Issue 7

the

PEN

Palos Verdes Peninsula High School www.pvphsnews.com Vol. XXXVI

Issue 7 April 22, 2016

FUTURE IN YOUR HANDS Why college decisions do not define you EDITORIAL PAGE 4

TERROR WORLDWIDE

AROUND THE Riverbend

RACE TO THE FINISH

Panther’s family member narrowly evades three terrorist attacks

Panthers expand their horizons through new experiences

A senior follows family tradition by competing in triathlons

NEWS

PAGE 3

FOCUS

PAGE 6-7

SPORTS PAGE 10

2

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NEWS

3

triumph over terror

Peninsula student’s family member evades tragedy of bombings saffy laurio A study by the Institute for Economics and Peace shows that since the mayhem on Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks have more than quadrupled around the globe. Since 2013 alone, the world has seen a 35 percent increase in the frequency of terrorist attacks, according to a National Broadcasting Company (NBC) study.

On March 22, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria organized two bombings in Brussels, Belgium; one took place at an airport, the other at a metro station. The suicide bombers took the lives of at minimum 35 people and injured over 300. It is unclear how many perpetrators were involved in the attacks, but according to the British Broadcasting Company (BBC), there were a total of six bombers.

Only two of the bombers have been identified. Another two are still at large, one has yet to be apprehended and one is already deceased. After the attacks, Belgium had three days of national mourning.

When hearing about the Brussels attacks, history teacher Scotte Massey had a somber reaction.

“These latest terrorist attacks in Brussels write another page in what is becoming one of the darkest chapters in our modern history,” Massey said.

“Terrorism is the worst kind of pure evil, and as much as I believe that ‘this, too, shall pass,’ it’s hard to find optimism when fighting an enemy who operates with total disregard for humanity,

completely outside of society’s sense of morality and justice.”

Recent attacks such as those in Brussels, Paris and Boston have affected people from all walks of life, but one particular Peninsula family has felt severe heartache. Sophomore Kailee Kakazu is the cousin of Mason Wells, a 19-year-old who was present at each of the three targeted locations, making the Brussels bombing his third survived terrorist attack.

attacks themselves. Wells was visiting France working as a LDS (Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints) Mormon missionary at the time. As a missionary, Wells had intended to stay out of country for two years and return this August.

Wells continued with his missionary work, which took him to Brussels.

Wells, with two fellow missionaries, was dropping off another missionary leaving for the United States. The three were standing at a kiosk, about 30 feet away from the suicide bomber.

Wells was not as lucky this time as in previous situations, leaving this attack with a damaged Achilles tendon, first and second degree burns on his hands and face and various injuries due to bomb shrapnel.

Wells does not know why he has been caught in so many of these tragedies, but he has not taken his continued luck for granted.

In an interview with Daily News, Wells stated, “I don’t know why I was in certain areas when certain things happen, but what I do know is that I’ve had people around me who have always taken care of me.”

The outcome of the attacks and the story of Wells have changed people’s perspectives all over the world, including Kakazu’s.

“My cousin has been an inspiration globally,” Kakazu said. “He has really impacted my life to never take things for granted and to always make the best possible decisions that I can.”

How thoroughly do you keep up with news regarding terrorist attacks?

“These latest terrorist attacks

in Brussels write another page in what is becoming one of the darkest chapters of our modern history.”

- Teacher Scotte Massey

*of 144 surveyed on April 18, 2016

Leadership programs honored with Civic Learning Award ANNIE BENEDICT This past week, Peninsula was honored with the prestigious 2016 California Civic Learning Award.

Presented to the Teen Court, Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) and Leadership programs, the Civic Learning Award is bestowed to a school which exceeds the six proven practices in civic education.

These practices are provided by sources including the American Bar Association Division for Public Education, the Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools and the National Conference on Citizenship.

“Peninsula has amazing opportunities that we’re so lucky to be a part of,” said junior and Capitol Convoy representative Emily Schluper. “The energy and the ambition are so vibrant. Students are welcomed to find

ways to branch out and find new activities and new leadership opportunities.”

On behalf of the Chief Justice of California, Tani Cantil-Sakauye, California’s Division Five Presiding Justice Paul Turner presented a plaque commemorating the award. Also speaking at the ceremony were Judge Steven Van Sicklen, Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District (PVPUSD) Superintendent Don Austin, senior and Mock Trial member Rebecca Jeon and senior Michael McFarland.

“This school has over 700 students involved in leadership activities, and that’s totally unique – it’s another opportunity for students to learn to do things bigger than themselves,” Austin said. “The work we’re doing here is powerful. This award gave us an opportunity to come together and celebrate

it. But I think with or without the award, it’s the right work.”

