High Tide: Sept. 10, 2021

ht high tide

1

THE VACCINE

E D I V DI

irus oronav r c e h t What e means fo me vaccin and why so art RUHS—ts want no p studen of it

3

2

Sept. 10, 2021 Vol. CII Edition 1

INSIDE THE

ISSUE

2 NEWS RBUSD offers free breakfasts and lunches to students

11 OPINION Gavin Newsom’s recall can either make or break our state

Redondo Union High School Redondo Beach, CA

14 SPORTS

RUHS alumna Atonye Nyingifa competes in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

4 1, 2: BY HANA GARDNER. 3: BY RIDER SULIKOWSKI. 4: ILLUSTRATION BY CECILIA APITZ.

www.ruhsmedia.com

@ruhsmedia

2

news

POOF TO THE POWER PLANT

PHOTO COURTESTY OF JIM STADLER VIA MICHAEL LEE

The South Bay Parkland Conservancy is advocating to get rid of the Redondo Beach Power Plant

by ELISE HAULUND

W

hen Redondo Beach residents look out over their coastline, they are met with views of the Applied Energy Service (AES) Corporation power plant. The South Bay Parkland Conservancy (SBPC) is advocating for its removal, leading up to a final decision to be made in October 2021.

The California Water Board mandated that power plants with a once-through cooling

system, such as the AES power plant, begin to phase out in 2010.

Despite this, the AES power plant, built in 1954, has been continuously extended as an emergency power facility.

SBPC President Jacob Varvarigos says SBPC was formed in 2004 with the intention of turning the land under the power plant into a community park.

Varvarigos acknowledges that it is a big task to remove it, but ultimately believes it is important.

“What that area could provide our region, as far as recreation space, native habitat and commercial is truly an opportunity that is worth fighting for,” Varvarigos said.

Though it is worth it, Varvarigos recognizes why it can be hard to convince people to help.

“One challenge is you see this huge monolithic structure, as if it can never go away, as if it was always there, how impossible the task to remove it is and

how daunting the idea is to have it gone,” Varvarigos said. “I think most people think that it is impossible and that it can never happen, so that from the start dissuades them from trying.”

Senior Michael Lee is the RUHS Student Ambassador to SBPC and helps raise student engagement in the organization. However, the removal is difficult to push through, as Gov. Gavin Newsom worries that California will go into a complete electricity shutdown due to extreme heat, and thus has called for all power plants to exist as emergency backup.

Though present as an emergency power facility, the power plant takes 12 to 24 hours to power up, causing the SBPC to question its necessity and usefulness in an emergency.

“Edison [the primary electricity supply company for much of Southern California] can tell this power plant to come online so it can generate electricity, but it takes more than 12–24 hours to come online. On top of that, the electricity it produces doesn’t even go to Redondo Beach. In addition, because all its parts are so old, you can sometimes see that when the smoke comes out, it’s only coming out of one pipe, because half the other ones are just non-operational,” Lee said.

To Lee, it is “insane” that the plant is still present over 10 years after its removal being voted on.

Lee cites the plant’s pollution, carbon emissions and threat to marine life as reasons for its removal.

The removal of the AES power plant is supported by most of the Redondo Beach City Council, as well as many CA government individuals. The barrier, according to Lee, is both the company having the final say and “outspoken individuals.”

“There have been opposition groups to our organization because though we’re nonprofit, we still get grants from the city to do our projects,” Lee said. “As soon as people start seeing money coming into an organization, they start questioning if it’s really necessary.”

SBPC has been advocating since 2004, but more recently started a Change.org petition. Lee, who hopes to “leave an environmental impact” in his last year at RUHS, does work to gain publicity.

“All throughout registration week, I ran a table with the picture of the smoke spewing out of the power plant on the table and for the people who did walk up, I would tell them what our [SBPC’s] efforts are with the power plant and such. I’ve gone around on websites like Nextdoor and Patch where you can talk with other neighbors, and tried to tell them about what we’re doing with the power plant and gain their support,” Lee said.

Although the petition, “Shut Down Redondo Beach AES power plant,” has gained over 1,000 signatures, it still won’t turn the tables if they wait until October to present it, according to Varvarigos.

“We shouldn’t delude ourselves into thinking that this isn’t a long term effort. It’s going to take many years and it’s hard to put a time frame on that, so that’s why it’s daunting,” Varvarigos said.

Despite the intimidation factor, Varvarigos maintains that “there’s a lot of committed people who are willing to come together.” To students looking to make an impact, SBPC as an organization hopes to be open to these ideas.

“Once you start getting curious about your own neighborhood, you start seeing things and seeing opportunities,” Varvarigos said. “It just takes passionate people to come together.”

RUHS is offering free meals to all students this school year

by HEATHER LEE

N

ewly limited choices of lunch and snack—spicy and regular chicken sandwiches, orange chicken, teriyaki chicken, grilled cheese, mac ‘n’ cheese, turkey croissants, cheeseburgers, pizza, PB&J’s and Cocoa Puffs—have raised concerns that the universal free lunch program at RUHS has reduced the quality of food offered to students.

First introduced last year when the pandemic sent students home and left many parents income-less, the universal free lunch bill was able to continue through the 2021-2022 school year due to an unexpected budget surplus at the California Department of Agriculture.

Funding is not a problem for districts all across the state.

“I mean it’s free food, but I definitely think that ever since they started the free food program, the food has gotten worse,” senior Michael Farah said.

While he often is still hungry after buying, Farah notes that the quality is usually decent and has relied on school lunches since his freshman year.

“Before, you had Italian, Mexican, Asian, hamburgers and salad. Now, there only three options: nasty microwave pizza, teriyaki chicken with driedup rice and the only decent thing is a chicken sandwich,” Farah said. “[At snack,] you can’t buy anything now. No more chips, not even a water bottle. But I think the portions stayed the same.”

In response to these worries, Jillian Navarro, the director of RBUSD’s Child Nutrition Services, and Rita Johnson, the RUHS Child Nutrition on-site manager, would like to reassure students that the currently limited menu is only temporary. Food is on its way.

“We didn’t know how many students to anticipate,” Navarro said. “Since [the lunches] are free and we’ve never had that before, we tried to limit the selections to keep the lines going. Hopefully, the fewer the choices, the less time to decide.”

One of the biggest complaints the district had previously received from students was about the long lunch lines that had kept kids hungry and idle.

Another part of why so much about school lunches and snacks have changed for the new school year is actually due to COVID restrictions. In order to avoid “back and forth transactions,” the cafeteria cashiering method has been switched to a new cashless system where students simply swipe their student IDs instead of punching in their four-digit codes.

“It makes the line go so much faster,” Johnson said. “Of course we have little kinks, but for the most part, they swipe and they’re gone.”

At the snack bars where cups of Cocoa Puffs greet students instead of the beloved cookies, the importance of a faster line surfaces again. As Navarro explains, shorter lines mean more space for students to avoid close contact with one another. Cookies have to be baked and handled by staff before being sold

to students — packaged cereal is mostly contact-free.

Limiting the ever-evolving menu also serves to keep things simple, a way to combat another side effect of COVID: a national staffing shortage.

“You hear that restaurants are experiencing labor shortages. Well, so are we.

We’ve tried to make the menu as easy as possible for the staff, and by making the menu items easier to prepare, they can get into the swing of things at least in the beginning,” Navarro said.

Johnson and Navarro have observed that their staff can handle the demand of 800 students and counting at lunch, and Johnson has been slowly preparing to bring back high schooler favorites, like Domino’s pizza or nachos.

“We’re definitely sticking to their favorites of what we remember they liked, and we’ll be bringing them back,” Johnson said.

Regardless of the menu’s limitations, the quality and nutrition of the food are managed so that they stay the same by the US Department of Agriculture’s strict standards. After all, the priority is making sure students stay healthy and fed.

“We’re just trying to serve as many students as we can, as fast as possible, so they still have time to eat, socialize and do what they need to do,” Navarro said.

Students taking advantage of the free lunch option. PHOTOS BY RIDER SULIKOWSKI

HIGH TIDE SEPT. 10, 2021

NEWS 3

Privy to the pronouns Teachers in higher numbers are asking students for their gender pronouns, and students are feeling seen

by HADEEL AZZAM

O

ver the last year, people have been encouraging others to be more accepting and respectful towards people of the LGBTQIA+ community; a popular practice has been asking for one another’s pronouns in order to not misgender them.

This can be seen around campus with some teachers starting to ask students to say their pronouns during ice breakers or writing them on introductory “About Me” forms. Teachers such as statistics, precalculus and geometry teacher Emily Hannigan do this to make their students feel more comfortable.

“It’s important to have each class have their students say their pronouns so that it’s clear for everyone and everyone feels accepted,” Hannigan said.

Having an open opportunity to tell their classmates and peers their pronouns can be a great weight lifted off of transgender students’ shoulders. Many students such as junior Bo Little, who identifies as non-binary, feel that asking these questions assists in creating “a healthy environment for students.”

“In the past, a lot of times, people would

“

It’s important to have each class have their students say their pronouns so that they feel accepted.”

EMILY HANNIGAN TEACHER

say ‘I could call you [they/them] but I’m not going to,’” Little said. “Now I can confidently express myself without feeling suffocated by people who don’t understand using different pronouns or people who don’t want to use different pronouns for me.”

Similarly, genderfluid junior Mel Ron feels “relieved” when students and teachers

ask for their pronouns as they “weren’t previously respected.” For Ron, having school be a comfortable place for them can be extremely beneficial for not only their learning environment, but their mental health as well.

“That immediate comfort [of having

What pronouns do RUHS students use?

“

Having someone ask for my pronouns makes me feel so accepted.”

7

percent

MEL RON JUNIOR

people ask for your pronouns] just washes over you,” Ron said. “Having someone ask for my pronouns makes me feel so accepted.”

Many people are not accepting of people’s pronouns and choose not to use or acknowledge them. This is the case for some students like Ron and Little who don’t always feel “validated” by other people’s lack of preferred pronoun use.

“People who aren’t accepting and choose to make that apparent to me are just not people who are worth my time,” Little said.

“Having teachers validating our identities in school when a lot of us may not get that at home is really nice and really helps make the school better.”

Although there is still a long way to go for full acceptance of the LGBTQIA+ community, Ron and Little feel that it is an important step to equality and is greatly beneficial for the community to continue improving.

“I’m glad that people using different pronouns is now more common. I try to educate people on it so I really like that people are now starting to understand different pronouns since it makes me feel more accepted,” Little said.

of students do not identify with she/her or he/him pronouns

54 percent identify as she/her 40 percent identify as he/him 3 percent identify as they/them 2 percent identify as any pronoun 2 percent identify as she/they or he/they ACCORDING TO SURVEY OF 280 STUDENTS COURTESY OF @RUHSMEDIA

Mental health and wellness counselor Rachel Andrews starts a wellness center

by ERIKA GLASS

F

or the first time in our school’s history there is a Wellness Center being launched, a safe space on campus where students can relax and destress, according to the school’s mental health and wellness counselor Rachel Andrews.

