High Tide: March 17, 2023

GOOD?

l o o k i n g

GOOD f e e l i n g

Appearances and gender play an immense role in shaping teenagers' self-esteem, leaving deep effects on their mental health and experiences 4 news

11 opinion

13 entertainment

Model UN won several top awards while competing at an international conference in New York

Although makeup can be self-expression, at its core it can never be truly empowering

"The Last of Us" TV show adaption is easily one of the best video-game adaptions yet

www.ruhsmedia.com

ILLUSTRATION BY I. LANGA

@ruhsmedia

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March 17, 2022 Vol. CIII Edition 8 Redondo Union High School Redondo Beach, CA

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high tide

staff

IN MEMORIAM RBPD service dog K9-Meredith (2015–2023) passed away on Feb. 14

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

by Victor Simoes

K

online manager Zelia Lerch

9 Meredith, beloved member of the Redondo Beach community, passed away from an aggressive mast cell tumor on Feb. 14. Meredith worked as a facility dog, providing emotional support and service dog assistance at educational, medical or community sites. Her uplifting spirit and comforting memory will be cherished for many years to come.

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Born on Sep. 17, 2015, Meredith was brought to Redondo Beach by Keith Kauffman, the chief of Redondo Beach Police Department (RBPD) at the time, and began working for the RBPD as a facility dog in 2017.

Facility dogs and their handlers live together to become accustomed to each other’s body language and signals. As a result, Sharon Rose, Meredith’s handler, became more familiar with her personality than most people did.

“Meredith was a party girl. When she came into the room she was like, ‘Yeah! I'm

job,” Rose said. “People did ask me a lot ‘What's her job?’ Well, they were watching it!”

Mental Health and Wellness Counselor Rachel Andrews remembers first working with Meredith during the 2018–2019 school year at Parras Middle School, where Meredith was a part of a relaxation tutorial during Mental Health Week. Andrews’ contact with Meredith continued when she moved to the RUHS Wellness Center, where Meredith was invited often. There, she helped to cultivate a relaxed atmosphere and impact the students.

“Anytime something happened, where people were really under a lot of stress or pressure, Meredith would be there. If there was a tragedy, she would be there to help the people cope. Students loved being with her,” Andrews said.

At RUHS, Meredith could be seen outside of the Wellness Center during events such as ASB Frosty’s Winter Festival.

There, senior Brooke Pollock managed Meredith’s kissing booth where candy canes, photo cards and kisses from Meredith were available.

“She made an impact on a lot of Redondo students because people love animals, and she was a very gentle dog,” Pollock said. “She was an animal that you could spend time with and get to know. She could help you deal with your emotions and feel calm.”

Meredith had a strong influence on the wider Redondo Beach community, joining people at Seaside Lagoon, COVID-19 vaccine clinics and RBPD events such as Coffee With a Cop. Meredith was famous for her “high tens” and frog legs pose. Fans of Meredith could acquire Meredith trading cards and stuffed animals of Meredith wearing her uniform.

“Nobody knew my name, and that was perfectly fine. I didn't care because I’d hear people yelling ‘Meredith!’ as I walked down the street and I would think, ‘That was amazing,’” Rose said.

Meredith loved rolling in the grass, meeting other dogs, and being pet (but not so much on the head). Meredith was raised by trainers who lived in San Diego, and after spending her whole life by the coast, she especially loved the beach.

“We went to Seaside Lagoon when they weren't open to the public and she would run in the water. She loved the ocean, but

hated swimming, so she had to have her feet touching the ground. She liked the crashing waves. Oh my god, she lost her mind; she loved the beach,” Rose said.

Meredith’s influence and service stretched outside of Redondo Beach, as she visited both the Long Beach 911 call center and the Delta Airlines Terminal at Los Angeles International Airport.

Some of her most serious work involved support at the Thousand Oaks Memorial Service following the Borderline Bar and Grill shooting, comforting victims providing testimonies at court and hospice care at

Meredith laying on grass on the RUHS campus.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SHARON ROSE

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“

Anytime something happened where people were really under a lot of stress or pressure, Meredith would help. If there was a tragedy, she would be there to be help people cope. Students loved being with her."

RACHEL ANDREWS WELLNESS COUNSELOR

here!’ Big excitement, she loved seeing everybody. It was actually a little bit hard to keep her quiet because her personality was so big,” Rose said.

Adapting to the role of facility dog took a while, but Rose and Meredith eventually settled into a routine that included visiting RBUSD schools and helping school staff and community members there.

“Her job was to be adorable and spread as much dog hair as she possibly could, which I think she kind of excelled at, honestly. She wasn't your typical canine that went out and got bad guys, sniffed out drugs and found bombs. She was just there to be adorable, and she did a pretty good

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news editors Erika Glass Sara Miyake-Singer features editors Mia Dowdell Emilie Takahashi Marley Van Pelt

“

Meredith helped a lot of kids get through the day. To have a dog, to just make them smile.

You never know what’s going on in somebody’s life, so it’s nice to be able to provide something that’s easy with no strings attached."

SHARON ROSE MEREDITH'S HANDLER

the Torrance Memorial Hospital. Her work led her to be featured by the Los Angeles Times in a story on police facility dogs.

Many in the community were disheartened by the news of Meredith’s passing.

However, her reputation remains celebrated as Meredith’s bright memory brought comfort, with interviewees expressing how Meredith could brighten their day.

“We’d go someplace, and someone was having a bad day. It was perfect timing. You never know what people are going through, and Meredith always seemed to be just at the right place at the right time. It was just enough to make someone smile and make them feel better and move on with their day,” Rose said.

opinion editors Scarlett Mische Romi Riss entertainment editors Allie D'Amato Sydney Lamich sports editors Ethan Chi Ty Soria copy editors Marin Cantrell Cristina Couch Stavyah Naveen Zoe Rossi writing editors Lauren Greene Ethan Lerner Simra Zargar online editors Cristina Couch Lucy Davis Rena Felde Lauren Greene Ria Lopresto Stavyah Naveen Troy Nevil Kat Otey advisor Kerri Eastham staff writers Ariya Anvari Ava Anzivino Luca Artiga Danielle Bellamy Calvin Bonn London Carbone Nicholas Carrozza Lauren Choy NyAire Davis Charlene Elam Izzie Escobar Yasmeen Ford Daniella Gross Scarlett Kindt Isabella Kohler

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

photographers Marin Cantrell Olivia Flanders Jazmine Jimenez Pete Paguyo Sascha Perdue Lilliana Romero Rebecca Schima Ingrid Sommerer advertising, circulation & distribution manager Nicholas Tomsio

2. Meredith with her badge, on-duty in 2022.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SHARON ROSE

1,3 Meredith at her favorite place: the beach.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF SHARON ROSE

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4. Meredith laying on grass on the RUHS campus.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF SHARON ROSE

illustrators Esperanza Carolipio Allie D’Amato Lola Diehl Kaitlyn Hodac Bella Langa Scarlett Mische

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high tide march 17, 2023

AROUND Redondo Students give their best confidence tips

Getting a Taste of RUHS RUHS clubs sold culinary goods at the Club Food Fair on March 8

by Elise Haulund

by Romi Riss

A: “Don’t care about what others

think. At the end of the day, you should only value what you think of yourself. If you start believing you are worth something, everybody else will start believing it too, you just have to believe it first.”

Lucas De La Torre, 9

A: “Focus on the parts of yourself

that you like most such as your principles, your values and skills. Work on fixating on what you really like about yourself, whether it be a sport that you’re proud of your performance in, your dedication to school, or whatever it is that you already value. Grow and nourish those skills and become even more confident in what you already have."

Olivia Duchouquette, 12

A: “Don’t worry about what you are

doing because people don’t really care as much as you think they do. If people have an issue with how you present yourself, you shouldn’t surround yourself with them in the first place.

The best way to gain confidence is to do things even if you are nervous and embrace the things that make you unique.”

Maya Bader, 10

A: “Learn from your mistakes, but

don’t put too much weight on them.

Don’t become overly concerned with what you do wrong. You’ll bar yourself from what you could do right.

Appreciate what you can do and expand on your abilities.”

Adric Stedman-Sweet, 11 PHOTOS COURTESY OF EACH STUDENT

French Honors Society sold homemade chocolate and raspberry macarons that sold out within minutes. PHOTO BY MARIN CANTRELL

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n only one day a year can students sample vegan cookies, California rolls, homemade macarons and Spam musubi all within 35 minutes and 35 steps. Students staffed a circle of booths in the Student Union at ASB’s Club Food Festival on March 8 to raise funds and share a taste of what their clubs are all about.

With the ambience of Rihanna music playing over the sound of students m a k i n g transactions, eight clubs sold a range of foods.

Asian Cultures Club, which meets on Tuesdays at lunch in room 610, sold the most options, selling egg rolls, pan-fried dumplings and California rolls.

MICHELLE NGO “It feels JUNIOR great, especially with the amount of sales that we got and how many people were at our booth. I thought it was really cool to see people coming to actually buy Asian foods,” co-president and junior Serena Daley said.

All of the foods sold by Asian Cultures Club were homemade by the mothers of the three students running the booth.

“It is important to spread culture, especially with food because food is such a big part of identity in your culture,” co-president and junior Michelle Ngo said.

“Spreading that in a school where a lot of people don't really know about [Asian cultures] is cool because you get to see people get interested in a part of your identity.”

“

Two booths down, French Honors Society, which meets on Fridays in room 808, also used a family recipe to make food items for the larger RUHS family. The club sold raspberry and chocolate macarons at $2 for one and $5 for three. Junior Nadia Hoang, who started taking French in eighth grade, helped run the booth. “ T h i s [Club Food Festival] is a great idea.

It's a really good experience to get everyone involved and have everyone enjoy something that everyone likes,” Hoang said.

“We are able to express the French culture and show everyone what the club can offer.”

Each club plans to use their proceeds to different ends.

A n i m a l Rights Club hosts bake sales regularly and donates all profits to local animal sanctuaries and shelters.

“For us, it’s a direct impact, which is really cool. We want to support animals in all of our club’s decisions,” club president and senior Carly McGuinness said.

The impact goes beyond the money: a self-proclaimed “passionate vegan,” McGuinness was “stoked” to have the opportunity to gain support for her club through plant-based baked goods, and on account of junior Caitlyn Cisneros, the vegan cookies were effective in doing so.

“It tastes really good even though it's vegan. You'd think it wouldn't, but it's good,” Cisneros said.

It is important to spread culture, especially with food because food is such a big part of identity and your culture.

Spreading that in a school where a lot of people don't really know about [Asian culture] is cool because you get to see people get interested in a part of your identity.

Overall, the consensus on the Club Food Fair was resoundingly positive, as evidenced by the customers happily snacking and all of the clubs present selling out within the lunch period.

“If we held events like this more often at school, more people would definitely be interested [in joining clubs]. It's good promotion because I didn't even know the club name until after I made the purchase,” Cisneros said. “It's like, ‘Oh, wow, that's cool that these clubs exist.’”

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1. Asian Cultures Club sold homemade egg rolls, pan-fried dumplings and California rolls.

2. Luke Chambers, senior, sold chocolate chip cookies and homemade rice krispy treats for Geocaching Club.

PHOTOS BY MARIN CANTRELL

4 news

march 17, 2023 high tide

Highlight of the MUNth

by Sara Miyake-Singer

Model United Nations takes home five awards in New York for multi-national conference

The MUN team posing after they won the highest award possible, the Award of Distinction, out of three thousand delegates from 70 plus countries. PHOTO COURTESY OF KATARINA (HAVEN) BECHES

M

UN had fun in New York City where from March 9-13, they participated in the National High School Model United Nations (NHSMUN). The 17-member delegation won four individual awards along with the delegation Award of Distinction, the highest recognition of the conference. They were one of six teams out of hundreds to win.

This trip was the team’s first East Coast travel conference since 2020 and their second time overall at NHSMUN (National High School Model United Nations Conference). This year, NHSMUN drew over 3000 delegates from 70 different countries as, according to advisor Nicholas Sklarenko, NHSMUN is “one of the biggest and most famous conferences in the country.”

“It was really cool to give those kids that, for the most part, had Zoom conferences their whole MUN careers the chance to be in-person. So, for them to meet kids from Portugal, Italy, Japan, Peru, China and the Middle East, to name a few, was really special,” Sklarenko said. “A big part of diplomacy is those personal connections that you make. It's hard to do via a screen, and I was so proud to see making those connections on such a big scale.”

The delegation represented Turkey

across several committees simulating real international agencies where they debated issues ranging from migrant abuse to free speech rights. The team prepared by individually researching their topics for several weeks. In total, every member participated in at least 20 hours of debating with one session lasting for eight hours straight.

Because this was such a big conference, junior MJ Langa prepared intensively.

