Issue 5

VOL. XLIII ISSUE 5 MARCH 4, 2022

Filmmaker captures the stages of emotional grief and response to trauma in the wake of gun violence ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT PAGE 11

PROBLEMATIC PODCASTING UNWARRANTED WARRANTS KEEP CALM AND CROCHET Podcaster Joe Rogan sparks The death of Amir Locke sheds light Junior finds a creative outlet through controversy over censorship in media on the dangers of no-knock warrants crochet Instagram account OPINION PAGE 2

NEWS PAGE 5

STUDENT LIFE PAGE 8

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The divisive figure of Joe Rogan has had a unique career, spanning occupations such as construction work, comedy and martial arts commentating. His popular Spotify talk show, “The Joe Rogan Experience,” makes him the current highestpaid podcaster in the world as of 2021 (Variety). In the past few months, Rogan has been hit with a string of controversies that are being heavily discussed across mainstream media platforms and internet forums. He has also been criticized before on several occasions for hosting far-right guests Milo Yiannopoulos and Alex Jones, as well as for consistently making unsubstantiated remarks against marginalized groups. Currently, Rogan lies at an intersection of complex conversations regarding free speech, accountability and corporate responsibility.

Rogan’s role in amplifying known anti-vaccination personalities and the casual racism he has exhibited in his past warrants deplatforming that Spotify is reluctant to perform.

This situation started in December of 2021, when hundreds of public health professionals accused Rogan of perpetuating coronavirus (COVID-19) misinformation following his interview with Dr. Robert Malone (The New York Times). On an episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience”, Malone–who is a notorious vaccine skeptic–drew parallels between the motivation behind people seeking out vaccines and the “mass formation psychosis” present during Nazi Germany. Previously, Malone was banned from Twitter for spreading COVID-19 misinformation, and after Rogan gave him a platform to reach millions of listeners, 270 doctors and educators wrote an open letter to Spotify requesting that they address this as an act of public endangerment. Considering Malone’s infamous reputation, it is shocking that Rogan chose to invite him onto his podcast and spend almost an hour questioning the validity of COVID-19 vaccinations. Following this incident, notable creators including musician Neil Young and podcaster Roxanne Gay demanded that their discographies be removed from Spotify due to the company’s lack of action against Rogan. Spotify then promised to add “content advisories” to podcast episodes that contain potential misinformation but skirted around Rogan himself, citing protection of free speech (TIME). Many observers have attributed this to Rogan’s popularity and Spotify’s rumored $200 million deal with the podcaster. Spotify’s neutrality is, in itself, a political statement, as it has signaled to many consumers that the corporation is more concerned with preserving their relationship with a profitable creator than respecting audience feedback. Not only is this a morally irresponsible decision on the part of Spotify, but consultants and crisis managers have also pointed out how it is damaging to the corporation’s longterm reputation (TIME).

“I think [Spotify should regulate their content] if it is in response to their audience,” junior Arman Omidvar said.

“Spotify acts in its own self interest at the end of the day, and they should not be beholden to some ‘perfect free speech’ type of declaration.”

Public ire towards Rogan grew even more in the first week of February, when singer India Arie posted a video compilation on her Instagram Stories of him saying the N-word over twenty times

on different occasions. The video then went viral, prompting Rogan to issue an apology on his Instagram account for his use of the racial slur (Los Angeles Times). Following increased audience criticism, Spotify responded by saying they will strive to maintain a balance between expression of free speech and protecting the safety of users. Additionally, they have dedicated $100 million to “socially conscious programming”. However, this dollar sum is half the amount Spotify reportedly paid Rogan for his exclusive podcasting contract and therefore does not seem like genuine commitment to supporting marginalized creators. By choosing a more conservative stance, Spotify has offended a large portion of their audience and representative artists. Rogan’s mistakes have thus become a catalyst for many complicated debates since they were first brought to the public’s attention. Arie has stated that she seeks to remove her work from Spotify not only due to their inadequate response to Rogan, but because she wants to spark a larger discussion about being an artist of color exploited in the streaming economy (Rolling Stone).

“I think [an apology] is the most [Rogan] could have done,” junior Mason Lee said. “Realistically, there is not much else he could have said. It does not change the fact that what he did was wrong and does not change the fact that in the future he is most likely going to keep bringing people on [to his podcast] that have some very interesting opinions about everything.”

Rogan’s use of the N-word is egregious and irrefutably deserves condemnation; however, handling the topic of COVID-19 misinformation requires more nuance than just “canceling” Rogan. In a society that is increasingly defined by polarization and partisan politics, using words like “canceling” to encompass all issues of accountability is too simplistic.

Spotify’s lackluster promise to add “content advisories” to episodes of “The Joe Rogan Experience” is insufficient.

Nonetheless, silencing any creator that elicits controversy is a danger to free speech. The response to Rogan’s misdeeds has been rightful mass outrage, but instead of jumping on the bandwagon of “cancellation” and indiscriminate censorship, it is important to advocate for accurate information.

“The more it seems like an organized attack against someone that is promoting a concept, the more people are going to rally behind that concept,” English 2 Honors and Advanced Placement English Language teacher Kristian Engle said. “The danger is an issue of trust–these are people who already lack trust in the system that we have right now. The [preferable] alternative is the reinforcement and the dispensing of information that is the most helpful.”

