Issue 6

67 years after the brutal murder of Emmett Till, lynching has officially become a federal crime through the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act

VOL. XLII ISSUE 6 APRIL 18, 2022

NEWS PAGE 5

CUTTING TIES WITH LEGAL LYNCHING

RESTRICTED ENTRY Concern arises over apparent discrimination toward Black and Brown Ukrainian refugees OPINION PAGE 2

ON CHARTED TERRITORY

CHIARA’S CRAFTY CAKES

Students discuss the new actionFreshman Chiara DeGirolamo adventure film “Uncharted”, based on expresses her love for baking pastries the popular video game franchise on her baking Instagram account FOCUS PAGE 7

STUDENT LIFE PAGE 8

2

RACISM AMID THE REFUGEE CRISIS Students discuss racism at the Ukrainian border and against refugees abroad Following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, multiple neighboring countries including Poland and Hungary have opened their doors to refugees. Many international observers are showing their earnest support through monetary donations. However, there have also been disturbing firsthand accounts from African and South Asian students who are evacuating from Lviv, claiming they were refused access to transportation and turned away from Polish borders (The Washington Post). Individuals that are already disenfranchised due to their race, religion or economic background are often subjected to additional traumas beyond their refugee status.

Xenophobia is further exhibited in the blatant bias of American media outlets when comparing the Russia-Ukraine war with violence in other parts of the world. Thus, having empathy for Ukrainian civilians should never be mutually exclusive with acknowledging the stories of nonwhite refugees facing bigotry.

“Many [Eastern European] countries continue to implement strong antimigrant policies in response to crises in the Middle East,” junior Joey Hanel said. “The way politicians from these countries justify letting

in any war refugees is [by] only taking in white, Slavic refugees whom they have some cultural connection with.”

This prejudiced mindset is made evident by the hostility that foreign students fleeing Ukraine have been met with from fellow evacuees, security forces and border officials (Cable News Network).

Several African medical students described being removed from buses to make space for white Ukrainians. The students were stranded and had to walk over 12 miles to Mostyska, where people were taking buses into Poland. Similarly, a Nigerian doctor was not allowed to cross the Ukraine-Poland border checkpoint in Medyka for two days because only Ukrainians were let through. In response to these reports, the African Union said differential treatment of African nationals could be considered a breach of international law (Al Jazeera). As online discourse surrounding this situation has escalated, some critics have begun accusing people who highlight racist incidents in Ukraine of sowing divisiveness. However, it is absurd that discussing systematic discrimination should be characterized as toxic “wokeness” when its purpose is to create a more nuanced view of the Ukrainian refugee crisis.

Asking people to understand their own privilege and implicit biases is not the same as telling them to disregard everybody else in Ukraine. Moreover, it is important to recognize how governmental institutions uphold harmful narratives about Black and Brown refugees. “[People] coming in from Haiti and the Northern

Triangle [also known as Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador] are not even called refugees, they are labeled as migrants searching for a better life, whereas refugees from Ukraine were immediately labeled as such,” Model United Nations teacher James DiMitriou said. “[The U.S.] needs to reexamine its whole policy of defining people forced to leave their homes.”

In addition to the lack of clarity in national policy, American news sources have been widely criticized for racially insensitive coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war. Charlie D’Agata, a senior foreign correspondent at Columbia Broadcasting System News, apologized in February for saying that Ukraine was a “relatively civilized city where you would not expect or hope [for war]” compared to Iraq and Afghanistan (New York Post). This suggests that innocent civilians in Middle Eastern and Arab nations under siege somehow deserve the violence inflicted upon them by nature of ethnicity.

Normalizing human casualties only reinforces public perception that Middle Eastern and Arab deaths are less of a tragedy than what is happening in Ukraine.

War is appalling everywhere, not just in European countries. Media outlets must keep this in mind if they want to avoid Eurocentric, racist undertones from entering their dispatches.

“Pointing out discrimination and bias, once addressed and solved, can help a lot of people,” senior Sarah Cao said. “People’s lives are always the most important thing. The struggle against one evil should not stifle the struggle against another evil. We should not be singleminded like that.”

THE IMPORTANCE OF CONDEMNING HATE CRIMES On March 27, two days into spring break, the racetrack was vandalized with racial slurs and swastikas in the form of red and white graffiti, which extended onto the fences and supply sheds and went as far as to threaten a school shooting. Given that this occurred while most students were off campus for a week, little word has been spread about this vile act. Though there was a bit of stir momentarily created on Instagram and Facebook, it quickly died out, with hardly anyone in the community speaking on it or even knowing the incident ever took place.

According to junior Dylan Okada, a member of the boys varsity track and field team, the writing was found around noon and was covered up within thirty minutes. If it were not for the few pictures taken by members of the team and the Facebook posting, it is likely nobody would have ever known that this vandalism occurred; this serves as a concern primarily because, if people act as if incidents like this never occurred and nobody takes the time to properly address it, change cannot be made. It is incredibly disappointing that anyone would exhibit such blatant racism and antisemitism; additionally, given the serious threat school shootings impose on all U.S. schools, a school shooting threat is not something to cover up, but something to address in order to ensure no further harm is done. There is no telling whether threats such as this one hold weight, and with a school shooting happening nearly every day on campuses across the country, serious action must be taken whenever a threat such as this one comes to light in order to ensure the safety of all students and faculty.