Knowing they would represent Turkey, Langa and her partner, junior Calvin Bonn, strategically picked the International Organization for Migration (IOM) because Turkey has the most immigrants worldwide and a favorable position towards them. Although she felt a bit of pressure since the 2019 team had won a Distinction award, Langa was “more relaxed” at NHSMUN as she was incorrectly told there were no individual awards. She believes this lessened pressure aided her performance.

“I was a lot less stressed out about trying to speak and went a lot more with the flow.

[Calvin and I] would speak at every opportunity available, and I think having individual awards out of our minds allowed us to be calm, speak more eloquently and be more open to meeting people and having fun. I got to meet people from all over the

world in the committee which was cool.”

Langa’s efforts were rewarded when she and Bonn won an individual award. This came with giving a minute long speech on the committee’s debate at the closing ceremony in front of 3000 people. Notably, other members Romel Kassaye and Jack Raynor were honored with an Award of Excellence, as well as club president Katarina (Haven) Beches.

“It was a huge honor, and we were really happy because [Calvin and I] really didn’t expect it,” Langa said. “But, it was kind of nerve-wracking because we were told a day before and had only ten hours to prepare [the speech.] Because we were so busy, we worked on the speech until 1 AM. Even though we were nervous, I think we did well.”

Another award recipient was junior Michelle Ngo who, with her partner, junior Serena Daley, won an award of Excellence in the Commission on the Status of Women. “[Daley and I] went to the bathroom and we weren’t really sure why but our moderator tried to prevent us from leaving. When we came back to the room, we got a huge round of applause, and I thought, ‘Wow, everyone must really like us!’ Then, they announced we got an award, and we were really shocked,” Ngo said.

Despite their individual awards, Ngo and Langa were really excited when the team won their award as both stated that it was unexpected. According to Ngo, this resulted in everyone “jumping up and cheering.”

“They did the awards in order from lowest scores to highest, and I didn’t think we scored that high so when they hadn’t announced us, I was kind of down and lost hope. I then laid my head on the club president's [Katarina (Haven) Beches’] head, and they announced Redondo Union won.

I don’t think my head ever popped faster

than in that moment. We were all so excited, and it was a really good experience,” Ngo said.

Although, according to senior and Director of Training Maddie Toth, the team’s days were filled with “MUN, MUN and a lot more MUN,” they still got to sightsee around New York City. Langa cites that the delegation “managed a good combination of working and enjoying New York” due to the team’s prior preparation.

“Mr. Sklarenko is the best. He made sure we got to see everything we wanted and that we took advantage of our time in New York City,” Langa said. “We weren’t one of those teams that stayed in a hotel room and studied the whole time. But it came at the cost of our sleep schedule, and we averaged three to four hours a night which made all of us exhausted. “ One of the team’s stops was a trip to the actual United Nations (UN). There, they sat in the General Assembly room and listened to Iraqi-American poet Ahmed M. Badr as he read his poetry and spoke of refugee crises.

“I’m not sure if I was really awake enough to process that we were in the UN. It was really cool to be in such an exclusive room. I felt like a world leader,” Ngo said.

“I loved the speaker. He was young, very articulate and just really easy to listen to. I was really captured by his poem.”

Moments such as these helped make NHSMUN fun and a success. But “it’s kind of a bummer” for Toth as for her and the other four seniors on this trip, this was their last high school conference.

“I’ve been in this club since I was a sophomore so this trip was a culmination of everything I’ve done in MUN for three years,” Toth said. “I’m glad, proud and incredibly grateful the team won an award but it’s sad because there’s no more [MUN.] It’s bittersweet.”

As a member of The Giving Spirit Youth Council, sophomore Mia Cielak helps plan a fundraiser to provide unhoused students with Chromebooks

by Stavyah Naveen

A

s sophomore Mia Cielak walked through the streets of Los Angeles for a community outreach activity where she donated essential provisions to unhoused people around the city, she encountered both a military veteran who was unable to find housing and a pregnant woman living in a tent on the side of the road. Harboring feelings of “empathy” towards the homeless community, Cielak’s participation in the outreach project was “eye-opening,” as it exposed her to how diverse the homeless community is.

Cielak is the only RUHS member on The Giving Spirit Youth Council, an organization aimed towards providing “tangible aid and [education] on how workable solutions informed by direct community engagement…can alleviate and ultimately end homelessness,” according to their website.

The Youth Council’s upcoming community service project, which starts March 22, focuses on assisting unhoused high school students in making the transition from a school environment into the workforce or into higher, collegiate education. This fundraiser is aspiring to raise enough money on GoFundMe and on The Giving Spirit website to purchase at least 10 Chromebooks for at least 10 unhoused students in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), a minimum of $1500.

“Every Chromebook matters,” Angela Liu, USC student and moderator of The Giving Spirit Youth Council, said. “I think all of the Youth Council students are very committed to just putting in their best ef-

forts with that goal in mind.”

The entirely teenage Youth Council solely determined the premise and purpose of this upcoming fundraiser, inspired by their goal of representing and aiding under-resourced people within the Los Angeles community. In order to inspire ideas, Liu invited guest speakers to oversee the Youth Council as the students completed self-guided research and gave presentations on a particular interest of their choice regarding the homeless community, including homelessness in Asia, Africa, pregnant women in homelessness and similar topics.

“It became apparent very early on that the Youth Council students this year were particularly interested in helping students who experience homelessness or poverty,” Liu said. “One speaker who came in was a woman who had come out of the foster care system and spoke about her difficulty facing both the system and homelessness whilst being a student.”

When reflecting on the speaker, Cielak mentions that it was a very “surreal experience,” seeing as she and her fellow Youth Council members never thought about homelessness from the perspective of a foster student. The speaker had been sexually assaulted, an attribution to how her situation as an underprivileged youth increased her vulnerability. According to Cielak, this reveals just how “deeply rooted the problem of homelessness is.”

Initially, the project was intended to directly provide supplies (including Am-

azon wishlists, hygiene products, etc.) to help the students until Liu and other Youth Council advisors began coordinating with LAUSD to plan the fundraiser.

“We have deep connections with LAUSD,” Liu said. “In the past, The Giving Spirit has held events with LAUSD to create backpacks of school supplies for unhoused youth, and they are currently working on an initiative to donate USB thumb drives to those youth and their families. So when we talked with LAUSD about creating an event to assist students in homelessness or poverty, we really just had to work on funding technology for them because LAUSD was already open to this idea.”

Between editing the pamphlets and creating informational blurbs regarding how the fundraiser is going to help the students, Cielak has put “many” hours into the community effort, and ultimately hopes to see the Youth Council get their message out and see that “people are actually paying attention and empathize with unhoused students.”

The idea for this fundraiser was backed by the rationale that Chromebooks are taken away from all students, prior to graduation, which contradicted the necessity of technology in the pursuit of higher education or entry into the workforce. Considering the existing financial burdens on unhoused students, the Youth Council hopes that the access to a funded computer removes some of that financial burden, allowing them to “succeed in higher education,” according to Liu.

“Since we are all students ourselves, I think there was just a personal connection that we, the [Youth Council], had to this project,” Cielak said. “And we can definitely understand what supplies or necessities those students might need because we are all in high school, and we can relate to each other.”

Cielak, who has participated in community outreaches led by the greater Giving Spirit organization for almost 10 years, appreciates the general impact that the Youth Council has on her developing empathy towards parts of society that don’t always receive kindness. Cielak describes the events and outreaches organized by the Youth Council and The Giving Spirit organization as a way of connecting with repressed and “disillusioned” parts of society.

“It's a great feeling to help other people,” Cielak said. “And being on the council has given me that exposure to the world that I think a lot of kids do need."

HOW TO DONATE:

Website: thegivingspirit.com GoFundMe: "Fund Laptops for High Schoolers"

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features

Michelle Light gets creative doing 3-D art by taking classes at SCROC

by Ariya Anvari

W

hen it comes to 3-D animation, everything is made of code, making it “changeable” and “complex” in its nature. During the COVID-19 quarantine, sophomore Michelle Light found art as a new hobby. They started off with digital art on the free animation program FlipaClip but transitioned to 3-D animation.

Transitioning from digital art and paper sketches to 3-D modeling is not simple, as it depends on code and vector animation.

Vector animation is art composed of multiple reference points and curves instead of pixels, allowing the image to be resized without distorting or ruining it. Despite starting out with no experience in art, Light enrolled in SCROC: the Southern California Regional Occupational Center that offers classes in more specialized fields outside of what RUHS offers.

Initially, Light planned to take a 2-D animation program at SCROC in freshman year, but they couldn’t attend as too few people signed up. This year, they were able to take 3-D animation classes at SCROC, causing Light’s interest to shift more towards learning 3-D modeling using Blender, a popular 3-D animation program.

“3-D modeling is one of those skills in the animation industry that's good to have.

3-D modeling in general is not easy,” Light said. “There's a lot more effort you have to put in to actually make anything work.

But it also gives you a lot more freedom to

work with in animation rather than trying to draw everything, so I thought it would be really cool to do that.”

Light’s after-school classes are on Mondays and Wednesdays from 5–7 p.m. Even with attending another school after hours, the 3-D modeling course does not assign any homework as it requires advanced technology and computers that students may not have at their homes, so the workload of homework stays consistent.

“By the time I get home at 7:30, it's dark and I'm hungry. The classes are actually not tiring in the physical sense, but emotionally and mentally because after a day of school, going to another twohour program can be taxing,” Light said.

Sophomore Percy Castellanos participates in the SCROC program with Light.

Castellanos displayed interest in animation since elementary school, so when their counselor introduced them to the 3-D animation class SCROC had to offer, they took advantage of the opportunity. According to Castellanos and Light, 3-D model1 ing programs’ complexity is

uncharted territory for them, which can be challenging.

“When I started taking the class, I thought it was cool because it's difficult and it is a challenge,” Castellanos said. “Trying to keep up with the teacher is kind of difficult because he does something and then you're trying to fix something that you're doing on the model and by the time you look at the screen, he has done 10 other things.”

Aside from the fast pace, the both have learned new techniques, such as lava lamp effects, animating explosions and creating realistic textures. Through consistent practice, over time Light has grown as an artist, according to Michelle Light’s father, Hal Light.

“It's blown my mind how they’ve improved as an artist in the last couple of years. They've been using all kinds of different media, which is interesting and great,” Hal Light said. “With respect to this class alone, they seem to be developing really well in that regard.”

Light pursues different types of art, practicing painting, digital drawings, paper sketches and now 3-D modeling. Succeeding in fields beyond academics has helped Light to gain different perspectives in different aspects of life, according to Hal

Light.

“To be a well-rounded person, it's helpful to do things outside of school and sometimes even outside of your comfort level that you wouldn't necessarily think to do.

When you try something new or different, that will stimulate your brain and the way you view the world,” Hal Light said. “Art is something that makes [Michelle Light] happy and that's one of the reasons why I'm a big fan of them 2 taking this class.

They are taking an interesting step away from what they have at [RUHS], and it's something that I think is going to be good.”

Despite their current interest in art and plans to take art classes in the future, Michelle Light plans to pursue a different career path more based in scientific research, but will continue to do art as a hobby.

“Art is one of those things that I’ve had to work to be good at. I feel really good about seeing myself improve in art,” Michelle Light said. “That's something I didn't see as linearly as with other subjects in school. I don't feel that improvement when I do math, but I do feel that when I look at art from this year versus four years ago.”

1. Light posing wearing a halloween costume.

2. 3-D animation project making motor bikes.

PHOTOS COURTSEY OF MICHELLE LIGHT

Dylan Curtis's goal to beat the pole vaulting jump of 17"3' has come from a love of track and valuting by London Jolie vaulter, especially because she could help in fulfilling his dreams as he continues with

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printing across the runway, planting the pole in the slideway, launching yourself in the air, all to feel the high of falling through the air onto the landing mat. This feeling is what grabbed hold of senior Dylan Curtis, causing him to fall in love with pole vaulting.

Curtis went from a track runner to the second-ranked pole vaulter in California in two years, and is now working towards beating RUHS’s record jump of 17″3′.

Curtis’s journey started at around age six, exposed to the world of pole vaulting by his stepmother, later serving as his coach, Brysun Stately. In sixth and seventh grade, Curtis

each week. “[This sport] takes dedication, never taking a break and knowing to always keep going. I've left a lot of my friend groups and started to focus on track and pole vault more than anything else, so my life just became school and sports. That helped me stay focused on my goals,” Curtis said. “[The most difficult part is] the mental game. Getting yourself [to have the ability to go] completely upside down on a pole as it’s bending is very mentally challenging.”

One of the key components to his motivation is Stately guiding, pushing and expanding his skillset. From her effort and his speedy advancement, he has learned to embrace the sport in every aspect. “[Curtis], as it seems to a lot of oth-

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joined his middle school track team, and after finding how fast he could push himself to be, decided to try pole vaulting in his sophomore year. “[My inspiration was] my stepmom.

