Issue 1, 2026

Disability Visibility Students discuss the implementation and abuse of educational accommodations, as well as the social stigmas that still surround disabilities

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September 26, 2025 Vol. CIII Edition 1 Redondo Union High School Redondo Beach, CA

news 2

features 4

sports 14

The first-ever RUHS college fair put on by Career Pathways brought new opportunities to students

Strengthening their experience in engineering, Emaad Moghal and Lorelei Choi intern at Boeing over the summer

Football defeats Orange at home in their first win of the season

www.ruhsmedia.com

@ruhshightide

news Our Onward Paths The first-ever RUHS college fair put on by Career Pathways brought new opportunities to students

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by Kate Brucia The fair even included some internahere do you want to go to talking to reps and presenting yourself in college? It is a question that the way that you want to be represented to tional schools with several from the United plagues high school students these college reps as you eventually apply Kingdom. Taranto encourages students to think beyond California for what might be each year. Some can recite their dream to colleges.”

At the fair, there were 107 vendors, and the college for them. school without hesitation, but many more “We naturally are going to gravitate to feel uncertain of where to even begin to over 1,200 attendees preregistered uslook. For students like these in the South ing the StriveScan program. This provid- the [Universities of California] and [CaliBay and Los Angeles area, RBUSD Execu- ed students with QR codes that could be fornia State Universities], but there are so many amazing institutions across tive Director of Career Pathways the country, as well as some interDr. Anthony Taranto set out to national schools that may be the host the first-ever large-scale colright fit for students. When you are lege fair at RUHS. looking at a school, you want to find “I hope it's an opportunity for a place that is the right fit as far as students to really see what's posacademics, the climate and culture, sible, and to maybe find a school as well as a financial fit,” Taranto that they never thought of before, said. and a school that's going to be Stephen McDowell, a regional able to meet all of their needs and admissions representative at the what they want to do whenever fair from Arizona State University, they finish high school,” Taransays the most insightful questions to said. “They have these other he answers at college fairs are in opportunities that are there for regards to the ways a college may them, and a chance to make those be able to support students' profesconnections with those colleges A college representative from El Camino Community College advises two students on possible college careers PHOTO BY ROBERT PACKARD sional lives. and universities as well as even “Think about your life after graduation. with their peers who are here today and re- scanned by representatives they interacted with to collect their data. Many vendors Ask questions about career development ally start to explore.”

Taranto described the planning for the represented four-year college alternatives, and career services. How is the university fair as a “total team effort,” being hosted demonstrating the multiple pathways stu- going to help you with your career? Those in collaboration with the district, Redondo dents can consider after high school. Some are really important questions to ask, Beach Council PTA and the Western Asso- of these options included the Southern above and beyond the typical questions,” ciation for College Admissions Counseling. California Regional Occupational Center McDowell said. Going to a college fair or On Sunday, Sept. 7, students, parents and (SoCal ROC), El Camino College, the Uni- meeting with a representative might not alumni volunteered to set up and run the versal Technical Institute and the Air Force resolve all the uncertainty of college admissions, but McDowell hopes students who fair. One such student volunteer was junior Academy. “[So Cal ROC and El Camino College] attended were reminded of the opportuniOlivia Reeds, who also attended the fair afare very strong community partners of ties and the guidance available to them. ter her shift.

“Don't be afraid and keep your options “I researched most of the colleges be- ours, and so we wanted to make sure they forehand. So then, based on that, I [talk- had a presence here today, so that way peo- and your horizons open. There's so many ed to] schools that I was interested in,” ple know that there's other programs that colleges, there's so many different choices, and we're here to help you,” McDowell said.

Reeds said. “It was a really good experience are for you,” Taranto said.

Students dive into advanced calculus in the new Calculus 2/3 class taught by Mr. Smith

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by Carly Jacecko ttention all math lovers! A new course has been introduced to RUHS: Calculus 2/3. This challenging class, that takes a commited Sea Hawk, has swept through the math department and caught the interest and attention of many students. One of those students is senior Shiva Ploplys, who loves math and joined the class as soon as he heard about it.

“Before I knew about Calc 2/3, I was considering graduating a semester early because there wasn’t really anything ahead of Calc BC at Redondo, but when Calc 2/3 was created, it was really a turning point for me. I decided to stay at Redondo fulltime so I could take this class that I knew would be really great for me,” Ploplys said.

Ploplys feels accommodated by Calc 2/3 and finds the difficulty level of this class to be exciting and enriching. Unlike previous math courses he's taken, Calc 2/3 properly challanges and stimulates his mind and has all new material and class work.

“I was really glad that they introduced

this class because when I was a kid, I had the issue of not being properly challenged in math. I just never felt like I was doing work that was up to my level of understanding until this class,” Ploplys said.

This class caught the attention of one teacher: Michael Smith. Smith wanted to bring Calc 2/3 to RUHS for almost four years before it was finally approved. Now that the course is up and running and available to students, even though it is just a small zero-period class, Smith is “feeling excited and passionate about teaching the class.”

“I love the fact that it’s a free class to take. They don’t have to pay for an Advanced Placement test, and they don’t have to buy an expensive graphing calculator.

It’s also very collaborative in the sense that I have them doing problems on the board, doing homework, learning a lot, and it’s just really cool to see it all come together,” Smith said.

Ploplys loves every aspect of this class: the early start, the rigorous topics and the new techniques. Most of all, he loves the satisfaction that comes with solving the problems. While some problems are more challenging than others, Ploplys reveres the thrill of cracking the code on the tough problems.

“The most rewarding part of Calc 2/3 is that it feels super satisfying to take the class, not just because it's super hard but especially because once you find a new

technique that gets you through a lot of hard problems, it feels immensely gratifying finally understanding that one concept that you struggled on for 40 minutes or 4 hours or even longer,” Plopyls said.

Calc 2/3 covers many calculus topics, including integration techniques, sequences and series, parametric equations, polar coordinates, Taylor series and vector-valued functions.

“I’m really excited for the sequences and series because you learn how to do calculations that would normally be impossible,” Smith said.

Calc 2/3 is one of the most advanced, levels of calculus, and it is also a rare class that is not offered to many students across schools. Mr. Smith expressed feeling “honored” to be teaching this class to the Sea Hawks, and has high hopes for student achievement, understanding and overall success in Calc 2/3.

“Calc 2/3 is only offered at our school right now. Other schools in our area or even in Orange County don’t offer classes this advanced. Normally, you would take them at night or online at community college, but this gives students an opportunity to be with their peers,” Smith said. “This class is great for collaboration, and it’s fun to feed off of their energy because they're all so into it, and then it gets me excited. It makes us all want to work harder and understand the material.”

Shiva Ploplys completes Calculus 2/3 problem on a whiteboard with support from his peers and Mr. Smith PHOTO BY SAYAT BROOK

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staff editors-in-chief Daniella Gross Claudia Turner Ava Anzivino Priya Ramcharan

digital director Valentina Masoni news editors Leyla Evenson Carly Jacecko features editors Aashaka Bhuptani Sanaya Bhatt opinion editors Payton Rothluebbers Jayla Dorbor entertainment editors Fi Borgese Emery Min sports editors Sophie Rebbeck Sam Schwartz writing & copy editors Emery Min Deeksha Prasad Samantha Kim online editors Hayden McMahon Isabella Nguyen Kayli Mai Kate Lanzdorf Allison Sutton Francisco Villegas Marlena Lipin Kate Brucia Kaitlyn Chang adviser Kerri Eastham

staff writers Violette Alshin Delcan Williams Coco Yamane Willamena Hodson Amelie Kircher Ryan Chamides Martina ParraMalandrino Mahro Siddiqi Reya Conte Landon Gould Madelyn Bain Brooklyn Hesse Katelyn Min Adelyne Cai Stella Sato Gala DeSanto

Oliver Cody Rowyn Salazar Andrew Diette Sophie Farias Mishka Shibata Connor Brodeur Issey Kubota Kacie Brincat Ayla Rodgers Safi Hamilton-Torres Haruto Kuroda Eliza Prangnell Julia Bradin Baran Taghvaei Francesca Masoni Sophia Riddle

photographers Robert Packard Grace Tayag Kevin Phung Finn Williams Amanda Harrison Lorelai Land Ignacio Perez Martina Parra-Malandrino illustrators Claudia Turner

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high tide sept. 26, 2025

Dancing into fall semester ASB hosted their Welcome Back Dance to foster student interaction

by Allison Sutton

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escribed by freshman Isabella Franco as an “upgraded version” of previous dances she attended as a younger student, the Welcome Back Dance provided students an opportunity to forge new connections with peers.

Conceptualized by the cheer team and organized by ASB, the dance was held on the quad Saturday, September 6, following the Friday night game against Costa. Activities Director Lisa Hedspeth oversaw the creation and execution of the event. “[My favorite part about planning the dance] was knowing that another fun opportunity was being given to the Sea Hawks. I want them to have fun,” Hedspeth said. “It’s the start of the year. It’s an event open to everyone, and I want students to meet new people.”

Complete with a DJ, food truck, photobooth and games, the dance offers multiple diverse activities to attending students. According to Franco, the fun wasn’t limited to dancing.

“My favorite dance activity was the food. It was a really big step up from mid-

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The dance gives [students] an opportunity to come and meet new people from across all grade levels.

Everyone together is part of an interwoven community.

LISA HEDSPETH ACTIVITIES DIRECTOR

dle school, and I really liked how it was catered. It felt really special,” Franco said.

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“As a freshman going into high school, having fancier things just made [the dance] really exciting.”

The DJ for the dance, Lil G, was also very well received by those who attended.

Transitioning between various upbeat, popular songs throughout the night, Lil G inspired many students such as freshman Ruby Goshow to spend their time “letting loose” on the dance floor.

“I think the most fun thing about [the event] was the dancing because everybody was getting really hyped,” Goshow said. “The DJ was really fun.”

Because it is attended by all grade levels, Hedspeth says the Welcome Back Dance promotes interconnectivity between all types of students.

“The dance gives [students] an opportunity to come and meet new people from across all grade levels,” Hedspeth said. “It’s not just freshmen hanging out with freshmen or sophomores hanging out with sophomores, but everyone together as part of an interwoven community.”

According to Goshow, dances like

these are important for motivating the student body and inspiring excitement.

“I think [school dances like this one are an important tradition] because every student should be able to have a little bit of fun here and there. Dances are good ways to interact with different people, [to] meet new people and learn about their interests,” Goshow said.

According to Hedspeth, the general response to the Welcome Back Dance after it took place was “very positive.” She hopes attendance will increase as the annual event becomes a more ingrained part of the student culture.

“If you want to start a new tradition, it takes time, so we’re hoping that within another few years, it’s going to be an event more students want to go to [...] To me, this Welcome Back Dance was even better than last year's,” said Hedspeth. “I really hope the Sea Hawks who came had a great time.”

1. & 2. Students dance in a circle at the Welcome Back Dance PHOTOS BY ROBERT PACKARD

Around Redondo

Students express appreciation for their teachers

by Francisco Villegas

“In eighth grade at Parras, I didn’t finish a project that was worth an assessment grade in that class, and my teacher gave me a full extra week to complete it because he knew I needed it. I appreciated that because it meant so much to my grade.”