Students involved in the five strands of Pen’s leadership department, Associated Student Body (ASB), Link Crew, Peer Leaders Uniting Students (PLUS), Service Learning Leadership (SLL) and Principal’s Advisory Council (PAC), along with those involved in Capitol Convoy and Teen Court, presented their programs to notable attendees from Southern California.

“A good leadership program reaches out to all different walks of life,” said senior and PLUS member Abagaaz Sherfa. “We don’t want a sole program that focuses on a single group of people or it’s not going to really affect much. I think with all the options, we do a good job with that at Pen.”

Temishi Onnekikami/The Pen

“I was in a state of shock,” Kakazu said, referring to the incident in Brussels.

“I knew that my cousin had been there, but my family didn’t know the state of his injuries. We were all pretty discouraged because there was nothing we could do since he was so far away.”

In April 2013, Wells was present at the Boston Marathon, only a block away from the actual bombings. Wells was with his father in the stands waiting for his mother to finish the marathon when the bombings occurred.

In November 2015, Wells was in France on the night of the Paris attacks, although a safe distance away from the

In light of the recent terrorist attacks, do you feel safe traveling to Europe?

Opinion

4

THE PEN PALOS VERDES PENINSULA HIGH SCHOOL

EDITORIAL

27118 Silver Spur Road, Rolling Hills Estates, CA 90274 EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Lauren Lee Tunika Onnekikami Noah Werksman DESIGN EDITOR Jackie Uy MANAGING EDITOR/ BUSINESS & ADVERTISING Isabelle Wang NEWS EDITOR: Annie Benedict WRITERS: Kaitlin Bates Joseph Foard Saffy Laurio OPINION EDITORS: Marine Fujisawa Zoe Willoughby WRITERS: Chris Chien Nile Minn FOCUS EDITORS: Phoebe Borsum Esther Chu WRITERS: Anne Lee Nina Li STUDENT LIFE EDITORS: Amani Jalota Stella Yoo WRITERS: Alison Kim Emily McGinn Adrian Tai SPORTS WRITERS: Jordan Chang Ryan Frazier Zain Riaz GRAPHICS Jessica Nye Temishi Onnekikami 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 Isabelle Wang at (310) 377- 4888 ext. 652. The Pen editors appreciate Letters to the Editor, which are accepted up to one week before publication. You may submit them to H52 or to Jaymee Johnson’s mailbox.

Copyright © 2016

Cover Design by Jackie Uy Cover Photo by Serena Tramm

OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO! EDITORIAL STAFF May 1 is coming: it is the day that seniors must declare intent to a university of their choosing. At the start of the year, we slaved over college and scholarship applications; we have received acceptances and rejections and though there are a number of factors to consider, we must now make a decision as to where we will be spending the next four years of our lives, and make it quickly. Picking a school will be the biggest decision that most of us have ever made; it may come down to finances, location or even the name-value. But ultimately, it is each of us that will deal with the choice we make.

However, just as the world does not end with every high school problem, it will not end with whichever university we choose to attend. Remember that, for the most part, no

choice we make regarding college is set in stone. There are countless options and each of us will end up exactly where we are supposed to so long as we open our minds to every opportunity.

As we prepare to embark on the next chapter of our lives, we feel as though we have to make the ‘perfect choice’ right away. But this is not the case: those lucky enough to get into their dream schools could find that it is not what they expected. At this juncture, one is forced to pick a path: make the best of the situation for the time that remains or explore new possibilities elsewhere.

Eventually, we learn that not all the choices we make are the right ones; but it is when we let our minds linger over those roads not taken that we step back from the progress we

have made. We must instead be prepared to change as needed.

The decisions do not end once we decide what to do after graduation, but have in fact only just begun. We will make countless other major choices, but it is now that we can begin to learn not to dwell on what goes wrong and focus on what we can change.

Possibilities exist when we give them the chance to.

Getting into a highly ranked school means nothing if you are not able to adapt to that school’s culture. Happiness is not derived from the school you attend, but rather from the experiences we choose to be a part of.

Though we have been guaranteed admission, we are not guaranteed happiness. We must do this for ourselves, wherever we are.

College Checklist my major location financial aid food

?

happiness

New sexting bill jeopardizes student privacy rights Chris Chien A new bill could soon give schools the ability to suspend or expel students for “sexting,” sending sexually connoted messages via text, on campus. Assembly Bill 2536, which mirrors similar laws from at least 20 other states, was introduced on Feb. 19 by Assemblyman Ed Chau (D-Monterey Park), with the aim of tackling cyberbullying and sexual harassment on campus.

Aside from giving schools the power to investigate and punish students for sending nude or sexually-explicit photos at school or school-related events, it would also require schools to add curriculum regarding the consequences of sexting to their health classes.

However, the bill has faced considerable criticism from many sources, including free speech advocates and concerned parents who believe the punishments are too severe.

While the bill has intentions of helping potential victims of harassment, it is ultimately misguided in its approach and likely will not help matters.

