Issue 5, 2026

ht

January 29, 2026 Vol. CLVI Edition 5 Redondo Union High School Redondo Beach, CA

high tide

Peer pressure, social media and fear of missing out lead to the abundance of substance abuse, prevelant in teenage party culture

3 news Kelly and Chloe Lewis took students on an educational service trip to Thailand

ILLUSTRATION BY CLAUDIA TURNER

4 features Gabby Nicholas traveled to Southeast Asia over winter break, immersing herself in new cultures and experiences

10 opinion Blackpill content promotes degeneracy

www.ruhsmedia.com

@ruhsmedia

news Class officer comedy ASB leaders put their wit to the test in an improv battle against the Comedy Sportz team

M

by Brooklyn Hesse any members of Comedy Sportz (CSZ) describe it as a source of community for those without, a place to make friends and find their interests, and most of all, a place to have fun and act a fool without judgment.

On Jan. 9, the Comedy Sportz team held a match involving the Associative Student Body (ASB). There, they played improvisation (improv) games and taught the games to the ASB members, who, according to senior CSZ Secretary Meredith Bacher, had not done improv or anything theatre-related before the event. ASB President Ian Son performed in the match.

“It was definitely interesting, to say the least, because I

1.

didn't really know what I was getting myself into,” Son said. “However, I thought the games were extremely creative, and I believe that having a little time to rehearse and think through the games definitely helped me feel more confident going into the actual show.”

In anticipation of the event, the various members of ASB temporarily joining the team were taught a myriad of games, including skit-related games such as HalfLife, Genre Replay, New Choice, Four Square and Stunt Doubles, along with more individual games such as Expert Challenge and Radio. Bacher shared some details about its inner workings.

“Comedy Sportz is a competitive improv club where we get together and learn super fun improv games. At the matches, we get to play those games to earn points and compete against other schools or other groups on campus or ourselves,” Bacher said. “It can be very vulnerable doing something like this in front of a big crowd, so having a lot of respect for each other, a lot of trust in each other to be kind and welcoming and judgment-free is very

important.”

There were two different teams playing throughout the show, a red team and a blue team, both having their own scorekeepers.

ASB members were scattered throughout the teams, with Comedy Sportz members to guide them through the games. According to Bacher, the ASB match is always interesting to watch as a member of Comedy Sportz.

“It's a lot of fun because obviously they hadn't gone to the Comedy Sportz rehearsals like the Comedy Sportz players had. I think allowing ourselves to kind of let go of the main rules of Comedy Sportz for one night and letting them work it out on their own was a lot of fun,” Bacher said. “It was a lot of fun seeing them figure out the basics of acting, like cheating out and projecting, and I think that it’s really cool to see them trying something new and the Comedy Sportz players helping them figure it out along the way too.”

According to Son, this was a new experience for the ASB members and brought people who had never seen a Comedy Sportz match to see one. Son found the experience to be particularly engaging, as someone with no previous theatre-related experience.

“It was definitely an environment I wasn't used to, so having the opportunity to kind of embarrass myself, get out there and try new things was definitely a good experience for me,” Son said. “It definitely helped with going into this new year and being able to stay authentic to myself and not really caring about what others think.”

Sophomore Leah Barberic acted as Andrina in a mainstage production of “The Little Mermaid” at the Redondo Beach Preforming Arts Center

by Stella Sato

T

he audience roars as the cast of Encore South Bay’s production of The Little Mermaid takes one final bow. The curtains at Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center close, and the actors’ somewhat calm demeanor cracks.

After four months of rehearsals on every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, they had performed under the sea for the last time.

2.

Sophomore Leah Barberic described how, when the curtain closed, the spirits of the actors shifted, and she had felt “so sad” because [she] got a flashback of every single show that [they had] done. In the show, Barberic had acted as Andrina, one of Ariel’s “mersisters.”

On the other side of the stage, in the orchestra pit, Michael Walker, the vocal director of the show, was not spared the sadness of the show’s conclusion.

“I would have loved to have run two or three more weeks.

But that's how I feel when most of the shows that I'm on close.

It's either so amazing that you wish it would go on, or it's kind of so terrible you wish it would close on opening night. But this one, I would have loved to have ran this thing for a few more performances,” Walker said.

The registration fee to audition with a guaranteed role was $800, and $450 more if a parent of a participant auditioned.

“I got to see how everything was put to-

gether from the start to finish, and it was so fun; every single process to get to where we ended.” Barberic said, “Everyone got along so amazingly, and all these four months of rehearsals were so fun, so many friends were made, and everyone was just an absolute perfection of a cast.”

Although gaining friendship is great

outside of theatre as well, it isn’t the same in community theatre as it is outside of it.

Right in the name, they had formed a community.

“There were some people that did their first show with [Encore] this time around, and they wound up with friends that they didn't have before. Another thing I saw that is really dear to my heart is that I saw

a lot of parents and children doing a show together, doing the show as a family, and that's really cool,” Barberic said.

In total, they had performed four times, three for the public and one for a field trip.

On the Encore South Bay website, schools could sign up and pay to bring a group of students, most likely the school’s theatre class, on a field trip to watch the performance on Jan. 9, during the school day.

Students acting in the show skipped school that day for this opportunity. Speaking of opportunities, let's go back to the financial situation. Encore also offers scholarships to certain students.

“I teach in one school where families don't just have the kind of money that it takes to do a show like this,” Walker said.

“So I got to not only have a lot of fun with the show, but I got to watch my students grow and blossom and realize that they had talents that they didn't know that they had.”

high tide

staff

2

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

digital director Valentina Masoni news editors Leyla Evenson Carly Jacecko features editors Aashka Bhuptani Sanaya Bhatt opinion editors Payton Rothluebbers Jayla Dorbor entertainment editors Fi Borgese Emery Min sports editors Sophie Rebbeck Sam Schwartz writing & copy editors Emery Min Deeksha Prasad Samantha Kim online editors Hayden McMahon Isabella Nguyen Kayli Mai Kate Lanzdorf Allison Sutton Francisco Villegas Marlena Lipan Kate Brucia Kaitlyn Chang adviser Kerri Eastham staff writers Violette Alshin Declan Williams Coco Yamane Willamena Hodson Amelie Kircher Ryan Chamides Martina ParraMalandrino Mahro Siddiqi Reya Conte Landen Gould Madelyn Bain Brooklyn Hesse Katelyn Min Adelyne Cai Stella Sato Gala DeSanto

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

photographers Robert Packard Grace Tayag Kevin Phung Finn Williams Amanda Harrison Lorelai Land Ignacio Perez Martina Parra-Malandrino illustrators Claudia Turner 1. Junior ASB member Abigail Hairrell tells jokes during the Comedy Sportz match.

PHOTOS BY BRYCE WALLACE-BREWSTER 2. Sophomore Leah Barberic (middle) sings and dances during a scene in "The Little Mermaid."

PHOTO COURTESY OF JENNY PURANEN PHOTOGRAPHY

news 3

high tide jan. 29, 2026

Traveling to Thailand Kelly and Chloe Lewis took students on an educational service trip

by Katelyn Min

S

himmers of light reflect upon the waves as dozens of lanterns are released into the air, among the fireworks that shatter into glowing shards up above. Kelly Lewis and 25 students witness this spectacle,part of a New Year's Even celebration in Thailand. Lewis organized the trip himself, as a trip leader for Education First Educational Tours, a company that organizes educational tours for students.

“Thailand's been on my bucket list forever. I love Thai food, and I love elephants.

It just looks beautiful, so I planned a student trip there,” Lewis said.

Lewis and his students spent the first part of their trip in the capital, Bangkok.

They visited Buddhist temples and malls consisting of nine floors and over a thousand stores.

“It was more interesting than I expected it to be. I’m not usually a city guy, but the cities here were just unbelievable. So vibrant, colorful and easy to get around. I wish we had more time. There was something about the big cities,” Lewis said.

They spent the rest of their time in Krabi, located about 486 miles from Bangkok in Southern Thailand, bordering the Andaman Sea where they volunteered with

“

2

By taking students out of the classroom, we get to explore different ecosystems and truly immerse in this new type of learning.

KELLY LEWIS Biology Teacher

a coastal conservation organization called NatureMind-ED. The program taught them about the mangroves that had been damaged and how they could be helped by reforestation. The group also went kayaking with a local tour guide, during which they meditated and were allowed to swim.

Ember Quigley, one of the students who attended the trip, mentioned that it was their favorite part.

1

“It was really fun because we went kayaking in a healthy mangrove. While on the kayaks we saw a lot of monkeys, and one monkey actually came onto a couple of the kayaks and sat in someone's lap. It was so cute,” Quigley said.

In addition to volunteering at the mangroves, Lewis also organized for the group to help at an elephant sanctuary. They aided in caring for them by making food, especially for one of the elephants, Hibiscus, who needed a specialized diet, due to only having four teeth.

“We made seed balls that we would slingshot into the sanctuary, and then elephants would eat them. We also made food balls for Hibiscus with bananas and other soft foods. On the first day there was a baby and mom elephant, and the mom elephant ended up charging at us,” Quigley said.

“What I took away was the nature aspect and also learning more about the culture.”

Despite being “frightened” by the elephants, Quigley said she thoroughly enjoyed the trip. She roomed with three other students and feels she was able to form better connections with them. She also spent

more time with Lewis and the other chaperones.

“Mr. and Mrs. Lewis were so fun. It was a completely different setting, so they'd act differently than they would in the classroom. We were also all engaged with each other, so we were all making jokes and just having a fun time,” Quigley said.

This was Lewis’ 10th year planning a student trip, the first one in 2016. He plans to continue with the tradition, after seeing the value in connecting with students outside the classroom.

“I think, as teachers, we're limited in terms of how much we can bring into the classroom. Being a science teacher, I always thought it'd be fun if I could bring more animals into the class, or different things,” Lewis said.

“By taking students out of the classroom, we get to explore different ecosystems and truly immerse in this new type of learning.”

1. Students do sunrise yoga on the beach in Krabi 2. [Left to right] Addison Hawkins, Eli Henry, Myra Borgic, Daniella Gross, Siena Barg, and Daelen Purohit release latern PHOTOS BY DEVIN REDMOND

Around Redondo Students discuss how peer pressure affects their lives

by Addy Cai

“Personally, it hasn’t affected me in a significant way, at least, but I definitely notice it with other people. Just the way people like to dress and stuff, like if a certain trend goes by, and people will think one way and others won’t."

-William Lapen, freshman

“I think FOMO [fear of missing out] plays a big part in party culture. My friends and I all have really busy lives, and sometimes it's hard to prioritize yourself and your health over going to another event or going to something else. So it definitely affects my friends and me on a daily basis."

-Mia Esposito, sophomore

“I've seen how in party settings, people are usually trying to fit the vibes in the party and are not necessarily doing things for themselves, which causes them to dive into substances or drinking."

-Kenji Lim, junior

“I wouldn’t say that peer pressure really affects me or people around me because I like to just worry about myself, and I guess I don't want to be influenced by other people's behaviors if they do something I might not want to be involved in."

