High Tide: Nov. 4, 2016

HIGH TIDE

Redondo Union High School Redondo Beach, CA November 4 2016 Vol. XCVII Edition 5

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Inside:

Two Faced pg. 5

Young Democrats and Young Republican clubs find common ground on issues

pg. 7

Students give their perspectives on different policy issues

pgs. 8 & 9

Student polls reveal attitudes toward candidates and propositions

pg. 11

Angel Rading attends Women’s Political and Civil Leadership Conference

page 2

news

High Tide

Court is in session. Judge Stuart Rice speaks at the

grand opening of the new RUHS courtroom on Friday, Oct. 26. The courtroom will be used by Teen Court and Mock Trial and is available to be used by other RUHS faculty. PHOTO BY

LUIGI LOPEZ

Court is in

session

New courtroom installed in Bingo Room

by Analise Asaro

RUHS opened its doors to a brand new courtroom to be used by Teen Court and other school programs. The grand opening was on Friday, Oct. 26, with a range of people attending from police officers to lawyers.

Teen Court coordinator, Marie Botchie, believes the opening went “very well” and there was nothing she would change about it.

“We had gracious guests and very grateful and thankful participants,” Botchie said.

“They let us know that they were very appreciative and that was the goal.”

Among the participants were several speakers, one of which was co-president Samaya Rubio, a junior. The theme delivered

throughout her speech was second chances.

“We really get a chance to give these minors a second chance to be the people they want to be,” Rubio said. “This is one of the most wonderful things about Teen Court, and that is why I focused on it in my speech.”

In order to achieve the perfect opening, Botchie called upon her students that are in the Teen Court class and club to help run the event.

“A lot of the grand opening was put in by Madison Laster and Samaya Rubio, the copresidents,” Botchie said. “The whole teen

court class served as hosts, greeters, welcomers, and directors. Everyone had a role.”

In Teen Court, students serve on the jury, and minors from other schools are put on trial for crimes like battery and drug possession. The students decide the punishment, which is usually community service. However, according to Rubio, the minor who commits the crime is given the option to choose where to volunteer and become involved.

“We’re all a big community and we’re all standing behind this one child who is going to be helped back into their community,” Rubio said. “The accused minor gets a second chance to become a person who is looked up to instead of looked down on their entire life.”

According to Botchie, one unique aspect of Teen Court is the involvement of students in the case. They serve on the jury and ask the questions to later suggest punishment for the minor.

“Teens are the jury, so they live a life that might relate to the minor who’s being tried in the court, and that’s different,” Botchie said. “They feel like they’re being heard and feel that they’re being judged more fairly because [the minor] is being judged by a jury of their peers.”

Botchie hopes the students “find it rewarding that they feel like they are, for once, actually apart of their government instead of just being governed.”

According to Botchie, the courtroom will not only be used by teen court but will also available to supplement other teacher’s lessons.

“It’s really important that the courtroom is respected, but gets used,” Botchie said. “If it involves something in our teachers’ curriculums that has to do with court, we encourage them and to get in the courtroom so that they can have a real experience and get out of the classroom.”

Teen Court members Grace Clendenin and Lili Goeldner, freshmen, agree that having a courtroom will make the Teen Court program more “official”, as well as encourage students to pursue a career in law.

“I think [having the courtroom] will inspire students at Redondo to get into law,” Goeldner said. “Now that we have a chance to get involved in something real, they will want to partake in such a huge opportunity and will not regret joining.”

According to Botchie, the students will learn more from the people that come to the courtroom rather than the presence of the courtroom itself.

“The proximity to the legal field is more of an influence than just the courtroom.”

Botchie said. “Having the program here and access to people who successfully navigated that career path makes it seem more realistic to people that they can maybe get there too.”

With support of the city of Redondo Beach, who donated $30,000, the courtroom will decrease the number of cases presented in a juvenile court.

“Most youths who go through teen court do not offend again, which means the community is safer,” Botchie said. “Serving on [the jury] gives people a better view of their judicial system.”

Setting the record straight

RBPD adopts a new measure that enables the public to easily access police reports

by Patrick Cochran As a result of U.S. citizens questioning the use of violence used by the nation’s police, RBPD is becoming “transparent,” releasing records to the public on their website that were not previously available.

The White House released a “Police Data Initiative,” which helps police departments in different cities use technology to build “community trust.” Sergeant Shawn Freeman believes Redondo Police are already very open with their community.

“Redondo Beach is that far behind on the initiative. It’s not like we have barriers in place where we don’t know who the police are and what they do.” Freeman said.

Although RBPD believe they have been very open with their community, there are events such as police involved shootings and police violence reports that were not previously published nor hidden.

“For years, we have internally produced a document that talked about our use of force over the years. It has never been, ‘secret’, it just has not been readily available. With the

new transparency program the information is available to the public.” Freeman said.

The modern transparency policies are nothing new to the Redondo Beach police.

The only new parts are the parameters of the police data initiative.

Freeman believes most of the new information they released was already public.

Before, it was not as easy to locate, so community members had to turn to secondary sources to find police data.

“For years, the press, such as the Daily Breeze and the LA Times, and certain civil rights organizations have come here for public information requests and have published and provided the records in their newspapers,” Freeman said.

Although RBPD already publishes as much as possible, there are state and federal laws that limit what can be published. These limitations include releasing information that may endanger the success of an investigation or danger a civilian or an officer.

“Police officers have certain privacy

rights that may conflict with the release of information the public wants to know. State and federal laws restrict what [we] can put out there because of those privacy rights,” Freeman said.

According to Freeman, the new initiative allows for citizens to be more conscious of the activities of their local police.

“It makes the information readily available, community members can now look online and see what’s going on with their police department.” Freeman said. “The assumption is most people aren’t actively seeking [the information] out but now, the people that are, can easily find it.”

Freeman also believes the police have already been heavily involved in the community with events such as “coffee with a cop” and police run open houses.

Despite Freeman’s perception of easy access to police records, sophomore Kylie Yorke had a different experience. Yorke needed facts from a police report to write a journalism story, but the police told her it

would be fifteen days if her request got approved and would cost her twenty dollars.

“I was under the impression that police reports were public record, so I was a little surprised to hear that my form needed to be approved in order to get information for a journalism story,” Yorke said.

Freeman assumes the recent controversy about the unlawful police shootings are the cause of the national initiative.

“It’s not coincidental that it is happening like this,” Freeman said. “[However] the training of the programs we have in California are way more progressive and ahead than other areas of the nation.“[So] all of the officer involved shootings by Redondo Police have been justified and necessary.”

Freeman believes police transparency will help educate the public about what police officers do.

“Sometimes we assume that people know what we do and they might not,” Freeman said. “Our image as the police is construed by television and media.”

Nov. 4, 2016

page 3

news

Controversy surrounds CenterCal development

by Malek Chamas and Austin Nunis The citizens of Redondo Beach will likely be voting on the King Harbor Coastal Access and Revitalization Enhancement (CARE) Act, a zoning initiative for the city’s waterfront area on March 7, 2017. The King Harbor CARE Act was written by the Rescue Our Waterfront (ROW) grassroots organization in opposition to a proposed $400 million redevelopment in the area by CenterCal Properties, LLC, a retail development company.

Among other things, CenterCal is planning on building a boutique hotel, a 700-seat movie theater and many new market hallstyle businesses. Its plan also includes opening up Seaside Lagoon to the sea.

According to CenterCal CEO Fred Bruning, the project is needed because most of the current development on the waterfront does not meet current building codes and environmental standards. He also believes about $150 million is needed to repair and refurbish existing buildings there, which “have not been maintained and are falling apart.”

“There’s raw sewage coming into the bay from the pier. The California Coastal Commission says that for a permit to redevelop the site to be approved, certain parts of it have to be raised as much as five feet higher above the sea level. The shops that you see on the International Boardwalk now are uninhabitable according to current code,” Bruning said. “The parking deck here on the south side was built fifty years ago, and they didn’t use waterproof concrete. As a result, the concrete is falling apart, and the rebar is rusting through.”

Mayor Steve Aspel believes the project will provide Redondo Beach residents with an interesting place to go. He expects it to generate “millions of dollars of new funds” through sales taxes and rent from CenterCal for the city.

“I think it’s a great idea because we need a place for our citizens to go to rather than

having them go to Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach. It’s going to have a lot of restaurants and a nice hotel.

