High Tide: Nov 3, 2017

HT

Redondo Union High School Redondo Beach, CA October 20, 2017 Vol. XCVV Edition 4

High Tide

Page 3. National Merit

Page 5. National Merit

Page 6. Sexual Assault Editorial

Redondo puts a temporary ban on the distribution and manufacturing of cannabis page 5 Page 12. Technology in Class

Page 16. Pacific Daydream Review

Page 20. Student Pilots

ILLUSTRATION BY EMMA LYON

#METOO

How the Twitter movement brings attention to the magnitude of the sexual assault issue By: Grace McGonigle and Aaya Jhaveri

A forced kiss. A whistle from a passing car. Unwanted touching. Rape. The numerous forms of sexual assault affect many aspects of society, leading people everywhere into lives filled with fear and anguish.

In the light of Harvey Weinstein’s sexual harassment allegations and the #MeToo campaign, in which victims of assault come forward and share their experiences, students Jane Doe, John Doe and Marie Major have decided to speak about what they have been through. [Cont. page 10]

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NEWS

NOV. 3, 2017 | HIGH TIDE

Growing pains

Students report a lack of restrooms on campus

by Kate Ripley

Long lines. Students, waiting to use the restroom, stand in a line. PHOTO BY TAYLOR ROSE The bustling crowds of students moving through the halls between classes and during breaks are often made of students trying to make it to the bathroom before lines get too long. With almost 3,000 students, the school’s population is growing quickly, leaving many wondering how the school will meet student needs.

“The lines are really long during breaks because a lot of students aren’t allowed to go during class time,” junior Molly Cochran said. “There are definitely not enough bathrooms for everybody.”

The bathrooms are counted for students and staff together and account for all bathrooms— regardless of accessibility—so RUHS technically meets the legal ratio required. However, the K-12 plumbing requirements states “more fixtures or toilet rooms may be required to adequately serve students and staff in some facility layouts.”

Many of the bathrooms are inaccessible to some or all students throughout the day. For instance, the gym bathrooms—which are two of the larger bathrooms on campus—are open throughout the day, but security often stops students from going to the gym area during snack and lunch. This leaves them solely accessible to students during Physical Education classes and sports.

“It’s pretty ridiculous,” senior Sami Fishman said. “There are a decent amount of bathrooms but they keep a lot of them locked.”

The bathrooms on the home side of the Seahawk Bowl, in the auditorium and music/band rooms are only available when events are held or for students involved in music or drama.

Although “frustrating” for stu-

dents, many of these choices are made for the safety of students.

“The problem with the auditorium is that it’s not fenced off,” Principal Jens Brandt said. “We got to keep our students and staff safe too. We don’t want some random stranger to walk onto campus and be able to access restrooms that could put someone in serious danger.”

However, without access to these bathrooms, the realistic availability of bathrooms for students would not meet the ratios required by state.

Accounting only for bathrooms actually accessible to all students during class time, the ratio of toilets for females on campus misses the mark of the 1 to 30 ratio at one toilet for every 38 females. In addition, there is about one toilet for every 89 males, rather than one for every 50.

Exacerbating the current bathroom situation, the male bathroom in the science building has been closed for “misuse” for the past two weeks, leaving many students and staff discouraged.

“It’s a bit frustrating for us.

We’ve had some issues with vandalism and graffiti, and just to be totally transparent about this, students are not using the toilets and the urinals appropriately,” Brandt said. “It’s about sending a message.”

Restrooms in the math and english halls are functional but are closed due to the lack of supervision; however, current problems may force their reopening.

“We did open the upper [800’s] restrooms. We used to not have those open,” Brandt said. “There are restrooms in the 300s that eventually we may have to open.”

It is recommended to have a restroom on each floor with classrooms. However, the bottom floor

of the science building only has two bathrooms, which are often closed, while the second floor has three staff bathrooms, which, according to Brandt, are not large enough to become student ones.

Brandt believes opening more bathrooms will not fix the problem.

“It’s a combination of many factors—it’s safety and convenience. We have to make sure that we can adequately supervise, stock and clean those restrooms,” Brandt said.

Opening more bathrooms would require additional supervision and a larger custodial staff.

Because of the price and issue of privacy, camera surveillance is not the best solution for issues of vandalism. Therefore, supervision would require personnel to stand outside bathrooms, a tactic Brandt finds too invasive.

“We don’t really want them in the interior buildings. It feels a little big brother-ish to be perfectly honest,” Brandt said. “It’s a private function, and we shouldn’t have to supervise that.”

Although the best solution is not available yet, administration wishes to improve the ratio of toilets to students. The new building being constructed for the next school year does not have room for an additional bathroom, so administration is looking elsewhere.

Despite the frustration the bathroom situation has caused for both staff and students, the administration is “hopeful” for a solution and “grateful” for students who make an effort to keep the campus clean and functional.

“We really appreciate the vast majority of our students. Nearly all of them are very respectful in terms of how they use the restrooms, and we just want to keep that going,” Brandt said.

Are there enough restrooms at RUHS?

Around Redondo What do you think about the bathroom conditions?

“There are a decent amount of bathrooms, but they keep a lot of them locked. A lot of times when I go to the bathroom now, there is no toilet paper in every single stall.”

Sami Fisherman, senior “I think that the school needs to pay more attention to the school bathrooms. In the 800s building, there is a stall without a door, so it cannot be used as a toilet but now only as a urinal.”

Henry Graven, junior “I don’t like the fact that some bathrooms are closed. It seems unnecessary, and it is inconvenient.”

Nolan Abdelsayed, junior “I don’t think they’re kept up well.

The one I mainly use is in the choir room, and there’s a big penis sketched into the mirror. All they did was tape a green piece of paper over it.”

Maddy DeTate, senior PHOTOS BY LILLY LOPEZ

Requirements

CPC Requirement: 1 toilet: 100 students

California Plumbing Code (CPC): The entrance to toliet rooms must be able to be supervised.

There does not have to be specific toilets for staff and students.

CPC Requirement: 1 toilet: 30 students

California Department of Education (CDE): However, for safety and liability concerns recommends that separate toilets be provided for staff.

It also recommends that the location of toilets and water fountains be distributed throughout the campus to ensure access.

Accessible during class time: 1:72

Accessible during class time: 1: 38 CPC Requirement: 1 urinal: 50 students Accessible during class time: 1: 89 INFORMATION FROM WWW.CDE.CA.GOV

NEWS

NOV. 3, 2017 | HIGH TIDE

On the rise

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Assistant Principal Erickson discusses social media responsibilty

by Miriam Farah

Due to the rise of technology and frequent use of social media, there are more instances of students publishing “inappropriate” posts, according to Vice Principal Jonathan Erickson. Recent school suspensions regarding material posted online has sparked debate.

“We certainly want people to express their individuality online, and that’s very important. We don’t want people to feel like they need to pretend to be somebody different or anything like that,” Erickson said.

“But, is [the post] representing them and the school in a positive way? Or is it representing them, the school or individuals in a negative way? Just think about that carefully before [you] post things.”

Erickson believes it is important for students to consider what they post online since it may be deemed offensive.

“For instance, if something was posted, it could at the very least hurt people’s feelings.

You could get in trouble because of breaking laws, and probably the toughest part of all, is that there’s no guarantee that it’s ever going to disappear,” Erickson said.

Specifically, Erickson believes that students should refrain from mocking a person’s religion, physical appearance, sexuality, race or gender online.

“All of those fall into these ‘protected

classes’ that are immediate higher level concerns. Saying you don’t like somebody online is negative, but it’s not breaking the rule,” Erickson said. “But making fun of somebody in a way that could be portrayed as harassment or bullying, which is pervasive, repeated or with the purpose of making somebody suffer, is considered violation of the rules.”

Erickson reminds students that all online posts are permanent, even if they are offensive, so they can potentially lead to repercussions by school officials and law enforcement.

“If you post something, it is permanent.

You may choose later to erase it, and you may not be able to because it has already been passed on to so many people. You guys face a unique challenge that we did not face when we were younger because we did not have all these tools. With all ways to communicate, it just puts more of a burden on you guys to make good choices.”

The administration, according to Erickson, has witnessed an increase in school suspensions after finding more “hostile” material online.

“We’ve noticed that people seem surprised that we got it. They’ll say, ‘Oh that was private. I only texted that to one friend.

I only posted that on a private group.’ Then,

we print out the page and put it in front of them and say ‘I got it, so I guess it wasn’t private.’ That is a good lesson about putting things online,” Erickson said. “If you text it to one person, it’s not your information anymore. That one person could text it to a thousand people, and if each of them text it to a thousand people, a million people have it. So that’s the possibility.”

According to Erickson, schools can punish a student for something they posted online, especially if it mentions the school’s name.

“They’ve consciously invoked our name, and now they’ve involved us. We’re responsible for the safety of the school and the smooth operation of this school,” Erickson said. “So if somebody invokes our name and makes a comment, then we may investigate because it is relevant to the operation of our school.”

Although schools can investigate reported posts online, Erickson states that administration does not wish to restrain a student’s opinions but simply wants to protect students from harassment.

“We want you to have positive and safe experiences in school and not worry about what people are saying about you online.

We are not interested in controlling your thoughts.”

ILLUSTRATION VIA CREATIVE COMMONS

Three students are named National Merit Scholarship nominees

by Sarah Falahahwazi The National Merit Scholarship nominees for this year are Malek Chamas, Navid Goodarzi and Enoch White. These seniors earned their titles as National Merit Semifinalists by scoring within the top one percent of California high school juniors on the PSAT. “It looks very impressive on a college application since so few students are recognized out of 1.6 million candidates,” Shannon Rodriguez said. “It’s quite an honor.”

Once Semifinalists from each state are chosen, the competition moves on to the national level, and only 7,500 Finalists out of 15,000 will receive scholarships. According to Rodriguez, the Director of College Academic Counseling, Finalists are chosen based on their essays, recommendations and the strength of their extracurriculars.

“The application that Semifinalists must complete is exhaustive and, in many ways, very similar to a college application,” Rodriguez said.

There are three types of scholarships that winners can receive. The first is the $2500 scholarship that all Finalists compete for.

There are also corporate-sponsored and college-sponsored scholarships, which are given to Finalists with certain career or college plans.

“The National Merit Scholarship Corporation is looking for applicants with very polarized interests,” Goodarzi said. “They want to support kids with a strong commitment to a career or that have demonstrated ‘mile deep’ coverage in one area of learning or activity.”

Q How did you prepare for the test?

A “I had a tutor for an hour once a week. It helped me because a

tutor motivated me more than self studying,” Navid Goodarzi said.

Q What are benefits to being a nominee?

A “Once you’re chosen of all the kids in the country for this exclu-

sive award, that tells other people that you’re someone they want to invest in,” Malek Chamas said.

Q Have you noticed a pattern among scholarship nominees?

A “Students who are in rigorous courses tend to score well, but there are students who are also good test-takers who also score well. Remember that it’s just one test,” Shannon Rodriguez said.

PHOTO VIA CREATIVE COMMONS

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NEWS

NOV. 3, 2017 | HIGH TIDE

Bose spoke to Art Club about her experience working for “The Simpsons”

by Jenna Edwards

ILLUSTRATION BY BRENNAN HICKEY

Do’oh nuts! “This is when Moe discovers, through Lisa’s help, that he’s a bit of a poet, so Homer makes fun of him,” Bose said. “Gesturing wildly, doing a little dance while flapping his arms, Homer loses his balance and falls out the window.” ILLUSTRATION COURTESY OF JEANETTE BOSE

Jeanette Bose was held in a very stressful situation being a mom of two kids, working full time on minimum wage in an effort to support her children. Then, she got her job as an animator for “The Simpsons.”

