Issue 1

VOL. XXXVIII ISSUE 1 SEPTEMBER 22, 2017

THE

AT AN IMPASSE

Conversations regarding salary and benefit increases have come to a standstill NEWS PAGE 2

Mangos and Melodies

Going for Broke

Improving and Expanding

Seniors collaborate to express their creativity through song

Peninsula students may graduate with college debt

Peninsula plans for a future revamp of its facilities

STUDENT LIFE PAGE 8

OPINION PAGE 5

FOCUS PAGE 6-7

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news

faculty and district negotiating change

PVFA and PVPUSD, school districts in surrounding areas receive smaller payments per student yet teachers receive a larger salary than those in Palos As of Aug. 31, the Palos Verdes Faculty Association (PVFA) and the Palos Verdes. During the 2015-16 school year, 47.2 percent of Redondo Beach Unified Verdes Peninsula Unified School District School District expenditures were (PVPUSD) have declared impasse on allotted for teacher salaries, compared the issue of salary and benefit increases to the 42.6 percent given to PVPUSD for faculty. With this impasse, PVPUSD teachers. faculty seek to achieve an increase in “The union’s major issue is that the salary and benefits, which has been a district is not the lowest funded district persisting issue. in the area, but we have the lowest paid “Impasse simply means the two sides faculty,” Chair of the faculty association’s are not able to reach an agreement bargaining team and Advanced without the assistance of a third party,” Placement English Language and English Superintendent Don Austin said.

1 teacher Tim Coleman said. “We want “[PVPUSD and PVFA] have different interpretations of the numbers and some competitive salaries for our PVFA.” As stated in PaySa, a website that differing opinions about the allocation shows statistics of available dollars.”

“As a whole, our teams have maintained of schools in the nation, the On the night excellent working relationships, and average salary for of Sept. 6, the when resolution is not immediately PVPUSD teachers second Board of Education obtainable the relationships can become is $60,000. In Teach California, meeting of the temporarily strained.” the average pay 2017-18 school -Superintendent Don Austin roll for teachers year was held is $70,268. at the Malaga Although Peninsula is ranked No. 6 in Cove Administration Board Room. All high schools in California and No. 54 in stakeholders within the community had the nation, the teachers of this district the opportunity to voice their opinions. still have a salary below the average.

Faculty members and students spoke Currently, teachers who are part about their dissatisfaction with the of the PVFA will not be performing current state the district. auxiliary duties that are outside the “As a whole, our teams have terms of their contract. Among these maintained excellent working uncompensated tasks are writing letters relationships, and when resolution is not of recommendation, posting to Aeries immediately obtainable the relationships outside pf interim, quarter and semester can become temporarily strained,” reporting and advising clubs.

Austin said.

“I believe our teachers go above As stated in the PVPUSD Community and beyond what they are paid for and Letter dated Sept. 1 2017, PVPUSD has deserve a salary that corresponds to proposed a two-year agreement of 3.1 percent ongoing salary retroactive to Jul. the amount of effort they give to our 1 2017. According to the September 2017 students and the community,” senior Nicole Hay said.

Fact Sheet for the negotiations between

Rachel Liu / The Pen

Jordan Chang, asumi shuda and ana willoughby

news (3)

Kuykendall returns home to the panther family nothing but respect and admiration for the hard work that both the students and teachers put into making this school such an exceptional place, and I am excited to learn more about this campus.”

Kuykendall started his teaching career at Vista Grande Elementary School and taught there until he switched

asumi shuda

Lauren Leung

A new school year means new beginnings, new connections and new people. Palos Verdes Peninsula High School (PVPHS) is no exception. As of the 2017-18 school year, Brent Kuykendall is Peninsula’s new principal.

Kuykendall was part of the graduating class of Peninsula in 1995. He went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, as well as a master’s degree in educational leadership.

After graduating from Northern Arizona University with his bachelor’s degree, he came back to Palos Verdes and taught until he returned to school to further his education by receiving a minor degree in Mathematics. Currently, he is in a doctoral program in which he is working on his dissertation for educational leadership policy studies.

“When I transferred here as Peninsula’s principal, it felt like I was coming home,” Kuykendall said. “I have

“When I transferred here as Peninsula’s principal, it felt like I was coming home.”

-Principal Brent Kuykendall to substituting. However, most of his educational career has been spent at Ridgecrest Intermediate School. During Kuykendall’s time at Ridgecrest, he was primarily a Math and Physical Education teacher. He then transferred to Miraleste Intermediate School as Assistant

Principal later moving to Palos Verdes High School as their Assistant Principal.