About 20 percent of it is going to be retail, but it’s going to be a place that you’d want to go to.

People don’t go to the pier as much as they should, and there’s a lot of great restaurants down there and things to do, but we could make it better,” Aspel said. “We want them to stay in Redondo and spend their money here.”

However, not all Redondo Beach citizens approve of CenterCal’s redevelopment plan.

ROW was formed by Redondo Beach citizens who were against “over-commercializing” the harbor, according to Nils Nehrenheim, a co-founder of the organization. He says that the project is “too large and too dense,” since it increases the amount of commercial development. Nehrenheim also believes the businesses proposed by the plan could fail, costing the city money “for generations to come.”

“Much of this project is going to be retail, and we know that the retail industry is going to be significantly curtailing in the next few years. Major stores are closing, and the project will draw customers and clients away from places like Riviera Village and the South Bay Galleria,” Nehrenheim said. “Everything is going online.”

In order to combat what they see as flaws in the project, Nehrenheim and other members of ROW wrote the King Harbor CARE Act. As a zoning initiative, it sets guidelines for the redevelopment of the waterfront, but no specific alternative plan for redevelopment.

City Councilman Bill Brand, who sympa-

Before

A work in progress. 1. The

pier in its current state. 2. The rendering of the revitalized pier proposed

by CenterCal. The rennovations, if approved, woud cost a total of $400 Million and construction could start as early as 2018. Residents will be able to vote on the King Harbor CARE act on Mar.7 of 2017. This project will increase the amount of commercial development currently there from roughly 237,000 square feet to 524,00 square feet. PHOTO COURTESY CENTERCAL

Before

1.

After

2.

2.

thizes with ROW, says the initiative is meant to ensure that redevelopment in the waterfront still goes through, but “properly.”

“Our waterfront needs revitalizing, no doubt about it. It’s rundown in a lot of areas.

People who go down there regularly enjoy it, and it’s got a unique local charm to it. But the infrastructure has been neglected and we’ve got to get in there and revitalize it in the proper way. Unfortunately, previous city council members and mayors have just been going down this road towards a development that is not what the community wants,” Brand said.

In the event that the King Harbor CARE Act does pass, however, Bruning says that his company will have to withdraw its plan to redevelop the Harbor because it will not be able to comply with the new guidelines set by the initiative.

“If their plan were to succeed, we and any other developer would have zero interest in trying to redevelop the waterfront because you wouldn’t be able to get a return on that investment,” Bruning said. “If you can’t change Seaside Lagoon, add a new parking deck, or change the site of the boat launch, you really can’t add anything.”

Drama students performed at the Varsity Drama Festival in LA

by Alex Dang

Advanced and intermediate drama students competed against actors from over 80 schools at the Drama Teachers Association of Southern California’s annual Varsity Drama Festival on Saturday, Oct. 22. At James Monroe High School, the actors took part in a variety of categories, ranging from monologues to condensed versions of musicals and plays.

According to senior Noelani Montas, who performed in the Large Drama Group category, believed the usually “nerve-racking” experience of being pitted against the top drama programs was made enjoyable because of the encouragement she received from her fellow actors.

“Everyone from every other school was super supportive, and it was a nice environ-

ment,” Montas said. “They really make sure everyone feels included and feels excited.”

The students were given creative control of their performances by drama teacher Melisa Staab, and their efforts amounted to more than just reading the script and rehearsing their acts.

“We gave ideas for the play, researched and found the characters. It was studentdriven,” Montas said. “I spent weekends cutting the script and trying to hone it in. It was a big task.”

Despite the huge preparation for the festival, sophomore Liza Holmes, who performed in the Large Group Musical category, believes the undertaking was rewarding.

“Even though you’re working hard, you’re enjoying it the whole time, so that makes it

totally worth it,” Holmes said.

Sophomore Beck Hokanson, Holmes, and eight other actors performed a condensed version of the musical, Cabaret. Their group reached the finals and placed seventh out of the top ten performances.

“In order to succeed in the competition, you need trust your group members.

Through rehearsals, we got closer to each other. That helped make our performance stronger and realistic,” Hokanson said.

In addition to becoming comfortable with the others, Montas believes the key to a quality performance is being selfless.

“The point of a scene is to support the other actor. Even though it’s a two-person scene, it’s about about everybody around you and supporting them. I think that’s the big-

gest personality check that actors have to go through,” Montas said.

For their drama act, Montas and her group performed an eight-minute version of the play, Crimes of the Heart. They perfected the condensed version of the play after weeks of trial and error.

“Even when things were frustrating — and I was frustrated at times with this whole process — I think that performing together really helped us get to know each other better, as an artist and as an individual,” Montas said.

Despite the competitive setting, Montas believes the festival is an outlet for the appreciation of every actor’s capabilities.

“It’s really more, in my mind, a celebration of theater and all the things that we can do,” Montas said.

page 4

High Tide

news

Keeping school cool Dr. Keller proposes to install new AC units

Powder-puff Football Game

by Julian Quevedo

Days are hotter than they used to be when superintendent Dr. Steven Keller was growing up in Torrance in the 1970s.

The installation of air conditioning for classrooms is being considered by the RBUSD Board of Education, according to Keller, who can empathize with students and teachers in hot weather.

“I am relentless about getting into school sites and classrooms,” Keller said. “I’ve certainly been in my share of warm-to-hot classrooms during those painfully hot days.”

According to Keller, no one had mentioned anything about classroom temperatures until two years ago, let alone a “groundswell of complaints”.

“I would argue that as people were getting at their boiling point,” Keller said, “it would cool down and then people forget about it.”

Keller has been looking at two potential methods of cooling down classrooms: traditional central air conditioning units or a ductless system.

“The ductless system could save us significant dollars for two reasons. It’s cheaper and more affordable to install, but secondarily it’s more energy efficient. It’s more like like operating a few fans rather than a centralized air conditioning unit,” Keller said.

In order to further minimize energy use and help lower costs, the system is to be centrally managed. Also, classrooms would be in need of cooling just 20 to 40 days a year.

“We have to be mindful that we’re saving about $500,000 a year because we installed

solar,” Keller said, “and we don’t want to lose all those dollars letting everybody cool their classrooms when it’s 60 degrees outside.”

This means, in order to save energy, teachers will not have manual control over the units in their classrooms.

“If you go to your third period English class, it’s going to be the exact same temperature. If you go to your fifth period class, it’s going to be the exact same temperature.

There’s going to be consistency,” Keller said.

While Keller and the board have ideas for achieving this goal, it is not set in stone.

“It’s definitely one of our goals for the year that we’re bringing to the board, but the board has not approved it,” Keller said, “Am I optimistic the board will consider it? Yes. But this is not a done deal. I want to make that very clear. This is an exploratory process.”

The issue will be discussed at the Nov. 8 board meeting. Costs aside, Keller believes air conditioning is a good idea.

“Whenever we throw ourselves out there to create some magic and try and make something good happen, inevitably, somebody will critique it,” Keller said, “This deed is ideally going to go before the board and hopefully we’ll chase it, but we are mindful that, with this challenge, comes critics that think they have another way or a better way. Or, the other side, which is ‘why are we spending money on air conditioning? We should be spending more money on books and supplies and technology.’ But the first amendment is alive and well.”

by Julian Quevedo

Too Swift. Senior Nicole Swift runs the ball past junior Indica Showell.

The seniors beat the juniors 3514, dominating posession for most of the game. “I feek like the powder-puff game went extremely well,” Swift said. “I felt as though it was well organized which made the game even more eventful. I liked how much control Yoseph Ghazal had over the game because that is one of the main factors that made it extremely well organized.” PHOTO BY MICHAEL YOON

Mr. Brandt starts Student Leadership

by Tessa Biscaldi

Student Leadership Team’s objective is simple: to give every student a voice and an opportunity to make the faculty aware of their concerns.

This club, created by principal Jens Brandt, will be meeting for the first time in mid-November to discuss important school wide issues and bring together students and faculty to find a way to address these problems.

“I want it to be a chance for students to bring their topics to the table that they want to discuss,” Brandt said. “I want to create an environment that allows us to represent as many types of people at our school as possible, although this will be difficult because we are such a large number of people here at Redondo.”

Mr. Brandt was inspired to form this club when he realized that students are the ones

who are the least in communication with administration.