Bose applied to work as an animator on ‘The Simpsons’ when her friends and family continuously praised her for her freestyle and abstract artwork she had done for previous charity events and for her own enjoyment.

Bose came to Redondo Art Club last Wednesday at lunch to interview with students about her job as an animator, and provide insight to kind of work she does. She had many examples of her art with her, including the portfolio she used to get her into “The Simpsons.”

“The portfolio that got me into ‘The Simpsons’ has a little bit of everything in it, for one of them I did a commission for a children’s hospital which I really liked.”

Bose explained to her audience in art club that the people hiring at “The Simpsons” really wanted to see the artists’ full potential before accepting them onto the team, even if they will just be doing cartoon animations.

“They like to see that you can draw anything, like animals and faces, but that you can also do your own thing.

It really depends on what they’re looking for,” Bose said.

Once Bose got the job, she was first doing cleanup work for already made animations, as she was not ready to animate on her own for the show yet because she hadn’t been properly trained or practiced.

“When I came to ‘The Simpsons’ initially I had done a lot of cleanup work and that means really fine detail and it puts your stomach in knots because it has to be perfect and neat,” she said.

Up until when Bose got the job at The Simpsons studio, all of her work had been very detailed and realistic, so she had to alter her art style in order to transition to super basic cartooning with hardly any detail.

“When I became an animator, I had to erase all of the detailed work I was doing, and make it really loose. I was always getting chewed out by my directors because I was

drawing too tight,” Bose said.

Although she had to adjust to this transition, she learned that by drawing so loosely it was much easier to get her thoughts on paper, and therefore her work was much more efficient and effective.

“I found that over time drawing quickly, made me a much better artist and my things look much more alive.

They have more movement which you couldn’t see in my stiff, perfect drawings,” she said.

Another change Bose had to adjust with was the conversion from paper and pencil animation, to digital, online animations. Bose has always preferred the more 2-D, hands on form of animation, because of how genuine and real it is, compared to online, where a lot of nitpicky details have to be made. In digital animation, Bose would have to zoom in to each part of the frame and do very precise lines that took a lot of time to perfect, whereas on paper, she could just sketch.

“I think a lot of people prefer paper and pencil because it’s more hands on and 2-D. I liked the traditional hands-on design because it’s a lot warmer and I’ve seen some really beautiful things come out of it,” Bose said.

President of Art Club Emma Arsenault, who had art lessons from Bose for a year, explained how she thought the change in technology affected the animators’ style.

“She said since 1996 she had been working as an animator, so I think it’s really cool how she had to transition from paper and pencil to digital to graphic art, because of the changing technology,” Bose said.

Even though Bose has since left “The Simpsons” animation team in 2013, she is grateful for the opportunities she received to grow as an artist and learn specific skills that helped her personal art, and also her abilities in animation. ”You can learn a great deal, which I did, I became a much better artist after working there because I had to learn in volumes and learn through other people rather than just trying to figure the new technology out on my own,” Bose said.

City Council revises general plan for Redondo

by William Pournamdari and Danny Parhizi For the first time since 1992, general plan advisory committees have been working to revise Redondo Beach’s general plan because of an increasing concern for land use.

The general plan accounts for how the city is regulated in terms of housing, roadways, public infrastructure and population density.

“We need to rethink our policies with respect to land use, and how we want and do not want to grow and what we want to do going forward,” Planning Manager Sean Scully said.

The developing traffic problems pressured the city council and planning commision to initiate the revision of the city’s policies.

“We have certain intersections in the city that are already at capacity so any additional growth would worsen the con-

gestion on these existing intersections so amending the general plan will alleviate these problems over time,” Scully said.

As a result of these growing traffic concerns, the revisions will be aiming to reduce the permitted density of commercial areas such as the South Bay Galleria Mall, while increasing the density in residential neighborhoods of North Redondo in order to comply with state zoning requirements.

“Interestingly enough, our general plan’s land use element is our primary concern for the general plan since it governs how we can set the standards as well as the densities for the different land use categories that we have,” Scully said.

All development within the city has to be consistent with the general plan’s guidelines which is why the city has prioritized the revision.

“One of the first steps was developing

the vision statement that will serve to guide and frame the general plan advisory committees,” Scully said.

Being a “major” component of how the city develops, the general plan has constantly undergone updates. Despite these updates, the general plan is outdated which is why the city council has decided to undergo a strategic update of the general plan rather than completely drafting a new one.

“There were concerns that the current standards that existed would create more traffic problems and we would be unable to regulate mixed use zoning,” Scully said.

This strategic plan would incorporate new ideas for land use, and make other changes where needed.

“This a 20 to 30 year plan, so we are laying groundwork for the development community and the residents and business owners so everybody has to be consistent

with the general plan and all the public improvement that we do in this department all the parks programs have to connect to that document,” Scully said.

In order to revise the general plan, the city has allocated $500,000 towards funding environmental studies and a consultant to facilitate community meetings as well as draft the changes to the plan.

“This is a thirty-year plan so we are laying groundwork for when we are gone and the younger generation takes over,” Scully said.

The process will have to take at least over three years and has to be approved by the planning committee, city council and public vote.

“I think there’s a lot to be discovered in the next couple months,” Scully said.

“We’re right now in the process of finalizing the areas for zone changes.”

NEWS

NOV. 3, 2017 | HIGH TIDE

Think pink

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Feminism Club recognizes Breast Cancer Awareness Month

by Ivanica Skalko

After surgery

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, this month Feminism Club had breast cancer survivors speak to their club, and explained to their club members how to conduct self-breast exams in hopes of teaching girls how to catch the signs of breast cancer before it’s too late. This club, founded and led by juniors Miriam Farah and Aaya Jhaveri, focuses on raising awareness around issues affecting women and creating a safe space to support all the women.

“There are a lot of misconceptions surrounding the idea of feminism; there’s a really bad stigma surrounding the word. A lot of girls and even guys are afraid of identifying as feminists because they’re scared of backlash and being called man-haters.

People need to know feminism advocates for the equality of all genders and pushes for us all to support each other,” Farah said.

Since 2016, Feminism Club has brought in guest speakers and had discussions about relevant national issues and topics directly affecting the women at our school.

Both co-presidents think that students do not realize that the issues seen on the news or social media can have a direct impact in the South Bay, which is why the club likes to bring in guest speakers so members can hear first-hand experiences.

“We want people to share their personal experiences. First hand experiences are really important, because that’s when people realize what’s actually going on instead of just hearing it from a secondary source and getting the facts confused. It’s interesting to see how much actually happens around us, and how willing people are to share their experiences,” Farah said.

Bringing in guest speakers is a part of what Feminism Club is doing in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and on Monday Oct. 30, they brought in 70 yearold women’s fitness instructor Yumiko Hayashida to tell her story of breast cancer survival. Hayashida explained to the club the importance of staying healthy and be-

“Breast cancer is not the end, but identifying the symptoms early is important.”

– Miriam Farah

ing aware of changes in your body early on.

“I don’t usually talk about my cancer, but this is a good opportunity to share how important it is to do early screenings, not just mammograms but self-screenings and routine checks can be just as life-saving,” Hayashida said.

Breast cancer is a topic that may not seem relevant to teenagers, but Feminism Club hopes to educate their members that this issue can directly affect the students at our school.

“Women can get breast cancer at such a young age, and even men can develop it.

It’s important for people our age to start recognizing the signs, and see through first-hand experience how it can happen to anyone,” Jhaveri said.

On October 16, Feminism Club held a lesson on how to do a self-examination for signs of breast cancer. The examination is “fairly simple,” and can help anyone recognize the preliminary signs of breast cancer.

“A lot of women don’t get mammograms until they’re older, and often that is when it is too late. Many women who end up with breast cancer realize it through self-examination, which is why we think it was important to teach this to our club,” Jhaveri said.

Along with raising awareness of issues like breast cancer, Feminism Club offers support to any student who needs it.

Bringing attention to issues and creating a safe space to openly discuss these issues is a step toward instigating social change, which both Farah and Jhaveri hope to achieve.

“We’d like to think that we can make the biggest impact possible with our club, but we want to start small and set goals to help the girls in our school and community. Reaching out to students at our school through discussions and resources is a way of letting people know you are there, and sometimes that makes all the difference in the world,” Farah said.

Redondo temporarily restricts distrubution and manufacturing of commercial cannibis

by Angie Tait

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for a city’s reputation and safety.

“Banks are prohibited from allowing credit card sales because marijuana is still considered illegal by the federal government, and all-cash businesses run the risk of higher instances of armed robbery and bringing undesirable elements into the city.

We don’t know the effect of dispensaries on law enforcem e n t a n d public safety calls, nor how local sales affect the number of people driving under the influence,” Loewenstein said.

The Redondo Beach Police Department has discussed the creation of a task force built up of police officers, school staff, fire officials and other volunteer community members to maintain control of

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poses,” Loewenstein said.

Aside from the health benefits that medical marijuana provides, the popularity and widespread distribution of marijuana sales in town brings “a number of positives.”

“The tax revenue marijuana sales will generate for the city could be very good.

Also, the o v e r whelming vote for Prop 6 4 , which w a s 57% versus 43% statewide, makes it clear that there is a mandate for permitting usage, but not necessarily the sale of cannabis for recreational purposes,” Loewenstein said.

However, the council also acknowledged that the all-cash business system of marijuana distribution can prove harmful PH

The Redondo Beach City Council joined several other South Bay cities last month by banning commercial cannabis manufacturing, dispensaries and distribution until further notice.

Marijuana is set to be legalized statewide on Jan. 1 of next year, but Redondo, along with Manhattan, Hermosa, Torrance, Palos Verdes, Gardena, Inglewood and Hawthorne have decided to prolong the ban in order to see how other cities will regulate the drug’s recreational use.

“We did not ban the use of cannabis for adults over the age of 21, as this was legalized with the passage of Prop 64, the Adult Use of Marijuana Act (AUMA), last November. The reason it was a unanimous 5-0 vote was because the council members felt we needed more time to study both the positive and negative effects of recreational cannabis sales and operations in our city,” District 2 Councilman Todd Loewenstein said.

While Loewenstein cannot discuss his personal opinions before future public hearings concerning the cannabis ordinance, he believes that medical marijuana usage for people with cancer or other diseases can be beneficial.

“Prop 64 was overwhelmingly passed

by Redondo citizens, and I respect the will of the voters completely. I’m against anyone under 21 using marijuana for a variety of reasons, unless it was for medicinal pur-

marijuana distribution while the ban is in place, however Loewenstein believes that the policy won’t have much effect on dayto-day life in the city.

“Delivery from other cities will likely occur now and after Jan. 1, and there isn’t much the city can do about it. The ban isn’t about usage, but rather the sale for recreational purposes,” Loewenstein said. “The war against marijuana has been very ineffective and costly, in terms of lives affected and ruined, as well as dollars spent. I believe each of the communities who passed the ban will take their time in analyzing the best path forward.”

Once Prop 64 goes into effect on Jan. 1, California will retain the right to grant temporary licenses for retail marijuana businesses, but the lack of tested guidelines in the state leaves regulations and decisions to be handled at the local level.

“We need to study, in a few months, how things have transpired in states such as Colorado, Washington and Oregon, who have more experience than California, and perhaps review local municipalities that have granted the sale after Jan. 1,” Loewenstein said. “We ask ourselves, ‘If we permit the sale, where will be the best places to locate dispensaries? Should they be located in industrial areas, away from schools and residences, or should they be placed on major thoroughfares lie other retail businesses?’”

