in high school as she navigates polarizing cliques, fake friends and personal growth. Almost two decades after the film’s original release, the official trailer for the 2024 “Mean Girls” was released on Nov. 8. The film, directed by Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr., is a movie adaptation of a Broadway musical version of “Mean Girls,” which is also based on the initial 2004 movie. The film is set to be released on Jan. 12, 2024, marking 20 years after the release of the original.

What sets this production apart from the 2004 film is the fact that this is a movie musical with choreography and songs. Though some fans are welcoming this new twist on the film, many find the marketing frustrating. As the trailer was released, viewers were puzzled because throughout the two-minute promotional video, there were a few choreographed dances but it included no singing, which is believed to hide any aspect of it being a musical. Similar to another anticipated film this year, “Wonka,” the promotions seem to hide the musical genre of what they are advertising to the

public due to its polarizing nature. However, doing so may alienate both audiences: musical haters who hear about the theatrical elements from other sources and musical fans who are confused about the indecisive trailer marketing (Screen Rant).

Senior Chloe Sohngen, who was part of Peninsula Drama’s production of the musical “Mean Girls” in March, was disappointed to find the songs were not included in the trailer.

“I was sad there was no singing [since] I thought there would be more musical numbers in the trailer,” Sohngen said. “[The film’s creators] want people to come to the movie and fewer people are fans of the musical, [even though] some of the songs are iconic. [Including aspects of the Broadway musical] could have gotten more people interested in the movie.”

Upsetting viewers even further, the movie’s marketing seemed to discredit and outright disrespect the source material. The catchphrase included in the trailer: “This isn’t your mother’s ‘Mean Girls’” left fans of the original version unhappy; it seemed unnecessarily insulting since teens who watched the 2003 movie would only be in their 30s. Many took to social media sites such as X, formally known as Twitter, and shared their opinions through disdainful memes and quips about the film. These included insults directed at the film’s fashion, disappointment with casting and in general how the new film would never live up to the original, which due to being released only 20 years ago is still ever-relevant and a strong piece of art on its own (New York Times). Advanced Placement Language and Composition teacher Magali Blazevic, who watched the original movie in theaters 20 years ago as an 18-year-old, recalls the film fondly. She believes the marketing strategy of the new film is ironic since this iteration shares many aspects of the 2004 “Mean Girls;” as a result, she does not feel inclined to watch the movie. “[The original film] was funny and on point with what everyone was going through at that time,” Blazevic said. “There are a lot of similarities between this [film] and the original, so saying ‘not your mother’s ‘Mean Girls’” is probably not the best catchphrase. It does not connect because it is the same exact thing [plotwise] they are redoing. I probably would not pay to watch it in theaters [because] it is basically the same thing and it is not high on my list to go see it at this point.”

Despite the controversies surrounding the film’s decisions in marketing, many fans are still excited about the release of the trailer for the 2024

TROUBLESOM “Mean Girls.” The modern interpretation and relatability of the franchise to teens today can potentially allow younger audiences to feel stronger connections with the film, similarly to how teens of the early 2000s felt about the original. The more contemporary aspects of the movie are evident in the pop song used in the trailer: “get him back!” by Olivia Rodrigo, a popular song and artist among Generation Z (Gen Z). This choice of soundtrack by the star, who is a part of Gen Z herself, instead of a song from the Broadway source material, could attract more teens to watch the movie. Furthermore, even small details such as the inclusion of laptops in classes may help younger viewers feel that this is still their story. Will 2024’s “Mean Girls” mean as much to teens today as the original resonated with youths at the time? Senior Bela Osorio, who was also part of the drama department’s musical production of “Mean Girls,” had initial qualms about how the musical element of the film would be executed. Nonetheless, she was still thrilled to see the trailer.

“Before watching [the trailer], I was scared because it is hard to recreate a really good movie,” Osorio said. “[However], I really [enjoy] the original and the musical so I had really high hopes for this movie. After watching the trailer, [while] I was confused why there was not any singing in it, I [was impressed by] the costumes and choreography, and it made me excited for the cast because I really like everyone in it. It just seems like a movie that is going to succeed.”