-Chloe Choy, senior

PHOTOS BY ROBERT PACKARD

4

features Student support system

Peer tutors at the Wellness Center offer support to students during the school day

A

by Violette Alshin

Senior Monique Nantz, Kellerman’s warm cup of hot chocolate, a soft fellow peer tutor, has also been a Wellcouch and time to blow off steam, ness Center regular for the entirety of high senior Siena Kellerman is getting school. She values the space as a place to ready to spend her second period relaxing: relax when students need it, and does not that is until someone walks through the take the gift of a Wellness Center for grantdoor, and bursts into tears. This is a fair- ed. ly common experience for Kellerman as a “I really like being a peer counselor Wellness Center peer tutor, and she is al- because I’m so in the space. When you’re ways ready to help a student you’re only her fellow Sea Hawks here a minimum numthrough a tough time. ber of hours because “I help out stuwe don’t want people in dents that are here all the time slackstressed or have any To anyone thinking ing or teachers to think problems. They just about coming to the that's what we do here come to the wellness because it's not,” Nantz center and we talk, or wellness center, I'd said. “It’s not a hangif they don’t want to say don't be scared. out period. People can talk, we just let them be here when they need be,” Kellerman said. This is a safe space it and then once they’re “They’ll come in cryfor you to just be here stable enough and we ing and sad, and then give them tools, we send they’ll walk out happy and calm yourself them back to class.” and joyful. It makes Kellerman has lots down.

We have veryme feel good that I’ve of practice with distancmade such an impact, thing you need. ing herself from other’s and I feel that being emotional baggage, althere for them is so lowing her to be more MONIQUE NANTZ important.” available for people and As someone who SENIOR always be the friend peohas been coming to the ple turn to in their times Wellness Center since her freshman year, of need.

Kellerman is very familiar with the space, so “[My friends] would come to me and I when her mother asked if she was interested would just listen to them, I wasn’t the type in tutoring, she jumped at the opportunity to give advice, I would just honestly listen to help others in the way she was helped. because that's what they needed,” Keller“Being [in the Wellness Center] as a stuman said. “I think that listening is the best dent, I would come during lunch not feeling thing you can do. Even if you can’t give adwell, hang out there. Decompressing from vice I think hearing someone out and what school or family really helped me,” Kellerthey have to say is so important to make man said. “[Being a peer tutor] definitely someone feel better.” made me more empathetic and also my lisGrowing up in this environment, Kellertening skills have gotten better.” man realised that people may have things

1

“

going on that aren’t very obvious, which changed her perspective on snap judgements of those around her. “[People should] be more empathetic and not judge people first, and hear them out and listen to them because they might have problems that you don’t even know about. Some of the people who came in, I didn’t even know they were having problems. It's just a different perspective when you’re in there,” Kellerman said.

Kellerman works with many other peer tutors, including Nantz, in order to give support to students at any time of the day and provide for their peers.

“High school is stressful, so anytime I felt like I couldn’t handle being in class I came here. To anyone thinking about coming to the wellness center I’d say don’t be scared. This is a safe place for you to just be here and calm yourself down. We have everything you need. It feels so welcoming and it feels like a home in school,” Nantz said.

Nantz and Kellerman both agree on

the community that the Wellness Center builds. From meeting new people to the fellow peer counselors at the start of the year, it builds support for both the students and each other.

“Everyone in the Wellness Center knows each other, it's like a family,” Kellerman said. “It's very welcoming, inviting, it's super cool. It is usually the same people coming in so everyone knows each other’s names,” According to Nantz, the peer counselors in the Wellness Center are “so ready to make a friend” and help to build the supportive community that everyone hopes to be part of.

“Being in that group with the rest of the counselors, you don’t have to put yourself out there, because you’re already there,” Nantz said. “You’re already part of a group just by showing up and that's so nice.”

1. The wellness center PHOTO BY MARTINA PARRA MALANDRINO

Gabby Nicholas immersed herself in new cultures and experiences in Southeast Asia over winter break

O

by Ryan Chamides ne week, senior Gabby Nicholas was trekking through 90 degree humidity in the jungles of Cambodia; the next, she was shivering in 60 degree Hanoi air, warmed only by a three-minute bowl of street-side phở. This whirlwind journey that took Nicholas to Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam during winter break, allowed her to see a corner of the world she had dreamed of visiting. Accompanied by her father, the trip was a rigorous, yet fulfilling trip that was defined by beautiful views, long days and deep history. “[We would have] twelve hour tour days where we would do maybe a two hour drive out the city, and then we'd start at a temple, or a sanctuary, and we'd probably spend an hour [there], and then we'd go to the next temple, or the next attraction,” Nicholas said. “[From there,] we'd have two to three

hour hikes or bike rides and usually go to night markets, once we drove back to the hotel.”

Nicholas views each trip as an opportunity to engage more deeply with the world around her. In doing so, animals and their habitats often become the most memorable moments of her travels.

“We did a hike in Chiang Mai at Doi Inthanon, which is the highest point in Thailand, and we saw elephants and cows and water buffaloes. A lot of the stuff that had to do with [seeing] animals, I really liked,” Nicholas said.

A long-time traveler, Nicholas has always appreciated the trips she has taken, many of which have continued to inspire her love for traveling.

“During winter break sophomore year, I went to Europe with my dad. We went to Amsterdam, Poland, Italy and 2 Hungary. It was a very similar trip because of how it was split up,” Nicholas said.

“Also, when I was younger, we used to do a lot of camping.”

Southeast Asia was a new region for Nicholas, filled with moments she had never encountered before.

The sights, sounds, foods and her immersion in local customs allowed her to enjoy “a lot of [new] cultural experiences”.

“In Hanoi, we went to this [phở] place, it wasn't very fancy [or popular], but it was the first time I had phở in Vietnam. And I think that it was probably the best food I've ever had,” Nicholas said.

Nicholas’ father, Mark Nicholas, has spent years traveling the world as a travel photographer. Drawing on his lifetime of experiences, he notes the importance of careful planning rather than booking the standard tourist routes.

“I think it's easy to buy into turnkey solutions. It's easy to hop on a cruise or buy a pre-packaged tour, which is a lot of what these tour operators offer,” Mark Nicholas said. “I think there's more value if you sit down and spend a little bit of time just figuring out what are the things that you really want to see to really build yourself the perfect trip.”

Because they wanted to experience Southeast Asia differently than the typical tourist, Nicholas and her father encountered many moments that surprised them regarding the intensity of daily life in these countries.

“On New Year's Eve, I've never seen so many people and vehicles trying to jam streets like we saw in Hanoi. Even crossing the street in Hanoi felt like your life was in someone else's hands,” Mark Nicholas said.

In the future, Nicholas hopes to continue traveling and immersing herself in other cultures, including her own. As an Indonesian, she hopes to see her home

1

country to better understand her roots and heritage.

“I would like to [take] a trip to Indonesia, where I'm not bouncing from country to country,” Nicholas said. “I think to actually go to where I’m from, I would want more time there to experience the culture.”

1. A temple Nicholas saw on her trip 2. Ruins Nicholas saw on her trip PHOTOS COURTESY OF GABBY NICHOLAS

high tide jan 29, 2026

Juniors Athena Saadozi and Ethan Dao run Red Cross Club on campus

by Gala Gierman

A

ccidents and serious events don’t discriminate against who they impact. When people end up in a life threatening situation, they’re typically unaware of what steps they need to take for their own safety. For this reason, people overlook simple safety procedures and things that could keep them and others around them safe. That’s where juniors Athena Saadzoi and Ethan Doan come in. As president and vice president of the Red Cross Club on campus, they advocate for the wellbeing and safety of our community.

“Our goal as the Red Cross Club is to help people and our community, and that's what we try to encourage our members to [...] step out of their comfort zone, whether that be through volunteering through the veteran’s wish list drive, refugee wish list drive, or helping install fire alarms,” Saadzoi said. “We want to make them part of the community.”

Every month, the club highlights a different topic to raise awareness. This month’s topic is National Blood Donor Month, where Doan and Saadzoi illustrate the importance of donating blood and why people need it. They also cover the prerequisites needed to become a blood donor and offer volunteer opportunities within the Red Cross for students to donate their own blood.

“We tried to promote the donation of blood because lots of people don’t donate in winter months like January since it’s so cold,” said Saadzoi. “It’s important that patients have access to blood during the winter [especially] when there’s low donations.”

Students in the club are also made aware of other important topics, which teach them how to stay safe and properly handle dangerous situations, such as unprompted fires.

“In November, we talked about Home Fire safety, especially near the holidays when people are mostly staying home and putting up decorations, like their Christmas tree,” said Saadzoi. “You want to make sure that [people] are able to stay safe and avoid a home fire.”

The club also offers a variety of volunteer opportunities for members, such as blood drives.

“For me, personally, the Red Cross Club is the club I have the most volunteer hours in, and I have a lot of fun [taking part in it],” said Doan. I’m the training service manager for Red Cross, [and my job is to] help other schools manage CPR events and teach their club presidents about CPR.” This year, both Saadzoi and Doan hope that they can arrange a hands-on CPR certification event similar to the last one in 2024. At the meeting, students in the club will earn their CPR certification.

“We're thinking of having Captain Mahoney, a firefighter in North Redondo, come in and speak to our club about the importance of hands-on CPR and what he does as an emergency responder,” said Saadzoi. “Firefighters have a really important role in our society, so I want him to talk to our members about what he does, and the importance of his job.”

The two share their appreciation for the Red Cross and all of the medical safety they’ve learned. Running the club alongside each other has not only broadened their horizons into the medical world but also improved the way they communicate with others and take on leadership roles.

“A lot of people [press] too hard or too fast when [performing CPR], so if they don't know how [to properly perform CPR] they could end up killing someone,” said Doan. “You never know when you'll need [to use] lifesaving techniques like [CPR]. Having self-reliance and the ability to help others is very important, so we teach it to as many people as possible.”

features 5

RECLAIMING THE REINS Sophomore Kya Stein works as an equestrain at Smoke Tree Stables in Palm Springs

by Reya Conte

1

F

rom being carried around the stables as a baby to riding the horses as a child, and then volunteering to help with trail rides as she got older, sophomore Kya Stein has been on a long journey to get where she is now.

Even though she only started working at Smoke Tree Stables last December, Stein has many years under her belt, having gone to the stable before she could walk, let alone ride.

“My mom's been going there since I was 9 months, [the stables] would rent her a horse that she could bring me around with.

She would walk around the stables with me and my brother. When I finally got old enough, I started doing trail rides and every time we'd go up there, I would do one.

And then, once I was old enough I started volunteering, and now I'm 16 and working,” Stein said Cheryl Stein, Kya Stein’s mom, has surrounded herself with animals through her life, starting a dog walking business and volunteering at animal rescues in addition to spending time at Smoke Tree Stables.

Overall, she’s “a big animal lover,” Stein said, and always tries to expose Kya and her brother Watson Stein to many differ-

ent kinds of animals. Even while traveling to Seattle recently for a family trip, Cheryl Stein continued her mission to show her kids to care for all animals. “[My mom] always wanted to take us to see the orcas [in Seattle], to show what they are. Especially for animals in the wilderness, she wants to give me a perspective on animals, like how to treat them correctly and how to properly appreciate them,” Stein said.

Junior Watson Stein also attributes his care for animals to his mom, and even though he doesn’t work at the stables with his sister, he gets to see her on the job.

“She really likes to work at the stables.

She’s liked to ride horses so much since she was little. The way she is around the animals, she's very gentle and kind and when she got the opportunity to first volunteer and then work at the stables, she was thrilled. She’s worked so many hours every day, every time we're there," Watson Stein said.

Having practically grown up at the stables, and since befriending the family that owns the stables, the opportunity arose for Stein to learn about the business through volunteering, and eventually working there. It helps that she can work on a special schedule to compensate for how far away she lives, allowing her to work at the stables whenever she is in town.

“While volunteering [at the stables], I would do the same thing as working. I just wasn't old enough to work. It was an excuse for me to be around horses and get out of the house to pursue something that I love,” Stein said.

Stein’s day starts with heading to the stables early to get the horses ready for their first rides of the day. Helping the horses and humans, she shifts from tacking up the horses with their saddles to helping people who come for the trail rides get their helmets and saddle bags, then bringing the horses and the people to the beautiful canyons to ride, repeating this 3-4 times a day..