“I think this bill infringes on our freedom of speech and punishes people for a potentially victimless act,” senior Brandon Gonzales said. “This also infringes on our privacy if they are going to be looking at our phones for [proof of] sexting.”

It is important to note that counselors and administrators have voiced their support for the bill. It does not mandate that students must be suspended or expelled for their actions. The options will be put on the table, which would help to deter students from sexting in the first place, but the actual consequences for each case would still be decided by school officials. They also believe that in some cases, when students are clearly using sexting to harm or humiliate, they should be disciplined accordingly.

“I do support the bill,” Counselor Christine Lopez said.

“I think it’s important that kids know that this potentially could be a consequence. Sexting is something very personal and private, and if someone uses it for malicious intent, they

should receive the appropriate consequence.”

However, there is a fine line between consensual sexting and harassment between which the bill does not distinguish.

In such cases when a student is using sexting as a tool to bully others, they should be treated as bullies, and disciplinary guidelines for bullies have already been properly detailed. At best, this new bill is unnecessary, but there are numerous other flaws within it that need to be addressed.

One problem with the bill is how it addresses students who sext. Many feel that suspending or expelling students is not the correct approach for dealing with this type of situation, because it will not deter them from continuing the activity elsewhere. One helpful aspect of the bill is that it would add discussions of sexting to health class, as educating students should be the proper course of action, not punishing them for making a mistake. Often times, the picture is sent with explicit permission from both

the sender and receiver, so it is unfair to classify the act as a traditional case of sexual harassment. Therefore, students should not simply be kicked off of campus for sexting. Rather, they should continue to receive an education, as well as proper counseling, so they will learn from the experience.

Assembly Bill 2536 fights for a noble cause, but it is seriously flawed in its constitution. While it is important to protect students from making an error that could ruin their lives, like posting a nude picture online, there exist more appropriate measures of discipline than kicking students out of their school, or even out of the district. For instance, students could be placed in a support program that helps them cope with the consequences of their actions and learn from them. The battle to end sexting should be won through educating students and helping them realize the consequences of their actions rather than punishing them to the fullest extent.

5

Bill seeks to mend voter registration schools in

2012.

of 2014 20.2 UC freshmen came percent

from outside states.

1required year California for residency of living in

With elections coming up later this year, voters around the country are tuning in to listen to the stances of presidential candidates on trending issues. Some candidates, such as Bernie Sanders, try to draw in younger voters such as college students to vote for them, but many do not vote at all, or register.

Students from University of California, Berkeley have drafted a state legislation that would allow students

8.2 eligible18-24 year olds voted in the

to vote. percent of California’s

2014 19

“

enrolling in classes in the University of California’s, California State Universities, and California community college systems to register to vote in elections at the same time. According to the Los Angeles Times, in the 2014 statewide general election, only 8.2 percent of California’s eligible 18 to 24-year-olds voted.

Though many young adults do not vote or register, enabling them to have the opportunity to register to vote while as they transition into college will ensure elections that take into account the ideas of more people.

“We talk about voting and student rights a lot in our Advanced Placement United States History (APUSH) class, and I have given it some thought.

I think being able to register to

Voter Foundation (CVF), 40 percent of those who do not vote are under 30-yearsold, and 51 percent of these non-voters said that they do not have a particular interest in voting because they grew up in families that did not discuss political issues or candidates. According to the Los Angeles Times, when a student registers as a voter in the state’s database, he or she will automatically receive sample ballots, voter information guides and mail from campaigns.

“I think that having this opportunity is a cool leap for us, especially since we are going to be 18 and in college soon, so not having to worry about registering to vote and having the opportunity to vote is exciting,” junior Raam Tambe said. “I am well aware of American politics and knowing that I will be registered to vote as I enter college makes me excited to vote and make a difference in America as well as makes me excited to start my college life.”

One of the reasons that the push is coming from colleges is because colleges of nonvoters keep accurate records of students to send them bills, report cards and other pieces of information, it is ensured that the students will receive as much information as they can vote while registering for regarding campaigns and college classes is a great becoming aware as a voter. idea,” junior Angelica Yoon “Taking the step into said. “The thing is, a lot of voting while we go into students have no idea what college is a great way to goes on in politics, so having combine two important them register to vote would aspects of our futures as spark their interest in politics adults,” junior Jerry Wang which would ensure that said. “I hope this legislation more of our youth voted for gets passed as it will important elections such as embolden a new generation the presidential election.” of voters to have a voice in According to the California California.”

midterm elections.

percent of the voting

235 million millenials

Marine Fujisawa /The Pen Information from The Hechinger Report, Los Angeles Times, The California State University, UC Davis Center for Regional Change, The California Voter Foundation, International Business Times

were

the 2012 election.

