High Tide: October 7, 2022

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October 7, 2022 Vol. CIII Edition 2 Redondo Union High School Redondo Beach, CA

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ILLUSTRATION BY KAITLYN HODAC

RUHS administration moves towards the new restorative justice system as a solution to bullying, yet students still fear torment from their peers

2 NEWS

5 FEATURES

14 SPORTS

Around Redondo: Experiences with bullying

Students celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

Football wins fifth consecutive victory against Paramount www.ruhsmedia.com

@ruhsmedia

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AROUND REDONDO RUHS students and staff discuss their experiences with bullying

by Scarlette Mische

What experiences have you had with bullying, and how have they affected you?

online manager Zelia Lerch

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news editors Erika Glass Sara Miyake-Singer

: "Last year, I was consistently harassed by multiple groups of guys.

I'm just trying to exist, and I'm not doing anything, so they shouldn't do anything to me. In a sense, a lot of the harrassment I received was because of homophobia and transphobia. I definitely saw a lot of queer people be nervous to walk around. A lot of them were experiencing tons of harassment, and were too afraid to speak up because they knew nothing would be done. Everyone was just like, ‘I need to get to class before I get food thrown at me or I get called slurs and names.’”

features editors Mia Dowdell Emilie Takahashi Marley Van Pelt opinion editors Scarlett Mische Romi Riss PHOTO COURTESY OF MELON REN

Q:

What should the school administration do to better combat bullying?

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: "Prior to the pandemic, I felt that students were more proactive about reporting incidents. Now, I don't know if people go to admin. I know people will go to their teacher and say, ‘This is what I heard,’ or ‘This has happened to my friend.’ I don't know if it's because of Covid-19 since we had a system in place before it, but it seemed like people didn't know where to go last year. If people did say anything, they didn't feel like admin really took care of it. This year, I feel like we're doing a better job. We're kind of coming back to a more normal year. I think we're going back to the good things we had established prior."

PHOTO FROM VECTORSTOCK

- Anonymous Teacher

Q:

What impact would you say bullying has on the school community?

: It can definitely affect their grades. I've had students tell me that when they were bullied when they were younger, there was a huge impact on their mental health, their academics and their performance in class. Even if they liked the teachers and the students in the class, just knowing that they would be bullied outside those walls, made things hard for them. It was incredibly heartbreaking to hear.

- Angie Yi, teacher PHOTO BY SARA MIYAKE-SINGER

Q:

What are your experiences with bullying, and how do you think bullying affects the community overall?

: In school last year, kids were making fun of me for my anxiety, and I found out this year that people were laughing behind my back. At school, if someone's in a leadership position, and they proceed to talk badly about others, people under them think that it's okay. Even if someone might not have originally thought badly about someone, they might start because everyone others around them did. The chain of events just keeps repeating over time."

PHOTO FROM VECTORSTOCK

- Anonymous student

entertainment editors Allie D'Amato Sydney Lamich sports editors Ethan Chi Ty Soria copy editors Marin Cantrell 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

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

Q:

- Melon Ren, 12

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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 Olivia Flanders Jazmine Jimenez Pete Paguyo Sascha Perdue advertising & circulation manager Nicholas Tomsio illustrators Esperanza Carolipio Allie D’Amato Lola Diehl Kaitlyn Hodac Bella Langa Scarlett Mische Samarah Nuques

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high tide oct. 7, 2022

LEAF-ing the world a better place Thi Chan, Grace Carroll and Wellness Counselor Rachel Andrews organized the Leaves of Change foundraiser to raise awareness about suicide prevention

by Mia Dowdell

Juniors Carter Choi, Boden Allen, Thi Chan, Melis Turkgench and May Le helped organize the fundraiser.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THI CHAN

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he start of a new school year often means the start of change. For juniors Thi Chan, president of the Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) club, and Publicity Officer Grace Carroll, this meant changing their peers’ views on suicide awareness.

To honor Suicide Prevention Month, Chan and Carroll ran the Leaves of Change Fundraiser from Sep 12 to Sep 22. Students purchased a paper leaf to write positive

messages on and pinned these messages to a tree in the Wellness Center. Proceeds went to the Wyatt A. Lee Memorial Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to suicide prevention awareness.

“I believe that we can only prevent suicide once we address the source of all destructive decisions, which is mental health,” Carroll said. “With September marking the start of fall, we felt that Leaves of Change would be an appropriate first

fundraiser since our message for the event is to help teen suicide rates ‘fall’.”

Primarily led by Grace Carroll, the club cut out colored paper leaves by hand that served as certificates of their donation to the cause. As it was the club’s first fundraiser, Chan wanted to use this opportunity to “make an impact” larger than she was able to make through volunteering.

“I want to accomplish more outreach across the school. So far, we’ve just been able to impact members of the club, but the hope is that we’ll eventually be able to affect more students,” Chan said.

Chan initiated the SADD club in response to freshman Wyatt Lee taking his life in October of 2020. Lee was a friend of Chan’s, and Lee hopes that bringing the club to RUHS would “increase discussion” on topics of mental health.

“We want to let our peers know that it’s okay not to be okay and it’s okay to talk about these things and seek help,” Chan said. “We need to better educate students on the effects of destructive decisions and ensure that they don’t make them.”

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among teens and young wadults, with a 35% increase in the past 20 years, according to the CDC. Hoping to reduce this number, Wellness Center Counselor Rachel Andrews worked with the SADD club by giving them a space to set up the

tree and helping them organize the fundraiser.

“There’s a myth that if we talk about suicide people will be like, ‘Oh that’s a great idea! Maybe I should do it!’ even though it’s further from the truth,” Andrews said. "If you talk about suicide and you’re open to those conversations, then people know that you are a person they can talk to about it.”

This isn’t the first time Andrews has worked towards suicide prevention. Before coming to RUHS, she worked on a project in the prison system to reduce suicide temptation among inmates.

“Suicide prevention has always been important to me. We used to train all groups of different inmates on how to support those who are going through suicidal thoughts. We would assign them someone who could support them in-person, and I hope that I can help students in a similar way,” Andrews said.

With this fundraiser and her past experience with suicide prevention, Andrews hopes to make progress towards widening the conversation on mental health at Redondo.

“I feel like [Lee’s] death has [allowed] so many people to [understand why we] talk about mental health. I think a lot more people are willing to go to each other and say, ‘I'm not doing well, can you support me?’” Andrews said.

Call 988 if you are experiencing suicidal thoughts NATIONAL SUICIDE HOTLINE

Making a MARK on Redondo Veterans Park's old library was used to host CA 101's ninth annual art gallery

by Ariya Anvari

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hirty years ago, the public library in Veterans Park became an expensive venue for weddings and private events.

Recently, however, Mayor Bill Brand decided to make the space, a landmark placed on the National Register of Historic Places, open to the public. The venue’s first public event was art exhibit CA 101’s ninth annual art gallery. Running from Sep. 2 through Sep. 18, the gallery featured work from 72 adult participants.

CA 101 curator Nina Zakladdon chose the library as the venue for the gallery due to “its historical value.”

“People [attending] really loved [the location] because they remember when it was a library. We were very excited to hold the exhibition in this building since it is one of the most historic buildings in Redondo Beach. The feedback we got from people was that they loved being in this unique place, so we feel that the event was a big success,” Zakladdon said.

This year’s exhibit, named after Highway 101 where the gallery was first located, featured a very different lineup of artists than last year. Overall, there were 41 returning artists and 31 new artists.

One of these 72 participants was Ross Moore, whose art focuses mostly on motifs

and landscapes, noted the historical meaning of the library.

“It's a historical monument, so it has a lot of significance to the community. For us to be able to put art in here and show it to a lot of people is wonderful,” Moore said.

“Everyone had a great time. There were a lot of transactions and a lot of people buying and learning about art. The whole [event] turned out well.”

First time participant Catherine Coan used her art to express her opinion on current events. Due to the prevalence of censorship in our day-to-day life, Coan made a piece concerning this issue. Using pages from four of the top banned books and some of her taxidermied creations, Coan made a display depicting books being destroyed.

“This piece was about how we censor ourselves and how we are censored in the world,“ Coan said. “I figured that since we were doing this in a library, it was a good time to call attention to what goes on [around us]. The books that I used in my installation are all books that have been banned somewhere in America or been on what's called a ‘Challenge List’ at some time.”

Moore’s work was based on the technological aspects of society. He painted land-

scapes and chairs looking out on various views to depict the world around us and to express his desire for us to be more tied to nature and art rather than technology.

“Nowadays, sculpture and two-dimensional design have lost their way because images are being taken by the internet. But these works are the emotional things that we build as artists. I think some of the newer younger generations are not that understanding of it. So if I can do these things and help people understand what it is, that's a great goal for me,” Moore said.

Due to the success of this event, Zakladdon hopes to keep the event going to continue promoting the importance of art in Redondo Beach.

“People need art. Art makes you look at other places, other thoughts and at what artists are doing about social issues.

It opens your mind and your soul to other things. I started teaching our Hands On Art groups in schools because of how important it is for children to love art,” Zakladdon said. “There's not a lot of art in Redondo Beach so that's why we started showing art in Redondo Beach after high school.

Through this gallery, people of all ages can continue to see art and be exposed to the messages different artists are sending.”

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2 1. Ross Moore painted a chair facing a scenery to "connect youth to art rather than technology."

PHOTO BY ARIYA ANVARI 2. Catherine Coan used pages of banned books and parts of taxidermy figures to create statuettes of goats and mice. She also crumpled pages of books.

This piece was created to protest censorship.

PHOTO COURTESEY OF CATHERINE COAN

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high tide oct. 7, 2022

UnderSANDing the impact The 33rd annual Heal the Bay Cleanup brought together local Redondo groups and students

by Ria Lopresto

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n Sept. 17, as a part of National Coastal Cleanup Day, Heal the Bay, an environmental nonprofit in the South Bay, hosted its 33rd Annual Beach Cleanup. It was set up all across the beaches in Los Angeles (LA) County, and locations in the South Bay included Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach and Redondo Beach.

One group that coordinated with Heal the Bay to set up a cleanup site at Redondo Beach was South Bay Sandpipers. Site captains and co-chairs of the community outreach program for Sandpipers Candace Nafissi and Jessica Cairncross were the two adults present at the Redondo Beach pier location. They distributed cleanup materials, collected and counted the trash that people found and informed people of where to go and what to avoid.

“There are several hundreds of thousands of pounds of trash that go on the beach, and while these beaches are largely monitored and cleaned by LA County, they still need more help. So Heal the Bay helps keep these beaches pretty,” Nafissi said.

By noon, the Sandpipers had collected over 35 bags of trash, according to Nafissi, which she estimated to be “close to 60 pounds.”

This specific event was Heal the Bay’s “big push,” according to Cairncross, because it was for national Coastal Clean-up Day and the organization was pushing to

spread awareness for the coastal cleanup movement. Heal the Bay holds regular clean-up events on Saturdays throughout the year. They also organize other beachhealth activities to record trash levels in the ocean, such as monitoring and posting the levels of bacteria in the beaches in the South Bay. Heal the Bay advertised for the cleanup through the organizations they work with as well as the people who are already a part of the group. Many students from RUHS found out about this event through their AP Environmental Science (APES) class, which offered extra credit to those who attended.

