High Tide: December 19, 2024

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December 19, 2024 Vol. CV Edition 4 Redondo Union High School Redondo Beach, CA, 90277

Teen slang, casual use of harmful language and verbal abuse in and outside of school should be adressed through inclusive conversations

features 6

Student-formed dance trio called Astra makes their mark on the dance competition circuit

opinion 11

Scheduling academic finals after winter break defeats the purpose of allowing students to rest during break

sports 15

Girls varsity basketball continues their winning streak, defeating Leuzinger

news

From textbook to reality

Students raise money for a culturally immersive trip

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by Hayden McMahon nity,” Keller said. “We’ve had a few dineopportunities. taying up all night baking cookies “In class, we learn about Black cultures in fundraisers and those were okay, but is only one effort that the AP Af- and how they've been made more unique didn’t make as big of a dent in the price as rican American Studies class has in America. New Orleans is a location that we thought, mainly because during one of made for their upcoming trip to New Orle- really stuck out, because it's a prime city the fundraisers, the restaurant closed due ans. Through fundraisers, they are focusing known for jazz and art that represents Af- to a power outage, which was really unforon raising the funds necessary to explore rican American culture,” White-Short said. tunate. We just worked a bake sale, and I the city’s rich cultural heritage. The trip’s “We wanted to embrace all that there is, in- was up all night baking cookies the night before, as were a lot of the other students.” council is meeting daily to plan what is ex- cluding the many [...] plantations.”

The group will be joined by Prinpected to be a very memorable cipal Marvin Brown, French teacher event.

Madame Cynthia Graffio and several Senior Jalene White-Short, of Graffio’s students, and they are president of the AP African still taking any student who wants to American Studies club, expects participate in what “will be a very fun to visit several historical sites trip.” Those that wish to join do not that will teach the students need to be in the AP African Amermore than they could learn in a ican Studies class and only need to traditional classroom. Accordbe interviewed by Keller in room 827 ing to White-Short, she and to be approved as an attendee. Keller several of her classmates realencourages students to join them ized that they could immerse and also believes this trip will be a themselves in the class’ conone-of-a-kind experience, just as it tent in a way that would benefit was for her when she travelled there them. in June of 2022.

“Since this is the first year “I have already been to New Orlethe course has ever been ofans.

I've been to the [...] plantations fered, there’s not much inforStudents perform in the AP African American Studies talent show. and the museums, and I remember mation because College Board PHOTO BY MIA CIELAK hasn’t developed it as much as most othAmber Keller, an AP United States how going in there [opened my eyes],” er AP curriculums. Going on an in-person History and AP African American Studies Keller said. “What's great about New Ortrip and experiencing what the lives of [en- teacher and the main coordinator of the leans is that it's original and authentic beslaved people] looked like back then will trip, says that once it was announced that cause it wasn't burned during the Civil War bring so much realization and awareness the trip was going from dream to reality, because Louisiana surrendered. We're gothat it's definitely so unique and will help the students were ecstatic and wanted to ing to take a cruise on the Mississippi River us towards [the AP test],” White-Short be a part of the planning right away. The with a private jazz band playing for us, and said. group has already hosted several fund- that night we're going to dress up and have According to White-Short, the group ws raisers, including a talent show and have lots of fun. Hearing the music and getting a originally planning to travel to South Afri- planned an ice skating event tomorrow, historical presentation of the history of jazz ca, but after calculating all the expenses, Dec. 20, which will take place at the Toyota music coming out of New Orleans is going to open [new academic experiences] up to they realized it was not possible in the rel- Center in El Segundo. atively short time they had to plan it. After “We are really hoping to bring the price the students, and they'll create some everresearching a more realistic location, they down so that everyone who wants to go lasting memories.” found that New Orleans was full of learning can go because it’s such a great opportu-

A new committee brainstorms bell schedule revisions

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by Aashka Bhuptani fter two guns were found on campus last year, RUHS took an unplanned day off in order to install metal detectors, causing the school to lose instructional time. This year, interest forms were distributed via email, inviting students to explain why they would be candidates for a new committee dedicated to proposing alternatives to our current school schedule.

The Bell Schedule Committee, including students, staff and parents, all take part in monthly meetings to brainstorm ideas that not only fit the students' and staff's ideas, but also take into account the minimum requirements that have to be met, otherwise the state could issue paid penalties. Geoffrey Watts, who teaches 10th grade World History and 11th grade U.S. History, is on the committee.

“The state’s minimum required [instructional] minutes is 64,800, and right now we are at that minimum. For example, when it was really hot about two months ago, and PV did a half-day. We didn't have that option to do a half-day because we don't have extra minutes built into our schedules,” Watts said.

According to Watts, the Bell Schedule Committee is focusing on increasing hours spent in the classroom, so that Redondo Union will be able to take time off if necessary. By taking inspiration from schools like Santa Monica High School, the Bell Schedule Committee is working to find new ways to meet California’s requirements.

Senior Caleb Perkins, one of the two student representatives of the committee, has experienced difficulties first-hand. Perkins has preferences when it comes to what schedules.

“The schedule should be changed to allow more time for students to do homework, and SSH should be revitalized and restructured to allow more intentional time for homework completion,” Perkins said.

“Students often have other commitments outside of school, so

they need to be able to have time to do their homework [if] they're not getting that time at home.”

The committee is just getting started, having had only one meeting so far; however, one proposal has already caught Perkins’ attention. This concept, allowing time to catch up on assignments, would replace SSH and last 45 minutes.

“It's an idea called Flex Time, which is a schedule that has been implemented at Santa Monica. In the upcoming months, we're going to be going over to some sites

and looking at how their schedules are and the things that are working for the staff and students at their school,” Perkins said.

Junior Emi Rivera, alongside Perkins, works as a student representative in the committee. She’s new to campus, only joining this year. While moving from school to school, she has experienced a variety of schedules from different districts, and she knows which of the committee’s concepts will work for her in the future.

“Flex Time would work well with our school schedule because if we keep that period available then students are able to see their teachers not just on the day that they have them, but also on days when they don’t. I personally like it because it allows students and teachers more flexibility.

It could help students get more work done,” Rivera said.

However, members of the committee are concerned about where time could be cut to allow for Flex Time. The committee is discussing shortening passing periods from 10 minutes to seven minutes to fit Flex Time in the schedule. Rivera hopes that implementing this new change in schedule will impact class dynamics and academic performance positively.

“One of the perspectives that a teacher might have is that implimenting Flex Time would help students to interact with their teachers," Rivera said. "It would also be able to help them out with their schoolwork by cutting down the periods time-wise to stay more focused in class.”

DATA FROM WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY "Effects of Flex Periods on High School Student Failure Rates" PHOTO OF CLOCK VIA PNGTREE

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staff editors-in-chief Scarlett Mische Marley Van Pelt Stavyah Naveen Cristina Couch digital director Ethan Chi news editors Leyla Evenson Payton Rothluebbers features editors Daniella Gross Ava Anzivino opinion editors Claudia Turner Priya Ramcharan entertainment editors Isabella Kohler Meara Fay sports editors Celeste Ernau-Vargas Jayla Dorbor writing & copy editors Kat Otey Deeksha Prasad Delilah Aguilar online editors Lauren Choy Rena Felde Valentina Masoni Deeksha Prasad Amina Raïss Sam Schwartz Marlena Lipan Kate Brucia Katarina Sapina Aaliyah Roberson adviser Kerri Eastham staff writers Sanaya Bhatt Aashka Bhuptani Fi Borgese Blaze Braff Ziva Chabot Kaitlyn Chang Evie Comeaux Bella Engleman Maria Gaggiano Ellie Gasparovic Safi Hamilton-Torres Stella Harper Carly Jacecko photographers Mia Cielak Lorelai Land Haylee Lawrence Kathan Mallya Talia Pattishall Evan Teal

Kate Lanzdorf Allison Lee Kayli Mai Hayden McMahon Emery Min Isabella Nguyen Ashley Peterson Melissa Pilato Sophie Rebbeck Khloee Tange Francisco Villegas Matthew Vitt Samantha Kim

news 3

high tide dec. 19, 2024

The play that went right The theatre department performs "The Play That Goes Wrong"

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by Khloee Tange clock on a couch, a flower pot doubling as keys, and three people all playing one character are the things that made RUHS's performance of “The Play That Goes Wrong” a comedic success, breaking the record of ticket sales for a play at RUHS. Senior Alaka'i Jellings works on tech as a shop foreman, building the set and props of the play. The setting plays a crucial role in the play and highlights many of the characters’ mistakes, bringing the story to life, according to Jellings.

“The whole play is meant to be over the top. It's meant to be almost unrealistic, but have that level of groundedness at the same time,” Jellings said. “I think the fact that the set is so free and so many props move and fall help really capture that sense of suspense and disbelief.”

The blend of exaggerated failure creates a distinctive experience for the audience, and having life in the props gives a visual representation, according to Jellings. In order to display the “wrong” in the performance, the set and props work with the

characters to move and fall, in order to convey that idea.

“Designing the set, we really wanted to put in all of the parts that we think would make a good representation of how things can go wrong during a show and how to deal with that as a theater,” Jellings said.

Junior Allison Sutton plays Chris, who in turn plays Inspector Carter. She explains how the sense of uncertainty in the show keeps the audience on edge, leading to shocked reactions and laughter.

“The play projects a lot of chaos, humor and suspense. Everything is entirely up in the air. Anything can happen, and I think that's where a lot of the laughs and reactions from the audience come from,” Sutton said.

According to Sutton, it’s exhilarating seeing a performance she’s worked so hard on have such a positive reaction from the audience. Jellings agrees with this idea because, once everything clicks into place, and the audience validates the hard work put into the show, the sense of accomplishment is overwhelming.

“You see everything come together and

you put it on one stage. It's all there working the way you want it to, and you hear the audience react to it. It's really rewarding seeing your hard work's final product,” Jellings said.

As the cast and crew bring their work to life on stage, much of the satisfaction not only lies within the finished product, but also in the happiness of experiencing working with others to create a show.

“We've been working so hard in rehearsals and we've been having so much fun throughout the process of making this show,” Sutton said. “It feels really rewarding to get to share it with other people and make them laugh.”

According to Jellings, this performance is fulfilling in the creativity which it allows for.

Before the show was produced, Jellings 3D designed the set. Seeing it on stage for the first time was a memory that stuck with him.

“Nothing needs to be perfect or exactly as you wanted it to be for people to enjoy it in its entirety,” Jellings said. “It's about the memories you make and the fun you had watching the play, even if there were flaws.”

To Jellings, the rawness and mistakes actually make the performance more relatable, allowing people to connect to the humanness shown. According to Sutton, the play is a projection of the messiness we feel in our lives, and can show that it’s okay to feel lost.

“The play in itself is chaotic, and the humor behind it is every-

thing is so unexpected, and you never know what's coming next,” Sutton said. “I feel that that's how we connect to our audience and keep them on their toes throughout the play because the show is so unpredictable and we can relate to that chaos in our everyday life.”

In this theatrical production, failures and mistakes can be turned into connections and joy, reminding both the performers and audience that embracing the flaws gives the show authenticity.

“Mistakes happen and things go wrong,” Jellings said, “But at the end of the day, the show is about no matter how much goes wrong, no matter how much happens that you didn't expect, you can have a great result that people end up loving anyway.”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF RUHS THEATRE ARTS

Around Redondo

by Samantha Kim

Students discuss the power of language and their favorite slang words

“My parents are very supportive. There are times where I’ll be doing what I think is really basic or standard, and they would be really uplifting, telling me it’s good that I’m doing that. I had a friend who was usually very negative to me, and they would mean it as a joke, but I don’t think they understood the impact of their words. There are a lot of scenarios like that where people don’t think about what they are saying, and they continuously do things that they don’t understand are possibly hurting other people.

It hurts your self worth, diminishes your inner personality and makes you feel like a worse person.”

-Andrew Diette, freshman

“Pookie. I love calling everyone ‘pookie.’ I’m a very happy person, and I like to be friends with a lot of people, and I feel like using that word makes me feel closer to them. I think it’s so adorable, and I love it.”

-Ella Klug, sophomore

“Sometimes when my sister is nice to me and compliments me, it keeps me going, and it pushes me. It makes me happy, and it makes me want to pass it on. It just helps me get through the day easier if I’ve been having a bad day. If I’m having a good day and someone says something bad, it brings me down and makes me sad. It makes me want to just be quiet and not talk.”

-Kai Jones, sophomore

“‘Mary!’ It’s not a conventional slang word, but it’s just like saying ‘girl’ or ‘come on, girl.’ I actually got it from watching these two drag queens, Trixie and Katya.

