Issue 6

VOL. XXXVIII ISSUE 6 March 16, 2018

BODY LANGUAGE

Students use their skills and physical abilities to showcase their talents and passions FOCUS PAGES 6-7

Safe Suburbs

Won’t Stand For It

Committing to a Cause

Peninsula cities ranked among the safest in the state

Issue of gender inequality in sports is raised on campus

Senior funds prosthetics for Jamaican patients

NEWS PAGE 2

OPINION PAGE 5

STUDENT LIFE PAGE 8

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news

living inside the bubble

PVE and RPV listed as some of the safest cities in California kristen lu Boasting exceedingly low crime statistics, Peninsula cities Palos Verdes Estates (PVE) and Rancho Palos Verdes (RPV) were listed among the top 20 safest cities in California (CA). The list, called the SafestCities in CA for 2018, was produced by The National Council for Home Safety and Security. This national trade organization comprised of alarm installers, contractors and other relevant groups was formulated based on population data, internal research and the most recent FBI Uniform Crime Report statistics. These cities were also ranked according to factors such as the number of reported violent crimes, including aggravated assault, murder, rape and robbery, as well as property crimes, such as burglary, arson, larceny-theft and motor vehicle theft.

Palos Verdes Estates placed seventh on the list with the data recorded equating to 0.29 violent crimes per 1,000 people and 8.08 property crimes per 1,000 people; Rancho Palos Verdes took 11th place with 0.63 violent crimes per 1,000 people and 9.71 property crimes per 1,000 people. Other cities that were listed as having the smallest amount of crime in the state included Imperial in Imperial County and Rancho Santa Margarita, a mid-sized planned community in Orange County.

jenna yamada / The Pen

Captain Tony Best of the PVE Police Department (PVEPD) attributes these high ratings to multiple factors in the community.

“there are schools I would have definitely not taught at because I would have been concerned about my safety, and [Peninsula] is not one of those [schools].”

-AP US Government and Economics teacher Len Lyberger “A proactive police department that knows the community, strong [local] partnership, a [population] that believes in ‘see-something, say something’, quick response times and a city council that supports public safety though their policies [all contributed to such a ranking],” Best said.

Best also discussed ways to be prepared in the event

of a property crime or burglary, which are two of the most common crimes on the Peninsula. “[While I am] extremely pleased [about the safety ratings], our work is never done,” Best said. “Lock your vehicles [and] remove valuables, report suspicious activity, [complete] PVEPD home burglary assessments [and] join Neighborhood Watch.”

Advanced Placement US Government and Economics teacher and longtime resident of PVE Len Lyberger also discussed how knowing that Palos Verdes was safe affected his decision to teach and live on the Peninsula.

“I have lived in Palos Verdes for almost 30 years, and that definitely was a factor in deciding to teach here,” Lyberger said. “I have never thought it was a particularly unsafe place. However, there are schools I would have definitely not taught at because I would have been concerned about my safety, and [Peninsula] is not one of those [schools].”

Sophomore Jessica Lee is relieved to know that a lack of safety in Palos Verdes (PV) is not a major issue.

“I am somewhat glad and unsurprised that PV has a high safety rating, but that definitely does not take away from the fact that things can still happen regardless of the high rating,” Lee said. “However, knowing that PV has historically low crime ratings, strong community [coalitions] and a strong police force, I am confident that safety is the least of the city’s [problems].”

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peninsula mourns loss of coach brett mendoza Junior Alec Britt recalls how Mendoza helped him develop an appreciation for the sport by offering Peninsula baseball coach Brett Mendoza passed encouragement and advice whenever he could. away at the age of 31 on March 10, six days after “[Coach Mendoza] changed my perspective on being involved in a car crash. Mendoza was a graduate baseball and allowed me to realize how fun the game of the Peninsula class of 2005 and went on to play really is,” Britt said. “Before, I had always thought of baseball for Loyola Marymount University. He began baseball as more of a difficult chore, but he showed working at Peninsula as assistant coach for the frosh- me how to slow the game down and have fun doing it. soph and varsity team and After every round of batting began his role as head practice on the field, he would coach for the frosh-soph “he was more than a coach, he be there to give me some tips team this year. how to improve my swing, was a friend... it was fun to be on on Varsity baseball players give me a smile and a fist participated in a special a baseball field with him because bump no matter what.” home game against West Lyndsay Smith, a friend of he made things light and had such Mendoza High School on March 14 and his wife, began to honor Mendoza. a GoFundMe campaign titled good energy.” “[Coach Mendoza] had a the “Mendoza Care Fund” to love for the game that was help Mendoza’s family with infectious and a connection medical bills and to offer with players like none support from the community.

