High Tide: March 14, 2024

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news (Un)Conventional Careers

Library career series features a variety of jobs, including writer Yago Cura

by Luca Artiga

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s part of a vision to continute transforming the library into a more dynamic, student-centered space, Joni Cantrell and Librarian Cassandra Jones planned a career series to introduce students to career pathways. According to Cantrell, the library is a place where many students spend their time before school on Monday late start mornings, so she thought of taking advantage of this additional time in the mornings by hosting the Career Series, held every Monday at 8:30 a.m.

“It's difficult to know what you want to do with your life. So I think it's important to just listen to other people's perspectives and stories to help with that,” Jones said.

The pair tries to find volunteers with interesting and unique careers to come and present their job experiences to the students, helping promote career options that students likely never knew existed.

They started this program in February and have hosted three presenters since.

“There are so many jobs out there and so many careers that people don't know about. So if we can just find some of these interesting jobs and bring them in and tell people a little bit about each of them, maybe somebody can find their career” Cantrell said.

This week's volunteer was Yago Cura, a librarian, as well as husband to Spanish teacher Sra. Duran. Cura spoke about job opportunities in the writing business, advice for success in life, and his experiences that led to his career and the publication of his own works.

Cura attended a Poets and Writers graduate program at University of Mas-

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YAGO CURA FEATURED POET

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sachusetts Amherst where he met fiction writer James Foley, who later grew to be a journalist, but also a friend of Cura’s. In 2014 he was kidnapped in Syria and later murdered there. In order to deal with the emotions and feelings brought upon by the loss of a friend, Cura created this collection of Ghazals, old Persian poems, dedicated to him.

news editors Summer Puterbaugh Victor Simoes

“Sometimes a situation happens when you think there is no way out of there, there is nothing left for you to say and there's actually lots [of things] that you can do,” said Cura.

Cura organized an anthology of Ghazals, which often contain topics as an expression of loss and the yearn and missing of people. Many of the writers that attended the program wrote a poem in the collection of “Ghazals for Foley”.

“You hold in your hands Memorex of a life led in service to the destitute and the jagged, those worn down by poverty's thresher,” Cura states in the introduction to his edited collection titled “Ghazals for Foley”.

Cura said that because of this book he was able to start publishing other books, allowing his presence in writing to grow.

Cura also addressed in his time presenting the importance of failure and how continuing to persevere through life’s roadblocks helps build character.

“It's hard work, and it comes with a lot of no’s. But that's okay because you're not in it for that reason” said Cura.

1. Librarian, poet, pubisher and zinester Yago Cura shares his career experiences and advice to students. PHOTO BY LUCA ARTIGA 2. Yago Cura's collection of Ghazals, "Ghazals for Foley", in memory of a dear friend. PHOTO BY LUCA ARTIGA

Students discuss their current and future political involvement

by Marley Van Pelt

-Vito De Luca, 12

"It is important to keep yourself informed and updated on the actions that occur after the election.

It's important to talk with the people in your life about the [election] results because everyone has different ideas that might be helpful to hear. It's good to talk about how you feel about the election. I usually ask my parents about who they are voting for and why they chose that person."

-Lily Olinger, 10

editors-in-chief Lucy Davis Ethan Lerner Romi Riss

sports manager Ethan Chi

AROUND REDONDO

"Keeping yourself up to date with current political events and world issues is super important, regardless if you know how to vote or not.

Social media is definitely shaping the way we form our political beliefs today, and it's really important that we follow things that keep us open-minded, that aren't specifically one-sided, regardless of what political party you're in."

staff online managers Cristina Couch Stavyah Naveen

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Sometimes a situation happens when you think there is no kind of way out, there is nothing left for you to say, and there's actually a lot of things that you can do.

high tide

"Your vote counts, and it determines who becomes elected. When I'm 18, I plan on voting if I feel like a person should be elected for a reasonable cause. If the candidate I didn't elect gets voted in, I'll just have to move on. It's important for everyone who wants to participate to do so, so they get the chance to show their effort, feelings and opinions about something or someone."

-Noelia Waltenspuel, 9

features editors Ethan Chi Daniella Gross Marley Van Pelt opinion editors Ariya Anvari Meara Fay entertainment editors Scarlett Mische Claudia Turner sports editors Ava Anzivino Malina Young writing & copy editors Calvin Bonn Scarlett Kindt Isabella Kohler CaraMia Leal Kat Otey Aaliyah Roberson online editors Lauren Choy Rena Felde Yasmeen Ford Valentina Masoni Kat Otey Deeksha Prasad Amina Raïss Priya Ramcharan Sam Schwartz Simra Zargar staff writers Delilah Aguilar Sanaya Bhatt Jameson Boddy Kate Brucia London Carbone Veda Celestial Carson Chi Jayla Dorbor Celeste Ernau Leyla Evenson Safi Hamilton-Torres

Kate Jacoby Marlena Lipan Kayli Mai Mia Nishimura Leah Rodriguez Payton Rothluebbers Athena Saadzoi Katarina Sapina Emily Steckler Nathaniel Wellen

photographers Dalilah Almeida Abi Bierwiler Karis Bruno Mia Cielak Caitlyn Cisneros Price Currier Cate Hempstead

photographers Percy McGuinn Jai McKinney Dylan Moore Kayla Ongun Talia Pattishall Sascha Perdue Catherine Wong

adviser Kerri Eastham distribution manager Nicolas Tomsio illustrators Lola Diehl Scarlett Mische Cristina Couch

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high tide March 14, 2024

Be Our Guest

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Theatre brings the Broadway show Beauty and the Beast to Redondo in their largest production yet

by Katarina Sapina

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rom Disney to Redondo, a childhood favorite for many, Beauty and The Beast is this year's spring musical. It will be performed in the RUHS theater on March 15-17 and March 22-23.

According to RUHS Theatre Director Melissa Staab, Beauty and the Beast is the RUHS theater program's "largest scale production" of all time, even using pieces of the set from the real Broadway show.

Having "such a big cast," Beauty and the Beast has created a community that is "so amazing to see unified in one space," according to junior Stage Manager Victoria Vasquez.

"Since Mama Mia, we've just been growing and growing," Vasquez said. "We have a Disney choreographer we've worked with a few times, but this is our first Disney show in a long time. We're all very excited."

Vasquez explains her role as a stage manager, and how despite it being a sometimes “stressful” job requiring “so much time and dedication,” she loves it.

"As a stage manager, you help run rehearsals, and once the show starts, I'm up in the booth calling queues. We're supposed to know every moving part of the show," Vasquez said. "It for sure can be stressful, but that's why we have dress rehearsals, so

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I can do anything as many times as I need to get it in my system. But, I love my job.”

Playing Belle, senior May Le describes how the work that the rest of the crew has put in, such as the costume crew, has contributed to her love playing the role.

“I love [Belle’s] songs and I love her parts in the songs, it’s really beautiful music,” Le said. “The costume crew and costume designer did an amazing job. Everything looks so pretty, and I feel like a little pretty princess which is really cute.”

Junior Zara Schwar hadn’t previously thought about auditioning for a musical, but her interest was piqued since Beauty and the Beast is one of her childhood favorites. As a clarinet player since sixth grade, she decided to audition for the orchestra rather than the cast.

"Beauty and the Beast has always been one of my favorite Disney movies, so the soundtrack inspired me to try out for the orchestra instead of the cast," Schwar said.

"I've never been in an orchestra, so it's exciting to join for the first time."

As a member of the orchestra, who is not seen by the crowd, Schwar wishes that the orchestra received more recognition for their role in the musicals. Vasquez feels similarly about the rest of the backstage crew, believing that "tech deserves a lot more recognition."

"What I liked about last year for Les Mis is when they all went on stage, the band included, at the end of the show. I thought that was really smart because then the people could see the orchestra and not take it for granted," Schwar said.

Although he doesn’t feel that he connects on a personal level, senior Diego DiPasquo—who plays Cogsworth—believes the made-up characters make the show “really fun."

“It’s a Disney show, so it’s a lot of larger than life characters,” DiPasquo said. “I love the show, but I don’t specifically connect with the characters. It’s a bit harder to do that because the characters are much less realistic [but] much more fun to be portrayed on stage.”

Beauty and the Beast will be DiPasquo’s

final high school musical, and he describes it as his “favorite production we’ve ever done.”

“We’re doing it in nine weeks instead of ten weeks. So the pressure is high,” DiPasquo said. “We’re going out with a bang for sure.”

Staab claims that seeing the RUHS production of Beauty and the Beast on stage makes it "feel real,” regarding the show being a production she’s been wanting to do for years.

"It's something the entire community can come to, from little kids to grandparents," Staab said. "Disney has a certain feel and a certain touch, so we're really going all out to give everybody that real, full Disney Broadway experience."

Staab feels that being able to direct Beauty and the Beast is “really special,” growing up loving the movie and Broadway show in the 90s as a little girl with brown hair and brown eyes.

"There's something about those stories and those songs you've heard a million times, but now you're like, 'Oh my gosh, they're here on our stage',” Staab said.

"When I watch my favorite story being told on stage and hearing all the beautiful singing and the dancing, just seeing everything come together, I've cried tears of joy so many times because it's beautiful and magical.”

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5 1. The village people fawn over Gaston (Ty Eberhardt).

2. Orchestra practices for their pit performance in the musical.

3. The village people celebrate Gaston's presence with drink and dance.

4. Maurice (Carter Choi) enters the castle for the first time after being attacked by wild wolves and meets teh enchanted objects for the first time, including Cogsworth (Diego DiPasquo) and Babette (Zoe Helpand).

5. Madame de la Grande Bouche (Sophia Rivera, left) and Mrs. Potts (Bella Sardana, right) speak to Belle (May Le, center) about her becoming accustomed to living in the castle forever.

6. Maurice tests his machine along with his daughter Belle.

7. Belle demonstrates to the village people that the Beast is reak with a magic mirror.

8. Belle and the Beast (Finn McGonigle) have their big dance to "Beauty and the Beast".

ALL PHOTOS BY NICHOLAS COLLINS

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features

Bird's eye VIEW Senior Reid Kaluger enjoys 3D printing and taking pictures with his drone, which he hopes to pursue in the future by Mia Nishimura

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t all started with the Lego instruction manual. Senior Reid Kaluger was building Legos when his curiosity for mechanics pieced together, and he discovered that he wanted to expand his curiosity and make original creations.

“My dad got me a drone for Christmas five years ago. I liked the idea of taking pictures from a different angle and seeing the world from a different view because I’d never seen that point of view from 600 feet above the ground,” Kaluger said.

Meditating or going to the beach is a typical method of de-stressing and “letting it out,” but for Kaluger, flying a drone and taking pictures of the scenery is the perfect method to feel relaxed.

“Taking pictures on my drone is like therapy to me because it makes me happy. It’s the feeling when you’re in front of a nice scenery, and you soak it in and feel at peace,” Kaluger said.

Around the same time, Kaluger also got into 3D printing after receiving a printer for Christmas and enjoys creating 3D printed objects for friends and family as gifts and necessities around the house.

“I always thought it was cool how you can design something, and it can be in your hands a couple of hours later. I find small problems that I can solve with a 3D printer. When I find a problem around the house, like hooks for my backpacks, cable holders and tissue box holders, I can just make one

with my printer,” Kaluger said. “I made 3D printed name plaques for all of my teachers one year, and I just like gifting people with my creations and seeing their reactions.”

Kris Kaluger, Kaluger’s father, mentions that his hobbies are incorporated into daily use and will hopefully carry into Kaluger’s future.

“There’s a huge online library of exist-

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The Feminism Club facilitates informational and accesible meetings for those that want accurate depictions of women's history

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by Safi Hamilton-Torres embers of the Feminism Club without taking it seriously, according to are diverse, the club welcom- Fay. This may come as a challenge, but Fay ing all groups and genders, doesn't isn't deterred. including allies that are interested about “People may come to the club’s meetlearning about historical women. This goes ings as a ‘joke,’ but when they leave, they beyond surface-level concepts often taught still walk out with a new perspective and in classes. The Feminism Club's goal is to outlook on women, recognizing how much educate students on women’s history and of an impact they have on our society,” Fay be an accessible place said. of knowledge to anyone The Co-club presiwho wants to be exposed dent, junior Celeste Erto new outlooks that nau, highlights her goal they may not be familiar of adding more depth to I think that a lot of with. the club.