They always say ‘mary’ instead of ‘girl,’ and I think it’s really funny because it gets a good reaction from people.”

-Nicholas Collins, junior

PHOTOS BY MIA CIELAK AND EVAN TEAL

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features

Surfin' U.S.A.

Milly Horstman's surfing enthusiasm led to sponsorship opportunities

by Sanaya Bhatt

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t 10-years-old, freshman Mily Horstman took on her first surfing tournament as a short-boarder, fearful of the stakes ahead. Now a longboard competitor, Horstman joins the surf team in preparation to take her career to new heights, looking back on those initial moments during her first competition.

“I had a lot of anxiety [the first competition I did], especially with people I didn't know. I had these big expectations for myself about how I was going to perform,” Horstman said.

Horstman’s experience in that competition prompted her to continue pursuing surfing, something she had discovered a passion for after moving from the East Coast to Redondo at the age of seven. New exposure to the ocean allowed Horstman to expand her abilities and take lessons. She became driven by the new hobby.

“I feel like I have this whole other life outside of school, and not a lot of people know what I do and how serious I am about it. I have my friends and my school world, and then outside of it, it's my surf world.

It's like an outlet for all of my energy and it’s so comforting to have something like that to turn to,” Horstman said.

Horstman’s skill has built high expectations for herself, which she works to maintain.

“I’m usually pretty happy with my scores, but I've gotten to that level now where I don't really care how I place. I care more about how I perform, so if I don’t place the best, but I feel like I did really well, I don't mind as much,” Horstman

said.

Surfing, according to Horstman, is different from team sports because of the individuality and self-awareness involved.

“I think one of the hardest things about surfing is that if you lose, it's your fault; there isn’t necessarily anyone else to blame.

So for me it’s difficult to balance feeling secure in myself while still maintaining confidence, even when things go wrong,” Horstman said.

Her six-year career in surfing has had its share of challenges, but experiencing those challenges has allowed Horstman to change her outlook.

“Usually, I need some sort of confidence booster to remind myself that no matter how I perform in a certain competition, I’m still successful at surfing. I have to put it into perspective that it doesn't affect me as a whole or change my capabilities. Anything can happen, and the way I perform once doesn’t define my whole surfing career,” Horstman said.

Ginny Horstman, Milly’s mother, has also observed the growth her daughter has undergone through her surfing career and what she especially excels at.

“Milly has grown so much as a surfer, and so quickly. She has worked so hard to master new skills and gain confidence in competition. It’s amazing to watch, and I’m so proud of her. I think her greatest strength is her courage in the water. Surfing South Bay waves can be scary, but it’s definitely made her a strong, confident surfer, and has helped her improve in so many ways itself. She also has incredible grace and is a Lee performing with the Redondo Union Band and Color Guard at half time PHOTO BY JOSS DAWSON

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olorful flags spring into the sky mixing with the hues of the sun setting as crowds of students in the bleachers see an in sync dance from afar. The Dance Guard practices flag and baton skills over and over to perform their best choreography. Coming out to put on a show, doing hair, costumes and makeup are a big aspect, but for junior Jackson Lee, his favorite part is that it gives him an opportunity to showcase his skills.

“I’m not gonna lie. I just wanted to be pretty, and I wanted to dance,” Lee said. “It did morph into really wanting to get good at [dance] because it’s something I truly enjoy and that very much grew as I joined dance guard.”

Lee started out with ballet at a young age, doing local competitions. This gives him over 10 years of experience, and it has

now bridged him over to be on the Redondo Union Color and Dance Guard. Lee’s past experience with ballet gave him a creative outlet and put his future aspirations in motion.

“I wasn’t really the athletic kind of person, but [ballet] really helped me at least be flexible [and] move my body,” Lee said.

“That’s what I really loved about that [Classical Ballet Theatre] company. It’s because you could go at your own pace and it didn’t really matter where you came from.”

In addition to ballet being a factor in Lee joining dance guard, he traces one memory back to middle school, recalling its impact on his decisions.

“In eighth grade, I went to where [the elementary and middle schools] play with the marching band during a football game half-time show and we play a bunch of pep

natural on the surfboard. It’s captivating to watch,” Ginny Horstman said.

Horstman’s mother has also dedicated time to Horstman's surfing career and pursues every opportunity to support Horstman’s experiences and skills.

“We take lots of road trips. Milly competes up and down the California coast so we travel a lot, and it’s been such a fun experience being able to explore new coastal towns and breaks together. There’s also a group of local surfers, who surf the Hermosa Pier, who have really taken her under their wing,” Ginny Horstman said.

Jose Barahona, Horstman’s sponsor and part of a group of local surfers, noticed her skills and pursued a sponsorship with her in exchange for media promotion, which has given Horstman new opportunities to grow, access to more surfboards and gain exposure to new people.

“It’s an incredible [sponsorship], but even more than that, he’s one of my favorite people and I wouldn’t want to be sponsored by anyone else. He’s really helped me jumpstart

my surfing career, both by meeting new people and having more access to competitions and opportunities,” Horstman said.

Horstman hopes to continue pursuing surfing, although she wants to keep a realistic mindset and expand her horizons.

“I do dream of going pro, but it’s not always the most functional lifestyle. Making a living out of longboarding, especially as a woman, can be challenging, even though going pro has been one of my dreams for a while,” Horstman said. “It would take a lot of commitment and hard work, and I would have to sacrifice other things, which has always been a challenge for me. No matter what I end up doing, I don’t think my passion for surfing will ever change and it will always mean so much to me.”

Horstman free-surfing locally PHOTO BY BRENDAN SIMMONS

From ballet to dance guard, Jackson Lee has found joy in dance guard's camaraderie by Kaitlyn Chang tunes. But then when I saw the field show, I saw the color guard spinning rifles and tossing flags. And I thought, ‘That’s really cool. I want to do that,’” Lee said. “So I went to auditions during May, and I didn’t think much about it because I never really tried out for sports. But I got it, and I was surprised. Honestly, I was really happy with that. And I’ve done it ever since freshman year.”

One of Lee’s teammates, freshman Annabelle Werner, is especially fond of her first interaction with Lee and how much it helped her, especially being new to the sport this year.

“I didn’t know how to use a swing flag and Jackson showed me this super simple move, but I wasn’t getting it. Jackson kept on helping me and was really patient and made me feel very welcome,” Werner said.

With Lee being in guard ever since he was a freshman, he has expanded his social horizons and felt connected to peers in class and around campus. Through the fall field season when the guard works closely with the marching band, he gets to know those in the band and percussion programs as well. Nevertheless, the people he has gotten closest with are those in the guard, according to Lee. “I love my teammates. They’re the sweetest people ever and we’re also a pretty small team so we’re [a] very tight unit, but also very welcoming to other people.

They’re honestly my family, really,” Lee said.

Werner feels that Lee himself adds a positive and helpful dynamic to the team that would otherwise be unmatched.

“Jackson is always the person if you need clarification for something, or if you have any questions about upcoming com-

petitions, or anything we have to do for getting ready or anything and he’ll tell you something and clear everything up,” Werner said. “As a lower classman, it’s always helpful, especially because when someone’s like that, you always have someone who you can ask.”

Dance guard requires a lot of choreography and hard work, but for Lee, it was refreshing to practice after a long day.

“It did get mentally tiring from time to time, yes, but guard slowly shifted into a place where I could go to when I am tired to mentally refuel myself,” Lee said.

From ballet to dance guard, Lee’s passion for dance has grown and is also something he hopes to carry with him, even after he steps off campus.

“This is something I can see myself doing even after high school, color guard specifically. It just eventually grew more ambitious,” Lee said.

Dance guard is something that has helped Lee, both physically and mentally, as tossing rifles in the air and working to improve techniques can come as a challenge. He has additionally overcome stage fright when he is performing.

“I think the biggest caveat people have with Color Guard is you’re learning a new skill, a lot of new skills, especially if you didn't have dance experience. You're gonna meet a lot of new people, and that’s just with joining any team in high school in general,” Lee said. “There’s nothing wrong with trying something else just for the fun of it, and that’s honestly what literally anyone in our guard expects anyone to do. Just have fun and be generally interested in improving and learning new things.”

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high tide dec. 19, 2024

3...2...1... AND WE'RE LIVE

by Isabella Nguyen

Director of Redondo Sports, Mason Ramirez, shares his videography interest

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xcitement mingled with adren- shots, make sure everything’s looking right, aline flows through sophomore do color corrections on the cameras, make Mason Ramirez as he examines sure audio sounds good and make sure evthe monitors that depict different angles erything’s running well,” Ramirez said. of the RUHS football field. With a live auFrom the age of five Mason has had a dience watching the sportscast, Redondo passion for videography, beginning his Sports, everything has to run smoothly, journey with only an iPhone six. He profrom the audio to the camera shots. There’s duced short films with his family, piecing no room for error in the field of broadcast- together small family trip videos. As he ing. grew older, he became more invested, pro“Physically, you’re sitting there, but in gressing into more advanced videography. your brain, you’re on a In 7th grade, he shiftroller coaster. There’s ed towards broadcastpeople at home watching and started doing ing live, and if you freelance, filming make a mistake, you for birthday parties, can’t go back and edit restaurants and other it, like cinematograevents. phy. You have one shot “[Videography] and you have to fulfill started off as a pasit,” Ramirez said. sion, [but] as I dove Ramirez directs Redeeper into videogradondo Sports, a sportsphy and broadcast, I cast that consistently realized that this could streams live games be a career, and I’m and events that take looking at potential place at school. For opportunities to fulfill him, Redondo Sports that,” Ramirez said. is a tight-knit family Despite working focused on his passion: around 50 hours a videography. As the diweek on videography, rector, Ramirez calls Ramirez manages the shots, controlling MASON RAMIREZ to juggle his passion the camera angles, the SOPHOMORE with his academics, graphics and the tranrequesting work early sitions between shots from his teachers to and other aspects of the show. complete in order to avoid any clashes in “It’s a lot of moving parts, so my head’s scheduling. not exactly straight, because usually we “[With] time, you have to be really flexhave behind the scenes pregame issues. ible,” Ramirez said. “If your schedule conThose issues you won’t notice because we flicts with when you’re going to go film, it’s get them fixed, but I have to worry [about] not going to work out.” making sure everything’s working. Once Ramirez dedicates a lot of time to Rethe game starts, I’m going to focus on the dondo Sports, spending hours at the events

“

Physically, you're sitting there, but in your brain, you're on a roller coaster.

There's people at home watching live, and if you make a mistake, you can't go back and edit it, like cinematography.

for broadcasting and returning home as late as 11:00 p.m. He hopes the fruits of his labor will pay off on future applications and resumes. Although videography requires a "good deal" of labor, he still enjoys broadcasting.

“You never really have to ‘work’ in something that you love. It is a lot of work, but it doesn’t feel like work,” Ramirez said.

His mother, Jessica Ramirez, is extremely supportive with his videography, helping to fund his passion and dedicating her time to transport him to wherever he needs to go.

“Mason is an old soul. He’s very mature for his age, very responsible and very driven. He has an entrepreneurial spirit, which is super respectable as an adult looking down on a young child. You don’t see that very often,” Jessica Ramirez said.

This drive and determination is apparent in one of Ramirez's more memorable broadcasts: his first football game, before the creation of Redondo Sports, that served more as a testing ground to better understand the logistics.

“That was the first time we had ever built a system that would capture the game from multiple angles and then broadcast it out to families across the world,” Ramirez said. “By across the world, I mean we can see where viewers are coming from. We have people in Brazil, Asia, Africa, Dubai, the United States, anywhere. It’s incredible to see how many people we can reach.”

Ramirez's passion for videography is reflected through the dedicated broad-

casts he produces, and he plans to pursue a career in sports broadcasting in the future.

“I really get to paint the picture and create a story with those angles and the music and everything because I get to depict what the viewers at home get to see,” Ramirez said. “Based on my liking and what I believe would look best to go on the show, it has to fit what the people at home and around the world want to see.”

1. Redondo Sports logo for live broadcasts 2. Ramirez at Commerce Casino for a UNF [UpNext] fight PHOTOS COURTESY OF MASON RAMIREZ

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A love for unique vintage clothing inspired sophomore Oliver Leit's pop-up store

by Bella Engleman

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e wakes up early, excited, and watches people file into his driveway, rummaging through the racks of vintage garments—hundreds of shirts and pants he collected exactly for this purpose. Sophomore Oliver Leit has been managing his own vintage pop-up store since he was in seventh grade.

He spends his free time scouring Whatnot, a platform for vintage clothing auctions, and attending house sales to thrift distinct clothing that piques his interest.

Leit then researches the pricing, sets up and organizes his inventory and advertises using his Instagram, Tik Tok and Snapchat to prepare for sale day.

