High Tide: Mar. 16, 2016

IGH H

Redondo Union High School Redondo Beach, CA March 16, 2016 Vol. XCVI Edition 12

TIDE

PHOTO BY LAUA’E SCHWEITZER

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Senior Connor Riley pitches a no-hitter against Brea

by Luke Peterson

S

enior pitcher Connor Riley repeatedly says to himself that he’s going to make a mistake as he progresses through the game without allowing a single hit for California High in the El Segundo Tournament. This continues until the last batter goes down as an out in the top of the ninth, and Riley’s teammates swarm around him from the dugout; Riley just pitched a no-hitter.

RUHS became the tournament champions, with Riley’s no-hitter occurring two games before the team won the championship game on Mar. 12 with a 6-0 shutout over Royal High.

“The last couple of games have gone really well as we haven’t lost yet. We’re starting to come together as a team and play with a lot of energy,” senior shortstop and pitcher Jason Dicochea said.

“Our pitching has been solid as of late, our defense is making all of its plays, and our offense has been firing on all cylinders.”

[continued on page 8]

Inside

pg. 4

pg. 9

pg. 12

Legal smoking age to be raised to 21 in upcoming years

Junior Tim Ewing trap shoots with his father as a hobby

New Southern California bands are on the rise

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news

High Tide

Photos of the week Beauty and the Beast

2 Be our guest. 1. Senior Jacob Reno

1

performs as the lead of the musical. ““Being a lead in a show puts a lot of pressure on you because you have to really drive the story forward. If you mess up on stage, it truly is noticeable and you know all eyes are watching you. It’s really rewarding though, telling a story and just making people feel different emotions throughout the journey of Beauty and the Beast. I absolutely love working with the cast. They are all very creative people that bring such incredible talent to the table,” Reno said. 2. Senior Duke Robinson, sophomore Scott Mueller, and senior Alec Johnson play LeFou, Monsiuer Le’Darque, and Gaston, respectively. “The cast is very fun to work with, and everyone is so nice. We all work together, and it has been a work-in-progress since the first day of school. Performing is great and has always been a passion for me. There is just a rush I get when I step on stage. I was given the opporunity to play the villian this year in the play, and I never thought I could do it, but it has been so much fun, and I can’t wait to perform in years to come. 3. Seniors Serenity Robb and Brendan Barley perform during the song “A Change in Me.” PHOTOS

3

BY MATTHEW YONEMURA.

Assisted living project is underway on Knob Hill Ave.

by Malek Chamas Plans are being made for an assisted living project for senior citizens, called the Kensington Assisted Living Project, to be built on RBUSD property at 320 Knob Hill Avenue. The district plans on giving a 99year lease to Fountain Square Development, which develops and operates senior assisted living projects.

Fountain Square Development will pay the district about $615,000, and that amount will increase over the years to account for inflation. By comparison, the average salary of a teacher in the district is about $65,000, so the rent from the Knob Hill property could pay for almost ten teachers per year. RBUSD currently receives about $2 million annually from rent on other properties it leases out.

Assistant Superintendent of Administrative Services Janet Redella says that the rent

money on surplus sites gives the district a “steady” stream of income to use in times of economic hardship, so that “major layoffs” of staff can be avoided.

“We are heavily dependent on the state for our revenue. When the state economy dipped in 2008 or so, those years were really rough, but we were able to get through it without layoffs, and we only took three furlough days during that five-year period.

And because of our prior board’s conservative stance not to sell off all those surplus sites, we could carry through,” Redella said.

“It was a pretty tough time for teachers, but we didn’t lay off.”

The Knob Hill property, which has been declared as a surplus site by the district, was once an elementary school. Redella says that from 1986 to 2006, the district has leased out

the property to the city instead of selling it outright. Since then, the district has had difficulties with finding someone else to lease the property to.

“After they gave us notice that they were leaving, we started the whole process of going out to bid. We have some stringent requirements. We can’t put a ‘For Sale’ sign on a school and have a realtor broker it. We have to go out for what’s called a request for proposal, and it’s a little cumbersome and complex when it comes to the details of it. But we did that several times, and we finally got a project that was not only viable, but it was something the community would tolerate,” Redella said.

In addition to the money it would provide the district, Redella says that the Kensington project would benefit the community by pro-

viding “a valuable service” to seniors, particularly those who need assisted living but can’t find any available local options.

“Going through the planning commission process, we heard testimony after testimony of people that were for the project because they had to put their parents in assisted living, and there weren’t any spaces locally,” Redella said. “It may cost people to live there, but it’s still serving the community.”

The city will get to vote on whether or not to allow the assisted living project to go forward in the June ballot. Redella says that after , the last hurdle will be getting approval from the California Coastal Commission.

“If all goes perfectly well, and we expect it to, we are hoping that by March or June of 2017, we’ll have our building permit,” Redella said.

March 16, 2016

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news

Preventing plastic pollution Furman and Winn attend the Algalita Convention to learn more about reducing the amount of plastics used in the community Passion for prevention. 1.

Winn, Captain Charles Moore and Furman pose during the Algalita Convention. “We all noitced the amount of plastic pollution on the day of the International Beach Cleanup Day on Sept. 19. I really hope to carry all the things I learnd about plastic pollution with me throughout my life and to help cut down my plastic waste by trying to usee as little single-use plastics as possible.

I don’t think teenagers are fully aware that every time they are throwing away any single-use plastics, most of it ends up going straight to the ocean,” Furman said. 2. Students Winn, senior Ghattas Malki, junior Bing Rethy, and Furman joined with other groups during the event. “We learned about new techniques to reduce plastic footprints, and hopefully we will implement them in future years. The thing is, we can’t wait to fix the environment. The damaging effects are irreversible. We need to act now to start fixing the environment.

If we don’t, it’s just going to deteriorate more until the point of no return, and we really can’t let that happen,” Malki said. PHOTOS COURTESY OF HALEY WINN.

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by Simrun Ursani Four students in the AP Environmental Science (APES) program including juniors Mia Furman and Haley Winn were invited to the Algalita Convention at the Ocean Institute in Dana Point. Schools from across the world were invited like from Kenya, Britain, and all across America.

“The convention was held to raise awareness about how plastics pollute the Earth, mainly the ocean. Different groups were invited to pitch their ideas about how to mitigate the pollution, and guest speakers and gave us feedback on our projects and new ideas about how to reduce plastic waste,” Winn said.

According to Furman, there were about 100 students from different schools that spoke about ways they are preventing plastic use at their schools.

“Every team presented their idea on the last day and throughout the summit there were guest speakers including a famous surf-

er, Shaun Tomson. There were also group activities where we worked on what we would say to people if they asked us what we were doing, and how to get other people in our community involved,” Furman said.

The Sea Hawks presented about 2 the metal water bottles the APES class passed out to help make the school plastic-free. The convention helped them learn a lot about plastic pollution and some creative and effective ways to prevent and reverse it, according to Winn.

“One-time use plastics such as straws, cups, lids, bottles, wrappers, and bags are consumed extremely quickly worldwide and are largely unrecycled or littered, dumping tons of plastic into the ocean each day. It’s both scary and eye-opening to have the raw data in front of you and to see just how serious of an issue plastic use is today. Everyone knows you should recycle, but that’s not

enough to solve the issue anymore. Whenever possible, replacing plastic with reusable options is the best way to solve this issue,” Winn said.

Furman thinks that the convention was beneficial to APES because it gave them insight on how they can essentially help more.

