The Pen by The Pen Newspaper

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PEN

Palos Verdes Peninsula High School www.pvphsnews.com Vol. XXXIV Issue 4 January 10 2014

E H T E R WE A

S L A I N N E L L M I

nfident. Self-assured. Co Unemployed. ult after all. Maybe it is our fa special report Page 6

THE WALL OF NO SHAME

FOR HEALTH OR FOR WEALTH?

A DANGEROUS PASTIME

NEWS Page 3

OPINION Page 4

SPORTS Page 11

Students remain positive by speaking openly about college rejections

Expensive penalties for small infractions are too often for profit

Information about the danger of contact sports leads to decline in football partcipation

Following the first wave of college decisions, Peninsula seniors have turned to The "Wall of No Shame" to destigmitize college rejections and seek solace and community.

By JOVEN DU For the first time in Peninsula history, seniors have begun to post their college rejections and deferrals on the amphitheater. The “Wall of No Shame” serves as a way for students to relieve themselves of the anger or disappointment of college denial. The wall helps students realize that they don’t experience the college rejection process alone. Senior Eric Komatsu brought the idea to Peninsula after looking for ways to deal with his own deferral from Georgetown. After seeing that some students from other schools publicly posted application results, he wanted to help other students cope with their rejections and deferrals. “I knew that our class as a whole was not having a lot of success with our early college admissions,” Komatsu said. “I saw this idea for the wall on College Confidential and thought it would be a great way to offer comfort and

CHRISTOPHER MICHEL/THE PEN MODEL: SONIA DESAIDAMLE

Facing support for those who did not get into their early college choices.” This is the first time Peninsula has embraced such publicity for student struggles; its use was initially surprising for Cress. Cress expressed concern for student

“I think we have a very broad issue here that is being addressed. [The college admissions process] is a very tough thing. ” Mitzi Cress privacy. Rejection letters often contain personal information she would rather remain personal. However, Cress does support the wall insofar as it makes students feel better. “I think we have a very broad issue here that is being addressed. [The college

admissions process] is a very tough thing,” Cress said. “It’s highly competitive and it can be very hurtful. It’s awkward when some kids get in and some kids don’t get in, and it puts kids in a really big funk.” The wall shows both seniors and underclassman there is no reason to feel embarrassed about being rejected. “The Wall of No Shame takes away some of the disappointment of not getting into certain schools we’ve yearned for,” senior Shreshth Kumar said. “Seeing other people’s rejection letters can help us feel and know that we are not alone.” Peninsula is not the only place where students can openly show their college results. Websites like Collegeconfidential.com host forums where students can share what colleges had rejected, deferred or wait listed them. As college decisions continue to arrive, seniors can turn to the wall to seek solace and community in their acceptances and rejections.

Formerly toxic PV shelf is mysteriously free of large portion of DDT By JOVEN DU After sitting at the bottom of the ocean floor off of the Palos Verdes Peninsula for years, tons of the pesticide DDT have oddly disappeared. According to Environmental Health News, “100 metric tons of the banned pesticide DDT and industrial compounds known as polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, have vanished from one of the country’s most hazardous sites, almost a 90 percent drop in just five years.” After having been used as dump site from 1947 until 1971, tons of raw sewage contaminated with DDT have accumulated in the PV shelf, poisoning the local wildlife. The sudden disappearance of DDT spurred biologist inquiries and an Environmental Protection Agency investigation. Currently, it is unknown what exactly caused the disappearance; however, three possibilities exist. It was found that

microbial activity in the area increased. Studies from Michigan State University show that bacteria replace a chlorine atom with hydrogen, changing the DDT into a substance not harmful to marine life. Secondly, wave action over the years may have disturbed the sediments at the sea floor, dispersing the DDT into the water. Thus easing their dispersal. However, evidence from fish samples does not support the option; their levels did not change, as one would suspect. Lastly, sloughing from the PV shelf may have disturbed the sediments at the bottom and re-suspended much the DDT. “It’s certainly a bit of a mystery.” Environmental Science teacher Ben Smith said. “But I think experimentation and data collection over time will help.” Although much of the marine life has improved over time, fish such as the Croaker and other aquatic species still have DDT present in their tissues and

