The Pen by The Pen Newspaper

the newspaper of Palos Verdes Peninsula High School 27118 Silver Spur Road, Rolling Hills Estates, CA 90274

www.pvphsnews.com

Vol. XXXIII Issue 8 31 May 2013

RI EL UM /Th e Pe n

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Around the world in

82DAYS

Peninsula students and faculty head out across the globe this summer, not only for vacation, but for school and work as well

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NEWS

Seniors join previous prankers PEN NEWS WRITER

Early on the morning of May 20, a group of eight seniors from Peninsula came onto campus and stacked newly painted lunch benches along the entrance to the school as a part of their senior prank. In addition to the lunch tables, the students tied fishing line along stairwells and

were filed, yet no police reports were created and no student was arrested. Each student was given a two-day suspension. “I don’t believe their intent was to cause harm,” Cress said. “We know that. They just didn’t think of the consequences.” The students were not permitted to participate in any extra curricular activities that were scheduled during their

COURTESY OF KRISTEN KOYANAGI

By USWAH SHABBIR

“I don’t believe their intent was to cause harm. They just didn’ think of the consequences.”

benches. The culprits of the incident were identified due to the various surveillance cameras on campus. “Senior pranks are not a rite of passage,” Principal Mitzi Cress said via an email released to the student body. Due to the fishing lines tied on the stairs and benches, two campus employees, Jim Lillie and Al Liwag, were injured. Liwag tripped on the fishing line and fell. No other students or faculty, however, were injured. “Fortunately, the injuries weren’t more serious,” Cress said. Two campus accident reports

two-day suspension. This, however, is not the only senior prank in Peninsula’s history. For the past ten years, seniors have exercised their creativity through a variety of pranks. Some of the most memorable include creating a web of twine across the amphitheater, stacking lunch tables on top of the cafeteria roof and locking a horse in a classroom overnight. Throughout the years, senior pranks have been a part of Peninsula tradition, though some may result in negative consequences for the students involved.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY MiINA ZHANG PEN

-Principal Mitzi Cress

Class of 2013 joins the ranks of previous senior pranks. Top: pranks have been a tradition throughout the years. Bottom: A group of eight seniors were suspended as a result of one prank which led to an injury TAKEN BY KURT JUPIN

TAKEN BY KURT JUPIN

May budget revision holds no clear promise By USWAH SHABBIR

budget situation is a great way for students to get involved because it directly affects them.” As the school year ends, Initially, Gov. Brown’s school staffs begin to plan proposed cutting the funding of accordingly for the school year Regional Occupational Centers, ahead. At the state level, the including student resources state education budget for the such as So Cal ROC. Lieu and 2013- 2014 school year is yet to three other legislators from be decided. In the May revise, both Northern and Southern issued May 14, Governor Jerry California objected. They drafted Brown hoped to pitch a budget letters to Governor Brown, to be urging him approved “If students, parents, and teachers to continue by June care about the school district, they allocating 15. should contact the governor and funding These for these speak out.” revisions Regional -State Senator Ted Lieu include Occupational new Centers. estimates The updated for state revenue and the allotted proposal funds the Regional funding for K-12 education, Occupational Center programs including bonus funding for and Home-to-School schools that have 50 percent or Transportation for two additional more students who are English years. Language Learners or have Free This revised budget proposal and Reduced Lunches. This continues to address more details directly influences the Palos and implementation issues and is Verdes Peninsula Unified School a step closer to ending the budget District, because extra money conflicts. The next month is is being given to disadvantaged critical in determining the final districts. outcome of the 2013-2014 school “If the students, parents and year budget. The specific impact teachers care about the school of the final budget for PVPUSD district, they should contact the is still being determined, and governor and speak out,” State cannot be known until the exact Senator Ted Lieu said. “The budget plan is set forth. PEN NEWS WRITER

The teachers graduating with the class of 2013. From left to right, Jill Verenkoff, Judi Lemons and Mike Jagd.

