Issue 2

the pen

Palos Verdes Peninsula High School

www.pvphsnews.com

Vol. XXXVII

Issue 2

October 21, 2016

WHEELER FOR THE WIN John Wheeler named Teacher of the Year NEWS PAGE 3

PLIGHT OF THE FOSTERS Foster children fall behind in academics OPINION PAGE 5

ON TARGET

A HOUSE DIVIDED

Students weigh in on the upcoming election FOCUS PAGES 6-7

Sophomore archer ranks amongst top in the nation SPORTS PAGE 11

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TEMISHI ONNEKIKAMI / THE PEN

news

Rianne Aguas

PVPusd REWARDED ENERGY STAR CERTIFICATION award

The Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District (PVPUSD) was recently given the Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR Certification for 2016.

ENERGY STAR is a program that supports businesses and individuals in saving money and helps the environment with energy-efficient plans and products. ENERGY STAR recognizes the most energyefficient buildings nationwide.

The district offices and 15 PVPUSD schools including Peninsula were named “energy-efficient” and became eligible for certification.

To receive certification, PVPUSD was rated in the top 25 percentile nationwide for its energy efficiency.

Each building in the district has a rating from one to 100, and those that score a 75 or higher are eligible for ENERGY STAR Certification.

A score of 75 or higher means that the building is rated better than or equivalent to 75 percent of the buildings in the country. However, this certification is only given out on a yearly basis, so each building must maintain its performance throughout the year to remain certified.

A licensed Professional Engineer (PE) or Registered Architect (RA) must verify the submitted information of the building in order to verify that the building is able to be approved for energy efficiency.

ENERGY STAR was established to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and pollutants caused by inefficient use of energy. It also made it easier for people to identify and purchase energy-efficient products that save money on energy bills without changing performance, quality or comfort. The combined cost of utilities, electricity, natural gas, heating oil and water have been steadily increasing for the district. To lessen the costs, PVPUSD partnered up with energy conservation company Cenergistic and since has saved $2,647,825 on its energy and utility costs.

According to PVPUSD, this is equivalent to removing 719 cars from the streets

or planting 88,433 trees in a community.

Advanced Placement (AP) Environmental Science teacher Ben Smith believes energy needs and costs will always be a topic of great importance and that energy conservation efforts can easily be made with any type of building.

For example, one can simply unplug battery chargers when a device is fully charged.

“The [many] school sites and facilities in the district [are great examples of] opportunities to save energy and reducing energy costs,” Smith said.

According to Junior Lauren Leung, saving energy helps the environment and the world by reducing emissions from fossil fuels. These emissions damage the atmosphere by releasing carbon dioxide, a process known as the greenhouse effect. The gases heat up the planet and lead to climate change, which negatively affects the environment.

Leung learned about energy conservation in Smith’s class and after she learned about PVPUSD saving energy, Leung has thought of ways that she can start conserving energy.

“Conserving energy helps my family save money and benefits the environment.”

Leung said. “It is very easy to help the environment by doing little things [as easy as turning off the lights,] and I want to incorporate these habits into my daily life.”

Junior Tommy Jankowski, classmate of Leung, also has learned about conserving energy in his Environmental Science class. According to Jankowski, saving energy saves our atmosphere and creates less waste and a better society. To cut back on energy at home, he turns off faucets while he is brushing his teeth. He feels important knowing he can do little things to help the environment, and thinks that this certification will inspire people in the community to start conserving energy.

“I am doing my little part to complete a bigger goal,” Jankowski said. “If our community can save money and the environment, then so can I.”

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JOHN WHEELER NAMED TEACHER OF THE YEAR ALISON KIM

DENISE yokoyama / The Pen

Among the hundreds of teachers employed in the Palos Verdes Unified School District (PVPUSD), Peninsula’s Advanced Placement (AP) Psychology teacher John Wheeler was named one of 10 honorees of Palos Verdes Peninsula’s Rotary Educator of the Year.

Wheeler has been a teacher since 1980 and has been teaching at Peninsula since 1998. He started off as a world history and psychology teacher and then became an AP Psychology teacher in 2001. Many students consider Wheeler their favorite student because he turns his academics into an amalgam of education and entertainment.

Students walk into his class daily with anticipation for what fun activity Wheeler has in store for them.

Physics 1 and C AP teacher Mark Greenberg wrote the recommendation letter used to

nominate Wheeler for the award. The two have been very close friends ever since Greenberg started teaching at Peninsula in 2010.