“Most of the time, I find out about [his sales] through social media, or [word of mouth],” sophomore and regular customer Dominic Camarena said. “Every time Oliver has a pop-up, I'll take a screenshot and repost it, telling people to go hit him up.”

To best suit his buyers’ interests, Leit stresses the importance of experienced“sourcing," the process of collecting and finding the clothes.

“There are multiple ways to source,” Leit said.

“A lot of the time, people are willing to get rid of stuff.

The other day, I bought $1,500 worth of stuff just from one guy and got really good deals on everything.”

Leit has found many rare pieces of clothing

this way, by using his knowledge of certain valuable or uncommon clothes that to anyone else–even people selling it--seem ordinary. Leit has had multiple instances where he stumbles upon rare clothing like a “Nike 90s center swoosh hoodie” or an “Illinois crew” at yard and house sales. He

ers are “usually interested in.”

Camarena usually opts for vintage surf wear style, which is a “huge part” of his personal style. Camarena believes vintage surf wear is making a comeback, especially in Southern California, because of how it reflects the environment and culture.

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usually looks for Y2K and surf wear vintage pieces because that’s what he’s noticed his middle and high school custom-

“At our school, I would say that surfwear is more popular because we’re [close to] a beach . If three people [dress like that], eventually 10 people will, but I [still] wouldn’t say it’s mainstream. I mean, you go anywhere else, any other school that isn’t in the South Bay, there’s not going to

be a lot of vintage surf wear. So I think it definitely adds a little bit of individuality to everyone and kinda reflects the environment we’re in.”

In addition to his house sales, Leit also extends his business to flea markets. He looks forward to participating in the Rose Bowl Flea Market, one of the largest in the country, in January.

“I'm really into true vintage, stuff from the 60s, 70s, 80s, super old pieces of clothing. I've been trying to get more of that for my pop-ups,” Leit said. “But the thing is, [true vintage] doesn't really sell at pop-ups because not many kids are into it. [True vintage] is more of a flea market kind of thing because it's more [angled] towards the older audience.”

Leit prefers the timelessness and uniqueness of wearing vintage over certain modern clothing trends worn today, especially when it comes to fast fashion.

“I strongly dislike fast fashion for many reasons,” Leit said, “One, I think people wear fast fashion because they see other people wearing it, and they want to fit in. Secondly, the quality of items is super cheap. But with that being said, I want to emphasize: wear what you want. If something makes you feel good then you should wear it.”

Leit is fascinated by the history embedded in vintage clothing because that is something he “can’t really get from buying from the department store.” He enjoys the individuality that comes with his clothing, even if it’s different from everyone else.

“I just like to be different and wear what I like, and don't think about what other people think about me,” Leit said. “People are always gonna judge you, so wear what you think is cool.”

1. Leit showing off a vintage garmet PHOTO BY MIA CIELAK 2. Pop-up at Leit's house 3. Leit with racks of retro finds PHOTOS COURTESY OF OLIVER LEIT

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high tide dec. 19, 2024

ASTRA-MAZING

by Sophie Rebbeck

Student-formed dance trio called Astra makes their mark on the dance competition circuit

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he stage was theirs. As the music filled the room, the three young Astra dancers moved in perfect synchronization—each step sharp, fluid and effortless. Eight months of hard work and dedication were woven into every beat as the dancers followed their well-practiced routine. The crowd watched in captivated silence, drawn into the story being conveyed through the movements. When the music suddenly stopped and the dancers froze in their final position, smiles shining on their faces, the audience erupted into applause. Astra had left their mark.

“I was able to showcase my abilities and keep up with the team during that dance, so I felt really proud,” sophomore Ayaka Baerga said. “Everyone there was super nice, which added to the atmosphere because we were all cheering for each other, even though it was a competition.”

For sophomore Ailie Shoda, moments like these are more than just trophies or titles—they are ways for her to stay in love with dancing.

“The wins motivate me to continue to dance, go to auditions and be confident in

myself,” Shoda said. “Even though it’s only the beginning of our journey as Astra, it still inspires us to give 100 percent every day.”

Astra formed in early 2024 through multiple auditions at the Dance Group AI Vibration academy. From over 20 hopefuls, three dancers—Shoda, Baerga, and eighth grader Selena Nakai—emerged as the final lineup.

“I didn’t really know what to expect,” Shoda said. “I just went for it, and since then, we’ve been dancing together every day.”

The group’s formation came with its fair share of uncertainties. From navigating conflicting schedules to balancing their individual lives, the girls had to quickly adapt and overcome several difficulties.

“The biggest initial problem in our group was trying to figure each other out,” Baerga said. “And on top of that, we had clashing schedules that made practicing and socializing really hard.”

The departure of two dancers due to scheduling conflicts created difficulties for the group in the early stages, leading to

noticeable struggles in teamwork during their performances.

“We couldn’t find a connection with each other, and it showed in our dances,” Shoda said. “We had to do a lot of team bonding to build that connection, which took a few months, but now we’re all really close.”

Despite these setbacks, Astra’s perseverance and teamwork have propelled them forward, giving them the confidence to experiment with new dance styles in competitions, according to Shoda. Each member has learned to switch seamlessly from jazz to funk and everything in between, even under pressure.

“My favorite dance we’ve ever performed was for South Bay’s Got Talent. We used this song called ‘Punk Tastic’ and chose an 1 old-school hip-hop style for the routine,” Shoda said. “It stood out because we’ve primarily done very feminine styles, but this time we wanted to show our masculine side, which was really fun.”

In addition to their success at the South Bay’s Got Talent competition, Astra has earned a chance to audition for the World Championship competition, aligning with their goals to gain popularity beyond the South Bay region.

“Eventually, we want to reach further

and have more influence,” Baerga said. “All of us want to be able to showcase our passion on a larger scale.”

While they aspire for worldwide success, each member of Astra brings a unique and personal journey to the group. Baerga only recently took up dancing and has built her skills over the past few years.

“I watched a dance video a few years ago, in early 2024, and for some reason, it really stuck with me and inspired me to start dancing,” Baerga said. “Ever since then, I’ve been working on getting better and better.”

For Shoda, dancing has been a lifelong passion. Thanks to her mother's involvement in a rock band, she grew up in a home filled with music, and she has been participating in and competing in dance for nine years.

“Dancing has always been a way for me to connect with music,” Shoda said. “I’ve always loved it and I’ve been doing it for so long that at this point it’s just a part of who I am. ” The group’s main focus is to continue growing and thriving as individuals and a team.

“Right now, we’re just focused on what we can do at the moment,” Shoda said. “But we want to participate in more competitions going forward. That would be a really good start.”

3 2

Students take part in the Redondo Beach Youth Commission by Emery Min

T

he sound of scuffling feet fills the on what else you can bring to the commuroom as 15 commissioners sit at nity.” their daises and motion to begin The Youth Commission was recently reviewing the day’s agenda. Someone sec- revived following a period of dormancy onds the motion and the subsequent vote with the purpose of addressing common is unanimous—the Redondo Beach Youth issues amongst teenagers. Members of the Commission’s monthly assembly can now commission are responsible for observcommence. Of the ing problems relevant to 15 commissioners, teenagers in their com12 are local teens munity before proposinterested in serving solutions, and their ing their commuunique perspectives often nity and creating You have so much offer new insight. Sophchange. omore Olivia Reeds, anpower and other re“I’ve always other commissioner, parwanted to be able sources, and you’re ticipated in the election of to help other peofocusing able to talk to so many subcommittees ple, and I feel like on specific projects based the Youth Com- other people who have on a priority list of issues mission is a realon which members voted. ly good way to do different views. It opens “I think our substance that. I didn’t know your mind on what else abuse committee is gothat there were so ing to be really importmany problems you can bring to the ant. [We want to] battle that I could ac- community. substance and just help tually change by with education about it,” joining the Youth Reeds said. “[Another] KYLIE CHO Commission,” juissue that I brought up JUNIOR nior Kylie Cho, when I was doing one of the new my interviews commissioners, [for the applisaid. “You have so cation to be much power and on the comother resources, and you’re able to talk to mission] was so many other people who have different getting teens views. It opens to have soyour mind cial interactions, [post

“

4

pandemic]. I think one way that I am helping to combat that is through helping to create the teen center subcommittee.”

Staff Advisor Kelly Orta was in charge of the application process for the commission and plays a crucial role in the organization of the committee. She helped to reactivate the Youth Commission because of her appreciation of teenage representation in public services. Now that the commission is active, Orta continues to aid by creating the agendas for their meetings and acting as a valuable resource for the members.

“It’s incredibly important and critical in many respects [to have a Youth Commission], especially for a city that has a teen facility,” Orta said. “Having the commission provides an opportunity for teens to have that voice and speak directly to the city, as well as be that bridge between the city, who are the policymakers and the community.”

Cho joined the Youth Commission with the hope of giving back to her community after all it has provided her over the years.

Throughout her time on the commission so far, she has contributed by using her own personal experience as well as observations of those around her. “[It’s helpful] just knowing that there’s other teenagers out there who have the power to help and give more of a voice to the concerns that we have to people higher up, like city council members. Just knowing that people [around the same age] are there for them, [other teenagers] might feel a bit more safe and more comfortable,” Cho said.

Not only does the Youth Commission benefit teens in the area, it has also allowed its members to gain useful experience and skills, according to Reeds. As a commissioner, Reeds has to work with others and along with prior experience in formal procedure from Model United Nations, the Youth Commission has provided her with a new perspective.

“[The Youth Commission has] been a fun experience, and it’s important that I’ve had this experience before going into college and [getting] other job opportunities.

I’m just gaining a level of professionalism that I don’t feel like I would have gained through other extracurriculars,” Reeds said.

Similarly, Orta also cites the Youth Commission as a valuable learning experience. Commissioners not only learn and practice skills like problem-solving and public speaking, but also get to inspire real change and learn from other impassioned teenagers. “[The Youth Commission] is a window of opportunity to really see what it’s actually like to be civically engaged and work hand-in-hand with city officials. I think it’s really critical for many teens who might be interested in going into public service,” Orta said.

The sitting members hope to continue to serve their community and make progress in their specialized projects in an attempt to reach their fellow teens.

“I can’t reiterate enough how excited we are and how proud we’ve already been of the sitting Youth Commission,” Orta said.

“It’s really a great group of teens who definitely seem to be energized and excited for all the opportunities. We’re really excited to see what they’re able to do in the next few months and we’re just really excited that we’re able to finally get commission going again.”

1. Shoda mid-routine.

2. Astra performs their routine at a dance competition.

PHOTOS 1-2 BY KNOW-MADIK 3. Shoda executes the choreography, displaying her showmanship during a performance.

PHOTO 3 COURTESY OF AILIE SHODA 4. Reeds speaks at the December Youth Commission assembly.

PHOTO COURTESY OF OLIVIA REEDS

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high tide dec. 19, 2024

Lighting up the

1.

by Maria Gaggiano

Sophomore Alden Snyder and freshman Dylhan Bajaj decorate boats for the annual King Harbor Holiday Boat Parade

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olors from the bright lights cut through the darkness of the night as boats display their adornments for the annual King Harbor Holiday Boat Parade. With music, dancing and all the glow they can get, the boats’ owners compete for trophies in music and dancing, vessel size and sail power.

“A lot of people put up lights on their boats and travel back and forth across the harbor. Some go crazy with the lights and decorations. It’s really cool seeing what everyone comes up with,” sophomore Alden Snyder said.

A member of the King Harbor Youth Foundation for the past three years, Snyder involved himself with the decoration of three of this year's boats for the parade. Being a part of the Youth Foundation involves various activities including sailing classes and competitive racing.

“They do a lot of stuff over the summer, like teaching to sail small boats, bigger boats, and giving others a try at adventure sailing,” Snyder said. “As of right now, I do Flying Junior racing, which is the type of boat that we sail. We get to go out and do all these races across California. They can

be anywhere from Newport Beach, Santa Barbara, all the way to San Francisco.”

For the past two years, Snyder has been racing at the high school level. Redondo currently does not have a sailing team; however, they do have a shared sailing club with Mira Costa and South High School, where students can earn independent P.E. credit for their time sailing with the joint team.

“If more people were to join, we’d be able to hire coaches specifically for Redondo practices. Everything is mostly just planning, still, we’ve definitely seen the most growth in the team this year,” Snyder said. “There’s been some push about people emailing and making changes so that sailing can become an official sport here in Redondo.”

According to Snyder, sailing isn’t something that came from family interests.

Based purely on his personal involvement in the sport, he took the initiative to participate in classes from the foundation.

“I heard my friends had done the classes, and I was curious, so I signed up. That’s when I got to learn about sailing, as well as getting to meet the people involved, like

coaches and those who are a part of the sailing community,” Snyder said.