-Cruz Ortadeveci, freshman

“As a sophomore, my math teacher rounded my grade up to an 80% both semesters, so I could get a B in the class. It might seem small, but it helped me keep my GPA up in a tough subject, and I don’t take that for granted because not everyone helps like that.”

-Jaxon Waul, junior

“As a junior my psych teacher cut me so much slack throughout the year because she knew how much I had going on in my life, but every time she always understood what help I needed. She was there for me when I needed help and once even let me leave class to repark my car, so I wouldn’t get a ticket.”

-Charlotte Watts, senior

“In my sophomore year English teacher’s class, I didn’t do great on an essay, which I needed a 90% on to get an A in the class. I asked him if there was any way he could help, and he actually told me we could work on it together and helped me fix a couple mistakes to bring my final grade up to an A. I really appreciated that.”

-Charlie Kokes, senior

PHOTOS BY FINN WILLIAMS AND IAN GUERRERO ESTRADA

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features A field trip leads to an internship for senior Pari Bhatia

by Safi-Hamilton Torres

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rom Hollywood lights to open house signs, senior Pari Bhatia spent her summer exploring two very different industries—film productions and real estate. Bhatia attended a Sony movie production internship as well as a real estate internship through a company called BrickFolios. Despite these internships differing, Bhatia used them to gain diverse experience within both industries she is interested in.

Bhatia has a passion for both the production industry, which she developed an interest in recently, and the real estate industry, which she has been interested in since she was a child. She has dedicated time to growing her passions for business, while also exploring her unfamiliarity with the production industry.

“Having the opportunity to work with such a big company as Sony motivates me even more to learn about the marketing aspects of production. BrickFolio’s internship meant so much to me since real estate has always been a big part of my life. I’ve always known I want to go into business, being inspired by my dad, who’s in real estate,” Bhatia said.

Both internships allowed Bhatia to attend exclusive tours and conferences.

For her Sony internship, she got a behind-thescenes tour of Disney Studios, where she learned how Disney animators designed Moana. For her BrickFolio’s internship, she was faced with the challenge of presenting the case study that she and her team designed for real estate executives.

“We had to work as a team to present our real estate portfolios, regarding our case study. It was really nerve-racking having to present in front of all of those people.

The conference was online, but I still knew I was in a conference room with my face on the screen. That experience definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone. In the end, my team and I placed ninth out of 50 other teams nationally. I’ve learned to just talk and not be shy since most of the time you're stressing more than you need to,” Bhatia said.

Mike SooHoo, Bhatia’s former business teacher, took Bhatia and her classmates on a field trip to a USC business expo, where she found the internship she took the following summer. She is described as an “outgoing” and "ambitious” student and was one of the few who took the next step to pursue business beyond the classroom.

“Watching Pari present in front of a group of business professionals who are judging her based on her presentation skills was already impressive enough. Seeing Pari’s growth, which turned into her graduating from my class and then actually coming back to me and looking to be a business leader, is really a proud moment,” SooHoo said. “She's truly passionate about business, and I hope that my class was a part of helping form the beginning parts of that passion.”

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BEHIND THE SPOTLIGHT Moneyball Academy, a sports statistics program at the University of Pennsylvania, allowed junior Jaiden Mehta to combine his interest in math and sports

by Hayden McMahon

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play fantasy football all the time and have a ton of leagues. I watch baseball and pretty much any sport in my free time as well. I’ve iving away from home for the first also always seen math as one of my better time, Jaiden Mehta traveled to the Universubjects. So [Moneyball] was just putting sity of Pennsylvania Moneyball Academy, two and two together for my interests,” a three week sports statistics program.

There, he met students from all over the Mehta said. “Football and baseball are country and learned to collaborate and definitely my favorites to both watch and work as a team under Professor Addy Wyner of the Wharton School of Business. measure for data, but I've found myself interested in a less popular sport, FormuOnly about 75 out of over 700 applicants are accepted into Moneyball, making la 1 because you can measure a lot of statistics this program more selective than most with car balance and aerodynamic speed.” universities.

One of the friends he met during his stay, Felix Soloway-Gilbert, also had an The process to apply to this program amazing experience at the university. According to Soloway-Gilbert, the data analysis aspect of the program really stood out to him, especially with such a great professor and several guest speakers.

had so much fun with my group, making the project and presenting it at the end. Those were really cool memories I made there.”

1. Photo by Freepik 2. Photo courtesy of Jaiden Mehta

"Essentially, Moneyball theory seeks to “Professor Wyn- answer these er had us look at intro to statistical analysis two very basic and statistical thinking probability, and then questions - Can he brought that into the context of sports. So we got to look at how the player hit? to think of statistics, and also how statistics Can the player mislead us a lot of the time, especially in the create runs? If context of sports. Every day we would have the answer to guest speakers come in who would tell us how this applies in their one or both of lives and in their job,” Soloway-Gilbert said. these questions “Getting to see how we could use this knowlis "yes," chances edge in our lives and 2. in a potential career are you've got was really interesting.” was extensive, requiring several essays and During the second a list of extracurriculars and accomplish- half of the time they were there, the para good pick on ments, similar to a full college application. ticipants were split into teams, each of them Not only was this task “great practice for assigned to create their own project based your hands." the real thing,” according to Mehta, but on their lessons. After a little over a week, the entire experience was meant to mimic college life.

these were presented and ranked, adding an aspect of competition to the experience.

Each team had about five people, making “It was really fun and a totally new expe- it inevitable for some ideas to conflict and rience for me. I’d never stayed away from ensuring that compromise was practiced. home or done a boarding school or summer “Even though everyone was there for camp before. But it was really nice. It was the same reason and had a lot in common, actually full, college-style living. Living in once we got to the competition part, everydorms was really cool, especially because one’s relationship got a bit interesting, with we all got our own separate rooms,” Mehta people avoiding sharing their ideas. But said. “It really got me excited to actualthe whole thing was really fun, and being ly go to college and live in those dorms grouped with Jaiden was a really great longterm.” experience,” Soloway-Gilbert said.

Rather than viewing this as a mere reAccording to Mehta, Moneyball–and sume builder, Mehta took away much more sports analytics in general–is the perfect than that: skills applicable anywhere in life, combination of math and sports, both of practice being away from home and, most which he has felt drawn to his whole life. notably, fun memories with new friends.

This program helped to strengthen his “I really enjoyed listening to all of the plans to pursue this subject as a future guest speakers and their insight on any career. sport you could ever think of – they even “I've always loved watching sports. I had one on poker,” Mehta said. “I also

UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN

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high tide sept. 26, 2025

NUMBERS IN PLAY Naomi Kaplan helps to address discrimination and harassment on Hollywood movie sets through her internship with the Hollywood Commision, allowing her to work alongside her father

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Todd Kaplan’s job as a publicist can aces new to the work environment look different day to day. This summer, know the feeling of nerves and shaking hands on their first day. working with the Hollywood Commission not only allowed him to make But for senior Naomi Kaplan, all she had a difference but also introduced his to do was go downstairs and say good daughter to what he does, allowing morning to her boss–she calls him dad. him to reflect on the social contrasts

between to work. I hope it gave [NaoThis summer Kaplan interned mi] a really good impression of what with her father, Todd Kaplan, who is the work world and a publicist. He communications itself was hired by is like.” the Hollywood Working with her dad Commission, this summer, Kaplan an organization gained a different infocused on pro- [I have more respect sight to what her father viding resources for my dad] in the does and what the job and insight on of a publicist is really sense that [publicity] the issues of like. discrimination, is tedious work. Every“I had a preconassault and haception of publicity one has opinions, and rassment on the as being this very sets of Hollythe people that have outward-facing, ‘who wood, especially who’ kind of role. opinions are very vocal knows for low-budget While it definely is that, productions. about them. it also is very internal,” Kaplan. “There’s a lot “[I had] of working with people grown up NAOMI KAPLAN whose names never get hearing about SENIOR mentioned behind the what he did, and scenes, [but] who are it sounded inter[still] very important esting,” Kaplan to the process. That was a shift from said. “I was the idea that publicity is managing more interested in the social justice stars and having the best news story into aspect of the film industry, so I [understanding] everything is a process asked him if I could help out. Writmade up of people who do little [but still ing press releases, designing websites important] steps.” and going over all of their outward- facFrom a father’s point of view, Todd ing documentation [are things I did].”

Kaplan has watched his daughter grow

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Naomi Kaplan at work PHOTO BY GRACE TAYANG

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up physically. Now, by working alongside her, he sees another way she has matured, as well as their bond. By seeing Kaplan taking on a new role, her dad is proud that he has raised someone with values he had wanted to pass down.

“To know that I've raised Naomi to be a person who cares about other people, who sees an opportunity in her work to make the world a better place, that's very gratifying and feels like I've done my job [in] at least one aspect of my job as a parent,” Todd Kaplan said. “Having raised a person that I can now work with as an adult as our relationship moves has also been very meaningful to see [as] that relationship changes.”

Although writing press releases isn’t the kind of writing Kaplan wants to go into in the future, the experience she had was a meaningful one because she learned a lot in the work aspect, and got to spend more time with her dad. “[I have more respect for him] in the sense that it's tedious work. Everyone has opinions, and the people that have opinions are very vocal about them. Not that they're wrong, but things need to be a certain way. [By having] different perspectives on how [things] should be, there's a lot of back and forth. There's a lot of trying to make the best version of whatever you're working on. I think that is a lot harder than I had understood it to be,” Kaplan said. “I do think it strengthened our relationship [and] made us closer. We were spending three hours every day sitting and writing, having to work through problems and go back and forth on whether or which draft we liked better. That communication, I think, was very impactful.”

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features

Butterfly whisperer Aleksandra Brzozowska volunteers at South Coast Botanic Garden

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by Sophie Rebbeck utterflies flutter around junior Aleksandra Brzozowska as she guides guests through the butterfly pavilion at South Coast Botanic Garden.

Pointing to each colorful species as they fly past her, she spends time helping at informational stations that give the pavilion its charm.

“My personal favorite station is the feeding station,” Brzozowska said.

“People buy these little rings where you can feed the butterflies nectar, and it’s the best station for me because I can interact with kids and older people and help them out.”

Brzozowska regularly volunteers at the garden and loves that it provides an outlet to both her and her community, which is something she was looking for when she first sought out the position in June of last year.

“I’m really into nature, and I love being in forests or even at the beach,” Brzozowska said. “Nature is my passion, so I was looking around for volunteer op- 1 portunities in the South Bay area where I could help animals or do something that’s part of nature. Then I found the South Coast Botanic Garden,

and I’ve been volunteering there for a long time.”

A typical day for Brzozowska can vary depending on the time of year. Typically,

she can be found working at the garden’s butterfly pavilion, helping out with the garden’s monthly dog walking or planting dif-

ferent plants around the garden. She works alongside many other nature enthusiasts at the garden as she completes her volunteer work, one of whom is Vance Kalscheuer, an employee at the garden who collaborates closely with the volunteers each day.