“Being there and working on a problem that we all enjoy helped to solidify our knowledge about plastic pollution, and since there were so many other people there who knew more, different, important information it was really cool to be able to learn from other peo-

ple. I am definitely excited to take back what I learned to RUHS and apply it to my school and everyday life,” Furman said.

The Ocean Institute not only had a large banquet hall but also had sea labs and openair conference rooms.

“We used those to educate ourselves on ways to present our ideas to the public and set milestones to help us reach our goals.

We had a lot of team meetings that involved feedback and suggestions on ideas, and education on how plastic affects sea life in particular and how we can make easy changes to reduce our use of plastic,” Winn said.

According to Winn, the metal water bottles presentation was a success and they were given compliments for their achievement.

“We received a lot of positive feedback and congratulations from other groups for being able to fund and execute our project.

They were extremely supportive and gave us some nice feedback about ways to further reduce the number of plastic bottles sold on campus,” Winn said.

In addition, Furman was pleased when she met students from different high schools in Southern California that were involved in the same plastic reducing.

“We talked and made friends with other teams around Southern California which is exciting because we want to all work together from different high schools to help the plastic problem,” Furman said. “When we talked to other teams we all liked each other’s ideas and we got many compliments on our idea, too. I think I can speak for us all when I say that it was so great to meet new people who are interested in the same topic because we can all work together to come up with amazing new ideas.”

Both Winn and Furman would go again if they had a chance because they were able to meet new people who are “passionate about the same things you are and to see the problem from many perspectives”.

“If I had the opportunity I would definitely go again. It was really amazing and I’m so happy that I got to hear everyone’s ideas,” Furman said. “The international teams from Kenya, Hungary, and the Bahamas were especially cool because it really gave us all perspective on the plastic pollution problems outside the United States.”

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High Tide

news

Legal smoking age to be raised to 21

by Miriam Farrah

According to the Center for Disease Control

“Tobacco use is started and established primarily during adolescence.”

Every day,

3,800

underage kids try cigarettes for the first time

Most underage smokers begin at ages

11-13

5.6 million kids will die this year

which is the equivalent of

1 out of 11 teens

Teens are less likely to smoke if they have Religious participation

Higher academic achievements and aspirations

Racial/ethnic pride

Joining other cities around the state, the California Assembly approved many anti-tobacco laws including raising the smoking age from 18 to 21 and banning electronic cigarettes in public places like traditional cigarettes.

Last year, the Senate approved an earlier draft of the bill which was send to the Assembly. After adding and changing parts of the bill, it must return to the Senate to approve the changes the Assembly made before it goes to Governor Jerry Brown.

“In the long-term, who’s going to pay for people who need chronic care emphysema or lung transplant? It’s going to be us, the working public, but there’s not enough money to pay for everyone who smoked and need medical care or surgery. I think it’s very smart to raise the smoking age from a health point of view and an economic point of view,” said health teacher, Gene Simon.

Simon believes this law would help decrease the number of adult smokers in the future and next generations.

“I think the longer a person goes without cigarettes, the more the likelihood is that they won’t ever start and become permanent smokers. I believe that kids try it because they think it’s cool or sophisticated, but once you are addicted to something, it’s a really hard thing to give up. The likelihood of you being addicted an adult would be greatly reduced, and I think the law is right on point,” Simon said.

Many Republicans at the California Assembly voted against the bill and said it was unfair to take that choice from adults who are mature enough to vote, marry, and sign contracts.

“You can sign up and go into the military into the armed forces to fight and die for your country at the age of 18, 19, 20. But you will not be able to buy a pack of cigarettes.

At some point, common sense has to rule the day,” said Assemblyman Chad Mayes.

According to Simon, tar is a cancer-causing chemical in traditional cigarettes, so some students resort to electronic cigarettes. However, e-cigarettes are still harmful due to the dangerous chemicals like acetylpropionyl and diethylene glycol.

“I think the research on e-ciga-

rettes is still coming and there hasn’t been a lot done because e-cigarettes are a new phenomenon. Vaping is actually [not as harmful] that it doesn’t burn the lung tissue because it’s not hot and it doesn’t have tar and that it is what destroys the lungs with traditional cigarettes. A person is a lot better off doing neither, vaping or smoking,” Simon said.

Teenagers that are under 21 and can currently buy cigarettes may face trouble quitting if the bill is passed. However, Simon believes there are many options available for those who want to stop smoking to better themselves.

“You can use the patch and other devices for people who are trying to quit smoking gradually where people take fewer and fewer amounts of nicotine. People might be forced to quit, but it could be something they could do gradually. I think you’re not really forcing a kid to quit cold turkey, there has always been ways for people to quit smoking,” Simon said.

According to Simon, trying to legalize marijuana and raise the smoking age at the same time is “ironic” and believes people should be aware of the health concerns found in both substances.

“The harmful effects of smoking are found in marijuana too, so maybe I’m hoping that the smoking bill will have people thinking through the idea of legalizing marijuana and the health problems that are found in people who smoke weed,” he said.

However, most Republicans at the California Assembly disagreed with this.

“I don’t smoke. I don’t encourage my children to,” Assemblyman Donald Wagner said. “But they’re adults, and it’s our job to treat our citizens as adults, not to nanny them.”

Simon believes many positive outcomes will result from raising the smoking age such fewer deaths and happier people.

“Smoking ages you quicker, so you get wrinkled skin. I think you’re going to have a lot more people happy with the way they look. Mentally, people might lose that sense of dependence because there was a substance that was controlling their lives, so I think you’re going to have a lot less frustrated and unhappy people. I think down the road in 10 to 15 years, you’ll see a lot less people in the hospital for chronic bronchitis or emphysema or even lung cancer,” Simon said.

March 16, 2016

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news

Second spirit rally is success according to ASB members

Get Pumped. 1. Seniors par-

ticipate in one of the rally activities: the scream contest. They cheer loudly to beat out the other classes. Most of the other activities and competitions during the rally were based on the theme of sports. For example, there was an athletic obstacle course 2. Kaylea Avalos performs with New Era Kids on one of the dance teams. The rally included performances by New Era Kids, Sabor de Salsa, B-boy, and the cheerleading team.

Their dance routines were inspired by the sports theme of the rally. PHOTOS BY LUIGI LOPEZ

by Samaya Rubio

2

Waves of blue, orange, pink and purple move up and down as one palpable energy as the students cheer for their classmates and rack up their scores through a series of friendly competitions.

ASB held the spring rally last Friday, which they named the All About Sports rally. The freshman were to come to school dressed up in baseball-themed clothes, sophomores were soccer, juniors basketball, and seniors football. Each grade level was to dress up in their sports gear to show spirit and support their grade level.

“It was an easy theme that everyone could feel comfortable dressing up with,” senior and ASB Activities Coordinator Tairyn Montgomery said. “When I walked into school, I saw a lot of kids wearing their class theme, which was nice.”

ASB decided upon the theme of sports instead of holding another

boys versus girls rally like the last two years, a theme which has caused controversy in the past amongst the student body.

“Some people didn’t like having boys on one side and girls on the other because some students do not classify themselves as a certain gender. I discussed it with ASB and we came to a decision as a whole that changing the theme of the spring rally this year was a good thing to do,” Montgomery said.

They spent months planning the event and they believe that it went smoothly.

“Other than the freshman popping the ball while playing one of the games, nothing really went wrong,” Montgomery said.

ASB is proud of how the rally turned out, and look forward to next year’s rallies.

“Both rallies were fun and spirited which was all I wanted and had hoped for,” Montgomery said.

