The Pen by The Pen Newspaper

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PEN

Palos Verdes Peninsula High School www.pvphsnews.com Vol. XXXV Issue 2 October 23, 2014

PEOPLE, NOT PUPPETS Teens struggle for control, both personally and in society. FOCUS Page 6-7

IT'S ABOUT TIME

REDESIGNED The school website gets a new look NEWS Page 3

ODD JOBS

Surfboard making, roach breeding---Panthers do it all STUDENT LIFE Page 8-9

Media outlets are trading integrity for speed OPINION Page 5

HAZING Peninsula takes a stand SPORTS Page 11

Fruits of their labor PVPUSD teachers negotiate for pay and benefit increases in 2015

*Graphic depicts average PVPUSD teachers’ salary fluctuation.

-5% 2008-2013

By sonia desaidamle For the first time in six years, teachers in the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District are seeing a significant raise in both salary and benefits. On Oct. 10, The Palos Verdes Faculty Association (PVFA), which represents teachers, counselors, and other certificated staff in the district, met with administrative staff including assistant superintendents and principals at the South Bay United Teachers’ Office in Torrance to discuss issues regarding staff members’ compensation. Following the meeting,

+2%

+4.5% 2014-2015

2013-2014

an agreement was reached that includes a 4.25 percent increase in teachers’ salaries and a 6 percent increase in benefits. Five days after teachers voted on the agreement, on Oct.22, the PVFA announced that the agreement was ratified. The new benefits will take effect in January, 2015, and the salary increases will take effect in June, 2015. “We settled salary and benefits in one negotiation session, which is quite an accomplishment and certainly not common,” Superintendent Don Austin said. “It takes time to form relationships and trust, and I believe we took a giant

collective step in that direction through the process.” The combined cost of the new measures will amount to about $3 million. The ratified agreement also includes amendments to the contract between teachers and administrations. This contract includes teacher concerns about work environment and professionalism. If a teacher thinks that his or her complaints have not been addressed properly, he or she may take up the issue with the district. The new policy aims to keep issues that teachers face from being swept under the rug.

“We consider our raise as compensation for our hard work,” PVFA Chairperson Dr. Tim Coleman said. “The district’s commendable offer of a salary and benefits increase shows that they value the effort of their employees.” Last year, after five consecutive years of pay cuts, the teachers received a two percent salary and benefit increase. This gain, however, was offset by steep outof-pocket medical cost increases. “The teachers haven’t seen a significant raise for a long time, and I’m thrilled that they’re finally getting what they deserve.” Cress said.

Drama department gets gig in world festival BY ANNIE benedict

Junior Brandon Halverson performs a scene during his fifth period drama class on Oct. 10.

amber Gianvecchio/THE PEN

One of 40 American and Canadian groups to be so honored, Peninsula’s drama department was invited to participate in the prestigious Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland next summer. Dating back to World War II, this annual tradition stands as the largest performing arts festival in the world, displaying over 40,000 performers in 2,500 productions over the course of three weeks. Nine other schools from Southern California also plan to attend, including Chadwick’s theatre group. The remaining 30 come from all over the U.S. and parts of Canada. Students will spend two days in London, exploring landmarks like Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. The remaining 11 days will be spent in Scotland, touring the Trossacks, Sterling Castle and the Royal Military Tattoo and participating in the Fringe Festival. Students will lodge in Scotland’s capital at the University of Edinburgh. While there, drama students are invited to watch other groups perform and practice their own performances. “I think that culturally it’s going to be a great experience,” said sophomore actress Ashley

Zoeckler. “It’s going to be amazing experiencing theatre from all over the world and being a part of this huge tradition.” The festival mostly takes place along the Royal Mile, a road stretching through the heart of Edinburgh. As part of the festival, actors, musicians, comedians, singers, dancers and acrobats will be crowded along the Royal Mile performing on the street or advertising for their shows. “They’re turning anything you can imagine into a performance venue…I saw one show in what I realized was a storage room or barn that was built in the 13th or 14th century,” said Seth Cohen, head of the drama department. “You’re literally seeing shows in any possible venue, which is absolutely insane.” The drama department is still deliberating which performance to prepare. One option is a series of short vignettes, while the other is a more lighthearted, pleasant show. “I hope that they find the same enjoyment out of prepping for this as they do with any of the other performances,” said Cohen. “And the fact that it’s got a much grander goal at the end just makes it that much more rewarding of a process.”