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THE IMPLICATIONS OF TEXAS LAWMAKERS’ TRANSPHOBIA Recently, there has been a surge of anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric circulating, primarily in Texas in the form of a concerning letter from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. This statement points toward a huge step back in the fight for equality and ensuring every person, no matter their identity, is granted equal protection under the law. With the Equality Act having been passed by the House of Representatives twice before, the first time in 2019 and the second almost exactly a year ago on Feb. 25, 2021, these recent attacks on the LGBTQ+ community further intensify the need for the Senate to act as well. This act would amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to explicitly extend protection to those of any gender identity and sexual orientation from discrimination, not just in regards to employment and housing, but also public accommodations and federally funded programs, according to the National Public Radio (NPR). In light of Texas’s recent blatantly homophobic and transphobic actions, it is incredibly important for senators to act quickly and pass the Equality Act in order to better ensure the safety of LGBTQ+ people throughout the U.S. On Feb. 18, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued a statement against gender-affirming procedures and any prescription drugs to aid in a transgender person’s transition used on minors, voicing how “each of the ‘sex change’ procedures and treatments, when performed on children, can legally constitute child abuse under several provisions of chapter 261 of the Texas Family Code”. Abbott then contributed to Paxton’s sentiment by “calling on professionals, including teachers and doctors, to report parents who give their child gender-affirming care… there would be similar reporting requirements for the general public, and consequences for those who do not report” (NPR). Both Paxton’s and Abbott’s letters exhibit a blatantly transphobic stance, as these gender-affirming methods of

care they so harshly criticize are in place solely to help transgender youth feel comfortable with their own identities and aid in their transition.

While the opposition claims that the gender transitioning process is medically unnecessary, transgender individuals consider it to be life-saving (American Civil Liberties Union).

In addition to gender confirmation surgery, transgender individuals may also opt for hormone therapy or puberty supression such as puberty blockers, which block sex hormones and delay unwanted physical changes. Though these blockers have also been commonly prescribed to cisgender children–one whose gender identity is the same as their assigned sex at birth–who start puberty too early and adults that with breast or prostate cancer, many continue to vouch for the adverse effects of these procedures on transgender individuals while allowing cisgender people to utilize the same treatments.

Criminalizing gender-affirming care obstructs a person’s individual autonomy and is ultimately against the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution. Though Paxton’s and Abbott’s statements currently do not hold legal ground, their opinions are public and feed into the negative stigma surrounding the transgender community and will inevitably result in an influx of hateful rhetoric against and physical attacks on transgender people. The implications of Texans having to report parents of transgender children for providing gender-affirming care would be severe, particularly on school campuses–teachers, administrators and other students will be expected to actively target transgender students.

Without protective rights being granted to all members of the LGBTQ+ community, students and American citizens alike will continue to be exposed to the harmful decisions of homophobic and transphobic lawmakers. Now more than ever, citizens must use their voices to urge senators to pass the Equality Act and guarantee that stances like the one outlined in Abbott’s letter will never become law.

ADDRESSING WHOOPI GOLDBERG’S ANTISEMITIC RHETORIC Whoopi Goldberg, a co-host of the talk show “The View” on American Broadcasting Company (ABC) News, is currently under scrutiny for making controversial comments about the Holocaust while addressing the banning of the graphic novel “Maus” in a Tennessee school district on Jan. 31. On “The View”, Goldberg expressed that “the Holocaust is not about race”; it was about “man’s inhumanity to man” (Yahoo News). This statement drew criticism from people because Adolf Hitler often referred to Jews as an “inferior race” during the Holocaust. As a result, Goldberg was given a twoweek suspension by ABC News president Kim Godwin, even though Goldberg publicly apologized on air a day later. This situation displays a broader issue; like Goldberg, many people do not have a proper understanding of what happened during the Holocaust. Thus, education about the Holocaust and what constitutes antisemitism should be emphasized to prevent more harmful misconceptions from forming.

Some celebrities do not think Goldberg received a harsh enough punishment, especially since she returned to the show two days before her suspension was due to end. However, people who came to Goldberg’s defense mentioned how her comments were made because she was not educated enough on the topic, not because she is an antisemite. Jonathan Greenblatt, the national director and chief executive officer of the Anti-Defamation League, commented on the late-night talk show “Don Lemon Tonight’’ that Goldberg should not be canceled simply because she made a mistake. Greenblatt’s mindset is what causes people to believe that they can get away with making offensive comments; not acknowledging that a comment was offensive is equivalent to people not learning from their actions.

“People have done less and gotten in more trouble, and people have done worse and gotten in more trouble,” World History and Advanced Placement European History teacher Donald Frazier said. “I am surprised [that] she came back in

less than two weeks.”

Unfortunately, there has been a global rise in antisemitism over the course of the past couple years during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic; for instance, people protested against COVID-19 vaccine mandates by wearing yellow Star of David patches. According to National Broadcasting Company (NBC) News, in November, protesters stood outside Jewish New York Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz’s office to speak out against a bill that requires children to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to attend school.

To the Jewish community, the yellow Star of David patch is a symbol of oppression, as Jews were forced to wear these badges during the Holocaust to differentiate their social statuses. If Jewish people were found without the badges, they would be punished with beatings or even death.

Protesters wearing the Star of David and comparing vaccine mandates to the oppression that Jews experienced during the Holocaust is highly inappropriate. Between 1941 and 1945, more than six million people were murdered simply for being Jewish; people using this symbol to protest against vaccine mandates that are in place for health and safety reasons shows not just that they are ignorant, but also that they are blatantly antisemitic.

“Learning about the Holocaust in school is very important so that events like the Holocaust will not repeat in the future,” freshman Stella Schwab said. “If people were not educated, they would make the same mistakes.”

Goldberg’s comments on “The View’’ were tone-deaf and demonstrated what society needs to work on as a whole. The Holocaust is fading from public consciousness, and the recent rise in antisemitism deserves more attention. Education and awareness about the Holocaust should become more widespread, especially among the general public. Ignorance is dangerous, and it can lead to future atrocities.

“Do not focus on [Goldberg’s comments] as the central aspect of antisemitism,” senior Saul Munn said. “View this as an aspect of a general, broad increase in antisemitism.”