Kuykendall then became principal of Ridgecrest and Miraleste Intermediate schools before becoming a member of Peninsula’s administration.

“I feel like Kuykendall can change this school for the better,” senior Yoonjin Lee said. “I am excited to spend my last year of high school with him as our new principal, and I trust that he will make this year the best it can be.”

As principal of PVPHS, Kuykendall has the chance to reconnect with students he previously served at other schools in the district.

“I remember [being a student] back at Ridgecrest when he was still the principal, and he would high-five students as they walked by him and casually ask them how their day was [going],” sophomore Judith Park said.

“Talking to him was something that I looked forward to during my years at Ridgecrest, and now I am excited to relive these fond memories here with Mr. Kuykendall being our new principal.”

new lunch packs a punch

minji jeun And kristen lu

need to greatly improve options [on campus] while making them seem like a value and keeping them at low prices.”

The changes also bring new options for students with dietary restrictions.

Sophomore Arpit Jalan is a vegetarian who has been buying school lunches since freshman year at Peninsula.

“Vegetarians and vegans do not eat school lunches simply because there are

Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District (PVPUSD), in conjunction with Titan School Solutions, has created a more convenient solution for parents to pay for lunches and monitor their child’s lunch orders. Students and parents are now able to load money onto a student account, making purchasing lunch easier.

School lunch coordinators have also begun altering the menu to include “Any good chef will say you must a wider array of healthy options and always use salt to make your food vegan meals. taste good. That becomes an issue when Junior Holden Dahlerbruch you legally have to have less than 500 discussed his efforts as student lunch coordinator to improve milligrams of salt.” school lunches. He works as a - junior Holden Dahlerbruch representative, communicating reviews from students to the district. not many options available to them,” Dahlerbruch created a survey in order Jalan said. “The only vegetarian option to plan new menu items according that I know of is pizza, and I do not think to student interests. One of the there are any vegan options. If there biggest challenges he and school lunch were other vegetarian options, I would coordinators faced was constructing definitely try them out. ” palatable meals while abiding by nutrition While Jalan looks forward to new laws. lunches that he will be able to eat, he “Any good chef will say you must believes that the new payment system is always use salt to make your food taste not a progressive step for the school. good,” Dahlerbruch said. “That becomes “The new payment system, if anything, an issue when you legally have to have makes it harder because you have to less than 500 milligrams of salt. With enter your ID [number]. It takes a bit the nutritional laws and ever growing longer for me since I haven’t loaded any number of off campus options, we will money on my account and still have to

punch in my ID [number],” Jalan said.

Christina Lin, PVPUSD Director of Food Services, explained how the new lunch payment system was brought to the high schools and why she believes that it will be beneficial to students.

“We had quite a bit of success with the electronic payment system at the elementary level and wanted to create a transition to intermediate and high school levels,” Lin said. “With a single system at all grade levels, parents could manage their students’ meal accounts in a single place. Furthermore, using paper tickets is a rather outdated system and the district wanted to make sure we were utilizing the most efficient and upto-date system available.”

Though some students such as Jalan are dissatisfied with the new system, Lin has noticed an overall positive student reaction.

“We have seen an increase in the number of students buying lunch and snacks,” Lin said. “Students who have funds on their meal account love the new system. There is no more fumbling with cash, loose coins and having to buy meal tickets every month. Beyond the new payment system, we are also working with a theme of ‘Fresh Menu. Fresh Look.’ We have new menu items and continue to seek higher quality products to serve.”

PVPUSD h as allot ted $989,497 for Food Services a during th nd e 201718 schoo l year.

jenna yamada / The Pen

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opinion

THE PEN PALOS VERDES PENINSULA HIGH SCHOOL 27118 Silver Spur Road, Rolling Hills Estates, CA 90274 EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Zoe Willoughby Stella Yoo MANAGING EDITOR Phoebe Borsum DESIGN EDITOR Connor Tumelty NEWS EDITORS: Jordan Chang Ana Willoughby WRITERS: Minji Jeun Kristen Lu Asumi Shuda OPINION EDITOR: Nina Li WRITERS: Jung In Kim Adrian Tai Gigi Wargin FOCUS EDITORS: Liana Korotzer Anne Lee WRITERS: Nicole Khalil STUDENT LIFE EDITORS: Alison Kim Emily McGinn WRITERS: Sam Herrmann Saffy Laurio Elissa Luce SPORTS EDITORS: Rianne Aguas Christopher Chien WRITERS: Christopher Guanzing Sarah Liu Haris Rao GRAPHICS Rachel Liu Jenna Yamada Alex Yoo BUSINESS & ADVERTISING Sung Gyung Lee ADVISER Jaymee Johnson “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 Sung Gyung Lee at (310) 377- 4888 ext. 652. The Pen editors appreciate Letters to the Editor, which are accepted up to one week before publication. You may submit them to H52 or to Jaymee Johnson’s mailbox.