40 percent are under

“ Having [college students] register to vote would spark their interest in politics which would ensure that more of our youth voted.

-junior Angelica Yoon

30 old. years

“

31,991 students in the UC

OUT-OFSTATE

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Gino aBRAJANO/THE PEN Katherine haig/Model

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Seniors prepare for life after high school Anne lee As seniors finish their last year of high school, they will enter a new chapter of their lives when they will have to face obstacles and adjust to new environments. Of the 609 seniors graduating this year, seniors Haejin Suh and Lauren Kim share their views on how they think college will affect their lives.

Although they have contrasting interests, they believe that college will be a challenging, yet exciting experience.

Suh plans to attend the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of the Arts and Architecture.

Its strong arts program and supportive surroundings encouraged her to choose this school.

“I would not say that I am completely prepared because I really do not know what to expect,” Suh said. “I think putting myself in a new environment will

eventually allow me to learn an unknown side of me and help me mature.”

A common problem that students often struggle with when entering college is the idea of opening up to new people. Suh states that it is one of her biggest concerns, considering the large population of her school.

“I try to be really active when I meet people, but I struggle to since I am an introvert,” Suh said. “I am also worried about the lack of privacy that I will have in college because I will be sharing a room with others. I think finding a private place within the college to have some time alone could help me face this problem.”

Students say that life in high school and life in college differ immensely in various areas including academics, environment and population. The workload in college increases greatly,

but more free time is available. College also presents more opportunities and provides greater diversity. Hence, these differences welcome students into trying new things and developing other interests.

Kim plans to attend the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) in the fall. She states that she is ready to face new challenges on the East Coast.

“I love that UPenn is a big school in Philadelphia, a big city,” Kim said.

“There is so much to explore and lots of opportunities to seek. I cannot wait to join different clubs on campus and get close with the professors and other students.”

Heading to an out-of-state college has made Kim broaden her perspectives, leaving her with mixed feelings. The great distance will separate Kim from her

family and close friends, but it will give her the opportunity to take advantage of a unique experience.

“Many people have already warned me about being homesick, but I plan to stay in touch with my family and friends by visiting them during the breaks,” Kim said. “I will also be able to experience more freedom and time to think for myself and figure out what I want to do with my life.”

Along with these changes, students entering college often develop a sense of maturity and independence and learn to handle issues on their own.

“There is definitely a lot more responsibilities involved and no parents to remind or nag you about the quotidian routines of life,” Kim said. “I know I will have to always be prepared, since there is no one else to do so for me in college.”

7

Volunteers step out of the PV bubble Anne lee and nina li In America, about 50 percent are placed in the middle class, according to the Consumer News and Business Channel. The average income for an American household ranges from $35,000 to $75,000. A survey done by City Data reports that Rancho Palos Verdes residents have an estimated median income of $115,958 per household. This number compared to the average amount brought in a family in a third world country is nearly multiplied by 50. Because these numbers are not often discussed, many people are not aware of how privileged they are.

Having recently visited Nicaragua on a mission trip, senior Jamie Park and sophomore Jasmine Park had the opportunity to see what life is like in a third world country. Nicaragua was named the second poorest country in Latin America after Haiti with the average citizen making an average annual income of $1,650.

“There are different regions in Nicaragua with [various levels of] poverty, [and Nicaragua] is nothing compared to [the United States],” Jasmine said. “It really opened my eyes to see how privileged we are at times.”

Despite the living conditions Nicaraguans face, they are still able to appreciate what they have and celebrate

and appreciate their cultures. The Similar to the Park sisters, senior Nicaraguans would give them fruits and Leonard Qian traveled to Kathmandu, trinkets to remember them by.

Nepal in the summer of 2015 to “Actually being in the other person’s volunteer in aiding for earthquake relief shoes is incredibly important,” Jamie in the area. According to Cable News said. “If people were to travel and live Network (CNN), an earthquake with a for just a month or two with people in magnitude of 7.8 in Nepal in April had underprivileged countries, much change taken over 4,800 lives with more than could come to the world.”

9,200 injured, affecting the eight million The povertypeople stricken natives across Nepal live in houses and leaving “To worry about these small constructed the country problems is a luxury to have and in ruins. by dirt and walk to get to “The when I remember what truly goes places since earthquake on in the world, I realize how silly had displaced most of them I am to worry about such minute many cannot afford to buy a car.

Nepalese problems.”

The children families and -Senior Leonard Qian keep one pair of I went there school clothes to volunteer and wash them and donate to keep it clean for everyday usage. money to orphanages that were in need Teenagers will likely not receive an of help,” Qian said. “I also helped build education past high school. schools out of mud, mortar and bricks “The most important step in helping to replace the destroyed classrooms and other countries improve [financially and paint them, giving them a colorful vibe.” educationally] is to raise awareness and The opportunities that he has taken to show love to not only the people from advantage of not only changed lives in other countries but to people around Nepal, but altered his views of life. Qian you so that they would want to show says that experiencing the tragedies that love to others,” Jasmine said. the earthquake brought firsthand has

made him appreciate his life more.