KIARA LEE

9

Focus

ME TRAILERS

WISHING FOR A BETTER MOVIE

JULIETTE LIN, CAORI DEGUZMAN After a century of creating classic children’s films, franchises and theme park rides, The Walt Disney Company celebrated its 100th anniversary in the month of October. To honor this event, the mass media corporation released a film for the occasion on Nov. 22, marketed with the phrase “100 years in the making” (American Broadcasting Corporation). The animated musical movie created for the occasion is called “Wish” and is directed

by Chris Buck and Fawn Veerasunthorn. The main character in the film, Asha, voiced by Ariana DeBose, is a young girl living on the utopian island of Rosas. She stands up to the main villain and ruler of the island, King Magnifico, voiced by Chris Pine, who hoards the townspeople’s wishes and dictates which are granted. Asha works to prove that wishes are one’s own by miraculously summoning a star.

Interestingly, “Wish” is said to be the origin story of Disney’s iconic logo that appears before each of their films, which is composed of the melody of “When You Wish Upon a Star” from “Pinocchio” and a sparkling star animation which was originally above Cinderella’s castle.

Rather than being received warmly by Disney fans, “Wish” was met with ridicule long before the film was even released. To create the songs in the musical film, Disney hired popular music experts Julia Michaels and Benjamin Rice, who are behind hits by artists such as Justin Bieber and The Jonas Brothers respectively, though neither are known for their work with musical numbers.

EDITOR: JULIETTE LIN

After Lin-Manuel Miranda’s critically acclaimed “Encanto” score, fans had high hopes for a brand new Disney villain song. Disney’s YouTube channel released a first look at “This is the Thanks I Get?!”, one of King Magnifico’s songs, a few weeks before the film’s release. The song was met by a slew of complaints and insults online, with the redundant lyrics such as “I let you live here for free/I don’t even charge you rent” garnering negative attention. Notable criticisms included comparisons to Miranda’s style, with some users on TikTok going as far as to say the film’s music was created with generative artificial intelligence (AI) with a Miranda song as the prompt. Other accusations of using AI, although baseless, were directed at the film’s color palette, art style and rendering. “Wish” was made with both 2D and 3D animation to pay homage to the company’s early watercolor animations; however, its blended visual effect has had many watchers say that it looks incomplete (Inside the Magic). Senior Lydia Min has qualms about the visual elements of the film.

“The choice to blend both 3D and 2D art was an interesting one,” Min said. “It might be the reason it feels so ‘unfinished’ to some people. It [was] not a ‘bad’ or ‘good’ choice, just a bit unpolished in the way they used it. It was a horrible choice for a 100 year anniversary for sure; this type of experimentation should have been saved for a less [significant] time.”

In addition to visuals and music, the central story of “Wish” is being criticized for being massproduced and unmemorable. The film is full of references to past Disney films, examples being a character modeled after Peter Pan, Asha’s cloak looking like that of the Fairy Godmother from “Cinderella”, her friends being modeled after the dwarves from “Snow White” and so on. Viewers state that hiding beneath these heartfelt references is lazy worldbuilding and a lack of character complexity, causing the movie to feel stifled by corporate powers and not allowed to reach its full creative potential (Vulture). Relationships between characters are neglected and themes of following one’s dreams are barely explored due to the hazy nature of the film. Why did the Rosas feel motivated to give their wishes to King Magnifico? How did Asha meet her best friends? Questions like these are left for the viewer to ponder as the credits roll. Thus, critics of the film are torn between two sides: an oversimplified plot riddled with unnecessary references versus an artfully balanced heartwarming homage to Disney masterpieces (British Broadcasting Corporation). However, many reviews such as one from The Los Angeles Times paint the story as uninspired and simply a run-ofthe-mill Disney feature, not giving enough attention to its core characters or morals. Junior Emi Han reflects on the film’s lack of nuance after watching it. “[Character wise,] all of [Asha’s] friends are introduced at the very same time with zero background,” Han said. “They never get explained and if they do it is [minimal]. [Many] are just stuck in for [seemingly] no reason because they do not

get any background.

Even the main characters and villain hardly get anything to go off of; they barely talk about [Asha’s] dad who is supposed to have a large effect on her because he was the reason she made the wish at all.”

Currently, “Wish” has a Rotten Tomatoes critic score of 49% and an audience score of 81%. The film underperformed at the box office, garnering only $31.6 million over the five-day Thanksgiving holiday break, undershooting box office analysts’ predictions of $45 to $55 million (Consumer News and Business Channel). This is in stark contrast to past Disney films that set high-grossing records when released on Thanksgiving, a prominent example being the “Frozen” franchise. Due to its lofty identity as Disney’s centennial film, “Wish” finds itself constantly being compared to beloved Disney classics—the exact movies it often references during its runtime. It is possible that “Wish” will find a solid fan base once it has been moved to the streaming service Disney+ after its theatrical run.

