High Tide: September 9, 2022

September 9, 2022 Vol. CIII Edition 1 Redondo Union High School Redondo Beach, CA

ILLUSTRATIONS BY ESPY CAROLIPIO

FOOD FOR Students discuss cultural connections to cuisines, personal food choices and their beliefs

4 NEWS

6 FEATURES

15 SPORTS

Around Redondo: our new bell schedule

Students intern during their summer holiday

Girls tennis sweeps West HS 18-0 www.ruhsmedia.com

@ruhsmedia

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news Around Redondo:

high tide

RUHS students discuss the new bell schedule and how it has affected them

by Ria Lopresto

Q: Do you prefer the old schedule or the new schedule? Why?

A: I would prefer the old schedule because I

would like to get out of school earlier instead of starting school later. I feel like ending school earlier does give me a lot more time in between school and dance to do homework where I can take more time to focus and turn in my best work.

Q: How has this affected your personal life?

A: I’m more stressed because I really dislike doing schoolwork after I come back from dance.

I’m tired when I get home and I feel like I can’t do my best work, so trying to cram in a bunch of schoolwork before going to dance is pretty stressful. On Mondays, I usually get home from school at around 4 p.m. and then I have dance which starts at 5 p.m. By the time dance ends, it’s 8:45 p.m. and when I come home it’s already 9 p.m. and I’m exhausted. It makes it difficult to do schoolwork then.

Q: What changes have you had to make to

online manager Zelia Lerch

A: Everything has been pushed back later. I'm

news editors Erika Glass Sara Miyake-Singer

on the cross country team and practice has been pushed even further into the afternoon and it now ends at 5 or 6 p.m. I also have a job that I have to push into the afternoon. So I just go to sleep later and wake up later. It’s not really that different.

Q: Do you notice a difference in your energy A: I’m a little bit more energetic each day

entertainment editors Allie D'Amato Sydney Lamich

at school?

because I have more sleep. This school year, I've gotten the sleep I wanted and that makes me more energetic at school, more engaged in class, and more social as a person, so it's a lot better for me.

—Jacob Greif, 12

schedule?

A: I prefer the new schedule because now I don’t

have to worry about being late to class. Especially because I have to look for parking now, I don’t need to worry about rushing in the morning because I still have cushion time.

Q: Have you made changes to extracurricular activities as a result of the bell schedule?

A: I have school lacrosse, but that hasn’t started

yet so it doesn’t affect me right now. But I am doing club lacrosse and once it starts, it’s going to be harder to manage work because it’s in Santa Monica. I’m going to have to do my homework right away after school because I'll have to rush out [to go to lacrosse].

A: I prefer the old schedule because waking up

earlier sets my mindset for the day and it keeps me on the right track. Sleeping in is fun, but it’s not a good habit to have, especially when you’re trying to be productive and focused throughout the day.

Q: Do you notice a difference in your energy at school?

A: I’m definitely more tired and subdued, and just

not as energetic during fourth and third period because that’s usually the time I would be eating lunch.

Since lunch is delayed by 30 minutes, I definitely don’t have the same energy during those periods compared to last year.

Also, because I’m so used to having the same schedule for the past three years, I get hungry in the middle of class and I get distracted by that.

—Sydney Hyon, 12

—Natalie Goldman, 11

100 students from grades 9-12 were surveyed on their views on the new schedule.

features editors Mia Dowdell Emilie Takahashi Marley Van Pelt opinion editors Scarlett Mische Romi Riss

Q: Do you prefer the old schedule or the new

schedule? Why?

editors-in-chief Katarina (Haven) Beches Ruby Crosthwait Elise Haulund

your routine to adjust to the new bell schedule?

—Zara Kumar, 9

Q: Do you prefer the old schedule or the new

staff

45 percent

of students are "unsure" if they like or dislike the schedule The schedule is "good" The schedule is "bad"

PHOTOS BY SASCHA PERDUE

sports editors Ethan Chi Ty Soria copy editors Cristina Couch Stavyah Naveen Zoe Rossi Mia Schrift writing editors Lauren Greene Ethan Lerner Simra Zargar online editors Cristina Couch Lucy Davis Rena Felde Lauren Greene Ria Lopresto Stavyah Naveen Troy Nevil Kat Otey advisor Kerri Eastham staff writers Ariya Anvari Ava Anzivino Luca Artiga Hadeel Azzam Danielle Bellamy Calvin Bonn London Carbone Nicholas Carrozza Lauren Choy NyAire Davis Charlene Elam Izzie Escobar Yasmeen Ford Daniella Gross Scarlett Kindt

Isabella Kohler CaraMia Leal Valentina Masoni Andrew McKenna Summer Puterbaugh Amina Raïss Priya Ramcharan Avery Rapoport Aaliyah Roberson Victor Simoes Sadie Simmons Aidan Tseng Claudia Turner Sofia Villanueva Malina Young

photographers Anthony Biedenbender Marin Cantrell Jazmine Jimenez Pete Paguyo Sascha Perdue advertising, circulation, & distribution manager Nicholas Tomsio illustrators Espy Carolipio Allie D’Amato Kaitlyn Hodac Bella Langa Scarlett Mische Samarah Nuques

news 3

high tide sept. 9, 2022

SCRAMBLING THE LINEUP With a new schedule and a new head coach, football is starting the 2022-23 season off strong

by Ethan Lerner

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he 2022 varsity football season has kicked off into its first quarter, with two wins already in the books and eight more games to go. This year, the football program is home to former assistant and now head coach, Keith Ellison. In addition, Tuesday through Friday class practice for junior varsity and varsity is now during zero period.

Ellison, an RUHS alumni and former defensive linebacker for the Buffalo Bills, believes the change to zero is “beneficial” to the program. Seniors Adam Elhardouzi and Caden Telleson, both varsity players, agree with that sentiment.

Taking advantage of the new bell schedule, Ellison decided to switch the periods to give players more free time. Since school is only starting 35 minutes later, players won’t “necessarily” be waking up that much later, according to Ellison.

“I feel really strongly about kids having more free time and not always being taken up by an extracurricular activity. I try to find ways in our football schedule to give them time to be teenagers and enjoy their lives. Zero period gives me a way to do that for them,” Ellison said.

Practice is now one hour in the morning during class and two hours after school, instead of an average four hour extended practice after school. This split allows players time to rest between their workouts and get home earlier.

To meet the athletic program’s requirements, students cannot receive more than one citizenship grade of “unsatisfactory”

Sophomore Ethan Maleman lifts the bar for bench press during a zero period lift. PHOTO BY MARIN CANTRELL

or below. Ellison has reinforced the brid” as well as receiver, appreciates the system whereby if students have one, two splitting of practice. or three unexcused absences or tardies “I get to start the day off with something they cannot play in the first quarter, half or important, something I like. Practice also full game, respectively. Players have 45-60 forces me to get up. If I have homework, minutes between the end of morning class it really keeps me in check and focused and the start of their next class to shower throughout the day because I have to go and get ready for to bed early. It gives the day, so tardime a routine that I ness to morning have to follow and class cannot be it’s harder, but it’s attributed to pracimportant,” Telleson tice, according to said.

Telleson.

Elhardouzi, a left “I think [the tackle and occasional system] is good bedefensive line player, cause you’re forced also prefers the new to be on time for schedule compared your first period, to last year because it which was an isleaves him more resue for a lot of kids laxed and with more last year,” Telleson personal time in the said. evenings.

Ellison stands “[Zero period] is by the “tons” of honestly so much studies showing KEITH ELLISON nicer. I don’t have to the benefits to aca- HEAD COACH worry about [having demic performance to lift] and then I’m that exercise protired for practice, or vides. Corroboratpractice and then I’m ing his statement, tired for lifting,” Elan article by Harvard Business Review stat- hardouzi said. “When I lift in the morning, ed that exercise provides “improved con- it's out of the way and I have the entire day centration, sharper memory, faster learn- to just refresh and relax.” ing, prolonged mental stamina, enhanced This year, Ellison has brought on new creativity and lower stress.” coaching staff, the majority of whom are Telleson, a linebacker and safety “hy- also alumni that “truly care” about the spir-

“

I try to find ways in our football schedule to give them time to be teenagers and enjoy their lives. Zero period gives me a way to do that for them

it of the game, the team and RUHS. “Ellison has completely turned the program around in terms of his mindset and our team mentality and culture in general,” Elhardouzi said. “Last year, I felt like our coaches had no connection towards the players in the program. The past three years I’ve been around, I’ve never felt connected to Redondo’s football legacy. He’s done a good job of bringing that back.”

Elhardouzi and Telleson highly respect and value Ellison and the changes to the football program he has brought this year.

“Ellison brings a really positive energy. He is a very knowledgeable coach, no matter what position you’re playing,” Telleson said. “He is straight to the point and doesn’t sugarcoat anything for you. If he says that you need to do better, you need to do better.”

For this season and the foreseeable future, Ellison intends to keep zero period football and aspires to instill the legacy of the football program into his players, hoping it motivates them to play harder and better.

“I understand what it’s like to be a football player at Redondo. The idea of the history and continuity of our program is really important. Players understand that they are connected to the past and the legacy that Redondo football has, and that they are playing for things bigger than themselves,” Ellison said. “Each time they step on the field they are representing their families, our current and past football teams, our school and our community.”

Redondo Shores provides students with alternative learning opportunities

by Mia Dowdell

W

hat works for some may not be what works for everyone. But by looking in the right places, one might find exactly what they need.

During the pandemic, when students were unable to attend their classes in-person, RBUSD students received the option to either study using the hybrid model, learning through a regular curriculum on Zoom and later in-person, or through an independent study program (ISP) hosted by the Patricia Dreizler Continuation School (PDHS), also known as Shores. 90 RUHS students participated in this program.

While the school specializes in educating credit-deficient students, they designed the independent study program for all students in the district with the intention of offering a curriculum specifically tailored to the online platform.

“Most ISP students needed the program due to unique medical or family needs,” PDHS principal Jens Brandt said. “The independent learning provided a way for students to work on the rigorous courses throughout the school day. We found that most students were excited to return to campus due to what is offered during and after the school day at RUHS.” This program came from APEX Learning, an education service offering courses similar to what would be found on the RUHS course catalog. In addition to virtual

instructional material, students received their work at an individualized pace, he both academic and social-emotional guid- has taken advantage of the independence ance from an ISP teacher. the standard PDHS curriculum has given “Some students really enjoyed him. working via distance learning, “I feel like I’ve gotten a lot while others were excited to more done in the past week get back to campus for seehere than I have in a month or ing their friends, being in so at Redondo,” Barry said. clubs, playing sports, and “As soon as school started everything RUHS has again, I started getting all to offer,” Brandt said. of my work done. There “The majority of our was a conference that RUHS students who was held by the teachwere in ISP returned ers and for whatever to in-person instrucreason, my name tion this year.” was brought up.

Although PDHS Two of them told senior Jake Barme that they ry did not were proud of participate my drive and in ISP, how quickly he finds I was getthat just ting things as ISP done.” g a v e Barry s t u recalls not dents taking his more R U H S freeclasses “as dom serioust o ly as he comshould Jake Barry. PHOTO BY LILIANA ROMERO plete have,”

and consulted Brandt over the summer after junior year for his next steps. When Brandt suggested Shores, however, Barry and his parents weren’t “too thrilled” with the idea of his going.

“When Mr. Brandt told me that it’d be in my best interest to enroll at [PDHS], I was kinda scared,” Barry said. “I thought of [PDHS], like most people do, as a place where you go as a last ditch effort to get you out of high school.”

But the decision paid off, according to Barry. Only five classes per semester are required at PDHS, ending classes at 2 p.m. and the official deadline for all schoolwork is by the end of the school year. Barry attributes his success to this newfound time.

“I spend my extra time relaxing. I put my work in at school, and while I’m out, I want to be able to enjoy myself and not overwork and get burnt out,” Barry said.

Attending PDHS comes with drawbacks, as Barry won’t be able to graduate with the people he grew up with. Nevertheless, without PD, he would have fewer opportunities to graduate early, a goal he has now set himself on.

“I feel like Shores gets a really bad rep.

The people at Redondo just see it like, ‘Yeah, look at you, you’re a screw-up,’ but it's not really like that,” Barry said. “The people here are super nice, and it’s a very accepting place.”

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features Catching Caches Seniors Luke Chamber and Brady Hancock go on geocaching adventures to different locations Luke Chambers with a cache.

PHOTO COURTSEY OF MARIN CANTRELL

by Stavyah Naveen

G

eocaching, a word unfamiliar to many people, is a worldwide activity that has been inconspicuously hiding right under our noses for a little over 20 years. However, over time, some students at Redondo Union High School have pursued this activity, leading to it becoming one of their most enjoyed pastimes.