APES students Nicole Mathews and Finley Smigel, juniors, went to the clean up to participate in the community’s efforts to make their home cleaner.

“There is a lot of trash that gets on our beaches, and it feels like the levels of trash and pollution are rising every day. We just want to help do our part to save the animals and the sea creatures as much as we can,” Smigel said.

The students appreciated the community that the cleanup brought together to clean the beaches.

“This cleanup is obviously [beneficial] for the environment because it brings attention to the amount of litter that is on our beaches,” Mathews said. “It’s also fun seeing all your classmates come here to help

APES students earned extra credit by attending the beach cleanup. PHOTO COURTESY OF GILLIAN MOBERG

the beach.”

Senior Rylee Goldfarb attended the cleanup as well. Goldfarb has been an environmentalist from a young age and began working with environmentalist nonprofits beginning in first grade. Some nonprofits she has worked with include Algalita, the Sierra Club, LA Waterkeepers and the Green Power Alliance. Her passion for the environment stems from seeing the amount of pollution that gets accumulated and released into communities and her respect for the beach and the role it plays in human lives.

“It's really upsetting when you see how people just don't care about the world and they're like, ‘The world is my trash bin, so I'm just gonna throw trash on the floor.’

That’s really frustrating because we are lucky enough to be here,” Goldfarb said.

“We need to respect the environment and we can’t just destroy this habitat.”

Goldfarb currently works with the organization Grades of Green, and she has participated and co-hosted beach cleanups in the past, including one with California Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi, so partaking in this event was familiar to her.

Last year, she partnered with Green By De-

fault to clean power lines and get Redondo Beach to use 100% green power.

“Through all my passion for the environment and through working with Grades of Green, I’ve gained access to important resources, like connections to nonprofits that I can work with, and gotten to speak with many influential people, [such as] politicians, environmental activists and others,” Greenfarb said. “I get a lot of opportunities to make a difference in the world, and that means the most to me.”

Like Mathews, Goldfarb also sees the positive effects of getting the community together for one big event to clean up the beaches.

“For anyone who doesn't feel like they're making a difference in the world or who doesn’t think they’re making that big of an impact, when you go to one of these events, you see what difference it makes when you get a community together to do something as simple as picking up trash,” Goldfarb said. “I think more people need to take part in events such as this one because it's such an empowering feeling when you know that you did something good for the environment.”

RUHS celebrated International Peace Day on Sept. 21 in coordination with the Rotary Club of Redondo Beach

by Marley Van Pelt

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Peace pole. PHOTO BY ERIKA GLASS

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n the evening of Sept. 21 from 6-8pm, RUHS celebrated International Peace Day, an occasion to encourage experiencing peace as a whole entity within local neighborhoods and as a society. This event, held mainly in the school auditorium, was coordinated by the Rotary Club of Redondo Beach (RCRB), a humanitarian organization aimed at advocating integrity, understanding and maintaining a “Culture of Peace.”

Walking into the auditorium, attendees were met with the sound of the RUHS band playing in front of a backdrop of eight hands forming a heart with the words “Imagine Peace.” The RUHS choir followed, singing “Imagine” by John Lennon. They later performed again while RUHS became the first school in Redondo Beach to receive a Peace Pole, gifted and revealed by the RCRB, a symbol built to recognize unity within the Redondo schools and community.

This occasion also marked the recognition of RUHS students receiving awards of Kindness, Humanitarian Actions and Most Welcoming.

The first honor, the certificate of Kindness, was awarded to senior Theodore Danial for “consistently treating all with the respect with which you would want to be treated at all times,” a description given by the Rotary Club.

“I make an effort in all my classes to make people feel seen or special. I have this thing where I wave at my friends in the middle of class and we do it for a

sustained amount of time,” Danial said.

“That’s what led me to getting the award and I realized that it continues to be our responsibility to be kind and to encourage other people to be kinder.”

Senior Jack Hagemeister received the award of Humanitarian Actions for “respectfully acknowledging other people in the world and embracing ‘Service Above Self,’” a description given by the Rotary Club.

“A big contribution to what allowed me to get this award is that I had a charity fundraiser that I did for a group called Parents Against Cancer,” Hagemeister said. “For that charity, I raised $48,000 over the last three years following my own battle with cancer, and so that probably played a key factor.”

The last award, Most Welcoming,

recognized those who “behave as if everyone is a friend, to greet them with an open heart,” according to the Rotary Club. Senior Lindsey Arns, who received this honor, believes in “creating a positive atmosphere” and does that through her own acts of kindness.

“I bake cookies and hand them out to friends and people I might not know as well just to build those connections,” Arns said. “I also work at Trader Joe's, [and I have] for almost two years now, and [the store] is known for being really welcoming. I've definitely grown into being a more extroverted and friendly person from that experience.”

In addition to the awards, an essay competition with the prompt “What could make Redondo Beach a more peaceful community?” sparked solu-

Rotary Club International logo. PHOTO VIA THE ROTARY CLUB OF SAN FRANCISCO

After receiving their awards, recipients Theodore Danial, Jack Hagemeister and Lindsey Arns pose with members of the Rotary Club Committee for a picture. PHOTO BY MARLEY VAN PELT

tions among the RUHS students. Sophomore Kathryn Salazar, winner of this essay competition, wrote about her personal connection to peace and how it relates to stress and anxiety.

“People often view peace as people not fighting, just everyone getting along, but I think it's important to realize that you should also get along with yourself and have inner peace,” Salazar said.

“I know that in high school, there are many people who are stressed and anxious and they feel like they don't belong.

If we had a stronger community where we made sure everyone knew they belonged, they'd be able to love themselves, know they're worth it and have inner peace.”

Dr. Vicki Radel, spokesperson and organizer of the event, has been a member of RCRB since 1989. Initially invited into the program by a fellow therapist, Radel had taken part in a campaign to eradicate polio and in her time with the program, she has continually encouraged peace within her community.

Peace has been the cornerstone of the RCRB and the 46,000+ worldwide Rotary Clubs who promote goodwill and understanding, according to Radel.

“The importance of International Peace Day is to educate the public on the difference between negative peace to the absence of war and positive peace,” Radel said. “It is very important to honor the need to pause and reflect and to do our best to try to create peace which is not just some nebulous thing in the sky. It is definable and measurable.”

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features

Viva la Cultura!

by Stavyah Naveen and Marley Van Pelt

Students celebrate their culture in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month Another extracurricular club known as Cervantes (Spanish Honors Society) serves as a way for members to graduate with honors credits. This isn’t without the help of Cervantes sponsor and spanish teacher, Xochitl Magnone, who is dedicated to giving a voice to underrepresented students in the school community.

time for all Latinos to honor their culture Rios’ newfound outlook motivated her and ancestry and to to then establish a way of influencing othlearn more about it.” ers for the better. She sparked a change in With his role, Pa- her community by introducing her peers dilla encourages oth- to Hispanic cultural practices, through the ers to be immersed creation of her own club called the Latino in their own culture Heritage Club (LHC). to build more identi“I notice that people don't really know ty and individuality. much about the [Hispanic] culture, so I “Here in Redon- thought that it would be nice to teach some do, the demograph- people who would find it interesting,” Rios aracas jingling to mariachi ic is predominantly said. “Not only would we be teaching about bands, red dresses flying in white individuals the culture, but we'd also be doing tradithe air to the beat of the saland so for Latinos tional activities.” sa dance, and immense varieties of colorhere, it’s common Rios’ emphasis on group collaboration ful and spicy foods flood the tables. The for most of us to and interaction within her club, on the topmonth of September marks Hispanic Herfeel a little bit left ic of Latina awareness, furthers her stance itage Month, when Hispanic RUHS stuout and disenfran- on celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month as dents preserve their ties and connections 2 chised,” Padilla said. one major entity. to their origins, meanwhile raising aware- 2. and 3. Latin art displayed on the walls of junior Maya Rios' home during an art “My role [as VP] is to “The importance of this month is about ness of the diverse Latin-American cultural gallery event, showcasing work from different cultural backgrounds . All of the art empower them and diversity, just being together and lovis for sale.

"I love the fact that people will be able to take a piece of art home that traditions. to teach them to give ing each other,” Rios said. “It should be a Senior Miguel Gonzalez takes pride in has a lot of significance," Rios said. PHOTO COURTESY OF MAYA RIOS back to all his Mexican nationality and commemocommunities. I also aim to prorates the positive mission of Hispanic Her“Students [in the club] have to com- mote the study of the Spanish itage Month. language in the Latino culture “Hispanic Heritage Month is a time of within Los Angeles and globalrepresentation for the different Hispanic ly.” cultures and beliefs that are [prevalent] in Padilla honors his heritage our modern world,” Gonzalez said. “It alA big thing with his family by attending diflows diversity to be recognized.” ferent gatherings to intertwine for Spanish kids is Gonzalez maintained his appreciation himself with his culture and exfor Mexican culture, even after moving to reclaiming our pride perience authentic Hispanic celthe United States from Mexico, by conebrations. tinuing his pursuit of one of his childhood and who we are as “I go to Olvera Street in Los passions, performing classical Mexican Latinos to honor our Angeles. We usually like to go dances. there, especially on Mexican In“I’m proud of my nationality. When I heritage. dependence Day,” Padilla said. was little, I used to dance the ‘Folklórico’, “There are mariachi bands, as which is basically a folklore dance of MexDAVID PADILLA well as food. It’s so intimate, so ico,” Gonzalez said. “Now, I'm president of SENIOR it's a tradition we will follow for the school salsa team.” years. We also throw big family 3 Foster’s passion for dancing and muparties for this time of the year to honor whole year-long commemoration, not just plete 45 hours of community our culture.” a month-long celebration. But, all in all, I service, in terms of helping Junior Maya Rios also takes pride in think it's really about appreciating with tutoring as well as help- coming from a Hispanic background and each other and our different ing their community,” Mag- she honors the detailed history of Latina cultural backgrounds and none said. “Our job [through art. Her house has been covered in Latin traditions. Not everybody community service] is to make art since she was little. is the same, but sure we bring awareness to this “Throughout my whole life, I've been in- we should month.” fluenced by artists like Frida Kahlo, who is all be treatThe Spanish linguistic de- a famous Mexican painter,” Rios said. “[My ed equally. partment at RUHS is also in- family] is really passionate about art and I It's a revolved in raising awareness to grew up with that passion.” ally great the plethora of Latin traditions Kahlo’s art and writings significantly month to and cultures that fill our world. moved Rios and influenced a change in her learn about “The goal of Redondo’s outlook on life. Rios was “inspired” by Fri- s o m e t h i n g Spanish department during da Kahlo’s “tenacity” following a bus acci- new.”