THE PEN PALOS VERDES PENINSULA HIGH SCHOOL 27118 Silver Spur Road, Rolling Hills Estates, CA 90274 EDITORS IN CHIEF Keila Bara Caitlyn Lee HEADS OF DESIGN Shai Becker Sakura Sasaki HEAD OF BUSINESS Makayla Lui ADVISER Jaymee DeMeyer PUBLICITY PUBLICITY MANAGER: Victoria Rhodes WEBSITE MANAGER: Savanna Messner Rodriguez OPINION EDITOR: Clara Reckhorn WRITERS: Leigh Fitch Audrey Lin Angelina Wang NEWS EDITOR: Jeremy Kim WRITER: Aarushi Chaudhari Christian Downs Zahra Habib FOCUS EDITOR: Hannah Corr WRITERS: Jacelyn Chen Brian Park Alena Rhoades STUDENT LIFE EDITOR: Nomi Tsogmagnai WRITERS: Tessa Kang McKenna McCallister Juliette Lin ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT/SPORTS EDITOR: Jenna Long WRITERS: Josie Kwak Neha Sambangi GRAPHICS Hana Fujii Kiara Lee Jihee Seo Lynn Takahashi Brooke Vo ADS Hana Rivera Priya Thakar “The Pen” is the student newspaper produced by the advanced jounalism students of Palos Verdes Peninsula High School. It is published eight times per year. Advertising inquiries may be directed to Head of Business Makayla Lui at (310)753-9550.

Copyright © 2022 COVER DESIGN BY SAKURA SASAKI

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JUDGE JACKSON’S TRAILBLAZING APPOINTMENT

As President Joe Biden honored the retiring Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer on Jan. 27, Biden concurrently announced that he would be nominating the nation’s first Black female justice as Breyer’s replacement.

Breyer’s retirement from the court gives Biden his first opportunity to select a Supreme Court justice, as it is within his executive power to appoint one.

Biden believes that appointing a Black woman for the Supreme Court justice has been long overdue and is looking to follow through on the commitment he made during his presidential campaign to diversify the Supreme Court (Los Angeles Times). Thus, Biden selected Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on Feb. 25 (National Broadcasting Company News). Jackson is a 51-year-old judge in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit who previously clerked for–or assisted with the duties of–Breyer. This appointment does not alter the Supreme Court’s political balance, since without Breyer the court has six conservative justices appointed by Republicans and two liberal justices appointed by Democrats (Cable News Network). Freshman Emilia DiPiazza agrees with Biden’s idea of change brought to the Supreme Court.

“I think it is very exciting that the Supreme Court has representation from [different] races and genders,” DiPiazza said. “[Biden nominating a Black woman] is a historic event, a long overdue milestone in more representation and [a step towards] a more diverse government.”

To finalize a nominee, Biden worked with a group of internal advisers, who work with him long-term and work on projects with him, and external advisers, who do consultant work and work for Biden short-term, as well as Vice President Kamala Harris. Biden’s team began reaching out and meeting with the nominees during the first week of February, and they eventually narrowed it down to a short list of 10 candidates. In addition to Jackson were Leondra Reid Kruger, a 45-year-old justice on the California Supreme Court who previously clerked for former Justice John Paul Stevens, and Julianna

Michelle Childs, a 55-year-old Federal District Court judge in South Carolina.

Sophomore Katara Chang feels that there should be an increase for minority representation in political positions of power.

“I think that the nominations for [the Supreme Court justice] position are qualified and capable,” Chang said. “Although there have still been no Asian American, Native American or Pacific Islander Supreme Court Justices, this is definitely a positive step.”

Biden’s plan to diversify the Supreme Court helps address the problem of discrimination in politics that has been prevalent in the past (The New York Times). This is due to the fact that in order to have a qualified pool of potential justices, there must be a large number of experienced attorneys and scholars. Many women and people of color were often excluded from the top positions of the legal profession due to racial and gender discrimation as well as economic factors (Pew Research Center). In 22 states, there is not a single justice who is a person of color, includ­ing 11 states where people of color makeup at least 20% of the popu­la­tion. Given the higher rates of incarceration and harsher sentences to people of color, more racially representative state and federal Supreme Courts could prove to be beneficial in creating an improved justice system (Democracy Docket); just last year, the incarceration rate of African Americans in local U.S. jails was 465 incarcerations a day, which is higher than any other ethnicity (Statista). Moreover, Jackson has been receiving a great amount of support from fellow politicians such as former president Mitt Romney and lawyer William Burck. Junior Sarah Wang feels that there should be no room for discrimination in a political environment and encourages everyone to vote and exercise their civil duties. “[People of color] and women appointed in political positions should be unquestionably normalized because for decades [they] have been more than qualified and impassioned to take office,” Wang said. “Discrimination is a real and present threat, and the democracy and our nation depends upon us. The best way to achieve change is to let your voice be heard.”

5 AMIR LOCKE’S DEATH SPARKS NO-KNOCK WARRANT DEBATE

The death of a 22-year-old man, Amir Locke, has reignited the national debate over law enforcement’s use of no-knock warrants. On Feb. 2, Locke was killed during a police raid in Minneapolis, Minnesota after being mistaken for his cousin, Mehki Camden Speed, who was a suspect in a homicide case.

A Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team had obtained a no-knock search warrant for Speed’s apartment, but instead of finding him, they found Locke asleep. When the team entered the apartment, Locke defensively picked up a handgun that he legally owned, prompting the police to open fire (Cable News Network). Officer Mark Hanneman fatally shot Locke in his chest and right wrist, according to the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS). This incident has caused many people to question the efficacy of no-knock warrants, as Locke’s death is not an isolated incident.

The origin of no-knock warrants dates back several decades ago to the 1970s: the era of the war on drugs. During this period, the U.S.’s attempts to reduce the illegal drug trade facilitated the creation of no-knock warrants.

The Fourth Amendment protects citizens from “unreasonable search”, meaning that police cannot barge into homes whenever they want; they would need a warrant granted by a judge. Even with a warrant, police are supposed to knock and announce themselves before entering one’s home. However, as the war on drugs intensified, police argued that criminals and drug dealers were too dangerous to be granted the typical courtesy of knocking first (Vox).