OPINION

STAFF

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Editors-in-Chief

Ben Brill, Elizabeth Fauver, Kylie Yorke

Editorial

News Editors:

Miriam Farah, Reem Chamas

Sexual violence is a growing problem — and it needs to be addressed Every 98 seconds, someone in the U.S. as reported by RAINN, about seven out of it would rescind Obama-era guidance on is sexually assaulted, meaning every single 10 sexual assaults are committed by some- how schools should handle sexual assaults day more than 570 people experience sex- one the victim knows. In this case victimes under Title IX—a federal law prohibiting ual violence, according to the Huffington are less likely to report the assault. There discrimination based on sex for schools Post. is the imagined response: “your father/ and programs that receive federal fundIt is finally time to end the social stigma coach/friend/teacher would never do that,” ing. Title IX includes protection from sexsurrounding sexual assaults to encourage this combined with the fact that the victim ual harassment, meaning this decision will victims to report their assault and receive will probably have to encounter their as- hurt students. It will further discourage students from reporting assaults, create the justice they deserve. Too many wom- sailant by virtue of their relationship. en and men have become victims of sexual Pursuing justice through the legal sys- uncertainty for school officials, and make assault, and their stories are being ignored. tem is an arduous and emotionally ex- school campuses less safe.

Early education on sexual assault and Victim blaming and lack of serious action hausting process for most sexual assault taken by many universities and law en- victims, making it hard to pursue any jus- consent in schools is crucial, so students forcement allow sexual assault to continue tice at all. Sexual assault victims know this, can understand that it is unacceptable and as a rampant problem. as only 13 percent of victims between 2005 learn how to report it. School staff, in adWe live in a culture that reinforces the and 2010 believed the police would not do dition to students, should be educated on how to identify sexual assault and how to normalization of sexual violence, leading anything to help, according to RAINN. respond. to victim blaming and On college campuses, shaming. It’s prevalent police and security perin violent rape scenes sonnel should be trained on popular T.V. shows to to effectively respond sexist dress codes that to sexual assault comreinforce rape culture.

Greater action needs to be taken by federal agencies, plaints. According to a It goes on from famous law enforcement, universities, and public schools to survey administered to athletes all the way respond to reports of sexual assault.

300 four-year colleges to Dr. Larry Nassar—a and universities by the former Olympic docOffice of Missouri Sentor—accused of sexually ator Claire McCaskill, assaulting more than over 40% of those 125 women. Even the schools did not conduct president of the U.S. has a single sexual assault been publicly accused of investigation over the sexually assaulting over 15 women and was recorded boasting that However, when victims gather the past five years. It is extremely unlikely he “grabs women by the pussy.” courage to share their experiences with those campuses are free of sexual misconWhile most acts of sexual assault go the police, only about 255 reports out 1000 duct since, according to RAINN, 23.1 perunseen and unpunished, victims are left assault and battery crimes lead to arrest. cent of undergraduate females experience suffering the psychological, emotional and Making matters even worse, only 105 out rape or sexual assault through physical physical effects. Many resort to self-harm 1000 cases get referred to prosecutors, ac- force and violence on campus.

Sexual assault is a deeply rooted proband substance abuse, develop eating dis- cording to RAINN. Until the level of trust orders and depression and even attempt between victims and law enforcement is lem, and it is going to take social and legsuicide. The lack of attention given to vic- bolstered, unreported sexual assault will islative change to solve it. Although sexual tims makes it difficult for them to speak continue as a huge problem. Alleviating violence has fallen by more than half since about their experience, let alone report it. the problem of sexual violence in the U.S. 1993, according to RAINN, safer learning According to the Rape, Abuse & Incest Na- will require stricter laws to punish per- and work environments must be fostered tional Network (RAINN), about two out of petrators, whether it’s in schools, govern- where all people feel safe from sexual assault. Many victims fear retaliation and three sexual assaults go unreported. ment offices or workplaces.

Unfortunately, another factor that conFederal action to combat sexual assault humiliation if they speak up. Communicatributes to underreporting is that most vic- is not progressive. Recently, the Depart- tion and community support is crucial to tims of sexual assault know their assailant; ment of Education formally announced ease their anxiousness and pain.

Editorial Board Vote

YES: 7

NO: 0

Opinion Editor: Jon Mallen

Features Editors:

Summer Saad, Alex Dang, Ben Yepez

Entertainment Editors: Mia Berger, Justin Pioletti

Sports Editor: Luke Peterson

Photo Editor: Eden Milan

Writing Editor: Lauren Kim

Copy Editor:

Lauren Kim, Alexander Clark

Multimedia Editor: Samaya Rubio

Illustrators:

Makena Frias, Brennan Hickey, Emma Lyon

Staff Writers:

Aaya Jhaveri, Adam Sayad, Alex Laureano, Alexis Mesa, Analise Asaro, Austin Nunis, Camille Grace, Christina Owen, Christopher Snyder, Danny Parhizi, Eduardo Rosales, Em-erson Owens, Ethan Park, Grace McGonigle, Ivanica Skalko, Jade Rona, Jenna Edwards, Joshua, Juninho Paniouchkine, Kaden Kaczmarczyk, Kate Ripley, Kiera Patterson, Liam Barrett, Lorraina Scolaro, Maia Ward, Martha Farah, Michael Solimando, Molly Cochran, Nicholas White, Ophelia Winslett, Rukhaa Kamran, Sabrina Kim, Sangjun Lee, Sarah Falahahwazi, Sarah Flannery, Shyanne Landers, Sophie Fleming, Sydney Nguyen, William Pournamdari

Photographers:

Shuaib Ahmad, Elise DiPaola, Danielle Sestak, Mia Wicks, Kierin Wooldridge, Ben Cheng

Adviser:

Mitch Ziegler

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Hits&Misses Dodgers lose world series

Standing up to Trump

There was hope when they made it to Game Seven. Then they went and lost the whole thing. Verlander was on fire all series. Yu Darvish choked not once, but twice. Dissapointing for Dodger fans to say the least.

Republican senators Bob Corker, John McCain, and Susan Collins have all taken their stances against Trump in the past month. As a result, Trump has taken to attacking their twitters, which should be a badge of pride. Way to go!

Powder Puff Football

Amazon Key

Although Powder Puff football is a great idea, the way in which it is done at RUHS could be a lot better. There could be more involvement from a greater amount of students in different ways. It would help if people knew about it, too.

This new service for Amazon Prime members allows delivery men and mail or online order services to enter a property with an electronic key. Talk about creepy!

Most of the editorial board would not like to find a delivery man in their house.

OPINION

OCT. 6, 2017 | HIGH TIDE

7

School restrooms are the newest scavenger hunt

by Ben Brill The toilet, the loo, the great white throne: a space to execute the necessary process of excrement, the pinnacle of human vulnerability and primitivity. Theoretically, it would be a place clean and comfortable enough to do your business.

However, our school’s bathrooms are just not that.

These fixtures have been neglected by the student body to the point of near disuse. When students defer from using one restroom, they find the next to be trashed or an unreasonable walk away.

Even pioneer psychologist Sigmund Freud during a trip to the U.S. in 1909

lamented over the lack of tolerable public restrooms.

“They escort you along miles of corridors and ultimately you are taken to the very basement where a marble palace awaits you, only just in time,” Freud said.

It appears as though the same problem persists over 100 years later here at RUHS. For instance, I had to go to the bathroom during a class I had in the science building.

Like I said, it happens. I first ventured to the bathroom on the upper floor of the Career and Technical Education (CTE) building, the 160s. However, the urinal was flooded to the brink with pee and candy wrappers and the stall was trashed with paper seat covers and toilet paper, feces not flushed away. I’m not going to use that.

Next it was to the lower science building, where the bathroom was “closed due to misuse,” as the sign read.

Finally, I found a usable but foul smelling bathroom in the basement of the CTE. I spent about 10 minutes finding a place to go pee, something that should take two.

That was 10 minutes from class time.

Males don’t even feel the worst brunt of the lack of useable bathrooms. Every snack

and lunch, there is a line filling out the door of the girl’s bathroom. The three bathrooms in the science building are closed during breaks, leaving only five bathrooms for each gender to service all 3000 students. Many of those waiting in line don’t even get the chance to go during snack and are forced to “hold it,” as teachers are reluctant to let students go to the bathroom after snack, assuming that students have the chance to go during breaks.

In addition to the shortage of bathrooms, many students avoid using certain fixtures do to their unsanitary conditions.

According to the Opinion Research Cooperation, 62 percent of students defer from using a restroom due to foul odors, 30 percent for clogged toilets, and 23 percent for broken stall doors. Any student who has used a restroom on campus has seen at least one of these enticing features.

The bathroom’s state of disarray is in no way the fault of the custodial staff. Instead, the blame falls on the students. The bathrooms are vandalized daily by students.

It is unreasonable to expect to the staff to pick up after student’s pathetic behavior day after day, especially when dealing

with human feces.

In response to student misuse, administration decided to close the male bathroom in the science building. While the collective punishment can serve as a wake up call to students, it only serves to exacerbate the shortage of bathrooms. Tiny, business card sized signs warning students about possible repercussions for misuse also been posted on the doors of each bathroom but no one is going to see them nor care.

The California Plumbing Code requires that there be some form of supervision outside each restroom. If the school actually adhered to these policies, there would be surveillance, a camera or something of the sort, outside the bathrooms to catch whoever trashed the restrooms. Then, administration could go about punishing the culprit rather than the entire student body.

However, the lack of available restrooms is a problem that must be addressed by the administration and district. As the student population rises steadily each year, there are no plans to add additional bathrooms, even with ongoing construction. If the problem remains unaddressed, there’s going to be a lot of clogged toilets on campus.

Can you find your way to the nearest restroom?

START

FINISH

ILLUSTRATION BY MAKENA FRIAS

It’s time to stop criticizing what girls wear on Halloween

by Adam Yorke “Halloween is just an excuse for girls to dress slutty.” Well, Jerry, Thanksgiving is just an excuse for you to get fatter.

Halloween traditions change and evolve with the people participating. In elementary school, everyone wanted to be a cute princesses and firemen. Middle school was the age of fright, zombie princesses, zombie firemen, etc. Now, high school is the era of sex. Outrageous? Over the top?

Maybe not.

Everything from lions to nuns are predominantly sold in their hyper-sexualized mini version. It is actually a difficult task to

find a non-promiscuous costume for a teen girl. However, it is the criticism itself that makes these costumes so scandalous, and perhaps it is time to reevaluate our perception. What critics call “slutty” Halloween costumes are now the norm and should not longer be criticized as “outlandish” or “ridiculous” when half the population is wearing them.

Never mind that parents and the media seem to have no problem with the overwhelmingly violent crop of costume selections for young boys. Kids as young as five years old can be seen walking down the streets with their parents carrying fake guns and knives, however, the second a 17 year-old girl wears a plunging neckline, the world stops moving. Apparently, teen pregnancy is still a threat, but aggression in teenage boys has been handily resolved.

Halloween is a time to wear what you want and not dress like a Lululemon mannequin for the night. Nobody criticizes festival culture when it is almost equally as bizarre. Not a single person bats an eye when people wear revealing clothing at popular events such as Coachella, Day n Night and Flog Gnaw. Maybe the difference between

Halloween and festival apparel is that it is socially acceptable for boys to take their shirts off.

If all male Halloween costumes were as hyper-sexualized as female costumes are, then boys and girls would be equally “slutty,” similar to the festival culture. By diluting the Halloween costume options with overly sexualized outfits, “slutty” is normal.

Personally, I would be excited to take my shirt off and paint a police uniform on me, not because I want attention, but because it’s the one time a year where it is acceptable.

The majority of teen girls dress how they do because they think they look “cute”, not because they want hammered guys hitting on them all night.

This is one of the places where this branding of the term “slut” actually comes from. It comes from guys being too intimidated to talk to the hot girl, then getting jealous and insecure when she ends up with someone else that night. Instead of enviously going home and telling all your friends that you didn’t even want to get with her because she is a “slut”, just man up, take your shirt off and go talk to her.