She went to the Olympics for pole vaulting and became my coach and started pushing me,” Curtis said. “I'd been doing track for a while then and later started pole vaulting because I’d done it once before, and I thought ‘This is really fun.’ I’ve been doing it ever since.”

Curtis’s appreciation for pole vaulting coincides with the meaningful impact it has in his life. His enthusiasm shows in his current four-to-five hour practices six days

er people, came out of nowhere and got really good at [pole vaulting] really quickly. A lot of that directly comes from the fact that I was an elite pole vaulter. When most kids start, the first people they see are other beginners, but Dylan grew up watching some of the best in the world. He learned how to mimic that right away and knew what proper technique was,” Stately said. “It was about being around someone who exposed him to the best and prepared him outside of the world of track.”

Having Stately as a coach was one of the best and biggest resources to have as a

mold him from the way she already knew him while he was growing up.

“I've been able to tailor everything and teach him the right progression steps for his body type so he will succeed as quickly as possible,” Stately said. “Having the ability to give him access to the poles that he needs and all the training equipment has emphasized and maximized his potential in the shortest amount of time.”

Curtis's progression was noticed by his peers and other coaches including assistant track coach Matt Smalling. Over the last two years, he has seen Curtis’s commitment to the sport grow and all the support from Stately.

4 “[Curtis's] strengths are his work ethic,

the sport.

“He's been overcoming adversity and tiny little things delaying plans. The only thing that could hinder something would be losing sight of the ultimate goal,” Stately says. “Even if something bad happens, he just needs to stay focused and keep grinding it out [until he succeeds].”

Curtis recognizes these standards he must focus towards in o r -

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a n d his positive attitude is a huge part of it. A major strength as well is that Coach Brysun is excellent at pushing him to the limit to make him improve, but not get injured. She’s pushed him to be the best version of himself,” Smalling said. “He's advanced dramatically in the last two years.

The credit goes to Coach Brysun and himself, because she's the one putting the plan together, and Dylan is the one who’s executing it and putting in the work.”

Curtis’s work ethic has developed from his persistence in the sport. In his future, he aspires to push himself to his limitations to be his best and fulfill all his goals. His stepmom will always be there to guide him

der to have any sort of future success. He has followed them for the past two years helping him to prepare him for what lies ahead “My junior year was when things got serious. I opened third in the state and came back towards the end of the year, went to all the big meets, and ended up tenth or eleventh overall. It was a huge success and now going into this year, I’m currently number one.” Curtis said. “It’s always been ‘go, go, go' forever, and now I’m going to keep going until I make the world team.

That's the goal this year, to make the Junior World Team.”

1. Curtis prepares to vault at Divison 1 Finals.

2. Curtis vaulting.

3. Curtis's release of the pole at the California Winter Championship where he placed second.

4. Curtis's score after vaulting at the league championships, which he won.

5. Curtis posing with a friend, also coached by Stately, after his vaulting event last season.

PHOTOS COURTSEY OF BRYSUN STATELY

6 features

march 17, 2023 high tide

Ice Ice Baby A

t

j u s t five years old, j u nior Kayla Ongun’s grace on the ice was striking; so much that, while taking recreational ice skating lessons during a family trip to Turkey, an instructor urged her parents to continue her lessons back home to foster her talent.

Now, 11 years later, Ongun shares her love for skating by teaching lessons twice a week at the Toyota Sports Performance Center. “ I remember the feeling of gliding for the first time. It was such a strange and scary feeling because the ice is very weird to get used to. When I finally understood what it meant to truly glide, it got so much easier and was super exciting. I want to make kids feel like how I felt when I was younger,” Ongun said.

According to Ongun, assistant coaching has been a “memorable” experience, allowing her to form meaningful bonds with both her fellow teen instructors and her young students. She tries to act as a positive role model for her students to look up to, similar to how she looked up to her teen coaches when she was their age.

“I love working with little kids because they’re so funny and some of them have even started to like me. They’re always coming up to me and hanging around me. I just love that and find it so cute. It’s also rewarding to watch them progress throughout our sessions knowing that I [contributed] to that,” Ongun said.

Helping her students progress has also contributed to Ongun’s personal growth as a skater. Repeatedly coaching basic

Junior Kayla Ongun's passion for figure skating extends to her teaching

by Summer Puterbaugh moves has strengthened her foundational skating technique, extended her patience and bolstered her communication skills.

“Kids will find so many ways to mess up one simple move and they will make the same mistake over and over again. It gets frustrating, but negative reinforcement never works, so I just constantly encourage them to tweak minor things.

I find that I’m a lot more patient now when I’m trying to achieve certain results, both within and outside ice skating. I also break everything down into simpler explanations, not only for my students, but f o r other kids, parents, a n d people at school,” Ongun said.

While communication with most of her students is “smooth,” Ongun claims the most challenging part of her job comes from miscommunications with parents, especially those who pressure their hesitant children onto the ice.

“There are some kids that clearly don’t

o

want to participate and don’t want to be helped. It’s really difficult to make [unwilling] kids feel like they want to be there, and dealing with their parents is worse. The kids get upset and throw a temper tantrum, and their parents’ reaction just causes a lot of stress,” Ongun said.

Ongun also struggles to balance the major time commitment and minor stresses of her job with her own skating development. Waking up at 5 a.m. each morning, she drives thirty minutes to attend personal lessons before school.

“It’s really hard to have to skate after school knowing I still have homework to come back to when I get home and get it done [quickly] enough t o go to bed at a reasonable hour.

I’m happy spending most of my time skating, but I do wish I could hang out with my friends more and go to bed [earlier]. I just want more balance in my schedule,” Ongun said.

Participating in level tests and skating competitions has also “gotten in the way”

a

f

Ongun’s social life and mental health. In order to advance, she must take part in “Moves in the Field,” a skating evaluation where skaters learn certain set of

moves a n d perform them i n front of Olym- pic-level judges. Currently ranked at junior level, Ongun sees herself advancing in the future but finds her anxiety often gets in the way of her progress.

“Skating is all about forcing yourself to do what you don’t want to do. You have to push everything out of your mind and force your body to do [difficult moves]. If you stumble when you’re younger, you fall down only four or five feet, but since I’m a teenager, there’s a bigger [risk] in falling. I have more fears and anxiety that occasionally hold me back,” Ongun said.

Despite the challenges of ice skating, Ongun still finds it to be a “beautiful” sport that she plans on continuing in the future.

“Skating has become such a big part of my identity. There's never been a time when I haven’t been skating or doing anything related, so I can’t imagine quitting,” Ongun said. “It’s rigorous, but I love it.”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF KAYLA ONGUN AND FREEPIK

Seniors compete in a student-run game for a cash prize of 421 dollars

by Nicholas Carrozza

S

econds before the final bell, seniors still in the game don their goggles and floaties, trying desperately to avoid being eliminated. At the same time, they watch their friends eliminating their classmates in ways ranging from disorienting their target with car horns to hiding in trees. For a prize of $412, it’s worth it.

Senior assassin is a game run by students in which a senior and their partner, another senior, are assigned a pair to eliminate from the game. To do this, they shoot their targets with water guns while avoiding being shot themselves, as another pair is tasked with hunting them.

These are the rules: no attacking during school hours, no attacking during work and actions that are against the law are still against the law, so no breaking into people’s houses.

According to senior Camila Gamboa, that doesn’t make it less scary.

“Last night, the people that are [targeting] me circled my house twice at 10 at night,” Gamboa said.

Part of the competition is that all players have to have their Snap Map on Snapchat turned on, which tracks their location in real time. This is to provide a way for assassins to gain information on their targets when they have no common connections.

However, that doesn’t help much when Gamboa’s target lives far away.

“You’re burning gas for a 20-minute drive just for your target to walk in their

house right as you get there,” Gamboa said. spotlight as much as possible, as a key “It’s frustrating.” strategy to winning the prize.

Players ambush their targets in com“My main strength right now is that no mon places like stores and restaurants , one who’s playing the game really knows which changes after school plans for some who I am,” Doe says. “When people see students. how aggressively I’ve been playing - look“After school, I’m always going ing for loopholes and waiting for hours to Starbucks,” Gamboa said. “I outside people’s houses - they will see I’m can’t even sit in peace in actually trying, and therefore a threat.”

Starbucks anymore. I have to For Doe, Senior Assassin has been actmobile order, throw my goggles ing as a de-stressor. on, pick up my order and get “I would have anxiety anyways out.” because of college apFor senior J o h n plications, Doe, the a n d only sac[ t h e rifice is game] his time. gives D o e me a asked chance that he to put remain m y anonanxymous i e t y as he i n t o wants something t o more proavoid d u c Seniors Hailey the tive,” Welch (left ) and D o e Tatum Esparza says. (right) high five after school with their pool floaties and water guns.

PHOTO BY MARIN CANTRELL

Senior Mele Corral-Blagojevich wanted to make the game unique, so she added in a few quirks. For example, the pairs system is only in place for the first three weeks.

The "bounty" system encourages players to move the game along. Pairs that fail to take out their targets by the end of the week can be eliminiated by anyone for the weekend. The only way to get off the "bounty list" is to eliminate someone else on the list by the end of the weekend, otherwise risking disqualification. Additionally, immunity items like floaties and goggles are rendered useless for those "on bounty."

“Each school has its own set of rules for Senior Assassin. Part of what will make [the Redondo student’s] game unique is that it’s being played by Redondo students,” Corral-Blagojevich said.

She also has to build in safeguards to keep the game from going overboard.

“We do try to build being respectful into the rules,” Corral-Blagojevich said.

“We make safe spaces, like school grounds during school hours. We want to respect the learning environment.”

At the end of the day, according to Corral-Blagojevich, it’s just a game.

“We’re trying to be respectful of people’s lives,” Corral-Blagojevich said. “I just hope that everyone enjoys it and has a good time.”

high tide march 17, 2023

features 7

POWER TO THE

PEOPLE

Sophomore Hannah Bazo traveled to Washington D.C. to speak with Congress about her experience with antisemitism and mental health

by Daniella Gross

A

s sophomore Hannah Bazo spoke for Jewish people, was held on the first of how she had been told to “go night that Bazo arrived. After the meal back in hiding” and “go back to and prayers, everyone participated in an the gas chambers” in elementary school, activity. snickers from the left and the right could “A homeless man came in and talked be heard from nearby peers. Her face about how the government did nothing to dropped, but she hid behind a smile for help or support him and how he became the remainder of my interview questions. homeless to begin with. It was a heart-toBazo’s experience in Washington D.C. heart conversation, and after his speech, speaking with Congress about antisemiwe did an activity where we were given a tism and mental health was eye-opening. role [to play] and we had to try and ‘feed But while sharing the exciting details, our families.’ Those two hours brought RUHS students displayed exactly what up a lot of feelings for many because Bazo spoke against. the questions were intimate, and it was From Feb. 24– all very moving.”

27, Bazo was asked Bazo said. by her rabbi and When Bazo temple to go on a was asked to trip to Washington choose a topic to D.C. with her rabbi speak with Conand a close friend gress about, she from South High chose mental School in Torrance health because to speak with Conshe could relate gress about mental to it. of American high school health in teens and “Seeing myself students have expeways to combat anand other sturienced or witnessed tisemitism. dents suffer from “It was very mental health and antisemitism at school comforting going sometimes not through the whole get the help they INFORMATION FROM THE JEWISH trip because need at school COMMUNITY RELATIONS BUREAU not only were brought to my atthere Jewtention that kids ish people from California, there might need help and are afraid to ask for were Jewish people from all it from their parents or their educators,” over the country. There were Bazo said. “So knowing that we can better no antisemitic jokes or anythe system and hopefully make kids feel thing like that. You could more comfortable was important to me.” just be yourself,” Bazo Bazo’s congregation, Temple Beth El, said. partnered up with another congregaA Shabbat service tion, Willshire Boulevard Temple, which which, is considered spoke about gun laws. The stories shared a day of holiness gave Bazo new insight into others' personal experiences.

Both congregations sat down with California representative Ted Lieu and presented their speeches.

“We [talked about] a quote from the Torah about a man seeking help from God and we also talked about the Mi Shebeirach, which is a prayer for healing the soul. We related this back to mental health, because if the Torah mentions normalizing mental health long ago, then it should be recognized as a human thing today,” Bazo said.

Unfortunately for Bazo, people criticizing her for her religious beliefs and customs has taken a toll on her mental health.

During elementary school, Bazo encountered many children that called her names, made cruel remarks about her religion, and minimized

89%

41%

her self-worth.

“There were always a couple of kids that would tell me to go back into hiding or say that my relatives were Anne Frank.