Redondo competes at Science Olympiad

by Reem Chamas

Seniors Ghattas Malki, John Kujawski, Emory Moberg, Eben Crowley. Jim Villani, and Andrew Graven attended the Science Olympiad competitions Feb. 28 at Occidental College.

“Science Olympiad is an annual competition, so we study at the beginning of the year up until last weekend for competitions that are all science based that range from anatomy and physiology to chemistry, cellular biology, astronomy, and anything remotely science related,” Malki said.

Students must drive to Occidental College and go to different locations on campus in order to compete in the topics.

“At 8:30 the first event starts, and most events are about 50 minutes and between each event you get a ten minute break,” Kujawski said. “There is a schedule of when each team goes to one event and you have a

map and you go to the correct room number where your event is at.”

Each student signs up for a variety of topics they are interested in and become experts in each field to compete.

“I specialize in chemistry and green generation which is almost like environmental science, I also went to geological mapping,” Malki said. “For the green generation they have 20 stations around the room, and you have two minutes at each station to answer all the questions you possibly can, and then you keep moving on too different stations.

But then for chemistry lab there is a multiple choice test and a lab portion, said Malki. Kujawksi however, chose to compete in different events.

“I specialize in astronomy and wind power. For astronomy, we were given a list of 18 deep space objects prior to the competition.

There, we were asked questions based on the objects. The better we knew the objects, the easier it was to do well,” said Kujawksi.

The schools have an overall ranking, however individual scores on the separate events are more focused on.

“In our division there are 40 schools and the top six get medals for the competition, and there are overall school winners,” Malki said. “Our school doesn’t really care about school scores, we mostly care about the individual scores. We got 4th place in green generation, and that is the best our school has ever done.”

According to Malki, any student can be a part of this because of the wide variety of subjects that do not all include or have anything to do with science.

“If you like science stuff you should do it, and if you don’t you can still do it because

there are a lot of topics that are not necessarily science based, for example there was one I participated in call the ‘Write it, do it,’” Malki said. “They give us a picture that is folded and there is an envelope and a cup and pens on it, and you have 25 minutes to describe everything in a lot of detail and your partner comes in and they give him your description and the supplies and he has to build it.”

According to Kujawski, this is a good program for all students who are interested in an academic extracurricular activity.

“I would [recommend it]. I actually wish I did it previous years as well,” Kujawski said.

“I would suggest it to anymore, but definitely those who enjoy science. Not all the events are science based, some of them are engineering and astronomy, there is also a wide range of sciences like biology, chemistry, and physics.”

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High Tide

opinion

Planning for the future

Redondo Beach must consider its schools when making any land development decisions Editorial

With the city of Redondo Beach looking to its future in updating its general plan for the first time since 1992, the city should begin to take into account the ongoing conditions of its school system when considering new land developments projects.

Single-family properties are not simply no longer being built; many are being torn down to build units in which two or three families can live. Recently, a redesign for the South Bay Galleria in North Redondo has been proposed that would bring, according to the Easy Reader, not only “217,864 square feet of net new retail space” but also “an up-to 150 room hotel, and 650 residential units.”

Many of these units would house those stationed at the Los Angeles Air Force Base, which is very important to the community. However, immigration into Redondo Beach is on the rise, largely due to the many parents who wish to take advantage of the excellent education the Redondo Beach Unified School District (RBUSD) offers, begging the question of how many new units would bring new children to Redondo Beach’s schools.

While all children deserve the kind of education Redondo Beach’s schools offer their students, the standard of education kids receive today cannot be allowed to fall as a result of what could become an overcrowded school district.

Most RBUSD schools are at or near capacity for student enrollment. Classrooms are already being built at Parras Middle School to accommodate rollover from the elementary level; Adams will soon need new instructional space as well — and these construction projects are only designed to make room for currently rising RBUSD students.

If new housing developments bring hundreds more children into the city, teachers and administrations may well have difficulty maintaining the high teaching standards the district has held itself to over the past few years, which at the secondary level alone saw RUHS vault past Mira Costa in Calif high school rankings.

The blame for what could become a lower quality education would not fall on teachers, administrators, or district officials, all of whom have done excellent jobs in the past several years at all school sites within Redondo Beach. It would be nearly impossible to maintain current instructional quality with overcrowded classrooms, ongoing construction projects, and

ILLUSTRATION BY ALINA BIESCHKE

PHOTOS BY SANDER FINK, MITCH ZIEGLER, AND TED CAVUS

Editorial Board

possible money shortages resulting from a rapid population increase.

If the city wants to do right by its schools — quite possibly the pride of Redondo Beach — when considering approval of new development plans or construction projects, it should consider its schools’ futures.

vote

The future of Redondo’s schools is more important than more land development

5

2

Kicking a nasty habit

The Calif. State Legislature was right to raise the smoking age from 18 to 21, as the effort will further curb the influence of cigarretes on teens Dina Ghanim Ninety percent of smokers pick up their habit before the age of 21, according to national data, and 46 percent smoke daily before the age of 18. Therefore, the Calif.

Senate has proposed a bill to change the smoking age from 18 to 21 years old. This law will regulate tobacco as well as electronic cigarettes.

Before proposing my argument, I would like to concede to one point. This law is highly optimistic; passing a law will not necessarily guarantee that citizens will abide by it, and young adults are not likely to drop their bad habits effective immediately, but there is a greater strategy here.

Smokers have heard it all: the dangers,

the health factors, the unattractive side effects. Classes are taught to warn the youth against smoking, and parents teach their children how to deal with peer pressure.

However ineffective these measures may seem, they have, in fact, yielded positive results. According to The Economist, the percentage of adults in America who smoke cigarettes has dropped drastically, from 43 percent to 18 percent. Although the data do not pertain to teenagers, the numbers expose the ongoing decline of smoking.

Teenagers under the age of 21 are already directing their attention away from cigarettes. The nation achieved its lowest

level of adolescents who use cigarettes in 2014 since the National Youth Risk Behavior Survey released its first survey in 1991, and the numbers continue to fall. Instead of relying on the number of young adults to drop naturally, enforcing a new age limit will further curb these numbers.

Most young smokers turn to older friends and schoolmates to buy them cigarettes. By implementing the new bill, the likelihood that these kids can get their hands on cigarettes from older friends will decrease.

Yes, kids will always find ways around the law, but that should not be the reason for us to cease in our efforts to kill a

product that results in more than 480,000 deaths each year. Any positive change, no matter how small, will be significant in the effort. As the Director of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention put it, ”Our youth are our future. We need to invest in programs that help them make healthy choices so they live long, healthy lives.

This is not a battle that will be won overnight, or simply in the courtrooms or legislature. People have a responsibility to help common-sense reforms such as this law accumulate, and eventually the culture of cigarettes being acceptable health risks will go up in smoke.

March 16, 2016

page 7

opinion

Letters to the

Pro/Con:

Editor

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 them 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.

Field or gym rallies?