“Volunteers are as much of a public-facing role as employees are because they’re dealing with guests and providing interpretive services and education,” Kalscheuer said. “Aleksandra is very knowledgeable about where she works, both the gardens and the pavilion, and she’s very well-versed at interacting with the public, which is so important when socializing with the garden’s visitors.”

Both Brzozowska and Kalscheuer’s efforts, along with those of other volunteers and employees, turn the garden into a place where the community can connect with nature.

“The goal of the garden is to provide the community with a rich educational experience that gets you away from the business of the city,” Kalscheuer said. “It's hidden and such a peaceful place for people. We’ve had so many people say that after the pandemic, they were looking for something

to do and the garden was one of the places that they could go.”

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F o r Brzozowska, working at the garden not only aligns with her current hobbies, but also with her future goals.

“I want to pursue a STEM pathway, and am leaning towards medicine, but environmental science is very intriguing to me as well. I consider it as a way to escape, but also to learn more, so it enhances my will and my want to pursue them,” Brzozowska said.

Working at the garden has given Brzozowska a place to gain experience in a work-heavy environment while also being able to pursue her interests while being able to help her community.

“What’s so special about the South Coast Botanic Garden is the fact that it’s built on a landfill [...] and the history of it makes it so much more special,” Brzozowska said.

“Seeing how it evolved into a place where animals, plants and every piece of wildlife is protected, it’s special because it's a beautiful place to really zone out and tune out the world for a little bit.”

1. Brzozowska cares for butterflies.

2. Brzozowska holds a butterfly on the end of a paintbrush.

PHOTOS VIA ALEKSANDRA BRZOZOWSKA

Ava Danylyshyn travels to Brazil to compete in outrigger canoeing

by Kaitlyn Chang

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tepping off the plane after a long flight, senior Ava Danylyshyn spends her time getting into the water to practice with her team. Next thing she knows, she is crossing the finish line.

For Danylyshyn, the realization that she was in Brazil, competing for Team USA in an international competition for outrigger canoeing, didn’t come to mind until the moment she and her teammates finished their race.

This summer, Danylyshyn traveled to the International Va’a Federation World Distance Championship off the coast of Niterói Beach in Rio de Janeiro—with a view of steep cliffs, and bountiful nature— along with her teammates. There, various canoe races took place among different age groups and team sizes. There were races with only one individual paddling, but also ones where there were six seats in a single canoe. This six-man race is what Danylyshyn competed in with her team.

“It was really different from paddling in the Pacific

Ocean because when you are getting in the [same] water multiple times a week for a year, you get a feeling of what the water is like. You can kind of predict it,” Danylyshyn said. “Then going and paddling in the Atlantic Ocean, you could get a feeling of, ‘Oh, this feels different.’”

This past season was only Danylyshyn’s second, having only started outrigger just over a year ago. Aimee Spector, Danylyshyn’s coach and school to career workability coordinator, describes how fast a learner she is and how her athletic ability is not the only thing that makes Danylyshyn a good athlete to coach.

“You can train up an athlete physically.

You can send them to the gym or get them out into the canoe. But some of those [other] qualities are hard to teach, like motivation, or commitment or dedication. [...] It's easy to work with [Danylyshyn] because she already brought all that with her. I just had to teach her how to hold a paddle and make the canoe move,” Spector said.

Other students on Danylyshyn’s team are Paloma Dawson, Georgia

Hughes, Daelen Purohit, Ian McClain and Cole Crouch. One of Danylyshyn’s teammates, sophomore Georgia Hughes, who met Danylyshyn through outrigger canoeing, describes Danylyshyn as already being a strong athlete from the moment they met.

“The first day she got there, she completely rocked it. [...] We were training on one-person canoes and doing time trials.

She showed up for the first day, and she absolutely smoked a bunch of people. It was so cool,” Hughes said.

In Brazil, Hughes and Danylyshyn, along with their four other teammates, competed in a 15-mile race. Team USA was competing against a lot of strong teams, but going into it, the team prioritized focusing on themselves.

“I really enjoyed the race because there was such a positive environment the whole time. I think we even set that up before the race: We discussed [that] we want this race to be super positive. We wanted to stay motivated the whole time,” Danylyshyn said.

Community is also a big part of the sport. Spector says that the community is very tight-knit, and, on t h e

water, the teammates lift each other up.

“You have a safety net. You have people who you know will be there for you, and that is a comfort unlike any other. You know that there are people there and that you are not alone,” Hughes said.

According to the teammates, being part of a team means being there for each other.

Danylyshyn acknowledges that being in a race can be tough, and it is inevitable to hit “a wall” at some point. However, she says that the positive energy that comes out of it all pushes her through. With her being responsible for calling out changes when team members alternate the sides they paddle on, she especially appreciates the support she receives.

“There was a lot of responsibility to make sure the timing was working, that I was working with my teammates, calling the changes loud enough and making sure I was still encouraging everyone,” Danylyshyn said. “But during the changes, I felt really inspired because when we would do a change, we would say, ‘This one's for Izzy,’ who is our steersman. Or we would say, ‘This is for Aimee, our coach.’ Thinking about those people in the back of my mind while I was paddling, I felt really inspired the whole time.”

3. Danylyshyn and her team compete in the race.

PHOTO BY ALINNE LEÃO DA SILVA

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features 7

high tide sept. 26, 2025

Trial by Summer Arjun Modi cultivates his passion for law at UCLA's Mock Trial Institute

by Sanaya Bhatt

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ince he was young, sophomore Arjun Modi has been fascinated by the courtroom. From legal debates to creating compelling, persuasive arguments, Modi has always felt drawn to a career in law. This past summer, his participation in University of California, Los Angeles’s (UCLA) Mock Trial Institute helped him solidify this passion, sharpen his skills and form a community with people who share his interests.

Modi has already decided the type of law he wants to go into and was initially encouraged to pursue it by friends and family who noticed his natural aptitude in areas associated with the legal field.

“My final goal is to become a business lawyer. I’ve always had a passion for both finance and business, and combining the two of them into something I could pursue for the rest of my life is exactly what I want,” Modi said. “Since I was young, I’ve loved to [debate] and argue about rules. I think a lot of my friends and family noticed that and pointed out that since I love those things, law should be something I consider.

That’s what really got me into it, as well as having exposure to it from family friends who are in the field.”

Once his interest in law was solidified, Modi took many steps to further develop it and learn as much as he could.

“When I started at Redondo last year, I joined the school’s Mock Trial because I knew it would be useful for gaining experience [in law]. At the end of the year, I got the idea to participate in a college program as well, and I found one at UCLA, so I immediately applied,” Modi said.

Mauli Modi, Arjun’s mother, is also

grateful for the chance to watch her son’s growth over the years and for how he has been able to learn about various types of law.

“I’m so glad that RUHS gives students the ability to participate in Mock Trial on campus, along with a lot of other opportunities. Without them, I’m not sure how he would have gotten the exposure to have interested him in the UCLA program in the

first place,” Mauli Modi said. “In school, you usually just learn the textbook subjects, like history or science. So it’s really good to know that he was able to take Mock Trial on the side to better prepare him for the type of law career he might want to go into.”

As his mother, she also found pride in watching her son thrive within the pro-

gram. She observed that he learned more about law and evolved, not only in terms of his passion for law, but also in his overall confidence.

“Arjun was one of the youngest kids at UCLA, but I could still always feel his confidence. He learned so much, and it was also fascinating for my husband and I to hear him talk about the interesting people he met and everything he got to do,” Mauli Modi said.

In terms of Modi’s own experience while participating in the program, the days were “definitely tiring, but still so worth it.” “ T h e program was one week long, and typically, we’d 1 get there around 8 am and leave around 5 or 6 pm. Every day was a combination of lectures and workshops, but the main focus was that we were given a case packet, and the objective was to make an entire trial out of that case. We were put into teams, and our case was focused on a bank robbery,” Modi said.

Much of the information he learned in lectures was presented by the supervisors

of the program, who were two UCLA law students themselves and served as mentors throughout the experience. However, there were many other people who Modi and other participants had the opportunity to learn from, too.

“Our professor used to be a lawyer himself, and now he serves as a professor at UCLA law. There were also some attorneys who came in to give us speeches, and it was good to have people with that much exposure to the field giving us information based on their actual experiences.

I hope to keep in contact with both of my supervisors, as well as many of my teammates, because now that Mock Trial season has started, we’re all working on the same case,” Modi said.

While Modi learned many valuable tactical skills in this program, such as “logical analysis, time management and public speaking,” the experience also afforded him meaningful relationships while deepening his desire to pursue law.

“One of my favorite memories from the experience was getting to know the people on my team. We’re all passionate about law and it was great to have that in common with everyone there,” Modi said. “I initially signed up for this program because it was going to be a final step in determining if law was really what I wanted to go into. Now that it’s over, it really solidified in my mind and heart that this is what I want to do. If there’s anything that this program taught me, it's that no matter how daunting a task may seem, no matter how little time you have to complete it, if you have the right people around you and the right mindset, you can accomplish anything.”

Strengthening their experience in aerospace and engineering, Emaad Moghal and Lorelei Choi intern at Boeing over the summer

by Sanaya Bhatt

S

urrounded by seasoned Boeing engineers, seniors Emaad Moghal and Lorelei Choi found themselves immersed in an experience that fostered their love for engineering and exposed them to several real-life aerospace scenarios. Faced with challenges that many of those lifelong engineers are working to solve, their internship at Boeing this past summer gave them hands-on experience and proved to be an incredibly educational and enriching opportunity for both of them.

“I’ve done robotics since elementary school, and I always thought that I was going to go into something like math or business when I got older. But a lot of our robotics mentors actually came from the aerospace industry, and after talking with them, I realized that I wanted to pursue

aerospace engineering,” Choi said. “I took some tours of their workplaces, and I didn’t know anything about aerospace going into it, but I realized how interested I was in it and how much I could see myself doing it in the future.”

Choi’s experience in the internship itself was quite unique, as she was assigned with individual responsibilities, rather than group work. This was a change from the kinds of work she was typically used to, making her time at Boeing even more enriching and educational.

“My interest is primarily mechanical engineering, but I was assigned to a project that was mostly computer science. I was developing an inventory system for my mentor’s program. They were required to keep a separate inventory of parts separate from Boeing’s general inventory system, so I was

2

working on helping them flesh out the data storage they already had. I also had to learn a new coding language for this, which was a challenge but ended up being another thing that I can take away,” Choi said.

For Moghal, aerospace was something that he always knew he wanted to go into, but this internship helped him narrow down his options and focus on exactly what aspect of it he may want to pursue in the future.

“Growing up, my dream job was always to work at NASA as an aerospace engineer.

When this opportunity came to me, I knew that it was something I really wanted to do and that I would get a lot out of,” Moghal said. “I can’t think of a specific moment when I became interested in aerospace, but I remember always questioning what was out there and being so curious to find out.

This internship was a really big deal for me because it was an experience that actually helped me get closer to answering that question for myself.”

Choi and Moghal were exposed to a broad range of information and learning through their internships. They were surrounded by people with decades of experience in aerospace, which provided valuable firsthand information and allowed them to broaden their knowledge.

“We got to go to technical talks, where a very qualified speaker who’d been working at Boeing for decades would come and talk to the interns about a specific topic. These were on things like astrodynamics, or what makes space such an interesting environment, and it was information that ended up being really valuable,” Moghal said.