Teachers retire as class of 2013 graduates By VALERIA PARK PEN NEWS WRITER

As the school year comes to an end, the teaching careers of several staff members are also ending. Teachers Judi Lemons, Jill Verenkoff and Mike Jagd are retiring. After teaching government for 17 years and having her students featured on television, Lemons has to decided to retire. Lemons still plans on visiting Peninsula to cheer on the Panthers. “I plan to take classes at Berkeley, travel to Italy and possibly work in a flower shop,” Lemons said. “I am graduating with the best senior class ever.” Jagd has been coaching volleyball and teaching English at Peninsula for 14 years. Jagd hopes to write a book

about a journey in the 1500s emphasizing Europe’s collision with the New World. “I will miss waking up everyday to meet the bright young scholars of Peninsula High School for some coffee, some discussion, some writing and some education,” Jagd said. As a volleyball coach he has been able to send ten players to participate in college-level volleyball, and as a teacher he feels that his greatest achievement has been his ability to teach in an enlightened way. Verenkoff has been teaching at Peninsula for 20 years and this year, she received the Teacher Recognition Award from the Department of Education. In her retirement, she plans on traveling around Eastern Europe

with her husband. Verenkoff’s various achievements, including accompanying two presidential scholars to Washington D.C., will remain as proud memories of her teaching career. “It is time for my retirement,” Verenkoff said. “My husband and I have been putting traveling on hold, but he is retiring, so now we get to travel in the nicest times of the year.” These positions will soon be filled for the 2013-2014 school year. “I am so sad to see these teachers leave, but wish them well in retirement,” Principal Mitzi Cress said. “This is a tremendous loss for Peninsula High and we will need to do our best to find other great teachers for next year.”

OPINION

High school establishes futures

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Editorial By EDITORIAL STAFF

By MINA ZHANG PEN OPINION WRITER

High school seems trivial compared to the entirety of a person’s life, yet it is not an experience that can be casually brushed off after graduation. These four years are some of the most influential in a person’s life and can impact the students’ futures. According to Psychology Today, a “reminiscence bump” signifies a peak in the amount of memories that one recalls between the ages ten to thirty. These memories of high school and college are the ones that students remember most distinctly, even when they become adults. This clarity with which the students remember their high school years influences their personalities later in life. High school, in its entirety, is the time during which a person rapidly transitions from childhood to adulthood. A New York Magazine survey found that adult men’s wages were directly correlated to

their height at age 16. Men who were taller in comparison to their classmates at this age consistently earned more than men who were shorter, not taking into account how tall they are currently. “How well you do with peers as an early teen tells us a whole lot about how you manage as an adult,” University of Virginia psychology professor Joseph Allen said. In addition, studies show that a student’s high school grade point average is positively correlated with adult achievement. “I believe that high school has an influence on who we are and who we become as people,” senior Mary Butcher said. “ I think we become a more developed version of what we are now.” Students do not come out of high school with a set identity, but it lays the foundation for who they will become. For those hoping to reinvent themselves, these four years are not a time period that can be easily erased.

Life is a series of transitions, from one school to another, from one stage of life to the next. As the members of the class of 2013 prepare to transition from Peninsula to wherever life may lead them, it is important to remain cognizant of a few important facts. Of course, it would be too simple to boldly proclaim that we are the best graduating class to walk the halls of Peninsula. Whether or not the above statement is true is entirely up to you to decide. But in either case, we are, undeniably, unique individuals who, over the course of the past four years, have bonded as one class: studying together, procrastinating together, and, more than anything, making memories together that will last for the rest of our lives. Perhaps those memories are ones that you will want to cherish or maybe they are ones that you hope to

forget. Regardless, the time spent in this school has, in some way, shape, or form, impacted each and every one of us. As children, we all had some idea of what we wanted to grow up to be – doctors and astronauts, athletes and musicians. Now, as the future looms ahead of us, tantalizingly close yet shrouded by an intangible mist of uncertainty, it would be wrong to claim that we are any more certain of what the future holds for us than when we were kids. However, simply by virtue of having studied at Peninsula, we can at least move into the future, confident in ourselves as individuals, and also as a group of capable human beings. Of course, there are a number of happy recollections to recount here – like when the entire school came together to organize a great flash mob for the incoming freshman class or when it gathered a stunning

number of students to perform a hilarious rendition of the Harlem Shake in the amphitheater. These will be memories that Panthers can look back on years from now and smile. But there were also events that were more serious in nature and taught us about the harsher realities of the world. Events of loss and injury, like the death of a friend or the vandalism of our school campus as a result of a spiteful rivalry; the unfortunate loss of numerous programs as a result of funding cuts; and the passing of beloved teachers. The balance between the good and bad, the positive and negative, throughout these four years have all contributed to shaping us, and as we transition to the next stage of our lives, although we will be dispersing across the globe, we will all be, at heart, Peninsula graduates. Go out and show the world what a Panther can do.