Copyright © 2017 Cover Design by Connor Tumelty

It’s not a game, it’s our livelihood Editorial Staff

Our district’s faculty contribute so profoundly to all of our lives here at Peninsula– they are our teachers, listeners, mentors, supporters, advocates and sometimes, even our therapists. However, the recent negotiations between the district and the faculty have compromised the faculty’s ability to focus on these imperative roles and instead, forced them to become preoccupied with the state of their financial well-being.

Manhattan Beach Unified School District (MBUSD) is a district that has repeatedly been compared to Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District (PVPUSD) for similar high rankings and performance. However, the disparities between the two

districts persist. PVPUSD Superintendent Donald B. Austin was compensated $50,720 more in total pay and benefits than the superintendent of MBUSD in 2016. Moreover, MBUSD’s step and column shows that teachers who have not yet received their master’s were paid more than those in PVPUSD for that same school year. The number of district administrators has also been growing, further displacing the money that could be funding teachers and other faculty who make direct impacts on our education. It is clear that money in the district is being distributed improperly and inefficiently and difficult to deny that the district nearly exploits the faculty to a disturbing extent while claiming they do not have the funds to support salary and benefit increases.

Meanwhile, the #WorldClass title is plastered across the PVPUSD website, expecting our schools to maintain this title under poor wages and treatment.

Though the frustration surrounding the absence of recommendation letters, clubs and grade updates is understandable, it is crucial to

recognize that the matter goes beyond the list of potential disservices to students. The faculty did not pursue their careers in hopes of making large amounts of money; they pursued their careers to inspire and teach and touch lives. Despite the district offering measly increases in each of their proposals, they do not understand the principle of this battle. The current battle being fought is not merely about money; it is about the faculty hanging on to their last shred of dignity that has yet to be taken away.

We students owe too much of our success and growth to the faculty to not support them during these negotiations. It is now in the hands of the district to give our faculty what they wholeheartedly deserve. connoR tumelty / The Pen

Feminine hygiene products should be free on campus Adrian tai On Sept. 6, Assembly Bill 10 passed the state Senate unopposed and if cleared

by Gov. Jerry Brown, it will require certain public schools from grades six to 12 to provide free feminine hygiene products such as pads and tampons for their students.

Although it may be costly to implement, providing these necessities for female students is a step forward in equalizing education between the sexes.

According to Huffington Post, Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia stated that many females miss school due to the inability to afford sufficient supplies or adequate sanitary products. This is an alarming issue that will be addressed and hopefully counteracted with the introduction of this bill.

“In theory, I believe this is a good idea, [but] in practice, it may fail,” school nurse Wendy Keller said. “If all students are responsible and do not waste the products, then it is a great idea. Otherwise, it could become too costly to fund. If, in fact, students are not coming to school because they cannot afford feminine hygiene products, then there is

a definite disadvantage to their instruction time.”

As seen on the California Legislative Information site, the State will reimburse school districts for these state mandated costs, but many worry that this plan will be a financial disaster.

While the bill may have the right intentions, lack of efficiency would result in a waste of menstrual products and money.

However, this bill will not apply to every public school in California; only schools where 40 percent of students meet the federal poverty threshold will be required to provide products.

The federal poverty threshold depends on the number of family members. According to the Health Care website, the current threshold ranges from $16,240 for a family of two to $28,780 for a family of five.

“While this bill would be costly, I believe that it is necessary enough that it is worth the cost,” senior Lydia Cheng said. “Making sure there is a prerequisite to determine which schools should be required to provide menstrual products for students ensures that it will be given to the ones that need it the most.”

If resources are used responsibly, there will be a

definite improvement in the health and education of female students.

In low-income areas, families are unable to afford a sufficient amount of supplies. Without enough pads or tampons, girls must use menstrual products longer than the recommended period or rely on alternative, less sanitary options such as scraps of cloth, napkins, paper towels or others.

“Schools already provide other necessities such as toilet paper, toilet seat covers and paper towels, so pads and tampons should also be included because they are just as important for females,” senior Jordan Asamoto said. “I think that it is reasonable that the bill will only apply to schools where 40 percent of the students meet the poverty threshold. Many families struggle financially and cannot afford these necessary female products, so it would be extremely beneficial to a female student’s health and education if schools provided them.”