“She is so dedicated,” Wat2 son Stein said, “she works so

many hours every day, every time we're there. And she's always happy to give a helping hand to the people at the stables that she works with.”

Through all the hard work, Stein has managed to earn a relationship with an unlikely friend at the stables.

“Recently, I've fallen in love with this one horse. Her name is Dolly, and typically mares, which are female horses, since it's a matriarchal system, tend to be very bossy, but I don't think she even knows that she's a mare, because she is so cute. I spent a big chunk of winter break just snuggling up with her, especially in the morning when it's really cold. Definitely one of my favorite things is seeing her,” Stein said.

Working and volunteering helped her not only connect with Dolly, but more importantly deepen her bond with her mother.

“Me and my mom are best friends, which I don't feel is typical for high school students, but here we are. I love hanging out with my mom. I think we share a lot of similarities, and through our love for animals, we have been able to grow closer,” Stein said, “I'm so glad that my mom took me [to the stables] all those years ago and got it in my system. She definitely has passed on her love for all animals. My mom is a carer for animals, and I've definitely picked that up.

I love them so much.”

After working at Smoke Tree Stables and from what her mom has taught her, Stein has gained so much knowledge from her many experiences around animals.

“I've learned a lot of how to be around animals: how to approach them, how to be calm and collected around them, to create an environment where they're comfortable and you're also comfortable,” Stein said.

“I’m a big animal person, too, so I'd love to own horses, cats, dogs, all the above at some point in my life, and I think that [working at the stables] will definitely help me get there.”

1. Stein and her mom, Cheryl Stein, posing on their respective horses at the stables PHOTO COURTESY OF STEIN 2. Stein riding on a horse at one of the trails at Smoke Tree Stables PHOTO COURTESY OF STEIN

features

Culinary creativity

6

Seniors Sofia Hernandez and Kaylee Blas serve those in need by creating recipes from donated goods, prioritizing nutrition and flavor

by Safi Hamilton-Torres

A

single bag of white rice and a stack of tin cans do not usually inspire “gourmet” thoughts. In most shelters, these food items are staples of survival, yet they are often not utilized to their full potential due to a lack of educational awareness surrounding nutrition or a lack of resources, such as stoves and ovens.

Seniors Sofia Hernandez and Kaylee Blas are the president and vice president, respectively, of the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) culinary club at our school. They are not just donating food; however, they are also donating agency by utilizing the national FCCLA curriculum to bridge the gap between classroom skills and the “real world” needs of society. By redesigning traditional recipes and adapting them to work in a microwave or on a single burner, meals are elevated from a “shelf-stable donation” to a "nutritious family meal.”

Hernandez and Blas’ shift in strategy was not by accident; it was intentional and personalized. To understand how to actually help people in need, Hernandez and Blas went straight to the source.

"We created a survey and emailed that survey to various food banks, [asking the question] ‘What are their specific needs?’"

Hernandez said. "We saw a common trend where families are given these food supplies, but they don't know what to do with them. They don't know how to cook them, or they don't have the resources to cook them."

Christina Martin, culinary teacher and

FCCLA partner, watched her students move beyond standard classroom techniques to solve this specific dilemma. From a professional standpoint, the challenge was not just making the food taste good; it was making it work for everyone.

"I think the best part is that they made the recipes flexible for different types of home environments where certain cooking conditions may or may not be available," Martin said. "People can make substitutions based on what they have."

For Blas, implementing that flexibility meant looking at the most basic pantry staples through a creative lens. She realized that while a bag of rice is a common shelf-stable necessity, it can often feel like a “boring” dead end for a family in a shelter.

“We use rice in almost every single one of our recipes,” Blas said. ”We have basic rice that we turn into dishes families can make, such as a pineapple fried rice, or something that tastes better."

Beyond just adding flavor, the project aims to dismantle the idea that “shelter food” has to be unhealthy. Hernandez notes that for many families in crisis, the most accessible option is often the least beneficial for their long-term health.

"Statistically, [in] America, the most convenient food is fast food," Hernandez said. "However, it's not nutritious, and, if anything, it's just contributing to obesity in America. By having these recipes, we're making foods healthy, but we're also making them interesting and fun."

To ensure these meals met high nutrition standards, the duo drew from their

previous FCCLA competition experience in sports nutrition. They made sure to incorporate well-rounded, accessible, shelf-stable canned proteins and vegetables to create meals that are as functional as they are flavorful.

“We do try to implement healthy ingredients, so it's just not fried stuff or soup every single time," Blas said. "We make sure it's a balanced meal."

Hernandez and Blas faced a challenge in overcoming student apathy.

They realized that while the need was great, getting other students to notice posters in crowded hallways was its own technical challenge.

"Students don't really look at the posters," Blas said.

"So what Sofia and I did was that we posted on our Instagrams.”

Martin believes that the foundation laid this year will change the legacy of the FCCLA at our school for years to come.

"Kaylee and Sofia have just taken it to

a different level and went above and beyond," Martin said. "Their project is unique and will set a pattern for future ways we give, connecting service to the actual needs of society instead of just giving what they thought people wanted."

Blas shopping for ingredients COURTESTY OF KAYLEE BLAS

Senior Matisse Gleason goes to Black House MMA and intends to become a Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter in the future

by Sophie Farias

W

restling, kickboxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and mixed martial arts (MMA) take place under one roof at the Black House MMA gym where pro fighters and everyday people alike come to practice and learn.

The gym offers many different classes to teach each sport at different levels, from beginner to pro classes. The reasons people go there vary heavily: some want to take the class as a hobby, sport, career or self-defense.

Matisse Gleason practicing his skills PHOTO BY ROBERT PACKARD

Although there are many options available, the structure of most of the sessions stays consistent throughout, starting with an intense warm-up, then tapering off into learning a few new techniques and then putting them into practice to apply the newfound knowledge.

Senior Matisse Gleason has been going to Black House MMA consistently ever since his junior year, with the goal of becoming a UFC fighter in the future, willing to see how far it will take him and believing the teachings of Black House MMA is a vital step in his pathway.

"There's a really high-level coaching there, and they really know how to build great fighters. That's what they've been doing forever,” Gleason said.

Over the years, Black House MMA has cranked out more than 50 athletes into the UFC, including Anderson Silva, Lyoto Machida, The Nogueira Brothers, Antônio Rodrigo and Antônio Rogério and various others.. With physical proof, the Black House is the place to learn fighting skills and gain a “ life-changing experience.”

Though the thought of training at a gym where professionals train as well may seem scary or intimidating to some people, the owner and a Jiu-Jitsu instructor at the Black House MMA gym in Gardena, Ilan Xanthakis, assures otherwise.

“I like to run the gym with discipline, but I also like to crack jokes. I think it's a really welcoming place where a first timer can go and feel comfortable while being in a challenging environment,” Xanthakis said.

The gym is not only a place where people are comfortable but a “family environment” where

strong bonds and uplifting relationships form between trainees and trainers alike.

To inspire to keep showing up and keep going. While building community, the gym also builds a sense of self and independence in day-to-day life.

‘It’s done tremendous things for my physical and mental health, 100%, and even for my confidence, too. Learning good self-defense techniques can do wonders for a person's self-confidence, just walking around, knowing that you can protect yourself a little bit,” Gleason said.

The gym has also given Xanthakis opportunities to be able to learn how to use your mind in a different sense, which is usually not the first thing people think of when speaking about a sport.

“I think I'm smarter because of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Every time you're doing Jiu-Jitsu, you're solving problems. Your opponent brings you problems every minute, and to [solve it] you use your mind a lot. I say that Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is human chess,” Xanthakis said.

In the future, Xanthakis hopes more people will join Black House MMA and realize the many ways it can positively contribute to their lives. “[Learning Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu], I became the superhero that I used to see [in] the movies when I was a kid. I always wanted to have that self-confidence and strength: the abilities that I have today because of practicing Jiu-Jitsu,” Xanthakis said. “Now that I'm a teacher, I [am] able to see the same transformation in many lives.

I think Jiu-Jitsu impacted my life a lot, and transformed me into someone a lot better.”

8 in focus

jan. 29, 2026 high tide

THE NIGHT EVERY

The normalization of teenage alcohol and drug use can result in irresponsible and unsafe outcomes.

by Aashka Bhuptani

T

he same students who can by these stories of college students recite the legal drinking and teenagers needing alcohol as age, who know the symp- a catalyst for fun at parties, set toms of alcohol poisoning, who’ve their minds to the idea that they’ll been warned about drugs since be drinking in high school before middle school, still find themselves they’re even in high school. at parties. They’ve sat through “As you get older, it’s harder to countless assemblies where re- have a good time without alcohol. covering addicts shared their sto- We see our parents and older sibries, and they’ve watched videos lings drinking and having fun, so of teenagers on social media who it’s easy to think that alcohol is just were admitted to the hospital for a way to have fun and nothing serioverdosing. They know that alcohol ous. The next thing you know, you poisoning is a real condition that want to enjoy it the way that they affects many people. But knowing enjoy it,” De La Torre said. something in the safety of a classThe environment that you surroom is different from applying it at round yourself in strongly influa house party ences the where everychoices you one around make.

If you seems fine, you grow where saying You have to have that up in a culno feels hard- strength of character and ture that er than saying sees alcodiscipline to say no and walk yes.

Knowlhol and edge, as it turns away, despite what other drug use as out, doesn’t al- want you to do. something ways translate normal, or DOCTOR LOUIS M. to action. even exPROFETA According to EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN AT ST. VINpected, it senior Lucas CENT HOSPITAL OF becomes De La Torre, INDIANAPOLIS harder to part of the disrecognize connect comes your limits. from the enviFor many ronment that teenagers, teens grow up in. Movies, music, that influence is most visible in sosocial media and careless com- cial settings, where fitting in can ments from adults normalize teen- feel more important than personal age drinking as something that boundaries. every teenager does rather than a “There will automatically be the genuine, dangerous risk. pressure of seeing your friends “It's definitely viewed more nor- drinking at parties and getting mally around [California]. There’s under the influence. Especially if always gonna be the minority who they're having fun every night and sees drinking as a bigger deal, es- you have to keep telling yourself pecially with it being illegal,” De La that you’re not going to do it. EvenTorre said, “But the way it’s shown tually, you might be more lenient in media, and the stories you hear and tell yourself that you’re only about partying being portrayed as going to drink a little bit. And from something that is canon to high there, it spirals.” De La Torre said. school, a lot of people want to fit Doctor Louis M. Profeta works into those norms.” as an Emergency Physician at St. Drinking and partying in high Vincent Hospital of Indianapolis. school is inevitable for many peo- While working in emergency mediple. Many kids, who are surrounded cine, he has seen the consequences

“

that excessive alcohol and drug use can have on teenagers and young people. He believes that while many teenagers use peer pressure to defend their actions, it’s something that can be controlled.

“We hold way too many people accountable for being a source of peer pressure, and not enough of that mirror is turned inward on ourselves. You have to have that strength of character and discipline to say no and to walk away, despite what others want you to do,” Profeta said.

While Profeta emphasizes that there’s an individual responsibility in resisting peer pressure, De La Torre explains that it’s easier to get pressured into drinking when you don’t know the consequences of it. These choices around drinking are often underlined by misinformation and social expectations surrounding alcohol that teenagers struggle to navigate.

“People definitely aren’t aware of alcohol poisoning [and the medical effects of alcohol] as they should be. There’s another side to it, especially more common with guys, where they have this macho idea that the more you drink, the more fun you are, and the more fun you’re going to have,” De La Torre said.