Geocaching is a scavenger hunt in which individuals all over the world hide a “cache,” or a stash of objects, in chosen locations, leaving hidden clues or messages for the “seekers.” The seeker’s task is to find the cache using GPS and geographic coordinates, thus explaining why the activity attained prominence when everybody, not just the military, gained access to accurate, satellite-driven location services. The caches that the seekers are meant to discover are placed in “unpredictable” areas,

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1. Senior Luke Chambers with his discovery of his 1000th cache. PHOTO COURTSEY OF LUKE CHAMBERS 2. Senior Luke Chambers climbing a tree to reach a clue to a cache. PHOTO TAKEN BY MARIN CANTRELL

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2 including ridges in mountains, hiking trails and river beds. They can also be placed in common areas, such as in parking lots or near a lamppost.

Senior Luke Chambers is an avid geocacher who recently discovered his 1000th cache, considered an enormous milestone in the community. Chambers, who was first introduced to the activity by his friend, found his fascination with it during one of his expeditions.

“I was like, ‘Let's see what this is',” Chambers said. “We found a cache and I just remembered how cool the experience was. There was just something about the mystery of it all that was super interesting to me.”

Geocaching expeditions are ranked with difficulty levels from one to five and represent the amount of endurance, stamina or physical exertion one will need in order to find the cache. For example, difficulty level 1 would be attributed to a cache that is placed in a location of easy access, such as in a parking lot. On the contrary, difficulty level 5 would be used to describe a cache that is placed in a location that is much more difficult to access, such as on a river

bed or underwater.

Chambers mainly searches for caches of a medium level. He recently participated in an “Earth Cache” at Zion National Park in Utah.

“I hiked the Narrows as a means of participating in an Earth Cache, which is another type of geocaching [expedition] where you answer questions about the geography [in that location], or really anything that has to do with the Earth,” Chambers said. “You're not technically finding a stash of objects at the end, but you are answering questions to learn more about the Earth. That was really cool.”

Chambers also participated in a “scary but fun” geocache that led him to venture into the tunnels under the University of California, Irvine (UCI). He walked for hours within the tunnels, a part of the adventuring aspect of this activity, and a representation of the numerous outdoor locations that this hobby requires enthusiasts to travel to. Senior Brady Hancock, whose love for geocaching came from the inspiration of his dad’s own involvement in the activity, recalls a puzzle geocache that he did with his family that required an immense amount of endurance and hard work.

“The series of puzzle caches was located in the desert,” Hancock said. “There were around 15 puzzles, so we just went around and solved a bunch of them. But sometimes, they're packed inside of the shrubs, and one time, I fell into a brush and ended up with splinters covering my entire arm.”

During Hancock’s geocaching expeditions, he acquired items with sentimental value that he still cherishes today.

“We found a challenge coin, as well as some old coins from the 1930s that people just tossed in there,” Hancock said. “They

appealed to me because they’re from so l o n g a g o t h a t they must have some kind of story to them.”

The geocaching community expands its horizons to fit the increasing number of people interested in the activity.

They now host Mega Events (with 500 or more people in attendance), as well as Giga Events (with up to 5000 people in attendance).

Chambers recalls how such events have helped him build relationships and bonds with many people.

“You get to meet a lot of new people and run into somebody else who is geocaching,” Chambers said. “I’ve actually met some of the [popular] Geocachers around this area. It's just really cool to exchange geocaching information with them.”

Chambers believes that geocaching has greatly increased his awareness and appreciation for the Earth and the environment.

“For pretty much my whole life, I’ve loved the environment and being outdoors,” Chambers said. “But, geocaching has made me think more about my effect on the planet, and it has allowed me to learn how we, as humans, can limit our [negative] impact on the environment as much as possible.”

Helphand and Harrison have a history of performing in theater together

by Amina Raiss he family that’s created while putting on a show makes theater an extracurricular that excites actors and audiences alike. Junior Zoe Helphand caught the acting bug early on, participating in her first production while in kindergarten. She’s been part of the Drama classes at RUHS since her freshman year and has also done out-of-school productions at places such as Encore in Torrance and Puttin’ On Productions (POPs) in Manhattan Beach.

Helphand joined theater after being inspired by her mother, who participated in both theater and advanced choir during high school.

“Hearing my mom tell me about [it], I thought it was a really fun and interesting activity. The aspect of performing is especially fun for me,” Helphand said. “My mom is a very hard worker and always tries her hardest at everything.”

Helphand got the lead role in Encore's production of “She Kills Monsters,” (SKM) playing Tilly, two years ago.

“I was really excited because it was the first show I’d done in a while and it was supposed to be on Zoom, but we got to do it in person,” Helphand said. “I also liked doing the show because I got to be with a bunch of my old friends. It was really fun to be [a part of] a cast with all of them.”

The family atmosphere that develops offstage while putting a play together is a bonus for Helphand.

“During SKM we had a cast party and we all rewatched the show. It was really funny [watching] ourselves performing,” Helphand said.

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Helphand received her first role at seven, playing Chip in the POPs production of “Beauty in the Beast.”

“I was excited about the role because it was one I had really wanted to play. It was fun to be able to have the experience of being on stage in front of others for the first time,” Helphand said.

Trained in both ballet and jazz dance in the past, Helphand's favorite part of performing is being able to dance.

“I love [to dance on stage] and perform with all of my friends. I definitely feel like it's my [strong suit] and what I’m best at,” Helphand said.

Although Helphand doesn’t have aspirations for a career in theater, she does plan to continue performing in college.

“I like how [theater] is a big community and if one person's not there, we have to problem solve and figure out another way to perform. It's all kind of one big group effort to put Zoe Helphand (left) with her friend Amanda Harrison (right)

on a show,” Helphand said.

One of Helphand's friends, Amanda Harrison, a senior at Port of Los Angeles High School, also acted in the production of “She Kills Monsters.” She shared the stage alongside Helphand, playing the part of Agnes, one of the main characters alongside Tilly. The two have known each other for several years and became closer during the production of SKM. “Zoe and I work very well together. One of my favorite parts about working with her was, even offstage, we acted together. We’d pretend that we’re actually siblings and have bickering arguments together, only to laugh them off,” Harrison said. “She’s made me laugh when trying to do a serious scene.”

Harrison and Helphand have acted in several plays together: “She Kills Monsters,” “The Wizard of Oz” and “Disney’s Descendants.” “[Helphand] and I have found a way to communicate with our eyes on stage, so when we find something funny, we are able to communicate it. This was especially prevalent in “Descendants.”

Zoe Helphand in "behind the scene" productions.

PHOTO COURTSEY OF AMANDA HARRISON

I was playing Audrey and almost fell, and we saw with each other, [just] trying not to laugh,” Harrison said.

Harrison expressed a “star quality” she sees in Helphand, emphasizing her kindness and polite manner.

“She’s very charismatic and has a way of making you feel good and comfortable.

[Helphand] also plays roles fully and she commits to the character. [She] should get more leads,” Harrison said.

Theater takes practice, precision and a strong work ethic, like many other extracurriculars, but also includes fun and memories during the time onstage.

“There's a really good community, you get to make a lot of friends and everyone's really welcoming,” Helphand said. “Just do it, it's really fun.”

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In Foreign Ways Junior Mia Nishimura travels as an exchange student to Germany with a new host family

by Lauren Choy

T

ake a marshmallow, put it on a Club at Redondo Union. She serves her stick then roast it. Once golden German community by trying to resolve brown, pair it with two graham issues that exist in the world through the crackers and a chocolate. Enjoy the s’more. guidance of this program. “[The program] is to study abroad, but Something so common and normal to her is completely unknown to others. Junior you also have to attend these meetings Mia Nishimura, laughing and smiling at called Rotary meetings in your host counthe recollection of the memory, shares try and host club. That's when you can more experiences with her host parents make contributions to the club, so I'm goDaniela Goldman and Nicolai Fuhrmann ing to my first meeting tomorrow [Aug. 25].

I don't really know what while studying as an to expect, but I know exchange student in that they're going to be Cologne (Köln), Gerdiscussing some issues many.

“We had a barbeWhen I go back, it's going to help out with, which is exciting,” Nishimura cue in our garden last week, and we used to be so different because said.

After attending the to barbecue marshI'm going to have a lot meeting, Nishimura exmallows just as pure plains how the police marshmallows, but more experience in life, president of Köln came she told us to prepare in and told the students s'mores with a piece like academics and social about the biggest issues of chocolate and work. this program has the country is focusing crackers,” Fuhrmann on right now. said. “We found it been helping me grow as The school Nishimutoo sweet, but it was a person but also how I ra attends hosts many very good as well.” exchange students from Currently attend- see the world. different countries, so ing Leonardo Da the students there are Vinci Gymnasium MIA NISHIMURA used to it.

(In various European JUNIOR “They all help me if I languages, 'Gymnadon't understand somesium' is a term for thing or if I ask a quesa secondary school preparing students for higher education at tion, they're all super friendly about it. I a university), Nishimura studies through met them through school and a climbing a program called Rotary Youth Exchange. group, but it's sometimes hard to talk to The program leads students through the them because they can speak English but process of learning a new language in or- their vocabulary is limited, and I can't reder to study internationally. Nishimura ally speak German that well,” Nishimura discovered this program through Interact said. “So even though they can’t speak En-

“

glish that well, hanging out with them and doing things that we all have in common helped us become friends.”

After applying and obtaining approval to study abroad, the program picked Nishimura’s host country for her and with little knowledge of German prior to moving, the language barrier is Nishimura’s biggest struggle thus far.

Class choices in Germany are more restricted than in the U.S, with a mandatory “moral” class, according to Nishimura. The choices are Catholicism, Protestantism and philosophy, and Nishimura is enrolled in a Protestantism class, which she finds significantly different from American courses.

Not only are the challenges in school tough for Nishimura, but so is her adaptation to the German community.

“Navigating public transport has been difficult. I've been taking the subway every day, so I’m used to it now, but one time I got lost for an hour. Everyone uses bikes here. I was really bad at riding a bike, so I had to relearn how to ride a bike. Public transport was kind of scary for me, but I've [only] been in a car once since I've got here because it's so useful here,” Nishimura said.

While there have definitely been major hurdles to jump, Nishimura has “no regrets,” despite having to leave all her friends and family for a year.

“I really like learning about other cultures. Making friendships is the best way to get in touch with another culture through learning about it with someone from that culture,” Nishimura said. “It’s important because there's so many bad things happening in the world, but here I've met so

many other people from countries I didn’t really know about.”

Already having a new perspective on the world, Nishimura feels she will come back as a new person.

“When I go back, it's going to be so different because I'm going to have a lot more experience in life, like academics and social work. This program has been helping me grow as a person but also how I see the world,” Nishimura said.

Out of her home country, Nishimura connects with her host family, giving Nishimura a more complete concept of “home,” even so far away.

“It's our first time hosting exchange students. Our daughter is making an exchange here right now and she's abroad in Brazil, so with this program, you send your child to another country and you get one exchange student. So we appreciate and understand Mia,” Goldman said.

Learning from different teachers and meeting new people, according to Nishimura, exposes her to new experiences and many valuable lessons from the few weeks she has lived there. However, one lesson she’s learned especially sticks out to her.

“My biggest takeaway would be that even if you don't speak the same language as someone, but you have a connection with that person, then friendship will blossom,” Nishimura said. “My host sister doesn't speak English, and I don't really speak German. But we can still do things together and it's really fun.”

Ryan practices ventriloquism to perform for different audiences

by Ethan Lerner

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any people sound incoherent when they can’t move their lips. Junior Amanda Ryan, however, is an exception. Ryan is a well-practiced ventriloquist, possessing the ability to speak with her lips closed and retell stories through her puppets.

Ryan became a ventriloquist in sixth grade after seeing a then 12-year-old, Darci Lynne, become the champion of America’s Got Talent in 2017 with her puppet, Petunia.

"I thought, ‘that’s kind of cool.’ Then, I tried it and I really liked it,” Ryan said. “I always wanted to be a singer, but my parents didn’t really like that. So, [I thought], if I do [ventriloquism], then it looks a little bit more complicated than just singing.”

In her early days as a ventriloquist, Ryan used to frequently practice the alphabet to herself in her mirror because speaking wasn’t yet “easy.” Now, she writes and practices her own scripts and sings songs by her favorite popular artists. As of recently, she only finds time to practice every other week.

“After a while, I had so much other stuff to do that it’s just been put in the back.

With high school and the harder classes I’ve been taking, I couldn’t find much time for it. It’s kind of just a hobby,” Ryan said.

For around a year, Ryan created skits based on “anything” she could, visiting the park near her house to entertain young kids or sending a video to her grandmother,

Pam Ryan. She also borrowed other ventriloquist material to perform. For her first performance, Ryan felt “very nervous,” so much so that she was unable to stop her puppet from shaking. However, she values the boost in self-confidence that performing in front of people has given her. “[Performing] helped me get out of my comfort zone because I was always that person who was in the back and didn't want to talk,” Ryan said. “Since I’ve started, I feel I’m a lot more open. I have more of a voice.”

Ryan’s grandmother also spoke highly of her granddaughter's growth that she attributes to performing for an audience.

“She was amazing at my work and I'm extremely proud of how far she's come,” Pam Ryan said. “In the beginning she was nervous and shy, but when she performed she definitely came out of her shell a lot and is a better person for it.”