Along with having to use unsanitary alternatives or using products longer than recommended, students’ educations are also affected. According to the Office of Women’s Health, the average menstrual period ranges from two to seven days. Having to miss a week of school every month would negatively affect a female’s

education and girls should not be missing out on their classes due to natural menstrual cycles.

“In the long run, it is much more cost-effective to have the students attend school, learn and become productive members of society than to limit them to three out of four weeks each month and have them fail or dropout of school,” Keller said.

“The health office has very basic supplies that some students do not care for, but may need in an ‘emergency.’ I cannot speak for other schools in other districts, but I believe most schools in the South Bay have supplies for their students. I believe that education is empowerment and that there should be a level playing field for each gender.”

Overall, this bill seems very reasonable and has the potential to improve both the health and education of students who may be unable to afford menstrual products.

“While it is not the endgame we want, which is to have tampons and period products available at every high school, it is a great step in getting recognition and ending the taboo on periods,” senior Lauryn Williams said. “This is amazing progress towards reinforcing every female’s right to an equal education.”

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THE FUNDAMENTAL TRUTH$ Gigi wargin According to Niche, an organization that reviews and ranks neighborhoods, colleges and schools, Peninsula is the eighth best high school in California for college preparedness. However, according to LendEDU, the city of Palos Verdes Peninsula was ranked 24th in a 500 city-wide study for having both the highest and lowest trends in college graduates’ student loan debt balances. This means college graduates from Peninsula complete their education in either detrimental debt or hardly any at all, with reported balances reaching $45,737, about $17,337 higher than the average amount. In an area as affluent as Palos Verdes and a school as highly-ranked as Peninsula, alumni are seldom expected to have such large sums of debt, but a lack of preparation could be at fault.

Peninsula may focus too intensely on present issues instead of educating students for the future.

While the community experiences both extremes of the debt spectrum, the negative end tends to attract more attention and begs further investigation.

Subsequently, this investigation issues concern for the students on campus who are most directly influenced by college and life thereafter: the seniors.

Senior Sonali Loomba credited Peninsula’s teachers for adding a college-level sense of responsibility to classes, and also admitted she had never had a class that has not presented some form of academic challenge, which shows the rigorous curriculum of Peninsula’s academics.

“I think [Peninsula] does a good job preparing for getting into college, but not so great of a job informing students on how real life debt works,” senior Thomas Jankowski said. “Many students I know are sure they want to be lawyers and doctors, but I am not sure if they realize the cost of [pursuing those careers].”

The struggle that accompanies an impressive diploma is not worthwhile. The challenges presented on campus, as testified by the students, train them for academic success, but they also distract from what is of ultimate

importance: a successful life. If Peninsula provided more education about the negatives that accompany an ambitious college plan, perhaps implemented in certain courses or through the College and Career Center, debt could become less of a norm for graduates. “[Peninsula’s] social climate is very against students attending a ‘bargain’ school as opposed to an Ivy League,” Jankowski said. “Although most people [on campus] fall somewhere in the middle, I feel that most students need to spend more time focusing on the realities of debt instead of the prestige associated with their education.”

According to counselor Mary Fournier, students tend to choose a college with the most favorable status, regardless of their financial situations, demonstrating an indifference to a sustainable financial life after college.

Ironically enough, students were given the opportunity two years ago to participate in a program highlighting the responsibilities of life after college. This program put a particular emphasis on financial ventures and the consequences of student loans, but Fournier said that many students lacked interest or were too focused on present challenges to get involved. However, current seniors confessed that, if offered the opportunity to attend such a program now, they would definitely participate.

“It would be useful and teach me skills I can use for a long time,” Loomba said. “[The program would] focus on the ‘real world’.”

Whether students live in the present or are provident has little to do with the outcome of their successes. Peninsula’s academic culture breeds students who are eager for knowledge, regardless of the price tag. If a Peninsula graduate chooses to attend the expensive college of his or her dreams without parental support, odds are that he or she will have debt waiting on the other side.