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NEWS

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Resets

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// Sets a boolean indicating whether input errors are to be // printed to standard output. //-------------------------public static void setPrintErrors (boolean flag) { printErrors = flag; } //-----------------------------------// Increments the error count and prints the error message if // appropriate. //-----------------------------------private static void error (String str) { errorCount++; if (printErrors) System.out.println (str); } //*************

Tokenized Input Stream Section

******************

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This past summer, web productions advisor Hassan Twiet reconstructed Peninsula’s main website. The new site, palosverdes.cyberschool.com, will be launched later this month. BY esther chu The month-long hiatus of Peninsula’s main website, PVPHS.com, was due to massive restructuring of the site’s platform. Palosverdes.cyberschool.com, the new website, “will be completely different from the former,” senior and web page productions Editor-in-Chief Stephanie Yong said. The new site includes traffic alerts on routes leading to school, calendar and weather widgets, global language page translations and an alert system, which automatically transmits alerts to students and parents in case of school emergencies. All teachers have the choice of setting up a hub, as part of the website, that allows them to post schedules and assignments for students. Students can post public or private questions and comments on the class’s hub, which will encourage student-teacher interaction. “Parents, students, colleges and universities will be able to easily navigate important information about students at Peninsula,” Yong said. “The web page productions staff is working to upload the new website as soon as possible.” Hassan Twiet, who spearheaded the development of palosverdes. cyberschool.com, has directed the S.M.E.R.T. program and advised the web page productions staff since 2004. Twiet commented on the malfunctions of the old website and the benefits of the new one. “The website was too fat with bad code, robots and bugs,” Twiet said. “It made the website too hard for our students to maintain; now we have a

professional company running it for us.” The students that controlled the old school website, had no choice but to close PVPHS.com down until the website code was scrubbed and more manageable. “Every year, we kept saying we will renovate the website,” Twiet said. “There were many updating issues: random ads started popping up without our permission and foreign codes were being injected into our code.” Twiet volunteered two months of his summer break to make new modifications to the website. He expects the new website to be “99 percent bulletproof”. “It will definitely be more protected from bugs; it will have designs that will be comfortable on the eye,” Twiet said. “Everyone will have a much easier and faster time navigating the site.” The web productions staff hopes to launch the new website by the end this month. In addition to the reconstruction of the home website, PVPUSD initiated the Microsoft Student Advantage Program. As part of the district’s software licensing agreement with Microsoft, students, including all of the computers on campus, will have a copy of Microsoft Office, Office 365. Students were also required to create a personal account on the school computers to ensure accountability. “This website will last us for at least 10 years,” Twiet said. “In this digital age, we will always be catching up with the latest security and technological developments.”

PALOS VERDES PENINSULA HIGH SCHOOL 27118 Silver Spur Road, Rolling Hills Estates, CA 90274 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Uswah Shabbir COPY/MANAGING EDITOR Fatima Siddiqui DESIGN EDITOR Angela Song

viral humor turns

vile

OPINION EDITORS: Lauren Lee Alex Bologna WRITERS: Zoe Willoughby Marine Fujisawa Trisha Valukonis FOCUS EDITORS: Chris Kong Sama Shah WRITERS: Amani Jalota Christopher Lee STUDENT LIFE EDITORS: Jina Kim Florencia Park WRITERS: Phoebe Borsum Stella Yoo Annie Tyler SPORTS EDITOR: Tunika Onnekikami WRITERS: Christopher Chien Jenna Henry GRAPHICS Yasmine Kahsai Jackie Uy BUSINESS & ADVERTISING Isabelle Wang 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 Giselle Velasquez 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