remain unsafe for human Certain fish found in the Palos consumption. Verdes Shelf had been found “We don’t to be contaminated with high DDT eat fish from levels of DDT and PCBs. the area anymore. Longterm risks of I was consumption of conscious contaminated fish of [the include cancer, male pollution] but infertility, and nervous continued to This area is used extensively and liver damage. surf in the by both sport and commercial area, since fishermen. [the DDT] was 20 miles off the coast,” ceramics teacher and former surf coach Brendan EPA has suspended the project to further Karg said. “The less pesticides used, the test the area due to the DDT’s sudden better.” disappearance. Intentional capping is planned by “Further tests [need to be conducted the EPA to help clean the area, but the before] substantial action is taken,” Smith project will cost millions of dollars. The said.

Planting energy-efficient roots By SONIA DESAIDAMLE Energy Star, over 14 million metric tons of carbon dioxide gas were eliminated at commercial sites, which is approximately the same amount used by 2 million homes annually. Since the program was implemented, the school district saved over $1.2 million in utility bills. This impact is equal to taking 364 cars off the road or planting 44 thousand trees in the community. According to the district, these numbers are expected to keep growing. The progress that California has made towards becoming more green in the past year is due to the success of Proposition 39, or the “California Clean Energy Jobs Act” which passed in November 2012. The act changed the state-wide corporate income tax code to bring in roughly $550 million in revenue annually for projects to improve energy efficiency. In the 2013-14 fiscal year, $381 million of this revenue was to be directed to local educational agencies (LEAs), and awards were also promised to LEAs that served K-12 students. These measures funded the Energy Star program for countless California schools, and several other environmentally-friendly programs adopted by schools.

$1,228.371 saved in energy costs

= 364

cars off of the street

= 44,819

JULIETTE STRUYE/THE PEN

In becoming an Energy Star school, Peninsula High School has recently been declared one of twelve hundred energy efficient schools in the country. Founded by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2000, the Energy Star program started as an initiative to get corporate, commercial, industrial and community buildings to reduce their energy consumption and production of greenhouse gases. By switching to energy-saving computer programs and lighting fixtures, PVPHS has become a greener campus. “EPA inspires buildings to duke it out for energy-savings supremacy,” said Michael O’Connell on the Federal News Radio. Factors that play into a sector’s eligibility include building size, open hours, air conditioning, number of electronic machines and energy used for cooking and cleaning. Energy Star programs reduce the amount of fossil fuels used across the country. To date, over three hundred thousand buildings and plants have become Energy Star certified. American families and businesses saved over $24 billion on utility bills in 2012 alone. According to

NEWS

trees planted

Mira Catalina elementary school principal allegedly bullied her students By AMANI JALOTA Following the transfer of former principal Jeff Keeney to Cornerstone Elementary, Grace La Tegola was hired as the new principal of Mira Catalina elementary school. However, parents called for the dismissal of the newly hired principal, based on allegations that she bullied students. A group of parents complained about La Tegola at a board meeting on Oct. 24. At the meeting, parents criticized the fact that she was recommended by former Chief Academic Officer Martin Griffin, who resigned after an alleged pornography scandal. La Tegola was linked to Griffin and the Common Core in a Daily Breeze article that appeared in

October 2013. principal is one of the reasons I pulled In November, members of the board my child out,” Arregoces said. “It was of education received emails demanding really hard reaching out to her because La Tegola’s removal. According to the she did not have an open-door policy. I local press, some parents were even think it was a positive move for my son considering withdrawing their children based on the circumstances.” from the Mira elementary Catalina has “It was hard reaching out to her school. a current Mira enrollment of because she didn’t have an openCatalina 389 students, door policy. I think it was a positive parent up from 349 move for my son. ” Francis students at Arregoces the end of Francis Arregoces confirmed the 2012-2013 that she school year. pulled her A source at child out of school. the school said that “very few students – “The lack of partnership with the perhaps only one” have transferred out

of the school since the beginning of the school year. For the time being, La Tegola has been moved to the district office as an administrator for special projects. In her place, Pat Corwin has been appointed interim principal for Mira Catalina until further action can be taken. The district has refused to provide a comment on the subject, saying it was an ongoing personnel issue. Despite changes in administration, the Common Core remains. “At the end of the day, the most important person in [a student’s education] is the person in front of you: your teacher,” Bruce Colin and coordinator of the English curriculum said.