Some would [reference] Hitler and tell me to go back to the gas chambers. Throughout my life, I've been called these things and an apology note doesn’t stop it from happening,” Bazo said. “At one point in my life, I was ashamed to say that I was Jewish, and I stopped wearing my Star of David necklace.”

Even in high school, Bazo still comes across people disrespecting her for being Jewish. Even while Bazo was sharing her sensitive and personal experiences as a child, students from RUHS overhearing her interview laughed at Bazo.

“I ask myself why they invalidate my stories. They have no idea what it was like, which makes me feel like maybe as a Jew I deserve that.

This shouldn’t be normalized, but it has become this way, which is why I don’t let it affect me anymore,” Bazo said.

At school, Bazo has found a safe space with the Jewish Culture Club. There, she can connect with more Jewish kids her age and not feel embarrassed, but rather embrace who she is. Hannah Bazo’s older brother, Jacob Bazo, has seen Bazo gain more self-confidence in recent years. The four-day trip also provided Hannah with the opportunity to be empowered by others' speeches and made new friends along the way.

“From the beginning of sixth grade until now, I’ve seen a huge difference in how Hannah feels [towards Judaism].

She’s more supportive, more into it and has made me want to join more things in the temple congregation,” Jacob Bazo said.

Jacob Bazo feels that for a 16-year-old girl, Hannah Bazo is doing great things for the community and for her congregation.

“I’m so proud of her for going on this D.C. trip and doing everything she

could [to raise awareness]. I always tell her to take steps to reach her big goals,

and I really feel like she's done the best that she could,” Jacob Bazo said.

Not only did the DC trip teach Hannah Bazo valuable lessons, but it also taught her that her voice matters.

“Over the years, [antisemitism] has become so normalized to me that I just let it slide at this point because if you say something, [people] don’t do anything about it,” Hannah Bazo said.

“But seeing a bunch of teens get together to make a difference [in Washington D.C.] showed me that we have a voice and we shouldn’t be afraid to say what's wrong and stand up for what's right.”

Hannah Bazo stands with her friend, Sarah Gill from South High School, outside U.S. Representative Ted Lieu's office. PHOTO COURTESY OF HANNAH BAZO

of Jewish students report being the target of antisemitism at school INFORMATION FROM THE JEWISH COMMUNITY RELATIONS

2

BUREAU

1

8 high tide march 17, 2023

in-fo

The pressure of beauty standards on high schoolers affects self-esteem and confidence

A

by Lauren Greene

s she stares in the mirror, she searches for a single feature that she likes about the girl staring back. She fails. This is one of the daily struggles of anonymous sophomore Jane as she aspires to fit societal beauty standards that will determine her self worth.

“I've never had very high self esteem,” Jane said. “People always say, ‘Fake it ‘till you make it,’ but it's really hard to fake it when every day you're looking in the mirror, and you just can't stand what is looking right back at you."

According to licensed marriage and family therapist Jessica Taylor Vara, the pressure teens face to conform to social standards stems from “unhealthy messaging around body image and diet” both at home and on social media. The “non-stop flowing of strong opinions” allows younger generations to doubt themselves without a protective filter for “incorrect information.”

“I think it's a survival mechanism. As humans, we strive to fit in and feel like we're supported in part of a group community so that we're not standing alone. There is this desire to feel loved and valued and important,” Vara said.

Since she was in third grade, Jane has struggled with her self-image, learning to tie her self-worth to her appearance in the belief that she will be treated better if she gets “prettier and prettier.” Society also places pressure on individuals to fit a beauty standard based on race, labeling traditional white features as the norm, according to junior Jade Thomas.

“I'm Black and Asian, and in a place like Redondo that is predominantly White, I can see how a lot of minority girls can feel very unseen and not the prettiest. They're so used to [comparing themselves to] all these white girls who have light eyes and perky chests,” Thomas said.

Jane believes that it is important to have more representation of women and individuals of different ethnicities in media. In doing so, many young girls from minority backgrounds won’t be left to wonder why they were born with such features that make them feel “worthless.”

“I'm half Asian, and growing up, I’ve been told that I have a wider nose and a shorter nose bridge, and that’s engraved in my mind,” Jane said. “I also always feel like I'm never feminine enough.

I’ve heard a lot of comments about my small chest and I feel like it takes away the femininity in me.”

A lack of social acceptance regarding appearance can destroy one’s self-esteem. As a young girl, senior Brooke Talbott would force herself into uncomfortable clothes to “fit in with popular trends,” while today she continues to feel “apprehensive” when she wants to post images that may not be deemed as socially acceptable.

“If you're bigger, you're not supposed to be wearing tank tops or bikinis in beach photos.

You're supposed to cover up because you're not what society has deemed as ‘pretty,’” Talbott said.

Jane recognizes that she falls into a perpetual state of wanting to alter aspects of her own appearance in order to achieve beauty.

“I think, ‘If I get rid of my glasses and get contacts, I'll be pretty. If I grow my hair out, I'll be pretty. If I lose weight, if I get rid of my acne, I'll

be pretty. But after all of that, I still feel like I'm not enough,” Jane said.

According to Thomas, girls’ self esteem comes not only from their own self-perceptions, but also the comments they hear from others, especially boys, whom she has overheard make “nasty, hateful comments” about girls’ bodies.

“Society tells us to ‘Let boys be boys’ and do whatever they want. So, they often think it's okay to be mean when they don't have a positive feeling towards something,” Thomas said. “But we need to change the way they talk about girls’ bodies, if at all.”

Teenagers see a large gap between societal pressures for wome n

and men. According to sophomore Westley Reese, the appearance expectation for guys is more “simple” than that for girls.

“The expectation for guys is to look strong and not look out of shape. You have to work out and have a [specific] diet. At school, every kid is going to think about [their body image] because [they are exposed to into Brandy Melville because I just know it's fitness] through P.E., weight training or a unrealistic,” Talbott said. sport they play,” Reese said.

Jane, on the other hand, often struggles In addition, Talbott believes that there to find a way to cope with insecurities, unare differences in the way men and women able to ease the aching sense of unworthiare treated if they don’t conform to tradiness. tional social standards.

“There's people that I consider perfect, “Boys struggle with their body image as but those people still have things they don’t well, but I think it's so like about themselves. In the much more focused end, looks fade and on young girls and what's on the inside women. If a boy isn't really is all that's immeeting expectations, portant because that's people are going to what stays as you age. make more excuses for I can see beauty in evSomeone who creates him. But if young girls erybody, and if I can aren't following sosee that in everybody, their entire personality cietal expectations, somebody's got to see around going to the gym it’s because they're that in me,” Jane said. doing something and trying to look like To begin to change wrong,” Talbott toxic societal stananother does not really said. dards, according to leave time for themselves Vara, however, Talbott, more repbelieves that the resentation of girls to be a human." division between of different shapes gender expectaand sizes are needWESTLEY REESE tions may not ed throughout media SOPHOMORE be as wide as it and television. Progappears. ress toward body ac“ E v e n ceptance is slow, Vara though women says, but “we are on are more vocal the right track as a about it, men society.” also struggle “It’s an individinternally beual process that then cause there's not a lot of openness causes the bigger change. [It’s or validity,” Vara said. “It’s not acimportant to ask yourself,] ‘What am I folcepted as easily coming from men lowing on social media? What kind of mesbecause they have grown up not saging am I contributing to? Is it universaltalking about things ly supportive, or that bother them and am I breeding not having emotion. micro-aggresThere are negasive hate and tive views of self negative viewand body image points?’” Vara in both men and said. “Once we There's people that I conwomen.” stop following Reese beand spreading sider perfect, but those lieves that inmisinformation people still have things ternal pressures and focusing they don't like about often stem from more on the self-comparison body positive themselves." to others. For accounts, the guys, this may gender affirming JANE create obsessive accounts, the ANONYMOUS JUNIOR behaviors in order intuitive eating to achieve a phyaccounts, that sique that is simishift will slowly lar to or better than happen and the those around them. focus will start “Someone who to change. creates their entire While stupersonality around dents contingoing to the gym and ue to struggle trying to look like anwith the menother [person] does not retal health ramally leave time for themselves to be a huifications of external and internal appearman. They are so focused on being perfect ance-related pressures, individuals such as that they are more like a shell of a human,” Talbott are still able to step back and reflect Reese said. on the future they hope to create for themTalbott finds it important to follow inselves. fluencers and spend time with people who “At the end of the day, I'm still graduatmake her feel seen and understood. ing from high school in three months. Don’t “I want to surround myself with people let moments where you're having bad days who make me feel confident. I know what or bad thoughts hold you back. Go to the size I am. I know what clothes are going beach with your friends. Treat yourself to to make me feel comfortable and I'm not that ice cream. Don't let hard moments stop walking into PacSun anymore trying to fit you from enjoying your life,” Talbott said.

“

“

ocus

march 17, 2023 high tide 9 ILLUSTRATIONS BY ESPY CAROLIPIO IPHONE GRAPHIC BY ETHAN LERNER

Technology enables photo editing that feeds into unrealistic beauty expectations

by Simra Zargar

P

hotoshoots with friends, birthday posts, profile pictures. All taken in moments of joy, but anonymous senior Mia can’t help but notice every single flaw. Unsatisfied, Mia remembers: she is only a simple touch-up away from perfection.

In ninth grade, Mia first started using the app Airbrush to add a creative touch to her photos. Adding glitter backgrounds and unique settings seemed like a fun hobby, until this seemingly naïve and playful tool turned into a dangerous and unhealthy obsession.

“Over quarantine, my skin got really bad, and I realized I could use Photoshop.

I’d touch up all my pictures, especially my skin,” Mia said. “I wouldn't post without the app, which was so toxic. Looking back at my pictures during that time, I see the pictures that I posted and I see how much I changed them from the originals. I feel bad for the younger me thinking that [my skin] was something that needed to be edited.”

Stuck at home during quarantine, Mia became engulfed in her social media feeds and her perception of beauty became “warped” by social media standards. She became “nitpicky” over small imperfections on her body and her mindset morphed into the mentality that “there’s always something to be fixed.”

“You start retouching one small [imperfection] and then you start to notice other details that no one else would have ever noticed; it becomes a downward spiral, like a loophole that’s hard to escape,” Mia said. “If all I saw was what was on my Instagram or TikTok feed, naturally I started to compare myself. Knowing people were looking a certain way on my feed, I felt the need to edit my own photos to match.”

According to anonymous senior Anika, the media often favors Eurocentric features—specifically fair skin and lighter hair—that exclude features of other ethnicities. Instead of cherishing her natural Indian features, Anika faced a great deal of “insecurity,” around her figure and her ethnic traits, as having “fairer skin and less body hair” is promoted by the media as the ideal appearance standard.

“Having those ideals pushed at you on social media can be harmful. You can easily get rid of your body hair by editing it out and you can easily lighten your skin tone. These filters and enhancements make it seem like body hair or dark skin is abnormal when you go on Instagram and see that no girl has them. It allows people to achieve that image more easily and further projects that you must meet that standard,” Anika said.

“These filters, from a cultural perspective, are really harmful because you're forced to question your features: ‘Is it horrible?’ ‘Is it acceptable?’”

Small waists and light hair, fair-skinned women with sharp faces and clean-shaven legs: seeing characteristics unlike her own being popularized throughout the media compelled Anika to question her own worth and beauty.

“By taking in all of these other Instagram accounts, people from our school or random accounts, by comparing myself, that led me to a really difficult place of trying to grapple with with [the questions] ‘Am I beautiful?’

‘Am I worthy?’ ‘Am I pretty enough?’” Anika said. “It was just kind of a trickle-down effect. And beauty filters and all that enhancement done on people, really propel stereotypes and mindset in younger kids.”

The push for having Eurocentric features influenced how both Mia and Anika perceived their bodies. Although beauty standards across the world differ, the media reflects and wrongly indoctrinates a certain, at times unattainable, image of how a woman should look. Chasing these dominating idealistic standards, Mia says, becomes a “pursuit of perfection for the perfect body,” regardless of culture.

Striving for a flawless face blinded her not only from valuing her own beauty but also from valuing the moment in her pictures.

“A smaller nose, smaller waist, longer hair and prettier eyes—it’s all a competition of who can try to be more perfect. This threw me off so much because I would see a picture of me with my friends laughing and the idea of someone being able to capture a picture of us having fun should have just been perfect the way it was. But I wasn’t able to see the beauty of the moment for what it was,” Mia said.

Seeing edited photos causes body-image awareness to surface in athletes and people who workout, as well. Junior Kai Lucas, a wrestler, edits his photos in the gym to adjust lighting to better define his muscles, however, he feels going any further would instill a sense of dishonesty towards how he perceives his and others’ bodies. As an athlete, wrestling influencers flood his social media feed, yet the problem is that their bodies don’t always mirror reality—and, according to Lucas, this warped reality leaves viewers vying for an unrealistic athletic, muscular body type.

