The Pen

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PEN

Palos Verdes Peninsula High School www.pvphsnews.com Vol. XXXV Issue 5 February 12, 2015

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STALLED BY THE SIGNS More schools are considering installing gender neutral bathrooms.

OPINION Page 4

NOT A STEREOTYPE

ONE-SIDED STORY

COMING TOGETHER

She's a wrestler, he's a dancer– students break stereotypes FOCUS Page 6-7

Senior copes with unilateral hearing STUDENT LIFE Page 9

Coaches, athletes and fans share their love for sports SPORTS Page 11

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news

“He was more of a brother than a friend to me. I will not be the only one missing him.” -Senior Michael Constable

Ferguson death leaves community shocked BY noah Werksman

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Photos courtesy of Melinda martin

Former Peninsula student Noah Ferguson, 17, passed away Jan. 22, at his home in Palos Verdes.

Ferguson was born August 27, 1997, and is survived by his brothers Devin and Ben and parents Greg and Cindy. He studied at Peninsula until his second semester junior year, when he transferred to Rancho Del Mar. Ferguson played water polo through his sophomore year and enjoyed video games. His tragic and sudden death left the community stunned.

“His kindness and acceptance created a safe harbor for his friends; even those who felt marginalized everywhere else found safety with Noah,” Melinda Martin, a family friend of the Fergusons, said in a letter to The Pen. “To meet Noah was to have a new friend, to spend time with him was to find a brother. His loyalty, gentleness and humor will be missed by everyone who had the privilege of knowing him.”

Services will be held at 1 p.m. on Feb. 14 at American Martyrs Church in Manhattan Beach.

In lieu of flowers, a scholarship fund has been established to help fund the education of other Palos Verdes students.

“He would always have a smile on,” sophomore Caroline Martin. “The kind of kid who would never leave my side when I was sick. I loved him like a brother.”

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1. Ferguson at the Martin household.

2. Ferguson holding a bear at age 5.

3. Ferguson at Hume Lake at age 17.

4. Ferguson celebrating his ninth birthday.

Deputy Knox retires after 31 years of patrolling Los Angeles BY annie benedict Rounding a street corner, many Palos Verdes drivers keep a wary eye for concealed police cars. But former Sheriff’s Deputy Christopher Knox, after 23 years of traffic enforcement on the Peninsula, will no longer be on watch.

Throughout his career, Knox has worked in men and women’s jails, at the Walnut Sheriff’s police station, the Carson Sheriff’s Station and, most recently, the Lomita Sheriff’s Station.

During this time, Knox has written tens of thousands of citations; arrested 1,945 people, including 300 for driving under the influence (DUI); and investigated hundreds of traffic collisions.

“Every intersection on the Hill is a memory for me, of an arrest, a crash, somebody getting hurt, or some crime that happened,” Knox said. “I’m passionate about traffic safety because I don’t like going to crashes and seeing

that people are hurt or killed. That’s why we do traffic enforcement.”

Knox has earned the reputation of one of the most venerated deputies of the South Bay. “There’s a conscious awareness that Deputy Knox is in the area whether he is physically present or not,” Capt. Blaine Bolin, his former station commander, said. “When the motoring public alters their driving habits because of the reputation of a traffic deputy, that deputy has made quite an impact.”

Since his retirement on Jan. 26, Knox has continued his non-profit organization which gives free presentations about teen driver safety at local high schools. On multiple occasions, he has put on traffic safety events in the amphitheater during lunch at school.

Additionally, he played a part in the “Every 15 Minutes” program, having helped at the same event four years prior. Knox plans on continuing his volunteer work during his retirement.

3/4

of students have a relative who has received a driving ticket

1have/2 of students a relative who has received a driving ticket from officer Knox

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of students have received a driving ticket *Survey taken of 100 students.

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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 NEWS EDITOR: Noah Werksman WRITERS: Annie Benedict Esther Chu Sonia Desaidamle OPINION EDITORS: Lauren Lee Alex Bologna WRITERS: Zoe Willoughby Marine Fujisawa 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 Dunlap “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 Katherine Dunlap’s mailbox.