-senior matt meskin other,” senior and varsity Mendoza is survived by co-captain Matthew Meskin his wife, Savannah, fellow said. “He would dive into first base with shorts on coaches and staff members and the baseball players and be covered with baseball dirt. He would always that he has coached over the years. Additional grief be there for us if we wanted to work out before or counselors and support staff will be offered to after practice. He was more than a coach, he was a students in the following weeks to help those affected friend. He always had a big smile on his face. He was by the incident cope with the tragedy. one of the funniest guys I have ever met too. It was “He just made us all [be] in a good mood,” Meskin fun to be on a baseball field with him because he said. “We will all miss him, but he will always be with made things light and had such a good energy.” us on the baseball field.”

stella yoo and zoe willoughby

Mendoza poses for photo with his wife, savannah enright.

Photo courtesy of gofundme

Mendoza poses with the 2018 Frosh-soph baseball team.

Photo courtesy of renee goldstein

diversity in california affects school curriculum minji jeun According to a 2017 census conducted by WalletHub, California is the most ethnically diverse state in the United States. For many, creating a neutral portrayal of all people in classrooms to reflect this diversity is considered a worthwhile expenditure. There are countless petitions and articles on the internet that implore school districts to edit their textbooks to correct flawed or unfair portrayals of events.

With the diverse ethnic population at Peninsula, students are often taught about historical moments that are impactful to their cultural identity. These events are portrayed in different lights in each culture and can lead to disagreements among peers. World History, World History Honors and Advanced Placement (AP) World History teacher Scotte Massey has witnessed many of these instances in the classroom and described how he turned those conflicts into educational opportunities.

“I relish those moments [of dispute] and take full advantage of them to engage in spirited discussion or debate,” Massey said. “This is where authentic learning occurs. As the educator in the room, I get to always play devil’s advocate to steer the conversation and facilitate further exploration into the ideas being discussed.”

Massey claims that it is nearly impossible to teach without bias despite the fact that textbook publishers do their best to lay a basis for a neutral presentation of history.

“A history textbook will have multiple main authors [for this reason], each with expertise in a particular field or discipline,” Massey said. “On top of this, multicultural advisory board consultants as well as teacher review

panels and teacher consultants are used to revise the book.”

Although Massey believes that educational materials are created with efforts to be unbiased, other teachers see the issue in a different light.

As a teacher of World History Honors, Comparative Religions and Ethics at Peninsula, Mindy Webster experiences how biased textbooks can be. To prevent any negative impact this may have on her students,

“Exposure to ethnic history of any kind would be beneficial towards [educating students not familiar with all aspects of history], as it would work to normalize the idea of equality among ethnicities.”

-Sophomore Elizabeth Zhang Webster reinforces the notion that many secondary historical sources, including the textbook she uses in her classroom, are often biased. “[At] the beginning of each course, I have my students look at where the people created the textbook are from,” Webster said. “Then I have them look around the room and ask if everyone is represented.

The answer is usually no. I only use textbooks at the beginning of each unit and heavily supplement them with primary sources.”

Sophomore Elizabeth Zhang has taken AP World History and has observed instances in which a certain ethnicity was portrayed with bias in class. Zhang took no action at the time to provide her differing knowledge but now realizes the impact that sharing her views could possibly have on her peers.

“These occurrences instill incorrect stereotypes and opinions to those affected by the education system,” Zhang said. “Their subsequent integration into the real world actualizes the effects of this and negatively impacts others [who are] uneducated.”

One possible solution currently being implemented in several other states, such as Oregon and Indiana, is a requirement for high school students to enroll in an ethnic studies course. These students, at first incentivized by the graduation requirement, can come to appreciate the course’s concentration on many different ethnicities.

“The requirement of ethnic studies classes is the most progressive solution, though it might not completely eradicate the issue [of ignorance],” Zhang said. “Exposure to ethnic history of any kind would be beneficial towards [educating students who are not familiar with all aspects of history], as it would work to normalize the idea of equality among ethnicities. [An equal and diverse curriculum] could be achieved through social media or even a day or week dedicated to this issue.”

Peninsula students such as Zhang support the adoption of a curriculum with greater inclusivity. With California’s ethnic diversity, they believe that a variety of opinions should be represented within the classroom, and teaching of material should be more representative of the state’s own population.

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opinion

THE PEN PALOS VERDES PENINSULA HIGH SCHOOL 27118 Silver Spur Road, Rolling Hills Estates, CA 90274 EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Zoe Willoughby Stella Yoo MANAGING EDITOR Phoebe Borsum DESIGN EDITOR Connor Tumelty NEWS EDITORS: Jordan Chang Ana Willoughby WRITERS: Talon Casey Minji Jeun Kristen Lu Olin Osborne III Shenaya Yazdani OPINION EDITOR: Nina Li WRITERS: Joshua Kim JungIn Kim Gigi Wargin

STUDENT LIFE EDITORS: Alison Kim Emily McGinn WRITERS: Diego Cardona Zeke Dee Sam Herrmann Elissa Luce Christine Youn SPORTS EDITORS: Rianne Aguas Christopher Chien WRITERS: Christopher Guanzing Aiden Lieb Sarah Liu Erin Okada Asumi Shuda GRAPHICS Rachel Liu Jenna Yamada Alex Yoo BUSINESS & ADVERTISING Sung Gyung Lee Elana Ho ADVISER Jaymee Johnson “The Pen” is the student newspaper produced by the advanced journalism students of Palos Verdes Peninsula High School. It is published eight times per year. Advertising inquiries may be directed to Advertising Manager Sung Gyung Lee at (310) 377- 4888 ext. 652. The Pen editors appreciate Letters to the Editor, which are accepted up to one week before publication. You may submit them to H52 or to Jaymee Johnson’s mailbox.