Front Illustration by Claire Yi Design by Angela Song

jackie uy/the pen

NEWS EDITOR: Noah Werksman WRITERS: Annie Benedict Esther Chu Sonia Desaidamle

Students take to social media platforms and classrooms to make light of a deadly disease. BY ALEX BOLOGNA AND LAUREN LEE On Oct.8 in Dallas, Texas, Thomas Eric Duncan died after contracting the highly infectious virus Ebola. Family and friends of the victim mourned his traumatic death. Others are reinventing this illness as the new subject of humor. Social media is rife with Ebola jokes that express an overall lack of empathy. On the mobile application Yik Yak, an anonymous student posted a comment mentioning the illness to jokingly excuse the absence of a pupil. This ignorance towards Ebola has led to a demeaning attitude towards the devastating disease. “I think that people are joking about it because they

hear other people making jokes and do not know the severity of the situation,” freshman Yinka Braimah said. These insults have even traveled from social media to the classroom. Senior Lisa Kurt recently heard a student make an insensitive joke about the transmission of Ebola in one of her classes. “Kids make comments without even realizing how insulting or inappropriate they can be,” Kurt said. “I honestly think that this humor stems from a lack of knowledge rather than the intent of hurting others. We should really try to educate ourselves about this illness to prevent anyone from

being offended.” According to the World Health Organization, the Ebola hemorrhagic fever, most recently regarded as the Ebola virus disease, has slowly grown into a widespread epidemic since its discovery in 1976. There are currently no vaccines that can prevent an outbreak, resulting in high fatality rates— the highest of which reside in West African countries. Seven people have been admitted to L.A. County hospitals showing symptoms of the disease, according to KTLA; so far, all have tested negative. Local doctors and government officials are taking the threat of the disease very seriously. So

should the community in Palos Verdes. In Dallas, a costume store has already sold out of Ebolarelated Halloween gear, mocking the paranoia that abounds. Claiming that they were just “having fun,” few travelers have made empty threats of having Ebola on international flights, resulting in flight delays and thorough inspections. “People are still living in [fear] of Ebola, thinking they have potential to [be exposed],” school nurse Wendy Keller said. “Instead of making light of it, I think education is the most important thing to do to in the case of [stemming distress] of this serious disease.”

EDITORIAL

the board could have hired an interim superintendent to be employed from January to June after Walker’s contract expires in 2014. Austin, however, now serves as superintendent while Walker remains in the district as a Chief Executive Office. Despite initial concerns over seemingly unnecessary administrative expenses, it is becoming clear that the district’s actions intended to improve all district schools and their relative success. “I believe that the new leadership has brought a positive change to the district,” PVFA Chairperson Dr. Tim Coleman said. “The cost [of the new superintendent] will not seem so significant in the long run. The big picture right now is promising.”

Many parents and staff members are wary of the additional administrative costs, especially after funding concerns that have surfaced over the past 6 years. Schools like Peninsula must fundraise, through participation donations, for clubs and sports. Various new programs and buildings rely on fundraisers and PTSA donations. Though these concerns are valid, the district has made other important expenditures that reveal their intentions. They showed their respect for educators by reaching an agreement with the Palos Verdes Faculty Association. After only one day of negotiation, the district decided on a tentative agreement that includes a 4.25 percent increase in teacher salaries and a 6

percent increase in benefits, effective January 2015. The agreement also includes amendments to teacher contracts that allow them to address their concerns. Since teachers are one of the most aspects of a quality education, it is a testament to Austin’s leadership that he took immediate action in supporting them. It is important that students and staff members alike continue to monitor the economics of our district. Yet, in this case, saving money through an interim superintendent is a worse alternative to spending money for a smooth and essential transition with a high-quality permanent superintendent like Austin.

BY USWAH SHABBIR At the end of the first quarter, controversy remains regarding the district’s decision to hire Dr. Don Austin as superintendent while Walker Williams still contractually held the office. Williams is receiving his full salary until his retirement at the end of this year. Though Austin’s salary, approximately $250,000, proves to be an enormous expense, district advancements already facilitated under his leadership justify the Board of Education’s hiring decision. Upon the notice of Walker William’s retirement,

OPINION

CAN YOU KEEP UP? [

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media outlets sacrifice credibility to break news faster