It is important for the district to address this properly rather than simply cover up the ignorance; even a simple email sent out to students and parents condemning the incident can make a difference, as it shows that the administration is aware of the incident and is working to combat hate on campus to provide a more inclusive environment. Additionally, as there are cameras scattered around the school already, it would be ideal to extend their

3

reach to the field if that action is within the district’s control.

The implementation of more cameras would be following suit of many other schools who have dealt with hateful vandalism – in 2019, for example, Seattle Central College worked to add cameras around their campus after an incident regarding a student writing racist speech on the stairwell (Seattle Spectator). Unfortunately, it is not a rare occurrence for racist and hateful vandalism to appear on campuses in the U.S., and it is important for for the district to be proactive in ensuring those who commit these crimes do not get away with it in the future.

As stated on the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District (PVPUSD) website under Policy 5131.5: Vandalism and Graffiti, it is expressed that once graffiti and vandalism is reported, “the principal or designee shall determine whether the incident necessitates an investigation pursuant to the district’s sexual harassment, hate-motivated behavior or nondiscrimination grievance procedure”; this procedure, as listed under PVPUSD Policy 5145.9: Hate-Motivated Behavior, requires that “the Superintendent or designee shall ensure that the rules prohibiting hate-motivated behavior and procedures for reporting a hate-motivated incident are provided to students and parents/guardians.” Given this, it is expected that this case of vandalism would be addressed to emphasize the district’s stance on hate-motivated behavior and ensure all students on campus feel safe following the incident. However, there has been no word from anyone in an administrative position, making it appear as if this incident is not being taken seriously. Though it is unknown what measures are being taken privately to catch the perpetrator, no public actions have been made, which goes against the procedure PVPUSD claims they follow. Campuses should be a safe, inclusive environment for all, and students in marginalized communities should not fear coming to school.

Change cannot be made until racist and hateful incidents are addressed directly, and the district, as well as those in power at various schools that experience vandalism similar to this case, must be proactive about ensuring that perpetrators of hate crimes do not continue to get away with their actions.

NEWSOM’S CARE COURT: HELPFUL OR HARMFUL TO THE HOMELESS? Gov. Gavin Newsom’s recent proposal to combat mental illness and substance abuse in hopes of bringing down the homeless population has sparked controversy among Californians. During a press conference on March 3, Newsom addressed his purpose for implementing Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment (CARE) Court, which would entail a 12-month care plan that could be extended to 24 months and includes medication, medical attention and housing for those who are eligible. According to the California Health and Human Services Agency (CalHHS), CARE Court is a way for people with impaired judgment to receive the mental and financial care that is needed for them to be reintegrated into society. Experts questioned if it would actually benefit the homeless in the long-term. Though CARE Court does provide a potential solution for California’s homeless crisis, there are concerns regarding how ethical treatment is and how it does not address any of the pertinent driving factors behind homelessness.

A primary concern regarding CARE Court pertains to one’s freedom to make decisions. If those eligible refuse treatment, they could risk any pending criminal charges and ultimately be forced into a conservatorship, a highly controversial system where court-authorized personnel make decisions for someone who is incapable of making their own.

Conservatorships do not usually benefit the patients, as their consent is often disregarded. CARE Court is supposed to be a solution that avoids conservatorships and incarceration, but it could still violate people’s fundamental rights to autonomy and self determination. “[CARE Court] is essentially taking control over a person’s life and they do not get a choice in what they do,” freshman Alyssa Shavely said. “CARE Court will not benefit the homeless in any way if the homeless do not have a say in how

they [should be treated].”

Additionally, CARE Court contains no long-term solutions for the homeless crisis. There are no simple fixes for California’s housing crisis, but there are programs that help people find affordable homes. The California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA) provides loans for families with low-tomoderate incomes who wish to purchase homes. Thus, the money going toward CARE Court would be better utilized for more housing programs throughout California to help people find affordable homes.

“CARE Court will not be entirely beneficial to the homeless,” senior Onyenauchea Ajufoh said. “Funding [that goes toward CARE Court] can be used to build more houses from sustainable materials, or it can be used for another important law that can provide for the entirety of California’s homeless [population].”

Although the motivation behind CARE Court does not stem from ill-intentions, it could lead to harmful results if it is passed. Homeless people are supposed to benefit from this solution, but it appears that CARE Court does not tackle any major factors driving the homeless crisis such as the housing crisis, declining public assistance, poverty and job loss.

Michelle Cabrera, executive director of the County Behavioral Health Directors Association of California, attributed the statewide housing crisis to a flawed system, expressing that “Black people, LGBTQ+ youth and domestic violence survivors are among the many groups that face systemic bias and discrimination in LA’s competitive housing market” (LAist). To address the homeless crisis, much more needs to be done than mental health care: there must be an overhaul of an inadequate system. “[CARE Court] is flawed in that it does not prioritize something crucial, which is getting people off of the streets,” sophomore Audrey Yu said. “Getting off of the streets is the first step. Seeking help [should be] the second step.”

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: Nick Jones 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

4 COLLEGE BOARD THREATENS AP STATUS REMOVAL TO DETER BOOK BANS On March 4, the College Board announced that all high schools that ban required topics in their Advanced Placement (AP) classes could lose their AP designation over that particular course. This action is a response to the ongoing debate about Critical Race Theory (CRT), a loosely-organized framework based on the premise that race is a social construct rather than a biological feature, which has led many parents and teachers to believe that certain books contain obscene content (Britannica). In its statement, the College Board emphasized that parents and students freely choose to enroll in AP courses and AP course and exam materials are crafted by committees of professors and expert educators in the field, which therefore secures its validity (AP Central). Junior Christina Hsiung is adverse to the removal of AP statuses in classes due to the detrimental effect it would have on college decisions.