Before the pandemic, Ryan put on her act for her grandmother’s workplace, an office for adults with physical or mental disabilities. She primarily performs with one of her seven puppets, Charlotte, a gift from her grandmother and a favorite of the patients. She’d eventually begin to draw inspiration for scripts from the people at the office. “[The puppets] all have their own personalities and people are looking forward to those characters,” Ryan said. “The audience would be like, ‘Oh, I can’t wait to see Charlotte again. When is she coming back?

When is this other one coming?’ They look forward to seeing them.”

Although the past few years made Ryan’s motivation to practice falter, she hasn’t given up. With a renewed motivation, she intends on making time during the school year to refine her craft.

“I just do [ventriloquism] for fun, and I hope to do it more,” Ryan said. “During COVID I stopped and was thinking ‘God, I’m getting worse.’

Once I picked it up again I knew I could still do this.

I just need to perform.”

Keeping with the spirit of wanting to perform, Ryan plans to visit hospitals in the future and perform for sick

children.

“I think it’s important to help kids if they’re going through something,” Ryan said. “Like ‘oh, here’s something that will take your mind off of it for a little bit.’ Just a smile and a laugh.”

Junior Amanda Ryan with her puppet, Charlotte.

PHOTO COURTSEY OF AMANDA RYAN

sept. 9, 2022 high tide

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by Erika Glass and Lucy Davis

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ummer, a time of endless possibilities, is a blank canvas waiting to be painted. For senior Naima Daley and junior Sadie Dixon, this time was spent doing art internships.

Dixon worked at the Long Beach Boys and Girls Club during July, painting murals designed and sketched by Marvel comic book artist Damion Scott, whose work includes recent editions of Spider-Man and Black Panther. The day of the reveal, Snoop Dogg and Stephen Curry made an appearance to celebrate the completion of the project.

1. Claire “[Meeting Snoop Dogg] was Malloy hikes up insane; it was so cool. He’s rea trail in ally authentic, and it definitely Alcudia, scored me bonus points with a town in Mallorca. my parents,” Dixon said.

PHOTO Unlike Dixon, the profesCOURTESY sional artist Daley interned OF CLAIRE MALLOY with, Jamaican-born Yrneh Gabon, is a friend of her 2. Malloy's dad’s and mostly does Afview from Cabrera rican pieces and abstract Island, a work. secluded Balancing the internnational reserve. PHOTO COURTESY OF CLAIRE MALLOY

by Cristina Couch

3. Aaron Alpern prepares hafnium oxide for deposition in a lab at UC Irvine. PHOTO COURTESY OF AARON ALPERN

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h i l e m o s t students are able to put away their books and take a break from school when summer break begins, the learning didn’t stop for aspiring medical students seniors Josie Crosthwait and Catherine Tran who both were a c -

ship alongside three academic summer classes, Daley was reminded of the importance of time management, among other skills. “[The interning experience] was critical but also really fun,” Daley said. “It caused me to be really creative about how I went about things. It was also fun because I grew up around art my whole life and I got to experience it from the point of view of an artist."

Despite her passion for art, Dixon has different goals to pursue in college.

“I've always said I wanted to go into law–like sit on the Supreme Court–so art could be a side hustle option. Selling my art would be cool, but part of me doesn’t think I could do it. I get emotionally attached to a piece, and it’s hard to let go,” Dixon said.

Similarly, Daley hopes to pursue business law after high school, and possibly minoring in photography. Both students share the sentiment, though, that their internships were “great experiences,” according to Daley.

“The internship not only gave me a chance to step out of my comfort zone, but it gave me an opportunity to do something over the summer while learning about new art forms,” Daley said.

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by Lauren Greene

ather than trying to push school as far out of his mind as possible over the summer, senior Aaron Alpern and junior Claire Malloy utilized his time to explore his passions and pursue his academic interests.

Alpern reached out to several college professors to find a summer internship.

His request was soon accepted by Professor Lee at UCI, where he practiced studying how light interacts with solids.

“The one word that inspired me to enter the physics field would be ‘why,’” Alpern said. “I've always been generally curious about how things work and what's causing them.”

The internship helped Alpern “100% guarantee” that he wants to major in physics in college. He is currently considering a PhD in physics, and despite its difficulty, Alpern recognizes the benefits it holds and is willing to accept the challenges.

“Physics is really hard. Don't let anyone tell you that it's easy,” Alpern said.

“But, being confronted with constant challenges allowed me to gain a lot of perseverance.”

Malloy found the experience through a program called Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE).

“Living in the South Bay, the ocean is obviously something that I love,” Malloy said. “I had a great time with my host mom and I loved having a home there for a few weeks.”

Interesting

INTERNS

Over the summer, students dip their toes into a wide range of careers cepted into the Eve and Gene Black Medical Career Program.

“It was a really educational experience no matter if you actually want to go into the medical field or not. [The internship] was a good way to explore different paths and to learn in general about work and what you might want to do in your future.” Tran said.

Hearing about the internship from her AP Chemistry teacher, Mr. Lee, Crosthwait described the process of getting into the program as having to fill out a “pretty hard” application. It required the completion of multiple essay responses, a description of extracurricular activities and honors or awards, and letters of recommendation, all to be judged alongside hundreds of other applicants.

“I've never had any experience in a hospital viewing what it's like to be a healthcare worker, so this opportunity allowed me to shadow different professionals. I got a better idea of what they do in their everyday life and how they treat patients,”

Crosthwait said.

Crosthwait said the internship helped “solidify” her decision to follow healthcare and expanded her horizons of the different possibilities within a career in the medical field. ”I've always just been kind of curious by the thought of going down the healthcare pathway, but I just thought it was always too ambitious or would take too much effort,” Crosthwait said. “Seeing the reality of the pathway I could go down and seeing how it's attainable, it got me more excited and interested in exploring the different pathways in healthcare.”

Tran, who also participated in the internship, described the experience as an opportunity to gain perspective into the demands and expectations of becoming a general and trauma surgeon in the future.

Through the internship, Tran had the ability to assist doctors on minor surgeries and also watch major procedures from live video feed and

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While Malloy had previously not reflected on what her future career might entail, her trip to Spain inspired her to consider studying marine biology in college.

“I treated the trip as a learning opportunity,” Malloy said. “At first I thought, ‘I think I can learn to enjoy marine biology,’ but now after experiencing it, I think I will consider it when deciding what career I want to pursue.”

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Sadie Dixon paints a mural with Damion Scott. PHOTO COURTESY OF SADIE DIXON 5. Ruby and Josie Crosthwait stand with Jack Tran, pediatrician Carol Berkowitz and Qu Go. PHOTO COURTESY OF JOSIE CROSTHWAIT 6. Catherine

Tran holds on some occasions, from a certificate inches away from the opwith Dr. erating table.

Washington, head “After seeing a few surof the MLK geries you kind of got the outpatient routine of it but I learned center.

PHOTO that even though they were COURthe same types of surgeries, TESY OF every single surgery is differCATHERINE ent, every case is different beTRAN cause the patients are all different in some way,” Tran said.

Although Tran is appreciative of the in-person learning experience the internship exposed her to, she is more grateful for the closure it gave her on where her future was heading.

“I got to see what a surgeon does every day, and at first I was kind of concerned like, ‘Am I going to be able to balance my real life with my job life if I was to become a surgeon?’ But after just being there for the two weeks, I saw that I could handle it, and I really loved it,” Tran said.

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features 7

high tide sept. 9, 2022

The Brain-warmer

Peter Mood y

remains on the baseba ll

team as tea

m tutor afte r injury

by Rena Felde

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group of baseball players surround one student as he explains the game plan for the day: how to balance a chemical equation. Senior Peter Moody was once accustomed to playing with his teammates on the field as a pitcher. Now following an injury from his sophomore year, he has quit the RUHS baseball team, but continues to help his teammates in the classroom through tutoring.

Along with his teammates, he also tutors other students, and with that comes challenges. “[Getting impatient] is a part of the process and I think what it really is telling me is that I haven’t figured out how to explain it to them right,” Moody said. “That’s my job: to explain things in a way that will best resonate with them.”

Moody strongly believes knowing somebody well helps him teach more effectively by better relating material to them.

“Figuring out how different people look at something and analyze it, [also] how I can best communicate an idea to them, is like a super interesting puzzle for me to solve,” Moody said.

He also notices how someone’s hobbies or interests, such as baseball, may affect how they learn. He’s analyzed the behaviors of his teammates to better understand the

ways they grasp material; from that, he realized pitchers are generally very visual people and tend to benefit from visual representations. On the other hand, catchers are taught to analyze the entire field and call each pitch, so they benefit from discussing and explaining things to go along with their analytical mindset, according to Moody.

“Realizing how people’s disciplines influence their different learning styles has allowed me to be successful in teaching,” Moody said.

Aside from this, Moody has another teaching technique he uses often.

“The biggest thing I do when I’m tutoring is that I never give somebody the answer, and that really upsets people,” Moody said. “I make sure that I stick to that and help them funnel themselves closer and closer to the answer so that they get it on their own.”

Moody has tutored senior pitcher Chris Thurman in Geometry, Algebra 2 and predicts he will yet again help him this year with statistics.

“One thing I like about going to Peter

PHOTOS BY PETE PAGUYO AND VIA CREATIVE COMMONS

is that I don’t feel as uncomfortable as I would if I were in a classroom,” Thurman said. “I don’t have to go out of my way to get tutored. It’s just like hanging out with a friend who’s just helping me out.”

Similar to Thurman, senior Jake Fallon also received tutoring from Moody in Algebra 2 last year. Fallon describes Moody as “adaptive” and understanding.

“He’s able to talk with us like he’s on the same level as us, even though he’s obviously smarter than us,” Fallon said.

Along with appreciating his adaptiveness, Fallon also appreciates Moody’s “annoying,” yet effective problem-solving method.

“I was very annoyed he didn’t give me the answer, but it worked. I ended up getting the answer for myself,” Fallon said.

Aside from Thurman also finding Moody’s strategy irritating, he ultimately credits Moody for helping him get his Al-

gebra 2 grade from a D to an A- last year.

Although Moody no longer plays with them on the field, his impact on not only the baseball team but the program as well is still recognizable.

“He’s helped at least 80% of our guys in the program with school,” Thurman said.

“He’s still there. He’s in the classroom with us, he tutors us outside of school, he still lifts with us, and he’s always welcome to hangout with us in the dugout at the games.”

Overall, Moody is happy to remain a part of the team and continue his passion for teaching.

“Teaching is my favorite thing to do. If I had nothing but time, I would just teach,” Moody said. “I love being the team tutor because I’ve known most of these guys for five, six years, and it’s been really fun to get to stay a part of the team, even though I don’t get to play.”

Freshman Madelyn Bain creates her digital poster art for a commision

by Marley Van Pelt

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hat awaits her after her hours of work: a crisp $50 bill. Freshman Madelyn Bain started art at a young age and after years of honing her craft, she now shares her art to the world through Instagram, doing projects for others.

Through different connections, Bain started expanding her art skills by undertaking different jobs. Making up to $20-50 a project, this new employment allowed her to do something she loves and get paid for it.

“My sister goes to Ocean Fever, and the founder knows that I draw, so she asked if I could make a poster [2] for her,” Bain said.

“Some other friends of hers then picked up on it. A kid band called 'Scream Revolution' [1] also wanted me to draw a poster for them, so I 2 did that too.”

Bain used to draw art for fun, now stepping out of her comfort zone to a new online world as a way to discover more of what she can do with her skills. Bain first started displaying her art on Instagram, with recommendation from her mother, during the spring of 2022 with the desire to expose her art to more people.

“I've seen a lot of different people on Instagram and other platforms that sell their art, doing commissions, and I like to draw

so it would be a bonus if I got money just for drawing,” Bain said.

Bain prefers to draw digitally, as it can provide more optionality for her art than traditional pen and paper, and it also allows her to experiment with more style choices.

“I had a friend that inspired me. She always drew [digitally], so I kind of picked up on that,” Bain said. “It’s just easier for me [using digital art], because you can have a lot more materials digitally than you can in real life.”

According to Bain, she expresses her creativity and ideas of everything into her 1 art and “plans to incorporate art into a future job” so she can use her passion in everyday life.

Melissa Bain (Mrs. Bain), Madelyn’s mom, contributed to her growth in art by encouraging her to continue to develop her skill and witnessed Bain’s artistic improvements.

“She doesn't want to just limit herself to drawing and sketching. She wants to pursue other things like sculpting, pottery and ceramics. She wants to expand on her creativity, which is really cool,” Mrs. Bain said.

Mrs. Bain aided her daughter in expanding the ways she can exhibit her art, and though they “weren’t keen” on social media, she saw the value of having Madelyn’s artistic abilities revealed.

“I wanted her to be able to have an avenue so that other people could see her work and see if she could make some more business off of it,” Mrs. Bain said.

As Bain receives more commissions and creates different works of art, Mrs. Bain sees how much her art skills have developed by being on Instagram.

“The biggest [visual] growth is that she will go back to some of her previous drawings from a few years ago and recreates them,” Mrs. Bain said. “She's getting more experience, and redoing the same drawings, they look even better than they did before.”