Like Choi’s, Moghal’s experience differed from the rest of the group’s because

of his mentors’ specific roles and the tasks he was assigned separately from his team.

“Most of the other people in the internship had an engineering based role, so their mentors were in the field and the lab, and they were helping to design stuff. But my mentors worked on the program and project management side, so I got to experience and learn about a lot of the collaboration, communication and teamwork that goes into it,” Moghal said. “My main task was also to create an artificial intelligence (AI) training guide, which I was doing myself, so I drafted it up and implemented it, and it’s for different Boeing employees to use.”

Overall, Moghal’s experience helped further his interest in aerospace engineering and solidified for him that going into this field was exactly what he wanted to do.

“A big moment for me was the SpaceX launch party we went to. All the interns came to this huge conference, and we were actually going to get to watch the launch happen. There were hundreds of people there who have spent years of their life on this one satellite, and somehow we were there too,” Moghal said. “All these people got to see it launch and know that it was going to benefit humanity, and I think that was such a big moment for me because it made me realize that I really want to be a part of something like that. I want to work on something with a group of people so we can all come together and celebrate when it succeeds.”

1. Representing defense, Modi and his teammates smile for a photo right before their trial. COURTESY OF ARJUN MODI. 2. Moghal and Choi pose with the other interns at Boeing. COURTESY OF EMAAD MOGHAL.

Advocating and Accommodating

in focus 8

high tide sept. 26, 2025

Students with education plans emphasize communication and advocacy between teacher and student

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mpathy can be taught and learned in many different ways. For students with accommodations, particpating in advocacy has taught them not only how to devlop their empathy, also about the lack of empathy that is available for student's with disabilities.

Accommodations are created for students with learning disabilities, whether that be physical or cognitive. These students receive legal documents (either a 504 or an Individualized Education Program [IEP]) that provide teachers and administration with information on the accommodations they receive. Special Education co-chair Cale Espinel explains how these documents are created for equity: “The concepts behind these documents are not to give anyone an unfair advantage.

It’s completely about equity. It’s giving students what they need to be on an even playing field with everyone else on campus.

Equality would be like ‘we’re giving everyone glasses.’ Equity, and the idea behind having accommodations, is you would only give someone glasses if they have trouble seeing.” Espinel said.

However, these accommodations are not always followed perfectly. Senior Alina Rashidfarokhi, a student who is legally blind, has dealt with this firsthand.

“I’ve had experiences where teachers either constantly forget to enlarge certain things for me or give me extra copies of the notes, or they don’t try to work with me at all.” Rashidfarokhi said, “It sucks because it happens almost always in harder AP classes where it seems like the teacher doesn’t believe in my ability.”

Due to Rashidfarokhi’s disability, it is often hard for her to see the board, read print that isn’t enlarged or navigate her way across campus. According to her, this creates additional worries on top of what she already experiences at school.

“I’m super flexible, but there is also that weight of added stress on me from some aspect of my accommodations, like if I'm getting ready to take a test and I'm wondering if the teacher forgot to enlarge it,” Rashidfarokhi said, "My approach to this is always on the empathetic side. If [teachers] are forgetting to enlarge things, it’s fine, we’re all human, sometimes we forget things. I’m always aware I’m not the only student they have to do things for, so I always have to consider that.”

While Rashidfarokhi has had her fair share of good and bad experiences with advocating for her own accommodations, she believes the difference comes down to the education teachers are given.

“I think there should be more education for teachers and not just ‘This is a legal doc-

by Jayla Dorbor

ument you have to follow it, here's more manager or the counselor, and it says, ‘This things for you to do,’ but help the teach- person now has the following accommodaers understand that these students need tions. Please review them,’ but I wouldn’t these things, in order to access whatever it say it’s formal training,” Jones said, “I alis, the same as any other person and they ways think an extra explanation or extra deserve the ability to do that. So imple- training would be great.” menting these accommodations isn’t just a According to Jones, due to the classlegal thing but is truly about equal access,” rooms she has received, it has been difficult Rashidfarokhi said. for her to give accommo“I do think certain dations like preferential issues or beliefs can seating. This connects to come from a lack of a larger issue surroundeducation or ignoing the systemic restricrance or lack of ex- You deserve to have tions that make certain perience, but it’s not equal access, and accommodations diffialways their fault.” cult.

Espinel also as much as society “I don’t truly think it’s agrees there is should be able to teachers on an individusome ignorance that al level. I would say that comes with the idea meet our needs, that a lot of the bigger issues of accommodations; come from the education might not always be however, he sees it and special ed systems. from the student the case, and you Teachers already have side. over 200 students with have to advocate for “There may be all very different needs some confusion yourself. and situations on top of from students who multiple classes, so that don’t know about already is a lot,“ Rashidaccommodations. It ALINA RASHIDFAROKHI farokhi said, “This isn’t may be hard for us SENIOR an excuse for why acas teachers because commodations shouldn’t we might be probe followed through, but viding accommodations for a student that it is another thing to think about. The reneeds it and then someone might say ‘how sources these teachers may look to, like come they get to use that?’,” Espinel said, case carriers and the special ed team, are “There is a lengthy, lengthy testing process also overwhelmed with students and a to see to see if you’re eligible. It’s not just lack of resources, staffing and funding. It something you can get because you asked doesn't just happen at our school.” for it. We do very thorough testing of acaSince Rashidfarokhi understands the demics, social emotional learning, a lot of difficulties that teachers face when it comes different things to see if there is a deficit to having to give accommodations, she prein some area or that you have some sort of viously found it hard to advocate for herlearning disability.” self. But through her education, she has AP Capstone teacher Cassandra Jones learned that she deserves the same educahas had her fair share of students who re- tion as everyone else. quire accommodations. She has had to give “When you get to higher levels of eduextra time on tests and assignments, giv- cation you realize there really isn’t anothing students handouts of notes, and giving er way and sometimes you have to be the students preferential seating. Although she person that educates others or be the perhas not had much difficulty providing these son that stands up for yourself. It’s hard accommodations, she agrees that there has and it’s not something you learn overnight been a lack of education for certain accom- and even to this day I have trouble with modations students need to receive. it because I don’t want to both“In my teacher credential er others and I don’t know program, we had to take a how they’re going to react," class on [providing accomRashidfarokhi said. "It will modations]. Any other always be challenging, kind of training has come but as I said, my adfrom students getting vice would be you denew IEP’s or 504’s or serve to have equal getting [those docaccess, and as uments] updated. much as society We’ll get an email should be able from the case to meet our

“

needs, that might not always be the case and you have to advocate for yourself.”

Advocacy is a crucial part of students with disabilities getting the accommodations they need. While it is a difficult task, Ms. Jones is very impressed and proud of her students that can do it.

“First of all, our students who require accommodations are always capable of so much; these things are in place just to help them further succeed. It’s always really interesting seeing students with accommodations at the high school level and hearing how many of them are their own advocate, I think that only comes with the high school age,” Jones said, “For example, if I entered an assignment late, they are never afraid to remind me that they have accommodation for late work, or tell me where they need to sit for preferential seating. I’ve always been really impressed and proud of students who are not afraid to advocate for themselves.”

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1. Accessibility tools include headphones, testing timer and handicap accessibility sign ILLUSTRATIONS BY CLAUDIA TURNER 2. Myra Borgic PHOTO BY GRACE TAYAG

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ERROR CODE 504

in focus 9

high tide sept. 26, 2025

by Claudia Turner

students under section 504 in the U.S.

1.6

million

8.4

students with a disability not under section million 504 in the U.S. 1

The flexibility of 504 and Individualized Education Plans allows for abusing the system

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ent over her math exam, anonymous senior Willa sneaks a glance at the phone in her lap. The testing center is particularly packed today, so Willa knows it’s likely she’s not the only one using her cellular device. According to Willa, cheating in room 211 “is so common” that getting caught isn’t something most kids are worried about.

“I definitely think it's easier to cheat with a 504. I've only done it once, but I've seen it happen a lot, especially during finals week when we’re all packed in the bingo room,” Willa said. “The people who supervise us are way less strict than regular teachers, and they aren’t really that thorough when checking if you’ve put everything away.”

Administrators have been aware of the “lax security” issue which has been present in alternative testing locations for a while, but altering procedures takes time to implement. In addition to making changes streamlining the process of delivering tests to room 211, Assistant Principal Christina Sunada has also taken it upon herself to walk the aisles during finals and APs to keep the level of scrutiny consistent between testing locations.

“I've known other school districts to pull back on giving certain accommodations and stop giving out as many written 504 plans because of cheating incidents," Sunada said. “That would never happen here, but we also still want to be wary and make sure we’re keeping testing conditions even for everyone.”

Part of that wariness comes into play during the process of assigning 504 plans, a form of accommodation which originates from Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, legislation that ensures accommodations for public school students with disabilities. Usually, either the parent, the student, or someone from the student’s school team will notice a disconnect between grades and a student's academic ability. The administrators will then hold an SST (student success team) meeting, where all parties come together and decide which accommodations to put in place for a trial run. If the stu-

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dent brings in a diagnosis, a written 504 stand the picture some people have in their can be put into place that will follow the heads of this imaginary student who gamed student to college. Despite the open com- the system to get accommodations they munication emphasized by the admin, don’t really need,” Conner said. “The idea anonymous senior Conner says that his that kids get 504 just so they can go there 504 meeting felt “more like an interroga- and cheat is perpetuated by people who tion" than a team discussion. have this stereotype that disabled students “I felt that their general attitude to- are lazy.” wards me was a little hostile, as if they According to the Civil Rights Data Colweren't sure I should get help despite lection, a subsection of the Department of my legal diagnoses,” Conner said. “I have Education, 3% of students used a 504 plan to give props to my during the 2020-21 mom, because she school year: a 2% incame in with all of crease from the 2009the legal documents, 2010 school year. printed out versions 3% of students used Sunada says this isn't of my diagnosis, and because of a perceived really everything that a 504 plan during the "overdiagnoses" in we would need to le- 2020-21 school year: a learning disabilities or gally require them to a flippancy when de2% increase from the give me a 504 plan. ciding who gets a 504 If I had been on my 2009-2010 school year. plan; rather, schools own, I think it would have simply gotten have been a lot hardbetter at identifying er for me to get ac- INFORMATION FROM when students need commodations, even THE CIVIL RIGHTS DATA support before their if I had presented the COLLECTION issues require serious same set of needs.” intervention.