“We had a Coffee with Parents a few weeks ago and there’s also constant contact between the administration and the teachers, as well as the Instructional Leadership Team (same concept as the Student Leadership Team, but for teachers),” Brandt said.

“I see that we communicate with everyone, but the most important people at school: students. We don’t hear from them as much as we should, and I think it’s time that that changed.”

Brandt decided that the most effective way to bridge the gap in communication was to create a group that could bring the two together.

“I have 38 applicants and I’m narrowing it down as we speak. They are a very diverse group of individuals with about 7 to

8 students per grade level and all different backgrounds,” Brandt said. “I have ASB, Link Crew, athletes, drama, and salsa students among others. I want to represent as many people as I can and have diversity. I think that interesting perspectives will come from this.”

It is Brandt’s wish that the group can reach out to the students around them and give him feedback on the things they feel can be improved upon.

“I want to hear from the students that don’t have a voice. It’s my hope that the students in the Leadership Group speak to the students that they don’t normally talk to and the ones that don’t feel represented. I want them to connect with the students that feel like they are on the fringe,” Brandt said. “I hope they do an effective job of bringing back their peer’s opinions without putting

their own spin and bias on it.”

Brandt hopes that these monthly meetings will help him find ways in which Redondo can improve for students.

“I want it to be pretty informal but I might some items to the agenda so that we can tackle them as a team with different points of view,” Brandt said. “I want to be more of a listener and have the students feel comfortable enough to share how they feel. I just want feedback on what works and what doesn’t and what it’s like to be a high schooler at Redondo.”

With these meetings in place, Brandt hopes that the school can work more as a group and have communication between everyone. “ I want everyone to be connected,” Brandt said. “Hopefully, this can become an annual part of Redondo culture.”

Nov. 4, 2016

news

page 5

Sons and daughters of liberty Young Republican and Democrat clubs established

by Maya Groark

The Young Democrats, led by senior Ignacio Caceres, and the Young Republicans, led by sophomore Nina Ihmels, are two clubs which create a place where high schoolers can express their own political opinions with a group of likeminded people.

“I think it’s a great idea that we have a Young Republicans club and a Young Democrats club,” Caceres said. Who a Republican or Democrat is may be different according to who is asked. To the Young Democrats, a Democrat is someone who believes in diversity and equality for all.

“A Democrat is someone who believes in equal opportunities for people who come from all different backgrounds, poor or rich, black or white,” Caceres said.

The Young Republicans have their own definition for what a Republican represents as well.

“A Republican is someone who relies on their morals,” Ihmels said. “We want the law

to reflect the morals of human beings.”

Despite having opposing views, both clubs don’t hold that fact against each other.

According to Ihmels, she doesn’t have anything against Democrats because she knows it’s just a political view.

“But in this election, it’s so charged.

You’re either on one side or the other. It’s very bipartisan,” Ihmels said.

B o t h clubs are very active, especially with the local politics. The Young Republicans volunteer with David

Hadley, and the Young Democrats with Al Muratsuchi, respectively, one of the Republicans and Democrats running for State Assembly. Both groups volunteer by phone banking and doing door-to-door walks.

“Our club gets together on Tuesdays and

Thursdays. We talk about the debate and lo- not approve of. cal politics and sometimes we just ask stu“Our mission is to prove not all Republidents what they feel or how they feel or what cans are like the ones who are currently in they think is going on in society. What can office,” Ihmels said. be fixed, what can’t be The nominees for this year’s election have fixed,” Caceres said. sparked debate on whether or not each can“We’re working off didate is fit for president. campus with Al Murat“I think that every single party’s candidate suchi and his campaign, is terrible. Donald Trump is a terrible repreworking with our sentation of the Republican party. I know not community, and everyone agrees on that. I think he’s terrible, doing walks.” he’s a disgusting person, and he’s a terrible Like role model for Young every Re pub l i ca ns ,” other Ihmels said. club, the Even though Young Democrats and Rethe club publicans have their own feels that mission and goals within Trump the school. isn’t “Our mission is to proan acILLUSTRATION BY LULU mote diversity and create a curate repreWEGMAN place where students can feel sentation of free to express their opinion a Republican, and how they feel about the they still enworld they live in, and the courage people school they live in, and the to support the society they live in,” Caceres said. “We want Republican Party and vote with them for the to inform our community about the politi- Republican candidate. Both clubs encourage cians they vote for.” the students of voting age to go out and vote According to Ihmels, the Young Republi- in this year’s election. cans’ message in the present is to restore the “You can do it online, you can do a mail in name of the Republican party and distance ballot, but I just recommend that you vote.” itself from those Republicans who they do Caceres said. “You have to use your rights.”

Millenials post low voting rates in 2016 election

by Ben Yepez

Despite making up over one fourth of the electorate, millennials have the lowest turnout of any age group, whether it be Baby Boomers, Gen X’ers, or those a part of the Silent Generation.

This election cycle millennials will make up 31% of the electoral vote, according to a report done by the Pew Research Center. Millennials are typically defined as those born between the year 1980 and 2000.

Michael Henges, AP Government and Economics teacher, attributes low young voter turnout to the electoral college and the two-party system.

“I think sometimes young people don’t understand the political process. It might be because of the two-party system we have where, because of the winner take all rule, you get nothing if you come in second place.”

Henges said.

According to Henges, if young people feel a candidate doesn’t fit their political

views, then they might be less likely to vote, but that is the “wrong mindset.”

“I also think that they don’t realize the importance of everything else on the ballot, all the lower level offices like the local issues, and they don’t realize that they can impact those things a lot more than the presidential race. They don’t realize that they can be voting for school board, their local city council, or for propositions that affect the entire state.

They can be voting for state senators, state assemblymen, and all these offices where often, voter turnout is low and they have an even bigger influence. So they do make a difference,” Henges said.

According to a study by the Pew Research Center, in the previous election, voters aged 18-28 made up 19% of eligible voters, but only 46% of them voted.

“If young people don’t vote, then they will not like the policies that are implemented.

Older people vote, older people get policies

that benefit them. So if you don’t like the policies, then you need to get involved,” Henges said.

Senior Katelin Harris will be voting this election cycle. Harris believes her vote “does count,” despite rising questions regarding the authenticity of the election, led by the Republican party’s nominee calling that the media has “rigged” the election.

“A lot of people think both candidates are terrible. I do see both sides, where Hillary Clinton does have downsides. And a lot of people my age, they just don’t care. They’re used to their parents doing everything for them. But, now they actually have a say in their future.”

According to Harris, people tend to not vote because they “expect other people to vote for them,” and as a result “[lose] out on their voice and they might not have it go their way.”

Henges accredits low voter turnout to the

electoral college.

“If you are a Democrat in California then you kind of already know the democratic candidate is going to win so you might not want to vote because of that. Or if you are a republican, you know the Republican candidate definitely can’t win so you might not vote because of that,” Henges said Despite this, Henges believes that “every single vote matters” and ballot contests are where a vote really can make a difference.

“Often people will vote for president and senate and then they’ll leave the rest blank.

When that happens, and somebody like me or other younger people vote for those lower offices, their vote has more weight, because there are less people voting for those lower offices,” Henges said. “So when there is low turnout, when there are people not paying attention to certain lower level races, those are the exact races you should want to vote for because then you could really sway it.”

page 6

High Tide

opinion

Editorial

Freedom of hate speech

Freedom of speech should certainly be exercised, keeping in mind the impact that words can have

ILLUSTRATION BY LULU WEGMAN

When sexually abusive comments get swept under the rug by dismissing them as “locker room talk,” it becomes time to talk about the impact of words on societal norms.

Various videos of Donald Trump engaging in explicit conversation went viral leading up to the second presidential debate, and he dismissed the lewd comments by categorizing them as locker room talk.

His comments in both recent videos and interviews across the board reveal a harsh reality about society: obscene remarks are too easily instilled as social norms.

When Trump proposes that the best way to get a woman to reciprocate attraction is to grab her by her genitals, he does more than just gesture a few chuckles from his friends. When he then dismisses his comments as locker room talk, he normalizes sexual harassment. It should go without saying that the United States isn’t a

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locker room, and the presidential election is not a game.

Likewise, when he implies that Mexican immigrants are rapists and drug lords or implies that Muslims escaping the Middle East support terrorism, he influences the entire social climate of the nation.