Bain had saved money from art jobs and birthdays to advance the scope of her art tools, buying herself her own tablet in which she improved on her skills and techniques with a bigger screen. Going from “a hobby to a passion”, according to Mrs. Bain, gave Madelyn a fierce dedication to something she loves.

“She has a lot more confidence. We're so poud of her and we're always trying to encourage her to explore that creative side of her. She just continues to blow us away with how much she's grown,” Mrs. Bain said. “During COVID, she probably drew even more than she was before. During that

time she really had a chance to grow and try new techniques.”

Though others in the Bain family aren’t skilled in art, they wish to “nurture” the talent. Mrs. Bain recognizes the different “avenues” that can be derived from this one skill in art and is interested in seeing what Madelyn will accomplish.

“I can see after all these years and how dedicated she is and how passionate she is, that she probably isn't going to want to do anything else. We are on board and totally supportive of her taking this road,” Mrs. Bain said. “Art is her passion and her dream and we are just happy to see her being successful.”

In the end, Bain pursues art because of her interest in it and her growth shows in the improvements and achievements she’s accomplished.

“Getting this money, getting comm i s sions, if my younger self could see me now, she’d be very excited,” Bain said.

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF MADELYN BAIN

8 high tide sept. 9, 2022

in-fo

You are what you eat Through cooking and eating, students savor culture and flavor

“

If d y ri e [K ri to ra re g

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single country, but hundreds of dishes. When connecting to culture and identity, step one: get to eating. On the surface, food is a nutritious substance that helps with growth and repair, but deep down, it highlights a culture’s values and an individual’s identity.

Different RUHS students share how food helps them connect with their culture.

M SO

De Luca explores Italian culture through cooking Victoria expresses herself by experimenting in the kitchen

by Romi Riss

“

Food is like a language. It’s a really great way to unconsciously describe who you are and what your origins are. It’s a good way of expressing yourself, what you like, and where you come from,” junior Vito De Luca said.

Visiting Italy every year helped to develop junior Vito De Luca’s passion for European cuisine and deepen his connection with his Italian culture and family. Growing up in a “heavily European influenced” household and lending a hand at his family's restaurant, De Luca developed an interest in cooking.

“As young as I can remember, I was already really into cooking and the food in general. I started with family dishes and traditional foods like bread, certain pasta dishes and simple foods like a tomato sauce or pasta with marinara sauce,” De Luca said.

On each of his trips to Italy, De Luca immerses himself in European culture and cuisine by bonding with his extended family. Self-expression was not his goal when he began cooking, but it soon became a significant part of his identity. During his freshman year, De Luca began to branch out past Italian cuisine and experimented with new dishes.

“Exploring other cuisines taught me how different proteins work, how different flavors interact with each other, what ingredients to use, and what not to use. Fried rice stood out to me specifically. You can modify it to your liking because you can really throw any-

thing in and it will taste good,” De Luca said.

De Luca took a semester of culinary arts at RUHS, where he learned how different spices mix, how to organize a safe and hygienic kitchen and the skills needed to improve as a chef. He has built up valuable y experimenting experience over the last year by taking a job in the kitchen and at Sacks in the City as a line cook and as combining together a barista. different dishes, junior “I learned to work well with others Lauren Victoria filled her and to have a lot of patience, which is quarantine with a creative something you need when working and relaxing hobby. Victoria in the kitchen. I think the kitchen developed her skills with extra not only trains you how to handle time during the pandemic. She your time well, but also teaches recalls taking an interest in food you to contain your stress and not from a young age, but she was freak out,” he said. able to experiment with baked De Luca is considering a future goods and explore broader cuicareer in culinary journalism, but sines. is sure he will use his cooking ex“My family comes from a milperience in the future regardless itary background. We've had to of his career path. move a few times, so we’ve lived in “Culinary journalism interplaces like the Philippines, Japan ests me because I don’t have to and around the country. I was be working directly in the kitchen. able to develop a deeper sense of The kitchen can be a lot of stress appreciation for different foods and tolling on the body,” De Luca and different cultures,” Victosaid. “I definitely don't see a future ria said. not involving something culinary. It As a Filipino American, always seemed like something that I'll food is a “big part” of Vicforever be able to use. Cooking has given toria’s culture. When me a way to connect with my family, my her grandma moved culture and my identity. Being able to cook to America from the is an important skill to have, but it's Philippines, Vicalso something that I find to toria was able be a big part of who I to learn am and who I want to be.”

B

“

Being able to cook is an important skill to have, but it's also something that I find to be a big part of who I am and who I want to be.”

VITO DE LUCA JUNIOR

by Romi Riss through her grandma’s years of cooking experience and knowledge and create a stronger bond.

“Growing up in America, sometimes I feel really disconnected from my culture. I feel like if I try to learn the information from previous generations, I can somehow keep that culture alive even though I don't live in the Philippines,” Victoria said. “As my family grows in the future, I definitely want to pass down what I learned from my experiences because I think food is an important way to keep family alive and culture strong.”

At family gatherings, foods from the Philippines and other countries have always brought Victoria's family together. Victoria continued to cook and experiment during the pandemic to connect to her family during the chaos. In the kitchen, she likes to experiment with new dishes and create her own recipes.

“In the past few weeks I've been making kimchi carbonara. Kimchi is a Korean staple food, and carbonara is an Italian staple food,” Victoria said. “I love combining foods from different cultures. Every culture has its own signature spices or flavors, and mixing the two can end up being really good.”

Victoria has “random bursts of inspira

Vito's signature pesto One of DeLuca's favorite dishes is pesto, which connects back to his Italian culture. According to DeLuca, three base ingredients are all you need to make an amazing dish.

Ingredients

3/4-1/2 cup pine nuts (toasted) 3/4 cup olive oil 2-3 garlic cloves 2 cups packed basil leaves.

3/4-1/2 cup of parmesan cheese 1/2 teaspoon salt

Khao poon

ALL ILLUSTRATIONS BY KAITLYN HODAC

tion” to cook certain foods. She looks online to find basic recipes and customizes them to make them her own.

Recently, Victoria has been experimenting with matcha—she succeeded in making matcha pastries after a l ong process of trial and “Making mistakes ac help improve the dis when you learn from takes and make it eve Victoria said.

Victoria’s “love for menting” reflects her kn unconventional approac “I don’t really follo recipe,” Victoria said, when there are ideas front of me, based on oth er people's thoughts, I like to find my own way of looking at the dish.”

Khao poon is a chicken noodle soup made with coconut milk, red curry paste, garlic, bayleaves, bamboo and other spices.

ocus

sept. 9, 2022 high tide 9

“

Eating Korean food helps Jo reconnect to South Korea, where she lived until she moved to the U.S. at eight-years-old f you're out in a

by Scarlett Mische different country, f t e r you miss your family, moving ight? So whenever I to The United States from eat out, I eat kalbi South Korea at the Korean barbecue age of 8-yearsold, sophomore ibs] because if I go Minkyung Jo o a Korean restaucontinues to embrace her culture ant and eat ribs, it through friends, family and food. eminds me of my “[In South Korea] grandma.” it was normal for me

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to eat Korean food. It was a part of my routine.

MINKYUNG JO I didn’t see anything special OPHOMORE about it, because everyone else ate the same,” Jo said. “If you go to the U.S. there might not be a lot of Korean people in the area, so of course there will be other types of food.”

To Jo, incorporating her culture into an everyday activity allows for her to feel a sense of normalcy that she once had in South Korea.

Being surrounded by her culture allows for Jo to feel connected to it “without even thinking.”

“Food is really important because when you first come to the U.S, there's a lot of U.S. food out here. If you're out in a different country, you miss your family, right? So whenever I eat out, I eat kalbi [Korean barbecue ribs] because if I go to a Korean restaurant and eat ribs, it reminds lme of my grandma,” Jo said. error.

Not having the same level of ctually can cultural immersion as she once did in sh overall your misen better,”

South Korea, Jo realizes the greater meaning to the little things surrounding her.

“When I first came here, there were so many cultures, but I really missed my motherland food, so [seeing all of these cultures] made me feel like, ‘Oh my culture is still out here as well’,” Jo said.

Moving to the U.S. also allowed Jo to view her culture in a new light by seeing some ways that her culture was different in the U.S. An example she gives is tteokbokki, a simmered and glazed rice cake.

“When I was in South Korea, I used to always get the original tteokbokki, but now that I’m here, I see on YouTube that people’s tastes are shifting and they are adding more flavors and trends,” Jo said.

For Jo, it is “refreshing” to see new and unique ways that her culture is showing up everyday. She is also able to share in the innovations with the people around her.

“There are some other Korean people in the school. So, if a new Korean restaurant opens we just share something like, ‘Oh, this restaurant’s Kalbi was super good, you should probably try it,’” Jo said. “We form common interests together, and then we have a topic to talk about, and I enjoy that. I like how I'm staying connected to other Korean people out there.”

Just like how sharing cultural food allows for Jo to feel connected to her friends, the food that comes with traditions allows for her to feel “more connected” with her family.

“I really love rice cakes, and in South Korea there is something called rice cake soup, it has been my favorite food since I was really young.

We eat this every lunar new year. It’s a way of saying, ‘You’re eating this, and your age is going up [as the year is going up],’” Jo said.

As Jo grows up, the traditions that she celebrates will “always be there for [her],” just like her family.

“Whenever my mom makes food, she will give me little tips on how she’s cooking,” Jo said. “It makes me feel we can connect with each other because my grandma taught my mom how to cook and now she’s teaching me.”

To connect with her Chinese and Hmong identity, Hoang partakes in foody traditions

r experinack for

by Scarlett Mische ches. ow the hile “fighting over favorite “and foods” and sharing stories s in around the dinner table, juhnior Nadia Hoang celebrates her cultures.

I Hoang believes that food is a “perfect” way to stay connected to her Chinese and Hmong heritage.

“It’s different for every family. Everyone makes their food different. Everyone has their own twist to the traditional foods. That’s what makes it special,” Hoang said.

Hoang feels connected to others through the food she eats, particularly her ancestors.

A large part of her culture involves looking to ancestors for guidance, so eating the food that they ate helps Hoang to learn more about the Hmong culinary practices.

The Hmong people are a group indigenous to central China that has been migrating through different parts of the country for 8000 years.

“The Hmong people were nomadic, so they traveled a lot throughout Asia, and we have made our own spin on different dishes from different locations,” Hoang said. “It shows me how my culture and people moved around through so many different countries.”

Looking into the origins of the dishes Hoang eats and how her culture and people have changed them helps her to understand the thought process of her ancestors. Similar to how Hoang feels connected to her Hmong culture through their individual dishes, she also feels heavily connected to the Chinese tradition of Chinese New Year.

“For Chinese New Year, we go to my great Aunt’s restaurant, and say ‘Happy New Year,’

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we get money in red envelopes, we eat and we just spend time with each other. Knowing that this holiday is an event that represents my culture allows me to feel more connected,” Hoang said.

The food and traditions that come with Chinese New Year allow Hoang to “be more in tune with herself.” However, even though she is able to celebrate things like Chinese New Year, she still feels “in the dark” a lot of the time when it comes to her Hmong culture.

“As I’m growing older, I get more curious about my culture, and so I’ll have [my grandparents] explain new things to me. Being distant from them piques my curiosity even more,” Hoang said.

Hoang’s mother feels that a lot of the traditions in Hmong culture can be “sort of dark.”

Even though she can’t participate in all aspects of her culture, Hoang still enjoys a lot of the other traditions and food that she can.

“I feel more connected daily by helping my mom to prepare meals,” Hoang said. “For instance, when we make egg rolls, my mom will prepare all of the vegetables and we’ll put them into big tubs. My siblings and I will then make the egg roll filling and help wrap the egg rolls.”

Along with meal prep, Hoang uses dressing up in traditional clothing as a way to connect to her Hmong culture. Being able to spread her culture can be done through something as simple as making food from an old family recipe and sharing that.

“I just want more people to be aware that we [the Hmong people] exist, and to know that we aren't the same as other cultures,” Hoang said. “It's very special to be part of a small community that is not well known. So, [with the meals I eat] I get the chance to be able to spread my culture and my identity.”

Plant-based self

For a variety of reasons, students choose to adhere to vegetarian or vegan diets

by Sara Miyake-Singer

G

iving up meat may sound daunting to many, but for an estimated 15 million Americans, vegetarianism is a part of their lifestyle for a variety of reasons.

Senior Carly McGuinness switched to veganism in middle school because of the mistreatment of animals within the animal agriculture industry. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), 80 billion land animals along with 100 billion farmed fish are killed each year for food, with the majority subjected to short lives of cramped conditions and steroids.

“I previously paid very little attention to where my food came from.

But ever since I started opening up my mind to the fact that I was playing a part in causing some of these problems, I started thinking more of how I should care for animals,” McGuinness said.

To help fight for animal rights, McGuinness started the Animal Rights Club on campus. The club, which has about a dozen vegetarian and non-vegetarian members, participates in fundraising activities to donate to animal rights organizations such as Best Friends Animal Society and No Kill LA. One of the members of the club, senior Ellen Puterbaugh, cites animal cruelty in the meat industry and climate change as reasons for her conversion to vegetarianism in elementary school and then veganism in middle school. Accordingly, the FAO states that the total annual carbon dioxide emissions from beef production was about 3 billion tonnes in 2010 with it increasing in the past decade.