BY zoe willoughby many provided inaccurate and name wrong, because it shows misrepresented information how much was complete about Smith and his infamous fabrication in these articles,” shirts. A German news website, Smith said. “Mrs. Cress called called Bild, and radio station me in, and was asking me about 96.1 KISS in Pittsburgh both statements I had [allegedly] claimed that Peninsula High given these sites telling them School is she signed located if they cannot get the off on the in Purdy, shirts… facts correct, it makes and there Wash and Purdy, Wis. are direct people wonder what Cosmopolitan quotes else they are doing also attributed contributed to me from incorrectly. by mentioning writers I that Smith have never - Bruce colin posted the heard photo through of. It is Imgur, when absolutely in fact he is a Reddit user. ludicrous.” Some websites went as far as Although the falsities written to claim that Smith received on these websites were not strict disciplinary action, such as detrimental or demeaning to graduation probation and even Smith’s image, the errors that suspension. were published diminished trust “I am kind of glad [that the from the people reading those media sources] got our school articles.

“

In 2013, Buzzfeed gained over 85 million monthly visitors and its audience grew nearly three times in size . With the current 24-hour news cycle that is in place, the demand of media consumers is greater than ever. In order to meet this demand, several publications with online media platforms, such as Cosmopolitan, Buzzfeed and Reddit, have disregarded journalistic integrity in the attempt to be the first to feature content, resulting in misleading published information. However, it is of the utmost importance that media integrity be upheld in order to ensure that the truth is properly conveyed to the public. After senior Cairo Smith posted to his Reddit page about the Pen15 class T-shirts he designed, many websites began to respond to his clever wordplay. Of these articles that responded to his shirt design,

“I think [publishing the correct information] is the most important part of a publication’s job. If they cannot get their facts correct, it makes people wonder what else they are doing incorrectly,” English teacher Bruce Colin said. According to a survey from Gallup World, the United States has one of the lowest confidence levels in its media worldwide. Out of the people surveyed, only 32 percent expressed confidence in American media integrity, 66 percent were not satisfied with it. “The media do what they do. This [is not] CNN, or Huffington Post or Gawker. [It is] tabloid blogs that regurgitate content from other parts of the Internet and spin it to their own will,” Smith said. “I believe that any breach of journalistic ethics is ‘going too far,’ but I’m not losing any sleep over this.”

TAKING

CONTROL

IN THE STRUGGLE FOR CONTROL, STUDENTS SEEK TO AVOID STEREOTYPES, UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS AND ABUSE.

jennylee/ThePen

focus

Peninsula High fights against unhealthy relationships BY CHRISTOPHER LEE Domestic abuse is defined as any form of abuse, such as physical, mental or sexual, in a relationship that is used by one partner to dominate another. While many may think of it as a negligible issue, domestic violence is dangerously relevant to high school pupils, with 16 percent of Peninsula students reporting in an anonymous, online survey that they have been victims of a controlling or abusive relationship. According to a 2010 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence survey administered by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 69 percent of female victims and 53 percent of male victims surveyed experienced violence from an intimate partner for the first time before the age of 25. Principal Mitzi Cress notes that domestic abuse poses a threat to people from all backgrounds. “Abuse does not only happen in areas that are suffering from poverty or communities [that] may not have the same level of educated parents as we have on the Palos Verdes Peninsula,” Cress said. While dating can be a positive experience for teens, there lies a possibility that the relationship will become controlling. In a study performed by the Journal of the American Medical Association, it was found that teens who had been abused by a dating partner suffered from an increased risk of substance abuse, pregnancy and suicidal tendencies. “People stay in abusive relationships for many reasons – mostly they believe that the abuse is a result of something they have done,” Director of Volunteers and Education at Rainbow Services, Ltd., a domestic violence prevention agency, Judy Gordon said. “The victim usually cares for the abuser and wants to stay in the relationship, but wants the abuse to stop.” Internet use can endanger victims. Many cellphones can be tracked through GPS or the “pinpoint location” feature on Facebook, which predators have used to stalk their victims. According to the National Violence