“I think it’s something that they always wanted to have here. We were the only premier South Bay school that didn’t really have [a Wellness Center],” Andrews said.

After extra government funding from COVID-19 created the mental health and wellness counseling position at RUHS, Andrews was “really excited,” as it was a role she had long been advocating for. In this role, Andrews

PHOTO COURTESY OF SCDPPS

will be running the Wellness Center, which she hopes will act as a go-to place for students in need of a mental break.

“At the Wellness Center, the goal is for students to decompress in a judgement-free zone,” Andrews said.

“Whatever it is that’s on your mind that you’re trying to come to peace with and deal with, the Wellness Center will help get you to that place where you’re ready to do it.”

Andrews plans on having the Wellness Center open for anyone anytime, especially during nutrition and lunch, and will always be available for individual counseling, which will mainly take place during class time.

Aside from offering counseling, Andrews will be releasing Panorama surveys, which pertain to education, to the students in order to get input on their needs and what she should do and include in the Wellness Center.

“I highly encourage everybody to take the Panorama survey when it’s pushed out and to be honest about it because I’m going to look at every single person’s responses. Students are going to change every year and the needs are going to change every year,” Andrews said. “I think the most important thing is that we’re always assessing and evaluating what students want and need and how we can provide it.”

Andrews not only values student feedback, but she also sees the importance in the success of the Wellness Center, which currently only has funding for two years.

“I think it’s so important that it’s successful so that we continue to have a space like this and a person for students forever,” Andrews said. “Having the center 100% funded for the students helps create a sense of

peace and just overall connection on campus and helps kids feel appreciated.”

Currently, the Wellness Center is an empty space, a light and airy room with numerous windows. Soon, however, it will be filled with artwork, carpets, couches and yoga mats, as well as calming music and the scent of essential oils.

“I really want it to be a very welcoming and inviting space that has the ability for anybody to come in and feel relaxed,” Andrews said.

On various days, Andrews will have guest speakers come into the Wellness Center and talk about different mental health topics. Going forward, she also plans on having a distinct mental health theme and focus each month in the Wellness Center, and will host workshops tied to that focus.

Andrews feels that the Wellness Center, which will be COVID-19 safe by requiring masks, having air purifiers going, opening the windows and wiping down furniture, will have a powerful and helpful impact on the students and the school, as she views mental health as something that is “so so so important.”

Counseling intern Morgan Spires, who will be in the Wellness Center every Thursday and Friday helping Andrews run it, feels similarly about the Wellness Center and the positive effect it will have. Spires looks forward to helping students and being someone they can talk to at the Wellness Center, which will be located in the CTE building next to room 164 and is set to open later in Sept.

“When I was in high school I didn’t have a Wellness Center, so I’m excited that this will be available for students,” Spires said. “I hope that students utilize it, and I hope that through it we are able to help people turn bad days into good days.”

4

features A

s students inch closer and closer to their future careers, many have taken it upon themselves to participate in summer internships. Senior Bradley Bennett participated in the Eve and Gene Black Summer Medical Career Program, an online surgical internship held by The Los Angeles Pediatric Society.

“The program was mainly focused on pediatrics. Each day, different doctors came in,” Bennett said. “They talked about their jobs, what they do in their jobs, and about the different pathways they took to get to their jobs now,” he said.

Even though this program took place online due to present COVID-19 restrictions, Bennett was still able to observe each surgery up close and learn from top notch surgeons.

“Since the internship is all online, you get to watch them do the surgery live. The coolest thing is being able to see the doctor do each surgical procedure,” he said.

Though

the majority of his internship was spent staring at a screen, watching other doctors perform surgeries, in just a few weeks Bennett will get to see the procedures in person, as he will be shadowing a surgeon throughout a surgery.

“You finally get to go through the operating room with them and watch the surgeon do their procedures right next to you.

It’s pretty cool,”

he said.

This is just the beginning of Bennett’s surgical career, as he plans to study medical sciences in the future.

“I know I want to go into some kind of STEM field, whether that be biotechnology or medicine,” Bennett said. “This internship definitely gave me a better perspective on the field of medicine.”

1. Photo from surgery Bennet witnessed. The doctor in the center is named Dr. Koenig and he is an orthopedic surgeon.

PHOTO COUTESY OF BRADLEY BENNETT

2. Zoe Inzer wearing Red Cross merchendise. PHOTO COURTESY OF ZOE INZER 3. ILLUSTRATION COURTESY OF ALEXANDRA D’AMATO

SUMMER

INFORMATION COURTESY OF US NEWS, ABC NEWS, AND MILLENNIAL BRANDING

1

Students spend their summers getting a head-start into their future careers

M

any students are using internships as a way to further their careers before they even begin, such as junior Zoe Inzer, who participated in a Red Cross Internship at the Los Angeles Chapter.

“I’ve been a member of the humanitarian mission for a very long time now, so I wanted to contribute this summer by helping the communications department,” she said.

Inzer was able to contribute in multiple ways, as she did their marketing work, ran their social media, and controlled press releases, using this summer as an opportunity to advance her knowledge of communications and marketing.

“A lot of the work that I dealt with was in the wake of disasters, such as wildfires and home fires. We needed to respond really quickly, so something I learned to do well is how to evoke a message. You need to get the right information to the right people at the right time in the right way,” she said.

Inzer plans on taking up her skill of communications professionally, as she aims for the business world.

“I was thinking about marketing when I applied for this internship because nowadays, one of the biggest markets is marketing or occupations.

I really

by MIA SCHRIFT AND ALEZAR FORBES

of high school students are found to be “very” interested in volunteering or work experience

Oplatka was also able to establish connections despite the internship being held online, and with the aid of his guides, he became better equipped t o

S wanted to e m brace that so I could do this internship, have better experience, and support a mission,” she said.

of companies agree that high school internships can help students get into better colleges Inzer had some important take aways from this internship: she learned that despite her introverted tendencies, she was able to learn how to engage herself in social situations.

“You learn to communicate by putting yourself out there,” Inzer said.

“Communication can be as little as one click and as big as saving a life.”

enior David Oplatka dipped his toes in the vast waters of his potential future occupation.

Studying to be a math major in college, Oplatka took an engineering internship at Boeing, a major aerospace and engineering company, to calculate how his eventual major may play a role in his future job.

Although his internship was held virtually due to covid restrictions, he still had a meaningful experience. Through Boeing, Oplatka learned the ins and outs of an engineering firm, learning how to make a “Gantt chart, which creates a timeline for the en-

tire proje c t ” a n d make “CAD model[s] which [he] used [his] experience from robotics to show manufacturing cost analysis.”

conquer this new engineering environment.

“I was able to network with Boeing employees that are also applied mathematicians and data scientists,” Oplatka said. “I got to grab lunch with one of my mentors and we got to talking to each other, and I bonded with people that I’ve never met before.”

HEART HIGH TIDE SEP. 10, 2021

FEATURES 5

1

TO HEART

Senior Andrea Guevara started a medical organization, Valoralasvidas, to promote heart health within the Latinx community

by SARA MIYAKE-SINGER

1. PHOTO BY ANDREA GUEVARA

H

eart disease is one of the biggest definitely through social media. Right now causes of death with 17.9 mil- our Instagram account has over one thoulion people dying of it annually sand followers, and I think that a lot of peoaccording to World Health Organization ple get quick and easy information through (WHO). To combat misinformation and it,” Guevara said. the lack of awareness Guevara was inspired about it, senior Andrea to start this organization Guevara started her own because of her family’s past medical organization history with heart disease. called Valoralasvidas to “I felt like there aren’t promote heart health I saw how much good resources on [heart and healthy eating hab- my family strugdisease prevention] and its within the Latinx that many people are iggled and didn’t community. norant about it. I saw how Valoralasvidas is an want others to go much my family struggled organization that runs through the same. with it and didn’t want mainly through its webothers to go through the site and social media acsame thing,” Guevara said. counts on Tiktok and In- ANDREA GUEVARA “I also thought spreading SENIOR stagram. Through blogs awareness is particularly and videos written and important since COVID is made by students in both Spanish and En- going on and people with underlying conglish, followers learn of ways to live health- ditions are at high risk.” ier lifestyles.

Because Guevara started this organiza“The main way we spread information is tion during the height of the pandemic, she

“

SIGN OF THE TIMES Junior Malia Natividad learned American Sign Language for her language credits

found it difficult to find volunteers to help Guevara to get in touch with specialists. out. But through videos she’s posted on so- She finds this “frustrating” but is constantcial media, she’s managed to gather several ly working to find new ways such as virtual student volunteers from various schools in events to expand the organization.

In the future, Guevara hopes to talk to the Los Angeles area. dieticians and cardiolo“It was pretty hard to gists to continue with her get the word out at first plan on organizing a virtubut I managed to recruit al event promoting healthy kids from schools from diets. She also plans to around the area. It’s a work in the medical field great way to earn com- I want to do all to continue to help others munity service hours that I can so less and currently takes various and we offer several jobs science and math classes to like video editor, blog people will prepare for it. writer and translator,” have to suffer.

“This is really important Guevara said. “Right to me because of how much now, due to restrictions, it affects my community. I I’m not able to meet with ANDREA GUEVARA hope to reach more people them but we regularly SENIOR and more communities in contact each other and the future and keep doing work together on articles this for a long time. I want to do all that I and videos.”

Another challenge that has surfaced is can and hope to incorporate it into my fudifficulty in organizing events. Restrictions ture career so less people will have to sufon meeting people have made it hard for fer,” Guevara said.

“

standing the deaf community.

“I think [ASL and ASL culture] should be more mainstream and taught because it’s a whole ‘nother culture and language,” Natividad said. “And it’s really interesting but there is just so much people don’t know because it isn’t really taught or talked about. I was actually really disappointed when I came to [RUHS] because I wanted sign language to be my language but it wasn’t offered.”

After she completes her ASL education, high school, and gains her Seal of Biliteracy, Natividad wants to become a lawyer, as well as a certified interpreter.

“I want to represent people who struggle to have a voice,” Natividad said. “I feel like [the deaf community] is a group of peo-

ple who are underrepresented in the real world. Obviously the communication gap is a big part of that and I feel like [I] could be a good bridge.”

Natividad’s desire to work with, to understand, and to represent others is a motivation that she has carried with herself and continues to carry as she pushes to become a real voice for those who need it.

“I think everyone should try to learn about another culture,” Natividad said. “It doesn’t even have to be deaf culture. There are tons of cultures that are underrepresented and I would challenge people to try and understand that just because [a way of living] may work for you doesn’t mean it works for someone else. And, It never hurts to know a little more about someone else.”

by ETHAN LERNER

A

t some point or another every high COVID she has had to miss out on different schooler needs to take a world lan- opportunities such as deaf events and festiguage class as a part of their lingual vals where she would have interacted with education. The road most travelled is to deaf individuals.