“Now when I am faced with troubles, I remember that there are others struggling to survive,” Qian said. “To worry about my small problems is a luxury to have and when I remember what truly goes on in the world, I realize how silly I am to worry about such minute problems.”

Being involved with many volunteer organizations, Qian had always been eager to help others and hopes to go on more overseas trips to gain more experience in different countries. He emphasizes the fact that anyone can help play a role in improving a person’s life.

“There is always something that you can do to help others,” Qian said. “I think that if students at Peninsula had been to Nepal, they would really start to appreciate all the little things, especially up here in Palos Verdes.”

By visiting third world countries, the Park sisters and Qian have become more aware of the problems that this world faces.

“I just love how it not only gave me the perspective of what I have to be thankful for, but also how being generous and being yourself goes a long way,” Jasmine said. “It helped me to believe in others and to never give up on anything or anyone.”

Students learn languages to expand their perspectives of the world

“I decided to learn sign language because of its complexity and beauty.

Whenever I sign, I am in a happy place. We take a lot of things for granted because we are offered so much. Growing up a certain way definitely has an impact on how we appreciate things in our lives.”

-Senior Kayleen Hino

“I take [both French and Spanish] for the opportunity to go to either country if I want to and I can immerse myself in the different cultures.”

-Junior Jacqueline Council

“Learning [Spanish and Korean] gave me insight into how cultures influence the way people think. Looking at different cultures shows me that outside influences can connect us all. This makes me grateful that I live in an area that has many different cultures so I can learn from them.”

-Junior Trevor Williams

Student Life 8

TSA bakersfield takes home A Win

27

Peninsula participants

12

students placed in 6 categories

14

students heading to Nationals

3

first place wins

Jesica Nye/the Pen

Success at TSA Bakersfield competition helps STEM students land spot at Nationals ADRIAN tai Technology Student Association (TSA) is an organization for students interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

For the first time, Peninsula students took part in TSA Bakersfield, the annual competition held in Bakersfield, CA. Participants were able to win awards in a variety of categories such as “Debating Technological Issues” and “Manufacturing Prototype.”

“For several years, Peninsula has participated in the TSA Teams competition and every year we have moved on to Nationals, where we discover new events to participate in,” club supervisor and chemistry teacher Charles “Chas” Lee said. “We found out about TSA Bakersfield and decided to give it a try.”

Club President Alisa Hathaway and her sister Erika Hathaway are two of the many students who participated in TSA Bakersfield and won an award. They are now proceeding to Nationals along with other national qualifiers such as freshman Alec Britt, sophomores Anna Chang, Leslie Castro, Alice Lee, Saehui Hwang and juniors Nile Minn, Janice Lee and Pete Makrygiannis.

“Since this was our first year participating in TSA Bakersfield, none of us knew what to expect,” Alisa said.

“We were hoping that at least one team would have the opportunity to go to Nationals and continue on in the competition and we were pleasantly surprised when more than ten of us proceeded to Nationals.”

Preparing for the day of the competition required students to put in a lot of time and effort in order to excel in their categories. Alice and Castro spent months working on their projects for the manufacturing prototype category.

“Leslie and I started preparing for the competition way back in October,” Alice said. “We worked really hard on our project which was to make a bag for a wheelchair that would be capable of being manufactured in a real life factory.”

Alice and Castro needed to plan constantly in order to finish their project on time and had to meet weekly in order to meet each milestone.

“We had to decide which specific materials we wanted to use for our project while also being conscious about the prices of those materials since we needed everything to fit into our budget,” Castro said. “The project also required a flow chart, accurate drawings

and measurements of the product we built which took a while to complete.”

The Hathaways entered in the “Debating Technological Issues” category and their preparation steps were different but equally as time-consuming.

“We were assigned three topics based on technology and STEM about three months before the competition and from there we had to do a ton of research,” Alisa said. “We needed to conduct in-depth research so that we would have a deeper understanding of the topics in order to do well when debating during the competition.”

Chang also took months to prepare for her competition in the category “Photographic Technology.”

“My event competition consisted of 15 photos centered around the theme ‘Macro Photography’ which is when you take close-up pictures of objects and it allows you to view objects in a different way,” Chang said. “I really liked the theme and the photos I took were of a ukulele, flowers, fire, someone’s face and other objects that interested me.”

During the competition, each competitor presented or turned in his or her work to be judged and scored.

“At the competition, I turned in my portfolio of the 15 edited and 15 original

photos I took, along with each photo’s corresponding description, caption and explanation of its relation to the theme,” Chang said.

After the competition, the participants attended the awards ceremony to see who won in each category.