As a result, in the early 1970s, the federal government granted police the right to conduct no-knock raids, but it was often misused, causing the law to be repealed a couple of years later. Since then, a series of court decisions and state laws have created a special set of circumstances in which it is legal for police to raid a house without announcing their presence beforehand–in order to now obtain one of these no-knock warrants, police have to appeal to a judge on one of two bases: either that the police are at danger of being harmed or that if they announced their presence, the suspect would have time to destroy evidence of a crime before the police could confiscate it (Vox). Many officers are in favor of no-knock warrants due to the element of surprise; it is meant to help law enforcement disrupt criminal activity without giving the perpetrator time to react. While some may consider no-knock warrants to be conceptually ideal, many people criticize them, claiming that they are frequently misused. A 2017 New York Times investigation found that at least 81 civilians and 13 law enforcement officers have died in no-knock and quick-knock raids between 2010 and 2016 in the U.S., with many more having been seriously wounded (American Broadcasting Company).

“While the ‘perceived benefits’ of no-knock warrants are commonly touted as a justification for their use, massive bodies of peer-reviewed research demonstrate their ineffectiveness as a crime-fighting tactic,” junior Coralynn Yang said. “While there might be some possibility that no-knock warrants are a useful investigation tactic, those marginal benefits are definitely outweighed by the massive increases in violence that accompanied their utilization — the risk of violence or injury being done to the civilian is much larger than the chance that police will find something during the investigation.”

Inspired by Locke’s death, efforts are being taken by many legislators to ban no-knock warrants. Two days after Locke’s death, Minneapolis’s mayor Jacob Frey imposed a moratorium on both the request and execution of no-knock warrants in Minneapolis. Frey also stated that officials of the Minneapolis Police Department would work with national experts to review and suggest revisions to the department’s policy on no-knock warrants (CBS).

There have also been previous measures implemented by officials to combat the abuse of no-knock warrants. In June of 2020, for instance, current Vice President Kamala Harris co-sponsored legislation aimed at banning police from using chokeholds and no-knock warrants at a nationwide level. As of February of 2022, the bill, titled the Justice in Policing Act of 2020, has been passed in the U.S. House of Representatives and is on the Senate calendar (NewsNation). By January of 2021, state bills and local ordinances banning or restricting no-knock warrants were also introduced in 22 states and 20 cities,

according to the Council on Criminal Justice. Additionally, following the death of 26-year-old Breonna Taylor in March of 2020, Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer suspended the use of no-knock warrants and required police to wear body cameras when carrying out search warrants (Public Broadcasting Service).

Taylor was shot by police executing a no-knock drug search warrant meant for two men who were suspected to be receiving packages from Taylor’s apartment (The New York Times). The Minneapolis police are acting swiftly to make reforms following Locke’s because Minneapolis is the same city in which George Floyd lost his life at the hands of the police in May of 2020. Since Floyd’s death, the Minneapolis Police Department has been under intense scrutiny from citizens; many have even called to have the entire system disbanded. Freshman Neekta Baghoolizadeh believes that the Minneapolis Police Department contributed to the deaths of these two men.

“To [address] the elephant in the room, both [Floyd and Locke] were killed by active police officers on duty, which in itself is an astonishing problem,” Baghoolizadeh said. “While some people may argue that these police officers were only a ‘bad apple’ in the bunch, the repeated acts of violence and systemic prejudice ingrained in the police, as well as other ‘justice’ systems, tell a vastly different story. The [very] fact that these ‘bad apples’ are allowed to continue to work as police officers and are constantly defended by their colleagues further proves that these issues are not the work of singular officers but the systemic racism that is, more often than not, deep-rooted in the police system.”

No-knock warrants have a reputation of being abused, particularly among minorities (The Columbus Dispatch). Two years before the city banned the warrants in June of 2020, Louisville Metro Police Department officers received court approval for at least 27 no-knock warrants. An analysis by the Louisville Courier-Journal showed that for 22 of those warrants, 82% of the listed suspects were Black. The issue surrounding no-knock warrants is only one aspect of an ongoing racial struggle in America, particularly in the criminal justice system. Police have a long history of targeting minorities; the origins of modern-day policing can be traced back to the “Slave Patrol”, which was created in the early 1700s to establish a system of terror and prevent slave uprisings (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People). The U.S. is also home to the world’s largest prison population and the highest per-capita incarceration rate, of which Black people make up 38.4% of those incarcerated, despite making up only 13.4% of the overall U.S. population (Federal Bureau of Prisons). Many have proposed a potential solution to this issue of internal bias within police officers: the implementation of an implicit bias training program to be used during their training. On average, U.S. officers are required to spend at least 21 weeks in general training before they are qualified to go on patrol (British Broadcasting Corporation), which is far less than most other developed countries according to the Institute for Criminal Justice Training Reform. U.S. police training also heavily emphasizes the operation of firearms instead of how to de-escalate a situation — on average 71 hours against 21 (U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics). Many see the potential benefits of an implicit bias training program in helping these officers become more aware and eradicate their bias, conscious or not, towards specific groups.

“These great kids get shot [due to] the officer’s mentality that [a person] is Black so [they are] bad,” Government and Advanced Placement Psychology teacher John Hangartner said. “The guy who was standing on Floyd’s throat did not have to do that. I see those cops beating Rodney King, they did not need to do that; it makes me sick to my stomach. [These cops] have enough training to know and to understand when their life is in danger [versus] when they are just using excessive force. [As for the use of no-knock warrants], it kind of makes sense [why cops would prefer it], but if it is going to create a loss of life, whether it is of the cop or the victim, I would say forgo it. Death is the ultimate; we do not need any more of that.”