“I think AP classes give students of different academic levels a chance to prove their abilities through their grades, participation and readiness to learn,” Hsiung said. “Having [AP statuses] taken away is equivalent to stripping students of their hard work and motivation toward getting into a college that they want to go to.”

Additionally, books in certain states, such as Oklahoma and Tennessee, are being banned due to disagreements with CRT curriculum, which includes subject matter regarding race, and because the books have obscene content such as morally offensive behavior and racially insensitive language

in them (British Broadcasting Corporation). Bill 1142 passed in the Oklahoma Senate and prohibits public school libraries from keeping books on hand that focus on sexual activity, sexual identity and gender identity. This includes common curriculum books such as “To Kill a Mockingbird” and “The Nickel Boys”. Additionally, in Tennessee, the McMinn County Board of Education voted to remove the

Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel “Maus” from an eighth-grade module on the Holocaust due to explicit content and excessive cursing. Sophomore Eshani Prasad thinks that it is necessary that certain books be taught in schools because of the educational benefits they have for students.

“Even though it could be difficult and painful to read about tragedy and trauma, these books educate about humanity and what we need to do to preserve it,” Prasad said. “The College Board threatening to remove AP statuses is correct, as books should be cherished because they show how we, as a society, can transition into a brighter future and learn from the past.”

Not everyone is in support of schools threatening to remove AP statuses. According to The New York Times, there is no better way to prove readiness for universities than by receiving a passing score on the AP exam. The College Board has stated on their website that many high-ranking colleges have very low acceptance rates, so students who take AP courses stand out. Because of this, there has been a growing popularity in AP classes in high schools worldwide; therefore, the removal of students’ AP statuses could push them away from taking the courses. Junior Owen Oschman believes that a class’s AP status should not be threatened because it could have a detrimental effect on students.

“The decision to remove an AP class’s status would solely impact AP students, so the idea that the College Board could put any student’s college applications and GPA in jeopardy because of [the removal of a topic or book] is completely out of their control and ludicrous,” Oschman said. “Take, for example, ‘The Catcher in the Rye’. The book has faced its fair share of bans and opposition, but if it were up to students taking a course like AP Language and Composition, I am sure there would be no complaints about the book’s content.”

5 THE LONG-AWAITED EMMETT TILL BILL

On March 7, the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act passed through Congress. It was approved by the House of Representatives with a vote of 422-3 on Feb. 28, and it was approved by the Senate with unanimous consent on March 7; it was then signed into law by President Joe Biden on March 29. Named after Emmett Till, the 14-year-old Black boy who was brutally lynched in 1955, the bill makes lynching, the act of a mob claiming to administer “justice” without a trial, a federal hate crime offense. Specifically, it imposes criminal penalties — a fine, a prison term of up to 30 years or both — when a conspiracy to commit a hate crime results in death or serious bodily injury (Congress). Passage of this bill is a long sought after goal of advocates, who have attempted to outlaw lynching nearly 200 times over a span of more than 100 years (Cable News Network).

One such organization that has continually pushed for the passage of an antilynching bill is the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), an organization that aims to work for the abolition of segregation and discriminataion in all aspects of life and to ensure African Americans their constitutional rights. The NAACP has been petitioning since the early 20th century to abolish the practice of lynching.

“I think [the bill] took so long to pass because American people refused to address America’s racist past and people did not know much about [it],” senior Kourtney Williams said. “Now, people are being exposed to the truth and are fighting to do something about it. I feel like society is much more open to face these problems now.”

The story of Till, the bill’s namesake, gained national attention in 1955.

He was visiting relatives in Mississippi when it was alleged that Till whistled at a white woman; he was kidnapped, beaten and shot in the head by two white men, Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam. Then, a large metal fan was tied to Till’s neck with barbed wire, and his body was thrown in a river. His mother insisted on having an open-casket funeral, displaying his brutalized body, in order to show the world what had been done to her child (The Detroit News).

Although Bryant and Milam were acquitted by a jury of all white men, they both revealed later that they were guilty to a reporter. However, they were not punished for their actions as they were protected by the Double Jeopardy Clause, which is stated in the Fifth Amendment and prohibits someone from being tried for the same crimes twice. If the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act was in place during Till’s time, Till’s killers would not have gotten off scot-free.

The first proposal of an anti-lynching bill was in 1900 by Rep. George Henry White, who was the sole Black member of Congress at the time, but his proposal did not gain any momentum. In 1918, the first anti-lynching bill to pass in either congressional chamber was introduced by Rep. Leonidas Dyer. It passed through the House, but a Senate filibuster led by southern states shut down the Dyer bill in 1922, along with the two later times it was reintroduced. The Dyer bill sought to charge lynch mobs with capital murder and to try lynching cases in federal court; it provided the blueprint for all subsequent NAACP-backed anti-lynching measures. A bill similar to Dyer’s was later introduced in 1934 by Sens. Robert F. Wagner and Edward Costigan, but was killed by southern opposition in the Senate. Similar acts were passed in the House in 1937 and 1940, but a Senate filibuster once again defeated them (Sojourners), making the attempt in 1940 the last time federal antilynching bills passed either congressional chamber for more than 75 years

(The Washington Post). In 2018, the Justice for Victims of Lynching Act was passed, which classified lynching as a deprivation of civil rights, yet it did not list specific criminal punishments for the act (Congress). Passage of this bill enabled judges to impose additional sentencing enhancements on top of any other charges when determining the punishments for those convicted of such crimes (Vox). The most recent anti-lynching legislation, the Emmett Till AntiLynching Act, was first proposed by Congressman Bobby Rush back in 2019.

The Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act passed the House of Representatives with overwhelming bipartisan support during the 116th session of the U.S. Congress in 2020. However, when Sens. Cory Booker, Tim Scott and Kamala Harris tried to pass a companion bill — a bill which has similar or identical language to one introduced in the other chamber — simultaneously in the Senate, it was blocked by Sen. Rand Paul (CNN). Paul expressed that his reason for blocking the bill was because it was not precise enough; he was concerned that it would lead to excessive sentencing (National Public Radio). Despite his opposition to the passing of the bill in 2020, Paul has called lynching a “terrible act deserving the most severe penalty” and has expressed that his motive behind blocking it was to make sure the bill was strengthened before it passed. He co-sponsored the 2022 version of this act along with Booker, Scott and Sen. Raphael Warnock. Finally, after nearly 120 years of failed attempts, the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act was unanimously approved by the Senate in March. Junior Brandon Zhang believes this bill took so long to pass since Congress has to be mindful of the wide variety of people they represent.

“Congress is not known for being the swiftest [or] most decisive decisionmaking body in the world,” Zhang said. “On top of that, they represent a broad number of people and interest groups around the country. It is very difficult even just to get so many different parties on the same page, never mind agree to the same set of precisely defined legal terms. This goes for almost any piece of legislation as well, not just this bill.”

Now that this bill is passed, Congress is prepared to criminalize lynching, which has been used as an instrument of terror and intimidation against more than 4,000 African Americans during the late 19th and 20th centuries (Equal Justice Initiative). The sponsor of the bill, Rush, said in a statement on his website, “by passing my Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act, the House has sent a resounding message that our nation is finally reckoning with one of the darkest and most horrific periods of our history, and that we are morally and legally committed to changing courses.”

Many have called the passing of this bill truly monumental; while past forms of lynching are not as common in society nowadays, modern-day lynchings are still alive and well (NAACP). In 1998, James Byrd from Jasper, Texas was chained to a car by three white supremacists and dragged to his death. More recently, Ahmaud Arbery was fatally shot in 2020 while jogging through a neighborhood near Brunswick, Georgia. The NAACP also classifies the death of George Floyd as a modern-day lynching; he was killed in broad daylight by officer Derek Chauvin, who held Floyd down with a knee on his neck for more than nine minutes.

“Although [traditional] lynching is no longer commonplace in our society, this [bill] gives federal prosecutors more ammunition to hold those committing hate crimes responsible,” Government, Economics and World History teacher Brian Bowles said. “For too long, minorities in this country were subjected to terrorism by lynching with perpetrators having little or no consequence. The lack of action taken on anti-lynching legislation was often a policial calculous by legislators, rather than a moral and just stance on protecting American lives. [This] is a landmark achievement because anti-lynching legislation is long overdue, and the overwhelming passage of the bill shows strong bipartisan condemnation of this dark side of our nation.”

MOVIE

6

“UNCHARTED” MOVIE RECIEVES MIXED REVIEWS “Uncharted”, the newest actionadventure adaptation to hit cinemas, was released by Sony on Feb. 18 with mixed reviews. As of April 5, the critic rating on the review website Rotten Tomatoes is 41%, and the audience rating is 90%.

While the movie came out recently, the video game series it was adapted from, created by the game development company Naughty Dog, was released in 2007. Amid a plethora of other successful movies of the same genre, viewers were skeptical about “Uncharted” being distinct from other adventure movies that were also adapted from video games.

The “Uncharted” film first went into pre-production in 2008, a year after the first game came out, but went through countless iterations before becoming the recently-released version (Screenrant).

The plot of the “Uncharted” movie does not directly follow the storyline of any of the main video games, but rather tells a prequel story of the two main characters–Nathan Drake, played

by Tom Holland, and his mentor Victor “Sully” Sullivan, played by Mark Wahlberg–meeting for the first time.

Drake, a young bartender, is recruited

by Sullivan, a seasoned treasure hunter, to locate a rumored treasure of the Magellan expedition before the antagonist Santiago Moncada, played by Antonio Banderas, gets to it first. The rest of the movie follows the relationship of the two main characters growing closer as they locate and fight their way to the treasure.

According to Forbes, “Uncharted” is a captivating adventure film that includes some aspects of the source material and draws from what made the original games enjoyable. However, while the film might have been entertaining for the casual

movie-goer, many fans of the video games left the theater feeling disappointed, as shown by complaints that the plot lacks the depth of the source material (Playstation Universe). Freshman Madison Hironaka went to see “Uncharted” in theaters, and while she thinks the visual effects and action scenes were good, she believes the movie was not exceptional and lacks a unique quality compared to the games.

“The beginning was slow and did not really focus on why they were trying to find the [treasure],” Hironaka said.

“Compared to other movies of the same genre, I think [‘Uncharted’] was worse [because] the plot did not catch my attention right away and [the movie] did not try to explore a different kind of adventure story.”

Another aspect of the video games that fans were looking forward to was the close relationship between Drake and Sullivan. The movie features a star-studded cast, with famous and award-winning actors such as Holland, Wahlberg and Banderas. Many were excited about this casting, especially with Holland’s recent success playing Peter Parker in Marvel’s Spider-Man films, but others were skeptical about his ability to play a character like Drake (The Daily Targum). While Holland executed the stunts well, many feel that his portrayal of the character is not the same confident and snarky character fans of the video game are used to (The Harvard Crimson).