against Women survey administered by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, people, especially women, between 18 and 29 years of age are the primary targets of stalking, comprising 52 percent of all stalking victims. These instances of stalking are often linked to other forms of abuse in intimate relationships. However, certain online resources have been taking steps to protect victims of domestic abuse. The Iris Domestic Violence Center has an “escape” button at the top right corner of its website, allowing victims to quickly exit out of the page if they notice they are being stalked. Sites such as Reddit’s “relationships” page allow for anonymity when victims seek advice. Despite the statistics, seniors Jake Ridout and Bailey Kaufman, who have been dating for three and a half years, have established healthy behaviors to ensure their relationship is equal. “I think that successful relationships are ones in which you are not only romantically interested in your significant other, but also consider that person to be your best friend,” Ridout said. “By having that strong base, a strong sense of trust and respect, abuse [is prevented].” Katherine Crowley, who instructs the Peer Leaders Uniting Students (PLUS) course, works with her team to raise awareness for issues that affect students. “Unfortunately, when you’re young, sometimes it’s hard to see unhealthy patterns emerging in a relationship,” said Crowley. “I believe that individuals need to cultivate self-power. I think this is why I am so inspired by my PLUS team. They care to promote inclusion and empowerment.” Many resources are also available on the Peninsula High campus for people who need it. “Peninsula High is unique in that we have a full time Safe School Counselor, Christine Lopez. She is available on a walk-in basis to meet with any student on any topic. A student who is experiencing abuse can also go to any adult on campus, because we are all mandated reporters,” Cress said.

Statistics taken by 100 students from an anonymous, voluntary, online survey off campus.

allow women, a historically marginalized group, to gain equal control in areas of society that have been longdominated by males. This idea that control is key to living a fruitful life manifests itself in the various female empowerment programs worldwide, and on Peninsula’s campus.

the feminist movement by forming clubs that provide students with opportunities to empower women. The Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) Teen Alignment conducts monthly life skill workshops (at the San Pedro YMCA) for adolescent girls. The YWCA focuses on underprivileged girls, encouraging them to succeed on their own so they can be independent and accomplished. Additionally, the club provides lessons on self-defense in order to help these girls escape dangerous situations and be able to have more control. “Our club embodies the feminist idea, and these workshops teach girls to become responsible adults and understand what needs to be done in order to achieve success,” senior and club co-president Kim Rowghani said. Feminism is central to major issues in the world today. Matters such as abortion and the right to birth control spark debates concerning the personal rights of women. Other issues, such as rape and sexual assault, are ones that feminists have been drawing attention to for decades now. From the 1960s to the present day, feminism has gained media attention and has made major strides in the arena of gender equality.

16%

41%

of students have been in a controlling or abusive relationship

of students personally know a victim of abuse

92%

of students believe many victims of abuse do not report their abuser out of fear

89%

of students believe technology expands the ability of abusers to victimize others

20%

of students think victims stay with their abuser because there is no escape

Feminist students stand up for their convictions BY amani jalota

On Sept. 20, actress and newly appointed United Nations Women Goodwill Ambassador Emma Watson delivered a speech on gender equality at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. Watson touched on the unfortunate fact that many women still shy away from feminism in fear that it seems unattractive and anti-man. Watson launched a campaign called HeforShe, which calls upon men to advocate for gender equality in all aspects of life. Watson is not alone in raising awareness for the feminist cause. Artist Beyoncé Knowles is known for incorporating feminist ideas in her songs and performances. Fans everywhere are inspired by her values, including students such as senior Zoe Council, a strong supporter of breaking free from patriarchal beliefs. “We are brought up to believe that men are superior,” Council said. “I feel feminism is not a strongly supported topic because our society thinks it is acceptable for men to always be on top.” The core goal of the feminist movement is to

“I have seen the transition of women fighting for positions in roles that have long been dominated by men.

”

- PRincipal Mitzi Cress “When I was in college, women typically majored in areas such as teaching and nursing,” Principal Mitzi Cress said. “I have seen the transition of women fighting for positions in roles that have long been dominated by men.” Some students at Peninsula display their support of

Working the waves:

amber gianvecchio/the pen

Lazarus shapes the path to his future

Freshman Adam Lazarus smooths the front side of the board with sand paper at the owner of BG’s surfboard studio Oct. 19. Lazarus received the help of the owner to make the finishing touches.