Until proper financial education is supplied at Peninsula, students should educate themselves to be cautious when it comes to student loan extraction.

connoR tumelty / The Pen

Palos Verdes Peninsula alumni face severe debts after college

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focus

connoR tumelty /

The Pen

UNDER CONSTRUCTION S N IO T A V O N E R R O F S N A L PENINSULA P

10 ft

ture. the school infrastruc ure and updating the fut e th oving into ER “M TZ RO KO things NA LIA D AN LEE ANNE but there are other ing th od go a is us mp ca te and Okamoto said. “This ings, cracked concre need to come first,” at th Peninsula’s aged build en be t no ve ha ring that we get and renovations that es the staff and ensu lud inc design issues call for d rt of the ifie Un la e best around, and pa Verdes Peninsu th los of Pa st . be 86 e 19 th ce ep sin ke le made alized h having a comparab ed these needs and re you do that is throug y wa s itie School District notic le cil ab Fa ar er mp ev co we are not made. The first pay scale. Right now is changes needed to be and longtor sh g tin ea e area , yet the most cr th in ay, other districts to e Master Plan is underw lud inc als go s.” r student goals. Shor t-term expected of us and ou to has term infrastructure us equipment mp ca g cin r at Peninsula, Okamo pla he re ac or te n alt ra ph te as ve d a ke As ac cr fixing us structure throughout address putting camp changes in the school en se to es at while long-term goals ac sp w ne g first began teaching r use or creatin r career. When she he d te was infrastructure to bette sla ing is ild n bu pla P e story environment . Th sula, the current twonin e Pe th n improve the learning lay so re hn to Jo d lly te Ke and the fall and is anticipa o rows of portables tw anges to be finalized in the for ch e es es nc Th rie t. pe t been built ye eate better ex no cr d d ha an th se ou ow gr ldh s Fie ol’ scho ficial, but Okamoto ve proved to be bene ha be students. ll wi ey th , maintenance for air ns are exciting ests providing regular gg su While the renovatio on cti of repairs in tru ns co of repairs and heaters along with ro d st an co rs te ne dia itio me nd Im co y. costl tire ire it. $1 million, and the en classrooms that requ really are estimated to total riod of pe a er ov n llio mi progression which is 1 of $2 st lot a co ll en wi se n ve pla ha n “I tio va reno us do not ssrooms on this camp cla me so t bu , od s. ar go 20 ye to to said. conditioning,” Okamo that money should go of air or me so ng at ati th he ve ink th ha “I es of out hot and me] bathrooms with classes at dif ferent tim so re ve mo ha o ing als fer e of “[W bly s possi r Clas er ything r. Let us make sure ev dent Body (ASB) Senio te Stu wa te ing cia nn so ru As ld y,” co da rt the classes, r first before we sta ten said. “With more in good working orde is so President Grace Whit d] re te [al be will not need to building new things.” at students’ schedules li Blazevic believes th English teacher Maga lly , cia ns frequently.” pe tio es , va no ms re oo e ssr ed of thes benefit cla Peninsula is in dire ne of the Renovations will also few A rs. he as ooms such pplies. ssr su w cla ne in y of all ed ific ne ec in sp e thos ts, and severe leaks y needs improvemen Peninsula suffer from at ms oo ssr cla “The campus certainl ere a bucket dress,” on to the extent wh issues we need to ad as y se fet sa iny ra me g so rin ve g du ha er we oblem Greenb ed to manage the pr Physics teacher Mark and towels are need s Advanced Placement ha m the d fro an s s ak 60 Le 19 . e s built in th s from slipping wa nt m de oo stu p ssr cla sto y d an “M said. nditioning occur when the air co uipment .” o eq als ce n ca ien g sc d ilin ce ate td ou idge sitive outcomes or ts the plan for a br . Blazevic foresees po ing nn ru is it un Greenberg also supp nefit hool for in turn, will greatly be H buildings of the sc for teachers, which connecting the P and een classes. students. easier commute betw fits for ve to stop to mop up tion plan of fers bene va no “If teachers do not ha r Although the re he et wh of a lesson, to as rsy ms during the middle been controve oo s ha ssr e cla er in th r e, te ur wa fut e th learn cially to stay focused and t to its best use, espe students will be able . osed the money is being pu ce op pla pr w ing ne tak e th ns nt negotiatio said. “I think ic rre ev cu az e Bl th ,” g re rin mo ide e ns th co one of comfor table r Betsy Okamoto is lp students feel more he he ac ll te wi 2 s d ge an an 1 ch sh gli d En azing sula an ll only add to our am tion members at Penin on campus which wi r many facult y associa fai a rs he ac te g ch as grantin emic community.” believes that issues su g onto changes in acad vin mo e for be ed ttl wage should be se