PALOS VERDES PENINSULA HIGH SCHOOL 27118 Silver Spur Road, Rolling Hills Estates, CA 90274 EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Jason Choe, Edwin Chu, Kendall Van Nort COPY/DESIGN EDITOR Samantha Neal WEB CHIEF Michael Yu MARIE LUM/PEN

NEWS Editors: Sunnie Kim, Zohair Lalani Writers: Chris Kong, Uswah Shabbir, Valeria Park OPINION Editors: Viveka Krishnaswamy, Izma Shabbir Writers: Caroline Park, Florencia Park, Jasmine Kim, Mina Zhang FOCUS Editors: Sehar Dedmari, Stephanie Minn Writers: Jina Kim, Julian Choi, Soolgi Hong STUDENT LIFE Editor: Michelle Lin Writers: Fatima Siddiqui, Rachel Tosney, Tunika Onnekikami ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Editors: Audrey Tsai, Wendy Wei Writers: Charles Kim, Lauren Lee, Maerah Ahmed SPORTS Editors: Bryan Lee, Jonathan Wu Writers: Amy Valukonis, Charles Kim, Noah Werksman, Sam Quon WEB Web Editor: Robert Papa GRAPHICS Benson Leung Marie Lum BUSINESS TEAM Manager: Liliana Pond Assistant: Alisha Prasad ADVISER Katherine Crowley 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 Liliana Pond at (310) 377- 4888 ext. 652. The Pen editors appreciate Letters to the Editors, which may be accepted up to one week before publication. You may submit them to H52 or Katherine Crowley’s mailbox. Copyright © 2013

Political mudslinging hinders civil discussion By MINA ZHANG PEN OPINION WRITER

Politics has come a long way since 1856, when a disagreement over the issue of abolition led Rep. Preston Brooks to beat Sen. Charles Sumner unconscious with a cane. While physical assault is far from acceptable today, political attack has evolved into name-calling and fingerpointing. In the past 2012 presidential election, both the Obama and Romney campaigns partook in negative advertising. As a result, people have become more concerned with personal character rather than political policies. The lack of civility detracts attention from actual issues. Thus, it is imperative to move away from this meaningless form of debate. On May 19, Peninsula hosted local leaders at the second annual Capitol Comes to Campus. Junior Natalie Edelstein led a discussion on the idea of participating in

respectable debate with others. “Without civil debate you don’t get equal representation in politics and a tremendous amount of people go unserved,” Edelstein said. The American public is aware of this problem. A 2010 survey by the Center for Political Participation showed that 61 percent of the people believe that the tone of presidential campaigning that occurred in the 2008 election was a threat to democracy. “[Discourtesy] doesn’t solve a problem,” Palos Verdes Estates Mayor Jim Goodhart said. “It compromises the solution to a problem and is not productive.” Participating in civil debate is an issue on both a local and a personal level. One of the goals of this year’s Capitol Comes to Campus was to increase civic engagement among students in the community. Students were encouraged to express their ideas through congenial

discourse, which was practiced throughout the event. Rolling Hills Estates Mayor Pro Tem Judy Mitchell discussed the guidelines of properly engaging in civil debate. “One is to refrain from pre-judging an issue before you’re at the city council and you’ve heard the public and the staff report,” Mitchell stated. “Second, have respect for every other member of the city council and his viewpoint. Accept that perspective as a valid one as you evaluate your own perspective.” In addition, a research brief published by the National Institute for Civil Discourse showed that people are often threatened or made uncomfortable when conversing with those who have differing standpoints. “The bottom line is that it actually hurts people and it’s not right,” Goodhart concluded about impertinence in American debate. “It is not civil.”

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Hansen revamps clothing and career By MAERAH AHMED PEN A&E WRITER

Among the typical array of V-necks and sweatshirts on campus, T-shirts imprinted with “Keep it Copacetic” steal the hearts of many students looking for an alternative to trendy clothes. Junior Tallulah Hansen has created her own fashion line, Copacetic Vintage, inspired by vintage clothing. After working at the clothing store Brandy Melville for six months, Hansen was inspired to start a fashion line and began collecting vintage items. When her collection grew, she decided to start selling her items.