Hispanic Heritage Month is dent where a metal rod pierced her torso. to ensure that students honor “[Kahlo’s] mentality just makes me feel 1. Spanish Honors Society created posters in honor of Hispanic and value each one of the span- like I can do whatever I want or put my Heritage Month. This poster can be translated to "Long Live the Culture", "meaning that Latino culture will never go away. It'll aways ish-speaking countries equally,” mind to because she did that,” Rios said. stay alive." Padilla said. PHOTO COURTESY OF DAVID PADILLA Magnone said. “Our goal is to “Even though she was in a wheelchair for make sure students see the diver- her whole life, sic originated from the rich culture of his sity that exists within all those countries. she was mother's Guatemalan background and he So every year, we choose different coun- still out developed his devotion to his Hispanic legtries to really demonstrate the level of di- there doing acy. versity and beauty in those countries.” her best “This month is all about recognizing the Senior David Padilla, Vice President work.” contributions that the Latino community (VP) of Cervantes, wasn’t aware of the exhas made to the United States because all istence of Hispanic Heritage Month until around we can see the influences, not just Magnone taught his class about it, during in film or media, but in positions of polithis freshman year. ical power as well,” Foster said. “On a lo“A big thing for Spanish kids is reclaimcal level, the Latino community has made ing our pride and who we are as Latinos a great number of contributions to society to honor our heritage,” Padilla said. “It's a too.”

ILLUSTRATIONS BY I. LANGA

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oct. 7, 2022 high tide

6 features

Showing Off Show Jumping Kaela Jones competed in the Portugese Bend National Horse Show

by Lauren Greene

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s in most competitive sports, personal and athletic growth occurs when bonds with teammates help athletes conquer obstacles. In the case of sophomore Kaela Jones, these connections are not primarily with team members, but rather between humans and animals. As a competitive horse show jumper, Jones participated in the Portuguese Bend National Horse Show from Sept. 9 to Sept.

11, where she pushed herself to succeed despite obstacles in her path.

In show jumping, riders and their horses compete in a series of jumps and are judged based on how well they ride the course. Jones began riding horses at the

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1 1, 2 and 3. Jones rides her horse, Chovita, over sets of hurdles at competitions.

ALL PHOTOS COURTSEY OF KAELA JONES

age of five after growing up around her aunt’s horse and started competing around the age of ten.

“My favorite thing about the sport is how different it is,” Jones said. “Not everyone can experience it, but I'm so lucky I get to bond with [my horse, Chovita]. It's encouraging and empowering to be on a team with an animal that I can’t talk to.”

While Jones appreciates the “great community” of riders at her barn, she notes that her schoolmates have made fun of her for participating in this less traditional sport.

She believes that not many others outside of her crew understand the sport because they don’t know much about it.

“I respect every sport and it amazes me when people are great at those, and I think if people took the time to understand [my sport], they might respect it more,” Jones said.

In addition to appreciating the uniqueness of her sport, Jones also acknowledges the challenges it presents.

“Because it’s not a team sport, I think the hardest part about it is having to pick yourself up after you fall and keep pushing to be stronger when you don't get the results you want,” Jones said. “It’s hard to not get frustrated when the horse isn't doing exactly what you want. You have to keep calm and just try your best every time.”

At the Portuguese Bend National Horse Show, Jones competed in both the hunt1 ers and equitation classes, or courses. The hunter courses are judged based on how well the horse moves and jumps, and the performance is “subjective to what the judge likes.” Contrarily, the equitation courses are judged based on how well the rider performs and are “trickier,” as they require more rider skill.

“I'm very proud of my horse's performance at this show. She is what we 2 call ‘green’: untrained and not very experienced,” Jones said. “I got her this year, so it's been a rough and long experience with her, but I’m really proud of how she performs at the shows.”

Despite the intense heat wave over the weekend, Jones was able to push through the challenge “even when [she] didn’t want to,” and ended up winning a few classes.

“I won the Taylor Harris National Children’s Medal, which is a well known medal in the equestrian community. I've been trying to get that one for a while,” Jones said.

“I won another medal called the PCHA [Pacific Coast Horse Show Association], and a couple of the equestrian classes too.”

But Jones did not have a completely smooth trot to victory. On the last day of the competition, her horse got spooked by a man flipping a trash bag across the ring, thus running into the standards (the boxes that hold up hurdle poles) as they headed towards a jump. Jones came off after her leg hit the standard, causing her to lose her balance. Her air vest protected her back from injury during the fall, but she did end up with a minor concussion.

“After the fall I had the chance to go back in the ring and try again. My trainer pushed me to do it and I'm glad she did because I went in and actually had a beautiful round. I ended up third of the class,” Jones said. “It was a rough fall, but I was glad I had people to support me and have me try again.”

As Jones’ mom, Debbie Jones, watched her daughter’s fall, she doubted whether

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she would repeat the jump.

Witnessturn to the proud of and dedica-

ing Jones’s recourse, she felt “so her” and of her resilience tion to her sport. “[I do get] scared that she will get permanently harmed. But this is what she loves. This is her passion, and there will be [injuries] with anything you do in life,” Mrs. Jones said. “I've seen it so much with her and other people. It’s part of the sport.”

Jones took a week off of rigorous training to heal, but continued riding to prepare for medal finals at the end of September.

Her love for competitive show jumping has stayed with her since she was little, and does not appear to settle any time soon.

“My biggest goal that I've had since I was a kid is to be on the Olympic team,” Jones said. “I would love to keep riding and [eventually] even put my kids in the sport.”

Paralleling this ambition, Mrs. Jones supports her daughter’s desires whether she wants to ride in college or for the rest of her life, “as long as she loves the sport.”

“I'm really proud of her,” Mrs. Jones said. “She works so hard and she has dealt with a lot. As a mom, It’s awesome to see that, as a woman, she can put up with a lot and keep fighting.

Summer Phillips-Boyes participated in a year long Naval Sea Cadet Program

by Ariya Anvari

A

board a ship at sea, yelling can be heard, the voices in unison of new recruits being trained. Some recruits as young as ten, other trainees as old as 18-years-old. All individuals learn and teach not just what it means to be in the military, but the leadership that comes with it. For most, this environment would seem confusing and foreign but, for junior Summer Phillips-Boyes, this situation is just another part of her life.

Junior Phillips-Boyes plans to pursue a future in the military and has attended the United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps yearlong program (US NSCC) for three and half years, having initially joined the program in April 2019. Sea Cadets focus primarily on learning leadership skills, in addition to morale (a military term often used to describe the quality of a soldier in regards to taking and giving orders and their level of skill at it) and basic military training.

“I joined Sea Cadets, not thinking I would ever be in the military. However, when I look back at it, it's always been in me: that kind of morale, the core values of the military and that discipline,” Phillips-Boyes said. “I love leadership and that's a big part of the Sea Cadet program and I knew the moment I joined and went to my first drill that I wanted to lead.”

Those who teach the new recruits are called Staff Cadets. Some Sea Cadets are offered this opportunity to mentor and coach these new recruits into proper Sea Cadets.

Phillips-Boyes has taken this position three times now and recalls it as one of her favorite experiences.

“You get this new influx of recruits that know nothing. They don't know core values

or how to walk properly in the military or any of that information,” Phillips-Boyes said. “Then, in 14 days, you see them graduate to these new cadets who look sharp and have [military] morale and are just overall good human beings. Seeing that, and being a part of that process every time has been the best part of [being a leader].”

Unlike other programs, taking part in Sea Cadets does not chain individuals to only military based careers, but rather,

“

The experiences, opportunities, people I've come to know, the connections I have and the network I've got through sea Cadets is just incredible.

SUMMER PHILLIPS-BOYES JUNIOR prepares them for future challenges. The majority of those who join Sea Cadets don't plan to pursue a military based career, and go into civilian jobs instead. Despite this, the leadership skills and experience from Sea Cadets can still be applicable to these outside jobs, according to Phillips-Boyes.

“Leadership as a whole—those basic [military] morales, being the leader to set the example and putting the people first— means taking initiative. All those core values of what a leader is, is definitely instilled not just for the military, but for all people in life,” Phillips-Boyes said. “Sea Cadets

don't just make good military personnel.

It makes genuinely great human beings inside and out of the military.”

Additionally, Phillips-Boyes notes the program’s significance to her and how it has impacted her personally beyond just the military training and skills. “[Sea Cadets] have changed my life. I would probably be a completely different person today, if it weren't for them. The experiences, opportunities, people I've come to know, the connections I have and the network I've got through Sea Cadets is just incredible,” Phillips-Boyes said.

Phillips-Boyes found connections in befriending senior Harrison Collier. The two met through US NSCC three years ago. Despite having only been in the same division for one year, Collier notes Phillips-Boyes' growth in the program.

“When she [Summer] first joined NSCC, she was pretty timid and shy. And then as she got older and progressed in the program she grew more into a leadership position and was able to take advice to give advice to others,” Collier said.“Since then, she's become a lot more outgoing and better at communicating.”

Collier considers the traits of a leader to be ownership, loyalty and good com2 munication and b e lieves 3 that

1

Philips-Boyes has both developed and exhibited these traits in her time in NSCC, whether it be through helping new cadets or simple little gestures.

“There's countless times where she's demonstrated all three qualities. She makes sure everyone gets squared away and makes sure she told people where to be at what time; it’s the constant determination and leadership that makes her great,” Collier said.

Ultimately the experiences in these military programs taught and influenced Phillips-Boyes to have a better grasp on leadership and how to help others become leaders as well.

“The higher ranking recruits are usually perceived as the leaders, but in reality anyone, any age, any position, can be a leader.”

Phillips-Boyes said. “Whether you're in a high position or not, being that one person in a room that is able to make everyone connect and take that initiative, is what makes this world run.”

4

1. Staffing POLA (Petty Officer Leadership Academy) standing in front of the POLA formation, taking charge.

2. Staffing Recruit Training Graduation alongside other cadets (Phillips-Boyes in the middle).

3. Staffing POLA Graduation.

4. Staffing Recruit Traning as Recruit Divison Cammander.

ALL PHOTOS COURTSEY OF SUMMER PHILLIPS-BOYES

features 7

high tide oct. 7, 2022

on

EYES the PIES Sophomores Sadie Simmons and Sophie Olko start a bake sale for notable causes

by Lauren Choy

A

few kids selling Dr. Seuss cookies and lemonade at their lemonade stand may look normal on the outside, but for her, it was the beginning of her long-term passion. Sophomore Sadie Simmons cheerfully recalls the memory that first inspired her to create her new club: Baking for Benefits.

“When I was little I used to run a little lemonade stand at my friend's house where we would sell lemonade and rainbow Dr. Seuss cookies. Preparing everything, putting the booth together and talking with customers was a really fun experience for me,” Simmons said. “It was a good way for me to learn about money, customer service and setting up events on my own. That really cemented my love for bake sales and events like that.”

Helping out, for Simmons, has been in her bones since the start of her time in middle school. This was a source of inspiration for creating Baking for Benefits, which mixed her love for baking and helping.

“When I was younger, I would always

try to help the teachers with any paperwork they needed help with like grading tests for example,” Simmons said. “My first volunteering experience was when I did a walk for breast cancer with my martial arts team. I think it was at that moment where I developed a love for volunteering and giving back to those in need, so I made this club to give back as much as possible.”

According to Simmons, the club was created in hopes of students finding a safe space where they are able to help out the community and be surrounded by those who also want to give back. Even though she has always loved to help as a little kid, the one person that inspired her the most was her vice president, sophomore Sophie Olko.

“Baking has always been something that I've enjoyed. And my one friend in particular, who is my vice president, Sophie Olko, bakes a lot and she would always bring in all these different treats whether they be brownies or blondies, and give them to us. I was just thinking about how she does that so often already, so I thought that if we could put that to good use, it would just be even better,” Simmons said.