focus (7) new Non-Toxic Cleaning P roducts Instituted IN Dist Nicole Khalil rict On July 29, the Palos Ve rdes Peninsula Unified Schoo l District (PVPUSD) decided to rep lace their cleaning products with non-toxic substitutes. The switch was initiated by a concerned mother of a Ridgecrest Intermediate School stu dent who was determined to find the source of what triggered her da ughter’s allergic reaction. The mo ther realized that the school’s chemical -based cleaning products were the source of the reactions because the student’s household had always be en cleaned with non-toxic products . She requested the PVPUSD Board of Ed ucation to consider swapping their chemical-based cleaners with environme ntally safe, nonirritating alternatives. Af ter the switch, her daughter’s health im proved. From that point on, the distri ct proceeded to eliminate and remove oth er chemical products. This plan will continue to be implemented in all PVPUSD schools. Keith Butler, the Assistant Superintendent for Busin ess Services and the overseer of ma intenance in

PVPUSD, states that the change will not be costly, since the new cle the larger areas.” aners have already been used over the sum Results have shown tha mer. WAXIE Sanitary t the products Supply, the sanitary pro are equally as effective as former ducts distributor for PVPUSD schools, off cleaners. ers a variet y of non-toxic alternatives. Th “I think this is a great ide eir products are a,” biodegradable, contain sop homore Ashley Nowzari low amounts of said. “School Volatile Organic Compou is supposed to be a safe environment. nds and come in recycled packaging.

Students should not be worried if their health is at risk.”

“I think any thing we can do to lessen the amount of chemicals use Nowzari also hopes thi d in our District is a s plan will move in the right direct someday be enacted in other school ion for our students, staff and the community districts across the coun ,” Butler said. try.

While the chemical swap Sophomore Emily Flores is underway, believes the district staff members are change will benefit stude nts overall. examining alternative methods to “It will definitely make tho rid campuses se students of weeds. In the past, the with allergies feel bette r,” Flores said. district used Roundup, a systemic he Students need to feel saf rbicide. The district e while learning; sought out change once this is the district’s respo an active ingredient nsibility. in the product was added [Students] can learn witho to the list of ut having potential carcinogens. Th to deal with hives and oth ey have begun er allergic testing Avenger, an envir reactions.” onmentally safe and biodegradable substi Wendy Keller, the schoo tute, along with a l nurse, is also mixture of vinegar, deter in favor of the plan. gent and salt.

“We are finding the vin “I believe that the chemi egar mixture is cal swap to effective for small areas, greener products is the responsible thing but not as effective for larger areas,” Butler to do, not only for the stu said. “We are dents and staff utilizing physical labor as of PVPUSD, but for the ear th in general,” much as possible for Keller said.

Renovations To-Do List: Replace baseball and football fields with artificial turf Resurface tennis courts New locker room building New Administration and Food Service building Convert front offices to Counselors’ Offices new covered gathering area Energy efficient windows in gym electrical and structural upgrades New perimeter fencing

Rachel liu / The Pen

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student life

produce-ing music

Halling releases his debut album alison kim and emily mcginn On Sept. 15, senior Steve Halling released his debut album “farmers market” to the public via Spotify. His album is comprised of eight songs, all of which he produced. It features several Peninsula seniors: singers Ishaan Jaffer, Kathleen Verendia, Duncan Hoard, Naomi Drayton and guitarist Nick Shawger.

Halling’s interest in music began before he could speak, since he was humming songs before he began pronouncing words. Growing up, he performed in front of family and friends. His musical interest continued to expand in high school after he joined the choir as a freshman, where he was exposed to a variety of musical styles. Halling claims that his participation in the Peninsula choir helps him gain direction for his future in music.

Halling has written songs in the past, but he never recorded and released them. He began working on his first album near the start of summer and finished it around the beginning of September.

“It was the beginning of summer, and I was worried that I would just sit on my couch all summer,” Halling said. “I did not want to do that. I wanted to keep making music because that is what I love to do.”

Halling first developed the idea to make the album when his girlfriend sent him a picture of a mango color and told him to write a song about it. He began to write about what the color meant to him and what he associated with it. From that, he wrote a song

titled “mango.” He then began to write more and create new tracks, maintaining the theme and feel of summer throughout the album.

“It started with writer’s block,” Halling said. “Every time I picked up a guitar, [nothing] came out of it. I [began] to take 15 minutes out of my day and record myself messing around on the guitar. After a month, [I listened] to it, and if I [found] anything I liked, [I would] take from there. That really helped because I have a lot of ideas, but it is hard to put them together.”

In a small recording studio in his home that he slowly built on his own, Halling recorded the songs that would eventually make up “farmers market.” He then edited and created the final product.