High Tide

staff

Editors in Chief: Yasmeen El-Hasan; Stella Gianoukakis Managing Editor: Vaidehi Gandhi News Editor: Lizzie Fauver; Reema Saad Opinion Editor: Christopher Paludi Features Editors: Zach Hatakeyama; Caterina Hyneman; Jon Mallen; Shaniya Markalanda Sports Editors: Jessica Johnson; Adam Yorke Design Editors: Shawn Mallen; Grace Zoerner Writing Editors: Kayla Nicholls; Samaya Rubio; Amanda Shaw Photo Editor: Ted Cavus Copy Editors: Micah Ezzes; Carmen Hamm Online Editors: Romy Moreno; Mylene Silver Illustrators: Alina Bieschke; Luma Wegman Staff Writers: Gianna Aquilina; Cass Anderson; Brittany Baker; Mia Berger; Ben Brill; Malek Chamas; Reem Chamas; Jasmine Dube; Micah Ezzes; Miriam Farah; Yasamin Fazeli; Jason Fong; Dina Ghanim; Kelly Harraka; Hannah Hastings; Patrick Henry; Kayla Hiken; Shyanne Landers; Gerika Macalino; Tanner McEveety; Eden Millan; Micky Munns; Davina Nguyen; Austin Nunis; Faith Petrie; Hayley O’Connor-Rigby; Luke Peterson;Justin Pioletti; Samaya Rubio; Summer Saad; Angie Tait; Simrun Ursani; Lulu Weg-man; Kylie Yorke; Erika Zlatkin Photographers: Syd Alli; Samantha Bendall; Angel Blanquel; Megan Contreras; Elise DiPaola; Sander Fink; Hiroki Goto; Ilene Guerrero; Anam Khan; Serena Maanum; Gisela Pedroza; Faith Petrie; Laua’e Schweitzer; Keiko Shingu; Nita Villas; Karen Vuong; Ania Webb 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.

Micah Ezzes

Stella Gianoukakis

The double gym rally was a better experience

Compromise: let’s do both and have more fun

Say what you will about the rallies, but it was a smart decision to move them into the gym instead of out on the field.

The first reason is glaringly obvious — literally. Out on the field, the sun was in everyone’s faces, and people had to contest with the sunlight just to see what was going on. On top of that, it was difficult to see over people, given the angle of the stands to the rally below. Inside, with artificial lighting and better seating, the rally was able to run more efficiently — and hey, we actually got to see it, too.

Beyond that, it also got pretty hot out there on the field, with the heat rising from the field up towards the stands. People were walking out of that rally with minor sunburns, myself included. Granted, I’m about as white as a human being can get, but you get the idea. I’m not sure if the A/C was running during the rally, and it admittedly did get hot in there, but it was much more manageable than the heat stroke at the Sea Hawk Bowl.

From a logistics perspective, the setup of the rally on the field didn’t make much sense. Everyone was on one side of the field, which made sense in concept considering that the field is huge. However, the stands got horrendously crowded, and as stated above, it became difficult to see.

Also, pitting the classes against each other yet making them sit side-by-side seems a bit ineffective. The gym worked well in terms of positioning, as the different classes sat facing each other, generating more of a competitive atmosphere. I don’t know the school-generated classism is good or bad, but it seems like an odd way to try and create it.

Ultimately, the switch to the gym was a smart decision, especially considering the influx of students in the lower grades.

With so many more students than before, it makes more sense logistically to just split the rally in two and have it in the gym, rather than cram the Sea Hawk Bowl bleachers full of sweaty high schoolers. The combination of these factors all contributed to the greater success of the rally in the gym, when compared to the rally on the field.

It goes without saying that school rallies are about school spirit, and that should mean that the whole school should be concentrated in one place. Due to fire code’s maximum occupancy rules, the Sea Hawk Bowl is that place.

With field rallies, friends are not separated, and students are always more comfortable, and have better times, with their friends than with classmates they may not know well.

It’s also less stressful for teachers to have a field rally, as they don’t have to worry about a confusing double rally schedule.

However, because with field rallies there are issues such as bad sound quality and the heat making sitting for an hour outside uncomfortable for students, there should be a compromise: one indoor rally and one outdoor rally each year.

The field provides more room for performers and ASB has the ability to plan activities that can be done on a larger scale, unlike in the the confined gym. ASB could plan rallies that are not as similar to each other as we’re used to; with one field rally and one gym rally every year, we would have welcome variance in the games and atmosphere.

School rallies should add spirit and bring everyone together a couple of times a year. They should be fun for everyone and give students much-needed breaks from study where they can compete with their class against the rest of the school. Most importantly, though, students should look forward to the rallies in a way they currently don’t seem to.

ASB should vary the rallies to give the fall and spring versions radically different games, vibes, and looks. This would give the events a mystery and an element of surprise that doing them in the same setting twice a year robs them of.

Given that we have similar, if not the same, events every year, any chance to have more varied rallies should be welcomed by students who often complain of the tedium of doing the same thing over and over again. If we were to go a year between gym or field rallies, alternating between them, there would be some sense of novelty, surprise, and fun restored.

page 8

High Tide

features

March 16, 2016

page 9

features

Straight Shooter Junior Tim Ewing enjoys trap shooting with his father and friends

by Tanner McEveety Gunshots ring out and echo across the range, though the sound is muffled by junior Tim Ewing’s ear plugs. Clay falls from the height of its arc, blasted from the sky. As another clay pigeon is launched, 40 yards away from him, he takes aim and rests his finger on the trigger.

Ewing goes trap shooting with his father at the Oak Tree Gun Club every month.

Trap shooting is a sport in which clay pigeon targets are shot after being fired into the air via machine.

“It’s pretty hard. When you first start, it seems like it’s impossible,” Ewing said. “The hardest part is to get it correctly timed. Often you’ll shoot too late and the pigeon will already be gone.”

Ewing began five years ago, when his dad took him to a range and he found that he enjoyed it. He has gone with his dad since.

“I went for my birthday with a couple friends of mine, but other than that it’s usually just me and my dad,” Ewing said.

Ewing feels that he is drawn to trap shooting because of its challenging aspects.

“Getting the timing right is always the challenge,” Ewing said. “It takes some getting used to to able to hit it at all. I like the challenge. It’s harder, but that’s the point.”

Throughout his years of practice, Ewing hasn’t tried other shooting, like hunting, but he has expanded within his field.

“I’ve done continental shooting, which is when the machine fires successively in different directions,” Ewing said. “It’s basically accelerated trap shooting, but it’s super hard.”

Ewing cannot go too often due to the cost of ammunition.

“Ammunition has shot up in price. I think people are afraid that Obama’s gonna come take their guns or something, and the prices just shoot up with all the demand.”

The costs don’t stop him from practicing as his budget allows.

Ewing practices often because it is a source of stress relief.

“There’s nothing that makes you smile more than going and

Hooked on it

shooting a shotgun,” Ewing said. “[When I’m shooting], I’m focused, but I’m also relaxed, because I have so much fun doing it.”

Although it’s not always perfect for stress relief, he finds it more than adequate.

“There’s been times I’ll have a bad day and won’t hit anything,” Ewing said. “I’ll be stressed, but I’ll feel better once I hit something.”

Despite the fun, there is an aspect of danger if one isn’t careful when shooting, according to Ewing.

“If you’re not aware of your surroundings, it can really go bad,” Ewing said.

Ewing believes he will continue trap shooting for a long time.

“I don’t see myself stopping any time soon,” Ewing said. “[Even in college] I’ll find some way to continue.”

Top gun. Tim Ewing goes

to the Oak Tree Gun Club, where he shoots clay pigeons. “Practice makes perfect, right? I get out there as much as I can,” Ewing said.

PHOTO BY TED CAVUS

Sophomores Kaden Shepper, Jesse Haro and Anthony Newell go fishing in their spare time

by Tanner McEveety On a normal Saturday morning the smell of fresh salt water fills their noses. A tug on the rod indicates a fish, letting them know to reel in the line and on the other end waits their prize.