“A lot of people, when they see unnatural influencers that claim to be natural, get a false sense of hope that one day they can be just like them, but it actually causes them to go into states of dieting or overworking themselves to the point where they end up hurting themselves,” Lucas said.

Though there’s a lot of internal and external pressure to maintain a muscular figure, social media “motivates” Lucas to

work harder.

“Now that I'm older, I focus on my own achievement instead of comparing my achievement to other people's.

Other people's achievements tend to motivate me. When I see people on TikTok, especially guys my age or my weight, it motivates me to improve myself in a positive light,” Lucas said.

When Photoshop was first introduced in 1987, its original purpose was to help create digital graphics. Since then, it’s been adopted by thousands of people on social media. The countless features the software possesses, such as being able to manipulate colors and sizes and sharpen features have left people obsessing over the flawless, edited version of themselves. Its popularity has increased in the years, and in 2021, an astonishing 90% of women were reported to have edited their photos prior to posting, according to ScienceDaily, to present themselves as perfect as possible in the media.

With two years of experience, Mia is able to notice subtle edited flaws in images and c a n tell small

wiggles or warps in the photos. But, Mia started to realize the extent to which people get “absorbed” into photoshop, that “they don't realize the drastic changes they're making,” which for Mia, conjured some harsh feelings.

“I used to be judgmental of it, which was hypocritical of me, even when I was doing it at the same time. I would just be mad being like, ‘Oh, she photoshopped that, she's making people think she actually looks like that.’ But I realized I was angry at her for what she was doing because we both were victims of the same unrealistic beauty standards,” Mia said. “I was just channeling my anger at her, but it's not anyone's fault. It's just an idea of beauty that's been here and prevalent for so long. Everyone is going to fall victim to it at some point.”

For Anika, being pressured by beauty standards and feeling unhappy in her own body drove her to want to change her appearance by imitating social media trends, such as wearing “specific shoes and clothing, or products”. She felt forced to shop at places for clothes she didn’t want to wear or attempt to fit into an unattainable, unhealthy body type before coming to terms with herself.

“When I'm on social media, I tell myself that I don't need to have everything that everybody else has. I just remind myself that I’m perfectly fine just the way I am.

And that is a blessing,” Anika said.

While she does believe social media has been key to inviting all cultures and allowing for exposure to different ethnicities, she worries that filters continue to overlook different body types and facial characteristics, according to Anika, which she believes are all unique, beautiful and equal.

“Filters force this standard upon you that you have to look a certain way; it pushes this idea that you're just not what society wants,” Anika said. “Social media would be a more beautiful place if we celebrated everybody's perfections and imperfections without categorizing what is perfect and what is not.”

Despite the brimming levels of toxicity that result from editing, according to Mia, the process of editing minuscule details became exhausting and when her mom finally removed the app from her phone, it allowed her to take a step back and become more accepting of herself.

“Now, instead of being resentful of what I saw, I can look at these pictures and be a little easier on myself. If you love a picture and want to post it, but there’s something holding you back, if it takes Photoshopping for you to just feel a little bit better, do it because it will make you happy,” Mia said. “But there will also come a time when you realize that you don't need it and that's a really important and beautiful lesson you can learn. You just have to go through it to come out on the other side.”

opinion Soaring Scores

ALL PHOTOS VIA Freepik

10

The NBA's recent score inflation promotes a more interesting game which helps the league as a whole

by Aidan Tseng

T

he 2022-2023 National Basketball Association (NBA) season has seen its highest scoring averages since 1970.

Over 50 years ago in the 1970 NBA season, Kareem Abdul Jabbar was playing his first NBA season and Jerry West—whose silhouette is used as the NBA logo—led the league in scoring in a 14-team league without a three-point line. Today, the NBA’s scoring inflation promotes a game full of skill as opposed to physicality, which helps the league as a whole.

Points are being scored at a historic pace this year as teams, regardless of who is winning, are averaging 114.4 points per game according to Basketball Reference.

One of the reasons for this increase in scoring can be attributed to an overall increase in field goals attempted.

As of March 6, 2023, NBA teams are shooting the ball 88.1 times per game. 10 years ago, NBA teams shot the ball 82 times per game, and scored 98.1 points per game. Since teams are shooting the ball more times every game, naturally they will score more. Seeing more shots fly is good for television rating as it allows the NBA to display the accuracy and touch their best shooters possess.

But the NBA’s scoring inflation lies deeper than just statistics. Some players believe that the game has strayed away from physicality on defense, as referees are calling more defensive fouls. As an eight-time all star and fourtime all-defensive team member, basketball player Paul George is known for his scoring and his elite defense. He recently said on a podcast when asked about defense in today's NBA: “It’s killing the game…We can’t defend as

well as we used to. [Everything’s] a foul now. You could be physical, aggressive [before.] You can’t do that now. The offense has the advantage now.”

Since officiating has favored offenses, it is more difficult to play defense without fouling, making it easier for offenses to score. George’s point has merit. In the 2012–2013 season, teams committed, on average, 19.8 fouls per game and shot 22.2 free throws per game (which are rewarded after a foul). This year's fouls have increased and teams are now shooting 23.7 free throws per game.

As a basketball fan and frequent watcher, I have to agree with George. More and more, referees are penalizing legal, good defense by calling fouls. Not only does this allow the offense to shoot more free throws, but it also forces players to be less aggressive on defense, which makes it easier to score. If a player has to stand five feet away from the offense as opposed to two feet, it puts less pressure on the offensive player, making it easier for them to shoot an open shot and score.

Having referees skew offensively isn’t a bad idea for the NBA. It is easy to argue that having more scoring makes for a better end-product for fans and for television. The more the NBA promotes high-flying, high-scoring games that showcase the incredible skills and athleticism that its players possess, the more entertaining the game becomes, which ultimately means more money for the NBA. In 2002, teams scored 95.1 points per game on average.

That same year, the NBA signed a television deal worth about 765

million dollars per year. In contrast, in 2016, teams averaged 105.6 points per game and the NBA negotiated a television deal worth 2.66 billion dollars annually. More points means more money for both the league and its players.

Another reason the NBA’s scoring has increased is due to the increased reliance on the 3-point shot. A decade ago, teams only took about 24% of their shots from 3-point land and now, that number has risen to nearly 39%. In 2012-2013, Stephen Curry—leader of the league's 3-point revolution—attempted a league-high 7.7 threes per game, this year he takes 11.5 threes per game. Centers have also caught on with the trend. Centers are known for being tall and using their height to shoot close, high-percentage shots. Ten years ago, the league's highest-scoring center shot two 3-pointers that year, this year, as of March 14, he’s taken 328. Centers that threaten to shoot from the post are a pain for defenders, as they cannot only guard close to the basket and will have to follow their assignment out into the open court. With centers shooting more shots away from the basket, the NBA loses some of its more physical matchups in the paint that made former players such as Hakeem Olajuwon and Shaquille O'Neal a force. By losing this beloved element, the NBA relies on finesse as opposed to force to drive up ratings.

As an avid fan of defense and physical basketball matchups, the league’s s c o r - ing rise isn’t the most appetizing to me, but it has done undeniable wonders for the league as business. With offensively-skewed officiating and increased number of threes per game, the NBA is scoring like never before.

letters to the The new rules implemented by MLB makes stereotypically "boring" baseball games more engaging

by Sam Schwartz

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t’s a 3-2 count, the bottom of the ninth inning, bases-loaded, tie game and everyone on their feet anticipating the pitch. STRIKE THREE, but wait, there was no pitch thrown. The batter was called out because he didn’t look at the pitcher in a certain amount of time. The pitch clock is one of three new rules Major League Baseball (MLB) has added to supposedly make the games quicker, more exciting and safer.

The new pitch clock brings a certain amount of time for the pitcher to pitch the ball and for the batter to be ready to hit. Because this is new, major leaguers are having trouble getting ready in the fifteen seconds they are given to pitch.

In early spring training, multiple pitchers and batters have experienced the penalty for taking too long to pitch and get ready to hit. As a pitcher, if you take the fifteen seconds you will be given an automatic ball, and as for the hitter, if not ready by seven seconds, they are charged with a strike.

Personally, I love the new pitch clock, and so far, despite the rules imposing more pressure upon the players, I am all for these great additions to the game. This is mainly because data already shows the clock shortens the length of the game time by 25 minutes compared to last season, which didn't have a pitch clock. This is a great thing because it allows for players to have more energy, as a 162game season can probably get tiring. However, I do believe that there is one downside: I feel that in the eighth and ninth inning, the pitch clock will just put even more pressure on the pitcher and batter, to not choke or screw up.

Also, a world series champion pitcher, Luis Garcia, has always had a very long and complex pitching routine, which he will not be able to do because of the limited time. Now because of this, Garcia’s pitching will probably get worse along with others with long routines. However, overall, I believe that the pitch clock allows for more exciting games.

The pitch clock is not the only new addition to the league that I don’t discourage. As MLB decided to make

the bases bigger to reduce players’ injury rates, the injury percentage dropped by 13%. I don’t see anything wrong with this new addition, and I think that seeing teams’ star players stay healthy will make games more exciting and better to watch. In MLB, in past years, we have seen players overstep the bases and wind up tearing an ACL, but with the larger bases it is probable that this won’t happen as often as it used to.

The final rule MLB added is putting shift restrictions i n t o the game. A shift is when the infield moves to one

side of the infield to lower the hitter's likeliness of getting a hit; if the hitter has a tendency to hit the ball to the right side, the shortstop, second baseman and the first baseman will all be on the right side of the infield, and the third baseman will be alone on the left side. This is vice versa for a hitter with a tendency to hit it to the left side. The new rule calls for the separation of the two sides of the infield, two positions on the right side of second b a s e and the left side so

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.

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If you have a story to share, a unique outlook on something, or a personal opinion, fill out the form linked at the QR code.

now the hitter has easier places to hit the ball. This is meant to raise the batting average and make the game more exciting by putting more runners on base.

I believe this is a great rule change, seeing as sometimes I’ll be watching a game in crunch time and a player will hit a ground ball up the middle, which should be a hit.

However, with the shift there is always an infielder standing there, just waiting for the ball, turning a hit into a routine ground ball. The restriction on shifts in the game of baseball will lead to better averages, more clutch hits and more baserunners, leading to more excitement within the games.

Overall, I believe the new rules are beneficial in many ways, when it comes to adding more excitement to a so-called “boring game.”

opinion 11

high tide march 17, 2023

ANONYMOUS STUDENT 7:30 (6:30 for Zero Period).

However, I myself don’t choose to hangout with people after school because of my anxiety to get everything done before any extracurricular activity I have (and yes, I am juggling 3 days of them at the moment), afterward spending the rest of my day just goofing off and researching random topics that grab my interest (not a bunch of creeps shaking their arses to earworms) before getting to bed by 21:00 and waking up at 5:30 (and no, I don’t have a Zero Period this year). I know this is just one example, but an afternoon routine of a SpEd kid is harder to figure out than someone’s NordVPN password.

Another issue that most SpEd kids are running into is having to do their work a certain way. I had to deal with this for two years in middle school and 5th grade with Eureka Math, which [I think] is complete rubbish.

So what can you do to help students like me?

If you see someone wandering and you want to approach or socialize with them, do so quietly and in a way that doesn’t disturb them. If they simply do not want to socialize with others during breaks, leave them alone and don’t disturb them.

If you are a teacher, you can try to give them more information on how to do a question if they are struggling. Consider giving them a few breaks during class and seating them away from anyone who would bother them during class.

You can also opt to give them sticky notes to write any questions they urgently need to ask, which would be responded to near the end of class, and even set an alarm for right before the end of class so that if the SpEd student is scared of being late, they’ll know they’ll be on time.

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by Elise Haulund

Although makeup can be valuable self-expression, its roots in self-alteration contradict its advertising as true empowerment

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his year, I began wearing makeup. Not a lot, just a little concealer, a little eyeshadow. Eyeliner, maybe. Mascara, certainly. Though I have tried to resist their weaseling ways since middle school, for better or for worse, my powders and products and brushes and blenders have settled comfortably into my morning routine.

All this to say, I am not anti-makeup; in fact, I quite enjoy the 15 minutes or so that I spend with my supplies and myself each morning. If I can do something that provides me more confidence as I move through my day, I see no reason not to. For no shortage of reasons—creativity, gender validation, artistic expression, relaxation and sheer enjoyment, to name a few— choosing to wear makeup can be positive for many people. In addition, the makeup industry has expanded greatly in terms of inclusivity—creating more diverse definitions of beauty.

Nevertheless, our choices don’t exist in a vacuum. It is inherently contradictory to paint the action of painting our faces as an embodiment of self-confidence and empowerment. The beauty industry’s recent messaging that cosmetic products constitute self-care is laughable.