However, others prefer Holland’s more hesitant Drake, believing him to be more relatable. Reviews are also mixed on Wahlberg’s interpretation of the older, sarcastic character of Sullivan, and how his personality influences his interactions with Drake. The mentor and mentee relationship between Drake and Sullivan is not as fleshed out as in the game series,

but is still fairly accurate (Screenrant).

Freshman Olivia Christen saw the movie in theaters and enjoyed Holland’s different, more innocent version of the character, though she acknowledges that it was changed from the source material.

“I liked how Nathan Drake was [portrayed as] more human than a treasure hunter,” Christen said. “He was less violent and more innocent, but [still a] strong [character].”

While the “Uncharted” movie is not entirely faithful to the source material, many viewers agree that the effects were well-done and the action was engaging (Screenrant). Despite a few roadblocks, “Uncharted” has ended up being a success at the domestic box office, and is continuing to make money with reportedly making more money worldwide than each of the Tomb Raider films, which are similarly adapted from video games (Gamespot).

“Uncharted” made $44 million on its opening weekend, and due to its action sequences, continued to gain popularity.

The film culminates in a fight across two pirate ships carried by helicopters, which immerses the viewer in the film’s climax.

With all this popularity, “Uncharted” is set to be one of Sony’s new franchises, as already confirmed by the CEO of Sony, Thomas Rothman, and the end of the film alludes to a sequel. Senior Alexandra Dillard was impressed by the effects and action and ended up enjoying the film, despite originally being skeptical of it.

“I thought [‘Uncharted’] was going to be bad, and at first it was,” Dillard said.

“What stood out to the most, [however], was the constant [switching of] trust between the characters. Some [action] scenes also reminded me of [other] movies [of the same genre] which was nice to see. ‘Uncharted’ is worth giving] a try.”

MAGIC

7

“THE BATMAN”: A NEW TAKE ON AN ICONIC HERO “The Batman,” a new movie starring the famous Detective Comics (DC) superhero Batman, premiered on March 4. The film was directed by Matt Reeves, who has worked in the film industry for over 20 years and directed movies such as “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” and “War for the Planet of the Apes.” Released in theaters worldwide, “The Batman” made $258.2 million at the box office over opening weekend and has now grossed roughly $715.2 million as of April 8.

Though the storyline for “The Batman” is distinct from the previous adaptations, it stays true to the essence of classic superhero fiction. Bruce Wayne, played by Robert Pattinson, is a brooding billionaire who secretly operates as the vigilante known as Batman. After the murder of Gotham City’s mayor, Wayne works with the Gotham City Police Department to catch and unmask the mysterious killer known as the Riddler, played by Paul Dano.

The nearly three-hour movie primarily revolves around Wayne trying to track down the Riddler, who is leaving clues and evidence for Wayne to discover and solve.

While some critics praise the new film for portraying Wayne in a new way, others are bashing it for not showcasing him as a more heroic figure. Batman is seen as more dark and brooding in this film, which some critics dislike. In contrast, Pattinson’s Batman is seen as more refreshing to other audiences due to his Batman’s experience with past trauma, as the movie is set in Batman’s second year as a vigilante (IMDb).

When Pattinson’s casting as Batman for the upcoming adaptation was announced in 2019, critics were hesitant of the casting choice due to his role in The Twilight Saga, which is the complete opposite of superhero movies. This criticism extends to other cast members as well–Dano’s portrayal of the Riddler, for instance, has

been deemed “too goofy” compared to the previous iterations (IMDb). Despite fans’ and critics’ initial bias against Pattinson’s casting, following the release of “The Batman,” Pattinson received appraisal for his acting and portrayal of Wayne. Senior Christian Park is one of those appraisers, who also loved the film’s newer portrayal of the older, iconic villains.

“I personally thought ‘The Batman’ did a better job with [portraying] villains than ‘The Dark Knight’ trilogy,” Park said.

“Making a foe out of the idiotic Riddler is more impressive than making a menacing Bane, Scarecrow and Joker, [which are] characters who are already feared and respected. By the end of the movie, I had a newfound appreciation for the Riddler.’”

Although there are many similarities to past adaptations, like all other movies in the DC universe, “The Batman” draws most of its inspiration from the original comics.

Still, the film takes many creative liberties, such as the plot being entirely original, and not directly based on a specific storyline from the comics; rather, it draws inspiration from the comics and revitalizes notorious characters, such as Catwoman, the Riddler, the Penguin and detective James Gordon.

In “The Batman,” Pattinson is a symbol of vengeance, striking fear into everyone living in Gotham City, even civilians. The biggest difference between the comic and the movie concerns the Riddler, his status changing from low-level criminal to a menacing serious killer threatening the political balance of Gotham City. Senior Nick Lew enjoys both the comics and the film and believes that Batman’s character is fleshed out uniquely well in the newest adaptation of Batman.

“I thought the movie did an amazing job [in] portraying Batman’s ‘rookie’ days,” Lew said. “It was a breath of fresh air–when people think of Batman, more often than not they think of an older version of Bruce who is typically connected to Christian Bale or Ben Affleck’s Batman. Seeing Pattinson’s

Batman really struggle, especially with a villain like the Riddler, was something new and exciting, and something the DC universe really needs.”

The cinematography in this newest film is especially unique. Greig Fraser, who recently won the oscar for best cinematography for his work in “Dune”, worked with Reeves for “The Batman.”