Copyright © 2014

Front Page Photo by Jenny Lee Design by Angela Song

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The signs of change: Gender-neutral bathrooms reduce discrimination

BY Marine Fujisawa California’s 2014 School Success and Opportunity Act gives transgender youth a fair chance to participate and succeed in education programs across the state. This bill addresses the exclusion of transgender students from school activities and reemphasizes the existing anti-discrimination laws providing clear protection guidelines.

However, many school facilities, like bathrooms, remain gender-specific. Some public colleges, like Cal-State Fullerton and University of California Berkeley, have responded and implemented unisex bathrooms. High schools should follow suit. According to the Transgender Law Center, gender-neutral spaces improve school climate by providing comfort for all students. While many may be against making all bathrooms gender-neutral, making some bathrooms unisex reduces discrimination towards transgender students while protecting the privacy of other students.

“I think having co-ed bathrooms can help any students in need,” sophomore Camryn Bush said. “But at the same time, a lot of people might feel uncomfortable with bathrooms being completely co-ed, so we should keep some gender separated amenities as well.”

However, many organizations and individuals denounce this accommodation.

Privacy for All Students, a coalition of students, parents, nonprofit and faith groups, have opposed bills such as California’s AB 1266 that granted students the right to use sex-segregated facilities based on their gender identity, and not

their biological sex. Furthermore, Liberty Alliance, a network of media websites, claims that unisex facilities will lead to more sexual harassment, invasion of privacy and even rape. While there is valid apprehension to making bathrooms strictly gender-neutral or allowing the other gender to use a sexsegregated bathroom, the best way to properly accommodate the needs of transgender students is to establish some unisex bathrooms among the many sexsegregated bathrooms.

According to Principal Mitzi Cress, Peninsula plans on changing the singleton bathrooms in Peninsula to make them gender-neutral. The administration is in the process of purchasing decals that simply indicate “restroom” and do not specify gender.

“I think it’s absolutely appropriate that there should be gender-neutral singleton bathrooms,” Cress said. “I think of [singleton bathrooms] as gender-neutral.”

Junior Blake Pilger, the president of the Gay-Straight Alliance, says that this change can take away discomfort that transgender students harbor about using a bathroom that they feel does not pertain to their own gender.

“I think it’s about time for change,” said Pilger. “The whole notion of men’s and women’s restrooms is quite intimidating and discriminatory for [transgender and non-binary students].”

Regardless, Cress contends that Peninsula High should represent everyone.

“I definitely support the rights of all classes, ethnicities, races and religions,” Cress said. “That’s [the] kind of people we are here at Peninsula High.”

editorial BY editorial staff Many of us create deep and meaningful relationships in the four years between ninth and twelfth grade. We find the perfect “fit” college with Terri Lewellan, confess our academic concerns to Graham Edwards, have epiphanies with Bruce Colin and share insecurities with friends. As cliché as it sounds, here at Peninsula, we are a family. Once a Panther, always a Panther.

The whole campus, then, feels the loss of one of our brothers.

The morning of Jan.22,

former Peninsula student Noah Ferguson, 17, lost his life.

Although Ferguson transferred to Rancho Del Mar High School the second semester of his junior year, he remained a part of our family.

The night of Ferguson’s’ death coincided with Peninsula’s Eight Grade Open House, held to inform potential freshmen about clubs, classes and sports at Peninsula. Despite their sadness and grief, volunteer students came together to support our school. Even in the hardest of times, we willed ourselves to support our family.

Seniors later found solace on the PVPHS Class of 2015

Facebook page.

“I thought it was important to let you all know that you are not alone,” senior Julie Le Renard said in a Facebook message. “At Peninsula, we are family and we have each other’s back.”

Associated Student Body President Ian Sun emphasized Renard’s message and the importance of coming together.

“We have our silly hiccups with each other, but at the end of the day we are all connected as brothers and sisters,” Sun said. “It’s moments like these that we really need each other.

I hope that together, through love, we can get through this

tragic loss.”