“The concept is to motivate our generation to incorporate vintage pieces into modern day outfits,” Hansen said. Hansen purchases her inventory from various places, including garage sales and thrift stores. As the founder, she photographs her products to advertise her clothing styles on Etsy, an online marketplace for handmade and vintage items. Copacetic Vintage already has its own Instagram, Blogspot, Facebook and store website to further promote her line. Hansen often posts pictures of models in the clothes. She believes her models have helped

make her line more popular. Junior Rachel Zack is one of the models. “I think the company is such a unique, brilliant idea that shows that old and new trends can be combined,” Zack said. Hansen not only sells vintage clothing and accessories, but also creates original designs and alters vintage items. She purchases plain shirts and embroiders a handdrawn design onto them. Prices range from $3 to $50 depending on age, rarity and quality. The company’s clothing stock is split into three categories: Vintage, Revamped Vintage and Originals. Vintage includes clothing and accessories that were crafted before

1993. Revamped Vintage includes classic items that Hansen has redesigned and updated. Originals showcase Hansen’s own handmade designs. “My original designs try to portray California’s laid back, rad lifestyle,” Hansen said. “I like the clothing from the 1980s and 1990s for my vintage collection.” Senior Maika Koehl is a frequent customer of Copacetic Vintage. “[Copacetic Vintage] has a ton of beautiful, original pieces that cannot be found anywhere else,” Koehl said. “It can get expensive; however, the effort and care by Hansen is apparent.”

MARIE LUM/PEN

Whether it be now or later, students decide which roads they will travel to advance their careers. However, some are finding ways to actively achieve their dreams now.

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FOCUS

Former student finds his forte By SOOLGI HONG PEN FOCUS WRITER

Instead of being glued to the television screen to watch cartoons like other 3-year-old children, former Peninsula student Caleb Collins was caught listening to his CD player. From a young age, Collins knew that he was going into music and decided to take an unconventional road to achieve his musical dreams. During the sixth grade, Collins decided that he wanted to become a music producer; he is studying jazz guitar, classical piano and voice. To learn more about the music industry, Collins also participates in programs such as SongFest, the Bill Green Mentorship Program and the L.A. Jazz Society. However, according to Collins, balancing both his music career and schoolwork proved to be quite a difficult task. Depending on which program was in session, Collins could have up to three music practices

in one week. As a result, he decided to stop attending Peninsula and opted for an online education. “My experience at Peninsula was fun and I had a good time, but I knew it was not what I wanted,” Collins said. “The traditional school experience didn’t give me enough time outside of school to work on all the different aspects of music that I study.” By choosing to end his enrollment at Peninsula, Collins has been able to spend more time focusing on his music; this path, naturally, also raises concerns for the future. “Everyone knows that it is hard to succeed in the music business, but I don’t let that get me discouraged because in this day and age, it is very hard to succeed in any industry,” Collins said. According to Collins, dedicating himself to music poses another risk.

Bridging the Gap:

Students explore options for gap year By JINA KIM AND JULIAN CHOI PEN FOCUS WRITERS A survey of 420 of Peninsula’s seniors concludes that 98 percent of them will matriculate from high school to college in the coming year. The other 2 percent take different paths, including entering the workplace and taking gap years. Senior Harold Hong has opted to do the latter; he will intern in the finance industry. “I did not get into my reach schools, so I thought maybe after interning, my resume for reapplying would give me a better chance,” Hong said. “Getting an internship at these huge, prestigious companies, especially at Goldman Sachs, is nearly impossible. ” Hong will spend the first half of his gap year at Booze Allen Hamilton, a strategy and management consulting firm, and the second half at Goldman Sachs, a global investment banking and securities firm. “The opportunity came to me when my dad told me he would try to get me an internship opportunity at several big companies, and he wanted to get me more work experience in the

business field,” Hong said. At Goldman Sachs, Hong will intern mostly for Investment Banking, where he will shadow an analyst. “The goal of the internship at Goldman Sachs is to gather information, support client relations, and assist banking teams with day-to-day responsibilities,” Hong said. At Booze Allen Hamilton, Hong will be paired with a mentor to learn about resource management consulting and decision analysis. Over the course of both internships, Hong will receive on the job training. Hong hopes to take his experiences and apply them to his future in business. “It was really hard for me to decide. I was pretty set on going to USC and being with some of my good friends there but then these internship opportunities came up,” Hong said. “I know in the long run, this gap year will help and give me the experience of working in a big consulting firms, which not a lot of people will ever get.” After a year of interning, Hong hopes the experience will pay off in his college endeavors.