Copyright © 2018 Cover Design by Jenna Yamada

Editorial staff In the month following the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Florida, students across the country have been pushing for a definitive change in legislation regarding gun control. On March 14, students nationwide, and at Peninsula, participated in walkouts to bring awareness to the issue of gun violence in our country and encourage legislators to take action. We feel as though this action is just one necessary part of a greater plan to create change in laws regarding gun safety such as background checks requirements and weapon sales. There are still many ways, however, in which we can progress not just as a nation, but as a community as well.

Just a few weeks ago, the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District (PVPUSD) sent out a letter reassuring that “safety is a top priority” for the district. Although we acknowledge the efforts made regarding safety drills and video education, we believe that there are still many aspects of safety that must be addressed. For instance, many classrooms still do not have functional window coverings, which leaves classrooms exposed to any possible threats to safety on campus. Basic blinds for classroom windows will allow both students and teachers to remain out of sight in the event of a potential shooter on campus and add another layer of protection and comfort for everyone.

In addition to the need for window coverings, there is a definite need for adequate emergency preparedness supplies for each classroom.

Despite teachers taking time out of their schedules to go through the provided checklists for emergency supplies at the beginning of the year, there have yet to be any replacements for missing supplies. This negligence demonstrates an attitude that we are somehow immune to potentially threatening situations such as that of an active shooter on campus.

Another way that Peninsula can address this issue of safety is by making campus security a greater priority. Currently, students can easily leave campus without permission, and there are many points of access where visitors can enter without a badge. This makes us vulnerable to unexpected dangers. During the Western Association of Schools and College visit, staff, visitor and student identifications were more strictly enforced in a noticeable effort to showcase how safe and secure our campus is. However, these enforcements should be made on a daily basis and not only during an accreditation evaluation.

With the lack of legislative action to combat gun violence in our country, our school district and administration should be taking every possible precaution in order to secure student safety. This starts with providing basic resources such as functional window coverings and stocked emergency supply kits so that we are all prepared. Although actions such as these may not work to remove the threat of dangerous situations occurring on our campus, we are not immune to events such as those that have recently occurred, and we should therefore not treat our current situation as though we are.

Connor Tumelty / The Pen

FOCUS EDITORS: Liana Korotzer Anne Lee WRITERS: Nicole Khalil Saffy Laurio Ailun Shi Fiona Yang

Walk out, walk up It is time for change

administration shows support for activism on campus GIGI WARGIN

absence will be sanctioned on the students who participated in the walkout. The Palos Verdes With activist movements becoming more Peninsula Unified School District addressed the tragic events that occurred in Florida in a letter prevalent, the issues of gender equality, LGBTQ community recognition, immigration Superintendent Don Austin sent to parents policies, gun control and racism are brought on Feb. 22. The letter outlined the district’s thoughts on protesting, but did not provide into light and combated by movements like specific repercussions in response to the #MeToo and Black Lives Matter. The most students’ actions. This lack of definite rules and recent movement is the nationwide school walkout for gun control and against school “Peninsula advertises itself as a shootings. Some districts believe student activism could distract from traditional education practices. Yet, in order to enrich place where you can do anything and the education of students, particularly on the topic of current events, districts be your own individual, and allowing should allow for student activism without ramifications such as suspensions. students to express themselves is “I think it is important that high schools allow students to stand up for what they an integral part of that idea.” believe in,” senior Isabelle Malwitz said.

“The walkout was very well-orchestrated and I am glad the school did not try to stop it. Peninsula advertises itself as a -Senior Isabelle malwitz place where you can do anything and be consequences gives students an unrestrained your own individual, and allowing students voice, which they can use as a platform to share to express themselves is an integral part of their opinions regarding topics that could affect that idea.” their safety. Some teachers, staff and community According to ABC7, there are other school districts that regulate student activist members are hesitant to support the walkout, movements, inhibiting their right to express but Principal Brent Kuykendall has taken a brave stance in his first year at Peninsula to allow how they feel. The San Jose Unified School students the ability to demonstrate.

District in California said an unexcused

“I believe that leaving the activism to the students makes each movement much more powerful,” senior Abigail Sedillos said. “For example, the student-run walkout shows the initiative of the students, rather than the district organizing and imposing these beliefs upon the students.”

Some argue that the support of such issues distracts from the ultimate goal of school districts: providing an astute education for students. However, involvement in current events would only elevate the knowledge of students, particularly that in preparation for life after high school.

“My only concern is that activities put in motion by outside organizations [will] lead to unsafe situations for our students,” Austin said. “That is why I have asked our [school] principals to work with everyone involved to ensure a safe plan of action [in] handling potential activities involving students. I support our students and our leaders and trust both to make good decisions consistent with what I have seen since my arrival four years ago.”