Sophomores Kaden Shepper, Jesse Haro and Anthony Newell spend their weekends at King Harbor fishing as part of their hobby.

“Fishing doesn’t compare to anything else because it beats every other hobby that I do. In fishing, you can try so many different things like different rods, bait, and such, so there’s so many different techniques and approaches you can try,” Haro said.

Haro, Newell and Shepper attended a convention called The Fred Hall Show where they learned about fishing techniques and listened to people talk and teach.

“It’s a convention where fishing companies, big

and small, have booths set up, sell their tackle and talk. It was really cool. Everyone was there to learn.

It was really interesting what they had to say,” Newell said.

According to the boys, the convention was not only enjoyable, but it also allowed them to learn more about a hobby that they are passionate about.

Newell believes the overall atmosphere of catching the fish is an exciting part to it.

“Usually the atmosphere when we’re fishing is pretty peaceful, unless we’re catching one fish after another and the adrenaline starts pumping and it begins to feel very exciting and hectic,” Newell said.

Newell believes his favorite part about fishing is the rush he gets when he catches a fish. He believes the interesting part about fishing is that he never

knows how many catches he will get and believes that each trip is very unpredictable.

“Some days you’ll be pulling fish one after another, and some days you won’t pull as much. Some days you can catch fish that are big or small. It’s always a different adventure every day,” Newell said.

Shepper recommends that other people try fishing. He believes he has met some of his closest friends from fishing and that it has brought him closer to them. He believes he “loves doing what he loves with his friends and he is very fortunate for that”.

“People should try fishing because it’s a pretty likable hobby. Back in 8th grade none of my friends fished and so I brought them along one day and they thought it was really fun so it became a weekly thing,” Shepper said.

The boys all agree that people should try fishing because they could “be surprised” at how much they enjoy it. They believe the reason that more people aren’t fishing is because of the stereotype around it.

“I recommend people try it. People think that fishing is just sitting for hours with a bait in the water just waiting for a nibble, but it’s not really like that. When we go out to fish, we continuously reel in fish and it’s pretty exciting,” Haro said.

Shepper agrees with Haro and Newell that people may believe fishing is boring. However, Shepper says fishing can be a very exciting hobby.

He adds to Haro’s statement and says anyone can catch fish and it doesn’t matter how old or experienced you are because “fishing is for everyone.”

“I think there is a bias around fishing. People

picture fishing to be boring and all you’d be doing is sitting there for hours and not catching anything, but if you do it and if it’s fun to you, you can catch ten big fish in five minutes depending on how good you are and where you’re at,” Shepper said.

Shepper enjoys the time he spends out on the water catching fish, but he also loves how much closer he became with his friends. The three boys met in 8th grade and ever since have gone fishing together on the weekends, “My dad loves to fish and I met most of my good friends through fishing so it’s definitely brought me closer to my friends and family,” Shepper said.

In addition to the boys loving each other’s company, Haro is proud to be the only one in his family that fishes because he enjoys doing something that separates him from his other family members

and have them be proud of the accomplishments he makes while fishing.

“Fishing is the main thing that I love to do. I like to come home and show my parents and have a feel-good moment that I’ve accomplished something good,” Haro said. “It brings me closer to my best friends, so fishing has been a really big part of my life.”

Shepper, Newell and Haro believe they will continue fishing when they are older. They all have a passion for this hobby and love to go as much as they can.

“I think I’ll continue to fish when I’m older because it’s fun. You meet good people while doing it, and there’s so many places to go and so many fish to catch,” Shepper said.

Newell believes fishing has taught him more

than just the basics of fishing, but has also changed him as a person and has given him some qualities such as patience and respect.

“Fishing has taught me to be very patient. It has also taught me to respect the ocean. The ocean is a very amazing yet unpredictable thing,” Newell said. “I now have respect for the water and the things living in it, in regards to caring for it and keeping it clean.”

Shepper agrees with Newell in that he believes that it has taught him to be more patient, but he believes fishing has taught him to be able to take control of the adventures he is given as well.

“Fishing has taught me to take advantage of opportunities because you never know when you’re going to get them again,” Shepper said. “And to also make the most out of what you’re going to do.”

ILLUSTRATION BY LULU WEGMAN

page 10

High Tide

features

A trainer dedicated to the cause Athletic trainer June Caponpon finds success in treating Redondo athletes

by Yasi Fazeli After working at RUHS for 15 years, athletic trainer June Caponpon feels that he has gained invaluable experience and hopes to pass on the knowledge he has gained to students hoping to pursue a similar career.

Caponpon entered college already with an interest in science, but after signing up for several courses as a biology major at Cal Poly San Louis Obispo, he found himself disliking many of the classes he was enrolled in.

“I started to reevaluate what I wanted to do. I never knew anything about athletic training before, but then one of my dorm mates said, ‘You like sports. You like medicine. Why don’t you try sports medicine and join the kinesiology program?’ I decided that I would give it a try and after asking a couple other people what the program was like, I began taking some classes,” Caponpon said.

Just after a few classes, Caponpon realized his passion for learning about the human body and emphasizes the major role his professors, the head athletic trainer for the University of Tennessee and an athletic trainer for the Angels, played in sparking his interest in the field of athletic training specifically.

“The teachers that I had were awesome and after even just after taking the introduction classes, I realized how great this portion of science was; the portion about the body and about injuries was really fun to learn,” Caponpon said. “I learned a lot about their individual experiences and because of them I was really able to grow.”

According to Caponpon, one of the most stressful parts of the job is the large amount of athletes he must treat. When his office becomes especially crowded, Caponpon appreciates the help of his Teacher’s Assistants (TAs). Junior Sophia Schuman, who has been a TA for Caponpon since August, feels that “working for June has been one of the best decisions [she] has ever made in high school.”

“Working as an assistant to the athletic trainer has been like walking into a massive classroom every day. With over a thousand athletes that come to us everyday with new injuries, I have learned so much about the human body and the mechanics of injuries, but I have to apply that knowledge in rehabilitation and exercises for athletes. June does not simply tell you what exercises an injured athlete has to do, he will try to get you to think about it and consult with him about stretches or exercises that would be beneficial to the injury,” Schuman said.

Motivated by the impact his professors had on him, Caponpon hopes his TAs can learn from his techniques as an athletic trainer and gain a hands on experience in the field.

“I’m willing to teach them as much as

Want some tape on that? Caponpon massages and works with the right calf of junior Caleigh Ranjo during sixth period practice. Caponpon commonly applies athletic tape to athletes prior to practice and games to prevent future injuries. PHOTO BY TED CAVUS

I can and give them a little heads up as to what can happen on the job. I think they’ve seen a lot of the things that can happen here, but they also miss a lot of things that happen during a game. It’ll be good to see them carry this on in their next level of education,” Caponpon said.

While he feels that being directly involved in helping treat athletes is an important part of learning, Caponpon also believes that the importance of the “textbook” information should not be understated.

“A huge part of my job is learning about how the body moves through space as well as all the injuries. Just learning about the motions of the body is a key factor in learning how an injury happens and how to treat it,” Caponpon said. “I have tricks of the trade and I also have a different style than some of the other athletic trainers they may have or will learn from. They still have a lot to learn, a lot to do, but it will be good for them to get the book work done. The deeper they get into the background, the more they can learn how the body works.”

Schuman appreciates the “rewarding” sensation she feels once she is able to learn the background information and apply the knowledge she has learned when treating an athlete.