Sharing similar values to Simmons, Olko has a love for giving back purely because she enjoys “putting a smile on people’s faces.”

“I just really like to give people a reason to have had a good day. For example, if they look back on their day, they're like, ‘My day

was not good today—but Sophie brought cookies for lunch. That made me smile because they were good,’” Olko said.

While Olko decided to help run the club because of her love for baking, Simmons' motivation to start it was for two other reasons.

“A lot of people in my family have struggled with cancer. Recently, my aunt died of cancer, and my former PE coach's daughter also died of cancer. That's when I decided that I wanted to raise money for the Children's Hospital to help fund childhood cancer research. My family is also Ukrainian, so I wanted to make the war one of our causes so that we can help raise money [for Ukrainians],” Simmons said.

The ideas to support causes she connects with have always been in the “back of her head” but it took such events to actually put them in action.

“I feel like it'd be nice to make a difference in other people's lives so they don't have to experience the things that my family has gone through. No one wants to go through it but it happens,” Simmons said.

Simmons and Olko plan to hold bake sales in populated areas, like Hermosa Beach Pier, where people will be able to donate. Simmons believes the whole process will run smoother than other bake sales because of the causes they are supporting.

“Most bake sales are raising money for school events where they're trying to get fundraising, whereas we're just trying to

give back and help others,” Simmons said.

“We're not at all trying to fundraise for a school event and I feel like we have a better cause than most bake sales. So I think that we're gonna have a lot more people donate because they’re not just buying baked goods.”

At the end of the day, Simmons just wants to do this for her community. She feels that if everyone puts a little more effort into volunteering and giving back, it’ll make the world that much better.

“It's important to find these creative ways to give back because a lot of the time, people don't want to volunteer because it feels like a chore,” Simmons said. “But if you can find a fun way to give back, more people will want to help and it can make a difference in a lot of people's lives.”

PHOTOS FROM CREATIVE COMMONS

Senior Jadon Bailey reorganizes the band's equpiment room

by Ty Soria

A

1 1. The band equipment room before Bailey reorganized it.

2. The band equipment room after Bailey reorganized it.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF JADON BAILEY

2

fter finishing a long practice ending near his bedtime, the last thing senior Jadon Bailey wanted to do was spend extra time stumbling into “the barn,” putting instruments away in pitch black darkness with no idea where they would be in the morning. The barn is a storage shed located behind the away bleachers of the football field, where the marching band keeps some equipment and all of their drums in-between practices and performances.

Bailey saw an opportunity to end the struggles by renovating the barn to help his community for his Eagle Scout project. In order to get promoted to an Eagle Scout, the highest scout rank in Boy Scouts America, he had to conduct an entire project on his own that helps his community in any way. In order to fix the barn, Bailey raised over $700 through a GoFundMe for the materials to build shelves and solar lighting.

As the battery (drum line) section leader, Bailey admires the marching band program and its legacy. But, the “poor” condition of the barn did not reflect this.

“When I look at the barn, it makes me feel like we have a disorganized program, but we are an award-winning state program,” Bailey said. “When you go in and look at that shed, it definitely does not say ‘award winning state program’.”

The disorganization resulted in the marching band having to stack instruments on top of each other in order for all of it to fit, not only risking potential damage to instruments but wasting time as well. Sometimes, band members had to spend too much time putting the drums away after

zero period, causing them to be tardy to their second periods. On top of this, the lack of lights in the barn generated turmoil after late practices and competitions, leaving the drum line to guess where to put everything in the dark.

“When we come back [from practice], all the field lights are off when we are trying to pack everything away. We all want to go home because it’s super late at night, but putting everything back is really hard and really slow.”

Bailey and his volunteers, consisting of his family and fellow Boy Scouts, got to work on Sunday, Sept. 18 with a fourphase plan. The first phase included clearing the barn out completely and removing the small shelf inside. They installed the shelves and lighting for the second and third phase, and in the final phase they put everything back in an organized manner.

Although they expected to be there from around 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., they finished at around 8 p.m..

“It was a very long day, but I couldn’t express the relief and excitement I felt when we finally put everything back in," Bailey said.

Wanting to surprise his bandmates, Bailey chose not to inform them about the renovations, including sophomore Lilly Hazard.

“The rest of the drumline and I were blown away,” Hazard said. “We struggled with the disorganization for so long, so the realization that we have such a nice storage space available now was amazing.” for his own Eagle Scout project, giving him familiarity with the building and planning procedure.

8 high tide oct. 7, 2022

in-fo

by Romi Riss and Lucy Davis

“

takes.

I was stoked to be suspended.”

“There is no one solution that [addresses] all behavioral Anonymous senior Zach watched “Avengers: issues on campus. We're trying to have a menu, so that we Endgame” during his time off from school. The can match actions with the person with the consequence, four day suspension was administered as a disciplinary so that there are no repeat behaviors going forward,” Romeasure after an on-campus physical confrontation with a sadini said. friend. While at home, Zach’s punishment felt more like a In one case, anonymous senior Cameron faced harassvacation than a time for self-reflection. ment for a year by one of his peers, ranging from dead-nam“I didn’t learn anything [from my suspension]. I was ing to unconsented photography and food-throwing. like, ‘This is sick. ’ I didn't have to go to school, and I got to “I was consistently late to certain classes because I tried play video games all day,” Zach said. to avoid the areas [that my aggressor frequented]. Or I To learn his lesson, Zach thinks that it would have been would walk with my friend to her class because they were more effective for him to remain at school longer or in isoharassing her as well, as she’s transgender. Another friend lation from his friends during would walk us both to class to ensure that we lunch while serving detention. would be safe, which was unfortunate because “Most people who are getwe were always late,” Cameron said. ting in trouble at school dislike When he could, Cameron filed incident school as a whole. So punishing reports against his aggressor and notified adthem by not letting them go to Most people who are ministration, a process that “had its pros and school is a pretty bad idea. If I cons.” getting in trouble at don't like being at school, why “All I got [from admin] was, ‘We're going would you suspend me?” he school dislike school to talk to him.’ I never received any follow up said. about what was happening,” Cameron said.

In August 2021, the Califor- as a whole. So punish“That made me feel really alone. I didn’t want nia Department of Education ing them by not letting to have to resort to violence, but it was getting issued a statement stating that to a point where I was going to school prepared “the state’s new accountability them go to school is to have to defend myself on a regular basis besystem reports suspensions and cause I felt hopeless and defenseless.” a pretty bad idea.

If incentivizes minimizing the use Under the federal Family Educational of punitive discipline. With this I don't like being at Rights and Privacy Act, all student discipline guidance, [they] update the field school, why would you records must be confidential. Though adminabout recent legislative changistration may not outwardly address an issue, es and suggest alternatives to suspend me?

Mental Health and Wellness Counselor Rachel suspension and other punitive Andrews says, “They’re always working behind practices.” One of these alternathe scenes.”

ZACH tive paths is a community-based To give both students closure, Cameron ANONYMOUS SENIOR support system known as reparticipated in a restorative circle, part of the storative justice that focuses on restorative justice model on campus, with his improving students’ mental and aggressor. Andrews described restorative jusphysical health to enable better behavior and greater acatice as a campus-wide cultural shift toward empathy and demic achievement. communication.

Part of the RUHS move toward a restorative justice The goal of restorative circles is to address the root of system is what Assistant Principal Jeffrey Rosadini calls students’ problems to prevent repeated behaviors and to a “discipline menu”: the staff will decide consequences make students on campus feel seen and secure, according based on how the student would best learn from their misto Andrews. “Restorative Circles in Schools” provides a ba-

“

Discipline and suspension rates at RUHS Suspension rates at RUHS

Percent of Students

Percent of Students

Students suspended for defiance only at RUHS

Suspensions by most serious offense category

(Note: 2019-20 and 2020-21 data are not comparable to prior years because of Covid-related school closures and distance learning.)

Percent of Students

Data collected by the California Department of Education (CDE) through the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS).

BATHROOM ILLUSTRATION BY KAITLYN HODAC. TITLE ILLUSTRATIONS BY KATARINA (HAVEN) BECHES.

sic framework for responding to “challenging” behavior: “What happened? What were you thinking at the time? Who has been affected by what you have done? In what way? What do you think you need to do to make things right?”

Following this structure, Cameron’s restorative circle created a space where each student could explain how the situation affected them. Both students also signed agreements to cut contact with one other.

“We had to talk it through, and I feel like it Keeping the cam did help in the sense that if anything happened, he safe is the respo [the perpetrator] would get ity of all of us, no in trouble.” Cameron said. “[Since signing the agree- administrators, n ment,] I haven't received teachers, but stu any harassment from the guy. Of course, people can too. We want to take pictures behind my back, but outwardly my sure that our cam friend and I have not been is a safe place. It harassed by him or any of place for learnin his friends.”

According to Andrews, for focusing on y if a hypothetical situation arose where a student future. threw fruit at another student’s head, a restorative JEFFREY ROSADINI justice model would orgaASSISTANT PRINCIPA nize a community circle with teachers, counselors, the students involved and other impartial students. “[As a group], we would talk about how [the situation] made them feel, why they wouldn't want it to happen again, and how we can move forward. It's more powerful than, ‘You threw an orange? Here's a detention,’” Andrews said.

Santa Monica-Malibu Unified District reduced their percent of multiple-suspension students by 53 percent after implementing restorative justice practices in 2018. In Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, a restorative justice model reduced serious infractions by 69 percent, and the number of students with multiple suspensions by 64 percent between 2010 and 2013. According to “Restorative Circles in Schools,” a guidebook to restorative justice by experts Bob Castello, Joshua Wachtel and Ted Wachtel, suspension rates are directly lowered by restorative practices like conflict/healing circles.

Zach believes this move away from punitive consequences would have benefited him as well. He felt that his suspension exacerbated his frustration, rather than diffuse the conflict. “[A] majority of the time, fights [with my friends] were caused by miscommunications.

We were then separated completely and we weren’t given the chance to talk it out. This kept the conflict going: we just got suspended and punished and then we would just blame each other for the punishment. It would give us a reason to be

“

ocus

oct. 7, 2022 high tide 9

RUHS moves toward restorative justice model to address discipline and bullying

frustrated with each other,” Zach said.

With a restorative justice model, Zach and his friend would have had the opportunity to prevent future confrontations by learning skills to resolve conflict without violence. Andrews stressed the importance of building good communication skills and understanding every person’s perspective and emotions in restorative justice practices.

“With empathy and understanding, you're going to see way less bullying and conflicts resorting to violence,” said Andrews. “I think this can happen as long as there's extensive mpus training for administration, teachers, and evonsibil- eryone else. [For example,] the tools and the at Santa Monica High School are a ot just resources model for good restorative justice practice.”

AP English Literature teacher Kitaro Takenot just sue worked in the Santa Monica-Malibu disudents trict before joining RUHS staff and brought make his training in restorative justice practices into his new classroom. mpus “The idea behind that training and behind circles is that when you're talking about ret's a storative justice, you have to have a commung and nity to restore. The circle is a really important element of taking the teacher out of the center your [of attention] and focusing the students on each other and each other's needs,” Takesue said. “The purpose of it is to build community so that when a harm is committed, you can go back to the circle and see how the community AL is failing.”