This is not to point the finger at Trump but rather to give an example of a person with a great deal of influence receiving his popularity from a cherished “political incorrectness.” This political incorrectness may seem refreshing after growing accustomed to decades of rehearsed and robotic politicians and people in higher standing.

However, the influence of these blunt comments goes beyond a sigh of relief at the so-called honesty being expressed.

It ultimately spreads fear and hate in the social atmosphere. It sets people against each other in a time when people should be standing together.

Some believe that political correctness threatens freedom of speech and hinders free thought and expression, and there tends to be some truth in that. It’s not to say that people should not be free to express their opinions- no matter how unorthodox. These ideas can be and should be expressed as protected by constitutional right. But these freedoms do not soften the impact that the words may cause. Freedom of speech is a right that should be used carefully and responsibly.

The effect of hate speech on society may seem small scale when it comes from just one person. But Trump’s success in the polls reveal that he is not alone in his ideas. His words ultimately contribute to a shared culture of intolerance for the groups of people targeted by his hate speech.

Hillary Clinton was responsible for the same insensitive terminology. In a 1996 discussion of crime rates, she referred to

Editorial Board vote

Hate speech can often affect societal norms, and its impact should not be overlooked by our undeniable freedom to speech

African American youth in urban environments as “super-predators” who need to be “[brought] to heel” Though she has apologized for the comments since then, the effects of the implications on the black community cannot be so easily taken back.

The words create a stigma associated with urban youth, and contribute to the feeling that disadvantaged minorities are to be feared. African Americans find themselves labelled wrongfully for the crimes of a few, and feel that no candidate truly has their interests at heart.

Freedom of speech is no doubt one of our most important liberties, but that should not desensitize Americans to the effects that hate speech can have on societal norms. To move forward as a nation, ideas should be better expressed through intellectual discussion, not through offensive jokes and certainly not though racist generalizations.

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Nov. 4, 2016

page 7

opinion

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High Tide

staff

Editors-in-Chief: Caterina Hyneman; Shaniya Markalanda Online Editor-in-Chief: Reema Saad Opinion Editor: Dina Ghanim News Editors: Ben Brill; Jon Mallen Features Editors: Reem Chamas; Miriam Farah; Lizzie Fauver; Summer Saad; Adam Yorke; Kylie Yorke Sports Editors: Mia Berger; Luke Peterson Senior Editors: Yasamin Fazeli; Amanda Shaw Photo Editor: Eden Millan Copy Editors: Davina Nguyen; Marie Ona; Samaya Rubio Social Media Editor: Justin Pioletti Illustrators: Adrian Craciun; Lulu Wegman Staff Writers: Brian Adler; Analise Asaro; Maryam Bacaloni; Brittany Baker; Amanda Ban; Mia Berger; Tessa Biscaldi; Malek Chamas; Michael TengKai Chang; Alexander Dang; Whayden Dhamcho; Kayvon Elahihaghighi; Yasmine Elahihaghighi; Martha Farah; Sarah Flannery; Daphnie Fulton; Camille Grace; Maya Groark; Kelly Harraka; Kayla Hiken; Kylee Kallick; Lauren Kim; Julian Kimura; Shyanne Landers; Grace McGonigle; Hayley O’Connor-Rigby; Daniel Parhizi; William Pournamdari; Julian Quevado; Rubab Quraishi; Batia Rotshtein; Keana Sterling; Nadia Stodder; Angie Tait; Benjamin Yepez; Erika Zlatkin Photographers: Cass Anderson; Matthew Davidson; Hiroki Goto; Kaitlyn Katayame; Jarrah May; Anne-Elyse Peterson; Danielle Sestak; Michael Yoon This is a wholly student-managed, designed, and written newspaper that focuses on the school and community.

Signed commentaries and editorial cartoons represent the opinions of the staff writer or cartoonist.

Students: On the issues

Reema Saad

Ethan Park

Pathway to citizenship As a country, we have always had waves of immigrants looking to improve their lives and the lives of their family members. It is essential that we continue to encourage legal immigration to the U.S., but there should also be an opportunity for undocumented immigrants already residing here to have an easy pathway to full and equal citizenship. These comprehensive reforms will eliminate illegal immigration and bring millions of hardworking people into the economy. By all means, criminals who came here should be deported, but families who fought their way into this country to better their lives deserve to be here.

America’s citizenship and illegal immigration policies are flawed. Birthright citizenship is a ludicrous policy that is not used by almost all other countries. It encourages foreign aliens to come to America nine months pregnant and to give birth in our country to become American citizens, a complete loophole in our immigration policy. Additionally, the tremendous influx of Mexican immigrants takes away the opportunity from others. Destitute immigrants in Somalia and other poverty stricken countries are put nearly infinitely on waiting lists while thousands can enter the country due to their geographical proximity.

Obamacare The Affordable Care Act, more commonly known as Obamacare, was enacted by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. Since then, 20 million people have been covered by Obamacare. Because health care should be a right, not a privilege, the ACA is a prime example of a step in the right direction. The fact that more Americans have health care alone is a reason to defend the ACA as we elect our next president, but the act also ensures that people with pre-existing health conditions can no longer be denied coverage, more screenings are covered and prescription drugs are more affordable.

While in theory, easy access to healthcare sounds very appealing, but Obamacare has failed to reasonably deliver affordable plans. The benchmark silver plan for Obamacare is expected on average to rise an appalling 22% next year. This is especially concerning considering that Obamacare’s deductible costs have also been skyrocketing, especially in the lower end plans. There is almost no reason to have health insurance if we have to pay such an outrageous amount for it to actually take effect.

The current healthcare system is a flawed mess and urgently needs to be replaced or reformed.

Gun Control There’s no question about it: any law abiding citizen should have no fear of increased background checks to more gun sales. Guns should not be in the hands of domestic abusers, violent criminals and the severely mentally ill. When guns get into the hands of people like these, guns are no longer just guns. They’re assault weapons. By expanding gun control, no one is taking away your Second Amendment right; if anything, it is expanding it by ensuring that no one incapable of possessing a gun can potentially harm you with it.

The ability to own guns is a constitutional right, and it should be protected by the government. Banning the ownership of firearms will not result in the end of gun-related violence. The simple fact of the matter is this: if guns are taken away, the only people affected would be the law abiding citizens. Criminals can easily get guns from the black market, undeterred by any firearm restriction laws imposed in our country. If the goal is to stop mass shootings, improving mental health institutions is by far the better option. A gun does not kill people, the deranged individual behind the gun does.

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High Tide

news

PRESIDENTI

POLITIC

BY THE

NUMBER Proposition 51: School Funding

A “yes” vote supports the state issuing $9 billion in bonds to fund improvement and construction of school facilities for K-12 schools and community colleges.

A “no” vote opposes the state issuing $9 billion in new debt to fund the improvement and construction of education facilities.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY ADRIUN CRACIUN

85% YES

Proposition 55: Tax Extension

A “yes” vote supports extending the personal income tax increases on incomes over $250,000 approved in 2012 for 12 years in order to fund education and healthcare.

A “no” vote opposes extending the personal income tax increases on incomes over $250,000 approved in 2012 for 12 years, allowing the tax increase to expire in 2019.

57% YES

Nov. 4, 2016

IAL

CS

RS

page 9

news

Mock Election Results From an election of 547 students

51.19% voted Hillary Clinton

29.07% voted Donald J. Trump 4.94%

2.56%

9.69%

voted Jill Stein

voted Gloria Estela La Riva

voted Gary Johnson

2.19% did not vote or double-voted and .37% wrote-in the presidential candidate

+

Tabacco Tax Increase

A “yes” vote favors increasing the cigarette tax by $2.00 per pack, with equivalent increases on other tobacco products and electronic cigarettes.

A “no” vote opposes increasing the cigarette tax by $2.00 per pack, with equivalent increases on other tobacco products and electronic ciga-

72% YES

Proposition 58: Multilingual Education

A “yes” vote supports repealing most of the 1998 Proposition 227, the “English in Public Schools” Initiative, thus effectively allowing non-English languages to be used in public educational instruction.

A “no” vote opposes repealing most of Proposition 227, which was designed to prohibit non-English languages from being used in public schools.

76% YES

Proposition 67: Plastic Ban Veto

A “yes” vote supports upholding the contested legislation banning certain plastic bags that was enacted by the California State Legislature as Senate Bill 270.

A “no” vote opposes banning certain plastic bags and enacting Senate Bill 270.

