The Pen

the

PEN

Palos Verdes Peninsula High School

www.pvphsnews.com Vol. XXXIV

Issue 8 May 30, 2014

[ ] At the core,

largely homogenous educators teach racially heterogeneous students.

OPINION

A NEW LOOK The school library undergoes remodeling.

NEWS Page 3

Page 4

WE ARE WHAT WE A look at the habits that define who we are.

FOCUS Page 6

CATCH YOU ON THE FLIP SIDE! Student skateboarder featured in recent film.

STUDENT LIFE Page 9

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Reading

NEWS

the

future Over the summer, the library will be transformed into a learning center.With the help of donations from the PSTA and the Nanji family, this project is expected to be completed in time for the 2015 school year.

In two weeks, the school library will undergo massive reconstruction. The Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) funds and a sizable donation from the Nanji family propelled the project.

Parent and architect Christi Van Cleve, who has been working on the remodeling plans, designed a new, hightech library.

“The library will be much more spacious,” librarian Silvia Gutierrez said.

“It will be much easier for teachers to teach and students to learn.”

A new reference desk, flooring, whiteboard tables, a silent area and a refurbished outdoor patio will all be features of the library.

Many of the old bookshelves are going to be replaced with a new rack of PC and Mac computers, referred to as the “computer bar”. This development will encourage more students to use the library’s resources.

“I’ve been sinking a lot of money into technology,” Principal Mitzi Cress said. “I’m excited about the new improvements.”

The hallmark of this new library will be the multimedia room, filled with a projector, television and desktop computers for teacher and student use.

The library is scheduled to open in the fall.

“I’m really looking forward to the new library,” junior Jackie Ong said. “I keep all my school work on my laptop and it’s

nice to hear that next year it will be easier for me to access everything at school.”

According to Gutierrez, most of the inspiration for the new library has come from the book, “From the Campfire to the Holodeck,” inspired

by Star Trek. The book states each campfire should have three separate spaces.

The first space should represent the campfire itself, where people sit around and talk. The new library will be implementing a technology lab as an instruction center, representing the campfire.

The second space should include watering holes, where people get together and share ideas. The library is adding wheeled desks and chairs to enhance students’ group study sessions.

The third space is a solitary cave, and the library will be incorporating café tables and study carrels.

Lastly, the holodeck is a place where ideas are formulated, so the library will have a media and conference room for teachers-use. The library is also looking into further 3-D printers and chrome books to modernize.

“We’re hoping to make this a more modern place, with features and luxuries that students don’t usually have available,” Gutierrez said.

Gutierrez is also looking to invite more authors and speakers in order for students to gain a broader community experience.

“Building a better library has been one of my goals all along.”

Principal Mitzi Cress

COURTESY OF CHRISTI VAN CLEVE

BY JOVEN DU & AMANI JALOTA

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PALOS VERDES PENINSULA HIGH SCHOOL 27118 Silver Spur Road, Rolling Hills Estates, CA 90274

Teacher-student minority ratio recognized

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Izma Shabbir Stephanie Minn COPY/DESIGN EDITOR Sunnie Kim MANAGING EDITOR Zohair Lalani NEWS EDITORS: Mina Zhang Tunika Onnekikami WRITERS: Amani Jalota Joven Du Sonia Desaidamle OPINION EDITORS: Caroline Park Uswah Shabbir WRITERS: Prashila Amatya Robert Broadbelt Sama Shah FOCUS EDITORS: Lauren Lee Soolgi Hong WRITERS: Esther Chu Jina Kim Marine Fujisawa Valeria Park STUDENT LIFE EDITORS: Fatima Siddiqui Florencia Park WRITERS: Alex Bologna Elisabeth Darling Jasmine Kim Rachael Ku SPORTS EDITORS: Amy Valukonis Noah Werksman WRITERS: Chris Kong Danielle Castaneda GRAPHICS Angela Song Jackie Uy Juliette Struye Justin Boisvert Yasmine Kahsai Isabelle Wang BUSINESS & ADVERTISING Liliana Pond ADVISER Katherine Crowley “The Pen” is the student newspaper produced by the advanced journalism students of Palos Verdes Peninsula High School. It is published eight times per year. Advertising inquiries may be directed to Advertising Manager Liliana Pond at (310) 377- 4888 ext. 652. The Pen editors appreciate Letters to the Editors, which may be accepted up to one week before publication. You may submit them to H52 or Katherine Crowley’s mailbox.

Copyright © 2014

Design by: Angela Song Front Page Illustration by: Jackie Uy

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Lack of diversity among California teaching staff inhibits student success due to cultural barriers.

BY SAMA SHAH According to a 2011 study by the Center for American Progress, in California, 73 percent of students are Asian American, African American, Hispanic or Latino, Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander, or American Indian and Alaska Native; these students are “of color.” In contrast, only about 29 percent of teachers are of color.

The nation mandates that schools provide equal educational opportunities to all students.

However, minority students do not have as many role models representing their ethnic backgrounds in teaching positions.

If minority students are to receive a fair chance at succeeding in school, teaching staffs must diversify.

Minority teachers who serve as role models for minority students have the ability to improve the academic success and positive school experiences of minority students.

“Racially diverse teachers

Editorial

positively influence minority students’ comfort level in classrooms by decreasing feelings of isolation that some minority students may feel,” south Asian junior Arooj Anwar said. “Minority teachers can be activists for the rights of minority students.”

Professor of political science at Texas A&M University Kenneth J. Meier and chair of the Master of Public Administration program at Clemson University Joseph Stewart conducted a study in which they found that, academically, AfricanAmerican students who were taught by teachers of their race outperformed African-American students who were not taught by African-American teachers.

“Having a diverse teaching staff means having diverse opinions and experiences that can be shared with students,” African-American junior Caleb Smith said. “Students of color may feel more comfortable talking to a minority teacher about personal issues because that teacher might have shared those same experiences as the student.”