Also involved in the sailing club, freshman Dylhan Bajaj is a recent addition to the team. He 3. has taken an interest in sailing and has been a helping hand in the decoration of boats for the

at it. Because of some of the connections I have, I got invited to be a part of the parade. I have done camps during the summer, just for fun, but this is the first year that I’m (competitively) racing with the team,” Bajaj 2. said.

The team practices on Tuesdays and Thursdays after school. With a partner and a 3. Snyder's boat before the event small sailboat, PHOTO COURTESY OF ALDEN SNYDER they practice executing the skills needed to race against other schools.

“Sailing has given me more love for life 1. 2. Reflecting lights from a boat because it’s kind of crazy that I get to go on display in the parade PHOTO BY a sailboat in the evening and spend time MARIA GAGGIANO with friends, learning new things," Bajaj said. "Sometimes we take it for granted, but King Harbor Holiday Boat Parade. we’re lucky to be living here and to have the “I got into it this year, I’m still fairly new resources to try these kinds of things out.”

Juniors Reeve and Jola Phelan qualify for the World Irish Dancing Championships and will travel to Ireland to compete in 2025

by Valentina Masoni

S

tanding on a stage instead of seated around the Thanksgiving table, junior twin sisters Jola and Reeve Phelan competed in one of the most important Irish dance competitions of the year over break. Accomplishing an achievement that only 10 other 16-yearold girls in the Western US region can relate to, they qualified for the World Irish Dance Championships coming up in April 2025. After months of tirelessly practicing and polishing up routines, Jola and Reeve placed ninth and 10th, respectively, at Western US Region Oireachtas results, clinching their sports.

“When I was called [for ninth place], I was just waiting and waiting [on the stage] for Reeve to get her number called. I kept looking back for her, and then they called her number and I jumped up and gave her a huge hug,” Jola said. “It was a crazy moment. There were kids from the dance studio crying, parents crying. It was very emotional be2. cause we’ve been working so hard for those spots.”

At the Oireachtas, each competition starts with about 80 girls in each age division, and the dancers have to make it through two rounds of solo dances.

About 30-40 girls are then called back to do their solo piece individually, and at awards, the top dancers—usually around 12—qualify for the World Championships.

“You’re trying to not bump into the other girl, [but] you need to get out in front of her, and it’s very intense,” Reeve said. “The judges see who’s hitting what marks, and the objective is to beat the girl next to you.”

Jola and Reeve’s training leading up to Oireachtas was intense, with two to three hour practices three times a week and sixhour training sessions on Sundays.

“We’d get there at 11 a.m. and be done at 4 or 5 p.m. We’d do stamina work, ab work-

outs, box jumps, all sorts of cardio. We would do full-outs, which is performing all of the routine giving 100 percent energy,” Reeve said.

1.

The twins have been Irish dancing for nine years, starting when they were 7-years-old under the coaching of their mother, who owns the De Barra Academy of Irish Dance in Man-

hattan Beach. Before beginning Irish dance, they tried other dance styles including ballet, contemporary, hip hop and jazz.

“Our mom decided she wouldn’t push us either way. I’m happy that we got to explore other styles, because it made our path to Irish dance feel much more clear,” Reeve said. “When we finally tried an Irish dance class, we liked it so much more, so we quit everything else.”

Along with the demanding schedule of Irish dance, both girls participate in other time-consuming sports, playing for three of the school’s teams combined. Reeve plays lacrosse, and Jola plays flag football and runs short-distance track. “[Balancing everything] is definitely difficult, you have to take it step-by-step.

Things are going to get really intense towards the springtime, when we’re training for Worlds and [lacrosse and track] are in-season,” Jola said.

Multiple sports each are only one factor.

The twins also have to budget their time to fit in schoolwork and studying in between

practices and workouts.

“Whenever I get a day off, that’s when I’m doing my homework. I try to not miss any dance classes or training,” Reeve said.

“Since freshman year, I’ve learned to be good at time management, [because] so many things are always overlapping.”

The work to be done to prepare for the World Championships isn’t limited to intensive physical training. The girls have goals that take mental toughness and combine what they’ve learned from other sports to achieve them.

“Dancing, you have to remember every single step of choreography you’ve learned over the course of six months, and it can be so defeating to get it wrong,” Jola said. “It takes training and training and training to make it come natural. That’s the point I’m trying to get to so during my routine I can focus on other things like making sure I’m smiling, bringing enough energy, things like that.”

Reeve and Jola have learned to deal with one struggle that comes with the territory of being a twin: being pitted against each other.

“There’s a bunch of comparing that we have to deal with, but we’ve learned to handle it really well because our mindset is that it’s a win for both of us,” Jola said. “The placements don’t really matter because it fluctuates. Sometimes I’ll do better, and then the next time Reeve will do better. No matter what, we’re happy for each other.”

The twins push each other and rely on each other in dance to succeed together, according to Reeve. Their shared dedication and love for Irish dance allows them both to thrive.

“My strengths are her weaknesses, and her weaknesses are my strengths. We help each other learn new things in the studio if one picks it up before the other,” Reeve said. “It’s nice to have someone who’s always rooting for you. No matter if we’re in the same competitions, we always have each other’s backs and it’s a great feeling.”

1. 2. Reeve and Jola celebrating after their qualification event PHOTOS COURTESY OF JOLA PHELAN

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high tide dec. 19, 2024

THE WEIGHT OF WORDS

by Priya Ramcharan & Isabella Kohler

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odern teenagers have created a new language: rich with abbreviations, added consonants, and layered with political tensions and rising screentime. The evolution of language among young people is natural. In fact, young speakers have been leading the charge in most of the shifts affecting vowel pronunciation this century (according to the National Institute of Health). A pulled text conversation between junior girls is full of coded phrases like,

“Chat are we cooked?” and

“Vro lowk bruzz is a chiller!”

It’s a reflection of a distinct sense of humor and the growing use of social media among teens; however, RUHS students have found that the Gen Z language has taken a dark turn on campus, and it is not being addressed.

According to an Instagram Poll run by the High Tide surveying 183 students, 45 percent stated that on an average day on campus, they encountered casual racism, dark humor, or slurs six or more times.

Specifically, sophomore Dylan Capper encountered a situation in his English class in which a student used the term “gay” as a way to insult an assignment.

“I don't think people know what they're doing when they use [ t h o s e words], b u t they're m a k ing fun of someone's identity.

‘Dark humor’ like that just isn’t funny,” Capper said.

Historically, language has been used as a tool to draw class lines. For example, grammar rules and punctuation were invented to differentiate between the lower and upper classes, according to the British Journal of Sociology. In school settings, language becomes a form of peer pressure.

Dialect, rhetoric and casual phrases are all tools to create social groups, as ex-

plained by Sociolinguistics professor at University of Nevada and author, Valerie Fridland.

“Language [is connected to] identity, such as region, class, gender, race and more. The words we use designate ‘in and out groups,’ such as the solidarity that people have towards each other when they have similar accents or dialects,” Fridland said.

For example, “brain rot” terms are used by the social media users, creating a relatability barrier between other generations and teens who aren’t as active on Tik Tok or Instagram. However, as teens spend more time on social media and pick up slang words, language use can turn problematic, as witnessed by Junior Katelyn Kang.

“Once I saw an Instagram Reel that was essentially offering different jokey terms to refer to groups of races. Like: here’s a word to call a group of X race, etc. And it was pretty brutal. There’s probably no malice behind it, but there are undertones that are uncomfortable,” Kang said.

Instances like this have been countless on campus, and can often require educated officials to step in. AP US History and AP African American Studies teacher Amber Keller was left utterly shocked during her first few years of teaching by a student’s response to the film that they were watching in class.

“I had a student who carved a swastika on one of my desks, and it was about that same time we were watching Swing Kids, which is about the Hitler Youth, and he came up to me after class and said, ‘Mrs. Keller. I think I would have been a good

Nazi. I would have identified with Thomas's character.’ And I was just in shock, so I went to his counselor, and we all had a meeting with the student’s parents, and I remember the parents were really shocked that their kid had that kind of view," Keller

"[In 2019] about 23 percent of students reported seeing haterelated graffiti at school during the school year."

INFORMATION FROM NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION FOR STATISTICS

DATA FROM AN @RUHSMEDIA SURVEY OF 183 PEOPLE

45%

encountered casual racism, dark humor or slurs six or more times a day while on campus

said.

This is only one of many instances that emphasize just how much racism has grown to become normalized in everyday conversations to the point that people think that it is okay to say despicable things to each other. People shrug it off as ‘dark humor,’ but it is rooted in prejudice that has been casually engraved into the minds teenaged minds. That is why Kellervalues holding a safe environment in her classroom that is free from all types of prejudice.

“I always want the kids to feel safe in my classroom, and that's one of the reasons why I think my classroom is so full of students at lunch; I’ve got all different kinds of kids in here, and I don't want anybody to ever feel like they're bullied for the color of their skin, their sexuality, their gender or anything like that. I make it really clear that I don’t tolerate any kind of hateful language or bullying, and I do think that a lot of what drives that are the things that I saw and experienced as a child,” Keller said.

Despite teachers' collective efforts to prevent hate speech, there is still no shortage of harmful language being uttered throughout the halls Students hear it all around: slurs constantly being uttered, body shaming, bullying; these things happen every day, but they so often go unnoticed because of how heavily they have become implemented into our daily discourse. Society has created such a normalcy around hateful words that now, in the eyes of many people, they hold no meaning other than being a funny joke.

Senior Zoe Martinez believes that there is a time and place for slang and that it has become the backbone for hateful rhetoric.

“I definitely think that some people don’t use slang in a mature way, and that can really affect the way that people talk to each other. Some people use slang as an ex-

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high tide dec. 19, 2024

Teen slang and casual use of harmful language on campus reveal larger cultural tensions that need to be addressed on a large scale cuse to say just the worst stuff to each other that's honestly so mean, and people don’t really realize it,” Martinez said.

At a recent meeting with the Principal Advisory Council, students reported an increased “boldness” among students who use racial and sexual slurs towards their

“

“It’s somehow just normal here, which makes it harder to stop,” Casa said.

Besides that, however, Casa says that teenagers in Italy are pretty similar to teenagers in the U.S. in terms of slang usage – evinced by Fridland who argues that “social media has made language used by teens more uniform across regions."

Language doesn't exist in a social vacuum. There is a social inequity and power that's under everything else.

And to deny that is to basically deny everything about language.

able outside, and they're constantly being attacked,” Johnson said.

When iufluential public figures judge another's use of hurtful language inexcusible, they cancel the person, meaning they deem the person no longer relevant or worth listening to.

According to Capper, “You can’t ban a word. People are still going to say it.”

This has been proven true in the political landscape. President elect Donald Trump promises to protect what

1 in 2

VALERIE FRIDLAND SOCIOLINGUISTICS PROFESSOR AT UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA peers. There were testimonies of students being teased with the F and R slurs, and the students felt as if the teachers heard the words but were so desensitized to them that they didn’t take action.

Principal Mr. Brown shared at the meeting that when taken to the administrative level, the school does not tolerate that behavior, citing a specific case in which a student was suspended for calling another student gay.

However, Alison Suf- fet Diaz, the founder and former principal of Environmental Charter Schools across California, believes teachers shouldn’t simply discipline students for using politically charged language or microaggressions, rather they should encourage discussion about why those words are harmful.

“There is historical and social context to the words we use, and students don’t mean to hurt people with it, they just don’t understand the impact,” Diaz said.

In Diaz’s schools, group conversations about language and the power of words have worked in increasing the awareness among students, resulting in a more educated student body.

Language can be a form of oppression, social control, and generational change– and it’s been studied in an Oxford journal article that examined how language can be a vessel for ethnic oppression. The academic aspect of language is why Diaz argues it should be a classroom conversation.

However, taking intention into account is important when thinking about language. Slurs that target historically marginalized groups are just as painful as they were fifty years ago, and the terms have continued to be used as colloquial insults, either racially or sexually charged.

The rise is present on campus, noticed by junior Amelia Iwai.

“I feel like if I raise my hand every time someone in class says something racist, like an asian joke or something anti-semetic, I’d just be called like a “woke” and honestly it would be a waste of my time,” Iwai said.

Senior Filippo Casa, an Italian exchange student, agrees with Iwai, as he has seen that compared to teenagers in Italy, American teenagers use the B-word and other derogatory language to talk about girls more often than they do in Italy.

brotherhood, when used by the ‘in group’,” said Fridland. But for a word to be properly reclaimed by the in group, certain conditions have to exist.

“With the N-word, there is such heavy historical meaning. If someone says the N-word, they are bringing back up the whole history. You’re not just saying a word. You’re saying an injury. That is powerful.