Although Jaffer is featured in half of the songs in the album, he was hesitant when Halling asked him to sing some of his songs because he was not accustomed to Halling’s style. However, Jaffer’s contributions made a lasting impact on the album. In fact, Jaffer’s conversation with his mother on the phone during a recording session inspired the song “hold on i gotta take this.” “[Halling] decided to keep the [microphone] on and sample the conversation,” Jaffer said. “All it needed was a simple beat and, just like that, it turned into one of my favorite songs on the album.”

Besides his love for the raw and acoustic style of the album, Jaffer is especially fond of the songs in terms of how much the lyrics relate to his life. The song “strawberry” became his favorite song because it reflected his feelings about a girl he met at summer

camp, the pain of saying goodbye as they went their separate ways and the agony of missing her. “[The songs] are all little stories about people,” Halling said. “They are romanticized versions of what actually happened in my real life. I am not a novelist; I am a musician, but it is kind of the same job [in that] I get to tell a story.”

Not only did Halling reach out to friends like Jaffer, but he also searched for students such as Verendia through social media who would be willing to sing his songs. Verendia loves all the songs for their distinctive characteristics: “strawberry” for its overall perfect execution, “banana” for its catchy, upbeat tunes and “orange” for its original and artistic lyrics.

“You can tell that [Halling] put a lot of heart and effort into producing this album,” Verendia said. “I think he has an amazing gift [for] songwriting and I hope there are more albums to come after this one.”

Halling is thankful for the support he receives from his parents, who continue to encourage him to pursue music and have helped him buy necessary equipment.

In the future, Halling plans to study music in college and eventually score film. He feels that the experience of creating this album taught him many skills that will help him later in his career.

“I have learned that everything can get better, but if you [refuse to] release it because it is not good enough [you cannot move forward],” Halling said. “[I have learned] to get it done and to be proud of [my work, regardless if it is perfect or not].”

“[The songs] are all little stories about people. They are romanticized versions of what actually happened in my real life. I am not a novelist; I am a musician, but it is kind of the same job [in that] I get to tell a story.”

-SENIOR STEVE HALLING St Steve halling

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dollars is the expected cost of both Hurricane Harvey and Irma***

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students support hurricane victims sam herrmann

During times of natural disasters, communities make many efforts to mitigate the damage. In the case of Hurricane Harvey, people from all over the country have mobilized to counteract the destruction caused by the storm.

Ranked as a Category 4 hurricane, Harvey was the largest hurricane to hit the U.S. since Hurricane Wilma hit Southern Florida in 2005. Hurricane Harvey resulted in catastrophic flooding in the southeastern region of Texas and parts of southwestern Louisiana, displacing thousands and resulting in at least 82 deaths.

Though Harvey hit Houston and its surrounding districts the hardest, many other parts of Texas were still impacted by the effects of the storm.

Peninsula alumnus Austin Kelly attends school at Texas State University (TSU), which is about three hours northwest of Houston. “[When I went to the store], all of the bottled water and filtered water was

just gone,” Kelly said. “That was kind of a shocking moment for me.”

TSU was impacted less than Houston, but there was still heavy rainfall on campus. Kelly and the other students at TSU are safe, but the residents of nearby Houston have many more issues due to the devastation the hurricane brought. Aug. 30 marked the end of the hurricane’s rainfall, but its impact will be long-lasting. Rescue teams and organizations are expected to be sending aid and reconstructing homes for years.

One such group sending aid is Peninsula’s very own Service Learning Leadership (SLL) program. Receiving word only three days into the school year, SLL was asked by the district and school administrators to organize a donation drive for those in Texas affected by the hurricane. Within eight days, SLL successfully organized a school supplies drive for Sept. 7. They spread the word throughout the community that EDI Express Inc., a trucking company owned by a family within the district that offered to transport donated

supplies to Houston, was picking up materials from Peninsula. With a port in Houston, the trucking company could deliver the supplies to the Red Cross, which then distributed the donations to smaller organizations. With the help of Choreo Company dance coach and SLL teacher Heather Myrick, the group communicated to Peninsula that students in Houston were in need of school supplies, and many Peninsula students answered the call. Not only did students and teachers donate to the cause, but members from the community also participated in the donation drive. In the end, SLL collected 220 boxes of supplies, about 40 of those being school supplies and the remaining boxes being other requested items, such as diapers, bedding and canned foods.

“We were not expecting as many people to take advantage of that opportunity, so we were kind of finishing up our school supplies organization,” Myrick said. “Then, we started getting all these boxes and bags, so we just jumped in and organized that stuff too.”