Alcohol and drug use can be normalized through societal expectations, including media portrayals. Celebrity culture further distorts young people’s understanding of substance use and its risks, especially with the glamorization of substance use.

“The stories of overdose with celebrities like Michael Jackson, Amy Winehouse, or Matthew Perry are inevitable, not accidental. When they read about famous actors and entertainers, young people get preconditioned

that there's some safe way to pop a pill. There isn't. Because one little line of cocaine that is laced with fentanyl will kill you. There is no safe way to do drugs. And it's why we have over 100,000 deaths a year from drug-relat4,000 d ed issues in America,” Profeta said. occur p While celebrity due to un overdoses and rising drink death rates reveal the accordin scale of the alcohol and CD drug crisis, Profeta says that the most meaningful consequences of substance use are personal, reshaping how people understand love, responsibility, and the impact of their choices.

“Your entire dynamic and how you understand love is completely different once you have a child,” Profeta said, “If young people had any clue what that kind of love really looked like, they wouldn't be engaged in some of the behaviors that they are because they would understand the ramifications that they leave in their wake.”

TEXT MESSAGES COURTESY OF AVA ANZIVINO

in focus 9

high tide jan. 29, 2026

YONE TALKS ABOUT

The pressures of social media and fear of missing out influences students' desire to party.

T

he term “FOMO,” or fear of missing out, was coined by author and marketing strategist Patrick J. McGinnis in 2004 and is used to describe the anxiety of not being around when a fun social event ocdeaths curs. A survey conducted by the Child Welfare per year League Foundation renderage ported that 86.9% of king, young people have exng to the perienced FOMO. DC. There are many factors that contribute to FOMO, with one of them being social media. Anonymous junior Ava has noticed that posts online almost glamorize parties, making many who did not come jealous of the fun they are missing out on.

“When you’re on social media, you see people only post when they’re having fun. It makes that feel like everyone’s doing something, even though it’s not always the case,” Ava said. “I feel like Instagram makes parties feel bigger than they actually are. People only

CUPS AND PING PONG BALL VIA FREEPIK

by Isabella Nguyen

see the highlights, so it probably looks a lot [more] fun on Instagram than it actually is.”

While the internet may blanket peer pressure as someone directly forcing another to do something against their will, most teens, such as Ava, feel indirectly pressured to go to parties by invisible social expectations.

“Partying has impacted me because it’s that internal conflict where it’s like if I go, will I even have fun? But all my friends are going, so that makes me want to go,” Ava said. “I know peer pressure normally has a negative connotation, and I’ve never had an experience where my friend has actually pressured me to do something that was bad or something I didn’t want to do, but I have had friends that are like, ‘You should come to this party. We’re all going.’”

The same can be said of illegal substances. For most people, the pressure does not come from an external force pushing someone to take the substance, but rather from a feeling of being left out and the desire to be like everyone else.

“If everyone around me is drunk, I feel lonely in the sense that I’m the only one who’s in my right mind. I have no one to talk to that could actually have a good conversation with [...] It’s not because I feel like I can’t have fun when I’m not drunk, but it’s really hard to have fun when you’re sober, and everyone around you is drunk. Definitely for me it’s harder since I’m not as much of an outgoing and social person, and if I’m sober, I’m feeling introverted [while] everyone else is extroverted and I’m not having fun,” Ava said. “I do feel like when I drink, I do have more fun.”

According to Deanna John-

ston, the RUHS sophomore coun- all just be in a little corner, talking selor, partying can be used as a and laughing,” DeVore said. “It’s coping mechanism to achieve so- like [we’ve] have known each other cial validation and connection with for ten years because the conversapeers. tion is flowing so well and in that “It’s not about partying itself, moment, [I’m] like, ‘Oh my God, I but more about being accepted by love this so much’ because I never their peers [and], if they have their would have met these people beown anxiety or their own stresses fore and here I am just having such going on, using that as a way to feel a great conversation with strangconnected or, in an unhealthy way, ers.” take an unsafe break,” Johnston While partying is one way to said. “I don’t think it’s just teen- make friends, Johnston still enagers, I think it’s all humans. It’s courages others to find “healthier” [a] part of us that we all want to be ways of socializing that don’t overaccepted, we don’t lap with illegal subwant to feel differstances. ent or isolated from “I think it’s [imour peers.” portant to] find othFor some high er ways to connect, schoolers, accordfinding healthy acing to senior Rowtivities or hobbies INFORMATION FROM an DeVore, that and ways to be acBAYLOR UNIVERSITY need for social valicepted. I don’t think dation comes in the there’s one right form of social media posts made to answer for everybody, [just] findmaintain their social image with ing their people through a group or peers and appear “cool.” A survey a club,” Johnston said. conducted by Pew Research Center Johnston encourages students reveals that 31% say social media who suffer from FOMO to visit the platforms have made teenagers feel counselor’s office. As a school counlike their friends are leaving them selor, Johnston serves to provide out of things, and another 29% of both academic and emotional supteens also feel the pressure to post port for students with no danger of content online for likes. leaking confidentiality unless a stu“I think that [being performa- dent discusses self-harm, harming tive] definitely plays a part in why others or being in danger. some people would either throw a “The counselors are a safe adult party or go to a party,” DeVore said. on campus that students can talk to “They may want to seem like, ‘Look so [students] would not get in trouhow much fun I’m having’ [or the] ble by talking to me about things ‘I hope everybody wants my life’ like if they were invited to a party kind of mindset, and so they’ll post and if there’s drinking or any othabout it a lot or talk about it a lot.” er things going on,” Johnston said.

However, not all high schoolers “But we always want to make sure go to parties for social validation or it’s safety first, so we talk through to maintain their social image. Ac- and try to get to the bottom of why cording to DeVore, the main reason the student is feeling that way and she goes to parties is to hang out why they feel they need to go to this with friends and socialize with new party because ultimately it comes people. down to not having enough self “This happens at most parties I confidence yet [and] there could go to, but [I’ll] have some friends be other factors involved as to why and then throughout the night, they have FOMO or why they want [I’ll] meet more people that [I’ve] to go.” never talked to before and [we’ll]

75% of young adults struggle with FOMO.

10

opinion A hard pill to swallow Blackpill content promotes degeneracy

C

urrently, in our very may be failing in their personal and academic pursuits and school, some boys are are looking for something to blame. walking around and This movement also thrives on misogyny. People who looking for people to blame. subscribe to these beliefs are insistent that all women are They’ve fallen victim to a harm- constantly searching for a man who is attractive, has monful ideology that preys on the ey and, most importantly, has status. They see women as

by Declan Williams minds of insecure teenage boys. the drivers behind the system, which means that these “Blackpill” is the newest wave of detrimental beliefs women are to blame for their failures. that is sweeping across the screens of millions of teens and A common thought amongst these men is that women pre-teens. “Blackpill” is a male-dominated ideology based in general don’t deserve the traditionally good looking upon the idea that men’s successes and failures all stem men, and that women should be giving "the rest" of the from their genetics and physical appearances. The ideol- men a chance. The term “foid,” short for ogy is based entirely on the idea that one's looks are more female humanoid, is used as a deimportant than anything else and totally determine career rogatory and dehumanizing success, interpersonal relationships and dating life. In do- term for women who want to ing this, these “blackpillers” essentially shirk all blame off date successful men; womof themselves. They take no responsibility for their actions en whom the "blackpilled" as they believe everything is pre-determined and out of men perceive to be ruining their hands. their lives. This can lead to This movement didn’t begin this way, though. It stems violence and hate directed at infrom “redpill” ideology, which has the same core tenets. nocent women solely because of their The main difference is that the goal behind the “redpill” gender. movement is to break the system and become better lookThis ideology has spread through ing through various methods, some being dangerous and short-form content on Instagram many being unstudied. This differs from the “blackpill” and TikTok. In these vidmovement by focusing on improvement, rather than eos, photos of conlearned helplessness. For all of its harmventionally unatful repercussions and misguidtractive men come ed intentions, at the across the screen, very least, there and then a photo of an actual black is an attempt at pill or the word “mogged," meaning self-improvebetter looking than others, comes on ment, albeit via the screen, followed by photos of convery concernventionally attractive men.

E ICIN MED ing methods.

F Consuming these videos, young boys O Y RAR “BlackpillL LIB start to believe that if they can’t measure up to A N IO NAT ers” not only these so-called “elite moggers,” their lives are ruined.

ROM F A DAT believe in the idea This has led to the term “it’s so over” being used in this that every up and down in life internet subspace, which perpetuates learned helplessness is based on appearance, but they also fail to try to change it, by snuffing out any hope anyone might have of finding love instead succumbing to a nihilistic belief system that leaves and success. This takes a serious toll on the mental health them as the ultimate losers. These beliefs are extremely of these vulnerable kids. They come to terms with their perdetrimental to impressionable young men and boys who ceived situation and become complacent in their lives, shed-

oys b e ag n e ith e w t f d o e 80% interact tent n have kpill co blac

ding responsibility under the guise of “fate.”

It’s not all their fault, though. The pre-teen and teenage years for a boy are very difficult, especially ages 12-16, and this is the exact age of boys that fall victim to this ideology. According to FFAS (Family First Adolescent Services), “During puberty, teen boys experience a flood of hormones they haven’t had to deal with before. Stress, growth, and sex hormones rush into their brains and bodies, changing how they think and feel.” These boys are hormonal, in the throes of puberty, feeling very anxious and angry, and they probably don’t even know why. This content takes advantage of that by giving them a reason behind the tumultuous time they’re going through.

This isn’t a small issue either; there are a lot of people who buy into this and spew this rhetoric at their friends and family. I know this to be true because some of my friends actually believe it. I know that they’re smart guys, but they still buy into the blackpill ideology and spread it because it’s easier than accepting their reality.

This is not something to be taken lightly; it’s a nihilistic ideology that promotes nothing but hate towards others, especially women, and complacency regarding personal achievements. So if you see or hear any of your friends talking about or watching any “blackpill” content, please check in on them, ask them how they’re doing, and warn them about the harmful ideology that they are consuming.

1

1. A pill bottle PHOTO VIA FREEPIK

Not reading the news creates carelessness in teens

I

bet you opened this paper and wanted another quirky, digestible opinion. But I’ve got something more fun: reading the news. I also bet you’re thinkby Leyla Evenson ing, “Ew, what? No,” and closing this paper as you are reading this. But hear me out: reading the news will help you develop life skills that not only make you a more intelligent and empathetic person, but also will burst your bubble, in a good way.

Here’s the thing: when you read the news, you learn about people who live different lives than you. Maybe very different, maybe not so different, but always outside of your personal social bubble.

In high school, this is both a foreign concept and an essential one. I know how much of a simulation high school can feel like, and how fatiguing it is. Most of the time, your latest math test feels like the end of the

ci

. cu m ar et d s se tu um ne lum ul et bu ib i us st m st ct ve ve etiu s ne s cu pr i se ctu la ue le nec ug a e iq ed er do s f st s rp ri t d l su ia it co en t ri nva m orb eug eif e o la f el qu a c M ul c i e l a am tr a u qu ie re d q r s i st ti ha m tu u er le te ia un s p iq el d ec r in . al id na sc a ut lla e ns o nc c s ti co mp liqu it ui ae nu p , a i D ue m te s et a sc q si od gn ti su t am ili l a is sm m nis Fac me t tr si eiu a t . e t et r ru is or si m lo a do ol r qu d e d i r .A do ed el t in ege orp rav V m t, s e e ro c g s. r i nt p ul t m su l i u i o n a e ri ip g e ab er t ci es ull ta l va ie dr n vi rici so iis g ec rd ut em sci t m en c l n n u h or ipi pe cum So tas nt isci t u et rd im in u g. a du es ad te p es pis us id cin di di in liq i eg u m s v a i A at mp gra pis lus r ad R du is. i. l i am en s. u rc equ Te t ad ase tet qu eli s o qu ib ge t. ns b

L

world. But when you read the news, you are forced to look outside of that small existence. You have to read about difficult situations. By the nature of the action, you must break free from your bubble. This puts you and your life in context and helps you form a perspective that is not self-regarding. Or at least, less so.