“When I think of what makes a great educator, I think of Wheeler, and I was really surprised that his name has not appeared on [past] Educator of the Year lists,” Greenberg said. “He is a mentor to me, and I have learned [from him] that teaching is not always about the subject we are teaching, but [also] about the [students] in the classroom.”

Principal Mitzi Cress also expressed her gratitude for Wheeler’s positive contribution to Peninsula and wholeheartedly agrees that he deserves this recognition. She also believes that Wheeler has earned much respect as well as popularity amongst the students. “[Many students] want Wheeler to talk about them at the California Scholarship Federation banquet, and many students want to ride with him in the physics boat competition,” Cress said. “He is a rare human being who is one hundred percent passionate about what he does, and he makes a [positive

impact] on students in a class that [students are not required] to take.”

Wheeler is also very active on campus. He participates in ComedySportz and games before pep rallies and attends various athletic games. He is a comedic character and likes to bond with the students by dancing, wearing costumes and cracking jokes.

Senior Bella Moreno took Wheeler’s AP Psychology class as a sophomore and is currently his Teacher’s Assistant (TA) for the second time. Their three-year history together has solidified not only their relationship, but their inside jokes as well.

“Wheeler genuinely cares about his students and does little things to show it,” Moreno said. “For example, during AP review testing, he coordinated his shirt colors to match the review tests that he gave us. I have learned [from Wheeler] that as long as you have a passion for something and a positive outlook, you can [make] anything [enjoyable].”

ANA WILLOUGHBY

English 1 Honors and 4 teacher Kate Peters agrees that it would be beneficial to On Sept. 8, the California evaluate schools based on test results, but Department of Education (CDE) she thinks that it should not be the only approved a new way to evaluate factor accounted for when schools receive schools. The old evaluation did not grades. allow schools to show the different “[Teachers] want to make sure that they regions in which they excelled. It solely cover things that are going to prepare the focused on the test scores for specific students for the future, and [the evaluation subjects, general state testings for all of testing scores] does matter because grades and college entrance exams such colleges can know that our school tests as the SAT and ACT. This new form well,” Peters said. of evaluation will take into account According to Peters, this new system factors other than just test scores. will be fairer and will level the playing Some elements include preparedness field for all California schools. It will allow for future education and careers, schools that are lacking in one area yet graduation rates, progression of English succeeding in all others to still achieve a learners, suspension rates, standardized good evaluation. Not all schools can rank test scores, attendance rates, progress well all-around, so the new evaluation will in implementing standards, engagement emphasize the unique traits found within of parents and guardians and the overall the students and the climate particular to school climate. each school.

Schools will now be ranked using This approach does not center on one these elements, and all schools will be specific aspect; it is inclusive of all parts given a color level, which represents that can provide an accurate evaluation the overall grade the school has earned. of each school when put together. It will The levels, in order of lowest to highest, measure the overall progress through will range from Red, Orange, Yellow, multiple years of evaluation instead of just Green and Blue. In the coming years, providing an end result. This tactic will also all California schools will eventually use the color score system to compare the implement the above factors into grades earned from one school with the the new form of evaluation. By doing grades of other schools and contrast the so, anyone included in the evaluation different areas in California where schools process can better judge the progress are found to see how the environment and environment of each school in all affects school life. the categories.

Sophomore Sydney Bambardekar

believes the inclusion of all aspects that make up each student is important for the state to see. “[Different aspects may be evaluated] seeing that a student can excel in multiple academic aspects, not just in test scores,” Bambardekar said.

“I believe that the school evaluations can be based on more than test scores in order to get a well-rounded idea of a student’s education and their abilities.”

In addition to making the evaluations fair by allowing all schools to be evaluated the same way, the new form of CDE-approved evaluation will help showcase the different ways students themselves can succeed.

The new evaluation opens up many opportunities for students, and it can potentially help show their success.

Each part will be ranked and combined to form one official ranking. The total score will define the success of schools and eventually will be used in examining their progress as the years go on.

Peninsula has always done its best to give students the resources to be wellrounded in all areas on or off campus.

They recognize and showcase the aspects unique to every student.

“Schools [most likely] feel that it is not just a grade that composes a student,” sophomore Holly Harris said.