“Signing with my professors in person pick the option your older friend or sibling is really cool, it’s actually said was easiest; however, really scary, but it’s still junior Malia Natividad really cool to have [interchose a more thorough actions] in person, and and hands on option, to even online,” Natividad learn American Sign Lansaid. “Sometimes [signguage (ASL) through El ing] is actually hard and Camino College. sort of limited because I “I was always interestdon’t know anyone pered in [ASL],” Natividad sonally who can really unsaid. “And I’ve always derstand sign language.” wanted to learn multiple According to Nativilanguages. When everydad, the culture of deaf thing shut down I had people is “neglected” and the opportunity to take MALIA NATIVIDAD there is still a large gap in [an ASL] class and I re- JUNIOR community and language ally enjoyed it and I felt between different groups, like I learned a lot about exemplified by millions [ASL] that nobody tells of audibly-disabled people in the country. you about anywhere else.”

Natividad has had opportunities to com- However, learning of the differences and municate in ASL with her professors, all of difficulties of the everyday lives of deaf whom are deaf themselves, over Zoom and people, like simply going through a drive occasionally in person. However, due to through, has brought her closer to under-

“

It never hurts to know a little more about someone else.

PHOTO FROM FREEPIK

HIGH TIDE SEPT. 10, 2021

FEATURES 6

PHOTOS COURTESY OF: JESSICA KAPLAN AND (4) AVA CELESTIAL

3

1

MarchingOn

4

2

RUHS students compete in DCI competition that took them all the way to Indianapolis

by EMILIE TAKAHASHI & ROMI RISS

S

he got goosebumps on her arms from the sound waves and seeing the standing ovation from the audience.

Senior Courtney Schatan, mellophone player in Pacific Crest, knows you won’t find this at a football game.

Due to the pandemic, professional marching band organization, Drum Corp International (DCI) only traveled to schools in California and went to Indianapolis for finals week. The performers live out of their suitcases and sleep in school gyms and lobbies on air mattresses for the five weeks they spend working on their show.

Schatan compares the experience to living in a messy room with 120 people.

“Some people think I go because I want to get better or just want to have a good time, but the reason that I go is because I want to be a part of something bigger than I

could ever accomplish alone. I could be the absolute best performer in the entire world but I couldn’t get there without everyone else,” Schatan said.

Nearing the end of the season, the veteran players would wake up the group by playing the corp song in the sleeping area, which had Schatan close to tears.

“Your entire life is music so your corp song is so important to you. Then in the morning you have so much emotion, you’re just flustered and the sound just traps you, and you are embraced by the sound,” Schatan said. “I hate videos of it, because it just does not capture the full meaning of the moment. It’s just not the same.”

The morning wake-up did not compare to the experience of the final performance: the excitement, passion, and heightened emotions made it unforgettable. Standing

at the final pose, senior Brendan Prasad, euphonium player in Pacific Crest, knew he would never perform that show again.

“One of the greatest moments was standing there with thousands of people in the audience. I’ve never seen that before and as I’m playing that last night and I’m putting my horn down the whole summer flashed in my head, like what did I just do,” Prasad said.

The final performance was produced from rigorous practice and long hours.

Their schedule requires them to be on their feet for twelve hours a day, not to mention practicing in 100 degree heat.

“The first week was just painful. Being there, sleeping there, striving for perfection in our leg shape and technique, working to make every small detail perfect, then waking up and repeating that, was shocking

physically and mentally,” Prasad said, “It was the people there that got me through it.

We were all very supportive of each other because we all understood we were going through the same thing.”

Under challenging rehearsals and unique environments, a tight bond formed between students with shared passions. No matter the hardships, they all can agree it was worth it for the irreplaceable memories of DCI. “No one would torture themselves this much to not love it. This is the most amazing experience you could ever have in life.

You create a family you didn’t know you could create in six weeks,” Schatan said, “Everyone cries saying goodbye to each other. As much as you want to go home, there is a part of you that wishes it never ends.”

Tristan Lu wins SUPERIOR AWARD at International Yamaha Concert

by MIA DOWDELL

H

e takes his seat behind the mahogany grand piano, the stage becoming his island amongst a sea of parents and judges in the front seats.

Recalling every note in his head, he feels that every hour of practice has paid off. This setting is all too familiar to him: he takes a breath, and places his hands on the keys.

If things had been different this year, this is how freshman Tristan Lu would have performed his piece “Espionage” at the international Yamaha Music School National Concert, to which he won the superior award, the highest award in his age division. Instead, Lu played his piece in a small studio, accompanied by an accordion player and a camera that recorded him.

“I was really excited and honored to share my music with the world, although I was a little disappointed that I wouldn’t get to travel and perform live in Japan,” Lu said.

Lu has been playing piano competitively since he was four years old, inspired by his older sister who also began playing at this age.

He has won various other awards for his abilities, including a national Yamaha competition for his composition “Storm” in 2018 and various other competitions in 2019 and 2020. Despite the accolades, Lu said that he was taken aback by this award.

“It was a little surprising that my composition was chosen out of so many others, but I was glad that all my hard work and dedication over a year had paid off.”

In this competition, contenders were required to compose their own pieces and perform them to

a panel of judges. The recordings of these performances were compiled into a YouTube live stream, and these judges would then determine a composition’s qualification to the next round.

For his most recent piece ‘Espionage,’ Lu looked to various sources for inspira-

tion. According to Lu, the piece centered around the story of two spies who fell in love.

“When I was composing ‘Espionage’, I started by looking at movie scores or video game scores, anything really. Then when I found an idea that I really like, I started

working on it,” Lu said. “I spent the whole year working on ‘Espionage,’ so usually for these competitions it’s only one piece I compose per year.”

Something that became unique to this year’s competition was the absence of a stage to perform live on. While recording dilemmas such as audio cuts or poor video quality may have presented some issues, Lu said he felt these challenges, but he also tried to make the most of the situation.

“When you’re performing live, you only get one take, but when you’re recording, you can keep trying to fix all of your mistakes,” Lu said. “Recording is a lot more stressful though because performing live is over quickly, but recording takes a lot more time and there’s a lot more pressure to get everything perfect.”

With various other interests and career paths in mind, Lu said he “isn’t sure” if he wants to pursue music in college. That being said, Lu will continue to play the piano for fun even if he chooses not to practice professionally.

“Learning to play piano has taught me a lot of different skills, like the importance of practice and dedication, which I think has made me more thoughtful,” Lu said. “I like having my own interpretations of music. Being PHOTO COURTESY OF TRISTAN LU. hable to express myself through music has been really important to me.”

HIGH TIDE SEPT. 10, 2021

FEATURES 7

LIGHTS, CAMERA,

ANIMATION ANIMATION Sophomore Lola Diehl created an animated short and participated in an art program over the summer

by JESS ALVEAR

F

or four weeks this summer, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. 6 days a week, sophomore Lola Diehl spent her days on Zoom exploring and expanding her creative side. She created her very own animation, titled “Night Ride,” through the California State Summer School of the Arts (CSSA) where she took part in a summer intensive animation program.

“The whole inspiration behind that film was how much I enjoy driving around Los Angeles at night and the feeling when you look out your window and you have your Airpods in and are watching all the city lights pass by while you’re in the car. So, I tried to recreate that. I don’t know how successful it was but it means a lot to me,” Diehl said.

The summer intensive entailed a lot of drawing, meeting guest artists who work in animation and animating with different materials such as her computer, paper and with a flipbook. On top of all the animation projects each week, she had to complete a 60 page sketchbook, approximately 120

pages of drawings.

“I had to turn in a lot of work in a short amount of time which was very stressful.

I couldn’t go back and change things and think about how I didn’t like the way it looked. I just go ‘I’m done, I’m done.’ And looking back, I think that’s kind of quirky and special,” Diehl said.

The program had approximately 60 people, including international students. These students were able to meet with professionals, who have studied the art of animation.

“This is a common thing to say, but the people around me inspire me. But really, it’s small creators who make work and even though it takes them forever and they don’t have a studio to do it, they still do amazing work. These are the people who inspire me to be like ‘I really want to do that’ and I am glad there is still a market and people who are still passionate about creating good work,” Diehl said.

Growing up, Diehl’s parents “always encouraged her to be creative so she became interested in art at a really young age.”

“I got into animation because I was worried that art and drawing wouldn’t be enough for me. So, I kind of turned to animation as a way to add a little more to my passion for drawing.

It’s such a cool process to add a person and a life to drawings and make a story out of it,” Diehl said.

In addition to being an animation program, CSSA also offers other areas of study such as visual arts, dance and theater.

“I was honestly disappointed at first when I found out it was going to be virtual.

But, I knew it was the right decision for the safety of the students. It was still super fun and an amazing experience. I am probably going to try to go again and do it in person because it’s apparently one of the best things you can experience,” Diehl said.

Diehl believes the process of turning

ILLUSTRATION

BY KATELYN PERRY

in work faster, without much thought, helped her not dwell on what she could do to make it better.

“Sometimes when things aren’t perfect, they end up being more memorable and special than you might think. So, if you make something that’s kind of ugly you can think, ‘wow it’s so cool and so ugly,” Diehl said.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF EMILY ROBERSTON. ILLUSTRATIONS COURTESY OF CANVA AND KATARINA BECHES.

MAKING A RACQUET

2

Robertson balances tennis and online school 1

2

3 1) “This was during a practice match with one of my friends. Playing practice matches is one of the best ways to train for tournament,” Roberston said.

2) “I was playing a match in a Level 4 G16 tournament in Seminole, Florida. In this picture I’m returning a serve with my backhand,” Roberston said.

3) “I was the finalist at the Level 3 Henry Talbert Championships G16 in San Diego,” Roberston said.

020: sleep, tennis, school, repeat.

2021 is the same.

While students across campus finalize schedules, sign up for clubs and readjust to learning on campus, junior Emily Robertson has decided to continue learning remotely with the independent study program. As a varsity and competitive tennis player, her training takes her to the Gomez Tennis Academy in Florida. She has an “intense” training schedule: tennis in the morning, academics over lunch, more tennis, and then homework for the rest of the night.

“I switched to the online [curriculum] the second semester of last year, and it was way more flexible for my schedule,” Robertson said.

According to Robertson, independent study comes with its pros and cons.

“It is more difficult to understand certain topics when a teacher isn’t there to help you, but I got used to it. It fit my schedule better, and I wasn’t as stressed,” Robertson said.

It helps, she mentioned, that the course material is “thorough.” Other than a daily check-in and the ability to schedule one-

by LUCY DAVIS on-one Zoom meetings with teachers on a necessary basis, this curriculum is completely asynchronous.