Although the cause of death has not been officially determined, the death of any young person for any reason is felt deeply by the community. This recent tragedy shows that Peninsula is our home, a source of support, love and comfort.

So fellow Panthers, let us remain a family. Let us continue to strive for success while remaining true to ourselves. Let us pay as much attention to each other as to our studies because therein lies the most essential learning. Rest in peace, Noah, our brother, our friend.

OPINION

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Unvaccinated and under-vaccinated students pose a danger to themselves and their peers—a danger that must be curtailed

BY zoe willoughby

In December, a measles outbreak began at Disneyland.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention believes an unvaccinated visitor from overseas infected other park patrons. That outbreak then grew. One hundred twentyone cases of measles now exist in the U.S., and several more in Mexico. Eighty-five percent of those have been linked to Disneyland. The vast majority of those infected were not immunized. (Even though the measles vaccination is 97 percent effective with both doses, immunized people can still contract the disease.)

While recent Calif. legislation does improve vaccination rates, residents persist in taking advantage of the law’s generous exemptions. To better protect students, the state must aggressively promote vaccination and restrict exemptions.

10%

In Jan. 2014, AB-2109 strengthened the requirements for obtaining exemptions— unfortunately, it still allows parents to get a philosophical belief exemption after a simple visit to a physician and the physician’s signature. Parents who have religious objections do not even need a physician’s approval. Between the three intermediate schools on the Peninsula, about 5 percent of students have exemptions because of personal beliefs.

The measles was said to be eliminated from the United States in 2000, but has now returned. An essay by author Roald Dahl has resurfaced because of the recent outbreak of measles. In it, he writes about losing his daughter to measles. At the time, there was no immunization for it.

He urged parents to vaccinate their children now that a safe vaccination is available and went as far as to state that refusing to immunize children is a crime.

of students are notvaccinated for MMR in california

“I believe every parent should vaccinate their children,” says ethics teacher Mindy Webster. “There is a collective danger when people refuse [vaccines]. It puts others, even those who are vaccinated, at risk.”

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, about 10 percent of California is not vaccinated for MMR. At Peninsula, 2.65 percent of the student population is not fully immunized for it. These undervaccinated or unvaccinated students pose an unfair risk to their peers, potentially exposing students to preventable diseases.

“Unfortunately, we still have those who are undervaccinated, so they are the ones who suffer if we have an outbreak,” says nurse Wendy Keller. “I have to then tell them that they cannot come to school. The original process, which was run by the California Department of Health, was to

“There is a collective danger

when people refuse [vaccines]. It puts others, even those who are vaccinated, at risk.

”

- Ethics teacher Mindy Webster

2.65%

of students are notvaccinated for MMR at peninsula

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exclude anybody and everybody who was in close proximity with those who actually had [the disease].”

In April 2014, an outbreak of five confirmed cases of Pertussis (Whooping Cough) occurred in the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District.

Unvaccinated students were pulled out of class and sent home for 21 school days or until they received the necessary vaccination. These actions were necessary to prevent the spread of the disease.

“I think that the [school officials] keeping the unvaccinated students from coming to school until they got vaccinated was a good idea,” sophomore Anna Farias said.

In 2013, 3.1 percent of kindergarteners were not immunized , which fell to 2.5 percent in 2014 due to AB-2109.

Although this is better for the well-being of students, even one unvaccinated student can greatly affect his or her peers.

Last year, unvaccinated students were pulled out of class for days

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*Statistics for California from Center for Disease Control and Prevention *Statistics for Peninsula provided by Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District

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Junior jamie park carries her own weight on mat BY christopher lee and amani jalota

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riven to increase the rigor of her athletic involvement to meet the standards of the Naval Academy, junior Jamie Park joined the wrestling team during post-season last year. As the only female currently on the team’s roster, Park was originally subject to condescension at the hands of doubtful male peers.

“They were uncomfortable with bodily contact during exercises such as takedowns and buddy rolls.

They would also laugh when I could not make it to a match because of an injury,” Park said. “People wouldn’t believe that I was serious about wrestling, and I had to work twice as hard to prove myself.”