60% YES

INFORMATION FROM BALLOTPEDIA.ORG/CALIFORNIA

Proposition 56:

page 10

High Tide

features

A Marvel-ous collection Jason White learns life lessions through his extensice comic book collection

by Yasi Fazeli English teacher Jason White has been collecting comic books since the original Star Wars movies were released in the late 1970s. From that point on, his love for reading comic books only grew, and he began collecting them seriously when he was in middle school.

“When I was in middle school, I read only basically two things: comic books and science fiction. I only remember reading a few school related books. The lessons I learned [from comic books] were innumerable,” White said.

Although he did not know it at the time, he believes that comic books were his greatest source of learning as he grew up. He was able to learn about the world around him “without realizing it”.

“I think Marvel comic books purposefully tried to secretly or underhandedly put a lot of educational things into the comics. It wasn’t very obvious,” White said. “For example, the stories would take place in different parts of the world, so you could learn geography. They’d include aspects of science, so you could learn little things about science or math or history—they’d travel back in time.”

The countless lessons White learned, however, were not simply restricted to facts about history, math or science. He also learned about the reality of heroism.

“I learned that heroes are not perfect, but they try and work really hard. There are always people that want to bring them down.

Sometimes it’s their enemies, but sometimes it’s the ones that are closest to them that can also bring them down. They switch allegiances quickly. Someone who is an ally can quickly become a non-ally, and sometimes someone who is an enemy can become an ally,” White said.

He has been able to apply comic books that demonstrate the challenges that heroes face to everyday life.

“In life, there are going to be people like that. Even if you’re trying to the best you can, there are going to be other people who really don’t like what you’re doing and they’re going to try to stop you from doing it,” White said. “But even people who you think are there to support you are turned to the other side, or they don’t understand what you’re doing.”

Though he no longer reads comics as religiously as he used to, they still hold an important place in his life, as they are what began the transition of reading children’s books to literature he reads today.

“Children’s books are like comic books because they have the words and the images, and these are some of the books we have the fondest memories of, that we have the strongest connection with,” White said. “I enjoyed reading them for the same reason I enjoyed reading children’s books when I was a child and for the same reason I enjoy reading literature now as an adult--because of the stories.”

Alter ego.

White embodies Batman, one of his favorite comic book characters, when he puts on a mask. “Comics are stories with pictures to go along with them, and I have read some books recently about the power of that. Comic books are a transition from children’s books to what we call literature. They’re great stories with great character development and settings, but there are also the pictures to go along with it, which can add meaning to the words you are reading,” White said. “I couldn’t even tell you all the lessons I’ve learned from reading so many comic books, I really couldn’t.” PHOTO BY EDEN MILAN

John Burke recounts experience as an ‘80s waiter

by Shyanne Landers

John Burke, literature of the 1980s teacher and boys and girls Golf coach, has encountered everything from drunks, to famous people and fake IDs through waiting tables at a bar and restaurant in the upper East side of Manhattan during the 1980s in order to support his acting career.

Before moving from New York to Los Angeles, Burke worked at a bar called The Mad Hatter from 1983 to 1989 to “pay the bills” as he chased his dream of becoming an actor.

“The environment was really positive.

The servers were young, urban professionals.

The legal drinking age at the time was 18, so we’d get teens not even out of high school with fake IDs coming in,” Burke said.

His life in the 80’s had also tied into working at RUHS when he moved to Los Angeles.

“Since I was working there during the ‘80s, I now feel like I was living the life of the two novels I teach in my 1980s Literature class, minus the drugs of course,” Burke joked.

Stars had occasionally visited the bar, and

Burke had the opportunity of encountering them.

“Michael Jackson came into the Mad Hatter once. I didn’t serve him directly but I remember him being there. Matthew Broderick came in as well, which was right when he was filming for Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” Burke said.

The pub had became famous due to its foreign owners, which resulted in the high of various stars.

“The owners of the place were Irish rugby players. It was a rugby bar, so whenever a game was on it got crazy. I even had to throw quite a few people out. If people were too drunk, we’d have to bounce them out of the bar,” Burke said.

Aside from the countless, over-intoxicated customers, Burke holds the memories of the Mad Hatter close to him.

“I loved it there. It was like going to a party every night and getting paid for it. That’s really what it was like, like a dream,” Burke

said.

His living area was a different story. He was cornered and robbed on his late-night walk to his home from work.

“I got mugged twice coming home from work. One of them was at knifepoint and the other at gunpoint. I lived in an unsafe area and it was foolish to walk home. I really can’t believe I survived that,” Burke said.

He had not thought of his own safety during his transport home.

“The first time, I was only 23 and my life flashed before my eyes. Though, for the second time, I didn’t even flinch. I just gave him my money,” Burke recalls.

Leaving the streets of Manhattan behind, he moved to Los Angeles.

“When I moved to Los Angeles in 1989, I got a job at The Kettle. I worked the graveyard shift from 9:30 at night until 6:00 in the morning so I could go to acting auditions during the day,” Burke said.

Though the restaurant seems timid, in-

toxicated people came in at all hours.

“The drunks usually either ended up being so drunk to leave a big tip, or sober up just in time to leave no tip. So, you never knew how much you were going to make,” Burke said.

After he hung up his apron, Burke’s restaurant jobs still linger in his life.

“What’s weird is I have people asking about where I worked in the 80s because they recognized me. I had one student who asked if I used to work at The Kettle because her father said he used to work with me,” Burke said.

Burke is done with waiting tables and onto teaching students, but he admits to still being open to relive those experiences.

“If working at those two places have taught me anything, it’s to get a degree and a real job,” Burke sad. “It was really fun because I met a lot of people and I got to socialize a bunch. I really wouldn’t mind doing it again, honestly.”

Nov. 4, 2016

features

page 11

Rading attends women’s politics conference

by Samaya Rubio Junior Angel Rading was given the opportunity to listen to many women speak about barriers they have faced in their lives at the Women’s Political and Civic Leadership Conference on October 22nd. This conference, hosted by the UCLA Political Science department, gave over 100 young women like Rading an opportunity to learn about breaking the glass ceiling from many political figures.

At the conference, Rading heard fourteen influential women in politics speak, including judges, congresswomen, and other political figures.

“I have so many new role models who I can look up to because I went to this conference. It was an eye opening experience,” Rading said.

She was given this opportunity by a person who she knows from the Chamber of Commerce, and became the first representative of RUHS. Congresswoman Mimi Walters, who spoke about her experience as a Republican woman in congress, especially influenced Rading. She was also able to speak with Ling

Ling Chain, who is running for a seat in congress this election, and explained what it is like being of a different race.

“Both of these women helped students understand what it means to be in politics and what it really means to be really invested in the field. They also showed us just how much passion it takes to be in their respective positions,” Rading said.

She was also given the opportunity to speak with other students from California and learn about their backgrounds and was able to share her experiences as a young African American woman.

“There was a girl, Shaghayegh Lashgari, who is an Iranian immigrant,” Rading said.

“I got to learn about her experiences through being labeled as certain a terrorist or an antiamerican, and the discrimination that goes on even in third world countries.”

Lashgari spoke to Rading between the panels and the two were able to discuss the different discriminations they have faced and the road to acceptance.

“Speaking to various people at the conference helped me be proud of who I am and

my background and I am no longer ashamed of freely stating where I am from,” Lashgari said.

The two were able to discuss the similarities and differences in the discrimination they face and how they can work to destroy the stereotypes present against both races.

“I loved meeting Angel and how she was able to understand my point of view without profiling me, which was completely refreshing. Instead, she brought up issues that I had never even considered and I felt like she understood my struggle as she faced a similar circumstance.”

Hearing stories of other people’s lives and the discrimination that they face in other countries gave Rading a sense of patriotism and pride for her country.

“I feel like America is a great place. Even though we are in the turmoil of age or race or gender barriers that come up in our society, we are still given the opportunity to showcase who we are. America gives us the opportunity to break the social stigma,” Rading said.

Rading struggled to combat discrimina-

tion at her old school before she moved to RUHS. As one of the only African American students in her school, she was excluded by her fellow classmates. She believes Redondo is “great” because of the diversity present on our campus and the many opportunities that come with the diversity.

Rading is also fighting to destroy gender barriers. She is especially focused on achieving equal pay for women for doing the same work as men.

“People claim that we all have equal rights and opportunities, but they don’t understand that women are being discriminated because of their gender. Even though on average women receive more graduate degrees than men, they earn 78 cents for every dollar a man makes,” Rading said.