Although it takes time to build this community, Takesue believes that a sense of connection between students is “fundamental.”

“If there's no relationship, if there's no party that [the students] actually have connection to, they're not going to feel like they want to make any of those adjustments in order to be part of that community—they never felt like they were part of that community to begin with,” Takesue said.

Takesue blocks out time

The social discipline window: a graphic that illustrates how restorative practice differs from other types of discipline:

for community circles once a quarter for each of his classes, but the community building within his classroom is consistent throughout the year: highs and lows of students’ weeks, a trivial question to start the class period, or having them reflect on their current needs. And, he said, these activities help students find common ground.

“By giving students that place to debrief and share out with others, it helps them better participate in class. It helps them be more vulnerable.

In an AP class, I think it's especially important because so many kids have impostor syndrome.

When they hear the struggles of other kids, it’s like, ‘They're on the precipice of destruction, as much as I am almost in the void of despair,’” Takesue said.

“But it takes one person to be vulnerable, and suddenly other kids are like, ‘I want to do that, too.’”

Rosadini emphasizes that as RUHS makes the transition toward restorative justice practices, building a positive school culture is most important.

“Keeping the campus safe is the responsibility of all of us, not just administrators, not just teachers, but students too. We want to make sure that our campus is a safe place. It's a place for learning and for focusing on your future,” Rosadini said.

“Redondo should be a safe space for every single student.”

GRAPHIC BY LUCY DAVIS, ADAPTED FROM "RESTORATIVE CIRCLES IN SCHOOLS."

Restorative justice = community-based support system focused on improving students' mental and physical health to enable better behavior and greater academic achievement

64% reduction of students with multiple suspensions because of restorative justice at a school in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

69% reduction of serious infractions because of restorative justice at a

school in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Statistics via report from International Institute for Restorative Practices: Improving School Climate.

opinion Too late for Tate

Before this summer, Tate had never even crossed my radar, so when I began researching his history, I became more and more astonished and disgusted at how long his toxic messages have been swirling around in cyberspace. He claimed COVID-19 was a hoax during 2020, an opinion that sums up his intelligence regarding our world. What’s more, his personality has a concerning amount of influence on our younger generations, especially teenage boys.

Some quotes by Tate include stating that women should bear “some responsibility” for r*pe, that “[l]ife as a man is far more difficult than life as a woman” and that feminists who don’t want kids “are the most miserable stupid b*tch[es] in the world.” The first comment got Tate banned from Twitter in 2017, while other statements continued to pop up on impressionable teens’ social media feeds until he was banned.

When I returned from abroad, I began researching and approaching my peers regarding their views, specifically those I knew who followed Tate before his ban. I spoke to numerous individuals, male and female alike, and the general consensus was this: male students found Tate somewhat alarming but were able to look past his issues to appreciate his promotion of men’s confidence and mental health, while women felt anger, shock and fear regarding their futures in a world where men like Tate are accepted. Further, the vast majority of males I spoke to not only found Tate unalarming but also, and I quote, “entertaining and inspirational.”

Many of the boys I talked to considered Tate to be a comedian of sorts and found humor in his so obviously ridiculous comments, not considering that many individuals actually believe and support what Tate was preaching. The way I see it, by acting in this way—either following or liking Tate’s content—they directly supported a sexist, toxic and vile human being.

They also cited his program called Hustler’s University, a subscription-based community, which according to his website is “[a] community where me [Tate]

Andrew Tate promotes misogyny amongst impressionable youth.

A

ndrew Tate.

Even the name sparks visceral disgust and rage as I type it, an indication of my blatant bias in writing this opinion. Honestly, my opinions on the man are associated with general contempt, nausea and bitter disappointment in the future of man (and yes, man is intended) kind and contradictions to such claims are in my mind, both foolish and ignorant.

Tate, a former professional kickboxer, rose to fame on social media such as Instagram, YouTube and Tik Tok, where he documented his lifestyle and views.

The first time I heard of Tate was abroad. Dawdling amongst Greeks, Germans, Romanians, Poles, Brits and other nationalities this summer, I heard my friend mention how much she hated him. I, unaware of who Tate was, questioned her and was shocked when I googled his name and the results appeared, and then again when I looked him up on Instagram and saw that many of my peers followed him. My first reaction was a misunderstanding; surely people I knew, whom I considered highly educated and holding some basic respect for women in this god-forsaken world had followed him by mistake.

Tate demeans women constantly, promotes toxic masculinity, and even has admitted to moving to Romania because the “police [there] is less likely to investigate s*xual assault cases in the country,” according to Sportskeeda.

Yet, people still follow him—or, they did before he was banned by Instagram.

by Haven Beches

10 and dozens of experts will teach YOU exactly how to make money.” Every professor is “personally” vetted by himself.

Gaining a large following on his platforms, Tate was able to promote this program—a program that reinforced his toxic and sexist ideology. Advertising Hustler’s University on social media, giving talks at large venues and encouraging all generations to invest in his program not only made Tate even more successful financially, but also spread his misogyny ideas globally.

It does not escape my notice that it is the male population who, by and large, don’t find Tate harmful or threatening, as most have never had to deal with what so many women have. Most men do not worry about walking alone at night or having their drinks spiked. Most men do not have to worry about being passed up for a promotion because of their gender or living with the knowledge that their male-dominated government has the authority and means to legislate away body autonomy, as the United States Supreme Court did in June of 2022 with the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

If these men did understand or share such experience s , I think they would take personalities like Tate more seriously. Rather than writing off his comments as ludicrous, as so many do, and a bit “out there,” they might identify the systemic issue of sexism at work and take steps to remedy it.

Tate said it best: “Maybe I’m completely crazy. Maybe I’m full of sh*t.” For once, he got it right.

ILLUSTRATED BY SCARLETT MISCHE

The sexualization of women in videogames letters to the perpetuates unhealthy beauty standards

editor

by Zoe Rossi

W

hile teens shopping for video games may seem harmless, not all games are rated E for everyone. Representation for all is lacking in the world of video games, especially when it comes to clothing. While the male hero is dressed in head-to-toe armor and strapped up to his teeth with guns and knives, the female characters are dressed in a G-string bodysuit that makes sure to cover the nipples, but barely anything else.

The lack of representation of women in video games and the over-sexualization of their personas in their main character (MC) roles can deeply affect the way women view female role models. Young girls can look at the screen, see these female characters in scant clothing and c o m pare the characters to themselves.

This comparison is unhealthy because firstly, these animated characters aren’t a true representation of the female body.

Secondly, they are manufactured for the male gaze, creating an unMILEENA healthy perFROM MORTAL KOMBATception of COURTESY OF women IMGBIN from a

young age.

Examples of female MCs portrayed in next-to-nothing in terms of clothing are Mileena from Mortal Kombat, Mai Shiranui from Fatal Fury and The King of Fighters and Ivy from Soul Calibur. All of the female characters are in what I can barely classify as underwear. Female MCs in popular video games are dressed in attire with coverage akin to wrapping themselves in a piece of ribbon.

“Women […] who play video games feel that the over-sexualized portrayal of female characters in video games is sexist and damaging to their self-image,” Eden MacDougall and Andreas Copes wrote in an article titled “Temple women open up about sexist video game characters” from Temple University.

This fanciful depiction of women creates body dysmorphia and long-term harm to the mental health of adolescent girls and women.

Various authors in an article titled "Female Gaming, Gaming Addiction, and the Role of Women Within Gaming Culture: A Narrative Literature Review" published by Frontiers in Psychiatry wrote, “Representation of women within video games and their well-being has been recently studied. Findings showed female gamers report self-objectification and consequently perceive low levels of self-efficacy.”

When I am flipping through a PlayStation game catalog, if I see these demeaning depictions of women in the game preview, I will automatically swipe away. As a young woman, seeing these female MCs personified with skimpy clothing and airheaded personalities feels dehumanizing and belittling in facets ranging from my intelligence to my body image. The persona that video games produce of

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

voice column The High Tide aims to share the voices of a wider swath of the RUHS student population, beyond just our staff members. If you have a story to share, a unique outlook on something, or a personal opinion, fill out the form linked at the QR code.

women perpetuates an unrealistic and unattainable standard.

“It [the video game industry] realizes it’s marginalizing half its audience [by] making women characters pander to the male gaze,” media communications researcher Teresa Lynch said in an article published by PBS titled “Study tracks 31-year history of female sexualization in video games.” “Women don’t like to be seen as sex objects. When they don’t feel like game content positively reflects [their gender], they’re not interested.”

opinion 11

high tide oct.7, 2022

Voice column:

Hurt, Harrassed and Humiliated

by Roisin Gross

I

Don't you know that I'm The romanticization of toxic relationships in media sets unhealthy expectations

’ve had food thrown at me for being gay.

It was only once, and I was lucky enough to not have any repeat incidents.

But my experience is far from the only one at Redondo and not enough is being done about it.

I’ve known that I was gay (bisexual, actually) since I was in eighth grade. I won’t share that story here, but it was an easy enough transition. I have an amazingly supportive family, grandmothers who are married, a genderfluid cousin and positive role models all my life. The nerves and stress surrounding coming out were definitely there, but I knew that I had the support of my friends throughout the coming out process.

So I was more than surprised when at this school self-proclaimed “neo-nazis” threw food and stole stickers and made gay jokes at the Gender-Sexuality Alliance (GSA) booth at Club Rush last year.

The group of guys, no more than five or ten students, did this for the entire lunch period, putting us on the spot for no reason other than because they could.

These kids, teenagers, had become so strongly against LGBTQ+ individuals' right to exist proudly that they were willing to harass, humiliate and hurt other students. I get there were probably other factors influencing their decisions (peer pressure, home life, personal troubles, etc.), but what they did in that moment was ultimately inexcusable.

by Allie D'Amato

M

any of us are quick to point out each other’s toxic traits and preach the importance of fostering healthy romantic relationships–that is, until we sit down to watch a movie or read a book.

Usually, a distinct line is drawn between the reality of being in relationships and the way that they are illustrated in fabricated, idealized storybook settings. However, that line becomes extremely blurred when people–teens especially–feed into the media, obsessing over an unhealthy relationship dynamic, which is based upon the very constructs of misogyny and toxicity; they subconsciously develop a mindset, which pushes them to want to mimic such damaging portrayals.

The romanticization of toxic relationships in books and movies has become increasingly apparent, and it has significantly impacted the way teenagers view and seek out their own relationships. The general consensus seems to be that characters who are depicted as dark, brooding and controlling immediately assume the position of the popular love interests: the ones who get away. The ones whose decisions are justified by audience favor. The ones who always end up with the girl. The ones whose actions are blatantly selfish and intentions are unnecessarily impure yet still manage to garner sympathy and popularity in spite of their manipulative and cold demeanors.

Don’t get me wrong. I am a sucker for a good romance; but there are some instances where contemporary media and entertainment have gone too far in promoting the “bad boy” image, advertising a false sense of security and buried compassion under layers of plain indecency and stupidity.

“

Especially for those who are openly, loudly and proudly gay, we have to consider our safety in a place where we are supposed to learn in peace."

ROISIN GROSS SENIOR

And that isn’t even close to the reports that I’ve heard from other LGBTQ+ students.