One of the club’s women, especially “We make sure to presidents, junior Meara highlight the importeenage girls, might Fay, helped take on the tance of making sure that responsibility of still not necessarily feel these feminist, women keeping the club alive safe, even on camauthors are still being after the previous Femportrayed in a good inism Club’s president, pus, and how we can light. We try to highlight Zelia Lerch, graduated. provide that space women through their Being in charge of this works because a lot of for people within this club, Fay wants to exthese important woman club. pand its purpose. authors are unnoticed," “We educate memErnau said. "People need bers on feminist history, ANGIE YI to be exposed to differimportant women, any- CLUB ADVISOR ent topics, especially on thing from authors to feminism, which a lot of scientists to reformers,” people are on the fence Fay said. "This helps about because of prior bring about more awareness about how notions or negative stuff they've heard in these important women impact history and the past. Everyone, disregarding politics, allows us to celebrate and learn from their should still come and see what these wompast to create a better future." en have done. It's important, and I think The club's ambitions may not appeal to [everyone] could learn a lot from it.” everyone, and people often join the club Ernau emphasizes the limited infor-

2 ing prints, but what Reid's done is design things around the house. Coat hooks, backpack hangers. I think, ‘Boy I wish I had that in the house.’ And I think ‘Can we print it?’ and he does. He wants to pursue engineering, and I like to think it’s because of those things,” Mr. Kaluger said.

mation that is taught in classrooms about women's history.

“For most high schoolers, knowledge about feminist history is limited. Especially in what we read in class, the books have mostly male authors. So many writers are completely passed over and unacknowledged,” Ernau said.

The classroom where the Feminism Club’s meetings are held belongs to the Honors 10 English and Multicultural Literature teacher, 1 Angie Yi, who is the advisor of the club and oversees the processes of its growth.

“The club is about bringing in like-minded folks to learn more about feminism

Kaluger’s family is supportive of his drone and 3D printing hobbies, as they encourage him to explore creativity beyond earth’s limits.

“I’ve always encouraged my kids to try new things and see if they like it. It’s been well worth it over the years and it’s an investment in the creative spark.

Especially when you’re technically inclined to look at the world through a different lens,” Mr. Kaluger said, “Everyone has cell phones or camera pictures, but not everyone has a different perspective, like from the drones.”

According to Kaluger, his motivation stems from showing others his works and seeing how they acknowledge them. Kaluger believes his hobbies may possibly become his profession someday because he “knows people make a living from taking pictures” and “especially living in a place like California.”

“3D printing and flying drones isn’t a phase in my life, and I think it’ll always be with me, and I don’t think I'll ever stop. I can’t see either of them becoming boring to me,” Kaluger said, “It’s hard to go through life without finding a new location, so my drone will always be with me. With my 3D printing, I’ll never lose my creativity and I’ll always have someone to make something for.”

1. Hermosa Pier from a bird's eye view 2. Kaluger sitting on a life guard tower, photographing himself with his drone.

PHOTOS BY REID KALUGER

Plath. They also discuss how feminism impacts everybody, not just women. It shouldn't be like a women-only club, it should have men in it, too,” Yi said.

Yi guides the club with advice on how they can reach their desired goals.

“I would love for the club to be more discussion orientated on discussing the current issues that are facing all women through all intersectionalities, and for them to give space for questions and to provide resources for women, whether it's to find solidarity or just have a space where they feel safe,” Yi said. “I think that a lot of women, especially teenage girls, might not

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1. Female gender symbol.

IMAGE VIA FREEPIK 2. Meara Fay [left], Priya Ramcharan [middle] and Kayla Halpin [far right] presenting about womens history month. PHOTO BY TALIA PATTISHALL

2 and the history of feminism.

Recently they taught the club about American poet and activist, Sylvia

necessarily feel safe, even on campus, and we can provide that space for people within this club.”

high tide march 14, 2024

It's all about EQUALITY

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For seniors Chidinma Nwokorie and Serena Daley, feminist ideals can only be attained through the collaboration of all genders to create safe spaces for women

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by Simra Zargar

he feminist movement is shown in different ways and seniors Chidinma Nwokorie and Serena Daley propel the movement by engaging in their community to encourage positive affirmations or providing support groups for women to make systems more inclusive.

As president of the Women of Color Club, Nwokorie’s objective is to create a safe and inclusive space for all women to learn, embrace and express themselves.

In every meeting, she educates members about different women of color through factual presentations and engaging activities, such as Kahoots and Jeopardy games.

“The whole purpose of our club is

Vice president senior Madison Clark gives a presentation during a meeting for the Women of Color Club. PHOTO BY PERCY MCGUINN

to prove, through examples of successful women who’ve won Nobel Prizes and have solved world issues, that marginalized women, when they come and put their minds together, can achieve amazing things,” Nwokorie said.

Nwokorie notes that she derives inspiration, not only from the advocates that she researches, but also from the women around her “just doing their thing.”

“My biggest personal inspiration is my older cousin who I grew up with. She became the school president, even when people said she wouldn't win. She went on to USC, and she passed important bills and I'm like, ‘Wow,’” Nwokorie said. “She's inspired me to pursue law and is a great inspiration because I don't really see Black women doing that, or even women in general. I really do look up to her.”

According to Daley, who also has successful female role models like Nwokorie, despite advancements made by the feminist movement in fostering openness and implementing legal protections for women, the stigma that has clouded women for decades puts them at a disadvantage in the workplace, school, sports and in general.

“Women don't get as much viewing throughout sports, especially on TV because people think women aren't as strong as men and therefore not as entertaining to watch. I think it's really important that we're uplifting and promoting women

athletes, especially being a woman athlete myself,” Daley said.

Over the summer, Daley reached out to several labs to get into research, and landed the opportunity to partner with the University of Wisconsin-Madison to research the toll eating disorders have on women. In Daley’s research, she came across a study conducted

by JAMA Pediatrics, in which she found that twenty-two percent of adolescents exhibited distorted eating. This article among other findings helped Daley discover that as women have become subject to harsh criticism on social media platforms, they have internalized unhealthy feelings of guilt over their appearances.

“The data I was finding was really staggering. Seeing how many women actually have eating disorders and personally knowing the women around me, it's so prevalent,” Daley said. “If my friends are engraving negative affirmations, I try to reassure them, at least within my community circle and for myself, and give reminders not to think that way.”

Nwokorie highlights the importance of educating the next generation about feminism through working with youth to erase the “radical” reputation that feminism has, and instead illustrates that feminism is about “embracing women’s basic rights.”

“I work at a preschool and read stories about powerful women, like Michelle Obama, to both boys and girls,” Nwokorie said. “To promote feminism and combat stereotypes, you can't just educate girls, but the entire generation, including boys.”

Daley and Nwokorie advocate that

In a systematic review and meta-analysis of 32 studies, including 63181 participants from 16 countries, 22 percent reported that children and adolescents exhibited disordered eating.

INFORMATION FROM JAMA PEDIATRICS Daley reasearching on her computer. PHOTO COURTSEY OF SERENA DALEY

the feminist movement includes not only women, but men, as well. According to Nwokorie, men have great attributes that play a big role in society and are needed to harmonize the collaboration between men and women to shatter traditional ideals that fuel the patriarchy.

“Many men get defensive when women talk about feminism because they feel attacked and that they're the issue. But, feminism is more about uplifting women; it's about equality,” Daley said. “A better approach to spreading feminism is focusing on how women should be held at the same caliber as m e n instead

of categorizing men as being bad.”

In the future, Daley and Nwokorie want to continue celebrating feminism and improving women's rights in their communities. Daley’s goal is to raise awareness about eating disorders and encourage positive affirmations. She recommends everyone joins clubs focused on women, speak up when witnessing inappropriate comments and engage in research and self-education to get involved in the movement. Nwokorie takes on a different route with her plans to pursue law, orienting her efforts to protecting women's rights to reproductive autonomy, promote support groups for women and normalize talking about women's issues and and make systems more inclusive.

“Women should be given safe spaces because we go through so much, especially mothers. Mothers are working, taking care of their children and the household,” Nwokorie said. “I think women are so extraordinary in that fact that we are strong enough to handle it. We've been doing it for years. Yet, we need to make space for ourselves to take care of our mental health because it’s very important.”

As a mental health advocate herself, Daley tries to reflect positive attitudes about people's self-image and promote healthy eating, overall illuminating the importance of mental health, self-love and happiness.

Uplifting women serves as a catalyst for propelling the feminist movement forward and bringing about positive change and understanding, according to Nwokorie.

“Feminism is all about respecting women's ideas, their feelings and their rights, and loving what it means to be a woman,” Nwokorie said. “The world should not only respect women that they find attractive, or women they want something from.

Being a feminist means respecting all women, not because they are a woman, but because they're a person, too.”

Seniors Chidinma Nwokorie (left) and Serena Daley (right). PHOTO BY MIA CIELAK

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high tide march. 14, 2024

CAN'T BOX ME

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Devin Ringer, also known as Devinchiii on Spotify, has rap music on multiple musical platforms

by Kate Jacoby

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hough he describes himself as shy, “The Walking Radio” can be seen throughout campus wearing his classic pair of black Beats headphones, humming or listening to any song of choice.

1 Senior Devin Ringer, the said-radio, was never quite positive he could make music rather than just listening to it; that was, until, he formally gave it a try back in October of 2020.

Stuck inside the house and not able to play basketball, Ringer found himself trying to escape the quarantine's boredom by making rap music. Ringer has been a writer since he was young, keeping his songs enclosed in a book or melodically weaved into a series of voice memos.

"At first I had a speaker, and I would connect it to my computer to play a beat until I learned how to rap into an actual mic,” Ringer said. “Making music was refreshing.

I enjoyed it, [even though] I wasn’t sure if I was gonna enjoy making it as much as I did listening to it. [But] It was natural for me.”

Ringer would watch interviews of various rappers, including one of his favorite artists, Playboi Carti.

“He talked about how he was a shy person,” Ringer said. “Everything he said, I [related to], because I feel the same way. I thought, ‘If he could do it, then so can I.’”

Ringer, filled with newfound inspiration, began to create music similar to Playboi Carti. Sophomore Devin Wright, a friend and teammate of Ringer, claims that the similarities are there, but throughout time, Ringer has “grown into his own style.”

“The vocals, the ad libs, everything. You could sense Playboi Carti, but in a ‘Devin’ type of way,” Wright said. “He found his strengths and where he sees himself in music, he got confidence and started doing his own thing.”

Wright met Ringer this year after joining the basketball team and began to listen to his music after getting to know each other. When Ringer had his first official performance at Wright’s birthday party, Wright “couldn’t believe” that Ringer was the same person he had been before.

“Devin is an introvert, but through his music, you wouldn’t be able to tell he’s [shy], because the way he raps is so extroverted,” Wright said. “When he was performing, I saw a whole different human being.”

Though Ringer has support from his friends and family, he is also assisted by not one, but four producers, whom he found through TikTok and Instagram. “[They help me] with finding the right sound for me. I don’t want to be a typical LA artist, or underground artist,” Ringer said. “They said I was one of the first people to reach out to them, so it was a genuine [connection]. That’s why I work with them now.”

According to Ringer, his producers help him find the “right beat,” which can be challenging, since Ringer is fastidious when it comes to making a track for one of his songs.

“I’m picky with beats. The smallest things tick me off. If the beat connects with me, I find a flow and freestyle to myself,” Ringer said. “I replay the beat probably about ten times. Sometimes it doesn’t take me long to [make songs]. It can take me fifteen minutes.”