“There are other factors to consider [when evaluating a school and the students at the school].”

brian mo AND Two LAURIO / The Pen

SCHOOL EVALUATIONS ARE More than just TEST SCORES

opinion 27118 Silver Spur Road, Rolling Hills Estates, CA 90274 EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Annie Benedict Marine Fujisawa MANAGING EDITOR Esther Chu DESIGN EDITOR Temishi Onnekikami NEWS EDITORS: Nina Li Nile Minn WRITERS: Rianne Aguas Alison Kim Ana Willoughby OPINION EDITOR: Chris Chien WRITERS: Anne Lee Asumi Shuda

STUDENT LIFE EDITORS: Phoebe Borsum Jordan Chang WRITERS: Saffy Laurio Ailey Suzuki SPORTS EDITOR: Stella Yoo WRITERS: Haris Rao Zain Riaz GRAPHICS Ciro Fidaleo Two Laurio Brian Mo BUSINESS & ADVERTISING Isabelle Wang 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 Isabelle Wang 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 © 2016 Cover Design by Temishi Onnekikami Cover Photo by Two Laurio Cover Model Firoozeh Adli

The Missile of Paranoia: dangers of stereotyping Editorial staff In this era of instantaneous communication, fear sweeps through the nation in waves of diminishing veracity. With our pressing hunger for immediate answers and people to blame, we often skip the in-depth research and turn straight to the nearest article, theory or rumor. While having the world at our fingertips gives us the opportunity - and thus the responsibility - to be duly informed, things such as panic over politics or fright over a recent string of “fad” crimes can cause an explosion of mass hysteria. And, in this vicious cycle, as the paranoia increases, the accuracy and reliability of the spreading stories decrease.

Fear of the unknown and the unfamiliar is a common sentiment among U.S. citizens. Since the declaration of the War on Terror over two decades ago, the United States has fought to effectively reduce the threat of foreign attack to our nation. With the recent rise of the Islamic State (IS), a wave of fear and paranoia has spread over the nation.

And along with this has arrived a whole host of domestic problems, many associated with people’s urge to point fingers and find some person or group to blame. In America and in several Western countries, many

innocent people, especially innocent Muslims, are condemned for the cruel actions of a radical minority, simply for looking or dressing different. Too often has a woman in a headscarf or a man in a turban been called “terrorist” as a whispered or shouted slur. And Peninsula is not exempt from this intolerance: despite a substantial minority population here on campus, a student can still hear inappropriate racial slurs or jokes being thrown around on a daily basis. The jokes - calling a Muslim peer or a peer of Middle-Eastern origin a terrorist, for example - may seem harmless at the time, but it can create a ripple effect that damages the entire demographic and ultimately devastates the victims.

Most recently, in retaliation to the menace of terrorism, the United States, along with Kurdish and Iraqi forces, has backed the Mosul offensive, an offensive against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militants to retake their stronghold. As Mosul is of territorial importance to ISIL, taking the city back would be a great blow towards the terrorist organization.

Thus, as actual measures are being taken by the government and military to combat the danger, one would think that the rash hysteria resulting from illegitimate sources about terror threats would subdue. Yes, it is true that we have reason to fear: the War on Terror is different than traditional wars, as it

lacks an easily identifiable and locatable enemy and incorporates some of the most advanced technologies the world has ever seen. But exaggerated or simply untrue stories have amplified fear of anything associated with the stereotypical terrorist image, whether that is religion, behavior or clothing choice. We have no reason to fear or to blame whole demographics of people.

This tendency to point fingers can be extremely damaging to the individuals of this group, especially when people in influential political positions publicly act on this tendency. We must remember to become properly informed before passing judgments in the face of this national danger, and we can only hope our national leaders do the same.

Paranoia

FOCUS EDITORS: Emily McGinn Zoe Willoughby WRITERS: Liana Korotzer Adrian Tai

EDITORIAL

temishi onnekikami/the pen

THE PEN PALOS VERDES PENINSULA HIGH SCHOOL

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State takes holistic approach in evaluating schools ANNE LEE Peninsula, known for its high academic performance, also excels in many other aspects that have not been truly acknowledged. This year, California decided to evaluate schools based on factors such as school environment and college preparedness. These extensive measures will benefit school rankings because they will provide a more accurate representation of a school and ultimately portray Peninsula’s strengths that test scores alone cannot show.

Principal Mitzi Cress supports the new system because she feels that the strength of a school should not be defined by one statistic.

Looking further into a school’s environment provides a deeper understanding of the school and its qualities. She is aware that Peninsula will be evaluated more closely and believes that the

school is well prepared.

“Peninsula is so much more than its scores,” Cress said. “I wish that they would evaluate us based on those other items because I think we are doing more than just educating students.”