“They try to make it as detailed as possible,” Robertson said. Lessons build up to quizzes, then study guides and eventually tests at the end of each unit. “It’s a lot of material to help you study and make sure that you’re ready.”

Though she likes the lesson plans, Robertson’s course selection became more limited once switching online.

“Independent study offers some AP classes, but not nearly as many as there would be if I were in-person. I was in AP European History first semester last year, but when I switched curriculums they didn’t have it and I was a little disappointed. I had to move to regular history,” Roberston said.

Learning remotely—first on Zoom, then asynchronously with independent study— also changed Robertson’s social circle.

“At the beginning of COVID, I thought, ‘okay, this is a good change.’ It felt like I could get away from everything, and I needed that. Then after a while, I wanted to go back. But I started to drift away from

my school friends and made more tennis friends. So, at the end of the day, I don’t have a lot of school friends, just tennis friends—and that’s okay,” Robertson said.

Despite completing credits off-campus, Robertson still wants to have the “normal” high school experience. Attending school dances, for example, is still a welcome possibility.

“I feel like prom would be really fun. I’d still want to go, because I’ve heard so many good things about it. I’d still want to go to [school dances] because I feel like they’re a part of high school. I want to experience those things; I don’t want to miss out on that just because I am also prioritizing tennis,” Robertson said.

For the foreseeable future, though, Robertson predicts that she will continue with independent study.

“With the way things are going now, I think I’ll stay with the online program,” Robertson said. “I’m much happier with the way things are now, since I’m able to do what I want on my own terms. A lot could change in the next year, but with the way things are going now, I think I’ll stay with the online program,” she said

IN-FO

8 HIGH TIDE SEPT. 10, 2021

AROUND

REDONDO

Q:

INFORMATION

DO YOU BELIEVE ALL RUHS STUDENTS SHOULD GET THE VACCINE?

CONTAGION

All student names have been changed to preserve anonymity.

S

ince the FDA approved the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for 16-year-olds in April 2021 and later for 12 to 15-yearolds in May 2021, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data shows that over 450,000 Californians aged 12–17 have received at least one shot of the vaccine, 73.7 percent of all residents (people 12+). Despite the fact that 79.9 percent of 12–17 year olds in Redondo Beach are fully vaccinated, RUHS has already accumulated 16 current positive COVID-19 cases.

While there are some “breakthrough” cases, in which fully vaccinated individuals test positive for COVID-19, vaccines have been proven to “flatten the curve,” with over

by ELISE HAULUND

WHY THEY

O

WON’T

ne student, senior Jane Doe, is opting out of taking the vaccine because she doesn’t feel “at risk.” Despite this, Doe reasons that as the risk factor gets higher, it makes more and more sense to take the vaccine whereas as it gets lower, it makes less and less sense to take it.

“I don’t see the point of getting a vaccine that is experimental,” Doe said. Note that this is an untrue claim. The vaccine is not “experimental” and the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine which is available for teenagers has received full FDA approval. “If you have some other pre-existing disease and you’re older, you should be getting the vaccine. That’s the case with my parents. They know they are older individuals who are more at risk. So they have decided to get the vaccine.”

While Doe upholds that getting the COVID-19 vaccine is a personal choice, she believes that other preventative measures, such as mask-wearing, are social duties (“If I can wear my mask, why can’t you?” Doe said).

Doe also believes it’s important to take precautions regardless of vaccination status.

“I do understand the component that if you get COVID you have the risk of spreading it. But, I think that if you get the vaccine, you also have a risk of spreading it too.

So, once you start seeing the symptoms, you need to isolate yourself. It’s the same thing when you have the vaccine, and you’re starting to see the symptoms. You need to isolate and that’s your personal responsibility to society to protect other people,” Doe said.

In applying for colleges, Doe is also omitting those that require vaccines from her list of potential schools. This includes all California schools that are mandating the vaccine for students and professors.

“I guess it makes it easier for me to choose a college, because it allows me to better see the values of those colleges and that they’re not allowing the freedom to choose for their students,” Doe said. “I feel that that’s so unreasonable.”

Cities Health District (BCHD) to set up vaccine We provide the opportuniclinics, such as ties whenever possible to get one at South Bay the vaccine, but everybody Adult School on AS OF SEPT. 9, has a choice as of right now Sept. 2, 2021, there is no vaccine mandate RUHS HAS whether or not they want to in public schools yet. get it. We did a lot of inforWith regards to the possimation nights to disperse inCONFIRMED bility of a vaccine mandate formation to allow people to STUDENT for schools, Silberling stated COVID-19 make educated choices. that they have to “wait to see CASES what comes down from the state and/or from LACDPH.” JESSICA SILBERLING “Our number one goal is to keep RBUSD COVID COORDINATOR CONFIRMED schools open and provide a safe STAFF 90 percent efficacy rates for the Moderna and learning space for students as well as a COVID-19 Pfizer-BioNTech double-dose vaccines and safe working environment for employCASE over 60 percent efficacy for the Johnson&ees,” Silberling said. “So, we provide the Johnson single-dose vaccine, according to the opportunities whenever possible to get the CDC. vaccine, but everybody has a choice as of RBUSD Covid Coordinator Jessica Silber- right now whether or not they want to get it. ling is in charge of managing the district’s We did a lot of information nights to disperse response to COVID-19, including centralizing information to allow people to make educated communication by being the one individual in choices.” charge of storing and managing information, Although there is evidence of the vaccines’ benereviewing Los Angeles County Public Health fits, there is still a substantial portion of people who Department (LACDPH) guidelines, and acting are skeptical of the safety of COVID-19 vaccines, which as the vaccine liaison for the district. were first granted emergency use authorization by the “We follow exactly what we’re told to do FDA in late 2020. In August 2021, the Pfizer-BioNTech vacby [LACDPH]. We don’t have discretion with cine was also granted full authorization by the FDA, making those protocols. We have to follow what they it the first of the three to reach this standard. produce and what they give us,” Silberling One student, senior Jane Doe, is opting out of taking the vacsaid of how RBUSD institutes health protocine because she doesn’t feel “at risk.” Despite this, Doe reasons that cols. as the risk factor gets higher, it makes more and more sense to take the Though the district has worked with Beach vaccine whereas as it gets lower, it makes less and less sense to take it.

“

The Pfizer CO cine has been for all ages 12 misinformatio vaccine still c cine hesitanc

18 1

m

will receiv rental c no curren would mak “I just w consent to get the freedom to m If I were to get the million chance occu dad to blame himsel that choice for me,” M Despite a relatively h positive COVID-19 tests not only the COVID-positi posed” to quarantine as well.

While the state of Californ absence and students can coord complete, it is still a lot of time o year to simply attend on Zoom. As seven full days of quarantine if they r negative test on days five, six, or seven Major says she feels anxious at schoo sick is not the only concern of not being v “It’s just the anxiety of missing school,” ably fall into a sinkhole. I’m taking an un missing two weeks of those would make m

OCUS

HIGH TIDE SEPT. 10, 2021 9

YES.

I do [believe all students should get the COVID vaccine,] I believe that everyone who has it available to them should get it.

When the vaccine first came out, I couldn’t get it because I have a heart condition and they weren’t sure if it was safe for everyone yet. I did take it and it was safe for me.

I think that those with medical conditions should stay safe, but those are the only people with real excuses.”

-CATHRYN CONROY, 11 1

YES.

OVID-19 vacn approved 2 and up, but on about the causes vaccy

2

It will stop the spread and save the lives of the ones who are at-risk. Also we can start to get better as a community if we debate over this less.”

-FINN MCGONIGLE, 10

WHY THEY

J

CAN’T

3

YES. The rise of cases we have had so far in just the minimal amount of time we have been at school should already be a concern and more of a reason why we should all get vaccinated. We should also be required to prove our vaccination status, as it is not a HIPPA violation.”

unior Marie Major In addition, Mafaces the opposite jor’s barrier to getting issue, wherein she vaccinated has contribdoesn’t have the freedom uted to making her feel to choose to get the vaccine. detached from her friends.

Despite wanting to get vacci“It’s isolating knowing nated against COVID-19, Major’s that my friends are able to mother won’t allow her to. move on with their lives, like “The anti-vax people are always walk into stores, go to school or saying, ‘My body, my choice, I want take off their mask between passto have the freedom to make these ing periods, and they’re able to live decisions without for myself,’ fear. It’s but why can’t I what pains have that same me the most 4 freedom?” Major that everyone said. “If I was to get who is vacThe anti-vax people are always saycinated is able to COVID right now, the take one step forillness and the repering, ‘My body, my choice, I want to have ward, and they’re cussions would be on the freedom to make these decisions for able to move on with my mom’s choice that she myself,’ but why can’t I have that same their lives, and yet made.” freedom? If I was to get COVID right I’m never going to be at Major’s hope is that a bill now, the illness and the repercussions the place that they are,” pass allowing minors to would be on my mom’s choice that she Major said. ve the vaccine without paThe vaccination conflict consent; however, there is made. has not only taken a toll on nt bill in consideration that Major’s individual and social ke this possible.

MARIE MAJOR life, but on her relationship wish I didn’t need parental JUNIOR with her mom as well. Major this vaccine. I want to have shared that though she didn’t litmake this choice for myself. erally lose her mother to illness, e vaccine and if that one in a she still feels as if she lost her to the pandemic. urs and something were to happen to me, I don’t want my “I love her, and I love her hugs, and I love her food, and I love lf, or I don’t want my mom to blame my dad for making it when she’s there to comfort me, but there’s always this thought Major said. in my head that she is so blinded by politics and what she reads on high vaccination rate among Redondo Beach teenagers, the internet that she’s willing to put her daughter’s life at risk over her are still occurring throughout the school, necessitating really strong opinions and beliefs,” Major said. ive student to stay home but also all those deemed “exMajor, one of many students who want to get the vaccine but whose l. parents won’t allow it, stresses the privilege of living in a country and comnia considers time spent quarantining to be an excused munity where vaccines are normalized, available, accessible and encourdinate with teachers to catch up on any work they need to aged. off school without the option from the 2020–2021 school “I just wish people who got the vaccine understood how lucky they are and s of Oct. 11, students will be able to return to school after how grateful they should be to have parents who care about the science and remain asymptomatic after exposure, and if they receive a care about their health enough to protect them,” Major said. “And for the people n. who are making the personal choice not to get vaccinated, but who have parents ol “all the time” over getting COVID-19. For Major, feeling that are pro-vaccination, I just want them to really sit and think about what’s really vaccinated. stopping them.” ” Major said. “Two weeks off of school, and I would probnhealthy amount of AP classes, and just the thought of me want to drop out of school.”

-CHLOE SEEBODE, 12

“

IT’S

PERSONAL. It’s up to the individual. If you want to put yourself at risk for dealing with such a serious virus, I think that’s up to you. If you want to protect yourself, that’s up to you as well.”