A diverse teaching staff helps majority students by correcting existing racial attitudes that might exist, exposing them to differing viewpoints and assisting them in developing multicultural competence and communication skills necessary to be successful in racially diverse workplaces.

The National Collaborative on Diversity in the Teaching Force reports that increasing the percentage of minority teachers in schools increases the attendance rates of minority students. More minority teachers in classrooms also decreases the number of disciplinary referrals on minority students, lowers the dropout rates of minority students and improves the perception of minority students.

While Peninsula does have minority teachers, albeit few in comparison to Caucasian teachers, the teaching staff still lacks. Across the country, school districts, policy makers and legislative bodies must take more effective actions to recruit minority teachers.

tangible as what is on paper: the thrill of taking the stage at your first choir concert, the comfort of the yearbook room after spending countless nights designing pages, the fulfillment of sharing the results of your science research project with the professional world and even the gratitude of an underclassman who has grown from your mentorship. What is most striking is neither the prominence nor the distinction of the Class of 2014’s merits, but the spirit behind them. At Peninsula, students engage wholeheartedly; people participate because they sincerely want to, not because they are forced to. We are

lucky to be in such an atmosphere.

What the seniors leave behind is more than just names painted on the library wall or example projects left in the corner of the classroom, but instead, the reputations they have created. The legacy of the Class of 2014 will be determined by our relationships: what lessons we taught the underclassmen while teaching them the ropes of high school and what impressions we left on our teachers both in and out of the classroom.

Seniors, as we embark on the next part of our lives, realize that even the smallest contributions--

+40%

of public schools have no minority teachers

29%

of California teachers are considered “of color”

73% of California

students are considered “of color” *Center for American Progress

­

By EDITORIAL STAFF

Seniors, with the closing of our high school career, we look bright eyed toward the future. But, equally important, we should take the time to celebrate ourselves. It is undeniably true—the Class of 2014 has been endlessly awarded with impressive accolades.

However, as the seniors prepare to graduate, it is critical to realize that there has been so much more to their high school experiences than a simple list of awards.

The most endearing parts of these achievements are not as

the way we acted and why-- that we have made to our school, favorite extracurricular program or even group of friends, will be what truly define us and count toward our journey to create meaningful lives.

Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poem “Ulysses” ends with the line, “To strive, to see, to find, and not to yield.” Despite the seeming uncertainty we face after high school, to follow these wise words, for actions both big and small, will be more than enough.

OPINION

DANIYA HAJI/THE PEN DRESSES BY ANGL INC. PALOS VERDES

PROM DRAFT

Prom drafts at Corona del Mar High School degrade female esteem and equality. Principal Kathy Scott has begun to confront students about the matter and ensured that next year’s prom will be “draftless.”

BY PRASHILA AMATYA In prom season, guys and girls alike are scrambling to find the perfect date. The pressure to find a date is high; while Peninsula students have not resorted to any drastic measures, the same does not hold true for all schools.

Students at Corona Del Mar High School, in particular, employed a “prom draft”. Boys purchased draft tickets in order to land the most desirable prom date. This gross objectification of nearly half the student body was degrading and is fortunately not part of the Peninsula culture.

“I think it is absolutely ridiculous to rank people based on looks let alone bid on a prom date like a coin auction,” senior Brianna Bitting said. “People are not meant to be judged and treated like this, and even if it was a joke, I sure wouldn’t be laughing about it.”

Through anonymous emails to the press, a group called “the 2014 CdM Senior Prom Draft Committee” asserted that the Corona del Mar draft was created

with good intentions. As part of the draft process, boys pay a certain amount of money for a draft When a boy’s number was randomly chosen, he had two minutes to choose a girl to ask ticket. This ticket earned each boy a number, which was entered into a number ball roller, to prom. The “Committee” argued that the draft “provides a solution for two guys who want to ask the same girl.”

However true that statement may be, it should not be used to justify the objectification of females.

Although the draft does not prevent girls from rejecting prom proposals, it does involve boys ranking girls and treating them as possessions to be bought.

“I don’t like to be ranked; it makes me feel like an object for sale so I never considered doing that for another individual,” senior Miolani Grenier said. “It’s just low to pay someone to go.”

Such objectification is incongruous with this modern day and age. Corona del Mar’s prom draft did not allow for the possibility of a girl asking a guy to

prom, which is in fact a relatively common practice these days. The prom draft paints a stereotype of all girls being damsels in distress who need to be rescued by dashing princes. It does not take into account the independent nature of a strong, modern-day woman.

“Some may disagree, but I think girls asking guys is perfectly fine, and does not sound weird or absurd to me,” senior Chris Ha said.

Corona Del Mar principal Kathy Scott has since emailed the families of all students discouraging such degrading actions as the prom draft from being repeated in the future.

“Prom drafts can hurt people’s feelings and lower their self esteem,” Bitting said. “A prom draft is a unique form of bullying which should never be tolerated.”

It is a great compliment to the character of Peninsula’s student body that such a draft does not exist at this school. Prom should not be an event filled with stress over prospective dates and in the process insulting over half of a school’s student population.

PROM DRAFT PROCESS

1

TICKETS WERE SOLD to participants

2

NUMBERS were drawn for first pick

3

FEMALE STUDENTS were ranked

4

THE WINNER received first pick

5

we are

WHAT JACKIE UY/THE PEN

we

Read

Students add their own chapter to their favorite novels

By VALERIA PARK As teenagers, many students desire to be someone different or somewhere else.

This desire can be met when reading a book.

In fact, the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology finds that people who delve into the world of a fictional character may emulate that character’s behaviors. For instance, students may form different opinions than they had prior to reading the novel.

Since middle school, sophomore Leah Whang has been an avid reader of the “Hunger Games” trilogy by Susan Collins.

The dystopian novel is about Katniss Everdeen, a girl who is forced to kill other contestants in a game in order to survive.

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Through her experiences, she learns the meaning of love and sacrifice.

“After reading the Hunger Games in middle school, I looked up to the characters’ independence and tried to implement their traits into my lifestyle,” Whang said. “Reading defines who I am because fictional stories really affect me; I tend to get emotionally attached to the fantasy worlds I am exposed to.”