By the district not explicitly stating the consequences of student activist efforts, they are providing more room for students to freely voice their opinions. Other districts should follow this example and encourage students to stand up for what they believe in without the fear of repercussions.

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Taking a stand the correlation between support and team performance may not always be guaranteed, The girls’ varsity basketball game against Peninsula’s most influential figures must practice Palos Verdes High School on Feb. 8 sparked vigilance in maintaining gender equality in sports. a discussion about more than just athletic Behavior like the Zoo’s at the game on Feb. 8 performance. The Zoo, Peninsula’s student may not be deliberately offensive, but a result cheering section, typically stands to support of routine. However, if the Zoo does show up teams at sporting events, but sat to watch the and chooses not to stand, it may be perceived as length of the girls’ game. In opposition, senior lacking respect for the team on the court.

John Szieff stood, practically alone, throughout “I think that we have come a long way in the game. Later that night, he posted on giving females more opportunity,” head girls’ Instagram with a detailed caption that both basketball coach Natalie Kelly said. “It would be criticized the Zoo’s behavior and promoted great to get the fans that the boys get. I think gender equality in sports. In modern society, it is also just based on preference. Football and both males and females deserve equality in all [boys’] basketball at the high school level are aspects of life, including sports, and that same very popular sports in general.” pattern should be practiced in high school.

The root of this issue may lie within the “I have always school itself. Szieff been keen to gender explained that while inequality in sports “I think that we have come a many people responded as I am the only male positively to his post, some on a dance team with long way in giving females more said that he had been too 25 girls,” Szieff said. extreme.

“Before I joined, opportunity. It would be great to get “After telling many the team was called people in the Associated ‘Girls Choreo’ [and is the fans that the boys get. I think it Student Body how I felt, now called ‘Choreo including our Zookeepers, Company’.” is also just based on preference.” I was sad to see how little Gender inequality was done,” Szieff said. “My in athletics is by no opinions were [disregarded means a new issue, and an involved faculty but something about -Head girls’ basketball coach member] even said that this situation seemed posts like mine are the particularly unfair.

Natalie Kelly reason that people want “The girls’ to get out of high school, basketball team appreciates when the Zoo when in reality the lack of enthusiasm to better supports [us],” junior and girls’ varsity this school is what is holding us back.” basketball starter Samantha Inana said. “[The Whether it be at a specific game, sporting Zoo] truly motivates us and makes a difference event or just an announcement in the daily for everyone’s morale. Since the girls’ and bulletin, Peninsula is doing a poor job of boys’ varsity teams finished with similar maintaining gender equality in sports. With records, it would have been nice to have been more activism like Szieff’s to help introduce a mentioned in the Daily Bulletin as often as the new perspective to students and shed light on boys were.” the opinions of athletes, progress can be made Appreciation of sports comes not only to scale the male and female situations more from crowd support, but from areas all evenly. Favor of a particular gender dates back throughout Peninsula. Recognition by peers, to the invention of athleticism, but the world has faculty and administration has a greater impact evolved and athletic culture at Peninsula must on team spirit than one might expect. While evolve with it.

GIGI WARGIN

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Students protest The inequality between cheering for boys’ and girls’ sports

Triana Ng SACHI KANESHIRO

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Collins Studies and Competes in the Cosmetology field Nicole Khalil Senior Nicole Collins is one of many students at Peninsula who is currently training at the Southern California Regional Occupational Center (SCROC), a vocational training institution. Collins realized she had a passion for cosmetology in eighth grade when her friend tested makeup on her. She admired how her friend expressed herself freely through her work and wanted to explore cosmetology for herself. When she found out that SCROC offers courses in the beauty field, she jumped at the opportunity.

“The program [teaches] you everything from victory rolls to perms,” Collins said.

“After the first year of learning all the basics, safety [procedures] and anatomy of your hair, nails and skin, you graduate to advanced work.”

Along her journey, she realized selfexpression is essential when exploring cosmetology.

“I felt my most confident when I experimented with styles [that] stood out,” Collins said. “I felt empowered.”

Collins admits that the course can be

difficult sometimes, but she is not intimidated by challenges and believes that her hard work will pay off in the end. To practice and improve her work, Collins participates in a variety of makeup competitions where students are given two hours to create a look that is suitable for special occasions, such as proms and weddings. In her latest competition, she won gold for prom hair and makeup.

“I was very calm during the whole process because I thought I was not going to win,” Collins said, “[I decided] I was just going to have fun and try something new and not even try to win the competition.”

However, Collins was surprised and excited when she realized she won.

“I was in total shock, I just sat there stunned as they called my name and was [beside] myself,” Collins said. “Once it dawned on me that I won, I could not stop smiling.”

Senior Raquel Babajko is a friend of Collins who supports her pursuit of the cosmetology field.

“Cosmetology is definitely the right place for her because she is very stylish and kept together,” Babajko said. “She knows all about

makeup, [such as] how, when and where to put the appropriate amount.”