“I’ve always had climate anxiety, so becoming a vegan was a way for me to combat both that and animal abuse. I’ve always been very sensitive to blood and violence, so learning about how inhumane conditions on those farms are and how bad it is for the environment made me want to distance myself from all of that,” Puterbaugh said.

Unlike Puterbaugh and McGuinness, senior Laxmi Upadhyaya has been a vegetarian since birth. This is because most people in her religion, Hinduism, and her ancestral state, Gujarat of India, are vegetarian due to a moral belief in not eating animals. Upadhyaya states that she was “mindlessly” a vegetarian until she learned more about the meat industry and climate change in classes like AP Environmental Science. Upadhyaya is now “confident [she] will be a vegetarian for the rest of [her] life.”

“Because it comes from two different areas that are both important to me, I’m more assured in it. From what I’ve seen, a lot of Indian kids stop being vegetarian once they’re adults because they don’t see the point. I’m glad I found another reason to be one and I hope that people can be more informed about vegetarianism through more widely available information about it,” Upadhyaya said.

According to Upadhyaya, vegetarianism isn’t difficult for her because everyone in her family, as well as all of the meals in her culture, are vegetarian. However, she does feel that it is difficult when traveling because it prevents her from being able to “fully experience other cultures” through traditional dishes containing meat.

McGuinness, on the other hand, has found difficulties being vegan since the rest of her family, besides her vegetarian sister, eat meat.

“I’ve had to learn to cook for myself. My family is very willing to try new things, but I am in charge of my diet. There are times when it’s hard, but I’ve learned so much about food and cooking,” McGuinness said.

Puterbaugh and McGuinness also cite eating out to be hard at times.

“Even though veganism is actually cheaper for me when I eat at home, my meal is generally more expensive than an average person’s.

This is a big problem since it may prevent people who want to from becoming vegan,” McGuinness said.

Though all three interviewees are passionate about their beliefs and vegetarianism and/or veganism, they understand why people choose to eat meat. They also want to eliminate the “pushy vegetarian stereotype” while still informing others of the benefits of eating less meat.

“I fully get why people aren’t vegetarian. It can be really challenging and for many people, it is inaccessible,” Puterbaugh said. “I do hope though that there can be more discussions about it and that, as a society, more people can be educated on vegetarianism. I think that if they are, then more people might understand why people are vegetarian and even become vegetarians or vegans.”

1 20 in

Americans say they don't eat meat INFORMATION FROM WASHINGTON POST

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opinion

should be An apple a day should moreStudents conscious of food waste at RUHS not be thrown away

by Emilie Takahashi and storing the fruit, then distributing them to their two t spends most of its life on a tree, tended to by kitchens, according to the center’s administrative assissomeone who cares deeply about how it grows. tant, Glendy Aguirre.

“We’ll set out two big baskets of oranges, apples, pear, It’s nurtured to be sweet and delicious. It is handwhatever is brought in. We encourage [the students] to picked and taken to a facility to be carefully stacked and transported, then taken to a factory where it is sliced and have that as a snack during the break,” Aguirre said, “A lot packaged. Then it was delivered to the RUHS where it was of times they’ll grab bags and they'll take them home for provided to us for free, only to be tossed into a dirty gray their kids at home.”

The average American household wastes enough food bin with a thud.

The human labor, transportation and resources every day to fill a 90,000-seat football stadium, according that went into that apple were wasted just as much of the to the California Department of Education. That football food included in the school-provided meals are thrown stadium isn't filled with the leftover bottom edge of your in-n-out burger, it’s filled with perfectly edible and uneataway. en food.

You may not have noticed the tin containYou may think that because national food ers labeled with heart-shaped cutwaste is caused by overproduction, outs with the text, “Please unstable markets and improper place unwanted whole fresh industrial processing, the food fruit/juice in the container. waste crisis is mostly out of our Thank you!” and decorated control. However, according to with a small smile mark. a report by the World Wildlife This tin container is a great alterFund, U.S. schools produce an native to a black trash bin; with that estimated 530,000 tons of food simple switch, instead of a landfill, waste per year, which costs 9.7 that apple is sent to men and wommillion dollars a day to manage. en from the Watts area of Los Angeles, The RBUSD Child Nutrition through the Presentation Sister Learning Services have done their best to Center. prevent waste by accommoAccording to their website, the Learndating student preferences, ing Center works to empower students serving familiar food and to acquire employment, improve famgiving students choices. The ily health care, and promote California Department of Eduself-esteem. cation puts regulations in place During to provide an equal standard the week for meals provided to every George school.

These regulations may Floratos, a ILLUSTRATION BY seem restrictive but they act as safeSCARLETT MISCHE volunteer sciguards to aid the 13 million children, out of ence and math teacher at the center, drives the school’s unwanted fruit to the center. Lo- the 42 million people in the U.S., battling hunger.

For example, many policies are set in place to regulate cal volunteers then take over and are in charge of washing

I

AP Classes should be offered zero period

by Troy Nevil

T

here are two types of students on the first week of school: those with their schedules finalized, and those who are knocking on their counselor’s door after filling out the course request form for the third time that day.

This is a reality for many students on our campus.

Whether needing extra credits or wanting to switch electives, hundreds of students fill out the course request form hoping to get the perfect schedule for the school year.

However, there’s a challenge that many students face when changing their schedule, especially those with multiple Advanced Placement (AP) classes.

The challenge? Zero period.

Zero period is offered Tuesday through Friday from 7:15-8:20 a.m, which is a useful option for those who have to get dropped off at school early, need room for an extra class on their schedule, or would like to have a free period. However, RUHS does not offer any AP classes for zero period.

There are a few possible reasons for this. First of all, zero period has 260 minutes of instruction every week, whereas periods one through six have 269 minutes of instruction every week. Because of the fast pace of AP curricula, this gap in instruction time could be a likely reason to not offer AP classes during zero.

Additionally, AP classes typically have unit exams that can take up an entire 112 minute block period, but with zero period only lasting 65 minutes every day, teachers could have a difficult time cramming these exams into the shorter time-frame.

Despite these flaws, offering AP classes for zero period could actually provide multiple benefits to both students and faculty. For example, upperclassmen would have more flexibility in schedule changes, allowing them to take on more classes, join another sports team, or even work at a

the nutrition standards, therefore, equipping students with healthy meals to avoid the effects of severe economic disparity, effects that leave students hungry going into their fifth period after lunch. Many of us living in an affluent neighborhood such as Redondo Beach and those around it, may not truly know what the emptiness of hunger feels like in your stomach, these safeguards are there to make sure it stays that way.

Every school keeps a production record, recording every meal served, leftover and even dropped on the floor.

This record is to constantly keep track of leftovers to consider when ordering food for future lunch hours. Of the around 1300 meals a day provided to students this record makes sure that “every single meal is accounted for,” according to RBUSD Child Nutrition Services Operations Manager, Yuuki Matsumora.

While the mandatory state nutrition policy and nutrition program guidelines are in the hands of policymakers and district administrators a lot can be done on a student level. As students, we can all be more conscious of our role in the chain of events. We are the last line of defense to guarantee that food isn't needlessly being discarded. The power to take that perfect apple out of the metaphorical food waste-filled football stadium and onto a kitchen counter is in the hands of the students.

By no means force yourself to eat if you’re not hungry.

I am not implying the “an impoverished child in a third world country could have eaten that” cliche. Nevertheless, we should all be more conscious about what we send to the landfill. Make an effort to bring uneaten food home or to bring untouched fruit and produce to a “donate bin,” and rethink the habitual motion of tossing good food away.

“We're just very grateful. Because there's a lot of low-income families here and a lot of times fruit for snacking is not available,” Aguirre said. “Some people might think, “An apple, gross,” and let it go to the trash. Here it's not like that. People are very grateful for the food they receive, so any donations, anything helps. We use up everything.”

letters to the

editor

job during their free periods. For counselors, this flexibility may make schedule changes easier and less stressful.

The High Tide encourages greater input of perFurthermore, teachers could combat the shorter class spectives from both students and staff. If you have periods and lower instruction times by assigning five exan opinion about one of the articles, letters can be tra minutes of homework or splitting large exams into sent to the editor at hightideonline@gmail.com two block periods: one for multiple choice questions, and We reserve the right to edit for content, gramone for free response questions. If allowed by the district, mar and space constraints. Letters must be signed RUHS could even start zero period AP classes a few minand are not guaranteed to be printed. Please keep utes earlier to regain the lost instruction time. This would letters to a maximum of 250 words. Longer guest ensure that all students enrolled in an AP class during zero opinions are also accepted. period are given proper and timely instruction for their rigorous coursework.

However, AP Psychology teacher Ms. Gould offers an alternative perspective on the subject.

The High Tide aims to “For my class the tests are long and the content is heavy, share the voices of a wider so while I’m not 100% against [AP classes during zero peswath of the RUHS student riod], it would be a lot harder to manage,” Gould said. “It’s population, beyond just our something that both the teacher and the students would staff members. If you have have to go into knowing the parameters.” a story to share, a unique AP Language and Composition Teacher Mrs. Geil outlook on something, or corroborates Gould’s argument, emphasizing a personal opinion, fill how those involved “would have to look at out the form linked [whether the class] is a skills-based or at the QR code. content-based course,” and “what could be done at home versus covered in of 215 people class.”

As both Ms. Gould and Mrs. Geil would like for mentioned, offering AP classes for AP classes to be zero period is definitely possible. offered during While it may not be the smartest decision for a specific course/subject, there zero period are plenty of solutions that would allow teachers and students to succeed in a zero period AP. And considering the wide variety of benefits, RUHS should definitely consider it for Instagram poll by @ruhsmedia the future.

voice column

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opinion 11

high tide sept. 9, 2022

Let's be real about Voice Column:

The secret ingredient is not love

by Emilie Takahashi

“

いただきます.” Although I am not religious, I put my hands together as if to pray, and I say, “Itadakimasu." I have repeated this ritual for every meal I have eaten for almost all my life.

My friends point out that my tone varies depending on the day. If I’m starving, I’ll swiftly press my palms together and mutter it under my breath.

On my birthday, excited at the sight of a grand homemade strawberry cake, I call it out to myself, my wide smile brimming over the narrow sides of my hands.

Itadakimasu, literally meaning ‘to receive’, is used as a form of etiquette and good table manners.

On the surface level, it can be equated to “Bon Appetit,"W a simple celebratory signal to begin eating.

This act formed as a habit, one that taught me gratitude and appreciation. To “humbly receive” every meal and recognize the often overlooked steps that lead to it, is a part of my everyday life. Whether it be by habit or an acquired obligation, saying it before every meal seems natural to me. Yet, rather than a catchphrase such as “Bon Appetit” or “Let’s eat,” its meaning runs much deeper into Japanese culture.

Since the Shōwa era, students starting in preschool are taught the importance of showing appreciation for food through etiquette. As they grow up, these acts are eventually folded into the routines of Japanese students and become embedded into their life.

No such tradition exists in American culture.

While some say grace in religious households, the act of gratitude rarely follows through to each meal at school, at a friend's house or at a restaurant.

When, in America, saying “thank you” is drilled into young minds as mandatory good manners and key to being perceived as polite and upstanding by those around you, the intention behind those two commonplace words can fade.

I was taught that saying “Itadakimasu” recognized each step that went into the meal in front of me. Therefore, not folding your hands together and expressing your gratitude is not only considered impolite but disrespectful to those whose labor produced your meal. The farmer’s dedication, the animal’s life and my dad’s cooking are all encompassed in this one word.

A similar custom exists in Morocco where “Bismillah”, “In the name of God,” acts as a blessing and form of prayer prior to a meal. However, saying “Itadakimasu” does not have direct ties to any religion. Rather than giving thanks to a higher creator, it encompasses an understanding that every society is run by the indirect actions of others.

The sanitation workers that pick up your trash weekly, the minimum wage workers who serve your food, the truck drivers who spend days on freeways to transport your groceries to your local grocer and lastly those who prepare your food, are all essential to your livelihood, and are rarely recognized.

By simply acknowledging their hard work you can internalize value on a deeper level, even by paying a small homage through a thankful phrase.

This one practice of gratitude is part of a larger Japanese culture that, in the words of Professor Jonathan Tudge at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, “acknowledges just how much of our lives are enriched by our interdependence with others.” Through his research on the development of gratitude in different cultures and how it can lead to a decline in materialism, Tudge highlights the importance of being grateful to those who have aided you rather than being grateful for the things you receive.

Although I don’t suggest you recite any words that may be foreign to you, I do strongly encourage you to take a moment before you scarf down a meal. Take a moment to pause and appreciate the food and all the people who made it possible; I’ve found that it makes that first bite infinitely more delicious.

by Zelia Lerch

T

The newest social media craze is a sad attempt at creating a non-toxic platform

he notification chimes, “Time to BeReal. 2 min left to capture a BeReal and see what your friends are up to!” A homework-laden AP student’s worst nightmare and a day-tripping adventurer’s dream come true—the timely notification offers one glimpse into who you are to acquaintances and friends alike for the day.