The Hathaways won first place in their category, “Debating Technological Issues,” while Castro and Lee placed second in the “Manufacturing Prototype” category.

“Winning was incredibly satisfying because Alice and I worked really hard to make our project the best it could be,” said Castro. “It felt amazing to know that our hard work did not go by unnoticed and that we were able to come in second place and earn recognition for ourselves and our school.”

The qualifying teams will continue to prepare for the National competition in Nashville, TN from June 28 to July 2, where they hope to find success.

“I’m really excited for Nationals because we get to interact with other schools from around the country,” Alice said. “I’m most excited to see other people’s creations and I’m also looking forward to the new insight I will receive to improve my project next year.”

9

Sophomore Rafaella Koncius brings heat to ice rink numerous awards, one of which is the Barbara Roles Award, which she received for winning a juvenile ladies’ competition in Las Vegas against 12 other Sophomore Raffaella Koncius’s figure skating career began at the age of five when she attended a skaters.

Koncius dedicates a large amount of time to friend’s birthday party at the ice skating rink Skating figure skating, as she skates seven days a week, three Edge. hours each day and does three one-hour work“As soon as I stepped on the ice, I [knew] I had outs each week. Also, she prepares for an annual to be a figure skater,” Koncius said. theatrical performance on Saturdays. This year, the Once she decided to begin skating, she took group is performing “Peter Pan.” classes to learn basic skills, such as how to stop, When creating a routine, Koncius starts by how to avoid falling and how to glide on one foot. choosing her own music, then her coaches, Jere While skating, Koncius was inspired by the veteran Michael and Alex Chang, choreograph the routine. skaters who practiced at her rink.

Each routine is around three minutes long and As her skills improved, she began competing includes three to seven jumps and three spins. and has been for ten years now. From the time she “My favorite jump is probably my double flip attended her first competition, the Spring Fling at and my favorite spin is my layback,” Koncius said. the Toyota Sports Center, she has been to Italy, “Although I have not competed it yet, my favorite and many places around the country, including routine is probably the one I am doing this year Arizona and Colorado, to compete. Although she because it is really fun.” has skated around the world, she mainly competes Koncius is hoping to reach national and in California. international competitions in ice dancing or free “Competing is definitely my favorite [part of skating, and plans to become a figure skating coach figure skating],” Koncius said. “You [feel] joy when after college. you skate well performing in front of a crowd of a “[Figure skating] has helped me in a lot of ways,” hundred. [I also like] the really pretty dresses and it Koncius said. “I have been really independent and I is just amazing.” have to [manage] my own schedules. I was homeKoncius has reached many milestones through schooled for four years, so I know how to work on figure skating. She was a member of National my own and with other people. It has taught me Showcase, a national team that does theatrical how to work hard and be dedicated, and how to performances on ice. She is currently a member of really focus when things are going tough.” the Los Angeles Figure Skating Club and has won

Emily mcginn

KONCIUS’S DAILY SCHEDULE wake up at 5:50 A.M. for zero period leave school at 12:15 P.M. train at lakewood ice until 7 P.M. finish homework at 11:40 P.M. jessica nye/The Pen

photo courtesy of sarah memon

Rivals extend an olive branch at MUN Conference

(L to R) Head chairs Kyle Civale, Sarah Memon, Rachael Ewald and Hadeel Saab pose for a picture during the MUN Conference. They led the Security Council committee through a crisis concerning Syrian refugees.

adrian tai For the first time in five years, Peninsula High and Palos Verdes High collaborated to plan the PV vs. Pen MUN Conference. On Feb. 27, students from both high schools came to Peninsula High to revive the tradition of a PV-Pen MUN conference.

Model United Nations (MUN) is a school club where students act as delegates from certain countries and work together in order to find solutions to world issues. At

MUN conferences, participants present their speeches and debate ways to resolve conflicts or issues with the other delegates.

Though the process was difficult and timeconsuming, the outcome was worth all the hard work and dedication put into planning. Peninsula’s organizers for this conference, secretariats and seniors Katherine Liu and Karen Hadidjaja, had many responsibilities set upon them in order to make the conference happen.

“We’ve been planning this conference for months and talking to the PV coordinators,” Liu said. “Our adviser [Dr. Jim Dimitriou] also talked to their adviser and we started meeting up to work together to bring this plan into reality.”

Liu and Hadidjaja also worked together with Palos Verdes High’s conference organizers to ensure everything was running smoothly and according to plan.

“Planning this conference took several months of hard work and dedication from both the Pen MUN and PV MUN Secretariats,” Hadidjaja said. “We needed to meet with the Secretariat members from PV to make sure that all of us were on board and updated.”

Although Peninsula and PV High ran into communication, time management and planning problems the last five years, this year both schools were able to finish all the necessary tasks needed in order to hold the conference.