Despite the gender and race discrimination, Rading still plans to join the world of politics as a profession.

“I was excited to meet such strong individual women who want to go into politics like I do,” Rading said. “[All of the women] gave us great advice about politics and how to break all the barriers of our society.”

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High Tide

features

Aerial

ARTS

Freshmen Arellano and Witham travel the world performing aerial arts Twisted. Freshman Anne Arellano displays her flexability and performes a trick for a show with her company, Le Petit Cirque.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ANNIE ARELLANO

by Martha Farah They are falling from the ceiling with nothing but their training to fall back on.

They tumble and spin from colorful silks and bars, dazzling all who look. All different places, different shows, different years, but still the same skill and talent. Freshmen Anne Arellano and Eliana Witham perform aerial arts in many shows.

Arellano’s and Witham’s company, Le Petit Cirque, books many different gigs locally for charity and international events. Recently, they performed at a cystic fibrosis event.

Arellano and Witham also traveled to Dubai last year to perform in 21 shows, even though performing for Arellano was not easy at first.

“Sometimes, [performing] can be very nerve racking, but I feel I’ve gotten used to it and the performance aspect of it, so it’s become easier. We run our acts so many times.

It becomes muscle memory, so I know where I’m supposed to be at each moment,” Arellano said.

According to Arellano, there are many challenges that come with aerial arts.

“Some tricks can be pretty scary, and you need to get through the mental fear,” Arellano said. “I think about the trick in my head, and I make sure I don’t overthink it because when I overthink it, it makes it even scarier.”

Arellano is also a contortionist, a person

who twists and bends her body in unnatural positions, which helps her with tricks that require flexability in aerial arts.

“Once you get good form, it’s really easy to get the certain tricks. You need to be very strong and sometimes really flexible in order to do some of the tricks. It just depends on who you are. If you are really strong, then you’ll do tricks that involve a lot of strength.

If you are flexible, you do tricks that involve a lot of flexibility,” Arellano said.

Witham took an interest in aerial arts when she drove by an aerial arts studio, Fly Studios, at eight years old. Despite her back and knee injuries, she has managed to continue performing for about six years.

Arellano witnessed the Cirque du Soleil performers at a birthday party and wished to someday perform like them.

“I really like [aerial arts] because it is very unique in my opinion, and not a lot of people do it or know about it,” Arellano said. “[Aerial Arts] is not a very popular sport. It is not an average sport you think someone would do.”

Witham believes that aerial arts is different than most other sports through the strength and flexibility it requires a person to have.

“I feel most dancers rely on flexibility, not really strength and I feel like gymnastics is

mostly just strength. [Aerial arts] is a combination, and you also get to be artistic, so you get to be creative, where as most sports the rules are set. Most sports are like that,” Witham said.

According to Arellano, aerial arts has made her much stronger.

“Aerial arts changes your body a lot because you need to get used to the amount of strength needed, and you need to condition a lot. It is very physically demanding,” Arellano said.

To Witham, aerial arts is just a hobby but Arellano hopes to perform professionally.

“When I first started, I looked at [aerial arts] like I was just doing it recreationally, but as I started training more and more, I wanted to do it professionally. I want to do more shows, and I don’t just want to do it for fun,” Arellano said. “I really have to polish my acts. I have to get stronger and get more fluid in my routines in order to audition for certain companies.”

Training depends on how many rehearsals they have. They usually train for about 10 hours a week, but that can change to 20 hours if they have rehearsal.

Arellano believes that she is being prepared to join an adult company through her coaches’ help.

“They have been in that position when they are in adult companies, and they want certain things like for you to wear this certain costume or makeup. They really know how it goes,” Arellano said. “They really do know a lot of stuff about it, and they just teach us so much. It is very helpful.”

After a performance, Arellano and Witham are happy because of the hard work they put into it.

“I feel really tired, but I feel really happy about it at the same time. You put in so much work for this one performance, so to see the outcome, it’s really fun,” Arellano said.

Before aerial arts, Witham had a hard time relying on people. She believes that aerial arts has taught her to rely on people more instead of being independent.

“Aerial arts has given me all my confidence. I’m normally shy, and in aerial arts we do a lot of theater works. That has boosted my confidence so much because you have to act in front of other people,” Witham said.

Aerial arts has taught Arellano many lessons such as working hard for the things a person wants in life.

“One thing aerial arts has taught me is that if you want something, you have to put in the work for it,” Arellano said. “You can’t just get something over night, it’s a process.”

Nov. 4, 2016

features

page 13

Ride or die

Maggie Morey competes in equestrian to cope with her anxiety

by Lauren Kim When sophomore Maggie Morey was in preschool she suffered from separation anxiety. Gradually, her anxiety grew worse.

If she has a presentation, Morey might skip school. If she has to give a speech, she might be sick. But if Morey has to compete, she is on a horse.

“My whole life I’ve lived with anxiety and part of living with anxiety is getting over your fears, so riding horses has always been scary for me, but because it’s scary, I’m more committed to working through my fear. I know that getting back on is better than just giving up,” Morey said.

Morey’s anxiety has made her daily life and everyday tasks more daunting and difficult than they are for most people.

“It makes things that should be easy, that other people find fun, incredibly nerve wracking,” Morey said. “I feel overwhelmingly worried or anxious before I enter any situation or attend an event.”

Being an equestrian, or a horseback rider, helps Morey through her anxiety because of the companionship and fun she has when riding.

“It helps me overcome my fears, the fear of failing specifically. It’s also the teamwork.

To know that someone is behind me and that I don’t have to worry about just myself failing is really reassuring. I really enjoy it. I have fun, so even if I’m nervous before I start riding, when I’m actually riding I have a really good time so I want to do it again.” Morey said.

Morey takes daily prescription medication to help calm her nerves and axiety but takes Beta Blockers on days of big competitions or presentations to calm her down further. However, Morey feels as though horseback riding is far more helpful than any medication.

“The Beta Blockers are my last resort.

When I’m horseback riding it’s just me trying to overcome my fears,” Morey said. “I feel like when I take medication, it changes my personality instead of helping me work through my problems.”

Morey’s mother, Amanda Trefethen, believes that horses are sensitive to their riders’ emotions, so it is important that Morey remains calm.

“You can’t have anxiety. The horse is a really intuitive being and when it senses that its rider is nervous or anxious then the horse gets worried,” Trefethen said.

Morey does not let her anxiety stop her from continuing to ride her horse. She instead finds that competitive horseback riding helps her conquer her fears.

Despite her anxiety, Morey has won many of the previous classes that she has competed in. A class is where all equestrians compete with jumps, which are the obstacles the horses and riders jump over; all of the same height.

Morey won her first class at the Thermal Horse Show in Palm Springs when she was twelve.

“I remember being really nervous before but after I had a lot more faith and trust in my horse, I was proud of her, and I could tell she was proud of herself,” Morey said. “I think that after that I became a lot more confident in her and my capabilities.”

Winning her first class drove Morey to work even harder.

“It definitely made me more competitive. I wanted to have that feeling of winning more often. I felt exhilarated and proud that all my hard work had paid off. I felt good that my trainer was proud of me and how I had competed,” Morey said.

Being an equestrian requires being comfortable with a certain amount of danger and taking risks.

“I fall off all the time. I got a concussion once and it wasn’t that bad,” Morey said, “I was in a competition and it was my first competition so I was probably eleven and I fell off because my horse stopped and I fell over my horse into a jump.”

The potential injuries do not stop Morey from enjoying all other aspects of being an equestrian.

“I like the competitive part of it and all my friends do it now and I love my horse so it is not something I can quit on, I have to go take care of him. It’s a challenge so it’s definitely something I have to work on, and it’s something that takes a lot of commitment,” Morey said.

Morey has been horseback riding for six years, starting to ride recreationally with friends when she was nine and thenstarted riding competitively when she was eleven.

Although Morey’s horse, Cabrillo, is young, she feels a close bond with him.

A Jump Start. Sophmore Maggie Morey competes in a class, performing jumps, where the rider and horse

need to jump over obstacles. “I’m super nervous before I go in, the anticipation of having to compete is really nerve wracking. Once I’m in there I feel really good and confident, but it’s teamwork, it all kind of depends on my horse too. If we’re both feeling good, it’s good,” Morey said. PHOTOS COURTESY OF MAGGIE MOREY

“You have to find a connection with your horse and the only way to do that is to spend time with them,” Morey said.