Peninsula strives in every aspect including leadership programs, family involvement and enrichment programs, but these elements have not yet been closely examined due to the nature of the past system.

Along with benefiting Peninsula specifically, this new system will better define schools as a whole. Test scores cannot provide a complete understanding of the community of a school and other areas of a student’s school life. A student’s surroundings play a large role in one’s education, and the state feels the need to have that be evaluated as well because it is found to be equally as important as test scores. For example, a

school may receive high tests scores but harshly drill students through vigorous work. It is wrong for a school with an unfriendly environment but high test scores to be ranked higher than a school with positive surroundings but low test scores. Attaining high rankings should be based on both a supportive community and high academic achievements.

The changes in the method of evaluation will also relieve pressure from teachers who prepare students to perform well on tests. Mindful that the school ranking was based on their teaching burdened many teachers, but with the new system, teachers do not need to feel as pressured because there are other factors contributing to the evaluation.

“Educators would always see that we were testing and teaching to tests,” Cress said. “[In the past], we were chasing a score, and now [it will be]

different.”

English 2 teacher Suzanne Brown believes that this new system will benefit Peninsula in many ways. She expresses the importance of viewing a school not only based on academics.

Because this process has never been tried, the results are unpredictable and its effectiveness is still to be discovered. The procedures on how certain aspects of the school are going to be evaluated have not been made certain yet, but Brown expresses her anticipation of the new evaluation system.

“I think as a school, we are fantastic,” Brown said. “Not just for academics, and [these misunderstandings] sometimes get under represented. I think it is really hard to be a successful [and an] inclusive school when [it is] as large as we are and we do a good job with that. This new system will only make us shine brighter.”

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fosters facing barriers Poor testing underscores the bigger problem facing foster kids in California ASUMI SHUDA

Your One Guide to A Perfect Score

“Moving from home to home and school to school will make it really hard [for foster children] to have a strong foundation academically.”

- SAFE SCHOOLS COUNSELOR CHRISTINe LOPEZ

BRIAN MO and Ciro Fidaleo/THE PEN

Preparation for College: A Guide for Parents

The learning, striving and participation of the youth is essential to our society’s future. However, when it comes to education, one important demographic has been left behind. Reports have shown that foster children tend to obtain lower scores in standardized testing than non-foster children do. According to the Los Angeles (LA) Times, out of the estimated 102,000 foster kids in California, 25.4 percent fewer foster children met test standards in English in than the average non-foster child and 22 percent fewer met the standards for math during the 2014-15 school year.

Foster children must be ready to function in society at adulthood, but many of them do not have the right resources, tools and people to guide them there. Thus, they ought to receive more help and attention in order to catch them up with the rest of society.

One of the biggest reasons why foster children have lower scores is because of the unusual amount of pressure placed on them.

Many kids go through tremendous stress due to constantly having to switch homes, which in turn disrupts their education. Thus, their future aspirations are generally low. According to the LA Times, foster children rarely think about going to college and pursuing a professional career, and if they do, they often cannot attend because of the lack of resources and support.

“Moving from home to home and school to school will make it really hard [for foster children] to have a strong foundation academically,” Safe Schools Counselor Christine Lopez said. “Many of these kids have gone through so much that they

have given up hope on education.”

However, there are efforts being made to improve the lives of foster children all around California. Many colleges have recently made programs to help foster children visit and attend their schools. An article by Winerip explains that foster children are provided a place of residence through these resourceful programs, and they are even offered opportunities to earn scholarships.

These various programs have helped more foster students be accepted into the college of their choice and succeed. For example, in 2009, an agency called South Bay Bright Future Inc. was started in the South Bay to help foster children both academically and personally.

Based on data from the Foster Children Resource Project, there are approximately 68 clubs in the Los Angeles area that help local foster children. These clubs have helped foster children find their places in life by providing a safe place in which to grow up, which would allow them to aim for greater goals such as going to dream colleges and having their ideal careers.

Kids who are stuck in the foster care system constantly fight an uphill battle that they do not deserve, and they often have to worry about shortcomings in their daily lives that many people take for granted. Unfortunately, their current situation means that they cannot afford to consider their education as a top priority, which in turn leads to disadvantages in the future. Helping foster children would not only improve their lives both academically and socially, but also improve society as a whole. Each foster child that receives the necessary assistance has the potential to make a difference in the world. Giving them the same chance and guidance along the path to success that non-foster children receive would allow our society to hear the voices of all kids.