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Senior Nico Brancato, a fellow student athlete and friend of Ringer, has commented on his “exceptional” music, recognizing that Ringer has gained popularity on social media, growing as an upcoming artist.

“His music is very upbeat. He’s creative with his words, and he's a young rapper that’s going to make it big one day,” Brancato said.

“He’s a good person you can [think of] when [imagining] a [teenage] music creator.”

Ringer, ever since he was a kid, has been surrounded by music. He grew up with a father who loved to play all kinds of music, especially hip hop, and his mom was a singer DEVIN RINGER in her twenties. Ringer continues to branch off of the musical gene SENIOR in his family by releasing his own music, and is even planning to release another album “A whole bunch of people have told me basketball can take me wherever I want, [but] I wanted to see [what will happen] with my music,” Ringer said. “I want to see how far it takes me.”

Making music was refreshing. I enjoyed it, [even though] I wasn’t sure if I was gonna enjoy making it as much as I did listening to it. [But] It was natural for me.

1. Devin Ringer performs his song alongside his Redondo Union basketball teammates. PHOTO COURTESY OF DEVIN RINGER

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high tide march 14, 2024

The Making Of Main Hall Mike Students affectionately call security guard Michael Mcintyre "Main Hall Mike," known for his support for student athletes by Jayla Dorbor

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atching worried parents shake as their youngest child races up the court preparing for a layup, and the relief that crosses their face as the crowd starts to roar after the swish of the hoop, that is the moment Michael McIntyre lives for.

Many students may know him as the “Main Hall Mike” the security guard who is always talking to different students, but he has had a long journey to get to this point.

Mcintyre is a coach, videographer, mentor and a friend to many people on and off this campus.

McIntyre grew up in Southern Florida, which is where his love for sports began.

“Growing up playing sports as a youth, I loved playing and watching sports, which changed into a career for me. I knew I didn't have a pro career, but I wanted to be involved in athletics, and I thought about television, since I love TV, ” McIntyre said.

McIntyre started working for the Lakers in 1982. During his time with the team, he worked many jobs from public relations and marketing, to the game night video logger and editor. However, he never would’ve gotten the opportunity in the first place if it wasn’t for Lauren Pullman, who offered him his first job with the team.

“My whole career in sports was because of a young lady, [who] was a scorekeeper on [my] baseball team. Years later we met each other at a party when she was working for the Lakers, and she offered me a job with the Lakers to pass out information during the game. And that's what started my career,” McIntyre said.

Thanks to Pullman, McIntyre got to live out his dream job. He worked with the Lakers for 30 years throughout the height of their fame. He started with them while video and television was a growing industry, especially for sports, which made his job essential.

“When the Beatles came out in the 60s everyone was crazy about them. That’s what it was like with

the Lakers. Everyone was crazy about the Lakers because it was something new,” McIntyre said. “It was the most wonderful job and opportunity that I could’ve ever dreamed of. Working with professionals was different but I learned how to work with them day to day.”

He worked with some of the biggest names in NBA history: Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul Jabar and even the “Black Mamba” himself, Kobe Bryant. Bryant was especially vital to McIntyre’s career as he pushed him to work in women’s sports when other videographers preferred to stay with the Lakers.

“Kobe Bryant was one of the greatest guys ever. He was a rookie, he was new to the league, but he always loved womens sports, and he pushed me towards going and being the videographer for the Sparks.

I could’ve stayed with the Lakers, but I chose to move on to that side and help the ladies because they needed our professional help,” McIntyre said.

Working in women’s sports didn’t stop at the Sparks. McIntyre started filming for high school while he was still working for the team, which allowed him to reconnect with some of the girls later on and offer them internships. McIntyre really enjoyed working for the women's side of sports, as he grew to see their potential.

Switching from the professional league to high school was a big jump for McIntyre, and it was fulfilling.

“It’s really using your experience to

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tap into high school and growing youth leagues, and high school leagues, and just making sure that they understood what they’re going to do next. In high school they’re looking forward, but they don’t understand what they're looking forward to doing,” McIntyre said.

Switching to high school sports has also helped McIntyre see how the improvements in professional women’s sports is translating into high school and college.

“Female athletes need more recognition, but they are getting the recognition now.

They're finally getting recognition because of TV and streaming of women's leagues.

We didn't women's WNBA in the first true McIntyre sports growest in many the boys.” only made it comes to impacted our campus.

Jacklyn AyaMcIntyre has during tough “I met Mining of the was walking

2017

he introduced himself to me. I thought he was very comforting. He’s very nice and thoughtful. There were a lot of times when I needed something, and he always had it,” Ayala said.

McIntyre also taught Ayala the importance of appreciating the staff and all they do for the students.

“He’s definitely taught me to be kinder to the staff. I feel like everyone here has different characteristics, and it makes everyone individually really interesting. He’s made me realize that the staff isn't just here to work for us, but they have lives outside of school, too,” Ayala said.

Overall, McIntyre has made sure to leave a mark at every turn in his career making sure he made the most of every position. His love of the game keeps him involved.

“I enjoy all game nights. Every game night is exciting because I love the crowd, and I love to hear the crowd roar. Sometimes when I’m filming, I have my earbuds in, but when I pull them out, and I hear the crowd roaring, it’s so cool and so much fun to see. McIntyre said, “Especially high schoolers, when they hit their first shot or make their first goal, it’s so exciting it brings tears to your eyes because you know how special it is to them."

used to have leagues.

The 1997, that was women's league,” said. “I see girls' ing, and to be honsports surpassing McIntyre hasn’t a difference when sports, he’s also other students on For example, junior la expressed how been there for her times. chael at the beginschool year when I with my friend and

1

1997 90s

Senior Benjamin Gonzalez participates in the Redondo Beach Fire Explorer program to become a future firefighter by Delilah Aguilar

I

s he on fire, or is he putting them out? Senior Benjamin Gonzalez recently joined the Redondo Beach Fire Explorer program, a career pathway for young adults interested in firefighting.

The program teaches a variety of skills, such as leadership techniques, firefighting skills, proper use of firefighting tools and equipment.

“When I was a child I always took an interest in firefighting, this year my mom found this program, and I was eager to start. Starting out I quickly noticed the instructors would get on [participants of the program] for certain things, but then I realized it’s because they’re genuinely pushing you to be better,” Gonzalez said.

His mother, Olga Rodriguez, had a difficult time finding a quality program for her son. Due to COVID, most of them shut down, leaving options scarce. She originally attempted to enroll him in a program with the Los Angeles Fire Department, but the wait list was extremely long. Thankfully, she then found a program in Redondo Beach that accepted Gonzalez.

“I felt so proud that he’d be able to gain this experience. When we moved to Redondo Beach, we learned that the Redondo fire stations held open houses, so his father and I always took him to them when he was growing up. We wanted to do anything we could to show our support for him,” Rodri-

guez said.

Gonzalez also had the support of his good friend, senior Sebastian Moreno, whom he met when they were both in fourth grade. Moreno is “proud” of his friend and notes Gonzalez’s excitement towards the program.

“Ben is a big dreamer. Our friends often make jokes, calling him delusional. But honestly, the size of his goals and his drive

2 to achieve them is what’s going to get him places. If he wants that ‘place’ to be firefighting, then I know he’ll get there. But I’ll be there waiting on the other side once he’s done,” Moreno said.

Both Gonzalez and his mother noted that

his passion and early interest in firefighting derive from his personal need to help others and satisfaction in a job well-done.

“I was really excited because one of the days, I got to go on a ride with actual firefighters. There was a call from a woman who was having a medical emergency, and I watched everybody do their job to help her. I felt more immersed in the career after that, envisioning myself being able to help people like her made me feel good,” Gonzalez said.

The program is an opportunity for young adults to experience the tasks of firefighting before attending proper schooling to become one, and it allows participants to get a feel for the field while building a resume. Moreno felt that aspects of Gonzalez’s personality may also contribute to his potential success as a firefighter.

“One thing about [Benjamin] is he’s determined. If someone is stuck in a building, he’s getting them out. Mentally, he’s able to push through just about anything,” Moreno said.

Gonzalez stresses the importance of acknowledging that “your future depends on you” and not to slacking off while trying to achieve goals. He is especially grateful for the opportunities that will arise due to his

participation in the program, and his parents are overjoyed to be able to provide him this pathway.

“I didn’t have much support growing up, so I did everything I could to provide it for my son. I try to provide him with opportunity and experience for every dream he has because I know it makes a huge difference for a kid,” Rodriquez said. “[Benjamin] is very kind, he has a good heart, and I see him become more outgoing through the help of his friends, teachers and the program. It makes me feel very proud to see him grow and be able to chase these dreams.”

Through the support of those around him, Gonzalez has formed a strong mentality that pushes him to succeed, and his friends and family couldn’t be “more proud” of him.

“In middle school I found myself slacking off, but as I matured, I realized that [as a person] you have to find your own ways of getting things done. It’s important to find balance in your workload while pushing yourself past your limits,” Gonzalez said.

1. Mcintyre smiles in a picture with Magic Johnson. PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHAEL MCINTYRE 2. Benjamin Gonzalez lining up in standard for ation PHOTO COURTESY OF AIMEE SPECTOR

8 in-focus

march 14, 2024 high tide

CHOOSING YOUR SE

Students' declining voter efficacy and new sources of political general election promp

don’t like. So I don’t keep up to date on current events besides word of mouth,” Henry

by Priya Ramcharan said.

Pew Research Center studied the tone hrough history class and the media, stu- of the 2008 presidential election coverage dents create their political identities that between MSNBC and FOX News, finding clash on campus and reflect the broader that MSNBC portrayed Obama in a more political climate. positive light than FOX. Television news Having learned about modern polit- programs are tethered to ratings, which can ical theory in AP European History, senior lessen the incentive for quality reporting, Roman Miller read Adam Smith’s "Wealth the study concludes. Sophomore Alex Morof Nations" and Karl Marx’s "Communist al’s awareness of political biases caused him Manifesto" to understand their fundamen- to search for media independently. tal reasoning.

“I started out listening to mainstream “I read to understand concepts. conservative talk radio in From that I’ve develmy dad's car, but over time oped disagreements I started to explore YouTube with communism, to get a more coherent view. while also believing And then I started to quesin Marx’s theory of Tribalism: Tribal consciousness tion the political and philsocialism as the stage or loyalty or strong in-party osophical assumptions of between capitalism loyalty what I believed,” Moral said. and communism,” According to UniversiMiller said. “For ex- Affective polarization: ty of Virginia Finance Profesample, I’ve deepened The gap between individuals’ sor Ben McCartney, who remy understanding positive feelings toward their searches political and social of socialism beyond own political party and negative interactions in communities, just free healthcare, feelings toward the opposing mainstream media tends to but also the idea of party. oversimplify big issues. advancing society in “I think it's helpful to VIA MERRIAM-WEBSTER AND a progressive direc- NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY view 24-hour news cycles as tion.” entertainment, like a basketAP United ball game. The issues that States History teacher Amber Keller be- actually matter involve complex trade-offs lieves students’ dissatisfaction with the gov- that have to be discussed and understood,” ernment causes them to become “more rad- McCartney said. “[Discussing immigrants] ical.” seeking refuge in the U.S. is not well-suited “Today, people will just call some- for a 40-second sound bite, and definitely body a Nazi or a communist without even not social media. It's too simple of a venue thinking about what it means. We were just to tackle a complex problem.” McCartney talking about anarchism in class, and one of recommends replacing short video clips my students said she was an anarchist. I was with long-form journalism, such as reading laughing and asked her what kind of anar- long articles in The Economist, The Wall chist, and she said she wanted to reform the Street Journal, or The Washington Post in government. I said, ‘Honey, I think all of us addition to research. do,’” Keller said.

Even with an intake of media and Discouraged by bias in the news, stu- education, students point to their upbringdents like sophomore Matthew Henry have ing as a major contributor to their political gradually stopped seeking out coverage of identities. While Moral’s Christian faith current events. shapes his political preferences around “tra“Shows like CNN and FOX broadcast dition and human dignity,” junior Matthew the worst stuff to get ratings and tend to Vitt shares conservative views with his dad pander to certain political parties, which I on affirmative action and racial justice.