“A Peninsula MUN Conference has not happened in so long because there are countless tasks that need to be completed throughout the entire year and most people don’t have enough time,” Hadidjaja said. “Our

Secretariat made it a priority to exceed expectations this year and really show how passionate we are about the club.”

After all their meticulous planning, Liu and Hadidjaja were finally able to experience the conference they had managed to make a reality.

“My favorite part of the conference was probably the opening and the closing ceremonies,” Liu said.

“Both were really phenomenal experiences and we got to speak in both, but [we] spoke longer in the opening ceremony.”

Instead of negatively impacting the delegates at the conference, the long-standing rivalry between Palos Verdes High and Peninsula High actually boosted their competitiveness positively and helped both teams do the best that they could.

“We got along very well and it was actually refreshing because the rivalry wasn’t what everyone made it out to be,” Liu said. “It was more of a friendly rivalry which is good because it combined the collaboration along with the competition and it just made all of us want to work harder.”

After many long years of the PV-Pen Conference’s absence, Liu and Hadidjaja were proud to help plan and host this conference and bring it back once again.

“I have formed the most amazing relationships through MUN, and the experiences that I have all shared with the people in MUN are some of the best from my high school experience,” Hadidjaja said. “We loved the PV-Pen MUN Conference because it was another memory to add to our collection.”

Sports 10 Foster follows family triathlon tradition

Jordan Chang

a triathlete must swim through a body of water without any lanes or boundaries for a fairly large distance.

“I was first hesitant of doing a triathlon because of the open water swim. Though the more I thought about my swimming ability, I realized there was no need to worry,” Foster said. “The key in open water swimming is to not panic.”

Foster has competed in a variety of different triathlon types, including the sprint and Olympic distances. A sprint triathlon is considered to be a shorter type in which participants swim, bike, and run about half of the distance that they would in an Olympic.

However, these are by no means easy as triathletes still cover about twenty miles. Olympic distance triathlons include are in between the lengths of sprint and iron man distances.

Foster plans to be involved with triathlons during college and beyond. For those who aspire to finish a triathlon, Foster offers some advice.

“Make sure to have plenty of nutrition and fluids even when you are not thirsty,” Foster said.

“Never give up and even in the last leg of the race, do not walk!”

Temishi Onnekikami/The Pen

Last year, senior Sarah Foster as an athlete,” Foster’s father, Kirk consecutively swam the length of Foster said. sixteen football fields, biked the Foster works out ten to twelve length of Sunset Boulevard and ran times a week for a total of thirteen seven times the width of USC’s to fifteen hours. She switches campus during the USA Triathlon off between swimming, biking, 2015 Olympic Distance National and running and bricks, which is Championships. Foster completed biking immediately followed by a the triathlon with a time of 3:01.24, run. Sometimes, she will even do and will be doing another one this a double, meaning that she swims August. in the morning and runs at night.

“My favorite part of a triathlon Vigorous and constant training has is the three different aspects of “It takes a lot of skill to the sport: running, biking and swimming. Every triathlete has a perform well in [a triathlon], specialty, which makes the sport therefore every triathlete must very competitive. It takes a lot of have a lot of dedication to the skill to perform well in all three parts of the sport, therefore sport.” every triathlete must have a lot of -Senior Sarah Foster dedication to the sport,” Foster said.

Foster has been inspired to allowed Foster to figure out the compete in triathlons by her club best ways to maintain her health and swim coach, high school coach strength. and, especially, her family. She “I have learned how to manage comes from a family of talented my time well, work through pain and and dedicated athletes, with her find what works best for me,” Foster dad, grandfather, uncle and cousins said. “I try out new schedules and also being avid triathletes. Foster’s nutrition to see what works best for father has supported her by training my performance.” alongside her and helping her build a With such a physically intense solid training schedule. sport, Foster has encountered “Sarah’s love of exercise multiple obstacles. One of these and incredible work ethic have involved the open water swim contributed greatly to her success portion of competitions. This is when

Minnesota coaxes Stockstad with Coxswain position Zain Riaz

deliberation, chose to accept her offer from the University of Minnesota.

Senior Anna Stockstad got a Division “I was born in Minnesota and lived 1 scholarship to row at the University of there for more than half of my life, so Minnesota this fall.

I’m returning home for college. I’ll be Stockstad committed to University rowing on the Mississippi River in my of Minnesota in November. She has home state, so this makes me even more succeeded in the past three years as excited to be going to the University of a coxswain, who sits in the stern and Minnesota,” Stockstad said. “The level of steers the boat, for Long Beach Junior competition on a D1 team is much more Crew. intense than at the junior level. Plus, I will “I have been a have close teammates “I fell in love with the coxswain for three that I’ll be happy to years. I started after leadership and responsibility call my family.” seeing rowing in the University of [that comes with] being a Olympics and I did a Minnesota has many learn-to-row camp at coxswain, as well as the thrill high-level athletes on my club,” Stockstad its rowing team, with of the sport.” said. “I fell in love many players winning -Senior Anna Stockstad All-American titles. with the leadership and responsibility Stockstad hopes to [that comes with] being a coxswain, as exceed these high expectations as a well as the thrill of the sport.” coxswain.