BY Phoebe Borsum When freshman Adam Lazarus started surfing four years ago, he immediately knew he had discovered his passion. By combining his interests in art with surfing, Lazarus has found that passion can pay. Ten months ago, he created his first surfboard. Since then, he has been selling these custom-made boards to kids and surfers he knows. “I was always interested in art and as soon as I started surfing, I saw these guys making weird boards,” Lazarus said. “I wanted to try it because I thought it was really cool to surf on something that I actually made.” Last year for his birthday, Lazarus’s parents put him in a program in which a professional

shaper taught him how to shape surfboards. The surfboards Lazarus makes are variations of short boards. “There are three places that I can go to make the surfboards,” Lazarus said. “One of the [places that I often go to is] Hot and Glassy [a surfboard business]. I also go to the owner of BG Surfboards’s house to shape.” Additionally, the owner of Hot and Glassy, who is wellknown in the surfboard-making industry, frequently allows Lazarus to create boards at a professional factory. Occasionally, Lazarus goes to the Onion surfboard shop in San Pedro to make surfboards. Lazarus usually gets one to two requests for a surfboard per week, but can not fulfill every request because he

depends on professional shapers to assist him with glassing the board. While making the boards, Lazarus wears a mask because he exposes himself to toxic chemicals and materials. The whole process from beginning to end usually lasts anywhere from six to 12 hours. “My first [surfboard] cost me one thousand dollars to make, but now I can make them for about 250 bucks,” Lazarus said. For him, earning money for something he loves to do is just a bonus. Lazarus has realized that enjoying his work will be a huge factor in determining his future career. “There’s nothing else I’m going to do,” he said. “If I don’t end up shaping surfboards, it will be something along the lines of this.”

How to make a surfboard: Step 1: Smooth out a thick layer of glue on the blank board. Step 2: Measure and mark according to design template. Step 3: With an electric planer, cut the board. Step 4: Add finishing touches by cleaning the board with cloth. Step 5: Send the finished board to a glasser who makes the board waterproof.

student life

Students speak about Hong Kong protests BY Annie tyler and florencia park

jackie uy/the pen

demonstrations take place since it has become too dangerous. According to the LA Times, police have discharged tear gas and fired rubber bullets. Zirui When senior Zirui* lived in China worries for her friend. and wanted to use Google as a “The [Chinese] government is harsh resource, it was blocked. Her television not only because they are using police was also restricted so that Hong Kong power and tear gas, but also because television programs could not be they are hiding the truth,” Zirui said. “In broadcast. Zirui is all too familiar with the oppression that Hong Kong citizens mainland China, Chinese news accused western government and Time magazine now face. of provoking the event.” Since August, student groups have In a response to an email query from been protesting for fair representation the Pen staff, Sin wa said that she does that China had promised for Hong not blame the police officers but finds Kong’s chief executive by 2017. the Chinese government at fault. The National People’s Congress “The government ignores the voice (NPC) Standing Committee broke of people and that’s unfair,” Sin wa said. this promise, instead adopting a On the other hand, Hong Kong decision stating that voters will only transfer student junior Bonnie* has have a choice to vote from two or mixed emotions. She understands the three candidates handpicked by the cause of the protest, but feels that such committee itself. demonstrations are unnecessary. The Hong Kong Occupy Central “Although I understand what the movement has focused these students’ students are fighting for, I believe that efforts. “Hong Kong residents have the right China is [delegating candidates] for a to protest,” Zirui said. “Mainland China reason,” Bonnie* said. While both parties are trying to is trying to force Hong Kong [to do what the Chinese government wants].” reconcile, they are still having difficulty coming to the same terms. As of now, Although Zirui is not from Hong the Chinese government considers the Kong, she lived in Shenzhen for 13 years, the closet city to Hong Kong. She latest street occupation in Hong Kong has made friends with other students in illegal. “I hope the movement will not Hong Kong. turn into the 1989 [Tiananmen Square Sin wa*, one of her close friends in Massacre],” Zirui said. Hong Kong, avoids places where the