Political Socialization

T

POLITICAL VOCABULARY :

EDUCATION

“My dad is someone who is against the victim mentality. He always told me, ‘Stop looking at yourself as a victim.’ My dad's Black, and I’ve seen him encounter racism, but he's never cared. Politics can be a personality thing,” Vitt said.

When people with a certain identity value one thing, they find like-minded thinkers. Contributing to a sense of “tribalism,” McCartney believes that identity politics can pose a threat to the functioning of the government.

“Government requires people to sacrifice things. It requires people to share and make decisions with other demographics’ welfare in mind. But with identity politics, people in Virginia care more about Virginians doing well rather than Californians, for example,” McCartney said.

Sophomore Sheamus Swift expirenced polarization in the right-leaning community he once lived in. “[For school] we had to write our political views on a piece of paper [...] it made me realize not everyone shares my opinions. I feel politics hasn't always been this scary and filled with anger. It doesn't feel like there's much bipartisanship,” Swift said.

With radical politics, the centrist plays a “key role” in discussion according to AP United States Government and Politics teacher Michael Henges.

“Polarization is often reflected in the loudest voices. But the centrists should not shy from bringing a mature and thoughtful contribution. We don't want the most extreme voices to represent everything, when the majority will have a reasonable and productive approach to politics,” Henges said.

According to research done by Carnegie Mellon, “affective polarization" is increasingly more common, in which individuals' feelings towards members of their own political party become more positive, while their feelings for the opposing party grow negative. This is exacerbated online, Henges notes.

“When you're talking to someone through the keyboard, I feel that distance makes it very one-sided. One might feel like they’re engaging with another viewpoint, but they’re really just expressing their own viewpoint,” Henges said.

GEOGRAPHY THE PILLARS OF

in-focus 9

high tide march 14, 2024

EAT IN THE HOUSE

l socialization culminate in uncertainty as the upcoming pts citizen action Raising the stakes for voters will make the issues more tangible, and mitigate the effects of identity politics, according to McCartney.

“People think, ‘I am not going to vote for Biden because the stakes don't feel that high. It's not like I'm gonna lose my house.’ However, for some people the stakes are high so then they have a reason to cross the aisle. They have a reason to engage and compromise,” McCartney said.

The stakes are high for everyone. In an age of war, technology and social justice, students are pushed to think critically about the world around them. According to a study by Pew Research Center, teenagers are developing their political affiliations at younger ages. It is crucial for students to get involved and think about the world while also staying respectful and intelligent, says Keller.

“It gives me so much hope to see students talk about politics. This generation is going to be the one to make change, and I am so excited,” Keller said.

Voter Efficacy

J

by Stavyah Naveen

oe Biden recreating the Josh Hutcherson “Whistle” edit. Andrew Yang watching Vine. These things just don’t add up.

When political figures are pushed to odd extremes in order to relate to the supposedly “out of touch” Gen Z-ers, it raises the question of why so many young people are feeling increasingly reluctant to partake in the civil body.

Senior Jack Raynor remarks on how he observed this prevailing attitude within his social circle, with him being the only one of the only people among his friend circle who voted in the primaries. Raynor attributes the general lack of involvement to a potential shortage of knowledge or interest about governmental processes and their impacts.

“It’s hard to relate to the candidates when both of the [nominees] could be our grandpas,” Raynor said.

Raynor’s involvement in Model United Nations substantiated his interest in politics and international relations. He commented that his experience with cre-

ating practical, sustainable development a n d not thinking goals influenced his unique points of view that the and knowledge about the current political govsituations of countries, traits that helped him create his solution of making Election Day a national holiday.

“There’s just so many obstacles to voting, that it’s not always practical for everyone,” Raynor said. “I was able to vote by mail, but not everyone can.”

Although Raynor’s solution of making Election Day a national holiday to ernremove scheduling hurdles appears ideal, senior Brady ment Batacan addresses that the is a very lack of political efficacy “There is a lot of division stable thing that among students could be in our nation between they can trust, contributes to attributed to a deeper con- the two major parties.

Gen Z not really wanting to cern: the pervasiveness of That division, and not participate.” public opinion through so- thinking that the Senior Daniel Mullcial media. ins, who doesn’t plan to vote government is a very “The general use of in the 2024 election, agrees stable thing that they media currently is bringing with Batacan, claiming that can trust, contributes to a lot of divide to how Gen he doesn’t feel that the govZ actually sees the world,” Gen Z not really wanting ernment isn’t heading in the Batacan said. “Any per- to participate. right direction anymore. son can go online and say “It's a tricky subject but it's something about the gov- BRADY BATACAN just I feel like it's not worth SENIOR ernment and end up with a investing a vote anymore in massive following of people either party, especially in the who don’t trust the government.” state of California,” Mullins said.

Batacan’s theory was empericized by Decreasing political efficacy among a peer reviewed journal authored by com- younger individuals raises a larger concern munication professors Drina Intyaswati and about the state of our nation. APUSH teachEni Maryani, which concluded that political er Amber Keller stated that, if not through dissemination in social media, especially military prowess, the only way a foreign towards younger individuals, is common in power could defeat the United States is platforms like Twitter, TikTok, and Insta- through internal disruption. So, how does gram. it look when the “strongest nation in the Batacan, whose experience building world” is enduring the turmoil of internal a mock government at Boys and Girls State disunity, especially from its future leaders? taught him the significance of an individual Mullins states that internal disrupvote, proposes that misinformation can be tion signifies that the nation is not doing as combated through decreased gullibility. He well as one would hope. encourages “researching the videos that are “It encourages a lot less people to [uploaded] online,” to avoid being swayed vote,” Mullins said. “That's not really a good by deception and bias. In fact, Batacan hy- sign for a country. It shows weak [leaderpothesizes that the divide influenced by so- ship] and it makes people realize that somecial media can run a lot deeper and impact thing's wrong here.” larger policies.

“There is a lot of division in our nation just between the two major parties,” DORIC COLUMN IMAGE BY MACROVECTOR ON FREEPIK VOTING STICKER PHOTO BY LUCY DAVIS Batacan said. “And I think that division,

“

RELIGION

CLASS POLITICAL SOCIALIZATION

opinion To vote or not to vote

ILLUSTRATIONS BY ARIYA ANVARI

Voting is a personal decision, but political change can be achieved in a multitude of ways

D

by Kat Otey isillusionment. Efficacy (or a lack of it).

Apathy. Voter apathy, to be precise. But in the face of the upcoming presidential election, what’s not to be apathetic about?

Voter’s choices have been ultimately reduced to picking the “lesser” of two evils. Both have already been president once before. Both have failed to execute promises they made on their campaign trails- and are now repeating the same. Both have actively made decisions that have alienated much of their voting base.

Although only four years older and equally as irrelevant to young voters, criticism of advanced age hits Biden hardest. His speeches are hard to follow and hardly rousing. The work he did during his presidency to improve infrastructure and combat climate change is overshadowed by his stance on immigration and handling of military action abroad. In primarily blue California he may be seen as the lesser of two evils, but even those who did vote for him four years ago are less likely to today. A "New York Times" Poll reported that in October of 2020, Biden had a 52% favorability rating. As of February 2024, that’s down to 38%, which poses the question: if I disagree with Trump, but also don’t support Biden, who do I vote for? Do I even have to vote at all?

Historically, boycotts have been one of the most widely used and effective tools for the working class to have their voice heard. Unfortunately, individuals withholding their vote from either candidate does not have the same effect a boycott would. Despite the common view of

voting as the best way for the general population to have their voices heard in the political sphere, not voting can feel like a better decision.

This is especially so when considering that it’s now too late in the game to pick a different candidate who has a realistic chance at winning- and maybe it was always too late. Biden, for example, is the Democratic party’s nominee because of the extreme bipartisanism that has made politics feel like a win-or-lose game. Biden isn’t the choice because of what he’ll do in office, but because he’s proven that he can beat Trump.

That’s not to say that voting isn’t important or isn’t the civic duty of Americans.

Voting can bring people together as a part of a larger movement or cause, whether that be the party that they align with or the issue that they want solved. Voting, no matter who you vote for, can be seen as the support of our democracy itself.

But that still might not be enough of a reason for some to vote for one of the two candidates. A possible alternative is voting for an independent party candidate, especially if you agree with what they stand for. Although independent candidates realistically have no chance at winning in modern day elections (again, bipartisanism), even winning two or three percent of voters still signals to the government that millions of people aren’t happy with the “main two” they’ve been offered, and that something has to change in order to avoid total fragmentation of the two party system.

10 It’s true that for young people it's particularly crucial to vote because greater representation of our age demographic in the political sphere brings more attention to the issues that affect us most. It isn’t by chance that politicians often focus on Medicare and senior aid: as of this year, 77.9% of people in the U.S. ages 65 to 74 years old are registered to vote. Compared to only 49.1% of people between ages 18 and 24, it’s more advantageous for politicians to promise to address these things than the issues younger people care about most.

Obviously in a perfect world the people running our country would be, y’know, good people with common sense and a desire to genuinely help everyone equally regardless of voter demographics; but this isn’t that world, and we have competitive marketing propaganda.

There’s a common perception that young people don’t vote as much because they don’t care, or they’re ignorant to the sphere of politics. This stems from the same incorrect narrative of “kids just don't care anymore. They’re lazy, and they don’t want to work;" however, voting for “the lesser of two evils” is understandably a discouraging introduction to the political sphere.

There is the option to just not vote at all. I feel like that needs to be stressed: it is not your personal moral duty to vote. Voting is important, yes, because it’s a core practice of democracy, but it’s also your personal choice where you throw your support. If you really feel that you can’t, for any reason, support either candidate, then don’t. But that doesn’t mean do nothing.

There are other ways within this system to express your ideas, fight for your cause, and perform your civic or moral duty. We may be stuck with these two candidates for president, but the entire point of the system is that the president is not the end-all be-all. Research your local and state elections. Get involved in them. If you want your voice to be heard, make it heard; that’s easiest to do when there are fewer people in the “room.” Get involved in your community. Find out what’s really going on and what you can do to change it. If you’re truly passionate, there’s always a way to create change and stir the pot. The problem isn’t, at its core, voter apathy; it’s political apathy and the apathy for change as a whole. Fretting over the system and what we should have done won’t fix things. Taking action will.

letters to the

editor

The Bechdel test is not an accurate The High Tide encourages greater input of perportrayal of feminism in the media spectives from both students and staff. If you have

by Deeksha Prasad

In order for a movie to be considered an accurate representation of women, it must:

1.

O

Have two (named) women in it

2.

Who talk to each other

r so says the Bechdel-Wallace test, a device created by cartoonist Allison Bechdel as a joke in a comic strip published in 1985. Since then, the Bechdel test has been used by critics to measure how feminist a movie is. However, the test is sorely unreliable in finding out if a movie is truly accurately representative of feminism.

The biggest issue with the Bechdel test is the vagueness that allows the test to ignore the actual content of the movie. The test measures the extent to which women are present in the movie, but it disregards the rest of the film.

The undertones and messages relayed within a movie are overwhelmingly more representative of a movie’s political stance than any few characters are. Characters are the executioners of ideas found within an intricate story— to judge a movie’s meaning, you cannot simply look at what comes out of an actor’s mouth, but the film overall. The Bechdel test ignores the nuances of storytelling, looking only at surface level values to determine a movie’s feminist quality.

One example of a movie that is anti-feminist to its core is the 1989 classic, “The Little Mermaid.” Throughout the story, Ariel is quick to lose her initial material motivation to go to the ocean's surface after she falls in love at first sight. Her character, which had the potential to be complex and layered, is diminished down to a love-struck girl whose sole motivation is to get with a man she’d never even spoken to. She abandons her home, her family and her voice all to pursue Eric– and her “happy ending” is getting married.