In addition to books that students read for fun, core novels impact students as well.

Freshman Sabrina Meyn is influenced by novels such as “To Kill A Mockingbird.” In the Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Harper Lee, Atticus Finch is an attorney who is faced with the dilemma of representing a black man in the intolerant South of the 1930s.

“Atticus’ experiences throughout the

trial helped me gain more wisdom,” Meyn said. “The novel made me develop another perspective that I could compare my own life to and fix.”

Junior Lisa Kurt, who will be next year’s National English Honor Society president, finds that reading allows her to understand human interaction on a higher level because she can step into someone else’s shoes.

She enjoys novels ranging from “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald to “Bossy Pants” by Tina Fey. “Reading is a neat experience because you get to really be that character in the story and view life from his or her point of view.

That is something that you can carry with you long after the book is done because that connection you formed with the characters stays with you,” Kurt said. “It’s all about

finding that connection to what you are reading so that you can truly enjoy it, and to what you make that connection to defines who you are as a person.”

Junior Heather Johnston’s passion for reading motivated her to create her own literary work.

“I have been writing a novel since freshman year and try to read daily because it helps me see life through other people’s eyes,” Johnston said.

“Reading develops my mind and has been a huge part of who I am.”

As one’s interests in fiction deepens, the increase in thoughts and behaviors that mimic those of fictional characters heightens as well. For bookworms, becoming more like a character can help define who they are.

FOCUS

Wear STUDENTS EXPRESS THEIR PERSONALITIES THROUGH DRESS

JACKIE UY/THE PEN

By JINA KIM Senior Alex Eisemann and juniors Austi Kaji, Noha Ayoub and Emily Starobrat aim to make a loud statement not by raising their voices, but by wearing bold clothing as a way to channel their personality and make a statement to their fellow peers.

In a sea of students clad in T-shirts and jeans, Eisemann’s ensemble of a buttondown shirt and a bow-tie stands out.

Eisemann finds comfort and confidence in a retro style.

“I don’t really care if clothes are expensive or cheap, but I like to look wellkept,” Eisemann said. “I have gotten a lot of positive feedback based on what I wear, but in the same respect I have gotten a decent amount of criticism. Regardless of what people wear, they should wear what makes them comfortable, and only fall into social trends [if] they want to.”

Like Eisemann, Kaji views fashion as her preferred method of expression. In the classroom, Kaji is the self-described “quiet” girl. However, outside the class, she is outgoing and she portrays this side of her

through her attire. “[What I wear] allows me to show a part of who I am without having to always be loud,” Kaji said. “I [also] generally do not keep to the same genre of style all the time. One day, I will wear all black ‘grunge,’ [and] another day I will wear a preppy outfit—it allows me to show all sides of my

“[What I wear] allows me to show a part of who I am without having to always be loud. ” Junior Austi Kaji personality.”

Kaji’s love for fashion has paved way for a future career, as she hopes to potentially become a fashion consultant.

“I would want to have a more personal relationship with my clients so I can tailor clothes to their liking instead of making clothes that will generally fit the status quo,” Kaji said.

Like Kaji’s interest in fashion, Starobrat’s love for clothing as a mode of expressing her personality has opened potential career paths.

“I decided to go into fashion after watching shows about creating clothing.

[These shows] are really interesting to me because I learned that there is not necessarily a right and wrong in fashion,” Starobrat said.

“Different styles and opinions help people express their various personalities.”

Ayoub’s hijab, or the Muslim veil, on the other hand, shows dedication to her religion.

Her hijab distinguishes her as a Muslim and, according to her, portrays modesty.

“It gives women power because we become the symbol of our religion and others look to us as representatives of the religion,” Ayoub said.

Ayoub’s clothing does not only specify her religious values. Beyond the veil, she also wears fandom T-shirts, club sweatshirts and colors that correspond to her personality.

No one should judge or be judged based on outward appearances alone. However, individuality intertwined with style can be used as a form of expression.

CreAte

STUDENTS PROJECT THEIR IDENTITY THROUGH THEIR CREATIONS

JACKIE UY/THE PEN

By ESTHER CHU Peninsula is filled with artistic, talented students, such as junior Ji Eun Jeong. Jeong began working with watercolors and pencils at a young age and her passion for drawing inspired her to become an artist.

“I began drawing when I was very little.

I used to copy my older sister when she was drawing cartoons,” Jeong said. “After a while, I ended up loving it and creating art myself.”

Jeong has won various awards, including the 2014 “Water is Life Art Contest,” where she represented Peninsula and won first place out of 470 applicants.

She also won second and third place in the Portuguese Bend Horse Show Poster contest.

“Art has become a form of language to me, especially because of my introverted personality,” Jeong said. “I have always expressed my interest, feelings and thanks to people through artwork. My main goal is to develop a unique art style or create an artwork that reminds people of me.”

Jeong once won a first place art award in Korea despite not being able to speak the language, thereby showing her that even when language is a barrier, people can communicate through art. Through her artwork, she can now easily connect with people of differing cultures and establish stronger relationships.

Likewise, junior Henry Han believes music,

“Music has always been a way to express myself in a way that words can not.

It is something I can do without anyone judging me for being me.”

Junior Henry Han a form of art, has influenced his life and his ability to communicate without words.

“I started playing the cello at the age of ten and won a few awards at the Southwestern Youth Music Festival (SYMF). I also got my

Certificate of Merit (CM),” Han said. “Music has always been a way to express myself in a way that words can not. It is something I can do without anyone judging me for being me.”

Art challenges Han to express himself without caring about what anyone else thinks, an ideal drawing and painting teacher Jamie Nyman agrees with.

“Having the opportunity to take creative risks and having more than one answer to visual problems is celebrated in the Arts,” Nyman said.

Nyman has been teaching students in the district for about eight years and started teaching art to children her freshmen year of college. She states that she learns new things from her students every year.