Despite this, responses to the film show that its lackluster visuals and music as well as dull plot leave fans wishing for a little bit more. Junior Dakota Fanter believes that Disney’s new venture with “Wish” felt insufficient next to the films it is meant to celebrate.

“The movie itself had that traditional heartwarming feel Disney is known for, although to me at parts it felt incomplete or rushed,” Fanter said. “Hearing some people refer to the movie as looking like an ‘AI nightmare,’ I was able to understand what they were saying because some lyrics or visuals felt redundant. When looking at other Disney movies—like the ‘Frozen’ franchise— every detail was thought out and explained. With ‘Wish’, it was not. [However], there are many little Easter eggs that felt like it was Disney’s love letter to their animation history.”

10

Student Life THE COME UP OF CONTEMPORARY MELINA AJAMI

A new contemporary dance team, officially formed on Nov. 2, was recently added to Peninsula’s dance department and is coached by Loretta Tsudama, who is also the head coach of Coed Choreo, Choreo Company, Song and the dance physical education program. Contemporary is a lyrical, jazz-based dance form that does not have very strict technique.

When students first approached Tsudama with the idea of creating a contemporary dance team, she agreed and told them to find at least five people willing to join. When they did, Tsudama took on the challenge and started working on logistics for the team such as tryouts.

Teams like Choreo Company have predetermined groups with similar styles that always audition together, but tryouts were opened to all the dancers in the dance department. As a result, each team member’s dance foundation is vastly different from the next, making this new team extremely unique and versatile.

Senior Venus Wong is one of the

members on the team and has been dancing on the Song and Coed Choreo teams since her freshman year as well.

“This dance team is smaller [than other teams] since there are only seven people [on] it,” Wong said.

“Even though we have not had many rehearsals yet, everyone seems to get along. So far, it has been a really fun experience. I am excited for where this team will be in the next few years.”

While the team has started practicing the first half of their choreography with renowned dance teacher Kimmy Matich, a concrete practice schedule has not been established and practices are held when the majority of team members can make it. Formal practices will begin in late January since competition season begins in early March. By showing up to practice and putting in hard work, the dancers hope to learn how to move with and trust each other. For some dancers, this team may be the first competitive team they have been on, which makes perfecting the routine an even larger goal to work toward. Since this is the first year of the dance team, Tsudama does not know what to expect.

“This is our first year so we do not know how this is going to play out. I do not want it to be stressful; I want it to be fun,” Tsudama said. “At the end of the day I want the dancers to create good memories. If they like [what we do] and they want to place higher, then they are going to have to work

and train harder.”

Since all of the dance teams are run by Tsudama, they will all compete in the same competitions. The team’s first competition is on Feb. 3 at the West Coast Elite Dance Regionals, a competition Coed Choreo will also be attending. By competing together, students can feel like they are a part of the dance department as a whole while also having their own unique, expressive dance styles.

Their support for each other helps them become even better dancers both individually and as a collective. A member of both the Contemporary team and Choreo Company, junior Tilliana Wakefield-Carl wants the team to expand and attend more competitions.

“Having a place where we can display our [unique] dances and really put in the hard work knowing that we are going to [attend] a competition [will help encourage us],” Wakefield-Carl said. “I hope this [team] continues [to grow] and I hope [more] dancers will [become] interested in this team and have [the] passion to display their skills.”

VERONICA CHEN

EDITOR: ANGELINA WANG

Student Life ABBY LEE

11

UNLEASHING ALEBRIJES

JACELYN CHEN The launch of the annual Halloween gallery exhibition in the BradburySmith Art Gallery has led students to discover the world of animal hybrids and fantastical creatures through blacklight art. The inspiration for this year’s theme was alebrijes, which are native Mexican folk art of people’s spirit animals that are created using bold and vibrant colors. The exhibition was facilitated by students in the National Arts Honor Society (NAHS) who decided on the theme, and the pieces were made by art students. To introduce this unit of art, Drawing and Painting, Advanced Placement (AP) Studio Art Drawing, AP Studio Art 2D teacher and adviser of NAHS, Jamie Nyman taught her students about how animals are represented visually and symbolically in Mexican, Native American and Aboriginal cultures.