A French app initially released in 2020 that exploded in popularity in early 2022, BeReal prides itself in trailblazing a form of less toxic social media. Every day, each user receives a notification at the same time allowing them two minutes to post a front and back camera view of their surroundings at that exact moment.

The concept of a social media site that forces its user

Personally, I’ve gotten bored of seeing ceiling after ceiling when scrolling through BeReal: there’s no creativity.

The app is fundamentally black and white, even if the time sensitive notification has been ignored for a couple hours to tell a more interesting double-lensed story. It begs the question: am I really getting to know the intimate details of my distant friend-of-a-friend’s life by seeing what they ate for breakfast, or is it a waste of my time to look at it in detail, especially when it’s in combination with everyone else’s post at the exact same time?

My own solution is to keep my BeReal friend number relatively small—the posts I do see every day are ones I genuinely care about and take the time to react and interact with. There are some uniquely positive features to the app as well. My own favorite, besides the live “reactions” that allow you to take a selfie to react to a BeReal, is the feature that allows you to look at your personal calendar of "I took my BeReal late when I posts. I can remind myself of something I’ve done almost every day since March, which is valuable even if the notifiwas with my cheer friends and cation happened to go off when I wasn’t doing something thought it was a good time beparticularly notable.

In order to truly “be real,” the app fundamentally cause I didn't look horrifying." should adopt a more strict set of rules. It shouldn’t allow —Emma Donohue, 9 you to retake pictures or wait after the time slot to post.

Despite the small label with what time it was posted at, or how many retakes it took, it’s not apparent enough to dissuade people from taking advantage of the features in order to alter their presence for the day.

Additionally, the simplicity in app design becomes redundant once one’s number of friends rises above fifteen.

Since the BeReals are organized in descending order from most to least recent, you have to look at every individual name in order to find one specific post. It also sends you a notification not only when each of your friends posts before you, but the minute they post late as well. My lock screen has virtually never been free of a BeReal notification since I downloaded the app in mid-March. This tedious scroll also motivated me to keep my number of friends on BePHOTO COURTESY OF EMMA DONOHUE Real only to close friends and fambase to present a less edited and reily. fined look of their lives is something BeReal’s that’s healthy to be popular, espeuser base rose cially among younger audiences. around the same BeReal especially differs from other time “casual Inapps in its simple design and transstagram” did, a parent communication. Where on movement that another site, like Instagram, you can commonly feafreely upload picture after picture or tures collections screenshot interesting posts to send of assorted phoaround, BeReal alerts the user of the tographs instead screenshotted post—even the numof more posed PHOTO COURTESY OF MALIYAH JAMES ber of attempts to retake the selfie pictures. Howevare attached for any friend to see. er, curating the "I waited to take my However, the most popular way perfect post on BeReal when I was done up and to get around the limitations is to Instagram so as wait until something more exciting to appear casual with my friends for my birthday." is happening to post. Even I’m guilty when it, in real—Maliyah James, 11 of waiting to post the BeReal at a ity, took just as time or event that’s more revealing much effort to of my personality than, say, lying pick out pictures down in bed or doing homework. as the posed ones I mean, it’s understandable. Who is clearly counterintuitive. wants to be the only one watching TV when every other The purpose of this trend, which entirely focuses on unpost is at a party or date or outing? The app does its best staged pictures and photographs from daily life, is defeatto discourage this loophole by revealing how long after the ed when people post “effortlessly” only on the condition notification went off the BeReal was posted, but it’s bethat they still look their very best while doing so. BeReal come so common to wait that the tag has become basically plays into this through a different angle—one that literally meaningless. calls their post “real” while allowing them to be the exact However, this draws another point: must we be conopposite. stantly sharing with our tenuously connected peers the Imperfect portrayals of ourselves online is something mundane happenings in our lives? Is there even a vacuum we as social media users need to become more comfortable of need for an app that in theory is supposed to offer this with. Casual posting and apps like BeReal are starting off perspective? Although editing to the point of abstraction points, but until the pressure to always promote the best is unrealistic and sets impossible standards, Instagram version of ourselves to friends is relaxed, our feeds on Beat least offers a more curated view of what people are up Real and typical social media platforms alike will continue to—whether that’s desirable or controversial is up to into clutter with manipulated versions of reality under the terpretation. guise of truth.

12

entertainment One arm full of groceries "Crying in H Mart" is an emotional and self-deprecating memoir about the struggles of grief and self-identity

ILLUSTRATION BY ALLIE D'AMATO Book cover VIA RAKUTEN KOBO

by Simra Zargar

I

never thought I’d be so captivated by a story of grief and illness, yet what made “Crying in H-Mart” so special was the brilliant mixture of culture and love that brightened and humanized the story.

“Crying in H Mart” is an exquisite memoir of indie rock musician Michelle Zauner as she navigates the death of her mother and reflects upon their loving—yet complicated—relationship. Her mother, guided her through her Korean identity, opens up new worlds of meals and journeys. But when her mother died of cancer when Zauner was 25-years-old, Zauner battled a devastating loss of not only a significant figure in her life but also her own cultural identity.

Zauner was born to Chongmi, a Korean immigrant, and Joel, a White American.

Throughout the memoir, she revisits many chapters of her childhood growing up tucked away in the woods of Oregon with her vigilant and protective mother.

Zauner vividly remembers how “overwhelmed” she was with her mother’s constant attention. With no other friends to interact with, she became emotionally attached to her mother, constantly trying to please her. Zauner soon realized that her mother’s strictness was her way of trying to protect her only daughter.

Fortunately, there was one passion that Zauner and her mother shared from her early childhood, and that was their love for cooking and food. As a child, Zauner

describes the visits she took to Seoul as the ones she cherished the most. Cramped in her grandmother’s tiny apartment, she treasured quality family time with her aunts and cousin. There, she developed an appreciation for her Korean side, as well as a daring appetite for her mother’s exotic foods.

I loved how Zauner took the reader on a journey to Korea along with her, bringing her culture’s unique foods and family memories to life. Furthermore, readers caught a glimpse of how her family bonded over food.

However, after a dramatic turn in their mother-daughter relationship during Zauner’s teen years, she moved away to fulfill her dream of starting a rock band across the country.

I appreciated how the arguments between Zauner and her mom authentically show their imperfect, true relationship.

When she opened up about their family feuds and the need to “breathe” away from each other, I personally could relate; parents cause lots of stress.

Years later, Zauner finds herself rushing back home after Chongmi is diagnosed with stage IV squamous-cell carcinoma in her stomach. Zauner moved back home, away from her life as a musician in Philadelphia, determined to only to make up

for the trouble she felt she caused as a child and help her mother through chemotherapy.

It was her appreciation for her identity that brought her close to h e r

mother.

In times of desperation and hopelessness, Zauner and her mother found solace in their shared love for food and culture. The stories and memories that were woven into their hearts kept them steady during what otherwise felt like a living nightmare for them.

She opened up to the brutal reality of taking care of a sick family member, depicting how watching her mother suffer from cancer had deeply traumatized her.

It was emotional—even made me tear up— watching her struggle to take care of her

mother and how her mental health slowly deteriorated with her mother’s sickness.

While it was painful to turn each page as Chongmi slowly slip away due to her cancer, seeing that they were able to reconnect in the short amount of time that they had was heartwarming.

It was a fascinating experience to read about the growth of their relationship. From the mother and daughter’s constant disagreements and screaming matches to later clinging on to each other for dear life, “Crying to H Mart” was intense.

Even when her mother passed away, their love for cooking and Zauner’s Korean identity held strong. Zauner realistically portrayed grief as raw and openly as possible: a pit of heartbreak, confusion, anger, jealousy, hatred, love, and loneliness. Yet, she always came back to her childhood memories and her culture’s wonderful food to cheer her up through her journey to accept her mother’s death.

By guiding us through her healing process, Zauner’s story brilliantly highlights how illness, grief, family, and food can all combine together to create an emotional and flavorful story.

Demi Lovato confesses their addiction and depression in new album 'HOLY FVCK'

by Zoe Rossi

R

eleasing their 8th studio record titled HOLY FVCK released on Aug 19, “Demi leaves rehab again”, as stated in album single “Skin of My Teeth,” and is ready to “go back to their roots.” In an interview with Vogue Magazine, singer/songwriter and actress Demi Lovato (she/her, they/them) said that they “wanted to take my power back,” and this new album does just that.

Sharing the same genre of music as wellknown punk artists like Avril Lavigne, Willow, and Poppy, Lovato’s punk rock album reflects strongly on their first studio album, Don't Forget. This album is largely about sex, addiction, trauma and religion, with 1 a run time of around 48 minutes. Their previous album, Dancing with the Devil… the Art to Starting Over (2021), debuted on Billboard’s 100 at #1 for album sales, laying a foundation for Lovato's comeback arch.

The album starts with the song “Freak” featuring English pop-punker YUNGBLUD. The bass-boosting rhythms and chilling dark theme carries strong tones of the modern punk that has become popularized. “Freak” lyrics compare Lovato’s experience in the spotlight growing up to her being on display like a piece of “meat.”

“I survived, but it got hard to breathe” is similar to how I felt after listening to this album, but it is also the lyrics to track 2 “Skin of My Teeth. '' This track, like a lot of the songs on the album, is largely based on Lo2 While vato's struggles with drug addiction. they got through the addiction, Lovato still talks about how it made it even harder to go on and they barely survived it all.

HOLY FVCK has also gained popularity due to the emotional ballad “29,” which tackles age-gap relationships with teenagers. The track has blown up on the wellknown app Tik-Tok with over 12 thousand videos. “29” reflects on teenage and adult relationships, power dynamics and grooming (when an adult builds a relationship, trust and emotional connection with a child or young person so they can manipulate, exploit and abuse them) which often happens in these relationships.

At the beginning of “29,” Lovato sings “What the F**k is Consent'' and this commentary, along with other lyrics through the song, show the listener Lovato's reflection on the way their older significant-other preyed on her naivety and innocence when she was young. Lovato uses the lyrics in this song to demonstrate how ingrained their partners' wants were in her own mind, struggling to differentiate their wants versus his, and how there was a lack of guidance through their experiences with grooming. Lovato fell prey to someone who was 12 years older than her at the age of 17.

In their next track, “Happy Endings,” Lovato sings, “Sure, I am sober now, and everybody's proud, but I miss my vices.”

This track delves into their struggles with addiction after sobriety. It’s emotionally raw and lyrically packed with a punch.

“Happy Ending's” somber lyrical tone carries over to track 13, “Dead Friends,” a song paying homage to a friend they miss.

Lovato told Vogue in an interview that “Dead Friends” was the first song written for HOLY FVCK. It was originally a slow ballad but turned quickly into a pop-punk track. The beat makes you feel like you are in a mosh pit, even though the lyrics are quite depressing. The lyric “I miss the texts they can't send” pulls on the listener's heartstrings, making you think about those text messages you take for granted.

The juxtaposition between the first track, “Freak” and the

last track, an upbeat pop-punk song, “4 Ever 4 Me,” a slow emotional ballad, is jarring. Still, it does a good job of conveying Lovato's journey through adulthood from growing up as a child star and the trauma that came with it. “4 Ever 4 Me” is an emotional song in a sea full of anger. I really enjoyed the percussion within the track. It conveyed the acceptance of their journey, which creates peace at the end of a very raw album.

This is not a relaxing album. The entirety is emotionally draining due to the subject matter, lyrics, and the album's production, which makes you walk away from listening saying, ‘Holy f*** that was kind of a lot.” If you enjoyed more pop songs from Lovato’s previous albums like “Sorry, Not Sorry” then this album is likely not for you.

1. Demi Lovato VIA NEW YORK POST 2. Album cover VIA GLAMOUR UK

entertainment 13

high tide sept. 9, 2022

Love Triangle Troubles The new season of Netflix's "Never Have I Ever" is an entertaining watch

by Scarlett Mische

N

ever have I ever binged three seasons of a Netflix show in under four days? I have. Netflix’s series “Never Have I Ever” has garnered much attention after the recent release of a third season, ranking #4 on Netflix after its Aug. 12 release.

“Never Have I Ever” is one of those shows that is constantly being made into Tik Tok edits, to the point that you’ve practically already watched the show. The show starts out with main character Devi dealing with the loss of her dad, which forces her to search for different ways to cope. She begins seeking attention from practically anyone to fill the void that her dad has left within her, and in season two, she begins dating two boys (Ben and Paxton) simultaneously. Despite the boys’ devastation as they each realize that they’ve been cheated on, Devi and Paxton decide to give their relationship another go.

At the beginning of season three, viewers are led to believe that a relationship between Ben and Devi is implausible, while Paxton and Devi’s relationship appears to be endgame. But, alas, this wouldn’t be a cheesy and stereotypical Netflix series if another new boy was not randomly thrown into the mix. Devi and Paxton’s relationship goes south due to Devi’s worries that she is not good enough for Paxton, and after a couple of months, Devi meets Dez, the son of Devi’s mom’s new friend. Dez is accepted by Devi’s mom due to the fact that he is a “nice indian boy,” rather than the other boys she’s dated who don’t share a similar culture; he is the perfect rebound after Paxton because Devi doesn’t feel as if she needs to put as much thought into the relationship, which could partially be due to him not going to her school. However, by the end of season 3, Devi somehow finds her way back to Ben.