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NATHAN CHEN WINS GOLD MEDAL Figure skater Nathan Chen’s noteworthy routine at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics has captivated audiences from all over the globe with his famous quadruple axel jumps. On Feb. 10, Chen made history with his routine as the first Asian American to win an Olympic gold medal in the men’s singles figure skating category. In a subcategory of the men’s singles category, men’s free skate, his routine was choreographed to a mashup of “Rocketman” and “Benny and the Jets”

by Elton John. Chen finished with a score of 218.63 in his free skate and also set a new world record in the individual short program category with a score of 113.97 (Consumer News and Business Channel).

Chen’s total combined score was 332.60, establishing him as the top men’s figure skater at the games this year.

Chen, who grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah, credits his mother for helping him reach his life-long goal of competing in the Olympics. Several times a year, Chen and his mother would make the drive from Utah to Lake Arrowhead, California for lessons with his current coach, Rafael Arutyunyan. When Chen was 11 years old, he and his family made the permanent move to California in order for him to train with his coach more frequently (National Broadcast Company). Chen’s efforts eventually paid off when he qualified for the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, where he ultimately placed fifth. However, after missing a chance to win a medal in Pyeongchang due to a fall when trying to complete a quadruple lutz, he continued to train and went undefeated in his competitions for the next three years.

When speaking in an interview with The

Washington Post about Pyeongchang, Chen expressed that people “learn the most from mistakes” and he “certainly learned a lot from [the fall during that] competition.”

Freshman Sophie Wang watched this year’s Winter Olympics and is excited that Chen was able to inspire viewers with his redemption after Pyeongchang.

“I am so happy that [Nathan Chen] was finally able to win gold after Pyeongchang, and his technical scores were the highest,” Wang said. “[He is] an inspiration to [many] to work hard, break limits and set records.”

Chen was first influenced to figure skate after seeing other Olympic figure skaters competing on television, including Michelle Kwan, a fellow Asian American Olympic figure skater. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Chen expressed that “having athletes that look like you gives you hope that you can do the same, and Michelle Kwan certainly was that for me.”

Chen felt connected with Kwan when he was growing up, as they are both Chinese American, and now he is inspiring other young Asian American athletes in the same way Kwan inspired him; Alysa Liu, a newcomer to the U.S. Olympic Team, is also Chinese American and cited Chen as one of her influences. Chen’s inspiration will continue to grow as he inspires many other Chinese American athletes to work hard and reach their goals. Junior Eleanor Hsu, who was a figure skater for five years, respects the hard work Chen has put in and hopes he can serve as positive representation for the Asian American ahtletic community.

“Nathan Chen being the first Asian American male athlete to win an Olympic gold medal in figure skating is a very inspiring thing,” Hsu said. “It is amazing to see how much diversity has been achieved [in the Olympics] and the breaking of

historical stereotypes against the Asian American community. I believe that his accomplishments and hard work will serve as a precedent and inspiration for many other [athletes].”

Chen’s win is considered to be especially significant for the Asian American community because of a history of exclusionary practices in sports leagues, leading to an underrepresentation of Asian Americans in elite-level sports (National Broadcast Company). The New York Times has recently experienced backlash from the Asian American community after one of their articles noted that Chen and other Asian Americans were beginning to dominate Olympic figure skating.

The author of the article said it was not intended to be harmful, but amid two years of pandemic-fueled hate crimes against Asian Americans, the use of the term “overrepresented” in the article struck a nerve with many. Many felt that the term “overrepresented” was too extreme.

For perhaps as long as organized sports have existed in the U.S., Asian Americans have been underrepresented, in part due to a history of gatekeeping and social segregation (National Broadcast Company).

Junior Jessica Wiemels, who has experience in competitive figure skating, feels that Chen is a great role model for Asian American figure skaters across the country.

“Nathan Chen winning an Olympic gold medal serves as the perfect representation for Asian Americans in sports,” Wiemels said. “Representation is so important because of how it defines inclusivity and inspiration. For a long time, there has been a lack of this much-needed Asian American representation. Skaters like Michelle Kwan, Kristi Yamaguchi and now Nathan Chen are the perfect examples of what Asian Americans in sports can achieve.”

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KAMILA VALIEVA’S DRUG SCANDAL Through “doping,” or taking illegal substances, athletes can increase their blood flow efficiency and improve their endurance levels for competitions. Thus, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) prohibits the usage of performance-enhancing drugs.

On Dec. 25, 2021, 15-year-old figure skater Kamila Valieva, who competed for the Russian Olympic Committee in the 2022 Beijing Olympics, tested positive for a banned performance-enhancing heart medication called Trimetazidine. This is not the first time an Olympic athlete has broken the rules, and the ones who have been caught in the past faced consequences such as the forfeiture of their medals. In Valieva’s case, however, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) allowed her to continue competing at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

Due to this controversial decision, there have been mixed opinions from the press and audiences about the overall ethicality of the 2022 Beijing Olympics, especially concerning a topic involving a minor’s usage of drugs. Sophomore Riku Ogami is strongly against doping in sports, especially during the Olympics.

“Substance abuse has always been something I have looked down upon,” Ogami said. “As a cross country athlete, [I] pray that people will compete fairly in whatever sport they play. That is why hearing [this news], especially in a worldwide event like the Olympics, has left a sour taste in my mouth and I have lost respect for the International Olympic Committee.”

In addition to Trimetadizidine, Valieva tested positive for the usage of multiple heart drugs, including Hypoxen and L-carnitine.

At a CAS hearing on Feb. 14, Valieva claimed that the positive drug test was caused by a mix-up with her grandfather’s

heart medications (TIME). This contradicts another claim made by Valieva’s mother on Feb. 9 in which she states that her daughter had been taking Hypoxen due to heart rate variations (The New York Times). Despite testing positive for these drugs, CAS had allowed Valieva to continue competing in the women’s free skate category. This is accredited to the fact that young athletes like Valieva who are under 16 years old typically have more flexibility under anti-doping rules; thus, they are often not held responsible for the usage of banned substances. Young athletes are also seen as a “protected person” who could be under the influence due to the adults around them. “[I] do think that Valieva’s statement is valid, and if her claim is true then I cannot blame her,” sophomore Augustine Sheen said. “However, even if she took the drugs accidentally, that [does not] change the fact that she still was able to utilize those drugs while competing. I do not think she deserves to compete [in the Olympics] with an unfair advantage and suffer the consequences of her own mistake.”