Babajko feels that Collin’s listening skills and personality are well-suited for cosmetology.

“She definitely shows [these skills] whenever I need to tell her something,” Babajko said. “[Her listening skills would help] if she [would need] to listen to a client about what they want.”

Senior Logan Svorinich, another friend of Collins, sees a bright future in cosmetology ahead of Collins and admires her love for cosmetology.

“I realized that she was passionate [about cosmetology] when she would [not stop] talking about how fun [the course] was,” Svorinich said.

Svorinich believes that Collins’s affable and ambitious personality will help her with her career. He notes that Collins’s passion for cosmetology is even evident in her everyday life. “[Collins] is hardworking and tenacious,” Svorinich said. “She will always strive to improve at what she is doing, [and cosmetology] is definitely a career [she] can be successful in.”

Saffy Laurio Wrestling often requires its athletes to go beyond regular training and conditioning with strict diets designed to allow wrestlers to shift weight classes.

There are 14 weight classes for high school competitions, ranging from 106 to 285 pounds. Cutting weight is beneficial to wrestlers because it makes them lighter and more agile. This also allows them to lose fat but keep muscle, which increases their strength to size ratio, making it easier to place in lower weight classes. “[The dieting] is about getting all the kids to be at their best and most competitive weight,” wrestling coach James Meade said. “For a team, we want to be able to have 14 of our best guys in each weight class to compete against another team. If you have a few guys that are all about the same weight, then someone needs to go up and someone needs to come down.”

Junior Diego Sheng has been dieting for the wrestling season since January by cutting out unhealthy foods and eating less throughout the day. He has also increased the amount of water that he drinks daily

to increase his metabolism, which would lead him to shed weight naturally. Another method of losing weight includes rapid and intense workouts in which the wrestlers sweat so much that they lose five to six pounds in one practice.

While cut diets can be dangerous, Sheng feels that his coaches’ vigilance and care keeps the team in check.

“We weigh [ourselves] everyday and they tell us how much to eat,” Sheng said.

“They give us a time scale [to help us] be on top of [our diets].”

Junior Steven Erickson went on a diet similar to Sheng’s, in which he lowered the quantity of food he ate. Erickson, who ate healthy protein-based foods before beginning his diet, managed to drop nearly 20 pounds, which lowered him three weight classes. “[When I am not dieting], I usually eat healthy foods like eggs, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, protein shakes and chicken breast,” Erickson said. “But when I have to lose weight, I eat smaller meals with more protein throughout the day.”

Although wrestlers go through physical and mental changes, the dieting process is

carried out in the healthiest and most consistent way possible. It also allows wrestlers to perform to their best ability with a sufficient amount of energy and a good mentality. In recent years, the California Interscholastic Federation implemented more regulations behind how much weight a student is allowed to lose, which is based on body fat.

“Now, [the dieting culture in wrestling] is much better than when I was in high school,” Meade said. “We did not have that kind of certification. A few [wrestlers] would do bad stuff to knock the weight off and I used to just have a little bit of salad and water and eat nothing all day long, but I was not as good as I could be because I did not have any fuel.”

Sheng benefited from his cut diet because he moved from the 170 pound weight class to the 160 pound weight class, where he was not as small in comparison to his competitors.

“I think [that] at the end of the day, it was good [for me to go on a cut diet],” Sheng said. “I am proud of myself because I was able to compete at the weight I [was supposed] to be at.”

Alex yoo / The Pen

Wrestlers Go on Strict Diets for Competition season

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ent body

Lee and Park Compete in advanced Rubik’s Cube Competitions ailun shi Freshmen Jerich Lee and Danny Park are two young Rubik’s cubers who are both nationally and internationally ranked. While Park primarily specializes in the standard 3x3x3 Rubik’s cube, Lee focuses on the 3x3x3 blindfolded, which is an event that is similar to the standard cube, but requires competitors to solve a cube without the aid of sight. However, both cubers have practiced and competed in all the events offered by the World Cube Association, which is a worldwide organization that regulates and holds competitions for the Rubik’s cube and other similar puzzles.

Park began cubing over four years ago and ranks 34th overall in the world with a personal best time of 5.60 seconds in the 3x3x3 cube category. Within the United States, he places fourth overall.

Furthermore, he is in second place nationally in the 3x3x3 cube one-handed event.

“I enjoy cubing because [of] how accessible it is and the motivation of getting faster,” Park said. “You can solve it without

any technology.”

When he first started cubing, Park was discouraged by a lack of support from his parents. Over time, however, his parents have become more accepting of his hobby and are proud of his accomplishments.

“When Danny first started [Rubik’s cubing], I had no idea at all [that] he had this talent,” Park’s father Moon Park said. “[But] if this is what makes Danny happy, [then] I am satisfied.”

Park credits his continued passion for cubing to the friends he made within the cubing community, including Lee, whom Park has been friends with since sixth grade. They also attend many cubing tournaments and competitions together.