PALOS VERDES PENINSULA HIGH SCHOOL 27118 Silver Spur Road, Rolling Hills Estates, CA 90274 EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Izma Shabbir Stephanie Minn

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COPY/DESIGN EDITOR Sunnie Kim MANAGING EDITOR Zohair Lalani NEWS EDITORS: Mina Zhang Tunika Onnekikami WRITERS: Amani Jalota Joven Du Sarah Memon Sonia Desaidamle OPINION EDITORS: Caroline Park Uswah Shabbir WRITERS: Jina Kim Prashila Amatya Robert Broadbelt Sama Shah FOCUS EDITORS: Lauren Lee Soolgi Hong WRITERS: Esther Chu Marine Fujisawa Valeria Park STUDENT LIFE EDITORS: Fatima Siddiqui Florencia Park WRITERS: Elizabeth Darling Jasmine Kim Jordan Karpin SPORTS EDITORS: Amy Valukonis Noah Werksman WRITERS: Chris Kong Danielle Castaneda Sam Shafiee GRAPHICS Angela Song Jackie Uy Juliette Struye Justin Boisvert Yasmine Kahsai

By ROBERT BROADBELT Millions of Americans break the law, and Peninsula students are no exception. Too often, these laws are arbitrary, and citizens rationalize their illegal behaviors. Laws should be created so that where minor offenses have minor consequences instead of the severe punishments in place now. The most common violations include speeding, jaywalking and downloading illegal music. At the small school level, tickets are issued for parking, locker and tardy violations. There is widespread confusion as to why these campus rules are enforced so strictly. Junior Brandon Jolly experienced this first hand. He recently was issued a parking ticket in the Peninsula parking lot for parking without a permit four minutes before the lot was available for public use. “I get that there’s a rule,” Jolly said. “I just think that it’s a little excessive to enforce a rule like that, especially because the spaces that were empty belonged to seniors who had gone home already.” Occurrences like these are common, and while annoying, they can be costly as well. “[The ticket] was over 50 dollars, which also seems like a bit too much considering they [the police] are fining high

the

LAW school students.” Jolly said. The issue is that laws like these, along with jaywalking tickets and fines for downloading illegal music, are far too stringent and expensive when applied to teenagers. Jolly is not the only student displeased with inflexible parking regulations; junior Devin Kennedy-Pavelock recently parked in Riviera Village and received a 45 dollar ticket even though he caught the meter maid before the ticket had been printed. “I caught the meter maid, and I told him I was putting more change in, and he kept writing the ticket because he said it was his civic duty.” Kennedy-Pavelock said. “The meter maids need to relax.” Throughout time, laws have been enacted to protect citizens. However, laws should be reviewed periodically to determine whether they are useful in that endeavor or unsuccessful in making life safer and better for us. Perhaps the motivations to enact these whimsical laws are driven by lawmakers desire to increase revenues at the price of citizens. While many of these laws result from public safety concerns, the risk that one imposes by parking in a parking space four minutes before the allowed time is preposterous. Laws should be fair and not arbitrarily or capriciously applied with a “gotcha” attitude.

BUSINESS & ADVERTISING Liliana Pond ADVISER Katherine Crowley “The Pen” is the student newspaper produced by the advanced journalism students of Palos Verdes Peninsula High School. It is published eight times per year. Advertising inquiries may be directed to Advertising Manager Liliana Pond at (310) 377- 4888 ext. 652. The Pen editors appreciate Letters to the Editors, which may be accepted up to one week before publication. You may submit them to H52 or Katherine Crowley’s mailbox. Copyright © 2013