Although makeup is open to everyone, there is no denying the pervasive and damaging implications it has for women and teenage girls. Market research agency Mintel found that over 50 percent of 12–14-year-olds use mascara, eyeliner and eyebrow pencils, on top of the 45 percent that also use foundation and concealer on a regular basis. Furthermore, the age that young girls start wearing makeup is ever-sinking: Glamour magazine reports that the average age dropped from 14-years-old to 11-years-old over the last decade alone.

Makeup is, essentially, a means of editing your appearance.

This is an especially enticing pow-

er to girls, who understand before they can even spell out P-R-E-T-T-Y that prettiness is a path to happiness. When Anne Hathaway adorns eyeshadow and straight hair in “The Princess Diaries,” she gains social currency and confidence among her peers.

When Cinderella transforms from a homely maid into a glittering princess, she gains access to an opulent palace and marriage to Prince Charming.

As girls age out of the impermanence of their childhood faces, they develop a keen sense of what is “wrong” with how they will look for the rest of their lives. These insecurities don’t simply threaten their vanity, but threaten their success. In a study by the Pew Research Center, men and women consistently ranked “physical attractiveness” as the trait that society values most in women, versus “honesty” in men. Beauty isn’t a bonus for women; it’s an expectation. Lack thereof could cost women in numerous aspects of their lives, from workplace respect to their love lives.

No matter how fun and artistic makeup is, the beauty industry could not exist without thriving off of girls’ low self-esteem. For companies to sell concealer, girls must first believe there is something that demands concealing. To sell color corrector, something that warrants correcting. Who profits most from these perceived shortcomings?

I’ll give you a hint: it’s not the women forking out hundreds of dollars at Sephora.

Not to mention, many of the most prevalent beauty standards—big bright eyes, rosy cheeks, cute button noses, long curly eyelashes—stem from racism and the exaltation of whiteness. Despite progression in the industry, women are encouraged to strive for features that still often align with European standards of beauty. Again, who sets these standards of beauty? And who profits off of them?

Men shoulder their fair share of insecurities, but men are not indoctrinated into exalting the importance of their appearance like women. Masculinity is something men can wake up with, whereas femininity is a tricky floating target that women must painstakingly work for. Beauty is pain, right?

These days, beauty is also expensive.

Men face harmful standards, but they are not expected to spend extravagant amounts of money on products to meet said standards. Women, to receive respect, are expected to spend time and money to make their appearances decent. The double standard of attractiveness for men and women

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Students with mental disabilities (like I have), are not being understood enough and are (in our perspective) being unfairly treated by the school."

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ave you ever seen someone who is “off” compared to everyone else? Maybe they aren’t using popular social media platforms like Tiktok. Maybe they are drifting off by themselves and wandering around campus. Maybe they have an adult aide with them, and maybe they are avoiding small talk for what seems like no reason.

If you’ve encountered anyone with most of these attributes, chances are you’ve seen a special education (special ed) kid or someone with a mental disability. I was one of these people all the way up until eighth grade, and until this year I didn’t need an instructional aide and my parents changed my IEP to a 504.

The issue I am trying to point out, however, is that students with mental disabilities (like I have), are not being understood enough and are (in our perspective) being unfairly treated by the school.

One example of this disregard towards SpEd students is the expectations of most students after school (from what I remember), which is hanging out for what seems like a few hours and maybe having an extracurricular activity, then not getting home until around 20:00 or 21:00, then having to do quite a bit of homework and not get to bed until 23:00, 0:00 or even 1:00, then oversleeping until around

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Voice column:

fleeces not only women’s pockets, but their mental space as well.

The nagging voice in our minds to constantly curate our appearance, to evaluate ourselves from the third person—is my smile too big? is my hair knotted? is my mascara smudged?—inhibits us from reaching our full potential in classrooms, workplaces and social events. Whether we are conscious of it or not, it is distracting.

Society’s historical overemphasis on women’s beauty has always been a means of suppressing women.

Beauty culture isn’t harmless. Data released this February by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that nearly three in five teenage girls felt persistent sadness in 2021, double the rate of boys. According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, as many as 10 in 100 young women suffer from an eating disorder, especially anorexia nervosa and bulimia, which are devastating at best and life-threatening at worst.

Teenage girls are in a mental health crisis, and it is not nonsensical to draw a line between this fact and inescapable pressure to perform an act of beautification.

Certainly, people can empower them-

“

Society’s historical overemphasis on women’s beauty has always been a means of suppressing women."

ELISE HAULUND SENIOR selves through makeup. I do not aim to tell you what’s right and wrong. Choosing to do something that makes you feel that bit more confident throughout the day is wonderful.

Indulging in your femininity is worth celebration. Exploring different forms of gender expression is invaluable. Women, as do people of all genders, deserve the right to choose whether or not to wear makeup without judgment either way.

But, it is not lost on me that each morning, as I hide my acne scars with concealer, drag out my eyelashes with mascara, feign a good night’s rest with some shimmer in my eyes’ inner corners and create ruses with my rouges, I don’t really feel all that great about myself.

entertainment High on Rock n' Roll

12

"Daisy Jones and the Six" sparks intrigue, yet falls short of the book's complexity

by Lucy Davis

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here is no lovehate relationship quite like that between Daisy Jones and Billy Dunne. Except for maybe the way I feel about Amazon Prime Video’s new series “Daisy Jones and the Six,” whose first three episodes aired on Mar. 3rd.

Based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Taylor Jenkins Reid, “Daisy Jones and the Six” follows a rock band from their formation in the 1960s to their apex and downfall in the 1970s.

In their prime, Daisy (Riley Keough) and Billy (Sam Claflin) topped the charts with their groundbreaking album “Aurora” and plastered front pages of magazines with intrigue. Everyone wanted to know how two dynamite forces came together to create the firework show that defined music of the late ‘70’s–and how such a powder keg exploded at the peak of their fame. Decades later, the band sits down for a tell-all docuseries. The show itself is beautifully done–but not true to its roots.

I’m a longtime TJR fan. I adored “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” and read “Daisy Jones” in a matter of

hours. As an author, Jenkins thrives in the swirl of glamor and gray space of bygone Hollywood eras. This is where the series delivers: aesthetically, it’s a wonder. There are rich jewel tones, neon montages, iconic cars and dresses and geometric architecture. Like any good period piece, the production design is immersive, working with direction and editing to recreate rock n’ roll Los Angeles. Not only is the show gorgeous, but it’s smart. As someone who has already read the book, I can tell that each creative team worked together to build the plot, and the attention to detail is so validating.

And–thank God–I couldn’t have picked a better cast if I had done it myself. Riley Keough is Daisy, not only with her ginger hair and blue eyes, but her mannerisms, her laughter, her voice. Her chemistry with Sam Claflin is so electric that I felt like I was intruding just watching them sing together. And though I’m not used to watching Claflin play darker characters, his Billy is heartbreakingly complex, expressive and conflicted. Nabiyah Be is the perfect best friend as Simone. I was a little sad that Tom Wright’s Teddy wasn’t British, but hey, you can’t win them all. Most importantly, every member of the band sings and plays their own instruments, which the casting team didn’t have to make a priority, but they did. The cast even spent five weeks at a “band camp,” according to an Associated Press article, learning or relearning each instrument.

Which is why my heart breaks at the changes they made to the script.

Part of what makes “Daisy Jones” a compelling read is the fact that their characters are redeemable: Billy overcomes his demons for the sake of his family and stays true to Camila (his wife), Camila trusts Billy even when the tabloids spread rumors about his involvement with Daisy, Daisy is brilliant but clearly self-absorbed. By changing formative moments in each character’s arc, the writers sacrificed their integrity.

If you’ve seen the trailer, you’ve seen what I mean: Camila is caught up in doubt about the dynamic between Billy and Daisy, kept halfway in the dark when the emotion between

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them is palpable. The writers make her jealous, and they change Billy’s actions to justify her jealousy. There are further complications, of course, but what is supposed to make Camila so different from the members of the band is that she isn’t driven by emotion–she’s Billy’s calm in the storm. Adding payoff between Billy and Daisy allowed the show to exploit the plotline by pitting Daisy and Camila against each other, which didn’t sit right with me at all. That’s not who Camila is.

The other big problem I have with the show’s writing is its inability to handle its larger themes responsibly. Jenkins wrote Daisy as a lost artist who lost herself further in addiction–she doesn’t shy away from shining light on the consequences addiction has on its users and those closest to them. In the series, Daisy popping pills and putting the band in jeopardy is brushed off–it’s a problem, but it's not destructive like Billy’s addiction. Her spiral is supposed to be tightening, but the camera never sits with her long enough to explore it, much less understand it.

On another level, there are stark dif-

ferences in the music of the book and that of the series. Throughout the novel, Eddie (the bassist of The Six) complains that he doesn’t want to be in a soft-rock, pop-adjacent band. Yet every song from the series sounds like something he would hate–including “Aurora,” which is supposed to be the band’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.” If you’re expecting iconic guitar fills, big drum solos and quintessential 70’s production, “Daisy Jones” will only disappoint. There’s no rawness.

No boldness. But “Honeycomb” is good.

Here’s the big asterisk: the show isn’t finished yet. At the time of my writing this, only six of the ten episodes are available to watch. Daisy is on her way to Italy for a holiday, and the band has yet to embark on their “Aurora” tour. The story isn’t over, and while my criticisms still stand, the show has time to deliver an ending worthy of its original work.

Book-to-screen adaptations are fickle. Sometimes you hit cinematic gold, like Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of “Little Women,” or use it as an opportunity to improve upon the source material, like “The Summer I Turned Pretty.” Other times it’s a dumpster fire (ahem, 2010 “Percy Jackson”). “Daisy Jones and the Six” is good, great even, but I’m a reader first–and as a reader, I’m as disappointed as I am thrilled about this adaptation.

Maybe that’s just rock n’ roll.

entertainment 13

high tide march 17, 2022

PHOTO VIA TECHRADAR

Astonishingly Alive

"The Last of Us" TV show adaption easily becomes one of the best video-game adaptions yet

by Yasmeen Ford and Felix (Quinten) Lerch

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or both newcomers and fans of the original, HBO's adaptation of the popular video game “The Last Of Us” provides a stunning standalone series that expertly delivers the original's incredible storyline.

Based on the video game released almost ten years ago, the show follows the journey of Joel Miller (Pedro Pascal), a smuggler living in a post-apocalyptic zombie-filled world, hardened and reluctant to form emotional connections after the death of his teenage daughter, Sarah.

Twenty years after the beginning of the disease outbreak, Joel now lives with his companion and smuggling partner, Tess, in one of the multiple quarantine zones (or Q.Z.s) around the U.S. The Q.Z.s, ran

by FEDRA (Federal Disaster Response Agency), are the remains of what was the U.S. military. After Joel's brother Tommy fails to contact him and Tess after a communication attempt, they set out to rescue his younger brother from potential harm.

While attempting to locate Tommy, the two run into Marlene (Merle Dandridgde), the leader of a revolutionary militia group called The Fireflies, whose primary goal is to end FEDRA's widespread control. Marlene offers a deal: sneak Ellie (Bella Ramsey), a 14-year-old girl immune to the disease, across the country in exchange for a working truck. Easy enough, right?

Co-showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann (the video game's original cre-

ator) had lots to lose when developing the series adaptation. The video game itself, released in 2013, won several prestigious awards, including Game of the Year, Best Design, Best Narrative and Best Voice Actor and Actress for the depiction of Joel and Ellie (Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson).

Critics were not the only ones captivated by the intriguing storytelling and flawless execution, as the game was a massive success amongst video gamers worldwide. Mazin and Druckmann knew the risk that came with converting this best-selling game into a TV show. Still, by removing areas the game lacked but keeping the signature essence and niche, both showrunners produced an exceptional TV show adaptation.

In “The Last of Us,” the world is swarmed with infected "zombies" that progress in stages. However, these zombies aren't your typical mindless brain eaters, as they're still human (or retain some of their human qualities). The infected can think and form broken speech, but as time goes on and the disease takes over, they begin to take on different stages. The most notorious in the franchise are known as Clickers, infected individuals with fungus covering their heads, forcing them to use rudimentary echolocation to navigate.

Unlike most zombie franchises, the infection is not a virus or bacteria, but a mutated strain of a fungus in the real world called cordyceps, existing in insects.

Thankfully, the human body is too warm to

host cordyceps, but, as the show explains, if the world were to get warmer suddenly, cordyceps could evolve and thrive in hotter temperatures found in our bodies. The show connects the already disturbingly designed zombies to our world, making the infected even creepier than in the game.

Contrasting to the game, the show explores the depth of numerous "side characters” implemented throughout Ellie and Joel's expedition, giving needed backstories to illustrate that these—often disregarded—characters were anything but insignificant. The show's adaptation also hired various voice actors of the characters from the original game to play different roles in the show. The voice actor for Joel himself, Troy Baker, plays a minor side part, and the actress of Ellie in the game plays Anna (Ellie's mother) in the show, providing context on how Ellie becomes immune. While some aspects of the show stray from the game, the stunning scenery and ambient melancholy soundtrack remain, contributing to creation of the best TV show adaptation of a video game I’ve ever watched.