Over the summer, one student sent the GSA Instagram account a video of them and their friends being harassed for their sexuality. They were called slurs by another group of students in plain sight in downtown Hermosa. Friends have told me about witnessing or experiencing verbal harassment in the hallways, ranging from more “mild” name-calling to literal threats of violence. Hair-pulling, deadnaming, dirty looks—the list goes on and on. I’ve heard of kids being misgendered by their teachers, intentionally and repeatedly called by the wrong names and pronouns.

My only major experience of being harassed was a one-off thing, and for that I am very grateful. I can’t imagine having to choose between expressing who I am and feeling safe at school. But other students at Redondo don’t have to imagine making that choice because they’re already living it. Especially for those who present outside of the gender binary or who are openly, loudly and proudly gay, we have to consider our safety in a place where we are supposed to learn in peace.

RUHS needs to take more action, both to promote acceptance schoolwide and to educate those who have already opposed it. Just like there was no excuse for students to harass the GSA Club Rush booth, there is no excuse for the school to be inactive about these cases.

Speaking as a romcom aficionado, I, too, have been blinded by these characters and the relationships they pursue. You can’t help but swoon over Conrad Fisher, Joshua Templeman, Noah Calhoun, Mr. Darcy, and other leading men who possess the most undesirable qualities possible as they take out their anger on their romantic interests. Audience members become drawn to them, watching as they attribute their behavior to a dark past, change into better men as they are influenced by the goodness of their partners or maintain a soft spot for the people they love in the midst of their immorality. People are invested in their redemptive plotlines and are so quick to focus on their small deeds, failing to acknowledge the larger truth at hand: these men are jerks who make all the wrong decisions before going through a forced transformative realization.

Oftentimes, these “bad boy” characters are hostile toward their prospective partners, engaging in harsh dialogue where they demean and belittle the women they seemingly “love.”

Some viewers mistake this aggression as a build up for some sort of passionate turning point or as an outlet for misplaced agony which has been the root of their desires. We want to believe that these men contribute liveliness, affection and fulfillment to their relationships by exercising control over their partners and gaslighting them. The allure of these men is thanks to the

fact that they seem to have some deep grasp on their reality and the reality of their partner, and that this understanding paints them as “fixable” or “salvageable” in some twisted way. We root for them, we find comfort in their struggles, and we in turn become enamored, viewing their misbehaviors as attractive.

This character archetype is continuously perpetuated in media today, becoming ingrained in the way we view and value relationships. We forget that these characters and the circumstances surrounding their relationships do not parallel those in real life; jerks stay jerks, and we can’t expect anything out of them. Teenagers are incredibly naïve and misinterpret certain responses or behaviors, assigning a romantic tone to people, places or things, which hold no romantic significance at all. The bliss of romance which is seen at the forefront of toxic relationships and associated with toxic fictional characters masks the true questionable–and sometimes detrimental–state of reality.

I feel as though these types of relationships and characters must be scaled back, or else they only serve to negatively contribute to a false perception of romantic relationships and ideal partners.

12

entertainment

PHOTO VIA IMDb

The Queen? No, the KING

The new historical drama "The Woman King" features female warriors and is a must see

by Scarlett Mische

“

An evil is coming. It threatens our kingdom, our freedom, but we have a weapon that they are not prepared for.” Those are the first words in the trailer for the new movie “The Woman King” which came out on Sept. 16.

“The Woman King” revolves around the African kingdom of Dahomey and their all female warrior troop called the Agojie. This movie centers around the fictional leader of the Agojie, Nanisca (Viola Davis) and a Dahomey village girl who was gifted to the king to be used as an Agojie, Nawi (Thuso Mbedu). The film highlights the growing relationship of these two characters as well as their loyalty to their kingdom and Agojie sisters.

The acting and character development in this movie was next-level spectacular.

The large range of emotion I felt while watching this movie was a new but welcome experience. The relationship between the two main characters grew in such a delicate manner throughout the film, with the actresses handling their roles with such grace and eloquence. The build up to their ending relationship didn’t feel rushed, which I find to be an incredible feature for a two-ish hour movie.

Spoilers ahead, so skip to the next paragraph if you haven’t seen the movie: The plot twist of finding out Nawi is Nanisca’s daughter was so perfectly executed by Davis and Mbedu that my new standards for character development and chemistry between actors has skyrocketed to the point that not even the end of “Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back” could cure my insatiable craving for a flawless “I am your Father” (or Mother, in the case of “The Woman King”) plot twist.

The carefully planned use of dialogue kept me on the edge of my seat for the duration of the film and made the plot that much more compelling.

The acting wasn’t the only exemplary element of this new movie; the cinematography (as directly quoted from my notes while watching) was “absolutely immaculate and tear-inducing to the point of suffocation.” The earthy tones gave this movie a very “cavern-like” vibe, as if you could feel the humidity in the air, stifling your breath and allowing it to consume you– mind, body, and soul.

The composition of camera angles and shots reveal miniscule details that bring out all of the tiniest efforts put into the film.

In particular, the way that the ending shots were composed helped to embody every feeling presented throughout the film in a very short last montage—all five stages of grief were present along with the feeling of suspense looming over the movie. Overall, the atmosphere for the movie was rather suspenseful, but in a good way.

Even though this movie was a technical masterpiece, there are still aspects that should be taken into consideration before viewing. First and foremost, it is im-

portant to know that this movie has a lot of graphic content.

As expected from a movie dealing with the slave trade, there is a lot of violence includi n g , but not limited to, rape, v i v i d d e a t h scenes, blood and

the brutality of slavery itself. If these subjects make you uncomfortable, take caution before deciding to watch this film.

Some understanding of the kingdom of Dahomey in a historical context is also essential to view this film. This movie might have been a great historical fiction; however, it is important to remember that it is in fact still fiction. The Dahomey Kingdom was an active participant in the Atlantic Slave trade, and it is important to understand that this movie has the potential to romanticize such a detrimental event to many Africans.

Following this sentiment, in a Washington Post article, Karen Attiah, an affiliate with the National Association of Black Journalists and award-winning columnist for the Washington Post, says, “Dahomey is no feminist utopia. Make no mistake: Women do not hold all the cards of

power. The A g o j i e warriors exist within a patriarchal system, and basically all the men we meet [in the film] are willing to traffic women and girls and strip them of agency.”

Attiah goes on to highlight a few points throughout PHOTO VIA SPOILERFREEREVIEWS

this movie that undermine the issues that are present in Dahomey’s historical society.

Contrastingly, in a CNN article, Dr. Nsenga Burton, a former editor-at-large for the Root, an African American-oriented news magazine and a member of the African American Film Critics Association, disagrees with attempts to boycott this movie due to historical inaccuracies.

Burton writes, “As much as it is about anything else, “The Woman King” is about the precarious journey Black women take— and the obstacles they face—in pursuit of freedom and self-determination in a world where misogyny and misogynoir reign supreme.”

Taking into consideration inaccuracies presented throughout this movie is important, and at the same time, the technical components and emotional impact of “The Woman King” are simply too impeccable to overlook. As long as the topic is handled with respect and you know your own boundaries when it comes to triggering content, this movie is a must-see.

features 13

high tide oct. 7, 2022

A nickel for your thoughts "The Nickel Boys" sheds light on the horrifying realities of discrimination

by Troy Nevil

Y

ou know you’ve read a great novel when all you want to do is scream, shout and cry at the end of it while simultaneously trying to convince yourself there’s an alternate ending. Or maybe that’s just me.

This summer, I was required to read a novel for my AP Lit class, and just like any high school student, I decided to wait until the very last minute to read it. But after gaining an entirely new perspective on systemic racism, bullying and discrimination in 1960s America following my completion of the novel, I must say that I definitely regret not reading it sooner.

That young adult novel is Colson Whitehead’s “The Nickel Boys,” which is based on the true story of the Dozier School for Boys, a reform school formerly located in Florida. For 111 years, this institution’s intended purpose was to give troubled children convicted of crimes a place to learn about the world and become better citizens; however, after a failed state inspection in June 2011, the school was shut down. In this investigation and subsequent ones, 55 graves were found around the institution, along with the remains of roughly 51 students.

These events inspired Whitehead to

write an enlightening novel, one that highlights the extremities of discrimination, racism and harassment in an America fighting for the civil rights of African Americans and equality for all U.S citizens. And if Whitehead earning the Pulitzer Prize doesn’t say enough about the impact of this novel, I don’t know what else does.

“The Nickel Boys” follows the story of Elwood Curtis, both in his childhood in the 1960s as well as his adulthood in the 2010s. As Whitehead jumps between the two timelines, the reader understands how Elwood’s time at the Nickel Academy affects his future passions and how America’s progression in the civil rights movement intertwines with those events.

The majority of the novel focuses on Elwood’s teenage years, and it is during his time at the Nickel Academy where the reader uncovers Whitehead’s themes of how White supremacy frames the disparate relationship between the White and Black students at the institution. In multiple instances, we see Elwood and his Black peers discriminated against for their skin color while the White students at the academy are spared, highlighting the persistence of systemic racism within the various institutions of the 1960s United States, and how even educators used their personal bias to

perpetuate such racism and segregation.

An important thing to note about this novel is that it’s pretty tragic at times, but it's necessary. There were so many moments where I felt angry, distraught and helpless, because even though the events were fictional, they followed a tragic and true story. Elwood may not be a real person, but there were certainly students in the Dozier school who went through the same bullying and discrimination that he and his peers faced. That encouraged me to fully comprehend the depth of Whitehead’s message and apply it throughout my future as I learned more about systemic racism and its lasting impacts.

With this issue focusing its attention on bullying and discrimination around our campus, I believe that reading this novel would be a good way for students to learn about how racism and ignorance have impacted and continue to impact others on a larger scale. While Whitehead’s main message isn’t as simple as “bullying is harmful,” his narration of the novel does an outstanding job of demonstrating not only how bullying tied with discrimination and systemic racism can have a significant impact on its victims, but also beyond to the institutions and people involved.

Whitehead didn’t earn a Pulitzer

Prize for nothing—his masterful writing throughout “The Nickel Boys,” reveals various horrific truths about America and imperative lessons our country must learn through beautiful storytelling, vivid characterization and parallelism.

PHOTO FROM PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE

BLACKPINK's new album "Born Pink" fails to impress K-pop listeners

by Emilie Takahashi

T

wo years of anticipation, a foreshadowing Netflix documentary and a drum roll release of teaser photos: all for what? BLACKPINK’s highly awaited album “Born Pink” does not fulfill a fraction of the forecasted fanfare.

With the scarcity of new BLACKPINK music, you would think that they follow a “quality-over-quantity” standard; however, their new album meets no such standard. I expected new experimental sounds, stories and concepts rather than the bland recycling of their previous themes.

The same themes are reheated and served on a cold plate of anticipation and expectation. If they can’t do their iconic narrative, four heartbroken girls, any better, then they simply shouldn’t. None of these songs will live up to amazing story-building tracks such as “Lovesick Girls."

Nothing new is presented in the music itself either, leaving the album sounding a bit like an AI that was fed every BLACKPINK song to spit out a new BLACKPINK song. For example, “Typa Girl” is entirely laid under a predictable blaring siren sample, an overdone element that they need to stop leaning on.