Nyman asked her students to design abnormal animals through

a chance simulation consisting of different animal cards, dice and patterns. The students then developed their creatures and designs with the animals they received. Finally, they filled their paintings with black light paint — a transparent paint that made the drawings glow in ultraviolet light —to resemble the bright appearance of alebrijes. President of NAHS and senior Nerissa Chin is proud of the space created to represent the beauty of these exotic animals and cultures.

“Everyone wanted to make this exhibition memorable and immersive,” Chin said. “It was thrilling to create these animals and project them into the exhibition. We received [much] admiration from students and staff.”

NAHS chose to revolve the exhibition around alebrijes as a way to honor both Mexican culture and the living soul of humans, and this was demonstrated by having participants make a hybrid animal that represented their identities. Some

EDITOR: ZAHRA HABIB

people used the animals to signify their religion and culture, while others represented their personality with specific animal traits. President of NAHS and senior art student Sakura Nishikawa describes the significance of her drawing.

“I created a tall painting that represented a series of spirits flowing out of a woman’s neck,” Nishikawa said. “My work was inspired by a traditional themed scroll from Japanese culture. Since I am Japanese, I wanted my [art] to represent me and my native roots.”

NAHS plans on hosting more galleries such as a sensory gallery and a jungle gallery. Nyman is excited about what is to come for the gallery.

“The students have never failed to display their work with enthusiasm,” Nyman said. “I am hopeful that the gallery will undergo many incredible concepts [that the artists] have to offer. [They] have a sense of pride and ownership that is [satisfying] to see.”

Now Hiring Tutors For This School Year >Tutorials run Monday-Thursday 7:30 to 12:40 >Must be high school graduate working on college degree or graduated from college >Great classroom experience / resume builder for those wanting career in education >For more information or to apply, contact Mr. Mike Spalding at: spalding@pvpusd.net

12

Arts & Entertainment SPOTIFY FACES THE MUSIC JAEWON JANG

Changes to Spotify’s monthly fee and royalty model spark controversy

SURA KIASATPOUR There has been a long-standing debate over which is the superior streaming platform: Spotify or Apple Music, and Apple Music may finally be taking the lead. Currently, Spotify is more popular among teenagers, but considering the recent updates which display the streaming platform’s ignorance of user feedback, the app has arguably worsened. There have been lots of changes to the user interface, one of the biggest strengths Spotify initially held over Apple Music. These updates include the addition of lyrics to songs, the removal of previews, and changes to the icon and ability to like songs.

Most importantly there has been an inflation of the price which has been consistent since its launch in 2011. Despite these vast and swiftly made changes to Spotify’s platform, even their positive modifications were late to the game, as Apple Music has always had lyrics available.

For many who have paid Spotify’s subscription for years, the extra dollar per month feels offensive. People expect a stable price for subscriptions, especially when it costs $9.99 for a single subscription to begin with. This is a high price to pay for streaming music, so a dollar on top of that is a significant difference. However, changing music streaming services from Spotify is very inconvenient due to the sheer amount of songs and playlists that have to be transferred; for some, these numbers can be in the thousands. Regardless of this change, some customers may still not turn

away from Spotify, seeing as switching to and having to learn the inner workings of a whole new platform would not be ideal. Despite such changes, junior Samuel Ahn is not planning on switching his music platform affiliation any time in the future.

“Spotify is a lot better [than Apple Music],” Ahn said. “The name itself sounds better, and opening the app, [the interface] looks nicer and [feels better] than Apple Music. I used to have an Apple Music subscription and there were a lot of songs that were not available there and I did not like [how] if you queue multiple songs the most recent one plays.”

Along with the increase in price, Spotify is also implementing a new policy on royalty payments in early 2024; this policy states that artists with songs that have under 1,000 streams will not be paid for their music. This is a slippery slope since Spotify’s rates are already significantly below its competitors at $0.003 to $0.005 per stream, whereas Apple Music is set at $0.1 per stream.

These artists barely make any money from Spotify to begin with, so the royalty change would not be affecting them much, but the problem lies in the moral principles and the underpayment in general.

This policy is an attempt to fix the underpayment problem of established artists, by increasing their royalty pool, since the new royalty model is meant to hinder fraudulent streams and minimize payouts for functional noise content, like white noise. This is a complicated problem since people who put out music on music platforms do it with the intent of spreading their hard work to get recognition and also make a profit from it, so not paying artists for their content is highly insulting. Junior Antonio

Quiroz agrees that Spotify’s new policy is unfair.