Focus

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a m k o e t a e d t i o f V f e s r r enc o in e

Liana Korotzer As the presidential election approaches on Nov. 8, many people are preparing to vote for the candidate they believe will best lead the United States. Out of the total voter turnout, the amount for high school and college students is usually low.

According to the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE), citizens who are 18 to 28 years old make up 21 percent of the total eligible voting population.

However, only 51 percent of young citizens voted at the 2008 polls and 45 percent of young citizens voted in the 2012 presidential election.

One of the reasons that young citizens do not vote is that they feel uninformed about the election process and politics in general. The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) found that onethird of high school seniors do not fully understand how the American government operates. They also found that high school age students do not believe that politics are relevant to their lives. For these reasons, a majority of young citizens have not voted in prior years.

A large number of Peninsula seniors are or will be 18 years old and eligible to vote in November, including seniors Lindy Liu, Elise Sommerstein and Joey Black. They plan to vote in the election and feel that it is important for other eligible high school students to participate as well.

In order to stay informed, Liu watches the presidential debates, checks updates on Facebook and looks at the CNN website frequently. She hopes that other seniors will also become involved with politics and educate themselves before voting.

“These choices really matter, so we definitely need to do our research and not just follow what our parents say or what everyone around us does,” Liu said. “We need to go and make sure that we form an opinion that we can really believe in and truly support.”

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Presidential Election 2016 “The media has been covering it a lot, and social media has [especially] been generating a lot of [opinions] on this election,” Liu said. “So I think young people [are taking] notice.”

While social media can help promote awareness of the election and encourage young people to vote, Sommerstein believes that the use of social media could label candidates with negative images.

She thinks that humorous portrayals of the candidates on social media could cause people to see the election as a frivolous matter, which is why it is important for students to vote based on their opinions of candidates’ policies and goals rather than voting blindly.

“We are the next generation, and this presidency will affect us throughout our college experience,” Sommerstein said.

Black feels that this presidential election may attract more young voters due to the differences in the candidates. He explained that young voters might have a stronger opinion in this election than previous elections.

“The two candidates have such opposing views,” Black said. “[This election] will set a precedent and tone for the years to come, especially with the judicial branch and who [is elected] for the Supreme Court. That will definitely have a long-lasting impact.”

Black also believes that starting to practice the process of researching candidates and forming opinions about them will help students later in life as they continue to vote. Although he hopes that many young people will vote, given that 18 to 28 year olds are consistently the smallest voter turnout, Black thinks that it is most important for people to understand who they are truly voting for.

“Be aware, do your research and make your own opinion, even if your [friends or parents] might not agree with you,” Black said.

“Even if you think your vote may not matter, it is still important to go out there and experience the process [of] voting, to feel that you are making a change in the world.”

c e t l i e o n l a s i t p a n rk e di

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Adrian Tai

if residents will be voting for their respective Assemblyman and whether the voters would like lawn signs.

Although all three started off phone banking and canvassing, Schluper, Senaratna and Ashai are now all assigned to very different jobs.

Schluper researches bills, writes letters, makes certificates, files unclaimed property, updates mailing lists and participates in political community events. Senaratna has also gained new responsibilities, including leading correspondence in the Torrance area and being one of the two interns on the candidate’s cabinet, where he plans campaign strategies with officials. Ashai is involved with tasks that involve recruitment. She makes graphics and recruitment flyers, and visits public places to try to recruit high school students and encourage them to become more involved in politics.

These internship opportunities have given these ambitious students the chance to gain experience for what they intend to do in the future. Along with discovering their passions for politics, Schluper, Senaratna and Ashai were also able to learn many other important lessons that will help them in the future.

“Working for Muratsuchi’s campaign showed me that each person’s voice has the power to make a difference and that I should stand up for what I believe in because I have the en ability to make a change, eP h /T just like everyone else eo l a does,” Ashai said. id

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Isabelle Wang / The Pen

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l i t o i p c a e l u s i n r ter u p s n

Due in part to the recent presidential election, an increasing number of students are becoming more involved in politics.

As students begin to discover their interests in high school, they look for opportunities to further explore them.

Seniors Samal Senaratna and Anna Ashai intern for Democratic Assemblyman Albert Muratsuchi, and senior Emily Schluper interns for Republican Assemblyman David Hadley.

Schluper received the internship in March 2016 at a Teen Court ribbon-cutting ceremony that introduced the new courtroom. There, she spoke with a representative of Hadley’s office, who offered her an internship.