Throughout the first few months, Park struggled to gain the respect of her teammates. Even now, a few boys display discomfort while wrestling with Park by apologizing after wins and making up excuses to purposefully avoid practicing with her.

“The beginning one to two month period was

frustrating, but soon, after more people started opening up to me,” Park said. “I finally began to be treated equally and be given the same opportunities as the others.”

According to Park, the mental toll from physical fighting has allowed her to bond with her teammates, making them see her not just as a girl but as a wrestler.

Moreover, as the only girl in a male-dominated team, Park has gained an advantage in future matches because she is used to practicing with boys, who typically weigh more.

“She has come a long way and works very hard to keep up with the workouts,” wrestling coach Mike Liebig said. “She is more agile, athletic and has a lot more confidence.”

Liebig believes that while there is room for improvement, women wrestlers have gained more opportunities to particpate in the sport.

“Girls wrestling has evolved greatly in the last 15 years,” Liebig said “We have come a long way and there are a lot of programs that promote girls wrestling.”

There is currently one girl wrestler among the 56 members of the Peninsula wrestling team Since 1994, the number of women who wrestle in high school has grown from 804 to over 9904.

24 colleges now sponsor a women's varsity wrestling program

jenny lee/the pen

Junior Jamie Park takes her place on a wrestling mat with a fellow teammate at Palos Verdes Peninsula High School.

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focus

BREAKING THE

MOLD bY sAMA sHAH AND CHRISTOPHER LEE Despite receiving a full scholarship to train with San Francisco Ballet, playing a lead role in South Bay Ballet’s production of “The Nutcracker” and being offered the opportunity to dance at a professional company while attending college, senior Joseph Hetzer is still hesitant to discuss his passion for ballet with others, fearing that “they will automatically attach [him] to a stereotype.” Although this personal fear has dwindled considerably over the years, Hetzer still believes that stereotypes surrounding male ballet dancers negatively affect young boys involved with the sport.

Since the early years of his dancing career, Hetzer has been subjected to ridicule by his classmates.

“Through elementary and middle school, there were a few ‘popular’ kids who would make fun of me,” Hetzer said. “While it was never terrible, I used to get very upset at those kinds of remarks.”

During a study conducted by William L. Earl in 1988, which asked respondents about their perceptions of male ballet dancers, answers such “narcissistic,” “frail,” and “cold” were among the most common. Though the study itself is decades

old, some male ballerinas, such as Hetzer, find that these negative attitudes still prevail.

According to a study by dance and entertainment experts Jennifer Fisher and Anthony Shay, boys aged 14 to 18 were inclined to believe that men who participated in sports not considered stereotypically “masculine” were more feminine than others. However, many ignore the fact that, as demonstrated in a study conducted by the Nicholas Institute of Sports Medicine and Athletic Trauma, ballet is a more strenuous physical activity than basketball, soccer, baseball and even football.

“What I enjoy about ballet is the work that you have to put into it. You constantly have to push yourself,” Hetzer said. “Another thing that I like about ballet is the athleticism. Performances are basically non-stop sprints for over an hour.”

In the end, despite the overarching labels and clichés that Hetzer has encountered, he realizes that “stereotypes will never go away.” Having learned to ignore these trite conventions, Hetzer has embraced the fact that “the people who are going to label [him] without getting to know [him] aren’t worth [his] time.” Instead, he focuses his energy on succeeding in the competitive, yet rewarding world of ballet.

jenny lee/the pen

Senior ballet dancer toes the line

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Twin it to win it: Cho twins compete in dog shows

By Stella yoo

photos Courtesy of chris and courtney cho

Twin seniors Courtney and Chris Cho love to show off their dogs-literally.

When 9-year-old Chris saw a dog show on TV, he thought it was incredible to see all the handlers working with their dogs.

“I have always liked dogs and what better way to have a hobby where I can interact with dogs than to be a handler myself,” Chris said.

When Chris started competing, he realized he had a special talent in dog showing.

“It’s a feeling of being a part of something and finding something that clicks,” Chris said.

Before he knew it, he was winning awards.