*Last names have been removed to protect sources

The roach coach: Sophomore develops bug business model he needed help with. Paik had to breed cockroaches for about a year One hundred fifty to and a half before he had enough 175 thousand cockroaches to sell. Things took off for him reside in sophomore William about four months ago when Paik’s garage. But it’s not an infestation; it’s a business. It all he started to get his name out started two years ago, when he by posting advertisements on various forums. decided to breed cockroaches To breed them, he places to feed to his reptiles because it was cheaper than buying food the cockroaches in cages and then places heat tapes under from the store. Since then, he sells the remaining cockroaches them to keep the temperature from 85 to 95 degrees and to to reptile owners through his maintain the humidity upwards emerging business. of 70 percent. To increase “Breeding cockroaches production, Paik feeds them makes pretty decent money,” Paik said. “My friends and I are a food that has protein and a dietary supplement. Then, the trying to save up [for a boat]. Cockroaches are my source of insects begin to breed. “I usually get requests income rather than getting a twice or three times a week job. It is easier.” depending on how many ads Paik learned how to breed cockroaches primarily from the I post and how low or high I Internet. He says the process is set the prices,” he said. “[The prices] change from what other simple, but it was the business

BY PHOeBE BORSUM

jenny lee/the pen

Sophomore William Paik checks on and feeds his cockroaches Oct. 16. They required food pellets and water.

people’s prices are because I always try to beat theirs.” Ironically, Paik is allergic to the cockroaches. Despite the rashes he develops when he prolongs physical contact with them, he continues to breed them because he enjoys being around animals. “My parents were not too enthusiastic about me breeding cockroaches in the garage because they worried about a possible infestation,” Paik said. “A few cockroaches have been found outside the breeding containers, which didn’t help at all.” Paik does not see himself doing this as a career; according to him, the business is not stable. Still, Paik has benefited from the money and unique experience and hopes to continue his business until he begins college.

Aptest Crossword By DAVID STEINBERG

This puzzle should be less stressful than the real thing.

Across 1 Hold firmly 5 Go 100 m.p.h. on Hawthorne, say 10 Stinging buzzer 14 Plays on words 15 Young fella 16 Hawaiian city near Kilauea 17 “True Blood” actress: 2 wds. 19 Element whose symbol is Fe

20 Ballerina’s skirt 21 Campground spike: 2 wds. 23 TV schedule abbr. 26 Clarinet insert 28 “Doe, a ___ . . . “ 29 Less complicated 31 Handel’s treat: 2 wds. 35 Commonly sprained joint 36 Invisibility ___ (Harry

Potter’s cover-up) 37 Jacuzzi setting 38 Money to get out of jail 39 Clothing tag 40 Channel for sports fans 41 ___ Arbor, Michigan 42 Cooked in an oven 43 Earthquake line 44 Court request that information not be publicized: 2 wds. 46 Wooden container thrown by Donkey Kong 47 Worship a deity 48 Colorful cereal 50 180° from WNW 51 Peculiar 54 From the beginning 56 Somewhat: 2 wds. 57 Guacamole throwaway: 2 wds. 62 Frilly material 63 Minecraft addict, for example 64 Leaf-gathering tool 65 Spanish for “three” 66 ___ Birds Space 67 Joint with a cap

Down 1 4.0 is a perfect one 2 Temple ___ 2 3 Travelers’ lodging 4 Exam for juniors 5 Rollerblade user 6 Excite, as interest

7 College URL ender 8 Revise a document 9 Completed transaction: 2 wds. 10 Toothpaste ad word 11 Tire measurement: 2 wds. 12 Sour, plumlike fruit 13 Ping-___ 18 Blender setting 22 Long giraffe part 23 It’s steeped in a kettle: 2 wds. 24 Fruit for a monkey 25 Seller’s figure: 2 wds. 27 Pointy-Haired Boss’s comic strip 30 Not feeling well 32 Like many dorms, gender-wise 33 Fruits for horses 34 Earth layer below the crust 36 Dessert with candles 39 “Poker Face” singer: 2 wds. 40 Place for an iPod bud 42 Raisin ___ (cereal) 43 Sent by phone line 45 Delivers a speech 46 Code consisting of 0s and 1s 49 Indy 500 entrant 51 Pretzel seasoning 52 Ski lift type: Hyph. 53 ___ Picone (designer brand) 55 Productive activity 58 “Srsly?!?!” 59 Gold miner’s device 60 Mike and ___ 61 Golf ball supporter

Visit www.celebratemydrive.com by Friday, Oct. 24 to support Peninsula! 10

SPORTS

NO King of the Hill On this Level Playing Field JACKIE UY/The Pen

Cases of collegiate athletes gaining special privileges due to talent on the field, court or track are quickly becoming more common. While this treatment often starts early, such entitlement is not prevalent on campus. BY JENNA HENRY