Level the playing field.

The worst part about slut-shaming is not that everyone knows you got rejected but that it affects the girl’s mental health for years to come. Washington D.C. based psychotherapist Quinn Gee says that “shaming can cause anxiety and even PTSD, depending on the trauma. It can cause future anxiety attached to clothes, specifically when a woman is getting ready. Shaming also contributes to social anxiety, which is a fear of being judged by other people. Some symptoms are sweating, nervousness, and panic attacks.”

One could even argue that dressing minimally improves physical health. Just as guys and girls exercise more in the months preceding June to get the “summer bod”, Halloween could serve as a motivation to stay in shape through October, before packing on the winter weight. I am not trying to promote an unhealthy body image, but if people take it upon themselves to look good for Halloween like they do for summer, then boys and girls could be equally “slutty”.

In the end, who cares if you are a slutty tree, at least you’re having fun!

FEATURES

8

Falling off balance

Libunao and Hyman quit competetive gymnastics due to high stress and pressure

by Martha Farah

Study break. Libunao and Hyman study their notes while trying to hold their gymnastic poses. PHOTOS BY DANIELLE SESTAK

F

ive days a week for four hours everyday on the beam, floor, bars and vault. Day after day, they spent more than half their lives devoted to gymnastics. After years of training and dedication, sophomores Jacqueline Hyman and Raven Libunao decided to quit gymnastics due to the stress and lack of time they faced.

“All sports require dedication, but I think gymnastics is definitely one of the tougher sports. You really need both physical and mental strength, again with all the sports, but gymnastics is different because you’re by yourself but competing for a team too,” Libunao said. “You compete solely for yourself, but your teammates are there to help you.”

By receiving support from her teammates and setting personal goals, Libunao overcame some challenges she faced.

However, Libunao and Hyman both considered fear a big challenge.

“In gymnastics, you do a lot of scary stuff that requires focus and balance,” Libunao said. “It was really stressful for me because I was afraid of doing a bunch of really big gymnastics skills, so I think my mentality was a really big factor.”

Libunao’s father first took her to a gym 13 years ago, and Hyman began gymnastics eight years ago. Soon after, they both quickly fell in love with the sport.

“Gymnastics is a really fun sport. You get to know a lot of people—your teammates and coaches who are really supportive. Aside from the really cool skills, you develop a really good relationship with your teammates, and it’s a really big accomplishment to be part of an association that does that,” Libunao said.

Even though the two became passionate about gymnastics, the stress caused by the sport prompted a decline in their passion over the years. For Libunao, the time gymnastics took up greatly affected her grades because she did not have enough time to finish all her schoolwork.

“Gymnastics kept me from doing other stuff in my life that I really enjoyed,” Libunao said. “It’s a very big commitment. Being kept from other things was hard especially for a teenage girl like myself who’s in high school and just wants to live a little.”

Besides the stress gymnastics was causing, Hyman quit due to her frequent injuries. In one incident on the beam, she broke four bones in her foot, and she sprained a few fingers other times.

“Gymnastics was rough. I wasn’t enjoying it anymore because it was so time-consuming that you didn’t have another life. I didn’t want to do it anymore,” Hyman said.

“I wanted to hang out with my friends, get my homework done early and do other things than just gymnastics.”

During her second year of level nine, Libunao decided to quit after the biggest meet of the season when she qualified for Western Nationals the second time around. As for Hyman, she quit at the end of the last year when she realized that she was not enjoying herself anymore.

“Committing to gymnastics was difficult because being in school and gymnastics is a lot,” Hyman said. “Handling all of it together was very stressful because we were practicing so often.”

Before they quit, they had doubts about staying in gymnastics earlier but only stayed for their family and teammates.

“My dad made me recognize that gym-

nastics has been my passion for so long, so I stayed in gymnastics a couple more years for him,” Libunao said. “I dedicated all that time to my family and for my teammates too because they were really supportive.

It came to a point where I did gymnastics only for the pleasing of my family and teammates.”

Hyman’s parents told her it was her choice to stay in gymnastics even though Hyman did not always feel like it was.

According to Hyman, her parents were not too happy about her decision to quit, but they were okay with it. Aside from her parents, Hyman stayed longer for her teammates.

“I felt like there was this stress of my friends wanting me to stay because you’re part of a team. If one person quits, it really messes with the rest of the team’s mentality,” Hyman said. “Also, I stayed for my parents because they spent so much money in it, and it’s a lot of your life. I was doing gymnastics for more than half my life so it was a big deal to quit.”

Due to the expenses of gymnastics, Libunao’s parents wanted to make sure that she was content and trying her best.

“It really did take a lot out of their budget a year, and I was complaining a lot about not liking gymnastics,” Libunao said.

“They said, ‘We’re paying this much money for you to stay in gymnastics, so do the best you can do and make time out of the money.’”

Beside the challenges Libunao and Hyman faced in gymnastics, they believe that it helped them gain discipline and become the people they are today.

“Gymnastics made me a better person because it allowed me to deal with fears in

different ways. I definitely overcame a lot of fears,” Libunao said. “Also, it helped me deal with other people too because it can be stressful to deal with people sometimes.”

According to Libunao, gymnastics will always be in her heart even though she is not pursuing it any longer.

“When I was younger, I wanted to do gymnastics in college because I thought I’ll make it so big. I was really excited to do that but I got lost going into the optional level because I saw how hard it was and how hard it could be,” Libunao said.

Unlike Libunao, Hyman never planned on doing gymnastics in college.

“Gymnastics started out as something fun, but then it got more serious, and I never really loved competing,” Hyman said. “I never thought I would compete in gymnastics because I was really shy, but gymnastics definitely did help me be more outgoing. Also, it helped me with discipline and time management.”

Currently, Hyman is on the track team for pole vault, and Libunao is a varsity cheerleader. Libunao believes cheerleading greatly differs from gymnastics in terms of the workload and stress.

“Cheer differs from gymnastics because it’s definitely a team sport. You can’t shine solely by yourself because there’s other people who are doing stunts and skills, so it really requires teamwork,” Libunao said.

According to Libunao, everyone should try to be the best at everything in life.

“Commitment ties in with your passion for the sport because if you’re not 100% fully committed to the sport then there’s no passion there,” Libunao said. “You have to dedicate all you’ve got to the sport if you really want it, and I lost that over the years.”

FEATURES

OCT. 6, 2017 | HIGH TIDE

9

Evan Brown traveled to Italy for six months to be an exchange student

by Sangjun Lee

Crossing roads. “One event we had was the annual Italian ‘Carneval’,” Brown said. “The atmosphere was insane with floats, confetti, and loud music all around. Everyone danced and celebrated on the streets. It was really fun.” PHOTO BY EVAN BROWN

As senior Evan Brown stepped out of the airport doors, he was instantly greeted by the overwhelming smell of cigarette smoke. As he looked around, the ongoing line of smokers outside the airport was the first thing that caught his eye, and Brown hoped that this first impression wouldn’t set the tone for the rest of his experience.

He was finally in Italy, surrounded by a group of fellow student travelers that were anxious to meet their new families. After waiting several months to go on this trip, Brown was excited to finally experience the Italian culture and language he had long dreamed about. His trip was arranged by the AFS, the American Field Service, which organized foreign exchange trips for students.

“As soon as we left the airport, I immediately knew that I wasn’t in the United States anymore,” Brown said. “The atmosphere, the people and the architecture were so different from the U.S. Italy definitely wasn’t what I expected it to be like.”

In general, Brown thinks that Italians have a more relaxed, friendlier lifestyle that really contrasted with what he was used to in the United States. For example, Brown’s friends put less of a focus on school life than they did on fun hobbies like soccer.

“Almost every day, my friends and I would play soccer in the town plaza for 4-5 hours when school ended,” Brown said, “We just played for the love of the sport, which really lightened my mood after a hard day of school.”

Brown’s host family also was very friendly to him.

“They really made me feel at home just by the simplest things like giving me coffee in the morning and telling me to have a good day,” Brown said.

Being in a smaller town of Italy also impacted his perception of the country. With just under 7,000 people, Gonnosfanadiga was a quiet place compared to the “liveliness” of Redondo Beach and the more urban areas of Italy.

“Most people usually chill out by the church and the plaza,” Brown said. “It almost seemed like everyone knew

Do re mi

each other there since the people were so close.”

When Brown began school, he struggled to adapt to the Italian school life and language. However, Brown recalled working long hours at Spyder Surf shop to pay for this trip and refused to be discouraged.

“The way I studied was a lot more difficult, since I had to translate the words through my mind as I was doing my work,” Brown said. “So I had to work twice as hard as everyone else.”

Although it took him three months to become fluent in Italian, Brown grew closer with a group of classmates, who helped him to have fond memories of school.

“We’d have paper ball fights and study sessions together. I was able to talk to some of them about personal things as well,” Brown said.

These classmates ultimately helped Brown get fully accustomed to Italian culture and comforted him even though he missed his cross country and surfing friends back in California.

Brown’s mother, Heidi Schoepflin, believes that his new freindships made him a more sociable person.

“He has a more mature way of looking at things, like being more open to conversations with people of different backgrounds,” Schoepflin said.

Schoepflin also believes that Brown’s hardships in Italy have helped strengthen him to deal with tough situations.

“The experience as a whole gave him the mindset of meeting the challenge of any difficult task or goal without being intimidated,” Schoepflin said. “It made him realize that he had the power and the strength within him to obtain his goals.”

Despite having a suboptimal first impression, Brown grew to appreciate and enjoy his experience, and spent his time there living by a famous Italian saying that motivated him in his times of need.

“Life is made of moments that don’t mean anything and memories that mean the world,” he said.

Hannah Morrison accepted into the Southern California Regional Honors Choir

by Ophelia Winslett An advanced singer, multilingual and only a junior, Hannah Morrison has been accepted into the Southern California Regional Honors Choir for the second year in a row.

Morrison is looking forward to performing with the choir and enjoys the challenges it brings to her musical education. Furthermore, she feels that she gains even more from the group’s talent and experience.

“Everyone there auditions to be there, and everyone there is really good,” she said.

It took her two weeks of intense practice and effort to perfect the piece she was auditioning with. She chose an Italian piece called “Caro Mio Ben.” “I made sure I was prepared for the scales and triads the judges would ask me to perform,” she said.

The group will perform on November 17th and 18th in Redlands, California. Out of 500 candidates, around 250 get into one of three different choirs. Last year, Morrison was in the all-girls choir. This year, she was assigned to the co-ed one.

The program also allows her to focus solely on her music. During rehearsals, she is always “laser focused.”

Morrison learned a lot last year while listening to the directors’ instructions. She was even invited to perform with the California All State Choir.

“The directors are great. It’s cool because you get an opportunity to work with directors from an esteemed college that has a great choir program. You work with them and you learn a lot,” she added.

Morrison will learn if she qualified to be in the California All State Choir at the end of this year. Having been selected last year, there is a high chance she will be accepted again.

“When I found out last year, I was really happy. I got the email the day before Thanksgiving, and I was with my family,” Morrison said.

Morrison has risen to such a high level in musicality. Not because of innate excep-

tional talent, but due to practicing and enjoying what she does.

“I work really hard to learn and understand music, and above all I care a lot about singing and music in general. Not only on an individual level, but a group level too,” Morrison said.

Not only is she a singer, but Morrison is also multilingual. She speaks English, Hungarian, Farsi, French, and German.

Being able to speak so many languages helps her understand the songs she sings.

“I feel like I can connect more to the piece I’m singing,” she said.

Morrison helps the directors translate and pronounce the words in French and Latin. She is looking forward to performing multi-language songs at the Regional Honors Choir.