Here’s another plus: developing your critical thinking skills. News is, at its core, a cause and effect. You have to analyze the information given to you and what it means.

You have to weigh arguments and, if you are reading news responsibly, look at different perspectives and opinions and form your own. Learning how to form arguments has about a hundred million benefits, especially in academic settings, so there is some direct quantifiable benefit to your personal life as well. Additionally, a lot of reading the news deals with sorting out bias and how the framing of different events can affect how they are interpreted. You have to exercise your logic and reason to properly digest the news, and thus strengthen your critical thinking muscle.

One thing to worry about is the emotional toll that reading the news can have. It can foster feelings of helplessness and maybe sadness. But not to worry: if you do things right and don’t catastrophize, which I believe you are capable of, you should be fine. Maybe that doesn’t sound super convincing, but if too much of anything is bad, then don’t have too much news.

The feelings we have about what’s going on in the world are necessary, and important to recognize.

This leads me to my next point: healthy discussion. If the concern is feeling helplessness, my solution is discussion. Not arguments, though. Please don’t fight at school and get me into trouble. But I think having a respectful conversation, backed by facts, with supporting and disagreeing with each other's points, is healthy and can help get you out of your head.

Maybe you’ve read this and thought, absolutely not. But on the off chance that you are interested in starting to read the news, I have some ideas about the best method to go about it. First

of all, it was my gut instinct to warn you off social media, but on reflection, I think it might be the best way to integrate some current events into your life.

I do not, however, encourage being informed by randos on the internet. Watch a few Tiktok videos from your (verified) news outlet of choice (an ethical and reputable one, please) once in a while. Maybe you’ll start to read full articles from there. You don’t need to become a current events whiz, just stay aware of the major events going on in the world.

At the end of the day, I would never suggest you whip out an old school giant newspaper to read every morning.

Though, if you desire, please read the High Tide. But more realistically, just taking a few minutes every day or even every week to read the news and stay informed about what is going on in the real world can have a tremendous impact on how you view the world around you, what you care about and the topics you can engage in discussion about.

This is not just about awareness, but about each one of us becoming more well rounded, empathetic and intelligent people. Especially in the age of social media and, better yet, the ancient Google, reading the news will not inconvenience you. Just try.

2. Newspaper texture PHOTO VIA FREEPIK DATA FROM AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION

letters to the

editor

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

opinion 11

high tide jan. 29, 2026

Don't you know you're racist?

Casual racism surrounding Indain culture and identity has gone too far, despite the influences of the culture in American society

I

t’s pretty unsettling how often people who are meant to be my friends make jokes about how I smell on the basis that I’m Indian.

Aside from that, I’ve also been told in extensive detail about my fuby Deeksha Prasad ture career as a scammer, sent reels with stereotypical racist music in the background and called a monkey — all by people who claim to be my friends.

Casual racism has become more and more normalized in the past few years, not just towards Indians, but towards all minorities. However, I’ve especially noticed growing hateful rhetoric towards Indians, both online and in person.

A lot of hatred towards Indians in older generations stem from the HB-1 visa program. The program, officially introduced by the Immigration Act of 1990, created the specific visa category in order to hire foreign professionals in “specialty occupations” that required at least a bachelor's degree (ex. technology, engineering, medicine). According to the Department of Homeland Security, of the H-1B petitions approved in the 2024 fiscal year, Indian immigrants were the ones who benefited the most. Under the Trump administration, the H-1B visa program has been altered to prioritize allocation of visas to higher-skilled and higher-paid workers, abandoning the former lottery system. The change sparked even more vocal hate towards Indian immigrants, especially on social media platforms like X. Yet, this reasoning for the racism faced by Indian Americans collapses when the same racist rhetoric from the older generation is echoed by teenagers and young adults, many of whom are far removed from the debates over labor markets and visa programs. Their prejudice is not born from personal economic anxiety, but inherited from the narratives modeled by adults, media and online spaces.

Racism toward Indians among young people is therefore not self-generated; it is learned, repeated and normalized long before it is ever questioned, illogical in the same way any other racism is.

The most upsetting part of the rhetoric around Indian Americans is the way that it’s discussed online, especially on Instagram — the racist stereotypes have turned into the butt of a thousand jokes, and even Indians Americans play into it. Of course, it’s typical to say that something isn’t racist if the person making jokes is of the race in question — but to make fun of your own people on a platform accessible by billions is simply an invitation for others to pile on and continue to degrade a culture of people.

The animosity towards South Asians as a whole online is especially interesting when contrasted with the recent romanticization of East Asian culture. In popular imagination, “Asia” has increasingly come to mean Japan, China,and South Korea — sleek minimalism, pale skin,

K-beauty, anime and carefully curated aesthetics. India does not fit into this narrow visual framework. Its cultures are loud, colorful, religious and unapologetically complex, but as a result, South Asians are pushed further outside the boundaries of what is considered palatable or trendy, and that exclusion often turns into ridicule. When people say they love “Asian culture,” what they often mean is a highly selective version of it — one that leaves India out entirely, and in doing so, treats Indian identity as lesser, outdated or worthy of jokes rather than admiration.

What makes this erasure even more frustrating is how deeply Indian culture has already shaped modern trends — often without credit. For example, lining the waterline has become a popular addition to western makeup looks, yet it originates from kohl, used across South Asia for centuries.

The so-called “Scandinavian scarf,” casually draped over shoulders in minimalist outfits, closely mirrors the dupatta, a garment that has long been part of South Asian dress. In fashion and design, paisley patterns — now associated with vintage or bohemian aesthetics — were adapted from traditional Indian kalamkari artwork before being Westernized and stripped of their origins. Chintz fabric, often marketed as quaint or cottage-core décor, was first produced in India and exported to Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Even Ivy League style and American prep fashion traces their roots back to handwoven textiles from Madras (modern-day Chennai), known as Madras checks. Time and time again, elements of Indian culture are adopted, sanitized and rebranded, celebrated only once their connection to India has been obscured.

But while you can push the origins of trends under a rug, you can’t deny people’s roots. In recent years, I’ve seen more Indian women in the spotlight than I’ve ever seen before in western media: figures like Mythreyi Ramakrishnan, Avanthika and Lara Raj have been gaining fame and attention for their various projects. "Never Have I Ever" was the first time I’d ever seen such a mainstream TV show that focused on an Indian girl, and even more shocking to me was that

the characters were speaking Tamil at home, just like my family and I do. While there is valid criticism of Devi Vishwakumar as a character — she’s often self-loathing, boy-obsessed and dismissive of her culture — it is still monumental that an Indian American teenage girl was placed at the center of such a prominent show at all. For once, an Indian girl was allowed to be messy, flawed and human, rather than relegated to the role of a side character or stereotype.

Not only are Indian women more represented in media, but they are reclaiming things that once casued immense harm to our community. In the 1970’s through the 90’s, there was a hate group called “The Dotbusters” active in New Jersey. They threatened and attacked Indian Americans, particularly Hindu Americans. The “dot” in their name was in reference to the bindi, a traditional forehead mark worn by Indian women.

The attacks were not extensively covered in the media, nor do you learn about the hate group in a typical classroom setting. This piece of history, I feel, is critical in recognizing the impact that Lara Raj, member of girl group KATSEYE, has had in repopularizing the bindi amongst Indian American women. Seeing figures like Lara gain popularity today, openly wearing bindis and embracing their Indianness, feels like reclamation of something that was once made unsafe.

Casual racism toward Indians thrives because it is rarely taken seriously; dismissed as jokes, memes or harmless stereotypes. But behind every joke is a history of exclusion, erasure and violence that continues to shape how Indian Americans are treated today. From immigration rhetoric to online mockery, from stolen cultural trends to limited representation, the message remains the same: Indian identity is acceptable only when it is diluted, aestheticized or stripped of its origins. Challenging this normalization requires more than calling out overt hatred; it requires recognizing the quieter ways racism persists, especially when it hides behind humor. This is why representation matters so deeply: seeing Indian people visible, respected and unapologetic in the media challenges inherited prejudices and gives younger generations permission to exist without shame. Until Indian culture is allowed to exist without being the punchline of an ill-intentioned joke, casual racism will continue to feel just as personal — and just as damaging — is it always has.

Photo of hand pinching dupatta PHOTO VIA FREEPIK Photo of pink dupatta PHOTO VIA ETSY

editorial: party culture

by High Tide Staff

W

hen schools talk about safety, the conversation usually stops at “don’t do it.” Don’t drink. Don’t go to parties. Don’t stay out late. But for many teenagers, parties are part of social life, whether adults approve or not. Yet, the lack of preparation makes partying even more unsafe. If high schools care about student’s wellbeing, they should invest in structured, honest education about partying safely.

Right now, most teens learn how to handle risky situations from friends, social media or trial and error.

But party environments are complex, often involving alcohol, drugs, peer pressure and unfamiliar people.

According to ProjectKnow, raves and festivals can expose teens to dangerous substances like ecstasy, hallucinogens, and moreover, these environments encourage risky behavior, sometimes leading to addiction, mental health issues, and long-term health problems. Even in seemingly calm get-togethers, parties are often unpre-

dictable and can escalate quickly, especially if party-goers are drinking or rowdy.

Without guidance, students may not know how to recognize unsafe situations, protect their drinks, leave when something feels wrong or help a friend in trouble. When students don't have a proper understanding of how to party safely, things can escalate. Outside of drug related harms, injuries and conflicts become risks at parties as well. Statistics show that 1 in 5 teenagers aged 16-17 were allowed to take alcohol to parties and that injury from alcohol-related incidents was higher among this group. This is why party safety education is not about encouraging reckless behavior – it is about harm reduction. Schools already teach sex education even though abstinence is recommended. Teaching party safety follows the same logic: preparing students for real-life scenarios so they can make informed decisions.

This could look like short lessons from teachers on how to recognize signs of alcohol poisoning, understand-

ing consent, planning safe transportation, staying in groups, and knowing when to call for help without fear of punishment. These small lessons stay with kids, and could come in handy in real party situations. Additionally, it forces kids to practice navigating the world with maturity and making well-informed decisions.

Critics may argue that discussing party safety sends the message that underage drinking is acceptable. But not teaching safety sends a worse message: if students were to make the mistake and start drinking, they are on their own. Schools have the responsibility to prepare students for adulthood, but that movement into adulthood sometimes happens earlier than one might think– as around 25% of teens engage in unsupervised house partying, which are often unsafe environments, according to The Aragon Outlook. That preparation should include navigating social environments responsibly, not just academic challenges.

entertainment

Locked Potential

12

Madison Beer's new album, "Locket," is mediocre and disorganized

by Julia Bradin

M

adison Beer needs a new marketing team after the failure that was her recently released album “Locket." The lack of individuality and conformity that was displayed in the album overshadowed her talent as a growing artist and amazing vocalist.

The album was released on Jan. 16 and had 11 songs that totaled out to 33 minutes.

The play length of the album was the first thing that caught my attention, seeing as she was three minutes away from having been an extended play (EP), rather than a very short album. I would have almost preferred an EP that honed in on Madison Beer’s skills instead of this mish-mash of

2

an album we were delivered.

The singles from the album which we received slowly over the course of almost a year made me anticipate more of this retro pop funk that felt so unique to Beer.