“Even though I am a Democrat, I have learned so much by working in the office of a Republican,” Schluper said. “I have developed relationships with the office staff, constituents and even Hadley himself.”

Senaratna found out about the internship position through Robert Magee, the president and founder of Strategoi, which is a nonprofit organization dedicated to involving the younger generation involved in the political sphere.

Most interns at both offices start off with phone banking, which is the act of calling registered voters and asking if they will be supporting the Assemblyman under which they intern and informing them about the Assemblyman’s position on different topics. Interns are also tasked with canvassing in which they go door to door around the district and ask

Stud en

the P res

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media, the two presidential Adrian Tai candidates Hillary According to CNN, Clinton from the the first presidential debate Democratic Party and brought in a record number of Donald Trump from the 84 million viewers, and has been an Republican Party have both been example of the closely followed election. facing a great deal of scrutiny over Seniors Samuel Jennings and Adam their plans for the country. Trump’s plan Dewitt have tried to stay updated on it. to build a wall on the American-Mexican “Having a say in who we [elect] to lead border and his tax return history, which America is a big deal, so I intend to choose he has kept private, have undergone great the candidate I believe will be the best for controversy. On the other hand, Clinton’s use America,” Jennings said. of her family’s private email server for official High school students can become more communications instead of State Department aware when they finally vote and keep up with email accounts has been brought to attention. the election by watching debates, using social According to the website Inside Government, media and watching or reading the news. They Clinton and Trump have extremely different gain more insight about the candidates and their views on topics such as abortion, taxation, plans. hiring minorities and gun control. The contrast “Knowing who the people running for in their opinions will play a major factor in president are and what they believe in is critical determining who the next leader of the United when choosing who will lead us in the future,” States will be. The presidential debates that Dewitt said. occurred on Sept. 26 and Oct. 9 reflected Regardless of whether one is of voting age the candidates’ beliefs, ideals and plans for or not, others such as junior Shayan Saadat America if elected president. They discussed still believe staying updated with the many topics including taxes, businesses and presidential election is important. climate change.

“Although I will not be able vote “The debate was really enlightening,” this year, I still watched the debates said Jennings. “It helped me to get a better idea of what the formulate clearer opinions about candidates plan for the future,” the candidates and see [if] Saadat said. they have the country and Mainly focused people’s best interests on by the at heart.”

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student life 8

Students immigrate from the Philippines to america mabuhay!

to:

s e t a t S d e t i Un

from:

s e n i p p i l i Ph

(01) 384 8345(21) 8023 Brian mo/the pen

Saffy laurio According to the Migration Policy Institute (MPI), the Philippines has been one of the top five origin countries of immigrants every year since 1990. MPI also states that 45 percent of all Filipino immigrants coming to the United States move to California. Reflecting this statistic, Peninsula’s Filipino student population consists of many immigrants or children of immigrants.

Until this school year, junior Charles Liu lived in Cebu, one of the largest provinces in the Philippines. Despite visiting family in California every summer, moving to California was a big step for Liu and his family.

“It was scary to uproot [myself] and start over,” Liu said. “However, [I am happy that] the people at Peninsula have made this a fun experience.”

Liu’s family made the decision to leave the Philippines after Liu’s older brother, who began attending the University of California, Irvine last year, had trouble integrating his way into friend groups and adjusting to American culture. Liu felt that it would be easier to attend an American high school and then transition into college.

While Liu feels like the move was a good choice, he admits that the process has been difficult, especially for his parents. Liu’s father owns a business located in the Philippines, forcing him to stay there while Liu, his mother and siblings came to live in America.

“My dad and my mom balance each other out,” Liu said. “When the power is only to one parent, it is difficult, but I have to adjust.”

Junior Allyson Ee moved from the Philippine capital, Manila, this August. According to Ee, starting a new life across the world has been both an incredible and frightening experience. The sudden change of cultures both overwhelmed and excited her.

“From the way Americans speak English so smoothly to the way girls paint their nails, color their hair and show their bums in those booty shorts, culture shock had me astounded and embarrassed at the same time,” Ee said.

When she was in the seventh grade, Ee signed a contract with her school in which she committed to study the sciences all throughout high school. She then attended the Philippine Science High School (PSHS), one of the top schools in the Philippines, for four years.

As a student of PSHS, Ee had already secured admission in the top science university in the Philippines. However, Ee gave up that opportunity to seek acceptance into an American university. She feels that not succeeding here would be a disappointment to both her and other Filipino immigrants.