But with the B-word being used among women, women and girls haven’t really reclaimed that word because they use it against each other in

"Americans have used slang terms without knowing their QUOTE FROM meaning."

WORDSRATED.COM

1 in 3

"members of Gen Z have used a slang word they later learned QUOTE FROM was offensive."

PREPLY

However, slurs can be reclaimed by targeted groups and used as empowerment. A study by social psychologist Adam Galinksy found that individual self-labeling with a derogatory label was perceived as more powerful than being called the slur by another, and, in turn, led

"Hate speech not only causes harm at the personal level and can incite violence, it is an attack on inclusion, diversity and human rights."

INFORMATION FROM UNESCO people to view the label as less offensive.

Fridland examines a linguistic nuance to reclaiming slur words and how it impacts the power of the word. With terms like the N-word, “the reclamation can give it a secondary meaning of

a derogatory sense. It hasn’t taken on that secondary meaning– and the more girls use it, the more it’s available for guys,” Fridland said.

Often times, the toll that hateful language can take on a person is diminished due to its prevalence among the daily dialect of teenagers. Senior Zeke Johnson acknowledges the substantial effect that racism can have on someone, specifically a teenager, who’s confidence and morals are still developing.

“Kids are mean, and people can sometimes be ignorant, so lots of people don't understand that racism is something that can continuously mess with a person. It's not just a joke. You hear a lot of racism around sports and just around school, and it's kind of shrugged off like, ‘Oh, they’re just kids.’ They just think it's a joke, and I think that makes a lot of kids not feel comfort-

some consider to be hate speech.

"We're demanding an end to the shadow-banning, a stop to the silencing and a stop to the blacklisting, banishing and canceling that you know so well," Trump said in a speech this year.

The “cancel-culture” of words has been associated with political correctness and is viewed as something to combat, hence the increase in racism and a hatred for “woke” culture among the right. “Woke” culture stems from a need to address the cultural oppression of marginalized groups through language.

The oscillation between political correctness and the reaction from conservatism offers some complexity, noted by Fridland. “[A world where] it's dangerous to say anything is probably not a good place to be.

What's important is to be thoughtful about what you say, and that's a very different thing than being limited from never saying it," Fridland said.

But, the argument that people should be able to say whatever they want essentially violates the idea of language.

“That's the fundamental crux here: language doesn't exist in a social vacuum. There is a social inequity and power that's under everything else,” Fridland said. “And to deny that is to basically deny everything about language.”

IMAGES VIA FREEPIK

opinion PHOTO VIA FREEPIK

FILTER IT OUT

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Media literacy is an important skill for students to learn in school

by Deeksha Prasad

I

saying about our world beneath the explicit plot. We can’t form educated opinions just because we’ve seen 20 or 30 TikToks on the matter.

Yes, “Wicked” is meant to be a commentary on political propaganda surrounding people of color, not just a fun musical. Elphaba is green- of course she’s representative of oppressed people of of waking hours among color through history. The among adolscents are spent Wizard's rein over Oz demonstrated the watching television power of misinformation and being

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n every English class I’ve ever taken, assigned reading is inevitably followed by a chorus of complaints. Nobody wanted to pore over “Romeo and Juliet” line by line or analyze every style choice Mary Shelley made in “Frankenstein.”

But what we fail to understand as students averse to another piece of homework is that the skill to analyze, to understand what something is saying past the first glance, is a skill that’s crucial in today’s society.

According to Pew Research Center, as of Gen Z teens get news from televiof 2024, 20 percent of Americans regularly sion news shows get news on Instagram, 17 percent on TikTok, and 12 percent on X. TikTok, in particular, has become more prominent in the last couple of years—in 2020, only three percent of Americans were gathering news on the app, a stark contrast to now.

It’s concerning to think about how much information we get from social media platforms, especially when you consider that most posts across these apps are user-generated. I can’t count the amount of times I’ve seen news updates from a random user on TikTok or Instagram before I see a post from The New York Times or The Washington Post. In an era where news is primarily digital, it’s more vital than ever that we hold onto our basic media literacy skills and make the distinction for ourselves about what we can trust online.

Media literacy is the ability to use critical thinking to Satistics via Common understand the media we’re exposed to on a daily basis Sense Media past simply the surface level. It’s a skill that ensures that we aren’t passive viewers, but active ones, able to critically evaluate the content we’re exposed to and make informed decisions in order to become smarter content consumers.

According to Statistica, the average US citizen spends complacent to 721 minutes a day with media–how much of that time is the institution. No, you can’t support Luigi Mangione just because you think he’s convenspent mindlessly? How much of that time is just doom scrolling, forming opinions based on user-generated con- tionally attractive. It’s borderline concerning, the amount tent rather than discovering perspectives of your own? Me- of edits and romanticized interpretations I’ve seen about dia literacy skills are essential to help us recognize our own him online. However, it is valuable to understand the anpoints of view, rather than becoming echoes of what we ti-corporate ideology being his actions, and create an educated stance on him yourself, rather than parroting the see online.

More times than I can count, I’ve gotten into a discus- general view on social media. No, the TIME Person of the sion with someone whom, I quickly realize, has no idea Year isn’t about popularity or moral correctness, contrary what they’re talking about–whether that be about politics, to what people believe when they protest the magazine’s— current events, or even what a TV show or movie is really Donald Trump is Person of the Year because of his hard to

37%

51%

of Gen Z teens get their news from Tik Tok

editorial: hate culture on campus by the High Tide Editorial Board

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he past couple of years have felt like we went through a time machine. Back to an era of desensitization, once derived from carelessness and ignorance.

In an effort to circumvent the now “uncool” and “timid" bounds of cancel culture (a tool for accountability in cultivating an inclusive and empathetic environment), society seems to be regressing to a place where insensitive language is commonplace and unchecked. This trend is largely noticeable in schools, where insensitive language is tacitly prevalent among the student body, in tight-knit communities like sports teams or across the broad range of social media.

But, such insensitivity stems from beyond just a protest against “political correctness.” It’s fostered by a resurgence of casual joking cultures: for example, hurtful statements are commonly brushed off with “it’s just a joke,” or an adult dismissal of “kids being kids.” Furthermore, speaking up feels risky in hypercompetitive environments like athletics, where students who protest are often labeled as “rats,” disempowering any motion for change.

Snitch-shaming contributes to a larger issue of hyperindividualism, where teens often feel forced to

deny influence throughout 2024.

To some people, those things might seem obvious- but to a surprising number, not so much. It’s why the basic literacy skills we learn in English class are so importantwhen we apply those skills to real life, we learn how to absorb media outside the classroom, and understand it for what it truly is, not just the outwardly told story. When you HIPP a document in AP European History or AP U.S. History, it’s the exact mindset you should approach online news with–what’s the intention of the poster? What’s their purpose, the message they’re trying to push? And why is that important to you?

How can we, as a society, have informed dialogues on the things we see online if we aren’t truly understanding them past what they appear to be at first glance.

Media literacy is a necessary tool to navigate the modern world–without it, we are lost and mindless, floating amongst a sea of information and content that will drown us before it educates us. Next time you pick up your phone, don’t be a complacent viewer. Remain vigilant, curious and critical. Media literacy empowers us to break free from the cycle of passive consumption and engage meaningfully with the content that shapes our perceptions of the world. By cultivating the ability to question, analyze and interpret the media we encounter, we not only safeguard ourselves against misinformation but also contribute to a more informed and thoughtful society.

As you scroll through your feed or turn on your TV, and become more and more exposed to varying perspectives, remember that your own point of view is shaped by the questions you ask and the effort you invest in understanding. Nobody online should tell you how to think, or drown you in information you don’t understand, as long as you keep your eyes open and keep swimming.

letters to the

editor

The High Tide encourages greater input of perspectives from both students and staff. If you have an opinion about one of the articles, letters can be sent to the editor at hightideonline@gmail.com We reserve the right to edit for content, grammar and space constraints. Letters must be signed and are not guaranteed to be printed. Please keep letters to a maximum of 250 words. Longer guest opinions are also accepted.

“not care.” This mindset of toxic nonchalance and apathy stunts any potential for communal, linguistic awareness. Gen-Z, who was expected to lead societal change, threatens a reversal to existing progress.

However, this doesn’t have to be the end.

Change starts small, but can have powerful effects.

By taking simple initiatives like setting boundaries in friend groups and trusting gut instincts of what is “right or wrong” to say, the school space can be transformed to a place where respect is the norm, not the exception. When furthered by teacher, coach and administration involvement, like transparency during group discussions or the condemnation of ostracizing words, toxic language culture can be dismantled.

At the end of the day, there will still be insensitive comments, but it is what we choose to do when we hear them that will enact the change. Administration, be willing to end the racists or deprecating comments.

Teachers, step into the conversation. Students, don’t be afraid to step up to something that bothers you.

It’s about shifting the culture—not by force, but by example—until respect becomes second nature, not an exception.

high tide dec. 19, 2024

The FINAL straw

opinion 11

Scheduling academic finals after winter break defeats the purpose of allowing students to rest during break

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by Leyla Evenson

t's the last week before freedom, and the altogether very unfestive attitude on campus has got me wondering if winter really is the most wonderful time of the year, or if it's the season of hunching over too many study guides. This scrooge-like mentality will unfortunately continue through break and into finals season, which begs the question: should finals take place before or after those merciful two weeks?

Let's all be honest: how many people really study over breaks? Maybe a fair amount of students eventually get around to it, but the hard truth is that motivating yourself over break is extremely difficult and feels borderline impossible.

Maybe it's just me, but most of the promises I made over Thanksgiving break about studying every day for physics didn’t really materialize, and while that’s obviously not ideal, it makes sense. Breaks are supposed to be breaks, right? As in, time for relaxing and recovering from the constant burnout caused by high school?

But break doesn't really feel peaceful when the threat of a final worth 20 percent of your grade or even just a unit exam is looming over your head. The promise of finals prohibits every concerned and ambitious student from truly taking their mind off the hard things they are dealing with.

According the Jed Foundation, a nonprofit focused on suicide prevention and emotional health, “overwhelming school-related stress actually reduces your motivation to do the work, [and] impacts your overall academic achievement.”

This is in effect especially around the holidays, when procrastination and “I’ll just do it tomorrow” are at an all

time high.

Instead of getting physical and mental rest, students are left scrambling to remember almost five months worth of content for four, five, six or possibly more classes. This, above all else, really just doesn't make sense. The information may not be fresh in our minds right now, at the edge of December, but at least we haven't had half a month of reasons to procrastinate under the excuse of it being winter break.

In fact, a 2020 study from American Educational Research Journal cites that “Children lose up to 40 percent of the gains they have made over the school year while on summer break.”

Though winter break is only a quarter of that, the statistics of learning loss still apply.

It's hard to keep tons of content in your brain when you aren't being reminded of it in school every day, which just makes finals week harder, as it takes place directly after that period of learning loss.

Even the one week lost to Thanksgiving break affected

almost everyone I know. Coming back to school from that was extremely difficult, and I can't imagine what it's going to be like after double the time.

Though the transition to the finals mentality in January is something I am dreading, I have to admit that the burnout right now isn’t much better. We all know the end of 1. year drag- that "just get me through December” mentality, which may make January finals appealing. Maybe taking them then is a gift, wrapped in green and red ribbon.

This doesn’t make the first real Monday of the year any easier, though. Instead, we’ll come back already exhausted. We’ll scramble to collect our books and packets, sit down at our desks and try to forget about the two weeks of no alarms and no bedtimes instead of returning refreshed, remotivated and with resolutions for the new year.

1. Student worries about studying over winter break ILLUSTRATION BY CLAUDIA TURNER

An artist's controversial actions should not cause fans to feel obligated to boycott their music on streaming platforms by Jayla Dorbor

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a y l o r Swift, Blake Lively, Doja Cat: these are just a few names who come to mind when thinking about “cancelable” ce1. lebrities. Whilst scrolling through TikTok and Instagram lately, I found countless videos on previously well-liked celebrities who have done something controversial. In recent years, due to digital footprints, it has been much easier to uncover controversial behavior from celebrities, specifically those of the musical variety. In these cases, the tough decision to keep supporting these musicians through streaming their work or not arises due to personal attachments to the music.

Most compelling art is inspired by the artist's actions and emotions that emerge as they navigate through life. Listening to their music is like taking a peek into their lives and personal experiences. These experiences can be relatable, causing people to grow personally attached to the artist and the music. A good example is Swift, as the majority of her work is about her life experiences, which is why it is so hard to separate the art from the artist in that sense.