Morey trains with Cabrillo for the Aldren Sporthorses at the Palos Verdes Stables four to five times a week. She and her fellow equestrians compete for the same stable and then travel and compete with other people around the world.

Morey manages to keep a good GPA while training 25 hours a week, and attributes her commitment to her love for riding.

“I want to keep riding after I graduate, it’s really why I work at the stables, so I can ride someone else’s horse because I might not have one,” said Morey. “I don’t really ever want to stop horseback riding, I love it more than anything.”

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High Tide

sports

Girls tennis eliminated

by Penn

by Justin Pioletti At an end to its season, the girls tennis team was eliminated in the first round of their final tournament on Thursday, Oct. 27.

“We had to go against Peninsula in our first round who is in the top of our league,” senior Jana Jones said. “Peninsula regularly plays in tournaments and has loads of experience. We were no match against their top girls but we gave a lot of effort.”

Due to high division teams in the Bay League, the girls didn’t qualify for CIF, despite placing seventh in Division II. “We played the top teams like Palos Verdes, Peninsula, and Costa since they’re in our League. Our division has schools that we play and beat easily, but since we’re stuck getting fourth in League every year, we never qualify for CIF,” junior Eliana Stuart said. “Our coaches are looking into making changes in order for us to play in CIF.” According to junior Alena Smith, the season wasn’t an entire loss, and the girls evidently “developed” over the course.

“We really became closer, and we improved our skills in singles, but really in doubles towards the end of the season.”

Smith said.

Smith believes that there are different elements involved in playing doubles against singles rounds.

“The biggest difference when you play singles is that the match is in your hands. In singles, you practically face a whole range of emotions like anger, nervousness, and frustration, all by yourself,” Smith said. “In doubles, you have a partner to look out for and that partner has to look out for you as well. A ‘we’re in this together’ mentality.”

Along with their strengths, the girls have developed a strong bond with one another throughout the season.

“The team has great chemistry. Everyone supports each other during and after the games no matter win or loss,” Jones sad.

“The team is like a great big family, and many of us hang out together outside of tennis and practice.”

Jones, along with the rest of the seniors, played their last match on Thursday. With the majority of starters remaining on the team, plans to use their potential as momentum for next season.

“I see a very bright future for Redondo girls tennis. Most of our starters are coming back next season, while other schools rely largely on their seniors,” Jones said. “But also it’s most important to have fun. This is a high school sport where you can make so many long lasting friends and stay in shape or even learn something new about yourself.”

All the way. Running back Jermar Jefferson, junior (left), holds off an Ingelwood defender who has grabbed Jefferson by his jersey and the back of his helmet. Jefferson would end up rushing for 126 yards in the 29-6 victory. Jefferson (right) gets brought down as offensive linemen rush over towards him. PHOTOS BY CECE OH

An arm and a leg

Football plays through injuries for shot at championship

by Whayden Dhamcho In their latest matchup, Football was able to beat Inglewood by a score of 29-6 on Friday, Oct. 28 following their previous win against Peninsula High on Oct. 21.

As they approach the second-to-last game of the regular season, the team will attempt to pull in their fifth win of the season to give them a 5-4 record, and a better position in the playoffs.

“Our defensive strategy definitely worked. We held them to six points and they weren’t really moving the ball on us,” QB Jack Alexander, junior, said.

The defense was the backbone of the game, hauling in 2 interceptions, 5 sacks and making multiple defensive stops against Inglewood, propelling them to their victory.

“As a defensive player I think as a whole, on Friday we played probably one of our best games on defense,” Defensive back Jordan Jackson said.

Despite the defense stepping up, there was still room for improvement.

“Our offensive game plan wasn’t as good.

I think the penalties kinda cost us and so we made a couple of mistakes there,” Alexander said, “We also fumbled a football and had a couple turnovers.”

The offense was hindered from its full potential due to a couple injuries, especially the fractured thumb of Alexander. He wrapped his cast in foam but was only played in the first two series for precautionary reasons and to keep him safe for the rivalry game against Costa this week.

“The cast didn’t really limit me too much.

I was able to make the throws I made, and do

the hand-offs and catching snaps all clean.

I made no mistakes,” Alexander said, “So, it wasn’t as bad as I originally thought; it’s a little heavy but I got used to it at practice so it wasn’t really too big of an issue.”

The injuries have been not commonplace, but certainly not rare for the team. For Jackson, the injuries were not the best for the team but he believed that they can be positive as well.

“The injuries have been affecting us, but I feel as if the injuries make us play better because you know we have to step up as a team and keep playing hard,” Jackson said.

Coming into the game against Inglewood, the team felt prepared and were ready for anything that came their way, whether through offense or defense.

“We prepared for pretty much everything they ran on Friday. Everything they did, we pretty much knew,” said Jackson.

Another component to the victory over Inglewood, besides the defense, were the coaches, who Alexander says that the coaches definitely help and motivate them throughout the game.

“They told us we just gotta be more physical, play faster, be focused, and don’t let them come back.” said Jackson.

The team celebrated their victory over Inglewood, there wasn’t much time to have fun, because the next game is the most important one of the year, the rivalry game against Mira Costa. Because of this, many things will change, including their practice routine.

“I think this week we are definitely going to be more focused, this is our rivalry game

with the Bay League Championship on the line,” Alexander said, “We are going to come to practice more focused, definitely watch more film with the coaches at school and after.”

The Mira Costa rivalry game is a big deal for everyone on the team and they are not taking it easy. There are also other players who are coming back from injuries.

“There are guys that are banged up, like myself, but I’m gonna be 100%. I’m going to play all the snaps that night, I know other guys are coming back from injuries like Zack Boesen and possibly Xavier Lawrence; everyone is fired up for this game.” said Alexander With the whole team “excited”, the players became confident in themselves and their team. Jackson says that the practice this week is going to be the “best one yet”.

“We’re especially preparing to get a win this week.” Jackson said.

A win this week against Mira Costa would be very helpful for the team to help boost morale going into the playoffs and help reward the team as Bay League Champs.

“We haven’t won a football league championship since 2007, so it’s been 9 years, and if we win Friday we’re Bay League Champs.

That should get us really excited going into the postseason.” Alexander said.

For the players, this is going to be the biggest game of the season so far and the rivalry game against Mira Costa will take place on Friday, Nov. 4th at Redondo as the team hopes to achieve the Bay League Title and head into the postseason off a third consecutive win.

Nov. 4, 2016

sports

page 15

Gone, but never forgotten

RUHS mourns the loss of football coach Jasper Stephens

by Amanda Shaw On October 22, 2016, the RUHS community lost not only a football coach, but a friend and mentor to many–Jasper Stephens Jr. “Jasper was very passionate about working with young people. He came back to start coaching years ago and he didn’t really make any money doing it, he just loved being around young people and helping them.

I know he helped a lot of track kids, boys and girls,” varsity head football head coach, Matt Ballard, said. “It wasn’t just football he loved.”

Acting as both a friend and a mentor to the players, Stephens was known for “keeping kids on the right path.”

“He would help at-risk kids a lot of times, kids that were doing things that weren’t the smartest things to do. He didn’t pick his kids by ability. It was all of them that he thought could use the help. And he helped them in many ways, telling them ‘Get your butt to practice’ or ‘What girl are you seeing? Is that a smart idea?’ or ‘What are you doing this weekend?’ or ‘How are your grades?’,” Ballard said. “He would talk to them about everything.”

Stephens was a “great counselor” to the players and always did what he could to bridge the communication gap between the players and the coaches, explaining why certain expectations were in place and why certain drills were practiced, helping the players to “buy in” to the program.

“Jasper loved the players. He supported them regardless. At the same time, he held them accountable for doing the right thing which is a great balance to have. He was the guy who could lighten the sting for the players. For me, he would often explain to them and ask, ‘Do you understand what coach is saying?’ He was always very good at trying to be a liaison,” frosh-soph head football coach, Timothy Ammentorp, said.

Although Stephens spent the later years of his life coaching football and track, his love of of sports began at a very young age.

Born in Dothan, Alabama on April 7, 1943, his family moved to New Brunswick, NJ when he was four year old. He still holds the New Brunswick High School record for the 50 and 100 yard dash in track and field and he was an All-State in football by the time of his graduation in 1972.