Luckily for Con“Back in the day, ner, his parents were our students would go able to get him a professional diagnosis, from nothing to straight into the highest which allowed him to obtain a written 504 level of accommodation, an IEP (Individuplan that will follow him to college. But alized Education Plan), because we missed not all families can afford to get their chil- all the steps in between,” Sunada said. “But dren tested by a professional psycholo- now, thanks to improvements in education, gist. According to Dr. Carrie Jackson, in a we're seeing the signs a little bit sooner, alreport for Joon, a child behavioral health lowing us to implement accommodations app specializing in ADHD, the minimal more at the SST/504 level where it's like, average price for testing as of 2022 is ‘Okay, let's try these things out right now around $295-$375. A comprehensive to help mitigate you from getting worse’. evaluation with increased accuracy is on And then a lot of times, they get better, and average priced at around $3,700-$4,500. then they can move on and they have better This pricing is reflective of the disposable skills to handle [their challenges].” income needed to receive accommodaSunada also says a lot of students pertions: a 2019 New York Times study of ceive an artificial increase in 504 plans data released by the Department of Edu- from middle to high school because cation found that in the top 1 percent of younger kids lack the wealthiest school districts, 5.8 percent of perception to notice students held a 504 plan, twice as many when others are kids as the national average. also receiving “People in the testing center are accommothere because they put a lot of effort, dations. and potentially a lot of money, into Willa had getting their 504 plan. n e v e r That’s why I don’t underconsid-

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ered applying for a 504 until she reached high school because her ADHD only began to impede her testing abilities once time limits were introduced.

“In middle school, there was really no sense of strictness with timed testing. But at RUHS, especially with our AP classes, time limits are everything,” Willa said.

“That’s why a lot of kids get 504s once they enter freshman or sophomore year, because the timed testing becomes really overwhelming.”

Conner received his 504 plan freshman year for similar reasons to Willa, but because he has a dual diagnosis of autism and ADHD, the “typical 504 plan” doesn’t accommodate all of his needs. For example, his 504 plan doesn’t explicitly state he’s excused from ASB events, despite large gatherings being one of his meltdown triggers– thus Conner has taken to stretching the truth of what his 504 really grants him to avoid the crowds. This could be considered an abuse of accommodation services, and yet Conner defends his decision, saying that he only lies about the contents of his plan “when [he really needs it].”

“Rallies are very overwhelming, and can be sensory nightmares that drain me for the rest of the day,” Conner said. “So yeah, I’ve lied to teachers, but in doing so I’ve avoided a panic attack and could pay attention in class after the rally was over.

To me, if it's something I think should’ve been included in my file in the first place, it’s no harm, no foul.”

1. Pie chart using data from a 2019 New York Times study of data released by the Department of Education DATA SOURCE VIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 2. E Hurley 3. Cameron Shinkai 4. Ember Quigley PHOTOS BY GRACE TAYAG

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opinion The performative problem

10

The seemingly light-hearted "performative male" trend reinforces gender stereotypes

by Leyla Evenson

I

am the number one Labubu hater. Their freaky faces hanging from the straps of a performative man's tote bag always makes me feel like I’m being watched by a little monster. But the “performative male” trend on social media is more than a light-hearted criticism of guys who carry creepy plushies. Men drinking matcha and reading Sally Rooney books is not the problem. For those who don’t know, the “performative male” is a trope online about guys performing stereotypical female interests to get women’s attention. But being a “performative male” is not just the light-hearted trend that social media has turned it into. Instead, it is indicative of the continuous negative narrative around women and their interests.

The “performative male” concept entails that a man adopts “feminine” hobbies as a means to seem attractive.

There is a lot to unpack here. First of all, this trend insinuates that the interests of performative males are inherently womanly, which is belittling. This is the same conversation about “boy interests” and “girl interests” that I have been hearing about since I was 5 years old and was told that pink is for girls and blue is for boys. Glitter pens and race cars are all grown up; now, reading is considered a “girl hobby.”

I am sick of having this conversation.

There is a legitimate criticism in the performative male trend, but the notion that an activity can be inherently feminine and that that makes it trivial is a continuation of the bias against women’s interests that has existed forever. Performative males are a trend to laugh at, to have competitions for and to make fun of. But when these jokes are tied to men participating in activities like reading and listening to Clairo, it makes a joke out of interests that are commonly associated with women. Surprise, women's interests are being denoted as feminine, and by extension, unserious and silly. This is not a coincidence. Interests that are typically female are always viewed as inferior by general society, and this is a perfect example.

Additionally, I think it might do us all good to ask ourselves, why are men denoted as feminine for trying to be attractive to women? I think that’s worth pondering, be-

cause the reverse is absolutely not true. I would be willing to bet that most—if not all—girls I know have spent too long worrying how they are perceived and whether they are pretty, attractive, et cetera. The pressure is omnipresent and aggressive.

This is the expectation for all women, and it is not widely criticized on social media. You could make an argument that the “pick-me-girl” trend, which made fun of girls for trying to seem different from other women to appeal to men, touched on this criticism, but I think the real pressure around women to seem attractive is much more covert.

When it comes to men, however, the narrative is different. To be nonchalant is masculine, and to care even a bit is not. This is evinced by the performative male trend, where being caught being purposefully appealing to women is a crime.

To be clear, I am not arguing for people to be disingenuous for any reason, but the criticism of performative males is not just a criticism of men “pretending to be feminists” to get a few looks.

It is about the same thing it always has been: criticism of men making themselves attractive to women, genuine or not. It would be awesome if men were genuinely interested in “female hobbies,” but how can anyone even explore that idea when the discouraging “performative male” label is lingering over their heads?

I think it is worthwhile to be aware of the way we criticize each other on social media because most of the time it's indicative of larger problems. The performative male trend is only one way subtle

1 misogyny can infiltrate our jokes and frame the way we approach gender as a subject. This trend, though rooted in an opposition to people pretending to be intelligent, does highlight how it is never just about the laughs.

1. Junior Dylan Wang exemplifies a performative male by reading, drinking matcha and wearing a tote bag and wired headphones.

PHOTO BY FINN WILLIAMS 2. Traffic light PHOTO VIA FREEPIK

Crossing guards would be a beneficial addition to increase safety

by Allison Sutton

W

ith newly-licensed drivers, unfazed e-bikers probably have the right of way anyhow.” trying to pop a wheelie and frantic students While pedestrians may technically have the right of dashing across busy roads to make it to class, way, vehicles contain students and parents with places to the streets surrounding campus are the perfect places for be, too. Having to wait at a stop sign for a seemingly endtraffic accidents before and after the school bell rings. Un- less flow of high schoolers to solemnly drag themselves to controlled crossing is not only a serious safety hazard for morning classes one after the other is both irritating and all parties involved, but also a daily inconvenience. unfair.

Crossing guards can be found directing And do not even get me started on e-bikers. Not morning and afternoon traffic near local ela day goes by that I don’t hear some sort of comementary and middle schools, so why are plaint, from adults and students they not present here at the alike, about these “wannabe-molargest and busiest school torcyclists” causing numerous acin the district? Even cidents and issues on the roads. though high schoolers Of course, not all e-bikers are no longer need to “hold troublemakers, and the e-bikes of students think mommy’s hand” when we themselves are not the problem. traffic around campus cross the street, leaving us In fact, because of the, albeit ofis unregulated to our own devices when ten justified, prejudice against it comes to navigating e-bikers, the few of these inditraffic is a terrible idea. viduals who are good samaritans High schoolers are, by and traffic law-abiders are often nature, easily distracted unfairly stereotyped. The root of individuals. When a nothe issue surrounding this group tification pops up on our does not primarily lie in the corphone, or when we are rupted morals of these individrunning late for a test uals, but rather in the haziness in first period, our first surrounding traffic direction for thought usually is not these not-quite-bikers but also “how can I cross this road definitely-not-motorcyclists. at an ideal time to ensure To prevent the majority of optimal traffic flow while traffic incidents involving e-biksimultaneously serving ers, the expansion of routes with the interests of both drivavailable bike lanes would be ideers and my fellow pedestrial. However, because there is such ans?” If any thought occurs limited space in the streets, this solubefore we recklessly venture tion is not feasible. A crossing guard out onto crosswalks, it is usuis the next best thing, a much-needed 2 ally something along the lines of “I solution to the constant aggravation and

84%

safety risk surrounding electric vehicles.

The presence of crossing guards would make an immense positive impact on vehicle circulation and pedestrian safety here. Clear, timed and fair traffic direction for all modes of transportation would make getting to and leaving school far less complicated. A 2014 study from the “Journal of Transport & Health” found that “increased crossing guard presence is most likely to [positively] influence safe behavior,” thereby preventing the type of impulsive activity and recklessness that leads to most traffic incidents.

Of course, qualified crossing guards do not just magically appear out of nowhere. Notable financial re-budgeting would be required for their effective implementation, but the extensive list of benefits certainly outweighs any monetary expense. The implementation of crossing guards on streets surrounding campus would enhance student safety, decrease frustrations and promote efficient, timely traffic flow for those using a diverse range of transportative means: something we should all get behind.

DATA FROM AN @RUHSMEDIA SURVEY OF 132 PEOPLE

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editor

The High Tide encourages greater input of perspectives 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.

high tide sept. 26, 2025

opinion 11

Paying the price The movement towards digital currency causes us to spend more; however, if used correctly, it can be helpful

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by Deeksha Parsad

ometimes, when I get a PowerSchool notification saying one of my teachers put in a test grade, I simply don’t open the app to check the grade for a few weeks. It’s easy to pretend something doesn’t exist when it’s in a digital space that you can easily choose when to access and when to ignore. A slightly less avoidable reality, however, is when a graded paper, marked up in red ink, is shoved into your hands.

Spending money is pretty similar in that way— it’s a lot easier to tap your phone to another screen than to fork over physical bills.

Back in the dark ages (before I got a phone), my mom would give me cash to spend when I went out somewhere with my friends. I rarely used it. She would hand it to me with a warning to “spend wisely,” and I’d be so scared to make an impulsive purchase that typically, I wouldn’t purchase anything at all. But now, with easy access to digital payment, that overthinking spiral of do I buy this?

Is it worth the cost? is significantly easier to avoid. When you hand something over physically, that loss is more concrete. But seeing numbers sliding down on a screen is much more disconnected from reality, leading us to tap more and spend more.

Digital payment gives us instant gratification; we’ve cut the middleman of a wallet, the awkward moment and a half to fumble with your cash and count the amount. But that easy, impulsive spending we tend to engage in when money is at our fingertips typically isn’t more expensive items, such as clothes. In 2023, joint research from New Zealand’s Lincoln University and China's Huazhong Agricultural University, conducted by Quan He, Wanglin Ma, Puneet Vatsa and Hongyun Zheng, found that mobile payment increases our spending on consumer goods and leisure activities, but not on clothes and other durable goods.

Essentially, this says that we hesitate a little less to go to the Starbucks across the street and grab an $8 coffee (believe me, I’m familiar with this), but we still maintain a healthy reluctance to spend when it comes to bigger purchases.

Well, this is great news, right! Our phones aren’t brainwashing us to spend too much money! We’ll have enough to buy that hoodie/book/album/jewelry/shoe guilt free!

But here’s the tricky part: it’s easy to forget how much those little costs can add up. The $5 snack we pay no mind to, the $10 in-app purchase, yet another i c e d

47%

of students do not budget or limit their spending

83%

45%

of students use Apple Pay on food

of students use Apple Pay 5 or more times a week

coffee— each time, the balance on our screens only drops a little bit. Due to the fact that digital money isn’t tangible, we tend not to feel the cumulative impact of all our spending until, all of a sudden, the number we see in our bank accounts is much lower than expected.