Unfortunately the album leaned more towards bedroom indie pop, sounds that felt similar to other pop artists like Billie Eillish and Lana Del Rey — but by far the most easy and direct comparison is Ariana Grande’s “eternal sunshine” album. I fully understand that artists have inspiration and songs might sound similar, but some of these songs felt unauthentic towards the Madison Beer I had heard in “Bittersweet” and “make you mine,” which highlighted how truly talented she is as an artist.

Along that idea, the album as a whole didn’t feel cohesive.

This goes back to the bad marketing I talked about earlier.

The album's singles are supposed to give us an insight into what the project is going to sound like, but they felt more like a misdirection. In some songs we get these beautiful layered vocals over a soft lullaby instrumen-

tal, but the song after would have me feeling like I needed to go on a hot girl walk or some intense stairmaster workouts. The switches in vibes made the album hard to listen to in one go and had me taking breaks to avoid going on my own emotional roller coaster.

I'm not saying Beer can’t do both, but the rapid back-and-fourth mood changes sound more like an internal battle; she can’t decide if she wants to deliver her authentic self or just become another viral TikTok audio. This ultimately disappointed me because I was hoping this album would be her big break into stardom, but it just felt like she threw a bunch of random songs just to say she was releasing another album. Beer presents a lack of conviction of the artist she has the potential of being, trying to conform to pop social norms while still struggling with her identity as a performer that followed her throughout this album.

Aside from Beer’s “identity crisis,” her vocals once again astonished me. Her powerful belts portrayed in “bad enough” and “bittersweet” reflected her vocal range just as much as her falsettos in “angel wings” and “nothing at all.” By far her most impressive song, and the one that truly shows how talented she is, is “make you mine,” which spanned most of her vocal range and had a melody which caught my attention right when I pressed play. The seductiveness found in that song mixed with the upbeat track and the precise overdubbing al-

lowed for a feel-good song that still maintains the innocence of Beer's persona.

She showed a lot of growth in the vocal department, which was ultimately her saving grace in this album.

Overall, the album was fine: nothing more and nothing less. I was hoping Beer would go in a different direction with her music, but she seems to be more focused on making TikTok audios rather than a noskip, play-on-repeat album. I would add a few of her songs to my playlist just to be playing in the background, but I can’t say I would choose this album to be my goto, get ready mix or be added to my favorites. I hope Beer plays around a bit more with her personal style and continues to grow as an artist because from the more outstanding pieces, like “make you mine”, in this album, I can tell that she has what it takes to be the next big pop girl, she just needs some new direction.

1

1. Madison Beer's locket 2. "Locket" album cover PHOTOS VIA SONY MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT 3. A$AP Rocky's "Don't Be Dumb" album cover PHOTO VIA AWGE 4. Music note trail PHOTO VIA FREEPIK

A$AP Rocky's new album is disappointing and relies on featured artists

by Sophie Riddle

A

fter eight long years, A$AP Rocky finally released his new album “Don't Be Dumb.” After being so excited for such a prolonged wait period, the album did not deliver on the fronts I expected it to. Watching the countdown to this album, I was so excited to see what eight years of work and dedication would bring us. However, it lacked the A$AP original vibe, and didn't feel as creative and innovative as his last albums were. For all the hype he built up for the album, it proved disappointing on so many levels.

When A$AP announced his album in December, the album’s potential generated a lot of hype among his fans, which may have set expectations higher than they should have been. Given that it took him eight years to write this, the hype set an unrealistic standard for the album, and songs such as “ORDER OF PROTECTION” and “HELICOPTER” felt repetitive and not creative at all. The beats in the majority of his songs didn't make me want to continue listening or they didn't hit the same as his old songs. If you listen to the album in order, it's a constant change in pace and vibe.

4

In the song “STFU,” he delivers a more screamo song, which is super far from a lot of music A$AP has made. Which isn’t a bad thing, it was just different.

A$AP Rocky is known mainly for his rap and R&B albums, and this one was also labeled as such. But some songs gave more indie rap vibes, though I'm not complaining. Parts sounded more like Frank Ocean's music, and those were honestly the best songs. These types of songs were overall just more pleasant to listen to; in songs like “AIRFORCE” and “WHISKEY,” it felt calmer and more creative.

Songs like “PUNK ROCKY”, “DONT BE DUMB” and “STAY HERE 4 LIFE”carried the album. Overall sounding more like A$AP’s music. But even “STAY HERE 4 LIFE” was good only because of the featured singer, Brent Faiyaz. Faiyaz’s vocals made that song an ethereal listen, but anytime A$AP started singing, it instantly killed the vibe, despite it being his song.

A similar thing happened with the song “ROBBERY” with Doechii. Despite the hate she got from her song “Anxiety," she shined with A$AP Rocky, and she was the main reason that “ROBBERY” was good.

This might be his most experimental album yet and created a very different vibe for A$AP; songs like “STOLE YA FLOW” were good lyric-wise because it allowed A$AP to diss a little, which made it an interesting listen.

Overall, it's not a bad album, just underwhelming.

I think what I mainly wanted to get out of this album was classic A$AP Rocky, and he went a more experimental route. I don't think anyone really expected A$AP to come out with an album like this. This album is definitely growing on me the more I listen.

It’s packed with a ton of artists like Doechii, Gorillaz, Tyler The Creator, Westside Gunn, Jon Batiste and more, making the album all the more diverse. It just didn’t sound or feel like A$AP as much as I thought it would.

3

entertainment 13

high tide jan. 29, 2026

Climbing to the top

Playing "Hollow Knight: Silksong" is an enjoyable experience due to the game's smooth movement, worldbuilding and difficulty

by Oliver Cody

F

or months after it was first teased, my YouTube feed was packed with “Hollow Knight: Silksong,” and I didn’t know why. I saw endless posts about over-the-top reactions to the game’s release date, memes about long journeys coming to their ends and conspiracy theories about what took the developers so long to create the game. After a while, I caved, and played the original “Hollow Knight” to see what the hype was all about. By the time I had beaten the game, “Hollow Knight: Silksong” was only a day away from launch.

I waited patiently for the game to release until the time finally came — and I was met with a completely crashed Nintendo eShop.

That’s when I realized I had completely underestimated this game.

“Hollow Knight: Silksong” is a 2D Metroidvania, a type of open-world game that sees players progressively unlock more and more parts of a sprawling map by gaining upgrades and defeating bosses. The game follows Hornet, a supporting character from the first “Hollow Knight,” who has been captured by mysterious cloaked bugs and whisked away from her homeland to the haunted kingdom of Pharloom. There, she must climb to the peak of the kingdom to confront the bugs who captured her, and uncover the mystery of the being that lies at the top.

Hornet’s movement and controls feel incredibly smooth and fluid, making the tight parkour in several areas of the game a highlight that I always look forward to

in repeat playthroughs. Hornet has a basic jump, several variations of her needle attack and a ‘pogo’ move, allowing her to bounce off enemies and obstacles. Later upgrades enhance her moveset, like the Swift Step, a faster sprinting speed, and the Faydown Cloak, a double jump. The game’s platforming sections do a great job of making use of these abilities and creating more fun and creative ways to lock progress behind a certain upgrade. If you’re stuck on a difficult boss or platforming gauntlet, you can even equip items called Crests that let you change Hornet’s base moveset to fit your playstyle. For example, there are Crests that increase attack range, but sacrifice attack speed, and vice versa.

The process of backtracking to get these upgrades isn’t a slog either. Every area in “Hollow Knight: Silksong” feels like its own living ecosystem, from their stunning hand-drawn art style to their enemies and obstacles. There’s even an in-game resource called the Hunter’s Journal which gives players more information on how all of the creatures in an area work together, making Pharloom truly feel like a lived-in world. In addition, each background element making up the vast map was handled with so much effort and attention to detail, even though most players will be focused on exploring and won’t notice them. I found some areas a bit annoying to traverse, such as the sewer-like Putrified Ducts and the swampy Bilewater, but I could still appreciate the amount of time and effort that went into

crafting them.

In addition to the previously mentioned facets of each area, most of them come equipped with at least one boss. These bosses can be anything from beefed-up versions of regular enemies to original characters with their own unique personality, and they all feel like they have a place in the world of Pharloom. Some even have lore that enhances the worldbuilding of “Hollow Knight: Silksong.” For example, the hulking golem known as Last Judge was created to prevent people who have sinned from getting to the peak of Pharloom.

However, many have criticized the difficulty of the bosses and the long “runbacks,” the trail that Hornet must travel from the last checkpoint back to the boss room after failing a battle. I believe that “Hollow Knight: Silksong”’s difficulty is partly justified by the fact that it was created as a sequel to the original “Hollow Knight,” and therefore picks up where the original game left off in terms of difficulty.

Hornet’s controls are tough to master, but once you do, the fights become nearly as balanced as in the original.

After I beat the final boss and watched the final cutscene play out, I was stunned.

I had never heard of “Hollow Knight” or “Hollow Knight: Silksong” until very recently, and had been waiting nowhere near the seven years that the game’s existing fanbase had, but “Hollow Knight: Silksong” quickly became one of my personal favorite games of the year. For anybody who likes tight gameplay, difficult but fair bosses and has played the original, I couldn’t recommend this game enough. “Hollow Knight: Silksong” is one of the most polished and consistently strong games I’ve ever played, and, even if I didn’t experience the waiting myself, I can confidently say that seven years was worth the wait.

PHOTO VIA TEAM CHERRY

"Primate" utilizes thoughtful cinematography, balancing both cheesiness and gruesome violence to create an enjoyable watch

by Madelyn Bain

A

stoic face, rotund teddy bear companion and an absurdly orange shirt — when I first watched the trailer for the movie “Primate,” I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. Despite the numerous foreboding reviews I encountered while reading up on the movie, I walked into the theater expecting a full hour and a half of classic, cheesy thriller vibes. However, even if you’re someone who also finds the concept of a homicidal monkey named Ben funny, do not be fooled by the film’s satirical first impression.

“Primate” follows the story of Lucy (Johnny Sequoyah), who has just returned to her family home in Hawaii for summer break. Accompanied by friends Kate (Victoria Wyant), Hannah (Jessica Alexander), and Nick (Benjamin Cheng), Lucy reunites with her dad (Troy Kotsur), younger sister

(Gia Hunter) and the family’s pet chimpanzee, Ben. When a rabid mongoose breaks into Ben’s enclosure and bites him, and Lucy’s father leaves for a work trip, the teens’ fun night becomes a struggle for survival as they endure the relentless attacks of their former pet.

What first caught my eye was the sheer number of camera angles used to generate suspense in the limited scope of the movie. For a movie with practically one setting, the low-contrast lighting utilized in many scenes created an eerie, sinister atmosphere that kept me on the edge of my seat throughout its duration. When you imagine a Hawaiian cliffside home you think of endless sunshine, bright and tropical flowers and relaxation, but this movie does the exact opposite. Though it begins with swimming with floaties and drinking

by the firepit, a calm atmosphere emphasized by bright, innocent colors, this false sense of security is quickly torn down with the introduction of darker shades of grays, blues and greens. You can feel Ben’s literal presence around every corner, like a serial murderer. I didn’t expect the movie to be nearly as gory as it was, but one of the opening scenes was a preview of a guy getting the skin on his face ripped off, and it only got worse from there. As someone who isn’t easily fazed by body horror, even I had to avert my eyes at times when the imagery on the screen became too obscene to watch.