Front page illustration drawn by Jackie Uy Design by Sunnie Kim

Editorial

By EDITORIAL STAFF

Medical kits, nutrition supplements, massive amounts of food aid- the global community has generously poured resources into the Philippines relief effort after Super Typhoon Haiyan. Yet with the destruction of agriculture infrastructure, loss of crops and market areas in ruin, immediate emergency relief aid can only go so far. The disaster in the Philippines demands solutions beyond

the humanitarian phase; sustainability is required to ensure an adequate rice planting season, fruitful harvest for the new year and restored livelihoods in the future. Americans too often focus on aiding developing countries through unsustainable donations. Service Learning Leadership, in an effort to initiate sustainable support, has plans to study microloans. A prime example of needed aid, microloans help finance small businesses in developing countries, which in turn, ameliorates the local economy. This type of help, rather than simple donations or money,

is greatly needed in order to create long-term solutions. Despite such efforts, billions in donations continue to be directed the wrong way. Poorly directed aid has entangled many African nations into a worse crisis of dependent, slow-growing and in-debt economies. Foreign food aid too often results in plummeting food prices and local farmers lose profits. Many go out of business. With less food production, the area’s citizens need more food aid, creating a vicious cycle of dependency. Other charity efforts have been as equally misguided.

A prime example stems from efforts to donate used clothing to Africa. Charities that import donated clothing have devastated local African textile industries; According to Time Magazine’s article “Is Foreign Aid Bad for Africa?,” Africa’s textile industry collapsed from the impact of donated clothing in the 1970s. To date, at least three clubs have promoted donation drives for developing countries. While The Pen does support such benevolence, we believe that sustainable efforts like microloans are preferable.

DANIYA HAJI/THE PEN

OPINION

MODEL: ADAM HALL

Targeting the TSA TSA workers still vilified after the LAX shooting tragedy. By SAMA SHAH

“ You don’t let [the] negatives stop you from doing your job” -Ariele Oda, TSA Employee An airport without security measures is clearly flawed; if no one boarding airplanes had his bags checked or if the passengers themselves had not been inspected for carrying dangerous substances, passengers would face monumental risks. Such would be an airport lacking Transportation Security Administration workers. “TSA workers put a lot of time into ensuring that passengers are safe and it is unfortunate that they receive little thanks,” junior Annie Wang said. Not only do these essential workers receive “little thanks” but the November murder of Los Angeles International Airport’s TSA worker Gerardo Hernandez by Paul Ciancia illustrates that these officers are targeted by severe and undeserved hatred. A note was later found on Ciancia depicting his detestation of TSA workers and anti-US government sentiment. This tragedy should encourage Americans to

appreciate TSA officers, who do the thankless work of running airline security systems. “People are disrespectful to TSA workers because [they] are viewed as police men who lay down the law and no one likes getting in trouble or being told what to do,” junior and frequent flier Caroline Rand said. In March of 2012, 1,294 TSA workers received complaints that TSA agents invade peoples’ privacy. Patting people down and screening them is their job. Instead of ridiculing TSA workers, people should appreciate them for working to promote the security of passengers. “I try not to dwell on the negatives of the job because there are negatives to every job,” TSA employee and mother of senior Benjamin Oda said. “Look at the president. There are plenty of people who don’t like him. You don’t let those negatives stop you from doing your job.” The couple of hours that

passengers spend at the airport passing through security is minimal. Meanwhile, TSA officers toil faithfully for days even when confronted with unpleasant passengers. While demands that passengers remove their shoes may seem unreasonable at first, shoes and other articles of clothing have been used to conceal weapons in the past. “When I travel, most of the people I see at airports are tired and this causes them to be disrespectful toward TSA workers when [they] ask for passengers to take off their shoes or open their bags for inspection,” Wang said. “Most travelers don’t realize that the TSA workers are more tired than the passengers are and don’t deserve to be treated disrespectfully.” The negative feelings that many people have towards TSA workers must be eradicated. These officers endure long work days dedicated to protecting people, a job which deserves nothing but respect.

2006 2009 The “underwear bomber” tried to ignite explosives hidden in his undergarment, speeding up the deployment of bodyscanning machines.

The amount of liquid in carry-on bags is limited after a failed attempt to smuggle liquid explosives.