Now, I’m not suggesting that we all go back to cash and reject modernity in order to live more frugal lives. Carrying money on your person can be a huge inconvenience, especially as a high school student. What if the $20 in your phone case slips out? What if your wallet drops out of your backpack onto a classroom floor and you don’t notice until you reach for it to pay? What if you simply have an uncomfortable amount of change in your pocket, and you make clinking noises whenever you move?

Digital money is actually great. It’s convenient to have everything in the one place a teenager would never be caught dead without— their phone. Though easy access is both a pro and a con, the best part of most of our transactions being online is that a lot of banking apps track your spending for you. Every Apple Pay tap is recorded somewhere you have access to, and if you use those tools well, it’s a million times easier to keep tabs on your spending and budget yourself. Taking advantage of those features can help in developing stronger financial habits that prepare us better for the real world.

At the end of the day, though, the responsibility for our spending doesn’t lie with Apple Pay or a wad of bills, but rather, squarely on our own shoulders. Digital money makes it easier than ever to spend mindlessly— but it also gives us the tools to save and budget. Mobile payment in and of itself doesn’t make us reckless or irresponsible in our spending— that’s all on us to keep our bank accounts stacked.

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editorial: not one size fits all

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he structure of high school is designed to be uniform—lectures, notes, exams, repeat. The learning is set up to be stagnant, meant for one type of student. But RUHS’s 3,000 students don’t all succeed the same way. Grades might be an indicator for certain types of success, but not all. According to Psychology Today, success is not linear, and therefore, shouldn’t be taught as linearly in schools. In 1950, for example, the president of Amherst College reported that college grades turned out to be a poor predictor of later success; his research showed that students who received average or below-average grades frequently rose to the top in business and other professions. The emphasis on grades in high school is not a foolproof function of future success; therefore school should not only orient students on exams, but

also creative subjects like art, music and other modes of thinking. This way, students have more diverse ways of expressing success. When schools rely only on lectures and exams, they leave behind students whose strengths fall outside of that narrow frame. A dyslexic student might struggle to process dense texts quickly, but thrive in oral presentations or creative projects. An introverted student might not raise their hand in class, but may produce groundbreaking analysis in writing. By broadening what “success” looks like, RUHS can create a system where students aren’t punished for the way they learn. Project-based courses, interdisciplinary classes and stronger investment in the arts give students the chance to demonstrate skills like collaboration, problem-solving and creativity — qualities that matter just as much or more in

life as test scores.

However, the onus is on students to advocate for the diversity of their own learning. Students should feel comfortable asking their teachers for assistance in class. Classes that emphasize unique types of learning give students new avenues for success and open them up to new opportunities. Teachers and students should work together to tailor their own pathways through high school.

1. Picture of pay square used for digital payments. PHOTO VIA FREEPIK 2. Picture of a person using digital currency.

PHOTO VIA FREEPIK DATA FROM AN @RUHSMEDIA SURVEY OF 140 PEOPLE

12

entertainment Infinitely Mediocre Big Thief's new album, "Double Infinity," has a distinct sound; however, it does not lend itself to easy listening

by Samantha Kim

S

ing it with me! “There is no time / Round like a lime / Destiny.”

Do you have absolutely no idea what Adrienne Lenker meant by this? Me neither. This was a frequent experience I had while listening to Big Thief’s “Double Infinity,” an album with many of its lyrics being characterized by the title of the opening track, “Incomprehensible.” Though, on further replays, I came to respect the random yet poetic lyrics and appreciate the folky, interstellar hybrid sounds of the album, overall it just was not for me.

“Double Infinity,” alternative/indie band Big Thief’s sixth album, is a short 43 minutes long, and serves as another display of band frontwoman Lenker’s descriptive and introspective songwriting. Brought to our ears through her craggly, talking-like voice, the album

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opens with “Incomprehensible.” Lenker begins the song imploring to be as the title suggests then paints a vivid moment with her lover, ultimately transitioning to addressing society’s pressure against aging and her rebuke of that, closing the song in the same way as its opening. With its overall message and production, this was an enjoyable opening track. The following track, “Words,” containing a message regarding the extent and limitations of the power words carry, was equally enjoyable. The sudden change from the mellow closing of “Incomprehensible” to soulful guitar strumming was energizing, becoming a song I could picture a downtown girl listening to through corded headphones with a messenger bag slung over her shoulder.

Track three, “Los Angeles,” was one that I thought I would enjoy; that was, until Lenker began singing. Describing the revival of an old relationship, Lenker’s voice sounded a bit too conversational for my liking, as if she was not actually creating a melody. The production and the instrumental aspect of the song with its ambient sounds of people laughing and conversing, was nice, but it almost felt like Lenker’s voice was another one of those talking voices.

The titular track, “Double Infinity,” sounded like poetry, but by this point, it was a poem that I had no desire to decode. It sounded nice, and I knew that if I gave it more time I’d probably find much more meaning in it, but by this point I was already wanting to retire this album. “No Fear” is where Big Thief really lost me. A song that only repeated the same stanza eight times for almost

seven minutes with lyrics like “round like a lime” or “mind so clear, mind so free,” it felt like a psychedelic levitation with kaleidoscopic limes floating in my head, and there was fear: fear that this song would never end.

Thankfully, the following track, “Grandmother,” with a tempo speed opposite of its title, served as a much needed pick me up for me, offering the beginning of the album’s second act. Featuring Big Thief collaborator Laraaji’s backing vocals, this time, the repetitiveness of the lyrics was an effective choice, evoking feelings of emotional liberation.

The song's closing, featuring wordless vocalizations, felt warm and complete. Those feelings carried into the album’s final track, “How Could I Have Known,” which was my favorite song on the record. Singing about the uncertainty of love and life, nostalgic comfort was emphasized by a folky, around-the-campfire-esqe sound, providing a fulfilling end to this body of work.

All in all, I enjoyed the overarching sounds of the album, just not necessarily its parts in isolation, specifically some of the lyrics. To enjoy “Double Infinity” requires an element of sophistication and a deeper dig, but as I rarely get the urge to become a poetic visionary on a random Tuesday, it just was not for me. Would I listen to it again?

Maybe, if I’m having a craving for a specific taste of nostalgia or need background studying music, but probably not.

That being said, I wouldn’t be displeased hearing “Double Identity” playing at an eclectic coffee shop in the near future.

"The Conjuring: Last Rites" was over the top and disappointing compared to the previous movies

by Payton Rothluebbers

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he risk of a heart attack from consuming movie theater popcorn is scarier than “The Conjuring: Last Rites.” I admit that as people are becoming more desensitized to gore, horror movies are getting harder to pull off. However, the movies in “The Conjuring” franchise just keep decreasing in quality regardless of their goriness. At this point, they seem more like cash grabs than films.

“The Conjuring: Last Rites,” directed by Michael Chavez, who worked on all the movies in the franchise, follows paranormal investigators Ed Warren (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga) on their travels to Pennsylvania to relieve the Smurl family from their supernatural experiences at their home, with demonic possessions sprinkled throughout the film.

My favorite aspect of this movie, as well as the others in its franchise, is the cinematography. The colors are consistently beautiful, yet they push an underlying gloomy and scary feel. As a whole, the movie is certainly visually appealing.

I also enjoyed the acting, especially by the leads. Their chemistry is evident on screen after years of acting side by side in the franchise. They are both wonderful at portray-

2.

ing outright terror. However, in this film, their characters, specifically Farmiga’s, required a more subtle portrayal of fear than was shown in order to execute a slow scare factor buildup. Both characters are very well-versed in paranormal activity at this point in the franchise, meaning that they shouldn’t be having gigantic reactions and screaming in horror over little things like a ghostly hand on someone’s shoulder. Their loud reactions took me out of the scenes and, counterintuitively, left me less scared.

Additionally, the storyline felt very cliché; it was nothing new. “The Conjuring,” released in 2013, has almost the exact same plot as “The Conjuring: Last Rites,” but despite its predictability, the jumpscares and overall scare factor are much more sophisticated in the original. “The Conjuring” includes the right balance of horror and plot to keep frightening scenes feeling fresh, but not overused or underdone. On the other hand, I almost forgot that “The Conjuring: Last Rites” was a horror movie at all while watching it.

There was too much focus placed on the characters’ personal lives when the audience was never given a reason to care. The audience walked into the theater to be scared, not to watch a dramatic film about family relations. There

were so few actual horror scenes, and when they did pop up, they seemed absolutely ridiculous.

Also, the use of CGI is horrendously done. It ruined the whole movie for me. I am easy to scare, yet this CGI was so bad that it evoked giggles instead of screams. The entire time, I was thinking about how these actors had to scream and cry at absolutely nothing on set just for the CGI to stick out like a sore thumb and not even be scary. It felt disrespectful that I was expected to be afraid of such wimpy technology.

The movie really felt like a cash grab. The creators know that their franchise is popular, and they know that people are going to go see a new addition to that franchise no matter what. Not to mention, it was released at a very intentional time. With the fall season approaching, horrors are rising in popularity again. The movie will also be available for streaming in October, meaning that it will be easily accessible right on time for Halloween.

I expected much more from the minds behind such a successful franchise. If you’re looking for a good scare, maybe stick to the originals this Halloween season.

1. PHOTO VIA BIG THIEF 2. PHOTO VIA WARNER BROS. PICTURES

entertainment 13

high tide sept. 26, 2025

Stepping into the new season The third season of "The Summer I Turned Pretty" was an entertaining yet disappointing end to the series

I

by Kate Brucia liked this season of Jenny Han’s “The Summer I Turned Pretty” about as much as Jeremiah liked it when Belly messed up his wedding cake. If an irritating soundbite of Gavin Casalegno whining about chocolate terminology just played in your head, then allow me to first apologize, and then invite you to explore exactly why this season felt so much more unbearable than the first two.

The third and final season of “The Summer I Turned Pretty” premiered on July 16, 2025 after a twoyear hiatus, drawing 25 million views in its first week, a 40% increase from the last season. 11 episodes were released once per week, with the finale airing on Sept. 17.

Based on the novel trilogy written by Jenny Han, the show follows main character Belly Conklin, played

by Lola Tung, and her complicated relationships with brothers Conrad (Christopher Briney) and Jeremiah Fisher (Gavin Casalegno). Previously, the show was centered around time spent in the families’ summer house, and most of the characters were in high school; however, this season began with a four-year time jump, with Belly going into her senior year of college. Without the beach house as the primary setting, the show is taken in new and unfamiliar direc-

tions. In more mature settings, the characters’ actions and emotional immaturity felt decidedly juvenile even though they’re still in the young adult age range.

The most glaring issue I had with this season was the plot—or rather, the lack thereof. Of the 11 episodes, I can confidently say about half of them could’ve been removed from the season without significantly affecting the storylines or character development. Each episode is filled with meaningless dialogue, irrelevant side sto-

content still populating every platform on my phone, but it cheapened the writing and acting. The script is clearly targeted to younger generations, and makes hit-ormiss attempts to be relevant and reference modern trends and slang.

Another way the show appeals to its younger demographic is through a heavy reliance on incorporating pop songs that correlate to the plot: something that at first, felt clever, but quickly became overused this season. Across eleven episodes, eleven Taylor Swift songs made prominent appearances, along with songs by Olivia Rodrigo, Chappell Roan and Ariana Grande. Do these artists make up the majority of my playlist?