Hurricane Harvey is not the only hurricane to hit the U.S. recently, as Hurricane Irma followed quickly after. Irma wreaked havoc on Florida along with islands off its coast. By the time Hurricane Irma reached Southern Florida, it was a Category 4 hurricane. Residents on one impacted island, Sanibel, had little hope that the buildings would remain intact during the storm, but there was less damage done than expected. Senior Mia Daly’s grandparents have lived on Sanibel for the past 12 years. They had to evacuate their home and risk leaving their belongings to the wrath of Hurricane Irma. The island did not have any basic utilities, including water, power and cell phone service following the hurricane.

While Daly’s grandparents are safe, there was still significant destruction.

Continued support through donation drives for affected areas by the Peninsula community will make a lasting impact on hurricane victims.

“Because we can help, we should,” Myrick said.

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sports

alex yoo / the pen

mati yang ariana bucur

Sydney bambardekar

Girls' Golf

Girls' Volleyball

sarah liu

christopher guanzing

The girls’ golf team is aiming for a great season and is already off to a great start. The junior varsity team has remained victorious so far and has recently won against West on Sept. 18. Meanwhile, the varsity team is also on the rise, winning a league match against South on Sept. 19. The varsity team is looking forward to the San Clemente tournament, while the junior varsity team is looking ahead to their next match on Oct. 2, where they will face off against Redondo Union.

With the addition of new teammates, players expect that the team will only improve.

“This team is such an amazing young and talented group and they have such great potential,” junior Lauren Brenizer said.

Varsity girls’ volleyball hopes to grow as a team and play well against their opponents this season. Peninsula played Chadwick on Aug. 24 but lost 1-3. The team faced some minor setbacks this season but were able to overcome them.

“In the very beginning of the season we had a couple preseason games where we did not have a few of our best players, which was kind of a struggle,” junior Jenna Gebhart said. “However, we are a diverse team, and we were able to get the job done without them.”

The girls looks forward to playing Palos Verdes while starting the season with new players and talents.

“I am just really excited about this season because of how much I genuinely enjoy my teammates and coaches,” Gebhart said.

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Fall Sports Preview

Cross Country

sara kalantar Jonathan Fang

Boys' Water Polo

emily wang Luke martin

christopher guanzing

haris rao

The cross country team is excited to start the season off by showcasing their new talents. On Sept. 16, the runners competed at the annual Woodbridge Invitational in Orange County.

“I would say that [Woodbridge] was successful because several of our runners won medals and [senior Kade Wong] even won first place,” sophomore Sabrina Tang said. “I cannot wait to practice and compete with the team.”

Junior Lucas Ding also looks forward to practicing with the new members on the team.

“Our team has a large intake of new freshman,” Ding said. “Our main goal is getting our freshman up to speed by finals.”

The boys’ water polo team has always been a strong competitor against other teams in the Bay League, and continues to be a CIF contender. The varsity team recently played a game on Sept. 13 against Mira Costa, and lost against the school, ending their three-game win streak.

“It did not feel nice to lose our game against Mira Costa, but this year we are taking it to the big house,” junior Cole Allyn said. “We want that CIF win, and it all starts with making sure that we get these wins. In these beginning games, we are really focusing on building ourselves as players, so that when the time comes and we begin the Bay League, we will be ready.”

Alex yoo / the pen alicia carmona

Girls' Tennis

serena ko

aly yook

Football

louie bozanich

christopher guanzing

haris rao

The varsity girls’ tennis team has started the season off strong with a big win at the third annual Golden State Tennis Classic, an unofficial tournament held on Sept. 8 and Sept. 9 at Stanford University. The team beat Palos Verdes (PV) 4-2 during the finals and took home the trophy. “[Our biggest match] will probably be against PV, because they have gotten really good,” junior Serena Ko said. “They have a lot of new freshmen who show a lot of potential.”

Ko hopes to win Bay League again, as well as CIF. With the many recent additions to Peninsula’s team, such as freshman Kimmi Hance, Ko believes that they will have a better chance at winning CIF this year.

The Peninsula football team has gone from a season cut short two years ago to being ranked as the third best team in the Bay League.

“We hit a major brick wall two years ago, but we got right back up and are ready to roll,” junior Wyatt Chang said.

They recently played against Sotomayor, defeating them by 73 points, setting a school scoring record.

“We are proud of that win, but we look to improve even more,” varsity quarterback and senior captain Aidan Kuykendall said. “Eventually we will play stronger teams and we will need to be ready, so we will pocket that win [against Sotomayor] and be proud, but be ready to work harder and get better the next day.”

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