2001 Passengers must remove shoes for X-Rays after Richard Rein tried to detonate explosives hidden in his shoes.

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‘Y’ WORK WHEN WE CAN PLAY By ESTHER CHU & MARINE FUJISAWA Each year, a set of new, young and hopeful faces enter the workforce. Unfortunately, as CBS News recently pointed out, managers find working with these newcomers difficult. As Generation Y, the first half of the Millennials, starts trickling into the work force, journalist Marley Safer reports that top companies in the nation, such as Ernest & Young and Merill Lynch, are hiring consultants. These consultants teach the workers, a generation that is accustomed to only hearing “yes,” how to deal with rejection, failure and “no.” The Millennial generation, born between the years 1982 and 2004, is dubbed the Peter Pan generation for never “growing up” and for depending on and living with their parents even after graduating college. In 2010, 27 percent of college graduates did not have jobs relating to the field in which they majored in college. Sixty-two percent reported that they have jobs that do not require a college degree, according to Jaison Abel and Richard Deitz of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. In January 2013, the national unemployment rate was 7.9 percent, while the Millennials’ rate was 13.1 percent, the U.S Department of Labor reports. Millennials are currently experiencing difficulty finding and obtaining employment, as the national economy recovers from recession. Also, PricewaterhouseCoopers found that 72 percent of Millennials had to compromise in order to get a job. Yet, the same study also concluded that 86 percent of college graduates would consider leaving their job if they discovered that their employer’s social values differed from their own. The study

reflects the desire of autonomy, a quality that is often attributed to the Millennials. Other characteristics of the Millennials are also seen in work behavior. Generation Y Research Firm Millennial Branding surveyed one thousand workplace managers about young Generation Y workers. The majority of the managers believed that the young workers get distracted easily, have a poor attitude, and think they deserve more in return when working. They also believed that this generation lacks teamwork skills and positive attitudes at work, concluding Generation Y is less cooperative in the workplace than older generations. Young-Chul Kim, product manager of Chrome River, sees the differences between his generation and Generation Y in the workplace. “[Younger people] seem to be a little more impatient,” Kim said. “The Internet and its speed is very fast, [whereas] getting information in the past took a lot longer before. [The younger generation] seems to want everything, along with immediate satisfaction.” According to Marian Salzman, an ad agency executive who has managed Millennials, some Millennials expect the job they have to work around the commitments they have outside of their jobs. Salzman says that some Millennials are completely unreliable, clinging to priorities which they put before their job. However, according to Michael Franco, author of the article “How Generation Y Works,” Generation Y “works to live” rather than “lives to work.” Millennials wants leisure and happiness in their careers, even if it means sacrificing a bigger salary for jobs they are passionate about.

FOCUS

GENERATION ME Entitled, arrogant, lazy — characteristics of the Millennials. According to William Strauss and Neil Howe, the authors of “Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation,” Millennials are the generation born between the years 1982 and 2004. With populations of about 90 million, this generation has grown up with smartphones, tablets and Kindles; these new advances in technology have created a radically different environment, resulting in behavioral changes. A study in the Personal and Ubiquitous Computing journal found that smartphone users begin to habitually check their phones; users reach for their phones about every ten minutes. About 77 percent of young adults, ranging from 18-24, have

reported symptoms of nomophobia, or the fear of being without a mobile device. “I would say I am addicted to my phone,” freshman Sybil Snow said. “I check it once every five minutes because I feel like I received a text or something.” Furthermore, incidence of

“I feel like we care more about ourselves more than anything.” Sophomore Maddy Maloney

narcissistic personality disorder is three times higher in the Millennial generation than compared to the older ones. According to the National Institute of Health, 58 percent of college students scored higher in a narcissism scale in 2009 than

students in 1982. For these reasons, Millennials are often thought as narcissistic and materialistic. “I think we are pretty narcissistic,” sophomore Maddy Maloney said, “I feel like we care more about ourselves than anything.” Not only has the obsession with technology led to selfabsorption, but also efforts to increase children’s self-esteem have backfired. Nicknamed “trophy kids,” Millennials are considered overconfident because of constant praise from their parents. This endless, sometimes unwarranted, flattery produces people who are unable to sustain jobs or relationships. Yet, a generation’s greatness is based on how they react to change, making the Millennials’ future unpredictable.