Besides “Pink Venom” and “Shutdown” none of the remaining six songs provide any substance to be memorable. Tracks “Hard to Love," “Tally," “Yeah Yeah Yeah” and “The Happiest Girl” all blend together in one generic melo-drama pop song. They each sound like they took the pre-chorus of a much more interesting song and added filler synth, basic drums and rhythmic claps to stretch it into a full song.

To keep up with their competition, BLACKPINK must reawaken the “revolution” that they have so proudly claimed to have created.

For example, K-pop has started to switch gears toward more simple beat songs like aespa's “Life’s Too Short” and all of NewJeans’ debut album, which climbed the charts with music in stark contrast to most high density K-pop songs.

If they want to compete with their maximalist and avant-garde sounds they aren’t winning either. This album is easily drowned out by IVE’s strong releases such as “After LIKE” that uses new stand-out samples that form a charming music style.

Taking a look at their competition, new and shiny girl groups are looking to make a mark in the industry and have parent companies hungry for fame. This creates the perfect environment for sound exploration, high quality tracks and carefully curated albums. This is a caliber that BLACKPINK is at risk of losing with their unimpressive new release, one that doesn’t represent their potential or unique character.

IVE and NewJeans are prime examples of trailblazing groups, proving that although pop music trends may seem formulaic and familiar, there is still creative and enticing music to be made. Maybe YG gave up BLACKPINK's exploration of the frontier.

For those new to the world of K-pop, one main difference lies in the systems behind the artists.

Compared to the American music industry, the K-pop industry is built on a more blatant “assembly line” style. Large entertainment companies— factories—train young girls and boys—products—in their potential music career under the label. Under the wings of these superpower companies every aspect of their music production is regulated, with little control given to the artists themselves.

Let’s n o w focus in

on one of these factories, YG Entertainment, who produced the hit sensation four-member girl group in question. Since their debut, they rose to the top of K-pop with a fan base of over 50 million, but the K-pop factory complex does not stop chugging, and BLACKPINK is falling behind.

It’s not hard to like “Born Pink” for what it is, catchy but not addictive, but we’ve seen better from them. The bar is so high with tracks such as “Lovesick Girls” and “Pretty Savage” from their last album, not even to mention their brand-defining classics like “How You Like That.”

I just hope this trend doesn’t continue, w h e r e new groups start their c a reers

with splashing comebacks only to fizzle out as they lose their experimental charm, becoming reliant on their loyal fan base.

YG knows that BLACKPINK sits at a level higher than the rest and they may just be getting too comfortable there. This multi-million dollar entertainment company seems to be relying on the group’s popularity and legendary status exemplified in their lazy excuse for a “ground breaking” album.

K - p o p is becoming a more interesting and intricate sphere than ever. With every new group that tries to establish themselves in a cluttered genre, a new image and sound is born.

BLACKPINK's new album makes it clear; they are solely relying on being “Born Pink,” when they need to grow up.

PHOTO FROM BLACKPINKOFFICIAL

14

sports

The streak stays strong

Football beats West Torrance High School 13-9, the defense coming through in fourth quarter

O

by Andrew McKenna n Friday, Sept. 23, the Redondo varsity football team took the short walk down Del Amo Boulevard to Peterson Field to play West Torrance High School. Riding a four-game win streak, Redondo was searching not only for a fifth consecutive victory of the season, but for a seventh consecutive win over West.

The game got off to a slow start for the offense, as senior quarterback Christian Hunt threw an interception on Redondo’s first drive. The defense had their back, though, stuffing West at the goal line on fourth down to give the offense the ball back. This was just one of the many plays that the defense made, as they played a huge role in keeping Redondo in the game.

“When you know that the defense has your back, it makes calling the offense less stressful,” offensive coordinator Kyle McManus said. “When they make a stop on the one-yard line and are playing lights out, it gives us the confidence to take some shots when we get the chance. We were on the eight-yard line and we called a vertical because I knew that the defense was going to be there to help us out of that pickle if it ended up going the wrong way.”

After the drive following this stop stalled, the defense came up with another big play. After shedding a group of blocks, a crowd of defenders pounced on the ball-carrier, with senior defensive back Zane Hull forcing a fumble later recovered

by Redondo. The offense took advantage of the opportunity this time, with Hunt eventually finding junior wide receiver Bobby Shaw for a touchdown. With the ensuing PAT blocked, Redondo now led 6-0. Hunt later connected with junior wide receiver Nate Stiveson in the back corner of the endzone for another touchdown.

“I told [the offense] that we just need to calm down and play our brand of football,” McManus said. “We got out of rhythm, and it’s difficult at times to regain that rhythm.

We would have two great plays in a row, but it felt like we’d always end up one play away. Sometimes you just have to calm the guys down and get them doing what they do best.”

The defense once again held West in a goal-to-go situation, leaving the score at 13-0 at halftime.

Entering the second half with the score 13-0, McManus emphasized that the offense needed to “get the ball moving”, and shifted his focus to “coming out and running the ball a bit more often”. Unfortunately for Redondo, the offense again struggled to make things happen and ended up going scoreless in the second half.

“We were calling plays, and guys just were in the wrong spots, or not making the right reads,” McManus said. “There were a couple of times where we were a half second away from a completion that would have put us in a better position moving forward. It was just little mistakes that we need to clean up to beat better teams.”

The defense continued to have the offense’s back, though, as they allowed just seven points in the second half. According to sophomore linebacker Milo Youker, sticking to the basics was just enough to stop West.

“This team doesn’t run anything different from the other teams we’ve already played.” Youker said. “We were just really focusing on fundamentals, recognizing their formations, and just making calls based on that.”

The game continued to be highly competitive, with both defenses holding strong

until the end.

Pinned inside their five-yard line with around a minute to go, Redondo decided to take a safety in their end zone instead of punting. By doing this, Redondo took a crucial 10 seconds off the clock, avoided giving West good field position, and maintained a big enough lead so that West couldn’t kick a walk-off field goal to win. The kickoff following the safety gave West the ball around their 40yard line. The defense just had 2. The team having a celebratory huddle after a good play.

PHOTO COURTESY OF REBECCA SCHIMA to hold off the West offense for With the final score of 13-9, Redondo bethirteen seconds, came 5-0 on the season. Next up for Reand the game would be over.

“We were just making sure they couldn’t dondo is Peninsula High School on Sept. get out-of-bounds,” Youker said. “We made 30, as the quest for an undefeated season sure that we tackled them inside and didn’t continues.

“It was great to get the win on the road allow them any big plays. That’s all we had in a hostile environment. We showed to do to keep the clock running.”

Redondo didn’t even end up needing to some toughness and resolve, and we run the clock down to end the game. The showed that we can compete in a tough first play of West’s final possession was a game,” McManus said. “We’re going to deep pass that was initially deflected before keep aiming high. Bay League is going to landing in the arms of senior safety Caden be tough, but we’re open to the challenge.

Telleson for a game-sealing interception. It will be fun.”

Girls Volleyball lost to Palos Verdes 3-1 in a tough yet competitive game

by Rena Felde

O

n Wednesday Sept.

21 girls varsity volleyball faced a neighboring city rival, Palos Verdes, and fell short in a nail-biting match. They won their first set (25-18), but the last three got the best of them. The first set had a promising start with consistent serving by senior outside hitter Mele Corral-Blagojevich, as well as strong blocking and defense. The set concluded with a powerful spike by junior libero Summer Suppik.

“We had some good defensive touches, [they] still need improvement, but that’s been our goal for a lot of games,” freshman Opposite Hitter Abby Zimmerman said.

Suppik agrees that middle blocking has improved; she claims that “We’re reading the hitters a lot better,” but believes they can do better on their serve receives.

According to junior outside hitter Victoria Henkel, the first set was the team’s best of the match.

“I feel like we were really on top of it. We went for the kill,” she said.

Both Suppik and Henkel were happy with their serving throughout the match with Zimmerman adding that, “[Suppik] put on a great serving streak, not

missing very many, so I feel like that really helped.”

Though there were “spurts” of good plays during the game, according to Corral-Blagojevich, the game proved to be more mental rather than physical.

“We weren’t focusing. We weren’t executing. It wasn’t that we played horrible, we just weren’t locked in,” she said.

During the second set, Redondo struggled with returning the ball, ending with the most lopsided score of the match, 1725.

Though they lost the set, Redondo’s spirit stayed unwavered with the help of positive affirmations from the bench and the players on the court. “Shake it off,” and “We have the next point” became even more frequently used during the next two sets.

“There were a lot of times where maybe our energy was down or we weren’t calling out what the other team was doing, but I feel like I was consistently [communicating],” Corral-Blagojevich said.

In the third set, the Seahawks fell behind on the scoreboard, but eventually caught up to PV by the 20-point range.

The girls struggled to stay on top though, losing the set by a close 22-25.

PV took the lead in the fourth set, but yet again, Redondo caught up. The catchup was not enough though, when PV scored the final point, 25-21, winning the match.

Besides PV putting up a strong fight to win, Corral-Blagojevich also believes the Durango Fall Classic tournament in Nevada the weekend before tired the Seahawks out, preventing them from playing their best.

“During the game, we had fight, but not enough,” she said. “I think we went in thinking we could beat PV easily, but they brought their best match. I think instead of stepping up to that, we kind of just let them have it. There were a few times where we gave up a few runs on their serves. They have great serves, but we can definitely take them on.”

In order to win games, the team focuses on three things: next-play focus, communication and energy and having a suffocating defense. The next-play focus allows the team to bounce back from a bad play and focus on the next. The suffocating defense pushes the team to go for all of the plays the other team gives them.

Suppik is confident that improving the team’s energy will help them win their next game, as this time it did not reach their standards. “[The energy] was not our best. We definitely could have been more together, more fired up,” Suppik said. “If we change our attitude or get more fired up, that will definitely improve how we play.”

As one of Redondo’s biggest rivals, losing to PV at home wasn’t taken lightly but according to Corral-Blagojevich, “[the team] knows what [they] have to do next time to win.”

1. Summer Suppik celebrates a well-executed play PHOTO COURTESY OF REBECCA SCHIMA 2. Alanna Jones seen dancing while Jamie Deines, Malina Young, Madi Collines, Dru Delano, and Simi Adefeminwa PHOTO COURTESY OF

sports 15

high tide oct. 7, 2022

Trailblazing in PORTLAND

1

by Ethan Chi

Cross Country competed in Nike Invitational, the boys claiming 1st out of California schools and girls getting 3rd of California 1. Junior Kyle Nguyen and sophomore Adam Divinity running at the beginning of the course. PHOTO VIA RUNNERSPACE

T

wenty-four schools and 176 athletes competed in the Nike Cross Country Invitational; Redondo Union boys ranked 1st out of all the California teams. On Sept. 29th Redondo traveled to Portland, Oregon to compete among nationally highly ranked schools in America.

Redondo ranked in the top five, with the boys ranking 4th overall in the 5000-meter championship race. The girls placed 10th overall and 3rd of all the California teams.

The meet is prestigious because it is hosted by Nike, which is known as the face of high school cross country, making this experience much more special to the team, according to senior Jack Humphrey, “It means a lot, obviously when COVID hit, all our travel needs got canceled, so I didn't have that opportunity before. So having this chance to go now as a senior was a big deal to me,” senior Malia Merager said.