It is easy to write good characters. Every character should be able to stand as a well constructed and independent individual when placed separately from the main character of a literary work. It adds to complexity, depth and overall realism of a work of fiction. No character should be entirely built around the protagonist.

3.

About something other than a man

Ariel, despite being the protagonist of the movie, is reduced to being a love interest for Eric, with no distinguishable character motivations that aren’t in relation to her obsession with him. Despite this, “The Little Mermaid” does in fact pass the Bechdel test, as there are various female characters besides Ariel— namely, her sisters and Ursula.

As for clause two and three of the test, Ariel speaks with Ursula about turning her human— while the cause for this conversation is a man, there are parts where Eric is not addressed at all.

This is only one example of how the Bechdel test’s loose criteria leads to an inaccurate judgment of literary works.

These three rules can't determine the feminist value of a film—to understand that, it is important to break down the characters past their conversations, read deeply into the film content and have a solid understanding of feminism itself.

The feminist movement in the United States can be broken into four different “waves.” The waves are an oversimplification of feminism through history, as each movement includes smaller subgroups, many of which contradict one another. However, they do help to better organize and outline feminism as it develops in the U.S. The first wave is said to have begun at the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention in New York. This wave focused on opening up opportunities for women— specifically women’s suffrage. Second-wave feminism, starting in the 1960’s, focused primarily on the legal, economic, and social rights of women, with some of its top priorities including the dismantling of stereotypical gender roles, financial independence and workplace equality. The third wave of feminism in the 1990’s encouraged the expression of the self and of sexuality in women, as a stand against the objectification of them. The fourth wave of feminism, beginning around 2010, is the hardest to define. It extends heavily from the third wave, focusing on

an opinion about one of the articles, letters can be sent to the editor at hightideonline@gmail.com We reserve the right to edit for content, grammar and space constraints. Letters must be signed and are not guaranteed to be printed. Please keep letters to a maximum of 250 words. Longer guest opinions are also accepted. empowering women and using social media and the internet to spread feminist messages.

Social media is both a tool and a weapon— while it is a useful platform to speak up on feminism, it has also greatly aided in perpetuating the spread of harmful stereotypes about the feminist movement, and what constitutes a feminist. The attitudes of feminists towards men have been especially misinterpreted— there is an assumption that openly feminist individuals are either lesbian and man-hating, or single and man-hating. A negative lense towards feminism has birthed the idea that feminist women are just the ones who don’t act like the hyper-feminine stereotypes of women. Feminism is neither about acting like men nor hating men—it’s not about men at all. Feminism is about equality, and embracing women’s experiences in the world. It’s about acceptance, sisterhood, and the removal of boxes around what a woman is supposed to be.

It’s about letting a woman be a woman, without considering her to be any lesser than the other gender.

And when applied to film and TV, feminism is allowing a female character to be her own person. She should not be used as a means to further a man’s development. Women should be independent characters, in the same way any man is in a movie. Their personal storylines should not be entirely interlinked with that of the male protagonist in a way that diminishes their individuality. The Bechdel test glazes over all these ideas; it focuses on whether or not women are in a movie, but whether or not they are properly represented is something that can’t be determined by a three-pronged shortcut. To find feminist value in a film, it’s crucial to actually absorb and reflect on the writing and messages present within it. Feminism is not something that can be encompassed in three answers; a woman is not a person embodied by three statements.

opinion 11

high tide march 14, 2024

PHOTO BY ROMI RISS

Monopoly MADNESS Big business monopolies subtract from consumer and worker prosperity

W

by Victor Simoes

e live in an era of unheralded convenience and consumer hedonism; goods, drinks and rides are available on-demand thanks to new technologies and business models that have transformed all facets of the economy. Yet the mechanisms behind these businesses are more nefarious than they seem, and the deals they offer more bitter than sweet. Behind each of these disruptive industries is a tale of rising corporate dominance that harms consumers and workers alike.

“The Amazon of _____”

Let's start with Amazon—one of the most valuable companies on Earth— known for delivering the entire world to your doorstep at blazingly fast delivery speeds, all at attractively low prices that seem near-to-charity (in the words of their founder Jeff Bezos, “your margin is my opportunity”). Yet, all this may soon be revealed to be a farce depending on the results of an ongoing lawsuit by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and 17 state attorney generals alleging anti-competitive behavior.

At the heart of this case is not the fact that Amazon’s e-commerce business is a behemoth, but whether it has abused its market power by forcing sellers to use Fulfillment by Amazon, charging restrictive fees on sellers and committing other violations of antitrust law.

Amazon further exploits its market dominance to degrade the customer experience by inflating prices to pad its pockets and by replacing organic search results with ads and race-to-the-bottom junk products, all before looking into its abysmal labor rights and environmental record.

Jeff Bezos undoubtedly had a brilliant idea to revolutionize retail with his online marketplace model. Yet that does not justify the billions he has extracted from

worker and consumer pockets, or the small businesses and legitimate industries Amazon has crushed for the sake of market dominance. Although it may soon be toppled by antitrust laws, Amazon has defined a new business model, “The Amazon of ___,” where profits come by demanding tribute from sellers and consumers like a kingpin mafioso.

“The Starbucks of ______”

Hot take: Starbucks drinks are not good. Their matcha tastes like grass, their frappuccinos are too icy and sugary, and their pumpkin spice lattes, although tasty at first, become nauseating and odious.

That’s just my taste, but what’s not subjective is how Starbucks has capitalized on its dominant role in the coffee industry to overcharge customers to maximize profit at the expense of employees.

According to Allegra World Coffee Portal, Starbucks is the undisputed market leader in the US branded coffee shops with a 40% market share, as well as operating approximately 2 out of every 5 coffee shops.

Meanwhile, Starbucks continues to shortchange its customers, replacing real drinks with powder and syrup concoctions meant to enliven the delivery of their addiction-cocktails of sugar and caffeine while relying on gimmicks to attract customers (say, floating fruit or even olive oil).

Starbucks is also a major battleground of the resurgent labor movement, with 400 union stores and 10,000 unionized workers, according to Starbucks Workers United. Starbucks, as the bastion of progressivism in modern capitalism, responded with classic union- busting tactics including withholding benefits from unionized stores, leading to litigation on several fronts from the National Labor Relations Board, several of which it has already lost.

For everyone who’s not a business

major, “the Starbucks of ____” essentially means becoming the dominant player in a certain industry, and then using that power to extract as much value from your customers and employees as possible.

“The Uber of _____”

In 2023, Uber posted its first annual profit of $1.8 million dollars since going public. You may be wondering, how on Earth this is possible? The answer is a combination of a flush of venture capital funding and, once again, the exploitation of its workforce and customers.

Uber raised $32 billion dollars between venture capital funding rounds and its initial public offering, while being a “poster child of US zero interest rate policies,” as described by Forbes. Essentially, uber received a boat-load of money and had until whenever to make it back.

According to YipitData, ride prices rose by 83% over 45 months between 2018 and 2022. One would hope this increase was fairly directed towards drivers, but according to research by The Workers’ Algorithm Observatory, Uber may be taking as much as 46% of fares during normal hours and 53% of fares during surge hours.

This data was collected by voluntary driver participation and is preliminary— meaning any conclusion can only be extrapolated so far—but the principal point is that as long as Uber controls the marketplace and keeps the process for determining driver compensation opaque, they will hold all the keys and only continue to exploit both their customers and workers.

While traditional economists may lambast this behavior as pure rentseeking—where businesses extract profit from actually productive sectors of the economy without creating anything of

value—purveyors of the digital economy exalt this business model as “The Uber of ____,” or in other words, taking advantage of an existing business relationship and claiming you’re entitled to a lion’s cut for “facilitating transactions”.

“The ___ of Antitrust”

For much of the 20th century, the Sherman and Clayton Antitrust Acts protected the public from excessive corporate power, at least until the “consumer welfare” standard established by the Supreme Court case of Reiter v. Sonotone Corp (1979). Since then, corporate consolidation has taken hold in more consequential (but less fun) industries such as groceries, with the potential merger of giants Kroger and Albertsons.

Thankfully, the FTC and Department of Justice are already taking action against that and similar mergers. Along with litigation, awareness is an important step towards effecting change, especially when it leads to consumer action and political activism. As consumers, there is always the option to shop around, and as voters, who coneven if that means forsaking free delivery and 2-day shipping. Finally, the strength of antitrust enforcement at the federal level depends on who is in the White House and Congress, so bringing out the vote is especially important.

The business folks will tell you that the current economic climate is the hallmark of revolutionary new business models, but don't be fooled: these are some of the oldest tricks in the book. They say with greater consolidation comes greater productivity and efficiency, but that profits only go to their own hands. They’ll play fill-inthe-blank Mad Libs with buzzwords. But the only fill-in-the-blank we need is “the resurgence of antitrust."

editorial: make the vote S

ixteen is the age that teens can get driver’s licenses, work, pay taxes, donate blood and even begin training to enroll in the army. What they can’t do though, is vote for their own school board members, despite being those most directly impacted by the decisions made by this body. There is a precedent for this change; two CA districts, Berkeley and Oakland, have already granted 16 and 17-year-olds the right to vote in school board elections, and they are eligible in the upcoming election. This is a change Redondo should consider making.

Students should be able to vote for their own school board members, who represent them at the district level. By the age of 16, students have experienced being a student at the elementary, middle and high school levels. Compared to many 18-year-old students who have graduated and are no longer as passionate about school issues, 16 and 17-year-olds are still in school and understand the issues students care about.

There is one high school student member on the board, and this is an appointed position, so students have no say in choosing their own student representative. And, while the appointee’s insight is important, it cannot fully represent the needs and complexities of the entire student body in the same way that allowing all upperclassmen to vote would.

Sixteen is the age that most students are high school

by High Tide Editorial Board upperclassmen, which not only means they understand the issues that high school students face better than those who are experiencing high school for the first time, but at Redondo, juniors and seniors are required to take a U.S. history class and a government class.

Some may argue that 16 and 17-year-olds are not mature enough to make decisions like those voting requires, but studies recorded in the National Library of Medicine have shown that skills necessary to making informed decisions are fully developed by age 16. This means that 16-year-olds are just as capable of weighing the pros and cons and researching before voting as 18-year-olds are.

Voting at a younger age may make voting a habit for younger generations, making them more likely to carry this practice into adulthood. Many young voters have low voting efficacy, they believe their vote doesn’t matter, but involvement in local elections can show their immediate impact on government.

By allowing high school students the ability to vote, civics and history courses can become more engaging and effective since the lessons can be applied to real world voting. It would also encourage history department teachers to include more civics education into the curriculum and more practical education like how to register to vote, how the primary work and the importance and workings of district level elections. This

would give students the opportunity to develop healthy voting habits from a young age, such as learning to use trusted sources and not rely on misinformation when making informed decisions on how to vote.

Additionally, the idea that politicians will begin to campaign towards teens is not negative, but can instead empower student voices and activism. Politicians running for a school board office will be concerned with garnering support from young voters and are more likely to listen to student issues and concerns. Politicians cannot solely campaign towards younger voters since, according to the U.S. Census, 77.1% of residents in Redondo are ages 18 and above. This means allowing 16 and 17-year-old Redondo residents to vote, does not mean that the younger demographic will solely determine the outcome of the election, but it means that school board members will view them as voters, not just students.

While granting 16 and 17-year-olds the right to vote in school board elections can add additional expense, it will still allow students who care to get involved with government at a local level and have an impact on those who represent them in the district.

The City of Redondo Beach has the opportunity to become a leader for progressive voting change in Southern California, and must take this vital step to expand democracy.

12

entertainment

A new (and inaccurate) look at history Apple TV series "The New Look" seems promising at first glance; however, it falls short in historical accuracy and plot pacing

by Yasmeen Ford

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aybe it was my short attention span and general distaste for sitting down and staring at a screen that made me rate Apple TV’s recently released series “The New Look” a mere two out of five stars. Or maybe it was the poor pacing and lack of emphasis on the entire point of the show: fashion and its relevance in 1940s France. Thinking about the show, it was probably the latter.