Although “Primate” was overwhelmingly gruesome, there were still some cheesy aspects of it. From the characters timidly calling for Ben in the empty house to a drunk frat boy’s joke that the chimp should “take him out to dinner first” when trapped on one of the girl’s beds, I definitely giggled at times, whether it be from nervous fear, or genuine amusement. I was frustrated by the characters’ lack of common sense, however, as they failed to pick up weapons while running from Ben. Not only did they leave themselves completely defenseless, but they also turned their backs on Ben consistently, knocked over loud objects multiple times and stood patiently on the other side of a glass door staring at the chimp as he problem-solved his way to continuing his murder spree. Despite this, their shockingly low survival instincts were nothing new, and are often what allow thrillers

to be so bloody and unrestrained.

There were some other notable elements that piqued my interest, one of those being a brief explanation at the beginning of the movie of what rabies is. Personally, I had only ever known rabies as an inexplicable, mouth-foaming sickness in animals, but the movie identifies it as the first stage of “hydrophobia,” or the fear of water. Animals infected with rabies will avoid and react violently to water, which provided an interesting plot point when the characters were forced to stay in the pool to avoid Ben’s rampage, which only made his symptoms worse.

I also liked Lucy and her sister’s atypical family dynamic. In addition to having many on-screen conversations in sign language with their dad, a deaf man, they lost their mother to cancer the year prior, which led to strains on the family’s relationships that were explored and then resolved by the end of the movie.

Based on my experience, this movie should be watched with zero expectations.

It’s meant for those who are a little more desensitized to violence and enjoy a slightly cheesy thriller. Then again, by no means is it a bad movie. The cinematography was flawless, the deaths were pretty shocking and imaginative and the dialogue was just the right amount of witty and dark. “Primate” is the sort of creature-feature you watch with friends in a movie theatre to chase that exciting, fearful adrenaline. So if you’re itching to get that off-brand “Planet of the Apes” fix, sit down with an ICEE that’s way too big for your bladder and laugh (or cry) at some ridiculous scenes, this is the movie you should go see.

PHOTO VIA PARAMOUNT PICTURES

14

sports Second half superiority

After a close first half, the Sea Hawks came out blazing in the second to beat Mira Costa, 85-51

C

by Francisco Villegas oming off a dominant 94-59 victory against Palos Verdes that built their win-streak to 4, boys basketball and the packed stands supporting them welcomed the opportunity to face Mira Costa at home. The Sea Hawks took down Mira Costa’s Mustangs 85-51, to tally yet another blowout victory onto their record.

First to score, our boys took the early lead, but the Mustangs were able to keep it within reach with multiple hustle plays, such as a strong put-back that rallied the visitors' stands. The Mustangs even took the lead at one point before an and-1 finish on the other end from Sea Hawk senior guard SJ Madison put the Hawks back ahead. His free throw snatched back a now 11-10 lead, with roughly two and a half minutes to go in the first quarter. Senior guard Chace Holley explains the approach the team takes that leads to those kinds of strong buckets.

“The focus of our gameplan, or more just our first op-

11

tion, is driving to and scoring near the rim. I’d say that was the focus but we would like to shoot threes too even though neither side had too much success shooting the ball,” Holley said.

Despite the Seahawks staying just ahead for the majority of the game’s start, senior Ben Sy was able to recognize the need to be better as a team going forward.

“We knew we were underperforming in the beginning.

It should never be that close because the gameplan was to just be us and we weren't doing that,” Sy said. “Coming into a game we don't want to, as a team, play down to anyone’s level competition wise. We want to stick true to what we do because we know we're good at what we do and we want to stay consistent with that.”

Exiting the first quarter with only a two point lead, the boys didn't leave themselves ample room for error going forward. As the offense heated up, they were able to build the margin up to seven, with a score of 39-32 at halftime.

“We were letting the crowd noise and the whole rivalry [affect our gameplay], when it's really just about basketball, and once we started playing our game and bringing the energy that we usually bring, that's when the run happened,” Sy said. “Once we started applying pressure, that's when we ran away with it essentially because they couldn’t handle the pressure. Once they cracked, then the whole game was over.”

Despite already improving from the first to the second quarter, the Sea Hawks wanted more from themselves, and they showed it. Coming out of half they were able to put together a 18-0 run to bring the score to 57-32 before the Mustangs were finally able to respond with a three. The success stemmed from a smothering defensive showing that the Sea Hawks converted to quick offense. Holley attributes the run to both halftime coaching as well

as the team getting together as a group to pick up the effort.

“I feel like at the start they were very confident in themselves as they should be,” Holley said. “But after halftime us being together as a group and not wanting to let each other down allowed us to pick it up going forward in the game.”

The boys had been taking calculated risks and attacking passing lanes throughout the whole game with minimal success, until it came together in the second half, as it seemed they were effectively everywhere. At the peak of the run the Sea Hawks stacked back-to-back steals as the Mustangs struggled to even inbound the ball.

“They beat us last year that one time so we kind of allowed them to think they had a chance but we had to remind them that this is our game and they're not gonna beat us,” Sy said. “It's definitely the most viewed game of the year. Compared to most of the games, this is where most of the fans come out and obviously the most students from both audiences but at the end of the day once we started playing our game it was done for them. They quit.”

After dominating the third quarter 23-7 the Sea Hawks were able to maintain the lead through the fourth quarter by continuing to lean into their identity, never letting Costa back into the game.

“I think matchup to matchup wise we stack up better than them, but more than that our advantage is just as a team our work ethic. Just in how much time we work together, how hard we work together and really just how dedicated we all are,” Sy said. “You were able to see on the court how hard we practice compared to them, how much running we do and everything that goes into being part of Redondo basketball.

It's showing that on a nightly basis that's given us our record and the season we've had so far.”

2

1. Senior Chace Holley flexes after scoring.

2. Senior Devin Wright signals celebrates after a three.

PHOTOS BY IGNACIO PEREZ

Girls water polo handles El Segundo, 12-8, thanks to a strong start

by Carly Jacecko

P

roud parents and Sea Hawks sat on the edges of their seats with excitement as girls water polo took home the win against El Segundo, 12-8.

The team has had a season filled with highs and lows, and freshman Hannah Geil says it’s comforting to have community on the team.

“Our coaches always know what’s going on and who needs help. Even though we had some groups of friends on the team at the beginning of the season, everyone is bonding as the season goes on and improving together,” Geil said.

The team started off strong with a 9-1 lead in the first quarter, but as the game progressed, the opposing team caught up. In order to maintain dominance, Geil says that the team needed to “keep their playing up” and “focus on detail,” to not let the other team get ahead.

“We started off strong, but then we kind of slowed down and lost [cushion], but we won the game. We just needed to keep up the momentum and stay confident in ourselves,” Geil said. “This season we’ve been pretty good; we just need to practice more.”

One of two team captains, veteran water polo player Finley Murphy said being a captain pushes her leadership and her water polo skills and has made her better at relating to her teammates.

During the game against El Segundo, the team had to work with “vigor” more than they had needed to before to get the lead of the game back, “forcing” Murphy to take charge of the gameplay. Having to guide other students has also forced her to adapt to ways of playing water polo that she was not used to before becoming captain.

“I’ve been on varsity for all four years at Redondo and I think I do a good job of talking to the girls and guiding

them. I know the game well and I’m also pretty good at communicating between coaches and players,” Murphy said. “I’m just trying to improve my attitude sometimes during games because sometimes I can be like a harsh coach and some of the girls on the team just aren’t used to that.”

While the team has many different habits that they do

3 while playing, one that Murphy said has become almost a “crutch” for the team is when they “bury the ball” during the play, forcing the ball underwater to prevent a defender from stealing it. While it might help sometimes, it can put the team behind, as it did during the El Segundo game because the team used it as an “easy” way to keep the ball

from the other team, instead of playing with the skills they had been practicing prior to the game. Murphy also elaborated that having a team that is comfortable and plays well together makes communicating during games easier and faster.

“For the most part, when we’re playing a game and we don’t have time to phrase something nice, so you just kind of say it as it is, like, ‘Okay you need to pass the ball higher.’ But you can say things concisely and not have to worry about [teamates] taking it personally because they know you outside of the pool.”

Since the team's competitive season started, the team has had their fair share of wins and losses, highs and lows, but Geil feels that so far, her first season on water polo has prepared her for the next years of competing on the team as a proud Sea Hawk, and this game proved that the team can work together “very well” when they need it most.

The game against El Segundo was also a great opportunity for the team to come out of a couple rough plays that lost their lead, emerging with “intensity” and teamwork. With Murphy's leadership and the team's persistence, the game ended with Redondo taking home the win. As the season goes on, Geil plans on keeping her “head in the game” at all times, and Murphy hopes to continue improving her ability to collaborate and guide her team with ease and efficiency.

“This season has been fun, even though we’ve made some silly errors in our games I feel like we can always laugh it off and come back together as a team,” Geil said. “In the game against El Segundo, I feel like I noticed a difference in how we worked together as a team. I felt like we played more as a team than we had been and it was good to see us working together.”

3. Senior Lexi Jenkins shoots on goal.

PHOTO BY GRACE TAYAG

sports 15

high tide jan. 29, 2026

Down to the wire

Girls soccer ties close game against Torrance after last minute goals

by Sanaya Bhatt

F

ollowing their 5-0 win against Torrance in December, girls soccer tied the team 1-1 in a close match on January 20. Junior and center midfielder Shea Tyler noticed that from the start, several aspects of the team’s environment and competition contributed to their playing.

“In the first half, I’d say we were feeling kind of frantic. We were playing straight into the sun and against the wind, which automatically makes it harder. Torrance as a team has also always been very

a g gressive and wants to be first to the ball,” Tyler said. “So in the first five to 10 minutes, everyone was frantically trying to get the ball and get possession.”

Amongst her team, Tyler has noticed a tendency to move quickly and feel panicked at certain times, rather than maintaining a continuously measured and deliberate approach to each play.

“We can be a little frantic at times, so we

needed to slow down and find a good tempo for us to be able to score goals and break lines, especially in the first half,” Tyler said.

Junior Alexa Farmer, who is the team’s goalkeeper, also noticed that “the team took a minute to settle in” in the first half and that Torrance was more aggressive when getting to the ball than Redondo.

“Once we got the ball and started to possess we started doing well. Torrance definitely had a lot of ball in the first half and were getting some shots off. We had a few shots as well, but nothing super dangerous yet,” Farmer said.

By halftime, the girls were tied 0-0, and after speaking with their coach, went into the second half with clear intentions.

“Our coaches talked to us about settling down into the game, playing well on the ground and really focusing on playing our game. We had been kicking it a lot, and that’s just not our game as a team,” Tyler said.

Only a few minutes into the second half, the team honed in on everything they’d spoken about during halftime by “playing more as a group and going after the ball more aggressively,” and junior Mina Nagashi1 ma scored a goal.

“It felt great when Mina scored in the second half. That goal was a long time coming as we were building momentum through the first half and finally translated it into a goal in the second. We were creating some good chances and that goal was very much deserved,” Farmer said.

Speaking more on 2 the team’s success in the second half, Tyler noticed the other ways in which the girls improved their game from the beginning.

However, towards the later parts of the sec2 ond half, Torrance’s game also improved.

“Within the first ten minutes we were playing really well and got a goal. We had our possession, and weren't letting them get any chances,” Tyler said. “Then, towards the end of the second half, Torrance started gaining some momentum. I think when that momentum switches, especially late in the game, it’s really important to score an extra goal to put them away, but we weren’t able to.”

In addition to Torrance’s increased momentum and movement in the second half, which made them a tougher opponent, there were also several calls made that ended up giving Torrance a lead in the game.

“Further into the second half, the refs called a foul. Torrance did a really good free kick, which brought the score up to 1-1. At

that point we had maybe eight minutes left, and from there it got kind of messy. This is something I think we should work on too, where when we go down a goal we can get pretty frantic and change our style of play.