Lee is ranked 41st nationally in the 3x3x3 cube blindfolded at 54.11 seconds.

His personal record for the standard 3x3x3 cube time is 7.82 seconds. Lee enjoys not only the thrill of competing, but also the cubing community.

“The beautiful thing about cubing is that even if there is a language barrier, every speed cuber [still] uses the same base algorithms,” Lee said. “[Everyone] can

race and help each other learn to become faster.”

Both Park and Lee have competed at the CubingUSA Nationals and the World Rubik’s Cube Championships. They have been through nearly their entire cubing journey together and continue to help each other improve in speed.

Although Lee agrees that being able to solve a Rubik’s cube in under ten seconds is impressive, it is not his intended goal. He strives to inspire and teach others to learn to solve the Rubik’s cube. Along with Park, Lee accomplished this goal with Cube Club, a club they started this past school year at Peninsula.

Through Cube Club, Park and Lee teach others to cube and host mini competitions within the club which fosters a close-knit environment for everyone to bond and have fun together.

“Statistically, only around five percent of the population can solve the Rubik’s cube, but it is a skill that anyone can learn with a bit of patience and critical thinking,” Lee said. “I want [to inspire] people to get just as fast [at solving the Rubik’s cube] as me.”

Belke takes on climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in tanzania Fiona Yang On Feb. 16, sophomore Jackson Belke climbed up to the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro, a 19,341 feet tall mountain.

According to him, the hike was difficult, especially with Kilimanjaro’s rocky terrain.

Although Belke had experience in mountain climbing prior to his hike, the mountains he climbed before were more of a leisure activity than a difficult hike.

He also completed previous hikes with his family, so the pacing was slower.

“I climbed a variety of peaks in Colorado, [like] Mount Lincoln and Mount Democrat a few years back,” Belke said.

“But the ranges in Colorado were [small] compared to Kilimanjaro.”

The differences between the hikes in Colorado and the Mount Kilimanjaro hike include that Mount Kilimanjaro is 5,000 feet higher and the altitude shift is much more drastic, which resulted in an increase of fatigue throughout the entire trip.

Sophomore Joseph Abboud is a friend of Belke and a member of the same Boy Scouts Troop as him. He was impressed by Belke’s decision to climb the mountain and supported it.

“This is the first time [Belke has] done

something like this,” Abboud said. “He likes easy or medium level hikes here and there. Although, he does enjoy sports, so I am not too surprised he took up this chance.”

Belke is a member of the track and field team and regularly goes on excursions with his Boy Scout Troop, which shows his appreciation for sports and nature. His father offered him the opportunity to climb Mount Kilimanjaro to him and he decided to take it.

“He was going to climb with my grandpa and four other family friends, and he asked if I wanted to join them,” Belke said. “I decided I wanted to do it to try something new.”

With a goal of reaching the top of the mountain in mind, Belke packed and prepared with his father for several days before the hike. Due to unstable conditions of the mountains, the hikers had to be cautious. Furthermore, there were several restrictions and consequences to consider while climbing the mountain since climbing too high too quickly can lead to altitude sickness, which is the main reason as to why most climbers fail to reach the top.

“It was an eight day climb, so we had

to set up camp for seven nights,” Belke said.

“During the climb, I was really tired, but I kept on going because I felt I had to reach the top. It was both [feeling obliged to finish the climb with the people with me], and just wanting to reach the [peak] faster.”

Upon reaching the top, Belke says he felt a mixture of accomplishment, relief and fatigue. He recalls the view being worth the climb, as well as the exhilaration that came with the sight. After the climb up Kilimanjaro, Belke’s friends noticed his clear interest in mountain climbing.

“I know Belke always liked to go on backpacking trips,” sophomore and friend Lucas Arico said. “It seems to me that he likes to [go climbing] often and takes it to a level where it is something very special to him.”

Although he does not plan to pursue a career focusing in mountain climbing, Belke does want to continue it as a hobby and enjoy it to the fullest extent.

“I think that climbing is an awesome thing to do, not only to stay fit, but to have good memories too,” Belke said. “I hope that I do end up doing more hiking and climbing in the future, mainly because I find pleasure in achieving a goal and having fun along the way.”

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student life

feller travels to jamaica to donate prosthetics sam herrmann

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Senior Sophia Feller, along with the six board members of her nonprofit organization Limbs 4 Life, raises money for prosthetic limbs to help make mobility a reality for everyone. Between August and December, the organization raised $1,500 to provide prosthetic limbs for people in need through fundraisers and a donation page on the Limbs 4 Life website.

Feller originally became aware of the need for funding for prosthetic limbs through her participation in the Special Olympics. As a track and field coach, she was able to meet athletes with varying disabilities, some of whom lacked limbs, and was astonished by how expensive prosthetics were. She was also introduced to Limb Lab, an organization based in Minnesota that makes prosthetic limbs for those in need.

As a result of her observations as a Special Olympics coach and her interest in Limb Lab, she decided to create her own nonprofit organization to support people in need of prosthetics. She asked her brother sophomore Kyle Feller for support and help to spread the word about her organization.