Fraser and his cinematography crew decided to keep things simple; with each scene, they wanted to include minimal cuts between shots. Lighting also played a large role in Fraser’s cinematography. He wanted to keep the film similar to an urban-noir, meaning that he contrasts moments shot with pockets of light with a dark and gritty aesthetic. For example, when the camera focuses on Batman’s mask, a red-and-black mix of lighting fills the screen. This directly correlates to Wayne’s inner struggle, choosing between either vengeance or hope. Additionally, this same hue is found in scenes featuring the Iceberg Lounge, giving the atmosphere a dangerous glow (Indiewire). A prime example of this firstperson point-of-view approach is the car chase between Batman and The Penguin, with shots looking through the windows immersing the viewer into the scene.

Senior Catherine Christen felt the intensity in Fraser’s approach and appreciated the well-displayed communication between the characters in the movie.

“I enjoyed all the different camera angles they used to communicate the characters’ feelings and emotions,” Christen said. “I did not notice any crazy cinematography techniques or outstanding visual effects, but I think everything they did [with the cinematography] made for a great movie.”

“The Batman” now sits at an IMDb score of 8.3 out of 10 as of April 5. While Warner Bros has not officially announced a sequel for the movie, director Reeves has confirmed that plans are underway for a second movie, and many fans are anticipating Pattinson’s new Batman.

8

At five years old, freshman Chiara DeGirolamo discovered her passion for baking while watching the popular cable television channel, Food Network. Since then, it has been her dream to be a baking guest on the channel and show audience members how to make one of her desserts. Her first attempt at baking was making cupcakes, which she has always been drawn to and still continues to enjoy creating.

DeGirolamo’s projects are inspired by walking down various streets and looking through bakery windows, alongside other social media platforms such as Pinterest and Youtube. Once DeGirolamo became more confident in her fundamental baking skills, she began posting her own baking creations to Instagram under the handle @chiara.licious.bakes. She enjoys making her creations colorful and fun while putting her own twist on classic pastries that catch her eye. DeGirolamo has found that baking gives her the perfect balance of freedom and structure to thrive in the kitchen. “[Baking] has taught me discipline,” DeGirolamo said. “I have always been a cluttered person, but you have to be disciplined with [baking] or else you will have to start all over again. [Baking] has also boosted my creativity. I used to like drawing, but with that you do not really have borders, [whereas baking simultaneously] keeps me organized and [puts me in a creative mindset].”

Although DeGirolamo does not currently have a public website where she sells her baked goods, she still gets customers and is presented with charitable opportunities. This includes holding multiple bake sales for her friends’ charity events. The promotion of her baking is largely spread through word of mouth in DeGirolamo’s group of friends, whom she most frequently likes to bake for. For instance, she recently baked a quinceañera cake for one of her best friends, freshman Renata Lopez. This gift was very sentimental to Lopez because it came from a close friend and they even got to cut the cake together, forming a lasting memory for both of them.

For this cake, DeGirolamo incorporated various flavors and decorations that she has developed over time. DeGirolamo has increased the amount and improved the quality of the fillings inside her cakes, and she constantly tweaks recipes to adjust to her oven’s capabilities. DeGirolamo’s steadfast commitment to growing her knowledge of baking inspires confidence in her friends and family that this passion is a positive addition and influence to her life.

“It is a good distraction for when she is stressed,” Lopez said. “It helps her a lot to show gratitude toward other people. When she baked me [the cake for my birthday], it was so thoughtful. [Her baking] truly touches people and you can tell she likes to help other people out.”

Freshman Payton Dragich agrees with Lopez’s opinion that the way DeGirolamo personalizes her baked gifts is heartwarming. These individualized details that DeGirolamo integrates into her cake are how shee chooses to express her love for the recipient. Along with her originality, DeGirolamo’s ambition has helped her to accelerate the evolution of her creations. Dragich has noticed DeGirolamo’s ongoing determination to improve her baking skills. “[DeGirolamo] just continues to get better,” Dragich said. “She knows what she wants [to do] and knows how to do it. [She] takes charge and makes a business out of everything. [DeGirolamo] has gotten really neat with her cakes and her technique is much more [detail-oriented]. You need to be artistic [to be successful at baking], and [DeGirolamo’s creativity] definitely comes through in her designs.”

DeGirolamo’s perseverance and enthusiastic personality, recognized frequently by her friends and family, has been evident ever since she decided that baking French macarons, acknowdledged as a notoriously difficult dessert to make, was her favorite pastry to bake. This ambitiousness is reflected in her plans for college, as she hopes to major in business to better understand how to establish and run a successful bakery in the future. She also plans to minor in culinary arts to continue sharpening her kitchen skills. These classes will help DeGirolamo gain the mentorship that she did not receive in the past when she was denied from various baking competition shows due to her age. However, she still wishes to be given an opportunity to compete in one in the future, as it could be a valuable experience to grow her passion for baking.

Whether she reaches that goal or not, DeGirolamo hopes that whoever eats her treats has an enjoyable experience.

9

Forming a band has been the shared dream of freshmen Ben Rautman and Justin Liu since fourth grade. Rautman and Liu, who are cousins, turned this dream into reality in the summer of 2021, when they decided to form the rock band OFFBEAT. By reaching out to friends, they were able to recruit three interested freshmen: Noah Mercurio, the drummer, Armaan Kohli, the lead singer and Elliot Partsch, who plays bass. Both co-founders of the band, Rautman is the leader, keyboardist and rhythm guitarist, while Liu is the lead guitarist.

OFFBEAT was officially created in August of 2021.