Let me preface this by saying I’m not a huge film person, nor a fashion fanatic.

While I’m not an expert on either of these, I am very opinionated. So if I could describe “The New Look” in a couple of words, I’d detail it as a missed opportunity with a few interesting plot points.

Reeled in by the promise of a distinctive perspective on Nazi-occupied France, viewed through a fashion lens, I delved into what “The New Look” had to offer. A peek into the lives of widely known and celebrated fashi o n icons, Coco Chanel (Juliette Binoche) and Christian Dior (Ben

Mendelsohn) sounds intriguing, right? Instead of an interesting historical drama, I watched a rollercoaster ride of historical inaccuracies and outright fabrications.

In 1947 France, rumors spread that Dior indulged in questionable wartime activities, such as working for fellow fashion icon Lucien Lelong to provide Nazi wives with gowns and dresses. Coco Chanel, on the contrary, closed her boutique out of loyalty to her country.

Throughout the nine episodes of the series, the question detailing what side Dior was truly on is solved. It took almost 10 hours to say that no, Dior was not a Nazi nor a Nazi sympathizer. Rather, he sold clothes to their wives to make a living and support his sister, Catherine, who was part of the French resistance and placed in a concentration camp.

Masie Williams, who played Catherine, was a shining star amidst subpar fashion icon portrayals, played with such gut-wrenching intensity and commitment to anti-Nazi views. Her journey through arrest and imprisonment at the Ravensbruck concentration camp is terrifying, and one of the few plot points that reveal the true nature of the Nazis. The dynamic between her and her brother, Dior, adds depth to an otherwise lacklus-

ter storyline.

Despite this, both Dior’s and Chanel’s views on Nazi occupation were minimized and concealed. I get it. It's a TV show, not a history lesson. But when you're dealing with real-life figures like Dior and Chanel, you have a responsibility to get it right. And if there’s one thing I hate in historical TV shows, it's inaccuracy.

It took ten full episodes for the series to answer the question they posed in the first 15 minutes: What was Dior’s role and intentions during World War II? Through the journey of answering this question, writers could have at least gone into depth regarding the intricacies of fashion, its impact and its significance through such an arduous time. Eventually confirmed in the final episode, Dior never took an absolute side in the war, but to me, that's almost the worst part. Being a bystander in the face of mass genocide doesn’t make you innocent.

It makes you complicit in it. Then there’s Chanel. Honestly, I don't even know where to begin. The series paints her as a victim of circumstance, forced to cooperate with Nazis to save her nephew. While Binoche does do a wonderful job at portraying the competitive nature of the designer, Coco Chanel was explicitly pro-Nazi, an anti-Semite and a homophobe. The show is the opposite of transparent about this. While briefly shining a light on her pro-Nazi beliefs, they do not cover the fact that Chanel quite literally worked for them as a spy. Swept under the rug, the show opts for a sanitized version of events that does a disservice to history as a

ALL PHOTOS VIA IMDb.com

whole.

Perhaps most disappointing of all is the disconnect between the show's marketing and its actual content. The trailer promises a gripping tale of espionage and betrayal, but the reality falls far short of expectations. Instead of delving into the intrigue of wartime Paris, "The New Look" gets watered down in soap opera-esque subplots and thinly veiled attempts at social commentary.

Sure, “The New Look” gets a couple of things right. For the most part, the cast gave a strong performance and captured the true essence of the competitive nature of being a fashion designer in the fashion capital of the world.

However, Dior's performance feels more melodramatic than meaningful. However, Karen Muller Surreau, the costume designer, deserves a round of applause for her stunning work bringing the fashion of the era to life.

So, is "The New Look" worth a watch?

Maybe if you're desperate for some mindless entertainment and have a soft spot for period dramas. But with its sluggish pacing, shallow characterizations and missed opportunities for meaningful storytelling, this series ultimately feels like a missed opportunity. If you're looking for something with a little more substance and style, you're better off raiding your grandma's closet for some vintage couture. Trust me, you'll thank me later.

"Damsel" puts a thrilling spin on an overused trope, making for an innovative story

by Ariya Anvari

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antasy is thought to be whimsical and pretty, but in "Damsel," it meant a blood drenched woman fighting for her life.

Damsel came out on Netflix on March 8. When I hear “damsel” the first thing that comes to mind is annoying stereotypes of women being weak and helpless. But, Damsel avoided these stereotypes entirely. Millie Bobby Brown's character, Elodie, was a brave and powerful female lead, but it wasn’t because she was unafraid or started out so strong. She grew throughout the course of the film, making her feel very realistic and relatable.

Elodie comes from a provincial village in desperate need of money. A royal family ends up offering a large sum of gold for her

hand in marriage, so she agrees despite not particularly wanting to marry him, as she knows the money will benefit her village.

When she comes to the castle, there are obvious red flags, dragon statues everywhere and ominous undertones at times- but Elodie doesn’t think much of it. On the actual wedding day, for part of the ceremony they do a blood ritual to make her of royal blood, then she is unexpectedly thrown into a chasm. She finds out it wasn’t a marriage but a ritual, where she is sacrificed to a dragon like many women before her. Now trapped in a dragon's lair she must fight to survive.

Something I particularly enjoyed was that the film made the audience have to analyze what is actually happening and read between the lines sometimes. There was never a moment that outright said “Elodie is horrified right now” or “Elodie is determined now,” they displayed it through the way Brown portrayed the character. When Elodie was starting to discover the real reason young women were being sacrificed to the dragon, it showed clips of fashbacks she was seeing, that displayed the reasons and showed she was figuring out what was happening, instead of having a narrator fill in the blanks. As a result, it felt like I was figuring it out for the first time, too.

The writing was excellent for this film.

Although some cliches were present like

the inescapable “protagonist with a dead mother,” trope the story overall felt unique.

The story had villains that felt remorse for their actions and villains who were completely irredeemable, which contributed to the villains' characters feeling realistic.

When Prince Henry has to sacrifice a little girl to the dragon later in the film, he feels remorse and is forced to do it. Near the end he even seems like he genuinely regrets his actions, but he is still a villain. The fact that he is not 100% an immoral person makes him seem like a real human and not some fake antagonist who is purely evil and never feels human emotions.

In "Damsel," not only was the writing amazing, but the acting was excellent. Although a significant portion of the film is spent in silence, the acting made it extremely realistic and helped build the character. The painful shrieks were so horrifyingly genuine and human that the story felt raw and real.

The costuming told a story all on its own. As the story progresses and her goals are shifting, Elodie’s dress is torn more and more. Her gown looks completely different and tattered at the end. She started the film scared, only trying to survive, but ended brave and determined, which parallels how she starts with a gorgeous gown. And at the end, she looks completely different, covered in blood, burns, dirt, grime and a

shredded dress.

Overall, the film was amazing both technically and in theatrical execution. I highly recommend it. This is the kind of film that redefines the word "damsel" and illustrates the power of perseverance.

entertainment 13

high tide march 14, 2024

Dune: Part 2 is a modern cinematic masterpiece that masterfully translates its source material's themes of power and control to the big screen

1.

T

DUNE: TWO GOOD

by Daniella Gross

here is not a single word in the English dictionary to describe how I felt watching this movie. No expression could surmount the beauty, terror and magnificence of “Dune Part 2”, which was released on March 1 in theaters. It sent sensations through my bones, quite literally; the immersive Dolby Max experience shook the theater. If you cannot already tell, I am a bit of a “Dune” fanatic, having read the first three books, and can confidently say the world that Frank Herbert crafted is something of a masterpiece and was beautifully translated into the film.

Directed by Denis Villeneuve, “Dune tiful set design and music. Oh, the music.

Part Two” follows its 2021 predecessor, Hans Zimmer, the composer of Dune, was and covers the end of the first book, which my top Spotify artist of 2023 for a reason. is just one in a series of six. Part One be- Zimmer forged new instruments for this gins with the story of Paul Atreides (Timo- movie to capture the otherworldly feel of thee Chalamet), son of Duke Leto Atreides the ginormous sets and rich orange color (Oscar Isaac). The House Atreides is one palette. Zimmer’s tracks are accompaniedof many different familial houses under the Imperial lead of Emperor 1. Soldiers running away from the sandworms Shaddam IV (Christopher WalkPHOTO VIA LEGENDARY PICTURES en). House Atreides falls at the mercy of the brutal House Harkonen and Imperial forces after the Atreides were set up to fail by taking control of a desert planet called Arrakis, which is the sole producer of spice. An addictive drug that is used by the Guild (space transporters) to travel, spice anchors the universe of Dune. Freemen, however, are one of the most important members of "Dune Part Two." Fremen are natives of Arrakis, and after surviving the sabotage of Atreides, Paul, and his mother flee to the desert and join a Fremen sietch.

Bene Gesserit are also especially important to the plot, as they are a cunning cult-like group of religious witches with genetic agendas on the line.

In Part 2, Paul tries to gain the respect of the Freemen tribe he has joined, all whilst falling in love with by unique rattling sand effects, raspy and Chani (Zendaya), a young Freemen girl, booming female vocals, as well as heavy and simultaneously attempting to gain re- electric guitar, bass and electronic sounds. venge on the Houses and Emperor for the A perfect example of the impact that the death of his family by gaining control of the music had on this movie would be the mouniverse and taking the throne. He does ment when Paul mounts a sandworm, a this with the help of his mother, Jessica crucial moment, between Paul and Free(Rebecca Ferguson), a powerful and highly man where Paul gains their acceptance intelligent Bene Gesserit, who has taken on and approval. Villeneuve chose to use a the powerful role of a Reverend mother in powerful score in this moment, the track the siege. Jessica's main means of control titled “Worm Ride" by Zimmer, and the is spreading religious propaganda and leg- main “Dune” riff blasts the moment he ends around to the desert people, attempt- sails through waves of dunes on the back of ing to rally them and promote her son as a ginormous beast, creating a monumental the Muad’dib (a religious name given to moment.

Paul by the Freemen).

Another great factor in this movie was To explain the extensive lore that encap- the color saturation throughout the stosulates this universe the viewer embarks ryline and it's symbolic meaning. I found on is a tumultuous task, so to put it sim- it fascinating how they painted every auply, this movie had the perfect balance of dience member and Feyd Rautha [descenaction, plots within plots, dialogue, beau- dant of the Harkonens] of the Arena scene

a pale white, making sure the set itself was all black. The dullness truly represents how heartless the Harkonens are in their devilish sport of drugging their opponents and feasting on the weak. Rautha, played by Austin Butler, interprets this heartlessness especially well. His performance is creepy

been more of a daunting character, like as Donald Sutherland was in “The Hunger Games.” Walken was missing that looming presence described in the novels.

But what would “Dune” be without an army of sandworms? The ability to portray such massive creatures on screen, making them look so realistic and enormous is something I am still shocked by. With the budget “Dune” had, about $190 million, there was room for incredible CGI, spacious sets and remote filming locations.

Not to leave out the grand and impressive costume design for characters such as Princess Irulan [Florence Pugh], who is the daughter of the Emperor.

I loved Pugh's interpretation of Irulan, and I especially appreciate the armor-like head cover she wore towards an important battle scene. But aside from costume design, Irulan signified importance from just the first 10 minutes of the film.

She opens with an excerpt from the book, catching the viewers up on the plot of Part One, while also introducing herself 2. Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalamet) and her father as principal plot PHOTO VIA LEGENDARY PICTURES points.

Though the movie is acand uncomfortable, it made me shiver. Vil- tion-heavy, there is a special balance of leneuve also does an excellent job of repre- quiet in between the storms. This is harsenting how the Harkonens act on predato- bored by Chani and Paul's budding relary instincts, shown in a scene where Baron tionship. Their chemistry on screen in a Harkonen is left in the desert to die, and hazy desert was powerful to me as a viewer, ants crawl through his ear and feast on his and Zimmer uses a soft duduk (double reed remains, homage to the circle of life in the wood instrument originating in Armenia) wild. The Baron, a massively obese mono- whenever the two are together. I think this lith, cannot hold his body weight and is car- shows the vulnerability of their relationried by suspenders throughout the movie. ship, as we see Paul move towards aristoHe eats without thinking and does not act cratic leadership, and Chani begins to feel on reason. This weakness juxtaposes the betrayed and hurt.