Although evidence of Valieva’s positive drug test was found on Dec. 25, 2021, a laboratory in Stockholm, Sweden who is affiliated with WADA holds responsibility for withholding the results from WADA until Feb. 8; the reason for the results being released late remains ambiguous. When Valieva’s drug test came back positive 45 days late, she was initially banned by the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) from all competitions, but Valieva’s team challenged the suspension and it was lifted a day later. WADA, along with the International Skating Union (ISU) and the International Testing Agency (ITA), appealed RUSADA’s reprieve from suspension, and the case was then sent to the CAS. Following CAS’s ruling, the executive board of the International Olympic Committee

(IOC) posted an official statement to their website on Feb. 14 that if Valieva were to finish in the top three of the women’s single skating category, there would be no medal ceremony held for all finalists.

On Feb. 17, Valieva ranked fourth in the women’s individual figure skating category.

Due to immense pressure, Valieva fell during her routine in the women’s free skate competition and ranked out of the top three (Columbia Broadcasting System).

Following this new placement, Valieva sympathizers took to social media and expressed their disappointment by the lack of action taken by the adults supervising her. Due to Valieva’s age, many people have suspected that she was forced to dope by the adults around her to perform better.

Shortly after the results of the women’s individual skating category were released, IOC president Thomas Bach criticized Valieva’s entourage in a press conference due to these suspicions. Bach also supported the investigation of Valieva’s coach and entourage, as support personnels of athletes under 16 are automatically required to be investigated for their role in the athlete’s use of banned substances (WADA). The Intelligence and Investigations Department started investigating the adults surrounding Valieva on Feb. 13, while the Russian AntiDoping Agency is currently investigating her entourage. Sophomore Anastasia Kudo is disappointed by the way Valieva’s team handled the entire situation.

“Valieva should not have competed in the 2022 Beijing Olympics when they found out about the positive drug test,” Kudo said.

“Valieva’s entourage pushing her to compete is what caused her to emotionally break down, and [no one] my age should have to go through something like that. I hope the investigation gets to the bottom of what really happened and if the adults around her are responsible for this doping incident.”

8

Over the summer of 2021, junior Meghan Ke took up crocheting as a way to pass time following a surgery on her torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Previously, Ke spent her time on active hobbies–dancing and surfing-but while recovering, she turned to YouTube to learn about crocheting and Pinterest to gain inspiration for her creations. As Ke’s creativity and interest in crocheting flourished, she bought yarn from stores such as Michaels and JOANN Fabric and Crafts to dive into her new hobby. Ke was familiar with using a hook to create various stitching patterns due to her prior experience with the bracelet-making kit, Rainbow Loom.

The hooks used in these two activities are similar in shape and function, which made the transition to crocheting easier. The first project that she worked on was a bucket hat, which allowed her to practice foundational stitches; Spending time working on her projects has allowed Ke to discover how crocheting benefits many different aspects of her life. “[Crocheting] is kind of like meditation,” Ke said. “Your mind is focused on doing one thing at a time, [which] calms me down. It distracts me from things like school work [and] offers a nice little escape.”

The items that Ke creates are inspired by patterns she sees on various social media platforms. She occasionally tries to add her own flair to these styles and create items that correlate with people, patterns and characters that she is currently interested in. Recently, she has been working on recreating Baby Yoda, a character from a Disney+ television show “The Mandalorian”. She is also giving by nature, which has led her to share her

creations with others. In July of 2021, she started crocheting blankets to donate to the Torrance Memorial Hospital, a project she partook in as a member of Novas–a volunteer program open to high school students in Palos Verdes and Torrance. Ke also creates thoughtful pieces for her friends, and one of her favorite items to crochet and gift are produce bags, also known as french market bags.

One of Ke’s friends, junior Jessica Spencer, has seen Ke crocheting at lunch and finds it inspiring to see her constantly striving to improve. Spencer admires Ke’s commitment to her craft, as well as the community outreach that she has achieved through her projects.

“Meghan is so creative [with her work],” Spencer said. “She is always coming up with new patterns and is very passionate about it. She likes to share [her passion for crocheting] with others and I think her crocheting makes everyone around her so happy. Seeing her doing something that [she cares so much about] inspires the people around her.”

To create her projects, Ke has many options when it comes to types of crochet hooks and yarn.

Hook sizes can range from 2.25 to 30 millimeters, with different lettering and numbering systems depending on the country (Craft Yarn Council). For yarn, there are a variety of thicknesses, referred to as weights. There are also recommendations on the ideal hook size to use for the specific weight of the yarn. When Ke first started crocheting, she used acrylic yarn, but as she gained more experience, she started to experiment with yarn of higher quality. The acrylic yarn that she previously used mimics the cotton and wool fibers of natural yarns at a lower cost for more mass production, making it lower quality. She purchases kits from Wool and the Gang, a shop that sells yarn, tools, kits and patterns for crocheting. Ke hopes that by producing high quality projects as a young crochet designer, she can encourage others to break through the age stigma surrounding crocheting.

“I want people to [see] that crocheting is cool [for all ages],” Ke said. “Even if you are not doing a full-on business, it is still a nice hobby. Spending time making good quality things for yourself [is fun].”

Despite feeling slightly self-conscious about her newfound hobby, Ke was

able to fight the stigma surrounding crocheting.

She reminded herself that it did not matter what others thought because she liked it and that was all that mattered. Seeing other people around her age who share the same passion on social media made her feel more comfortable with crocheting.

Crocheting has raised her competency level in matching colors and patterns, as well as honing her eye for flattering shapes regarding her own personal clothing style. Ke is now able to disregard the criticisms of others and proceed confidently on her adventures with crocheting.