We started playing more into Torrance’s game instead of our own,” Farmer said.

At this point, the game went into overtime, but “Torrance was pretty close on [the team] and [they] weren’t able to get up a point”. The girls hope to use their experience in this game to help them succeed in the future.

“We need to mark our players more, especially on free kicks. There have been multiple times now where other teams have scored on us from that, so it’s definitely something we need to work on that we took from that game,” Tyler said. “Overall I think we did a great job with a lot of things in this game and hopefully we can use the things we talked about in our future games to help us improve.”

Boys soccer beats El Segundo, 1-0, earning them a spot in the California Interscholastic Federation playoffs

by Eliza Pragnell

A

fter two back to back losses, the boys soccer team needed to win against El Segundo to be guaranteed to play in the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) playoffs. But even though they were coming off an unfavorable streak, according to junior Alex Madatyan, they weren’t feeling defeated.

“We'd beaten El Segundo before, and we knew we could beat them again.

We knew this game and [our next] game against South would be really important in Bay League, and we felt confident and excited to get a win and move forward,” Madatyan said.

For the first half of the game, the teams seemed evenly matched. Possession was changing hands constantly and no real opportunities at the goal presented themselves.

“We couldn't really get anything going. We had a few okay attacks here and there, but nothing concrete,” Madatyan said.

In this game, the team was testing a new formation called a 4-2-2 diamond. There are a lot of midfielders on the Sea Hawk team. Instead of having three midfielders playing like in their usual formation, the 4-2-2 gave them space to have four. According to senior Lucas Boff, this formation would help the midfield from becoming static.

“Let's say the person at the top is the attacking midfielder, he can shift down, communicate with his other midfielders, and become the defensive one while another one shifts up to that position to fill in for him,” Boff said.

Unfortunately, this strategy wasn’t working as well as they had hoped. The new formation made it difficult for the team to

move the ball around, and according to the first one Madatyan, the team was feeling impatient, to the goal. I so they started going long. was running “When they but started pressI ing us, we knew we had In all the games we to step up our game and start play together, we see moving forwhat works and what ward, even if it means to kick doesn't, so I feel like the ball up and hope we win it we're getting ready in the air,” Boff and prepared for said.

D e - those games. spite numerous attempts LUCAS BOFF from both SENIOR teams, by halftime, no goal was scored.

“At the half we changed things around and had a nice team talk. That shifted the momentum, and the rhythm of the game changed,” Madatyan said.

After half time, Redondo started performing better by switching back to their usual 4-3-3 formation, playing into their strong suits. However, things didn’t start picking up until later in the game. With only ten minutes left, Boff saw an 3 opening.

“One of the midfielders sent the ball along to the winger, and I was a striker at the time, so I had to be

“

felt like the defender was catching up with me so I put my head down and gave an extra 20% sprint.

By the time I picked my head up, I was already in front of the goal, and when the cross came in, I had to position myself to hit it from behind me. [I didn’t think I was going to make it] but luckily, it went in, and it felt really good to be able to score the winning goal,” Boff said.

But the game was not over yet. In the last ten minutes, El Segundo did not leave Redondo’s half of the field. The crowd was on edge as El Segundo’s frantic attempts gave them three solid goal opportunities. Redondo’s keeper blocked their first shot, but it spilled out, and a defender was able to kick the ball out of bounds, giving El Segundo a throw-in that turned into a close attempt at goal. Fortunately, their striker kicked the ball too high, and it hit the crossbar rather than going in the goal.

Despite all of the opposition's attempts, the final score came to 1-0 with Redondo taking the win.

“I was pretty nervous, so I'm glad [our keeper] came through with everything and pulled it off for us,” Boff said.

The win improved the Sea Hawks’ standing in Bay League, where they currently rank second place. Boff says they take each game as an opportunity to improve their strategy so they will be ready for the CIF playoff.

“If we take it game by game, when we get our next chance against [Palos Verdes] and Mira Costa, we'll be able to do better than we did last time,” Boff said. “In all the games we play together, we see what works and what doesn't, so I feel like we're getting ready and prepared for those games.”

1. Senior Brianna Bogar dribbles the ball down the field.

PHOTO BY AMANDA HARRISON 2. Sophomore Neliah Cardenas fakes out an opponent. PHOTO BY AMANDA HARRISON 3. Junior Nicholas Mendoza recieves the ball and looks down the field for a pass. PHOTO BY KEVIN PHUNG

in-focus 16

high tide jan. 29, 2026

Packing up the

PARTY

Teens discuss the varied reasons why they abstain from partying culture and the potential social alternatives

by Emery Min

A

loud, crowded house with dim only due to personal choice, but also belighting, drinks pouring, lights cause of his and his friends’ upbringing. flashing: that is the scene that “The main thing is [that my friend first pops into senior Sadie Cantrell’s mind group] has stereotypical Asian parents, so when envisioning a stereotypical high they can be pretty strict on going out, curschool party. In the media, parties are often fews- no drinking or anything. Also, I’m depicted as being a core part of the Amernot the type of guy to party, but I think the ican high school experience. From the exmain thing keeping me from partying is my aggerated extravagance of “Euphoria” and parents and the fear of getting in trouble,” “Gossip Jablonski said.

Girl” to However, strict restrictions and classic bans on partying also have the pofilms like tential to have the opposite effect “The Perks on teenagers, and vice versa with of Being a If your parents are more lax parents. According to an Wallflowarticle published in Psychology er” and very strict, people Today, teenagers are more likely “ M e a n have that drive telling to rebel against adults due to a deGirls,” parsire to assert their independence ties are them, ‘Oh, I need to and identity in non-compliance. frequently disobey.’ I don’t feel Cantrell attributes part of her defeatured in cision not to party to her parent’s A m e r i c a n the need to drink beleniency. movies and cause my parents ar“There’s also the aspect of reTV shows bellion. If your parents are very as a core en’t very strict, so I’ve strict, I part of the never felt that need to teenage exp e r i e n c e . rebel against them.”

However, a significant SADIE CANTRELL number of SENIOR high school students maintain their choice not to party for a variety of reasons.

“I prefer one-on-one time with my friends or [hanging out] in small groups of my friends that I’m already close with [to traditional parties]. I do like to meet new people, but typically in a more relaxed way, like going to the beach or chatting at think people have that drive telling a cafe rather than a loud, hectic environthem, ‘Oh, I need to disobey.’ If they’re ment,” Cantrell said. telling you you can’t do something, you’re According to a study published in the going to want to do it more. I think that can National Library of Medicine, around a play into why I don’t feel the need or desire quarter of teens reported hosting a party to drink or anything like that because my at their house within the last year and 39% parents aren’t very strict, so I’ve never felt of said parties had alcohol present. Addithat need to rebel against them,” Cantrell tionally, for the vast majority of teens hostsaid. ing parties involving alcohol, around 94% In addition to a desire to rebel, students responded that their parents probably or also party due to “the pressure to conform definitely knew that alcohol was present to social norms,” according to Cantrell. at the party. For some students like junior Although most students never cite being Price Currier, the common association of explicitly pressured to party or drink by parties with substance use can be a deterpeers, many do so because of the subconrent for attendance. scious fear of missing out, leading them to “I don’t see any reason to go [to parengage in “reckless behaviors.” This repties] because I’d rather just hang out with resents an “issue with high school culture,” friends in groups with less people. And I and can also have an effect on students don’t feel like going to a party if you’re gonchoosing not to party. na be sober is very fun. I don’t really ever “Sometimes I see, after big parties, peoplan on doing anything to get me intoxiple posting on Instagram and [it] looks cated,” Currier said. “It’s a personal choice. like they’re having a lot of fun, so there’s I’ve seen what [substances] can do, and I always that in the back of my mind, but I’m don’t want that to affect anyone I know.” like, you see these people at school too. So Some of the dangers or reckless activity it’s not like you can’t see them again, and commonly associated with high school paryou can still have fun [without partying] ties, such as underage drinking or smoking, whether [it’s] in school or just hanging out can also be a cause of concern for parents. with different people,” Jablonski said.

Stricter parents or parents with different In order to maintain an active social cultural values may be less likely to allow life throughout high school, students who their children to party or enforce punishchoose not to engage in partying culture ments if they are caught doing so. Junior find other ways to enjoy time with friends.

Evan Jablonski refrains from partying not According to Jablonski, these alternatives

“

“There’s a bit of a difference [between can produce “the same joy that [you] would have at a party,” if they are not more enjoy- partying and hanging out] because I feel like a lot of the partying is meeting new able, a sentiment also shared by Cantrell.

“I’m definitely a person with a low social people in situations where you get to talk. battery, so I prefer a lot of nights [staying] So there’s a big social aspect there,” Currier said. “Honestly, in with my friends where I’m fine with the peowe order food, hang out ple that I know, so I and chat, watch movdon’t really feel the ies, things like that,” need to branch out.”

Cantrell said. “Some- 25% of teens reported Despite stereotimes it’s good to do hosting a party at their types in media of things that are outside house within the last the straight-laced, of your comfort zone or high-achieving stuthat you wouldn’t usu- year, and 39% of those dent being more ally do. There’s nothing parties reportedly had likely to be avoidant wrong with someone of partying, many wanting a loud, crazy alcohol present. students argue the environment as long opposite. Cantrell, as it’s not unsafe. And INFORMATION FROM who takes a heavy not all parties have to THE NATIONAL LIBRARY OF course load includinvolve some illicit ac- MEDICINE ing advanced placetivity. That’s just not my ment (AP) classes, thing.”

While parties may be an occasional knows “a lot of smart AP students who still event for holidays, popping up more fre- party,” in part because they need an outlet quently around Halloween or New Year’s, for academic stress.

“I don’t think there’s much correlation Jablonski reported hangouts among friends being more frequent and between [partying and academics] unless casual. Compared to parties, you’re partying every single night,” Currithey may require less prepara- er said. “It’s true [people who take a lot of 1 tion and can also span a variety APs might be less likely to party] but not because partying ruins your GPA. People of different activities. in easier classes “Recently might have a lit[my friends tle bit more time and I], we to [party]. But I’m just go out sure there’s a lot of and if we people with really want to “There’s a bit of a high GPAs that take hang out hard classes and and talk, [we] get ice difference [between party.” cream at Handel’s and partying and hanging Regardless of just talk about things gostudents’ desire or ing on in our lives. If we out] because I feel choice to party or want to go do something like a lot of the parnot, factors such as we can go watch a movie, friend groups, peer go bowling or go-kart- tying is meeting new pressure, parents ing,” Currier said. “The people in situations and personal prefother weekend I went erence can all influto Sky Zone with some where you get to talk. ence their decision. friends, just stuff like So there’s a different While some stuthat.” dents like Jablonski Although the enjoy- social aspect there.” look forward to the ment derived from difopportunity to parferent kinds of hangouts PRICE CURRIER ty at college, others may be the same JUNIOR like Currier don’t comforesee a change in attitude towards partying.

“I have a neutral opinion towards [partying]: if you want to, it’s your choice, and if you don’t, you don’t have to. You shouldn’t be pressured to do it or not,” Jablonski said. “I think your friends can [play] a big factor [in] or whether or not you party, 2 but you should decide for yourself based on your own beliefs and opinions. It should be up to you at the end of pared to parties, depending on the individual, their the day.” purposes may differ. While hangouts are 1 Open box shows red solo cups spilling out often arranged with established friend2. Closed box represents a different mindset, tightly ships, parties with larger numbers of peosealing away the party supplies ple can provide students with the opportuILLUSTRATIONS BY CLAUDIA TURNER nity to create new bonds.

“