Morrison’s mentor, Kelly Self, the RUHS choir teacher, personally recommended Morrison to audition for the Regional Honors Choir last year. She was delighted when she was accepted and decided once again to audition this year.

“She is such an amazing musician and definitely deserved a spot,” Self said.

In our school’s advanced choir, Morrison leads the altos and helps them have a better choral sound. She is also the president of the Choir Leadership Board.

“Hannah is very focused in class and is one of our class section leaders,” Self said.

For the last two years, the school choir has received top rankings at the Southern California Vocal Association Festivals.

“My advanced choir has grown in overall musicality each year as I have had some students for 3 years and have been able to build on their skills each year,” Self said.

Self has helped Morrison a lot during her three years in high school, and she is always there to offer her guidance.

“She’s a gifted teacher who is always very helpful, loyal and willing to offer support and advice,” Morrison said.

“I try to appreciate every moment that I’m there, and it’s really fun to sing,” Morrison said.

FEATURES

10

#METOO

How the Twitter movement is granting men an d women with a platform to voice their experie nces being victims of sexual assualt and harrasmen t

FEATURES

NOV. 3, 2017 | HIGH TIDE

J

[Cont. from cover]

ane had just finished eighth grade when she was assaulted by her friend at Del Amo Mall.

“We were having a fun time , but then he kept trying to grab me. I was unsettled, but I just brushed it off. Then it happened again. He just kept trying to grab my boobs and my butt and I was telling him to stop, I never said it was fine,” Jane said.

Although the experience made her feel awful, she also became angry at the fact that it happened at all.

“It should never happen to anyone. You feel gross and you feel like you did something wrong. You feel guilty and think that maybe you’re making it up, but you have to remind yourself that you went through it and you lived it and you came through it. You’re stronger now because of it, but it never should’ve happened in the first place,” Jane said.

Jane did not realize she had been sexually assaulted until this year after seeing the #MeToo on Twitter.

“I kept thinking about it from his perspective and it took me until recently to realize he should’ve known to stop because I told him to and I never gave any indication that it was okay,” Jane said. “It came through when I saw things on the internet. I would listen to people share their experiences and realized that what happened to me isn’t normal and shouldn’t happen to anyone.”

After what happened to her, Jane stresses “holding people accountable for their actions.”

“Abusers need to be held accountable for their actions, but what if they don’t know what they did was horrible? That’s why I like things like #MeToo and other things that are talking about sexual assault,” Jane said. “I think it helps educate people who have been on the bad end of that situation and the abuser’s side.”

She also wants other people to recognize the many different forms of assault.

“What I want people to understand is that it’s not always rape. I was groped and I feel gross saying it, but that’s what happened to me, even after I said no, and that’s a form of assault,” Jane said.

Walking home everyday from school, Marie Major was followed by a group of boys who initially began playing an innocent game which turned into a sexual bet.

“It was the game that guys played where if they’d lose a bet or something, they’d have to go grab a girl inappropriately,” Major said. “Boys would come up to me and grab me, they’d laugh it off and I’d have to laugh it off and that’s just how things went most of the time.”

Like any 13 year-old, Major believed that any type of attention was positive until she realized how being harassed made her feel afraid of walking home.

“When I first started having encounters where boys would grab me, I had just started undergoing puberty and I had never received attention from boys before,” Major said. “At first, part of me was glad that guys my age were were displaying their attraction for me and honestly, I liked the attention. But it started to grow into something completely different and began to feel like I was being assaulted.”

When Major tried to seek help, she gave up and believed her efforts were ineffective.

“In the beginning when I began to realize that it obviously was not okay to touch my body without my permission, I would try to speak out against it,” Major said. “Obviously, other guys didn’t see the issue with it so I told friends and some adults and then I quickly realized that it was just the way of the world. That things don’t change, that people didn’t care that I felt violated.”

Major hopes that people make sexual harassment easier to talk about as opposed to deeming it as a taboo subject.

“I would not equate my situation with someone who has been

raped. That is an entirely different situation,” Major said. “But I do think sexual harassment should be taken more seriously. The aftermath of the way I feel about myself now because of what I went through is something I won’t ever be able to recover from.”

While at a party last year, John was raped by a girl.

“I had been drinking, I was crossed. She was not intoxicated at all and was aware that I was crossed. That’s why it’s so hard for me I guess,” John said. “If she was drunk then I’d totally get it,that stuff happens all the time. But I was almost blacked out and she was not.”

John, not remembering the assault, didn’t know what had happened until later when he received a video of it.

“I just remember waking up at [my friend’s] house, because he was having a party that night. She sent me a video of her having sex with me,” John said. “I have texts saved, but I know I’ll never use it. I know her and her family and they’re really nice people. I don’t wanna ruin anything. I’m letting her get away with it. It’s just difficult for me.”

After realizing he was raped, John blamed himself.

“I thought that it was my fault for about two and a half months. I was convinced it was my fault because I was crossed. That was my thing, I just thought ‘it’s not on her, it’s on me’,” John said.

Because of his assault, John finds dating more difficult.

“It’s hard to be with a girl now or to do anything sexual with girls, all I think about is her,” John said. “Guys always talk about wanting to have sex with a girl but now I have to care about girls I have sex with. I have to really know them to do anything with them.”

However, the most difficult part for John has been the way the girl acts whenever he happens to see her.

“Since then, I’ve seen her in public. She acted like nothing happened.. She was just acting like we’re friends,” John said.

Working as a psychologist for over 20 years, Cathleen Carlson has seen the impact of sexual assault, even in close relationships.

“You can’t go through physical, sexual or emotional abuse without coming out with scars. The women that I’ve seen have come to my door with black eyes, but they want to go back to their perpetrator.”

Carlson noted that her patients were hesitant upon sharing their past experiences with sexual harassment or assault.

“Victims find it hard to talk about it because they’re embarrassed,” Carlson said. “It’s really a ‘he said’ and ‘she said’ situation and they’re afraid no one will believe them.”

As many stories have come out recently about the sexual harassment and assault claims against Harvey Weinstein, Carlson asserts that victims had to keep their incidences to themselves in order to further progress in the movie industry.

“Women, especially in the film industry, have very little power.

What normally happens is whatever harassment or abuse they get, they have to internalize it. They start blaming themselves for what happen,” Carlson said.

Carlson believes that men have an active role to play when it comes to standing up for sexual assault survivors.

“As more women break the silence and come out, more men are going to have to come out and talk about it too,” Carlson said. “What we need are men who will stand up with the women and call out other men, in that way we have a coalition, not just women versus men.”

Sexual assault can happen to anyone and take many different forms.

People all over the world are affected, regardless of gender.

“We can fight assault by holding people accountable for their actions. You should always take preventative actions. If you hear someone you know is possibly being abused, you should check it out,” Jane said. “There shouldn’t be any ‘accidents’ or someone ‘just messing around.’ If it happened, the person is probably suffering. We can’t let people off the hook so easily.”

THE FACTS INFORMATION FROM RAINN.ORG

1

in

1

in

About Sexual Assault and Rape 44% of victims are under

6

age American women have survived rape.

& 33

American men have survived rape.

18 Every 98 seconds another American is sexually assaulted

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FEATURES

NOV. 3, 2017 | HIGH TIDE

Conquering Your Fears

When faced with the pressure to succeed, students channel their stress in unhealthy ways

By Lorraina Scolaro

Running From Your Fears

Students have a hard time managing their fears, which causes them to hold back their ideas, Schonberg believes.

“Students allow the fear to manage them and then they lose all these opportunities to express themselves. Any time you go in front of a classroom, you are conquering a fear, you are managing your fear. Any time you do not, fear wins. Fear conquers you,” Schonberg said.

Schonberg believes that the pressure to perform well academically for students is a systematic problem.

“I think on some levels we are trying to have this machine that has college for all,” Schonberg said. “Nowadays, from an early age, we automatically think you should go to college.”

To eliminate these pressures, Schonberg believes administrators must work one-on-one with students to help the decide how they will achieve their goals.

“If we started there first then kids would not have that fear of if ‘I do not make it to college I will not make it at all,’” he said “They will be more inspired to say ‘I know what I am good at. I know what I want to do.’”

ILLUSTRATIONS BY EMMA LYON

A

s the pressure to succeed weighs down on students, fear and worry begin to grow as well. Many students often fear failure as well as judgment from their peers, but few know how to effectively manage their fears.

For the last five years counselor Arond Schonberg has seen the fear of academic failure “plague” students.

“Students believe that if they fail the course now all of a sudden they can’t get into this college and they anticipate that their whole future is ruined,” Schonberg said.

Hiding From Your Fears

However, students are also hurt by the fear of judgement. Students with low self-esteem often fear that their ideas will be seen as wrong and therefore become afraid to do things, such as presenting in class.

“Sometimes students are afraid to say certain things because they are afraid that everyone is going to laugh at them and judge their ideas because a part of this is just ‘I don’t feel so great about myself or what I have to offer,’” Schonberg said.

Sophomore Elliot Hirschi faces classroom anxiety as she often fears of how people view her.

“Ideally I want everyone to love me, but that is not how life works, and it freaks me out that someone I could really like and someone I could be really good friends with could secretly not like me,” Hirschi said.

Schonberg has counselled students engage in “risky behavior,” such as drinking and doing drugs, because they see that as their only outlet from their fears.

“Anxiety is about an alarm clock. It tells you some-

thing’s not right either internally or externally, but if I try to shut it off, it comes on again. Kids try to turn off that alarm clock by throwing the phone out the window, but what if I listen to the alarm? I raise my awareness about what am I alarmed about,” Schoenberg said.

Conquering Your Fears

Students who deal with social anxiety are at risk of becoming depressed, Schonberg believes. He works with students individually to control their fear and anxiety.

“I want to teach them you have had times when you have managed this, that today is just not one of those days.

It is a process of reflection,” Schonberg said.

Certain students have a hard time conveying their feelings. Schonberg has worked with students who have a hard time conveying their feelings; he believes that those who live in homes with little to no encouragement or emotional outlet often have a hard time figuring out how to effectively deal with their anxiety and fear.

“Environment plays a big role,” Schonberg said. “If you have parents who talk to you in certain ways, who don’t encourage you, who deny kids’ feelings instead of allowing kids to express those feelings and then work with those feelings, what ends up happening is kids when they have those feelings never learn how to manage them and deal with them and cope. So then you see kids falling apart.”

Schonberg wants to get students to embrace their fears and talk about what bothers them; by doing this, they give themselves a chance to thrive.

“It is an opportunity for growth,” he said. “If I am super uncomfortable because I have to give a presentation that I did not prepare for; now I am afraid and I have a built-in reason to not want to perform. Let’s have a dialogue and talk about it; that way students can understand and manage their fear.”

Schonberg believes that parents and administrators must encourage students to embrace their fears in order for them to overcome their social and academic fears “If I embrace it, I can discover where it comes from and I can decide is this real or imagined because real or imagined, your body and brain can not tell the difference so it reacts to it,” Schonberg said.

Chevron Grant Provides RUHS with 3D Printers

By Yasmine Elahi The use of 3-D printers makes the abstract become real in physics.

“The printer can be used with great purpose and to do great things in the world and it can also be a complete distraction and a total attention stealer,” physics teacher Matthew Keye said. “Our most precious commodity is our attention — to be able to focus on meaningful work that you find fulfilling.”

It is most important to Keye that the printers are being used for an academic purpose by his students.

“The 3-D printer has a great novelty effect, but you want to make sure you are using it instructionally for students. It lets them create and see the power of how they can make their own creations come to life,” Keye said.

The Chevron Grant provided the school with funds so they could purchase the printers.

“The class proposes a need and we meet it. In this case, the classes came to us with the need for 3D printers so we provided that for them,” Assistant Principal Bill Dargan said.

Keyes sees how the printers help students take more pride in their work.