“Yes, June will pull out one of his several anatomy books and show you where a ligament or tendon is located, but since every student is a different size or shape, or the injury severity is varied from athlete to athlete, the first hand approaches are important as well. You definitely have to think on your feet as well and implement your knowledge to the injury at hand. It makes it easier to remember information as well,” Schuman said.

“You get to see your peers get back into their sport pain free, versus just learning about an injury in a classroom in a textbook.”

At the end of the day, seeing the athletes being able to perform again gives Caponpon a sense of “gratitude” which alleviates stress.

“We’ve had broken legs, broken fingers, split heads. There’s a lot of injuries that can happen. It’s unfortunate, but the fact is that they do happen. I want to be able to take care

of them as much as I can, when I can,” Caponpon said. “It’s a great feeling to see them be able to perform at their highest. They feel good about themselves, their confidence is up, and they feel good in general when they’re injury free or their injury is minimized.”

After working with June for countless hours, Schuman has gained insight into the difficulty of the job, a “newfound respect”, and believes Caponpon “deserves so much more credit for his work than he receives.”

“June is one of the most hardworking people I have ever met in my life. He dedicates himself to the athletes everyday. It’s hard being one person and working with an athlete with 10-15 others surrounding you asking different questions about themselves.

In essence, the assistants and I can only do so much, and he is the heart and soul of the athletic department,” Schuman said. “I truly admire him for all his work and perseverance out of the patience and goodness of his heart to help our athletes be some of the best in the state.”

March 16, 2016

page 11

features

New clubs designed to inspire Thrive Club

Graphic Design Club

by Austin Nunis Thrive: to grow or develop well or vigorously. Through yoga, meditation and connecting with the earth, freshman Soleil Engin plans to teach members of her club to do just that.

Engin created her club, Thrive, in an effort to show others how to be mindful of their mind, body, and surroundings.

“Thrive is, in it’s most basic form, a club that just teaches people about mindfulness,” Engin said. “The club is just meant to spread awareness about animal rights, the health and environmental benefits of a plant based diet and help people achieve an overall greater wellbeing for themselves and the environment.”

Through presentations on the effects

by Ben Brill of certain foods, learning about animal testing, the practice of yoga, hikes, meditation and breathing techniques, Engin hopes to teach club members how to be their best and become more aware of themselves and the world around them.

Engin is trying to reach all different types of students, from the ones “throwing trash on the ground” to those “going to Whole Foods and buying kombucha”.

In addition, the club is trying to cultivate a healthier within the students at RUHS. “My goal is to get as many students as I can involved and spread the message to everyone I can,” Engin said. “I really believe that the best way to love yourself and find happiness is to share that love and happiness with others.”

by Kylie Yorke After realizing there was no way for students to learn about composing music on campus, junior Zzyzx Burke started EDM club, where students can explore their passion for creating and listening

Art is a path that many people use to express themselves, whether it be painting, drawing, or ceramics. Graphic design is a relatively new platform of art to the world but according to junior Alex Connoy, it has no boundaries in terms of self expression.

“You’re free to put together whatever you want and make it into something that reflects who you are. The point of graphic design is to make people interested in your work and leave them wanting more of what you have to offer,” Connoy said.

Connoy along with junior Raeann Adams created the graphic design club to stir passion among the students to express themselves through art.

EDM Club to electronic dance music (EDM).

“I had been making electronic music since sophomore year, and I wanted to give a performance space to other artists in the school, so I decided to start EDM

club at the beginning of this year,” Burke said.

According to Burke there are about 12 people who come each Thursday to the club meetings.

Mixing it up. Juniors Zzyzx Burke and Nathaniel Salvini mix a track together during a EDM club meeting. According to Burke, the club is a great way to introduce people to electronic dance music. PHOTO BY NITA VILLAS

“Our club is open to everyone regardless of artistic style or skills,” Connoy said.

“We want it to be a place where students express themselves and create their own designs. We hope all our members will find their art passion and develop capabilities beyond schoolwork. ” Connoy hopes that the club will help students discover artistic abilities while bringing a lasting impact to the school.

“I am excited for our club’s potential,” Connoy said. “Raeann and I hope to design our senior class shirts as well as posters around campus. We made this club to appreciate each other’s artistic abilities, make friends with like-minded students, and to discover other ways we can support our school.”

“All it takes is a computer, a synthesizer or midi-controller, and a passion to compose what moves you,” Burke said.

“Basic music theory is good too, because then you get to play with different chord progressions and music structures.”

Because he has mainly focused on the structure and history of EDM, Burke has yet to see what members of the club can do in terms of DJing and composing, but wants to have a “rave” with performances from other club members.

“People in EDM club are here mostly to learn how to DJ, which takes knowing the different qualities of different sub genres and what ones work with others,” Burke said. “Knowing how to spin records only gets you so far.”

Burke released his first track “HCA083” his sophomore year and has continued to make music. Vice president Nathaniel Salvini shares the same passion for electronic music as Burke, but is less experienced in composing.

“I’ll be honest I don’t really know how to DJ. We made the club to learn how,” Salvini said. “I still want to learn how to make music.”

According to Salvini, they created the club to “show people on the different types of electronic music” and are proud of its success.

“I’m glad that we have the club in the first place and that there’s finally a place on campus where people who like EDM can gather and share their passion,” Salvini said.

page 12

High Tide

entertainment

Up and coming Discover the new generation of music brewing in Southern California

Hometown heroes. Indie rock/pop band Ghost Lit Kingdom is currently working on their next EP. “[The] South Bay has not had a huge impact since there isn’t a lot of call for music of our genre nor are there many venues that cater to good shows of original music. LA has taught us a lot about the industry, though, and the vast scope of its spectrum in every category,” member Taylor Morrow said.

PHOTO COURTESY OF GHOST LIT KINGDOM

Compiled by Zach Hatakeyama

Orange County

Torrance

GHOST LIT KINGDOM

HARRIET

PRIVATE ISLAND

How would you describe your music?

How would you describe your music?

How would you describe your music?

How would you describe your genre?

“It’s grown harder and harder to define as we develop. We like to inhabit the space somewhere within the world of alt pop, with a hint of R&B and the occasional rap flow.”

“Group vocal and harmony heavy, lots of dynamics motion, lyrically dense. and dual lead vocals in the vein of Arcade Fire, Of Monsters and Men, Young the Giant, etc.”

“Beach Groove Rock”

How has Los Angeles/South Bay influenced you?

Where would you like to see your band in five years?

“Traditional American songwriter music thats been flipped and placed in different contexts. We like to stretch things. To take songs that could exist just on a piano or an acoustic guitar and go as far from that as we can without losing the song.”

ARMORS

“Growing up in Torrance was both awesome and challenging at times. I didn’t have the best childhood and it definitely showed in my later years. I fell pretty hard into the punk scene which is still alive and well in South Bay.”

“Signed to a label that we trust and respect [and] headlining solid tours and working production/management for up and coming groups as well.”

Los Angeles

Where would you like to see your band in five years?

Ventura

How has Los Angeles/South Bay influenced you?

“Well I grew up in San Pedro and didn’t play music back then, but I’m sure those years influenced my point of view lyrically. Living in Southern CA, we are blessed to have such a big music scene.

We have all been to our fair share of shows and shared good times listening to live music.”

Saturday, March 26 at The Mint

“I want to have made three more records, to have played Coachella at sunset, and to have played at the Hollywood Bowl and the Greek Theater.”