However, the show simply could not provide the same engagement and immersion as the video game. This part was expected, as in the game, you are in control and can roam and explore the world freely, engaging in stealth and combat to complete objectives. That itself makes you feel as if you're Joel, set only on finding a cure, eliminating all threats while protect-

ing humanity's last hope, a 14-year-old girl named Ellie. Whether your enemies are fungus-covered zombies or bandits who will stop at nothing to take both your life and belongings, the game allows you to see the world of "The Last of Us" through Joel's lens and perspective, something the show cannot mimic.

Although my preference leans towards the game rather than the show, both are exceptional and one-up each other in certain categories. The series precisely captures the raw emotion and depth of Ellie and Joel throughout their journey of fear, anger and loss. Ramsey and Pascal's chemistry, both on and off set, contributed to their phenomenal performances, something I didn't doubt after watching their roles in the drama series "Game of Thrones." Whenever I heard an iconic voice line from the game in the show, I cheered Joel and Ellie on, as Ramsey and Pascal's delivery and ability to portray the complex father-daughter relationship between the two main characters was unmatched.

“The Last of Us” is brutal and inevitably tragic. But despite violent rampages and gory flesh-eating infected, Joel and Ellie's relationship shines bright even in the darkest of times, defying all odds. While most video games are untouched by any remakes, “The Last of Us” TV show adaptation is a definite must-watch for anyone looking for a series that will leave them speechless and craving for more (pun intended).

Pedro Pascal does it again for "The Mandalorian" season three

by Calvin Bonn

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hree minutes in and I was a little worried. Sure, the start of the third season of “The Mandalorian” was interesting, with a jump scare (and of course, Mandalorians) but there was no sign of the show’s true star. Finally, after seven minutes and 27 seconds of anticipation, the adorable green ears of Grogu peaked out of the cockpit, accompanied by the titular Mandalorian–phew!

Fortunately, the show had much more to offer than just Baby Yoda content. The action-packed and beautifully crafted beginning of the third season of “The Mandalorian” hooked me in from the start, efficiently developing its plot for its fan-favorite characters, recognizing the original appeals of the Star Wars franchise.

The last time audiences saw Din Djarin, aka Mando (Pedro Pascal), and Grogu, aka Baby Yoda, together was in “The Book of Boba Fett” last year, which ended with Grogu reuniting with Din, who was recently exiled from his clan of Mandalorians for removing his helmet. This is all summarized in the must-watch recap for viewers who, like me, likely forgot all of the first season connections in the complex tangle of the “Star Wars” universe.

With audiences caught up, the first episode of the new season picks up where this plot line left off. We follow Din as he seeks help in his quest to return from exile by visiting the sacred waters of his decimated home planet, Mandalore.

Immediately, a dramatic fight scene breaks out, forcing viewers on the edge of their seats. This fast-paced and eventful standard is met throughout the rest of the initial episode as viewers get a taste of creature attacks, a blaster fight and a spaceship battle, among other surprises.

The blaster shootout in particular characterizes the traditional space-western vibe of the original “Star Wars” movies, with the cowboy-esque standoff and cinemagraphic focus on the twitches of the characters’ fingers towards their guns building tension throughout the scene. Thankfully, “The Mandalorian’s” quick plot pace does not slow in the second episode, unlike other “Star Wars” shows like “Andor.”

The many diverse planets where Din and Grogu visit adds to the quintessential adventure of a good Star Wars show. In just the first two episodes, the duo travel to at least five planets, each with unique lighting and music. The attractive colors, wide angle shots and hopeful scores introduce the audience to the new and improved Navarro, a planet recovering beautifully from the Empire’s rule. Contrast this with the exceedingly dark mines of Mandalore, where Din’s flashlight is sometimes the only source of illumination and tense, foreboding music plays in the background. While suspense is readily built in Mandalore’s atmosphere, it is difficult to follow some of the subterranean fight scenes. Regardless, the set choices capture the versatility of the

“Star Wars” universe and is appreciable to general audiences in addition to the fans.

Die-hard “Star Wars” fans have nothing to worry about either. The show rises to the occasion and contains many reference s to the larger franchise. Popular characters from the original seasons return, such as ex-bounty hunter turned High Magistrate, Greef Karga (Carl Weathers), and Tatooine repair-woman Peli Motto (Amy Sedaris).

Fellow Mandalorian Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackoff) also returns, landing a recurring character credit this season, as she takes on an increasingly important role in season three. Subtle connections to other “Star Wars” projects are also seen, such as the debut of “purrgil” in live-action, which are space whales whose shadows are briefly seen by Grogu outside of Din’s ship, a nod to the “Star Wars Rebels” series.

More connections to the previous “Mandalorian” seasons were seen through the development of Din and Grogu’s characters as they explore their father-son relationship. Besides just seeing Din Djarin as the talented and fearsome fighter or the begrudging babysitter, we now get to see him as the parent, educating his adopted son in the skills needed to survive and nav-

igate the galaxy. Din points out the various instruments on his dashboard to Grogu for instance, explaining their function to the interested youngling.

Even though Din guides Grogu, he actually gains more independence this season, cooperating and respecting Din more than in the past. In addition, Grogu’s time spent with Luke Skywalker seems to have had its effect, as he is now much more capable in the Force, and can even flip—somewhat comically—in and out of the cockpit.

This crucial familial relationship is one that anchors the plot of “The Mandalorian” and the fantastical “Star Wars” galaxy in general. With bizarre creatures, space fights and breathtaking planets, these relatable characters allow the audience to connect to the otherwise outlandish sci-fi universe. Luckily, the new paternal role of Din Djarin and the iconic face of Grogu are up to that challenge as the first few episodes of the “The Mandalorian’s” new season prove to be a stimulating addition to the series and universe.

PHOTO VIA STARWARS.COM

14

sports

One Run and Done Softball beats Culver City 1-0 in pitching showdown, maintaining 7-5 record

by Ethan Chi

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edondo won their first league game with a pitch-perfect defense, despite coming off a loss to Centennial High School in the previous tournament. Redondo bounced back on March 8, winning 1-0 against Culver City High School.

Even though the girls were disappointed they couldn’t pull through against Centennial, beating Culver and winning Bay League is the team's new mission.

“The first league game is definitely important because it sets the tone for the rest of the league. Coach Dessert had said as soon as other teams find out we beat Culver, it sets the tone for what they expect the outcome of the league to be,” junior catcher Kayla Roe said.

Redondo’s win against Culver was “a great win," according to Roe, a tight match that was “neck and neck.” When Redondo faced Culver previously they mercied them 8-0, but this time the girls knew it wouldn’t be that easy.

“Last game they didn’t have their ace pitcher and we knew this time they would, so we were just preparing for how to hit off her,” Roe said.

Culver's pitcher, Taylor Peacock, proved to be a tough opponent for the girls, setting the tone in the first two innings by throwing consistent fast balls and not allowing Redondo a hit.

“We struggled a little

bit at the beginning. I mean, she is a very overpowering pitcher, and you know, she's intimidating,” sophomore pitcher Bailey Murray said.

Peacock swiftly struck out Redondo’s first three to bat, leaving the girls in desperate need of a comeback.

“I think the first inning, at least offensively, we really struggled to get timing on the pitcher and getting settled in the box,” Roe said.

While Peacock was throwing consistent fast balls, Coach Dessert shared some words of advice to get Redondo back in the game.

“We definitely were swinging at a lot of balls, which led to more strikeouts than we usually 1 have. So [Coach Dessert] was just saying, ‘Hey, you

need to lay off these balls.

You need to hit strikes. Stay up in the count. Don't let her win,’” Murray said.

Play by play, Redondo took Coach Dessert’s advice

and “refused” to let 2 up.

“Even though it took us a while to get settled in, soon after that we started getting a couple walks, a couple hits, not necessarily producing multiple in a row, but definitely making progress,” Roe said.

With Redondo putting the pieces together, senior Annie Maden finally 1. Junior Melinda Smith prepares for the next pitch as she steps into the batter's got on base and box. 2. Sophomore Bailey Murray in the middle of her pitching motion. PHOTOS BY patiently waited for CAITLYN CISNEROS every opportunity to “I would definitely say one of the game advance bases. With Redondo deadlocked savers for sure was the catch by Annie at 0-0, Maden on second base and Roe on Maden in center field. If she didn’t save her second strike, the team was looking us, it would have been three to one, so just to get ahead on this next swing. Roe hit a for her to come up with that catch even fastball down the middle allowing Maden though the sun was beaming down saved to slide home, giving the girls a well-earned the game,” Murray said. lead.

With Redondo’s defense shutting This one run was pivotal in building up down Culver's attempts to gain the upper Redondo’s confidence and morale going hand Redondo preserved their narrow oneinto the next inning according to Roe. run victory. As Roe said, winning their first “As soon as we got the run we realized league game is huge, but the journey from this pitcher is not unbeatable, and we can here on out will be “difficult.” However, the do this,” Roe said. girls feel good going into their next game The girls held onto their slim lead by against Culver on March 16. continuing to play strong defense. The girls “Our main goal is to win league. minimized their errors and capitalized on It's 10 games, everybody's going to be playMurray’s pitching ability, striking out Culing every week, and it's gonna be a lot menver’s heavy hitters, according to Roe. Their tally and physically," Murray said. "So just strong outfield came in clutch when bases to stay strong, and just keep winning and were loaded in Culver's favor. having motivation is our main goal.”

Boys Tennis loses to Peninsula 15-3 twice and look forward to rest of season

by Andrew McKenna

A

fter losing for the first time this season, Redondo boys varsity tennis returned home on Thursday, March 9 with a chance at redemption.

Redondo had won each of its first four matches this season before losing 15-3 at Peninsula. Now the team was given another shot at Peninsula just two days later, taking what they learned from their last meeting to help them do better this time around.

“A pattern that I’ve noticed (against Peninsula) is that they are usually really aggressive at the net once the first couple of balls go by,” senior Ethan Chen said.

“They’ll wait for two or three shots, and then the guy at the net will try to put the ball away. If you are looking for that, you can try to catch him out of position and you can anticipate where the ball will come out.”

A big problem that Redondo struggled with last match was performing in their doubles matches. Improvements needed to be made in this area if the boys wanted a chance at winning, and was consequently the focus of practice before this match.

“When you’re playing doubles, placement of the ball is really important,” Chen said. “In practice we work on trying to hit towards zone two (the edges of the court), because it is harder for the net player to poach. When they’re in the middle of the court, if you hit cross-court really wide or down the line on the alley, it is impossible for them to get to unless they’re already there.”

With these thoughts in mind, Redondo

attempted to put their visions into action.

Unfortunately for them, though, the result was the same. The team struggled to keep up with Peninsula, once again losing by the same score of 15-3.

“At the end of the day, I think that Peninsula just played better as a team than us,” senior Strachan Ambrosi said.

“There were a few mistakes we made that held us back a little bit, but at the end of the day, they’re just a really good team.”

Although the score might not show it, Ambrosi feels that the team was “much more competitive” against Peninsula this time around.

“It isn’t obvious when you look at the overall score, but the individual matches were a lot closer today than they were last time,” Ambrosi said. “I thought that our doubles teams did a better job of serving and finding the alleys with our returns.”

While the last two matches were certainly not as successful as Redondo would have liked, Ambrosi knows that the results

aren’t indicative of the potential of the team.

“It sucks that we couldn’t beat Peninsula, but I think that we learned a lot from our last two games,” Ambrosi said. “We 1 still need to work hitting our serves and returns consistently, but playing teams like Peninsula will only help us improve. I’m excited to see how the rest of the season goes.”

1. Senior Kamran Hanif hits a volley. 2. Junior Matthew Ruhe returns the ball PHOTO BY MARIN CANTRELL.

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WHAT'S Boys Tennis: 3/21 @ Palos Verdes 3/23 @ Mira Costa 3/28 @ Santa Monica 3/30 vs. Santa Monica

UP Other sports: Baseball: 3/17 vs.Culver Boys LAX: 3/17 @ Samohi Girls LAX: 3/22 vs. Glendale Softball: 3/17 vs. Palos Verdes Boys VB: 3/17 vs. Samohi T&F: 3/18 @ Mira Costa

NEXT?

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Redondo hosted and competed in the annual Nike Invitational on March 10

by Malina Young

A

lthough rain poured onto the track this weekend, over ninety different schools came to the Sea Hawk Bowl, this past weekend to compete at the 2023 Redondo Nike Festival. The two-day event took place at home, with over sixteen girls and boys varsity events.

The starting line was crowded with vehement runners, determined to PR and scout their competition for the season.