“I would like to break the misconception that students need to consider themselves as artsy or creative to be in this class,” Nyman said. “There is a lot more to art than being absolutely perfect and drawing photosrealistically. Learning about new medias, letting go of self-doubt, making friends and having new experiences are very important aspects in this class.”

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The

flip side:

The other side of the board

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ADRIENNE SHEH/THE PEN

By ALEX BOLOGNA Freshman Lane Burns, senior Nichole Cvitanovich and junior Brandon Yavas defy the common misconception that “skateboarding is a crime” every time they click ‘record’ on their cameras. Because skateboarding is often affiliated with criminal offenses like vandalism of public property and loitering, skateboarding has become widely known as a crime itself. Collaborating with local skateboarders to produce videos, these students showcase their talent in the underappreciated sport.

At age 13, Burns took a few of his friends, his skateboard and his little red Mytouch cellphone out to film his very first video for sponsorship.

Since then, his passion for skateboarding and the art of video production have helped him create a new name for himself in the skating community through YouTube.

With support from a growing audience, Burns plans to enter the “King of the Road” video competition put on by the blog, Skate Perception. His 60-minute video entry, featuring a montage of specific tricks and stunts performed by local skaters, is set to come out on July 21.

Unlike Burns, Cvitanovich commonly films documentaries, which spotlight different skaters of all levels and focus on the artistic aspects of skaters. In addition, she takes photographs

which have been submitted to skateboard magazines such as Thrasher, The Skateboard Mag and Transworld. Her latest film, “The Artistic Side to Skateboarding” is two hours long and features skateboarders such as junior Chris Randell, junior Brandon Yavas, junior Dustin Shafer, as well as many random skaters who frequent her filming locations.

According to Cvitanovich, the cornerstone of any skateboarding video is found in the skaters that happen to be performing at the designated filming location. Popular filming sites include many locations in San Pedro, such as Channel Skate Park and Sunken City, as well as the Korean Bell in Los Angeles.

In fact, last year Cvitanovich used all these locations to film her first skating video, where she not only made new friends, but also learned how to better utilize each skating location.

“I was so nervous. I had no idea what I was doing, but everyone [was] so welcoming and supportive,” said Cvitanovich.

It is this sense of community that motivates skate filmmakers like Cvitanovich, Burns and Yavas to continue filming and spreading it online.

After taking a video production course at school, Yavas began searching for new creative outlets and eventually found

skateboarding. Last year he created his own YouTube channel, InfernoStudios4, and has since produced over 45 videos, including his most recent video, “By-Laws of Beachbiking,” for the bike store Beachbikes.

Nevertheless, Yavas continues to create individual projects during his recreational trips to local skate parks.

“I love skating and filming, and combining two things that you love makes for this ultimate passion project,” Yavas said. “I don’t want to be limited in my creativity. I love doing all kinds of videos, but skate videos make up a good number of them.”

Almost all of his inspiration comes from constantly being involved in the skateboarding community. Often times, Yavas will simply go to Channel Skate Park and capture anything he can with the local skateboarders, then edit the video and post it on his YouTube channel.

As with Cvitanovich, his focus is always set on the art of the sport and the freedom of the skating lifestyle.

“There isn’t a set time and date for practices,” Cvitanovich said. “[There are] no uniforms, rules or regulations—everything is up to you. Skateboarding is about looking at the world differently and using the earth as your playground, and it’s your personal drive, ambition and self-motivation that keep you going.”

COURTESY OF NICHOLE CVITANOVICH

STUDENT LIFE

College student Troy Weber flips his board in San Pedro. Weber’s skateboarding is featured in Cvitanovich’s recent skate film.

Love at first Skype: video chatting sustains relationship

By JASMINE KIM

Can longdistance relationships be successful?

42% of students say no

58% of students say yes

*of a survey of 100 students YES

Two years ago, what started with a simple invitation to a Skype group call led to a committed long-distance relationship between junior JJ Accomando and his girlfriend Monica Spadina, who lives in Sydney, Australia. Junior Brittany Artiano, Spadina’s cousin, goes to Peninsula and served as the link between the two. “[After introducing them], I was sort of expecting them to get together, because they talked pretty much every day,” Artiano said. “When she came to visit, I actually never felt like a third wheel since they’re both my close friends.”

According to Accomando, the first time they met in person was in Hawaii.

“I wasn’t nervous until my mom and I pulled up to the hotel,” Accomando said. “I was heading towards the elevators because I didn’t see her, but for some reason I had a feeling she was there and decided to look one more time.”

After a wandering gaze, their eyes met and they both knew.

“We immediately ran up to each other and hugged,” Accomando said. “After all the nerves went away, the whole week in Hawaii was like a perfect date.”

Although they both admitted to liking each other from the start, they spent almost a year Skyping until confessing their feelings to one another. Since then, Accomando and Spadina have been together for eleven

months.

“We talk for hours, normally around six-hour conversations and a couple times we Skyped for almost 15 hours,” Accomando said. “During the week I usually have to stay up late until like 3 a.m. because of the time difference.”

The two get to see each other only twice a year.

“I message her at sixth period because that is usually when she wakes up, and then she calls me at around 3:10 p.m.

[PST] to talk for twenty minutes before [work,” Accomando said.

“She then calls at around 9:00 p.m. [PST] which is her break and when she gets home we Skype until I fall asleep.”

According to Accomando, he and Spadina have formed

a relationship with good foundations of trust and commitment.

“She’s my best friend and I trust her more than I trust most people,” Accomando said. “It isn’t trust that’s difficult; it’s not being able to see each other in person that’s difficult.”

Both decided that they’ll want to live in Australia, and that Accomando can live on there on student visas until he is able to get citizenship.

“She’s the perfect girl, and there isn’t a single thing I would change about her, or a single thing more that I would want from her,” Accomando said. “She’s a girl that is worth waiting for and I know I’ll never find anyone quite like her ever again.”