“Limbs 4 Life is really important because everyone should have the opportunity to live an amazing life,” Kyle Feller said. “I know that we are changing lives for the better.”

The organization collaborates with Limb Lab, which works to provide patients in Jamaica with prosthetic limbs. Each prosthetic costs around $500 to $1,000, and many patients in Jamaica lack access to this amount of money. Limb Lab uses the proceeds earned from Limbs 4 Life to buy prosthetic kits from Germany.

These prosthetic kits do not require electricity, which is a necessary feature for patients in Jamaica due to

the insufficiency of power. The kits are used to build the prosthetics and include a fiber wrap to cover the limb socket, a resin that turns the wrap into fiberglass and the prosthetics themselves. The limbs provided are durable and agile, which is critical in an area like Jamaica, where the residents have to maneuver around rough terrain.

On Jan. 6, Feller traveled with colleagues to Jamaica to see firsthand the impact of Limbs 4 Life on the residents of Negril, Jamaica. She watched as patients there received the prosthetics she funded, and she witnessed people walk for the first time. Former Limb Lab employee Kelly Olson accompanied Feller to Jamaica. He felt that the experience was eye-opening and allowed him to witness his efforts changing lives.

“I enjoyed my time in Jamaica providing prosthetics to amputees who cannot afford otherwise,” Olson said. “[The] Jamaicans were humble and gracious.”

Feller brought many people’s stories back home with her. One such story was of a woman who got a prosthetic leg after being hit by a car. She was then hit by a car a second time, breaking the prosthetic limb. This woman improvised and created a knee out of bicycle tires to keep her leg in place until Limb Lab and Limbs 4 Life provided a new leg for her. Another woman was born without both her legs and one of her arms was removed at birth. She is a mother of three and has to provide for her kids with only one arm. In order to get to Negril to receive the prosthetics she needed, she traveled for six hours by bus. Feller and the organization built her a new pair of legs and a new arm and witnessed her walk for the first time in her life.

“If I can bring proper health care to these people, there is nothing I would not do,” Feller said. “Everyone deserves a [fair] chance at life.”

“If I can bring proper health care to these people, there is nothing I would not do. Everyone deserves a [fair] chance at life.”

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Jenna yamada / The Pen Photos courtesy of sophia feller

student life (9)

hwang wins fourth place at JSHS Competition christine youn Of the thousands of regional competition participants in the Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (JSHS), only five are chosen to go to JSHS Nationals in May. Although senior Saehui Hwang has been competing in JSHS for three years, this was the first year she qualified for nationals. On Jan. 13, she won fourth place in regionals with her research on developing renewable foam for shoes and furniture.

JSHS is a U.S. Army, Navy and Air Force sponsored competition that encourages originality and experimentation in science, technology, engineering and math research at the high school level. Students present their research to Army, Navy and Air Force officers and professors in divisions such as chemistry, math, medicine and biology and are judged on the originality, idea, experiment and report of the project.

Foam is usually made from petroleum,

which significantly contributes to ocean waste. She attended a University of San Diego research summer camp two years ago where she was exposed to the research of creating a biodegradable foam using acetic acid and formic acid. This captured her interest and led her to hypothesize that benzoic acid could last longer since it is plant-based and contains properties of preservatives.

She reached out to local professors by email, asking for their assistance in developing this project. USC Professor of Chemistry Jahan Dawalty said he was very impressed by her enthusiasm for research and provided her with chemicals, tools and advice.

“The level of [Hwang’s] dedication, attention to detail, preparedness, team-work, maturity and [positivity] is well-beyond her age,” Dawalty said.

Former Advanced Placement Chemistry teacher and Science Research adviser Peter Starodub instructed Science Research last school year when Hwang was working on this project and said she was very ambitious about getting as much help.

“In pursuit of her research topic, Saehui sought the advice of mentors from all around the world,” Starodub said. “She pursued contact after contact, [and was] never deterred by negative results.”

One of Hwang’s challenges during the experiment was lacking the proper background information of and experience with the various chemicals she was working with.

“When I was in the middle of doing the project, everything just collapsed,” Hwang said. “I thought, ‘this is just a weird dream I should give up on,’ but [Dawalty] said science is all about failure.”

Through Hwang’s endurance, she was able to get a patent for her new process of making foam.

Although Hwang hopes to study engineering, she thinks her experience in chemical research helped her discover her passion for research.

“Research can be very tiring and tedious, but the sense of accomplishment you get out of it is something magical to me,” Hwang said.

Rachel liu / The Pen

yoon designs jewelry for her business

elissa luce

In October, senior Steffanie Yoon decided to start designing jewelry and partnered with her friend Penelope Lee, who lives in South Korea, to start a business. Yoon hand-draws the designs for necklaces, earrings, bracelets and rings. She then sends her designs to Lee, who creates the jewelry. She and Lee decided to create their business in order to create affordable jewelry using hypoallergenic materials and sterling silver. Often, this type of jewelry is moderately expensive, but according to Yoon, they are able maintain a low price by buying all the materials in large quantities, which makes it less expensive to create each piece, with prices ranging from $10 to $25.