“If I did decide to switch from applying to college for music to something else, I don’t think I would have very good opportunities, as I’ll be on the track to study music,” Collins said. “But, I’m 99 percent sure that I want to study music in college.” Next fall, Collins will continue his education by attending the magnet Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, to study voice. This specialized school is located on the California State University Los Angeles campus and accepts only 150 students per year. All students must audition for a spot at the competitive school. “It’s going to be really awesome there because its curriculum is based around arts,” Collins said. “Every day you have three periods of normal academic classes, and after lunch, you have only arts classes until 4 p.m. [The school] has great teachers for the arts.”

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STUDENT LIFE 9

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By TUNIKA ONNEKIKAMI PEN STUDENT LIFE WRITER

After graduation, some adventurous students journey to foreign lands. Out of the 550 seniors, eight Panthers will attend college abroad. Senior Daniele GonzalezPruitt will be attending the University of Toronto in Canada. She has traveled often which contributed to her decision to leave the states. “I first started thinking about [schooling] in Canada during my sophomore year,” Gonzalez said. Affordability was a deciding factor for Gonzalez-Pruitt. Since her father is a Canadian citizen, Gonzalez-Pruitt will be paying $6,000 a year in tuition, compared to the average $34,000 in the United States. Other than affordability, attending universities abroad can also give students an upper hand when searching for careers. Gonzalez said that her major, art history, will require traveling abroad often. Attending a foreign school will develop her ability to

adapt to different environments, a skill she will need later on. For students not attending an international institution, study abroad programs are an option that many American institutions offer. Some colleges even make them graduation requirements, such as Soka University of

abroad program] has been a dream of mine since middle school. The possibilities of what I could gain are endless,” Solomon said. “I’m looking forward to improving my language skills and opening my mind to a new perspective on life.” According to a survey

“The possibilities of what I could gain are endless; I’m looking forward to improving my language skills and opening my mind to a new perspective on life.” - ‘12 Alumnus Bria Solomon America, where ’12 alumnus Bria Solomon attends. “I’ve known about Soka’s study abroad program since 2008. While I was still in eighth grade, I went with my brother to Soka,” Solomon said. “There I first learned about the study abroad program and developed a liking for the school.” Solomon, now a freshman at Soka, will be traveling to Japan in her junior year. “Going to Japan [on a study

conducted by Dr. Jo Beall of the British Council, out of 2,100 adults surveyed, 54 percent regretted not studying abroad. In fact, 74 percent revealed that they thought they would have had better job prospects if they had studied abroad. Solomon believes the coming generation will be more involved with foreign affairs. “Many American students don’t have a great extent of knowledge regarding

MARIE LUM/PEN

Grads seek schools overseas

international affairs,” Solomon said. “What you can learn from a culture first-hand far exceeds any knowledge that can be gained from a textbook.” According to International Education of Students Abroad News, out of 14,800 students who embarked on colleges abroad, nearly 90 percent of those surveyed indicated their experience had influenced all their later educational decisions. Also, 60 percent of students surveyed returned back to the country where they studied. College Career Center Director Terri Lewallen believes that attending international schools is a great option, but suggests that students should consider the same factors they would consider if applying for a national university. “When you are making your college list and choosing the school,consider what you are looking for; are you going to be able to be successful; is it in a place where you want to go and can you financially support yourself in that institution?” Lewallen said.

The French toast American hosts By AROOJ ANWAR PEN STUDENT LIFE WRITER

This summer, 15 to 20 Peninsula students will host exchange students from France. In return, Panthers will have the opportunity to live in France for three weeks during the summer or a week and a half during the school year. Sophomores Renee and Annelise Royles will host 18-year-old Andrea Sallioni this summer. The siblings plan on taking her to all the hotspots in California like Hollywood, Santa Monica, Venice Beach and even San Francisco. “I am really excited to get to know her and spend time with her,” Renee Royles said. French teacher Tim Gaylord of Palos Verdes High School, head of this exchange program asked Thompson to spread the word to help find hosts for the French students. “Hosting students from France has been going on for five years and it becomes more memorable each year,” foreign language teacher Jazz Thompson said. The three have been keeping in touch via Facebook and phone calls. Royles recently met Sallioni’s family and said that Sallioni is excited to be immersed in American culture. “The French kids are looking forward to the ‘typical’ American experience,” Gaylord said.