“They can create on cardboard or wood, but it is nice to be able to precisely map out the design to their circuits.

It gives them that feeling that they designed everything about it. It gives that sense of finality to the project,” Keye said.

Keye tries not to restrict or limit his students and allows them to have more freedom with the printers.

“I only give them some tools where they can create simple designs and they can learn about 3D Printing themselves. Then they take it to whatever level they want in the course,” Keye said.

Although Keye does not personally favor other technology, such as chromebooks, in his classroom, he appreciates their use.

“There are better ways of leading kids through physics, but a lot of teachers use them well because they are having kids interact with their content. As long as that is happening, I think the chromebooks are suited very well,” Keye said.

As for phones, Keye believes that because students are often on their phones, they help students understand physics in a way that is relatable.

“Sometimes I will have the students pull out their cellphones and use slow motion video. We can see with our own eyes what nature is doing and when we do that the kids can take that home with them,” Keye said.

Keye feels that if the students learn how to use advanced technology now, it can help them in the future.

“The skill of being able to understand technology and how to use it well so it has value in our society is a huge skill. The use of technology will continually be expected in the workplace,” Keye said.

However, Keye does not rely on technology or believe students in the future should either.

“Learning is being able to think and problem solve and we have done that for hundreds of years with no electronic digital technology, just our minds, a piece of paper and pencil, so developing both of those skills is important,” Keye said.

Keye believes a combination of both technology and hands on learning is most useful for students.

“You want to be able to think without technology, but also be able to use and understand technology when it is helpful,” Keye said.

Shining in Sin City. The Mandalay Bay Hotel stands in the background of the welcome sign to Las Vegas. PHOTO BY WILLIAM BEAM

FEATURES

THE DANGERS of SLEEP DEPRIVATION

NOV. 3, 2017 | HIGH TIDE

13

Disruption of cardiac rythm Leading to poor white blood cell health, which weakens our physical stress response.

Higher risk of stroke Lack of sleep negatively affects cardiovascular health, potentially restrictig bloodflow to the brain.

Higher risk of hypertension One week of insufficient sleep alters the activity of our genes, which control responses to stress, immunity, sleep, and overall health. Here are the hidden health hazzards caused by sleep deprivation.

Sleping between 5 and 6 hours a night increases the risk of having high bood pressure.

Higher risk of heart disease When we sleep, or blood presssure drops. Without nightly extended drop in pressure, the risk for heart disease increases.

Unhealthy cravings Higher levels of anxiety and depression Lack of sleep amplifies the brain’s anticipatory reactons, raising overall anxiety levels and decreases neurotransmitters which regulate mood.

Sleep helps maintain a healthy balance of the hormones that make you feel hungry (ghrelin) or full (leptin). Lack of sleep causes grehlin levels to increase and leptin to increase.

Higher risk of diabetes Lack of sleep triggers our stress response, leading to the release of stress hormones cortisol and norepenephrine, which are associates with insulun release.

Impaired cognition Exessive sleepiness impairs memory and the ability to think and process information.

NEARLY 40% OF ADULTS REGULARLY FALL ASLEEP DURING THE DAY FALL ASLEEP DURING THE DAY WITHOUT MEANING TO

60 MILLION AMERICANS HAVE CHRONIC SLEEP DISORDERS NARCOLEPSY

Higher risk of injury RESTLESS LEG SYMDROM

INSOMNIA

SLEEP APNEA

PERIODIC LIMB MOVEMENT

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FEATURES

NOV. 3, 2017 | HIGH TIDE

Ready for the Workplace

Boules works towards becoming a veterinarian at pet clinic

by Maia Ward Senior John Boules works towards becoming a veterinarian in order to open his own animal clinic with his older brother and save animals’ lives together.

“I’ve always to be a vet because I love animals. If my brother and I could open up a vet clinic together in life, I’d be really happy,” Boules said.

Boules was inspired to become a veterinarian by multiple family members becoming veterinarians, his general love for animals, and a personal experience from his childhood.

“When I was young I had a cousin who lost their dog, and it was hard seeing how sad they were. So I guess that was an influence, but for the most part I love meeting new animals and getting to help them,” Boules said.

Now that he works at the Family Pet Clinic of Redondo Beach with his brother and cousin, he’s able to meet and help new animals every day. Since June, Boules has been working at the clinic, helping in any way he can.

“My job is to check in patient rooms, fill out medical conditions, fill medications, fill and give vaccines, trim nails, anything really. When there’s nothing to do around the clinic and when no one’s there, I’m usually just cleaning around and making sure everything’s in its place,” Boules said.

Before school started, Boules worked at the clinic three to four days a week. Now he only works on Saturday’s.

Although Boules is not at the clinic as much as he was over the summer, based on his brother’s experience at the clinic he hopes that he’ll soon be able to practice certain skills and gain experience.

“I’m excited to get to learn about specific procedures. I hope that after a few more months working there I can start getting training for that before I even get into college,” Boules said.

In addition to working at the clinic on the weekend, Boules also takes a Pet Health and Grooming class at the Southern California Regional Occupational Center (SCROC) on Monday’s and Wednesday’s in order to move on to the course he wants to take, the Veterinary Assistant course.

The Assistant course prepares students to move on to become unlicensed veterinary assistants who Boules explains are the equivalent of nurses to veterinarians.

According to the SCROC website, they will expand their knowledge of animal handling, health procedures, surgical preparation, and other procedures that will prepare them for instantly starting work as assistants.

Next year, Boules hopes to follow his brother’s path towards becoming a vet by spending his undergrad at Cal Poly Pomona, transferring to U.C. Davis, and continuing to work at the Family Pet Clinic on weekends.

“My top choice right now is Cal Poly Pomona for my pre-vet major, that’s actually where my brother goes right now.

He’s a junior, so when I go in as a freshman he’ll be a senior and we can live together that year. Then I’ll stay at Pomona, he’ll transfer to U.C. Davis for his vet major, and then I’ll transfer to U.C. Davis once I’m done with my four years,” Boules said.

After college, Boules and his brother have already thought about how they plan to start their own clinic with the help of their family.

“My cousin who works at the vet clinic right now is a doctor there. Her fatherin-law is actually a businessman, and so they’re planning on right now buying her own vet clinic. So once that happens, she’ll be owner of that clinic and doctor there, and me and my brother will switch from Family Pet Clinic to [her] clinic.

Family business. Boules and his brother, Matthew, work together at Family Pet Clinic of Rednondo Beach. COURTESY OF JOHN BOULES

Then hopefully one day when we’re both doctors, we’ll be working there until we can support ourselves, make a couple of hundred thousand dollars, buy our [own] vet clinic, and then we’ll get started from there,” Boules said.

While Boules and his brother both want their dream of owning a clinic together to become a reality, his brother made sure to make sure Boules knew the largest responsibility that comes with being a vet.

“My brother thought that me going into a vet major wasn’t a good idea. Most people going into that major don’t realize

is they think they’re going to be able to help all the animals they’re going to see, but of course there are some situations where there’s nothing that can be done and you have to put the animal down.

And most people don’t realize that and once they do realize they have to actually put animals down, they end up leaving that field because they’re not comfortable with it,” Boules said.

Boules is willing to work hard to become a vet, gain the experience he needs, and overcome any difficulties he may encountermay encounter because he loves meeting new animals and helping them.

Jacob Ray develops VR technology in internship

Salim helps run family taekwondo studio

by Rukhaa Kamran

by Sydney Nguyen

Junior Jacob Ray was pulled in, like gravity, to an internship involving virtual reality simulators.

“I have an internship with an entrepreneur named Marcus Anzengruber. I worked with him a while back at The Mars Society conference and he really liked my work ethic,” Ray said.

Marcus Anzengruber believed Ray had the potential to give people the full experience into virtual reality. He’s worked with Ray at different shows including a conference at the Sheraton Gateway Hotel near LAX, as well as a show in Vegas this past weekend.

Anzengruber works with companies like Opaque and The Mars Society ,which train people on how to get to Mars using virtual reality simulators.,that are associated with SpaceX “I run these simulations for being in outer space. The first one I did was a Mars simulation at the Mars Society event. I was in charge of running people through the simulation of being on the surface of the red planet.”

Ray’s internship with Anzengruber allows him to demonstrate virtual reality simulators. These VR simulators give people the opportunity to visualize and experience what it is like to be in outer space.

“There was a way where you could actually experience the low gravity by jumping. We can actually simulate the lack of gravity you would feel. It was also kind of clunky, which represents how you would feel if you were actually in the astronaut suit,” Ray said.

Ray’s favorite part about the internship is witnessing the reactions to the simulations from different age groups.

“Last weekend, I was called in to work at an event called Unreal. I ran a bunch of games and I had this ocean simulator that looked likeit was a lot of fun,” Ray said.

Ray would describe this past event as less “space oriented” and more “community driven.” From meeting new faces to demonstrating even newer technology, Ray believed the event was an enjoyable experience for him.

Ray hasn’t met many people very close to his age, but has gotten along with some college students and professional engineers.

“Everyone there seems to be educated. Some of them have even been to outer space,” Ray said.

Having made a few new allies along the way, Ray acquired different skills from them as well as from Anzengruber.

“I have picked up a few social skills and a lot of marketing skills. I’ve learned how to detect whether a person is getting bored or if they need help or even if they’re confused,” Ray said.

Ray has trained on understanding social aspects of his job. He has learned how to sell products and how to change the mind of a buyer or investor.

“I plan on staying for as long as I can, for as long as Marcus will let me. I think it’ll probably end as soon as I get to college, but at that point, I’ll have enough experience and background on my resume that’ll get me a higher job in SpaceX.”

Freshman Omar Salim has committed most of his life to taekwondo, practicing at their center for several hours a week and completing “intense” conditioning year round.

“I started taekwondo when I was about two years old, but the only thing I can remember is that I’ve been on the mat since I could walk,” Salim said.

All four Salim children train with their parents at the taekwondo center the family owns, Salim Taekwondo, where three centers in Southern California have been operating for fifteen years.

Salim’s influences in his Taekwondo are father and his older brother.

“My dad and my brother were influences, mainly my dad because he was the one that got me started with it,” Salim said. “He pushed me the most and my brother because he was always there to challenge me.,” Going into the sport, Salim knew the rigor that it would present and the amount of work he would have to put into it. Even through many years of intense training, Salim never had thoughts of quitting explaining that he would regret it later on.

“It does get intense as far as training wise, but I know that if I just push through it then the outcome will be better than if I slack off,” Salim said.

Although it requires a large time commitment, Salim recommends taekwondo because of the long-lasting friendships and relationships that can be made in the environment.

“It’s a really good sport to make

friends, get to know your teammates well because they’re going to be there pretty much your whole life,” Salim said.

A big part of his taekwondo career are the tournaments and competitions he competes in about once every month.

Salim and his family travel all around the globe for these competitions, but his biggest was the Pan American Championships in Costa Rica.

“My biggest was probably the Pan American Championships because it’s all of North and South America and I won that one this year and I also won it in 2015,” Salim said.

Salim is currently ranked number one in the nation for his age group of 1214 years old and weight group of cadet flyweight. Even with his high ranking and experience in competing, Salim’s nerves always build before a match. Before matches, he calms himself by building himself up and by acknowledging that he has put lots of work to reach this, more than most his opponents have.

“Sometimes I get nervous, but the way I think about it is that I know I’ve put in a lot more work than my opponents and I’ve trained most likely harder than them,” Salim said.

Overall, Salim is used to this roller coaster of emotions and as he steps into his world of taekwondo, he puts all aside and focuses on completing what he came to the tournaments.

“The second that the match starts all the nerves go away and when I’m done with the day hopefully I did well. That’s the best feeling at the end of the day,” Salim said.