While clearly very involved in athletics all his life, Stephens dabbled in a variety of trades. He was a member of The Variations, an R&B group, and later co-founded a record label, Black Top Records. The group performed all over the country, once in the Apollo Theater in New York City, and won several competitions. He later moved to Los Angeles to further pursue music. At one point, he was

even working as a makeup artist for the original Planet of the Apes movie.

Shifting career paths, he eventually went back to school to become a truck driver and drove cross country for Swift Transportation.

He loved cars, especially Corvettes, dogs, music, cooking, action movies, rooting for the Raiders and the Lakers, and telling jokes.

He was the self-proclaimed “guy in the band that every lady wanted to hold his hand,” and he certainly had no trouble with the ladies.

He was married four times and had six children: Socorro, Jeremy, Christopher, CorrieLeigh, Andre’, and Megan.

After his music career and his truck driving career, Stephens returned to the football field once more, this time as a coach. He coached teams in Culver City, Beverly Hills, and of course Redondo Beach. Seahawks affectionately knew him as Leaving a legacy. “The players, knew him as a coach more, but at the funeral a lot of people learned more about when he “Coach Jasper.” was younger. It was just very interesting to learn about his story. Growing up in a white school, he was one of the only black kids.

Stephens was always on It was really interesting to see what he went through,” said senior Diego Barcacel. “Him passing away was a great loss for us. I’m the field “supporting the sure he was in a lot of pain, so it’s nice to know that he’s no longer suffering.” PHOTOS COURTESY OF MATT BALLARD coach and supporting the player,” as experienced first-hand by senior toward the end of his life, his “determination move out of his way so he could watch the Diego Barcacel. never faltered.” game,” Morris said. “Every moment with him “He had a lot of pizzazz and he was very “For a few months now, he’d been fighting was a favorite.” enjoyable,” Barcacel said. “The first time he for his life. Even though he couldn’t breathe, His dedication to the game and the playtalked to me was really memorable because he would still come to the games and prac- ers did not go unnoticed.

I caught a ball and I didn’t put it away. He tice to help us. Everybody loved him and “It was really nice to have him out there called me over and gave me a five-minute enjoyed his presence and the person he was knowing that somebody could love football lecture about why I have to do this and do just brightened a room,” senior OJ Morris that much, to have an oxygen tank out there,” that.” said. “Jasper didn’t take his health as an ex- Barcacel said. “Him passing away was a great Due to health complications, Stephens cuse. He still lived his life. We respect him as loss for us. I’m sure he was in a lot of pain carried an oxygen tank with him and often a football team and everybody else that knew though, so it’s nice to know that he’s no lonhad trouble talking and breathing, especially him respected his perseverance.” ger suffering.” in colder temperatures. However, he made According to Morris, although Jasper The loss of Jasper Stephens Jr. has been an effort to attend all practices and games struggled with health problems, he never lost felt by players and fellow coaches alike. regardless of how his condition affected him. his “sense of humor” and his “perseverance.”

“The day we found out he died, we were “We went to play Courts Hill and it was “First time I ever came here, I remember actually watching film and when we heard really cold. It was in November for the play- seeing him and he told me he was a running it, it was devastating. He put so much on off game, and he wanted to try to go. He was back coach. I saw the gas tank and I was the line for us so we decided to do the same up for a lung transplant and I remember one like, ‘There’s no way you could be a running for him. The impact that he had was very, time there was one possibly available and we back coach if you have a gas tank. You gotta very major. I think that the death gave us had a travel away game and he was gonna run.’ Jasper’s just a strong person. I’ve never a wake up call that life isn’t forever. We all miss his opportunity for this lung to go to the seen anybody that old be so bright in life. He just picked up the slack and started playing game,” Ballard said. “We had to tell him ‘No, might’ve been 70 something, but he was just for him,” Morris said. “The impact is going this is silly,’ but he would’ve gone. He put his as young as us. My most favorite memories to carry on for years and years. People that life at risk a lot to be around these kids.” of him are just of him sitting on the sideline don’t even know him are going to end up Even as his breathing problems worsened always yelling at people or telling people to playing for him anyway.”

page 16

High Tide

sports

A shallow loss: Boys water polo loses to Costa

by Camille Grace

Boys Water Polo finishes third in Bay League after losing to Mira Costa 3-6 on Wednesday, Nov. 2.

“We did alright in the first half but we let them get an early lead. We stepped up in the second half and played good defense, and started to score,” junior Blake Vogelsang, captain said.

The team scored more in the second half than it did in the first half due to the players’ movement around the pool towards the goal. The players cite this as the cause that gave them the opportunity to get open for the ball.

“We just tried to catch the defense off guard and pass the ball around to the open person, it’s a lot of movement,” junior Seth Ulrich, captain said.

Noticing their defense needed improvement from the previous games where it struggled, the team worked hard on improving its defensive capacity in practice to prepare for the game.

“We worked on improving our defenses and plays. We also swam a decent amount before scrimmaging to make sure we could play when we are tired,” Vogelsang said.

The team’s previous loss in a game

against Palos Verdes last week where they were defeated by 16-4 motivated the team to

rible after losing by a blow out so we just said to ourselves that we will do what we can do to never feel that way

try even again,” harder Ulrich in the said. game With Splash down. Boys water polo lost to Costa in the against Costa. the Bay League last game of the regular season. PHOTO BY SAM SLATCHER “After the last games now being game we were feeling terover, the team is now fully

XC places third in league finals

by Angie Tait

The boys’ cross country team is moving onto CIF, a large part of it due to one second’s difference in sophomore Ben Tait’s finishing time of 15 minutes and 32.8 seconds.

After the race, the point tally came out as a tie between Redondo and Palos Verdes High School, which meant that the scores would come down to the times of the sixth-place runners.

If this procedure had been followed, Palos Verdes would’ve knocked Redondo out and moved on instead. However, since Tait 1. barely beat the fifth-place runner, the extra second lent one extra point that earned him and his teammates a spot in the CIF competition, an impressive feat for the team.

“I’m incredibly happy with how today’s race 2. turned out,” Tait said. “I know we Runaway baby. 1. Junior Farooq Tariq leads a pack in the Bay League Finals. 2. can all always Redondo varsity boys pack up at the beginning of the race. PHOTOS BY JARRAH MAY

run faster times. We’ve practiced packing up and improved a lot, like at Mount SAC we did really well with sticking together, and the work we’re putting in is obviously paying off well.”

Despite the team’s efforts in staying together, Tait believes that their top runner Ethan Comeaux’s much faster times aren’t always an advantage for the team.

“Next year, it’s definitely going to be better in a team aspect because Ethan is just so far ahead of us. Yes, he brings us a better score to help the team, but in the same regard the rift he creates doesn’t help our teamwork. With the rest of the boys’ varsity being used to packing up anyway, I’m excited for the better change that next year’s team will bring,” Tait said.

With these observations in mind, Tait is confident that the strength of the team can only elevate itself, along with his preparations to lead the team next year after Comeaux graduates.

“Next year, it’s definitely going to be better in a team aspect because Ethan is just so far ahead of us. Yes, he brings us a better score to help the team, but in the same regard the rift he creates doesn’t help our teamwork,” Tait said, “With the rest of the boys’ varsity being used to staying close together anyway, I can’t wait for the better change that next year’s team will bring.”

focused on having a strong performance in CIF to fulfill the goal of making it to the finals.

“I feel like we did fine in League, but we could have done better if we came more prepared to games. For CIF we are keeping a positive mindset and trying to believe not only in ourselves but also our team,” Ulrich said.

As CIF is single-game elimination, and one loss could mean the end of their season, the team realizes the importance of every game.

“As long as we keep playing well we have the opportunity to win. If we have a bad game and slip up, it could be over,” senior Logan Doersam said.

The team has a week to prepare and to fix its mistakes from the Costa game to get ready before the last stage of their season, CIF. “We realize that this is do or die so we need to come prepared and ready to go by every one of our games because if we don’t then we will lose and won’t be CIF champs, ” Ulrich said. “ We are not playing for us but we are also playing for our community and our school.”

Girls Volleyball CIF Round 1 Scores Set 1: 25-19 Redondo def. El Toro Set 2: 25-14 Redondo def. El Toro Set 3: 25-15 Redondo def. El Toro

“We played loose, and we played the game the way we know how to play.”

- Madi Relaz, senior