Their band name is inspired by a musical term, an offbeat, which is an unaccented beat in a measure (Merriam-Webster). The term is also used to describe something unique. Liu believes this interpretation fits the band, as their intent has been to make rock music that has never been heard before. Liu’s goal is for the band to be

part of rock’s return to popular culture.

“I hope that we can [make rock more popular as] it is not exactly relevant anymore,” Liu said.

“Everything is just electronic music and random noises, [and] I feel like rock is more creative. Pop songs follow the same song structure, but rock has a different feel and sounds better [to me].”

To spread their passion for rock music, OFFBEAT performs covers of classic rock songs. Recently, they performed Eric Clapton’s “Wonderful Tonight” at two different Sunrise Senior Living Centers for Musicians’ Service Group, a club that performs music for local organizations. Freshman Ayden Mendez has witnessed the progression of the band from the beginning and anticipates great things for the future of OFFBEAT. “I think they are trying to show that any group of people can accomplish something,” Mendez said.

“All of them are individually musically talented, but when they combine their efforts they become something much greater.

I could [also] really

see success for them [because] they are [going at] a good speed right now and will do just fine.”

On March 16, OFFBEAT covered “Don’t Let Me Down” by The Beatles at Peninsula’s student music event Coffee House, where the audience was the most engaged out of all their performances. After being active for nearly a year, the band is receiving more opportunities and now has a time slot in the Peninsula Music Festival on April 23. For the members of OFFBEAT, their band is not a brief hobby that will disappear, but a dream they hope to turn into a music career where they can create their own music and get it published by a record label. Rautman hopes OFFBEAT continues to grow together and share its love of music with people.

“My favorite [performance] that we have done is the [most recent] one that we did at the senior home,” Rautman said. “[Although] it was not a big audience, I could tell that they really enjoyed it and it meant a lot. That is one of the main reasons why I like [being part of OFFBEAT]--[our goal is] to get people to appreciate our music [just] as much as [we do].”

10

SWIMMING TO THE TOP On March 10, the boys varsity swim team placed third at the 2022 South Bay Invitational swim meet, an annual competition featuring swim teams from high schools in the South Bay, for the first time in 10 years. Other competitors within the league included El Segundo High School (ESHS), Palos Verdes High School, Mira Costa High School (MCHS), San Pedro High School, Redondo Union High School, Santa Monica High School, Da Vinci High School and Culver City High School. Swimmers competed in four different stroke categories–freestyle, backstroke, butterfly and breaststroke-and with distances of 50, 100, 200 and 500 meters for each stroke based on the lineup of swimmers on the team. Swimmers earn 20 points for receiving first place, 16 points for placing second and 14 points for placing third in the event they participate in.

During the two preliminary rounds of the meet held on March 8, seven members of the team qualified to compete for the final round, while the other swimmers were eliminated. The team’s final score–a combination of all individual scores–was 238 points total, placing them third behind MCHS (425.5 points) and ESHS (302 points). Senior Brandon Yoon, one of the boys varsity swim captains, believes that placing in the top three was a confidence booster for the team and will drive them to do better for the rest of the season.

“It was [an incredibly] great honor to hear that our school placed in the top three at the South Bay Invitational meet,” Yoon said. “I believe that this is a great start to our swim season and a huge improvement to our results from this tournament because we usually place somewhere in the middle every year. We have improved dramatically with this year’s performance.”

In the 2020-21 season, the team had their season cut short due to the coronavirus (COVID-19); fewer dual meets and invitational tournaments took place because large gatherings were not permitted, which led to many swimmers losing interest and leaving the team. As many swim lineups changed within the team, they were not able to place in the top three last year. With the 2022 South Bay Invitational being the first meet of the season, the team approached the competition with a more positive attitude and ended up ranking higher, also helping boost moral. Many individual swimmers played a key role in scoring more points in their events, including seniors Yoon, Rayen Lin, Logan Lakis and Alex Yousefi. In the individual categories, Yoon placed third in the 200 freestyle and 500 freestyle, while Lin placed second in the 100 breaststroke. Lakis also placed first in the 50 freestyle. In the team category, Yoon, Lin, Lakis and Yousefi earned first place in the 200 medley relay race. Senior and co-captain Kyle Masuguchi believes that because of the pandemic over the past two years, the swim team was negatively

affected and had to make many adjustments to make sure this season was successful.

“We lost a lot of swimmers over the past two seasons [due to COVID-19], which brought a lot of changes to the team,” Masuguchi said. “Some swimmers and our coaches quit because they had other priorities, and we ended up having less swim practices during the pandemic. This season, we made sure that the team had more swim practices and carefully planned out a strong lineup for the South Bay Invitational to make sure we placed higher.”

On March 15, the swim team followed up their South Bay Invitational success by defeating SMHS 90-66. They also defeated CCHS on March 17 10068. The team’s record is now 2-0, with two wins and zero losses in the Bay League. After gaining confidence from their success at the South Bay Invitational, the team is working toward winning more meets against other schools throughout the season. Yousefi believes that the team’s strong finish in the South Bay Invitational was a special moment and will bring out the best in the team for the rest of the season.

“When our school was announced in the top three, we were jumping up and down and super excited,” Yousefi said. “Our school was not expected to place very high, and it is a really special moment for the team and our coach because we worked really hard to make sure our season starts off strong.”