Yes, absolutely. Does it feel lazy and predictable to blast “lacy”

by Olivia Rodrigo as Belly reels from the discovery Jeremiah cheated on her with a girl not-so-coincidentally named Lacie? Yes, absolutely.

One component of the show that improved this season was Tung’s portrayal of Belly. Previously, I found her acting lacking, which was understandable, as her character had little to PHOTO VIA PRIME VIDEO no personality apart from her ries and one shameless AirTag commercial relationships with each of the brothers. thinly veiled as a six-minute long backpack Tung’s performance was noticeably refined chase scene through Paris. By the end of this season, which helped to make Belly the season, I felt bored to the point that I feel more like a real person and a tolerable was disinterested in the ending I had wait- main character. Furthermore, I appreciated three years and 26 episodes for. ed Belly’s journey of self-discovery in Paris.

The franchise has gained an immense Some may view it as wasted screen time, amount of attention online, partially due to but I saw it as a sort of meta acknowledgecertain cringe-inducing scenes that almost ment from Belly herself that her character felt like they were written with the inten- was underdeveloped and based her life tion of creating viral moments and spark- around the Fisher brothers, something she ing debates on social media. This strategy sought to work on (with an arguable degree certainly worked, given the amount of of success).

Unlike Tung, Casalegno’s poor performance as Jeremiah stood out negatively.

Stiff delivery of lines and limited emotional range severely reduced his and Tung’s onscreen chemistry. Sorry, but you can’t deliver a line claiming losing your fiancee feels worse than when your mother died from cancer after acting more or less indifferently towards her.

Each character's processing of Conrad and Jeremiah’s mother Susannah’s death continued this season, one of the more serious plot points that manages to transcend the teenage love triangle. It’s one of my favorite aspects of the story, but I do wish the characters gave one another more grace in the way they dealt with the loss. There is a distinct lack of empathy, particularly from Belly towards Conrad. I did enjoy the open confrontations between the Fisher brothers and their dad, separately expressing their frustrations over his lack of support after Susannah’s death and a maternal hole he failed to fill. The characters are all maturing and still learning how to process their emotions and communicate in healthy relationships, something I believe is important to portray in coming-of-age media.

While I clearly find many faults with season three of “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” I would be lying if I said I didn’t get together to watch it with my friends or come to school eager to debrief the new episodes every week. Consuming the same media is a unique form of connection, and one of the best parts of being a fan of this show is having a common interest with so many people, Team Conrad or Team Jeremiah aside. At its core, “The Summer I Turned Pretty” is a fun, teenage romance that’s successfully invested millions of viewers, including myself, in the slightly frivolous and unnecessarily complex lives of its characters. To my fellow fans, we’ll always have summer.

Season two of "Wednesday" fails to fully engage audiences and lacks the charm of the first season

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by Fi Borgese eason one of “Wednesday” really captured the creepy, kooky, mysterious and spooky vibe of the Addams family, staying in the top 10 shows on Netflix for several weeks. After a nearly three year wait, season two of “Wednesday” was released.

To recap the first season, we meet Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega), a teenage psychic, as she enrolls at Nevermore, a school for ‘outcasts,’ aka creatures and kids with powers. There, she meets her werewolf roommate, Enid (Emma Myers), and together, along with a disembodied hand named Thing, they try to solve the local town mystery—the identity of a monster that has been killing locals.

Wednesday finds herself communicating with an old ancestor as she tries to master her powers to help with her detective work. The season has several smaller storylines, most notably the love triangle between Wednesday, her classmate, Xavier, and local ‘normie’ and son of the police chief, Tyler.

By the end of the season, we find out that Tyler was actually the monster Wednesday was hunting all along, and that he was being controlled by a teacher at Nevermore who was trying to honor one of her own ancestors by ridding the world of outcasts.

In season two, rather than just focusing on Wednesday, the plot expanded to include more side characters. We meet several additional characters including Principal Barry Dort (Steve Buscemi), who becomes entangled with Bianca (Joy Sunday) and

her mother (both of which we learned last season were involved with a cult named Morning Star). We also spend more time with the rest of Wednesday’s family: Pugsley, Wednesday’s younger brother, has just started his own time at Nevermore, Morticia and Gomez, Wednesday’s parents, are invited to stay on campus to help out, and even Wednesday’s grandmama, Hester Frump, is brought in for several episodes.

So, yeah, there’s a lot going on this season.

The first episode introduces one of the most pressing issues: Wednesday’s psychic powers are going haywire. Usually, her visions are no more than a slight inconvenience, but her most recent ones have caused her to cry black tears. Her latest vision, a scene of Enid’s grave, with the aforementioned girl blaming Wednesday for her death, leaves Wednesday seizing on the ground and ends the first episode on a suspenseful note.

It was a good start to the show, though I did get overwhelmed with the amount of expository information thrown at us, a trend I found was common throughout the whole season. Every character got their own storyline, which were all interesting, but definitely too much to fit into eight episodes, even if each episode was an hour long. And, if I’m going to be honest, I didn’t care much for Bianca’s mother or Enid’s relationship with Bruno. Also, as entertaining as it was, the body swap

episode felt incredibly out of place.

The technical parts of the show made up for a lot of it, though. I loved the set, the costumes, the special effects, (most of) the acting and even the main plot was enjoyable. There were several plot twists that left me staring wide-mouthed at my screen as I tried to figure out what happened.

Now, to get into my least favorite part of season two: the character development. In season one, we see Wednesday start off as incredibly independent and antisocial, only to grow close with several of her friends and realize that she needs them for certain things—like saving the school. In season two, however, Wednesday goes back to being painfully misanthropic. It’s slightly understandable, considering her character is meant to be broody and gothic, but it comes off as if all the development

made in the previous season was forgotten.

She’s not the only one. Enid had a spout of confidence, which is great except for the fact that it leads to her ghosting and practically cheating on the boy she was obsessed with in season one, which I get it. She’s a teenage girl, she’s craving validation from others, but season one Enid’s best quality was her loyalty to Wednesday. Wouldn’t that transfer over to her relationships, too?

All in all, the season was enjoyable as a background show, but I wasn’t completely invested. It felt unfinished, and I hope some of the problems with the writing can be fixed in season three.

PHOTO VIA NETFLIX

14

sports

Going for Glory

Football defeats Orange at home in their first win of the season

by Kayli Mai them to take in the here and now is helpful. six.

If someone made a good play, giving them “Scoring a touchdown is always an that acknowledgement, and reminding adrenaline rush. With the Flock’s energy, them not to let their competitive side wear it’s a very joyful experience. It brings hope down their focus, and to keep doing what and pushes me to go further, seeing all these [they're] doing.” people depend on me,” Zeno said. “Scoring In preparation for the game, junior the pick-six is already rare, especially since quarterback Kyle Westbrook explained I was on the other side of the field, so that that “the defense watched over a lot of film [touchdown] was exhilarating.” to understand and recognize the way [OrWhen the team got back on the field afange] plays.” Both Zeno and Westbrook ter halftime, Westbrook explained that the explained that running various combina- Sea Hawks “let go of the gas pedal” when tion drills that Orange was known to play Orange scored a touchdown in the third throughout the week benefited the team, quarter, where the Panthers showed up to giving everyone a solid game plan. Mim- the field with a “different drive and mentalicking Orange’s defensive strategies in ity” which Redondo “wasn't ready for.” scrimmages helped Redondo's offense to “Keeping our composure and focusing familiarize themselves on the present and with the Panthers' tacnot catching up to tics to get through their Orange helped our defense. mindsets after halfThe first win of the time,” Zeno said. season was credited to “In the future, looksome key moments, acing back on how we cording to Zeno. In the played, we could first half of the game, benefit from staying Redondo started strong, in the moment, bewith Westbrook’s defening patient and alsive interception play, ways keeping it one which, according to him, play at a time.” he knew was coming due At the end of the to the preparation he had game, Westbrook done. After switching to intercepted the ball offense, Westbrook ran one final time, uland got the Sea Hawks a CHRISTIAN ZENO timately wrapping first down, which “kicked SENIOR up the game. Foloff the team’s momenlowing the game, tum.”

Zeno describes the These key moments atmosphere of the during the first half of team to be “happy, the game continued with tight end Adrian fulfilled, and rewarded” from the practicOrtiz’s 78-yard catch and run and conclud- es full of hard work that paved the way for ed the second quarter with Zeno scoring their win. two touchdowns, his second being a pick-

“

What helps the team is motivation. When you see somebody down, not letting them get in their head and a negative headspace is crucial.

Christian Zeno, Seth Sullivan, and Jaxon Waul celebrate after a touchdown. PHOTO BY IGNACIO PEREZ

W

ith the Flock’s enthusiastic energy, the cheerleaders motivating everyone at the game, and the band’s electric tunes creating an air of motivation, varsity football played against the Orange Panthers, defeating them in their first win of the season, ending the game with a score of 14-8 on Sep. 19.

According to senior wide receiver, run-

ning back and defensive back Christian Zeno, after last week's “horrible loss” to Costa, Redondo kept spirits up and went into this game zoning in on different preparatory schemes.

“What helps the team is motivation,” explained Zeno. “When you see somebody down, not letting them get in their head and a negative headspace is crucial. Reminding

Girls volleyball triumphs over Palos Verdes under the guidance of new coach

by Carly Jacecko

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edondo's red and white bleach- multiple coaches and their perspectives to dictates how the rest of the game will go,” ers filled with eager supporters, view the game in a sort of deeper way.”

Hairrell said. “I think that starting off with awaiting an intense girls varsiThe game started out with a few intense a big kill and then the [bench] all going craty volleyball game against Palos Verdes plays, including a kill from Hairrell, a set- zy was a great way to get the game off to a on Sept. 16. After putting up a fight, the girls took the game by storm, defeating PV 3-0. After suffering a close loss to Los Alamitos the previous week, this was the “perfect” game to get the team back on track.

Sophomore middle blocker Braunwyn Brown recognizes the team's progress throughout the season.

“We played really hard against Los Al, and it was, as it always is, sad to lose, but we all knew we put up a really hard fight against them and left everything on the court. Playing against PV and winning so soon after the game against Los Al was really great, especially with us heading off to the Durango tournament soon,” Brown said.

For this season, a new coach has joined the RUHS volleyball family: Coach Lacey Minzlaff.

Prior to coaching at Redondo, Minzlaff coached girls varsity volleyball at Palos Verdes High School. Even though Minzlaff is new, according to junior Abbie Junior Leah Blair faces off with PV setters as she jumps for the ball. PHOTO BY GRACE TAYAG Hairrell, she “fit in right away.”

“One of Redondo’s pillars is competi- ter dump from junior starting setter Marlo good start.” tiveness, and we like to win and compete. Libbey, and a back row attack and kill from Brown, who was moved up to varsity [Minzlaff] totally adds to that aspect. She junior outside hitter Leah Blair. mid-season after displaying great sportscame in and has made it clear that she “[Head] Coach Tommy always says that manship and athletic ability on junior varwill help lift us up,” Harriell said. “I think we need to start off the game with a huge sity, was “flooded with emotions” when she [Minzlaff] is an amazing coach and very kill, or he calls a ‘big bang’ and I think that got moved up, and is looking forward to the personable with [the team]. I like having the first play of the game kind of always rest of the season.