-SAMARAH NUQUES, 11

1, 4. PHOTO BY CHRISSA OLSON 3. PHOTO COURTESY OF CHLOE SEEBODE 2. PHOTO COURTESY OF FINN MCGONIGLE SYRINGES VIA CREATIVE COMMONS

10

opinion Later and Longer

HIGH TIDE

Later dismissal times have a negative effect

T

by ALLIE D’AMATO

wo hours and 20 minutes. That is how much free time we lose each day now that we have switched back to 2:55 dismissal days instead of 12:35 dismissal days. I understand that last year was considered an exception, being that we were in the midst of a global pandemic at its peak and therefore, some things were adjusted accordingly (like our school bell schedule). However, after coming back to school in person and being forced to attend classes for longer periods of time, I’ve realized that getting out later is wildly inefficient and disadvantageous.

On the first day of school, I was excited about coming back to see all of my friends and meet all of my teachers, but as I sat in different classes for hours, I felt like school was interminable. Towards the end of the day, I found myself constantly questioning when school was going to be over.

I guess I’ve been conditioned to find shorter days normal, as have many other students. I remember when I got home from school that the first day, I read the time as 3:11 PM, and thinking nothing of it, I immediately crashed; when I woke up, the clock read 7:09 PM. I thought, Is this really how it’s going to be for the rest of the year? Granted, it is kind of my fault for taking such long naps, but I partially blame our late bell schedule as the reason I was so tired that day.

When we had 12:35 dismissal days, I didn’t feel exhausted after school ended; in fact, some days, I would be motivated enough to start my study guide questions or think of leads for journalism stories. But after going back to 2:55 dismissal days, I’ve noticed how fatigued I feel when I come home. The fact that we are actually in person now and are subjected to some physical exercise instead of sitting on Zoom all day may also contribute to fatigue, but I strongly believe that making students stay at school later has a negative effect on our alertness, as well.

Longer days usually imply more instruction in class; after the bliss of 35-minute classes on A days and 80-minute block periods on B and C days last year, my attention span can’t go back to persevering through regular block periods. I feel as though I’m pushing myself to absorb information and pay attention in class now, and I end up drained by the end of the day.

Another big problem with 2:55 days is the fact that students don’t have as much free time as they did before. When we were let out around lunch time last year, I could allocate more time for homework; I usually finished my work before dinner, and I was able to spend the rest of my afternoons talking to my friends on Facetime, watching fun shows/ movies and going to bed at reasonable times.

Now, I’m struggling to find time to complete my assignments. Over the course of the school year, my workload is guaranteed to increase, and seeing that I’m involved in athletics, AP courses and extracurriculars, it’s going to be hard to stay on top of everything. Those two hours and 20 minutes that I now lose each day were valuable to me, and I’m sure

ILLUSTRATION BY ALLIE D’AMATO

many o t h er students would say the same.

I know many teachers feel differently than I do regarding later school days; I’ve heard some mention how shorter days put them under stress, forcing them to condense lesson plans.

They struggle to get through the curriculum with such a limited amount of time, and they feel as though the students aren’t learning as much as they should. However, several of my friends and I didn’t feel rushed last year, and I believe that I got the most out of my classes. I did fine on big assessments/essays and AP exams, and I learned more last year than I have any other school year. So why not just stick to 12:35 days?

Honestly, I don’t think I’ll ever be completely on board with returning back to 2:55 dismissal days, and I could go on and on about the benefits of being released from school at an earlier time. But, looking past the change in our bell schedule, I fondly anticipate being fully back in person this year; later days can be fatiguing, but nothing beats spending time with your friends and being able to talk to them face-to-face.

RBUSD discontinues the use of mandatory green screens

R

by TROY NEVIL

eopening schools in the middle of a pandemic requires many rules and regulations, and this school year has proved to be no different; masks are required indoors, and students are encouraged to keep a 3 foot distance from each other in the classroom. However, the once mandatory symptom-screening tool used in the 2020-21 school year has been eliminated for this coming school year.

Walking into registration for this school year, I filled out the symptom-screening tool used in the previous school year, and once I showed the guards my green screen, I was told that it was no longer required. In order to find an explanation, I decided to do some research.

After visiting the Beach Cities Health Department (BCHD) website, which previously included the link to the symptom-screening tool, I found out that as of Aug. 30, the old symptom-screening tool questions are now on a PDF; parents are encouraged to ask their children these questions before arrival to ILLUSTRATION BY school. However, I continALLIE D’AMATO

80%

of parents don’t screen thier children

57%

STATISTICS BASED ON A STUDENT SURVEY

of students don’t screen themselves

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Nadia Bidarian Chrissa Olson Meghan Jacob NEWS EDITORS Elise Haulund Erika Glass Sara Miyake-Singer

Green Screens get the RED Light ued to wonder: what prompted this change?

Conducting further research, I found that the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LACDPH) no longer required schools to screen students prior to entering campus, but it did encourage school districts to continue doing so, or develop a questionnaire that parents would conduct at home prior to school arrival. As a result, RBUSD decided to modify the screening process, as per Dr. Steven Keller’s letter on Aug. 13, 2021.

This information did clear up the reasoning as to why these screenings weren’t required anymore, but I still felt incredibly uninformed about this change. Even my parents, who are supposed to ask me these questions every day, were unaware.

This begs the question: is our district not being transp a r e n t

STAFF

enough with its students? Although parents, guardians, and staff did receive an email about this change on Aug. 13, students themselves were not very aware of it, and parents seem to be dismissing it as well. According to a High Tide Google Form, 80.6% of respondents’ parents do not ask them screening questions prior to school arrival.

While I do applaud the district for its hard work and dedication to keeping its students safe, it is important to notice the flaws as well, that way we can work towards keeping our students and staff even safer. With more communication among students, we can all work together to feel safer in these unprecedented times, especially with the now prominent delta variant.

The COVID-19 symptom-screening tool and process used by RBUSD in the 2020-21 school year did its part in preventing an outbreak at RUHS. However, we need to understand that there are many more students on campus this year compared to last year. This means that our regulations and safety precautions should be even stronger than last year.

By encouraging symptom-screening instead of mandating it, we are taking a step back in ensuring our students’ safety. Because our campus has 3,000 students currently, we should create more complex and robust screenings that will ensure every student who enters campus is healthy, without COVID-19 symptoms.

Every week, RUHS has more students that test positive for COVID-19; unfortunately, this is inevitable considering the time we are in. However, to keep things from getting worse, we must start implementing more mandates and regulations that are required, or else there is a high chance students and parents will ignore them.

FEATURES EDITORS Katarina (Haven) Beches Mia Dowdell Ruby Crosthwait OPINION EDITORS Allie D’Amato Emilie Takahashi ENTERTAINMENT EDITORS Heather Lee Zelia Lerch SPORTS EDITORS Ty Soria Jess Alvear WRITING EDITORS Simra Zargar Mia Schrift COPY EDITOR Romi Riss ONLINE EDITORS Ben Ringel Ria Lopresto Ansel Reyes Troy Nevil ADVISOR Kerri Eastham

STAFF WRITERS Kat Otey Micah McFadden Yaya Kitagawa Meara Fay Marlie Cornwell Stavyah Naveen Ethan Chi Sadie Simmons Marley Van Pelt Sydney Lamich Hadeel Azzam Lara Magdesian Lucy Davis Rome Kanouse Strachan Ambrosi Michael Aprahamian

Ava Warman Ella Silberling Lauren Greene Zoe Rossi Sarah Bronstein Ryan Parhizi Andrew McKenna Madison Kurihara Lauren Choy Laura Strazerri Rena Felde Erin Hartman Jade Montoya Nicolas Tomsio Yara El-Hasan Ethan Lerner Sydney Palmer Cristina Couch

PHOTOGRAPHERS Pete Paguyo Petrey Celina Moreno Meagan Ching Rider SulikowSpencer Rogski ers Elizabeth Sascha Perdue ILLUSTRATORS Carly Carter Cecilia Aptiz

Katelyn Perry Heather Lee

LETTERS TO THE

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

OPINION 11

HIGH TIDE SEPT. 10, 2021

Reject the ReCAll

by BEN RINGEL

G

avin Newsom’s recall is a petty, immature excuse for democracy. The recall offers no actual benefit for California but opens up the possibility for a host of Trump 2.0s with very little support to have a genuine chance at becoming our next governor.

Now, the recall rules are tricky. The ballot has two questions: Do you want to recall Gavin Newsom? And, if the governor is recalled, who do you want to replace him? So, if a majority of people answer yes to the first question, whoever has the most votes out of the 46 other candidates becomes governor.

This means that even if 49 percent of people vote to keep Newsom as the governor, a new governor would be instituted that only needs 15-18 percent of the vote, according to The Washington Post.

While this is constitutional, it seems far from democratic; there’s something pretty counterintuitive and backward about removing a governor from office for a candidate with actually a lot fewer votes. I can understand why some people are frustrated with Newsom, but his approach to handling the pandemic was largely successful.

Newsom’s vaccine rollout was efficient,

If California doesn’t wake up, Gavin Newsom’s recall could be a detrimental backtrack from the progress we have made his mask mandates were necessary, and his careful reopening of schools was on track with the opinions of public health experts.

Was online school annoying? Yes. Was watching Newsom’s kids go to in-person private school annoying? Yes. Was watching him dine out after telling us we shouldn’t be annoying? Yes. But, that doesn’t mean his pandemic policies didn’t save numerous lives; any bout of out-of-touch hypocrisy doesn’t take that simple truth away.

Newsom has a strong record of bold, progressive action.

He’s made steps towards abolishing the death penalty and has been pretty responsive to the Black Lives Matter movement. During the pandemic, he proposed the largest state-wide economic stimulus ever, expanded housing, rent-relief, and anti-poverty programs, and authorized free school meals for all. He’s made significant strides in climate policy (investing toward the end of fossil fuels) and healthcare policy (boosting Obamacare subsidies and expanding Medi-care for undocumented residents).

With a net worth of 20 million dollars and a history of working his way around his own pandemic rules, I understand how many find him to be out-of-touch with reality, but his liberal policies have pushed California forwards.

However, his opponents’ platforms jeopardize the work Newsom has done.

As if we haven’t had enough of public figures dabbling in politics, conservative radio host Larry Elder is the leading opposing candidate. Elder denies the existence of systemic racism, opposes gun control, is anti-abortion, wants to abolish the minimum wage, thinks it’s acceptable for employers to ask women if they plan to have children before hiring them and still uses the term “illegal aliens” to refer to undoc-

umented immigrants. He also says, if elected, he plans to reverse the statewide mask mandates and the requirement that teachers, school staff, healthcare workers and state employees either get vaccinated or get tested weekly (because God forbid we keep our schools and hospitals safe). His ex-fiance has also accused him of verbal and emotional abuse, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Another lovely candidate, John Cox, a businessman who travels on his campaign with a live bear, denies the seriousness of Covid-19, is against cutting out fossil fuels and rejects homeless housing initiatives.