Listen to: Aubrey Follow them: @armorsmusic

Listen to: You Don’t Know Me, Too Late Follow them: @ghostlitkingdom

Listen to: American Appetite, Burbank Follow them: @harrietmusic

Listen to: Drugs, Dissolve Follow them: @PVILND

PHOTO COURTESY OF ANNA LEE MEDIA

PHOTO BY ZACH HATAKEYAMA

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE POLOROID PROJECT

PHOTO COURTESY OF PRIVATE ISLAND

See them live:

See them live:

Saturday, April 9 at The Lyric Theater

Mar. 16, 2016

entertainment

page 13

ALBUM REVIEW: KENDRICK LAMAR, UNTITLED UNMASTERED

Kendrick Lamar returns with surprise release

by Faith Petrie

Almost a year after his release of awardwinning album, “To Pimp a Butterfly,” Kendrick Lamar surprisingly released “Untitled Unmastered.” “Untitled Unmastered” is a series of songs unreleased on “To Pimp a Butterfly” continuing the exploration of fusing jazz and funk sounds with hip hop-like themes.

Fans of Lamar will be glad to hear the set of unreleased tracks from Lamar that provide the same impact that “To Pimp a Butterfly” did only a year before. Similar political and social themes present themselves in this album leaving the fans able to ponder what is truly going on in the world around them in a fresh, innovative way.

A standout track, “untitled 02 | 06.23.2014” tackles the materialism and superficiality that surrounds Lamar. With a “trap” like beat, he spills his qualms for living a life dedicated to things that ultimately have no value and seeks redemption from a higher power. The line “Get God on the Phone” makes an appearance several times throughout the song, showing he wants an immediate connection with said higher power to rectify his wrongdoings.

“Untitled 07 | 2014 -2016” is a track split into three parts and ranges in sound. The

first part contains a high bassed, trap-esque beat that backs lyrics highlighting that nothing in life, whether it be materialistic items or even drugs, will get “you high as this” showing that you can not reach a specific level of self-fulfillment with such simple ideals.

The second part, produced by Egypt Daoud Dean, the five year old son of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys, is a song that allows Lamar’s braggadocious side to come through. He points out his accomplishments such as rising up from poverty to fame, as well as what he hopes for his future.

The final part is a live studio out-take of an earlier song “untitled 04 | 08.14.2014.”

This part of “untitled 07 | 2014-2016” adds to the openness this album provides to his fans.

Though considered an album, “Untitled Unmastered” is more of a mixtape due to its erratic track listing and incomplete sound.

Although that appears to be a flaw in Lamar’s work, that is far from the truth. The unpredictability provides a rawness to the sound of the album that only Lamar can provide.

Kendrick Lamar is constantly changing the game for rappers all over with what is the definition of “real rap.” No matter what Lamar’s next work is, it is guaranteed to be unique and thought-provoking.

page 14

sports

Swing batter, batter swing. Senior Sean Reynolds pitches against West High on March 5 . PHOTO BY LAUA’E SCHWEITZER

[cont. from cover ] According to Riley, considering that the team only allowed one run in five games, RUHS’s dominant pitching performances won the tournament championship.

“By only giving up one run the entire tournament, we were able to take pressure off our own hitters and let them put good swings on balls; making them feel comfortable in the box,” Riley said.

Riley came into the tournament’s third

game just looking to pitch well enough for the team to advance to the next round.

“I came into the game with California High just looking to get our team to the next round of the tournament and get us a win, but it turned out special; I was comfortable and confident all game. It was definitely a special experiance; something I will never forget,” Riley said.

According to Riley’s teammate, senior Ja-

cob Springman, the no-hitter pumped up the team for the rest of the tournament, as well as other wins against tough teams.

“The no-hitter that was thrown definitely helped, although that was our third game and I think our second game against West High that we won 4-0 is what really sparked us and got us into the tournament,” Springman said. “They’re a good team and winning our first tough game got us feeling good

High Tide from the start.”

The tournament consisted of many teams from around the area, including many of RUHS’s rivals that it will face later in the season in league play.

“We saw lots of teams in the area in the El Segundo Tournament, like West Torrance who we play later in the season,” Dicochea said. “Palos Verdes, Peninsula, and Mira Costa were also in the tournament and we play them during league play.”

According to senior designated-hitter Ricky Martin, winning against teams like these helps RUHS in the long run.

We feel confident coming out of the El Segundo Tournament; I think that we proved to ourselves that we can compete with any team we face,” Martin said. “We all trust in each other, to tell you the truth. If one of us doesn’t get it done, we are confident that one of the other guys can pick us up. Also, we play with a lot of energy and intensity all game long, which keeps us competitive at all times in the game.”

RUHS’s next game is a double header away against El Segundo this Thursday, and pitching will be one of the keys to another victory.

“All we need to focus on is scoring early so that our pitchers can pitch with confidence later in the game, which is one of the keys to the game,” Martin said. “If our pitchers can go for a lot of innings and give up little or no runs, then we’ll be in a good position to win.”

Many players on this year’s team are returners from last year’s CIF-championship team who know the pressure of attempting to repeat that success.

“After winning CIF last year, we’re coming into this season with a massive target on our backs, and we’re embracing it and running with it,” Riley said. “We hope to take that experience and veteran leadership to help get us back to state at San Bernardino.”

Looking to attack

Boys lacrosse struggles because of lack of time together at the start of the season

by Angie Tait After starting their season with zero wins and three losses, boys lacrosse is trying to figure out how to put their best foot forward for their upcoming games.

With the team’s majority taking part in their first varsity season, and working with first-year coach Jesse Cox, the team has found their main problem to be their lack of time together.

“Athletically, we’ve been just as talented as the teams we’ve played so far. Unfortunately, we were up against established programs that have been together a long time.

Add more time to play together and gel as a unit, and subtract a few key injuries, and the outcome of those games would be way different,” Cox said.

The players also agree that they are equal

in skill compared to other teams, but their mental preparation still needs work.

“We have been as good as, if not better than, all of the teams we’ve played this year.

The problem is that they wanted it more than us and were used to playing at that high intensity level of play all the time,” sophomore Bryan Cloutier said.

Sophomore Joey Shy had similar thoughts.

“We started out our season rough, and though we are currently zero and three, we are slowly picking up momentum and hope for some wins very soon,” Shy said. “Our team is very equally skilled compared to the teams we have faced. The games we’ve played are usually high-scoring, and close matches.”

To help regain momentum and confidence as they enter the season, the boys have already set up a rigorous practice schedule with Coach Cox. “Practices are our opportunity to change things that went wrong in the game. Usually, it will be playing a different line of offense or defense that is better suited to our strengths,” Cloutier said. “We work on our plays, stick skills, and running, but overall try to get used to playing with each other. Our goal is to break our losing streak and come out of the game with a win, which we can do if we work together and fight hard.”

To further assist their game plan, the boys also review past matches on film in the, field house, which helps “develop our skills and form our offense,” according to Shy.

“We are all serious about the team, and we hope to win the majority of our remaining games. We’re very capable of placing highly this season, but we need to be able to put in the right plays and utilize them to their full strength, and effort from all around is needed,” Shy said.

The boys next game is at home on Wednesday, March 17, against Pacific Palisades, a team the players are confident they can overtake.

“We have the skills needed for sure, which was something that we worried about after all of the seniors left; we just need to keep working hard during games and practices,” Cloutier said. “We have a lot of good talent on the team, and now we have started to figure out our individual roles on the team.”

March 16, 2016

page 15

sports

On the draw

Girls lacrosse looks to live up to the legacy after winning Shootout Tournament

by Mia Berger

Got ball? 1. Senior Hayley Vondran intersepts a pass in a game last season.