When an artist like Swift makes controversial decisions, such as taking countless flights leading to an enormous carbon footprint, it is hard for fans to hold her accountable for these actions because they are so emotionally connected to her. They see an aspect of themselves in the artist, so it is hard to believe the artist could do something they wouldn’t. So, in this sense, consumers separate the art from the artist’s actions, instead of the artist themself, in order to not only feel better about themselves but the people they support.

On the other hand, there are artists who have much less personal music, like The Weeknd. Though he is considered one of the best R&B artists of our generation, a lot of his music has controversial themes and lyrics, as does his work outside music. In

2023, the Weeknd released “The Idol,” a controversial show that was destroyed by critics and the general public. Many people did not appreciate the vulgar and frankly sexist themes in the show, yet songs from the show

(“One of Your Girls”) that represent those same ideals are still trending on TikTok today.

In this case, it is fairly easy to separate the art from the artist because even though his music about sex and drug use is personal to him, it is exaggerated. Most people do not associate these experiences with the Weekend as they would with Taylor Swift, because the lyrics are not literal so it is easy to forget they are real.

The Weekend is such a massive artist that is universally loved by so many people it would be hard to successfully cancel him,

no matter how controversial he is.

Conversely, an artist who has been successfully cancelled is R. Kelly. In 2023 Kelly was convicted for sex trafficking and is currently serving 30 years in prison. Most people today do not talk about R. Kelly’s music, besides his trapped in the closet album, and he has virtually disappeared. In this case, it seemed easy for people to stop supporting R. Kelly due to him

committing a horrible crime. However, he was not as big an artist as Taylor Swift or the Weekend,

and he did something much worse. Choosing to support an artist that has done something as horrible as Kelly has is not a hard choice, there really isn't an excuse for it, no matter how entertaining the music may be.

A less extreme example is Doja Cat. Personally, I love Doja Cat’s music, but when she went on a twitter rampage about how much she hated her fans, many people got angry. I find it very hard to support someone who would be so cruel to the people who got her to where she is. However, her music is so enjoyable making it hard to completely stop streaming it.

To be frank, streaming an artist's music does not actually give them that much money: according to Ditto Music, one stream on Spotify only gives an artist a third of a cent. So, although I did not agree with Doja’s behavior and believed she should be held accountable for it, I w i l l occasionally continue to stream her music because I can appreciate 2. her artistic ability whilst also disagreeing with her behavior, and I feel I shouldn’t be punished for what she’s done.

As consumers we have to remember that artists are human too, and that they make human mistakes.

While a lot of if not all their actions cannot be justified, they should be able to learn and grow from their behavior instead of being exiled from the public. As a society we need to be able to see the nuances in these situations and be able to simultaneously punish celebrities for unacceptable behavior, while also leaving them room to grow into better people. And whilst we are doing that, we should be able to listen to their music without also being shunned by other consumers, because you do not need to separate the art from the artist to enjoy their music.

1. Doja Cat performing on stage PHOTO VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS 2. Taylor Swift singing at a concert PHOTO VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

entertainment Return of the Dogg

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Editor Marlena Lipan reviews Snoop Dogg's latest album, "Missionary"

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by Marlena Lipan wenty years after releasing his last album, Snoop Dogg released “Missionary” in collaboration with Dr. Dre. Made up of 16 melodies, the album name is a nod to his hit 90’s album, “Doggystyle,” and the lyrics in the album reference the path of his successful career.

“Missionary” opens with the track “Fore Play,” featuring BJ The Chicago Kid. Unexpectedly, it feels like the opening number of a musical or the intro of a TV show. Its sing-songy rhythm and absence of rap took me by surprise, considering that I expected Snoop Dogg’s signature style to shine through. While the song doesn’t feel complete, considering it is the shortest song of the album at only one minute and 14 seconds, it provides a smooth opening to the next song and I enjoyed the vocal layering between Snoop and BJ. “Shangri-La” is number two of the track list, and conveys Snoop’s signature rap genre. He acknowledges his legacy, stating, “We ‘bout to rewrite history,” setting high expectations for the album. The lyrics tell a story, communicating Snoop’s lyrical genius, which becomes a satisfying theme throughout the album.

Featuring Tom Petty and Jelly Roll, “Last Dance With Mary Jane,” the fifth song on the album recognizes, their use of marijuana to cope with sadness, hence the line: “One more time to kill the pain.”

Snoop once again reviews his journey as a musical artist, with the lyrics “Ashes to ash to dust,” referencing the song “Who Am I (What’s my name?)” from his album “Doggystyle.”

“Skyscrapers,” featuring Method Man and Smitty, is a message displaying the singers’ accumulation of wealth through their music careers, contrasting their childhood in poverty to their current, luxurious lifestyle. Snoop “raise[s] a glass for the coast,” emphasizing the age-old debate between West Coast and East Coast rappers,

noting that he and Dr. Dre have become two of the greatest of all time.

Following “Skyscrapers,” “Fire” is the 10th track, picking up a reggae feel, includ-

tions but didn’t exceed them. My favorite aspect of the lyrics was the references. I also loved how the three perspectives added to the lyrics of each contributor. One

1 ing Jamaican drums. Not taking into account thescreaming and gunshot sound effects at the beginning of the song, I enjoyed the melody. Cocoa Sarai, who was featured, provided a smooth, female voice for layering, which improved the variety in sound.

Out of all the songs in the album, I had the highest hopes for “Guns N Smoke” because it featured 50 Cent and Eminem, two rappers I enjoy. The song met my expecta-

line states, “They say he a big stepper. I am just saying I am not the type to get stepped on.” This lyric is interpreted by some as a dig at Kendrick Lamar, specifically looking at Lamar’s album titled “Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers.” Drake’s “Push Ups” diss track used similar lyrics, stating “How the f--k you big steppin' with a size-seven men’s on?” Considering 50 Cent’s known

"Maria" has a repetitive, drawn-out storyline, saved by Jolie's career best performance

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alliance with Drake, during the Kendrick v. Drake battle, this is unexpected, but not implausible.

Closing out the album, “The Negotiator” is my third favorite song of the album.

Its spoken-word rap and use of dramatic rests in the backtrack remind me of the music from “Hamilton” (and the mention of checks and balances, too). The lyrics express the nuances of growing up in the hood, showcasing the experiences that have made him who he is today.

Throughout “Missionary,” Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre bring out a whopping total of fourteen collaborators. Despite the large quantity of people working on the album, the music still felt authentic to Snoop and Dre. The modernization of the editing techniques was displayed by the increase of electronic sound effects and vocal layering, which didn’t affect the signature style of Snoop. While I cannot personally relate to the major topics of the album (sex, money and drugs), I appreciate the storytelling put into it and can recognize the thought behind each lyric, which is highlighted by the use of allusions throughout. The beats of each tune were unique, and none of the songs felt completely repetitive, like so many other rap and pop songs currently popular. Each song felt purposefully placed in the set list, and one after another, each melody added to one congruent story. While Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre are no longer in their golden age, “Missionary” showcases them looking back and their extremely successful career and reflecting on the experiences that have shaped them. As someone who barely listens to rap music, which is made up mostly of 90’s rap, I truly believe that this album is worth a listen, even by those who don’t currently listen to rap.

1. Snoop Dogg's "Missionary" vinyl cover. IMAGE VIA INTERSCOPE RECORDS 2. Jolie as Maria Callas for "Maria."

PHOTO VIA FREEMANTLE

by Lauren Choy y eyelids are drooping. Quite frankly, the only thing keeping me awake is the sharp, recurring opera singing blasting from my computer speakers.

“Maria” is the newest movie that has surfaced on Netflix, based on the opera legend Maria Callas, played by the renowned Angelina Jolie. After retreating from the public eye to Paris, the film tracks Maria’s last days as she struggles to redefine her voice and identity. Maria was a major opera star in the mid 1900s known for her distinct voice and stage presence. In the final days of her life, Maria grapples with the ugly side of addiction coinciding with her attempt to return her voice to the awe-inducing voice she was famous for. The film induces a strong lonely and pitiful tone for Maria’s struggle, yet ends with a breakthrough of her final opera song, collapsing to her death minutes after.

Through a combination of flashbacks to past experiences and performances as well as present moments, the cinematic element is a masterpiece in and of itself; though, the drawn out storyline and plot in a long twohour movie did bore me. Luckily, the film wasn’t a complete waste of time thanks to the beautiful cinematography and nearly perfect performance from Jolie.

“Maria” is director Pablo Larraín’s final movie of his important 20th-century women trilogy, following “Jackie” in 2019 and “Spencer” in 2021. I can certainly see that Larraín is no stranger to these mov-

ies honoring women. The seamless transitions were satisfying to watch—past to present and hallucinations to reality—and really added to the film’s cinematographic performance. The black and white overlay and slight filters to the images immediately immersed viewers into the old fashioned focus. But there’s only so many times that a film can transition from the present, to Maria’s past singing in a theatre, then back to the present. I lost count on how many times that same pattern appeared, creating a repetitive flow to the movie.

Additionally, the film failed to create a valuable connection between the characters portrayed on the screen to audience viewers at home. Even though the film focused almost exclusively on Maria’s overwhelming sadness and depression, I didn’t feel the tragedy element not nearly as much as, for example, “Titanic” or “Romeo and Juliet.” I think the lack of a balance between positive highlights of Maria’s career and her overwhelming depression is a factor in attributing to that failed audience connection because all her pain and struggles feel the same.

Aside from supporting appearances of her butler Ferruccio (Pierfrancesco Favino), housemaid Bruna (Alba Rohrwacher), and old love-interest Aristotle Onassis (Haluk Bilginer), the movie is pretty much a one-woman show. Jolie rightfully earned a Golden Globe nomination for her stunning embodiment as Maria. Despite not all the singing shown in the film belonging to Jo-

lie’s voice, Jolie’s facial expressions and muscles are stretched and tightened so clearly that I had to reaffirm with a quick Google search that Jolie wasn’t secretly an opera singer. The film had a gothic, mysteric quality that Jolie played into so well.

The precise shift in her eyes or the subtle twist of her head felt so strategic and purposeful that I knew I was watching Maria on a screen, not Jolie.

In the end, I think the underlying meaning of the film was important in bringing light to Mar i a trying

to finally take the reins on her life that for so long has been controlled by other people. Yet if it weren’t for Jolie’s immaculate care for her role as Maria, I would’ve said this movie was absolutely not worth it. So, thank you Angelina Jolie for being the saving grace this film needed.

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entertainment 13

high tide dec. 19, 2024

Cozy classics and new narratives New holiday movies don't shy away from being cheesey

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by Daniella Gross very holiday season, know what to expect: good food and fun-filled activities, academic stress and a batch of cheese-filled Christmas rom-coms from Netflix. Now, I’ve personally never been one for these incredibly predictable and overdone hallmark classics that are produced by the dozen each Christmas season, but my mom somehow convinces me to watch a few with her. I want to preface this review with the fact that I enjoy classic Christmas films, but when I’m in the mood, a cheesy movie makes me smile.

This year, Netflix gave us a new holiday romcom, “Hot Frosty,” a juxtaposition I didn’t ask for, though somehow lovable in all of its nonsensical aspects.

“Hot Frosty” follows the trope of a magic creature or object coming to life and stumbling into the main character's life, which is falling apart in more ways than one. It’s Christmas, so how unrealistic is it for a buff snowman to come to life after the leading woman, Kathy Barrett, puts a magic scarf around his neck? Kathy, a widowed and seemingly self-sufficient restaurant owner in her small town is struggling to take care of herself after her husband has passed away from cancer. Her house needs mending, and so does her heart.

While watching this movie, I felt like I recognized the actress who plays Kathy (Lacey Chabert), and then there was a Mean Girls reference, and I realized I was watching grown-up Gretchen Weiners interact with a hot snowman (Dustin Milligan). Since “Mean Girls,” Lacey Chabert has been in over 30+ holiday movies, most of which were hallmark specials, and you can certainly tell this isn’t her first rodeo.

The plotline begins to pick up when Hot Frosty–nicknamed Jack–comes to life, steals clothes to cover up and begs Kathy to take him into her home. Kathy, who is incredibly dubious that he is a snowman come to life, takes him to the doctor who is perplexed by his -30°F body temperature.

Jack’s charming innocence is reminiscent

of Will Ferrell's “Elf,” except he isn’t nearly as funny or convincing and looks a bit like an AI-generated bodybuilder who is over-sexualized. All the while, the town’s quirky and passionate sheriff is investigating who broke into the clothing store, so Kathy must conceal Jack so as not to arouse suspicion. While under her care, Jack learns things quickly, patching up Kathy’s roof, cooking her dinner, helping the middle school with decorations for the winter dance and falling in love with her.