Candidate Kevin Faulconer, a former San Diego mayor, has come forward with few policy proposals but welcomes endorsements from a host of Republican lawmakers. Kevin Paffrath, a self-proclaimed “centrist” candidate who doubles as a finance Youtuber, was arrested in 2019 after dressing up as an elf for a Youtube prank. Lastly, we have Caitlyn Jenner, a former reality TV star who, while increasing trans visibility, has zero experience in politics and seems to care more about celebrity than equality.

Any of these candidates would be a backtrack from the progress Newsom’s administration has made. The middle of a raging pandemic is the last time where we should be focused on choosing a new governor, especially when all of the other options are more concerned with popularity than public health.

Additiona l l y , c o n testing the governor would o n l y

Athletes suffer from a stigma around mental health; Simone Biles works to fix it

kickstart a relentless cycle of recalls. The same way some Republicans have begun to chant “impeach” anytime Joe Biden breathes the wrong way, Democrats will almost certainly try to recall any conservative governor. Abusing the recall process is only going to lead to greater misuse.

There’s no question as to whether Republicans will rally to the polls. Now, it’s up to the Democrats who dominate this state but can’t be bothered to vote to ensure that we protect ourselves: the election of a Trump 2.0 is incredibly preventable.

Even if you can’t vote, it’s up to us all to make sure our eligible friends and family do. Healthcare equity, the state of the pandemic, the future of climate change, anti-racism, the homelessness crisis, gun safety, abortion rights, immigration equity, and California’s soul and reputation are on the line.

Newsom’s loss would be California’s greatest failure in a very long time. I’m begging you to take this seriously.

46

other candidates

1 candidate would need 1518% of the vote to win

by RUBY CROSTHWAIT

S

imone Biles entered the Tokyo Olympics as far more than a gymnastics prodigy. She was the inspiration for Black athletes nationwide.

She was the face for the Summer Games for NBC. She was the leading voice against sexual abuse after she spoke up against the crimes of the doctor for the USA women’s gymnastics team, Lawrence G. Nassar. She was an idol to young women everywhere.

So when Biles withdrew from the Olympic gymnastics team all-around on Jul. 27, fans made it seem like she threw the world on its axis. She had to assure reporters that her condition wasn’t physical, which led to further confusion. Why else would she quit and leave her team hanging? Why would she let the nation down?

Her reasons can be filtered down to one main cause: stress. Only a couple years ago, an athlete of Bile’s status may have been reluctant to admit they struggled with pressure, much less to have withdrawn in the middle of the Olympics. But Bile’s situation made her a danger to herself as she developed a condition only familiar to fellow gymnasts: the “twisties,” a condition that causes gymnasts to lose control of their bodies while spinning through the air. Recognizing that she would only be endangering herself if she continued, Biles had the courage to acknowledge her vulnerability publicly.

And Biles isn’t actually the only athlete to cite mental health issues in recent years.

Tennis star Naomi Osaka withdrew from this year’s French Open rather than shoul-

der what she thought to be invasive questions from the media. Michael Phelps also started discussing his struggle with depression and suicidal thoughts before the 2016 Olympics in Rio. Research cited by the Athletes For Hope foundation found that up to 35% of elite athletes suffer from mental health conditions which may manifest as anxiety, depression, eating disorders, overtraining, self-medication and suicide.

That’s millions of athletes; so why have only a few spoken up?

The answer lies in the culture and environmental factors that surround athletics, especially at the professional level. Athletes of any sex, gender identity and sexual orientation suffer from stigma surrounding mental illness, in part related to the the toxic masculinity surrounding athletics that makes athletes feel they need to appear resilient, for if they don’t they would be risking their playing time, starting roles or endorsements/ sponsors. Not to mention t h e

PHOTO COURTESY OF CREATIVE COMMONS

extreme internal perfectionism that only worsens overly critical self-evaluations, and therefore makes professional athletes stay clear of visible vulnerability.

Mental illnesses in athletes also stem from factors other than doing well athletically. In the Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine, an essay on psychological factors in athletes states that 32% of male and 15% of female athletes recall sexuality-related bullying when engaged in school athletics. Hazing and bullying are both common but dangerous practices in athletic culture. 60% to 95% of college athletes who were the victim of hazing stated that they would not report their incident, some of the reasons being allegiance to fellow teammates, fear of retribution, uncertainty in authority, normalization of hazing behavior, and victim-blaming, with the perception that participants choose to be involved with hazing activities.

Beyond the team, fans also choose to harass players, a recent form being when three Black soccer players on the English team faced racial abuse after their defeat to Italy this past year.

One of the most vulnerable periods for an athlete

is the period of “imminent achievement,” where athletes are in their developmental phase before reaching elite-level status. There is often a heightened level of stress and dependence on coaches and training staff, which in turn leaves the athlete more vulnerable to predation. The pre-athlete is more likely to tolerate inappropriate behavior rather than compromise their future careers. Lawrence G. Nassar, the prior team doctor for the United States women’s national gymnastics team, sexually assaulted at least 265 young women under the guise of medical treatment before he was convicted.

The list goes on for factors that can easily induce mental illnesses in athletes, including injuries, abuse from coaches and more. Being an athlete myself, I only know the experience of high school volleyball, being white and heterosexual in a privileged neighborhood. The excessive pressure that professional athletes have to face, especially being a person of color, of a sexual minority and on the world stage, is something that some of us can only imagine. It’s thanks to people like Simone Biles, Naomi Osaka and Micheal Phelps that the stories of mental illness in athletics are told, and we must help the conversation continue for the sakes of athletes worldwide, from small stages to the Olympics.

12

entertainment

Disc

at the

D ANC I N G

Skaters enjoy the colorful lights and loud music as they watch and take a break.

PHOTO COURTESY OF NATALIA QUESADA.

asis

A garden-turned-roller rink opens up in Palos Verdes

by SYDNEY LAMICH

A

fter walking down a long path in the South Coast Botanical Garden, visitors discover a retro disco-themed roller rink filled to the brim with glitter and performers shaking it out on the dance floor.

In Palos Verdes, the garden is now home to DiscOasis until Labor Day weekend where many people can enjoy roller skating, dancing, food trucks, arcade games and photo-op opportunities. For junior Eli Hughes, it was a night to remember.

“There were people dressed as famous characters from different pop cultures, most notably from the 70s,” Hughes said.

“Almost everyone was wearing elaborate makeup and costumes which made it even more extreme from the get-go.”

From bodypaint to astronaut costumes to neon lights, DiscOasis is anything but

1

boring according to Hughes, making it the perfect place to take Instagram photos.

“There were many photo booths, but not the traditional photo booths where it prints out your pictures. You could actually scan it with your phone and automatically upload the pictures to your camera roll, which was really cool,” Hughes said.

In addition to the many photo booths, the roller-rink itself was a highlight for Hughes.

“I had never skated before, but this rink was a great first experience,” Hughes said.

“All the skaters were at different levels of experience, so even if you fell, when you got back up, everyone was nice about it.”

The roller-rink and all the amenities DiscOasis has to offer are outside, allowing people to see the Botanical Garden.

“You can briefly see distant flowers, bushes, and palm trees which surrounded

1: Althernative Solar Power album cover. PHOTO VIA THE STANFORD DAILY

2: Lorde biking after recording.

PHOTO COURTESY OF LORDE PROMOTIONAL EMAILS

Secrets From a Girl (in her new album)

by KATARINA (HAVEN) BECHES

L

orde’s long-awaited third album is here. The New Zealand native’s latest release, “Solar Power,” is one fans have been begging for. She has kept “Pure Heroine” and “Melodrama” lovers on the edge of their seats as she took a four-year hiatus from releasing and touring to focus on her mental health. As a proud Lorde fan, I can say that although the wait was long, the results were absolutely impeccable.

Although the album cover suggests lightheartedness and happy-go-lucky music, “Solar Power” is anything but. “Solar Power” is an anthem for the end of summer, when it finally hits that your opportunity for flings, freedom and late nights that blend into morning sunrises have come to an end; it’s an ode to melancholia and well-wishing nostalgia.

Before I continue praising Lorde’s genius and ability to capture feelings and spe-

cific moments in a music score and lyrics, I must confess that I was—gasp—disappointed the first time I listened to this album. I thought all the songs sounded the same and the finished piece was sub-par compared to the hype surrounding it. As a Lorde fan, this was hard to admit to myself. However, as I listen to the album over and over, my opinion changes and now you can find me singing praises from the rooftops.

What I love about Lorde is how she writes such poetic prose and lyrics that she can literally make you feel whatever she is feeling, and usually, you can connect with it. She utilizes her lyrical genius to capture feelings of reminiscence, wistfulness and what I imagine a lazy summer day spent eating warm peaches and cold lemonade to feel like. Inspired by nature, this album definitely elicits wistfulness and maudlin thoughts.

the skating rink,” Hughes said. “The palm trees were lit up with different neon lights, which looked really cool.”

Not only were there flowers and strings of neon lights surrounding the area, but a DJ and fog “engulfing” the dance floor, according to junior Sydney Hyon.

“All the lights and music were the most iconic thing. The actual rink felt like it was in the middle of nowhere. With everyone dancing and the fog, the atmosphere felt almost like a nightclub,” Hyon said.

While the outdoor event is making masks optional, the only thing DiscOasis strictly enforces is their vaccination policy.

All attendees are required to be vaccinated to attend. Despite the multiple positive parts of DiscOasis, it still had some pitfalls.

For example, Hughes noticed problems with the floor of the rink, including warping. Junior Mia Calvo additionally thought the “high” price of the tickets was a problem, with tickets ranging from $29 to $80 per person depending on the time and day.

“Even though it was a little expensive, the whole place felt ethereal,” Calvo said.

“The roller rink was circling a stage with performers decked out in glitter which made it feel like I was living in the 70s.”

As a result of its colorful escape from reality, all three juniors can agree that DiscOasis was a night to remember.

“I highly recommend DiscOasis,” Hughes said. “This place definitely has the opportunity to be a big deal if it happens again in the future.

Sometimes it felt like the obscureness and murky noises in the background of songs make the listener lose sight of Lorde’s lyrics, but that just means that every time you relisten, you notice something different. Noting this, I do not think “Solar Power” offers the same level of diversity in sounds as “Melodrama,” which will always remain my favorite.

It is incredibly hard to rank the songs on “Solar Power,” and my choices are incredibly individualized. In my opinion, music is personal—you either connect with a song or you don’t. I really connected with Lorde’s messages of self-doubt, regret and the feeling of what to do when everything seems to be falling apart. Yet, her metaphorical light at the end of the tunnel depicted in several of these songs, such as “Secrets from a Girl (Who’s Seen it All)” was also something I appreciated and related to. Recognizing this, I do want to note my top songs because if you’re not going to listen to the whole album, you should listen to these.