HANNAH KATAGI/THE PEN

By MARINE FUJISAWA

GENERATION WE By ESTHER CHU The Millennials are known to adapt quickly, efficiently use technology and have an openminded outlook on society. “Even now with the younger generation being more tolerant, the older generations are attempting to suppress a lot of change because they feel that it is not traditional,” freshman Caroline Kim said. According to the Pew Research Center, younger generations have shown more racial acceptance than the older generations. Ninety-three percent of Millennials are more accepting towards interracial dating and marriage. “Racism shows itself in different forms and is still a strong trend, but many people have come to accept people of other races,” Kim said. Kim believes that racism, sexism and injustices have gradually been alleviated due to the Millennials’ increasing tolerance of differing views. “Later generations sometimes see the prejudices of older generations and correct themselves,” junior Jimmy Draper said. “Each generation is going to tackle a different issue or difference and in doing so, we as a society become more and more open-minded as time goes on.”

Accepting homosexuality is another example of the Millennials’ growing open-mindedness. The generation is growing up with television shows that commemorate homosexual relationships and exposure to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual community. Experts and researchers from Psychology Today say that Millennials have grown up in environments where they can easily converse with diverse people. One possible explanation for the Millennials’ open-mindedness is the access to technology. “What strikes me the most about this generation is technology,” John Wheeler, the Psychology AP teacher, said. “It is such a big part of the way [Millennials] live their lives so [one has] to consider [technology] as a big part any kind of difference between generations.” According to Wheeler, more access to information through technology exposes Millennials to diversity, and thus, Millennials become more tolerant of other ideologies. “I am really impressed with how open they are to all changes that are taking place,” Wheeler said. “So many students want to find meaningful things to do and make some kind of contribution to the community.”

The writers completed their assigned chapters on a GoogleDocs page.

YASMINE KAHSAI/THE PEN

Next, the team assigned specific deadlines to every individual, allowing them to plan their writing sessions.

Whittenbury lectures about naval history By JASMINE KIM

Afterwards, the group decided on the genre of medieval fantasy.

The group of writers planned brainstorming sessions.

Sharing the GoogleDocs, the writers peer edit each other’s chapters.

From one house to the other: NEHS members collaborate to write a medieval fantasy novel

By ELISABETH DARLING When senior Samantha Wathugala’s older sister contributed to a novel, Wathugala vowed to try something similar. While running for Peninsula’s chapter of National English Honor Society’s secretary, she presented the idea of writing a collaborative novel with other NEHS members. After contacting the man who mentored her sister, Wathugala gathered her fellow NEHS members. The group of authors eventually decided to lead the project themselves. “I wanted to [write the book] with people who specifically like English,” Wathugala said. “We are all really excited about it.” NEHS dedicated several meetings to brainstorming for the novel. The team then created deadlines for each other and came up with the

idea of a major war plot. Junior Noha Ayoub then came up with the purpose of the war after taking a U.S. history test on the War of 1812. After deciding on incorporating medieval fantasy elements, fifteen of the NEHS

determined to keep the plot a secret. So far, the group has only lost one member but is still on track to finish the novel well before the end of the school year. “I’m not worried about the editing process because

“Publishing has been one of the goals from the very beginning. I’ve always envisioned it. ” Samantha Wathugala

members decided to participate. Each member is assigned a chapter to complete within a few weeks and has almost complete control of what goes on in the chapter. They then meet to discuss key plot points and edit their work. The NEHS authors have had only a few parents look over their progress. With so much collaborative effort going into the novel, the members are

everyone seems so engaged,” Wathugala said. Wathugala really enjoys working with other people and is passionate about the project. Once they are done with the novel, they intend to self publish and print the novel for friends and family. “Publishing has been one of the goals from the very beginning,” Wathugala said. “I’ve always envisioned it, and

hopefully my [authors] do too.” She also claims that writing a novel together has been a good way to get to know the NEHS juniors. Junior Abigail Whitman, the author in charge of chapter six, loved shocking the audience with plot twists in her writing. “You might be thinking [an author] is going one way [with their chapter], and then they think of something completely different,” Whitman said. Junior Connie Gean, another NEHS author, expressed her excitement. “This is my first time writing a novel,” Gean said. “I am so glad I have this opportunity.” Including fifteen different writing styles increases the diversity and interest of the novel. NEHS members are pleasantly surprised with how insightful, creative and devoted each author has been. Each author has a certain new found respect for their peers. “Sometimes you read a sentence, or a whole chapter, and just think: this is amazing,” Whitman said.