And the part that gave me the biggest ick was, in fact, the romance itself. At the beginning of the movie, Kathy acts as more of a mom or older sister to Jack, reprimanding him here and there and guiding him right from wrong. She corrals him like a toddler. So it felt truly wrong when they kissed for the first time, the dynamic switch caught me off-guard the way it was paced. I suppose it was fun and light-hearted with a message about being defined by your actions and heart. But the cheese factor, if I were to rate in terms of actual cheese, would be blue cheese. It had a strong distinct flavor, a bit funky and overly bold. If you like below-average acting and a silly small-town story, this is the perfect Christmas rom-com for you.

The second film I reviewed is another new Netflix original, “Our Little Secret.” Spoiler: there were no secrets well-kept. Keeping with the holiday spirit, I feel that this movie was surprisingly decent for a rom-com. It begins with a cute animated sequence illustrating the love story of Avery (Lindsey Lohan) and Tom’s (Ian Harding) growing up together in love, though the sequence ends with a tragic breakup scene at Avery’s going away party for a new job in London when Tom gives a proposal gone wrong that Avery isn’t ready to accept. A decade later, Avery is visiting her new

boyfriend’s family for Christmas, only to discover her boyfriend's sister is dating her ex, Tom. To avoid awkwardness, they decide to keep their past a secret, all the while trying to impress the often dramatic and glamorous mother-in-law (Kristin Chenoweth). As the week progresses, more lies begin to pile and more begin to unfold.

I enjoyed that this rom-com was centered around Christmas because it was relatable and humorous in terms of awkward family tension around the holidays. Many viewers can relate to that one in-law that makes you feel insignificant, or the strange sibling that has suspicious extracurricular activities. Though I appreciated this movie more than I did “Hot Frosty,” I felt that the chemistry between Tom and Avery was underdeveloped and absent, and it was more of a comedic watch than a romantic one especially with all the mischief into which the characters found themselves. It had some nice sentimental holiday cheese here and there, such as Avery missing her mother who loved Christmas but passed away because it brought people together. In terms of the cheese rating scale I’ve developed, I’d say this Lindsey Lohan holiday comeback would be a gruyère cheese: a bit nutty, warm and slightly sweet.

Overall a more classic,

well-crafted experience.

Both “Our Little Secret” and “Hot Frosty” had some fun moments where I laughed, either at the comedy or just how cringy some of the scenes and predicaments were. But I really felt myself missing that slice of classic holiday movie, the one that feels so cozy and nostalgic. The biggest nostalgia factor in each of these movies for me were the main actresses, Lacey Chabert and Lindsey Lohan, who both unironically starred in “Mean Girls” and popped up in Netflix Christmas originals this year. I think that the over-done story arcs that most of these new holiday romcoms have is what falls short the most. There are only so many times you can make a movie about a budding romance during the snowy seasons, and only so many ways to tell it without becoming redundant. But If you are searching for some cute and festive movies with an average plot, feel good message and holiday cheer, Netflix rom-coms will provide it, and they certainly come in a variety of cheeses.

PHOTO VIA NETFLIX

Classic holiday movies remain popular due to their lasting relevance

by Safi Hamilton-Torres

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lassic holiday movies can be enjoyed with anyone at any time, but they are especially perfect for cozying up with a warm cup of hot chocolate and with your loved ones.

Families of all ages are able to enjoy classic holiday movies due to their unbeatable mix of wholesomeness, light-hearted jokes, valuable life lessons and especially capturing the holiday season in a magical way.

One of the most popular classic holiday movies is “Home Alone,” where a young boy, Kevin learns to be grateful for his family once he is left home alone for Christmas vacation having a field day with his solitude while learning the reality of being an adult with all the shenanigans along with it.

“Home Alone” never fails to disap1 point as it’s still one of the most popular Christmas movies since it came out in the 1990's. A phase that many people have been in when we were young and didn’t know anything about life before our experiences is portrayed in “Home Alone” through the protagonist, Kevin.

The A-list actor Macaulay Culkin who played the character Kevin, elevated the 1 character’s role from

starting out as an annoying ungrateful kid to a complex character incorporated with wit, compassion, empathy, playfulness and the character’s development of a deeper perspective on life.

Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern play the robbers, the side characters Harry and Marv along with Culkin elevated their assigned roles in the movie with their impressive acting skills. Harry and Marv were indeed to be the obstacle within the “Home Alone” movie but turned out to be the lovable robbers who invoke laughter from everyone once they appear on the screen.

Harry and Marv's interactions are hilarious as Harry (Joe Pesci) always scolds Marv as if he were his mom on top of his overdramatic reactions that elevate the humor, along with Marv's (Daniel Stern) stupidity getting them in trouble with his antics. The two of them together is an unbeatable combo as they entertained their audience with spontaneous attacks of laughter.

The Christmas theme is still infused throughout the entire film, primarily focusing on Christmas as Kevin’s new wish is for his family back for Christmas day without being cheesy.

Comedy is ingrained throughout “Home Alone" and is one of the main appeals of this movie, mastering the balance of comedic timing with the side characters, the robbers within the film and the likable character of Kevin and his sayings.

Another one of the most classic Christmas movies is “The Grinch” cartoon made in 1966. This mov-

ie is so nostalgic that it automatically exudes holiday spirit when you press play.

The classic Who songs, and of course the iconic Grinch that ties this cartoon all together despite it being 20 minutes long.

Although “The Grinch” is one of the oldest Christmas films, it still stands to the test of time through its execution of teaching valuable lessons about the importance of while incorporating and integrating an art style that is unique and mesmerizing.

There was never a dull moment within this film when it came to action and especially its colors. The artist of “The Grinch” Charles Martin “Chuck” Jones, emphasized bright contrasting colors along with the overly animated expressions of the characters that ultimately worked well together to bring the cartoon to life by creating the youthful and lighthearted atmosphere of this film.

“The Grinch” was made to remind people of the holiday nostalgic feel with their song choice, theme choice, animation style and how much they surround Christmas to the point where the Grinch loves Christmas. “The Grinch” film has been remade so many times and inspired most holiday films with the grumpy protagonist that hasn’t felt the holiday spirit yet.

The film takes audiences along the character’s evolution and his growing love of Christmas, each scene learning to embrace the holiday spirit even more. There is so much holiday detail in each scene such as the decked out on holiday glam whoville, the mountain the grinch lives on, and even the contrast snowfall they have in the film.

Every aspect of this movie makes this also iconic, especially for beginning back some of the best holiday childhood memories with the family.

Both "Home Alone" and "Grinch" films have incredible character arcs that are the recipe for hooking the viewer on the protagonist's individual growth journey through the entire duration of the film.

Both Kevin and the Grinch learn that support and family is essential for Christmas and learn to adopt the holiday spirit of sharing it with loved ones.

On the other hand, trying to be similar yet ending up completely different from the classic holiday movies, new hindi movies lack the nostalgic feel that the classic holiday movies captured.

Overall, modern holiday movies don’t capture the same magic and key elements that spark nostalgia and value life lessons as old holiday movies do, which makes old holiday movies more desirable and tolerable to watch for the traditions.

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1. PHOTO VIA FREEPNGIMG 2. PHOTO VIA FOX TELEVISION STUDIOS

14 sports Sea Hawks Take FLIGHT Boys varsity basketball continues their undefeated streak after victory over Corona Centennial High School, allowing them to compete in the Take Flight Challenge

by Carly Jacecko

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oys varsity basketball proved they can hold their own and swept the Centennial Huskies, beating them 85-44. As post-season approaches, the boys remain undefeated and earned the opportunity to move on in the varsity basketball Take Flight Challenge.

The team's effort was apparent when Redondo started against the Huskies, utilizing its starting line up with seniors Hudson Mayes and Brayden Miner and juniors Zach Khatib, Chase Holly and SJ Madison.

“The starting five, the whole starting group, got us off to a good start, and the other players really kept the energy up and the momentum going. They kept playing with intensity, and the players that came in after the beginning were fired up to be on the court. We’re already a pretty close team as far as team bonding goes and these wins have been a validation that the hard work they put in is paying off,” Morris said.

It was a motivating game for guard junior Zach Khatib, who scored the first basket of the game and put up a successful defense against his opponents. Besides his personal improvement, he credits team cohesion as another strength.

“We definitely improved as a team, I would say. We trust each other a lot more.

And in terms of trusting each other more during the game to make a shot or to know someone will be there to back you up, it’s easier now because of that trust. My defense also improved during the game because their offense was so strong, so I had to guard more,” Khatib said.

Coach Reginald Morris agrees and can tell that the boys’ strong relationships are translating into the game, allowing them to work better together. Even before the season started, they came in as friends and those relationships are only getting stronger with each game and practice.

“They’re showing more chemistry with one another and their intensity level is sustained for longer because they’re working

together. Overall, the game was a solid effort, and it wasn’t just a few players.

It was a lot of production from various different players, a team effort that kept everybody’s spirits high coming from the bench and the court,” Morris said.

Junior guard Ben Sy likes how, no matter how the last game is played, keeping familiar structure helps the team stay focused and work on skills needing improvement.

“No matter how we play, it’s the same thing we do at practice every day, and

ter every ball, and everyone on the team is brought into our goal. We all come to practice, and we’re all ready to just put in our 100 percent effort,” Khatib said.

The pre-season proved tough for the team because the players hadn’t played together for a while before it started. Fortunately, as practices started becoming regular and everyone warmed up to each other's playing again, naturality is returning. Morris knows what the team needs to do next.

“Our defense is going to be able to take us where we want to go,” Morris said, “In order for us to become a championship level team, we have to be an aggressive, defensive t e a m t h a t causes damage to the other team and just continues to wear people down to the style of play and the pace that we play at. Now that the team is warmed up to each other, this will come easier.”

“

We’re already a pretty close team as far as team bonding goes, and these wins have been a validation that the hard work they put in is paying off."

REGINALD MORRIS COACH

our practices are very consistent. Keeping things the same and normal in a way helps us focus because we’re not having new things thrown at us,” Sy said.

Khatib intends to motivate himself and the team to keep the winning streak going, and for that to be possible, the coaches expect full effort in practice.

“Our practices are harder than games. That’s just a fact. We show up every single day, ready to get af-

Sophomore Chris Sanders defends ball from opponent PHOTO BY ROBERT PACKARDS

Girls varsity basketball continues their winning streak, defeating Leuzinger

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by Deeksha Prasad ith a 52-18 victory against Leuzinger, girls basketball took their third consecutive win of the season. Having previously beaten Harvard Westlake 38-32 and El Camino

Real 49-40, Redondo’s aggressive pace and sharp execution on both ends of the court left their opponents scrambling to match their performance.

Starting strong, the girls forced Leuzinger into rushed possessions. The opposing team had trouble breaking into the key throughout the game, mostly settling for driving from the corner. On the offensive end, the girls repeatedly broke Leuzinger’s zone. By the end of the first quarter, the girls were up 12-6.

“Going into a predictable game, we try to make sure our bench energy is good, and also our team energy in general.

We’re not just thinking, ‘Oh, we have this in the bag,’” junior co-captain and point guard Chloe Choy said. “We still treat the game as if we’re playing a tougher opponent—just doing what we always normally do, like having good communication on the court, stepping up our defense and running the lanes.”

In the first half itself, the girls effectively ran out the shot clock on Leuzinger numerous times, Junior Chloe Choy passes ball to teammate PHOTO COURTESY OF AVA GOMEZ

forcing violations from the other team.

“We did pretty well defensively, helping each other out when we were rotating,” Choy said. “When somebody drives, we rotate over to stop the ball and then cover each other’s man. Starting the fast break early is another thing we’ve been getting better at.”

By the half, their victory was guaranteed, at 33-8. With quarter three ending at 46-16 and the game over at 52-18, the girls managed to keep a net victory in each quarter, staying relentless in their play despite the overwhelming lead.

“We kept going at our own pace and kept working hard, playing our Redondo defense,” junior Kylie Cho, who plays point and shooting guard, said. “We don’t play down to anyone’s level—we just keep playing our game.”

Even with a strong win, there are still things to improve upon. Choy feels that the team could work more on “executing” their plays during the game.

“There’s more miscommunications, people can’t hear the calls as well [in comparison to practice]. When one part of the play doesn’t work out, all of it just crumbles, and we don’t know what to do,” Choy said.

However, according to Choy, the team has come a long way from their summer season to now.

"We didn’t have that much chemistry because of our different playing styles. But

over time, we've been practicing so much together, and then also hanging out with one another after school and whatnot, and practicing on our own time has gotten us to where we are now,” Choy said. “We're way more bonded together, kind of like sisters, and we can basically tell each other everything, which translates into our game. How we move the ball, our communication and everything on and off the court.”