“Taking the risk of moving here will either [prove to be] the most disappointing or wisest decision,” Ee said. “I am also setting an example for other science high school scholars in the Philippines to show that studying in the United States is not as impossible as they think it is.”

Like Liu, Ee and her family also faced difficulties when she came to California. Due to financial reasons, Ee had to move to the United States without her parents.

“I currently live with a host family,” Ee said.

“It was a painful choice [to part with my family].

After all, I have lived with [them] my whole life.”

When comparing the United States to the Philippines, Liu claims that life in the Philippines was much easier than it is in the United States, one of the reasons being that his old community was very tight-knit.

“You do not have to do everything yourself,” Liu said. “You study and do good things for your college applications and that is it. I went to a small school with only 300 students, so I could participate in all the extracurriculars [offered].”

Though not missing the heat of the Philippines, Ee misses the food and friendly attitude of its people. She is hopeful that participating in Peninsula’s Pinoy Club will help her experience Filipino culture and spread it to others here.

“Filipinos are known to be some of the happiest and most hospitable people in the world,” Ee said. “Being Filipino is in my blood, and I want to show these traits by sharing my knowledge and being welcoming to those around me.”

In the future, Liu hopes to attend one of the Universities of California and eventually become a businessman. He has thought about joining his family’s business, but he wants to first prove himself credible by his own right.

Ee wishes to study chemical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In addition, she hopes to one day inspire people to take risks to achieve their goals.

“Regardless of which university I [attend], I dream that someday I will inspire others to never let anything stop them from achieving their dreams,” Ee said.

“Taking the risk of moving here will either [prove to be] the most disappointing or wisest decision.”

-junior allyson ee

words just don’t cut it

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Panther community takes action to support Gazdik family This past summer, Sanae Gazdik, senior Jordan Gazdik’s mother was diagnosed with cancer that spread to her lungs, legs, eyes, liver, brain and back. This is Sanae’s second time being diagnosed, as she has survived breast cancer. After feeling weak, countless doctors appointments and tests confirmed that cancer spots were throughout her body.

A month after her diagnosis, Jordan Gazdik was ready to spread the news to friends.

Among those was senior Ben Prock, who is a close friend of his.

“I was devastated,” Prock said. “I could not believe she had to go through [cancer] a second time. I, and the rest of Jordan’s many friends, will be there to support her and Jordan the whole way.

We are praying for her recovery, and we believe she will make it.”

Sanae decided to shave her head so that her hair would not be patchy when undergoing chemotherapy. Jordan was also planning to shave his head in support of his mother and was shocked to find that many of his senior friends including AJ Hollis, Hunter Walsh, Hutch

Hershberger, Ben Prock and many others were willing to shave their heads too.

Students from Palos Verdes High School, who are friends with Jordan, were also willing to shave their heads in support.

“We all decided that we wanted to support our great friend and shave our hair to show our support to his mom and his family,” Walsh said.

Jordan planned a get-together where close friends and family were invited to shave their heads with his mother. Jordan said that the gathering was filled with love and joy. His mother was thankful that her son turned a potentially sad moment into a happy memory.

“I was in complete awe,” Jordan said. “I am so thankful to be friends with such selfless and loving people.”

Many seniors questioned their new look at first. However, after hearing the reason, they became very supportive of Gazdik and his family. Prock said that countless people have the Gazdik family on their minds and in their prayers.

“Even though it is a sad moment, I think it is cool how the entire senior class is bonding over the support of the Gazdik family,” Prock said. “We want him to know that we are here to support him and his family, and we are confident she will survive.”

“We want them to know that we are here to support him and his family, and we are confident she will survive.”

-Senior ben prock

Senior jordan gazdik gets his hair cut to support his mother through her battle with cancer. Gazdik’s father shaved his head.

PHOTOs COURTESY OF jordan gazdik

ailey suzuki

Senior AJ Hollis shaves his head in support of the Gazdik family. Over eight of Gazdik’s friends cut their hair in solidarity with gazdik’s mother.

Saffy laurio

Beard Full of Butterflies (BFOB), Peninsula’s student literary magazine, recently entered the nationwide American Scholastic Press Association’s annual competition and was awarded first place in the magazine category.

Additionally, they were honored with the title of Outstanding Photography.

BFOB’s Editor-in-Chief, Senior Ashley Liu, is extremely proud to be awarded these titles. She feels that the variation of Peninsula’s students’ art is what truly helped BFOB win.