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SPORTS

LaCrosse the Board AMBER GIANVECCHIO/THE PEN

With a new coach and a revamped love for the game, boys’ varsity lacrosse completely changed course to finish the season with a 4-2 Bay League record— their best in years.

By CHRIS KONG

Junior Lance Plonski practices with the lacrosse team. His work and that of his teammates led to the success of the boys’ lacrosse team in the 2014 season.

Boys’ lacrosse could be seen taking a one-mile warm up jog around the track before practice. From sixth period to around 5:00 p.m. each day, they ran, blocked and scrimmaged in preparation for game days.

All of this hard work led to a dramatic performance of a 4-2 league record to end the season. With its first victories against Palos Verdes and Mira Costa in over eight years, the team ended the 2014 season ranked second in Bay League and 46th in California, just one spot below Palos Verdes. Before head coach and former college coach Lane Jaffe’s arrival, the team had experienced a winning drought since 2010.

“The coaching really played a key factor in our success this season,” junior Colton Michel said. “The way we practiced, made plays and played the game intensified and improved dramatically since last year.”

Jaffe’s leadership ignited a winning attitude in the players.

“We can already see the

substantial influence Jaffe has had on us,” Michel said.

Jaffe’s first had to help the athletes prioritize lacrosse with their other activities.

“I think that a lot of the guys had difficulty at the beginning of the season understanding what commitment [meant],” Jaffe said. “These guys have a lot of things on their plate. As they began to prioritize lacrosse, we saw a dramatic increase in performance.”

Jaffe played goalie at Rutgers University for three years. In 2004, he moved to California to become the head lacrosse coach at UCLA where he was named Western Collegiate Lacrosse League Coach of the Year two years later. He became head coach at Palos Verdes High School, leading the team to two victorious seasons and two Bay League Championships and was also named the Bay League Coach of the Year in 2008 and 2009.

“Jaffe made Palos Verdes’ lacrosse program the powerhouse it is today,” sophomore Koby Tseng said.

“His coaching style is precise and powerful; he is able to make teams great.”

Jaffe felt compelled to return to his roots while coaching at Dominican University of California.

“I was coming back from coaching college and I realized that I wanted to be coaching high school again,” Jaffe said.

“A couple of Peninsula parents asked me if I wanted to coach here and help out and I said yes.”

Upon joining the staff in 2013, Jaffe saw the potential within the players.

“The guys didn’t lack the talent or anything along those lines,” Jaffe said, “I believe that they just needed a leader who could guide them and help them reach their potential.”

Nonetheless, chemistry and skill also played a substantial part in the team’s victories in the 2014 season.

“Once we score once or twice, it just clicks,” senior Wesley Kitagawa said. “We are able to score automatically and relentlessly.”

A balancing act: students struggle to balance academics with athletics

By DANI CASTANEDA While student athletes are devoted to their team, they must also dedicate time to their education. In this respect, boys’ tennis and softball make the grade.

With the highest average GPA in the Southern Section, both teams earned all-academic awards from the CIF. With an average GPA of 3.69, softball had the highest GPA of schools with 1500 or more students. The softball team went to Angel Stadium on Apr. 29 to receive the award. Senior and softball varsity captain Brooke Christensen could not have been more proud of her team.

“It’s great that we won,” Christensen

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said. “We all take advanced classes, so Teachers and administrators show it’s great that we [earned] that award concern for students’ stress loads. while balancing softball with academics.” “[Some] students think they can Maintaining high performance levels juggle more than they can handle, and at practice and in the classroom are that sets them up for disaster,” Athletic important for Director Wendell “Just manage your time and take Yoshida said. “We all those on baby steps. The worst thing to campus. want our students have after four hours of homework performing their “I try to is a five hour practice.” make sure best in school work our students and athletics, so it’s are balancing important to us that Senior Brooke Christensen [school and they are comfortable sports] correctly,” Principal Mitzi Cress asking for help.” said. “We appreciate the enthusiasm Students are encouraged to emitted from the students, but school participate at each of their athletic work comes first.” events, but many students have felt that

being involved in a school sport impacts their time to do much else.

“I suffered earlier this year from a back muscle injury [while] I was apart of girls’ water polo and swimming,” sophomore Hannah McGuinness said.

“I have experienced heavy conflict between doctor visits, practices and keeping up with school.”

Christensen advises students to know how to balance their schedules and prioritize.

“Know what you have to do ahead of time.” Christensen said. “Just manage your time and take baby steps. The worst thing to have after four hours of homework is a five hour practice.”

11

12

the

senior issue

WA

Gonzaga U

Morgan, Elijah Panfil, Brandon Stiebel, Erik

MT

U of W

U of M, Missoula

Hayashi, Kenno Iacono, Claire Innab, Tara Iseri, Brittany Wash. State Lee, David H. Fish, Anastasia Lynn, Audrey Matsuo, Mei Taira, Andrew U of Puget Urasaki, Alexander Zane, Joshua Sound Harrington, Harper

OR

U of Oregon

WY

U of Wyoming Barber, Jennifer

By SUNNIE KIM & STEPHANIE MINN

Brigham Young Boise State

Aube, Kaitlann Martinez, Triston

Stanford

Clark, Daria Lucas, Chris

Arico, Natalie

Otis College of Art & Design Choi, Candace

Sonoma State U Santa Clara U Schifsky, Amanda

U of Utah

Sinsioco, Matthew Van Riper, Michelle Yasunaga, Haley

U of Redlands

Cortes, Laura DiMatteo, Michael

Long Beach City College Cosgrove, Dylan

UC Berkeley

MN

U of M. Twin Cities

UT

Castagnola, Natalie

Hashemi, Donya Powell, Emily Hilton, Katerina Marchant, Geoffrey Portland State Bruno, Hannah Ribble, Christine Williams, Claire Pacific U Yokoyama, Kristen Escutia, Ian Privett, Marie Louise Hunt, Sade

Greco, Olivia

ID

Oregon State

Eastern Oregon U

FUTURE DESTINATI

470 s 59% s 41% l

Grove, Nina Melton, Talia

CO

Macalester College

Hasama, Jaime

Colorado State U of Pacific

LaMonte, Graham

Air Force Acad.