Atreides, who are intelligent and have imOverall, Dune is such a complex story mense amounts of self-control. of politics, religion, lust, power and conThough this movie did a lot of things trol- so much more than spice and worms, well, there was one element in particular (however, every time a worm came on that felt flat: the casting of Walken as the screen, I did lose my mind.) Villeneuve inEmperor. Don’t get me wrong, Walken is a terpreted the books beautifully and truly brilliant actor and is great when portraying put the questionable and cheap 80s movcomedic relief, but the role of the emper- ie adaptations to shame, an opinion I will or felt wrong, and I thought he should’ve fiercely stand by.

Ariana Grande returns to music with "eternal sunshine," a beautiful demonstration of her growth in maturity and vulnerability as an artist by Aaliyah Roberson

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rom heartbreak to love and tus, much production has gone into introgrowth, Ariana Grande makes ducing the aesthetic and message her emotional return to of the album to fans. With music following her threethe pre-release of her sinyear hiatus, with her sevgle “yes, and?,” a new age enth studio album “eternal house track, she focused sunshine.” With the help outwardly on being confiof producer Max Mardent and proud of decisions tin, with whom she regardless of criticisms wrote or produced made by the public. While 11 of the 13 tracks, the statement track meant to Grande explores her address her haters, the song inner thoughts and was ultimately disappointing for perspective on major a comeback and lessened my excitement 1. events and experiencfor the upcoming album because of its es she’d gone through inability to mesh with the rest of the during her hiatus. Looking tracks. The upbeat tone took away from back on the divorcing of her the deeply emotional meaning behind the husband of two years, Dalton Gomez, and other songs and did not fully showcase the the beginning of a relationship with actor extent of the album’s heartfelt messages.

Ethan Slater, themes of ending romance While some of her later tracks were reland exploring new love shine through the atively stiff compared to the more popular album, making it one of her most personal songs off the album, they still held value to to date. Grande exemplifies the develop- the narrative being told. Grande’s correment of her artistic style of pop/RNB by us- sponding tracks, “supernatural” and “true ing melodic rhythms and house influences, story,” showed the contrasting actions of taking on a vulnerable aesthetic sonically throwing blame back and forth in an ending and lyrically. relationship and pleading for its survival.

As this is Grande’s first album post-hia- The latter’s metal bass amped up a slinky

song about finger-pointing as Grande sings “I’ll play the villain if you need me to, I know how this goes.” This fun track shows the festering resentment behind a relationship’s demise, making it easily relatable.

One of my favorite tracks off the album was “the boy is mine”, which takes inspira2. tion from Brandy and Monica’s 1998 hit, “That Boy is Mine.” This lusty song about a forbidden crush that many are now relating to Slater. Despite being referential, the song holds a sound that Grande makes her own.

The track used percussion and boy-band aesthetics to showcase her assertion in making a claim and voicing it.

My only note about this album is that I wish Grande included a song that was leaked prematurely, “fantasize”. This song gained enormous popularity through social media, spawning many edits and other videos to go viral using the sound. I loved this track because of its upbeat pop sound that calls back to the 2000s era of music and speaks about a confident lusting romantic woman. I wish this

song was included in the album because it fits right into the mindset and brings even more color to the piece. However, as an artist's art prospers by achieving their true intentions behind it, I trust Grande had the frame of mind to recognise it was better without it.

Grande released the “slightly deluxe” version of “eternal sunshine” on Monday, March 11, which has collaborations from Troye Sivan and Mariah Carey and additional songs. These songs were fun and enjoyable, but I’m glad they weren’t on the original album because of the story being told. In her seventh album, Grande took back her sound and re-established herself in the pop world, beautifully showcasing her vocal ability, which has only matured since its last use. I would suggest “eternal sunshine” to anyone who wants to sit in their emotions and embrace heartbreak in order to grow, and I will surely listen to this album again. 1./2. Ariana posing for promotional material PHOTO VIA REPUBLIC RECORDS

14

sports

On the Green

Redondo bounces back on their home turf with a 200-216 win

by Claudia Turner

A

fter suffering a defeat to El Segundo and breaking their 17game winning streak, boy's varsity golf took on Torrance in a non-league game with a fiery desire to get back on top. Winning 200-216, the Sea Hawks redeemed themselves during the match on March 8, securing the victory on their own home turf.

"I've been kinda off recently, so [Friday's] game was rough. My putting needs work and the [terrain] was very bumpy," freshman team member Price Currier said.

"But we pulled through in the end. I like to say the first shot isn't the one that matters, it's the follow-up that has the most impact."

The course at Alondra Park was made unusually challenging due to the muddiness and puddles caused by the previous night's rainstorm, giving the players more obstacles to face on their way to the green.

The rain also closed down the full swing range, an area for athletes to warm up before games, throwing off some of the player's pre-game routines.

"A lot of the team ended up going elsewhere to warm up their full swings, but I felt confident in mine, so I stayed," junior Douglas Eastman said.

"I did 30

minutes of chipping and 30 minutes of duration of the game. This amicable attiputting, just to make sure everything was tude is partly formality, but also because fine-tuned for the game." golf is played as a solo game, according to The first group of two players from Eastman. Since there is more of an emphaeach team were a bit slow getting through sis on individual success rather than winthe first par four, and that set the pace for ning over the opponents, many of whom the rest of the game. they will play with again Lasting for just over during non-school tourthree hours, the match naments, the dynamic is was "mentally a marmuch more "relaxed." athon," according to In most cases, golf is "In most cases, golf Eastman, as the stuis a sport where you're a sport where you're not trying to beat andents had to keep their energy and morale up not trying to beat other opponent," Eastfrom beginning to end, man said. "You're trying with minimal time to another opponent, to beat yourself, master rest and recuperate. your sport and improve you're trying to beat "I usually try to constantly. But you're snack and drink a lot yourself, master your also trying to beat the of water along the sport and improve course and play as well way, to keep my eneras you can in those congy high," said Cur- constantly. ditions. I try to encourrier. "Being the age everyone I play with only freshman to do the best they can DOUGLAS EASTMAN on the team, it because, at the end of the JUNIOR can be stressday, we're all golfers on ful to keep up the same course." with everyone. Luckily, the team By the end of the match, when all nine is really friendly, and we all help holes had been finished by each group, each other [assess] the green and the lowest five scores were counted up, inhow we should approach our shots." cluding Eastman's, who had a near-perfect Despite the tensions of a close game of maintaining pars the whole time. match, players were friendly and chatted "I did have a slip-up at the end, meanwith their opponents, whom they traveled ing I had a low score by one or two shots; it with for the

“

was really close," Eastman said. "It's hard to have a perfect round, and I'm very happy with my results. Overall, I felt like the team played well, a definite improvement from our [Thursday] match against El Segundo."

For Currier, who admittedly had a rougher game than some of his other teammates, noticing what areas he needs to improve on is something he takes note of while playing. Despite doing well driving the ball up the course and using his irons near the green, Currier says he "still has a lot of skills to improve at."

"My putting wasn't too good this game, so I'll work on that before the next match, sometimes on the weekend or after school, and probably even at home. On my carpet is where I get my swing down," said Currier.

Next game will take the boys off their familiar home turf as they face off with Santa Monica at Rancho Park. This park is larger than their home course, and will present more of a challenge than the familiar grounds of Alondra.

“I had issues around the green which has been an overall trend for me, so that's definitely something I want to improve on,” Eastman said. “But overall I just want to keep the same mentality, momentum, and swings that have been working for us so far this season.”

GRAPHIC COURTESY OF FREEPIK

Boys basketball wins in round one of CIF State against Montgomery High School but gets knocked out by Damien High School in round two, 74-54

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by Ava Anzivino ollowing up a successful run in CIF, where they managed to go as deep as the semi-finals, boys basketball geared up for the eventful, and certainly challenging, State Championships. Although coming out victorious in round one away against Montgomery High School on Feb. 28, 84-69, the Sea Hawks concluded their season with a devastating away loss against Damien High School on Mar. 1, 74-54.

The team was eliminated in the semis of CIF by Notre Dame, who went on to win the division. According to sophomore guard SJ Madison, playing such a well-known opponent was a big lesson for the team, which they hoped to apply during state.

“Obviously Notre Dame is known for being a good basketball school, so we’ve always seen them as a team we couldn’t beat. But for State, we knew we couldn’t think about that, we just have to play our game,” Madison said. “We’re actually really up there with all the Valley schools. That’s what we have to believe.”

The first quarter against Montgomery started off slow for the Sea Hawks, but they were able to turn it around with a sudden momentum shift in the second quarter that remained alive for the rest of the game.

“We didn’t want to lose, obviously, so we really upped our defense. We were stopping their best player, and then we’d get the ball out in transitions for all sorts of shots.

And that energy definitely stayed with us, even the bench was active the entire time,” Madison said.

Redondo emerged triumphant that night, coming out with a final score of 84-69. This 15 point win made the team more certain of themselves going into what would be their final game against Damien

High School.

“I felt like we were prepared. But I don’t think we realized how that game would play out. We definitely got ahead of ourselves, we didn’t treat it like we were playing a good team, which they were,” senior guard and Captain Devin Ringer said.

The first quarter set the tone for a bleak game for Redondo. Damien appeared threatening, with their seven foot power center junior Nathaniel Garcia radiating intimidation through his height, and his ability to infiltrate Redondo’s signature full court press defense.

“We allowed the big man to keep scoring, and I felt like that really shot our confidence down.

I felt like there was nothing we could do at that point, and that just played out all throughout the game.

There was no switch, only small spurts here and there,” Ringer said.

Even then, Garcia was not the only issue that the team faced.

There were still multiple precise shooters that Redondo had difficulty blocking.

“We were supposed to not let the shooters catch the ball, but that didn’t happen the whole time. Then they were getting open looks off of transitions, and they had the big guy dishing out into the wing or the corner or off of a double team. And on top of that we weren’t rebounding at all,” Madison said.

The Sea Hawks were down by 18 at the half, which initiated a small spark in the locker room that prompted a better drive on the court in the second half.

“You just have to remind everyone that it’s not over until the buzzer. I told SJ and Hudson [Mayes] at halftime that I needed them just as much as I needed everyone else.

Those are my guys, you know,” Ringer said. “Talking to them got us that little spurt during the end of the third quarter and beginning of the fourth, and we were able to cut it down to ten points.”

Unfortunately, this wasn’t enough for the team to remain in reach of a win.

Damien proceeded to use the weakness they’d already witnessed earlier in the game, reverting back to around a 20 point difference for the remainder of the fourth quarter.

“They started going on another run

again, because we started to throw the ball away, and when somebody throws the ball away, they really run with it, so that was that,” Madison said.

The game came to an end with a final score of 74-54, which would simultaneously end their season.

“During the game I didn’t really realize that this was going to be it, but it really hit me after, I’m really sad for it to be over,” Ringer, who is graduating this year, said.

The team was “disappointed” for their season to have come to an end with such a tough loss, but it’s something they’ll “take in” for seasons to come, according to Madison.

“During the end of the third and beginning of the fourth quarter, we really realized we were about to lose. Even when we tried to turn it around, we couldn’t because we didn’t have that mindset right when we got into the game,” Madison said. “Now knowing that everyone’s coming for our heads like we experienced with this, I feel more confident going into next season.”

The loss has only fueled the Sea Hawks for the next season. With only six seniors departing, Madison says they have “high hopes'' for what’s to come.

“We’ve got enough pride in ourselves after this season,” Madison said. “We’re going for it all.”