Dog shows are different from obedience or agility trials. Shows do not include jumping through hoops or performing tricks. Instead, it involves showing a dog’s best traits, appearance, gait. Additionally, owners are judged on their handling skills and presentation of themselves.

Judging is based on specific standards for different breeds or performance. Usually, results are determined by what the judge prefers. Chris and Courtney compete in Junior Showmanship, an age group for nine to 18 year olds.

Chris’ dog Tru is a German Shorthaired Pointer. Tru had already been trained by a former handler and had a championship title when Chris acquired him four years ago. Because Tru had experience, he already knew commands and the show environment, but Chris still faced a slight disadvantage.

“Because every dog handler shows his or her dog a little bit differently, it was difficult at first for Tru to adjust to my specific way of handling,” Chris said. “Like any sport, everyone does it in the same basic way but each person adds his or her own twist.”

Chris has garnered over 80 first place wins in dog shows. He describes his best achievement as when he competed at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at Madison Square Garden in New York.

“Only the top 100 junior handlers were invited to compete,” Chris said. “It was a humbling experience to compete on the same floor that Michael Jackson and Bruce Springsteen have performed on.”

Chris was the first one to start showing dogs.

Three years later, Courtney wanted to start as well. Courtney received her own dog, a Saint Bernard named Biscotti, and began competing.

With the aid of a veteran, Chris and Courtney started training their dogs for show purposes twice a month.

Biscotti did not particularly like competing at first. She would often get nervous when showing and would look for Courtney’s mother rather than focusing on the competition.

“When the judge came up to examine her, she would get extremely uncomfortable because an unfamiliar person approached her,” Courtney said.

It didn’t take long before Courtney realized that it would take a little push to get Biscotti motivated.

“You have to get them motivated and get them to want to do it for you,” Courtney said. “[Dogs] want to please you but you need to keep them interested; just like humans, they’ll easily get bored if you keep having them do the same thing over and over again.”

Courtney motivates Biscotti by spending time with her to build trust. During shows and training, she uses treats. Eventually, Biscotti got used to the environment.

Courtney has been invited to the Eukanuba Dog Show, a competition one must qualify for.

In 2013, she won the title for No. 1 Ranked American Kennel Club Junior Handler for Breed.

Although Chris and Courtney had their last show in September due to age restrictions, they have not lost their passion. Chris plans on continuing with dog shows in the future and wishes one day to dogs to train independently.

Courtney is currently focusing on her studies but hopes to continue in the adult division.

Seniors Chris and Courtney Cho compete in various dog shows.

Top: Courtney leads her dog in a competition in Santa Barbara.

Middle: Chris gets his dog, Tru. to stack, setting his feet squarely to show off his assets, in a competition in Del Mar. Bottom: Courtney competes with her dog, Biscotti, in Santa Barbara.

She won Best Handler.

Senior prints 3D rescue supplies for fire department

BY PHOEBE BORSUM

Gaining inspiration from interning this summer at PV NET, a computer technology center, juniors Lawrence Goo and Raul Castrellon set out to design a claw-like structure, or grappler, that would move small items from one place to another using 3D printing and CAD programing, which is computeraided design. After Ted Vegvari, their advisor, proposed their idea to the Los Angeles County Fire Department, they were

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recruited to develop their grappler into a search and rescue device to be used during emergencies. “[The fire department] wanted us to make a helicopter that can be used in search and rescue missions,” Goo said.

They are still working on the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, or the 3D grappler, which they will donate to the fire department.

“Last summer, we were doing a project that had to do

with the landslide area,” Goo

“

We are hoping the

fire department will fly the helicopters out to look for people in dire situations.

”

- lawrence goo said. “They were going to map it, and some of those projects

included a grappler and a gimbal mounted camera. We decided to use that for this project.”

Many of the parts required for the project needed to be custom designed. Even though this method is expensive, several sponsors provided Goo and Castrellon with financial support.

“We are hoping [the fire department] will fly the helicopters out to look for people [in dire situations] and give them important things like cell phones and food,” Goo said.