My top three songs are “Fallen Fruit,” “California” and of course, “Secrets from a Girl (Who’s Seen it All).” The first song discusses the climate crisis we are facing, with intricacies and references to the modern world that convey a call to action. I was initially entranced by the choir-type intro and felt a flash of deja vu from choir day at my church. This song is worship; Lorde is praising the earth and all it does for us, and the sadness that comes with the knowledge that we are steadily killing it. These notes of wistfulness and worship definitely make

it an interesting listen.

“California” is another critique of society, in which Lorde notes how ingenuine life as a celebrity is. “California” is an ode to Lorde’s past life when she was caught up in the glamour of being newly famous; when people were infatuated with her love life and talent. The beauty of fame disintegrated into heartbreak and sickness when Lorde realized that the life everyone thinks they want is riddled with lies and pain.

“Secrets from a Girl (Who’s Seen it All)” is a response to one of my all-time favorite Lorde songs, “Ribs.” “Ribs” follows the seemingly inevitable story of a girl falling for her best friend and the undeniable sadness that comes from unrequited love; following this, “Secrets from a Girl (Who’s Seen it All)” is like a love letter to past Lorde, assuring her that life will work out the way it’s supposed to. Lorde starts the song recognizing how she’s changed and grown as an individual, noting how “It’s a funny thing, thought [she’d] never gain self-control.” The song is incredibly unique, something that can be seen at the end when a fake airline attendant assures the listener that strangeness is acceptable and emotions are strong, but they will eventually mellow out.

My favorite part about “Solar Power” is how each song has a similar vibe but is completely unique in storytelling. Listening to this album feels like walking into the travel book store in “Notting Hill”—yes, they’re all travel books, but they’re all about different places and adventures.

2

HIGH TIDE SEPT 10, 2021

ENTERTAINMENT 13

Hen hao, hen hao: Shang-Chi brings in a brand new Marvel What it’s like for Asian voices to tell their own stories on the big screen

by RIA LOPRESTO

“

PHOTOS FROM MARVEL STUDIOS

Hen hao!” is what I would say to anyone asking me about my opinion on Marvel’s latest film — for those who don’t speak Mandarin, that means “very good!”

Marvel’s most recent box office release, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, blew my mind. As both a Marvel fan and an Asian (although not Chinese), I could not contain my excitement to finally see a Marvel movie with a predominantly Asian cast and crew. My worlds were colliding.

From the opening scene to the second end-credits-scene, I was entirely captivated and enthralled by the emotion and beauty of the movie. Not only was it great at depicting different aspects of Chinese culture, it was also great at doing so in an authentic way. The representation was definitely there, and you could tell that the movie was highlighting Asian cultures - but it was not overexaggerated. I was able to enjoy and connect with the subtleties of the movie that demonstrated what life is like in an Asian-American household, from taking off your shoes before entering the house, speaking in sentences interlaced with both languages to celebrating different legends

and holidays.

The Chinese representation was prevalent throughout the entire movie. As Shang-Chi’s mother narrated the backstory for roughly the first 10 minutes, everything was spoken in Mandarin Chinese (with English subtitles).

At first, I was shocked to hear Chinese spoken so extensively on the big screen; typically, movies or shows in English only show characters speaking in a different language for two to three sentences. I was sitting next to my friend who actually speaks Mandarin, and right away, she turned to me, so happy that she understood what was being said. While I was worried that the film may have lost the attention of the audience towards the end of the 10 minutes, I think it was a perfect choice to start the movie with. It set up the context for the rest of the movie and gave the viewer an idea of the life Shang-Chi knew before coming to America.

The movie follows Shang-Chi (who goes by the name Shaun), his sister Xialing and his best friend Katy, as they try to stop Shang-Chi’s father Wenwu from letting loose a creature called the Dweller of Darkness from the village where his mother grew up. In the backstory, we learn that Wenwu has the Ten Rings, which give its holder insane amounts of power. Wenwu wanted to use this power for himself and created the organization of the Ten Rings.

There, he exclusively trains men to become

assassins, including Shang-Chi. Shang-Chi later runs away and lives in San Francisco for 10 years, but once he and Katy get attacked by some of Wenwu’s men, ShangChi is forced to go back to China to find his sister and face the life he left behind.

The movie was incredibly well shot, with more action sequences than I could count and flashbacks to Shang-Chi’s childhood that contributed to each character arc. It interlaced heavy, emotional themes with lighthearted humor and had me (and the entire theater) cracking up constantly. Katy and Shang-Chi’s constant banter felt real and was a good addition to the film.

The fight scenes were unlike anything I’ve seen before. It was a mix of the standard “Marvel-style” hand-to-hand combat (knives, punching, people with robotic arms) and martial arts-style fighting. Almost all the fight scenes emphasized the incorporation of the four elements commonly seen in Chinese culture. Even though the characters were fighting, their movements looked graceful, which was an entirely new thing for me to see.

All in all, this movie killed it in every aspect: representation, action, humor, emotion, special effects, everything. I would recommend this movie to everyone, as I, myself, will be heading back to theaters to watch it again. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for Shang-Chi in future Marvel movies.

The “He’s All That” remake is missing out on a second chance

PHOTOS FROM “WHAT’S ON NETFLIX,” NETFLEX LIFE AND PEOPLE

by ZELIA LERCH

I

don’t know if this is an unpopular opinion, but I dislike the 1999’s “She’s All That.” This fact makes it unsurprising that the 2021 remake, “He’s All That,” starring Addison Rae, was not impressive in any aspect of its production. It’s somehow even worse than its 90’s counterpart.

I can’t talk about the movie without explaining why the original was a bad movie, albeit fun and entertaining. The plot involves a popular boy making a bet that he can make the “dorky, ugly girl” (which is absurd, as she’s played by literal supermodel Rachael Leigh Cook) into the prom queen. Literally no one is surprised when the guy falls for the girl, and she was beautiful the entire time behind her glasses.

The thing I dislike most about the plot is that the extent of the character arc for the female protagonist, Laney, is that she doesn’t get raped and is able to paint her dead mom for art class. Meanwhile the male protagonist, Zach, gets a whole storyline about coming to terms with his relationship with his dad and what he wants to do with his life. Laney doesn’t get to grow as a person; she only serves as the catalyst for Zach’s character development.

“He’s All That” follows almost the exact

same formula, except the roles are gender-swapped and it’s set in a “modern” atmosphere. This means that Addison Rae, who plays the “Zach” character, is TikTok-famous and sponsored by Kourtney Kardashian. Addison Rae plays internet star Padgett Sawyer, a financially struggling high school student who uses the sponsorship money from her fame as a “makeover expert” to save up for college. When her boyfriend cheats on her and she goes viral (in a bad way), she has to redeem herself to her sponsor, which she does by accepting a bet from her friend that she can turn the school’s loser into the next prom king.

There are almost no redeeming qualities about this movie. The cinematography reads like a bad E-Network show, the screenwriting is cliche and unoriginal, and Addison Rae’s acting performance is unsurprisingly atrocious. The attempts by the writers to make the story relatable to teenagers are just distracting from the plot and age the story dramatically. I predict this movie will be barely watchable in three years because of how unrelatable and dated it will feel to kids of the future. The original film, while it did feature recognizable 90’s style and slang, didn’t force the time period

onto the story, which is why it can still be enjoyed by audiences 30 years later.

Throughout the movie I was almost impressed by the unlikeability of the two main characters, and how out of place they seem in the context of the story. I did like how they establish that Cameron (the Laney character) acts pretentious at the beginning because of the death of his mother, and how his “makeover” actually brings him back to how he was before she died.

Another thing I noticed was the absurd amount of unapologetic ad placement.

The little sister scrolls on the Old Navy website, and the main characters left Core water bottles on the lunch table when they left. Again, it dates the entire production to when these brands were popular and makes the producers look desperate for any advertisement money possible.

However, there were some things I liked about this movie. The characters of Nisha and Quinn are surprisingly well written, and their relationship felt more natural than Padgett and Cameron. Their romance doesn’t feel written to cater to the audience or fetishized, and it’s rare to see lesbian relationships portrayed in such a positive manner in teen movies.

The only good acting in the entire movie besides the ones from Quinn, Nisha and the two actors who were in the original movie, Rachael Leigh Cook and Matthew Lillard, was from Cameron’s younger sister, played

by Isabella Corvetti, when she confides in her brother about how much she misses the old him. However, the writers had already completely messed up her character by the point when they gave her the unfortunate line calling her brother “hot.” This line was both uncomfortable and unnecessary.

One of the worst scenes in the entire movie is at the end at the prom where the two prom queen nominees have a dance off, and most of the shots are just Addison Rae flaunting her TikTok dances. The directors clearly tried to make another modern spin on the endearingly cute dance number at the 90’s prom, but all the dance scenes come off as strange instead of charming.

Anything that was remotely good in the 90’s version was completely squandered in the remake, from the soundtrack to the costume design. It could have corrected the controversial choices of the original, but it falls into the same mistakes as it did 30 years ago, plus a couple extra. What a waste of a 20 million dollar budget.

14

sports For the love of basketball Olympian Atonye Nyingifa reflects on her experiences and time at RUHS

by ANSEL REYES

R

edondo Union alumna Atonye Nyingifa did not dream of becoming an Olympian until two years before her first Olympics: the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

During her freshman year of college, Nyingifa tried out at the USA Olympic trials where she first tore her ACL. “Things didn’t work out with Team USA and I really just thought that being an Olympian would probably not be in my future,” Nyingifa said. “I also didn’t know that I could play for the Nigerian national team. In fact, I didn’t even know that it existed until I left college.”

Nyingifa joined the Nigerian national team five years ago where she and her team won against the top teams in the world.

“First, we dominated Africa,” Nyingifa said. “We went on to play against European teams, play in the World Cup, and at some point I realized ‘Oh my god. We’re two games away from becoming Olympians.’”

Nyingifa has been playing since she was six- years- old and ”she wasn’t always good at it when she was younger.”

“I just stuck with it,” Nyingifa said. “I ended up playing with my older sister’s age group; so by the time I played with my own age group, I was actually pretty good.”

Starting at a young age, Nyingifa had also been dealing with eczema. She had to alter different aspects of her lifestyle during her childhood.

“I would have to change immediately out of my clothes after practice because of the sweat,” Nyingifa said. ”I had to wear open-toed shoes to school. There were just a lot of things that I didn’t know how to manage, and I think my parents probably didn’t know how to manage it all either.”

Despite the rashes Nyingifa would experience from her physical activity, she knew that basketball was her “chief passion.”

“It outweighed any amount of struggle that I’d have with my skin,” Nyingifa said.

“My older sister also played basketball and anyone that has an older sibling knows that sometimes you kind of want to follow suit.”