“I was excited because I know varsity is competitive, so I was honored and super happy that [the varsity coaches] thought I was good enough to be a part of the varsity team. We always play super hard and the PV game was a great game to get us back on track and break those losses that we had,”xBrown said. “We talked in the huddle about not playing down to the level of the team we’re playing, going 100% always, no matter who’s on the other side of the net, and we definitely did that in [the PV] game.”

During warm ups before the match, Minzlaff was feeling “positive” about the team’s performance before the game and was hopeful that the game would get the team back on track to continue moving forward.

“I feel like we’re playing really good volleyball right now, and I don’t like making a prediction on the outcome of the game because I feel like it’s a jinx, but I’m feeling confident,” Minzlaff said.

After “crushing” PV, Brown has high hopes for the rest of the season as she continues to adjust to being a new varsity player.

“All of the girls on the team are so nice, and I love to play with them and watch them play from the sidelines. I’m honestly just so happy to be there, on the court or not. Just cheering them on, it feels like I’m playing too, and just having energy on the bench really does lift everyone up,” Brown said. “I’m really looking forward to the rest of the season.”

sports 15

high tide sept. 26, 2025

The sailing team competes in their first regata of the year

by Marlena Lipan

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attling against unpredictable winds and tight starts, the sailing team opened their season with their first regatta at Newport Harbor Yacht Club. Against a field of 20 schools, the best Sea Hawk team out of the five finished in fifth place, topping Mira Costa, who finished in 11th place.

The regatta marked the first major competition of the fall for Redondo.

For head coach Sarah Smith who leads the program out of King Harbor Yacht Club with support from the King Harbor Youth Foundation, the event was as much about growth as it was results.

“We brought as many boats as we could to this one. We had about 20 sailors going, almost the whole team. It’s a good way to kick off the season and get some of the newer kids racing for the first time,” Smith said.

As the racing took place, Newport Harbor’s signature sea breeze filled in.

The rising breeze necessitated physical strength, along with strategy. Short chops inside the harbor and tidal currents in the channel kept crews sharp, forcing split-second decisions on when to tack or hold their line.

“I think of sailing like playing chess, but the board is always changing because you can’t anticipate what the wind and water are going to do. You’ve got the same pieces every time, but your decision-making is different,” Smith said.

That steady improvement was clear in Newport, where the Sea Hawks showed speed in the lighter afternoon races and resilience throughout. Sophomore Meliah Medeiros reflected on the friendship opportunities sailing has provided her.

“It’s definitely a really unique group of people. I wouldn’t have thought these people would come together if it weren’t for our shared connection with sailing,” Medeiros said.

For Smith though, coaching goes beyond results and extends to the lessons she has taught her sailors.

“My favorite part of coaching is seeing the kids grow. I’ve been telling them a lot recently that their progress and their skills are leaps and bounds better than they were a year ago. Seeing their progression and watching sailors who go from never having touched a boat to being able to go out there and win competitions. It’s very cool to see everything click into place and then find the love for the sport,” Smith said.

Despite the presence of the sport since the year the school was founded, Smith noted that many of the team’s younger sailors have grown significantly within the past year, and are beginning to shape into mentors for the first year sailors.

“A lot of our members last year were brand new to the sport, and they have now taken up leadership roles.” Smith said. “Many of our returning sailors get to come in having more of a baseline, and so just improving upon our results from last year is big. Our number one goal is to go to the Pacific Coast Championship."

According to Smith, the consistency that the team puts into their practice helps them adapt to the harsh reality behind the sport of sailing.

“People have the misconception that this is a preppy sport. In reality, yacht clubs are grimy and can be rough places.” Smith said. “We are getting down and dirty in the water, and we’re sailing in every condition, rain or shine. It takes long days, a lot of stamina, and a lot of dedication.”

Bounce Back Bolster

Boys waterpolo rebounds from a loss and beats Arcadia, 16-7

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oming off of their first loss of the effort, but his apparent positive attitude, season, boys water polo got back according to Emery, brought a lot of great to their winning ways after de- energy into the game. feating Arcadia 16-7. According to senior “This was my first game back [competAJ Waldfogel, the team's effort and will ing for a high to play together as a team contributed the school], so I most to the comeback story. was pumped to “We were all working for each other; play with the there were no selfish plays,” Waldfogel boys, and was said. “Everyone was trying to work for the ready to ball other person. When we do that, we score a […] We had lot of goals. I think that was the best part of a lot of good our game today.” team chemisHead Coach Jase Emery acknowledged try today. We that the boys were strong in the first quar- were working ter, only giving up one, but let up in the for each other second quarter allowing Arcadia to put a lot, and setup three more goals.

Despite an even second quarter, the boys managed to bring back their fire in the second half. Emery says this We're always pushing ting each other up for ability to bounce back plays, and I think that’s gives him high hopes each other to get betwhat helped us win,” for the team, and is ter, not letting anyone Lesnever said. excited to watch them Waldfogel also “take [the] us to the get off easy, or taking spoke on their consisnext level.” any plays off," Waldfo- tent practice schedule.

“We’ve had really Practicing for two and good rankings in CIF gel said. "We're always a half hours every day (California Interscho- working and competundoubtedly prepared lastic Federation), but them for the game, not really executed ing with each other to but their personal past that. I think this motivation was what make everyone imis a year for us to really “truly brought them push past that barrier prove. through.” and make a good run AJ WALDFOGEL “We’re always in CIF and a good run SENIOR pushing each other to in our league,” Emery get better, not letting said. anyone get off easy, or Emery gave a spetaking any plays off,” cial shout-out to senior Jackson Lesnev- Waldfogel said. “We’re always working and er, who had just played with Redondo for competing with each other to make everythe first time after his transfer from South one improve.”

Pasadena. Not only did he bring a strong This discipline during practice was

“

by Kate Lanzdorf

transferred to matches with ease, and the team worked hard to fully fledge their efforts the entire game.

“The biggest challenge was not letting

ourselves get lazy,” Waldfogel said. “We had them in the first quarter, but you never want to take any place off. That’s when the other team starts coming back, getting momentum and [thinking] they can win the game. And you never want that.”

Considering their near perfect winning streak so far this season, Redondo came in with the confidence to defeat any kind of opponent. If this kind of certainty is carried throughout their next games, the boys will find themselves a great season.

“We always come in with a mindset that we’re going to go out and just kill whatever we’re playing, no matter how good or bad they are,” Waldfogel said. “We came out ready to play, and knew we could blow them out of the water.”

Junior Max Hauenstein prepares to shoot at the goal.

PHOTO BY GRACE TAYAG

Senior Oliver Lyukmanov fires the ball towrds the goal. PHOTO BY IAN GUERRERO ESTRADA.

in focus 16

high tide sept. 26, 2025

SILENCING STIGMAS

by Fi Borgese

Social stigma associated with learning disabilities often makes students feel isolated from their peers.

W

ith disability diagno- nia, 865,213 students have specialsis rates in the United ized education plans, and 198,546 States on the rise (U.S. of those are in Los Angeles County.

Center for Disease Control and Despite how common it seems to Prevention), it is not uncommon be, students such as senior Danto come across kids with accom- ielle Felixson still report feeling modation plans at school. Disabil- self-conscious about their disabiliities range from visible to invisible, ties. physical to mental. Many people, “I feel embarrassed some of the kids and adults alike, often do not time that I have to use them beunderstand the struggles these stu- cause they’re not accommodations dents go through. that are standardized. So it stands These plans, in the form of 504 out if there's a no electronics polior Individual Education Program cy, and I have to use my noise-can(IEP) plans, provide accommoda- celing headphones,” Felixson said. tions such as extra time on tests, The media can affect the perquiet, separated test-taking sites, ception of disabilities. Education the ability to use headphones in a specialist Doctor Monica Mallet loud environment and more. These believes programs such as “Love on accommodations are made to sup- the Spectrum” represent disabiliport students ties well. However, and promote Felixson disagrees, equal access to believing that, aleducation, but Rather than saying though it helps in they can often- 'disability,' ask , 'What is some cases, more times make the their ability? What can work needs to be students feel done to accurately they do?' out of place. depict disabilities.

For senior “I do think Palani Richthat a lot of disDOCTOR MONICA MALLET mond, using EDUCATIONAL ability portrayal her accommo- SPECIALIST in [the] media is dations brings very skewed in its feelings of berepresentation being an outcast. cause disability is “When everyone else is taking a still something that society is gettest, and I stand up, it just makes ting accustomed to being around me feel like I’m dumb. Even though and being comfortable around,” that’s not why I have the plan, it Felixson said. “Media pushes more still makes me feel that way.” Rich- mild stuff that's more easy to unmond said. “I feel isolated. Like all derstand, which I feel isn't a wrong these other kids are normal and I’m approach for trying to desensitize the ‘weird’ one because I can’t func- before working up to bigger issues, tion like they do.” but then the problem is that According to the California De- [the mild stuff] becomes partment of Education, in Califor- stereotyped, and any-

“

thing more extreme isn't as under- They can verbally talk, but they stood. Like with obsessive-compul- may not know what to say,” Mallet sive disorder (OCD), for example, said. a lot of people assume that it's In her eyes, when celebrating just about keeping things neat and differences, the focus then shifts to tidy.” the potential of these kids, rather Many agree that a simple solu- than how their disabilities inhibit tion is normalizing disabilities and them. Rather than saying ‘disabilieducation plans. ty,’ “What is their Mallet believes unability? What can derstanding our they do?” she In California, 865,213 similarities is as said. students have important as unDespite the derstanding differ- specialized education struggles that ences. come with these plans, and 198,546 of “I think all stu- those students are in plans, students dents have chal- Los Angeles County. still believe that lenges, and someaccommodations times it’s just help them in because people INFORMATION FROM school. Without THE CALIFORNIA are different, and DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION them, these stubecause people dents face addiare different there tional academic isn’t an awarepressures that ness of how we’re still the same. their typical peers would not.

So they may not have the ability to “They’ve made school better, I do things that some of their typical will say. Having that ability to use peers can do, but they can do things them makes things less stressful. that their typical peers cannot do at Especially [with having] extra time the same time. So it’s really about on tests, I don’t have to worry about looking at people’s differences and rushing.” Richmond said. celebrating people's differences.”

Felixson agrees, believing stuMallet said. dents should ask for help when According to Mallet, what soci- they need it. ety views as differences can also be “The only way to get help is to viewed as similarities. ask for it first,” Felixson said. “So “Sometimes, our [atypical] stu- even though it is scary and it can be dents don't have the language to difficult depending on your situacommunicate what they are feel- tion, I recommend you find people ing or what they want, so that's a that you can confide in, first with difference. But sometimes, typical the issue and trying to network in a peers are in a social setting, and sort of way, until you find someone they don't have the words or the who's in a position to get you the language; they don't help that you know what to need.” s a y .

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High school students with learning disabilities reported experiencing abelist microaggressions at school, according to researchers at California State University.

ILLUSTRATION BY CLAUDIA TURNER