“Personally, I have not looked into new artists starting out, but I think it is very unfair,” Quiroz said. “People are trying to begin their career and they should be able to make some revenue out of the work they put out in the same way bigger artists do. Since [the royalty] is so low anyway, it makes no sense to not pay them.”

Many of the new features such as Smart Shuffle and Spotify DJ are only present for premium subscribers, making the app much less accessible to free users. With the unpaid version of the app, songs can only be played with advertisements along with many other restrictions. Skipping songs or playing them in a specific order is prohibited, and songs cannot be fast forwarded or repeated. This makes seamlessly enjoying music difficult, especially for students, who use music in their everyday lives to walk to class, or focus while studying. A free account simply isn’t worthwhile as all the useful features are inaccessible. Though Apple Music does not have an option for a free account, it has at least remained consistent in its services and has not advertised as a free platform. Junior Juliana Gregerson appreciates the dependability of the app.

“I like how there have never been any [significant] changes to Apple Music, as the price has always been [the same],” Gregerson said.

“The app comes with all [Apple] devices, contacts are findable and there is weekly information, [so ultimately] it is more convenient. There is nothing revolutionary Spotify does that Apple Music does not do better.”

Sports

13

TAKING NAMES, BREAKING RECORDS Eric Nishimura breaks Peninsula water polo record for most goals scored in a season

NEHA SAMBANGI Water polo team captain, junior Eric Nishimura, added another accomplishment to his name by breaking the Peninsula record for most overall goals scored in a season. On Oct. 20, by scoring four goals in the first game of the Central Orange County Boys’ Varsity Tournament against St. John Bosco High School (SJBHS), Nishimura moved to the top of the scoring list with a total of 150 goals. The last person to set a new record in this respect was Connor Ryan, who scored 127 goals in the 2013-14 season, however, Nishimura’s 150 goals surpassed this previous record by a long shot, raising the bar.

Although the team played fewer games this season due to an absence of California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) playoff matches, Nishimura was still able to exceed the previous record for most goals scored in a season. Nishimura expresses how honored he feels to make history in the program.

“I feel very proud that I have made a significant mark in the school’s program,” Nishimura said. “I am happy that all of the early morning practices, sleepless nights and strenuous practices are starting to pay off. My goal is to be a leader and translate my personal success to my team’s success next season.”

Along with his accomplishments on the high school team, on Oct. 24, Nishimura was named in the 2022-23 Academic All-Americans list by USA Water Polo, a governing body for the sport of water

EDITOR: TESSA KANG JISELLE NGUYEN

polo in the U.S. In order to appear on the Academic All-Americans list, student-athletes need to earn at least a 3.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale, which Nishimura exceeded, showing his staggering commitment to both school and water polo.

Throughout the past season, the team had a very rigorous game schedule to make sure that 28 games were played through the whole 9-week-long season.

In order to improve their gameplay, the team practices five to six times a week in the afternoon and holds additional morning practices on Mondays and Wednesdays, during which Nishimura’s work ethic motivates the team to practice harder. As the season progressed, the team earned notable victories in their non-league matches against SJBHS and South Torrance High School, where Nishimura was the lead scorer with 7 and 6 goals respectively.

Additionally, Nishimura impressively scored the most goals in games against Palos Verdes High School and Mira Costa High School, both Division 1 athletic teams. Senior Arian Arya explains how valuable Nishimura is to the team’s successes.

“From the moment I joined water polo, Nishimura stuck out to me,” Arya said. “He inspired me to push past many things which I thought were impossible to achieve. I strongly believe that he is a great leader for the team because he is the hardest working player, which everyone can learn from.”

The boys’ water polo team finished the 2023-24 season with a 11-17 win-loss record.

The team is looking to win the Bay League championship, qualify for the CIF Championships and win the championship ring in the upcoming season. As a captain of the team, Nishimura is eager to defeat more teams in higher divisions in an effort to improve the team’s division placement. Nishimura hopes again to lead the team in his senior season and continue to grow as a player, improving his skills to aid the team. Boys’ varsity water polo coach Charles Kim looks back at the positive impacts created by Nishimura on the team and describes how excited he is to see his growth in the future. “[Nishimura] has been our primary offensive weapon throughout the season; it is not a secret,” Kim said. “I love the intensity that he brings to the program and his attitude that he hates to lose more than he enjoys winning. We need that type of guy who wants everyone around him to get better, which will be essential for us next season.”