Yoon finds inspiration for her designs by walking around different stores and looking at other jewelry designs on Pinterest. Her designs typically take a day or less to create.

“I really like being creative through any form of art, especially through drawing and painting,” Yoon said. “I just like to write down or doodle out whatever comes to mind, and that is how I got into jewelry design.”

The first items that Yoon began to design were earrings, and she soon began to design necklaces and bracelets as well. When customers want to buy a piece of jewelry, they contact Yoon and Lee through direct message on Instagram and Pinterest or by email. Yoon advertises the jewelry by going to shops and contacting people who are interested in her products.

“I encouraged her to explore and research the fashion world through magazines, websites and different jewelry stores,” Yoon’s mother Summer Yoon said. “Then, I helped her with the first couple of designs. I think she has such a wonderful talent and expressing it in this way is absolutely amazing.”

Yoon is currently searching for different stores where she can sell her jewelry and has already sold some to Gumtree, a gift shop in Redondo Beach.

Their income is mostly used to pay for materials to create the jewelry, and they are saving some money for new accessories they want to make in the

future. Once they begin to earn a greater profit, they are planning on donating a portion of their profit to orphanages across the United States and Korea.

At first, Yoon believed that designing jewelry would just be a hobby. However, since her and Lee’s recent business success, she is considering pursuing jewelry designing in the future and expanding the business to include jewelry for men. Yoon is planning to study design as a second major or a minor in college.

“I like showing my art to people [through jewelry], and having people admire it is the greatest feeling,” Yoon said.

“Getting attention from [the business] and expressing myself through [jewelry] design just makes me really happy.”

Steffanie yoon

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sports

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emily wang

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kyle brundige

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kyle brundige

emily wang

1. As he navigates through opposing defenders, senior enoch li shoots a goal against crespi high school. peninsula played crespi high school on feb. 17.

2. freshman gabrielle pack dribbles toward the goal during a game against senora high school. peninsula played senora high school on feb. 16.

3. Senior kailey yim prepares to kick the ball during the game against senora high school. peninsula came out on top with a score of 1-0.

4. During A match against Crespi High school, junior koichi brennan punts the ball across the field. Peninsula won the game 1-0.

emily wang junior rohan brar dribbles toward his teammates during the game against crespi high school. on the team, brar plays the position left forward.

VARSITY soccer TEAMS win bay league TITLES sarah liu And AIDEN LIEB In the 2018 season, both the varsity girls’ and boys’ soccer teams became Bay League champions, and the varsity girls’ team made it to the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) quarterfinals.

The varsity girls’ team finished the season strong with an overall record of 16-2-4 and a league record of 8-0-2.

Throughout the season, the team was able to win in especially close games, such as their 1-0 victory against Palos Verdes High School (PVHS). They were named co-Bay League Champions along with Redondo Union High School (RUHS).

The team entered CIF playoffs ranked tenth among Division 3 schools. They started the playoffs by defeating Sonora High School with a score of 1-0 and moved onto the second round against Serrano High School, which was ranked seventh, winning 2-1. However, their CIF run came to an end in the quarterfinal

game against Mayfair High School (MHS), how to adapt to different circumstances which was ranked second, losing 0-1. during the game, such as strong winds Although the season is over, the moving the ball. team is already thinking ahead as to “[The loss against MHS] is definitely how they can improve next season and a big motivator for next year, especially are learning because of the from their CIF circumstances that experiences “these are some of the most affected the game to help them and how MHS grow as a amazing and hardworking scored,” freshman team.

Rachel Yu said.

“If I could teammates i have ever played “We definitely did change one not play our best thing it would with, and i am proud to be A that day and it just be how motivates us to consistent we part of this team.” work harder and are throughout redeem ourselves our games,” next year.” junior and Following the captain -junior rohan brar team’s Bay League Katherine championship win, Schmidt said. “[For] a majority of our the players were ready to display their games, we started out playing our best experience as they advanced into the CIF and then it would slowly trickle down to playoffs. The team knew that if they did become a sloppy kickball game.” not play their best, they would not have The team is working on learning another chance to prove themselves.

“Every game was crucial to win in order to qualify for CIF and make it through CIF playoffs,” senior and captain Kailey Yim said. “We had the mindset that we were not going down without a fight.”

Varsity boys’ soccer also won Bay League after going 1-1 against PVHS this season. The score of the first game was 3-1, with Peninsula dominating and beating PVHS. Peninsula played many close games over the weeks following this game, winning against challenging teams such as RUHS. With their record of 8-2-0, the boys’ soccer team was named Bay League Champions. The team started off the CIF tournament with a win against Crespi High School, finishing with a score of 1-0. They finished their run in the second round, when they lost to Santa Barbara High School with a score of 0-4.

“These are some of the most amazing and hardworking teammates I have ever played with, and I am proud to be a part of this team,” junior Rohan Brar said.

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