Nyingifa believes that the structure of the Girl’s Basketball program run by Redondo Union Coach Marcelo Enriquez led to her accomplishments at UCLA. “I had a lot of success because I knew what discipline and structure I needed to do to help the team ,” Nyingifa said. “I inadvertently carried this into my professional career and to this day. I knew how to train myself and do what is asked of me and a lot of that came from my time with Coach Marcelo.”

According to Enriquez, Nyingifa came in as a tall freshman with long arms, outstanding athletic ability, and a great nose for the ball.

“She was an amazing athlete at the start,” Enriquez said. “I could go on and on about Atonye and her ability to continue to impress us all the time.”

Nyingifa played against Diamond Bar high school during her freshman year where she scored 18 points and had 23 rebounds.

“The quote from the opposing coach was ‘that girl just eats glass,’ referring to her ability to rebound,” Enriquez said. “For her to perform that well as a freshman was just impressive.”

Enriquez and his family watched Nigeria play against team USA on TV. “It wasn’t just an extraordinary accomplishment for Atonye, but a great representation of what female athletes are capable of,” Enriquez said. “It was amazing to see her up there, and I feel like a proud papa.”

1 1. Nyingifa playing agwwainst team USA at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. PHOTO COURTESY OF ATONYE NYINGIFA 2. Nyingifa getting past Kylie Ahlo of Iolani High School.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ATONYE

NYINGIFA

2

Kai Deines competed at the Junior Olympics in Florida

by TY SORIA

DEINES AFTER GETTING SIXTH PLACE AND MAKING ALL AMERICAN.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF KAI DEINES

I

t was 95 degrees outside at the University of North Florida. Entering the scorching heat, junior Kai Deines strutted onto the throwing field, headphones in, while listening to “Lose Yourself” by Eminem. As the official called his name, the only thing he could envision was throwing far and winning. He was ready to go.

From July 26 to Aug. 1, Deines competed at the 2021 USATF National Junior Olympic Track and Field Championships in Jacksonville, Florida, following his second place finish at the California State Meet.

Despite having a week-long stay in Florida, it was all business for Deines upon arrival.

“I was just there to compete, and most of the time I was just getting in the zone,” Deines said. “To do that I listened to hype music and motivational speeches, ate lots of protein, and stayed off the internet besides rewatching winning Olympic throws.”

On the days he competed, Deines met his competitors. The most interesting information he received from them was about the college process, as several of them had already graduated high school.

“I like how they told me which marks to hit and how to work to get good looks from colleges, along with the best head coaches and favorable colleges I should look for,” Deines said. “They helped me know more about what I am going to do in the near future and gave me goals to work towards.”

When it was his turn to throw, Deines

fouled out of the shot put competition by losing his balance and falling out of the shot put ring after his throw.

“My energy was so ramped up and the adrenaline was pumping so much at the last moment, so instead of focusing on technique, I just wanted to throw it out

Discus Throw: a sport in athletics (track and field) in which a disk-shaped object is thrown for distance. there fast,” Deines said. “And as a result, I was out of control.”

However, after learning what he did wrong in shot put, Deines bounced back and threw 167’ in the discus competition— the second farthest he’s ever thrown. He placed sixth in the 17-18 year old division, the last place to qualify for All American.

“I was stoked. It was a real nail-biter for me but when I got the results I was jumping up and down because I achieved my goal of making All American,” Deines said. “I didn’t fly out to Florida just to get seventh, so I was glad to walk away with an amazing achievement.”

HIGH TIDE SEPT. 10, 2021

Varsity Sports

SPORTS 15

RECAP:

Girls’ Tennis swings by Long Beach Polytechnic, and Football falls to Simi Valley. Girls’ Volleyball loses to Marymount 1-3

by SIMRA ZARGAR

“

Boys’ Football After a difficult first half, Varsity Football loses to Simi Valley 0-35

“It was a wakeup call.

This game showed that we have to put our heads down and work harder.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF GEOFF MALEMAN

Girls’ Tennis

O

n Thursday, Sept. 2 at 3 pm, the Girls Varsity Tennis team competed against Long Beach Polytechnic High School Jackrabbits. Sophomore Nicole Sasaki says the game went really well.

“Haven and I started playing doubles and ended up winning our first match. In our second match, we got a little tired and lost a few games. Our opponents were really strong at the net, so we had to make sure we kept our shots on,” Sasaki said. “But in the end we regained our energy and won the game. I think we balance each other out really well.”

CADEN TELLESON JUNIOR

Girls’ Volleyball

After a delayed season last year, Sasaki says she’s “excited” to get back in the game and on the court with her teammates.

“Last year was really tough, since we had to play a lot later in the season. We didn’t know each other for very long and we didn’t have much time to practice together,” Sasaki said. “Now, it’s exciting to meet with our teammates and practice together. I believe we have a lot of potential.”

“

“Our communication was really good on the court, we had a really good connection and our trust was good. But, we could improve on our next play focus. If one play doesn’t go our way, we’re shaking it off and getting ready for the next play.”

SARAH MUNN SENIOR Junior Mele Corral-Blagojevich goes up for the set. PHOTOS BY KEARA ANTONELLI

Football totals six sacks but loses 3-13 in a defensive game against Torrance, falling to a record of 0-2

by CHRISSA OLSON

O

n a chilly Friday evening, under an orange hued sky, the varsity football team walked into Torrance High School’s Zamperini stadium feeling confident, ready to play against Torrance, a team they knew they could beat.

“And should beat,” junior wide receiver and strong safety Caden Telleson added. “We felt good and ready. We wanted to put up some big numbers, but clearly did not.”

Losing 3-13, the varsity football team’s second game of the season left the team feeling “disappointed” according to Telleson, after a series of small mistakes that quickly added up.

According to senior and D-lineman Moises Gonzalez, the little mistakes consisted of missed assignments like a miscoverage, a missed block, and not getting a good pass rush by the defensive line, all amounting up to a game that made them feel like they were “shooting [themselves] in the foot.”

The entire game wasn’t so dis-

1 appointing; the team maintained its momentum during the first half, leading 3-0 from a field goal. But by the second half, they lost that momentum according to Gonzalez, and Torrance was able to score two touchdowns plus an extra point.

After the game, Telleson felt, “just disappointed, and mostly embarrassed.We played horrible, we didn’t play good. It’s sad and unfortunate, but we can’t dwell on it, you just gotta let it go and get ready for next week.”

The team is already gearing up for the next game, which they play today at 7 p.m. against Bishop Diego at the Seahawk Bowl.

“I think we’re a really resilient team. We’re not the most talented, and we don’t have a lot of players, but the kids still show up every day and work hard. We’re not gonna give up, we’re gonna work hard and either way,” Telleson said. “We’re not gonna give up on the season.”

2

1. Junior Christian Hunt looks to run the ball after he finds no open looks.

2. Varsity football heads onto the field for warm-ups PHOTOS COURTESY OF GEOFF MALEMAN

HIGH TIDE SEP. 10, 2021

IN-FOCUS 16

MYTH FACT VS

Debunking myths about COVID-19 vaccines

by NADIA BIDARIAN

“Millions Have Died Unnecessarily from COVID-19 — Five Natural Cures that Would Have Saved Them,” reads one of many viral articles by Doctor Cass Ingram, nutritional physician and COVID-19 theorist. “Number 1: Garlic.”

Pause. Does anyone actually believe that garlic, oregano, and cinnamon can cure COVID-19? I scroll to his next article. Another pause. Does anyone actually believe that the vaccine inserts a government microchip into your body?

For the record, it does not. But COVID-19 misinformation surrounds us on all sides. In fact, anti-vaccine and “natural medicine” advocates have transformed vaccine deceptions into a profitable business, running scientifically disproven smear campaigns against vaccines (which they frequently call the “new medical apartheid,” as one anti-vax influencer Sayer Ji said), selling false treatments or getting paid per website click.

Their potential market is the 47.6 percent of Americans who are still unvaccinated, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC).

It is okay to have concerns about the COVID-19 vaccine. But don’t go to the wrong sources for answers. Here are five myths about the coronavirus vaccine to look out for.

MYTH MYTH MYTH FACT

FACT

The COVID-19 vaccine can affect women’s fertility.

The COVID-19 vaccine will not affect fertility.

FACT

The COVID-19 vaccine cannot and will not give you COVID-19.

Rather, the vaccine instructs your cells to reproduce a protein that is part of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, which helps your body recognize and fight the virus, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.

The COVID-19 vaccine does not contain the SARS-CoV-2 virus; it contains one of the 29 proteins that make it up (which in total, are composed of 29,811 nucleotides). While the protein helps your immune system recognize and fight the virus, it cannot give you an infection of any sort.

Confusion arose when a false report on social media suggested that the spike protein on the coronavirus was the same as another spike protein involved in the growth of the placenta during pregnancy. Some worried that the vaccine would cause a woman’s body to fight this different spike protein and affect her fertility. However, these two proteins are completely different.

During the Pfizer vaccine tests, 23 female volunteers became pregnant. The only woman who suffered a miscarriage had received the placebo, rather than the actual vaccine.

In contrast, getting COVID-19 as a pregnant woman can potentially be extremely dangerous.

Jeanne Sheffield M.D., an expert in maternal-fetal medicine at Johns Hopkins, explained, explained: “Pregnant women can experience changes to their immune systems that can make them more vulnerable to respiratory viruses.”

MYTH MYTH

Getting the COVID-19 vaccine gives you COVID-19.

MYTH MYTH FACT

The COVID-19 vaccine contains dangerous substances.

COVID-19 vaccines contain normal vaccine ingredients.

The COVID-19 vaccines authorized by the FDA contain normal vaccine ingredients, such as mRNA, fats, salts, and a small amount of sugar.

They do not contain tracking devices, nor do they enter your DNA. The mRNA from the vaccines never even enters the nucleus of your cells, where DNA resides.

Researchers rushed the testing of the COVID-19 vaccine.

The COVID-19 vaccine went through the same testing process that all FDA approved vaccines must go through.

MYTH MYTH FACT

The speed at which the COVID-19 vaccine became available for distribution is not indicative of an unsafe vaccine. In fact, the COVID-19 vaccine went through the same testing process that any other FDA approved vaccine must go through, just under unique and pressing circumstances, as was reported by the University of Maryland Medical System.

Aided by billions of research dollars from the government and nonprofits, new vaccine technology, and a variety of study volunteers found through social media, the COVID-19 vaccine was able to pass through all necessary testing before being distributed to the public—simply on an accelerated schedule.

As of today, Sept. 9, 177 million Americans are fully vaccinated.

If I have already had COVID-19, I do not need the vaccine.

No one knows how long immunity that results from contracting COVID-19 lasts.

Scientists are unsure as to how long people are protected by natural immunity, or the immunity that results from contracting COVID-19 and thus having the antibodies to fight the virus. This fact, coupled with the health risks associated with COVID-19 and the possibility of reinfection, make some scientists advise getting the vaccine even if you’ve contracted COVID-19.

ILLUSTRATION BY KATELYN PERRY