While Devi has been known to make rash decisions in past seasons, she carries a new aura of maturity in season three.

She underwent a much-needed character arc, working to right her wrongs, and she does a surprisingly good job given her track record of being unsympathetic towards others and excessively making excuses to cover up her actions. For instance, she has been able to accept Paxton’s new relationship and is more aware of her friend’s worth. She seems to finally accept her dad’s death and allow it to motivate her rather than drag her down. She becomes an attentive and caring friend, a loyal daughter and a better person overall.

Speaking of Devi being an

amazing friend, in season three she finally makes amends with Aneesa (a girl who she bullied out of envy in season 2), and she officially reconciles with her old friends, Eleanor and Fabiola. Eleanor develops into a mature and determined character this season, and watches her relationship with Trent (her boyfriend of 1 year, also the longest relationship in the show) grow; witnessing their relationship develop was incredibly enjoyable. Devi’s other friend, Fabiola, had a breakup with Aneesa this season due to instability. This pairing had such lovely chemistry, and the fact that it was written off as “first kiss jitters” annoys me. This relationship c o u l d h a v e been a g r e a t way to touch o n

awkwardness and unsureness regarding having romantic feelings towards a friend, however, rather than doing that, the producers just nixed the relationship entirely.

It’s no secret that this show has a knack for devising convoluted relationships, as Devi’s love life gets a whole lot more complicated. Even though Devi and Paxton started the season with a very public relationship, Devi‘s increasing self consciousness led to a break up. Honestly, this breakup wasn’t entirely unexpected to me, and as much as I’m on team Ben it still sort of annoyed me. Devi and Paxton might have been a little toxic, but I truly believe that both of them wanted this relationship, and I wish they had kept it (even if only for a bit longer). Then came Dez, a new character who started dating Devi a couple of months after her Paxton breakup. Devi seemed infinitely happy and self-assured in this relationship, which I believe was necessary for Devi to gain back her confidence. However they did break up, and I was expecting Devi to use her newfound self love to get back with Paxton, as that was the reason they broke up. Instead, she gets with Ben and, even as a hard core Ben and Devi shipper, I still wish that Paxton and Devi got together. Paxton was willing to get back with her once she gained more love for herself; however, she seemed to have closed off the notion of a relationship with Paxton entirely.

Their relationship felt unresolved regardless of the conversation they had towards the end of season 3. I just wish we were given more clarity on how Devi feels in regards to Paxton.

Overall, this season was a game-changer for the show. It was enjoyable and entertaining in comparison to prior seasons which were nerve-racking and riddled with second hand embarrassment. However, the anxiety-filled first two seasons are worth the watch, purely for the third season.

PHOTO FROM TVLINE

The "Lord of the Rings" prequel, "The Rings of Power," is drawn out and and boring

by Ariya Anvari

O

n Sept. 2, 2022, the first two episodes of the new “Lord of the Rings” (LOTR) series, “The Rings of Power,” were released. Elves, magic, early hobbits, flowery language and evil rings galore, this prequel pays homage to its beloved predecessor and is climactic—that is, if you can get through the initial mind-numbing boredom.

“The Rings of Power,” created by Patrick Mckay and J.D Payne, focuses on the creation of the rings of power and how the evil Lord Sauron's ring was created. The rings are the integral plot point of the entire series, especially the infamous “one ring to rule them all,” created by Lord Sauron on Mount Doom, a ring that brings the worst out in those who wield it. The series also casts light upon Galadriel, an elf who swears vengeance upon Sauron for killing her brother Nori, a Harfoot, or early Hobbit. Nori, star crossed lovers and countless other characters prove to be important plots in the series and all lead back to Sauron.

As the story unfolded, I became increasingly compelled to watch more, if only to see how the different plots would intertwine, as well as the circumstances surrounding the confrontation

of certain characters. The story is told as different characters take part in different storylines that slowly merge: Galadriel embarks on a quest to find Sauron, Harfoots try to survive in their own little world and there are attempts to make the rings of power a reality.

Sometimes certain scenes are just unnecessarily drawn out and over-dramatized, which can be immensely boring; this was especially prominent in the introductions of the first few episodes. While introductions are absolutely necessary for any story, there’s a certain point where they just become annoying—do we really need two hours of hearing about just how much elves and humans hate one another and how it would be impossible for a human and elf to fall in love? No. The problem with most prequels is that the audience fosters preconceived notions—they know how the story will end. Occasionally, this can make the story more intriguing; this was one such occasion. The creators actually used the audience’s knowledge of how it would play out in the end to their advantage by creating tension and making it more climactic using a bit of the good old “bomb under the table” writing technique. The added usage of multiple plotlines that slowly reveal everything just becomes the cherry on top.

I appreciated how the creators

connected the plot of the show to the LOTR’s franchise as a whole. As the story progresses, everything ties back to the other movies. The dramatic irony of the elves’ plans to make the rings of power, while believing that Sauron is powerless, invested me in the plot, especially after having seen the toll that Sauron’s ring took on elvenkind, hobbitkind, dwarf kind and beyond. The elf king’s evil nature and manipulation of Galadriel is foreboding, increasing the stakes severely. All of the characters’ obliviousness towards what's to come becomes the perfect bomb under the table, waiting to explode.

The series did an excellent job staying true to the integrity of the LOTR universe, but watching it wasn’t necessarily a breeze either. The first episode was extremely confusing due to Mckay and Paynes’ backfiring attempts to be mysterious. The pacing was confusing as one moment I’m bored out of my skull with a drawn out elven-human love scene and the next moment it goes to two action packed back to back scenes that were given little to no explanation.

The series thus far has done the original material justice and is a memorable viewing experience. Despite the fact it requires absurd amounts of patience (due to the ridiculously slow romance on the side) and aspirin (for the chaos of the first episode alone), the show is promising nonetheless.

PHOTO FROM THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

PHOTO FROM ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

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sports

Boys waterpolo loses 10-13 in first match of season

by Ty Soria

T

Servin' Up

The Competition

Victoria Henkel moves in to save the ball. PHOTO BY CATHERINE WONG

Varsity girls volleyball team beats Mater Dei three sets to one

by Mia Schrift

W

ith a strong reputation to up- around them, the athletes remained fohold and the bleachers filled cused. with hopeful fans, the Varsity Coming back from an eleven and a half Girls volleyball team did not disappoint in month injury, senior Gianna Tagoai was their game against Mater Dei. “excited and nervous” to get on the court According to team Captain Mele Cor- once again. ral-Blagojevich, who plays outside hitter, “I knew I couldn't play 100%, so my goal the team carried out a was to put up a consisstrong season last year tent set for the other and is hoping to bring the hitters,” Tagoai said. same energy this season.

Throughout the She believes they “had first set, the team strong pieces last year but I knew I couldn't “stayed consistent” were still trying to just put and “did exactly what play 100% so my them together.” Howevthey did in practice, er, this year, the team has goal was to put up which showed in their come back much more as they a consistent set for execution,” confident as they head took the lead and won into the new season. the other hitters the first set 25-23.

It wasn’t only the volHowever, Redondo leyball team looking forfell short in the secGIANNA TAGOAI ward to the start of their ond set, losing 14-25. season, as the student secSENIOR While Mater Dei did tion was jam packed with come out on top for students dressed head-tothis set, Tagoai doesn’t toe in white to match the think the team playe d theme. With music playing, students danc- “badly,” Mater Dei just played “better.” 2 ing, and parents cheering, the energy was Though the loss set them back, the team high. stayed positive heading into the third set.

With so much commotion going on Starting the third set, “we trust-

“

ed in ourselves and our team’s ability to do well,” Corral-Blagojevich said. “It also really helped that we had a huge crowd because that was really good energy. Just made things a lot more fun and motivated the team.”

With support from the crowd, the girls pulled through with a 24-18 win, taking the lead once again. Though the final set came close, the team came out on top, winning with a score of 25-21.

“The fact that we were able to stay calm under pressure and finish those games out was really good,” Corral-Blagojevich said.

The crowd did not disagree, as the gym filled with cheer after Redondo secured the final set. While the game ended in their favor, the team is always looking for ways to improve.

According to Corral-Blagojevich, the girls hope to strengthen their defense and get more balls up, as they head into the season, keeping in mind their goal of “always getting better” and improving with each game.

“I think the biggest thing we talked about as a team is just to have fun and compete,” Corral-Blagojevich said. “So I think just no matter what, if we're giving 100% effort, and we're competing and having fun, we will perform well this season.”

1

1. Mele Corral-Blagojevich getting ready to bump the ball 2. The varsity team huddling together before going into the second half 3. Ella Zimmerman getting ready to spike the ball

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3

he varsity boys water polo team fell to El Segundo at home on Sept. 1, starting the season off on the wrong foot. Nearing the end of the first half, the game was tied 4-4, but in the last second, El Segundo lobbed the ball over the goalie’s head from a far distance to take the lead 4-5 at halftime. If RUHS stopped that goal, they would have a one-point lead at the end of regulation, but the score was 9-9. El Segundo, however, pulled away in overtime to make a final score of 10-13.

Senior Jack Guenther, a center and Co-Captain, attributed the offensive struggles on a lack of communication.

“We were not communicating perfectly,” Guenther said. “Which led to a lot of guys getting beat on our counter-attack and our awareness wasn't where it needed to be.”

Many of the team’s counter goals, or goals scored off of turnovers, were scored in the late game rally, but the basic offense can still be cleaned up, according to Junior Derek Schaffer, an attacker. Schaffer also regarded that the communication improved steadily throughout the game despite it being inconsistent at the beginning.

“We need to get more coordinated on offense from the get go,” Schaffer said. “ Even though it kind of looked like we were strong out there, we were getting a lot of counter goals. We want more frontcourt goals that are set up and also a stronger two-meter defense.”

Although defending the goal in close quarters is important to limiting points, another aspect of defense that spelled inconsistency for the team proved to be the high amount of ejections.

“Overall, we needed cleaner defense, but sometimes we had unnecessary ejections or major fouls that stopped the flow of the game and hindered the defense,” Schaffer said. “We would have clean defense in some areas but in others it got spotty at times.”

To prepare for El Segundo, the team did not have many unusual formations or plays to expect, but they knew that some specific players might be tougher than others, so coaches filled in as the stronger players in practice.

“We knew they had about three strong players but we were not sure about the rest of the lineup, so we had the coaches jump in and play against us to simulate a team that was not necessarily strong altogether but had a few tough players,” Schaffer said.

Although the first game left a bad taste in the team’s mouth, they still have high expectations for themselves this season and are staying positive for the future. The weekend after the El Segundo game, the boys went 2-2 losing to Long Beach Poly and Long Beach Wilson.

“I would really like to be able to get top three in the Bay League,” Guenther said. “The first game obviously was a rough start, but we also had a rough start last year and we came back and were able to win a lot.”

As a Co-Captain, Guenther knows performing well is a major concern, but he puts the well-being and morale of the team as the highest priority in order to have a great season.

“I want to find the good equilibrium of where people are enjoying playing but also we're doing well,” Guenther said.

sports 15

high tide sept. 9, 2022

Flipping the Switch Football beats Torrance 17-3 after losing to them the previous year, boosting their record to 2-0

by Andrew McKenna

O

n Friday, Sept. 2, the Redondo with 202 yards passing and 2 touchdowns Union varsity football team took (TD), but only had a 42 completion perthe field under the Seahawk centage on 31 pass attempts, in some Bowl lights for the first time this season. respect due to multiple drops by receivFresh off of a 33-0 rout of Woodrow Wil- ers. The running game struggled as well, son High School, Redondo now had their combining for -6 yards on 11 attempts. focus on Torrance While it wasn’t High School. As the their best showing Receiver Statistics first home game of statistically, the the year, it natural- Stiveson: 4 rec, 90 yds, 1 TD offense neverthely drew a large auless managed to dience, with nearly Shaw: 5 rec, 59 yds, 1 TD get the job done. A every seat of the first half connecRodriguez: 2 rec, 56 yds home stands taken. tion between Hunt “All week we were and junior wide relooking forward to ceiver Bobby Shaw our first home game,” junior wide receiver opened up the scoring for Redondo.

Nate Stiveson said. “I love coming out here After a successful field goal try by seon Friday nights in front of the flock. We nior defensive end Justin Baker, Stiveson, knew they would show up tonight, and it who led the team in receiving for the secwas just great to see them out there again. ond straight game with 4 receptions for 2 They make playing so much more fun.” 90 yards and 1 TD, reeled in a well-placed 1. Senior Justin Wunderli, wide receiver, shoulders the Torrance defender to gain yardage. PHOTO BY On the other side of the ball, the of- throw from Hunt to put Redondo up 17-3.