According to Castrellon, there are many applications for the device they created. “[It] can be used autonomously to search the large area of land in a short amount of time,” Castrellon said. “This will make search and rescue missions faster, more efficient and hopefully save the lives of others.”

The PV Net Annex plans to have more projects similar to the one Goo created. The fire department plans to debut their grappler device on June 2015.

student life

One side

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of the story

Senior akari takahashi spends her day-to-day life with unilateral hearing, also called single-sided deafness.

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fter a long day of competing with her varsity dance team at Valencia High School, senior Akari Takahashi anxiously awaits the results of her performance that day. As 10th, 9th and 8th place are announced, Takahashi becomes more and more nervous. Although her teammates tried to reassure her, Takahashi remains in suspense until she hears her name called for first place.

Takahashi beat 154 soloists and was awarded the Dancer of the Year award along with a $300 scholarship. Her success did not come easily, however, and she had to go through many obstacles to get to where she is. This is due to her single-sided deafness, a condition that resulted from frequent swimming sessions years ago.

“It started when I was in kindergarten,” Takahashi said. “I was prone to ear infections because I used to swim a lot. Since my dad was a professional diver I always tagged along to go swimming with him, but I lost my hearing in return.”

Single-sided deafness has various consequences, including difficulty in determining the direction of sounds and the inability to separate background noise from foregrounds one.

Despite her disability, Takahashi maintains a positive attitude. She sees her deafness as a blessing in disguise. Takahashi says that it has trained her to interpret others’ words through subtle facial expressions or body movements and to respond to what they’re trying to tell her through what she perceives with her eyes.

For a while, Takahashi did not let many

For 44 percent of people with SSD, a full diagnosis took over a year.

people know about her disability. She did not want her friends and teachers to think she was using it as an excuse not to take responsibility for her actions or as a reason for her peers to look down on her.

“I perceive my disability as just another obstacle [that I have to overcome],” Takahashi said.

Sometimes, Takahashi struggles to concentrate in class. She frequently has a difficult time trying to remember what she had been told to do. Takahashi suspects that this may be because of her deafness. However, she works hard to make up for it by taking extra notes and recording things that needed to be remembered.

Takahashi says her deafness has benefited her with dance. She can hear the bass, or deep sounds, through her right ear, and high-pitched noise and voices through her left. She feels the distorting allows her to connect her feelings to the artists’ voice or background music.

“My love for art has given me faith that I can do anything that comes in mind,” Takahashi said. “My goal is to help find anyone’s love and passion for something through it as well.”

In the future, she hopes to create a nonprofit organization for underprivileged kids who have limited exposure to the arts. By giving kids all over the world access to different types of art such as dance, music, filming and painting, she aims to facilitate their creativity. “[My SSD] has given me a potential and a mindset that I would not have learned,” Takahashi said. “My disability doesn’t hinder me from my goals and it won’t any other day.”

45 percent reported that they are ‘afraid of offending people by not hearing what is said’.

jenny lee/ THE PEN

BY phoebe borsum

55 percent of people who have SSD reveal that social exclusion is a major problem.

*Statistics from Entific Medical Systems

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Coaches train athletes throughout the off season for performance during season. The Zoo is heard cheering for its athletes at various sporting events. On the he field, by the pool and in the gym, athletes, coaches and fans alike work as a unit to celebrate their common

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Junior Mickey Babek and seniors Jake Van Nort, Kurt Milch and Grey Goodman cheer for their athletes with the Zoo during the Nov. 7 football game against Palos Verdes High. Peninsula lost the game 42-14.

Courtesy of PVPHS ASB

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No matter the sports season, Zoo fans gather in the stands of each arena to root for their athletes. In the off-season, coaches work with their athletes to ensure future success.

Each piece of every sport combines to make

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For every fan that attends a game, there is an athlete that strives for success during practice; for the athletes that play, there is a coach that helps motivate and train them. These essential pieces are all part of a whole that create love of the game; in Peninsula’s case, the pieces are the athletes, the coaches and the Zoo. Athletes love the sports they play for many different reasons. For junior water polo player Hannah McGuinness, it’s the exhilarating feeling whenever she steps into the pool. For senior basketball captain Jason Burr, it’s creating bonds with his teammates. For others, it’s the mental reprieve from academic loads because all concentration must be on the present moment. Regardless of the reason, more often than not, love of the game leads to improved athletic performance.