FEATURES

NOV. 3, 2017 | HIGH TIDE

15

Commission for the community Cruz and Suncin work on Redondo Beach’s Youth Commission

by Christina Owen and Kate Ripley Sophomores Izabella Cruz and Samantha Suncin are aspiring to enter the political world, influenced by their work on the city Youth Commission, a board of students who work to better the Redondo Beach experience for teenagers through community events.

According to Suncin, the Youth Commission uses fun and games in an attempt to reach through to the adolescents of Redondo Beach in a fun way that veers them away from poor choices.

“The goal of the Youth Commission is to give kids something positive to do to prevent them from doing things like getting into drugs or alcohol,” Suncin said.

The commission plans events with food, fun games and live performances.

Due to the popularity of their Christmas event two years ago, the youth commission hopes to organize a similar one for the upcoming holiday season. In addition, the commission is currently making plans to hold a skating contest to incorporate the interests of local youth.

By working to improve relations between youth and families in Redondo, Suncin believes she has the opportunity to help enhance her community.

“It makes me really happy to know that I’m helping others and I’m creating a good

environment for families,” Suncin said.

This work with the commission has not only satisfied their desire to help others, but has increased their interest in government and local politics.

Cruz aspires to major in political science and become a judge in the future, possibly working in the federal government.

“I’d like to be part of the Supreme Court judge system,” Cruz said. “I feel like by dealing with the law aspect of it. I’d be able to not necessarily control things, but I can have a say in what’s right and wrong.”

Cruz is inspired by her desire to ensure the compliance of the law, safety of all Americans, and equal treatment for all.

In addition to the city commission, Cruz takes part in Teen Court acting as treasurer.

“Teen Court has influenced a lot of my decisions in life,” Cruz said, “It also made me more open to people.”

Cruz believes her participation on the board and in Teen Court will strengthen her college applications. She hopes her work with the city will increase her chances of acceptance at top-tier universities — as previous members have studied at colleges such as Yale, Columbia and UC Berkeley.

For your

i nformation

While Suncin is unsure about her future career, she claims the council has definitely “sparked” her interest in local politics and the helping power of people.

She is considering a future in government at the local level, but is keeping her options open.

In addition to their educational and political motives, the “amazing” feeling of making a change in the community motivates Sunic and Cruz’s work on the council.

“I hadn’t done a lot of volunteering before, and I thought that it would be be a fun opportunity to become involved in the community,” Suncin said, who has been serving on the council since her freshman year.

Motivated by bringing joy to families in Redondo Beach, both students believe volunteering as a member on the board is fulfilling. Cruz, Suncin and the rest of the commission organize, set up, and work at events for the youth and families of Redondo.

“We’ll put a smile on people’s faces,” Cruz said, “I want to see people happy, you know, having a good time with their family members” While the Youth Commission aims to strengthen the relationships between

the youths of Redondo Beach, Cruz and Suncin have also solidified their own friendship. Because many of the council members are upperclassmen, Cruz and Suncin have not made any serious connections with other members but find confidence in each other’s presence.

“I think because Izabella is there I feel like a more outgoing person, I feel like I can be myself in front of the group instead of being intimidated like I was last year,” Suncin said.

Along with gaining confidence in the group, Suncin has learned new skills in organizing and planning. While learning to avoid procrastination and to put real effort and passion into her work, she has gained additional insight in working with others.

“It’s not really a one person thing, it’s more of a group so we can all work together to make something better,” Suncin said.

Cruz and Suncin’s passion for helping bring people together and working in local government has proved to be a positive experience for both of them.

“It’s not the politics, it’s more of the government and the committees that are formed to help the public of my own city because I think it’s really interesting that I can make a change in my own community,” Suncin said.

Sweet Tooth

INFORMATION FROM ABC NEWS, AMERICAN DENTAL ASSOCIATION, CALORIE COUNT, COUPON FELLOW, EVERYDAY HEALTH, NATIONAL RESEARCH FEDERATION. PHOTOS VIA CREATIVE COMMONS

90 Million

Pounds of candy were purchased for Halloween

$9.1 billion spent on Halloween, up from 8.4 billion last year

$2.7 billion spent on candy

Sugar, Yes Please Side effects of sugar consumption and binging

17

Depression Coating

Sugar, Cornstarch, Gum Acacai, Dextrin, Coloring

Acne Filling

Cavities

Cocoa Butter, Sugar, Lactose, Soy Lecitchin, Artifical Flavroing

Heart Disease

41

percent of teens have had cavitites

Obesity Arthritis Cancer Sugar feeds cancer cells, which intake a much higher amount of glucose than healthy cells, which increases their growth rathe

Minutes of burpees to burn off the calories of one fun sized M&M’s

Average sugar intakes

Type II Diabetes

5

teaspoons The recommended daily intake

19

teaspoons The average sugar intake for a child

77

teaspoons The average amount consumed on Halloween

ENTERTAINMENT

16

Stranger things, familiar taste

The Netflix original returns as thrilling and heartwarming as ever

by Shyanne Landers Sequels can either be a hit or a miss. “Stranger Things 2” is the opposite of a flop. All of the same actors, characters and plot are the same. Although some say the show could have ended with the last season, the recent one is everything the audience would want from the show, leaving them satisfied with the turnout of this season.

The four boys from Hawkins, Indiana not only moved the plot at a steady speed, but were hilarious while doing so. Everything from trash-talking to quirky actions is seen in the new season. This is not easy to pull off, considering the large audience the writers have to please.

To refresh the memories of those who have not seen the show since its debut in July of 2016, the creators open with a recap of the first season. It has been a while since the audience has seen the once toothless face of Dustin and the cold stare of Eleven.

The writers of the show, Matt and Ross Duffer, are under the pressure to continue a story that accurately reflects life in 1983, even though they were born in 1984.

So far, they have been successful in making the show seem in the moment, rather than a modern view on what 1983 was like. Small things like the toys on their shelves and the way everyone talks all add up to making the atmosphere seem real.

In order to keep everything realistic, the writers and child stars of “Stranger Things 2” actually made Netflix allow them to swear more this season.

“I wrote Netflix saying I’ve got this army of 11 and 12 year olds and they’re pissed off that we cut all the language. At least let us shoot alternate takes. That was, like, the day before we started shooting. And then Netflix said okay,” Matt Duffer said.

Pre-teens with that much spunk make a great show.

Eleven, the young telepath, immensely adds to that greatness. However, the writers have refrained from making the second season focused on her, which allows for the

development of other characters.

The young boys, Dustin and Lucas in particular, mature in this season.

They both have a love interest, which happens to be the same girl. As the season goes on, the two Friends don’t lie. Season two of “Stranger Things” aired Oct. 27 and lived up to the expectations of its fans.

After the original “Stranger Things” was released in July of 2016, “Stranger Things 2” returns with creepier and bicker and unexpected occurances. PHOTO VIA CREATIVE COMMONS make up, allowing social circle and in the Upside Down. them to see past their differences and understand that The second season of this horror romance is, in one their bond cannot be broken by a new friend. word, intense. The creators have kept the steady pace of Despite the well-paced character growth, the failure the story while they increased the suspense and edge of of this season is episode seven, where Eleven discovers the plot, and simultaneously developed characters at the someone from her past. This episode offers no character same time. Thankfully for both the fans and the creators, development for her and emphasizes things we already “Stranger Things 2” is more familiar than the title implies. know about her, such as her refraining from being cruel and being able use her emotions to strengthen her powers. The only change Eleven goes through is a punk STRANGER THINGS SEASON 2 makeover.

Aside from what some would call a pointless episode, “Stranger Things 2” allowed the kids to grow even closer and understand what they are dealing with, both in their

Lost in Daydreams

Weezer’s eleventh studio album falls short of expectations

by Austin Nunis

One of the most endearing qualities about Weezer is their ability to please a variety of different ears through a mix of peppy pop songs and their signature guitar riffs.

On albums such as The Green Album and Make Believe, the band explores a vibe more directed towards the general public, while albums like Pinkerton and The Red Album focus on a more unique and experimental style.

Unfortunately, their latest album, Pacific Daydream, falls painfully short of pleasing either party. It seems as if lead singer Rivers Cuomo has lost sight of the band’s identity and their values as musicians. What used to be a twangy grunge garage band is now a confused pop rock group. Their intense and trademark guitar riffs are absent, and their lyrics are simple and half-hearted, like a feeble shot at an emotional ballad by a group of brooding artists. Cuomo’s voice also seems more apparent than it ever has, in a scorch-your-ears kind of way. His whiny vocals make it hard to appreciate the few instrumental gems that can be discovered.

The opening song to the album, “Mexican Fender” clearly outlines the frustrating simplicity of their lyrics.

Though it’s undeniable that the song has some invitingly catchy guitar riffs and percussion elements, this doesn’t completely redeem their identity. Additionally, the song “Weekend Woman” highlights the fact that though the band took some risks, they weren’t necessarily the right ones. Their retro intention and prominent percussion end up resembling a summer pop song soon to be forgotten.

On the contrary, songs such as “Beach Boys” and “Feels Like Summer” explore a more summery and carefree attitude, with a hint of welcomed melancholy. Another redeeming quality is their variety. While some songs in the album are more energetic and powerful, songs such as “QB Blitz” and “Any Friend of Diane’s” embrace a more

relaxed and nostalgic mood.

With twelve albums under their belt, most of which did justice to both their fanbase and their identity, this album is no more than a hiccup in the band’s stable career. Past hits like “The White Album” and “Everything Will Be Alright in the End” truly encompasss Weezer’s individuality and exemplify their simultaneous risk taking and guaranteed crowd grabbers, and it’s prominent that those types of successes are in the near future.

Despite its obvious shortcomings, the album does effectively portray a different side of the band, one that Mexican Fender. Band members line up before performing their first concert featuring the album.

PHOTO VIA CREATIVE COMMONS focuses on and experiments with hints of PACIFIC DAYDREAM Spanish guitar and a touch of delicacy rarely seen from WEEZER the band. Though certainly not their best work, Pacific Daydream should be viewed as a transitional piece, a growth spurt of sorts, and a redefined yet classic Weezer should be on way.

ENTERTAINMENT

NOV. 3, 2017 | HIGH TIDE

17

Work smarter not harder Tips for studying most effectively

by Adam Sayad

Do’s Make positive goals Create a good work enviroment that is distraction free Keep yourself from being overwhelmed by writing things down Find out what kind of learner you are and create a study plan with those techniques

Christinia William, junior Q: What do you think would improve your study habits?

A: My study habits would improve if I stopped using my phone while working.

It’s such a huge distraction and without it I know I would get my work done in half the amount of time it takes me to do it but I just can’t seem to put it away.

Hayden Anderson, junior

Don’ts Don’t use social media when studying Don’t allow yourself to become overwhelmed, keep track of things using an agenda, etc.

Don’t wait until the last minute to study, make a plan several days in advance

Helpful ways to study: Quizlet Flash cards Videos Online quizzes

Q: How do you cope with stress?

A: I enjoy physical activity to cope with stress such as going for a walk or run, surfing, or going to the gym.

PHOTOS VIA CREATIVE COMMONS INFORMATION VIA CHADRON STATE COLLAGE

Lexi Charles, senior

Ryan Cartee, junior

Q: What do you think would improve your study habits?

A: I think turning off my phone & any other distractions like music or TV would help improve my studying habits because it will force me to concentrate.

Q: What are your favorite methods for studying?

A: I’m someone who always studies for everything, even if it’s some little quiz that isn’t worth that much. I always make sure I make time to review, and some of my favorite ways to do that are by using the app Quizlet to create flash cards, taking color coded notes and having someone verbally quiz me.