The team was able to travel to Portland for the first time in 2 three years, and they enjoyed being in Portland outside of the meet.

“It was cool being at the Nike H e a d quarters. It's just a cool feeling knowing you're at such an historic company. It was

2. Junior Lyla Fedio running on the 5000 meter course.

PHOTO VIA RUNNERSPACE

such an awesome experience,” Humphrey said.

With the whole varsity team in Portland, the pressure was on. However, when the gun fired, Redondo started rocky.

“It was kind of a weird race because Zerik Griffin (senior), one of our top guys, tripped at the start of the race. Unfortunately, he was past the 50-yard line, so they didn't recall it. So at the start, he was dead last in the race,” Humphrey said.

While the boys were facing the difficulties in the first few seconds, the girls also started a bit behind.

“We got out a bit slow, slower than normal. We got cut off because we got out so slow, so our teammates got disconnected,” Merager said.

Similar to the girls, the boys didn’t stay together for the whole race ethier, meaning they had to go through with

some of the race by themselves.

“That was probably my challenge, needing to push through that middle mile because that middle section of the race is the hardest part. With the middle section, you have a lot more to go and you're by yourself, but you can manage it, sometimes you just gotta be mentally strong,” junior Kyle Nguyen said.

Even though everyone slightly faded from each other in the middle, the both the girls and boys were back together by the end, “After we all separated, we did one big loop around, and we were able to groove up a little bit better around that turn, and then it takes you through another hairpin turn on the way back, and I was able to stay with one of my teammates, Kimberly Nguyen (sophomore) for that whole area throughout the whole course,” Merager said.

Merager and Kimberly Nguyen’s teamwork displays the importance of packing with your team. Kyle Nguyen on the boys team had a similar experience with his teammate.

“I was by myself for the first mile and a half. I was kind of struggling, and I felt myself fading back a little bit, and then one of my teammates, Adam Divinity (sophomore) comes behind me, and he gives me a little shove on the back, pushing me for-

ward a little bit. At that moment, I realized since my teammate is right here, I have to run hard, not for me, but for him. I have to run hard for Redondo. Running with the team makes you remember what you're running for,” Nguyen said.

Overall, through Redondo’s teamwork and motivation, both the boys and girls ranked in the top 3 among all the California teams that competed.

“Feels great, I mean, progressing with the team and being able to have results like that, because I feel like we've been trying to pack more and focus on strategy, and I think it really paid off,” Merager said.

However, Redondo’s well-executed performance was by no means just a fluke, according to Humphrey.

“We have a really strong team this year.

For the most part, all the pieces are slowly coming together and with being the number one California team I say we did well,” Humphrey said.

Redondo showed the nation what they could achieve at the Nike Invite, but, according to Humphrey, this is just the beginning.

“I wouldn't say to expect it, but it's a very high chance that we're going to do well this year and hopefully set some more records,” Humphrey said.

Girls Golf wins away game against Mira Costa but lose at home 243 to 217

by Simra Zargar

I

n their fourth league match against Mira Costa in the 2022 season, the varsity girls golf team lost 243-217 in their home game on Thursday, Sept.

22. Though the team has maintained a solid winning streak in their first few league matches, sophomore Ashlyn Fischer said their game against Mira Costa was their “toughest match yet.”

According to senior Jamie Ou, who has played on varsity her sophomore and junior years, the game had a very “competitive air” to it, especially due to the strength Costa has maintained over the previous years.

“Last year, there was a little bit of a shift when most of their seniors graduated. And all their seniors were really, really good,” Ou said. “I remember freshman year when I was on JV, we actually broke a record for the first time in over five years. Then in sophomore and junior year, we continued to beat them.”

Both girls agree that during Thursday’s game, the team brought their best to the field and played fairly well, a few mistakes resulting in two team members being disqualified from the game.

“I would say that overall, we were doing well in the beginning. That was before we had issues with the rules,” Ou said. “As the game progressed I noticed that our coach seemed to be distressed, which led to a little bit more tension during the round because of some people not knowing the rules.”

According to Ou, the week of the match was packed with several other games, in-

cluding one at San Clemente on Monday, Sept. 19 and one against Chester Washington on Tuesday.

“It’s honestly understandable why we lost because I think that some of us might have been a little bit tired from the other games,” Ou said.

“

Even though we didn’t win this time, we're definitely a lot more competitive than we have been in previous years. Now, we have a bit more of a presence in our division."

time for us to all bond as a team. I love my teammates, and it's really fun to play with all of them,” Fischer said. “I'm also looking forward to growing as a golfer before the season ends because I feel like this is usually the time when I can prove myself,” Fischer said.

In the future, both girls look forward to potentially making it to CIF. “'I remember before our match started, Coach John Burke said, ‘I have a good feeling about today,’” Ou said. “Even though we didn’t win this time, we're definitely a lot more competitive than we have been in previous years. Now, we have a bit more of a presence in our division. We’re aiming to advance to the next round of CIF this year, as none of our players were able to last year.”

2

1

JAMIE OU SENIOR The loss hasn’t been a major pushback for the team. According to Fischer, the girls have plenty of team spirit and are confident in pushing through the season with high hopes without letting any losses get in the way.

“I like the golf season because it's a great

1. Senior Sydney Lamich hits the ball with her 3-wood on a par 5. PHOTO BY SAMANTHA GROUT 2. Senior Allie D'Amato sinks the putt . PHOTO BY SAMANTHA GROUT

oct. 7, 2022 high tide

16 in-focus

behind the

O BY SASCHA iPHONE PHOT

PERDUE

Administration does their best to regulate cyberbullying; however, easy access to social media and normalization of bullying contribute to poor mental health

by Katarina (Haven) Beches

N

othing ever disappears once it’s posted on the internet.

Pictures, comments, posts— once something is in cyberspace, there’s no taking it back. In this digital age, cyberbullying has become a prominent and detrimental part of everyday life.

Senior Sam, who wishes to remain anonymous, was cyberbullied during their junior year for their gender identity and expression.

“Last year there was a series of Instagram accounts to make fun of students on campus. I was one of them. I was singled out for my gender identity and how I look. My appearance seemed unsettling or not conventional to whoever was running one of the many accounts that I was targeted on,” Sam said.

Although Sam was largely unaffected by this bullying because they had “heard worse,” they were concerned for their peers who were also targeted.

“I personally have very thick skin. It didn’t affect me,” Sam said. “I was fearing mostly for the other people that were featured on the account, people who I know don’t have as thick of skin. [I was worried] that it might actually affect them and be detrimental towards their mental health.”

Online bullying exposes the “real ugliness” of people and is even more hurtful, Sam said, because nothing can truly be deleted. The majority of cyberbullying experienced and observed by them consisted of photos taken and posted of students without consent on anonymous Instagram accounts.

“It hurt them in terms of self-esteem and how they view themselves,” Sam said. “I know a lot of people on that account that have anxiety or feel judged in their everyday lives, and [being posted] like that confirmed [existing feelings]. It basically confirms their fears, and that’s the worst.”

Regardless of what type—physical, verbal, or cyber—bullying is “traumatic,” according to Mental Health and Wellness Counselor Rachel Andrews.

“It impacts how you feel about your relationships, friendships, sense of self-worth, esteem and efficacy. It can really impact you if you don’t have a really solid sense of self established,” Andrews said.

“If people knew how much they can affect someone else, a lot of people would pull back.”

The form of cyberbullying experienced by Sam is common, according to Andrews.

cyber-

“A lot of the people [targeted by these Instagram pages] were people who were going through really big struggles in their life. And it was just horrible.

They’re like, ‘How do I even deal with this?’” Andrews said.

For many, cyberbullying at RUHS has manifested as a result of personal expression and differing political views. Upon witnessing “extreme” bullying of one of her peers for posting about being pro-Republican, senior Evelyn, who wishes to remain anonymous, does not feel “safe” expressing her opinions.

“I just remember everyone commenting really SAM mean, harsh things,” EvANONYMOUS SENIOR elyn said. “While I don’t like Trump as a person, I do agree with some of the Republican views that correlate with his campaign, and [students’] response to her post scared me. If she could be harassed like that and receive death threats, with everyone thinking that’s okay, I don’t feel comfortable sharing any of my political opinions at all. Everyone here praises ‘acceptance’ and ‘inclusiveness,’ yet the moment someone disagrees with their opinion, they send harmful messages like this.”

The administration knows cyberbullying is not “something new,” according to Assistant Principal Jeffrey Rosadini. Sam recognized that the school took action by forcing the owners of the Instagram account to take it down.

“Previous administrations have taken [cyberbullying] on just as we have. We take it as seriously as any other thing that comes across our desk,” Rosadini said. “We do our best. It’s a challenge, but we are definitely aware of cyberbullying, and we investigate every single claim that comes across our desk.”

The administration’s “main” objective when it comes to tackling cyberbullying is to identify if the individual’s academic environment is being disturbed, according to Rosadini.

“Everything is done on a case-by-case basis when it comes to discipline and suspension. Every single episode of cyberbullying or report that comes

“

across our desk we investigate fully, and punishment is meted out, if you will, based on factors,” Rosadini said. “If [someone] is being cyberbullied and does not feel comfortable coming to school and therefore is not performing to [their] greatest strengths, then again, you’re ruining the academic environment.”

Even as cyberbullying occurs at the high school level, Andrews commented that she saw it more in middle schools because in high school, students are more ready to call out such behavior.

According to Andrews, the pandemic “stunted some social growth,” and some people who “might be freshmen may be more operating on a seventh-grade social level,” so there is an increase in cyberbullying because of students’ “emotional maturity.”

Victims of bullying, whether cyber or in-person, can reach out beyond administration for support, according to Rosadini, including using Sprigeo anonymously if they feel uncomfortable talking to someone.

“You can come to administration, but the administration [members are] not the only adult[s] on campus,” Rosadini said. “If you feel more comfortable going to a teacher, go to a teacher. If you want to see one of the librarians, one of the campus security guards, or if you feel comfortable talking to one of the lunch ladies, there’s always someone on campus who is here to listen to you and help you out. If anyone is bullied, we want them to feel safe on campus.”

The resounding message from Sam is as follows: “Think before you type or put anything on the internet because you truly don’t know the consequences. Things can go very far.”

On the internet, it’s even more hurtful because nothing can truly be deleted. It exposes the real ugliness of people."

STATS

ILLUSTRATION BY LOLA DIEHL

WHAT TO DO ABOUT

cyberbullying

“

Every single episode of cyberbullying or report that comes across our desk we investigate fully."

62 percent

Jeffrey Rosadini Assistant principal

of students feel administration has "the right amount" of regulation over cyberbullying ACCORDING TO A SURVEY OF 81 STUDENTS ACROSS ALL GRADE LEVELS

PHONE CUT-OUT VIA FREEPIK

ONE in

twenty ACCORDING TO A SURVEY OF 81 STUDENTS ACROSS ALL GRADE LEVELS

students report experiencing cyberbullying

• report and block the social media account • tell an adult either at home or school • report to sprigeo • Reach out for support

CURSOR CUTOUTS VIA FREEPIK, iPHONE PHOTOS BY SASCHA PERDUE