11

KANYE’S FAMILY FUED

Critically acclaimed hip-hop artist Ye West, formerly known as Kanye West, has been under scrutiny recently for his abusive behaviors toward his ex-wife, Kim Kardashian, and her new boyfriend, Pete Davidson. Since Kardashian officially divorced West on March 2, West has made his feelings about the divorce explicitly clear through his new music, specifically in the music video “Eazy,” which was released on the same day as their divorce. In this song, West’s lyrics focus mainly on his split with Kardashian, critiquing her parenting styles and threatening to “beat Pete Davidson’s ass.” In the music video itself, which is executed in the style of claymation, West kidnaps and buries a man that seems to resemble Davidson alive. The man’s identity is later confirmed at the end of the music video, when the screen turns black to show the words “EVERYONE LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER, EXCEPT SKETE,” with Skete being the nickname West gave to Davidson. In addition to this music video, West also made a plethora of Instagram posts, which have since been deleted, that target Davidson and Kardashian. In particular, West posted an image of the Marvel movie “Civil War” poster, with the couples’ faces photoshopped onto the original actors, implying that West was a “superhero” and “battling’’ against the two of them (Daily Beast).

Many people online have made the argument that because West is a 44-year-old man with four kids, he should not be acting so immature, especially toward his family. Instead of handling his divorce in a civil manner, West has continuously and obsessively worsened the situation with his cruel lyrics and bizarre music video visuals. Already, the rampant abuse from West toward Kardashian and Davidson has been normalized and joked about by fans, minimizing an issue that needs to be taken seriously. West’s kids are also at risk–as they grow older, they are more likely to watch West’s harmful and threatening content. Additionally, as a music artist in the industry himself, West should know the detrimental effects that this situation could have for his career and his character; if the situation continues to worsen, West could be canceled online, have his shows dropped and have legal action taken against him. Furthermore, despite many online Twitter and Instagram users calling

West’s actions “crazy,” “embarrassing” and “too much,” his behavior shows no signs of stopping, even at the expense of his own reputation. After watching the music video, “Eazy,” freshman Julianne Soo-Hoo believes that West’s actions are unacceptable and only worsening the situation. “[Ye’s] actions are unnecessary and out of line,” Soo-Hoo said. “His lyrics and [music video scenes] targeting Pete Davidson are immature and give [the public] more reasons to dislike him. They are far too graphic and violent, and that is causing him to make more enemies [rather than gaining approval for his circumstances].”

However, supporters of the rapper have attempted to justify West’s behavior by saying his lyrics and music video visuals were simply a way for him to express his pain after his divorce. To an extent, that is true, as West is going through a difficult situation and attempting to process and address the topic to his audience. However, West’s creative expression negatively impacts others, including his family, his fanbase and his friends. In private screenshots that West posted to his Instagram account, @kanyewest, Kardashian messaged West to let him know that he was creating a “dangerous and scary environment” for Davidson with his recent works. Regardless of whether West was simply exercising his creativity or had genuine malintent toward the couple, he still harassed and belittled his ex-wife as well as threatened and swore at Davidson, which he has yet to take accountability for. West’s actions are irreversible, and unless he decides to face the music, the hurt and pain that he has caused so many will remain. Sophomore Kylie Baik believes the excuse that West’s actions are merely coping mechanisms is not a valid reason to justify his recent hateful behavior. “[Ye] is very irresponsible as a parent and as an ex-husband because he does not realize that his coping mechanisms affect so many [more] people besides himself,” Baik said. “It is selfish of him to not take others’ feelings into account, especially his family, who is most affected by his behavior. I truly hope that he is able to change for the better and take responsibility for what he is doing.”

However, in the eyes of the law, West’s upsetting behavior may look quite different and will most likely not lead to criminal charges against him.

Even though section 422 of California’s criminal code states that it is a crime to “communicate

a threat to do something that can result in great bodily injury or death to someone,” multiple attorneys have said that a claymation music video would not meet those standards. According to litigator William Delgado in an interview by the Los Angeles (LA) Times, “[the video] certainly lacks the seriousness to the type of threat that these statutes tend to recognize.” Furthermore, at the end of the video, where the words “EVERYONE LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER, EXCEPT SKETE’’ flash on screen, the words “JK HE IS FINE” are shown afterwards, expressing that this is merely an empty threat and West clarifies that he is kidding. First Amendment attorney Douglas Mirell says that “[this statement] would go [toward helping] defeat any claim that this was meant to be taken seriously and consequently could constitute a true threat” (LA Times). Therefore, if the public is looking for ways to hold West accountable for his “creative expression,” using the law is certainly not a way to do so. Rather, the public should denounce West’s actions and continue to educate themselves on the situation, which helps to prevent incidents like these from happening again. In fact, multiple companies have taken their stand against West– Instagram banned him from their platform for a day in reaction to his behavior, and as of March 20, West was banned from performing at the 2022 Grammy Awards. Senior Solene Granatur is confident that the media and public will discredit West’s actions until they are stopped.

“Cancel culture is a really powerful thing, so if [Ye’s behavior] continues in the direction that it is going, eventually, [him and his work] will be discredited,” Granatur said. “[Viewers] can tell that both Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson are getting [upset] about the situation, so [ultimately the situation] will come to a halt, although it will run its course through.”

Even though West’s music video is incredibly disappointing, especially for a man who remains a role model for many aspiring musicians, he will most likely not be legally charged for his actions.

Currently, it is up to the media and to the public to hold him accountable, which they have already begun to do. However, despite his problematic music video, it does not mean that fans have to stop listening to his music; instead, they should remain aware of what West has done and continue to inform themselves on the issue to help avoid his harmful creative expression.