Since he gave his first talk on the War of 1812 in eighth grade, junior William Whittenbury has begun his lecturing career. Whittenbury’s fascination with ships began at the age of three when he read a book about the Titanic. His interest in shipwrecks grew through more research, inspiring him to send in an application, to the Naval Historical Foundation’s speech program, an organization consisting of retired admirals and chiefs. He is currently the youngest speaker that the organization has ever had. “I was invited to a reception onboard the aircraft carrier USS Midway in San Diego,” Whittenbury said. Whittenbury has also had the opportunity to give lectures to Colette Dunn’s AP United States History class. “Mrs. Dunn knew that I was into naval history and she asked me to give an impromptu talk about the War of 1812,” Whittenbury said. “Afterwards, she asked me to do the Civil War.” In addition to giving him the opportunity to speak in class and for the Naval Historical Foundation, Whittenbury’s passion for naval history has opened other doors. After becoming a part of a heritage speaker program in April, he was invited to speak on the USS Missouri battleship in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Then in November, Whittenbury spoke at the Malaga Cove Library to students and the community. This month, on Jan. 11, he is scheduled to speak about canceled battleships to the Daughters of the American Revolution, an organization that traces the lineage of American women back to the time of the revolution. Whittenbury plans on pursuing his love of history as a history professor. “History can be really fun,” Whittenbury said. “It’s a big story. There’s a lot of really funny stuff that happens that doesn’t usually get emphasized, but I really enjoy bringing that out.”

STUDENT LIFE

SUNNIE KIM/THE PEN

KNOCK OUT Knockout attacks spread across nation By FLORENCIA PARK and FATIMA SIDDIQUI It only takes one unexpected punch. In 2013, at least 15 lives were lost and the casualty list is still growing. The “knockout game,” an assault in which the attacker attempts to knock out an unsuspecting victim for amusement, has spread across the country. On Nov. 27 in Connecticut at Hamden High School, a senior walking down the hallway was punched in the eye by a 15-year-old for no apparent reason. In the same month, in two separate cases in San Diego, a woman and a man were both punched by attackers who left the scene as if nothing had happened. English teacher Sandi Batson-Sidella led a discussion about the knockouts and used this topic for writing warm ups. “We cover so many different topics and I felt like this one was so close to home for [my students],” Sidella said. “I wanted to know what was causing this trend of violence in teenagers and I respect [my students] enough to ask them

about it.” To date, knockout attacks have not been reported in Palos Verdes but some residents are concerned for their safety. “I went running on the strand at Hermosa the Friday night after I showed the video of knockout attacks to [my students], and I kept looking over my shoulder,” Sidella said. Pomona College Psychology professor Jessica Borelli believes that teens, the majority of the suspects, are looking for the newest thrill regardless of the bizarre or dangerous behavior involved. Furthermore, Borelli includes that media attention may have made knockout “more attractive to teens.” Psychology AP teacher John Wheeler claimed that besides just the thrill a lot of other factors cause people to participate in such activities. “It seems that [attackers] are scoring points with their peers somehow to achieve some kind of status,” Wheeler said. According to the NY Times, from late 2013 to early 2014, the number of knockout attacks have escalated, resulting in police

investigations and assemblies of anti-crime organizations. As casualties increase, local governments have taken action. On Nov. 21, Republican New York State assemblyman Jim Tedisco put forward the “Knockout Assault Deterrent Act,” a bill charging youths who engage in knockout as adults and sentencing them up to 25 years. Although the knockout attacks are part of a game, some people think the game aspect of knockout is fake. Jersey City police spokesman Bob McHugh called knockout an “urban myth.” Fake knockout reports have added to the confusion. In December, a woman in St. Louis received national coverage when she claimed to be a victim of a knockout attack. In reality, she was trying to protect her boyfriend who had abused her. “Instead of focusing on what’s bad about [knockout] the media just keep talking about it and I think that’s what the kids want,” junior Andrew Calvo said.