“ Athletes at Pen do not get treated differently than non-athletes. ” -Risa Nakagawa

Academic and athletic equality is encouraged and enforced at Peninsula, but some athletes believe their skill level entitles them to special privileges. Such entitlement becomes much more severe at the collegiate level, such as University of North Carolina’s 18-year academic scandal. UNC athletes were allegedly enrolled in fake classes to boost grades and remain eligible for competition. However, while students at Peninsula have encountered athletes who have skipped practice or mistreated less experienced players, they also note that these athletes are a small minority. Sophomore and track and field athlete Caroline Kim dealt with both types of athletes during the last school year. “Most of the best athletes on the track team are very humble,” Kim said. “[But the athletes] who acted entitled felt that they did not have to do what everyone else did. They would skip practices, not dress [or] finish only part of the workout.” Another problem Kim noted was that athletes who felt entitled to better treatment were not necessarily the most talented. “[I think] maybe they thought that their natural abilities superseded those of everyone else, so they felt that they did not need to try as hard,” Kim said.

To combat this thinking, coaches aim to promote a sense of unity on their teams by not giving any athlete preferential treatment. “This year, I think our new coach has done a great job in setting equal expectations for everyone,” Kim said. “He explicitly says that he doesn’t care how good anyone is at their event. Everyone still has to work hard.” Softball Coach Tim Hall demands that his athletes respect one another regardless of position or talent level. “I have seen star players acting disrespectfully to the players who are role players or bench players, [but when I talked to them, they] responded really well,” Hall said. Senior varsity tennis captain Risa Nakagawa frequently misses school for tennis competitions. However, the school expectation is that any missed work is made up in a timely manner. “I am still expected to make up the work I miss,” Nakagawa said. “Athletes at Pen do not get treated differently than non-athletes.” Nakagawa believes this expectation helps to curtail any sense of entitlement. Essentially, it is not to be believed that any athlete deserves better treatment or more attention than another. “An athlete is [not] entitled to anything extra that the average student does not get,” discipline director and former football coach Jim Small said.

Administration takes precautionary steps to prevent hazing By JENNA HENRY In Sayreville, New Jersey, an alleged hazing incident that involved the high school’s football team occurred on Sept. 29, resulting in arrests of athletes, several retracted scholarship offers and the cancellation of the entire football season. Hazing, which is any form of initiation through humiliation, harassment or bullying, is a practice used in order to welcome or initiate a person into a group. It is a common problem on college campuses when students are seeking initiations into fraternities or sororities. Recently, however, there has been a rise of incidents of hazing on high school campuses, which has resulted in costly consequences, such as in the case of Sayreville High. Although some high school students have dealt with this issue, most students at Peninsula do not

encounter such practices, as they feel that it is pointless and distances a team instead of uniting it. Rather, teammates choose to welcome their newcomers by having team dinners in lieu of shaving their heads. “If any type of hazing takes place on campus, it should be dealt with accordingly,” sophomore varsity water polo player Conner Negrinelli said. When he was hired two years ago, football coach Michael Christensen made it a point to remind his players that no form of hazing was ever acceptable on the team. “We want to take care of our teammates and be role model[s] to the younger kids,” Christensen said. By choosing to address it before the season begins and emphasizing the point among their older athletes, coaches are able to remind their students that hazing does not belong at Peninsula. “The key to the program is leadership and the

only way you can build a program is through a strong freshman program and kids wanting to come back,” sophomore varsity football player Marco Merola said. Although minimal on campus, Principal Mitzi Cress has decided to address the issue of hazing in advance in order to prevent it from occurring at all. This year, Cress will be distributing a pledge to all students involved in school activities. All students and their parents must sign the pledge, promising that they will not participate in or condone any type of hazing on any team or club. She will also encourage coaches and advisors to show an anti-hazing video so that students are aware of how serious hazing is. “Any type of hazing is completely unacceptable. I have tried very hard to make it clear what my expectations are,” Cress said. “I want us to put our signature out there that [it] is not who we are and nobody should treat anybody in [a] demeaning way.”

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