Due to a lack of free time, Ke has not been crocheting as much as she would like to, but she tries to make up for it on the weekends.

Occasionally, Ke will experience briefly discouraging mental blocks over not getting the right stitch, accidentally dropping a stitch or adding an extra one. When this happens, Ke remains patient because she understands that her first try will not always be perfect. As she does not let herself become discouraged by minor setbacks, Ke continued to pursue her passion and decided to create the Instagram account, @saltydazecrochet, for her crocheting content. In the future, Ke hopes to open a shop on the platform Etsy, where handmade items are sold, as an extension of this Instagram account.

Ke’s friends and family fully support her ambitions with crocheting and what she will do with it in the future. Ke’s mother, Emily Ke, is proud of what her daughter has done so far and hopes that Meghan Ke can even create her own patterns at some point. Emily Ke has also noticed the influence that her daughter has on others through her work, as she has inspired her friends to crochet and her grandmother to start knitting again. Seeing how far her daughter has come and how much determination she possesses, Emily Ke is excited to see the development of Megan Ke’s plans with crocheting.

“It makes me happy to see how she can find happiness staying at home, reading books and crocheting,” Emily Ke said. “Her personality is kind, generous [and] detail-oriented, and [she always] strives for perfection. She has the perseverance to never give up on one project, even if it takes her six months to complete.”

SCHMITZ’S EDITING ENDEAVORS 9 Since its release in 2015, the video game “Rocket League,” developed by the company Psyonix, has gained 75 million players. In the game, which can be compared to virtual soccer with cars, players compete in teams of rocketpowered vehicles to score more goals than the other side before the five-minute time limit is up. Among these players is senior Tyler Schmitz, who has created a career from two of his hobbies: video editing and gaming. He operates under the name “Lumin” online and edits the videos of creator Wayton Pilkin, a “Rocket League” YouTuber who currently has 416,000 subscribers.

“Rocket League” is the first video game Schmitz ever thoroughly enjoyed. After seeing other people in the gaming community create montages using gameplay clips backed by music to promote teams and celebrate significant achievements, Schmitz reached out to some of these montage editors and began learning their techniques and processes, which he practiced by creating his own gameplay clips and creating videos of his own. Schmitz then made friends in the editing community and began editing for the YouTube channels of the “Rocket League” teams Nixus, SwiFT and FreeZ. In December of 2019, Pilkin reached out and offered Schmitz a position as an editor for his videos after watching his edits on YouTube, which Schmitz accepted; He left his teams to fully focus on editing for Pilkin in January of 2020. Schmitz’s friend, former Peninsula student Lucas Arden, admires how Schmitz created a job stemming from his passion.

“Ever since [I have] known Tyler, [he has] had a

passion for editing,” Arden said. “When I found out that he had found a job under a creator that I [was familiar with], I was both proud and impressed. I definitely support his decision to follow his dreams, as [I have] seen the things he creates and he [has not] failed to impress me.”

In addition to his experience playing “Rocket League”, Schmitz’s interest in technology and music also helps him advance his editing career. He uses two softwares for efficiency–basic work in Adobe Premiere Pro and more complex processes in Adobe After Effects. The first step in Schmitz’s editing process before uploading footage is choosing the music, which determines the mood and style of the video. After selecting a piece he thinks suits the project, Schmitz uses tools like ReShade, Simple Replay Editor and BakkesMod to record and change the appearance of gameplay footage. Then, he combines the footage and music, as well as other effects that improve the appearance of the video, in Adobe After Effects. Schmitz’s mother, Kris Bernhardt, believes that editing “Rocket League” videos provides Schmitz with a creative outlet to combine his various passions.

“I [did not] know that [the creative aspect of ‘Rocket League’] was something he was interested in,” Bernhardt said. “He was playing [the game] and was interested in music from a young age, but watching him put that together and seeing his excitement [is] fun to watch. I [am] thrilled that he [has] a creative outlet that he [enjoys].”

As this is not enough to make a living, Schmitz considers his editing as more of a hobby than an actual career. Additionally, Schmitz plans to stop editing for Pilkin’s channel when he enters college; he has discovered that having an editing job is a

time commitment that makes it difficult to balance school and work, and he wants to fully commit to his education.

Schmitz believes that though it is tiring at times, being able to spend time bettering his craft through his hobby is an enjoyable experience.

“While [editing videos] is fun to share with people and get positive feedback, it is more about personal improvement,” Schmitz said. “It is nice when people enjoy it, but [it is] just a way for me to let out my creativity. I stay motivated because I want to make something better that I can feel happy with once [I am finished creating it].”

10

A SCORE FOR PENINSULA SOCCER On Feb. 2, the girls varsity soccer team defeated the Palos Verdes High School (PVHS) girls varsity soccer team 1-0 for the first time in four years in their final Bay League match of the 2021-22 season.

Bay League is an annual high school athletic conference in which various sports teams from the South Bay compete;

the league also includes PVHS, Mira Costa High School, Culver City High School (CCHS), Redondo Union High School and Santa Monica High School.

By the end of each season, the team that wins the most matches receives the title of Bay League Champion. The team’s final match was played against PVHS, which is significant because they are considered to be Peninsula’s primary athletic rival.

Junior Madison Woodward, who scored the winning goal, believes that the victory against PVHS was an emotional moment for the team and is happy that she made such an important contribution to the team’s success.

“It really meant a lot to us to win this game,” Woodward said. “It was so emotional when we all stormed the field after the game finished and ended our season on a high note. It felt especially great to make such a notable impact in this rivalry game by getting the goal and making sure that our seniors leave Peninsula with a great memory.”