PHOTO BY SANDER FINK

Things are looking up for girls lacrosse after they won their first two games of the season at the LA vs Orange County Shootout on Saturday.

“It was a smaller tournament but I think it went well,” senior Julia Brand said. “We definitely did better than expected because I know a lot of people were not there this tournament due to injuries. It definitely felt good to start winning.”

Because two of the girls were out due to injury from the Agoura game last Thursday, and the team’s sports trainer was unable to come to this tournament, the girls were nervous going into the tournament.

“I have a concussion and whiplash from our game on Thursday and one of our starting defenders [senior co-captain Allie Vorndran] was out for the first game with a pulled groin injury. So the first game [against San Juan Capistrano Valley High School] was definitely different from normal, however the team did very well and won 10-6,” senior Kate Rourke said.

After hearing that there was not trainer at the tournament resulting in two of the team’s starters unable to play, coach Tom Borgia decided to speak with the director of the tournament.

“I was shocked to hear that there was no trainer and told the tournament director was crazy not to have someone available in case

of an injury. Thankfully, an hour later there was a trainer,” Borgia said.

According to the team, one of the things they are working on is winning the draws so that they can have possession of the ball.

“During the first game we won the majority of the draws and the other team didn’t get the ball that much, so the fact that we had the ball made us able to control the game and stay calm and just play our own game of lacrosse,” Brand said.

Many of the players agree that the tournament wins were an important boost to the team’s overall confidence as they shift into the Bay League season.

“These game have helped boost the team morale and confidence. In the past couple games, when we would be down our team would lose confidence, but during the last two games we remained calm and confident which allowed us to play to the best of our abilities,” senior co-captain Hailey Vorndran said.

All in all, the team believes that these game have helped to prove that, even without last year’s seniors, they are ready to win Bay League again.

“Losing the first two games put a lot of pressure on us and made us doubt our abilities,” Brand said. “But after these games we now truly have the motivation to say, yes we are good enough to to be in Bay League.”

Boys volleyball is successful early

by Davina Nguyen Based on the their past performance preleague, the boys’ volleyball team believes that it is more than capable of achieving the goals it has set up this season, including “beating Mira Costa, getting first in Bay League, and winning CIF.” “We have good team chemistry and have a lot of fun. We are able to play loosely and aggressively, and that definitely helps us win some close games,” senior co-captain Lucas Lossone said.

The team agrees that their greatest strength comes from their unity and and ability to quickly adapt to uncomfortable situations during matches.

“Firstly, having resilience as a team [is a strength of ours]. We don’t give up after the other team wins a set or gets some big plays, we fight through it. Secondly, we come to-

gether as a team and encourage each other, having each other’s backs. The more we encourage each other, the better we are,” senior co-captain Sean Michael-Cramer said.

According to junior Ian Pizzuti, unity is a critical factor for the team, and that boys consider each other beyond simply teammates.

“In this team, we are all friends and so many of us are more than just teammates to each other, it’s like having your brothers on the court with you,” Pizzuti said.

Although the team possesses various assets, the boys agree that there are aspects that could be improved within the team.

“One thing we can improve on is our attitude after a loss, because there’s always the next game and we shouldn’t let ourselves get down. This team is strong when we stick in it together no matter how bad it gets,” Pizzuti

said.

The boys recognize that regardless of their unity, there are issues with players being too absorbed by their own performance over the team overall.

“Volleyball is a team sport and teammates rely on everyone being in the same page. It’s also a game where momentum can decide the outcome of a game. Keeping the energy on your side of the court is how teams go on to rattle off many points in a row. But when guys are focused on themselves, they don’t create energy. This becomes a problem not just in trying to develop runs, but also stopping them because players can get discouraged if they are playing badly and there is no one to help them focus on the next play.

This mentality obviously varies from player to player, but it’s definitely in almost every

single player on the team. But this problem is well regarded by the team and we’re all working to become better team players and so far, it’s been going pretty well,” said Viggiano.

However, the team is bent on adjusting these flaws throughout the season to improve their plays.

“The team is such a great group of guys; every one of us wants to win and no one wants to appear stuck up, so there will be some improvement in that department in the near future,” junior Paul Viggiano said.

The boys are also focusing on improving their offense this season.

“We have been working a lot on offense, in terms of hitting in any way possible. This has been our main focus in practice because our passing is pretty consistent,” Viggiano said.

page 16 Athlete of the Issue: Kaitlin Heri

High Tide

sports

H G I H R E P M JU

by Kayla Hiken

In the three years that Kaitlin Heri has been pole

vaulting, she has set the RUHS school record at 12 feet 8 inches and is ranked fourth in California.

Kaitlin Heri

Junior 12’8” vaulting height Holds school record Ranked 4th in California 12’1” freshman vaulting height

“To hold a school record is such an honor and something I never thought I’d ever do or accomplish. Holding a school record and being able to jump 12’8” has impacted me a lot because now I have colleges looking at me, sending me letters, and reaching out to me,” Heri said.

She began pole vaulting at the end of eighth grade and has been “hooked” ever since.

“I got into pole vaulting because Coach Avery, the surf and volleyball coach, knew I did gymnastics and he thought I would be good at it,” Heri said. “He thought that I should just try it out, so I gave it a try and happened to really like it.”

When Heri first attempted pole vaulting, she was immediately successful.

“I think that when you’re better at something, like a sport or a class, it’s more enjoyable because you’re good at it. My coach said I was probably one of the best people he’s ever seen their first time pole vaulting and I just thought it was really fun and I thought that maybe I could do good in high school, so I just continued on with it,” Heri said.

Heri has become popular among both colleges and other pole vaulters, who recognize her at meets.

“At meets people do know who I am. I’m known as ‘that girl who has jumped 12’8”’ or ‘the girl who jumped 12’1” as a freshman.’

However, although I have this huge reputation attached to my name, the other pole vaulters are all very nice and supportive. We all support one another even though we are competing against each other,” Heri said.

“That’s what I love about pole vault. It’s like one big family that hopes each person can do well and get a new personal record, and just wishing the best for them.”

Although Heri is only a junior, and still

has a year before college, she is already thinking about her future in pole vaulting, not only because of colleges reaching out to her but because she strives to do so much more in her pole vaulting career.

“My goal for pole vault is to pursue it in college and hopefully receive a scholarship to do the thing I love. I’d like to pole vault as long as I possibly can and just see where it takes me,” Heri said. “As for high school, my goal either this year or next year is to jump 13’6” and win the California state meet; That is my ultimate goal and it would be incredibly amazing if I can accomplish this.”

She has had many people support her with her goals and accomplishments in pole vaulting. However, none supported her more than her family.

“My family is so supportive of how I’ve been doing in pole vault. My pole vaulting has impacted them as well, because they are so incredibly proud of me and never thought I’d accomplish what I’ve accomplished so far,” Heri said.

Heri uses her past experience in gymnastics and applies these skills to pole vaulting, which has helped her greatly.

“Pole vaulting is very similar to gymnastics, vault especially. When I’m pole vaulting it kind of feels like I’m flying and I really like that feeling; It’s nothing like I’ve ever done before,” Heri said.

Heri is glad she chose to give pole vaulting a try and has been able to get as far as she has with this sport.

“Pole vault has impacted my life in a way I never thought it would. I expected to pole vault in high school and be decent and just to have fun with it, but it has taken me somewhere I’d never thought I’d be,” Heri said. “I absolutely love pole vaulting, I love it more than anything, it’s my passion and something I never want to give up.”