REBECCA SCHIMA fense wasn’t as sharp as it had been Although Stiveson’s exceptional talent at 2. The Flock follows the "Red Out" dress theme and celebrates a Redondo win. PHOTO BY REBECCA SCHIMA against Woodrow Wilson. Senior quar- receiver is self-evident, he made sure to give terback Christian Hunt finished the game his teammates the credit for his success. and a whole new environment this year.” span this year. Despite only one offseason “It’s all a team effort,” Stiveson said.

Holding Torrance to just three points, separating the two years, the improvement “We have so many players at skill posi- Redondo looked sharp all around on the is undeniable, evident by the statistics. tions that can get the job “It’s hard to compare two different seadefensive side of done, which makes it hard to the ball. Senior sons, but I know that we focused a lot on Christian Hunt (QB) defensive back the basics this summer. Things like tackguard us. When we have guys that can get into open space Caden Telleson ling and communication,” first-year head 13 completions and make plays, it gives me was all over the coach Keith Ellison said. “Honestly, the and the rest of the team op- 202 yards field the entire guys have just been doing a great job pickportunities to make plays.” night, accumulat- ing up what we’ve been trying to teach.”

At the end of the 2 touchdowns Now riding a two-game winning streak, ing a team high day, no winning team 0 interceptions 11 tackles, includ- Redondo is tasked with preparing for a is complete without a ing 9 solo tackles. home game tonight against El Segundo. good head coach; a fact “The focus stays the same as it’s alBaker also had that Stiveson hasn’t forgotten. a strong showing, collecting two mo- ways been. We try to get better each and “I give all of the credit to Ellison; he’s re- mentum-shifting sacks in addition every day, then each game we just go out ally changed the energy around the field.” to multiple quarterback pressures. and compete,” Ellison said. “We’ve got a Stiveson said. “The difference in energy After allowing 48 points over the first two lot of things that we need to work on, but between this year and last year, even at games of the previous season, Redondo has I’m just happy that we’re 2-0 right now.”

1 practice, is huge. It’s just a whole new team conceded only three points in the same time

Upcoming Games:

Girls Tennis sweeps West Torrance 18-0 in first match of the season

Sept. 22: @ Santa Monica

by Sydney Lamich

E

nding up with their first win of the 2022 season, the girls varsity tennis team swept West Torrance (180) last Tuesday. While it was a non-league match, the team’s consistent “power hits” and strong baseline players helped them achieve this win, according to junior Nicole Sasaki, the team’s starting doubles player.

“After the match, I felt so relieved because it was the first time back on the court,” Sasaki said. “I was so nervous at the beginning, which affected how I played.

My heart rate started beating when it was my turn to serve, but I had to remember that West isn’t a big power school.”

While West isn’t the girls’ biggest competitor, their consistency put the team’s skills to the test, as they can “hit the ball back,” according to Sasaki.

“Our biggest weakness is our returning shots. We tend to watch our shots and lose our focus on where the ball is coming next,” senior doubles player Emilia Almer said. “In tennis, it’s important to be ready to return the ball constantly.”

While they need to improve on their reaction time, the team’s support system and atmosphere remain strong and consistent, according to Almer.

“We are always showing an incredible amount of support for each other no matter what; we’re always cheering each and every player on,” Almer said. “If someone is ever struggling, we support them with

encouraging advice and we never fail to recognize someone’s great skills. Each player brings their own unique energy to the team, and it’s clear to see we all have unconditional support for each other.”

Sasaki, alongside seniors Maegan Deng and Katarina Beches, are the team's captains this and year and have planned several team bondings, which they hope will improve community and team spirit as they progress through their season, according to Sasaki.

“I think our primary goal is to go out on the court and have fun and be proud of our performance,” Sasaki said. “We have been working to build a stronger sense of community and bond within the team: we try to plan team bonding and fun game day activities. I think if we can build a strong bond for the team then everyone will benefit from feeling supported on the court.”

Since their win against West, Redondo beat Long Beach Poly (14-4) and he team’s next match is an away match on Sept. 22 against Santa Monica. Even though they’re more competitive compared to West Torrance, the girls have high hopes, according to Sasaki.

“We’re really going to have to prepare to match Santa Monica’s power hits and stay consistent with our shots, as well as being aggressive when we need to be,” Sasaki said. “Our team is so supportive throughout the entire match that even if we lose, there is always the next one.”

Sept. 27: vs Culver City Sept. 29: vs. Palos Verdes Oct. 4: @ Peninsula All matches are at 3 PM

1 1. Aaliyah Roberson, sophomore, bounces the ball on the ground as she prepares to serve. PHOTO BY LILY GONZALES

2. Julia Eastman, freshman, winds up to for the serve. PHOTO BY LILY GONZALES

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16 in-focus

sept. 9, 2022 high tide

What's on the menu

IN THE SOUTH BAY

RUHS students review authentic foods from restaurants of their cultures and share their experiences.

PERSIAN

by Ariya Anvari

O

n the corner of Rivera village, just across the street from Locale 90 and the Rivera gardens, is Turquoise: a Persian and Mediterranean restaurant with, funnily enough, an extremely prevalent presence of the color turquoise. The heat lamps, little metal bicycle-shaped plant pots, cups and more all different shades of blue, making the restaurant seem like an ocean. One wall inside has a mural depicting a birds eye view of houses and buildings in Iran.

On the Persian side of my family, dinners are an experience, to say the least.

Everyone rushes in an hour or so later than we planned, dressed way too nice and starving. When we arrive, we wait impatiently as ever, sometimes in awkward anticipation, other times with small talk or gossip carried out. It all is just your normal, slightly uncomfortable, overcrowded family dinner.

The food arriving is the moment where a wave of relief floods the room, where fake smiles become relaxed and we are finally together. It sounds absurdly dramatic to say a meal can have such a n effect on everyone's mood, but it can. Heading to T u r -

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by Izzie Escobar

B

razil is known for many things, from the beautiful beaches in Rio, to Bossa Nova and tiny bikinis. However, the country isn’t usually recognized for its food. Brazilian food is quite simple as a whole, yet complex in its individual ingredients that are as diverse as its people.

Panela’s in Redondo Beach stays true to Brazil's traditional cooking values.

Walking in, I am immediately greeted by pictures of Brazilian icons and decor reminiscent of the laid-back Brazilian aesthetic.

I get giddy like a child on Christmas morning when I pass the case of appetizers that I ate growing up. The coxinha, being the most popular and my personal favorite, is similar to a chicken croquette. From the outside, its shape resembles a drumstick with a crunchy shell, but as soon as you take a bite, there is a surprise of soft and chewy dough with a delicious shredded chicken filling. The meat is mixed with various herbs that give it just a tiny pop of color.

The combination of textures and flavors could easily make this dish a full meal.

But of course, I had to leave room for the classic feijoada:a dish that was originally invented by slaves in Brazil and has now been reinterpreted over generations into a hearty meat and black bean stew with rice, collard greens and farofa (toasted cassava flour). Its original version was made with the thrown-out parts of the pig like the snout, ears and

CHICKEN AND KOUBIDEH KABOB $26.50

INDIAN

by Priya Ramcharan

I

am lured out of bed with the smell of chai, spicy pickles and fluffy bread as my mom leans over the countertop, grinding cardamom and black pepper. Her hands are stained in turmeric and curry. The mangoes are overflowing in juicy pulp. Though India is 8500 miles away, the buoyant smells of my South Indian mother’s cooking is captivating.

I was born and raised in the USA; I only speak English and I listen to The Beatles.

For Indian Americans, it is easy to lose sight of our culture, but when I bite into a steaming samosa, I feel close to the land and the people I come from. Lucky for us, authentic Indian street food is a speciality of a local restaurant!

CHINESE

by Alexandra D'Amato

E

BRAZILIAN

quoise, I knew what I was getting; I knew the Persian food they offered would be nothing new to me. Despite its familiarity, it wasn’t bland or redundant in the slightest. The koobideh kabobs and saffron-infused rice became more than just a meal, but a nostalgic one. Memories of cooking with my grandmother, Ruby Joon, flooded my mind as I ate. I originally planned to return to Turquoise by myself, but my family had other plans, insisting everyone in the household come along. At first I was annoyed because it was awkward and tense, but once again, the food saved us and broke the tension. We talked genuinely of memories of family and how much they would love it here. We joked about the meal and claimed that “it tasted just like so-and-so’s baba gounoush!”

The atmosphere was welcoming. In my peripheral vision, I saw the kind owner of the store casually conversing with customers as if they were friends. The awkward dinner became a meal, the meal became an experience, and the experience became a memory; a memory of family that pops up whenever those incredibly familiar childhood meals are placed in front of me.

Persian food has become a tradition and a link connecting me to my family and culture, and when I went to Turquoise, this connection was further cemented. I never thought I’d find such a genuine and memorable place nearby, but now Turquoise will always be there.

ver since I was less than one year old, my parents have taken me to the same Chinese restaurant every couple of months.

During my seventeen years, I’ve consistently gone out to eat at Seashore Seafood Restaurant for celebrations to commemorate big milestones in my life, to meet family members who were visiting from China and to gather with Chinese family friends to talk and catch up.

This restaurant has been a fixed point and a staple destination throughout my existence, and it has truly served as a testament to my culture.

feet. Now, it uses the more traditional parts with sausage, ribs, shredded pork and beef. The beans are cooked with the meats for hours so the stew holds all the decadence and smokiness. This is of course seasoned with tons of garlic and a few bay leaves to tie the richness all together. Feijoada is a heavy dish, so it’s always served with orange slices at the end to help digestion.

To wash all this down, I tried four fruit juices that can only be found in the Amazon. Graviola, acerola, cashew and cupuaçu all have incredible health benefits, like acerola’s 1,500 mg of Vitamin C, and each have a unique flavor. Graviola has a tangy but slightly sweet taste; acerola is delicate with notes of apple and citrus; cashew is actually the meat around the familiar nut and it is slightly creamy with a mild tartness; cupuaçu tastes similar to a Korean pear.

The overall dining experience was so nostalgic that it brought my mother to tears. She told stories from her childhood back in Brazil and memories aroused by the different foods. Many other Brazilians like her feel like Panela’s is a little piece of home, leaving them with a huge smile and full belly.

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FEIJOADA, $20.95

Bollywood Zaika is a shrine to Indian American culture. Located in a strip mall off of PCH, the walls are adorned in Bollywood movie posters with sitars humming unobtrusively. The owner, Urvi Addi, and her staff delightfully introduced the specials and showed me her kitchen with a pot of dal. I ordered Samosa Chaat, a vegetarian dish consisting of mashed potatoes over spiced chickpeas topped with layers of yogurt, mint chutney and cilantro. The Chaat is too spicy for my amateur tongue; however, I find the samosas and take refuge in its crunchy exterior. The chaat is marinated in vivid, bold flavors. Next up is Chana Bhatura—a chickpea curry with onions and a fluffy, buttered sourdough that is inflated like a bubble. Many were in awe as it was carried to our table. I recommend popping

Being a first-generation Chinese-American, I can definitively say that it’s hard to find outlets of cultural expression; only recently has society started to progress out of outdated norms, becoming increasingly unafraid to celebrate and stand up for cultures and races which stray from the white majority. Even considering contemporary social movements, however, I still find it hard to connect with my culture; in fact, it’s always been a challenge to identify with my Chinese heritage because it was never widely discussed or acknowledged anywhere other than at home. But no matter the point in my lifetime, I found that food was always

it and folding it to eat with chole to appreciate the warmth. To assist the variety in textures, one must also sip a cup of Masala Chai. It is an herbal tea of milk, cardamom, black pepper and ginger. The chai is warm and fragrant, and is soaked in tradition.

One sip of chai, and I feel the fire-burning incense and red lenghas.

I close out my trip to Bollywood Zaika with the tang of cumin lingering in my mouth. Indian food never shies from color and strength; it is flush and proud of itself.

Whether you're experienced in masalas or not, you’ll feel at home in this explosion of India!

BHATURE $2.95

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able to bridge that gap between my unknowingness and my Chinese culture.

Authentic Chinese food, like that produced at Seashore Seafood restaurant, has provided me with a truthful account of my Chinese culture; the owners of the restaurant immigrated from Guangzhou, and they prioritize the accurate replication of Chinese meals. The food is always so well prepared and tasty, and many dishes utilize the diverse flavors of vegetables and meats paired together. My favorite foods include the corn egg drop soup and the grilled beef with steamed broccoli–many of the meats are marinated with Chinese spices and dressings (such as special kinds of black

1. PHOTO BY ARIYA ANVARI; 2. PHOTO BY IZZIE ESCOBAR; 3, 4. PHOTOS BY PRIYA RAMCHARAN; ILLUSTRATION OF LEAVES VIA CANVA

vinegar) to give them a distinctive taste.

I’ve been to many Chinese restaurants in the area, and none compare to Seashore Seafood restaurant. Their seafood is always fresh, as they harvest live sea creatures from tanks right in the restaurant; the taste of their fish is pleasantly tangy and rich. As for the corn egg drop soup, I have only ever seen it served in this restaurant; it is a Chinese specialty, and it has a thick and savory flavor (the corn and stringy eggs also add to the texture).

I would definitely recommend checking out Seashore Seafood Restaurant as it gives a glimpse into a piece of notable Chinese culture.