Chacon, Oscar

Gould, Evan Lagmay, Jeric Ishmael Lee, Ryan

NE

Concordia U

Scott, Shane UCLA Scripps College Bishop, Daniel Asemanfar, Kayla Au, Kylie Boisvert, Justin Brennan, Kelley USC Chang, Amanda The LA Film School Colin, Grant Ballinger, Andrew Choi, Rachel DeLeon, Jorge Dahlerbruch, Katie Salisbury, Joshua Ichinose, Emily Chang, Kaitlin Damiani, Isabel UCSB Hall, Adam Marymount U Kyle Chung, Tiffany Dojiri, Stacey Cal Poly Pomona Sasaki, Bui, Amanda Dimyan, Luke Hashimoto, Michael Vega, Isabelle Goud, Manoj Hu, Richard Bogosian, Edward Cho, Mary Hong, Stacey Ghreiwati, Omar Yeh, Austin Ho, Katrina Lee, Samantha Costantini, Christopher Daar, Adam Lackpour, Amir Kim, Alyson Hong, Soolgi Lim, Darren UCR U of Kansas Du, Joven Duston, John Lauro, Julianna Kim, Jenny Irawan, Isabel Macnguyen, Tristan Awad, Haidar McGuinness, Kim, Hojoon Fairchild, Austin Murakami, Kurt McFarland, Andrew Eisemann, Alexander Lanman, McCall Rebecca Lee, David Y. Kim, Mitchell U of San Diego Nasrallah, Leane Lee, Matthew Merchant, Kahjal Hatamiya, Kevin Rasmussen, Erik Chacon, Mikaela Omidsalar, Audrey Le, Erik Pedersen, Jessica Muller, Vikram Ishino, Kyle Sommer, Drew Nguyen, Tiffany Westergaard, Brenna Ren, Emily Nguyen, Ryan Shabbir, Izma Kim, Ryan Olsen, Hannah UCD Zeitlin, Michael Sha, Sophie Rietdyk, Arthur Shen, Stacey Kuboshima, Kiichi Rapoza, Heather CSULB Alsaidi, Tara Wang, Brandon Shen, Stephen Masoudipour, Neema Southwell, Luke Rein, Rebecca Haber, Joshua Carino, Nicholas Wong, Ryan Thomas, Garrett Wong, Michael Mendoza, Darlene Silverio, Skyler Kocsy, Shane Fafard, Alexandra Xue, Xin Rui Valasek, Stephanie Wong, Michelle Shaikh, Sana Arizona Stat Uetrecht, Madison Kozachenko, Kaylee Freije, Amelia Yang, Luther Wang, Jing Ya Zahedi, Javana Almeida, Gillian South, Matthew Ong, Patrick Cal Poly SLO Karunatileka, Praveen Zulli, Alessandro Beidleman, Brittany Wathugala, Samantha Beagle, Serena UCSD Trutanich, Ashley Draffen, Rachel Park, Caroline Art Center Wood, Anna Chapman U Brunnenmeyer, Amatya, Prashila Watts, Landon El Camino Harik, Casey Pham, Dahlia College Yong, Kelly Cotter, Timothy Goodrich, Sydn Ban, Lisa Yamamoto, Kan Andelin, Tyler Ickes, Jeffrey Riedl, Anna of Design Han, Weston LA Harbor College Katagi, Hannah Bergstrom, Tayler Baeza, Andrew Yang, Amy Kan, Aaron Lee, Monique Lyons, Matthew Holloway, Kyle Castelao, Michael Pepperdine Do, Anh Batarseh, Peter Lee, Anissa Neeno, Lauren Kalmey, Gillian Westmont College Chaney, Aurora Green, Maxwell Benjeloune, Nadia Claremont Edwards, Eric McHugh, Jeffrey Russ, Kelly Lott, Jasmyne Miceli, Gianna Dietz Alvarez, Claudia McFarland, Connor Flores, Micaela Brunone, Marco Ritchie, Gregory McKenna Tavetian, Sylvia Olivo, Karin Hosseini, Jasmine Cabarrubias, Taylor Dill, Wayne SFSU Valukonis, Amy College Dusevic, Milica LMU Ko, Brandon Cutri, Girlamo Bamishile, Raymond Nor UCI UCSC Hong, Kristyne Nejad, Tara Farooquee, Omar Ballinger, Megan Davis, Noah Buchanan, Donte Judge Heller, Gina Battey, Charisse Gage, Grant Barr, Claire Shimamura, Tokio Gorney, Victoria Donahue, Tiffany Schne Kumar, Shreshth Finkel, Teale Gutierrez, Armando Burch, Kristen Tong, Cameron Hong, Julie Eisemann, Megan Kawano, Mitsumasa Hower, Tara Christensen, Brooke Lauro, Rosario Yoon, Richard Jackson, William Fielding, Amber Lumley, Justin Lee, David Kim, Eubene Cooney, Joseph Johannsen, Alexandra Matsumoto, Hanna Point Loma Nakamura, Mia Takemasa, Jun Melara Guzman, Bryan Enriquez, Louie Kamar, Anthony Tankai, Jun Nazarene U Song, Shannon Zimmerman, Daniel Osborn, Summer Frost, Michelle Kurkov, Alec Paul Villaluz, Carina Lem, Natalie Speciale, Christiana Qureshi, Alexander Fukushima, Rie Lee, Erik Wells, Nyla Mira Costa College Strong, Galatea Ramos, Sergio Hokama, Megan Saavedra, Stephanie Concordia U Lee, Nicolas Tabatabaiepur, Samira Rathbun, Samantha Lee, Alex Lukacova, Anna Scott, Emily Cristiano, Joshua Rivas, Janice Lee, Eric Medeiros, Briana The American Musical & Mt. St. Mary’s College Ross, Alyssa Nguyen, Kevin Dramatic Academy Nelson, Colin Torres, Kristina Simac, Christian Palladini, Daniel Barnett, Tyler Nowacki, Royce Sipin, Dennis Rastegar, Jason Dunbar, Mason Parreno, Michelle CSU Dominguez Hills Zhao, Jerald Raymond, Jordan Pettis, Michael Pilato, Mark U of SF Webber, Holland Ventura, Mikaela Pyon, Francis Simplis, Vanessa Matlock, Candice Wonder, Robin U of British Wong, Kelli Webber, Holland Yuste, Nathan St. Mary’s College Columbia Pasadena SDSU CSU San Marcos Wonder, Robin Scully, Ellen of CA City Bradford, Josiah David Santa Monica Slaught, Jessica Haus, Edward Monjezi, Shahin Song, Krystal College College MacGilfrey, Brett Yudess, Jordan Bruno, Joseph CalTech Asgari, Keana U of Hawaii Young Americans Cypress College Woo, Kelly Makhoul, Natalie at Manoa Roche, Kelsey College of Abu Higley, Nouf Moody, Alex Shier, Taylor