Art showcase displays student creativity By MAERAH AHMED PEN STUDENT LIFE WRITER

YAE STAEDLY/THE PEN YAE STAEDLY/THE PEN

“It’s always a good opportunity for kids to get their art out there to show their creative ideas to a broader public,” Karg said. Junior Megan Harwell’s artwork was also on display at Student Art Exhibitions. Harwell challenged herself with the task of creating two pieces of work: sculptured, clay bowls with animal tops, a frog and a scorpion. The pieces took two weeks to complete. “The show reveals to students that art is more than just a letter grade,” Harwell said “It’s about enjoyment and expression.” Unlike the annual elementary and middle school showcases, the High School Student Art Exhibition is a judged show and includes awards given out to selected participants. “It is a juried show meaning the art exhibit is the best of the best,” Education Director of the Palos Verdes Art Center Gail Phinney said. “It shows the progression of these young artists’ wonderful art and the instruction done by the teachers.”

YAE STAEDLY/THE PEN

From May 3 to May 26, sculptures of dragons and paintings of scenery adorned the Promenade on the Peninsula. Many of these are the works of Peninsula students. The exhibition was presented by the Palos Verdes Art Center, in collaboration with the Beverly G. Alpay Center For Arts Education. The public gallery displayed sculptures, paintings and photographs from students from the three district high schools, Palos Verdes High, Peninsula High, and Rancho Del Mar High School. Sophomore Marcello Martinoli’s sculpture of a Chinese New Year dragon displayed took him a month to complete. “It’s nice to see the artwork of teens in Palos Verdes,” Martinoli said. “I saw really great pieces of art, and it’s good for teens because they can express themselves in a way they cannot do in words.” Ceramics teacher Brendan Karg had many of his students participating in the exhibition.

Peninsula students contribute their work to the art show. (Top Left) Student-created pieces stood out on a table to greet viewers. (Top Right) Junior Megan Harwell sculpted clay pots adorned with animals. (Bottom) Sophomore Marcello Martinoli’s dragon stood complete after he handcrafted, detailed and attached different parts to the body.

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Team room provides new home to athletes By NOAH WERKSMAN PEN SPORTS WRITER

the wrestling team relocated to the weight rooms and main gym. “This team room is better than ones I have seen at colleges” star volleyball athlete Nicole Kerkhof said. “It is fun, and it gives everyone a better chance to bond.” Out of 2,500 students, 80 percent were enrolled in at least one sport during the 2012-2013 school year. The athletics program hopes that the team room will motivate more students to come out and join team sports. “I hope this project will inspire Peninsula’s students to perform their best,” Athletic Director Wendell Yoshida said. “This is just what we needed.” The team room will be closed until its doors will be thrown wide open by the girls’ and boys’ basketball teams and the girls’ volleyball team this fall.

By CHARLES KIM PEN SPORTS WRITER

After three years, football head coach Adam Boyd resigned to pursue his teaching credential. His replacement, Michael Christensen, was subsequently hired a week later on May 3 to take command of Peninsula’s football program. “I am very excited for this job,” Christensen said. “I see a lot of room for improvement.” Coach Christensen coached football at four other schools including Loyola, Lakewood, Carson and South Torrance. Under Christensen’s leadership, these teams achieved a combined record of 151-98-1, leading the varsity teams to CIF 15 out of the last 19 seasons. Since 2005, Peninsula’s football program has not surfaced above a 50 percent winning percentage. Christensen hopes to transform the mediocre team into a winning team. “As long as the kids work hard, stay focused, and let me coach, we will perform well in the upcoming seasons,” Christensen said. “My only focus now is to prepare for the fall season.”