KNOCKOUT:

AN ASSAULT IN WHICH AN ATTACKER ATTEMPTS TO KNOCKOUT AN UNSUSPECTING VICTIM FOR AMUSEMENT

15 DEATHS BLAMED ON KNOCKOUT ATTACKS

A PROPOSED “KNOCKOUT ASSAULT DETERRENT ACT” WILL CHARGE YOUTH AS ADULTS 9

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COURTESY OF KURT JUPIN

SPORTS

At Palos Verdes on Nov. 8, Peninsula QB Ian Escutia takes a hardknock from Palos Verdes’ Sean Carroll (#27). The Panthers lost 49-10 at their season closer.

Football program suffers loss as injury awareness spikes By CHRIS KONG AND DANI CASTENADA The number of football players at both Peninsula and Palos Verdes High School has been on the decline. “Two years ago, both high schools had over 100 freshmen playing football,” Athletic Director Wendell Yoshida said. “This year, between the two high schools, we only have 50 players.” Palos Verdes head football coach Guy Gardner witnessed the same pattern at his school. “We are losing more kids from the program than I’ve ever seen before,” Gardner said. “Kids are losing their drive for the game with the belief that football always leads to concussions.” Fear of concussions is affecting local high school participation, and simultaneously, at the youth sports level. “There is no eighth-grade Pop Warner team on the hill for the first time ever,” Yoshida said of the nonprofit, youth football organization. New studies have explored the consequences of playing a full-contact sport. “Undetected and untreated concussions are raising a huge concern,” junior running back Braeden Benedict said. “Players like to swallow their pride and pain after taking a tough hit to the head, and they tend not to tell anyone afterwards.” Repeated concussions over an extended period of time have been shown to contribute to diseases like Alzheimer’s, dementia, Parkinson’s, Lou Gehrig’s and chronic traumatic

encephalopathy (CTE), all of which have seminar where both professional been found in a multitude of retired medical doctors and trainers discuss professional football players. Since the risks, particularly those of head-tothe founding of the NFL in 1929, 23 head tackles, associated with playing retirees have committed suicide from football. brain-related ailments, the most recent “If they do get hit in the head during example being San Diego Charger’s the season, the athletes take a postlegend Tiaina Baul “Junior” Seau. After injury test and then compare those leaving the New England Patriots in results to that of the baseline test,” 2009, Seau committed suicide in just his Peninsula head football coach Michael third year of retirement; he was 43 years Christensen said. old. Baseline tests “We are just are utilized to now seeing the “Kids are losing their drive assess an athlete’s residual effects and brain for the game with the belief balance from NFL players function. With the who have been that football always leads to data, the schools playing for 15 evaluate whether concussions.” or more years or not a student from these new has sustained a Guy Gardner studies,” former concussion or a head football traumatic brain coach Adam Boyd said. “When I was injury. a kid, these kind of problems were “We’re trying to inform parents more unnoticed.” on the possibilities of injuries in this Companies like Under Armour and sport,” Gardner said. “Nothing is more Riddell are in the process of constructing important to us than the safety of our state-of-the-art helmets that reduce players.” the impact of hard knocks on the head; The coaches take action by teaching however, they will sell at $150 per unit. their players how to tackle properly and Benedict and the local tech companies safely to lessen the risk of injury. he is working with are on a mission to “There is a way of playing football produce a model of this safety feature without helmet-to-helmet contact, like that is more affordable. lunging low with your arms out ready to PVPUSD is taking immediate action by tackle,” Boyd said. “It is a trendy thing requiring middle and high school football to have a chin strap unbuckled or to not athletes to take pre-season health and wear a mouth guard because that is what wellness tests to monitor the conditions athletes in the NFL tend to do. We do and well-being of the individuals playing not want our players to follow suit.” football. At Palos Verdes, incoming In an effort to get kids to join the freshmen are required to attend a football program, Christensen, with

the help of generous donations and the fund-raising efforts of his players, purchased new equipment and jerseys and constructed a new locker room. Students and athletes are well aware of the fact that football is one of the most aggressive, contact sports; unfortunately, not all contact injuries are visible. “Concussions are a weird injury, because unlike a broken arm, no one can see them,” Benedict said.

Number of freshman-sophomore football players at Palos Verdes and Peninsula combined 104 94

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