Academy of Art U Livian, Ryan CSU Fullerton Biola U Hoard, Amparo

KS

A

HI

Performing Arts Tanny, Michael

CA

CANA

NY

seniors polled staying in CA leaving ca

Marist College Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

IONS

Again, Ian Amstock, Graham

U of Rochester Kim, Jong Min

Turner, Austin Harwell, Gabrielle

Purdue U

Harwell, Megan Jacobson, Edwin Khan, Fatima Pond, Liliana Vieweg, Brodie

IL

Monmouth College

Mistry, Isabella

Ropella, Sydney Motoyama, Yuri Zhang, Mina

n

Josh ney

U of Arizona

Conterno, Nicolas Hack, Ryan Klokkevold, Ashley Nelsen, Garrett Reisz, Justin Zack, Rachel

Scottsdale Community College Lacombe, Amanda

rthern Arizona U

OH

Edelstein, Natalie

OK

Haruyama, Aya

MD

Bartkowski, Alison Chen, Tiffany Ha, Chang Hun Lee, Julie Paik, Erin

U of Delaware Doherty, Caitlin

Washington College Martinez, Rachel

Lalani, Zohair Han, Katherine

SC

Clemson U

Kruener, Madeleine

TN

Keio University Morimoto, Yu

Waseda University Fujiwara, Momoko Irie, Ben Kusakabe, Taiki Takamura, Yuka Yasuoka, Sean

Vanderbilt U

Magidson, Victoria Michel, Christopher

U of TN, Martin

JAPAN

Anderson, Sarah

Southern Methodist U Miller, Ross Texas Christian U Stettler, Noah

Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology

Doty, John Hershberger, Chase Houk, Thomas Iseli, Linda Mondy, Brianna Baylor U Moore, Matthew Prock, Bo Caitlyn U of Texas Takeda, Wirtz, Taylor Holcomb, Katie Largoza, Kelsey

Rice U

Kil, Min Sung Kim, SangHee

Hebrew University of Jersusalem Blinder, Elana

DE

Johns Hopkins U

Chung, Cheeho

Vyce, Jordan Wagner, Lucas

Augello, Ryan

NJ

Princeton U Rutgers U

Emory U

Marine Corp

U of Oklahoma

Komatsu, Eric

Charles, Mitchel Kerkhof, Delaney

GA

Miller, Allegra

Karner, Sydney

RI

Aviel, Nicki

Merola, Giancarlo

Oklahoma State

Dean, Russell Gilbertson, Courtney Kumar, Raya

Brown U

U of Pittsburgh

An, Jason Lachapelle, Evan Oh, Hyunseok

Washington & Lee

Tufts U

Kitagawa, Wesley

Ohio State U

Malone, Erin

Bucher, Ross Grenier, Miolani Li, Jian Yuan Lore, Jozsef

Brass, Alexander

Stephan, Paul

VA

Boston U

Emerson College

Denison U

Hampton U

U of Missouri

PA

Haji, Daniya

Lajeunesse, Cassandra

Georgetown U

TX

e, Earl eiderman, Jacob

ADA

Bitting, Brianna Chen, Loren Klose, Rachel

Barnes, Scott

Huang, Jesse Kee, Dustin Kong, Thomas Korotzer, Jared

Babson College

Carnegie Mellon U Gao, Jingyi Villanova U Sun, Irene Kawakami, Conner Lehigh U

Sato, Kevin

MO

Cha, Katie Ma, Yingsong Nishida, Michael

Williams, Cameron

George Washington

Wash U, St. Louis

te

U of Notre Dame

American U

U of Chicago

AZ

Black, Catherine Olson, Tracy

Allegheny College Odusanya, David Drexel U Bucknell U Chaffey, John

DC

Minn, Stephanie

Northeastern U

Hansen, Matthew

Hanks, Veronika

Mendoza, Alex

Ringblom, Annika

Colgate U

St. Mary’s College

SAIC

U of IL at Urbana-Champaign Lee, Alice Northwestern U Liu, Sherry Tai, Emma

Gregson, Shawna

Harvard U

Kanemitsu, Nicole Yeh, Rebecca

Bae, John

Darling, Elisabeth Prasad, Alisha

Kuntz, Joshua Monnier, Daniel

Hofstra U

MA

Syracuse U

IN U, Bloomington

Michigan State

Knox College

Oda, Benjamin Shim, Kenneth

Duarte, Michelle

Dokko, Rachel

Parson’s School of Design Cabral, Kayla AMDA College & Conservatory of the Performing Arts

IN

U of Michigan

Cornell U

Colby College

Dartmouth U

Kim, Sunnie

Castillo, Andrew Marcott, Jennifer Wu, Tiffany

St. John’s U

MI

Fordham U

Fuh, Justin Gould, Holly

Pak, Austin

Choi, Daniel

NH

NYU

Taitano Johnson, Jacqueline

ME

ISRAEL

SOUTH KOREA Franklin College Switzerland Jack, Alani

SWITZERLAND

Senior Wills I, Izma Shabbir, will Uswah Shabbir, my mini-me and most cherished friend, The Pen, Zohair’s potato wedges and an incredible senior year.