Coach Christensen worked as a Peninsula football coach at the beginning of his career in 1980. That year, Peninsula attained a winning record. “I have always been impressed with Peninsula because of its great academics and welcoming student body,” said Christensen. “I had a lot of fun with the team in the 80’s.” Peninsula has high hopes for its football team this upcoming fall as fullback Dylan Crosgrove, a valuable asset, will return to the roster after tearing his ACL last year. Also, senior quarterback Ian Escutia will lead the offense as captain. “Coach Christensen brings a new light and inspiration to us,” junior running back Garret Nelsen said. “I have never seen anyone more enthusiastic about winning.” During the team’s offseason, Christensen leads his boys to the track to compete and condition in sprints. “I feel the pressure within,” Christensen said. “All I am here for is to build a healthy football program that will continue to motivate its athletes.” Already, Christensen’s football program is a month into its conditioning and tryouts schedule. During the six weeks in the summer, his team will be gearing up for a long and rough 2013 fall season.

KENTARRO CROCKETT/ THE PEN

The new sports team room is bringing new opportunities to Panther athletics. The 2,000 square foot gym annex, once home to wrestlers and musicians, has been renovated and refurbished for use by a variety of varsity athletes. The new facility, elaborately equipped with panoramic audio speakers, a coach’s office, five workout and studying cubicles, new lockers and a large flatscreen television, will serve as a home to Peninsula’s volleyball, wrestling and basketball teams in the upcoming seasons. Micah Farrell, associate principal and team room project manager, initiated the construction of the new facility in Dec., 2012: “There was no use for the room, so we decided to install an apparatus where

athletes and their teams could watch tape and settle down during halftimes,” Farrell said. “It needed to be fixed up.” The new team room was launched within a month. On Jan. 15, boys’ varsity basketball was the first to use the facility during the last regular season game against Palos Verdes High, and won the game decisively 60-54. “We huddled in the coach’s office or sit on the dance room floor to rest,” varsity athlete Tiana Clark said. “Now we have our own place to relax and warm-up for games.” The $12,000 team room project was finally completed on May 10 with the help of private donations from Peninsula families. The orchestral program was displaced to occupy the new Kelly Johnson field-house, and

Peninsula welcomes new head coach

Baseball: (7-4) In its second pitcher’s duel against Redondo, a bench-clearing brawl rallied the team to a 5-1 victory, evening up the series.

EDWIN JACOBSON/THE PEN

SPRING WRAP-UP

Junior Brett Albert swims the 100 butterfly. He helped secure Peninsula’s fifth consecutive Bay League win.

Boys’ and girls’ swim both place at CIF By SAM QUON PEN SPORTS WRITER

Boys’ Tennis: (4-4) Senior Jake Hoeger (#1) and freshman Daunte Harris (#2) led the tennis team to two victories over both Redondo Union and West Torrance.

Peninsula played a rigorous second game against the Mira Costa Mustangs by scoring five runs in the first inning and sliding to a 5-3 win.

Boys’ Track and Field: (4-1)

CHRIS MICHEL/ THE PEN

On May 11, the boys’ swim team participated in CIF. Seniors Benson Leung, Andrew Martin and John Wu and freshmen Ryan Snaguski and Michael Wu swam against 79 other schools. Unfortunately, the swimmers did not attain any points. “Despite our finish, it was a great experience just going out there to compete against the other schools,” Snaguski said. Leung swam his 100-meter breaststroke in 1:03 minutes. Martin competed in the 100-meter freestyle. Lastly, Wu swam in the 50-meter freestyle, finishing in 22.59 seconds and

also the 100-meter freestyle finishing in 49.92 seconds. The girls’ swim team sent ten swimmers to Riverside against 80 other schools, and fared better than the boys team. Senior Leslie Kurt swam in the 500-meter freestyle, finishing 13th. Freshman Emily Chung competed in the 100-meter backstroke and finished 13th. Freshman Emily Chung, sophomores Courtney Schmidt, Audrey Hung, Natalie Hill, Annie Wang with Razi and Kurt participated in the 200-meter medley, 200-meter freestyle and 400-meter freestyle. With 62 points, the team placed 17th out of the 80 schools.

Girls’ Softball: (7-3)

Boys’ and Girls’ Swimming: (4-0) This was the boys’ and girls’ fifth and second consecutive Bay League title, respectively. A combined total of three records were set.

The meet between Peninsula and Redondo was neck to neck until the very last events. Luckily, the triple jumpers secured the much-needed win for Peninsula.

Girls’ Lacrosse: (6-6) With a light bench and few veteran athletes, the team still managed to squeeze its way into CIF. The team lost in its first round.

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