“I love the adrenaline rush I get from playing in games,” McGuinness said.

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1 Senior Madison Lucci plays in the PV vs.

Pen basketball game on Jan. 27 2 Sophomore Blake Godbold plays in the PV vs. Pen basketball game on Jan. 27 3 Boys basketball coach Matt Acres advises the team during the PV vs. Pen game on Jan. 27 4 The Zoo supports the football team during the Pen vs. Redondo game on Oct. 24 5 The Zoo supports the basketball team during the Pen vs. Mira Costa game on Jan. 16 6 Soccer coach Patrick Daley carries an injured soccer player off of the field after the Jan. 6 Leuzinger game.

7 Junior Hannah Hulbert serves against Mira Costa on Oct. 8 8 Sophomore Katelyn Parker awaits the ball while playing Palos Verdes on Oct. 9 9 Junior Brandon Nelson looks for an open player against Palos Verdes on Oct. 10 10 Junior Mickey Babek throws a free throw during the Palos Verdes game on Jan. 27 11 The Zoo rushes the basketball court after defeating Palos Verdes 59-48 on Jan. 27

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Parts of a Whole

“Every mistake I make drives me to work harder to improve myself.”

Athletes spend hours training, practicing and working out to prepare themselves for an upcoming season or game, many doing more than the scheduled practice. Senior softball player and Ole Miss commit Soraya Shabazian has been playing softball for almost 14 years. She plays on a club team, drives to Temecula for practices on the weekends and conditions about six times a week.

Shabazian is not alone: Many athletes spend hours improving their sport and sacrifice studying, sleep and social functions.

“I miss out on dances, Friday night football games, parties and even family time, but the sacrifices are worth it,” Shabazian said.

It also takes coaches and athletes spending countless number hours together for the team to improve as a whole. With the support they offer, coaches often form a bond with their athletes and can impact them in many ways. Track coach Dale Thompson trains his athletes for the sport while also instilling important life traits, such as character, discipline and integrity.

“My hope is that [my athletes gain skills] that will be able to use in their everyday lives when they go into endeavors beyond sports,” Thompson said.

Senior varsity soccer captain Victoria Buda has found that her coaches create a enjoyable, competitive environment.

“They push me to reach beyond my potential and make me reach goals in my soccer career that I never knew I had in me,” Buda said. “I really feel like I am not just a player, but a part of a family. They really show they care about you, more than just a player.”

The cheering section of any sport

can play a role in a game’s final score and with enough cheering, the crowd can help athletes remain focused and pumped to win the game. The Zoo, led

by Associated Student Body-appointed Zookeepers, vocalizes such support.

Clad in animal costumes and schoolidentifying garments, students show their fandom.

“The idea was created by the creative students that were attending this school at the time,” Activities Director Season Pollock said. “They thought it would be funny and entertaining to dress up as animals for the cheering section.”

Each year, the Zoo is kept under careful watch by its Zookeepers. This year’s elected seniors and keepers Max Shafer and Jordi Adomie work to keep fans wild for their own athletes, but respectful of the opposing team.

“As a zookeeper, it is my privilege and responsibility to control the Zoo, while making each and every game as loud and memorable as possible,” Shafer said. “Aside from some of the younger students being loud and unruly, my job is pretty easy.”

For some athletes, the cheering from the stands and from fellow teammates reminds them to push themselves. Senior track athlete Dilawer Siddiqui often cheers as a member of the Zoo. He believes that it is a positive influence for competing athletes.

“Fans cheering reminds you to do better,” Siddiqui said. “It makes you feel that people are counting on you, and you do not want to let them down.”

Sitting in the stands, while cheering with their fellow fans whether in the gym, by the pool or on the field, observers can see coaches directing their athletes from the sideline, while cheering with their fellow fans; each of these pieces make up a puzzle that creates the love for a sport.

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