Thank you so much for advising me, supporting me and telling me when I look ugly. To Tayler Bergstrom, eyelash curlers and Disneyland tickets; to Alyson Kim, a regular supply of hot dogs in UCLA’s dining hall. I will just a boba, rulers and anonymous notes to Samantha Lee. I will to Leane Nasrallah endless smiles and Uswah’s hair-braiding skills. To Nicki Aviel, I will Belle’s library from Beauty and the Beast -- thank you for being the light of my life and for truly making me a better person over the years. To Fatima Khan, I will my mother’s spicy pasta and as many non-fiction books as her bookshelf will hold. And finally, to Lauren Lee, I will giggles throughout labs, John Mayer CDs, Grey’s Anatomy discussions and my complete adoration and respect.

I, Patrick Anthony Ong, will the middle name of my firstborn to Michael “Hashi” Hideo Hashimoto (e.g. Carlton-Olufolarin Hashi Ong or Aubrey-Plaza Hashi Ong). I have known Mr. Hashimoto for twelve years and spent nearly everyday with him. He is, without a doubt, one of my greatest friends I have the pleasure of knowing. This way, I can keep Hashi in my family as well as in yours (because we are family at this point). Additionally, I can pass down the lore of “MGM” and “Leo” to future generation of Ongs.

All I ask in exchange is a thought of me whenever “Bonfire” by Childish Gambino or “September” by Earth, Wind, and Fire is played.

I, Stephanie Minn, will to Geena Shah and Golshan Helfman, the queens of Choreo and leaders of the free world (or at least of MUN), infinite pinkie kisses and endless Beyoncé sass. I will to my protégé Marine Fujisawa a happy three more years of high school. To Lauren Lee, I will the awkwardness and sheer incompetence passed down by Jim Blackwood.

I will to Uswah Shabbir our favorite font, Bebas, and my whole hearted passion for The Pen; you have all else you need to lead the paper to unprecedented heights. And of course, to Stacey Dojiri, my better half, I will free Starbucks drinks, incredible success at Berkeley and my unfailing love and respect-- It is an honor to call you my best friend.

I, Anna Riedl, will my signature mating call to Kendall Kissel to help her in her endeavors. I will my gift for coming up with funky nicknames to Kriya Wong (aka KriKri), my Bolsa Grande to Courtney Klashman and my talent for making awkward faces to Talia Baddour. To Susan Kim, I give my skills in storytelling so that she will never again end with an “.... and yeah.” To the Boys’ Cross Country team, I will all my fishing equipment; may you guys never be hookless. And finally, to my whole Cross Country family, I will my love for running and bonding with the amazing people I run with. Push on, bumblebees!

I, Christopher Michel, will to Coed Choreo, Girls’ Choreo and Varsity Dance my incredible dancing abilities. To Isabel Damiani, my awesome singing talent. My amazing tennis skills to Mark Hashimoto. My gluten free diet to Mrs. Crowley and Chelsea Na. And my love and kindness to all my friends and family.

I, Nichole Cvitanovich, will the circle table in the back of the library that I’ve spent countless hours at to my little sister Alexa. I’ve made many memories at that table, spending hours there studying and people watching.

A special collection of wills from departing members of the Class of 2014.

I, Samantha Wathugala, will Mr. Starodub to Shreya, all the falsetto to Chris Lee, more yellow to the world (consult Ms. Chaiyont if curious), Tris to Doc and Doc to Steph (not that they need me for that one), good luck to all the sophomores whom I called juniors this year, the song lyric “I am going to make it through this year if it kills me” to everyone who needs it, hugs to those I love who tolerate hugs and a well-deserved peace to my parents.

I, Sunnie Kim, will caramel frapps, lots of blank paper and the kind of love you only see between Dean and Castiel to my protégé, Angela Song.

To my sister, Jean Won, a relatively stress-free junior year, Benedict Cumberbatch’s cheekbones and all the clothes I can’t take with me to New York. To Jina, the world’s greatest love stories as told by shadowhunters, grisha and every other mythological creature written in YA Fiction. To Luke, Francis and Alice, I will ridiculously expensive flower bouquets, bear hugs and all the data memory we used up taking pictures of ourselves. To Zohair, all the red pens that have disappeared into H52, late-night existential crises and one more dance to Badtameez before we graduate. I would also will you Deepika but she is mine. To Chris Kong, who has the biggest heart I know, I will endless adventures with Elizabeth and Booker, happy times with Lucy and zebra hot chocolates in the winter. And finally to Alexander, I will a Hogwarts lego set, several nights to binge-watch Breaking Bad and a new leash for Nerro.

I, Rachel A. Klose, will all my remaining sass to the lovely Niki Khajavand.

I, Tayler Bergstrom, will to my Girls Gossip Session the ultimate ability to all be kept in the loop of everything that is happening around us, at all times. To next year’s ASB I will good fortune and creativity to think outside the box. Go crazy. Try new things. It will reward you with unforgettable experiences. To Golshan and Arman, I will the strength and power of a club commissioner, knowing that you two will outshine us in no time. Use the stamp wisely. To Leane I will nothing. You have everything you need to succeed, which I know you will do regardless of any obstacles that try to stand in your way. To everyone else, I will happiness. May all your lives be filled with joy, no matter where your paths lead you.

I, Soolgi Hong, will my brother Jungi all my AP and SAT prep books (even though you don’t need them), Jerry, control over the Netflix account, a stressful yet rewarding junior year and a lot of coffee. I will Ingi good luck as you enter high school Latin as a gawky eighth grader, my procrastination and my headphones. I will Lauren Lee the water jugs and flashlights and a driver’s license because I sadly won’t be here to drive you anymore. I will Isabel, Raya and Stephanie trampolines, hover hands, vegetarian cuisine, giraffe merchandise, bean bag chairs and all my love, although you guys already have it.