The last time Peninsula won a girls soccer game against PVHS was in the 2017-18 season. Earlier this season, the team competed against PVHS twice, losing both games with scores of 0-1 and 0-2. Apart from these losses, they had notable victories throughout the season,

which allowed them to build their confidence leading up to this final game; this includes the win against CCHS on Jan. 28, which ended with the score of 1-0. Varsity and junior varsity girls soccer coach Alli Ruvalcaba sees this victory as a learning experience for each player on the team and recognizes how special this particular win is for the team as a whole.

“This victory is something that this group of girls will remember throughout their soccer careers because they never got to experience what it is like to be on the winning side in this rivalry game,” Ruvalcaba said. “This really shows that these girls make a great team and they can take away some confidence that they can compete with any team in the future.”

After losing the first two games to PVHS, the team approached this final game with a more positive and fearless attitude, which helped lead them to victory. Recently, spectators were allowed back into the stands due to the loosening of coronavirus (COVID-19) protocols, which many players feel improved their performance for this final match. The team finished the 2021-22 season earning two victories, seven ties and four losses, and they ended fifth in the Bay League standings.

To sophomore Sophie Lin, this game was incredibly important, as it means a lot to her and the team to end the season on a high note.

“The victory over PVHS was basically a redemption for us because they have been beating us previously in many matches,” Lin said. “Our team worked really hard this year to change our mindsets and try to play games with a fearless attitude. For the seniors, this win completes their high school career, and it is something that can inspire the upcoming players to work hard.”

11 “THE FALLOUT”: A THOROUGH EXAMINATION OF TRAUMA On Jan. 27, Warner Brothers Pictures and New Line Cinema released “The Fallout” on the streaming platform Home Box Office (HBO).

Directed by Megan Park, the film tells the story of Vada Cavell, played by Jenna Ortega, a high school student that copes with deep emotional trauma after a school shooting. Vada turns to drugs, withdraws from her family and distances herself from long-time friend Nick, while also creating an unlikely friendship with dancer Mia. Mia–-played by Maddie Ziegler–-hides with Vada in a bathroom stall during the shooting, which creates a relationship vital to the plot throughout the film, as the girls’ shared trauma leads them to form a close bond.

While the plot focuses on the messy parts of grief, viewers can understand what exactly goes through the minds of school shooting survivors and the bumpy road to recovery after a traumatic event.

This central theme of trauma and recovery is beautifully captured through the movie’s cinematography, especially with its clever usage of perspective. Following the shooting, Vada is positioned far from the camera, but when she texts Mia there are multiple close-ups. In these close-ups, one can clearly see Vada’s empty, teary eyes that are hesitant to text Mia back. As the conversation comes to a close, the camera zooms out, showing Vada’s body as she curls in a fetal position underneath her blanket. In these shots, Vada’s mannerisms are plastered over the screen and emphasized to viewers, putting her sadness and dejected emotions on full display. This helps viewers sympathize with her character, while also providing insight on the tender and sensitive process of healing. English 2 Honors and

Advanced Placement Literature teacher Rebecka Dibble believes that these shots contribute greatly to the movie’s theme.

“This scene is very poignant and powerful in its depiction of teenagers trying to process a painful situation and the immediate aftermath,” Dibble said. “[When] the camera zoomed in on [Vada and Mia’s] faces, it really focused on their tears that they were shedding, [which] showed the [effects] that the trauma had on their lives.”

Likewise, the actors’ performances were nothing short of spectacular. In particular, Ortega’s portrayal of Vada was compassionate and impressive, as she expressed both Vada’s funny moments and her heartbreak following the shooting. In one moment, Vada shuts herself away from the world and is holed up in her room, but in another, she trots around Mia’s pool, laughing and goofing off. Furthermore, there was clear chemistry between the actors, especially Ortega and Ziegler, who worked fantastically in their roles. When they are together, their dialogue flows seamlessly–their lines are continuous and effortless, and both actresses feel sincere in their roles as Generation Z (Gen Z) teenagers as a result. After watching the movie, senior Claire Robinson believes that both Ortega and Ziegler excelled in their performances.

“When I was watching the movie, [Ortega and Ziegler] were always being themselves, and their portrayals felt very authentic,” Robinson said. “[Specifically,] Ortega felt very relatable, which was partly due to her [being] a Gen Z teenager.”

This relatability of “The Fallout” makes this film truly one-of-a-kind, as nothing is glossed over or glamorized, and the most significant, yet painful parts of reality are captured. For example, Vada cracks many jokes about the troubles of life, including her depression, anxiety and coffeeinduced bowel movements. Despite the darkness of these jokes, they help Vada cope with her mental

struggles after the shooting, as it is easier for her to laugh than address the issues at hand. Moreover, in an effort to numb her pain, Vada goes as far as to take ecstasy, drink alcohol and smoke weed, leading to a “fallout” in her relationships with her friends, sister and especially her mother. Vada’s attempts to cope with trauma largely contrasts with her friend Nick, who goes on television to talk about the importance of gun control and how he does not feel safe at school. This detail, while it may be small, provides a stark comparison between trauma responses: while Nick uses this painful event to take action and make a positive impact, Vada and Mia experience a decline in their mental health and seek ways to soothe the pain, even at the cost of their own relationships. However, none of these victims’ responses are neither wrong nor right; in fact, that is what “The Fallout” does a good job of–-it reminds viewers that there is not one “correct approach” to responding to trauma, as people process situations differently. These sole experiences with trauma lead to different variations of coping, which junior Naomi Porter believes the film portrays well.

“The film shows that everyone responds to things differently and that there is not a right or wrong way to [react] to traumatic events [because] grief is multifaceted,” Porter said. “[For instance], some cope with drugs, others [discuss] with people and some exercise, so [responses] depend on a person’s morals, and how [they] respond to stress. [“The Fallout”] definitely shows some of the many ways people cope with a [stressful event].”

Altogether, “The Fallout” is a heart-wrenching and dramatic film that perfectly summarizes grief, trauma and the many forms of recovery. Whether viewers want to educate themselves on the impact of gun violence and the complexity of grief, or simply seek a good drama to enjoy, this movie is an especially exceptional choice.