The game marked the start of a new team tradition; the awarding of a yellow construction hat, titling a specific player the Hard Hat player of the game. Cho was awarded the hat after the game, recognizing her hustle and contributions to the team’s success. “[Cho’s] really fierce on the court and confident in her abilities. She was really good on defense, especially, taking the ball from other players. She started the fast break earlier and pushed the ball up well,” Choy said.

According to Cho, the team was told that the hat was an award for the “blue-collar” player of the game; the behind the scenes player who might not necessarily be reflected in the stats, but was constantly giving the game their all. “[The hat] doesn’t necessarily mean scoring the most points,” Choy said. “It’s about doing the little things, like driving to get your teammate an open shot, hustling for a rebound or blocking out—just doing what helps the team succeed.”

sports 15

high tide dec. 19, 2024

TEAM TRIUMPHS

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Girls soccer continues their winning streak, defeating Leuzinger 11-0

by Ethan Chi

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or the first time on their home turf this year, girls soccer showed up and showed out against Leuzinger High School, according to senior center-forward Kaitlynn McMullin. With an 11-0 victory on Tuesday, Dec. 10, the girls maintained their first in-bay2status, while maintaining an undefeated record of 2-0.

First to the ball, Redondo controlled the center of the field early and outplayed Leuzinger’s defense. Redondo gained the upper hand early, with senior center midfielder Shannon Davidson scoring on a volley in the 4th minute. Davidson’s success was followed shortly by three additional goals scored by Redondo’s front line. In the 15th minute, sophomore midfielder Grace Murray crossed it to McMullin, allowing McMullin to place a fourth ball in the back of the net. This goal widened the gap, resulting in a 4-0 lead for Redondo.

“It felt amazing to score my first goal of the preseason. I was excited, and I felt the same energy reciprocated on the field from my teammates,” McMullin said. “Every goal we score is a team effort; nobody is selfish on the ball, and all of these girls are super talented, so it’s just a really great energy.”

According to Coach Shelly Marsden, this type of teamwork helps the girls stay consistent throughout the match, making scoring feel less individual and more collaborative.

“I think the girls are genuinely excited for each other to score, which makes it a lot easier to score goals when you're just as excited for your teammate to score as you are for yourself. I think that's a big difference in playing as a team when, when you're more about yourself, everybody's working hard to score goals for themselves, and they don't come as easily,” Marsden said.

Throughout the game, the girls focused on making quick touches to encourage passing and ball distribution among the front line. While Redondo’s offense racked up five more goals in the first half, earning a sizable 9-0 lead, the Sea Hawks defense also stayed solid, according to McMullin.

“I think we have powerful defenders, but also I think we're very calm in the back, so it kind of helps when we have pressure, to keep that calmness, and it helps us get

us out of tough situations,” McMullin said.

Redondo’s defense shut out the Leuzinger Olympians 10-0 in the first half, with a final goal from right back Savannah Hyon.

After the first half was over, Redondo transitioned into the last 45 minutes of the game with the same determination but a slightly different approach, according to Marsden.

“We've tried a couple of new players in the center mid position, and I think that they were starting to get it by the second half and were smooth,” Marsden said. “In the second half, it became less about scoring and more about building our possession, which I think the girls did an incredible job on in the second half.”

The Sea Hawks scored another goal in the 84th minute without conceding any in the second half. They finished the match against the Olympians 11-0, with Murray

noting the significance of this win for the girls.

“Yeah, I think it's just a good start, and I think it's good momentum going into the season to hopefully keep doing it and keep winning and getting goals,” Murray said.

“We also know that PV beat this team 9-0, so we wanted to top that to show who was boss in the Bay league.”

McMullin noted that the girls are trying to find their footing with a new varsity team this year, with new players and new teammates, and that this game is good practice for working cohesively together.

“Many of us are new to this team, so we must work together. Know each other's strengths and weaknesses, keep working hard, and become an excellent team,” McMullin said. “Think we did that well in this game, and all the pieces are starting to come together nicely.”

The girls have more to prove going into Monday’s game on Dec. 16 against Culver City High School. Marsden is hopeful the girls can come together and get ready for a promising season.

“Chemistry is built by knowing where each other is moving off the ball and what people's tendencies are off the ball by defending together and reading each other as you defend. So I think that this game is a good indicator of perhaps success in the future because our chemistry is being built, built each pass at a time,” Marsden said. “Going into our next game, I want the girls to continue playing as one united team.”

1. Freshman Reagan Louis midkick during game.

2. Group huddle before game.

PHOTOS BY AVA TO

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in-focus 16

high tide dec. 19, 2024

Verbal abuse on campus must be adressed with inclusive discussions

by Claudia Turner

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HATE SPEECH AND SPORTS

eading out of the locker room on the way to practice, senior Lily*'s head whips around as she hears her male teammate yell "c-nt!" from across the field. Not sure whether to give a half-hearted chuckle or reply, she instead opts to roll her eyes and continue walking.

But this method of “just ignoring it” gets tiring after a while, especially because the word in question has a deeper level of degradation attached to it than most typical team banter.

“I know it doesn't mean anything to them because they call each other that kind of thing all the time, but for me, those words are heavy,” Lily said. “I think about the things I’ve been called a long time after it comes out of their mouths.”

Lily is no stranger to hearing derogatory language in her co-ed sport. The casual usage of slurs, for humor and for shock value, is commonplace, and the adults in the room “don’t do much” to mitigate it.

“During matches, I’ve been yelled at or called the c-slur just out of the blue because I’m Asian. Practice isn’t much better.

There’s a group of guys who call the girls b-tches and c-nts for no reason at all,” Lily said. “I started not wanting to attend team events because of how uncomfortable I felt.”

For Lily, the constant, belligerent remarks caused her to lose some of the love she once had for her sport, nearly quitting at one point. Since a lot of what was said was in a joking manner, there wasn’t much

Incidents of online abuse increased by 279 percent in the 2022-23 European football season, and this phenomenon is mirrored with face-to-face interactions.

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HATE SPEECH IN THE HALLS

erbal harassment at school isn’t just limited to sports. Students like Lily report witnessing the usage of slurs and degrading language “almost every day,” even where a teacher is present. For students who are a part of the LGBTQ+ community, simply walking to class and not being hassled can be a struggle. Senior Dani,* who is open about her queerness, notes an increase in harassment whenever she wears or brings anything LGBTQ+-related to school.

“One time I was holding a pride flag while walking to class, and two separate people shouted ‘f-ggot’ at me. And this has happened countless times before [...] I’ve even gotten a hamburger thrown at me for wearing a rainbow flannel to school,” Dani said. “Whenever we have a booth for the GSA at club rush, I have to get security beforehand because people have stolen from us and thrown stuff at us before. That’s why I think it’s interesting when people say homophobia isn't a problem anymore, because it so clearly is.”

Sixty-one percent of trans students reporting being bullied at least once, 16 percent higher than their cisgender LGBTQ+ peers, according to a 2021 study

by LGBTQ+ youth advocate group The Trevor Project. Senior Kai,* who identifies as nonbinary, experienced their fair share of dehumanizing language due especially to their short, colorful hair, which made them stand ou “I was hanging out with some friends at the pier, and a group of teenage boys that would usually terrorize me were biking by. They saw me because I was recognizable at the time and started yelling offensive words, slurs and shooting water guns at me and my friends,” Kai said. “I felt so horrible in that moment because I realized, this is happening because of me, because of how I look, because of how I am.

It stuck with me for a long time.’”

INFORMATION FROM KICK IT OUT DATA COLLECTED FROM SOCIAL MEDIA AND GRASSROOT SOURCES she felt she could do without being seen as overreacting.

“I found myself skipping [practice], waiting behind in the locker room and being uncomfortable doing warm-ups because I really didn't want to be in that situation anymore,” Lily said. “I finally talked to my coach and told him I wanted to quit, and all he did was give a quick speech and move on. Most adults have the mentality that boys will be boys, and since it’s ‘just dark humor,’ there's nothing they can do.”

The heightened emotions surrounding sports can create space for increased verbal harassment. Inclusion organization Kick It Out reported that incidents of online abuse increased by 279 percent in the 2022-23 European football season, and this phenomenon is mirrored with face-toface interactions. Even students who aren't in sports, such as senior Amber*, have noticed an uptick of hate speech coming from various teams.

“I got stuck behind a group of athletes in the hall, and they were talking about an upcoming match against another school. One of the guys described the other team as ‘a bunch of f-cking thugs, a bunch of f-cking Mexicans’ and said that Redondo shouldn't even try because the other team was ‘naturally gifted’ because of their race,” Amber said. “I’m Hispanic myself, so the whole situation just made me feel icky. They had no shame about what they were saying, and clearly didn’t care who overheard them.”

PHOTO OF FEMALE SILHOUETTE VIA CLEANPNG PHOTO OF BRAIN VIA PIXABAY PHOTO OF NEURON VIA PNGEGG *NAMES HAVE BEEN CHANGED TO PROTECT ANONYMITY

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THE PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT

xposure to hate speech, joking or not, has a real impact on the brain. A 2021 study from the Journal of Communication and Public Relations found that hate speech can leave the victim with long term psychosomatic disorders, anxiety and depression, effects that mimic those caused by physical hate crimes. Licensed mental health therapist and executive director of the nonprofit Do Something: Identity(ies), Van Ethan Levy, who has worked with countless victimized youth, has seen the detrimental mental effects of derogatory language first-hand.

“Our brains experience physical pain in the same way that we do when we experience emotional pain. Mentally, it interprets that emotional distress the same way it would if we were being stabbed,” Levy said.

"One in three transgender people will attempt to die by suicide before the age of 18, and this data is from the CDC, which tends to be more conservative. These numbers significantly decrease if a person's chosen name and pronouns are used […] language and the way we speak to others has a significant impact.”

The mental distress of identity-based verbal jabs leads some to try and tone down the aspect of themselves that makes them “different” in order to avoid further harassment, according to Levy. Kai recalls that witnessing their friends being hassled for “being seen in public with [Kai]” caused them to lose confidence in the way they were presenting themselves publically.

“The whole situation made me feel ashamed because I felt like my identity was causing so much pain to people I cared about. The bullying from those boys caused me to want to change myself, which I did,” Kai said. “And even though I look different now, what I've taken away from all of my experiences is that people are going to be mean no matter what you do and what you look like. The only thing you can do is to learn how to value yourself more than you value the opinions of others, which is something that's really hard to do, but I’m learning.”

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BUILDING A BETTER CULTURE

or students like Dani, worrying about personal safety at school can be a real issue. Dani has overheard students threatening violence against the LGBTQ+ community multiple times, but says she’s “been taught not to report to admin,” citing a fear of it only worsening.

“I'd like to see our admin do more. I'd like to see them get angry on our behalf,” Dani said. “I feel like there's a lot of times

“

I'm always somebody who's going to say something because when we're not saying anything, we're communicating that this harm is okay.

VAN EATHAN LEVY LICENSED MENTAL HEALTH THERAPIST

where the victims are blamed after reporting. And it’s not exactly hard for someone to find out who reported them, and usually the bullying just gets worse once you’re labeled as a snitch.”

Echoing Dani’s sentiments, when it comes to sports teams, Amber worries that Redondo students openly using slurs and hate speech, especially when talking about other teams, could damage the school’s reputation as a whole.

“All I could think about after overhearing their comments is what it would be like to be a [athlete from another school] coming to play against us and being treated like a thug for no reason. I think that's really disgusting and unfair,” Amber said.

“It’s clear these players lack sportsmanship, and I hope coaches can do something to address all the racism being spewed by our teams.”

Building a more accepting culture at school is a process, but not impossible.

Workshops, specifically those run by members of the affected community can be effective, and Levy’s book, “Exploring my Identity(ies),” teaches how to unlearn prejudice against trans people and allies alike.

In the book, the first step in building a hate speech-free environment is “admitting that we all have internalized bigotry.”

“People are so afraid to admit that they're transphobic or homophobic, but we can't make shifts in our engagement if we can't admit that. If you pretend like it's not there, then you can't ever change,” Levy said. “And it is hard to confront people about their bigotry, because they will naturally get defensive. Even so, I'm always somebody who's going to say something, because when we're not saying anything, we're communicating that this harm is ok,” Levy said.

In Dani’s opinion, the hardest part of seeing a lack of pushback against casual hate speech is her worry that those who have harassed her will “pass those beliefs onto their children,” and therefore perpetuate the cycle of seeing casual vile language as normal.

“At this church camp I attended, I remember seeing this little 12-year-old girl spewing the same homophobic rhetoric her parents had taught her,” Dani said. “Seeing young kids say these horrible, awful things is disheartening, but it also shows that you can't wait for the homophobes and the racists to die out like some people say. It’s a societal issue that we need to actively fight against.”