Stockstad competes regionally and “Coxing for Division 1 rowing nationally at the junior level. She has program will be an amazing experience raced in multiple regattas, series of boat for Anna. For the next four years she will races, across the country. Stockstad has be surrounded by the best rowers in the already received four gold medals this U.S. and will live in the best environment season. that a sportsman can be,” Long Beach Stockstad got scholarship offers Junior Crew head coach Rodrigo from four universities, and after much Rodrigues said.

Anna Stockstad (center) poses with her Long Beach Junior Crew women’s lightweight teammates. She competed at San Diego Crew Classic for the lightweight eight heat race.

Courtesy of Anna Stockstad Stockstad is hopeful that she will grow as a coxswain on the Minnesota rowing team and hopes to compete in the NCAA championship.

Rodrigues has confidence that Anna will continue to get better in college.

“Anna has improved her understanding about rowing and its details so much for the last six months; her leadership is becoming evidential and it will definitely make a difference for her

to achieve a great position on her team next year.”

Stockstad looks forward to her season and new life in University of Minnesota, and has visited the school multiple times.

“I have already visited the campus twice, [and] I will be returning over the summer for orientation and welcome week,” Stockstad said. “For now, I am finishing up racing with my junior team.”

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Gino Abrajano/ The Pen

From left to right: freshman Joshua Liu, junior Katelynn Cha and junior Jake Milch represent water polo, golf and basketball respectively.

Athletes make most of spring offseason Jordan Chang Despite finishing their regular seasons, Peninsula sports teams are still training hard during offseason. Whether it is because players dream of advancing to a higher level or have a strong passion, many continue to practice and improve themselves.

Since its shortened season and hiatus due to numerous injuries, Peninsula’s football team has been training in hopes of starting off strong next fall. The team began offseason with coach Michael Christensen in November and has continued with coach David Young since January. The focus is on memorizing plays and maintaining health and muscular strength. The team practices five to six times a week, conditioning in the weight room and running routes.

“We lift weights most days, so we’re all definitely getting stronger,” junior varsity football player Wyatt Chang said.

“We also learn the schemes like the plays and defensive responsibilities through drills such as the defensive seven-onseven.”

Girl’s basketball starts the year with preseason during the fall. During preseason, the players went through a modified version of a military training workout taught by members of the military. They endured grueling drills such as 400 meter sprints and 25 pound military box lifts to prepare for regular season. The team began its offseason in late February. They have been practicing Monday through Friday during sixth period and sometimes after school when they have access to the main gym. These practices are not as strenuous as regular season, but the team still trains to stay in shape with both cardio runs and sprints.

Basketball practice continues into summer, during which returning players participate in scrimmages against other schools.

“Instead of doing folkstyle wrestling, we do greco style.

Greco style is when you only use your hands to wrestle.”

-Sophomore Taurean Zhang

“Our team just tries to improve for the season ahead,” frosh-soph player Katie Hsu said. “My favorite part of offseason practice is the scrimmaging within our own team and against other teams.”

The wrestling team begins offseason practice at the end of March, during which the biggest change is in the style of wrestling they practice. The style used in high school and collegiate competitions is called folkstyle, in which the goal is to pin opponents to the ground using a wrestler’s entire body. Instead of using this during offseason, the team practices greco-style. This style prohibits the use of legs to defend oneself and is slightly less tiring. The players also practice throws, weight lift and compete in optional tournaments to prepare for the upcoming season.

“I like learning new freestyle moves and strengthening skills that I can practice over the summer and use during

“During offseason we just try to get ahead for the next season. It’s a little less tiring and we get to scrimmage more.”

-Sophomore Katie Hsu

season,” varsity wrestling member Diego Sheng said.

During offseason for girls volleyball, which starts in November and ends in February, the team does not have access to the gym while the boys’ team plays.

Due to this, they focus on conditioning through cardio circuits and ab workouts on the track and in the new weight room. When preseason starts in March, the girls get back on the court and increase practice time to perfect strategy and volleyball skills for the next season.

For players, the offseason and preseason serve as opportunities to focus on improving overall fitness in preparation for the coming season.

“Offseason helps keep me in shape and become stronger for next season,” sophomore and junior varsity player Lauren Leung said. “My favorite part is seeing my teammates and continuing to play together unlike sports that don’t have offseason practice.”

“Offseason is a great break from regular season that allows the team to come together during a nonstressful time.”

-Sophomore Lauren Leung

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