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OCT. 6, 2017 | HIGH TIDE

SPORTS

18

WATER POLO | VOLLEYBALL | FOOTBALL

Raving rivals

Football faces off with Costa in regular season finale with a trip to the playoffs on the line

by Kaden Kaczmarczyk RUHS aims to grab a win tonight in the team’s final Bay League game at Mira Costa.

Even with Redondo’s two late-season blowout wins against Peninsula and Inglewood, the most RUHS can hope for is a tie in the standings at 4-1 with Palos Verdes. A win against Costa could grant them a playoff spot depending on the outcome of other teams’ games.

“Being a do or die game adds a huge effect. It will be good to feel the pressure of having to get a win before actually entering the playoffs. I wouldn’t want it any other way because as they say no pressure no diamonds,” senior Jack Alexander said.

RUHS “never let up” and got itself an easy victory against Inglewood with a final score of 35-12. This week, RUHS will have

a tough matchup against a Costa team with an identical league record of 3-1. Costa recently lost to PV by a score of 7-26.

“I was very pleased with the way we played last week against Inglewood and I hope we can bring the same intensity into this Friday’s game,” senior Aaron Hatfield said.

A loss to Costa could mean a trip to the playoffs at the expense of their rivals.

Costa’s unique defensive style can cause RUHS trouble. However, the offensive has put together new plays and offensive strategies to exploit its opponent.

“We are going to give Costa trouble since we are so balanced running and throwing the ball. No matter what they line up in we plan on manipulating them through multiple run pass option plays,”

Alexander said.

On the other side of the ball the defensive hopes to continue to shut down opposing offenses. RUHS has only allowed a total of 19 combined points in the past two games.

“After watching the film of Costa’s games we’ve picked up on their run game, so we’re trying to come up with a plan to stop the run and force them to pass the ball,” Hatfield said.

Minimizing fundamental errors on big plays will determine who wins the game.

“We are trying to focus on the little things to improve so we can go out there and get a win,” Hatfield said.

RUHS is confident in its ability to play to the fullest over the full game.

“We’re a tough team and no matter

who we face they’re going to have to fight all four quarters because we won’t stop coming,” Hatfield said.

There’s more to a game when you play your rival school, especially for seniors. The players know the amount of preparation that it takes to come out on top.

RUHS isn’t just playing to beat Costa four years in a row but to advance into playoffs and rob Costa’s seniors of the remote opportunity to win a CIF ring.

RUHS hopes to make CIF and extend its time on the high school gridiron.

“Any Friday night for the remainder of the year can be the last time on the field with my brothers. I’m willing to do anything I can do to prolong that moment,” Alexander said.

Boys water polo expects to reach CIF Finals

by Camille Grace

Despite finishing its season at the bottom of the Bay League rankings with a record of 2-6, RUHS boys water polo is still advancing into CIF. The team is anticipating playing Penn in the finals, outlining a plan to contain Penn’s two best players and overcoming their “better than average” goalie.

In RUHS’s most recent match against Penn on Oct. 23, the Seahawks lost by a score of 7-5.

“We kept it a close game when we faced off with Penn earlier this season.

They’re the team we expect to see in the Finals if we make it there,” junior Alex Wrightsman said.

The team is coming off a recent 13-4 win at San Dimas High in its last game of the regular season.

“We went out and played smarter on offense and defense. We played more as a team and went in thinking we were going to win, which is the mentality that we were working on improving all season,” senior Andrew Holmes said.

Victory came with moving around the pool by “dropping” and pressuring the other team by playing better defense.

The team has also placed a preference on improving its in-game communication skills.

“We have been working really hard on

practicing situations that we would come across in games and specific plays. We’ve prioritized communicating better because of how important it is during the game,” senior Seth Ulrich said.

RUHS has lost most of its games over the course of the season to its League rivals, including a 6-1 loss to Costa on Oct. 25.

Costa is undefeated in League games with an 8-0 record with PV occupying second place with a 6-2 record.

RUHS aims to look past its Bay League issues and make internal improvements.

“We’ve still been training a lot harder and being more focused on what it takes to accomplish what we want,” Holmes said. “We are touching up all our skills as individuals and as a team so we can harness our A-game.”

Now that the season is almost over, the focus goes on the bittersweet situation for the seniors.

This will be the last time they will go out and compete for their high school, and they are certainly living in the moment.

“I’m just enjoying every moment I have left with my team,” Holmes said. “This has been my best year and I’ve had a lot of fun.

We just have to go out there and play with everything we have. If we do, there’s no doubt about our ability to win.”

1.

Riding the wave into CIF. 1. Senior Blake

Vogelsang aims to pass the ball in a game against Costa on Oct. 25. RUHS lost the game 6-1.

2. Vogelsang prepares to make a long distance pass.

3. Junior Alex Wrightsman tries to find the passing lane through the arms of a Costa defender.

RUHS is entering CIF with a 13-4 win over San Dimas.

PHOTOS BY BEN CHENG

2.

3.

SPORTS

NOV. 3, 2017 | HIGH TIDE

19

“Other teams don’t know what we can do because we haven’t really shown it. Today is when we’re going to come out and show them we’re a force to be reckoned with,”

Ben Tait, junior

On preparing for Bay League Finals

Earn victory. Junior Ben Tait competes at the Mt. Sac Invitational, where the boys varsity team finished fifth place overall. Tait placed 15th in the race. PHOTO BY JACOB ALTHER

XC Bay League Finals Location: Palos Verdes Cross Country Course

The PV course is known for two large hills named:

Misery and

Agony “Our strategy was to go faster on the downhills and take it easy on the uphills” - Shelby Bender, sophomore

Top 3 RUHS Boys: Ben Tait: 16:32.39 Sangjun Lee: 17:04.41 Anthony Bass: 17:07.20

Top 3 RUHS Girls: Peyton Heiden: 19:37.47 Lila Copeland: 20:07.93 Shelby Bender: 20:26.14

Boys and girls varsity finished

3rd behind PV and Costa

“Beating either PV or Costa would enable us to move onto CIF” - Anthony Bass, senior

Volleyball advances in CIF

by Michael Solimando

Rise up. Sophomore Jody Smith ascends to spike the ball onto

Costa’s side of the court in a 3-0 victory. PHOTO BY KYRA PACIFIC

After defeating Flintridge Sacred Heart High School in Round 1, Girls Volleyball looks to capture a Round 2 CIF Southern Section playoff victory on the road at Trabuco Hills High School. The Seahawks will be coming into the game with an overall record of 32-4-0 (11-0-0 in Bay League), while ranked 36 in the nation (8 in California).

Senior defensive specialist Kelly Dickinson knows what her team needs to do to come out on top.

“As long as we focus on our side of the net, we have the athleticism and skill to beat anyone on the other side,” Dickinson said.

Dickinson is confident in her team’s abilities to come out on top against Trabuco mainly due to their strong team chemistry.

“We are all really close and no matter who is playing, we are all very supportive of the players on the court” Dickinson said.

Trabuco is coming into the game with an overall record of 27-10-0 (4-4-0 in league) and are ranked 417 nationally (60 in California).

Dickinson shared what she thinks her team needs to improve on if they want to continue their success.

“I think we need to keep working on putting pressure on the other team with our serving to put them out of system” Dickinson said.

Junior defensive specialist Lundy Glave is aware of the tough competition they will be up against but explains what the key to winning the match will be.

“We know it’s going to be a more challenging game, but we need to execute our jobs and stay mentally tough” Glave said.

Junior outside hitter Jylen Whitten shared what her team needs to do to continue their playoff run past Trabuco Hills HS. “We just need to make sure we come out strong again and never underestimate our opponent” Whitten said.

Whitten thinks that her team needs to “improve on executing plays faster,” so they don’t give their opponent as many chances to execute their plays.

Senior captain Brooklyn Schirmer needs her team to have a “quick start, good body language, and next play focus” in order to take down Trabuco Hills High.

On Tuesday, Oct. 31, the girls beat

Flintridge Sacred Heart High School by a large margin to take a Round 1 victory at the Seahawk Pavilion. The Seahawks won the first set 25-7, the second set 25-16, and the last set 2512.

Dickinson shared what she thought was the best part of the win.

“It was our intelligent aggressiveness in order to get kills on defense. We are a very consistent passing team, but our win really came from finding a way to get kills” Dickinson said.

Dickinson also explained how her team has been preparing for the playoffs and her coach’s methods for preparing them.

“Our coaches like to keep practices shorter during playoffs, and we practiced serving tough because we play much better when we serve well” Dickinson said.

Schirmer credits the victory to her team’s “ability to keep the same pace throughout all three sets.”

The Seahawks are all geared up for the playoffs, and after their statement victory in Round 1, they are looking to extend their success past Trabuco and into the rest of their playoff run.

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FEATURES

NOV. 3, 2017 | HIGH TIDE

Student pilots Brenton and Fujita dedicate time to become certified pilot

by Sabrina Kim

The only barrier between the pilot and open air is their plane.

Below are canyons, layers of red sedimentary rock stacked on top of each other. The Colorado River carves the gorge out further, at about 18,000 meters below the surface of the canyon. The pilot watches as the scenery goes by. Flying here would be one of the dream destinations of junior Abby Brenton.

“I like it because it’s not something everybody else gets to do. It’s kind of personal to me and just a few others, really. Flying isn’t something that comes easily to a lot of people,” Brenton said.

Brenton’s father had flown 30 of the 40 hours needed to earn his license and left it uncompleted, inspiring Brenton to get her own. They started flying the CESSNA 172, an older beginner model of airplane together at Zamperini Field in Torrance near the end of summer.

“Just recently, I started getting my license because he inspired me. When I started taking lessons, that kind of started inspired him to restart,” Brenton said. “So now we’ll set aside two or three hours a day just for flying and so we’ll go to the airport together and I’ll fly for about an hour then I’ll land the plane and we’ll switch spots so he’ll fly an hour. We’re working on getting our licenses together.”

Brenton’s instructor, Darcy Venier, has been flying for about 50 years and started instructing six years ago. He says “paying attention, being aware of circumstances and staying alert,” makes a good pilot.

Instructors sit in the plane with students makes sure everything goes smoothly. They teach the students techniques and make sure they stay safe.

“Even when they’re not directing you, they’re there boosting your confidence,” Brenton said. “Even if you were doing everything by yourself, having the instructor there makes you feel more comfortable.”

Venier keeps teaching so he can pass on the knowledge he gained to younger students.

“I like to help the student understand all of the things,” said Venier.

“I’m]trying to turn them onto something they’ll have for the rest of the lives.”

Another pilot, Gregory Fujita, was looking for a job when he started. He took a liking to piloting and now wants to become an instructor. Eventually, he wants to fly commercially.

“I’m just going to work at it until it can be my career,” Fujita said.

“It’s very time consuming but it’s fun. It’s definitely worth the time that I’m putting into. As long as I’m enjoying it, I’m going to continue to fly.”

Fujita flies the Sling plane, or the Glass Cockpit, another type of beginner airplane. As it is a newer model, it comes with TV monitors, maps and other details the CESSNA 172 does not have.

Fujita also enjoys turbulence, even when landing.

“When you’re flying, you’re just going straight, it’s very easy.

Nothing’s going on,” Fujita said. “Once there’s turbulence, you’re really working with the airplane. So turbulence to any pilot would be fun while to [passengers] it would be scary.”

The pilot has to be able to adjust to losing velocity or speed at a couple thousand feet. Because of this, most pilots have to have fast reflexes.

“You have to be instant,” Fujita said. “You notice the plane being slow, bang you’re nose down. If you notice you’re losing altitude come in with some power.”

Although having fast reflexes is important, being self-assured is key.

“A good pilot would be someone that’s confident, someone who really knows the airplane,” Brenton said. “They know how it works, not just what to do, and somebody who’s focused when they’re in the pilot seat. They’re not afraid to take action.”