“I feel that winning the award reflects the quality of our students and the work that they do,” Liu said. “The diversity of our magazine is what made us stand out from other entries. We include a variety of pieces including poems, essays, photographs and even doodles. It has

become one of our magazine’s strengths and something that we look for when we request submissions.”

“Peninsula has amazing artists and writers, and the magazine gives them the opportunity to be recognized.”

-Senior ashley liu According to Liu, the process of reviewing the submitted art and choosing which pieces to print in the magazine is a

task that the BFOB staff greatly enjoys.

“All staff members spend weeks [sifting through] the vast amount of submissions that we get,” Liu said. “I love being a part of the magazine because it is fascinating to see the artistic sides of students that we do not get to see in a regular classroom setting.”

Liu feels that the arts give students a way to express themselves. BFOB allows students to be recognized for their work, and prompts young artists to continue their skills in the arts.

“It showcases the incredible art and literary work that Peninsula students produce,” Liu said. “Peninsula has amazing artists and writers, and the magazine gives them the opportunity to be recognized. BFOB encourages and fosters the creative talents of our students.”

ciro fidaleo / The pen

Literary Magazine wins national competition

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Sports

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X Marks the spot

Sophomore archer Gilchrist ranks fifth in the nation zain riaz When sophomore Hannah Gilchrist was in fourth grade, she attended Camp Shady Brook in Colorado which included an archery activity with plastic bows and arrows.

“I thought it was the coolest thing ever,” Gilchrist said. “When I got home, I asked my parents if I could start taking archery lessons and they refused. So, I gave up and started making bows out of sticks and rubber bands.”

Gilchrist’s parents were initially apprehensive of letting her begin archery lessons, as she was indecisive about the sports she wanted to try. However, when her parents noticed her genuine interest in archery, they warmed up to the idea of Gilchrist starting the sport.

“Once she showed a deep interest for this sport over an extended period of time, we thought it was time to allow her to explore the sport,” parents Wendi and Lane Gilchrist said. “We made her shoot for a year with rented equipment in Long Beach before we bought her her very own equipment. We did not want to buy her equipment if she was not going to stick with the sport.”

Gilchrist quickly developed dreams of being an archer in the Olympics and joined the Junior Olympic Archery Development (JOAD) South Bay Archery program.

“When I first started archery I wanted to begin by taking lessons and renting equipment, and this was the perfect club to do just that, with beginner classes every Saturday morning,” Gilchrist said.

In 2014, Gilchrist advanced to the practice squad in JOAD, a group that competes in year-round competitions and tournaments. Gilchrist has since earned seven pins, which are given to an archer when he or she scores a certain amount of points in ten rounds. She earned two in the past year, with her most recent one earned on Oct. 1.

Gilchrist was also recently ranked fifth in the nation in the cadet division of JOAD. At a tournament in the summer of 2014, a former Olympic coach and statewide JOAD coach Roy Villasor took special notice of Gilchrist’s performance.

“I was actually competing in a local club tournament for a pin, and an Olympic coach happened to be watching,” Gilchrist said. “After the competition he pulled me aside and offered me a spot to train with him.

He said I had amazing form and wanted to work with me in order to prepare me even further and pursue my dreams to make it to the Olympics.”

Villasor has been proud of the progress she has made over the past few years.

“From what I have seen, Hannah has improved so much and I am proud of the work she has put in and I can definitely see her dedication and love for the sport,” Villasor said.

Gilchrist says that overcoming “target panic,” a condition in which an archer experiences high levels of anxiety when shooting, and completely focusing instead on her form and confidence have been the keys to improving and finding success in the sport. “[I] would forget that shooting has nothing to do with aiming,” Gilchrist said. “Shooting has everything to do with your form, mind and body. I would get overly stressed about trying to be the best in competitions and [it would result in] not shooting as best as I could.”

Gilchrist says she has noticed a tremendous amount of progress in her skills in her most recent competitions and her primary goal is to keep competing nationally.

“The main thing I want to accomplish is being able to compete in even more national competitions,” Gilchrist said. “Also I want to get the experience and work on my archery form and technique so I can make it as far as I can and hopefully go to the Olympics.”

“from what I have seen, Hannah has improved so much and I am proud of the work she has put in and I can definitely see her dedication and love for the sport.”

- coach roy villasor

total of 15 first place awards in south bay archery club competitions

Trains every sunday for four hours

personal record of 300 Points in 10 rounds

Fourth year as a member of the junior olympic Archery Development club

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