Junior Lela Divinity broke her PR and finished eighth in California for the 100m hurdles, finishing with a 15.06. Although Divinity secured a spot in the top twenty in California for the 300m, she believes she could have executed the race better.

“I was tired in the last 100m (for the 300m hurdles) and I died down in the race.

I was really anxious about the race, specifically how long the 300m hurdles are. I felt like I wouldn’t be able to run for that long,” Divinity said.

Divinity already has formulated her goals for the rest of the season, which include breaking 15.00 seconds for the 100m hurdles and defending her Division 1 title for the 300m hurdles. At practice, she has worked on technique over the hurdles, such as her arm swing, as well as her speed work, in addition at home she has been exploring ways to calm her nerves, especially at big meets, where the competition is fierce.

“I’ve actually tried a new thing. I started meditating because I used to get really bad anxiety from my races, where I could barely move my body or warm up,” Divinity said.

Divinity hopes to continue her track career at a collegiate level, and is looking forward to accomplishing her goals this season.

“Track gives me something to look forward to in the day and to wake up with a purpose. Everyone has their own niche and track is mine,” Divinity said.

1 However, unlike Divinity, junior Addyson Benefield, new from Canada this year, was disappointed with her results.

Benefield participated in the 800 SMR and 400m, finishing third in the 800 SMR against some top competition. Benefield noted that track in America is more competitive compared to Canada.

“I’ve been going into every race with

“

I’ve been going into every race with the mentality that everybody wants to win.

Also, because you were fast a year ago doesn’t mean you’re going to be fast in this race," Addyson Benefield JUNIOR

the mentality that everybody wants to win.

Also, because you were fast a year ago doesn’t mean you’re going to be fast in this race,” Benefield said, “Everybody works hard. It’s the level we’re at.

When you’re sleeping, people are working ten times harder than you, so you have to put everything you have and more into this sport.”

Benefield’s energetic and lively person-

ality also came out this weekend, in efforts to cope with her nerves. She brought a speaker, started to play music, introducing herself to others at the starting line.

“Everyone is for themselves when we're racing, and we’re not friends, but as soon as the race ends, we’re back to being friends. You have to be mindful about getting in the right zone, but it’s fine after that,” Benefield said.

Moving on from this meet, Benefield intends to improve her personal and team’s ranking.

“I don’t like the idea of losing. So you have to envision yourself being beat. But losing is something that you have to be comfortable with before you can start winning. I find losing as a form of motivation because when you lose you realize that you want to win,” Benefield said.

1. Sophomore Anthony Pina getting ready to pass the baton. PHOTO BY REBECCA SCHIMA 2. Senior Jadan Williams at the beginng of his long jump. PHOTO BY REBECCA SCHIMA 3. Senior Jadan Williams at the height of his long jump. PHOTO BY REBECCA SCHIMA 4. Senior Jadan Williams after making the long jump.

PHOTO BY REBECCA SCHIMA 5. Senior Kyle Estefanina anticipating a throw from upfeild eager to make a run (photos taken from previous game). PHOTO BY REBECCA SCHIMA

Boys Lacrosse stayed undefeated beating out St. John Bosco 13-8

by Ava Anzivino

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ain or shine, boys lacrosse continues to keep their now fourgame winning streak alive. On Friday, March 10, Redondo brought their A-game as they played away for the first time this season against St. John Bosco, adding a fourth win to their streak with a final score of 13-8.

Last Friday afternoon brought heavy rains and intense winds.

However, the boys were not going to let this stop them from keeping their usual composure. Very quickly, they were able to put two points on the board within the beginning of the first quarter.

“We knew it’d be a bit of a sloppy game because of the weather, 5 but we knew if we just went out there, stayed focused and worried about ourselves rather than the elements, that we could go out there and win no matter what. And that’s what we did,” senior co-captain and attackman David Bick said.

The game ran smoothly as Redondo was ahead the whole time, however there was a sense of pressure when it came to competing against an old friend. Senior Paxton Allison, now one of Bosco’s star players, had transferred from Redondo his junior year.

Knowing Allison personally, Redondo’s players knew his game and how to counteract it.

“We knew that on the defensive end we had to keep him silenced and minimize the impact he had, and that really helped us stay focused. At the end of the day it was a nice friendly competition, he’s a really good friend of mine, so we were both excited go-

10-5. ing into this game. It felt like a fun sibling “We did a good job of movrivalry, despite the fact that we wanted to ing the ball and passing to the outplay each other,” senior open guys. We were persistent co-captain and midfielder with our shooting, probably Kyle Estefania said. could’ve done a better job While Redondo be- with making them, but still we gan the second quarter found the guys we needed to in the lead, with a score find to score,” Bick said. of 2-1, Bosco began to Manbring aging to up their cease Booffensco’s ocs i v e We knew if we just casional drive. successful went out there, stayed The key s, focused and worried dther i v ewin for Bosco was to win the about ourselves rath- was realfaceoff, and from set in er than the elements, ly there they’d drive the stone for ball and score with clear that we could go out the Seaconfidence. When this first there and win no mat- hawks once Bosco beshift of momentum began, came their own enemy Redondo realized how ter what. And that’s on defense. much harder their defense “They were what we did,” had to work. playing pretty ag“We underestimated David Bick them a bit. They came off SENIOR very strong, especially after their win from last week. They began to really challenge us gressively, offensively, but our coach gave us a good so when they talk during the half, and we came back out got a couple penalties it knowing we had to trust each other to get gave us the extra man advantage. the ball to one another,” Estefania said.

Even when they didn’t get penalties and Trust seemed to be the boys’ strength pushed out on us, I think we were able to that day, as they worked hard to find the beat their guys and use all their aggression open man and efficiently pass to score, against them,” Bick said. which was very evident especially in the Officially shutting down all possibilisecond half of the game. While Bosco’s ties of Bosco closing the gap, Bick scored points were mainly sporadic and driven their final goal in the last minute, resulting by just one player, Redondo’s points were in a final score of 13-8. Satisfied to have a team effort, securing their lead as they steadily led throughout the whole game, entered the fourth quarter with a score of the boys plan to continue on this route

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throughout the season, according to the co captains. They’ll play their next match away against Santa Monica tonight, March 17, in hopes of strengthening their2winning streak even more.

“Nothing changes, we’re going to have a good couple practices and keep on working to find the open man on offense, and continue to 6 lock down and play aggressive while still communicating with each other,” Bick said.

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6. Senior Cole Simmons looking to pass the ball forward (photos taken from previous game). PHOTO BY REBECCA SCHIMA 7. Senior David Bick Celebrating (photos taken from previous game). PHOTO BY REBECCA SCHIMA

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march 17, 2023 high tide

DRESS TO IMPRESS

YOURSELF Students reject the confinements of the gender binary surrounding fashion in order to genuinely express their genders and identities

ILLUSTRATIONS BY KAITLYN HODAC

by Meara Fay

S

ince they were eleven years old, nonbinary junior Izzie Caldwell bound their chest at the start of every day to feel comfortable in their own body.

“I didn't have a way to buy myself a binder off the internet, and I couldn't make one,” Caldwell said. “So instead, I would just layer tons and tons of sports bras and wrap myself in ace bandages in hopes that it worked.”

Gender dysphoria is the “sense of unease that a person may have because of a mismatch between their biological sex and their gender identity,” according to the National Health Service. It can be common among transgender youth, as many feel a disconnection between their appearance and internal identity, especially during the start of their growing physical maturity in their teenage years. Assigned female at birth, Caldwell felt continuous discomfort with the appearance of their newly developed body upon hitting puberty.

Caldwell’s desire for androgyny during the beginning of their transition led to the making of detrimental decisions toward their physical well-being. Chest binding, practiced by some transgender people, is the process of compressing one’s breasts in order to achieve a less female appearance. The vulnerability Caldwell felt was especially heightened during middle school, where they struggled with the stress of changing in front of their peers during physical education classes. Caldwell’s inability to completely change in a room full of others led to them wearing their chest binder while exercising, causing major breathing problems that still affect them to this day.

“I was stupid about it,” Caldwell said. “It brutally affected my health.

But I didn’t care because, at that point, the gender dysphoria was just so bad that I felt the binding was necessary.”

However, Caldwell has felt less of the need to bind their chest with age.

“Binding definitely helped me for a while since it made me feel more androgynous when there was nothing [on my chest]. But nowadays, I don't have gender dysphoria as much anymore, or even at all at times,” Caldwell said. “Now, just dressing and expressing myself the way I want to makes me feel validated in my gender and comfortable in my identity, the same way that binding my chest did.”

The transition from one’s biological sex to a new gender identity is unique to every transgender individual, with different experiences constituting differing views toward the emotionally impactful period.

Junior Lucian Ashcraft (he/they), who first publicly identified as a transgender male at 13, refused to conform to the typical cisgender binary that his peers expected him to follow from the beginning of his transition.

“Back when I first came out [as transgender] in eighth grade, there were some people who told me that I wasn't masculine enough to be trans. They said I was too feminine, which I don't think should be what constitutes my gender identity,” Ashcraft said.

Since he continued to wear the same style of clothing after coming out as trans-masculine, many cisgender people in Ashcraft’s life felt confused about what his intentions were in presenting his gender identity.

“I had a close friend of mine who refused to call me anything but ‘she’ because she said, ‘Well, you're too feminine right now, so I can't think of you as any other thing,’” Ashcraft said.

Ashcraft wishes that more cisgender individuals understood his view that clothing does not equate to gender, and wants other trans people to know that they can express themselves however they want, regardless of societal norms. He claims that when it comes to his own gender representation, it “depends on the day.”

“I'm wearing a skirt right now, but that doesn’t mean I should just be seen as a girl. I don't think I need to present in any particular way to identify with my gender as a boy,” Ashcraft said.

Holding similar experiences to Ashcraft regarding hair and styling, senior G Cannon has fronted adversity while experimenting with his identity as a gender-nonconforming person. Since he began to question his gender identity in seventh grade, Cannon had the desire to change his hairstyle, eventually adding layers to make him feel more “androgynous.” Despite pushback from his father, Cannon determined that he should not keep his hair long purely for the satisfaction of others. “[My first haircut] wasn’t the best, but that wasn’t the point. I did it for me, and it was important to feel like myself for once,” Cannon said. “And now that I feel more like myself and I’m more confident in my identity, I'm okay with having long hair because I know who I am regardless.”

Despite difficulties with his disapproving family and negative influences online, Cannon has managed to grow past the need for external validation and is now more focused on how he wants to express himself.

“I'm not stressed about my gender identity anymore,” Cannon said. “I've explored a bit, and I've come to terms with the fact that I am continuing to develop as myself.

Probably even until I die, I’m going to be developing, so I will continue to change the way I think about myself.

I'm going to change the way I think about others. And as I’ve grown, I don't see an issue with that anymore.”

Senior Lily Gonzales, a transgender female, has also struggled with her parents not supporting her identity and self-expression. Although they had supported others in the LGBTQ+ community in the past, when it came to their own child, Gonzales found that their views were much more complicated.

“My parents wouldn't let me dress the way I wanted to. They would forbid and prevent me from using the name and pronouns I prefer to go by,” Gonzales said.

“They would always say, ‘You know that's not you.

[This] is your name. These are your pronouns. We gave these to you for a reason.’”

Despite the obstacles at home, Gonzales still showcased her self-expression at school using gender-affirming makeup and clothing. With blush and long wigs being her favorite accessories, Gonzales continues to make it clear to others that she is secure in her identity.

“Dressing the way I am and putting on makeup builds my self-confidence. It allows me to go out into the world to tell people who I am and show them that I’m not afraid to be myself,” Gonzales said.

Senior Sam Miller also finds the typical gender binaries to be confining when it comes to appearance.

“Style is not gendered. Look back in history and you will see boys wearing dresses, boys wearing pink, girls wearing trousers, men wearing wigs, etc. All of these facets of fashion are so subjective to individuals and current societal trends as a whole,” Miller said.

Being openly a part of the LGBTQ+ community since 2012, Miller has been a strong advocate for individuality and the rejection of cisgender stereotypes. Miller publicly identifies as nonbinary, but believes that internally, their gender is “definitely more complicated than that.”

“It's not my intention every morning to pick out clothes and be like, ‘I'm gonna look so masculine or feminine today.’ I just wear whatever makes me feel comfortable, and I know that the people who recognize and accept my gender identity will be respectful of that,” Miller said.

Both Miller and Gonzales have felt pressure to conform their appearances towards outside expectations, but continue to reject these norms in order to fully embrace their true selves.

“I am more confident because of the hardships I’ve endured as a trans woman,” Gonzales said. “I've gotten so used to my parents being upset with me for trying to sneak around to be who I am, or to people bullying me.

It makes me stronger and a lot happier knowing that I can be who I want and no one can change it.”