Senior shooting guard and Captain Luke Neubauer prepares to put up a shot. PHOTO BY CATHERINE WONG

sports 15

high tide march 14, 2024

Boys volleyball swiftly sweeps South High, 3-0

Nishant O'Neil and Ethan Henriquez run down the field. PHOTO BY TALIA PATISHALL

by Celeste Ernau

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oming off their prior win to Santa Monica, the boys volleyball team made their way down to South High School to compete in another in-season match. The team has kept up valiant efforts throughout their games this season, with their overall record at 11-3, and their Bay League record standing at 1-0. Despite South High’s formidable school spirit in the stands, the boys still managed a clean sweep against the Spartans, 3-0 on March 11.

The set started off slow, adding points for both teams' scoreboards without a clear favorite. However, by the fifteen-point mark, the boys gained the traction they needed and pulled the game in their favor.

Junior middle Bobby Bennett emphasizes his team's progression throughout the first set, which led to their dominance at the end, 25-15.

“We weren’t expecting to play this early on, so we started slow, and it was a tied game, but then we started to get some energy, and we kind of got things rolling,” Bennett said.

However, the second set proved to be more complex than the prior. South’s defense seemed resilient making it difficult for the boys to put the ball away, trailing behind 11-14 mid-set. However, the boys were able to tie 16-16, continuing to lose their lead then tie the game back up, until 23-23, where they pulled ahead, eventually

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I knew we had to come in and take care of business; we were favored in the game, and obviously being favored isn’t the best sometimes because you’re subject to an upset, but I think that we handeled it well.

BOBBY BENNETT

closing the set 25-23. Sophomore outside Carter Mirabal highlights the team’s performance and how it impacted the early moments of the second half.

“We were down a lot; I think we need to play more consistent volleyball. We weren’t really putting it in all our serves and giving ourselves a chance to score,” Mirabal said.

With Redondo up by two sets, their performance in this third set would determine a fast win or a continuance to battle the Spartans for the win. According to Bennett, although the Spartans were not the biggest or highest-ranked team, they swung to good spots, making it difficult for Redondo to defend.

“Going up 2-0 is probably the hardest position you can be in because they are looking to fight back”, Bennett said.

The third set was a constant back-andforth battle between both teams. By the end of the set Redondo was trailing behind at 21-17, putting the Spartans in a steady lead to close off the set. However, with a couple of substitutes, the boys were able to come back tying the game in a nail-biter 25-25. In a thirty-second long rally, Bennett scored the final kill to close the set 2725 and secure the win.

Although Redondo was on a clear path to victory from the first set, Bennett notes that the team had to continue to perform to their highest potential, being favored to win or not.

“I knew we had to come in and take care of business; we were favored in the game, and obviously being favored isn’t the best sometimes because you’re subject to an upset, but I think that we handled it well,” Bennett said.

LOOKING AHEAD Boys lacrosse falls to Huntington Beach despite making a comeback, 6-5 by London Carbone

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n their fifth game of the season, the team made numerous improvements missing a few of their stronger play- that benefitted them. They outscored the ers and playing in pouring rain, boys Huntington in the second quarter 2-1, leavlacrosse played a close game on March 6 ing the scoreboard 2-5 by halftime, and against Huntington Beach making a huge again in the third quarter 2-1, ending 4-6. comeback mid-game but falling short with In the fourth quarter, the boys struggled an end score of 6-5. to get one more goal while staying strong In the first quarter, the team struggled to focus, trailing behind 0-3. Huntington’s lead followed them throughout the game, even though the team had a strong comeback. According to senior defensive player and team Captain Jake Lyle, the team struggled to focus and got into their heads after Huntington’s lead.

“At the start Ethan Henriquez looks to shoot the ball. PHOTO BY TALIA PATTISHALL of the game, our nerves were getting to us. A lot of our defensively and not letting up any for the [stronger players] got hurt recently, so other team, ending 5-6. “[As a team] in the beginning, we were pretty individual, and my coaches were a little upset at me for taking the ball myself a lot instead of passing it. But by the second half, we got more comfortable with each other and the new players in our system. We worked together, and that's why we almost got back,” Lyle said.

“Our offense had longer possessions, making sure that our defense rested. They began to score more, and our defense became more confident, Jake Lyle intercepts the ball. PHOTO BY TALIA PATTISHALL and we could we had new guys stepping up, so all those hold them.” nerves were stopping us from our full poAlthough tential,” Lyle said. the team fell According to Lyle, since the weather short, their can't always be accurately anticipated, the strong comeplayers need to adapt to it and maintain back is evihigh intensity throughout the game. dence of their “Our teams often battle like that, and skill and persewith the rain, we only had 20 minutes to verance. Junior warm up. The sport is fifty percent ath- offensive player leticism, fifty percent mental. You have to Tyson McEveety arbe able to know that you're a good player ticulated the team's and know that you can deal with everybody mindset. else. As the game went on, we got more “We were caught off guard comfortable with ourselves and each oth- because Huntington came out firing. er. If we can just start like that every game, It was raining for both teams, but we were then we will be a stronger team,” Lyle said. set back, and they weren't. They had better After their struggle in the first quarter ball control than we thought they would,

and our offense struggled to have longer offensive possession, which didn’t help the defense at all either,” McEveety said. “Then we opened our eyes a little bit and realized ‘It's raining, but we still have to play the game. We still have to try and win.’”

Looking towards future games the team wants to focus on improving their plays, so they can develop as a team and strengthen their ability to work together. “[Looking forward, we need to work on] staying disciplined throughout the game, and playing every team as hard as we can, no matter how good or bad we think they are. It wasn't a lack of effort at all. Even when we're in, we were all trying our very hardest and for the most part having a good time even though it didn’t go our way,” McEveety said. “We need to do what we’ve trained and not freak out in the games. [I want to see us] playing and getting better and growing as a team, while at the same time, keep on having fun playing the game and hopefully start winning.”

Upon reflection, Lyle believes he can optimize his role as captain to improve play execution.

“As a captain, I didn't do enough to talk to everyone and communicate with everyone and make sure they knew what was going on. I need to be a bigger voice on the field, and I need to be able to inspire the younger guys.

We had new guys in this game that haven't gotten as much time in the games.

I want my team to start believing in themselves more and knowing that they're good players and that they can hang with everyone, regardless of their size and their speed. I'm leaving next year, so I gotta give them all the wisdom that I can while I’m here,” Lyle said.

NEXT GAME MARCH 15 VS. PALISADES HOME

in-focus 16

high tide march 14, 2024

S E I M M U D R O F

For Dummies book spine courtesy of Scarlett Mische.

by Cristina Couch and Kat Otey

W

ith the 2024 election underway, it seems the media is overrun with politics. The truth behind this influx of political discussion, however, is hardly displayed for the typical consumer, whose opinion is influenced most directly by national news stations and TikTok comments. Misinformation is a reality associated with every statement, post or political event. Here are some common misconceptions and realities.

What is impeachment?

Impeachment itself does not include removal from office or being arrested. Being impeached can result in removal from office, and alleged crimes can be addressed further in a civil court. At its foundation, the power to impeach is derived from the Constitution, which allows Congress to impeach federal officials for several reasons, such as treason, bribery or other high-level crimes and misdemeanors.

Impeachment can be simplified into a three-step process. The Constitution does not require the first step, but it is often performed: the impeachment inquiry. Only the House can initiate charges, but anyone can request an investigation for impeachment by the House. These inquiries have historically been supervised by the House Committee on Rules or Judiciary. The committees review the accusations, and if they find sufficient evidence, recommend charges or articles of impeachment to be voted on by the House. If any charges are approved by a simple majority of more than fifty percent, the offender is officially impeached and a trial commences.

The articles of impeachment are brought to the Senate, where they either convict or acquit the individual on trial. Members of the House are selected as managers who act as the prosecution, and the impeached individual and their lawyers plead their defense.

The Senate acts as the jury and judge, and the Chief Justice must be present if trying the president or vice president. If they are found guilty by a two-thirds supermajority, the individual can be removed from office. If the Senate rules further, the individual will lose the ability to hold office in the future.

From there, they can be subject to standard criminal prosecution, which involves jail time or further lawful consequences for their crimes. But that is not part of the impeachment process.

How do voters have a "say"?

Within the executive branch, voters elect the president, but the president’s Cabinet and other executive agencies are appointed by the president. In the legislative branch, people can vote for the US House of Representatives in their district and senatorial candidates in their state. The judicial branch is not elected by the people, as Supreme Court justices are appointed by the president and approved by the Senate.

Beyond voting for representatives, initiatives, referendums and recalls allow citizens to bypass the state legislature and enact change within the government, often through petitions. Although not all states give these powers to their residents, California has upheld these liberties since 1911.

The initiative allows citizens to propose laws or state amendments without the support of legislature or government officials.

Proponents start by submitting an initiative draft to the state Attorney General, who then creates a circulating title and summary of the proposal. The initiative then must meet all requirements, provide a petition with the necessary number of registered voters signatures and be verified by county election officials and certified by the Secretary of State.

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We're blessed to be in a democracy, and we have every right and duty to exercise our abilities and do everything we can.

It’s a blessing that we’re here, and it’s a shame if we don't use it.

PAUL CARSON JUNIOR Initiatives can be direct or indirect. Both types require a certain number of signatures to qualify, but direct proposals can go directly to the ballot, while indirect proposals are submitted to the legislature for further action. From there, the legislature can approve the proposal or enact a similar one into law.

Referendum is the act of voting to approve or reject current laws. For a law to be reviewed, it can be sent by the legislature directly to be voted upon, or voters can attempt to subject laws to popular referendum. Propositions can qualify 31 days before an election, whereas initiatives must qualify 131 days prior. Changes proposed by legislation, such as amendments to state constitutions or tax levies, can also be subject to voter approval.

Recall allows citizens to remove an elected official before their term has ended. The only requirement to get a recall on the ballot is enough voter signatures within a given time. Once a recall is approved, it is placed on the ballot and asks voters two questions: “yes” or “no” to recall the official and who should succeed them in office.

imosity and biases within one party against the other have steadily risen in recent years. A Pew Research Center survey substantiated that general trend, stating that 62% of Republicans and 54% of Democrats held unfavorable views of the other party in 2022. Two decades prior, however, only 20% of Republicans and 26% of Democrats, respectively, held those notions.

Some of these biases include the assumption of demographic association, income and extreme ideals representing the majority of the party.

These stereotypes are reinforced as a minority of extremists within these parties tend to voice their beliefs more frequently and in greater volume than others. Their views are often expressed through participation in rallies, political discussions, protests and violence affiliated with their beliefs.

How do presidential elections work?

The general election, the most commonly talked-about step, only comes after months of campaigning and narrowing down candidates.

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If you fit yourself into a category based on what people are telling you to do or because it's the norm, you're not going to fully be able to express yourself, and that's what democracy is all about.

LONDON BROWN JUNIOR

What are political stereotypes?

On both sides of the political spectrum, Democrats and Republicans are guilty of expressing and believing in predisposed stereotypes of their partisan counterparts. According to a 2024 study by the National Library of Medicine, the an-

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Social media has positive but mostly negative influences. A lot of people like to hate speech on candidates without knowing their actual policies, it helps to sway opinions for people who don’t really know the full picture.

KEVIN SON JUNIOR

The process begins in the spring of the year before the election, when candidates announce their intent to run for office. Although there are certain restrictions on who can run, especially for president, this step in the process is generally open to anyone.

What follows is the beginning of the candidates’ campaigns and debates, which continue through the spring of the next year (2024).

During this time (January through July), candidates are narrowed down to those most likely to gain the greatest public support.

The final candidate for each party is chosen via the primary elections. Candidates are voted on only by members of their own parties. These are called “closed primaries."

On “Super Tuesday,” voters in 16 states, including California, choose their general election candidates. This is the most state primaries in one day, hence the name.

Only then does the election move into the final stages of the campaign tour and the most widely publicized debates. General voting then opens in the fall of 2024, and the final choice for president, considering both the general vote and the electoral vote, is chosen by the end of the year.

The Presidential Inauguration happens on Jan. 20 of the following year.